WIKA and employees exceed expectations
11 times
By
Barry Figa
Marketing and communications manager
WIKA Instrument Corporation
Special to GwinnettForum.com
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Dec. 28, 2006 -- What started out to be a small
holiday food drive at WIKA Instrument Corporation ended up exceeding
everyone's expectations, and even spread to other areas!
Figa |
In early December, Kathy Scott, Human Resources Recruiter for WIKA
Instrument Corporation, contacted the Gwinnett County Salvation
Army to arrange a food drive. She had coordinated such efforts in
the past and felt this might be nice way for WIKA to convey the
spirit of giving during the holiday season. To kick off the campaign,
a collection bin was placed in the employee break room. Michelle
Wilson, director of Corps Operations for the Salvation Army, and
Kathy estimated that the WIKA food drive would generate around 650
items, based on one item donated per employee.
At first, the food drive went mostly unnoticed, with a few small
donations being made each day. But then, something quite unexpectedly
occurred. One of the departments in Manufacturing had accumulated
50 cans! They proudly touted the significance of their accomplishment
and forwarded an e-mail challenge to all other departments at WIKA.
Game on! Within a matter of days, several additional departments
responded with increasing quantities, 100…125…150!
The rest, one could say, "is history". By Wednesday of
the second week, WIKA employees had accumulated over 800 items,
which exceeded the original estimated quantity.
Not to be outdone, and exuberant from the generosity exhibited
by the employees, WIKA's President Michael Gerster volleyed the
biggest challenge of all. He told employees that the company would
match the total number of items donated during the last two days
of the campaign. Keep in mind, that all of the departments had already
placed their items in the collection bin, so the employees were
basically starting from scratch.
The result was an unprecedented and somewhat astounding 3,206 items
collected in a mere 48 hours! When the firm considered the logistics
of purchasing an additional 3,000 cans of food, they came up with
a new plan to meet that challenge. Estimating that each can was
worth approximately 50 cents, the firm cut a check for $1,603.00
to be added to the 4,006 donated items. This resulted in a total
of 7,212 items that will stock the shelves of the Gwinnett County
Salvation Army Food Bank, and all just in time for the Holidays!
The Salvation Army's pledge has always been that any and all gifts
received will go where they "will do the most good." Ms.
Wilson called WIKA's donation an "incredible gift" that
"will benefit approximately 60 to 70 families from Gwinnett
County who rely on the Salvation Army Food Bank during a time of
need." WIKA once again showed that the spirit of giving, combined
with WIKA's grand spirit of competition, can provide astounding
results.
Who knows what may result from next year's food drive? Perhaps
WIKA will challenge other local area businesses, and the outcome
may be even bigger. Regardless of what's to come, everyone at WIKA
Instrument Corporation has the pride and satisfaction of knowing
that their contributions will make things a little brighter for
many families this Christmas. And all of this really resulted from
a friendly little challenge of charity!
Housing market in Gwinnett headed for significant
change
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
DEC. 28, 2006 -- Gwinnett now totals something like 247,075 households.
That's living units. As of the first of the year, Tax Assessor Steve
Pruitt said that there were 214,856 single family houses and condos
in the county. Add to that the number of rental units, and you come
back to the household figure, which we got from Economic Development
Director Alfie Meek.
Brack |
From observing the building of homes in Gwinnett over the last
30 years, there are certain patterns that emerge.
In 1950, there were 32,250 people in Gwinnett, which translates
into no more than 10,000 homes. (Few of them were rental units,
compared to now.) Today most of the homes in the county are modern,
since only about 5,000 homes built before 1950 are still standing,
we estimate.
Now let's look at what was being built in the years past:
1950s: small bungalows, often wooden homes, perhaps averaging
no more than 1,500 feet, and this was a pattern throughout the
county. One of the first subdivisions, Liberty Heights near Norcross,
was built earlier. Early developed areas were nearest to Atlanta.
1960s: The initial wave of growth in Gwinnett. Fastest
growing areas were along what was then Norcross Tucker Road east
of where eventually Interstate 85 would be built, and in Mountain
Park. The homes were often smaller ranch houses, with a one car
garage, two or three bedrooms with one or two baths. More and
more were being built of brick. Forest Hills in Lawrenceville
began developing.
1970s: the split levels had arrived, with the area near
Lilburn sprouting homes fastest, and Snellville beginning to grow
rapidly. Meanwhile, there was little new housing in Buford, though
Sugar Hill was starting to show life.
1980s: Beginning to take favor were two-story brick homes,
the one Realtors call a "five four and a door." Peachtree
Corners saw them arrive first. Today this model has spread throughout
the county. Though Lilburn was small itself, the area around the
town was one growing rapidly. Meanwhile, Duluth was expanding.
Apartment and town houses began to be built extensively.
1990s: Much larger homes were being built throughout the
county. Toward the end of the decade the monster, high-dollar
homes, such as in Sugarloaf and River Club, began the idea of
the mega-home in Gwinnett, with more top executives choosing Gwinnett
as the place to live. Conversely, arrival of minority groups leds
to rise in modern mid-size home, with lots of open spaces and
light shining into the rooms. Condos and apartments were on the
rise.
2000s: Gwinnett has its most diverse styles of homes it
has ever had, now being offered at all price levels. Hamilton
Mill, Sugar Hill and area around Harbins have quick growth, with
Lawrenceville, Grayson and Dacula getting new attention as the
growth spread outward. During this decade, we began to see other
than the traditional single family houses that Gwinnett has been
best known. More town houses, condos, and the newest element yet,
housing in high rise buildings, are being developed. Early indications
are that high-rise condo, now that they have the approval of the
county commission, are selling fast, even though no major tower
has arisen yet.
The next few years will see the housing market change as it has
never changed before in Gwinnett. No longer will Gwinnett be a county
virtually entirely of single family, one or two acre homes on expansive
lawns. Now the definition of a "household" takes on new
meaning, from single family house, to multi-story buildings.
Who knows? Year 2007 could be the start of really significant lifestyle
changes in Gwinnett. No telling what the next 100,000 households
will look like. It makes the phrase, "Happy New Year,"
come with some unknown baggage.
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Battery season
Another great cartoon by Bill McLemore:
Says church bylaws guide Hog Mountain church business
Editor, the Forum:
Mr. Brack seems to be missing the critical issues in his Hog Mountain
Baptist Due Process comment. Unless he is a member of the church
it is none of his business. It is up to the church bylaws to determine
the process by which the church conducts its business. Maybe Mr.
Brack's time would be better spent working to get an historical
marker erected.
-- Wayne Buchheit, Dacula
Dear Mr. Buchheit: Touche! Thank you for your
view. Unless I am mistaken, the last time I was in the area, there
was a Georgia State Historical Marker right outside the church,
loudly proclaiming it as the Hog Mountain Baptist Church. It'll
take some doing to get the historical commission to change that
marker! --eeb
Made her week with
two recent articles in the Forum
Editor, the Forum:
You made my week. First it was your piece on small
towns losing all their panache with the Department of Transportation's
threatened removal of town names from map. By the way, I thought
you were making it up until I reread the article. Brilliant piece.
Then today you gave Aurora a great shot and promoted our New Year's
Eve event. Thanks for always saying what needs to be said.
-- Carol Ann Pence, Duluth
New
Year's Lawrenceville rings set for Sunday night
Lawrenceville Rings, a family-oriented New Year's Eve celebration
produced by the Lawrenceville Tourism and Trade Association (LTTA),
will be held in Historic Downtown Lawrenceville from 7 p.m. until
midnight on Sunday, December 31.
Music venues, theatre, lots of food vendors, puppet shows and Magic
shows for kids and fun for youth are among plans for the evening.
Jay Markwalter LTTA executive director, adds that "Fireworks
are back. We will have an exciting display at midnight to celebrate
the entrance of 2007."
Lawrenceville restaurants on the square will be serving food and
there will be several food booths around the square. Many shops
will be open and plan to have entertainment through the evening,
as well.
Markwalter explains: "Lawrenceville Rings attracts families
and appeals to the people who attend the Christmas Tree Lighting
each year…those looking for something fun their family can
do together on New Year's Eve without having to drive to Atlanta."
Returning to the Historic Courthouse is the Big Peach Band, a crowd
favorite with swing music of the 30s and 40s.For fans of country
music, the Ryan Casper Band will perform at the Historic Square
Gazebo and Splitz Motown will be on Clayton Street next to the Historic
Courthouse. The Gwinnett Choral Guild, BJ Duo, and the BJ Corale
will perform in the First Baptist Church sanctuary.
At 9 p.m. the Tabernacle of Christ will present guest soloist Starr
Adkins, who performed at the Apollo Theater in New York and at Carnegie
Hall. The service will conclude with a Mid-Night Gospel Concert.
There is no charge for the performances although donations will
be accepted at several of the venues. Charges apply for inflatables,
mule rides, climbing walls and other carnival-type entertainment
for kids.
For more information call 678-226-2639 or go to visitlawrenceville.com
Time to help Gwinnett
toward recycling two million trees
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, along with other local sponsors,
has under way the annual Christmas Tree Recycling program. Residents
of Gwinnett County are encouraged to "bring one to the chipper."
Christmas trees should be stripped of all lights and decorations,
and may be dropped off at locations listed below between December
26 and January 12. Artificial trees will not be accepted.
In addition to providing an easy and environmentally conscious
tree disposal solution for residents, recycled trees will be put
to good use through the creation of valuable mulch. Once the trees
are collected from the drop-off locations, community volunteers
will dispose of them at the annual 'Bring One for the Chipper' event,
scheduled for Saturday, January 20. Mulch chipped is used to beautify
local schools and parks. Landfill space will also be saved since
the average Christmas tree weighs 20 pounds and fills up almost
as much landfill space as a washing machine.
In the past, Gwinnettians have recycled one out of every three
Christmas trees recycled in Georgia. For the past five years Gwinnett
has recovered the most trees in the state. Placed end to end, the
trees collected in Gwinnett last year would stretch from Lawrenceville
to Greenville, SC. Since 1984, Gwinnett has diverted an estimated
one million Christmas trees from landfills.
Participating drop-off locations are at most fire stations in the
county, plus only on January 6 at most Home Depots in Gwinnett.
Ben Vereen to be keynote
speaker at GPC King Day
Award-winning actor Ben Vereen will be the keynote speaker at Georgia
Perimeter College's 11th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
Celebration, January 15 at 7 p.m. at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church,
2340 Clifton Springs Road in Decatur. The program is free and open
to the public.
Vereen will perform live, interweaving his keynote speech with
song and sharing his personal trials and triumphs. He recovered
from both a stroke and life threatening injuries in an accident,
returning to stage in less than a year.
A master of stage and screen, Vereen earned a Tony for his performance
in Broadway's "Pippin," and portrayed the unforgettable
Chicken George in the Emmy award winning mini-series, "Roots."
His own network special, "Ben Vereen: His Roots," followed,
winning seven Emmy Awards. In 2005 Vereen stared as the wizard in
the award-winning musical, "Wicked," and recently teamed
with rap group OutKast in the movie, "Idlewild."
As part of the celebration, Georgia Perimeter College will present
its annual Individual and Corporate Humanitarian Awards to those
continuing the legacy of Dr. King and its first Student Humanitarian
Award for service learning. The program also will include performances
by The DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, the Beulah Baptist Ministry of
Music and Georgia Perimeter College student Mazell Webster.
Gwinnett
council announces monetary awards to arts groups
The Gwinnett Council for the Arts announces recipients for the
Georgia Council for the Arts Grassroots Arts Program grants for
2006-2007. The following organizations have been awarded grants:
The County Seat Players, Gwinnett Choral Guild, Lilburn Women's
Club, Lionheart Theatre, New London Theatre, Northeast Atlanta Ballet,
Susan Chambers Dance Company and Southern Ballet Theatre.
The Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) is supported in part by the Georgia
Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General
Assembly. The Gwinnett Council for the Arts is the designated administrative
agency for Gwinnett County.
The 2006-2007 granting period marks the 14th year that the Gwinnett
Council for the Arts has administered this program for the Georgia
Council for the Arts. Nancy Gullickson, Executive Director of the
Gwinnett Council for the Arts, says: "The Grassroots Arts Program
has been a wonderful way to recognize the outstanding talent right
here in our own community. As a bonus it introduces the Arts Council
to new arts organizations and keeps us up to date with the more
established not-for-profit arts groups in Gwinnett."
Pat Swan, board chair for the Council, points out: "Over the
14 years that the Gwinnett Council for the Arts has administered
the GAP Grant, a total of $158,609.95 had been awarded to 37 different
not-for-profit arts organizations of all disciplines. It is exciting
to see the funds put to such creative and worthy endeavors".
Gullickson adds: "Announcing the Grassroots Arts Grants reflects
the spirit of the season -rewards for a job well done
Gwinnett Chamber promotes
Scott Morris to vice president
Morris |
Scott Morris has been promoted to vice president of economic development
for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. Since February, 2006, he has
served as the director of economic development. In addition to the
Chamber, Morris has eight years of experience in the economic development
field. Prior to coming to Gwinnett, Morris was president of the
Covington-Newton County Chamber. He has been executive director
of the Economic Development Authority of Halifax County, Va. and
also as director of economic development for the Rome (Ga.) Chamber.
Morris is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Terry College
of Management.
GGC adds former PDI
building for offices and recreation
Georgia Gwinnett College is growing…again. The GGC Foundation
recently purchased the 75,000 square-foot Plumbing Distributors
Inc. building and five acres of property on Collins Hill Rd. which
will soon become an office and recreational facility. Purchase price
was $3.8 million.
The building includes 60 offices and a large warehouse space. Remodeling
will provide office space for faculty and enrollment management
staff as well as recreational and athletic facilities, and perhaps
a food service operation, says Dr. Dan Kaufman, college president.
He adds: "We anticipate rapid growth at Georgia Gwinnett College
and we need to make certain that our footprint is adequate to meet
the needs of students. This property is important because it is
positioned near the front entrance of the campus and can be seen
from Georgia Highway 316."
GGC Foundation Chair Glenn S. White says: "We are pleased
the Foundation was in a position to take advantage of this situation.
It is an outstanding purchase for the College and I appreciate the
work of real estate committee chairman Wayne Mason and the staff
in the transaction." The building will open by fall 2007.
- 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
Stallings
Island site was major pre-historic settlement
Stallings
Island, a National Historic Landmark site, was a major settlement
of Late Archaic Native Americans from 4,500 to 3,500 years ago.
Located in the Savannah River eight miles upstream from Augusta,
the 16-acre island is the namesake of Stallings Culture and its
hallmark pottery, Stallings fiber-tempered wares, the oldest pottery
in North America.
Stallings Island pottery |
Stallings Island was occupied intermittently throughout prehistory.
It was during the height of Stallings Culture (ca. 3,800 to 3,500
years ago), however, that the site appears to have been the population
center of a hunter-gatherer society whose level of culture was more
complex than that of all prior societies in the surrounding region.
The most significant archaeological deposits on Stallings Island
consist of a two-acre accumulation of freshwater shellfish remains-over
ten-feet thick in places-along with other food remains, myriad artifacts,
pit features, and human burials. Excavations began in the 1850s
with investigations by Charles Colcock Jones Jr. They were followed
in the last century by no fewer than five expeditions, most notably
the 1929 project sponsored by the Peabody Museum of Harvard University
in Cambridge, Mass. Illicit digging has been an ongoing cause of
destruction at the site. The Archaeological Conservancy acquired
Stallings Island in 1997 and strives to protect it from further
damage.
Stallings Island is best known for its very early pottery, a technological
development that predated the advent of farming in Georgia by several
millennia. Accompanying this innovation were other indications,
such as permanent architecture and storage technology, of an increasingly
intensive hunter-gatherer economy. At 3,500 years ago the island
and surrounding area were abandoned. Evidence for diminished health
and environmental degradation suggest that the sedentary Stallings
lifestyle ultimately was unsustainable. Changing relations with
neighboring groups on the coast and in the uplands may have contributed
to regional abandonment
Since you were thinking
anyway, might as well do this
"As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG!"
-- Donald Trump, via Cindy Evans, Duluth.
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
===========================================
MORE: Contact Gwinnett Forum at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
© 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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