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TODAY'S ISSUE
Gwinnett United Way campaign aims to raise $4.56 million
By Michael Guynn
2006 campaign chairman, United Way in Gwinnett
Special to GwinnettForum.com

OCT. 6, 2006 -- The United Way is in the midst of its 2006-2007 annual campaign, after launching it with a rousing 7 a.m. breakfast at the Gwinnett Marriott on September 7.

Work is underway towards reaching a goal of $4.56 million. Success will lie in the combined forces of several key elements, including the many small businesses within Gwinnett.

We all know that in Gwinnett, 'Success Lives Here.' Much of that success has to do with the work of the United Way, its volunteers and related agencies that work so diligently. Gwinnett's leading efforts continue to be at campaigns at Quik Trip, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Scientific Atlanta, and many others companies. Yet this year we are also focusing on our new and small business prospects. A majority of new jobs and growth in the county comes from small businesses. We are making a targeted attempt to reach out to these businesses and individuals to help with United Way.

The United Way's associate director for the campaign in Gwinnett County, Tracy Deck, emphasizes the importance of small business to the cause. She says, "The Plan of Action is to educate, educate, educate. The majority of our companies working with the campaign are planning to have company meetings that include outside speakers. In addition, many are incorporating a 'Day of Caring.' This would involve either a tour of an agency or some hands-on activities. Everyone is excited about embodying the spirit of our campaign slogan, 'Using our Superpowers for Good!'"

Small businesses can learn more about how to help with the 2006-7 Campaign by attending a special reception hosted by Cathy Ellis and Atlanta Classic Cars. At this reception, small business leaders can learn about a new program for small businesses which is backed by Mercedes-Benz and carried at Atlanta Classic Cars. This special event will take place on October 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Our philosophy of the upcoming campaign is simple: "Every dollar we raise is a chance to invest in long-term solutions to community-wide issues that impact all of us on a daily basis. I hope individuals, small business, and large corporations will all join me in this quest to attain our goal within the coming year."

The United Way is headquartered in Gwinnett at 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. For further information about the upcoming small business reception, or to find out how individuals can impact the United Way 2006-2007 Campaign, you may reach me at Guynn Properties, Inc., telephone 770-945-4421.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Braves fans are out in limbo during baseball playoff time
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

OCT. 6, 2006 -- It was about the first of September of 1991 when I approached the AJC building at 6455 Best Friend Road in Norcross. Steve Deal, the photographer, was coming out of the building, and he remarked to me:

World Series? In Atlanta? Why, I had never even considered it. Though the Atlanta Braves were then fighting in the midst of a pennant drive, they had only won one division title 22 years earlier, much less been considered World Series material. Would it happen this year?, I wondered.

Mainly, Steve's question overwhelmed me. In all my years of following baseball, it had been mostly from afar, with intermediate trips to see major league baseball at Atlanta Stadium.

One of my memorable trips to the Stadium came in 1969, when the Braves energized us all by winning the division, and faced the New York Mets for the National League title., when the Mets won and went on to win the Series. Somehow we got tickets to one of the playoff games, but were staggered to find our seats in deep right field. But my eight year old son wasn't unhappy, since "We're seated right behind Hank Aaron!", he told me, in Aaron's right field position.

Like most Braves' fans of 1991, we were very much surprised to find them fighting for a division title. After all, the year before, they had finished dead last. Sure enough, they won the division, their "worst to first" finish, something which had never been done before in all of baseball.

Then from 1991 all the way through 2005, the Braves astounded all of baseball as they continued to win their division year after year, in all, 14 straight times. That's a record no other major league baseball team has done in any sport, and quite an accomplishment. Granted, we would have liked to cheer about more than one World Series victory, but the year-after-year of yeoman service in making the playoffs is something special to Atlanta fans.

Therefore, here we are in 2006, and suddenly, we have no Atlanta Braves in the playoffs. For us Atlanta fans, that in itself is unexpected, after all those years of continual success.

We don't have a team in the playoffs? It's like we have gone to the wrong family's reunion, for we know very little about all those teams in the playoffs.

Now they're telling us that the team that won our division, the New York Mets, is from the weakest division. Not only that, but injuries have riddled the Mets (and the Yankees, to some extent), some saying that our division representative probably won't make it far.

And then other trash talk comes about the American League being the strongest league these days, what with their designated hitters, and pitchers not knowing how to swing a bat. (That's a lousy rule, ALers.)

So lots of us in Atlanta are stuck with not having a team to root for throughout the long baseball playoff season. For veterans Hank Greenberg and Hal Newhouser's sake, we'll be pulling for the American's League Detroit Tigers, though they have lost their steam of late.

Here's to baseball, the great American sport with its beautiful pace, its late inning strategy, and its endless parade of distinctive statistics.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. From answering your questions and providing a host of useful information, to promoting growth in our county, there are people working every day to help make Gwinnett a place where businesses thrive and success lives. For more detail, go to www.gwinnettchamber.org.

FEEDBACK
10/6: Loves the color of fall, but not piles of leaves in street

With the Fall Season upon us, we will soon be raking and blowing all those leaves which have turned such beautiful colors for all to enjoy. I would like everyone to keep in mind that our streets are for cars, period.

I just hate driving in my neighborhood trying to dodge all those piles of leaves and debris that people have placed on the actual street. All those bags and piles of leaves and such should be kept besides the curb, not in the street.

I realize many of us are afraid it will kill the grass or make a mess on our lawn, but that is the price we must pay if we have trees. We can all be very thankful that during the fall season, we have government workers who come by and take all that mess away for us. Heck, many resourceful people actually make a compost heap in their backyard.

It's up to us to make our neighborhood roads safe to drive on without worrying about dodging all those leaf piles on the street. I love the trees and the leaves changing all those wonderful colors and I truly appreciate all that beauty

So true what you said about Iraq (Forum, Oct. 3). Foreign adventurism has no end. What could the United States ever hope to accomplish in all these places ?

With no draft, it is easy for politicians to stand there and pontificate from afar while others catch the bullets in faraway lands for dubious purposes. What are we in now, 174 countries? Amazing. We're still in Korea, 50 plus years later.

Whatever happened to America first? President Bush is getting bad advice. I admit: I dodged the draft. I was in for six months back in the Stone Age (1962), and got activated, too.

The website www.wa-wd.com is great. I'd like to see one in which you could find ol' Joe Blow you went to school with, whatever happened to that guy? Just pop in a name and see whether he/she is still living, and if not, what year the person died. It would be nice to have such a site, names of the non-famous.

Here's a good web site about character actors and actresses: www.what-a-character.com. It will bring back memories, Jack Elam, Robert Middleton, Robert Emhardt, Edward Andrews (born in Griffin, Ga.),and hundreds of others. You'll recognize their faces if not the names.

Middleton (real name Samuel G. Messer) is about the meanest guy in movies, menacing looking, super obnoxious. But they say he was the world's nicest guy in person. Those who knew him laughed at his tv and movie persona. He was in a lot of westerns, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, also The Untouchables. (I'd love to see that series come back.) He died in 1977.

I think Congress was ineffective and accomplished nothing because they let President Bush and his fellow officials get away with many scandals including illegal Iraq wars, illegal wiretapping, illegal prisoners abusings in various locations, and several more.

They didn't take any actions to resolve domestic issues such as skyrocketing costs of health care, energy, etc. There are too many dishonest congressmen in Washington.

Historic Norcross will bustle with colorful exhibits and whimsical displays as more than 100 local and regional artists line the streets at the third annual juried Art Fest October 7-8. The show will be open between 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday between noon-5 p.m.

The weekend celebration draws crowds of 20,000 annually and will feature continuous jazz, bluegrass, and live entertainment on the new Thrasher Park stage, as well as food, fresh baked goods, children's rides, activities and story-telling. Binders Children's Art Pavilion returns for young artists of all ages to enjoy simple art projects under the guidance of professionals. Local Historic Norcross boutiques, shops and restaurants will also be open during the event.

Art Fest is a non-profit festival hosted by the City of Norcross, Norcross Woman's Club, Norcross Lions Club and the Norcross Business Association. For details, see www.NorcrossArtFest.com.

Il Postale recently opened its doors for business in the Five Forks area near Killian Hill Road. Il Postale, or "The Postal One," in the Italian language provides a place for customers to have access to full business solutions, Internet access, a mix of beverages and pastries---all in one place. Il Postale will provide fresh coffee and light refreshments daily.

Grace Germain, the branch's store manager, says: "It will be a place to take care of daily errands and also squeeze in a moment of relaxation. We hope to provide an environment where our customers can feel the comforts of home as they take care of their day to day business. This cozy atmosphere allows one to put their best foot forward when it comes to their business image."

Many of the services the facility provides are ideal for home based businesses such as: mail box rentals, answering services, moneygram, check cashing, shipping, printing and copies. Ms. Germain says: "We offer comfortable work stations with high-speed Internet access. It's a place where a multitude of services are offered under one roof." Its address is 4000 Five Forks Trickum Road, Suite 109, Lilburn. Its phone is (770) 923-1557.

District attorney featured speaker at Oct. 13 breakfast

The October 13 Gwinnett Chamber "Success Live Here" Breakfast will feature District Attorney Danny Porter. The meeting will be at 7:45 a.m. at Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth. Cost is $45 for Chamber members and $55 for on-chamber members. Deadline for registration is October 10. For reservations, email Laurie McKenzie at laurie@gwinnettchamber.org.

Baldwin Paving Company of Marietta will begin work soon to replace a bridge on Graves Road over North Fork Peachtree Creek south of Norcross. County Commissioners awarded the contract for about $2.56 million on Tuesday.

The Graves Road project involves almost half a mile of resurfacing, plus installing sidewalks, guardrails and traffic signals in addition to the bridge and walls. The construction time is estimated at 115 days, with funds coming from the 1997 and 2001 SPLOST programs. Baldwin was the lowest of three bids received on the project.

The Board also renewed a contract for bus shelters with American Transit Display Systems of Atlanta. The vendor provides, installs and maintains shelters along bus routes at no charge and pays the county a percentage of revenues from advertising on the structures. That percentage will be 13 percent next year, up one percent from this year, producing an estimated $2,000 in revenue for the County.

Gwinnett's Homeland Security/Emergency Management Agency has received more than $900,000 in federal homeland security grants, Police Chief Charles Walters reported today. "This money will help us buy needed equipment and train our officers to respond to emergency situations," he said.

Almost $310,000 will pay for new equipment to disarm and dispose of explosives. Another $250,000 will buy equipment to help protect five key sites in the county while the remaining $345,000 will fund equipment and training to create a new Chemical-Biological Response Team.

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved the construction of a new $5.8 million Community Center and Gymnasium at Lucky Shoals Park. The 68-acre park is located on Britt Road in western Gwinnett County. The 28,450-square-foot building will feature a double gym, which includes a walking track around the top level, a dance room, meeting rooms and a game room in addition to restrooms and staff offices. Two tennis courts will be rebuilt where the outdoor basketball courts are currently located, and the basketball courts will be moved to where the tennis courts are currently located.

The project, which is paid for by the 2005 SPLOST, was designed by Sutton Architectural Services and will be completed by Piedmont Construction Company. Lucky Shoals Park is located at 4651 Britt Road in Norcross.

Gwinnett folks among those lobbying Congress about cancer

Gwinnettians were among 10,000 advocates recently gathering on the Washington, D.C. National Mall for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network's Celebration on the Hill. The event's purpose was to allow federal lawmakers to understand that cancer must continue to be a national priority, in the face of proposed cuts to budgets for cancer research. Joining in the gathering from Gwinnett were Sandy Ray, Diane Fahring, Phylecia Wilson, Steve Howell, Susan Highsmith Graveline and Shirley Ksiazek.
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Georgia Archives Week, a celebration of the state's preserved historical record, is an annual event sponsored by the Society of Georgia Archivists. Held each October, Archives Week is marked by events held around the state to showcase the documents and artifacts comprising Georgia's material history, as well as the organizations and repositories involved in the work of preserving, cataloging, and interpreting those items. Newspaper articles, tours, and receptions also highlight the Archives Week theme, which changes each year.

Created on October 4, 2000, through a proclamation issued by Georgia governor Roy Barnes, the inaugural celebration featured the theme "Georgia Memories: Stories of the Past for the Future." Included among its many activities were a panel discussion on prominent families in Walker County, a lecture on genealogical research, a workshop on the preservation of photographs, and an exhibition displaying Georgia music and entertainment memorabilia.

The 2006 Georgia Archives Week, held October 7-15, celebrates the "Faces of Georgia." Scheduled events include a tour of a 1940 Delta DC-3 airplane at the headquarters for Delta Air Lines in Atlanta, a photographic exhibit chronicling the history of floods in Augusta, screenings of films from the Peabody Awards collection in Athens, a materials preservation workshop in Warm Springs, and an exhibit of 19th and 20th century kitchenwares in Smyrna. The diversity of events, which are typically organized by archives, libraries, museums, and historical societies across the state, demonstrate the wide range of preserved materials available to Georgia's citizens.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
John, we got to those numbers, but are we really free?

"It has ever been my hobby-horse to see rising in America an empire of liberty, and a prospect of two or three hundred millions of freemen..."

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