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VOLUME LXXI NUMBERS
Auto Theft Ring
Broken Up Here
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Checks Out
Forsyth County Sheriff Wesley Walraven takes down serial number on allegedly
stolen car that was recently recovered in Forsyth County. Checking out under the
hood is Harold Compton of the National Auto Theft Bureau, who assisted local of
ficers in breaking up the largest auto theft ring ever in north Georgia.
County Approves
Video System
For Local Jail
BY JIM COSE Y
The Forsyth County Commissioners
Monday approved the emergency pur
chase of an audio-visual system for the
Forsyth County Jail to halt what Sheriff
Wesley Walraven termed a “critical
situation”.
At the regular meeting, Sheriff
Walraven told the county’s governing
authority, “We have a critical situation
at the jail. Our jail population is in
creasing. Six nights a week, from mid
night to 8 a.m. we don’t have a jailer on
duty. All we have is a dispatcher. He’s
not allowed into the jail cell area. We
don’t have anyone to work security. We
need an additional jailer, but at the pre
sent time we can get by if we install a
closed circuit tv system so the dispat
cher can watch the corridors and call
for help if needed.”
The sheriff pointed out that if a
prisoner calls for help or any kind of
ruckus comes up in the cell area, the
dispatcher is not allowed to investigate.
He must call for a car to come in and
check on the trouble. “If we have the tv
system, the dispatcher can keep a
watch on the area and if something
comes up, he’ll have more time to call
in a regular deputy to handle the situa
tion,” Walraven added.
The system will only monitor the
Young Majorette
Continues Winning
BY CATHY PUCKETT
Staff Writer
Janie Lark is continuing to fill her trophy case with medals and trophies as
a contender in majorette pageants in the National Baton Twirling Associa
tion.
Recently Janie was named second runner-up in the title trophy division of
the Miss Valentine Princess Majorette contest in Clemson, South Carolina.
She also received second place trophies in solo twirling, best appearing, fan
cy, strut and hoop twirling competition. She was named third place winner in
the military march and fourth place in basic strut.
_ 1980, has been a busy year for the young twirler, as she has also won
awards in solo, fancy, basic and hoop techniques including a third place
Georgia State Trophy, and title trophy in the Miss New Year Majorette
Queen of 1980.
In yet another pageant this year, Janie was awarded five medals including
a fourth place runner-up in title and first place in fancy strut, in the Miss
Roman Classic Princess Pageant.
She is a featured twirler with the Forsyth County High School Flash of
Crimson Band. She has performed at basketball and football games with the
Otwell Middle School, where she is an eighth grader.
Janie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Lark of the Ducktown Com
munity. She has been twirling for three years and has competed in baton
twirling events for one year, which has won her 42 trophies and medals for
her talents. She twirls her baton everyday plus takes lessons one day a week
from Gay Hill Dawson.
The young twirler has competed in various age groups including 11 to 13
years old right on up to 15 to 20 year olds. Janie says she never tires of twirl
ing her baton and plans to continue ‘struting” her way along in future com
petitions.
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fk nil COUNTY HMiWW 9
hallways and not the cells. The cost of
the system is $5,624.90.
Commissioner Harrison Tallant first
responded, “I’m sure we need it, but
the problem is finding the money.”
Commission Chairman Bill Barnett
asked the sheriff, “What about the time
element on getting this system install
ed?” Walraven replied, “It’s like a time
bomb. Nothing could happen until
tomorrow or six months from now. It
just depends on the amount of risk you
want to take.”
Leroy Hubbard pointed out that this
system would be cheaper than hiring an
additional jailer. Tallant then made a
motion to declare this an emergency
situation, so bids would not have to be
requested, and purchase the system
and have it installed. Hubbard made
the second and the vote was unanimous.
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In other business, the commissioners
voted on the qualifying fees for the
various offices up for election this year.
The fees are three per cent of the an
nual salary or $lO for those offices bas
ed on a fee system such as the justice of
the peace, coroner and county
surveyor.
In final action of the day, the commis
sioners voted to change their regular
meeting times from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on
the second and fourth Mondays.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27,1980 CUMMING, GA. 30130
BY JIM COSE Y
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Depart
ment uncovered one of the largest auto
theft rings in northeast Georgia in five
years, according to Sheriff Wesley
Walraven.
The sheriff said that as of last Mon
day, 20 cars had been recovered in con
nection with the ring. Arrested and
charged with numerous counts of auto
theft was Farrish Holbrook, 44, Rt. 6,
Cumming.
Reports show that Holbrook operated
under the name of Highway 19 Motors,
Cumming. Sheriff Walraven said that
most of the recovered cars had their
serial numbers altered and changed
and had been stolen from the Atlanta
metro area.
“It appears that the serial numbers
were taken off wrecked cars and placed
on the stolen cars, giving them a valid
registration. Then the cars were being
sold to individuals and other car lots in
the area. Several cars were found on
local used car lots,” Walraven added.
Assisting the local Sheriff’s Depart
ment in the investigation were the
Atlanta Police Department, Fulton
County Police Department, Cherokee
County Sheriff’s Department, FBI and
National Auto Theft Bureau.
Walraven said, “The worst part of
this type of racket is the unsuspecting
citizen when he unknowingly purchases
one of these stolen vehicles. He then
gets into financial trouble without any
reason.”
Holbrook is presently being held on
numerous counts of auto theft at the
Forsyth County Jail. He is being held
without bond. Holbrook was also cur
rently on probation on theft by receiv
ing in connection with an auto theft last
year.
On Feb. 19 at approximately 4 p.m. a
plane crash just outside Cumming took
the lives of two Atlanta men and injured
a third.
According to witnesses, the twin
engine Beechcraft Barron spun out of
control crashing into a wooded area
just off Ga. 400. The plane was on a
training flight from the Peachtree-
DeKalb Flight Academy out of
Peachtree-DeKalb Airport.
The two fatalities were listed as flight
instructors with the training academy.
They were Francisco A. Aguilar, 22,781
E. Wesley Road, N.E., Atlanta, and
Marvin Douglas Smith, 40, 2959 N.
DeKalb Drive, Atlanta. Smith was con
sidered the chief flight instructor for
the flight.
The student pilot, Cleveland
Boutwell, 39,1382 Colony Drive, Mariet
ta, received multiple injuries and was
transferred to Shallowford Hospital,
where he was listed in fair condition. He
was expected to be released this week.
Sheriff Walraven said the crash is
still under investigation by the FAA Na
tional Transportation Safety Board.
Last Sunday, according to Sheriff’s
records, Donna Metheny, 21, was ar
rested at the Forsyth County Jail while
attempting to smuggle four hack saws
into the jail cell area.
Records show that the woman was
trying to smuggle the saws to her hus
band who was recently sentenced to
five years in prison on burglary
charges.
The woman is still being held at the
local jail.
Wreckage
This wreckage was all that was left of a small plane that crashed last week in For
syth County killing two Atlanta men and seriously injuring another. The accident
occurred late Feb. 19 just across Ga. 400 off Hwy. 20 east.
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mel j v
Four Forsyth County players were named to the Region 8-
AAAA All Tournament Team following the tournament in
Athens last week. Lady Bulldogs named to the all-star team
Forsyth Teams Advance
To State Tournament
The Forsyth County Bulldogs and
Lady Bulldogs advanced to the state
AAAA tournaments to begin this week.
The Bulldogs defeated Johnson High
School last Friday night to be declared
8-AAAA region champions. The Lady
Bulldogs were defeated by Stephens
County and won the runner-up trophy.
By virtue of their region tournament
showings, both local teams will take
Council Hears Report
On Pirkle Ferry Road
The Cumming City Council last week
heard a report of a study recently con
ducted by the local Chamber of Com
merce concerning the widening of
All-Tournament
part in the state tournaments.
The Bulldogs will play Thursday at
8:30 p.m. at the Georgia Tech Coliseum
against 5-AAAA runners-up,
Sprayberry. On Friday at 5:30 p.m. the
Lady Bulldogs will face the 5-AAAA
champions, Wheeler, at the Cobb Coun
ty Civic Center.
If both teams win these opening
Pirkle Ferry Road from Ga. 400 to
downtown Cumming.
Chamber President Bob McGuinn
presented the results of the study to the
council. “We started this study some
six months ago and have found out that
most of the downtown merchants feel
this would help their business. We also
contacted every property owner on that
stretch of Pirkle Ferry Road and the
reply was 20 yes, five no, and one no
response,” McGuinn reported.
The Chamber head added, “The
Chamber feels that traffic congestion in
downtown Cumming is progressively
getting worse and we think something
should be done. We want to help the city
in any way we can in getting this traffic
cleared up plus beautify the downtown
area to make it more attractive for
shoppers.”
McGuinn said that downtown mer
chants feel that a better access from
Ga. 400 is needed to Cumming. “We
think this could benefit the communi
ty,” he added.
Councilman Charles Welch stated,
“This project was discussed by the city
several years ago. The state said they’d
fund it if the city would acquire the
rights of way. We found opposition at
that time so the project was dropped.
The Chamber is just trying to pinpoint
where these problems are. ”
Mayor Ford Gravitt responded, “I’ve
never seen anything from the state
about widening Pirkle Ferry Road in-
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(at top) were Tracey Gossett (1) and Dawn Brown. Bulldogs
named to the team (below) were Ronny Bennett (1) and Mon
ty Hammontree.
rounds, the boys will play again on
Saturday at 2 p.m. and the girls at 8:30
p.m.
If the local teams continue to win,
they will go back to the semi-final
games and final games the following
weekend, March 8 and 9.
For complete region tournament
stories, see this week’s sports section.
side the city limits of Cumming. I’m
just not sure this would eliminate
downtown traffic congestion. I per
sonally think other road work would
probably work better toward that
goal.”
The city council accepted the
Chamber’s study and thanked them for
their work.
In other business the city setup a
working session to discuss with their
accountant to see how much money will
be needed next year for the new water
and sewage system. The object of the
special meeting will be to discuss in
creasing city water rates to meet these
needs.
Mayor Gravitt said he would get
figures from adjoining cities concern
ing their water rates.
Students Get
Two Holidays
Forsyth County students will have
two holidays this Friday, Feb. 29 and
Monday, March 3.
School officials announced that there
will be school on Wednesday and Thurs
day, Feb. 27 and 28. These two days
were originally scheduled as in-service
days or “snow days” but due to the
snow a couple of weeks ago when
students were out of school for two
days, they will make them up this week.
25 Cents
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