the Then & Now
2016 GUIDE TO
Photo Contest Presented by: See inside for this year’s winners
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the I’d like to welcome you to ‘The FC: Then and Now,’ a guide to Forsyth County living in 2016. Inside these pages, you’ll find information on the facets of Forsyth County that make it a great place to live today. You’ll also find information on our histor y and heritage, the elements that ultimately helped create the place Forsyth County has become. You’ll find pictures — from then and now — submitted and voted upon by your friends and neighbors scattered throughout this magazine, because you, after all, are collectively Forsyth County. As a business that star ted in 1908, we at the Forsyth County News are with you, fully recognizing the impor tance of our past while simultaneously charging into our prosperous future. Today, you find the Forsyth County News ever ywhere — in print, through magazines, on cellphones, tablets and
desktops. You engage with us through social media and par ticipate in our numerous games and contests on ForsythNews.com. The future is bright, Forsyth County, but for now, we reflect on our past and celebrate our present. Thank you for being a part of who we are.
Vince Johnson, Publisher
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ON THE COVER Bring on Summer! Photo by Debra Adent. Chestatee River on Lake Lanier. Our son and friends celebrating the beginning of summer.
All American Photo by Danny Thomas. Two of my grandsons in my old pickup on the 4th of July.
Old Courthouse Photo submitted New Courthouse File photo Ramey’s store Photo submitted
Contributors Vince Johnson Publisher Ryan Garmon Advertising Director Kayla Robins Editor Tracie Pike Production Manager Angie Decker Graphic Design Micah Green Creative Director Brian Paglia Sports Editor Kelly Whitmire Staff Writer Rachel Pittman Reporting Intern Cheri Bullard Advertising Executive Connor Kelly Advertising Executive Allison Althauser Advertising Executive The
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is published annually by the Forsyth County News, 302 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Cumming, GA 30040. Advertising rates and deadlines available upon request. Contact Ryan Garmon at (770) 205-8960 or rgarmon@forsythnews.com. Follow us online at forsythnews.com
Education ���������������8 Population ������������11 Recreation �����������12 6
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Retail ���������������������18 Sports ��������������������23 Health �������������������28
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Photo Contest Winner Gazebo Photo by: William Pugh
“The Gazebo on the square in Cumming, Georgia.”
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How we learn Whether you are native to Forsyth County or moved here this year, you’ve probably heard of the high-level public school system. It’s hard to believe that Forsyth County Schools, which is set to welcome about 46,000 students into its classrooms on Aug. 4, began by serving only 2,411 children between the ages of 6 and 18. Established in 1873, there didn’t used to be virtual high schools or robotics
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teams in elementary schools in the Forsyth County Schools system. In fact, there was only one school at each level for some time. Cumming Elementary School used to teach kids at 101 School Street, which is now the Cumming Playhouse. It moved to what is now the Almond C. Hill Educational Center on Elm Street in 1961 before landing at its current location on Dahlonega Street in 2002.
Now, the campus is one of 21 elementary schools. Forsyth County High School opened in 1955 with 429 students and was the only high school in the county until South Forsyth High School opened in 1990 and North Forsyth High School opened in 1994. Eventually, Forsyth County High was renamed Forsyth Central High School in 1989. West Forsyth and Lambert High
schools followed, and now there are five traditional high schools and one virtual school (Forsyth Virtual Academy) in the county. The school system, now the seventhlargest of Georgia’s 181 districts, has built 14 new schools in the past 11 years, including Brandywine Elementary and DeSana Middle, which will open this school year. DeSana is the county’s 11th middle school. Not to mention Denmark High School and the Alliance Academy for Innovation, of Cumming-Forsyth County a traditional high school and a workforce development high school, respectively, that are on track to open in fall 2018. With all that growth, the district has managed to rake in awards and recognitions, including the highest ACT score in Georgia, the highest CCRPI score in Georgia, the best graduation rate in metro-Atlanta, the highest SAT score in metro-Atlanta, the highest SAT math score in Georgia and the highest financial efficiency star rating in Georgia. The district has come so far as to
Forsyth Central High School expands for the 2016-17 school year.
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create a BYOT (bring your own technology) initiative that has students of all ages working on their own mobile devices, and fundraising efforts provide devices and internet to low-income families. And snow days look nothing like they used to. When school is canceled due to inclement weather, students can continue to learn at home through itslearning, a virtual classroom portal where teachers can post assignments and students can upload finished work. There is no sign of slowing down, either. Forsyth County Schools’ budget is close to $370 million for the 2016-17 school year and is the largest employer in the county with more than 4,700 staff members, including 225 new positions created this year. Education in Forsyth County doesn’t stop at public schools. With an array of private and homeschool options, parents are choosing a variety of methods to prepare their children for the future. College campuses of Lanier Technical College and the University of North Georgia provide postsecondary options, and there are plenty of adult learning classes, including English lessons for nonnative speakers. — Kayla Robins
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School officials visit a classroom at DeSana Middle School.
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Photo Contest Winner Water fun at the spray pad Photo by: Penny Latimer
“Finley loved trying to grab the water at the Old Atlanta Spray Pad.”
Who we are It may be hard to think about the look and feel of Forsyth County from way back when. As one of the fastestgrowing counties in the nation, it looks and feels nothing like it did even a few decades ago. Forsyth County was created from the original Cherokee County territory, which neighbors us to the west. Founded in 1832, the county is named after John Forsyth, an attorney general of Georgia, members of both houses of Congress and U.S. secretary of state under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. Cumming, the county seat and only municipality in Forsyth, was named after William Cumming, of Augusta, who was a colonel in the War of 1812 and advocated for states’ rights. The 224-square-mile county has exploded in growth recently, which may have been accelerated by the opening of Ga. 400 in 1971. Before that, the area was largely agricultural, and as a result, fairly poor.
Forsyth County’s population increased 21 percent from 2010 to 2015. Now, our median household income is $87,657. In 1940, the county population was about 12,000. The city of Cumming housed about 1,000 people. Growth began climbing in the 1950s with the poultry industry boom. In 2010, Forsyth County had a population of 175,111, and Cumming had 5,442. Now, population estimates for the county have reached 212,438, according to 2015 census data, marking a 21 percent increase from 2010. Cumming’s population is at 5,718.
We experienced the 11th highest percent change in population growth from 2014 to 2015 in the nation and the most in Georgia. We also ranked 11th in the country for population growth over the past five years. Since 2010, our diversity has increased, with more Asian, Hispanic and African American residents moving here. About 92 percent of us have a high school diploma, and about 45 percent have a bachelor’s degree. —Kayla Robins The
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July 4, 1958 Photo by: Rita West
“The Original Glen Thomas Steam Engine was used in the parade in Forsyth County, July 4, 1958. The parade is a tradition that was started by Glen “AG” Thomas in 1957!”
How we play Forsyth County’s natural wonders have been used since the first people settled the area, and residents are still enjoying them — along with newer recreation activities — to this day. Recreation is one of the most popular activities in the county, and at any time residents can be seen running, at local parks or enjoying the area’s natural amenities. For the last four years, Forsyth has been ranked as the healthiest county in the state, which factors in quality of life, lifespan and other health data. One factor keeping the county on top of the list is the many local parks and activities. “Our vision is to offer programs for all ages, and these programs provide an outlet and way to enjoy learning something new, playing something new, making new friends and just getting out and enjoying the beautiful parks that we have,” said Laura Pate, of the Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department.
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The beginning of Central Park. The Forsyth County Parks Department has a total of 2,690 acres of park land throughout the county and about 2,000 acres are used for 12 passive parks, or parks that highlight greenspace and nature rather than sports and fields. “The amenities they have are walking trails; a lot of them are natural surface, like a nature trail or for hiking.
Some of them gave open field space,” Pate said. Depending on the park, visitors have the opportunity to hike, use biking trails or visit historic landmarks, like the covered bridge at Poole’s Mill Park. Sawnee Mountain, which lies just northwest of downtown Cumming, is one of the most noticeable sites in
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Photo Contest Winner Sunflowers on Hwy. 9 Photo by: Joanne Rauschenberg
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Sawnee Mountain Photo by: Bridget Hatch
“Beautiful view of Sawnee Mountain and the Indian Seats.”
the county and home of the Sawnee Mountain Preserve, the county’s largest park and oldest passive park. “It’s 963 acres,” Pate said. “The most popular amenity there are certainly the hiking trails. There are approximately 11 miles of hiking trails, and that’s where you’re going to see the most people on a daily basis.” The preserve is popular for kids and offers tree climbing, an adventure course, a fairy trail with fairy houses and a visitors center where people can learn the history of the mountain. One of the most popular amenities is the Big Creek Greenway, a boardwalk and concrete walkway that runs along Big Creek. Once all sections are complete, the trail is planned to reach from Sawnee Mountain to McFarland Parkway in south Forsyth. “It’s a linear park; it’s currently 6.8 miles,” Pate said. “It’s a 12-foot wide path, so it’s good for biking, running, walking, and you can have multiple things going on because people can pass each other easily and safely.”
Big Creek Greenway is a great place for exercising. The parks department also offers numerous arts and sports programs at their facilities, including many that are geared toward adults. While the county supports more established adult sports and leagues like basketball, flag football, softball and tennis, Pate said there are some unique offerings at local parks. “Pickle ball [a net sport] is popular.
As far as programming, tai chi is pretty popular for adults,” she said. “Another really popular program for adults is our pottery classes, and also social dance classes; we have ballroom and swing dance and country nightclub.” — Kelly Whitmire The
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Photo Contest Winner Dairy Queen Photo by: Grant Frederiksen
“Downtown Cumming Dairy Queen before the most recent renovation when it still had the cool DQ sign.”
What we do Years ago, before the widespread development that has taken place in Forsyth County, residents had only a few retail and restaurant options. When the Dairy Queen on Atlanta Road in downtown Cumming opened in 1964, it was one of the only eat-out choices. The restaurant continues to serve residents today and is still owned by the Willingham family, who originally opened the joint on family land. “Forsyth used to be this small country town, all dirt roads,” said Dairy Queen Manager Ben Willingham, grandson of the man who opened the eatery. “Dairy
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Dairy Queen on the Cumming square.
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SAA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
Queen was the first restaurant and it’s always been a good place to eat since my grandpa opened it … in 1964.” With Forsyth County’s rapid recent growth however, more than 230 restaurants have been opened for its residents, including around 103 fast food options. Pizza is Forsyth’s most popular dining choice, with more than 30 pizza joints in the county. Residents can also choose to relax or enjoy some coffee in one of Forsyth’s 25 cafes, doughnut shops and breakfast eateries. Shopping-wise, yesterday’s Forsyth County was limited, with Goodson’s Drug Company and Parsons Gifts, which opened in 1946, as the two mainstays of the centrally-located Cumming square. “One of our famous sayings is, back when Parson’s opened in Cumming 70 years ago, we carried everything you needed,” said Cris Willis, the current fourth-generation family owner of Parsons. “Then we carried groceries and we were a full-fledged department store. In 1995, we switched over to carrying only ladies’ accessories, home
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Photo Contest Winner Butterfly at Anderson’s Sunflower Farm Photo by: Brandy Brown
“Summer isn’t complete without a visit to Anderson’s Sunflower Farm. Relaxing time watching the butterflies and bees move about the golden field.” décor and other gift-type items. So now we say that we hope we carry everything that you could want.” As Parsons Gifts has evolved with the changes and growth in the county, so has the rest of Forsyth’s shopping scene. Today, residents can shop for almost any item in the 148 retail options and department stores located in the area. In local shopping centers such as Lakeland Plaza, The Collection at Forsyth and the Market Place Boulevard corridor, area shoppers can find wardrobe items, pet accessories, craft supplies, sporting goods and so much more. Around 34 supermarkets have also been opened in Forsyth County to meet the area’s growing grocery needs. A far cry from the early days, when residents could only shop for groceries at Parsons, today’s residents can shop at any supermarket — from Publix to Earth Fare to Aldi — for their cooking and baking needs. — Rachel Pittman
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Parsons Gifts is a staple in the community.
Anniston American Flag Photo by: Brad Turner
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How we compete For 19 years, rooting interest for high school athletics was simple and unified. There was Forsyth County High School, an entity of its own from 1969-88. Everyone was a Bulldog fan. Now, things are much more complicated, but even more exciting. Forsyth County has six high schools that compete in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), the state’s largest organizing body for high school athletics. Almost 5,000 students participated in 16 different sports during the 2015-16 school year in the county, and the number keeps growing. Five of the county’s high schools — Forsyth Central, Lambert, North Forsyth, South Forsyth and West Forsyth — are among the largest in the state by enrollment, and so they compete against arguably the toughest competition, but with great results. Lambert won state championships in competition cheer, girls swimming, girls golf and boys lacrosse. Six individuals from Lambert, North and West won state titles in golf, gymnastics, track and field and wrestling. Each school brought home at least a state runner-up trophy this past school year. Pinecrest Academy has started to emerge as a competitor among schools in Class 1A, the GHSA’s smallest classification, winning its first region title in football and reaching the state quarterfinals. Horizon Christian Academy went undefeated in boys basketball to win a state championship in the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association. And more Forsyth County athletes are going off to higher levels of competition and gaining notoriety in the state and across the country than ever before. There were 114 athletes who signed athletic scholarships to play NCAA sports in college this past school year, including 51 at the Division I level. West Forsyth girls basketball player
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Below, Forsyth County High School fans from then. Above, the South Forsyth High School student section.
Jenna Staiti was named Miss Georgia Basketball, the first ever from the county. Former Lambert baseball star Seth Beer, now at Clemson, was named the ACC player of the year and won the Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s national player of the year. They have, for the most part, come from a youth sports infrastructure that has exploded alongside the county’s growth. Forsyth County Parks and Recreation accommodates youth sports in basketball, baseball, football, flag football, lacrosse, soccer and more through its own leagues and affiliate associations. The county is home to United Futbol Academy, the largest youth soccer organization in Georgia with more than 4,200 players. Nothing exemplifies the difference between Forsyth County then and now like lacrosse. It’s fast become the third most popular high school sport, behind football and track and field, and is scooping up field space around the county with the bevy of youth associations sprouting up as feeder teams for the local high schools. In fact, Lambert’s boys varsity team went 21-0 and won the Class 6A state championship this past school year. — Brian Paglia
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Forsyth County High School defeated Pickens County, 48-6, on Sept. 7, 1979 behind running back Scott Rogers’ 218 yards and four touchdowns. The Bulldogs were the only football team in the county until 1989 when South Forsyth High School opened. The county now has seven football-playing high schools, with another expected to open in 2018. Ages 2 & Up! 770.781.4922
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Early morning on Lake Lanier Photo by: Carrie Nicholson
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Shady Grove Baptist Church Photo by: Regina Rogers
“Shady Grove Baptist Church is more than 100 years old. My grandparents, my parents, my husband and I and our children go to this church.”
How we live Northside Hospital-Forsyth sits prominently off of Ga. 400 in between Exits 13 and 14. The hospital is in the process of trying to finish up an expansion in excess of $48 million. This is only the latest construction project that has been nearly constant since Northside took over the hospital from Georgia Baptist Health Care System in 2002. It may be hard to believe, but everything you see on that 150-acre plot of land has been planned and come to fruition in the last 14 years. But the story of health care in Forsyth County begins much farther back than that. The county’s first hospital, technically in the city of Cumming, opened in 1946 under the name Mary Alice, but in the mid-50’s federal funds were used to construct the Forsyth County Hospital, which sat on Samaritan Drive. The 26-bed hospital remained open in the county but changed ownership a couple times before Georgia Baptist, a company with a 100-year history, bought it in 1993. But the newly dubbed Baptist North Hospital needed space to grow along with the county, and in 1995, what was merely farmland sitting off of Ga. 400 was purchased from a few different families.
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YOUTH SPORTS
Baptist North opened its doors at its new campus in 1999 with 41 licensed beds, three operating rooms and 10 beds in the emergency room. On the same day they cut the ribbon for the new hospital, Forsyth County was named the fastest growing county in the country. Three years later, in 2002, Northside purchased the hospital, and expansion began almost immediately. What started as a two-story building eventually grew to five, and as the number of employees grew, so did the services. The most notable of those services was born in 2008. With the addition of obstetrics at Northside Forsyth, the first planned local delivery of a baby took place in the county in more than 25 years. In its first year, Northside helped deliver close to 1,800 babies. Last year, in 2015, Northside delivered more than 3,000 babies. For one of the fastest growing counties in the country, the infrastructure that health care development has provided has been as invaluable as it is uncommon. is the largest private employer in the county. With the expansion, which includes an additional three floors to the main tower, Northside Forsyth will house 246 licensed beds, with 36 beds in the emergency room, and 18 operating rooms. Northside Forsyth Administrator Lynn Jackson had this to say about the growth. “We like adding beds and capacity, sure,” she said. “But when we can add services that really impact people’s lives, that’s when we really are doing our job.”
Northside Hospital-Forsyth.
Women’s center at Northside Hospital-Forsyth.
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West Forsyth HIGH SCHOOL
“We Excel & Succeed Together” Established in 2007
2015 National and State Rankings: We were #30 in Georgia and #544 nationally on The Washington Post’s list. 2015 Advanced Placement Recognition • AP STEM Access School • AP STEM Achievement School • AP Capstone School • AP Humanities School • AP Merit School • 315 AP Scholar Recipients • 909 students took 1,791 AP Exams in May 2015 • 70 % earned a 3, 4,or 5 on Advanced Placement Exams • 39% earned a 4 or 5 on Advanced Placement Exams • Average AP exam score 3.13 Extra-Curricular Highlights • Region 6-AAAAAA member • 11 athletic teams had state play-off appearances • Boys Cross Country and Boys Baseball 2014-15 Region Champions • State and National Recognition for Band, Chorus, Theater, and DECA Class of 2015 • 74% graduates accepted into post-secondary education • 254 honor graduates • Accepted into 89 different colleges, universities and tech schools • 4.9 million non-Hope scholarship offers Academy United States Coast Guard ty rsi ive Un ern uth ademy Georgia So United States Military Ac ty rsi Air Force Academy ive Un te Georgia Sta at West Point Art Institute of Atlanta University ch Te emy ia org Ge United States Naval Acad Auburn University te Sta w esa nn a Ke am ab Al University of Belmont University rsity rida Loyola Marymount Unive e University of Central Flo lleg Co rry Be U a LS rid Flo University of Boise State Mercer University University of Georgia Boston College ia te Sta i pp ssi ssi Mi g University of North Georg Brigham Youn ty rsi ina ive Oglethorpe Un University of South Carol Clemson University a ty rsi ive Un e rdu on Pu est University of South Florid College of Charl n sig De & t Ar of e Savannah Colleg University of Tennessee Cornell University ia d for nd ty rsi Sta ive University of West Georg Florida State Un ty rsi ive Un te Sta xas University Te Georgia College & State Tulane University ty rsi ive Un Georgia Regents
Let Us Spoil You!
Thank You for 21 Wonderful Years
Come See Why Fresh is the Best! Over $2.1 Million Raised for Community Charities and Over 2,964,728 meals served
Sunday Brunch 11:30-2:00
WEEKLY SPECIALS
Lobster Rolls Served Daily Mon - Chef’s Choice Tues - Chef’s Choice Wed - Chef’s Choice Thurs - Prime Rib Fri - BBQ Beef Bones (Philly & French Dip @ Lunch) r On You y Birthda with ID
$10 Off Lunch, $15 Off Dinner
1/2 Price Bottle Wine Wed & Thurs
365 Peachtree Parkway Across from Avenue Forsyth
770.886.0100
Info@NormansLanding.com
www.NormansLanding.com