Newspaper Page Text
DEX
Page 4A
.a Page 5A
i Page 6A
-a Page 7A
T Page 8A
- Pages 10A-11A
Pages 18-2 B
* Pages 58-6 B
r, Pages 88-118
■ ■ i.i-.i ... I. I.
Forsyth Count vNews
VOLUME LXXVI—NUMBER 11
Judge rules no hearing; Turner ‘won’t quit’
Blue Ridge Judicial Superior Court
Judge Richard “Stan” Gault Monday
morning ruled in favor of a motion to
dismiss by District Attorney Rafe
Banks, stopping a hearing petitioner
Carl Turner sought in order to bring
an investigation against Sheriff Wes
ley Walraven.
Turner had filed a Writ of Manda
mus on Banks, seeking to have the
District Attorney bring an investiga
tion before a grand jury on some 52
charges Turner says the sheriff or
members of his department have
committed.
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Carl Turner talks about judge’s ruling after Monday’s action
Alcohol, drug council views problems
By CHUCK THOMPSON
News Editor
Methods of fighting substance
abuse this year in Forsyth County
were discussed last week in a meet
ing of the local alcohol and drug
council.
Much of the discussion focused on
young people and the importance of
educating them about drugs at an
early age.
Burton Longwell, of Cumming, told
of his experience working primarily
with drug dependent people under 25.
Barfield is
named Realtor
of the Year
Janette Barfield of Barfield-Jordan
Realty was named Realtor of the
Year Thursday night during the For
syth Area Board of Realtors and
Affiliates regular monthly meeting.
Held at the Best Western Motel on
Bald Ridge Marina Road, this was
the board’s annual awards night with
22 realtors receiving recognition for
work well done in 1984.
Jim French of Duncan Realty was
given the Active Life Member award.
Among those who received Million
Dollar Awards were Jim French,
Jerry Henderson, Jack MacDowall,
Pat Duncan, all of Duncan Realty;
George Evans of Land Masters
Realty; Margaret McKee of Georgia
Realty 400 Inc.; Connie Harrison and
Jim Harrison, both of Home Masters
Realty; Nancy Jordan of Barfield-
Jordan ; and June Luedtke of Cen
tury 21 Point North Realty.
Those receiving $750,000 awards
Were Joe Arsenault and Judi Jenkins,
both of Duncan Realty; Nancy Nich
ols of Home Masters Realty; Dorothy
Kerr of Morse Realty; and Dede Cobb
of Northside Realty Associates.
The $500,000 awards were awarded
to Eva Pendley and Ralph Hender
son, both of Pendley Realty; Carol
INSIDE TODAY
• Several letters to the editor
are on this week’s OP-Ed Page
See 5A
• Dear Abby hears a woman
say widows are lucky
Page 7 A
Judge Gault listened to Banks’ mo
tion to dismiss, the district attorney
saying that Turner appeared before a
recent grand jury and that the grand
jury did not see that further action
was warranted. Explaining his mo
tion, Banks said he considered the
hearing to be “moot” and should be
dismissed since Turner, “got what he
wanted when he appeared before the
grand jury.”
Turner and Walraven appeared
before a grand jury here for two days
in January. However, Turner felt it
necessary to bring witnesses he said
“If I only knew what I was getting
into...” is a statement made by many
of these people, he said.
Longwell added that young people
are led to believe marijuana is not
habit forming, and therefore begin
using the drug.
Afterwards, they’re hooked on
marijuana and move on to harder
drugs. 5
Another problem discussed by
Longwell is the link between drugs
and crime. Some people as young as
16 and 17, he said, already have
jnumr
mm. m
M t
Janette Barfield
Evans of Land Masters Realty; and
Ollie Shadbum of Northside Realty
Associates.
The program for the evening was
presented by John Leßoy and Jimmy
Myers of the Accounting firm of Le-
Roy and Myers in Cumming who
spoke to those attending on informa
tion on the tax laws.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1985—CUMMING, GA. 30130
Related story
on Page 3-A
he had subpoenaed to substantiate his
charges.
Harry Moseley, who represented
Turner at the hearing, responded by
asking the judge to rule to allow a
hearing of Turner and witnesses to
convince the court to rule in favor of
his client’s writ of mandamus.
Had the hearing been held, Turner
hoped to provide enough information
committed crimes like grand theft
and larceny.
Dennis Whittle, principal at Mid
way Elementary School, said educa
tion programs on drugs are now
beginning as early as the sth and 6th
grade.
He noted that society is much more
aware of the drug problem today, and
realizes it’s a local, as well as na
tional, problem.
In an attempt to determine the
local nature of drug abuse, Georgia’s
Cooperative Extension Service con
ducted a survey of 4,859 Bth through
Statue of Liberty
goal here SI,OOO
Collecting cans, collecting box
tops, participating in an upcoming
Jazzerthon and other fund raising
projects have brought students to
gether and will bring local residents
together as well, in efforts to meet the
SI,OOO goal set by Cumming elemen
tary students in their involvement of
the nationwide concern of saving the
Statue of Liberty.
What started out to be a fifth grade
social studies project has expanded
throughout the school, to individual
classes, and out into the Cumming
community.
“The students have been studying
the United States history,” said Ms.
Delores Nichols, who along with Mrs.
Lois Gamer, the fifth grade teacher,
is helping with the project. “And the
students just covered France’s in
volvement and contribution to Colo
nial America.”
The students, along with Ms. Nich
ols and Mrs. Gamer, have been work
ing on a nine-foot papier mache
replica of the Statue of Liberty which
will be erected by Ron Brooks, princi
pal, students and teachers during a
play, which was written by the stu
dents about the Statue, on Feb. 22.
Also, on Feb. 22, 11-Alive’s Sky Cam
pilot Bruce Erion will be flying to
Cumming Elementary to collect the
money raised between the school and
the Jazzerthon.
The Jazzercise Marathon or “Jaz
*4Ur 7
4
to the courts to show alleged wrong
doings to merit an investigation. Had
the judge ruled in favor of the writ, he
would have ordered District Attorney
Banks to bring an investigation of the
sheriff.
Following the ruling by Judge
Gault, the judge let Moseley and
Turner know they had recourse by
appealing his decision to grant the
dismissal.
When asked what he intended to do,
Turner told the News, “I’m not going
to quit.” He said, however, that in
stead of appealing the judge’s deci
Board deliberating
quarry ‘variance’
By Chuck Thompson
News Editor
The Cherokee County Board of Ap
peals is still deliberating on the issue
of a variance to Vulcan Materials for
operation of a rock quarry on Lower
Creighton Road.
A hearing on the variance was held
Dec. 3, with the firm presenting argu
ments for the quarry and residents
arguing against it.
Because the quarry would be lo
cated near the Forsyth-Cherokee
Cei'-'ty line, it is being challenged by
residents in both counties.
'updating the progress of deliber
ations by the appeals board, James
Dove, Cherokee County Planning Di
rector, said Monday that the board
has requested information from the
county attorney’s office on both min
ing and general zoning cases.
He said items considered by the
board include the amount of property
Vulcan Materials should have to op
erate the quarry (at present, the firm
has 88 acres), and how it would affect
12th grade students in two rural
school systems.
Results of the survey, conducted in
1981, showed that 71.5 percent of the
respondents had used alcohol at least
once in their lives, and 2.4 percent
had used alcohol daily.
Where marijuana was concerned,
36.7 percent said they had tried the
drug at least once, while 3.9 percent
said they used the drug on a daily
basis.
More than 16 percent had used
amphetamines at least once and 1.3
percent, used them daily.
zerthon” will be held on Feb. 17 at the
Cumming Elementary School Gym
from 1:30 until 5:30 p.m. Entry fee is
$3 for the first hour and $1 for each
hour after that.
The grand prize is one free year of
jazzercise instruction. Door prizes,
which include gifts from various mer
chants in town such as Veggies, Par
sons, Bufferinos Pizza, the Cumming
Skate Center, Archies, Shoe Tree,
Memory Lane, Ultimate Design,
Frankland’s One Hour Photo,
Frames “N’ Things, Septum Cinema,
Tri County Books, Village Glass
works and Pottery, and many others,
will be awarded during the four-hour
event.
Last year, the Jazzercise Mar
athon, in conjunction with the Opti
mist Club, helped to raise money for
the renovation of Cumming Elemen
tary’s playground.
Future plans for Jazzercise in Cum
ming include a new building which
will be located on Kelly Mill Road
across from Tolbert Street. In addi
tion, instructors such as Juanita
Brown, Jan Carroll, Sue Muller, Rita
Truelove, Karen Taylor and Karen
Waters hope to see an increase in the
number of people participating in the
classes, as well as having a leotard
boutique, a nursery and other extra
specialities for the jazzerciser.
For more information on the Jaz
zerthon or fund contact 887-7749.
WINTER
VACATION
Southern slopes
are closer
j than you think
X COMING SUNDAY
sion, he might take his case to the
federal courts in Gainesville.
In making his decision Monday
morning, Judge Gault said, “the mat
ter appears to me to have been pre
sented to the grand jury. He (Turner)
appears to have had the opportunity
to appear before a grand jury and the
grand jury has, in its widsom, de
cided not to proceed in the matter.”
Moseley told the judge he felt Turn
er’s wishes were to present wit
nesses, which he was not allowed to
do before the grand jury questionin
ing.
residents, existing roads and the va
lues of surrounding property.
Dove said an ordinance governing
appeals board actions calls for a
decision within a “reasonable”
length of time.
While “reasonable” represents no
definite time period, the planning
director said Cherokee County offi
cials have talked about the need to
make a decision as soon as possible.
The board’s decision will no doubt
be a major one and could trigger a
lawsuit by Vulcan Materials, or
quarry opponents.
Larry Roberts, spokesman for resi
dents seeking denial of the variance,
contends the quarry would have a
tremendous impact.
He says there are 374 homes within
a two-mile radius of the proposed
quarry site and estimates about 1,500
residents would be affected.
Even if a variance for the quarry is
granted, Vulcan Materials will still
need permits from the state Environ
mental Protection Division to begin
mining operations.
Seventy-nine of the students, or 1.6
percent, said they had experimented
with heroin.
Before the close of last week’s
meeting, council members formed a
committee to look at methods of
fighting substance abuse this year,
and establish priorities.
Members of the committee include
Harriett Gilleland, council chairper
son; Dennis Whittle, Burton Long
well; Larry Rary, pastor of Cumming
United Methodist Church; and Moshe
Gittleson, with Buford Hospital’s Al
cohol/Drug Treatment Center.
■■■ '
fIK -«s-JL It
Fundraiser here a success
It was about 40 or more cakes that turned a lot of people onto the
Cake Walk held Saturday night at Coal Mountain Elementary
School. The Cake Walk, Bingo, a Country Store and a kid’s fish
pond were among other fund raising events being held at the
school for funeral expenses for Raymond Johnson of the Matt
Community who died recently because of injuries sustained in a
car accident. According to Mrs. Jimmy Freeman who helped to
sponsor the event, between $1,600 and $1,700 was raised during
the four-hour event. The South Land Band performed and ham
plates were available for eat-ins or pick-ups. Also, for the children
as well as the adults, popcorn balls and hot dogs and other snacks
were offered. Mrs. Freeman said that she was extremely pleased
with the response and wanted to thank everyone who donated food
and time to this cause. (News staff photo by Dawn Holcomb)
24PAGES - 35 CENTS
Judge Gault replied he felt bringing
it before a grand jury again would be
frivolous and “it seems to me the
issue is moot.” Gault replied to a
question by Turner that “I’m not
going to question what a grand jury
has done or has not done. Rightly or
wrongly, they have made a decision.”
Soon thereafter, the courtroom
cleared, and Turner, staying behind
said he would pursue the matter.
“I’m not quitting,” he said, as a news
photographer snapped a picture of
him.
The firm’s manager of human re
sources, Mark Graham, says no ap
plications for the permits have been
filed.
Graham also says that time taken
by the appeals board to make its
decision is not hurting Vulcan Materi
als because the quarry on Lower
Creighton Road is a future prospect.
Officials of the firm say a long
range plan for the Georgia Depart
ment of Transportation calls for a
second perimeter highway around
Atlanta in the future.
Portions of the highway would fol
low Georgia 20, which lies about three
miles from the proposed quarry, put
ting Vulcan Materials in a strategic
position to supply rock for new high
way construction.
Initial employment at the quarry
would be 20 to 25 people.
The annual output would initially
be around 300,000 tons of rock, with
future outputs reaching 700,000 tons
per year.
In other business last week, council
members:
• Chose John Gambs, with the For
syth County Mental Health Center, to
assist Ms. Gilleland with her work as
chairperson.
• Elected Patti Barrett as secre
tary.
• Named the fourth Tuesday of
each month, at 12 p.m., as their
regular meeting date and time.
• Formed a directory of people who
could provide counseling services for
persons with alcohol/drug problems.