Newspaper Page Text
Forsvth C ountvNews
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J
Vol. 95, No. 110
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Photo/David McGregor
Gumming Police seized allegedly pornographic videos from this
convenience store on Canton Highway Monday.
pleased with
Edwards role
From Staff Reports
A Democratic candidate for state representative
says he’s pleased with the naming of John Edwards to
the presidential ticket, but doesn’t believe that it will
have a great effect on his race for a seat representing
Forsyth County.
Jonathan Flack, who is running against Rep. Jack
for the new
1
I
Flack
by 300,000 votes.
“Could John Edwards bring 300,000 votes? I don’t
think so,” said Charles Bullock of the University of
Georgia in an interview with The Times of
Gainesville.
He added Edwards could potentially help in down
ballot races.
Any votes that Edwards draws to the party’s ticket
in Georgia could affect the outcome of several tight
congressional races and even some state House and
Senate contests, he said.
Emory University’s Merle Black said Bush would
remain the favorite to win Georgia, but two other
Southern states could be more heavily affected by the
selection.
“It certainly makes North Carolina competitive,
See EDWARDS, Page 2A
Owner discusses plans for $11M
sewer system near Windermere
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
Ken Curren, owner of
Waterscapes utility, discussed a pro¬
posed sewer system near the
Windermere community Wednesday
at the County Administration
Building.
Upon completion, the James
Creek facility is to serve several
developments in the area that are
anticipated to have more than 2,000
new homes upon buildout.
The plant is to be constructed
near an existing facility south of the
Windermere community off Nichols
Road with a capacity to service 1
million gallons per day of waste
water.
Curren said the Facility is antici-
Missed paper policy:
Fora i replacement paper, call
Thursday 6 a.m . - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday,
and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1
p.m. on Sunday - (770) 007-3126.
Copyright C 2004 Fonyth County Ntw»
>4 0400
FRIDAY July 9,2004
seat, said that the ticket does not
have long coattails in heavily
Republican Forsyth.
“I voted for Edwards in the pri¬
mary so I was a fan of his,” said
Flack. “His (Edwards) presence
could help marginally in competi¬
tive seats. On the whole, I don’t
think it helps other than at the mar¬
gins.”
Two political scientists said the
state still should be safe for Bush,
who trounced A1 Gore here in 2000
ff
for I'm really doing this
the developers it and
then giving to the
county.
-Ken Curren
99
pated to cost about $11 million with
neighboring developments — includ
ing PEC Development’s planned
900-home community — funding
more than half of that cost.
Curren would recoup his costs
either through tap-on fees or from
the Forsyth County government, if
the county elects to purchase the
INDEX
Abby Church 11B
events... ,.4A
Classifieds ... ........... f 5B
Deaths •••••••••a•••••••*•••••••••••••• 2A
Food 6A
Opinion, Horoscope 1 IB
7A
Sports IB
Police seize alleged pom
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
Some allegedly pornographic
videos and alcohol are no longer
for sale at the Chevron Food Mart
at 535 Canton Highway following
a bust Monday by the Cumming
Police Department.
Police officers seized 500
pornographic DVDs and VHS
tapes from the convenience store,
according to Capt. Frank Goss.
The material ranges from mild to
hardcore porn, he said.
A Cumming city ordinance pro¬
hibits materials that display a sexu¬
al act or nudity on film, still pho¬
tography or any visual medium.
“We began to receive calls from
concerned citizens that had patron¬
ized the store and observed in pub-
Bus service is slow on the takeoff
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Photo/David McGregor
Randy Oser steps down from the GRTA commuter bus, which traveled from the North Springs MARTA station to
Cumming Wednesday.
cause start
By Nancy Smallwood
Associate Editor
Officials at the Georgia Regional
Transportation Authority are blaming the
July 4 holiday and the summer vacation
season for the sluggish takeoff of the
commuter bus system in Cumming.
Buses began Tuesday rolling out of
Cumming Fairgrounds parking lot on
Castleberry Road for the trip to
MARTA’s North Springs rail station. The
express bus system is running weekdays
facility from Curren before he col¬
lects the tap-on fees.
"I’m really doing this for the
developers and then giving it to the
county,” said Curren.
Three people were present
Wednesday for Curren’s discussion,
including Cheri Hart who said she
owns about 53 acres south of the new
facility.
“I’m just here for information,
said Hart.
While the new sewer plant is not
anticipated to immediately impact
her property, Curren said it is likely
that as new developments in the area
are approved they will want to tie-on
to the sewer service and sewer lines
will need to be constructed across
See SEWER, Page 2A
Food
Easy recipes
from our local
sausage man.
Page 7A
lie view pornographic material,”
Goss said.
Goss, who is the sole investiga¬
tor for the police department, said
he visited the Chevron undercover
July 1. He reportedly saw video
covers depicting sexual acts and
nudity located 20 feet inside the
store’s main entrance.
“It’s a blatant disrespect for the
citizens of the community to have
this kind of material in plain, open
view where any adult or child can
view it,” Goss said.
The police department obtained
a search warrant Monday and
found the 500 videos. Goss sus¬
pects sale of the videos had been
going on for some time.
Chevron store owner Sriniuas
Varaganti, 46, of Alpharetta, was
charged with violation of a city
from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. every half
hour in the mornings and 4 p.m. to 6:30
p.m. every half hour.
The city of Cumming has agreed to a
12-month lease for the bus program to
use a recently paved fairground parking
lot on Castleberry Road. On Wednesday
afternoon, six cars were parked in the lot
designated for the bus service.
Bus passengers are taken to the North
Springs MARTA station in Sandy
Springs on Ga. 400 near Interstate 285.
The cost for the ride is $3 one way and
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Photo/David McGregor
Forsyth County resident Cheri Hart looks at plans for a sewage
treatment plant as Ken Curren, owner of Waterscapes Utility, talks
with Charles Conklin Wednesday afternoon at the Forsyth County
Administration Building.
Religion
See what’s
happening in
local churches.
Page4A
ordinance prohibiting the sale of
pornographic materials. Officers
were unable to locate Varaganti/
who turned himself in to authori¬
ties Wednesday, Goss said.
A store clerk on duty at the
Chevron was arrested Monday dur¬
ing the bust.
Akber Hakani, 48, of
Alpharetta, was charged with sell¬
ing alcohol without a city permit.
Based on the charges against
the clerk and store owner, the
Chevron station’s beer and wine
sales license was removed
Monday.
The pornographic tapes will be
destroyed, according to Goss.
“Other stores in the city will be
monitored to assure this kind of
material will not be sold in any
other stores,” Goss said.
$5 round trip. Riders can receive a free
transfer onto the MARTA rail if they
wish to continue their trip into downtown
Atlanta.
“It's been a little slow in Cumming,”
said William Mecke, GRTA Communica¬
tions Manager. “We had a couple riders
on Tuesday and then a few riding back to
Cumming last night. We are not really
surprised since it is summer, the July 4
holiday and it is a new system."
See BUS, Page 2A
Possible Storms
it h
High in the low 90s.
Low in the low 70s.
306
r .1B
to California
M0IN LIBR
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
July July 4 1071.87 ft ft
5 1071.93
July 6 1071.93 ft ft
JuN7 1071.85
Fun 1071.00ft