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Issue 9.29 | Friday, July 10, 2009 | Forward to your friends! |
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McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE _::
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TODAY'S
FOCUS SUWANEE, Ga., July 10, 2009 – Even in this economic downturn, a new bank has opened in Gwinnett. The Piedmont Bank opened June 30 after acquiring Republic Bank of Suwanee and its location at 1400 Northbrook Parkway. Veteran local banker Monte Watson is president and chairman of the new bank. The Piedmont Bank has one other office now, a temporary one in Peachtree Corners at 5270 Peachtree Parkway, adjacent to the Flying Biscuit Café. On Monday it plans to open a Lawrenceville office at the intersection of Gwinnett Drive and Five Forks Trickum Road. President of that office is veteran Gwinnett banker Richard Sikes, who headed Peachtree Bank’s Lawrenceville office. The last use of that location was when it was a branch of Peachtree Bank. In addition, Watson says that the bank has purchased a former BP service station two-acre site at the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Medlock Bridge Road for its headquarters. Design work is complete on what will be a two-story, stacked stone building, with work to begin within 90 days. The new office is anticipated to be open within a year. Other branch locations of the bank are planned in Dunwoody and Alpharetta, perhaps as early as within a year, Watson says. Former stockholders of The Peachtree Bank had been moving toward seeking a new bank charter. They began raising capital in late September, 2008, and had raised $25 million by the end of the year. The intent was to buy the charter of an existing bank, thinking that the FDIC would approve a new charter. However, regulations viewed the move similar to a start-up, and suggested that the group consider putting the new capital to better use in an on-going bank. Altogether, $23.5 of the $25 million raised as capital was retained in The Piedmont Bank. Meanwhile, Watson and his group had talked with some 23 banks, before settling on the Republic Bank. They were able to structure a share exchange that gave the Watson group control of the bank. The transaction was closed on June 30, when The Piedmont Bank took over. Besides Watson, other directors include John Howard, vice chairman, and Bob Cheeley, Paul Donaldson and Paul Maggard. Three directors of The Piedmont Bank are former directors of Republic Bank: Robert Ratliff, former chairman of AGCO Corp. of Duluth; Jim Stevenson, chairman of Yancey Brothers; and attorney Mike Tennant. Watson maintains that it could not be a better time to get back into the banking business. “Most of our competitors are strapped for capital, and struggling to deal with problem loans. We have plenty of capital and we’re in the lending business. We’re seeking the long-time relationship with our customers our bankers have had before.” Watson says that several of his associates with Peachtree Bank are joining The Piedmont Bank staff. Watson was eventually president of First Gwinnett Bank of Norcross, which started in 1988 with a capitalization of $6 million. Later First Gwinnett Bank was sold to Regions Bank in 1996. Watson helped organize, in 1998, with several former First Gwinnett directors, Peachtree Bank of Duluth (Johns Creek), with its initial capitalization of $8 million, which grew eventually to $22 million. It had branches in Dunwoody, Roswell and Lawrenceville. That bank was sold to Alabama National Bank in October of 2006. Sixteen months later, RBC Bank (Royal Bank of Canada) moved into the Atlanta area and bought out the Alabama locations. ELLIOTT
BRACK JULY 10, 2009 – There has been a whopping increase in the Gwinnett voter registration rolls since early 2008. More than 83,000 new people have registered to vote since March, 2008, a increase in the Gwinnett voter registration figures by 25 percent.
Those higher registration figures were reflected in the 2008 General Election, when a record 291,319 Gwinnettians cast their ballots, or 69.27 percent of the population. The highest percentage of citizens ever voting in Gwinnett was 1984, when 244,716 voted, or 82.8 percent.
What caused the record registration? No doubt the candidacy of Barack Obama was a factor, since more black voters registered than any other ethnic group. A total of 30,557 new black voters were put on the rolls in the last 16 months, or 46.9 percent of the 2008 total. Another factor was the higher number of minority voters. The Hispanic-Latino voters led with an increase of 60.43 percent, from 10,286 voters in Gwinnett to 16,662.
There was a 46.7 per cent increase in Asian-Pacific Islanders, to 19,944, while the “Other” category had a 44.6 per cent increase. Voters officials indicate that a majority of the “Other” category is Asian-Indian citizens. Altogether, the higher voter registration totals show in 2009 that there were 411,208 people registered in Gwinnett, some 25.3 percent more than in 2008. A major factor in voter registration totals throughout the State of Georgia has been a significant increase in minority voting totals, especially among Hispanic-Latino voters Gwinnett County is thought to have the highest concentration of Hispanic-Latino voters in the state, counted at 16,662 in the July figures. Gwinnett falls behind two other counties in the number of registered Hispanic-Latino voters, at 3.99 percent of its registration. Whitfield County leads the state in percent of registered Latinos, 7.33 percent, or 3,015 voters, followed by Hall County (4.5 percent), or 3,702 voters.
Figures recently released show that 53.8 percent of the Latino voters throughout Georgia voted in the 2008 primary, outperforming the national Latino voting turnout of 49.9 percent. The 7th Congressional District, represented by John Linder, has the highest density of Latino voters, 23,185 citizens. The highest Senate District for Latino voters is one represented by Sen. Renee Unterman, where there are 7,737 Latino voters, or 5.4 percent of those registered. Altogether, the Latino vote now represents three percent of the Georgia totals. The Latino registration has risen 1,300 percent during the last six years. * * * * * The increase in the number of minorities registered to vote in Gwinnett is encouraging. For this is the first step, we feel, in being a good citizen of the area where they live. Once these minorities begin to take an interest in the area about them, including voting, there will be a similar jump in the overall political scene. Eventually, we would hope that the higher registration totals will encourage more from the ethnic minorities to offer themselves for public service. Eventually over time, more will get elected, bringing more balance to our political spectrum, and eventually, to better government. Now that we are seeing more minorities around us, this higher minority registration totals is a good sign. McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE
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FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: While the fireworks ‘bursted in air’ on July 4th, all I could think about was how Gwinnett is in despair. A man who crashed his SUV into a building claimed all he did was follow the GPS. The county commission has been following their GPS without looking through their windshield. Rather than improving much needed services such as sewage, water management, and zoning planning, county officials went on a spending spree to add a baseball stadium, build Taj Mahal parks, and pay the high estimates on properties to turn it over to developers. Let's not forget how many weddings will be ruined because the commission approved a garbage transfer station next to a well established church. When a group is going in the wrong direction, it's the leader who sets them right. However, Charles Bannister has only paid attention to that misguided GPS provided by developers. When a judge ordered the county to negotiate with the cities, he refused. When Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful gave a reasonable suggestion, he shot the messenger and cut off their funding. It is time for new leadership, Gwinnett has to decide whether they want to wait until the next election, or begin RECALL proceedings.
Appreciates life in Gwinnett community of years ago Editor, the Forum: As a child growing up in what used to be rural Gwinnett, it was a village that cared for each other. Although it was called ‘community” back then. I myself have seen unattended children, and checked for parents, not found them, and coaxed the children back to safety. Not once
have the parents ever been truly rude to me. I know that some people have
encountered rudeness when helping with someone else’s children, but
can you in good conscience just let them walk into the street? I think
not.
UPCOMING The second Symphony on the Green summer concert will star the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra Chorus in a stand alone classical choral concert on Friday, July 17 at 7 p.m., at the Duluth Amphitheatre.
The GSO Chorus will perform a wide selection of choral works ranging from portions of Handel's Messiah to pop classics such as Shaw's Bridge Over Troubled Water and several especially moving a cappella works. Featured artists will include the GSO Chamber Orchestra and the GSO Wind Quintet. The Wind Quintet is a residence ensemble of the GSO and includes Kathy Farmer on flute, Brian Seaton on oboe, Diane Hargreaves on clarinet, Steve Acklin on bassoon and Adrian Norris on horn. Sponsored by the City of Duluth, the free concert series continues on Fridays, July 17 and August 21, at 7 p.m. The Duluth Amphitheatre is located in the heart of downtown Duluth, at 3578 West Lawrenceville Street. Other works to be presented include Rachman’s Bogoroditse Devo; Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus; Tallis' If Ye Love Me; William's Old Hundredth; and Martin's When I Survey The Wondrous Cross. Additional pieces will include Morricone's Nella Fantasia; Olatunji/Brooks' Betelehemu; Thomas' Shore to Shore; Rutter's Open Thou Mine Eyes and Amazing Grace; and Lauridsen's Contre Qui, Rose. The Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra Chorus currently consists of approximately 40 members, and is conducted by. Rick A. Smith. For more information about the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra & Chorus or the Symphony on the Green concert series, please call the New School of Music at 770-925-8900 or visit www.gwinnettsymphony.org. Button Theatre plans to present Christie’s The Mousetrap Button Theatre, Gwinnett County’s newest professional theater company, announces their next production; The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie at the Red Clay Theatre in downtown Duluth on weekends July 17 through August 2. The show is known for being the longest running play in history. The twist at the end was so shocking that each night after the performance ended, the audience was asked not to reveal the ending to others. This will be the directorial debut of young director Kelly Knowlton, who says: “I was drawn to this material because it is a wonderful classic murder mystery. Everyone is suspected and the plot thickens with twists and turns on almost every page. The cast is amazing and I love seeing what they can do with each character. Their talent and hard work can only be matched by their ability to work as an ensemble, something that is vital to producing a great piece such as this.” The show takes place in a boarding house on an evening where the snow has piled so high that none of the guests are able to leave. Add a murder to the mix and you have one of Christie’s most famous mysteries. Mary Carolyn Conti, artistic director of Button Theatre, says: “I’ve been an Agatha Christie fan since I was in middle school and this is one of my favorites. The Red Clay Theatre space is perfect for a show like this. It’s large enough to hold the beautiful set, designed by Christopher Dills, but small enough that the audience is going to feel like they are actually in the lobby of the hotel with the guests.” Staying true to their mission statement, Button has cast primarily Gwinnett County actors, Knowlton herself is also a resident of Gwinnett County. For show times, detailed show information, cast list and tickets, visit www.buttontheatre.com or call the box office at 678-407-0772. NOTABLE The Georgia
Department of Transportation will remove the last section of reversible
lanes on U.S. Highway 78 in Gwinnett County for the Monday morning commute,
weather permitting. Starting Sunday night at 9 p.m., crews will begin removing the final section of the reversible lane system from Highpoint Road to Georgia Highway 124. They will take out the overhead reversible lane signage and re-stripe the roadway with a center turning lane, three westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes. These lanes
will remain in place until project completion when three lanes are opened
in each direction. Work continues on U.S. 78 from Killian Hill /Bethany
Church Roads to Highpoint Road as crews begin installing the concrete
median. They will also pave and stripe the newly widened roadway for three
lanes in each direction. Motorists should expect overnight work to occur
every weeknight as weather permits. Five Gwinnett UGA students doing research during summer Five Gwinnett students at the University of Georgia are among 26 undergraduates spending this summer immersed in research projects through the Honors Program. They include Erin Hansen and Cody Nichol, who are from Lilburn; Tiffany Hu, who is from Suwanee; Emily Pierce from Lawrenceville and Joe Reynolds of Duluth. They do this through the Honors Program’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO). The students each have earned 2009 CURO summer fellowships.
Hansen, a rising senior with double majors in biology and psychology, is studying rapid eye movements and the corresponding brain activity in schizophrenic patients that may lead to new treatment options for the individuals. Her research mentor is psychology professor Jennifer McDowell. After graduation, Hansen would like to pursue a medical degree and become an emergency room pediatrician.
Nichol, a rising junior who is pursuing bachelor's degrees in German and psychology, is studying how parental reactions to children's emotional expressions impact their development. He will be looking at data comparing parent, child and teacher reports of the emotional functioning of children ages 7-12. Nichol's research mentor is psychology professor Cynthia Suveg. After graduation, Nichol would like to enter a Ph.D./M.D. program and specialize in child psychiatry.
Hu, a rising sophomore microbiology major, is investigating the biology of parasite Trypanosoma brucei which causes African sleeping sickness in human and non-primate mammals that is spread by the bite of a tsetse fly. Her research mentor is Stephen Hajduk, professor and department head in biochemistry and molecular biology. After graduation, Hu would like to attend medical school to become a pediatrician and also obtain a master's degree in public health.
Pierce, a rising junior who is pursuing combined bachelor's/master's degrees in applied biotechnology, is conducting research that involves the genetic alternation of the soybean plant in order to incorporate genes that promote the production of astaxanthin, a natural carotenoid or organic pigment that is usually added commercially to animal feed. This would help streamline the process of adding carotenoids to animal feed since the soybean plant is already an ingredient. Pierce's research mentor is crop and soil sciences professor Wayne Parrott.
Reynolds, a rising senior who is pursuing bachelor's degrees in philosophy and psychology, is taking an interdisciplinary approach to his research, studying the happiness of the individual and the most effective life path to true enlightenment or fulfillment. He will be analyzing texts related to these ideas in physics, psychology, philosophy and the religious beliefs in Buddhism and ancient and medieval Christianity. His research mentor is philosophy professor Frank Harrison. After graduation, Reynolds would like to pursue graduate studies and pursue a career in academia. For more information about UGA's CURO summer fellows program, visit http://www.uga.edu/honors/curo. RECOMMENDED
READ “Mary
Frazier Long’s latest book is About Lawrenceville, and tells
the story of everything Lawrenceville. It is the history of this town
formed in 1821, told through stories of its people, businesses, organizations,
schools, churches, and how it was affected by national and international
events. The 460 page soft cover book by this retired school teacher includes
profiles of some well-known citizens, most of whom she knew personally.
She includes stories she overheard when a child, hiding at the back of
her father’s grocery store on the square across from the courthouse.
The book was fun for me to read, and was hard to put down. It is $20.”
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA Edward Telfair Jr., the first child of Edward and Sarah Telfair's to survive infancy, was born in 1780 while his father was serving in the Continental Congress. Three more sons were born in succession: Josiah in 1784, Thomas in 1786, and Alexander in 1789. These sons, unlike Edward Jr., who died in his teens, would become men of considerable prominence.
Josiah, Thomas, and Alexander Telfair received academic training in the North, as did many wealthy young men from Savannah, and graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University). Josiah and Thomas Telfair went on to receive legal training at the highly regarded law school founded by Tapping Reeve in Litchfield, Connecticut. Edward Telfair died in 1807, and his sons carried on the family business. Josiah Telfair took the lead in managing his father's estate. He spent most of his time at his plantation and took little interest in the social life of Savannah. Thomas, a lawyer and planter, was the only one of the Telfair brothers to marry. He had a passion for politics, and he and his brothers were Jeffersonian Republicans. Like their father, the Telfair men had no use for the Federalist Party and its philosophy of a strong central government. Thomas Telfair was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1813 and served in that body until 1817. Josiah died in 1817 at the age of 32 and Thomas died eleven months later, at age 31. Following the deaths of his older brothers, Alexander Telfair became the head of the family at the age of 29. He owned a choice lot, located on Savannah's St. James Square, that had once been the site of Government House, home of the royal governor James Wright. Telfair decided to build a mansion there that would be suitable for himself, his three unmarried sisters, and his mother. The architect William Jay designed the structure, which was completed in 1819, and the mansion later became the centerpiece of the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, the first public art museum in the South. The Telfairs were members of a coastal aristocracy, an elite circle of urban Southerners who felt as much at home in the drawing rooms of New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as in the parlors of Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina. The family spent each summer in the North as part of the social set that dominated Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Newport, R.I. Their mother, Sarah Gibbons Telfair, died in 1827 in Philadelphia. Alexander Telfair died in Virginia in the fall of 1832 on his way home from summering up north. William Hodgson moved into the mansion on St. James Square with his wife and her two sisters. Sarah Telfair, who had been in ill health, died in 1845. Hodgson died in 1871. Mary Telfair, who never married, died in 1875. It was she, the last to bear the Telfair name, who left the family mansion to the Georgia Historical Society for the purpose of establishing the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. 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
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© 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. |
OOPS DEPARTMENT A headline error in the last issue gave the wrong date of a gathering to tell about the possible formation of a Community Improvement District in the Lilburn area. The correct date of the meeting, July 14, at 5:30 p.m., was in the body of the story. We regret this headline error. --eeb TODAY'S
QUOTE
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
of 850 pages, including more than 143 demographic and historic tables,
with more than 4,000 names in the index, and 10,000 names in the appendix. Here are some other good reads that you might want to consider reading:
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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