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.
The Behind-the-Wall Secrets Every Mason Already Knows (But Some Ignore)
March 2026

You’ve been around long enough to know this already: stone doesn’t fail on the face; it fails behind the wall. You can lay the prettiest veneer in the county, but if the prep is junk, that wall’s gonna start telling on you after a couple of winters. Manu

From the Mound to the Mortar: Jon Rauch’s Tall Order in the Masonry Industry
March 2026

In the record books of Major League Baseball, Jon Rauch is a literal giant. At 6 feet, 11 inches, he remains the tallest player to ever step onto a Big League mound. But today, the Olympic Gold Medalist and 11-season MLB veteran isn’t looking for a strike

Case Study: The Scoop
March 2026

Leading UK architecture firm, Corstorphine & Wright, has announced the completion of ‘The Scoop’, a unique concave office building in Southwark, London. The innovative design reuses an existing building and integrates a conical cut-out façade in white gla

Executing Color-Driven Designs Without Compromising Craftsmanship
March 2026

On today’s jobsites, masonry contractors are being asked to do more than install manufactured stone veneer (MSV). They’re being asked to interpret design trends and execute them with precision. Homeowners arrive with curated Pinterest boards. Designers r