 |
Insert your email for free automatic delivery
|
|
|
 CELEBRATION: Episcopal Deacon Nancy Yancey, CEO of Rainbow Village, cuts the ribbon marking the opening of new buildings in Duluth to house homeless families, while Episcopal Bishop Keith Whitmore, who gave a blessing for the project, looks on. Next to the Bishop is the Rev. Joel Hudson, chairman emeritus of the board of the Village, and behind him (with hat) is Mrs. Whitmore. Rainbow Village Chairman, the Rev. David Fry of Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, is to the right of Rev. Hudson. Rainbow Village sprouted 21 years ago from Christ Church in Norcross. Today more than 20 other churches join in the support of this new facility. Photo: Bill Monk. To see more photos, click here. |
Issue 12.08 | Friday, April 27, 2012 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE CARTOON UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE IN
THE SPOTLIGHT RECOMMENDED GEORGIA
TIDBIT 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
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., April 27, 2012 -- I am a long-time resident Lawrenceville, having moved here with my parents when I was two in 1979. I returned to the area three years ago with my family after 10 years of service in the Air Force. The report is the results of personal research about the potential privatization and commercialization of the Gwinnett County Airport, Briscoe Field.
The research is my Graduate Capstone Project, which was completed to fulfill the requirements of a Master's of Science in Management degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's leading aviation institute. Because of the myriad of facts and studies being presented by both sides of the airport issue, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity for independent research on this matter. My study is an unbiased, quantitative analysis of the possible economic effects of commercializing Briscoe Field. The study used statistical modeling to determine the possible direct, indirect, and multiplier revenue effects, employment effects, and property value effects that a regional community commercial airport would have. Quantitative methods, economic and passenger data collected from economic impact studies completed at the federal, state, and airport authority levels were used to test the scientific hypotheses. Data was obtained from a sample of general aviation and commercial airports, which are approximately the same sizes as the current operations and the proposed commercial operations for the airport at Briscoe Field. A primary goal of this research was to determine if commercialization is an effective way of generating additional revenue and promoting economic growth in the local area. As a point of reference, Briscoe Field currently generates $85 million in economic activity, and 730 direct and indirect jobs in the area, according to the recent Georgia Transportation Economic Impact Study. The following is a quick summary of the hypotheses and results from my study. Hypothesis One: Commercialization of Briscoe Field would result in at least $1.5 billion per year in economic activity for the area.
Hypothesis Two: Commercialization of Briscoe Field would account for at least 20,000 jobs, once the airport's full operating capacity has been reached.
Hypothesis Three: Commercialization of Briscoe Field would, in general, decrease the median property value within the area of the three closest zip codes.
Based on the literature reviewed in, and the outcome of my study, it is my opinion that Briscoe Field should be commercialized. The potential economic gains as a result of commercialization are too great to be ignored, and it would be a disservice to the citizens not to take advantage of the opportunity
ELLIOTT
BRACK APRIL 27, 2012 -- Every now and then you meet someone who many recognize as a true servant of God and the church. Such a man was the Rev. J.V. (Vic) Nickelson, 88, who died March 16. He was the senior priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, a 28-year veteran of the Navy as a pilot and chaplain, and former minister at St. Edward's Church in Lawrenceville.
Vic was native of Atlanta, a graduate of Boy's High, Emory University and Union Theological Seminary in New York. He joined the Navy in 1945, and became a pilot and flight instructor. He returned to the Navy during the Korean War as a chaplain, often at sea duty up and down the East Coast. He met his wife, Mary Jane, who was still in high school, but whose aunt was in charge of the Emory Players, when Vic was building sets for a play. Mary Jane says: "He took me under his wing. We went out for Cokes afterward at the Varsity." After Vic went into the Navy, he wrote Mary Jane at Christmas, asking her to marry him. "Before we had not even had time to kiss each other," Mary Jane laughs. Later, while on leave, he visited her at college in Greensboro, N.C. (UNC for Women). "He must have brought every uniform he had. He was dressed so fancy. The following Christmas he gave me an engagement ring, and we were married the next June." His first pulpits after seminary were the yoked churches of St. Albans in Elberton and the Church of the Mediator in Washington. By 1952, he was back in the Navy as a chaplain. He retired to become vicar of both St. Edward's in Lawrenceville for 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services and in between at St. Anthony's in Winder, at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday. He always rushed between the two churches without incident, thought the schedule was tight, and he had some close calls with timeliness.
Mary Jane remembers him starting the Lawrenceville church. "When we built the new church on Moon Road, we had our last services at a furniture store on Gwinnett Drive, then loaded the folding chairs onto Clyde Strickland's pick-up to drive to the church and put them in place for next Sunday, singing 'Onward Christian Soldiers.' It was pretty exciting." All the while in his long career, he was a genial and humble man of God, happy with a smile on his face. The Rev. Kent Bradstetter of St. Edwards in preaching his funeral, recalled a repeated phrase from many of Vic's sermons, after diverging into some thought :"... but be that as it may … ." That was Vic's unmistakable trademark! Clyde Strickland himself describes Vic as someone "who knew how to minister to anyone, no matter what their walk of life. We did a lot of fishing together. He said to me many times, 'Every man has to walk with God on a different path.'" Among Vic's key interests was Project ADAM in Winder, a non-profit community assistance center he helped establish in 1980 to serve in the areas of alcohol and drug prevention. The former Bishop of the Atlanta Diocese, Frank Allan, recalls Vic from 60 years ago, when returning to Diocesan Council meetings in uniform. "Vic was in a military drill, testing the ability to fall asleep in stressful conditions. They say he fell asleep in the first 15 minutes!" He also has memory of Vic welcoming the first female priest of the Diocese, while at the retreat center, "to the former all-male poker game." Patient, humble, hands-on patriot Jay Victor Nickelson, 1923-2012: May you rest in peace. ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
FEEDBACK We welcome
your letters and thoughts. 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 Recipient of the 10th annual "Good and Faithful Servant" award of Peachtree Christian Hospice will be Herman J. Russell, a nationally recognized entrepreneur in the real estate and construction industries, a distinguished civic and community leader, a champion of youth and a philanthropist. The awards ceremony will take place at the Hospice's Gala and Awards Dinner, on May 3, at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The announcement comes from Bill and Martha Todd, board chairs of the Hospice.
The "Good and Faithful Servant" Award is named for Scott Hudgens, who was a partner with Mr. Russell in several ventures. Mr. Hudgens was responsible for founding, for initial funding of the Hospice, and gave the land for it. This award is bestowed on an individual who has exhibited an unselfish spirit of caring for other people and a genuine interest in the community. Mr. Russell and his company, H.J. Russell and Company, are responsible for the construction of some of Atlanta's most celebrated buildings, from the Georgia Dome to the Carter Presidential Center. Many major projects could not have been realized without his input. A number of Atlanta's most difficult and troublesome areas have become proud neighborhoods because of the leadership of Herman Russell. Arthur Blank puts it this way: "Herman's legacy extends well beyond the landmark physical structures he's helped to create. It's as much how he's done it - through relationships and partnerships he's forged and the strength of leadership he's shown through the years, all of which have had an enormous influence in helping Atlanta fulfill its promise." Blank adds: "Much of what we have achieved as a city wouldn't have been possible without him." Presenting the award to Mr. Russell will be Dallas Hudgens, son of Scott Hudgens, and Jeff Busbee, son of the late Georgia Governor George Busbee. With regard to the Russell selection, the Todds state: "Our Board is working to expand this Peachtree Christian Hospice mission by extending the search each year for just the 'right' recipient of this special award." Past honorees of The Scott Hudgens "Good and Faithful Servant" Award, are:
Suwanee's Art on a Limb program starts again during May As has become tradition in Suwanee, art will be blossoming along the Suwanee Creek Greenway and other trails around the City of Suwanee during the month of May. Through its Art on a Limb program, the City of Suwanee "hides" two pieces of original artwork daily along trails throughout the City; those who find an art piece get to keep it. This annual "finders keepers" program is designed to promote an appreciation for art and nature.
The child of an Air Force colonel, Nissen grew up in many states and two countries. She received a bachelor's degree in industrial design (with a minor in ceramics) from the Philadelphia College of Art. Nissen has managed several galleries and, since moving to Georgia 13 years ago, has worked and taught in clay. She teaches hand-building, mosaics, use of the potter's wheel, and silver metal clay at the Spruill Center for the Arts in Dunwoody. Be on the lookout for Nissen's mugs to blossom along the Suwanee Creek Greenway (but not the section from Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road to Suwanee Elementary, which is closed for rehabilitation) as well as the trails at Sims Lake Park and White Street Park. Nissen also will be featured at this year's Arts in the Park festival on May 19. Work starts Monday at Georgia Highway 324 at Interstate 85 Georgia
State Highway 324 at Interstate 85 will have a widening project beginning
Monday, April 30, after the morning rush hour. The roadway will be widened
from two lanes to four lanes for a half mile on each side of the bridge.
The work is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Opening
all four lanes will improve the safety and traffic flow through the area,
explains Georgia DOT District Engineer Bayne Smith. NOTABLE Brookwood High School senior Robert Hembree and South Gwinnett High School senior Asante Farquharson are the recipients of $1,000 college scholarships awarded by the Snellville Commerce Club. Each year, the club presents a scholarship to a graduate from each school who participates in their school's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) or Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) program. The awards will be presented at the club's Noon lunch meeting on May 1 in the community room of Snellville City Hall. The public is invited to attend. Hembree is the president of the DECA chapter at Brookwood High School. In DECA, he received a first place award at the region competition and a fourth place award at the state competition, and was recognized as DECA Student of the Year in 2012. He plans to enter Georgia Gwinnett College, to major in Biology with a minor in Marketing/Marketing Management. Farquharson is on the honor roll at South Gwinnett High School, with a 3.88 grade point average. She plans a career in the health care field. She earned a degree as a Certified Nursing Assistant, and has completed an internship with Eastside Medical Center. She participates in community service activities, and recently received a key to the city from Snellville. Jackson EMC Foundation grants $22,500 to local agencies The Jackson EMC Foundation, a charity funded by the electric cooperative's members through their donations to the Operation Round Up program, has awarded grants totaling $22,500 to five agencies serving Gwinnett County residents.
Snellville breaks ground for its own community garden The City of Snellville has unveiled its master plan for its community garden during groundbreaking ceremonies on April 22, Earth Day. Some 80 people were in attendance as Mayor Pro-Tem Tom Witts provided a broad overview of the project. City Councilman Bobby Howard explained the garden plans in detail at its location at Marigold Road and Sawyer Parkway in Snellville's T. W. Briscoe Park. The ground will be transformed with sprouts, raised beds, an orchard, bee-keeping area, greenhouse, pavilion and amphitheater.
Although the Community Garden offers local residents an opportunity to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables for their own consumption, and to donate to local charities, it will also serve as an educational venue, and as a unique destination for special events, Witts notes, adding: "We have had a tremendous response not only from gardening enthusiasts, but from people who are interested in using the garden's demonstration areas for seminars, ecology-awareness events and school field trips." It's anticipated the garden will become a location for weddings, receptions and private parties." The Community Garden is an all-volunteer effort supported by donations and sponsorships. Five local UGA students in Washington Semester Program Sixteen University of Georgia undergraduates, including five from Gwinnett, are participating in UGA's Washington Semester Program this fall. The students will spend the semester in the nation's capital completing coursework and internships in business, government and public policy. Open to all eligible UGA undergraduates, the Washington Semester Program was established under the auspices of the Office of the Vice President for Instruction in spring 2008. Features of the program include internship experience in congressional offices, nonprofit organizations and think tanks, and a variety of cultural and professional networking opportunities. For more information on UGA's Washington Semester Program, go to http://www.uga.edu/dcsemester. The fall 2010 participants from Gwinnett are:
RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA In 1880 the Italian-born pianist Alfredo Barili became the first professional musician to move to Atlanta, where he played a major role in establishing the foundation upon which the city's vibrant classical music culture arose. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution credits Barili "with bringing professional-level education and performance to Atlanta." His school of music was one of the first in the South to offer professional music training, and many of his students went on to successful careers in music.
The ten-year-old Barili made his debut as a pianist on April 7, 1865, in New York's Irving Hall. His family soon moved to Philadelphia, where he studied the piano before embarking for the Cologne (Germany) Conservatory in 1872. After almost five years of study, Barili returned briefly to Philadelphia before moving to Atlanta in 1880, probably for health reasons. Barili was the first professional concert pianist to make his home in Atlanta. He introduced the city to the Ludwig Beethoven sonatas, and his programs and those he supervised consistently included major works by Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Frederic Chopin, and others. He also played a central role in encouraging the performance of major choral and orchestral works. In 1883 he organized the first Atlanta Music Festival, which included a chorus of 300 accompanied by Carl Sentz's orchestra from Philadelphia. Later that same year, the noted conductor Theodore Thomas and his orchestra joined with the 90-voice Musical Union. In a spectacular gesture of respect, Thomas handed Barili the baton and stepped aside as the young musician conducted the combined choral and orchestral numbers. Atlanta's thriving musical culture would be unthinkable without the professional groundwork Barili laid more than a hundred years ago. As a teacher he inspired two generations of students. His soft-spoken and gracious but firm manner won him many friends, including some of the country's best-known musicians, among them Edward MacDowell and Mrs. H.H.A. Beach. By the time of Barili's death in November 1935, he was one of the most respected teachers and musicians in the South. He is buried in the family plot at West View Cemetery in Atlanta. CREDITS 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. |
OUR NEWS GwinnettForum is introducing a new service to the people of Gwinnett County. It has started the publication of GwinnettObits.com, a site published each day that will announce the funeral arrangements of people who have died recently in Gwinnett County. The information is made available through the cooperation of local funeral homes. Information on deaths is posted each day about 6 p.m. Readers can visit the site to learn of recent deaths, or GwinnettObits will automatically send you notice of deaths if you sign up to receive emails daily. Our hope is for you to benefit from this service to learn of all Gwinnett funeral notices at one convenient site. Click here to see today's obituaries at the new site.
TODAY'S QUOTE "Integrity has no need of rules."
MORE COPIES AVAILABLE
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 Sterling Art Fest: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 29, Sterling Village Center Park, Flowery Branch. This celebrates art, music and food, including a juried artist competition. More information. SOON AND ONGOING "Nature's Mysteries" is the exhibit title at the Kudzu Art Zone in Norcross beginning May 4, and running through July 21. A reception is set for May 4 at 7 p.m. for the show featuring members' work in many media and genres. Kudzu is located at 116 Carlyle Street in downtown Norcross. More info. Car Show at Vines Botanical Gardens: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 5. This is the second annual show sponsored by St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Snellville. There will be a Kids' Zone, vendors, and unique crafts and products from local artisans. Admission is free. Visit www.stmattscarshow.com for more details. Snellville Days Festival: May 5-6, T.W. Briscoe Park on Lenora Church Road in Snellville. The annual parade will start from Wisteria Drive on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. For more details, visit www.snellvilledays.com. (NEW) Jazzy Thing: 19th annual Annandale Village fundraiser, will be held May 12, at Wild Bill's in Duluth. Experience an evening of distinctive cuisine, games, silent auction, live entertainment, dance, music, and an Arts Bazaar. For more info, call (770) 932-4887 or go online here. (NEW) "Artificial Intelligence" speech: 7:30 a.m., May 15, Gwinnett Technology Forum, Busbee Center of Gwinnett Technical College. Dr. Steven Vicinanza, president and CTO of BlueWave Computing, will speak. Email for more info.
(NEW) Boat Show and Sugarloaf Leisure Living Tour: 10 a.m to 4 p.m. on May 18 and 19. Hosted by Sugarloaf Country Club Charities; among the beneficiaries will be the Duluth-based Foster Children's Foundation. The Tour will showcase the outdoor living spaces and indoor terrace levels of four homes. The boat show will be at the TPC Sugarloaf Country Club! More info online. Eighth Annual Beach Bash: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., May 19, Braselton. Festival to be in downtown Park, and features many activities, including arts, crafts and food vendors, plus musicians. Event is free. More info. Music Recital by two seniors: 7:30 p.m., May 21, Pearce Auditorium, Brenau University. Performing will be Tenor Jeff Akana, from Suwanee, and Trumpeter Matt Scout of Flowery Branch. The program is free and open to the public. More info. MORE EEB PERSPECTIVE
© 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
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's underwriter is The IMPACT! Group,
a full-service housing assistance agency based in Norcross. The IMPACT!
Group provides a range of housing assistance services, including foreclosure
prevention, homebuyer education, financial education, and transitional
housing to the residents of Gwinnett County and greater Atlanta. In the
past year alone, the agency operated over 60 percent of the transitional
housing units available to homeless families in Gwinnett and provided
over 5,000 of your neighbors with housing counseling and education. Awarded
the 2009 D. Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award by the Gwinnett Chamber of
Commerce, The IMPACT! Group is able to provide all of its services in
both English and Spanish. If you or a loved one are facing a home foreclosure
or are looking to access down payment assistance to buy a home, The IMPACT!
Group may be able to help. All IMPACT! housing counselors are HUD-certified
and all homeowner counseling sessions are kept confidential. Visit their
Web site at: 
This
year's Art on a Limb pieces are mugs created by Dacula-based artist Sandra
Nissen. Like many of the tiles she created for the 2007 Art on a Limb
program, this year's mugs, which are in an assortment of glaze colors,
include impressions of leaves picked up on Nissen's walks along the Suwanee
Creek Greenway.
Following
the presentation, Master Gardener Martha Whitman showed members of Girl
Scout Daisy Troop 13686 how to plant flowers and herbs in a pot. Steve
Rasmussen conducted a bee-keeping demonstration and explained how honey
bee activity benefits a garden, and Senior Girl Scout Troop 1400 demonstrated
the essentials of composting.
"This
delightful book of fiction is set in England during the 1960s. It's the
story of an unethical American millionaire who cons five Brits out of
all they're worth and how the victims seek to turn the tables and get
their money back. They seek only "not a penny more and not a penny
less." The victims, inexperienced at finance and trickery, try to
beat a con man at his own game. It doesn't always go as planned. Set in
London, Oxford, Wimbledon, Ascot and Monte Carlo, the story is quite unrealistic
but entertaining, nonetheless. In the end, there are two really nice twists
that made me smile."
Beauty
and the Beast Ballet, presented by Northeast Atlanta Ballet at Gwinnett
Center in Duluth: 7:30 p.m., May 18, and 3 p.m., May 20.