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Forsyth CountyNws J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J r *GO DAWGS* Vol. 95, No. 031 Pritchett to run for tax commissioner Incumbent county commissioner faces an old political foe in race with four announced candidates By Todd Truelove Staff Writer Forsyth County Commissioner AJ. Pritchett says he will forego seeking re-election to his District 2 seat on the board this year to join a crowded field campaigning for the office of county tax commissioner. The south Forsyth commissioner announced Wednesday that he plans to seek the tax commis sioner's post, joining at least three other candi dates who also have announced their plans to run for the position: Bill Jenkins, a former county Photos/David McGregor Renovation work is under way in the stage area of the auditorium in the Cumming Historic School. City hopes renovation of Historic School will be finished in time for June Singing By Nicole Green Staff Writer On a Friday afternoon, after con struction workers have left the site of the Cumming Historic School, the only sound in the building is a dove cooing from the rooftop and the creak of hard wood floors laid in 1923. Signs of the Cumming Public School and Cumming High School remain. A staircase indented with tiny footprints will be displayed in a library of school memorabilia. An inclined theater floor was discovered beneath the current auditorium area, which was leveled to create first grade class rooms at some point in the build ing's history. Boards were peeled off the windows, flooding the halls with light like the first day of school. Put your NAME ON A SEAT IN THE THEATER ... Details, page 7A "I’m sure it was a very happy place." said Linda Heard, hometown development coordinator for the city of Cumming, during a tour of the build ing on Friday. Restoration of the school began mid-summer last year. Heard expects restoration of the old school to be com plete by June 1, in time for the June Singing tradition in Cumming. Local music teacher Shanin Gunter is work ing to furnish the theater with a grand piano to serve as accompaniment. "We’re going to try to do it small but right,” Heard said of the restora tion. The Historical Society of Forsyth See SCHOOL, Page 2A Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8 a.m. - 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 p.m. on Sunday - (770) M 7-5126 Copyright 4 2603 Forsyth County Men ~ 0 90994 040001 7 commissioner; Wayne Plummer, a local political activist who managed Commission Chairman Jack Conway's 2002 campaign; and Matt Maiorano, a county employee and accountant who works in the tax commissioner’s depart ment. Incumbent Joyce Pendley, who was appointed to the post in 2003, has not said whether she will seek election to a full term. Pritchett said he looks forward to the compe tition for the position. “I think I can do a much more effective job as tax commissioner." Pritchett said Friday in a tele- Worklights give an eerie glow to the school's hallway. INDEX Abby ......................................68 Births 48 Deaths 2A Foreyth Life IB Horoscope 68 Opinion 10A Sports 1C SUNDAY February 22, 2004 wr tr a BL * L. ; i Pritchett phone interview. "The tax commissioner is more business oriented. It suits my background better. It allows me to use my experience in the corpo rate sector and apply it toward the county.” Jenkins who was chairman of the com mission when he lost his seat in 2002 to Pritchett See RACE, Page 2A Murder suspect collapses in court ‘1 am a very sick man... Can you not let me die in peace?’ By Colby Jones Staff Writer A 66-year-old Forsyth County man charged with murdering a door to-door salesman collapsed during a preliminary hearing on Thursday morning. Morris Cecil Chadwick, clutching a paperback edition of the New Testament and guarded by two armed deputies, fell out of the defendant's chair and onto the floor in Forsyth County Magistrate Court about 10:20 a.m. Although no witnesses testified against him, Chadwick remained the center of attention during the brief proceeding. His wife, Grace, and other rela tives seated together in the front row of the courtroom, pleaded with deputies to allow them to give Chadwick a glass of water. The scraggly-bearded Chadwick appeared disoriented and moaned after he collapsed. "I lost 40 pounds in 29 days," Chadwick said while sprawled out on the floor in an orange jumpsuit. "I am a very sick man ... Can you not let me die in peace.” Chief Magistrate Barbara Cole cleared the courtroom and deputies summoned an ambulance to treat Chadwick. An officer wiped Chadwick’s forehead with a handker chief while waiting for medical help. Paramedics transported Chadwick to Smoking ban is again on commission agenda From staff reports The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is expected to discuss how to institute a ban against smoking in public buildings during a meeting tomorrow. Plans to discuss the topic at previ ous meetings were postponed to con serve time after commissioners dealt with lengthy agendas. The board may direct attorneys to write a smoking ban ordinance after the discussion. Such an ordinance must then undergo at least two public hear ings before it could be adopted. The ordinance would make smok ing illegal in any building in which the public is allowed in Forsyth County. Everything from restaurants, night clubs and retail stores to governmental Forsyth County represented in Army Reserve unit welcomed home Friday. Page4A Jenkins Sunny LAKE LANIER LEVELS Level fcb - 17 1069.31 ft v’WF— ' Feb. 18 1069.35 ft ! Feb. 19 1069.35 ft > * Feb. 20 1069.37 ft Full 1071.Q0H High in the mid-50s. -"'S Low in the low 30s. mm • FwßgSl IAIN LIBR JBB onyth Maiorano •Two current members of the county’s school board will not seek re-election. Story, page 6A. Northside Hospital Forsyth and the hearing officially ended before District Attorney Penny Penn or ■X* defense attorney U Les Aiken pre- I sented their first s argument I he purpose »! (jc.if'ing 'xa- to detet m i n e whether prosecu tors have probable Chadwick cause to keep Chadwick in custody. No date for a new hearing was set Thursday. If a grand jury returns an indictment against Chadwick in the near future, no hearing will need to be held because the grand jury already would have found probable cause. The district attorney's office has indicated it plans to seek an indict ment against Chadwick when it reconvenes next month, according to Aiken. Outside the courthouse, Cleve Chadwick criticized how the legal system has treated his brother since deputies booked him into the county jail on .a single count of murder on Jan. 22. His brother has refused to drink water because he will only drink it from a well, said Cleve Chadwick. He has refused to eat in jail, too. See SUSPECT, Page 2A buildings could be affected. In other business at the meeting, the board is expected to consider approv ing: • A request from DDR Limited Co. of Dunwoody to rezone 19 acres locat ed near the intersection of Hwy. 369 and Little Mill Road from agricultur al/vacation cottage to commercial busi ness district for a proposed retail shop ping center. • A request from PC Homes to rezone 123.9 acres located on the east side of Tribble Road near the intersec tion with Hwy. 20 from agricultural to residential with a density of two units per acre. • A request from Ivey Building Corp, to rezone 91.3 acres located on See AGENDA, Page 2A Plummer