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Issue 10.53 | Friday, Oct. 1, 2010 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE McLEMORE'S
WORLD FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE _:: IN THE
SPOTLIGHT: Meet a sponsor |
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TODAY'S FOCUS DACULA, Ga., Oct. 1, 2010 -- Come visit the birthplace of Gwinnett County at the 32nd annual Elisha Winn Fair on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. You will find live music, food, crafts, re-enactors, a quilt show, raffle, Live Winn House tours, a working Blacksmith Shop, an1875 One Room School House, and a 182o's Log Jail from Lawrenceville.
The Elisha Winn property gained historical significance because in this house much of the planning for the birth of Gwinnett County took place. Here the first functions of county government were carried out. The Inferior Court and the first county elections were held in the parlor, and by early spring of 1819, Gwinnett County had a full slate of elected county officials. Early sessions of Superior Court (1819-1822), serving several counties including Gwinnett, were held in Elisha Winn's barn. (The original barn no longer stands). Being the seat of such government functions, the first jail in Gwinnett County was also built at this site. (The current jail is similar to the original and stands where the original first stood). The seat of government was relocated to a permanent setting in the newly created city of Lawrenceville in 1820. The Winns moved from this property to re-locate closer to Lawrenceville about 1824.
The house was unique for its age because it contained the original fireplace mantels, doors, and stairs. When purchased, the Society estimated a 2.5-year rehabilitation period at a cost of $60,000. The Historical Society has just finished some repairs on the house and painted the outside, plus did painting on the inside. Currently this year it has spent approximately another $27,000, $12,000 of which was raised at its annual Gala in May. The Elisha Winn Fair each year is one of the ways the Society raises funds to keep this historic treasure preserved. In addition, a good number of people give donations each year to help with the upkeep. The Society is pleased to have so many volunteers who spend many hours working to keep the organization going all year round. Volunteers can contact Elaine Roberts via email at elaine@gwinnetths.org or by calling 770-822-5174. We invite you to come on out and support the Society while listening to Phil Tanner and the Skillet Lickers, and see where Gwinnett got started. You are in for a real treat. The Winn house is located at 908 Dacula Road, Dacula. Admission is $3; children under 12 are free. EEB PERSPECTIVE OCT. 1, 2010 -- Who would think we would again be looking for the likes of Kennesaw Mountain Landis? He was the baseball commissioner who took the national game out of the scandal of the Chicago Black Sox. A crusty and non-nonsense commissioner, Judge Landis imprinted the game with ethical standards, something the game sorely needs these days.
The current commissioner, Bud Selig, a former team owner himself, contributes little to the game, except what other owners seem to want. But now he has gone too far, floating that perhaps it's time to expand the number of teams in the baseball play offs. Here's a quote from him: "We have less teams than any other sport. Eight teams make the playoffs. One wild card in each league. We certainly haven't abused anything." His latest idea is too much. We can understand increasing of the number of teams over the years (now up to 30, from the traditional 16 in two leagues.) We can understand dividing both leagues into three divisions, and creating a winner of each division. We can understand the present wild-card format, allowing the club left with the best record after the division winners being in the playoffs. After all, this evens out for a two playoff series. But add more wild cards? It would extend the season even more (alas, maybe until Thanksgiving), would guarantee baseball owners more revenue (perhaps the reason for the idea), but would make a farce of the game. Why the team with the fifth or sixth or middling record in their division could end up winning the World Series! It would water down baseball, which is already pretty fluid. Mr. Selig has had a questionable job performance as the lackey of the owners. He isn't helping his reputation, nor the game. We need for baseball owners to choose a Landis-type commissioner who will insure the integrity of the game, and not merely someone who will propose lame-brain ideas to produce more greed. * * * * *
For the Atlanta Braves, now trying to remain a wild card team and get into the playoffs, this year marks the end of an era, as Manager Bobby Cox has announced his retirement. There's been relatively little talk in the Atlanta media about who would succeed Cox. Whoever it is will have major shoes to fill. After all, consider that:
We got to wondering who would succeed Cox, and asked several people. Here's what they said:
Who's your hope? You can write Elliott Brack at: elliott@brack.net. ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
McLEMORE'S WORLD
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: Again we're
hearing about the so-called "free market."
UPCOMING The second annual "Poochfest" will be held on Duluth Town Green, Saturday October 2, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is free. Bring your family and friends and your favorite "pooch" and join the pet parade at 1 p.m. The Grand Marshall will be Alice Ziegler, founder of Gwinnett Humane Society in the early 70's. Events for the day include interactive pet play, vendors, crafts, food, music, and a kid zone. There will be networking and adoption opportunities as there will be many breed specific organizations and pet related businesses. Go to www.poochfest.org for more info. Plan to stay that night for "Flicks on the Bricks." The movie will be Scooby Doo. Proceeds go to save the Historic Strickland House, the current home of Duluth History Museum at 2956 Buford Highway. Ghost Tours underway for 6th year in Lawrenceville The Lawrenceville Ghost Tours have returned to the Historic Courthouse Square and are on tap every night in October. The Aurora Theatre produces the tours, with hauntings, history and horror. The year 2010 marks the sixth year of these tours. Costumed storytellers lead tour groups to many of the macabre locations around the Lawrenceville Square, including the Old Jail, an eerie spot preserved from the 1800s, well known for its haunted activity. Lawrenceville, the oldest city in the five-county Metro Atlanta area, is rich in history, legend and lore. Enjoy the 90 minute adventure around the Square and hear highlights of the most vivid stories of the strange and supernatural that will send a shiver down your spine. The tour begins at the Aurora Theatre, 128 Pike Street. Tour prices are $12 for adults, and $9 for children. Tours begin at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, all tickets are $12 with two shows each night, at 7 and 9 p.m. There is free parking at the Downtown Parking Deck on Crogan Street. Each Friday in October, there will also be a Ghost Trolley, which will travel off the square to more haunted locations. These tours begin at 8 p.m. All tickets are $25. Redevelopment forum Oct. 15 to hear Andres Duany A Redevelopment Forum sponsored by the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce is set for October 15 at 7:30 a.m. at the North Atlanta Trade Center, 1700 Jeurgen Court, Norcross.
The Redevelopmenet
Forum is designed to inform attendees on local and regional re-development
activity, obtain an exclusive list of top sites available for redevelopment
in the community, provide a comprehensive overview of the revitalization
tools available in the area and learn best practices from highly renowned
industry experts. For more information, contact Lauren Salas, via email
at lauren@gwinnettchamber.org,
or by phone at 678-584-2265. New Norcross Welcome Center now hosting 2 programs Two quite diverse exhibits are open now through October 29 at the Norcross Welcome Center. Explore Historic Norcross through the eyes and camera lens of a resident journalist, Charles Harbin, whose photo essay, Imagine Norcross, captures a beautiful and unexpected perspective of the community. The other exhibit is The Tuskegee Airmen: The Segregated Skies of World War II, a traveling exhibit on loan from Kennesaw University. It explores the history and heroism of the first African-American pilots to fly in combat during World War II. They were known as "Tuskegee Airmen" because they trained to fly at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama; however, members of the American fighter group came from as far away as Spain and Haiti, and others from as close to home as Buford, Clarksville and Atlanta. The exhibit tells the exciting story of what drove these men to prove themselves in war, why they earned the Congressional Gold Medal and how their heroism impacted generations of Americans. For more
information on the exhibits, and schedules, as well as future exhibits
on the calendar, contact the Norcross Welcome Center at 678-421-2049 NOTABLE Two new appointments have been made at Georgia Gwinnett College. Anthony L. Pinder is the college's first director of internationalization. He is responsible for the vision, implementation and staffing of the college's new, comprehensive international program. Laura A. Maxwell is the new vice president for resources. She is responsible for the oversight and management of the institution's financial and business processes.
Pinder is a doctoral candidate at Clark Atlanta University's School of Education, and holds a master's degree in international economics and Latin American studies from The Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. He also has a bachelor's degree in finance from Morehouse College in Atlanta. His professional interests focus on the international dimensions of higher education at the institutional, system, national and international levels, and student global learning outcomes. He has traveled and worked extensively throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America.
Maxwell holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree in business administration from the State University of New York - Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She has 20 years of experience in the higher education environment through several administrative positions at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. These positions included assistant dean for resources, and senior associate athletic director/chief financial officer for Army Athletics. A New York native, Maxwell came to GGC in 2007 as the college's chief business officer. Partnership Gwinnett wins international accolade With statewide
and national recognition already under its belt, Partnership
Gwinnett soared to global success, receiving the International Economic
Development Council's (IEDC) Award of Excellence for best Multi-Year Economic
Development program of a large community (500,000> population). Led
by the Gwinnett Chamber and a host of over 160 public and private partners,
the initiative is setting the bar for success in community and economic
development across the world.
The J.M. Tull-Gwinnett Family YMCA is recognizing Kathy Aarts as its 2010 volunteer of the year. Aarts will be honored at the YMCA of Metro Atlanta annual volunteer recognition dinner Monday, November 8, 2010, at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Aarts first became involved with the Y as a member, joining in 2001. Currently, she is serving her fifth year as a Y volunteer. She coaches recreational soccer and is involved in other youth special events.In addition to her Y volunteer work, Aarts is involved with St. Marguerite d'Youville Church parish council, Sunday school and vacation Bible school. Aarts and her husband reside in Lawrenceville. They have five children and one grandchild. To learn more about the Tull Family YMCA, visit tgy.ymcaatlanta.org or call (770) 963-1313.
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
The character
actor and voiceover specialist Sterling
Price Holloway Jr. was born on January 4 or 14, 1905, in Cedartown,
in Polk County. He attended the Georgia Military Academy and the American
Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, graduating in 1923. After appearing
in minor productions around the country, Holloway was cast in Richard
Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's first Broadway musical, The Garrick Gaieties
(1925), in which he introduced the now standard song "Manhattan."
In the second edition of the show in 1926 he sang the hit song "Mountain
Greenery."
After the
war Holloway played Gene Autry's comic sidekick in five Westerns and starred
in short comedies for Columbia Pictures. In the 1950s he began working
in television, appearing regularly in The Life of Riley (1953-58)
and making guest appearances on The Adventures of Superman,
The Untouchables, The Andy Griffith Show, The Twilight Zone, and Gilligan's
Island, among others. Increasingly, however, Holloway grew dissatisfied
with the limited parts he was assigned: rubes, eccentrics, soda jerks,
and delivery boys. He found
more professional satisfaction and his share of film immortality, in his
voiceover work for animated cartoons, which he began doing at the Walt
Disney Studios in 1941. In 1967 Walt Disney himself asked Holloway to
audition for the part of Kaa, the python, for a planned animated version
of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. Others had tried out for the
part, but Disney was looking for a quality he had not yet found. As veteran
Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston recall, Holloway's audition
was "inspirational": "Suddenly Kaa was alive! . . . He
was menacing enough, but he was also a living, breathing, entertaining
creature." Holloway's favorite animated role, however, was a bear
of little brain, Winnie the Pooh, for whom Holloway found the precise
tones of innocence and befuddlement in the short Winnie the Pooh
films of the 1960s and 1970s. In his
last years, Holloway, in failing health, retired from acting and devoted
himself to his growing collection of contemporary art, a subject about
which he sometimes lectured. He also enjoyed returning to Cedartown to
visit old friends. In 1991 Holloway, along with singer and actress Julie
Andrews and others, was honored as a Disney legend for his contributions
to the studio's creations. He died on November 22, 1992, in Los Angeles,
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The
Elisha Winn House and its outbuildings sit on 19.2 acres. The house and
buildings are a rehabilitation project of the Gwinnett Historical Society.
The Gwinnett Historical Society purchased the home, in rural Gwinnett
County on three acres, in 1978 for $12,000 from the Olyn Sims family and
the Baptist Association of Texas, mortgaging the property for 10 years
for a $9,600 note. The Society then sold the house and property to Gwinnett
County. In February 1979, the county leased the house and property back
to the Gwinnett Historical Society for restoration and maintenance purposes.
The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's underwriter is The IMPACT! Group,
a full-service housing assistance agency based in Lawrenceville. The IMPACT!
Group provides a range of housing assistance services, including foreclosure
prevention, homebuyer education, financial education, and transitional
housing to the residents of Gwinnett County and greater Atlanta. In the
past year alone, the agency operated over 60 percent of the transitional
housing units available to homeless families in Gwinnett and provided
over 5,000 of your neighbors with housing counseling and education. Awarded
the 2009 D. Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award by the Gwinnett Chamber of
Commerce, The IMPACT! Group is able to provide all of its services in
both English and Spanish. If you or a loved one are facing a home foreclosure
or are looking to access down payment assistance to buy a home, The IMPACT!
Group may be able to help. All IMPACT! housing counselors are HUD-certified
and all homeowner counseling sessions are kept confidential. Visit their
website at: 
