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Issue 10.12 | Tuesday, May 11, 2010 |
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TODAY'S FOCUS
DULUTH, Ga., May 11, 2010 -- The very fabric of our country's existence revolves around the statement "All Men Are Created Equal." Yet, how we truly define that statement is a matter of interpretation and has been a driving force of conflict for our nation for centuries. Throughout U.S. History, our nation has struggled to define rights, liberty and equality based upon gender, class, race, social hierarchy, land ownership, labor, and more. Today our democratic republic ideals continues to evolve and are to be defined. The Civil War was not simply a fight for or against slavery, but a massive political struggle between industry and agricultural, corporate ideals and entrepreneurialism, patriotism and secession. In 1690 the first African slaves were brought to Jamestown as forced labor, embraced by all because slavery offered a great source for much needed labor. During the 17th and 18th centuries agriculture was king, and a great source of field labor was needed to keep America healthy and strong. With Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin, cotton became the new gold, and by 1860 U.S. grown cotton was the Number One industry in the world. By this time the slave population in the U.S. had grown to four million and the financial stability of the country was dependent on slave- grown cotton. As the cotton industry thrived, the industrial revolution began to take hold in the Northern states. 'King cotton' began to feed a new textile industry. Those in the North began to adopt a workforce model centered around free labor and began to cast a new judgment on those making a living on the sweat of another man's brow. America's ideals of freedom, rights, and equality were drawn into the question and the U.S. was stifled by great conflict. As new territories began to form to the West, more questions arose. A heated political fight began. The Kansas Nebraska Act forced each state to cast a vote in one direction or another, which sparred guerilla warfare and slave rebellions in an effort to lobby support and influence votes. Fears and anger gripped both sides.
The election of President Lincoln, a known abolitionist, was a critical turn in history. Upon his election the Southern states formed an alliance and formally announced their intent to secede from the Union. Lincoln refused to tolerate such an act of treason and called for volunteers to put down the rebels. In 1861 at South Carolina's Fort Sumter, the first shots were fired and bloodshed over industry, liberty and the equality of men began. Before it was all over one in four soldiers would die in this massive fight over liberty and patriotism. As 149 years have now passed since that first shot, to most the Civil War seems so far away. Though just one chapter in the U.S. history, it challenges us all today to continue to study and learn from the Civil War and understand that the very questions that brought us to such bloodshed before are still very much alive today in modern politics. The Civil
War was about much more than slavery. It was about the balance of power
between federal and state government. It was about the rights of citizens
to decide for themselves what they want versus having government decide
for them. It was about balance between industry, democratic ideals and
moral high ground. So as this 150th anniversary nears, maybe we should
all crack open the history books and explore further the lessons to be
learned from the great Civil War. EEB PERSPECTIVE MAY 11, 2010 -- Saturday was a significant day for Gwinnett County, as two handsome new facilities were dedicated with ribbon cuttings: the new Freeman's Mill Park and the Hamilton Mill Library Branch.
Both are in Commissioner Mike Beaudreau's district, and he and Commission Chairman Charles Bannister were both helping several others at each place cut the ribbons signaling the official opening. Both the park and the library have already had "soft" openings, but Saturday was the day for the ribbon snipping. (The same county-owned scissors, spray-painted gold, were used in both ceremonies!) At the Freeman's Mill event, the focus was on the work done to preserve the mill itself, which dates back to the late 1860's. The mill was last in operation about 1990, and was purchased by the county in 2002. Since then, the county decided to create a park with the mill as its focus. The 12-acre park includes children's play area, hiking trail, picnic pavilion, rest room and parking facilities.
Major work around the mill itself included raising the structure by about five feet. Park officials maintain that this increased height of the structure was significant recently when heavy floodwaters roared down the Alcovy River, and could have swept the mill off its lower foundation. The mill itself is not in operation, since officials feel operating the mill might cause problems. One thing officials might do is allow visitors to go inside the actual building itself on certain special days when park officials could be present, so today's generation can see the low-tech wheels, pulleys and elevators of the mill, plus its millstones, and the large timbers that were used in the construction of the mill. All are marvels of engineering of that day, and could be a useful tool in teaching today's children how our ancestors did things in bygone days (without the help of computers or cell phones!) We hope that Park officials can work toward a way to fund improvements at the mill itself so that it can be more of an educational tool in teaching about our past. * * * * * Hamilton Mill must be proud of their new library. It's a LEED (Leadershp in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building, designed by the Lawrenceville engineering firm of Precision Planning. It is the 15th library branch of the Gwinnett system. The $7.4 million library is a 20,000 square foot building of a striking design. It's located adjacent to the Duncan Creek Park. Natural light pours into the building, with its high ceilings, reducing electrical cost. Precision Planning's lead person on the library design, Chad Smith of Grayson, worked with artist Marie Artemis of Atlanta, to make the library distinctive. Some 66 glass panels, with "quotes" picked by Artemis printed on glass, are mostly on the north-facing wall, with others throughout the building. Smith used solar screens with the higher summer-time angles on the south facing wall (toward Georgia Highway 124), to keep out direct sun rays. He took advantage of lower winter sun rays to help heat the building. "Yeah, we calculated all that," he says. Altogether, the LEED building has 22 percent energy savings; 30 percent water savings, plus recycled bricks and carpet backing. Even lockers and toilet partitions are made from recycled milk jugs. All in all, it's a beautiful, functional building. Hats off to the Library Board with its newest branch. It is a building of which Gwinnett can be proud. ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. About WIKA Instrument Corporation: For over 60 years, WIKA Instrument Corporation (WIKA) has continued to globally advance pressure gauge, sensor and temperature instrumentation technology and applications. In the United States, WIKA's operation utilizes state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and highly automated proprietary production equipment in its nearly quarter-million-square-foot facility in the metro Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville, Ga. As the industry leader in lean manufacturing, WIKA offers a wide variety of stock and customized instrumentation solutions for critical applications that often are distributed within days. The WIKA customer service department recently earned the Operational Excellence Award for Leadership from one of North America's leading distributors of industrial maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts. Producing over 40 million gauges, diaphragm seals, transmitters, and thermometers worldwide annually, WIKA has the most extensive product line in the industry. More: www.Wika.com.
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: I totally
agree and salute you for highlighting this positive community statement
concerning the beautification of interstate exits in Gwinnett! I point
this out to people on a regular basis. It amazes me how this improvement
makes such a subtle positive statement, but it frustrates me how many
local people have not even taken notice. I must have brought this beautification
effort to the attention of several hundred people and am surprised to
find that most had no idea who was responsible nor could they even remember
how bad it once looked! We certainly live in a world of apathy.
The Cement Duck hit the spot with this northeast Georgia native Editor, the Forum: Thank you so much for calling my attention the book by Alma Bowen called The Cement Duck. Having spent a portion of my youth in the very county in Northeast Georgia. that Mrs. Bowen is writing about, I was particularly drawn to the subject matter. I was certainly not disappointed. I found the book to be a delightful read for several reasons. The storyline was paced well and certainly held my interest. The characters seemed so believable and representative of the area. And throughout the book, Mrs. Bowen scattered little treasured jewels of area history. Hopefully the author is fast at work on another book that I be watching for.
UPCOMING Gwinnett Medical Center and Partnership Gwinnett, the community and economic development initiative led by the Gwinnett Chamber, will host the second installment of their quarterly health council series on Thursday, May 13, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Georgia Gwinnett College in Cisco Auditorium of Building C. The breakfast event, focused on Healthcare Innovations, will focus on how Gwinnett Medical Center is transforming healthcare, delivering the latest technological advancements and cutting-edge treatments. The event is free and open to the public. The event includes keynote speaker Jeff Nowlin, executive vice president and COO of Gwinnett Medical Center, and a panel of physicians from the following GMC surgical departments: Vascular, Bariatrics, Gynecological Oncology and Colon and Rectal. The panel will focus on the following topics: SILS (single incision laparoscopic surgery); daVinci Robotic Surgery; Bariatric Surgery; and Hemorrhoid Ligation. Technology Forum to hear panel discuss "Smartgrid" May 18 A panel will discuss "Smartgrid: the next smart move" at the May meeting of the Gwinnett Technical Forum on Tuesday, May 18, at the Gwinnett Technical College Busbee Center. The program will begin at 7:30 a.m.
The Smartgrid
is holding up to its name as people consider it to be the next "smart"
move in order to enhance energy efficiency and security, and to contribute
to the climate change strategic goal of reducing carbon emissions. According
to the US Department of Energy, the Grid 2030 vision calls for "the
construction of a 21st century electric system that connects everyone
to abundant, affordable, clean, efficient, and reliable electric power
anytime, anywhere." NOTABLE A Norcross Army officer is being recognized as one of 28 winners of the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Awards program. He is Capt. Daniel Luckett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Luckett of Norcross. The program honors company grade officers who demonstrate the MacArthur ideals of "duty, honor, country."
A 2002 graduate of Norcross High, Luckett graduated from Auburn University, where he received his ROTC commission as an officer. He served a tour of duty in Iraq, where on May 11, 2008, Luckett was wounded when his patrol came under attack in Baghdad. On that day, he would become a double amputee (lower left leg and half of right foot) but his drive to lead soldiers only grew stronger. He returned to unit in March, 2009, to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Ky. He received the award on May 6 from Gen. George W. Casey, the chief of staff of the Army, during a ceremony in Washington. Luckett said on being presented with the award: "It means a lot for both my family and I to be honored with such an extraordinarily humbling award. Simply being mentioned in the same breath as previous winners and the award's namesake is an incredible feeling." Since returning to the Strike Brigade in February 2009, Luckett has taken on a great deal of responsibility, where he served as the executive officer for his company and for more than a year has helped prepare his company for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. He and his unit left for Afghanistan on May 9. GCVB awards tourism-related grants to rail museum, Suwanee The Gwinnett
Convention and Visitors Bureau (GCVB) announced that the Southeastern
Railway Museum and the Suwanee SculpTour have been awarded GCVB tourism
grants. The GCVB grant program, now in its 10th year, allots funds for
tourism-related projects and tourism product development, with a focus
on drawing in overnight visitors to Gwinnett County. The Southeastern
Railway Museum will receive $1,000 to assist with phase I of the Museum's
newest attraction, a Miniature Train project. The grant will assist the
museum with "installing a 1,500 foot loop track and restoring one
locomotive and two passengers cars on the miniature train," explains
Randy Pirkle, Museum executive director. In 2010,
the GCVB added tourism product development to the grant program, and "the
Suwanee SculpTour is a great example of the type of developments we are
pleased to support," explains Lisa Anders, GCVB Marketing Communications
Director. Awarded
a grant of $4,000, the SculpTour will create an exhibit of original outdoor
sculptures that will be displayed year-round, with approximately 15-25
pieces displayed for one year on a walkable route through downtown Suwanee.
The sculptures will be an eclectic mix of styles, sizes and materials.
"This program will be the first of its kind in the metro Atlanta
area, and will put Suwanee, as well as Gwinnett County, at the forefront
of public art initiatives," says Toni Shrewsbury with Suwanee's Economic
Development division. The city
is targeting installation of artwork for Fall 2010 or Spring 2011, while
the Railway Museum anticipates a December 2010 unveiling. Georgia free clinics honor Snellville's Pam Kramer with award The Georgia Free Clinic Network has honored Pam Kramer, RN, BSN, with the 2010 Free Clinic Champion Award. She has 20-plus years work with Gwinnett Community Clinic, as a co-founder, volunteer, board member and officer. This award honors a volunteer or staff member of a free or low cost health clinic whose work on behalf of free clinics and the indigent has impacted their community and those without access to healthcare services. Kramer co-founded Gwinnett Community Clinic in 1989 with Laurence Lesser, M.D., a local cardiologist, and the late Madeline Estefan, a healthcare educator. Kramer is currently the director of Physician Support and Oncology Services at Emory Eastside Medical Center. Gwinnett Community Clinic is a non-profit medical clinic in Snellville that provides low cost primary health services to uninsured, indigent residents of Gwinnett County. All medical treatment at the Clinic is provided by volunteer physicians, nurses, phlebotomists and other allied health providers. For more information about GCC you may contact the clinic office at 770-985-1199. RECOMMENDED READ
"This
is a book mainly about power, and its abuse, from the viewpoint of Louisiana
oil, politics, and the environment. I thought it would take me much longer
to finish this 362 page book, but it's a page-turner.. The author is a
native of the Cajun country, and knows and describes his subjects well.
He presents a wide array of characters, yet they are drawn so well that
the reader will know virtually how each thinks. It's a good one, especially
in light of the current oil rig problems in the Gulf of Mexico!"--eeb
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Furman Bisher, a well-regarded sportswriter and editor, has been the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports editor, a Sporting News columnist, and the contributor of hundreds of articles for Sports Illustrated, the Saturday Evening Post, and many other national magazines. Author of several books, including a biography of baseball great Hank Aaron, Bisher was named in a 1961 Time article as one of the nation's five best columnists.
He has covered the Masters Tournament in Augusta, every Kentucky Derby since 1950, and every Super Bowl but the first. He watched the first NASCAR race as an editor in Charlotte, N.C. and he is credited with helping to bring the Braves baseball team, Atlanta's first professional sports team, from Milwaukee, Wis. to Atlanta. Bisher chronicles the Braves acquisition in his second book, Miracle in Atlanta (1966). James Furman Bisher was born on November 4, 1918, in Denton, N.C. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he began his career at the Lumberton Voice in North Carolina in 1938. In 1954 he married Montyne Harrell, with whom he had three sons. Eventually the couple divorced, and Bisher married Lynda Landon in 1991. Bisher became an editor in 1940 for the Charlotte News, where he worked for the rest of the decade, excepting four years of military service during World War II (1941-45). In 1950 he left to become sports editor for the Atlanta Constitution. Over the years Bisher scored a number of memorable journalistic coups. His first occurred in 1949, when "Shoeless" Joe Jackson gave Bisher and Sport Magazine his only interview since 1919, the year Jackson was ousted from baseball in the "Black Sox" scandal. Bisher played golf with Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen, among many others. Covering the Masters in 1954, he watched in awe as amateur Billy Joe Patton "laughed his way" through the course, shooting a hole in one on his way to nearly snatching the green jacket from Sam Snead. Patton lost by one stroke, and Bisher later recounted the golfer's wistful comment, Bisher's favorite golf quote in all his years of writing about the sport: "I could have handled the fame, I could have handled the money. But I doubt if I could have handled the women." Bisher's many awards and accolades include membership in the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, the International Golf Writers Hall of Fame, and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Red Smith Award for contributions to journalism. His work has been anthologized in Best Sports Stories of the Year twenty-three times; he won the PGA Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award in 1996. Bisher continues to write today in Gwinnett Daily Post. 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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