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Yes to SPLOST, Sunday alcohol
SPLOST
yes 5914
no 1690
Landslide:
Measure
passes in
every area
March 20,2003
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
Voters Tuesday overwhelmingly
chose to keep the Forsyth County
government’s 1 percent sales tax for
capital projects in place.
In each of the county’s 27
precincts and in absentee balloting,
more than 60 percent of voters in the
special referendum voted in favor of
an extension of the Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax.
Many of those interviewed as
they exited polls said they voted to
keep the SPLOST because of the
county’s commitment to use the tax
to fund road projects and to keep
Arson suspected in fairgrounds fire
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Photo/Audra Perry
A brilliant day turned to darkness at the Cumming Country Fair and Festival Thursday afternoon when
smoke from the burning cotton gin rose high and obscured the sun.
New York Life ‘energized’ by Forsyth
Insurance company to locate data backup center in south part of county
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Photo/Audra Perry
Adam Dagys, corporate
vice president and project
manager for New York Life,
said the company has
been “energized” by the
decision to come to
Forsyth County.
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Photos/Jonathan Phillips
Left, Olene Walker, Lt. Governor of Utah, and Amy Naccarato, state election director of Utah, watch
how the electronic voting machines operate during Tuesday’s vote. Right, how the ballot looked on the
voting machines.
property taxes low.
“I think we need to continue the
funds for the roads we need in the
county,” said Rebecca Klinkenberg,
who lives in the south end of the
county.
Those sentiments were echoed in
north Forsyth by Abby Collins, who
said road improvements are badly
needed. Collins also said she looked
forward to having a new branch of
By Phillip Hermann
Business Editor
A host of government and
business leaders were on hand
for Monday’s formal ann
ouncement that New York Life
Insurance Co. has selected
Forsyth County as the site for
its new data backup center.
Adam Dagys, corporate
vice president and project
manager for New York Life,
said the company has been
“energized” by the decision to
come to Forsyth County after
a nationwide search.
“We’re delighted that
we’ve found a location that
meets our needs in a commu-
the library in north Forsyth. And
Patti Monroe, of central Forsyth, said
she did not want her property taxes
to increase.
Those who voted against it said
they did so because they oppose
taxes in general, favor less govern
mental control and believe the coun
ty should be more fiscally responsi
ble with property taxes that are col
lected annually.
May 7,2003
nity we’re going to be proud
to be a part of,” Dagys said.
“Forsyth County provided us
with everything we were look
ing for and more.”
He noted the company’s’
search criteria included a
secure site with low overall
risk, a good labor pool with
talented individuals, quality of
life, educational system and a
number of other factors.
Forsyth County was one of
two finalists for the data cen
ter. the other was a city in sub
urban Dallas, Texas.
On hand for the announce-
In the end, unofficial totals late
Tuesday indicated 5,914 voted in
favor of the SPLOST extension and
1,690 voted against it.
Altogether, there were 7,635 bal
lots cast for the SPLOST, including
31 miscast ballots.
Just under 14 percent of Forsyth
County’s 54,851 registered voters
See SPLOST, Page 2C
By Steven H. Pollak
Staff Writer
Arson investigators say the fire
that burned the cotton gin building at
the Cumming Country Fair and
Festival on Thursday was set inten
tionally.
Officials are offering a reward of
up to SIO,OOO for information lead
ing to the arrest and conviction of
those responsible for starting the
blaze.
No one was injured but the fire at
the fairgrounds gutted the tin and
wood building that housed a 60-year
old Lummus cotton gin along with
approximately 20,000 pounds of cot
ton.
On Friday morning, crews were
working to remove the charred rub
ble. The long arms of construction
excavators tore down the last rem
nants of the building that were still
standing and placed the sheets of tin
and wooden beams into nearby
dumpsters.
Capt. Frank Goss, a detective
with the Cumming Police
Department, said authorities have
received reports of a group of four to
five white male teenagers in baggy
clothes and baseball caps that was
Bar
I5BY”
wMi'hlvlHuWinwn
ment were state Reps. Jack
Murphy and Tom Knox,
Forsyth County Superinten
dent of Schools Paula Gault,
Forsyth County Commission
Chairman Jack Conway, Cum-
ming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt,
Cumming-Forsyth County
Chamber of Commerce
Chairman Tim Perry, chamber
President/CEO Joni Owens,
Glenn Cornell, commissioner
of the Georgia Department of
Industry, Trade and Tourism,
Annie Hunt Burris, deputy
chief of staff for Gov. Sonny
Perdue and other notables.
Murphy praised Owens,
the chamber and county gov
ernment for working hard to
attract the Fortune 100 firm.
“It was a lot of hard work
by a lot of good people,”
Murphy said. “This is a first
class company that is bringing
with it good jobs and tax rev-
Sunday alcohol
yes 207
no 115
Cumming
joins county
with alcohol
on Sunday
March 20,2003
By Phillip Hermann
Business Editor
City of Cumming residents fol
lowed the lead of Forsyth County
voters on Tuesday, approving the sale
of alcohol on Sunday in local restau
rants.
The unofficial tally in the city
vote was 207-115. The referendum
was only conducted at city precincts
because county voters in November
2002 approved Sunday liquor-by
the-drink sales by
Despite last year’s countywide
approval of Sunday alcohol, state law
requires approval in a separate city
referendum before restaurants inside
the incorporated area of Cumming
See ALCOHOL, Page 2C
Oct. 5,2003
seen running from an area in the rear
of the building where investigators
believe the fire began.
“We are attempting to gather
information about these boys and
would like to talk to them,” the
detective said.
Chief Steve C. Anderson, the lead
arson investigator with the Forsyth
County Fire Department, said several
witnesses have come forward in a bid
to help authorities find the culprits.
The fire at the cotton gin building
began around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Jim Cook, a Johns Creek resident,
said he was sitting in a rocking chair
in front of the building at the time
and wasn’t aware there was a fire.
His wife, Imogene, was returning
from a nearby concession stand when
she noticed the smoke and warned
her husband. He thought she was
joking at first.
“It was on the outside when it
actually started,” Imogene Cook said.
Her husband retreated from the
area after realizing the warnings
See ARSON, Page 2C
enues at a time when the econ
omy hasn’t been as good as it
should. Anytime you attract a
company of this quality, it’s a
big deal and I think they all
did a great job.”
He added: “This is the type
of business we want in
Forsyth County because it rep
resents quality growth and job
creation. It’s also important
because it will help the county
diversify its tax base.”
Conway said he and fellow
commissioners were elated by
the company’s decision.
“As county commission
See NEW YORK, Page 2C