Coming soon to Gwinnett will be Sara Kaufman of California, originally from Cincinnati, who creates sculptures from cheese. She’ll be part of the April 18 event in Suwanee, a “Big Cheesy Festival.” For more details, see Today’s Focus below.
Issue 15.02 | April 7, 2015
IN THIS EDITION
TODAY’S FOCUS: “Big Cheesy” Festival Inaugurates in Suwanee on April 18
EEB PERSPECTIVE: About Empty Rail Flat Cars, Legislative Dress and Apple Problems
FEEDBACK: Easter Season Now Underway, and Lasts in 2015 Until May 23
UPCOMING: Incubator Program, Sports Hall of Fame and Tax Notice Soon Arriving
NOTABLE: Walton EMC Announces Big Solar Program; Gwinnett an Innovation County
RECOMMENDED READ: Truman by David McCullough
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Kaolin Is $1 Billion Industry in State, Centered in Middle Georgia
TODAY’S QUOTE: Early Observation of American Politics by Alexis de Tocqueville
MYSTERY PHOTO: That Recent Photo Was from Amelia Island
LAGNIAPPE: The Blooming of Trees near Centennial Park at Easter
TODAY’S FOCUS
New event in Suwanee on April 18 will be “legen-dairy”
By Lynne DeWilde
SUWANEE, Ga., April 7, 2015 — The City of Suwanee is hosting a sharp new event this spring. Suwanee’s Big Cheesy Festival on Saturday, April 18, will feature cooking demos as well as cheese and beverage pairings, on-site cheese sculpting, food trucks and other vendors offering cheese-related products (including grilled cheese doughnuts), an artisan market, human foosball tournament, and live musical performances, including headliner Cole Taylor, presented in cooperation with Kicks 101.5.
This free event is from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Town Center Park. Featuring select vendors selling unique cheeses and complimentary products, the artisan market will be open from 2-6 p.m.
Events Manager Amy Doherty says: “We’re excited to be offering this event, which allows us to really embrace our cheesiness. Who doesn’t love food and music, and the human foosball games are going to be a blast. We hope everyone comes out. We promise it’s going to be a ‘Gouda’ time.”
Sarah Kaufmann, aka the Cheese Lady, will be on hand creating an oversized cheese carving. Kaufmann earned a Guinness World Record for creating the world’s largest cheese carving at the 2011 Wisconsin State Fair – a 925-pound cheese roller coaster. She’ll educate the audience about cheese and, perhaps best of all, share edible samples from her carving.
The human foosball tournament, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., will have teams of six players (with up to two alternates allowed per team) vying for the title of “Big Cheese.” Youth ages 8-17 as well as adults may play. More information and registration forms are available at suwanee.com; the registration fee is $25/team. The deadline for registering is Friday, April 10.
Musical performances will kick off at 5 p.m. with Georgia-raised Colby Dee, who has been identified as “one to watch” by CM Chat, Got Country, and Country Rise. Georgia native Travis Denning, who has performed in Nashville several times this spring, and Loganville resident and Broken Bow recording artist Jordan Rager, who appeared on season two of The Voice, also will perform.
Headliner Cole Taylor, another Georgian, from Cuthbert, and an up-and-coming country artist, will take the stage at about 8:30 p.m. Taylor, a singer/songwriter who signed with Universal Music Publishing Group after being in Nashville just nine months, has a new extended play release, featuring “Break That Lonely” and penned Florida-Georgia Line’s single “Sippin’ on Fire.”
EEB PERSPECTIVE
About empty rail flat cars, legislative dress and Apple problems
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher, GwinnettForum.com
APRIL 7, 2015 — At the rail crossing, I was about six cars back as the Norfolk Southern train rambled southerly. Before the train cleared the crossing, there were about six cars behind me. I was at the crossing about 4-5 minutes, for it was a long train.
Watching the train glide past the crossing from afar, suddenly I realized that all the rail cars were low, in fact, all were empty flat-bed units. These are the rail cars that haul the multi-modal containers. But why were all the rail cars empty?
Then it hit me: these cars were all heading south. These units had previously been in use to haul containers to northern destinations. Now they were being shipped south to be loaded again and returned northward.
The immediate destination of the empty rail cars may have been the Atlanta rail yards, but likely their final destination for re-loading would be the Port of Savannah. The port needs an average of 440 rail flatbeds per day for loading from the ships from around the world. After all, the Port Authority of Georgia had a 14.2 percent growth in container units last year. It’s the fourth busiest container port in the nation, and continually growing!
In effect, here was a demonstration of the power of modern international shipping. After all, you seldom see empty rail cars going northward. The flatcars we see headed north are crammed with containers bound for the northern railheads, we maintain. Check out the next train you see headed northward.
* * * * *
Clark
Buford Rep. David Clark has just finished his first term at the General Assembly. Check out his dress on the last day of the session. My pardons to Rep. Clark, and don’t know about others, but wearing clothing depicting the flag of the United States is distasteful, to say the least, to me. But this was his outfit at the Capitol recently.
Rep. Clark is in real estate and owns a nutraceutical distribution company. Shortly after high school, he joined the military, served as a U.S. Army Ranger and was deployed to Afghanistan. His house committees includes Defense and Veteran’s Affairs; Small Business Development and State Properties.
* * * * *
APPLE TALK: If you have a Windows-based personal computer (PC), skip over this. We want to talk to Apple computer users in this segment.
If your computer seems to be “slowing down” in its operations, let me suggest an improvement that for your Apple that might speed up your Apple. Here are the steps to take:
- Go to Finder.
- At the very top left by the Apple logo, you will find several areas to click: Finder, File, Edit, View, Go, Window and Help. Click the “Go” item.
- Pull down and click “Applications.”
- Go to and click “Utilities.”
- Click “Disc Utility.”
- On the left, click “Macintosh HD.”
- Up above, click “First Aid.”
- Then below the white space click “Verify Disk Permissions” and follow instructions.
The computer will automatically see if any files are corrupted. After it completes a cycle of several minutes, you should click “Verify Disk” and later “Repair disk permissions.”
Then you should have a more brisk operation of your computer, all embedded in your computer by the smart engineers at Apple. Good luck.
* * * * *
MAILING CHANGE: The City of Peachtree Corners says that the United States Postal Service now recognizes Peachtree Corners as a legal mailing address, with Zip Code 30092. To avoid confusion with adjacent cities, businesses should include “Peachtree Corners” as the city in the business address and on business websites. Residents may also use Peachtree Corners in their mailing addresses.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Gwinnett Braves
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today we welcome The Gwinnett Braves as an underwriter. The Gwinnett Braves of the Triple-A International League open their 2015 season on Thursday, April 9 at 7:05 PM against the Durham Bulls. The G-Braves play at Coolray Field, located on Georgia Highway 20 just east of the Mall of Georgia. Come out and enjoy the family-friendly fun and kid-friendly activities of Minor League Baseball while also watching the future stars of the Atlanta Braves develop. On Opening Night, the first 2,500 fans will receive a G-Braves T-Shirt courtesy of Georgia Power. Stick around after the game for a spectacular fireworks display!
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FEEDBACK
Easter season now underway, and lasts in 2015 until May 23
Editor, the Forum:
The Easter season in the Anglican/Catholic tradition begins on Easter Sunday and lasts for seven weeks. And so the Easter season (also called “Eastertide”) in 2015 began on Easter Sunday, April 5, and ends at midnight on Saturday, May 23. Then, Sunday, May 24 is Pentecost Sunday.
The liturgical color associated with this holy time is white. Looking into the etymological and historical backgrounds of the words themselves is fascinating and confusing.
Our English word Easter appears to be connected to the name of a German dawn goddess (note the similarity to words such as estrus, estrogen, and the direction East, etc.). Most other Christians use the term Paschal, which goes directly back to the Hebrew word for Passover. When you add in the eggs, the rabbits, the fact that the date of Easter is derived by a complex formula involving both solar and lunar positions, it becomes clear that our celebration of Easter is profoundly connected to the rhythm of the natural world.
For some, this can cause a rattling of cherished beliefs; for others, it can be an affirmation of the deep truth of the Christian faith. Easter is the “festival day,” the most important day in the church year, the day of the Resurrection, Jesus’ triumph over death. Theologians and scholars, historians, musicians, and poets, have devoted themselves to pondering the Paschal Mystery. In the beauty of another spring, in the renewal of life in our pastures and fields, in the rebirth of hope, we share the joy, even if we do not fully understand.
— Susan Northcutt, Grayson
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UPCOMING
Peachtree Corners undertakes study for incubator program
Credit Paul Duke, considered the area’s founder, for his forward thinking in creating and developing Technology Park/Atlanta (TPA). Since TPA was established in the 1970s, the area has been considered a hub for innovators. To continue fostering that effort, the City of Peachtree Corners is undertaking a study to help create a business incubator program for budding entrepreneurs.
The city will work with Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute of Georgia Tech (EI2) to assess the community’s readiness through a series of steps that include identifying and interviewing key community stakeholders, industry leaders and entrepreneurs.
Bringing an innovation to market can be a daunting process that requires business guidance, funding and maintaining a competitive edge. That’s were an incubator can step in by providing a vast array of services such as sharing office space, guidance in preparing a business plan, a support network of peers, industry coaching and mentoring.
Mayor Mike Mason says: “We are excited about exploring this strategy for supporting the city’s economic development. Incubators provide real payback for our citizens in terms of creating jobs. It’s one of the best economic development tools a city can employ.”
Business incubators have been around since 1959, but only recently has the concept really advanced. According to the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA), there were some 1,400 programs in the U.S. as of 2006, up from just 12 in 1980, and 7,000 worldwide.
Mark Metz, owner of Relus Technologies located in Technology Park, says: “Startups need support from the community. One person with a great idea, some determination and technical skills can build an app or design a new connected device, but may need support to be successful.”
The main goal of an incubator is to produce successful firms which have the potential to create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods and strengthen local economies. And investing in an incubator service can provide real returns. A 2007 study by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation shows that incubators in that state also generated approximately $1.2 billion in gross state product and $100 million in state and local tax revenue.
The community assessment phase of the program is expected to take approximately 12 weeks according to Lynn Henkiel, director of entrepreneurial partnerships at EI2.
Sports Hall of Fame to honor seven inductees on May 1
The Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation will have Vince Dooley as the key-note speaker at the 2015 Gwinnett County Sports Hall of Fame banquet. Coach Dooley will also be available to sign books the evening of the Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, May 1 at the Gwinnett Civic Center. Every book purchase supports the Gwinnett County Sports Hall of Fame benefiting the district academic scholarship campaign.
2015 Inductees are David Pollack, Football/ESPN, Shiloh; Amanda Weir, Swimming Olympian, Brookwood; Coach Tally Johnson, Football Legend, Central Gwinnett; Christi Thomas, Basketball WNBA, Buford; Dustin Kawa, Champion Wrestler, Shiloh; Stephen Harris, World Ranked Runner, Norcross; and posthumously, William “Bull” Cooper, 1930’s UGA/NFL/MLB, Grayson.
To purchase tickets to the Gwinnett County Sports Hall of Fame Event and learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit: www.gcps-foundation.org/hall-of-fame/.
Among the books that will be available for purchase by Dooley will be:
- History and Reminiscences of the University of Georgia – $45;
- Vince Dooley’s Garden – $35; and
- Hairy Dawg’s Journey Through the Peach State – $20.
Assessment notices go out to 273,000 Gwinnett property owners
In accordance with state law, the Gwinnett County Board of Assessors mailed approximately 273,000 annual notices of current assessment to residential and commercial property owners last week. The intent of the notice is to provide the property owners with the current value associated with their property for the ad valorem tax process compared to last year’s value and provide an estimate of taxes based on the new/current value.
Approximately 40 percent of all the properties will see some change from the previous year, resulting in either an increase or decrease in value. Chief Appraiser Steve Pruitt estimates the overall net property tax digest will increase between 2 and 3 percent in 2015 once the impact of appeals and changes in certain exemptions are finalized. Property sales from the County’s real estate market are confirming the continuation of increases in property value that began last year.
The property tax digest is the total value of all property subject to taxation and can change in two ways. The first is through value updates that reflect sales prices of similar properties and the second is growth caused by construction activity.
Property owners have 45 days from the date of the notice to file an appeal by using the statewide uniform appeal form (PT311A). Property owners who choose to appeal may submit appeals by U.S. mail, in person, or online at www.gwinnett-assessor.com. Assessment notices, forms and appeal information, including FAQs, can also be found on the webpage.
NOTABLE
Walton EMC to construct massive solar unit near Monroe
Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has announced the construction and operation of a one-megawatt community solar electricity generation farm in northeastern Walton County near Monroe through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Walton Solar. The completed project will be among the seven largest community solar installations in the country and the largest in the eastern half of the U.S.
Community solar projects are cooperative efforts that allow access to consumers who might otherwise be excluded from owning and installing their own solar electricity generation. Obstacles like upfront costs, improper roof orientation, excessive roof shading, restrictive subdivision covenants or landlord prohibitions are frequent barriers to homeowners and renters who want to install solar systems.
Walton CEO Ronnie Lee says: “Our community solar project has many advantages for Walton EMC customer-owners. The National Renewal Energy Laboratory estimates that only about 25 percent of the residential rooftop area in our country is suitable for onsite solar electricity generation. Cooperative projects allow people who live under the other 75 percent of unsuitable rooftops to participate in solar energy production. Besides that, many consumers would like to participate in solar electricity generation but simply don’t want the hassle, maintenance and expense of owning their own system. Our community system will allow them to have the benefits without those barriers.”
Customer-owners will be able to participate in the project depending on their level of need and interest. Details of the cost to consumers and available levels of participation are currently being developed. Construction is underway with the first solar-generated electricity flowing from the project by July 1.
The cooperative has acquired an 11-acre site adjacent to the east side of its U.S. Highway 78 headquarters for the project. The actual solar panels will occupy approximately six acres of the total land area.
Walton EMC has selected Atlanta-based Radiance Solar, LLC to construct its community solar project. Founded in 2007, Radiance Solar is a leading solar contractor specializing in engineering, construction and maintenance, and has completed over 180 solar projects throughout the Southeast, including a 20-megawatt solar plant in Camilla, Georgia. The company is committed to bringing solar energy within the reach of every electric utility through a relentless commitment to innovative design and efficient construction techniques.
Gwinnett among counties with innovation economy topping the nation
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) unveiled its 2015 State of the Industry: Technology in Georgia Report at last week’s Georgia Technology Summit at the Cobb Galleria. Among its findings is that Gwinnett County is among five counties in Georgia that have a innovation economy that tops the national average.
The other four counties are Fulton, Oconee, Cherokee and Forsyth.
The report contains key data on Georgia’s technology landscape and serves as a valuable resource for facts, statistics, trends and other insights into the state’s technology industry. More than 1,200 Summit attendees received key findings from the report, which highlights the achievements and challenges facing the state’s technology community. Some of statistics from the report includes:
- Georgia’s tech sector has produced more than 25,000 net new jobs since 2010
- Georgia’s total technology payroll for 2014 reached $23 billion
Norcross concept plan to be presented April 21, Earth Day
Celebrate Earth Day, join your neighbors and be inspired with plans for a groundbreaking sustainable living and educational park in the heart of downtown Norcross.
Norcross is planning to green its Welcome Center and Museum with the addition of a sustainable living and educational park. Through nature based education outreach programs, city-wide green living classes, community garden plots and events throughout the year, the City is strengthening its sustainability program to have a positive impact on the community.
The concept plan will be presented at a public input meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21 at the Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center . This is the formal presentation of the concept plan developed by citizens partnering with Norcross Parks and Recreation staff and Sean Murphy with B+C Studios.
Residents are invited to talk with the team, see the concept plan, provide feedback, and be inspired to become involved with this groundbreaking project.
RECOMMENDED READ
Truman
By David McCullough
For some reason, about 10 years ago, I stopped at about page 850 (of 992) reading David McCullough’s massive biography of Harry Truman. Pulling it out recently, I again marveled at the ease of the way McCullough tells the story. Truman is an admirable fellow to write about, so down-to-earth and unpretending. Truman was a most successful president assuming office with a limited understanding of World War II, as FDR had kept things from him. He quickly make up time, as Germany fell, and seeing the war to its conclusion through his decision to use the A-Bomb, then having a most successful second term. When he went out of office in 1953, the USA had gained 11 million job in seven years, unemployment had virtually disappeared, corporate dividends were at an all time high and the anticipated postwar economic collapse never happened. Later McCullough describes how full and successful was Truman’s life after he went out of office, and how much he enjoyed it. What a great book! –eeb
Send us a review
An invitation: What books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (100 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. — eeb
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBIT
Kaolin important to the state, centered in middle Georgia
Kaolin is one of Georgia’s largest natural resources. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 8 million metric tons of kaolin are mined from Georgia each year, with an estimated value of more than $1 billion. Georgia is by far the leading clay-producing state in America and is recognized as a world leader in the mining, production, processing, and application of kaolin products.
The word kaolin is derived from the name of the Chinese town Kao-Ling (or Gaoling, “high ridge”), located in the Jiangxi Province of southeast China, where the written description of porcelain can be found. The word kaolin is now used as a loose trade and geologic term to refer to white clayey rock that is predominantly composed of Kaolin Group (khandite) minerals. Kaolinite is a layered silocate made of alternating sheets of octahedrally coordinated aluminum and tetrahedrally coordinated silicon that are bonded by hydroxyl groups. Kaolinite most often occurs as clay-sized, platelike, hexagonally shaped crystals.
Georgia kaolin deposits occur in sedimentary rocks whose sediments were derived from weathered igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Georgia Piedmont geologic province. During these ancient times, sediments were transported by rivers to coastline deltas and to estuarine and back-barrier island locations. Relative sea-level changes provided environments of deposition favorable for the accumulation of the lens-shaped geometry of the present-day deposits.
Kaolin in Georgia is generally found in a northeast to southwest band of deposits extending from Augusta to Macon to Columbus. This belt parallels the fall line, which marks the boundary between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain. Kaolin mining activities are restricted to near-surface (less than 150 meters) ore bodies that are 3 to 15 meters thick. Once the ore has been extracted, mine reclamation activities are conducted to restore the landscape to a pristine state.
Kaolin is most commonly used in the paper-coating industry. It is also used as a filler (added to plastics, for example, and rubber compounds), as a pigment additive in paints, in ceramics (tile, chinaware, and bathroom toilets and sinks), and in pharmaceuticals.
Kaolin is mined and processed in many countries worldwide. Evaluation of refined kaolin output, however, is a far more meaningful way to estimate the economical state of the industry. The China Clay Producers Association represents the major producers and processors of Georgia kaolin. Members are Engelhard Corporation, Gordon; IMERYS Pigments and Additives Group, Atlanta; J. M. Huber Corporation, Atlanta; and Thiele Kaolin Company, Sandersville. The principal regions of the world that will offer competition to Georgia in the near future include Brazil, China, and Australia.
MYSTERY PHOTO
What? Where?
CLUE: Museum? Church? Bridge? Formerly something else and now a drinking establishment? Tell us where you think this building is located and what goes on here. Send your idea to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.
The last Mystery Photo came from Lou Camiero of Lilburn, quickly spotted by Karen Burnette Garner as the lighthouse at Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Fla. Brenda Kukla of Suwanee also recognized, saying: “So many lighthouses look the same, but I think this is the one on Amelia Island.”
Bob Foreman of Grayson had the right answer, too, adding: “As I recall, it is the westernmost lighthouse on the east coast of the United States.” Another correct answer cane from Sandy and Rick Krause of Lilburn, who said: “ We have a similar photo of it.”
LAGNIAPPE
Blooming Easter
Photographer Frank Sharp shot this beautiful view of downtown Atlanta during his Easter visit on Sunday. Notice the blooming dogwood trees, pink and white. Frank says the Centennial Park area was packed, with finding a parking space difficult. This photo was made with a Canon Rebel camera, with a 12-24 zoom lens, which allows Frank to get a wider view of the scenery.
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