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TODAY'S ISSUE
Environmental Center near Mall of Georgia to open in 2006
By Jennifer N. Lull
Director of Marketing
Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center
Special to GwinnettForum.com

APRIL 1, 2005 -- Not only will the new Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center serve as an environmental-education and cultural-resource facility for Gwinnett County's school children, but it will also serve as a working model of resource management for the development and construction communities as the County's first "green" building.

The 54,000-square-foot facility, located on 233 acres across from the Mall of Georgia, is currently being constructed using green building practices to create an environmentally-sound and resource-efficient building. The facility's sustainable design strategies are intended as a model for building water and energy efficient structures.

Key partners in the planned programming of the facility include the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, Gwinnett County Board of Education, and the University of Georgia. Funding for the facility comes from Gwinnett County's 2001 and 2005 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The Center is scheduled for completion fall 2006.

"The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center will be an opportunity to address one of the state's most fundamental water resource needs---the need for public education about water resource issues and other important environmental issues," says Lorraine Green, District 1 county commissioner.

As the county's first 'green building,' it will serve as an excellent example for the development community that the negative environmental impacts of the built environment caused by people and technology can almost be eliminated through the intelligent use of building technologies, Green says.

The Center's architecture will be a working study of resource management and will tell a compelling story about the powerful impact water had on our history, has in our everyday lives, and the remarkable water management challenges that Gwinnett faces in the future.

The building will use current building technologies through selective locally harvested materials, natural daylighting, and ventilation. Walls will be composed of large expanses of glass with operable panels and roof dormers to promote the natural flow of air through the building. Efficient building systems will include water-to-water heat exchanger using reuse water from nearby wastewater treatment plant; environmentally sensitive building forms, allowing 100 percent green roof to manage stormwater runoff; and eight-foot roof overhangs for shading.

The center's design is targeted for a LEED1 (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver-Level Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. As a requirement of the LEED certification program, the Center's site will minimize the disruption to the natural landscape and landforms, allow for parking to be placed on relatively flat areas, and make use of existing road traces.

The site plan includes preservation of greenspace to be used for passive recreation including pedestrian nature trails, bikeways, and greenway corridors. Natural features include Ivy Creek, wetlands, granite rock outcroppings, historic mill remnants, early settlement home sites, a historic bridge, and diverse native plant communities.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Pondering ethical considerations may only grow stronger
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

APRIL 1, 2005 -- One of the hottest topics these days is ethics. You see the subject is everywhere. Just this week, the Georgia Legislature was seeking to adopt stronger ethics laws. It's getting to be standard business news that one business after another is either adopting new ethical guidelines, or defending one of its executives for a violation

Even Congress gets into this, in one sense, by investigating the ethics of baseball when it comes to drug use by athletes.

And journalism is giving itself a black eye as reporters turn out to also be on governmental payrolls, making you question what they and all journalists write. Television news programs, we now learn, have routinely accepted what appears to viewers as news, but really is canned propaganda from governmental agencies.

And the late Terry Schiavo's situation has pushed the field of medical ethics to the headlines over and over.

You may remember Dr. Jim Muyskens, the former president of Gwinnett University Center, now president of Queens College in New York. His field is medical ethics. We asked him to put before us some medical ethical considerations, and were astounded to hear his thinking. Consider these possibilities that he sent down:

When, if ever, is a feeding tube an extraordinary means of keeping someone alive and hence not required. (Tradition says that ordinary means are required but extraordinary ones are not.) Is a feeding tube an extraordinary means if a patient has clearly expressed an interest in not having one? Is it extraordinary if there is some inconclusive evidence that the patient would not want to be kept alive with a feeding tube? Is it extraordinary if medical authorities agree that the person is in a permanent vegetative state?

It is generally believed that reproductive cloning of a human being is morally repugnant. Not only would such a procedure be playing a high risk game with a nascent life, the reasons usually conjured up for wanting a "replica" of another person are typically rejected as bad reasons.

However, there is much controversy about the morally acceptability of therapeutic cloning -- producing cells that match another's and as such have strong therapeutic potential (e.g., with Parkinsons or spinal chord injuries). Is the fact that conducting therapeutic cloning research will hasten the day when someone will have and use this expertise to successfully clone a human (reproductive cloning) a compelling reason to ban all human cloning research?

We have a chronic gap between the number of individuals in need of organ transplants and the number of available and transplantable organs. If the number of candidates for a transplant who meet the medical conditions for receiving a transplant (e.g., a good tissue match, likely to be able to endure the rigors of the process) exceeds the number of available organs, what, if any, non-medical reasons would it be acceptable to offer in choosing who will receive the organ and who will not?

If we were to develop a safe and highly effective pill pregnant women could take that would raise the IQ of their offspring by 20 to 30 points would there be any good moral reason to ban the pill? Conversely, would pregnant women have a moral duty (a duty to their child-to-be) to take the pill? If, in contrast to pills current athletes take we had pills proven to be safe and effective in avoiding stress injuries and enhancing performance, would it be morally objectionable for athletes to take these pills? If there are non-addictive, safe and effective pills (e.g., beta blockers) for preventing stage fright, would it be morally objectionable for performers to pop a pill before a performance? Before a competition (e.g., the Van Cliburn piano competition)?

We appreciate the thoughts of Jim Muyskens. Something tells me that we have only seen the beginning of a long discourse on ethics

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is the Gwinnett County Public Library, named Library of the Year 2000. GCPL currently operates 12 branches throughout the county. The 13th branch, to be in Dacula, is under construction and will open in 2006. Library hours area: Monday -Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m. GCPL offers traditional books, magazines, CD books, and children's DVDs, plus electronic resources such as Million Dollar Database, Mergent Online, Reference USA and Proquest Newspapers. Many online resources are available remotely by computer. All libraries offer wireless Internet access, serving as a remote office via your computer. Gwinnett County Public Library is "not your mother's library." To see why not, visit any branch, www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Back in 2002 I saw a cartoon where a Saudi prince is standing in front of a TV camera with an American flag and a can of gasoline, to film one of those PR ads on how Saudi Arabia is a dependable friend of the United States. The director tells him: "We'll do another take. Only this time leave out the 'death to America' slogan, and don't burn the flag until AFTER the camera starts rolling."

Lately I have been formulating a theory about how just as God has the Jews as His chosen people, so Satan has a chosen people as well, to attack the Jews and God's work at every opportunity. Those people are the Amalekites, originally an Arab tribe from the neighborhood of Mecca. We first see them in Exodus 17, when they staged a cruel ambush of the Israelites, just before they got to Mt. Sinai.

At this stage the Israelites didn't have a formal army, and were slowed down by their women, children and animals. Sound like something today's terrorists would do? Joshua, with some spiritual help from Moses, Aaron and Hur, managed to beat off the attack, and God announced that the Amalekites were now singled out for destruction, for putting a hand on the throne of God. No other enemy of Israel, not even the Philistines, got this dubious honor.

After that battle, the Amalekites went on into Egypt and conquered it, where they came to be known as the Amu or the Hyksos, the "Shepherd Kings." While in the Nile valley, they first worshiped Set, the devil of Egyptian mythology, but then introduced a god of their own, Apep (also spelled Apophis), a flaming serpent that wants to destroy and swallow everything.

Set may have been a villain, but at least he played by the rules; compared to Apep he didn't look bad. Later on the Egyptians told a story about how Ra, the sun-god, has to fight Apep before he can rise at dawn, and in this struggle even Set gets involved on Ra's side! This is NOT a good way to win friends and influence people!

Today the Saudis are the spiritual descendants of the Amalekites, if not biological ones. They come from the same place, and is it a coincidence that the Arabic words for "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" are "Amalekah Arabiah al-Saudia"?

Given the importance of the survivor and disability protections provided by Social Security, any responsible proposal for changing the program must address how non-retirees, such as the children and spouses of deceased workers, as well as disabled workers and their dependents, would be affected. The future security of children and their families depends on it.

John Snyder received the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award by Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation (GCPR) March 23 in Lawrenceville. Snyder, who resides in Lawrenceville, has been a volunteer for close to a decade. His achievements include serving as president of the Grayson Senior Center and on the Gwinnett Vision 2010 Steering Committee. He also played a role in creating the Gwinnett County Open Space and Greenway Master Plan, is a member of the Gwinnett Parks Foundation, and has served on campaigns to support and promote the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) as well.

WIKA Instrument Corporation (WIKA), with USA headquarters in Lawrenceville, has advanced the world of pressure and temperature instrumentation since 1946. Now, in response to the tsunami that devastated Asia, India and Northern Africa, WIKA is advancing the relief effort as well.

The instrumentation manufacturer enlisted the resources of its more than 4,000 employees worldwide to contribute110,000 Euros ($142,682) to tsunami relief, said Alexander Wiegand, CEO. WIKA's subsidiaries in Australia, Benelux, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Austria, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States rallied their staffs to donate a portion of their paycheck.

WIKA's contribution will go towards the construction and operation of a school in the Andhra Pradesh province of India. In addition, the donation will benefit the construction of a girls' shelter. As employee contributions continue to rise, the global corporation investigates additional ways to assist the affected areas.

Where does a local government turn when it needs advice? Enter NASHILL, Inc., the newest collaboration of long-time public officials Wayne Hill and Charlotte Nash. The pair of government practitioners now offers their expertise, gathered from 40 years of combined experience in the field, to local governments. Additionally, the firm will accept a select few private sector clients seeking assistance in working with local governments.

Hill, the former three-term Gwinnett County Commission Chairman, is an icon in the Gwinnett community. He is best known for leading Gwinnett County from 1993 through 2004; a time period marked by continued growth in population, major demographic changes and impressive strides in infrastructure development.

However, Hill has been a force outside Gwinnett County's borders as well. During his tenure in office, he served as chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission, president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, president of the National Association of Regional Councils and was a member of numerous regional and state task forces and committees. Hill was selected as the county elected official to receive the Excellence in Public Service Award of 2004 from Georgia Trend magazine and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.

Charlotte Nash retired in December 2004 after serving Gwinnett County in various roles for over 27 years. Her most recent position was County Administrator, a post she filled for nine years. Prior to her appointment as County Administrator, Nash served as the County's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a decade and its Budget Director for four years. She has an ability to find innovative solutions and is viewed as the principal architect of Gwinnett's successful, decade-long drive to attain the highest rating (Triple A) from each of the three major bond rating firms. In appreciation of her career, Nash was awarded the inaugural Excellence in Public Service Award for county appointed official in 2003 from Georgia Trend and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

A new art exhibit, Colormania, featuring works by the Bethesda Painters Group, opens April 5 and will continue through July 6 at the Centerville Community Center in Snellville.

An opening reception will be held at the Centerville Community Center on Thursday, April 7, from 7-9 p.m. with an opportunity to meet the artists. The exhibit is sponsored by Gwinnett Parks and Recreation.

Works featured in this exhibit include watercolor, oil, and pastels. The Bethesda Painters Group met at the Gwinnett Senior Center in Lawrenceville several years ago while taking art classes, and their many talents bonded them together as both artists and friends. Members of the group include Lois Colborn, Mabel Pugh, Sallie Reinsel, Jean Richardson, Alice Shewbart, and Connie Shriver. The Centerville Community Center, located at 3025 Bethany Church Road in Snellville. For more information call (770) 417-2200.

"Southern Belles Cruise In," a family-oriented car-truck-and bike show, is scheduled for Saturday, April 16 at the Faith Crossing Shopping Center on Highway 78 in Loganville. Hours are from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m..

The event will include "Shine and Show" car show. The entry fee is $10. Enjoy crafts booths, bake sale, prize drawings and many other activities for children of all ages. Live performances will be on stage throughout the day by Clogging Connection.

The event is sponsored by the Clogging Connection, the National Champion Clogging Team from Snellville. All proceeds will go toward Clogging Connection team expenses as they compete and perform at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., as well as the 2005 Junior Olympic Games. For more information, contact Stacy@TheRobinsonAgency.com or by phone at 770.736.0775.

Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Grayson is now accepting applications for the fall enrollment of its God's Little Grove Preschool for children ages 1-4.

The school will offer learning about shapes, letters, colors, the calendar, days of the week, weather, and story time. With weekly themes, the school will explore music, science, language, art time, cooking, and math. Preschool skills will focus on how to get along together.

Life in Georgia in the late 1930's was considerably different from today. Be transported back to that time in the Alliance Theatre stage production of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers, now through April 24. It's an evening staged beautifully, with great performances from Henry Stram as Singer and Rosyyn Ruff as Portia. You'll leave the High Museum theatre with a good feeling after seeing this play. Directed by Doug Hughes, the play is from Rebecca Gilman, based on a novel by McCullers. It's a good night, a real corker, at the theatre. --eeb

ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBIT
4/1: Comic strip Pogo popular for 25 years from Georgia swamp

The comic strip Pogo, created by Walt Kelly, ran in daily newspapers from 1948 to 1973. The strip was set in Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp and was populated by animals talking in a fractured southern dialect. Over the years Pogo often referred to Georgia and to several of the state's locales, such as Waycross, Fort Mudge, and Ware County. In one story line, involving cold war themes, the swamp characters used the state as a counterpoint to the Soviet Republic of Georgia. Overall, Pogo provided the American newspaper-reading public with a humorously stereotyped view of southern life, complete with folksy sayings, strange food (such as chicken foot perloo), corncob-smoking females, and images of chivalrous southern manhood. For the animals of the Okefenokee, the Confederacy still existed, with Jefferson Davis as its president and Richmond, Virginia, its national capital.

For all its superficial identification with Georgia and the South, Pogo was a comic strip written by a northerner for a national audience. In the 1950s it was the most popular daily strip in America, primarily because of its blend of slapstick humor and engaging characters. It was unique for its occasional forays into political satire. Pogo 's most famous target in the 1950s was an odious wildcat named Simple J. Malarkey, who had the unmistakable face of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. Kelly was one of the few cartoonists of the era willing to satirize McCarthy and his bullying tactics. In the spirit of cold-war liberalism, however, Kelly also lampooned the ideas and policies of communism by introducing into the strip a pig with Nikita Khrushchev's face and a goat with Fidel Castro's. Over the years Pogo also critiqued such controversial issues as the South's resistance to desegregation and the turmoil surrounding the Vietnam War. Editors would occasionally censor such topics, either by altering the strip's artwork or by dropping certain political sequences altogether. Some editors simply began to run Pogo on the editorial page.

The comic strip's popularity and satirical relevance began to fade during the 1960s. Some critics have contended that the middle-of-the-road liberalism of the previous decade, which had challenged McCarthyism and communism simultaneously, now appeared to be out of step with the complex problems of the decade.

After Kelly died in 1973, Pogo was continued for a while by Kelly's children, Carolyn and Pete. The cartoon is still being reprinted in books. That the strip's Okefenokee characters live on and are still fondly remembered is perhaps most visible each year in Waycross, which sponsors Pogofest, complete with arts and crafts, street dancing, and visits by well-known cartoonists. The celebration is a fitting commemoration of Pogo and its relationship with Georgia.

"Worrying is like rocking - gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere."

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