Friday, May 20, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Chicken Q to benefit McKnights By JOHN THOMPSON A group of the countys residents is trying to help one of the areas longtime residents in his battle with the federal government. A Chicken Q is planned for June 25 with proceeds from the sale of Chicken plates benefiting the McKnight Defense Fund. Friends of Senoias Paul McKnight, Jr. have formed the fund-raising committee and want to raise money to pay legal expenses for the 79-year-old World War II vet and cancer survivor in his battle against the federal government. McKnight, a lifelong resident of Senoia, may have to pay the government $1.7 million in clean-up and administrative charges in conjunction to a rental agreement that went bad. The committee is chaired by Gary Sikes and wants to raise the money to pay the legal fees because McKnights assets have been frozen and therefore, he is unable to pay the bills. A special account has been setup at the Bank of Coweta to receive donations to help McKnight pay legal fees and expenses. Anyone wishing to help the McKnight family can send checks payable to the McKnight Defense Fund c/o Bank of Coweta, P.O. Box 1218, Newnan, GA 30254. There will be two pick-up points in Coweta County where pre-sale ticket holders can pick-up their plates between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 25. Pre-sale plates are guaranteed if picked up by 12:30 p.m. that day. Cost for a ticket is a $10 minimum donation. The pick-up locations will be at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Newnan and at East Coweta Middle School in Senoia. Pre-sale tickets are available at the following locations throughout the county: In Newnan at the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce; Bank of Coweta main office; Newnan Pawn Shop; Scotts Bookstore; Hemricks on Ga. Highway 34 west and Coweta Custom Cycles. In Sharpsburg at Farmers and Merchants Bank and Sharpsburg Take Out. At Thomas Crossroads at Angies Cleaners,next to Catfish Hollow. In Grantville at Grantville Package Store. In Turin at Jim Adamsons Landscaping. In Senoia at Farmers and Merchants Community Bankís Main Office; Bank of Coweta; Hutchinson Hardware and Crooks Market Place. In 1996, McKnight rented out an old cotton warehouse in Senoia that has been owned by the McKnight family for decades for $250 a month. The tenant, who was using the building to store "janitorial supplies," fell behind in the rent and when the lease ended he was evicted, but the stored barrels were left behind. On September 4, 1997 the Georgia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received an anonymous tip from someone reporting a chemical smell near the warehouse. According to court documents, the EPA inspector stated, "The containers were not teetering or in disarray ... I smelled no solvent or chemical or odor of any kind." The former tenant got a price quote of $170,000 to have the barrels removed by a private company, but didn't have the money to pay it. On September 23, 1997, without the McKnight's knowledge, a search warrant was issued and a team from the EPA, The Environmental Protection Division and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation met to inspect the building. They declared the warehouse "an imminent fire hazard." Without giving the McKnights a chance to hire a contractor, the EPA had the site cleaned up by a contractor and paid them $800,000. At a public forum a representative from the EPA stated that the EPA had funds to pay for the cleanup. Later they billed the McKnights for the overpriced cleanup. Liens have been placed on all of McKnights property, which has left him without means to pay these huge bills. The case is currently in the appeals process. |
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