Newspaper Page Text
April 27, 2022
Page 5A
Reporter
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
Taxpayers fund Hedges’ overnight stays
M y comments in last
weeks On The Outside
Looking In regarding
campaign signs brought
many responses with a majority of the
comments wondering why the City of
Forsyth is failing to enforce the law on
no campaign signs on public rights-
of-ways. Ride over the city and county
and you can see the law being violated.
A Forsyth citizen sent me this email:
“Don, Kudos to you for
your comments today
about political signs. This
election cycle is die worst
I have seen in my entire
life living here in Forsyth. I
have found three different
signs placed on personal
property that I own. I have
removed them all which
is my right as the property
owner!!!
“I am not even talking
about the signs that are
in the right-of-way—the
areas between the street
and sidewalk.
“I am copying Janice Hall and I am
asking her with this email isn’t it illegal
for people to place signs between the
street and sidewalk and if so does the
City have the authority to remove
them? If the City doesn’t then who
does? I will be curious to know”.
I haven’t heard from the writer if the
City Manager has responded to his
email. Just like the county enforcers,
there is doubt that any action will be
taken to remove the signs. Remember,
those responsible for removing the
signs are “scared” that retribution may
be taken against the sign removers if
the elect me is elected after his/signs
are removed.
A “STUDY” is under way by the
City of Forsyth to determine where
the pickle ball courts are going to be
located. I asked Forsyth Mayor Eric
Wilson where the courts were going
to be located. He had no idea since the
location is going to be determined by
a “committee” headed by Councilman
Julius Stroud. The Mayor didn’t know
who else was on the committee.
THE FIRST to answer last week’s
The Question came from Chris
O’Neal. Forsyth woman returned
home after receiving a new liver. He
gets a certificate for a Dairy Queen
Blizzard, Big Peach Carwash, dozen
Dunkin Donuts, slice of Jonah’s pizza,
whistle stop friend green tomato appe
tizer, slice of Shoney’s strawberry pie,
a single dip at scoops, Forsyth Main
Street and Reporter t-shirt.
Here’s The Question
for this week but first
a couple of hints: The
Reporter published the
“Best of Monroe County
2022”. In that special sec
tion who was named the
Best Stylist and what is
the name of the salon she
works? (Hint: page seven
of the special section)
First correct answer after
12 noon Thursday, gets
the goodie certificate.
BETCHA DIDN’T
know this, so I am going to tell you.
We pay our county manager $131,478
a year. Get ready for this tidbit: as
you know he does not live in Mon
roe County and commutes daily in
a county supplied car from Ashburn
down in southwest Georgia
In case he determines, like after a
night meeting of the commissioners,
it is necessary to stay overnight in a
Forsyth motel, we taxpayers pay it.
In 2021 we paid him, assume reim
bursed, $676.89 for spending the night
in a Forsyth motel. So far in 2022, in
four months, it has cost us $243.96 for
his bedding down in Monroe County.
By the way, the county manager is
not provided county health insurance
which has a yearly value of $12,000
and he is not provided county retire
ment which is over $5,000.
Just to keep the record clean, he is
not paid nor uses county fuel for his
county supplied vehicle that is for go
ing back and forth to Ashburn.
AS YOU are aware, four of the five
county commissioners and the county
manager have apologized for ignor
ing and violating the law. Guess they
are off the hook, for as one commis
sioner expressed, “a comedy of errors”
occurred.
After reading the story of the com
missioners apologizing for the land
deal and reading the chairman’s com
ment, there is public sentiment the
chairman did not apologize but looked
for an excuse to blame someone else,
But, reading his comments instead, as
he usually does, attacked this newspa
per
We pay for our county commis
sioners and county manager to go on
soirees to Atlanta, even Washington,
Savannah and other resort areas, at
our expense, to take classes on how a
county government should operate as
well as the laws governing their “rul
ing”. Obviously our county commis
sioners and county manager either
flunked the course the Association of
County Commissioners of Georgia
(ACCG) were requiring on open
government and local government
transparency. Maybe they were on the
golf course or in one of the sponsor’s
“hospitality” rooms during that class.
Wonder if as door prizes at one of
these confabs elected county officials
are given brooms and taught how to
sweep public awareness under the rug.
I wonder if the county manager is
going to e-mail the co-owner of this
newspaper like he did a couple of
weeks ago expressing “disgust” with
this newspaper as well as the edi
tor. The content and purpose of his
sending an email failed again and a
foil attempt to hide his involvement
and failure in the land deal. He should
apologize with sincerity instead of
blame.
Why does Former President Richard
Nixon’s comment, “I am not a crook”
keep popping up in my mind when
I read the apologies, the chairman’s
comment and the county manager’s
excuses.
Contact Don Daniel the founder of
this newspaper, at tullaybear@bellsouth.
net.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Job well done,
CpI. Malone
To the Editor:
felt compelled to write
a letter in Support of
Cpl. Jeremy Malone
for his efforts to
enforce laws and properly
investigate suspect activity.
I was a police officer in
Cobb County years ago.
You never know who you
will encounter during an
investigation in suspect
activity. He did nothing
wrong running two people
in a park after hours. Good
job Cpl. Malone! Keep it
up!
On the same page, Cpl.
Malone assisted people
stranded without gas and
he went above and beyond
to assist the motorists.
Oddly enough, no city
councilman thanked him
for a job well done. It seems
that being a law enforce
ment officer has become a
thankless job and people
are quick to criticize an of
fice for doing what he/she
is paid (underpaid) to do.
Any officer in this county,
whether local or the
sheriff’s office, has my total
support.
Keith Hayes
High Falls
County must reverse
stinky land deal
To the Editor:
ith the prior
knowledge
that a good
portion of
the old Plant Camellia was
a closed sewer facility, it is
easy to see some of the rea
sons that this deal stinks.
The deal had a bad odor
when it was purchased by
the Development Authority
of Monroe County and it
still stinks.
Now, the sale of the
remaining property is even
worse. Surely the highly
acclaimed administrator
knows the basic rules of
selling government-owned
property. You can sell
public property through a
properly advertised sealed
bid sale or at public auction
If this sale is allowed
to stand, the taxpayers
get screwed again. One
reason the county acquired
the property was for the
withdrawal permit which
the commission chairman
at the time surrendered to
the state.
This sale is invalid, stupid
or illegal. It should be set
aside and the property dis
posed of in a legal manner.
T.M. Burr
Forsyth
VIDEO
Continued from Front
for hanging out at the park
after dark. A sign at the park
notes that it closes at sunset.
The video starts with
Malone approaching Mi
chael Ogletree and Sedrick
Crowder, who are hanging
out in a covered area by a pic
nic table at the park, at 8:38
p.m„ just after sunset. You
can hear music playing.
Malone notes in his report
that he smelled the odor of
marijuana but couldn’t de
termine where it was coming
from. Malone asks for Ogle-
tree’s ID and he responds,
“Why?” Malone says because
they can’t be there after dark.
He then asks for Crowder’s
license too.
“Is there a problem?”
Crowder asks.
“No problem,” says Malone.
“Why you have to run my
ID then?” asks Ogletree.
Malone runs the men’s li
censes through the computer
system and then lets them go
with a warning ticket.
Nineteen minutes later,
Malone circles back to
Kynette Park and finds Capt.
Mike Ogletree of the Monroe
County Sheriff’s office in a
truck parked in front of the
sign with the park hours.
On the video, Ogletree tells
Malone he’s worked that area
for years and had never seen
that sign. Ten times, Ogletree
tells Malone he just wanted
to see the sign. Malone tells
Ogletree the sign has been
there for the 3 years he’s
worked in Forsyth.
Finally, Malone asks Ogle
tree if the man whose license
he ran was his son since they
have the same last name.
Ogletree says yes. Malone
says he wasn’t familiar with
him but that he didn’t seem
to like him very much.
“You say you’re not familiar
with him?” says Ogletree.
“You locked him up over in
Union Hills. You said he was
reckless driving.”
“Oh, that’s the Charger?”
asks Malone.
Ogletree said his son said
he didn’t do anything wrong
in that case either, but had
just mashed the gas.
“You do what you have to
do,” added Ogletree. “I don’t
go against that.” Ogletree said
his son said the incident at
the park woitid’ve gone better
if Malone had just told them
to leave and hadn’t run their
licenses.
Malone asked if Ogletree
was in law enforcement
Ogletree shows him his
sheriff’s ID. Malone says that
Ogletree should know that
officers run the licenses of 9
out of 10 people they interact
with to make sure they are
who they say.
“That’s what we do, right?”
says Malone. Finally Malone
tells Ogletree to have a good
night.
Then Stroud, who is Ogle-
tree’s brother-in-law, walks
up and confronts Malone.
“I know we haven’t of
ficially met each other and
everything,” begins Stroud.
“Hey look man, I’m from this
community and a city coun
cilman as well. I mean, we
shouldn't be targeting people
in this area.”
Stroud says it’s not the
first time it’s happened, and
wonders why police aren’t
patrolling the city park or the
Hill Street park. Those parks
are not in majority black
neighborhoods.
Malone responds by asking
Stroud if he knew whether
Malone had been patrolling
those other parks. Stroud
says no.
Malone counters that he’s
been to those other parks
3 times during the night
already patrolling, while he’s
only patrolled at Kynette
twice.
Stroud then asks wouldn't
it be easier if Malone had just
told the men to leave rather
than running their licenses.
Malone says that the men
were breaking the law by be
ing in the park after dark and
he runs everyone’s licenses.
Stroud countered that it’s also
against the law to drive 56
mph in a 55 mph zone.
“So you’re saying I should
pick and choose how I en
force the law?” asks Malone.
“Sure you should,” said
Stroud. “Sure you should.
You’re policing.”
And Stroud said it wasn’t
Malone’s only incident that
concerned him.
“There are other incidents
that were talking about as
well,” said Stroud. ‘A Mr.
Walker. You pulled him over
here as well. You took his ID
card. The man was late for
work. Happened right here.”
“Mr. Walker?” replied
Malone.
“Yeah. Happened about 2
or 3 months ago. Mr. Walker
called me because you made
him late for work. At this
park.”
“What did I stop him for?”
Malone asked.
“I don’t know’ said Stroud.
“So, I let him go because of
his name?” asked Malone.
“That’s what you’re saying?
That’s what you just told me?
So, I let you go because of
your name, and I allow you
to get away with that?”
Stroud then turns the
discussion back to that night’s
incident.
“Sir, here at the park, only
thing you have to do is say,
hey, look guys, you know
we’ve got a curfew. We’ve got
to get you out of here, okay?
People will comply around
here. I’ve lived here my entire
life. That’s my sister and
brother in law!’
“You don’t have to do all
that stuff, man,” said Stroud.
“I don’t have to run people
when I make contact with
them?” asks Malone.
“No you don’t,” says Stroud.
“I’m going to do my job,”
says Malone. “That’s what I’m
going to do.”
‘At the end of the day’
replies Stroud, “that’s not
what we need around here,
to harass people that live
around here.”
“So you’re saying I’m
harassing...” says Malone,
but Stroud turns and leaves
abruptly.
“Have a nice day’ says
Malone. “Thank you.”
With that, police Chief Ed
die Harris arrives and begins
talking with Stroud.
City manager Janice Hall
said a council member told
her that an officer acted
inappropriately in the case,
so she watched the video.
She wouldn't comment on
the video, only saying that
after watching it she took no
action in the matter. Hall said
the city used to close its parks
at 10 p.m. But Hall suggested
closing the parks earlier, at
sunset, in May 2021. In fact
it was councilman Stroud
who made the motion to
change the hours of city
parks to close at sunset. The
motion passed unanimously.
Hall said the city has had a
problem with vandalism at
all of its city parks. Accord
ing to Monroe County 911,
officers were dispatched to
232 calls in the Kynette Park
area in 2021.
Prices you cannot believe!!!!
CALL THE COUNTY AT 994-7000!