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Duluth hospital opens new mammography
center today
By
Kyle Brogden
Special to GwinnettForum.com
DULUTH, Ga., Oct. 16, 2007 -- Gwinnett Medical Center has opened
a new Center for Screening Mammography at Gwinnett Medical Center-Duluth
that will increase access for routine screening mammograms for women
in the Gwinnett community. A ribbon cutting and tours of the facility
were held on October 9, 2007. Doors open to patients today (October
16).
The new Center for Screening Mammography will expand screening
mammograms by 8,000 exams per year. This project was made possible
through the philanthropic effort of the community through the TIME
MATTERS in the fight against Breast Cancer campaign. VolleyFest
and Brighter Smiles for Brighter Futures are two donors who contributed
significant gifts to make this center a reality.
Carolyn Hill, a member of the GHS Board of Directors and active
volunteer for the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation, says: "The
GMC Foundation has raised more than $4.3 million over the past six
years as a part of the TIME MATTERS in the fight against Breast
Cancer campaign to improve access to routine and diagnostic mammograms
and expand services for breast cancer patients."
Kimberly Hutcherson, MD, a breast imaging radiologist at GMC, adds:
"As a physician and a breast cancer survivor, I would like
to say thank you to all those who contributed to this center."
Since 2002, VolleyFest has donated over $800,000 to add new breast
cancer related services and technology at Gwinnett Medical Center.
This year they donated $215,000 to Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation,
and a majority of those funds were designated for the new center.
Brighter Smiles for Brighter Futures has donated over $540,000
since 2004. More than 50 Gwinnett dentists participate in this fundraising
campaign each year by exchanging professional teeth bleaching for
a donation to help fund breast cancer. This year, they donated $115,000
to the new center.
Wayne Sikes leads the scissoring of the ribbon at the new
Mammography Center at the Gwinnett Medical Center in Duluth.
Pictured above from left to right: Cynthia Robinson, MD, radiologist;
Kimberly Hutcherson, MD, radiologist; Carolyn Hill, chair
of the "Time Matters" campaign; Gordon Goldstein,
MD, radiologist; Bruce Carter, DDS, president and founder
of Brighter Smiles for Brighter Futures; Sheila Stevens, president
of VolleyFest; Sikes, chair, GMC Board of Directors; Lea Bay,
administrator, Gwinnett Medical Center - Duluth; Cindy Winter,
GMC manager of Women's Imaging; Ginger Powell, GMC Foundation
director of Development. |
Gwinnett Medical Center is the largest provider of screening mammography
services in Gwinnett County. It renders approximately 40,000 screening
mammograms and approximately 20,000 diagnostic mammograms a year.
With better access to screening mammograms comes earlier detection
of problems and greatly increased chances for a cure.
For more information about the center or how to donate to Gwinnett
Medical Center Foundation, visit www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org.
* * * * *
Gwinnett Hospital System, anchored by flagship Gwinnett Medical
Center in Lawrenceville, is a not-for-profit healthcare network
providing high quality facilities and services to Gwinnett and the
surrounding community. With over 4,300 employees and 750 physicians,
the System provided care in 2006 to almost 400,000 patients.
Take "small steps" to help during
current water crisis
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
OCT. 16, 2007 --Let's hope the forecasters are closer to accurate
these next few days and we actually get the rain that we desperately
need. What would be great would have a front stall northeast of
Buford Dam, and the entire Chattahoochee water basin would be to
get downfalls for several days, to raise the level of Lake Lanier.
Without a major rain, we could be in deep trouble with our Gwinnett
water supply.
Brack |
Yet basic engineering designs of the Gwinnett water system make
circumstances not quite as dire as some have painted it. Primarily,
Gwinnett's water intake in the lake is at 1,025 feet above sea level,
while the height of the dam discharge itself is at 1,035 feet. Therefore
the dam impounds water above the Gwinnett intake even if no water
were being discharged. When the lake level is below 1,025, no water
would flow downstream, except from inflow of tributaries.
The lake level last weekend was in the 1,057 foot range.
What all of us in Gwinnett need to do now is to conserve as much
water as possible. Neal Spivey, director of water production, says
he does not want to cut the level of water flowing into the system
until necessary. "The next step is to start curtailing companies
that use a lot of water, like nurseries and car washes."The
largest individual industrial user is Publix Supermarkets, which
bottles orange juice in Lawrenceville. Collectively, the Gwinnett
school system is the single largest user of water.
However, Gwinnett does not have many industries that are major
water users, but instead has more significant users who are not
large.
Since the Level 4 water ban restrictions have been put in place
in the state, Gwinnett has gone from using about 95 million gallons
of water a day (mgd) to 81-85 mgd, a significant reduction with
major impact. Spivey feels that if Gwinnett users concentrated more
on reducing water use, the level of use might drop another 10 million
gallons a day. He estimates the base minimum level that Gwinnett
needs is 70 mgd.
At its record peak, the county has used 142.5 mgd, back in the
hot summer of 2000. The highest amount of water the county has pumped
from the lake was 148 mpg that same summer of 2000.
About the biggest conservation of water that Gwinnett citizens
could now make would be from "small, almost silly things,"Spivey
says. Among them:
- Having both dishwasher and clothes washer full when using and
not washing half loads.
- Shortening showers.
- Using showers instead of tub baths.
- Putting buckets in showers to water indoor plants.
- Turning off spigots when brushing teeth.
- If watering indoor plants, don't overwater. (In droughts, more
plants die from root rot than underwatering.)
- Re-using dehumidifier water instead of pouring it out.
- Flushing toilets less.
Of course, right now Gwinnett returns its cleaner-than-taken-out
waste to the Chattahoochee River. If we could return the 40-50 mgd
to Lake Lanier, that would help matters considerably.
Mainly, it takes the collective effort of most of the water users
to see a drop in the total amount of water Gwinnett uses.
Do your part these days by coming up with small but important ways
(which are really not "silly") to help our each other
during this water crisis. To that effort, send us your individual
ideas of other steps we all can take to reduce our water usage!
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
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Upset about smokers using ground for personal
ash trays
Editor, the Forum:
Why is it that smokers think that the whole world is their personal
ash tray? I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen smokers
just throw their cigarette butts down on the ground when it would
only take minimal effort to find a proper place to dispose of them.
Do they think it is going to just disappear when it hits the ground
or do they not care how bad it looks to the rest of us? My guess
is the later.
I have always had the libertarian point of view when it comes to
smoking. If someone wants to destroy their health by taking on such
a disgusting habit then they should have the right to do so. However,
the more I see these smoking slobs toss their butts anywhere they
want, the less I am willing to defend their right to smoke.
-- Todd Evans, Dacula
Dear Todd: Hear, hear. Just look at interstate
intersections and note the amount of cigarette butts alongside
the highway. Makes you wonder just how good stewards of the land
we are. It comes down to downright stupidity and selfishness.
--eeb
Gwinnett Reading Festival set this Saturday
at fairgrounds
The Gwinnett County Public Library will present the First Annual
Gwinnett Reading Festival on Saturday, October 20th, from 10 am
to 4 pm at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds.
This is a free event for all ages that will feature more than 30
authors who will be reading, discussing, and autographing their
works. The Festival will include workshops, food vendors, music,
bookstores, and a Festival Library branch. A coffee shop will serve
hot beverages and feature conversations with authors.
Children's activities include storytellers, dueling knights, a
magician, crafts offered by the Jacqueline Casey Hudgen's Center
for the Arts, and a free book for every child attending the Festival,
while supplies last. The day will conclude with a special ticketed
evening event featuring acclaimed Georgia author Terry Kay reading
from his new title the Book of Marie at the Historic Courthouse
in downtown Lawrenceville.
The Gwinnett Reading Festival is supported in part by a grant from
the Georgia Humanities Council, along with additional support from
community partners. For more information, please visit the Festival
website at www.gwinnettreadingfestival.org.
The event will take place, rain or shine. No pets, please.
History Center plans
genealogy workshop on Oct. 20
Visit the Atlanta History Center at McElreath Hall on Saturday,
October 20 from 10 a.m. until noon as Mike Brubaker, staff genealogist,
presents a program on using city and county records for genealogy
and family history research.
This program explores the use of examples from the Fulton County
and Atlanta City records held at the James G. Kenan Research Center.
A broader discussion of using such local records for research will
provide new avenues of documentation for family historians and genealogists.
Admission: $10 for Atlanta History Center members; $15 for non members.
For more information, call 404.814.4041. Reservations are suggested.
Courthouse concert
features two Georgia groups on Saturday
A concert featuring two Georgia groups will take place Saturday
night, October 20, at the Historic Gwinnett Courthouse from 4:30
until 10 p.m. Playing will be Montana Skies and the Randall Bramblett
Band.
Montana Skies is making a highly-requested return from the 2006
concert series. This group takes contemporary instrumental music
to new heights with their unique blend of cello and guitar. Originally
from the Athens/Atlanta area the Randall Bramblett Band is a rare
combination of songwriting and musicianship that makes them a live
experience you won't forget.
The event is free to the public for relaxing on the lawn but reserved
seating for tables of six can be purchased by contacting 678-226-2639.
Snellville health
screening at hospital on Saturday morning
Check out the Health Screening Saturday, October 20, from 8-10
a.m. at Emory Eastside Medical Center, Snellville. This Community
Service is a collaborative effort by h2u-Health, Happiness, You
and Emory Eastside Medical Center. Those who want the screening
must fast from 8 p.m. the evening before with no more than a sip
or swallow of water to take any required medication, and be at least
18 years of age.
No appointment is needed for the lab part of the screening. A copy
of the results will be mailed directly to you and your physician
at no extra charge. Please bring your physician's name, address,
and zip code with you. Remember to wear short sleeves. Your Social
Security number will need to be provided for identification for
this testing.
Family Promise gala
to be held Oct. 23 at Sugarloaf Club
On October 23, Family Promise of Gwinnett County, Inc. will celebrate
its network with a Fundraising event, a live and silent auction,
at the Sugarloaf Country Club beginning at 7 p.m. University of
Georgia¹s football star alumnus Kevin Butler will serve as
the master of ceremonies.
Family Promise of Gwinnett County, Inc. is a non-profit organization
helping homeless families find employment and housing to achieve
independence, while working with a network of congregations providing
shelter, meals and transportation. Family Promise of Gwinnett County
is one of 136 other Networks nationwide and has 23 congregations
involved in the program with more than 2,000 volunteers and 36,000
volunteer hours this past year. In existence since 1986, Family
Promise of Gwinnett County has a success rate exceeding 86 percent.
The Gwinnett Network has assisted 24 families in employment and
housing.
Tickets for the gala are still available, through October 19 at
$100 per person by calling Tom Cioffi at 770 985 7353 or Brent Bohanan
at 678 376 8950.
Gwinnett
Parks seek volunteers for beautifying on October 20
Are you looking for ways to make your favorite parks event better?
Then Park'nership - People 'n Parks, is perfect for you!
The Gwinnett Parks Foundation is looking for volunteers to join
in beautifying three of Gwinnett County's parks on October20 from
9 a.m. to noon. The parks included with this fall's Park'nership
event are Ronald Reagan Park, Graves Park, and Little Mulberry Park.
Park'nership (formerly known as Adopt-A-Park) volunteers are needed
to plant, mulch, paint, pressure wash, and have fun! Light refreshments
will be served.
Ronald Reagan Park is located at 2777 Five Forks Trickum Road in
Lawrenceville. Graves Park is located at 1540 Graves Road in Norcross.
Little Mulberry Park is located at 3855 Fence Road in Auburn.
To volunteer or for more information, call 770-614-2060 or visit
www.gwinnettparksfoundation.org.
Smarr becomes acting
head of Water Resources department
Smarr |
Lynn Smarr is the new acting head of the Department of Water Resources.
She takes the place of Director Frank Stephens, who will remain
with the department as assistant to the director. Stephens is an
11 year employee of Gwinnett, with extensive experience in the field.
Smarr is a long time employee of the county who most recently has
lead a team focused on improving the department¹s business
operations and revenue management. The announcement of the change
came from County Administrator Jock Connell.
Film:
Michael Clayton
 Corporate
crime films, from Silkwood, to Serpico, the Insider,
and Sicko focus on the victims, and underdogs overcoming
corruption. They are David versus Goliath films. But whoever tells
the inside story of the Goliaths? How do good people go bad and
sink to corporate crime? In George Clooney's new film, Michael
Clayton we see a giant company's lawyers close up under siege.
Most wrenching and fascinating is the top legal ace cryptically
ordering the death of the manic lawyer-turned- whistleblower. But
the silk-stocking legal ace can't bring herself to say the actual
words needed to order the killing. Through her desperation, she
manages to convey that she wants the killers to "proceed."
The counsel never has a moment of peace after. Like a corporate
Lady MacBeth, she is never able to wash off the damned spot. Shiva,
the ancient double-faced Hindu deity, is both destroyer and life-giver,
and is a perfect symbol of the two sides of corporate crime.
-- James Murtagh Jr.
- 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
Experiment
station plays key role in modern agriculture
Since 1888 the Georgia
Experiment Station in Griffin has played an important role in
the development of modern agriculture in the South. Located 40 miles
south of Atlanta, in Spalding County, the station was established
as a result of the federal Hatch Act of 1887, which established
a national network of agricultural experiment stations. Early research
focused on fertilizers and soil erosion, but eventually a complete
program of agricultural and environmental science research developed.
Scientists at the experiment station began to solve problems associated
with many Georgia crops and as a result significantly improved the
state's agribusiness. The deep furrow method of planting winter
oats, pioneered around 1900, saved southern farmers millions of
dollars. The first formulated feed diets for dairy and beef cattle
in Georgia were discovered in Griffin in the early 20th century.
Griffin scientists also bred numerous crop varieties, including
Empire cotton, which was released in 1942 and had a major impact
on cotton growers in the state. In the 1940s Jasper Guy Woodroof,
who organized the station's food science department and later became
known as the "Father of Food Science," developed the technology
for frozen foods.
Today the experiment station is one of the region's premier agricultural
research centers, poised to address the research, extension, and
teaching needs of the twenty-first century. Scientists still address
issues ranging from production agriculture to water quality and
genetics. The experiment station is one of three agricultural research
stations operated by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences; the other two are the Coastal Plain
Experiment Station in Tifton and College Station in Athens. Griffin
researchers work with their counterparts at the stations in Athens
and Tifton to solve problems that continue to challenge farmers,
commercial growers, the food industry, and consumers. Researchers
at the experiment station focus on five broad areas: crop and pest
management, food safety and quality, environment and natural resources,
urban agriculture, and applied plant genetics.
Just what is involved
when a person feels inferior
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
-- Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
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© 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
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