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PAGE 2A
Former state senator
wins Evans’ DOT seat
By Harris Blackwood
FCN regional staff
ATLANTA Steve
Farrow, a former state senator
from Dalton, has been elected
to represent the 9th District on
the state transportation board.
In two rounds of balloting
May 29, Farrow won over
three candidates: Larry Dent, a
retired DOT deputy commis¬
sioner from Gainesville;
Dalton businessman Phil Neff;
and Lookout Mountain City
Councilman Ray Seipp.
Farrow, who prevailed on a
vote of 17-7, had campaigned
heavily for the position.
“I worked hard, but you
never know if it’s going to
coalesce,” Farrow said.
Incident reports
Editor's note: The follow¬
ing reports were taken from
the listed agencies.
Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Office
Stolen Jeep - A man
reported that his 2003 Jeep
Grand Cherokee had been
stolen from May 28 from his
girlfriend’s residence on Hurt
Bridge Road while he was
gone with her to Six Flags.
He said he last saw the vehi¬
cle at about 5 p.m. and
returned about 8 p.m. The
Jeep, valued at about $9,800,
is dark blue with a skull
sticker, Amstel Light and
Heineken stickers on the
back window. There is also a
small dent in the rear
bumper.
Party foul - A man
reported May 31 that some¬
one stole various items from
his house on Hastings Drive
during a party May 29.
The man told the investi¬
gating deputy that about 30
people were at his house
from about 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
He said the next day he real¬
ized he was missing $200 in
cash, a video game and two
laptop computers. The total
value of the items is about
$2,250.
Shoplifting - On May 30,
an employee of Kohl’s on
Peachtree Parkway reported
that a woman had stolen
about $125 worth of mer¬
chandise. He said he brought
the woman into the store’s
loss prevention office to ask
YMCA from 1A
comic book writer.
The event kicks off with a
5K Fun Run that begins at
8:30 a.m. Preregistration will
continue until 15 minutes
before the start of the race.
Melba Black, the YMCA’s
wellness director, said the
race drew about 200 people
last year, and they’ve already
had more than 50 people sign
up this year.
“A lot of people like to
register at the last minute,”
Black said. “I think we’ll
have a good turnout this
year.”
Participants get a T-shirt
and goodie bag. Registration
fees are $20 for adults and $10
for kids ages 6 to 12. First
place winners in male and
female adult divisions receive
a $250 spa gift package.
Carithers said children
Deaths
~
John Robert Parks Sr.
Mr. John Robert Parks Sr,
age 57, of Marietta passed
away Saturday, May 31,2008.
Visitation will be held
Wednesday, June 4, at Ingram
Funeral Home. There will be a
giaveside service in . Ocala,
Fla., on June 6, 2008.
Ingram Funeral Home and
Ciematory is in charge of
arrangements.
< Forsyth County News
June 5, 2008
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS — Thursday, June 5, 2008
The man he replaces, Mike
Evans of Cumming, was a for¬
mer Republican state represen¬
tative from Forsyth County.
Evans resigned in April
after informing the transporta¬
tion board of his budding
romance with DOT
Commissioner Gena Abraham,
who is now his fiancee.
The transportation board,
which oversees the Georgia
Department of Transportation,
is the only state panel elected
solely by members of the
General Assembly.
Lawmakers from the cen¬
tral and western portion of the
district, which stretches from
Hall County to the Alabama
and Tennessee lines, fell in
line behind Farrow.
her questions, but she turned
around and ran out.
Yard bandits - On June 1
a woman reported someone
had done “doughnuts” in her
yard on Pine Lake Drive in
the Greenwood Acres subdi¬
vision. The investigating
deputy noted one circular set
of tracks in her front yard.
She said she wanted to report
the incident because she feels
she is being targeted by
someone who continuously
damages her property.
Stolen plastic - A man
reported May 28 that some¬
one had stolen the plastic
windows from his 2002 Jeep
Wrangler. The vehicle was
parked in the parking lot of a
plant nursery on Melodie ‘
Lane in southern Forsyth
County. He told the investi¬
gating deputy that the vehicle
was fine when he left it at 5
p.m. May 25. When he
returned around noon May
26 the windows, valued at
about $250 total, were gone.
Pool party - A man
reported May 29 that some¬
one had broken several beer
bottles in the pool area of the
Chattahoochee River Club
sometime between 9 p.m.
May 28 and 8:15 a.m. May
29.
The man told the investi¬
gating deputy that chairs and
umbrellas in the pool area
were also turned over. The
deputy found a beer bottle in
the middle of the pool. The
gate to the club has security
card access and the man said
he would check that.
66
We open our doors
to everybody.
Anybody who wants to have
a good time can come.
- Kerry Carithers,
YMCA membership director
99
will have a good time after
the race at the free Healthy
Kids Day. Artist Paul
Jenkins, who has helped pen
comic books like “Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles” and
“Captain America” will stop
by to share some wisdom,
But he’s not the only
——
PLAN from 1A
sities for complete major sub
divisions since the map was
last updated in 2004.
Approved rezonings are
represented in county zoning
maps, while as-built maps
represent the current state of
the property beyond the zon
j n g p rocess
According to the county’s
comprehensive plan, the
future land-use map is intend
e( j ( 0 depict just that — a
f u t ure land-use scenario. The
map is an extension of the
goals and values of the com¬
munity.
Chairman Charles
DRIVER from 1A
ty
Murphy and the rest of
Forsyth County’s state leg¬
islative delegation pushed for
the formation of the public
facilities authority. The
measure passed the General
Assembly and the governor
signed it in April.
“We’ve been working on
this a long time,” said
Murphy, who pushed the
bill for three years. “That
little facility they use is too
small. People are having to
wait outside in the summer
sun because they can’t all
fit in the building.”
According to the bill’s
wording, the authority will
have five members, each
picked by a county commis¬
sioner. A member’s term
would expire with the term
of his or her respective
eommissioner.
The authority will not be
able to help with projects
like a courthouse or county
jail, which is slated for a
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BOARD from 1A
The fines stopped April 16
after Parr reinspected the
property and found that
improvements had been made.
Attorney Lee Tucker spoke
on behalf of KAG, which Whs
fined for two violations at
$1,000 each per day.
“We have a little bit of a
difference of opinion over the
timing and what was going on
there ...we are asking you all
to uphold our appeal and
waive the fines,” Tucker said,
adding that they thought the
fines were “excessive.”
“My client takes erosion
and sedimentation issues and
best management practices
very seriously and have been
responsive, not just in this
instance but historically.”
celebrity scheduled to
appear. Carithers said “Y
Bear,” a costumed mascot for
the organization, will make
an appearance as well.
Y-Bear will be joined by
real animals from the
Humane Society of Forsyth
County, which will have a
Laughinghouse said the
changes to the future land-use
map are “just basically to
show where we are.”
“We have no plans to
change any properties at this
time,” Laughinghouse said.
“This is preliminary ... we
have a land-use map from
2004 that is outdated ... The
changes are to bring the land
use map up to date.”
Planning Commissioner
Mary Helen McGruder said
making the changes is a
“very subtle way to decrease
density &bwn and substantially
slow growth.”
n
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As,
5 WINDOW
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—
November bond referen
dum.
But money from the
resulting revenue bonds
could be put toward the con
struction of a Forsyth County
The subdivision has been
dormant since September
2007 for financial reasons.
Tucker said no problems with
the site were brought to
KAG’s attention until March
25.
The company responded to
those complaints the next day.
The site was being maintained
weekly by a subcontractor.
Tucker said that wet
weather affected the compa¬
ny’s ability to make repairs on
the property, but it acted as
quickly as possible to resolve
the issues.
Simon Wilkes, senior ero¬
sion and sedimentation
inspector with the county
engineering department, said
the county was lenient. The
table at the event. Humane
Society volunteer Alicia
Graser said the organization
will bring along three dogs
available for adoption.
"The dogs are always a
big hit with the kids,” Graser
said.
Both the 5K and Healthy
Kids Day are open to the
community, not just YMCA
volunteers.
“We open our doors to
everybody,” Carithers said.
"Anybody who wants to have
a good time can come.”
For more information,
call (770) 888-2788, or go
online at www.fcy.ymcaat
lanta.org.
E-mail Frank Reddy at
frankreddy @ for syt hnew s
.com.
McGruder said both the
as-built density and zoning
maps are “good tools, but
neither belong with the future
land-use map.”
A draft of the proposed
future land-use map is avail¬
able at the planning depart¬
ment’s Web site,
www.forsythco.com.
Several public hearings
have been held on the pro¬
posed changes. The item is
on the agenda for considera¬
tion at 5 this afternoon.
E-mail Frank Reddy at
fra nkreddy@fo rsythn ews
.com. s
Sheriff’s Administration
building, according to Chief
Financial Officer Bill
Thomas.
The bonds could also be
used for community projects
company could actually have
been fined for three additional
violations, which would have
pushed the total fines to
$36,000.
KAG has not previously
been fined for violations in
Forsyth.
The second request con¬
sidered by the appeals board
was made by Scott Carriere.
He wanted to appeal
$3,000 in fines issued for ero¬
sion problems involving two
ponds being built at a site on
Old Atlanta'Road in south
Forsyth.
Carriere said that a stop
work order was issued on the
site, while erosion control
measures were being
installed.
Forsyth J Four "Hometown Count Paper" Since 190 S yNews J
USPS 205-540
Veterans Memorial Blvd., Gumming, Georgia 30040
Phone: 770-887-3126 Fax: 770-889-6017
Internet Address: www.forsythnews.com
rail Publisher JOHN HALL
Editor KEVIN R. ATWILL
i/t General Manager NORMAN BAGGS
'fee? Circulation Advertising Director Director GARRY LISA FERRELL TINSLEY
MEMBER
Production Director JEFF BUCCHINO
Published Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by the Forsyth County News
Company, Veterans Memorial Blvd.. Cumming, Ga. Second Class Postage paid at
Cumming. Ga. and additional offices. Subscription rate for Forsyth County, $54
per year plus tax; $37 plus tax for six months; other Georgia and out of state sub¬
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A Swartz-Morris Media Inc. publication
Miss your paper? Call 770-887-3126
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Classified Line Advertising Deadlines
(Help wanted, garage sales, rentals, etc.)
For Sunday’s paper classified line ads are due by noon Friday.
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I^egal advertising if due by Friday noon and runs onlyin Wednesday’s pape*.
Michael
Hughes
takes an
information
sheet at the
Department
of Driver
Services.
like public safety improve¬
ments, parks and roads,
Thomas said.
E-mail Frank Reddy at
frankreddy@forsythnews
.com.
Both David and
, Bobbie
Lancaster fill
out the informa¬
tion sheets to
renew their
licenses at the
Department of
Driver Services
on a recent
afternoon.
Photos/Emily
Saunders
According to county docu¬
ments, Carriere was given a
warning about the violations
on Feb. 21 and a stop work
order was issued March 7.
The documents also show
that the warning was extend¬
ed to March 7 and although
some improvements had been
made, the major violations
had not been fixed as of that
day.
The fines stopped accru¬
ing on March 11 after an
inspection of the site. Carriere
paid the fines March 17 to
continue work on the site, but
appealed to have his money
reimbursed.
E-mail Julie Arrington at
juliearrington @forsythnews
.com.