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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Norcross youths erect
house for Mexican family
By Greg Pugh
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Greg Pugh, 18, is a recent
graduate of Norcross High, and will be attending the University
of Georgia this fall to study economics and computer science.
He is the son of Amy and Mike Pugh.-eeb)
AUG. 5, 2003 -- For our eager group of missionaries from Christ
Church Episcopal of Norcross, the early morning began on a good
note as we arrived at Hartsfield on June 22 for our mission trip
to Juarez, Mexico. One of our checked bags weighed over 80 pounds,
but upon seeing the Casas Por Cristo (Houses For Christ) shirts
on our backs, the attendant at the America West ticket counter waived
the additional handling fees.
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Several
members of Christ Episcopal Church journeyed to Mexico recently
to help erect housing. Among those going were Sarah Franzen,
Greg Pugh, Daphne Gary, Tiffany Gary, Terry Franzen and Jim
Strong.
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After a brief stop in Phoenix, we landed in El Paso and proceeded
to investigate the local culture, primarily a stop at Wal-Mart and
Chili's. After a restful night's sleep in the sanctuary of a generous
local church, we made the short drive over the border to Juarez.
At New Jerusalem Church, our home for the week, we met the group
of Mexicans from Estancia that would be assisting us with the house.
We also met our contractor, Jessie, the only member of our group
with any real confidence in our ability to build a house in four
days.
Build it though we did. Along the way we learned more than basic
construction skills and the Spanish word for most everything you
can find in a hardware store. We learned that just because you don't
speak the same language as a teammate doesn't mean you can't make
a great team.
We learned that with plenty of teamwork and a little faith, ten
people with absolutely no construction experience can build a pretty
impressive little house. We learned that one can find exceptional
cuisine at burrito stands attached to convenience stores. Most of
all, we gained an intense appreciation of the blessings that we
enjoy, and the desperate need for those blessings to be shared.
Our house was to be built for the Rodriguez family. They consisted
of a gentleman of about 70; who until recently had lived in a school
bus on a half-acre lot with his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and
their eight grandchildren. The engine and tires of the bus had long
since been sold, but in an effort to spruce up the house for our
arrival the younger Rodriguez's had built a porch on the back of
the bus and constructed a small awning to offer some shade.
Indoor plumbing was nonexistent, and dogs, chickens, and pigs roamed
the property. There was enough room in front of the bus for us to
build the 250 square foot house for the Rodriguez's family. At the
close of the week we held a dedication ceremony to present Señor
Rodriguez with his new home. His wife unfortunately could not attend
as she was undergoing surgery all week. As tears streamed down his
face Señor Rodriguez thanked us profusely and we all knew
that the days of heat, sunburn, and hard labor had all been worth
it.
For more information on Casas Por Cristo, a non-profit organization
dedicated to helping the homeless in Juarez, visit http://www.casasporcristo.org.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Former
governor found solutions with his technique
By Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
AUG. 5, 2003 -- Solving a problem can take many routes. Often you
know the answer yourself, though it takes something to trigger the
answer out of you. Suddenly, viola! There's the solution.
That's the way Roy Barnes remembers getting started in solving
the many issues of government when he took office about five years
ago. Barnes coupled a high-tech device, the computer, to help his
chief aides realize they often had the solution to their problems
inside them all along.
"When I took office," Barnes was remembering on Friday
from his law practice office on the square in Marietta, "I
told the various department heads that if wanted to have an appointment
with me, the only way they were going to get on my calendar was
to send me an e-mail. They could outline in the e-mail a summary
of what they wanted to talk about, and we could go from there. But
I emphasized that was the only way they were going to get an appointment."
Barnes admitted that this also gave an insight on how proficient
the various department heads were with this new tool called a computer.
Remember, that was five years ago, and communicating with e-mail
via computer had not progressed as far as it has today.
Yet Barnes got far more out of this arrangement than he thought
he would. For the principle benefit that his various departmental
leaders got out of this practice of getting e-mail appointments,
turned out to be entirely different from what many of those department
heads may have anticipated.
"What they found," Barnes said, "Was that when they
really got into this, and put down the various points they needed
to talk to me about, why many times the answer to their particular
problem jumped out at them! They solved their own problem, and really,
did not need to see me.
That's often the case. Time you outline your points, the solution
comes to you."
The former governor benefited from this concept. "The State
of Georgia did. We all learned," the governor maintains.
Today Barnes' first floor office looks out onto the Marietta square.
People walk by on the sidewalk. They often nod or wave at him, and
he waves back. He likes to give out his address these days as "On
the Square, next to Blimpie's," he says, chuckling at the "prestige"
of the address.
He'll be in this location for about a year, as he builds a permanent
office on the parking lot of his former law office. Gwinnett readers
may know that his "partners", both attorneys, are his
daughter, Allison, and her husband, John Salter. (John is the son
of Berkeley Lake Mayor Lois Salter.)
Barnes still lives in the same house in Mableton, making the 20
minute trip to the county seat in Marietta each day. He has settled
into his practice of law, going about the routines of an attorney,
often out for early-morning meetings, busying himself with erecting
a building, and watching politics from afar.
For the first six months out of office, he was a pro-bono attorney
with Atlanta Legal Aid. Today he seems relaxed and content, no longer
solving the problems for Georgia, but now concentrating on the problems
of his legal clients.
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of the firm is Wayne Mason.
FEEDBACK
8/5:
School reporting procedures have inherent conflict
Editor, the Forum:
That other 'educrats' in Georgia have followed Gwinnett County
in under-reporting disciplinary data is apparent in the dearth
of persistently dangerous schools in our state.
The extent to which such under-reporting has occurred remains
the primary issue. The resolution of this issue is a critical
yet problematic benchmark on the path to our goal of safe, learning-friendly
schools.
How to determine the number of serious disciplinary, even criminal,
incidents
occurring in public schools assumes problematic status in light
of the fact that most school systems' reporting efforts are
subject to no external scrutiny. While some systems utilize
deputies answerable to their respective county
sheriffs to enforce disciplinary and criminal codes, most rely
upon school resource officers answerable to their site administrators
or central office personnel.
Even a blind person could see the conflict of interest inherent
in such an arrangement.
I've worked under such an arrangement and it stinks. Worse
yet, it's dangerous for our children and frustrates their learning.
We can do better. Our kids certainly deserve no less.
-- Craig Spinks, Augusta
8/5: Why more runs are being scored in major leagues this year
(Editor's Note: You might
be interested in this comment from Jerry Queen, formerly of
Lawrenceville, who won five state championship sfrom 1976-85
in baseball at Marist School of Atlanta.)
Editor, the Forum:
Why are there more runs scored today in major league baseball?
Everybody, even the mid to lower level teams, seems to be scoring
lots of runs this year. Baltimore has gone from 4.5 runs per
game in 2002 to 5.1 in 2003; the Mets have gone from 3.96 in
2001 to 4.1 in 2002 and 4.3 in 2003. Kansas City, a division
leader, has improved from 4.55 to 5.7 since last year.
Baseball or the umpires have reduced the width of the strike
zone and the hitters are finely figuring that out. A pitch four
to six inches off the plate should have never been called a
strike, but the one six inches above the belt should be.
A hitter cannot possibly reach a ball six inches outside and
also be prepared to hit a ball over the inside corner. Now,
a ball six inches above the belt is a different story; it requires
only quicker hands and not an impossible task.
The strike zone should be a vertical rectangle and not the
square or horizontal rectangle that been called prior to this
year. My theory: years ago when baseball saw the decline in
top of the line pitchers, the strike zone was increased to compensate.
It worked!
Pitchers who could consistently control an 84 mph fastball
(no more than high school speed) just off the plate began to
win. Too much of a good thing backfired. The umpires moved the
zone out a quarter of an inch a year and no one noticed until
it got too far.
Give it another two years and the wide zone will be back. A
political analogy---too many folks have short memories!!
-- Jerry Queen, LaFayette, La.
NEWS
Oberholtzer
announces for mayor of Snellville
Jerry Oberholtzer, who has served on Snellville City council
since his election in 1999, announced Monday his candidacy for
mayor of Snellville.
"With the announcement by Mayor Brett Harrell that he
will not seek
re-election, I am announcing that I will be a candidate for
mayor," said
Oberholtzer. "For the past four years, Snellville has made
great progress
and I am campaigning on our record of achievement and as the
best candidate
to continue moving Snellville forward."
Oberholtzer stated that the theme of his campaign will be continuing
property tax relief for Snellville homeowners, revitalizing
the US 78
corridor and continuing to improve the quality of life in Snellville.
Jerry Oberholtzer was elected to the Snellville City Council
in 1999. He and his wife, Roxann, have three sons, Jerry (18),
Matthew (16) and Paul (14), and
attend St. Oliver Plunkett Catholic Church in Snellville. Jerry
received a BSCE Degree from Clemson University and is currently
a Senior Civil Engineer with Merrick & Company.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Ever consider why
dogs sniff the ground all of the time?
"Dogs need to sniff the ground; it's how they keep abreast
of current events. The ground is a giant dog newspaper, containing
all kinds of late-breaking dog news items, which, if they are
especially urgent, are often continued in the next yard.
-- Columnist Dave Barry
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