Gwinnett Forum.com -- Gwinnett County's community forum and idea exchange

Issue 9.06 | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | Forward to your friends!

THERE SHE BLOWS: Learn about how some Loganville railroad enthusiasts got caught up in the fervor surrounding National Train Day next month in Elliott Brack's commentary today. (Photo from Vines Garden Railroad.)

TODAY'S FOCUS
:: Frontier Fort Faire on May 2

ELLIOTT BRACK
:: National Train Day in Loganville

FEEDBACK
:: Remember the nolo contendere plea

UPCOMING
:: Once on This Island to be performed

NOTABLE
:: Famed author's only Southern visit

ALSO INSIDE

___:: IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Meet a sponsor
___:: RECOMMENDED: Send us your thoughts
___:: GEORGIA TIDBIT: Savannah's plan
___:: TODAY'S QUOTE: Pulitzer's ties
___:: ON THE BOOKSHELF: Interesting reading
___:: ARCHIVED COMMENTARY: Read past issues

OUR SPONSORS

ABOUT US

GwinnettForum.com is a twice-weekly online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA. Contact us today.

SEARCH GWINNETT FORUM

TODAY'S FOCUS
Frontier Fort Faire scheduled for Hog Mountain on May 2
By KASIE BOLLING
Special to GwinnettForum.com

DACULA, Ga., April 21, 2009 -- Tucked away from Hog Mountain's busy streets, in the unassuming private backyard of 2505 Braselton Highway, lies the remains of what is most likely one of Gwinnett County's earliest historic sites -- Fort Daniel. In an effort to save this valuable site from possible destruction, The Friends of Fort Daniel, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and The Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society (GARS) are teaming up to host the First Annual Frontier Fort Faire and Public Archaeology Event.

The Frontier Fort Faire is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with a rain date of May 9). Activities at the event will include site excavation and construction of a scaled-replica of the fort's stockade and blockhouse (the public is welcome to participate) - as well as frontier militia demonstrations, blacksmithing, history museum with site artifacts on display and more. For young attendees, there will be plenty of photo opportunities with historic re-enactors, children's activities, and the prospect for an archaeological "dig" of their own.

GARS Historian and Event Coordinator Shannon E. Coffey says: "We hope to build awareness and increase public support of the Fort through this event. We felt Archaeology Month was the perfect time to host the Frontier Fort Faire, as it's also our aim to spark an interest in archaeology and history with the little ones."

Admission to the event is free, though donations are gratefully accepted. Beverages will be available for purchase on-site. Citizens from all over Gwinnett and her surrounding counties are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and take a very special step back in time.

About Fort Daniel

First built in the late 18th century, the location that was to become Fort Daniel was originally a frontier fort located on Hog Mountain in Gwinnett County. It is believed to be the county's earliest historic site, possibly dating back to the formation of Jackson County in 1796. Archaeologists have recently unearthed artifacts including historic pottery, black bottle glass, pipe fragments, musket balls, musket flint, wrought nails, and an 18th-century Spanish coin.

During the War of 1812, the original fort, which was still in use as an outpost for the Georgia militia, was reconstructed as a stronger fortification by order of Maj. General Allen Daniel in 1813. Recently listed on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's 2009 Top 10 "Places In Peril, the property and its surrounding lots are currently for sale. A developer has already sought a zoning change to allow commercial development. This development would destroy this significant archaeological site.

A group of interested parties, including descendants of those tied to the fort, members of the Gwinnett Historical Society and the National Society United States Daughters of 1812, has joined forces under the name of Friends of Fort Daniel in the hopes of purchasing the archaeological site. With support from the community and Gwinnett County government, this group plans to create an archaeological park that would include a museum, lab and classroom space. For more information on how to help save Fort Daniel or to show your support for the Fort Daniel Project by becoming a member of the GARS, visit the society's website at www.thegars.org.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Loganville finds out it's participating in National Train Day
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and publisher

APRIL 21, 2009 -- Through the alertness of Bob Gisenbach of Buford, the City of Loganville is getting national publicity as part of the National Train Day on May 9.

Brack

Trains? In Loganville? As Loganville resident and train buff Bob Hanson notes, Loganville's railroad hasn't been in operation for 76 years. What gives?

Sandy and Rick Krause of Lilburn first alerted us to Loganville being involved with National Train Day. They have been in Seattle lately, and they plan to return home by Amtrak.

They sent us a list of the communities involved in the Train Day. Major events will take place in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles. But other communities can easily sign up, and have. They include Denver, Tampa, Loganville, Dubuque, Kalamazoo, Dearborn, Mich., Meridian, Brooklyn, N.Y., Burbank, Ohio. Also Norman, Okla., Portland, Ore., Gaffney, S.C., Jackson, Tenn., Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, Tex., Lacey, Wash. and Sturtevant, Wis.

All across the nation, there will be exhibits and events about trains in these cities.

Well, not exactly. Not in Loganville proper. Let Bob Giselbach explain: "Our celebration will be at the Vines Garden Railroad Club at 3500 Oak Grove Road, near Loganville on May 9, starting at 11 a.m. and running until 3 p.m."

Here's how it came about, according to Bob: "I read about Train Day on the Internet, and they asked if communities would like to put on a display on May 9. We at Vines Garden Railroad had been scheduled to open on May 16, but we moved it up to coincide with National Train Day. I filled it out, and sent it in from the Vines Garden Railroad, figuring they had to check us out. A few days later I saw on the Internet that we were listed as participating along with those other cities. So we must have checked out all right."

What will happen at the May 9 activities at the Vines Railroad will be a demonstration of the cars running around the track. "We'll also have the Atlanta Braves mascot, the chipmunk, out to take part. He's a railroad buff, too."

If you haven't been to the Vines Garden and checked out the garden railroad, you are in for a treat. The trains runs on a G Scale road bed, and has over 2,500 feet of track, two towns, tunnels, a 23 foot bridge over a small stream with waterfall, and small lake. Altogether, it has nine model engines, showing logos on the sides of Amtrak, Atlantic Coast Line, Burlington, CSX, Central of Georgia, ET&WNC, Louisville and Nashville and Southern. There are passenger cars, hand cars, freight cars including, but not limited to, boxcars, refrigerator cars [reefers], stock cars, gondolas and flat cars. The models themselves are manufactured by Aristo-Craft, Bachmann, L.G.B. and U.S.A. Trains. Some have been modified from their original configuration to undertake military and permanent way maintenance duties.

To view the railroad Internet site, go to: http://vinesgardenrailroad.com/index.html.

Hey, Mayor Ray Nunley, Councilmen and City Manager Bill Jones of Loganville: this sounds like a great feather in the city's cap. We hope you join other dignitaries in helping mark National Train Day in your city, too, even though the rails have been gone for 76 years now.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. The Gwinnett County Public Library provides free access to its electronic and physical collections and information, as well as its services and programs. In addition, the library hosts two community-wide special events, Gwinnett Reads and the Gwinnett Reading Festival. The library system consists of 14 branches in Gwinnett County, all of which offer free use of library computers and wireless internet. For more information on resources, services and events, please visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm

FEEDBACK
Remember the nolo contendere plea

Editor, the Forum:

The "12-3" program in Walton County was created to target teens in an effort to reduce teen driving deaths in the County. It was no doubt created with noble intentions. However, as happens so often with government attempts to manipulate the lives of the citizenry, it has
apparently gone way overboard and lost sight of its intended gains.

Mrs. McNair points out at the beginning of her letter that her daughter is over 20, not a teenager anymore. Also, the good Judge has seemingly forgotten that you can ALWAYS plead Nolo Contendere -- which is Latin for No Contest. This No Contest or Nolo Contendere plea basically states to the court that you are placing yourself at the mercy of the Court. It allows you to speak for yourself and present your side of the story to the Court and allows the Court to then render a decision based upon the evidence present and all sides of the story. I'm interested to see what the good Judge has to say, but clearly his option of guilty or not guilty are outside of her normal rights under the law.

There are always 3 options to plea in any court case, no contest, guilty or not guilty. The good Judge should know this.

-- Roger Hagen, Lilburn, Ga.

Send us your thoughts. We encourage readers to submit feedback or letters to the editor. Send your thoughts to editor at elliott@brack.net. We will edit for length and clarity.. Make sure to include your name and city where you live. Submission of a comment grants permission to us to reprint. Please keep your comment to 200 words or less. However, if you write 500 words, we'll consider it for Today's Focus.

UPCOMING
Aurora brings calypso sounds with Once on This Island

Aurora Theatre invites you to start your summer vacation early with the calypso sounds of Once On This Island, running April 30 until May 31.

The play was the surprise Broadway sensation of 1990, garnering eight Tony Award nominations, then going on to win the Oliver Award for Best Musical in London in 1994. Broadway hit makers, Ahrens and Flaherty (Ragtime, Seussical, and Lucky Stiff) almost accidentally created their most celebrated work. After several frustrating months searching for their next project, Lynn Ahrens stumbled upon the novel My Love, My Love, by Rosa Guy, in a used bookstore. The story and the setting captivated the duo, and Once On This Island was born.

Ann-Carol Pence, Aurora Theatre Associate Producer and Once On This Island music director, "This is my favorite American musical and I am so excited to share it with my favorite people in the world, the Aurora Theatre patrons." She continues, "I was lucky enough to see this show on Broadway several times, and I kept coming back because it was a compelling story with such captivating music. People are just going to love, love, love it." And audience members will leave the theatre seeking a drink with an umbrella in it.

Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $16-$30. For more information, call 678.226.6222 or visit www.auroratheatre.com.

Eastside Medical offers program for mothers and daughters

Gwinnett Gynecology in a collaborative effort with h2u -- health, happiness, you program at Emory Eastside Medical Center -- is presenting on April 25 a two hour program at Noon a special program for mothers and daughters.

Entitled, "Working It Out - Relevant Issues For Mothers & Daughters, " the event will take place at the Eastside Physician Plaza, 1800 Tree Lane, Snellville. Topics will include HPV (Human Papillomavirus), Gardasil, abstinence, and other pertinent concerns. To register you for this free event, which includes pizza at no charge, call the h2u office, 770-982-2359.

Guest speaker will be Katherine A. Steahr, PA-C, Gwinnett Gynecology, who is certified by the National Commission of Physician Assistants. . Ms. Steahr joined Gwinnett Gynecology in 1988 and practiced until 2006. After a two year hiatus, she rejoined the practice. As a mother, Ms. Steahr has a special interest in counseling adolescents and perimenopausal women.

NOTABLE
Library presents famed author at Norcross High on Monday

On Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m., join the Gwinnett County Public Library at Norcross High School as the library system honor Sandra Cisneros, popular author of The House on Mango Street. Cisneros' popularity is extensive and her works, which include fiction, poetry and essays, have touched people from around the world and are studied in a variety of languages and disciplines.

Cisneros

This will be the author's only appearance in the Southeast in 2009. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the author, engage in public discussion, and participate in a book signing. The program will also include a Spanish dance performance.

Born in 1954 Chicago to a Mexican father and a Chicana mother, Cisneros spent her childhood traveling between Mexico City and Chicago. Cisneros, one of seven children, writes extensively from her cultural background about the Latin experience in the States. Her work speaks to children, teens and adults of all ages and has been translated into over a dozen languages. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Cisneros is best known for The House on Mango Street which tells the story, in a series of vignettes, of a young Latina woman growing up and coming of age in the Latina section of Chicago. Published in 1984, the novel has sold more than two million copies and won the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award in 1985. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of The House on Mango Street in the United States.

RECOMMENDED

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

GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Savannah layout of city plan adopted by other cities

(Continued from previous issue)

Equally important is the way Savannah grew between the American Revolution (1775-83) and the Civil War (1861-65). Until the mid-19th century, the plan was regularly expanded by the city into the common by the addition of wards until a total of 28 wards had been created. According to urban historian John Reps, "Savannah . . . used the power gained through municipal ownership of the common to shape growth in the public interest. The decisions to do so . . . produced America's most unusual city plan." All but four of these repeated wards had the characteristic squares.

Savannah plan, 1770

Today 21 squares remain, each approximately one acre in size. A park system also runs along the Savannah River on top of the bluff; Forsyth Park culminates the plan on the south while the intervening streets and avenues have center or side tree lawns. The result is an urban forest of unsurpassed beauty and utility. Savannah's squares form a public outdoor extension of the restricted living space of the narrow urban lots. Many of the squares are further adorned by monuments commemorating various aspects of the city's history.

The Savannah plan influenced other settlement proposals, notably Ebenezer, Darien, Brunswick, and Radnor, S.C. It continues to provide inspiration, as shown in the 1993 creation of Bois-Franc, a 500-acre development in St. Laurent, Quebec. To create a flexible street/block pattern that would accommodate a range of densities and residential and recreational uses, the Canadian planners adapted the street grid of Savannah to allow development of individual but continuous neighborhoods.

The area of the original Savannah plan was included in a National Historic Landmark District designation in 1966. This district received further protection in 1973 when a Historic Review Board was established. The appointed members of the board see that the buildings surrounding the squares are visually compatible and appropriate in scale, and thus they define the plan
Savannah's plan is among the most researched and analyzed in the history of American city planning. There are several theories about the influences and sources from which its distinctive layout was derived.

John Reps sees it as a derivation of settlements established by the British in Northern Ireland in the 17th century, with which Oglethorpe was familiar. Other scholars still support the 1885 claim by Savannah historian William Harden that architect Robert Castell, a friend of Oglethorpe's who later died in a London, England, debtors' prison, provided Georgia's founder with the inspiration for his plan. In his book Villas of the Ancients Illustrated (1728),
The first drawing of the plan, entitled "A View of Savannah as it Stood the 29th of March, 1734" is also the source of scholarly debate. There is widespread disagreement about what artist was responsible for this document and considerable speculation about the accuracy of the drawing.

Click here to access the Georgia Encyclopedia

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.

MORE: Contact Editor and Publisher Elliott Brack at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com

SPECIAL NOTE
Get your history book soon

GwinnettForum, as publishers of the book, Gwinnett, A Little Above Atlanta, has been asked repeatedly "How are the book sales going?" They are going well. This week the last 75 books from the warehouse were put in circulation. Along with perhaps a similar number at retail establishments, this means that anyone who wants a First Edition of the history needs to begin moving fast…..right soon! For a list of where books are on sale, click here. Or to obtain a copy direct from the publisher, go to www.elliottbrack.com. -- eeb

TODAY'S QUOTE
Maybe Joseph Pulitzer foresaw current newspaper situation

"Our republic and its press will rise or fall together."

-- Newspaper giant Joseph Pulitzer