Newspaper Page Text
Donna McWhorter Is
Basketball Sweetheart
Miss Donna McWhorter, a senior at Forsyth County High School,
was crowned the Basketball Sweetheart during festivities held
Saturday night.
Donna was crowned by last year’s winner, Deborah Mills.
Donna is a member of the varsity basketball team and has seen a
lot of action this year. She represented the senior class in the con
test.
First runner-up for the title was Ginger Orr, also representing
the senior class. Second runner-up was Holly Starr, sophomore;
and third runner-up was Dana Echols, junior class.
The Basketball Sweetheart was part of the Basketball Festival
held Saturday night, sponsored by the Athletic Booster Club. See
more pictures of events on page 11.
VOLUME LXXII NUMBER 6
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All ready for Valentine’s Day on Thursday is the Calendar
Girl for February Jodi Smith. Jodi is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. M.L. Smith, Rt. 7, Cumming. Miss February is a
member of the Senior Beta Club, Y Club, Language Club,
Miss Bulldog candidate, was captain of the Fabulous Flashes
County Happy Over
Court’s Tax Ruling
BY JIM COSE Y
Forsyth County Commission Chair
man Bill Barnett expressed Monday his
relief that the Georgia Supreme Court
had upheld the local option sales tax.
A suit originated in Taylor County
stating the local option sales tax was
unconstitutional, went to the Supreme
Court for a ruling. Last week they ruled
that it was constitutional.
Chairman Barnett said Monday,
“I'm real glad. We can all breathe a lot
easier now. The local option sales tax is
giving Forsyth County some 4.25 mills
tax relief per year. If we had lost it we
would have had to go up on taxes by
some four mills. I just hope this ends
the controversy.”
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Miss February
At Monday’s short meeting the com
missioners awarded a cable tv fran
chise to Lanier Cablevision, owned by
Robert C. Tate and Jeff Dalusky. The
Commissioners awarded the franchise
due to the fact that the company will be
based in Cumming. In the franchise
contract the commissioners stated that
at least 10 miles of cable must be laid
within 12 months.
The initial service will include 13
channels and a future proposal of 24
channels including Home Box Office.
The city of Cumming previously
awarded a cable tv franchise to a firm
in Dahlonega.
It was announced Monday that the
Department of Transportation has
recently authorized paving contracts in
Majorette Corps and a Homecoming Queen candidate. She
has a younger brother, Jay 13. Jodi plans to attend the
Brenau School of Nursing following graduation. The Calen
dar Girl is a monthly feature sponosred by The Forsyth Coun
ty News.
Forsyth County under LARK funding.
The roads are: Turner Road, 1.25
miles; Mary Alice Park Road, 1.90
miles; and Mathis Airport Road, 2.15
miles.
Also at Monday’s meeting the For
syth County Hospital requested $6,824
of their 1979 budgeted money which was
not used. The commissioners pointed
out that it was a motion on the books
that any department’s budgeted money
which is not used goes back into the
general fund.
Commissioner Garland Barron made
a motion to deny the hospital’s request
and place the overrun money back into
the general fund like all other depart
ments. The vote was unanimous.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13,19fc0 CUMMING. GA. 30130
‘Shake-Up’ Seen
In Zoning Office
BY JIM COSE Y
Editor
There was a “shake-up” in the plann
ing and zoning department last week
when the Forsyth County Commis
sioners met in a called session and
voted to give longtime planning and
lofting .administrator Edsel Martin a
“two week termination notice”.
This action came on the heels of
recommendations from the Planning
Commission after an investigation was
made into the planning and zoning of
fice concerning “enforcement pro
blems”.
Martin had been head of the office for
some four years. The commissioners
voted to appoint Gail Davis as the new
Planning Director, effective Feb. 1.
No formal complaints were heard at
the commission meeting but sources
revealed that the planning commission
had earlier this year asked for an in
vestigation into the enforcement pro
blems in the planning and zoning office.
This investigation was made by County
Attorney Lynwood D. Jordan who
reported several complaints concern
ing zoning in the county.
Upon receipt of this report the plann
ing commission, composed of Louie
Hansard, Charles Ingram, Larry Town
send, Larry Pendley and Talmadge
Bolton, met on Jan. 31 and voted to ask
the county commissioners to give Mar
tin a two week notice. They also recom
mended that Mrs. Davis be appointed
as planning director.
Last Tuesday the county commis
sioners voted to accept the recommen
dations of the planning commission. All
commissioners voted to give Martin a
two week notice with the exception of
James Harrington who abstained.
The motion to appoint Mrs. Davis as
planning director was unanimous. The
commissioners did not take the recom
mendation to replace Mrs. Davis as
senior clerk. The board did vote to
advertise for a parttime inspector to
assist James Ivey Hughes with the in
spection functions of the planning and
zoning department.
Clogged Chimneys
Are Causing Fires
Forsyth County Volunteer Fire
Department officials are finding out
fast local citizens need to clean out their
chimneys. Soot build-up in chimneys
and in wood burning heater pipes have
caused firemen from Stations One,
Four and Six to answer calls during the
past week. Even though one house ac
tually caught on fire, volunteer firemen
were able to get the fire under control
before there was any major fire
damage.
A building belonging to a Beagle Club
located on Gilbert-Trammel Road was
totally destroyed by fire last Thursday.
Firemen said volunteer firemen receiv
ed the call after the building was totally
engulfed in flames.
Last Monday Station Eight received
another fire call to a chimney fire on
Westbrook Road off Jot-em-Down
Road, which resulted in no major fire
damage.
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Fun In Snow
Snowmen were abundant throughout Forsyth County last week as the county
recorded some three inches of snow and school was out for two days. These three
youngsters represent hundreds of kids who enjoyed making their own snowmen.
They (1-r) are: Lorren Murphy, Beau Nygaard and Kevin Murphy. Their snowman
sported a carrot nose, baseball hat and ball and glove.
Students Get Holidays
Due To Snow Storm
BY CATHY PUCKETT
Staff Writer
Forsyth County School children en
joyed an unexpected two-day holiday
from school last week, when freezing
temperatures and several inches of
snow blanketed the area.
The local school system was among
many north Georgia schools that closed
due to slick icy road conditions.
Forsyth County School Superinten
dent Robert Otwell explained when
determining whether or not to close the
schools begins a “chain-reaction” of
phone calls and driving throughout the
county checking on road conditions.
Otwell said he keeps close tabs with
the Atlanta Weather Bureau when bad
weather is being forcasted for the area.
He explained that the county is in Zone
Two and Zone Three and he talks by
phone to weather officials to get up to
date weather reports being predicted
and continues a close check until
weather conditions are back to safe
driving conditions.
Also part of the “chain-reaction” to
determine whether schools should close
is keeping a close check on secondary
paved and dirt county roads, the school
superintendent said. Otwell, along with
officials of the transportation depart
ment in the school system have certain
routes they drive over throughout the
bad weather periods to determine
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24 PAGES, 2 SECTIONS
whether it would be safe for school
buses to travel over the roads. Otwell
said there are several roads in the area
that are noted for being “trouble
spots,” during bad weather conditions.
Also many bus drivers volunteer their
services by driving over their route and
reporting to the transportation depart
ment their findings on roads in their
area;
The school superintendent noted
cooperation with Hall County and
Cherokee County school officials in
determining road conditions at the nor
thern and western areas of the county.
He said their routes come close to the
county, and they in turn relay informa
tion to aid each other about road condi
tions.
When a decision is made to close
schools, Otwell has several school of
ficials he contacts by phone, who in turn
have others to be contacted. Thus the
“chain-reaction” continues to give of
ficials of the school system the message
that there will be no school in the coun
ty-
Otwell reminded Forsyth County
school children as well as parents to
monitor WSB radio station in Atlanta
(750 AM) before 7 a.m., and after 7
a.m., WSNE radio station in Cumming
(1170 AM), for information about school
closings during bad weather conditions.