Five Forks teacher wins UGA technology
innovation award
By
Emily Hodge
Special to GwinnettForum.com
DEC. 22, 2006 -- Jerry Paxton, of Five Forks Middle School in Gwinnett
County, was recently awarded the Spotlight on Georgia: Technology
Innovation Award from the University of Georgia Educational Technology
Training Center.
Paxton |
The award is given each month to a teacher who is implementing
effective technology integration strategies in the classroom. Recipients
are chosen from more than 200 schools in 15 districts across northeast
Georgia.
Paxton, a technology education teacher, has been with the school
since 1993 and has taught Probe social studies, science and an advanced
technology connections course which he developed. He also has served
as the school's local school technology coordinator.
Paxton uses a variety of teaching methods incorporating both software
and hardware, including the Student Response System, a remote control
system that obtains immediate feedback from every student in his
classroom. He has even trained his colleagues to use the system
with their own classes, according to Monya Phillips, the current
Local School Technology Coordinator.
Paxton uses web resources for teaching and evaluating students.
He has developed and maintains an interactive web site that features
video, 3-D tours of the class and podcasts for use by parents and
students.
Paxton's students currently are building and programming Lego Mindstorm
RCX robots to perform tasks related to nanotechnology for the First
Lego League (FLL) Robotics Challenge Competition. The 2006 FLL teams
will explore new technologies that start in the nano world and lead
to the things we do and use every day, said Phillips.
The UGA Educational Technology Training Center in Athens, one of
13 across the state, has a staff of 10 educational technology professionals
working with school districts in northeast Georgia to promote research-based
methods of instruction with teachers.
In addition to being featured on our web site, the monthly winners
will also receive recognition through local media, at school board
and faculty meetings, and at school honor ceremonies; a monetary
award towards classroom supplies; and a chance to be chosen to represent
the region on Capitol Tech Day, a state-wide effort to demonstrate
to legislators the importance of technology in education.
Winter solstice is here: means days are getting
longer
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
DEC. 22, 2006 -- Thursday was the shortest day in the year, as
the sun rose later, and set earlier. "Winter solstice,"
they call it.
Brack |
Sometimes we are not always aware of how much our earth changes
its position, in regards to the sun. Here is a way to realize it.
Next time you are out in your car in the morning early, especially
if heading east, note the position of the sun along the horizon.
For me, driving from our home toward the main street, this week
the sun at about 8 a.m. has been low on the horizon, and dead ahead,
virtually blinding me with its sharp early morning rays.
Remember that angle when heading east. To put it in modern language,
"bookmark" that in your mind, so that you can recall it
next June, at the summer solstice. (We'll remind you.)
What you will find next June is that the sun will have shifted
significant on rising. You'll have to get up much earlier (by about
two hours) to see the rising. In addition, the sun will be at a
significantly different angle, about 20 degrees (we estimate) to
the north, that is left, of where it was during the winter.
Actually, of course, the sun never moves. It's our earth that is
actually tilting to make us think the sun has moved. It causes some
acutely different angles for each early morning (and late afternoon)
sun, extends the day, and signals the beginning (in December) of
longer and longer days, and next June, shorter and shorter days.
It happens no matter where you are on the earth, though nearer
the equator there is less of a difference in the angles. Conversely,
if you are at one of the poles of the earth, there's a tremendous
different in angles, and length of days (or nights.)
And if you are not asleep by now, store all this in the "Incidental
Intelligence" Department. For other than the winter solstice,
it has absolutely not much to do with the holidays, or the price
of oil, or what to get your spouse for Christmas.
Mainly: hurrah! Though we've barely had winter or cold weather
yet, we know that the next six months, the days are each getting
a little longer. Especially during the cold-to-come season, that
makes it a little easier to swallow, knowing that spring can't be
far behind!
* * * * *
From my tidbit box: Katherine Sherrington, the tax collector, has
made great strides in offering Gwinnettians the ability to renew
their auto tags on line. She says that only about seven per cent
of tags issued are done on the internet. We would have thought that,
with the high usage Gwinnett people make of the internet, that more
people would renew on line, rather than standing in lines.
That's still 48,806 tags that were renewed on line during 2005.
And those of you who stood in lines, that's 48,806 tags issued you
did not have to see in line (ahead of you.)
Though that's good for taxpayers, Katherine says: "We still
have to complete all the processing, balancing, issuing decal, etc.
from a 'back-end' perspective so at this point in time, the internet
renewals have not significantly impacted our operations. As more
and more people start using the internet for business transactions,
it is our hope that we can get the internet renewals up to maybe
25-30percent, which will then have a greater impact on our efficiency
and resource allocation."
* * * * *
Recovering at his home in Morganton from a recent hospital bout
is Maron Buice, former Gwinnett County commissioner. He had a heart
attack, open heart surgery and other complications, and was 21 days
in the hospital. Don't you know he's glad to be at home for this
Christmas season! Keep on healing, Maron!
Getting Santa up to
date
Another great cartoon by Bill McLemore:
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today we present a new sponsor, the
Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District. Formed in
mid-2006, Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District (CID),
is a self taxing revitalization district that includes just under
500 commercial property owners with a property value of just under
$1 billion dollars. Gwinnett Village includes the southwestern part
of Gwinnett County including properties along Jimmy Carter Boulevard,
Buford Highway, Indian Trail, Beaver Ruin, Graves, and Singleton
Road. Gwinnett Village is the third CID to be created in Gwinnett
County and is the largest of all 13 CID's in the state. Gwinnett
Village's mission is to improve property values through increased
security, a decrease in traffic congestion, and general improvements
to the curb appeal of the area. For more information visit www.gwinnettvillage.com
or call 770-449-6515.
Suggests readers send cheers to armed forces personnel
Editor, the Forum:
Xerox has this wonderful site that is a free and easy way to thank
those who serve in our armed forces. Wouldn't it be great if everyone
who reads the GwinnettForum would take the time to send just one
thank you note themselves and pass this site on to 10 of their friends?
See it at: www.letssaythanks.com.
-- Patrick Malone, Snellville
Suwanee
offers seedlings for chipping your Christmas tree
Suwanee-area residents can make their used Christmas tree a gift
that keeps on giving at the end of this holiday season by bringing
old trees, stripped of all lights and decorations, to Town Center
Park. The City of Suwanee will once again participate in Gwinnett
Clean and Beautiful's annual "Bring One for the Chipper"
Christmas tree recycling program.
Trees may be dropped off December 26-January 6 at the new City
Hall site at Town Center Park, located at the intersection of Lawrenceville-Suwanee
Road and Buford Highway. Signs will indicate the appropriate place
to leave trees. The mulch created from the trees will be used throughout
Suwanee's parks.
Seedlings will be given to those who bring their old Christmas
trees to the park from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, January 6. Adult
volunteers are needed that day to help unload trees from vehicles.
If you'd like to help, contact Tammy Hiler at 770/945-8996 or thiler@suwanee.com.
Hopewell Baptist Watch
Night on December 31 begins at 9 p.m.
The annual Watch Night service at Hopewell Baptist Church will
be held Sunday, December 31, beginning at 9 p.m. The church will
ring in the New Year with praise, worship and the Word. Doors open
at 8:30 p.m.
Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church is located at 182 Hunter Street,
Norcross, Georgia. The church has a church membership roll of over
16,000 and is located on a 30-acre campus known as the City of Hope.
In addition to three Sunday services, other amenities include a
Christian Academy for grades K4-8th grade, Child Development Center
for children 6 weeks-four years old and Christianomics Mall, including
barber shop, beauty salon, nail salon, bookstore, flower shop and
restaurant.
Holiday toast set for Dec. 31 |
Aurora Theatre, Hudgens
Center team up for New Year's
The cast of the Aurora Theatre's Christmas Canteen will perform
at a special December 31 New Year's Eve Cabaret and Casino Night
at the Hudgens Arts Center. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and the show
starts at 7:30. Tickets are $85. Cast members are, from left, Naomi
Lavette Booker, Brandon O'Dell, Ricardo Aponte, Colleen Hargis-Gaenssley,
Jimi Kocina and Stacey Roberts Stone.
Gwinnett Place CID
planning enhanced landscaping of area
The commuting public is promised a future Gwinnett Place area with
dramatically enhanced landscaping because of the Community Improvement
District (CID).
In January, the Gwinnett Place CID's Board of Directors have plans
to approve a landscape master plan to enrich the Interstate 85 interchanges
at Pleasant Hill Road and Steve Reynolds Boulevard.
Extensive plantings of new trees and ground-covering bushes, among
other items, will be added along both sides if the interstate in
an effort to enhance the District's attractiveness. The CID plans
to maintain the landscaping going forward.
Additionally, consultants are now preparing a study and conceptual
layout to allow increased vehicle and pedestrian mobility across
the expressway by widening the Pleasant Hill Road bridge.
CID Executive Director Joe Allen said while the feasibility study
should be completed just after the first of the year, no construction
plans currently exist to facilitate the interchange's expansion.
However, Board members are expected to authorize the interchange
landscape installation to begin in early 2007.
Loan
of 3.72% allows Suwanee to fund new city hall
The City of Suwanee has obtained a $6.6 million loan for the construction
of a new 23,600 square foot City Hall at Town Center Park. With
these funds, obtained through the issuance of bonds by the City's
Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA), all financing for the new City
Hall is in place.
The bonds were bid on the open market Tuesday, December 19. Banker's
Bank of Atlanta, working in partnership with Gwinnett Community
Bank, was the lowest of seven bidders, offering the URA $6.62 million
to be repaid over a 20-year period at an interest rate of 3.72 percent.
Financial Services Director Amie Sakmar , says: "The URA allowed
Suwanee the most cost-efficient means of obtaining the necessary
funds for our new City Hall. By keeping loan costs down, we anticipate
that no additional taxes will be necessary to fund this important
capital project."
Construction of Suwanee's new City Hall, being designed by BRPA
of Marietta, is slated to begin by the fall; the two-story, glass-front
building is expected to open early in 2009. The building is being
designed and will be constructed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) standards.
The anticipated total cost for the new Suwanee City Hall, including
construction, programming, and furnishings is about $9.5 million.
In addition to the URA bonds, the City will use about $2.5 million
in proceeds from the sale of Town Center mixed-use properties, which
the City purchased in 2002, also using URA bonds. The remaining
approximately $500,000 will come from the City's general fund capital
project reserve account.
Gwinnett Federal Credit
Union offers shots as benefit
Shots and needles don't usually get people excited. However, at
Gwinnett Federal Credit Union, its employees jumped at the chance
for a free flu shot, says Marshall Boutwell, president and CEO of
Gwinnett Federal.
Not only that, but when calling to schedule the flu shots the credit
union learned that tetanus shots containing the whooping cough vaccine
could also be done. This resulted in 30 or 50 employees participating
in receiving either the flu, tetanus or both shots. Boutwell says:
"This is an outstanding turnout, especially considering the
fact that on this particular morning our employees did not have
to report to work until 10:30 a.m. However, 60 percent of our employees
came in more than an hour early to get their shots. I am most proud
of them."
Ellie Hartsock, senior vice president of marketing and compliance,
notes: "The shots are only a portion of our ongoing pandemic
policy planning,"
In addition to the free shots, Gwinnett Federal arms their employees
with hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes for counter surfaces and
telephones. Hartsock says: "Operationally, we are already protecting
our members and employees. We are implementing plans to have protective
gloves and masks at every location."
Two Buford accounting
firms announced merged offices
Allegiance Strategists, P.C., a Buford certified public accounting
firm, announces its recent acquisition of Accounting and Tax Connection,
Inc., a 30 year old firm also located in Buford. The new firm, now
one of Buford's largest certified public accounting firms, will
be able to offer expanded services to businesses and individuals.
Charles Ben Robinson, managing shareholder of Allegiance Strategists,
P.C., says: "Today, clients expect high-caliber service with
personal, hands-on attention from their tax and accounting advisors.
By combining our firms we are poised to bring tax and accounting
services to a new level in the region."
The former owners of Account and Tax Connection are Connie Troncalli,
Marie Turner and Marcia Hall.
On December 18, the expanded Allegiance Strategists firm opened
their new 3,000 square foot office facility at the 4321 South Lee
Street in Buford.
- 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
Grier's
Almanac benefits farmers for predicting weather
Published continuously since 1807, Grier's
Almanac is one of Georgia's longest-running publications. The
annual reference work once referred to as a "Bible for the
southern antebellum farmer" enjoys a circulation of around
three million in 12 southern states and is distributed via leading
drug and feed-and-seed stores as well as by direct mail.
1902 edition |
Robert Grier (1780-1848), an amateur astronomer, made his astronomical
calculations for the publication, originally known as the Georgia
and South-Carolina Almanak, on the plantation property of his father,
located in what is now Taliaferro County (then Wilkes).
Though not formally educated as a youngster, Grier possessed an
insatiable appetite for knowledge and read extensively from his
father's library, becoming proficient particularly in mathematics.
Captivated by astronomy, Grier was able to predict with consistent
accuracy the rising and setting times of the sun, lunar eclipses,
and phases of the moon. These predictions and general weather trends
were the almanac's primary content, benefiting the many farmers
of the rural South who came to rely on the publication.
In addition to publishing his almanac, Grier was instrumental in
raising one of Georgia's most noted political figures. His sister,
Margaret, died just months after the birth of her son, Alexander
Stephens, in 1812. The death of Stephens' father and stepmother
in 1826 left Robert Grier to play an even greater role in the rearing
of "Little Aleck," who would eventually become vice president
of the Confederate States of America. Meanwhile Robert Grier enjoyed
a very lucrative career with his almanac. He died at his Butts County
home on May 4, 1848.
A string of owners and editors have kept the popular almanac, eventually
renamed Grier's Almanac, alive. From 1882 to 1934, however, the
publication experienced financial turmoil, prompting a bankruptcy
auction of the business on the Chatham County courthouse steps in
downtown Savannah in 1912. Frank Lamar Fleming happened upon the
public sale while in town on business. On the spot, he purchased
the almanac on behalf of John B. Daniel Inc., the Atlanta wholesale
drug company he owned with his brother, P. L. Fleming.
The Bergen Brunswig Drug Company acquired John B. Daniel in 1979,
but Frank L. Fleming's daughter, Hayden Garges, retained possession
of the almanac. Since 1985 Atlanta-based Grier's Almanac Publishing
Company has been under the ownership and management of Bryan and
Leslie Bachler, the daughter of Garges.
A typical modern-day issue of Grier's Almanac contains a complete
gardening calendar, zodiac information, tips for anglers, heirloom
recipes, a chronological listing of historic events, and sections
devoted to health and religion.
Bringing Christmas
right into economics and politics
"Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and
adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government
what they want and their kids pay for it."
-- Former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm (1935---).
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
===========================================
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© 2006, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum
is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett
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