Cumming Farmers' Market In Full Swing Now Through Oct. 1
Local farmers, cooks and artisans can be found every Wednesday and Saturday in the Cumming Fairgrounds Parking Lot #3 on Castleberry Road. They gather bright and early at 6:30 a.m. to offer their homegrown produce and other handmade delights at the Cumming Farmers' Market, which has been providing fresh, local options to Forsyth County residents for several decades.
While the number of vendors on site can vary from week to week, the market typically draws at least a dozen and as many as 30. They sell from 6:30 a.m. to about 11 a.m., or until their products are sold out.
The primary requirements for Cumming Farmers' Market vendors is that they must grow or produce their products by hand and be local to Forsyth or a surrounding county.  
The market, which opened in June and will remain open through Oct. 1 this year, offers everything from fresh produce such as tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and beans, to home-canned preserves, jams, pickles and Forsyth County honey. Additionally, patrons can purchase freshly baked bread; artisan cheeses; local beef, pork, and sausage; and even paintings and woodworking items such as birdhouses.
To find the best variety of products at the market, vendors recommend arriving early since they often sell out quickly.
Did you know? There are no parking or admission fees at the Cumming Farmers' Market. Additionally, most items are priced well below typical retail prices, and items don't contain the preservatives, additives or pesticides that are often found in grocery store items. That all adds up to a very cost-effective way to provide healthy meals for your family!
Council Supports Veterans Through Purple Heart City Resolution
Veterans gather in support of the Purple Heart City proclamation.
Cumming City Council kicked off its July meeting by accepting a proclamation naming Cumming a Purple Heart City. "On behalf of all veterans, we present this resolution to proclaim Cumming a Purple Heart City," said veteran Joe LaBranche, who addressed the Mayor and Council, noting that " the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who served the Armed Forces have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by our citizens." In addition to LaBranche, representatives from local chapters of the American Legion, VFW, and Vietnam Veterans of America also attended the meeting to show support of the Purple Heart City designation. Council members unanimously approved the resolution, which will be formally presented during the annual Veterans Day Celebration in 2017 at the Cumming Veterans War Memorial.
 
Council also unanimously approved a site plan for a new residential development that will include 261 townhomes on a 44-acre tract of land behind Costco, off Bald Ridge Marina Road.  After a public hearing, council members voted 4-0, with Councilman Christopher Light abstaining due to a professional conflict of interest, to approve the site plan with several conditions including a landscape plan, a four-foot wide sidewalk for all internal streets, a six-foot-wide sidewalk at its entrance, and other amenities, such as brick facades. Residents who live near the proposed development said they were not opposed to the additional homes, but expressed concerns about the need for additional landscaping and improvements to Bald Ridge Acres Road. Lennar Homes agreed to upgrade the county road to current standards, including a roundabout, as specified by Forsyth County engineers following a traffic study. Additional landscaping near Bald Ridge Acres Drive will be added after outparcels are sold and developed.
 
Also during the July meeting, the Cumming City Council:
  • Accepted Mayor Ford Gravitt's appointments of residents Jason May and Troy Brumbalow to serve on a steering committee for the City's Comprehensive Plan Update.
  • Approved a settlement agreement with Strack & Associates in the amount of $137,500, related to a suit filed as a result of the 2013 breach of the Lake Alice dam.
  • Approved advertising for bids for a 30-inch water line and other utility work along Webb Street, and for an 8-inch waterline in the Chattahoochee River Club subdivision to replace a failing section of about 1,000 feet.
  • Accepted the low bids for the Parks & Recreation Department's fall/winter program guides and for re-varnishing Dobbs Creek basketball courts.  
Click here to view meeting videos.
New Irrigation Water Rates Approved
The Cumming City Council approved new water rates for irrigation use customers during the July City Council meeting. The new rates, which were mandated by the Environmental Protection Division in order to help with water conservation efforts, represent a 200 percent increase over the previous irrigation rates. For all bills received after Aug. 1, irrigation customers will now pay a monthly base rate of $10.72 per irrigation meter, plus a water usage rate of $4.64 per every 1,000 gallons. The rate increase impacts about 300 Cumming Utilities customers.  Click here to view all current Cumming Utilities water and sewer rates and fees.
"Leader of the Pack" cast members perform at the Cumming Playhouse.
"Leader of the Pack" Doo-Wops onto Cumming Playhouse Stage
Nominated for the 1985 Tony Award for Best Musical, the current Cumming Playhouse show, "Leader of the Pack," captures the fun of the doo-wop era. The show traces the biographical tale of 1960's hit maker Ellie Greenwich, who along with writing partner Jeff Barry, wrote her way into pop music history with a long string of hits. Greenwich's personal story of her rise to success is spotlighted in the show along with many of her hits, such as "Chapel of Love," "Be My Baby," "Da Do Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," and of course the title song, "Leader of the Pack."  
Playbill.com called "Leader of the Pack" a trend setter, noting that the show was "the first modern Broadway musical of its kind to tell the story of a real person through their songs." "Leader of the Pack," a RISPA production, runs through Aug. 14, with performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. Sundays. Click here to order tickets.  

Coming Soon
To the Cumming Fairgrounds
Farmers' Market - Every Saturday and Wednesday beginning at 6:30 a.m. (Fairgrounds Parking Lot #3)
Mt. Pisgah Church Car Show - Aug. 26 & 27

To the Cumming Playhouse
"Leader of the Pack" - 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, now through Aug. 14
"Nashville Classic Roadshow" - 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Aug. 27

Meetings
Planning & Zoning Board - 5 p.m. Aug. 16
City Council - 6 p.m. Aug. 16
Both meetings are open to the public and held in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Main Street. For all meetings after 5 p.m., please enter through the rear parking lot entrance.
As summer winds down and students return to school, your friends at the City of Cumming wish you and your family all the best!

Sincerely,   
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information