Page 2A May 2, 2018
R porter
m
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 dos-
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 Perr and nearby
business owners and resi-
dents. He said he decided
not to pursue dosing 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
dosing of the Bolingbroke
crossing.
Ambrose said Norfolk
Southern had urged corn-
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 ff the
railroad would pay some of
the costs of the proposed
new crossing,
Commissioners also
intended to consider dos-
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 som.e confusion
at the April 12 public hear-
ing as to which crossing
was to be dosed. 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 dosed.
Ambrose said another
public hearing woulcl be
scheduled prior to a final
decision on the Charlie
Benson Road crossing.
Ambrose said Norfolk
Southern railroad is inter-
ested in dosing 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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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
State Representative
Todd Tolbert & Family
I'm running to represent
you as your State
Representative!
We need leaders
who will put our interests first
rather than grow government.
* We need small
business owners, not
politicians, to use common
sense to get government out
of the way and let Georgians'
businesses grow.
It's time we shrink government, lower taxes, improve our public
schools, make high speed internet available and protect our conservative
values.
I'm a conservative small business owner in Macon-Bibband a
resident of Monroe County. My wife, Stacy, and I were both born and raised
in Middle Georgia, and we are proud to have raised our two.sons here as
well. I'm a lifelong Republican with a record of standing up for our
conservative values in our local community.
I will fight for you in Atlanta to ensure access for Georgians
who need medical cannabis oil, improve healthcare options for rural
Georgians, lower crime, increase pay for law enforcement, and ensure our
kids can come home for good jobs right here in our community. I can't do
all of this without your help, though!
District 141
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 indudes
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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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.
JOIN US for a Meet and Greet Fundmiser for Matt Morris
Candidate for Monroe County District 5 School Board
Corner of gwy 18 and Lee King Road Free Refreshments
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