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Forsyth County News J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J Vol. 94, No. 203 MI it ELI MO Uh vJt’OKJU. McClelland chosen r jdge By Steven H. Pollak Staff Writer Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday appointed T. Russell McClelland 111, an attorney in private practice, to become the new State Court judge for Forsyth County. The newly-appointed judge is scheduled to be sworn in by the gov ernor on Dec. 30 at 10 a.m. in the Senate Chamber at the state Capitol in Atlanta. “I am both excited and honored to be selected,” he said on Wednesday. “I am honored that the governor has such confidence in me. After he told me, and I had a chance to reflect, I had a whirlwind of emotions about the task Students learn from a view behind the wheel By Nicole Green Staff Writer A few weeks ago, tractor-trailer driver Cecil Vaughan with John Christner Trucking was delayed two days on a shipment of potatoes because of snow and ice in the northern United States. Normally, this delay would only be of interest to the trucking company and the purchaser of the cargo. However, this particular shipment, like all of Vaughan’s travels, was monitored by a class of fourth-grade children in Cumming. Vaughan is a “Trucker Buddy.” As part of Trucker Buddy International, a non-profit educational organization, Vaughan was paired with Tina Misko’s class at Matt Elementary School to enhance the curriculum in a unique way. “It is a wonderful program,” Misko said. “The students learn so many need ed skills. We write e-mails, read his let ters, learn about economics, supply and demand, math and more.” Vaughn sends the class weekly post cards from all 48 states he travels. From the postcards, the children plot his course across the U.S. “On the outside map [outside the classroom] we trace where he’s been,” said Harley Chester, 10, a student in Misko’s class. On Wednesday, Vaughan’s second See BUDDY, Page 9A Cumming home daycare center closed by state again By Colby Jones Staff Writer The state has shut down a home daycare center in Cumming for the second time this month. Joanne Sharp on Dec. 1 surren dered her license to operate a home daycare center after her husband, Carl, was charged with molesting a preschooler. The molestation allegedly took place late last month at the daycare center within the couple’s Wade Valley Drive home. Following the surrender of Joanne Sharp’s license, the daycare center was moved from the cou ple’s home to another home near by, according to officials with the Georgia Department of Human Resources. The DHR, which regulates home daycare centers, last week closed down the new location Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 p.m. on Sunday - (770) 887-3126. Copyright 0 2003 Forsyth County New* I' 11111 111 Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 McClelland bench which was left open by the July 23 death of Richard S. “Stan” Gault. McClelland, 46, and Solicitor General Leslie Case Abernathy were the other two candidates recommended for the Superior Court judgeship when Perdue appointed Dickinson. -•< ■ • • * I HMMMHBHMBIiijai.i ‘ t I' , IS i •K • I iOwf .Jgrl.y.-/' | HI MB* ' '**”■ PrfjflcL <•# Ji Jf aSLfi- jri I 3HF Wmb IT 'TEkTwgfa‘ t . mpSBE-x I ' t TrJK ,- J, Ju. K l AjJi! JbBWME ktEBE. ink.. .Sk i fit ■ ; rwrlLs II —E bE__, Photo/Audra Perry Harley Chester, 10, a student in Tina Misko’s fourth-grade class at Matt Elementary School, points out the route traveled by a participant in the Trucker Buddy program. Each week, trucker Cecil Vaughan sends the class a postcard from his delivery trek across the U.S. The students learn a lesson in geography while plotting his course on this map outside their classroom. because it was being run without the required state license. Despite the warning, the children returned and the daycare center continued to operate, according to DHR. State officials on Tuesday closed down the center a second time and warned those running it to stop caring for children at the loca tion, according to Martin Rotter, director of the DHR Office of Regulatory Services. Joanne Sharp apparently was not working at the center when a state inspector arrived on Tuesday, Rotter said. If the home daycare center con • tinues to operate without a license, the state will take legal action to stop it, he added. Rotter said it is not necessarily See DAYCARE Page 9A INDEX Ab by. •■•••••••••••■•■■•••••■■•■•(•■••■•a 10A Church events 11A Classifieds 3B Deaths .2A Food Horoscope 10A Opinion 13A Sports IB FRIDAY December 19,2003 at hand.” The vacancy on the State Court bench was created in October when Perdue selected then-chief judge of the Forsyth County State Court, David L. Dickinson, to fill a spot on the Superior Court I believe I I can fly... Third-grade students in Beth Scarboro’s class at Sharon Elementary School were able to relive Wednesday, on the 100th anniversary of flight, what it was like for the Wright brothers to fly the first plane in Kitty Hawk, N.C. Thomas Kaye, who has two daughters that attend Sharon, made a hands-on simulator so people could see, hear and feel what it was like to fly in the Wrights’ first airplane. At right, Brady Ridnour pays close attention to where he is 'Hying.” Photo/David McGregor Food A Polish Christmas: Recipes to keep the tradition alive Page GA Their names were automatically added to the list of recommended nom inees for the State Court opening. The group responsible for recom mending candidates to the governor, the Judicial Nominating Compmission, considered other attorneys for the job including two who were interviewed last week. However, the Commission did not add any other names to the short list of Abernathy and McClelland. On the State Court bench, McClelland will listen to misdemeanor criminal cases as well as most types of civil cases. While much of his practice these days consists of criminal defense work, McClelland also has been a prosecutor. He worked as chief assistant district attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit from 1984 to 1992. At that time, the judicial circuit included both Cherokee and Forsyth counties. Last year, McClelland was a finalist when State Court Judge Philip C. Smith was appointed to the Forsyth County bench. Smith said Thursday he believed Perdue “made a fine choice.” “I’m sure Judge McClelland will be quite an asset to the court and we’re real happy to have him,” Smith said. Local attorneys welcomed the gov ernor’s selection. Bill Finch, the vice president of the Forsyth County Criminal Defense Bar, ■F — : jii gd Opinion Robert Novak: New faces attack post-war Iraq problems Pagel3A said McClelland’s experience on both sides of the courtroom will be benefi cial. “As both a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, I think he brings a well-rounded approach to the bench,” Finch said. Similarly, Cumming attorney Larry A. Ballew noted McClelland’s experi ence when asked about the new judge. “He’s been both a prosecutor and defense lawyer,” Ballew said. “I think he’ll be a good fit.” A native of Savannah, McClelland received his undergraduate degree from Armstrong State College and later graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law. He and his wife, Janice, have one child. Businesses not in love with impact fees; compromise OK By Todd Truelove Staff Writer While developers within the business community agreed Wednesday that the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners worked diligently to prepare and pass a proper Impact Fee Ordinance, they also say they would rather not have to pay the fees. “We understand the county’s need to implement impact fees,” said Jeff Pape, the vice president of development with North American Properties, a retail development company. Impact fees are imposed on new buildings in the county and are used to fund infrastructure improve ments needed to support the growth in population sustained because of those developments. Commissioners Monday approved residential impact fees to fund improvements for libraries, the parks and recreation department, the fire department and emergency communications. As the code now stands, fees collected from the construction of new businesses would only be applied to needs of the fire department. Retail development companies, such as North American Properties, would be charged 22 cents for every square inch of heated floor space. “We would like to have seen them a little bit lower,” Pape said Wednesday. The vote was 3-0 in favor of imposing the new fees. Commissioners Marcie Kreager and Eddie Taylor were not present Monday. Attempts to reach them were unsuccessful by deadline. During the discussion process leading up to Monday’s vote, Pape and other members of the busi ness development community met with Cumming- Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce President Joni Owens and county impact fee consultant Marie See FEES, Page 2A School’s out today Today is the end of first semester and the last day of school before winter break for Forsyth County Schools. Winter break for stu dents and teachers will last through Friday, Jan. 2, 2004. Then students will have off Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 5 and 6, for staff development. Students will return to classes on Jan. 7. These holidays remain for the 2003-04 school year: Jan. 19, MLK Day Jan 28, Early Release/Professional Development Feb. 13, Staff Development Feb. 16, President’s Day Feb. 17, Inclement Weather Day Mar. 10, Early Release/ Professional Development Mar. 19, Inclement Weather Day Mar. 25-26, Early Release/ Parent Conferences Apr. 1-2, Inclement Weather Days Apr. 5-9, Spring Break Apr. 21, Early Release/Professional Development May 7, Inclement Weather Day May 28, Last day of school Partly Cloudy High in the lower 40s Low in the mid-20s * SPORTS, IB aunty rivals square off LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level Dec 14 1069515 t Dec 15 1069.53 ft EJtefc.l6 106952 ft Dec 17 1069748 ft