The Monroe County reporter. (Forsyth, Ga.) 1972-current, October 31, 2012, Image 1

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The Monroe County reporter., October 31, 2012, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextDogs stun W£ PA*] SALZ See page B1 See page C1 Serving the Public Safety Capital of Georgia r.net * VOL. 41 NO. 44 USPS 997-840 ■ 4 sections, 50 pages • Forsyth, GA * Wednesday, October 31 r 2012 • $1 Inside r* * I men m siness * lilKMltJ I Meet the women who make it all work See our tribute to Women in Business, section inside What’s for sale in Middle Ga? See our monthly Real Estate guide, inside Deaths Eva Martin Johnston See PAGE 6A WELCOME Jtv 1/rcB TM33UZ&3CS Coastal Home Care Tammie Griffin Jack & Cheryl Symons Get your name on this list by subscribing today. 52 issues just $35 in Monroe County. Call 994-2358 or go to www.mymcr.net. Walmart, Dollar General 3 3 D-3505 3Hlb fl Kroger, Barnes & Noble, CVS Miss Pumpkin Pie Faith Jackson, the daughter of Nathan and Michelle Jackson of Smarr, is all in for her first autumn — literally. She took up residence inside a pumpkin purchased by photographer Kim Holderfield from Woody Horst of Barnesville, a merchant at the Forsyth Farmer’s Market, and even wore the top as a hat. Kids of all ages are invited to the Fall Festival on the Square at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 for Forsyth Better Hometown’s downtown Halloween trick or treat event. (Photo Kim Holderfield) THE RACE FOR DISTRICT 1 Smith: ‘Need some new blood in there’ Challenger says 25 years in office enough for anyone BY RICHARD DUMAS Monroe County's District 1 voters have a choice when they head to the polls to vote for their coun ty commis sioner on Nov. 6. Democrat Larry Evans is being chal lenged by Republican Donald Smith in the District 1 Monroe County commissioner's race. Evans, 63, has repre sented District 1, which composes the area in and around the City of Forsyth, since 1987. His challenger, Smith, 64, ran unsuccessfully for District 4 commissioner in 2010. Smith, who lives on Sutton Road, decided to run for District 1 commis sioner when his home became part of District 1 when a revised map was created. Evans politely declined to speak with the Reporter about the race. However, Smith sat down and answered some questions about important District 1 issues. On why he decided to challenge Evans: Smith said he decided to run when he found out that no one else was going to run against Evans. "Twenty- five years is enough for any body in office, and as far as I know he hasn't had a challenge," Smith said of Evans. "And I thought I would step up and give the people a change if they want one. I think we need some new blood in there." Smith said commission ers should have term lim its. "Eight years and you're out," Smith said. "That's just my personal opinion. You get in there so long, and you kind of get com placent. . . I don't think it's a good thing for the people you're represent ing." On the issue that most concerns him about Monroe County: Smith said Monroe County desperately needs to recruit industry that would bring about addi tional jobs. If elected, he said he would support tax incentives and partner ships between Monroe County, the City of Forsyth, the Forsyth- Monroe County Chamber of Commerce and the Monroe County Development Authority to encourage job growth. Smith noted that Bibb County and Twiggs County have been more successful than Monroe County at recruiting busi nesses. "Everybody's bypassing Monroe County, and there's a reason for that," Smith said. "And I'm gonna find out why." For one thing, Smith said he does not think community leaders are as unified as they need to be. He said he would be glad to take an active role in helping to find ways to add local jobs. "I just want some indus tries here where blue-col- see SMITH page 7A SMITH EVANS Will county OK Sunday booze sales? Merchants hope it passes BY RICHARD DUMAS Monroe Countians will vote on Nov. 6 whether to support the Sunday sale of alcohol in Monroe County stores. Commissioners voted earlier this year to put Sunday sales on the November election ballot as a referendum for county voters. County administrator Anita Cauthen said there are 17 businesses who would be affected by the referendum. If the refer endum passes, the local ordinance, which would follow the same require ments as the Georgia state Sunday sales ordi nance, would go into effect imme diately although it could take about a week for sales to begin. Cauthen said all affected busi nesses would be notified by the county if the refer endum passes. Affected businesses would not be required to sell alcohol on Sunday but would have see ALCOHOL page 3A r Former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young addresses a rally at St. James Baptist Church on Saturday as civil rights leader the Rev. Joseph Lowery looks on. (Photo/Diane Glidewell) Civil rights icons pump Obama at Forsyth church Rev. Lowery: Don’t think white people are going to heaven BY DIANE GLIDEWELL Two icons of the civil rights movement visited Forsyth on Saturday to campaign for the reelec tion of Barack Obama. Andrew Young and Rev. Dr. James Lowery spoke at St. James Baptist Church as part of a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) tour across Georgia to encourage black voters to cast bal lots for Obama. Lowery, who turned 91 on Oct. 6, founded the SCLC along with Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1957 and has been a national leader and the recipient of many honors since that time. Numerous celebri ties praised him at a cele bration of his 90th birth day at Atlanta Symphony Hall last year. Lowery gave the bene diction at Obama's inau guration as 44th U.S. president on Jan. 20, 2009. Speaking to the group at St. James Baptist, Lowery said he liked giving the benedic tion because it gave him the last word. The only thing that followed him on the program was the "Star Spangled Banner." see LOWERY page 6A JOIN THE REPORTER: ON-LINE AND PRINT SUBSCRIPTION JUST $35. CALL 994-2358.