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Duluth wins third Main Street preservation
accreditation
By
Alissa Williams
Special to GwinnettForum.com
DULUTH, Ga., July 27, 2007 -- The City of Duluth has received accreditation
for the third consecutive year from the National Trust for Historic
Preservation's Main Street program. Duluth was one of 78 Georgia
cities recognized for downtown development excellence at the annual
Georgia Municipal Association conference in Savannah.
Duluth was named a Georgia Main Street City in 2001, as city staff
and the downtown merchants worked to achieve the goals that have
now given them the recognition of a National Main Street. Downtown
Duluth now has a Town Green, interactive fountain, and unique shops
and restaurants.
The Main Street program, implemented in Duluth through its Downtown
Development Authority, uses a comprehensive revitalization process
that seeks to integrate a locally driven management strategy with
a focus on physical improvement of buildings and public spaces,
aggressive promotion and image-building and economic development
of the downtown area.
The Main Street Program Accreditation process valuates established
commercial district revitalization programs on the basis of 10 basic
performance standards and provides national recognition to those
that meet these standards. The 10 standards provide benchmarks and
guidelines on how the city should be functioning and also provide
an incentive for organizations to perform better and be more effective.
The Standards are:
1. Has broad-based community support for the commercial district
revitalization process, with support from both the public and
private sectors;
2. Has developed vision and mission statements relevant to community
conditions;
3. Has a comprehensive Main Street work plan;
4. Possesses an historic preservation ethic;
5. Has an active board of directors and committees;
6. Has an adequate operating budget;
7. Has a paid professional program manager;
8. Conducts a program of ongoing training for staff and volunteers;
9. Reports key statistics; and
10. Is a current member of the National Trust Main Street Network.
The City's continuing support for preservation and redevelopment
of its downtown provides tangible evidence of the City's commitment
to the well being of the City. A focal point of community activities
ties to an appreciation of the past enhancements of the overall
sense of community that is essential in making Duluth a great place
to live.
The City's successful downtown efforts is providing the City with
an anchor for connecting improvements throughout the rest of the
City with sidewalks and bikeways planned along with new connective
roadways currently being engineered. The landscaping and decorative
street lights will gradually expand from this center to other parts
of the City.
Phil McLemore, city administrator, says: "The City is once
again giving hometown memories to young and old alike with its fountain,
Town Green, and continual events that people can grow up with."
Mayor Shirley Lasseter adds: "Duluth is very proud to be recognized
once again for our many efforts in maintaining the love of our historic
downtown. We are young in our endeavors, but committed to protecting
our heritage and serving our citizens through revitalization of
our downtown Duluth historic hub. These projects are vital for the
preservation of our past and maintaining the close-knit community
feeling that Duluth has always been known for having."
You lose a day to Australia, but pay dearly
on return trip
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
MELBOURNE, Australia, July 27, 2007 -- What happened to Tuesday?
For me, it never came this week. I feel lost without having a Tuesday
in my week.
Brack |
It all started out Monday night about 11:40 p.m., as we boarded
a Qantas Airline Flight 94, bound for Melbourne, Australia, out
of Los Angeles.
It was a long flight, some 14.5 hours. And when we got off the
plane, my watch told me, that even by Pacific Savings Time, it ought
to be 6 p.m. on Tuesday. But the people in Melbourne said it was
8 a.m. on Wednesday. That's how I lost Tuesday. I feel like I've
was robbed of a day out of my lifetime.
What will happen, of course, is that when we leave Australia at
11 a.m. in about two weeks, we're going to experience quite a long
day . . . longer than our 13-hour ride back to the States. When
we arrive back - - and this part gives me the willies - - we actually
arrive in Lost Angeles on Saturday morning about 7 a.m., that's
BEFORE we left Australia! And I'll be flying well into Saturday
afternoon before landing back in Atlanta that night. That Saturday
will really be a 38-hour day, making up, by a long shot, for me
not having a Tuesday.
Lost days and long flight are standard if you want to go to Australia,
the Down-Under continent that is so spacious in itself. We've been
here for two days now, and tomorrow fly across the scope of the
continent to Perth on its western coast. It'll be the furthest I
have even been from home, assuming that we'll fly back across the
Pacific. Even if we flew back across the Indian and Atlantic Oceans,
it's still a long way. It's halfway round the world.
* * * * *
The national newspapers in Australia have much more coverage of
American news than our newspapers cover any international countries.
Of course, one current reason is that the Wall Street Journal is
big news here, with the connection of Australian Rupert Murdoch,
an Australian native.
But another big story: the movie about The Simpsons! All
the papers had major stories about the movie, in lots of detail.
For instance, in Australia, The Simpsons' movie opened at 434 screens
across the country, just slightly behind the 500 screens for Harry
Potter! Homer Simpson himself is big news and translates well
into Australian, it seems.
* * * * *
Australian newspapers also have lots of space for weather news.
What struck me was the number of cities for which they consider
important in the USA to show the weather forecast. One newspaper
listed 106 cities around the world with detailed weather information.
That included seven American cities: Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington. Melbourne's The
Age, in a half-page weather map, had 52 cities with international
weather info, but listed only four US cities: Chicago, Los Angeles,
New York and Washington. As of this writing, it's late Friday in
Australia - and too early on Friday in Atlanta to be real hot yet.
 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. The Philharmonic's planned 2007/2008
concert season is more exciting than ever, featuring four full Philharmonic
concerts as well as a 'sizzling' swing concert and a thrilling Christmas
performance by the Atlanta Sacred Chorale. The season brochure and
tickets will be available in early August: sign up to receive the
e-newsletter by visiting the newly redesigned web site, www.gwinnettphilharmonic.org,
and clicking on 'Join Mailing List' or leave your mailing address
to receive a brochure. Be sure to browse the new photo gallery and
other interesting features while you are there.
Appreciates
help from North precinct of police department
Editor, the Forum:
I had a friend with chest pains and took him up to the North Precinct
of the Police Department, near the Mall of Georgia. It was very
late at night and we found an entrance and called for help.
The fireman and policemen were very courteous and helpful. They
ended up taking him to the hospital. I just want them to know that
I appreciate what they are doing and to keep up the good work.
-- Christopher Sloan, Buford
Debate
disease
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
Chamber
program aims at better brainstorming techniques
The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce is presenting a program on brainstorming,
and how this can open the way for development. The program will
be held Wednesday, August 1, at 3:45 p. m in the Stephens Education
Room of the Gwinnett Chamber as part of its "Small Business
University" program.
Speakers will be Sam Zaidspiner, president Slingshot Product Development,
and Noah McNeely, vice president of Design and co-founder of Slingshot,
present "Brainstorming: Developing the Right Product by Solving
the Right Problem."
McNeely will discuss Slingshot's front end process for needs identification.
He will discuss how to analyze end-user behavior to identify opportunities
for innovation.
Zaidspiner will review Slingshot's process for brainstorming and
setting direction on a program. To establish design direction, the
Slingshot team employs an iterative process of exploration, brainstorming,
merging, building, and selection. To attend, email Laurie McKenzie
at laurie@gwinnettchamber.org.
Guitarist Steve Oliver
plans Suwanee jazz concert August. 3
Versatile, upbeat guitarist and vocalist Steve Oliver will take
the Town Center stage for the August Suwanee Smooth jazz concert.
He will present a concert of melodic music and 'positive energy.'
This free concert will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, August 3, at Suwanee's
Town Center Park, located at the intersection of Buford Highway
and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road.
Oliver, who was introduced at the 2006 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards
as
an "amazing guitarist" and "wonderful singer,"
was a best new artist and best guitar player nominee at Canada's
2003 National Smooth Jazz Awards. Bring low-back chairs and blankets
to Town Center Park for this performance. Food and beverages, will
be available for purchase.
Ex-councilman
Dave Williams to seek Suwanee mayoral post
Dave Williams plans to return to his political roots: local government
in Suwanee. The former council member, who served from 1998-2001,
has launched a campaign to become the next mayor of Suwanee. A victory
in November will allow him to succeed Nick Masino, who is completing
his second term. Masino is not seeking re-election.
Williams shared that he's not aiming for major changes to Suwanee's
current direction. "Our elected leadership, staff and citizens
are working together well," said Williams. "It's not my
intention to change our course, which our citizens helped define
in our comprehensive planning process. I do hope to bring the experience
and learning I've gained at the regional level to the table, and
help Suwanee become even more successful in the years ahead. We
have a strong tradition of great leadership and I look forward to
being a part of the team again."
Ten years ago at age 31, Williams won election to the Suwanee's
City Council. "I still represent Suwanee in my ARC at-large
district, which now includes over 265,000 citizens, basically the
northern half of Gwinnett County." Williams was first elected
to the board of the Atlanta Regional Commission in 2002. His current
term will expire at the end of 2007.
A Georgia Tech graduate, Williams is a partner in Southtrac, a marketing
agency located in Suwanee. Debbie, his wife of 13 years, graduated
from UGA and is a partner in an interior design firm also located
in Suwanee. They have two children, ages 9 and 7.
Deer
Hunting with Jesus
"If you hunt deer, are a Christian, liberal, radical, conservative,
neo-conservative, Mexican- American, African-American, or otherwise
living in the USA, this book is a must read. Author Joe Bageant
of Winchester, Va., articulates how America is being dumbed down,
wages forced down, and debt forced up. Bageant outlines how most
of us are being divided by an aristocracy that wears two political
faces while single handedly manning the nation's till. The remaining
middle class lines up against each other as the working poor are
left in the cold, while American aristocracy banks another armful
of cash to each day. This book should wake up everyone to the reality
of our "two party system" to maintain the status quo,
and how political slogans are nothing but veiled epitaphs for those
who buy into them. This book is at the Gwinnett Library, and I highly
recommend it."
-- Roger Hagen, Lilburn
- 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's
George Stallings was manager of Miracle Braves of 1914
George
Stallings, known to baseball fans as the "Miracle Man,"
managed one of the most renowned teams in the game's history, the
1914 "Miracle" Boston Braves. Trailing the first-place
New York Giants by 11.5 games on July 15, the Braves mounted an
unprecedented rally, winning 61 of their final 81 games to capture
the National League pennant by 10.5 games.
George Tweedy Stallings was born to Eliza Jane Hooper and William
Henry Stallings in Richmond County, near Augusta, on November 17,
1867. He began his baseball career as a student at Richmond Academy.
Primarily a catcher, Stallings later played on various minor league
teams before appearing briefly in the major leagues, with the Brooklyn
Bridegrooms, in 1890. Demoted to the minors, he enjoyed success
as a manager. In 1897 Stallings returned to the majors, serving
as manager of the National League's Philadelphia Phillies for parts
of two seasons. Over the next decade he managed several minor league
and major league teams, including the American League's Detroit
Tigers and New York Highlanders (later the New York Yankees).
In 1913 Stallings assumed the helm of the team that would bring
him fame, the Boston Braves. Fifth-place finishers in 1913, the
Braves appeared to be headed for another lackluster season in 1914,
occupying last place in mid-July. Under Stallings's guidance the
Braves reversed their momentum, racing to first place in fewer than
40 days. Climaxing their remarkable comeback, the Braves swept the
Philadelphia Athletics, considered invincible, in the World Series.
Stallings continued managing the Boston team until his retirement
at the end of the 1920 season, but he never again enjoyed the success
of 1914. He finished his career with 879 victories in 1,813 major
league games. He later came out of retirement as an owner and manager
in the minors.
Stallings was notorious for his temper and superstitions. He ranted
at players if they left trash behind in dugouts. Yellow signs and
yellow clothing annoyed him; yellow ballpark advertisements had
to be painted over before he would let his team play. He refused
to talk to rookies until they had played one week, insisting that
his silence tested their courage. If he was in a particular physical
position, no matter how uncomfortable, when the Braves began a rally,
he remained in that position until the rally ended. When asked after
the 1914 World Series why the Braves won, he replied that it was
because of a "lucky penny." He also attributed the team's
success to a "lucky dime" that had been blessed by a priest
in Cuba.
For more than 30 years Stallings lived on a plantation in Haddock,
in Jones County. He took his teams there for part of spring training
each year. He died in Haddock on May 13, 1929, and was buried in
Macon. At the time of his death, he was owner of the Montreal Royals
of the International League. Stallings was inducted into the Georgia
Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. He married more than once and had three
sons, White, Vernon, and George Jr.
Smart man knows he
is not boss of his own house
"I am not the boss of my house. I don't know when I lost it.
I don't know if I ever had it. But I have seen the boss's job and
I do not want it."
-- Comedian Bill Cosby (1937 - ).
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
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