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Finds serving on Grand Jury for six
months rewarding
By
Al Swint
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Mr. Swint is an independent marketing
research consultant specializing in statistical design and analysis.
The trade name of his business is "Mr. Stats." -eeb)
BUFORD, Ga. March 9, 2007 -- I just finished serving a six-month
term on the Gwinnett County Grand Jury. What an experience!
I was not thrilled when I got a summons to report for Grand Jury
duty from the Gwinnett County Clerk of Courts in early August of
2006.
On September 11, 2006, I showed up at Superior Court along with
199 other Grand Jury candidates. The jury selection process was
entertaining as I listened to laughable excuses offered by some
prospective jurors. The judge, though, excused anyone who wanted
to be excused, which left us with about 100 potential jurors in
the pool, from which two panels of 23 members each were to be selected.
Nowadays, Gwinnett seats two grand jury panels which alternate
meeting on Wednesdays. Except for scheduling around holidays, an
individual grand juror will be expected to attend a meeting on every
other Wednesday for six months. You stay four to eight hours per
day, and get paid $30 per day (wow!).
One purpose of the Grand Jury is to hear the presentations of proposed
criminal felony indictments prepared by the District Attorney's
office. Typically we heard 40 - 50 per day. An assistant DA reads
the proposed indictment and an investigator from a Gwinnett police
jurisdiction gives sworn testimony of the supporting evidence. After
presenting the case, the attorney and the investigator leave the
room, and the jury members decide whether there is enough evidence
to establish probable cause for the charges. If at least 13 grand
jury members vote "yes", then the jury returns what is
called a "true bill" to the D.A. If it doesn't get 13
votes, then we return a "no bill," and the case is not
prosecuted. Out of over 1,000 cases we heard, Panel A returned only
two or three "no bills."
Hearing so many criminal cases certainly gives a grand juror a
keen awareness of the extent, frequency, and nature of crime in
Gwinnett County. You learn a lot and experience a wide range of
emotions. Sometimes the cases we heard were hilarious as we marveled
at the stupidity of some criminals. Other cases were very heartbreaking,
especially child molestation cases. I became aware of the disproportionately
large percentage of felonies being committed by teenage gangs and
illegal immigrants. I became familiar with some details of the law:
such as the Georgia Controlled Substances Act; the differences between
burglary vs. robbery and various modes of theft. And I became sadly
aware of the appalling brutality that family members and lovers
sometimes inflict upon each other.
There is another purpose of the Grand Jury, and that is to inspect
or investigate public property, records, and offices as appropriate.
This Grand Jury inspected the Gwinnett Detention Center and the
Gwinnett Correctional Institute. We also investigated the County
Administrator's decision to eliminate the Gwinnett Internal Audit
Office last year. I volunteered to be on a committee of five grand
jurors to do it. This investigation was by far the most time-consuming
activity related to my Grand Jury service. I easily put in more
than 100 hours.
All in all, my experience as a grand juror was both educational
and fulfilling. I'm glad I was able to do something meaningful for
my community. If you get a summons for Grand Jury duty, do it. Don't
avoid it. It's worthwhile, for you.
Patsy Rooks will retire after 37 years with
Gwinnett Chamber
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
MARCH 9, 2007 -- Chairmen of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce come
and go, with a new community leader installed each year. Presidents
of the Chamber, the top administrative job, also regularly arrive
to serve several years, then leave for one reason or another.
Brack |
Members of the Chamber also come and go, usually a sign of how
well the economy is doing. Even staff members join the Chamber,
work in the area for the community for a few years, and often depart
for other work.
But through it all, for the last 37 years, the one constant at
the Gwinnett Chamber, has been the smiling face of Patsy Rooks.
She began work at the Chamber on April 1, 1970, as a part- time
employee, when the Chamber had one full time person and a part-time
director. She'll retire on April 1, 2007, leaving as its vice president
for special operations.
Rooks
(Photo credit:
Tillman, Allen and Greer) |
But really, she is far more than that. In effect, Patsy Rooks has
been the human glue who has held the Chamber together, guiding its
leaders in making decisions for the county, as she used her understanding
of people, and her vast knowledge of the county, plus her long background,
in Gwinnett and in Chamber operations.
Herself a native of Gwinnett, Patsy Ethridge graduated from Central
Gwinnett High in 1959, and like most people in Gwinnett, had to
go job hunting in Atlanta. For seven years, she was with Metropolitan
Life Insurance, working in the Group Division. A few months after
beginning work, she and Dennis were married on August 29, 1959.
(Her immediate family includes six graduates of Central Gwinnett:
Patsy, husband Dennis, daughter Jan Sosebee, son Todd Rooks, and
grandsons Daniel and Dustin Sosebee.)
Then came a short stint with Owen of Georgia, a steel firm, in
Lawrenceville. While pregnant with the couple's second child, she
was a proofreader at the weekly newspaper, the News-Herald, and
later worked with Feather Craft Boat Company before that firm closed.
The executive director of the Chamber in 1970, Golden Pirkle of
Buford, hired her in 1970 for a part-time job, when the Chamber
offices were in the Stark Building opposite the Courthouse Square.
By 1972, Patsy was no longer part-time when the Chamber's first
full-time executive director, Len Gilbert, moved the offices to
much more spacious quarters on Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. Patsy
notes that the actual move came when Mr. Gilbert was hospitalized,
and she in effect had to supervise the moving.
Since then, she has worked with every full-time leader the Chamber
has ever had. J.W. Benefield, who served as interim president at
one time, says that Patsy "Had the trust and confidence of
all those she worked with. Part of the success of the Chamber has
been her working with these people so well."
Current President Jim Maran says: "She enabled me to ramp
up quickly in my new role here." That's something she's been
doing for presidents and directors in all her years on the job.
Wayne Shackelford, last year's chairman, put her mark on the Chamber
in perspective in a Gwinnett Business Journal interview: "When
Hernando de Soto came up the river, Patsy and I were standing on
the banks, and Patsy had a Gwinnett chamber application in her hands"
for de Soto.
Patsy and Dennis Rooks, in September, head off to Hawaii on a trip
the Chamber awarded to her, traveling first class all the way. Members
of the Chamber helped finance her trip, as a tribute to her many
years of stellar service.
Enjoy your retirement Patsy. It's well earned.
 The
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Roller coaster stock
market
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
Willing to ask others
to improve road that he wants
Editor, the Forum,
The right of a people to vote a tax upon themselves to accomplish
a common goal is a basic right of man. Mr. Moffitt is correct, (GwinnettForum,
March 6), in his concerns about boondoggle projects that the
government can think of. I am not eager to pay more taxes to build
useless projects.
However, the State of Georgia sure did gore my ox when it delayed
expansion of Interstate 85 and the Gravel Springs Road interchange
in north Gwinnett. I would gladly vote to tax Mr. Moffitt to build
the road that I want, and that is exactly the problem.
-- Wayne Buchheit, Dacula
Wants Republicans
to disavow Ann Coulter remarks
Editor, the Forum:
Ann Coulter has made a career of interspersing cutting political
criticism with outrageous and morally repugnant remarks. Tasteless
comments are Coulter's M.O. She attracted considerable attention
with her crack about the group of 9/11 widows she dubbed the "Jersey
girls." In her book she wrote, "I've never seen people
enjoying their husbands' deaths so much." She also stated that
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens should be poisoned.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, in
endorsing Republican presidential aspirant Mitt Romney she said:
"I was going to say something about John Edwards, but it turns
out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ("faggot.")"
On her Web site Coulter wrote that the comment was a joke but added
the comment, "I'm so ashamed, I can't stop laughing."
She also stated that Edwards‚ campaign chairman's main job
was "fronting for Arab terrorists."
At last year's CPAC she made the crack about Muslims "I think
our motto should be post-9-11, 'rag head talks tough, rag head faces
consequences.'" And, in a column published in the National
Review after the September 11 attacks she urged an invasion of Muslim
countries to force conversion to Christianity.
Coulter's never-ending stream of venom is not amusing, is not helpful
to Republicans, and is not in keeping with the ideals of a party
that fancies itself as the proponent of a colorblind society and
heir to Lincoln.
It is fitting that a group that supposedly searches for the best
in conservative ideas, rewards political courage and encourages
intellectual debate, should be able to differentiate the amusing
from the offensive, and the clever from the vile.
By clearly stating her comments are beyond the bounds of civil
discourse and her presence not a welcome addition to a mature political
party, the Republicans could do themselves a world of good. How
often does a party have the opportunity to display some measure
of dignity, restraint and self-reflection?
-- Ralph Greene, Snellville
Next
Aurora presentation is comedy beginning on April 12
The next presentation by the Aurora Theatre comes from the author
of the Oscar winning film, Moonstruck. John Patrick Shanley
delivers Italian American Reconciliation, a spicy romantic comedy
with a distinctly masculine flavor. Set in Little Italy, this passionately
funny fable is the story of two best friends, akin to characters
right out of The Sopranos.
To regain his manhood, Huey wants to reconcile with ex-wife Janice
who made it clear their marriage was over even before shooting his
dog. Aldo is willing to do anything to keep it from happening. Italian
American Reconciliation reminds us that men are like cannoli: They
may be hard on the outside but they sure are sweet on the inside.
What makes this production special is that the best friends in the
play will be portrayed by real life friends and colleagues at Aurora
Theatre, Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodriguez as Aldo and
Director of Sales and Marketing Al Stilo as Huey. Under the direction
of Atlanta hit-maker Heidi Cline, this hilarious duo will join legendary
local funny woman LaLa Cochran in her Aurora Theatre debut as the
gun-toting ex-wife, Janice.
The five-person ensemble also includes two Aurora audience favorites,
Caroline Masclet as Teresa, Huey's sweet girlfriend, and Lynne Ashe
as Aunt May, who is not really anyone's aunt, but a waitress with
lots of unsolicited advice and wisdom. Italian American Reconciliation
promises to be the perfect Aurora Theatre City Hall swan song leaving
behind the legacy of a commitment to our patrons to provide great
entertainment under any circumstances.
Performances are April 12-May 6 at the temporary home of the Aurora,
at Lawrenceville City Hall's fourth floor. For more information,
call 678-407-6690 or go to www.auroratheatre.com.
34th annual Snellville
Days Festival coming on May 5-6
The year 2007 marks the 34th Annual Snellville Days Festival. As
always, the festival is the first weekend in May, 5-6 in 2007. It
starts at 10 a.m. on May 5 with the "old fashion" parade
down Wisteria Drive, Clower Street and Oak Road.
The Festival will be held at T.W. Briscoe Park and will feature
a car show, dog and disc championships; live entertainment; kid's
area; over 150 arts and crafts vendors, not to mention some of the
best food around. On Saturday evening there will be a concert with
the Swingin' Medallions and A Salute to Elvis. This year's theme
is "Welcome to Our Town…Honoring the Past." The Snellville
Historical Society will host a display where festival goers can
learn about Snellville's past history.
Volunteers are still needed for Snellville Days 34th annual festival.
For more information, contact Debbie Puette at 770-985-3535, or
via email at dpuette@snellville.org.
County begins updating
five-year parks plan
Gwinnett County has started refining the five-year plan for parks
and recreation facilities spending by awarding a contract to Monteith
Brown Planning Consultants. The firm will work with county staff
and a citizen steering committee to update a 2004 master plan and
propose specific spending priorities for 2008-2012.
The planning team will hold five meetings in June to get public
input and suggestions. They will also study historic data, demographic
trends, and existing facilities before developing their recommendations.
The citizen steering committee is made up of the members of the
Recreation Authority, a nine-member volunteer board appointed by
the Board of Commissioners. The contract, just under $100,000 is
expected to be complete by October.
"Long-range planning has been one of our strengths for many
years," said Director of Community Services Phil Hoskins. "It
helps us respond effectively to the changing needs of county residents
and optimizes our use of SPLOST dollars for recreation facilities."
Brain
Train legislation working way through legislature
The Georgia Senate has unanimously passed SR 263, urging Congress
"to provide funding for the engineering, construction, land
acquisition, and other necessary costs for commuter rail connecting
Athens to Atlanta."
Sen. Don Balfour, chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, authored
SR 263. A companion resolution filed by Rep. Clay Cox is working
its way through the legislative process.
Supporters of the Atlanta to Athens commuter rail initiative, dubbed
the Brain Train because of the high concentration of colleges, universities
and centers of research in close proximity to the line, say the
state senate's unanimous support demonstrates an awareness of the
urgent need for sound transportation solutions throughout Georgia.
Gwinnett Medical Center
Care-A-Van goes all digital
Gwinnett Medical Center's mobile mammography Care-a-Van has gotten
a high-tech upgrade. Its conversion is the last piece of Gwinnett
Medical Center's transition to all-digital mammography services.
The all-digital transformation was spearheaded by the GMC Foundation's
Time Matters in the fight against Breast Cancer campaign, which
has raised over $4 million to improve access to routine and diagnostic
mammograms and to expand services for Breast Cancer patients.
Digital mammography delivers lower radiation, higher sensitivity
to abnormalities and allows the radiologist to manipulate the images
using a computer, increasing the ability to easily analyze areas
of concern.
The Care-a-Van has performed over 19,000 mammograms since 1994
at area churches, schools, libraries, drug stores and other businesses.
To bring the Care-a-Van to your location, call the Care-a-Van office
at 678-442-4760. To schedule a mammogram on the Care-a-Van, call
Gwinnett Medical Center's HealthLine at 678-442-5000.
Liberty Heights infrastructure
improvements win award
Gwinnett County's effort to revitalize its older infrastructure
reached a major milestone recently. The completion of a six-year,
$13.5 million project to upgrade water, sewer, streets, sidewalks
and stormwater drainage in one its oldest subdivisions, Liberty
Heights, was marked by an award for engineering excellence.
Frank Stephens, director of the Department of Water Resources,
said: "The innovative scheduling and proactive outreach of
the program that affected 26 streets won an Honors Award from the
Georgia Engineering Alliance."
Construction work by Site Engineering was done in five phases using
specifications designed by Prime Engineering.
- 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
Columbus'
W.C. Bradley Co. is state's 19th largest private firm
The W.
C. Bradley Company, headquartered in Columbus, comprises several
manufacturing, sales, and real estate enterprises. The company's
products include such home and leisure consumer products as barbecue
grills, outdoor lamps, and fishing tackle, and its real estate division
is a major seller, developer, and redeveloper of commercial and
residential properties in Columbus. In 2005 Georgia Trend reported
that the W. C. Bradley Company was Georgia's 19th-largest privately
held company, with approximately $650 million in revenue and 2,500
employees.
The W. C. Bradley Company and its owners, the Bradley and Turner
families, have been central to the prosperity of Columbus, as it
has developed from a commercial center for agricultural products
to a center for textiles and industry to the current diversified
economy that includes education, technology, and cultural resources.
The modern Bradley Company began as a cotton-factoring business.
Over the next 30 years, Bradley further diversified his holdings
by investing in banks, textile mills, steamboats, farms, Coca-Cola,
and the Columbus Iron Works. Each of these ventures served to strengthen
the portfolio of the company and opened doors that led to the organization's
current production lines and corporate culture.
In the late 1940s one of the organization's major products, the
potbellied stove, was becoming obsolete. Company leaders developed
the idea of a charcoal grill, which they began to manufacture in
1949.
The Bradley Company's other two manufacturing divisions, Lamplight
and Zebco, were acquired by the company in 1998 and 2001 respectively.
Lamplight, based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., produces lamps and oils
that are sold as the brands Lamplight and Tiki. Zebco, based in
Tulsa, Okla., is a leading designer and marketer of fishing tackle.
The Bradley Company, along with its related entity, the Bradley-Turner
Foundation, is a major benefactor of educational, cultural, and
social service efforts in the Columbus area.
The company has been recognized by its employees and by the Georgia
Department of Labor as a good place to work because of its emphasis
on community support and servant leadership.
After all, what's the
point of reading a good book?
"In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them
you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you."
-- American Philosopher, Educator, Editor Mortimer Jerome
Adler (1902-2001), via Cindy Evans, Duluth.
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
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MORE: Contact Gwinnett Forum at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
© 2007, 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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