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DEDICATED TO THE PROGRESS
OF CUMMING AND FORSYTH COUNTY
CUMMING, GEORGIA
County Starts Court Action Against
Trailer Owners Who Haven't Paid
Realtor
Cullen
Is Dead
Cumming Developer and real estate
man William Clarence “Bill” Cullen, 52,
died last week.
Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Toni
Cullen.
Cullen was president of Rebos Realty
Company, Cullen Construction Company,
and Appalachian Mortgage and In
vestment Company.
He was the developer of several sub
divisions including Greenwood Acres
northwest of Cumming and Lanier Shores
in Hall County.
Cullen was an active Mason and a
member of Lafayette Lodge No. 44 F. &
A.M. where he held several offices in
cluding that of Senior Deacon.
He was past High Priest of Silver Shoals
Chapter No. 14 Royal Arch Masons and
past Master of Gwinnett Council No. 44 R.
&S.M.
Cullen was also past Commander of
Arnold DeTroye Commandry No. 31
Knights Templar. He was a 32nd Degree
Scottish Rite Mason, a member of Yaarab
Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. and past president
of the Cumming Shrine Club.
Funeral services were held Friday
morning at the Cumming United
Methodist Church with Revs. Bob Bowling,
Roger Williams and George Evans
presiding.
He was buried at the Sawnee View
Memorial Gardens with lafayette Lodge
No. 44 F. & A.M. in charge of Masonic
graveside Services.
Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Toni
Cullen; a brother, Kenneth Cullen of
Toronto, Canada; a sister, Mrs. Ellen
Gilchrist also of Toronto; and several
nieces and nephews.
Escapes
A Forsyth County man who was serving
a 21-year sentence for a robbery conviction
escaped from Waycross Correctional
Institute last week.
A sheriff’s department spokesman said
this morning that anyone with any in
formation as to the whereabouts of Weldon
Martin, who was serving the sentence for a
Forsyth County robbery, should contact
the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department.
Martin reportedly escaped from the
prison yesterday morning.
An Open Letter
From the Coach
Forsyth County is on the threshold
of becoming one of the major
counties in the State of Georgia in
industry, population, recreation,
and schools. Our school system has
grown at a phenomenal rate in the
last ten years, but sad to say,
athletjc teams representing the
county schools have not always kept
pace with the growth.
The forthcoming school year will
bring many new improvements for
the people of Forsyth County - new
additions to schools, a new middle
school, new teachers and, of concern
to those who love athletics and
athletes, a new football field house,
new coaching staff and new pride in
the football program.
Probably the most damaging
thing to the football program has
been the very small number of those
young men who participate. Next
season we hope to involve 70 to 100
athletes in the program. Interest
must be created and pride in
belonging must be instilled in order
to realize this goal! You can help us
do this—How? In several ways.
Three immediate ones are:
—By encouraging those athletes
you know to participate in the school
programs.
—By becoming a member of the
Bulldog Booster’s Club and at
tending all games possible. (I.ast
year at one game there were 26
Bulldog fans in the home stands—we
lost the ballgame be less than one
touchdown in the last 1:58 minutes of
inIVVI FORSYTH irpurc
1 fill COUNTY A 1 Cl W 9
LXVI
An Editorial
Shades of Mahatma Gandhi. At least 1,000 persons in Forsyth County have
taken up the banner of civU disobedience. The county assessed them $25 for
living in a mobile home and they haven’t paid it.
There may be some who just don’t have the 25 skins and maybe a few who
don’t know about the levy, but most have been notified either by mail, through
this paper or by a neighbor mobile home resident.
The mobile home dwellers were plenty mad a few months back when the
ordinance first passed but their anger at what they thought was unfair didn’t
serve them to organize.
Now they’re not paying the fee and can expect some real trouble if they
continue to do so.
The county claims it means business and means to collect the money and
each offender could conceivably be fined SI,OOO and sentenced to county jail for
12 months.
We don’t expect all 1,000 homeowners to be squeezed into the delapidated
county jail, but some people will probably be rather inconvenienced by any
action the courts may take.
Non-payment, at this point, will most likely result in complications a lot more
dear to most folks than $25.
We won’t argue with the intent of the non-payers but their method is im
proper. If they genuinely feel they were treated unfairly, they should have
organized from the start.
They could have formed a mobile homeowners association and fought like
crazy. With a small donation from each member, they’d have had plenty of
money to retain an attorney and fight the levy in court.
It would not have been unreasonable to expect a judge to order the county to
hold the money in a special account pending a court decision and if the trailer
owners won, they could expect a simple refund.
That’s what they could have done and should have done if they strongly
believe they were right.
But they did not and now face pretty stem consequences for non-payment.
Some justices of the Peace already let the commissioners know they are ready
to draw up the warrants (for their fees, of course) and the homeowner who has
not paid can reasonably expect action to come.
Civil disobedience can be a noble thing in someone who fully understands a
situation, is aware of the consequences and is ready to suffer those con
sequences for his cause. .
But somehow we feel that most of the folks who are holding off on their s2o
really don’t know what they’re asking for.
Aug. Build Permits
Are Up And Down
The number of permits issued by the
Cumming-Forsyth Building and Zoning
Office was below the level reached during
the month of August 1972, but the total
value for permits issued is somewhat
higher.
G. W. Blair administrator for the zoning
department said that 26 single family
dwelling permits were issued this month at
a combined value of $805,493 in com
parison with 33 permits issued for the
same month last year at a total of $853,000.
Blair’s office also issued 17 other per
mits for other .type building and con
play. Don’t you think more fans
could have made a difference!!!)
—By helping us in any way
possible to buy and construct the
new field house. Seven thousand
dollars has been appropriated for
this building program. Plans of the
building are included as an en
closure to this letter. The projected
cost is set at $17,000. The total
requirement for concrete block for
the structure is 8000. If each student
in high school would contribute 8
blocks (about $1.60) we would meet
this requirement.
Any questions you have con
cerning the programs at Forsyth
County High School can be answered
by Johnny Otis, Principal, or Bud
Amsler, Head Football Coach.
Additional information concerning
the Bulldog Boosters Club is forth
coming.
Help from those who are in
terested in the young people in the
county would make the
job much easier. Won’t you help
build the field house? We need it!
Address all inquires and donations
to FCHS Field House Fund.
Thank you, for any support you
can give us. We want the best high
school athletic program we can
possibly develop, and you can help
us.
Sincerely,
B.M. Amsler
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1973
struction that included one church at a
total value of $324,264, as compared with
last year’s August total 17 permits issued
at a cost of $164,500.
Blair’s office also in August issued 49
mobile home permits that included 12 in
mobile home parks.
The month of August 1972 showed 40
mobile home permits issued with 12 in
mobile home parks and 28 in other
locations.
Building permits issued in the first eight
months of this year number 425 as com-
Continued on Page 3
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This photo to the Forsyth County High School Cheerleaders was snapped several
weeks ago as they attended a National Cheerleaders Association clinic at the
University of Georgia in Athens. They’re hoping they’ll have plenty to cheer about
Friday when the Bulldogs go up against East Hall High School in Gainesville. The
The Forsyth County Commission
Monday voted to go to the courts to collect
the $25 per mobile home assessment from
an estimated more than 1,000 mobile home
dwellers.
The board of commissioners passed the
ordinance enabling the $25 fee in last
spring and imposed a July 1 deadline.
The deadline was later extended to Aug.
1 and though that is now some 45 days
overdue, less than half of the 2,200 mobile
home owners qualifying for the levy have
paid.
County Attorney Emory Lipscomb 111
initially suggested a “final warning”
mailing to the delinquent taxpayers, but
the commissioners agreed on action to
begin immediately.
The form of the action, however, is
uncertain.
Commissioners said several justices of
the peace were anxious to begin drawing
up warrants against those who have not
paid the assessment but Lipscomb first
plans to consult a Superior Court Judge.
The enabling county law specified
misdemeanor punishment for non
payment which means a fine of up to SI,OOO
and-or 12 months in jail. If court action is
required in the collection, the home
owners could have to pay court costs as
well.
Immediately after the ordinance was
passed there was considerable vocal op
position as many called it “a penalty for
living in a trailer.” But despite threats of
court action against the levy, apparently
no court suits have stemmed from it.
Speculation at the commissioner’s
meeting Monday had it that a number of
persons were simply taking a “wait and
see” attitude to find out whether the
county really will enforce the assessment.
“We’re really going to have problems
from the people who’ve already paid, if we
don’t force the rest to pay,” a commission
member remarked.
The commission, in other business,
delayed for two weeks acting on a request
for money from the Forsyth County Day
Care Center.
The center provides day care for 79
children of working mothers.
Dr. Robert Dunn, who spoke on behalf of
the center, said the entire program at the
center was at first funded by the federal
government’s Appalachian Program, but
as of Oct. 1 the county must come up with
25 per cent of the money to keep the center
in operation.
Dunn said the center hoped to use the
money coming from the paid center fees of
non-eligible children, but has learned that
such fees are subtracted from the overall
operating costs before the 25 per cent
share is tabulated.
The center has an annual budget for pre
school age children of $118,233 including
$18,700 in paid fees. The budget for school
SPIRIT OF THE BULLDOGS
age children is $14,319.
The total local share on the 25 per cent
formula is $28,463. Dr. Dunn explained that
the center staff of 20 earned $86,094 last
year and that 85 mothers who the day care
center enables to work earned an
estimated $500,000 during the past year.
The center has enrolled an average of 60
children a month including 12 children who
were allowed to stay in their own homes at
night only because they attended the
center during the day. The children were
allowed to do so through court orders and
without the center would have to be placed
in foster homes at greater expense to the
county, according to Ronald McClure of
the Department of Family and Children’s
Services.
Dunn said he has noticed significant
change in the welfare children who are
using the center. He said they are
healthier, receiving better meals and
being properly bathed and cared for.
Commissioner Lanier Bannister said the
costs of the center looks like a school
problem but Dunn countered that most of
the children are preschool age—from six
months up.
The mothers from the center will be
raising some funds and the center’s
directors will be soliciting money from
businesses who will benefit by its
' s
LOCAL FFA CHAPTER FARED WELL IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA FAIR
For Details See Story on Page 12 of This Week's News
Shooting Victim “Critical”
A Forsyth County man was in “critical”
condition at Northside Hospital following a
shooting incident early Sunday at the Twin
Trailer Court.
Charles Hyde, 31, was shot in the neck
with a ,22-cal. rifle, according to a sheriff’s
department spokesman.
Charged with aggravated assault in
connection with the incident are Hubert
formation makes listing them left to right a might tricky so well just print their
names. Pictured are lisa Duke, Lynn Whitmire, Pam Stephenson, Connie Charles,
Rhonda Jones, Elaine Thomas, Marsha Barrett, Ann Hopewell, Ann Patterson,
Donna Tate, Joan Watson, Sandra Hamby and Pam Allison.
ISSUE 37
presence, according to Dunn But he said
part of the money must come from the
county.
Dunn explained it as $75,000 the county
can get instead of money the county can
spend. “You can get your money this way,
or you can get it through a dole to the
family.”
“This is money spent on the children, he
said, adding that the mothers were able to
work instead of going on welfare or
returning to welfare.
The commission will reconsider the
request for assistance at its next meeting.
The county opened bids on a half ton
pickup truck and a flatbed truck. Otwell
Motor Co., of Cumming, was the low
bidder on both vehicles. Otwell submitted
a bid of $3,099.49 for the pickup which
includes air-conditioning and radio. The
bid was nearly $l5O below a bid from Hub
Ford and $875 below a bid from Andean
Motor Co.
The lew bid on the flatbed from Otwell
was $3,391.24, well below the other two
bidders.
The commission referred a complaint
about speeders and noisv mufflers to the
sheriff’s department. The complaint was
signed by residents of Pendley Rd. and Old
Atlanta Rd.
Smith, about 35, of Route 5, Cumming, and
his wife Mon tee Smith. Both were held
Monday at the county jail.
According to authorities, the alleged
incident took place after a quarrel over
Smith’s children. The Smith’s told officials
that the shot was fired as they tried to get
the rifle away from Hyde. Hyde told a
contradicting version of the incident.
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