cumming 175 years

CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 3

INDEX

Lure of Lanierleaves legacy

By Alyssa [email protected]

A sail boat floats on bluewater above the words “gate-way to leisure living.”

The city of Cumming’s logoreflects one of the favoritepastimes of residents and visi-tors alike — visiting LakeLanier.

“It’s a jewel in the NorthGeorgia mountains,” said CityAdministrator Gerald Black-burn.

Recognizing that appeal,Cumming began to leaseMary Alice Park, with its pop-ular lake beach, from the U.S.Army Corps of Engineersabout 20 years ago.

The 110-acre park, which isopen between May andSeptember, features whitesand, a boat launch area andample parking and picnickingspots, Blackburn said.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “Ithas been very popular for peo-ple to go and enjoy the beach.”

And Cumming just may bethe closest, most convenientdestination — if not the onlycity — along the western sideof Lake Lanier.

Many lake-goers, particular-ly those from the northernsuburbs of Atlanta, accessLanier from Ga. 400, which

Cumming straddles.“Lake Lanier is one of the

most visited lakes in theUnited States,” Blackburnsaid. “It’s a great economicengine for North Georgia.”

Boasting everything fromvacation spots to marinarestaurants, visitors and resi-dents contribute to the eco-nomic success of theCumming area.

While digging a moat in thesand on a recent afternoon, 9-year-old Chloe Huguenimsaid she likes to visit MaryAlice Park twice a week dur-ing the summer.

“It’s pretty neat to have alake right next to my house,”she said. “It’s entertaining.”

Her mother, Paula, said thechild loves coming to Lanier,a feature unique to the areathat the family enjoys.

Sugar Hill resident AnnieLewis said her family hasbeen visiting Mary Alice forabout two or three years.

“I like that it’s a close, cleanbeach,” she said, “and only $4for the whole family.”

While some take vacationson Lanier, resident Alicia Foxsaid she’s been using the parkas her own nearby getaway.

Fox, 23, and a friend sunnedthemselves on the sandybeach, much like the hundredsof movie extras brought in forthe recent filming of “HallPass.”

Hollywood stars OwenWilson and ChristinaApplegate visited the spot fortaping when filmmakersleased Mary Alice from thecity before its opening day inearly May.

The production crew built atemporary home and tiki barlike those in Cape Cod.

The city is‘gateway toleisure living’

Photos by Emily Saunders Forsyth County News

Zane McGruder pours water on Chloe Huguenim while playing recently at MaryAlice Park on Lake Lanier. Top, Chase McGruder gets sandy while playing at thepark, which the city has operated for about 20 years.

See LANIER | 4

Arts

City happenings

Fairgrounds

Education

Ga. 400

Health care

History

Lake Lanier

Recreation

Retail

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As the only city in ForsythCounty, Cumming has long beenthe area’s economic and educationalhub.

In fact, it’s a distinction the cityhas held for the past 175 years.

Ideally positioned along LakeLanier and Ga. 400, the city has benefited from its location as well asfrom stable leadership with thevision to tap into the future and preserve the past.

City residents enjoy plentiful services and offerings, from arts andentertainment to recreation andretail. And it’s that quality of life thatwe explore in this section.

So join us as we celebrateCumming’s rich history and lookahead to the next 175 years.

ABOUT THIS SECTION

Cummingcelebrates175 years

They also left behindplenty of new white sand forsummer visitors to enjoy.

Filming a movie broughtrevenue to the area, but usu-ally it’s the return visitorsthat keep the local economygoing.

The “ideal location”between the mountains andthe city primes the area forrecreation and real estateopportunities, Blackburnsaid.

The city hopes to capital-ize on those features bybringing a major develop-ment to Mary Alice Park.

Cumming is still in con-versations with the corpsand Great Wolf Resorts, acompany interested inbuilding a 400- to 600-roomhotel resort complex andwater park at the site.

“It could be a real better-ment to the entire commu-nity,” Blackburn said.“There’s several events thatwe don’t have a facility inForsyth County largeenough to handle the groupsthat come.”

The economic downturnhas delayed a decision onthe project, but he said city

leaders hope progress cansoon be made.

“We still are talking withthe developer and they stillhave shown an interest inthat,” he said.

“Hopefully, at the point intime the economy begins toturn around, we can see allthose discussions berevived.”

PAGE 4 — CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010

FROM 3

Lanier

Emily Saunders Forsyth County News

Chloe Huguenim and Chase McGruder play inthe sand at Mary Alice Park on Lake Lanier.

By Mac LittleFor the Forsyth County News

Though it may be hardto fathom in the 21st cen-tury, there was a timewhen many residents inCumming thought Ga. 400was nothing but a waste ofpavement.

“When it was initiallybuilt in the Cummingarea,” City AdministratorGerald Blackburn recalled,“you’d get on it and think,‘Lord have mercy, whyhad such a road been builtin this area? It’ll take ahundred years for this to

fill up.’”Any current frustrations

with the major, north-southtraffic corridor linking theCumming area to metroAtlanta usually run on theother end of the spectrum— with congestion.

And, as Blackburnnoted, “It didn’t take longuntil the sprawl began tocome this way and the areabegan to build up.”

Completed in stagesthroughout the 1970s andearly ’80s, Ga. 400 origi-nally connected Interstate285 and Ga. 306. Locally,the highway provided a

new route to reach Atlanta,a quicker alternative forCumming residents accus-tomed to taking Hwys. 9and 141.

In fact, one of biggestbeneficiaries of Ga. 400may have been the cityitself. A community thathad no railroad access sud-denly had a major highwayrunning through its back-yard.

“It was really to theadvantage of everybodybecause it came rightthrough the middle,” said

Cumming was in the right placeLeaders tapped into location of 400 Ga. 400

providedmore directaccess toAtlanta,openingCumming to moregrowth andopportunity.

See GA. 400 | 5 Jim Dean Forsyth County News

H. Ford Gravitt, Cumming’smayor since 1970. “It helped thecommercial industry, the healthcare facilities, everything wantedto locate around 400 right here inCumming.”

Mike Evans, a Cumming resi-dent and former chairman of thestate Department ofTransportation, agreed.

“400 has really become thelifeblood of the city,” he said.

Along with Lake Lanier,which Ga. 400 made more acces-sible, the city owes much of thegrowth and prosperity of the lastfew decades to the state highway.

To Evans, Ga. 400 is whatstarted it all. Lanier broughtweekend visitors to the city,while Ga. 400 brought perma-nent residents.

Today, Cumming continues to

benefit from its access to Ga. 400and close proximity to Atlanta.Its thriving retail market is aprime example.

“As they develop more here inthis area, you’re just going to seebusinesses growing and growingmore,” said Bobby Foster, prod-uct process manager for BestBuy in Cumming. “I think this isa great area to be in right now.”

Best Buy is off Market PlaceBoulevard, the city’s bustlingretail corridor that runs parallelto Ga. 400.

In addition to retail business,the city has been able to use itslocation to grow and developother projects, among them anaquatic center off Ga. 400’s Exit16 at Pilgrim Mill Road.

Plans for that exit also includea new driver’s services centerand a National Guard Armory, aswell as a possible satellite cam-pus of North Georgia StateCollege and University.

To Evans, much of the credit

should be directed to city fathersfor their foresight and experienceat the helm of Cumming.

“The city leadership under-stands the importance of havingsignificant infrastructure ... they

know and understand the thingsthat make a city viable on a longterm basis,” Evans said.

Both Blackburn and Evansagree there is more ahead for Ga.400 and, in turn, the city.

“The development that takesplace over on 400 ties back in tothe city of Cumming, whichexpands the city,” saidBlackburn, adding that the con-tinued development of MarketPlace Boulevard and other areaswill directly benefit as the high-way grows.

“We can’t stop on 400, italways needs to be a top priori-ty,” Evans said.


FROM 4

Ga. 400

Jim Dean Forsyth County News

Bryan Rhoden, right, and Paul Martinez look over thePilgrim Mill Road site where the city of Cumming is build-ing an aquatic center.

‘It didn’t take longuntil the sprawlbegan to come thisway and the areabegan to build up.’

Gerald BlackburnCity administrator

By Crystal [email protected]

From preschool to post-secondary, a strong edu-cation is valued in the cityof Cumming.

While the city doesn’thave its own publicschool system, like somemunicipalities in the area,it is a strong supporter ofthe Forsyth County sys-tem, as well programssuch as church preschoolsand college partnerships.

Forsyth County SchoolSuperintendent BusterEvans said city leadershave never been anythingbut supportive since hecame to the district aboutthree years ago.

“ In te rgovernmenta lrelationships in a commu-nity are vital for effectiveprogress, communication,problem resolution andworking to serve the citi-zens of a community,”Evans said.

“Since beginning my

work with the ForsythCounty Schools ... ourwork that fairly regularlycrosses paths with the cityof Cumming has been amodel of cooperation.From Mayor [Ford]Gravitt, the council andcity administration and alldepartments, our worktogether has, I believe,been mutally supportive.”

Earlier this year, Evanssaid the city served as amodel community partnerin its support of the 2010Census.

City officials joinedthose from the schoolsystem and county toencourage residents tomail in their forms on

time, he said.While the majority of

the system’s schools falloutside the city limits,Evans said the level ofservice for those that areinside Cumming “hasalways been well abovethe expectations of effi-ciency.”

In addition, he said, thecity provides theCumming Fairgrounds

each year for high schoolgraduations. ForsythCentral’s commencementwas held there May 29.

“Dave Horton [Fair-grounds director] and histeam always work to helpmake this a special event

for our graduates,” Evanssaid.

Well before seniors donthose caps and gowns,they hopefully haveobtained a strong educa-tional foundation. And inCumming that can beginas young as 2 years old.

Juanita Brown hasserved as director of theCumming First UnitedMethodist Church’s pre-school for 33 of the pro-gram’s 38 years.

She said about 360 stu-dents, ranging in age from2 to kindergarten, gothrough the nine-monthprogram each school year.

“I think young parentshere are definitely inter-ested in early educationfor their little ones,” shesaid.

While she said the pro-gram doesn’t have any


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Mayor:‘Education is essential’

File photo

Jay Robert Michal, valedictorian of ForsythCentral High’s Class of 2010, shakes hands withSuperintendent Buster Evans during the school’sgraduation at the Cumming Fairgrounds.

Officialsembrace lifelonglearning

See EDUCATION | 8

Mia Grellaeats a cup-cake duringa previousHalloweencarnival atCummingFirst UnitedMethodistChurch.From pre-school topostsec-ondary, astrong edu-cation is val-ued in thecity ofCumming.

File photo

specific ties to Cumming offi-cials, she said they have beensupportive in indirect ways.

“They keep sending us kids,”she said.

Also, in the early days of theprogram, students attendedclasses in the “little churchfacility” across from theCumming City Park. The build-ing is now owned by the cityand serves as offices for therecreation department.

“We enjoyed walking over tothe park and having our snacksor storytime,” she said.

In recent years, the city hasbranched out to land some post-secondary opportunities for res-idents.

John Douglas, administratorof the Team MBA program at

North Georgia College & StateUniversity, said the city hasbeen “super cooperative andsupportive.”

The master’s program, whichis housed on the fourth floor ofCumming City Hall, began inAugust 2008.

“The city is wonderful,” hesaid. “I couldn’t say enoughabout what great landlords theyare.”

The Team MBA program willwelcome its third class inAugust.

The first two groups hadabout 25 students. Douglas saidthe incoming group may num-ber closer to 30.

City leaders hope to soonoffer more than just the MBAprogram from NGCSU.

A full-fledged satellite cam-pus of the Dahlonega-based uni-versity is planned for a portionof a site on Pilgrim Mill Road,although an exact opening datehas not been determined.

The site will also be home toa 104,00-square-foot NationalGuard armory, the city’s aquaticcenter and a driver’s servicesfacility.

While no official contracts

have been signed on the collegeproject, Mayor H. Ford Gravittsaid he hopes to make headwayover the next 18 months.

“Education is an integral partof everybody’s lives, so we

wanted to a house a collegehere,” Gravitt said. “ ... Workingwith Dr. [David] Potter [presi-dent of North Georgia College]gave us the additional adrena-line flow to get things going.”

Once complete, he said thecampus will be about 30,000square feet and provide “thebest mix” of various undergrad-uate programs for residents.

Gravitt said he’s passionateabout supporting education inhis community because he’salways believed it to be the keyto success.

He explained when he wasgrowing up0, Forsyth Countywas a farming community inwhich most people didn’t evenhave a high school education.

“Everybody’s ambition fortheir kids was for them to grad-uate high school,” he said. “Ifyou wanted to get a job otherthan farming, you had to havean education.

“Education is essential.”


FROM 6

Education

File photo

The Team MBA program through NGCSU began in August2008 from the fourth floor of Cumming City Hall.

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Cumming

Pictured from left to right: Jacob, John, James, Janet, Jim, and Joseph Otwell

— CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010

‘It holds us all together’

By Crystal [email protected]

A cemetery once overgrown with weedsprovides a resting place of true respect.

What was once an old schoolhouse hasbecome a vital center for arts and history.

And a rundown home perhaps suited fordemolition now stands as a communitygathering place.

These renovation projects are part ofwhat shapes Cumming. City leaders andresidents alike cherish local history andheritage.

Linda Heard, a city employee whoworked on all three efforts, said officialsbegan taking a real interest in preservinghistory in the late 1980s.

“Before the ’80s, there wasn’t reallyenough money to work on preservationprojects,” Heard said.

But as soon as funding was available,she said city leaders began delving intoprojects.

“The city felt the need to uncover andpreserve as much of our history as wecould,” she said. “The mission is to lay afoundation [of history] for all the otherthings that will happen in the future.”

The first major preservation project wasrestoring the city’s cemetery.

Heard said city leaders worked with thelate Annette Bramblett, then president ofthe Forsyth County Historical Society, toclean and preserve the nearly 3-acre site. Itwas eventually named to the NationalRegister of Historic Places.

“It’s unusual for a town our size to havea cemetery named to the list,” Heard said.

File photos

In 1999, the city purchased the historic city school house from the ForsythCounty Board of Education and created the Cumming Playhouse. The facilityalso houses the Bell Center for Genealogical Research.See HISTORY | 11

Local history savedthrough preservation

“But we had severalimportant historical figuresburied there.”

Among the dignitaries areHiram Parks Bell, aConfederate officer, attor-ney and statesman.

The cemetery restorationincluded adding stoneworkand streetlights around itsperimeter, cleaning andrepairing headstones andplacing markers on severalunmarked graves, Heardsaid.

In 1999, the city delvedinto its second majorrestoration project when itbought the historic cityschool house from theForsyth County Board ofEducation, which had usedit for the board of educa-

tion office. Again, through efforts of

city leaders and the histori-cal society, the buildingearned a spot on theNational Register ofHistoric Places.

Built in 1927, the facilityhad served as the city’s onlyschool for nearly 50 years,serving all grade levels.Restored to its originalarchitectural design, thebuilding now houses theCumming Playhouse.

The facility plays host to avariety of plays from areatheater production compa-nies, as well as concertsfrom local and national per-formers. It also houses theBell Center for GenealogicalResearch, which focuses onCherokee Indian andConfederate history.

Other rooms are dedicat-ed to more recent historyand feature personal

mementos from city resi-dents that range fromdiplomas and class rings tofamily photos and weddingdressings.

The city also providesoffice space inside to thehistorical society.

“We’re just very excitedto work with the city and

for them to provide ourheadquarters,” said MarthaMcConnell, the group’scurrent president. “Wealways work very welltogether.”

Just a few feet from theCumming Playhousestands another historicalsave.

In 2006, the city boughtthe Brannon-Heard House,which at that time lookeddoomed to demolition.

After several years ofrenovations, the home,which at one time served asthe city’s lone hotel,opened to the public inMay 2009. It’s used as anevents facility for variousarts and other groups.

In addition to renovationprojects, Heard said thecity strives to remember itsroots with new construc-tion.

She said a streetscapeproject in the mid-1990sadded street lamps, stonesidewalks, park benchesand wrought-iron fencing,all similar in style to whatwould have been used atthe turn of the 20th century.

Also, the design ofCumming City Hall, com-pleted in 2002, closely

resembled circa-1900 plansfor a courthouse.

“We’ve said that wewould like to rebuild thecity to look like it wouldhave back then if the peo-ple had the funding tomake it the way they reallywanted it,” Heard said.

To that end, city leadersalso encourage developersto use historical architec-ture when possible.

Brothers Richard andRalph Webb are taking thatencouragement for theirstructure on Tribble GapRoad.

“We’re using a design totry to match City Hall,”Ralph Webb said. “Wewant it look old and classi-cal.”

Added Heard: “We feelit pulls the town together tohave something like ourhistory running through it.It holds us all together.”


FROM 10

History

File photo

Above, Linda Heard and Elaine Zimney stand inthe Brannon-Heard House after the city finishedrenovating it in 2009.


By Jennifer [email protected]

Throughout Cumming,businesses like GoodsonDrug Co. and Dairy Queenserve as a reminder of thecity’s storied retail history.

But over the years, thecity has continued to devel-op, adding new businessesand shopping centers.

With stores like OldNavy, Dick’s SportingGoods and Bed Bath &Beyond, Market PlaceBoulevard has become theretail hub of Cumming.

The stretch has becomethe “heart and soul of retailgrowth for the city ofCumming,” said JamesMcCoy, president andCEO of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamberof Commerce.

“The quality of storesthat are there, as well as thenumber of retail opportuni-ties there ... I think it’s veryreflective of the quality ofgrowth in this community,”McCoy said.

Cumming Mayor H.Ford Gravitt said develop-ment began along MarketPlace with Wal-Mart,which was closely fol-lowed by the likes ofLowe’s, Home Depot andTarget.

It was less than 20 yearsago when the first part ofMarket Place was built.

Gravitt, who has been apart of the city’s leadershipsince the late 1960s, said

officials “had a vision ofthings growing, but not asfast as they grew.”

“We’ve had to work hardand to manage hard to keepup with the water and thesewer and all the infra-structure to maintain theservices for these facili-ties,” he said. “We’ve comea long way.”

Gravitt recalled the oldcountry store, a dry goodsstore and his grandfather’sice plant, the city’s first,that opened around thedowntown square.

While those businessesdidn’t make it, Gravitt saidhe’s proud of those thatdid.

Among the ones he citedare Mathis Tire Co.,Parsons Gifts andCollectibles, AndeanMotor Co. and the DairyQueen on Atlanta Road,the city’s first fast food

restaurant.Because of growth,

Gravitt said many busi-nesses moved from down-town Cumming to otherareas within the city,including Parsons.

Kathryn Parsons Williscredits her parents withtheir business foresightwhen they opened a fourthstore in Cumming in 1925.

“When we first opened,it was really a rural farmingcommunity and we had acountry general store andwe sold groceries and drygoods and hardware andseed and feed and all thethings a farmer wouldneed,” Willis said. “And asthe city changed, we triedto change too.”

Parsons opened on thesquare. In 1982, the Willisfamily decided to leave the

Business, industrythrive in Cumming

Development on Market Place Boulevard beganwith Wal-Mart, followed by other retail giants likeLowe’s, Home Depot and Target, above.

See INDUSTRY | 13

‘Reflective of the quality of growth’

File photos

Old Navy is one of many retailers along Market Place Boulevard, which hasbecome the retail hub of Cumming.

grocery business and remodeled the store.“Right after we had our grand reopen-

ing, the store burned to the ground,” Willissaid.

Instead of giving up on the city, howev-er, Willis said the store moved to Tri-County Plaza and then across the street toLakeland Plaza, where it remains.

“It’s a great location,” she said.With some businesses sharing in the long

history of the city, there’s no shortage ofstories like those of Parsons. And while thecity continues to grow, McCoy said cus-tomers haven’t lost sight of history.

“What to me is really remarkable aboutthe growth and development of the retail inCumming is that the older retail has beenable to not just survive, but thrive in a newenvironment where, arguably, they have alot more competition,” McCoy said.

“The reality is we’re seeing a lot of thelocal retailers thrive.”

McCoy said the city has been business-friendly, making it as easy as possible forcompanies to do business in the area.

“They have provided a great deal ofinfrastructure that’s in place and I thinkthey’re very friendly when it comes to busi-

ness growth,” he said.McCoy said he expects the city will see

more retail along Market Place and thehighway’s extension up to Bald RidgeRoad. But Market Place will not be theonly retail hot spot in the city.

“With the coming of the aquatic centerand the development out there, I thinkwe’ll see a lot more around Pilgrim MillRoad,” he said of Exit 16.

“It’s very difficult to find a shopping cen-ter in the city of Cumming that’s not doingreally well even in a difficult economy.”

Not to be overlooked is the impact ofindustry in Cumming.

Outside of Northside Hospital-Forsyth,poultry giant Tyson Foods is the largestemployer in the city.

“They have an interesting history. It wasoriginally Williams Family Poultry,”McCoy said. “They’ve been there for along, long time. Since the ’50s.”

In addition to Tyson, there’s Koch Foodsand Automation Direct, which while“they’re not a manufacturing facility, theydo an awful lot of distribution and packag-ing,” McCoy said.

“It’s remarkable the kind of businessinvestment there is in the city,” he said.“There’s a lot of office space and offices inthe city ... and there’s a lot of light industri-al stuff around, and it is a substantial por-tion. It makes up a big part of the city’seconomy.”


1946Downtown Cumming

1982Tri County Plaza

1925Duluth, GA

1991Lakeland

Plaza

Congratulations to the City ofCumming on its 175th Anniversary.

In 1876, the first family store was opened,Alford’s outside of Lawrenceville, Georgia.

FROM 12

Industry

File photo

Parsons was on the Cumming downtown square for many years beforemoving in 1982 to Tri-County Plaza. It later moved across the street toLakeland Plaza, where it remains.

Andrew Benjamin“Ben”Tollison

1926- 1927

George Ingram1966-1970

Henry Lowndes“Snacks” Patterson

1920- 1921

Joseph Gaither Puett1918- 1919

Marcus Mashburn, Jr., M.D.1957- 1958

Marcus Mashburn, Sr., M.D.1917 and 1961-1966

John Dickerson Black1922-1923

Roy Pilgrim Otwell1928-1956 and 1959-1960

A town sustained for 175 yearsby a firm foundation of

principled leadership andresponsible citizens.

Positioned for the future throughstate-of-the-art planning,

efficient budget managementand support of the community.

Happy 175th Birthday to thepeople of Cumming, Georgia,

from the Mayor and City Council

1835-2010

John D. Pugh Councilman

Lewis LedbetterCouncilman

H. Ford GravittMayor

Quincy HoltonCouncilman

Ralph PerryCouncilman

Rupert SextonCouncilman


By Julie [email protected]

For 11 days each fall, folksthroughout north Georgiaknow they can come toCumming for music, food,fun and more.

In what has become anannual tradition, theCumming Country Fair &Festival will mark its 16thyear in October.

Tracy Helms, events coor-dinator, said the spectaclestirs excitement in the com-munity every time it rollsaround.

He said the fair is gearedtoward family fun, particular-ly the Heritage Village, chil-dren’s rides and concerts.

“There’s something for allages to do at the fair,” hesaid.

Helms said attendance —which has topped 130,000 —grows year after year, espe-cially when the weathercooperates.

Fair-goers find no shortageof entertainment, from theFerris wheel to face paintingto the Indian Village.

The fair also attracts musi-cal acts like Charlie DanielsBand, Lorrie Morgan andRonnie Milsap.

Anyone who needs a snackwill have much to choosefrom, with the fair’s fare fea-turing, among other delica-

cies, ribbon fries, pizza, fun-nel cakes, fried corn and cot-ton candy.

Though the fair is the mostpopular event, the fair-grounds keep busy year-round with different attrac-tions.

Quarter-midget racing atthe Bill Thomas Racewaybrings young ones to the fair-grounds to race in severalcompetitions throughout theyear.

A weekly farmer’s marketoccupies the parking lot inthe summer months, whilethere is an arts and craftsshow in the winter and aworld championship rodeo inthe fall.

Outside groups also rentthe facility for fundraisers,including Relay for Life, orfestivals, like last year’schurch-sponsored ForsythFamily Fest that featuredWill Graham, grandson ofevangelist Billy Graham.

“There’s a lot of differentevents for different interests,”Helms said. “There’s usuallysomething going on.”

When the fairgrounds isn’tplaying host to an event,there’s always something forstaff to do, he said. They planfor big events, prepare therodeo arena and maintain thehistorical displays.

Gerald Blackburn, cityadministrator, said about 20years ago city leaders beganmaking efforts to preservethe history of the local com-munity.

Some of that history can be

Fairgroundsfull of flavorCrowds flockfor fall festival,other offerings

File photos

Carter Wilson rides the Ferris wheel with uncle Steve Smith during last year’s CummingCountry Fair & Festival. The fair is one of many events held at the city’s fairgrounds.

See FLAVOR | 17

Dennis Bottoms organizes flowers during the CummingFarmer’s Market at the fairgrounds. Right, Alivia Mathis watch-es contestants warm up in the fairgrounds arena during arodeo.

found at Heritage Village, whichhas working demonstrations ofauthentic farm machinery, includ-ing a cotton gin, corn mill and sawmill.

The living history exhibit has ablacksmith shop, steam engine

exhibit center, cider press andchicken house.

In addition, there is a one-roomschoolhouse, working post office,printing press and a doctor’s office.The hope, Blackburn said, is thatfair-goers can see what life was like100 years ago in the area.

He said the Indian Village isanother exhibit that demonstratesimportant aspects of the city’s his-tory.

“Of course, this [area] was rightin the Cherokee nation so thatbrought about Vann’s Tavern,” hesaid.

The tavern was owned by ChiefJames Vann and was moved to thefairgrounds from Old Federal Road.

The village also features aCherokee council house and is awell-known spot for traditionalnative American music, dance, sto-rytelling and other exhibits.


FROM 16

Flavor

File photos

A crowd performs a warm-up dance before the beginning of the 2010 Relay for Life at theCumming Fairgrounds.

Racers run the course of the quarter-midget track at theCumming Fairgrounds.

Cpl.MatthewLindseypresentsto MayorH. FordGravitt aflag thatflewover a base in Afghanistan on Aug. 20, 2009,the date of the last presidential elec-tion in that country.


Phyllis Singleton applauds during aVeteran’s Day ceremony at the WarMemorial.

File photos

Piper Spence-Vaughan goes along fora ride in the 2009 Thomas-MashburnSteam Engine Parade.

Elizabeth Brady picksup lollipops during the2009 CummingChristmas Parade &Festival on MarketPlace Boulevard, oneof many events thecity puts on for resi-dents.

CaitlynBreffleenjoys the2009 Fourthof July fireworksshow at theCummingFairgrounds.

Patriotism, family and tradition are thethemes of every event the city sponsors,said Mayor H. Ford Gravitt.

Cumming celebrates American holi-days — including Memorial Day,Veterans Day and Independence Day —with free events for the family to honorthe nation’s freedoms.

“It’s our heritage,” said Gravitt, whohas led the city for more than fourdecades. “It’s a sense of being and senseof purpose to recognize that we have allthese events and we’re free to do so.”

This year’s Fourth of July celebrationwill begin at 6 p.m. July 2 with festivitiesat the fairgrounds, followed by fireworksat 9:30 p.m.

As usual, the festivities will resume thenext morning at 10 with the Thomas-Mashburn Steam Engine Parade.

The patriotic procession has beennoisily making its way through theCumming square for more than 50years, Gravitt said, followed by localfloats and groups.

The annual tradition began with GlennThomas, who drove his steam enginearound the courthouse with a bigAmerican flag on the front to celebratethe holiday, Gravitt said.

Memorial Day and Veterans Dayevents honor those who have served inthe military at the city’s Veterans WarMemorial, a monument inspired by theGulf War conflict, the mayor said.

“We wanted to do something to honorand recognize our troops and our sol-diers,” he said.

Aside from the patriotic celebrationsand recognitions, the city also puts on anannual Christmas parade, which in recentyears moved from downtown to MarketPlace Boulevard, a prime retail corridorin the city.

No matter what the event, Gravitt said,the city strives to bring its familiestogether and keep tradition alive.

— Alyssa LaRenzie

Events celebratetraditions


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Hospital growsalong with city

By Jennifer [email protected]

Driving along Ga. 400, it’s hard tomiss the massive glass and brick build-ing off Exit 14 in Cumming.

But about 15 years ago, that site wasnothing more than an empty plot of land.

It wasn’t until 1999 that a small, 41-bed hospital was built on a fraction ofmore than 150 acres.

Flash forward about a decade and that“small campus has become a majormedical complex,” said NorthsideHospital-Forsyth Administrator LynnJackson.

“Over the last nine years, the hospitalhas grown from 175 physicians to over

400,” Jackson said. “The commitmentthat Northside Hospital has made to thiscommunity goes extremely deep.”

Since taking over the small hospital in2002, Northside has not stopped grow-ing. As one project comes to a close,another is in the works.

The Cumming hospital just finishedexpanding the main tower from two tofive stories, adding inpatient beds.

A $50 million investment, whichcould add another 33 beds, is on thehorizon.

If approved by the state, the projectwill add 100,000 square feet, enhancedservices and add as many as 200 newemployees to the hospital.

In 2008, Northside Hospital-Forsythopened a women’s center, where the firstplanned local delivery of a baby in morethan 25 years occurred soon after.

Since then, the center has not slowed. In

See HOSPITAL | 22

File photo

In 2008, Northside Hospital-Forsyth opened a women’s center. Officials saythe local health care industry is growing along with the Cumming hospital.

Health care has had huge impact

By Julie [email protected]

With about 6,800 resi-dents, Cumming’s popula-tion may not seem stagger-ing.

But one place where thecity isn’t small is in theservices it offers.

Jon Heard, utilitiesdirector, said the depart-ment handles garbagepick-up in the city limits,as well as water and sewerservice, which extendsbeyond municipal bound-aries.

“We’ve made great stridesin the past three yearsimproving our infrastructureand positioning ourselvesfor the next surge in theeconomy and the nextgrowth spurt in the area,”Heard said.

“We believe we’ve veryeffectively addressed thefuture demand for drinkingwater and the future demandfor sewer for our servicearea.”

Heard said the city has“an abundance” of waste-water treatment capacity, aswell as raw water and drink-ing water treatment capacity.

He said the utilitiesdepartment is also debt free.

“It’s quite a feat,” hesaid. “It’s just been thecity’s motto for the pastseveral years and not toallow expenditures eachyear to exceed revenuesthat are coming in and

fortunately, due to thegrowth in the area, we’vebeen able to accumulatereserve monies and thosemonies were used to con-

struct all the recent infra-structure improvementswe’ve made.”

Heard said the city hasspent about $60 million in

infrastructure improve-ments and had saved up themoney for those projects.

2009, nearly 1,800 babieswere delivered there, with2010 on track to deliver2,000 babies.

Jackson said theCumming area has beencaught up in an “expo-nential growth spiralover the last coupledecades, prospering eventhrough national eco-nomic downturns.

“[Northside-Forsyth]has been effective inidentifying the healthcare needs of our com-munity and providing ahigh level of patient sat-isfaction,” she said.

The city’s first hospi-tal, Mary Alice, wasestablished in 1946 byDr. Marcus Mashburn.The facility was namedfor two women,Mashburn’s mother andwife.

About a decade later,federal funds were usedto build the ForsythCounty Hospital onSamaritan Drive inCumming. The buildingwas later called LakesideHospital.

It was purchased in1993 by the GeorgiaBaptist Health CareSystem and renamedBaptist North Hospital.

In 1995, that healthcare system bought the150 acres whereNorthside Hospital-Forsyth sits, laying thegroundwork to replacethe Samaritan Drivefacility.

In March 1999, asmall hospital was builtat the site and threeyears later Northsidebought the hospital andsurrounding property.

“As a kid growing up,I can remember if youhad a catastrophic ill-ness, you had to go toAtlanta,” said CummingMayor H. Ford Gravitt,who was first elected asmayor in 1970.

“Now, you can travel afew minutes and you’vegot first-quality healthcare. I think it’s saved alot of lives.”

Northside, the largestprivate employer in thecounty, also plans togrow its presence as amedical campus.

The 1500 office build-ing is almost entirelyleased to medical profes-sionals. With that inmind, another buildinglikely will be built in thenext few years, givingprivate practices anotherplace to go.

The Northside campussits off Ronald ReaganBoulevard and acrossHwy. 20 from MarketPlace Boulevard, a primeretail stretch inCumming.

James McCoy, presi-dent and CEO of theC u m m i n g - F o r s y t hCounty Chamber ofCommerce, said thehealth care industry inthe county is growingalong with the hospital.

“Folks from the out-side will come to us,”McCoy said. “I thinkwe’ll see an increasingnumber of highly spe-cialized physicians com-ing in ... we’ve got theinfrastructure and we’revery blessed to have avery forward-thinkinghospital as an anchor.

“Truly, we willbecome the regionalhealth care center forreally, all of northAtlanta and northGeorgia.”


1990 Ronald Reagan Blvd.Suite 100

Cumming, GA 30041770-889-0731

FROM 19

Hospital Services enhance quality of lifeWater andsafety atoplengthy list


Cummingworkers,from left,KevinLindsey,DillonMartin andJamesThomasload brushinto atruck, aservice thecity offersresidents.

See SERVICES | 23

“We were in essence ableto pay cash for those proj-ects as we were buildingthem,” he said.

He said the city has beenin the water business for atleast the past 75 years. Itfirst used wells for water,then surface sources such aslocal streams and creeks.

“As time went on, thedemand increased furtherand the city moved itsintake facility to LakeLanier. That was in the mid-1970’s,” he said. “Since thattime the city’s intake hasbeen expanded and now thecity’s able to withdraw 105million gallons per day outof the lake.”

Heard said the city alsosupplies the water depart-ment of Forsyth County,which does not have a per-mit to withdraw water fromthe lake, with 100 percentof its raw water for theirtreatment plant.

He said the city has beenin the sewer business sinceabout 1960 and soon there-after began offering waste-water treatment.

The first wastewater treat-ment facility was on the sitewhere the CummingFairgrounds is located, hesaid.

In 1991 the city built amodern plant that compliedwith Georgia EnvironmentalProtection Division require-ments on Bethelview Road,Heard said.

In 2008, the city built aneight-million-gallon-per-day addition, he said.

But Cumming’s servicesdon’t stop with sewer,there’s also safety.

Cumming Police ChiefScott Burgess said theagency is a full-servicedepartment.

“We’re a 24-hour police

department that handlesemergency and non-emer-gency calls,” Burgess said.

The department’s inves-tigative division handlesfelony as well as misde-meanor cases ranging fromtheft to murder, he said.

“Thanks to the mayor andcity council we’re about tohave our own AFIS[Automated FingerprintIdentification System]machine,” Burgess said.

He explained that thedevice will be helpful forissuing permits that requirefingerprints, as well as pro-cessing arrests.

Burgess said the policedepartment has been usingthe Forsyth CountySheriff’s Office’s machine.

The department also par-ticipates in the sheriff’sSeniors and LawmenTogether, or SALT, pro-gram.

He noted that officersconduct traffic enforcementwithin the city limits andprovide security for munici-pal events like theCumming Country Fair &Festival and Fourth of Julyparade.

The department alsodonates annually to theBuck Jones Toy Run. Thecharity, named after a for-mer city of Cummingpolice chief, providesChristmas toys to childrenin need.

In addition, the city has amunicipal court that handlesmisdemeanor cases such astraffic violations and misde-meanor shoplifting. Burgesssaid court is held twice amonth.

Ask Wayne Lindsey, andhe’ll tell you the city’sstreets department does a lotmore than fill potholes.

Lindsey said his employ-ees are responsible formaintenance of all city rightof way and they get it done,with a little extra seasonalhelp, in the summer.

“When I say mainte-nance, there’s no tellinghow many acres of grassthat we mow,” Lindsey said.“By the time we make around of what we do, thenit’s time to start all overagain. It’s extremely busy.”

With a horticulturist onstaff, Lyndsey said hisemployees handle all ofCumming’s landscaping.

He said the departmentalso picks up yard debris,including pieces of downedtrees if they’re cut smallenough to handle.

If there’s a car wreck, thedepartment may be called toclean up afterward.

He said the departmentalso pitches in on for theannual fair preparations.

“We’re always helpingother departments if theyneed something done,” hesaid.

Diane Gordon, a nearly15-year resident ofCumming, is grateful forthe city’s services and quali-ty of life.

“They provide trash pick-up, like yard trash and thattype of stuff, so you can dothe cleaning out in yourgarage and they just comeby and take it away foryou,” she said.

Gordon said she alsoenjoys the city’s holidaycelebrations, like the JulyFourth parade. Her childrenhave been involved in someof the holiday activities inthe past.

“They do a great job put-ting up Christmas decora-tions, the lights and thingslike that. It gets you in theChristmas spirit so you stillfeel that small town [feel-ing].”

As for shopping, “I stayhere all the time. I don’tventure out any farther. It’sconvenient.”

Staff Writer Jennifer Samicontributed to this report.


The Annual Thomas-Mashburn

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FROM 22

Services


By Alyssa [email protected]

The arts community in Cummingboasts an abundance of small town tal-ent.

Several organizations, many usingcity-owned buildings, have brought avariety of arts for the enjoyment of localresidents.

The Cumming Playhouse. which thecity bought and restored, has become itsrecognizable center of the arts.

Offerings from original plays to musi-cals and concerts have graced the stageof the popular local venue since its 2004opening, said director Linda Heard.

“The demographics are so diverse inthe county that almost anything we bringthere we’ll have a crowd,” she said.

While many local governments mayoffer a venue for the arts, Heard said it’sunique to have a city employee runningthe Playhouse, as well as other arts ven-ues, which she does.

“We coordinate all those talented peo-ple,” she said, adding that the many localtalents have taken ownership of commu-nity arts.

Several choral groups have risen fromthe walls of the Playhouse, including thePlayhouse Singers and the MoodSwingers.

The Gypsy Theatre Co. had its begin-nings at the local venue, but has sinceformed an independent group.

“We feel like they grew within ourtheater,” Heard said. “The Playhouse hasbeen a stepping stone.”

One of the company’s co-owners,Mercury, said while the group hasbranched out, its members still appreci-ate using the city’s stage.

“It’s nice to be able to have a venuelike that to work in,” he said.

Arts enrichen, enlivenOpportunities abound,from drama and dance to plants and painting

File photos

Charity Caroline Pirkle applies makeup before a performance of “The OddCouple” at the Cumming Playhouse, which is the city’s center of the arts.

‘The demographics are sodiverse in the county thatalmost anything we bringthere we’ll have a crowd.’

Linda HeardCumming Playhouse director

Dennis Bayne, Dave Lanni, JoeSpringer and Bill Wilson throwSteve Pryor onto a couch dur-ing a scene from “The OddCouple” at the CummingPlayhouse. At right is actorJohn Spencer.

See ARTS | 25 Dancers perform during a Sawnee Ballet production of “Cinderella.”


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FROM 24

Arts

John Carpenter and Lydia Carpenter work with choreographer Buddy Stottsduring practice for Georgia Senior Follies.

The group is gearing upfor its August perform-ance of “The Graduate,”as well as auditions forthe upcoming fall produc-tion of “Snow White,”both of which will debutat the Playhouse.

Mercury added thateach performance is like a“homecoming,” wheremany local actors gatherto work together again.

Several Cumming artsgroups see their events associal gatherings as wellas outlets for the arts.

The Sawnee Artists’Association brings togeth-er about 100 artists fromvarious medias to keepthe community “culturallyconnected to the arts,”said Joanne Earley, vicepresident.

The group lost itsgallery home about threeyears ago and has sincebeen showing at locationsthroughout the area,including the city-ownedBrannon-Heard House.

Despite its location dif-ficulties, the associationhas continued to givelocal artists “an ability toflourish,” Earley said.

The association has alsodonated many works tothe community, includinga collaborative effort withtwo other groups thatinvolved decorating gianteggs to adorn local build-ings.

The Sawnee BalletTheatre decorates thecommunity with the art ofdance.

The nonprofit dancecompany has given anopportunity for severallocal dancers to performfor the community since itwas founded by former

Broadway dancer JoanStewart in 1991, saidJerry Grand, president ofthe board of directors.

“It’s really been a treatfor the people who havegrown up here and takenadvantage of [Stewart’s]expertise,” he said.

Each year in December,the group has performed“The Nutcracker” usinglocal and professionaldancers for the popularshow, which typicallysells out, Grand said.

The nonprofit also givestickets to local charities.

The company dances atseveral communityevents, including appear-ances at the NorthsideHospital-Forsyth’s annualtree lighting, which fol-lows the city’s annualChristmas parade.

Giving back and beauti-fying the community arethe priorities of manyCumming artist groups,including the Piece-makers’ Quilt Guild.

The group of about 60meets once a month towork on and share quilts.

Many of the quilts arelater donated to localretirement homes, ThePlace of Forsyth County

and Family Haven’s shel-ter for abused women andchildren, member SarahHopkins said.

The guild recentlyshowcased its quilts at therestored Brannon-Heard House, somethingHopkins said was “instru-mental” in sharing theirarts.

“Every quilt is unique,”she said. “It’s like paint-ing.”

The Cumming GardenClub, which celebrated its60th anniversary earlierthis year, also works tospread beauty and arts inthe city through landscap-ing and gardens.

The club recently held aflower arrangement showat Brannon-Heard, plant-ed a garden at MidwayElementary School andcontinued to maintainlandscaping at Poole’sMill Park, member TriciaWester said.

Like many other localgroups, the garden clubhas found its niche in thecommunity.

“[The city] supports usin our projects,” Westersaid. “They let us know ifwe might be able to helpwith beautification.”

File photos

John Carpenter, emcee for Georgia SeniorFollies, gets ready for his entrance during prac-tice at the Cumming Playhouse.


By Mac LittleFor the Forsyth County News

Gerald Blackburn remembersa time when Cumming’s recre-ation and parks departmentwas little more than a groupthat offered swimming lessonsat Lake Lanier and City Park,when it was completed in1972.

“We were the only place toprovide formal swimming les-sons,” said Blackburn, currentcity administrator and formerdirector of recreation andparks.

“The classes were crammed,but we went up until the poolgot too cold to do lessons.”

A few decades later, CityPark still is the lone facility inForsyth County that provides aswimming pool to the public,though that will change nextsummer.

The city is building an aquat-ic center off Pilgrim MillRoad. Set to open in August orSeptember 2011, the facilitywill feature an indoor 50-metercompetition pool, as well as aninstructional pool for therapy,water aerobics and swimminglessons.

Outside, the facility willboast a lazy river and a modernrecreational pool with waterslides and other attractions.

“It’s been a slow time com-ing, but this has been in theworks for 10 years,” said GregLittle, current director forCumming’s recreation andparks department. “We’re obvi-ously very excited.”

The aquatic center is aresponse to the increasing pop-ularity of competitive swim-ming, which in conjunctionwith local high school swimteams, Little hopes will devel-op into a year-round swimmingprogram for Cumming arearesidents.

“This facility should providea mechanism for our residentsto stay here,” said Little,adding that those who are seri-ous about the sport have had touse facilities in nearby coun-ties.

Other programs are also

beginning to expand from theirCity Park origins as well.

The local department beganlike any other recreationaldepartments, providing base-ball and softball programs forchildren and adults, and even-tually traveling outside thecommunity to compete.

“Being competitive outsideof the community gave thecommunity a lot of pride,” saidBlackburn, adding that bothprograms won several regionaland state championships.

As the department grew, itadded basketball, gymnastics,

drama and dance programs.Tia Wilson, a recent graduate

of Forsyth Central HighSchool, has been a member ofthe dance company since shewas 5 years old. Now 18,Wilson plans to remain in thecompany as a teacher.

“I developed a family rela-tionship with my teacher and Ireally grew with all the stu-dents in my classes,” saidWilson, who has been assistingdance and drama classes sinceage 11. “I could never reallyleave my dance family.”

Both Little and Blackburn

believe the theme of “commu-nity” resonates throughout thedepartment. While other coun-ties and cities may charge extrato outside participants,Cumming welcomes anybodyto participate.

“If we have something youwant to participate in, then wewant you to participate in it,”Little said.

Blackburn believes that thecity’s programs and facilitiesserve as diplomats to the city,whether it be a visiting basket-ball teams at the Dobbs CreekRecreational Center or baseballteams at City Park.

In addition to the aquaticcenter, Little sees much growthlooming for the department’sother programs, including apossible new facility for gym-nastics.

Even with Dobbs Creek, thebasketball program has nearlyreached capacity.

The area has grown so fast,Little said, that the programsare “nearing the point to wherewe are maxed out.”

Still, the department willcontinue its efforts.

“We want to provide themost we can, the best qualitywe can, to the most people wecan,” Little said.

Recreational offerings evolving


Project superintendent Bryan Rhoden looks over some of the plans for an aquatic centerthe city is building off Pilgrim Mill Road. Set to open in August or September 2011, thefacility will expand on the city’s rich recreational offerings.

Features toexpand withaquatic center

‘This facility should provide a mechanism for our residents to stay here.’

Greg LittleDirector for Cumming’s recreationand parks department

In 1977 Billy Howell purchased the Cumming Ford dealership from Roy P. Otwell and began an

automotive franchise that has repeatedly earned FordMotor Company’s highest awards for customer

satisfaction. A native of Memphis,Tenn., BillyHowell was employed by Ford Motor

Company for 18 years prior to buying theCumming dealership.

In 1988, Howell moved the Ford dealership from its downtown Cumming

showroom to an expansive site on Hwy. 9,south of the city. The eight acre site is now home

to a 43,000 square foot building, which houses the showroom, sales offices and service center.

The business has experienced tremendousgrowth since 1977 and is one of the most

respected and successful in the area.

We have come a long way from our downtown Cumming days, when

customers had to put coins in the parkingmeters on the sidewalk in order to park.

That sort of growth comes from a growingcommunity and customer satisfaction.

Loyal customers are the result of an automotivedealership operating with a well-trained,customer friendly staff and a reputation

built from credibility and integrity.

In an industry where reputation often meansthe difference between success and failure, the

Billy Howell name carries with it the promise of integrity and a commitment

to customer satisfaction.

770-887-2311 or HOWELLFORD.COM • 1805 Atlanta Hwy. Cumming GA

cumming 175 years

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