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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Impact Group opens
new senior housing concept in Buford
By Emily Hill
Special to GwinnettForum
BUFORD, Ga., April 28, 2006 -- Among the challenges facing our
community is a lack of safe and decent affordable housing that is
designed to meet the demands of senior citizens, particularly those
with modest financial resources. One of Gwinnett County's responses
to this challenge ˜Huntington Court Senior Residence˜
marked its grand opening recently, in the company of the community
leaders who championed the project.
Huntington Court Senior Residence is a 152-unit apartment home
built on 11 acres of land in Buford. The $14 million development
was funded by Gwinnett County HOME funds, Low Income Housing Tax
Credit equity and private investments. To date, approximately 50
percent of the units have been leased to active seniors aged 62
and older. The property boasts amenities including a fitness center,
wellness room, beauty/barber shop, rocking chair porch, lighted
central courtyard, library and media center.
As part of the opening, its library was dedicated to Jack and Emery
Gantz of the Gwinnett Council for Seniors, and the media room was
dedicated to John McCrory of J. Mack Realty for their vision and
commitment to quality housing for all. As members of The IMPACT!
Group Board of Directors, the honorees played a vital role in the
creation of Huntington Court.
Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister spoke at
the event, congratulating The IMPACT! Group for their continued
efforts and value to the community. Bannister presented the development
team of Huntington Court -- The IMPACT! Group, Progressive Redevelopment,
Inc. and NorSouth Companies -- with a Resolution recognizing their
efforts to provide fair and affordable housing to elderly residents
in Gwinnett County and designating the month of April 2006 as Fair
Housing Month.
Commissioner Kevin Kenerly, who represents Gwinnett's 4th Commission
District, in which Huntington Court is located, was also present.
"I wish a place like this had been available for my parents,"
stated Kenerly, He also shared that he related to the need for affordable,
quality senior housing on a personal level. "I understand how
important it is to know your parents are in a safe and comfortable
place."
Also making statements at the event were Mary Presley, deputy director
of the Atlanta Office of Community Planning and Development of the
United States Housing and Urban Development; Craig Goebel, director
of the Gwinnett County Community Development Office; Marina Peed,
president of The IMPACT! Group; Bruce Gunter, president of Progressive
Redevelopment, Inc.; and Shawn Turpin, IronStone Bank and IMPACT!
Group Board treasurer.
"We just love it here!" exclaimed Eileen and Robert Giselbach,
who described themselves as avid horseshoes players and participants
in the Atlanta Senior Olympics. "We train in the fitness center
just about every day. We‚re probably going to wear out all
the equipment."
Attendees were given maps for a self-guided tour of the property
following the ceremony.
For further information, please visit the Huntington Court Senior
Residence website at www.huntingtonct.com
or call (770) 904-4808. The property is located at 4115 South Lee
Street in Buford, Georgia.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Power politics in state means more of the
same, but new party
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
APRIL 28, 2006 -- Georgia is best served, we've always thought,
from real competition between the political parties. Unfortunately,
we've really had very little effective competition between the parties.
Brack |
For at least 100 years, there's been a dominant party, with the
party out-of-power having very little to say about the way we are
governed. For all but the last four years, it was the Democrats
in power, not allowing state Republicans to have much impact or
power in the state.
Then four years ago, Republicans soon had a majority of both the
House and Senate, in addition to the governor's office. Ipso facto:
the Democrats were frozen out of any semblance of being an effective
power in the state.
What had happened in the preceding years was that the Republican
Party was on the ascendancy, and full of vigor. Democrats were on
the wane, fighting what even some of them saw was a losing effort
statewide, trying with desperation to hold onto their power. But
the impact of the Reagan era, and then the Bush victories, plus
many newcomers moving into the state who favored Republicans, caused
even the Democrats to have a "hang dog" attitude, anticipating
the Republican ascendancy.
Yet recent developments make the possibility of "balance"
between the two parties seem distant. What's happening these days
is that key Democratic legislators are finding that their efforts
at the Legislature, what with Republicans in control, are frustrating,
and difficult. So, to achieve more for their home districts, some
Democrats are switching to the Republican Party. While loyal Democrats
in their home town may howl and scream, most of those switching
to the Republican Party will probably get re-elected, and find their
job much easier and themselves less stressed working in the framework
of the Republican majority.
Yet their act of switching makes it even more difficult for Democrats
to have any semblance of parity with Republicans. It also puts off
perhaps for even more years any semblance of real competition between
the parties that would best serve all the people of the state.
Republicans, maybe smiling, tell those loyal to the Democratic
Party, that perhaps now they understand how difficult it is to stay
in a minority party trying to achieve within a majority. "Tit-for-tat,"
they may also say. "Now you know how I felt as a Republican
in a Democratic-controlled atmosphere all these years."
Democrats, to remain a viable party for the voters, must find a
way to bring fresh faces and ideas, and capture the attention of
the independent middle, which in recent times leaned toward the
GOP. It will not be easy to gain this balance. However, should the
Democrats achieve this, we feel the state will benefit, since it
will give the state two competitive, strong parties.
That's what we've been championing: two healthy parties, with either
one having a good chance to win the state's favor. With such a competitive
political landscape, with both parties closely watching one another,
the people of the state will be better served.
Raleigh newspaper compares
Gwinnett, Wake school systems
Those of you interested in education in Gwinnett might want to
check out a story that ran April 24 in The Raleigh, N.C., News
and Observer. That newspaper story recently compared what was
happening in education in Wake County, N.C. to Gwinnett County.
It illustrated that the $132.8 million Gwinnett schools received
from SPLOST in 2005 exceeds Wake's total spent from all sources
on debt retirement last year ($108 million.) Of that, Wake $108
million debt retirement, only $16.9 million came from sales tax.
Read this story at: http://www.newsobserver.com/1213/story/432187.html
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McLEMORE'S
WORLD
4/28: Unfortunately, often politics as usual
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
FEEDBACK
4/28: Suggests making one school especially
for ESOL students
Editor, the Forum:
In reviewing the student data of '04-'05 and past years in the
Southwest corner of Gwinnett County (District III & V), it is
apparent that ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) enrollment
is increasing exponentially at the elementary school level. The
average ESOL enrollment for '04-'05 data is 29 percent per elementary
school.
With the rising number of ESOL students, it is within reason to
assume that a large part of the focus of these schools will be to
assimilate these students. The low test scores of the schools in
these two districts clearly indicate a strong need for ESOL services.
However, it is disconcerting for parents of children who do not
need these services to know that so much of the attention of these
schools is given to the ESOL population. It is especially overwhelming
for a parent new to the public school system to visit our local
elementary schools and see such a large number of ESOL students
in kindergarten. They immediately think that the teacher will teach
down to accommodate these students and that their child will not
get the educational stimulation he/she needs.
The student data numbers show a drop in enrollment of students
who do not need ESOL services. Each year a larger number of families
are choosing private over public schools because they feel that
their child's educational needs are not being met in the public
school environment. As the ESOL numbers grow, the perception of
our elementary schools is that they are becoming institutions of
assimilation, not higher education. We need to find a better balance
of services and focus where everyone feels that their child's educational
needs are met.
I would like to encourage the Gwinnett School Board to consider
creating a charter school that provides these much needed services
for the ESOL population in a separate environment where their focus
is assimilation. I would assume that most ESOL students would only
need a full year or two at the most at this charter school to reach
an appropriate academic and English speaking level to re-enter the
public school system successfully. This approach will and can increase
test scores. These services are greatly needed for the ESOL population
in our community. Successful assimilation makes for a strong and
viable community.
Let's put the focus of higher education back into our public schools.
-- Pam Hopper, Norcross
4/28:
Holds back a little on bragging about UGA accomplishments
Editor, the Forum:
For those who don't follow University of Georgia athletics closely,
you might check out this information. For instance, last weekend:
- Men's Golf----SEC Champions;
- Men's Tennis----SEC Champions;
- Women's Gymnastics----Gym Dogs, NCAA Champions, seventh time,
second in a row, undefeated season for the fourth time. (No other
school has even done it once!)
By the way----Georgia Bulldogs football team was the 2005 SEC Champion!
Still working on Men's Basketball!
-- Charles Summerour, Duluth
Dear Charles: Glad to see you are still working
on UGA basketball.-eeb
UPCOMING
Last performance for Aurora at Duluth is "Guys and Dolls"
Nathan
Detroit is played by Anthony Rodriquez, while Robert Egizio
plays Sky Masterson in the Aurora theatre production of Guys
and Dolls. |
The final production of the Aurora Theatre at its Duluth location
will open on April 27---the always popular show from Damon Runyon,
"Guys and Dolls." The show will run through May 28.
Tickets are going fast for this blockbuster and dazzling show.
It features some of Broadway's most indelible melodies and Damon
Runyon's Big Apple of the 1940's---which was inhabited by gamblers,
nightclub performers, and missionaries trying to cure the sins of
the Times Square population. With an acting ensemble of over 20
performers and a seven piece orchestra, Guys & Dolls promises
to explode with passion and energy in the intimate 199-seat theatre.
The show is a perfect ending to Aurora's 10th Anniversary Celebration.
This production features Anthony Rodriguez (Aurora Theatre Producing
Artistic Director) as Nathan Detroit and Aurora Favorite Robert
Egizio (Billy Flynn in Aurora's Chicago) as Sky Masterson.
For more information, call 770 476 7926 or visit the web site at
www.auroratheatre.com.
Sculptor to talk at
May 10 Button Gwinnett Society meeting
McCraney-Brogdon at work |
The Button Gwinnett Society meeting on May 10 at the 1818 Club
features a local sculptor, Julie McCraney-Brogdon of Snellville.
She will bring samples of her art, and tell about her life as an
artist, and how her artistic life has changed over the years. She
presents stunning aspects of her models. The meeting begins at 6
p.m.
Ms. McCraney-Brogdon is a Columbus, Ga. native and graduate of
Mercer University. Her most recent exhibition was at the 53 Cannon
Street Gallery in Charleston, S.C., featuring "The Nude Show."
One of her works was named "Best of Show" at the International
Art Expo at Carnegie Hall, New York, in 1997. Most recently she
was the featured artist (solo show) in March at Sage Moon Gallery
in Charlottesville, Va.
A gallery of her art may be found at http://www.juliemccraneybrogdon.com.
The Button Gwinnett Society meets quarterly, on the second Wednesday
of February, May, August and November, at 6 p.m. The meetings last
about an hour and half. Most attendees drop by on the way home from
work.
Andromeda |
Expected to be announced at the May meeting are plans for a historical
walking tour, to be held in early June. There will be no charge
for BGS members for the tour. The Society has plans for having an
re-enactor give a glimpse of a moment in local history during the
walk. The Society anticipates having other tours of the area in
coming months.
Membership is open to anyone interested in culture and the arts.
The meetings last for 90 minutes, with snacks and drinks available.
Membership is $100 annually.
The group was formed in 2001 and represents a wide spectrum of
people from the community. For information, people may call 770
840 1003.
NOTABLE
Snellville needing volunteers for festival coming on May 6-7
Volunteers are still needed for the 33rd Annual Snellville Days
Festival, May 6 and 7, at T.W. Briscoe Park. All volunteers will
receive a complimentary "Look At Us Now" T-shirt.
This year's festival will feature a new parade route; over 165
vendors; Orphan Car Show; Dog & Disc Spring Championships; Live
Entertainment; GCGMA Talent Auditions; "Cheaper By the Dozen;"
Kid's Area; Evening Concert with T.Graham Brown & Jessica Urick;
and more.
Those wanting to volunteer should contact Gwen Russell at 770-985-3535,
or via email at grussell@snellville.org.
National group recognized
Edith Harvey, 92, for volunteering
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) announces
the selection of "Miss Edith" Harvey, a 92-year young
resident of Lawrenceville, as Georgia's only MetLife Foundation
2006 Older Americans Enrich America Award winner. Administered by
n4a, the national program honors 26 outstanding older volunteers
and their contributions to their communities, and Miss Edith is
a silver honoree in the Team Spirit category.
Edith Harvey came to Gwinnett County Senior Services as a volunteer
in 1978 and has had a hand in preparing more than a million meals
for seniors over the past 28 years! As a "regular worker"
three days a week, Miss Edith has compiled almost 18,000 volunteer
hours of valued service for Gwinnett County Senior Services. Dutifully
seated, she might be packaging bread products for the hundreds of
homebound Meals on Wheels recipients or preparing dessert servings
for the center's congregate meals, but "Miss Edith" is
ever cheerful and always reliable. Food Services Supervisor Pat
Milhous confirms this by stating, "The best part of working
with "Miss Edith" is getting a beautiful smile and a great
big hug from a beautiful person." When not "on duty"
in the kitchen, she "helps out a fourth day" with the
Lawrenceville Housing Authority by providing wise counsel, moral
support, or comfort to other residents.
Senior Services Manager Linda Bailey says: "Edith Harvey is
a legend as a volunteer, but she will never draw attention to herself.
We are thankful that she enjoys helping others and has chosen to
make volunteering such an important part of her life, because her
efforts help so many others." Miss Edith's humility underscores
the value of her volunteer service. She is quick to point out her
service to help feed more than a million people as a volunteer,
"God had to provide the good food for them in the first place.
"
RESTAURANT
REVIEW
The Loop, Buckhead
"Good pizza at The Loop, Peachtree Road in Buckhead. We stopped
there recently. Maybe a little high, $15 or so for a large, but
outstanding quality. It fairly well satisfied three of us. I've
been there once before and it was good then, also."
-- Marshall Miller, Lilburn
- 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
Georgia singer Brinda Lee was success from
early childhood
"STRONGEST WOMAN IN USA" IS WEIGHTLIFTER FROM SAVANNAH
Often called "the strongest woman in the United States,"
Cheryl
Haworth (1983 - ) is a competitive weight lifter who emerged
in the late 1990s as a popular icon for women in sports. While still
a teenager, she became national champion, junior world champion,
and an Olympic medalist.
Haworth |
Cheryl Ann Haworth was born in Savannah. Her father, a businessman,
and her mother, a nurse, were both athletes and encouraged their
daughters to play sports. After having her tonsils and adenoids
removed at age six, she gained weight, and family members and playmates
began to notice her unusual strength. She became interested in weight
lifting as a way to improve in softball. Haworth was only thirteen
when her father took her to the Anderson/Cohen Weightlifting Center.
The coaches were astonished when she power-cleaned 110 pounds with
ease-never had they seen such potential in a female lifter.
Haworth was soon training two and a half hours a day, five times
a week, and competing regularly. By 1998 she was a national champion,
the nation's leading female weight lifter, and the youngest lifter
(at 15) ever to hold senior American records.
For Haworth 1999 was a banner year, with another national title,
a gold medal in the Pan American Games, a silver medal in the junior
world championships, and a fourth place finish at the world championships
in Athens, Greece, with a 253-pound snatch and a 303-pound clean-and-jerk
lift. At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, where women competed in
weight lifting for the first time, Haworth had a perfect day with
a 275-pound snatch and a 319-pound clean-and-jerk lift at a body
weight of 300 pounds, setting five American records and capturing
the bronze medal.
Haworth has continued her winning ways, collecting six national
titles, a bronze medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games, and two junior
world championships. She holds all national records in her class
and, after finishing fourth at the 2002 world championships in Warsaw,
Poland, was the highest-ranking American weight lifter, male or
female. Haworth competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece,
and finished in sixth place.
Haworth's appeal, however, extends beyond the sport of weight lifting.
A versatile athlete, she can run 40 yards in 5.5 seconds, jump 30-inch
vertical leaps, and perform front, back, and sideway splits. She
is also a talented artist. She graduated from the Savannah Arts
Academy in 2001 and studies historic preservation at the Savannah
College of Art and Design.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
There are some elements
that you don't find too often
"Taste. You cannot buy such a rare and wonderful thing. You
cannot send away for it in a catalog. And I am afraid it is becoming
obsolete."
-- Classy (and tasteful) actress Rosalind Russell, (1911-1976),
via David Earl Tyre, Jesup.
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is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett
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