MEXICAN REFLECTION. This photograph is an example of how photographer Lucinda Bunnen of Atlanta captures scenes in a different manner. This is a photograph of a plaza in Mexico. Her art work is part of a new photographic exhibit opening September 20 at the Hudgens Center for the Arts. See story below for more details.

Issue 11.46 | Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

TODAY'S FOCUS
:: Photo exhibit opens soon at Hudgens

ELLIOTT BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE
:: Summerour having musical success

FEEDBACK
:: Buried power lines, election, Seabiscuit

UPCOMING
:: Cemetery tour, Treetop Quest, more

NOTABLE
:: Budget team, ice cream festival

ALSO INSIDE

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
:: Gwinnett Center

GEORGIA TIDBIT
:: Granite Capital of the World

LAGNIAPPE
:: Annual institute

GWINNETT CALENDAR
:: Lots of activities on tap

TODAY'S QUOTE
:: What to expect when down on luck

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TODAY'S FOCUS
Hudgens Center plans photo exhibit by Lucinda Bunnen
By KELLY HAGGARD OLSON
Special to Gwinnett Forum

DULUTH, Ga., Sept. 6, 2011 -- Opening on September 20, the Hudgens Center for the Arts will present Lucinda Bunnen: Selected Works, a photography exhibit featuring work by the Atlanta photographer Lucinda Bunnen. The exhibit will showcase over 60 photographs from her two current bodies of work, H2O All About Water and Mexico. Angela Nichols, programming and education director at the Hudgens, says: "Her works are fascinating in the way that she takes a closer look at ordinary things others may just pass by, and sees the extraordinary in them."

Bunnen

Bunnen explains that she will "Often let go of my preconceptions and let chance and intuition take over. Being stuck with what you know often keeps you from seeing what you don't know. With no premeditation, spontaneity can take over, which is the keystone of my best work."

Bunnen's work has been featured in several books and can be found in numerous public collections, including: the Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York; the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia; The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.; The Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C.; and more.

For the H2O All About Water series, Bunnen focused her keen eye and artist's perceptions on a pond that others perceived as 'sick,' and discovered a wealth of beauty. She says she, "Tried to keep my mind and eye open to things I didn't recognize and allow the camera and lens to show me things I hadn't seen.'

Similarly, in the Mexico series, Bunnen turned her eye and open mind to the colorful exteriors of buildings in that country and unveils the abstract beauty of their surfaces. She states, "When travelling, I work with a handheld camera and have it with me all the time. It becomes an extension of my eye and as I am so curious, especially in a foreign country, I am always looking. Mexico is so colorful that I knew my old form of photography in black and white wouldn't do, as I was very taken by the color." Works in this series were taken when Bunnen was in Mexico in 2005 and again 2010.

Bunnen will give an Artist's Lecture on Tuesday, October 25, at 7 p.m. in the gallery, where she plans to discuss the two series of works on view.

Two additional photography exhibits will open on October 11, creating a collective set of exhibits entitled, The Master, The Teachers and The Students - Photography Today, at the Hudgens. There will be a reception for all three exhibits on Thursday, October 13, at 6 p.m. The exhibits will close on Saturday, November 19.

The Teachers will feature works by Gwinnett County art teachers, Alexandra Kates, Becky Raffalovich and Dr. Bruce Bowman. This three-person educational exhibit will showcase alternative photographic processes, including pinhole photography, cyanotype (cyan blue) printing, and the early photographic printing process known as Van Dyke Brown.

The Students is an exhibit of the seventh annual Shuttersense and Non-sense photography competition. A 'lightly juried' exhibit, this annual competition is open to Gwinnett County student photographers in both public and private schools. Nichols commented, "We have been very impressed each year, both by the quality of work and by the creativity expressed by these young students, and feel that this is an exhibit of some of the best and brightest that Gwinnett has to offer. We're sure that we'll be seeing some of these photographers again in the future."

• Read more about the Lucinda Bunnen online here.

EEB PERSPECTIVE
Knox Summerour making name in music on the West coast
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and publisher

SEPT. 6, 2011 -- The legendary newspaper editor, Horace Greeley, said "Go West, young man!" At least one Gwinnettian has found that advice sound, as young Knox Summerour of Duluth is gaining more acclaim as his career takes off in Los Angeles, Calif.

Brack

Knox, son of Annette and Charles Summerour, is primarily a trumpet player, but he has worked in several areas of music to find even more success.

Perhaps the most notable recent event was his co-composing music for a documentary film, The Legend of Pancho Barnes. This film recently won a 2011 Los Angeles Emmy for the best film in the Arts and Culture category.

A charismatic figure, Florence "Pancho" Barnes was one of the most important women in 20th century aviation. A tough and fearless aviatrix, Pancho was a rival of Amelia Earhart's who made a name for herself as Hollywood's first female stunt pilot.

Just before World War II she opened a ranch near Edwards Air Force Base that became a famous -- some would say notorious -- hangout for test pilots and movie stars. Known as the "Happy Bottom Riding Club," it became the epicenter of the aviation world during the early jet age.

Summerour

Chuck Yeager celebrated breaking the sound barrier there in 1947, and Howard Hughes and Jimmy Doolittle caroused in the bar. The Club's destruction by fire in 1953 is seen by many to mark the end of a Golden Era in post-WWII aviation. In the same fashion Pancho herself has become something of a legend, a fascinating yet enigmatic icon whose swagger is often celebrated, but whose story has been largely unknown.

Summerour co-composed the score of the film with Nathan Wang, and he also plays trumpet in the film. The film is narrated by Tom Skerritt, and Kathy Bates is the voice of Pancho Barnes; it also features interviews with Buzz Aldrin and Chuck Yeager, among others. The film is currently circulating on PBS stations around the States.

There's more. Knox music was featured in a new product called "iBase", which is an interactive music player that also functions as a three-tiered platform. User-chosen figurines can be placed to interact with one another in song, story-telling, dialogue or any combination. To hear and purchase Knox' music that was featured at the convention, click here. Knox partnered with Wow Creative, Inc. of Taiwan to help promote their new product iBase at this year's Taipei Comic Exhibition in Taipei City, Taiwan, which drew a record 550,000 visitors from August 11-16.

Attaboy, Knox! Keep wowing them on the West Coast, with your trumpet and music! Horace Greeley would be proud of you.

* * * * *

One of our neighbors will be wary if he sees a yellow truck in the area again.

The other morning at daylight he rolled a black wheelbarrow out to the street, loaded with top soil, to do some yard work. However, first he began his morning saunter around the block before the hot weather sat in. As he walked on the first leg of the route, he noted a yellow truck driving around the block.

Returning home, there was no wheelbarrow. The dirt from the wheelbarrow was scattered on the street. And the yellow truck was the only vehicle that he met while going around the block.

Warning: watch out for yellow trucks cruising your neighborhood. And be wary of anyone wanting to sell you a black wheelbarrow.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
The Gwinnett Center

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's underwriter is The Gwinnett Center, home to three distinct facilities in Duluth: The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Convention Center and Performing Arts Center. The Arena at Gwinnett Center has had seven years of tremendous success hosting countless concerts, community and sporting events, which includes being home to the Arena Football League's Georgia Force, and to an ECHL hockey team, the Gwinnett Gladiators. Some past shows includes American Idol, The Cure, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood, Kanye West, New Kids on the Block, SEC Gymnastics Championship, So You Think You Can Dance and Van Halen. The Convention Center offers patrons the opportunity to host or attend a wide variety of events; from corporate meetings to trade shows, to social occasions. The Performing Arts Center has an intimate capacity of 700 guests, which is home to many local events, family shows and even the occasional comedic performer. For further information visit www.gwinnettcenter.com.

FEEDBACK
Question of buried power lines came up in Folly Beach, S.C.

Editor, the Forum:

Folly Beach, S.C. is facing the replacement of two bridges on the Causeway coming into town, and looked into burying power lines. South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) was quite cooperative and helpful, and cost wasn't such an issue (since they had to replace existing lines and poles anyway).

But the engineering requirements did the dirty. Underground lines need to surface for maintenance and repair purposes every 900 feet, and they surface in large, unsightly cement boxes which, moreover, are prone to flooding in a bad storm because they're only about five feet high. Faced with that information, the Folly committee studying it decided to stick with poles.

It was an extensive presentation and lengthy discussion. The Folly Beach committee was put off both by the aesthetics (as I remember it, five feet by three feet by five feet cement boxes sticking out of the marsh view) and the risk of flooding. SCE&G was very professional, and unless they were lying
through their teeth, just laid out the facts. This was in contrast to Department of Transportation on the bridge issues, which was abusive and manipulative.

There was a civil engineer advising the committee. I'm assuming he would have blown the whistle if SCE&G had been stretching the truth. However, it's worth noting that Kiawah Island has buried power lines across their causeway and on the island.

-- Susan Breslin, Folly Beach, S.C.

Problems in Berkeley Lake produce no challengers to offices

Editor, the Forum:

The City of Berkeley Lake is really having issues as noted by the lack of participation (no incumbent opposed) in the upcoming election. Perhaps, in my opinion, the City is borderline bankrupt based on the fact that most if not all city officials are working for nothing or almost nothing.

The City hopes that FEMA will help with the dam repairs, but after the recent issues with Irene, I wonder if FEMA will have any money and the citizens will get tagged with paying for another large bond. Whoever gets elected will have to negotiate us through this mess. Looks like nobody wants to take on that challenge and is resigned to let those that got us here figure out how to get us out.

-- David Garramore, Berkeley Lake

USA needs more "can-do" people like Seabiscuit's owner

Editor, the Forum:

It's Labor Day weekend and after re-watching Seabiscuit, I realized just how badly our White House needs a Charles Howard, the owner of Seabiscuit and who was born in Marietta, Ga.! He was someone who had grease under his fingernails and understood what makes America the country we use to be, a place where "just because a life has been banged up, you don't throw it away" attitude and where second chances are the norm or at least use to be. Just look at what Mr. Howard, Tom Smith, his trainer, and Red Pollard, his jockey, achieved, thanks to a most improbable horse named "Seabiscuit."

America where anyone (Howard had been a bicycle repairman) can rise above his so called 'lot in life', become successful and help to create jobs that put many to work, saving homes and families.

The DVD Warm Springs really helps us in understanding how President Roosevelt became more "humanized," since he grasped just what so many common people were experiencing during the Depression and helped get America back on solid ground. Remember that Republican President Ronald Reagan, someone who had, plenty of times, gotten grease under his fingernails and calluses on his hands, never backed down from letting others know that he was "an FDR man" without any apologies!

Come on Corporate America, and you inventors out there-all ages! Our country has plenty of places, nationwide, to start putting your ideas to work and a job force that is the best, worldwide, to get our country "up and running" again! The USA is a place that is ready to welcome back jobs/positions/careers that have been sent elsewhere. Enjoy the site.

-- Deborah Seay Willis, Peachtree Corners, Ga.

• 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
Historic cemetery tour to be held in Lawrenceville Sept. 24

The Lawrenceville Woman's Club and Lawrenceville Tourism and Trade Association (LTTA) are planning a Historic Cemetery Tour on Saturday, September 24. Trolleys will depart from the Lawrenceville Visitors Information Center (233 East Crogan Street) every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The Tour is to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in Georgia.

After the tour, Oyster Bay Seafood Café will be serving boxed lunches at the Visitor Information Center. Tickets are $15 with a boxed lunch or $10 without a lunch.

The Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery is located just outside the Historic Square and is burial site of many historical figures, including Gwinnett County's founders, William Maltbie and Elisha Winn, as well many Confederate soldiers. Many notable Lawrenceville citizens, such as Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson, Wayne Hill, Valerie Wages, Anthony Rodriguez, and Mary Long will be reenacting significant figures. Proceeds will benefit Partners Against Domestic Violence.

Treetop Quest to open canopy adventure at Heritage Center

Gwinnett's one-of-a-kind canopy adventure course will have an official ribbon cutting Friday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. It is located at the foot of the crisscrossing zip lines and monkey bridges at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center pavilion.

County Commissioner Shirley Lasseter and the chairman of the French American Chamber of Commerce, James Blair, will be in attendance, as well as many members of the Gwinnett County and French/American business community. Special guests include members of the fourth grade class of Freeman's Mill Elementary who, each equipped with their own pair of scissors, will also assist with the ribbon cutting.

Q&A opportunities with Treetop Quest parent company President Luc Peyre and other guests will immediately follow. The afternoon continues with free adventure tours open to guests beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Living in Space traveling exhibit coming to Gwinnett this fall

A new traveling exhibit inspired by the International Space Station is coming to Gwinnett County. It will be at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center from September 12 until December 31. The exhibit is called Living in Space, and it is inspired by the International Space Station (ISS) - the single largest international aerospace project ever undertaken by humankind.
Living in Space allows visitors to become ISS crewmembers for a day as they engage in a multitude of astronaut activities. For example, guests plan their day in space, perform work activities such as a simulated science experiment, engage in daily living activities such as mealtime, or choose play/free-time activities.

Living in Space was created by the Children's Museum of Memphis and is sponsored locally by Cisco and the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center Foundation.

NOTABLE
Chairman appoints 5 residents to budget review team

Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash has appointed five Gwinnett residents to serve on the County's budget review team. The group will work with Nash and county staff to set priorities and make recommendations for the 2012 budget.

Nash

The committee members are: Herman Pennamon, Southern Company's community relations manager; David Crews, CFO of Viewpoint Health; Lois Love, a Gwinnett County retiree who served as the county's capital budget manager; Laurie McClain, a CPA with McClain & Company, PC; and Norwood Davis, CFO of 12Stone Church. Pennamon and McClain, were both members of last year's budget review committee, and also served alongside Davis on the Engage Gwinnett citizens committee for the future of Gwinnett.

Each County department and agency will present its business plan including needed financial resources to Nash and the review committee on September 6, 7 and 12 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. The County will videotape those presentations and make them available to the public on TVgwinnett, its government access cable TV channel, and on demand anytime at www.gwinnettcounty.com.

The Chairman's Proposed 2012 Budget is tentatively set to be presented to commissioners on November 15. A public hearing will be held in December. By County ordinance, the Board of Commissioners must adopt the annual budget during its first meeting in January.

Atlanta to hold 2nd annual Ice Cream Festival Sept. 10

Piedmont Park in Atlanta will host the second annual Atlanta Ice Cream Festival September 10. There will be multiple food vendors, with live entertainment for the whole family.

The Atlanta Ice Cream Festival is the first festival of its kind in Atlanta that centers on the Metro Atlanta community and their love affair with ice cream. There will also be community agencies (both public and private non-profit) to provide health screenings and valuable resource information.

America is the ice cream capital of the world, producing over 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream per year and costing $11 billion. Each American consumes around 22 quarts of ice cream a year. Vanilla is the most popular flavor in this country, snagging anywhere from 20 to 29 percent of sales. Chocolate comes in a distant second, with about 9 to 10 percent of the market.

Piedmont Park is located at 10th Street and Charles Allen Drive in Atlanta. For information about the Atlanta Ice Cream Festival, call 404-271-0658.

RECOMMENDED
Send us your recommendation, review

• 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
Winning gold medal at World's Fair boosts Elberton granite

(Continued from previous edition)

Prospects for Elberton's New South granite industry looked bright at the turn of the century. One of the industry's most significant firms to emerge early in the 20th century was the Long-Blue Granite Company, owned and operated by another granite pioneer, Dr. Nathaniel G. Long. In 1904 Long exhibited some of his blue granite at the St. Louis World's Fair, where it won a gold medal for excellence and quality. Italian immigrants were also beginning to filter into the county. Prior to World War I (1917-18), the most prominent sculptor of both statues and monuments was Peter Bertoni, an Italian immigrant.

During the 1920s, immigration from Italy and the northern United States boomed, as skilled laborers came to Elbert County to pursue a livelihood in the granite business. Among the many new arrivals were Charles C. Comolli, founder and owner of the Georgia Granite Corporation, and Richard Cecchini, a highly skilled stone sculpturer. Another newcomer to Elberton at this time was B. F. Coggins, an Atlanta businessman, who began a conglomerate of granite businesses all united under an umbrella organization known as the Coggins Granite Industries. During the 1930s as the country suffered through the Great Depression, Comolli, Coggins, and other granite entrepreneurs enjoyed prosperous times, and the industry flourished with the creation of new sheds and the opening of additional quarries.

After World War II (1941-45) Elberton's granite industry entered its most prosperous era, lending credence to its claim that it was the granite capital of the world. In 1951 the Elberton Granite Association was founded; it has since grown to become the largest association of granite quarriers and manufacturers in the United States. To boost Elberton's granite interests, the Elberton Granite Association soon began issuing a quarterly magazine, still in publication, known as the Elberton Graniteer, which highlights noteworthy accomplishments and activities related to the town's industry.

That industry continues to expand, and the availability of the stone as an economic resource has not noticeably declined since the opening of the first quarries late in the nineteenth century. From humble beginnings, Elberton's granite industry not only has grown to achieve worldwide recognition but also has emerged as one of the most important extractive industries in the state. The Elberton Granite Museum, which houses historical photographs, objects, tools, and monuments related to Elberton's granite history, is free of charge to the public.

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© 2011, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.

TODAY'S QUOTE
What to expect if you are down on your luck

"The only sure thing about luck is that it will change."

-- U.S. author Bret Harte (1836 - 1902)

SEARCH GWINNETT FORUM

GWINNETT CALENDAR

Congressman visits: Noon, Sept. 6, Snellville City Hall. Hear Rep. Rob Woodall at the Snellville Commerce Club. Free to Commerce Club members, and $15 for others to attend.

(NEW) Recycling event: 9 a.m. to noon, Sept. 10, Rhodes Jordan Park Community Center in Lawrenceville. Electronic recycling is free, but there is a $10 charge for auto tires and a $5 per box charge for paper shredding. Volunteers will also paint a mural and install landscaping at the Center. The event is sponsored by Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Department.

Duluth Fall Festival Concert, featuring Rupert's Orchestra: 6:30 p.m., Sept. 10, downtown Duluth. Enjoy music by opening act Betty Seni, while Rupert's Orchestra will take the stage at 8 p. m. Admission is free.

11th annual Suwanee Day 5k/10K Classic, Sept. 10, starting at Town Center Park. The 5K begins at 8 a.m. and the 10K at 9 a.m. Register at www.suwaneeday.com. Proceeds benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Suwanee Day features a parade, arts, crafts, entertainment, children's activities and fireworks. Admission is free.

Living Honorarium Unveiling, Duluth Town Green, Sunday, Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m. This will be a monument dedicated to everyday heroes in the military, fire and police forces. The idea came from Shirley Lasseter, a current county commissioner, when she was mayor. For more information, contact Alisa Williams at 678-475-3506.

Gwinnett Technology Forum: 7:30 a.m., Sept. 13, at Gwinnett Tech's Busbee Center. This Forum will focus on state legislative issues that affect technology. Hear presentations from Rep. Mike Dudgeon of Forsyth County and Ms. Marlit Hayslett, with the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

General Membership Meeting, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce: 11:30 a.m., Sept. 14, The 1818 Club, Duluth. Speaker will be Paul Bowers, CEO of Georgia Power Company. For reservations, go online here.

Taste of Duluth: 6:30 p.m., Sept. 15, Payne Corley House in Duluth. For more information, go to www.duluthfallfestival.org.

(NEW) Fair on the Square, Lawrenceville's third annual Community Fall Festival: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 17, at the Historic Courthouse. Among the activities will be a fresh food market, artist market, entertainment and a variety of vendors. The Fair is partnering with the Lawrenceville Co-Op ministry, asking those attending to bring non-perishable food items for the co-op. For more information, visit online.

Meet the Author: 7 p.m., Sept. 21, at the Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center. Author Stuart Woods will discuss and sign his books. Sponsored by Gwinnett County Public Library. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Rainbow Village Gala: 6:30 p.m., Oct. 22, Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek. Wilmington Trust is the presenting sponsor. Dinner, entertainment and a silent auction will mark the 20 years of celebration. Entertainment will be with Blue Sky Atlanta. Reserve seats.

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