Steve

The Forrest Wood Cup is the "Super Bowl of Fishing" and its coming to Lake Lanier in August.

This will be the largest event held in the Lake Lanier area since the 1996 Olympics. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected with the winning fisherman receiving a $1 million prize.

The tournament will be held at Laurel Park on the north side of Gainesville from August 5th through August 8th. The Forrest Wood Cup has just announced more details of the competition including the location and the weigh-ins and then family entertainment that will accompany the event.

What You Need to Know

• Prize money: $2.5 million
• Sponsors: BP and Castrol
• Dates: Aug. 5-8, 2010
• TV: Broadcast to 81 million Fox Sports Net subscribers

Location of Forrest Wood Cup Tournament

Laurel Park
3100 Old Cleveland Highway
Gainesville GA 30501
Phone: 770.535.8280

Registration Dates and Times

August 4, 2010 1:00 p.m. ET - 2:30 p.m. ET
Pretournament Meeting: 6:00 p.m. ET

Registration Location

Gwinnett Convention Center
6400 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth GA 30097
Phone: 770.813.7500

Additional Information

Takeoff Ceremonies: Daily 6:30-7:00 a.m.
Takeoff: Daily at 7:00 a.m.
Check-In: Daily at 3:20 p.m.
Days 1-4 Weigh-in: 5:00 p.m., Gwinnett Center Arena

Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show

Days 1-4 Gwinnett Convention Center
6400 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, GA 30097
Phone: 800.224.6422
www.gwinnettcenter.com

Congrats Ward Schanhals from Michigan for the new Lake Lanier Striper Record.

Thanks to Ken Sturdivant for the photos:

Congratulations to our sponsor and local fishing guide Shane:

On January 12, 2010,  Lake Lanier fishing guide Shane Watson was inducted into The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame for the year 2010 as a Legendary Guide.

This is a prestigious honor as only 56 people have been recognized as a Legendary Guide since 1992.

There are only 2 to 3 people inducted each year worldwide. Inductees are selected by a national committee of peers including Legendary Fisherman Forrest Wood. Inductees are selected for their contribution, dedication, and service to the freshwater sport fishing industry.

A statement from the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame reads, by induction to the Hall, Shane Watson's pioneering spirit will always be remembered. The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame is located in Hayward, Wisconsin.

An interesting article in the Gainesville Times this weekend about vacation rentals on Lake Lanier.

Apparently dozens of homes in Hall County are being rented out "illegally". The county wants to charge a tax on rentals because they say that renters are technically hoteliers.

The plan is for renters to get a $116 annual business license and pay a 5% tax on rentals. In return the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau would be able to promote those rentals and drive more traffic.

What do you think? Is it time for vacation rentals on Lake Lanier to go official?

The Sweetest Little Car Show in Georgia!

2010 City of Sugar Hill
Volkswagen & Classic Car Show

Sponsored By the City of Sugar Hill
Held in conjunction with the Sugar Hill Fall Festival
Saturday, October 23rd - 11am to 4pm
Location, E.E. Robinson Park
850 Level Creek Rd - Sugar Hill GA 30518
Top Parking Lot, Main Entrance

Please Note, there will be 2 separate Car Show Competitions, Classic Cars (all makes and models) and the VW competition (all models). Over 40 trophies will be given out! Prize $ For Best in Show! $20.00 contestant fee and registration begins at 9am 10/23 Awards at 3:30pm! Classic Car and VW Trivia Competitions!!! LARGE TROPHIES and Prizes Awarded!

Come One Come All to a “True Fun For the Whole Family” Car Show! Kenny Stephens will be the judge for the Classic Car Show competition. There will be over 12 Food Vendors, Tons of Craft Vendors, Huge Kids Play Area and Music! If you want your car to be seen, this is a DO NOT MISS event!! Over 7500 attendees are expected to walk through this year’s Car Show!

For information on the Classic Car Show, please contact Steve Soucie at 770-967-2934 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For information on the VW Car Show, please contact Billy Fry at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

7TH Annual Flowery Branch Classic Car Show and Chili Cook-Off
A CASI Sanctioned Chili Cook Off
PLUS
The 3rd Annual “Bugs at the Branch VW Car Show
September 18, 2010
10am to 4pm
Main St. Flowery Branch, GA

The historic City of Flowery Branch is once again hosting the ever popular car show and chili cook off. This year promises to be even larger! Contestants will via for trophies, prize money and bragging rights.

The beautiful site for this event is newly renovated Main St Flowery Branch GA, minutes away from scenic Lake Lanier, Mall of Georgia, Lake Lanier Islands and numerous camping areas.

PLEASE NOTE AT THIS EVENT THERE ARE 2 CAR SHOWS, CLASSIC AND VW
($20 Contestant fee) AND 3 CHILI COMPETITIONS, CASI ($20 contestant fee) AND OPEN CLASS ADULT DIVISION ($0 contestant fee) AND OPEN CLASS JUNIOR DIVISION ($0 contestant fee)

Activities will include, music, crafts, vendor area, local merchants, food court, fun for the kids, swap meet, parts vendors, chili tasting and cool car viewing. FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!!

OVER 70 TROPHIES WILL BE AWARDED!!!

• $100 AWARDED TO BEST IN SHOW CLASSIC CAR COMPETITION!!!
• $100 AWARDED TO BEST IN SHOW VW COMPETITION!!!
• $100 AWARDED FOR BEST TASTING CHILI, OPEN CLASS COMPETITION!!!
• $50 AWARDED FOR BEST TASTING CHILI, OPEN CLASS COMPETITION, JUNIOR DIVISION!!!

Please visit the City of Flowery Branch’s website for information and rules for the chili competition, www.flowerybranchga.org

COME ONE COME ALL TO THE BIGGEST LITTLE CAR SHOW AND CHILI CONTEST IN GEORGIA!!

For vendor and sponsorship opportunities please contact Charlotte Cornett at 678-698-1387 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For information related to the Classic Car Show and Chili Cook Offs, please contact Steve Soucie at 770-967-2934 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For information related to the VW Car Show please contact Billie Fry at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Make checks payable to: “The City of Flowery Branch”, mail to 5124 Railroad Ave Flowery Branch GA 30542, Attn: Charlotte Cornett

Forsyth County Commissioner Patrick Bell is holding a town hall meeting Monday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m.to discuss the future of the Bethel Park.

The main topic will be the county's ongoing litigation with the Army Corps of Engineers and the YMCA.  The three groups are disputing will have the right to use and develop the park going forward.

The meeting will be held in the Commissioners Meeting Room (Suite 220) in the County Administration Building located at 110 E. Main Street in Cumming.

A local group called Save Bethel Park has been keen to keep the park in the county's hands. However, the Forsyth News says this might be the end of the road:

"Commissioner Patrick Bell wants to know if residents think Forsyth County should continue fighting for control of Bethel Park.

The lengthy legal battle will be the sole topic of a town hall meeting Monday night. Bell organized the session, which he said could be the last on the subject.

A federal court recently denied the county's request to stop development at the 62-acre park in northeastern Forsyth.

The Army Corps of Engineers has granted a lease to the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta, which plans to build a private camp and parking lot on two of the park's three peninsulas on Lake Lanier.

The county has until Jan. 23 to decide whether to appeal the court's decision, said Bell, who hopes a decision could come as early as Tuesday.

"We're getting to the point where we're going to lose any bargaining power that we have," he said."

During 2009 we covered all the complaints about the Corps of Engineers, but when evidence to the contrary came up, I like to think we gave it a fair hearing too.

Its time to do the same for our coverage of local tourism. Last week I wrote a fairly self-explanatory article about why Gainesville's marketing will continue to suck in 2010. 

Well, in contrast to Gainesville's tourism officials, the city's new mayor Ruth Bruner actually has some very smart proposals:

"As she took hold of the gavel Tuesday, Bruner outlined three initiatives that she would like to see the City Council push during her two-year term as mayor, including making Gainesville a regional tourism hub, encouraging developers to build condominiums and loft apartments in the top floors of downtown and midtown buildings and making the lake more accessible to the general public.

Bruner asked that the council spearhead a communitywide effort to stabilize and improve the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue."

Three wonderful ideas right there!

• Downtown Gainesville is dead and having more people live there would be a wonderful first step to  revival.
• Making the lake more accessible to the general public is a great idea. Newcomers to the area often seem to be shocked by how hard it is to get down to the lakefront and enjoy it.
• The Lake Lanier Olympic Venue is the most valuable public location on Lake Lanier. It's in disrepair now but continues to host the majority of large events on the lake. Lake Lanier lost the Head of the Hooch and its $4.3 million economic impact. There's also rumblings that Lanier's largest annual even the Dragon Boat Races will move. Repairing the Olympic Venue to attract and retain big events is a very smart way to spend money.

You're off to a good start Mayor Bruner.

Congrats to my friend Mitch Freeman. He is an art teacher at Gainesville Middle School but is increasingly recognized for his own art.

The Gainesville Times has a frontpage article this morning about his entry into a major London exhibit:

"The painted elephant sculpture to be showcased at a May art exhibition [is] billed as London’s biggest.

Freeman is one of seven Americans who joined artists and celebrities from around the globe in painting 200 fiber glass baby elephants to benefit elephant family, a nonprofit agency dedicated to enabling wild and captive Asian elephants to thrive within their natural habitats.

The Gainesville artist returned on Dec. 21 from a week of painting in London, and will travel to London again in May and July for the premiere and auction.

Mark Shand, brother of Camilla Parker Bowles, founded the Elephant Parade exhibition following his trip to India where he saw first-hand the plight of the endangered Asian elephant. Freeman said he is representing the U.S. in the exhibition alongside designers Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Isaac Mizrahi, Alberta Ferretti, photographer Bruce Weber and rocker Alice Cooper."

• January 1st 2009: 1053.41 feet above sea level
• December 31st 2009: 1070.95 feet above sea level
• Result: Lake Lanier rose 17.54 feet during 2009

I know a lot of us have had a rough time in 2009, but one thing has been indisputably wonderful ... our lake is back. A lot of local business and residents didn't dare dream that 2009 would be so positive. In a poor economy, that 17.54 feet is one big, bright ray of sunshine.

Happy New Year everyone!