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Issue 10.05 | Friday, April 16, 2010 |
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McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE _:: IN THE
SPOTLIGHT: Meet a sponsor |
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TODAY'S FOCUS BUFORD,
Ga, April 16, 2010 -- The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (GEHC)
Foundation and Right To Hike, Inc. will co-host the fourth annual Earth
Day Festival on Saturday, April 17, 2010. The event will take place at
the GEHC in Buford from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The festival is free to the
public.
Steve Cannon,
the GEHC director, says: "The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage
Center's mission is to educate the community about protecting our environmental
and natural resources while preserving our cultural heritage. Our annual
Earth Day Festival helps reinforce that mission in a fun and family friendly
way."
Brent Seyler,
vice president of Right To Hike, Inc., says: "In Meredith's memory,
Right To Hike promotes hiking and trail safety. With that in mind, we
believe that placing emergency phone stations on hiking trails will help
people by providing assistance in the event of an accident or when someone
is in need. These phone stations are highly visible and connect the caller
with a 911 operator. The device is solar powered and self sufficient,"
adds Seyler. "The phone stations retail for approximately $4,500
per unit, so this is an expensive endeavor but one that Right To Hike
believes will help the residents of the community." EEB PERSPECTIVE APRIL 16, 2010 -- Welcoming new businesses to Gwinnett County wasn't always the slick job it is today. Sometimes it didn't always run smoothly.
Back in those days, new businesses were opening left and right. Some new Gwinnett ventures had fancy openings, but mostly, the new firms invited a few of their friends to their ribbon cutting. We attended many representing the newspaper, often recording it with a photograph for the paper. Now you may find this hard to believe, but firms did not always bring off such events smoothly. In fact, it got to the point that we decided to arm our big wide-track Pontiac with a weapon for the groundbreakings: a shovel. Yep, some people plan a groundbreaking and forgot to provide a shovel. Our shovel has groundbroken many a facility in Gwinnett. One of the elements we like at ribbon cuttings, and which was entirely new back then, were these giant scissors, perfect for ribbon cuttings. But now that I think back to them, I'm not entirely sure those over-sized scissors really worked. There may have been small scissors doing the real work of sniping the ribbons. Now that the economy is about to recover in Gwinnett, here's our short list of what to do at such events:
* * * * * All this came to mind Tuesday while attending the formal opening of the NCR headquarters in Duluth. The governor was there making a welcoming talk, as was County Chairman Charles Bannister. NCR is the second Fortune 500 headquarters that Gwinnett has snared in the last year. (The other Fortune 500 firm, Asbury Automotive, moved to Gwinnett last July.) NCR will eventually employ 4,000 people in Georgia. We welcome Chairman Bill Nuti and his company to our area. And yes, the NCR staff pulled off the ribbon cutting smoothly, and even had good weather for it! * * * * * Meanwhile, another grand opening in Gwinnett is set for today (Friday) at 10 a.m.: a new gallery in Lawrenceville, across from the Historic Courthouse. It's being opened by Sylvia Culberson and Carolyn Wright, and will be known as the Lawrenceville Original and Novel Art Gallery (LONA). It will feature local artists in a variety of media, along with handcrafted items and gifts. ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Your Gwinnett County Public Library card and PIN are literally your ticket to a world of information. In addition to standard books and databases, the library also provides access to electronic resource services that can be used in the library or anywhere you have an Internet connection. For instance, with Mango Languages you can create an account that to learn languages as varied as French, Mandarin Chinese and Russian. Mango Languages focuses on meaningful conversation skills that can forge stronger relationships with co-workers, business partners, and neighbors. Active travelers and armchair travelers alike will find this source indispensable. Visit this page. If language learning is not your style, you can get the jump on summer school and visit here. Library customers can not seem to get enough of the Learning Express Library products. Since the product formerly known as Learn-A-Test has been so popular for students, those reviewing for U.S. Citizenship, and those involved in job searches, the library will add a new section in late April that will focus exclusively on job searching and workplace skills. For a variety of free literacy-related programs and events, check the library's Web site before you 'book your calendar' this summer!
McLEMORE'S WORLD ARCHIVE
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: The Iranian government is more irrational than the Nazis ever were. Iran has religious convictions that will ultimately bring disaster if not confronted. Nobody wanted war after World War I, and yet this played right into Hitler's hands. Sometimes, by wanting peace desperately, you encourage more violence. Our positions, especially after 9/11, should have deterred Iran from being belligerent. We seem very confused as to why they are acting out now and they are taking advantage of our patience. However, if we had used more forceful and blunt language instead of diplomacy, we would actually have had an effect. Now, Iran believes we have no stomach for more war, which in turn emboldens them. Sounds like the first chapters of World War II. Please do everything in your power to focus on preventing millions of peoples deaths and act with courage and conviction in the face of our threatening enemies.
Write legislators to help save state Council for the Arts Editor,
the Forum: Aurora Theatre just closed A Catered Affair with 92 percent attendance. We have nearly 3,000 season ticket holders. We entertain 50,000 people each year. Aurora is holding up our end of the bargain. The Arts brought $367 million of revenue to the State of Georgia last year. Arts organizations, like Aurora Theatre are small non-profits - charities doing our part for the community. Yet we do not receive even one percent of the money that is gathered to reinvigorate our businesses. We implore you to send an email asking your representatives to protect the GCA so that when we are out of this recession that there will be an agency that can supply funding to the successful arts organizations that were able to weather this storm. The Georgia Council for the Arts understands cuts are being made across the state, but we believe the elimination of ALL arts funding is not what the citizens want, not what you want.
Be on lookout for biased polling about Gwinnett issues Editor, the Forum: Watch out for biased polling! As a professional
marketing researcher, I am always glad to participate in legitimate and
non-biased polls on public issues in Gwinnett County. But an automated
voice poll Monday night from a group whose name I did not catch, had so
many biased questions that practically invited the respondent to voice
support for privatizing the Gwinnett airport, that I could do nothing
but hang up in the middle of the automatic (press 1 for yes, press 2 for
no, etc.) poll.
UPCOMING The Rotary Club of Buford/North Gwinnett will host its first Take Me Out to the Ballpark 5K race and Chopper's Fun Run on Saturday, April 24. The 5K race will begin at the Gwinnett Braves' Coolray Field main gate and will finish with runners taking a lap around the outfield and heading toward home plate.
The registration fee is $20 for those who pre-register by April 17. Registration at packet pick-up on April 23 and on race day is $25. Pre-registration is encouraged so that runners are assured of receiving race t-shirts in requested sizes. Runners may register online at www.active.com or download a registration form at www.ballpark5k.com. The Take Me Out to the Ballpark 5K will begin at 8 a.m., beginning and ending at the Gwinnett Braves stadium and winding through industrial and residential areas in between. Choppers Fun Run begins at 9 a.m.; the Gwinnett Braves mascot also will be on hand to cheer runners on. The North Gwinnett Rotary Club meets at noon each Wednesday at the Homeplate Club at Coolray Field, 2500 Buford Drive; guests are welcome. Two-night concert April 24-25 at Latter-day Saints church The 65-voice Sugar Hill Choir of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be joined by the 55-member Gwinnett Community Band for the fifth annual two-day community concert themed "An American Tapestry." The multi-media performances, which are free, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, ? April 24 and Sunday, April 25 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Sugar Hill Stake Center at 4833 Suwanee Dam Road in Suwanee near North Gwinnett High School. The evening will include a variety of music from Broadway to Folk songs to a section that pays tribute to those in the armed forces. No ticket is necessary. Attendees are asked to help support the April 24 Day of Service being held in 14 states by bringing a can of food to help restock the depleted shelves of local pantries. Established in 1984, the Gwinnett Community Band is a non-profit group of volunteer, metro-Atlanta adult amateur musicians. The Sugar Hill LDS Choir draws its volunteer members from Dawson, Hall, Gwinnett and Forsyth Counties. It has been named one of the best church choirs in the county. For additional information, visit The Gwinnett Community Band's Web site at www.gwinnettband.org or the Sugar Hill LDS Choir at www.sugarhillldschoir.org or by contacting 404-375-7882. Georgia high-tech "games" subject of Technology Forum "Georgia's got game." Find out just how much, too, at the April 20 meeting of the Gwinnett Technology Forum. The meeting starts at 7:30 a.m. at the Busbee Auditorium of Gwinnett Technical College.
On the program will be Asante Bradford, digital entertainment liaison for the State of Georgia; Blake Lewin, former Turner executive and president of TransGaming Digital Inc.; and John Sharp, professor at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), they will share insight on the high-tech gaming industry. You will learn about Georgia's economic infrastructure for digital entertainment, how the State and Metro Atlanta are preparing and cultivating a game-skilled workforce and what companies are doing to take advantage of the growth and support Metro Atlanta has to offer. All this
benefits the Gwinnett community and surrounding areas with high-wage jobs
and opportunities for careers that have no limits. To register, go to
www.gwinnetttechnologyforum.com
or contact Lindsay Myers at lindsay@gwinnettchamber.org
or (678)957-4944. NOTABLE Gwinnett
Technical College's Environmental Horticulture program is holding its
16th annual community plant sale on Wednesday and Thursday, April 21-22,
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the college greenhouse, adjacent to Building
600.
There are
plans for another sale featuring edible plants on May 12-13. Japanese consul general speaks at Georgia Gwinnett Takuji Hanatani, consul general of Japan, spoke to a group of Georgia Gwinnett College students this week about his experiences as a diplomat living and working in foreign nations. The student group consisted primarily of business majors. A graduate of the Harvard Law School, Hanatani has served in several nations including Brazil, France, Switzerland, Nairobi and Belgium.
He has
held key posts at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo, including director of
multilateral cooperation division, Economic Cooperation Bureau. Hanatani's
role as consul general is to oversee the operations of the Japanese Consulate
for the five- state region of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Virginia. He also serves as an official representative of
Japan in diplomatic situations. A graduate of the Harvard Law School, Hanatani has served in several nations including Brazil, France, Switzerland, Nairobi and Belgium. He has held key posts at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo, including director of multilateral cooperation division, Economic Cooperation Bureau. RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
On the quiet evening of Feb. 15, 1898, the American exercise in saber rattling with Spain over the Cuban insurrection came to a sudden and violent end. Resting at anchor in the large harbor of Havana, Cuba, the battleship USS Maine erupted in flames, with no warning, as an explosion nearly tore the ship in two. More than 250 sailors died in the vessel's sinking, and within days Spain was blamed for the attack as many American journalists and politicians cried for war. Just a month earlier in Georgia, several newspapers had reported that any conflict with Spain over Cuba was "not generally wanted." As soon as news of the Maine reached the state, however, the papers quickly changed their tune and condemned U.S. president William McKinley for not going to war immediately. McKinley succumbed to the war hawks and on April 19 asked Congress to declare war on Spain. The war ended three months later. Most of the manpower mustered for duty abroad served as occupation forces after Spain's surrender. On April 23 the federal government requested that Georgia supply 3,000 troops in the form of two regiments of infantry and two batteries of light artillery for the upcoming military campaigns in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Five days later Governor William Y. Atkinson issued a call for men by setting various quotas for Georgia's major cities. The first state induction camp was established at Griffin on May 4. Volunteer enlistments from the state were slow in coming, but Governor Atkinson eventually mobilized three infantry regiments and two light artillery batteries of the state militia. The First Georgia Infantry trained at Camp Thomas at Chickamauga, where it fought the famous Thomas "Sham Battle" (actually a huge training exercise). The unit was scheduled to participate in the invasion of Puerto Rico, but the war ended while it was still boarding the troopships in Savannah. The Second Georgia Infantry was rushed through its induction so quickly that most men had not yet been issued their uniforms or equipment when they arrived in Tampa, Fla., where reporters claimed that they "looked like an aggregation of hoboes." While the Second just missed out on being sent to Cuba, it was used to help put down a large race riot in nearby Ybor City. Only the Third Georgia would see any overseas duty and that was as an occupation force in Cuba during the first three months of 1899. At least three companies of the Third U.S. Volunteer Infantry were made up of Georgians who trained in Macon, and three companies of the Tenth U.S. Volunteer Infantry were also formed in the state. Known as an "Immune" regiment, the Tenth comprised southern African Americans who, it was believed, would be immune to both the tropical heat and malarial swamps of Cuba. These men would be subjected to months of racial attacks in both Augusta (July through September 1898) and Macon (November 1898 through March 1899), where they were stationed. When the unit was finally mustered out of service in March 1899, several former members of the Immunes were shot at or verbally abused by white civilians along their train routes home.
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