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 YELLOW INVASION. You think the pollen has been bad so far this week? From what we hear, so far the big pollen producer in this area, the pine trees, haven't much kicked in with their pollen production. You can see that the pollen cones on these pine trees that Frank Sharp of Lawrenceville shot recently are about ready to begin their heavy production of the yellow stuff! So, watch out. The pollen count might be even higher later! |
Issue 11.100 | Friday, March 23, 2012 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE CARTOON FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE IN
THE SPOTLIGHT RECOMMENDED GEORGIA
TIDBIT GWINNETT
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TODAY'S FOCUS DULUTH,
Ga., March 23, 2012 -- Barefoot
in the Park Arts Festival celebrates all of the arts. The performing
arts are a big part of the event's overall programming. Held in Duluth's
central Town Greene Park, Barefoot welcomes performers in two venues,
The Festival Stage and the Second Stage.
On Sunday,
performances will run from noon to 5 p.m. on the Festival Stage and from
1:30 to 4 p.m. on the Second Stage. Adjacent is the schedule for both days of Barefoot's performing arts. Schedules are subject to changes and additions. For more information, contact Barefoot in the Park at info@barefootinthepark.org or call 678-677-0172. ELLIOTT BRACK MARCH 23, 2012 -- The news out of Cobb County was shocking. The venerable professional Theatre in the Square was not just in trouble; it was closing! As often is the case, such pronouncements no doubt sent shock waves through the Cobb arts community and its many patrons. After all, the Cobb theatre was 30 years old, and often was on the cutting edge of theatre in Metro Atlanta.
What gives? When checking into the situation, it reminded me of what the late philanthropist Scott Hudgens once told a charity: "You are going to have to own something if you want to be successful. You can't keep renting forever." The former shopping mall wizard gave money to that foundation, and it bought land with his largess. Today that organization is expanding and has a bright future. You see, the Theatre in the Square never owned its own building. It rented, and paid a handsome rent. That was among the mounting debt that the theatre could not overcome. While the situation was not bright, when this year the Theatre in the Square put out word that it was having trouble trying to get through this season, its patrons responded handsomely, raising $350,000! Yet somebody's math was far off, for soon the theatre was saying that it had to raise another $400,000 to go forward next season. Years of running in the red caught up with them. All this was compounded by the falling economy; a one-sided rental agreement of $10,000 a month; and recently adding a second stage that was not widely used. There were also bad decisions by its recent boards and management, such as spending $1.5 million two years ago to renovate the theatre and build an elaborate façade and message board…on property it did not own. So Cobb will find the Theatre in the Square, indeed on the Marietta Square, founded in 1982, now dark. At one time it was the largest non-profit arts organization in the county. * * * * * This news makes us turn introspective, and ask: "How about Gwinnett's professional company at the Aurora Theatre?"
Be pleased. The Aurora is thriving and doing well. First, it has a sweet deal with the Downtown Development Authority of the City of Lawrenceville, essentially getting its space rent-free. The City, you will remember, really wanted the Aurora as an economic development entity, and lured the Aurora out of Duluth in 2007. Its initial fund-raising was successful, and the theatre opened without debt. The Aurora has a budget of $1.35 million, as it attracts nearly 5,000 patrons per show run. Not only that, but its attendance has increased every year for the last three years, coming from a core of 15 counties. Over all, it has attracted its audience from 221 cities, and 107 counties. And, it has little debt. So far its current debt of $130,000 came only after the downturn, as some people failed to honor pledges from the initial campaign. Last week a challenge grant was announced, where if the Aurora raises $100,000 by the start of the new season on Labor Day, Gwinnett Federal Credit Union will contribute $50,000, thereby eliminating its debt. All this comes from a strong, experienced and hard-working board, who scrutinize the operations, and help make for a stronger theatre. The producing artistic director, Tony Rodriguez, with the Aurora since 1999, wants patrons and benefactors to "contribute now, when things are going well, so we can have the reserves if in the future there is a downswing for a short time." That's
why Gwinnett's Aurora is thriving, and how Cobb lost its Theatre in the
Square. ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
McLEMORE'S WORLD
FEEDBACK
UPCOMING New London
Theatre will present Nunsense 2: The Second Coming opening March
30 and continuing Friday, Saturday and Sunday through April 15 in our
new location inside Margins Charity Thrift and Variety Mall at 2338 Henry
Clower Boulevard in Snellville. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 on the day of the show. Children/students (3-19) and seniors (55+) tickets are always $10. Tickets can be purchased either online through the website or at the theatre box office. For additional
information about this and future performances, auditions, ticket purchases,
volunteering, or donations, go to www.newlondontheatre.org,
send an e-mail or
call 770-559-1484. Eastside Medical Center will begin performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures this spring, fulfilling the need for expanded cardiac services in Gwinnett County.
Eastside Medical Center received approval by the State to provide additional interventional cardiology services, enabling the hospital to provide a truly comprehensive cardiology program. Proposals were requested and received from various cardiology groups. Piedmont Heart Institute most clearly exemplified the services and capabilities that Eastside Medical Center required. Piedmont cardiologists will come to Eastside to perform the procedures. This new
cardiology partnership creates a model of health care that focuses on
quality, patient satisfaction, and excellence. With a substantial outflow
of patients into Atlanta to seek cardiac care, Eastside and Piedmont Heart
plan to provide exemplary cardiac services to meet the community needs
and provide convenience to Gwinnett County residents. NOTABLE Gwinnett County will use state and federal funds to buy and demolish 11 homes that were damaged in the floods of 2009. Commissioners recently accepted a federal grant for $2.1 million to cover three-quarters of the cost plus $212,546 in state funds. The property owners involved will contribute the remaining 15 percent. The county will use the properties as open greenspace to restore natural floodplain functions.
The Hazard Mitigation division of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency manages both state and federal grants to break the cycle of damage and subsequent expensive repairs in hazardous areas. A presidential declaration of disaster was issued for the state of Georgia based on damage that resulted from the floods of September 2009, making Gwinnett and other counties eligible for the grant program. Gwinnett Ducks Unlimited chapter ranks high nationally The Gwinnett
County chapter of Ducks Unlimited ranks 27th in the country in funds raised
for their chapters. The Gwinnett County chapter has gained this elite
level of recognition. Through the efforts of these volunteer committees,
DU is able to pursue its mission of conserving, enhancing and restoring
North America's wetlands. The chapter was recognized for its cumulative fund raising over the past year. The key was an annual banquet, at Gwinnett Place Marriott in September. Other local chapter events in the year include both a silent and verbal auction, sale of outdoor prints at Bass Pro Shop; and the state sporting clays tournament in summer. The chapter chairman is Jay Roper of Alpharetta. Frayne Bentley of Auburn is the sealed bid chairman; while Danny Strickland of Chestnut Mountain is the verbal and silent auction chairman. Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, DU is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, with special events, projects and promotions across the continent. Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. Gwinnett Chamber lists finalists for small business awards The Gwinnett
Chamber of Commerce has announced Gwinnett's Top 25 Pinnacle Small Business
Award finalists. These companies will be honored at the Pinnacle Awards
on April 27 and will be in the running for the Overall Small Business
Person of Year, which will be announced at the luncheon. Here are the 2012 Pinnacle Non-Profit Award finalists: Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services; Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation; Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts; and Rainbow Village, Inc. RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Georgia native Mirabeau B. Lamar, a state senator, journalist, poet, and soldier, served as the second president of the Republic of Texas, from 1838 to 1841. He was born on August 16, 1798, near Louisville . He attended public school in Eatonton and Milledgeville but, due to financial concerns, decided to forgo college.
In 1826 he married Tabitha Jordan, of Twiggs County, and they had one daughter, Rebecca Ann. At the end of Troup's second gubernatorial term, Lamar and his family moved to Columbus and established the Columbus Enquirer. The newspaper adhered to the states' rights principles supported by Lamar and his mentor Troup. In 1829 Lamar ran for and was elected to the Georgia senate. He decided not to run for a second term when, on August 20, 1830, his wife died of tuberculosis. Lamar left the state, traveling to overcome his grief, but in 1832 he returned to Georgia to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. The party caucus members refused to place his name into nomination, however, and he was defeated as an independent candidate. After a second unsuccessful run for Congress and the suicide of his brother, Lucius Q. C. Lamar, Lamar sold his stake in the Columbus Enquirer and left Georgia for Texas. Lamar arrived in Texas in July 1835, and although he initially intended to write a history of Texas, he eventually decided to join the Texas army in the fight for independence from Mexico. Soon after entering combat, Lamar was responsible for saving the life of future Texas senator Thomas J. Rusk. He was then promoted to head the cavalry during the April 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, in which the Texans soundly defeated the Mexicans. Following his success in battle, Lamar was named secretary of war in the Texas provisional government. In 1836 he was elected vice president of the new Republic of Texas under President Sam Houston, and he succeeded Houston as president of the republic in 1838.
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© 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 "You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."
MORE COPIES AVAILABLE
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
IN THE COMING WEEK Open House at Georgia Gwinnett College, Lawrenceville: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 24. Included is an overview of the college plus sessions providing information about financial aid, student success programs, student clubs and majors. A special session is provided for parents. To learn more, go to www.ggc.edu. Second Annual Village Trade and Auction: 7 p.m., March 29, Sugarloaf Country Club, to benefit Gwinnett Village Community Alliance. Tickets are $25. For more info, call 770-449-6515 or send an email. NEXT WEEK AND ONGOING (NEW) Third Annual Plein Air Event: March 31 and April 1 at Suwanee Town Center. Sponsored by the North Gwinnett Arts Association. Culmination will be Sunday, April 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. with an exhibit and sale of the weekend's work. Visitors will be able to watch artists at work around Suwanee during the two days. Spring Break kick-off at Rhodes Jordan Park: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 31. To be held rain or shine, it will feature games, a yard sale, concessions and other activities. This is free to all, and is an element in the grand re-opening and improvement of the Lawrenceville park. Safe driving course: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., April 12, provided by Suwanee Police Department, at 373 Buford Highway. Registration is required. Visit www.suwanee.com to enroll. Plein air painting event in Buford, April 13-14. A reception highlighting the two days of artists' work will be April 14 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tannery Row Artist's Gallery. Paintings will be for sale, including a Live Auction on April 15 at 7:30 p.m. MORE EEB PERSPECTIVE
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© 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 |
Performances
will begin on Saturday, May 5, at 11 a.m. when the Gwinnett Community
Band takes the Festival Stage to launch the sights and sounds that will
delight visitors all weekend. Performances continue on the Festival Stage
until 4:30 p.m. that day. The Second Stage, located under the gazebo at
the north end of the Town Greene, will offer continuous entertainment
from noon to 4 p.m.
The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement
District (CID) is a self-taxing district organized in March 2005 comprised
of 238 commercial properties. The CID's mission is to "enhance the
economic vitality of Gwinnett's central business district by strengthening
the area's role as the center of commercial activity." In addition
to comprehensive planning efforts to address traffic congestion, an area-wide
branding and marketing initiative, daily community patrols keeping the
area free from graffiti and litter, landscaping enhancements, infrastructure
improvements and promoting redevelopment opportunities, the CID Board
of Directors remains committed to increasing the long-term economic sustainability
of greater Gwinnett Place. The Gwinnett Place CID...Keeping Gwinnett Place
the Place to be. To learn more about the Gwinnett Place CID and ways to
find success at Gwinnett's central business district, please visit 
Six
weeks after the sisters have staged their first benefit, the sisters are
back presenting a "thank-you" show for all the people who supported
them in the past. But now, they're a bit slicker, having been "bitten
by the theater bug." Things get to off to a rousing start as the
sisters sing Nunsense, the Magic Word, but before long, chaos erupts.
Kim
Ryan, chief executive officer at Eastside Medical Center , says: "Eastside
will offer this life-saving cardiac procedure to our patients and fulfill
a community need that benefits the area's growing population. Now, patients
and families will have the best available heart care at our hospital."
Lynn
Smarr, acting director of the Department of Water Resources, says: "No
one wants to lose their home to flooding, but we know that hazardous floodplain
elevations have increased in some places over time, making repeat damage
more likely. I'm pleased that now we can help these homeowners find housing
outside the floodplain."
The
Gwinnett County Chapter earned No. 27 in the Top 100 out of the more than
2,700 DU chapters nationwide by raising $76,000. It has been organized
for 34 years. DU's event fundraising system has long been a model for
other conservation organizations around the world and has funded a significant
portion of the more than 12 million acres of wetlands and associated habitat
DU has conserved since 1937.
Among
the firms still in contention for the 2012 Pinnacle Small Business Award
are: Aaron Plumbing, Inc.; American Painting and Renovations, Inc.; Ameriprise
Financial-Kevin O'Brien, CFP, ChFC; Atlanta Housing Source Realty; Bella
Fiore' Salon, LLC; Blue Landworks, LLC; Coles Barton, LLP; Deluxe Athletics,
LLC; East2West Media Group, Inc.; Everydry Roofing, Inc; Farra Tech; Gem
Shopping Network, Inc.; Green Financial Resources, LLC; Hire Dynamics,
LLC; I-Tech; McMahan's Sartorial Clothing, Inc.; Paradigm Security Services,
Inc.; Perket Technologies, Inc.; Prosthetic Care, Inc.; Rocket IT Service;
First Roofing; Signarama, Buford; Sun Technologies, Inc.; The Myers Group;
and Willis Mechanical, Inc.
"In
2008, the book world lost writer, filmmaker and the creator of ER,
Michael Crichton. His work includes Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain
and others. His books have sold over 200 million copies. At the time of
his death, he was well into writing Micro. Richard Preston, himself
a bestselling author, was selected to finish this book. The story rapidly
becomes a book you cannot put down. Centered on seven graduate students
recruited by a pioneering microbiology start-up company in Hawaii, the
story moves where you and the students don't expect to go. They are reduced
to micro- size people and left to die. The battle to survive begins. They
have to fight off birds, wasps, spiders and other creatures. Because Crichton
backed up his stories with logic, plus having Preston understanding physics
and public health, this tale becomes real and logical. It would make a
great movie! This book makes me realize how much we will miss Crichton
and his contributions to our culture."
