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TODAY'S
FOCUS
Consider overseas
cruises to Holland, Portugal next spring!
By
ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
| Permalink
DEC. 18,
2012 -- Okay, you adventurers thinking about traveling next year, let's
go cruising! (It might be a good surprise Christmas gift for your spouse!)
Set
for next spring, GwinnettForum is offering an overseas venture
for those who enjoy world traveling. The destinations are Holland and
Portugal, plus short visits in two other countries, Belgium and Spain.
In previous
years, we have assembled groups of people to travel to other-world destinations.
Back about 10 years ago, a group of 16 of us went to Alaska. Then a few
years later, we were surprised to find 42 people anxious to visit in China.
Both were marvelous journeys, coming off smoothly.
Last year
we went alone to check out river cruises, to the Rhone River valley in
France with Premier River Cruises. In talking to them about destinations,
we have come up with first a popular cruise, that in Holland. Then they
suggested a cruise to visit a country that many Americans pass by, Portugal.
Those wishing to join the group may participate in either one or both
of these cruises in Europe. After the first week's cruise, the group will
fly directly to Porto, Portugal to begin the second week.
There is
one catch: for space on cruise ships this late in the season, the availability
is limited. So the date is fixed, with the sailing date for the Tulip
Time trip to Holland of April 9, 2013. There will be a week on board AmaWaterways
AmaLyra, moseying around Holland and Belgium, with the highlight (for
me) of visiting the world famous Keukenhof Gardens in Holland, right at
tulip time!
Then beginning
on April 16, that's the sailing date for a trip in Portugal to explore
that country's beautiful Douro River valley on board the AmaVida. There
will even be one day's visit to Salamanca, Spain, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
So
anyone reading GwinnettForum and even a little bit interested,
should visit the web sites of the two cruises. Here are three sites to
visit:
Prices
for the tours are $2,799 and $2,899 (depending on what deck you are on)
for the Tulip Time cruise, plus $147 port tax. For the Portugal leg of
the trip, prices are from $3,169 to $3,469, plus another $147 port fee.
Airfare
from Atlanta to Amsterdam, and the return from Lisbon to Atlanta, is $1,200.
There is also a $450 ticket to fly from Amsterdam to Porto, Portugal.
So why
a river cruise? Let's face it: river cruises are not for everyone. In
general, it is an older group of passengers, who just simply like the
idea of unpacking once during a week, and taking in the pleasures of the
ship and the villages along the route, all done in a leisurely fashion.
Enjoy the good cuisine of the ship, never having to search for just the
perfect restaurant. Enjoy the complimentary wine and beer on the menu,
and the activities that the ship's company presents, telling the history
and the customs of the country you are visiting.
If you
are interested, just let us know. Move quickly to guarantee space. Send
me an email (elliott@brack.net),
and we'll send you details of the two trips. We suggest that the overseas
cruise will be something you will never forget!
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Lawmakers: Move quickly
to halt sales of automatic weapons
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com | Permalink
DEC. 18,
2012 -- Even whisper anything about controlling guns, and the wrath of
the National Rifle Association comes down on you in force.

Brack
|
Yet there
must be even members of the NRA with a conscience who are troubled by
the periodic outburst of relentless massacres of innocent people with
automatic weapons. Surely some of the NRA members recognize that the United
States must take steps, at least beginning steps, to control the outbursts
and senseless killings by deranged people who spray down the innocent
with repeated bullets from uncontrolled automatic weapons.
We suspect most Americans, perhaps even three-fourths of them, would recognize
and applaud sportsmen and homeowners who want to own a gun, no matter
the reason. Many also share the underlining basis of ownership, the Second
Amendment "right to bear arms."
But certainly in this right to bear arms, most Americans don't think you
should be allowed to own canons, howitzers, battleships, AK-47s and automatic
pistols within the scope of this law. These weapons are something that
defense forces need, not individual deer hunters, or people safeguarding
their home.
Yet the senseless killing in Connecticut last week of 28 people, 20 of
them first graders, should bring everyone in the country to a position
of questioning how our nation allows individuals to have control of these
weapons. Automatic guns are, essentially, weapons of mass destruction,
in that they can inflict bodily harm to so many people so fast. No doubt
many of those shot in the Connecticut school would have survived had they
been shot only once with a single-shot weapon. But the automatic weapons
can tear into anyone's body several times in a split second, pushing their
killer powers to a higher degree.
Incidents
such as our nation witnessed last week seem to be popping up far more
often than in the past. Those thinking through the causes of these mass
killings give more than one reason for how they come about. After all,
we live in a complex society. It may take action on several fronts, over
a great deal of time, to address these causes and take action to eliminate
the causes.
Yet what is needed is relatively quick action, best driven by our national
Congress, to take on the National Rifle Association, essentially a uniting
of Democratic and Republican forces, who need to show they are fed up
with the killings.
It is time to say to the NRA and others with their never-wavering agenda,
simply "Enough!"
No one needs to ban all arms, or require registration across the board.
What is needed is action to halt manufacturers and arms-dealers (even
those in our own neighborhoods) from selling automatic weapons to anyone
save the government. Put up the money to buy out these weapons from the
dealers, and to halt immediately their manufacturing. Require stiff penalty,
including prison, to any arms exec or dealer who violates this law. Let's
get something solid done about dealing in automatic weapons, the sooner
the better, so that our nation won't have to suffer through another mass
killing.
So, hunters and those safeguarding your home, relent some! Tell Congress
you want this limited action of banning the automatic weapons. And sleep
better afterward, knowing your Second Amendment right to bear arms is
still in effect just like the Revolutionary War soldiers had
..without
automatic weapons.
As for the Congress, our nation should hold each Senator's and Representative's
feet to the fire until they move into action.
We're fed up with mass killings. The USA needs to take on the NRA! We
want the repeal of automatic weapon sales!
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
The
Bible and global warming

SPOTLIGHT
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Planning, Inc.
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through creative, innovative planned developments, through the design
of essential infrastructure and public buildings, and through promoting
good planning and development principles. Employees and principals are
involved in numerous civic, charitable and community based efforts in
and around Gwinnett County. For more information, visit our website at
www.ppi.us or call 770-338-8103.
- For
a list of other underwriters of this forum, click
here.
FEEDBACK
Why
you need Army-Navy football game on your Bucket List
Editor,
the Forum:
I read with interest your article about the Army-Navy Game, especially
since I was there as well! I was across the field from you on the "proper
side," that of the senior service, the Army. A long time ago, I was
an Army officer, having received my commission through ROTC. My father
before me had been an Army officer, so as the saying goes, my blood runs
olive drab green.
On
the field, the game was certainly another heartbreaker for Army. Eleven
years in a row those Navy people have won! But off the field, what an
exciting Woodstock of military patriotism! The game is billed as "America's
Game" and I think the name is apt. All of us can take tremendous
pride in what the game represents.
All in attendance were decked out in their respective team's colors and
the good-natured ribbing started at the airport the night before. I rode
a shuttle bus with one older gentleman wearing a Navy jacket indicating
he was from the class of '47! He quickly sized me up after glancing at
my Army Cavalry hat. After firing a few friendly shots at each other's
team, we settled in to a nice conversation as if we'd known each other
for years. That camaraderie is what I miss about not being in the Army.
Vendors were selling all manner of souvenirs, but there was one t-shirt
in particular that caught my eye. It read "United 364/Rivals 1."
And the United was in red, white and blue.
Finally, my seatmate on the flight home was a woman from Kennesaw who
had no affiliation with the military at all, but had gone to the game
to accompany a friend. She said the experience had been a thrill and had
filled her with pride for this great country. America's Game is definitely
worthy of being on anybody's bucket list and I encourage all your readers
to get there as soon as they can.
--
Scott T. LeCraw, Suwanee
Army-Navy
story prompts letter of son's accomplishments
Editor,
the Forum:
The article
on your going to the Army/Navy game this year in Philly, I gotta tell
you, I've been there and had a tear in both eyes for the entire game.
You may
remember that my son got accepted to the Naval Academy through the hard
work of then Congressman Ed Jenkins and Former Superintendent of Schools
J.W. Benefield. He served 24 years, achieved his Master's Degree in Monterey,
Calif. and retired as a lieutenant commander. He flew the S3 Viking jets
off several aircraft carriers. He is now employed with Target Stores.
While he was at the Naval Academy, he had the opportunity to play on the
Lightweight Football team, which is for students that have talent but
weigh no more than 155 pounds. While he was playing for the Academy, I
was fortunate enough to attend their games against Army, and even had
the opportunity to ride the team bus to the Army game at West Point.
During
his career I also had another ride along trip on the USS John F. Kennedy
aircraft carrier where we cruised from Bermuda to Jacksonville. While
onboard we watched the awesome display of talent by our country's top
pilots and their support teams.
The events I was fortunate enough to have participated with my son will
never be forgotten. My thanks go to Congressman Jenkins and Mr. Benefield,
and of course to my son who served with distinction and gave his Pop a
lot to talk about and remember.
Just thought
you'd like to know.
--
Joe Staffieri, Cumming
Likes
quality of GwinnettForum, coverage of wider community
Editor,
the Forum:
I was just
browsing the most recent Gwinnett Forum and was again reminded
of what a pleasure it is to read a quality newsletter. I appreciate your
thorough coverage of a [much] large[r] geographic area, with an eye to
raising the sense of community.
--
Margot Ashley, Lilburn
- 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
County
to upgrade traffic management using NaviGAtor
Gwinnett
commissioners have to upgrade the traffic management system at the Traffic
Control Center by expanding use of the Georgia DOT's NaviGAtor system.
Gwinnett
DOT Director Kim Conroy said, "This contract will improve our ability
to monitor and manage traffic conditions across the County. It also integrates
our system with police, fire, the 911 Center and the Emergency Operations
Center, enabling them to monitor the state's cameras along I-85, which
is critical to their incident management operations."
The upgrade will also add to the information available to motorists through
GC Smart Commute, which currently provides live, streaming video of select
major intersections from Gwinnett County traffic cameras. This resource
is available online at gcsmartcommute.com and on TVgwinnett weekdays between
6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Once completed,
the upgrade will allow commuters to select a specific intersection and
receive a static image that will be updated every 1 to 2 minutes.
The 2009 SPLOST sales tax program will pay for the $341,763 contract with
Delcan Corporation.
GGC
receives $500,000 DOT grant for pedestrian pathways
GGC has
been awarded a $500,000 Transportation Enhancement (TE) Grant by Georgia's
Department of Transportation to implement a pedestrian pathways project.
The project will connect the college's Admissions Building and the Valentine
Building along Collins Hill Road to Building A, the Parking Deck, and
University Center Lane near the campus' new loop road and varsity athletics
complex.
Project
design funding is provided by a $125,000 Infrastructure Project bond fund,
much of which will be used for project concept planning, preliminary design,
and construction documentation for the project before construction bids
are issued in late 2013. The availability of these funds was a requirement
of the grant, and GGC provided them as matching dollars to comply with
the TE grant agreement.
The project will consist of footpaths, crosswalks, cart paths, sidewalks,
lighting, landscaping and vehicle drop-off locations - all serving to
connect the east and central sectors of the Georgia Gwinnett campus.
Eddie Beauchamp,
vice president for Facilities and Operations, says: "This project
will be a major step in the completion of our vision for the campus as
a pedestrian friendly community. This transformation began last summer
with the completion of a streetscape project near the Library and Building
H. These projects will make traversing the campus much easier for those
on foot."
Design work will begin in December 2012, with construction targeted to
start in the fall of 2013. The project should be complete in early 2014.
DNR
grant, SPLOST, combine to fund connecting trail
With help
from a $100,000 Recreation Trails Grant from the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources, Gwinnett commissioners have approved a new greenways
trail connection in Lilburn.
The project will create a bike and pedestrian link from the Camp Creek
Greenway to Lions Club Park, which is currently undergoing renovations.
The new 0.8-mile trail will connect to the two-mile Camp Creek Greenway
trail built by the City of Lilburn. The construction includes a new 700-foot
boardwalk, asphalt trail and a 60-foot long concrete bridge underpass
at Rockbridge Road along Camp Creek.
Long term plans include extending the trail south to Harmony Grove Park
through the Camp Creek Greenspace at Lions Club Park.
Astra Group Inc. was the low bidder at $260,000. Construction is expected
to take about 90 days. SPLOST program funds will cover the remaining cost
to enhance the Gwinnett Greenways program.
NOTABLE
Chamber
winners of Citizen of Year and Public Service awards
Announcement
has been made of outstanding Gwinnettians who will be honored at the 65th
annual Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce awards dinner on February 1,
2013. The dinner will be in the Hughes Ballroom of Gwinnett Center in
Duluth.

Howard
|
Winning
the Citizen of the Year award is Barbara Howard of Suzanna's Kitchen
of Duluth.
Other award
winners include:
Public
Service Awards:
- Judge
Stephen Franzen, Gwinnett Juvenile Courts;
- Mayor
Nancy Harris of Duluth;
- Paige
Havens of Lawrenceville;
- Joe
McCart, The McCart Group;
- David
McCleskey, Gwinnett Public Schools; and
- Dr.
Mary Kay Murphy, Gwinnett School Board Member.
Wayne
Shackelford Legacy Award: Barbara King, Primerica Inc.
Scott
Hudgens Humanitarian Award: Jackson Jinright Foundation and the
Partnership Against Domestic Violence.
City
of Lilburn honors employees for service, achievements
The City
of Lilburn has recognized employees for their dedicated service and achievements.
The City currently has 56 full-time and six part-time employees.

Lilburn
Police Chief Bruce Hedley presents Trey Taylor with the Bentley
Cup Award for excellence in weapons qualifications.
|
Police
Officer Trey Taylor received the first Bentley Cup Award. This new award
is named after Stephen Bentley, a longtime Lilburn police officer who
lost a battle with cancer earlier this year. The award goes to the officer
who achieved the highest level of excellence during the annual weapons
qualification. Taylor scored 97 percent. He has been with the department
for three years.
Other service
awards went to:
- 25 Years:
Veleta Bogar, Support Services Manager, Police Department; and Sergeant
Grant Peehler, Police Department.
- 10 Years:
Ed Poste, Park Maintenance Worker.
- 5 Years:
Officer Andy Blimline, Police Department; Investigator Rob Kirschner,
Police Department; and Michael White, Park Monitor.
- New
Hires: Melissa Penate, administrative clerk, City Hall; Officers Matt
LeGerme, Daniel McCarty and Chris Hall, Police Department; Nikki Young,
public relations manager; Paul Calcaterra, code enforcement officer;
and Charles Milton, Public Works.
Gwinnett Tech promotes
Post to VP of student affairs
Julie L.
Post is Gwinnett Technical College's new vice president of student affairs.

Post
|
She joined
Gwinnett Tech in 2004, and has been in administration at Gwinnett Tech
since 2005, focusing on institutional effectiveness since 2007. In that
realm, she also managed the college's initiatives for Special Populations,
Disability Services and Veteran's Affairs.
She also
created and launched the college's Customer Care Center and oversees its
operations. A graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Post earned a
master's degree in the art of teaching from Marygrove College and will
complete the doctoral program in workforce education at the University
of Georgia this spring.
RECOMMENDED
Mankind:
The Story of All of Us
By Pamela D. Toler
"This
book by Pamela D. Toler, Ph.D., published by the History Channel, is a
winner! It follows the rise of man and civilization from caveman to astronaut.
The book is also presented as a six-part series on Tuesday night on the
History Channel. Being a former world history teacher, I would recommend
this splendid book for all age groups. It begins appropriately with the
discovery and use of fire, which allowed man to come out of Africa to
colder climes. This book is profusely illustrated with color maps, tables
and photographs on nearly every page. Another plus for this book is that
it doesn't have to be read chronologically, since each unit is self-contained.
The book would make anyone interested in history a perfect Christmas present.
The only downside is no index, so take good notes!"
--
Frank Sharp, Lawrenceville
- An
invitation: What Web sites, books or restaurants
have you enjoyed? Send us your best recent visit to
a restaurant or most recent book you have read along with a short paragraph
as to why you liked it, plus what book you plan to read next. --eeb
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA
Thomas County's Van
K. Brock finds career as a poet
(Part
1 of 2)
As a poet
who craved a connection with language from an early age, Van
K. Brock began to contemplate a career in poetry while studying as
an undergraduate at Emory University in Atlanta. Since his days there
as both a student and a teacher, Brock has published several books of
poetry.
Vandall
Kline Brock was born on October 31, 1932, near Boston in Thomas County
to Gladys Lewis, a teacher, and William Arthur Brock, a farmer. He first
encountered poetry when his mother read it to him on a regular basis.
He also began reading a great deal for himself. As a child, he told his
mother that he wanted to be a poet.
At 16 Brock
entered Florida State University in Tallahassee as an engineering major.
He soon transferred to the Georgia Institute of Technology, where a humanities
course caused him to change directions. He transferred to Emory University
in the winter of 1952 to major in humanities and graduated two years later.
After attending
Garrett Theological Institute at Northwestern University in Evanston,
Ill., from 1954 to 1956, Brock returned to Atlanta and began working in
the Medical Records Department at Emory. While this job consumed his nights,
he spent the rest of his time reading major contemporary poets and experimenting
with his craft.
During
this time Brock met Paul Engle, the director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop,
who asked him to enter the graduate program at the University of Iowa.
Brock graduated with an M.A. in English in 1963 and an M.F.A. in poetry
in 1964. He returned to Atlanta in 1964 and took a job teaching English,
creative writing, and humanities courses at Oglethorpe University from
1964 to 1968. He then moved back to Iowa to complete his Ph.D. in modern
letters, which he earned in 1970.
(To
be continued)
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The second annual Citizens Academy of Braselton has graduated
two citizens. Ed Roach, left, and Fred Irvin were recognized
by the Town Council for their efforts. They are shown with
Mayor Bill Orr in the center. The Academy is designed for
an in-depth study of town operations including administration,
finance, public works, library, police and municipal court,
planning and development and its associated volunteer-entities
including the Visitors Bureau Authority and Downtown Development
Authority. Applications for the 2013 academy will be available
in February.
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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.
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GWINNETTOBITS.com
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
Bart
says we must remember the true meaning of Christmas, right?
"Aren't we forgetting
the true meaning of Christmas? You know... the birth of Santa."
-- That crazy
cartoon kid, Bart Simpson (1979 - ).
GREAT GIFT
Looking for that
perfect, unique gift?
Consider
a book about Gwinnett history.
Previously out of
print, Elliott Brack's 850-page history, "Gwinnett: A Little Above
Atlanta," is now available again. Since its original publication,
the book was declared the winner of the 2010 Award of Excellence for
documenting Georgia history by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory
Board. It is also the winner of the Gwinnett Historical Society's Whitworth-Flanigan
Award for 2011 for preserving the history of Gwinnett County.
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:
- Atlanta History
Center, Atlanta
- Books for Less,
Buford
- Gwinnett Historical
Society, Lawrenceville
- Vargas and Harbin
Gallery, Norcross
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.
Or call me (Elliott
Brack) at 770 840 1003 and tell me how to dedicate a book to a friend
(or to you) as he adds his signature!
SEARCH GWINNETT FORUM
Loading
GWINNETT CALENDAR
(NEW)
Lawrenceville Rings: 6 p.m. until midnight, Dec. 31, historic
courthouse, downtown Lawrenceville. The 9th annual New Year's Eve Celebration
will feature be family fun, inflatables, dancing, shopping, and at midnight,
fireworks to usher in the new year. Free lawn seating for a 9 p.m. concert.
Details
online.
MORE
EEB PERSPECTIVE
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
CONTINUING
OBJECTIVES FOR GWINNETT
Gwinnett
Forum publisher Elliott Brack suggests that Gwinnett County needs a long-range
list of continuing objectives for improving the county. Read
more.
- Development
of a two-party system for local offices
- Transparent
operations to restore faith in Gwinnett's County Commission
- Moving
statewide non-partisan judge election runoffs to the General
Election
- Light
rail for Gwinnett from Doraville MARTA station to Gwinnett Arena
- Extension
of Gwinnett Place CID area to
include Arena and Discovery Mills Mall
- Banning
of tobacco in all Gwinnett parks
- Making
Briscoe Field a commercial airport for jet-age travel
- Approval
of Educational SPLOST in 2013
- More
diverse candidates for political offices and appointment to local
boards
- Physical
move of former St. Gerard's Catholic Church in Buffalo, N.Y., to
Norcross
- Creative
efforts to support the arts in Gwinnett
- Advancement
and expansion of city and Gwinnett historical societies
- Stronger
regulation of late-night establishments with alcoholic licenses
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
EMAIL: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
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The Brack Group.
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