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Pp\ Read, Then f/\ VOLUME LXXXI —NUMBER 51 A day for dad By Brad Hundt Staff Writer Dad. For a long time, the word conjured up fanciful, idealized images of a guy who seemed to always to know best, looked like Robert Young or Ozzie Nelson, and smoked a pipe while dis pensing stem, yet loving, advice. The minutia of parenting - taking kids to school, aiding scraped knees and cooking meals - well, that was Mom’s department However, as times change, so do dads. He still might have the pipe and slippers, but he might also wield a bottle of formula, change a diaper or drive a son or daughter to day care. The changing roles of fathers have been well-documented throughout the last decade or so by Oprah, Phil, Sally Jesse and the rest of the media Forsyth County, a conservative niche in a conservative part of the country, has not been immune to advancing social change and blurring parental roles, however. “We see more and more daddies. A lot more are picking them up and bringing them here,” said Vickie Sex ton, of the Small Town day-care cen ter in Cumming. “I think it’s more than it used to be. It used to be just mothers, but now it’s half-and-half.” Fathers getting down in the trench es of parenting is an outgrowth of the sexual revolution of the 19705, and the Please see FATHER, page 2A Couple’s faith endures in spite of multiple adversities - Jfc v: Hu NSIDE Abby 6B Business 5A Church Briefs 7B Classified 118 Deaths 7B Editorials 4A Engagements 6A Events 9B Horoscope 6B On Campus 108 Sports 1B Weddings 6A Lake Lanier Levels Date level June 11 1071.61 feet June 12 1071.55 feet June 13 1071.47 feet June 14 1071.41 feet June 15 1071.36 feet see page 4, section B Forsyth L»oui iiyV >e\vs /C • • Local dad William West gives his 16-month old son Steven some swimming lessons at Mary Alice Park last week. Daughter Elisia, who turned five last week, stands alongside them. Paul and Betty Turco CPR skills save Cumming girl’s life Two minutes more may have been fatal By Brad Hundt Staff Wrttr Jodia Wallace’s sweet 16th birth day last weekend very nearly was not so sweet - if it weren’t for the help of her boyfriend’s sister, Michelle Norton. After a full day of swimming and game-playing in her family’s pool on Canton Highway outside Cumming, Jodia noticed she was tired and was going to get out of the pool. The next thing she remembers is laying by the side of the pool with the sound of an ambulance siren advanc ing She had apparently blacked out and sank to the bottom of the pool’s deep end, a full nine feet “They were playing, and I heard Jodia’s mother screaming’ “where’s Jodia?’ She was laying on her stom ach oh the very bottom of the pool,” Norton said. Fortunately, Norton is trained in canjjopulmonary resuscitation and SUNDAY, JUNE 17,1990-CUMMING, GA. 30130—26 PAGES 2 SECTIONS was able to revive Jodia after she, along with Jodia’s brothers Jodie and Joey, pulled her from the bottom of the pool. The family believes she was under water for up to two min utes. Two more minutes and Jodia could have sustained brain damage or died, Norton said. Jodia was taken to North Fulton Regional Hospital for three days of observation. After three days of tests, it was determined Jodia would likely have no physical problems because of her near-drowning. “Of all my children, Jodia is the best swimmer,” said Mrs. Wallace. “She’ll be extremely careflil from now on.” Mrs. Wallace vowed she, Jodia and the rest of their family were going to be trained in CPR after this near brush with tragedy. They are also go ing to get a “pool hook,” which is 1 commonly used to pull swimmers in trouble out of the water, she said. Norton has been trained in CPR since the early 1980 s because of her work as a dental hygienist Because of her rescue, she might receive a Certificate of Merit from the Ameri can Red Cross, one of the highest hogprs they give. staff photo - By Brad Hundt More legal action taken Assessments notices mailed, may rise 40 to 60 percent By Kristin Jeffries Staff Writer The county tax assessors office mailed out 1989 assessment notices Friday although the validity of the no tices could be affected by the latest legal move made on the behalf of the county. The board’s tax attorney, Conley In gram, filed a second motion for a re hearing before the Supreme Court without the county’s authorization or County will not restrict water use By Brad Hundt Staff Writer Forsyth County and the city of Cumming do not antici pate any problems with water supplies or pressure, de spite restrictions placed on lawn-watering and car-wash ing in north Fulton County. DeKalb County put outdoor watering restrictions in place Thursday, as did Sandy Springs. Cobb and Gwinnett experienced water pressure problems last weekend. Homeowners watering their lawns after roughly two weeks of dry, hot weather and an inadequate distribution system were credited as causing north Fulton’s problems. “At this point in time we don’t have any problem,” Cumming city administrator Gerald Blackburn said. “We feel very comfortable we can handle it But if people do unsuspected things, they need to let the city know.” Among the “unsuspected things” that city officials would need to know about Blackburn said, would include By Kristin Jeffries Staff Writer It could happen to anybody. Disas ter hits and there is no money and no one to help. What do you do? The Turcos, sitting alone in their little retirement bungalow in Forsyth County, are well acquainted with the helplessness of this situation. “We just don’t know what we are going to do,” said Betty Turco. Paul and Betty Turco moved from Tucker to a little house on the lake six years ago when he retired. Paul had worked as an architect for a company in Atlanta, but mandatory retirement age hit and he had to leave work. He started his own business in Cumming, but was able to do little work before his and his wife’s world was turned upside down by illness. Betty broke her back soon after they moved to Forsyth County and she was without insurance. Because of a kid ney operation at Emory University Hospital 20 years ago, no company would insure her when her husband’s insurance expired. He was covered by Medicaid, but, try as they might, they could find no company to cover her. While she was home recuperating in 1988, not knowing how she was go- “They were playing, and I heard Jodia’s moth er screaming ‘where’s Jodia?’ She was laying on her stomach on the very bottom of the pool,” Nor ton said. “We’re involved in the process of applying for it” said Vic Lanahand, program coordinator for the north east Georgia chapter of the Ameri can Red Cross. ‘They receive so many, but I think we have a real good shot at it It’s just the way we recog nize the value of what we teach.” If Norton receives a certificate, it will be signed by President Bush, honorary chairman of the American Red Cross. “It’s the ultimate example of the way our programs work. We’re just tickled pink,” Lanahand said. Obviously, though, Jodia and the rest of her family are slightly more than “tickled pink” that she lived through her 16th birthday. “I just thank the Lord that she’s here,” Mrr.tJWallace said. knowledge. If granted the move could possibly erase the need of 1989 notices. “We didn’t know anything about it,” said County Administrator Donald Major. The Board of Tax Assessors were unaware of the action and had not discussed it with county attorney Beau Stubbs. Stubbs was not aware of the action, either, said Major. “I’m not surprised, though,” said Billy Evans, chairman of the Board of developers using excess water or “bleeding” water lines during construction work. The city of Cumming provides water for the county. The area’s source of water is Lake Lanier. When water shortages in the Roswell and Alpharetta areas reached their height Monday, as some taps went dry, Forsyth County provided fire trucks to the area in case they were needed. This was part of an agreement between local governments regarding fire equipment in case of emergencies, said Donald Major, Forsyth County administrator. Fulton County imposed an odd-even watering system late last week, and prohibited watering lawns from noon until 9 p.m. Cumming and Forsyth County banned outside watering in the summer of 1988, as the Atlanta metro area, and many other parts of the country, were in the grips of a severe drought Rainfall amounts for the area are cur rently 10 inches above normal for this time of year. “...We love each other and that’s all that matters, no matter how it ends up,” said Betty. ing to pay her bills, Paul began not feeling well, and soon was in the hos pital undergoing a quadruple heart bypass operation. He had been in and out of the hospital a few times before then also. “By that time what little dab of mon ey we had was gone,” Betty said. Then, on her way to visit Paul in the hospital, she fell unexpectedly. Days later, as Betty and her husband were leaving their home to vote, she had an aneurysm in her brain and a number of strokes. She spent the next five weeks in the hospital. Her frustration was complete when she had to re-leam many things when she came home. “I didn’t know a knife or a fork,” she said. She had trouble speaking, could not read or write and couldn’t distin guish colors. “Dr. Goodson would be coming and I j Jodia Wallace (front) and Michelle Norton Tax Assessors. “To Mr. Ingram, who is a tax specialist himself, this (the re billing) is very disturbing because it is without precedent ” Despite the legal upheaval, the as sessors moved ahead Last Wednesday the board unani mously approved the new land ap praisal values resulting from a coun ty-wide re-appraisal done by the W.P. Ferriss Company. Please see TAX, page 2A I’d think to myself he has on a white shirt and blue pants,” Betty said. “When he asked I would say a red shirt and purple pants.” “Just this morning, I tried to write three little words and it won’t come out right” Betty said, fighting back tears. However, her therapy has stopped for inability to pay. “But I’ve come a long way,” she said. Betty still has trouble in conver sations and speaking on the phone. Writing is still almost impossible. Their troubles seem to be building on one another. With Paul just out of the hospital having had a second open heart sur gery and so shaky he cannot write or speak for long intervals, getting mone tary help has been almost impossible. Betty, owing over SIOO,OOO in medi cal bills has not been able to get her social security straightened out, al though she has been classified as completely disabled. She is 58. She worries that without insurance and a history of not being able to pay she will not get medical help anywhere. Many calls for help have gone unan- Please see TURCO, page 2A •Ml photo - By Brad Hundt 25 CENTS