Newspaper Page Text
@sj X/' I s|§}l| '■ immbA 11 ' .• • j9| "iM r \"
it'MHHfe. 1 ~* JM
■ f&j • \ * • .ijrfp ■ 1 - -' tißim&Q
Not seriously injured—
Clifford Farr’s pickup truck burned after the collision
but he was not seriously hurt.
jBmWKr M
W -r * P .Ji
DEATH CAR The two children killed were riding in
Mrs. Scruggs’ 1961 Chevrolert Chevrolet
PHOTO S BY BOBBY JONES
Two Local Children Killed
In Sharon Road Crash
Two Cumming children were
killed and five members of their
family injured in a head-on col
lision on Sharon Road about
six miles south of Cumming.
The accident occurred Fri
day night, according to State
Troopers Jerry Regan and
Tommy Dillard, who investi
gated.
Stanley Roy Scruggs, 12, was
dead on arrival at Hall County
Hospital in Gainesville. His
sister, lisa Michelle, 5, died
later that night at a hospital
in Atlanta.
The two children were pas
sengers in a car driven by
their mother, Mrs. Marjorie
Ann Scruggs, 27, of Rt. 8,
Cumming.
Chamber Meet
Is Postponed
The Annual Meeting of the
Forsyth County Chamber of
Commerce has been postponed,
according to George Ingram,
president.
The meeting had been tenta
tively set for January 26th, but
arrangements could not be com
pleted for that date.
A new date will be set as
soon as possible and all mem
bers will be advised.
The postponement of this
meeting gives members some
additional time to vote for their
choice of four members to serve
on the Board of Directors.
According to an Amendment
to the By-laws, the ballots must
be In theChamberofCommerce
office three days prior to the
Annual Meeting; therefore, any
member who has not mailed
his ballot may still do so.
According to troopers Mrs.
Scruggs was driving west on
Sharon Road and topped a hill
on the wrong side of the road.
Her car crashed into a truck
driven by Clifford Farr, 31,
of Rt. 5, Cumming. Farr es
caped serious injury though his
pickup truck was demolished.
Mrs. Scruggs suffered head
injuries, chest injuries and bro
ken bones but according to Hall
County Hospital has shown im
provement since the accident.
She was listed in ‘‘poor'’ con
dition Friday and in “satis
factory" condition Tuesday.
Her son, Tony Darwin Scr
uggs, 10, was reported in sat
isfactory condition late Tues
day.
Two daughters, Angela, 3,
and Teresa, 8, were also ad
mitted to hall County Hospital.
Both were released from the
hospital Monday.
Article
Features
Anderson
ATLANTA, Ga. Ray An
derson, who represents the UJS.
Department of Agriculture’s
Food and Nutrition Service in
Forsyth and 24 other Northeast
Georgia counties, is the subject
of a feature article in the cur
rent issue of the nationally dis
tributed magazine, “Food and
Nutrition."
Entitled, “An OIC Masters
Nutrition Education," the story
describes Anderson’s success
ful efforts to promote better
nutrition education in the area
he serves by rallying the supp
ort of all the available res
ources and allies. Accomp
anying the article is a photo
continued on Page 2)
Bonnie Scruggs, 40, of Rt. 1,
Suwanee, was also a passenger
in the car. He was treated
at Hall and later transferred
to the Veteran’s Administra
tion Hospital in Decatur. VA
Hospital records listed his con
dition as “serious".
The state patrol lodged char
ges of driving on the wrong side
of the road against Mrs.
Scruggs.
Schools List
Makeup Days
Forsyth CoOnty school child
ren will be attending classes
on three Saturdays to make up
some of the days missed due
to the ice storm.
But no school days will be
added at the end of the sche
duled school year, according
to Supt. Robert Otwell.
Otwell said the revised sche
dule for the school year in
cludes classes on Friday and
Saturday of this week. Friday
was to be a teacher planning
day.
Forsyth schools were closed
the entire week of January 8 to
12 because of an ice storm Jan.
7 and 8 and a hard freeae
which followed.
The remaining three days
will be made up on March 3,
(a Saturday), April 20 (a spring
holiday) and April 28, (another
Saturday).
The revised schedule has
been approved by the State Boa
rd of Education which requires
Georgia schools to be in session
180 days.
Otwell said there has been
no change in graduation plans
and the school year will end
May 28 as was previously pl
anned.
miVVI FORSYTH VFWfi
llftll COUNTY nCIVVS
CUMMING, GEORGIA
GMPC Computer Taxing Proposal
Should Save Money For County
Forsyth County could save
considerably In Its annual tax
mailings, according to a pro
posal presented to the Forsyth
County Commission at its re
gular meeting Monday night.
Ralph Roberts of the Georgia
Mountains Planning Commis
sion (GMPC) explained that the
tax bills could be computerized,
Roberts said the billings cou
ld be programmed and run off
using the GMPC’s computer
at cost. The maximum cost to
the county, according to Roberts
would be $3,500. The county
Georgia House Flouridates Water
Then Recesses Until February 12
ATLANTA—The Georgia
House of Representatives took
action on a number of mea
sures during the second week
of the 1973 General Assembly
session, then recessed on Fri
day for three weeks of budget
hearings.
The House will reconvene
on February 12. While the re
cess is primarUy for the pur
pose of allowing the House A
ppropriations Committee time
to conduct budget hearings, ot
her panels also will meet dur
ing the interim.
Atlanta Steeplechase Date Set
The date for the eighth run
ning of the Atlanta Steeplechase
has been set for Saturday,
March 17, and this year the Mul
tiple Sclerosis Society benefit
will offer purse money of S2O
- for six ra’ces, according to
John A. Wayt Jr., chairman.
Georgia Baptist s
Gave sl3 5-million
ATLANTA—Georgia Bap
tists gave $13,453,907 for mis
sions, education and benevolent
causes in 1972, according to
a report released today by Dr.
Searcy S. Garrison, Executive
Secretary-Treasurer of the
Georgia Baptist Convention.
This was an increase of $2,183,
732 over gifts for missions,
educational and benevolent cau
ses in 1971.
A total of $6,635,908 was
raised through the Convention’s
Cooperative Program, the plan
used by Southern Baptists as
the principal channel of support
of denominational causes. The
Cooperative Program gifts ex
ceeded 1971 by $318,563, an in
crease of 5.4 per cent.
Baptisms increased by 3,031
in Georgia Baptist churches
during 1972, for a total of 33,
107 baptisms in nearly 3000
churches, according to Dr. Ga
rrison. At the same time, Gar
rison reported total member
ship in churches in fellowship
with the convention at 1,033,299,
an Increase of 15,247 for the
year.
In other statistics, Vacation
Bible School enrolment climbed
to 251,563, an increase of 13,-
882, an enrollment in programs
of church music increased to
107,884, for an increase of
10,005.
Value of all church property
including homes for most pas
tors, was listed at $429,341,786
a gain in one year of $30,-
127,855.
Total receipts through the
churches, for all causes rea
ched an all-time high of s9l,- .
237,636, an increase of $7,72ft),
267 over 1971.
DEDICATED TO THE PROGRESS OF CUMMING AND FORSYTH COUNTY
LXVI
now pays in excess of SIO,OOO
per year for its tax billings.
The commission then passed
a motion calling for Roberts
to meet with county tax offi
cials and determine the feasi
bility of such a move.
In other GMPC business at
the meeting, the commission
moved to invite the GMPC to
conduct a study of the water
and sewer situation in the
county.
The commission named two
men to fill the two vacancies
on the planning and zoning boa
Among the bills approved by
the House Monday was a mea
sure which would make fluo
ridation of all drinking water
in the state mandatory. The
original bill was amended, how
ever, to allow cities and coun
ties to exempt themselves from
its provisions through the ref
erendum process. Another a
mendment requires the state to
bear the cost of the fluoridat
ion process in cities and coun
ties which presently do not
add fluoride to the water.
On Tuesday the House passed
Traditionally, the Atlanta e
vent kicks off the eastern cir
cuit of hunt meet horse racing,
and this year is. expected to at
tract a bigger-than-ever field
of top jumping horses, because
the purse money makes Atlanta!
the third richest steeplechase in
America.
This year,‘the Atlanta Cup,
feature attraction of the day,
will offer SIO,OO, up’ from
$7,500 last year.
“After two years of wet wea
ther, we are due for a beauti
ful day," Wayt said, explain
ing that the National Steeple
chase and Hunt Association a
People Like Open Country -
But They Live In The City
WASHINGTON, Rural famil
ies will be able to stay closer
together in the future because
of the opportunities possible
through rural development."
Rural development simply
means “making rural Ameri
ca a better place to live and
work,” says William Erwin,
Deputy Under Secretary of Ag
riculture for Rural Develop
ment. He adds, “A lot of peo
ple in rural areas are tired
of watching their young people
move away to cities to find
work.”
Thirty-four percent of. the
people surveyed in a poll said
they would prefer to live in
open country. Yet only 12 per
cent live there. This indicates
that many men and women liv
ing in the city today would much
rather be back in the country
where they started, if only they
could find a decent job. Some
return even without one, so
disillusioned are they with city
life.
One rural community made
special efforts to train its you
th for “export”--for specific
jobs available in surrounding
cities. But even with such pre
paration, 25 out of 40 graduates
of the program turned around
' and went back home.
• “City life simply wasn’t for
ISSUE 4
rd. Commissioners Lanier Ba
nnister and Larry Watson pre
viously clashed on the makeup
and function of the planning
board and as if by design,
each nominated one man and
the nominations were closed.
The two new members of the
planning board are Jimmy Bra
ckett of Cumming and Everett
Parks of die Chestatee area.
The commission was to dis
cuss the creation of a board of
appeals for the planning board
but Bannister asked that the
talk be postponed until a meet
a bill designed to equalize edu
cational opportunities in all Ge
orgia school systems. Its auth
ors calculate that one result
will be to have the state give
local school systems an addit
ional sls million.
Essentially, the legislation
determined the average cost per
child throughout the state, a fig
ure arrived at by using the
average daily attendance (ADA)
figures and the average tax
millage across the state. Then,
each.county is examined to de
termine if 40 per cent of its
tax digest divided by its ADA
wards dates for the circuit of
jump racing, and there is lit
tle opportunity for changing
dates.
“By April or May horses have
moved up the eastern seaboard
and are competing in Virginia,
Maryland and New Jersey. It
is essential that the southern
most cities on the circuit have
their meetings early in the
year,” he explained.
The Atlanta Steeplechase has
traditionally attracted capacity
crowds to the picturesque
course near Cumming, and Wayt
said he expected from 15,000 to
18,000 this year.
them , " said Irwin, who,
on Jan. 4. was nominated to
fill the new post of Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture for
Rural Development.
One rural development effort
local people can undertake is
to try to create more jobs in
their local areas. That way,
young people don’t have to leave.
The deputy under secretary
has talked to thousands of rural
people across the country about
rural development. “When you
talk about rural development
in a little community, people
often say ‘we don’t want those
big city problems brought out
here’, he reports.
“But when you say‘how about
giving your sons and daughters
a chance to stay home,’ they
get enthusiastlc-about develop
ment.”
Figures bear out the impor
tance of a greater variety of
jobs to all rural people, far
mers as well as nonfarmers.
For Instance, 62 percent of
farmers make more money
from off-farm work than they
clear from their farm busin
ess.
In fact, more farmers, as
well as their sons and daugh
ters, are finding a job in local
15 CENTS PER COPY
ing where all commissioners
were present. Commissioner
Crawford Roe was absent Mon
day night.
The commission moved to
ask the state to designate 11
miles of county road as a state
route. The road links U.S. 19
and Ga. 369 in the Silver City
area of North Forsyth County.
The commission voted to use
the Bank of Cumming for all
regular county business. The
bank issued a bid of 2.99 per
cent interest rate for money
borrowed by the county dur
meets the average figure. If
a county falls short, it would
receive a state supplement to
meet minimum educational co
sts. The measure also contains
a feature to encourage counties
to provide “enrichment” funds.
The percentage of the county’s
educational tax millage devoted
to such funds would determine
the amount of state funds to
be received.
Wednesday, after lengthy de
bate, the House sent back to
committee for further study a
measure designed to re-enact
Georgia’s death penalty. The
bill would have specified 10
specific crimes for which the
death penalty would be imposed
and also would have established
an extensive review procedure
by the Georgia Supreme Court.
On Thursday the House moved
to bring presidential campaign
ing to Georgia on a large scale
with the passage of a bill to
establish a presidential prefer
ential primary in the state.
The measure sets the last
Tuesday in June as the date
for the general primary in Ge
orgia and provides for a pro
cess of opening that primary
to bona fide presidential can
didates of both parties during
presidential election years.
On Friday the House approved
several bills and dealt with
legislation ranging from bar
exams to vocational education
assistance.
industry a good way to hold
on to the rural way of life
they like while enjoying in
comes that come closer to
matching city levels.
laiistir
Nears Gripes
Got a gripe?
County Commissioner Lanier
Bannister says he’ll listen.
Bannister says he plans on
being at the county building
each Saturday from 9 a.m. to
noon to hear anyone who wants
to complain or ask questions
about county business.
INSIDE THE NEWS
Forsyth County High
School Senior Lisa Cobb
joins us this week with news
of and for the Bulldogs.
You’ll find her column this
week on Page 12. Also on
Page 12 is a slight touch
of Hollywood which came
to Cumming. It’s just a
slight touch but ... well
you’ll see.
JANUARY 25, 1973
ing the rest of 1973. The bid
from the Forsyth County Bank
was 4.39 per cent. The county
is delinquent since Jan. 1 on
a $400,000 loan and is not ex
pected to be able to borrow
money until the debt is paid.
A report from the commis
sion’s committee on record
keeping was introduced into the
minutes. It was signed by the
members Bannister, Com
missioner Lawton Sosebee and
Chairman Herman Hamby.
“We plan to hold other com
mittee meetings and to report
back to the full froup,” the
report said. “Our intentions
are to work for the best sim
ple workable system of records
in all offices in the county to
better plan and account for
every penny taken in and spent
by this body. Only by doing
this can we hope to get our
county on a sound financial
footing that our citizens are
entitled to."
The committee suggested the
help of the county administra
tor fox Hall County for county
records and the assistance of
Sheriff Dwayne Gilbert of
Griffin for Sheriff’s Department
documents.
The commission postponed
for further study a request
for additional funds from the
Lanier Lake Regional Library.
The library asked the county
for about $2,500 more than in
previous years.
“I don’t think we can afford
that big an increase with the
county in the shape its in,"
Bannister said.
The commission rezoned
from agricultural to residential
two tracts of land The Sharon
Springs subdivision and the Joel
Webb property.
Sharon Springs was previ
ously denied and its owners
went to court successfully. The
action Monday followed sup
erior court orders.
After being advised by coun
ty attorney Emory Lipcomb in
that the Webb case was so sim
ilar that court action would
bring about the same verdict,
the commission also approved
it.
Chairman Hamby reported
that he personally investigated
a complaint that the Frogtown
Bridge was unsafe for school
buses. Hamby said there was a
plank or two loose but the
bridge “looked pretty strong
to me. A mule may hang his
foot in it but it is safe for
traffic,” he said.
Bannister said Forsyth Co
unty was one of the few in the
state which had no “unsafe”
bridges used by school buses.
The county moved to make
minor repairs on the bridge.
The county also moved‘to
have bids let for minor repairs
to the courthouse. Plumbing re
pairs are needed to prevent
records in ’he clerk’s office
from being ~,‘ned. Bids will
also be taken from extermin
ators because of the ant pro
blem throughout the court
house.
Solon Backs
Drug Bill
ATLANTA—Rep. BUI Wllli
ams of Gainesville and others
have introduced three bills to
strengthen drug laws and to
abolish the unsworn statement
in criminal cases.
House BUI 417 would Increase
the punishment for selling drugs
to 10 years* sentence for or
dinary drugs and to a maxi
mum of 15 years for selling
LSD.
House Bill 418 provides that
vehicles and boats condemned
by the state for transporting
drugs may be placed under the
State Division of Investigation
in order to combat drug traf
fic Instead of being sold.
House BUI 419 removes the
right of a criminal defendant
to make an unsworn statement.