COVER STORY

2008 Silver Spoon Awards: South Toward Home
Edited By Shannon Wilder
This year’s winners find inspiration in their own backyard, as Southern cooking soars to new heights. We select the state’s 10 best restaurants, spotlight some old favorites and find 10 exciting new “Old South” dishes.

ABOUT THE COVER: Adam Komich photographed Chef Linton Hopkins with his Georgia Peach and Charred Vidalia Onion Salad at Restaurant Eugene for Georgia Trend.

FEATURES

Deadline Or Finish Line?
By Jerry Grillo
As Georgia newspapers struggle to ride out the economic storm, it’s the smaller community dailies and weeklies that are holding their own.

The Best Places To Work In Georgia
By Patti Ghezzi
Meet 15 employers – including a pair of banks, a city government and an ambulance service – whose employees say they are the best.

Cutting The Red Tape
By Ed Lightsey
Community improvement districts are funding transportation enhancements and revitalizing commercial areas. Their leaders have learned how to work fast and get results.

Georgia's Chemistry Set
By Matt Hennie
The state’s plastics and chemical industries pack a $24-billion punch, but they face critical challenges at home and abroad.

$150 Million And Counting
By Ben Young
The Commission For A New Georgia, one of the Perdue Administration’s proudest achievements, recruited volunteers from the business community to help streamline government. The state has been recognized as one of the best-managed in the country.

OUR STATE

Rome/Floyd County: Back To It's Roots
A bustling industrial climate and vibrant downtowns
Plus, Rome/Floyd County At-A-Glance
By Becky Stein

Rockdale County: Dynamic Vision
Promoting tourism and grooming entrepreneurs
Plus, Rockdale County At-A-Glance
By Karen Kennedy

Screven County: Right Place, Right Time
A new road promises prosperity
Plus, Screven County At-A-Glance
By Ed Lightsey

DEPARTMENTS

Organizations: Jeannette Rankin Foundation
By Christy Simo

The GreenRoom
By Ben Young

Political RoundUp
By Tom Crawford

Neely Young: Holding Up, Holding On
Homebuilding is to the Atlanta region what carpet is to Dalton, what the ports are for the coast and what the military is for Augusta, Warner Robins and Columbus.

Business Casual: The Good Fight
By Susan Percy
It can be a tough sell, trying to garner sympathy for journalists; for many, doing a good job does not always mean being warm and fuzzy. But the work they do impacts all citizens.

State Of The Economy: Poised For Recovery
By Jeffrey Humphreys
Existing home values will not begin to appreciate until late 2009 or early 2010, and depreciation will continue to weigh heavily on the psyches of consumers – and on their ability to spend.

Profile: Elements Of Style
By Patty Rasmussen
Architect Norman Askins is a leading proponent of New Classicism

Politics: She Surprised Everybody
By Tom Crawford
PSC Commissioner Angela Speir spent several years trying to enact a rule that would end the practice of ex parte meetings – private meetings between commissioners and utility executives and lobbyists that frequently occurred during rate cases.