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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Live performance to
mark 3rd birthday of local society
By
JoAnn Pinder
Treasurer
Button Gwinnett Society
Special to GwinnettForum.com
APRIL 19, 2005 -- Several years ago, a small band of Gwinnettians
came together at the 1818 Club to form a society dedicated to discussing
literature, history, nature and just about anything else on which
they could get a speaker.
- A first-time author read from his book and told how it was written
and published.
- A Georgia winery owner shared his wine and the story of his
business
- Several prize- winning, best- selling authors talked to the
club and signed books.
- A historian discussed the history of the Atlanta region.
- A naturalist discussed Cumberland Island, the history and its
future.
Each speaker has been available for questions from the group and
individuals, many times mingling with the group before and after
the presentation. The focus is to be exposed to a new person or
idea or fact, to learn in a relaxed setting, get to know new people
and have a good time.
This organization, named after Button Gwinnett, is not a secret
society. In fact it would love to have more people in the know and
to become members.
It meets quarterly on the second Wednesday of February, May, August
and November at the 1818 Club and is currently accepting new members.
On May 11, 2005, in celebration of the third anniversary of the
Button Gwinnett Society, Mary Todd Lincoln, as portrayed by Kay
duPont, will be the special guest. In a 30 minute play, she will
share her determination when Abe left her at the altar, her pain
when watching her young sons die and her frustration when Mr. Lincoln's
political career seemed to be at an end. She will talk about pushing
her quiet husband hard and her mixed emotions of achieving her life-long
ambition of reaching Washington.
Kay duPont is the author of Loving Mr. Lincoln: the personal
diaries of Mary Todd Lincoln. It was while researching and writing
this historical novel, that Ms duPont lived in Mary Lincoln's heart
and mind enabling her to develop the scenes as a historically accurate
look at the Lincoln's 26 years together.
After the presentation, Kay duPont will return as herself to answer
questions and sign her book.
The meetings of the Button Gwinnett Society begin at 6 p.m. with
a cash bar, light appetizers, and the program, concluding by 7:30.
The 1818 Club is located on the third floor of the Gwinnett Chamber
of Commerce Building at 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. Prospective
members are invited for this third anniversary meeting. Dues are
$100 annually. Membership is open, and residence in Gwinnett is
not a requirement for membership.
The members of the Button Gwinnett Society invite any one interested
to the May 11 presentation by Mrs. Lincoln's to experience the Button
Gwinnett Society. Please let Tracey Mason Blasi, club secretary,
know you will be attending by May 9 by contacting her at tmblasi@bellsouth.net,
or by phone at (770) 963-6909.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Gwinnett
larger than four states, and takes aim at two more
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
APRIL 19, 2005 -- Now that Gwinnett officially is Georgia's second
most populous county, remember, you saw it here first. It was April
13, 2004, when GwinnettForum reported that Gwinnett had passed Fulton
County as the second largest county in Georgia. The date that Gwinnett
made it to Number Two was July 16, 2003, we interpolated.
Census Bureau estimates from July 2004 show Gwinnett has 700,794
residents now, compared to Fulton County having 814,438 residents.
On down the list, DeKalb County is estimated to count 675,725 residents,
Cobb County 654,005 people, and Clayton County had 264,951.
Those of us in Gwinnett, where we had 27,020 more people moving
in during the 12 months starting in July 2003, already know we seem
to see more people every day. Now this makes it official.
For Gwinnett, once hailed as the fastest growing county in the
nation, the "fall" from being the fastest growing is somehow
hollow. After all, those "fastest-growing" pronouncements
are based on the per cent of growth. And as you go higher in population,
even with the same growth, your percent falls.
What has happened is that though Gwinnett is no longer high on
the "fastest growing" percent list, the number of people
moving into Gwinnett has been more than 20,000 each year for many
years.
It's easy to figure. Remember that in 1990, Gwinnett had a population
of 352,910. By 2000, it had grown to 588,448. That's an average
of 23,553 people moving into Gwinnett per year for that 10 year
period. And in the July 2003-2004 year's time, even more, 27,020
people, moved into the county.
So while Gwinnett does not shout with the "fastest growing"
title throughout the nation, the population mounts faster than ever.
While Gwinnett passed DeKalb in population, DeKalb still packs
people in tighter than any county. The population density of DeKalb
is 2,502 persons per square mile. Cobb comes in next, with 1,901
persons per square mile, then Clayton County, at 1,839, followed
by Gwinnett at 1,599. Fulton, comprised of what was once three counties
(including Campbell and Milton), has 1,525 persons per square mile.
* * * * *
It's already been reported that Gwinnett has more people than four
states. Wayne Hill, when chairman of the county commission, once
told a guy in Wyoming that with their population: "If I lived
out here, you would call me governor!"
North Dakota has 642,200 people (April 1, 2000) and is the fourth
smallest state, making Gwinnett larger than it and Alaska, Vermont
and Wyoming.
And Gwinnett, with its growth, in two or three years, will pass
the population of South Dakota (754,844), and even take aim at Delaware
(783,600).
* * * * *
Say, with talk of Sandy Springs possibly voting to become a city,
now there is talk of the Milton area returning to county status.
That would include what is generally known as Alpharetta, really
all of Fulton north of the Chattahoochee River. The estimated population
there is 124,326.
So….if you took that population off Fulton's current total,
why indeed, guess what county would be Georgia's most populous?
Indeed, Fulton would then only have 690,112 people….number
two compared to Gwinnett's 700,794 residents!
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
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public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Brand
Banking Company , headquartered in Lawrenceville, where it has
three offices, with additional branches in Snellville, Grayson and
Flowery Branch. It is the largest privately held bank in Gwinnett,
with assets of $640 million. Member, FDIC and Federal Reserve System.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.
FEEDBACK
4/19: What happened to the traditional American
dream?
Editor, the Forum:
Today, one in four workers hold jobs that pay below $9 an hour,
putting them and their families below the federal poverty line.
Most low-wage jobs lack health care, vacation pay, sick leave or
pension plans.
Middle-class jobs are now taking on similar characteristics, with
little job security, stagnant wages and decreasing health and retirement
benefits. Today employers provide health coverage to only 60 percent
of workers, leaving the employees to pick up more of their health
premium costs.
Less than one-fifth of large and medium-sized companies now pay
the full cost of employees‚ health premiums. Fewer than 20
percent of full-time workers are covered by traditional pensions.
Statistics show that today a middle-aged man is likely to be in
his job for 71/2 years.
What happened to the American Dream that said; if you work hard,
you will be able to take care of yourself and your family?
-- Ralph Greene, Snellville
NOTABLE
Gwinnett
library now offers books that are downloadable
Gwinnett County Public Library now offers downloadable audio-books.
From the convenience of a customer's home or office, eAudio books
can be downloaded to a PC, burned to a CD or transferred to a portable
audio device that supports WMA (Windows Media Audio).
Customers can choose from over 500 titles of eAudio books, with
the list growing each day. Titles include both non-fiction and fiction
and include authors such as Nora Roberts, Mike Connelly, Robin Cook,
Stephen Coontz, Anne McCafferty, Dave Barry, Zig Ziglar, etc. Genre
selections include mystery, science fiction, romance, biographies
and more.
eAudio books are available on the library's homepage but may only
be "checked out" from a home or office PC. A book is checked
out to a customer's library card and downloaded to a portable device
that supports WMA (Windows Media Audio) or PC. The book is checked
out for three weeks. At the end of three weeks the book is "returned"
to the library electronically. There is no need to return the book
and no overdue fees are charged.
eAudio books may be burned to CDs. There is no need for a customer
to worry about copyright laws. Overdrive, the vendor for eAudio
books, has negotiated rights for hundreds of titles. Gwinnett County
Public Library joins over 500 libraries nationally that offer eAudio
books. The eAudio book service also meets the needs of commuters,
travelers, and beginning or visually impaired readers. The over
500 books have been selected by the Gwinnett County Public Library.
There is no processing, no handling, no shelving, and no lost or
late materials fees.
Customers can download a book using a few easy steps outlined on
the library's web page. They install and activate software, browse
and check out a title, download the book, listen and enjoy.
For more information about the eAudio books log on to www.gwinnettpl.org.
CALENDAR
Group sponsors
race night to help adult cancer patients
Win a trip to Las Vegas and support a good cause at the same time!
Sam and Marda Walters of Bold Controls, Inc. are sponsoring the
first "Night at the Races," an indoor horse race to benefit
Conquering Cancer, Inc.
The event will be held at the Bold Controls warehouse, 2750 Faith
Industrial Drive, Buford, on Saturday April 30, from starting at
7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person in advance, or $35 per person
at the door. In addition to the five horse "races," there
will be a dinner, dancing, auction items and a lot of fun!
In 2003 at the age of 52, local businesswoman Shari Powell learned
first-hand what it takes to be a cancer survivor. Never a smoker
and in relatively good health, she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Months of treatment left Powell with the desire to reach out to
others struggling through the ordeal of surviving - from diagnosis
through treatment and beyond. In June 2004, with the support of
her family, Powell launched Conquering Cancer, a 501(c)3 charitable
organization whose mission is to grant wishes for adult cancer patients
in the Metropolitan Atlanta area.
"We are committed to giving back to the community that provided
us with so much help during my treatment," Powell said. For
more details on the organization and/or "A Night at the Races,"
contact Shari Powell at (800) 517-3361 Ext. 201 or visit www.conquering-cancer.com.
RECOMMENDED
READ
- An invitation: What Web sites or books have you enjoyed?
Send us your best recent read along with a short paragraph as
to why you liked it, plus what book you plan to read next. --eeb
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
4/19: Contradictions
abounded in Georgia's original charter
Georgia's Royal Charter contained contradictions. The colonists
were entitled to all the rights of Englishmen, yet there was no
provision for the essential right of local government. Religious
liberty was guaranteed, except for Roman Catholicism and Judaism.
Some Jews landed in Georgia without permission, however, and were
allowed to remain.
Oglethorpe |
The charter created a corporate body called a Trust and provided
for an unspecified number of Trustees who would govern the colony
from England. Seventy-one men served as Trustees during the life
of the Trust. Trustees were forbidden by the charter from holding
office or land in Georgia, nor were they paid. Presumably, their
motives for serving were humanitarian, and their motto was Non
sibi sed aliis ("Not for self but for others").
The charter provided that the body of Trustees elect 15members
to serve as an executive committee called the Common Council, and
specified a quorum of eight to transact business. As time went on,
the council frequently lacked a quorum; those present would then
assume the status of the whole body of Trustees, a pragmatic solution
not envisioned by the framers of the charter. Historian John McCain
counted 215 meetings of the Common Council and 512 meetings of the
corporation.
Twelve Trustees attended the first meeting on July 20, 1732, at
the Georgia office in the Old Palace Yard, conveniently close to
Westminster. Committees were named to solicit contributions and
interview applicants to the new colony. On November 17, 1732, seven
Trustees bade farewell to Oglethorpe and the first settlers as they
left from Gravesend aboard the Anne. The Trustees succeeded in obtaining
£10,000 from the government in 1733 and lesser amounts in
subsequent years. Georgia was the only American colony that depended
on Parliament's annual subsidies.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
There's more than just
hanging around to be successful
"Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left
behind by those who hustle."
- - Abraham Lincoln, via Cindy Evans, Duluth.
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