CED Grad Presents to Archway Executive Committee

On Wednesday, September 5, UGA Masters of Landscape Architecture graduate Rachel Johnson presented her finalized renderings of Lakeshore Park and Threadmill Lake to the Archway Partnership Executive Committee.  Rachel’s presentation to the Executive Committee reflected almost a year’s worth of collaboration between UGA College of Environment and Design (CED) students and community partners as they worked to make these properties more accessible and enjoyable to the public.  In addition to the requested work on the projects, Rachel demonstrated how a trail system could be implemented linking several local parks and green spaces, including Brookwood Park, Threadmill Lake, Lakeshore Park, and Al Rollins Park.  Rachel also highlighted ways to connect to Brookwood Elementary, a neighboring school that can benefit from the improvements.

The Executive Committee was very interested in the projects both from a community amenity standpoint and from a storm water infrastructure perspective.  Over the next month, the committee will explore implementation logistics and feasibility with community partners. 

For press coverage of the Lakeshore Park project, view the links below:

http://archwaypartnership.uga.edu/news/whitfield-news/archway-plan-could-make-lakeshore-park-an-outdoor-classroom/

http://archwaypartnership.uga.edu/news/whitfield-news/lakeshore-park-plans-look-good/

Dalton-Whitfield Convenes Task Force to Explore Arts & Culture Opportunities

On Wednesday, August 29, Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership Executive Committee member Linda Blackman convened local stakeholders to discuss the possibility of forming an Arts and Culture Council Task Force.  Linda called the meeting at the behest of the Archway Partnership Executive Committee following a presentation by UGA Masters in Public Administration student Megan Miller about successful arts and culture councils.  Megan’s research revealed that most successful organizations focus on using arts and culture as an economic development tool.  Megan urged the Executive Committee to consider forming a task force to explore the need for, goals of, and the sustainability of an arts and culture council more closely.

The group listens intently about the possibility of forming an Arts and Culture Council Task Force.

Linda invited Megan Miller to the meeting to share her research with this small team.  Following Megan’s presentation, participants discussed some of the ideas in the presentation and agreed unanimously that they are dedicated to the arts and culture in this community and that arts are underutilized as an economic development tool.  The group agreed to reconvene in the next two to three weeks to further discuss how arts and culture can have a game-changer impact on the Dalton-Whitfield community with the help of the University of Georgia.  

Megan Miller presents her research.

 

Megan Miller is currently exploring the economic impacts that different art activities have on their communities which will be a very helpful resource to this task force.

Researchers from UGA Explore Parent Engagement Opportunities

In 2010 and 2011, the K-12 Issue Work Group identified disconnected families as a major hurdle to education progress in the Dalton-Whitfield community.  The group discussed the need to reconsider the role of the family in education as education evolves and family compositions change, and stated that it was “no longer appropriate for the family to simply drop their child off at the school house door.”

Members of Dalton Public Schools and Whitfield County Schools discuss the literacy initiative.

As a result of those discussions and evolving work in the field of literacy in the community, the Archway Partnership brought UGA College of Education faculty Dr. JoBeth Allen and Ph.D. student Roberta Gardner to the Dalton-Whitfield community.  Dr. Allen is a professor of language and literacy education with extensive experience and publications in family and parent engagement.  Ms. Gardner is a former early learning librarian pursing her advanced degree in the Department of Language and Literacy Education. 

Over the next several months, Dr. Allen and Ms. Gardner will work with the Dalton-Whitfield education systems to determine high impact ways to bolster student success with parent engagement in a limited-resource environment.  Dr. Allen and Ms. Gardner kicked off their work on August 27-28, when Dalton Public Schools and Whitfield County Schools provided them with tours of the existing literacy program and interviews and panels with many engaged in public outreach and parent engagement work within the school systems.  The school districts also jointly hosted the UGA researchers on a community bus tour so they could get a feel for the neighborhoods in which many students live.

Dalton Public Schools superintendent Jim Hawkins (left), UGA College of Education faculty Dr. JoBeth Allen (center), and Ph.D. student Roberta Gardner (right).

 

Dr. Allen and Ms. Gardner will continue to collaborate with education and community members to refine the scope of their work.  They plan to return to Dalton on October 23 to work with school personnel at a Leadership Academy co-hosted by the school systems. 

Following their August visit, Dr. Allen wrote a letter to the editor of the Dalton Daily Citizen that can be viewed at the following link:  http://archwaypartnership.uga.edu/news/whitfield-news/letter-congratulations-offered-for-schools%e2%80%99-literacy-instruction/.

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: