Newspaper Page Text
Cm
i ijrsvth Count vNews
VOLUME LXXV—NUMBER 65
Commission denies sand mine operation
By Doug Altinger
SU»t Wrttf
After hearing detailed plans and
preanises to be a “good neighbor”
from a man who wants to take quartz
ite from a ridge in north Forsyth
County, a majority of the board of
commissioners sided with about 20
residents in opposition to Sunbelt
Sand and Gravel’s plans for a sand
mine off Ga. Highway 306.
Agreeing at their regular meeting
Monday that mining needs to be lim
ited to avoid making Forsyth a “sand
and gravel county,” commissioners
Leroy Hubbard, David Gilbert and
Principal’s offices
to get computers
By Johnny Solesbee
M»n«otng EdHof
Principals' offices at each of For
syth County’s 11 schools will be join
ing the ranks of high technology after
the board of education agreed to buy
computers for those offices.
The request for the computers
came from the system’s principals
and the board agreed to purchase the
Apple lIE computers, plus software,
during its regular monthly meeting
last Thursday.
Principals told the board that the
computers would be a good office aid
for general use and for such hereto
fore manual tasks as keeping atten
dance records.
The board, upon a motion by
Johnny Stone, agreed to allow pur
chase of the computers after hearing
that a special sale is effective through
the end of this month which provides
“two for the price of one’’ software
for the systems. The board agreed to
purchase 12 of the computers one
for each of the 11 schools and one for
Cumming man
dies in wreck
A one-vehicle accident took the life
of a 22-year old Cumming man late
Monday afternoon.
Forsyth County Sheriff Wesley
Walraven said the pickup truck the
victim was driving went out of control
in a curve, running off the road and
down an embankment before over
turning. Initial reports indicate the
driver was thrown from the vehicle.
Walraven identified the victim as
Ronald Jeffrey Fagan, age 22, of 10th
Street in Cumming. The accident
occurred at approximately 5:20 p.m.
«i Georgia Hwy. 389 in northwestern
Forsyth County.
This is the third traffic fatality in
the county in September and is the
seventh of 1984.
Homecoming set
at The Place
By Chuck Thompson
►fit Editor
“It’s called ‘the place with a
heart,’” says Eula Lynn, describing
the three-building complex on Pirkle
Ferry Road where she works as a
clot.
Ms. Lynn, known as “Granny,"
was busy Saturday minding the thrift
shop at The Place, where used cloth
ing is sold at incredibly low prices.
What is The Place? It’s not an
organization, agency or department
just somewhere people in need can
him for help.
It’s also non-profit, and exists as an
alternative way of dealing with the
problems of poverty.
On Sunday, Sept. 30, Forsyth Coun
tians will have an opportunity to see
how The Place works.
There will be a homecoming from 1
to 5 p.m. featuring country music,
clogging, good food and big smiles.
The Place was established in 1975
by four Adrian Dominican sisters:
Kathryn Cliatt, June Radcot, Jean
Cassidy and Nancyanne Turner.
And, while they manage The Place,
the sisters don’t live on the grounds.
COMIN6 SUNDAY
Lady Bulldogs
defense
offensive to opposition
.... SPORTS .
board chairman Donald Glover voted
to deny an environmental devel
opment permit for John Galbraith
Jr., president of Sunbelt Sand and
Gravel.
Commissioner Jack Shoemake was
the lone dissenter to Hubbard’s mo
tion to deny Galbraith’s request. Mar
cus Whitmire abstained on the
question, saying he was “uncomfort
able voting either way.”
Sunbelt Sand and Gravel, formerly
Sunbelt Minerals, wants to mine 40
acres of quartzite for crushing into
sand and gravel cm a 240 acre tract it
would lease from Marcus Mashbum,
The rock would be ripped from the
the curriculum office. Cost for the
total package would be approxi
mately $12,000.
In other business, the board also
accepted an apparent low bid of $lO,-
200 few a new truck for the system’s
maintenance department. The bid
was submitted by Cody Chevrolet,
Dahlonega, and was approximately
SI,OOO below the two other bids sub
mitted Hardy Chevrolet of Gaines
ville at $11,247; and Andean Motor
Company, Cumming, at $11,057.
The board previously agreed to ask
for bids cm two maintenance trucks,
but Supt. B.M. (Bud) Amsler told the
board his office had found a good used
truck, which was purchased for
$4,500.
Upon recommendation of the
board’s transportation committee,
which is chaired by L.C. Day, the
board agreed to hire four additional
bus drivers to relieve an overcrowded
condition on four routes.
Amsler told the board that funds
were allocated in the budget for the
four drivers.
Prospects view park here
Three prospective tenants, includ
ing a large manufacturer, are consid
ering locations in Cumming
Industrial Park.
The 66-acre park was established
eight years ago, but never saw any
development.
Vines eventually grew over the sign
marking the entrance to the park but
late last year, Tri-Tractor Company,
located in north Forsyth County, de
cided the park was a worthwhile
investment and purchased it from
Cotton States Insurance Company.
Bobby Wallace, president of Tri-
Tractor Company, says chances are
good that two of the three prospective
tenants will locate in the park.
but on a farm in Forsyth County,
where they raise dairy goats and sell
milk, cheese, fudge and yogurt.
In addition, Ms. Lynn says, the
sisters raise hay and bale it them
selves and made most of their furni
ture.
The intention of The Place has been
to provide the materials and re
sources needed to help people better
their lives.
Efforts are made to promote self
respect and develop the potential of
each person, and opportunities are
provided for people to earn what they
need, contribute to each other’s wel
fare and share in each other’s talents.
Located within the three buildings
of The Place are a used clothing
store, food pantry, weaving studio,
quilting and sewing room, wood shop,
craft store, kitchen and dining room,
community room, conference room
and ether offices.
Programs are offered by The Place
as needs are expressed by the people,
but continual services include a thrift
shop, emergency food pantry, art
therapy, counseling, crisis interven
tion, advocacy, financial assistance,
Continued on Page 5A
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1984—GUMMING, GA. 30130
ground with heavy equipment, rather
than blasted, to a depth of 15 to 80
feet.
In discussion of the motion to deny
the permit, Shoemake challenged
Hubbard to “state the grounds for
denying the permit.”
“I just made the motion," Hubbard
responded.
Gilbert, who provided the second,
said Galbraith’s plans were “too
vague and loose-ended.” After the Vh
-hour meeting Gilbert said some as
pects of the plan “just didn’t gee
haw.”
Also after the meeting, Hubbard
said he would like to have an SB,OOO
Trawportation Director Athon
Stoddard told the board that five new
65-passenger school buses should be
ready for delivery to the system
within the next three weeks. The
board earlier this year agreed to buy
21 new school buses to replace the
most aged in the system’s fleet.
remaining 16 buses the board ; .s
purchased should be ready for deliv
ery within 60 to 90 days.
The board approved the recom
mendations of Amsler to hire seven
new teachers and two aides at va
rious schools. The teachers uH aides
were hired either to fill post if
persons who had resigned or to fili
newly-created positions which the
board had agreed upon in a special
called meeting earlier in the month.
Those approved for hiring Thurs
day night were: Laura Flaherty, kin
dergarten/readiness, Big Creek
Elementary; Janice Stroup, fifth
grade, Chestatee Elementary; Joyce
Barber, second grade, Midway El
ementary; Patty Hicks, science,
Continued on Page 5A
One of those would be a distributor
for a communications company, and
operate out of a 3,000- to 4,000-square
foot building.
The other would be an office-type
building measuring around 10,000
square feet.
Wallace says the building would
probably be divided into four sections
of 2,500 square feet and rented out.
Chances for the third prospective
tenant, a manufacturer of commer
cial and residential skylights, are not
as good.
Beginning with employment of 25
people, the firm hopes to expand to
100 employees within three years.
It would begin with a facility mea
i JF. 'VSLIW ' ' ’ *’*
mm ft
The Place is In its ninth year of helping the needy of Forsyth County
1 aL_
mining study commissioned by the
ooard in hand before making any
decisions on mining. “I voted against
the study, but now that we’ve spent
money on it, I think we ought to use
it,” he said.
Following two hearings before the
Forsyth Environmental Review
Board, of which Gilbert is a member,
Galbraith said Sunbelt Sand and
Gravel was prepared to respect a list
of conditions suggested by the ERC
and some others proposed by the
board.
In June and February, the ERC
studied Sunbelt’s plans and for
warded to the commissioners at Mon
.>t "'IMS f JPMW * *
Promoting the circus
Bobbino The Ctown captures the attention of students in Linda Day’s second grade class at Coal
Mountain Elementary School with a rope trick. Bobbino was in the room Friday afternoon to promote
the Roberts Brothers Circus that will come to town on Thursday, Oct. 11. The proceeds from the
circus will benefit the Forsyth County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. Advance tickets are
$2.50 for children and $3.50 for adults. If you purchase them at the Big Top Tent next to Food Center
the day of the cirucs, it’ll cost you extra. You can purchase tickets from any board of directors
member of the local chapter, or at Forsyth County Bank, People’s Bank, Bank South, Duncan Realty or
Parsons. (News staff photo by Eddie Stowe).
suring around 50,000 square feet and
possibly increase its size to 200,000
square feet in three to five years.
According to the firm’s brochure, it
has spent 10 years developing an
energy-efficient skylight system for
any application, and builds its prod
ucts from aluminum in a wide variety
of finishes, with acrylic, glass or
polycarbonate glazing.
Skylights manufactured by the
firm have been installed in office
buildings, warehouses, banks, motels
and multi-family housing projects.
It’s main areas of distribution
would be the northeastern and south
eastern United States.
Wallace says any industries locat
YOUNC FAIMIRS
Keeping the
dream alive
SUNDAY IH FORSYTH
day’s meeting a list of conditions of
operation in the event the mine was
approved. The ERC offered no rec
ommendation as to whether the mine
should be permitted.
Throughout his 36-minute presenta
tion, Galbraith emphasized his com
pany’s desire to be “good neighbors”
with the residents near Cantrell Road
and Smith Drive.
The citizens in opposition did not
share the same sentiments, however.
“I’m not mad,” said Charles Can
trell, the first of the residents at the
meeting to voice opposition. “Our
little old community just don’t want
this thing,” he said.
ing in Cumming Industrial Park will
have to meet certain standards, in
cluding landscaping and facades on
metal buildings.
Other standards, prepared by
Camp and Associates, an Atlanta
engineering firm, include:
(1) a minimum lot size of two acres,
to maintain a “rural nature; ”
(2) a maximum size for all build
ings of 30 percent of the total site;
(3) a limit of five percent on the
amount of front yard area used for
visitor parking, with all other parking
to be located in the rear or side;
(4) no more than two signs with a
maximum total size together of
50 square feet.
28PAGES 35 CENTS
“We like to be good neighbors, but
Mr. Galbraith is just in the wrong
kind of business to be good neighbors
with us,” he added.
After several stronger statements
from residents who said they were
mad about the possibility of a sand
mine in their community, a show of
hands revealed about 20 residents
were against the mine.
The commissioners’ decision is not
likely to end the matter.
Saying he “wasn’t surprised with
the decision,” Galbraith said after
the meeting that legal action against
the county “would be discussed.”
Continued on Page 5A
Deputy here
shoots man
after wreck
A man wanted on armed robbery
and burlgary charges was shot and
wounded early Saturday morning by
a Forsyth County Sheriff’s deputy.
Sheriff Wesley Walraven said a
deputy, while investigating an acci
dent around 3 a.m. Saturday, re
ceived word from the sheriff’s office
dispatcher that the driver of the
wrecked automobile was wanted by
Gwinnett County authorities on
armed robbery and burglary charges
and in DeKalb County for violation of
probation.
Walraven said the deputy at
tempted to arrest the suspect, identi
fied as Barry Cecil Rogers, age 29, of
Duluth, when the suspect fled on foot
into a nearby field.
A chase followed, when according
to the officer’s statement, the suspect
turned toward the officer in a
“threating” manner, and the officer
responded by firing his weapon and
injuring the suspect in the arm. The
suspect turned and continued to flee.
The incident occurred near the
Gwinnett-Fulton-Forsyth County
lines on McGinnis Ferry Road and
officers from several agencies ar
rived at the scene and searched the
field for approximately an hour be
fore state troopers located the sus
pect and placed him in custody. The
suspect was treated for the wound
and transferred to a Duluth hospital,
where he was released Sunday and
placed in jail.
Sheriff Walraven said four additio
nal suspects were arrested in a
nearby mobile home and charged
with hindering the apprenhension or
punishment of a criminal. The four
arrested were identified as Sally
Margaret Gilstrap, age 34, of Suwa
nee, James Allot Neal, age 17, Me
lissa Ann Neal, age 18 and Barbara
Ann Wilson, age 18, all rtf Buford.
The four were being held in Forsyth
County jail pending $5,000 bond. Seve
ral additonal charges are expected to
be placed against Rogers, Sheriff
Walraven said.
The investigation Is being con
ducted by Forsyth County Sheriff’s
Deputies, Gwinnett County Police
and the Georgia Bureau of Investiga
tion.