Minor changes in household activity can reduce energy bill
By TOM MERKEL
President, The Impact Group
Special to GwinnettForum

DULUTH, Ga., Dec. 9, 2008 -- Here are some tips for energy savings in your home, which can reduce your overall cost of heating/cooling your house.

Merkel

Try them and see their effect on your savings. And everyone has various ways to save. Send in your ideas, too!

• Turn out lights not in use to save energy and money.
  
  
• Unplug consumer electronics that draw energy even when not in use. According to Energy Star, the average U.S. household spends about $100 annually to power electronics while they are in standby mode, which nationally accounts for more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of annual U.S. electricity consumption and more than $10 billion in energy costs.
  
  
• Let Mother Nature light your home. Open your window treatments and let free, natural sunlight brighten your rooms.
  
  
• Dress appropriately no matter the season, so you can keep your thermostat at the lowest comfortable setting in the winter, and warmest comfortable setting in the summer.
  
  
• Shut off the water when you brush your teeth, wash dishes by hand, or do other chores. Turning off the water while you brush your teeth alone can save as much as four gallons a minute, according to Water - Use It Wisely.
  
  
• Plan meals so that you can cook more than one item at a time.
  
  
• Although gasoline prices have declined from highs seen this past summer, combine your car trips to save fuel and money.
  
  
• Try cooking with the lids on your pots to conserve energy used while cooking.
  
  
• Use a microwave or toaster oven to heat smaller portions, rather than a conventional oven.
  
  
• Close the refrigerator door completely to conserve energy. The refrigerator is one of the most used appliances; it runs 24 hours a day.
  
  
• Do not leave doors or windows open when the heat or air conditioning is running.
  
  
• Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees. Run your washer or dishwasher only when they are full. According to Water - Use It Wisely, doing so could save as much as 1,000 gallons of water a month per household.

Now, what other ways do you use to conserve energy, and save money, too?

Just how well do runoff elections function in a democracy?
By ELLIOTT BRACK
Editor and Publisher

DEC. 9, 2008 -- Georgians trudged back to the polls last week to settle runoff elections, including three statewide races.

Brack

Ask most of the voters who went to the polls if they like our requirement in Georgia for having runoff elections. Many, we suspect, may not have heard of perhaps a better way than we currently select our political winners.

The basic overall questions:

• Is it better to require a majority election than a "super plurality"?
  
  
• Or is an "instant runoff" better than having a low turnout return to decide a majority election?

The Georgia Legislature has fiddled with the super plurality since Wyche Fowler was ousted from his U.S. Senate seat when he lost a runoff to Paul Coverdell. The Legislature, dominated by Democrats, passed a rule that would determine a winner, even though he didn't have a majority, as long as he had at least 45 percent of the vote. (In hindsight, the Democrats realized that Fowler could have kept his seat had this rule been in effect, since Coverdell didn't gain as many votes in the first election.)

However, once the Republicans were in control of the Legislature, they changed back to requiring the 50 percent majority to win office. Ironically, had the former 45 per cent super majority been in place this year, Saxby Chambliss would have won re-election without a runoff!

Now to another alternative, the "instant runoff." Under this provision, adopted by many local governments, you would not only select your choice of candidates in any race, but would also rank your choices if at least three people were running.

As one Web site explains the proposition:

"Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is a system for a single-winner election that guarantees majority winners in a single round of voting. IRV allows….voters (to) rank candidates in order of preference….and eliminates the need for low-turnout, high-cost runoffs."

Then the first choices are tabulated, and if no candidate gets a majority vote, the candidate receiving the fewest first choice is eliminated. Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are now counted toward those voter's second choice. The process continues until one candidate received a majority and is elected.

Hmmm. Something different. But some places have chosen this route to go, along with many other cities. It's something to think about.

* * * * *

Let's take a look at the runoff totals. It was an unusual runoff, in that 54 percent of those who voted in the General elections returned to the polls, possibility because of the high-visibility Senate race. There were 3.9 million ballots cast on November 4, and 2.1 million cast in the runoff.

Comparing that to 2004, there were 3.3 million votes cast for president that year. Georgia had one runoff that year, for a Court of Appeals slot, and only 243,967 people voted, or 7.3 per cent.

Gwinnett County Elections Manager Lynn Ledford estimates that the cost to put on the runoff in Gwinnett County was at least $400,000, and maybe $500,000. (Salaries were $200,000 alone!) Wow! What figures! Makes you want either a 45 percent super plurality or an instant runoff!

* * * * *

One more runoff was in Norcross, for a city council seat, where Ross Kaul defeated Michelle Crofton….by one vote, 399 to 398.

Then came the candidate comments which got a lot of attention. Asked if she would challenge the results, Michelle Crofton said she would pray about it. Ross Kaul said he was going to have a drink with friends to celebrate! What a contrast!

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Suggests smaller trash bins for many who are recycling

Editor, the Forum:

We are very much in favor of the new Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful plan for county-wide refuse pickup.

For us, however, we shudder at the thoughts of having two monstrous 95-gallon containers. Guess one of the vehicles will have to be relegated to the driveway to make room for the containers, each nearly the size of a refrigerator, in our garage.

We personally recycle at Snellville and at Your DeKalb Farmer's Market, compost all kitchen waste except meat derivatives, of which there is little if any, and Freecycle, so much that our weekly trash is considerably less than a couple pounds, much less than a gallon in size. Accordingly, it would take us more than 95 weeks to fill one container if that were the process.

Instead, I guess we'll roll that behemoth out weekly with our tiny bag (smaller than a gallon milk jug) in the bottom, out to the curb, effectively, using about one percent of its capacity…..unless there are options? We sure hope there might be. Of course we'll enjoy the curbside recycling; we may even cover the bottom of that container weekly.

-- Rick and Sandy Krause, near Lilburn

Dear Krauses: You bring up an interesting point. We have noticed that recycle seldom have overflowing trash containers. Perhaps the Trash Haulers could come up with an alternative, smaller (20-30 gallon) containers for those who wish them. Good idea! --eeb

Attacks in India can serve to unite all against terrorism

Editor, the Forum:

Friends across India and the world are all feeling the shock of the awful attacks in Mumbai. All our hearts go out to the victims and their families.

The attacks were aimed at our people, our prosperity and our peace. But their top target was something else: our unity. If these attacks cause us to turn on each other in hatred and conflict, the terrorists will have won. They know that hatred and chaos feed on division. As radical extremists, their only hope of winning is by turning the rest of us against each other.

Let's deny them that victory. We're launching a message to extremists on all sides and all our political leaders, one that will soon be published in newspapers across India and Pakistan. The message is that these tactics have failed, that we're more united than ever, united in our love and support to each other, determined to work together against terror and call on our leaders to do the same. If millions of people sign it, our message will be unmistakable, click below to sign it and please forward this email widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_undivided/98.php/?cl_tf_sign=1

It's time to speak out, let's do it together.

-- Mark Premji, Atlanta

Peachtree Corners tag office to move its office in March

Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner Katherine Sherrington announces that the Peachtree Corners license tag office will move into a new state-of-the-art facility in March, 2009. Construction on the new office is slated to begin in early December.

The new office is located at the intersection of Holcomb Bridge Road and Peachtree Parkway at the Market Place shopping center, 6135 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 201-B. It will be 1.5 miles from its current location at 5270 Peachtree Parkway in Norcross.

The tag office will feature eight frontline customer service work stations, a handicapped-accessible work station and a customer service desk all in a spacious 4,000 square foot facility.

The new Peachtree Corners tag office is another way that Ms. Sherrington is providing tag and tax services that are accessible to Gwinnett citizens. This project also had the support of County Commissioner Bert Nasuti of District 2. The current location has been in operation since 1990. The new location is expected to serve around 82,000 customers in its first year of operation.

Medical Center gala to fatured married political pair

Two married political pundits, James Carville and Mary Matalin, will be the featured speakers for Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation's Cornerstone Society Donor Appreciation Gala on February 28, 2008.. The black tie event will be limited to donors of $1,000 or more.

Carville, one of America's best-known political consultants, has a long list of electoral successes. He is an author, actor, producer, talk show host, speaker and restaurateur. Matalin was the first White House official to hold the double title of assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney. She hosted the critically acclaimed show, Crossfire, and was co-host of Equal Time. The husband and wife team have co-authored the New York Times bestseller All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President.

Lori Carnes, gala chair of GMC Foundation, says: "We are delighted to have Mr. Carville and Mrs. Matalin spend an evening helping us recognize and thank our donors. The Cornerstone Society is vital to the success of the GMC Foundation's annual giving program. Our donors have made it possible for Gwinnett Medical Center to bring premium healthcare to our community and there is much more to do."

Tickets for the gala will not be available after December 31, 2008. Those interested in attending must join, at the $1,000 level, the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation's Cornerstone Society by Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008. For additional information, contact the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation at 678-312-8500 or visit http://www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/ Underwriting opportunities are also available.

The Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation has been serving Gwinnett County for over 60 years. Individuals, businesses and foundations have donated funds to ensure that Gwinnett Medical Center can provide the best healthcare to every patient we serve

"Different Point of View" photo exhibit opens in Suwanee

A marketing communications writer by profession, Suwanee resident Dick Goodman finds another medium for expression in an exhibit of his photography. "A Different Point of View" presents 27 of Goodman's photographs; the exhibit is currently on display through February at the Suwanee Crossroads Center, 323 Buford Highway.

The photographs represent several of Goodman's collections, including Japan, Black and White with a Splash, Plantation Kitchen, and Green.

Says Goodman of his photography: "I'm attracted to the smaller details and textures - and sometimes the feelings - of the visible world that we often overlook in our hectic lives. In my photographs I try to capture those elements so that others might see what they may be missing."

Goodman discovered his passion for photography when at 13 his father gave him his first 35 mm camera. His father's gift, says Goodman, "opened a window onto photography as a way to record not just events or people, but the special details, colors, and textures of the world."

A metropolitan New York native, Goodman lived and worked in Miami for nearly three decades before moving to Suwanee in 2006. For more information about Goodman's photography visit www.photos.dickgoodman.com.

"A Different Point of View" exhibit is free and open to the public. Photographs in the exhibit are available for purchase. The Suwanee Crossroads Center, located at 323 Buford Highway, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The exhibit is in the court/meeting room.

New Lake Lanier advocacy group to monitor pool level

An advocacy group with plans to become a major voice for Lake Lanier has been announced. The 1071 Coalition is named for the full pool level of the lake, 1,071 feet above mean sea level. The directors of the coalition are a contingent of business people, lake homeowners and executives of chambers of commerce.

Grier Todd, chief operating officer for Lake Lanier Islands resort, has been tapped as president of the coalition. "We see this as a broad-based effort to bring business, government and individuals under one umbrella on behalf of Lake Lanier," Todd said.

Among its first goals is to complete an economic impact study of the lake to counter information coming from other states

Organizers felt that there is no single entity whose sole mission is maintaining healthy water levels in Lake Lanier and representing lake interests. The coalition estimates that the three-year effort during the development of the water plan for the basin will require a budget of $700,000 for legal fees, research, engineering and public relations.

• 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
  

Howard Coffin saw potential for tourism, paper industry

Automobile racing first drew Howard Coffin to Georgia. He considered racing as a means to test and advertise early automobiles, several of which he had designed. At a 1911 contest in Savannah he learned that Sapelo Island was for sale. Coffin and his wife, Teddie, who had visited the coastal area, jumped at the chance to buy 20,000 acres of the Sapelo Island land and marsh for $120,000.

He constructed a palatial home on Sapelo Island, using the existing tabby walls and foundation that had constituted Thomas Spalding's antebellum mansion. What followed were numerous improvements to the island: he had drainage ditches blasted, fields cleared, an oyster-canning facility constructed, and roads cut. Soon Sapelo was host to a number of dignitaries, including aviator Charles Lindbergh, President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, and President and Mrs. Herbert Hoover. During this period Coffin bought vast tracts of land along coastal Georgia, and when paved roads began penetrating the area he foresaw the potential for tourism.

This prompted Coffin to purchase several plantations on St. Simons Island, where he began extensive development, including a golf course, a yacht club, paved roads, electricity, and a residential subdivision. Almost as an afterthought he purchased an adjacent island, which he named Sea Island. This is where he eventually built the Cloister, an exclusive resort.

A causeway constructed during the 1920s between the mainland and St. Simons Island enabled tourists and day visitors to reach the beach area easily. Coffin used his floating dredges to strengthen the existing causeway and also to build a causeway between St. Simons and Sea Island. This ensured the success of the Cloister, the only major resort between Miami, Fla., and the golfing community of Pinehurst, N.C.

Coffin made another major contribution to coastal Georgia's economy by recognizing the area's potential for growing pine trees that could be used as pulpwood. In 1927 he invested $10,000 in an experiment to determine if pine chips from Georgia trees could be processed into paper pulp. The success of this led to the creation of the Brunswick Pulp and Paper Company, one of the many pulp mills that now dot the eastern seaboard.

Coffin died in 1937. His Sea Island resort, still run by family members was re-built closer to the Black Banks River by 2006. His Sapelo Island mansion is now owned and operated by the state of Georgia. Georgia's vibrant coastal area is his most visible and significant contribution, along with the pulpwood industry he foresaw and actively supported.

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

Finds unusual way to enjoy the pleasure of walking

"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me."

-- Noel Coward (1899-1973), via Roy McCreary, Dacula.

• Another invitation: What's your favorite saying? Share with others through GwinnettForum. Send to elliott@gwinnettforum.com.
  

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