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County government Open House coming up on Saturday
By Heather Sawyer
Communications director, Gwinnett County
Special to GwinnettForum.com

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., April 24, 2007 -- Gwinnett County is touting its staff and services this week as it kicks off a local celebration of National County Government Week. Raising public awareness of county government is the goal of an annual Open House being held this year on Saturday, April 28 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Rhodes Jordan Park Community Center in Lawrenceville.

To help spotlight county services, this article focuses on Gwinnett County government and the services it offers. County government employs just over 4,500 people. Appointed County Administrator Jock Connell manages 11 departments while other county employees work in the courts or departments led by constitutional officers.

Other topics by departments:

Public Safety: Gwinnett County hired a record 133 new police officers last year along with 113 new sheriff's deputies, most of whom are now staffing a recent jail expansion.

In response to concerns about declining property values, the new commission organized Operation Fixing Broken Windows, a campaign focused on enforcing existing ordinances and building codes by combining police and building inspectors to target particular neighborhoods based on crime statistics. That soon gave rise to a Quality of Life unit that is now a permanent part of the Gwinnett Police.

Transportation: Gwinnett officials not only build and maintain county roads, they also partner with the Georgia Department of Transportation on state highway projects, like the massive reconstruction of the I-85/State Route 316 interchange that was named one of the top 10 road projects in America last year.

In addition, Gwinnett completed 17 "quick fix" projects last year, mostly involving intersection improvements, turn lanes, safety alignments or signal installation. Safety projects in school zones are also getting priority.

Sugarloaf Parkway will soon be extended from its present end at State Route 20 to State Route 316. This project will ultimately give motorists a much-needed east-west divided highway all the way from Dacula to Duluth. Construction on the segment from State Route 20 to New Hope Road begins later this year.

Water: In recent years, Gwinnett's Department of Water Resources has completed two major construction projects. One was a second filter plant to produce enough drinking water for many decades to come. The other was a major expansion of the County's state-of-the-art Hill Water Resources reclamation plant - in other words, sewage treatment. The expansion will treat an additional 40 million gallons per day. Both plants won national construction management awards for the County last year.

Gwinnett is spending billions of dollars over many years to upgrade its water and sewer systems. Older, inefficient sewage treatment plants are being taken out of service as new pump stations and force mains are built. By consolidating most treatment at the Hill plant, the County can return more highly treated wastewater to its original source, the Chattahoochee, much to the relief of its downstream neighbors.

As more land gets paved over, stormwater runoff is creating drainage and pollution problems for streams and rivers. To meet increasing regulatory requirements and reduce a backlog of drainage issues, Gwinnett established a new stormwater utility in 2006 to manage much-needed construction projects.

Parks and Recreation: Last year alone, Gwinnett County opened 10 new or renovated parks, broke ground for three more, and bought another 200 acres of greenspace. Gwinnett will open two new public parks this summer, DeShong Park and Sweet Water Park. Four major park developments currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2008 include Peachtree Ridge Park, Duncan Creek Park, West Gwinnett Park and a new community center at Lucky Shoals Park. Other park improvements are underway at Mountain Park Park, Rabbit Hill Park, Vines Gardens and Tribble Mill Park. Last year, the County purchased South Gwinnett Park and is now developing a master plan for the facility.

Gwinnett's award-winning library system added two new branches last year, one at Dacula and the other at Grayson, bringing the total to 14 branches. Another new branch in the Hamilton Mill area is scheduled to open in 2009.

Big elephants fighting bodes of big egos and big aspirations
By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com

APRIL 24, 2007 -- When you find dogs fighting, you can sometimes break it up when you turn a water hose on them. When you see cats fighting, there's very little you can do to stop it, and anyway, you certainly don't want to get mixed up with them.

Now we're seeing an elephant fight, as at least three state-level Republicans, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house, are going at it in public. It isn't pretty. And on top of it all, it's going to cost most of us, throwing money away, because these elephants either can't agree, or don't want to agree with one another. There is some indication it has a lot to do with Big Egos and Big Aspirations.

For years Republicans have smugly promised that they could get the job done of running Georgia's government much better if they were in charge instead of the sometimes bitter, sometimes high-handed, and often in-fighting Democrats. These Republicans, of course, were making these claims as they watched from the sidelines, shut-out of the real debates in the Legislature as the Democrats virtually ignored them, and seldom sought their support.

"We're the good government people, the more progressive of the two parties," these Republicans would suggest. "We would never stoop to such uncouth and barbaric tactics that those donkeys show us," they allowed.

It has been obvious to many veterans of watching politics that not much was being accomplished by this year's General Assembly. It has often happened years before, only in those days the Democrats were in charge.

Now we find out that not only did not much get accomplished, but that the Republicans did not even get the job done within the allotted time of 40 legislative days. This comes on top of the GOP leadership extending the time before the Legislative adjourned by having frequent recesses, during which time they claimed answers would come together, and matters would be in better shape.

Georgians will pay more tax for this GOP-led Legislature to come back into session, simply to do what they should have been strong enough to do all along.

The ironic aspect is that for years the Republicans have been pressing the Democrats with the idea that less government was better government. These Republicans wanted to keep state government away from the lives of ordinary people. That was one of the reasons many voters were attracted to the GOP camp. Eventually, a few years back, enough people bought the GOP ideas so that Republicans gained a majority in both houses of the General Assembly, and won the governor's chair.

Many in Georgia must have thought: "Oh boy. We now are on the brink of better government!"

All this now has been set back by this year's wrangling, among the leadership of the Republicans in Georgia during the legislative time.

In the 1970s, Melissa Faye Greene wrote about politics in McIntosh County and a white sheriff who had been dominant for years in a predominately black county. The book, Praying for Sheetrock, told the story of the county eventually electing a black sheriff, and how a black sheriff could be as corrupt as a white sheriff.

We're seeing something similar at the state level. The Republicans can be as petty among themselves and as poor at running state government as Democrats once were.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's featured sponsor is Gwinnett Community Bank of Duluth, Member, FDIC. Tom Martin heads this bank, which operates out of its facilities on Buford Highway, near the intersection of Rogers Bridge and Old Peachtree Road. The Duluth office number is 770-476-2775. There is also a Suwanee location at 3463 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road in Suwanee. The phone number for the Suwanee branch is 770-497-5252. The web site is http://www.gwinnettcommunitybank.com.

We definitely need more representation for the county, and at all levels of government.

Consider that my Congressional District 7 runs from Lilburn across the north end of Atlanta through Fulton County, then into Paulding County and into Dallas west side of Atlanta. It is a bizarre geographic area while clear demographic pattern; middle to upper middle class, conservative leaning, majority white and suburban. So who does John Linder represent; Gwinnett, Paulding or Fulton County citizens?

The point I am trying to make is that Rep. Floyd, Ms. Gelbrich, and Mr. Brack are all correct on various points. Maybe we should consider eight districts and while we are at it we should redistrict at all levels. I feel representation ought not to exceed 30,000 citizens per representative in Gwinnett; if we are to maintain a small localized governmental system that can directly represent the people.

Whether it is arrogance or a hope of ignorance on the part of voters, it seems to me rather devious and cynical to expand power without any clearly defined method of doing so. Have we not yet had our fill of "trust us; we know how to do this" from our so-called leaders?

I implore all the readers of this forum to contact your representatives that current proposals lack enough specifics and do nothing to correct the last blatant partisan redistricting by the state. If people want to join politics to lead then they ought to show up with enough courage to do so.

The Great Neighborhood Clean-Up Day to support ongoing neighborhood improvement efforts is set for Saturday, April 28, from 9-12 noon. The Clean-Up is sponsored by Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful. The project focuses on two key segments of road in the Norcross and Lawrenceville areas where graffiti, litter, and illegal dumping have become a chronic challenge and eyesore. The roads are along Mitchell Street in Norcross and Oakland Road in Lawrenceville.

Volunteers are needed. Those wishing to participate can visit www.gwinnettcb.org or call 770-822-5187 for more information.

The City of Suwanee's April 28 music event will feature Georgia Music Hall of Famers on both sides of the Town Center stage.

This spring concert will celebrate the unveiling of a mural created especially for the Buford Highway-facing rear wall of the amphitheater stage. The mural was painted last fall during an international gathering of sign artists in Suwanee; it depicts a night-time concert scene in Town Center Park with the musicians' backs to viewers and nearly 40 members of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame among the painted faces in the fictional audience.

On stage Saturday will be two in-the-flesh Georgia Music Hall of Famers Billy Joe Royal and The Tams, featuring Robert Lee Smith. This event is free and open to the public; festivities begin at 7 p.m.

Inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1988, Billy Joe Royal, born in Valdosta and raised in Marietta, is best known for his 1965 hit "Down in the Boondocks," enjoyed a successful country career in the 1980s.

The Tams, so named for the hats the band wore on stage in the early 1960s, are world-renowned for their "beach music" sound. Recognized as Beach Band of the Decade by the Beach Music Awards and outstanding Black Musical Group by the Atlanta Black History Awards in the 1980s, the group was awarded the Mary Tallent pioneer award and inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1992.

Bring your chairs, blankets, and dancing shoes to Town Center Park. You may bring your own picnic dinner and snacks, however, no alcohol may be brought into the park. Food and beverages, including beer and wine, will be available for purchase.

The Snellville Days cadre needs people to become part of this annual event. Be more than just a visitor, be an active member of the community by volunteering for the 34th Annual Snellville Days Festival, May 5 and 6, at T.W. Briscoe Park. All volunteers will receive a complimentary festival t-shirt and a guaranteed fun time.

This year's festival will feature the annual parade; over 200 vendors; Orphan Car Show; Dog and Disc Spring Championships; live entertainment on two stages; kid's area; Snellville Historical Society display; evening concert with "A Salute to Elvis" and the party band of the South, the Swingin' Medallions and so much more.

To volunteer, contact Debbie Puette at 770-985-3535, or via email at dpuette@snellville.org.

Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) has introduced a bill which will allow the expansion of MARTA service districts to include surrounding counties. Senator Thompson's bill would allow MARTA service districts to provide bus and rail, rail only or bus only services. The bill (SB 322) is significant since some counties could want to consider bringing MARTA rail service into a portion of their county, but may not want to bring MARTA to their entire county, along with the one penny sales tax that such an expansion would require.

Senator Thompson says: "This legislation will allow suburban counties, such as Gwinnett, Cobb and Clayton, the flexibility to consider bringing MARTA rail service to parts of their counties. In some counties such as Gwinnett, MARTA rail service may be very appropriate in places like Norcross, but not for places like Grayson and we need the flexibility to deal with that fact. It is important for us to take a close look at these transportation issues, and this will allow us to proceed without burdening the citizens with extra taxation."

Currently, there is only one MARTA service district that provides a bus line into Cobb County to connect with the Cobb County Transit service. SB 322 would allow counties like Gwinnett to consider bringing MARTA into the 85 Corridor towards Gwinnett Place Mall, or Cobb County to bring the MARTA rail line to places such as the Cumberland/Galleria area, without having to scrap their local bus service or bring MARTA into their entire counties.

Using a service district to bring MARTA rail service into part of a county would not require a countywide referendum or a one penny sales tax, provided other revenue sources can be found.

The Grayson High School area will get 6,400 feet of new sidewalks on Hope Hollow Road from State Route 20 (Loganville Highway) to Plantation Run Drive and on Oak Grove Road from Barley Way to Grayson Manor Drive. The project will improve pedestrian connectivity between the school and the neighboring residential community. Gwinnett County awarded the $1.2 million contract to Gary's Grading and Pipeline, Inc.

Two other projects will add sidewalks, turn lanes, school warning flashers and school zone signs at two new elementary schools due to open this fall.

Work at Patrick Elementary School on Kilgore Road will be done by G.P.'s Enterprises, Inc. under an $863,734 contract. Gary's Grading & Pipeline, Inc. got the contract for work at Lovin Elementary School on New Hope Road for $957,717.

Dominy Construction Group announces the appointment of Michael Tennant as its director of project development.

A Gwinnett County native and graduate of Auburn University, Tennant worked with the Russell Landscape Group and the Morsberger Group prior to joining Dominy Construction. Tennant and his family live in Dacula.

The commercial general contracting company was founded in 1994 and relocated to Braselton last year. Its client portfolio includes retail, office, warehouse, manufacturing, service industry and worship centers throughout the north metro region. Full information about the company is at www.dominyconstruction.com or at 706.654-2555.

"The 4 Way Lunch in downtown Cartersville (since 1930) is a very small place with no chairs, just a counter with 11 stools. It has great chiliburgers, and also serves breakfast from 6 or so until 10:30. It still looks like the 1930s, with maybe the original stools. The service is fast and courteous, with burgers cooked slightly ahead of the crowd so they're ready to go within 20 seconds when you order. Three ladies run it. They're quick without ever looking harried, You might wait to get a seat but never have to wait for the food. A time and motion study professor would be impressed."

John Wereat served Georgia in a variety of official capacities during and after the American Revolution. He is perhaps best known for his attempt to thwart the Yazoo land fraud.

Wereat was born in Road, Somerset, England, around 1733. Shortly before immigrating to America in 1759, he married Hannah Wilkinson. After his arrival in Georgia, Wereat established himself as a merchant-planter and, subsequently, as a dedicated public servant in his adopted state.

In the early years of the American Revolution, Wereat was a member of the Provincial Congress and the Council of Safety. From 1776 through the end of the war he served as Georgia's Continental agent, representing the state in dealings with Congress. Wereat also served briefly as de facto governor of Georgia in 1779, when Savannah was in British hands and the constitutionally elected government was in disarray. Taken prisoner in Augusta in 1780, he was sent to Charleston, S.C., by the British and remained there until his release a year later.

Between 1782 and 1793, Wereat served as state auditor, helping to extricate Georgia from the financial morass created by the Revolution. In December 1787 he presided over the convention that unanimously ratified the new Federal Constitution. From 1790 to 1793 Wereat also represented Georgia in settling outstanding claims against the United States.

Wereat's final service to Georgia came in 1795, when he fought unsuccessfully to prevent the Yazoo land fraud. When the legislature rejected his attempt to purchase part of the state's western territory on behalf of three Pennsylvania acquaintances, Wereat and several Georgia allies organized the Georgia Union Company to frustrate the corrupt Yazoo purchasers. The company attempted to acquire all of the western lands, but to no avail. As a member of the 1795 state constitutional convention, Wereat helped ensure that anti-Yazoo petitions would be sent to the next session of the legislature. Using these petitions and other evidence of corruption, the legislators rescinded the sale.

John Wereat died at his Bryan County plantation on January 25, 1799, at the age of 65.

"Don't take the bull by the horns, take him by the tail; then you can let go when you want to."

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