New Pinckneyville Community Center has it all;
see for yourself at Aug. 17 ribbon-cutting
By Megan Kingsley
Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation
Special to GwinnettForum.com

AUG. 16, 2002 -- Interested in pottery? Aerobics? Karate?

Whatever sparks your interest, the new Pinckneyville Community Center has something for you!

Come see what the community center has to offer at the facility's ribbon cutting on Saturday, August 17. The ribbon cutting begins at 10 a.m. and will be followed by grand opening festivities until 4 p.m.

Enjoy an entire day of family fun with live music, storytelling, a puppet show, children's arts and crafts, an art exhibit, a live animal display, face painting, ice cream, and food!

The Crafties will entertain the little ones with sing-a-longs and other kid favorites from 11 a.m.-noon. Acoustic guitarist Keith Gehle will take the stage from noon-2 p.m. and the popular Irish band Nine Fingered Liam will perform from 2-3 p.m. The live entertainment will conclude with a puppet show by Curious Moon from 3-4 p.m.

In addition to these activities, several recreation class demonstrations - such as ballet, karate and pottery - will be held throughout the day.

Sharon Plunkett, director of Gwinnett Parks and Recreation, says: "We want to showcase what the Pinckneyville Community Center has to offer. The community center will be the hub of our cultural arts program but it will also offer a wide variety of other recreational classes. It will truly be a facility that benefits the entire community."

All Pinckneyville Arts Center programs have been relocated to the community center.
The Pinckneyville Community Center is Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation's third community center and the first in the western portion of the county. The 20,500 square-foot facility boasts a pottery studio, five classrooms, a dance/aerobics room, an outdoor classroom and a large community room.

The community center will host many types of recreational activities including summer camps, art classes, dance classes, aerobics, karate and more.

The Pinckneyville Community Center also will be available for private rentals. The 3,010 square-foot community room can accommodate up to 200 people seated and includes a catering kitchen. This room is ideal for wedding receptions, conferences and other large gatherings. The facility's five classrooms are perfect for smaller events like club meetings and birthday parties.

The $2.5 million community center was funded by the voter-approved 1997 SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) and the county's general fund. The center is located at 4650 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Norcross and is linked to the Pinckneyville Soccer Complex by a trail. Overflow parking will be available at the soccer complex for the Ribbon Cutting on August 17.

For more information on the ribbon cutting or programs offered at the Pinckneyville Community Center, call (770) 417-2200.

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GWINNETT FRIEND. Rep. Johnny Isakson (right) of this Sixth District, which until December is part of Gwinnett, talks to Keith Mason of Duluth at a reception on Tuesday at the 1818 Club. Isakson, who will no longer officially represent Gwinnett in Congress next year, said: "You lose me only if you choose to lose me. I will always work for Gwinnett in the Congress."

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