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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Creative
Enterprises gets Jackson EMC grant to help clients
By Bonnie Jones
Special to GwinnettForum.com
SEPT. 12, 2006 -- Finding a good job is difficult enough. For those
who lack necessary job skills, it can be almost impossible -- especially
if you are disabled.
Creative Enterprises in Lawrenceville is using a $6,500 grant to
from the Jackson EMC Foundation to establish a computer lab where
disabled workers can learn computer and Internet search skills,
according to Judy Middleton, director of rehabilitation services.
She says: "This is really going to have a tremendous positive
impact on our clients. A computer is such an important tool for
everybody, now."
By teaching keyboarding, Microsoft Word, data entry, email and
Internet use skills, Creative Enterprises will provide clients with
another opportunity to develop skills that make them more competitive
in the job market. Clients whose disabilities are too severe to
be able to seek competitive employment can also benefit from the
computer skills class by improving their communications skills.
Middleton adds: "We're going to teach [our clients] basic
computer skills so they can fill out job applications and do job
searches here on-line. We have the curriculum in place and we're
setting up the lab now."
Creative Enterprises, Middleton says, is also exploring software
designed for individuals with special needs. Creative Enterprises
will offer an eight-week class for clients seeking outside employment
and on-going classes for day clients.
Creative Enterprises provides job training for Lawrenceville area
individuals who have physical, mental, hearing and/or vision disabilities.
Some clients work on-site at the Hi-Hope Lane facility; others seek
jobs in the community.
Each year Creative Enterprises serves around 200 low-income clients
in all programs, including Day Support, Work Adjustment, horticulture
and animal care training, job preparation and personal enrichment.
Through these programs individuals with disabilities become more
socially and economically independent.
Roger Willis, Jackson EMC Gwinnett District manager and long-time
supporter of Creative Enterprises' goals, says: "Jackson EMC
serves Creative Enterprises as one of our customers. We worked with
them to get the building opened up about 20 years ago. They've done
some work for JEMC, and they do good work."
Creative Enterprises also works with special needs students from
local middle and high schools. Middleton said that the computer
lab would be available to them for training, too.
Jackson EMC Foundation funds come from the members of the electric
cooperative, who contribute an average 50 cents a month by rounding
up their monthly electric bills to the next dollar amount through
Operation Round Up.
More than 90 percent of Jackson EMC's members participate in the
program, and have to date put nearly $757,400 back into their communities
through Foundation grants to 68 organizations and 19 individuals.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Jeri Stanley puts together history book for
Dacula centennial
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
SEPT. 12, 2006 -- Centennials and similar celebrations are good
for communities and institutions. They are landmark times which
bring numerous benefits when they are marked properly.
Brack |
One such landmark came in 2005, when the City of Dacula marked
its Centennial. It culminated in a special day of celebration, but
also saw the members of the community dig a little deeper. A DVD,
"Down Yonder in Dacula," came out of it, and had nearly
two hours of filmed interviews with key individuals remembering
the Dacula of the past. This is an invaluable legacy for the people
who will live in Dacula in the future.
Another product of the Centennial was released recently. It is
Jerri Stanley's large format "History of Dacula, Ga."
This 183 page spiral-bound book contains numerous photos, copies
of key documents, and explanatory comment on the first 100 years
of Dacula. Jeri did the project as her contribution as a member
of the Centennial Committee.
Jerri Stanley fondly remembers assembling the work: "Yes,
I enjoyed it tremendously, met a lot of nice people who allowed
me to scan pictures. I was pleased that so many photos were in as
good a shape they were in. No one failed to share pictures or time
with me."
She was surprised at amount of material she actually found. "
I didn't have a clue about what was out there. For instance, I found
that Dacula at one time was larger than Lawrenceville. People would
come from Lawrenceville to shop in Dacula. It had a lot of wealth
and was quite prosperous."
Time became her enemy, as she wanted to complete the writing in
2005. She says in the forward that she hopes someone will pick up
the history, "….where I left off in the 1960's. I'm not
satisfied that we ran out of time."
Dacula was long recognized as a community (and stop on the railroad
which bisects the city) before its incorporation. A Post Office
dates back to 1850, when the area was known as "Chincapin Grove."
When the Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway tracks were laid
in Dacula in 1891, the railroad workman called the community "Hoke."
Another name known for the area back then was "Freeman,"
honoring the prominent Freeman family.
All this changed in 1905, when the postmaster took three letters
from both Atlanta and Decatur, as Jerri says and "scrambled
them," and started calling the rail stop "Dacula."
Among highlights in the book:
- Rules for the government of public school. One rule notes: "All
schools having more than 50 pupils in actual attendance must have
two teachers."
- On the rural mail delivery: "It is a boon to the people
in the country."
- When Dacula Banking Company was organized in 1909, the salary
for the president was $300 a year. Its building was built of brick,
and cost $1,500 to construct.
- In 1924, Reba Stanley of Dacula became the first female country
singer on a solo recording. She's in the Country Music Hall of
Fame.
- A major event of August, 1918 was a Horse Swapper's Convention
in Dacula, which lasted three days.
- A two-story brick Dacula School was valued at $10,000 in 1923,
and had 164 students.
- Over the years, Dacula has been proud of its basketball teams,
which won championships in 1927 (northeast), and state championships
in 1932, 1938, 1945, 1954 (Girls), and 1979.
- Cotton was king for many years in Gwinnett, and Dacula baled
its share. The most bales Gwinnett ever produced totaled 32,444
bales in 1911.
Copies of the book may be obtained at City Hall for $20, or $22.50
by mail. We congratulate the City of Dacula and Jeri Stanley on
this new book, a valuable contribution to the historical record
of the county.
ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
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public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Graphic Communications
Corporation of Lawrenceville, a dynamic full-service print,
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its clients. Three of its greatest competitive advantages are: 1)
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All of its associates are committed to giving customers exactly
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the customer's needs are the driving forces behind everything it
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still answer the telephone. For more information, go to http://www.gccprint.com.
UPCOMING
Aurora
Theatre raising funds, interest for animal rescue
What started as a simple phone call turned out to be a unique collaboration
between two local non-profit organizations and a prime example of
the community making a difference.
Aurora Theatre Associate Producer Ann-Carol Pence recognized in
the musical Lucky Stiff an opportunity to raise awareness concerning
the problem of unwanted pets. Thousands of Gwinnett County's animals
never receive adoption and are subject to euthanasia. Many of these
could be avoided if pets were spayed or neutered.
In the Aurora Theatre production of Lucky Stiff, the female protagonist,
Annabel, represents the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. As the story
unfolds, Annabel makes humorous but compelling arguments as to why
it is important for a charity like hers to be supported monetarily.
Within 24 hours, Aurora Theatre was meeting with Gwinnett County
Animal Control Rescue Coordinator, Officer Christine Smoot, talking
about the possibility of partnering with Lucky Stiff to raise awareness.
Officer Smoot points out that although Gwinnett County does not
accept donations, they currently work with the Society of Humane
Friends, a non-profit organization that assists in providing free
spay and neuter clinics and placing unwanted pets in desirable homes.
An off-duty Smoot has been a regular volunteer.
For the last three weeks, the Society of Humane Friends has had
a volunteer at every performance dispensing information and recruiting
volunteers and at the end of the show, Aurora Theatre sends two
actors into the audience to collect funds to support this worthy
cause. To date, audience donations exceed $3,100 and with two weekends
still remaining, Aurora hopes to get $5,000.
The irony is Aurora Theatre, set to open its new facility in April
of 2007, is charged to raise $750,000 as a part of their agreement
with the City of Lawrenceville.
Still time to register
for fall classes at Gwinnett Tech
There is still time to enroll in one of Gwinnett Technical College's
career-building programs this fall. Enroll now and be in class by
the end of the month!
Reserve your seat today for classes beginning on September 27.
You can enroll up to September 15; and register for classes from
September 22 through September 28.
Apply online at www.GwinnettTech.edu
to enroll today! Current students may register online at www.gtc-web.org.
With more than 45 programs to choose, Gwinnett Tech offers something
for everyone! Get a real-world education for a real-world career
in marketing, construction, web design, photography, bioscience,
horticulture, or veterinary technology, to name just a few choices.
For more information, contact Gwinnett Tech at 770-962-7580.
NOTABLE
Tom
Martin heads Chamber, unveils directors for new year
New members of the Board of Directors have been announced by the
Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. The new directors include:
- Randy Dellinger, Senior Commercial Industrial Marketing, Jackson
EMC.
- Cathy Ellis, President, Atlanta Classic Cars.
- John Fleischmann, Campus Executive Officer, Philadelphia College
of Osteopathic Medicine.
- Michael Gerster, President, WIKA Instrument Corporation.
- Greg Hayes, Partner, Moore Stephens Tiller, LLC.
- Bill Humphries, Senior VP Commercial Operations, StiefelLaboratories.
- Terri Jondahl, CEO, CAB, Inc.
- Doug Meyer, President & CEO, Sage Software.
- Allen Richardson, President, Richardson Housing Group, Inc.
- Tammy Shumate, City Council Member, City of Grayson Council.
- Lee Wood, President & CEO, A.L. Grading Contractors, Inc.
Gwinnett Chamber Chair-Elect and Chairman & CEO of Gwinnett
Community Bank Tom Martin appointed the following individuals to
serve a one year term on the Gwinnett Chamber Board of Directors
effective January 1.
- Jim Braden, President, BHC Property Group, Inc.
- Dan Brannan, Real Estate Partner, Morris, Manning & Martin
LLP.
- Doug Chatham, President, KMV Enterprises, Inc.
- Dave Heydinger, President, Mathias Corporation.
- Mike Levengood, Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLP.
- Donny Phillips, President/Owner, Atlanta Flooring Design Centers,
Inc.
- Jodi Pierce, Owner, AlphaGraphics.
The governance of the Chamber, the management of its affairs, the
direction of its work, the adoption of its program of work, the
responsibility for its finances, and the control of its property
are vested in its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors meet
monthly. Leadership is provided by an Executive Committee.
County Commission
OKs two new traffic control programs
Traffic bottlenecks were addressed by the Gwinnett Commission recently.
One project will install a fiber-optic management system on Scenic
Highway (Georgia Highway 124) between U.S. Highway 78 in Snellville
and Crogan Street in Lawrenceville. The traffic management system
includes cameras with remote controls allowing Gwinnett Traffic
Control to monitor and adjust conditions in real time. The program
is part of the SPLOST program, with construction to begin in November.
The other program will provide turn lanes and new sidewalks near
Parkview High School to transfer school traffic from travel lanes.
During the summer, an earlier project replaced the Cole Drive bridge
near the school. The program begins in October and should take six
months to complete. The new sidewalks will tie the school and the
adjacent soccer fields to Miller Road
.
RECOMMENDED
RESTAURANT
Storey's Restaurant, Jesup, Ga.
"Anyone headed for Georgia's Golden Isles from Atlanta might
enjoy an upscale restaurant that has opened in Jesup, yes, in Jesup.
My wife and I tried it last night, and it was great. She had Margarita
shrimp kabobs, grilled in a key lime tequila sauce, while I opted
for a great eight ounce filet, topped with herb butter. She had
rice and I had potatoes, and both had vegetables, and a salad.
"The service was good, real silverware was on the tables with
linens, and the food was prepared as it should be. It made for a
delightful dining experience.
"From Atlanta, enter downtown on U.S. Highway 341, turn right
at the second traffic light (Macon Street), and the restaurant is
in the first block, on the right, in a former Firestone Store. Owners
Angela and Don Storey serve lunch each weekday from 11 a.m. until
2 p.m. and dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5-9 p.m."
-- David Earl Tyre, Jesup
- 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
Chattahoochee
Commission promotes tourism, preservation
Organized in 1970, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission (HCC)
promotes tourism and historic preservation throughout the Lower
Chattahoochee River Valley. A bi-state agency of Alabama and Georgia,
the commission focuses on 18 counties along the lower Chattahoochee
River. Within this "heritage corridor," the HCC has developed
an innovative work plan to entice visitors to the area while improving
the region's overall quality of life. The HCC's program includes
publications, historical markers, folklife interpretation, rural
architectural surveys, heritage education, tourism and preservation
seed grants, and an Indian heritage center, as well as agricultural,
genealogical, and nature-based tourism projects.
Chattahoochee River |
Alabama state representative Bill Neville and Alabama state senator
Jimmy Clark conceived the idea for the HCC as a way to help unite
the counties along the lower Chattahoochee River into a region that
could generate economic growth through the use of its heritage tourism
resources. In 1970 the HCC was created by an act of the Alabama
state legislature. A unique provision of this act allowed for the
Alabama governor to appoint nonvoting advisory board members who
were residents of Georgia. These nonvoting members were empowered
to meet with the appointed Alabama board members to shape the work
plan of the commission.
In 1978 the Georgia General Assembly and the Alabama legislature
passed identical legislation to establish an interstate compact
for the operation of the commission. Final approval of the Historic
Chattahoochee Compact came in October 1978, when the same bill cleared
the U.S. Congress and U.S. president Jimmy Carter signed it into
law. The HCC is the first and only tourism/preservation agency in
the nation officially sanctioned to cross state lines in the pursuit
of goals common to all member counties.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
One reason why not
to worry about temptation
"Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older,
it will avoid you."
-- Winston Churchill-----via Roy McCreary, Dacula.
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