Storm Water Project at Threadmill Lake

On Friday, July 27, University of Georgia Masters in Landscape Architecture student Rachel Johnson met with Dalton Utilities Senior Vice President of Watershed Services, Mark Marlowe to discuss plans for the revitalization of Threadmill Lake. The dam sustaining Threadmill Lake, which is located within the Brookwood subdivision, was breached in 2004. The lake and dam need to be restored as a part of the proper management of stormwater in the City of Dalton. This stormwater management project is one of two legacy projects that Dalton Utilities inherited when the utility agreed to take over stormwater management responsibilities for the City of Dalton. As a part of the transfer of responsibility for stormwater management to Dalton Utilities, the City agreed to fund the necessary capital for this project and one other legacy project. Having the benefit of a Landscape Architect for preliminary planning of the project is keeping with Dalton Utilities’ goals of making stormwater infrastructure not only functional but aesthetically pleasing and useful to the public for recreation and an enhanced quality of life.

Rachel and Mark discuss the plans for Threadmill Lake.

At the meeting, Johnson and Marlowe discussed the possibility of creating a trail around Threadmill Lake that connects it to Lakeshore Park, Brookwood Park, Brookwood Elementary, and the Al Rollins Baseball Complex.  The two also discussed the feasibility of locating boardwalks, benches, and fishing piers along the lake.

Over the next several weeks, Johnson will make revisions to the proposal.  Those revisions will then be circulated and discussed locally.  Stay tuned for more information!

Future Plans for Lakeshore Park

On June 20, University of Georgia Masters in Landscape Architecture student Rachel Johnson met with citizens interested in the revitalization of Lakeshore Park in Dalton, Georgia.  Rachel’s visit was a follow-up to a charrette she and a fellow Archway student hosted in December under the direction of former City-County Planner Kevin Herritt. 

Rachel and the group look over December's charrette.

At the meeting, the group reviewed comments made by citizens about designs presented at the December 2011 charrette.  Rachel presented a concept board summarizing these comments and led a discussion about each element.  Key concepts discussed included: expanding the community garden area; adding six more tennis courts to the park; creating an area for multi-sport play; relocating and enlarging the existing children’s’ play area; creating a picnic pavilion; re-turfing and adding lighting to the track; and improving the existing lake and wetland area.



Rachel and Mike Brown from the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department discuss plans for Lakeshore Park.

Rachel will incorporate the citizens’ comments and concerns into an updated visual concept that she will share with group leaders.  Once the plan is finalized, community members will present the plan with cost estimates to elected leadership.

Rachel and Professor John Lugthart from Dalton State College pose for a photo.

You can view the progress of the plan at the following links:

Lakeshore Park Designs Presented in December 2011

Summary of Comments from Lakeshore Park Charrette

Lakeshore Park Design Discussed at 7-20-12 PlanningMeeting

Archway On Greater Dalton Today TV Show

On Tuesday, July 24, Rick Hooper, John Schwenn, Pam Partain and Brian Cooksey joined Brian Anderson on the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce TV show. On the show the topic of interest was the Archway Partnership and its progress in the Dalton-Whitfield community.  Each guest discussed initiatives and accomplishments Archway has made throughout this past year. To watch this episode of the Greater Dalton Today TV Show focused on Archway please view this link http://www.wdnntv.com/?page_id=5850

Brian Anderson, Rick Hooper and John Schwenn before the show.

Archway Hosts Successful Community Literacy Celebration

On Thursday, July 19^th, the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership hosted a fun festival at the Gaston Community Center to celebrate community leaders’ recent commitment to literacy.  Over 2,000 members of the Dalton-Whitfield community participated in the event, which was planned by Archway Partnership volunteer Pam Partain and many other dedicated volunteers.  The Archway Partnership’s  goal was to ignite a passion for reading within the community.


The crowd enjoying the festivities of the Community Literacy Celebration.

At the event, the new “Readers to Leaders” logo that will mark future literacy efforts was unveiled on t-shirts provided by Mohawk Industries. 

The new Readers to Leaders logo.

There were many activities for children to participate in at the Readers to Leaders event. There were reading corners which were packed with children of all ages enjoying the fun variety of books being read. Inflatables were also an enjoyable activity for all who participated.

A volunteer reads to the eager children at the Readers to Leaders Celebration. 

Craft tables were set up where children could make their own bookmarks and hand fans. After every craft, participants were rewarded with colorful stickers, pencils, and “I love to read” wristbands.

A young Readers to Leaders participant making her own bookmark.

The event featured healthy snacks and refreshments. There were also information booths along every side of the Community Center’s lobby. These booths were set up to inform community residents of many of the literacy opportunities that Dalton-Whitfield has to offer. The Northwest Georgia Regional Library and Big Red Reads gave away free books to everyone.

Two children enjoying the books they recieved at the Readers to Leaders Celebration.

Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers, Archway’s Community Literacy Celebration was a huge success.  For more on this event please view the Dalton Daily Citizen’s Article at http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x333949603/Community-comes-out-in-force-to-support-reading

Special thanks to the many organizations and volunteers that made the event possible:

UGA Environment and Design Students Present Research on Prater’s Mill

On Monday, July 9^th, University of Georgia Environment and Design students Nick Patrick, David Lucey, Drew Cutright, and Rachel Johnson presented their research on Prater’s Mill to the Whitfield County Commissioners, the Prater’s Mill Foundation, and other interested residents. The students' goal was to encourage the recreational use of Prater’s Mill while still maintaining the site's historical integrity. Nick Patrick began the presentation by explaining the history and background of Prater’s Mill.  He then described some maintenance issues and concerns, which are extensively addressed in the historic structures report he has prepared over the past several months.


UGA students from left to right: Drew Cutright, David Lucey, Nick Patrick and Rachel Johnson

David Lucey and Drew Cutright proceeded to share potential recreational uses of Prater’s Mill and how to attract members of the public to the site. The team had several great ideas on how to expand the site's activities and still keep its historical essence. One of the ideas included a do it yourself interpretive trail. This allows people to hike/bike the trails at Prater’s Mill while also learning about the site's historical background. Some profit-making ideas included repurposing the country store into a café with a playground attached, providing put-ins and rentals so that people can kayak or tube down the portion of the Conasauga River that runs through the property, and planting fruit plants and producing and selling jellies and jams.              
The Whitfield County Commissioners and the Prater's Mill Foundation will consider the students' work over the next several months and will work with the University of Georgia to determine next steps.  


Representatives from Prater's Mill and students pose for a photo.

For more information view the Dalton Daily Citizen’s article at: http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x694485578/Student-researchers-suggest-renovations-country-store-for-Prater-s-Mill
You can also check out the following editorial:

http://daltondailycitizen.com/opinion/x333934442/Prater-s-Mill-plan-deserves-attention



Celebration of Community Literacy Scheduled Thursday at Community Center

DALTON–(July 11)–Book lovers young and old are invited to come out to celebrate community literacy at  the Gaston Community Center Thursday, June 19, from 4 to 6 pm.

The Celebration of Community Literacy is a kickoff event for Readers to Leaders (R2L), a community initiative adopted by the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership to support, encourage, and nurture early literacy among Dalton and Whitfield County students.

 Against the festive backdrop of fun, inflatables, and food, reading will take center stage. There will be cozy reading circles for children of all ages where stories will be read by community volunteers and where children can also choose to read to themselves or aloud to appreciative listeners, said Pam Partain, an Archway Partnership volunteer and event organizer.

Reading-related craft activities will allow children to create their own bookmarks and illustrate books they’ve read on personal hand fans. The Dalton-Whitfield Public Library will have applications available for participants to register for library cards, and every child will leave with a book.

 “We know the benefits of early literacy are many – not only to the individual, but to our whole community,” said Partain. “We want Dalton and Whitfield County to be a community that encourages and celebrates reading.

 “The Gaston Community Center is the ideal venue for this Celebration because it was designed and constructed to support early growth and development in children so they can be optimally prepared for success in school and in life, “ Partain said. As a special treat, Celebration participants will have exclusive use of the Community Center’s new splash pad from 6 to 7 pm Thursday evening following the event.

 It is well documented that students who master reading early are well prepared for the tougher content areas of science, math, and social studies, Partain said. Reading proficiency develops critical thinking, analysis, information processing, and problem solving abilities – skills that will help students throughout their school careers. Early readers are more likely to graduate high school and be better prepared for college and the information and technology-driven jobs of the 21^st century workplace.

 The community benefits in multiple ways, Partain continued. “It’s good for workforce development. The more students we get through school with a good education, the richer the pipeline of qualified individuals available for our local employers. Those educated workers will qualify for better paying jobs; higher wage-earners will pump more dollars back into the local economy.

“Industry prospects are attracted to communities that value education and the quality of our school systems will be scrutinized by companies and families considering locating in our area,” she continued. Even crime rates could go down, she said, noting that criminal activity often draws those who have few other options.  

 “Our school systems, with the backing of our city and county governments and local business and civic leaders, have taken the bold move of doing what it takes to ensure that all children in our public schools systems are proficient readers at an early age,” said Partain. “This gives them the best chance of staying on track in school, graduating high school, going to college and getting the education they need to be successful in work and in life. We support that and will celebrate that Thursday afternoon from 4 to 6 pm at the Gaston Community Center. We invite everyone to join us.”

 Sponsors for the Celebration include Archway Partnership, City of Dalton, Dalton Public Schools, Dalton State College, Whitfield Family Connection, Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Dalton-Whitfield, Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries, United Way of Northwest Georgia, Whitfield County Schools, Whitfield County, and Young Professionals of Northwest Georgia.

 Anyone wishing to volunteer to be a reader is welcome to register at www.volunteernwga.org; sign up for Literacy Celebration.

UGA Seeks To Hire Local Food and Nutrition Expert

Last year our Prenatal to Pre-K work group identified nutrition and its impact on early brain development as a key issue facing our birth to age five population. During the spring of 2011, this work group determined that the community needed a way to educate low-income families with small children on how to live a healthy lifestyle within their price range. The University of Georgia’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) was persuaded by the work group’s eagerness to localize EFNEP in Whitfield County.

The program works by educating families with young children on how to make simple, nutritious meals for the same cost and time as running to a local fast food restaurant. Our goal is to vocalize the importance of nutritious meals for children and to improve their quality of life in the future. For more information about EFNEP you can visit http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/food/efnep.php

The University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension Service is currently working with our local WIC program to begin an EFNEP program in Whitfield County. UGA is currently seeking applicants for a local food and nutrition expert under the direction and leadership of the Whitfield County Extension Coordinator, the UGA EFNEP Coordinator, and the Northwest District Extension Director. For more information about this job and to apply you can visit https://www.ugajobsearch.com/applicants/jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp and the job posting number is 20121064.