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Being a librarian brings several distinct
advantages
By
Jo Ann Pinder
Special to GwinnettForum
(Editor's Note: Having seen Atlanta native Vernon
Jordan on C-Span addressing the Public Library Association in
convention, we asked former Gwinnett librarian Jo Ann Pinder,
now of Baltimore, Md., if she had heard him speak. She had not
been at that session, but sends in this report.-eeb)
BALTIMORE, Md., Aug. 29, 2008 -- Being a librarian has many advantages.
Some, but by far not all, include:
- advance knowledge of your favorite author's newest book;
- advance publishers' galleys of books months before they are
released;
- access to many authors at library and bookseller events.
When serving as president of the Public Library Association, the
president's program featured Margaret Atwood. From picking her up
at her home, to spending time in the Green Room and sharing a podium
with her, I had one of the best afternoon's of my life. I have been
fortunate to share meals with Chris Bohjalian, Ridley Pearson, Miss
Manners (before which my mother felt the need to impart many coaching
sessions), Helen Thomas and Diana Gabaldon. During my years as executive
director of the Gwinnett County Public Library, Gwinnett Reads gave
me the opportunity to spend time with Clyde Edgerton and Rick Bragg.
Among many of the books I have read before their release are several
by Anita Shreve, this summer's sleeper The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
by David Wroblewski and the new book by the author of Marley
and Me due out this fall. My nephew was the envy of his friends,
several years ago with a pre-publication copy of the second in the
Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini.
In June the American Library Association met in Anaheim, Cal. and
featured talks by Sally Ride, Vernon Jordan, Jr., Khaled Hosseini
and Jamie Lee Curtis. She has authored several children's picture
books with one to be published this fall. She read her new book
to more than a thousand librarians with the book's pictures projected
on a large screen.
The actor in her knew how to instruct the camera person for the
best shot and lighting, making the book come alive with her voice
and the brilliant drawings. She spoke of failure as a student and
the early years as the child of two famous parents. At her reference
to Psycho, the young librarian seated near me whispered,
"I don't get it." After the explanation that Tony Curtis
and Janet Leigh were her parents, I could have felt old. But instead
decided to feel and act liked a wise elder.
Yes, being a librarian has many advantages -- being around books
-- getting the opportunity to hear the words of authors in their
own voices -- and teaching and learning from the next generation
of librarians.
Unexpected convention ploy could bring Democrats
together
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
AUG. 29, 2008 -- Bringing together the Democratic Party in one
accord, the pundits were saying before its convention, could be
the determination of the outcome of the presidential election. The
Democrats showed the nation this week at least a dramatic approach
to this goal, which just might have worked.
Brack |
It came during the traditional roll call of states to cast their
votes for each state's presidential candidate. As the roll call
groaned on in the traditional fashion, the totals mounted for Barack
Obama for president. But in the meantime, the real activity was
going on in the maneuvering behind the scenes.
Then the yielding of states began, I believe with New Mexico. Soon
Obama's home state of Illinois was the focus. However, instead,
that state yielded to New York in an obvious well-orchestrated and
unexpected ploy. The New York chairman began a litany of praising
his party officials, finally introducing the junior senator from
New York, Hillary Clinton, who very much wanted to be the presidential
nominee. Soon Senator Clinton surprised the convention as she herself
asked the convention to suspend the rules and roll call, and nominate
Barack Obama by acclamation as the party's choice. This was greeted
by roars from the delegates at the convention, and could signify,
that indeed, the Democrats had come together to fight for their
nominee for president.
The move was beautiful theatre. It could be symbolic of what we'll
see this fall for the Democratic Party.
Yet there was Mrs. Clinton, losing the nomination many thought
was hers, and at age 60, moving ever so quickly away from being
able to seek another nomination.
Best chance for Mrs. Clinton to be president, some would say, would
be for Senator John McCain to win the election. Then since Senator
Obama lost to McCain in 2008, it would be more difficult for the
party to nominate him again, especially with Mrs. Clinton standing
around….waiting.
However, if the Democrats win this year, there's a good chance
that Obama will be the party's nominee in 2012. That means that
Mrs. Clinton would not have another chance at the nomination until
2016. At that time, she would be 68 years old (not as old as McCain
is now), but would see her chances slipping away, merely because
of age.
Senator Clinton may have to content herself with having lived eight
years in the White House already, though not as president. Like
another Democrat who never got the chance to be the president of
the White House, Teddy Kennedy, she may can only turn and become
an expert in Senate affairs, if she chooses to remain active politically,
which we fully expect.
There's a significant date facing Mrs. Clinton, and women throughout
the country. That's 2020, which will be the 100th anniversary of
woman's suffrage in this country. But should Mrs. Clinton be the
candidate that year, she would be 73 by the time she took office
(should Senator McCain win, he would be 72 when taking office.)
That would be a mighty factor against her.
But 2020 will be a rallying point for women. Perhaps by then a
new, strong cadre of women will be in the political spotlight, maybe
guided by a senior politician, Hillary Clinton.
We may have seen her effort to win the nomination turned back this
year. But we expect to see more of Mrs. Clinton in many places in
coming years, not so much weighed down by her husband as she has
been this year. You must admit it: she fought a valiant fight.
Three cheers for Hillary Clinton.
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Boys
still ruling
Editor's Note: Cartoonist Bill McLemore has been
released from a hospital stay, and is back drawing topical cartoons.
He is still, however, recuperating at his home in LaGrange, Ga.
We welcome back his fresh touch.
Ah,
yes, some things are still legal for people in Georgia
Editor, the Forum:
The recent comment "Heavy input could exacerbate the situation
" reminded me of the late WSB traffic reporter Keith Kalland.
Keith would occasionally remind us that "Exacerbation is still
legal in Georgia."-
-- Marshall Miller, Lilburn
Dear Marshall: Yes, we remember Keith and his
welcoming comments. We never got to know him, but once Scott Slade
let me ride with him in the traffic helicopter. Let me tell you,
while I don't know how to play the piano or work complicated math
puzzles, being a traffic reporter the way Scott and Keith did
it was the most remarkable set of skills I have ever seen. We
would fly over an area, and I saw that it was crowded, but that's
about all. Then Scott would go on the air and with expert directions
and comment explain what he saw, but I didn't. Was an amazing
performance of a real artist with his eyes and words. Those in
the helicopters helping us move in traffic are doing us a major
service, in a far more complicated job than I had envisioned.
---eeb
Suwanee
Jazz Series continues with Steve Olive on Sept. 5
Armed with the six strings on his guitar that he can make sound
like a grand piano or a mighty blow on the horns as well as his
versatile vocals, Steve Oliver returns to the Town Center stage
for the Suwanee Smooth Jazz September 5 concert. Jazz drummer Bernard
Linnette will kick off the evening with a 7 p.m. performance.
Introduced at the 2006 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards as an "amazing
guitarist" and "wonderful singer," Oliver plays some
200 dates each year. He was a best new artist and best guitar player
nominee at Canada's 2003 National Smooth Jazz Awards and has six
top-30 singles.
Off-site parking will be available at the Shawnee North Business
Center, 305 Shawnee North Drive at Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. Free
shuttle transportation between off-site parking and Town Center
Park will be provided from 6:30-10:30 p.m.
Bring picnics, blankets, and low-back chairs to this free concert
at Town Center Park. Food, beer, and wine will be available for
purchase. No outside alcoholic beverages may be brought into Town
Center Park. The park is located at the intersection of Buford Highway
and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road.
Fellowship of Chistian
Athletes plans golf tournament soon
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Gwinnett will host their
fourth annual charity golf tournament October 6 at Chateau Elan
in Braselton
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Deadline for registering for the FCA fundraiser is September 30.
Entry fees are $200 for an individual or $800 for a foursome. Registration
forms and entry fees should be mailed to Fellowship of Christian
Athletes Gwinnett, Golf Classic, P.O. Box 845, Lilburn, Ga. 30048.
Curt Bazemore, FCA Gwinnett golf tournament chairman, says: "Not
only are we looking for participants, but we also need corporate
and individual sponsors to help fund the event. The money raised
through participant fees and sponsorships will help us fund our
ministry at Gwinnett's public and private schools this school year,"
he says. The FCA Gwinnett golf tournament is one of two major fundraisers
held each year by the organization.
Registration for the FCA tournament begins at 7 a.m., breakfast
at 7:30 a.m., and shotgun start at 9 a.m. A luncheon and awards
program follows the golf tournament. For more information, visit
www.fcagwinnett.org
or contact Bazemore, curtwbaze@bellsouth.net.
Georgia Gwinnett profesor
curates Temple bombing exhibit
Georgia Gwinnett College history professor Ellen G. Rafshoon is
curating the exhibit 'The Bomb that Healed:' Rabbi Jacob M. Rothschild,
Civil Rights and The Temple Bombing of 1958." The exhibit will
remain open until January 5, 2009 at the Manuscript, Archives and
Rare Book Collection of Emory University.
Rashoon |
Nearly 50 years ago, dynamite exploded in the brick edifice of
The Temple on Peachtree Street, home to Atlanta's oldest and largest
Jewish congregation. The 1958 attack was linked to hate group activities
around the South during the Civil Rights Movement. The impact of
the bombing on the city's Jewish Community is documented in the
new exhibit which draws on the personal papers of The Temple's spiritual
leader, Rabbi Rothschild, a friend and ally of Rev. Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Dr. Rafshoon says: "The bombers had intended to intimidate
Jews, who were seen as co-conspirators along with blacks in the
civil rights struggle, but this act of terror had the opposite effect.
When Rabbi Rothschild returned to his office the day after the bombing,
he was greeted with mailbags filled with sympathetic messages from
Atlanta and from across the nation."
The display, which includes letters, photographs and published clippings,
will show how Rabbi Rothschild worked openly to build support for
desegregation among Atlanta's religious and civic leaders. The overwhelming
support extended to The Temple's congregation gave Atlanta Jews
the confidence to become more active in bridging the divide between
blacks and whites, Dr. Rafshoon further commented.
In addition to the exhibit, on October 12, Dr. Rafshoon will present
a slide show about the exhibition at The Temple, located at 1589
Peachtree Street, NE in Atlanta. She will be joined by the Rabbi's
widow, Janice Rothschild Blumberg and other Temple congregants who
will share their memories of the attack.
CORRECTION: Reading
Festival set for Saturday, Oct. 18
The Gwinnett County Public Library will present the second annual
Gwinnett Reading Festival on Saturday, October 18 from 10 a.m. until
4 p.m. at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. The date was previously
incorrectly reported.
Gwinnett Place CID
seeks optimization of traffic signals
While there are no quick-fix solutions to traffic congestion, the
Gwinnett Place CID and Gwinnett County Department of Transportation
are working to introduce new relief measures in Gwinnett's central
business district.
CID leaders recently authorized a project to optimize the traffic
signal timings at 45 intersections throughout greater Gwinnett Place.
The CID contracted with Wolverton and Associates, a local transportation
consulting firm, to independently evaluate the signals and supply
their findings to county transportation officials for final implementation.
The work will primarily address Pleasant Hill Road, Steve Reynolds
Boulevard and Club Drive, according to Joe Allen, CID executive
director.
"This process is centered on getting the most capacity possible
out of existing roadways," Allen says. "With increasing
numbers of drivers visiting the area, we believe we can improve
transportation infrastructure performance on our busiest streets
through this partnership."
The CID's funding commitment for the project will be matched by
Gwinnett County resources and other efforts. The public-private
partnership is facilitating the retiming years ahead of time.
The evaluation process and resulting changes should be completed
in advance of the busy holiday shopping season.
Study to consider options
for bringing Suwanee together
Downtown Suwanee is a bit like the ancient Chinese symbol yin-yang.
Quaint, historic Old Town and the newly constructed, bustling Town
Center represent contradictory yet complementary aspects of downtown
Suwanee. The City of Suwanee is poised to update its 2002 Old Town
Master Plan in order to determine how best to create a unique synergy
for its dual-personality downtown area.
Planning Director Josh Campbell says: "We want to find a way
to merge these two areas. Our desire is that both of these areas
- these two sides of downtown Suwanee's personality - be compatible
and tied to one another."
The City of Suwanee will contract with Ecos Environmental Design,
an Atlanta-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning
services firm, to lead the six- to nine-month downtown master planning
process. Throughout the process, Ecos will collaborate with other
firms: Market and Main will focus on housing; URS will concentrate
on transportation issues; and architectural firm Smith Dalia also
will consult. The cost for this downtown master plan will be about
$85,000.
The process is expected to begin in September with the first of
five community meetings anticipated for October. Community meetings
will be open to Suwanee residents and downtown stakeholders. Says
Campbell: "Despite the success of Town Center, we have some
challenges in our downtown area. The master planning process will
help us identify strategies for addressing these challenges and
embracing new opportunities."
- 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
South Georgia Pecan
Company is big business in Valdosta
The Valdosta-based South
Georgia Pecan Company, the second-largest pecan-shelling company
in the nation, began as a small family business in the early 1900s.
It has grown into a privately owned industry leader because of its
easy access to local nuts and its emphasis on using the latest technology.
(The country's largest pecan sheller is John B. Sanfilippo and Sons
of Texas.) In 2006 South Georgia Pecan Company, which processes
at least 50 million pounds of pecans a year, moved into a 200,000-square-foot
plant formerly owned by Levi Strauss and Co., bolstering its already
strong business of selling to food manufacturers, supermarket chains,
and individuals. In 2005 the company's revenues totaled between
$60 million and $70 million.
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In 1905 the Pearlman family of Valdosta founded the company and
in 1913 incorporated the business. In 1967 it was purchased by Beatrice
Foods, located in Beatrice, Neb., which helped the company become
more competitive nationally. After Beatrice was dismantled in 1983,
the company was purchased by Ed Crane and Jim Worn, who still run
the company today. By focusing on product quality and solid customer
service, the company continues to grow.
South Georgia Pecan Company shells at least 160,000 pounds of pecans
a day, using the latest technology to shell, sort, and perform laboratory
tests to guarantee the quality of each pecan. About 70 to 80 percent
of the company's pecans come from Georgia, Alabama, and Florida,
depending on the quality of the crops. Once the pecans are shelled,
the company grinds the shells (and also buys other companies' shells)
and sells them to plywood and furniture manufacturers. These manufacturers
mix the pecan-shell flour with resin to create a product that looks
like real wood. South Georgia Pecan Company has the only pecan-shell
grinding plant in the world.
The company's main business, however, is nuts. The company supplies
such food manufacturers as Nestle and Russell Stover, as well as
large supermarket chains, with all manner of nuts-among them almonds,
cashews, pistachios, and walnuts. The nuts are often used to make
baked goods, candy, ice cream, and other treats. South Georgia Pecan
employs 70 to 100 employees year-round and takes on additional seasonal
workers during the busy holidays.
What the Democrats
and Republicans promise the voters
"The Democrats are the party of government activism, the party
that says government can make you richer, smarter, taller, and get
the chickweed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says
government doesn't work, and then get elected and prove it."
-- Political Satirist P.J. O'Rourke (1947 - ).
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
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Forum for future publication.
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is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
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