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[this issue
■ Copyright © 1997 Forsy(hCount7 News
I See the latest
in fall fashion.
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War Eagle football
celebrates success
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LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
; Feb. 10 1072.56 ft
Feb. 11 1072.33 ft
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Presenting Pooh bear.
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W INDEX
; Abt?y ••••••••••••••••••••••••••Ma ••••••«■• 5B
Business 9A
Gassifieds .4C
Community 13A
Deaths .3A
Forsyth Life— IB
Horoscope 5B
Opinion 18A
Schools 14A
Snorts 1C
' Internet address:
www.forsythnews.com
COMING
WEDNESDAY
Commentary Galore
Read Walker Bramblett,
Bill Shipp and Phil Danner in
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Forsyth County News
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J
Vol. 89, No. 20
ATHENS SA 30602
Sheriff would arbitrate with Gault appointee
By Michael Kurtz
Staff Writer
Sheriff Denny Hendrix said he is still
open to the idea of having his dispute with
the Board of Commissioners settled by an
arbitrator, just not the one suggested by the
board.
On Tuesday, Hendrix declined a board
request to drop his lawsuit against the com
missioners and have local attorney Phill
Bettis mediate.
On Friday, Hendrix said Bettis is too
involved with the board and would not be
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Photo/Tom Brooks
Real estate entertainment
It was Hats Off to the Winners at the Forsyth County Board of Realtors’ 1998 awards
banquet held Thursday at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The entertainment by Jill Elliott, a
former real estate agent herself, involved members of the audience singing “Achy-
Breaky Heart for Realtors.” Full-page coverage of the awardsjs coming next week. ■
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School redistricting vote
to wait on LSAC meetings
By Laura Lavezzo
Staff Writer
The Board of Education will
not vote on the current redistrict
ing plans Thursday, Feb. 19, as
planned and previously
announced.
In the board’s scheduled
work session of Feb. 12,
Superintendent of Schools Dr.
Allene Magill requested the
board wait until after the next
Local School Advisory
Committee (LSAC) meetings
have taken place before voting to
finalize the plans. A called ses
sion will be held shortly after the
meetings.
Among those representing the
redistricting committee at the
LSAC meeting will be Nancy
Thomas, Kim Boulware and
Randy Wolf.
The redistricting committee’s
recommendation to the board
will be presented to parents and
teachers in the LSAC meetings
Abundant parking
available downtown
By Sheri Toomey
Staff Writer
Looking for a convenient parking space
around the downtown square?
More than 200 public parking spaces sit unoc
cupied at the former Russell Corporation building
which the city bought last September, said City
Administrator Gerald Blackbum. There are two
entrances to the parking lot from Castleberry
Road and Hwy. 20.
So, instead of trying to park around the down
town square which is still undergoing revitaliza
tion, residents have the option of parking at the
city parking lot or the county parking garage on
Hwy. 20.
See PARKING, Page 2A
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SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15,
- impartial.
Bettis is chairman of the Committee for
Forsyth County’s Future -a group dedicat-
I ed to having the county’s Special Purpose
i Local Option Sales Tax approved. He has
i also represented the board on numerous
s civil service matters, said Hendrix.
The Sheriff’s Office and how it relates to
I Civil Service is one of the points of con
■ tention between Hendrix and the commis-
I sioners.
Hendrix said the board is trying to usurp
• his authority by running the Sheriff’s Office
through the budget. He said the commis-
by representatives from the com
mittee in each cluster. The North
Cluster will meet Monday, Feb.
23, at 5 p.m. at North Forsyth
Middle School; the Central
Cluster will meet Tuesday, Feb.
24, at 5 p.m. at Forsyth Central
High School; and the South
Cluster will r.icet Thursday, Feb.
26, at 5 p.m; at Daves Creek
Elementary School.
See the Friday, Feb. 13 issue
of the Forsyth County News for
details on the current redistrict
ing agenda.
In other business:
• Director of Student Support
Services Debbie Rondem intro
duced Jaime Shankles and David
Oberhausen of the Adventure
Based Counseling Program, a
group counseling model which
uses both physically and mental
ly challenging activities to teach
See SCHOOL, Page 2A
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Photo/Stephen Underwood
Mike Dozier and Bill Thomas can celebrate the Grands.
County files answer to Hendrix suit
sioners are trying to tell him who he can
and cannot employ, and when he can use
them.
“We’re supposed to have checks and bal
ances,” he said. “Why don’t we just com
bine the agencies and let them run every
thing?”
He said he doesn’t tell the commission
ers what property to zone and he doesn’t
understand why they are meddling in his
==== ===========s=== =================c===
Bank robbery investigated
By Michael Kurtz
Staff Writer
A lone gunman is being sought in
connection with a bank robbery at the
Lakeland Plaza Lanier Bank and Trust
Friday afternoon.
According to Sheriff’s Office
spokesperson Karleen Chalker, a white
male entered the bank about 4:15 p.m.
He placed a black revolver, possibly
a .32- or .38-caliber, on a counter and
Sales tax projects proceeding
as next referendum approaches
By Sheri Toomey
Staff Writer
The next Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax referendum is slated
to be on Forsyth Countians’ March 17
ballot, and residents who are not yet
registered voters have until Tuesday,
to register if they want to vote
on SPLOST.
department.
The suit he filed in January is asking for
a judge to spell out the powers granted to
each elected official, to determine when the
lines have been crossed and to spell out his
office relates to civil service and the rest of
Forsyth County government.
See SHERIFF, Page 2A
- told the teller, “Don’t make me use it
and don’t push any buttons while I’m
here.”
n He then pointed the gun at the teller
e and demanded sloos and s2os. Chalker
>t said the suspect got away with an
undisclosed amount of money.
e The cash was loose. He did not have
e any type of bag to carry the stolen
money.
y
1 See ROBBERY, Page 2A
The county’s prioritized projects for
the next penny sales tax referendum
includes several projects which are fol
low-ups to SPLOST initiatives which
began in an earlier-approved referen
dum. Plans for a library branch and
park expansion started with the 1996
special sales tax approval.
See PROJECTS. Pegs 2A
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Cumming nets
quarter midget
national event
By Stephen Underwood
Sports Editor
The North Georgia Quarter Midget
Association has landed the big one. And
for that organization, Cumming and
Forsyth County, it means that 1999 Will be
a lot more than just the end of the millen
nium.
Bidding against the Zenia, Ohio QMA,
the NGQMA has been announced as the
host club for the ’99 Eastern Grand
Nationals, one of three huge national-level
competitions that take place each year.
The week-long event will be held in
late July of ’99, with many competitors
also arriving at least a few days early to
begin practicing. It could draw as many as
500 racers, which with their families and
other spectators, would mean that 1,500-
2,000 people or more will be visiting
Cumming Fairgrounds Raceway Park and
the Cumming-Forsyth area.
See EVENT, Page 13A
The price is right for
parking in the city
owned parking lot
located just off the
square. It’s free and
abundant. Formerly
the Russell
Corporation lot, the
convenient parking is .
available for drivers
who need to park
near the courthouse.
It's a stone's throw
from the lined lot.
Photo/Tom Brooks
Cents