Newspaper Page Text
Letter To Editor
e~
Dear Sir:
Attached hereto is an article'
published recently in The.
Winder News which shouldbeof
vital Interest to all Georgia'
taxpayers, state and county tax'
officials, . the news media, [
and .the public in general. It
is hoped that the information
and suggestions contained th- i
erein will result in arousing
enough Georgia citizens with
sufficient interest to start the;
ball rolling - - -to get the!
local property tax relief so u
rgently needed in Georgia, th
rough appropriate legislation.
The increase in property tax
assessment for your county in
1972 based upon the State Aud
itors study is 70%.
Sincerely,
Guy F. Maddox, Chairman
Barrow County Taxpayers As
sociation
'TAKE OFF THE CLOAKS
• Why not take the “cloaks’*
off? Why not tell the local
property taxpayers the com
plete story? Why not publish
th'e complete list of Georgia’s
159 counties with the increa
ses on local property tax as
sessments to be Imposed mo
mentarily on’ the lowly prop
erty taxpayer by the State Re
venue Commissioner?
\ What can reasonably be ex
pected of the average taxpayer
in Baker County when he learns
that his property assessments
in 1972 will be increased 135%;
Borrow County’s 64%; Dawson
County’s 119% ; Franklin Co
unty’s 103% and Jackson Co
unty’s 69% - - - riots, dem
onstrations, and uprisings?
Also, why not ask your re
presentatives and your State
Revenue Commissioner what
properties are to receive the
drastic increased assessm
ents? Will all houses and lots,
country homes and acreage and
all building and improvements,
all inventories, all machinery,
fixtures, supplies, farm equip
ment, cattle, horses, etc. get
the ordered increases? An
swer - Yes. But regardless of
the answer, ask him for a list
of all classes of property which
were used in compiling the state
auditors ratips.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Shotgun Kills
Forsyth Lad
Dwight David Allman, a 13-
year-old youth of Forsyth Co
unty was killed instantly by a
shotgun blast as he played with,
a friend from Brookhaven, a
14-year-old juvenile.
Sheriff Pirkle of Forsyth Co
-unty said that young Allman was
visiting at the home of Troy
Densmore Jr., on Longstreet
Road, Cumming when the acc
ident occurred about 6:30 o’
clock in the evening, Decem
ber 30th.
The boys were reported to
- have been watching television
a short while earlier and then
began playing with a toy air
rifle and the fatal weapon. The
friend of Allman was in the
. rear bedroom when the shot
gun discharged and fatally wo
unded the Allman lad who was
reported to have been in the
front bedroom at the time.
The distraught youth told Sh
eriff Pirkle that he had for
gotten about the gun being lo
aded. No charges have been
made.
Home Is
Burglarized
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s
Department has been investig
ating a break-ln occurring rec
ently at home of the Wilks St
rickland family, located on
Highway 19 south of Cummlng.
The holne was apparently en
, tered sometime on Christmas
Day and was thoroughly ransac
ked, according to word received
from Sheriff Pirkle.
More than S4OO was taken
from the residence, and all
was In change. Investigation
Is being continued and the sher
iff is expecting that arrests will
be forthcoming in connection
with the breaking-and-entering
Incident.
WOW
Look at this!
S> <o
C&; ■
/ ... ’ . ,
t
i
„ MOTHER STACY & TRACY
Twins Greet New Year
Forsyth County’s First
BY: JOHN A. REYNOLDS
A Dahlonega, Georgia mother surprised herself, the father
and all attendants at Forsyth County Hospital on Now Year’s
Day by giving birth to twin daughters, Stacy and Tracy. The
mother of the beautiful byins is Mrs. Larry Boyd Barrett,
Route 2, Dahlonega, Georgia. The father, Larry, was last seen
staring into space and disbelieving that anything so wonderful
and unexpected had happened to them. Neither the mother or
father had any inkling that they would, be blest with two “bundles
of joy”. It was a further surprise to the doctor and nurses. But
happen it did! Word quickly spread all over the hospital
and everyone shared the pleasure and thrilled to die knowledge
that something very special had happened just down the corridor.
Congratulations from new-foundfriends came from every quarter
of the hospital, and everyone agreed that it couldn’t have happened
to a nicer couple than the young'Barrett’s. Tracy arrived at
3:35 P. M. and Stacy .was spankedYntp the realm of reality
ten minutes later. Tracy welghed-in at six pounds and six
ounces, while Stacy hiked the scales by two ounces more.
The twins made two-and-one equal three when one considers
that they have a strapping oldej- brother in the person of Chad,
a; fine specimen of 5-year-old boyhood. He, like the father,
seemed a bit dazed by it all. They are shown below sharing the
twofold blessing so abruptly thrust upon them. The twin’s
maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Bruce of
Route 1, Dawsonville, Georgia. Paternal grandparents are Mr.
and Mrs. Watt Barrett of Route 2, Dahlonega. The mother and
twins were recipients of many nice gifts which they shared
with the last born child of 1971 and mother. Well Whaddayah
know!! Cumming did it again! And it is supposed that nothing
could be finer than to be born in Cumming on New Year’s Day,
WL' ‘ r
* * **
4 ~$H
/ ■ V*. V N• V* v
BY: BIANE BALL
Fir* Destroys Home
The year ended on a bad note for Mr. E. E. Turner of Rte.
6, Cumming, when his trailer was consumed by flames Friday
morning. The fire which destroyed Mr. Turner’s 12 x4O home
was believed to have started from the stove where he had some
chicken stewing for dinner.
Bob West and Carl Turner (Mr. Turner’s son) saw the smoke
coming from the trailer but couldn’t go in to salvage any of Mr.
Turner’s belongings, Including a new washer-dryer combin
ation, the television, or the new weight-reducer.
Mr. Turner says he also had over $250 in an old coat pocket
that he was going to use to pay up bills for a couple of months.
He’ll get another trailer but says, 'lt sure hurts when about
two thousand dollars goes up the creek.”
THE K NEWS
Dedicated to the ProgreMgg Cumming and Forsyth County
CUMMING, GA. VOLUMN LXV
Murder-Arson-Suicide Follows in Wake Of
Husband And Wife Holiday Argument
Act Of General Assembly
Not Activated In County
BY: JOHN A. REYNOLDS
An act of The General Assem
bly, approved last April 10th,
and known as House Bill 217,
gives broad powers to a city or
county in that it allows them to
set local provisions as to the
fees for permits and sets up a
procedure to guarantee collec
tion of any taxes due by people
owning mobile homes. Before
this act was passed, it was often
the custom that people owning
mobile homes, if they chose,
could move their mobile home
fropi county to county and never
pay any tax. This act prevents
this situation and could provide
several thousands of dbllars of
additional revenue for our sc
hools and county if the proposi
tion is pursued.
Section 1-Defines Mobile Ho
mes and Section 2-Allows the
governing authority of a county,
by resolution, to provide proce
dure whereby the owner of the
mobile home shall be required
to obtain from the tax assess
ors permits authoring loc
ation of such mobile homes
within the county. The resolu
tion shall provide that all taxes
have been paid before any per
mit is Issued.
Section 3-(a) - The resolu
tion shall provide for the iss
uance of decals at the time
of issuing such permits. These
Gas Tax Law Being Enforced
On January 1, 1972, the Ge
orgia Revenue Department’s
enforcement staff of over one
hundred men, stationed at 47
posts throughout the state will
begin a thorough, systematic
program designed to ensure
compliance with the Georgia m
otor fuel tax laws.
“The collection of tax
revenues is an Integral part of
our society, and like all other
areas of our society, there are
those individuals who attempt to
avoid, and enrich themselves,
by not adhering to the estab
lished tax laws and regulat
ions. For years, we in Ge
orgia, have been familiar with
the moonshiner and bootlegger
of illicit alcohol. To combat
the moonshiner, the Georgia
Revenue Department, along with
the Federal Government, and
local governments, have estab
lished effective enforcement m
easures. From our experience
in this area, the Georgia
Revenue Department enforce
Speed, Liquor Kills 13
The twenty-three fatalities on
Georgia roads during the New
Year’s Holiday was consider
ably less than the 35 recorded
a week ago during Christmas,
but were four more than the St
ate Patrol had predicted for the
78 hour holiday. Public Safety
Director Col. Ray Pope said sp
eed and liquor were again the
villans in the New Year’s re
cord as 13 of the 23 fatalit
ies were influenced by speed
ing and alcohol. One of the big
factors in the New Year’s hol
iday was the multiple fatality
accident, that in which more
than one death occurs. Three
multiple fatality accidents
killed 13 people.
The State Patrol used aircraft
extensively during the holiday,
with what Colonel Pope called
excellent results in the areas
the planes were used. Only
one fatality was recorded in the
nine areas of the State where
planes were used. Accidents
and injuries were also drastic
ISSUE 1
decals issued are for the pur
pose of identifying all mobile
homes for tax purposes.
3-(b) - The resolutions shall
provide that any mobile home to
be relocated within another co
unty in the state, the tax asse
ssors of the county the mobile
home will be relocated in shall
be notified by the tax asse
ssors from which the mobile
home is being moved from.
3-(c) - Such resolutions shall
also provide for a minimum
fee of $3.00 for the issuance
of each permit required by such
resolutions and for the annual
renewal of permits authorizing
the location of a mobile home
within the confines of a county.
Section 4 - Specifies penalty
for persons failing to comply
with the provisions of the re
solution above after they are
adopted. PENALTY IS MISD
EMEANOR.
Section 5 - Lists intent of Act
which is to provide require
ments whereas the various co
unties Insures the collection of
the taxes due.
Section 6 - Authorizes addi
tional authority to carry out
the provisions of this.act.
Section 7 - Repeals a 1969
Act dealing with the same sub
ject but in which no provision
was made for collecting a fee
for permits.
ment staff is now prepared to
increase its effort in combatting
another type of bootlegger and
tax evader,’’ stated State Re
venue Commissioner John Bl
ackmon.
The program should prove
beneficial to the legitimate b
usinessman by providing a more
localized communication and
information source. The cit
izens of Georgia will benefit
by added revenue dollars in the
state treasury for use by the
highway department.
The enforcement unit, under
Chief Barney Ragsdale, will ab
sorb those agents now assigned
exclusively to the motor fuel
tax field and they will be tra
ined in all phases of revenue
enforcement.
Chief Ragsdale said, “we we
lcome these additional respons
ibilities to be of service to the
citizens of Georgia. Our staff
has completed a training prog
ram in this new field and they
are ready."
ally reduced, according to State
Patrol Post Commanders in
these areas. Apparently the use
of planes was a good psychol
ogical deterrent to violators,
according to Colonel Pope, as
widespread publicity in the local
areas where planes were used
had motorists on the lookout.
The aircraft were used through
a cooperative arrangement with
the Georgia Forestry Com
mission and the State Depart
ment of Air Transportation.
Based on preliminary facts
and figures, the State ended the
year 1971 with 54 fewer traffic
deaths than 1970. Seventeen h
undred, sixty-six deaths on the
highways were recorded in the
year just ended compared with
1820 for 1970. This figure may
change in the coming months as
some person die as a result of
their injuries received in the
year Just ended. The overall
figures for the year Just ended
showed the State had a 3% de
crease in traffic deaths.
15? PSJR COPY
II ■Tr H I
Not since the tragic loss of five For
syth County Teen-agers in a train-autom
obile collision months ago have the cit
izens of this area been more shocked and
appalled than on Tuesday evening,
December 28th. On that night Sheriff
Don Pirkle and deputies were called to
the scene of an apparent triple tragedy
murder, arson and suicide.
Arriving at the site, officers found the
home of Mr. and Mrs. James F. Maynard
in flames and a supposed eye-witness who
claimed that he had witnessed the shooting
by Maynard of his sister, 59-year-old
Ina Mae. The brother of Mrs. Maynard,
Doyle Vaughan, stated that he had prev
iously been called to the home of the
victims to settle an argument between the
husband and wife. Vaughn of Alpharetta,
Georgia claimed that he succeeded in
quieting the couple, but that the argument
resumed again later.
Vaughn related to the Sheriff that “Jim
went to another room and came back with
a pistol.” Maynard then, according to
Vaughn, shot Mrs. Maynard three times
in the stomach and alternately turned the
gun on him, as if to shoot him also.
Doyle said he begged Maynard not to do it
and that his brother-in-law refrained from
die act, saying, “he would not because he
thought too much of him,*’ according to
Sheriff Pirkle* s words.
Firemen and trucks from Cumming and
Alpharetta joined in an attempt to stem the
flames. Their efforts proved fruitless and
the house perished to the extent that only
a portion of the walls were left standing.
Prior to burning of the home and Maynard’s
apparent suicide, the latter hadgonetothe
White Eagle Sausage Company building
next door (which the Maynard’s operated)
and presumably reloaded the pistol,
returned to the home, set fire to it and
then killed himself by self-inflicted wou
nds from the same revolver.
Tara Pruitt Last Born In 1971
BY: JOHN A. REYNOLDS
Tiny and lovable Tara Pruitt made her appearance at Forsyth County Hospital a memorable
one, because having been born at exactly 9:30 o’clock on the evening of December 31st she became
the last arrival to be recorded at the hospital. The wee Miss Just preceded the advent of another
year by two and one-half hours and was rewarded by numerous gifts proferred as loving mementos
of the special occasion. Divided equally among herself and the first baby to be born in the fast
approaching New Year, ladles of the Forsyth County Hospital Auxiliary are seen here presenting
the gifts to the baby and mother, Mrs. Donny M. Pruitt, Route 6, Cumming. Mrs. Pruitt is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Will Frlx. The father, Donny M. Pruitt, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry
M. Pruitt of Buford. Other grandparents of the extended order Include Mrs. Grace Bennett, Mr.
and Mrs. A. A. Burns of Route2,Cumming and Mrs. Lula Samples of Buford. The useful gifts are
given her by Auxiliary Ladles, Hilda Roper and Bernice Wolfe. The latter is President of the
Auxiliary. Theglftswerecompllmentsofvarlousbusinessmen and women of Cumming and Forsyth
County, i ney were appropriately divided between the mother and child and the first baby to hope
fully arrive on New Year's Day and its mother.
THE FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - THURSDAY JANUARY 6, 1972 - PAGE 1
BY: JOHN A. REYNOLDS
While Maynard was in the “meat house,”
Vaughn attempted an escape from the scene
in his truck but got stuck in a ditch. He
then abandoned the truck and ran to a
neighbor’s house next door and reported
the incident to authorities.
When the ashes had cooled sufficiently,
the body of Mrs. Maynard was recovered
from the den portion of the house. About
an hour later the second body was dis
covered in the same section. The latter
wa.s supposedly the remains of the Hus
band and was sent to the crime laboratory
for positive identification. The suspected
murder-sucide weapon was beside the
latter body. Sheriff Pirkle said he was
reasonably sure the body was that of
Maynard. The wife’s body was sent
to a Fulton County morgue.
The victims resided about five miles
south of Cumming in Forsyth County and
had operated the sausage company for sev
eral years. Sheriff Pirkle stated that the
couple had previously experienced
domestic difficulties and were separated
for a time but later reconciled and “got
back together.” During that period the
FBI reported a threat on Mrs. Maynard’s
life, however, and reports have indicated
that the woman had previously expressed
concern that her husband might do her
physical harm.
The 60-year-old Maynard and wife were
badly burned and it was not immediately
known if Maynard had shot himself. The
death instrument was a .38 caliber pistol.
The body recovered from the ashes of
his home near here early last Wednesday
has been positively identified as James F.
Maynard, Sheriff Don Pirkle said this mor
ning.
Sheriff Pirkle said the investigation
showed Maynard died from a single bullet
wound in the head, and Mrs. Maynard
died from three bullet wounds in the
stomach.