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THURSDAY
JANUARY 10, 2013
| . * . ANUK
More than a century of covering our community | forsythnews.com | 50¢ 4 L
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Trees collected for recycling | 4A Film folks scout county locales | 1B
Hunters set sights on issues
Baiting, coyotes topics at DNR meeting
By Crystal Ledford
crystalledford@forsythnews.com
Baiting and coyotes were
among the hunting and fishing
issues discussed Tuesday night
during a public meeting orga
nized by the Georgia
Department of Natural
Resources.
The gathering drew about 75
people from several counties in
northeast Georgia to the Lanier
(LT
Couple honored
with new award
By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com
A north Forsyth couple’s love of
gardening was rewarded recently
when they received a new honor.
from the Forsyth County Master
Gardeners organization.
Herb and Barbara Metz were pre
sented the first Master Gardener of
the Year award in December.
The award was originally meant to
be given to just one Master Gardener,
but the couple couldn’t be separated,
said Kathy Weintraub, one of the
organization’s board members.
“We had to bend the rules because
we just couldn’t award anything to
one or the other of them,” Weintraub
said. “They are such an amazing
team.”
Since they moved to Forsyth
County in 1998, the pair has worked
together to embrace the local Master
Gardeners’ mission of educating oth
ers and using environmentally
friendly practices.
Prior to that, they served as Master
Gardeners in their home state of
Indiana for two years.
In a nomination letter, some of the
Metzs’ contributions to the organiza
tion were noted.
They include holding plant swap
picnics, helping with plant sale fund-
Tighter rec center security mulled
Options floated to protect vanishing valuables
night, the board discussed the
possibility of requiring visitors
to scan an identifying key card
when entering a center to keep
arecord of building traffic.
Thefts of personal items at
the county’s three centers
have occurred when valuables
are left unattended, said Jim
Brennan, manager of the rec
By Alyssa Laßenzie
alarenzie@forsythnews.com
Recent thefts from local
recreation centers have led the
Forsyth County’s parks and
recreation board to consider
tightening security measures
at the facilities.
During its meeting Tuesday
Volume 104, Number 6
© 2013, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia
i “ 909§J1|0400 1“ “
Company chosen to raze buildings | 3A
Technical College Forsyth
Conference Center.
“The purpose is for us to
receive comment from the pub
lic,” said Mark Whitney, chief
of game management, who led
the meeting. “We had plenty
of comment and that’s what
we're looking for. It really
went well.”
The meeting, the second of
eight being held across the
state seeking input for the
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raisers and opening their home on
Doctor Bramblett Road to the public
several times for garden tours.
Barbara Metz said the tour, which
is held every other year, is a big draw.
“We had 300 [visitors] last year
and we had 250 two years before
that,” she said.
Weintraub said the couple was the
perfect fit for the new award, which
will be given annually to someone
reation program division.
“Everyone’s responsible for
whatever you bring into the
rec center,” Brennan said.
“We've been telling not only
kids but adults for years:
Don'’t bring your valuables in
... If somebody walks by and
sees an iPhone or a wallet sit
ting there, it happens.”
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2013-14 and 2014-15 hunting
seasons, marks the beginning
of the department’s biannual
process to u.pdate regulations.
The remnaining session in
north Georgia is set for 7
tonight in Clayton.
Probably the most discussed
topic Tuesday was baiting, or
placing feed out and then kill
ing animals at the feed site.
See HUNTERS | 4A
Photos by Autumn Vetter Forsyth County News
Herb Metz gives a tour of
plants around his home. Metz
and his wife, Barbara, recently
received a combined Master
Gardener of the Year Award.
Left, Barbara Metz checks out
her apple gourds.
who goes above and beyond for the
organization.
“We [on the board] got to talking
about how hard some people work
and how much some people do and
with a smile on their face,” she said.
“You ask for volunteers and [they]
are the first ones to do anything.
“So this year we decided let’s do
something ... we wanted it to be nice
and significant and every year reward
somebody.”
As the first award recipients, the
couple received a large, inscribed
crystal vase.
It will be a perfect fit for their
home as Barbara Metz grows numer
ous colorful flowers in the summer
months and then uses them to create
See GARDEN | 3A
Recently, a father asked to
review the security cameras at
Old Atlanta Recreation Center
after his son’s basketball was
thought to have been stolen.
The man wasn’t happy when
he learned the county centers
have none, Brennan said.
The county has consid
ered adding some cameras,
See REC|4A
1B Hospital
system
to hold
job fair.
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Jim Dean Forsyth County News
About 75 people attended a DNR meeting Tuesday night
at the Lanier Technical College Forsyth Conference Center.
Consultant advises
on transportation
By Alyssa Laßenzie
alarenzie@forsythnews.com
Forsyth County commissioners’ decision
Tuesday to renew an annual consulting ser
vices agreement has raised some concerns in
the community about the state lobbying
record of the contract-holder.
The commission voted 5-0 [
to approve the $60,000 con- ‘
tract for consulting services '
with Subsidium LLC. -
The contract was first .
approved with the holder,
county resident and former
state lawmaker and transpor
tation official Mike Evans, in Evans
2009 and has been renewed
each year.
The agreement specifies that Evans will
“represent and advise Forsyth County on mat
ters pertaining to Forsyth County in the gov
ernmental service area. (The governmental
service area consists of representing Forsyth
County with state and federal entities in
regards to Forsyth County’s interests.)”
He also meets with representatives of gov
emnment agencies and advises the county on
political matters, strategic planning and
“maintaining visibility with various entities
and officials.”
The word “lobby” is never mentioned in
the county’s contract. However, Evans has
registered with the state as a lobbyist, and
Forsyth County is listed as one of the entities
he represents, as is the city of Cumming and
other area governments.
His required monthly reports for 2009,
2011 and 2012 with the Georgia Government
Transparency and Campaign Finance
Commission show no expenditures and only
mention lobbying activity for Forsyth County
in May 2011.
Evans did not register in 2010. He filed
registration for 2013 on Tuesday, after clear
ing his balance for past due fees from late
reports.
The empty lobbying reports and lack of
2013 registration prior to the Tuesday com
mission meeting prompted several questions
from the community about whether Evans is
legally representing the county as a lobbyist.
Evans did not respond to phone and e-mail
requests to clarify the relationship between
his consulting contract with the county and
his registration as a lobbyist with the state.
See CONTRACT | 3A
5B Basketball:
~ Lambert,
North squads
split games.
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61/52
Forecast | 2A