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Business & Industry
Business notes
Johns Creek Business
Association
... has scheduled its next meeting
for April 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Johns
Creek Physical Therapy, 3571
Peachtree Parkway. The event will
feature a buffet and refreshments.
The group also is welcoming its
newest members. About Magazines
and Call Charlie Inc.
Communications.
Meetings are monthly on the third
Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at a location in
the Johns Creek area.
Officers include president, Greg
Martin of ERA Sunrise Realty; presi
dent-elect. Kathy Bracewell, EBC
Office Centers; and treasurer, Dagan
Sharpe, Wachovia Bank.
Georgia Farm Bureau
... is reminding hay producers
preparing to graze or harvest winter
grasses, such as fescue, that they
should remember farm Service
Agency regulations stipulate produc
ers must report acres to be harvested
for crops covered by the Noninsured
Crop Disaster Assistance Program 15
days prior to harvest.
The final acreage reporting date
for all cool season grasses is May 1.
said Wayne Dollar. Georgia Farm
Bureau president. However, fescue is
harvested and grazed before May 1,
so it is critical that peoducers
remember to report the number of
acres they intend to harvest or graze
as they prepare to begin harvest.
Allstate Insurance Co.
... announces the opening of a
new agency in Cumming. Owned
and operated by Dean B. Barnard,
the full-service agency offers a com
plete line of products and services,
including auto, property, commercial
and life insurance.
“Our No. 1 goal at the Dean
Barnard Allstate Insurance agency is
to provide superior sen ice to our
customers." says Barnard. “1 and my
assistant Kristie Hulsey are looking
forward to helping families insure
and protect the things that are impor
tant to them, such as their family,
home. car. boat, and more. In our
commitment to provide the best cus
tomer senice possible, we will sit
down with our customers and review
their insurance policies upon their
renewal to insure that they are get
ting the best coverage that fits their
needs."
After spending 25 years in the
corporate world and the last four
years as vice president of sales for a
Fortune 500 company. Barnard
decided to use his knowledge and
expertise to open his own Allstate
Insurance agency.
The Dean Barnard Allstate
Insurance agency is located at 600
Peachtree Parkway. Suite 102 in
Cumming. Office hours are Monday
through Friday from B:3oam to
s:3opm and Saturday from 9am to
noon. He and his licensed staff can
be reached at (678) 455-8606 or by
e-mail at Deanßamard@-
Allstate.com.
Marine Corps Cpl. Jeneva C.
Coggins
... daughter of Jennifer A. Dykes
of Cumming and Dayne Coggins of
Brooklyn, N. Y. recently was pro
moted to her current rank while serv
ing with Marine Aviation Logistics
Squadron 14. 2nd Marine Aircraft
Wing. Marine Corps Air Station.
Cherry Point, N. C.
Coggins was promoted based on
sustained superior job performance
and proficiency in her designated
specialty.
Coggins is a 2001 graduate of
Etowah High School in Woodstock
and joined the Marine Corps in July
2001.
North Fulton Regional Hospital
... announced it has relocated and
expanded its human resources
department to better provide services
for employees and job applicants.
The new location is at the front
entrance of the hospital just inside
the main doors, providing easier
access for individuals applying for
positions at the hospital. The new
area occupies approximately twice
the area of the previous office and
now houses human resources,
recruiting, benefits, occupational
health and related functions.
“This move allows us to better
serve our current employees as well
as to provide a much more comfort
able environment for our applicants
See NOTES, Page 2B
Tree farm one step closer
Kinsey Family
Christmas
trees ready to
cut in 2005
By Antonia Hertwig-Benson
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County Planning
Commission has recommended The
Kinsey Family Farm to operate a
"Cut and Choose” Christmas tree
farm on Jot 'em Down Road.
The farm, owned and operated by
James and Liz Kinsey, has trans
formed in 22 years from a chicken
farm to a cattle farm and now a
Christmas tree farm.
"They seemed to be pretty recep
tive [of the farm] at the meeting.”
! Kinsey said.
Along with a Christmas tree
farm. Kinsey proposed a 300-plant
blueberry field where people can
pick their own blueberries.
Though the trees will not be
ready for cutting until 2005 and the
blueberries will not be ready for
picking for two years, the Kinseys
hope to have the farm open to
schools and visitors as soon as pos
| sible.
The idea of raising trees instead
of cattle arose after the Kinseys cut
dow n their own tree for Christmas in
2001. Kinsey said their dwindling
heads of cattle from 65 to what they
currently have l2 cows and one
bull also prompted the change.
According to Kinsey, nearly two
weeks after cutting their tree, they
[the family] began moving their cat
tle and preparing the land for their
new crop.
“We didn’t even have a tractor,”
Kinsey said.
' ■ - -
——
Photo/David McGregor
The Jean Coutu Group Inc., based in Canada, has purchased the
Eckerd pharmacy locations in Georgia, including four locations in
Forsyth County. The company, which operates the Brooks
Pharmacy chain in the Northeast, will continue to operate its
Georgia stores under the Eckerd name.
Finance law protects consumers from short-term lenders
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
The state has passed a new law
that will enable class action law
suits to be brought against unli
censed businesses that issue short
term loans to customers at large
interest rates.
The legislation was authored by
Sen. Don Cheeks, (R-Augusta).
Cheeks said that even though
the state has laws in place that reg
ulate the amount of interest a busi
ness can charge for a loan, unau
thorized “payday loans” continue
to take advantage of state residents
and need to be brought under con-
Forsyth County News Thursday, April 8,2004
Photo/Audra Perry
James Kinsey stands next to one of his Leland cypress trees planted on his farm. According to Kinsey,
The Kinsey Christmas Tree Farm will have about 3,800 trees ready for families to select for the 2005
Christmas season.
In the spring of 2002 Kinsey and
his son Kelly began planting the
seedlings.
“We planted 3.800 the first year
and 5,000 the next," he said.
This year they want to plant
another 5,000 trees which include
Leyland and Arizona cypress and
red cedars.
"We hope to have 10 different
choices," Kinsey said.
The family also plans to buy and
sell cut trees, like Fraser firs, from
North Carolina and north Georgia,
trol.
“We don’t have enough police
or law enforcement
against them,”
Cheeks said. “They
pay no taxes; they
have no license;
they have no rules
or legislation; they
charge any interest
rate they choose."
Though Ge
orgia's usury law is
intended to prevent
individual loaners
front charging interest rates at more
than 5 percent per month, those
who issue short term loans general-
that can’t be grown in Forsyth due to
the climate.
Besides Christmas trees and
blueberries, the Kinseys also plan to
offer a pumpkin patch starting in
September, hay rides, science
camps, a plant nursery and a fishing
pond.
Kinsey said he won't charge visi
tors admission to the farm.
"If they want to come and picnic,
they are welcome to it," he said.
Besides himself and his wife.
Kinsey said his three sons and their
Canadian chain to
acquire the Eckerd
stores in Georgia
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has signed
definitive agreements with the Jean
Coutu Group Inc. and CVS Corp, for
the sale of Penney’s Eckerd drug
store operation, including four loca
tions in Forsyth County.
The Eckerd stores in Georgia
will be sold to Coutu, a Montreal,
Canada-based company which will
become the fourth largest drugstore
chain in the U.S.
“Eckerd’s network of stores is
well positioned on the East Coast
and gives us excellent market share
in areas we have been targeting for
some time," said Michel Coutu,
president and chief executive officer
of The Jean Coutu Group USA Inc.
In the fourth quarter of 2003,
J.C. Penney classified Eckerd as a
discontinued operation and recorded
an adjustment to reflect the estimat
ed fair value of its investment in
Eckerd.
Meanwhile, in Forsyth County,
the company had been in an acceler
ated growth mode opening stores on
Hwy. 20 west (Canton Highway)
and on Hwy. 306 (Keith Bridge
ly charge at least a 25 percent inter
est rate.
Interest owed
66
IVe don't have
enough police or law
enforcement against
them.
long as you don’t break the usury
law," Cheeks said.
Under the new law, individuals
can escalate rapidly
for borrowers un
able to repay the
loan by the due date
typically the day
the borrower gets
their weekly check
from a job.
“You can make
all the loans you
want to as an indi
vidual in Georgia as
wives, Kelly and Kelley. Geoff and
Tina, and Andy and Jennifer are all
involved in the farm.
"We really all like what we’re
doing.” he said. “We just really did
n’t want to sell the farm."
The request now goes to the
county commission for final
approval.
Planning commissioners consid
ered other commercial requests at
the same meeting on March 30. The
See TREES, Page 2B
Road). The most recent expansion
brought the opening of the Eckerd
chain's first store in Dawson County
near the outlet mall.
The Eckerd stores purchased by
Coutu will continue to operate under
the Eckerd brand. The new owner
has no competing stores in the mar
ket and expects no store closings.
Coutu operates in seven north
eastern states under the name of
Brooks Pharmacy.
CVS spokesman Mike
DeAngelis said that the transaction
will have no effect on the company’s
stores in the Atlanta market, where
the company is the market leader,
ahead of Eckerd. CVS operates 170
stores in the metro area.
CVS will acquire the remaining
Eckerd stores, primarily in Texas
and Florida. The company, which
also has a major presence in Forsyth
County with three stores here, will
become the nation's largest pharma
cy chain ahead of current industry
leader, Walgreen.
Walgreen is also in the midst of
an expansion into the Atlanta market
and has announced plans for a store
on Hwy. 20 east (Buford Highway).
who have become victims due to
fraudulent loans can file a single
lawsuit instead of bringing charges
against the company individually.
“Any loan that’s made under
$3,000 or less (by someone who]
does not have a license in Georgia
is covered,” Cheeks said.
The bill, which was co-spon
sored by senators Casey Cagle, (R-
Gainesville); Bill Stephens, (R-
Canton); and Terrell Starr, (D-
Jonesboro), will become effective
May 1 if signed by Gov. Sonny
Perdue.
"I expect [Perdue] to sign it as
soon as we get out of this session,”
Cheeks said Tuesday.
B