The Mayor and Council Work Session originally scheduled for Thursday, October 17, 2019, has been canceled and we will not be meeting.
Halloween Happenings Downtown
Halloween is approaching at a full gallop! As the temperature and leaves begin to drop, head downtown to enjoy these frightfully fun fall festivities.
Amp Movie Night: Hocus Pocus
Friday, October 25, 8:30pm, The Amp on Bradley
Grab the kiddos and enjoy dinner at one of our many downtown eateries. Then, head to the Amp for movie night featuring the funny Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus.
Free
Youth Theatre: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
October 25 – 26, 7:00 p.m., Carrollton Center for the Arts
The Carrollton Youth Theatre brings Washington Irving’s gothic story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, to the Danny Mabry Theatre stage, just in time for Halloween. In the play, a late-1700s school teacher named Ichabod Crane comes to Sleepy Hollow, New York, and finds himself at odds with a local named Brom Bones over a woman named Katrina. Meanwhile, the ghost of a soldier who lost his head to a cannonball during the American Revolution haunts the area every night in search of his missing head. Carrollton Arts Superintendent Tim Chapman said, “Our production this fall is full of special effects that will put you in the mood for Halloween.”
Tickets: $10 Adult $5 Youth
Carrollton Parks and Recreation Dept.: Downtown Fall Festival
October 26, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Adamson Square
Parks and Rec’s annual Downtown Fall Festival will bring candy, costumes and a carnival atmosphere to Adamson Square. The popular yearly festival features trick-or-treating around the square, free games and inflatables for jumping and sliding. Snacks will be available for one dollar, cash only. Children through the age of 12 are encouraged to come dressed in their best costume and participate in the costume contest, held at 11:00 a.m. at the Amp. PS: Don’t forget to bring a basket for trick-or-treating with the downtown businesses. Sponsored by Scott Evans Nissan & Scott Evans Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep.
Free
Wondering & Wandering is Genre-Blending Exhibit
Renowned surrealist painter, Carrie Ann Baade’s show, Wondering and Wandering, will open doors and windows of imagination at the Carrollton Center for the Arts, October 24 – December 7.
“Baade’s work is a beautiful blend of imagery inspired by paintings of the past and surreal figures that elicit both a sense of mystery and elegance,” said Marcella Kuykendall, Carrollton’s visual arts coordinator. “The artist reflects upon issues such as morality, politics and the individual quest for self-expression. Visitors will enjoy investigating the rich details and symbols in each work for the stories they hold and the fantastical worlds and characters they create.”
Baade uses remnants of Renaissance and Baroque paintings to create surreal landscapes inhabited by exotic figures. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries nationally and internationally, including the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and solo exhibitions at the Delaware Contemporary, Billy Shire Fine Arts in Los Angeles, the Ningbo Art Museum in China and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, Florida. Raised in Colorado, Baade now lives and works in Tallahassee as associate professor of painting and drawing at Florida State University.
The exhibit is sponsored by Walt D’Ambrosio and Susan Thomas. There will be a Halloween-themed opening reception featuring live musicians on October 24 at 5:00 p.m.
City Wins Award From Police Training Group
Carrollton hosted more than 150 officers from around the state when the Georgia Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors’ 30th annual training conference was held here the week of September 23. The event is nicknamed “Train the Trainer” because instructors are taught current techniques, then carry that knowledge back to their agencies to train their officers. Carrollton has hosted the event for several years and has again been named host city for next year’s conference.
Each year GALEFI’s Board of Directors presents the Dale Moorefield Award for outstanding support of the organization, which is typically given to a firearms instructor who has shown dedication and leadership in promoting the group. The award was named after one of the founding fathers of GALEFI, in honor of his hard work to ensure Georgia law enforcement firearms instructors receive advanced, top-notch training. This year’s recipient of this prestigious award was the City of Carrollton.
GALEFI recognized Carrollton for the city’s outstanding support throughout the years the event has been hosted here. This year in particular, support was given by City Manager Tim Grizzard, Police Chief Joel Richards, Arts Center Director Tim Chapman, Street Department Director Mike Green, Recreation Department Director Peter Maierhofer and numerous other employees of the city assisted in preparation for the event. Plaques were presented to Grizzard, Chapman and Richards (accepted by Steven Davenport).
“GALEFI is blessed to have a partnership with Carrollton,” said the organization’s president, James Perry. “You have no idea how many folks brag on how law enforcement friendly this community is. These folks love to come to this town because of that. We’re already looking forward to next year.”
GALEFI is the only organization in Georgia with the sole purpose of advancing law enforcement training in the area of firearms outside the basic police academy.
Main Street Grant Helps Restore 118 Rome Street
With help from a Carrollton Main Street Downtown Beautification grant, Norton Properties founder and CEO, Jason Norton, recently completed a total renovation of the building at 118 Rome Street.
“This building is absolutely beautiful,” said Main Street’s board president, Faith Mallory Wright. “Jason and his team have done a wonderful job preserving the building’s historic value while integrating modern accents to give it a fresh look. I am so happy to see these grant funds used in a way that enhances the look of our downtown.”
The $2,500 beautification grant offset some of the cost of renovating the building’s facade. Norton described the redesign of the building as “industrial minimalist.”
“I wanted to take what had become a neglected, tired space and bring it back to life,” said Norton, who graduated from UWG as an economics major in 2004. “This space is my most ambitious project to date, but it made sense because the location is right and the numbers work. My hope is that this space will attract a quality commercial tenant to further enhance our wonderful downtown community.”
The purpose of the Main Street Downtown Beautification Program is to stimulate downtown development, improve the visual image of properties within the Main Street district and generate pride in the community. Applicants may receive up to $2,500 per project and must match the grant funding, dollar for dollar. The grant money can be used for awnings, signage and exterior painting and staining on the building, trim and door.
For questions about 118 Rome Street, call (678) 941-3493. For more information about the Downtown Beautification Grant, please call Carrollton Main Street at (770) 832-6901 or go to https://carrolltondowntown.com/merchant-support.
Hobbs Farm Fit Court Opens
The new Hobbs Farm Fit Court was opened for public use on September 11, 2019, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A $35,000 grant from the Atlanta-based Mary Alice and Bennett Brown Foundation provided most of the funding for the court. The fitness facility features five equipment pieces that offer 120 exercise combinations and routines for beginners and advanced users. The court is ADA compliant and located close to a water fountain and restrooms.
The need for outdoor space catering to teenagers and the active adult population was mentioned during community surveys and town hall meetings when the city was updating its Comprehensive Plan in 2018. The fit court is also expected to attract groups affiliated with Parks and Recreation’s Senior Activities Center and Tanner Health System’s healthy living classes, that meet on and around the GreenBelt.
Hobbs Farm Park is a trailhead for the Carrollton GreenBelt a few blocks from Adamson Square and has become a go-to spot for exercise and healthy activity. The fit court joins the park’s long list of amenities, which includes a one-mile Hobbs Loop, Carrollton Bike Share station, Georgia top-rated public disc golf course, a public kayak launch pad, and a gazebo overlooking the Little Tallapoosa River spillway. Hobbs Farm Park is home to many native plants and wildlife.
While the Hobbs Farm Fit Court is open and fully functional, a bonded, rubber mulch will soon replace the wood-chip surfacing. The installation process was delayed by a few weeks due to the recent hurricane evacuations in Florida that affected the construction crew. Please be mindful and do not enter the court area if safety fencing is present.
Center for the Arts Welcomes New Staff Members
The Carrollton Center for the Arts invites the community to welcome their two newest employees, Lauren Kuykendall and Rebecca Weger, at a meet and greet event, September 7. The event at the center will start at 6:30 p.m. and finish at 7:30 p.m., just in time for the start of the Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre performance.
Lauren Kuykendall is the center’s new theatre coordinator. Kuykendall directed the Teen Theatre for the past two seasons and was a Teen Theatre alum herself. She holds degrees in theatre and music theatre from Brenau University and the University of North Georgia, where she trained with the Gainesville Theatre Alliance. She is currently pursuing a Master of Theatre Administration degree from the University of Kentucky. When she isn’t working administratively, Lauren enjoys performing and directing. Lauren most recently was theatre director at Villa Rica High School. Before that, she taught voice and theatre at the North Georgia School of Music and Dance, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Passion Music Institute and her own private voice studio. Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband, Dakota, and their two fur-babies, Belle and Ingrid.
Rebecca Weger is the center’s new ballet coordinator. She began dancing at a very young age and trained all over North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. She graduated magna cum laude from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, with a B.A. in Dance. During her career, Rebecca has studied many dance styles and techniques and worked with esteemed teachers and choreographers such as Mary Marshall, Robert Cook, Alan Hineline, Mark Diamond, Gabriel Otevril and Elie Lazar. Rebecca has taught at the Myles Reif Performing Arts Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and for Richmond Ballet’s Minds In Motion program in Virginia. She was the ballet mistress for the Southwest Virginia Ballet and has taught for Appomattox Regional’s Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology. For six years, she was manager of the School of Richmond Ballet. She has taught pilates for many years in private dance studios and for Roanoke College in Salem, VA. Rebecca holds her Master of Business Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Meet and Greet for Lauren Kuykendall and Rebecca Weger:
Sept. 7, 2019, 6:30pm – 7:30pm (before the Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre performance)
Carrollton Center for the Arts
For more information, call the Center for the Arts at 770-838-1083 or visit carrolltonarts.com.
Terminus Modern Ballet
Atlanta’s new contemporary ballet company, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, will open its first touring season at the Carrollton Center for the Arts, September 7.
“It’s time for Terminus to bring its programs to areas outside of Atlanta to highlight the fact that world-class programming is both being performed and created here in Georgia,” said John Welker, TMBT director and co-founder.
Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre was founded in 2017 by five principal dance artists, formerly tenured at Atlanta Ballet, who struck out on their own. The dancers have a collective 85 years of experience in classical and modern dance.
“The caliber of these dancers is among the best in the United States,” said Tim Chapman, arts superintendent.
Terminus’ resident choreographer and co-founder, Tara Lee’s show, Everything is Waiting, premiered in February, 2019, for the international contemporary dance festival “Off the Edge.”
“We are often waiting… waiting in line, waiting in traffic, waiting for a better future situation,” said Lee. “A more fulfilling life can always seem to be over there or coming soon. In this work, I questioned how we might find the profound joy of what’s waiting for us here and now and bring it into the commotion of our world.”
Lee is a dancer with more than 20 years experience and a choreographer who has created for Atlanta Ballet, New Orleans Ballet Theatre, Emory Dance Company and Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami. Performing Lee’s new work are fellow Terminus members Heath Gill, Christian Clark, Rachel Van Buskirk, Alexandre Gonzaga and Laura Morton. The Carrollton performance will also feature local dancers who participated in a workshop with members of the Terminus team.
Terminus is supported by the Serenbe Institute for Art, Culture and the Environment, a non-profit that supports the artistic, cultural and environmental well-being of the area.
Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre presents Everything is Waiting
September 7, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
Carrollton Center for the Arts
Tickets: $20 Adult, $10 Youth, carrolltonarts.com, (770) 838-1083
Sponsored by Vision Realty
Downtown Music Fest
Head to The Amp on Saturday, September 7, for the Downtown Music Fest, featuring some of your favorite local musicians:
11:00am Groove Gypsies (The Groove Gypsies will start jamming at 9:00am for the Half Marathon Finish Line Festivities)
12:30pm David Pippin Group
1:30pm Charlie Hudgins
2:30pm Andrew Weaver Music
3:30pm Megan Moroney Music
4:30pm Bekah Marie & John Paul Barry Music
5:30pm Homegrown
Special thanks to our sponsors Scott Evans Nissan & Scott Evans Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep.
Free
Public Hearing: Mayor and Council Meeting Cancellation and Notice of Special Called Meeting
The City of Carrollton Mayor and Council regularly scheduled meeting for Monday, September 2, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. has been cancelled and rescheduled as a Special Called Meeting to be held on Monday, September 9, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Municipal Court Room/Council Chambers of the Public Safety Annex located at 115 West Center Street, Carrollton, GA.
The September 9, 2019 Agenda for will be posted to the City website by 5:00 p.m. on September 2, 2019.
Anyone requiring special needs should contact Faith Pullen at City Hall at 770-830-2000 or fpullen@carrollton-ga.gov within 3 business days prior to the meeting.