August 2015: From The Editor

Words: Dan Kamys

Little Town, Big Progress

Jennifer MorrellJennifer Morrell Editor jmorrell@lionhrtpub.com Little Town, Big Progress

I live in the small, North Georgia town of Cumming. With all its charm, this quaint city is exploding with growth – both residential and commercial. A close proximity to Atlanta is coupled with an excellent school system to make Forsyth County nearly irresistible to executives and young families alike. And, the mountain views don’t hurt, either. [caption id="attachment_10403" align="alignnone" width="605"]Shown is the new Forsyth County courthouse in Cumming, Ga. Shown is the new Forsyth County courthouse in Cumming, Ga.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10401" align="alignright" width="150"]The original Forsyth County courthouse The original Forsyth County courthouse
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Stephen Matthew Milligan)[/caption] But let’s focus, for the moment, on the “quaint” factor. Cumming boasted a beautiful brick courthouse, appealing to the eye and the heart. So, you can imagine the initial response of our residents, when we saw an enormous new courthouse breaking ground across the street from its predecessor. “Why do we need a new courthouse?” many asked. “And why does it have to be so darned big?” Well, flash forward about 18 months, and our new courthouse is up and running. It stands mighty and proud, constructed fully of masonry. Now that the building is there, and I have grown more accustomed to its enormity, I have to say that I have grown to love it. It’s modern, dignified and just plain gorgeous. I guess the message here is that, sometimes, “new” isn’t always a welcome thing. But, sometimes, it is.
GEN NXT: Mason Paolini
May 2026

This month, the MCAA got to talk with Mason Paolini, a mason who has a clear passion and talent for the trade he has such high praise for. Read about Mason’s story and why he sees a future in this industry. Mason Paolini’s career began with a simple desi

Marvelous Masonry: Tianjin Zhongshuge Library
May 2026

It is not unusual today for masonry to be treated as a surface decision rather than a structural one. Too often, brick enters a project late in the process, trimmed back by budgets or reduced to a veneer once the “real” building work is finished. The Tian

Fechino Files: Concrete Pavers around a Pool
May 2026

Many folks over the years have placed concrete pavers around their pool as a nice form of decorative pool deck. Early in the 2000’s, I took a class held by the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute, then known as the ICPI. At the time I attended the class

Chairman's Message: Staying the Course
May 2026

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. There’s energy in the air. Jobs are picking up. Crews are hitting their rhythm. Schedules are filling up. You can feel momentum building again. And every year around this time, I find myself thinking about con