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COACHING CONTROVERSY
, Debate over coaches
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Forsyth CountvNews
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Why do folks at The Village in Cumming have cabin fever? See page 9A
New rescue unit is approved
By Chuck Thompson
News editor
A replacement for the second most
used vehicle in the Forsyth County
Volunteer Fire Department was au
thorized by the board of commission
ers in their regular meeting Monday
night.
Ralph True, spokesman for the
department, said safety has been the
primary focus of volunteer firemen in
seeking a replacement for the rescue
unit at Station 9, in north Forsyth
County.
Rescue 9 has in excess of 99,000
Forsyth-based grass company
sows seeds of erosion control
By Chuck Thompson
News editor
Utilizing a blend of horticulture and
civil engineering, a Forsyth County
company is tackling soil erosion and
poor grass development on steep
slopes around Tri-County Plaza.
Contract Grass Co. is fertilizing
existing grasses on the slopes and
seeding in areas where there is no
grass.
Soil binders are being used to pre
vent soil erosion befor the seeds have
a chance to germinate,
From a civii engineering stand
point, the company is attempting to
change the flow of water run-off from
Tri-County Plaza and stop erosion on
slopes.
Looking at the problem from a
Squabble over jurisdiction angers family of missing man
Forysth, Hall law officers at odds over responsibility
By Dawn Holcomb
SUH writer
On Friday, Dec. 14, divers from the
Hall County Sheriff’s Department
combed Lake Lanier around the Bol
ling Bridge area for the body of
Danny Buice Whitmire, 41, of 784
Parkway Drive, Gainesville.
Whitmire had last been heard from
by a member of his family —dur
ing the early morning hours of
Wednesday Dec. 5.
A wrecked car, believing to have
been the one Whitmire drove or per
haps rode in, was found just past the
bridge on Highway 53, about 300
yards into Forsyth County.
There were signs, said Rod Whit
mire, a brother to the missing man,
“that a scuffle took place.” The fol
lowing week, during one of the fami
ly’s daily searchings, Whitmire’s
jacket was found under the bridge.
According to Hall County Sheriff
Dick Mecum, his sheriff’s depart
ment was searching for the body as a
“courtesy to the family. We can’t get
miles and is the second most used
vehicle in the department, exceeded
only by the rescue unit at Station 2, in
the southern part of the county.
True presented the commissioners
with a low bid of $16,355 on a new
rescue unit from Thomason Chevro
let in Thomasville, N.C. The bid was
approved unanimously.
In other business , the commission
ers adopted a resolution in apprecia
tion of the Forsyth County Extension
Service, and voted to purchase a used
water truck.
The resolution was presented by
Commissioner Jack Shoemake, who
horticulturist’s viewpoint, the com
pany is attempting to find out why
grass on the slopes is not growing.
Eileen White, original developer
and present manager of Tri-County
Plaza, says she searched an entire
year before finding a company to stop
erosion on the slopes and make them
more attractive.
She says six companies are financ
ing the work: Aspen Capital, owner of
Tri-County Plaza’s first phase; Sho
neys, Mrs. Winners; Malon Mimms
Enterprises, owner of Tri-County
Plaza’s second phase; Wendys and
Arbys:
Owen Jones, president of Contract
Grass, says grasses used on the
slopes will be permanent and mainte
nance free. They will produce their
own fertilizer and develop root sys
tems two to three feet deep.
involved in it a whole lot,” he said,
“because it happened in Forsyth
County.”
Forsyth County Sheriff Wesley
Walraven said that the case was on
file at Forsyth County Sheriff’s De
partment, but that they could not
become too involved in it because the
incident occurred in Hall County.
“That’s why we took it,” said GBI
agent Roy Harris. “It appears some
thing unusual did happen.” There’s
just a question, he said, of in which
county it happened.
“The case is still active,” said GBI
agent Stanley Thompson who was the
agent on the scene during the time of
the incident.’
However, the family doesn’t see it
quite that way.
“We haven’t heard anything from
any of the law enforcement,” said
Mrs. Kermit Martin, a sister to the
missing man.
“Sheriff Mecum said that he had
heard that Danny was in Florida.
Well, if he’s in Florida, why don’t
they go down and find him? It just
ptil!
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1985—CUMMING, GA. 30130
commended the local Extension Serv
ice for the assistance it provides to
the county.
Shoemake noted that Forsyth
County has received a District award
for achievement in agribusiness.
In conjunction with that award,
individual awards were presented to
the*iocal Extension Service, the
board of commissioners and the
chamber of commerce.
A recommendation by County En
gineer Jim Redmond to purchase a
used water truck was approved by
the commissioners.
Other areas around the shopping
center will be planted with grasses
that require mowing, and according
to Jones, some areas will be re
shaped.
Ms. White says the project will
have a twofold purpose: (1) control of
erosion; and (2) beautification.
Contract Grass has acquired land
at the intersection of Ga. 400 and
McGinnis Ferry Road, and is now
based in Forsyth County. The com
pany was in the process of moving
here from Cobb County last week.
Numerous projects in the South
east, including the Atlanta Airport
Expansion, Six Flags Over Georgia
and the Richard Russell Dam, have
been done by the company, which has
won five National Environmental
Awards for site reclamation.
seems that nobody wants to handle
the case. It’s like bouncing a ball
back and forth. We know our brother.
He would not have stayed gone with
out contacting one of us. He would
have had enough concern to call one
of us.
“This is just tearing our family
apart. It’s just not knowing whether
he’s dead or alive. Until it happens to
you or one of your family, you just
don’t know the heartaches,” said
Mrs. Martin.
The Whitmire family is starting a
campaign on their own in an effort to
locate their missing brother.
“People around here have been so
supportive,” said Mrs. Martin. “A
prominent man from Gainesville was
here just the other day asking about
Danny and saying that he’d donate
money to help us find him.”
The question in the family’s mind is
the same as that which troubles the
family of any missing person: Is he
dead or alive?
Circumstantial evidence acquired
by the family tends to make them
fAIUNO LEAVES
A look at
the festival
with pictures
PAGE 3A
Local school officials
depending on state aid
to handle future growth
By Laura McCullough
Managing editor
It’s no secret to anyone that Forsyth County is grow
ing. Latest population estimates, based on figures taken
in the summer of 1984, list 33,100 residents living here, an
18.5 percent increase in just four years.
New subdivisions are being planned and houses are
being constructed throughout the county. Perhaps no one
is more aware of the county’s growth than Robert Otwell,
superintendent of Forsyth County schools. He and the
five elected board members will have their hands full in
the next few years trying to stay on top of the unprece
dented growth.
This year Forsyth County gained 313 students over last
year’s enrollment, a figure Otwell called “just a drop in
the-bucket compared with what is expected in the coming
years.”
If that is true then educators have plenty of work ahead
to get ready for newcoming students. All elementary
schools are either operating at or near capacity with
some exceeding capacity and resorting to numerous
portable classrooms cluttering the grounds.
The worse problem is at Midway and Sawnee elemen
tary schools, which are both well-beyond the limits for
which they were designed. Both schools have seven
classes in portables buildings.
This year, Midway gained 45 additional students mov
ing its enrollment from 485 of last year to 530.
Sawnee gained 34 students, posting an enrollment of
627 this year compared to 593 last year.
The state Department of Education conducted a study
of the local school system in the early 1980 s and then
•recommended new classrooms for both of these schools.
State capital outlay funds of $595,000 have been allocated
for the construction of nine new classes at Midway and
eight at Sawnee.
“That’s our biggest concern at this time,” said Otwell.
“We’ve got to review the plans for construction with the
architect and then with the school plant services and get
them out for bids.”
Last spring, bids for these same classrooms were sent
out but got no response that fell in line with the money
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Danny Whitmire
believe that Danny was killed and
thrown into Lake Lanier. However,
other information such as that
Sheriff Mecum has heard brings
back hope that Danny is still alive.
Truck fertilizes slope behind Tri County
“There was an individual that met
Whitmire’s description living in Flor
ida,” said Mecum in a telephone
interview. “We don’t know for a fact
that that’s who it was but we had the
basic description. The individual was
going by another name.” The individ
ual took off however, before he could
be tracked down.
Harris said that the GBI is “looking
for a subject, who has apparently
moved on us, that could shed some
light on his (Danny’s) disappearance.
The subject is aware that we would
like to talk to him. It’s just a matter of
tracking him down and talking to
him.”
“It’s suspicious that he (Danny)
hasn’t contacted his family,” said
Harris. “From the past, according to
his family, he would have contacted
them. There’s just no identification
whether he’s alive and well or
whether or not he’s dead.
“He’s on the computer. And we’re
glad to follow any leads. The only one
we have is the subject we’re looking
for right now.”
“They don’t know how it feels,”
said Mrs. Martin about the law en
forcement working on the case. “We
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allocated, so the entire process had to be re-worked.
Otwell hopes to have the buildings completed for the 1986-
87 school year.
“When we get them built it should eliminate the
existing overload at each location,” he said.
However, other schools may soon experience the same
classroom shortages. Cumming Elementary and Mash
bum Elementary both have portables and Chestatee is
also operating at capacity.
The junior high schools are currently able to accommo-.
date the 1,683 students, though the three schools did pick
up 120 additional students this year.
The high school situation is similar to the elementary
schools. There are already portable classrooms in use
with an enrollment of 1,215. Some 521 of these students
are in the tenth grade. The school gained 62 additional
students this year.
The school system isn’t due another state facilities
study until 1987 but Otwell is requesting one for the
spring of 1986. The feasibility study will include a look at
the total school program buildings and curriculum.
“One thing to consider in Forsyth County is that our
population isn’t considered rural anymore it’s urban,”
said Otwell. “We need to note where our schools are
located and where our people are living.”
The state feasibility study will give recommendations
to the school system which will in turn have to implement
any additional changes.
Otwell said he has considered a new high school and
even going to a middle school concept, which would move
the ninth graders to the high school and eliminate “junior
high.”
However, any future plans would have to come after
the comprehensive survey, said Otwell, who would not
comment further on future building plans.
Otwell also said he hopes any future construction
could be made through state funding, but again that
won’t be known until a feasibility study has been com
pleted.
For right now, the primary concern is getting new
classrooms to relieve the overcrowding at Midway and
Sawnee. The next step is simply to wait.
have a right to know what’s going on,
They don’t tell us anything. Sheriff
Mecum told us that he couldn’t do
anything until he found a body. It just
seems that nobody’s looking for one.
Mecum said that because it was cold
and dark back in December that he
would dive again when the weather
got pretty. We haven’t heard any
thing from him.”
According to Mecum, visibility was
good but it was cold on Dec. 14 when
divers looked for Whitmire’s body.
“Our main problem was getting out
to the center of the lake to the main
channel. My divers would go down for
a brief period but they would cramp
because it was so cold.”
The family “seemed satisfied with
that. They felt we’d done everything
we could do,” said Mecum.
However, the family hired private
divers the week after Hall County
divers had looked for the body. The
family also hired a psychic to comb
the area.
According to the psychic, there had
been a struggle in the park area.
Someone had been stabbed in the
park and had been “hauled to a
See MISSING, Page SA
24 PAGES 35 CENTS