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Gwinnett Reads programs begin July
1 at county libraries
By
Denise Auger
Special to GwinnettForum.com
DULUTH, Ga., June 20, 2008 -- The Duluth Town Green will be the
site of a colorful and entertaining display of Cherokee Indian song,
dance, and art as the Gwinnett County Public Library's Gwinnett
Reads kickoff event gets underway on Saturday, June 28, from noon
until 4 p.m. The Duluth Historical Society is a library partner
and co-sponsor of this year's kickoff activities. There is no charge
to the event.
The program's kickoff is the first of five events culminating in
a grand finale highlighting bestselling author Charles Frazier on
July 12 at Gwinnett Center. The final Gwinnett Reads event features
Frazier reading from his latest novel Thirteen Moons, answering
questions, and presenting Cherokee music, singing, and readings.
He will also sign books that are available at the event in English
and Cherokee. The finale's $15 admission covers food and entertainment.
Part of the proceeds will benefit the cultural preservation efforts
of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, which has honored Frazier
for his dedication to helping preserve their language and traditions.
All other events are free. The schedule of free community events
and Frazier event tickets are available at all 14 Gwinnett County
Public Library branches. For more information, visit www.gwinnettreads.org
or call (770) 978-5154.
Other Gwinnett Reads activities include:
- July 1: Cherokee storytelling by Donna Delgadillo of The Plainsmen
Drum and Dance Troupe, at the Suwanee library, 7 p.m.
- July 7: program on native American artifacts, Five Forks Library,
7 p.m.
- July 10: Major Ridge and the path to the Trail of Tears, Collins
Hill branch, 7 p.m.
- July 12, finale with Charles Frazier, 6:30 p.m. at the Gwinnett
Center.
Gwinnett Reads participants will have an opportunity to hear Cherokee
translator Myrtle Driver Johnson interpret some of the program's
English language readings. Another highlight of the program will
be the musical storytelling of Cherokee native John Grant, who plays
a Native American flute and sings in English and Cherokee. The Chieftains
Museum in Rome, Georgia will also host activities related to Cherokee
culture.
Frazier
©2008 Charles Frazier / Courtesy Gwinnett
County Public Library |
"Growing up in western North Carolina," said Charles
Frazier, "I never asked too closely how it came about that
neighboring Cherokee people still persisted there in places like
Snowbird and the town of Cherokee so long after the Trail of Tears.
In large part, Thirteen Moons is my belated attempt to understand
that movement of American history and to tell a part of the story
of the southern Appalachians and its people at a moment of transformation."
As historical fiction, Thirteen Moons offers an opportunity
to become absorbed in a compelling novel while learning about the
transformation of a young, industrializing America, Cherokee Indian
arts and language, and an Indian culture struggling to survive.
Nancy Stanbery-Kellam, executive director of the Gwinnett County
Public Library, says: "In Thirteen Moons, Charles Frazier
takes us on an exciting adventure. At the same time, readers experience
an enchanting journey through the Cherokee culture, which is also
part of the fabric of our local history here in Gwinnett. Frazier's
moving story describes the beauty, passion, and tragedy of a once-independent
nation trying to survive within a new, emerging nation."
Gwinnett County Public Library lays claim to Georgia's highest
book circulation numbers and ranks among the largest systems in
the country. With its dynamic position of growth in the booming
Atlanta region, Gwinnett County Public Library has been able to
attract top authors for Gwinnett Reads since it began in 2003.
Unusual proposal for Ronald Reagan Parkway
is welcome
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
JUNE 20, 2008 -- You don't normally get a lot of innovative thinking
from government. Most of the time the bureaucrats want to do things
the same old way. "Standard Operating Procedures," they
call it.
Brack |
That's why we were pleasantly surprised to find Gwinnett County's
government putting out a request for proposals for a public-private
partnership to build a three-mile extension of Ronald Reagan Parkway
from Pleasant Hill Road to Interstate 85. The road would be paid,
it's anticipated, through a toll charge. Such creative efforts could
prove to be a windfall for Gwinnett County, which recognizes that
this road needs to be built, but does not have the funds to do it.
Should this project come to pass, Gwinnett would be the first county
in Georgia to use this innovative approach to road building.
The county, in seeking proposals, put no limits on those wanting
to submit such a proposal. All that would be needed would be to
connect Interstate 85 with Pleasant Hill at Ronald Reagan Parkway
through a four lane road. Not mentioned was the design, routing,
whether to bridge or fill in wetlands, or fee structure. It is anticipated
that several groups might bid on providing this new roadway at a
time when lots of road work is drying up for lack of money.
Take a look at the possible routing with this Google
map. Click the directional arrows to follow a possible routing
from Pleasant Hill Road to Interstate 85.
You can see that a routing for the right-of-way could snake between
subdivisions and take out a minimum number of houses on the sides
closest to the proposed freeway. A bigger obstacle may be wetlands
along the route. The road will have to cross only Steve Reynolds
Boulevard and Shackelford Road, and connect with Interstate 85 between
Steve Reynolds Boulevard and Beaver Ruin Road. It would be able
to be seen from these current roads:
Burnt Creek Way.
Saybrook Circle.
Bob Hannah Drive.
Flagg Way.
Baybrook Circle.
Hampton Trail.
Huntington Way
Daisy Court.
Tumblewood Trail.
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Greenbay Drive.
Rod Place.
Heritage Valley Road.
Bray's Mill Trace.
Arc Way.
Strasbourg Court.
Northridge Way.
Peninsula Trace
Millstream Trail. |
No one living along these roads wants to be relocated for a road.
However, they would be compensated at fair market value, and if
they did not accept that offer, could take the county to court to
see if they could get a higher price.
One smart move by the county was to offer the project for proposals
without limiting the concept. For instance, the interchange with
Interstate 85 need not be a full-four way interchange. Since most
of the congestion is during rush hour, the interchange probably
should be a two-way one, having lanes for turning traffic toward
Atlanta in the morning, and toward Snellville at night.
Such an interchange would also probably be in close proximity to
the Steve Reynolds two-way interchange, potentially causing more
traffic problems. We rely on the intelligence and originality of
the traffic engineers to come up with a safe method to merge traffic
from the two interchanges onto I-85.
We applaud the county for this proposal. David Tucker of the County
DOT office says that the request for proposals should be in by August,
with interviews and selection by October. A firm plan could be in
place by mid-2009. While there is no estimate when the extension
will be open, Gwinnettians will tell you that it can't be too soon.
You expect innovation in thinking from people in Gwinnett, though
not every day from government. This is such a proposal that will
greatly benefit Gwinnett motorists.
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information.
One
way for cost-cutting
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
Republic
Bank of Georgia plans grand opening activities
Republic Bank of Georgia has moved into new headquarters at 1035
Old Peachtree Road in Lawrenceville, near Interstate 85. The bank
is celebrating its grand opening starting June 23 with a week of
activities. Among the activities are:
- Monday, June 23, Ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. First lunch
and learn series: Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft 11:30
a.m.
- Tuesday, June 24: Smart Borrowing in Today's Credit Environment
11:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 25: Getting a Mortgage in Today's Market 11:30
a.m.
- Thursday, June 26: Financial Planning Tips Everyone Can Use
11:30 a.m.
- Friday, June 27: Open House and barbecue lunch 11:30 a.m.
The new 13,500 square foot facility is starkly different from the
design of most local banks, featuring a two-story arts and crafts
design, a double sided fireplace and two coffee bars. Customers
may be surprised to see the bank has no teller line instead allowing
transactions to take place at a banker's desk. For more information
on Republic Bank of Georgia, visit www.republicbankofga.com/
.
Mall of Georgia to
use recycled water for landscaping
Landscaping at the Mall of Georgia is now being watered with "reuse
water" instead of drinking water. A recently constructed two-mile,
24-inch pipeline makes it possible for the mall and a nearby Longhorn
Steakhouse to use the highly treated but non-potable effluent from
the F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center.
A 20-mile pipeline from the Hill plant to the Chattahoochee River
already brings inexpensive, processed water for irrigation and cooling
to other users including Bear's Best Golf Club, Bunten Road Park,
the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, The River Club,
and Pinckneyville Park. State and federal regulations specify permitted
uses.
The mall's general manager, Joe Piccolo, says: "We value our
partnership with the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources,
and we are thrilled to work with them. This project brings positive
results to the community, ensures water conservation in the area
and complements our other efforts like cardboard recycling and energy
saving."
The County expects to distribute about 300 million gallons of reuse
water this year. The water is also available to tanker trucks for
dust control and irrigation.
Lynn Smarr with the County's Water Resources Department , says:
"If more large water users could make a similar switch, we
could reduce demand for drinking water. This treated water poses
no health risks and is currently returned to the Chattahoochee River."
Treatment includes screening, grit removal, sedimentation, aeration,
clarification, coagulation, disinfecting ozonation, and filtering
through activated carbon and ultra-filtration membranes.
Five Gwinnett Tech
students compete in national judging
Five Gwinnett Tech students, judged to be tops in their fields,
are busy packing their bags and preparing to travel to Kansas City
this month to represent the college at the 2008 SkillsUSA Post-Secondary
national competition. More than 5,000 students will be competing
in this contest.
The five won gold medals at the state competition this spring,
earning the chance to go on to nationals.
SkillsUSA is a partnership between students, teachers and industry
representatives working to ensure that students excel in America's
workforce. The national competition, which takes place June 24-27,
will showcase of some of the best technical students in the nation.
Gwinnett Tech SkillsUSA state gold medal winners competing at
nationals include:
Kevin Ervin - cabinetmaking;
Daniel Price - carpentry;
Jesse Jones -- CNC turning;
Anya Rice - photography; and
Mary Stoklas -- pre-school teaching assistant.
Gwinnett Tech had 13 students who competed at the state level.
In addition to the gold medal winners, three other students took
state honors, including Do Nguyen, who received a silver metal in
photography; Wilda Courney, who received a bronze metal in photography;
and Riley Cook, who received a bronze metal in precision machining.
Historical Society
quarterly wins national competition
The quarterly newsletter of the Gwinnett Historical Society, The
Heritage, has been awarded first place for the county/local genealogical
or historical society category in the National Genealogical Society's
newsletter competition. This follows last year's honorable mention
award and is the second time the quarterly has been submitted.
The award was presented at the NGS Conference in Kansas City, Mo.,
and was picked up by GHS member Joye Quinn, who was attending the
conference. This is an annual competition that honors the best nationwide
in three different categories.
Two Gwinnett parks
get funding for improvements
The Board of Commissioners has approved funding for park improvements
for both Graves Park and Yellow River Park through the SPLOST program
for parks and recreation. Graves Park, which opened in 2005, is
a 70-acre park located on Graves Road in western Gwinnett County.
As a passive community park, at least two-thirds will remain undeveloped.
In contrast, the 556-acre, Yellow River Park is a large open space
park located in southern Gwinnett County.
A new picnic pavilion at Graves Park will provide a facility for
community groups and citizens to enhance their enjoyment of this
park. Yellow River Park's new facilities will offer more recreational
opportunities for Gwinnett County families. The $808,732 construction
contract was awarded to F.E. Sims Enterprises.
Key officials of Population
Action Group meet in LA
Gwinnett Rotarian Buck Lindsay, left, of Lawrenceville talks with
Salem Mashhour of Cairo, Egypt, at the 2008 Rotary International
conference this week in Los Angeles. Mashhour is chairman of the
Rotary Action Group for Population and Development, a group which
is based in Lawrenceville, and was started by Lindsay 15 years ago.
The Rotary group, dedicated to reducing the world's population,
now has 20,000 members.
- 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
Society
collects and preserves Georgia historical artifacts
The Georgia
Historical Society's missions of collecting, preserving, and
diffusing Georgia's history have been closely intertwined. A circular
issued by the society's 1839 library committee to establish the
scope of the collection listed about 100 types of historical materials,
including not only the primary sources of the state's history (manuscript
and printed) but also secondary and literary sources. Steadily augmented
over the years, the collection now numbers more than four million
manuscripts, 90,000 photographs, 25,000 architectural drawings,
20,000 books, and thousands of maps, newspapers, portraits, and
artifacts.
The society's aim of preserving Georgia's history has extended
beyond its own collections, as seen most recently in its acquisition
from the state of the Georgia Historical Marker program. But preservation
of the society's own materials has remained central to its mission,
with paramount importance placed on the various repositories in
which its collections have been held. The first of these was shared
from 1839 to 1849 with the Savannah Library Society, to whose collections
and furniture the society was heir. This marked the first of many
partnerships between the society and other entities that would be
a vital element of the society's survival.
In 1849 the society moved into its own hall, a neo-Gothic structure
designed by John Norris and located on East Bryan Street, just off
Reynolds Square. In 1871 the society relocated to Armory Hall on
Wright Square, and in 1875 the society finally moved to its present
headquarters, Hodgson Hall, at the northwest corner of Forsyth Park.
Erected in memory of the prominent society member and savant William
Brown Hodgson (1801-71), the impressive structure serves as a representation
of the society to most of its members. Not surprisingly, the society's
expanding collections and membership have necessitated periodic
renovations, improvements, and additions to the original structure.
Crucial to the success of the society have been those individuals
of various titles from librarian to director who have borne the
major responsibility of overseeing society activities in Hodgson
Hall. From the late 1870s to the late 1990s four individuals gave
the society especially remarkable service, precious continuity,
and a lengthy institutional memory: William Harden, 1875-1936; Lilla
Mills Hawes, late 1940s-1976; Anthony R. Dees, 1976-83; and Anne
P. Smith, who rose from staff member in 1982 to library director
in the 1990s.
Various society members have assisted over the years with the society's
collecting activities. Included among these members are several
representatives of the De Renne family, whose own extraordinary
collections were often used as an adjunct to the society's holdings.
(To be continued)
How many people can
go through life in this manner?
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can
do him absolutely no good."
-- Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784).
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