Kara Casamassina, "Boomers and beyond..."

Here is something different and fun for the kids to do this summer.

City of Aiken Parks, Recreation, Tourism Department is offering Archery Camp this summer! Two sessions :)

What: Archery Camp. Learn safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration, and self-improvement.

When: Session 1: July 6 - 10 Session 2: August 3 - 7

Where: Odell Weeks Center, Gym 2

Time: 3:00 -4:30pm, Mon - Fri

Cost: $40 per session (non-resident fees apply)

Ages: 5 - 17

More Info: 803.642.7631

A great summer activity for the kids - right here in Aiken :)

Have fun!

This is another very popular Aiken Event! Here are the details:

What: Aiken Bluegrass Festival

When: May 14 - 16, 2009

Where: Whitney Field, Aiken (Mead Ave - between Whiskey and Sumter. DIRECTIONS BELOW)

Gates Open: 5pm

Admission: by Donation

Directions to Whitney Field--Mead Ave

From the intersection of Whiskey and Pine Log Road, go north on Whiskey Road 1.5

miles and turn right on Mead Ave. Go 0.1 miles and entrance to the field is on your right.

From the intersection of Richland Avenue and Laurens Street, go east on Richland to

Chesterfield Avenue and turn right. Go 1 mile and turn left on Mead Avenue. Go 0.1

miles and entrance to the field is on your right.

From the intersection of Highway 302 and Pine Log Road, go west on 302 (Richland

Avenue) for 2 miles. Turn left onto Marion Street. Go ½ mile to South Boundary and go

right. Go 0.1 miles and turn left on Sumter Avenue. Go to the 2nd stop sign and turn right.

Entrance to field will be your first left.

Come on out and have some fun - listen to the music - see old friends (and make some new ones!) Another great Aiken event :)

I wasn't born here but Aiken sure feels like home. Come see for yourself! What are you waiting for?

For the past couple days they have been drilling under the road next door. Yes, UNDER THE ROAD, lol. Connecting the Park Place building to the City opf Aiken water/sewer systems.

Here is the company doing the work:

Here's the drill bits - very very large drill bits!:

And they never had to disrupt the traffic - didn't have to dig up the road or anything - how cool is that!

PRE-CONSTRUCTION PRICES WON'T LAST LONG----- IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, GET WITH ME NOW!!!

These are going to be some great units - at a great location. Get in now at a great price :)

Don't forget - here is what they (Stevens Builders) are building:

Give me a call for the details on these great downtown residential units! (2 and 3 bedroom)

Perfectly located :)

Talk to you soon !

Hello Hello to my fellow South Carolina Realtors!

The South Carolina Association of Realtors is working hard for us
regarding the Point of Sale Tax Reform Assessment Reform, but they need our help!

Your help is needed Tuesday , 5/12/2009 at the Statehouse in Columbia. Luckily Columbia is centrally located in the state - making it accessible to EVERYONE OF YOU!!! Come on - make a day trip :)

Many SC Realtors have had deals either threaten to fall through or have fallen through because of this issue...the Senate must take action to repeal this Point of Sale Tax Assessment. (S.435)

I encourage urge you come to the State House on Tuesday.

THIS BILL EFFECTS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US (as well as our clients)!!! (SEE THE EMAILS BELOW FROM SCREALTOR NEWS FOR MORE INFO AND LINKS TO THE BILLS...)

We (SC Realtors) have rallied/lobbied last week to get the 'Point of Sale - Tax Reform' bill out of committee and on to the Senate floor for a vote. woo hoo - hurdle number one has been cleared - but there is more to do!

Come to the Capital on Tuesday, 5/12/09 to show YOUR ELECTED SENATORS that you mean business. That you CARE about his decision --- and that you WANT HIS SUPPORT ON THIS BILL IN THE VOTE.

Believe me - it makes a difference when we are there. THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS!! I was one of the Aiken area Realtors there this past Tuesday - and it does make a difference ! WHERE WERE YOU?????

Please show up and show your support.

FOR MORE INFORMATION - PLEASE CONTACT :

Cashion Drolet, VP of Government Affairs
South Carolina REALTORS® CASHION@SCREALTORS.ORG 803-772-5206

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EMAIL R'CD TODAY FROM NICK K, CEO, SC REALTORS:

In a big REALTOR® victory this week, the Senate Finance subcommittee and full committee overwhelmingly passed our point of sale legislation.

The subcommittee deleted all the house language from H.3272, and replaced it with the language from S.435. After some debate, the full committee passed H.3272 and reported it out favorably. The amended bill should be available online tomorrow afternoon.

I'd like to pay a special thank you to Cashion, our chief lobbyist, and a BIG THANK YOU to the many REALTORS® who attended the hearings on Tuesday. REALTORS® attended from every corner of the state. REALTOR® Rally Tuesdays have been a huge success!

While this is a big step forward, we still have much work to do with only 8 legislative days left. We've dropped thousands of pieces of mail in key senate districts in support of Point of Sale reform and we've started running a radio spot in key markets across the state. And, we are planning to meet next Tuesday (May 12) at noon, in the lobby of the Statehouse, to help push the debate on the legislation. Please make plans to attend.

As part of the final push, the final REALTOR® RALLY will be held on May 19th. We are planning a press conference on the statehouse steps, with speakers discussing the issues the real estate industry is facing, we'll head up to the lobby to make one final push and then all REALTORS® and legislators will be invited to a BBQ lunch on the statehouse grounds. An email will go out later this week with the final details.

So mark your calendars--we have 2 REALTOR® Rallies left--May 12th and the final big event on the 19th. Together we can be successful!

Nick Kremydas, CEO

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

EMAIL FROM CASHION:

INFO FROM SC REALTORS:

H.3272 and the Senate bill S.435. Because the House bill has met the May 1st crossover deadline, it is the likely vehicle for point of sale this session. SCR is asking the Subcommittee to amend H.3272 with the language in S.435.

The Senate bill, introduced by Senator Larry Martin (Pickens), caps point of sale reassessment at 15% and uses that value as the baseline for the next countywide reassessment cycle. The House bill, introduced by Representative Cooper, postpones point of sale reassessment until the next countywide assessment cycle. SCR prefers this bill to the House passed bill.

The Subcommittee members are Senators Alexander (Chair), Verdin, Elliott, and Setzler. The Subcommittee has met previously to receive testimony from parties on both sides of point of sale assessment, but they have not taken a vote on the bill. This vote will come on Tuesday. Should the legislation receive a favorable report in the Subcommittee, it will go before the full Finance Committee at 3:00 pm Tuesday

Real quick - here's a couple of pics of the progress at Park Place.

and this yesterday morning - working on the second floor!

I knew it would move fast once they started the framing. Ryan and his crew are doing a great job :)

THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION PRICES WON'T LAST LONG----- IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, GET WITH ME NOW!!!

These are going to be some great units - at a great location. Get in now at a great price :)

Don't forget - here is what they (Stevens Builders) are building:

Give me a call for the details on these great downtown residential units! (2 and 3 bedroom)

Perfectly located :)

Talk to you soon !