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Vol. 95, No. 037
Bond issue narrowly defeated
Voters say no to $65 million jail, courthouse plan 51% to 49%
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County government
will not be selling bonds to build a
new justiee center facility anytime
soon.
For the third time since 2()(M), vot
ers rejected funding the construction
of new courthouse and jail facilities.
The $65 million bond proposal was
narrowly defeated during Tuesday's
referendum; 6.195 (51 percent) voted
against the bonds, and 5.842 (49 per
cent) voted in favor of them.
More than 12.000 of the county's
60,000 registered voters cast their
ballots, for a 20.5 percent turnout.
Sheriff Ted Paxton and Clerk of
Court Doug Sorrells, each of whom
would have gained new offices and
facilities if voters had supported the
bond proposal, said they were disap
pointed by the results.
"The people of the county have
spoken." Paxton said, "and we'll
continue doing business."
Sorrells has said the clerk's office
needs more space to house the grow -
ing number of county records.
"I'm disappointed, but I'll look
for other options." Sorrells said.
"That's all we can do."
Two opponents of the bond. R.
Gray Smith and Daxe Richard, said
that though they agree upgrades are
needed, they were glad residents
voted against the bonds because it
will allow more time to investigate
other options rather than put taxpay
ers in debt for 20 years.
"I'xe got mixed feelings." Smith
said. "We need serious upgrades, but
the people have spoken and it should
be clear that the taxpayers of Forsyth
County are insisting upon accounta
bility."
Richard, who plans to campaign
as a Republican for the District 4 seat
on the board of commissioners later
this year, said there may be other
opportunities rather than constructing
the new facilities.
"1 don't think we need [the facili
ties] to the extent that was proposed."
he said.
"This gives us a chance to step
back and look at all the things we do
that we don't need to do." Richard
said, giving examples of alternative
housing for non-violent prisoners
and expanding the existing court
house.
He said the vote was "closer than
Three charged with stealing,
vandalizing park equipment
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
Two gloved burglars reportedly
vandalized Sawnee Mountain Park on
Friday between 11 p.m. and midnight,
wrecking concession stands and steal
ing sports equipment, sheriffs
deputies say.
Two days later, two suspects were
arrested, apparently revisiting the
crime scene.
“The place was absolutely
destroyed," Capt. Ron Freeman of the
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said.
Glyndon Dale Coker. 21. of
Cumming and a 16-year-old male
counterpart were arrested and charged
with burglary and possession of bur
glary tools, according to the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s Office.
Sunday morning. Deputy J.S.
Jenkins stopped a suspicious vehicle
in the area of the park, which is locat
ed at 3995 Watson Road. Jenkins
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Copyright 4 2004 Foriyth County Newt
* 90994 04 l
THURSDAY March 4, 2004
I Eg Bwu
Photos/Audra Perry. David McGregor
Voters, above, at the North Forsyth High School precinct line up to
cast their ballots Tuesday. Below, voter Sandra Robbins takes her
card from poll officer Keith Anderson at one of the county’s new
voting locations. First Redeemer Church.
he wanted it."
"Hopefully, the commissioners
will get the hml not to authorize a
fourth vote." Richard said
The board has discussed the pos
sibility of putting the issue out in
another referendum later this year
posing the jail and courthouse fund
ing proposals in separate questions.
Sorrells said more information
could be provided to voters in the
The place was
absolutely
destroyed.
- Capt Ron Freeman
99
noticed the driver of the red Chevrolet
Lumina was wearing latex gloves, a
sheriffs office report stated.
The driver. Coker, was arrested for
driving with a suspended license and
no insurance. A juvenile was also in
the vehicle, the report said.
In the car. deputies found drug
paraphernalia, bolt cutters, screw driv
ers. knives and a box of latex gloves.
They also found baseball helmets, a
newspaper stand and a snow cone
machine. These items were later iden
tified as the property of Sawnee
Mountain Park. Coker was carrying a
INDEX
Abby..„ 5B
Classifieds 2B
Deaths 2 A
Government 4A
Horoscope.... 5B
Kids Page „...5A
Opinion 9A
Sports 6A
additional time.
"If there is more information the
people need, maybe we can furnish
that for them." he said.
Smith and Richard said there isn't
enough time to investigate alterna
tives to have an election this year.
They said the Board of
Commissioners needs to get more
See BOND, Page 2A
concealed pellet gun. sheriff’s
Detective Nick Wright said.
The two arrests Sunday morning
led to another arrest that day. Henry
Lacy Branum Jr., 39. of McConnell
Road was arrested and charged w ith
theft by receiving stolen property and
possession of methamphetamine, the
report said.
After being tipped off by Coker
and the juvenile suspect, deputies
obtained a search warrant for
Branum s residence. They discovered
a microwave and refrigerator belong
ing to Sawnee Mountain Park and sev
eral grams of methamphetamine.
Sawnee Mountain Park was built
in 1998 with special purpose local
option sales tax funding. The 44-acrc
complex includes a community center,
playground, walking trail, picnic
areas, nine baseball/softball fields, a
soccer field, a football field, outdoor
basketball courts and four tennis
courts.
Government
Visions 2004 student
art display returns to
Administration Building
Page 4A
ATHENS GA 30602
1993 Georgia flag choice of
Forsyth; local Repubs cross
over to vote for Democrats
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
Forsyth County voters preferred
the new slate flag legislators
approved last year and Democrat
candidate John Edwards of North
Carolina over John Kerry of
Massachusetts to vie for the presi
dential office later this year (see
chan, page 10A).
However. Kerry won the
statewide election over Edwards
Tuesday and remains the probable
candidate voters will see facing
President Bush in November.
County voters' state flag choice
was similar to statewide results
with 74 percent of the total ballots
cast choosing the state's new red and
white striped flag oxer former Gov.
Roy Barnes' blue one.
Os I 1.957 county voters who
picked one of the two state flag
choices. 8.891 favored the 2003 flag
anil 3.066 chose the blue flag,
according to results from the Forsyth
County Voter Registrar's Office.
Statewide. 568.843 preferred the
2003 flag and 201.428 chose the blue
flag, according to results from the
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Photo/Submitted
Cleanup
Members of the Cumming Kiwanis Club clean both sides of
Pilgrim Mill Road from Dairy Queen to the Kiwanis Building by
the city park recently. The club has “adopted" the road as part of
a countywide effort to keep Forsyth's roads litter-free. See
story, page 2A.
Sports
National Quarter Midget
Racing championship
coming to Forsyth in ’OS.
PageGA
Georgia Secretary of State's Office.
Though the majority of voters in
Forsyth are registered as
Republicans, more Democrat ballots
were cast during Tuesday's presiden
tial primaries
Chief Registrar Gary J Smith
said he believed there were many
“crossover" voters attempting to
influence the outcome of the
Democrats' presidential candidate.
If it was Forsy th County resi
dents' choice. Edwards would be run
ning against Bush later this year.
Edwards took more than half of the
Democrat ballots that were cast; 58
percent, or 3.604. picked Edwards,
and 29 percent, or 1.79|. picked
See 7993, Page 2A
Partly Cloudy
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
Feb. 28 1069.60 ft
Feb. 29 1069.61 ft
/ March 1 1069.62 ft
V <4. ■ March 2 1069.63 ft
Full 1071.00 ft
High in the inid-70s.
Low in the niid-s()s.
BUSINESS, 1B
Home business irks neighbors