TODAY'S ISSUE
Group seeks passenger rail between Atlanta and Athens
By Mark Rountree
President, Landmark Communications, Inc.
Special to GwinnettForum.com

MARCH 17, 2006 -- Twenty community leaders officially agreed to establish a working committee to help support bringing passenger rail service to the northeast metro area.

The group officially named itself the "Georgia Brain Train Trust." The purpose of the effort is to help inform the general public concerning the benefits of a commuter train servicing Northeast Georgia.

As proposed, the Brain Train will connect downtown Athens and Gwinnett to Atlanta following existing railroad track lines that are currently used to move freight. The proposal would be to add passenger rail service as well.

The low-impact transportation alternative would link Georgia's great universities, including the University of Georgia, Emory University, Atlanta University Center, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University, as well as the emerging bioscience corridor in Gwinnett. The new passenger rail service would also connect suburban residential areas to large employers and office campuses in Midtown and Downtown.

Revitalization leader Emory Morsberger of Gwinnett County was elected to serve as chairman of the Trust.

He says: "The Brain Train will relieve traffic and connect some of metro Atlanta's most valuable resources, including our universities, and major businesses. An estimated 80 percent of the train's riders are expected to come from Gwinnett County. More than half the riders are expected to get on and off the 'Brain Train' at Atlantic Station in Midtown."

The group also elected Betty Willis, Emory University Senior Associate Vice President, Governmental & Community Affairs, as secretary; and Richard Bowers, CEO Richard Bowers & Company, as treasurer.

Other Steering Committee members include:

* Kerry Armstrong, Duke Realty;
* Adam Baker, Atlantic Station;
* E.H. Culpepper, Classic Center Authority, Athens;
* Paula Hastings, Accent Gwinnett;
* Brian Leary, Atlantic Station;
* Jim Maran, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce;
* Chris Moder, Intellectual Capital Partnership Program of the University of Georgia;
* Scott Morris, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce;
* Amanda Brown Olmstead, A. Brown-Olmstead & Associates;
* Laura Ray, Emory University;
* Bob Smith, MERIAL; and
* Michael Starling, Dekalb County.

ELLIOTT BRACK
Duluth follows others with new city hall announcement
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

MARCH 17, 2006 -- Be careful. Watch for new city halls. They're breaking out all around Gwinnett! Last Sunday, we attended the open house at the new $7 million, 33,000 square foot Snellville City Hall. It's a massive building, beautifully done in a style that reminds us of traditional city halls, and will serve the City of Snellville for years!

Brack

Now we learn that the City of Duluth is about to undertake a new $12 million city hall. It will be built at the south end of the Town Green, with groundbreaking to be in August, to be occupied in fall of 2007.

The Duluth firm of Hill, Foley and Rossi designed the structure, which will be 39,275 square feet in size. Mathias Corporation of Duluth will be the contractor.

The new Duluth City Hall will be three stories tall, plus a partial basement. It will feature a clock tower. It will have an underground parking area for 167 vehicles. This underground parking area will be covered with a grassed deck, and will be next to Taylor Park.

Jeff Hill of Hill-Foley-Rossi says that the overall design will be "classical with a traditional element in a contemporary way." The firm also designed the Gwinnett Community Bank in Duluth.

The new City Hall will be constructed on space presently occupied by the Duluth Masonic Lodge. This building at one time served as the Duluth First Methodist Church.

Construction at the new site will cause several changes around Duluth. The Masonic Lodge is to build a new structure on Highway 120 near the Duluth Fire Station. However, before construction of the city hall starts, the Masonic Lodge will be temporarily located in the basement of the Calvary Christian Fellowship at the corner of Main Street and West Lawrenceville Street, hard by the railroad.

By September 1, occupying the main floor of the Calvary Christian Fellowship will be Red Clay Productions, a new theatre. With the Aurora Theatre moving from Duluth to Lawrenceville, Red Clay will fill that void. That is a new partnership between Businesswoman Shelly Howard of Duluth and Mark Pitts, a veteran of the Atlanta theatre scene. Their first productions are anticipated for the fall.

Calvary Christian Fellowship church offices are already in their building on Rogers Bridge Road,. They are expected to occupy their new sanctuary later this year.

The City of Duluth has occupied its present location, which was the former First Baptist Church of Duluth, since 1980. In 1947, fire destroyed the Duluth Baptist sanctuary, and the land for the new church was donated by J.C. News. A new building was completed in 1949, and the three story educational building was addedi n 1962. The city purchased the original building, annex and one more tract from the Baptists for $225,000 in 1980.

Besides the shuffling of other entities in the move to the City Hall, the Duluth Police Department was moved recently into the new Public Safety Building as the first phase of all this activity. This building was dedicated in December, 2005, and occupied in January. It consists of 43,000 square feet and had a price tag of $11 million.

Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Buford, Suwanee, Loganville, Dacula, Norcross and Braselton are already in recent new facilities. Watch out. You never can tell when a new city hall will be announced in Gwinnett!

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Hayes Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep of Lawrenceville, Gainesville and Baldwin. General Manager Mike Hayes of Lawrenceville, Tim Hayes of Gainesville and Robin Haynes of Baldwin invite you into their showrooms to look over their line-up of automobiles and trucks. Hayes has been in the automotive business for over 30 years, and is North Georgia's oldest family-owned auto dealership. The family is the winner of the 2002 Georgia Family Business of the Year Award. Hayes Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep is affiliated with Hayes Chevrolet in Baldwin. Check out their web site at: http://www.hayeschrysler.com or http://www.hayeschevrolet.com.

For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm



McLEMORE'S WORLD
3/17: Problems with computer responses

Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:

FEEDBACK
3/17: Ah, spring about to come, so let's talk some baseball

Editor, the Forum:

With it getting warmer, spring training underway, and spring itself around the corner, how about some baseball trivia?

Only one game featured both Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams. It happened on April 20, 1939 and was Williams' first game in the majors, at Yankee Stadium. Boston lost 2-0, Williams hit a double off Red Ruffing, and Gehrig went hitless. Others in the game that day were Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr and Lefty Grove.

Ted Williams hit a home run off Thornton Lee in his rookie season on Sept. 19, 1939, then hit another off Thornton's son, Ron Lee, 21 years later in 1960, his last season.

Another Williams oddity: he once faced three different pitchers in the same inning , a first in American League history. It came in the seventh inning (I didn't write down the date), as Boston scored a record 14 runs in the inning to defeat the Philadelphia Athletics 20-8.

-- Marshall Miller, Lilburn

Likes action coming out of the Georgia Senate

Editor, the Forum:

Let me commend the Georgia Senate.

It must be applauded for approving three bills related to pre-born children. The first job of legislators is to protect the lives of those they represent, in my humble opinion.

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act passed by the Senate means the death of any child at any stage of pregnancy would result in a homicide charge for the mother's attacker.

The second bill allows pharmacists who file objections in advance not to be forced to dispense drugs that induce abortions. The third bill requires an abortionist to make a sonogram image of a mother's unborn baby and show the image to the woman prior to an abortion.

-- Roy McCreary, Dacula

Dear Roy: Don't commend too soon. These bills still have a way to go, and with the Legislature meeting, you well know anything can happen. Be alert! -eeb

UPCOMING
Venture capitalist to speak at Gwinnett Technology Forum

Venture capital will be the subject at the Gwinnett Technology Forum on March 21.

Paul Pishal, managing director of H.I.G.Ventures, one of the Southeast's leading venture capital funds, will speak. The meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. at the Scientific-Atlanta Auditorium of Gwinnett Technical College, near Lawrenceville. The meeting is free to Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce members. The main sponsor of the meeting is ASK Staffing Inc.

Gwinnett Economic Forum to be held March 22 at 7:30 a.m.

The 2006 Gwinnett Economic Forum is set for March 22 at the George Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College, from 7:30 a.m. until noon.

Gwinnett is bustling with activity with an estimated 726,723 people living, working and playing in this county. With this growing population comes a host of challenges and opportunities including job creation, diversity, transportation and more. The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and BellSouth will present a chance to meet with leaders from both public and private sectors guiding the economic development of Gwinnett who will help to provide insight into these issues at the 2006 Economic Development Forum.

Local and regional experts will provide their perspective on Gwinnett's near and long-term economic projections. They will also provide information on the future of education, healthcare, tourism, community improvement districts, tax allocation districts, regional passenger rail and more.

Featured speakers include Gwinnett County Chairman Charles Bannister; Gwinnett County Economic Analysis Division Director Alfie Meek; Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks; Gwinnett Technical College President Sharon Rigsby; Georgia Gwinnett College President Dr. Dan Kaufman; Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Caryn McGarity; Duke Realty Senior Vice President Kerry Armstrong; McKenna Long & Aldridge Partner Sharon Gay; and The Morsberger Group's President Emory Morsberger.

Scott Morris, Director of Economic Development, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce said "Those in attendance will be able to take advantage of important updates on current and future initiatives relevant for their personal and business involvement in the county."

For more information or to reserve a seat, please contact Stephanie Hopkins at 770-232-1174 or email to shopkins@gwinnettchamber.org.

Rail museum to host upcoming scout railroading badge work

On April 29, 2006, the Southeastern Railway Museum will host Boy Scout merit badge day. Scouts who participate will receive certification necessary to earn the Railroading merit badge.

The event will start at 9 a.m. with registration and orientation. Sessions will run from from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The historic rail equipment at the Museum will provide a unique venue for this program.

Cost will be $7 for accompanying adults. Space is limited, so please sign up as soon as possible. To enroll, please contact John Stevens at 678-873-3770 or snevets4@compuserve.com

Southeastern Railway Museum is located at 3595 Peachtree Road, Duluth. Effective March 30, the museum is open Thursday - Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

NOTABLE
Clean & Beautiful offers $2,000 environmental scholarship

Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful is offering a $2,000 scholarship opportunity to Gwinnett County students in 2006. The scholarship is designed to provide assistance to a graduating senior that is focused on achieving environmental career goals through higher education.

The scholarship, sponsored by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, will provide a one-year, non-renewable scholarship to a graduating senior. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be a graduating senior of an accredited Gwinnett County institution and plan to be enrolled in a full-time accredited college or university in a field of study related to the environment. In evaluating each application, the scholarship committee will also consider environmental service participation in school and community activities.

Scholarship application forms can be found at www.gwinnettcb.org. Scholarship applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2006.

Bluebirds Over Georgia plans spring festival for April 8

The "Bluebirds over Georgia" spring festival is coming soon. It'll be held on April 8 starting at 9 a.m. at the Eastminister Presbyterian Church, 5801 Hugh Howell Road in Stone Mountain.

Bluebirds over Georgia is an affiliate of the North American Bluebird Society. Members will be on hand to answer questions about Bluebirds and address problems people have.

Among topics that can be discussed that day will be how to attract Bluebirds to nest on properties,. For more information, call Frances Sawyer at 770 469-6672.

RECOMMENDATION

• 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 TIDBIT
Fannin distinguished himself in Mexican war, is executed

Colonel James Walker Fannin Jr. (1804-1836) distinguished himself in a number of skirmishes during the Texas Revolution. He commanded the ill-fated group of Georgia volunteers and Texans massacred at Goliad, Texas, on March 27, 1836.

Fannin

On November 18, 1835, the Macon volunteers left for Texas, traveling by way of Columbus, where they were joined by another group of volunteers. Fannin welcomed the Georgia Battalion to Texas on December 20, 1835. He was later elected to command a regiment consisting of the Georgia Battalion and the Lafayette Battalion (composed of men from Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee). By February 12, 1836, Fannin had marched his regiment to Goliad, an old Spanish fort on the southwest bank of the San Antonio River about 30 miles from where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

On March 14, 1836, Fannin was ordered by Texas president Sam Houston to withdraw to Victoria, but he delayed until the 19th. As Fannin's regiment withdrew, it was surrounded by a Mexican force under General José de Urrea. Fannin unsuccessfully engaged the Mexican army at the Battle of Coleto Creek and was forced to surrender his entire command.

Wounded, Fannin capitulated on the condition that his men be well treated because they had given up their arms peacefully. The agreement was countermanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, more than 330 Georgians, Texans, and others imprisoned at Goliad were marched out into the woods and shot. While some prisoners escaped the massacre, Fannin was kept inside the fort. He was taken to the courtyard, where he was blindfolded, seated, and shot through the head. His body was burned. During the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, Fannin's watch was discovered in the possession of a Mexican officer. The officials who found it assumed the Mexican was responsible for Fannin's murder; he thus met death in a like manner as Fannin.

• To access the Georgia Encyclopedia, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
  
  

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Sometimes you coast along, other times you hold fast

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."

-- Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States

• Another invitation: What's your favorite saying? Share with others through GwinnettForum. Send to elliott@gwinnettforum.com.
  

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