Gwinnett Sports Commission plans first Bike Fest July 26-29
By Lisa Anders
Marketing communications director
Gwinnett Convention and Visitor's Bureau
Special to GwinnettForum.com

DULUTH, Ga. June 15, 2007 -- The Gwinnett Sports Commission (GSC) will host the first Gwinnett Bike Fest 2007. This will be a four-day, four-venue event for charity on Thursday, July 26 through Sunday, July 29.

Offering a $15,000 prize purse, this inaugural event will attract both amateur and professional cyclists of all ages from around the Southeast and will benefit the Foster Children's Foundation of Duluth.

Daily and overall prizes will be presented in an effort to promote riders to participate in all four events. They will be:

• Thursday, July 26 from 4-9 p.m., the Road Atlanta circuit race will kick off the event on its 2.54 mile course.
  
  
• Friday, July 27 from 4-9 p.m. will be the Gwinnett Center Criterium at Gwinnett Arena, a 0.7 mile continuous loop.
  
  
• Saturday, July 28 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. will be the Competitor Southeast Road Race, a repeated seven-mile loop on back roads of Gwinnett County.
  
  
• The last event will be on Sunday, July 29 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., the Gwinnett Progress Center Circuit Race on a 2.7 mile loop.

The GSC is partnering with the Gwinnett Touring Club (GTC) and Top View Sports to promote attendance and participation in this inaugural event.

Sponsors include Competitor Southeast magazine, Road Atlanta, Gwinnett Center, Addictive Cycles, Frazier Cycling and Bass Pro Shop, Lawrenceville.

Sherrard

According to Pete Sherrard, sports marketing director, "The Gwinnett Bike Fest was created to provide a high-quality and unique cycling experience to attract participants from around the Southeast to beautiful Gwinnett County. It also gives locals and the cycling community an event to wrap their arms around. Our goal is to eventually build a week long event that includes racing and other related activities."

The Gwinnett Bike Fest will be sanctioned by the USCF and expects at least 1,000 participants and spectators from around the Southeast. In addition, a family festival will take place on Sunday, July 29 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The festival will include interactive games, ice cream, food and a family fun lap at 1:30 p.m. The family fun lap is one lap on the 2.7 mile Sunday course. Anyone that has a bike, helmet and donates $5 to $10 to the Foster Children's Foundation can participate.

A few facts about cycling:

• Cycling is now the second most popular sport behind walking. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, there are more cyclists in the United States than skiers, golfers and tennis players combined.
  
  
• More than 50 percent of cycling enthusiasts are between the ages of 18 and 34.
  
  
• 63 percent are professionals or managers.
  
  
• 54 percent of cyclists are male and 46 percent are female.

To register for Bike Fest 2007, visit www.gcvb.org/bikefest. Registration fees range from $28-$30 per event, for USCF registered members.

The Gwinnett Sports Commission is the official sports marketing division of the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau. Its mission is to foster economic development through coordinating and developing Gwinnett's role as a leading site for sports events involving youth, collegiate and professional organizations.

Back in touch with Dennis Hayes, one-time modem master
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

JUNE 15, 2007 -- We caught up with Dennis Hayes the other day, who now lives in New York. Once a high tech icon in Gwinnett, he and Dale Heartherington, now of Roswell, gave the world the way to connect computers to talk to other computers via telephone lines.

Brack

In the mid-1970s, a scientific development was about to explode which would dramatically change the world, and would solidify the position of Peachtree Corners as the key location for high technology firms within Metro Atlanta for the next decade.

This device came from the minds of two guys working at National Data Corp. in Atlanta. One was a Georgia Tech drop-out, Dennis Hayes; the other was Dale Heatherington, who had a two-year technical college degree. One day, over lunch, the two cooked up an idea, and drew it out on paper napkins. The idea was a way for the earliest microcomputers to communicate with other computers via telephone lines with a device that would soon become known as a modem.

In the late 1970s, they would form a company, Hayes Microcomputer Inc., which would move to Norcross and lead in the high tech explosion in Peachtree Corners. Later Hayes Microcomputer, which was one of the strongest brands for 10-20 years, would face financial problems, and go out of business.

Hayes

Even while in Gwinnett, Hayes suffered the initial impact of an inherited disease, "Retinitis Pigmentosa," which makes it difficult for him to see clearly. That's one of the reasons he's living in New York, where he finds public transit easily available for him to move around. "It's one of the few cities where you can live and not own an automobile. With the taxis and subways, you can get around easily. When you cannot drive, like me, it's a lot better to be here with the available transit."

Today Dennis Hayes is a management consultant, though most of his clients are in technically-oriented businesses. Hayes gets excited about talking of his current and expected clients. Among the firms he is working with are:

• A COMPANY treating hyperthermia, a crossover of electronics and biotechnology. "This surgeon found that you could take patients suffering from hyperthermia, and hook them to a machine fueled by Butane, and keep them from getting too cold.

  "When you have lost a lot of blood, your body temperature goes down, and causes blood not to clot. It can be a runaway situation causing death. You run a person's blood through this heat exchanger, and it re-circulates the warmer blood to the patient, and keeps them warmer. It can save lives. It takes about 90 minutes for a complete thermal resuscitation."

• ANOTHER FIRM is on the consumer educational side, providing courseware for students and self improvement for adults. Much of this is used in home schooling and for self-improvement. This is a subscription service for grades k-12, and is anticipated to be marketed at a $17 per month subscription price. This is not for college credit, but as a supplemental education method for a family. New courses are being constantly added.
  
  
• STILL ANOTHER firm working with Hayes would provide telephone access for inventory order placement of materials. "This eliminates a catalog, price sheets, and makes life simpler for the sales persons and the firm. Originated in England, this application is very inexpensive to get started, with little up front cost."
  
  

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's featured sponsor is The Gwinnett Center, which is home to three distinct facilities in Duluth. The Convention Center offers the opportunity to host or attend a wide variety of events; from corporate meetings to trade shows, to social occasions. The Performing Arts Center has an intimate capacity of 700 guests, which is home to many local events, family shows and even the occasional comedic performer. The Arena now celebrating its fourth year has seen great success. It is ranked No. 56 in the top 100 arenas according to Pollstar, a leading industry indicator. Visit the newly redesigned website, www.gwinnettcenter.com for updates on events for all three facilities.

• For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm
  

Simple procedure to determine that globe is warming

Editor the Forum:

Here are some cold facts. One does not need to be a scientist to confirm the fact of global warming over the past century.

All one must do is simply ascertain accurate temperature readings from 1,000 points around the globe today and then compare these readings with precise temperature measurements reported from the very same locations, on the very same day, at the very same hour, in the year 1907. It's that simple!

-- Joseph Pasulka, Southport, N.C.

It's the thought that counts

Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:

Duluth plans International Day for this coming Saturday

Saturday, June 16, the City of Duluth will be hosting International Day at 7 p.m. on the Town Green and at the Amphitheater.

Local restaurants such as Loafing Leprechaun, El Porton, Armaan and The Real Food, will be here serving international cuisine. Tickets for food will be sold at the event.

In addition to the foods from around the world, the Society Express Band will be playing music from over 15 different nationalities! Along with the great music there will also be Irish, Egyptian, Salsa, Korean and belly dancers, plus salsa lessons will be given! For more information, go to www.duluthga.net or call or email Bebe Samples at or 678-475-3512 or at bsamples@duluthga.net.

Snellville seniors to hear humorist at June 27 gathering

The h2u Program, sponsored by Emory Eastside Medical Center, will feature Jule Spears at the June 27 meeting at the Snellville Senior Center, 2350 Oak Road, Snellville, at 2 p.m.

Spears was a full time speaker and senior advocate for Kroger from 1994 to 2004, making presentations to over 2,000 groups. He has also participated in 50 television and 22 radio programs in the southeast. Mr. Spears' topic will be "The Talking Dog," or "Five Ways to Live Longer." As a humorist, he entertains and as an educator/pharmacist, he inspires. The public is invited to attend at no charge.

The h2u (health, happiness and you) program targets the adult population. Its mission is to understand the unique health needs of adults and provide them with valuable health information, resources, and life experiences. For more information on this program, please call the h2u office, 770-982-2358. The contact person is Annie Copeland at 678-300-0236.

Lawrenceville to have Farmers' Market starting July 7

Starting July 7 and running until September 29, the fourth annual Lawrenceville Farmers' Market will be held on the Square every Saturday.

Each week the market will open from 8 a.m. to 12 noon in the parking lot behind the Crogan Street fountain directly across from the Historic Courthouse front entrance. The market draws a host of farmers, home canners, and individuals who grow their own products.

Lawrenceville Tourism and Trade Association Executive Director Jay Markwalter says: "The Lawrenceville Farmers' Market has really grown over the last three years to include a terrific variety of products and fun. Whether you're coming downtown for your weekly, fresh produce or visiting our historic shopping district, the Lawrenceville market has become a Saturday morning treat to pick up not only fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers but also unique baskets, soaps, honeys, and jams. The local growers provide both a beautiful variety of produce and a friendly environment of town fellowship among the market shoppers and growers themselves. Occasionally, live folk or bluegrass music provides a toe-tapping, mid-morning market experience as you stroll, filling your bag with ripe and seasonal selections."

The Lawrenceville Farmers' Market is sponsored by The Lawrenceville Tourism and Trade Association, Lawrenceville Women's Club and Touchstone Homes. For more information about market management and vendor information contact Brennan Washington at 770-616-4686 or bwashington@touchstonehomes.com. For general Farmers' Market information or other downtown Lawrenceville event information contact Rebekah Cline at 678-226-2639 or Rebekah@Visitlawrenceville.com.

The Lawrenceville Tourism and Trade Association is Lawrenceville, Georgia's Destination Marketing Organization appointed by the city's Downtown Development Authority and sanctioned by the City of Lawrenceville with a mission to promote tourism, business development, and civic life in the city of Lawrenceville.

Document management pros invited to Canon open house

People involved with document management in any industry will get a chance to see and learn a depth of detail about Canon products at a special Open House at the Norcross office of Canon Business Solutions. The Open House will be on Tuesday, June 19, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the offices at 5625 Oakbrook Parkway in Norcross.

Both existing customers and potential customers are invited to the Open House. Those registering prior to the event are also invited to a lunch from 12-1:30 p.m. To register, call Sally Ann Quesinberry at 678 728 4400 or go to www.solutions.canon.com and click on "Events."

Those registering will be entered into a drawing to win a Canon Digital Camera and other products during a special raffle.

Participants will be able to investigate Canon's hardware and software solutions, analyze the way your company moves paper, uncover opportunities to increase productivity, identify how your office can create, scan, print, and copy documents and examine ways to archive, and retrieve your documents.

In addition, there will be two seminars during the day, both given twice. They are:

• Canon's Security Solutions at 10 a.m. and again at 2:30 p.m. Learn about Canon's built-in security capabilities, which are designed to help maximize your organization's ability to prevent information theft, fraud and device infiltration.
  
  
• New Era of Color at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Canon's graphic color products are poised to revolutionize digital printing. Come to the this seminar and discover the next generation of color.

Braselton picks Dacula resident as assistant police chief

Solis

Braselton Police Chief Terry Esco announced the promotion of Lou Solis, Jr., to assistant police chief. A 20-year Army veteran, Solis joined the Braselton Police Department in 2005. Formerly, he worked in personnel security details for a private security firm and was employed with the Marietta Police department where he earned "Rookie of the Year" honors. Solis and his family live in Dacula.

• 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
  

Savannah River basin steeped in key events of Georgia

Savannah River's banks are steeped in human history. Portions of the river flow through the sites of some of the most important archaeological digs in the United States.

Savannah's riverfront

The first-known European explorer to reach the Savannah was Hernando de Soto in 1540. He and his soldiers crossed the river, probably near what is now Augusta, where the river divided and swept around an island. Some time during the early seventeenth century, the Westo Indians took up residence along the Savannah. They became allies of the English in South Carolina and acted as a buffer against the Spanish to the south.

In the early 1700s growing tensions between the British in South Carolina and the Spanish in Florida prompted the British to establish another colony on the river to buttress the Carolina settlement. In 1733 James Edward Oglethorpe chose a forty-foot-high bluff on the Savannah, eighteen miles upriver from the ocean, as the site of Georgia's first town, Savannah. One year after Savannah's founding, German Lutherans seeking religious freedom sailed thirty miles up the river to establish the town of Ebenezer. In 1735 Oglethorpe established Augusta; his choice of the upriver location was influenced by profitable trade with the Indians.

When the American Revolution (1775-83) erupted, the patriots quickly saw the strategic importance of the Savannah. Twelve stockade-type forts were already located along the waterway to protect against Indian attacks when the war began. Most of the forts were strengthened when hostilities with the British heated up around 1776.

In November 1808 the first steamboat appeared on the Savannah, and soon the vessels became regular sights on the river between Savannah and Augusta, as they hauled cotton to markets in Savannah.

In 1915 representatives of the sugar industry selected a site several miles upriver from Savannah for a sprawling sugar plant that could be reached by oceangoing freighters in the river. A channel to accommodate ships was opened in 1917, paving the way for Savannah to become a major port. In 1945 the Georgia Ports Authority was formed, and the river was dredged to thirty-eight feet. In 1994 the channel was deepened to forty-two feet. Eventually, the river will be deepened to forty-eight feet, or twice its normal depth, to accommodate larger oceangoing vessels.

• To access the Georgia Encyclopedia, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
  

Here's one reason why some horses were foaled

"Not all horses were born equal. A few were born to win."

-- Author, Humorist and Sage Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), via Patrick Malone, Snellville

• Another invitation: What's your favorite saying? Share with others through GwinnettForum. Send to elliott@gwinnettforum.com.
  

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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GwinnettForum.com
Number 7.22, June 15, 2007

TODAY'S FOCUS: Gwinnett To Have Its Own Bike Fest This July
ELLIOTT BRACK: More on Dennis Hayes, Who Helped Invent the Modem
FEEDBACK: There's A Simple Way To Determine If Our Earth Is Warming
McLEMORE'S WORLD: It's The Thought That Counts
UPCOMING: Duluth International Day; Snellville Seniors; Saturday Farmers' Market
NOTABLE: Canon Open House; Dacula Resident Wins Braselton Promotion;
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Savannah River Basin Focus of Much Georgia History
TODAY'S QUOTE: Mark Twain on Why Some Horses Are Born


STATELY SAVANNAH. The Savannah River has a storied past, its basin the site of much of Georgia's early history, and still today a vibrant part of the Georgia economy. A glimpse into this river's past today in Georgia Tidbit.

FOR CHARITY. You can give "A Gift of Laughter," a new book of cartoons by Bill McLemore, to help raise money for Rainbow Village. At just $20, it's a fun way to help. To order, call 770 840 1003, or 770 446 3800, or email to info@gwinnettforum.com.

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