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Forsyth County reallocation, page 3A ZT? .. MmT*- % /n “;: d n A VOLUME LXXXI —NUMBER 45 Wanted more input School board Ok’s plan with some reservation By Kristin Jeffries Staff Writer Forsyth County School Board mem bers approved the state facilities re port with a certain amount of fear and trepidation. The acceptance of the report on Tuesday, completes the new 5-year fa cility plan listing Forsyth’s needs. The plan allows the state to determine how much funding the county will re ceive. It will go to the state board for approval June 14. School board members were con cerned at locking themselves into a certain progression since the plan outlines the order the state will help fund the projects. “I would like it noted that I would have liked to have some input into setting the priorities. I think we missed a meeting somewhere,” said member Catherine Amos. Chairman Johnny Stone agreed. Compromise reached on sign ordinance By Kristin Jeffries Staff Writer It took more than three months of arguments and many drafts, but Forsyth County commissioners reached a com promise Wednesday on amending the billboard ordinance. Commissioner Barry Hillgartner began working to amend the county’s sign ordinance to restrict billboards in February, when a moratorium was placed on new bill j ,1 I *< «5&; H Jf/A' * " IJ!I JH 1 '* jKjrr- S^JBp l W n ' BBHHi—i—i. -—.———*—i—-—.—SHnH Learning dynamics Forsyth Central High School students Jason Hanline, from left, Amanda Quinlan, Bradley Young, Adam Casey and Neal Spence learn about Newton’s laws of dynamics by “playing" with a hovercraft while physics teacher No INSIDE Abby 5B Births 5A Church Briefs 3B Classified 7B Deaths 6A Editorials 4A Engagements 6A Events 9A Horoscope 5B Letters 5A On Campus 4B Sports 1B Lake Lanier Levels Date level May 28 1071.72 feet May 29 1071.70 feet May 30 1071.67 feet May 31 1071.62 feet Junel 1571.75 feet Forsvti I /u iiv t i f mr ra99lkr First on the list to be built is an elementary school and second is a new middle school in south Forsyth County. Following these projects is bringing North Forsyth and Otwell middle schools completely in line with the Quality Basic Education mid dle school program to qualify for the 13 percent incentive grants. After these projects, the state and the school board identified sl7 mil lion worth of improvements to be made in the 11 county schools. This is the order in which the state expects the board to apply for funds, said Jim Gurley, director of regional services of North East Georgia. “You can take local funds and address the priorities in any way you choose.” Priorities may also be changed without losing state funds ifthe school board can justify the reasons to the state. The order of projects was based on two things: “unhoused” students and board applications until the issue was settled. In past drafts, he proposed essentially banning off-site advertising by billboards, which raised concern in the business community attending a May commission meeting. The amended ordinance, adopted unanimously, limits billboard placement to three per mile in neighborhood shopping, highway business, commercial business nis Please see SIGN, page 2A lan Floyd, right, looks on. The craft was provided for the class by Ben Cooper of Hover Dynamics of Ga. Inc. on Bald Ridge Marina Road. The craft can operate on land and water. Leadership Forsyth graduates its second class By Sallylyn Hill Managing Editor It was a group that began with no direction. In the beginning they seemed like the blind leading the blind. As a matter of fact during one training session they were blindfolded. But now that graduation rolled around, the Leadership Forsyth class of 1990 is headed in the direction of becoming leaders in the community. “I think the program becoming to everything I hoped it would be," said Phill Bettis, one of the creators of the local leadership program. "We had a enthusiastic, very interested class. A good cross section of the community.” The class met seven times includ ing orientation and graduation. Dur ing four hour sessions issues such as local government, economical devel opment social programs and educa tion were discussed by people al ready leading in their fields. The gr*up met with Representative Bill Barnett, Department of Transporta SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 1990-CUMMiNG, GA. 30130-24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS the available flow of funds from the state. “There are more unhoused elemen tary students than any other popula tion,” said Gurley The board plans to begin the ele mentary school this summer with re imbursements from the state for re cent renovations at Big Creek and Chestatee elementary schools. Then, when enough state entitlement funds have built up, apply for funding of the new middle school probably in the summer of 1991. “Let's not get too hung up on any thing past numbers one and two," said Gurley, adding the board will proba bly not get far past the new’ elemen tary and middle schools. “Once we get past those two it will be time to start over again anyway,” agreed board member Dennis Anderson. Please see BOARD, page 2A tion Commissioner Hal Rives, Dr. Sam Dayton executive director of the Georgia Mountains Regional Plan ning and Development Commission and local county officials. They toured the City of Cumming’s water plant, South Forsyth High School and Georgia Power Center in Atlanta. The goal of the classes are bot h an educational and inspirational pro cess to become active in the commu nity, said Bettis. The members were to become more knowledgable of the needs and problems facing this community. Graduation ceremonies were held in Georgia Governor Joe Frank Har ris’s office last Wednesday. During his brief introductory remarks Harris pointed out the most emerging com munities have developed these lead eiship programs. The programs are popular on a statewide basis and say a lot for the community, he said. While this year’s program was an improvement over the program, in tarms of quality of programs, there is sJril more room for improvements, said Bettis. Staff photo - Kristin Jeffries V cl- ■ staff photo - By Sallylyn HI Lucky dollar In a iition to the traditional cap and gown this Forsyth Central High Schoo gra ate of the class o : 1990 tuci -■ a little sorr-vning extra behind his ear fo gß'c-n -uc ■ •;rit is a syr ro T s tope for a long a. 1 p r csperous *rfe c* sc just couldn't find his pockets, the now former FCHS senior is beginning his march nto note of life’s experiences. Commission moves to rezone 13 farm land parcels By Kristin Jeffries Staff Writer /After some hot discussion county commissioners called for the blanket rezoning of 7.209 acres from agricul ture 1 to agriculture 2, The A-2 zoning is designed to pro tect active farms from comp against their future neighbors cs a zoning classification it will air artect property taxes. Under the A-2 classification any property owner filing for rezoning of property which adjoins ar. A-2 parcel will be notified there 15 a working farm next door. Despite the verbal disagreements the rezoning was approved with four votes. Chairman Michael Bennett who originated the zoning cat< disqualified himself been us flicting interests. Commissioner James Harrington voiced strong doubts concerning the —." -V - P *' ' M ' ; -r“rr ’••/*’■--- ■1 -!r‘ •/--■■ The * Leadership Class of stands with r*- —'or Joe Frank Harris 1 fairness of the classification. “These efforts to favor a very small minority in the county is why we are all going to have a tax increase." said Harrington. He implied the zoning would help a large landowner who sits on the board of commissioners. Of 156 eligible landowners, 137 ap plied for the new zoning. To qualify for A-2. property must have the state preferential assessment for agriculture Commissioners Barry Hillgartner and Michael MeGaughey spoke in fa vor of supporting farmers just as the county has supported development “It is a land planning measure to give legitimate working farms fair tax ation within their classification of land use," said Commissioner Barry Hillgartner He explained he did not appreciate unwillingness to help fanners when the board has gone out of its way to help developers in the Supreme Court fines KJan/ supremacists By Brad Hundt Stßff Wmer Another legal skirmish related to the 1987 civil rights marches in For syth County apparently ended last week in the U S Supreme Court The high court upheld an 11th U.S. Circuit Court ruling requiring Ku Klux Klan members and other white supremacists pay SBfJO.OOO in dam ages for violating the rights of around 70 marchers in a Jan 17,1987 “Broth erhood” march. The ruling stated two Ku Klux Klan groups, three Klan officers and a white supremacist sparked a mob to attack protesters led by the Rev Ho sea Williams with bottles, sticks, bricks and clods of dirt. Williams and the marchers were protesting Forsyth's virtually all white status. The attack focused na tional attention on the county and led to a march the following weekend by an estimated 20.000 people. The defendants had argued the rul ing violated their right to free speech. Lawrenceville resident David Hol land. former Ku Klux Ktar. grand dragon, has to pay $44,000, while the the other are being hit with bills total lings26.oooeach. Liens have been put on the homes and paychecks of each of the men. said Atlanta attorney Bri an Spears. One of the four has already paid. Spears said, while two are refusing to disclose financial information about themselves, citing their Fifth Amend ment right to avoid self-incrimination - a move Spears described as “another way of insulting the verdict” I intend on taking them to court for failing to give us information on their financial holdings.” Spears said. "I dor. ‘think any court will uphold then Please see COURT, page 2A county by creating C-l zoning and granting exceptions in sewerage facilities. Those who speculate in land and area developers have also gotten tax breaks, auued MeGaughey. Harrington held that the classifica tion could be abused by owners who are not actively farming the land. “There are two- and three-acre plots on this list that are classified as tree farms," said Harrington. If parcels are taxed according to use instead of zoning it will hurt the tax digest tremendously, he reiterated. Commissioner Charles Welch said he hopes the zoning classification will prove to protect farmers as it is designed. “It is an attempt to more clearly de fine true agricultural land from va cant property,” said Welch. “I do think there is a tax implication - or will be in the long run." 25 CENTS