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Issue 12.27 | Friday, July 6, 2012 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE IN
THE SPOTLIGHT RECOMMENDED GEORGIA
TIDBIT GWINNETT
CALENDAR TODAY'S
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TODAY'S
FOCUS LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., July 6, 2012 – When seeking a partner for their Heart Hats community involvement program, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Southeast Division of Atlanta knew they needed to identify a special organization. They found that partner in Lawrenceville-based Creative Enterprises, Inc., an organization dedicated to fostering success in individuals with disabilities. Since the program’s inception in 1979, Creative Enterprises’ mission has been to assist individuals with disabilities and others with barriers to employment in maximizing their potential. Creative Enterprises provides social, vocational and economically–independent programs for adults with a number of disabilities, ranging from mental or emotional problems to physical disabilities.
The programs provided by Creative Enterprises give their clients opportunities to connect and contribute to the community while learning valuable job skills. In Creative Enterprise’s sprawling greenhouse, clients grow plants, fruits and vegetables, all of which are available to the public for a nominal amount of money. The organization’s thrift store, which is also open to the public, is another successful program that gives clients the opportunity to engage with the community and learn the retail business. Additional programs include an on-site licensed animal shelter where clients are responsible for the care of animals, an art program, and a workshop program where clients provide assistance to local businesses. Over the years, Creative Enterprises has undergone a number of changes, including growth on its campus to provide new services. With the recent acquisition of a new building and plans for expanded services, Creative Enterprises found a partner in McCarthy’s Southeast Division to bring their vision of an enhanced center to fruition. Kevin Kuntz, president of McCarthy’s Southeast Division, says: “Creative Enterprises is a collection of inspiring and passionate individuals. The opportunity to give back to an organization that has given so much to the community made for a memorable experience for the entire McCarthy team.” Over two days, the McCarthy team provided a number of renovations to the Lawrenceville facility. The team converted four small rooms into one large classroom, replaced old carpet, and refinished and painted walls. Future renovation plans also include new tile flooring and additional shelving for the thrift store. Leigh McIntosh, executive director of Creative Enterprises, says: “These new renovations are a tremendous addition to our center and will serve our current and future clients for years to come. McCarthy’s generosity and support of our mission is appreciated by everyone here at Creative Enterprises.” To learn
more about Creative Enterprises and their amazing clients and staff, visit
http://www.ceisite.com/.
*
* * * McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the nation’s fifth largest education builder, fourth largest health care construction manager, and eighth largest domestic general contractor (Engineering News-Record, May 2012). With nearly 150 years of experience, McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest, privately held construction firms. Committed to the construction of high performance buildings, the company provides general contracting, construction management, and design/build services for education, laboratory, biotechnical, health care, parking structure, entertainment, commercial, retail, civil and industrial facilities. In addition to Atlanta, McCarthy has offices in Newport Beach, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas, Albuquerque, Houston, Collinsville, Ill., and St. Louis. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. ELLIOTT
BRACK JULY 6, 2012 – The year 2012 turns out to be politically quieter than 2010, when there were many statewide candidates. What follows today will be endorsements for Congressional and statewide offices.
Gwinnett, in the 2012 reapportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives, will be served by three Congressmen, not two as before, in the upcoming session. New to the county is a portion of the Tenth District, which basically serves eastern Gwinnett and East Central Georgia. Of the statewide candidates, Georgians will only vote this year for two seats of the Public Service Commission. During the past month, we have asked all candidates who will appear on any portion of the Gwinnett ballot to visit with us in our Norcross office for 30 minutes, so that we can assess the individuals running, and generally get to know them. We do this since many citizens do not have the time to do this individually, nor do the candidates have the time to visit with each citizen. We act, you could say, as a surrogate for the voters in trying to determine which of the candidates we feel will be best suited for the job.
We will make endorsements in all primary races, Democratic and Republican, where we have met with candidates. Unfortunately, several candidates chose not to spend time with us. We will make no comment on these candidates, nor will we give those who chose not to visit with us space to answer questions we put to other candidates. Here are
our endorsements of the following candidates:
Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, 57, the incumbent: Mr. Johnson is seeking his fourth term in the Congress. He has voted along Democratic lines while in office, and is in line to become a Democratic member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee should the Democrats take over the next House. He is also on the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees. The Lithonia resident is a former county commissioner and magistrate judge. Two years ago, we were concerned about his health, but in 2012, he appears to be in robust health to continue to serve well. U.S. CONGRESS, 4th District, Republican primary:
Greg Pallen, 43, a Rockdale County businessman, presents a credible candidacy. He hopes to go to Congress to cut spending to lower taxes, an admirable idea, but difficult for anyone. Mr. Pallen presents a five point plan, among which is to cut the salary of Congressmen from $174,000 to $100,000. He also says he will accept no money from special interests, and gain campaign money only from individuals. He also wants to institute a program whereby Congressmen shall have no benefit that is not available to the average citizen. U.S. CONGRESS, 7th District, Republican primary:
Rob Woodall, 42, the first-term incumbent, who is now a resident of Peachtree Corners. As a protégé and former staffer of ex-Congressman John Linder, if there is one bone to pick with the current Congressman, it is his continual promotion of the Fair Tax Plan, a wholly-unacceptable and never-to-pass taxing scheme which is doomed by its own principles. However, Congressman Woodall has otherwise served reasonably well, and looks after constituent requests with alacrity and diligence. U.S.
CONGRESS, 10th District,
Stephen Simpson, 61, A retired Army officer and Milledgeville businessman, Mr. Simpson presents a fresh and bright face, running against Incumbent Rep. Paul Broun, in a greatly-reconfigured 10th District. He is experienced in the ways of Washington, after serving with distinction at the Pentagon and as a military Congressional liaison officer. His energy and grasp of the key issues facing our nation make him an attractive alternate to the current Congressman, known for his one-side approach to many issues. With no Democrat offering for office, the winner of the primary should become the next 10th District Congressman. GEORGIA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, District 3, Republican primary:
Chuck Eaton, 43, the incumbent, is our choice for this seat in the primary. Election to this position is for a six year term. Mr. Eaton has concentrated on Georgia having a favorable rate plan for electric consumers, while at the same time making sure that the plan is a reliable one. This office regulates electric, natural gas and telecommunications services. The complications of this office make it one where with good results, citizens should retain their current office-holders, such as Mr. Eaton. There are five commissioners, with only two seats under consideration this year. GEORGIA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, District 5, Republican primary: Neither of the Republican candidates chose to visit with us. We then will make no endorsements in this race. WHAT’S NEXT? On July 10, candidates running for the Georgia General Assembly will be endorsed. ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
UPCOMING Andrew King is the next visual artist exhibiting artwork at City Hall as a continuation of the “Art on the Wall at City Hall” program. View these original works of art in the community room at Snellville City Hall during normal business hours and running until July 30.
King’s fine art is a reflection of his laid back personality---he loves to break the "rules.” Although watercolor is his medium of choice, King likes to mix watercolor, acrylic, pastel, oil, sticks, leaves, dirt, condiments, or whatever he happens to find lying around to create his paintings. King has produced about 5,000 professional illustrations and hundreds of fine art paintings. In February King donated an original piece of work to the City of Snellville which is displayed in the Mayor’s office. Artists and groups interested in having a solo show of their own at City Hall are encouraged to contact the Snellville art jurors. The application and selection criteria can be found on the city Web site, www.snellville.org or by calling 770-985-3587. GMC, GGC announce sports medicine partnership Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) has announced a new partnership between its Sports Medicine Program and Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) that will provide a high level of care to GGC’s athletes. A member of the University System of Georgia (USG), the GGC Grizzly Athletics program includes men’s baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s softball and men’s and women’s tennis, and was recently accepted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The team doctor will be Gary Levengood, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at GMC, a veteran in sports medicine for 20 years who serves as chairperson of the hospital system’s Sports Medicine Committee. The program will introduce ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) and performance training to the GCC athletics department. With ImPACT, it will reduce the chance of follow-up concussions for these students so that they perform at optimum levels athletically and academically. GMC Certified Athletic Trainer James Williams will provide on-site management for sports medicine at GGC. His experience includes working with the Atlanta Falcons, and at universities such as Indiana State and Auburn. He is now designing the layout of the services, purchasing equipment, supplies and initiating policies and procedures to prepare for the next season with this partnership. Heritage Center offers Crime Lab Detective exhibit this summer Gwinnett
Environmental and Heritage Center (GEHC) will bring a Crime Lab Detective
exhibit to its campus, from July 14, until October 15. The exhibit teaches
crucial elements of the scientific process, and focuses on a home that
has been burglarized while the home’s family was vacationing.
Visitors to the exhibit will be tasked with discovering who stole several
items and why. NOTABLE Stephanie Wilding of Lawrenceville is among a group of 22 University of Georgia undergraduates named 2012 summer fellows by UGA's Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. She and the other students are spending the summer engaged in faculty-guided research projects on a variety of topics.
David S. Williams, associate provost and director of UGA’s Honors Program, says: “CURO Summer Research Fellows participate in an intensive, immersive research opportunity, guided by their faculty mentors. One key facet of the program is that, through interaction with one another, Fellows discover how research is approached in different disciplines.” Wilding, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in genetics, is studying under the guidance of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences professor Brian Cummings. She is conducting research on prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the United States. After graduation, Wilding would like to enter medical school. Advanced Disposal converting garbage truck fleet to CNG Advanced Disposal has announced that it will convert its entire fleet of residential garbage trucks that service Gwinnett County to be powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The fueling station will be located at the firm’s landfill in Forsyth County. It will be an 8 to 10 week process to put the new fleet into operation. The fueling station will be capable of producing 445 diesel gallon equivalents per hour and able to fuel up to 95 trucks in 10 hours. Why the move? CNG-powered
engines burn cleaner than traditional diesel engines typically used by
the industry. RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA (Continued from previous edition) The commission appointed by the legislature in 1786 to find a new site for the capital was not entirely unbridled in its task, for the legislature's mandate also stipulated that the commission select a location within 20 miles of an Indian trading post known as Galphin's Old Town, or Galphinton, on the Ogeechee River in what is now Jefferson County. George Galphin had established a trading post at the site two decades earlier. The commission was authorized to purchase 1,000 acres for the new capital, which would be patterned after Philadelphia, Penn., the first capital of the United States. The legislature also directed that the new capital site be called Louisville in honor of Louis XVI of France, in appreciation for French assistance during the Revolutionary War. The actual site selected for the capital was at the intersection of three roads—one leading to Savannah, one to Augusta, and one to now-forgotten Georgetown—where a market, built in 1758, still stands today. Approved plans for the new capital city called for five streets on each of the four sides of the market, with a statehouse and governor's mansion located an equal distance on either side. Despite the designation of the new capital city, Augusta continued to serve as the state capital for ten more years, until 1796. The building of the capital at Louisville was delayed by a lack of funds, the death of the contractor, and the rush to obtain and disburse Creek and Cherokee lands. Finally in 1795, a special constitutional convention was held, in part to correct for land speculation during the infamous Yazoo Land Fraud. The convention members adopted a new amendment to the Constitution of 1789 that officially designated Louisville as the "permanent seat of government" and directed that the governor and other state officials be in the new capitol at Louisville before the next meeting of the legislature. By March 1796 a new capital building designed in the red-brick Georgian architectural style was completed, and Georgia's state government soon occupied it. There are no known paintings or sketches of the building, except for several artists' renderings of the burning of the Yazoo Act on the grounds of the Louisville capital. (To be continued) 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
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TODAY'S QUOTE “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
For the 2012 primary
season, GwinnettForum asked all candidates facing primary opposition
in Gwinnett County to provide answers to a few questions. You can read
their answers below by clicking on the links. Candidates with no
primary opposition are not listed. Those with opposition in the General
Election will be asked questions, which we'll publish before the November
election. Look for endorsement:
PROFILE
KEY
2012
FEDERAL CANDIDATES
U.S.
Congress, District 7
U.S.
Congress, District 10
2012
STATEWIDE CANDIDATES Georgia
Public Service Commission, District 3
Georgia
Public Service Commission, District 5
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IN THE COMING WEEK Brown Bag Concert:
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 6 at the Gwinnett Historic Concert, Lawrenceville.
Visit www.gwinnettparks.com
for more information. Portrait and Figure
Art Classes: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for four Mondays starting July
9 at Kudzu Art Zone in Norcross. Connie Reilly, portrait artist, will
teach classes in oils and pastels. To register, go to www.kudzuartzone.org. Beyond Rosie, Women in World War II: Through July 31. This traveling museum is now on display at the Norcross Welcome and History Center. The museum is located at 169 Lawrenceville Street. Tips and Tools for the Teenage Job Search, for Grades 6 to 12: 1 p.m to 3:30 p.m., July 11 to 13 at Centerville Community Center, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville. Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta will sponsor this workshop for teenagers seeking a job. Cost is $3 for registered Girl Scouts; $15 for non-registered Scouts. For curriculum information, contact zkyles@gsgatl.org or 770-702-9119. (NEW) Daybreak Dash Fun Run: 7:30 a.m. on July 14 for registration; run at 8 a.m., Settles Bridge Park, 380 Johnson Road, Suwanee. A registration fee is charged. The course is nearly 5K long, with three different trails, for beginners, intermediate and advanced runners. Those completing the race will get a T-Shirt. For more details, www.gwinnettparks.com. Video Creation
Camp for ages 8 to 12: 10 a.m. to noon on July 16 to July 20,
Centerville Community Center, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville. Cost
is $20 per child ($5 sibling discount). For camp information, call The
Little Red Math and Grammar School, 404-826-6818. For pre-registration
and payment information, call 770-985-4713. Children with learning disabilities
are welcome. MORE EEB PERSPECTIVE
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The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Crowell Brothers Funeral Home is
located on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Norcross, Ga. It has been
a family owned and operated business in business for over 30 years, and
prides itself on caring, individualized service. The staff at Crowell
Brothers works to help families properly honor their loved one, according
to his or her own personality and life experiences. Many families follow
their own traditions when arranging services; others seek something different,
a way to celebrate an extraordinary life. Crowell Brothers strives to
personalize each service and help those affected begin their healing process.
Whether you are currently in need of our services, or are simply educating
yourself about your choices, this site was established with you in mind.
Crowell Brothers is here to help you through any questions or concerns
that you may have. For more information, visit our Web site at 
Andrew
King is a professional architectural illustrator and fine artist based
in Snellville. His interest in art and painting began while attending
architectural school at Georgia Tech. After graduating with a Bachelor
of Architecture degree, he began work as a design architect, where he
used his artistic talent to illustrate his own designs.
Crime
Lab Detective takes visitors into the popular world of crime labs and
detective work. Visitors will scrutinize evidence left behind while
recording their findings in a Detective Notebook. After investigating
the crime scene, visitors will be challenged by the lab activities as
they work to decide which of the five prime suspects committed the crime. 
The
participants earn academic credit and are invited to submit their research
for presentation at the CURO Symposium, UGA’s annual spring research
conference for undergraduates.
Advanced
Disposal currently has 27 CNG trucks on order, which will make up our
first CNG fleet, with more to come. The new CNG trucks, when compared
to 2010 diesel models, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent.
The total capital investment for this CNG fueling station and its accompanying
truck fleet will be approximately $22 million. 
“No
doubt books such as this could be written about any country ravaged by
oncoming foreign troops. Yet the fact that the intruders were American,
nee Yankees, and the descriptions are from mostly Georgia women whose
males were fighting elsewhere, makes this work so interesting. Using many
older diaries and similar papers, the author marches with Sherman through
Georgia, with stories of how Georgia women reacted, with tempers, with
cunning, and always bravely. This is a quick read, of 124 pages, softbound.
The author lives in Marietta.” –eeb, via Gary Taylor.