Newspaper Page Text
CUMMING, GA. 30130
Big Snow
Blankets
| • '
Forsyth
BY JIM COSEY
Forsyth Countians Monday began slowly crawling out from under a thick layer
of ice and snow that had virtually put a halt to all types of activity for two days.
It was the second week in a row that the area had experienced a major winter
storm, but last weekend’s was not as devastating as the previous week.
Last weekend s winter storm consisted mainly of snow and freezing rain, but it
didn t stick to the trees, therefore trees and limbs didn’t fall on power lines causing
a major blackout.
The snow began to fall late Saturday and within a few hours had covered the
ground with its white blanket. By Sunday morning downtown Cumming and most
of the county looked like a white wasteland. All traffic was halted as all roads were
covered with a thick layer of ice.
The snow and freezing rain continued throughout the day Sunday and the
temperatures didn’t get above the freezing mark, therefore none of the frozen
precipitation melted.
The temperatures once again plunged downward on Sunday night and by Mon
day morning everything remained at a standstill.
All day Sunday children of all ages took advantage of the weekend and the snow
and lunged down hills on everything from “sho-nuff” sleds to pizza pans.
Cars were seen stranded alongside county roads as some tried to get to the
nearest convenience stores for a few supplies.
Checking with some convenience stores it was discovered that they were spiling
out of most staples such as bread and sugar. One manager stated, “This is the best
days we’ve had since last week! ”
By Monday morning the sun had come out and the slow melting process began.
Most all downtown businesses were closed until around midday and only a few
vehicles with four-wheel drive and some tire chains were seen attempting to move
around.
The accumulation of snow as around five to six inches in most places and some
say if the precipitation had not turned to freezing rain on Saturday and remained in
the form of snow that it would have amounted to around 14 inches.
Forsyth County schools were closed once again on Monday and Tuesday creating
more problems for the administration as they try to figure out how to make up the
missed days due to inclement weather.
According to records at the Sheriff’s Department Deputies Lamar Bowen and
David Swansey had an interesting incident occur during the height of the storm
early Sunday morning.
The department received a call stating that a woman was about to deliver a baby
and the ambulance couldn’t get to the scene. Deputies Bowen and Swansey were
dispatched to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Allen, Rt. 10, Cumming around
4:10 a.m. Sunday. Upon their arrival Mrs. Allen had just delivered a 71b. lloz. baby
boy. The deputies carried the baby and mother to the Forsyth County Hospital and
both are reported to be doing fine. The boy was named James Edward.
Sheriff’s records show numerous traffic accidents due to the weather but no ma
jor injuries have been reported.
Cumming Police Chief Gabe Dukas said only one accident occurred in the city
that resulted in injuries. Around 5 p.m. Sunday a car driven by Joe F. Roberts, 19’
of Gainesville, slid sideways into the path of a vehicle driven by Jerome Swanger,
33, of Cumming. Both were treated for minor injuries at the local hospital.
Chief Dukas also reported that when the snow and ice began to build up, Mayor
Ford Gravitt loaned his personal, four-wheel drive vehicle to the police depart
ment so that patrol could continue. Local car dealers also loaned vehicles to the
police department for use during the winter storm.
A dock at Bald Ridge Marina caved in due to heavy accumulation of snow and ice
and damaged several boats underneath.
As the sun came out Monday morning the snow and ice started turning to slush
and the white stuff turned to dark brown as vehicles began to travel the streets
again.
School Study Set For March
BY CATHY PUCKETT
Staff Writer
In a short 15-minute meeting, School
(Superintendent Robert Otwell told the
[Forsyth County Board of Education
, jH*!, a
Warn Wf m*' V m # (TW! ; k
-C MmW ■ ~
IrJ
Py|)|ML
F0244S W 011180 99 2
SCHCCL IF JPURNALISM
UNIVERSITY CF GECRGIA
ATHENS GA 3C602 _
• FOBSYTH MH««
* llli county IV Em ww 9
VOLUME LXXI
members, the state comprehensive
study concerning the building needs in
the school system is scheduled for
March 7-9.
The Board recently adopted the
22 PAGES. 3 SECTIONS
J
jBBB MB 1.111111
m Maggr
SOFT RIDE-Peyton Sharpe has the right idea for a ride in the snow. If there’s not
a sled available just try using a good soft cushion. Peyton stayed busy riding the
slopes, building snowmen and having snowball battles throughout the weekend
snow fall.
fyl IBS J| JF x
„<ai i. hi i i mwßi
i .1 i bititfiHi
SNOW RlDE—When the ground is covered with good ole’ slick snow there’s not
many things that are as much fun as taking a downhill ride with a friend. Lori
Stnpland (1) and Valori Cosey (r) are ready to slide the snow covered hills of For
syth County.
Building, Growth and Planning Com
mittee’s recommendations for con
struction of a new elementary school,
two new middle grade schools, and
renovation work at the high school. The
SECOND BEST-The Forsyth County
Bulldogs brought home the second
place trophy from the sub-region tour
nament last week. This is the first time
in 11 years that the Bulldogs have plac
ed in a post season tournament. The
Bulldogs upset Cedar Shoals and
Chamblee to advance to the champion
ship game where they met and were
defeated by the top-seeded team, South
Gwinnett. The Bulldogs will face
Stephens County in the region tourna
ment Thursday night at 8:30 at Tucker
High School. (At left) The
Bulldogs were defeated in the semi
final game of the tournament by the
top-seeded team from South Gwinnett.
Lady Dogs Patti Jo Castleberry (1) and
Dawn Brown (r) show dejected faces
following the loss. See complete tourna
ment stories in today’s sports section.
‘Kids Loved It’
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21,1979
state comprehensive study is the next
step toward seeing the building needs in
the school system met.
The board will meet again this week
for the second time to interview ar
chitects. Otwell said about nine ar
chitects will be interviewed before a
selection is made.
In reference to a problem brought
before the board recently concerning
the insufficient nu er of text books for
courses offered at the high school,
board member Harold Glover said he
had met with several department heads
and members of the committee study
ing the problem. Glover said he is get
ting input from the department heads
and committee members, in hopes of
getting a solution to the problem.
The school superintendent told the
board the schools will participate in a
statewide civil defense tornado drill to
be held Feb. 22. Otwell said when he is
contacted he in turn will contact all the
schools to participate in the practice
alert.
The school board voted to make up
school days missed recently due to the
ice storm on March 1 and 2, and extend
the school calendar to May 31. Present
ly the March 1 and 2 days are scheduled
as inservice days for teachers. The in
service day has been changed to Satur
day March 3. The board agreed on the
calendar changes pending approval by
the State Department of Education.
In other business, the board,
-was told work is continuing on the
air conditioning at the high school.
-bids are being accepted for repair
work to the roof of Big Creek School.
-heard a report that bus drivers are
to participate in a State Department of
Transportation Safety Program re
quired by the State Department of
Education. Also seminars on severe
weather and first aid are being offered
to the bus drivers by the Cumming-
Forsyth Civil Defense.
Hospital To
Give Proposal
To County
BY CATHY PUCKETT
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County Hospital Authori
ty voted last week to present a proposal
to the Forsyth County Commissioners
from the Brookwood Health Services,
Inc., (BHS) concerning management
health care services for the hospital.
The proposal calls for an operational
management fee of four per cent of the
gross revenue of the hospital, to be paid
on a monthly basis. The first year’s an
nual fee shall not exceed $75,000, based
on the proposed $l.B million building
project.
Representatives of BHS told the
hospital board they have their own
design construction department and
can supervise and manage and develop
drawings the hospital authority
adopted a year ago, prior to the pro
posal.
Any major changes in the plans
might cause problems when the
hospital applies for renewal of the Cer
tificate of Need from the state. The cer
tificate expires March 28,1979, and the
board authorized hospital ad
ministrator Louis Markham to apply
for a six month extension of the cer
tificate.
The phase of the health care services
plan calls for services to manage and
develop of the hospital, and to sign a let
ter of intent to lease the hospital once
the renovation and additions are com
plete and absorb the debt incurred.
Under the health care services pro
Local Realtors
Give Awards
The Forsyth Area Board of Realtors
recently named Bill Barnett as their
Realtor of the Year, along with
Jeanette Barfield as Realtor Associate
of the Year.
Barnett, associated with Brokers
Alliance Realty, is a graduate of The
University of Georgia, past president of
the Forsyth Junior Chamber of Com
merce and is presently a member of the
board of directors for the Forsyth
Chamber of Commerce.
He is also past treasurer of the For
syth Area Board of Realtors and has
held numerous posts in the board.
Barnett was recently elected to the For
syth County Commission Board and is
presently secretary of the Forsyth
County-Cumming Rotary Club.
Barnett resides off Nuckols Road
with his wife, Barbara, and daughter.
,-a. i -y' mCIHM ''X'ifcT-^ff'r,,^'
« SgBBSr '■ v ': > 4
|r *^L
' / / jA
'/ A\l -: : ■• ■ •• -. .; .
jA Ax' "A 1I :V , ,
JH t T jF I
RECEIVE AWARD-Bill Barnett was recently named Realtor of the Year for 1978
and Jeanette Barfield received the honor of Realtor Associate of the Year. They
received plaques from the Forsyth Area Board of Realtors at a recent special ban
quet held in their honor.
NUMBER 8
posal the Forsyth County Commis
sioners would have to sign a loan which
would come from Fanners Home Ad
ministration. The proposal will be
presented to the commissioners at their
next regular meeting scheduled for
Monday, Feb. 26.
Brookwood Health Services is based
in Birmingham, Ala., and presently
manages nine hospital facilities.
BHS was the fourth health care ser
vice to present a proposal offering
health care services to Forsyth County
Hospital. Last month, the hospital
board met with the commissioners in a
special called meeting and heard from
two health care services. Last week at
the regular hospital board meeting
Hospital Affiliates International, Inc.
from Nashville, Tenn, along with
Brookwood offered proposals.
In the HAI proposal, their manage
ment fee of $92,000 contract called for
an annual fee increase of a percentage
equal to the percentage increase in the
consumer price index.
Before voting to accept the proposal
of Brookwood and present it to the com
missioners the hospital board discussed
the proposals and heard presentations
that lasted about four and a half hours.
Upon accepting the Brookwood pro
posal and voting to request the commis
sioner’s support of the program, the
board voted agreed they felt the ser
vices offered by BHS would be the best
plan to offer better health care services
for the people of Forsyth County.
Mrs. Barfield of Rebos Realty, has
been active in the Real Estate profes
sion for some eight years. She has been
active with the Forsyth Area Board of
Realtors during the past five years,
largely in the capacity of membership
and dues chairman.
She is a PTA member and a sponsor
of the Forsyth County band programs.
She and her husband, Sid, have
previously received the Band Parents
of the Year award for their work and
support of the program.
Mrs. Barfield sold the first business
on Georgia 400 in Forsyth County and is
partly responsible for Mallen In
dustries’ decision to locate in Forsyth
County within the next year.
Mr. and Mrs. Barfield reside on Dunn
Road. They have three daughters,
Darice, Stacey and Stephanie.
TELEPHONE 887-3124