ABOUT THIS SECTION
Lure of Lanier leaves legacy
Cumming celebrates 175 years
The city is ‘gateway to leisure living’
As the only city in Forsyth County, Cumming has long been the area’s economic and educational hub. In fact, it’s a distinction the city has held for the past 175 years. Ideally positioned along Lake Lanier and Ga. 400, the city has benefited from its location as well as from stable leadership with the vision to tap into the future and preserve the past. City residents enjoy plentiful services and offerings, from arts and entertainment to recreation and retail. And it’s that quality of life that we explore in this section. So join us as we celebrate Cumming’s rich history and look ahead to the next 175 years.
By Alyssa LaRenzie alyssalarenzie@forsythnews.com
A sail boat floats on blue water above the words “gateway to leisure living.” The city of Cumming’s logo reflects one of the favorite pastimes of residents and visitors alike — visiting Lake Lanier. “It’s a jewel in the North Georgia mountains,” said City Administrator Gerald Blackburn. Recognizing that appeal, Cumming began to lease Mary Alice Park, with its popular lake beach, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about 20 years ago. The 110-acre park, which is open between May and September, features white sand, a boat launch area and ample parking and picnicking spots, Blackburn said. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “It has been very popular for people to go and enjoy the beach.” And Cumming just may be the closest, most convenient destination — if not the only city — along the western side of Lake Lanier. Many lake-goers, particularly those from the northern suburbs of Atlanta, access Lanier from Ga. 400, which
INDEX
Photos by Emily Saunders Forsyth County News
Zane McGruder pours water on Chloe Huguenim while playing recently at Mary Alice Park on Lake Lanier. Top, Chase McGruder gets sandy while playing at the park, which the city has operated for about 20 years.
Cumming straddles. “Lake Lanier is one of the most visited lakes in the United States,” Blackburn said. “It’s a great economic engine for North Georgia.” Boasting everything from vacation spots to marina restaurants, visitors and residents contribute to the economic success of the Cumming area. While digging a moat in the sand on a recent afternoon, 9year-old Chloe Huguenim said she likes to visit Mary Alice Park twice a week during the summer.
“It’s pretty neat to have a lake right next to my house,” she said. “It’s entertaining.” Her mother, Paula, said the child loves coming to Lanier, a feature unique to the area that the family enjoys. Sugar Hill resident Annie Lewis said her family has been visiting Mary Alice for about two or three years. “I like that it’s a close, clean beach,” she said, “and only $4 for the whole family.” While some take vacations on Lanier, resident Alicia Fox said she’s been using the park as her own nearby getaway.
Fox, 23, and a friend sunned themselves on the sandy beach, much like the hundreds of movie extras brought in for the recent filming of “Hall Pass.” Hollywood stars Owen Wilson and Christina Applegate visited the spot for taping when filmmakers leased Mary Alice from the city before its opening day in early May. The production crew built a temporary home and tiki bar like those in Cape Cod. See LANIER | 4
Arts
24
City happenings
18
Fairgrounds
16
Education
6
Ga. 400
4
Health care
19
History
10
Lake Lanier
3
Recreation
26
Retail
12
CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 3
Cumming was in the right place Ga. 400 provided more direct access to Atlanta, opening Cumming to more growth and opportunity.
Leaders tapped into location of 400 By Mac Little For the Forsyth County News
Though it may be hard to fathom in the 21st century, there was a time when many residents in Cumming thought Ga. 400 was nothing but a waste of pavement. “When it was initially built in the Cumming area,” City Administrator Gerald Blackburn recalled, “you’d get on it and think, ‘Lord have mercy, why had such a road been built in this area? It’ll take a hundred years for this to
fill up.’” Any current frustrations with the major, north-south traffic corridor linking the Cumming area to metro Atlanta usually run on the other end of the spectrum — with congestion. And, as Blackburn noted, “It didn’t take long until the sprawl began to come this way and the area began to build up.” Completed in stages throughout the 1970s and early ’80s, Ga. 400 originally connected Interstate 285 and Ga. 306. Locally, the highway provided a
new route to reach Atlanta, a quicker alternative for Cumming residents accustomed to taking Hwys. 9 and 141. In fact, one of biggest beneficiaries of Ga. 400 may have been the city itself. A community that had no railroad access suddenly had a major highway running through its backyard. “It was really to the advantage of everybody because it came right through the middle,” said See GA. 400 | 5
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Lanier They also left behind plenty of new white sand for summer visitors to enjoy. Filming a movie brought revenue to the area, but usually it’s the return visitors that keep the local economy going. The “ideal location” between the mountains and the city primes the area for recreation and real estate opportunities, Blackburn said. The city hopes to capitalize on those features by bringing a major development to Mary Alice Park. Cumming is still in conversations with the corps and Great Wolf Resorts, a company interested in building a 400- to 600-room hotel resort complex and water park at the site.
Emily Saunders Forsyth County News
Chloe Huguenim and Chase McGruder play in the sand at Mary Alice Park on Lake Lanier.
“It could be a real betterment to the entire community,” Blackburn said. “There’s several events that we don’t have a facility in Forsyth County large enough to handle the groups that come.” The economic downturn has delayed a decision on the project, but he said city
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leaders hope progress can soon be made. “We still are talking with the developer and they still have shown an interest in that,” he said. “Hopefully, at the point in time the economy begins to turn around, we can see all those discussions be revived.”
Jim Dean Forsyth County News
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Ga. 400 H. Ford Gravitt, Cumming’s mayor since 1970. “It helped the commercial industry, the health care facilities, everything wanted to locate around 400 right here in Cumming.” Mike Evans, a Cumming resident and former chairman of the state Department of Transportation, agreed. “400 has really become the lifeblood of the city,” he said. Along with Lake Lanier, which Ga. 400 made more accessible, the city owes much of the growth and prosperity of the last few decades to the state highway. To Evans, Ga. 400 is what started it all. Lanier brought weekend visitors to the city, while Ga. 400 brought permanent residents. Today, Cumming continues to
benefit from its access to Ga. 400 and close proximity to Atlanta. Its thriving retail market is a prime example. “As they develop more here in this area, you’re just going to see businesses growing and growing more,” said Bobby Foster, product process manager for Best Buy in Cumming. “I think this is a great area to be in right now.” Best Buy is off Market Place Boulevard, the city’s bustling retail corridor that runs parallel to Ga. 400. In addition to retail business, the city has been able to use its location to grow and develop other projects, among them an aquatic center off Ga. 400’s Exit 16 at Pilgrim Mill Road. Plans for that exit also include a new driver’s services center and a National Guard Armory, as well as a possible satellite campus of North Georgia State College and University. To Evans, much of the credit
‘It didn’t take long until the sprawl began to come this way and the area began to build up.’ Gerald Blackburn City administrator
Jim Dean Forsyth County News
Bryan Rhoden, right, and Paul Martinez look over the Pilgrim Mill Road site where the city of Cumming is building an aquatic center.
should be directed to city fathers for their foresight and experience at the helm of Cumming. “The city leadership understands the importance of having significant infrastructure ... they
know and understand the things that make a city viable on a long term basis,” Evans said. Both Blackburn and Evans agree there is more ahead for Ga. 400 and, in turn, the city.
“The development that takes place over on 400 ties back in to the city of Cumming, which expands the city,” said Blackburn, adding that the continued development of Market Place Boulevard and other areas will directly benefit as the highway grows. “We can’t stop on 400, it always needs to be a top priority,” Evans said.
CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 5
Mia Grella eats a cupcake during a previous Halloween carnival at Cumming First United Methodist Church. From preschool to postsecondary, a strong education is valued in the city of Cumming.
Mayor: ‘Education is essential’ Officials embrace lifelong learning By Crystal Ledford crystalledford@ forsythnews.com
From preschool to postsecondary, a strong education is valued in the city of Cumming. While the city doesn’t have its own public school system, like some municipalities in the area, it is a strong supporter of the Forsyth County system, as well programs such as church preschools and college partnerships. Forsyth County School Superintendent Buster Evans said city leaders have never been anything but supportive since he came to the district about three years ago. “ I n t e rg ove r n m e n t a l relationships in a community are vital for effective progress, communication, problem resolution and working to serve the citizens of a community,” Evans said. “Since beginning my
work with the Forsyth County Schools ... our work that fairly regularly crosses paths with the city of Cumming has been a model of cooperation. From Mayor [Ford] Gravitt, the council and city administration and all departments, our work together has, I believe, been mutally supportive.” Earlier this year, Evans said the city served as a model community partner in its support of the 2010 Census. City officials joined those from the school system and county to encourage residents to mail in their forms on
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time, he said. While the majority of the system’s schools fall outside the city limits, Evans said the level of service for those that are inside Cumming “has always been well above the expectations of efficiency.” In addition, he said, the city provides the Cumming Fairgrounds
each year for high school graduations. Forsyth Central’s commencement was held there May 29.
“Dave Horton [Fairgrounds director] and his team always work to help make this a special event
for our graduates,” Evans said. Well before seniors don those caps and gowns, they hopefully have obtained a strong educational foundation. And in Cumming that can begin as young as 2 years old. Juanita Brown has served as director of the Cumming First United Methodist Church’s preschool for 33 of the program’s 38 years. She said about 360 students, ranging in age from 2 to kindergarten, go through the nine-month program each school year. “I think young parents here are definitely interested in early education for their little ones,” she said. While she said the program doesn’t have any See EDUCATION | 8
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Jay Robert Michal, valedictorian of Forsyth Central High’s Class of 2010, shakes hands with Superintendent Buster Evans during the school’s graduation at the Cumming Fairgrounds.
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Education specific ties to Cumming officials, she said they have been supportive in indirect ways. “They keep sending us kids,” she said. Also, in the early days of the program, students attended classes in the “little church facility” across from the Cumming City Park. The building is now owned by the city and serves as offices for the recreation department. “We enjoyed walking over to the park and having our snacks or storytime,” she said. In recent years, the city has branched out to land some postsecondary opportunities for residents. John Douglas, administrator of the Team MBA program at
North Georgia College & State University, said the city has been “super cooperative and supportive.” The master’s program, which is housed on the fourth floor of Cumming City Hall, began in August 2008. “The city is wonderful,” he said. “I couldn’t say enough about what great landlords they are.” The Team MBA program will welcome its third class in August. The first two groups had about 25 students. Douglas said the incoming group may number closer to 30. City leaders hope to soon offer more than just the MBA program from NGCSU. A full-fledged satellite campus of the Dahlonega-based university is planned for a portion of a site on Pilgrim Mill Road, although an exact opening date has not been determined.
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The Team MBA program through NGCSU began in August 2008 from the fourth floor of Cumming City Hall.
The site will also be home to a 104,00-square-foot National Guard armory, the city’s aquatic center and a driver’s services facility. While no official contracts
have been signed on the college project, Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said he hopes to make headway over the next 18 months. “Education is an integral part of everybody’s lives, so we
wanted to a house a college here,” Gravitt said. “ ... Working with Dr. [David] Potter [president of North Georgia College] gave us the additional adrenaline flow to get things going.” Once complete, he said the campus will be about 30,000 square feet and provide “the best mix” of various undergraduate programs for residents. Gravitt said he’s passionate about supporting education in his community because he’s always believed it to be the key to success. He explained when he was growing up0, Forsyth County was a farming community in which most people didn’t even have a high school education. “Everybody’s ambition for their kids was for them to graduate high school,” he said. “If you wanted to get a job other than farming, you had to have an education. “Education is essential.”
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‘It holds us all together’ Local history saved through preservation By Crystal Ledford crystalledford@forsythnews.com
A cemetery once overgrown with weeds provides a resting place of true respect. What was once an old schoolhouse has become a vital center for arts and history. And a rundown home perhaps suited for demolition now stands as a community gathering place. These renovation projects are part of what shapes Cumming. City leaders and residents alike cherish local history and heritage. Linda Heard, a city employee who worked on all three efforts, said officials began taking a real interest in preserving history in the late 1980s.
“Before the ’80s, there wasn’t really enough money to work on preservation projects,” Heard said. But as soon as funding was available, she said city leaders began delving into projects. “The city felt the need to uncover and preserve as much of our history as we could,” she said. “The mission is to lay a foundation [of history] for all the other things that will happen in the future.” The first major preservation project was restoring the city’s cemetery. Heard said city leaders worked with the late Annette Bramblett, then president of the Forsyth County Historical Society, to clean and preserve the nearly 3-acre site. It was eventually named to the National Register of Historic Places. “It’s unusual for a town our size to have a cemetery named to the list,” Heard said. See HISTORY | 11
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In 1999, the city purchased the historic city school house from the Forsyth County Board of Education and created the Cumming Playhouse. The facility also houses the Bell Center for Genealogical Research.
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History “But we had several important historical figures buried there.” Among the dignitaries are Hiram Parks Bell, a Confederate officer, attorney and statesman. The cemetery restoration included adding stonework and streetlights around its perimeter, cleaning and repairing headstones and placing markers on several unmarked graves, Heard said. In 1999, the city delved into its second major restoration project when it bought the historic city school house from the Forsyth County Board of Education, which had used it for the board of educa-
tion office. Again, through efforts of city leaders and the historical society, the building earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1927, the facility had served as the city’s only school for nearly 50 years, serving all grade levels. Restored to its original architectural design, the building now houses the Cumming Playhouse. The facility plays host to a variety of plays from area theater production companies, as well as concerts from local and national performers. It also houses the Bell Center for Genealogical Research, which focuses on Cherokee Indian and Confederate history. Other rooms are dedicated to more recent history and feature personal
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Above, Linda Heard and Elaine Zimney stand in the Brannon-Heard House after the city finished renovating it in 2009.
mementos from city residents that range from diplomas and class rings to family photos and wedding dressings. The city also provides office space inside to the historical society. “We’re just very excited to work with the city and
for them to provide our headquarters,” said Martha McConnell, the group’s current president. “We always work very well together.” Just a few feet from the Cumming Playhouse stands another historical save.
In 2006, the city bought the Brannon-Heard House, which at that time looked doomed to demolition. After several years of renovations, the home, which at one time served as the city’s lone hotel, opened to the public in May 2009. It’s used as an events facility for various arts and other groups. In addition to renovation projects, Heard said the city strives to remember its roots with new construction. She said a streetscape project in the mid-1990s added street lamps, stone sidewalks, park benches and wrought-iron fencing, all similar in style to what would have been used at the turn of the 20th century. Also, the design of Cumming City Hall, completed in 2002, closely
resembled circa-1900 plans for a courthouse. “We’ve said that we would like to rebuild the city to look like it would have back then if the people had the funding to make it the way they really wanted it,” Heard said. To that end, city leaders also encourage developers to use historical architecture when possible. Brothers Richard and Ralph Webb are taking that encouragement for their structure on Tribble Gap Road. “We’re using a design to try to match City Hall,” Ralph Webb said. “We want it look old and classical.” Added Heard: “We feel it pulls the town together to have something like our history running through it. It holds us all together.”
CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 11
Business, industry thrive in Cumming ‘Reflective of the quality of growth’ By Jennifer Sami jennifersami@forsythnews.com
Throughout Cumming, businesses like Goodson Drug Co. and Dairy Queen serve as a reminder of the city’s storied retail history. But over the years, the city has continued to develop, adding new businesses and shopping centers. With stores like Old Navy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Bed Bath & Beyond, Market Place Boulevard has become the retail hub of Cumming. The stretch has become the “heart and soul of retail growth for the city of Cumming,” said James McCoy, president and CEO of the CummingForsyth County Chamber of Commerce. “The quality of stores that are there, as well as the number of retail opportunities there ... I think it’s very reflective of the quality of growth in this community,” McCoy said. Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said development began along Market Place with Wal-Mart, which was closely followed by the likes of Lowe’s, Home Depot and Target. It was less than 20 years ago when the first part of Market Place was built. Gravitt, who has been a part of the city’s leadership since the late 1960s, said
officials “had a vision of things growing, but not as fast as they grew.” “We’ve had to work hard and to manage hard to keep up with the water and the sewer and all the infrastructure to maintain the services for these facilities,” he said. “We’ve come a long way.” Gravitt recalled the old country store, a dry goods store and his grandfather’s ice plant, the city’s first, that opened around the downtown square. While those businesses didn’t make it, Gravitt said he’s proud of those that did. Among the ones he cited are Mathis Tire Co., Parsons Gifts and Collectibles, Andean Motor Co. and the Dairy Queen on Atlanta Road, the city’s first fast food
restaurant. Because of growth, Gravitt said many businesses moved from downtown Cumming to other areas within the city, including Parsons. Kathryn Parsons Willis credits her parents with their business foresight when they opened a fourth store in Cumming in 1925. “When we first opened, it was really a rural farming community and we had a country general store and we sold groceries and dry goods and hardware and seed and feed and all the things a farmer would need,” Willis said. “And as the city changed, we tried to change too.” Parsons opened on the square. In 1982, the Willis family decided to leave the See INDUSTRY | 13
Development on Market Place Boulevard began with Wal-Mart, followed by other retail giants like Lowe’s, Home Depot and Target, above.
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Old Navy is one of many retailers along Market Place Boulevard, which has become the retail hub of Cumming.
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Industry grocery business and remodeled the store. “Right after we had our grand reopening, the store burned to the ground,” Willis said. Instead of giving up on the city, however, Willis said the store moved to TriCounty Plaza and then across the street to Lakeland 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 of stories like those of Parsons. And while the city continues to grow, McCoy said customers haven’t lost sight of history. “What to me is really remarkable about the growth and development of the retail in Cumming is that the older retail has been able to not just survive, but thrive in a new environment where, arguably, they have a lot more competition,” McCoy said. “The reality is we’re seeing a lot of the local retailers thrive.” McCoy said the city has been businessfriendly, making it as easy as possible for companies to do business in the area. “They have provided a great deal of infrastructure that’s in place and I think they’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 the highway’s extension up to Bald Ridge Road. But Market Place will not be the only retail hot spot in the city. “With the coming of the aquatic center and the development out there, I think we’ll see a lot more around Pilgrim Mill Road,” he said of Exit 16. “It’s very difficult to find a shopping center in the city of Cumming that’s not doing really well even in a difficult economy.” Not to be overlooked is the impact of industry in Cumming. Outside of Northside Hospital-Forsyth, poultry giant Tyson Foods is the largest employer in the city. “They have an interesting history. It was originally Williams Family Poultry,” McCoy said. “They’ve been there for a long, long time. Since the ’50s.” In addition to Tyson, there’s Koch Foods and Automation Direct, which while “they’re not a manufacturing facility, they do an awful lot of distribution and packaging,” McCoy said. “It’s remarkable the kind of business investment there is in the city,” he said. “There’s a lot of office space and offices in the city ... and there’s a lot of light industrial stuff around, and it is a substantial portion. It makes up a big part of the city’s economy.”
In 1876, the first family store was opened, Alford’s outside of Lawrenceville, Georgia. 1925 Duluth, GA
1946 Downtown Cumming
1982 Tri County Plaza
1991 Lakeland Plaza
Congratulations to the City of Cumming on its 175th Anniversary.
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Parsons was on the Cumming downtown square for many years before moving in 1982 to Tri-County Plaza. It later moved across the street to Lakeland Plaza, where it remains. CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 13
Joseph Gaither Puett 1918- 1919
Henry Lowndes “Snacks” Patterson 1920- 1921
John Dickerson Black 1922-1923
A town sustained for 175 years by a firm foundation of principled leadership and responsible citizens. Positioned for the future through state-of-the-art planning, efficient budget management and support of the community.
H. Ford Gravitt Mayor
Lewis Ledbetter Councilman
Quincy Holton Councilman
Ralph Perry Councilman
John D. Pugh Councilman
Rupert Sexton Councilman
Andrew Benjamin “Ben” Tollison 1926- 1927
Roy Pilgrim Otwell 1928-1956 and 1959-1960
Marcus Mashburn, Jr., M.D. 1957- 1958
Marcus Mashburn, Sr., M.D. 1917 and 1961-1966
George Ingram 1966-1970
Happy 175th Birthday to the people of Cumming, Georgia, from the Mayor and City Council 1835-2010
Fairgrounds full of flavor Crowds flock for fall festival, other offerings By Julie Arrington juliearrington@forsythnews.com
For 11 days each fall, folks throughout north Georgia know they can come to Cumming for music, food, fun and more. In what has become an annual tradition, the Cumming Country Fair & Festival will mark its 16th year in October. Tracy Helms, events coordinator, said the spectacle stirs excitement in the community every time it rolls around. He said the fair is geared toward family fun, particularly the Heritage Village, children’s rides and concerts. “There’s something for all ages to do at the fair,” he said. Helms said attendance — which has topped 130,000 — grows year after year, especially when the weather cooperates. Fair-goers find no shortage of entertainment, from the Ferris wheel to face painting to the Indian Village. The fair also attracts musical acts like Charlie Daniels Band, Lorrie Morgan and Ronnie Milsap. Anyone who needs a snack will have much to choose from, with the fair’s fare featuring, among other delica-
cies, ribbon fries, pizza, funnel cakes, fried corn and cotton candy. Though the fair is the most popular event, the fairgrounds keep busy yearround with different attractions. Quarter-midget racing at the Bill Thomas Raceway brings young ones to the fairgrounds to race in several competitions throughout the year. A weekly farmer’s market occupies the parking lot in the summer months, while there is an arts and crafts show in the winter and a world championship rodeo in the fall. Outside groups also rent the facility for fundraisers, including Relay for Life, or festivals, like last year’s church-sponsored Forsyth Family Fest that featured Will Graham, grandson of evangelist Billy Graham. “There’s a lot of different events for different interests,” Helms said. “There’s usually something going on.” When the fairgrounds isn’t playing host to an event, there’s always something for staff to do, he said. They plan for big events, prepare the rodeo arena and maintain the historical displays. Gerald Blackburn, city administrator, said about 20 years ago city leaders began making efforts to preserve the history of the local community. Some of that history can be See FLAVOR | 17
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Carter Wilson rides the Ferris wheel with uncle Steve Smith during last year’s Cumming Country Fair & Festival. The fair is one of many events held at the city’s fairgrounds.
Dennis Bottoms organizes flowers during the Cumming Farmer’s Market at the fairgrounds. Right, Alivia Mathis watches contestants warm up in the fairgrounds arena during a rodeo.
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A crowd performs a warm-up dance before the beginning of the 2010 Relay for Life at the Cumming Fairgrounds.
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Flavor found at Heritage Village, which has working demonstrations of authentic farm machinery, including a cotton gin, corn mill and saw mill. The living history exhibit has a blacksmith shop, steam engine
exhibit center, cider press and chicken house. In addition, there is a one-room schoolhouse, working post office, printing press and a doctor’s office. The hope, Blackburn said, is that fair-goers can see what life was like 100 years ago in the area. He said the Indian Village is another exhibit that demonstrates important aspects of the city’s history.
“Of course, this [area] was right in the Cherokee nation so that brought about Vann’s Tavern,” he said. The tavern was owned by Chief James Vann and was moved to the fairgrounds from Old Federal Road. The village also features a Cherokee council house and is a well-known spot for traditional native American music, dance, storytelling and other exhibits.
Racers run the course of the quarter-midget track at the Cumming Fairgrounds.
CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 17
Caitlyn Breffle enjoys the 2009 Fourth of July fireworks show at the Cumming Fairgrounds.
Events celebrate traditions Patriotism, family and tradition are the themes of every event the city sponsors, said Mayor H. Ford Gravitt. Cumming celebrates American holidays — including Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Independence Day — with free events for the family to honor the nation’s freedoms. “It’s our heritage,” said Gravitt, who has led the city for more than four decades. “It’s a sense of being and sense of purpose to recognize that we have all these events and we’re free to do so.” This year’s Fourth of July celebration will begin at 6 p.m. July 2 with festivities at the fairgrounds, followed by fireworks at 9:30 p.m. As usual, the festivities will resume the next morning at 10 with the ThomasMashburn Steam Engine Parade. The patriotic procession has been noisily making its way through the Cumming square for more than 50 years, Gravitt said, followed by local floats and groups. The annual tradition began with Glenn Thomas, who drove his steam engine around the courthouse with a big American flag on the front to celebrate the holiday, Gravitt said. Memorial Day and Veterans Day events honor those who have served in the military at the city’s Veterans War Memorial, a monument inspired by the Gulf War conflict, the mayor said. “We wanted to do something to honor and recognize our troops and our soldiers,” he said. Aside from the patriotic celebrations and recognitions, the city also puts on an annual Christmas parade, which in recent years moved from downtown to Market Place Boulevard, a prime retail corridor in the city. No matter what the event, Gravitt said, the city strives to bring its families together and keep tradition alive. — Alyssa LaRenzie
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Piper Spence-Vaughan goes along for a ride in the 2009 Thomas-Mashburn Steam Engine Parade.
Phyllis Singleton applauds during a Veteran’s Day ceremony at the War Memorial. Cpl. Matthew Lindsey presents to Mayor H. Ford Gravitt a flag that flew over a base in Afghanistan on Aug. 20, 2009, the date of the last presidential election in that country.
PAGE 18 — CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010
Elizabeth Brady picks up lollipops during the 2009 Cumming Christmas Parade & Festival on Market Place Boulevard, one of many events the city puts on for residents.
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In 2008, Northside Hospital-Forsyth opened a women’s center. Officials say the local health care industry is growing along with the Cumming hospital.
Hospital grows along with city Health care has had huge impact By Jennifer Sami jennifersami@forsythnews.com
Driving along Ga. 400, it’s hard to miss the massive glass and brick building off Exit 14 in Cumming. But about 15 years ago, that site was nothing more than an empty plot of land. It wasn’t until 1999 that a small, 41bed hospital was built on a fraction of more than 150 acres. Flash forward about a decade and that “small campus has become a major medical complex,” said Northside Hospital-Forsyth Administrator Lynn Jackson. “Over the last nine years, the hospital has grown from 175 physicians to over
400,” Jackson said. “The commitment that Northside Hospital has made to this community goes extremely deep.” Since taking over the small hospital in 2002, Northside has not stopped growing. As one project comes to a close, another is in the works. The Cumming hospital just finished expanding the main tower from two to five stories, adding inpatient beds. A $50 million investment, which could add another 33 beds, is on the horizon. If approved by the state, the project will add 100,000 square feet, enhanced services and add as many as 200 new employees to the hospital. In 2008, Northside Hospital-Forsyth opened a women’s center, where the first planned local delivery of a baby in more than 25 years occurred soon after. Since then, the center has not slowed. In See HOSPITAL | 22
Branch Manager, Connie R. Smith, Vice President, Michelle G. Leak and Asst. Branch Manager, Donna J. Pilcher
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CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 21
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Hospital 2009, nearly 1,800 babies were delivered there, with 2010 on track to deliver 2,000 babies. Jackson said the Cumming area has been caught up in an “exponential growth spiral over the last couple decades, prospering even through national economic downturns. “[Northside-Forsyth] has been effective in identifying the health care needs of our community and providing a high level of patient satisfaction,” she said. The city’s first hospital, Mary Alice, was established in 1946 by Dr. Marcus Mashburn. The facility was named for two women, Mashburn’s mother and wife. About a decade later, federal funds were used to build the Forsyth County Hospital on Samaritan Drive in Cumming. The building was later called Lakeside Hospital. It was purchased in 1993 by the Georgia Baptist Health Care System and renamed Baptist North Hospital. In 1995, that health care system bought the 150 acres where Northside HospitalForsyth sits, laying the groundwork to replace the Samaritan Drive facility. In March 1999, a small hospital was built at the site and three years later Northside bought the hospital and surrounding property.
“As a kid growing up, I can remember if you had a catastrophic illness, you had to go to Atlanta,” said Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt, who was first elected as mayor in 1970. “Now, you can travel a few minutes and you’ve got first-quality health care. I think it’s saved a lot of lives.” Northside, the largest private employer in the county, also plans to grow its presence as a medical campus. The 1500 office building is almost entirely leased to medical professionals. With that in mind, another building likely will be built in the next few years, giving private practices another place to go. The Northside campus sits off Ronald Reagan Boulevard and across Hwy. 20 from Market Place Boulevard, a prime retail stretch in Cumming. James McCoy, president and CEO of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, said the health care industry in the county is growing along with the hospital. “Folks from the outside will come to us,” McCoy said. “I think we’ll see an increasing number of highly specialized physicians coming in ... we’ve got the infrastructure and we’re very blessed to have a very forward-thinking hospital as an anchor. “Truly, we will become the regional health care center for really, all of north Atlanta and north Georgia.”
PAGE 22 — CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010
Services enhance quality of life Water and safety atop lengthy list
Cumming workers, from left, Kevin Lindsey, Dillon Martin and James Thomas load brush into a truck, a service the city offers residents.
By Julie Arrington juliearrington@ forsythnews.com
With about 6,800 residents, Cumming’s population may not seem staggering. But one place where the city isn’t small is in the services it offers. Jon Heard, utilities director, said the department handles garbage pick-up in the city limits, as well as water and sewer service, which extends beyond municipal boundaries. “We’ve made great strides in the past three years improving our infrastructure and positioning ourselves for the next surge in the economy and the next growth spurt in the area,” Heard said. “We believe we’ve very effectively addressed the future demand for drinking water and the future demand for sewer for our service area.” Heard said the city has “an abundance” of wastewater treatment capacity, as well as raw water and drinking water treatment capacity. He said the utilities department is also debt free. “It’s quite a feat,” he said. “It’s just been the city’s motto for the past several years and not to allow expenditures each year to exceed revenues that are coming in and
Jim Dean Forsyth County News
fortunately, due to the growth in the area, we’ve been able to accumulate reserve monies and those monies were used to con-
struct all the recent infrastructure improvements we’ve made.” Heard said the city has spent about $60 million in
infrastructure improvements and had saved up the money for those projects. See SERVICES | 23
1990 Ronald Reagan Blvd. Suite 100 Cumming, GA 30041 770-889-0731
FROM 22
Services “We were in essence able to pay cash for those projects as we were building them,” he said. He said the city has been in the water business for at least the past 75 years. It first used wells for water, then surface sources such as local streams and creeks. “As time went on, the demand increased further and the city moved its intake facility to Lake Lanier. That was in the mid1970’s,” he said. “Since that time the city’s intake has been expanded and now the city’s able to withdraw 105 million gallons per day out of the lake.” Heard said the city also supplies the water department of Forsyth County, which does not have a permit to withdraw water from the lake, with 100 percent of its raw water for their treatment plant. He said the city has been in the sewer business since about 1960 and soon thereafter began offering wastewater treatment. The first wastewater treatment facility was on the site where the Cumming Fairgrounds is located, he said. In 1991 the city built a modern plant that complied with Georgia Environmental Protection Division requirements on Bethelview Road, Heard said. In 2008, the city built an eight-million-gallon-perday addition, he said. But Cumming’s services don’t stop with sewer, there’s also safety. Cumming Police Chief Scott Burgess said the agency is a full-service department. “We’re a 24-hour police
department that handles emergency and non-emergency calls,” Burgess said. The department’s investigative division handles felony as well as misdemeanor cases ranging from theft to murder, he said. “Thanks to the mayor and city council we’re about to have our own AFIS [Automated Fingerprint Identification System] machine,” Burgess said. He explained that the device will be helpful for issuing permits that require fingerprints, as well as processing arrests. Burgess said the police department has been using the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office’s machine. The department also participates in the sheriff’s Seniors and Lawmen Together, or SALT, program. He noted that officers conduct traffic enforcement within the city limits and provide security for municipal events like the Cumming Country Fair & Festival and Fourth of July parade. The department also donates annually to the Buck Jones Toy Run. The charity, named after a former city of Cumming police chief, provides Christmas toys to children in need. In addition, the city has a municipal court that handles misdemeanor cases such as traffic violations and misdemeanor shoplifting. Burgess said court is held twice a month. Ask Wayne Lindsey, and he’ll tell you the city’s streets department does a lot more than fill potholes. Lindsey said his employees are responsible for maintenance of all city right of way and they get it done, with a little extra seasonal help, in the summer.
“When I say maintenance, there’s no telling how many acres of grass that we mow,” Lindsey said. “By the time we make a round of what we do, then it’s time to start all over again. It’s extremely busy.” With a horticulturist on staff, Lyndsey said his employees handle all of Cumming’s landscaping. He said the department also picks up yard debris, including pieces of downed trees if they’re cut small enough to handle. If there’s a car wreck, the department may be called to clean up afterward. He said the department also pitches in on for the annual fair preparations. “We’re always helping other departments if they need something done,” he said. Diane Gordon, a nearly 15-year resident of Cumming, is grateful for the city’s services and quality of life. “They provide trash pickup, like yard trash and that type of stuff, so you can do the cleaning out in your garage and they just come by and take it away for you,” she said. Gordon said she also enjoys the city’s holiday celebrations, like the July Fourth parade. Her children have been involved in some of the holiday activities in the past. “They do a great job putting up Christmas decorations, the lights and things like that. It gets you in the Christmas spirit so you still feel that small town [feeling].” As for shopping, “I stay here all the time. I don’t venture out any farther. It’s convenient.”
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
and Sawnee EMC
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The Annual Thomas-Mashburn 4th of July Steam Engine Parade Saturday, July 3rd at lO:OOam.
For information and entry forms, please contact one of the following: Cindy Hansard @ (770) 887-0516 Amy Webb @ (770) 887-1530
Deadline for Entries is Monday, June 28th Space is limited, so Hurry!!
Staff Writer Jennifer Sami contributed to this report. CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 23
File photos
Charity Caroline Pirkle applies makeup before a performance of “The Odd Couple” at the Cumming Playhouse, which is the city’s center of the arts.
Arts enrichen, enliven
Dennis Bayne, Dave Lanni, Joe Springer and Bill Wilson throw Steve Pryor onto a couch during a scene from “The Odd Couple” at the Cumming Playhouse. At right is actor John Spencer.
‘The demographics are so diverse in the county that almost anything we bring there we’ll have a crowd.’ Linda Heard
Opportunities abound, from drama and dance to plants and painting By Alyssa LaRenzie alyssalarenzie@forsythnews.com
The arts community in Cumming boasts an abundance of small town talent. Several organizations, many using city-owned buildings, have brought a variety of arts for the enjoyment of local residents. The Cumming Playhouse. which the city bought and restored, has become its recognizable center of the arts. Offerings from original plays to musicals and concerts have graced the stage of the popular local venue since its 2004 opening, said director Linda Heard. “The demographics are so diverse in the county that almost anything we bring there we’ll have a crowd,” she said.
While many local governments may offer a venue for the arts, Heard said it’s unique to have a city employee running the Playhouse, as well as other arts venues, which she does. “We coordinate all those talented people,” she said, adding that the many local talents have taken ownership of community arts. Several choral groups have risen from the walls of the Playhouse, including the Playhouse Singers and the Mood Swingers. The Gypsy Theatre Co. had its beginnings at the local venue, but has since formed an independent group. “We feel like they grew within our theater,” Heard said. “The Playhouse has been a stepping stone.” One of the company’s co-owners, Mercury, said while the group has branched out, its members still appreciate using the city’s stage. “It’s nice to be able to have a venue like that to work in,” he said. See ARTS | 25
PAGE 24 — CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010
Cumming Playhouse director
Dancers perform during a Sawnee Ballet production of “Cinderella.”
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Arts The group is gearing up for its August performance of “The Graduate,” as well as auditions for the upcoming fall production of “Snow White,” both of which will debut at the Playhouse. Mercury added that each performance is like a “homecoming,” where many local actors gather to work together again. Several Cumming arts groups see their events as social gatherings as well as outlets for the arts. The Sawnee Artists’ Association brings together about 100 artists from various medias to keep the community “culturally connected to the arts,” said Joanne Earley, vice president. The group lost its gallery home about three years ago and has since been showing at locations throughout the area, including the city-owned Brannon-Heard House. Despite its location difficulties, the association has continued to give local artists “an ability to flourish,” Earley said. The association has also donated many works to the community, including a collaborative effort with two other groups that involved decorating giant eggs to adorn local buildings. The Sawnee Ballet Theatre decorates the community with the art of dance. The nonprofit dance company has given an opportunity for several local dancers to perform for the community since it was founded by former
File photos
John Carpenter, emcee for Georgia Senior Follies, gets ready for his entrance during practice at the Cumming Playhouse.
Broadway dancer Joan Stewart in 1991, said Jerry Grand, president of the board of directors. “It’s really been a treat for the people who have grown up here and taken advantage of [Stewart’s] expertise,” he said. Each year in December, the group has performed “The Nutcracker” using local and professional dancers for the popular show, which typically sells out, Grand said. The nonprofit also gives tickets to local charities. The company dances at several community events, including appearances at the Northside Hospital-Forsyth’s annual tree lighting, which follows the city’s annual Christmas parade. Giving back and beautifying the community are the priorities of many Cumming artist groups, including the Piecemakers’ Quilt Guild. The group of about 60 meets once a month to work on and share quilts. Many of the quilts are later donated to local retirement homes, The Place of Forsyth County
and Family Haven’s shelter for abused women and children, member Sarah Hopkins said. The guild recently showcased its quilts at the restored BrannonHeard House, something Hopkins said was “instrumental” in sharing their arts. “Every quilt is unique,” she said. “It’s like painting.” The Cumming Garden Club, which celebrated its 60th anniversary earlier this year, also works to spread beauty and arts in the city through landscaping and gardens. The club recently held a flower arrangement show at Brannon-Heard, planted a garden at Midway Elementary School and continued to maintain landscaping at Poole’s Mill Park, member Tricia Wester said. Like many other local groups, the garden club has found its niche in the community. “[The city] supports us in our projects,” Wester said. “They let us know if we might be able to help with beautification.”
John Carpenter and Lydia Carpenter work with choreographer Buddy Stotts during practice for Georgia Senior Follies.
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Summer Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 10am-5pm Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010 — PAGE 25
Recreational offerings evolving ‘This facility should provide a mechanism for our residents to stay here.’
Features to expand with aquatic center By Mac Little For the Forsyth County News
Greg Little Gerald Blackburn remembers a time when Cumming’s recreation and parks department was little more than a group that offered swimming lessons at Lake Lanier and City Park, when it was completed in 1972. “We were the only place to provide formal swimming lessons,” said Blackburn, current city administrator and former director of recreation and parks. “The classes were crammed, but we went up until the pool got too cold to do lessons.” A few decades later, City Park still is the lone facility in Forsyth County that provides a swimming pool to the public, though that will change next summer. The city is building an aquatic center off Pilgrim Mill Road. Set to open in August or September 2011, the facility will feature an indoor 50-meter competition pool, as well as an instructional pool for therapy, water aerobics and swimming lessons. Outside, the facility will boast a lazy river and a modern recreational pool with water slides and other attractions. “It’s been a slow time coming, but this has been in the works for 10 years,” said Greg Little, current director for Cumming’s recreation and parks department. “We’re obviously very excited.”
Director for Cumming’s recreation and parks department
Jim Dean Forsyth County News
Project superintendent Bryan Rhoden looks over some of the plans for an aquatic center the city is building off Pilgrim Mill Road. Set to open in August or September 2011, the facility will expand on the city’s rich recreational offerings.
The aquatic center is a response to the increasing popularity of competitive swimming, which in conjunction with local high school swim teams, Little hopes will develop into a year-round swimming program for Cumming area residents. “This facility should provide a mechanism for our residents to stay here,” said Little, adding that those who are serious about the sport have had to use facilities in nearby counties. Other programs are also
PAGE 26 — CUMMING 175TH ANNIVERSARY — JUNE 2010
beginning to expand from their City Park origins as well. The local department began like any other recreational departments, providing baseball and softball programs for children and adults, and eventually traveling outside the community to compete. “Being competitive outside of the community gave the community a lot of pride,” said Blackburn, adding that both programs won several regional and state championships. As the department grew, it added basketball, gymnastics,
drama and dance programs. Tia Wilson, a recent graduate of Forsyth Central High School, has been a member of the dance company since she was 5 years old. Now 18, Wilson plans to remain in the company as a teacher. “I developed a family relationship with my teacher and I really grew with all the students in my classes,” said Wilson, who has been assisting dance and drama classes since age 11. “I could never really leave my dance family.” Both Little and Blackburn
believe the theme of “community” resonates throughout the department. While other counties and cities may charge extra to outside participants, Cumming welcomes anybody to participate. “If we have something you want to participate in, then we want you to participate in it,” Little said. Blackburn believes that the city’s programs and facilities serve as diplomats to the city, whether it be a visiting basketball teams at the Dobbs Creek Recreational Center or baseball teams at City Park. In addition to the aquatic center, Little sees much growth looming for the department’s other programs, including a possible new facility for gymnastics. Even with Dobbs Creek, the basketball program has nearly reached capacity. The area has grown so fast, Little said, that the programs are “nearing the point to where we are maxed out.” Still, the department will continue its efforts. “We want to provide the most we can, the best quality we can, to the most people we can,” Little said.
In 1977 Billy Howell purchased the Cumming Ford dealership from Roy P. Otwell and began an automotive franchise that has repeatedly earned Ford Motor Company’s highest awards for customer satisfaction. A native of Memphis,Tenn., Billy Howell was employed by Ford Motor Company for 18 years prior to buying the Cumming 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 tremendous growth 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 parking meters on the sidewalk in order to park. That sort of growth comes from a growing community and customer satisfaction. Loyal customers are the result of an automotive dealership operating with a well-trained, customer friendly staff and a reputation built from credibility and integrity. In an industry where reputation often means the 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