Newspaper Page Text
Forsyth I
wins
Dist. 7
Pagelß
VOLUME LXXXIII —NUMBER 59
Assessors disagree over lump-approval of applications
By Kristin Jeffries
Stiff Writer
• A Board of Tax Assessors meeting
ended in sharp disagreement Thurs
day evening when three members vot
ed to approve more than a dozen ap
plications for conservation use
assessment
Members Kathy Totten and Harold
Bolton voted against approving appli
cations in a lump because of the fear
of lawsuits.
“It is not being fair to the taxpay
m V” “ 1 *<■ -am A Urn m I *
James Harrington, Bill Jenkins, and Registrar Melvin Stancll examine the recount reports
Harrington wins recount
By Kristin Jeffries
Staff Writer
A recount of votes cast for Demo
cratic county commission candidates
James Harrington and Bill Jenkins al
lowed Harrington to retain the right
to see his name on the November
Weather:
Hot
More of the same: Partly cloudy
through Tuesday with widely scat
tered thunderstorms, mainly dur
ing the afternoon and evening
hours. Lowsupper6ostomiddle7os.
Highs upper 80s to middle 90s.
INSIDE
Abby 5A
Church Briefs 4A
Classified 5B
Editorial/Letters 8A
Events 4A
Grover Johnson 9A
Lifestyles 6A
Horoscopes 5A
Matter of Record 3A
Sports 1-2 B
Lake Lanier Levels
Date level
July 20 1069.68 ft
July 21 1069.59 ft
July 22 1069.70 ft
July 23 1069.43 ft
July 24 1069.33 ft
■
Sister Kathryn leaving The Place See Page 6A
Forsvth County New “■
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‘All you need to be a farmer
is a beehive’
- Board Chairman Jerry Grogan
ers,” said Totten.
However, members Billy Evans,
Jerry Bennett and Chairman Jerry
Grogan agreed the vague law re
quired them to be lenient in their de
cisions and, with almost 500 applica
ballot
The Thursday morning recount
added 11 votes to give current com
mission member Harrington a total of
2,561 votes and added 12 votes for Jen
kins for a total of 2,542. The previous
total had been 2,550 to 2,530.
Jenkins requested the recount with
Harrington’s encouragement Since
the vote was within 1 percent Jenkins
was not required to present a reason
for requesting the recount said Voter
Registrar Melvin Stancil.
When the votes were tallies and the
count official, Harrington and Jen
kins shook hands.
“You ran a good clean race and I
appreciate it” Harrington told his
opponent
Jenkins also ran against Harrington
four years ago. Then he lost the race
by 125 votes.
“I’ll probably see you in four years,”
Jenkins said amicably. “It may take 10
or 12 years to accomplish a goal but I
never give up.”
Harrington will face Republican
O.G. Moore in the general election in
November.
There were no changes in the tal
lies of the Big Creek, Chattahoochee,
Chestatee, Coal Mountain, Cross
Roads, and Mashburn voting
precincts.
The changes were:
• Brandywine precinct
For Harrington -122 (previously 121)
For Jenkins -157 (no change)
• Cumming precinct
For Harrington - 598 (previously 588)
For Jenkins - 529 (previously 520)
• Matt precinct
For Harrington -145 (previously 146)
For Jenkins -141 (previously 140)
• Midway precinct
For Harrington -120 (no change)
For Jenkins -146 (previously 145)
• Sawnee precinct
For Harrington - 409 (previously 408)
For Jenkins - 402 (no change)
• Pleasant Grove precinct
For Harrington - 86 (no change)
For Jenkins - 89 (previously 88)
Since the change in the Cumming
precinct was larger the ballots were
Appeal filed on liquor license ruling
By Kristin Jeffries
StgHWrWf
Commissioners could be faced with
their second law suit concerning alco
hol licenses since the beverages went
on sale in the county April 1991.
Applicants for a license to sell alco
hol at the Playhouse Restaurant are
requesting a formal appeal before the
SUNDAY, JULY 26, 1992-CUMMING, GA 30130-20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS
tions pending, there is not time
enough for the board to look at each
case. They voted to lean heavily on the
judgment of the chief appraiser on
staff.
The conservation use property
evaluation allows those who are using
their land for agricultural purposes to
have their land appraised at values
set by the state depending upon the
productivity of the soil.
The only way the new law, affecting
property owners and tax offices for
the first time in 1992 taxes, defines
counted twice. The totals were the
same each time.
The changes in the vote count are
due to ballots which did not have the
holes on the ballot sufficiently
punched out, said past election super
intendent Donna Parrish.
If the tabs which should be punched
out hang on and cover the hole once in
the machine the computer will not
register the vote off that card.
The problem can be alleviated by
using the stylus provided to aggres
sively punch out the tabs on the ballot
cards.
DOT targets 3 areas
for road construction
By Kara Sproles
Staff Writer
State Department of Transporta
tion officials have released a con
struction schedule for roads in For
syth County. Three main areas are
targeted for the parade of orange
cones, detour signs and heavy ma
chinery within the next year.
•According to DOT Commissioner
Wayne Shackleford, the first project,
which could begin as soon as two
months, involves a one-way pairing of
Pirkle Ferry Road and Maple Streets
in Cumming.
Starting in October, both will be re
designed as one-way streets. It will
take between 15 and 18 months to
complete the project, which involves
a stretch about eight-tenths of a mile
long.
“We’re probably about 80 percent
complete with the right-of-way acqui
sition on it,” said State Right-of-Way
Engineer Don Welch.
The roads will remain open while
under construction, he said.
•In early 1993, left turning lanes are
scheduled to be added along State
Route 20 and Hwy. 9 in Forsyth Coun
ty. The project will take less than six
months, Welch estimated.
Forsyth County Board of Commis
sioners.
Commissioners denied owner Cyn
thia Dawn West a request for a license
because of community opposition to
what rumors said would be an adult
entertainment spot and because of
traffic difficulties at the restaurant’s
Hwy. 141 location. The board mem
bers areo stated no Certificate of Oc-
Staff photo - Krtatin Jeffries
those who are eligible for the tax cut is
by calling them "bona fide farmers.”
Board members agreed that those
who are truly farmers deserve a cut in
taxes. Many farmers in the county
complain taxes are making it impossi
ble to continue farming in Forsyth
County.
However, if all 525 application for
conservation use are approved the
county could see its digest of property
values on which people are taxed re
duced by SIOO million.
Agricultural land, depending on
Otwell, Fossett square off
By Kristin Jeffries
Staff Writer
While no local candidates will ap
pear on the ballots for the Aug. 11 run
off, Forsyth County residents will not
lack for politics as seven local races
heat up for November.
The school system will see some
changes in 1993. Board member Ar
thur Wright, running unopposed, sits
in the only seat up for election which
will be filled with an incumbent
Topping the list of intense races
will be the one between Robert Otwell
(D) and Ina Fossett (R) for superinten
dent of schools. Fossett is a long-time
principal in Forsyth County now serv
ing at Cumming Elementary School.
Otwell has already served eight years
as superintendent in the 1980 s. He is
now head of the Community School
program.
Filling the seat of Catherine Amos,
who was defeated in her race for su
perintendent last week, will be either
Paul Carder (D) or Don Hendricks (R).
Lead followed in church break-ins
By Kara Sproles
Staff Wrltef
Investigators say they may have a lead on who is behind the four-month string of break-ins at local
churches.
“We’ve got a couple of leads,” said Forsyth County Investigator Bill Miller. “We don’t know where
they’re going to go or how it’s going to turn out, but we’ve gotten some information on one of the church bur
glaries that happened recently.”
In recent weeks, three new churches have been added to the list of those hit by apparent vandals and
burglars. Since March, a total of more than 11 have been hit altogether, reports show.
Investigators say the break-ins are related.
“We still think the same people have done it,” Miller stated. “They’ve found an easy way to make a
cheap living. Plea se see BREAK-INS, Page 2A
However, construction might be
postponed due to a delay in right of
way acquisition, according to Trans
portation Planning Engineer George
Boulineau.
“The message I’m getting now is
that it may be delayed,” he said.
The land to be used to add the lanes
is being purchased by local govern
ment, he added. The DOT is doing the
planning.
•In mid to late 1993, Hwy. 9 North
from Hwy. 141 to Atlanta Road will be
widened to a four lane road with a
raised median.
The two and one-half mile project
involves about 60 parcels of right-of
way.
“It’s a major project,” said Welch. “I
would assume it would take at least a
year and a half to complete.”
•A construction date has not been
set on any of the Outer Perimeter,
Shackleford said. At the earliest, con
struction could begin about five years
from now.
However, from State Route 371 to
Hwy. 316, environmental impact stud
ies have been completed, indicating
Forsyth County could be the first
place construction on the outer loop
Please see ROADS, Page 2A
cupancy had been granted and the
State Fire Marshal had not approved
the structure.
West and other restaurant repre
sentatives denied the allegations the
spot would feature adult enter
tainment
No date has been set for the appeal,
Please it LIQUOR, Page 2A
many factors, may be valued now any
where from near $5,000 on up to near
$30,000 an acre. The new conserva
tion valuations would put that land at
between ©OO and SBOO an acre.
Totten and Bolton disagreed with at
least one parcel which was approved
at Thursday’s meeting. The owner of
the 86-acre tract claimed it was being
used to grow timber. Because Bolton
was personally acquainted with the
applicant he said he knew she was not
a tree farmer.
However, other members pointed
gap
/iJ
hOW'
m M
Robert Otwell
For the Post 5 seat on the board
being vacated by Hilda Thomas will
be either Phil Smith (D) or Eddie Tay
lor (R).
Three incumbents are seeking to
defend their seats on the county
Board of Commissioners.
Veteran Commissioner James Har
rington (D) will be challenged by O.G.
Moore (R) for the Post 2 seat Harring
ton beat his Democratic opponent in
the primary by 19 votes.
It remains to be seen if Commis
sioner Michael McGaughey will be al
lowed to run as an Independent
against David Sexton for the Post 4
•’ 't Hiirafe n ■
frwW**■ ' - tt
Photo by PodWo Sotoraano
Shuckin’ corn
Linda Gravitt and her son, Doug, spent some time shucking some corn
Thursday across the street from their home on Twin Lakes Rd. Forsyth Counti
ans continue to brave the hot, humid days saving the afternoon shade for
gardening artd harvesting and getting vegetables prepared for "putting ufc”
out the law states any iand which is
producing “something of value” must
be approved.
“All you need to be a farmer is a
beehive,” said Grogan.
If turned down the aoplicant with
86 acres of forest would be the first to
file suit, said Grogan.
Bolton and Totten sided with the
side of caution wanting to turn
down any applications which were
questionable and forcing the land-
Please see TAX, Page 2A
seat
Although his signatures to run as an
independent are gathered - they have
not yet been verified by the Registrar.
Moreover, McGaughey’s candidacy
has been challenged because of a
question about his residency.
McGaughey is now living outside
his district He has reported to the
press it is a temporary situation and
he intends to return to his house on
Nicholson Road.
A hearing will be held in the coming
weeks before the Board of Registrars
to determine if McGaughey’s candida
cy is legitimate.
Commissioner Jimmy Henderson
(D) will see a rematch as Ron Seder
(R) once again faces off with him for
the Post 5 seat Henderson and Seder
were involved in a run-off to fill the
remainder of past commissioner Bar
ry Hillgartner’s term.
Finally Sheriff Wesley Walraven
(D) will seek to defend his job as For
syth County sheriff against Grady Gi
spon (R).
Ina Fossett
Upcoming
Sawnee
events
Page 3A
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