2/27:
North
Gwinnett
student
message
on
hope
on
the
money!
Editor,
the
Forum:
Recently
I
wrote
to
the
North
Gwinnett
High
principal
to
express
my
appreciation
to
North
Gwinnett
Senior,
Steven
Peele,
for
his
succinct
article
in
the
February
22
AJC
on
the
HOPE
Scholarship.
As
a
Dad
with
one
at
Georgia
Tech
and
one
at
Duluth
High,
I've
been
doing
all
I
know
how
to
save
this
very
valuable
program.
Steven's
article
hits
all
the
buttons
I've
been
trying
to
push.
It's
refreshing
to
see
a
student
speaking
out
on
important
issues.
I
fear
that
parents
are
not
aware
of
the
magnitude
of
the
impending
decisions
being
made
in
the
Legislature.
--
Brian
Luders,
Duluth
2/27:
Re-financing
student
loans
has
unfair
consolidation
aspect
Editor,
the
Forum:
Under
the
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965,
a
borrower
is
only
eligible
for
a
consolidation
loan
if
he
or
she
has
never
previously
consolidated.
This
creates
a
"one-time
consolidation"?
rule,
and
bars
student
borrowers
from
refinancing
their
consolidation
loans,
locking
those
student
borrowers
into
the
market
interest
rate
at
the
time
of
consolidation,
regardless
of
whether
rates
fall
later
on.
Most
student
borrowers
are
unaware
of
this
rule
at
the
time
they
consolidate,
and
only
find
out
that
they
can't
refinance
when
they
try
to
take
advantage
of
lower
interest
rates.
We
were
locked
in
years
ago
at
8.25
percent.
In
2003,
various
bills
were
introduced
in
Congress
purporting
to
remedy
this
unfair
rule,
all
of
which
now
sit
in
the
House
Committee
on
Education
and
the
Workforce.
The
Higher
Education
Act
HR2505
&
HR2504
provides
the
most
relief
from
high
interest
rates
to
student
borrowers,
who
are
not
trying
to
get
out
of
paying
debt,
but
should
be
able
to
take
advantage
of
the
market's
lower
interest
rates.
--
Chris
Connelly,
Snellville
2/24:
Not
having
good
manners
part
of
our
problem
as
a
country
Editor,
the
Forum:
I
hope
everyone
read
Jan
Kennedy's
comment
on
good
manners.
(Forum,
February
20.)
I
feel
fortunate
to
have
had
good
manners
drilled
into
my
head
as
a
child,
and
I
still
follow
them.
That's
not
so
for
a
lot
of
people
today.
That's
part
of
our
problem
as
a
country
today.
Thanks,
Jan.
--
Kathy
Gestar,
Snellville
2/24:
Help
Line
generates
16,000
calls
in
Gwinnett
during
2003
Editor,
the
Forum:
In
2003,
United
Way
211
received
more
than
16,000
calls
from
people
in
Gwinnett
County
looking
to
find
or
give
help,
an
increase
of
more
than
3,000
calls
from
2002.
Calls
from
Gwinnett
represent
more
than
six
percent
of
total
calls
made
to
United
Way
211
and
have
continued
to
increase
since
the
inception
of
the
information
and
referral
service
in
1997.
Marina
Peed,
executive
director,
Gwinnett
Housing
Resource
Partnership,
says:
"We're
receiving
over
a
thousand
calls
a
month
from
people
in
our
community
requesting
assistance
with
their
housing
situation
whether
it
be
a
homeless
person
who
needs
a
place
to
stay
or
a
homeowner
who
just
lost
their
job
and
needs
help
with
their
mortgage."
She
adds:
"211
is
a
way
that
people
of
our
community
can
find
us
and
receive
the
help
they
need."
United
Way
211
strengthens
the
community
for
residents
of
Gwinnett
by
offering
referrals
for
emergency
food,
shelter
and
clothing,
job
placement,
after
school
programs,
childcare,
summer
camp
information,
and
other
counseling
services.
Recently
United
Way
211
received
accreditation
from
the
Alliance
of
Information
and
Referral
Systems
(AIRS).
This
accreditation
process
recognizes
the
organization's
demonstrated
excellence
in
meeting
the
Standards
for
Professional
Information
&
Referral.
It
is
the
only
such
service
accredited
in
the
state
of
Georgia.
--
Christina
Lennon,
United
Way
of
Metropolitan
Atlanta,
Duluth
2/20:
Another
problem
that
would
have
befallen
escape
route
Editor,
the
Forum:
You
had
an
interesting
tour
of
duty
in
the
military!
(
Forum,
Feb.
17.)
The
hardest
part
of
leading
military
wives
those
50
miles
to
safety
would
have
been
all
the
times
they'd
have
stopped
along
the
way
to
go
shopping.
Would
have
taken
forever.
--
Bo
Spalding,
Atlanta
2/17:
Says
smoking
ban
about
rights,
not
about
health
Editor,
the
Forum:
I
have
grown
up
to
believe
that
America
was
about
freedom
and
opportunity…
For
the
first
time
in
my
life
I
am
questioning
if
this
is
being
taken
away.
For
government
to
dictate
whether
or
not
smoking
should
be
allowed
in
a
private
business
is
overstepping
boundaries
and
taking
away
our
freedom
of
choice.
Smoking
is
unhealthy
-
that
is
a
proven
fact;
but
that
is
NOT
the
issue
here.
A
restaurant
owner
takes
the
risks,
buys
the
food,
and
pays
the
rent.
If
they
"choose"
to
provide
for
a
smoking
section
or
even
to
allow
smoking
in
the
entire
restaurant,
that
should
be
their
"choice".
As
Americans
you
can
"choose"
to
go
or
not
go
to
that
restaurant.
It
is
all
about
choices
and
government
has
no
right
to
dictate
those
choices.
I
hear
Americans
talking
about
protecting
public
health.
I
hear
Americans
saying:
"There
is
no
such
thing
as
a
non-smoking
section
in
a
restaurant."
Don't
go
to
that
restaurant.
There
are
plenty
of
restaurant
owners
who
have
"chosen"
to
make
the
entire
restaurant
non-smoking.
Again,
their
"choice"…
I
also
said
that
America
was
about
opportunity.
The
people
that
"choose"
to
risk
it
all
and
open
a
restaurant,
or
a
bowling
alley,
or
a
pool
hall,
or
a
tavern
in
hope
of
success
should
not
be
dictated
to
by
government.
Is
government
taking
the
risks?
Are
they
buying
the
food
or
just
collecting
the
taxes?
If
some
Americans
do
not
want
to
be
"subjected"
to
second-hand
smoke
then
demonstrate
those
beliefs
by
making
a
"choice"
not
to
go
to
those
restaurants.
America
is
supposed
to
be
about
choices
and
freedom.
Government
should
not
be
allowed
to
dictate
what
occurs
in
private
business
-
it
isn't
American.
I
am
passionate
about
freedom
and
proud
to
be
an
American
and
this
is
wrong.
--
Susan
Halpert,
Alpharetta
2/13:
Duluth's
Anthony
Rodriguez
now
appearing
in
movie
Editor,
the
Forum:
A
few
months
ago,
some
of
us
had
the
chance
to
attend
the
world
premiere
of
the
movie,
the
"Adventures
of
Oicee
Nash."One
of
the
stars
of
the
movie
is
from
our
favorite
live
theatre,
Anthony
Rodriguez,
of
Duluth's
Aurora
Theatre.
Now
it
is
hitting
the
big
screen.
Check
the
theatres
in
metro
Atlanta
and
keep
an
eye
open
for
this
movie
in
your
area.
It
is
a
wonderful,
old-fashioned
family
movie.
It
also
stars
Janice
Aiken
who
regularly
appears
at
the
Georgia
Shakespeare
festival...and
for
those
of
you
who
watch
Trading
Spaces,
Ty
Pennington
has
a
small
part.
Sounds
like
a
great
way
to
spend
some
time
during
Valentine's
weekend.
--
Marsha
Bomar,
Duluth
2/13:
Next
library
discussion
is
about
Seabrook's
new
book
Editor,
the
Forum:
You
might
be
interested
in
this
information.
I
haven't
started
the
book
but
look
forward
to
doing
so
very
quickly.
The
book
is
"Cumberland
Island:
Strong
Women,
Wild
Horses,"by
Charles
Seabrook.
This
is
the
third
book
discussion
partnership
between
the
Gwinnett
County
Public
Library
and
the
Gwinnett
Parks
and
Recreation.
Readers
are
encouraged
to
check
out
the
book
from
any
Gwinnett
County
Public
Library
Branch.
Customers
may
put
a
hold
on
the
book
by
logged
on
www.gwinnettpl.org.
The
book
discussion
will
be
held
on
April
19
at
7
p.m
at
the
Gwinnett
History
Museum
(Lawrenceville
Female
Seminary
Bldg.),
455
South
Perry
Street,
Lawrenceville.
Author
Charles
Seabrook
will
attend
the
discussion
Seabrook
is
the
national
environmental
reporter
for
the
Atlanta
Journal-Constitution.
In
2001,
the
state
of
Georgia
awarded
him
its
highest
conservation
prizer,
the
R.L.
"Rock"
Howard
Award.
He
lives
in
Decatur.
--
Cindy
Murphy,
Stone
Mountain
2/13:
Wonders
what
is
h
appening
at
Shorty
Howell
park
in
Duluth
Editor,
the
Forum:
Do
you
have
any
information
on
what
is
happening
at
Shorty
Howell
Park
in
Duluth?
I
thought
it
was
a
county
park,
but
I
see
it
is
being
bulldozed
down.
--
Irene
Crapo,
Norcross
This
from
Phil
Hoskins
at
the
Gwinnett
Dept.
of
Parks
and
Recreation:
As
part
of
the
1997
Sales
Tax
Program
for
parks
and
recreation,
Shorty
Howell
Park
was
expanded
with
the
purchase
of
25
acres
on
the
southern
section
of
the
park
(some
frontage
on
Hill
Drive).
Working
with
a
citizen-steering
committee,
needs
identified
at
the
park
included:
-
Development
of
a
multi-purpose
trail
at
the
park;
-
Development
of
an
activity
bldg
(which
will
overlook
the
existing
small
lake);
-
The
need
for
a
nicer
group
picnic
pavilion
and
amenities
(restrooms,
playground,
etc.)
-
Additional
parking
to
accommodate
current
youth
sports
programs
at
the
park;
-
Redevelopment
of
the
existing
youth
baseball/softball
complex
and
the
addition
of
a
football
field;
-
And,
other
park
improvements.
Funding
for
these
park
improvements
were
included
in
the
2001
Sales
Tax
Program
and
work
began
on
the
Shorty
Howell
Park
expansion/renovation
project
in
the
fall,
2003.
The
work
is
being
"phased"
to
allow
the
youth
sports
program
to
use
part
of
the
facilities
this
spring.
The
County
hopes
that
the
entire
park
project
will
be
completed
by
the
end
of
2004/early
2005.
2/10:
Better
check
history
on
what
language
spoken
here
first
Editor,
the
Forum:
In
response
to
Roy
McCreary's
comment
on
people
not
speaking
English:
Read
your
history
book.
Or
visit
St.
Augustine.
Not
counting
the
various
American
Indian
dialects
that
were
here
before
English,
Spanish
was
a
language
here
long
before
English
was
in
this
hemisphere.
--
Calhoun
Johnson,
Charleston,
S.C.
2/10:
Enjoys
splendors
of
Yellowstone
during
winter
Editor,
the
Forum:
The
picture
of
David
and
Nina
Freeman
with
the
snowmobile
prompts
me
to
write.
I
could
not
agree
more
with
their
assessment
of
their
ride.
Sandra
and
I
spent
last
week
in
Jackson
Hole,
Wyoming
on
a
ski
vacation.
Last
Thursday
we
snowmobiled
all
day
in
Yellowstone,
traveling
over
90
miles.
We
each
(of
course)
had
our
own
snowmobile
and
the
scenery
was
magnificent!!
We
ate
lunch
at
Old
Faithful
Park
and
saw
it
erupt
at
11:59
a.m.,
another
memory
that
will
last
forever.
It
was
our
first
trip
to
Wyoming
and
Yellowstone.
We
cannot
wait
to
go
back.
Over
64
inches
of
snow
and
it
literally
snowed
every
day
for
the
week
we
were
out
there.
Absolutely
lovely!
--
Otis
Jones,
Lawrenceville
2/6:
Looking
at
leased
schools
from
another
viewpoint
Editor,
the
Forum;
Donald
Valtman's
article
of
February
3
in
the
Forum
assumes
the
glass
is
half
full
when
he
states
"it's
unlikely
that
high-visibility
investors
would
foreclose
on
public
schools.
Consequently,
GCPS
could
end
up
owning
certificate-financed
schools
for
pennies
on
the
dollar!"
Looking
at
this
scenario
from
the
half
empty
view,
one
realizes
we
could
end
up
building
schools
on
properties
that
investors
may
not
renew
the
lease
on,
costing
taxpayers
yet
millions
more.
--
Jim
Dumond,
Buford
2/6:
Bear
won't
be
buried,
but
will
end
up
being
stuffed!
Editor,
the
Forum:
Bass
Pro
Shop
isn't
going
to
bury
that
bear!
Instead,
they're
going
to
mount
him
and
put
him
on
display,
which
makes
a
lot
more
sense
than
digging
a
hole
for
him.
I
don't
have
the
exact
amount,
but
the
taxidermy
bill
is
going
to
be
huge!
--
Myles
Godfrey,
Winder
(Editor's
Note:
Thanks
for
pointing
out
our
mis-statement,
and
giving
a
correction.-eeb.)
2/6:
Thinks
repression
Truman
mentions
might
be
closer
Editor,
the
Forum:
Hear,
Hear!
on
the
words
of
wisdom
from
Harry
Truman
on
February
3,
quoted
in
Forum.
The
repression,
in
my
experience,
may
be
further
along
than
most
think.
--
Randy
Stephens,
Duluth
2/6:
Upset
over
English
not
being
only
recognized
language
here
Editor,
the
Forum:
Since
this
country
started
with
the
English
language
being
the
only
recognized
language
and
for
over
300
years
the
language
has
served
us
well,
I
have
never
understood
why
a
small
minority
has
been
able
to
almost
destroy
our
spoken
word.
The
USA
has
rapidly
become
the
most
powerful
country
in
the
world
and
still
the
one
with
the
most
freedom,
as
well
as
the
most
prosperous.
Yes,
absolutely
the
English
language
should
be
the
only
language
spoken
or
written
in
the
USA.
I
have
nothing
against
other
cultures
or
languages.
However,
it
does
bother
me
that
everybody
in
America
doesn't
speak
English.
I
look
at
it
this
way,
if
I
were
going
to
move
to
France,
I
would
learn
the
French
language.
If
I
were
going
to
live
in
Mexico,
I
would
learn
the
Spanish
language.
Therefore,
I
don't
understand
why
an
immigrant
would
move
here
without
knowing
the
language
or
even
trying
to
learn
the
language.
I
understand
how
America
is
the
"melting
pot"
and
all
are
welcome,
and
I'm
all
for
that.
But
we
are
seriously
becoming
overcrowded
in
this
country
and
the
majority
of
the
added
population
can't
speak
English.
I
am
shocked
at
the
American
companies
that
hire
telephone
solicitors
who
cannot
speak
the
language.
Or
the
store
attendants
who
cannot
speak
enough
of
the
language
to
answer
a
question.
We
are
in
America.
The
language
here
is
English!
I
go
crazy
when
I
make
a
phone
call
and
before
I
can
push
a
button
I
am
getting
the
same
phrase
in
another
language.
I
am
totally
in
favor
of
everyone
having
command
of
the
language.
If
you
don't
you
should
not
be
hired
until
you
do.
--
Roy
McCreary,
Dacula
(Editor's
Note:
Good
thing
you
don't
live
in
Canada,
Roy.--eeb)
2/3:
Reduced
fat
variety
of
Cheez-Its
pretty
good
too
Editor,
the
Forum:
Loved
your
story
on
Cheez-Its!
My
mom
has
liked
them
as
long
as
I
can
remember,
and
when
we
get
together
we
like
to
grab
a
bag
(or
a
box!)
and
a
few
Diet
Cokes
and
cruise
around
town.
You
didn't
mention
the
reduced
fat
variety,
but
I
find
them
pretty
good
and
my
kids
love
them,
too!
Looks
like
it
is
a
treat
that
will
be
around
a
while.
Thanks
for
sharing!
--
Deborah
George,
Buford
2/3:
Finds
he
digs
out
Cheez-Its
from
other
offerings
Editor,
the
Forum:
I
can't
believe
you
can't
tell
the
difference
between
Cheese
Nips
and
Cheez-Its!
Cheez-Its
are
far
superior
in
taste
and
composition
and
have
been
my
favorite
snack
since
I
was
a
child.
I
believe
they
must
have
much
of
the
same
addictive
quality
as
drugs.
I
just
left
a
breakfast
meeting
where
they
were
part
of
a
"nuts
and
bolts"
mix
and,
as
usual,
I
picked
through
the
bowl
to
eat
only
the
Cheez-Its.
I,
too,
have
enjoyed
the
"Get
your
own
box"
inscription
on
the
back
side
of
the
package!
--
Zach
Young,
Norcross
