TODAY'S FOCUS
Two Dacula grads finally work together to make documentary
By JORDAN MECHLING
Special to GwinnettForum

DACULA, Ga., June 10, 2011 -- In 1997 two sophomores entered the Dacula High School video production class with vague hopes of working in the motion picture industry. It wasn't until 2005 when the two would cross paths again to begin their journey towards being meaningful documentary filmmakers.

Vincent Vittorio and Nathaniel Thomas McGill opened the doors to Life Is My Movie Entertainment with the intention of creating documentaries that remain objective while telling a story; the perfect marriage of the narrative and non-fiction genres.

Vincent Vittorio (front) and Nathan McGill (back.)

Meanwhile, they went different ways after their 1999 graduation from Dacula High. Vittorio, at the University of Florida, earned a bachelor of science in journalism with an emphasis in telecommunication production as well as a bachelor of arts in English with a concentration in film and media studies. McGill is a graduate of Georgia State University, with a bachelor of arts in film and studied film and TV production and screenwriting. Both were reunited when Vittorio brought Life Is My Movie to historic Lawrenceville in 2005

This dream became a reality when Life Is My Movie began fundraising for several projects they wanted to bring to life. Producer Nathaniel Thomas McGill explains how producing An Inconvenient Tax began. "The economy had really hit us hard and as we worked with our tax accountant we joked about how hard it was to understand the tax code and how that should be a documentary. A few weeks later, Vincent was in New York talking to an investor about our projects and he had little interest in what we were trying to produce. Finally the investor asked, 'What else have you got?' Vincent gave him the short pitch for a movie about tax reform. I was pretty surprised when Vincent called and told me we were going to make 'the tax film'. I was like, what tax film? And the rest is history."

In a time when many Americans are concerned about the future of the economy, rising deficits, and unfair tax treatment, the documentary unravels one of America's most complex problems. Featuring conversations with Noam Chomsky, Steve Forbes, Joseph Thorndike, Mike Huckabee, Charles Rossotti, Dave M. Walker, Neal Boortz, Michael Graetz, Daniel Sharivo, Leonard Burman, and more, An Inconvenient Tax explores the history of our fundamentally broken tax code and provides valuable insight on how to move forward.

Producer Vincent Vittorio explains that making the film was just as much a learning experience for the crew as it is for the audience. "Right from the start it was clear that we were telling a truly important story that most American taxpayers are unaware of. The film's importance dramatically changed the way we thought as filmmakers. All of a sudden we were working on something much bigger than ourselves. We felt responsible for telling this story from an objective viewpoint. We don't take any political sides to this debate. We talked with the experts on all sides of this debate and used the problems that everyone agreed on to tell our story."

An Inconvenient Tax is currently being distributed through cable, satellite, telco, and online VOD (Video On Demand) platforms reaching over 50 million homes. The DVD is available on http://www.Amazon.com.

For more information about the film, please visit the film's Web site: www.aninconvenienttax.com.

EEB PERSPECTIVE
Immigration is a problem not just in USA, but in whole world
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and publisher

JUNE 10, 2011 -- Some of us get bent out of shape on the immigration question. Granted, the arrival of illegal immigrants in this country can cause problems. Yet at the same time, many Americans benefit by having these immigrants around, simply because others here won't perform the jobs in some industries that immigrants will.

Brack

Want someone to do some yard work, or a specific skilled job? Pools of immigrant labor line up around the county, and are working every day in such manners.

But more than any other place in Georgia, the need for immigrant labor is greatest in one of the most conservative industries: farming. Immigrants are key and the literal backbone of gathering many Georgia's crops.

The immigrant question is not one limited to the United States. Germany, for years, has been concerned with vital contribution of imported workers from Turkey, who labor in jobs Germans disdain. Britain has its own problem with immigrants, often from its Commonwealth nations. Australia imports unskilled and skilled people from all over South Asia. Immigrant labor is a world-wide problem. The United States employs some 70,000 citizens from other nations in supporting our troops in Afghanistan, in jobs Americans won't do.

Many maintain that immigrants should become American citizens. Such a step is not easy. You might look over the obstacles people from other nations must overcome before they can become U.S. citizens.

Generally, these are the citizenship requirements:

• An applicant for naturalization must be admitted to the United States as a "lawful permanent resident." Boiled down, this means they must have a "green card."
  
• They must have five years of continuous residence prior to applying. That doesn't mean they must be physically present, although they must be in the USA for at least half of their permanent continuous residence.
  
• Applicants must have an actual physical residence for the three months prior to seeking naturalization.
  
• They must have the ability to read, write and speak ordinary English, unless disabled (blind, deaf or with developmental disability or mental impairment.) Those over 55 who have been legal permanent residents for at least 15 years are also exempt from this.
  
• Applicant must have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of U.S. history and government.
• Good moral character is required, plus having affinity for the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
  
• Each applicant should be at least 18 years of age when filing.

* * * * *

One consideration that jumps out at us is that some current citizens of the United States would have a hard time passing these requirements.

There are American graduates of high school who have learned little. Some are near illiterate. Others leave school before they really master reading and writing. We suspect that some of these people are registered to vote, though they know little about the fundamentals of government. That is troubling, having the vote, yet not having mastered education enough to cast an intelligent vote, yet whose vote has the same strength that you and I have. It sends chills down your back.

The immigration question surrounds not only the United States, but nations everywhere. So far as we know, no nation has produced a viable solution to immigration's many thorny problems.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
Gwinnett County Public Library

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. The Summer Reading Program "One World, Many Stories" is in full swing at the Gwinnett County Public Library. Designed to keep kids interested in books and reading during the summer months, Summer Reading Program encourages kids and teens to keep track of their reading on special Reading Records available at the library. Great prizes will be awarded and lots of special events will be happening all summer long. Head to your local branch for music, magic, and more! Visit their Web site at www.gwinnettpl.org.

FEEDBACK
Feels no ultra-conservative Republicans at legislature

Editor, the Forum:

In response to Mr. George C. Wilson of Stone Mountain. You obviously don't know what an ultra-conservative Republican is. If you did, you would recognize there is not a single one under the gold dome!

-- Steve Ramey, Lilburn

Recalls gerrymandering from Democratic legislature in '90s

Editor, the Forum:

While I appreciate your general response to Mr. Wilson's letter concerning Republican efforts in redistricting, let me give you a specific example of what the State Democrats did in terms of redistricting back in the early 1990s.

Even though there are not many Congressional Districts that include parts of three different metro areas, they carved out a Congressional District that ran from Athens to Augusta and picked up part of Savannah, in order to make sure the District would be a Democratic seat (which it was). If Mr. Wilson is so concerned about fairness, I am sure he wrote a similar letter to the AJC back in the 1990s when it happened to the Republicans…but I wouldn't bet on it.

-- Todd Evans, Dacula

Remembers Wally Odum as friend and most patient person

Editor, the Forum:

It was refreshing but kind of sad to read your article on Wally Odum. It brought me back to 1974 when we moved to Duluth and I first met Wally at Parson's hardware store in downtown Duluth. He was always a smiling face and he never failed to speak to me whenever he saw me in the store, around town, or wherever in the county.

In the early 80s, he and Ann invited my wife and me to ride to a Lake Lanier cookout on their houseboat. He invited us to come visit Wally's Shack more than one time. I always found Wally to live out the life of a true friend who was caring, compassionate; i.e., one who would do anything for you, patient, and one who lived to enjoy life. For sure our county and community will miss him -- but I will miss him more.

-- Otis Jones, Lawrenceville

Raising debt ceiling would mean we would pay more interest

Editor, the Forum:

Raising the debt ceiling as raised by Robert Hanson of Loganville would mean we would borrow more money and of course pay more interest. It would increase spending, not lower it.

Many Democrats voted with the Republicans to keep the debt ceiling where it is, so the vote was a non-partisan action intended to force both parties into agreeing as to how to reduce the federal debt, not increase it. If debt is reduced, spending will come down, it's as simple as that.

The whole point of this is that spending needs to be reduced but nobody wants to say what spending should be cut because they are afraid of not getting re-elected. Canceling the science grant to study if shrimp get tired walking on a treadmill (federal grant of $500,000 plus) would be a place to start along with the Georgia professor awarded over $700,000 to study how people create music.

-- Jim Nelems, Duluth

What graduates face in the countdown world of today

Editor, the Forum:

On May 28, I attended a high school graduation in which the speaker, The Rev. Johnny Crist, had a message suggesting that we live in a 'Count down' world. He told how these ten little words held our attention: "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one……."

He told of graduates, students, faculty counting down to the last day of School; of parents sending in the last check to the school--this was a private Christian School--and for those of us in attendance, asked us what was on our individual 'count down' list.

Rev. Crist's explained that we live in a 'Count UP' world, a world of getting more, getting that most prestige's and the best position. He illustrated it by telling when the Apostles Peter and John were brought in by the 'count up' people of their culture, they were astonished that these two unlearned men were able to 'hold their own with elders, lawyers, and community leaders.

He asked that the graduates never look down on anyone, that they continue in striving to be outstanding and yet, never to forget the purpose of why they are here in this world today.

As I listened, I could not help but think of the book I was reading, John Grisham's The Street Lawyer, and of the email I had received from missionaries who were excited that a team of doctors and nurses were coming for a two week clinic at their church and to share the Gospel. None of us have to go very far, much less across the globe, to truly help someone to be a blessing. The speaker went on to advise these graduates to engage in things that truly count, such as what the 'street lawyer' had found himself participating in.

One verse I found myself thinking about was: Philippians 2:3-4 "... Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others

I wish every high school and college student were required to read The Street Lawyer. Why? Because they are our future leaders who can reach many. I pray that all school children will be allowed to read the Bible as we were when I was growing up.

-- Deborah Seay Willis, Peachtree Corners

• Send us your thoughts. Our policy: We encourage readers to submit feedback (or letters to the editor). Send your thoughts to the editor at elliott@brack.net. We will edit for length and clarity. Make sure to include your name and the city where you live. Submission of a comment grants permission for us to reprint. Please keep your comments to 300 words or less. However, we will consider longer articles (no more than 500 words) for featuring in Today's Focus as space allows.

UPCOMING
Gwinnett Tech produces first class of nursing graduates

Gwinnett Technical College's inaugural class of associate degree nursing graduates participated in a pinning ceremony on June 8, at the Busbee Center on campus. The 31 graduates are the first to complete the college's registered nursing associate degree program, which launched September 2009. These nursing grads joined more than 550 other Gwinnett Tech students for commencement exercises on June 9 at the Gwinnett Arena.

Graduates will have to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses in order to work as an RN. However, about 40 percent of these graduates already have job offers.

Healthcare providers such as Eastside Medical Center, Gwinnett Medical Center and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta played a key role by serving as clinical sites for Gwinnett Tech nursing students.

With the opening of Gwinnett Tech's new Life Sciences Center this fall, GTC will be able to double the size of its nursing class to 60, says Kim Hudson-Gallogly, program director, GTC nursing program.

Upgrade on Collins Hill Aquatic Center to produce saving

Gwinnett's Collins Hill Aquatic Center will soon get a new regenerative-media pool filter system that will use 90 percent less backwash water and can save as much as $25,000 on annual electricity costs. Commissioners approved the $173,385 contract with the lowest of five bidders, Waterworks Atlanta, Inc..

Aquatics Manager Jim Cyrus of Gwinnett's Parks and Recreation division says: "In addition to the power savings, we should also spend less on chemicals and fuels to heat and treat pool water." Collins Hill Aquatic Center, at 2200 Collins Hill Road north of Lawrenceville, features an indoor lap pool and outdoor leisure pool. It opened in 2000 and operates year-round.

Cyrus said the current filters use approximately 1.3 million gallons of water a year for backwashing to clean out accumulated debris. The new equipment includes a variable drive system that allows less electricity use during non-peak hours.

Funding for this project comes from the 2005 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) as part of an effort by the County to renovate and upgrade existing park facilities to be more efficient and reduce operating costs. Installation is expected to be complete by September. For more information on Gwinnett County aquatic centers and parks, visit www.gwinnettparks.com.

NOTABLE
John D. Stephens to serve as new chair of GGC Foundation

John D. Stephens has been elected today as the new chairman of the Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation by its board of trustees. He succeeds Glenn White, who served as the inaugural chair from the foundation's inception in 2006.

Stephens

Tommy Hughes, board of trustees nominating committee chairman, says: "John D. is one of the Gwinnett region's most accomplished business and civic leaders. We are honored to have him serve as chair, and look forward to his leadership as the foundation and the college both enter their next exciting phases of growth."

Stephens said upon his election: "This is an exciting time for the college, and it will be my privilege to be involved. I am taking over as chair following the excellent leadership of Glenn White. I will continue to focus on a healthy organization, especially as we gain momentum on fundraising."

Georgia Gwinnett College President Dan Kaufman spoke of this election: "The college would not be where it is today if not for the leadership, dedication and resourcefulness of the GGC Foundation. John D. has the experience and perspective to lead the foundation in becoming an even greater source of critical support for the college. He understands the complexities we face in today's challenging economic times, and what it takes to be successful."

The foundation has been challenged with building the financial resources needed to support a new, unproven institution through its first few years. Now that the college has grown, the foundation's emphasis must shift.

Stephens has served on the board of trustees of Georgia Gwinnett College since December 2009. The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce named its education center in their building after Stephens and also named him Citizen of the Year in 2006. He was the recipient of the Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Environmental Legacy Award in 2007. He has served as the past president of the Georgia Utility Contractors Association and as a gubernatorial appointee on the Georgia Board of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

Stephens and his wife, Beverly, reside in Snellville where they enjoy their five children and nine grandchildren. Active in the civic community, Stephens supports many charitable causes, including American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, and local non-profits such as Hi-Hope Service Center in Lawrenceville and the Gwinnett Children's Shelter.

Gwinnett Ballet, and even its program, win Quality Awards

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre (GBT) excels on the theatre stage with its quality of dancing and performing for its audiences. Now, it seems that GBT also shows quality and excellence on the printed page!

The Gwinnett Ballet Theatre's 64 page Nutcracker Program 2010 won Best of Category for Programs printed by sheet-fed offset printing. GBT's printer, Bennett Graphics of Tucker, was the recipient of this award from The Printing and Imaging Association of Georgia. Gwinnett Ballet Theatre's beautiful program for The Nutcracker 2010 was one of the winners.

GBT Artistic Director Lisa Sheppard Robson says: "We are delighted to be a part of winning such a prestigious award. This beautiful program shows at a glance the quality of our dancers and our Nutcracker production. We are grateful to Bennett Graphics for the care and attention to detail that this award-winning program reflects." GBT is located at 2204 Fountain Square in Snellville and presents its annual production of The Nutcracker at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center in Duluth, this year from December 2-18. The 2011 Nutcracker will mark GBT's 30th Anniversary of presenting this well loved family classic to its regional audiences.

RECOMMENDED
Have a recommended site, eatery, book?

• An invitation: What Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus what book you plan to read next. --eeb

GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Pioneer photographer known for Civil War photos in Georgia

A pioneer of 19th-century photography, George N. Barnard is best known for his work during the Civil War (1861-65) as the official army photographer for the Military Division of the Mississippi, commanded by Union General William T. Sherman. His images, first published in 1866 as a limited collector's edition entitled Photographic Views of Sherman's Campaign, record the destroyed landscapes and gutted cities left in the wake of Sherman's Atlanta campaign and subsequent march to the sea.

Born in Connecticut on December 23, 1819, George Norman Barnard in 1846 opened his first studio in Oswego, N.Y. In 1853 fire destroyed the massive grain elevators in Oswego, and Barnard, capturing the event with his camera, created some of the first "news" photographs known to historians.

Matthew Brady hired Barnard as a portrait photographer and sent him to Washington to photograph Abraham Lincoln's 1861 inauguration as president of the United States. When the Civil War broke out, Brady formed a crew of cameramen, "Brady's Photographic Corps," to document the conflict and the men who fought in it. In 1862, using a tent or wagon as his darkroom, Barnard produced the earliest known collodion photographs at the site of the Bull Run battle in Virginia.

Barnard traveled to the Atlanta front on September 11, 1864, after Sherman had captured the city. Over the next two months he photographed Confederate fortifications, railroad yards, private homes, and city streets. Sherman's troops departed Atlanta in November and marched toward the coast. Barnard took no photographs during the march until he reached Fort McAllister, near Savannah, which Union forces captured in December. He remained in Savannah, duplicating maps of the march route, until late January.

Barnard's equipment was cumbersome, and with Sherman's army almost constantly on the move, the photographer could not take all the images he wanted to during the campaign. Following Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's surrender to Sherman in 1865, Barnard revisited many of the key battle sites in Georgia to produce the body of work for which he is now best known. The majority of the finished 61 prints illustrate a landscape of trees shorn by gunfire and cities of empty streets and ruined buildings, an eerie and mute testament to the brutal power of war.

By 1869 Barnard had established a new studio in Chicago, Ill., but it was destroyed in the great fire of 1871. Using borrowed equipment, he then recorded the process of rebuilding the city in a series of photographs that recall his Civil War scenes. He went on to promote the new gelatin dry process in collaboration with George Eastman in New York and later opened a studio in Painesville, Ohio, in 1884. Barnard died at his daughter's home in New York, on February 4, 1902, not far from his first studio.

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TODAY'S QUOTE
There's a whole lot more than you may think required

"Presence is more than just being there."

-- The late Forbes publisher and commentator Malcolm S. Forbes (1919-1990.)

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GWINNETT CALENDAR

Life Is Short, a series of plays around a theme of funerals at the Lionheart Theatre: Through June 12, 10 College Street, Norcross. Visit online for more information.

Commencement Art Show: Through June 18 at Georgia Gwinnett College Grand Reading Room of the Library and Learning Center. The show features paintings, photography and other art pieces in a variety of mixed media by students, faculty and staff. The library hours are Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.; Friday: 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Sunday: 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Driving Miss Daisy, the play, is now underway at New London Theatre in Snellville. This play continues through June 26 on Friday, Saturday and Sundays. For more details, visit www.newlondontheatre.org or call 770.559.1484.

Peachtree Corners Festival: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 11. To be held on the tree-shaded The Corners Parkway, one block west of Peachtree Parkway between Holcomb Bridge Road and Crooked Creek Road. It offers a juried arts and craft show, live music, a car show and showcases the restaurants of the area. For more information, visit www.peachtreecornersfestival.org.

Popcorn in the Park: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., June 11, Briscoe Park in Snellville. Free movie this night is "Diary of a Wimpy Kid II." For more information, visit www.snellvillepride.com.

Barbershop Concert: 7 p.m., June 13, Rehoboth Presbyterian Church in Decatur. The Stone Mountain Barbershop Chorus will provide four-part harmony at an Open House program. The 55-man cappella choral group is currently auditioning for new singers. For more information, visit
www.stonemountainchorus.org.

Sixth Annual Alumni Career Fair, for University of Georgia alumni: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 14, at Gwinnett Center Ballroom, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. For more information, visit online.

Connecting Physical Communities into Connected Communities is the subject of the June 15 General Membership meeting of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce at the 1818 Club. Keynoter is Karl D. Rabke of Cisco Systems. Info: melissa@gwinnettchamber.org.

(NEW) Annual meeting of Walton EMC: June 18 at Walton County Agricultural Education Center, 1208 Criswell Road, Monroe. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the business session starting at 10 a.m. The first 1,000 customers registering will receive a commemorative cast iron skillet, and all registering by 10 a.m. will be eligible for door prizes.

(NEW) Gwinnett Technology Forum: 7:30 a.m., June 21, Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College. Speaker will be Curtis Tearte of IBM Global Sales and Distribution, talking on "A smarter planet: intelligence-driven innovation."

Success Lives Here Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., June 23, 1818 Club, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. Speaker will be Cynthia B. Kaye, CEO of Logical Choice Technologies of Lawrenceville.

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