Woodstock Notes

City of Woodstock urges all citizens and businesses to make or update a disaster plan during the month of September. As we continue to respond to COVID-19, there’s no time like the present to update your plan. You can find resources to help at Ready.gov. The Department of Homeland Security suggests weekly activities to do during this month, so that you are ready for whatever comes.

Recently, the City of Woodstock took steps forward by adopting its first citywide Sustainability Plan, a significant milestone on the community’s path to going green. For over a decade, Woodstock has pursued sustainability initiatives under the guidance of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities program, working up from achieving the Bronze certification level to maintaining Gold for years on end.

Now, City leadership has built upon these successes and lessons learned to create a unique plan that highlights the strengths and pride of our community.

The City of Woodstock is implementing new measures to provide financial assistance to businesses for 2021.

While temporary measures had earlier been implemented to assist in the short term during the COVID-19 response, this broader plan is intended to assist businesses meeting certain criteria through a longer recovery period. 

Assistant City Manager Coty Thigpen presented the plan to Woodstock City Council at the June 8 meeting.

The City of Woodstock staff invites residents to celebrate Family Health and Fitness Day Saturday, June 13, and discover how “Parks Build Healthy Communities.” Organized by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Family Health and Fitness Day promotes the importance of local parks and recreation in keeping communities healthy.

To celebrate, Woodstock Parks and Recreation encourages families to get active at outdoor recreational locations like Dupree Park or on trails like Towne Lake Pass.

National Travel and Tourism Week is May 3-9. Tourism is an integral part of Woodstock’s economy. Many of our businesses and thousands of our workers serve visitors to our city. Woodstock’s tourism industry includes transportation, lodging, recreation and entertainment, arts, retail, food and beverage, travel advisers, and destination marketers. The unprecedented public health crisis that began in March halted ground travel, putting our businesses and workers in a bind.

Visit Woodstock GA exists to promote business and leisure travel to visitors around the country and the world, and those visits fuel our local economy and job opportunities. The tourism industry businesses that contribute to our community, almost all of them small businesses, simply could not weather the storm on their own.

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine congressional representation and the amount of federal funding that flows into our community every year for the next decade. Census results also influence highway planning and construction.

In our local schools, census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start Program, school lunches, and grants that support teachers and special education.

During his recent State of the City Address, Mayor Donnie Henriques highlighted numerous outreach programs like Law Enforcement Explorers, Citizens’ Public Safety Academy, and Shop with a Hero. He congratulated Officer Shane Bonebrake on deploying a pink patrol car for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which gained national attention and over 1,600 signatures in tribute to survivors.

February is a great time to explore the outdoors. Woodstock has a wonderful network of trails that are used for recreation, fitness, and even commuting.

Through our partnership with Woodstock Elementary, the WellStar Community Health Trail provides a quarter mile asphalt walking surface in the grove of trees in front of the campus. The trail is open to the community outside of school hours.

Happy 2020! The parks in Woodstock are a great place to work toward your fitness-related New Year’s resolutions.

Dupree Park is located on Neese Road, just south of Arnold Mill Road. It features a large playground, a disc golf course, four tennis courts, a pickleball court, two basketball courts, one-quarter mile walking trail, one-third mile paved walking path with fitness stations, and a family mountain bike trail. Dupree Park also has a boardwalk and a floating dock, which are perfect for fishing in the beautiful pond.

Members of the local development community recently gathered to learn about current trends and projects relating to transportation in downtown Woodstock and the surrounding area.The event was hosted by City of Woodstock Community Development Department and the Council for Quality Growth, a not-for-profit trade association that works every day to ensure the metro Atlanta region’s regulatory environment supports quality growth and development.

City of Woodstock Police Department and Fire and Rescue have some tips to help keep your loved ones and your property safe in the coming months. Taking the time to think through possible hazardous scenarios related to holiday shopping and trimming the tree can make a big difference.In the weeks before Thanksgiving, replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and go over an emergency exit plan with your family.

The City of Woodstock mayor and council serve four-year terms with staggered elections. Staggered elections mean that the mayor and council seats for Wards 1, 3, and 5 are elected in one election cycle, and council seats for Wards 2, 4, and 6 are elected during the next election cycle. Municipal elections are held in odd-numbered years, two years apart.This year is the election cycle for Council Member David Potts, Ward 2; Council Member Tracy Collins, Ward 4; and Council Member Rob Usher, Ward 6. Each of their terms expire December 31, 2019.

Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a health and fitness fair Saturday, September 7, in conjunction with the September AMPED in the Park monthly fitness event at Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater. The fair will take place following the regularly scheduled hour-long AMPED in the Park workout that begins at 8:00am.The AMPED in the Park Fair goes until 1:00pm. There will be fitness demonstrations on the amphitheater stage and a variety of vendors, businesses, and organizations on-site to educate citizens about the wealth of fitness, health, and wellness options available in Woodstock. Health, fitness, and wellness businesses interested in participating should contact amphitheater manager Jamey Snyder. Healthful restaurants and makers of wellness products are also welcomed to participate.

The Woodstock Police Department, in partnership with other local public safety agencies, joins forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the 36th annual National Night Out to be held Tuesday, August 6, 2019, from 6:00-9:00pm in The Park at City Center (101 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock).National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime efforts, strengthen police and community partnerships, and send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are uniting to fight crime.

Woodstock’s journey to go green began in 2009 after receiving stimulus grants for demonstration projects such as the solar panel display at the City Chambers building and the installation of solar hot water heaters at Fire Station #10. These projects, along with adopting the first citywide Sustainability Policy, are among a laundry list of other measures completed by City staff that allowed Woodstock to earn the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities Certification at the bronze level in 2010 and gold in 2015.The Green Communities Program assists local governments with implementing measures that will reduce their environmental footprint not only within government buildings but throughout the entire city. The resulting successes, much like green energy, have generated their own momentum and created a cycle of expanding efforts and incentives.

As the City of Woodstock prepares for this year’s July 4th celebration, we’ve been looking back at our past Independence Day parades and traditions. Although the way we celebrate July 4th in the City of Woodstock may have changed from year to year, one thing remains the same: Woodstock always shows its down-home patriotic pride.Remember when skydivers used to land in the middle of Main Street just before the parade, or when residents enjoyed hot air balloon rides and go-cart races? How about past grand marshals, including Corky Jones, Don Hatcher, Earl and Linda Mulkey, Chester Reeve, and Lillie Mae Brownlee? Do you recall when the fireworks were displayed at Dupree Park, the old Woodstock Elementary School field, or downtown City Park?

The official July 4th tradition started in 1997 with the celebration of Woodstock’s 100th birthday. Since the city charter was granted in 1897, the Woodstock Centennial Commission planned a year-round 100th birthday celebration, including the building and dedication of Woodstock’s Centennial Park, now called The Park at City Center. In 2015, the event name changed to the City of Woodstock July 4th Spectacular.

Beginning this month, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) open burning ban will be in effect for 54 Georgia counties including Cherokee County. This ban has been in place during the summer ozone season since 2005.Citizens and businesses are prohibited from burning yard and land-clearing debris from May 1 through September 30. The open burning ban is in addition to the rule that prohibits the burning of household garbage, which is never allowed anywhere in Georgia.

Ground-level ozone, which is most commonly produced in the heat of the summer, can cause lung inflammation as well as other health problems. Open burning creates particle pollution, which consists of extremely small particles that can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Now that it is officially spring, we look to warmer days and outdoor fun. Downtown Woodstock has something to offer everyone. After dining at your favorite restaurant or shopping at your favorite store, head over to Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater (NHCA), located on the lower level of The Park at City Center, for an event with family and friends.Designed to be the home of the Woodstock Summer Concert Series, the NHCA hosts a concert every second Saturday evening, May through September. The venue welcomes more than 50,000 folks each year to the concert series, which is in its 22nd season.

The NHCA also offers other activities. “We built the amphitheater to house the summer concerts to be sure,” said City of Woodstock Director of Parks and Recreation Preston Pooser. “But we have tons of fun things going on out there all the time.”

The William G. Long Senior Center is a place where members expand their experiences and enjoy life through daily interactions, activities, special interest classes, and trips. By providing an inviting and comfortable environment for 630 members, the staff strives to make each senior feel welcome and at home every day.Members enjoy many fun weekly activities, especially line dancing, exercise classes, billiards, woodcarving, and various card and board games. An extensive library on site and two computer stations provide members with a place to read, research on the internet, and email friends and family.