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Forsyth County News
;XVII —NUMBER 98
City planning to draft soil erosion ordinance
By Gary Tanner
Staff writer
The state Environmental Protection Division thinks
the city of Cumming should have an erosion control
ordinance, and the city agrees.
Toward that end the city and the state agency are
working together on guidelines to put into an ordinance
that should be finalized in early 1987, according to city
manager Gerald Blackburn.
Commission
discusses
roadwork
By Molly Read
Staff writer
The Forsyth County Commission
ers Monday night took positive action
on two dangerous intersections in the
county the Shiloh Road and Ga. 9
intersection, and the intersection of
Ga. 20 and Old Buford Road.
Hugh Tanner of the state Depart
ment of Transportation presented a
plan to widen the intersection of Ma
jors Road and Ga. 9 so it will include
two left hand turn lanes, and to move
the small stretch of Shiloh Road over
so that it merges with the intersec
tion. The improvements on the pre
carious crossing will be paid for in
full by the D.0.T., according to Com
missioner Mark Whitmire.
The county will probably have to
spend some local money for im
provements of the awkward crossing
where Old Buford Road runs into Ga.
20. Tanner presented a plan to relo
cate Old Buford Road so that it comes
out directly across from the main
entrance to the Tri-County shopping
center, next to the future Captain D’s
location. The part of Old Buford Road
which presently runs into Ga. 20
would be blocked off. Tanner esti
mated the Ga. 20 project would cost
around $95,000, and at least half of the
bill would be picked up by the D.O.T.
The fiscal year audit presented to
the commissioners Monday showed
Forsyth Countians were billed for
more than $lO million in local taxes
this past fiscal year. Of the $10,755,269
billed, $6,896,654 went to the school
system, along with $736,939 towards
payment of school bonds.
The county fund was allotted sl,-
892,271, and an additional $186,059
went to retiring county bonds. Other
items included on the expense side of
the audit were $611,762 to state funds,
$410,871 to the local fire department,
and $20,713 to the city of Cumming.
The audit presented by the county
accountants, Bowen and Ellenburg,
showed $1,352,146 in outstanding
taxes from years 1978 until 1985.
However, as auditor Wayne Bowen
pointed out to commissioners, the
million-plus statement was calcu
lated in June of this year, and the
figure would no doubt sound better if
it were more up-to-date.
Commissioners accepted own
ership of a water line running along
McFarland Road, Ga. 9 and Post
Road from developers who had
agreed to deed the $73,958 worth of 12-
inch line to the county as a condition
of a rezoning. Contributing devel
opers were Chatham Properties, the
Rives Corp., Joe Douglas of Douglas
and Associates, Robert Miller, Alpha
retta Realty, Georgia Associated
Services, Hugh Mason, and Lester
Hardwick.
The hopeful beginning of another
county water line was also planted
Monday night, when commissioners
agreed to apply for a community
block grant which could offer the
county $400,000 toward a line that
would run from the intersection of
Ga. 9 and Ga. 369 up to Silver City.
Five portions of roads in the Brid
gewater subdivision were accepted
for county maintenance Monday, af
ter about 30 residents and members
of Bridgewater Homes Associates
Inc. showed up at the meeting. On the
list of newly accepted routes, which
cover a little over a mile cumulati
vely, are East Lakeside Drive Circle,
Resort Cove, a portion of Lakeside
Drive, Cove Point Road, Windsor
Way, and Parkway Lane.
'Rie issuance of $1,250,000 in indus
trial bonds by the Rock Drilling and
Testing Corporation was approved by
the commissioners.
STACKING STUFFERS
Jaycess working to keep
local youngsters from
facing empty stockings
Pogo 3A
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1986 —CUMMING, GA. 30130—36 PAGES
“We’re consulting with the EPD and hope to finalize it
shortly after the first of the year,” Blackburn said. He
said the city is looking to adopt an ordinance similar to
the one adopted by Forsyth County.
“We’re working on an ordinance that parallels the
county’s,” Blackburn said. He said the city’s version
would be the same as the county’s “except for a few
minor things in the subdivisions.”
J. Lewis Tinley, program manager of the EPD’s Land
Reclamation and Sedimentation Control Program, said
Gilstrap’s
The Earl of downtown
makes plans to retire
By Gary Tanner
Staff writer
If a person can be considered
a landmark, then Earl Gilstrap is
one. For the past 22 years, his
image has become synonymous
with a trip to the grocery store for
many in Forsyth County.
First, at the old Parsons store
downtown on the square and then
at his own Gilstrap’s Food Store,
the slim, mild-mannered man has
become a familiar and welcome
sight for his customers. The land
mark is changing.
Gilstrap, 62, is in the process of
selling his store and will retire at
the end of this year after 44 years
in the grocery business.
Those used to going into his
store and seeing him putting up
stock, checking out orders or bag
ging groceries will find things
different in a few weeks.
Oh, the store won’t change
much. Gilstrap is selling the busi
ness to Dennis Watson, who has
worked as butcher in the store for
five years. Watson, Gilstrap says,
will continue to operate as an
independent grocer concentrating
on personal service but the
landmark will be missing.
“It’s been a pleasure doing busi
ness all these years, but I’m really
retiring, if anybody has doubts,”
Gilstrap says.”
“I’m planning to apply for So
cial Security,” he adds with a
laugh. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Customers, meanwhile, will
miss him.
“I don’t go off to trade with the
big chain stores,” says longtime
friend and customer D.O. Free
man. “I thought he was a nice and
honest man. His help was always
nice. Those are the main reasons
we traded with him.”
Former students testify in defense of Perry
By Molly Read
Staff writer
One teenager’s face after another appeared
in the small window looking into the courtroom
where former teacher Sandra Perry’s suit
against county school officials was under way
Monday.
More than a dozen of the high schoolers
waiting in the hallway filled with witnesses
testified for their former teacher during the
first day of trial. A mother of one of the students
also came to the stand to support Perry in the
$2.5 million civil suit before the plaintiff rested
her case late in the afternoon.
Perry filed suit against Forsyth School Su
perintendant Robert Otwell, high school princi
pal Harold Hammontree, former assistant
principal Sam Cole, and members of the board
of education last May.
In the suit, Perry claims that her constitu
tional rights were violated when her teaching
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Staff Photos Kathryn L. Babb
Earl Gilstrap performs a familiar task ringing up the groceries
“I hope he enjoys (retire
ment),” said Freeman, 78, and
himself a former grocer. “But I’m
afraid he’s going to miss it.”
Gilstrap says he will miss the
people, but not the tasks involved
in the everyday running of a busi
ness.
He says he and his wife Lucille
plan to travel some, but won’t
contract was not renewed because of the publi
cation of a letter she wrote to the Forsyth
County News. The letter claimed that the
school system was being downgraded by people
more concerned with simply passing students
than really making them learn their subjects.
References to discipline problems, emotional
instability and a possible premonition of legal
action on Perry’s part were brought out in the
questioning of her and her former students
Monday.
Several times, students were asked if their
teacher had ever started crying in front of the
class. Those who said they had seen her cry
referred to one of two cases; the time “Miss
Perry” shed tears of joy when they gave her a
bouquet of roses to show their appreciation, and
the day when she was grading some excellent
papers written by students who hadn’t suc
ceeded before. “She was just so happy that
somebody who hadn’t been doing that well was
doing good,” said one witness.
* o
it is important for the city to have an erosion control
ordinance because of the limited powers of enforcement
of his office.
“We’ve got seven inspectors to cover the entire re
gion,” Tinley said. By adopting a local ordinance, the
city would take enforcement pressure off of the EPD,
Tinley said.
Forsyth County adopted an erosion control ordinance
two years ago under pressure from the EPD to do so.
The county had an ordinance at that time, but “it was
become strangers to the local
community. “We don’t plan to
move. This is our home,” Gilstrap
says.
In 44 years of being in the gro
cery business, Gilstrap says he
has seen many changes in stores,
what people buy and the prices
they pay, but he says it has been
rewarding.
BEAN’S BOOTS
L.L. Bean has turned
footwear for hunters
Into a big business
Pag« IB
»c I
“To own my own store was a
long held dream of mine,” he said
recently. “The good Lord gave me
the strength and the knowledge to
do it. It’s been very satisfying.”
Gilstrap began his career in the
grocery industry as a young man
of 18, just out of school. The Gai-
See GILSTRAP, page 2A
Another incident referred to repeatedly was
the time a member of Perry’s class reportedly
stood up and complained about the teacher’s
strict grading policy. According to some ac
counts, Perry told the student they could dis
cuss the problem after class, but when he
persisted, she told him to go to the principal’s
office.
He did go to the office, and was followed by 13
other students dissatisfied with their grades in
Perry’s class. Assistant Principal Cole, in re
sponding to the case, came to the class with
files on the 14 protesting students and com
mended Perry and her teaching procedures in
front of the class, according to Perry’s testi
mony.
The students were first given the idea to elect
a spokesman to protest grading procedurse by
former teacher Michael Barrett, who was sub
stituting for Perry for three days before the
incident, the plaintiff said. She also referred to
the “G. 8.1. investigation” of Barrett, who was
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lacking,” according to planning director Stevie Mills. A
new ordinance was then drawn up, approved by the EPD
and then adopted by the county, Mills said. The planning
department added a soil erosion inspector to make sure
builders comply with the regulations, he said.
Mills said the city started work on its ordinance “about
six or eight months ago.” He added that the city wanted
to adopt erosion controls and then use the county’s
See CITY, page 2A
Chamber
continues
director
search
By Gary Tanner
Staff writer
When Mac Berston steps down as
executive director of the Forsyth
County/Cumming Chamber of Com
merce on Dec. 18, his replacement
likely will not be named. The search
is far enough along, however, that an
interim director will not be nec
essary, says Chamber president-elect
Roger Crow.
“Based on interest shown in the
position, I don’t think it will be nec
essary (to appoint an interim direc
tor),” Crow said. “We have a staff
secretary and we’ll make do until
(someone is hired).”
Berston resigned last month after
nearly five years as director of the
local Chamber. He cited an antic
ipated call for his ouster as the reason
for his resignation.
Crow said the Chamber was still
accepting applications for the posi
tion and would begin evaluation of the
candidates on Dec. 15 to replace the
only full-time director the local orga
nization has known.
Just when a replacement will be
hired is not known, and Crow said no
timetable has been set on filling the
vacancy.
“We’ll take whatever time is nec
essary to get the best person avail
able,” Crow said.
The search committee will be
looking for someone who is, “a
salesman, a diplomat and an admin
istrator” Crow said. And the ideal
candidate must be all these things
rolled into one, he said.
Crow said the general administra
tive and economic development as
pects of the job were the most
important, and that the Chamber
would prefer to have someone with
experience in a similar position. He
said the committee would seek some
one from the area who fits the qualifi
cations, but added that qualifications
form those outside the area would
also be considered.
“We’d prefer someone with experi
ence, but we’ll consider anyone with
ability,” said current Chamber presi
dent Jim French.
French also said he had no idea
when a replacement might be hired.
“The Chamber is nothing more
than a business whose purpose is to
market the community,” said Crow.
arrested earlier this year on charges of cruelty
to children and sexual crimes.
Two of the students who participated in the
much-discussed walkout testified in Perry’s
behalf.
“I tried to see what I could get away with ...
I’ll admit that,” said Gregg Hunter, who said
he went from remedial to on-level courses with
Perry’s assistance. Hunter said that after the
first six weeks of class with Perry, “we were all
upset over grades ... and Coach Barrett said,
‘something’s got to be done.’”
After that intitial walkout, students realized
Perry was going to be tough, Hunter related. “I
got a lot of respect for Miss Perry,” he said. “I
learned a lot from her... I learned how to write
compositions stuff like that ... but I had to
work hard. I studied my butt off.”
Other students testified that Perry was the
first teacher to make them take notes in to
See PERRY, page 2A
35 CENTS