Fall is definitely in the air, with cooler temperatures and turning leaves in evidence over the past week. Likewise, the Big Red Apple Festival, another local hallmark of Autumn, is set to get underway at 10 a.m. this coming Saturday, Oct. 11.
As of midweek, evidence of the ongoing water line replacement project that has disrupted traffic patterns and torn up sidewalks in downtown Cornelia for the past several months is still apparent, with areas of torn-up blacktop and bright orange traffic cones still re-directing traffic in areas.
That situation will be rectified in time for Saturday’s festival, assures city manager Donald Anderson.
“We met with our contractors this morning to go over what they had left and they assured me that all of the sidewalks will be in,” he says. “The only thing that won’t be done is on one street, Chattahoochee Street.”
Logistics and timing of the replacement of a fire hydrant at that location has required postponing completion of that section of work, Anderson explains.
“They are going to have it (Chattahoochee Street entrance) safely passable with gravel and marked with cones,” he says. “The rest of the sidewalks will be done, we’re assured.”
The work is part of the city’s Community Development Block Grant Water Line Replacement Program and is funded through Georgia’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Cornelia was awarded the $500,000 2014 grant for water improvements that include the replacement of undersized water mains for fire protection in the designated “target area.” According to the CDBG program, the project will serve 260 persons, of whom 230 are low- to moderate-income. $123,669 in match and leverage funds were required from the city as a part of the grant agreement.
The City of Cornelia has applied for, and received, a CDBG for water line replacement for more than three consecutive years, with grants totaling in excess of $1.5 million in grant funds and $500,000 in SPLOST funds. Once the project is complete, city officials expect to have replaced $2 million in water lines.
The Big Red Apple Festival, an annual Cornelia celebration, will kick off early Saturday morning with the Big Red Apple Festival 5K & Fun Run. Registration begins at 7 a.m., with the Fun Run/Walk beginning at 8 a.m. and the 5K beginning at 8:30 a.m. The Walk A Mile In Her Shoes walk to bring attention to domestic violence begins at 10 a.m., with registration at 9 a.m.
Core festival activities will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and include a book sale at the Cornelia Public Library, hayrides to, and tours of the Chenocetah Fire Tower, vendors and children’s’ activities, a soap box derby, a car show and more.
Entertainment will be provided by several area bands with headline act, The Chase Thomas Band, performing from noon until 2 p.m. Supporting acts include 14 Roots (10 a.m.), The Regulars Band (11 a.m.), Breathing Kansas (2 p.m.), and Paul Hunter (3 p.m.)
Weather on Saturday is expected to be warm, with a chance of some rain and possible intermittent thunderstorms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather forecast calls for a chance of showers before 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., then a chance of showers after 4 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
