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Newspaper Page Text
New mens
clothing store
opens in
Cumming City
Center.
See story
Page 3A
Sports
Athletes honored
at annual
FCN banquet.
Page IB
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
Midweek Edition-May 29-30,2024 FORSYTHNEWS.COM (j forsythcountynews ^ @ForsythNews (©) @ForsythNews $2.00
Troops honored at annual Memorial Day Ceremony
By Daniel Dotson
danieldotson@forsythnews.com
Old Glory lined the board
walk at Cumming City Center
as the community gathered,
clothed in red, white and blue,
for the annual city of Cumming
Memorial Day Ceremony.
The event, held on Friday,
May 24, was the first to be held
at Cumming City Center, fol
lowing the recent relocation of
the Veterans War Memorial to
the pond behind Lou Sobh
Amphitheater.
The ceremony featured a key
note speaker, retired U.S. Army
General John Hendrix, a rifle
salute by the Forsyth County
Fire and Sheriff’s Department
Honor Guard and a ceremonial
White Dove Release.
“We should remember how
we got here,” Hendrix said dur
ing the keynote speech. “How
we got our freedom and how we
have kept it. The price that was
paid and the sacrifices of those
who paid that price. That’s why
today is important.”
Hendrix, who retired from a
37-year career in the U.S. Army
in 2001, spoke of the impor
tance of maintaining the
American way of life.
He invoked the leadership of
both Republicans and
Democrats, citing Abraham
Lincoln, Ronald Reagan,
Franklin Roosevelt and John F.
Kennedy as examples of an
American era in need of preser
vation.
Above all, Hendrix stressed
the importance of honoring mil
itary service members who lost
their lives in service to their
nation.
“We should gather on
Memorial Day,” said Hendrix.
“We should visit cemeteries and
put flags on their graves. I
would also say that we should
teach our children about them.
See Ceremony 16A
Daniel Dotson Forsyth County News
Residents gathered at Cumming City Center on Friday, May 24,
to celebrate Memorial Day and honor fallen troops.
'School's out!'
Photos by Sabrina Kerns Forsyth County News
Students, teachers, staff and families at Chestatee Elementary wave their final goodbyes on the last day of the
2023-24 year.
Chestatee students, staff celebrate last day of 2023-24 year
A Class of 2024 graduate and Chestatee alum hugs Principal Polly
Tennies on the last day of school.
By Sabrina Kerns
skerns@forsythnews.com
“School’s out!”
Chestatee Elementary students
yelled out the words as they fdled
the hallways on the last day of
school on Thursday, May 23, ready
to finish out the 2023-24 year.
But before boarding their buses
to go home for the summer, the
kids took part in an important
Chestatee tradition.
Each of the students lined the
hallways, cheering with excitement,
blowing bubbles, waving pom
poms and giving out high-fives as
the school’s outgoing fifth graders
passed by in a parade.
“Middle school! Middle school!”
students chanted as they walked
past, ready for the next chapter
after their final day at Chestatee.
Behind the fifth graders, the
school’s graduating alumni also
joined in on the parade, outfitted in
their caps and gowns that they wore
at their high school graduations in
Forsyth and Dawson counties last
weekend.
Many of the Class of 2024 gradu
ates immediately recognized and
gave a giant hug to Principal Polly
Tennies, who was serving at the
school when they first started kin
dergarten 13 years ago.
“It’s just so special to see them
here again,” Tennies said.
Tennies was also giving her final
goodbye to the students on
Thursday as she plans to retire this
summer after nearly 20 years of
serving at Chestatee Elementary.
Following the end of the summer,
Tennies said she plans begin a “sec
ond career” teaching educational
leadership courses at Kennesaw
State University.
But the beloved, longtime
Chestatee principal couldn’t help
getting teary eyed as she led the
students out of the school one final
time.
See Last day 16A
Townhomes
approved by
City Council
By Daniel Dotson
danieldotson@forsythnews.com
Over 400 homes and townhomes were
approved to be built in the city of
Cumming.
The Cumming City Council approved a
93-acre residential development during a
meeting on Tuesday, May 21.
The development, which will include 200
townhomes and 244 single-family houses,
will be built at the comer of Market Place
Boulevard and Turner Road, across from
the Westshore mixed-use center.
During a public hearing about the devel
opment held on April 16, Councilman
Jason Evans recommended postponing the
Council’s decision to allow for further
negotiation with the developer.
Evans told FCN that he was concerned
See Townhome 16A
Contract for
police station
in City Center
gets approved
By Daniel Dotson
danieldotson@forsythnews.com
A new police station and municipal
court building will soon be built at
Cumming City Center.
During a Cumming City Council meet
ing on Tuesday, May 21, the Council
approved a construction agreement with
Beltan Properties to build the new
Cumming Police Station and Courtroom at
Cumming City Center.
As Beltan Properties is the same devel
oper that built the rest of Cumming City
Center, City Administrator Phil Higgins
said they were a natural fit.
“Their knowledge of the site, as well as
our comfort in working with them, makes
them a logical choice for the project,”
Higgins told the City Council.
The agreement sets a not-to-exceed cost
of $10.4 million and comes only weeks
after the Cumming Downtown
Development Authority approved a $10.5
million sale of 15.7 acres of land at City
Center for the development of homes and
townhomes at the site.
See Station 16A
81/58
Forecast! 2A
Forsyth County
Sheriff's Office
issues BOLO
for runaway
teen. 4A
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Volume 115, Number 41
© 2024, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia
