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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Lots of people excited
about possibility of "Brain Train"
By Emory Morsberger
Chairman
Georgia Brain Train Group
(Editor's Note: while these remarks have recently
appeared in other publication, we think the idea is so important
that it warrants appearing in GwinnettForum, so to be read by
those who may have missed it in other media. If you have seen
it in other publications, please understand. -eeb)
APRIL 18, 2006 -- To say the reactions I have received to the "Brain
Train" idea are overwhelming is somewhat of an understatement.
I knew commuter rail connecting Athens to Atlanta and points in
between has been contemplated before, but I could not imagine the
real desire present with working professionals to have this transportation
option available.
Morsberger |
The "Brain Train" will link the universities throughout
Metro Atlanta with suburban areas and large employers in Midtown
and Downtown. Plans call for 12 proposed stops: Athens, Bogart,
Winder, Cedars Road, Lawrenceville, Reagan Parkway, Lilburn, Northlake,
Tucker, Emory University, Atlantic Station and Atlanta.
It really is not too hard to see why a Lilburn mother would leave
her sedan close to home and take a train trip to work near Emory,
or why researchers from CDC would ride over to the Athens Veterinary
Research Center for a series of meetings, instead of fighting traffic.
The "Brain Train" is uniquely capable of offering something
virtually unavailable in Atlanta traffic--predictability. You will
know that your trip to and from work will depart and arrive at a
set time. As I tell those I talk to about the train, "Traveling
to Atlanta will take as much time as it would if you were able to
drive with no cars on the road."
By riding instead of driving, you are free to read, work on a laptop
or meet with colleagues. We are investigating technology options
to provide reliable wireless Internet access while on the train.
In addition to scheduling stability, the "Brain Train"
will produce immediate benefits for our environment. Estimates predict
we will remove over 5,000 automobile trips from morning and evening
rush hours. Fewer cars means improved air quality, less congestion
and improved traffic flow for the entire region.
And the train makes sense economically. Because the service will
essentially run on existing rights-of-way, there will be no need
to build massive additional infrastructure. In appropriate areas
near "Brain Train" hubs, millions will be invested by
private companies experienced in redevelopment and infill projects.
For areas between Gwinnett Technical College, Georgia Gwinnett
College and the University of Georgia, the "Brain Train"
will provide an incentive for companies to locate in our emerging
bioscience research corridor. These are the types of companies that
will bring high quality, higher paying jobs to the region.
While we may be a few years away from our inaugural cross-metro
ride, we are taking steps now to make sure everyone in Georgia knows
what is in the works and how it will have a materially beneficial
impact on their day-to-day lives.
The community-focused "Georgia Brain Train Group" and
its steering committee are working to educate the public as to the
benefits of commuter rail and the positive impact it will have for
everyone, for those who choose to ride and even those that don't.
Shortly, we will have a Web site - www.GeorgiaBrainTrain.com --
available with regularly updated information.
In the meantime, I look forward to our continued success as we
prepare to bring the "Brain Train" to a station near you
very soon. Please stay tuned---there is more to come soon.
******
On April 19, leaders of a community education effort concerning
passenger rail will release results of a major public research effort
centered on transportation and the commuter rail alternative.
The Georgia Brain Train Group will share findings from a never-before-attempted
survey executed by Landmark Communications that tell the atmosphere
of commuter needs and opinions in Gwinnett County.
The Georgia Brain Train Group will distribute the survey results
during a press conference beginning at 11:30 a.m. April 19 at the
Gwinnett Historic Courthouse.
For more information, visit the Brain Train Web site at www.GeorgiaBrainTrain.com.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Beauty of visiting Washington is attractions
without fees
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 18, 2006 -- Visiting Washington last weekend,
we were again overcome with the number of activities visitors can
do---without charge---in the Nation's Capitol. It makes Washington
a perfect place to take your group, whether it is family, friends,
or big school groups. Though getting there and eating and sleeping
is not always cheap, admission to many facilities won't cost you
a red cent.
Brack |
Perhaps the lack of admission cost is among the reasons school
groups visit the Capitol virtually every week of the year. We saw
our share, complete with the ever-present buses with their motors
running, while there.
Though the Capitol itself is always worth a tour, we also suggest
you visit the underground Capitol, those mazes of corridors below
ground connecting the Capitol with office facilities for Senators
and Congressmen. There're also plenty of exhibits to look at underground.
Perhaps the biggest overall draw is the Smithsonian Museum, that
vast array of halls depicting many aspects of our nation's culture.
Even the Washington Zoo, also free, is a Smithsonian department.
(Go early; the Zoo grounds open at 6 a.m., so go and be through
before the crowds of mid-morning.) Another plus: the pandas stir
around in the early morning hours. Enter via the Connecticut Street
gate for easy access to pandas and cheetas.
Let me add another area tip: the buildings are huge in Washington,
and what looks like a short walk down to another facility may be
a long hike. Be warned.
One suggestion for what not to see: kids like the idea of going
to the Spy Museum, but in our opinion, it's not worth it. Anyway,
it's not free: admission is $12. On paper, the museum sounds like
good fun, but we found it lacking.
Our list of must-do attractions in Washington.
1. The Capitol and environs.
2. The various Smithsonian museums, though seeing all the many
facilities may take a week.
3. Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. Their sheer beauty
and size warrant your interest.
4. Have a pick-up meal on the Potomac Waterfront near the 14th
Street bridge. The mountains of seafood, fish, crab, shrimp, will
amaze you. You can buy sandwiches and have a picnic nearby.
5. If there in summer, attend a Washington National's baseball
game. Though their new stadium isn't ready yet, seeing DC's new
baseball team will be a real treat.
6. The western greenway along the Potomac, especially the Franklin
D. Roosevelt memorial. Get your picture taken in a breadline with
Depression-era bronze figures. (Watch airplanes from Washington
National Airport take off nearby.)
7. Cross into Virginia and see the Potomac River jumping over
rocks at Great Falls.
8. The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal. It starts in Georgetown,
and winds to Harpers Ferry, W. Va. You get a glimpse of it here
in this busy place, giving you an idea of how goods once got to
market.
9. Washington National Cathedral. Allow a least an hour to tour
this national treasure, which is still not entirely finished.
If Catholic, visit the Basilica on the campus of Catholic University.
10.The Arboretum, just off New York Avenue, heading out of town.
Or a stroll through Rock Creek Park.
That should give you a good view of this great city. Go and enjoy!
ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
 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, at 2135 East 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
FEEDBACK
4/18: Oops -- ribs may be the dish to try
at Two Brothers Barbecue
Editor, the Forum:
My son tells me I was a little rough when reviewing Two Brothers
Barbecue in Ball Ground. He says he was up there earlier with some
friends and says the ribs were really good. When we went back none
of us had ribs. We had barbecue plates and none of us were impressed.
So I'll have to take his word for the ribs being good.
-- Marshall Miller, Lilburn
UPCOMING
Community Foundation announces grants for 2006
The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia announces grants
for the year. The Foundation has approved the following Capital
Impact grants:
- $50,000 (over three years) to the Gwinnett Tech Early Childhood
Development Project;
- $50,000 to the Gwinnett Childrens' Shelter, Boys Home;
- $50,000 to the Gwinnett Boys and Girls Club James F. Pack Teen
Center;
- $50,000 to the Fowler YMCA's Capital Campaign for a Senior Center;
and
- $50,000 (over two years) to the Gwinnett-Rockdale-Newton Adolescent
Crisis Intervention Center.
The Foundation made the grants anticipating they would greatly
affect the quality of life for the citizens of our region as well
as for future generations.
In addition to its larger impact grants, the Foundation also provides
sustaining grants. This year sustaining grants are given to the
following outstanding organizations:
Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia, Inc., Norcross Cooperative
Ministry, The Impact Group, The Salvation Army, Piedmont Regional
Library, Medallion Performing Arts Center, A Step to Independence,
North Gwinnett Cooperative, Atlanta Regional Commission, Georgia
Council on Economic Education, Northeast Georgia Council Boy Scouts
of America, Latin American Association and Rainbow Village, Inc.
Gwinnett's heritage,
future, subject of Chamber meeting
The April 26 General Membership meeting of the Gwinnett Chamber
of Commerce will focus on the county's heritage, plus give a glimpse
of where the county is headed.
Join the Chamber to hear Elliott Brack and Tommy Barber
speak about the history of both the Metro Atlanta region and Gwinnett
County. They will discuss historical aspects about Gwinnett and
Metro Atlanta. In addition, they will discuss how our region evolved
into the successful powerhouse it is today. They will also make
predictions about the future of Gwinnett County and Metro Atlanta.
Brack, publisher of GwinnettForum, is a veteran Gwinnett journalist,
and Barber is a historian, recently retired from Georgia Perimeter
College's faculty.
The meeting is April 26 at 11:30 at the 1818 Club, which is on the
third floor of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce building. Cost:
is 35 for Chamber members; $45 for non-Chamber members. Registration
deadline is April 21. For more information, contact Meghan Schroder
at meghan@gwinnettchamber.org
or by telephone at 770 232 8816.
Gwinnett offering
surplus autos for sale on eBay
Gwinnett County Fleet Director Michael Lindsey says that the County
has posted its first surplus vehicle for sale on eBay. The car,
a 1994 Ford Taurus four-door sedan, first appeared on the site on
Thursday, April 13. Bidding will close April 20. Several more vehicles
will be on the site soon.
For years, the County has sold its surplus vehicles at an annual
auction to recoup whatever residual value remains. If the current
trial is successful, Lindsey intends to post vehicles for sale regularly
throughout the year to avoid extra depreciation while waiting for
the auction date. "We think our staff can handle having a few
vehicles for sale online at any one time, but we will continue to
use traditional auctions for some of our used vehicles," Lindsey
said.
Gwinnett County was encouraged to try eBay after the City of Marietta
reported good experience using the site. Most online auction sites
like eBay began as a service for individuals but have attracted
more items from businesses in recent years. Most governments have
not yet tested the potential of holding auctions in cyberspace.
NOTABLE
County drain pipes to get repaired without being dug up
Gwinnett's older drainage pipes that are beginning to wear out
will be repaired without digging them up under a contract awarded
by the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners recently. Reynolds Inliner,
LLC, got the one-year, $2.8 million contract to install a plastic
lining, similar to PVC plastic, inside certain failing pipes.
The process, called Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP), involves inserting
a flexible plastic into the pipe then expanding and hardening it
in place. This proactive measure is taken before sinkholes develop.
The CIPP projects will help reduce a backlog of badly-needed pipeline
repairs, according to Stephens. Gwinnett County has already assigned
about 170 drainage pipe projects to its annual stormwater contractors.
County gets reimbursement
for Katrina services last fall
Gwinnett County will receive almost $178,000 for reimbursement
of expenses incurred while providing emergency services to victims
of Hurricane Katrina last fall.
The funds, provided by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency's
Office of Homeland Security, will repay the county's general fund
according to Financial Services Director Lisa Johnsa.
Almost two dozen relief agencies set up operations in a former
Wal-Mart building in Lawrenceville that the county had purchased
just months before the hurricane hit. It was one of several joint
resource recovery centers in metro Atlanta. The facility was operated
by the American Red Cross, which opened more than 11,000 cases there.
Agencies distributed about $14 million in emergency aid during a
four-week run at the one-stop service center that closed October
7, 2005.
Gwinnett County is now renovating the building to house records
management, public health, elections and voter registration. The
remaining space will be used as storage for tag offices, fixed-asset
accounting and facilities management.
Gwinnett's Hill water
plant wins statewide recognition
The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) has named
Gwinnett's Hill Water Resources Center as the 2006 Wastewater Plant
of the Year in the advanced treatment category for large plants.
It is now eligible for a national competition sponsored by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency. The award was presented
on April 4 at Callaway Gardens.
Technical inspectors evaluated staff and facilities across Georgia
using criteria that included equipment maintenance, operations,
safety, emergency response protocols and technical training.
Jack Dozier, Executive Director of GAWP, says: "This outstanding
effort protects Georgia's water resources and delivers high quality
reclaimed water to the Chattahoochee River. The evaluation process
is comprehensive and this is the highest facility recognition our
association offers. This exceptional municipal performance demonstrates
the leadership that is essential to a prosperous future for all
Georgians."
RECOMMENDED
MOVIE
After
Innocence
"The Harris Poll I 2004 said that 69 percent of Americans
supported the death penalty. However, no one would support the death
penalty for the innocent accused. No one is deterred by the execution
of innocents. Both conservatives and liberals must abhor the unbridled
power of Big Brother to execute the innocent. The movie, After
Innocence, depicts seven men found guilty beyond a shadow of
a doubt, but decades later found completely innocent. Until Americans
can be sure that our judicial system is error-free, both conservatives
and liberals should agree that the innocent have a right to life,
and must not be put to death."
-- James J. Murtagh, M.D., Atlanta
- 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
Namesake of Telfair Museum was strong personality
A member of the distinguished Telfair family of Georgia, Mary
Telfair (1791-1875) is perhaps best remembered as the benefactor
of the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah . Upon her death, Telfair
bequeathed her Regency-style home, located on Savannah's St. James
Square (renamed Telfair Square in 1883), and the books, furniture,
and works of art located therein to the Georgia Historical Society.
The society opened the house, built by architect William Jay, to
the public in 1886, making the Telfair the oldest public art museum
in the South. A portrait of Telfair by Carl Brandt hangs in the
museum's rotunda.
Telfair |
Mary Telfair was born on January 28, 1791, in Augusta, then the
capital of Georgia, while her father, Edward Telfair, was governor.
Her mother, Sarah Gibbons, was a member of one of the wealthiest
and most prominent families in the South. Telfair attended private
schools, in New York and at Newark Academy in New Jersey.
From her earliest years, Telfair had a burning curiosity and delighted
in new experiences. In the 19th century, the expectation that a
woman be an informed, vivacious conversationalist did not extend
to knowledge of political issues. Yet Telfair formulated strong
opinions on world and national affairs and openly expressed her
convictions. She once debated with James Moore Wayne, a U.S. Supreme
Court justice, the merits of renewing the national bank charter.
Although she stood only five feet tall, Telfair was a formidable
woman. When her last surviving brother died in 1832, she and her
sisters took over the supervision of the family's plantations, which
were land holdings of considerable importance.
Telfair never married. With her inherited wealth, marriage was
not an economic necessity for her, as it was for most women of her
time. She had the reputation of being proud and haughty and in her
later years was noted for her "peculiar exclusiveness."
Yet she was a woman of great personal charm. A member of the Independent
Presbyterian Church in Savannah, she found comfort in her Christian
beliefs and managed to cope with adversity.
Telfair witnessed the occupation of Savannah by Union general William
T. Sherman's troops during their March to the Sea in 1864. She died
on June 2, 1875, at the age of 84.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
About salvation: Be
sure you got it turned right way
"The assurance of our salvation does not depend on the fact
that we believe in God, but on the surety that God believes in us."
-- Author and Medical Doctor Ferrol Sams Jr., "The Prevailing
South," 1988.
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