Three-person mixed or single-gender teams are permitted. The minimum age for participation is 13 and advanced registration is available at www.westpointadventurerace.com. If you just want to see what adventuring racing is all about, you can register as an individual and come give it a try. You’ll meet kindred souls who love the outdoors and love to compete in a friendly environment.

Canoes and kayaks can be put in the water at 7:00 a.m. All participants must attend a mandatory pre-race meeting at 8:45 (Safety First!). Individual competitors will start at 9:10 and teams will launch at 9:15. Lunch and the awards ceremony are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EDT.

This is a great opportunity to visit the Greater Valley Area, experience the beauty of the Chattahoochee River and the meet some great new friends. If you enjoy spending time in the great outdoors, you might want to think about moving to Quail Run, which is located just miles from West Point Lake. These homes near West Point Ga feature classic southern architecture in a tranquil setting.

Both one- and two- story plans are available in Quail Ridge and Quail Run each with elegant touches including wrap-around porches and over-sized verandas, providing outdoor living and entertaining space that can be enjoyed virtually all year long. Ranging in size from 1,800 to 4,000 square feet, plans can be customized to suit the needs and preferences of any buyer.

The large, sparkling pool opened in time for Memorial Day weekend and residents have been enjoying this convenient retreat from the heat all summer.  The pool pavilion provides shade and features a full kitchen which can be reserved by residents for special events. Tennis courts, a 2-acre multipurpose sports field and fishing lake are also part of the extraordinary amenity package in this beautiful community. Quail Run is also convenient to abundant outdoor recreation. Nearby West Point Lake is a haven for boaters, and the Chattahoochee River also provides more aquatic recreation options. Neighboring Twisted Pine Hunting Preserve, which features 2,100 acres of prime hunting land, will host it’s inaugural hunt with the start of dove season Saturday, September 4.

For more information on Quail Run, visit the Greater Valley Group website.

Hosted by Refuge Point Church and sponsored by members of the community, the Rock-the-Block party offered games, inflatables, live music, give-aways and free food. However, the main attraction of the event was the free school supplies and back-packs provided to students to help them return fully-prepared to the classroom.

Sponsors and individuals donated time, money, and supplies for the back-packs ensuring some 200 students got the essential items needed to start the school year right.

Attendees found fun and a sense of camaraderie by supporting an effort that satisfied a community need. In this way, we all had an opportunity to become active community partners, and GVG was a proud corporate sponsor of this event.

For more information about this and other upcoming events, contact Matthew Thrower at refugepointchurch@gmail.com or 706-773-0508.

The company is expected to make improvements over the first 60 to 90 days, then move into their new space. During renovations, Glovis is expected to  add dock doors, truck parking and fiber optics, and install new electrical wiring and lighting. Initially, up to 200 people will be employed at the Valley office, which will be used as a hub for logistics. Glovis Georgia will continue to operate on-site at Kia in its 558,000 square foot plant.

The expansion of the supplier and addition of jobs is good news for job seekers in the Greater Valley Area. Other employment opportunities are also expected to be added by Kia, who will begin a second shift operation later in the year, resulting in a need for more supplier labor. Georgia economic development officials predict Kia and its suppliers will ultimately generate close to 6,000 jobs for the region.

If you are moving to the area and looking at homes for sale in Valley Alabama, look to Greater Valley Group’s master-planned community of Quail Run or golf course community of Riverside Estates, in neighboring Lanett. Visit the Greater Valley Group website for more information on living near Kia and its suppliers.

The Tigers open their season against Arkansas State on Saturday, September 4 at 6 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium, just 25 minutes from our two hotels near Auburn, The Hampton Inn and Suites in Lanett and the newly remodeled Holiday Inn Express in Valley.  Convenience and a direct, easy drive south on I-85 puts you close to the action without the heavy game-day traffic. Making reservations is easy by visiting the Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn websites, or calling 334-576-5400 for the Hampton Inn and Suites, Lanett, or 334-756-2000 for the Holiday Inn Express.  Book early as rooms this close to Auburn fill quickly on game weekends.

If you are looking for real estate near Auburn, and close to West Point Lake, you may be interested in visiting Quail Run or Riverside Estates, our new home communities that are just minutes from Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. Both offer elegant three and four bedroom single-family homes with amenities galore. Just an hour from Hartsfield-Jackson international airport serving metro Atlanta and a 25 minute drive to Auburn, both neighborhoods make an ideal choice for those who enjoy spending time in a college town or the big city.

Recently, MP Tech, one of the Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia suppliers announced that it would expand its warehouse space in the Chambers County Industrial Park and Daedong Hi-Lex of America, another Kia supplier announced expansion in the Cusseta Industrial Park as it works to add space for an additional 31 employees. There is no doubt that more West Point development is on the horizon.

Earlier this spring, a 26-acre tract of land adjacent to the Chambers County Industrial Park was designated as an AdvantageSite, meaning the tract met specific federal standards of infrastructure, planning, zoning, environmental efficacy and accessibility. There are approximately 450 AdvantageSites nationwide, with 18 in Alabama and this one highly desirable location in Chambers County.

Currently, Greater Valley Group has multiple retail and commercial development opportunities available in east Alabama and west Georgia. West Point Business Park is located directly across from the Kia Motors Manufacturing Plant, and will feature a medical office building, child care center, warehouse space and limited retail.  For more information on available out parcels, retail space and commercial property please visit www.GVGHold.com.

In total, Kia sold 35,419 vehicles this July, up from 29,345 in July 2009. The automobile maker’s 2011 Sorento CUV, which is produced at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Ga., continues to be its best seller. The model, which was launched in January 2010 sold 9,003 in July making it the top seller for seven months in a row.

This is great news for the Greater Valley Area and its future as land continues to be at a premium in this region. Currently, Greater Valley Group has numerous possibilities for those interested in Valley and Lanett retail development and West Point commercial development including The Shoppes and The Landing at The Venue located in Chambers County, Ala. as well as a mixed-use project at West Point Business Park located directly across from Kia Motors Manufacturing Plant.

Recently, companies like Korean-based Hanil E-Hwa an automotive supplier, announced its intentions of relocating to the Greater Valley Area in order to be closer to Kia. More such companies and other retail and commercial projects will no doubt follow.

If interested in quality retail and commercial development in this rapidly expanding region, visit GVG Hold for more information.

The reunion should prove to be great fun for anyone who worked in one of the area’s textile mills or just has interest in the Greater Valley Area’s history. Festivities will kick off this Friday evening at 7 pm with a “Cotton Ball” dance on the old tennis courts in front of Langdale Mill.

Saturday’s festivities are slated to begin with a short ceremony at 9 a.m. at Riverdale Mill. Following the short engagement, the event will move to Langdale Mill where there will be a reenactment of the laying of the mills’ cornerstones.

Activities and prizes are scheduled in each of the mill towns. There will also be a community barbeque, “old time” games, a cotton mill museum in the old Cannery of Langdale Mill and a birthday cake (with ice cream) to celebrate the City of Valley’s 30th birthday. For more information call Martha Cato at 334-756-5220

This is just one of many examples of civic pride in the Greater Valley Area. If you are in town for the event and looking at homes in Valley Al, you might be interested in visiting either Quail Run or Riverside Estates. Both communities are located in Chambers County and are convenient to Valley and neighboring Lanett, Al.

Visitors will be able to tour our idyllic southern homes, enjoy free food, and register to win cash prizes totaling $500 and one of two opening day dove hunts at the new Twisted Pine Hunting Preserve, located next to Quail Run. The preserve officially opens September 4, the first day of dove season.

Located in Chambers County, Alabama, Quail Run offers beautiful homes just five miles north of downtown West Point, Georgia. The masterplanned community is also close to beautiful West Point Lake, making this a perfect community for those looking for West Point Lake homes.

The neighborhood features a large selection of floor plans, including both one and two-story options, which have oversized porches and wrap-around verandas offering extended outdoor living space. Large lots average approximately one-third acre and home sizes ranging from 1,800 to 4,000 square feet can be customized based on your needs.

Neighborhood amenities include a pool, pool pavilion, tennis courts, fishing lake and multi-purpose sports field.

For more information about the radio remote or Quail Run, visit www.gvghome.com, contact Drew Rennolds at 334-499-4190 or email him at drennolds@gvghome.com.

GVG’s President and CEO, Walter Shealy, revealed the capabilities of the high-tech theater-style facility to local business members and community leaders, many of whom were enjoying their first ~ but not last ~ visit to the Discovery Center.  The inter-active, touch-screen technology allows any presenter or agent to conduct tailored, virtual tours of the Greater Valley Area and West Point real estate, including the new home communities of Quail Run and Riverside Estates, the apartment communities at The Venue and the hotel properties.  The comprehensive look at regional development is a unique asset helpful to newcomers, realtors, investors, and business and community leaders.  The graphic presentation of proximity to Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia and Ft. Benning were of particular interest to the audience.

Shealy explained the regional development vision of Greater Valley Group, and spent time on the residential, recreation, retail and hospitality aspects of the corporation’s extensive investment.  His enthusiasm was contagious, leaving the audience excited about the future of the east Alabama and west Georgia communities – including Harris County – that are part of the 15-year strategic development plan.

Fowler, the keynote speaker, presented details of recently passed state-wide tax legislation that will be put before Georgia voters in 2012.  The complexity of the legislation requires an information campaign to insure that voters understand that tax funds will be used locally for road, rail, bridge and other transportation projects within their defined region.  While the subject was complex, Fowler did a good job of explaining both the need and impact.

If you would like to schedule a presentation and tour for you or your group, please contact Ashley Rennolds at 706-645-7777 or at arennolds@GVGHome.com.