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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Red
Clay Theatre opens Oct. 10 in new Duluth theatre
By Mark Pitt
Managing Partner
Red Clay Theatre and Arts Center
Special to GwinnettForum.com
AUG. 18, 2006 -- On October 10, a new theatre company will be operating
new Duluth City Theatre (the building previously occupied by Calvary
Christian Fellowship Church). It will be called Red Clay Theatre
and Arts Center. A small caberet-type theatre will be operated by
Red Clay in the space previously occupied by the Aurora.
Pitt |
Red Clay will open its doors with "Educating Rita," with
Agnes Harty and Eric Brooks, two Atlanta favorites, in the starring
roles in Will Russell's play. The two will be the very first professional
actors to tread the boards of the new theatre.
We felt it important to start the season with a full-equity show
and one with two passionate actors. We are also delighted that Allen
O'Reilly, from the Georgia Shakespeare Festival Theatre, will be
directing. The play is also one of my favorites; by a writer whose
recognition of 'class comedy' is unrivalled.
'Rita' is on sale now, on-line, through the theatre's site: http://www.redclaytheatrearts.com.
The box office at the Main Street venue will be open by mid-August
at 770 622 1777.
Later in the year, The Horizon Theatre Company of Atlanta transfers
its hit production of 'Bad Dates' to Duluth for a four-week run,
starting with a preview on November 16. The hit comedy, starring
Shelby Hofer, played to packed houses during its Atlanta run. Red
Clay is proud to be able to host the show in Duluth. "Bad Dates"
is a bust-a-gut look at one woman's nights out with "Mr. Wrongs"
- from "cholesterol man" to 'big guy!" Jessica Phelps
will be the director.
Red Clay is delighted to be able to feature a major Atlanta theatre
in its first season and will endeavor to build relationships with
other major producers in the area in the months and years to come.
We feel it is important that our audiences get to see the great
work of other playhouses, in this Metro Area, shows close all-too-early;
we simply want to extend the opportunity to theatres to transfer
their successes out here for a longer run. It makes our season richer
and it brings more money to the original producers' bottom line.
The Christmas season will see the theatre hosting one of Gwinnett's
community theatres, "New Dawn Theatre Company", as they
bring their new production of "Yes Virginia, There is a Santa
Claus" to the stage. 'Virginia' opens on December 16 and plays
through December 30.
The 2007 season sees the theatre producing two major shows, "The
Woman in Black" and "Glory Road." The first, a thriller,
runs January 9 though February 11. The show has played in London
since 1989.
The second is the musical 'Glory Road', from an idea by Duluth's
own Jamie Heck, with music and lyrics by two New Yorkers, Greg Senf
and Gregory Max. The Duluth production will star Beth Chiarelli
from the show's New York production.
Along with Shelly Howard, The Sizemore Group, In-Time Productions,
Barbizon of Atlanta and myself, we have designed Red Clay Theatre
in close collaboration with the City of Duluth. Major construction
work has been provided by Realistic Home Solutions. Major sponsors
of the theatre include Gwinnett Community Bank, Realistic Home Solutions
and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Soon we plan to announce details of our in-theatre bar/restaurant,
so keep in touch! We so hope to see you at a show!
* * * * *
Season Ticket forms are available on line at RedClayTheatreArts.com.
Book individual tickets and shows on line at http://www.redclaytheatrearts.com
or
http://www.TicketAlternative.com
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Tuesday was key day as county OK'd high-rise
residences
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
AUG. 18, 2006 -- Mark August 15, 2006 as a red letter date to remember.
That's the date that the Gwinnett Commission approved high rise
residential towers in the county. The first two towers approved
are to rise near Steve Reynolds Boulevard and Interstate 85, on
the southwestern side, in a $170 million project from Yamasaki Associates
Inc.
Brack |
Each tower will be 25 stories. They will provide living space "upward"
for 263 housing units.
Up until now, Gwinnett has limited the height of residential housing
to 35 feet. Now as land becomes more expensive, we can expect to
see more living towers in the future.
Actually, two more areas are already being talked about for high
rise living, and could be completed even before the Yamasaki towers.
Developer George Thorndyke is proposing two more 25 story towers
on land at Gwinnett Place, near the former Macys location, now unoccupied.
In addition, Wayne Mason, long associated with a variety of projects
all around Gwinnett and now in Atlanta, too, in association with
Korean lenders, is considering adding up to several high rises on
property across Satellite Boulevard from Gwinnett Place Mall, in
a shopping center where Target was previously located. This is projected
as a $600 million project.
Another project already floated, on land near Jimmy Carter Boulevard
and Interstate 85 on the former Lucent Technologies site, would
include high rise towers.
Up until now, the highest building in Gwinnett has been the 17
story Marriott Hotel at Gwinnett Place.
But soon, we'll have people with the open sky as their immediate
outdoors, not yards with plants and flowers. That's something new
in Gwinnett, but a portent to what will perhaps be a way of life
in the future.
All in all, this has been a significant week. First was the opening
of school for the new year, with all the trappings when nearly 152,000
students get together. Then following was the approval of the high
rises by the county commission, plus the opening of the Hudgens
Early Childhood Center at Gwinnett Tech on Thursday. For today (Friday)
it's the ribbon cutting at the opening of Georgia Gwinnett College,
as a four-year college begins operation in Gwinnett! We also saw
the opening of a new retail center, Avenue Webb Gin, this week.
Yes, quite a week.
The most significant of all the week, however, may be the approval
of high rise residences in Gwinnett. The county is changing in a
significant way….yet again.
* * * * *
 Can't
get to a county commission meeting, and want to know what's going
on? You can watch the commission's meeting on a streaming feed on
your computer at the very time they are meeting. Yes, live on your
computer, just click to the Gwinnett
County site, and then click the "Channel 23" icon.
Or if you have cable in Gwinnett, you can see it on Channel 23.
When not televising the live commission meetings, there are taped
presentations on other activities of the county, as they say, "24/7."
All the programming is produced "in house", which means
it is very local, and often repeated throughout the day. This isn't
entirely new, since the commission meetings have been available
in this manner for about two years.
ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's featured sponsor is Anderson
Insurance of Lawrenceville, Ga., which has provided quality
insurance products and programs since 1946. Anderson Insurance offers
a wide range of insurance services designed to meet any need a client
may have. Representing hundreds of highly rated carriers, the agency
provides complete solutions to meet any business's needs, from professional
liability and property coverage to employee benefits and 401K plans.
Anderson also protects individuals and families with products such
as home and auto insurance, long term care coverage, life insurance
and annuities. Anderson Insurance's motto: "You should expect
more than just a policy from your insurance professional."
For more information, please visit our website at www.andersonins.com
or call 770-962-4111.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
8/18: One way to deal with the heat
FEEDBACK
8/18: Wants Gwinnetians to know of Rep. John
Conyers' report
Dear Gwinnett Forum:
I have been very surprised that this very well documented, important
report released by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan and his team has
not received wide coverage in the media. ("Constitution in
Crisis," a report identifying 26 specific laws and regulations
implicated by the Bush Administration.) I believe it is highly important
to the survival of our democracy that America be given the opportunity
to have a conversation about it.
You may see the report at:
http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/iraqrept2.html
Please cover and keep covering this issue, especially before the
elections. Many people do not understand what is going on because
the media has failed to report what is going on in a reputably journalistic
way.
-- Dr. Diane Kistner, Carlton, Ga.
8/18: Says quotation
attributed to Lincoln plan not true
Editor, the Forum:
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that
damage morale & undermine the military are saboteurs & should
be arrested, exiled, or hanged." - President Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln never said this. Ever. This quote is a fabrication of Dr.
J. Michael Waller who first wrote it in 2003 shortly before the
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth gave it life in 2004.
I have two original King & Baird pamphlets in my collection,
the identical pamphlet Waller sites as his proof, "TRUTH FROM
AN HONEST MAN". Lincoln never wrote anything like this ...
here, or anywhere else.
How pathetic has the Republican Party become that it insults the
reputation of America's finest Republican president for their political
gain?
-- Cliff Hancuff, Reston, Va.
UPCOMING
Pastels
by Ann Odum now open at Suwanee Center
A dozen original pastel paintings by Gwinnett artist Ann Parsons
Odum currently are on display at the City of Suwanee's Crossroads
Center, located at 323 Buford Highway. Odum is well-known for her
paintings of Duluth and Suwanee historic landmarks.
The exhibit features paintings of three Suwanee historic icons,
Pierce's Corner, the Rhodes House, and Suwanee United Methodist
Church. It also includes Duluth landmarks and more recent impressionistic
landscapes, including one of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during
the Chihuly "Glass in the Garden" exhibit during the summer
of 2004.
Odum is a juried member of excellence in the Southeastern Pastel
Society. Her work has been featured in calendars and on the covers
of the Duluth Fall Festival promotional tabloid for many years.
Eighteen oversized reproductions of Odum's work are featured inside
the Suwanee Kroger.
The Suwanee exhibit is in the court/meeting room of the City's
Crossroads Center and is free and open to the public from 9 a.m.-5
p.m. Monday-Friday.
PetaPalooza on tap
Saturday Town Center in Suwanee
The City of Suwanee is catering to canines with Petapalooza on
August 19 from 3-10 p.m at Town Center Park. The event will feature
shows, clinics, and interactive displays for dogs as well as musical
performances by local bands.
The musical headliner is Kimberley Locke, third-place finisher
during the second season of American Idol. Locke, who will take
the Town Center stage at 9:30 p.m.,will perform her current song,
"Supawoman," and her hit, "8th World Wonder."
Musical performances will begin at 5:30 p.m. Among the local bands
to perform are State of Man at 7:30 p.m. and Grayson Hill at 8:30
p.m.
Pet events, presented by Woof! Sports, include:
- Dog Agility Show, from 3:40-4 p.m, with a How-to clinic at 4
p.m.
- Fly-Ball Show, from 4:20- 4:40 p.m. plus a How-to clinic at
4:40 p.m.
- Agility Show, at 5-5:20 p.m., followed by a How-to clinic at
5:30 p.m.
Petapalooza is sponsored by Star 94 and the City of Suwanee.
NOTABLE
Former
Wal-Mart in Lawrenceville to house county offices
Several Gwinnett County governmental departments, including Gwinnett's
Health Department, also known as the East Metro Health District,
will be moving from a small house in Lawrenceville to spacious new
facilities within the old Wal-Mart building at 455 Grayson Highway
in Lawrenceville. The building served as a resource recovery center
for assisting evacuees from Hurricane Katrina shortly after the
County bought the building last year.
County commissioners have approved a contract for $3.23 million
with Hogan Construction Group LLC of Norcross to make the building
renovations. Architect Mike Clifford of Lindsay, Pope and Brayfield
designed the 47,000 square feet of new health facilities.
The Environmental Health group will also be moving into the new
quarters from the present location on Oak Street. The facility will
include a public health clinic, a dental lab, the Women, Infants
and Children (WIC) program, the Babies Can't Wait program, an infectious
disease lab, and children's medical services.
Other units of county government will also occupy part of the building.
The building will soon house the County's Elections offices plus
utilize 20,000 square feet of storage for voting equipment and elections
records. A new 32,000 square-foot Records Center for county government
will be occupied in late September.
The remaining 14,000 square feet of the building will be used for
storage by the County's tag office, fixed asset, and facilities
management departments. The former retail building will help relieve
tight quarters at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center,
which has been the headquarters of County operations since it opened
in 1988.
Gwinnett Chamber unveils
new logo for branding purposes
 A
new logo is in the works for the Gwinnett
Chamber of Commerce. It was unveiled at a Chamber Business Expo
on Thursday. The new look is based on branding task research. The
logo comes from ADRENALINE, Inc. of Atlanta.
The new corporate identity incorporates a graphic "mark"
inspired by comments from Chamber members and community leaders
illustrating how the Gwinnett Chamber often serves as a "hub,"
bringing together the four strategic areas of business, healthcare,
education, and government. The mark also represents bringing businesses
of all sizes and industries together as well as cultures.
Duluth hospital opens
renovated endoscopy center
Joan Glancy Outpatient Center of Gwinnett Medical Center in Duluth
opened its renovated endoscopy center on August 14. The Center for
Gastrointestinal and Pulmonary Endoscopy features a new state-of-the-art
endoscopy procedure room and dedicated pre- and post-procedure rooms.
In addition, the renovated area includes a dedicated check-in desk
for endoscopy patients, new and relocated registration booths, and
relocated physician consultation rooms. Some of the new technology
featured at the Center includes a Berchtold boom equipment manager
and Olympus 180 high definition scopes with flat-screen monitors.
The Duluth campus is preparing for an even bigger unveiling soon,
as the all-digital Gwinnett Medical Center - Duluth is scheduled
to open in October. For more information on the Center, contact
Reba O'Brien at 678-442-4059.
RECOMMENDED
- 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
Trade in
gold region suffers from limited currency
From the beginning of the gold
rush, trade in the gold region suffered from a limited circulation
of currency. Merchants insisted on immediate payment in cash or
gold, and it was the merchants who determined the gold's worth.
What the miners needed was a local mint where they could have their
gold assayed and exchanged for gold coins. Congress soon authorized
the establishment of a federal Branch Mint at Dahlonega, and in
1838 the new mint went into operation. It coined more than $100,000
worth of gold in its first year, and by the time it closed in 1861,
it had produced almost 1.5 million gold coins with a face value
of more than $6 million.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
How many of us run
around and spend about half our time
"Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with
the time we have rushed through life trying to save."
-- Will Smith, actor and comedian, via Cindy Evans, Duluth.
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© 2006, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum
is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett
County, Ga. USA.
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Especially
during these hot, sweaty days of summer, they re-invigorate your
energy by adding much-needed salt intake for your body. And while
you're tasting the delicious goober, be sure to drink plenty of
fluids during the summer. Enjoy life and be a little bit healthier
by busting those shells and gobbling down boiled peanuts. After
all, even your doctor can't say anything bad about them! To learn
more about the health impact of boiled peanuts, contact the 
