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Chance of rain.
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THIS ISSUE
Copyright © 1997 Forsyth County News
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Cartoonists’
views on
the news.
Rage IGA
Homecoming of sorts
for Lady Eagle college
softball stars.
Page IB
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
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June? 1071.72 ft
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scholars
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INDEX
Abby— 13A
Business 6A
Deaths _JA
Events 12A
Government-... 3A
’ Horoscope 13A
*Legate- 2B
Opinion - ISA
Sports IB
COMING
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Entertainment Extra
Soap Opera Updates, Critics
Comer, Jin Jackson's Hollywood,
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all in Friday's edition.
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Forsyth County News
•/ Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J
Vol. 89, No. 69
Senior Center budget survives scrutiny
By Phillip Hermann
News Editor
Can Forsyth County government do a
better job handling some of the services for
seniors citizens currently handled by the
non-profit Peak Services Inc.?
That was the question raised at Tuesday
night’s County Commission meeting by
District 5 Commissioner Julian Bowen.
Peak Services is the manager of the coun
ty’s senior citizens center on Hwy. 9.
Bowen spent about a half-hour at the
Photos/Chris Pugh I
Three Saturday commencements
South Forsyth High School seniors, including
one who wipes away a tear, became high B
school graduates during commencement cere- fir*" \B
monies held at Lanierland. During the Forsyth
Central High School graduation exercises, salu-
tatorian Kyle West and a National Scholar
Athlete, was among those on the program.
North Forsyth High School graduate Molly Rose
Lipscomb, who has received a President’s W
Scholarship to Georgia Tech and the DeSana
Education Scholarship, joins fellow seniors in A
swapping the tassel from one side to the other, a AK J|
symbolic gesture. The North Forsyth ceremony —My
was bittersweet with the absence of fellow fluf BF JFV
senior, Kristi Lawhorne. More graduation photo W vg B /?. 'gg
coverage on Pages 14-15A. r " F £' Jsr
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Assistant principal firing scheduled to be heard by tribunal
By Michael Kurtz
Staff Writer
An independent tribunal was to convene
Tuesday to hear the non-renewal case of
former South Middle School assistant prin
cipal Susan Steffey.
The Forsyth County Board of Education
didn’t renew the contract of the 17-year vet
eran after the 1997-98 school year, prompt
ing Steffey and her attorney, Wycliffe Orr,
to file an Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission complaint.
Board of Education members continue
WEDNESDAY JUNE 10, 1998
meeting grilling the center’s director, Libby
Jackson, on whether she felt the county
could provide the same services in-house at
a cheaper cost.
Jackson was at the meeting to ask for the
commission’s approval of $27,501 for the
county’s share of the center’s fiscal year
1999 budget of $179,770. Not surprisingly,
Jackson said the center’s 25-year track
record of providing quality service in a cost
effective matter speaks for itself. “If it’s not
broke, I don’t see why you’d want to fix it,”
she commented. Bowen responded, “If you
to decline comment on the hearing or why
Steffey’s contract was not renewed. The
board had declined to hear her non-renewal
appeal earlier this year.
Steffey said she was fired in retaliation
for a law suit filed against the Board of
Education by herself and two other female
employees.
School Board representative Phil Hartley
said the school system continues to deny the
non-renewal was a retaliatory action.
The 1994 case alleged that Forsyth
County had unfair pay practices for men
and equally qualified women. It was settled
don’t look at it, sometimes you don’t know J
it’s broken.” i
Bowen said his motivation for bringing I
the matter before his colleagues and
Jackson was a recent discussion he had with 1
a commissioner in Jackson County. ’
According to Bowen, that commissioner I
told him that his county provides services <
for its seniors on an in-house basis, and they ;
do “just fine,” Bowen said. <
Jackson said that her request for funding
this year was $5,000 less than in FY 1998.
She added that she will raise an additional
Commission OKs
multi-million pact
on landfill closure
By Phillip Hermann ___
News Editor
The i’s are nearly dotted, the t’s almost crossed on a new contract for
$2,657,987 to complete closure of the Hightower Road solid waste land
fill.
The County Commission, acting on a recommendation by Landfill
Director Ben Knight, Tuesday night approved a contract with Koester
Inc., to finish off the defunct landfill which was closed in December of
last year because of rising costs.
The contract had been delayed from the commission’s May 27 meet
ing to give Knight more time to study the proposal from the
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based company. Phase IV of the project is nearly
complete at an additional cost of $750,000. The final work (Phases I, II
and III) should be completed by the end of this year. Knight has said he
will recommend that the land be used for green space, with the possibili
ty of establishing hiking trails and an observation site to allow residents
to view wildlife which thrive in the area. Closing out the facility will
include using a 6-inch vegetative cover, an 18-inch clay cover and a
monitoring system to ensure that the groundwater doesn’t become cont
aminated.
In other action, the county will announce a new public hearing date
to unveil further changes to the Master Land Use Plan. There is a 45-day
See LAND USE, Page 2A
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Net Schools computer
plan ‘half-baked,’ but
schools’ pizza is tasty
By Laura Lavezzo
Staff Writer
The good news is Forsyth County Schools is making some really
good-tasting pizza. So good, in fact, the Forsyth County Board of
Education approved food service director Susan Woods’ policy on the
sale of foods at the June 4 work session.
Actually, the board had tentatively approved the policy at the May 21
meeting with the request the policy state it does not “prohibit events
such as occasional classroom pizza parties, treats given to students in
recognition of student achievement, food donated to schools for special
meal functions, etc.”
At that meeting, board member Paul Kreager jokingly suggested the
board not subject county school children to the school system’s pizza
unless they had the opportunity to try it themselves.
Woods followed through at last Thursday’s meeting and all who tast
ed the pizza agreed the school cafeterias are all the better for it.
The bad news is the Net Schools laptop program is likely not going to
be ready by the first day of school. In fact, the whole project is still
“half-baked,” said the school system’s technology director Bailey
Mitchell, who provided the board with three possible contingency plans
for their review.
According to Mitchell, all three major components of the program -
the networking, software and laptops themselves - are still in the
process of being tested and corrected for glitches. This is unacceptable,
he said, as the program was originally to be implemented in November
1997. In response, the Forsyth County Board of Education has drafted a
letter to Net Schools requesting an honest update and projected ready
date.
If Net Schools is unable to deliver by the first day of the 1998-99
school year on Aug. 19, the board may take Mitchell’s advice and fol
low a contingency plan.
out of Federal Court for an undisclosed
amount.
Steffey said after the settlement, she was
“conspired against” by the central office,
which tried to get her to resign.
She said Tuesday’s hearing would bring
out all the facts.
“I'm delighted that I’m having the
opportunity to get the truth out,” Steffey
said.
She said she would likely call as many
as 50 witnesses, many of who are Forsyth
County school teachers.
During her 17 years in the Forsyth
50 Cents
$20,000 through fund-raising efforts. The
rest of the funding for the center comes
from state and federal sources.
While Bowen went on the attack,
District 1 Commissioner John Kieffer
voiced his strong support for continuing the
funding. “Do you really think the county
can run it more efficiently than $47,500 a
year?” Kieffer asked Bowen (the actual
county contribution is $27,501.)
Kieffer praised the center’s track record.
See SENIOR CENTER, Page 2A
County school system, Steffey served as
assistant principal for South Middle School
and Coal Mountain Elementary School. She
is serving out her contract in the transporta
tion department.
Tuesday’s tribunal was to be comprised
of three members and a hearing officer.
Hartley said all three members have
extensive educational experience as well as
experience dealing with personnel and
school hiring practices.
The hearing was to start at 9 a.m.-
TUesday at the School Board office and was
to be open to the public.