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Thank you! Christmas Parade and Festival a Big Hit
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Thank you to everyone who participated in or came out to the City of Cumming Christmas Parade and Festival on Dec. 15, presented by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Forsyth!
Despite drizzly rain and cold temperatures, the parade and festival were both big hits with nearly 80 different groups taking part in the parade and hundreds of residents lining Tribble Gap/Castleberry Road to watch all the bands, vehicles, colorful floats, and festive walking groups make their way from Forsyth Central High School to the Cumming Fairgrounds.
After the parade, plenty of patrons stuck around for the festival at the Fairgrounds to enjoy s'mores, hot cocoa, Christmas lights, vendors, and photos with Santa.
At 7 p.m., a special tree lighting was held outside the Fairgrounds' covered arena, followed by a presentation of awards from the parade. A big thank you goes out to Mary Helen McGruder and Russ Sorrells who served as our community judges for the parade awards.
Entries taking home plaques were:
Best Band - Forsyth Central High School
Best Float - Harmony Baptist Church
Best Girl Scout Troop - 12879
Best Boy Scout Troop - Pack 39
Best Vehicle - School System Transportation
Best Jeep - Charles Tompkins
Best Animal Entry - Mickey Hyam's Reindeer Boxer
Most Creative Entry - St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church
Most Holiday Spirit - Sole Impulse Dance Studio
Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you again to all of our participants and everyone who came out to join in the holiday merriment!
For more photos,
click here
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Did you know? Among this year's Christmas Parade participants were local law enforcement agencies, civic groups, churches, businesses, public and private school groups, governmental entities, medical and dental practices, veterinarian offices, animal rescue organizations, giant inflatable characters, hundreds of Girl and Boy Scouts, classic cars and tractors, a boat, and a 1937 fire engine ridden by the jolly man in red himself!
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| Cumming Playhouse Under New Leadership Beginning this Month |
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The City of Cumming will continue to own the historic 1923 Cumming Schoolhouse, which houses Tam's Backstage Restaurant, the Historical Society of Cumming/Forsyth County, and now Tam's School Street Playhouse. |
Cumming Playhouse patrons will see a few changes at the venue in 2019.
In the spring of 2018, the Mayor and City Council made the decision to lease the theater to Brian and Kelly Tam, owners of Tam's Backstage Restaurant, who have leased the restaurant space within the building from the City for more than 10 years. Beginning this month, the Tams will take over operations of the theater.
The most prominent change that patrons will likely notice is the venue's name. No longer under operation of the City of Cumming, the theater will now be called Tam's School Street Playhouse. The facility's website has also changed to schoolstreetplayhouse.com. All 2019 shows will be posted on this website and patrons will still be able to order tickets online.
While the name will change, Tam's School Street Playhouse will still provide a wide variety of high-quality performing arts, including comedies, dramas, large-scale musicals, and concerts, with a focus on local production companies and performers.
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Actors perform in the 2018 production of "Annie."
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On the tentative 2019 line-up are well-known shows such as "Bonnie & Clyde," "South Pacific," "Mama Mia," and "A Christmas Carol." Also slated for this year are several shows focusing on Southern culture, including "A Southern Exposure," "Derby Girls: The Musical," and "Single Wide: The Musical." Among the concert lineup for 2019 are Banks & Shane, The Return: A Beatles Tribute, and "Remember Broadway," a Broadway-themed variety show. Local favorites including "Georgia Senior Follies," "Christmas Classics," The Cumming Playhouse Singers, North Georgia Barbershop Singers, and Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band are all also slated to return in 2019.
Stay up-to-date on everything going at Tam's School Street Playhouse at
schoolstreetplayhouse.com. Specific performance dates and times will be posted on the website throughout the year.
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Here We Go a Wassailing! City Elected Officials and Employees Sing Carols at Several City Senior Care Facilities
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 A group of about 20 City of Cumming elected officials, staff members, attorneys, and their families spent a few hours spreading Christmas cheer on Thursday, Dec. 20.
The group went to four senior care facilities, all located within the Cumming City Limits, to sing Christmas carols for the residents. The group stopped at Lanier Place, Cumming Senior Living, Country Gardens Lanier, and Chestnut Ridge. The group performed a range of carols, varying from sacred favorites such as "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger" to more festive secular hits including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman."
The caroling outing was the idea of Mayor Troy Brumbalow who wanted to spread holiday cheer to some of the City's residents who might not get to see family and friends during this special time of year. The outing also served as a great way for members of
the City of Cumming "family" to get to spend time
with one another outside of the work environment while giving back to the local community.
The City thanks the managers and staff at each facility who coordinated the visits with City staff! It was a great outing that will likely become a holiday tradition among City staff and elected officials!
More photos from the caroling outing can be found on the City's Facebook page.
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| Matrixtbsc, Inc./Crow Family Honored by Mayor and Council |
During their regular December meeting, Mayor and Council presented a certificate recognizing Matrixtbsc, Inc. as the December Business Spotlight. This is a new feature on the City's Facebook page, highlighting various businesses in the City that have been outstanding community partners. The founders of Matrixtbsc, Inc, Roger and Ann Crow, have been strong community leaders since they relocated to Forsyth County in 1984. Read more about them and their business here.
Among other business during the December meeting and work session, City Council:
- Approved resolutions reactivating the City of Cumming Development Authority and creating a Downtown Development Authority.
- Approved a conditional use permit for property located at 409 Atlanta Road, with several conditions recommended by the Planning & Zoning Board.
- Approved the 2018 Budget Amendment and the 2019 Budget, which totals a little more than $37 million.
- Approved 54 alcohol license renewals for 2019.
- Approved a proposal to raise fees on water meters and sewer capacity to bring these fees more in line with those charged by other neighboring cities and counties, and to help prepare for future Utilities costs associated with Cumming and Forsyth County's continuous growth.
- Approved a Phase I Environmental Assessment for the property on Hwy. 20 that will be the site of the new City Center. The assessment will pinpoint the topography of the site, allowing the City to prepare for development of the approximately 60 acres.
- Heard a presentation by Heather Feldman, Executive Director of the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, about the services of GMRC.
- Discussed the possibility of adding a process by which filming companies would obtain a permit to film within the City of Cumming.
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2018 Safety/Wellness Award recipients
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2018 Safety/Wellness Award Recipients Honored
In December, the City's Safety/Wellness Committee honored employees from each of the departments represented on the committee. Honorees are selected based on their commitment to safe work practices and to educating other employees about safety measures. The honorees were recognized during a luncheon and presented with a certificate.
Congratulations to all the 2018 Safety/Wellness Award recipients!
2018 Safety/Wellness Honorees
Aquatic Center - Anne Gratz and Annsley Marks
Fairgrounds - Donna Cruse
Police - Lisa McGee
Planning & Zoning - Tommy Martin
Recreation - Sandra Bennett
Streets - Dan Golden
Utilities (City Hall) - Taylor Mehaffey and Melissa Hamby
Utilities (Distribution) - Allen Sharp and Shane Blackburn
Utilities (Wastewater Treatment) - Michael Ghorley and Corey Bruce
Utilities (Water Production) - Michael Bryant and Greg Hill
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Mayor Spends Time at Two Forsyth Schools in December
Mayor Troy Brumbalow took time out to visit students at Shiloh Point and Big Creek Elementary Schools in December.
The mayor served as a judge for Shiloh Point's school spelling bee in early December, and read a Christmas book to students at Big Creek just prior to the students being released for their winter break.
Mayor Brumbalow enjoyed spending time with the students!
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Coming Soon
To the Cumming Fairgrounds
To the Cumming Aquatic Center
- Half-Price Family Friday - Jan. 18, 2-6 p.m.
To Tam's School Street Playhouse
- Banks & Shane in Concert - Jan. 12, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Holiday Closures
- City Hall and all non-essential City departments and facilities will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 1 in observance of New Year's Day, and Monday, Jan. 21 in observance of Martin Luther King Day.
- The January City Council Work Session will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. due to New Year's Day falling on the first Tuesday.
Meetings
- Planning & Zoning Board - Jan. 15 at 5 p.m.
- City Council Regular Meeting - Jan. 15 at 6 p.m.
- City Council Work Session (Gallery B, Second Floor of City Hall) - Jan. 2 at 6 p.m.
All meetings are open to the public and held in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Main Street, unless otherwise noted. For all meetings after 5 p.m., please enter through the rear parking lot entrance.
Click here for previous meeting videos.
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| Happy New Year from everyone at the City of Cumming!
Sincerely,
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information
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