|
TODAY'S
ISSUE
Celebration Saturday
to mark Brand Bank's 100th anniversary
By Lauren Anderson
Special to GwinnettForum.com
JUNE 14, 2005 -- It's not everyday that any company can mark a
100th anniversary. Join The Brand Banking Company as it marks its
100-year anniversary with a celebration in downtown Lawrenceville
June 18 from 1-9:30 p.m. There will be entertainment, food, fireworks,
games --- and three grand prizes, including a $10,000 cash prize
for one lucky winner.
The celebration will be on the courthouse square in downtown Lawrenceville.
To register to win the cash and prizes, complete an official sweepstakes
entry form found at any of the six branch offices. Then drop the
entries in the ballot box at any Brand Bank location by noon on
Monday June 13, 2005.
In advance of the 100-year celebration, three individual ballots
will be drawn. All three individuals are automatically winners and
must be present on the day of the celebration. Those three people
will receive a combination to the safe - one being the winning combination
that unlocks the $10,000 cash prize.
The two runners-up will be awarded either a box suite at the Georgia
Dome for the 2005 ACC vs. SEC bowl game, or a box suite at the Gwinnett
Arena for an upcoming concert.
"With five branches in Gwinnett county (and one in Hall county),
we are proud to say we are the oldest locally owned bank in Gwinnett.
Backed by a century of traditions, we offer a unique style of banking,
combining old-fashioned personal service with sophisticated financial
services," said Craig Meeks, Sr. Vice President, Brand Bank.
"It is what has kept us in business for 100 years. This 100-year
celebration is one way to say a great big thanks and to show all
of our customers, employees, colleagues and business partners that
we have appreciated their business and look forward to continuing
to assist them with all their financial needs for at least another
century."
The Brand Banking Company grew from a little country bank to a
financial institution with 187 employees and assets of more than
$700 million. E.M. Brand founded Brand Bank in 1905. One son, C.H.
Brand, was elected to the U.S. Senate and another, L.M. Brand, stayed
and operated the bank along with his daughter Louise and son-in-law
Bartow Morgan.
Bartow Morgan III took the bank into the next generation; his wife
Patricia Morgan Thomas still serves as vice chairman of the Board.
Their son Bartow Morgan, Jr. is the current chairman and CEO. He
holds leadership positions with more than a dozen nonprofit and
community organizations. Morgan's brother, Brand, is active on the
firm's board, and his sister, Laurin, is a consultant to the bank's
compliance group. The bank's assets have more than tripled in the
past ten years.
For more information on The Brand Bank, or its 100-year celebration,
visit www.thebrandbank.com.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
A reminder: Burning, watering bans still in
effect in Georgia
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
JUNE 14, 2005 -- Let's catch up on several items of the past few
days.
Yes, there is a general ban on burning throughout Georgia these
days. A reader asked, and we checked with the Gwinnett Fire Marshal,
Tim Eckenwiler.
This is nothing that was recently voted in, but an effort by the
Georgia Environmental Protection Agency to ensure a better quality
of air in Georgia. Tim says that the ban on burning is from May
1 until September 30 of each year.
With the upcoming Dog Days, and the often-accompanying stillness
of the air, plus often having a temperature inversion, all add together
creating an atmosphere for "bad air." Throw in someone
burning trash, and there is a problem.
So, halt the burning, and contribute to all of us being able to
breathe better.
And yes, we also have a statewide ban on excessive watering. Depending
on your house address, even numbers may water on Monday, Wednesday
and Saturday, while odd numbered addresses water on Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday.
Note no watering on Friday.
* * * * *
Let's hear it always for free speech, you may not be surprised
to hear from me. Yet one version of free speech bugs me no end.
 I'm
talking about the free speech some retailers from South Carolina
are using in advertising their sale of fireworks. We understand
that at several locations near Atlanta, including a billboard off
Buford Highway at Norcross-Tucker Road, the billboard encourage
people to come to South Carolina to buy fireworks.
That's a protection (by our first amendment) that these retailers
use to say and promote firecracker sales openly.
However, they don't tell the total story. For while it is legal
in South Carolina to sell fireworks, it is illegal to transport
what you buy back over the Georgia line. And it is illegal to shoot
off fireworks in the State of Georgia.
A recent slight change by the Legislature allows "sparklers"
in Georgia. But as one police officer told me, "If it bangs
or shoots up in the air, it's illegal in Georgia."
Fireworks are the norm in public shows (with permits), and often
heard in neighborhoods around the fourth of July, or New Year's
Eve. We can live with that. But at other times, they are illegal
in Georgia.
* * * * *
The third annual "Gwinnett Reads" program will have "an
evening with Connie May Fowler" on Saturday, June 18, at 6:30
at the Gwinnett University Center.
The program begins with a light dinner followed by comments from
Ms. Fowler and a question and answer period. She will sign books
at the conclusion of the program. Guests may purchase copies of
Ms. Fowler's books at the event. .
She is author of the book chosen for the Gwinnett Reads series,
Before Women Had Wings. It is a story of human triumph, of the spirit's
ability to move from pain to strength and of the factors that enable
such movement to take place. It has won the 1996 Southern Book Critics
Choice Award for Fiction, the 1997 Francis Buck Award from the League
of American Penwomen, and was nominated for the 1998 International
Dublin Award for Literature.
Other events include a book discussion on Thursday, June 16, 7
pm and Saturday, June 18, 2 pm at Barnes and Noble at the Forum,
5141 Peachtree Parkway, Norcross.
Reservations for the evening should be made by calling the Gwinnett
County Public Library at 770 822 4522.
* * * * *
So you think English is the universal language? Guess again. In
fact, there are almost three times as many people speaking Mandarin
Chinese, (873 million) which makes it the most popular language
in the world, based on 2004 estimates. Coming in second is Spanish,
with 322 million speakers. English is in third place, with around
309 million. (The Christian Science Monitor.)
Other languages in the top ten include Hindi, 180 million; Portuguese,
177; Bengali, 171; Russian, 145; Japanese, 122; German, 95; and
Chinese (Wu), 77. All this via the World Almanac.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Graphic Communications
Corporation of Lawrenceville, a dynamic full-service print,
large-format inkjet and photographic output, fulfillment, point-of-purchase
and multi-media communications company. The firm has a digital media
and graphic design department for both print and Internet use that
creates web sites, as well as authors and reproduces interactive
CD9s. Graphic Communications' biggest strength is its ability to
meet tight deadlines along with the ever-present demands for high
quality and attention to detail. This ability makes the printing
process seamless for its clients. Three of it's greatest competitive
advantages are: 1) listening, 2) being organized for speed, and
3) being detail fanatics. All of its associates are committed to
giving customers exactly what they want, when they want it. Simply,
at Graphic Communications, the customer's needs are the driving
forces behind everything it does, from investment in technology
to the friendly voices that still answer the telephone. For more
information, go to http://www.gccprint.com.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.
UPCOMING
Sugar Hill
Business Alliance to meet Wednesday night
The quarterly meeting of the Sugar Hill Business Alliance will
be on Wednesday, June 15. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Sugar
Hill Community Center.
Gwinnett county Police Officer Kelly Perkins of the Crime Prevention
unit will talk on "loss prevention" at the meeting.
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP via email to bridgettjorgensendmd@yahoo.com.
Chamber announces finalists
for Small Business of the Year
Five finalists have been named for the 23rd Annual Small Business
Person of the Year Award, sponsored by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
The luncheon will be held on Monday, June 20, at the Atlanta Marriott-
Gwinnett Place. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. The program will
begin at noon.
The five nominees for this prestigious award are:
- Bruce & Dee Arnett- Carnett's Car Washes
- Roger Green - Green Financial Resources, LLC
- Dr. Bill Williams- Suwanee Dental Care
- Grace Williams- Grace M. Williams, CPA, PC
- Louis Young- Columbia Engineering & Services, Inc.
Keynote speaker will be David Snell, vice president/corporate secretary
of E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc., a family owned business and one
of the largest prime contractors in the state of Georgia. He will
discuss how this local company has assured the continuity of success
for over 82 years and through more than five generations of family
members.
The 2005 Selection Committee members are Robert Andoh, regional
director, University of Georgia Small Business Development Center;
Sal Ajani, president, Ajani Investments, Inc.; Lee Wood, CEO, A.L.
Grading Contractors, Inc.; David McMullen, president, redpepper,
LLC; and Ted Fluri, senior vice president, commercial banking manager,
Wachovia Bank.
For more information on the Small Business Person of the Year or
to make reservations for the luncheon, contact Meghan Schroder at
770-232-8816 or meghan@gwinnettchamber.org.
Cost is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. Advanced registration
is required.
Coalition seeks sponsors
for 6th Great Day of Service
The Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services, a 501c3 non-profit
agency, is seeking sponsors, volunteers, and participating agencies
for the sixth annual Gwinnett Great Days of Service. The event will
take place October 28-29, 2005, at many locations throughout Gwinnett
County. In 2004, 78,000 volunteers worked on over 200 community
projects. Past projects have included landscaping, re-stocking food
pantries, painting, school supply and food drives, building playgrounds
and many more.
The coalition is seeking assistance in the following ways:
- Sponsors are needed to underwrite the minimal costs of this
event. Sponsorship levels are available to meet every budget.
- Agencies can submit project ideas on the website. Every non-profit
agency in Gwinnett should have at least one service project for
the event.
- Individual volunteers or volunteer teams can register for a
project on the website or contact us for more information. Teams
can include families, churches, civic groups, youth groups, and
others.
- Donations are needed in the "Dollar makes a Difference"
Campaign. The fundraising campaign will kick off in September
to help raise funds for future events.
For more information about how you can be involved, please contact
Rachael Shaikun, at rachael@gwinnettcoalition.org
or 678/377-4137. Or contact the Gwinnett Great Days of Service website
at www.gwinnettgdos.org.
Ex-Snellville councilman
to run for seat in legislature
Former Snellville City Councilman Melvin Everson announced his
candidacy for State House District 106. The current representative,
Phyllis Miller, accepted a judicial appointment after serving only
five months of her two-year term.
Melvin was a member of the Snellville City Council, three times
being elected unanimously by the other council persons to serve
as Mayor Pro Tem.
The next two special election dates are scheduled for June 21 and
September 20. The Governor's office will issue a writ of election
which will stipulate the election date. Under 21-2-544 in the Election
Code, the election date cannot be set less than 30 days nor more
than 60 days after the issuance of the writ.
Melvin currently serves as an appointee to the Gwinnett County
Planning Commission. He served five years on the City of Snellville's
Planning Commission and four years on the Snellville City Council.
He is the Men's Ministry Coordinator and an associate pastor of
Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Lilburn, and a probation officer
with Professional Probation Services in Lawrenceville. He graduated
in 1983 from Albany State University with a BS in Criminology.
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
More goat herds raised
for meat being seein in Georgia
Rural residents in Georgia have raised goats for many years. Goats
provide food products and cash income and in some cases serve as
pets. Goats are generally of three types: those that produce large
quantities of milk, those that are raised for meat, and those kept
for fiber (mohair and cashmere). In Georgia very few goats (Angoras)
are kept for fiber production. Pygmy goats often serve as pets and
show animals.
 According
to the 1997 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) census there were
approximately 1,300 goats kept on 106 farms in Georgia primarily
for the production of milk. Georgia does not rank in the top ten
states in total number of dairy goats; California, Texas, Wisconsin,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York lead the nation. Most dairy goatherds
in Georgia are located in the northern part of the state and will
yield an average of 1,800 to 2,400 pounds of milk per goat during
the animal's lactation period.
Raising goats for meat is a rapidly growing agricultural enterprise
in Georgia. Although common goats have been kept for meat for many
years, since the mid-1990s there has been a rapid increase in the
number of new enterprises for the commercial production of meat
from goats. The 1997 USDA census estimated between 38,000 and 40,000
meat goats on about 1,790 farms in Georgia.
Several factors have contributed to this growth. First, the number
of people in Georgia who consume goat meat is expanding from year
to year. Second, several new breeds have been introduced that have
greater muscle mass and grow faster than the brush goats formerly
seen in Georgia. Third, the merits of goat meat as a very lean product
are becoming more widely recognized. Fourth, goats can fit well
with other agriculture and farm enterprises, thus diversifying farm
income-a risk management strategy.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Corn, soybeans as fuels
might mean something different
"America continues to search for alternative sources of energy.
Companies now are making fuels made from corn and soybeans. This
is amazing. You know what that means? Our cars will have healthier
diets than we do."
-- Talk show host Jay Leno.
SEND
YOUR FEEDBACK
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
===========================================
MORE: Contact Gwinnett Forum at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
© 2005, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum
is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett
County, Ga. USA.
|
