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Issue 9.88 | Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 |
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 LOAD-BEARING: These tram cars are upside down and about finished with their deployment in Gwinnett as a three mile long sewer tunnel is nearing completion near Snellville. The cars have hauled excavated granite from 200 feet underground in a 12 foot diameter tunnel. Follow Elliott Brack's description on his visit underground in his Perspective below today. |
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TODAY'S FOCUS NORCROSS,
Ga., Feb. 12, 2010 -- We at the Norcross Police Department have made major
technological advances in the last few years, going from a system of handwritten
paper reports and traffic citations, to a paperless computerized system.
Another change has been to incorporate a data-driven approach to reduce
crime and improve traffic safety.
Governments on all levels across our nation are exploring better methods to serve our public. Recent technological improvements funded by grants or seized drug funds (a cooperative agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration) have resulted in additional savings to our taxpayers. This paperless system allows officers the capability to produce reports and citations electronically from their vehicles without leaving the field, and then submit those reports to their supervisor for approval. This allows the officers the most visibility possible. Traffic citations are serialized and issued to the officer's computer electronically, then printed out in the vehicle for the offender. Information about the citation is then sent wirelessly back to headquarters and later merged paperlessly into the traffic court system. This one improvement saves many man-hours. The Uniform Division of the Norcross Police Department has the same capabilities as the Traffic Unit; however, their main responsibility is to answer calls for assistance and patrol the City of Norcross. The Traffic Division/Special Operations Division has officers who volunteer for this assignment with different levels of experience and training. The main goal of the traffic unit is to move traffic through the city as safely and efficiently as possible, not to generate revenue for the City of Norcross. We do this through responding to traffic complaints and watching traffic trends. High visibility and a no-tolerance posture for violations can achieve this safer flow of traffic. In Norcross, approximately 40 percent of traffic violators receive warning citations. At the same time, officers have the ability to check previous warning citations given to that violator so no one will receive two warnings for violations. With the implementation of new technology, the Norcross Police Department is now and will continue to use data collected to concentrate our enforcement efforts. This data is collected in several forms such as: crime reports, citizen complaints, from electronic collection devices placed on the roadway, from state and county departments, and from officer observations. Finally,
traffic enforcement is a deterrent to all kinds of crime. It saves lives
and lets criminals know police are in the area. Whether it is a warning
or a citation, criminals who see and hear traffic enforcement efforts
in certain areas will often avoid those areas. On a personal level, when
we see the blue lights of a police car, it reminds us all that we need
to obey the law. EEB PERSPECTIVE FEB. 12, 2010 -- It was a trip like no other we had ever taken in Gwinnett. It was underground, 200 feet beneath Springdale Road near Snellville. Above ground, it corresponded to the area between the Jack's Creek sewer lift station to the sewer station at No Business Creek just off Lenora Church Road, along the (below ground) right of way of Springdale Road.
Altogether, a group of six people from the Water Department and I were traveling about two miles through a 12 foot circular tunnel. It was bored during out of solid granite of Stone Mountain extending underground into Gwinnett. The tunnel will soon transport sewage for treatment at the Yellow-Sweet facility on Tom Smith Road. Right now the tunnel is nearing completion, as contractors have worked since 2007 on the boring of the tunnel. The firm of Mole Constructors of Ohio is the prime contractor for the work, Gary Palivoda of Mole, who is the safety director of the project, himself a veteran of other underground excavations, says that the work on the Gwinnett project was through "the hardest rock we have ever seen." He came to Gwinnett from an underground excavation near Chicago. He has years of tunneling experience.
The tunnel is expected to be completed August, 2010. By this fall, sewage from the southeastern part of Gwinnett will be flowing in the tunnel, up to a depth of 1-2 feet. Though most of the tunnel will not be filled, it has backup capacity in case of malfunction in equipment. Don't think for a minute that you have an amateur tunnel walker checking out this tunnel. This writer is a veteran tunnel-walker, one being at the Atlanta Airport, as a delegation led by then Airport Manager George Berry walked us through what would become the tram tunnels between concourses. On another occasion, we walked a MARTA tunnel with former Snellville Mayor Emmett Clower and then Rep. Tom Phillips, from the Civic Center Station to the Garnett Station, of course, before trains were running. There we saw the underground rock at what became the Peachtree Station. Engineers realized that the granite near that part of the tunnel were so starkly beautiful that engineers did not grout this granite, but left it exposed. MARTA passengers today at that station can see the elegant grain of the granite.
The sewer tunnel near Snellville is beautiful too, though about the only persons to see it soon will probably be Jeff Boss of the Sewer Department, who was on the trip with us. He'll have to inspect it every two years. It won't be so much of a beautiful job as it will be hazardous….to his nostrils. Someone has to do it. What we saw during the trip-taken on covered tram on rail lines laid in the tunnel, which will soon come out---was fairly boring, though an engineering marvel. It was a trip like no other. I'm glad I saw it when I did, instead after it is in use. Good luck, Jeff, when you have to visit during your inspection tour two years from now. ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
McLEMORE'S WORLD ARCHIVE
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: I understand your position on the possibility of Lawrenceville becoming a privatized airport. However, I believe you present a one-sided version of the situation. As a private pilot who utilizes Gwinnett airport regularly I must tell you that I along with many other citizens of Gwinnett County, who already pay taxes and fees to use that airport, will be pushed out. The quoted three flights figure is a complete bogus number that cannot be substantiated. If the airport is sold, we, the citizens of the county, would lose total control of the facility. Private aviation has mostly been pushed out of Peachtree DeKalb airport already, which has a similar type of commercial flights they are proposing for Lawrenceville. It is the same situation that Lawrenceville will face, in that no regularly scheduled airline is willing to come into the smaller airports because they do not have the proper instrument landing systems. They also have no accommodations for that in the private proposal, hence we will still be the same airport, but paying much higher fees for private pilots to use the facility which will once again drive us to either Winder, Gainesville or Jackson County airport. Another problem will be the increased noise level (which plagued Peachtree DeKalb with major problems with the citizens around the airport). Not only that, but the Lawrenceville Tower does not have the required level for this type of service. This will burden the citizens of Gwinnett with even higher taxes to make those required improvements, still without any commitments to bring the new services into this field. Our county commissioners are looking for any and every way to raise money and cut operating costs right now. Privatizing the airport is a poor way to do this.
Doesn't want to rush to judgment on airport expansion Editor, the Forum: Your article on Briscoe Field makes a good case for expansion and privatization, and is worth looking into. That said, we also need to look at the possible downside as well. First let me mention jobs, since this always seems like the reason to make such moves. While more jobs would be created, many would be low-paying jobs. Clerks at rental car agencies are not highly paid. Granted, there would be more jobs for pilots and airline mechanics, too but most would be low-paying. Gwinnett has a bad habit of approving commercial growth in the name of jobs, any jobs. Most of the commercial growth we see in North Gwinnett in retail jobs. What Gwinnett needs is more AAA office parks, in the urban areas, and more higher paying jobs. Secondly I fear the continued urbanization of Gwinnett. Just because there is growth it doesn't equate to rural and suburban homes and neighborhoods. These must be replaced by an urban environment. We need protection for the quality of life we now enjoy. / If we have three flights an hour, I'm assuming 24 hours a day, then that is 72 flights. This is I believe a significant increase. What will this do to the neighborhoods surrounding the airport? I've only seen about a half dozen airports over the years. I do find one thing in common with most of them: they are all in rough areas. I'd hate to turn Lawrenceville and the surrounding communities into another Hapeville or Forest Park. We do not our own version of Metropolitan Parkway. We need to know what the local impact will be, how it will affect the surrounding communities. We need to know how big it will grow and where the flight paths will be. Lastly: safety. In the last six months there have been three plane crashes where the flights either originated at Briscoe or were the destination. Let's not rush to judgment because we are in economic hard times.
Study needed on rail transportation possibilities Editor, the Forum: There has been a lot of talk about high speed rail over the last 20 years, but one thing that is never mentioned is that there has never been any study to measure the demand for such a system, that is, the interest in riding the train. Nothing
in all the projections about the Lovejoy to Atlanta, or Atlanta to Macon
line ever asked the public if they would ride the train. Rather, the expected
ridership of 1,800 passengers per day was apparently just pulled out of
the air, with no justification. And with that, the projections assumed
that half of the riders would live within three miles of a station, and
get free parking
UPCOMING Former President Jimmy Carter will deliver the keynote address at Georgia Perimeter College on Monday, February 15. He will also cut the ribbon on the official opening of the Atlanta Center for Civic Engagement and Service-Learning at the College. The Center is Georgia's only two-year college center devoted to civic engagement and service learning. It is the region's central repository of resources and information for volunteer and service opportunities, and located on the Perimeter College's Clarkston campus, at 555 North Indian Creek Drive. The activities begin in Cole Auditorium in the Fine Arts building, where the program will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tracey Knight is the executive director of the center. The Center is expected to provide resources and tools for individuals in higher education to learn effective community service techniques and about community issues. It would also allow individuals from the community to learn these skills. Asbury president to speak at "Success" breakfast March 5 Speaking to the March "Success Lives Here" breakfast will be Charles Oglesby, president of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABG.) The breakfast will be March 5 at 7:30 a.m. at the Sugarloaf Country Club. Reservations are required, through the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
Asbury
is one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the country,
and a Fortune 500 company. It relocated its corporate offices from New
York City and Stamford, Conn. to the city of Duluth in 2008. He began his career as an Oldsmobile salesman and has held numerous management and ownership level positions at dealerships throughout the United States. Prior to joining North Point, he was president of the San Francisco-based First America Automotive, a 36-dealership group. Dealerships under Mr. Oglesby's management have earned some of the highest manufacturer's awards including Elite of Lexus, Toyota President's and Board of Governor's Awards, Honda President's Awards, Chrysler Five Star, and many more. Mr. Oglesby is a native of Savannah and is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BBA in Marketing. The cost is $45 for Chamber members; and $55 for non-Chamber members. Deadline is March 1. RSVP to Melissa Britt at melissa@gwinnettchamber.org. Surface Mount show returning to Civic Center on April 15 The Surface
Mount Technology Association (SMTA) says that the Atlanta SMTA Expo would
return to the Gwinnett Civic Center in Duluth, for its 14th annual event
on Thursday, April 15, 2010. This free, one-day event will feature suppliers
to the electronics industry displaying products and services for the high
technology and surface mount markets, as well free technical presentations. For more information on exhibiting or attending, please visit http://www.smta.org/education/vendor_days/vendor_days.cfm#atlanta. The SMTA membership is an international network of professionals who build skills, share practical experience and develop solutions in electronic assembly technologies, including microsystems, emerging technologies, and related business operations NOTABLE The Gwinnett Chamber's is now accepting nominations for the 2010 Pinnacle Small Business Awards. The Chamber will select Gwinnett's top entrepreneur as its overall Small Business Person of the Year, as well as the top businesses in three categories (1-9; 10- 99; and 100+ employees). The overall Small Business of the Year winner will be eligible to participate in Georgia's Small Business of the Year competition. Nomination
deadline is over. Deadline for applications to be received is February
19. Suwanee recognized for decade of downtown commitment The City
of Suwanee recently was recognized by the Georgia Department of Community
Affairs for its participation for more than 10 years in the Georgia Main
Street Program. The presentation was made during the Main Street/Better
Hometown 30th anniversary luncheon in Atlanta January 25. From left are
Suwanee Downtown Manager Catherine Dixon; DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty;
and Suwanee Economic and Community Development Director Denise Brinson.
The Georgia Main Street Program assists communities with development and
revitalization of core commercial areas. "We're proud to be a part of this national effort to revitalize and manage downtown districts," says Dixon. "Healthy downtowns are an important part of Georgia's economy. The success of the Main Street is attributed to our four strategies: organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring." RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Georgia Writers Association is a non-profit support and advocacy group for writers in the state. The mission of the organization is to seek "to improve the quality of life for writers by providing information about the literary industry and skills-building knowledge; fostering ongoing communication among writers of diverse literacy, genres, geographies, ethnicities and backgrounds; increasing public awareness of the lives and works of contemporary Georgia writers; encouraging the imagination and integrity of the written word; and organizing activities that celebrate the achievements of writers across the state of Georgia." Founded in 1994 by writers Geri Taran and Anthony Grooms, and literary agent Susan L. Graham, the association sponsors conferences, seminars, monthly meetings in several cities, writing contests, and Georgia Writers News/Mag, a bimonthly journal. Taran served as executive director until 2006, when she was succeeded by Ralph T. Wilson. Especially noteworthy among the association's activities are the annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA). Shortly after its founding, the Georgia Writers Association assumed responsibility for the awards, which were first given in 1964 by the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists. Commercially and independently published authors from Georgia are eligible for nomination. Awards in a variety of categories, including poetry, fiction, biography, memoir, history, essay, self-help, first novel, and children's literature, are announced and presented at an annual banquet. Prominent winners of the GAYA include David Bottoms, for his poetry collection Vagrant Grace (1999); Turner Cassity, for his poetry collection, Devils and Islands (2007); Jimmy Carter, for his essay collections, The Virtues of Aging (1998) and Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis (2005); Pearl Cleage, for her novel, I Wish I Had a Red Dress (2001); Judith Ortiz Cofer, for her essay collection, Woman in Front of the Sun (2000); Terry Kay, for his novels, Valley of Light (2003) and The Book of Marie (2007); John Lewis, for his memoir, Walking with the Wind (1998); Frank Manley, for his novel, The Cockfighter (1998) and short-story collection, Among Prisoners (2000); and Philip Lee Williams, for his essay collection, In the Morning: Reflections from First Light (2006). Poet Bettie Sellers won a lifetime achievement award from the organization in 2004. The Georgia Writers Association is housed at and partially sponsored by Kennesaw State University in Cobb County. Other sponsors include the Georgia Council for the Arts, the Georgia General Assembly, and the National Endowment of the Arts. 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 "The graveyards are full of indispensable men."
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 http://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. 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. SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
© 2001-2010, Gwinnett Forum.com is Gwinnett County's online community forum for commentary that explores pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA. PHONE: 770.840.1003 |
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