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Issue
9.72 | Friday, Dec. 11, 2009 |
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 IN THE MANGER: A live nativity scene in Norcross will take place at the Salvation and Deliverance Church at 3250 Peachtree Corners Circle. It will take place on Friday, December 18, from 7 to 9:30pm. It will include live camels, donkeys, sheep, goats….and actors. Hot chocolate and apple cider will be served, with free gifts for children under the age of 12. Acting as Queen is Juanine Robinson, while the King is Ron David. Both reside in Norcross. |
TODAY'S FOCUS :: Poll shows strong rail support ELLIOTT BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE :: Gwinnett may be most diverse county FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE _::
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Meet a sponsor
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TODAY'S
FOCUS NORCROSS,
GA., Dec. 11, 2009---A new poll of Gwinnett residents strongly support
the inclusion of rail in the transportation plan to relieve congestion.
The poll, conducted by the Gwinnett
Village Community Improvement District (CID), indicated that Gwinnett
County residents still believe traffic congestion is one of the most significant
issues facing the county. The countywide poll, conducted by Insider Advantage,
has a plus or minus 3.9 percent error rate.
The poll
also seemed to show that the transportation situation may be getting worse.
More Gwinnett County residents commute 45-60 minutes than was shown in
a 2007 poll (21 percent, 2009; 10 percent, 2007). Of the
761 registered voters that were polled, 40 percent considered development
of a local rail service the best option (2:1 over any other option) for
easing traffic congestion. This was ahead of expanding commuter bus service
(18 percent), widening and improving existing roads (18 percent), building
new roads (12 percent) and carpooling (7 percent). A total of 61 percent
of respondents said that they would be either likely or somewhat likely
to use such a rail service if it were available (38 percent likely). These
numbers are similar to the 2007 poll, in which 56 percent supported the
development of a rail system in Gwinnett County.
Those polled
were also asked specific questions about transportation funding options.
All options that included rail received favorable support. The current
allocation of special purpose local optional sales tax (SPLOST) funds
does not allow for funding rail projects, but when asked if they would
support a portion of that revenue being used for development of a local
rail service, 59 percent favored or somewhat favored the idea. A proposal
for an additional one-cent sales tax to establish a new local rail service
garnered 55 percent support, while 58 percent responded favorably to a
proposal that the state or metro region impose an additional one-cent
sales tax with half of the revenue dedicated to rail and half to a defined
list of road projects. EEB
PERSPECTIVE DEC. 11, 2009 -- Those of us living in Gwinnett may recognize that the make-up of the county has been changing for the last 20 years. Since 1990, there have been an increasing number of diverse people moving into Gwinnett.
But we may not realize just how different this is making Gwinnett, compared to the rest of the country. A new major study in Governing magazine indicates that Gwinnett is perhaps the most diverse county in the nation. The editor of this prestigious journal aimed at elected officials throughout the country, Alan Ehrenhalt, spent nearly a week in Gwinnett recently, and came away with insight on what is happening now, and how Gwinnett is so diverse. Among the distinctions he points out is that many immigrant people coming to this country are not aiming at cities like Atlanta, but at "boomburbs" like Gwinnett. He says that these newly-arrived residents of the United States are "bypassing the cities and going straight to the suburbs." He notes that only about four percent of Atlanta immigrants go to the city. "The rest have become suburbanites."
And Gwinnett leads the way with newcomer minorities. He cites the latest Census statistics as saying that Gwinnett is now 49.9 per cent white, where it was 90 per cent white 20 years ago. (Candice McKie of Gwinnett County government says that the 2008, Census estimate showed 50.3 percent non-Hispanic white; 21 percent non-Hispanic black; 9.3 percent Asian; 17.5 percent Hispanic and 1.9 "other.") The Governing article points out changes in the atmosphere in Gwinnett….more crime, more homelessness, more poverty. But it also notes that many of the new-Americans arriving come with good educational degrees, and are not aiming at low-level assembly-line work. They are moving to a county which has a median household income of almost $67,000, well above the U.S. average of $52,175. The story points out that 70 percent of people from India in Gwinnett have bachelors' degrees. He adds of another group: "The most remarkable success story among the immigrant cohorts in Gwinnett County is the story of the Koreans…..They come to create businesses and make money, and they have done spectacularly well at both."
He also singles out the African American population: "Much of their population growth has been rooted in middle-class flight from Atlanta, and is increasingly dispersed throughout the county." Another observer of the county scene told him of the spread of a diverse population: "There is no lily-white anymore anywhere in the county. I doubt if there's a single all-white subdivision in the whole county." With all this growth, still Ehrenhalt found the various ethnic groups had little to do with each other. Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson told him: "Each minority kind of keeps to themselves," creating a general absence of common ground. Then Ehrenhalt concludes: "…The most intriguing question of all concerns Gwinnett's demographic future. The 2010 Census will show a roughly even split between whites and minorities. That raises the issue of whether such a division is sustainable-whether a new round of white flight will take place into even more distant counties…..leaving a minority-dominated Gwinnett." The Washington editor concludes what many in Gwinnett already know: "The only certainty is continued change," in what he quotes Marina Peed calling it "a real social experiment." To read the long original story in Governing, go to: http://www.governing.com/print/article/immigrants-and-suburban-influx. * * * * * ON A
DIFFERENT SUBJECT, take a look at this video of a model train display
in a downtown Norcross show window for Christmas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbHI3zeqkIs. ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Hayes Family Dealerships with Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, and GMC. Mike, Tim and Ted Hayes of Lawrenceville and Gainesville with Terry Haynes of Baldwin and Stan Roberts of Toccoa invite you into their showrooms to look over their line-up of automobiles and trucks. Hayes has been in the automotive business for over 38 years, and is North Georgia's oldest family-owned dealerships. The family is the winner of the 2002 Georgia Family Business of the Year Award. Check their web sites at: www.hayeschrysler.com or www.hayeschevrolet.com or www.hayesgmcars.com.
FEEDBACK Editor,
the Forum: It's not
just train stations; Atlanta has been the poster child for destroying
virtually every historic building that ever existed. Our early "Important
People" must have equated "old" with "bad." Tragic.
I had never seen photos of Union and Terminal stations. I have
a friend who is the world's leading authority on what I call "train
wreck forensics." He probably knows more about trains than anyone
alive. He once said he could go into any city and tell you where the city's
heart was by locating the train station. It's nice that many cities have redeveloped their beautiful train station buildings into hotels (St. Louis) and museums (Cincinnati).
UPCOMING What happens to all of the Nutcracker characters and costumes when the show is over? Do they go quietly back into their boxes or do they act like the rest of us after work? Do they have their own little party?
A few lucky ballet patrons will find out on Sunday, December 13 at 6:30 p.m. when Gwinnett Ballet Theatre quietly reopens the theatre doors for an extra show. Only this show is totally unlike any Nutcracker anyone has ever seen! "It's the 'Nutty Nutcracker,'" explains Artistic Director Lisa Sheppard Robson. "We all have ideas about what the characters might say or do if they could just step outside their roles and let their hair down. Our 'Nutty Nutcracker' will be totally family friendly, but don't expect anything or anybody to act like a 'normal' Nutcracker production!" Satirizing the Nutcracker has been done by numerous companies all over the country, but Gwinnett Ballet Theatre will present the first known "nutty" version in the Gwinnett area. After the 2:30 p.m. matinee on December 13, the dancers will take a short break and then get ready to "cut loose" with some clever takes and silly jokes on their Nutcracker roles. Even the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra will be on hand again to accompany the dancers with live music, and musicians are notoriously famous for their satirical humor. Who knows what might happen? One musician
who will participate is Stephen Norwood. Atlanta's own, Norwood is an
18 year old RandB artist. He has performed at a pre-game concert at an
Atlanta Braves game and opened for the legendary B.B. King. In October,
he was named "Macy's Rising Star 2009" and performed at the
Lighting of the Great Tree on Thankgiving which was televised nationally.
Tickets will be available at the door, and they are $10 per person regardless of age. Ticketmaster will not be selling tickets to "Nutty Nutcracker," nor are they available at the Gwinnett Center Box Office. Seating will be on a "first come" basis. For more information contact the GBT studios at 770-978-0188. City of Duluth plans new experience for New Year's Eve Mark your calendars to be a part of Duluth history, as the city unfolds a new tradition to ring in the New Year on December 31 from 8 p.m. until midnight at the Duluth Festival Center Amphitheater and Town Green. The event is free, though donations are accepted. This celebration
will include entertainment, food, music and a spectacular surprise from
the clock tower at midnight. The company that designed the Peach Drop
is creating a one-of-a-kind celebration for the City of Duluth. That's
the only hint for now, so don't miss this experience. NOTABLE The Commission
on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has approved
eight new degree programs at Georgia Gwinnett College. The new majors
will be offered to students in January 2010.
Dr. Stas
Preczewski, vice president of academic and student affairs, says: "Adding
these eight majors to the four we previously offered is critically important
to the college and our students. In addition, we have nearly 40 concentrations
in these areas as well as majors in business, information technology,
psychology and biology." City of Suwanee recognizes three for annual Swan-ee Awards The City of Suwanee recognized three makeovers as it presented its annual Swan-ee Awards to two businesses, gateway revitalization area, and a historic residence in Old Town. The three winning renovation projects were recognized for their individual improvements as well as the aesthetic enhancement they provide to the overall community. Winners recognized by Mayor Dave Williams include:
The Swan-ee Awards were established to recognize new construction, renovation, and landscaping projects that exceed expectations and enhance the community aesthetically. At the awards presentation were, from left, Barrett Meyer, Mitch Teat, Mayor Dave Williams and Vernon D. West. Two from Gwinnett among new Athens med school class The Medical College of Georgia has assigned the first 13 students to the Medical College of Georgia/University of Georgia Medical Partnership in Athens.
The students were admitted to MCG through the early decision process, which includes Georgia residents who agree to apply only to MCG School of Medicine. To put that in perspective, many students apply to a dozen schools. These 13, all of whom indicated a preference for the partnership campus in Athens, will be part of an inaugural class of 40 who will begin medical school in the fall. The new class will include two students with Gwinnett connections. Dylan Lovin is currently a student at the University of Georgia, while Josh Hedrick, who attended Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, is a UGA students from Walton County. The additional
students will boost the medical school's class size to 230 students. They
will attend classes in the Interim Medical Partnership Building, which
sits on the banks of the North Oconee River in Athens, and was renovated
this summer. The Athens campus, slated to grow to 60 students per class, is part of an overall plan to increase the MCG School of Medicine's class size from 190 to 300 students by 2020 to help meet Georgia's need for physicians. Georgia ranks ninth in the nation in both population and population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and 40th in the number of physicians per capita, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. RECOMMENDED "Don't know what to give someone for Christmas? How about a book? Consider Dreams of my Father by President Barack Obama. In this coming-of-age memoir, I learned so much about how this remarkable man's life has been shaped. Politics aside, the book is his search for who he is, who his father was, about all of his half siblings and about his growing up with mixed parentage. Though a little long, the book is well written, as he expresses his thoughts. I read it as good sociology and cultural anthropology as the reader follows Obama from Hawaii to Los Angeles, New York Chicago and Kenya in search of family and identity as a gifted American."
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA Georgia was home to a number of Civil War prisons. Though dwarfed by the ominous shadow of notorious Andersonville Prison, there were 14 other facilities in the state. These ranged from county jails to armed guards surrounding prisoners in wooded areas. Prison sites were usually selected for their proximity to major transportation routes. Georgia was relatively distant from the battle lines for most of the war, which made it prime ground for incarcerating captured Union soldiers. Conditions at these prisons usually depended on the Confederacy's military fortunes. Toward the end of the war, as the tide turned against the Confederate army at the battlefront, the government's ability to supply and provision prisons in Georgia weakened. Conditions deteriorated to the point where prisoners were attempting to survive without the food, clothing, and shelter needed for sustenance. One of the first prisons to hold Union soldiers in Georgia was the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. This facility, built before the war, was large enough to serve as a holding area for more than 150 prisoners in early 1862. The prisoners had been sent to Atlanta to relieve overcrowding at sites in Richmond, Va.---the same reason such larger prisons as Andersonville later came into existence. On several occasions throughout the war, makeshift facilities were used in and around Atlanta before prisoners were transferred to other sites farther south. This was especially true as large campaigns in both Virginia and Georgia in 1864 swelled the numbers captured. Also in 1862, a prison pen, known as Camp Oglethorpe, was opened in Macon. Wedged between railroad tracks and the Ocmulgee River, the site was enclosed by a rough stockade on 15 to 20 acres. Nearly 1,000 prisoners arrived in May to find several buildings within, including one large enough to use as a hospital. The prisoners were a mixture of officers and enlisted men. Their living quarters consisted of sheds or stalls already on site or shelters constructed from materials found within the stockade. As a result of a formal exchange cartel agreed on by the combating powers, most of these prisoners gained their freedom, and by the beginning of 1863, Camp Oglethorpe was nearly abandoned. The breakdown of prisoner exchanges, combined with General William T. Sherman's Georgia campaign, forced the Confederacy to reopen the facility as an officers' prison. By the summer of 1864, more than 2,300 Union officers were housed there. Shelter was barely adequate, and rations consisted of beans, cornmeal, and rice in meager amounts. The lack of sanitation, coupled with a dwindling diet, led to the usual litany of such diseases as chronic dysentery and scurvy. An official death total for the prison is unknown. Most of the prisoners were moved from the Macon facility by late July 1864 because of Union cavalry raids in the general vicinity, although some officers were held there until September.
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TODAY'S
QUOTE "No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
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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