Note to readers: Beginning today, GwinnettForum will suspend Friday publication for the next three weeks. Editions will be published on Tuesdays on Nov. 1, 8, and 15. We will resume normal publication on November 18. Thank you for your understanding.--eeb

TODAY'S ISSUE
Local ballerina wins 2005 Princess Grace Dance Award
Holley Calmes
Special to GwinnettForum.com

OCT. 25, 2005 -- On October 26, 2005, at New York City's Cipriati 42rd Street, Gwinnett native Alessandra Ball will be rubbing elbows with the likes of CNN's Larry King, King Albert of Monaco, and dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov. On that evening, Alex will be one of only five dancers in the United States, and the only female, to receive the prestigious Princess Grace Award for 2005.

Alessandra, a graduate of Greater Atlanta Christian School, is currently a soloist for the North Carolina Dance Theatre in Charlotte. This year, 23 other artists will receive Princess Grace Awards along with Alex. In addition to those awards presented in Dance, others will be honored for their contributions in Film and Theatre.

The award will be presented by King Albert, son of the Princess Grace Awards inspiration, the former actress Grace Kelly. Upon her death in 1982, a foundation was created to support young artists working in the United States in these three categories, assisting the career development of these emerging artists by recognizing their promise and dedication to excellence in their chosen fields.

During this year's award ceremony, emceed by Larry King, ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov will receive the first Prince Ranier III award for his outstanding contribution to the arts.

Alex has performed with North Carolina Dance Theatre for the past three years. Her first year as a professional was spent dancing with Colorado Ballet. However, Alex is a product of Gwinnett County's oldest continuously running performing arts non-profit organization, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre (GBT). She received her entire pre-professional training from GBT's Artistic Director Lisa Sheppard-Robson, who will accompany Alex to New York City to the award ceremony.

Alessandra attended summer intensive programs at the University of South Carolina and Boston Ballet. She also recently trained with Stanislav Issaev and won third place at the Premio Roma competition in Rome, Italy, where she was the only representative of the United States and the only female to medal. She was also given the Grishko Prize for Charm and Elegance.

Lisa Sheppard-Robson has strong feelings about her protégé. She says, "Alex is the quintessential ballerina. She epitomizes the qualities, traits and characteristics of an exquisitely versatile dancer who engages the audience with poise, elegance, and artistry. She is uniquely talented and gifted. I am not surprised that she is being selected from the hundreds of nominees and recognized for this prestigious award."

As GBT focuses itself for a banner year of growth, Board Chairman Stan Hall harkens back to GBT's emphasis on nurturing and support of its young dancers. He says, "The fact that Alex received this award is indicative not only of her talents as an artist but moreso of her overall personality. She has been and continues to be an excellent role model for so many young dancers who dream that one day they too will be a professional ballerina. Gwinnett Ballet Theatre is proud to boast of Alex as an alumna. She will always be a vital part of our family and will always have a special place in our hearts."

For more information on Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, its upcoming production of "The Nutcracker" and Spring Concert, please contact them at 770-978-0188 or visit the Web site at www.gwinnettballet.org.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Shoe on the other foot, but we still need two party politics
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

OCT. 25, 2005 -- Democrats in Georgia may not have liked it years past when journalists, including this writer, along with many other citizens, often called for two-party politics in our state. Democrats were happy to be ruling the state, and scoffed at the notion that a two party system would improve affairs.

One of our previous "Continuing Objectives" was "Republican candidates for local offices." We said that in a county and state that then was very much Democratic.

Of course, Republicans then were all for the two party system, since they were on the outside looking in. They may be today in the same position as the Democrats of old, not wanting to share power with another party.

Remember the old saw, "Be careful what you wish for?" Sometimes our wishes go well beyond what we yearned for. We got another party elected, but we are much in the same square as before, with one party continuing to control the state. The only difference is that now it is the "other" party. Republicans now control the House, the Senate and the Governorship, which is not too much different from the Democrats controlling all three offices.

"Hey, I didn't mean to elect that many Republicans," might be the refrain these days.

What was wanted, of course, was a true two-party government structure operating in the state, where the two parties would split responsibility, and both be strong enough to watch each other effectively. What was really being sought was shared government. Instead, the pendulum swung too far.

In listening to what the Democrats throughout Georgia are now saying, they sound like the Republicans of old. The Democrats rail and stomp around, pointing out the downside of what the Republicans are trying to do. That's about the same steps the Republicans were taking when the Democrats were in office.

In a utopian world of politics in Georgia, we would have one party in the governor's mansion, and the other party controlling one or both of the Houses of the Legislature. That way, the two parties would act as a control (a "governor") on the other. Neither party could ramrod items through the legislative process. Even if one party controlled both houses, at least the governor in the other party could veto really bad legislation.

With Republicans controlling both the executive and legislative branches now, Democrats feel their ineptness. They are somewhat powerless. And it doesn't feel good to them, as it did not feel good to the Republicans for lo, these many years.

About the best we can hope for now with the Republicans in complete control is that there will be enough back-sniping within the Republican Party, and wrangling within the party for control, that this in itself will serve as a brake on run-wild maneuvers. There appears to be enough rancor on the part of the Republicans between the legislators and governor to virtually ensure that no really significant legislation will get passed.

But it is a sad time when you have to hope for internal rancor to save the day!

Give us real two party politics within the Legislature, and Georgia will be better off for it.

That may make Republicans, especially in Gwinnett, uncomfortable when we say again, only with the party label changed today, "Democratic candidates for local offices," with an idea that the Democrats will have a chance to win, and share governing power with Republicans. It may take some years before we reach this goal.

It all means that times have changed, but not much. Just the labels.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

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FEEDBACK
10/25: Group to protest destruction of boreal forests

Editor, the Forum:

On November 3, more than 500 people nationwide, supporters of Greenpeace, ForestEthics, the Rainforest Action Network, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups working to save ancient Forests, will be participating in the Day of Action against Kimberly-Clark and Kleenex. Each will have a goal to put pressure on Kimberly-Clark and Kleenex to stop destroying the North American Boreal Forest. The parties will feature facts and information about what others can do to help.

The site will be at 2100 Riverside Parkway in Lawrenceville.

For more information about the Day of Action, visit www.kleercut.net or call Andrew Male, Communications Coordinator at (416) 597-8408 ext. 3030, or go to the event site at
http://www.partylaunch.com/greenpeace?e=auburn.

-- Charley Harrington, Auburn

10/25: Feels veterans not getting their just due from Congress

Editor, The Forum:

About Mac McNair's feedback (GwinnettForum, October 21) regarding the Defense Bill before Congress: Would that more veterans would speak out like this. Mr. McNair's point that he wants to ensure that his spouse is taken care of financially is familiar to all of us. The issue really brings to bear the long and continuing history of our government and its seeming lack of interest in taking care of those who have served to do its dirty work and their families. Today's Democrats are trying to paint this as a partisan issue but even I as a lifelong registered Democrat know this is complete hogwash.

• Veterans of WWI camped out in Washington years ago demanding their benefits when the government refused to stand behind its obligations to its veterans.
  
  
• Veterans of Vietnam were refused care for Agent Orange related symptoms in a Pentagon orchestrated sea of denial about the chemical defoliant's effects on humans.
  
  
• Gulf War veterans with various unknown maladies have been denied any treatment for them to this day. The list of neglect is long and shameful.

In the days after 9-11 the Airline and other industries hard hit by the terrorist attacks were offered up billions in relief in the form of grants and loans. Troops in the Guard and Reserves are denied health care unless deployed on active duty, which means that when they come home wounded and maimed as tens of thousands now have, they are denied benefits and coverage.

With the amount of money that has been handed over to Halliburton and others so quickly by the Congress maybe they can find it in their hearts to stand up like men and women of courage and demand to take care of the courageous Americans who do answer the call of duty?

Where I grew up, this type of disloyalty and disrespect is simply called being kicked to the curb. Regardless of whether we support the war, the troops and their families need to be taken care of; it is time to hold our leaders to the same standard of accountability they want from the soldiers and citizens of this country.

Support our troops should mean that those who serve in foreign wars and career soldiers who have retired, like Mr. McNair, should have ALL their needs taken care of by the Defense Department without having to beg. So I urge each person to write their Congressional Representative in support of him and the millions of soldiers he represents. It should be shameful to all Americans that he has to even worry about his spouses' care.

-- Roger Hagen, Lilburn

UPCOMING
Fire safety, homeland security are topics of Chamber program

The October 28 meeting of the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce will feature Gwinnett Fire Chief Jack McElfish and his department. The meeting is to be held in the Stephens Education Center at 8 a.m.

Two other speakers will be part of the program. Emergency Management Coordinator Frank Daniels and Capt. David Dusik will also speak. Daniels will discuss Homeland Security and the effects of the recent hurricanes, as well as CERT (Citizen Emergency Response Team). Captain Dusik will speak about trench safety and the SAFE Alliance.

A public safety fashion show will follow, along with walk-around tours of the trucks and other automotive equipment! Find out how prepared Gwinnett County is for such things as natural and man-made disasters.

NOTABLE
Sales tax funds new county park near Peachtree Ridge

Gwinnett Commissioners have awarded the design contract for the new Peachtree Ridge Park to W.K. Dickson, Inc. in the amount of $522,000 for construction document development of the park.

The land for the park, 156 acres at the intersection of Wildwood Road and Suwanee Creek Road between Duluth and Suwanee, was purchased in 2003 to develop an active community park. The property is bounded to the west by Peachtree Ridge High School.

In 2004, a park master plan was developed with the help of a citizen-steering committee and includes nature trails and a multi-purpose trail, open space around Lake Louella, a picnic pavilion, playground, football field, senior and teen areas, tennis courts, and a ball field complex.

Commission Chairman Charles Bannister said: "Once again, we have the citizens of Gwinnett County to thank for this latest addition to an already outstanding parks system. Without the funds from the voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, we would not be celebrating projects such as the new Peachtree Ridge Park."

Approximately $11 million from the 2005 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is designated for the development of this park.

County moves to improve safety through better Web

Gwinnett County is making additional strides in the use of Web technology to serve its citizens better. The Board of commissioners approved the purchase of new Web-based computer software to make detailed, multi-jurisdictional information easily available to emergency operations personnel. Decision makers will now be able to track the deployment of equipment and personnel across jurisdictions, monitor real-time condition changes and collaborate in timely decision making. While the software will be the centerpiece of the County's Emergency Operation Center, because it is Web-based, it will be available through secure login to other agencies and key personnel regardless of their location.

Chief Jack McElfish of Gwinnett's Fire and Emergency Services department, says:
"The new communications tool will help emergency managers coordinate their efforts with other counties, state and federal agencies, and private emergency response organizations. This is a significant stride that will improve our service delivery during disasters and emergencies."

Unlike the many other Web-based services the County has deployed this year through its improved public Web site, including online property value data, streaming video, interactive GIS mapping, and automated information subscription services, WebEOC will be an indirect benefit to the citizens, enabling emergency responders to become more efficient in a crisis when every second counts.

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
Savannahan was foremost Georgia historian of 19th Century

Known as the "Macaulay of the South," Charles C. Jones Jr. was the foremost Georgia historian of the 19th century. Also a noted autograph and manuscript collector and an accomplished amateur archaeologist, Jones in later years became a prominent memorialist of the Lost Cause and critic of the New South.

Jones

Charles Colcock Jones Jr. was born in Savannah on October 28, 1831, into a prominent tidewater planting family. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), and received his law degree in 1855 from Harvard University.

Returning to Savannah in 1855, Jones began his legal career and was elected mayor of Savannah in 1860, Jones governed effectively and supported secession. After Georgia joined the Confederacy, he was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel and was chief of artillery for the military district of Georgia.

Financially ruined by the war, he moved his legal practice in 1866 to New York City. In 1877 he returned to practice law in Georgia, settling near Augusta at a small estate known as Montrose. Over the next 16 years Jones won increasing fame as a historian, collector, and orator. He died of Bright's disease at Montrose on July 19, 1893.

Ultimately, Jones published almost 100 books, pamphlets, and articles, many of them privately printed at his own expense. Jones published numerous monographs relating to Georgia's history as colony and state, prominent among them The Dead Towns of Georgia (1878).

More than a century after Jones's death, several of his major works remain in print. Jones appeared in a positive light in The Children of Pride (1972), Robert Manson Myers's monumental edition of the Jones family's correspondence, where Jones's intellectual gifts, familial devotion, and preoccupation with honor often show to advantage.

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

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Government defends our freedom by waging war?

" The government claims an unconditional right to our obedience, no matter what it does or demands. In principle, we are its slaves. Yet it tells us not only that we're free, but also that it's defending our freedom when it wages wars and drafts us to fight those wars."

-- Columnist Joseph Sobran, via Marshall Miller, Lilburn.

• Another invitation: What's your favorite saying? Share with others through GwinnettForum. Send to elliott@gwinnettforum.com.
  

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