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PAGE 10A
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Sunday, March 28,2004
Listings in Cumming
Events are free and available
to nonprofit organizations
sponsoring free or low-cost
events for the public.
Groups max submit notices
by fax at (770) 889-6017 or
via email at events@forsyth
news.com.
Upcoming events
Discounted Six Flags
tickets
... 4-H once again has a
super discount on Six Flags
tickets. Adult, youth and sen
ior citizen tickets will be
available for $24. Six Flags
gate prices for 2004 are $46
for adults and $27.81 for
youth and senior citizens.
Children 2 years of age and
under are free. So you can see
this is a great deal for a day of
family fun. Tickets may be
used any operating day.
Tickets are available at the
Forsyth County Extension
Service. 101 E. Maple St. in
Cumming, and can be pur
chased with cash or check.
For more information, call
(770)887-2418.
Emergency Food and
Shelter program
... Forsyth County has been
awarded $13,731 in Phase 22 .
Under the terms of the grant
from the National Board, local
governmental or private vol
untary organizations chosen to
receive funds must: 1) be non
profit, 2) have an accounting
system and conduct an annual
audit. 3) practice nondiscrimi
nation. 4) have demonstrated
the capability to deliver food
and shelter programs, and 5) if
a private voluntary organiza
tion, must have a voluntary
board with an agency willing
to act as fiscal agent.
Funds will be used to pro
vide unduplicated services to
individuals and families with
supplemental food, utilities,
rent and shelter related needs
in this area.
For information, send writ
ten request to the attention of
WHY DOES THE FORSYTH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CONTINUE
TO DECEIVE THIS COMMUNITY ABOUT THE WINDERMERE PARKWAY EXTENSION?
Several South Forsyth County subdivisions, including Three Chimneys structed of four fully paved lanes, expandable up to six lanes. The plan is to
Farms and Laurel Springs are currently in the middle of South Forsyth’s next have these “excess” lanes “striped out”, thus allowing the Commissioners to
“major arterial” classified road, called the North-South Parkway, which say this is technically a two-lane roadway., that is deceitful!
includes the Windermere Parkway Extension (WPE) section. Numerous
South Forsyth County residents are all for improving this county’s road sys- Via the Ryland development approval, the BOC agreed not to connect Three
tern; however, placing a four-lane Parkway through the middle of subdiva- Chimneys Parkway and Windermere Parkway until after March 24, 2006 in
sions as an afterthought and the deceitful tactics our voted leadership used order to first make improvements at the intersections of Old Atlanta Road
to allocate funding for this project is WRONG!!! and Mathis Airport Road. But now the county has put this project on the fast
track and plans to have it completed by Fall 2005. Why are Forsyth County
How did the county yet the funding to complete the Windermere tax dollars being wasted on this fast track project when Old Atlanta Road,
Parkway Extension? Hwy 20, Hwy 141, and McGinnis Ferry Road are all in desperate need of
improvement first?
• March 16, 2003, tw’o days prior to voting on SPLOST funds, the com- ■ _
missioners promised voters that the Windermere Parkway would R.O.W.P.E. (Residents Opposed to the Windermere Parkway
only be two lanes. Extension) are for improved infrastructure next to the South
• March 24, 2003, in return for zoning approval of a 1000 unit Forsyth Middle School, Old Atlanta Road and Mathis Airport
development in the middle of the already overpopulated area Road intersections. What we don’t approve of is a four-lane
of Forsyth County, the Ryland Group agrees to fund and road with 20,000 plus cars a day adding to an already
build the section of Windermere Parkway through their congested school zone. We also don’t want this com-
subdivision. jg munity split by a potential designated truck route. We
IJCCeiljUl did not purchase our property here to raise our
Windermere Parkway was originally planned kids, grandchildren, and even to retire all to be
prior to Forsyth County approving the Three kyOtlliTllSSlOil€rS subjected to unbearable noise, unsafe condi-
Chimneys Farm subdivision just off Old r J ‘E ? . tions, and devaluation. We believe the
Atlanta Road near South Forsyth Middle All 8881 B I Commissioners killed the chances for this
School. When the development was I ■ parkway through their approval of a sub
approved by the Board of A I I I I I I division that does not have the proper
Commissioners, they allow ed property B jg A A II A. J I wi planning to support a road of this type
adjacent to the proposed Parkway to be g B I I I w (Windermere Parkway is classified as
built without a buffer or minimum set- M a “major arterial” which is the same clas-
backs; this means no fence, mounds, On silication as GA 400!).
trees, shrubbery or walls separating the B
parkway from the homes and common areas ForSlfth (JoUTltjJ A coun *y maintains that Windermere
along the Parkway; however, when the BOC tL Parkway Extension is to be a two-lane road, yet
recently approved zoning for the Ryland Group BOdPU the P^ B m the County Engineer’s office clearly
development between Three Chimneys and Wi show a different picture! Commissioner A.J.
Windermere subdivisions, they included provisions for Pritchett recently attended a demonstration against
abutting properties to be landscaped to comply with the the Windermere Parkway Extension and he said he
Forsyth County Buffer Standaids and to have a minimum thought the residents deserved better from the County,
exterior setback of 100 feet. Why can’t Three Chimneys have Pritchett commented that he has seen the engineering draw-
these same provisions??? Because there’s not enough room due ings that show the roadway as four lanes and he could not sup-
to the way the BOC approved the development!!! port 38 already designed. Pritchett stated “It’s
about the Board of Commissioners honoring the
Because of this lack of room, the Board of Commissioners contin- committment they made to the citizens of Forsyth
ue to deceive the county residents by calling this a “two-lane” roadway, County. The weekend before the SPLOST V vote
yet their commitment to two lanes is only applying to the section between was taken, the Board of Commissioners issued a 1 1 |jh
Old Atlanta Rd. and Windermere and it includes a 44’ median between the press release stating the road would remain two lane. I | I
two lanes. All of the Windermere sections will be four lanes (approved in the That is the committment we should honor.”
2/9/2004 BOC meeting), and the Mathis Airport section through Laurel _ ._ _. ... __ . . . . .
Springs will have four lanes (approved in the 4/11/2003 BOC meeting). While To Support R.O.W.RE. pleas© contact US at:
over 200 miles away in Jekyll Island, GA, the Board of Commissioners abjkvargas@adelphia.net 'WhBHBz
approved the Three Chimneys Parkway section as “two lanes” but clearing
the full 140’ up to the adjacent homes. Most of these “two-lanes” will be con- t*M tor by no.w.p.t.
CUMMING EVENTS
Brenda Dalin, community
service program director,
Ninth District Opportunity
Inc., P.O. Drawer L,
Gainesville, GA 30503.
Deadline for receiving
requests will be on or before
April 16.
Application for
Membership
... for The United Way of
Forsyth County will be
through May 31. Any health,
character-building or welfare
agency interested in the objec
tives of the United Way and
desiring to participate in the
United Way Fund-raising
campaign and in the funds so
raised, upon approval of the
United Way Board of
Directors, may become an
institutional partner or partner
agency. Application forms for
agencies requesting admission
may be obtained by calling the
United Way office at (770)
781-4110. Applications will
be accepted during the months
of March, April and May. The
applications must be complet
ed and returned to the United
Way office by 5 p.m. on May
31.
The Forsyth Central
Drama Department
... will present Rogers and
Hammersteins Pulitzer prize
winning play "Oklahoma!"
through Sunday. March 28. in
the FCHS auditorium.
Shows will be at 7 p.m.
Friday-Saturday and a 2 p.m.
performance on Sunday.
Tickets for Sunday shows are
$lO for adults and $8 for stu
dents. Friday and Saturday
shows will include dinner pre
ceding the performance and
prices are $lB.
For ticket reservations or
information, call Susan
Conant at(770)888-0296.
South Forsyth High
School Theatre
... will present the follow
ing programs:
On May 6 there will be a
one act on “Jake's Women"
and “All In The Timing”
On May 7 there will be a
one act on “Agnes of God”
and "You’re a Good Man
Charlie Brown.”
On May 8 there will be a
one act on “The Complete
History of America” and
“You’re a Good Man Charlie
Brown.”
All performances are at the
SFHS Performing Arts Center,
585 Peachtree Pkwy, in
Cumming.
For ticket reservations, call
(770)781-2264, Ext. 741.
“Embrace the Wonder”
... a Christian dance com
pany will have open audition
on Sunday. March 28, from 2-
5 p.m. Novice and apprentice
dancers at 2 p.m.
Intermediate and advanced
dancers at 3 p.m. Classes and
practices will be every other
Sunday in the afternoon.
For information, call Jean
Morris of Morris Performing
Arts Center at (770) 887-5884
or leave a message at the stu
dio at (770) 205-9090.
Senior Net Computer
Classes
... enrollment is open for
the spring quarter computer
classes at the Roswell
Recreation and Parks
Department. Nine new classes
start the week of March 29.
Each student has a computer
with high-speed Internet con
nection and receives a
detailed, illustrated manual
and practice disk. Courses will
be at the Senior Net computer
lab at the Roswell Adult
Recreation Center, 830
Grimes Bridge Rd. in
Roswell.
For course details and class
dates go to www.roswellse
niomet.addr.com then “course
descriptions" or call (770)
641-3950.
Most classes are two hours
per week for eight weeks.
The AARP Tax Aide
Program
... will offer free income
tax service for low income and
senior taxpayers, will be at the
Cumming Public Library on
Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. through April 5. No
appointment necessary, you
just sign-in and taxpayers will
be taken care of in order of
arrival. It is necessary for all
taxpayers using this free serv
ice to bring their Social
Security card(s) along with
last year’s tax returns. This
will assist the Tax-Aide volun
teers in properly completing
this year’s returns.
Transfer of Development
Rights
... are a cutting-edge tool
that encourages greenspace
protection while still allowing
anticipated development. If
you would like to learn more
about how communities are
using TDRs as a tool facilitat
ing both development and nat
ural resource protection, you
are invited to attend a presen
tation on “Transfer of
Development Rights” at 7
p.m. on Thursday, April 1, at
the Sawnee Cultural Arts
Center. 1090 Tribble Gap Rd.
in Cumming. The presentation
is sponsored by Forsyth
County Commissioner Charles
Laughinghouse and invited
speaker is Dr. Laurie Fowler
of the University of Georgia s
School of Law.
If you have questions
about the program, please
contact Commissioner
Laughinghouse at (770) 886-
2810.
AARP Safe Driving Class
... will be Wednesday and
Friday. March 31 and April 2,
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the
Deer Creek Shores
Presbyterian Church.
Attendance for both days is
required to receive the certifi
cate. Although the course
emphasizes information and
skills for people 50 years and
older, it is helpful for drivers
of all ages. There are no tests.
To keep the auto insurance
discount in effect, you must
take the course every three
years. To register, call Rick or
Jane Marton at (770) 888-
9003.
Casa for Children Inc.
... will host a candlelight
ceremony for the abused and
neglected children in Forsyth
County “Light of Hope”
on April 1 at the Forsyth
County Courthouse at 6:30
p.m. as part of National Child
Abuse Prevention Month.
Doesn’t every child
deserve hope, a safe home to
live in, and a chance to thrive?
Every year, nearly half a mil
lion children in our country
cannot live safely at home
because of abuse and neglect.
Show your support for the
children and join others across
the nation by lighting a sym
bol of hope. For more infor
mation, call (770) 886-4082.
Women in Networking
... a professional women’s
group will meet April 12 from
6:30-9 p.m. at the Country
Gourmet Case in downtown
Cumming for networking, din
ner and educational programs.
The speaker will be Phyllis
Carrera who will share sou
venirs of self-discovery as
well as celebrating her new
book, “A Journey of My
Choosing: Traveling the
Creative Path of Life.
For information and to
make reservations, call (770)
662-9946.
MOMS Club of
Cumming Southwest
... will host an Open House
on April 13 from 1:30-3:30
p.m. The MOMS Club is an
International nonprofit support
group specifically for mothers
who have chosen to stay home
with their children. There are
more than 1,800 chapters in
seven countries, and they are
inviting you to visit the chap
ter here. The club offers a
variety of weekly activities for
stay-at-home mothers and
their children. In addition to
playgroups, park days and
other outings, the MOMS
Club sponsors activity groups
for members with common
interests. For information, call
Traci at (770) 888-6360 or
email momscs@yahoo.com.
AARP Driver Safety pro
gram
... classes will be at the
Northside Hospital Forsyth
Medical Center Professional
Building located in Cumming
at 1200 Northside Forsyth Dr.
The dates are Wednesday,
April 14, and Thursday, April
15, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The course is for mature driv
ers; it provides many ideas on
how to avoid accident situa
tions and how to enjoy safer
driving. Class participants are
required to attend both class
days to receive credit for the
course which entitles the par
ticipants to a discount on their
auto insurance premium. The
certificate of completion is
usually good for three years.
For reservations to attend
class, please call Bill Watson
at (678) 947-0986. There is a
charge of $lO per person due
the first day to cover course
materials.
Farm Family Ag and
Health Expo
... If you and your family
are involved in farming, plan
on joining us for the 2004
Farm Family Ag and Health
Expo on April 15 from 5:30-
8:30 p.m. at Habersham
Central High School. A free
barbecue dinner will be avail
able to those who register
ahead of time by calling their
local Cooperative Extension
Service before April 9. In
Forsyth County that number is
(770) 887-2418. The evening
meal will begin at 7:15 p.m.
Area health professionals .
will provide a variety of health
screenings. Many screenings
will be free but a small fee
may be charged for tests
requiring blood work. Possible
screenings and tests may
See EVENTS, Page 11A