Published Monday, December 14, 2009

Senoia invites whole town for a Jan. 1 group photo

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Newnan Times-Herald

As the second decade of the 21st Century begins, Senoians will gather on Main Street together, and have it recorded for posterity.

The "Stand by Me" photo will be taken at 2 p.m. on Jan. 1.

"We are asking everybody to come down and stand together on Main Street so we can take their photograph," said Lynne Wendt, president of the Senoia Area Historical Society.

Wendt is also helping to collect rocking chairs from Senoia residents to set in the front row of the picture, for some of Senoia's elderly residents.

The photo will be taken by local photographer Gary Gruby. In 2000, Gruby took the photo with an antique, large-format camera. This time, it will be digital.

The historical society also plans to make prints of the photo widely available. Wendt said the prints will be $20, including shipping.

"We're not really anticipating a lot of profit on this; we're not really doing it for profit," Wendt said. Many people wanted prints last time, she said. Orders will be taken the day of the photo, and people can also order later.

A copy of the millennium photograph hangs in the historical society's headquarters house, along with Gruby's "Portrait of Senoia" exhibit. Portrait of Senoia features portraits of many Senoia residents, and it has grown over the years.

The Stand By Me photo will document the many changes in Senoia over the past decade.

"None of this would be possible without the support of the Senoia Area Historical Society," Gruby said. "They're an amazing group of people who really care about Senoia and its future as well as its past," he said.

Gruby said he can still remember, just like it was yesterday "the feeling in the air" in downtown Senoia on Jan. 1, 2000.

"There was this sense of community, a sense of personal being that you could feel coming from the people that were there that day," he said.

"They were smiling, shaking hands, laughing, all in a very sincere way."

There was "an overall feeling of gentleness and warmth that you only get from a small town or community," Gruby said.

"Call it a sense of belonging or just a good hair day, but it felt really right that day, and I hope to experience that feeling again -- and I also hope to pass that feeling along," he said.

"Especially in these times, I feel it is important for people to be together and share a common experience whenever possible," Gruby said.

"That's why I'm labeling it 'Stand by Me.'"