Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME LXXV—NUMBER 64
Delinquent tax list corrections pledged
Forsyth County Commission Chairman Donald Glover
has assured local residents that errors in a list of
delinquent taxpayers will be corrected.
The list was published in the Wednesday, Oct. 10, issue
of The Forsyth County News, and some residents were
surprised to find their name in print.
In some cases, improper addresses had resulted in tax
notices never reaching the owners of personal property.
This may be the reason that some residents who would
have paid property taxes did not know to pay their
personal taxes.
“We regret any errors,” Glover said, “but in an
undertaking this large, with over 20,000 tracts of land in
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Good morning, Forsyth
Good morning! Today is Sunday, October 14.
The weather is going to be sunny and mild with
a high in the low Ms. Tonight will be fair with a
low in the mid 50s. Details on Page 2-A. Spend
your fall-like day with the Forsyth County
News SUNDAY edition.
Circus comes to Forsyth
Fun and wonder filled the big top as both young
and old gathered to take in the all the glitter of
the circus trappings and to watch the feats of
the performers. The proceeds were turned over
to the Forsyth County Chapter erf the Cancer
Society.
Page TWO
Plane crash
Two men were able to walk away from their
plane after it crashed in a wooded area near
Mathis Airport. The pilot suffered facial inju
ries, but his passenger was not injured.
Page 5A
Rock Eagle
Special commemorative bottles are now being
sold by members of the 4-H clubs to help
finance tljt restoration of their camp at Rock
Eagle.
Sunday in Forsyth
§
& 'ii
‘Houston’ changes image
Buddy Ebsen becomes a regular on 'Matt
Houston” playing the role of Uncle Roy Hous
ton, adding depth to Matt’s character.
TV Focus, inside
Fall's colors
bring outside in
HOMES & GARDENS
Forsyth County
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1984—CUMMING, GA. 30130—80 PAGES 4 SECTIONS
the county requiring tax bills and the shuttling of
information back and forth to a private computer serv
ice, there is the possibility of errors happening.”
Glover said it was not the intent of the commissioners
to embarrass anyone by having the list published, and
that any corrections which need to be made will be
published, as well.
According to Glover, an example of an error showed a
computer service error falsely credited a local resident
with owning property on which $609 in back taxes were
owed.
“We are going to ask that the tax assesors certify any
corrected errors to the commissioners, who will then
Mobile home
tax roundup
under way
The Forsyth County Tax Assessor’s Office is cracking
down on mobile home owners failing to display special
decals required by Georgia law.
The decals are required by Section 48-5493 of the State
Code, and individuals who violate that law are guilty of a
misdemeanor.
Tax Assessor James Payne says the decals must be
renewed each year, and, like decals placed on auto
mobile tags, serve as proof that taxes have been paid.
Payne brought the issue of unpaid taxes on mobile
homes to the attention of the county commissioners last
week.
On Friday, Oct. 5, his office conducted a field check on
40 mobile homes, issugigJjLwiimiHgs to persons whose
homes displayed no decals.
The following Monday, Oct. 8, another 67 mobile
homes were checked, and this time the number of
persons whose homes displayed no decals was much
greater. According to Payne, 46 warnings were issued.
The tax assessor says individuals receiving warnings
have been given 10 days to purchase decals and pay
overdue taxes, or face the possibility of fines ranging
from $25 to $250.
Cases made against delinquent mobile home taxpay
ers will be heard in the Forsyth County Magistrate’s
Court.
Payne says the overdue taxes of some mobile home
owners date back to 1977, and that his office will
continue checking for mobile home decals in the county.
Once purchased, the decals should be placed on the
home to ensure they’re visible from the road.
For mobile homes facing the road, decals should be
placed on the front section.
If the side of the mobile home faces the road, then
decals should be placed on the side.
In conjunction with the crackdown on delinquent
mobile home taxpayers, Payne says his office will seek
to acquire sketches from the owners of mobile home
parks showing the locations of their tenants, and who
those tenants are.
School board
will obtain
feminine touch
By Chuck Thompson
Tit* Sunday Nawt
They’re not the kind of people you’d refer to as
“politicians.”
Instead, Hilda Thomas, a Democrat, and her Republi
can opponent, Anne White, appear to be concerned
mothers with five children each who care about the
future of education.
And, whoever emerges as the winner in the Nov. 6
election will be the first woman on the Forsyth County
Board of Education, according to Mrs. White.
The two are seeking the Post 5 seat on the board,
occupied the last four years by Ron Wood, who con
ducted an unsuccessful campaign this year for the Post
5 county commission seat.
What will be the advantage of having a woman on the
board of education?
Mrs. White feels a woman will be able to add new
perspective when decisions must be made, and that
Forsyth Countians are now agreeable to having a
woman on the board of education.
“I don’t think having a woman on the board is a big
deal,” says Mrs. Thomas. “However, I feel a mother
with school-age children can make a valuable contribu
tion.”
Asked why she was seeking the Post 5 seat, Mrs.
Thomas replied, “A lot of friends ask me this question.
They want to know why I want this headache. Instead of
finding fault with our school system, this is my effort at
making it better.”
A quality education, she added, is one of the most
important gifts we can give our children, and can never
be taken away.
“I love this county and its people," Mrs. Thomas said.
“I’m willing to give it my best effort.”
Mrs. White says she’s seeking the Post 5 seat because
of a desire to see education return to its “proper place”
See SCHOOL, Page 3A
_ _
OOPS 1 HOPES PASHIP
Murray County hands Forsyth
a disappointing defeat
SPORTS, PAGE 9A
have corrections printed with explanations and an apol
ogy,” Glover said.
Individuals wishing to report errors on the delinquent
taxpayers’ list should contact the tax assessor’s office at
887-3159. A special form has been created for these
individuals to fill out.
The delinquent taxpayers were given a grace period in
which to pay overdue taxes and avoid having their name
published on the list.
While some taxpayers went ahead and paid up, others
still owe money to the county.
Asked what the commissioners’ next step would be,
Glover responded, “It is the intent of the commissioners
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Scenes such as this abound in Forsyth and north Georgia
Mountains changing color
By Rebecca W. Rakoczy
Th* Sunday Nawa
Color has crept across the
Appalachian foothills.
Almost overnight, it came,
silently sweeping like a
rainbow across North Georgia,
brushing the hardwood leaves with
shades of amber and crimson.
Nature starts her artwork as the
first frosty evening wafts the scent
of burning wood, boiling peanuts,
and ripening apples across the •
country highways. Her fall painting
is usually at its best at this time of
the month in the northern regions of
the state, and leaves will retain their
brilliance over the next three
weekends.
“There is no particular time when
you can say, that’s the peak day or
weekend,’’ says Dale Higdon, of the
to pursue this problem of collecting delinquent taxes
through all necessary steps prescribed by law, down to
the selling of property.
“We also have discussed the fact that there will be
some true hardships involving elderly people who are
truly not able to pay,” he added. “We are looking at some
possible solutions to help with those people, but we can’t
allow those who are able and progressing with their
financial investments and developments to blatantly
ignore paying taxes they have owed for years.”
Glover said public reaction to gathering and publishing
the list has been strong, and that all comments he’s
heard have been “favorable.”
Georgia Forestry Commission. “It
takes several days. But the leaves
almost always reach their peak the
last two weeks in October.”
September’s unusually dry
conditions will not affect the
brillance of the colors, he adds. “The
only thing dry weather does is cause
the leaves to dry up faster.”
When the Georgia mountain trees
reach their autumn glory, it’s time
for the annual leaf tours. Since
nature is free or just a few gallons
of gas in trade for a spectacular
view many leaf lovers flock to the
forests to enjoy fall’s wonders.
Sunday brings out the heaviest
crowds, so you might want to
consider escaping on a quieter
weekday for your tour.
In Helen, this bustling Bavarian
village will be winding up its
Oktoberfest celebration this
j i^v
weekend, but leaf enthusisasts can
take a break at a local coffee haus,
before going north and turning right
to Unicoi Park and Anna Ruby Falls.
Bring your camera, a good pair of
walking shoes, and a warm jacket.
You may be tempted to walk off the
beaten trail at Anna Ruby, and
photograph the stream that pours
over rocks below the falls. The water
spills from a high precipice like a
bridal veil at the brail's end.
After the scenic walk up to Anna
Ruby, head up towards
Brasstown Bald Mountain. At
4,784 feet, this site is touted as the
highest elevation in the state. A sign
at the base of the trail to the top tells
you it’s 930-yards to the peak, but it
doesn’t warn that it’s a steep 930.
The climb is not for the short of
See MOUNTAINS, Page 3A
35 CENTS