City of Duluth, Georgia

Duluth Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

Friday, February 17th, 2012

Duluth, Georgia (February 17, 2012) – The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) presented a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to the City of Duluth for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011. This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting.

In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as an operations guide, as a financial plan, and as a communications device. Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive this award.

This achievement also meets the goal set by the department to foster a Sustainable Economic Environment as well as maintain our vision as a World Class Government.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award. This has been presented to Ken Sakmar, Finance Manager. Mr. Sakmar, his staff and the Public Information Office worked together to provide this award winning document.

City staff is committed to establishing policies and procedures to ensure all citizens of the City of Duluth are confident in the management of their tax dollars.

Duluth is Dedicated to Nurturing the Arts in the Community

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

Duluth, Georgia (February 10, 2012) – ArtWorks Gwinnett honored two longtime Duluthians at their first award ceremony in January. Margaret Parsons Andrews was given the Vision Award for her work and vision of the arts in Duluth and Gwinnett, and Ann Parsons Odum, known for her beautiful paintings of Duluth, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for her commitment to the arts. Also honored, was Barefoot in the Park Fine Arts Festival, held in Downtown Duluth, with an Arts Partnership Award for the partnership between the Barefoot in the Park Committee, the City of Duluth and numerous community businesses and organizations. Chocolate Perks in Downtown Duluth was awarded the Corporate Arts Citizen of the Year Award for all the arts related activities taking place there. Duluth knows how important the arts are to a community and has set out to make Duluth THE place to enjoy a wide variety of art experiences.

Mayor Nancy Harris formed the Duluth Fine Arts League (www.artsduluth.org) in 2008 with the mission of promoting the arts in Duluth and providing scholarships to students who want to pursue the arts in higher education. Now, the Duluth City Council has given the go-ahead to the Mayor to proceed with establishing a Duluth Public Art Commission (DPAC). New City Manager, Tim Shearer, will be working with the Mayor to set up the new organization.

“The responsibility of DPAC would be to commission art for the creation of permanent and temporary public art projects that transform public space, stimulate intellectual discourse, and celebrate cultural diversity. DPAC will also develop a long-term plan for public art in Duluth,” Harris said.

During 2011, the city dedicated a Living Honorarium and an Eastern Continental Divide Marker, both on the Town Green. The honorarium was funded by private donations. The ECD marker was paid for by the Duluth Fall Festival Committee.

Harris recently announced that thanks to AGCO another piece of public art will be installed in the city in about 18 months. “AGCO values its partnership with the City of Duluth, and the company would like to do more for Duluth,” Harris said. “So, after a conversation, Martin Richenhagen, AGCO’s CEO, committed to giving Duluth funds for another piece of public art. AGCO’s contribution was made to the existing Duluth Fine Arts League, which will be giving the funds to the city”, Harris said.

AGCO, which is headquartered on River Green Parkway, manufactures tractors, combines, sprayers, implements, and hay tools.

In addition to all the work being done in the visual art spectrum, Duluth is a place for the performing arts as well. Downtown Duluth is home to the new Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre, featuring live music. New Dawn Theater provides a wide variety of entertainment including plays, comedy and music. Many of the restaurants Downtown are also providing entertainment for your enjoyment.

Lastly, the 8th Annual Barefoot in the Park Fine Arts Festival will be held on May 4th-6th. Barefoot in the Park, brings some of the most outstanding regional artists, entertainment, and flavors to Greater Atlanta and North Georgia together for a weekend-long festival.

The Barefoot event was started by a dedicated group of business owners and citizens with a dream of bringing a new, quality arts experience to the region. With the strong support of corporate citizens, individuals and the City of Duluth we have grown this festival into one of the most popular spring events in our area. All proceeds from Barefoot go to support arts education and fine & performing arts through scholarships.

Governor presented Flag flown by Special Forces

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Georgia native’s flag takes 6746 mile journey to Georgia Capitol

Duluth – When former Georgia native and Army Special Forces Sergeant-Major Jack Nevils wanted to show his appreciation to those in his home state for supporting his fellow fallen and wounded Special Operations troops and to welcome Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal and first lady, Sandra Deal to the Capitol, he carried a flag on a Special Forces mission and then flew it in honor of Georgia’s Governor on his Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Iraq.

On Thursday, SGM Nevils’ flag completed the 6746 mile journey from Iraq to Atlanta, Georgia as volunteers from Operation One Voice and one of the corporate supporters, Eagle Rock Distributing Company presented Governor Nathan Deal and first lady, Sandra Deal with the Special Forces flown flag and a certificate.

In addition, the Governor and Mrs. Deal were presented two Special Forces challenge coins from the 2011 Honor Ride which honored SFC Leroy Petry and the 2011 Special Operations Forces Run which honored fallen Medal of Honor recipient SSgt Robbie Miller.

Mint Tradition
The origin of challenge coins
Although the true origin of challenge coins is disputed, the rich tradition started sometime during WWII. Each coin is minted with the crest of a specific military branch or battalion. Service men are presented challenge coins to commemorate or congratulate, and to inspire unity and pride in the group’s elite membership. When a service member issues a “challenge” everyone must produce their challenge coin. Those who can’t pull the coin from boot, pocket, or backpack are then responsible for buying the next round.

Aside from determining the bar tab, challenge coins serve as cherished mementos from military service. It is not uncommon for Presidents and high ranking officials to have cases of treasured challenge coins documenting their past ranks, tours, and accomplishments.

Pictured: R-L: Laird Canby/OOV, Steve Economos/Eagle Rock Distributing President, Lt Bill Stevens/Duluth Police-OOV, Governor Nathan Deal, First Lady Sandra Deal, David Mansfield /Eagle Rock Distributing SVP, Representative Roger Williams/Dalton, GA

Point of Contact: Lt Bill Stevens
wstev962@aol.com
404-713-0103

Road Closure Notice

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

The intersection at McClure Bridge Road, West Lawrenceville Street and Irvindale Road in the City of Duluth will be closed for a period of four (4) weeks to complete the construction of the Duluth Roundabout. The closure will start on February 13, 2012 and continue through March 12, 2012. These roads will be closed to all through traffic. Please see the detour map to find the best route. Through traffic must use Pleasant Hill Road to Buford Highway, or Peachtree Industrial Boulevard to SR 120 (Abbotts Bridge Road) to get through Duluth.

Traffic will not be permitted to cut through Howell Springs Drive, Irvindale Road, Pine Needle Drive or Frankie Lane, as these roads will also be affected by the closure. Signs will be placed around the City to assist with the detours around this construction zone.

Residents who live in this area and local business owners will be able to access their properties during this four (4) week period. Provisions are also in place for emergency vehicles to have access.
For more information about these construction projects, please contact the Planning and Development Department at (770) 476-1790. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Celebrate Your Love & Friendship

Monday, January 30th, 2012

Duluth, Georgia (January 27, 2012) – The City of Duluth will hold its annual Valentine’s Day Celebration at Bunten Road Park on Saturday, February 11th. Join us for a fun filled, Monte Carlo themed event beginning at 4:00 p.m. with appetizers and music, followed by a dinner buffet at 6:30 p.m. and dancing at 7:00 p.m.

This is sure to be a great time and a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday with your love or maybe just with friends. The cost for all FAB (Fifty and Beyond) members will be $10 and $15 for non-members. Make your reservation today, seating is limited!

To RSVP and for more information contact Beth Anne Woodruff at 770-814-6981.

City of Duluth’s Crime Suppression Unit Making the City Even Safer

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Duluth, Georgia (January 25, 2012) – In Duluth, laws are not only being enforced, but crime is being prevented. In 2010, certain crimes in the City limits as well as Gwinnett County were rising. Recognizing this, Chief Randy Belcher tasked his staff with coming up with ways to combat the rise, specifically for burglaries, entering autos and vehicle thefts. Saturated patrols and overtime details were implemented, but the problem crimes were not being reduced satisfactorily.

In October of 2010, a specialized unit to combat the rise in crimes was formed. Initially, a four officer unit was formed and placed in plain clothes and under cover vehicles. The Unit was originally activated as the Crime Suppression Officers on October 25th 2010, but was later changed to the Crime Suppression Unit and has been increased to six officers. This is the first Crime Suppression Unit to be formed by any Gwinnett city.

Since inception of this unit the reduction in crime has been significant. “We feel that this unit has made quite an impact on our crime statistics. The undercover officers have a distinct advantage over the uniformed officers because they are able to sneak up on criminals before they even know they are being watched. Just a few months ago, one of our undercover officers caught two burglars in the process of stealing thousands in electronics and other items from an apartment. Our uniformed officers would have been spotted long before the undercover officers, and in this case all of the stolen items were able to be returned” says Lt. Jackie Hood. Comparing 2010 and 2011 numbers, the reduction in crimes are as follows:

Residential Burglaries & Commercial Burglaries – Down 37%
Entering Autos – Down 24%
Vehicle Thefts – Down 43%
Larceny – Down 16%

The Crime Suppression Unit and aggressive patrol and traffic are all contributors to this reduction. This month, Chief Belcher decided to take the CSU (crime suppression unit) and two additional officers to create a larger unit to attempt to reduce the crime rate even more. This unit will operate out of CID (Criminal Investigation Division) and take on additional crimes significant to CID.

For more information on what the Duluth Police Department is doing to keep our citizens safe please contact Captain Mark Hunter at 678-512-3710 or mhunter@duluthpd.com.

W.P. Jones Activity Building Ground Breaking

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Duluth, GA (January 4, 2012) – Active adult senior citizens will soon have their own center in Duluth. Duluth officials, Board Members and FAB Members broke ground for the activity building at W.P. Jones Park on Tuesday, January 3rd. Construction will begin this week for this new center for active adult seniors at the park.

The building should be completed in June, barring any weather or unforeseen delays, and the center should open in August, according to Duluth Parks and Recreation Director Kathy Marelle.

On December 12th, the Duluth City Council awarded a contract to build the center to Renaissance Building Construction in the amount of $548,458. “The construction bid amount came in low enough that there should be enough budgeted funds left over to furnish and equip the center”, Marelle said.

In photo from L to R: Melissa Muscato, Joy Torrance, Luke Livingston, Mayor Nancy Harris, Patricia Pepper, Herb Link, Sheri Eppright, Margaret Herman, Kathy Marelle, Councilmember Marsha Anderson Bomar, Phil McLemore and Tim Shearer.

The 2,400-square-foot center was designed by the Duluth-based architectural and engineering firm of Hill Foley Rossi and Associates.

“The center will serve our over 300 FAB (Fabulous After Fifty) members and as an events rental facility on evenings and weekends,” said Marelle. For more information about the center please contact Kathy Marelle at kmarelle@duluthga.net or 678-417-9269.

Have a Ball at Duluth’s New Year’s Eve Crawl!

Monday, December 19th, 2011

When: December 31, 2011 @ 6 pm to 12:30 am
Where: Duluth Festival Center Amphitheater Stage, Town Green and Downtown
Admission: FREE Admission for Live Music on the Amphitheatre Stage, Chick-fil-A Bowl

Game and GIGANTIC Snow Slide. Food and other activities will require a nominal fee.

Duluth, GA (December 19, 2011) Mark your calendar to ring in 2012 in historic downtown Duluth! This family-friendly celebration will include live music on the Amphitheater Stage featuring Banks and Shane, Chick-fil-A Bowl Game on the BIG screen, GIGANTIC Snow Slide, Winter Carnival with inflatables/ rides/games, Crawl the historic downtown to visit our shops and dine in our delicious restaurants! Eddie Owen Presents will feature “The Mosier Brothers & Friends” in concert at the Red Clay Theatre. Tickets are now on sale for this concert at www.eddieowenpresents.com. At midnight, your spirit will soar as we unveil our one-of-a-kind Icon with spectacular fireworks display! NOTE: The City of Duluth has partnered with Entertainment Design Group, who is also the creator of the Peach Drop, to design a one-of-a-kind experience for the community to enjoy without having to go to downtown Atlanta.

Headlining this years’ event is the legendary Banks and Shane! This high-energy, hard-kicking, blow-the-roof off band has had capacity crowds around the world dancing in the aisles to party favorites and reminiscing with memorable ballads. No matter what age, Banks and Shane transports fans back to Spring Break. This world-renowned band has played with and opened for some of the biggest acts in history. So legendary is the band, that their fans from around the world are self-proclaimed “Banks & Shaners.” Whether it’s skiing the slopes of Colorado, sailing the tropical waters of the Caribbean or rocking Symphony Hall, “Banks & Shaners” follow the band with enduring enthusiasm and support! For more information, visit www.banksandshane.com.

Also, featuring “Georgia-Country.com Band of the Year” Allatoona! Allatoona is an Atlanta based Country and Classic Rock band with a unique approach to their craft. “We make a conscious effort to make the song ours” says Karen Dedier, lead singer of Allatoona. “We don’t take away from the structure of the song, but add our own touches to it, to make it really reflect each of us”. Allatoona is known for their rockin renditions of today’s Country favorites like Gunpowder and Lead as well as old classics like Crazy. For more information, visit www.allatoonaband.com. Other acts include: MY Salsa, Tyler Talks to Doors and Gwinnett School of Rock. For more information and schedule, visit www.duluthga.net or call 770-476-3434.

More Economic Growth in Duluth with Ryerson Acquiring the O’Neal Steel Building

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Duluth, Georgia (December 9, 2011) – Ryerson Inc., a leading processor and distributor of metals in North America and Asia, has announced an expansion of their Atlanta, Georgia area operations. The former O’Neal Steel building located on North Berkeley Lake Road in Duluth has been acquired for this expansion.

Ryerson Atlanta has been in the Atlanta area for over 93 years and is in the final stages of this expansion designed to enhance inventory and processing capabilities in long products and fabricated plate, complementing its existing, strong flat product capabilities. This project, which is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2012, will add 147,000 square feet of warehouse space and is expected to create approximately 25 new jobs over the next year, expanding employment to 290 people at the Atlanta-area complex.

“The expansion of Ryerson’s inventory and processing capabilities is designed to bring additional value to our customers by offering complete supply chain solutions,” said Dave Keatley, V.P. GM Atlanta Market. ”We are strengthening our rapid response capabilities by expanding our customer service hours to 7 am – 6 pm, Monday through Friday, and with the addition of a same-day delivery option on expedited requirements.”

Ryerson Atlanta has the most comprehensive offering of capabilities, products and services in the southeast including:

• 565,000 square feet of warehouse space
• > 10,000 stocked SKU’s
• Stainless, Aluminum, Carbon and Alloy Products
• Plate, Bar, Structurals, Tubing, Pipe, Sheet
• > 30 pieces of processing equipment
• Aluminum Plate Sawing, Shearing, Bar/Tube Sawing, Cut to Length, Burning, Slitting, Blanking, Sheet Polishing etc.
• Simple and Complex Fabrication
• Their own fleet of trucks servicing most areas of Georgia daily
• ISO 9001 Certification
• Lean- Six Sigma Manufacturing processes and tools

Mayor Nancy Harris said, “The City of Duluth welcomes Ryerson to Duluth and Gwinnett County. We are rebuilding our economy and partners like Ryerson are vital to this effort.”

For more information about this expansion please contact Chris McGahee, Economic Development Manager for the City of Duluth, at cmcgahee@duluthga.net or 770-497-5309.

About Ryerson
Ryerson Inc., a Platinum Equity company, is a leading distributor and processor of metals in North America and Asia. The Company services customers through a network of service centers across the United States, Canada, Mexico and China.

Duluth Police Are Doing More than Law Enforcement

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Duluth, Georgia (December 6, 2011) – The Duluth Police Department is one of the best in the state in law enforcement, but it is also a leader in developing programs for our children and community. In November of this year, the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) Division of the Duluth Police Department introduced a new program to Duluth Middle School. This new program mimicked the ADVANCE program, except that it was geared towards middle school students rather than elementary school kids.

Middle school is a time where children often are at a crossroads, and the decisions they make could have lasting effects. Using that philosophy, the COPS Division decided it was important to reinforce what the students learned during ADVANCE in elementary school by introducing the same information in a more “grown-up” way. The BADGE (Bullying, Alcohol, Drugs and Gangs Education) Program provides the seventh grade student with skills and knowledge to avoid the pitfalls that so often plague our communities.

The class is being taught by Master Patrol Officer Bobby Johnson and is being offered during health classes four days a week. Each BADGE course last for three weeks. This year alone, the class will reach over 300 students. Health teacher Nancy Howard said “What a great program. Bobby is doing a great job and the students have responded very positively in the class. He seems to get things from them that teachers sometimes can’t. We really appreciate the hard work that has gone in to putting this program together for our students. Keep up the great work we look forward to future classes.”

For more information or for an in depth interview contact MPO Bobby Johnson at bjohnson@duluthpd.com or 678-475-3521.