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Two youth orchestras to play with Gwinnett Philharmonic
By Kelly Olson
Special to GwinnettForum.com

DULUTH, Ga., Feb. 15, 2008 -- Side by Side: Sensational Strings, a bold and exciting concert featuring the Gwinnett County Public Schools Honor Orchestras performing side by side with the professional musicians of the Gwinnett Philharmonic, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 26, at the Performing Arts Center of the Gwinnett Center.

This crowd-pleasing concert showcases the finest student musicians of Gwinnett, chosen as Honors Orchestra members through audition by virtue of their own hard work and talent. These young musicians are among the best that the county has to offer, and performing alongside professional musicians gives them a unique opportunity to learn from a professional as well as experience performing in a professional-level venue and concert.

Gwinnett County Public Schools is one of the few school systems in Georgia that provides funding for two honor orchestras. The program consists of two performance organizations, which perform music from standard professional literature and provide an opportunity for students to gain experience above and beyond what is offered in the local schools. Students are expected to study and perform musical selections with care and accuracy, and with sensitivity to the aesthetic properties of the music.

The Kendall Youth Orchestra is the younger of the two orchestras, intended for sixth through ninth grade students, and is under the direction of conductors Scott Hammond and Bernadette Scruggs. The Kendall Orchestra will perform the Galop (Can-Can) from "Orpheus in the Underworld" by Jacques Offenbach, and the 2nd movement to Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, "Allegretto."

The Gwinnett County Youth Symphony (GCYS) is open to students in the sixth through twelfth grade, and is a string orchestra during the fall semester but a full orchestra during the spring semester (including winds, brass, and percussion). The GCYS strings will perform Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto #3," first movement, "Scottish Mist" by Bonnie Rideout/Bob Phillips, and "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber. The GCYS is under the direction of Cathie Hudnall and Dr. Peter Lemond.

The Gwinnett Philharmonic is a fully professional orchestra comprised of adult musicians who also perform with other well-known orchestras, ensembles and groups in the Atlanta area. Many of the musicians are also teachers, with a special affinity for students, and work in and around Gwinnett County. The Philharmonic is under the direction of founding Music Director/Conductor Monte Nichols.

The Gwinnett Philharmonic's season Presenting Sponsors are Primerica through the Citi Foundation , and the Scientific Atlanta Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ernest Communications, Georgia Council for the Arts, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Gwinnett News, the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia and the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund.

Tickets are $28 adults, $24 seniors and $12 students, and are available through any Ticketmaster outlet or in person at the Gwinnett Center box office, open Monday thru Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

For more information on the Philharmonic, call 770-418-1115 or visit the website at www.gwinnettphilharmonic.org.

Solve voter back-up by employing high schoolers at polls
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher

FEB. 15, 2008 -- How long did you have to wait in line to vote?" the guy wanted to know. Needing to get to work before 8 a.m. if possible, he showed up at his Presidential Primary polls at 6:50, hoping to get in soon, and be off to work speedily.

There were several already in line at his polling place in Gwinnett. By the time the poll opened, the 20 or so in line were moving ever so slowly past the second station. There you handed in your registration slip, and the lady and man at the table found you in the computer. But there was a drawback, evidently, with the line not moving quickly at all.

Our friend says: "Finally, about 7:20 a.m., I got up there and handed them that slip and my ID. I thought I would get the little plastic card you inserted into the voting machine quickly, but there was a hold-up. The lady somehow could not find my name on the computer. She must have looked for five minutes, and finally the guy, who had been handling others, took the slip, and pretty soon, found my name on the roll. He handed me that little yellow plastic card, and since there were no people much at the several machines, I voted immediately, and was out the door and at the job by 7:30. But that lady at the table never did figure it out. She couldn't find others on the computer, and was the one holding up the entire process."

At another poll, we heard that it, too, had problems in the checking-in process of voters. In effect, this is the stress point in the entire operation, the point of identifying you, and it can slow up the entire system.

Now shift your thinking. How often at your house or your grown children's houses do you find that when there is a computer problem, it's the school kids called on to solve that problem? Most of us have known that situation, as that younger generation that has grown up with the computer can often manipulate, and even troubleshoot them, easily.

Let's get the General Assembly, in its glory, to pass legislation making the presidential primary, the state primary and General Elections all no-school days for high school seniors. Let's employ high school seniors who are registered to vote as our poll workers. Let's let the students man the computers, and in general, provide the bulk of the election staff. Let's give them two days training (on Saturdays) in advance of the election, and have veteran poll officials as the managers in charge of these hand-picked students. It'll give the students a chance to earn some extra money, and at the same time, solve the manpower worker problem for poll officials.

Presto! We bet the election would go a whole lot smoother. It would also serve to introduce the new voting students to the election process. We suspect all voting would find that these young veteran computer operators would speed them through the lines.

The old days of registration books is replaced by computer registration. Paper ballots are gone by the wayside. But the poll officials, from a much older generation, are not always computer-savvy.

Have the key polling activities manned by students, under supervision by veteran officials, and we suspect the election would be much smoother.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is The Peachtree Bank, located at 9570 Medlock Bridge Road. Duluth. The bank also has locations at 185 Gwinnett Drive, Lawrenceville; in Roswell at 695 Mansell Road; and at 1725 Mount Vernon Road in Dunwoody. Monty Watson is president of the bank, which has assets of over $625 million. Member, FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Go to The Peachtree Bank web site at : http://www.thepeachtreebank.com.

"A liberal is a man too broad minded to take his own side in a quarrel until it is time to vote himself largesse at the public trough."

Editor, the Forum:

As a wordsmith, you might be interested in the following website: http://www.freerice.com/. It is apparently legitimate, though highly addictive.

You take an online vocabulary test, and for each word that you get correct they donate 20 grains of rice through the United Nations toward ending world hunger. Be careful, though, because the test is not self-ending and you might find yourself bleary-eyed and an hour or two older all of a sudden!

The donated rice is paid for through the ads posted on the site, so there is nothing involved but simply working on your own vocabulary. When you get a word right, you get another harder word. Three right and you move up a level. When you get a word wrong, you drop a level and get an easier word. You have to work your way up a word (and 20 grains) at a time.

Just the thing for a logophile!

Ronald Reagan Parkway from Presidential Circle/Tree Lane to Pleasant Hill Road will be closed to vehicular traffic from Friday, February 15, at 11 p.m. to Saturday, February 16, at 7 p.m. for the Run the Reagan road race.

The road race will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday. All pedestrians must be off the roadway by 5 p.m. to prepare for the Parkway's reopening to vehicular traffic. Run the Reagan is coordinated by Young Life Southern Gwinnett and the Gwinnett Community Clinic. For more information about the road race, visit www.runthereagan.com.

Ed Bastian, president and chief financial officer of Delta Airlines, is to speak at the February 20 General Membership meeting of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. He will talk about the future of air transportation, Delta's emergence from bankruptcy, and its new business plan. As president, Bastian and his team oversee and coordinate the Company's strategy from network planning and revenue management to sales, marketing and business development

Bastian also served as the company's chief restructuring officer, leading Delta through one of the largest and most successful Chapter 11 restructuring processes in U.S. history, and doing so in 19 months. The business plan Bastian helped develop included $3 billion in annual financial improvements and garnered strong support from the company's creditors and employees.

Bastian left Delta in early 2005 to become senior vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Acuity Brands. He returned to Delta in July 2005 as CFO and was promoted to president in August 2007.

Bastian previously worked for PepsiCo where he served as vice president of finance for Pepsi Cola International. While at PepsiCo he had also served as vice president of business processes reengineering for Frito-Lay and vice president, finance and controller for Frito-Lay International. Prior to PepsiCo, Bastian was a partner in the New York audit practice of Price Waterhouse specializing in the entertainment, advertising and manufacturing sectors, and also served as the strategic planning partner for Price Waterhouse's New York Region.

A 1979 graduate of St. Bonaventure University with a BBA, Bastian currently serves on the International Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity and the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. Bastian lives in Atlanta with his wife, Anna, and their four children

The meeting is Wednesday, February 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the 1818 Club in Duluth. The cost is $35 to Chamber members. Reservations may be made by emailing Natalie Shore at Natalie@gwinnettchamber.org, or by calling the Chamber at 770 232-3000.

Mr. Bastain is also speaking on Tuesday, February 19, at the Gwinnett Rotary Club.

Deadline March 10 to enter renamed Gwinnett Golden Games

Those over 50 will be interested in hearing that the Gwinnett Senior Golden Games, formerly the Senior Olympics, are to begin on April 16, 2008. The month-long series of events for seniors will close on May 14, 2008.

Bob Giselbach, president of the Gwinnett Senior Games, says the name change may get more people interested this year. The games consist of a variety of competitions, from archery to walking, and includes billiards, bocce ball, bowling, darts, Frisbee throw, golf, horseshoes, swimming, table tennis and many other events. Deadline to enter the competitions at any level is March 10.

Those interested in the Golden Games should go to the website, http://www.gwinnettseniorolympics.org/ for full details. The Games are put on with cooperation of Gwinnett Parks and Recreation.

Giselbach heads the organization, with H.D. Jones as vice chairman; Marie Hickman secretary; Ellen Giselbach, treasurer; Susie Dodson, historian; and Dana Dow and Chris Moore being on the board at large.

New London Theatre to present Arsenic and Old Lace

New London Theatre will present Joseph Kesselring's Arsenic & Old Lace, opening Friday, March 14 at their theatre, 2485 East Main Street in Snellville. The production features two full casts, one adult and one youth cast. The youth cast is to be composed of actors 18 or younger.

The play is a farcical black comedy revolving around Mortimer Brewster, a theatre-hating drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn, , as he debates whether to go through with a honeymoon with the woman he loves and has recently agreed to marry. His family includes two spinster aunts who have taken to murdering lonely old men by poisoning them with a glass of home-made elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine and "just a pinch" of cyanide; a brother who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and digs locks for the Panama Canal in the cellar of the Brewster home (which then serve as graves for the aunts' victims); and a murderous brother who has received plastic surgery performed by an alcoholic accomplice, Dr Einstein.

Performances continue through March 30. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. To learn more about The New London Theatre, go to www.newlondontheatre.org or call at (770) 979-3691.

People frequenting greater Gwinnett Place can now see new community landmarks with the recent addition of visual enhancements in key areas.

The Gwinnett Place CID has overseen the installation of two monument-style gateway markers - one at the intersection of Pleasant Hill Road and Old Norcross Road, the other at Satellite Boulevard and Steve Reynolds Boulevard.

The new gateway areas are patterned after the CID's first installation completed at Commerce Avenue and Satellite Boulevard, which features a stone structure bearing the name "Gwinnett Place" in large, individual letters. Similar to the existing structure, the two new monuments will also be wired for subdued evening-time backlighting.

Joe Allen, CID Executive Director, says: "These gateways are some of our most visible points for access to Gwinnett Place, and we hope that their presence will encourage a cohesive sense of community in our area. These markers are part of our signage and wayfinding master plan."

Additionally, landscaping elements accompanying the natural stone look of the additions help accentuate the area and underscore the CID's desire to assist in the improvement of overall appearances.

Three smaller, secondary monuments have been added along Pleasant Hill Road as well as approximately 100 new decorative banners installed on utility poles thorough the area.

The CID contracted with Imagescapes and Architectural Signing to build the monuments while Sky Design, jB+a Inc. and Street Smarts prepared the District's master plan for signage. The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners supplied partial funding for the project.

The City of Suwanee is hosting informational meetings for Suwanee Gateway business owners Thursday, February 21. The meetings, part of the City's launch of its new Suwanee Gateway branding campaign, are designed to share with business owners the City's vision and plans for the area.

Meetings are scheduled for 8:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. at the Suwanee Crossroads Center, 323 Buford Highway. Business owners and other interested participants are requested to confirm their attendance, along with their meeting time preference, with Toni Shrewsbury via email at tshrewsbury@suwanee.com or by phone at 770 945-8996.

The City of Suwanee is committed to revitalization of the Gateway, an area of largely industrial, retail, and office uses surrounding I-85 Exit 111, as a distinctive, vibrant mixed-use center.

A new shopping center, Liberty Village, is coming to Braselton. To be located at Georgia Highway 211 at Liberty Church Road, this is across from the Golf Club Drive entrance to Chateau Elan.

The new center will represent approximately 90,000 square feet of retail space on the 14 acre site. Developer Scott Snedecor, of Lensned, LLC, says that the concept for the project is that of a village type retail development promoting a "people friendly" environment, including ample sidewalks, benches and pedestrian lighting.

Among companies planning to be in the center will be an Ace Hardware store; Regions Bank; and Discovery Point day care center. The Ace Hardware location should be in operation in the summer, with the bank and child care center open by fall.

CARE is one of the largest private humanitarian organizations in the world. The nonprofit organization, which is based in Atlanta, works with poor communities worldwide to find a lasting solution to the problem of poverty through education, economic security, and civic participation.

CARE employs more than 12,000 people globally, including approximately 300 staff members who work at CARE's Atlanta headquarters. In fiscal year 2005 CARE's poverty-fighting work reached 48 million people through 861 projects in 70 countries.

In 1945, joining together were 22 American organizations in New York as CARE (or the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) to assemble, package, and ship lifesaving supplies to survivors of World War II (1941-45). The first 20,000 "CARE packages" arrived in Le Havre, France, on May 11, 1946, and contained U.S. Army surplus food.

American citizens joined the efforts to help starving family and friends in Europe by purchasing packages for $10 apiece. After the army surplus was exhausted, CARE began assembling its own packages, which included such items as canned meat, coffee, chocolate, and egg powder. Over the next two decades at least 100 million CARE packages were sent to Europe, Asia, and eventually, other parts of the developing world. Over time, CARE packages came to include carpentry tools, books, blankets, and medicine. The food package program ended in 1967. In 1993 CARE moved its headquarters from New York to Atlanta.

While CARE's primary mission is to end poverty, the organization continues its history of responding to disaster. CARE's experienced staff members, most often native to the countries in which they work, save lives, then stay for the long term to rebuild, restore, and improve communities hit by natural or man-made disaster. CARE's work is guided by its core vision: a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.

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