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> FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Thwday, January 7,
Vickery Creek Middle hosts open house
By Laura Lavezzo
Lifestyle Editor
Nearly 750 Forsyth County
students returning from the holi
day break Monday morning were
granted a special treat when
Vickery Creek Middle School offi
cially opened the doors of its
brand new facility for the first
time.
Opened in August, VCMS was
housed at the former South
Forsyth Middle School last fall
while construction of the new
building was completed at the Post
Road site. The SFMS facility now
will become an annex to South
Forsyth High School.
An open house for VCMS was
held Sunday afternoon to help
acclimate students and their par
ents to the new place.
“It was wonderful,” said Judy
Thornton, deputy superintendent
of curriculum and instruction. “If
parking was any indication of
attendance, it was a success. Every
space in that parking lot was filled
and cars lined both sides of the
driveway.”
Thornton said the building was
in spectacular condition, primarily
because custodians spent the last
several weeks cleaning, scrubbing
I and waxing. And over the last sev
eral days, said VCMS Principal
Toni Eubank, even Superintendent
Dr. Allene Magill showed up in
coveralls - steel wool in hand,
ready to help.
“She’s incredible,” Eubank
said. “She was here to make sure
every detail was taken care of.”
I “She worked shoulder to
■houlder with the custodians,”
Bdded Thornton. “She can spot
Bax buildup from a mile away. To
B, the new school looks like the
Kj Mahal.” Compared to the
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Photo/Tom Brooks
School board member Eddie Taylor and VCMS Principal Toni
Eubank were on hand to visit with families.
Deaths
Flem Morgan Jr.
Flem Morgan Jr., 70, of Tucker,
died TUesday, Jan. 5, 1999, after an
extended illness.
Survivors include his wife,
Margaret Brown Morgan of
Tucker; children, Courtney and
Mary Anne Morgan of Alpharetta
and Carolyn and Gerald Cooper of
Louisiana; grandchildren, Melissa,
Allison and Michael Morgan, all of
Alpharetta; brother and sister-in
law, William and Charlyn Morgan
of Marietta; and other relatives.
Services are to be held Friday,
Jan. 8, at 1 p.m. at Ingram Funeral
Home Chapel with the Rev. Vem
Coolidge officiating. Interment will
be in the Green Lawn Cemetery.
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Photo/Tom Brooks
VCMS student Anna Ames, left, enjoys a moment with music
teacher Erin Campbell.
crowded, musty, old Cumming
Schoolhouse with its ancient
wiring, where Thornton, Magill
and rhost other county school
administrators have offices, the
new VCMS is indeed splendid. In
addition to its cleanliness, the new
facility is equipped with two full
computer labs and each classroom
has two to five computers plus a
teacher’s workstation. According
to Eubank, teacher work rooms
also are set up with working com
puters and the faculty is encour
aged to integrate the technology
into every aspect of the curricu
lum.
“To the credit of these teachers
I have not heard one complaint
about the move,” Eubank said.
“They’re just so excited to have
the new facility.”
Teal, black and silver, the
school colors, are splashed about
the school, and so are signs of the
mascot, the Vickery Creek Viper.
“This was the first time the
kids were able to see ‘their’
The family is receiving friends at
the funeral home Thursday after 11
a.m.
Ingram Funeral Home has
charge of the service.
Forsyth County News
Jan. 7,1998
Wynelle Westbrook
Wynelle Westbrook, 81, of
Cumming, died Monday, Jan. 4,
1999, after an extended illness.
She was preceded in death by
her husband, Paul Westbrook;
daughter, Barbara Cowart; and son,
Edwin Cowart. She was a member
of Bethlehem Baptist Church.
Survivors are her son and
daughter-in-law, Perry and Tonya
school, and being a brand new
school as opposed to just a new
building made it special,” Eubank
said. “The kids just seem so
happy.”
For now, Eubank has her hands
full. Besides having to help situate
15 new enrollees who were regis
tered at VCMS over the holidays,
she has been ironing out a few
technical details this week, includ
ing an unwanted, sporadic fire
alarm which interrupted classes
Monday. Some dust had gathered
in a smoke detector while workers
repaired pipes which had frozen
due to the bitter cold conditions.
The workers’ dust caused the
detector to go off, and by law,
Eubank was required to evacuate
the entire building. Eubank was
concerned that students were
forced to leave the building in
such cold conditions. She said the
new fire detection system shows
exactly where a problem is locat
ed, but the frozen pipes were an
unexpected problem.
Vickery Creek Middle School
now is located at 6240 Post Road.
Parents should be aware that the
phone number for the school did
not move with the computers and
books. The new phone number for
Vickery Creek Middle School is
(770) 667-2580. Eubank said a
dedication for the school is being
planned for the end of February or
early March. The community will
be invited to attend.
According to assistant superin
tendent Paula Gault, the popula
tion of school children in the
county grew by nearly 1 percent
over the holiday break. By the
time school reopened on Monday,
139 new students had enrolled in
Forsyth County Schools.
Westbrook of Cumming; son-in
law, Michael Cowart of Cumming;
grandchildren, Kevin Cowart, and
Steven, Robby and Christie
Cowart, and Bryson, Brandon and
Drew Westbrook, all of Cumming;
great-grandchildren; brothers and
sisters, Shelby Armstrong and
Christine Wilkie, both of
Cumming, and Leroy Drummond
and Grace McClure, both of
Canton; and a number of nieces,
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Sheriff’s office incident report summary
Fight reported at home, arrest made
A neighbor reported a fight in progress at a
Mercedes Drive house late New Year’s Eve night.
Deputies entered the residence through an open side
door and found a man and woman in the living room,
both holding beer cans. They also saw rifles within
reach of the couple, and noticed the man’s clothes
were stained with blood.
Both people refused to say what had happened
and began cursing and fighting with the deputies
when questioned. Tim Sanner, 28, was arrested and
charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction. An
incident report states Sanner banged his head against
the window when placed into the patrol car. It also
states the woman bit a deputy on the leg.
GUITARfrom 1A
learn many of the techniques that a
band uses to become successful.”
Carter has played with some of
the best players in the Southeast.
“Hoyt Estes is one of the best gui
tar players in the country,” said
Carter. “I have also played with W.
C. Gibbs, Hoyt Truelove, Sam
Hawkins and the Robert Sorrells
family. All of them live here. A lot
of folks do not realize how much
talent is in this area.”
For many years each February,
Carter and his wife would go to
Tuscaloosa, Ala. with Dalton
natives Jack Weeks and his wife,
where Carter played backup in an
annual fiddling contest.
“We traveled and played with
Jack Weeks for 20 years,” remem
bers Carter. “Jack was the ‘Old
Time Fiddlin’ Champion’ of
Georgia. He would win almost
every contest he entered. One year
our families went to the National
finals in Idaho together. Jack died
of cancer much too early. People
who played music knew how good
he was, but few in the general
public knew about him.”
“I played with the Everett
Brothers when they started,” said
Carter. “I played when Lee Everett
and his daddy were playing. When
Grandpa Everett was there, he
would buck dance. It has been a
lot of fun learning from some of
the people who have been a part of
my life through the years.”
CHAMBER from 1A
been very active in bringing in
new companies and tax revenue
to our community. Many new
programs have been implement
ed under his leadership, with
nephews and other relatives.
Services were held Wednesday,
Jan. 6, at 2 p.m. at Bethlehem
Baptist Church with the Rev.
Danny Bennett and Dr. Jimmy On
officiating. Interment was in the
church cemetery.
Ingram Funeral Home of
Cumming was in charge of the ser
vice.
Forsyth County News
Jan. 7,1998
Woman reports disconnected phones
Investigators placed an extra patrol in the north
east end of the county after a Dana Circle resideni
heard voices outside her bedroom window in the
early morning hours between Jan. 1-2. The womar
said her phone line went dead shortly after she
heard the voices.
She later found that the phone box located out
side of the residence had been opened and the
phone line unplugged. The resident told investiga
tors she could not think of any possible suspects.
Compiled bj
staff writer Colby Jones
For the past four years in
October, the Carters have attended
the “Tennessee Homecoming” at
the Appalachian Museum in
Norris, Tenn. The past two years,
Carter has played with Ramona
and Elicia Jones, the widow and
daughter of Country Music Hall of
Famer Grandpa Jones.
Through the years, Carter has
played with Hoot Hester and the
Bill Stewart Family Band. Stewart
played with the Pee Wee King
Band. King wrote the classic “The
Tennessee Waltz.”
During the Christmas season of
1992, Carter played at the John
Hartford House with Hartford and
country superstar Marty Stewart.
“I also have a friend who plays for
Patty Lovelace. I’ve played in jam
sessions with her. She is very nice
and down to earth.”
He also remembers the time
James Carson, a country superstar
on WSB radio in Atlanta in the
’4os, spent the night with his fami
ly in Forsyth County.
Each fall for many years,
Carter played at the Georgia
Mountain Fair in Hiawassee.
Howard Cunningham heads up
the music for the fair. Years ago he
called and asked Carter if he
would like a part in the play, “The
Reach of Song.” The production
tells the story of Byron Herbert
Reece, the poet with a plow. Reece
is said to be the greatest farmer
membership increasing during
his term.”
Topping said he is leaving
“one of the best Chambers in the
state, and one of the best
Chamber jobs” in Georgia.
“There has been a lot of
good, positive growth in this
county and it will continue,”
Topping said. “I have nothing
•but accolades for this county
and what’s happening here. And
the Chamber is a good, strong
voice for the business communi
ty.”
Topping added that he
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who ever wrote, or the greatest
writer who ever pushed a plow. ‘
The poet, author and balladeer
from rural Appalachia was once
nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in
Poetry.
The title of the play was taken
from the words of Reece, “From
chips and shards in idle times, I
made these stories, shaped these
rhymes; May they engage some
friendly tongue when I am past the
reach of song.”
For six years, Carter played his
guitar and participated in the play.
“In the beginning, the play was
held at Music Hall in the Georgia
Mountain Fairgrounds,” said
Carter. “When it moved to Young
Harris College, I left because I felt
maybe some new people should
participate. I enjoyed being a part
of the play. I still have some prop
erty in Towns County. Every
Labor Day Weekend we haVe;a
fish fry up there and invite some
friends to drop in. We usually
spend a lot of time visiting and
jamming.” •
Carter does not play any place
regularly now. “I made my living
hauling chicken feed and shavings
and sawdust to chicken houses and
later horse barns,” said Carter'.
“Music was an escape from the
hard work. It was also away to
meet some of the finest people in
the world - some were famous 1 ,
some weren’t. All were great.”'
doesn’t expect any problems for
the Chamber as a result of his
resignation. V- : i
“We’ve got a great staff nert
at the Chamber. With the volun
teer leadership we’ve got, I
don’t expect any blips,” he said.
“The Chamber will rust as it
always has - it won’t skip a
beat,” Clair said. *We have all
our committees set up, and it
won’t affect us at all.”
“Pat has done a great job fdr
our Chamber,” Wade said. “We
wish him the best in his move
back home.”
i