 |
Insert your email for free automatic delivery
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 11.79 | Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING
NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE IN
THE SPOTLIGHT GEORGIA
TIDBIT LAGNIAPPE GWINNETT
CALENDAR TODAY'S
QUOTE |
OUR SPONSORS
ABOUT US
GwinnettForum.com is a twice-weekly online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA. ::
Contact us today |
|
TODAY'S FOCUS BUFORD,
Ga., Jan. 10, 2012 -- Petticoats and Slide Rules, a historical exhibit
on women in engineering from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is on
display at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (GEHC) from
now until April 1, 2012. EEB PERSPECTIVE JAN. 10, 2012 -- Since nearly 20 years ago, the Bradford apartments and condominiums in unincorporated Norcross has been a den of trouble. In fact, the area was so much of a problem that the Impact Group!, a Gwinnett non-profit organization which seeks to create and preserve quality affordable housing within Gwinnett County, in 1993 bought the facilities to clean them up.
The area is located behind Beaver Ridge School. (map) With the purchase, for several years, the complex thrived. Families were screened before they were allowed to move in. The surroundings became much safer. Children did better in school; some went on to higher education, such as Gwinnett Tech. However, over the years, after the Impact Group! sold the apartments, they have been sold several more times, creating in effect each time, lower and lower cost housing, as new owners dropped the rent to raise occupancy. Coupled with a continuing rotation of managers, and the downturn in economic conditions, eventually lower elements moved in, crime increased, as the area returned to a hotbed of questionable activity. Much of it was low-level crime, especially illegal drug activity. One person says of drug dealers: "They are like roaches. You must constantly maintain pest control, for they come out at dark. They don't have long term leases; they scatter when you shine the light on them."
Altogether,
53 persons were arrested in mid-December, and police are still searching
for five more. Some 300 criminal charges came out of the arrests, from
petty crime and burglary, to one murder charge. Walters
notes: "We didn't go in immediately. We built a case, for it's no
good to lock just one up when there is a lot of activity going on. Often
the same names would crop up, as we got more reports from individuals.
If we had cut the case shorter, we would not have killed the organization." What happened
at these apartment and condominiums is also happening in gated communities
during the real estate recession, primarily because of the real estate
recession. Chief Walters
emphasizes: "There are decent people living in these areas, but many
live there because they have no other place to go. New owners of the apartments
will take in anyone. Apartments are owned by absentee owners that hire
managers. When the complex is sold to the next owner, and with management
changes, many managers just don't care who lives there." He says: "When people don't call us when illegal activities take place, by then it is often too late. The thugs and gangbangers are settled there with a foothold." After the raid last month, Chief Walters adds: "The sect is gone now; we have shut them down, and nothing of consequence has happened there since. We rattled the crooks, have made the area safer, and we have brought the people's awareness up." BOUT OUR SPONSORS FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum:
Another interesting movie comes on January 20, with the long-awaited showing of Red Tails, about African American pilots from the Tuskegee Institute who played a key role in helping to turn the tide for the USA and our allies in World War II. Remember that the original version, The Tuskegee Airmen is still worth watching/re-watching.
UPCOMING The Southeastern
Railway Museum will open a new exhibit on January 12 entitled Drove(s),
an art exhibition that takes a look at the culture of automobiles, our
dependence on them, and their environmental impact. The exhibit will continue
through Saturday, February 11. At this time of year, the museum is open
Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hamilton Mill Episcopal Church buys 32-acre campus
The parish's new home is a foreclosed 30,000 square-foot, three-year-old brick structure on a 32-acre campus that had served a nondenominational congregation. The parish intends to sell its Braselton Highway property. (Photo by Jeff Greeson.) Snellville Tourism and Trade seeks board members Snellville Tourism and Trade is seeking individuals willing to serve on its Board of Directors for the 2012 year. Four Directors will be elected at the STAT Annual Meeting, to be held on January 26, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. at Summit Chase Country Club, 3197 Classic Drive in Snellville. Any person who wishes to apply for a position on the Board should complete the Application for Nomination to the Board of Directors and return it to STAT by January 15. Completed applications should be faxed to 770-978-6270, or mailed to Snellville Tourism and Trade, P.O. Box 669, Snellville, Ga. 30078. Anyone with questions about the nomination process or election to the STAT Board of Directors, contact STAT President Don Britt at 770-979-9000, or Nominations Committee Chair Jon Richards at 770-978-0225. ArtCool moves to new location in Buford
One of the creations by Anita Stewart is this painting of a child, done during her recent trip to Ecuador and Peru. "She just said hi .. smiled real big and pulled up her top to show me her tummy," says Anita. Check the school Web site for more info at www.anitasartscool.com. Buford dentist to award $10,000 for online voting for schools Buford dentist Dr. Ashley P. Curington has launched the Georgia School Spirit Award Program and will give $10,000 to the Georgia K-12 school that receives the most votes by midnight, Jan. 31, 2012.
Anyone may cast unlimited votes for a specific school at www.Buford-Dentist.com or at facebook.com/BufordDentist. Voters do not have to be one of Dr. Curington's patients at the North Atlanta Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, P.C. However, no home or online schools will be considered. This program is designed to support education in Georgia with an unrestricted use cash donation for the school demonstrating the most spirit with a voting landslide. If the school you wish to support is not currently listed, send an email to have the school added. Dr. Curington attended the University of Alabama for undergraduate and the University of Alabama at Birmingham for her Doctorate and Certificate in Prosthodontics. NOTABLE The City
of Suwanee will implement a nearly $3.3 million Livable Centers Initiative
(LCI) grant, received through the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), to
reconstruct a portion of Buford Highway as a context-sensitive roadway
that will safely accommodate multiple modes of transportation and help
connect residents and visitors to a variety of activity centers.
Feedback
received through public comment opportunities when the plan was being
created indicated that participants overwhelmingly supported the context-sensitive
design rather than widening. The study found that expanding the highway
to a conventional four-lane road would cost approximately $12.5 million
and further separate the existing Town Center and historic Old Town areas. Cindy Snyder credentialed for advanced practice in genetics
Gwinnett Medical Center Manager of Oncology Services and Cancer Risk Counselor Cindy Snyder recently achieved the credential of Advanced Practice Nurse in Genetics (APNG), one of only two people in Georgia to achieve this designation. For over 25 years, Snyder has served the Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) system, which includes hospitals in Duluth and Lawrenceville and provides acute care, outpatient services, orthopedic and neuroscience specialty care as well as a full continuum of wellness services. Currently, Snyder is responsible for managing clinical and educational support programs for patients accessing the hospital system for breast cancer services, and providing hereditary risk assessments and education for patients at risk of hereditary cancer syndromes. She also recently completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice. She has completed her bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees while working at GMC. The Advanced Practice Nurse in Genetics certification was designed by the Genetic Nursing Credentialing Commission to enhance professional practice care for people's genetic health through genetic nursing credentials. 15-year veteran coach to head men's soccer program Georgia Gwinnett College hired 15-year veteran coach Steven DeCou to lead the college's men's soccer program. DeCou spent the last five years as head coach and assistant director of athletics at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss. While there, he posted five consecutive winning seasons (66-23-7 overall), led the Blazers to top-25 finishes in the final NAIA poll from 2009-2011, and took his team to the Round of 16 in the NAIA National Tournament in each of the last two years. He was named Southern States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2010.
Along with his extensive coaching experience at the NAIA level, DeCou currently serves as president of the NAIA Men's Soccer Association Executive Committee and is a member of the NAIA Ratings Oversight Committee, NAIA National Tournament Selection Committee, and NAIA National Tournament Games Committee. DeCou is a graduate of Tennessee Temple University (Chattanooga, Tenn.) where he played soccer and earned his bachelor's degree in physical education. He then earned a master's in sports medicine from the United States Sports Academy, an athletics-specific graduate school in Daphne, Ala. RECOMMENDED
This book captures your imagination from the first and is difficult to put down. Only one member of the book club felt that the characters were not believable. Everyone else said the story held together well, and one even commented that it is 'the best book [she] has ever read.' This was my second reading of the book, having had it recommended by my daughter last summer. It has continued to haunt my thoughts and warranted a second read in preparation for the book club meeting."
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
(From previous edition) The Great Depression had a severe impact on Methodism, both in Georgia and at the national level. Under the leadership of Arthur J. Moore, a native Georgian who had been elected bishop of the MECS in 1930, the denomination organized a Bishops' Crusade in 1937 to raise funds. As a result, church attendance, finances, and benevolence were increased across the nation. Out of Aldersgate, a manual for the crusade, was prepared by W. T. Watkins, a Georgian who was elected bishop of the MECS in 1938, the year before unification went into effect.
In 1968, at the Uniting Conference in Dallas, Texas, the Methodist Church united with the Evangelical United Brethren to form the United Methodist Church. The Evangelical United Brethren, a German denomination founded in the mid-Atlantic and midwestern states, was created in 1946 as a union between the Evangelical Association and the United Brethren in Christ. Although there were no Evangelical United Brethren congregations in Georgia, the merger did affect the state because the Uniting Conference also integrated the denomination by dismantling the Central Jurisdiction. As a result, each annual conference in Georgia absorbed the African American congregations within its region. After the union was completed in 1972, the UMC in Georgia had 1,686 churches and nearly 385,000 members. The Uniting Conference also directed that all general and annual conferences of the UMC-including boards, agencies, commissions, and committees at all levels-be composed of equal numbers of lay and clerical delegates elected in annual conferences. One-third of the lay delegates were to be women; young adults, youth, and ethnic minorities were to be included as well. A number of name changes resulted from the merger-for example, the Women's Society of Christian Service became United Methodist Women, Methodist Men became United Methodist Men, and Methodist Youth Fellowship became United Methodist Youth. (To be continued)
GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday. If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more. Send
your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves or comments on any issue
to Gwinnett Forum for future
publication.
UNSUBSCRIBE We hope you'll keep receiving the great news and information from GwinnettForum, but if you need to unsubscribe, click here. SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
© 2012, 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 "A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
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) Business After Hours: 5:30 p.m., Jan. 10 (tonight), Rick Tanner's Grille and Bar, 3519 Braselton Highway, Dacula. Sponsored by the Buford Business Alliance. (NEW) Opening Reception of new exhibit at the Southeastern Railway Museum: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Jan. 11, Duluth. The exhibit, Droves, takes a look at the culture of automobiles. The Museum is located at 3595 Buford Highway in Duluth. Recycling Christmas Trees will again be led by Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful. Drop off trees through January 16 at most fire stations in Gwinnett for them to be ground into chips. For more information, call 770 822 5187. State of Suwanee Address: 6 p.m., Jan. 11, Suwanee City Hall. Mayor Jimmy Burnette will present his first such address at the meeting of the Suwanee Business Alliance. Admission is free to all. Mayor Burnette will compared the Suwanee of his childhood to where he feels the city is headed in its future. Second Samuel, a play, will be presented by New London Theatre in Snellville Jan. 13-29 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Set in a sleepy South Georgia town in the late 1940s, it's the year Miss Gertrude passed away, and dark secrets are about to be revealed. More. (NEW) Opening of Petticoats and Slide Rule exhibit: 10 a.m., Jan. 16, Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, Buford. (NEW) Town Hall Meeting of Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services: Jan. 24. Two sessions -- 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., at Norcross Community Center, 10 College Street. The meeting will help develop the Coalition's next Strategic Plan. (NEW) Duluth State of the City address, by Mayor Nancy Harris: 11:30 a.m., Jan. 24, Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. Sponsored by the Duluth Civitan Club. Reservations must be made by January 20 by visiting online or by phoning 678 957-7299. 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. Gwinnett Technology Forum: Jan. 17, Busbee Center of Gwinnett Technical College. Speakers will be from the health care industry: Dr. Mark Braunstein, Georgia Tech's Health Systems Institute;Tom Chambers, Cisco Systems; and Dr. Tom Upchurch, AllMeds. More. Redevelopment Forum: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Jan. 27, Atlanta Marriott at Gwinnett Place in Duluth. Keynote speaker is Chris Leinberger, a Brookings Institute fellow. Presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and the Council for Quality Growth. Tickets are $55. More info online. (NEW) Grand Opening of The Norcross Arts Center, known as The Nest: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Jan. 28, 17 College Street, Norcross. There will be a groundbreaking, live music, free beer and wine and an interactive sculpture-building project. For more info, visit www.NorcrossArtsAlliance.org. (NEW) State of the County Address: 11:30 a.m., Feb. 15, Gwinnett Center, Duluth. Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash will give her views on the present state of the county. For reservations, visit this site online. (NEW) Run the Reagan mini-marathon: Feb. 18, regardless of weather. You can register late and pick up information at Academy Sports and Outdoors, 1585 Scenic Highway, Snellville. Proceeds benefit the Gwinnett Community Clinic and Young Life Ministries. For more information, go online here. Ronald Reagan Parkway will be closed from 2 a.m. until 2 p.m. the day of the race. Exhibit Continued: The Living in Space exhibit at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center will continue now through March 3. Extremely popular with visitors and school groups, the exhibit now is open for an additional two months. More. MORE EEB PERSPECTIVE
MORE
RECENT COMMENTARY
© 2001-2012, Gwinnett Forum.com is Gwinnett County's online community forum for commentary that explores pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA. PHONE: 770.840.1003 |
"The
GEHC is very excited to host this unique exhibition," says Director
of Development Jason West. "One of the GEHC's goals is to promote
STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related careers and opportunities
for young people. This exhibit certainly inspires and educates future
generations about the changing roles of women in the engineering profession."
"The
GEHC is especially appreciative of Chocolate Perks' sponsorship of this
exhibit," says West. "Chocolate Perks is a great partner and
is owned by Marsha Anderson Bomar, a woman engineer and trailblazer in
her profession and her community."
Nearly
a year ago, Gwinnett Police Chief Charlie Walters says his department
got an anonymous email from who they think was a mother living in the
area, pointing out the gangs living in the area and the safety problems.
This began an investigation which took 11 months, and included not only
local police, but agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives. 
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Aurora Theatre,
the professional theatre of Gwinnett County and home of the best entertainment
in Northeast Georgia. With over 300 events annually, Aurora Theatre has
live entertainment to suit everyone's taste. The Aurora Theatre main stage
season is comprised of Broadway's best plays and musicals alongside exciting
new works of contemporary theatre. Additionally, Aurora produces concerts,
comedy club events, children's programs, and metro Atlanta's top haunted
attraction, Lawrenceville Ghost Tours. Aurora Theatre is a world-class
theatrical facility with two performance venues. It is nestled on the
square in historic downtown Lawrenceville, with free attached covered
parking and is surrounded by a myriad of restaurants and shops. Next onstage,
the regional premiere of A Body of Water, a psychological mystery centering
on an attractive, middle-aged pair who have no recollection of who they
are or how they ended up in the same bed. More information: 
Starting
on January 13 is the opening for The Iron Lady, which is about
Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain. She was a good
friend/advocate of President Ronald Reagan and our country. 
The
culture of automobiles starts with America's early love affair with cars
and the freedom that they promised. Frequent design changes and new technologies
created a sense of disposability and a desire for the newest model. Demand
throughout the 20th century helped drive the American economy but also
led to an overabundance of automobiles and serious environmental impacts.
The
Episcopal Church of St. Mary and St. Martha of Bethany in Buford is moving!
The parish has outgrown its building on Braselton Highway and has purchased
a new facility about five miles away at 4346 Ridge Road, Buford. 
Anita's
ArtsCool in Buford is moving to a new location. The new facility is at
4264 Sudderth Road, Suite B, in Buford near the intersection of Georgia
Highway 20 and Buford Highway, behind Ace Hardware. Owner Anita Stewart
has taught children, teens and adults in Buford since 1998. The first
class consisted of one adult and now has grown to serve thousands. 
Rather
than simply widening Buford Highway, as many communities do, Suwanee's
plans call for the thoroughfare to remain a two-lane road with the addition
of sidewalks, multiuse trails, landscaped medians, additional streetscaping,
operational improvements such as turn lanes, and a potential roundabout
in order to accommodate additional modes of transportation, calm existing
traffic, encourage Town Center-like development, and provide safer pedestrian
access.
"My
book club just finished discussing The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth
Kostova. Set in modern-day America, there are flashes to the late 1800s
in France that capture some of the atmosphere during the time of the French
Impressionists. It also addresses discrimination of talented women in
art circles because of their gender alone. Some art descriptions tantalized
enough that I felt the need to attempt to paint them myself. 
