Newspaper Page Text
Taking precautions
in the sun
PAGE 8A
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VOLUME LXXXVII, NUMBER 63 copyright © 1996 Forsyth County News
Graduation
ceremonies
to be held
Saturday
By Laura Boggs
Staff Writer
This weekend will be a
busy one for parents and stu
dents graduating from Forsyth
County’s three high schools.
Each school’s graduation
ceremony is being held
Saturday, June 1 at Lanierland
Music Park.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, about
168 students will graduate
from South Forsyth High
School.
About 169 seniors will bid
farewell to Forsyth Central
’High at 2 p.m. Principal
Kenny Foxx will recognize
the 1996 valedictorian and
salutatorian. A musical pre
sentation will be given by stu
dents Julie Ann Barra, Anne
Daigh, Lisa Gundlach, Jason
Bennett, Jacob Wood and
Nick Zamonis. Ben
Crawshaw, senior class presi
dent, will speak on “No
Reserve, No Regret, No
Retreat,” and Wynn Everett,
senior class vice president,
will give a speech called
“Look Backward, Live
Forward.”
North Forsyth High School
will distribute diplomas to
about 68 students. Counselor
Bob Carnaroli noted that 42
students have been accepted
to and are attending college
next year, and many of them
have earned HOPE and other
scholarships. During the 6
p.m. ceremony, Principal
Mike Weaver will present spe
cial awards, such as the class
valedictorian and salutatorian.
WEATHER
Fri. will be partly
cloudy, high 82.
Sat. will be part*
ly cloudy, high
84. Sun. will
bring storms, .
high 86.
INDEX
Abby 8A Events 7A
Kid's Page 48 Entertainment 6A
Deaths 3A Horoscope 8A
Classifieds 58 Church briefs SB
Opinion 11A Sports IB
COMING SUNDAY...
Post 2 commission can
didates debate
Candidates for the Forsyth County
Board of Commissioners Post 2,
currently held by James Harrington,
participated in a debate Thursday
night.
Civil Service Board hear
ing continues
Coverage of a Civil Service Board
hearinglor Richard Holcomb, a fired
Forsyth County Sheriffs Department
deputy, will continue in Sunday's
edition.
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.
?! Hl 0400
Carol
■ Propes
Your "Hometown Paper” Since 1908 J
County votes for building moratorium
By Thomas W. Krause
Staff Writer
In an effort to restrict growth, no new
rezoning applications will be accepted by
Forsyth County for three months.
The decision was approved Wednesday
night in a meeting of the Forsyth County
Board of Commissioners.
Less than 30 minutes after
Commissioner James Harrington could not
get a second to his motion calling for a
moratorium on all new rezoning requests,
Chairman Ron Seder made virtually the
same motion. It was approved in a 3-2 vote.
Hearing for fired
deputy underway
By Jennifer Eskew
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County Civil
Service Board hearing for one of
the fired sheriff’s department
deputies began Wednesday morn
ing but adjourned early when a
witness refused to appear before
the board.
A total of four witnesses testi
fied to the board about the inci
dents surrounding the night of
July 27, 1995 and the subsequent
firing of Richard Holcomb.
On that night, the Cumming
Police Department attempted to
pull over an alleged drunken dri
ver, William Wade Wallace. The
officers forced Wallace to stop by
using a rolling road block.
Former Cumming officer J.D.
Swansey then tried to arrest
Wallace, who resisted. Swansey
struck Wallace several times with
Two senior citizen complexes proposed to Planning Commission
By Thomas W. Krause
Staff Writer
Two senior citizen, assisted-living
apartment complexes were proposed at
Tuesday’s meeting of the Forsyth County
Planning Commission.
Both requests to rezone land one to
commercial zoning and one to multi-family
zoning were postponed for 30 days to
give the commission more time to look into
the situations.
Four people spoke with concerns about
FBI agent heading Olympics
security addresses Kiwanis
By Thomas W. Krause
Staff Writer
A frank discussion of crime
was held at the Cumming
Kiwanis Club Wednesday, dur
ing a speech by the FBI agent in
charge of security for the Atlanta
Olympic Games.
David “Woody” Johnson
addressed the club and fielded
some difficult questions. He held
nothing back in his answers.
After a discussion on the
Montana Freemen stand-off,
Kiwanis member Gene Hansard
asked bluntly why the FBI was
moving slowly against the right
wing, anti-government organiza
tion.
“Why don’t you just go in
and get those criminals?” he
asked.
Johnson? said it was purely
Rowdies soccer hits
Gatorade Tourney
SPORTS, IB
Cumming, GA / May 31,1996
FRIDAY EDITION
Harrington’s motion required a morato
rium until Robert and Company completes
the county’s new comprehensive plan.
Seder’s motion limited the rezoning mora
torium to three months.
Harrington said the motion was neces
sary due to the increasing strain of growth
on the infrastructure.
“It’s time to do something,” Harrington
said. “We can’t just sit by and watch this
continue to happen.”
Commissioners Lamar Suddeth and
John Kieffer both opposed the moratorium.
“Three months ain’t going to make that
big a difference,” said Suddeth. “What you
a mag-flashlight and Wallace
died four days later.
Swansey was charged with
murder, aggravated assault and
giving false statements. Two
weeks ago, just before his trial
was scheduled to begin, Swansey
pleaded guilty to aggravated
assault and giving false state
ments. His final sentence is still
to be determined, but it will not
be more than six years followed
by six years probation.
Holcomb was fired by Sheriff
Jerry Padgett after Holcomb filed
a report that did not include the
details of the assault.
Sgt. Paul Whitfield, a deputy
with the sheriff’s department and
the supervisor on duty July 27,
1995, was also fired for not fol
lowing up to make sure the
reports were accurate.
See HEARING, Page 2A
plans by Dogwood Partners, L.L.C, to con
struct three buildings on 9.9 acres of land
at the corner of Peachtree Parkway and
Stoney Point Road for a retirement facility.
Each of the three buildings are planned to
hold 64 one-bedroom apartments.
Mary Ann Poythress, a nearby resident,
asked why the density of the apartments
would be allowed.
“I am wondering why we can have 192
one-bedroom apartments on nine acres,
which is what this is,” she said.
“I’m wondering that too,” said Planning
political due to the Waco and
Ruby Ridge situations. In both
situations, innocents were killed
as government officials moved
in.
Hansard asked if the bureau
was receiving phone calls from
Washington, D.C. telling them to
“soft-handle” the situation.
“Absolutely,” Johnson said.
He also said he wondered if
attitudes in Washington will
change after the election ends in
November.
Johnson credited his open
answers to his pending retire
ment.
Nationwide, Johnson said the
crime rate is ahead of the growth
rate by nine times.
S«e FBI, Page 2A
_ k
should do is get your act together to get the
comprehensive plan finished.”
Seder said that is what they were trying
to do.
The decision proved unpopular to the
development community. Forsyth County
developer Bill Merritt said he thought the
moratorium was a violation of the constitu
tional rights of land owners.
“If I have a piece of property to be
zoned, I will file an application and if it is
not accepted, I will file a lawsuit,” he said.
Harrington said the moratorium might
cost the county some lawsuits, but the
county has a lot of lawsuits now “because a
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Photo/Tom Brooks
Sheriff Jerry Padgett (at left) talks with his attorney George Weaver about the case
against deputy Richard Holcomb. Seated at right are attorney Steve Abernathy and
Holcomb, discussing the case. The hearing is being held at the Sawnee Community
Center and is expected to last three days.
Commission Chairman Ricky Rice.
Other concerns from residents included
the impact the assisted living complex
would have on infrastructure.
Tim Harnil, attorney for Dogwood
Partners, said even if there is not adequate
sewer capacity for the facility, septic sys
tems can be installed. He also said the resi
dents would-be senior citizens. There
would be no loud parties or inherent crime
needing police service.
The commission postponed any deci
sion for 30 days.
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Photo/Tom Brooks
David “Woody” Johnson, the FBI agent in charge of security during the Olympic Games in
Atlanta this summer, talked to Cumming Kiwanis Club members about crime and the FBI.
Soap opera update,
movie review
PAGE 6A
18/
lot of our decisions are not popular with
developers.”
Merritt also said it was not coincidental
all three commissioners who voted for the
moratorium were up for re-election.
“In my opinion, the whole thing is a
sham because the election is July 9,” he
said.
Suddeth said he agreed the commission
ers in favor of the moratorium were expect
ing to gain votes.
“They’re trying to ride their biggest
See COUNTY, Page 2A
Senior Neighborhood Corporation also
requested zoning for an assisted-living
facility.
Robert Young, representing Senior
Neighborhoods, presented a video to the
Planning Commission showing other simi
lar facilities. A 120-unit senior apartment
complex would be built on 20.1 acres of
land at Bennett Parkway near Bethelview'
Road.
Young said a sewer line runs right
See ZONING, Page 2A
50 Cents