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JAN. 19, 2007 -- Georgia Engineers' Week announces the kickoff celebration to the 2007 Engineers' Week with Georgia's top female middle school mathematics and science students. In its seventh year and sponsored by IBM, Georgia Institute of Technology and professional engineering firms in Georgia, Introduce A Girl To Engineering (IAG) is an activity-based event designed to introduce and inspire young women to naturally incorporate engineering, science and mathematics into their future aspirations.

This event will be hosted and attended by professional women in the Atlanta area who have chosen career fields related to engineering, math and science. These women are successful, accomplished professionals from engineering and technology - women who are living proof of how applied math and science can be used to pursue rewarding professional careers.

With the decline in high school students entering college to study engineering, it is more important than ever to engage young minds early in mathematics and the sciences. In the last six years, IAG has grown from a gathering of 30 students to an outreach of over 250 throughout metro Atlanta in 2006. The dedication and commitment of Georgia Engineers' Week and the IAG Planning Committee to inspire young women has made this event a growing success.

This high energy day is designed to motivate young women to explore lifelong careers in engineering, science and mathematics. Open to rising seventh and eighth grade mathematics and science students, this day features hands-on activities to broaden the girls' minds to the fun in engineering as well as a luncheon to meet, speak with and hear from professional women in the industry who share their career experiences. Students are also invited to participate in the IAG essay contest, which rewards the winners with full scholarships to engineering and science camps at selected locations in Georgia and the Southeast.

As a practicing professional engineer, Doris I. Willmer, PE, IAG Event Chair, recalls her account of witnessing the IAG mission creating a lasting impression on Atlanta's young women:

"I remember IAG 2006 as: Young women excited and engaged in the hands-on activity room; smiling, laughing, wondering, discovering with old and new friends. An event greatly enjoyed by all!"

The Georgia Engineers' Week Committee sponsors an annual multi-faceted Engineers' Week program throughout the state of Georgia. Highlighted activities promote varied engineering disciplines to students, expand public recognition of the engineering profession and celebrate engineering accomplishments. For more information on Georgia Engineers' Week or Introduce A Girl To Engineering please visit www.engineersweek.com.

Majority of commission needs to raise chairman's pay
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

JAN. 19, 2007 -- Our philosophy for hiring employees is simple: hire good people, and pay them well.

You have to turn it round slightly when it comes to electing public officials. If you pay them well, we anticipate you'll get good public officials. Therefore, to ensure that you will be having a crop of candidates running for key elected positions, the pay for the time that the elected official puts in should be at least sufficient to attract good candidates.

We were elated at part of the action taken by the Gwinnett County Commission this week, as they voted to increase the salary of district commissioners. Their pay would jump from $14,000 annually to $29,000. A 2002 law allows the elected county commissioners to set their own pay scale. The raises go into effect after the next General Election, that is, beginning January 1, 2009.

Some think that more than doubling their pay is horrible. We don't. Far as that goes, there are not many Gwinnett citizens willing to put in the time it takes as a district commissioner for a paltry $14,000 a year. So we say to those hooting and yelling about this "big" pay increase, that they are full of hot air. The new pay scale at least is more in line with the time they spend at their elected jobs.

We applaud the three commissioners (Mike Beaudreau, Lorraine Green and Kevin Kenerly; not present was Bert Nasuti, since he is recuperating from surgery) for changing the pay. We think they did not go far enough, and were being picky for not including in this vote an upgrade of the salary of the chairman of the commission.

Though Chairman Charles Bannister voted against even the district commission pay increase, the majority should have prevailed and included him. The pay of the chairman, $56,000 annually, is trifling, and a disgrace in such a progressive county.

Heads of smaller counties make far more than the Gwinnett commission chairman. In Metro Atlanta, for instance, the head of the Clayton Commission earns $131,347; the Cobb Commission chairman makes $120,079 annually; and the DeKalb chairman earns the most in the area at $149,995. Ironically, the lowest paid commission chairman in Metro Atlanta is in the largest county in the area, Fulton County, coming in at $40,500. (But Fulton County district commissioners make $39,268, only surpassed in the Metro area by Cobb at $39,370.)

Remember that the Gwinnett Commission chairman's job is a full time one, and one which voters throughout the county select. This official is the daily, up-front person representing large governmental operation here. It is an important job, and needs to be able to attract reasonable and successful people to offer for office. By contrast, the job of the district commissioners is to represent only a portion of the county, and to do so on a part time basis.

Remember, we're talking about a government in Gwinnett which represents more people than there are in four states. As former chairman Wayne Hill once remarked of the size of Gwinnett County, "If I lived in Wyoming, you would be calling me governor!"

We urge the majority of the Gwinnett Commission to take another look at the pay of the chairman, and raise his salary to $100,000 annually. They have their raises; now come full circle and make sense out of this full time job. Do the right thing, even though the chairman may take a grandstanding position against it.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is the Gwinnett Philharmonic Orchestra -- presenting the Family Concerts on Saturday, January 27 at 1 p.m. and Tuesday, January 30 at 8 p.m., in the Performing Arts Center at the Gwinnett Center. Both concerts feature 11-yr-old Jonathan Krohn as the narrator for Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, and the fascinating enhancement of I-Mag - big-screen projection of the orchestra in real time. Saturday's tickets also include free entry to the Children's Museum in the Hudgens Museum of Art next door, plus a pre- and post-concert instrument 'petting zoo' - where children will be allowed to meet the musicians and see their instruments close up. For more information on this and other Gwinnett Philharmonic concerts, visit the web site at www.gwinnettphilharmonic.org. Tickets are $28 adults, $24 seniors and $12 students. To purchase tickets, visit any Ticketmaster outlet or call Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400, or visit the Gwinnett Center box office between 10 and 5, Monday-Friday.

It seems everyone these days is health conscious. We take great care that our food has minimal fat, reduced carbs and low calories. We try to get the proper amount of exercise needed to accelerate the heart rate to optimal levels.

But what about the health of our marriages? They need time and attention, too. Marital researchers state that one out of two new marriages fail!

Georgia Family Council (GFC) exists to strengthen families and communities in Georgia, and its MarriageNet program is doing just that. GFC founded the Duluth-Norcross MarriageNet Association, a group of community leaders in Duluth-Norcross that is currently working with pastors and other leaders to expand a network of support for marriages throughout the area. Events for 2007 are now scheduled for those who want to see the divorce rate drop and marriages in our area strengthened.

Please join GFC and the Duluth-Norcross MarriageNet Association for a luncheon meeting January 25, at11:30 a.m. at Perimeter Church. For more information on Duluth-Norcross MarriageNet Association or Georgia Family Council, call 1-800-FAMILY-1 or visit our website at www.georgiafamily.org.

Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful's annual "Bring One for the Chipper" takes place this Saturday, January 20, from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., giving citizens a chance to volunteer and show they take pride in Gwinnett.

With the gathering of recycled Christmas trees across Gwinnett now complete, Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful is now sending out a final call for volunteers for the actual "chipping" of the trees into mulch. It's a fun event where 200 volunteers will chip thousands of trees into mulch using huge, industrial chippers after stripping off any remaining lights and decorations.

Other fun, educational activities are also planned for the event. This year will be the first time the "Bring One For the Chipper" event is held at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, near the Mall of Georgia. In addition to creating mulch for schools and parks, volunteers will see tangible results of their efforts as the mulch will be used to complete a new walking path at the Environmental and Heritage Center during the event.

Volunteers can register by visiting the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful website (www.gwinnettcb.org) or calling 770-822-5187. The first 200 volunteers to sign up will receive a commemorative sweatshirt.

Five Forks Middle School represents area at state Capitol

A Gwinnett County middle school, along with a dozen others schools across Georgia, will be the focus of the third annual Capitol Tech event at the State Capitol Building in Atlanta on Jan. 23.

Five Forks Middle School teacher Jerry Paxton and four of his students, Lexi Atkins, Eli Jones, Joey Moore and Marc Sporn, will show Georgia legislators how they use technology in their robotics class. In the class, students work in teams to design and program robots to perform certain tasks. The technology the students use allows them to apply and extend what they learn in their other classes - making those concepts and skills more relevant, and thus, more memorable for them.

Capitol Tech is held each year to show legislators the positive impact that technology funding is having on instruction in Georgia's public schools. The team from Five Forks Middle School in Lawrenceville, represents 15 school systems in northeast Georgia served by the ETTC based in the University of Georgia's College of Education.

Snellville continues its process of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan update. It will serve as the official long-range policy for guiding future decisions concerning land use, zoning, and public facilities for the City of Snellville. In preparing this Comprehensive Plan Update, the City is soliciting input from local residents, business owners, and other community stakeholders.

At the request of the Snellville City Council, a second public Visioning Workshop will be held to engage citizens in shaping the future of Snellville. This additional workshop, on January 30, at 6:30 p.m. will provide a forum for citizens to discuss current issues and areas of concern and identify opportunities for positive change.

This workshop is intended to focus on the downtown core and immediate surrounds, but all areas within the City will be addressed. Input from citizens is crucial to development of the Comprehensive Plan Update to ensure that it addresses the issues that matter most to the citizens of Snellville and to ensure that implementation strategies are realistic. Individuals interested in the future of Snellville are encouraged to attend the workshop.

Additional opportunities for public comment will be provided at a Scenario Workshop to be held on February 6, 2007 at City Hall - Community Room and finally at an Open House near the end of the project. For more information and updates throughout the process, please visit the project website at: www.jjg.com/snellvilleplan/.

A gala and art auction benefiting Habitat for Humanity is set for Saturday, February 10, at 6:30 p.m. The Gwinnett Rotary Clubs invites people to this event, to be held at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, 2020 Clean Water Drive in Buford. Funds raised will go toward a house that local Rotarians will build for Habitat for Humanity.

The preview begins at 6:30, and the auction at 7:30 p.m. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served, with a cash bar. There will be hourly door prizes. Admission is $10 per person. For tickets, Call 770 476 3317. Tickets are also available through the South Gwinnett Rotary Club at 404 408 9629.

The art auction will be presented by Regency Fine Art of Atlanta, Georgia. Selections will include lithographs, oil paintings, fine art prints, serigraphs, etchings, watercolors, celebrity collectibles, and sports memorabilia. To preview sample selection, click http://www.thefineartoffundraising.com/featuredartist.cfm?auction_ID=79316

A Distinguished Budget Presentation Award was accepted by Lisa Johnsa, director of financial services, at the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners meeting this week..

The national award has been given by the Government Finance Officers Association since 1984 to recognize budget presentations that are outstanding as a policy document, an operations guide, a financial plan, and a communications device. Gwinnett's budget document for 2006 won the award for the 14th consecutive year.

"Our budget is larger than the budgets of some entire states," Johnsa said, "so it takes a lot of teamwork to present it in a way that is proficient in all categories. We have an excellent team and I'm very proud to accept this award on their behalf."

Gwinnett County's 2006 budget document can be found online at www.gwinnettbudget.com. An abbreviated look at the County's current year budget is also on the website, and the 2007 budget document will be produced and posted online in coming months.

Gwinnett County has new rules for contractors who pressure wash buildings, gas stations and parking facilities. The new rules are designed to keep polluted wastewater out of streams and rivers.

County officials and the local chapter of the Pressure Washers of North America, a national industry association, worked together to develop the innovative guidelines. The new procedures require collecting wastewater for disposal into a sanitary sewer instead of allowing it to flow to a storm drain.

Board Chairman Charles Bannister congratulated Stormwater Division Director Bryan Lackey at the commission meeting Tuesday for winning an award from the Atlanta Regional Commission. The new procedures won recognition in the Environmental Sustainability category of the CREATE Community Awards program.

Details on the new procedures and a list of contractors approved by the County are available online at www.gwinnettcounty.com under the Water Resources department. A brochure for property managers who hire pressure-washing contractors has been developed.

"Wilbur's, a no-frills barbecue place in Lawrenceville, Highway 29 at Oakland Road, next to the Shannon Oaks shopping center. The barbeque is good, they have vegetables, and a great breakfast, all at affordable prices. The breakfast crowd was sparse the last couple of times we were there and I'm scared they will stop serving in the mornings. They would be fine if only they would get the word out. Go there once and you'll go back. You could tell they have regulars dining there from the familiarity they had with several customers. It's a nice working class crowd there. They're good, also friendly employees who appear to appreciate your business. At lunch and dinner they serve generous portions of the barbecue and the onion rings are also good. Funny thing --- it's hard to find fried okra in a typical vegetable place, but you can often find it as a side dish in a barbecue place. They always have it at Wilbur's. We've been there ten times or so and have no complaints. It's one of my favorites."

William Louis Jones (1827-1914) first attained recognition as a professor of science and agriculture at the University of Georgia and later as a journalist, serving as editor of the Southern Cultivator and then as editor of Henry W. Grady's journal, Southern Farm. He was also the first director of the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station. Through his writings on scientific agriculture and in his role as a professor, Jones influenced scores of Georgians and other southerners.

Born on a plantation in Liberty County, Jones was a graduate of the University of Georgia in 1845, and studied medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York. After receiving the M.D. degree in 1848, he established a practice in Athens but soon decided to pursue a career in science. In 1850 Jones enrolled in the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard College. A year later, he returned to Athens to serve as the professor of natural history at his alma mater. In July of that year, he married Mary Williams, a native of Athens.

Displeased with the administration of the university president, Alonzo Church, Jones resigned in 1852 and took up farming in Morgan County. An ardent supporter of the Confederate cause, he enlisted in a state militia unit in 1863, and a year later he became the chemist in charge of the gunpowder works in Augusta. Jones returned to the university in 1866 as the Terrell Professor of Agriculture. Shortly afterward, he and his father purchased the Southern Cultivator, which they co-edited for five years. He sold the Southern Cultivator in 1881, though he continued to write a monthly column for it until 1884.

As a spokesman for the application of scientific methods to farming and as an adviser on agricultural matters, Jones won acclaim as the state's leading authority in the field. In 1886 he returned to the university, and two years later became director of the new Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station. Within two years, however, the station's board of directors had decided to deprive him of autonomy and to relocate the station in Griffin, actions that prompted Jones to resign. A year later, he left the university for good.

Meanwhile, since 1886 he had been penning columns for the Atlanta Constitution and, since 1887, serving as editor of Southern Farm. When he retired in 1892, Jones was known throughout the South for his efforts to enlighten southern farmers about the importance of applying scientific principles to crop production. He died in Atlanta on August 22, 1914.

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