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Forsyth J Your "Hometown Count Paper" Since 191 ^News Vol. 99, No. 85 Whiskey theft takes sour turn Whitaker Board looks at firms Consultants vie to help county find green space By Frank Reddy Staff Writer Forsyth County commissioners continue to interview the four con¬ sulting firms that want to help the county shop for $36 million in green space. Representatives from the firms attended Tuesday’s work session to answer questions about their will¬ ingness to work with the county’s geographic information services department in the mapping of * . Kilgore i Our GIS department feels that given a set of criteria they can run a thorough analysis of all the parcels in the county and ... look at a scor¬ ing factor depending upon the weight of each criteria,” Chairman Charles Laughinghouse said. Kilgore used six examples of criteria to weigh the parcels: park equity; existing support/infrastruc¬ ture; historic sites; hydrology; pub lie facilities; and undeveloped land. All four consulting firms viewed Kilgore’s presentation and answered questions from Commissioners Brian Tam and Jim Harrell on various topics, including their willingness to work with the local GIS department. Representatives from the firms all said they were. Commissioners also asked the See COUNTY, Page 2A Candidates for seat on board By Harris Blackwood FCN regional staff Foi those who don’t follow poli tics, this is the ultimate game of inside baseball. The members of the Georgia Department of Transportation board are the only state regulatory panel elected solely by members of the Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday ( 770 ) 887 - 3126 . Copyright © 2007 Forsyth County News I One suspect arrested after burglary, chase on Ga. 400 By Julie Arrington Staff Writer Authorities have made one arrest and recovered 36 bottles of Canadian whiskey in connection with an early morning liquor store burglary and chase on Memorial Day. Capt. Paul Taylor of the Forsyth green space parcels. John Kilgore, director of the department, also gave a presenta¬ tion demonstrat¬ ing the staff’s capabilities in analyzing crite¬ ria and making color-coded INDEX Abby............. ,6A Classifieds. 3B Deaths......... 2A Horoscope, 6A Kids Page.., 8A Opinion....... 7A Sports.......... 5B THURSDAY May 29,2008 County Sheriff’s Office said another suspect, whose name has not been released, remains at large. Edsel Whitaker, 54, of Austell is being held at the Forsyth County Detention Center on $11,110 bond, Taylor said. Whitaker was arrested after deputies spotted him walking along South swings tassels fil ’ 1 w % X. ■ 1 7 l-iT? i -- ■ i, m ' . PM I ■ pi! ’ ■ l pis; >f ■ E [l 9 *7 M r ► u' \ w - "v- a 1 ,, fli tr _tt South Forsyth High School grad¬ uate Brittany Bates, above, plays with her tassel during graduation Tuesday night at the Gwinnett Arena. Right, graduates, with a full audience, are congratulated on the digital banner during the ceremony. Below, Alyssa Baskam fixes her tassel. Photos/Emily Saunders mp h General Assembly. Average voters couldn’t name their district board member, but the phones of 24 members of the House and Senate have been busy this week with candidates for the vacant trans portation board seat in the 9th District, The vote is scheduled to take place at 3 this afternoon in the Senate Local A look at the class of2008 valedictorians. Rage 2 A Hubbard Town Road in north Forsyth shortly after the burglary and pursuit on Ga. 400. Whitaker is one of two suspects authorities think broke into the World Beverage liquor store at 6190 Ga. 400 See WHISKEY, Page 2A P: I 4 Pfi ’9* - - 1 mm j t, - >3 / .0 r*. , chamber of the Capitol. When the week began, there were five candidates. Monday, state Rep. Ben Bridges, R-Cleveland, got out of the race. That leaves Larry Dent, a former deputy commissioner of the DOT, along with three candidates from Northwest Georgia: Steve Farrow, Phil Neff and Ray Seipp. Sports Middle schools select All-County basketball athletes. Page5B {i m, i-' ■ . m... I - . v. : T X S5& ■ ___I ■ — ---------.... Photo/Emily Saunders Outgoing principal Jeff Zoul does a cartwheel for Otwell Middle School teachers to celebrate the final school bus leaving on the last day of school Friday. Principal returns to Illinois Zoul leaves Otwell to move closer to widowed mother By Lara Moore Staff Writer Most children don't like going to the principal’s office. Then again, most principals don’t sport red Converse high tops on Fridays, or with a nice black suit. In four years, about 1,500 kids have visited Jeff Zoul’s office at Otwell Middle School. They visit for good behavior. His teachers write up students “caught in the act” of good deeds through the “pos¬ itive discipline referral” program. The students likely will miss the sneaker-wearing principal, who is leaving for the Chicago area, where he is under contract to be the principal at a middle school as of July. The decision to leave Forsyth County comes in the wake of his father's abrupt passing. Robert Zoul died last fall of pan¬ creatic cancer. “The real reason was my dad dying in October,” he said. “My mom (Geraldine Zoul) is up there and by herself and she could use my help. And I’m in a position to be able to help and I’m going to do it. “Losing my dad made me realize time is precious.” Zoul thinks the move will also be good for his wife, Jill, who taught at Riverwatch Middle School, and their daughter Jordyn, an eighth-grader. “About a year ago,” he said, “I tlew up for a weekend and took my dad and his See ZOUL, Page 2A Farrow, a former Democratic state senator from Dalton, now a Republican, is actively campaigning for the spot. Neff is a Republican activist who owns a plastics business in Dalton, while Seipp, a Lookout Mountain City Council member, is in the concrete business. 44 I have spoken to just about everybody in the district,” said Neff, Partly Cloudy v*> High in the low 80s. Low in the mid-60s. mj I & V *' A® ■ " m \ BUSINESS, 1B Quality focus at new pawnshop who will be nominated by state Sen. Don Thomas, R-Dalton, a popular physician who serves in the Senate. Rep. Carl Rogers, R-Gainesville, said his phone has been busy with talk about the transportation board. At least one candidate is said to be mak ing visits in the district. " See DOT, Page 2A LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level May 23 1057.76 ft May 24 1057.80 ft May 25 1057.79 ft May 26 1057.78 ft Full 1071.00 ft