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Colangelos show ballet production is "All in the Family"
By MAUREEN HARDEGREE
Special to GwinnettForum

LILBURN, Ga., Nov. 21, 2008 -- Years ago, when the Colangelo family brought their six-year-old daughter Genevieve to the Lilburn School of Ballet for classes, they were ready to pitch in and help with the company productions, even prior to their daughter trying out for and being asked to join the company. They built sets, painted curtains on backdrops, and performed in whatever parts ballet founder and artistic director Jennifer B. Gordon needed.

Over their ten year relationship with the Northeast Atlanta Ballet, (NEAB) the Colangelo family contributed a lot of sweat equity---both figurative and literal. This year their support of the non-profit pre-professional company has culminated in a serendipitous bit of casting. Two of the seven NEAB Nutcracker shows will feature dad Kent Colangelo playing Drosselmeyer, daughter Aria dancing the part of Clara, and daughter Genevieve dancing the part of Sugar Plum Fairy.

Kent has been Drosselmeyer for the NEAB for five years. During that time, he's learned how to perform a little magic, how to apply stage make-up, and how to partner the Claras for the new choreography Jennifer B. Gordon added during last year's production. This year, as in 2003 when Genevieve was cast as Clara, the pride and affection you'll see on Drosselmeyer's face won't be acting alone.

Aria Colangelo, who will be playing the part of Clara, as well as performing as a flower in Waltz of the Flowers and as a Snowflake, is a seventh grader at Trickum Middle School. Aria has been dancing since the age of two and a half. She's performed a variety of parts in the NEAB Nutcracker productions including Baby Mouse, Arabian Princess, Pochinelle, Soldier, Dream Fairy, Little Chinese, Party Girl, and Russian.

Genevieve Colangelo, who started ballet at age three, dreamed of being Sugar Plum Fairy since the age of six when her parents signed her up for classes at the Lilburn School of Ballet. One of three senior dancers cast as Sugar Plum, Genevieve is a junior at Parkview High School. In addition to a rigorous course load at school, as a senior company member of the NEAB, she averages around 23 hours per week at the studio taking classes and rehearsing. During summers, this teen trains intensively not only with the NEAB, but she has also attended programs with the Houston Ballet and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Genevieve has performed other plum roles for the NEAB-Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Clara in the 2003 Nutcracker production, and Tinker Bell in Peter Pan. She is looking forward to the newly choreographed Spring 2009 NEAB production of Beauty and the Beast, where she will perform the part of Belle along with Brookwood High senior Katie Lamp'l.

The Northeast Atlanta Ballet, founded in 1996 by artistic director Jennifer B. Gordon, is the official company in residence of the Lilburn School of Ballet (www.northeastatlantaballet.org.) The company and their resident orchestra Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra (www.newschoolofmusic.com) will be performing The Nutcracker Thanksgiving weekend at the Gwinnett Civic Center. Performance times are Friday, November 28, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 29, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available through the Lilburn School of Ballet (770) 921-7277, the Gwinnett Center box office and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Bailouts, exercising, waste-hauling and lowering temps
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and Publisher

NOV. 21, 2008 -- This and that from all over today. Let's start with the efforts of the auto industry for a bailout. Looks more and more like neither political party wants to move to this situation.

At least for the Republicans, it is part of their basic philosophy. Appearing in their 2008 Platform was this bit:

"We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself. We believe in the free market as the best tool to sustained prosperity and opportunity for all."

Lots of people on both sides of the aisle will agree. What's wrong with the auto industry isn't so much financial as it is built-in problems, including cost, design and mileage.

THIS NEW PRESIDENT may keep us on our toes. We hear that Barack Obama exercises regularly, 45 minutes a day, six days a week. If he keeps this up, and we suspect he will, he might shame the rest of us into better health habits. However, we also hear Obama is human, in that it's difficult for him to stop smoking. We wish him well on that front, and would not mind him shaming us into better fitness.

SOME PEOPLE are upset over Gwinnett's new waste hauling plan. After reviewing it, the plan looks sensible to me, as it limits haulers to districts, eliminates multiple haulers from vying for the same areas and beating up the streets, and keeps the cost down in the long run.

We wonder if those people squawking the loudest voted in the last election. However, we might could understand their complaining if they are even registered to vote. These Johnny-come-latelies on the hauling question didn't raise their voices back during the comment period to significant extent. Makes you wonder when they woke up.

HOW MANY of you recycle your household trash? I suspect not nearly as many people as should. Taking a poll of one neighborhood on trash collection day, about half the homes that had the roller garbage containers out did not have the plastic bins with recyclables in them.

It speaks back to the waste hauling contract that has had so much comment recently. The cities and the county will provide recycling free of charge….but not enough residents take advantage of it. And it's a whole lot more simple than having to haul your recyclables off, and far better than simply putting them in your garbage bins. Come on, Gwinnettians, have some pride and re-cycle more!

ANOTHER CONSERVATION THOUGHT: how many of you have a set-back thermostat in the home? We would suspect that you might save 25-30 percent on your home heating bill with these simple marvels. They really work.

After all, if you are away from home all day, why keep your house toasty warm if no one is there? And at night, you can set your thermostat back 10 degrees, stay under your cover, and save more money. Everyone has a different heat need, but I know of one family that sets their daytime temperature at 68 degrees, then lets it drop back to 58 at night, and they save money. You'll pay back the price of the thermostat in perhaps one heating season.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Haven Trust Bank is an underwriter of GwinnettForum. Haven Trust started in Decatur in 2000 and moved to Sugarloaf in 2003. The bank opened a third location in the Johns Creek-Alpharetta area in 2006 and fourth office in Snellville in 2007. With assets of approximately $600 million, Haven Trust Bank is one of the top 10 lenders in Georgia of federal government Small Business Administration (SBA) funds. Ed Briscoe, bank president and CEO, says: "We have the ability to identify with small businesses. Our personal and responsive attitude toward them has elevated us as a leader in the community. We're different and we make all our decisions quickly and locally. That enables us to make a real difference in the lives and businesses of our customers." Visit its web site at www.haventrustbank.com.

If the Employee Free Choice Act is passed by Congress, as many think it will be, then your workforce may be a target. As an employer or as an employee, you may find yourself surprised by the passage of this pending bill.

The union organizers have been losing membership for many years, down to about 7.5 percent of the private workforce. This law change would be just what is needed to increase membership. Unions want increased membership. Employees provide the union revenue through employee paid dues.

The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is the somewhat humorous, however very misleading name of the congressional bill that is floating out there. There are many elements of this bill that are worrisome. However, the cornerstone is to take away the right of the "secret ballot" by employees. This would provide the union organizers a fast-track into the business.

Under our current laws, workers have a right to a government-supervised, private-ballot vote. If this new law is passed, the unions would only need to get cards signed by over 50 percent of the workers. Employees are often misled and/or pressured into signing a union authorization card. The secret vote has provided workers the right to vote in private even if they publically signed a union organizing card. This is now in jeopardy.

Under the current version of this bill there would be no secret ballot of the workers and the company would be forced to begin bargaining with the Union representatives. This would have a major negative effect on small business in this country. Employees would be saddled with union representation and paying union dues.

You owe it to yourself and your company to become more knowledgeable on this subject and not be blindsided if this bill is signed into law. It appears to be headed for passage.

Customers will no longer need to travel to the courthouse in Lawrenceville to pay county traffic fines or mail payments. Gwinnett County Recorder's Court now offers online traffic citation payments. This new service will result in less crowded parking lots and improved staff efficiency, since fewer payments will be handled in person or by mail.

Suwanee-based ICON Software was recently awarded a contract to provide case management services to Gwinnett County Superior, State and Recorder's Courts, which also offers customers the option to pay their traffic fines online.

Customers will be charged a three percent convenience fee plus a $5 fee for each transaction processed online. Once the fine is paid, customers will be able to print a receipt.

Not all citations can be paid online; some require a court appearance, such as no proof of insurance or driver's license and DUI. Most minor citations such as speeding, expired tag and following too close can be paid online. For more information about this service, visit the Gwinnett County Recorder's Court Web site at www.gwinnettrecorderscourt.com.

Gwinnett County is applying for federal funds from the new Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to buy, repair and resell foreclosed homes in hard-hit parts of the county. Commissioners approved the application on Tuesday.

The federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has said that just over $10.5 million will be allocated to Gwinnett based on its high rate of foreclosures.

Gwinnett expects HUD approval of the application by February. The money will be distributed to competitively-selected for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Those organizations will buy and rehabilitate foreclosed, single-family housing in designated areas. The homes will then be sold to NSP-eligible homebuyers who must qualify for a principal mortgage and may get assistance with a down payment or secondary mortgage. The money cannot be used to prevent foreclosures.

Independence Bank of Georgia cut its ribbon to mark its official opening at 6323 Grand Hickory Drive in Braselton recently. The bank is in the Mulberry Park business center off Georgia Highway 211. At the ribbon cutting were, on the front row, bank President Terry Evans, Calvin Jones, Mayor Pat Graham, Mike Williams and Richard Stevens. On the back row are shown Brian Rochester, Stacey Britt, Joe Harrison and Harry Gentry. The bank received its charter notification from the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance on October 15. The initial capitalization was $18.9 million. The bank's web site is www.ibankga.com.

Be a part of Project AWARE (Added Warmth Assistance for Residences of our Elderly). Gwinnett County Senior Services and the Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services are working together to assist senior citizens with staying warm during the bitter cold weather months.

Senior Services Manager Linda Bailey says, "Many seniors struggle to pay their increased heating bills along with their food and prescriptions during these times. Often times, seniors will forego their medication or other basic needs to make ends meet."

Consider making a tax-deductible donation of a brand new portable electric heater for local seniors. Donors may drop off donations at any local Gwinnett County fire station from December 1 until Feb. 15, 2009. Gwinnett Senior Services will collect the heaters from the stations and distribute them to seniors in need. A smoke detector and information on fire safety will also be included along with the heaters.

Work is progressing on a walkway underpass beneath the Norfolk Southern Railroad in Suwanee. The 62 foot long underpass will provide walking access between the Suwanee Library and the current City Hall. The underpass is one element of the City's efforts to enhance pedestrian access and safety between the Town Center area and historic Old Town.

The City will soon install two pedestrian-controlled crosswalks on Buford Highway, at the intersection with Suwanee Dam Road and at the current City Hall. The project, costing $1.7 million of which $1 million was funded by the ARC Livable Cities Initiative Grant, is expected to be complete by the end of December.

Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce recently launched industry-wide councils to support business growth in targeted sectors to focus on redevelopment in Gwinnett.

Commented Lauren Salas, with Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development Department, "The redevelopment task force stems from a need within the community to support our local Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) and Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) as legitimate areas in need of attention. Our mission is to identify the needs involved in supporting these groups and fill those gaps to drive improvement of our blighted areas and raise the standard for business in and around those districts."

The goals being produced for this task force align directly with those outlined in both Partnership Gwinnett and Gwinnett's 2030 Comprehensive Plan. They are also planning a Redevelopment Summit in early 2009 that would target commercial developers and provide them with education credits and a tour of top sites in the County.

Redevelopment task force members include Chuck Warbington, Gwinnett Village CID; Skip Nau, New Urban Solutions; Marty Taffel, Wakefield Beasley and Associates; Jimmy Norton, Kipha Communications; Alan Durham, Gwinnett County; Craig Flanagan, Duke Realty; David Stedman, Evermore CID; Michael Sullivan, Andersen Tate and Carr; and Joe Allen, Gwinnett Place CID.

A presence in Georgia state politics for more than three decades, Benjamin Hill was by turns a prosperous lawyer, opponent of secession, ardent supporter of the Confederacy, apologist for Reconstruction, and, at his death, Democratic U.S. senator from Georgia. Like his personal nemesis and fellow political survivor from the era, Joseph E. Brown, Hill manifested a remarkable political flexibility that was often taken for perfidy. Ben Hill County in south central Georgia was named for him upon its creation in 1906.

Born in Jasper County on September 14, 1823, Benjamin Harvey Hill graduated from the University of Georgia in 1843. He gained entrance to the bar and nurtured a thriving law practice in LaGrange. Although he could be a political chameleon, Hill generally worked toward sectional comity. He thus entered public life as a supporter of the Union and the Compromise of 1850.

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in 1859 and the election of 1860 drew Hill once more onto the political battlefield. The events at Harpers Ferry gave fire-eaters throughout the South an unprecedented opportunity for agitation, and Hill emerged in Georgia as one of the leading voices of moderation. Following Abraham Lincoln's election as president of the United States, Hill made an eloquent appeal to hold off on immediate secession to see what kind of leader Lincoln would prove to be. Nevertheless, when secession came, Hill reluctantly reconciled himself to it. As a Confederate senator from 1861 to 1865, he aligned himself with the centralizing policies of Confederate president Jefferson Davis.

He backed U.S. president Andrew Johnson's lenient plan to bring the South back into the Union and later fought against the perceived excesses of congressional Reconstruction. Then in 1870 he took on the Bourbon Democrats, who were poised to "redeem" the state, in an extraordinarily brave plea that Southern whites recognize the Reconstruction amendments as a fait accompli and move on to other matters. This unpopular stance earned Hill a stint in the political wilderness. Having spent most of his lifetime backing losing causes, however, Hill ended his career on top, winning a seat in the U.S. Congress in 1875. There he earned a national reputation as a champion of the white South by taking on such strident Radicals as James G. Blaine. Two years later he resigned from the House of Representatives to take a Senate seat, which he occupied until his death on August 16, 1882.

"By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day."

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