TODAY'S ISSUE
Doubling driving distance results is impressive record
By Dennis Judy
Technical director
Allgood Pest Services
Special to GwinnettForum.com

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Oct. 18, 2005 -- We were driving around running into people! Imagine my concern when I first came to work for Allgood and reviewed the previous year vehicle accident data that showed a total of nineteen rear end vehicle incidents!

Judy

Our insurance carrier visited frequently with lots of ideas for vehicle safety contests. I had tried contests before with little success. In fact, I thought safe driving was not a "bonus" opportunity, but part of our daily jobs. What were we to do?

The simple answer was to find a way to change poor driving habits. It was obvious that inadequate following distance was our most common trait needing to be altered. With this goal in mind, the "D-D Squadron" was born.

One year later our data showed only one rear end vehicle incident! Wow! This "Double-D" stuff really works!

So just what is "Double-D"? It is our safe driving program that is based on Defensive Driving habits. We stopped talking about "at fault" accidents and started talking about "preventable" accidents. Our drivers were asked to sign a pledge that they would

The Doctrine

"Double the Distance" between themselves and the vehicle in front. Simply put, if you normally leave a two second interval, increase the interval to four seconds. Try this yourself and you'll be amazed by the increased visibility and greatly reduced risk that you will achieve.

We called the pledge our "Driver's Doctrine", and held a formal ceremony for the signing. A special logo was created as a visual reminder of the driver's personal commitment. This logo is used on numerous promotional items, training materials, forms and newsletters that drivers receive from time to time to create awareness.

So how much did it cost? Here is what we have done over the last two years

As you can see the cost over about a two-year span has been less than a thousand dollars. The benefits speak for themselves: improved employee morale, less downtime from accidents, less vehicle repair expense, a decrease in vehicle insurance costs, less risk to our drivers and other people. For less than a thousand dollars and a simple program to implement, the returns have been extraordinary!

ELLIOTT BRACK
Some good news: Renewing license, getting tags is fast!
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

OCT. 18, 2005 -- All too often the news is bad. Let me fill you in on some good news.

If you play it smart, you can quickly re-new your driver's license. A trip to Gwinnett's Beaver Ruin Road license office the other day produced a new license for me in 12 minutes. Really!

"Wow!" I said to myself. I could hardly believe my progress.

The visit started with apprehension. Hearing that I could renew my license online, I went to the Department of Driver Service site (http://www.dds.ga.gov/drivers/DLdata.aspx?con=1742949265&ty=dl) and tried to renew. At first, I hit a wall, since the site asked me for both my last examination date, which was shown on my current license, and for my "RIN Number."What was that? I wondered, and eventually called the Department telephone (678) 413-8400) to find out. It produced a rather rude shock.

"Are you over 64 years of age?" the DDS lady wanted to know. "Yes." "Then you must go into a driver's license exam station to get your eyes tested," she told me.

Shortly I recognized that this was a good idea. At the time, I didn't like that answer. Continuing to talk to her, I got some really valuable information.

"Don't go on a Monday, since we are closed," she said, then added: "The best time of the week to go is on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, when we do less business."

That's why I showed up at 3:55 a recent Thursday afternoon. Stopping at the info desk, I got a number (A153), and saw 19 stations with people being processed. At least that number, or maybe more, were waiting in the perhaps 150 chairs in the large room.

Before I could get settled in a chair, my number was flashing above one of the lines. A young lady in a DDS polo short took my old license, checked to see if the info on my license was correct (I had gained 10 pounds in five years), had me peer into a hooded machine, and soon announced that "I could see."

She handed me back my license, and said I would be called soon. Time I walked to the back of the room and took a seat, I looked up, and a blinking light asked A153 to report to Station 20. Delona DeWitt of Doraville was operating two machines. She got my left, then right index fingerprint, had me sign on a piece of paper which captured my signature, took my picture and said: "Wait over there." Three minutes later, she had my new license ready, 12 minutes after I walked in.

Again, wow! The system, for me at least this time, worked. We can only wish that other units of government would run this smoothly.

* * * * *

Another unit of government also runs smoothly, I learned last week, as I paid my auto license fee online.

It's really a vast statewide system working efficiently. It starts when you get your car inspected. Time you complete the inspection, you can then immediately apply for your tag renewal online.

The same afternoon of the inspection, I paid a small fee to renew both autos. You pay with a credit card.

About a week later, I got my new license plate stickers in the mail! Both our driver licensing system, and renewing your tags, was much, much easier than we had experienced before. Hurrah for the good news!

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FEEDBACK
10/18: Wants benefactors of broken borders to be exposed

Editor, the Forum:

I want to commend Lou Dobbs of CNN for his continued reporting of "Broken Borders" that educates Americans and the world of U.S. border issues, especially in a time that our president continues to state that his number one priority is our security.

I would like to see him report less on the warning signs and more on the causes. The reason I say this is that warning signs should lead us to the causes of why we have "Broken Borders." As we all know symptoms can be treated without ever finding the disease or the source of the diseases and consequently never bringing about the true cure. The cure of our "Broken Borders" must be viewed on the basis of what causes the US to have "Broken Borders" or who benefits from our perpetuating this dilemma.

I believe Lou's apparent emphasis on the warning signs without directly emphasizing the benefactors doesn't incite the public to effectively address the real causes of why we continue to have "Broken Borders." In the most direct terms, the real cause is the love of money, and we must remember that the love of money is the root of all evil. The bottom line comes down to profit.

In Lou's reporting he has surfaced those benefiting from illegal aliens. What we need to do is target those benefiting from these policies and educate the public on where and how to expose them. Then we as a people can then begin to demand real solutions and therefore eliminate our "Broken Borders" dilemma.

-- Richard Dempster, Suwanee

UPCOMING
Foster Children's group has special needs as Yule nears

With the Holidays just around the corner, the Foster Children's Foundation of Duluth has lots of fun things coming up and numerous volunteer opportunities.

If you are looking for something fun for children to do, don't miss the Haunted Train and Children's Halloween Carnival 2005: The Southeastern Railway Museum and the Foster Children's Foundation will be putting on the Second Annual Haunted Train, a fundraising event for both organizations. This event is open to the public and tickets are $10..

The event will continue on October 21, 22, 28 and 29 from 7-11pm. For directions or ticket information, contact us at 770-623-6135 or by email at info@fosterchildrensfoundation.org

* * * * *

Most foster children do not have the means to shop and purchase Christmas gifts for others. At our Annual Holiday parties, we set up a Secret Santa where the children can pick out gifts for their foster and natural parents. While the party is taking place, volunteers wrap the gifts and put tags on them. As the children leave, they pick up the wrapped gifts that they have carefully chosen.

Other Needs:

• We need volunteers to collect gift wrapping items (paper, bows, ribbons, gift tags, tape, etc.) to wrap the presents
• Hygiene products for children ages 0-18.
• Mentoring volunteers who want to make a commitment to mentor foster children. This will begin in a group mentoring environment. We can also use help preparing the programs and putting together the manual.
• Sponsor a Child for Christmas: if you or someone you know would like to sponsor a child for Christmas by fulfilling their wish list, please contact the Foundation.
• Gift Cards: by donating gift cards, foster teens are able to select clothing, make-up and other things they would like to have for Christmas.
  

NOTABLE
County police plan job fair Oct. 22 to fill 75 new positions

The Gwinnett County Police Department is currently seeking to grow its force by about 75 sworn officers and will hold a job fair on Saturday, Oct. 22 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center located at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.

The nationally accredited department is recruiting for the following positions: Senior Police Officers ($35,685 plus $2,000 hiring incentive) and Entry Police Officers ($33,197 plus $2,000 hiring incentive). There are many opportunities available.

Applications and background questionnaires are available online, www.gwinnettpolicejobs.com.

Applicants for police officer must be 21 years or older by the date of hire and must be Georgia residents with no felony convictions.

Suwanee PlayTown wins 2005 top state outreach award

The City of Suwanee's PlayTown Suwanee community build effort has received a 2005 Georgia Downtown Award for Outstanding Organizational Outreach. The award was presented October 6 by the Georgia Downtown Association and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs during the annual statewide downtown conference, held in Madison.

Some 1,200 community volunteers worked more than 10,000 cumulative hours to transform a two-acre site into 10,000 square feet of imaginative fun in just five days during the summer of 2004. The result is PlayTown Suwanee, a community-built playground, which features a magical bus, castle, boat, slides, and swing sets, located at 425 Main Street in Suwanee's historic Old Town district.

The Georgia Downtown Awards were established to recognize individuals, downtown programs, and businesses that have demonstrated unique efforts in making a difference in their downtowns.

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
City of Perry located near "Crossroads of Georgia"

Perry, the seat of Houston County, is sometimes called the "Crossroads of Georgia" because the Interstate 75 and U.S. Highway 41 corridors run north-south and U.S. Highway 341 runs northwest-southeast through the city. According to the 2000 U.S. census Perry's population is 9,602.

Downtown Perry

Originally called Wattsville and founded in 1823, the town's name was changed to Perry in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812. On December 9, 1824, the Georgia legislature approved the incorporation of Perry, the first town in Houston County.

Today, Perry boasts seven public schools and one private school. The original Perry High School, the oldest brick school in the county, is now home to the Houston County Board of Education and contains an exhibit honoring one of Perry's most famous citizens, retired U.S. senator Sam Nunn. Robins Air Force Base, just northeast of Perry, is the city's largest employer.

Perry's crossroads location also makes tourism an important part of the economy. The city has always had many inns and hotels, catering first to stagecoach and then to railroad travelers. Since the opening of Interstate 75 in the early 1960s on Perry's west side, travelers can choose among the typical chain motels and fast-food restaurants that one encounters at any interstate exit. Those in the know, however, seek out the New Perry Hotel. Facing the Houston County Courthouse, the New Perry Hotel was built in 1925, on the site of the original 1870 Perry Hotel.

Other attractions that draw large gatherings to Perry are the 1,100-acre Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, home of the official state fair in October and of numerous livestock and horse events; and the twice yearly Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival, famous throughout the Southeast for its artists, craftsmen, and entertainers.

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

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Analyzing why government sometimes does what it does

"We have government run entirely by people who are beholden to rich people or who are themselves rich."

-- Author Kurt Vonnegut, Washington Post, Oct. 12, 2005.

• 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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