TODAY'S FOCUS
Better Business Bureaus getting reports of elder abuse
By DOTTIE CALLINA
Special to GwinnettForum

ATLANTA, Ga., June 28, 2011 -- The Better Business Bureaus nationwide receive hundreds of phone calls each year from senior citizens who have been targeted or victimized by scammers. These can range from common scams such as bogus travel deals or lottery schemes to outright financial fraud. Financial elder abuse occurs when seniors' banking or credit accounts are exploited by scammers who take advantage of the vulnerabilities sometimes associated with age.

What makes the crime particularly frightening is that in most cases the abuse is carried out by someone the senior knows, such as a family member, caregiver or friend. Many victims do not realize they have been taken advantage of. Or if they do know, they may not want to tell anyone due to embarrassment or fear of losing what independence they may have.

Unfortunately financial elder abuse can be difficult to identify. It often takes a caring family member, friend or caregiver to recognize that fraud has occurred. These are some signs to look for:

• Belongings or property is missing;
  
• Unusual bank account activity;
  
• Complaints from seniors that they can suddenly not afford normal purchases;
  
• Suspicious stories about people that normally wouldn't be involved in personal affairs now being involved;
  
• Unnecessary purchases (often big-ticket items);
  
• Sudden changes to Power of Attorney or will;
  
• Sudden interest in an investment or business opportunity;
  
• Claims they have won a prize, lottery or vacation; and
  
• Numerous unpaid bills or bounced checks.

If you or someone you know might be a victim of Elder Abuse contact your local law enforcement agency.

EEB PERSPECTIVE
Finally, finally, Ga. Highway 20-316 intersection to get relief
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and publisher

JUNE 28, 2011 -- It was about 1975 when Department of Transportation Commissioner Tom Moreland was at the Georgia Highway 120 Bridge in Lawrenceville. The Georgia DOT was opening the new four-lane portion of Georgia Highway 316 from Highway 120 on the west side of Lawrenceville to Highway 29 on the east side of town.

Brack

One element missing from that ceremony: because of the 1974-75 downturn in the economy, Moreland had cut $20 million out of that new portion of Highway 316……eliminating four bridgings of the new portion of the road. Those bridges across Highway 316 had originally been scheduled to be at Collins Hill Road, Georgia Highway 20, Hurricane Shoals Road and Georgia Highway 29.

Those of us attending this road opening remember wondering two things.

• How long it would be before those four roads would be bridged over Highway 316?
  
  
• How much more would the bridges cost once they were built? Some $20 million was "saved" by cutting bridges out of this new project.

Those questions are beginning to be answered now….approximately 36 years later. And….there is some good news.

On July 15, the Georgia Department of Transportation is scheduled to receive bids to relieve traffic congestion at both Georgia Highway 20 and Collins Hill Road at Highway 316 via a grade separation project. The contract should be awarded in early August of this year, with work beginning this fall.

So yes, relief is expected to be on the way this year for the Georgia Highway 20 and 316 intersection. It may take up to three years to see the project to completion, but at least work is underway.

Hurrah, Hurrah.

But it will be a costly project. Today's right-of-way cost alone is $51.5 million. It's estimated that the construction cost will be $54 million. Looking back, it makes the Moreland decision to eliminate the bridges mean higher cost today.

We haven't seen the specific plans yet, but the project is expected to take the existing signalized intersections of both Highway 20 and Collins Hills Road with Highway 316 and re-construct them into one single interchange. In effect, it will extend Highway 316's freeway style limited access to east of Highway 20. In the process, Georgia Highway 316 will be lowered approximately 25 feet to go under Highway 20. There will be a lot of earth-moving!

The project includes the grade separation of the existing Collins Hill and Georgia Highway 20 signalized intersections with Highway 316. Because of the proximity of Collins Hill Road and Highway 20, it is necessary to construct a "collector distributor" system (long ramps) between the two roads to provide access from Highway 316.

As an example, if you were going east on Highway 316, you would exit onto a collector road before Collins Hill Road. Then you would pass under a bridge of Collins Hill Road that goes over both the collector road and Highway 316, before exiting on Georgia 20 at a cloverleaf intersection.

Glory be! Miracles occur!

The Highway 20 intersection with Highway 316 is the key to today's traffic congestion. At evening rush hour, outbound eastward traffic can be backed up all the way to the Duluth Highway. In the mornings, inbound westward traffic is often backed up well past the Gwinnett County Airport. It seems to take ages to cross this intersection.

Finally, after all these years, the grade separated intersection will be a welcomed relief to motorists.

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FEEDBACK
Sets forth arguments for incorporation of Peachtree Corners

Editor, the Forum:

A recent submission to GwinnettForum laid out a rationale for why Peachtree Corners should not incorporate as a city. I would like to offer some alternative thinking.

TAX INCREASE: Sure, there will be a tax increase, but this is red herring made to appeal to a knee jerk aversion to the term "tax increase" without ever learning the details. On average a $300,000 house will have a $120 annual tax increase or about $10 per month.

OUR DESTINY: We can either incorporate now, control our destiny and pay an extra $10 per month for that control, or we can naively think we will continue as an unincorporated entity indefinitely until suddenly we get gobbled up by another city that will impose a much higher level of taxes on us. Right now we have a choice.

WE ARE NOT ABUSED. I would disagree. Currently we have very limited control over the zoning in our area. Ultimately the Gwinnett zoning board makes the calls on what gets built and what does not get built. For example, the elementary school in our area is full of trailers because of past zoning board decisions to approve, it appears, any and all apartment complexes that were filed. Currently our area is about 50/50 houses/apartments. The Gwinnett zoning board is probably not super concerned about this issue. As far as they are concerned more apartments mean more tax revenue for the county. They are not looking at the interests of the local residents unless a huge crowd appears at the zoning meeting to complain.

EXTRA LAYER: An "extra" layer of government is inherently bad and would seem to be the opposite of what a "conservative" area would want. How many separatist movements are there currently (in Spain, Northern Italy, Wales, Scotland, etc). Look at Quebec. When given the choice, people inherently want control as close and local as possible. If anything a conservative philosophy would be just that - empower people with local control. The conservative movement constantly brings up the Tenth Amendment which argues for more state control instead of the federal government dictating to the states. This incorporation effort is the same idea - give more control to the people.

I support the idea of incorporation and think it is a wise, proactive step that ensures a brighter future for Peachtree Corners. Individuals should fully and thoroughly educate themselves on the issues and then, make a decision about whether to support or not support incorporation.

-- Alex Wright, Duluth

Aha! Here's one person praying for all that snow!

Editor, the Forum:

As a native Floridian, I stand guilty of praying for much snow this past winter, as shown in the recent Lagniappe feature of GwinnettForum. Please let those at South End Baptist Church know that at least one praying soul has come forward. Surely, I was not the only one here in Georgia, ( esp. Gwinnett County), doing such!

-- Deborah Seay Willis, Peachtree Corners

• Send us your letters. 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
Brushy Fork Creek, Rock Springs Road to get improvements

About 1,600 feet of stream bed on property at Grayson High School and the nearby Watson's Grove subdivision will be restored to protect the water quality, habitat, biology and overall health of Brushy Fork Creek. Gwinnett commissioners recently awarded a contract for $536,881 to Georgia Development Partners LLC of Atlanta, the lowest of six bidders.

The work will also include building two retention areas along with pedestrian trails and bridges. Construction should be completed in about four months.

Acting Department of Water Resources Director Lynn Smarr says: "We're able to do this project using funds from an EPA special appropriation grant we received several years ago for water quality protection projects in the Big Haynes watershed. We're using 55 percent federal funds with a 45 percent County match from stormwater funds."

In another action, commissioners approved realigning portions of Rock Springs Road. It will get a safety improvement as the county accepted the lowest of 10 bids from GP's Enterprises, Inc., of Auburn for $777,708. Workers will realign about a third of a mile north of Winslow Ridge Drive both horizontally and vertically and install new paving, curb and gutter, sidewalks and striping.

Gwinnett DOT Director Brian Allen says: "A project like this helps make our roads safer, so we're grateful to have funding from the 2005 SPLOST program to pay for it."

NOTABLE
Triple Woman show at Kudzu Art Zone to give unique prize

One special painting created by three award-winning artists will be won by a single lucky guest during a Kudzu Art Zone showing in August.

Triple the creativity, triple the vibrancy, triple the fun. Three local artists are coming together for a special exhibit of original artwork: "Three Women, Three Friends, Three Artists: A Kaleidoscopic Approach" opening at Kudzu Art Zone on Saturday, August 6.

This show is a departure from the artist organization's customary group member shows. Three members -- Kathy Kitz of Norcross, Anne Labaire of Duluth and Gwen McDonald of Lilburn -- have come together in celebration of friendship and creativity to produce a memorable three-woman show. While each of the three has produced a body of work especially for this exhibit, the three have also collaborated on a landscape painting, which showcases the talents and preferred medium of each. This unique collaborative painting titled "Nature's Symphony" will be won by one lucky visitor to the exhibit.

Kathy A. Kitz works in watercolor and acrylic and enjoys painting on Yupo (a synthetic non-absorbent art paper with an ultra-smooth surface). On Yupo the paint sits on the surface of the paper and allows for brilliant color and beautiful watery effects as well as more manipulation of water mediums. Kitz often includes stamping and pressing techniques as a way to create unusual design elements in her compositions.

Anne Labaire, along with husband Ron, owned and operated Labaire Pottery in Norcross for almost 15 years. LaBaire currently has her art studio at Kudzu and is painting full time. One of her acrylic paintings inspired the design for a mosaic that will be installed in Thrasher Park this summer. Labaire's paintings in this show reflect the kaleidoscopic aspect of the show's title: bright, colorful hues forming a wide variety of impressionistic images.

Gwen McDonald creates contemporary, mixed media and collage pieces. After decades in education, she discovered an artistic variety of story-telling while painting with paper and fabric. McDonald is a member of Kudzu, the Atlanta Artists Center and the Atlanta Collage Society. For this exhibit, she has focused her artistic eye on all things uniquely southern.

The special exhibit opens August 6 with a summer-themed reception party open to all. The exhibit runs through August 27. The winner of the collaborative painting will be announced at the end of the exhibit. Regular exhibit hours are Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Additional hours are available by appointment.

Stimulus funds to help county improve utility efficiency

Gwinnett will undertake plumbing, mechanical and air conditioning retrofits in 41 county buildings, including some fire stations, parks and the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, to help reduce utility costs by about $220,000 per year.

Energy audits of more than 100 buildings last year identified low-cost opportunities that, once in place, will save an estimated one million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electric power every year. The same audits also found other places where new lighting, boilers, motor drives and insulation could save another 13 million kWh.

Capital City Mechanical Services, Inc., was the low bidder for part of the work at $425,038, while electrical work went to low bidder Capital City Electrical Services, Inc., at $364,596. The project is funded entirely by federal stimulus money from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Gwinnett has also used stimulus money to finish upgrading all traffic signals from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs, saving an additional 200,000 kWh/year while reducing maintenance expenses.

Judge rules waste, stormwater services are constitutional

Gwinnett County fees for solid waste and stormwater services are legal and constitutional, according to a court order issued by Superior Court Judge Michael Clark on June 9. He said the county has the authority to contract with private companies to provide those services, to charge the fees on the property tax bill and to collect the fees as far in advance as is reasonably necessary.

Plaintiffs Verlin and Milagros Gilliam of Loganville filed the lawsuit against Gwinnett County and its five private residential trash haulers alleging it is illegal to require all unincorporated residents to have trash service and to bill them in advance with their property tax. In the Gilliam's case, their mortgage company pays the fees from an escrow account set up as part of their mortgage.

The complicated litigation was transferred to the Superior Court in September 2010. Judge Clark's findings in favor of the County finally settle a number of issues related to the new solid waste plan that went into effect in July 2010. Individuals who are interested in reading the court orders may view the documents on the County's home page at www.gwinnettcounty.com.

RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT
Baba's Gyro and Kabob, Norcross

"We enjoyed our visit to the newly opened Norcross location of Baba's Gyro and Kabob. The staff was very friendly and seemed to be enjoying their new positions. I ordered the Persian entree, Cherry Polo ($14.99), which was tasty and also came with a Greek salad. My husband enjoyed his Grilled Gyro Lamb dish ($9.99) and the included basmati rice and sautéed vegetables. We did pass on some of their tempting desserts. This restauranat is located at 5270 Peachtree Parkway, suite 115, Norcross. They also have a location in Cumming."

-- Cindy Evans, Duluth

• 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
Georgia military governor instituted convict lease system

Thomas Ruger served as the military provisional governor of Georgia for six months in 1868. In that role he oversaw the removal of the capital from Milledgeville to Atlanta and instituted the convict lease system. A Union veteran of the Civil War (1861-65), Ruger later served as the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Thomas Howard Ruger was born on April 2, 1833, in Lima, New York. At the age of 11, the family moved to Janesville, Wis., where he spent the remainder of his childhood. Accepting an appointment to the military academy at West Point, Ruger graduated third in his class in 1854. The next year Ruger left the military and opened a law practice in Janesville. In 1857 he married Helen Lydia Moore, and they had two children. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Ruger returned to the army and remained a soldier for the rest of his life.

As an officer in the Third Wisconsin, Ruger served in a variety of engagements, including Chancellorsville and Second Bull Run in Virginia, Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, and the draft riots in New York City. Through his exceptional service, he achieved the rank of brevet major general by war's end. Afterward, Ruger served as commander of the state of North Carolina during the early years of Reconstruction.

On January 13, 1868, Union general George Meade appointed Ruger as Georgia's new provisional governor. His appointment followed the removal of elected governor Charles Jones Jenkins due to his withholding of funds for the 1867 constitutional convention. Ruger served more as a figurehead for carrying out Meade's wishes than as an executive authority. Although Ruger wielded very little power, he is noteworthy as being the last of Milledgeville's governors before the capital's removal to Atlanta in 1868.

The only lasting impact of Ruger's governorship was the convict lease system. Citing an 1866 provision giving discretionary powers to governors, Ruger initiated two such programs that would set precedence for future administrations. On July 4, 1868, Ruger left the governorship after Rufus Bullock, Georgia's first elected Republican governor, was inaugurated.
Following his stint as governor, Ruger enjoyed wide postings and appointments within the postwar military hierarchy. These positions included, commander of the Department of the South, and commander of the Department of Dakota. In 1897 Ruger retired from his long military career at the rank of major general. His last years were spent quietly with his family at their home in Stamford, Conn. He died on June 3, 1907, and is buried at the West Point, N.Y. Cemetery.

• Click here to access the Georgia Encyclopedia

LAGNIAPPE
Celebration

Loaded with folding chairs, Duluth citizens flocked to the 2010 Fourth of July celebration. Come this year on July 3 to enjoy the pre-Fourth of July celebration at Scott Hudgens Park off Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near the Chattahoochee River. Festivities will start at 4 p.m. to include lots of family friendly activities: inflatable rides, rock wall, train rides, carnival rides/games, pony rides, face painting, and food and drink, to include beer and wine, will be on sale. The stage show will begin at 6 p.m. with the welcome by Mayor Nancy Harris and the singing of the National Anthem followed by live entertainment featuring: Deja vu, Norwood and Metro Jazz Club.

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TODAY'S QUOTE
Teamwork has its own special manner of distinction

"One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork."

-- Novelist Edward Abbey (1927-1989).

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GWINNETT CALENDAR

Brown Bag Lunch in Duluth's Town Green Park: Noon to 1 p.m. on June 30, July 14 and July 28. Among entertainers will be Puppeteer Peter Hart, Magic Debbie, Juggler Ron Anglin and Solo performer Craver, presenting an upbeat party rock concert. For more information call 678-475-3512.

July 3 Fireworks in downtown Norcross. Live music begins at 3 p.m. for family fun in downtown Norcross. Many bring blankets and enjoy picnics in Thrasher and Lillian Park for the fireworks, which begin at dusk. More info: www.aplacetoimagine.com.

(NEW) 12th annual Duluth Celebrates America, Sunday, July 3, beginning at 4 p.m. at Scott Hudgens Park on the Chattahoochee River at River Green. Fireworks display is scheduled for 10 p.m., with entertainment all afternoon and night.

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