TODAY'S ISSUE
Rainbow Village offers help, hope and a new start
By Betsy Pickrin
Special to GwinnettForum.com

DULUTH, Nov. 9, 2004 -- In the early '80s I owned a condominium in Buckhead. I was single, and I had a number of friends who, like me, were going through transitions of various types. Over the years individuals came to live with me - for a week or for several months - with nothing but their suitcases and their dreams for the future. I began to think of myself as running a home for the temporarily homeless.

In the early '90s I visited Christ Church Episcopal in Norcross. One of the first people I saw was Nancy Yancey. She was the director of a new undertaking called Rainbow House, a different version of my "home for the temporarily homeless". Since Nancy's husband, Jim, had been a colleague of mine at a bank many years before, I took the coincidence to be a sign. I got involved in the project.

It's now 2004. Rainbow House has grown into Rainbow Village with housing in Duluth, Norcross and Snellville. After supporting RV in various ways, my husband, Walt Thompson, and I are now operating as Development Consultants. We are committed to making sure that the offer of a future of promise for families in transition not only continues, but flourishes.

What does Rainbow Village do, really? It provides a holistic approach to breaking the cycle of homelessness. In addition to transitional housing, our Clients receive the stability, structure, guidance and love necessary to become self-sufficient. On any given night, 20,000 people are homeless in Gwinnett County. Over half of the homeless are women with children. They have no place to go. For those people who oppose the notion that the federal government should "take care of" people, Rainbow Village is the alternative. As a 501-c3 non profit, RV exists on state, local and corporate grants as well as individual contributions of money and time.

The paths that bring people through the doors of Rainbow Village are varied:

• a principal wage earner is suddenly unemployed;
  
• a mother flees an abusive relationship with children in tow;
  
• a medical emergency depletes a family's savings.

If you want to renew your belief in miracles, just talk to a graduate. Look at the hope and sparkle in the eyes. Right here in Gwinnett County, lives are changing; children are learning about personal accountability; citizenship is beginning anew.

If you are looking for a spot to put your year-end contributions - one with a proven track record of doing what it promises - look no further. Financial contributions for operating expenses and programs insures that hope will continue to abound. Contact information: Nancy Yancey, executive director, (770) 497-2361 or at www.rainbowvillage.org.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Seattle has its own appeal if good weather
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

NOV. 9, 2004 -- Notes from a recent trip to Seattle, Washington: the excuse for going was a wedding. We took a few more days and again found the city and area a pleasure.

Seattle's Chamber should hire us: while there, the weather was sunny, though cool enough to make a sweater purchase helpful. Being so far north (as far as Newfoundland), the days are much shorter at this time of year, with nightfall by 5 p.m. That's always a surprise!

* * * * *

There is a constant vigilance in the Northwest about the environment, whether having deposits required on drink containers, to alertness concerning re-cycling (even with building materials), to traffic concern, to consciousness about animal rights.

The streets are clean throughout the city, and coupled with the refreshing air, it has a positive influence on you. The leaves were beautiful when we were there. One drawback: the so-called "grunge" clothing look started in Seattle, and can often be seen in the way people dress. That is the most depressing aspect of this city. Perhaps it was the area where we spent the majority of our time (downtown), but chic, sharp dressers were not in abundance.

* * * * *

Most impressive of all the many attractive buildings is the new Seattle library downtown: a modern structure in every detail, with its architecture almost overwhelming you. But it is very functional at the same time. A "must-see" if you are in Seattle.

* * * * *

Traffic in any big city is always a problem, with Seattle no exception. One way they fight it is to encourage people to ride public transit, mostly buses. Seattle has made the downtown business section a free-ride zone, allowing people to hop onto and off a bus at will. Coupled with a frequent ferry system in Puget Sound, transit is complex and extensive in this busy city.

* * * * *

Though Seattle gets less rain (36 inches a year, compared to 48 inches in Atlanta), about nine months of the year Seattle has a constant mist. That makes you wonder about one situation: its football stadium, Quest Field, unlike Atlanta, is an open air stadium. "Beats me why it is open," one guy said to us, as a friend chimed in "You get cold when you go to football games at the stadium." And there's another consideration: Seattle already had another open air football stadium at the University of Washington: Husky Stadium, when Quest Field was built.

What makes it all so ironic is that the Seattle baseball stadium, Safeco Field, has a retractable roof, giving it both open-air during good weather, and a covered stadium during inclement weather.

* * * * *

Arriving a day after election, we soon learned that the State of Washington was in the Democratic column for most offices. Democrats control both Houses. However, still undecided is the governor's race, since absentee ballots do not have to be certified until November 17.

It made you proud of the Georgia system of computer balloting, which has now come through two major elections with little whimper even from people who do not like the machines. Granted, the Georgia election computers have no paper receipt, but look at the results: timely counting of the ballots with no major problems. That's something which Georgia can take pride in….and which Washington could have used in more than one way during the 2004 election.

* * * *

Returning home, we took the "red eye" flight, leaving Seattle at 10:18 p.m. Sunday and landing in Atlanta about 5:45 a.m. Monday. We were more rested than we thought we would from napping on the flight, but still crashed until noon. The late departure gave us another whole day to enjoy Seattle…..a good experience!

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FEEDBACK
11/9: Email message after election from President Bush

(Editor's Note: another reader sent this e-mail message from President George W. Bush after the election. -eeb.)

We had a long night -- and we had a great night. The voters turned out in record numbers and delivered an historic victory.

I want to thank our supporters across this country. At every stop I asked you to make the calls, put up the signs, talk to your neighbors, and get out the vote. And because you did your part, we are celebrating today. Thanks to you, we received more votes than any presidential ticket in history.

America has spoken. And I am humbled by the trust and confidence of my fellow citizens. With that trust comes a duty: I will serve all Americans, so help me God. I am proud to lead such an amazing country -- and I am proud to lead it forward.

Reaching our goals will require the broad support of Americans. A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation. We have one country, one Constitution, and one future that binds us all. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America.

A campaign has ended, and our cause is renewed. The United States of America goes forward with confidence and faith. I can see a new day coming, and I am eager for the work ahead. God bless you all, and God bless America.

-- George W. Bush, Washington

11/9: Kerry campaign gives citizens spirit of patriotism

Editor, the Forum:

I am a proud Kerry supporter and now that the election is over I am also a proud American! There was so much hate and fear throughout this election, too many people voted for John Kerry because they hated George Bush, too many people voted for George Bush because they feared change and way too many people just plain hated both candidates and voted for Ralph Nader. So much hate and division!

Through all the negative attacks what I am left with now is how John Kerry fought back against all that hate with compassion and hope!

Volunteering for John Kerry's campaign was a true blessing! I not only got to learn the true meaning of patriotism, I got to live it! Until now, being patriotic and supporting the government was something I only ever read about in books and John Kerry brought it to life for me and the millions of others that worked with me!

There are some things we never understand and some pain that never goes away but I can tell you that I now support President Bush because that's the spirit of patriotism that John Kerry gave me. We must unite behind President Bush and the Republicans in Congress because there is a challenge ahead of us like none we have ever faced and as loyal Americans we must support the mission of our leaders until it goes against the foundations that this country was built on.

There were no losers in this election and we did reject the negative politics of fear and hate just as President Bush said we would. The final speeches of President Bush and Senator Kerry reminds me of this: Two great enemies met on the field of honor. One was defeated but never beaten and the victor cheered and saluted their opponent as they left the field of battle. Today we are all proud Americans.

-- Brian Stettler, Tampa

11/9: Feels voters had the last word on marriage question

Editor, the Forum:

What do Americans think of marriage? The answer was pretty clear November 2, with voters in several states, deciding by huge margins to preserve in their state constitutions the age-old definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Eleven states in all had marriage-protection amendments on their ballots -- and the measures passed in all of them. More than that, they were approved in most cases by supermajorities ˜ as they were in a handful of other states in recent years. This now makes 17 states since 2000 that have rejected the attempts of gay activists to alter one of the most important, enduring institutions of civilization.

Whether any of these amendments will really protect marriage, of course, is anybody's guess. That's because activist judges will now have a crack at them -- and as Louisiana found out after passing a similar amendment earlier this fall, there are no limits to some courts' ability to overreach when looking to foist a politically correct agenda on the rest of us.

The only weapon to effectively battle such tyranny is another amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

-- Robert Singleton, Alpharetta

(Editor's note: Mr. Singleton: while people speak in elections, laws of this country must get past another test, that of the constitutionality to which you speak, and that comes from rulings by judges. In other words, don't think that the vote was the last word on this and similar measures passed, sometimes, hastily, by voters. -eeb.)

NEWS
Seabrook speaks Wednesday at Button Gwinnett Society

The Button Gwinnett Society will feature Charles Seabrook, who has recently written a book about Cumberland Island, at its quarterly meeting Wednesday, November 10 at 6 p.m. The Society meets at the 1818 Club at the Gwinnett Chamber building on Sugarloaf Parkway.

Guests are invited. Mr. Seabrook, who covers environmental issues for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, will talk and then take question from the floor. The meeting concludes at 7:30 p.m., says Rob Waller, vice president of the Society.

Terry Kay to give reading at Georgia Perimeter College

Author Terry Kay will give a reading on Wednesday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m at Lawrenceville campus of Georgia Perimeter College a part of the inaugural event for GPC's new Writers Institute and its Visiting Writer in Residency program.

Kay, a native Georgian, has a full schedule of events and will be giving readings, signing books, offering a master class in fiction writing and visiting with classes on several campuses.

An award-winning novelist and screenwriter, Kay is best known for his universally acclaimed signature novel, "To Dance With the White Dog," which established him as one of the South's foremost writers. "White Dog" and Kay's "The Runaway" have been made into movies and a recent novel is under consideration in Hollywood.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION
From Janet Gibson of Lawrenceville

"I have just completed The Hornet's Nest by former President Jimmy Carter. As you may know this is the first fictional novel he has written. While it is not going to win any literary awards, I did find the historical data of the Revolutionary War in the South, on which the novel is based, to be both educational and interesting."

• 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
11/9: Sherman's March to the Sea, he said, was statesmanship

The March to the Sea, the Civil War's most destructive campaign against a civilian population, began in Atlanta on November 15, 1864, and concluded in Savannah on December 21, 1864.

General William T. Sherman abandoned his supply line and marched across Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean to prove to the Confederate population that its government could not protect the people from invaders. He practiced psychological warfare; he believed that by marching an army across the state he would demonstrate to the world that the Union had a power the Confederacy could not resist. "This may not be war," he said, "but rather statesmanship."

• To access the Georgia Encyclopedia, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
  

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
One way to go about getting what you want

"A thing worth having is a thing worth cheating for."

-- Actor W.C. Fields (1860-1946), via Roy McCreary, Dacula.

• Another invitation: What's your favorite saying? Share with others through GwinnettForum. Send to elliott@gwinnettforum.com.
  

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

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