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Issue 10.07 | Friday, April 23, 2010 |
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McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE _:: IN THE
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TODAY'S FOCUS
NORCROSS, Ga., April 23, 2010 -- Disclosure: I'm a fan of Apple products so this won't be an unbiased review. I've had my iPad for about a two weeks now and I am in awe of the design and execution of this technology. The things that I like about it the most are its size and how much easier it is to operate than a regular computer. Having used an iPhone for several years, I became used to the small screen. But with the iPad, the larger screen makes viewing all content so much more enjoyable.
Make no mistake, the current iPad is more of a content viewing device rather than a content creating device. I expect that to change over time as new software is developed specifically for it. For now, though, it's a joy to see the stunning graphics in all the content. Colors are vivid and everything on screen is razor sharp. I have downloaded several free news applications such as Reuters, BBC and NPR. All are elegantly designed allowing you to move seamlessly though stories, photographs and video with just the swipe of a finger. Most of these applications allow you to increase the font size so reading is very comfortable. I also purchased Apple's iWork suite that include a word processor, spreadsheet program and a PowerPoint-like program. All are full featured and easy to use. My videos and movies also look great on the iPad. When I initialized the iPad, it downloaded all of the applications and content that was on my iPhone. All of the iPhone applications work on the iPad but they are the same size as they would be on the phone. You can double the size but the fonts become jagged. Developers are beginning to reissue their Apps for the iPad and if you already own the App you don't have to pay again. I also downloaded several book readers include Apple's, the Kindle App and two free book readers. There are hundreds of free titles available. Buying books is easy and reading is a pleasure. Again one remarkable feature of most readers is the ability to make the font a size that is comfortable for you. While I'm really not into games, I did buy and download Scrabble and it is really fun. You can play against the computer, with friends in the room or friends online. It's not a laptop computer but it's close. I have an application in the iPad that lets me access my home computer and operate it as if I were there. And in case you are wondering, I am typing this review on the iPad with the built-in keyboard. With a little more practice, I should be as good a typist on this as I am with a regular keyboard. Here are some figures. I paid $699 for the iPad, getting 64 gigabytes of storage. Applications for iPad are a bit more expensive than iPhone: $2.99 to $12.99, but as I mentioned, updates for Apps already owned are free. The battery lasts 10-11 hours with heavy use, and takes a couple of hours to charge. So, bottom
line, I'm both a gadget guy and an early adopter but in the case of the
iPad, I have not been disappointed. I believe that just like the iPhone,
this device will open up an entirely new computing market. EEB PERSPECTIVE APRIL 23, 2010 -- You wondering what's happening to the efforts to privatize Gwinnett County's airport, Briscoe Field?
Last week, on April 16, the county sent our notification that Gwinnett has "sent a pre-application to the FAA for the Airport Privatization Pilot Program." GwinnettForum learned Thursday that the pre-application has not yet been sent to the FAA, but that it is scheduled now to be sent to the FAA on Monday, April 26. Brian Allen, Gwinnett Transportation director, says that only a preliminary draft had been submitted, and that the actual pre-application is anticipated to be sent next week, probably Monday. "I was wrong when I said the pre-application had been sent." Meanwhile, a new poll by Propeller Investments, the firm seeking to become the operator of a privatized Briscoe Field, shows a growing approval of county residents to efforts to privatize the airport. A random poll of 500 residents in February 2009 showed 82 percent favorable to privatizing the airport. Propeller came back in April 2010 and this time doubled the number of people in the poll to 1,070 persons (giving a three percent plus or minus accuracy), and the poll asked the same exact questions as before. And this time the percentage of people favoring privatization went up by nearly three points, to 84.5 percent. Brett Smith of Propeller Investments told the Gwinnett Rotary Club on Tuesday that he was pleasantly surprised at the increased number favoring the poll. "We found that there was strong support in each district for the proposal," Smith said, "From 88 percent in District 1 to 83 percent in Districts 3 and 4."
The process for Gwinnett getting on the list of five airports across the nation to be privatized is a cumbersome and convoluted one. Should the FAA accept the pre-application, then Gwinnett would submit a formal application. Once the FAA approves acceptance in the Airport Privatization Pilot Program, Gwinnett would embark on a study to determine if privatization is in the best interest of the community. Meanwhile, the county has hired IMG (Infrastructure Management Group) of Bethesda, Md. to advise it on the pre-application, to make the submission as complete as possible. Representatives from this firm will hand-deliver an original and three copies on a CD to the FAA on Monday, we have learned. If all goes well, it would take at least three years or more to see commercial flight activities at the Gwinnett airport. The key determination will be what companies have interests in operating the facility, and what the terms of the agreement would be. One of the reasons persons responding to the poll were in favor of the privatization is that it would save considerable time on travel, especially to the boarding area. Anticipating that it takes the average traveler at least 90 minutes to drive to Hartsfield-Jackson airport, go through security, and board a plane, it's anticipated that people coming from the most distant part of Gwinnett to Briscoe Field could make the commute in 35 minutes or less. Security would be far simpler than at Hartsfield, while the airplane's taxi and take off would be expedient. It's anticipated that with commercial service via 717 or 737 type more modern and quieter jets, there would be approximately 3-4 flights an hour. Another factor in the privatization is the anticipation that discount airlines, some not serving the area now, would fly into Briscoe Field, anticipated to reduce the cost of travel from the Metro Atlanta area through more competition. It's all a slow process. Gwinnett, with more than 800,000 people, could become a player in air travel for the area, and save travelers time and money at the same time. 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 First National Insurance, located at 1689 Duluth Highway, Lawrenceville. The firm, with roots going back to its founding in 1995, offers multi-lines in insurance and financial services, including auto, home, recreational, commercial and group benefits programs. It is the representative of several old-line insurance companies, including Travelers, Hartford, Auto-owners, Allied, Blue Cross-Blue Shield and Zurich firms. Call First National Insurance at 770 513-2264. Check out our web site at www.fnins.net.
McLEMORE'S WORLD ARCHIVE
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: Here's some additional information about the Gwinnett American Red Cross activities that might interest you. Last year in Gwinnett, the Red Cross:
Here's from another Red Cross disaster team member Editor, the Forum: It was so good to read the article about the Gwinnett American Red Cross building closing. My husband and I have been active on the Gwinnett Disaster Team for 10 years. We were so sad to see this building closed. We are now asked to report to the Covington Road office in DeKalb County. Although the disaster response to Gwinnett County has not been changed, the Disaster Team is now being asked to focus more on Red Cross coverage in a larger sense. While Gwinnett was always part of the Metro Atlanta team, our team only covered Gwinnett, unless individuals volunteered to respond in other counties. Now the team is asked to cover not only Gwinnett but counties from Haralson to Upson to Cherokee to Newton and all in between. Plans are still uncertain but the Red Cross is trying to respond to a real lack of funds while disasters continue at a higher rate than ever. Thank you for the article. Please continue to cover subjects like this as Gwinnett County struggles though this recession.
Pat's becoming proactive on Scott for lieutenant governor Editor, The Forum: I need your help. I believe that Georgia needs leaders like Austin Scott. I also realize he probably doesn't stand a realistic chance to obtain the GOP nomination for governor. So I, and a few of my friends, have launched a grassroots effort to convince him to run for lieutenant governor. We are starting with a Facebook page. You can help us by becoming a fan of Austin Scott for lieutenant governor and asking all your Georgia friends on Facebook to do the same. We don't need more political promises. We need straight talkers with reasonable solutions like Austin to lead our state. I hope you will join me in this grassroots effort. Thanks for your consideration.
UPCOMING Mini canvases of Suwanee landmarks will bloom along Suwanee's trails next month through the City's Art on a Limb program. Begun in 2005, this annual finders-keepers treasure hunt combines Suwanee's enthusiasm for art and nature.
Two pieces of artwork - this year, retouched giclées of old and new Suwanee icons - will be hidden along the Suwanee Creek Greenway and at Sims Lake Park each day throughout May. Those who find the artwork may keep it. Last year Kathleen Webb was walking the Suwanee Creek Greenway. As she walked along, she remembers: "It had just occurred to me how relaxed I felt and how good that was [when] I happened to look toward the creek…and there it was…a little treasure just waiting for a pair of eyes to spy it…. What a great 'aha' reminder [that] sometimes we just need to relax and let go and see what happens. Amazing what a little Art on a Limb can do." This year's Art on a Limb pieces, created by local artist and Suwanee resident Vickie Johnson, are mini canvases of scenes reflecting historic Old Town and the new Town Center. "As I was putting together my thoughts on what would be considered a beautiful addition to the homes of residents who would find the hidden artwork, I kept returning to the sights of Old Town Suwanee," Johnson says. "I wanted to provide a piece - or pieces, in this case - of artwork that each finder would treasure as a way of maintaining a little piece of what Suwanee was and has become. That is why I have created retouched giclées of my art in miniature form to encompass the old and the new." The giclées (defined as fine art prints created from a digital source using ink-jet printing) feature five different Suwanee landmarks: City Hall, Suwanee First United Methodist Church, the caboose, former barn at White Street Park, and Town Center. Johnson is an art teacher at Central Gwinnett High School. She has been named Teacher of the Year by several regional and national organizations and recently founded the North Gwinnett Arts Association. Lawrenceville unveils Moonlight and Music schedule The Lawrenceville
Tourism and Trade Association (LTTA) will continue its seventh season
with its "Moonlight and Music" summer concert series on the
lawn of the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse.
The concerts
are free outdoor lawn events. Reserved VIP seating for tables of six can
be purchased for only $65 by check or $67 by credit card by contacting
the Lawrenceville Visitors Center at 678-226-2639. A seating chart is
available for viewing prior to purchasing tickets by going to the LTTA
website at www.visitlawrenceville.com.
A limited number of reserved tables are available for each show. NOTABLE Gwinnett commissioners have approved a major renovation and expansion project for Rhodes Jordan Park, one of Gwinnett County's oldest and most centrally-located parks. Visitors to will see the addition of a one-mile paved multi-purpose trail and boardwalk around the perimeter of the existing lake, a new restroom building and new parking area. In addition, the old picnic pavilions will be replaced and new soccer fields, outdoor basketball courts and horseshoe courts will be added to the park. Rhodes Jordan Park is a partnership between the City of Lawrenceville and Gwinnett County that dates back to 1991 when the two groups entered into a long-term lease agreement. Gwinnett County awarded the project to the lowest of 13 bidders, CRS Building Corporation, for $7.3 million. Funding comes from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Zacharias joins Gwinnett Center as director
Laura Zacharias is joining the Gwinnett Center as director of sales and marketing, starting April 12. A Lawrenceville resident, she has for seven years been with Hilton Garden Inn Sugarloaf. Zacharias succeeds long-time Director of Sales & Marketing Cheryl Gee, who recently resigned her position after 16 years to take a similar job at the new Mobile Bay Convention Center in Mobile, Ala. In her new role, Zacharias will oversee Center sales efforts, marketing concepts, tradeshow efforts and additional development of the Gwinnett Center sales and marketing initiatives, explains Joey Dennis, Gwinnett Center General Manager. Norcross deploys Web site on neighborhood crime info In the 1980s, the Neighborhood Watch Institute began rallying communities into taking pro-active action against crime in local neighborhoods. Across the country, crime watch groups became an extra set of "eyes and ears," enhancing the local police department's efforts. Back then awareness, signage and telephones were the ammunition residents had in their effort to ensure a more safe community. A new tool in being aware of crime activities is now in use by the Norcross Police Department. It is a Web site ( www.crimereports.com) which allows residents access to crime statistics in their neighborhood. Visiting this website allows Norcross citizens to see real time crime reports on any street, neighborhood or business district, and to identify the type of crime committed. In 2009, the Department reported a 67 percent decrease in homicides, a 49 percent decrease in reported motor vehicle thefts, a 64 percent decrease in use of force and a 9.6 percent decrease in thefts. RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
The Georgia poultry industry is a highly mechanized production complex that markets chicken and egg products around the globe. On an average day, Georgia produces 24.6 million pounds of chicken and 14 million eggs. Major poultry processors based in Georgia include Gold Kist, Fieldale Farms, Claxton, Mar-Jac, and Cagle's. These vertically integrated companies combine all the phases of the business---raw materials, processing, and distribution---within a single company. Although based elsewhere, a number of other poultry companies also operate in Georgia, including Tyson, Con-Agra, and Continental Grain. Poultry products, including turkeys, earn more than any other Georgia crop. The statewide economic impact of the industry is an estimated $13.5 billion annually.
In the early 20th century, chickens in Georgia were raised primarily for their eggs. Gradually, farm women began to market their eggs and chickens on a bigger scale. By 1924 north Georgia chickens were sold out of state by rail. Even before the devastating 1929 stock-market crash, the 1920s were a disaster for most Georgia farmers. Then, in the 1930s, along came a Gainesville feed salesman named Jesse Jewell, who offered north Georgia farmers a deal: he would sell them baby chicks and feed on credit. When the chicks were grown, Jewell's company, J. D. Jewell, would buy back the adult chickens (broilers) at a price that would cover his costs and guarantee farmers a profit. Once Jewell signed on enough farmers to produce broilers for him, he invested in his own processing plant and hatchery. World War II (1941-45) accelerated the growth of the Georgia poultry industry. The War Food Administration reserved all the processed chicken in north Georgia, and thus the Jewell company and others now had a guaranteed buyer. The war also spurred a shift from "New York dressed" (that is, with head, feet, and entrails intact) to fully processed chickens (without head, feet, and entrails), and later to frozen birds, which became the industry standard. Jewell's addition of a feed mill and rendering plant in 1954 completed the vertical integration of his company. Jewell's example was repeated by other Georgia poultry entrepreneurs, such as D. W. Brooks of Gold Kist.
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