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Copyright © 1998 Forsyth County News
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Letters
welcome.
Page 11A
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This week’s prep
football previews.
Page IB
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
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Jan, 7 106533 ft
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Youthful art students
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PagelOA
INDEX
Abby .9A
Church Briefs 5A
Classifieds. 3B
Community 6A
Deaths 2A
Entertainment 1C
Events
Opinion 11A
H0r05c0pe.......................... 9 A
Sports IB
COMING
SUNDAY
History of Forsyth
Bridging to the Past in a
special section featuring
pictures and stories.
Missed paper policy:
For a replacement paper, call
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and
Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
Sunday-(770) 887-3126.
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Vol. 89, No. 116 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 1998 50 Cents
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Photo/LeAnne T. Bell
Courtney Mills, with the Citizens for a Better Forsyth T-shirts.
Meeting draws 350+
from across county
ByLeAnneT. Bell
Corporate Editor
If the meeting location for the
anti-amphitheater is prophetic, the
outcome for the Citizens for a Better
Forsyth group would be considered
successful.
Victory Baptist Church, located
on Antioch Road, was the host of the
Sept. 22 community meeting for
individuals against the proposed
amphitheater nearby.
The ground rules were set in the
Lord’s house: No smoking and
absolutely no profanity, despite the
very tense issue. “The church is obvi
ously in strong opposition,” said
assistant pastor Joel Bagwell, who
prayed, “If it be Your will, block this
amphitheater.”
Bill Barrett, who was elected to
head the group, introduced Bob
Taber, who chaired the Forsyth Fact
Finders, the political action commit
tee which successfully opposed the
county police issue in the July refer-
New sheriff’s
precinct will
open Sept. 26
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
Precinct 2 will be officially chris
tened this Saturday.
The Sheriff’s office and Forsyth
County Humane Society will honor the
new facility with a dedication and
lunch. The ceremony will begin at
noon. The public is invited to attend.
Like Precinct 1 in Tri-County Plaza,
Precinct 2 staffs deputies and allows
residents to file reports. It also gives
people in the north end of the county a
law enforcement facility close to home.
The 1,800-square foot building is
officially called the Don Burkhardt
North Precinct 2. Burkhardt is a mem
ber of the Sheriff’s office citizens advi
sory committee and Humane Society.
He was instrumental in getting the
space, said a Sheriff’s office
spokesman.
See PRECINCT, Page 2A
United Way kicks off "99 campaign with Pacesetter effort
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Photo/Tom Brooks
Pacesetter companies, pictured with Wood, have put the United Way of
campaign over the half-way mark with pledges of $280,000 toward the $540 goal.
endum.
“We hope to have the same
results with die amphitheater,” Taber
said.
Barrett commented that the
amphitheater effort is another exam
ple of the “poor and uninformed
decisions” the commissioners have
made which are “detrimental to our
quality of life.”
Despite the overwhelming oppo
sition expressed at the Sept. 15 public
forum, “they are still trying to push it
through,” Barrett said. He introduced
Tommy Bagwell, co-owner of
Lanieriand Music Park, who said he
was seeking to present facts and fig
ures related to the proposal.
“We’re talking mainly about
money,” Bagwell said, explaining
that his opposition was not “sour
grapes” as at least one commissioner
has pointed to. He said his concern
was about the county “giving away”
its resources.
See MEETING, Page 2A
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High schoolers are gaining college credits
By Laura Lavezzo
Lifestyle Editor
A very select group of Forsyth County’s
12th graders are entering college before they
ever even graduate from high school. This
year, at all three county high schools,
Legal action and recall
effort could be ahead
ByLeAnneT. Bell
Corporate Editor
A new organization has been
formed to support and promote good
quality of life in Forsyth County.
Citizens for a Better Forsyth is
“not just for the amphitheater, but
it’s the most pressing right now.
The amphitheater is first, before
the recall issue.”
Recall of some members of the
Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners is being actively
discussed after an amphitheater
proposal, which opponents say has
been shrouded in secrecy.
At an organizational meeting
which lasted nearly three hours, it
was said that there may be as
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Petitions were made available to those who wanted to begin gathering signatures of opponents.
seniors are invited to apply for acceptance
into the state-funded Post Secondary Option
program and earn college credit at the cost
of only the required textbooks.
In cooperation with Gainesville College,
the Forsyth County School System is offer-
many as six different groups
investigating a possible recall
effort, but those efforts are frag
mented. It was suggested that
those efforts be unified under the
Citizens for a Better Forsyth ban
ner.
Bill Barrett was elected chair
man, and Pat Thomas was elected
secretary. Cindy Mills was elected
as a co-treasurer and offered her
address for individuals to send
donations to the Citizens for a
Better Forsyth effort until a bank
account can be established.
“The bank account has not
been opened because we didn’t
have any money,” Mills said.
“Is there a place to make dona
tions?” one member of the audi-
Getting out the severe
weather alert warning
By Therese Allen
Staff Writer
Tornados, severe thunder
storms, flooding, hurricanes like
Georges which may bring rain to
the state later this week, and win
ter ice and snow are a few of the
natural phenomenon that without
warning destroy lives.
The City of Cumming has
recently taken measures to warn
its residents of impending severe
weather by installing a storm alert
system on the water tower on
Pirkle Ferry Road. The system
sounds a one-minute alarm to
By LeAnne T. Bell
Corporate Editor
Brenda Wood, news anchor of
WXIA-TV, brought her own spe
cial brand of sunshine to Forsyth
County on Sept. 22 to assist in the
kick-off of the 1999 campaign for
the United Way of Forsyth County.
“Bring a Little Sunshine ... the
United Way” is the theme for the
campaign, being chaired by Ann
Crow of Crow Financial Services.
Wood was the keynote speaker
for the luncheon, which also
included recognition for the cam
paign cabinet and its 1999 goal of
$540,000. The tally of Pacesetter
pledges, the contribution to the
ence said. “I’ll write a check
tonight.”
Contributions to the Citizens
for a Better Forsyth can be sent to
Cindy J. Mills, 5800 Hillside
Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30040.
Committees are also forming.
It was Mills who spoke at the
Sept. 15 forum and urged the com
mission to remember the impor
tance of ballfields for children. On
Tuesday, she encouraged parents
to bring their children in ball uni
forms to the Administration
Building on Monday, Sept. 28,
between 4-6 p.m.
“We want to circle the admin
istration building,” Mills said,
reminding that the commission
meets Monday at 5 p.m.
warn residents to listen to the
radio or television for information.
The map at left shows the one- to
four-mile radius circles of report
ed siren testing held Sept. 14.
Forsyth County Emergency
Management Agency director Bob
L»ady prepared the information for
the map which was designed by
Forsyth County News graphics
systems manager Tom Jordan.
If you live outside the city lim
its, there are weather alert radios
you can purchase. Sawnee EMC
and Radio Shack are two possible
See ALERT, Page 2A
ing college freshman level courses to those
seniors anxious to get a head start on univer
sity academics. Taught by Gainesville
College’s own faculty, this year’s course
See SCHOOL, Page 4A
United Way by businesses and
industries which are “setting the
pace” for the campaign’s start, has
put the United Way giving ther
mometer over the 50 percent mark
with $280,000.
Wood said she was humbled to
be among the gathering. “I love
good people,” Wood said.
After Wood’s speech about the
importance caring and love can
make in a life, it was United Way
president Joni Booker who said she
was inspired. The moving speech
will be featured in Sunday’s edi
tion.
See UNITED WAY, Page 3A
