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Forsyth Count c J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1901 *G0 R DfiWSS* WSP ° PER PROJECT ► UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA MAIN LIBR 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 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 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 saaHBHBBBHHBaaHBMHBBBHBBBBBHBHBI ! gfr ~dE-wwt 9Hk_ BBBBBMMb 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