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TODAY'S ISSUE
Visit to Seattle proves both interesting and ever-changing
By Katherine Sherrington
Special to GwinnettForum

SNELLVILLE, Aug. 1, 2006---I want to confirm the popular saying, "If you don't like the weather in Seattle, just wait 30 minutes and it'll change." I've experienced rain, wind, snow and sunshine all in one day with temperatures moving from the 40s to the 70s within hours.

My son and his wife live east of Seattle in a beautiful mixed-use development. I try to visit at least once a year. After several visits, here are my favorite things to do and see…so far!

The highlight of our trip this year was snowshoeing on Mt. Rainier! We wondered if we could handle the hike but after getting the feel of our "snow feet" in rented snowshoes, we did indeed! We followed tall pole markers from the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise for the half mile hike in deep, deep snow up and around the woods at the base of the mountain, getting up close and personal with a volcano and glacier!

An unusual place to visit is the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittendon Locks. I visited the Locks on a previous visit only because we had an hour to kill before dinner. What a surprise! The canal/lock system opened to ship traffic in 1916 connecting Lake Washington to Puget Sound, making 100+ miles of waterways accessible for commercial and pleasure use.

A map of the waterways shows the huge extent of the project. These Locks can handle ocean-going vessels. This facility is the only one in the country. that separates fresh and salt water. Today the Locks are the busiest in the nation mostly due to the extensive use of pleasure boats. It's fascinating and fun to visit. An indoor view of salmon ladder allows you to watch salmon, though we were not there during the salmon run.

For the baseball fans there is a great tour of Safeco Field with its one-of-a-kind retractable roof. It was well worth the effort just to hear the stories behind the scenes. If I remember the story right, Hiroshi Yamauchi, former president and chairman of Nintendo, is the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners baseball team. Nintendo of America is based in Redmond, Wash., but Mr. Yamauchi, who lives in Japan, has never seen the team play since he is afraid of flying.

For you football fans, Quest Field is nearby and of course, Georgia fans know that UGA quarterback David Greene now plays for the Seattle Seahawks but hasn't seen much game action yet.

Nearby Tacoma is not as famous as Seattle for tourists but it is a delightful city to explore on foot. Free parking is available at the train station and shuttles will take you downtown. We visited the new Tacoma Museum of Glass with the famous glass bridge by Chihuly. The museum boasts several Dale Chihuly pieces and exhibits different glass artists all during the year. The most interesting part of the museum is the "hot shop" where visitors can watch as the glass is heated in ovens, designed, shaped, colored, stretched and cooled by interns working with the glass. A narrator explains the process and gives fascinating details about the art. Be sure to see nearby Union Station with the permanent Chihuly pieces.

Don't miss day trips to Mt. St. Helens and Olympic National Park. The Seattle area has lots to offer and I hear the residents want to keep it a secret so no one else will realize what a great place it is to live, work and play. It certainly is a wonderful place to visit!

ELLIOTT BRACK
Many complications to starting school after Labor Day
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

AUG. 1, 2006 -- If there is one aspect of public schools that parents complain about, it is the early starting dates for school each year. Many parents would want the system to begin after Labor Day. It's to the point that no Georgia public schools begin then. All but two of 187 local systems will be started by August 14 this year.

There's a reason for this early beginning, perhaps more than one reason. The key point is that school systems feel they do a better job of educating children if they complete their first semester by the Christmas holidays. They say this is shown in test results of students compared to those tested after the Christmas holidays.

Therefore, to halt the first semester by Christmas, plus with three days off around Thanksgiving, school must start early. Georgia requires systems to offer 180 calendar days of classes.

The spring semester has more leeway for systems, since the calendar is not so crowded. In order to get the first semester completed by Christmas, from the day after Labor Day (Sept. 5) to December 22, there are only 76 possible school days (allowing for three days at Thanksgiving). That's why Gwinnett and many other systems begin as late as they can---August 14---to get in the full fall semester, generally, 90 days.

But some systems take the beginning of school back even more. Some 31 Georgia public systems begin before July 31. One system, Taliaferro County, opens school on July 13! Only two systems begin after August 14: Polk (18th) and Jefferson County (22nd.) All others begin school between August 1-11.

Another contributing factor in the school schedule is the need for teachers to gain additional educational levels. In general, the local systems have been in lock-step with the University System since it adopted the semester program. After all, upgrading a teacher's education must come at a time the University offers classes.

Yet the tourist industry, and overall business in general, would rather see classes begin after Labor Day. We may never see that again, unless systems can come up with innovative suggestions.

For instance, how about instead of having classes in hot August, we decided to have some Saturday classes in November and December? Saturday classes? Might be better, during the cooler months, than hot summer classes requiring enormous energies of air conditioning in August. (Yep, you almost always can count on August being hotter in Georgia than November and December.) And more August classes mean more energy for air conditioners.

Some parents might scream about Saturday classes. Many would be the same who are presently concerned about the early start of school. Even if eight Saturday classes were scheduled, with the current calendar, that would give only 84 class days for the fall semester.

You can see the complexities. And you need to have early parent conference days, and time for teachers to spend with their records.

Start after Labor Day? When you approach it from the days available, it's a difficult proposition to be able still to stay within the prescribed number of student days divided equally between semesters.

Thirty school systems began the first day of classes in July. The systems and date in July they start are: Baker 31, Calhoun 27 Chattahoochee 24, Clay 24, Dooly 17, Early 20, Jefferson City 31, Macon 31, Marion 28, McDuffie, 31, Mitchell 31, Montgomery 31, Newton 28, Quitman, 25; Randolph, 24; Rockdale, 31, Screven, 31, Seminole, 26; Social Circle City, 31, Stewart, 25; Talbot, 31; Taliaferro, 13; Tattnall, 31; Taylor, 28; Telfair, 31; Terrell, 27; Trion City, 28; Upson, 27; Webster, 28, Wilkinson, 31.

Thirteen systems start on August 14: Atlanta City, Bartow, Chatham, Cobb, Decatur City, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Rabun, Richmond and Warren.

Polk County starts August 18; Jefferson County starts August 22. The other 142 systems start between August 1-11.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Brand Banking Company , headquartered in Lawrenceville, where it has three offices, with additional branches in Snellville, Grayson and Flowery Branch. It is the largest privately held bank in Gwinnett, with assets of $725 million. Member, FDIC and Federal Reserve System. More: http://www.thebrandbank.com

THREE CHEERS FOR AUSTRALIA: I wish the leaders of our country would take a stand like Australia. Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told in June, 2006, to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state and its laws were made by Parliament.

"If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said on national television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option," Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters: "Basically, people who don't want to be Australians, and they don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off," he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

Aurora Theatre will open its 11th season in new facilities in Lawrenceville this year. It kicks off the year with Lucky Stiff, the 1988 musical conceived by the talented duo of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Directed by Susan Reid, the Aurora Theatre production is guided by the expert hand of Resident Musical Director and Associate Producer Ann-Carol Pence and choreographed by the talented Ricardo Aponte.

The Aurora opens its first production in Lawrenceville at the Central Gwinnett High School Auditorium because of construction delays on the interim theatre at City Hall Lucky Stiff runs from August 17 to September 17, 2006. Performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $18-$25.

Lucky Stiff is the story of unassuming Harry Witherspoon, an English shoe salesman compelled to take his dead uncle on a weeklong trip to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed, Mr. Witherspoon stands to inherit $6 million. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. To say the least, complications and sheer lunacy arise!

Anthony Rodriguez, Producing Artistic Director of Aurora Theatre exclaims, "Lucky Stiff encompasses everything that Aurora Theatre is known for, bringing together great actors, musicians and designers and giving them a vehicle to illustrate their skill. Rated PG and a ton of fun, Lucky Stiff is a true crowd pleaser."

Justin Villegas, a senior at the University of Virginia from Lawrenceville, and Thomas Gormley, a rising freshman at Hampden-Sydney College from Lawrenceville, have been awarded collegiate scholarships from The Brand Banking Company, the oldest locally owned bank in Gwinnett.

The schlarships were based on their scholastic achievements and demonstrated leadership roles in their schools and communities.

Villegas is in a five-year program at the University of Virginia and will graduate in 2007 with a master's in secondary education and a bachelor's in Education. In addition to his studies, Villegas runs track and field and cross country at UVA. Villegas has been awarded the scholarship four years in a row.

Gormley, a former football player and a 2006 graduate of Brookwood High School in Snellville, will attend Hampden-Sydney, a private, four-year college for men, in the fall.

To qualify, applicants must live in one of a dozen Georgia counties, including Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Jackson, Oconee, Rabun, Stevens or Walton. Funding for the scholarship is generally based on the same amount of Georgia's HOPE scholarship, about $4,100 annually.

Said Brand Morgan, Director of The Brand Banking Company and Managing Member of Brand Partners, LLC, says: "We are always looking for ways to give back to the community - and we're so pleased to have this opportunity to do so.It's truly rewarding to help with the academic goals of such deserving individuals." Morgan and his sister are alumni of the University of Virginia, and his brother is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College.

Sunny Ramsay is volunteer coordinator at new Duluth hospital

Sunny Ramsay has joined Gwinnett Hospital System as the volunteer coordinator at the new Gwinnett Medical Center in Duluth. Ramsay is a 14-year resident of Duluth and has been involved in many organizations in the community. Her professional affiliations include the Duluth Kiwanis Club and the Duluth Merchants Association. She is also a 2005 graduate of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce's "Senior Leadership Gwinnett."

In addition to volunteer recruitment and training for GMC - Duluth, she will also be responsible for working with hospital staff to identify their department needs and place volunteers within the hospital. Ramsay most recently was with Dan Cook Associates, Inc., and previously served as the director of marketing and public relations for the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. She may be reached at 678-584-7626.

Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation got word recently that it could win a prestigious national award. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) announced that Gwinnett is one of four finalists for its Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.

The other three class I finalists are Indianapolis Parks and Recreation, Fort Worth Parks and Community Services, and the City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine.

The awards honor U.S. communities that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program and professional development, and agency recognition.

Operations Director Sharon Plunkett said the honor was possible because of "all the energy, hard work and dedication of employees, community volunteers and the Gwinnett Parks Foundation." She also thanked voters for supporting the SPLOST sales tax programs that provided money to improve and expand County parks.

The Kolomoki Mounds site is one of the largest prehistoric mound complexes in Georgia. At the time of its highest development, from around A.D. 350 to 600, Kolomoki was perhaps one of the most populous settlements north of Mexico. The site is located in Early County in southwest Georgia. It lies on a tributary of the Chattahoochee River near the town of Blakely. Most of the site is now protected as part of Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park.

The Kolomoki site includes seven preserved mounds. The largest of these stands about 56 feet in height. Limited archaeological excavations on the flat summit of Mound A failed to divulge its function. Two mounds that flank the first mound to the south and north, respectively, consist of small dome-shaped constructions. Excavations in these mounds revealed the remnants of large wooden posts that were probably used in religious ceremonies by the Swift Creek and Weeden Island Indians.

Two mounds served as burial repositories. Each of the two mounds included large caches of ceramic vessels, some elaborately decorated in the forms of animals and people. The ceramic caches were deposited on the eastern sides of the mounds, presumably during mortuary rites.

Finally, three mounds are small and flat-topped. Excavations in the latter two indicated that they served as platforms, probably for ceremonial occasions. One is privately owned and is not a part of the state park.

The Smithsonian Institution conducted excavations at Kolomoki between 1894 and 1897. Since then the only large-scale, modern excavations were led by archaeologist William Sears from 1948 to 1953. Sears believed that the site dated to the Mississippian Period (A.D. 800-1600), when such large, flat-topped structures as Mound A were built throughout the Southeast. However, archaeologists now recognize that the main occupation of Kolomoki dates to the Woodland Period (1000 B.C.-A.D. 900).

Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park is open year-round. A small museum shows the interior of one mound as it was left after excavation, and exhibits provide background information on the site.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
How life changes when a person becomes a published author

"…..you go from not being published no matter how good you are to being published no matter how bad you are."

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