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Issue 12.85 | Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 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
FOCUS DULUTH, Ga., Feb.19, 2013 -- As you are aware, the Professional Golf Association Tour's Champions Tour is coming to TPC Sugarloaf for the Greater Gwinnett Championship during the week of April 15.
Many of
the most well-known and skilled golfers in the world will be in Gwinnett
during this week. In fact, we expect approximately 40,000 spectators to
come to TPC Sugarloaf to watch these fan favorites demonstrate their skills.
In addition, Gwinnett and the tournament will receive national and international
attention with a live broadcast on The Golf Channel. Since the Classic departed, Gwinnett has longed to bring the prestigious PGA Tour tournament back to the course that was designed by Greg Norman and was the venue of so many exciting tournaments during it's Classic run. With the PGA Tour/Champions Tour Greater Gwinnett Championship just months away, Gwinnett and the entire the golf world is a buzz about this new event.
Many people
are already on board with their purchased tickets as they wait for that
inaugural tee shot on this event. You, too, can get in the game! Click
here to view a sampling of what is available for event packages. Perhaps
you would enjoy the opportunity to not only see these great golfers but
would also like to play along beside them in the event's PRO-AM days on
the April 17-18. Take a moment to review our brochure which serves as
an introduction to these opportunities. ELLIOTT
BRACK'S PERSPECTIVE FEB. 19, 2013 -- Presidential scholars agree that as president, John Quincy Adams was not the greatest. He was too out of touch, thinking matters should stand on their own merit. Therefore, he did not engage the Congress as the great presidents have.
But our sixth president did not end his public life once he was out of office in 1829, though he tried to return to his native Massachusetts and a law practice. Instead, his fellow citizens insisted that he stand for Congress, as he did, won, and remained in Congress from 1830-48, where he served with distinction. One of his hallmarks while a congressman was that he saw the problems associated with slavery, and sought to introduce measure-after-measure to discuss slavery. But he was thwarted by a Congress being overwhelmed and dominated by long-term serving Southerners, who instituted a gag rule in the House chambers concerning slavery. Yet John Quincy Adams persisted, until finally in 1844, the issue was finally brought to the floor. Up until then, Congress had had its head in the sand when it came to slavery. Unfortunately, the slavery question frames a bad precedent today, as the Congress has its head in the sand again, this time concerning studying gun violence. The lobbyists for the National Rifle Association, among others, used their power in 1996 to cut funding of the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) concerning gun violence. Only meager funding by non-federal funds on the topic have addressed the issue since. At least one former congressman who introduced an amendment stripping the CDC budget on gun violence, Rep. Jay Dickey (R-Ark), has recanted his action. No longer a congressman, Mr. Dickey now feels scientific research needs to be conducted on firearm deaths "without encroaching on the rights of legitimate gun owners."
Meanwhile, the pro-gun lobby, always working on several fronts, has legislation proposed or enacted in eight states threatening health care professional's licensing if they discuss firearm safety. Yes, those opposed to studying gun violence are at work throughout the nation. Yet over and over, organizations seeing the heavy toll of gun violence in America, report a continued connection between guns and violence on many fronts. The American Public Health Association says there is an "irrefutable link" between access to guns and increased homicides." A former Emergency Room physician with the RAND Corporation says: "I wasn't seeing too many bad guys show up (in the emergency room.) I was seeing kids shot by another child while they played with a gun they had found. I saw spouses who had shot one or the other in a family dispute." The gun-violence ban has even halted the Defense Department commanders from talking to service members about their private weapons, even when a member may appear suicidal! And on and on. Other scientific studies about deaths and injury prevention are reaping rewards. People being killed in auto wrecks down 31 per cent in 20 years. Even deaths are down from fire (38 percent) and drowning (52 percent), showing such research can not only be valuable, but life saving! Yet the long arm and funding of the lobbyists are successful in keeping our Congress from addressing gun violence. We need another John Quincy Adams to show Congress the way on addressing this key issue. SPOTLIGHT
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 The Lilburn Community Improvement District (CID) is asking those who live and work in the CID area to provide input during two upcoming public information meetings concerning roads.
The second meeting is on Monday, February 25 at 7 p.m., also at Providence Christian Academy. This meeting concerns a 10 foot wide pathway between Postal Way and Killian Hill Road. The CID is coordinating its projects with the City of Lilburn, Gwinnett County and Georgia Department of Transportation. For more information on these public meetings, please contact Gerald McDowell at 678-380-1000. GNLI team planning Feb. 23 program aimed at team success Every year, the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute graduates a group of involved citizens committed to projects that improve their local communities. This year is no different. Five of this year's group are working on a Public Safety Awareness and Educational Program as part of a sustainable program to improve the quality of life in the Gwinnett community.
This Safety Project nicknamed "I Know, I Do Safety" (iKIDS) and will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2013 and coincides with the Summerour Middle School Success Saturdays Program. This Success program now is in its third-year, as a 13-week academic enrichment program geared to at-risk students who need additional academic instruction, support and empowerment in order to succeed. "I Know, I Do Safety" Seminar will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Summerour Middle School. Keynote Speaker will be Mich Brown of The E.P.I.C. Generation (Empowering People Inspiring Choices), an independent artist, songwriter, actor, and student. The iKIDS project began as a collaboration effort with GNLI Team Transformers, lead by their coach, Felicia Johnson, a Norcross resident and alumni of GNLI, and the leadership team at Summerour Middle School. The iKIDS Team Members: Tonicia "Niecy" Frazier, La'Tonya G. Hawkins, Maiko Natori, Wendell Spiva, JeJuan D. Stewart. The project is under the direction of Nicole Love-Hendrickson of Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. For more information, contact latonya@divinico.com or call 678-698-5048. Aurora Theatre offering special classes during spring break Spring break is approaching and students love it at the beach. If your family is not planning a trip during spring break this year, send the kids to Drama Beach 2013 at Aurora Theatre Academy.
Students
can come dressed for the beach theme----Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses and
flip flops are encouraged. Beginners can test the waters or for seasoned
performers to sharpen their improv skills in a fun and creative way. Theatre
games and exercises will focus on teamwork, character development, thinking
on your feet, and much more.
To register,
call 678-226-6222, or go
online here. NOTABLE The Georgia
Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the City of Suwanee in a suit brought
forward by Settles Bridge Farm landowners, vacating a Gwinnett Superior
Court award. The ruling determined that the city acted appropriately in
2008 when it implemented a 90-day development moratorium and subsequently
a special-use process for large-scale projects. Gwinnett Medical Center opens Center for Cancer Care Patients in the region now have a convenient option when it comes to cancer care. Recently the infusion centers of Suburban Hematology Oncology Associates P.C., located in Lawrenceville, Duluth and Snellville, became the Center for Cancer Care, a service of Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC).
The newly formed Center for Cancer Care results from a strengthened relationship between GMC and the physicians of Suburban Hematology Oncology Associates P.C. Practicing physicians include Drs. Allan Freedman, Christopher Hagenstad, Anthony M. Landis, Aldemar Montero Kevin H. Peacock, Alexander Saker, Jr., P. Ravi Sarma, and Satvir Singh. "An estimated 40,000 people in the Gwinnett area are currently living with cancer," said GMC Executive Vice President and COO Thomas Shepherd. "This new venture will build on the great network of care we already have, and will aid in helping cancer patients in our region obtain the care they need, closer to home." Anthony M. Landis, DO, says: "The venture allows us to build on our individual strengths and together set new goals for continuing to improve our services for patients and families living with cancer into the future," Said a Suburban Hematology doctor: "Over time we hope this takes the form of a more seamless system of care and also additional access to services that are needed in our region." Patients can expect the same experienced physicians and staff of Suburban Hematology Oncology Associates P.C., as well as the same infusion/injection services, including chemotherapy, hydration and other IV therapies. Northwestern Mutual honors Peachtree Corners resident Northwestern Mutual is honoring Peachtree Corners resident John A. Crawford, affiliated with Goodwin, Wright, a Northwestern Mutual office, with its 2013 Southern Region Managing Director Leader Award. This honor recognizes Crawford for an outstanding year of performance with Northwestern Mutual, serving the financial security needs of others throughout the region. Crawford has lived in Peachtree Corners since 1996. He is originally from Toccoa, and is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He and his wife have four sons and they attend Perimeter Church. He is on the board of the non-profit Family Resource network. RECOMMENDED
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA Justly called "a man of many talents" and "something of a renaissance man," Oliver H. Prince served in the Georgia General Assembly and the U.S. Senate, was instrumental in bringing railroads to Georgia, wrote the first great law book by a Georgian, laid out the streets of one of Georgia's major cities, and penned a short story so brilliantly amusing that it was plagiarized by the novelist Thomas Hardy.
In the early 1800s Prince wrote humorous sketches for the Monitor, a Wilkes County newspaper edited by Sarah Hillhouse, who was the first woman editor in the state as well as Prince's aunt. One of those witty pieces, untitled and published anonymously on June 6, 1807, was a satirical account of the efforts of a Captain Clodpole to drill an inept detachment of Georgia militia. Hugely popular, the sketch was reprinted many times in other newspapers and even translated into foreign languages. It also appeared in Augustus Baldwin Longstreet's Georgia Scenes (1835). In one of the most blatant examples of plagiarism ever committed by a great writer, English author Thomas Hardy lifted a 260-word passage from Prince's militia sketch and inserted it into the twenty-third chapter of his novel The Trumpet-Major (1880). In 1806 Prince was admitted to the bar, and for the next 26 years he had a lucrative law practice. In 1810 he built a white-columned house at Liberty and Pope streets in Washington. Now known as Poplar Corner, the magnificent house still stands. In 1817 he married 18-year-old Mary Ross Norman of Lincoln County. The couple had five children, the first two of whom died in infancy. In 1819 the General Assembly commissioned Prince to prepare a digest of all Georgia statutes then in force. In 1822 he published A Digest of the Laws of the State of Georgia. The book reprinted all nonlocal statutory provisions then in effect in Georgia, with the various statutes grouped together under sixty-four titles alphabetically arranged, beginning with "Affirmation" and ending with "Western Territory." The Digest also contained explanatory notes, a list of repealed statutes, and an authoritative discussion of the writ of habeas corpus. The Digest was the first legal classic authored by a Georgian. A second edition was published posthumously in 1837. (To be continued)
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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 "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do."
GREAT GIFT
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:
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
(NEW) Homestead Exemption deadline is approaching. Deadline is April 1 for property owners living on their property as of January 1. They may apply for this exemption to save on their ad valorem (property) tax. Once granted, the homestead exemption is automatically renewed each year. To find out more about the 14 exemptions available and eligibility requirements, visit this site, contact the Tax Commissioner's Office by email or call 770-822-8800. Applications for 2013 exemptions will not be accepted after April 1. Event for Quilters: 10 a.m., Feb. 19, Cannon United Methodist Church, 2424 Webb Gin House Road, Snellville. Meet Marie Bostwick, a quilter who is author of the Cobbled Court Quilt novels. The event is put on by the Gwinnett County Public Library and the Gwinnett Quilter's Guild. There is a $5 charge to attend for non-members of the Guild. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org. Open Meetings and Records Workshop: 7 p.m., Feb. 19, Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Catholic Church, 4545 Timmers Way, Norcross. Speaking will be Stefan Ritter, senior assistant attorney general. The event is free. Details: 678-632-3255. (NEW) Georgians Rally for Sensible Gun Violence Solutions: Noon, Feb. 21, Gwinnett Justice and Administrative Center, Rep. Rob Woodall's District Office, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. Show respect the Second Amendment while exercising First Amendment rights. Legislative Update at the Sierra Club meeting: 7 p.m., Feb. 21, Berkmar High. Speaking will be Lobbyists Mark Woodall and Neill Herring, updating about environmental measures being considered by the General Assembly. For more information, contact Dan Friedman. Meet the Author Series: 7:15 p.m., Feb. 21, Norcross Cultural Arts Center, 10 College Street. Featured will be bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan's widow and long-time editor Harriet McDougal. They will be celebrating the conclusion of Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. They will discuss and sign the new book, A Memory of Light. For more information about library events, visit www.gwinnettpl.org, or call (770) 978-5154 Gun Violence Reduction program: 7:30 p.m., Feb. 21, Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 1025 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Join Alice Johnson, Gun Safety Georgia; Kathryn Grant, The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus; attorney Michael Manely; and the Rev. Terry Davis, Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation for a discussion on strategies for "Gun Violence Reduction, a discussion on where we go and what we do post-Sandy Hook." Caregiver's Conference: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 23, First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville, 395 West Crogan Street. Guest speaker will be Maria Greene, a consultant with the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities. Cost, including breakfast and lunch, is $10. This is a program from the Gwinnett Coalition of Health and Human Services supported by Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership and Friends of Gwinnett County Senior Services. For more information, call 678 964 4838. Working on Purpose is the title of a talk in the GLOW series at the 1818 Club on Sugarloaf Parkway on March 1 at 7:15 a.m. Speaker will be Lori Billingsley, vice president of Community Relations for Coca-Cola Company. For more details, send email here. "Doors and Portals" is the title of the new exhibit at the Kudzu Art Zone, 116 Carlyle Street in Norcross. Juried art work in a variety of styles and mediums will be on display. The gallery is open Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The current exhibit continues through March 23. "Peanuts…Naturally:" Exhibit showing now through April 28, Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, 2020 Clean Water Drive in Buford. The exhibit takes a light-hearted look at Charles Schulz's exploration of the natural world through Peanuts comic strips, videos, objects, and interactive stations. More": call 770-904-3500 or visit www.gwinnettEHC.org 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.
© 2001-2013, 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.
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Those
professional golfers who plan to return to Sugarloaf, and those who have
never experienced what can be a gruesome challenge, are excited about
becoming the inaugural champion of this event. A full slate of events
are planned during the week including a Celebrity/Am event on Monday;
the Kick-Off Party on Tuesday night at Gwinnett Center; the Pro-am on
Wednesday and Thursday; and the Tournament itself on Friday through Sunday.
Though
President Obama has announced he would order CDC to resume scientific
study on the issue, there may be a fight against this in the Congress.
The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Heaven & Associates, P.C., is a certified
public accounting firm. They provide solutions for success. They are located
at 4720 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Suite 201, Norcross, Ga. The firm
offers cloud services for accounting and payroll. They work with clients
to minimize their tax obligations, address the financial and accounting
needs of their businesses and address the broader accounting needs of
estate planning, business succession planning, and benefit and retirement
planning. They can be reached at 770-849-0078. Their web site is 
The
first meeting is Thursday, February 21 at 7 p.m. concerning better access
and connectivity between businesses in the four-mile corridor of U.S.
Highway 20 from Ronald Reagan Parkway to Rockbridge Road. The meeting
will be at Providence Christian Academy, 4575 Lawrenceville Highway.
This
grassroots group calls themselves "Team Transformers." The group's
aim is to address specific challenges affecting youth's academic success,
such as abuse, bullying, social and emotional depression, and also with
educating both the youth and their parents about health and wellness concerns.
The group also has other ways to use their time to teen's convert non-productive
activities into positive outcomes.
Led
by teaching artists who are also some of Atlanta's talented working actors
and comedians, students will be taught at the one-day series of improvisation
workshops for grades 1-12. Drama Beach 2013 will be a full day of fun
beach-themed theatre games and activities with a cook out lunch party.
In
a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court overturned a January 2012 Gwinnett
County Superior Court decision by Judge Warren Davis to award approximately
$1.8 million to Settles Bridge Farm, who had contended that the city's
actions devalued its 36.5-acre property near the intersection of Moore
and Settles Bridge roads. The development company had entered into a contract
with a private school that had planned to build a multi-grade campus in
the established residential area.
A
British TV series dating back to 2000, which logged 64 episodes of 50
minutes, this is now available on streaming video. It takes place on a
Scottish Highlands estate, and is whimsical, if comedic, at times. The
series grew out of Compton Mackenzie's book, and shows (with gorgeous
scenery) the problems a young aspiring London restaurant owner learns
when he returns home, becomes the new laird, and faces reality with his
family's problems to get the estate back on track. It stars many wonderful
Brits in acting roles, notably Richard Briers, Susan Hampshire, Alastair
Mackenzie and Lorraine Pilkington. What a well-done and enjoyable series!
If you missed it when it originally ran on PBS, you can now enjoy it on
Netflix.-- eeb
