Newspaper Page Text
September 10, 2008
^Reporter
PAGE 7A
Taxes
continued from the front page
revaluation sent values up
an average of 30 percent
this year. In response, about
20 percent of Monroe
County property owners
appealed the assessed val
ues of 3,064 parcels. The
digest is the total value of
property in the county,
which is used by the school
board and commissioners to
set their property tax rates.
The digest was due to the
state by Aug. 1 but the coun
ty got an extension to Sept.
1, and now has secured an
extension to Oct. 20. The
county cannot submit a tax
digest to the state until
fewer than 5 percent of the
parcels are under appeal.
Last week, the tax asses
sors office approved a pre
liminary digest, allowing the
Monroe County school board
to approve a slightly lower
millage rate. However, it
was not low enough to offset
the increase in assessed val
ues. Meanwhile, the school
board voted to borrow $3
million from Suntrust Bank
in Macon to make payroll
until the tax bills start com
ing in. The school board cus
tomarily borrows money
each fall to make ends meet
and then pays off the loan
once property tax checks
start coming in. Property
taxes are due Dec. 20.
Meanwhile, commissioners
are hoping that they can
avoid having to borrow by
freezing spending.
Commissioners sent a memo
to all department heads ask
ing them not to buy any
thing unless it’s absolutely
necessary. Commission
chairman Harold Carlisle
said they’re trying to avoid
borrowing money.
“We’re trying to put the
brakes on right now,” said
Carlisle.
Carlisle said the board of
equalization is hearing an
Glover
continued from the front
“I’m doing good. Really I
am,” says Zapareo.
He says he was scared
when the man shot him,
but dying was not an
option.
“I was praying the whole
time that I would be OK. I
tried to think positive,”
said Zapareo. “I am so
thankful I am OK.”
Zapareo was sent home
last week to give his chest
wound time to heal before
beginning rehabilitation.
The bullet remains lodged
in his spinal cord.
“They decided not to take
it out yet because it might
do more damage,” said
Zapareo. It could cause
more damage. He’s not
sure if he’ll ever walk
again but remains opti
mistic.
“You never know,” he
said.
In the meantime, Zapareo
says he is so thankful for
all the help, support and
prayers. He has been able
to get out a little and even
went to see his old team
beat Lamar County on the
football field Friday night.
“A lot of people came up
and said they were praying
for me. So many people
have done so much. It’s
really great to know so
many people care,” said
Zapareo.
He said he was thrilled to
find out the police had
made an arrest and feels
confident they caught the
right guy.
“I hope he gets the death
penalty,” said Zapareo.
“He’s already killed that
guy in Warner Robins and
what he did to me. And
who knows who would
have been next. If he’s
going to be doing stuff like
that he does not deserve to
be here.”
Zapareo graduated from
Mary Persons in 2005. He
attended Grambling State
University for a year and
then Flint River Technical
College. He got his com
mercial drivers license last
year and was working for
Bibb Distributing in Macon
before the shooting. He
said he is not sure what
the future holds for him
but plans to do the best he
can with it.
“I’ve always had a good
attitude,” said Zapareo.
“Everyone who knows me
knows I’m laid back. I
never thought it would
happen to me, but you
never know what can hap
pen with life. Tomorrow is
not promised. I’m just glad
to be here.”
The bank is planning
another bake sale soon.
Ghosts
continued from the front
the other occupant said she hadn’t slept at all the previ
ous night because radios and lights had been turning on
and off. Another incident happened when Fowler and her
husband stayed at the Royal Palm while it was being
remodeled. They were in one of the rooms watching TV
when the door, which was halfway open, began opening
and closing on its own. Fowler said there was yet another
incident where they were painting the upstairs rooms
and left all the doors open so the rooms could air out.
The next morning, they discovered all the doors closed.
“There was a big picture hanging in one room that didn’t
just drop. It fell in the middle of the room and broke into
pieces. There have just been some strange things that
have happened,” Fowler said.
Olivia Newton of the Atlanta area is one of the ghost-
busters who will arrive at the Royal Palm sometime in
the afternoon hours on Saturday. They will eat dinner
with Forsyth residents and be there to answer any ques
tions people may have about the investigation and
ghosts. “Most of us have been doing this for quite some
time and are experienced,” Newton said. “None of us get
paid for this, it’s strictly a hobby.”
Newton said the team will conduct their investigation
from about 1-4 a.m. and use cameras, thermal scanners
and an electronic voice phenomena. This device, known
as an EVP, records voice or voice-like sounds that are not
audible to the human hear because the frequency of the
sounds are below the range that can be heard by the
human ear. These voice-like sounds are usually short and
have a length of only one word or short phrase. Newton
said she is very excited about coming to Forsyth and
thinks it will be an interesting night.
Not everyone is buying the ghost stories though. The
Rev. Brian Moore, pastor of New Providence Baptist
Church, said he heard about the ghoulish tales when his
in-laws stayed at the Royal Palm. He said the Bible does
teach that there are spirits that live among us. But he
said they are angels and demons, not the spirits of dead
people. Moore notes that 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 clearly
teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present
with the Lord. There is no in-between state, says Moore.
Forsyth residents are invited to eat dinner at the Royal
Palm on Saturday night and mingle with the ghost-
busters at no additional charge. The Royal Palm is locat
ed at 22 West Main Street in Forsyth.
“overwhelming” number of
appeals almost every day,
working as fast as it can to
resolve them so tax bills can
be mailed. The assessors
office expects to finalize all
the appeals by Sept. 19.
Commissioners have
already voted in principle to
rollback their property tax
rate enough to offset the
higher assessments.
While the school board
went ahead and set its mill-
age rate without a final
digest, Carlisle said commis
sioners plan to wait until it’s
complete. The school sys
tem’s fiscal year starts in
July so it was in a bigger
rush to get out the tax bills.
However, the county and
school board send their bills
on the same notice. State
law dictates that the tax
bills must be sent out at
least 60 days prior to the
Dec. 20 due date.
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