Newspaper Page Text
GC • Progress Edition 2-018
FORWARD MONROE
February 7, 7018
LEE'S LESSONS
3 Years in Business
YARN LOVE
1 Year in Business
FITCO HEALTH CLUB
1 Year in Business
/Lee’s Lessons
V fun elective grajp guitar lessors
Lees Lessons has been
providing “top shelf” guitar
and bass instruction right
here in Forsyth for the
past 3 1/2 years. Lee offers
beginner, intermediate,
and advanced small group
guitar classes that are FUN,
INFORMATIVE, and well
ORGANIZED. Lee says,
“Not only do you have fun
learning along with others,
but you get to develop your
performance skills in our
student concerts. For more
information or to register,
please visit
www.leeslessons.com or
call 478-254-1259. Also,
subscribe in iTunes to: Play
Guitar Podcast. It’s my pod
cast that is all about getting
better at the guitar!” Lee’s
Lessons is located at 44 E.
Johnston St. in downtown
Forsyth GA.
478-254-1259
44 E. Johnston St. • Forsyth
On April 8,2017 Yam Love
opened it’s doors behind
Southern Charm Gen
eral Store in Bolingbroke.
Rebecca Carpenter is the
owner and after 43 years
in education as a teacher
and Media Specialist, she
retired and decided to fill
a void in Middle Georgia
by opening a yam shop.
The vision for Yarn Love
is to provide a venue for
yarn enthusiasts to gather,
network, share and be
able to buy quality yarns
and accessories. “I love
teaching these skills to new
people so that they can
help continue to preserve
the craft”, said Rebecca.
Yarn Love offers quality
yams, needles, and notions
for knitting and crochet
ing and offers classes for
beginners, intermediates,
and expert knitters and
crocheters.
478-342-2251
8175 Rivoli Rd. • Bolingbroke
(Behind Southern Charm
General Store)
yarnlove.weebly.com
Fitco Health Club brings you
everything you are looking
for in a state-of-the-art fitness
center. FitCo is a “women
friendly” facility that provides
all members with top of the
line fitness equipment, a wide
range fitness classes, personal
training staff, tanning and
childcare. Local owners
Daniel Stickler and Stacy
Bryant both grew up here in
Forsyth, attended Mary Per
sons High School and reside
in Monroe County with their
wives and children. In fact,
all of FitCo’s employees are
Forsyth natives. FitCo Health
Club is open 24 hours a day.
Drop by today and a friendly
FitCoi
Health Club [
staff member will be happy
to give you a tour and answer
any questions you may have to
make 2018 your healthiest/best
year yet. The gym is located at
833 Patrol Road, Forsyth. For
more information visit their
website at
www.fitcohealthclub.com or
call 478-993-2202.
478-993-2202 (3
833 Patrol Rd. • Forsyth, GA
www.fitcohealthclub.com
County’s initial internet committee meeting draws crowd
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
About 40 Monroe
County residents attend
ed a meeting on Tuesday,
Jan. 16 of the newly-cre
ated committee to expand
internet throughout the
county.
New District 4 commis
sioner George Emami
vowed in his first meet
ing last November to
create a High Speed
Internet Expansion com
mittee, and he followed
through on his promise
by holding the commit
tee’s first meeting on Jan.
16. The meeting, which
was open to all members
of the public, was held
directly following the
Jan. 16 commissioners’
meeting and lasted two
hours.
State Rep. Susan
Holmes, who served on
the state senate and
house joint, broadband
committee last year, said
expanding internet cover
age to rural Georgia has
been a passion of hers for
a long time. Holmes, who
said internet is as impor
tant to many persons as
water, said the state gov
ernment cannot provide
internet service but can
help facilitate it.
Holmes said interest,
in expanding internet,
continues to increase
among state legislators
and said the legislature
has formed a rural devel
opment council with an
interest, in broadband of
which state representa
tive Robert. Dickey is a
member. Holmes said the
state government, could
possibly team up with
EMCs to expand internet,
and/or set. aside state
funds for internet, needs.
Dr. Valerie Mercer,
Monroe County Schools’
chief technology officer,
said the school system
is still utilizing a tech
nology plan that was
created nine years ago.
Mercer said the system
wants to provide Google
Chromebook laptop com
puters for all students,
but. the lack of avail
able internet, for some
students has prevented
the system from follow
ing through on this goal.
Mercer said the system is
also considering adding
mobile WiFi on all school
buses.
Terry Smith, AT&T
Georgia Regional
Director of External
and Legislative Affairs,
said AT&T has spent.
$5 billion in the past,
three years on wireless
and wired networks in
Georgia. Smith said 99.5
percent, of Georgia is cov
ered by AT&T wireless as
of May 2017. He said the
expansion is the natural
result, of a tremendous
increase in demand over
the past, decade as AT&T
has shown a 250,000 per
cent. uptick in data usage
on its network since
2007.
Smith also told citi
zens about. AT&T Fixed
Wireless Internet., which
he said will expand inter
net. into 67,000 homes
and small businesses
within the next, six years.
Smith said 44 counties,
including Monroe where
a new tower on Hopewell
Road was recently intro
duced, will receive addi
tional coverage through
Fixed Wireless.
Smith said AT&T’s
newest, high-speed inter
net. technology is called
Project AirGig, which
will operate using aerial
power line infrastructure.
Among notable citizen
comments: Becky Merritt
suggested using county
properties as wireless
hubs for citizens, espe
cially students, to log
onto the internet.. Steve
Harbin suggested com
piling a comprehensive
map of residents’ internet,
coverage by sending out.
surveys to all landown
ers using the county’s tax
map mailing list.. Neal
Jackson said internet,
expansion can’t, be left
entirely in the hands of
private cable and phone
companies because those
companies are more
interested in making a
profit, than meeting the
needs of their customers.
Bo Gregory said there are
opportunities available
for broadband grants
through the United
States Department, of
Agriculture (USDA). Jim
Barber suggested a need
for an internet, cafe to
open up downtown. Greg
Head suggested the pro
posal of a penny sales tax
dedicated to expanding
internet, infrastructure
and recommended com
missioners buy cable
lines and lease them out.
to private companies.
Greg Nickel said he pays
a high rate for a poor
service to his current, pro
vider and said the county
has to figure out a way
to break up the service
provider monopolies that
dominate the internet,
industry.
Emami said Thursday
at. the county commis
sioners’ all-clay retreat,
that, he met. follow
ing Tuesday’s meeting
with a private business
owner who is interested
in expanding internet,
service into Monroe
County. Emami, who did
not. reveal any specifics
about, the identity of the
potential investor, told
commission chairman
Greg Tapley he could
accompany him to a
future meeting with the
business owner to learn
more details about, the
proposal.
Emami did not. specify
when another public
meeting on internet,
would be held but.
encouraged all citizens
interested in the mat
ter to join his Facebook
page: Monroe County
GA Internet. Expansion
Committee.
leims nnLLismn
% REP MR
478-992-9800
• Complete Auto Body Repair • Painting
• Frame Work • Insurance Claims • Assistance
• Mechanical • Air Conditioning
• Computer Diagnostics
Before
We have Tire Brands
& Prices You’ll Love!
We do headlight restoration too!
478-992-9800
Locally owned & operated by Dennis Lewis
675 Hwy 83 North • Forsyth, GA
Commissioners hold full-day work session on Jan. 18
If becoming
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By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
Monroe County
Commissioners held an
all-day work session
on Thursday, Jan. 18
at. a cabin on Fickling
Reserve Road.
Commission chairman
Greg Tapley said the
Fickling family, which
owns the cabin, loaned
out. the facility for the
commissioners’ use free
of charge. Tapley’s wife,
Fran, also cooked lunch
for the event., so no tax
payer dollars were spent.
Pregnant?
Looking for answers
or options?
We can helpl
• Free pregnancy test
• Parenting classes
• Pregnancy Support
The Pregnancy Center
of Momot Comfy
478-994-3173
Mon, Toe & Thu 10:00 a.m. ■ 4:30 p.m.
www.monroecountypregnancycenter.org
for the retreat..
District 1 commis
sioner Larry Evans, who
had a conflicting meet
ing in Warner Robins,
was the lone commis
sioner absent, from the
retreat.. County attorney
Ben Vaughn and county
manager Anita Buice
were also in attendance
along with the Reporter.
No votes were taken
during the retreat.,
which lasted from 9
a.m. until 5 p.m. with
an hour-long break for
lunch.
Major topics discussed
included: economic
development., water,
roads, the upcoming
SPLOST, internet., tour
ism and recreation.
Tapley and District
3 commissioner John
Ambrose had been push
ing hard for a retreat,
for over a year, but. until
George Emami was
elected as the District
4 commissioner in
November, there hadn’t,
been a full commission.
Commissioners said
they plan to hold simi
lar retreats every six
months going forward.
Rick Cantrell
478-992-7042
Elife Land Services
LAND CLEARING / FORESTRY MULCHING
BRUSH MOWING / RIGHT OF WAYS / BOUNDARY LINES
NO DEBRIS TO HAUL OFF / NO BURNING / ECO FRIENDLY
Tapley said commis
sioners are next, expect
ed to convene at. the
Georgia state capital for
Monroe County Day at.
the state legislature on
Thursday, Feb. 1. Tapley
also said he intends to
hold some commission
meetings in alternate
locations this year
with at. least, one meet
ing each quarter being
moved out. into the vari
ous districts.
In other Board of
Commissioners’ news:
• Monroe County
Commissioners unani
mously approved on
Tuesday, Jan. 16 to
appoint. Priscilla Dost.er
to the River Edge
Behavioral Health
Center board. Doster,
who was elected in
November to the Monroe
County school board,
replaces District 1 com
missioner Larry Evans
on the board.
• Monroe County
Commissioners unani
mously approved on
Tuesday, Jan. 16 to
grant, a pouring license
for liquor to Backwoods
Bar & Grill on High
Falls Road.
County manager Anita
Buice said Backwoods
owner Russell Acree
must, prove that, the
establishment earns
more than 50 percent, of
its revenue in food sales
in order to maintain its
liquor license.