Newspaper Page Text
« o
at - rn
A -dO k
Jk tr a. a <
JV t< 0 o
f SB* W
OuJIl
i ;1 >
fl-asid HI
9 o lu < z
VOLUME LXXV—NUMBER 62
Center,
By Chuck Thompson
Ttx Sunday Nk»»
A majority of Sawnee Community Center voted Tues
day to endorse that committee’s possible affiliation with
the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).
The endorsement was made on a conditional basis until
public input on the committee’s decision can be acquired.
A proposed joint effort between the committee and
YMCA to raise money for a community center in Cum
ming was announced early last month.
Since that time, according to Phill Bettis, vice chair
man of Sawnee Community Center, all the input he’s
received from the public, including phone calls and
letters, has been positive.
fgsggaii
Good morning, Forsyth
Good morning! Today is Sunday, Oct. 7 and
faU-Uke weather will continue with warm days
and cool nights. The forecast for today calls for
partly cloudy skies with a high in the low Ms.
Winds will be southeast 5 to 10 mph.
' 1,1
GOP chief speaks out
Georgia’s Republican chairman Bob Bell says
our state is overstaffed with workers on the
state payroll. He says Georgia must have a
two-party system to get things where they
belong.
Page TWO
High class stables
Cherokee Farm, a high class stable in north
west Forsyth County, is planning a grand
opening on Oct. 20, making the county one of
the fastest growing equestrian areas in the
state.
Page 3A
Eye surgery center
Forsyth County Hospital has opened an outpa
tient eye surgery center which includes sophis
ticated microsurgical equipment.
Opthalmalmologist Dr. Ralph C. Dilorio is the
operating surgeon.
Page 6A
MFGQtC iACK&Of* ■- ~j§£ "'H
-***> flpn fl
Ink 2 dSS !
World Series heroes
With die opening of the World series Tuesday,
baseball buffs recall past heroes of October
such as Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Bob
Gibeon, Mickey Mantle and many others.
TV Focus, Inside
WIK
Special week salutes
activities of 4-H clubs
PAGES 6-7 B
Forsyth County News "VI
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1984—CUMMING, GA. 30130—80 PAGES 4 SECTIONS
YMCA linkup step closer
Efforts have been made in recent years to generate
public support for the proposed community center, but
the results have not been great enough to get the project
off the ground.
With the help of the YMCA, however, some committee
members feel the community center can become a
reality. '
Committee member Eileen White said any support the
YMCA gives Sawnee Community Center will not bind the
local group in any way, and that the community center
effort would benefit from YMCA’s fundraising experi
ence and cheaper group insurance coverage.
Another advantage, she said, would be training offered
by the YMCA for competition, such as swimming events.
Ms. White anticipated annual operating costs of SBO,OOO
Delinquent
taxpayers’
list is ready
By Doug Aiiinger
Th* Sunday Naw*
The names and amounts owed by
about 2,000 Forsyth County property
owners who have not paid their 1983
tax bills will be published Wednesday
in the legal advertisement section of
the Forsyth County News.
Tax Commissioner Bobby G(spe
Gilbert said his office worked at
breakneck speed Thursday and Fri
day processing late tax payments and
deleting names of those who paid
before the 5 p.m. Friday deadline to
avoid publication.
Gilbert said his office collected a
large amount of back taxes in the
final week before publication begins.
Exact figures, however, were not
available on last week’s collections.
“We concentrated all our efforts on
getting the list together,” said Joyce
Pendley of the tax office.
Approximately $400,000 in taxes
owed for 1983 have been collected
since July 1, 1964, when an audit of
the county tax office indicated that
more than $950,000 was owed in taxes
for the past fiscal year.
Collections in the three-month pe
riod since July 1 bring the total of
past due taxes for 1963 down to about
the same amount that was owed on
July 1,1963. At the end of fiscal year
1962, about $529,000 was owed in pre
vious year taxes.
The main reason overdue taxes for
1963 were up at the end of the fiscal
year was that tax bills were about two
months late, due to delays caused by
revaluation of all properties.
Following a report from county
auditor Bowen and Ellenburg, CPA,
that more than $l.B million in taxes
from 1976 forward are owed, the
county Board of Commissioners
voted unanimously to compile a list of
the names and amounts owed of all
outstanding tax Mils for publication.
The commissioners agreed that
publication of the names would pro
vide an incentive to get the bills paid.
“If the people who are carrying the
tax burden know who is taking advan
tage of them by not paying their fair
share of property taxes, maybe we
can get more of this money in,” said
Commissioner Jack Shoemake before
moving that the county publish the
names of delinquent taxpayers.
In the meantime, while helping Tax
Commissioner Gilbert by applying
pressure on negligent taxpayers, the
county is shopping for a computer
system to more efficiently keep up
with the county’s growing tax digest
and tax collection needs.
Following Wednesday’s publication
of those who owe taxes for 1963, the
county will publish each week delin
quent taxpayers’ names back to 1976.
Oct. 17 the names and amounts owed
for 1962 will be listed; Oct. 24 will list
those who owe for 1961; Oct. 31 will
list names for 19M and 1979; and Nov.
7 will list the names of delinquent
taxpayers for 1978, 1977; and 1976.
The deadline to avoid publication
for each year is Friday at 5 p.m. prior
to the Wednesday publication date.
for the community center, and that 300 family mem
berships, plus money from sponsors, would be needed to
meet those costs each year.
Ten percent of the SBO,OOO figure, she said, could be
paid to YMCA to manage the facility.
In the past, efforts have been made to sell mem
berships to the community center, but without the
desired success.
It’s believed, however, that affiliation with the YMCA
would help sell those memberships.
While some committee members were talking about
possible benefits, Roger Crowe discussed the possible
consequences of affiliating with the YMCA.
Crowe noted the YMCA is a “fantastic organization,”
but that it “generally offers physical and inspirational
Jr
Stuff photo Eddis Stow*
Bobbino the Clown makes an advance visit
In Just a few more days, the Roberts
Brothers Circus will be making it’s
appearance in Cumming, and to
whet youngsters’ appetites, Bobbino
the Clown visited the area and did a
few of her special magic tricks. Here,
Keith Shoemake and Darlene Dock
ery, each age 8, and each students
at Coal Mountain Elementary School,
watch as Bobbino captures their
Fire sprinkler group challenges
fees charged in Forsyth County
By Chuck Thompson
Th» Sunday N—l»
Fees charged by the Forsyth County
Water and Sewerage Authority for fire
protection service were challenged Tues
day by the Georgia Fire Sprinkler Associa
tion, which represents 38 sprinkler
contractors in Georgia.
The monthly fees are based on the size of
county water lines serving the fire sprin
kler systems.
For a six-inch line, the monthly charge is
$2lO, compared to $360 for an eight-inch
line and $350 for a 10-inch line.
W.D. Crawford, representing the
Georgia Fire Sprinkler Association, said
members of the association realize water
is expensive, but “advocate a fair
charge.”
Sprinkler systems, he said, are installed
to protect investments.
Even though the authority’s fire protec
tion fees were instituted in 1961, Crawford
says his association didn’t learn of the fees
until this summer, when (me of its custom
ers installed a sprinkler system in Forsyth
County.
“We hope you will impose a more rea
sonable charge for your sake and future
industries moving into Forsyth County,”
Crawford told the authority.
Joel Jones, with All Steel Buildings, also
attention with a sleight of hand trick.
The circus coming here Thursday
evening, Oct. 11, will feature clowns
like Bobbino, an elephant act, a high
wire act and many other specials in a
three-ring circus under a big top tent
next to Cumming Food Center. Pro
ceeds from the circus will benefit
the Forsyth County Chapter of the
American Cancer Society. Advance
appeared at the meeting to seek lower fire
protection rates.
Jones’ firm built the J.S. Technology and
Southern Monorail buildings in south For
syth County, and has been hired to con
struct a building for Wise Business Forms.
He told the authority that fire protection
fees charged in Forsyth County came to
his attention while working on the J.S.
Technology project.
Jones said Jan Stasiek, president of J.S.
Technology, had a sprinkler system in
stalled in his building, but has turned that
system off because of fire protection fees
charged by the authority.
Authority chairman Dale Bryant noted
the county water system is “having trou
ble making ends meet,” and at present,
needs the revenue produced by the fire
protection fees. Bryant said fire sprinkler
systems are the option of the customer,
and aren’t forced upon anyone.
“I’m sure there will come a day when
the (minty water ) system has some finan
cial integrity to it," he added.
“Some of us feel one way (about fire
protection fees) and some another,” said
authority member Mike Wind, who asked
Crawford to allow time for an answer from
the water panel.
On file brighter side, authority members
considered a request from the Army Corps
of Engineers for an estimate on extending
■WIM IUP
Opening of Midway Park
could come in March
SUNDAY IN FORSYTH
programs” which would be in competition with pro
grams already here.
He said the Ashford-Dunwoody YMCA has found it
difficult to compete with park and church programs in its
area, and, after 10 years, is not really “off the ground.”
In addition, he felt affiliating with the YMCA would
cause Sawnee Community Center to lose its identity and
create “competition for funding we desperately need.”
In other business Tuesday, the committee voted to
check into the possibility of using the old Cumming
Elementary School Gym for community center pro
grams and to invite city’ county, recreation and church
officials to its next meeting.
tickets are $2.50 for children and
$3.50 for adults. If you want to buy
one in advance, you’ll be helping the
cancer society. Tickets the door
won’t help benefit the cancer so
ciety and they will be $3 and $4. You
can buy tickets at Forsyth County
Bank, Bank South, People’s Bank,
Duncan Realty or Parsons.
a six-inch water line down Pilgrim Mill
Road to Bald Ridge Park.
The authority presently has a 10-inch
line ending at Deerwood subdivision,
which is more than 9,000 feet from the
park.
Bryant said he felt it would be wise to
consult with authority engineers about the
size of the line extended from Deerwood.
According to the authority chairman,
the extension could begin as a 10-inch line
and then be reduced to an eight-inch line as
it progressed, eventually becoming a six
inch line.
Wind noted that with the Corps funding
construction of a six-inch line, the differ
ence in cost of running eight- and 10-inch
portion: should not be much different.
After some discussion, authority mem
bers voted to check with their engineers on
the size of the line extended down Pilgrim
Mill Road, and to get back in touch with
the Corps.
In other business at Tuesday’s meeting:
• Water Superintendent H.B. Tallant
reported that nine water meters were
installed last month, and that community
service workers are helping paint, grease
and flush fire hydrants, and remove weeds
surrounding them.
• Tallant reported that a strainer has
been acquired for a master water meter
linking the county and city water systems.
35 CENTS