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Andy Ammons named Citizen of the Year
by Johnny Whitfield, Wake Weekly Associate Editor
Few people know the lay of the land in Wake Forest better than Andy Ammons.
Over the past several years, Ammons has worked to guide changes in the landscape, and that work earned him the nod as Wake Forest's Citizen of the Year. Recognized at Tuesday's Community Christmas Dinner, Ammons thanked a sellout crowd for welcoming him into the community. "My first memory of Wake Forest was as a 15-year-old having to come ... from Millbrook High School to play Larry Lindsey's basketball team," Ammons said. Lindsey was the longtime Wake Forest-Rolesville High School coach. As an adult, Ammons found himself attracted to the community again, this time for reasons both personal and professional. Ammons is the developer of Heritage Wake Forest, by far the town's largest -- and most upscale -- residential and commercial subdivision. But Mayor Vivian Jones, in recognizing Ammons' contributions to the town, also pointed out other efforts that have benefited from Ammons' support. "He has also supported the Trentini Foundation, the DuBois Center, the Fourth of July Committee, the public school system, the Veterans Memorial project," Jones said. Ammons also directed the movement and restoration of the Wake Forest College Birthplace Well. The Veterans Memorial is among the most pleasing of Ammons' accomplishments. "It meant a whole lot to me that you all would let us put that memorial over there when we were just a new part of Wake Forest," Ammons said. Also Tuesday, the Community Council honored the Wake Forest Cultural Arts Association as its Civic Organization of the Year. "Can you imagine March without the Jazz Festival or May without Six Sundays in Spring?" Jones asked the crowd. Those are just two of many events sponsored by the Cultural Arts Association. The group also supports the Autumn Arts Festival, which enjoyed significant success last fall in just its second year. Jim Wallace, the president of the organization, said the recognition is appreciated. "Everybody likes to be recognized for the work they do," Wallace said. But he said the group can't rest on its laurels. "(The arts) are important for a variety of reasons. They enrich people's lives by being able to participate, but they also contribute to the economic vitality of the town," Wallace said. In fact, the Cultural Arts Association works hard to spread its resources as widely as possible, putting on events in the middle of the Historic District, at the Wake Forest College Birthplace, in downtown, at the DuBois Center and in area schools. Tuesday night's dinner also brought about the creation of a new award. The Peggy Allen Lifetime Achievement Award will recognize a person who has committed a majority of their adult life in on-going community service through service clubs, churches or town or county volunteer positions. The award commemorates Allen, who died Nov. 1. The longtime editor of The Wake Weekly was active in a host of community activities. Her husband, Bob Allen, accepted the first award, which was presented posthumously to his wife.
Last Updated On: December 8, 2005
Copyright 2005 The Wake Weekly