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TH IS ISSUE
Copyright © 1997 Forsyth County News
Schools
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Celebrating school day
number 100
Page 14A
Sports
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Pour college signees
from Forsyth
Page 1C
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LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Pate Level
Feb. 3 1070»3lft .
Feb. 4 107l.5ffft
FpH 5 1072 ft -
Feb. 6 >o73^< -*
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Forsyth Life
Oversees adoption
positive new parents
Page IB
INDEX
Abby 5B
Business —6A
Classifieds ...4C
Deaths .3A
Forsyth Life IB
Horoscope .....5B
Opinion 16A
Schools •••••••••••■•••■••■•••••••■■■a 10A
Sports •••••••••••••••a ■••••••••••••••••••• 1C
Weddings .4B
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Forsvth CountvNews
Vol 89, No. 17
■ ■ A I'HtNS GA 30602
Perspective: Paying the price «.u cnu paruie
By Michael Kurtz
Staff Writer
One of the main questions being asked by candidates for
state office this year is what to do with Georgia’s criminal
population.
The answer from both main parties has been a unani
mous “Keep them in jail.”
Republican gubernatorial candidates Guy Millner and
Bruce Hatfield are both calling for the complete elimination
of Georgia’s parole system as are current Democratic Gov.
Zell Miller and the Senate President Pro Tempore Sonny
Perdue.
Both parties have said the other side has blocked
attempts to revamp the parole system during the past years.
But both sides are rallying behind their party’s truth in sen
tencing policies.
Truth in sentencing means criminals would serve the
Board to vote on smoking areas
By Sheri Toomey
Staff Writer
The Board of Commissioners
Monday will review an ordinance
change to allow smoking in desig
nated areas of the county adminis
tration building.
During the public forum two
weeks ago, several people spoke out
against the change citing statistics
about the dangers of second hand
smoke.
Commissioner Julian Bowen said
the building has never been smoke
free since it was first occupied in
1996 but this could change.
Chairman Bill Jenkins then
directed County Administrator
Stevie Mills to notify all employees
they could suffer disciplinary
actions or lose their jobs if they were
caught smoking in the building.
' In other business, the board will
vote to authorize advertising for a
public hearing for a proposed noise
ordinance.
Disturbing the peace with loud
music, loud commercial advertising
from speakers and yelling during
later hours are listed as violations in
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Schools to save on phone
bills and Internet services
By Laura Lavezzo
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County
School System will save more
than half a million dollars this
year thanks to the Universal
Service Fund, established
under the 1996
Telecommunications Act.
According to Bailey
Mitchell, director of technolo
gy for the school system,
Forsyth County schools will
receive a 40 percent discount
on telephone and Internet ser
vices, as well as discounts on
any future installation of
phone equipment or computer
hardware associated with
wide area network activity
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J
the draft which also prohibits con
struction work during certain hours.
Any noise which interferes with
school classes, church services or
court proceedings is also included as
an ordinance violation.
Regarding the upcoming special
sales tax referendum in March, the
board will request approval to con
tract with Moreland Altobelli
Associates to provide program man
agement services.
The Board of Commissioners
Ambulance service bids opened
By Sheri Toomey
Staff Writer
New ambulance bids were
opened Thursday to select a future
county service provider through the
year 2000.
The same four companies whose
bids were thrown out by the
of Commissioners in December
came back mostly with new num
bers.
Med Tech EMS is the low bidder
at $325,425 with current provider
and Internet access. The pro
jected total savings is
$592,000 for this calendar
year. That figure includes the
installation of telecommuni
cations equipment at the new
west middle school and in the
additional classrooms at
Otwell Middle School, Daves
Creek Elementary and Big
Creek Elementary.
Nicknamed the “e-rate,”
the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) issued a
Universal Service Order on
May 8 of last year to imple
ment its provisions. The order
carries out the intent of the
legislature to ensure all
schools and libraries will have
See SCHOOLS, Page 2A
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 8, 199E
Er s** 5 ** | A w
Photo illustration/Tom Brooks
and the Cumming City Council
approved special projects for the
SIOO million incoming funds if the
five-year referendum passes on
March 17.
The county would use SBS mil
lion of sales tax revenue for road
improvements, libraries, a water
treatment plant, county park system
expansion and historical site preser
vation. The city has slated
See SMOKING, Page 2A
Advanced Ambulance Service Inc.
next at $327,500. Atlanta South
Ambulance bid at $348,000 and
Rural/Metro submitted two bids
s34B,Boo for one year and $336,800
for two.
Miles Butler, public safety
director, and Bettina Hammond,
purchasing manager, will review the
bid proposals along with the county
commission.
See AMBULANCE, Page 2A
Photo/Tom Brooks
Sheriff Denny Hendrix greets the newest deputies, Jake and Grit,
who will work with partners Cpl. Robert Lee and Doug Darlow.
Tax time
Ruby Pierce takes
advantage of the Tax-
Aide program’s help
offered by American
Association of Retired
Persons (AARP) vol
unteer Shirley
Ralston. More on this
story on Page 3A.
Photo/Tom Brooks
total amount of time which the court orders.
Someone convicted of murder and sentenced to serve 50
years behind bars would have to remain imprisoned for the
entire 50 years.
No parole, no early release.
The only exception would be a full pardon by the State
Board of Pardons and Parole.
That board is attempting to implement its own policy
which would keep inmates in jail.
The policy, which went into effect Jan. 1, requires felons •
convicted of 20 crimes considered violent to serve a mini
mum 90 percent of their sentence.
Among the crimes considered violent are murder,
attempted rape, robbery, cruelty to children and child
molestation.
Board Chairman Walter Ray said the 90 percent policy
is the next step in Georgia’s two-strike program, considered
See PAROLE, Page 2A
Detour ahead
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Photo/Tom Brooks
Corey Bishop steadies the “Road Closed” sign as
Mike Hunter places it on the side of Hwy. 369 just
before Browns Bridge over Lake Lanier. The road will
be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m Monday - Friday and
possibly all day on the weekends for eight to 10 days.
Planning director resigns
By Sheri Toomey
Staff Writer
County planning director
Larry Robertson is leaving his
current position to work for
Dawson County as planning
director.
Robertson started out
working for the county in
1989 as a planning engineer.
He was one of the first 10 peo
ple to work for the department
which has grown to 27
employees.
He then moved up to assis
tant planning director under
former director Stevie Mills,
who is now the county admin
istrator.
“I’ve enjoyed working
with the people in the commu
nity including the chamber,
the Home Builders
Association and the develop
ers,” said Robertson.
Regarding his next posi
tion as Dawson County’s plan
ning director Robertson had
these comments.
“It’s an opportunity to get
up there before they really
start to grow and try to help
them,” he said.
See DIRECTOR, Page 2A
K-9s sworn
in as deputies
By Michael Kurtz
Staff Writer
Two new deputies were sworn
in at the Sheriff’s Office on Friday,
and their bark is just as bad as
their bite.
“Jake” and “Grit” join the
Sheriff’s Office as part of a canine
drug unit.
Both canines are certified by
the National Narcotics Dog
Detection Association. They were
trained by Hall County deputy
David Garrison.
Sheriff Denny Hendrix swore
the dogs is just like any other
member of the Sheriff’s Office,
complete with badges and “finger
prints.”
See K-9s, Page 2A