Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6A
October 29, 2014
^Reporter—
In Memory
Shirley Cheek Marks, formerly of Atlanta, passed
away Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. Graveside services will
be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Eternal
Hills Memory Gardens, 3700 Stone Mountain
Hwy, Snellville. Rev. Franklin Etheridge will
officiate. The family will greet friends follow
ing the service at the graveside.
Shirley, known for her gracious southern
charm, twinkling eyes, strong independence,
generous heart, adventurous spirit and quick
wit will be missed by all who knew her and
loved her.
Shirley lived life to the fullest, found joy in all
she did, and attracted friends wherever she went.
She rode camels around the Great Pyramids of
Egypt, danced through Italy and Monaco, and liter
ally skipped across the Great Wall of China.
Shirley Cheek Marks
Shirley did not stand on convention. Never daunt
ed by 1950s traditional expectations for women, she
first worked for WSB-TV before convincing two
girlfriends to drive cross-country to take jobs
in Hollywood. She became personal assistant
to the great producer Ralph Edwards, best
known for creating and starring in the
NBC television show “This is Your Life”
and producing the long-running “Truth or
Consequences.”
After two stints in Hollywood and a time
in Chicago, the call of Magnolias, warm
southern breezes and family brought her per
manently back to Georgia. She met James Harold
"Pete" Marks, her husband and the great love of her
life, while working as a society reporter. Together
they traveled the world.
Shirley's love of animals was widely known. She
treasured each of her dogs throughout her life. She
was a great supporter of many animal rescue agen
cies, including Save-A-Pet located in Monroe
County. She also took great pride in being an
American and supported many veterans’ groups.
She is survived by her sister, Judy Cheek
Crenshaw (Florida), cousins, extended family and
friends. She is preceded in death by her parents,
Paul Bunyan Cheek and Harriet (Hattie) Ruth
Tribble; her brother, Norman Paul Cheek; and her
husband, James Harold "Pete" Marks.
Please visit www.monroecountymemorialchapel.
com to express tributes. Monroe County Memorial
Chapel has charge of arrangements.
Taxes
continued from the front
to be used for basic serv
ices like the police depart
ment.
"As a citizen, I'd rather
pay a higher, reasonable
rate [for utilities] to fund
the city," said Dodd.
"They're paying their
share of ad valorem
taxes."
Hall warned that reduc
ing taxes now would cut
the money the city would
have coming in by the
end of December and the
city needs that revenue
to pay some big bills,
like insurance, that are
due the first of the year.
The city cannot increase
utility rates until after
the first of the year.
Jones said he did not
know if the city should
put itself a million dollars
behind starting 2015 but
that the city is better off
than it was last year
because in 2014, for the
first time since 2007, the
city had not borrowed
from its municipal trust
to cover cash flow prob
lems.
Jones asked Dodd if he
would amend his motion
to set millage at 4 instead
of 2.8. Dodd said no but
he would go for 3.
Goolsby suggested split
ting the difference at 3.5,
and the compromise was
accepted.
"I think this is a three-
year process," said
Goolsby. "I don't want cit
izens assassinating us in
the street for raising
rates."
The city's projected
budget for 2015 is $17.2
million. Grinstead
advised council last week
that the cost of electricity
Forsyth buys from
Woman
continued from the front
She manages to keep all
of her businesses produc
tive and still makes time
for her family. She is the
true meaning of a busi
ness entrepreneur."
Ann Rose said she was
stunned when she
learned she had been
named Businesswoman of
the Year.
"It was a total surprise"
said Ann Rose. "I cried
when I read [the nomina
tion]. [Jack's] not always
real verbal. It was the
first time I'd seen that."
The daughter of Don
and Mary Lizabeth Rose,
Rose started her career
as an interior designer for
Wilson Galleries in
Macon in 1974. Ann Rose
said she got her knack for
interior design from her
mother, who was always
"flinging paint all over
the house" any chance
she got. Before settling
down in Forsyth, her par
ents had never lived in
the same home for more
than three years, but
they always poured a lot
into their homes before
selling them. So Ann
Rose naturally learned
■ how to improve a home
every time they moved.
Her talent for interior
design helped her grow a
following and she decided
to go on her own, starting
Design Network in 1979,
specializing in residential
and commercial interior
design.
Over the decades she's
helped local homeowners
like Don and Kay Bonner
and Wayne and Terri
Wetendorf, and as her
reputation spread she's
also done homes in places
like Washington, D.C, St.
Simons Island, Tybee
Island and Lake Sinclair.
While Ann Rose aims to
tailor a room to please
her customers, her
strength is finding ways
to use vivid colors with
modern flair. Ann Rose
says there's not one right
way to decorate a room,
and says she's typically a
rule breaker.
"Give me a rule design
and I'll find a way to
break the rule and make
it work, so it's original,"
said Ann Rose.
Over the years Ann
Rose said she's learned a
lot from other business
women who have helped
her.
About 25 years ago, for
instance, she went to see
Forsyth's Connie Ham,
shortly after Ham had
started her own real
estate company. Ann Rose
told Ham that she was
thinking about going into
real estate herself and
wanted Ham to be her
mentor. Ham said she'd
be happy to do that and
then shared her own
recipe for success: "God is
first, family is second,
and then comes your
business. With those pri
orities," said Ham, "it will
all come together."
Ann Rose said she even
tually decided to stick
with interior design, but
said she never forgot
Ham's advice, even
though it's been hard to
keep during the launch of
the new High Cotton.
Ann Rose teamed up
with friend Nancy
McComb to start High
Cotton, an antiques and
gift store, last year, begin
ning with a location on
Adams Street. This week
they're opening a second
location, High Cotton-
Uptown, in the newly -
renovated former Persons
Cotton
continued from the front
Head and one week
before closing, the buyer
decided he didn't want to
buy all the furnishings in
the house but that the
home would need to be
empty in a week. Ann
Rose called McComb, and
they did an estate sale on
short notice and wound
up having fun doing it.
"We had so much fun,
we said maybe we should
do this as a business,"
said Ann Rose. But they
decided not to take such a
big step without praying
first and seeking direction
for their fledgling enter
prise. The next day Ann
Rose got a call from a guy
in New York who heard
she was doing an estate
sale and asked her to do
one after his parents both
went into hospice.
Ann Rose said it became
pretty obvious to them
that God was calling the
two women to work
together.
They had items left over
from their first two estate
sales and used them to
open an antique store in
September 2013 on
Adams Street. They
leased a small building
from Howell Newton
and Trio
- Manufacturing, the
defunct cotton and yarn
maker. McComb and
Bowcock tossed around
ideas on a name and
when McComb suggested
High Cotton, Ann Rose
was sold.
But as they grew, the
ladies wanted more space
and longer hours than
their current landlord
would allow. So they
began looking. They drove
by the Persons & Persons
building on Jackson
Street and noted it as one
of the city’s most hand
some buildings. With
white columns and a
brick front, it was home
to the law firm of one of
Forsyth’s most prominent
families, but has been
vacant for years. They fig
ured the Persons family
would never sell it.
"It would be impossible,"
Ann Rose recalls telling
McComb.
McComb asked her
what they could afford.
Bowcock said she tossed
out an impossibly low
number and figured it
over.
"I was being Ann
Negative," said Ann Rose.
"But God had other
plans."
Family friend Greg
Goolsby got involved in
the negotiations and
asked the Persons family
for a price. They came
back with a figure right at
what Ann Rose had
thrown out in a half
hearted hope-so guess.
Seeing that God's hand
has been on the enter
prise has given her faith
to try a new venture even
in a tough economy.
"That's where courage
comes from, in knowing
that it's God's will," said
Bowcock. "He has showed
it to us time and time
again. If He brought us to
it He's not gonna let us
fail. And if He does, it's
because there were
important lessons we
needed to learn. I walk a
lot more bravely than I
would on my own."
After buying the
Persons and Persons
building, they have spent
six months on renova
tions, complete with a
fancy purple door and a
two balls up high that
local painter Darren
Walton turned into cotton
balls. Finally the gift
store High Cotton-
Uptown is ready to open.
Bowcock said High
Cotton-Uptown will sell
lifestyle accessories and
gifts for weddings, birth-
Municipal Electric
Authority of Georgia
(MEAG) has risen 30 per
cent in the last three
years, causing a 21 per
cent decline in gross prof
it. Council members
agreed the city will have
to pass on more of the
power cost to customers,
but council has not decid
ed how much to increase
electric rates for 2015 and
whether to increase
water and sewer more
than the set 3 percent
annual increase. Those
decisions will be made
when the city's 2015
budget is approved.
and Persons building on
Jackson Street.
So whether it's re
designing someone's
kitchen or helping them
find an antique, Bowcock
said she's realized that
being a businesswoman is
all about relationships.
"My pleasure comes
from working with people
together," said Ann Rose.
She said their Key West
directional sign at High
Cotton-Mill Village, with
arrows to Jonah's Pizza
and other area business
es, is the perfect symbol
of her desire to help the
whole community.
"I am very proud to call
Forsyth home and I'm
very proud of our commu
nity," said Bowcock.
"What better demonstra
tion is there of that than
the rally of the support of
the sheriffs officers? That
makes you want to bust
at the seams.
"I love being part of the
community of Monroe
County," said Bowcock.
"We've all got each other's
back. There's strength in
community. It's a comfort
and a pleasure to live in
this community."
days, graduation and
other occasions. She said
they noted that Forsyth
lacked a gift store and are
trying to fill that void.
They'll offer free wrap
ping, and residents can
even call ahead and pick
up a gift if they like.
Bowcock said it's amus
ing that her first job was
wrapping gifts at
Alexander Pharmacy in
Forsyth, and now she's
come full circle wrapping
gifts at her own gift shop.
“It’s too great a plan not
to be God's plan,” said
Bowcock.
High Cotton will open
its doors with a dedication
at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday
with a ribbon cutting at
10 a.m.
County gives nod to
new wedding venue
The Monroe County Planning and Zoning
Commission unanimously approved allowing a
new wedding venue on Hwy. 42 North.
The P & Z Board voted 4-0 to approve a condi
tional use in agriculture variance for a private
wedding
venue called
Crosslink
Meadows
Farm and
Ranch at a
property
owned by
Mickey and
Rene
Claxton at
5777 Hwy. 42 North. The Claxtons bought the
property, which is about 26 acres, three months
ago. It was the former home of Charles Collins,
who ran as an independent for the U.S. presi
dency in 1996. He passed away in 2012, and his
widow Denise sold the property to the Claxtons.
BARNESVILLE MARBLE & GRANITE COMPANY
Serving Middle Georgia for Over 10O Years
SULLIVAN
Designers & Manufactures of
Marble, Granite & Bronze
Memorials since 1908 George &
Janice Moore Authorized Georgia
Marble Dealer
TOLL FREE
1-800-377-9341
1-770-358-1470
Railroad & Main St. • Barnesville, GA
J
1/
Clar
*\ Sihee 1898
m^in'oRiRLs
Call your local Monroe County representative
Scott Harrell
478-256-3586
or toll free: 800-551-1102
3250 Vineville Ave., Macon, GA 31208
r
FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATES
478-475-9585
www.WindowWorldMacon.com
I Q% FINANCING AVAILABLE I
tindxuu
UUcM
"Simply the Best for Less"
WINDOWS ' SIDING ' GUTTERS ' DOORS
Not only do we stand
behind our windows...
we stand on them!”
- Local Owner,
Josh Watson
Notice of Computation &
Canvassing of Returns
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 21-2-492, notice is hereby given that the
computation and canvassing of the returns of votes cast in the
November 4, 2014, General Election will take place in the Office of
the Judge of the Probate Court in the Monroe County Courthouse,
Main Street, Room 2, in Forsyth, Georgia on Wednesday,
November 5, 2014 beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Karen H. Pitman
Election Superintendent
Is your old 40l(k) OK?
We can help you understand your options and make your
retirement money work for you, Consider a Woodmen of the
World IRA for your 401 (k) rollover
Wesley Cone
Field Representative
478-972-4094
Woodmen^
EWorld
r
CD0745WOW8/I0
Wooriir-eG Of inf: Workj Life Insurance Society
Home Qtf.-aa: Omaha, Nebradta
waodmenfcrg
Insurance Protection * Financial Security