ISSUE 14.97: Spring cleaning, Nash’s challenges, more

AROUND THE CORNER:  With spring just around the corner, that means it’s time to clean out, clean up, and get rid of unwanted materials, from paper to shred to electronics gear. One of the first big recycling events of the year comes on March 28 in Norcross, where you can rid yourself of all sorts of trash. See Today’s Focus below.

Issue 14.97 | March 13, 2015

IN THIS EDITION

TODAY’S FOCUS: Mega Recycling Day Coming to Norcross on March 28
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Chairman Nash Got To Preaching about Gwinnett’s Future
ANOTHER VIEW: Meaningless Hearings Are Often Held by Some Conservatives
FEEDBACK: Sets Record Straight on Name of One of the Malls in Gwinnett
UPCOMING: St. Patrick’s Day Is Theme of Presentation in Norcross
NOTABLE: Norma Santana Wins NAMAR’s “Captain of Industry” Award
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Cordele’s Joe Williams Was Top Male Jazz Vocalist for Years
TODAY’S QUOTE: How Stengel Let One Guy Down Easily
MYSTERY PHOTO: Last Edition’s Mystery Photo Was Taken In Portugal

TODAY’S FOCUS

Spring cleaning time as Norcross offers mega-recycling day March 28

By Paula Hastings

NORCROSS, Ga., March 13, 2015 — It’s getting near that time of the year for Spring Cleaning. The City of Norcross is once again planning its Mega Recycling Day — shredding, non-hazardous materials, electronic — on March 28. Held each year in the spring and fall, the event in March is always the most popular.

Philomena Robertson, who heads up the event, says: “It is a perfect opportunity to purge unwanted items that folks have no idea what to do with. Having the three events on the same day makes it very convenient and a service we are happy to provide.”

Robertson is the City of Norcross code enforcement supervisor and has been in charge of the recycling trio since 2007. “It gets more successful every year! I have actually had other cities approach me in hopes of duplicating. Being a model for best practices by our peers is quite the compliment.”

In addition to the recycling, each location accepts donations for the “CAN DO” for Hunger Campaign. In the fall, the City collected 671 canned and non-perishable items, as well as $230.71. “It just adds another way to give back to the community and people are always so generous,” adds Robertson. “In addition, we had 19 volunteers, including three exchange students – two from Ukraine and one from Italy. It is a great opportunity for involvement on many levels.”

The three recycling locations are each designed for specific drop-offs and times vary, so read the information below to ensure that you maximize and customize your opportunity to de-clutter!

Shredding Event: American Security Shredding will again have their on-site shred truck. Watch your materials being shredded on the video display monitor! Go green and be secure! This event is open to the public and is FREE. It is limited to five medium size boxes or equivalent.  The location: Norcross City Hall, 65 Lawrenceville Street, 9 a.m. until noon, or until truck is full.

Clean-up Day: Throw out anything that’s not a hazardous material (open to City 
of Norcross residents only – proof of residency is required). Location: Public Works Facility at 345 Lively Street, just off Buford Highway, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. There is no cost for this recycling.

Electronics Recycling: Get rid of old cell phones, computers and keyboards without guilt! Atlanta Recycling Solutions and City volunteers will help you unload. For a complete list of recyclables visit the City website and look on the flyer. This event is open to the public. Location: Norcross Community Center, 10 College Street, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. This event is also free except for televisions, which require a $20 fee. The city cannot accept console or projection televisions. CRT Monitors are $5.

2015 “CAN DO” for Hunger Campaign: Donate canned and non-perishable goods for our local food bank! We ask everyone to bring canned or non-perishable goods to support the 2015 “CAN DO” for Hunger Campaign.

• For information on these events and what materials are allowed at each event, visit norcrossga.net and on the Code Enforcement page, under ‘Event News,’ to view the informational flyers.

EEB PERSPECTIVE

Chairman Nash challenges Gwinnett to keep moving forward

MARCH 13, 2015 — Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash was something of an evangelist when she gave her fifth annual “state of the county” address to the Gwinnett Chamber recently. In effect, she offered an “altar call” for the people of Gwinnett County to step up and join with her and the county commission to make sure the county reaches its potential.

Among her remarks:

“When I look into the future, I see a grown-up Gwinnett that has literally grown up in areas along our interstates and major thoroughfares where it makes sense…..

“I see choice in lifestyles, all the way from urban hip to mini-farms and everything in between.

“I see a range of transportation options to serve the million and a half people who will call Gwinnett home in 25 years and the businesses that will be here.

“I see Gwinnett Center as the heart of a booming entertainment and cultural arts district.

“I see thriving and interesting gateways to Gwinnett, at Jimmy Carter, on U.S. 78 at Stone Mountain, on I-985 and I-85 at the northern borders, on 316 to the east, on highways 29,141, and 20 and more—areas that say ‘You just entered Gwinnett, and you are lucky to be here.’

“ I see a re-invented Gwinnett Place area that is the center of Gwinnett’s downtown.

“And I see a cosmopolitan Gwinnett as a tourism magnet where global cultures can be experienced without a long flight or a passport.”

Nash

Then the chairman paused, and added: “But it is not enough to see the vision and to describe the future. We have to create it.   The future I see is too exciting to delay.

“I am ready to start building it now. I believe my fellow commissioners are ready as well.

“However, we need your help. So, how about you?

“Can you see Gwinnett’s future?

“Do you want to be part of it?

“Are you ready to work hard to build it?

“Then let’s act like Gwinnettians and create our future together.”

* * * * *

Whew! Miss Charlotte is using the bully pulpit. That’s great!

Gwinnett’s lucky in that for the most part, its citizens join with the chairman in not only wanting the best for the county, but its citizens understand that it takes a lot of different people working together to get progress and improvements accomplished. There seem to be fewer people with “anti” agendas within the county, making it much easier to see progress move forward.

Meanwhile, take a look at some of the accomplishments that the chairman mentioned:

• A community of 880,000 people.
• Some 3,500 miles of roads.
• Enough buried infrastructure in water, sewer and stormwater pipe to reach to New Zealand.
• A school system with ten percent of all K-12 students in Georgia, and winner of two Broad prizes.
• A triple-triple A credit rating.
• A dozen institutions of higher learning, including the fastest growing college in the University System of Georgia.
• The most advanced and sustainable water system in the world.
• A county that pays for capital projects with cash, saving $1 billion in finance costs, because of citizens voting for SPLOST funds.
• Excellent health care, high quality public safety professions, a thriving arts community, great diversity of people….and “variety, energy and innovation.”

Thanks, Madam Chairman, for your insights and your expectations for our county. With such thinking, Gwinnett is moving toward achieving an even better future.

ANOTHER VIEW

Meaningless legislation and hearings are marks of some conservatives

Wilson

MARCH 13, 2015 — Conservatives are the type of people who complain endlessly about government spending, then run up big tabs on time wasting, litigation, meaningless legislation and hearings. Some examples would be the 50 votes taken to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act.

Another problem is repetitive and expensive hearings that yield no new information; i.e., there have been 14 hearings on Benghazi. This, of course, includes the current hearing in progress. Moreover; there have also been seven investigations, and 50 briefings on this subject. This wasting of taxpayers’ money happens quite a bit in Republican dominated legislative bodies.

Finally, money is no object; they use something like a blog, right-wing talk radio, and FOX to push people’s buttons. It’s sort of like the pamphleteers in 19th century Europe, except probably not as well read. In the meantime, I continue to travel down the road (as conservatives do too) dodging potholes and crossing unsafe bridges.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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FEEDBACK

Sets record straight on name of one of the malls of Gwinnett

Editor, the Forum:

It never was “Discovery” Mills Mall. It was Discover Mills Mall. Now it’s Sugarloaf Mills Mall. It must be like our streets. We like to change the name every so often.

— Alex Ortolano, Duluth

Dear Alex: You are right. The Name “Discover” came from the Discover Card buying the naming rights for I believe the first 10 years. When they did not renew, came the new name. –eeb

Rant.  Rave.  Send your opinion:  Our policy: We encourage readers to submit feedback (or letters to the editor). Send your thoughts to the editor at elliott@brack.net. We will edit for length and clarity. Make sure to include your name and the city where you live. Submission of a comment grants permission for us to reprint. Please keep your comments to 300 words or less. However, we will consider longer articles (no more than 500 words) for featuring in Today’s Issue as space allows.

UPCOMING

St. Patrick’s theme for OTC Comedy Troup in Norcross on March 13

The OTC Comedy Troupe will be holding it’s Luck of the Irish Comedy Show at Lionheart Theatre in Norcross on Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $10 per person.   The show will include the classic improv game, Irish Drinking Song, which has been seen on shows like Whose Line is it Anyway? Many other salutes to St. Patrick’s Day and the Emerald Isle are included.

The OTC actors use audience suggestions to create scenes on the spot with hilarious results.   Audience members even have a chance to appear on-stage in pieces like Slide Show and Instant Sit-Com. Unlike many improvisational theatre groups in Atlanta, the OTC shows are rated PG and family friendly.

Kelley Cody-Grimm, OTC artistic director, says: “This is our third season at Lionheart and we love our Norcross audiences. The theatre is ideally suited for what we do and their audiences really think outside of the box.  We’re so grateful for the support we’ve gotten both from both Tanya and Jason Caldwell over the years. We’ve done some of our best shows at Lionheart.”

The OTC is celebrating its 10th year in the greater Atlanta area.  To purchase tickets go to:  http://www.otccomedytroupe.com/dates-and-times-of-shows.html or to make phone reservations, please call:

• For more information on the OTC Comedy Troupe including upcoming performances, corporate trainings, special events, upcoming workshops, and the web show Death by South visit www.otccomedytroupe.com or call 678-464-0115.

NOTABLE

Santana wins NAMAR’s “Captain of Industry” award

Santana

Norma Santana of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Johns Creek has been awarded the “Captain of the Industry” designation by the Northeast Atlanta Metro Association of Realtors (NAMAR). This award is presented to a member who has at least ten years’ experience in real estate and is actively involved in the Association as well as the community. Norma has served on every committee in the organization and continues to serve when asked.

The presentation came at the recent meeting of the group, where over 400 members were recognized for their achievement in the Million Dollar Club.

Two awards are presented for Realtor of the Year. One is for Management and the other is for Sales. Steve Wagner of Virtual Properties was recognized for the award for management. Steve helped begin Virtual Properties Realty in 1999 which has consistently grown in size and productivity since its inception.

Sarah Stovall of Century 21 Results Realtor is the winner for sales Realtor of the Year.

Rookie of Year was awarded to Amy Fuchs of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. She closed 30 transactions in 2014.

The Affiliate of the Year award distinguishes a NAMAR affiliate who has helped the organization move forward during the past year.  This year’s award went to Brand Mortgage.

NAMAR recognized many members for their hard work and dedication to the real estate industry. For a complete list of winners, visit twww.namar.org.

RECOMMENDED READ

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

Cordele-born Joe Williams was top male jazz vocalist for years

Joe Williams is still considered by many to be the quintessential male jazz vocalist. Best known for his smooth baritone delivery as the singer for Count Basie’s band from 1954 to 1961, the Georgia native also sang with Coleman Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, and Earl Hines, and had a successful solo career.

Williams

Williams was born Joseph Goreed in Cordele on December 12, 1918, and moved to Chicago at the age of three with his mother, Anne Gilbert, and his grandmother, Mittie Gilbert. He later remembered little of his childhood in Cordele.

Chicago had a dynamic music scene when Williams was coming of age. The migration of blacks from the South brought distinctive regional styles together to form a new national scene. Williams was exposed to the local blues acts in Chicago’s Southside and, perhaps more important, to the big bands that toured throughout the North. He began singing professionally in clubs at age 16 and soon became a regular performer in the bands of Chicago musicians Johnny Long and Jimmie Noone.

In the early 1940s he worked as stage-door manager at the Regal Theatre, where he became acquainted with many heroes of jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton, Fats Waller, and Count Basie.

After temporary jobs with Hampton and Coleman Hawkins, Williams hit his stride in the 1950s. One night in 1954, during an intermission in his own show with Dr. Jo Jo Adams, Williams stole a few minutes to hear Count Basie’s band at the Trianon Ballroom. He had sat in with the Basie band years earlier, but now Basie was looking for a full-time singer. Basie recognized Williams and asked him to sing a number before returning to his own gig.

In December of that year, Williams received a $50 money order with instructions to meet Basie in New York City to begin an East Coast tour, which led to a seven-year stint with one of the most popular big bands in the nation. With the legendary tour-ending set in spring 1955 at New York City’s Birdland, Williams gained national recognition as a top-tier jazz vocalist. Later that year he made his first recording with Basie, including “My Baby Upsets Me,” “In the Evening,” “Alright, Okay, You Win,” and what became his signature song, Memphis Slim’s “Every Day.”

Williams was known as a jazz singer, but he was equally comfortable with the blues. His sensual phrasing incorporated the styles of robust blues singers like Roosevelt Sykes, Big Bill Broonzy, and Big Joe Turner, but Williams’s style was more subtle and understated than that of those so-called shouters. His warm, smooth baritone made a performance intimate in a way that few could duplicate.

After leaving Basie’s band in 1961, Williams took to the road solo. Over the next 30 years he performed steadily and made more than 40 albums, continuing to receive critical acclaim from reviewers like John S. Wilson of the New York Times, who in 1974 said Williams “could bring life to any bit of musical dross.” Down Beat gave him many awards throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and he dabbled in acting, appearing in television‘s The Cosby Show many times as the father of Claire Huxtable.

In 1965 he married Jillean Hughes-D’Aeth, and they lived in Las Vegas until Williams’s death at the age of 80 on March 29, 1999.

 MYSTERY PHOTO

Harbor near the mountains

CLUE:  This Mystery Photo appears as it is the entrance of a harbor, obviously near mountains. Think about your various ports of call and see if you can determine just where this is. Send your ideas to Elliott@brack.net.

That majestic bridge of the last mystery photo was spanning the Douro River in Portugal, at Porto. Ross Lenhart of Pawley’s Island, S.C. spotted it, since he and his wife had been there several years ago.

As usual, Ruthy Lachman Paul of Norcross chimed in with the right answer. She added: “Porto, which means simply ‘port’, is located on a deep, narrow canyon, near the mouth of the Douro River to the Atlantic Ocean. This fact gave the city a well protected anchorage, suitable for transporting goods. When British merchants came here and fell in love with the local wine, the city became the one of the major export ports in Portugal.

“Bridges of Porto has extraordinary charm. The Douro River divided the area and separates it from its neighbor across the river — Gaia . The Maria Pia Bridge, known as Ponto Dona Maria, is a railway bridge built in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel in Portugal. Yes, he is the same engineer from France who built the Paris tower.

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