DOUBLE-TAKE: What at first looks like a taxi is really a police car. Three autos from police stations in the cities Snellville, Marietta and Pooler were photographed together recently in Marietta. These cities, and others, are using these Cop Cabs to send a message about the hazards, and the costs, of being caught driving and drinking. For more explanation of this, see Today’s Focus below.
IN THIS EDITIONTODAY’S FOCUS: Here’s Another Way To Send a Message to Auto Drivers Who Drink
SECOND FOCUS: Gwinnett Citizens Want Options When It Comes to Transportation
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Senator McKoon’s Far-Out Views Could Benefit the Democrats
FEEDBACK: Commenting on Hospital Merger, Food Trucks and Traffic Signs
UPCOMING: City of Sugar Hill’s Ice Rink To Return on November 13
NOTABLE: Lawrenceville Seeks Nominees for Heritage Trail Medallions
RECOMMENDED MOVIE: A Walk in the Woods film from a book by Bill Bryson
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Immigrants to Early Georgia Came from Entire Atlantic Basin
TODAY’S QUOTE: What It Takes for an Actress To Be a Success
MYSTERY PHOTO: Bunch of Bicycles Wasn’t Enough of a Clue for Readers
LAGNIAPPE: Just Another Typical Crowded Day at Spaghetti Junction
TODAY’S FOCUS
Snellville, other cities use cop cab to send drivers a message
By Brian Arrington
SNELLVILLE, Ga., Sept. 8, 2015 | Snellville’s Cop Cab isn’t alone on Georgia roads.
The roving billboard which encourages those who see it not to drink and drive, is one of at least five such police vehicles in the state. It has been in use in Snellville since June of 2014. Councilman Bobby Howard says: “The idea behind the Cop Cab is to make sure people think before they drink and drive. I’m glad to see other cities spreading that same message using cars like the one we have in Snellville.”
Pooler, Savannah, Kennesaw and Marietta also have Cop Cabs, which are painted with one half resembling a taxi cab, the other half a police car. The cars literally ask those who have been drinking to “Choose Your Ride.” Do you want to take a cab home, or take a ride in a police car?
The Cop Car in Marietta also has painted on its front fender a phrase outlining the cost of a ride in a police car for an intoxicated person: “This ride is about $7,600,” citing the cost to individuals convicted of driving and drinking, taking into account attorney fees, fines and other costs. Pooler and Savannah’s Cop Cabs met up with Howard and his colleagues at the recent Georgia Municipal Association annual meeting.
Savannah-Chatham County Metro Police spokesman Julian Miller says: “The police car/taxi idea was presented to our department by Yellow Cab owner Larry Green, who saw a similar police vehicle in a mid-western city. The idea was to station the vehicle at high-visibility events to illustrate the difference in costs of going home in a taxi versus a police car after a night on the town. Wording on the taxi side says: ‘This Ride About $20.’ Wording on the police car side reads: ‘This ride about $1,800.’
The Savannah police car was rarely used for several years but new police Chief Joseph H. “Jack” Lumpkin Sr. asked Green to transfer the title so it can be added to the police fleet and be maintained as such. He wanted it used at more often in high-profile events.
Jim Ward of the Pooler Police Department says about Pooler’s car: “The car was first put into its current use in February of 2011. It is used for both static and mobile display. Regardless of its location it draws a lot of attention. I don’t have any (specific) stories, but I can’t imagine that with the amount of attention it draws that it hasn’t made an impact and created awareness.”
The Kennesaw Police Department’s car has been on the road for 18 months and is parked outside local bars for patrons to see.
Kennesaw Police Officer Richard Rivera says: “It’s a piece of conversation for some folks in regards to the vehicle giving them a ride to their home. This gives you an opportunity to elaborate on the message to the public. I wish we could have a least one car in every county to spread the work that lives do matter.” He adds: “Don’t drink and drive, save a life, get a cab.”
SECOND FOCUSGwinnett citizens want options when it comes to transportation
By Joel Wascher
NORCROSS, Ga., Sept. 8, 2015 | Thousands of Gwinnett residents and workers shared their feelings about transportation during the Gr8 Exchange on Transportation the last week of August. They also told Gwinnett what they would like to see in the future.
From the text results alone (not including the online survey results) 52 percent of respondents said they would like to have a combination of modes of transport to get around Gwinnett. Of those, 70 percent wished to use transit in some form or fashion. Only 30 percent of text respondents said they would like vehicular transport to be their only mode of transportation.
The Gr8 Exchange was the most comprehensive transportation survey ever undertaken in Gwinnett County. More than 4,000 surveys were completed in the one week; one of the highest response rates for a transportation related survey with a similar time frame. A total of 25,978 individual texts were received- 155 texts per hour across the seven complete days of the survey.
Warbington
Chuck Warbington, executive director for the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District, one of the sponsors for the initiative, says: “We are still culling through the data and evaluating responses to gather specific input, but some overarching themes are already apparent. When asked how they would like to access destinations, an overwhelming majority place a premium on choice in their transportation network.”
The results extended well beyond the survey participation. The true goal of this initiative was to engage local residents and employees in a conversation about transportation and many that did not necessarily complete the survey, did participate in other ways.
Just under 100 events were held in association with the Gr8 Exchange; ranging from telephone town halls and virtual town halls to formal city presentations.
The campaign’s presence was felt online as well. Over 4,000 engagements (likes, shares, comments) took place via social media and nearly 1,600 people pledged via the Internet to hold five personal, transportation-related conversation the week of August 24.
“We couldn’t be happier with the results,” said Warbington. “We received thousands of comments from people all over Gwinnett and plan to spend the next 30-60 days evaluating that data.”
Once the full results are available, the Gwinnett Village CID plans to produce a white paper based on the results and deliver it to federal, state and local officials to aid in their long range transportation plan development. Gr8 Exchange participants are encouraged to go the www.theGr8Exchange.com and sign up to receive updates, the final reports when available and ways to stay involved.
Warbington adds: “Given the amount of public input that has been gathered, we hope Gwinnett County will take its citizens’ views into consideration when developing a transportation vision for our future.”
McKoon’s far-out views could benefit the Democrats
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
SEPT. 8, 2015 | It’s a natural law: a pendulum, once swinging, will always reverse its course.
Sometimes, it takes forever for that pendulum to move the other way. Look at the State of Georgia, Democratic always until 2002, when the Republicans finally won the governor’s office. Up until then, the statehouse had been slowly moving toward a more conservative, Republican bent, with the GOP finally gaining control of both houses in 2004.
Suddenly there was a big elephant in the room with the Republicans in total control, much as the Democrats had held sway for years. Yet the GOP has remained in strong control, having the support of their conservative business partners, the banks, major corporations, and even average voters. It was beginning to look like the coming years would color Georgia solidly in the “red state” arena, with the Democratic Party shunted off to the side as a minority party.
Yet something happened recently which might indicate that we would see the pendulum shifting slightly.
McKoon
It came because one element of the Republican Party adopted a “far right” stance, going in the direction of what some see as “too far.” The move came from Sen. Josh McKoon, the Republican far-right conservative, in speaking of opposition to his “religious liberty” bill, which was defeated twice in two years. Captured on a You Tube video, the senator had this to say:
“…. very large multi-national corporations that are headquartered in this state – their executives, many of whom are not from Georgia, have different values than you and I do. They think that their cultural norms, their liberal, far-left cultural norms, should be applied to our state.
“They think that they ought to be able to use the awesome power of government to do that. And that is why we have had the problem that we’ve had.
“When you have the CEO of Delta Air Lines saying that religious freedom is not in line with his company’s values, we’ve got a serious disconnect. We’ve got a serious problem.”
McKoon’s provocative statements take the bloom off the cozy previous relationships between the GOP and big business. It makes you wonder if this marriage will stick.
Shortly after his remarks, at least four major Georgia-based corporations, including Delta Air Lines, Coca Cola, Home Depot and UPS, all announced they remain opposed to the ”religious liberty” legislation.
Delta’s CEO, Richard Anderson, hasn’t backed off a bit. Not only that, but earlier he spoke out against a Republican tenet: raising taxes. He said: “We can’t get chicken about it. We have to step up,” Anderson said at a Metro Atlanta Chamber event in December. “If that means raising taxes to fund our roads, it means raising taxes to fund our roads.”
So what’s the upshot? Senator McKoon, in seeking to push his ultra-conservative agenda, may have gone far enough to antagonize key supporters of the GOP, that is, the corporate business community in Atlanta. Who would have thought that major Atlanta corporations would have found themselves opposing Republican tenets?
This raises the ultimate question: will this sort of treatment of the business community by the GOP make it easier for business to shift some of their support back to the Democrats, and make Georgia a more competitive political arena? If so, the Republicans (and happily, the Democrats) can thank Senator McKoon for losing that support.
Remember the basics: the pendulum always swings back.
IN THE SPOTLIGHTMingledorff’s
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Commenting on hospital merger, food trucks and traffic signs
Editor, the Forum:
Several comments on your recent posting:
- On the hospital merger : I oppose this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a corporate merger that was truly in the public interest. Mergers, as a rule, reduce competition, raise prices, and eliminate jobs. These are definitely not desirable results.
- Food trucks: We’ve had them for years. I’ve heard them called “roach coach” and other less-than flattering names, but they’ve been around. I can see them serving niche markets, at construction sites, office parks where there is no food service establishment close enough to get to on a brief break period. However, I, personally, don’t think they should be parked, say, right outside an established restaurant, siphoning off potential business from that establishment.
- Stop signs: Yes, many drivers ignore stop signs. Ditto red lights, speed limits, “No Left Turn” signs, “Keep Moving” signs, and just about any other traffic laws. Traffic laws, in the Metro Atlanta area, seem to be nothing more than gentle suggestions. A couple of weeks ago I saw a car make a left turn against a red light – completely running the light, and it had been red for a couple of seconds before the car got there. He made the turn, and a Gwinnett County police car made it right behind him.
I thought – now he’ll get it! But no- the police officer did absolutely nothing.
No wonder traffic laws are ignored.
— Robert Hanson, Loganville
Suwanee limits number of food trucks and frequency within city
Editor, the Forum:
I enjoyed reading your food truck article. We (here in Suwanee) have made a conscious decision to limit the number of food truck events that we do to once a month during the event season. We do this for a variety of reasons, one of the biggest being the businesses/restaurants around Town Center. We understand and appreciate that they are here 365 days a year, pay rent, and add value to our city year-around.
We also limit the number of food trucks per event. This is, again, primarily done for our businesses since we want them to be busy on Food Truck event nights. While people don’t like waiting in long lines (sometimes 30+ people deep), we are OK with that. People continue to come to our food truck events by the thousands each night! (It’s kinda crazy how popular they are. I believe it’s as much of a “social event” as the food trucks themselves.)
The right balance is way more complicated than you would think – that’s what makes our jobs fun!
— Denise Brinson, assistant city manager, Economic and Community Development, City of Suwanee
- SEND FEEDBACK AND LETTERS: elliott@brack.net
City of Sugar Hill’s ice rink to return November 13
The City of Sugar Hill’s Ice Rink will be returning for the 2015/2016 season. This will be the second year that the City has hosted the Southeast’s largest outdoor ice rink.
Rink
After months of negotiation and planning, the City has finalized plans for the 120’ by 60′ authentic ice rink, complete with a covered tent and other rink amenities. The Ice Rink will be open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays. In addition to the regular operating hours, the Ice Rink will be available for private rentals, corporate events, school events or reunions.
Mayor Steve Edwards is ready to strap on his skates and join residents and guests on the ice, “Our residents raved about the Ice Rink last year so we are bringing it back by popular demand. We are looking forward to a great turnout and some exciting events at the rink.”
Last year over 15,000 skaters enjoyed the ice. With the return of the Ice Rink, residents and guests will see some new and exciting events and programming. City staff is planning concerts, Throwback Thursdays, a Polar Express Night, Date Nights on Ice and other events.
- This much-anticipated winter attraction will open on Friday, November 13 and remain open through January 2016. Visit, http://icerinkatsugarhill.com/ or the City’s social media sites for more information.
Lawrenceville seeks nominees for Heritage Trail medallions
The City of Lawrenceville and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) have partnered to construct a walking trail that is designed to pay homage to individuals – throughout Gwinnett County history – who have made significant contributions to the City of Lawrenceville. Known as the Heritage Trail, the walkway commences at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial and ends in front of Rhodes Jordan Park. Honorees for the Heritage Trail Medallions will be chosen annually through a nomination process. Individuals will be selected based on their contributions to the development or well-being of Lawrenceville and/or its residents.
Residents and guests strolling through the Downtown area have the opportunity to learn about Lawrenceville’s proudest accomplishments and the individuals whose efforts facilitated these opportunities.
Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson says: “The honorees selected are those who demonstrated a passion for growth and innovation in the City of Lawrenceville. When residents and guests walk the Heritage Trail, they have the opportunity to explore our growing community and also learn about Lawrenceville’s rich history.”
This year, The DDA will accept applications for nominees for a Heritage Trail Medallion from September 15th – November 15th. Candidates may be submitted by Lawrenceville citizens or any organization operating within Lawrenceville city limits.
David Still, chairman of the Downtown Development Authority says: “Each year, we continue to receive nominations for individuals whose contributions to Lawrenceville were both significant and historic. Projects like the Heritage Trail combine history with present-day revitalization efforts to create an attraction that both residents and tourists can enjoy.”
- To nominate a deserving and qualified individual for this opportunity, review the process and fill-out the application before Sunday, Nov. 15. Application and process can be downloaded online at www.LawrencevilleGa.org. Go to Government (top), then Boards and Commissions (left menu), and look for the Downtown Development Authority page.
Power of Children exhibit opens Sept. 8 at Heritage Center
Stories of ordinary children who faced extraordinary circumstances can inspire children today to fight discrimination and intolerance. The Power of Children: Making a Difference, a new exhibition opening September 8, at the Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC), explores the lives and positive impact of Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White.
Organized by the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, The Power of Children has been made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It has been adapted and toured nationally by Mid-America Arts Alliance. It is sponsored locally by the Environmental and Heritage Center Foundation.
The Power of Children encourages children and families to explore problems of isolation, fear and prejudice by giving a personal face to three major issues of the 20th century: the Holocaust, the Civil Rights movement and the AIDS epidemic. Through audio-visual presentations, original artifacts and hands-on interactive displays, visitors will get to know each child’s story, and immersive environments will bring them into the spaces where each child felt safe.
Because of her Jewish heritage and faith, Anne Frank spent two years hiding from the Nazis in an annex behind her father’s office in Amsterdam during World War II. Anne dreamed of becoming a writer and while in hiding she kept a diary about her fears, experiences and thoughts of a better future. Despite her death at a concentration camp in 1945, the power of Anne’s words continues to reach millions through her widely published diary.
In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges broke racial barriers by walking through an angry mob to her classroom each day, a key event in the struggle for Civil Rights that was immortalized by Norman Rockwell in his painting “The Problem We All Live With.” Today, years after making her mark on the Civil Rights movement, Ruby continues her fight against racism and hate through The Ruby Bridges Foundation, which provides educational resources and information to children, teachers and parents nationwide.
As an infant, Ryan White was diagnosed with hemophilia, and in 1984, he learned he had contracted the AIDS virus from a tainted treatment for his disease. When school officials learned of his condition, Ryan was banned from returning to school because of fears and misconceptions associated with HIV/AIDS. Ryan decided to fight back and found a voice as an advocate for AIDS research and education. Today, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides care and treatment for people with HIV/AIDS.
The Power of Children aspires to show the power words, actions and voice can have when people are faced with hatred, racism and discrimination. At the exhibition’s end, visitors are challenged to find ways that they can make a difference.
- The exhibit is recommended for ages eight and up and is included in EHC admission. It will be on display at the EHC until October 20. For more information, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.
A Walk in the Woods
A film from a book by Bill Bryson
Out in theaters last week, Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods will be received happily by those with connections to the Appalachian Trail, since the real star of the movie is the scenic beauty of the trail and the Blue Ridge Mountains. These picturesque shots are beautiful and awe-inspiring. The two main characters, played by two aging men, Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, give good performances, though the film never shows the intense physical effort anyone hiking the trail must make. The film at least pays attention to the book plot. Part of the film was shot in Norcross and other Georgia locations, including Colonnade Restaurant and Tribble Mill Park, adding local interest in the movie. Yet it is the film’s photographing of scenes along the Trail, which people who do not hike the trail have never seen, that is most impressive.
–eeb
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 TIDBITImmigrants to early Georgia came from entire Atlantic Basin
Immigrants to colonial Georgia came from a vast array of regions around the Atlantic basin—including the British Isles, northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Caribbean, and a host of American colonies. They arrived in very different social and economic circumstances, bringing preconceptions and cultural practices from their homelands.
Each wave of migrants changed the character of the colony—its size, composition, and economy—and brought new opportunities and new challenges to the people already there. A majority of the immigrant white population traveled to Georgia because of the availability and cheapness of land, which was bought, bartered, or bullied from surrounding Indians: more than one million acres in the 1730s, almost 3.5 million acres in 1763, and a further cession of more than two million acres in 1773.
During the Trusteeship (1732-52), the overwhelming majority of Georgia immigrants—more than 3,000 in number—arrived from Europe. Around two-thirds of these pioneers were funded by the Trustees, who offered them a passage across the Atlantic, provisions for one year, tools, and a tract of land in return for their labor.
Initially the settlers tended to congregate according to their ethnic origins. Highland Scots settled a Celtic outpost at Darien on the southern frontier. Lutheran Salzburgers swiftly organized a productive and dutiful township at Ebenezer to the north. English folk, many of them Londoners, dominated Savannah and its surrounding villages, along with a large number of Rhineland Germans and a few Lowland Scots. In and around these regional settlements were smaller enclaves of immigrants, including Spanish-speaking Sephardic Jews, French-speaking Swiss, pious Moravians, Irish convicts, and a handful of Piedmont Italians and Russians.
Following an unpleasant and often crowded Atlantic passage, the immigrants’ culture shock upon arriving in Georgia was intensified by the unusual makeup of the population. Migrating to the colony was a perilous undertaking, and around a third of the settlers had died by 1752. Most of these deaths were caused by malaria and typhoid, diseases that thrived around the swamps and river deltas of the Lowcountry and typically afflicted settlers in their first sweltering summer. As a result of this mortality, known as “seasoning,” the population struggled to grow naturally.
(To be continued)
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Perhaps the stained glass can give you a hint
Now put on your thinking cap and tell us where you think this edition’s photo was taken. Hmmm. Stained glass windows might indicate a place of worship. And look at those stone walls? Hmmmm. Just where is this? Send your answers to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include the town where you live.
That bunch of bicycles all parked together like a swarm of ants in the last edition? None of the GwinnettForum readers could figure out and pinpoint that photograph. One reason perhaps is that it was a far distance from Georgia, taken at Mackinac Island, Michigan. The retreat for Midwesterners is famous for being an island playpen and retreat on Lake Huron, where there are no automobiles. Residents have to walk, use bicycles or horses to navigate the island. And there are bicycles everywhere, especially seen on the eight mile flat state highway that encircles the perimeter of the island.
Routine rush hour near Spaghetti Junction
HO-HUM: Just another crowded day at Spaghetti Junction. Roving Photographer Frank Sharp says that he has been wanting to take photos of the vehicle activity at the intersection of Interstate 85 and 285, so visited the Northcrest Road Bridge to take this photograph. He says: “This is the best place to photograph, since there are no skyscrapers to block photographing in this area. This photo was made around 5 p.m. last Friday, as the highway north was crowded, but not so in the southbound lane. It was hard to shoot through the small holes in the wire fence. I had to take my lens hoods off so I could shoot through these holes.”
- For additional works of Photographer Sharp, see his photos on the site of the Fayette Photography Society web site. Go to: http://www.meetup.com/Fayette-Photographic-Society/photos/.
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