Newspaper Page Text
PROGRESS QQ
A Supplement of the Forsyth County News • Sunday, March 28,1999
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Photo/Tom Brooks
Above, a view of Visions ’99, an art show for Forsyth County Schools, from an upper level of the Forsyth County
Administration Building. The exhibit, which lasts through the end of March, is the second annual event of its kind.
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Citizen action needed to
preserve natural heritage
By Laura Lavezzo
Lifestyle Editor
Amidst great concern that the
overdevelopment of Forsyth
County will lead to its ruin, the
Forsyth County Department of
Engineering is providing an
opportunity for residents to do
something about it. Forsyth
County’s own Adopt-A- IBwKa .
Stream program is currently //.
being organized.
For most local
residents, their
biggest reason for moving to '
Forsyth County was to enjoy
life in a rural area. Acres of pas
ture, peaceful groves of trees and
the livelihood of Lake Lanier are
some of the features that attract
people to this area. But tremen 3
dous development in the last sev
eral years has led to some drastic
changes in the local environment.
The area is becoming much more
A TIMELINE OF PROGRESS
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1890s-Band 1958-First steam 1979-Sawnee 1980s-Further 1999-Indian Seats
stand where engine parade is Center was a growth harms small at Sawnee Mountain
Sunday afternoon held. Now it’s an dream. It would businesses, but will become a park
concerts were pre- annual July 4 event. open in 1992. some 4 0lder buildings in the future.
, . sented, was built.. get new lives.
1 - F19705-Junior Samples ] 1990 s - Forsyth Central’s
washed away and was rebuilt. Lake Lanier becomes a puts Forsyth County on Portable Players are four-
Refurbished, it would be thp focus of recreational playground and the map as a regular on time winners in state one
a county park in the late 19905. attracts thousands of visitors. “Hee Haw.” act play competitions.
• - - - - - - - -— : - - ——
urban and much less rural. As
more land is rezoned and further
development is allowed, there are
prices to pay for such “progress.”
Pollution increases, wildlife
decreases and erosion means
and wish to protect.
“It is about you,” said
Cheryl Dukas, stormwater techni- •
cian for the county. “This should
point out the need for people to
take grass roots action to help
solve the problems in the water
shed. You don’t want the govern
ment doing everything for you,
See STREAMS, Page 2D
the depletion of good topsoil
as well as the destruction of
area streams.
Adopt-A-Stream
allows residents to
become responsi
ble stewards of the
environment they cherish
|r>
Photo/Tom Brooks
Above, Hospital Administrator John Herron with several of Baptist North’s volunteers at a holi
day luncheon held in December. The new hospital promises more volunteer involvement.
Arts Council looks
to incorporate, hold
logo competition
By Laura Lavezzo
Lifestyle Editor
The arts have a strong presence in
Forsyth County. Surprising to many new
comers, the county offers more cultural
opportunities than one might expect of a
still fairly small community. Living so
close to Atlanta, it would be easy to acci
dentally ignore the efforts of local artists,
musicians and thespians for programs held
less than an hour away. But residents have
demonstrated an interest in art at home,
too. And much of what has been offered
here is of competitive caliber to anything
you might find in the big city.
Through the Sawnee Community
Center in particular, many opportunities for
expanding a family’s cultural horizons are
offered on a regular basis. Traveling theater
groups, the local Sawnee Ballet Company,
drama and art classes and the Sawnee Art
Association’s monthly “artist of the month”
exhibit are just a few ways to whet the
artistic appetites of residents. In recent
years, some of the Sawnee artists have
formed an annual Cumming Artists’ Studio
Tour. This event provides the chance for
aspiring and professional artists to show
and sell their work.
In addition, the Forsyth County Board
of Education has encouraged art as an aca
demic part of the regular curriculum in
schools. Each of the 19 schools in the
county is equipped with an art teacher and
each high school now has a state-of-the-art
auditorium on its campus -for use by any
school in the system. This is not typical of
very many school districts.
For all of the above reasons, it became
evident to the 1997 Sawnee Center Board
of Directors that a county arts council was
needed to help coordinate all of these cul
tural opportunities and make them more
visible to the community. John Herron,
chairman of the board, and board member
Jim DeSana were given the assignment to
organize the Arts Council Steering
Committee. The committee consists of resi
dents who are involved in visual and per
forming arts, and are also avid patrons of
the arts.
At this time, the newly formed Forsyth
County Arts Council is looking to become
an incorporated, non-profit organization to
serve the community. As soon as funding is
available, the Council is also interested in
developing a logo - one designed by a
Cumming resident, and not necessarily a
professional artist. It is hoped the Council
will be able to offer a cash prize for the best
logo. For information, call (770) 887-7413.
Volunteer
program
expands
with new
hospital
By Laura Lavezzo
Lifestyle Editor
The opening of the new Baptist
Medical Center • Cumming, a
facility three times the size of
Baptist North Hospital, will pro
vide a greater number of much
needed services to the increasing
number of area residents. Included
in these services are those provid
ed by volunteers.
Formerly an auxiliary system
at Baptist North Hospital, the
See VOLUNTEER, Page 2D