Choo! Choo! A Christmas Train exhibit is now on display at George Pierce Park Community Center in Suwanee. Admission is free. This is the third year for the project. Bob Giselbach of Buford set it up and donated the trains and city buildings for the exhibit, and Joe Fiscella of Lawrenceville, a facilities project assistant at the Center, constructed this year’s castle on the third level. There’s also Christmas music playing in the background. The park is located north of Suwanee Town Hall at 55 Buford Highway. (Photo by Roving Photographer Frank Sharp.)
IN THIS EDITIONTODAY’S FOCUS: Homeless Man Is Grateful To Those Who Rescued Him
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Just Who Are Gwinnett’s Largest Taxpayers?
FEEDBACK: Addressing the Problem of Fear in This Country
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Tech To Offer Courses in Filmmaking in 2016
NOTABLE: Medical College Wins Awards for Diversity
RECOMMENDED MOVIE: Bad Day at Black Rock
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Wesleyan Faculty Concentrates on Faculty With Terminal Degrees
TODAY’S QUOTE: How the World Is Changed, and It’s From You!
MYSTERY PHOTO: Only Three Recognized Bridge Near American Landmark
TODAY’S FOCUSOnce homeless, writer is grateful to those who rescued him
By David Bailey
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Dec. 11, 2015 — I am extremely grateful. I am grateful to express my gratitude and appreciation to all the people and organizations who provided encouragement, guidance, information, and financial resources enabling me to break free from the hopelessness of “recidivism,” which is “the revolving door syndrome.”
Bailey
I am convinced that because of my inability to overcome homelessness, and being mired in the socio-economic strata which precluded constant examination by law enforcement, that without GRIP (Gwinnett Reentry Intervention Program), and the United Way, I would either be institutionalized, hospitalized, or deceased.
Upon my last and forever final incarceration at the Gwinnett County Detention Center, I noticed a sheet of paper taped to the Deputy’s Station which had “GRIP” on it. I then requested more information and subsequently met with Deputy Roderick Beard from inmate services. He demonstrated genuine concern for my situation and provided me with the applications for several post-incarceration programs.
To my surprise, within two days I was visited by Ms. Bridgett Jones, who informed me that I was a viable candidate for GRIP. She also informed me that GRIP is a United Way sponsored program that will provide transitional housing, and help me with my goals of replacing my lost birth certificate, Social Security card, driver’s license, etc. In addition, they would direct me to appropriate organizations to facilitate the medical care and surgery I required, the dental care I needed, and letters of verification of homelessness. This enabled me to be accommodated by Grady Hospital, St. Joseph Mercy Care Clinic, and Georgia Law for the Homeless, the Social Security Administration, Viewpoint Health, and several other agencies.
This meeting with Ms. Jones (because of her level of concern, professionalism, and caring demeanor) incited in me a spark of hope that had been missing in recent years. I came away convinced that GRIP could be the safety net I desperately needed to reestablish the feeling of self-confidence and motivation I needed to stop merely existing, but to start living again.
I was released from jail 13 months later. Even though it was necessary for me to sit in the jail lobby for 15 hours before I was able to speak with Ms. Jones, I endured the wait and was grateful and relieved when the GRIP driver delivered me to a safe haven.
I can’t say that there were no setbacks, delays, or bumps in the road on my journey of accomplishing my goals. But, thanks to the encouragement and patience of Ms. Jones and Ms. Eizabeth Danley and their willingness to go the extra mile, GRIP enabled me to accomplish everything they promised and more.
I am humbly grateful for the GRIP program and the United Way. I also am appreciative with every private and governmental organization that assisted me in overcoming homelessness. I now have a renewed appreciation for life, and for generous people who care enough for people like me, to open their hearts and their hands in order to aid and assist organizations such as GRIP in rescuing others in need.
(Editor’s Note: Mr. Bailey has qualified for Social Security disability now and is in permanent housing in Norcross. The GRIP program points out that to house an inmate in Gwinnett County Detention Center costs $48 a day, or $17,520 a year. Since the introduction of GRIP in Gwinnett in 2011, some 466 people have been assisted, with a recidivism rate of only 8.2 percent compared to a national recidivism rate of 67 percent.–eeb)
EEB PERSPECTIVETake a look at Gwinnett County’s largest taxpayers
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
Gwinnett’s largest taxpayers are firms with multiple locations in the county. Georgia Power Company paid the most taxes in Gwinnett, $4.5 million, followed by Publix with $3.9 million and Wal-Mart with $3.5 million. This is followed by t
he Mall of Georgia, being taxed at $3.2 million.
The largest individual taxpayer is Cisco, with its campus in Lawrenceville taxed at
$2.7 million. For the top 35 firms paying taxes, see the chart supplied to us by the office of Richard Steele, our tax collector.
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Some American companies outsource telephone call center jobs to other countries. That’s nothing less than losing jobs for Americans. While it may be cheaper to operate call centers in other countries, still that’s jobs employing people in those countries, not Americans staffing those jobs.
There’s no telling how many companies have moved their customer service offering to overseas locations. While some of those employed in these foreign offices speak English quite well, still anyone calling these sites and getting overseas people on the line can only hope that we can understand their diction…and they understand ours.
It’s another case of saving money, perhaps, but causing problems with the customer. Shame on American companies outsourcing these good jobs. Bring those jobs home!
* * * * *
Editor Billy Fleming, down in Blakely, Ga., writes about people who believe God is on their side. He says: “The right question is are we on His side?”
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Ever wonder why we call it a “pick-up” truck?
Seems old Henry Ford, who made the first trucks in this shape, shipped these vehicles to his Ford dealers in crates, so that the dealer had to assemble the vehicles using the crates as the beds of the trucks. The new owners had to go the auto dealer to get his new vehicle, hence he had to “pick-up” the truck. That’s what this guy tells me that’s where the name for this vehicle came from!
* * * * *
New name? We like the way State Senator Brandon Beach approaches the mass transit issue. Speaking before the Gwinnett Rotary Club recently, the senator, whose full-time job is head of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, wants to change MARTA’s name to one which is more expansive, and really tells another story. He wants to call it the
Atlanta Transit Link!
Beach
A new name must also bring new distinction to that transportation line. The system needs to be more broad, and bring in more of Atlanta, which the name implies.
Not only that, but MARTA might some day be more than just heavy train and buses. It might some day provide light rail, say along the perimeter highway around Atlanta. That would be less expensive to build, and with adequate units plus linking with MARTA stations, could provide an alternate source of transportation for a lot of people.
That would suggest a perimeter link, at least from Doraville to Cobb County. And though it may take forever, Gwinnett needs some sort of rail system to connect with the Doraville station. Waiting will only delay the improvement!
All in all, Atlanta just needs more ways to get around in something besides automobiles. We look forward when Atlanta Transit Link might be operable.
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Suggests that others are around who you can put faith in
Editor, the Forum:
This is in response to Alan in Sugar Hill: People have always been fearful. We fear the lightning, too much rain, too little rain, the monsters in the oceans and the monsters under our beds. Humans have always reverted to fear in times of stress. The ability to overcome our fears is not built in, it is something we must struggle to achieve.
Many people found it easier to face fears with faith, in religion, faith in the government, faith in their own ability. But today many people have turned away from religion, and sadly due to very human failings in Washington, some have lost faith in the government’s ability to secure a future that they can have faith in.
But also you should remember the simple advice that “those who know the least, know it the loudest…” And you will always hear their voices in the media before you will hear the voices of reason. After all everyone prefers theater over reality, anyway.
But have no fear, we only have to fear fear itself! And many of your neighbors are still with you and we do not fear or bow down to prejudice or the rantings of others. Perhaps instead of having faith in politicians and media-hungry blowhards, you should take the time to trust and put faith in your neighbors. We are all here, right beside you.
— Charles Blair, Lawrenceville
Says private ownership of automatic weapons is mostly illegal
Editor, the Forum:
The National Firearms Act of 1934 placed severe restrictions on the possession and ownership of automatic weapons and virtually eliminated private ownership of automatic weapons. So your call to stop the distribution of automatic weapons is about 81 years late.
— Patrick Malone, Blairsville
Dear Patrick: Shows to me that legislation that the NRA allowed even way back then was gutted of meaning. Perhaps what we need is legislation restricting manufacturers from producing such weapons in large quantities, that somehow get into the wrong hands. –eeb
- SEND FEEDBACK AND LETTERS: elliott@brack.net
Gwinnett Tech to offer classes on filmmaking in January
Georgians who want to get on the fast track to a career in professional filmmaking can now enroll in pilot classes for the Georgia Film Academy’s inaugural semester.
The Georgia Film Academy (GFA), a unique-in-the-nation, statewide effort to train Georgians for lucrative jobs in the film industry, will begin offering classes in January, in partnership with the University System of Georgia (USG) and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).
Jeffrey Stepakoff, executive director, Georgia Film Academy, says: “In response to the tremendous growth in the industry, Governor Nathan Deal and the State of Georgia have initiated an unprecedented, cooperative effort among all higher education institutions to deliver an industry-recognized, professional training program. On-set film workers are needed, but even entry-level jobs require a very specific set of skills. The Georgia Film Academy certification puts students on the fast track to gainful employment.”
The GFA’s pilot certification program is comprised of two courses specifically designed to provide students with on-set film production skills:
- The first course combines classroom instruction and hands-on experience with industry standard equipment.
- The second course is a semester on-set, where students learn and hone their craft while working on the crew of a professional production.
Matt Arthur, Deputy Commissioner for the Technical College System of Georgia, says: “We’ve seen a great level of interest in the Georgia Film Academy from potential students and anticipate these classes will fill quickly. The Georgia Film Academy gives us a collaborative framework to fill the needs of Georgia’s film industry, while training students for a productive, rewarding career.”
The Georgia Film Academy pilot classes are available to current USG and TCSG students as well as non-students. Initially, these GFA courses will be offered on the campuses of Clayton State University, Columbus State University and Gwinnett Technical College. There are plans to expand the courses to additional campuses, as well as Pinewood Studios, in Fayetteville, in the near future.
Space is limited for the Spring 2016 semester, but there are plans to expand the program in the fall. For more information on registration, or to learn more about the Georgia Film Academy, visit www.georgiafilmacademy.org.
Georgia DOT to fund Highway 20 work in Cherokee, Forsyth
The Georgia Department of Transportation will contract for improvements on Georgia Highway 20 after that project in Cherokee and Forsyth County has been funded.
DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry says: “We heard the community’s outcry for this crucial project and the desire for it to remain on the existing roadway. This project is a perfect example of the positive impact that using state funds has over federal funding for projects such as this.”
The Department began the current effort to find ways to improve mobility and improve safety along the 24-mile corridor between Canton and Cumming in Cherokee and Forsyth counties back in 2012. Federal regulations required consideration of three alternatives in the environmental process which caused great concern with residents and citizens. GDOT will now solely focus on widening the existing roadway.
As a result of state funding, public input and evaluation of the current alternatives, the Department will break the corridor into six segments in an effort to advance the much needed relief to the corridor. Design of these segments will be concurrent and get underway in January 2016. The segments are:
- I-575 to Scott Road;
- Scott Road to Union Hill Road;
- Union Hill Road to E. Cherokee Drive;
- E. Cherokee Drive to Georgia Highway 369;
- Georgia Highway 369 to Georgia Highway 371; and
- Georgia Highway 371 to the existing four-lane in Cumming.
PCOM wins 2015 diversity award in higher education from magazine
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) recently received the 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
To recognize this achievement, President Jay Feldstein, DO, and the GA-PCOM leadership team will host a celebration on December 14, 2015 where Lenore Pearlstein, co-owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, will present the HEED award to the college on the Suwanee campus.
The annual HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a recipient, PCOM – which has campuses in both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suwanee, Georgia – was featured, along with 91 other recipients, in the November 2015 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. PCOM is the first osteopathic medical school to have been named a HEED Award honoree.
“Diversity isn’t something that you aspire to, it’s a part of who we are as an institution,” Dr. Feldstein said recently. “It’s a core value, and we will continue to embrace it.”
Johnson wins first place in Sugar Hill Juried Art Sow
The City of Sugar Hill Arts Commission held their very first Juried Art Show in October. Over 20 artists submitted entries. Over 200 visitors passed through the show and the Commission feels this number forms a great foundation for the future of the group.
The first place award went to Vickie A. Johnson for her piece, “Purple Beauties.” Vicki is a local artist and teacher, as well as co-founder of the North Gwinnett Arts Association. After teaching art to special needs students at Collins Hill High School for 14 years, she taught general art education at Central Gwinnett High School. She was Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year in 1998.
Second place was awarded to Terry Mulligan, for his intricately detailed piece, “Morning in Venice.” Terry is a member of the Sugar Hill Arts Commission. The third place award went to another local artist, Dely Anthony, for the piece entitled “City of Sugar Hill.”
The Mayor’s Choice Award winner was Ricky Dean Wyrick, “Autumn Morning.” For the artist, it recalls the treasured childhood memory of walking down the dirt road past his grandparents’ house in Antlers, Okla.
Automakers eliminate spare tire to raise fuel efficiency
According to new research from the American Automobile Association (AAA), eliminating the spare tire may leave more than 30 million drivers helpless at the roadside.
Automakers have been under increased pressure from the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. One way to accomplish this is by removing the spare tire and replacing it with tire inflator kits. This reduces the weight of the vehicle providing for better fuel performance. AAA urges automakers to put consumer interests first and rethink eliminating the spare tire.
AAA test results revealed that the most common tire inflator kits in today’s vehicles worked well in some scenarios. However, they are not a substitute for a spare tire. A tire inflator kit can only be used when a puncture occurs on the center tire tread and the object remains in the tire. These kits cannot be used if the object is no longer lodged in the tire, or if a blowout, pothole or curb related damage occurs.
Garrett Townsend, GA Public Affairs Director, AAA – The Auto Club Group, says: “This is a major issue for the motorist who is now stranded because they can no longer rely on their tire inflator kit, requiring their vehicle to be towed. If the motorist had a spare tire they would be able to get back on the road saving them time and money.”
Tire inflator kits have replaced spare tires on 29 million vehicles in the last 10 model years. While each four-pound kit eliminates approximately 30 pounds of weight, resulting in minimal savings in fuel consumption, the replacement cost is high. With some kits costing up to $300 per use, a tire inflator kit can cost consumers up to 10 times more than a simple tire repair, not to mention they only have a shelf life of four to eight years.
AAA research also revealed that more than one-in-five millennial drivers (ages 18-34) do not know how to change a tire, compared to nearly 90 percent of drivers aged 35-54 who know this important skill. Gender differences also exist: 97 percent of men claim to know how to change a tire while 68 percent of women feel confident to do so.
AAA offers theses precautionary tips:
- If your vehicle is equipped with a tire inflator kit, read the owner’s manual and understand system limitations before roadside trouble strikes
- When purchasing a new vehicle, don’t assume it comes equipped with a spare tire. Always ask sales staff for a detailed list of equipment and if a spare tire can be purchased as an option.
- If your vehicle is equipped with a tire inflator kit, AAA recommends that you check its expiration date and replace the kit when necessary, typically between 4-8 years.
- If your vehicle has a spare tire, be sure it is properly inflated and stowed. Check tire pressure monthly, as a flat spare tire is of no value in an emergency.
- If faced with roadside trouble, including a flat tire, AAA is available to help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Bad Day at Black Rock
In what is obviously a Western setting, an Union Pacific Superliner stops in the middle of a American desert. But this isn’t a ‘Western’ movie in the traditional sense, in that there are no horses of stand-offs around. But there are plenty of bad guys. That stranger getting off the train is Spencer Tracy, a one-arm war veteran, wearing a suit and hat. It’s just after World War II, and Tracy is on a mission. But every way he turns, the few people in this tiny community shy away from him, not wanting to talk about the area’s evil past. Perhaps the best scene in the movie is when Tracy is taunted by Ernest Borgnine, well……what a scene that is! Robert Ryan is the laid-back heavy, the boss in his red ball cap. If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s a understated whopper, takes place in just 24 hours, and has plenty of big-name actors.–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 TIDBITWesleyan faculty concentrates on faculty with terminal degrees
(Continued from previous edition)
Wesleyan College in Macon survived the Great Depression of the 1930s and benefited from the post–World War II (1941-45) economic boom of the 1940s and 1950s. By the 1960s it had an enrollment of more than 700 students. Like most women’s colleges nationwide, Wesleyan’s enrollment decreased drastically during the mid-1970s, due largely to the women’s movement, whose adherents considered separate women’s education to be antiquated. A recent revival in the popularity of women’s colleges, combined with Wesleyan’s tradition of academic excellence, has brought enrollment numbers back to around 700 students.
Wesleyan stands today as an important member of the nation’s community of women’s colleges. A student population representing 31 countries places the school in the nation’s top ten liberal arts colleges for diversity and ensures a global community of learners and leaders. The school offers undergraduate degrees in 35 majors, including self-designed majors and interdisciplinary programs, as well as eight pre-professional programs, including seminary, engineering, medicine, and law. A $12.5 million science center was dedicated in the fall of 2007. Master of arts degrees in education and an accelerated Executive Master of Business Administration program enroll both men and women. Wesleyan also offers a dual-degree program in engineering with the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta; Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama; and Mercer University in Macon.
As of 2015 the school employed 54 full-time faculty members, 95 percent of whom hold the terminal degree in their fields. Wesleyan students enjoy the personalized attention and support of faculty not possible at a larger institution—an 11-1 student-to-teacher ratio and an average class size of fewer than 20 students. A wide variety of internship opportunities locally and nationally are offered, with students encouraged to participate from their second semester onward. Wesleyan graduates enjoy an impressive 95 percent acceptance rate to medical or law school, while the acceptance rate for those applying to masters programs is nearly perfect.
Wesleyan is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III, fielding intercollegiate teams in basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, tennis, and, as well as a nationally award-winning Intercollegiate Horse Show Association equestrian team.
The school has several well-known alumnae, including May-ling Soong, wife of Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek; Neva Jane Langley Fickling, Miss America 1953; playwright Sandra Deer; and Toni Jennings, the first woman lieutenant governor of Florida. In 1990 a group of Wesleyan alumnae and other prominent Georgians founded Georgia Women of Achievement, an organization dedicated to honoring the accomplishments of outstanding women in the state.
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Today’s clues included telling you to “remain seated”
There are plenty of clues in this edition’s Mystery Photo. Note the big building, the columns, the water, and you know there’s plenty of activity here. And what does “Remain Seated” tell you? Now tell us where it is. Send your answers to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include the town where you live.
Robert Hanson of Loganville was the first to identify last edition’s Mystery Photo. He, a railroad buff, told us that this is the Missouri-Pacific Railroad Bridge over the Arkansas River adjacent to the Clinton Library in Little Rock. The library’s spraying fountain is at the forefront of the photo.
Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill writes: “This is the bridge in front of the Clinton Library in Little Rock. I must admit I would not have remembered this bridge from when I made a pilgrimage to this ultra modern site, but I do remember the fountains, so that was my clue.” Marc Cohen of Sugar Hill also spotted the location of the bridge.
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