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Fixing up an old truck becomes part of father and son team
By Kevin Ringo
Special to GwinnettForum

JUNE 23, 2006 -- (Editor's Note: Originally we had intended to print today's article on the Friday before Father's Day. But we misplaced it, and print it the Friday following Father's Day. The author is a registered surveyor from Dacula, who write the song with his son, now 15 year old Levi, in mind. --eeb)

A troubled boy, prone to rebel
Our hands were full we knew it well
He didn't fit the mold society had made
Always alone drifting further every day
So I prayed the Lord would help us through that troubled time
I could find a way into his heart, stimulate his mind
That old truck appeared in the nick of time
Rusted in a junk yard, covered up in vines
As we strategized he raised his eyes and said
Let's call him Lazarus, we'll raise him from the dead

Ol Lazarus, became a part of us
The thing God gave to us
To help us through a hard time
It wasn't much
More than some steel and rust
That ol truck it helped change a young boy's life

Fifty years of rusted history came alive on our garage floor
Put a spark in that boy's heart like I'd never seen before
As we worked he smiled like he hadn't smiled in years
As he wiped the sweat away, I tried to fight the tears
We worked that first night till nearly dawn
I knew it was more than that ol truck we were working on

Replaced all the worn out pieces laid a paint job on him too
In just a little time we made him shine like the new ones do
All that summer side by side all the hours that we burned
I taught him hard work and integrity with every wrench we turned
Then we pushed him out in that driveway, called everyone to see
He yelled "Lazarus come forth" then he turned over the key
Sweat, smoke and tears filled out eyes
As that old truck fired up to everyone's surprise
Then we bowed our heads to thank God for what He'd done
As he was thanking God for that old truck, I was thanking God for my new son

Ol Lazarus, became a part of us
The thing God gave to us
To help us through a hard time
It wasn't much
More than some steel and rust
That ol truck it changed a young boy's life

It's funny too, the treasures you can find
Picking up and dusting off what others leave behind
Priceless jewels and oh how they can shine
With just a little elbow grease and a little bit of time.

ELLIOTT BRACK
With library board, you wonder what will be happening next
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

First was the firing of Jo Ann Pinder by our appointed Gwinnett Library board. That was bad enough of an affront to the community. You would have thought that after such an upheaval, the Library Board would settle down and try to smooth over things.

Now they have offended perhaps the largest minority in Gwinnett, the Hispanic community, by terminating the purchase of Hispanic materials. Not long ago, the utilization of the Hispanic community in checking out books in their own language from the Gwinnett library was hailed. Now this run-away-with-power Library Board is eliminating $3,000 for additional Hispanic purchases altogether.

As the AJC headline said, "Spending on Spanish fiction titles is shelved." Nice turn of the phrase by the newspaper on an issue that could serve to split the Gwinnett community at a time when all communities need to be more alert to being more inclusive.

All this makes you wonder: When will the Library Board drop the third shoe? The way they have bombshelled the community lately, it's not if, but only when, another off-track pronouncement will be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, we can impart another outcome of this Library Board: the aura they have projected about wanting their own way, and creating divisiveness. It is having an impact on the board's employees, who fear speaking as candidly as they once did, we learned this week.

In telephoning one employee on what was not a controversial matter, just a simple query, we heard: "Let me call you back." Later, in talking with this person on the telephone, we got the distinct impression from our very short conversation that the employee was off the library system phone system, and was somewhere else, perhaps on their own cell phone, returning the call. The abruptness of both conversations made us wonder about the morale within the library system employees.

Just ask yourself: if you knew an up and coming person wanting to go into Library Science, would you recommend they work for the Gwinnett County Public Library?

We hope we are wrong, and the Library Board starts taking positive action. Yet don't be surprised if that third shoe drops.

Now, how about some positive news? The story was out of Buford, where that system's school board is discussing the possibility of adopting uniforms for its 2,000-plus students system-wide. Last year the Buford Middle School had a dress code of uniforms for its students.

By adhering to a strict dress code, the middle school reports a sharp decrease in discipline problems. School officials say this is a direct result of wearing uniforms.

The Board also mentioned that adopting a dress code would reduce the pressure and expenses of buying fancy or faddish clothing. But perhaps the strongest argument for a school dress code is that it would reduce the peer pressure among students.

The Board also heard opposition from some parents to uniforms, no doubt influenced by their offsprings. Yet we all know that many times parents must insist on doing not what the student wants, but what the parents knows is right.

We urge the Buford School System to lead the way and adopt a dress code for the coming year. Once done, both parents, and even students, will realize the multiple benefits that a dress code provides. It'll also improve the test scores of students, we predict, and make the entire system better.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Graphic Communications Corporation of Lawrenceville, a dynamic full-service print, large-format inkjet and photographic output, fulfillment, point-of-purchase and multi-media communications company. The firm has a digital media and graphic design department for both print and Internet use. Graphic Communications' biggest strength is its ability to meet tight deadlines along with the ever-present demands for high quality and attention to detail. This ability makes the printing process seamless for its clients. Three of its greatest competitive advantages are: 1) listening, 2) being organized for speed, and 3) being detail fanatics. All of its associates are committed to giving customers exactly what they want, when they want it. Simply, at Graphic Communications, the customer's needs are the driving forces behind everything it does, from investment in technology to the friendly voices that still answer the telephone. For more information, go to http://www.gccprint.com.

Snellville Parks and Recreation Department will host the annual Up the Creek Fish Camp and Grill Children's Fishing Derby. This event will take place on Saturday, June 24 at T.W. Briscoe Park in Snellville.

Up The Creek Fish Camp and Grill will provide the majority of the trophies and prizes. Lunch will be available for a small fee during the event. The Atlanta Tightlines Bass Club will offer fishing instruction and manage all of the competitions.

This event is also an official Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing Derby. Registration is free and open to kids ages 3-12. Check-in will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the derby is scheduled to conclude at 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Pavilion. For more information, call the Park Office at 770-985-3535 or contact: Kathi Clotfelter, special events coordinator at (770) 985-3531or by email kclotfelter@snellville.org.
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Gwinnett Place CID to get priority pact from Street Smarts

Street Smarts announces today that they proposed a prioritization list to the Board of Directors of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (CID) in an effort to establish short and long-term transportation enhancement projects District-wide.

Topics included planning and funding options for comprehensive signage upgrades, sidewalk installations, roadway additions and other projects aimed at increasing mobility, attractiveness and safety.

Board members are expected to address Street Smarts' proposals during a detailed strategic planning session scheduled to occur before mid August.

Street Smarts was founded in 1990. The firm provides service to both the public and private sectors in all sectors of the transportation industry, including traffic engineering.

Bob Williamson of Horizon Software International, Inc. of Loganville was named the 2006 Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year at the Small Business Person of the Year Awards Luncheon.

Established in 1992, Horizon Software International, Inc. is a privately held technology company, one recognized as a global leader in food service management technology. Horizon's primary focus is supply chain management technology. Its state-of-the-art ERP solution for the institutionalized food service industry was recently awarded the contract by the Department of Defense to provide technology for every dining facility for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force including every land base, ship, submarine and remote mobile battlefield throughout the world.

In addition to the military market, Horizon's products are installed in hospitals (including patient feeding and cafeterias), retirement communities, K-12 public and private school cafeterias, colleges and universities, correctional facilities, and corporate restaurants, entailing some 14,000 installations.

Bob Williamson currently serves as chairman and CEO of Horizon, which he founded 14 years ago. Under Williamson's direction, Horizon grew from a small start-up with two employees to a fast-paced, profitable company. Horizon currently has 138 employees and develops and supports all of its offerings in-house. Deloitte awarded Horizon its "Fast 50" award for the past two years for being one of the fastest growing technology companies in Georgia.

As chairman and CEO, Bob continues to mentor and guide the company to create a core management team with an infrastructure that effectively executes plans and exceeds company goals. His son, Michael, currently runs the day-to-day operations as COO and his other son, Jon, has been Horizon/s top sales producer for the past three years.

The South Gwinnett Athletic Association (SGAA) approached county officials recently with an offer to sell their 23.1 acres on McGee Road in Snellville in order to preserve the land and facilities for future generations. Recently the Board of Commissioners agreed to play ball.

The County will pay $1,143,500, which is "considerably below the fair market value for the land and improvements," according to Community Services Director Phil Hoskins. Facilities include baseball fields, a football stadium, indoor roller hockey rinks, and a maintenance building plus concession stands and picnic pavilions. The non-profit, volunteer-based SGAA was formed in 1966 to provide supervised youth sports programs.

Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation currently works with 22 youth associations throughout the county to provide similar programs at public parks. SGAA will continue to provide these services after the new South Gwinnett Park becomes official on July 1.

District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau says: "The South Gwinnett Athletic Association has provided quality services for the youth of Gwinnett County for the past 40 years. SGAA volunteers have worked tirelessly to get to this point and this partnership between the association and Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation will allow these programs for the children of the South Gwinnett area to continue. I'm pleased that the SGAA legacy will be preserved." SGAA President Jim Fellers agreed that making the facility a county park is in the best long-term interests of area residents.

Louisville, the county seat of Jefferson County, also served as Georgia's third capital from 1796 until 1807. The town grew as the result of both large-scale immigration to the Georgia upcountry after the American Revolution (1775-83) and the desire of many Georgians to enhance the state's commercial prosperity. By the mid-1780s the new upcountry settlers outnumbered those in the older coastal counties, and upcountry legislators demanded a state capital in a more western location than Savannah. On January 26, 1786, the assembly passed a legislation to find a site for the seat of government. Legislators also specified that the new capital would be named Louisville in honor of King Louis XVI of France, America's Revolutionary War ally.

Organizers envisioned Louisville as a trade center, and purchased 1,000 acres on the south side of Rocky Comfort Creek near the Ogeechee River to take advantage of the river transportation. The original city plan, modeled after Philadelphia, Penn., included a raised statehouse in the central square, with streets and town blocks radiating out from that focal point and forming right angles. Georgia's Revolutionary War debt and the threat of a large-scale conflict with the Creek Nation delayed the official opening of the Louisville statehouse until May 1795, when delegates convened there for a state constitutional convention.

Louisville served as the state capital for 10 years. Criticism of the site arose over the vulnerability of its residents to malaria outbreaks, disappointment with the Ogeechee river trade, and the town's inaccessibility to the growing western population. In the fall of 1807 the state government relocated to Milledgeville, and the arrival of the railroad in the 19th century turned economic activity away from the old statehouse square.

Today Louisville remains a farming community, and retains several interesting cultural resources, and residents preserve their rich history through the Jefferson County Historical Society.

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