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Forsyth Count vNews
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908
Vol. 95, No. 50
Departure of ‘Teacher of Year’ concerns parents
By Nancy Smallwood
Staff Writer
Some Sharon Elementary parents are voic
ing concerns about the pending departure from
the school of its current Teacher of the Year as
well as how the school administration is per
forming.
The group is raising questions about admin
istrators limiting creativity and limiting the lev
els of "excitement" in teaching.
Earlier in the week, school officials con
firmed that the contract of popular music
teacher Miriam Reynolds' had not been
renewed for next year. On Thursday, they said
Reynolds had resigned effective at year's end.
Reynolds was selected as the Teacher of the
Year for Sharon Elementary this year.
Aberdeen
residents
slow traffic
Speeding a problem
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
Bumper-to-bumper cars on
Westminster Lane, their drivers
occasionally honking out of frustra
tion, inched by sign-toting Aberdeen
subdivision residents at the road’s
four intersections on Wednesday
morning.
“State law 1 : stop for signs” or
"Stop for the school bus,” the plac
ards for Aberdeen's Spring Slow'
Down read. About 30 residents
armed with signs lined the intersec
tions from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to
demonstrate for the safety of their
neighborhood. Their first demonstra
tion was in September 2003.
Westminster Lane, which turns
into Laurel Springs Parkway west of
Chattsworth Lane, is a cut-through
for southbound drivers headed from
Hwy. 20 to Peachtree Parkway —a
major commuter road into Norcross
and Atlanta. Tim Allen, assistant
director of traffic engineering for the
county, estimated that 9,200 cars
travel the road daily.
Traffic on Westminster led by
Aberdeen "pace cars” backed up
onto Old Atlanta Road Wednesday,
causing abnormal congestion. Allen
said the traffic typically flows well
in that area. A two-lane road like
Westminster can hold up to 19,000
cars per day, he said, though that
capacity would not be desirable in a
residential neighborhood.
"We don’t want the cars to come
Express bus park and ride lot
negotiations with city continue
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
Officials from the city of Cumming and
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
(GRTA) said Wednesday details of an agree
ment for an express bus park and ride lot off
Castleberry Road are still being hammered
out.
"We're waiting to have a lease proposal
sent to us by GRTA." said City Adminstrator
Gerald Blackburn. “Once the city gets that,
the mayor and council can act accordingly.”
GRTA plans to begin operating an express
bus system this summer in several metro
Atlanta counties. They have scheduled buses
to roll out of Cumming on July 6 at a site on
Castleberry Road and an additional location
somewhere in the vicinity of Ga. 400 and
Hwy. 20 that has not been pinpointed, accord
ing to William Mecke, GRTA communica
tions manager.
“We're working with the Chamber of
Commerce to see what’s available,” Mecke
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Forsyth County School Public Information
Specialist Jennifer Caracciolo said the school
system has a policy of not commenting on per
sonnel but were aware of some of the parents
complaints concerning the school’s administra
tion.
“Miriam Reynolds’ resignation for the 2004-
2005 school year was approved by the board of
education on Wednesday, March 24. She was
employed with the school system for the 2002-
2(X)3 school year as a part-time music teacher at
Settles Bridge Elementary. For the 2003-2004
school year, she was employed as a full-time
music teacher at Sharon Elementary," said
Caracciolo.
Parents are voicing their complaints through
letters and e-mail to administrators of the
school system. Richard Pickering, a parent, said
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Photo/Audra Perry
Residents Lance and Kate McKelleget were among the 30 volun
teers who particpated in the Aberdeen Spring Slow Down on
Wednesday morning.
through our subdivision, ultimately,”
Aberdeen resident Lynn Taylor said.
Children playing near busy traf
fic is the main concern of the neigh
borhood’s 410 families. According
to Pedestrian Educating Drivers on
Safety Inc. (PEDS), the second
said. “[The Ga. 4(X)/Hwy. 20 intersection] is a
busy area. It’s just a matter of finding a spot
that works for everybody.”
"We are going to be running out of
Castleberry across from the [Cumming]
Fairground parking lot for sure," he said
Though a lease agreement has not been
reached for the space, Blackburn said he
expects to receive a proposal in about a week.
Details in the agreement include how costs
will be divided for paving the area, providing
lighting and constructing a waiting kiosk for
passengers, Blackburn said.
“They’H use it [the parking lot] during the
daytime, and the city will be able to use it for
their functions also," Blackburn said, adding
he does not expect bus operations to interfere
with events held in the area such as the
city’s annual fall fair.
Buses are scheduled to operate during rush
hours on weekdays from 5:15 a.m. to 7:15
a.m. and 4:05 p.m. to 6:05 p.m., Mecke said.
See BUS, Page 2A
INDEX
Abby •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 9B
Church events. 8A
Classifieds 4B
Deaths 2A
Food 10A
Horoscope 9B
Opinion 11A
Sports IB
FRIDAY March 26, 2004
Sports
Forsyth baseball teams
prepare for next week’s
regional opener.
Page IB
i he hopes to address the school board during a
I public comment period a! the April 15 meeting.
Pickering said a group of parents had
> attempted to discuss problems at the school
with its principal but had not yet been able to do
so.
Sharon Elementary opened this past October
and is under the direction of principal Janet
. Reid. Students from Big Creek, Daves Creek
and Settles Bridge elementary schools were re
l districted to the school.
I Reynolds was chosen by her teacher peers,
■ parents and students to represent the school as
1 its Teacher of the Year in the district competi
tion.
i "This school is stifling the teachers and the
■ kids are going to be the ones to pay the price,”
1 said parent Angie Garmon Page.
leading cause of death for children
ages 5-9 is pedestrian injury.
"There are so many times that
we've gotten together at HOA
(homeowners association) meetings
See TRAFFIC, Page 2A
WFW J
x.
Spring jaunt
George Woods takes advantage of the spring weather Wednesday by riding his bike
by City Hall in downtown Cumming. „
’ ’ a Photo/David McGregor
Court agrees
to new House
district map
Lawmakers will remain unpaired
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
A three-judge federal panel has
agreed to make changes in two
Forsyth County State House districts,
eliminating the prospect that two
incumbent Forsyth lawmakers would
have to face off in the July primary'.
Revised maps released by a spe
cial master Wednesday place Rep.
Tom Knox. (R-Cumming), in House
District 38, while Rep. Jack Murphy.
(R-Cumming). is now the incumbent
in District 14A The first map
released by the court had placed both
Murphy and Knox in 14A. while
District 38 was vacant.
The shift resulted in a counter
clockwise rotation of the two dis
tricts with more territory west of the
city of Cumming going into 14A.
while the area on the city's east side
will move into the 38th.
"I'm pleased for the voters of
Forsyth County." said Murphy. "This
gives an opportunity to have some
continuity of representation.”
Murphy declined to announce his
intention to run for the redrawn dis
trict, saying that he would wait until
the court declares the maps to be
final.
The freshman lawmaker was
elected two years ago to a multi
member district he shared with
Local
Schools may test market
new milk vending
machines.
Page 3 A
Page, a member of the school’s parent
teacher association, said Reynolds is a very
prominent member of the school’s staff.
Reynolds is in charge of the school’s chorus,
the Sharon Singers, that recently made a trip to
the Georgia Capitol and sang for Gov. Sonny
Perdue, according to Page.
“She also was involved in the school’s talent
show this year but did not want to be the main
person in charge since her children were also
involved in the show,” said Page.
What parents and students most admire
about Reynolds is her dedication and enthusi
asm to her profession.
Reynolds’ Web site quotes her philosophy
See TEACHER, Page2A
Partly Cloudy
Ir
/
High in the low 70s.
Low in the low 50s.
Photographer odes with county deputy
I Lumpkin
\ > *"* —75a
J ’ Muitohy 14A
*
Photo/submitted
A judicial panel has agreed to
move the lines of the new
District 38 and District 14A after
two Forsyth lawmakers were
placed together in 14A on an
original map.
Knox. The present 14th district
included much of Forsyth, a portion
of Cherokee and a portion of Dawson
County.
The new 14A has a portion of
Forsyth and a small portion of east
ern Cherokee County. The 38th dis-
See HOUSE, Page 2A
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
March 21 1069.90 ft
March 22 1069.91 ft
March 23 1069.91 ft
March 24 1069.88 ft
Full 1071.00 ft