Arts & Entertainment

Towne Lake's Guide to Having Fun

by Susan Kyle

Sleigh bells ring are you listening, in the lanes snow is glistening . . . the holiday spirit in Towne Lake is full of good cheer this year and here are some of many entertainment options you may join to bring smiles to your family and friends.

Each year the Cherokee County Public Libraries have activities in which the the community can participate: Rose Creek Library will host the Festival of Stockings; the Woodstock Library will have the Festival of Wreaths and R.T. Jones will host the Festival of Trees.

Only in Canton will the performance of "Frankly Sinatra" be available. This special performance was specifically written for the Canton Theatre, which includes over 71 of "Ole Blue Eyes" songs. The musical, playing through December 12, will feature several holiday songs familiar to all of us. Tickets are $18.50 per person. A special ticket price is available on Thursdays and Sundays when tickets can be purchased at the price of two for one. For additional information, call (770) 704-0755.

Mountain View United Methodist Church invites the public to their 10th Anniversary of the "Bethlehem Walk 2001." Take a trip back in time, over 2,000 years ago, and see sights and sounds of the City of Bethlehem, in Judea, on the night Jesus Christ was born. The church has created a total city - from shops, townspeople, tax collectors and Roman soldiers — all going about their business unaware of the miracle taking place just outside the city. There are 40 shops available including an apothecary, bakery, herb shop, fabric shop, fruit shop, etc. The walk concludes at a Nativity scene with Mary and Joseph, wise men, an angel and shepherds with live animals. Large groups should call in advance for reservations. Admission is free and the walk will be open from 7 — 9 p.m., Saturday December 1, through Monday December 3. For more information, call (770) 928-0050.

Etowah High School Chorus, Drama, Band and Visual Arts will host a Renaissance Christmas Madrigal Dinner/Theater on Saturday, December 8. This performance will be held in the school cafeteria, which will be transformed into a 17th Century manor. The dinner will feature foods prepared during this period such as boar's head and wassail. On December 7, family members will be able to attend a "dress rehearsal." For more information, contact Jeff Bennett (770) 926-4411.

"Four Tickets to Christmas" is a Christmas musical drama set in 1905 America and will be presented by the Chancel Choir of Hillside United Methodist Church on December 6, 7, and 8. The program begins each evening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased through the Music Ministry Department of the church. A limited number of tickets will be available the night of each show; advance purchase is recommended. For more information or to order tickets, call (770) 924-4777.

Groups from The Woodstock Middle School Chorus will be singing for the residents of The Woodstock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on December 11, at 7 p.m. and for the residents of The Oaks of Woodstock on December 18, at 7 p.m.

The combined choruses of Woodstock High and Woodstock Middle Schools will be presenting a Holiday Concert on December 13, at 7 p.m. in the WHS/WMS auditorium. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Are You Ready for a Family Entertainment Center in Towne Lake?

Rezoning for the land behind Woodstock High School to build a Family Entertainment Center has been tabled for 30 days and a Towne Hall Meeting has been scheduled for December 11. The County Board of Commissioners is once again faced with a decision about rezoning, but that's their main function right?

Would a Family Entertainment Center be a good idea for the Towne Lake area? You can voice your opinion regarding this issue on December 11 by attending a Towne Hall Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Hillside United Methodist Church on Towne Lake Parkway with Larry Singleton. "The topics for this meeting will be the proposed Family Entertainment Center; the Northern ARC; and anything else the residents of Towne Lake bring up for discussion," said Singleton.

There are two sides to every story . . .

When asked for his comments regarding the proposed Family Entertainment Center, Dan Samples, Towne Lake Hills South Homeowners' Association President, said "The most significant concern we hear time and again is that of safety. Towne Lake Hills South Drive is, at certain times, the most dangerous road in Cherokee County. The last traffic study on this road yielded AVERAGE daily speeds well above the posted 30 mph speed limit. Without a doubt, the effort to change this piece of land from PUD (3.38 acres) and R40 (about 7.32 acres) zoning to what the application refers to as neighborhood commercial constitutes spot zoning. Placing the commercial establishment at this location would literally be a commercial zoning in the middle of residential properties." Samples further stated that, "Towne Lake Hills South proudly shoulders a significant amount of adolescent related issues in having the schools here. We knew this would be here when we bought our homes. This is a community necessity and indeed our own children attend these schools. We do not wish, however, to have an establishment that will increase the number of traffic incidents and accidents on Towne Lake Hills South Drive."

Mike Stone, developer for the Towne Lake Family Entertainment Center, feels that there is a real need here in the Towne Lake area for a family entertainment center. "I feel that a lot of problems with society today is that families don't spend time as a family. We feel that developing this type of project on the property will allow us to preserve the maximum amount of the natural habitat by being able to work around a good portion of the existing trees. This project would also keep tax dollars in Cherokee County... our plans do include working closely with local youth groups and providing a controlled form of entertainment for them. As I have stated before, this would not, and we will not let this center become a hang out for bad apples, it will be 100% family oriented."

New Woodstock Library Coming Soon

The Sequoyah Regional Library System Administration has announced plans for the construction of a new public library in the City of Woodstock. The new library will replace the current facility on North Main Street in Woodstock.

Library officials agreed recently to go ahead with plans for a 20,000 square foot facility to be built on 8.22 acres of donated land. The land is between the existing library and the South Annex in the northern part of the City of Woodstock. The Woodstock Library is the oldest facility in the Sequoyah Regional Library System. Lack of parking, meeting room space, seating and shelving for collections all contributed to the decision to build a new facility.

The current library is 10,000 square feet and the new library will be twice that size. The new library will be a 21st century library with modern technology. Patrons may expect to see self check circulation terminals and other services designed to provide an optimum library visit.

Usage of the Woodstock Library is at an all-time high. Not only are patrons visiting the library for reading and study needs, but also for programs and special events. Woodstock is one of the fastest growing areas in Cherokee County. "The phenomenal population growth in the county has resulted in overcrowded libraries," said Development Director Nick Fogarty.