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Issue 9.57 | Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 | Forward to your friends! |
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FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE _::
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Meet a sponsor |
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. NOW ON TWITTER! SEARCH GWINNETT FORUM |
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TODAY'S
FOCUS
NORCROSS, Ga., Oct. 16, 2009 -- Imagine being 55 years old, never having harmed anyone, yet having been in prison for 52 years. Such is the case of Wenka, the oldest known chimpanzee in an American research laboratory. Wenka was born in 1954, immediately taken from her mother, and since then has been used at the Yerkes Primate Research Center near Lawrenceville for breeding and experimentation. She is one of approximately 1,000 chimpanzees currently held in U.S. laboratories. About 27 are elders, over 47 years old.
Over the years, Wenka has had many cage-mates who were taken from her, including all her babies. She also has spent time alone. According to a caregiver, she has "spent plenty of time rocking in the back corner of her cage" -- an abnormal behavior associated with laboratory stress. Chimpanzees in laboratories live a nightmare, injected with drugs, infected with diseases they would never contract, and subjected to painful experiments. When not strapped down, they live in tiny cages with nothing to distract them from fear, boredom, and loneliness. Chimps forced to spend decades in cages and denied meaningful relationships with their own kind and the power to control their lives often exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. Chimps share 96-98 percent of human DNA. Yet, these intelligent, sentient creatures are used over and over in laboratory experiments. Animal advocates want Wenka and the other elders in labs released to sanctuaries. A place in Louisiana has agreed to take Wenka, but Yerkes won't release her.
Several nations have banned or severely limited experiments on great apes, including Belgium, the Balearic Islands, Austria, Japan, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Other countries and the European Union are considering bans. Neither the U.S. nor Canada has followed suit. The U.S. is the only nation that continues large-scale use of chimpanzees in experiments. The United States needs to join moral and humane countries which have banned the use of great apes for experiments. The Great Ape Protection Act, H.R. 1326, has been introduced in Congress and so far has 67 co-sponsors. This would end invasive biomedical research and testing on chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans and retire federally owned great apes to sanctuaries. A petition in support of this bill is online here.
But Wenka will probably die before this law is passed. Those who want her and the other elders released suggest that we contact Stuart Zola, head of Yerkes, and James W. Wagner, president of Emory, asking them to approve a compassionate release of these chimps. Time is running out for Wenka. Think about her when you feel the sunshine on your face. Remember Wenka rocking alone in the back of her damp concrete cell. When you get to choose between an apple or an orange, think of Wenka and how she has never been able to choose what to eat. When you smell the fresh fall air, think of Wenka trapped with the reek of feces and urine. When you see the stars at night, think of Wenka who only sees concrete, metal and bars. And most of all, think about what you can do to help her and the other elders who need us to speak for them. EEB
PERSPECTIVE BRANSON, Mo., Oct. 16, 2009 -- It bugged me: why do people flock to Branson?
Yes, I knew it had loads of entertainment which pulled people in. But why in a tiny town in the southwest corner of mid-America? Why this town? How had it happened? A visit can hardly address such a complex issue. But it gives hints.
This spring, a new element came to Branson; the first private airport in the USA in years. There's a direct Air Tran Atlanta-to-Branson flight. More direct flights are being announced these days, providing another gateway to Branson. (Though privately funded, the city chucks in $8.24 for each visitor arriving whose flight did not originate in Branson. Some look upon this as a White Elephant. Those city officials who approved this funding were kicked out by voters three years ago. Today's mayor is Raeanne Presley, the wife of a son of the original Presley family. Yes, they are remotely related to Elvis!)
Branson, with its central location, attracts retail shopping chains seeking tourist dollars. Loads of tourists drive in from surrounding states. Walking down one theater auto parking aisle, there were 53 vehicles, only eight from Missouri. Others were from 17 states, ranging from Montana and South Dakota, to Florida and Ohio.) A major downtown re-development, Branson Landing along Lake Taneycomo, includes a 2,500-person ballroom convention center and major shopping, plus a 292-room Hilton hotel. The Landing has 220,000 square feet of meeting space, major in this small city, but costs the city dearly as part of long-term funding…for the next 23 years. We visited for three days, and saw three shows (Shosi Tabuchi, the violinist; Noah; and Shepherd of the Hills.) Many visitors take in shows morning, afternoon and night. Casino gambling has been nixed by local voters for the area. Branson is basically the buckle of the Bible belt, with mostly older tourists at this time of year. Traffic can be horrible during the summer, though a series of perimeter roads moves traffic. Why Branson? There's got lots to do, indoors and out. We enjoyed our stay! 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 has selected its 2009 Gwinnett Reads Selection: A Voyage Long and Strange by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Horwitz. He will appear on Sunday, October 18, at 4 p.m. at the Red Clay Theatre and Arts Center in Duluth. Tickets are $12 at the door or $10 in advance. Tickets may be purchased at the branch or by calling 770.978.5154. The event is co-sponsored by the Georgia Humanities Council and the Gwinnett Daily Post. Gwinnett Reads is a community-wide initiative that encourages Gwinnett County citizens to share the experience of reading the same book. The Gwinnett County Public Library, sponsors, and partners seek to engage adults in the joys of reading and to generate dialogue about the book throughout Gwinnett County. Previous Gwinnett Reads authors include Charles Frazier, Ferrol Sams, and Rick Bragg.For more information on resources, services and events, please visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
FEEDBACK The architects
who authored Gwinnett's public charter school blueprint apparently do
not believe that single gender public charters have a role to play in
advancing student achievement. Nor have they figured out how to attract
and retain the poorest students into the two district approved charters
existing in our county. According to the 2008-2009 AYP attendance data
for the two district charters, Gwinnett Math, Science and Technology School
(GMST ) and New Life Academy, a negligible percentage of poor students
are being served, 17 and 0 percent respectively. Ivy Preparatory Academy enrolls 35 percent of its students as economically disadvantaged, while it has outperformed the district in the 2008-2009 CRCT tests for Math and Language Arts for the economically disadvantaged student. Ivy Prep also enrolls enough students in the English Language Learner and Students with Disabilities category to report 6 and 9 percent respectively. Since our county quietly maneuvered an exemption from state law which restricts parents the right to transfer their child from one public school to another inside our district, shouldn't our school board at least be aggressively leveraging the public charter school option for the poorest in our community ? "Niche" charter schools, like GMST, or an elementary school that teaches Chinese, may be a plume in the feather of our marketing cap for Gwinnett County, but charter schools, especially at the middle school level, like Ivy Preparatory Academy that are able to attract, retain, and outperform traditional public school environments for economically disadvantaged students, should be supported, not shut down, by insecure school district leaders.
UPCOMING On October 27, the 1071 Coalition -- a nonprofit organization advocating for better long-term management of Lake Lanier -- will hold its second annual meeting, open to the public. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Legacy Lodge and Conference Center on Lake Lanier Islands Resort.
Dr. Carol Couch, director of the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, will keynote the meeting. Dr. Couch is expected to discuss Georgia's response to U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson's decision that water supply is an illegal use of Lake Lanier. Meeting attendees will also hear about progress made by the 1071 Coalition since it launched just over a year ago. Alex Laidlaw, 1071 Coalition president and vice president of Westrec Marinas, says: "Though the recent heavy rains brought Lake Lanier up to full pool, we need to address the need for improved long-term management. Hopefully a science-based update of the Corps' Water Control Manual will be one positive consequence of the pending resolution to the tri-state water wars." The 1071 Coalition has commissioned an extensive economic impact study of Lake Lanier and its changing levels. Kit Dunlap, 1071 Coalition vice president and president of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, notes: "Initial dollars have been raised to finance the study, but we need $40,000 more to complete it and also reach our first-year fundraising goal of $175,000." Northeast Realtors plan chili cookoff on Oct. 24 The Northeast Atlanta Metro Association of Realtors® (NAMAR) will be holding their 2009 Chili Cook-Off October 24 from noon to 3 p.m. at their Duluth location at 2145 Georgia Highway 120. The event is open to the public. Judging will be by the public for the top three prize winners. Tickets are $10 which includes two cold drinks. Children under 5 are free. This will be held rain or shine. For advanced tickets or more information, call 770-495-7300. Rock-and-Rib Fest, Tutus for Tatas Run, coming this weekend Lawrenceville's official fall event, Rock and Rib Fest, brings barbecue ribs galore, live music, and family fun to downtown Lawrenceville! This event will be Saturday, October 17 from 1 to 9 p.m. It offers free classic rock music and entertainment, culinary vendors with barbecue and ribs, a beer garden, fun and games for the family, plus downtown shopping, and special presentations by Georgia Gwinnett College! For more information, visit www.rocknribsfest.com. *
* * * Join Tutus
for Tatas and Fleet Feet Sports on Saturday, October 17 at 10 a.m.
for a Breast Cancer 5K Run. Beginning in historic downtown Lawrenceville,
the route starts in the parking lot behind Fleet Feet Sports (145 North
Perry St.). An Awards Ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. recognizing
the top runners by category. NOTABLE A new major in criminal justice/criminology at Georgia Gwinnett College has been approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
The approval
further expands the GGC academic program. The new major is one of several
that Georgia Gwinnett has added to its curriculum since it became accredited
in June by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools. Gwinnett saves 16 million gallons of water with program In the
midst of record floods, Gwinnett County's Department of Water Resources
reports positively on its water conservation measures. Gwinnett's popular
toilet rebate program has helped replace more than 2,770 pre-1993 model
toilets, saving more than 16 million gallons of water since March, 2008. Homeowners
are also eligible for a rebate of $100 if they replace a pre-1993 toilet
with an approved 1.28 gallons/flush model or $50 for a 1.6 gallons/flush
model with a limit of two rebates per household. Rules and application
forms are available online at toiletrebate@northgeorgiawater.org
or by calling Water Resources at 678 376-6800.
Joe Kreeger of Duluth, cardiac sonographer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, has been designated a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE). For sonographer
members of ASE, the Fellow designation recognizes extraordinary commitment
to the field of Echocardiography and achievement of credentials that demonstrate
fulfillment of training and performance requirements in cardiac sonography.
A native of Miami, Fla., he received a Specialized Associate of Science
degree in Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography from the National School of Technology
in Hialeah, Fla. in 1995. He has been with Children's for more than 10
years.
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA Under the direction of German baron Philip Georg Friedrich von Reck, a group of 46 Lutherans arrived in Georgia in 1734, a year after James Oglethorpe founded the colony. Mostly religious expatriates from Salzburg, the group eventually settled in 1736 at a site they named New Ebenezer, located 20 miles northwest of Savannah. Over the next 10 years, approximately 1,000 "Salzburger" Lutherans came to Georgia. They quickly went to work, sponsoring religious schools, building churches, and experimenting with various economic endeavors, including silk making, farming, and lumbering. As the
colony grew in stature before the Revolutionary War (1775-83), Lutheran
churches in and around Savannah increased steadily in membership and standing,
and members of Georgia's Lutheran community contributed directly to the
colony's independence movement. For instance, in 1777 Georgians named
John Adam Treutlen, a former lay schoolmaster at Ebenezer, as the state's
first elected governor. After the war, Georgia Lutherans formed synodical
affiliations with Lutheran parishes in Charleston, S.C., and in 1827 Ebenezer
served as the host for the first synodical convention in Georgia. 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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TODAY'S
QUOTE "There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."
Those interested in the history of Gwinnett need to know that the recently published book: Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta, has sold fast, with the first editions about sold out. Get yours before they're gone. Go to www.elliottbrack.com to order, or buy the book at a local bookstore shown on the site. The books are available at:
MORE RECENT COMMENTARY
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 770-497-1888, or email to info@gwinnettforum.com. SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
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