TODAY'S ISSUE
Use of new pervious pavement is urged for surface lots
By Gordon Kenna
Executive Director
Georgia Concrete and Products Association
For GwinnettForum.com

SEPT. 30, 2005 -- The Atlanta region is urbanizing land at a faster rate than any other area on earth. One important effect of this rapid growth is that there is a dramatic increase in impervious surfaces, as previously vegetated areas are paved over or placed under roof.

This change in land cover has a dramatic and negative impact on the water quality in area streams and rivers because storm water picks up pollutants, such as silt, fertilizers, pesticides, oil, grease, and other by products of human activity.

According to a recent study done by Georgia Tech for a NASA research program, the largest proportion of our impervious surface is surface parking. Among metro counties, Gwinnett is predicted to have the greatest percentage of impervious surface. Most of our urban design and development practices have been built in such a way as to pipe this water directly into streams to travel downstream as fast as possible.

This practice deprives soil of moisture, upsets the natural stream hydrology, and causes local flooding when pipes fail or become clogged. In the coming era of water shortages, we should plan now to build in such a way as to keep more of our rainwater for our use before sending it downstream.

An innovative and relatively easy way to keep our rainwater longer for beneficial use is to use pervious pavement for more surface parking areas. Pervious concrete pavement allows rainfall to percolate through the pavement into the soil. Its porosity is achieved through the exclusion of fine aggregates, such as sand, from the mix of Portland cement, larger aggregates, and water.

By creating gaps in between the aggregate, water is allowed to permeate the concrete and reach the surface beneath it. Surfaces constructed with pervious pavement should be viewed as a storm water management system rather than just an alternative paving material. In clay-like soils found in much of Georgia, rainwater needs time to percolate into the soils or slowly weep off to adjacent areas. This is accomplished by the use of drainage media placed beneath the pervious pavement. Pervious pavement not only leads to better water quality, but also allows greater land use efficiency when detention ponds can be reduced or eliminated.

As a relatively new material in the Atlanta area, many local governments, engineers, designers, and concrete contractors are interested in learning more about how to permit, design and install this material. While pervious concrete has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a best management practice for storm water management it is not suitable for all pavement applications.

For example it is not used for high speed, heavy traffic volume or heavy vehicle loads. Pervious pavement should be designed so as to minimize erosion of water and other materials across the site. Clogging does not occur on sites that are properly designed and maintained. It is not difficult to install but it is different, so contractor training is important.

When combined with appropriate landscaping, the use of pervious concrete helps to reflect heat (due to its color), promotes more vigorous tree canopy growth, and conserves water by making rainfall more readily available for plants.

The Georgia Concrete & Products Association (GC&PA) has taken a local leadership role as a resource and clearinghouse for training, information, technical support for pervious concrete pavement. GC&PA also supports the appropriate use of pervious concrete pavers as a storm water mitigation strategy. More information is available at www.gcpa.org or www.pervious.info.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Scot author brings good nature, laughter to Atlanta group
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

SEPT. 30, 2005 -- Some of you enjoy the writing of Alexander McCall Smith, the Scot novelist who was visiting the Margaret Mitchell House of the Atlanta History Center Monday night. The author of several series of children and adult books, he gained fame worldwide with his The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, featuring the lives of people in Botswana.

Among other books in the series include The Kalahari Typing School For Men, and In the Company of Cheerful Ladies. His current book just released is Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, part of a new series for the prolific author.

The beauty of Smith's writing speaks to the essence of characters, as he tells of the simple daily pleasures, and involves his readers in the everyday problems of people. You come away from a McCall Smith book feel good about mankind.

In person, the author is extremely funny, far better than most stand-up comedians on television. He kept a packed house at the Mitchell House roaring with laughter, from the way he told his stories, to his planted descriptions that often ended up the punch lines.

At one point, an audience member raised a question of the author usually writing from a woman's point of view. His immediate response: "Well, as you can see from my uniform (of a kilt), I do wear a skirt."

One of his continuing characters is Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni,, who ends up engaged to the heroine, Precious Ramotswe, in his first book of the Botswana series and who, after six more books, still has not become married. Finally, he hitches the two in book seven. All the time, every reference, he keeps calling the male character by his full name, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni,.

A questioner the other night asked about this characteristic of the series. Smith had an immediate answer, realizing that even when a child, everyone called the boy J.L.B., so when he attained manhood, everyone continues to refer to him as Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni. Then the author added: "And it will always be that way in my books."

But then he granted the audience that he would let only them in on the character's real name. Smith said that he would tell the full audience this "confidentially," which he explained meant that "You can tell only your closest 100 friends about it. If I were telling you this in strictest confidence, that would mean, of course, that you could tell your closest friends this tomorrow."

So what does the initials JLB stand for? "John Limbobo Basilî Matekoni." Then the author explained that the reason he kept referring to him as J.L.B."Is that he is embarrassed by the name of Basil," as the audience erupted again in laughter.

There. Only readers of GwinnettForum know this secret. And we relate this in strictest confidence, which means you can't tell it to anyone until tomorrow, as per instructions from Alexander McCall Smith.

* * * * *

Other top-flight authors will be coming to the Center for Southern Literature at the Margaret Mitchell House in coming weeks. The schedule shows:

October 8: John Berendt - The City of Falling Angels.
October 12: Nora Roberts - Blue Smoke.
October 15: Allen Barra - The Last Coach: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant.
October 18: Barbara Ehrenreich - Bait and Switch. The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream
October 25: Ernest J. Gaines - Mozart and Leadbelly

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's featured sponsor is Gwinnett Community Bank of Duluth, Member, FDIC. Tom Martin heads this bank, which operates out of its facilities on Buford Highway, near the intersection of Rogers Bridge and Old Peachtree Road. The Duluth office number is 770-476-2775. There is also a Suwanee location at 3463 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road in Suwanee. The phone number for the Suwanee branch is 770-497-5252. The third banking location in Snellville opened for business May 16, 2005. The address is 2135 E. Main Street, #120, Snellville. The phone number for Snellville is 770-495-5490. The web site is http://www.gwinnettcommunitybank.com/defaultx.html.

For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm

McLEMORE'S WORLD
Hands-on president

FEEDBACK
9/30: Explains concept of telephone-ringing 101 for us dummies

Editor, the Forum:

I loved the pet peeve in Friday's posting!! ("Why does the voice mailbox ring a minimum of three or four times before the machine picks up?") Here is my answer since I have spent the last 15 years of my life working in telecom (primarily voicemail) and I feel confident in my qualifications to speak on the matter.

Voicemail systems do not take breaks, go to the bathroom, do their nails, or put their boyfriends on hold to take your call, as was often the case with the former office receptionist that many systems replaced. The systems are not perfect replacements to the receptionist, however, as they do not make coffee, either. This may be why many offices now have both voicemail and a receptionist. No matter how much we automate our lives, business is about people, and will always be.

In order for your office line to have voicemail, that signal must be forwarded to the voicemail mainframe. This is done by 'condition'. Most office phone systems or PBX's have three conditions by which they forward calls: 1) busy, 2) no answer or 3) all calls forwarded. If the line is busy, forwarding is generally automatic and immediate with one or no rings. If the line is not answered it will take a pre-programmed number of rings, typically 3-5, before forwarding to voicemail. If all calls are forwarded, a feature often used by savvy users when on vacation or out of the office for extended periods, calls are transferred immediately.

Another common misperception about phones is the ringing itself. When I place a call to home from my office, my office PBX or phone system generates the ringing which I hear in my ear piece at my desk. After the call is successfully routed to my home, the ringing heard at the other end is actually coming from the Central Office of the Bell South location where my home line is connected to a much more robust version of an office PBX, which is still really just another computer. The ringing a caller hears is called "ringback" in the industry, while the ringing a called person or party hears is simply referred to as "ringing" to help those of us inside the lines so to speak, differentiate between the two. Perhaps by using this, we can start a trend of getting some answers to some of our pet peeves!

-- Roger Hagen, Lilburn

(Thanks, Roger. That clears it up….at least for your techies. Some of us are still in the dark. -eeb)

9/30: Finds unwanted surprise when opening yearly gas bill

Editor, the Forum:

I just received notice that my natural gas bill will go up from .899 per therm to 1.459 for a fixed rate for 12 months. This is a 62 per cent increase!

The working class people of this country are not going to be able to afford this! We must let it be known that we will not allow this type of price gouging. We must demand a solution.

We elect public officials to ensure that the best policies and laws are passed and enforced to protect us from price gouging. The producer of natural gas continues to make huge profits and now they will make even more and we the people will continue to have limited choices.

-- Richard Dempster, Suwanee

(Dear Richard: De-regulation of natural gas has brought about one alternative, which may not help, though. At least you are now not tied to a single gas supplier, but may sign on to be billed from different suppliers. And some suppliers of natural gas charge lower rates than others. But with the recent hurricanes in the Gulf coast interrupting all oil production, including natural gas, prices will probably be higher this coming year. Sounds also like you pay a flat rate all year. Those on the market rate could get changing prices 12 times a year, up and down, where you pay the same but hear about it only once a year. Also looks like your higher rate was determined before the impact of the recent hurricanes. But remember, the higher prices eventually hit us all. -eeb)

NOTABLE
Gwinnett Place CID plans major sidewalk paving project

Leaders of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (CID) are seeking funds to complete certain sidewalk projects to better access and safety for those walking near Gwinnett Place.

Gwinnett County Transportation Director Brian Allen has received a priority list for sidewalks requested for key travel areas. These sidewalk projects include:

• Venture Parkway from Pleasant Hill Road to Mall Ring Road.
• Market Street from Satellite Boulevard to Venture Parkway.
• Old Norcross Road from Pleasant Hill Road to Steve Reynolds Boulevard.
• Crestwood Parkway from Pleasant Hill Road to Pineland Road.
• Venture Drive from Pleasant Hill Road to Steve Reynolds Boulevard.

Project funding would come from $4 million in voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) dollars allocated to install sidewalks in revitalization areas. The Gwinnett Place CID represents one of the revitalization efforts eligible for the funds.

The Gwinnett Place projects are estimated to total slightly more than $1.9 million. The top three projects are considered the most vital for initial completion. These first projects would likely total less than $700.000, which is the amount of initial CID-proposed discretionary funds.

Gwinnett Place CID Executive Director Dave Rosselle said the list of priority sidewalks was generated with input from the CID's Board of Directors as well as participants in a recent walkability workshop conducted by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

RECOMMENDATION

• An invitation: What Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus what book you plan to read next. --eeb
  
  
  

GEORGIA TIDBIT
Macon's Otis Redding one of most influential soul musicians

In just a few short years, Otis Redding (1941-1967) became one of the most admired and influential soul musicians, and he is still praised by many as the greatest popular-music vocalist ever to call Georgia home.

Redding

Born on September 9, 1941, in Dawson, Redding moved with his family to Macon when he was three years old. In order to offer financial help to his struggling family, Redding dropped out of Macon's Ballard Hudson High School in the 10th grade and went to work as a member of Little Richard's rock-and-roll band, the Upsetters.

Redding released "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)" and then in 1967 with Aretha Franklin's cover of his song "Respect," which became a major pop hit. Redding's crossover appeal to white audiences expanded with the release of "Try a Little Tenderness" and his version of the Rolling Stones' hit song "Satisfaction."

In 1967 Redding-with the help of Stax Records guitarist Steve Cropper, of Booker T. and the MGs-wrote the ballad for which he is best known, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." Unfortunately, Redding would not live to see the song's success. On December 10, 1967, he was killed in a plane crash in Madison, Wis. Released three months after his death, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was Redding's only number-one recording.

In 2002 Redding was honored in Macon with a seven-foot statue, which was unveiled at Gateway Park, the trailhead for the city's Ocmulgee Heritage Greenway. In December 2003 Rolling Stone magazine included five of Redding's records among their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time": Otis Blue (1965), The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (1966), Live in Europe (1967), The Dock of the Bay (1968), and Dreams to Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology (1998).

He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

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

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Even when big physically, little men have trait in common

"Conceit is God's gift to little men."

-- Bruce Barton, 1886-1967, advertising executive and author.

• 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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