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TODAY'S
ISSUE
New water plant work
plan calls for little disruption
By
Neal Spivey
Special to GwinnettForum.com
JULY 13, 2004 -- If you build a major water treatment plant and
pump station and install miles of large pipelines, people will notice.
Spivey |
But, if you try to minimize disturbances during construction, make
sure the end result blends with the community after construction,
and keep nearly everyone happy throughout, then you've accomplished
something. Gwinnett County met just such a challenge when it began
expanding its water system in the summer of 2001.
The expansion involves several major construction projects (listed
below), which give the County redundancy in its water supply. To
inform the community about individual projects, the Department of
Public Utilities (DPU) created LANCOOL (Lanier Community Outreach
and Liaison), which kept people posted on activity through community
meetings, a website, newsletters, and more.
LANCOOL explained many of the steps DPU took to preserve the environment
around the lake and diminish disruptions during and after construction.
In the design phase, DPU staff considered numerous factors associated
with construction-visuals, noise, dust, and other aesthetics. The
staff's goal was to alleviate the community's concerns over the
cumulative impacts of multiple projects in a small area. With these
projects now nearing completion, it's worth reviewing specific ways
these concerns were addressed.
Shoal Creek Filter Plant
A vegetative buffer, as wide as 100 feet in many areas, surrounds
this new, state of the art, 75 million gallon per day (mgd) water
treatment facility. This helps reduce the amount of noise and lighting
experienced by neighbors. To further minimize noise, the County
chose equipment that generates less noise, such as lower speed pump
motors.
Additionally, the lighting in the parking area and around the site
focuses groundward to limit the "glow" often seen around
large facilities where lighting isn't covered. Recognizing what
a commodity water is now, the "backwash" water used to
clean filters, which remove particles from treated water, is returned
to the treatment process meaning more potable water for county residents.
During construction, the County took special measures to keep dirt
and silt on site. These included silt fences, stormwater detention
ponds, and vehicle washing stations.
Raw Water Intake & Pump Station
The pump station sits on a small peninsula with the intake several
hundred feet away in Lake Lanier. But you won't see either from
the road or the water. Submerged more than 40 feet below the lake's
surface, the intake quietly pulls in raw water. Mesh screens cover
the intake to keep out fish and debris.
A thick band of vegetation preserves the view of the peninsula
from the water, and with the pump station almost entirely underground,
its presence goes practically unnoticed. Surface openings face upward
to help dissipate any noise from the site. There is a small support
building, which is designed to blend with the natural surroundings.
Additional trees and vegetation will be planted along the station's
driveway.
Water Lines
Perhaps most visible of all the LANCOOL projects were the water
lines. Criss-crossing open country and several well-traveled roads,
these large lines connect the new plant to the existing one, to
the pump station, to the community. After installation, the County
repaved roads, seeded yards, and planted vegetation to help restore
the areas.
Tying the projects together and letting people know about road
closings, blasting, and other construction activity through LANCOOL
was key to developing and maintaining good community relations throughout
the expansion. Plus, it shows a utility can undertake major capital
improvement projects and, for the most part, satisfy the community's
concerns whether they're the environment, traffic, or just the everyday
inconveniences of modern life.
Visit www.lancool.com
to learn more.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
"Founding
Mothers" gives great insight into revolution
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
JULY 9, 2004 -- Putting history into perspective makes sense. Suddenly
events mean more when you have additional background.
 Being
required to take religious courses when at Mercer was something
students of my day did not like. But suddenly, after studying the
life of the church, Charlemange, for one, made more sense. (And
I ended up with a minor in religious studies.)
History is put in perspective when reading Cokie Roberts' new book,
"Founding Mothers: the Women Who Raised Our Nation." It
a wonderful book by itself, but mainly, it gives us a new dimension
on the history of our infant nation, one we really should not be
without.
You know Cokie Roberts from appearances on radio and television,
covering the nation's capitol. Now she has taken this background,
and added insight into our history, and turned out a classic that
we predict will be a prize-winner in books circles. It has already
been widely accepted and hailed by readers. It's good.
One reason is that Ms. Roberts often injects her views into the
scope of history. For instance, she will give you the accepted theory
about some instance of history, then add perhaps only one comment
that tells you a lot, like, "Fat chance." It makes the
book one to savor.
Primarily, Ms. Roberts gives us insight into the lives of our founders
in view of the support they received from their wives. Indeed, the
fight for our independence was lengthly, essentially a long six
year war. Much of battling went on within a relatively short front
between Philadelphia and New York. (Washington had early on re-taken
Boston from the British.) And so often the wives were around, either
because they lived in this area anyway, or often they accompanied
their husbands into encampments, especially over the winter.
So in addition to various other ways the women of the Revolution
were helping, they were many times at their husband's elbow, darning
their uniforms, cooking their meals, and livening up the encampments.
Ms. Roberts concentrates on individual women, and gives us lots
of facts, often whole chapters, concerning them. One lady she depicts
with great depth is pretty Peggy Arnold, wife of the traitor, Benedict.
Though Washington, Hamilton and LaFayette of the Revolution never
realized it, Ms. Arnold was in on assisting the British and being
herself a traitor as was her husband from the beginning. However,
she stoutly denied this during those days, and was looked upon as
a victim of the treacherous Benedict. Yet after the War, the couple
lived in England and Peggy Arnold was granted a continuing stipend
from the Crown for her "services."
How many of us in Gwinnett even know our namesake's (Button Gwinnett)
wife's name? Cokie Roberts tells us it is Ann Gwinnett, and gives
insight into this former first lady of Georgia.
After her husband was killed, Ann Gwinnett kept up correspondence
with Georgians in Congress, and with John Hancock, signaling that
the officers of the Georgia militia were not to be trusted, and
were Tory sympathizers. And as Roberts notes, it must have been
at least close to truth, since later Savannah surrendered to the
British, and the British occupied the city.
These and other insights await you in Cokie Roberts' delightful
scholarship. (The book is fully annotated.) If you are anything
of a history buff, enjoy "Founding Mothers." With her
contribution, our history is in more perspective.
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FEEDBACK
7/13: Raises questions
of new Gwinnett dog playing grounds
Editor, the Forum:
It's nice that Gwinnett will have a dog park, but there are a couple
of concerns I have. Although I'd love to take my dogs to such a
place, I'd have some fears. One, that someone would accidentally
leave the gate open after going in and my dogs could escape. Maybe
they've built the gates in a way to prevent this, but since I've
never been to a dog park, I have no experience with how this works.
Another concern is that unleashed dogs just might not get along
with all the other dogs. My own dogs get along great with each other,
but sometimes introducing another one into the mix can be very tricky.
My hope would be that only very responsible people with well-trained
dogs would go to this park, but we know that won't happen. So, what
happens when fights break out?
And another concern about the park is that people with un-neutered
and un-spayed dogs will go there. What's to prevent more litters?
We kill 90,000 - 100,000 unwanted animals a year in metro Atlanta,
so this kind of situation could exacerbate our already horrendous
overpopulation problem.
And therein lies my last concern. Shouldn't the county have spent
the money used for the park on spaying and neutering every animal
adopted from the county shelter before it goes to its new home?
Fulton County does this, so why can't Gwinnett? To release an unspayed
or unneutered animal from the shelter is just not smart. There's
no way the shelter can enforce 100 percent compliance with the state
spay/neuter law for animals adopted from shelters.
So, on goes the merry-go-round. Some get off and more get on. The
only way to stop this is to make sure no animal leaving the shelter
will be able to breed.
-- Louise Stewart, Norcross
7/13: Wants to take
America back by backing Kerry and Edwards
Editor, the Forum:
This is a call to make a serious commitment to take America back
from greed and selfish interests. It is time to bring back the values
that once made America the most admired country in the world, not
because of its power, but because of its compassion, honesty and
altruism.
I believe the Kerry-Edwards ticket is our best chance to get America
back. We need to support a president who will get our jobs back,
who will fight for affordable health care for those who need it
most, someone who cares for the environment and will not allow us
to become hostages to Middle Eastern oil, someone who will make
America a safer place to live, not through the "colonialistic"
bullish attitude that has earned us the world's hatred that is constantly
placing us in jeopardy. Let's put sanity back in the White House.
-- Monica Hayden, Lawrenceville
NEWS
7/13: Isakson opens
Senate campaign office in Lawrenceville
U.S. Representative and Senate candidate Johnny Isakson announces
the opening of a field office in Lawrenceville. Isakson is the only
candidate in the race with experience representing Gwinnett County,
as well as a running a successful business in the area.
The office, located at 225 W. Crogan Street in Lawrenceville, will
be a rallying point for Isakson supporters to obtain information
and materials, and launch volunteer activities in support of the
campaign. Gwinnett residents interested in getting involved should
contact Laura Frey at 404-705-8822 or laura@isakson.net.
BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
7/13: From Lawrenceville
attorney Jones Webb
"At the present time, I am reading The Noise Never Dies
by Col John A. Adams of Norcross. Colonel Adams is a great fellow
and a personal friend which makes the book even more interesting.
In this book, of approximately 130 pages, Colonel Adams recounts
his experiences during more than 30 years in the Air Force and especially
in Viet Nam during the peak of the war.
"John was commanding officer of TAN SON NHUT U S. Air Force
Base and witnessed and felt the pulse of the war. The frustration
of the military forces, commanders and enlisted alike, is pointed
out from his personal contacts with the men involved. Colonel Adams
served with many of the leading players in the war during his Air
Force career.
"John lives in Norcross with his wife, Martha. The book is
selling for $10 with all the proceeds going to his church. The book
can be purchased for $10 from the First Baptist Church of Norcross
or by writing or calling John, at 3006 Reps Miller Road, Norcross,
770-449-4756. There is a $2 charge for mailing. Read it; you will
like it. Proceeds benefit the church.
"I have just bought a new book, Shadow Divers, by Robert
Kurson. Atlanta Journal review prompted me the order the book. It
tells the true story of two divers who dive off the coast of New
York to explore an unknown and unidentified wreck in extremely deep
water. During the course of the story, the divers learn that the
wreck is that of a German submarine, which was sunk during the war
with no records kept of its identity. I have not started the book
but I know it is going to be good."
- An invitation: What books have you enjoyed? Send us
your best recent book along with a short paragraph as to why you
liked it, plus what you plan to read next. --eeb
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
7/13: Why Georgians
speak English, and not Spanish
On July 7, 1742, English and Spanish forces skirmished on St. Simons
Island in an encounter later known as the Battle of Bloody Marsh.
This event was the only Spanish attempt to invade Georgia during
the War of Jenkins' Ear, and it resulted in a significant English
victory.
Bloody Marsh |
General James Oglethorpe redeemed his reputation from his defeat
at St. Augustine, Fla, two years earlier, and the positive psychological
effects upon his troops, settlers, other colonists, and the English
populace rallied them to the cause to preserve Georgia.
The consequences of this battle were considerable. The brave stand
by Oglethorpe's men restored their confidence because the Spanish
no longer seemed indestructible. Conversely, the morale of the Spanish
suffered greatly, resulting in retreat and a reluctance to undertake
future campaigns into the region.
Oglethorpe's daring actions and use of effective tactics reestablished
his military leadership. On an imperial level, citizens throughout
the colonies and in the homeland rejoiced at the repulse of the
Spanish invasion of British North America. This decisive English
victory represented the last major Spanish offensive into Georgia
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Manner in which some
folks look at matters is strange
"Some folks are dissatisfied with free enterprise if it doesn't
work perfectly, and satisfied with government if it works at all."
-- Economics Professor Daniel B. Klein, Santa Clara University,
via Marshall Miller, Lilburn.
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