Making a Splash

National Race Tour Comes to Lake Hartwell

The Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance announced a personal watercraft racing tour will roar onto Lake Hartwell August 13-15, 2010. The big Oaks Recreation Area in Georgia will host the Toyota Upstate Watercraft Promotions-International Jet Sport Boating Association (UWP-IJSBA) Tour, one of the nation’s leading personal watercraft racing circuits.
"The event will feature top U.S. and international racers doing battle against one another while negotiating buoys, obstacles and pounding waves at speeds up to 80MPH on the ½ - ¾ mile course," said A.J. Handler, Director of Upstate Watercraft Promotions. He added "this is like motocross on water, closed course racing is handle bar-to handle bar. The course is designed to keep competition tight and fans close to the action."

The event will also feature a freestyle segment "which highlights the acrobatical abilities of the highly specialized athletes and their watercraft. Freestyle features two minute routines in an Olympic-style format in front of a panel of judges. Competitors choreographed tricks are performed to music," said Handler.

"In addition to racing for professional riders, local competitors who have little or no racing experience will also have the chance to compete on the same course," said Handler. The Toyota UVVP-IJSBA Tour consists of six racing weekends. Races are scheduled in Florida, New York (two weekends), Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Racers accumulate points to qualify for the International Jet Sports Boating Association’s World Finals in Lake Havasu, Arizona.
Besides the action on the water, "a beach volleyball tournament is planned during the race weekend, along with vendors, food & drink and an education area on personal watercraft. Admission to the races and other events will be free," said Kathy Benson of the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau, Co-Chair of the planning committee.

The Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance is comprised of 150 tourism professionals and businesses with an interest in the lake. All live or work in the six countries surrounding Lake Hartwell: Anderson, Oconee & Pickens in South Carolina and Hart, Franklin and Stephens in Georgia. "The alliance’s goal is to market the lake and its surrounding region as one destination, disregarding county and state boundaries," said Bill Griggs of docks South, Co-Chair of the planning committee for the event. For more information or for sponsorship call Main Street Toccoa at 706-282-3269.

Celebrating National Train Day in Toccoa

By Sharon Crosby

For those who love trains, 6:15 a.m. is not too early to come to a celebration of trains! On May 8 close to 100 train enthusiasts attended Toccoa’s 2nd annual National Train Day at the historic train depot. The crowd cheered as the Amtrak train pulled into the station surprising the conductor and the riders at such a hearty welcome so early in the morning.

Mayor Bob Troup and his wife Betty as well as Sharon Crosby, Special Events Coordinator boarded the train to Gainesville and handed out information packets about Toccoa to those on the train.

Drawings were held for free round-trip tickets to Atlanta (donated by Amtrak and won by Knox Holcomb) and a $500 Amtrak voucher (donated by AM 630 WNEG and won by Kevin Avrett).
A framed commemorative Crescent poster (won by Chris Freshour) and a special Amtrak tote bag (won by Annette Boswell) were also given away as part of the event.

Mayor Bob Troup said, “The turn out was fantastic! This is a great event for Toccoa.”

One of this year’s guests was a WWII veteran, Jessie Sisk, who drove from Royston to participate in the event. During the war he would take the train from Toccoa to New Orleans, then transfer, continuing thru Texas on to California, transfer again and finally end up in San Francisco. He had many fond memories of his train trips.

"We want to thank Amtrak, Ionosphere Travel Agency, and AM 630 WNEG Radio for their event sponsorship," said Special Events Coordinator Sharon Crosby. "And we also want to thank every one who came out to help welcome the train. We are already looking forward to next year’s event."

To view a video of the event, go to www.mainstreettoccoa.com/events.

Amtrak tickets can be purchased online or locally by visiting Ionosphere Travel Agency in Historic Downtown Toccoa (706.886.9471).

Celebration of Fireworks Over Toccoa planned for March 30

Fireworks Over Toccoa author Jeffrey Stepakoff records audio for a podcast sponsored by AM 630 WNEG Radio and Main Street Toccoa. The podcast will feature eight stops that inspired Stepakoff in downtown Toccoa.

Toccoa will be celebrating the nation-wide release of Fireworks Over Toccoa at several events, starting in the early morning hour of March 30 and ending with a fireworks show at Toccoa Elementary in the evening.

Early birds will able to purchase the first copies of the novel at [ash-lings] Booksellers on Doyle Street in historic downtown Toccoa. The bookstore will open at 11:00 p.m. on March 29 and close at 1 a.m. on March 30. [ash-lings] will have Mexican Coke-a-Cola on hand, and author Jeffrey Stepakoff will be signing books.

From 7 to 9 a.m. Stepakoff will be conducting interviews via Skype at the Rebel Café. He will then meet with the Friends of the Library and the Toccoa Woman’s Literary Club at Simmons-Bond Inn at 9:30 a.m.

During lunch, Stepakoff will be signing books at the Currahee Military Museum (pre-ordered books can be picked up as early as 9 a.m.). Hot dogs, chips and drinks from Sosobee’s Hotdogs will be available for $5.00 from 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Vintage Vocals will be singing.
At 2 p.m., Stepakoff will be signing books at Troup’s Studio and Gold Crown Hallmark on Doyle Street. At 3:30, he’ll be at AM 630 WNEG Radio to officially release the podcast detailing his thoughts on downtown Toccoa as it relates to the novel.

During supper, Stepakoff will be at the Cornerstone Restaurant on Doyle Street. Tickets are $15 each and should be purchased in advance at the restaurant. Supper includes salad, entrée, and beverage. Call 706.282.7771 for more information. Vintage Vocals will provide entertainment.
At 7:30 p.m. come to Toccoa Elementary to see the fireworks show.

The program will be held in the back upper parking lot of Toccoa Elementary School (outside the school cafeteria). The Toccoa Falls College Jazz Band and the Vintage Vocals will perform. Mayor Bob Troup and Stepakoff will speak. Fireworks will begin at dusk. Pawnee Street will be closed to traffic from Short to North Pond Streets. Parking will be available on Savannah, Tugalo, and Pond Streets from Toccoa Elementary School to Tugalo Street.

For more information, visit www.MainStreetToccoa.com/fireworks or call 706.282.3309.

Main Street Toccoa awarded $25,787 Grant

Doyle Street will be greener and more pedestrian friendly in a few months, thanks to a grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission.

A $25,787 grant was awarded to Main Street Toccoa to replant and maintain the heritage dogwood trees that line Doyle Street. The Toccoa Woman’s Club originally planted the dogwoods some 40 years ago.

Georgia Forestry Commission Representative Gary White will make the announcement at the Main Street Toccoa Arbor Day celebration at Pruitt Park on February 19, at 4 p.m.

The funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through a Georgia Forestry Commission program entitled “Tree Planting for Ecosystem Restoration and Green Jobs: Georgia’s Growing Green Jobs.”

The project will expand Main Street Toccoa’s urban forest of some 200 trees in downtown Toccoa to include the popular walking areas that lead to downtown shopping and dining destinations.

Main Street Toccoa’s application, “A Walk in the Shade: Creating Green Jobs in Toccoa” was awarded full funding and will enable the City of Toccoa to plant and maintain 59 dogwoods and 12 trident maples along Doyle Street, a portion of Boulevard Street, and a portion of Tugalo Street.

“This project will provide shaded sidewalks for the people who walk along Doyle Street,” said Toccoa’s Community Planning and Downtown Development Director Connie Tabor. “The trees will encourage more people who work downtown or live in the area to walk to and around downtown on their lunch breaks as well as before and after work, and increasing pedestrian traffic will boost sales in our Main Street district.”

No matching funds were required for the grant, however Main Street Toccoa will set aside some funding to keep the plants watered and maintained until they are self sustaining.

Work on the project is expected to begin in the fall.

Beautiful in the Snow, Toccoa