Newspaper Page Text
Forsyth County News
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Vol. 95, No. 55
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Photo/Submitted
Physical education teacher Melody Mizer had the support of stu
dents and colleagues during a five-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Molester
sentenced
Receives 15 years in prison
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
A Cumming man convicted of molesting a 5-year
old girl was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison.
Ismael Lopez-Trejo. 30. of Bald Ridge View Circle,
on Feb. 27 was convicted by a Forsyth County jury of
aggravated child molestation, child molestation and
sexual battery. Each charge carries a
minimum 10-year jail sentence with a
maximum of 20 years.
Forsyth County Superior Court
Judge David L. Dickinson accepted
Assistant District Attorney Sandra
Partridge’s recommendation for sen
tencing. Dickinson based his decision
on the facts of the case and the credi
bility of the young victim who testi
fied during the five day trial, he said.
The incident occurred sometime
between January and March 2003.
Lopez-
Trejo
"My hope is she [the victim] will not have long
term effects, but it is doubtful," Dickinson said. “I’m
very afraid that her innocence has been taken from
her.”
Lopez has prior convictions for felony burglary,
criminal trespass and is classified as a habitual violator.
Lopez also was sentenced to serve five years proba
tion as a sex offender. However, he is being held on
detainer by the Immigration and Naturalization Service
subject to deportation after his jail sentence is com
plete. A native of Mexico, Lopez was living in the
United States as a legal permanent resident with his
See LOPEZ, Page 2A
Knox and Amerson to
seek third term in their
new House districts
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
A current member and a possible
future member of the Forsyth
County state House delegation have
announced their intentions to run
for re-election.
State Reps. Tom Knox, who cur
rently represents District 14, and
Amos Amerson, who represents
District 9, issued statements on
Friday that they would be on the
ballot as candidates from new dis
tricts that include part of Forsyth.
“I have been privileged to repre
sent the people of Forsyth County
for the last four years." said Knox
in a statement released from his
office. “I look forward to going
back to Atlanta next year.”
Knox, a Cumming attorney, was
elected in 2000 and succeeded for
mer Rep. Mike Evans who now
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Knox was re-elected without
opposition in 2002 to District 14. a
two-member post he held along
with Rep. Jack Murphy. (R-
Cumming).
A three-judge federal panel
struck down the use of multi-mem
ber districts. A court-ordered
redrawing of legislative maps
placed Knox in a new District 24.
which covers the heavily populated
southern portion of Forsyth County.
Knox serves on the Regulated
Industries, Special Judiciary, and
Insurance committees in the House.
Amerson, like Knox, is complet
ing his second term in the House.
He picks up a portion of north
Forsyth in the redrawn District 9.
The newly reconfigured district
consists of most of Lumpkin and
Dawson counties and a portion of
INDEX
Abby 14A
Births 4B
Classifieds •MMMMMMMMMMM „..4C
Deaths 2A
Forsyth Life IB
Horoscope 14A
Opinion 16A
Sports 1C
SUNDAY April 4, 2004
Baby needs a new pair of shoes
Am . A i
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I M M
Photo/Audra Perry
Thirty-year horseshoeing veteran, Steve Ruiz, places a new pair of horseshoes on Spot in preparation for Friday’s
opening night of the World Championship Rodeo at the Cumming Fairgrounds. Spot has made more than 3 000 grand
entrances with his owner and rider, Pam Treadway, who carries the American flag.
Forsyth east of Highway 9 in the
northeast corner of the county.
Amerson. (R Dahlonega), sits on
the Education. Health and Human
Services, and Natural Resources
and Environment committees.
For the past two years, he has
represented a district which consists
of the eastern half of Lumpkin
County, the northern third of Hall
County, and one precinct in
Habersham County. The previous
two years he represented House
District 7 consisting of all of
Lumpkin and Gilmer counties and
half of Fannin County.
Amerson is a 1956 graduate of
North Georgia College in
Dahlonega. He spent 23 years as an
Army officer, retiring with the rank
See DISTRICT, Page 2A
Local
Off-duty fire chief County rivals Central
becomes a hero to and South battle
local family. on the diamond.
PageGA PagelC
Teacher loses ’ - *' >r
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
In the late 19705, Melody Mizer
was the lead twirler for the Forsyth
County High Schixil band.
“This was in the days when they
would still twirl flaming batons,”
said Genise Tworek, a Forsyth
County School System administrator
who was Mizer’s classmate in 1978.
“They would turn off the stadium
lights and she would twirl three
flaming batons and when she fin
ished, her arms would be singed
from the heat.”
Melody Mizer eventually put
down the twirling torches, but her
friends say that a fire of courage did
not go out until last week.
Mizer, 44, who had fought a
lengthy battle with ovarian cancer.
Amerson
Knox
66
It
died on April Fools
Day because she was
such a jokester.
died Thursday.
“It is so ironic that she died on
April Fools Day because she was
such a jokester," said Tworek.
Mizer is survived by her mother.
Mary Ann Mizer of Cumming. Other
survivors include her father, Glen
Mizer of Palmetto, Fla., brothers
Mountie Mizer of Swan Pointe, Md.,
and Glen Mizer of Reno, Nev.
She was a physical education
teacher in the Forsyth County School
District for the past 15 years and had
Busse to campaign for
south Commission seat
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
Mike Busse will seek voters’
endorsement this summer in the
Republican race for the District 2
Commission seat representing south
Forsyth County.
The 39-year-old is a resident of
the Common Wealth subdivision
who moved from Gwinnett County
to Forsyth in 199 X.
Forsyth| just reminded me of
where I grew up.” Busse said,
adding that he spent his childhood
in Midland. N.C.
Busse said he is running for the
seat, currently held by A.J.
Pritchett, so he will have an oppor
tunity to make a difference in the
community and help the county
grow.
The county government is build
ing infrastructure in reaction to
growth that has already occurred.
Busse said, rather than being proac
tive in building infrastructure
before the growth arrives. New
Sports
SI.OO
Sunny
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
March 30 1069.89 ft
March 31 1069.93 ft
April 1 1069.94 ft
April 2 1069.96 ft
Full 1071.00 ft
High in the mid-60s.
Low in the high 30s.
Creek,
lentary
Even when Mizer’s sickness was
at its height, she worked diligently to
hide her suffering.
“Last year, sometimes Melody
would come to Daves Creek on
Monday after having been through
chemo, and she would be so sick,”
remembered close friend and fellow
physical education teacher Joey
Gamer "The students wouldn’t be at
school yet. and I could see how terri
ble she felt and I would tell her to
go home, but she would hide it all
and always act so positive and upbeat
for the kids.”
Last year, the South Forsyth
Rotary Club honored Mizer for her
See MIZER, Page 2A
developments are
being approved
before the county’s
infrastructure has
been upgraded to
handle them. The
local government
has a plan for the
county’s growth
and should use it
to improve the
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Busse
county s infra
structure, especially roads, before
large scale developments are
approved, he said.
"With the land use plan, we
know what’s going there." Busse
said.
The land use plan indicates pre
ferred developmental improve
ments; planning staff consult the
map when considering rezoning
requests.
In addition. Busse said he would
like to attract high quality business-
See BUSSE, Page 2A