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1 ne Last Look
The year 1969 ends a decade
of growth in all areas for For
syth County. Looking back in
retrospect as it winds to a
close, the events of the past
year underscore those ten years
of growth, adding flavor, per
sonality and excitement to the
panorama of Forsyth County.
JANUARY
In January, 1969 the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s office was pro
mised five deputies; work began
on the new Forsyth Area Voca
tional and Industrial school and
a Social, Cultural and Learning
potential program was initiated
at Forsyth County High School.
George Pirkle, a senior at the
University of Georgia, was aw
arded the distinguished military
student award by the Mili
tary department at the Univer
sity. Members of the Music Se
ekers Club attended a special
performance of the Magic Flute
at Atlanta’s Community Play
house, and the Mother’s March
was begun with Mrs. Louise Mo
seley as Chairman.
FEBRUARY
In February Sheriff Donald
Pirkle and special agents ar
rested a number of business es
tablishments and homes in a
crackdown of the sale of liquor
without licenses. Don Thompson
was appointed Executive Vice
president of the Forsyth County
Bank and a Girl Scout Troop
was organized under the leader
ship of Mrs. Penny Pike and
Mrs. Janice Smith. Cecil Mize,
a member of the Forsyth
County - Cumming Planning
Commission addressed the Cu
mming Kiwanis Club explaining
the proposed zoning building and
health ordinances slated, which
was approved by the city coun
cil and county commissioners
the following week. Heidi Nix
was named STAR student of
1969. Roy P. Otwell, Sr. was
sworn in by Governonr Lester
Maddox as a member of the St
ate Board of Children and
Youth; Non-Farm employment
rose in Forsyth, and a local
group met at the courthouse to
protest a raise in salary of
county officials. The Baptist
Youth Choir under the direction
of Ronald McClure, attended the
State Church Music Festival in
Toccoa, and the Chamber of
Commerce had its first meet
ing.
MARCH
March began with the U. S.
Post Office advertising bids on
the new building to be located
on Canton Road; The Flash of
Crimson Band, under the dir
ection of Lon Turner, received
the rating of Excellent from jud
ges at the Ninth District Music
Festival. The city council or
dered that all residents sub
scribe to the new garbage pick
up service and Coach Bill Moore
began Bulldog practice. The
week of March 20 eighteen war
rants were issued and seven
arrest made after a Sunday sh
ooting between Buford andCum
ming men. News of the possi
bility of new Atlanta Airport
south of Forsyth County was
released. Plans for a deluxe
camping area for Mary Alice
Park by an Atlanta corporation
was announced. Billy Johnson
and Randy Smith of Forsyth High
members of the DCT De
partment, competed in me Ply
mouth Trouble Shooters Con
test March 19 and walked away
with first place.
APRIL
Dr. George Friedlander, No
bel Prize receplent in Scienti
fic Research, visited Cumming.
The Youth and adi*lt choruses
of the First Baptist Church
presented an Easter Cantata,
and two Forsyth County depu
ties, Bill Cantrell and Ivan
Jennings were in jured in the line
of duty. Also the March term
grandjury did not recommend
changes in the County Com
mission Chairman salary.
Forsyth County was invited to
exhibit items of interest from
the county at Lenox Square in
a “Stay and See Georgia” Event.
A new store, Factory Outlet
of Cumming, specializing in sp
ortswear for ladies and men,
opened in Cumming and Charles
Welch joined the Cumming De
velopment Company.
Construction began on a large
golf course and club off the
Buford Dam Road. C. N. Lam
bert, Superintendent of Forsyth
County Schools, was appointed
Chairman of the Georgia Edu
cators Association’s legislative
committee for the Ninth Dis
trict. George Bagby was elected
as one of th e Directors of the
Georgia Poultry Federation.
The State Game and Fish Com
mission said that fishing was
good in Lake Lanier. Linda
Grogan became Lanier Junior
Miss at the Lanier Junior Miss
Pageant and the Forsyth County
Bank started the Master Charge
program.
MAY
Sgt. William Martin received
the U. S. Air Force Commen
dation medal at Moody AFB, Ga.
for meritorious service. The
City of Cumming was told by
the Georgia Water Quality Con
trol Board that it must clear
up its polutlon problems. The
VICA Club of Forsyth County
was rated superior at State
VICA Conference. The Forsyth
High Band went to Florida and
the Post Office contract was
let to Carl Jackson. Girl Scouts
had a successful are show and-'
the residents of Silver City
received a visit from a bear
cub.
The 21st Annual Future Bus
siness Leaders of America went
to a conference in Atlanta and
Junior Samples was a second
place winner in the largest
string of catfish category at
the third annual Sears WPLO
fishing rodeo. The vocational
school neared completion and
astudy group made a report
of future enlargement of the
Forsyth County School system.
Willie Guy Fowler was named
Building Inspector for the city
and the county, and officials st
ated that no federal funds were
available for completion of the
Appalachian Highway through
Forsyth County.
JUNE
Junior Samples was signed
for CBS summer show. Robert
Alston, pastor of the Cumming
Methodist Church, was injured
in an automobile accident and
Melba Foster won a scholarship
from the Forsyth Band. Judy
Mundy also received a Geor
gia State teachers scholarship
as 1969 honor graduate of For-,
syth County and the city char
ged damages for water tapping
by a county commissioner,July
4th parade plans were finalized,
and softball action began. Tr
ibble Gap apartments, built by
Ralph Kirby and E. B. Collett
were completed, and a marathon
checker tournament was held
in Cumming.
JULY
Governor Maddox spoke at the
Fourth of July celebration. At
torney 8.8. Robertson resigned
as County Attorney and a mem
ber of a motorcycle gang was
arrested after bullets struck a
Cumming man’s automobile.
The City of Cumming began to
experience a water shortage and
Mayor Ingram asked that re
sidents refrain from wasting
water. The five state Army
Engineer District at Mobile, re
ported that Lake Lanier wasthe
most popular body of watei
in the southeast.
AUGUST
The Holbrook Meeting was set
for August 8 at the Campground
and Forsyth County’s exhibit at;
Lenox Square won an award.
County Commissioner Lloyd
Smith was indicted by the For
syth County Grand Jury.
SEPTEMBER
Labor Day weekend passed
without a traffic fatality; a new
fire truck was purchased by
the County Commissioners to
serve the unincorporated areas
of the county and the Bulldogs
won over Buford in the begin
ning of a winning streak forthe
season. A beauty pageant for
Little Mr. and Miss Forsyth
County was planned by the For
syth County Jaycettes, and three
automobiles were stolen in the
county.
OCTOBER
A controversary over the
destruction of Diana’s ce
metery sizzled, while ar
guments between residents on
Pirkle Wood Circle over speed
breakers placed there began.
Rev. Roger Williams was ap
pointed pastor of the First Ba
ptist Church and Forsyth County
Jaycettes began to make plans
for a White Elephant Sale. El
ected president of the Cumming
Kiwanis Club was Royston In
gram, Jr..
A $4,000,000 Big Creek Wa
tershed project got federal ap
proval for Forsyth and Fulton
Counties with eleven dam sites
named in the county. The Geor
gia Farm Bureau Marketing
Asssociation officials received
contracts from the Forsyth Co
unty Farm Bureau Broiler Co
mmittee, sufficient to exceed
their 1969 quota and Cumming
P. T. A. scheduled a November
Fair.
NOVEMBER
The School Bond election took
place and the bond was defeat
ed by County residents with a
light turnout of voters. Faulty
wiring was found in new homes
built in Forsyth around the lake
and Building Inspector Fowler
stated that with the new building
codes, it won’t be happening
again. The Varsity Bulldogs
opened the season with an im
pressive victory over Lumpkin
County, and the Forsyth County
High School’s Red Pepper Pep
band was invited to play at the
Upper Chattachoochee River
Soil and Water Conservation
Dinner in Gainesville.
DECEMBER
Sheila Thomas was crowned
Miss Forsyth County Bulldog.
Amon Corn and Roy Holtzclaw
were presented Farm Bureau
distinguished service awards by
the bureau and the Cumming
Post Office moved into its new
7600 square foot post office wh
ile The Forsyth County News
announced a Christmas card
contest.
A large propane truck over
turned on Highway 19 and Co
unty Commissioner Beeler
Munda and Forsyth Deputies
were credited with heroic ac
tion when the area was threat
ened with an explosion. J. Ro
bert Cooper was named chair
man of the Subcommittee on
Poultry Matters and it looked
like the Atlanta Airport was
going to Henry County instead
of North Fulton.
The Cumming City council
changed the curfew in the city
from 12 to 11 p.m, in a cr
ackdown, one Cumming police'
car was wrecked after a 100 1
mile chase which ended on Hi
ghway 9-E and Deborah Lum
mus was selected to serve as
FCA Sweetheart of the year.
The year wound to a close
as Forsyth County enjoyed a
flourishing Christmas business
and citizens gathered together
to observe the holiday season.
The weather became warm and
rainey to welcome in the brand
new year—l97o.
• aooooo; I® *
Welcome
1970!
TIVF FOBSTTH wirwc
1111 l COUNTY lIIIVVS
CUMMING, GEORGIA 30130
Forsyth And State Police Impressed;
Quietest Holiday Weekend In Four Years
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LOADING UP. Johnny Stone, Morris Gravitt, and Ledford Pruitt pack end of pickup truck with
toys to be given to children in the area as part of their Toys for Tots drive.
300 Benefit From Jaycee Effort
An estimated 300 children of
the Forsyth County area bene
fited from the combined comm
unity effort to make Christmas
brighter this year for them.
Garland Shoemake, chairman
of the Jaycees who spearheaded
the drive to provide “toys for
tots*’, said some $1,200.00, co
llected from several sources,
was used to buy toys, clothes
and food and candy for the list
of children compiled for the
effort. In addition, numerous
toy and clothing items were
donated.
An unusual and quite “fitting”
gift was the stock of 112 pairs
of pants to be given boys as
compliments of Lad ‘n Dad Sl
acks. Other generous gifts in
cluded liberal discounts from
merchants, monetary donations
from businesses and indivi
Widespread Virus In Area
Is Not Unusual For Forsyth
An unidentified virus caused
widespread illness in Forsyth
County over the Christmas holi
days and continues to spread.
The virus is not a flu virus,
according to local doctors, and
has yet to reach epidemic pro
portions. Local doctors are
treating quite a few patients
in the area for the virus, which,
is “pseudo-epidemic” accord
ing to Dr. Ralph Bottoms.
The symptoms of the virus
vary with different patients, but
general body aches and exhaust
ion are common indicators. Dr.
Bottoms says other symptoms
of the virus include headaches,
dizziness, nausea, and in some
patients, dyarrhea. Bottoms
advises anyone feeling these
symptoms to make themselves
comfortable in bed, drink plenty
of juices, and take asprin for
pain and fever. If the illness
gets out of hand, the patient
should see a physician.
The particuiax- virus causing
illnesses in Georgia has not yet
been identified by the Commun
icable Disease Center in At
lanta. Doctors expect the CDC
to locate the virus and identify
it for them within the next
couple of weeks. Doctor Bott
Dry Months Bring Low Water Level At Lanier
In case you haven’t noticed,
Lake Lanier has dropped about
10 feet in the last couple of
months.
Cecil Patterson of the U.S.
Corps of Engineers explained
that the lake level is down in
anticipation of winter and sp
ring rains.
"October and November are
our dry months around here,”
said Patterson, "and during this
period and in December we pull
the level down so there will be
plenty of storage space for the
expected rains.”
Dedicated to the Progres§ 4W Cumming and Forsyth County
duals, and gift “pools” from
several churches and organiza
tions.
Help was plentiful near the
climax of the drive as teen
age volunteers, home from col
lege many of them and with a
few spare hours on their hands
assembled toys and stuffed
boxes and bags for delivery. The
Jaycees were aided, too, by the
Department of Family and Ch
ildren Services.
Organization officials agreed
that it was the most effective
‘‘Empty Stocking Fund Drive”
in the history of the effort.
Forsyth County Jaycettes
aided the Jaycees in purchas
ing and packaging items. Mrs.
Eugene Hansard was chairman
of the committee, and was assi
sted by several others, includ
oms says the high temperatures
of 103 to 10 5 degrees that usually
accompany flu have not been
found in the victims of the
present illness. Doctor Bott
oms says the illness is not
really serious; he says he has
had only two patients suffering
from the virus become ser
iously ill, and both of those
cases involved contributing fa
ctors other than the virus it
self.
Doctor Robert Dunn says that
about all the physicians can do
is treat the symptoms of the
virus by giving the patient anti
biotics. He says the body
will usually get over the illness
in a few days. The virus it
self is hard to treat because
the doctors don’t as yet know
exactly what it is.
James C. Shaw, Adminis
trator of Forsyth County Hos
pital, reports that admissions to
the hospital are not above aver
age. He said the number of the
patients in the hospital at this
time is normal for this time of
year.
Mr. Mckinley of theEpidimi
ology Department of the Georgia
Health Department said he had
received no reports of wide
The level has dropped about
10 feet and is normal for the
winter months, he said. During
the summer months, especially
after the rains have fallen, the
level reaches around 1071 feet
above sea level. This morning’s
level was recorded as 1061.86.
Full pool is 1070.
"From here on out the am
ount o: raimati win aetermine
the lake level,” Patterson said.
"If we start getting rains now
and on into the spring, the level
will rise.”
TEN CENTS PER COPY
ing Mrs. Galand Shoemake.
For his concerted effort in
“Empty Stocking Fund” pro
ject Shoemake Was named by
the Board of Directors as the
Jaycee of the Month of Decem
ber. Professionally, he is coor
dinator of the Work-Study Pro
gram at Forsyth County High
School. The Shoemakes have
two children, Lisa and Tim
and are active members of the
First Baptist Church.
Earlier, cited for his work
in the November Turkey Shoot
project, Edwin Gravitt was na
med Jaycee of the Month of No
vember .Asa member of that
committee he was responsible
for purchasing and storage of
turkeys for the shoot. Gravitt
has been a Jaycee for around
two years and has assisted on
many projects during that time.
spread illnesses in the Cumm
ing area. He said that physic
ians usually report any diseases
they find or any other unusual
circumstances to the Health
Department. In the case of a
widespread, near- epidemic
problem, the Epidimiology De
partment tries to help isolate
whatever is causing the illness
and advise doctors how to treat
the problem. McKinley noted
that illnesses caused by influ
enza, a virus, usually begin just
before Christmas and continue
to increase before peaking out
in February. He said that his
department did not expect to
see too much influenza in the
state this year, but when school
resumes "we may find we have
problems”.
McKinley noted that medical
authorities in Great Britain did
not expect any widespread flu
this year but now a flu epidemic
is causing serious problems
there. McKinley emphasized
the fact that he had received
no reports from this area and
therefore concludes that the
situation must not be serious.
He doubts that influenza will
be a problem this year.
If the level wasn’t reduced
during the winter and late fall
months, the spring rains would
probably cause an overflow and
flooding in some areas Patt
erson said.
The drop in the level doesn’t
have an effect on anyone except
those who may have boats and
boat docks Patterson said.
"People should have by now
pulled their boats and docks
out,” he said, "and by the time
the level rises again, they can
pull them up again."
State troopers and Sheriff’s
deputies turned out full force
on Forsyth County roads over
the Christmas holiday period
and reported that the weekend
was quiet and completely free
of major injuries. There were
only a few accidents on county
roads, none of which were ser
ious, and only one injury was
reported. Chief Deputy Bill
Cantrell of the Sheriff’s Depart
ment says that several traffic
tickets were made over the holi
days, but ail in all it was “a
pretty quiet weekend.” Sargeant
Kane of the Canton Post of
the Georgia State Patrol said
that state troopers made a few
arrests of traffic violators for
various traffic offenses. Chief
Green of the Cumming Police
Department called the weekend
“the quietest Christmas week
end in my four years here.”
Kane was impressed with the
mildness of the traffic weekend
and said that the same was
true throughout the state. All
the state troopers were on the
road and their good enforcement
evidently had some effect, as
only twenty-two persons died on
the highways -- far below the
thirty - seven deaths pre
dicted by the State Patrol.
Sargeant Kane says weather
probably had a lot to do with
the safe weekend. The bad driv
ing conditions caused many peo
ple to stay at home and those
that did venture out were more
cautious and drove slower be
cause of the bad conditions.
Kane said that accidents that
occur when cars are moving at
low speeds are not nearly as
Headstart Program
Is Scheduled Jan. 19
The full year Headstart Pro
gram is scheduled to begin Ja
nuary 19, 1970. The classes will
be housed at the old Ducktown
School. The total enrollment
will be for forty students.
The two main requirements
for eligibility to the Headstart
classes are: (1) The family
income must be within the level
of income as given by the Nin
th District Opportunity, Inc.,
and 0.E.0.; (2) The child must
be six years old by January
Ist, 1971, The only exception is
that welfare recipients are el
igible regardless of income le
vel.
Application s for Headstart
classes can be obtained at all
elementary schools and the of-
Residents Reminded
Of Redhead Basketball
Those colorful, sensational,
and very exciting ALL AMER
ICAN RED HEADS Basketball
Team are slated to be in Cum
ming, January 7, 1970.
The RED HEADS, Queens of
big time basketball and undis
puted world champion women’s
basketball team will be appear
ing through the sponsorship of
the Forsyth County Jaycees.
The “RED HEADS”, a truly
great basketball attraction will
meet the Jaycee men’s team.
The game will be played by
regulation men rules. Last
season the RED HEADS played
203 games, all against men
teams. The RED HEADS won
169 of these games.
The RED HEADS feature top
girl basketball talent found any -
where-and "Living it up on the
court” has been their trade
mark-and "How They Play the
Game” has become their way
of life.
The ALL AMERICAN RED
HEADS "Magic at the Gate”
makes this attraction great, and
as always the Red Heads are
drawing them through turnstiles
in tremendous numbers. Jack
Tribble said that his organi
zation was most pleased at
being able to ge t this much
January 1. 1970
serious or injurious to the mo
torists as are accidents occur
ing at a high speed.
Kane believes that people in
Georgia are becoming more and
more safety conscious. He says
that although there are 200,000
more cars in the state this
year and several million more
miles of travel are being log
ged by Georgia drivers, the fa
tality rate is decreasing.
Kane feels that Forsyth Co
unty drivers have evidently be
come much more safety con
scious in recent years. He says
that there have been fewer ser
ious accidents this year than in
years past , and less clown
ing, speeding, and generally re
ckless driving. Kane says that
the growing number of state ve
hicles seen in the county and the
good traffic enforcement by the
Forsyth County Sheriff’s De
partment have contributed to
this improvement . Greater
public safety consciousness has
been spurred by the serious
accidents which have accurred
in the County, he feels. He
thinks that the Sheriff’s Depart
ment “is doing a good job in
Forsyth County...in all phases
of their work, and particularly
in traffic law enforcement.” He
emphasized the good coopera
tion between the State Patrol
and Sheriff’s Department.
But the dangerous driving
period is not over, according to
Chief Deputy Cantrell. “If we
can get by the New Y'ears week
end, we’ll be doing all right,”
he says. Both the Sheriff’s De
partment and State troopers will
be out in force again, and they
hope for another quiet weekend.
fice of the Superintendent of
Schools.
The Headstart Advisory Co
mmittee at a called meeting on
December 16, 1969, selected the
personnel for Headstart from
a list of thirty-seven applica
tions received for eight posi
tions: Mrs. Charlotte Ann Sh
oemake, lead teacher, Mrs. Je
well Corn, the second teacher,
Mrs. Ada Lee Avery and Mrs.
Emma Jo Norrell, aides, Mrs.
Lottie C. Sewell, parent coo
rdinator, and Mrs. Donnie
Marie Rockmore, the book
keeper.
The teachers, aides and the
parent coordinator will enroll
January 5, for two weeks of
training in Gainesville.
sought after attraction to app
ear in Cumming. Be sure to
see Moore’s Fabulous RED HE
ADS -January 7, at Forsyth
County High School Gymnasium
at 7:30 p.m. Admission;sl.so
for adults; SI.OO for students.
FCHS Varsity coaches Harold
Hammontree and Doug Freder
ick will refree the game.
Sawnee PTA
The Sawnee Elementary Sc
hool PTA will meet Tuesday
night, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at
the school.
Everyone is urged to come
out and support your PTA.
Midway PTA
Midway School wm not noio
its regular PTA meeting the
first Tuesday in January. It
has bee n postponed until the
second Tuesday in Jan. so that
we will have ample time to
practice our program entitled
"Students Talent Night”, which
we will present to our parents.
Don’t forget; 2nd Tuesday, 'an.
7:30 p.m.