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Forsyth County News J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J Vol. 95, No. 65 Search hatted for missing woman By Nicole Green and Nancy Smallwood Staff Writers The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office paused the ground search Wednesday for Patrice Tamber Endres, a missing Forsyth County beautician. “We basically searched everywhere on the ground that we can search." Sheriff Ted Paxton said. The 15 full-time investigators on the case met Wednesday morning to determine the direction of future efforts. So far deputies have searched the rural areas of Dawson. Cherokee and Forsyth counties for Endres. A Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory in Washington. D.C., should complete on Wednesday or Thursday identification of finger prints left on Endres’ vehicle. Chief Deputy Fire department releases report on Manchester fire Details quick spread, struggle to find water source By Nicole Green Staff Writer On Tuesday Forsyth County Fire Chief Danny Bowman released a detailed report of the April 4 fire that destroyed five homes and damaged at least 14 others off Hutchinson Road in Cumming. The 86-page "After Action Report" assembled by Battalion Chief Tommy Coleman includes individual accounts of the Manchester Court sub division fire storm from career and volunteer fire fighters. Coleman also reviewed the E-91 1 Communication Center’s radio tapes to construct a transcript of the incident. Coleman acted as commander during the fire. His summary listed, in order of importance, the major factors affecting the operation: weather conditions, design of the subdivision, dysfunc tional fire hydrants, short fire department staffing, construction and landscape materials: MHL . Hunting for bargains Customers check the offerings in the Earth Day Expo Saturday at Cumming Fairgrounds. The event featured a yard sale, poster con test and other activities. Organizer The Pro Earth Group also used the occasion to promote other Earth Day activities. See story, page 2A. County gets $ 1 million to develop multi-use nature trail By Todd Truelove Staff Writer State Rep. Jack Murphy (R- Cumming) says the federal govern ment has granted $1 million to Forsyth County to develop a multi use trail in south Forsyth. “We needed a grant of that type, and a trail that would be a multi-use bike and walking trail for families in the southern area of the county," 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 C 2004 Forsyth County Now* ran Robbie Hamrick said. Endres’ suspected abductor left behind little physical evidence of,the crime, investigators have said. Community volunteers distributed 20,000 fliers as far west as the Tennessee border and east to Gwinnett County, according to the Emergency Management Agency. Every EMA director in the United States has received information about Endres, 38, who dis appeared from Tamber’s Trim-N-Tan in north Forsyth on April 15, EMA Deputy Director Laurie Wood said Wednesday. Wood is coordinat ing the efforts of civilian volunteers, who num bered 75 over the weekend. If investigators find a lead, volunteers w ill be prepared to join the ground search. "We don't want to tap those resources without a substantial lead,” Wood said. • Weather conditions Winds gusted up to 24 miles per hour during the height of the fire around 4:30 p in., according to National Weather Service statistics reported by Laurie L. Wood, deputy director of the Forsyth County Emergency Management Agency. The humidity level hovered around 30 percent. "Without a doubt weather conditions were the main contributing factor. Low humidity and high gusting winds are always a Fire Commander’s worst enemy." Coleman wrote in the report. • Subdivision design The fire storm that reached temperatures of 2,(XX) degrees Fahrenheit reportedly began when a charcoal grill ignited a gasoline can at 3914 Deerborne Drive. Within nine minutes of the first emergency call, the sec ond home was fully involved in flames, according to the report. The houses in Manchester Court are See FIRE, Page 2A said Murphy. Plans between the county and the city of Alpharetta call for the trail to connect to the Big Creek Greenway out of Alpharetta. Department of Transportation Board Member Mike Evans credit ed Murphy, Rep. Tom Knox (R- Cumming) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens (R-Canton) for their instrumental roles in secur ing the money. INDEX Ab lOA Deaths 2A Government. 3A Horoscope 10A Kids Page 8A Opinion 11A Sports 5A THURSDAY April 22,2004 Photo/David McGregor Forsyth County Public Library celebrates National Library Week Rage 3A ‘Bubba’ McDonald announces bid for Senate District 27 seat By Harris Blackwood Community Editor Lauren "Bubba” McDonald Jr., a major player in Georgia politics for three decades, has announced he will be a Republican candidate for the seat representing the new state Senate District 27. The district, which is comprised of most of Forsyth and a portion of Cherokee County, was drawn by a three-judge federal panel following a lawsuit targeting the state’s reap portionment plan after the 2000 federal census. State Sen. Bill Stephens. (R- Canton), currently holds a Senate seat from Cherokee County and is seeking re-election from the newly drawn district. The race marks a party switch for “They were the ones lobbying for it,” Evans said. Stephens' district recently was drawn to include most of Forsyth County by the courts. The Big Creek Greenway includes six miles in Alpharetta. It will parallel Big Creek in south Forsyth. Forsyth County Engineering Director John Cunard said Monday the trail when completed will tra- . ire consumes Forest Drive home bC* 4 jR •. r* ''rv IBiii Photo/Nicole Green Firefighters battle a fire of undetermined cause at 2180 Forest Drive east of Cumming Tuesday afternoon. No one was home when the fire began, neighbors said. Aaron Coe, who lives next door to the burning home, saved a jet ski and two propane tanks off the house’s back deck. He was the first to dial 911. Investigators were working to determine the cause of the blaze Wednesday. McDonald Young, and Roy Barnes in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor. He mended his political fences with Miller, who went on to serve two terms as governor. Miller appointed McDonald in 1998 to a vacancy on the Georgia Public Service Commission. McDonald was elected to serve the remainder of the verse about five miles in Forsyth County from the Forsyth/Fulton county line at McGinnis Ferry Road to the Polo Fields subdivision on Majors Road. The estimated cost to construct phase one, which will take the trail from McGinnis Ferry Road to Fowler Park on Hwy. 9, totals about $4.2 million, Cunard said. At the earliest, construction may begin on that phase in the spring of Deßoache’s walkoff grand slam finishes off TUcker 16-4. RagesA I McDonald, a well known figure in Georgia’s Democratic circles for more than 30 years. McDonald served in the Georgia House from 1970 to 1990. I In 1990, he fin ished behind Zell Miller, Andrew Partly Cloudy LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level April 16 1070.26 ft Jr April 17 1070.28 ft ? April 18 1070.29 ft April 19 1070.30 ft Full 1071.00 H High in the high 70s. Low in the mid-50s. BUBINKBS, IB Gas thefts affecting retailers term in 1998 in a non-partisan spe cial election. He had broad support in that race from both key Republicans and Democrats. In 2002, he sought re-election to the PSC as a Democrat and lost to Republican Angelia Speir in the clos est statewide race that year. Speir spent less than $20,000 while McDonald spent $189,000. Stephens also has longstanding ties to Miller serving on Miller's staff during his tenure as lieutenant governor and governor. University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said that the McDonald-Stephens matchup could be one of the sum mer’s most interesting political races pitting two Democrats turned See MCDONALD, Page 2A 2005. However, design work has not yet begun on the project. “Once we see how much funding is available from the department of transportation, and how much fund ing will be available from the coun ty, then we’ll start designing [phase one],” said Cunard. “We'll obviously have to acquire right of way and easements once the design is developed."