Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A
May 2, 2018
^Reporter
County opts not to close Bolingbroke rail crossing
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
Monroe County Com
missioners will not close
the Bolingbroke railroad
crossing connecting Hwy.
41 South and Rivoli Road
directly in front of Boling
broke Methodist Church
after all.
The Tuesday, April
17 decision came after
concerns were raised by
nearby property owners
at a public hearing on the
matter on April 12. Com
missioners also decided
on April 17 not to pursue
any more crossing clos
ings until commissioners
can meet with Norfolk
Southern railroad officials
to determine a long-term
strategy for rail safety and
traffic flow in Monroe
County. District 3 com
missioner John Ambrose, a
retired railroad worker, said
Norfolk Southern officials
would be willing to meet
with commissioners in the
coming weeks.
Ambrose, who repre
sents Bolingbroke, said he
discussed the Bolingbroke
crossing with Monroe
County public safety of
ficials, including fire chief
Matt Perry, and nearby
business owners and resi
dents. He said he decided
not to pursue closing the
crossing after learning how
frequently the crossing is
used by emergency vehicles
and residents. About a
dozen persons were in
attendance at the April
12 hearing to oppose the
closing of the Bolingbroke
crossing.
Ambrose said Norfolk
Southern had urged com
missioners to close the
Bolingbroke crossing and
allow the railroad to build a
new more level, wider one
at Hwy. 41 South and Estes
Road.
However, Ambrose said
the new proposed Estes
Road crossing would cost
taxpayers about $400,000.
Ambrose said he would
ask Norfolk Southern if the
railroad would pay some of
the costs of the proposed
new crossing.
Commissioners also
intended to consider clos
ing another Hwy. 41 South
crossing to Charlie Benson
Road just south of Bunn
Road and north of Chris-
wood subdivision on April
17 but decided not to pur
sue the issue at the meeting
because of some confusion
at the April 12 public hear
ing as to which crossing
was to be closed. Ambrose
said some constituents
thought the county wished
to close the crossing at
Old Rumble Road, but he
said the Old Rumble Road
crossing is expected to be
widened instead of closed.
Ambrose said another
public hearing would be
scheduled prior to a final
decision on the Charlie
Benson Road crossing.
Ambrose said Norfolk
Southern railroad is inter
ested in closing a number
of Monroe County cross
ings as a safety precaution
because Norfolk Southern
desires to increase the
speed of its trains along the
Hwy. 41 South route up to
50 mph.
Commissioners George
Emami and Larry Evans
were absent from the April
12 public hearing.
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of what we do not know
about them developed
into a passion for collect
ing Indian artifacts. He
said that veteran collectors
can quickly pick out fake
artifacts as well as evaluate
the quality of items found
and provide insight into
their use, age and place of
origination.
The Forsyth Indian
Artifacts Show venue at
the Conference Center
has room for 55 tables.
About five tables will be
used for admissions and
entry information, and the
other 50 tables will hold
displays. Valente said the
available tables are almost
all booked. He said that
the price of items varies by
what a collector is willing
to pay. He has found that
prices are usually higher
for arrowheads in the
Missouri-Illinois-Kentucky
area of the country, prob
ably because they are larger
and more colorful. It is not
unusual for a collector to
buy a whole group of pieces
to obtain one special item.
There will be tools, weap
ons, pottery and decorative
items, such as jewelry, at
the show.
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who need medical cannabis oil, improve healthcare options for rural
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Indian Artifacts Show is Sat.
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“Be Confident in our Quality”
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
George Valente of Mon
roe County will sponsor
the Forsyth Indian Arti
facts Show this Saturday,
May 5 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
at Monroe County Confer
ence Center, 475 Holiday
Circle. Admission is $2 for
adults and free for those
under 18. The event will
showcase Indian artifacts,
with an emphasis on
those found in Georgia, to
educate and to give collec
tors and those interested
in collecting an opportu
nity to connect with one
another and share some of
their collections and their
enthusiasm.
Valente is a member of
the Peach State Archaeo
logical Society, which is
supporting the event. The
group also has events in
Augusta and at the Etowah
Indian Mounds near
Cartersville on the same
day. Valente said that the
Forsyth Indian Artifacts
Show is the first in Middle
Georgia and will give In
dian artifact enthusiasts in
this area a chance to show
and view artifacts without
traveling to north Georgia,
which is usually the closest
place for a show
He said that Middle
Georgia is a rich area for
finding artifacts, particu
larly arrowheads, because
many groups of people
either lived in or traveled
through the area as long
ago as at least 14,000 years.
Valente suggested along
creek beds, logging roads
and newly tilled farmland
as some of the best places
to look for artifacts, with
the landowners’ permis
sion, of course. He said
there are strict laws about
removing artifacts from
public lands.
In Georgia one can find
items left by Paleo Indians
(about 10,000-8,000 BC),
Early and Late Archaic
Indians (8,000-1,000 BC),
Woodland Indians (1,000
BC-1,000 AD) and Missis-
sippian (1,000-1,600). Be
cause of the extensive trade
network of early peoples,
one can find artifacts in
Georgia that reflect materi
als and workmanship from
other parts of the country
Valente said he has been
collecting artifacts for over
a decade. He travels 10
states collecting, has many
connections with other
collectors and has amassed
a collection that includes
at least 5,000 arrowheads.
He will have some of his
personal collection on dis
play at the Forsyth Indian
Artifacts Show, focusing on
items found in Georgia.
Valente grew up in New
York, came to Georgia
in 1990 and to Monroe
County in 1994. A fasci
nation with history and a
respect for what artifacts
can tell us about our early
ancestors and the mystery
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