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| FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | forsythnews.com
PRESIDENTIAL HOPES
Candidates talk issues with Forsyth crowds
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AR TR se e s R Photos by Jennifer Sami Forsyth County News
Republican pr&ominl candidates Rick Santorum, left, and Newt Gingrich campaigned in Forsyth County over the weekend.
Santorum vows a challenge Gingrich discusses energy; jobs
By Jennifer Sami
jennifersami@forsythnews.com
Rick Santorum discussed the
importance of religion, freedom and
adhering to the Constitution during a
visit Sunday night to a south Forsyth
church.
The Republican presidential hope
ful also discussed what he views as
the problems with the current admin
istration, including President Barack
Obama’s health care law and the
administration’s decision to reject the
Keystone oil pipeline proposal.
“He has conservative, Christian val
ues,” said Gwinnett resident Betty
Garner of Santorum. “He’s very down
to earth. I believe him. I trust him ...
and 1 believe he'll try to do what he
says with the changes that need to be
made with the government.”
Garner is a member of the First
Redeemer Church, where Santorum
addressed a crowd of more than 3,500
on Sunday night.
PUBLISHED FEB. 17, 2012
County opens new recreation centers
By Alyssa Laßenzie
alarenzie@forsythnews.com
Sounds of heels and dress shoes echoed
within the gym walls Wednesday as com
munity leaders and residents got a first look
at the Old Atlanta Park Recreation Center.
A few folks had come by to use the
walking trail or weight room that moming,
staff members said, but the center was offi
cially welcomed in the afternoon with a
ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Judging by the crowd, Commissioner
Sunday sales
officially begin
By Jennifer Sami
jsami@forsythnews.com
The March 6 election results
have been certified. So begin
ning this Sunday, stores in
Cumming and Forsyth County
will be able to sell alcohol.
In November, voters in other
nearby jurisdictions such as
Pawsonville, Flowery Branch,
Gainesville and Oakwood
approved Sunday package sales
of alcohol, which the state had
previously not allowed.
Neighboring Dawson and
Hall counties also approved the
measure March 6.
- The referendum was possible
after Gov. Nathan Deal signed a
bill last spring that allowed
communities to put the issue
before voters.
Nearly 69 percent of Forsyth
County’s registered voters, or
about 21,500, approved Sunday
sales, while about 61 percent of
On the topic of health care,
Santorum said Obama “shoved it
down America’s ‘throat and said,
‘Trust me, you’ll like it once you
know what’s in it.””
Santorum also talked about the
nation’s debt. He said he liked Rep.
Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, calling
it a good start, but one that doesn’t
go far enough. It needs to deal with
Social Security and Medicare.
“Folks, we’re going bankrupt,” he
said. “We can’t wait 10 years and we
can’t take big parts of the budget off
the table.”
Obama said programs such as
Medicare, Medicaid and Social
Security are what make America a
better country, Santorum said.
“I believe America was founded
great. It didn’t become great because
government did these things,” he
said. “When my grandfather came in
1925, there were no government ben
efits. The government benefit was
one thing — freedom.”
Brian Tam said there’s plenty of excitement
for the center, which is on a future county
park site across from Lambert High School.
“] am so proud to have this beautiful
facility in south Forsyth,” Tam said. “I am
proud to say that the county was able to
build this recreation center for all of the res
idents of Forsyth County to enjoy.”
Up until now, the county has had just one
recreation center, located at Central Park
off of Keith Bridge Road in north Forsyth.
On Monday, the county will add its third
during a 2 p.m. ribbon cutting for the center
Cumming voters, or about 363,
backed the referendum.
Regardless of where they
stood, the issue was an impor
tant one for voters, with nearly
99.6 percent of the 31,505 who
cast ballots weighing in on the
issue.
Barbara Luth, Forsyth
County’s elections supervisor,
said people seemed as excited
to vote on alcohol sales as their
presidential candidate.
“It was important to them,”
she said. “A lot of them had
looked for it when we did the
sales tax in November and they
were surprised it wasn’t on
there.”
“The customers are very
excited about it,” said Scott
Remington, manager of
Georgia Liquor Barn. “They’re
very ‘freedom of choice’ and
they do enjoy the ability to not
have to plan ahead on
Saturday.”
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By Jennifer Sami
jennifersami@forsythnews.com
No state is a slam dunk for any
presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich
said Saturday after speaking to a
packed auditorium in Forsyth County.
“Anybody who thinks that [Mitt]
Romney can count on Michigan or
that [Rick] Santorum can count on
Pennsylvania or I can count on
Georgia doesn’t understand how wild
this campaign is,” Gingrich said. “You
can’t take it for granted.”
But with one-time presidential
hopeful Herman Cain by his side, the
former speaker of the House of
Representatives said he believes he
can win the March 6 Republican pres
idential preference primary in Georgia
because of his policy and leadership.
More than 400 people filled the South
Forsyth High School auditorium, with
at least another hundred turmed away as
the Forsyth County Republican Party
held its mass precinct meeting.
at Fowler Park.
Tam, whose district includes the Old
Atlanta center, said residents in that comer
of south Forsyth have eagerly awaited hav
ing a facility closer to home.
The 40,000-square-foot center is at the
future Old Atlanta Park on the comer of
Nichols and Old Atlanta roads.
The facility includes two gymnasiums
for basketball and other sports, an indoor
walking track, fitness studio and a cardio
and weight room,
The building itself contains several sus
Children’s celebrates
Hospital marks
first year here -
By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com
Every young patient who visit
ed Chilvdren’s Healthcare of
Atlanta at Forsyth on Friday got
to leave with a shiny red, green or
blue balloon.
The helium-filled treats were
given out to celebrate the one
year anniversary of the
20,000-square-foot outpatient
facility at The Avenue Forsyth on
Peachtree Parkway.
Linda Cole, Children’s vice
president of ambulatory and
emergency services, said it was
hard to believe the children’s
medical center has been open a
year.
“We feel very grateful to the
community that has embraced us
and [for] the partnership we have
with the community and with the
other nonprofits in the communi-
Gingrich spoke about various
issues, focusing mostly on energy
independence and religious freedom.
When he served as speaker,
Gingrich said the price of gas was
$1.13 a gallon. While he envisions
that happening again, he offered a
promise that under his presidency:
“We can easily deliver gasoline at
$2.50 a galion.”
The presidential hopeful said this
can happen by relying on shale gas
technology, which allows gasoline to
be drawn from deep underground.
“If you actually go out and look
for oil, there is enough oil in the
United States that we would be inde
pendent of the Middle East,” he said.
Forsyth resident Ben Bolton said
Gingrich’s ideas such as energy inde
pendence drew his support.
“I like his bold ideas ... I think
that’s something that this country
needs right now,” Bolton said. I
think he’s definitely the most elect
able and the most experienced.”
tainable features, which Commission
Chairman Jim Boss said are aimed at
“keeping operating costs low.” v
The energy- and water-saving measures
include large windows for natural light,
energy control systems and underground
water storage tanks to capture rainwater for
irrigation, Boss said.
“It should only take one look or one visit
to see that the vision which took many
years to project and become reality, has
been fully realized in this beautiful build
ing,” he said.
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Autumn Vetter Forsyth County News
Nurse Kathy Vinson, right, talks with Cassie Mills about son
Ashton at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Forsyth. The
facility is marking its one-year anniversary serving the area.
ty,” Cole said.
Beth Buursema, Children’s
community outreach liaison, said
the site has received heavy sup
port from area businesses.
She said a number of restau
rants, including Norman’s
Landing, Tam’s Backstage,
Moe’s, Chick-fil-A and Mellow
Mushroom, have held “family
nights” or other fundraisers for
SUNDAY. JANUARY 13, 2013
e
the facility.
And every donation helps,
Buursema said.
“People feel when you make
a donation that it has to be
something big, but we see on
many levels the difference that
50 cents or $5 can make,” she
said. “All that adds up to make a
huge difference in the life of a
child”