Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 14A
April 16, 2008
® Reporter
Hubbard Days celebration kicks off
with crowning of queen and king
Fresh Strawberries
Pick Your Own Or Pre-Picked
OPEN: Tues. - Sat. 9 a.m - 6 p.m. & Sun. 12 Noon - 6 p.m.
We offer an atmosphere enjoyed by children & adults.
Largest private playground south of Atlanta & North of Macon
• Field Trips • Birthday Parities y*-.fe
• Corporate Outings • Church Socials ^ k w .
• Family Fun
www.TwinOaksFunFarm.com
1946 Johnstonville Rd. Forsyth, Ga
678-544-0756
Introducing Our Newopt Concept Featuring
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Phone r 47(W94*501 Fa* i
1014 Indian Springs Dr.
Forsyth, GA 31029
Neal to Red Dog in front of GPSTC
■www.hnffaloscafe.cci m
[ J ]M WANTED it) THANK TO U ACAEf FOR VOL’ YOTE, THIS IS A TORE HONOR
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acted illegally by rezoning
the entire city with a new
zoning ordinance. And they
raised questions about one
of the sellers, Jimmy Pace,
also being Forsyth mayor
at the time Wal-Mart was
cleared for the Supercenter
property.
Their decision to drop the
case Monday came on the
eve of a scheduled Tuesday
morning hearing before
Superior Court Judge
Tommy Wilson, which had
been the latest venue for
the drawn-out legal battle.
The hearing was to decide
whether Wilson even had
jurisdiction in the case.
The defendants — the
property owners, the city
and Wal-Mart — argued
that appeals of city council
decisions, such as the one
rezoning property for a
Wal-Mart Supercenter, had
to be made in superior
court within 30 days of the
original decision. That vote
had come in 2006 and
therefore superior court
had no authority in the
case. The plaintiffs, Ralph
and Leila Bass, James and
Georgianne Bearden, Gail
Quinn and Donald and
Mary Sanders, had already
dropped their case in
Monroe County Superior
Court two years ago.
Reached by phone Monday,
Wilson said he had done
his homework and studied
their original case two
years ago and never knew
what they were basing
their case on.
Meanwhile, in the more
recent case, the defendants
had also asked Wilson to
make the Supercenter
opponents pay the defen
dants’ legal fees if the
plaintiffs lost.
Georgianne Bearden said
the defendants threatened
to sue the Supercenter
opponents, and that they
couldn’t take that chance.
“We couldn’t afford to be
sued by the other side,”
Opponents’
homes
Sellers’
property
Planned
Supercenter
Lee
Street
Current
Wal-Mart
Indian
Springs
Drive
said Bearden. “We’re just
little people. We’re the
seven dwarves — as we’ve
been called — trying to
save our property.”
Bearden said the ordeal
taught her that the old
saying is true: “You can’t
fight city hall.” She said
the threat of a lawsuit and
its possible financial strain
is what finally convinced
them to drop the case.
As for Kyte, he said he
hopes the news that it’s
over turns out to be true.
“We’ve kind of been inno
cent bystanders here,” said
Kyte. “Somebody offers to
buy your property and you
think everything is going
to go nice and smooth, and
here we are four years
later still waiting.”
Wal-Mart began looking
for a Supercenter site in
Forsyth four years ago and
signed contracts to buy
land in March 2006. The
deal was supposed to close
in 90 days and a
Supercenter was expected
to replace the current Wal-
Mart by Christmas 2006.
But two years later, Wal-
Mart still owns no land for
a Supercenter. With the
legal delays apparently
over, it’s not clear how long
it will be before the proper
ties will close. City zoning
official Frank Vaughan
said he met with Wal-
Mart’s engineers March 26
to discuss where to plant a
buffer along Indian
Springs Drive to protect
the property owners there.
Wal-Mart engineers still
have an active land dis
turbing permit from
January.
As for Bearden, she said
when people see what the
store is going to do they
will know how it will harm
the area. She said Wal-
Mart even refused an offer
by the Georgia Trust for
Historic Preservation to
keep and maintain for rent
the Kyte and Pace homes
on Indian Springs Drive.
“Forsyth will have lost
something they will never
get back,” said Bearden.
Mary Akin-Wright, a life
long resident of Forsyth
and one of the financial
backers of the lawsuits,
agrees, saying, “This is a
sad day.”
Akin-Wright said it was
never a fight against Wal-
Mart, it was the location.
“I think it’s a shame. It
could have been resolved
so easily. We never had to
go through all this if they
would have just built it
somewhere else,” said
Akin-Wright. “The historic
beauty of Forsyth is being
chipped away little by lit
tle. I feel so sorry for the
residents of Indian Springs
Drive. This will be in their
backyard.”
Pageant nets $13,000
Wal-Mart
continued from page 1A
The Hubbard Alumni
Assocaiation held its annu
al king and queen pageant
April 5. This year there
were 21 contestants, more
than ever before. Each con
testant raises money for
the HAA renovation fund
and scholarship fund. The
contestants who raise the
most money are named the
winners. There are several
different categories. The
total raised this year was
around $13,000. The mone
wil be used to continue to
renovate the Historic hub-
bard dormitory and for
scholarships.
Aniya Taylor - Tiny Miss
Hubbard Alumni
Nyjala Jamya Goodson -
Miss Hubbard Alumni
Janeshma Calloway -
Junior Miss Hubbard
Alumni
Auburn Harvey - Teen
Miss Hubbard Alumni
Mable Bentley - Senior
Miss Hubbard Alumni
Kendall Gantt - King -
Mr. Hubbard Alumni
In addition to the win
ners contestants included:
Kaylyn Wilder, Mary
Herring, Tyler Hill,
Destiny Hansford,
BreErika Hicks, Myeasha
Howard, Tykarrius Bouie,
Myia Ridley, Destiny
Middleton, kver Shannon,
Shakiah Daniely, Chikina
Brantley, Courtnee
Simmons and Kemenisha
Rogers.
Hubbard Alumni Weekend Calendar
Winners of the Hubbard pageant included Aniya Taylor - Tiny Miss Hubbard Alumni, Nyjala Jamya Goodson - Miss Hubbard Alumni,
Janeshma Calloway - Junior Miss Hubbard Alumni, Auburn Harvey - Teen Miss Hubbard Alumni, Mable Bentley - Senior Miss Hubbard
Alumni and Kendall Gantt - King - Mr. Hubbard Alumni.
April 16
Hubbard Founder’s Day
Celebration
Hubbard Founder’s Day
Celebration will be held on the
grounds of the National Historical
Hubbard Dormitory on Hwy 83
South at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 16.
The new garden will be unveiled.
Refreshments will be served.
April 18
Hubbard Alumni to hold
annual banquet
The Hubbard Alumni association
will host its annual banquet at 7
p.m. Friday, April 18 at
Hubbard Middle
School. The guest
speaker will be Dr.
Ralph Simpson, area
superintendent of
DeKalb County schools.
Ticket cost is $35.
Contact Annie McCray
at 478-994-4600. SAMPSON
April 19
Hubbard Days parade and
annual celebration
The annual Hubbard Days parade
and celebration will be April 19. The
parade begins at 10 a.m.Concessions
and entertainment will follow on the
grounds of the Hubbard Dormitory.
Parade entry $35; booths $50. For
parade entries call Lois Allen at 478-
994-8856. For concessions call
Juanita Pitts at 478-994-5112. For
entertainment call Barbara Shannon
at 478-992-9268.
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