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Issue 12.38 | Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012 TODAY'S FOCUS ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE IN
THE SPOTLIGHT RECOMMENDED GEORGIA
TIDBIT LAGNIAPPE GWINNETT
CALENDAR TODAY'S
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TODAY'S
ELECTION
TODAY'S
FOCUS NORCROSS, Ga., Aug. 21, 2012 -- Gonzo Journalist Hunter S. Thompson once wrote: "....buy the ticket, take the ride." As an individual who loves to travel, his counsel is sound indeed. Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Memphis, meeting my brother, Duane, for a long week-end of blues and barbecue. That's part of the story, but the real story is how I got there.
Have you ever thought of trying something you enjoy, but in a manner you may not be accustomed to? Ever dream of going somewhere, having fun, meeting new and interesting people -- while en route? Wouldn't it be nice to sit back in total comfort, enjoy watching a movie, or using the free Wi-Fi? Picture looking down on the kaleidoscope of scenery passing by, not at 30,000 feet, but at 20 feet on the top of a bright blue double decker bus? Or how about traveling from point A to point B for less money than you could drive yourself? If you answered yes to any of the above, you might consider traveling on something new being offered to the Atlanta traveling public, the Megabus! Yeah, it is awesome! My trip began early one day near the Civic Center MARTA station in downtown Atlanta, the rendezvous point for Atlanta Megabus travel. It's not your typical bus. With courteous help from the professional staff, I loaded my bag on board, walked up the spiral staircase and took my seat on the upper level. Less than 15 minutes later, we were off. I was most impressed with how professional and courteous the driver and the assistant both were with passengers and families. Some had ridden before and some were making their first trip. There was one family, a mother and her three daughters, who were traveling back to Memphis after visiting family in Atlanta. She told me that they bought their tickets early, and the four of them were traveling round-trip for $32, total. My own ticket cost me $37.50 total, a premium, since I bought it four days in advance. Had I signed up early enough, it would have been $1. Soon I hooked up my iPAD to the Wi-Fi, and as I had a commanding view of the Atlanta skyline, I totally relaxed as we headed westward on I-20. The first stop is in Birmingham, just long enough to stretch your legs, as passengers got on or off the Megabus. A group of young ladies getting on in Birmingham told me of some must do's. One which was "right-on" was to try Gus's Fried Chicken in Memphis! As my brother, Duane, and I were walking along Beale Street, I was telling him all about my Megabus adventure. Then I heard, "Is that your brother?" There they were, the "Mega-girls" I had met on the bus! We talked and laughed, and after taking a picture of them with Duane, we said our good-byes. My brother and I went on to Nashville, via the Shiloh battlefield; saw some great country artists in Nashville and all in all had a great time, but soon Duane was headed back to Indiana. I was back on the Megabus from Nashville, and a four hour lovely ride back to Atlanta! Next trip to the Big Easy in January ... you in? Looking
back, it was such a great experience, not just a great trip. ELLIOTT
BRACK AUG. 21, 2012 -- Different people take different routes to their jobs. One guy who ended up being a long-time publisher of the small Homer, Ga., Banks County Journal at the turn of the 19th Century became a newspaperman because his bicycle broke down in Homer. He was from Buffalo, N.Y., and previously he rode his bike through the countryside peddling eyeglasses. It's not the way most newspapermen evolve.
That old newspaper shop in Homer is to now become the Georgia Weekly Newspaper Museum, thanks to the efforts of the newspaper publishing family in Jefferson, in neighboring Jackson County. Scott and Mike Buffington are co-publishers, having followed their parents into the business and expanded the operations tremendously. They now publish six newspapers out of their office in Jefferson under the banner of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. The evolution to a newspaper museum began in 2011 when MainStreet bought the old building where the former Homer newspaper was once published. The Homer paper printed at the shop until 1969 when the owner died. The Commerce News continued to operate the Banks County Journal after that, but that paper was closed in 1987 when The Herald purchased the News. When The Commerce News operated the paper, however, it was printed offsite by offset printing. Editor Mike Buffington of The Jackson Herald is the person with a love for old letterpress machinery, such as he found at the former Banks County Journal building.
He explains: "When Commerce operated the Banks County Journal in 1970, they inherited the use of the building in Homer but only had a small office and didn't use the equipment. The former newspaper owners, A.J. Hilton and his son, Pat, had been publishing the newspaper by the letterpress method in the building, which had all the old equipment. When Pat died, the old equipment was abandoned, even leaving ink in the fountain of the old newspaper press." The old building sat empty after 1987, but was maintained by the local Garrison family who owned the property. Last year, the Garrisons" and MainStreet swapped some property in the town so the old building could be remodeled, the equipment cleaned and a museum established. Since then,
Mike and his family have worked painstakingly to restore the printing
equipment to working order. That didn't come easy. "We had to clean
out the junk, then scrape and dig the ink out of the presses. Much of
the equipment had rusted, so we worked to restore that. And the floor
was rotted in two-thirds of the building." We visited the Homer site the other day, as finishing touches are being completed. Later this month, the Buffingtons are inviting newspaper people across Georgia to come visit the museum. Many present-day publishers have never seen the way newspapers were once painstakingly produced by letterpress. The museum will be open to others visiting, especially school groups. A big salute to Main Street News and the Buffingtons for preserving what was once a slow but routine way of life in keeping people informed. The guy who rode his bicycle into newspapering in Homer would feel at home at the weekly newspaper museum. ABOUT
OUR UNDERWRITERS
FEEDBACK Editor,
the Forum:
In addition Veteran's Administration hospitals are still the furthest thing from top-of-the-line or state-of-the-art when it comes to treatment, prosthetic limbs aside. Of course this leads into the need for such limbs, among it poor and inadequate under-armor for vehicles in combat theaters. How does this happen with a military budget larger than the combined military spending of the world's top 20 military powers? One out
of three or four women in service experience rape either by their direct
leader or their unit members. When reported to their chain of command,
she is either laughed off, ridiculed or worse. This is a national embarrassment
and highlights the officer corps' disdain for allowing women in the military.
Commanding officers who allow this behavior to continue should be court
martialed. Our service
men and women deserve the best money can buy, and also some perks. Instead
we have a military system that is a cash cow and revolving door for corporate
and Congressional elites. The are the same people who decide why, when
and where our military goes into harm's way, rarely for the claims of
national security touted.
Two people think the West begins in Flint Hills of Kansas Editor,
the Forum:
Likes idea of competition for Gwinnett County Schools Editor, the Forum: According to Gwinnett school board member Robert McClure, if charter schools receive state support, they "will be our competitor, not our partner. " Good. Competition is great, in education as well in business. All the more reason to vote "yes" on the upcoming amendment in November.
UPCOMING Brand Group Holdings Inc., the parent holding company of Lawrenceville-based Brand Banking Co., announces the rebranding of the bank as BrandBank. The new name and branding reflects BrandBank's re-emergence as a leading community bank that maintains strong roots in Metro Atlanta for over 100 years.
Morgan adds: "Our ongoing commitment to providing the latest products and technology means you can always look forward to brand new ways to bank with us. To demonstrate that commitment, as well as our promise to deliver personal and professional service, we are today introducing our brand new look." Over the next several weeks, the new BrandBank logo, comprised of two letter "Bs" joined to create a friendly community tree, will replace the existing Brand Banking Company logo at branches throughout the area. The dark and light greens introduce liveliness to the BrandBank brand with continued emphasis on stability. A one-word, gray letter format in all capital letters is used to express the company name in a professional tone. Atlanta History Center reading for annual Fall Folklife Festival Each year, the Atlanta History Center ushers in the autumn season with the Fall Folklife Festival. Traditional crafts, southern foodways and environmental sustainability are at the center of the festivities.
Sample delicious food from Atlanta restaurants and businesses committed to serving local and sustainable ingredients. Stop by one of three bars to enjoy a specialized punchbowl cocktail created by area mixologists. Meet with a sommelier from Restaurant Eugene who curates Georgia wines. Stroll through the museum's award-winning exhibitions. Enjoy live music from Georgia's own Little Country Giants. Learn about the evolution of Atlanta dining with a panel discussion featuring some of Atlanta's most beloved chefs including, Steve and Marie Nygren, founders of Serenbe; Linton Hopkins, Executive Chef and Co-owner of several Atlanta restaurants, including Restaurant Eugene; and Duane Nutter, Chef and Owner of One Flew South and Rolling Bones.
NOTABLE Gwinnett County officials have learned that Moody's, Standard and Poor's and Fitch Ratings have reaffirmed the government's AAA credit rating with a stable outlook. The County intends to take advantage of lower interest rates by refinancing a general obligation bond from 2003 that funded construction of the Pre-Trial Detention Center expansion. The move could save as much as $1.8 million in interest when it refinances the bonds in a negotiated sale later this month, according to Finance Director Maria Woods.
Gwinnett County has held the highest bond rating since 1997. The three rating agencies also reaffirmed the top rating on other Gwinnett County debt, including $969.5 million in water and sewer bonds and $94.7 million in Development Authority bonds. Moody's cited Gwinnett's "strong fiscal management of the county as evidenced by ample reserves and demonstrated commitment toward maintaining its financial position." The agency's report also said "the favorable operations are due to conservative budgetary assumptions resulting in significant favorable variances in both revenues and expenditures, diligent budget monitoring, and proactive multi-year forecasting." According to Standard and Poor's, the agency's rating reflects the county's "good financial management policies and practices and moderate overall debt levels, with no plans for additional new debt." The report went on to say "the county was able to generate these strong results … from conservative budgeting of its tax digest reductions, position vacancies, savings from limited capital contributions, and other departmental reductions." Fitch noted in its report that Gwinnett County's position in a regional economic and employment center was one of the key drivers for its rating. The report said "the regional economy remains well positioned for growth over the long term, benefiting from solid in-migration patterns, a well-educated workforce, a large and diverse economy, and below-average living costs." Two elected to board of Braselton LifePath CID Terry Evans and Mary Neuman were recently elected to the board of directors of the Braselton LifePath Community Improvement District.
Evans, a career banker, is president and CEO of Independence Bank in Braselton. He earned a BBA in banking and finance at the University of Georgia and graduated from the School of Banking at Louisiana State University. Formerly with the Citizens Bank of Gwinnett and the First National Bank of Gwinnett, he was an organizer and is the president of Independence Bank. He is a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett. Neuman's
corporate career includes professional responsibilities in risk management,
financial systems, private consulting and is a principal partner in the
Mulberry Walk Center of Braselton. She earned degrees from DeKalb Technical
College and Georgia State University. Braselton
LifePath CID was chartered by the General Assembly and is governed by
a seven-person volunteer board. Its principal mission is to design and
construct safe and convenient pathways connecting neighborhoods to local
commercial districts in western Braselton.
RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA Marble, a metamorphosed limestone prized for its hardness and variety, is quarried in north Georgia near Tate, in Pickens County. This marble has been used extensively for gravestones and in buildings throughout the United States, including the U.S. Capitol. Sixty percent of the monuments in Washington, D.C., in fact, are made from Georgia marble.
The area's marble industry began after the mid-1830s, when Henry T. Fitzsimmons, an Irish stonemason, was traveling through north Georgia and discovered outcroppings of surface marble in the Long Swamp Valley of what was then Cherokee County. He immediately obtained the land, opened the Long Swamp Marble Company, and quarried the marble by very crude means. He then carved monuments and memorials that were sold throughout the area. Georgia's next entrepreneur in the marble industry was Samuel Tate, who in the 1830s purchased land lottery tracts in north Georgia, much of which included large marble deposits. In 1845 Tate signed an agreement with James Ferrel, James C. Holmes, and Gideon Roberts, all from Alabama, that allowed for quarrying on his land. There is no evidence, however, that this agreement was ever enacted. In 1850, while continuing to farm, Tate became a partner in a marble company that opened a quarry in the vicinity of the present Georgia Marble Company in the town that later became known as Tate. By 1880 the marble industry was defunct, lacking the necessary capital and transportation network to thrive. The arrival of the railroads by 1883 to Pickens County, with the establishment of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad system, revitalized the industry by providing a means of transporting blocks and finished marble products. Northern capitalists invested in the industry, and the Tate family created the Georgia Marble Company in 1884. Marble finishing plants sprung up in Pickens County; Ball Ground and Canton in Cherokee County; and Marietta in Cobb County.
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Visit this site to see details of the upcoming funerals of Gwinnett Countians from local funeral homes. On the site, sign up at top right and we'll send you GwinnettObits each day. Click on the names below to see details of their funerals.
TODAY'S QUOTE "Every four years the naive half who vote are encouraged to believe that if we can elect a really nice man or woman President, everything will be all right. But it won't be."
RUNOFF:
AUGUST 21 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. PROFILE
KEY
2012 COUNTY CANDIDATES Gwinnett County Commission, District 3
NON-PARTISAN JUDGESHIPS Superior Court State Court 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 (NEW) Chamber address by U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss: 11:30 a.m., Aug. 22, Atlanta Marriott at Gwinnett Place. Tickets for the event are $45. Call 770 232-3000 for more details.
MORE EEB PERSPECTIVE
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
CONTACT US TODAY © 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
generosity of our underwriters is what allows us to offer GwinnettForum.com
at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Wages and Sons Funeral Home
and Crematories, a family owned and operated funeral provider that
has cared for metro Atlanta families for more than 40 years. Wages and
Sons offers a soothing environment, unmatched attention to detail, personalized,
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your family's comfort and guide you through the arrangement process every
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Visit 
My
nephew is in the Navy and will be flying home for Christmas hopefully,
if leave is approved. One option is to take a "free" MAC flight,
most likely losing at least two days of time, while waiting for an open
seat. Instead he has opted for the more costly but time-saving purchase
of his own ticket. The USO is out at Hartsfield-Jackson every day clapping
for returning troops from all branches of service. Why not let them all
fly for free to return home for breaks? I say they have earned it. 
Bartow
Morgan Jr., CEO of BrandBank, says: "A lot has changed since The
Brand Banking Company began serving Gwinnett County families and businesses
in 1905. You now have more account choices, convenience and access to
your accounts than ever before, while continuing to enjoy the advantages
of a local banker who understands the needs of our customers and our community."
This
year, the festival expands with the introduction of a new Friday night
kick-off event. Join the Atlanta History Center on Friday, September 21
from 7 until 10 p.m. for Folklife Fest Kick-Off, an evening foodie affair
that celebrates southern culture and food with an emphasis on Atlanta's
unique cuisine. 
Commission
Chairman Charlotte Nash says: "This is great news. Gwinnett County's
sound financial management over the long-term has paid off once again
with tangible results. I am pleased that we can reduce debt payments and
save taxpayer dollars." 
"This
easy-to-read business book is in the form of a parable-type story. We
follow the journey of Ben who has recently been tasked with trying to
make a merger happen. As he grows in learning about the company and the
people, he learns even more about himself and also important business
and relationship principles. I enjoyed many of the characters' conversations
and their loaded implications. Each chapter was interesting and had its
own nuggets of wisdom."
IT
IS HARD TO BELIEVE that the 30th annual
Duluth Fall Festival is right around the corner. We hope
to see you in Duluth on September 29th and 30th! There will
be more than 350 vendors, a parade, music at two venues, entertainment,
"Man's Corner", a carnival, a 5K road race and much more.
All of the proceeds are used for improving Downtown Duluth, and
as you will see, this mission is paying off! The Historic
Downtown has never looked better. For more information, visit 
For
the 2012 primary season, GwinnettForum asked all candidates facing
primary opposition in Gwinnett County to provide answers to a few questions.
Sneak
Peek of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre's new studios: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.,
Aug. 23, 1800 Macleod Drive, Lawrenceville. Come see the 20,000-square-foot
facility and its amenities. No RSVP needed. Just drop by and see for yourself!