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Issue 9.01 | Friday, April 3, 2009 | Forward to your friends! |
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TODAY'S
FOCUS McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE ___::
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TODAY'S
FOCUS LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., April 3, 2009 -- Weathers Corporation announces the launch of Gwinnett Broadcasting Company (GBC), Gwinnett's first television channel exclusively serving the entire county through the Internet. GBC premiered on March 17, 2009, at www.GBCNOW.com and offers visitors instant access to high-definition news and entertainment programming designed specifically for the Gwinnett community. Seth Weathers, president of the Weathers Corporation and executive producer for GBC, says: "Gwinnett is ready for a dedicated television network. Gwinnett is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. It's clear that residents need an outlet for their own news and entertainment."
GBC will provide on-the-scene news coverage and community specials, as well as original shows for Gwinnett County's population of over 800,000. The station's programming will be available online at GBCNOW.com; initially, new content will be added weekly. "As we move forward," Weathers says, "programming will be added on a daily basis." GBC formed an advisory board of community leaders to help steer the direction of the network and ensure its news coverage and programs serve the entire county. Gwinnett Broadcasting Company (GBC) Advisory Board consists of Bruce Baldwin, Gwinnett Braves; Sheriff R.L. "Butch" Conway; Douglas Cotter, Cotter Properties; Rep Melvin Everson; Bill Gentry, Wild Bills; Wayne Hill, Nashill Inc.; Adrienne Hollis, Gwinnett Medical Center; Keven Lake, National Real Estate Data; Caryn McGarity, Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau; Emory Morsberger, The Morsberger Group; Bert F. Nasuti,Gwinnett County Commissioner; John Oxendine, state Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner; Mark Rountree, Landmark Communications; Anthony Rodriguez, Aurora Theater; Sen. David Shafer; Alex Silva, SBX Technologies; Tammy Shumate, Brand Mortgage; and Judy Waters, Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. One of GBC's first original series, Gwinnett's Most Wanted, was created in conjunction with the Gwinnett Sheriff's Department. The show, hosted by Sheriff Butch Conway, profiles some of the county's most wanted criminals each month, offering unique insight and evidence that can help viewers identify the fugitives. Gwinnett Idol is one of the new shows in production that will debut over the next few months. Contestants will perform live at a local club in front of a panel of celebrity judges, but the final winner will be determined by fans casting their votes online at GBCNOW.com. GBC will provide a source for news, where local anchors and reporters will continually cover stories from around the county. GBC NEWS will debut with news segments such as the progress of the Gwinnett Braves Stadium as well as the unveiling of the Greater Atlanta Christian School's new Long Forum. The concept of Internet broadcasting, such as www.Hulu.com and other network websites is to stream HD programming online. Weathers says: "What sets us apart is our commitment and dedication to creating programming that is relevant to our community." "The radical shift in the way people now consume media online is undeniable," says Weathers. "GBC's news and entertainment is always just a click away. Whether you are at the office or at home, everything GBC has to offer rests at your fingertips." GBC will be funded through ad space and commercial airtime revenue. One of the initial corporate sponsors of GBC is the Gwinnett Medical Center, which will air episodes of Medical Matters on GBC. ELLIOTT
BRACK APRIL 3, 2009 -- Looking at the continual reports from the county concerning Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, it makes you scratch your head and say, "What's going on?"
Ever since Gwinnett County Commission ran into opposition in establishing a new solid waste (garbage) hauling plan last year, there has been acrimony between the commission and Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful (GCB), a 501c3 organization set up in 1980 to be the county's go-to entity in matters of sanitation, litter control, graffiti and comprehensive beautification and overall environmental concerns of the county. Earlier, the county had asked GCB to study how the county handled its solid waste and then come up with a plan to meet the needs of the future. After several years of study, discussion with waste haulers, and many public meetings, GCB presented the plan last December, 2007, to the county. Though the commission had charged GCB to develop a plan for the county to adopt, the commission began to step back from the plan almost from the time it was presented. Interestingly, up until then, the commission had been in step with GCB all during the study phase, Granted, several smaller waste haulers were not pleased with the plan, since it would essentially cut them out of providing waste hauling services within the county. Yet the fee that these haulers had bid to provide services for the citizens of Gwinnett was far higher than the waste hauling fee that GCB had obtained from the low bidders. When the county balked on accepting the plan, it made us step back and wonder, "Whoa! What goes on? This is a good plan that the county asked to be developed. Why doesn't the county accept it?" Since then, there have been injunctions, court actions, much confusion and consternation. While not in the original injunction, the commission seemed to want to cut all their ties, developed over nearly 30 years, with GCB, such as their operation of the Gwinnett Recycling Bank. (This is an exemplary program, which has worked beautifully, one that is the envy of many counties, and continues as a vital need for the county.) Yet the county commission doesn't seem to want to continue to have GCB function in the county, though GCB's other operations have nothing to do with the county-contracted program to GCB to produce a waste hauling plan. As an outsider, we view what has happened as not positive for our county. There seems to be a mistrust between the county commissioners and GCB, stemming from the waste hauling plan, but spilling over into other activities of GCB. Let's even assume the solid waste plan was flawed. That has nothing to do with running the Recycling Bank, eradicating graffiti, and keeping tabs on how well the county is continuing to stay neat and clean. Now this week the county has extended the division between itself and GCB by terminating the lease that GCB has on its office facilities. Yet at the same time, GCB continues to provide for the overall "beautification" environment of the county, as it has been directed to do by the county for nearly 30 years. We urge
county and GCB officials to come together, halt the acrimony and act as
adults. The county still needs the services of all of GCB activities;
we hope the county will continue to work in harmony with GCB to make our
county even more beautiful
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (CID) is a self-taxing district organized in March 2005 comprised of 238 commercial properties. The CID's mission is to "enhance the economic vitality of Gwinnett's central business district by strengthening the area's role as the center of commercial activity." In addition to comprehensive planning efforts to address traffic congestion, an area-wide branding and marketing initiative, daily community patrols keeping the area free from graffiti and litter, landscaping enhancements, infrastructure improvements and promoting redevelopment opportunities, the CID Board of Directors remains committed to increasing the long-term economic sustainability of greater Gwinnett Place. The Gwinnett Place CID...Keeping Gwinnett Place the Place to be. To learn more about the Gwinnett Place CID and ways to find success at Gwinnett's central business district, please visit www.GwinnettPlaceCID.com or www.visitgwinnettplace.com.
McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: Host an international exchange student through AYUSA (Academic Year in the USA ) International. Students arrive in August! AYUSA is looking for caring families who wish to open their home and share in a meaningful exchange with a young person from another country. AYUSA is a non-profit organization that works to provide young people with learning experiences that promote cultural appreciation, insight and friendship. For information, please call me at 770-432-7996 or visit www.ayusa.org.
UPCOMING First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lawrenceville, which is marking its 100th anniversary, has announced its Holy Week schedule and is inviting the public to Easter events. The church is located at 3495 Sugarloaf Parkway, just outside Lawrenceville. Among the activities coming soon:
Formore information, contact the Rev. Katie Hays at 770-963-9922 or www.lawrencevillefirstchristian.org. Second Corners to Crossing Race is taking place April 18 The race is on! The second annual Corners to Crossing 10K Race is only a few weeks away! In 2008 community neighbors in Norcross and Peachtree Corners organized an inaugural event linking residents and community organizations of the City of Norcross and Peachtree Corners.
This year
on Saturday, April 18 , the second annual Corners to Crossing 10K Run,
a 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) run/walk, will be conducted. The race will take
runners and walkers on a newly designed, runner friendly course from the
Robert D. Fowler YMCA in Peachtree Corners to Thrasher Park in historic
downtown Norcross. An array of local running enthusiasts, including members
of the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association, Norcross Neighbors
and the City of Norcross, have joined forces to host the race again this
year. Registration forms for the Corners to Crossing 10K Run, a qualifying race, are available www.cornerstocrossing.com. Race director Gary Jenkins can be reached at pacestr@bellsouth.net or 678-795-0115. Peachtree Corners tag office planning grand opening
A new Peachtree
Corners vehicle tag office is complete, in Peachtree Corners near Norcross.
Kathy Brooks, center, who has been a customer for 19 years, was the first
customer for the new location. She was presented with a certificate of
appreciation and a gift basket. Motor Vehicle Director Anthony Buffum,
left, and Peachtree Corners tag office Branch Manager Tracy Hedrick, right,
made the award. The new office includes eight frontline customer service
work stations, a handicapped-accessible work station and a customer service
desk all in a spacious 4,000 square foot facility. A grand opening will
be held on April 21. The office is located in the Market Place Shopping
Center on 6135 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 201B in Norcross. NOTABLE The Georgia
Department of Transportation (GDOT) has awarded $150,000 in grants to
aid three Gwinnett County groups in their revitalization efforts. Grants
were awarded to the City of Suwanee, Gwinnett Village Community Improvement
District (CID) and Gwinnett Place CID. All three grants will be used for
improvements surrounding active Interstate-85 interchanges with redevelopment
potential.
The Gwinnett
Place CID project centers around continued landscape improvements at the
Interstate-85, Pleasant Hill Road interchange and includes enhanced landscaping
for the northeast and southeast quadrants of that exit. The CID has already
undertaken and completed a similar project for the Steve Reynolds Boulevard
interchange and part of the Pleasant Hill Road exits. Gwinnett Village CID will be using their grant to help fund a $125,000 aesthetic improvement project centering around the southwest corner of Interstate-85 and Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The newly landscaped plot will serve as an extension of the previous $825,000 beautification project that the CID has undertaken including the landscaping of the interchanges at Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Indian Trail Road and Beaver Ruin Road. Similar to these previous projects, the Jimmy Carter Boulevard, I-85 Gateway project will utilize an undulating pattern of primarily native and drought resistant plant materials. Jackson EMC warns customers of new telephone scam Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is cautioning members to be aware of a new phone scam that's tricked some Georgia utility consumers into compromising their credit card numbers in an effort to keep their power on. Though Jackson EMC customers so far appear unaffected, some Georgia utility customers this week are reporting fraudulent phone calls from persons claiming to be a utility employee and demanding credit card information to prevent immediate disconnection. In a few instances, customers have provided the perpetrator with credit card information that was then used to fraudulently wire money to Alabama.
Though Jackson EMC has yet to receive reports of any similar calls placed to members, employees were this week advised to remain alert to suspicious activity and report any similar customer complaints or inquiries to their supervisors. Brent Cochran, Jackson EMC's director of customer service says: "Our members should be aware that Jackson EMC employees never call customers to ask for a credit card number or make any similar demand of payment." If a Jackson EMC member is past-due and scheduled for disconnect, they receive a pre-printed notice, and an automated phone call with a pre-recorded message informing the customer that they are scheduled for disconnect. The call instructs members to contact their local office to make payment arrangements. Cochran said that if a member calls to inquire about or report a suspicious activity regarding their account, a "fraud alert" can be placed on their account to help protect them in the future. "If anyone has a question or concern about their account, or something they're hearing from someone claiming to represent Jackson EMC, the best thing they can do it is just contact their local Jackson EMC office directly for assistance," Cochran said. Parkview High senior wins Harrison Scholarship from EMC Timothy Philip, a senior at Parkview High School, has been awarded the 2009 Walter Harrison Scholarship from the Electric Membership Corporations of Georgia. Timothy is the son of Mathew and Evangeline Philip of Lilburn.
Philip, sponsored in the statewide contest by Walton EMC, was one of nine $1,000 winners. The scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate academic merit and talent and a commitment to community service. The scholarship honors the late Walter Harrison, a pioneer in bringing electricity to Georgians. He also helped start the EMCs' statewide service organization and served as president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Philip has maintained a 4.0 grade point average at Parkview High School while taking 13 advanced placement courses. He was also a finalist in the Governor's Honor program and a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Philip has been accepted to the Georgia Institute of Technology and plans to pursue a degree in engineering.
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA Luther Rice University, a college and seminary located in Lithonia in DeKalb County, provides instruction for students who plan church-related careers. Affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the school is named after Luther Rice, a 19th-century Baptist missionary.
A New England native and originally a Congregationalist, Rice converted to the Baptist faith in 1812. He spent the next several decades traveling across the country, converting new members to the church. Rice believed in mission work overseas and raised large amounts of revenue for the early Baptist missions in Burma and India. The roots of Luther Rice Seminary lay just across the Georgia border in Jacksonville, Fla. In 1962 Robert Gee Witty, pastor of the Central Baptist Church in Jacksonville, organized an effort to form a seminary, as an alternative school for Southern Baptists who believed that their denominational schools were drifting away from a conservative past. Florida granted a charter and Central Baptist Church provided the facilities for classes. Staffed entirely by Southern Baptist pastors, by 1964 the school had 94 students and 16 part-time faculty members. By 1976 Luther Rice Seminary was employing a full-time faculty. In 1988 a church in Lithonia donated its entire building and property to Luther Rice Seminary. Within three years the entire school moved from Florida to its new campus in Georgia. In 2004 the trustees changed the name to Luther Rice University. In 1979
Luther Rice was reorganized into two schools, one an undergraduate Bible
college and the other a graduate-level seminary. The school offers four
degrees: a bachelor of arts in religion, a master of arts in either ministry
or divinity, and a doctoral degree in ministry. As of 2009, Luther Rice
had 1,0472 students, the majority (72%) of whom were enrolled in the graduate
curriculum. Of the school's 358 undergraduates that year, only 33 percent
were full-time students, and 71 percent were male. CREDITS GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday. If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more. Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves or comments on any issue to Gwinnett Forum for future publication.
© 2009, 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 County, Ga. USA. |
TODAY'S
QUOTE "Capitalism isn't the enemy, and it isn't the savior. It is simply a system fueled by human creativity but vulnerable to human weaknesses, such as greed. It's a lot better than communism, because at least capitalism takes humanity into account: we work hard for our own benefit, not for the benefit of the state."
MORE RECENT COMMENTARY
MODERN HISTORY OF GWINNETT
NOW IN STORES! You can purchase the book now at several locations:
Or order directly from elliottbrack.com and get a signed copy. The book consists
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FOR CHARITY. You can give "A Gift of Laughter," a great book of cartoons by Bill McLemore, to help raise money for Rainbow Village. At just $20, it's a fun way to help. To order, call 770 840 1003, or 770 446 3800, or email to info@gwinnettforum.com. SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
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