I've had a flood of memories associated with the Georgia Mountains Center (GMC) the past few weeks as Brenau University takes over the facility and talk surfaces of perhaps building a new downtown conference/convention center. That's 30-plus years of memories.<br />
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They begin with the first night that it opened and end with a political forum just last October.<br />
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That opening night featured Wayon Jennings and Buddy Holly's Crickets. It brought out a cross-section of the community - everyday people along with judges, lawyers, doctors, bank presidents, as well as assorted politicians and other public officials.<br />
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The concert, of course, was held in the arena which Brenau will use for classrooms and other academic purposes. That was also the site of a Bob Dylan concert, one by Mel Tillis, many a gospel music concert, as well as wrestling matches, circuses, the Lipizzaner Stallions, maybe a motocross or two, rodeos, etc. I saw my first professional boxing matches there. Alas, Muhammad Ali was no on the card. <br />
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Our daughter's high school graduation ceremony was held in the arena. That was in 1994 at a time when most, if not all, high schools in the county used the venue for graduation. <br />
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It was also the site of chamber of commerce banquets, business expos, etc. I spent many an hour over the years covering things in the arena and in other parts of the mountain center, not only political forums, but countless city council and county commission meetings, planning board meetings and such. There were also meetings of the committee that was formed to bring part of the 1996 Olympics to Gainesville, and the mountains center is where that committee staged its own opening ceremony, the night the real thing was taking place in Atlanta. <br />
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So, as this chapter of the Georgia Mountains Center, now the Brenau Downtown Center, closes, I look back with fond memories of the venue.<br />
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And, for those of you wondering about the title to this article - it's a play on a line from "Luckenbach, Texas," a song by Wayon Jennings and Willie Nelson, which features the line "With Willie and Waylon and the boys."<br />
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Like Ali, Willie never showed up at the mountains center, either.<br />
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But, then, neither was probably invited.<br />
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<I>(Ken Stanford is a Contributing Editor and retired longtime News Director for WDUN, WDUN-FM, 1240 ESPN RADIO, and AccessNorthGa.com.)<I>
