Local families will have more options for celebrating July 4th at Lake Lanier as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just reopened seven additional parks through partnerships with Forsyth and Hall counties.
🏞️ Why It Matters: These reopenings give residents more choices for holiday fun at one of Georgia’s most popular recreation spots, bringing the total to 64 accessible parks around the lake just in time for the busiest weekend of the summer.
🤝 The Partnerships: The Army Corps signed one-year agreements with local governments to keep these parks running when they might otherwise have remained closed.
“We share a common goal of providing quality recreational opportunities to the public, and this partnership makes that possible,” said Tim Rainey, Lake Lanier Project Manager.
• Forsyth County will manage Keith’s Bridge, Long Hollow, and Two-Mile Creek parks
• Hall County takes over Little River, Robinson, and Mountain View parks
🗓️ Special Opening: Burton Mill Park will open just for the holiday weekend (July 4-7), staffed by Army Corps personnel and volunteers who stepped up to help.
⚠️ Still Closed: Two parks – Van Pugh North and South – remain closed until the Army Corps can get enough federal funding to hire more staff.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
