Norcross firm finds guests prefer eco-friendly hotel stays
By Debbie Dryden
Special to GwinnettForum.com

NORCROSS, Ga., Nov. 30, 2007 -- Ever wonder how energy and environmentally conscious hotel guests are? According to a recent survey, they are likely re-using their towels, turning off the lights when they leave their rooms and recycling, if given the chance. The nationwide survey of 701 people was conducted by A Closer Look, Inc., a Norcross-based market research company focused on the hospitality industry.

David McAleese, CEO of A Closer Look, says: "Seventy-five percent of survey respondents said it is important to them that the hotel where they stay follows 'green practices,' and those surveyed are more than willing to do their part. In recent years, Americans have become more environmentally aware, and thus have changed their behavior and the expectations of businesses they support."

The majority of respondents are happy to reuse towels during part of their stay and say hotels could be doing more to help the environment. Many hotels have long been offering the option of reusing towels during a guest's stay, and 69 percent of people interviewed said they were given the option during their most recent hotel stay. Of those who were offered the option of reusing towels, 40 percent reused their towels for one day, 24 percent reused them for two or more days and 19 percent reused some of the towels and requested replacement of the rest. Only 16 percent of respondents said they requested new towels daily.

Recycling has become a way of life for many Americans at home and work, but hotels have been slow to adopt the practice in guest rooms. A whopping 94 percent of those surveyed said they have never stayed in a hotel that offered guestroom recycling bins. If made available, 69 percent said they would use them all the time, and 21 percent said they would use them sometimes. Only 10 percent of respondents thought the bins would be a nuisance.

Take a walk through a hotel corridor early in the morning and you are likely to see papers propped up against nearly every door. One sometimes wonders if they are going to waste, but the survey revealed they are not. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say they read the paper the majority of the time, and another 22 percent say they read it sometimes.

The one environmentally friendly practice that is being met with some resistance is offering bulk amenities (soap, shampoo and lotion) instead of individually packaged ones. Fifty-three percent of respondents prefer individually packaged amenities, and only 14 percent say they prefer bulk amenities. One-third of respondents said they don't care.

* * * * *

Since opening in 1994, A Closer Look Inc. has provided guest feedback solutions for thousands of restaurants and hotels throughout the United States and Canada. It has established a database of more than 130,000 qualified field associates and regularly conducts market research (including web surveys and mystery shopping) for companies such as Hilton Hotels, Coca-Cola, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Houlihan's Restaurants, The Capital Grille, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, and the House of Blues, among others. For more information about the company, visit www.a-closer-look.com.

Buenos Aires good place to get value from American dollar
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Nov. 30, 2007 -- Hearing Americans complain about the lack of purchasing power of the dollar when visiting abroad these days, they should consider traveling in another direction-south. The dollar is king in Argentina, roughly 3:1 to the Argentine peso.

Brack

And with Argentina just a few years ago at 1:1 with the dollar, now American visitors can buy oodles at 2/3 discount prices. A tremendous dinner for three people, including wine, was 100 pesos -- $33. A cab ride all the way across town is $6. Riding the bus or subway is 35 cents.

After several days here, we're pleased at our choice of vacation to be literally south of the border -- and about everything else. The people are friendly, the city is relatively easy to navigate, and remember, it's summertime here. The temperature on Wednesday and Thursday were highs of 84, lows of 65. It's sunny this week, though the city gets plenty of rain.

We're staying in an apartment on the north side of town, in Palermo, a central location. There is one drawback to this location: it's only about 1.5 miles from the city airport, an easy five-minute cab ride. (The international airport is about 45 minutes away.) But with the sun rising at 5 a.m. here, the silent-through-the-night airport starts sending airplanes skyward early, at 5:30 this morning. The ear-thundering takeoffs continue for the next two hours of more, rousing visitors from a deep sleep. But there are perhaps less than 25 flights a day out….if that is a consolation.

Though the airport noise startles you, the city is really, really quiet most of the time. For instance, yesterday I heard only one siren, a remarkable number, as 2 million people live in the city limits, and 12 million live in the metro area. It's eerily quiet.

* * * * *

Lots of people here have dogs, though most people seem to live in relatively small apartments. Enterprising individuals become professional dog walkers. You see them often, a guy or gal walking perhaps from 5 to 15 dogs. The job's not easy, for time you pick up and deliver 15 dogs, take them on a two hour jaunt, that's something! It's hard to imagine many of these big dogs living in smaller apartments, but at least they get the air of a daily walk each day.

Parks are also numerous, and well used by the people. It's hard to find an empty bench. And the place is clean. At each building, sidewalks are hosed off twice a day. The city is relatively pristine, save the occasional doggie remains.

* * * * *

We ran across an unusual problem when taking a taxi. When going to pay the driver, he would not take Argentine 10 peso paper money, even though it was giving him a nice tip. Why? He wanted Argentine coins, since there has been a problem with counterfeiting of the paper peso. And he was adamant about it, when we had not enough coins to pay the 17 peso passage. Finally, combining what few coin pesos we had with two American dollar bills, he was happy.

The Paper Peso Incident, as we called it, brought this traveling American back to reality. Life in other parts of the world is considerably different from that at home!

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's featured sponsor is Anderson Insurance of Lawrenceville, Ga., which has provided quality insurance products and programs since 1946. Anderson Insurance offers a wide range of insurance services designed to meet any need a client may have. Representing hundreds of highly rated carriers, the agency provides complete solutions to meet any business's needs, from professional liability and property coverage to employee benefits and 401K plans. Anderson also protects individuals and families with products such as home and auto insurance, long term care coverage, life insurance and annuities. Anderson Insurance's motto: "You should expect more than just a policy from your insurance professional." For more information, please visit our website at www.andersonins.com or call 770-962-4111.

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Wants Doubting Thomas's to have chance to appreciate art

Editor, the Forum:

Opposition to public art does not surprise me. In fact, I can fully appreciate such strong opinions when the issue in question is in whether public art should be implemented via the "private development" venue.

I'm biased on the subject and believe that public art can find fertile ground in private development. However, I can understand why developers object to the proposal that private enterprises carry the alleged "burden" of paying for art.

Some folks even suggest that government must not indulge in any sort of cultural programming, which they adamantly believe should be fostered solely by the "elitists" that have it within their segregated agenda and economic means to fulfill such lofty ambitions. They may indeed have a legitimate point.

I must wonder if it may be in the alienation to the decision-making process that the doubt persists. I believe that, given time, even the most critical opponent may encounter some appealing qualities inherent in public art, but only if they are given a voice. Perhaps we should mutually challenge the merits of our respective positions by ensuring that the "Doubting Thomas's" are given full opportunity to participate in the process.

One thing we can all agree on is that there is an investment to be made. Yet, the returns should be foremost in our consideration to go forth with what could be a risky venture. We should not be presumptuous in our assessment about public art's potential for yielding much more than its initial investment, but we should all be willing to give it our best shot to succeed in that regard.

It took me several years to fully appreciate the concept, let alone the added value, of public art. Today I can reasonably weigh in on what I believe to be some of the pros and cons. I find that even in our biases we can only pretend well when we're truly educated on the subject being discussed. I believe that there's no substitute for the "hands-on" approach when trying to convince minds and hearts to undertake something new.

-- Samuel Delgado, Duluth

Dear Samuel: The relationship of art in public places and homes alongside public trails must be made. Developers are finding that homes built near public trails have an unusual appeal, bringing higher values. I anticipate that the same case can be made, in the long-range appeal, for development with good public art. -eeb

Raises issue of water concerning overall development

Editor, the Forum:

For the most part, discussions addressing our water shortage consider many aspects of conservation, but ignore the impact of real estate developer's plans for high-density developments. Our county commissioners do not consider the drain on our inadequate water supply when they approve these plans.

Fortunately, several of the plans have been interrupted by the economics of the current housing situation. Let us take this opportunity to suspend these and all additional developments in Gwinnett County that cannot be supported by the Lake Linear water supply. Let us maintain the quality of life for the existing Gwinnett County residents

-- Paul Alexander, Duluth

Blue halogen automobile lights bring confusion, problems

Editor, the Forum:

I have a new pet peeve, stemming from a phenomenon I first observed just two weeks ago. I was driving down Old Peachtree Road one evening, when I was startled by the sudden sight of blue lights in my rearview and side mirrors. Checking to ensure that I was not being pulled over for unknowingly breaking some traffic law, I discovered that it was simply a car with very blue halogen headlights somewhere behind me. This was very distracting, as the sight of blue lights traditionally are a warning and at the very least a signal to pull over and let law enforcement by. That a passenger car can now sport blue-tinted headlights is, I feel, dangerous.

Since I assume the law provides that all cars should have white headlights, I believe that these new blue-tinted lights cross the line and should be ruled illegal, as they can no longer be called truly white. After all, you would never have called all those ladies with blue-tinted hair anything but blue haired old ladies, would you?

-- Kelly Olson, Suwanee

Medi-Calculus

Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:

Christmas Craft Fair is Saturday at Pinckneyville Park

Pinckneyville Park Community Center will host the annual Hometown Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Hometown Christmas Craft Fair offers a variety of affordable gifts from over 30 local crafters in jewelry, gift baskets, Christmas decor, embroidery and more. Children ages 12 -under can find family gifts ranging from $1 to $5 at Santa's Gift Shoppe from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Food concessions will also be available for sale by the H.O.O.K.E.D Teen Volunteer Club. Admission is free.

Pinckneyville Park Community Center is located at 4650 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in Norcross. For more information call 770-417-2200 or visit www.gwinnettparks.com.

Duluth student one of two at UGA winning Rhodes scholarship

The University of Georgia is the only public university in the nation to have two recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship, this year. UGA senior Deep Shah of Duluth and 2005 graduate Kate Vyborny of Washington, D.C. have been awarded 2008 Rhodes Scholarships to attend Oxford University, England's oldest and world-renowned institution of higher education. Both are UGA Foundation Fellows and Shah was also the recipient of a 2007 Truman Scholarship.

Prior to this year, UGA has had a total of 19 Rhodes Scholars-with four of those named since 1996. Shah, who will graduate in May 2008 with bachelor's degrees in international affairs and biology, plans to pursue a master of science degree in global health science at Oxford.

While at UGA, Shah has been able to combine his interests in public policy and medicine through his research and internship experiences. As a member of UGA's Honors Program, Shah has studied Parkinson's disease at Emory University, resulting in a published paper as second author in the Journal of Comparative Neurology.

Shah also investigated the preventative and preparatory measures a college town like Athens can take during a bio-terrorism attack, which is the basis of his Honors thesis. He presented those findings at a symposium the Honors Program's Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) sponsors on campus every spring.

Shah says: "I feel very lucky to have attended college at UGA and received the full support of the Honors Program and Foundation Fellowship throughout my time in Athens. My family has been extremely supportive of all my efforts, and I am very grateful for the influence they have on my life."

Shah has served as a public policy intern in the Washington, D.C. office of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), as well as for the Greater New York Hospital Association and a children's clinic in Costa Rica. He also has participated in travel-study programs in China, Greece, New Zealand, Turkey and Japan.

Snellville begins Phase I of T.W. Briscoe Park master plan

The City of Snellville is now underway with the Phase I of the T.W. Briscoe Park Master Plan. This includes improvements to the southeast side or lakeside of the park, including the widening of Snell Drive; additional parking and cul-de-sac reorientation; a new restroom; lake and shoreline improvements; and a new playground. HDR Engineering, Inc. was awarded the contract for professional services back in October.

For the next few months, surveying and the creation of construction documents will be occurring. It is estimated that the construction portion of the project will be out for bid sometime in February 2008.

Cyndee Bonacci, Director of Snellville Parks and Recreation, says: "We are so excited for this long-awaited project to get underway," states. These improvements will significantly impact our ability to serve our citizens and local community." Phase I of the plan will be funded exclusively by the Gwinnett County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program. "

Duluth Explorer Scouts return camping site to nature

The Duluth Police Explorer's Post, led by Master Patrol Officer Scott Parrish, was on a mission: to clean up the wooded area between Howell Street and Georgia Highway 120 where urban campers had been discovered. The Explorers removed trash in 15 large bags. The site now has returned to the way nature had intended it to be.

Body of Work by Dr. Christine Montross

"I recently read and highly recommend a newly-released book, Body of Work, by Dr. Christine Montross. This is a first-person account of Dr. Montross' experience as a first-year medical student, primarily in Human Anatomy Lab. From her introduction to her group's assigned cadaver to the completion of her study of the body, which she came to know intimately over the course of the semester, the author takes the reader on an exciting journey of human discovery that rivals the best adventure novels. What I took away from my experience was a profound appreciation for the deep respect and compassion that the medical profession and doctors in general hold for human life.

"Next on my reading list is The Abstinence Teacher, by Tom Perrotta."

-- Martha Sosebee, Lawrenceville

• 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
  

Small town of Talking Rock has distinctive history

The town of Talking Rock, as well as a creek of the same name, is located in Pickens County in northwest Georgia. The area was originally part of the Cherokee Nation, and several explanations regarding the origin of the name Talking Rock exist.

Historian James Mooney wrote that the Cherokees called the creek "Nunyu-gunwaniski," meaning "rock that talks." An Indian trader told Mooney that the creek was named for a rock where the Cherokees held council. Nearby is Ball Creek, probably named for Indian ball games played at the council ground. An 1820 map shows Talking Rock Creek as "Rolling Stone Creek." One theory suggests the name could have come from an "echo rock," a natural echo chamber.

In 1805, the state of Georgia surveyed the Federal Road, its first state highway, through the Cherokee Nation and across Talking Rock Ford at the site of the present-day Highway 136 bridge.

The Sanders brothers, who were Cherokees, gave their name to the first community established there, Sanderstown. In 1819 missionaries built the Taloney mission (later Carmel mission), a day school for the Cherokees, along Talking Rock Creek. Later, the Fort Newman stockade was built nearby. Cherokees were held at Fort Newman before their forced removal to the West in 1838.

During the Civil War (1861-65) the Third Kentucky Cavalry (Union) defeated the local Confederate Home Guard in 1864, putting a temporary halt to the depredations against local pro-Union families. The Atherton mills were destroyed during the war, and the Lebanon Church, except for its cemetery, was destroyed in a snowstorm in 1888.

Modern Talking Rock incorporated in 1883 around the newly arrived railroad, which facilitated the growth of the marble industry in the area. The original community, at the ford, became today's Blaine community. The new Talking Rock eventually became larger than Jasper, the seat of Pickens County. It had a factory, mills, cotton gins, stores, and hotels.

After World War II (1941-45) the decline of marble and cotton caused Talking Rock to wither into hardly more than a few churches, scattered farms, and ruins. The incorporated town of Talking Rock today consists of antique stores, a schoolhouse museum, and according to the 2000 U.S. census, 49 residents.

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

Judgment is far more than indisputable factual information

"Judgment is more than skill. It sets forth on intellectual seas beyond the shores of hard indisputable factual information."

-- American Educator (president of Yale) and Diplomat Kingman Brewster (1919-1988), via Roy McCreary, Dacula.

• 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 7.66, Nov. 30, 2007

TODAY'S FOCUS: Hotel Guests Like Recycling, Recent Survey Finds
ELLIOTT BRACK: Traveling Americans Can Find Good Value in Argentina
FEEDBACK: Appreciating Art World; Water and Development; Blue Headlights
McLEMORE'S WORLD: Medi-Calculus
UPCOMING: Yule Craft Fair Planned; Duluth UGA Student Wins Rhodes Award
NOTABLE: Snellville's Briscoe Park Master Plan; Duluth Scouts Clean Area
RECOMMENDED READ: The Body of Work by Dr. Christine Montross
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Town of Talking Rock, Ga., Has Most Distinctive History
TODAY'S QUOTE: Judgment Is Far More Than Indisputable Factual Information

FROM THE HEART. The Gwinnett Quilters Guild recently awarded a $1,000 grant to Gwinnett Community Clinic (GCC), after finishing The Heart Quilt. The winner of The Heart Quilt, which was raffled for this fundraiser, was Sandi Davis of Lawrenceville. From left are Pam Kramer, of GCC and Clinic co-founder; Doris Davis, Gwinnett Quilters Guild; Lanny Lesser, GCC Clinic co-founder; and Parks Mann, GCC treasurer, with the Heart Quilt. Gwinnett Community Clinic is a non-profit medical clinic providing low cost healthcare to uninsured, indigent residents of Gwinnett County.

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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