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Issue 11.66 | Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING
NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE IN
THE SPOTLIGHT GEORGIA
TIDBIT LAGNIAPPE GWINNETT
CALENDAR TODAY'S
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TODAY'S FOCUS LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Nov. 15, 2011 -- My wife and I had been planning a trip for weeks and the day finally arrived. We flew Delta to their hub in Salt Lake City, took about three hours, to make the transfer onto a smaller jet for Reno. At the Reno airport, rented our economy car for only $10 a day after a tip to use hotwire.com by consumer guru Clark Howard! Monday morning we headed for Lake Tahoe. The high scenic roads to Lake Tahoe were lined with Douglas fir trees. We were thrilled by the blue pristine waters of Lake Tahoe, which is 22 miles long, about the same width as the English Channel. Mark Twain once said that Tahoe "Must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords."
One of our first stops was the overlook at Emerald Bay State Park. From this vantage point one can see the Vikingsholm Castle on the island and the surrounding lake---what a sight! If you should be interested in seeing my eight-minute video on our trip, click on this link or go to www.youtube.com and enter Lake Tahoe Trip by Frank and that will bring it up. The next day, we headed for Virginia City. We were impressed by the high mountain road with its sweeping vistas around hairpin turns. This part of the country has thousands of wild horses that sometimes cause car accidents when they land on your hood or in your lap!! In the 1850s the Comstock Lode was discovered near Virginia City and the silver rush was on. With its wooden boardwalks on both sides of the main street, Virginia City looked and felt just like it did in the Old West. We had lunch at the Sawdust Salon and then visited the Mark Twain Museum, where Twain worked as a reporter for the local press. This is a fascinating step back into time where one can see Twain's desk, his bathtub and old printing presses. What a treat! If you should want to see more of my trip go to www.YouTube.com and enter Virginia City Trip by Frank in the Search Box.
Later, we visited the Museum of Art in Reno that has a large outside deck on the fourth floor. We found the food in their ground floor café to be delicious and reasonably priced. One nice thing about Reno for families is the River Walk right through downtown. It stretches for ten miles and is full of wildlife, making it a very pleasant place to walk. Since we don't gamble, we went to the casino to see their beautiful architecture and the many restaurants and cafes. We also drove to Carson City, the capital of Nevada and to the Nevada State Museum. If you should want to know more about our trip to Reno, click on the following link or enter in the YouTube Search Box Reno Trip by Frank. EEB PERSPECTIVE NOV. 15, 2011 -- What caused the overwhelming passage of Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages in Georgia?
More than anything else, growth. In 1960, Georgia had 3,943,116 people counted in the census. Fifty years later, the Georgia population is 9,687,653 residents, nearly triple what it was in 1960. The arrival of nearly six million people over 50 years has had a tremendous effect on the way the people of the state think. Most of the growth within our state has mostly been in areas around Atlanta. It was in this area that the most cities and counties passed Sunday alcohol sales. Meanwhile, the measure lost basically in the less populated, less changing areas of the state, in both North and South Georgia. What it amounts to is that the entire state of Georgia, once known to be solidly part of the Bible Belt , no longer reflects that ideology. Yet in portions that have seen little growth, these areas still reflect traditional conservative churchly views. Years ago, onto the scene popped a new term: "Two Georgias," referring to the area around Atlanta, and the balance of the state. Now, philosophically at least, there is another way to look at two Georgias, in their outlook toward alcoholic beverages. Perhaps no other recent vote has shown that divide as the Sunday sales referendum. Look at the areas that did not approve Sunday sales: Brunswick, Kingsland, Woodbine, Waycross, Albany, Americus, Sumter County. These are in South Georgia. North Georgia cities who opposed Sunday sales include Elberton, Fort Oglethorpe, Pendergrass and Whitfield County. Two cities in South Georgia passed Sunday sales: Valdosta and Savannah. Note that they are the larger cities. In effect, the Yankee invasion of the South has dramatically changed our state. * * * * *
The real heroes in this election were those from Gwinnett Elections Manager Lynn Ledford's office, who had to determine just exactly where the proposed city limits line was and determine who was eligible to vote in the cityhood referendum ... often splitting precincts. That took yeoman's work. Hats off to the Gwinnett Elections team! Note, too, that there were 20,308 people in Peachtree Corners eligible to vote. That's another indication the new city will be the largest in Gwinnett! * * * * * Did you notice that Philip Beard eked by re-election to the Buford City Commission with only 92 percent of the vote? When he completes the upcoming four year term on the Commission, Beard will have served for 40 continuous years on the Commission, the longest serving of any elected official in the state. Beard is not only a commission member, and chairman, but he is by this office automatically the chairman of the Buford City Schools. He's spent his public life in making sure things runs smoothly in Buford. He's most proud of the city and its school board being in sound financial shape. The city treasury is the richest in the county, with a nearly $100 million budget and $50 million in reserve at the start of the year. Much of this revenue comes from the extensive city electric and gas service. The gas service area is large, stringing out nearly to Monroe. A great big "Attaboy" to Philip Beard! ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: As a new citizen of the city of Peachtree Corners, I was very curious to see how the vote went by precinct. Thanks for providing that.
I can understand why the Forum area (which is what I consider to be the real Peachtree Corners) might want to take the route of city-lite, but their issues are not my issues. I have never understood the rationale of trying to grab such a large, diverse footprint. I'm certainly disappointed by the vote but look forward to seeing the promises that were made kept in particular, how the city thinks it will lower garbage fees by $100. I can't imagine that a new city would have better negotiating power than an entire county as large as Gwinnett. It will be an interesting effort to follow over the next months.
No such thing as super majority, but only super minorities Editor, the Forum: First,
any annexation should be on a precinct by precinct basis. Those voting
yes are in. Those voting no are not. This could create "islands."
But a populous precinct should not be able to dictate to other less populous
precincts on a micro issue such as city creation or annexation. I voted yes on the E-SPLOST because I believe the lack of sales tax dollars would not deter our "officials" from their current habits. We would just have our property taxes increased. At least with the sales tax out of county shoppers help us pay for our building obsession.
Was awed in the presence of four-star Gen. Raymond Davis Editor, the Forum: It's been some time since I've written, because you're getting a lot of it right now. Are you changing, or is it I, or are we both? This belated Happy Veteran's Day comes a little late this year or a whole lot early for 2012. Let it be both. We are a band of brothers.
I retired
in May from You-Know-Where and am enjoying not having the hassle it presented.
I'm prepared for the next phase of my life which may include having a
little business where I can "work" when I want or not. You know
what I mean. Notwithstanding his awards, decorations, and rank, a title that best described him was "Gentleman." As master of ceremonies at a POW-MIA Ceremony in Forest Park, I became distracted, and wanting to emphasize Marine General since there are so few four stars in the Corps it came out "Major General." In that moment I'd demoted him by two stars. I apologized after the ceremony to which he responded that probably only he and I would know, and if there was no discrepancy on his next retirement check, all would be forgiven. They still make them like Ray Davis, but they are just few and far between.
Comment concerning future of new city of Peachtree Corners
Editor, the Forum: Thank you
to everyone who voted in the historic referendum creating the new City
of Peachtree Corners. Our next step is on March 6, 2012, when we elect
the Mayor and City Council. On November 15 the County Commission will
determine the filing period and fees for those races. We will get the
word out as soon as we have the facts. UPCCA will sponsor its usual political
forum to allow the community to meet and get to know each candidate. I
am sure there will be many others. More on that as it develops.
UPCOMING Weather permitting, work will begin today on the new interchange from Georgia Highway 20 and Collins Hill Road to Georgia Highway 316 in Lawrenceville. The project's
contractor, GP'S Enterprises of Auburn, feels there is plenty of work
that can be started now. Crews will begin installing erosion control systems,
work zone signage and clearing vegetation. No lanes will be closed now
but shoulders of all three roads will be closed as needed. Clearing will
begin alongside SR 316 westbound at Georgia 20 and work towards Collins
Hill Road. Providence Christian Academy campus alive with iPad2 launch Providence Christian Academy (PCA) distributed 465 iPad2s to students in grades 7-12 on November 14. An additional 50 iPad2s were also purchased for "check-out" in grades K-6. High School students in the Apple Xcode Class and members of the student-lead "Tech Team" have been "very hands-on in configuring and provisioning the iPads in preparation for the roll-out," according to the High School Principal Dr. Sean Chapman. As a "parent-sponsored" school whose mission is to provide "excellence in Christian education as an extension of the Christian home," PCA has given every parent from each family an opportunity to receive training and attend Q&A sessions about the school's new "iProv" Program. Over the course of 12 parent meetings, every family has been represented. Some parents even volunteered to be a part of a special iProv Committee to support the school's efforts. Because of one mom's research on the committee, the school saved thousands of dollars on the iPad 2 cases. Instructional Staff received their iPad2s in the summer of 2011 to start training and researching applications. On November 21, the Tech Team and teachers will lead a school-wide all-day iPad unit training in the classrooms at PCA. Providence Christian Academy, an independent K-12 parent-sponsored interdenominational Christian school located at 4575 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn. Jackson will not seek re-election as superior court judge Superior Court Judge Dawson Jackson has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2012. He is the senior Superior Court judge, having served since 1982, and is the longest-serving Superior Court judge in the history of Gwinnett County. Judge Jackson
began his career in Gwinnett County as an assistant district attorney
in 1973. After serving as an assistant and Chief Assistant District Attorney
for six years, he was appointed at the age of 31 by Governor George Busbee
to be judge of Gwinnett State Court. Governor Busbee later appointed Judge
Jackson as judge of Gwinnett Superior Court where he has been presiding
since December 1982. He has been chief judge since 1999. Candidates have begun to announce for the empty seat created by Judge Jackson's announcement of his retirement. So far, Tracey Mason Blasi, Chris McClure and Kathy Schrader have told of their intentions to seek the position. The election of judges will be held at the time of the Georgia primary, July 31, 2012. NOTABLE A building in Duluth has received an Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Developments of Excellence award for its office building. The awards jury found the building, originally developed by a partnership, Duluth Downtown, LLC, "struck a perfect balance between the old and the new…tying the old part of Main Street to the new city hall and amphitheater with thoughtful location and design."
The award was accepted by Marsha Anderson Bomar, a principal with Stantec. Hill Foley Rossi was the architect for the building, with Mathias Construction being the contractor. The Stantec building received an award for Exceptional Merit for Context-Sensitive Infill, and is one of only six developments recognized with a ARC award this year. The awards were presented on November 4, at the ARC's State of the Region breakfast. Dave Heydinger, one of the partners in the LLC which owns the building, says: "Most people think we renovated an old building, which was the goal. We used five different brick types and colors, with lots of building ins and outs to make it look like multiple buildings." GGC Athletics Complex gets go-ahead from Regents Georgia Gwinnett College got a green light on its varsity athletics complex upon receiving project authorization at the November meeting of the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents.
Eddie Beauchamp, vice president of Facilities and Operations, says: "We have an aggressive design and construction schedule. Our next step is to obtain USG approval of the specific project plans so we can break ground as soon as possible. The target completion date is August 2012." Intercollegiate athletics will add yet another dimension to student life at the rapidly-growing college, which now has nearly 8,000 students. Georgia Gwinnett College is committed to a philosophy of total personal development. A complete athletics program including varsity, club and intramural sports, offers all students an opportunity to develop skills in teamwork, leadership and other key areas. The Grizzlies plan to offer the following sports, which were selected based on student interest, gender equity, facility requirements and potential community interest:
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Herbert L. Stoddard, one of the most important southern conservationists of the 20th century, developed a method of forest management in the longleaf-wiregrass region of Georgia that is still widely practiced today. Also known as an authority on the bobwhite quail, Stoddard advocated the reintroduction of fire as a land management tool, at a time when powerful forest interests considered burns to be a plague on the land. Along with his friend and colleague Aldo Leopold, Stoddard also helped to establish the profession of wildlife management, and he was among the first to critique from an ecological perspective the nation's move toward industrialized agriculture.
In 1920 Stoddard returned to the Milwaukee Public Museum. He remained there until 1924, when the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey hired him to study the habitat and life history of quail in the Red Hills, located between Thomasville, Ga., and Tallahassee, Fla. The position also called for Stoddard to help implement land management measures that would ensure the bird's stability in the area, which is famous as the birthplace of the southern quail preserve. In 1931 he published The Bobwhite Quail: Its Habits, Preservation, and Increase, which was not only the first comprehensive study of quail, but also a landmark study in the field of wildlife management. While earlier management efforts involved little more than setting state hunting regulations, eradicating predators, or artificially propagating game birds, Stoddard argued that wildlife populations could be sustained and increased through the active management of natural processes. Stoddard's most controversial management practice was the use of fire to maintain the Red Hills' longleaf pine forests. Southern farmers, and Native Americans before them, had long used fire as a tool to make their forests and fields more livable, but after the destructive logging practices of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many foresters assumed that fire would make the reforestation of pine impossible. State and federal foresters implemented educational campaigns to curtail the practice of southern woodsburning, thereby disrupting the natural development of the longleaf landscape. Stoddard was among the first to suggest that they were wrong. He recognized, along with a handful of other practitioners, that the Coastal Plain environment, and the longleaf-wiregrass ecosystem in particular, had evolved in concert with frequent fire, and he argued that fire should be harnessed as a tool of ecological management. (To be continued)
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TODAY'S QUOTE "I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell."
MORE COPIES AVAILABLE NOW
The book includes 143 demographic and historic tables, with more than 4,000 names in the index, and 10,000 names in the appendix. Two versions of the book are available. The hardback edition is priced at $75, while a softback edition is $40. Books are available at:
You can also order
books through the Internet. To do that, go to www.elliottbrack.com
to place your order. For mail orders, there is a $5 shipping and handling
fee. Purchases are also subject to the 6 percent Georgia sales tax. SEARCH GWINNETT FORUM Loading
New Exhibit, "Lateral Thinking," is up now through Jan.14 at Kudzu Art Zone, 116 Carlyle Street in Norcross. Admission is free. Artists were challenged to construct images from a list of unrelated objects to explore their reaction to disparate items. "Still Life," an exhibit of the work of the last year of David Gentry, is open at the Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center, 4650 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. His work includes memory snapshots in ceramics, metalwork, painting, drawing and photography. A reception will be held Dec. 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more info, visit www.gwinnettparks.com. General Meeting, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Nov. 16, at 11:30 a.m. at the 1818 Club, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway. Speaker will be David Ralston, speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. Info: 678-957-4958. (NEW) Community Crime Prevention Meeting: 11:30 a.m., Nov. 18, Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District, 3700 Crestwood Parkway, Duluth. Current initiatives include S.A.F.E. neighborhood block parties to engage law enforcement and Gwinnett residents, the prevention of child abuse and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, and safety education. For information, call 770-995-3339. (NEW) Book Signing at Books for Less: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 19, in Buford at 2815 Buford Drive. Elliott Brack will be signing copies of the Gwinnett history, Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta. This book, previously sold out of the first edition, is now available in softback and hardback form. Fourth Annual LaJazz: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Nov. 20 at Purple Rain in Duluth. Both events benefit Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Gwinnett Pearls of Service Foundation. More info. Program on Confederate Generals: 7:30 p.m., Nov. 21, in the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse Speaker: Robert Jones, president of Kennesaw Historic Society. His topic will focus on the best and worst Confederate generals. Colored Pencil Odyssey exhibition of six artists: Now through Nov. 25, St. Edward's Episcopal Church, 737 Moon Road in Lawrenceville. These 24 drawings are from members of the Atlanta chapter of the Colored Pencil Society. The gallery is free to the public, with viewing hours 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 770-963-6128.
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Note
the adjacent table here showing the voting by precincts in the Peachtree
Corners move to cityhood, and also the voting in the Peachtree Corners
area for the E-SPLOST. Six of the 13 precincts voted against cityhood,
though in two precincts the vote against was 2-1 and 2-0. 
The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
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I
still do not understand why my little section of the area was included.
I'm surrounded by Fulton County on one side and DeKalb County on two sides
and my official post office is Doraville (30360), DeKalb County. It really
makes no sense to me. 
The
building's major tenant is Stantec, originally known as Street Smarts,
before joining Stantec in 2010. The building is between the Duluth City
Hall and Norfolk-Southern railroad tracks. 
Funded
by an already-approved student fee, the facilities will feature soccer,
track, softball and baseball fields as well as locker rooms, training
rooms and offices. The $13.5 million project will be located along Collins
Hill Road just north of the college's main entrance. With the Grizzlies
expecting to begin their first year of intercollegiate athletics in less
than a year, the project is on a fast-track. 
