Newspaper Page Text
John Megel Chevrolet breaks
ground on new Dawson facility
DAWSONVILLE John
Megel Chevrolet is scheduled
to hold a groundbreaking cere
mony Wednesday to launch the
construction of its new facility
in Dawsonville.
"The new dealership design
reflects our desire to make the
consumer experience as easy
and as comfortable as possible.
We listened to our customers
and sought to create an envi
ronment where they would feel
welcome and would be at ease.
Ours is a family owned and
operated business and we want
our new facility to reflect that
mind set.” said Ormond Mayer,
general manager.
The new dealership,
designed to include 30 service
bays, will encompass 9 acres
on Ga. 400 and Whitmire
Drive, just south of the North
Georgia Premium Outlets. It
Legislators to report
to Chamber Tuesday
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
The Cumming-Forsyth
County Chamber of Comm
erce will hear from the county’s
delegation to the Georgia
General Assembly during a
meeting on Tuesday beginning
at 11:15 a.m.
State Sen. Casey Cagle, (R-
Gainesville); state Sen. David
Shafer, (R-Duluth); state Sen.
Renee Unterman, (R-
Loganville); state Sen. Dan
Moody, (R-Alpharetta) ; state
Rep. Tom Knox. (R-Cumming);
state Rep. Jack Murphy. (R-
Cumming) and state Rep. Jan
Jones, (R-Alpharetta), are
scheduled to appear at the event
to discuss the recently conclud
ed regular session and to look
ahead to the upcoming special
session of the Legislature.
"We think that the legisla
tors should be accountable to
tell us what happened and. in
some cases, what didn’t hap-
Veteran’s Alliance in
search of new members
By Antonia Hertwig-Benson
Staff Writer
The Veteran's Alliance of
Forsyth. Dawson and Lumpkin
counties is looking for a few
new members.
Though 700 people have
joined their ranks since its start
up in 1999 6O of which
serve in the color/honor guard.
Alliance president Rupert
Sexton said the group is starting
a new search for veterans who
have received the Purple Heart
The award is America’s, and
the world’s, oldest military dec
oration. he said.
“We are trying to create
some records," said Sexton,
who said the alliance currently
has four Purple Heart recipients
on its honor guard.
Sexton said the group needs
the recipient’s name, branch of
service, the date the person
received the Purple Heart and
their address.
The Veteran’s Alliance's
other purpose for the search is
to send thank you cards to all
the recipients.
“We are having cards print
ed up. thanking them for their
service,” Sexton said.
However, Sexton added,
“We want to recognize the peo
ple who are living."
Sexton, a Cumming City
Council member who served in
FORSYTH SMALL
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-770’711’4705
will serve the Lumpkin,
Dawson, White, Hall, Forsyth
and Cherokee county areas.
This state of the art facility
is designed to improve cus
tomer sales and service satis
faction and loyalty through a
variety of elements, including:
• The integration of sales,
service and parts departments
so that customers are exposed
to products and services in a
convenient, comfortable man
ner.
• The latest dealership-wide
computer equipment.
• An open, inviting interior
layout with easy access to
information, products and serv
ices.
• A courtesy shuttle to and
from North Georgia Premium
Outlets.
• Full service and repair to
all General Motors products.
pen." said Joni Owens, presi
dent and chief executive officer
of the chamber.
"We do this for the business
community, so that business
people can know firsthand what
effect the actions of the
Legislature is going to have on
their business.”
Owens said that the panel
will include the current Forsyth
delegation to the General
Assembly.
"They are still our represen
tatives through the end of the
year,” she said.
The cost is SIB.OO for
Chamber Members. $25.(X) for
non-Chamber members. The
event is scheduled for The
Cumming-Forsyth County
Chamber Events & Business
Facility. 212 Kelly Mill Road.
Cumming. For reservations
contact the Chamber via fax
(770)781-8800 or email:
fccoc@ forsythchamber.org or
on-line at www.forsythcham
ber.org.
the U.S. Army from 1961 to
1963. said the recipients must
have an honorable discharge
from military service to join the
Alliance.
He said the search for
Purple Heart recipients isn't just
for new members, but it’s also
to find how many of their cur
rent members received the dec
oration.
For more information or to
contact the Veterans Alliance,
persons may contact Rupert
Sexton via fax, (770) 889-4826;
e-mail at r_sexton@bell
south.net; or mail at 115
Samaritan Drive, Cumming,
Ga. 30040.
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Customers arriving at John
Megel Chevrolet will be greet
ed by a rustic, yet innovative
facility including amenities
such as customer waiting areas
that include fireplaces, a chil
dren’s playroom and an inter
net case, all in an easy-to-navi
gate layout.
"All of the employees and
managers are very excited for
the opportunity afforded us by
everyone involved with this
change of location. We look
forward to taking care of our
current and prospective cus
tomers. We would like to thank
the entire Dawsonville, Dah
lonega and north Georgia area
for embracing this change and
for continuing to be a part of
our dealership family,” said
John Megel. owner.
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Finance director says unpaid
property debt in county low
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
The chances of an inci
dent happening in Forsyth
County similar to investment
decisions that spurred contro
versy in the Fulton County
Sheriff’s Office are slim to
none, according to Forsyth
finance director Jeff
Quesenberry.
"We follow state guide
lines," said Quesenberry. “In
Forsyth County, the funds
must be held by the county."
Fulton County Sheriff
Jackie Barrett is accused of
placing $7.2 million of
excess money in investments
outside of state guidelines.
The improper investments
probably mean Barrett is in
violation of the law, accord
ing to the county’s auditor.
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, April 25,2004 I
The money came from
private property the county
sold to collect unpaid proper
ty taxes.
The state requires local
governments to pay the origi
nal property owner whatever
is collected above and
beyond the amount of proper
ty tax owed and additional
costs such as paying an auc
tioneer.
Quesenberry said the
property owner has five years
to collect the money from the
county. If the money is not
collected in that time, it is
turned over to the state as
unclaimed money, he said.
The finance director was
surprised other counties have
millions in such funds.
The Forsyth County gov
ernment has around
SIOO,OOO.
“We don’t have a real sig
nificant problem,” Quesen
berry said, adding property
owners usually pay the over
due debt before the property
is auctioned.
Quesenberry said the
finance department maintains
and invests the money, and
that the money generally is
placed in investments secured
by the federal government.
Policy, however, varies
between counties.
“Everybody has a little
different interpretation on
how [the surplus] is held,”
Quesenberry said.
Because of the Fulton
County controversy, Quesen
berry said he expects the
state will write more specific
guidelines on how surplus
money from property sales
may be invested.
PAGE 5A