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Learning the 3R's of recycling PAGE 6A ' , | * Ol F 006130 03/23/98 rorsytn County •/ Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J VOLUME LXXXVII, NUMBER 60 Forsyth County News Cumming increases water rates for its customers By Thomas W. Krause Staff Writer The day before a water cri sis in Forsyth County came to a head, the city of Cumming voted to increase its water rates for customers in the city service area. On July water bills, prices will increase 10 cents per 1,000 gallons of water. Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said the increase to users of the mini mum amount should translate to about $1 per month. Currently, city residents pay $1.75 per 1,000 gallons of water. County residents in the city service area pay $2.20 per I, gallons. Even with the increase, city water customers pay less than county customers. Forsyth County charges $3.54 per 1.000 gallons of water. Cumming’s new water treatment plant, expected to go on-line the week of June 10, cost $5 million and was paid for through revenue bonds. The plant is part of $lO million worth of renovations to the Cumming water system. Cumming Administrator Gerald Blackburn said the city debt service has increased $292,394.87 since last year. City officials are hoping the increase in water rates will help offset the increase in debt service. See RATES, Page 2A WEATHER Isolated showers expected on Fri., Partly cloudy on Sat. Isolated showers on Sun. Highs in 90s. L__—— INDEX Abby 10A Events 9A Kid's Page 4B Entertainment 8A Church Briefs 3A Horoscope 10A Classifieds 5B School 6A Opinion 11A Sports IB COMING SUNDAY. . Update on watering ban An update on the City of Cumming and Forsyth County's watering bans will be included in Sunday's edition. See the latest on this crisis situation. Planning and Zoning The Forsyth County Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Tuesday night. See a listing of upcoming zonings in Sunday's edi tion. Missed paper policy: For replacement paper call between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wed., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sun.. 887-3126. I I l?l 04001 CHii; ’-MR I Lack of water reaches crisis situation By Thomas W. Krause and Jennifer Eskew Staff Writers The day after Forsyth County and the city of Cumming enacted total outdoor watering bans, many residents found they were out of water entirely. Tuesday night, Forsyth County received 400 messages from cus tomers without water. By Wednesday morning, many more found their faucets were dry. By late Wednesday afternoon, water representatives had issued a warning telling citizens to “boil their waler until they are notified by their water utility that the water system has been restored to full operation.” Due to the low pressure experienced in some parts of the county, representa tives say that “a potential health hazard may exist in these areas of zero pressure from backflow and/or back siphonage of water.” Any water being used for drinking, cooking or preparing baby food should be boiled for at least one minute after reaching a rolling boil. Butch Johnson, president of Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc., the city’s engineering firm, said the cause for the shortage is an increase in the customers’ water use due to the sudden hot, dry spell. When the temperature rose, people began watering their lawns. “We don’t have many more customers than we had a couple of months ago,” Johnson said. “The only thing that’s changed is it’s gotten hot .and dry and people are pouring water on the ground Rules and tips for conserving water By Jennifer Eskew Staff Writer In order to help residents in Forsyth County get enough water pressure to take showers, wash clothes and cook, an outdoor watering ban is now in effect at least until June 1. County officials hope the ban, imposed Tuesday, will increase the water supply and therefore the water pressure to residents. The Forsyth County Marshal's office will be patrolling all areas and will issue citations to any one using water outside their home. The ban does New principals named at South High, South Middle and Big Creek Elementary By Karleen Chalker Editor Many of Forsyth County’s schools will be seeing some new' faces this fall. Among those new faces are three new principals which were announced this week by Forsyth County School Supt. Allene Magill. Hired to serve as principal of South Forsyth High is Art Wheaton, 111, w'ho is coming to Forsyth from Jefferson High and Middle School in Jefferson, Ga. Taking over at South Forsyth Middle School this summer will be Dr. Mary M. Chandler, who is coming to the system from the Fulton County School System. And, taking over at Big Creek FCN/Coaches All- County Soccer Teams SPORTS, IB FRIDAY EDITION outside.” Ron Seder, chairman of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, said growth in the county over the past decade has added to the increased water use. Likewise, when Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt announced the outdoor watering ban Tuesday night, he pointed to the increase in area population as a cause. “The problem is really growth,” he said. Regardless of the cause for the increased usage, Johnson said the city and county’s elevated water storage tanks drained. When the tanks went dry, water pressure dropped. Areas in higher eleva tions and areas serviced by lines with many twists and turns lost water service. Gravity helps move water to customers downhill from the Cumming plant. Areas in the north end of the county, however, are at a higher elevation and therefore lost waler. The lack of water became a major inconvenience for some and became life threatening for others. Wendy Beasley is trying to take care of her sick grandfather, Delbert Copeland, who lives on Truman Mountain Road. Water to their home has been almost entirely cut-off since Sunday. “How do you take a shower? How do you clean? How do you go to the bathroom?” Beasley asked rhetorically. Copeland has diabetes and has suffered a stroke. He needs spe cial meals prepared and needs to keep clean to fight infection. Beasley said she has been using bottled water but stores in her Elementary will be the present assistant principal at South Forsyth High School, Dr. Terri Klemm. David Adams is currently principal at South Middle, and Kay Dodd is principal at Big Creek Elementary. Magill would only comment that the two were being transferred from their pre sent schools. South Forsyth High School’s principal Scott Smith was tran ferred from the school to the cen tral office several months ago, and the school has been operating with a team of assistant princi pals. Other changes in administra- Page 2A Cumming, GA / May 24,1996 I'vyjT ■ ——i I AJw area are running low. Pastor Hugh Cauthen, of Cumming United Methodist Church, said a pump in the church’s plumbing overheated when the pipes went dry. When water relumed, a pipe burst. “Water just went everywhere,” he said. The choir room and sanctuary became flooded. Water pressure was low at many area schools Wednesday including Chcstalee, Big Creek, North Forsyth and South Forsyth. School officials will be con serving water by preparing sack lunches for all elementary, middle and high school students. Officials also have bottled and jugged water on hand to take to not apply to those with well water. A county resident caught violating the ban a second time will be fined SIOO and a third violation will result in waler to the home being cut-off com pletely and the meter removed, said Marshal John Pickclsimer. City customers will be warned once and then will have their water shut off. Civil defense volunteers, Red Cross volunteers and sheriff’s deputies will also be patrolling for vio lators of the ban. The Marshal’s office will be creat- See RULES, Page 2/ 'r J nil' i ■Eh ■■ t J? rMHmb * ■" s ' i jut fly JB • •A [ JL 9 1W (B 3 M K. ¥\'. ... ■ , Photo/Tom Brooks Some Forsyth Central High School students and teachers wore black on Wednesday and staged a quiet, brief sit-in at the school’s flagpole expressing their sadness at the transfer of two of their assistant principals. y. See WATER, Page 2A Summer Preview INSIDE * .•.’WMhW I * 1 ■r ▼ V SB* £L L_S Photos/Tom Brooks At top, Deputy Marshal Chris Barrett tries to find the owner of this property in South Forsyth County so the sprinklers can be shut off. At bottom, Dillion and Valerie Holtzclaw came with their mother to Ingles on Hwy. 306 to get water. ■* gw - «« 50 Cents