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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Lyra String concert
ends philharmonic series on May 18
By
Cathy Grogan
Special to GwinnettForum.com
MAY 7, 2004 -- The Gwinnett Philharmonic Association will bring
Atlanta's premier string quartet to the stage of the Performing
Arts Center on Tuesday, May 18. Lyra String Quartet will perform
at 8 p.m. as part of the 2004 Gwinnett Philharmonic Presents Series.
Gwinnett Philharmonic music director Monte Nichols says: "This
is what a really first-class string quartet sounds like. They'll
remind us why we love music so much."
Lyra String Quartet is currently the Resident String Quartet at
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. The members of the Quartet teach in
various faculty positions in Spartanburg and Greenville, S. C.,
and perform as members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. While
based in Atlanta, this unique "across-state-line" connection
allows the Quartet to serve a wider audience and to facilitate a
larger role in the Southeast.
They have performed throughout metropolitan Atlanta, at Georgia
State, Kennesaw State, and Emory University, the University of Georgia,
Reinhardt College and Spivey Hall.
They have been guest artists of St. Luke, St. Philips and Holy
Innocent's Episcopal Churches, the Atlanta Music Club, the Brightstar
Music Festival in Charlotte, N.C,, and the Atlanta Suzuki Institute.
In addition to their active performing schedule, in six years,
this dynamic quartet has built an impressive record of metro area
educational outreach by performing, coaching and teaching literally
thousands of students of all ages from grades 4-12 in more than
50 school appearances. Lyra String Quartet can also be heard on
their CD released in 2001.
- Judith Cox, a founding member of Lyra, is a violinist with the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She has performed throughout the U.S.,
in Hong Kong City Hall and Sai Kung, as soloist with the Cincinnati
and Indianapolis Symphony orchestras, and orchestrally throughout
Europe.
- Raymond Leung, a native of Hong Kong, is a member of the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of Lyra. He has performed
throughout the Far East, the U.K., Europe and the United States.
- John Ravnan was recognized by Chamber Music America as one of
the nation's leading chamber music educators and invited to participate
in their first Educator/Ensemble conference. He was also a member
of the viola panel at ASTA's National Studio Teachers Forum at
Indiana University.
- Kenneth Law, violoncello, received undergraduate and graduate
degrees in
performance from the Eastman School of Music and Cleveland Institute
of Music, and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody
Conservatory, and served as a chamber music teaching assistant
at the Juilliard School from 1994-96.
Tickets for the concert ($10-$29.50) are available through Ticketmaster
and from the Gwinnett Center Box Office by calling 770-813-7600.
To save handling fees, visit the Box Office in person at 6400 Sugarloaf
Parkway in Duluth. The Gwinnett Philharmonic's Season Presenting
Sponsors are Primerica Financial Services and Scientific-Atlanta,
Inc. Additional support is provided by the Gwinnett Convention and
Visitors Bureau, Ernest Communications and the Metropolitan Atlanta
Arts Fund. This concert is presented by the corporate and individual
members of the Gwinnett Philharmonic Association. Potential members
can join by contacting 770-418-1115.
Visit the Philharmonic online at www.gwinnettphilharmonic.org
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Bob
Wood surprises many by jumping into chairman's race
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
MAY 7, 2004 -- The race for chairman of the Gwinnett County Commission
became a little murkier this week as Bob Wood qualified to run as
a Democrat. Up until the last day of qualifying, it looked like
a newcomer, Jamil H. Imran of Norcross, would be the only Democrat
running for the post until Wood qualified.
 With
his high name recognition, the Norcross Realtor could become the
Democratic nominee. But can a Democrat win in Gwinnett? Wood thinks
so: "I figure a small percent are hard core Republican, and
a small percent are hard core Democrats, and party is important
to them. But a majority of the people care less about a party, and
I feel I can do a better job because my heart is in a better place
than my opponents."
Three people are running for chair as Republicans, including Chairman
Wayne Hill, District Commissioner Marcia Neaton, and Rep. Charles
Bannister.
Wood, who has served one term on the Gwinnett School Board, including
one year as chairman, has been a political gadfly, running often.
He has been a candidate previously for commission chairman, as both
a Democrat and Republican; for state representative; for governor;
and for the U.S. Senate. As a Democrat, he lost a race for chairman
when Hill was first elected in 1992.
Wood says that he got in the race this year when he realized that
the Democrats were not fielding a candidate with county wide name
recognition. "I figured that that meant that the Republican
would lead the county for the next four years, and weighed all that,
and felt that I could do a better job than any of those three Republicans,
so I qualified."
He adds: "I can work with the four Republican commissioners,
for I am more conservative than they are."
Wood has been a Realtor in Gwinnett for 36 years. A native of Aiken,
S.C., he is a graduate of Georgia State. He began work as a part
time real estate salesman at Caswell Realty with J.D. Caswell in
1969, and a few years later formed his own company. He now has offices
in Norcross, Buford, Lilburn, Loganville and in Jefferson. His firm
sells about 1,000 homes a year, and holds the license of 700 agents.
He says he would run the county considerably differently. "Lots
of tax dollars are virtually given to developers. For example, when
the county runs a sewer line into an area, that jacks up the prices
of homes, and developers and insiders have a heyday buying and selling
land.
"I would like more services for already-developed areas, like
fixing potholes, more recreational opportunities, even fewer trailers
at schools. And I think it is good to have a chair who has the experience
as chairman of the board of education." Wood lost a bid for
a second term on the school board in 1988.
Wood enjoys campaigning. "It is an extraordinary learning
process, you get to meet nice people, and you learn how politics
runs."
What will it take, in dollars, for Wood to win? "It's hard
to say. How the primary ends will be the determining factor. A person
with decent name recognition could beat Mr. Hill with $100-150,000.
And yes, I will have enough money, for I will use my own money if
I have to."
Wood emphasizes that if people wanted to give money to his campaign,
he would "not take it if they expected any favors from me.
I will not cater to special interest groups. My whole life has steered
my way to be independent. Bankers can't bug me, the Chamber can't,
politicians can't....though my wife (Martha) can..." he laughs,
about the moment his wife calls him on his cell phone.
Overall, assuming he wins a primary election, Bob Wood feels he
can win the chairman's post in the General Election since he is
counting on a better positive-negative recognition. However, he
admits: "You have to massage that as you go."
He adds: "Few people know I am running now. But people get
more interested the closer you get to the election."
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McLEMORE'S
WORLD
5/7: Price of milk
brings new views
The latest from cartoonist Bill McLemore:
FEEDBACK
5/7: So-called business
"rights" are merely a red herring
Editor, the Forum:
The whining of smokers who say it is the rights of businesses that
are being destroyed is a true red herring. Business rights have
nothing to do with it. Smokers just want to smoke regardless of
their consequences to others.
I have no problem with people smoking in their own home. What gets
to me is when their "rights" affect my right to breathe
healthy air. Ever wonder why most people, as well as organizations
like the CDC, oppose the 'rights' of business owners to pollute
the environment and to ruin people's health? It's because it is
the right thing to do.
… Should a business owner have the right to use fireworks
for a rock band in their club?
… Should a business owner have the right to have only one entrance
to their building; after all it's their building.
… What about the right to not have a fire alarm?
… The right to have unsanitary conditions in their kitchen?
… The right to serve alcohol to minors?
Anti-smoking laws fall into the same category of public health,
and when it comes to public health, I will certainly take the word
of reputable studies in this area, instead of that of the recently
deceased CEO of a major tobacco company who to his dying day (last
week) said that smoking was not harmful.
-- Jim Nelems, Norcross
5/7: Concerned about
possiblity of us closer to Armageddon
Editor, the Forum:
I have been reading and listening to a lot of verbiage concerning
the USA being very close to Armageddon," because this is already
a fallen country. Sunday, I listened
to a sermon about this, and the minister said that the rest of the
world was not far
behind us.
In my opinion, this was the only mistake the preacher made. I think
the rest of the world has already fallen and the USA is being the
last one to fall. Hopefully, the minister was right and the USA
is just falling like Rome did for the very same reasons, but I don't
think so...it's a fallen world.
-- Roy McCreary, Dacula
BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
From political pundit
Bill Shipp
"I have just finished reading Richard Clarke's 'Against All
Enemies.' It was more gripping and scary than any fictitious spy
novel I've read lately.
And I have just started Bob Woodward's 'Plan of Attack.'"
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
5/7: Garden Club of
Georgia dates back to founding in 1928
The Garden Club of Georgia was officially established on June 7
and 8, 1928, at the Biltmore Hotel in Atlanta. For this inaugural
meeting, Mrs. Robert L. Cooney of Atlanta (later to become the editor
of the Garden History of Georgia ) served as honorary president.
 Following
the formulation of a slate of officers, Mrs. Phinizy Calhoun of
Atlanta was elected as the organization's first official president.
A year later the Garden Club of Georgia held its first annual convention
in Augusta. It was at this meeting that the primary aims of this
newly established organization were announced: "To promote
a love of gardening for the amateur and the professional; to protect
our native trees, wild flowers and birds; and to encourage a regard
for civic beauty in our various communities."
To access the Georgia Encyclopedia, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Where you can find
best place to get a chance to succeed
"There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and
those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is
less competition there."
-- Indira Gandhi, former prime minister of India.
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