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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Middle schoolers face
Environmental IQ Bowl this weekend
By Brenda McDaniel
Special to GwinnettForum.com
LAWRENCEVILLE , March 26, 2004 -- For the sixth consecutive year,
teams from Gwinnett middle schools will vie for the title of Gwinnett
County's Middle School environmental IQ Bowl winner. This year's
competition will take place on March 27, 2004 at Shiloh Middle School
in Snellville.
The Environmental IQ Bowl is a cooperative effort of Gwinnett Clean
& Beautiful and Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS). Connie
Wiggins, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful executive director, says:
"Our bowl provides a way for kids to develop an awareness about
the environment issues facing our growing community."
Jim Steele, chairman of the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Citizen's
Advisory Board, says "The 14 teams that are registered to participate
have been studying for months and have worked hard with their teacher-
advisers to enhance the students' academic knowledge and skills."
in the environmental area.
 Bowl
questions are taken from existing GCPS science books, as well as,
supplementary materials provided by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful.
"We ensure that the information provided for the kids to study
comes from credible, science-based sources," says Wiggins.
"The materials that the students study for the Bowl directly
correlates with GCPS learning objectives."
While the teams will compete for prizes and the top trophy, the
organizers want most of all to teach the kids to have an appreciation
for the environment.
Previous IQ Bowl winners include: :
- 2003 Five Forks Middle School
- 2002 Summerour Middle School
- 2001 Pickneyville Middle School
- 2000 Richards Middle School
- 1999 Trickum Middle School.
Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, along with its community partners,
builds and sustains a healthier, safer, and more livable Gwinnett.
The non-profit organization involves more than 150,000 volunteers
a year on community issues, including recycling, waste management,
air and water quality, litter, graffiti, greenspace, and neighborhood
improvement. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful educates individuals
using science and reason to make a difference and improve Gwinnett's
environment.
For more information about the Environmental IQ Bowl, please call
770-822-5187.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Gwinnett
University Center needs presidency filled pronto
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
MARCH 26, 2004 -- What we have is a clear case of the squeaking
wheel not getting any grease. We refer to the vacancy in the office
of the president of the Gwinnett University Center (GUC). Ever since
founding president Jim Muyskens left the Center on July 31, 2002,
nearly 20 months ago, the Board of Regents has not filled that position.
 In
the meantime, the Board has sent one of its most capable administrators,
Rob Watts, as interim president..
In this position, Watts has won the esteem and affection of many
of the Gwinnett leaders, as he has undertaken his interim role with
good nature, vigor and professionalism. At the same time, the Regents
still have him on their staff as the senior policy adviser to the
chancellor of the system, in particular in regard to two year schools.
But Watts is still essentially splitting time between this staff
post and the GUC interim president's office. The GUC center position
deserves the attention that a full-time president will give it.
Indeed, people in Gwinnett would be most pleased to see Rob Watts
chosen to be the leader at this unique university system campus.
He knows more than anyone in the system about the direction this
center needs to take. Selection of Rob Watts would allow him to
take office and not miss a step in moving the center forward.
However, though the search process was ,once open, at present the
Regents do not have the search process on for filling the position.
We have no idea why they postponed the search. We do know that in
the meantime, the delay in naming the president is cause for concern
in Gwinnett.
Dr. Muyskens was perfect for the position, since he had been the
Regents' point man in conceiving and defining the distinctive Gwinnett
University Center, with several educational units of the University
System offering courses and degrees. He was also an expert in the
high-tech educational field, and able to incorporate many forward-thinking
ideas into the original concept for the Center.
It has paid off handsomely. After all, the Gwinnett University
Center campus, if it stood alone, would be the ninth largest of
the 34 state college campuses. It now has 7,400 students enrolled
in the spring semester, and expects 8,000 students next fall.
The growing enrollment has caused a drastic need for more facilities.
Right now the most important need is for a 160,000 square foot classroom
building and faculty offices, costing some $24 million. This proposal
is in the Regents Capital Outlay program, and is expected to be
voted on by the Regents in June.
A second classroom need is currently being sought from another
fund of the Regents. In its first phase, for $5 million, the proposal
has been endorsed by the Regents, and is now before the legislature,
though not yet funded. These are current needs of the GUC. With
its continued growth, the needs will only grow.
By next fall, unless the Regents move with dispatch, the Gwinnett
University Campus will have operated for two years without a full-time
and permanent leader.
Yet the four year college Center flounders without this permanent
leader, who can plan long range leadership, strategy and vision,
move among the halls of the Regents with dispatch and know-how,
and run the day-to-day operations with solid leadership.
Gwinnett is proud of its four-year college campus. Evidence is seen
in its mounting enrolment just how important it is to this county,
and to students from adjacent counties.
Yet most obvious now, the Gwinnett University Center needs permanent
leadership. The Regents are short-changing Gwinnett without providing
it with full leadership.
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Inc. of Snellville, a company founded in the 1920s. The firm was
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way. Its goal is to build a safe and modern highway system while
preserving our natural environment. Through quality production and
high safety standards, it strives to be the best contractor possible,
while continuing to be a positive influence on its employees and
the community. Internet access is at www.ersnell.com.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
3/23: Wearing wrong
clothes
Another cartoon from the talented Bill McLemore:
FEEDBACK
3/26: Weather spotters
provide early warning for Gwinnett
Editor, the Forum:
Severe Weather Season 2004 has arrived.
Gwinnett County residents have an early warning alerting system
available to them. Gwinnett County Skywarn is a group of about 65
Storm Spotters from all over the county who report to County Emergency
Management and the National Weather Service, in Peachtree City.
They are carefully trained to evaluate severe weather conditions,
and take it very seriously.
There is a free service available to Gwinnett County residents.
They can receive a Phone-Alert and/or Mail-Alert from Skywarn's
automated alerting system. County residents and businesses can go
to www.gwinnettskywarn.com and click to sign up for the alerts.
Up to three phone numbers and three E-Mail addresses can be placed
on each account.
This is an early warning alerting system. The faster we can get
the public alerted, reduces deaths and injuries considerably. And
also remember, it is a good time of the year to change batteries
in weather radios and smoke detectors.
-- A.J. Harrison, Emergency Coordinator, Snellville
3/26: A stretch to
refer to Hannity hear as political posturing
Editor, the Forum:
I understand your point about Sean Hannity, but think it is a stretch
to refer to that as political posturing. The Chamber was just taking
advantage of the presence in town of a well-known once local celebrity
who is very popular. I don't know how the event turned out, but
suspect it was well attended. If, in fact, an equally famous person
of a different political ideology was in town, I assume the Chamber
Would take equal advantage of their popularity and willingness to
appears. As to the Cox/Hannity point, I assume the answer is one
of simple economics---Hannity sells! And even Democrats understand
that.
-- Chris Fluehr, Snellville
3/26: Session was about
bringing money into Gwinnett County
Ediitor, the Forum:
I think you missed the point of the Gwinnett Chamber's hosting of
Sean Hannity at Wild Bill's. I am not a fan of Hannity in particular
but even I can see his mass appeal.
Hannity's presence in the county is not unlike the Cox family including
him on the radio - it's all about the money. Besides, it's not like
they invited Andrew Dice Clay to speak. Hannity is a commercial
success and it makes sense to exploit that for some free publicity
for the county.
They had a tremendous crowd for the appearance. I'm sure a lot
of people stopped by other local businesses and shopped or ate.
Others who had never been to Wild Bill's may come back. People who
heard him on the radio may have learned about the existence of Gwinnett
County (the best county in Georgia).
Isn't it the job of the Chamber to bring money into the County?
Having an equal-time speaker isn't necessarily going to bring money
into the County. If the speaker doesn't have mass appeal, what would
be the point?
Just a few thoughts. Thank you for your articles. I enjoy reading
them.
-- John Karnowski, Duluth
NEWS
3/26: North Gwinnett
Kiwanis to mark 65th anniversary Tuesday
This month marks the 65th Anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of North
Gwinnett. Originally chartered as the Buford Kiwanis Club, the club
changed the name in the late 80's to better reflect the growth of
Buford, Sugar Hill and the surrounding areas of North Gwinnett County.
On Tuesday, August 30th at 6:30 p.m. the Club will mark its 65th
Anniversary at the Bona Allen Mansion in Buford. Present and past
Kiwanians and local officials and spouses will be in attendance.
There will be Past President Recognition, silent auction and hors
d'oeuvres.
Kiwanis International is a worldwide service organization with
clubs in 91 countries and is dedicated to serving the children of
the world. Locally, the Kiwanis Club of North Gwinnett uses its
Vidalia Onion Sales, golf tournament and other events to support
local youth activities, scholarships to North Gwinnett and Buford
High School. In addition to supporting the North Gwinnett Co-op,
Gwinnett Children's Shelter and much more charitable outreaches.
For more information, go to the Internet at at www.kiwanisclubofnorthgwinnett.com
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
3/26: Marietta
native Lucias Clay memorialized by Germans
General Lucius Clay, a native of Marietta, organized the most
remarkable logistical and transportation accomplishment in history,
the eleven-month-long Berlin Airlift of 1948-49. He later became
a successful business executive and a political advisor to Presidents
Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.
In 1961, when the Berlin Wall was built, President John F.
Kennedy called Clay to serve as his representative in West Berlin,
and Clay worked diligently to raise citizens' failing morale.
When East German troops refused to let an American official
back into West Berlin through the wall checkpoint, he ordered
U.S. tanks to the site. Soviet tanks quickly wheeled in to oppose
them on the other side, thus supporting Clay's reason for giving
the order: the Soviets, not the East Germans, were actually
in charge.
The photos of American and Soviet tanks facing each other at
the checkpoint became a famous symbol of Cold War tensions,
but the West Berliners found solace in Clay's presence. Before
he left in 1962, three quarters of a million West Berliners
attended a farewell rally. to raise Berliner's morale. At his
gravesite at West Point is a memorial from the people of Berlin
that reads: "Wir danken demBewahrer unserer Freiheit"
("We thank the defender of our freedom"). To access
the Georgia Encyclopedia, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Home.jsp.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Another difference
between Republicans and Democrats
"The only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans
is that the Democrats allow the poor to be corrupt, too."
-- Oscar Levant, from Jim Dumond.
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