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Forsyth County News J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J .»<*****»< 30£ Vol. 95, No. 036 TOP STUDENTS THE STARS RF —imiWHl "wra p ■ LH. rid ■ t WaSjTT /MTJCEq . Illfflßr rig -? J . rl lD<nne V '-fiwMIMIMF , I r.xth Bvars FunCflU Wl \ AS iH.nprmcim"' : . : fy,'MP ■ v n!l '' "• ■ l l <•' 'j/ «*> ._ -d*’* * * Photo/Audra Perry U.S. Rep. John Linder talks to students the Cumming Kiwanis Club honored for academic achievement during its annual STAR student ceremony at Windermere Golf and Country Club Monday night. Cumming Kiwanis Club honors four By Nicole Green Staff Writer Four high school seniors from Forsyth County's three high schools were honored Monday night by the Cumming Kiwanis Club for outstanding academic achieve ment. The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Program (STAR) commends the student in each senior class who scores the highest on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Chris Bruce of South Forsyth High School was the overall winner with a score of 1570 on the SAT. Paul Dixon was the STAR student from Forsyth Central High School. Two young ladies from North Forsyth High School, Katie Lynch and Mary Alldred, tied for the STAR student award. Dixon plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology in the fall and Pilot plans purchase, renovation of airport Subdivision set for same site withdrawn By Todd Truelove Staff Writer Pilot Joe Voyles plans to purchase L.G. Mathis Airport in south Forsyth and upgrade the facility to allow twice the amount of planes that are housed there. “We're really excited about put ting a little flight park in there,” Voyles said Monday. Until recently, a development group had targeted the 15 acres of land for a residential subdivision along with adjoining parcels. However, the developers decided against building the project and last week withdrew a rezoning request they had submitted to the county government. Voyles said he had received an official notice from Focus 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 2004 Forsyth County Now* liil major in physics. The other three students plan to attend college after graduation but have not decided on a school. These students are not just good test tak ers. Each one excels academically and stands out as the best of the senior class, a coun ty school official said. “The SAT is a trail ing indicator. It is at the end of your high school career, but it is an indi cator of what you've done the last four years,” Associate Superintendent Ellen Cohan said Monday Development Co. Saturday stating they had withdrawn from the project. “We received their termination letter, and they are officially out of it,” Voyles said. "Our contract is offi cially in first place now." "We're going to make it into a private country club air park.” he said. Voyles, a home builder from Berkeley Lake, has been Hying as a hobby for a year and a half. He learned the skill at the local airport. “If you can land there, you can land anywhere." he said of the run way. “Currently, it is a real chal lenge. It just hasn’t been paved in forever.” The renovation work will include repaving the runway and building See PILOT, Page 2A INDEX Abby 4B C1a55ified5..................... ,.„..68 Deaths 2A Education 4A Events Legate 5B Opinion ...8A Sports IB WEDNESDAY March 3, 2004 4 * J ** Bruce [da Dixon 2 TO OUR READERS Results of the election will not be available until our next edition, which will be available beginning Wednesday afternoon. We apologize for any inconven ience. night at a recognition dinner at the Windermere Golf and Country Club. U.S. Rep. John Linder. R-Duluth, made an appearance to salute the students and teachers for their out standing achievements. He offered a few words of advice for the stu dents before he trav eled back to Washington. D.C. “I hope that whatev er you choose to do. you choose because you like it. And what ever you choose, you See STAR, Page 2A — r— ■ “• & -U- j 4 ■ l ji Photo/Audra Perry A single-engine plane takes off from Mathis Airport in south Forsyth Monday. A Berkeley Lake home builder plans to purchase and renovate the private airport after a developer withdrew a proposal for a subdivision on the 15-acre site last weekend Alldred Lynch Cloudy \ LAKE LANIER LEVELS A A Date Level f "A Feb 27 1069.60 ft W? ’ Feb. 28 1069.61 ft Rb - 29 1069.62 ft March! 1069.62 ft Full 1071.00 ft High in the high 60s. Low in the low 50s. '** Flag choice could be moot point Vote doesn’t bind lawmakers By Todd Truelove Staff Writer Despite voters' state flag preference, the Legislature may not readdress the issue, some lawmakers imply. Though the results of Tuesday’s election were not available by press lime, the voters' flag choice does not legally bind the legislators to change the flag back to former Gov. Roy Barnes’ blue one even if more than half of the voters choose it over the red and white one now flying above governmental facilities throughout Georgia. State Rep. Jack Murphy, R-Cumming. said he sup ports the red and white flag the General Assembly approved in 2003. "h’s time we put the flag issue to be," Murphy said Monday. “My gut feeling is I don't think [the Legislature] would change it. 1 just don't think we'd go<back to the blue flag." "I want to stay with the current flag that we have," he said, adding he was raised under the old "stars-and-bars” flag that Barnes convinced law makers to cast aside. While that flag needs to be honored. Murphy said it's time to move forward. "The only flag that we need to be concerned with is the flag that ... all Americans were born under and will die under, and that's the American flag." Murphy said. While senators Dan Moody. R-Alpharetta. and Renee Unterman, R-Loganville, did not deny leg islators may readdress the flag issue, neither did they affirm it would be readdressed if voters pre fer the blue flag. Unterman said she was “unsure" if the issue would come back before the General Assembly She and Moody also said Monday they hoped for a big turnout during the election. “We're encouraging people to go vote." Unterman said. Moody said the turnout will probably be a focal point for senators to determine if the state flag choice needs to be examined again. "A lot will depend on what the actual turnout is and the results of the election." Moody said. "The debate that took place on the flag was extensive, and the flag that’s flying over the Capitol today is one that I think represents a lot of the heritage of the state." he said. "[lt] is a far better flag than the other [blue] flag in terms of its appearance." »ORTS, 1B .iook hit the diamond Im. '*** Wi Murphy