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May 2007
Last chapter for Potter saga?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Gwinnett judge ruled that the Harry Potter books can stay in county school libraries. A Loganville mom argued the books promote witchcraft.
What do you think? Is this the correct ruling?
Some responses may appear in the AJC Gwinnett News print edition.
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Bannister lifts banners to high school graduates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett County’s crack code-enforcement unit apparently won’t be cracking down on high school celebratory banners posted at subdivision entrances this year.
“I have received a number of calls to my office from residents who are concerned that their neighborhoods might not be able to take part in the annual tradition of honoring high school graduates with a banner due to the county’s sign ordinance,” commission Chairman Bannister said.
“Our Planning and Development staff is drafting an amendment to the sign ordinance that would allow high school graduation banners for a specific time period each spring.”
Until that ordinance, Bannister said the county’s code enforcement officers won’t be ticketing high school graduates for putting up party signs.
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Wanted: Mayors
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week’s announcement by Lilburn Mayor Jack Bolton that he won’t seek re-election this year brings the total of Gwinnett mayoral posts up for grabs to three.
Bolton joins Duluth Mayor Shirley Lasseter, who’s stepping down when her term ends Dec. 31 to run for the District 1 County Commission seat held by Commissioner Lorraine Green; and Suwanee Mayor
Nick Masino, who’s giving up his post at the end of the year to devote his full attention to his new job as the Gwinnett chamber’s vice president for economic development.
Green, by the way, hasn’t told us her plans yet, but she’s widely believed to be planning to challenge Gwinnett commission Chairman Charles Bannister in next year’s elections.
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Cal Warlick / On Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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‘Don’t quote me on this; that’s what my press release is for’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Municipal Association spokeswoman Amy Henderson has leveled an outrageous accusation at us.
“It is suspected that the missing Lindbergh baby, Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa were simply misplaced on a reporter’s desk,” she wrote in an angry-sounding statement she e-mailed to us last week.
Well, Ms. Henderson, you could spend a week diving through the mountain of paper on our desks and we’re certain you wouldn’t find any of those people.
Nor, for that matter, would you discover the Colonel’s secret recipe or a grocery bag containing the original lyrics to “Love Me Do.”
Then again, finding missing, and presumed dead, celebrities apparently wasn’t Henderson’s point. She was “outraged” at us for suggesting in last week’s column that it’s “weird” when public officials quote themselves when they write their own press releases.
(Henderson, by the way, was quoting herself.)
“There’s nothing ‘weird’ about quoting oneself,” Henderson wrote. “If one is the highest authority and the best person to speak on the subject, why would one quote anyone else? You certainly wouldn’t quote someone who’s going to disagree with you, and all the self-help books say you should be your own biggest fan.”
We’re not 100 percent sure Henderson was being serious here.
We also don’t know if Henderson really meant it when she stated that GMA urges local officials to send reporters multiple copies of their press releases and “read their quotes out loud first so they can swear on a stack of Bibles — if pressed — that they did indeed say the words they are attributing to themselves.”
We were also a tad mystified by Henderson’s statement that, “It’s a known fact that reporters sleep late, wander into the office around 10 a.m., take two-hour lunches and troll the malls ‘looking for stories.’ “
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An idea that never got off the ground
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few Gwinnet[t]ians might have winced when they heard the federal government wants to revisit a plan to build a second major airport in metro Atlanta. That’s because the state once ever-so-briefly considered turning Briscoe Field into Hartsfield 2. It took just 12 days for irate community activists and local politicians to kill the Briscoe plan in 1994.
We asked Chairman Charles “Charlie” Bannister whether he was concerned that a proposed $1 million U.S. Transportation Dept. study might revive the Briscoe plan. (We know. We tossed him a waist-high hamburger of a question. But, hey, it was a slow news day.)
“That’s absolutely out of the question,” Bannister said.
Why? Much of the once-wide-open space around Briscoe has been developed, and land prices have gone way, way up. As for some other site in Gwinnett, Bannister said it would be difficult to find enough contiguous acreage elsewhere in the county to build a second Hartsfield.
Bannister also said Paulding County may be emerging as the top site for a new airport.
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Commissioner wants Gwinnett contractors to verify workers’ immigration status
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It looks like the national immigration debate is going local.
Gwinnett Commissioner Lorraine Green thinks all contractors should be required to verify whether their workers are legal U.S. residents before doing business with the county. She’s called for a board vote on the matter.
“We need to make sure that not one dime of taxpayer money is used to provide a job to an illegal alien,” Green said in a prepared statement. “I am frustrated and we have an obligation to take action.”
Green’s proposed ordinance will be discussed at public hearings on June 19 and June 26. A vote on the proposed ordinance is scheduled to take place on June 26.
Green’s proposed ordinance would require vendors seeking county contracts to certify the legal status of their employees and also would make the county’s performance and analysis division confirm that vendors are in compliance.
Under Green’s proposal, companies that fail to abide by the verification requirement would be banned from receiving future county contracts.
We couldn’t reach any current or past county contractors Thursday night to see what they think about Green’s proposal.
Perhaps it’s not what they think that counts. After all, there’s an election next year.
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Cal Warlick / On Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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How best to talk about yourself
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Politicians seem to like quoting themselves in press releases.
Case in point: Snellville City Councilman Bruce Garraway sent us one last week about his efforts to persuade the county to install a new turn lane and left-turn signal at the traffic-snarled intersection at Dogwood Road and Ga. 124.
“Garraway…was determined to give Snellville [citizens] relief and safety at this congested juncture that they so desperately needed.”
“Garraway says, ‘It takes a lot of phone calls and a lot of time [and] of persistence. Everyone in Georgia is asking for transportation money and relief to be enacted.’”
We don’t mean to pick on Garraway, who acknowledged writing his own press release. We’ve received bushels of them from elected officials who have to pen their own statements because they can’t afford hiring communications staffers.
In fact, said Garraway, the Georgia Municipal Association encourages city council members and mayors to write their own press releases.
“Otherwise, the press doesn’t know what you’re doing,” Garraway said.
It just seems a little weird sometimes.
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Norcross gets welcome relief
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The County Commission on Tuesday gave Norcross a 25-year lease on a house to be converted into a welcome center.
The county had originally intended to build a fire station on property it owned at 2189 Lawrenceville St. Instead, the county now plans to rebuild an existing 36-year-old fire station on College Street.
“The land that is occupied by the house will not be needed for the new fire facilities,” District 2 Commissioner Bert Nasuti said in a prepared statement, “so this is a win-win solution for everyone.”
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Gwinnett: What is your tolerance for gas pain?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Unleaded gasoline was going for nearly $3.10 per gallon at Gwinnett service station pumps Monday morning.
At what point will you change your driving behavior?
$3.50?
$4?
$5?
Secondly, are you already making changes? How much are you thinking you may pay for gas for a Memorial Day trip this year?
Some responses may appear in the print AJC Gwinnett News.
Speaking of Gwinnettians
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Perhaps we goofed when we first printed this word more than two decades ago.
Obviously, the term refers to an inhabitant of Gwinnett County. But for the uninitiated, it’s pronounced Gwin-ee-shun, rhymes with Phoenician. There are many, including us, who claim to have coined the term.
It first showed up in the AJC in 1985 in a story about community volunteerism.
In retrospect, we think the newspaper misspelled the word. It should have cut one of the “T’s.” That would have resulted in a spelling of “Gwinnetian,” which strikes us as more correct.
The “Plesant Hill Road” sign got fixed nearly 20 years ago. Surely, this misspelling can be fixed, too.
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Chamber courts Korean city
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gangnam-Gu may sound like a city in a Gilbert and Sullivan musical, but it’s actually a self-governing area within the city of Seoul, South Korea.
Why do we care?
Because the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and its equivalent in Gangnam-Gu have formed an “international economic development partnership.”
“Our goal for this strategic partnership is to build an economic development ‘pipeline’ between Gwinnett and Gangnam-Gu,” Chamber President Jim Maran said.
We’re not quite sure what an economic development pipeline is, but it’s clearly not a trans-Pacific tunnel filled with men and women in suits shuffling from one continent to another.
Judging from the Gwinnett chamber’s news release, the point of the pipeline is to market the communities to one another.
The Gangnam-Gu Chamber will seek to steer Korean investors interested in expanding their business in the United States toward Gwinnett County. The Gwinnett chamber will return the favor.
“We’ll promote Gangnam-Gu to local Gwinnettians looking to expand trade operations in Asia,” Maran said.
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Cal Warlick / On Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Cal Warlick / On Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Dems would’ve cost us a pretty penny
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Good thing we didn’t renew our free lunch offer for Gwinnett Democrats at the Legislature this year.
If we had, state Reps. Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross), and Brian Thomas (D-Lilburn) would be picking our wallets. Neither Georgia House member had a red penny’s worth of lobbyist-funded meals, gifts or tickets to events, according to spending disclosures filed with the State Ethics Commission.
Since the GOP takeover of the Governor’s mansion and both houses of the Georgia General Assembly, lobbyists have moved Democrats to the back of the gravy train. We’ve pleaded repeatedly to them to give a helping hand to those who have little or no influence to give back.
When those pleas went unanswered, we offered to treat any Democratic lawmaker from Gwinnett who received nothing from a lobbyist during the 2006 session to a free meal at a restaurant of their choice.
We’re lucky we didn’t do the same in 2007.
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What do you think?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, died Tuesday shortly after he was found unconscious in his office at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. He was 73.
What do you think his legacy will be?
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GOP convention could turn ugly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett Civic Center might want to consider hiring a few of Jerry Springer’s studio bouncers.
That’s because Georgia Republicans will be holding their state convention at the facility this weekend.
On paper, there shouldn’t be much for the Repubs to argue about this year. After all, there’s no longer a race for state party chairman. Sue Everhart is the last candidate standing.
But many rank-and-file Republicans seem to be in a rebellious mood right now. That’s because they’re hacked off at Gov. Sonny Perdue for vetoing a supplemental budget bill that included a $142 million tax cut.
To GOP purists, that is an act of heresy, and some are calling on their Republican comrades to show their displeasure at the party convention.
Last week, in “Peach Pundit,” a GOP-leaning political Web site, blogger Erick Erickson suggested that Republicans walk out on the governor’s speech.
We’ll be watching with interest. Pass the popcorn.
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For what it’s worth, Obama came in first
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The professor running a local Barack Obama for President campaign out of his extended-stay hotel room in Norcross sent us a “news flash” last week.
Obama came in first in a presidential preference poll held recently at the college where the professor, Kenneth Spruce, teaches.
Spruce, who’s previously identified himself as an organizer of Obama’s campaign in Gwinnett, teaches political science at Gainesville State College.
The survey findings are based on interviews conducted by some of Spruce’s students with more than 500 of their peers, and GCS faculty and staff.
Spruce didn’t give us a vote tally for Obama or any of the 18 other Democratic and GOP contenders he said were included in the survey. He didn’t even tell us who came in second.
We couldn’t reach Spruce at his Extended Stay America room. A voice-mail greeting he recorded on March 18 suggested we try his cellphone.
But his cell message box was full — no doubt with hordes of Republican suburbanites declaring their devotion to Barack.
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Cal Warlick / On Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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New nom de guerre for Chairman Charlie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The first campaign piece for the 2008 election just dropped on our desk. It’s from Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charles Bannister.
“Charlie Bannister: Keeping Taxes Low and Creating Jobs,” reads one headline on the four-page flier.
“A Personal Message from Chairman Charlie Bannister: Promises Made, Promises Kept,” states another.
We like the sound of that. After all, when’s the last time in these parts we had an elected official of his stature go by a nickname? Former Chairman Wayne Hill was called many things, but never “Waynie.”
And, there’s nobody who goes by Shirl, Sammy, Vern, Johnny or “the Eldrinator” running any of the other central city and county governments of metro Atlanta.
By the way, Bannister takes some credit for helping bring a $240 million Hewlett Packard facility to the county, millage-rate reductions and the creation of the county’s economic development department.
None of that is as eye-catching as his down-with-the-people nickname.
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Cal Warlick / On Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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County gets tough on water restrictions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You had to figure this was coming.
On Friday, Gwinnett shortened the hours when residents can water their lawns and wash their cars.
Outdoor watering is now banned between 10 a.m. and midnight daily. Previously, the total ban lasted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has issued level two drought water restrictions and Gwinnett County will follow their lead,” Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister said. “We need to be conscious of current water conditions in our area and understand that we still have the summer ahead of us.”
The other restrictions remain in place. Outdoor watering during the overnight and early morning hours is permitted at even numbered addresses on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Odd-numbered addresses can use water outside on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
The total ban on outdoor watering on Fridays remains in effect.
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GOP presidential hopeful to visit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It looks like Mitt Romney will be the first announced 2008 Republican candidate for president to set foot in Gwinnett County.
Romney is scheduled to attend the Georgia GOP convention May 18-19 at the Gwinnett Civic Center.
While in town, the former Massachusetts governor will attend a couple of a fund-raisers for his campaign. That includes a luncheon at the 1818 Club on the first day of the state convention.
For those keeping score on who’s in which camp, U.S. Rep. John Linder and state Rep. David Casas (R-Lilburn) are on the host list for Romney’s get-together.
Maybe it’s a good thing Romney’s coming now. He placed fourth of seven candidates in a straw poll at the Gwinnett Republican convention in March.
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Officials plan trip to Canada
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hooray! The government is leaving for Canada!
Well, not exactly, but this week a horde of metro Atlanta government and business leaders are heading north of the border to talk to the Canadians about how they run things.
Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charles Bannister, Commissioner Lorraine Green, County Administrator Jock Connell, Suwanee Mayor Nick Masino, and developer Emory Morsberger will be among the 120 participants in the Atlanta Regional Commission’s “Link Trip.”
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones and Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens are going, too.
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Green fends off questions about run for chair
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week’s announcement by Shirley Lasseter that’s she is planning to run for the District 1 seat on the County Commission has put Lorraine Green on the spot. Green is the current occupant of that post. It’s widely believed that Green is preparing to run against commission Chairman Charles Bannister in 2008. But she’s not ready to say that. But Lasseter’s announcement has Green fending off questions about her own intentions. Will she take on Bannister or will she meet Lasseter’s challenge? And what does Bannister think about all this? We couldn’t reach him Friday. But chances are he’ll be pulling for Lasseter in the 2008 election, especially if she’s running against Green. Lasseter was a strong supporter of George Thorndyke, whom Green defeated in the 2004 election for the District 1 commission seat. Thorndyke is also a political supporter of Bannister. Keep an eye on the host list when Lasseter starts holding fund-raisers.
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Name the all-star teams
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Dec. 21 Gwinnett all-star game has quite the name: Rivalries of Gwinnett All-Star Football Game.
Now the teams, which will split traditional rivals, need names. Former Brookwood coach and game organizer Dave Hunter says he’d welcome suggestions, so give him some of yours.
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Did the 911 system problems affect you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett County’s 911 system was down for more than an hour Wednesday morning, a police spokesman said.
The system went down about 7 a.m. and was back up around 8:15 a.m..
Were you affected by the problems this morning? Have you noticed any 911 issues in past days?
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What do you think of a Gwinnett all-star game?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Gwinnett Touchdown Club agreed Tuesday night to create an annual all-star game to be played one week after the state finals.
Called the Rivalries of Gwinnett All-Star Football Game, the inaugural event will take place Friday, Dec. 21, at Brookwood Community Stadium. Tickets will be $5.
Sixty-six players — at least two from each school and no more than six — will participate.
What are the pluses and minuses of a Gwinnett all-star game?
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Cal Warlick / On Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Ohmm, Ohmm, Ohmm …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This sounds so un-Gwinnett. Then again, times have changed.
Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation is hosting His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda for a lecture and yoga workshop next week.
We’re not kidding.
Maheshwarananda (aka Swamiji), so states a county news release, “is the founder of the International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship, and is creator of a comprehensive master system called Yoga in Daily Life.
“The main points of Swamiji’s teachings are physical, mental, social and spiritual health; respect for life; tolerance for all religions, cultures and nationalities; global peace; protection of human rights and values; protection of environment; and preservation of nature,” the release states.
That’s a mouthful, and a lot of punctuation to boot. (Five semi-colons, four commas and a period, all in one sentence).
Mahesh … um, the yoga master is scheduled to speak at the Bogan Park Community Center, 2723 N. Bogan Road, Buford at 8 p.m. Monday. The event also will feature performances of Indian dance and music.
On Wednesday, the master is scheduled to lead a yoga workshop from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Bogan Center. The cost is $25.
Participants can go to www.gwinnettparks.com or call the Bogan Community Center at 770-614-2060 to register.
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Would you pay to use HOV lane in Gwinnett?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Would you be willing to pay extra to use an high-occupancy vehicle lane along I-85 when you don’t have enough people in your car to use the lane for free?
Paper pushin’ nail-biter
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mike Beaudreau stayed up late on a Friday night staring at a screen and tearing his hair out.
It wasn’t the Atlanta Braves, the 2007 Country Music Awards, or even “Stargate SG-1” that grabbed the Gwinnett County Commissioner’s attention.
It was the final minutes of the 2007 Georgia General Assembly.
Beaudreau was tearing his hair over a bill to curb the unfettered expansion of cities through annexation. At 11:45 p.m., House Bill 2 was just 15 minutes from a sudden-death adjournment by the Georgia Legislature.
“I was e-mailing people and calling folks up until the last minute,” Beaudreau said.
It wasn’t looking good.
“Casey Cagle was already congratulating the pages,” said Beaudreau, who watched the Georgia House and Senate proceedings on a live online video feed.
Then Cagle, who presides over the Senate as lieutenant governor, called for a vote on the bill and Beaudreau’s computer froze. The commissioner hurriedly reloaded the Web page to see the measure get voted up in the Senate. Just 90 seconds later, the same bill appeared on the House floor where it passed with just three minutes to spare, Beaudreau said.
“It was riveting,” Beaudreau said.
Riveting? Watching the Legislature on TV? Perhaps you had to be there.
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