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Gwinnett Symphony and Chorus kick off season Dec. 9
By KELLY HAGGARD OLSON
S pecial to GwinnettForum

DULUTH, Ga., Dec. 2, 2008 -- In their first full Orchestra concert of the season, the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will present Masterworks Concert IV on Tuesday, December 9, at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at the Gwinnett Center.

The Hudgens Museum of Art is hosting an Instrument Petting Zoo, for children to meet the musicians and see the instruments close up, to take place from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. that evening in the Grand Hall, directly next door to the PAC.

The Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra and Chorus is comprised of talented adult and youth musicians, and has been providing outstanding educational performances of classical and popular music for the diverse metro Atlanta community for over 11 years.

The GSO&C will present a slate of varied music for the evening, led by Orchestra Conductor/Music Director Robert Trocina, Assistant Conductor Scott Hague and Chorus Director Rick Smith.

Soloists from Capitol City Opera will perform selections from Verdi's La Traviata alongside the Orchestra and Chorus while featured dancers from the Northeast Atlanta Ballet perform in a special exhibition for the audience.

Solo artists Ivana Cetkovic (violin), Suzana Pavlovic (cello) and Huu Mai (piano) will perform in Beethoven's Triple Concerto with the Orchestra. In addition, the impressive Gwinnett Horn Quartet, a GSO resident ensemble, will perform Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro.

Other music to be performed by the orchestra and chorus includes Arnold's Four Cornish Dances, Holst's Mars and Jupiter, Williams' Call of the Champions, and Faure's Requiem.

In addition to the Petting Zoo, the Hudgens Museum of Art is hosting a fun art project for children prior to the concert, in the creativity center adjoining the Grand Hall.

The December 9 concert also features the Symphony's Fall 2008 Art in Music contest, which culminates on concert night with an exhibition of artwork created by students at the Gwinnett School for Mathematics, Science and Technology. The students created the works while listening to John Williams' Call of the Champions, using the inspiration given them by the music.

The Art in Music contest winner will be announced during the concert, and the students' artwork displayed on a large screen behind the orchestra while Call of the Champions is performed live.

GSMST students are also serving as volunteer ushers and as assistants for the children's art project in the Hudgens Museum of Art. Students from Georgia Gwinnett College will assist with ushering and other backstage activities as volunteers as well.

Tickets to the Masterworks Concert IV are $12, $16 or $18, and can be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet or at the Gwinnett Center Box Office in person at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, open Monday thru Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

New trash hauling service will be win-win for Gwinnett
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and Publisher

DEC. 2, 2008 -- It didn't take rocket science to determine what proposals for waste hauling in Gwinnett were the best.

When the proposals for picking up waste in some of the eight collection areas vary between $14.75 to $30.25, and all other factors are equal, it's a simple decision.

After more than three years of work toward streamlining waste hauling in Gwinnett, the team charged with overhauling the system did a magnificent job.

However, the procedure wasn't strictly a low bid selection, but one of competitive proposals, followed by a negotiation process. The goal of the procedure was to obtain "the best value for the vast majority of the citizens of Gwinnett, both now and in the future." Six different haulers submitted bids, and two were selected to provide the service.

By having only two trash haulers providing the service, county residents saved tremendously over the costs had three haulers been selected. The higher proposal of the third hauler would have cost the county residents some $7 million over the seven year term of the contract. The two firms selected had the highest overall ranking and the lowest prices.

Now some 180,000 households after July 1, 2009, in Gwinnett will pay $17.86 a month for weekly trash pick-up, plus an elective $10 a month for hauling yard waste. For perhaps a majority of Gwinnett citizens, this will be a reduction in their hauling fees. The big difference in this service is that instead of paying monthly or quarterly directly to the garbage service companies, now residents will see the billing for this service on their property tax bills.

The actual $17.86 breaks down into the county being charged $14.89 a month for waste hauling, plus adding $2.97 for administrative fees, including billing, handling, operating fees and even illegal dumpsite clean-ups charges. (For the first six months of 2009, the cost for waste pick-up will be $20.45 monthly throughout the county, and picked up and paid directly to the firm currently collecting trash from customers.

Garbage haulers losing their contracts are not happy, but primarily lost their ability to collect trash locally, after they submitted high-cost proposals.

The advantages are numerous. Perhaps the most obvious, and most important, is that neighborhoods won't be serviced by several garbage hauling firms pounding the streets several days a week, causing problems and creating safety hazards.

The new contract also provides for a tremendous increase in items accepted for recycling---from 7 to 35. Included in these items are large household items, such as stoves and refrigerators, though customers will have to call in advance when such large items are being put out for collection. This alone is a tremendous new level of service.

Even with the advantages for most people, those losing proposals have been squawking….for what reason, we can't figure. None have deemed the process unfair, and all agreed to the methods in advance. One of the firms complaining submitted proposals of $23 to $28.50 for picking up refuse in selected areas. Some of those proposals are nearly twice the eventual worked-out all-county price of $14.89 for waste hauling. (See abridged bid table.)

Not being discussed in this process is another element: what the new contract can mean to the overall cleanliness and appearance of neighborhoods of the county. With one day in each neighborhood for pick-up of waste, trash bins won't routinely be on the street on the days different firms previously picked up. And the increase in the recyclable collection should vastly reduce refuse throughout the county. Add to this the fact that 40,000 more homes will be required to have waste collection, and the overall impact of this service becomes more apparent. The county will be, indeed, cleaner and more beautiful with this new contact.

It's a win-win for the county overall. Hats off to Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful in shepherding this new selection process.

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Norcross High School players will presentSeussical the Musical for four performances, running from December 4-7 at the stage at 5300 Spalding Drive.

Seussical the Musical is a presentation of story, song and dance based on the colorful characters from the children's books of Theodore Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. Seussical debuted on Broadway in 2000 and has gone on to become a favorite for school and community theater troupes across the nation. The play's overarching plot is loosely based on the story Horton Hears a Who and includes characters from 18 different Dr. Seuss books. It's fast-paced and fun, and perfect entertainment for the entire family.

Director Randy Kemper is at the helm of this production of the award-winning Norcross Theatre Arts Department. Gina Parrish is Theatre Arts Director.

New London Theatre will present Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, December 5-21. The play is being produced by Teagan Eley and directed by Lorrie Harris. This stage production is adapted by Kirk Buis.

A Christmas Carol is the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his night of redemption. After a visit by his dead business partner Jacob Marley, Scrooge is taken through a visit of Christmas past, present, and future in hopes of redeeming his life. Watch as this tale comes alive on the stage of New London Theatre.

It will be performed at New London Theatre - 2485 East Main Street, Snellville. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

For information about auditions, future performances, ticket purchases, volunteering, or donations, visit (www.newlondontheatre.org), e-mail (NLTSnellville@yahoo.com), or call 770-559-1484.

Don't miss a limited engagement of only nine performances of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Anthony Rodriguez's performance focuses on the classic art of storytelling, using his voice and mannerisms to bring to life the likes of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley and all the remarkable ghosts in the greatest Christmas story of all time.

This version of A Christmas Carol is perfect for the Aurora Studio Theatre, which is transformed to make theatre-goers feel as though Mr. Dickens had personally invited them to his parlor. Although a few new theatrical effects have been added, the show simply captures the true spirit of Christmas, the joy of giving.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, sponsored by Graphic Communications Corporation, runs December 5 to 21 on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for performances, while tickets for subscribers/seniors cost $15, and Star Pass/Students tickets are $12. For reservations call 678-226-6222.

John Wesley United Methodist Church of Norcross will have two special events this Christmas season. All events are free and open to the public.

On Saturday, December 6 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., the church will host breakfast with Santa, with pancakes and sausage. There will also be crafts and other activities for the children.

Then on Saturday, December 13 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., the church will have a Live Nativity, with hot chocolate for onlookers. Experience the first Christmas without leaving the area!

For more information on these special events or other church activities, call the church office at 770-448-8636. John Wesley United Methodist Church is located at 5320 Jimmy Carter Boulevard, east of Interstate 85.

The Sugar Hill Latter Day Saints Choir will perform its annual Christmas concert this year themed "My Heart Goes Home for Christmas" on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. - marking the fourth year the choir has performed the free community concert.

The performance will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Sugar Hill Stake Center at 4833 Suwanee Dam Road, near North Gwinnett High School. The concert will feature classic Christmas pieces accompanied by several instrumentals. The Golden Bells ensemble will be featured guest performers during the concert.

The 65-voice Sugar Hill LDS choir, named in 2006 as one of the top church choirs in Gwinnett County, is directed by Pamela Gates and draws its members from Dawson, Hall, Gwinnett and Forsyth Counties. Several accomplished musicians and community leaders participate in the choir with cities being represented including Buford, Cumming, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Lawrenceville, Oakwood, Sugar Hill and Suwanee. The all-volunteer choir always performs for free and is accompanied by Eric Kristjanson of Lawrenceville and Michelle Whetten of Suwanee.

For more information, contact Cindi Pickett at 404.375.7882 or visit the choir's website at www.sugarhillldschoir.org.

Three students from Gwinnett at the University of Georgia are among 30 freshmen and sophomores who received 2008 undergraduate research apprenticeships from the Honors Program's Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO). The undergraduates, Amanda McKenley of Snellville, Opeoluwa Fawole of Lawrenceville and Alex Orellana of Suwanee, paired with UGA faculty research mentors representing various disciplines, spend 10-12 hours a week on individual research projects.

In addition, Cleveland Piggott of Suwanee, is a teaching assistant with the program.

McKenley, a freshman economics major, is studying under the guidance of educational psychology professor Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett. Her research project, titled "Children's Readiness for Learning," focuses on assessing the abilities and development of pre-school children so that they can make successful transitions to primary school.

Fawole, a sophomore microbiology major, is studying the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, considered a major cause of malaria, in the infectious diseases laboratory of David Peterson.

Orellana, a sophomore art major, is completing a project focused on whether strength training can improve balance in individuals with multiple sclerosis who are at risk for falls that can result in serious injuries. His faculty research mentor is kinesiology professor Cathleen Brown.

Piggott, a junior biology and psychology double major, has been named one of three teaching assistants who give additional encouragement and guidance to the apprentices. He is a previous apprentice who leads small group discussions and talks about his own experiences with the program.

Pamela Kleiber, associate director of UGA's Honors Program, says: "The Apprentice Program, having originated in the physics department to engage first- and second-year students from underrepresented groups in research in the sciences, has blossomed beyond our dreams within Honors. The strength and talents of our youngest students, combined with the opportunities provided by faculty in all disciplines, is unparalleled at research universities."

Officer Ray Rutledge, of the Braselton Police Department, was recently awarded the 2008 Todd Helcher DUI award by the Northeast Traffic Enforcement Network of Georgia for making 105 arrests of driving while under the influence from July 2007 to July 2008. The award is named and given in honor of the late Braselton Police Sergeant Karl Todd Helcher.

Rutledge has been employed with the Braselton Police Department since June 2007 and was also the March 2008 recipient of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving 2007 award in appreciation of his outstanding performance in keeping roads safer.

Election and installation of the 2008-2009 Emory Eastside Medical Center Auxiliary took place at the Snellville Senior Center recently. The new officers are president, Joanne Gilbreath; president-elect, Nancy Burnham; Vice President of Documentation, Scott Hawes; membership vice president, Shirley Hays; recruitment vice president, Nancy Burnham; secretary, Linda Pennington; treasurer, Barbara Nazary; and parliamentarian, Wanda Van Tyle. Betty Walls, treasurer for Georgia's Council on Auxiliary Volunteers, led the installation.

Greg Caples, CFO, Emory Eastside Medical Center, expressed appreciation to the Auxiliary Volunteers not only for their many hours of service, but for their flexibility in adjusting to various changes at the Medical Center.

Freshwater snails may inhabit almost any type of water body, although most species require flowing waters to survive. Freshwater snails use their rasplike tongues to feed on algae, detritus, and fine particulate matter scraped from the surface of rocks, leaves, and plants.

The majority of mussel species live in streams or rivers, but a few species can survive in lakes. Mussels live in a variety of beds, but most species prefer mixed sediments (sand-gravel-cobble) that are stable and free of silt. As adults, freshwater mussels are primarily filter feeders, straining food particles, including algae, organic detritus, and bacteria, from the water. As the water is siphoned through the body cavity, these tiny particles are collected on the surface of the gill and transported to the mouth for ingestion.

Freshwater mussels have multiple mechanisms for reproduction. Generally, sperm is broadcast into the water column by the male and carried in water currents to female mussels. The female mussel captures the sperm as she siphons water into her body cavity through normal feeding behavior. Fertilization occurs within the body cavity and is followed by several weeks or months of growth and maturation of the larval mussels (glochidia) inside a special area of the gills.

Freshwater snails may be separately sexed. All freshwater snails have internal fertilization through direct copulation and lay their eggs on firm, clean beds near the water surface. Most snails lay very tiny eggs in pairs or in a concentric circular pattern, but the eggs of hermaphroditic species are deposited in large gelatinous masses. When juvenile snails leave the egg mass, they have the basic anatomical features of an adult snail, including a foot, a distinct head, and a completely formed shell.

Freshwater mollusks are sensitive to pollution, sedimentation, and other human-induced habitat alterations. Historically, the primary factors leading to the decline of mussels and snails in Georgia were the construction of dams; dredging; in-stream sand and gravel mining; deforestation; and pollution from mining, municipalities, and industries. While the river bottoms of this state were at one time covered with mollusks, today only pockets of diversity remain. Sedimentation, further dam construction, and urbanization continue to degrade or eliminate mollusk habitat. Decreased water flow caused by drought and withdrawal of water from streams and rivers poses a threat to the survival of many species of mollusks.

"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."

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