Real Estate Report Sponsored section ►►page 20
Church grows Living Faith Lutheran Church has a permanent home ►►Page 12
Budding biz Sprouts opens first of two Forsyth County locations ►►Page 14
Float on Check out Mark Ray’s boat of a car ►►Page 10
October 1, 2014 | forsythherald.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 17, No. 39
‘We’ve all had traffic fatigue’ Ga. 9 widening to four lanes a welcomed project By ALDO NAHED aldo@forsythherald.com
Family fun at Fowler Festival goers show off their dance moves during the 12th annual Family Fun Day event, Sept. 21 at Fowler Park. See more pictures, Page 24. Aldo Nahed/Staff
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Hundreds of residents and business owners participated in the Georgia Department of Transportation input open house meeting to address the widening of Ga. 9. For Jo Woodard, who attended the open house at Vickery Creek Middle School and lives off Campground Road in south Forsyth, the population growth has really put stress on county roads, especially on the two-lane Ga. 9 (Atlanta Highway). “I think we need to hasten it,” Woodard said. “I don’t know how you can build it fast enough.”
The proposed widening would take Ga. 9 from the Fulton-Forsyth County line (McFarland Parkway) to Ga. 141 (Bethelview Road/Peachtree Parkway) in Cumming. The proposal would widen Ga. 9 to a four-lane divided highway following the existing roadway but straightening out curves and flattening hills. The plan includes sidewalks on both sides of Ga. 9 and a new bridge over Big Creek. But engineers associated with the project told residents the project is likely not to get started until 2019 and would take about 18 months to complete. Kim Harper said that’s too long to wait. Harper described morning traffic getting out of her road onto Ga. 9 as a “nightmare.” “Where we live, it can take
See GA. 9, Page 4
Cumming Fair brings shows, family entertainment By ALDO NAHED aldo@forsythherald.com CUMMING, Ga. – More than 40 classic midway rides and numerous games provided by the Great James H. Drew Exposition, a host of historical displays, musical performances and Cherokee Indian demonstrations could only mean one thing — the Cum-
See FAIR, Page 8
If you go:
What: Cumming Country Fair and Festival When: Oct. 2 – 12 Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday – Thursday; 4 p.m. to midnight Friday; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday; and 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday Where: Cumming Fairgrounds, 235 Castleberry Road Costs: Admission – $7 for adults, $3 for students 5 to 18, free for children 4 and under; Parking – $3; Ride tickets – $1.25 each, $20 for 21, $50 for 55, $100 for 120.
ALDO NAHED/Staff
Residents attend an open house addressing the widening of Ga. 9, also known as Atlanta Highway.