TODAY'S ISSUE: Losing 18 Pounds Mainly By Eating Right
ELLIOTT BRACK: Grayson Citizens Working Hard to Get Own Library
NEWS ITEM: State Labor Commissioner To Be in Gwinnett August 21
TODAY'S QUOTE: A Scientist Views The Question of Basic Research

"Basic research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing."

-- Wernher von Braun (1912 - 1977).

7/20: Gulley on Gwinnett Reads

7/9: Long on using puppets to teach

7/2: Gelbrich on Providence Canyon

6/22: Terry Manning on Winn BBQ

© 2001-2003, Gwinnett Forum.com is Gwinnett County's online community forum for commentary that explores pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.

PHONE: 770.840.1003
EMAIL: elliott@gwinnettforum.com

Site designed and maintained by
The Brack Group.

TODAY'S ISSUE
Seeking change in vitals, result is also great weight loss
By the Rev. Coy H. Hinton Jr.
Senior pastor
Duluth First United Methodist Church

JULY 29, 2003 - - In 28 years as a United Methodist pastor I have been asked to write or speak about many things, but this is a first - writing about weight loss.

Let me give you some background. Several weeks ago Elliott Brack and I were at a luncheon and he overheard me talking about the weight I have recently lost. He later contacted me with a request that I write about how I did it. This article is the result.

Last November I went to my physician for my annual physical. At 56 years of age things were changing. If you are near my age, you possibly know what I am talking about. My weight was not really too far out of line, but my bad cholesterol and triglycerides were too high - both in the upper 200s.

He said that in three months he wanted me to return to his office for more blood work. If things had improved, I would not need to begin taking medication to correct the problem. If not, I would probably join thousands of other Americans who are already taking medicine.

My doctor made the following suggestion. Take three months and reduce carbohydrates and desserts drastically. Now carbohydrate reduction was not too difficult, but I never met a dessert that I did not like.

Starting after Christmas I drastically cut back on bread, potatoes, and rice to the point of almost none. I absolutely and completely cut out desserts. So what did I eat? Salads, lots of salad. I also ate beef, chicken, fruit, nuts, eggs once a week, and oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast. I drank skim milk and a little fruit juice, but not too much since it has so much natural sugar in it. I didn't even think about a soft drink unless it was sweetened artificially. I drank a lot of water.

One other thing that I do is exercise. That is nothing new for me. I go the gym at least two times a week and occasionally three times a week. Each visit consists of about 30 minutes of stretching and weights followed by 45 minutes on the step machine. I have done this for years and love it.

So what happened? I went back to the doctor in early April. My bad cholesterol had gone from 290 to 205; triglycerides from 280 to 95; and weight from 197 to 180 . The cholesterol is still a little high, but not high enough to take medication. I am working to lower the bad cholesterol by November when I have my next physical.

Now in July the weight is still at 180, I watch my diet and exercise, but I must admit that occasionally I do eat a bowl of low fat, low sugar ice cream.

This is not intended as medical direction. Everyone is different. Talk to your doctor before you make any major changes. But I must admit, with dedication and discipline it is working for me.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Grayson residents working hard to get own library
By Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com

JULY 29, 2003 -- Judging from all taking place, we would venture that Grayson is definitely coming into its own.

While the 'Greater Grayson' area has been a hot real estate market for housing for the past few years, now the area's residents are beginning to feel their political muscle, and realize that they can achieve if they work together.

Latest effort is the depth that Grayson area residents feel about a library. Long denied the "next" library as other communities secured library funding, now Grayson is ready to do something, if necessary, on its own. (Many Grayson residents utilize library services from Lawrenceville and Snellville now.)

This follows several other recent Grayson initiatives:

• Honoring veterans, something distinctive and most appropriate, with a recent parade
  
• Being the first town in Gwinnett to ban smoking in public places.
  
• Unifying large parts of the county in an effort to build a handicapped-access park within the Bay Creek area.
  
• Rallying around the new Grayson High School, off to a good start, with the unifying forces of parental involvment.
  
• Initiating the first-in-the-county foundation centered around its Grayson High.
  
• Recognizing the past through the honoring of former graduates of the old Grayson High School.
  
• Purchasing additional park/green space using city and SPLOST funds.
  
• Using a house adjacent to an existing park for an Arts and History Center.
  
• Protecting the "charm" of Grayson via an overlay district, enhancing and protecting the area. Sign and architectural regulations also help this effort.
• As you can see, people in Grayson are busy. Through link to its past, it shows the heritage that Grayson has enjoyed in the life of Gwinnett County.

This new effort to move forward with an association of individuals promoting a library of its own is particularly commendable. Realizing the sterling impact that a library has on the vitality of its citizens, Grayson area residents have long yearned for a library. They have seen the communities of Suwanee, Centerville and Dacula get on the list for a library, long after Grayson has asked for consideration.

However, now the Library Board has included a Grayson library in its long range plans, while also approving design funds for this library. However, no library is yet authorized. Should Gwinnett voters pass a SPLOST proposal in November, 2004, it's anticipated that a Grayson library would be authorized in 2005, and opened in late 2006. It is anticipated that a Grayson Library will cost $5.5 million to build, and will have annual operating costs of approximately $1.5 million. Land for the library is already designated, at the triangular intersection of Grayson Parkway, Rock Springs and Bennett Road (near a present "road closed" designation.)

Now local citizens are moving toward development of an alternative "Book Exchange. This effort could culminate in donated space, borrowed shelving, and re-cycling of books belonging to
local residents. Though commendable, this will not take the place of a full-service library, complete with a wide range of periodicals, reference materials, best-sellers, children's classics, literary standards and simple escape reading.

It's good to see Grayson citizens band together for what they perceive as a common need for a full service library.

MORE: Contact Gwinnett Forum at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com

© 2003, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.