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THIS ISSUE
< apyright C 2«M for»yth CwMy News
Hl L IJ 11 ... • **-
Master's class brings
reading up to par.
Page IB
Former big leaguer
speaks to congregation.
Page 1C
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
Aug. 1 1062.47 ft
Aug. 2 1062.51 ft
Aug. 3 1062.51 ft
Aug. 4 1062.47 ft
Normal 1071.00 ft
See the closing prices
of local-interest stocks.
Page 4A
INDEX
Abby 68
Births 48
Business 4A
Deaths 2A
Forsyth Life IB
Horoscope ..68
Opinion 18A
Schools ...13A
Sports 1C
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WEDNESDAY
Commentary Galore
Bill Shipp offers his opinion
about politics and government
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[W
Forsyth County News
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J
Vol. 9 i No. 123
GBI to probe fire dejju jjayiull
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County Fire Department is
under criminal investigation to find out if
some of its employees padded the payroll.
The GBI, which is three months into an
investigation into the sheriff's office for
similar payroll discrepancies, will launch
an investigation into the fire department,
special agent Jim Hallman said Thursday.
Hallman is head of the agency's regional
office in Gainesville.
The times
they are
a-changin'
The face of downtown
Cumming experienced an
abrupt change Friday morn
ing as a demolition crew took
down the old bank building
across from the courthouse
as land clearing began in
preparation for construction
of a new city hall. The city
started discussing the need
for a larger city hall six years
ago and that planning is now
taking shape. Here, city
employee Louise Castleberry
grabs a brick from the pile to
keep as a memento.
Photos/Tom Brooks
I .- It
-
North Point adds horse patrols for shoppers’ safety
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
Pick which of the following does not
belong: one-day sales, food court samples,
shopping bags, horses.
Compulsive shoppers and die-hard mall
rats must now reconsider the landscape of
their mecca of modern-day materialism.
North Point will become the first mall in
Georgia to call in the cavalry.
The mall security department recently
announced it will begin patrolling on horse
back this month.
Annual Holbrook Camp
Meeting still draws crowds
By Alton Bridges
Staff Writer
When people started gathering
for services under the arbor at
Holbrook Campground in 1938,
things were different from the
way they are today. With modem
conveniences and highways, peo
ple will travel to the services in an
air-conditioned automobile, buy
fresh milk daily at a nearby store
and enjoy a bath each day in a
shower in a cabin that has electric
ity.
For almost 70 years, people
came to Holbrook Campground
each August in a wagon or buggy
pulled by horses or steers, they
brought their milk cows and
milked each day, took baths in a
The county conducted its own probe
into the fire department's payroll last month
following the resignation of fire inspector
Darle Hall. County officials said Hall
admitted to "adding a few hours” that he
never worked to his timesheet each week.
“We believe there could be more
involved not necessarily getting paid for
time, but involved in the whole situation,”
County Administrator Stevie Mills said
Friday.
A July 31 letter from County
Commission Chairman Bill Jenkins to
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The security guards will not be armed.
Organizers believe the horse patrols will
increase public relations and safety at the
mall without placing shoppers in the path of
too many, well, unpleasant parking lot obsta
cles. Riders will assume responsibility for
cleaning up after their horses.
“The horses and troopers are wonderful
mall ambassadors, helping shoppers locate
lost cars, handing out mall directories, par
ticipating in promotions and acting as mall
representatives at off-site events. But, most
important, they have also proved to be valu
able public safety and community role mod-
tub from water that was brought
from wells and cooked on a wood
stove that only added to the sum
mer heat.
The one thing that has
remained constant over the years
is the reason for the camp meet
ing. Since before the arbor was
built, Methodist circuit riders have
set aside a time to bring the com
munity together to worship, it was
the lack of meeting houses and the
strange religious outburst that
swept over the western frontier at
the break of the 19th century that
led to camp meetings, which were
usually conducted in the middle of
forests.
This year will feature the
162nd session of the Holbrook
Camp Meeting. The services will
SUNDAY AUGUST 6 20C
KWbSwjSjMy j &
I
File photo
This year will feature the 162nd session of the Holbrook Camp
Meeting.
be held at 11 am., 3 and 8 p.m.
each day beginning Aug. 11 and
continuing through Aug. 20.
Holbrook Campground is just
District Attorney Phil Smith states the
county investigation revealed "... numerous
inconsistencies regarding possible payroll
fraud" and needed to be referred to an
agency outside the county administration
for additional investigation. Smith asked
the GBI to look into possible criminal
activity within the fire department on Aug.
3.
“We hope that we can quickly conclude
the investigation of this matter and deter
mine whether and to what extent there may
have been false and fraudulent payroll
els," said Frank Keller, founder of Alpha &
Omega Royal Mounted Courtesy Patrol.
The company recruited area horse owners
who have an interest in using their horses
professionally.
Both horses and owners were required to
audition for the gig, with ability, tempera
ment and appearance taken into considera
tion by the judges. The winners then were
put through a rigorous training program.
The horses are not ordinary farm animals.
Each horse will be outfitted with special
See PATROLS, Page 3A
inside Cherokee County off Hwy.
20 on Holbrook Campground
See HOLBROOK, Page 2A
records submitted,” Smith said. “Any time
there are allegations of theft or misuse of
government property for private purposes,
it is a serious matter that calls for a thor
ough airing of all the facts.”
Public Safety Director Miles Butler and
Fire Chief Norris Bennett, who jointly
oversee management of the fire department,
were unable for comment Friday about the
GBI decision to investigate.
Unlike the sheriff's office case, the
See PAYROLL, Page 2A
‘Nude
trivia’
contest
reported
By Phillip Hermann
News Editor
When can you not host an
alleged “nude trivia" contest?
When it’s against county law.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s
Office has confirmed it is investi
gating reports that an Atlanta
radio station staged such a contest
during a special live remote
broadcast of radio station WKLS
96-Rock’s Regular Guys show
Friday morning at Spondivits.
Lt. Jim Poe has been assigned
to determine if any nudity was
actually involved in the contest,
which occurred as part of the
show along with other zany activi
ties.
Spondivits Manager Maureen
Kelly said she was not sure any
one actually took off their clothes
during the segment, adding the
lafge crowd that turned out to hear
the radio jocks kept her busy all
morning.
See NUDE, Page 3A
r k I
4
Moderate
turnout
expected
for runoff
By Phillip Hermann
News Editor
Only one man will be left
standing after Tuesday’s hotly
contested Republican duel
between incumbent Sheriff Denny
Hendrix and Ted Paxton. The win
ner will face Democrat Jimmy L.
Waters in the November general
election.
In the July 18 Republican pri
mary, Paxton finished with 6,486
votes to Hendrix’s 3,856 votes.
Despite the wide margin, Paxton
failed to get the required one vote
over 50 percent to forestall a
runoff.
A moderate turnout is expect
ed for the runoff slate, which also
features contests for two county
commission seats, one school
board slot, one, seat in the Georgia
House of Representatives and will
decide who will replace outgoing
Magistrate Court Chief Judge
See RUNOFF, Page 2A