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> - FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Sunday, September 10, MOO
The Forsyth County News
Opinion
TTiii is a page of opinions - ours, yours and others.
Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the
writers and artists and may not reflect our views.
Proposal by Pritchett
does little to advance
debate on wastewater
Candidates campaigning
for office are expected to
talk in political generali
ties, offering vague and theoreti
cal solutions to complex prob
lems frequently because of a lack
of first-hand knowledge that
comes only from serving in the
office they are seeking.
Upon winning election or
virtually winning election, lack
ing only the formality of a
November balloting in a race
without opposition those who
offer to serve the public take on a
new responsibility. Their words
carry more weight. They speak
for others rather than just for
themselves. Unless he chooses
his words carefully, an incoming
commissioner can do more dam
age that one sitting on the board,
especially if he alienates other
elected officials and neighboring
governments.
Soon-to-be commissioner
AJ. Pritchett needs to keep those
ideas in mind the next time he
plans to represent the county in
regional dialogue on something
as important as our drinking
water.
Speaking at a Clean Water
Initiative Committee meeting last
month, Pritchett suggested
Gwinnett County abandon its
years-long planning for dumping
treated wastewater into Lake
Lanier in favor of a plan to build
a new reservoir in which fresh
water and treated wastewater
could be blended them pumped
back into the drinking water sys
tem for reuse. The same thing, he
said, could also be done in
Forsyth.
In doing so, he dangled the
concept of “blended reuse” as a
carrot-on-a-stick to entice a lot of
people anxious for any alterna
tive to discharging into the lake.
And as a theoretical solution to
the region’s wastewater problem
the idea may one day have some
application. But that day isn’t
now, nor is it likely to be anytime
in the near future.
Pritchett offered the concept
of building a series of lakes in the
region, where freshwater would
be mixed with treated waste
water, the pumped back through
water plants and into drinking
water systems. He suggested
Gwinnett, which is awaiting
approval by the state of a plan to
discharge 40 million gallons of
1 WSmDBc.
treated water a day into Lake
Lanier, abandon those plans in
favor of a 150-200 acre reservoir
of blended waters, and suggested
it could all be done for a relative
ly small amount of money, $3
million or so, exclusive of the
considerable cost of land.
But it’s all pie-in-the-sky, and
has no practical application to the
issue at hand.
The problems with such a
proposal are many, not the least
of which is the fact no one really
has a concept of how many reser
voirs would be needed to serve
the metro area counties, how
large those reservoirs realistically
would have to be, how long the
water would sit in the reservoirs,
what ratio of fresh water would
have to be blended with waste
water, or even if such a proposal
would work.
Simply building the reservoirs
and there would have to be
several in different counties
would pose a mountain of envi
ronmental problems. Fresh water
would have to be rerouted or
dammed, wetlands would be
affected, and the volume of envi
ronmental regulation which
would have to be met would
guarantee a timetable running
into decades rather than years.
Soon-to-be commissioner
Pritchett has jumped into a com
plex arena with the conceptual
strategies of a candidate, not the
thoughtfully considered contribu
tion of a knowledgeable office
holder.
No one wants to discharge
more treated water into Lake
Lanier, but truthfully we suspect
most in the county would prefer
that to having their drinking
water pumped directly from a
glorifies! treatment pond.
Meanwhile, Gwinnett County
marches steadily forward in its
quest for a discharge permit.
Approval is likely. A court chal
lenge is possible, but one thing
remains clear if Gwinnett
wins approval to discharge into
the lake, Forsyth needs to be
negotiating with its neighbor for
an allotment of that wastewater
allocation. If indeed a discharge
permit is approved, as seems
probable, the emphasis has to be
on making sure the highly touted
technology works as promised,
the discharge is safe and the lake
is protected.
"All I did was complain about the rain!"
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Letters
Plan for morgue is
one that makes sense
It is a good idea to locate the morgue in
vacant space at the old Baptist North hospital.
Some existing tenants in this facility are
opposed to this location. Not for any valid, tangi
ble reason (like noise, pollution, or traffic), but
rather for some paranoid hysteria (dead bodies
are in a morgue).
This sounds like the typical NIMBY attitude
(Not In My Back Yard).
These tenants would not be inconvenienced in
any way. They are out-of-line in their opposition,
since they have absolutely no right in trying to
restrict Baptist Medical Center from renting this
unoccupied space.
If they'd like the space to remain empty, they
should rent it themselves.
Their paranoia sounds similar to those
opposed to living near a cemetery.
My attitude in either case is “Nice, quiet
neighbors.”
Albert Maraziti
Cumming
Ours is a community of
loving, giving people
I’m proud of this community, many people,
including myself, can find plenty to complain
about in our area. The traffic, uncontrolled
growth, just pick a topic. Today, however, I
would like to share a recent experience that
meant a lot to me and my family and reaffirms
my faith in our community.
My wife and I moved to Cumming approxi
mately five years ago. Three years ago my wife’s
grandmother, living in Topeka, Kansas, was con
sidering a move, possibly to an assisted commu
nity. We convinced her to come live with us in
our new home in Cumming, Georgia.
We built an apartment for her in our house,
and she lived with us and our three children for
one and a half years. She suffered a stroke and
ended up living at a nursing home in town until
her death last week.
What does this have to do with our communi
ty? Grandma Bessie was almost 80 years old
when she came to Cumming. She was not a life
long resident, in fact she had only been able to
visit the senior center and attend church for a
short time before she went to the nursing home
full time. When she died last week, you would’ve
thought she was a founding member of the coun
ty
The response from the people that Bessie had
known was truly heartwarming. People from the
senior center, many of whom we had never met,
sent food and cards and even more people from
her Sunday school class did the same.
All this combined with the support we
received from our own friends and fellow church
members was pleasantly overwhelming. These
are the qualities of a true community. We should
be proud that we live in an area that still values
people just because they were good, nice people
... like Bessie.
Kerry and Nancy Edwards
Cumming
School’s money was
well spent on trip
Regarding your story last week on South
Forsyth Middle School, what is all the fuss? I
would think that any money spent on team-build
ing and the academic development of the teach
ing staff is a good investment.
The middle school received a windfall from a
for-profit corporation for administering an exami
nation to the students: SIO,OOO. The principal, Dr.
Chandler, elected to spend that money for a trip
for the teachers. Her goal was to enrich the teach
ers in a unique way. In addition, I would guess
this trip would foster team-building for the acad
emic staff. What a benefit!
It is rare in government and more specifically
in academia that unilateral decisions are made
with a positive intent AND a positive result. The
guidelines of government seem to destroy
uniqueness and sap creativity all for the sake of
checking off a box. Woe to anyone who tries to
spend money with an effective goal in mind.
I applaud Dr. Chandler someone who Ido
not personally know —for having to build team
work, foster an academic setting where teachers
may actually feel appreciated, and lead a school
where academic excellence for teacher and pupil
is encouraged.
John M. Baskam
Cumming
Teen traffic deaths
can be avoided
The recent tragic deaths of four young
teenagers on Medlock Bridge Road, including the
16-year-old driver, should spur parents, relatives
and friends of any young teenager to demand that
the politicians in Georgia revise the legal driving
age and requirements to obtain a license.
The senseless slaughter of our youngsters on
the dangerous metro Atlanta roads continues but
nothing is done. Most of these fatal accidents are
attributed to the driver’s “inexperience,” speeding
and/or not wearing a seat belt. Os course they’re
inexperienced: driver’s education is not required
prior to obtaining a permit plus many 15- and 16-
year-olds are immature and not fully aware of
how dangerous the lethal weapon they’re driving
is.
My suggestions to reduce traffic fatalities
among our teens is to raise the age for obtaining
a permit to 16, and 17 for a license. Also, driver’s
education should be made mandatory prior to
obtaining a permit and should be provided for the
teens in our high schools.
Also, we adults in the metro Atlanta area
should slow down on our roads and exercise
more caution and courtesy towards each other.
Vigorous enforcement of the current speeding
laws and other traffic regulations by the police
would also help. Please call, write, fax or e-mail
your legislators to get something positive done to
stop the “genocide” by driving of our young
teens.
Zig Fortunka
Cumming, Georgia
County should enact
impact fee ordinance
At the commissioner’s meeting 8/25/00 they
discussed writing an “Impact Fee Ordinance.”
This would help pay for additional parks, water
plants, sewer facilities, libraries, roads and the
fire and police protection that is needed because
of our tremendous growth.
A committee has been appointed to study and
make a recommendation to the commissioners
on whether they think the county would benefit
from this ordinance, but, regardless of the recom
mendation, the final decision is up to the com
missioners.
The cost of our infrastructure is now paid
with property tax and the Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and the local bond
referendum that we are continually asked to vote
for.
Many counties have already adopted their
ordinance. In May, Cherokee County began col
lecting impact fees. In 3 months they have
received nearly $600,000. Questions have been
raised about the administrative cost involved with
adopting this ordinance. The law provides for 3
percent of the money collected to be used for this
purpose. This means Cherokee has received
SIB,OOO in a 3 month period for this cost.
Is it fair that the current taxpayers have to
continually subsidize the the infrastructure need
ed because of the new growth? Or should the
developers and the people buying their houses
help pay for this growth on our county?
Please call the commissioners and let them
know how you feel about the “Impact Fee
Ordinance.”
Ruby Cook
Cumming
WWII items sought
by Florida State Univ.
WWII veterans/defense workers and families:
help save the personal legacy of World War 11.
The experiences and memorabilia of those who
served in the armed forces and defense industries
is a valuable part of this nation’s history.
The Florida State University’s Department of
History has set up The Institute on World War II
and the Human Experience to collect and pre
serve this physical heritage for research, teaching
and exhibition. If you or someone you know has
letters, diaries, photographs or mementos of the
period, please contact the Institute at the
Department of History, Florida State University;
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2200.
We will be delighted to send an information
packet and answer any questions concerning
donation of materials to the institute and their
future use.
William O. Oldson
Professor of History
Florida State University
■ uLJcI J I
OIOTS Jefl Bucchlno
Forsyth County News
letters to editor policy
The Forsyth County News welcomes your opin
ions on issues of public concern. Letters must be
signed and include full address and a daytime and
evening phone number for verification. Names
and hometowns of letter writers will be included
for publication, without exception. Telephone
numbers will not be published.
Letters should be limited to 350 words and may
be edited or condensed. The same writer or group
may only submit one letter per month for consid
eration.
Letters must be submitted by noon Wednesday
for Sunday publication. We do not publish poetry
or blanket letters, and generally do not publish let
ters concerning consumer complaints. Unsigned
or incorrectly identified letters will be withheld.
Mail letters to the Forsyth County News, P.O.
Box 210, Cumming, GA 30028, hind deliver to
302 Old Buford Road, fax to (770) 8894017 or
email to editordforsythnews.com