Newspaper Page Text
Hospital To Take Over
Local Ambulance Service
By CHUCK THOMPSON
News Editor
Ingram’s Ambulance Service has
exercised its option not to renew a
contract with the Forsyth County Board
of Commissioners, after one year of
providing ambulance service to For
syth County.
After learning that Ingram’s did not
wish to renew the contract, Forsyth
County Hospital asked to be considered
by the commission, to provide the coun
ty’s ambulance service for the upcom
ing year.
An ambulance service contract with
the hospital was approved by a unani
mous vote of the county commission, at
its regular meeting, on Monday, Sept.
27.
The commission also approved a res
olution which recognizes Ingram’s for
its efforts in the past year.
Commissioner Bill Barnett said that
in most counties he was familiar with,
the ambulance service there worked
out of the local hospital. Barnett said he
Two Teens Killed
In Car Accident
Two Forsyth County teen-age girls
lost their lives, and four other people
were injured Saturday night, in a two
car accident on Bramblett Road, in
central Forsyth County.
Forsyth County Sheriff Wesley Wal
raven said the accident occurred at
approximately 10:25 p.m., on Saturday,
Sept. 25.
The two fatalities were identified as
Kimberly Brothers, age 16, and Lori
Tanner, also 16.
Injured in the accident were Kim
Shope, age 16, Paula Sosbee, age 17;
Harry Whitt, age 30, the driver of the
Barnett Looking Ahead To
First Term As Representative
By CHUCK THOMPSON
News Editor
The 1983 session of the Georgia Legis
lature is more than three months away,
but for freshman Representative Bill
Barnett, preparation for the session
already has begun.
The most difficult aspect of preparing
for the session, is learning House rules,
which Barnett described as “pretty
complex.” According to the newly
elected representative, there are
enough House rules to fill a book about
one inch thick
Like other representatives, Barnett
has requested membership on a num
ber of House committees. Those com
mittees are Public Safety, Agriculture
and Consumer Affairs, State Institu
tions and Property, State Planning and
Community Affairs and Game and
Fish.
“They’re all pretty good commit
tees,” Barnett said. “You usually get
two of the five you request.”
Appointments to the committees will
be made by House Speaker Tom Mur
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felt that granting the ambulance con
tract to the hospital was “the proper
thing to do,” and added the ambulance
service would benefit from additional
help in the hospital emergency room.
Commissioner David Gilbert felt the
people of Forsyth County would benefit
more from the hospital contract, than
anyone else.
Commissioner Donald Glover, chair
man of the Forsyth County Emergency
Services Coordinating Committee, was
asked about the advantages of locating
the ambulance service at the hospital.
Glover noted that first of all, emer
gency technicians will now work under
the supervision of emergency room
doctors at the hospital, who can keep
those technicians up-to-date on the lat
est medical techniques.
Glover said recertification of the
county’s emergency technicians, which
is required by state law, can be done by
emergency room doctors.
“They will have the capability for
more streamlined communication be-*
other vehicle; and his wife, 27-year-old
Doris Whitt. All four are Forsyth
County residents.
Walraven said the accident occurred
when the vehicle driven by Paula Sos
bee skidded in a curve, and struck
Whitt’s vehicle broadside. An investiga
tion of the accident is being continued
by the Georgia State Patrol and For
syth County Sheriff’s Deputies.
As of Monday, Kim Shope, Paula
Sosbee and Doris Whitt were also listed
in stable condition at Forsyth County
Hospital.
phy, after the Democratic House Cau
cus meeting, on Nov. 10. It’s during that
meeting that House officers are
elected.
When asked what committees he felt
were most important to Forsyth
County, Barnett named the Agriculture
and Consumer Affairs Committee,
which handles legislation affecting the
poultry industry. “Much of our econ
omy here is based on poultry,” he
added. Barnett also named the Game
and Fish Committee, which sets regula
tions affecting Lake Lanier, he noted
was a major source of income for
Forsyth County.
Barnett expects to be appointed to the
Lake Lanier Study Committee, which is
made up of representatives from the
lake area.
Representatives are not assigned to
committees such as Ways and Means,
Appropriations and Rules, until their
second or third term, according to
Barnett. The Rules Committee sets the
agenda for the last half of the legis
lative session.
THE CUMMING-FORSYTH COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER
...it’s just a model, but soon may be ‘the real thing’
VOLUME LXXIII—NUMBER 39
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1982 CUMMING, GA. 30130
tween ambulances and doctors in the
emergency room,” Glover said. “The
hospital also has back-up office and
administrative personnel needed for
insurance claims and the management
of the total service.”
Glover said Ingram’s submitted a
letter to the commission, stating it did
not wish to exercise the option of renew
ing its contract. He added the letter was
the only action necessary to end the
contract. “They (Ingram’s) were
pleased that the hospital was interested
in it” Glover said, “and voiced a deep
concern that the county continue to
have a good ambulance service.”
A resolution was approved by the
commission at Monday’s meeting,
which recognized the Forsyth County
Lions Club for a $4,000 donation for the
purchase of a communications re
trieval system for the sheriff’s depart
ment. The system will operate 24 hours
per day, and will record all phone and
radio communications at the sheriff’s
department, which has been made the
base for the county’s new 911 emer
gency phone system.
Commissioner Donald Glover said
the new system should be in operation
in about two weeks. Individuals on the
887 and 889 exchanges will dial 911 in
emergencies, Glover said, and individ
uals on the Atlanta exchange will dial
659-1911.
A vacancy on the Forsyth County
Board of Tax Assessors was filled by
the commission. Steve Pruitt was ap
pointed to a six-year term on the board,
to fill a position vacated by Shelby
Westray.
New job descriptions and pay grades
were approved by the commission for
some employees of the Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Department. County Adminis
trator Donald Major said the chief
deputy of the sheriff’s department will
Continued on Page 2A
Pre-legislative meetings already
have begun for House . embers, and
training sessions will be field on Dec. 5,
6 and 7, in Athens.
Barnett hopes to aid the county in
efforts to obtain funding for a commu
nity center. He also named road im
provements, and the Forsyth County
Water and Sewerage Authority, which
is seeking funds for a sewer line expan
sion, as other areas he may be able to
help.
Barnett said his biggest job as a
legislator would be the state budget,
which will be affected by federal cut
backs, and the economy as a whole.
Statewide concerns seen by Barnett
are property tax relief, drunk driving
laws, federal cutbacks, prison over
crowding and salary increases for tea
chers. The representative noted that
the major concern of candidates seek
ing office this year was property tax
relief, and recalled numerous com
ments regarding property taxes during
his campaign.
Continued on Page 2A
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The scene was that of an earlier era when Friendship Baptist
Church held worship services this past Sunday, with men and
boys dressed in white shirts and overalls and the women
dressed in old fashioned dresses entering the church taking
their places among the pews. Sunday was “old-timey day” at
the church, an attempt by the congregation to remember and
honor its ancestors who had laid the foundation for a
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BILL BARNETT
...new state rep.
Community Center Model
Is Unveiled At Meet Here
For the people of Cumming and For
syth County, it will be a dream-come
true. A dream almost every organiza
tion in the area has been working on for
months.
On Monday, Sept. 20, Georgia Tech
architectural student David Mcßrayer,
along with Kevin Johns and Roberto
Rodriguez, both from the Community
Design Center in Atlanta, brought with
them to the monthly community center
meeting, a model of what the new
community center in Forsyth County
would look like upon completion.
Mcßrayer has been working on the
plans for the building for about six
months, somtimes up to 80 hous a week.
When it is completed, the community
center will house facilities such as a
day care center, which would hold more
children than the one in use now; a
multi-purpose auditorium, which will
seat about 450; a kitchen; a parking lot
for 106 vehicles; a library, a pool;
community room, art gallery; a gym; a
dance floor; and a gameroom. There
will be room for almost every organiza
tion in the county to have use of the $2-
million facility.
According to Hank Burzynski, the
cost of the 54,000 square foot building
may be kept below the $2-million, since
so many people are donating time and
efforts.
72 PAGES, 5 SECTIONS—3S CENTS
Back To The Good OT Days
While other cities are raising their
taxes, the city of Cumming last week
lowered its tax rate by 2.5 mills.
City Clerk Estlene Stanford said the
lower mill rate was due to the city
paying off its debt on Cumming City
Hall. The council burned the note on
city hall at its May 18 regular meeting.
Last year, the council approved a
mill rate of 8.5. This year’s mill rate
began at 11.94, but after a property tax
rollback of 5.94 mills, the final rate was
an even 6.0 mills. This year’s budget, at
$710,000, is slightly higher than last
year’s budget of $690,000.
This year’s total budget is broken
down into five smaller budgets, the
largest of which 5230,000 will be
used to operate the Cumming Police
Department. The largest appropria
tions in the police department budget
are for salaries, $147,000; group insur
ance, $20,000; and gas, oil and grease,
$14,000.
The second-largest budget will go for
administration. The largest appropria
tions in the administration budget are
The building fund is now waiting on
the results of a community devel
opment block grant application from
the state of Georgia, that could provide
$400,000 worth of funding.
Groups in Forsyth County that would
benefit from the building, which is
scheduled to be under construction as
soon as the money is available, will be
such organizations as The Little
Theatre, Sawnee Association of the
Arts; the AARP; Lanier Ballet; garden
Three Arrested, One Sought
In Connection With Robbery
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Investiga
tors have arrested three suspects, and
are searching for a fourth, in connec
tion with an Aug. 12 armed robbery in
the Six Mile Creek recreation area on
Lake Lanier.
Sheriff Wesley Walraven said the
victim, a Forsyth County resident, was
robbed a knife point of his wallet, credit
cards and personal belongings. An in
vestigation resulted in the arrest, on
Thursday, of two women and one man.
Warrants were issued also for another
man.
Walraven identified those arrested as
Ricky Junior Smith, age 26, and Linda
Rene West, age 21, both of Jasper, and
Kathy Neese Smith, age 26, of Woods
tock. Both women have been arrested
Christian worship place many years ago. Some, like Lozia
Roper (with bonnet) and Cassi Graham, rode to the day’s
service in a mule-drawn wagon, reminiscent of times before
the appearance of the automobile. Others, such as Katie
Martin, found satisfaction in dressing in the fashions of days
gone-by and singing their praises to God. (News staff photos
by Greg Little.)
City Of Cumming
Lowers Its Taxes
for insurance, $18,949; salaries, $17,459;
and transfers to Cumming City Park,
$69,000. Those transfers serve as a
reserve for park operations.
At $163,000, the third highest budget
in the city this year is that of the
recreation and parks department. The
largest appropriations in that budget
are $94,000, for salaries; $20,000, for
pool upkeep; and SIB,OOO, for mainte
nence of the city ballfields.
The only other budgets in the total
city budget are those of the city street
department, $150,000; and the city fire
department, $1,400. Mayor Ford Grav
itt said the largest portions of the street
department budget will go for labor,
salaries, sidewalk improvements and
road maintenence.
The council approved the 6.0 mill rate
and the $710,000 budget at its Sept. 21
regular meeting. A budget of $675,000
was also set for the water department,
which finances its own budget. Last
year’s water department budget was
$621,000.
clubs, the Optimist club; and band
boosters.
The main objective of the community
center committee is to have a center
where everyone will have an interest,
and not just a small group of people.
The committee also voted during the
meeting Monday night to investigate
and authorize putting a plastic cover
over the model of the community center
in order to eliminate damage to the
structure.
in connection with the possession and
use of stolen credit cards, and are
currently being held in the Forsyth
County jail. Ricky Smith has been
charged with armed robbery and ag
gravated assault and is in custody in
Forsyth County.
A fourth suspect, Ronald Blackwell,
of the Marble Hill area, in Pickens
County, has been charged with robbery
and is still at large.
Walraven said local investigators are
being assisted by the sheriff’s depart
ments of Cherokee and Pickens coun
ties. He added that over 50 additional
credit card violations in five counties
are expected to be cleared by that
investigation.