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Examining the past shows we are living in scary times
By Buck Lindsay
Special to GwinnettForum.com

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Jan. 11, 2008 -- I am 62 and my father is 87. He grew up in the 'depression' years, when families were large (nine brothers and sisters), life was agrarian, and hard work was the norm. He was not a carbon emitter, except for the firewood in the stove. There were no vehicles. He plowed the corn and cotton fields with a mule, and families had large gardens. They dried vegetables and fruits, and salted meats for the winter. Families lived together in large units, with the dinner table set for parents, children and grandchildren. The radio was entertainment, along with small time sports. Mom and Dad enjoy church, family and the garden. They still have an iron stove, and a well, and raise cattle.

My life is different. I was raised in the period following World War II, which was a time of prosperity in the USA. I am a "Baby Boomer". I was the first in my mother or father's family to finish college. I learned how to earn a good living with my mind, not my back. I spend more now on electricity in my house each month than my first three months of college cost, including everything. Last week I got 810 emails. I feel pressured by the daily challenge to keep up. But, my wife and I only had two children. They are both emitters, too. Not consciously. It's just how they understand life to be.

Now, life here is taking on another concerning dimension: immigration. These comments are not to address the efficacy of immigration, but to speak to what it means to life here. When I was young here, I only heard last names that were Anglo-Saxon. But over the last 10 years, the growth in this area has been mainly people of Mexican and Asian descent, with many from other Latin countries, Africa and Eastern Europe. In some of the elementary schools here now, more than 50 percent of the students speak a language other than English at home. The common labor work force here, especially in construction, is almost completely Mexican. Evidently, Anglo-Saxons don't work dirty anymore. The population in the greater Atlanta area has grown nearly five times in the last 50 years. That's a growth rate that beats most high growth population countries.

We developed countries are gobbling up the reserves of global resources at record rates, and spitting out carbon at record levels, and …creating global warming and climate change. In the developing countries, families are still large, and people are poor and lacking resources (it's not that they don't have resources; they are just being exported to--you guessed--the rich countries). So these poor people, who aren't dumb, are moving. And they're moving for a piece of the good life. They're moving right here to suburban Atlanta, USA. I guess I would try to do the same if I were them.

So my dad will probably be gone before these things get much worse. Even at 62, I wonder if I will be gone before the problems implode, or explode. But mostly, I think most of my two sons. If the difference between my generation and my sons is to be as significant as the difference between mine and my dad's, my son's will bear a heavy burden. A burden which is by our (this generation's) hand, from our lack of response to the obvious predicament. These are frightening times. Indeed.

Lamar Nash recuperating here after big stroke in Turkey
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher

JAN. 11, 2008 -- JAN. 11, 2008 -- It started out as Pat and Lamar Nash often did, heading for an exotic destination. This time it was to be the Greek Isles, then Turkey. But the trip stopped suddenly there.

In a hotel in Istanbul, Lamar Nash had a massive stroke. Yet today he lives to tell about it, and wants to make sure other know that when they go overseas, they should purchase "Med-Evac" insurance.

Nash, from an old-line Gwinnett family from Lilburn, has had three very different business careers. He was a Pontiac dealer in Buford for 13 years; then bought radio station WLAW in Lawrenceville, changed the name to WPLO and moved its location on the dial, and ran it for 10 years; then for the last 16 years, has owned the Loganville Auto Auction.

He and Pat have enjoyed worldwide destinations to the East (Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Viet Nam), to Europe, to South Africa and been on several cruises. They departed on September 9 for the trip.

And then the big stroke in Istanbul. Pat says Lamar had a stroke on Sept. 28, when they were at the Swiss Hotel. Pat says: "At first, I thought he had just fallen, and tried to help him us, but I realized his speech was slurred, and got him to a full-time doctor on duty at the hotel. The guest services director stayed with me for the next 24 hours, until my son, Casey, was there the next day. She led me through the steps and we got Lamar to the American Hospital, about five minutes away." The Nashs were pleased with the care they received in Istanbul.

The night before their departure for the vacation, Lamar talked to a friend, who told of visiting Mexico, and while there, breaking his hip. Having med-evac insurance, he was flown home since he had purchased a $530 policy for medical emergencies. Without the insurance, the trip from Mexico would have cost $25,000. Such policies are good for one year for two people.

After being stabilized for two weeks in Istanbul, a Turkish physician wanted to operate on Lamar. But Lamar would have none of it. He wanted to have this done in the States. Working with his son, Bill of Lawrenceville handling details, he was med-evaced on a Gulfstream jet. Two nurses flew back on the journey, which went (for fueling stops) from Istanbul, to London, Iceland, Newfoundland, Toronto and Atlanta. Three sets of Canadian pilots and nurses were used on the flight, which took 22 hours. Lamar was admitted to St. Joseph Hospital, where an operation cleared his clogged arteries.

That was in the middle of October, and since then, Lamar has been working to get himself back into shape through rehabilitation. He is now at the A.G. Rhodes Re-Hab Center of Wesley Woods, where he feels, he is getting good therapy. His left side is still partially affected, and he must get around by wheelchair. Once released by the rehabilitation team, he plans to go to the Nash's family cabin in Blue Ridge, where workmen have already widened the doors and made other preparations for wheel chair access. He and his wife make their home in Colbert, in a home Kenny Rogers once owned.

"This therapy is hard work," Lamar told me the other day, after about seven hours in physical therapy. "It makes you awfully tired." That, plus perhaps hospital food, has taken off about 40 pounds.

Lamar wants anyone going overseas to take the precaution he did. "Buy the med-evac policy. It's easy, for I did it over the Internet. They tell me that a flight like mine from Turkey would have cost me $100,000 if I did not have that insurance."

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today the underwriter is Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District. Formed in mid-2006, Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District (CID), is a self taxing revitalization district that includes just under 500 commercial property owners with a property value of just under $1 billion dollars. Gwinnett Village includes the southwestern part of Gwinnett County including properties along Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Buford Highway, Indian Trail, Beaver Ruin, Graves, and Singleton Road. Gwinnett Village is the third CID to be created in Gwinnett County and is the largest of all 13 CIDs in the state. Gwinnett Village's mission is to improve property values through increased security, a decrease in traffic congestion, and general improvements to the curb appeal of the area. For more information visit www.gwinnettvillage.com or call 770-449-6515.

Amen in the January 8 GwinnettForum about the presidential primary circus. Yes, a lot of talk about just 2.4 percent of the Iowa population that participates in the caucuses. It is unusual to have more than a 20 percent turnout in a primary, yet primaries generally offer a fairly wide selection of candidates.

You can win with 55 percent of the vote while receiving only 11percent of the eligible votes in a 20 percent turnout primary. Apparently the other 80 percent can't be bothered with going to the polls, yet they took the time to register. Many long political careers start in this fashion.

How many governments do we have in the U.S., 85,000? The amount of money spent per vote is a staggering sum. General elections usually offer limited choices. You guessed it - turnout is much higher for general elections. Some then say they have no choice in candidates. People come awake from their slumber a little late in the process, even though the game seems endless.

Bamboozle is a good word. It also amuses me when television reporters interview some undecided airhead (and it's usually a male airhead) before an election and the person responds "I have to watch the next debate before I make up my mind how to vote." Months after the marathon begins this character still has no idea, is willing to vote based on a one hour televised debate, and you can bet he doesn't know the name of his Congressman. He knows the sports scene and pop culture fairly well, though - you can count on that.

I read with interest a recent article on the GwinnettForum site concerning the County's planned reservoir site in Buford. A thought I would like to share something that no one seems to have picked up on: such a project is no real help in our current or future droughts.

The water needed to fill the reservoir must come from Lake Lanier, as all our water does now. Therefore, there is no redundancy.

It is my belief that we need to "put our eggs in other baskets" and look at other solutions outside the Chattahoochee basin. I strongly recommend building real reservoirs in the Appalachee, Alcovy, or even Yellow River basins. Currently the EPD supports this idea as well, and I think Gwinnett would be well served by starting the process now.

Also, the water usage number you used isn't exactly right as no allowance is made for the amount of water treated and discharged every day back into the river system (the usage is the net, not the gross withdrawal). I think as much as we pay to recover that water we should get some credit for it. Thanks for the chance to ramble.

Georgia DOT is working in conjunction with Norfolk Southern Railroad to close the Georgia Highway120/Abbott's Bridge Road crossing in downtown Duluth next week. Weather permitting, Sunday, January 13 at 8 a.m. Norfolk Southern railroad will close the Route 120 crossing and completely rebuild it.
Railroad crews will begin their work Sunday morning. First the railroad will remove and replace the tracks; then DOT crews will repave the crossing. The work is expected to be finished by 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 16.

The crossing will be closed round-the-clock from Sunday morning until the work is completed Wednesday. The end result will be a much more stable and smoother crossing for vehicles and trains. Teri Pope of DOT, says: "The best idea is to avoid the area of the railroad crossing all together if possible."

A detour will be in place from Georgia 120 to Georgia 13 to Brock Road to North Main Street. Delays are expected during the work.

After a successful first endeavor last October, Aurora Theatre welcomes back Uptown Comedy Corner, bringing their club comedy to historic Downtown Lawrenceville for Funny Friday' on January 18. It will be presented in the Discovery Point Studio Theatre.

The Blacktop Circus is an African-American improvisational comedy troupe, with a group of new comics. The Blacktop Circus uses audience suggestions and turns them into hilarious scenes, songs, and sketches. The group will showcase their skills with a set of stand-up performances.

The group will appear January 18 at 7:30 and again at 10 p.m. in the Discovery Point Studio Theatre Tickets are $15, with Aurora Theatre subscribers getting a $3 discount. Call 678-226-6222 for reservations or go to:
www.auroratheatre.com.

Make plans now to learn about Medicare Advantage Plans on Wednesday, January 23, at 2 p.m., featuring Vicki Shanahan, coordinator of the Atlanta Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging. She will talk about, "What is a Medicare Advantage Plan?", and also ask questions regarding whether the Medicare Advantage Plan is one you should consider. The Health, Happiness, You (h2u) program affiliated with Emory Eastside Medical Center is sponsoring this meeting for your benefit. This meeting will be held at the Snellville Senior Center, 2350 Oak Road in Snellville. Registration is not required to attend this meeting.

Call the h2u office, 770-982-2358, for more information or visit the website at www.emoryeastside.com.

Gwinnett Technology Forum will hear Wylly Harrison, director of governmental relations for the Technical Association of Georgia when it meets on Tuesday, January 22 at the Busbee Center of Gwinnett Tech. In his position, he works closely with the membership to build a comprehensive strategy regarding public policy issues in the state.

The program will begin 7:30 a.m. in the Scientific-Atlanta Auditorium in the Busbee Center of Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville. There is no charge to attend, though reservations are required. To attend, reply to Melissa Britt atmelissa@gwinnettchamber.org.

Harrison is a native of Milledgeville and a graduate of Georgia College and State University, where he also completed a degree of master's in public administration in 2006.

Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation officials have entered into an agreement to purchase the Fitness International facility, including all of its sports and training equipment, for $5.5 million. The purchase will also include two acres of land located on Georgia Highway 316. The facility will provide Georgia Gwinnett College students access to recreation facilities including work-out equipment, basketball and racquetball courts, and a pool.

Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation President Gordon Harrison says: "This will be a strategic acquisition for the GGC Foundation given its proximity to Highway 316. GGC Foundation Chairman Glenn White and Foundation Real Estate Committee Chairman Wayne Mason have been closely involved in these discussions and negotiations. The College greatly appreciates the Board of Trustees' vision, guidance and support."

A closing date has been set for February 1, 2008, and the facility will open to Georgia Gwinnett students and employees shortly thereafter. Jim Fatzinger, associate vice president for student affairs, says: "The student body is eagerly awaiting the use of these facilities. This is an appropriate use of the student recreation fees, and most importantly, provides a facility our students deserve."

The acquisition will be made by the GGC Foundation with a local financial institution as underwriter. The facility will be leased to the GGC Foundation and will be deeded to the Board of Regents at the conclusion of the mortgage period.

There are less than two weeks remaining until the premier of the eighth annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF), from January 16-27.

The AJFF has a broad geographic reach, with screenings at the Lefont Theater in Sandy Springs; in midtown at Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station; and now at the Regal Medlock Crossing in the northern suburbs. The festival attracts celebrity talent, including filmmakers and actors, and other special guest speakers. This year actor, Jerry Adler, who stars in The Memory Thief is among the prestigious guests attending the festival.

It has been recognized with prestigious grants from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The AJFF is among the largest and most respected festivals of its kind, anticipated to attract an audience of nearly 12,000 this year. This year the festival is showcasing 47 international works of cinema otherwise unavailable to local audiences representing 16 countries. The festival has been expanded from 7 to 12 days with additional screenings and venues.

A complete list of this year's films, film schedule, venues and ticket purchase options are now available to the public via the festival web site at www.ajff.org.

One of the distinguishing features of Southern culture is an "oratorical aesthetic." Speech artistry, expressed through delivery as well as content, can still be heard in Georgians' political and legal oratory, preaching, and conversation. Central to the region's love affair with the spoken word is a strong narrative impulse, channeled in the telling of elaborately embroidered personal experiences as well as traditional tales.

This thirst for a well-told story may be rooted in two influential Old World source areas for the South's population, Ireland and Africa, where the institution of community storyteller commanded great respect. The insularity of the region's farming population also put a premium on storytelling as entertainment. For many Georgians, oral literature in the form of folktales and legends took the place of novels and history books until the twentieth century brought greater access to literacy through public schools and libraries.

Traditional storytelling took---and still takes---place wherever small groups have gathered to work and socialize. In rural Georgia such physical settings included general stores (with their "liars' bench" out front), hunting camps, and the shaded porch and fireside of homes; social occasions involving storytelling included community "workings" such as corn shucking and syrup making, and, for southwest Georgians, annual family treks by covered wagon to the Florida coast to buy salted fish. Today, jokes are exchanged during office breaks and after work at bars; scary stories are told at slumber, or spend-the-night, parties and around Scout campfires; and urban legends circulate in beauty parlors, school cafeterias, and college fraternity and sorority suites.

Folklorists divide folk narratives into two main categories, based on the storytelling community's attitudes. Folktales are those orally transmitted stories that are understood as fictitious; they function mainly as entertainment but also convey values. Myths and legends, on the other hand, are belief tales, regarded as true accounts of past events; they can be entertaining but principally serve to support the belief system and as folk history. (To Be Continued)

"Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.

Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves or comments on any issue to Gwinnett Forum for future publication.

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