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Quinn House is only full-service group home in Gwinnett
By Benjamin Rice
Special to GwinnettForum

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Sept. 19, 2008 -- The Quinn House is a non-profit corporation established to offer an alternative to the homeless and needy on a non-discriminating basis. We are the only full-service group homes in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Our goal is to help people restore or develop a real relationship with God, and return to a productive lifestyle with a renewed sense of self-worth and self-respect.

Our founders, John and Carrol Quinn, began this mission some 25 years ago. The ministry flourished and soon outgrew their home in Snellville. Stark Hudson became aware of the valuable work they were doing in the community, and offered them the use of a home in downtown Lawrenceville. A few years later, Mr. Hudson generously gave John and Carrol title to the property at 120 South Perry Street in Lawrenceville.

In 1989 the ministry was designated as a tax exempt charity. Under the careful stewardship of resources, and the watchful eyes of the Quinns, the ministry grew to include a men's shelter, women's shelter, a licensed food bank, a senior food box program, along with a community outreach providing food, clothing, furniture and other needs to residents of Gwinnett and other counties in Georgia, all at no charge.

The Quinn House is a licensed food bank, helping to stock 15 different food pantries in both North and East Central Georgia. We send vans out every day to collect food items from several different donators including Kraft Foods, Inc., Kroger Stores, Publix Supermarkets and Pepperidge Farms. These food items are brought back to our Food Ministry location in Lawrenceville. The food we need to take care of our residents and staff is put aside and then the abundance left over is distributed.

We prepare up to 20 or 30 boxes per week for the needy in the area and provide food boxes for over 60 seniors at the end of every month. Food boxes including several kinds of canned vegetables and meats, dry goods including rice, stuffing and macaroni and cheese, baked goods and bread, lunch and breakfast meats, dairy and cheese products and frozen entrees. Toiletries and paper products are some of the special items that we like to include in these food boxes.

The thrift store serves as a clothes closet and appliance and furniture bank, and provides income that helps in the operating expenses of our outreach ministry in this area. We also work with local social service agencies to provide for needy individuals and families that need assistance.

Some other outreach projects include our Christmas Gift Program, Easter Basket Program, and our Back to School Book Bag Drive. The Christmas drive involves many different families, groups, and businesses in the area. We arrange for children, families and senior citizens in our area to receive Christmas gifts thanks to our many local sponsors for these groups. Last year alone over 350 children were provided Christmas gifts through this outreach program. Also many underprivileged adults and senior citizens experienced a more joyous holiday season.

The two founders of Quinn House, Carrol and John Quinn, are both deceased. Their legacy is the Quinn, which is governed by a seven-member non-profit board of directors, of which Gene Brinkley is the chairman.

Little good news coming out of national financial crisis
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher

SEPT. 19, 2008 -- We're no expert. But here's our take on the current economic conditions in this country.

The worsening financial crisis on Wall Street comes as more people are getting concerned about not only the financial market problems, but concerns about the overall economy. The housing market has been the initial culprit, causing problems at banks. The pressures are mounting.

Far be it for us, from our perch in Gwinnett, to think we could have an answer to all these continuing problems. Yet we've seen very little to make us more confident in what will be happening in the next few months. Remember, most of the time we are optimistic on issues, sometimes to our detriment. Yet as one worried banker told us recently, "With most of the previous dips in the economy, we've come out of slower times relatively quickly. I don't see us getting out of this round of problems any time soon."

With the housing inventory sitting there looking builders in the eye, with fewer people willing to risk putting down money for a new home, and with layoffs coming at one industry after another, it's cause for all of us to pause.

You know the cause, as we do. It's called nothing but simple "greed." Too many people have sought to make a bundle, with many of them succeeding, from either shoddy construction, or questionable business practices, or cooking the books to put families in homes that they could not afford. The common factor behind all this is nothing more than simple greed.

Interestingly, we've been through this before. Remember the savings and loan scandal of the 1980s? Did we learn from this? Apparently not. The crisis came from the industry overextending itself, under little regulation, and wound up costing America nearly $50 billion. (At the time, that seemed like a lot of money. Little did we know what a failing company like AIG would cost, now set at $85 billion. But it could cost more.)

What happened in the 1980s was that the sleepy savings and loan associations had become less conservative, no longer merely lending money for local homes and collecting from that loan. Now they were into "bundling" loans together, selling them to a third party, and taking those proceeds and making another loan….all far too unregulated.

After the savings and loans associations failed, the American way of doing business soon was being extended to the mortgage brokers. Here they were making loans, but then also bundling them and laying off those risks on others. Their prime goal was to get someone to sign on for a loan, make their fat commission, sell off the loan, and start all over again to make another fee. They no longer worried if the person could actually afford to pay off the loan. They merely wanted to make another loan and sell it off, too!

In the long run, these machinations caught up with the industry, as those buying and re-buying those loans got hit hard in the housing crisis.

There's no telling how long this recession will last. It may take more governmental intervention. And you can bet your booty that the individual taxpayer will be the one who ends up with being stuck with part of this bail-out.

The begging question is have we seen the worst, or is this the beginning of more bad news? It's not a pretty picture. We need some good news.

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This concept of "net-metering" (GwinnettForum, Sept. 16) is not new to the United States (though the approach focus may be different). California has been doing net metering for at least three years (learn more here).

Why the talking heads from the left and the right promote their particular agenda (develop alternative sources/drill here, drill now) without realizing both are needed, we'll never know. The only truism is neither of these alternatives will give short term help.

Promote good old American "can-do-ism" from the little guy (who has developed most everything the corporate world lives on today) through home grown solutions (solar, wind, geothermal, etc.). Giving people incentive to do so through a concept like net metering would go a good ways to rebuilding the concept of government by the people and for the people.

Take it a step further and give people the ability to develop small energy sources and sell excess generated power to the grid is even better. Very small businesses generate much of the job growth in our country; why should this be any different? Keep government regulation to a minimum and allow yet another field to prosper.

Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz hopes to extend his winning streak for predicting the winner of the presidential popular vote when he visits Georgia Perimeter College on Thursday, Sept. 25. The event, to be held in Cole Auditorium on the Clarkston Campus at 11 a.m., is free and open to the public.

Abramowitz's "time for change" forecasting model has allowed him to correctly predict the outcome of the presidential popular vote since 1988. The state of the economy, presidential approval ratings and the number of terms a party has been in power are the three key factors Abramowitz uses in his model.

The time-for-change factor plays a critical role in the model: Abramowitz says: "A candidate from the president's party running in a second- or later-term election suffers a penalty of more than four percentage points compared with a candidate running in a first-term election. Regardless of the popularity of the president or the state of the economy, it is simply much more difficult for the president's party to retain its hold on the White House."

Bob King, GPC political science professor and director of the Clarkston Campus Honors program, says that "Nevertheless, the nomination of Sarah Palin for the vice presidential slot on the Republican ticket, and the continuing battle to win the American public, make the race interesting to the end."

The event is hosted by the GPC Clarkston Campus History and Politics Club, and the Honors Program. For more information, call Bob King at 678-891-3373.

The annual Tommy's Treasure Chest Sale will be held from 8 .m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 27 at 4805 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn. The sale features gently used household items, furniture, clothing, even baked goods, chili, and a raffle.

Prizes will include handmade quilts, movie rentals, restaurant gift certificates, gift baskets and gym memberships.

Tommy Peterson's Heroes Like Me is a non-profit organization dedicated to the memory of Tommy Peterson, a young boy who lost his brave battle with brain cancer in 2006. Tommy's parents established Heroes Like Me through the AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorder Service at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta as a way to help and pay tribute to children who enter Children's Hospital battling cancer.

Heroes Like Me established 'Tommy's Treasure Chest' which will allow each child, on admission to the hospital, to choose toys and games not readily available in hospitals. The organization also provides new-release movies and bedside activity kits to the Child Life Department. September has been designated Children's Cancer Awareness Month.

Volunteers, donations of gently used household items, toys, clothes, or cash donations are welcome. All proceeds will go for a great cause - to help children who are going through cancer treatment.

In anticipation of Hispanic Heritage month, Gwinnett County will be celebrating in full swing on Saturday, September 27 at 630 Collins Hill Road in Lawrenceville.

Sharon Maloney, manager of Latino Outreach for Quality Care for Children, says that Hispanic Heritage Month is a great opportunity "to educate the general public of the different Latin American countries. This free event is for everyone, not only Hispanics and Latinos.'

The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. in the Wal-Mart shopping center parking lot. There will be carnival games, entertainment by Carlito the Clown, giveaways and raffle prizes.

The event is sponsored by Quality Care for Children, Wal-Mart and others, with support from the Gwinnett Multicultural Advisory Committee and the Norcross Human Services Center. For more information on the Hispanic Heritage Celebration event, contact Sharon Maloney at 770-294-6362.

In addition, a self-guided tour sponsored by the Multicultural Advisory Committee will be on display at the Gwinnett Justice Administration Center from September 26 to October 31. The exhibit will showcase Latin American countries with the latest geographical, economical, political, currency and population information plus displays of Latin American pottery, exotic fruits, vegetables, clothing and wild life.

For more information about the Hispanic Heritage month event festivities, call the Norcross Human Services Center at 770-638-5661.

Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) recently opened a new, state-of-the-art imaging center in Hamilton Mill. The opening is part of Project PATH - GMC's vision to plan, advance and transform healthcare in the community. This new facility will advance the level of care offered to residents in north Gwinnett.

Dr. Val Phillips, Gwinnett Medical Center radiologist, says "This facility's equipment provides the highest quality images, but unlike other free-standing imaging centers, a board certified radiologist is on staff at times to ensure clinical excellence."

An on-site board-certified radiologist directly linked to the hospital and will facilitate when necessary, second opinions and detailed health analysis in a quick and convenient manner. The all-digital imaging center provides the highest level of technology to serve patients and is staffed with specialty-certified technologists. The scope of services include MRI, CT, diagnostic X-ray, mammography screening, bone density screening, ultrasound, EKG and lab.

GMC's expansion into north Gwinnett results from a physician survey reflecting a growing need for outpatient-imaging services. Currently, residents of this area are forced to travel north or south no less than 20 miles to have an imaging exam. For the residents of Hamilton Mill and the surrounding area, this can be a difficult task, especially during peak traffic hours.

For more information on the GMC Imaging Center - Hamilton Mill, please call 678-442-5000. The office is 2078 Teron Trace, Suite. 200, Dacula.

Gwinnett County commissioners have approved a $360,000 contract with Foresite Group, Inc., to design future improvements to Rhodes Jordan Park. Funding for a portion of the planned improvements is budgeted in the 2005 SPLOST program for parks and recreation.

The park's enhanced features would include three new lighted soccer fields and a paved trail around the 22-acre lake at Rhodes Jordan Park, which were included in an update to the park's master plan earlier this year. The plan also calls for a new building at the tennis center, new restrooms and a plaza near a playground, a new pavilion, road and parking improvements plus badminton courts, horseshoe pits and new outdoor basketball courts.

The County has leased the park from the City of Lawrenceville since 1991 and the two governments have worked together since then to expand and improve the park. Board Chairman Charles Bannister pointed to the popularity of the existing community center/gymnasium and outdoor aquatics facility as examples of the successful partnership.

The updated master plan for the 162-acre park is available online at www.gwinnettcounty.com. The park is located at 100 East Crogan Street in Lawrenceville.

A former New York banker, Benjamin Weeks Hunt became known for his contributions to the dairy industry and livestock improvement in Putnam County and middle Georgia.

Hunt was born in 1847 to prosperous New York Quakers. He was educated at Mount Kisco Academy in New York. In 1876, shortly after his marriage to Louise Prudden, a member of a prominent Eatonton, Ga., family, Hunt decided to make his home in Putnam County.

Hunt brought the first registered Jersey cows to Georgia. Unfortunately, half of this original herd died from splenic fever. Also called tick, Southern, and Texas fever, the disease caused the value and production abilities of cattle to drop by as much as 40 percent. Believing the Piedmont region's climate to be ideal for livestock, Hunt began to investigate causes of and cures for the disease. Hunt was the first to immunize cattle successfully against the fever. Furthermore, he organized Putnam County's Anti-Tick Association and lobbied, against strong opposition, for a state tick eradication law.

In his effort to improve livestock Hunt also investigated the cause of bovine osteoporosis. After collaborating with veterinarians at the University of Kentucky, Hunt determined that a dietary insufficiency in the region's alluvial soil was the culprit and could be adjusted for by treating animals with supplements of phosphate of lime and adequate sunshine.

Hunt also was the force behind the first cotton mill in Eatonton, the Eatonton Public Library and the Middle Georgia Railroad. He drew on his financial experience to help establish the Middle Georgia Bank, which was the first lender to make loans against agricultural commodities other than cotton.

Hunt's contributions won him admiration and gratitude. In 1922 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Georgia. He died at his home in Eatonton in 1934.

"I am certainly not one of those who need to be prodded. In fact, if anything, I am the prod."

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