‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Too Racy for Gwinnett Libraries

Book deemed to be “out of scope” for the Gwinnett County Library Collection.

While you may find most New York Times bestsellers at the Peachtree Corners Library, there are three you will not find. “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” -- currently numbers one through three on the New York Times bestseller fiction list -- are not part of the Gwinnett County Public Library’s (GCPL) collection.  Deborah George, the division director for materials management at GCPL, explained the wildly popular books by E. L. James are “out of scope.” The trilogy, referred to by some critics as “mommy porn,” is a series of erotic novels about the relationship between college student Anastasia Steele and businessman Christian Grey -- a man with a unique sexual appetite. “Our collection development plan …

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Smoltz To Appear at Coolray in May

The former Atlanta Braves pitcher will be signing copies of his new book.

Another Atlanta Braves icon will be appearing at Coolray Field soon. John Smoltz, former pitching star who could earn a spot in the Hall of Fame, will be signing copies of his book on Friday, May 25, 6-7:30 p.m. It is part of the Gwinnett Public Library Meet the Author series. "Smoltzie" has joined the author circuit with his book "Starting and Closing: Perseverance, Faith and One More Year." “It’s wonderful that the library can help welcome back John Smoltz as he begins a new chapter in his amazing career, this time as a best-selling author,”  Gwinnett County Public Library Executive Director Nancy Stanbery-Kellam said in a news release.  “We love when we can bring both history and new beginnings to our community in unexpected places.  …

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Barefoot Opens With 'Carnivale'

Gala occurs Friday. Visual and performing arts festival on Duluth Town Green continues Saturday and Sunday, May 5 & 6.

  The Barefoot in the Park Fine Arts Market will launch with a “Carnevale” Gala at 7 p.m. Friday, May 4, on Duluth’s Town Green. The gala will include entertainment, a silent auction, and food and wine. A special performance by Atlanta’s “Dance Truck” on the Duluth Festival Stage accompanied by Duluth’s “Zephyr Instrumental” will open the festivities. Dance Truck will premiere a “Barefoot Dance” created for the occasion. Zephyr will introduce a new musical work later in the evening. The gala also will feature Pulp Fashion II, a collection of fashions created from repurposed books, magazines and newspapers by Gwinnett Public Library branches. The fashion show will follow the Dance Truck performance on the festival stage. Tickets for the …

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A Guide to the Blossom Garden Tour

Master Gardener Julie Foster lists all the noteworthy gardens to tour in Norcross this year.

  Blossoms are everywhere, including Historic Norcross.  Come join the celebration of spring gardening during the Blossom Garden event on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event includes plant sales, garden art, garden-related workshops and open houses hosted by the downtown merchants. Best of all, there will be a free garden tour! There are six gardens featured on the free self-guided tour. Visitors can begin at the Norcross Garden Club where they can shop at the Club’s spring plant sale and pick up a map of the gardens on tour.   --- Gardens to tour for ideas you’ll love:  Norcross Garden Club, 33 College Street Pick up your map and visit the Garden Club plant sale.  The Norcross garden club was founded in 1958. The members …

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Carol's Corner

Norcross High Players Present the Wizard of Oz

The school's orchestra theater group performs the timeless classic for kids of all ages and the orchestra will provide the music for the show.

Starting Wednesday, on April 25-29, the cowardly lion, tin man, scarecrow and of course Dorothy and assorted witches, munchkins and monkeys, will all be gathered to entertain us with the delightful family musical The Wizard of Oz. The Norcross Players will be doing the RCS version of the play which is much like the film.  We are all familiar with this classic children’s story brought to our attention most famously by the 1939 film version of the musical The Wizard of Oz. Both the 1939 movie and the stage play first produced in 1902 are based on the children’s novel written by L. Frank Baum and published in 1900. Imagine how pleased he would be that 112 years later his work is still going strong.  Gina Parrish, theatre director at Norcross …

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Interior Design Tips and Ideas by Jennie

Energize Your Home With Tangerine

Use the popular color as an accent to brighten up a room.

By now, most of us have noticed the influx of fashions and home décor items in the Pantone Color of 2012, Tangerine Tango. According to Pantone, this zesty red-orangey color “will provide the energy boost we need to recharge, move forward, and burn up any of the fog from the gloomy economy. "Being a spirited reddish-orange it is sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive. It reminds us of a glorious sunset, which will instantly melt everyone’s hearts. Tangerine combines the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red, with the friendliness and warmth of yellow.”    The psychology of Tangerine is something most all of us could use these days.    It represents enthusiasm, encouragement, stimulation and creativity. Tangerine is …

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Norcross High Art Students Win Competitions

The Blue Devils' Art Department has been busy this spring preparing for the Student Art Show and working hard on a community service project.

Not too long ago, Lisa Sharpe, Gwinnett County Recreation Program Supervisor, contacted the Norcross High School Art Department to ask them to help with a new county project. “We were preparing some corn hole games for special events throughout the county and also for a Corn Hole for Fun event coming up on April 28th," said Sharpe. "When we asked Martha Cook, the department head, if some students could paint the games they were all too willing to help out."  The five corn hole games were painted by the Norcross High School La Voz Art Club and the National Art Honor Society. "We are extremely proud of the work our students have done on this community service project," said Cook. "They put in a lot of hours and worked very hard.” Students …

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Artifacts of Titanic 100-year-Anniversary on Display

Atlanta is one of eight cities chosen to host an exhibition with artifacts recovered from the Titanic on the 100-year anniversary of the tragic sinking of the ship.

One hundred years ago this week the sinking of the RMS Titanic began. By the morning of April 15, 1912, the boat was resting on the bottom of the ocean. To commemorate the 100-year Anniversary of this tragic event, Premier Exhibitions Inc and RMS Titanic Inc. will host The Artifact Exhibition in eight cities around the country – Atlanta is one of the cities chosen. According to a press release, the exhibition will feature more than 200 artifacts, 100 of which were recently conserved and displayed for the first time. Exhibition Highlights include: This will be the last occasion for many of these items to be seen because they will be sold on auction in New York on Aug. 11. Exhibition details: WHERE: Premier Exhibition Center, Atlantic …

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Spanish Comedy at Aurora Theatre

The laugh-out-loud production will be in Spanish with English subtitles.

The Aurora Theatre will feature a Spanish-language production this week called "El Insólito Caso de Miss Piña Colada." As part of the theatre's Teatre del Sol's initiative, "The Preposterous Case of Miss Piña Colada" is a screwball comedy about the mishaps of a poor widow named Ofelia and her family, according to a statement from the theatre company. She enters her daughter, Loreley, into the Miss Piña Colada pageant to be crowned queen. Ofelia believes the win would help her regain some luster in society, so she goes to the extreme to help Loreley win the beauty pageant. Ofelia does everything from pawning items to warding off debt collectors. The Teatro del Sol is a Spanish-language theatre initiative that was founded by Aurora Theatre's…

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