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Forsyth CountvNews Vol. 95, No. 43 New gun ordinance to be considered Board of Commissioners also to look at revised tree and sign ordinances From Staff Reports The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners may choose to adopt a new firearm ordinance after public hearings on the ordinance Monday night. Last month residents packed the commissioner's auditorium opposing the new firearm restrictions and the board agreed to impose sanctions reflecting state law rather than impose penalties for violations that included shooting within a certain distance from neighboring proper- Midget racers —wmmi - Hr ’ > m v JB BL B ■■ Photo/David McGregor Johnny and Kristin Keyes work under the bright sun on Kristin's quarter midget car on Friday at the fairgrounds in Cumming. The Keyes and hundreds of others made the trek to Cumming to compete this weekend. Grand Jury recommends citizens task force to review space problems at jail, courthouse By Harris Blackwood Community Editor A Forsyth County grand jury has recom mended the creation of a citizens task force to study alternatives for addressing space problems at the courthouse, sheriff’s office, and jail following voters’ rejection of a bond issue for new facilities. The November 2003 jury panel issued its final presentments this week as a new Grand Jury was empaneled. The final presentment was issued follow ing the voters rejection of a $65 million bond referendum which would have financed the construction of a new court house. sheriff's office, and detention center. “Finally, in light of the failure of the recent decision by the voters of Forsyth not to authorize the bond proposal to fund con- Sales tax collections falling behind expectations By Todd Truelove Staff Writer Money from a sales tax extension voters approved last year to fund capital projects continues to lag behind expectations. Forsyth County Chief Finance Officer Jeff Quesenberry said Thursday. “We’re running about 10 percent behind." Quesenberry said. Through January and February this year, county records indicate $3.6 million was received from the 1-percent sales tax exten sion falling about $400,000 short of a projected $4 million. 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 iOOSTbraydiCounty ifcwi _ II I 1 I 0 90994 0400(7 ? •/ Your "Hometown Paper 1 ' Since 1908 Who: Forsyth County Board of Commissioners What: Public hearings When: 5 p.m., Monday Where: Auditorium, County Administration Building ties. The newly revised ordinance would impose the following restric tions: • No one may fire a gun within 50 yards of a public road without legal justification. Conway task force to study alternative means for addressing the real and increasingly urgent needs for space." wrote the grand jury, in a presentment signed by foreman Robert Shapiro. County Commission Chairman Jack Conway said he was taking a wait-and-see attitude upon learning of the presentment. i.f' W i I Quesenberry two months after they are collected and that it is expected the sales tax dollars will begin falling in line with INDEX Abby 5B Births •••••••••■••••••••••••••••••••••••••a 4B Classifieds 3C Deaths Forsyth Life IB Horoscope 5B Opinion . 10A Sports 1C SUNDAY March 14,2004 • No one may fire a gun on another person's property without permission from the property owner or lessee except in defense of person or property or by a law enforcement officer. • No one may fire a gun on Sunday except: in the defense of person or property, officers of the law, those shooting at an approved firing range, those shooting on their own property, hunters on public land opened for public hunting. • No one may use or possess a gun in any county park, historic site struction of a new Judicial Center, and in light of the continuing need for office space, public record space, the need for expanded facilities for the Sheriff’s Department and criminal detention, which has been advanced by previous term grand juries, the grand jury recommends the appointment of a citizen The county has received from the state a total of $10.85 million for the sales tax extension since last September almost SBOO,OOO less than the projected amount of $11.65 million. However. Quesenberry said the county does not receive those funds until Local Two men face charges after deputies find anabolic steroids. Page 3A "It seems like we appoint a committee every time we turn around." said Conway. "Before we appoint a committee, the com missioners have to decide which direction we want to go We haven’t done that." A separate grand jury-appointed com mittee last fall recommended commission ers approve a referendum on a new jail and courthouse. Commissioners subsequently placed a referendum on a $65 million bond issue for the proposed buildings on the March 2 ballot. Forsyth voters narrowly rejected it the third time a vote for a new justice center has been rejected since 2000. The chairman said that he had not received a formal copy of the grand jury recommendation but the commission would take the matter into consideration. See JURY, Page 2A projected amounts because the economy has been improving since December. Construction has begun on improve ments at the McFarland Road and the Ga. 400 Interchange and on the connector road between Hwy. 20 and Pendley Road, according to county records. Other road projects voters approved are in design and property acquisition stages. Transportation projects that have been completed as a result of the sales tax extension include improvements at See TAX, Page 2A Sports Forsyth baseball stays busy in nonregion matchups. PagelC or recreational area unless the weapon is unloaded and stored, or unless such use has been permitted by Forsyth County administration. Violators would be subject to a $ 1 ,(XX) fine and/or 60 days in jail. In other business at Monday’s monthly public hearings meeting, the board is expected to discuss: • Revisions to the county’s Tree Ordinance. Commissioners will also meet Monday morning at 10 with county staff to review the changes to the ordinance. • An update of the county Eighth-graders out for 10 days Officials: Nine used painkillers By Colby Jones Staff Writer Nine eighth-graders at Otwell Middle School in Cumming were suspended for 10 days on Thursday after reportedly taking prescription painkillers and muscle relaxers at school. Two students brought the pills to school on Monday and distributed them to seven of their friends, school system spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo said Friday. All of the students took the pills at various limes between Monday and Thursday, she said. Classmates reportedly informed teachers about the drugs, an assortment of painkillers, muscle relaxers and an antibiotic. A Forsyth County sheriff s deputy assigned to Otwell as a school resource officer is investigating the incident. No crimi nal charges had been filed against any of the students as of Friday afternoon. Otwell teachers discussed the dangers of taking unautho rized medication and the possible legal consequences of doing so with all students before classes ended Friday. Principal Ten North also sent a letter home to parents. "Be assured we w ill be adhenng to established policies to determine appropriate consequences for all students involved," the letter states. The incident is the second involving prescription drugs at a county middle school this school year. In December, several students at Vickery' Middle School took Adderall —a pre scription medication used to treat attention deficit disorders. ■n n o Photo/Audra Perry Burned Firefighters battled a brush fire near Buford Dam on Friday afternoon that damaged 3 acres of fed eral government property surrounding Lake Lanier and yards in the nearby Sweetwater neighbor hood. No injuries were reported and the dam structure itself was not endangered by the blaze, said Forsyth County arson investigator Steve Anderson. He attributed the cause of the fire to careless burning of a pile of leaves by a nearby resident. The resident was issued a citation for allowing the fire to spread. Possible Rain LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level ’ March 9 1069.85 ft t . March 10 1069.89 ft tfllHllll March 11 1069.89 ft Hill Hill March 12 1069.88 ft Full 1071.00 ft High in the mid 60s. , " Low in the mid-40s. LIFE, 1B Memories of Old Allanla Comprehensive Plan. • Amendments to the Sign Ordinance. • Amendments to the Fire Prevention Ordinance. • Considering revoking an alco hol license at Mudcat’s Bar and Grill. • An appeal from The Teaford Co. regarding the denial of a rear yard setback and buffer variance. • Amending a zoning request for the Greyslone Manors subdivision on Bagley Road to allow a maxi mum of 23 lots rather than 22 lots.