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Kenerly didn’t buy land months before stadium deal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AJC reporters Michael Pearson and Patrick Fox have run down the claims posted to this blog that Gwinnett County Commissioner Kevin Kenerly purchased land near the stadium three months before the deal was revealed to the public. They have found that the claims are incorrect.
Posts at this blog and at baseball economic J.C. Bradbury’s blog claim that Kenerly purchased the land in October 2007 - after county officials began secretly scouting for land for a new stadium but three months before the decision became public.
The land is located along Laurel Crossing Parkway, a little less than a half-mile north of the stadium site.
But Gwinnett County property records show the October 2007 transaction actually involved Kenerly selling half of his 50 percent stake in the land to his partners in the property venture; Mansour Properties LLC, operated by John Mansour; and Lifestyle Family Group LLC, run by Sam Leveto.
The records also show the partnership, including Kenerly’s company, has owned the site since 1996. That was long before the stadium was a point of discussion and before, even, construction of the nearby Mall of Georgia.
Incidentally, the land is closer to another stadium site considered - and ultimately rejected - by Gwinnett County. That site is a 65-acre parcel at Buford Drive and I-85 owned by the Orkin family.
Kenerly’s land is adjacent to that property.
Kenerly, who works as a real estate investor, told the Atlanta Journal-Constititution Thursday that he’s not interested in buying any land along the Ga. 20 corridor, including any near the stadium.
“With the way the economy is right now, I don’t think anybody is looking to purchase land,” he said.
He sold half of his ownership of the land in October to raise cash, and said he would like to sell the rest of it as well.
“I’m trying to unload everything,” he said.
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Gwinnett stadium eats money
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Gwinnett County Commission has voted to spend another $19 million on its new baseball stadium. They did so Monday without taxpayer input.
The stadium will now cost $59 million, a nearly 50 percent increase. Ouch. Looks like the county’s field of dreams is eating up a lot of money at a time when many of us are pinching pennies.
My Saturday column will deal with my take on the stadium issue. Read it in the print edition of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
Until then, though, I’d like for readers to share their views on the matter.
Please feel free to post your comments.
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Ruckus over race a sorry distraction
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know an educator who takes to heart this proverb: “When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”
These days, it’s apropos in Gwinnett County. An unfortunate turn of events pits the local school superintendent against the president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, among others.
Last Saturday, I wrote a column about a workshop in which an administrator gave a discipline report to school officials. The report gave racial breakdowns as they relate to the number of discipline hearings during the 2006-07 school year. It showed that black students racked up half of such hearings even though they make up less than a third of the student body.
James Taylor, who oversees discipline for Gwinnett schools, said during the meeting that disproportionate discipline of minority students is a problem for school systems everywhere in the country except Idaho.
According to news reports, Superintendent Alvin J. Wilbanks then asked:
“Do they have any blacks in Idaho?”
On Monday, Gwinnett NAACP branch president Jorge “J.P.” Portalatin met with Wilbanks. He said later that Wilbanks had refused to apologize for his comment, which Portalatin and others say seemed to put the blame for the disparity on black students. As Portalatin pointed out, the disparity could be explained just as easily by inconsistency in the application of punishment.
By Thursday, leaders of the Metro Association of Classroom Educators were picketing outside the school system’s administrative offices. One sign read: “Wilbanks Arrogant and Insensitive.”
Oh, the irony.
Wilbanks brought Taylor on board specifically to rid the system of ambiguities in discipline matters. He also had Taylor assemble a 49-person task force (which included NAACP reps, bus drivers, teachers, and students) to address the issue. Now he’s being attacked. At the very least, detractors want an apology, but some want him fired.
Wilbanks has said his comments were not meant to be racist or insensitive. Only he knows the truth. Fault him, if you must, for any host of perceived sins — thinking out loud, misspeaking, offering no apology, being culturally aloof.
He could of course squash the controversy by uttering two simple words: “I’m sorry.” But frankly, I fail to see the need. How can you hold a discussion about the disproportionate number of minority children who are disciplined without mentioning the race of the group you’re trying to help?
That’s beyond political correctness. It’s asinine.
And it blows my mind.
At a time when so many kids drop out of high school, commit crimes and can’t read, write and add, our community leaders get up in arms over much to-do about nothing. Plenty of educational causes are worth fighting for, but this isn’t one of them.
When the elephants fight, the grass may indeed suffer.
When adults fight, needlessly, our children suffer.
Rick Badie updates his Gwinnett blog Monday through Friday. His column appears on Saturdays in the print edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Readers may post comments online (www.ajc.com/gwinnett) or contact Badie directly. He may be reached at 770-263-3875 or e-mail rbadie@ajc.com.
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Nunn: Georgia is in play for Obama
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Democratic National Convention has ended. As we look to the Nov. 4 election, it’s time to ponder a comment made earlier this week by Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn.
He said that the choice of Joe Biden as a vice presidential contender might help Barack Obama win working-class voters in Georgia. And that, he said, would be critical to winning the state.
I don’t see it happening.
What do you think?
Can Obama squeak out a win in Georgia?
How will he fare in Gwinnett?
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Kindness and justice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When her family lived in the Middle East, she saw kids working in the fields and scouring garbage bins for items to sell.
“It’s pretty sad over there,” said Fatimah Fye, 15, of Lilburn. “The kids work like adults. They ride donkeys. You see adults doing the same thing. It’s really sad.”
Time spent there inspired the teen to write a fictional short story - “Kindness and Justice.” In it, a poor boy named Adil - which means judicious in Arabic - is the main character. He lives with a family on a farm. Adil dislikes injustice, which is the moral of the 15-page children’s story.
“There’s a part in the story where a bully is picking on these kids,” Fatimah said. “Adil tries to make things fair and tells the bully that what he does is wrong. In the end, he and the bully become friends.”
Fatimah’s mother, Sally Faal, thought the world might benefit from a sincere, heartfelt tale told in a child’s prose. She searched the Internet for a self-publishing company and found Zavia Books and Printing in Appomatox, Va.
Atia Nasar, Zavia’s executive director, thinks there’s a market for “Kindness and Justice.” Plans are to publish it, then sell it as part of the company’s children and young adult fiction division.
“For a young lady, she grasped the context and presented the message in a very entertaining way,” said Nasar, who also had her 15-year-old daughter read the text. “Amina thought it was entertaining as well.”
Fatimah says it took her about three months to write the story. She also drew the illustrations that accompany it. Some of the aspiring artist’s drawings have been included in displays at the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center.
“I like writing and drawing,” she said. As for the book, she said, “It’s really fun to educate people on how they should treat one another and to be thankful for what they have. Even though Adil and his parents are really poor, they are a happy family.”
It’s a message that Faal, a nursing student at Georgia Perimeter College, has tried to instill in her three children. Look at the content and character of a person, she tells them. Don’t judge someone based on their race, religion or economic status.
“I’m trying to raise my children to be good, loving and gentle people,” she said. “There is a lot of hatred going on regarding race, color and religion. We are one big family regardless of all that.”
For more information, E-mail Sally Faal at hopeful4paradiseofdelight@yahoo.com. Rick Badie updates his Gwinnett blog Monday through Friday. His column appears on Saturdays in the print edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Readers may post comments online (www.ajc.com/gwinnett) or contact Badie directly. He may be reached at 770-263-3875 or E-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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Latest comments
This just in (from the Gwinnett Daily Post) Grand jury tells DA to investigate land deals “A Gwinnett grand jury has instructed the district attorney to investigate the county’s park land deals made in the past... read the full comment by Dumbfounded | Comment on Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal Read Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal
What a venomous handful we have here. For the one who called me stupid for my post yesterday. Yes it would be unrealistic to think the stadium would pay for itself in two years- my intent was to bet that you’d already see a clear trend of success.... read the full comment by bill | Comment on Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal Read Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal
Hey Cindy - Do you know where the SPLOST courthouse expansion is going to be? I just assumed if it was an expansion it would be adjacent to the current facility. Living close to downtown Lawrenceville, I would be interested to know.... read the full comment by Bud | Comment on Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal Read Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal
http://www.sabernomics.com/ This is the blogger that Rick is referencing. Personally, I think he “gets it” and why it’s relevant when a County Commissioner votes on a deal... read the full comment by Dumbfounded | Comment on Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal Read Kenerly didn't buy land months before stadium deal