Newspaper Page Text
Partty dowdy
Highs in the mid-60s.
Lows in the upper 40s.
THIS ISSUE
Copyright © JW> Kory*th Count) News
Sports
Area high schools
ready to roll
with a new
wrestling season.
Page IB
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
NOV. 28 1062.99 ft
NOV.-29 1063.04 ft
Nov. 30 1063.04 ft
i* Det J 1063.00 ft
’..Normal 1071.00 ft
Holidays
4*' ■■■
»»«*
The community’s
calendar is filled with
holiday happenings.
PageßA
INDEX
Abby .58
Business 9A
Church 5A
; Deaths 2A
Events 8A
Opinion 11A
Sports IB
COMING
SUNDAY
The Place
Local charity moves
closer to naving
a new building.
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Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1
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■T
Forsyth County News
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J
Vol. 90, No 181
Decision on lake standart 3KMIr"
By Jim Riley
Staff Writer
The state Board of Natural Resources Wednesday
agreed with the recommendations of its Environmental
Protection Committee and voted to take no action on
proposed water quality standards for I ake Lanier.
The decision came at a meeting at Lake Lanier
Islands, and followed a public hearing and information
session the previous day.
Instead, the board unanimously voted to ask
Environmental Protection Division Director Harold
Reheis to present to the board what authority the EPD
has to enforce the proposed standards Reheis was
directed to present that information at the board s next
meeting, set for January.
Also. Reheis was directed to propose legislation to
allow EPD to engage in enforcement of lake waler qual
ity standards.
■ I
IfMa&KS It
A Home
for the
Holidays
Couple opens 29-room house to benefit charity
By Therese Allen Vanattia
Staff Writer
Pat and Wayne Shelton have given
new meaning to the adage "deck the
halls."
This Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4-
5. the Sheltons will open their more
than 10,000-square-foot home to the
public for a "Southern Taste of
Christmas." The home is located just
over the Forsyth-Cherokee county line
in the Holbrook Campground commu
nity.
“I have a Cumming phone number.
1 live in Cherokee County and 1 have
an Alpharetta address," says Pat
Shelton, laughing. “When people ask
me where I live, I say ’no man’s land."
This is the second time the home
has been open for public viewing, but
the first time it has been so lavishly
decorated. The open house is to bene
fit the Service League of Cherokee
County, a nonprofit organization
established for children in need
Proceeds from the event will be
State offers
heating help
By Joda Browning
Staff Writer
Ninth District Opportunity
Inc., a non-profit organization,
accepted applications Wednesday
at the Sawnee Center for the
state's energy assistance program.
Low-income, the homebound,
elderly and disabled people were
able to apply for help in paying
their home heating bills this win
ter.
Eligibility was based on the
income of all members of the
household.
“The county received
$41,739 to spend,” said
Community Service Coordinator
Elaine Langley. “The first month
(October) we prioritized with
those 70 years and older signing
up first. We will complete this
project in a two-month time
period.”
“Unless we have the means of dealing with viola
tions of standards, then adopting the standards is an idle
exercise." said board member James Butler.
Reheis said if the standards are violated by a point
source, such as a wastewater plant, then enforcement
would be easy. However, the EPD presented data sug
gesting 90 percent of Lanier's pollution comes from
non-point sources, such as stormwater runoff, agricul
ture and other sources.
During the meeting and public hearing on Tuesday,
concerned citizens, business representatives and govern
ment officials gave their input on the proposed stan
dards.
After Wednesday’s decision, chairman Tom Wheeler
said if the board decides to make changes to the pro
posed standards, further advertisements and public hear
ings would follow. However, if the standards are adopted
as currently proposed, the board could take action at its
January meeting.
r
Wk
Ss L Br— ■’ 1 1 0
iifi
used to supply food, clothing, hous
ing. utilities, medicine and other
necessities for lesser privileged chil
dren. s
Though large, the
house is warm, inviting
and even cozy. The 10
bedrooms Shelton
painstakingly decorat
ed herself are full of
memories Collections
of perfume bottles
adorn an armoire A
daughter s velvet piano
recital outfit is exhibit
ed along with baby
dresses once worn by
the hostess.
In another room is Shelton’s wed
ding dress and a trunk full of bridal
memorabilia
The personal touches throughout
the house’s 29 rooms are 100 many to
mention. Each room has been embell
ished with elements of the Christmas
season, with themes including
.ji
Photo/Tom Brooks
Joan Smith and Elaine Langley sign up participants for the
state’s energy assistance program at the Sawnee Center
Wednesday.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 3, 1999
Pat and Wayne Shelton
"Visions of Sugar Plums" in one room
and "A Peacock in a Pine Tree.” a spin
on traditional partridge in a pear tree,
in another. Christmas designs were
■ provided by Fowler’s
Florist of Canton.
Os particular interest
to some will be the
"Gone With the Wind"
parlor. During the event,
Shelton’s daughter,
Patty, will greet guests
in costume as Scarlett
O’Hara By her side will
be sweet little Bonnie
Blue in her famous blue
riding frock. The gar
ment was lovingly repli-
cated by Shelton.
Visitors will also find a
Confederate soldier and his lady in the
library. The Sheltons have an exten
sive collection of Civil War items
The Sheltons’ home is the same
See HOME, Page 2A
DNR board supports
plan on air pollution
By Jim Riley
Staff Writer
The governing board of the
state's Department of Natural
Resources is moving forward with
a plan to reduce air pollution that
will have long-range implications
for everything from the gas Forsyth
County residents use to the trucks
some depend on to earn a living.
At its Wednesday morning
Postal Service
planning to add
new mail annex
Search for property under way
By Joda Browning
Staff Writer
The continued growth and prosperity in
Forsyth County has led the U.S. Postal Service to
begin a search for a home for a new mail services
annex.
The Postal Service has announced it will
accept offers from property owners for a pro
posed Cumming-Lanier Carrier Annex to primar
ily serve residents and businesses in south
Forsyth County.
The Postal Service also will consider buying
an existing building provided it has a minimum
of 20,435 square feet for interior use and space
for platforms, loading dock and truck maneuver
ing area, and parking for approximately 148
vehicles.
“Because of the growth of the county, demand
has outgrown the present facility and more space
is needed," said Jerry Adkins, a real estate spe
cialist working with the Postal Service. “The pre
ferred area would fall under certain boundaries."
Those boundaries include: Buford Dam Road
to the north; Majors Road from Ga. 400 to
Peachtree Parkway (Hwy. 141) and boundaries on
a line projected due east from the intersection of
Majors Road and Peachtree Parkway to the
Chattahoochee River to the south; the
Chattahoochee River to the east; and Ga. 400 to
the west.
“Location is a huge factor,” said Adkins. “The
ideal location would be perfectly located in a
weighted center that would minimize the number
of miles from the annex to the delivery routes
and then back to the annex after delivery."
The new facility would be an annex to the
Cumming Post Office. There are no plans to
close the existing facility, he added.
The proposal further defines the area as a
place where streets and highways are used as pre
ferred area boundaries, with sites on both sides of
the bounding street or highway considered within
the preferred area unless otherwise specified.
The property must also be zoned to permit use
of the planned postal facility or must be capable
of being rezoned for such use without delaying
construction.
Sites will be evaluated on the basis of loca-
See ANNEX, Page 2A
Applicant misses hearing,
rezoning request denied
By Phillip Harmann
News Editor
Tuesday night’s Forsyth
County Planning and Zoning
Commission meeting was short
and sweet.
Unfortunately for the George
S. Morgan Development Co, the
short part proved to be a bit of a
headache.
Representatives foMhc 7irm
dashed into the administration
building shortly before 7 p.m. to
present their case at A public
hearing on the proposed rezon
ing of 297 acres in the Nix Road
area to pave way for a massive
multi-use development.
But the meeting had started
at 6:30 p.m. and, given the
evening’s small agenda, the pub
lic hearing was commenced
about 10 minutes after the meet
ing started.
meeting at luike Lanier Islands, the
board approved a plan recommend
ed by the Environmental Protection
Division that calls for legislation to
reduce airborne pollutants.
Some of the measures approved
by the board are within its authori
ty, but others will have to be
approved by the Georgia
Legislature.
See AIR, Page 2A
With no one from Morgan
Development in the audience to
speak on behalf of the rezoning,
the planning commission voted
unanimously to recommend
denial of the rezoning to the
County Commission because of
the company’s no show.
The planning commission
adjourned the meeting at
approximately 6:45 p.m.
“Yes, I’m upset. Our infor
mation was that the meeting
started at 7,” said a miffed
George S. Morgan, head of the
company. “This is just not good
at all.”
When asked if he considered
the planning commission’s vote
to recommend denial as a set
back, Morgan responded. “I sure
hope not. We’ll just have to take
See ZONING, Page 2A