This group of 11 men and women gathered at the Braselton Clinic in southern Hall County to talk about their unique perspectives on community life.

It is no surprise, given the rapid rate of growth in South Hall, that issues of growth, development and infrastructure dominate their priorities.

These residents chose to live in South Hall primarily for quality of life reasons. The area is convenient. It is pretty. There are lakes and recreation nearby. They also express frustration about traffic, crowded schools, the inconvenience of construction. As one put it, " I moved from Roswell to get away from the traffic, but the traffic followed." Yet these residents like where they live.

The approval of a new hospital for the South Hall area is a major development in the minds of these residents. They see the need for more doctors and a convenient emergency room to serve the growing population.

These residents feel they have adequate access to health services, but it is not always easy to get to. Older participants look forward to the arrival of specialists, such as heart specialists, in the area. They would also like to see the development of urgent care to deal with minor medical issues.

Several participants talked about how long it takes to get to the emergency room in Gainesville. They are looking forward to an option nearby, but they hope it will not be as crowded as other, typical hospital emergency rooms. "The wait is ridiculous, " said one. "It’s because the ER is filled with people who are there because they don’t have insurance."

That comment very quickly moved the discussion to issues of health insurance coverage. While most in the room were covered by insurance, some were not. Two in the room were employers who said they wished they could provide health insurance for their employees, but they could not afford it. "I’ve looked at it almost every year, but I can’t afford it," one woman said.

When asked how many of them have had difficulties related to health insurance within the past few years, about half raised their hands. Common problems include hospitals or doctors dropping their insurance and rising insurance expenses.

Despite gated neighborhoods and the trappings of suburban life, several in the South Hall group said they see evidence of gang activity in their area. They have noticed graffiti, and they have heard stories from area high schools.

That there would be problems with gangs and crime in an area like South Hall surprises some, but most see it as an unavoidable symptom of modern life.

A number of stories were told about guns in schools and gang disturbances, although no one in the group had any personal relationship to any other these reported events. But residents are concerned about potential problems with crime and gang violence in the future.

The same problems of youth risky behavior that alarm other areas of the county are also issues in South Hall. Parents are concerned and would like to see schools, parents and churches more involved in addressing these problems proactively.

Participants are concerned that too many parents are too busy or too disinterested to get involved in the lives of their children or their schools. As one woman put it, even stay-at-home moms don’t want to get involved.

Many in this group long for a return to traditional family values, and call for a more active role by churches in the schools and in the lives of families. A few saw problems with that approach, however.

One participant, a pastor, pointed out that he spends time each week visiting in prisons and working with men who are violent, suffering from alcohol addiction, drug addiction and gambling addiction. He said, "Government has no problem letting me into the prisons. I wish I had the same access to the schools that I have to the prisons."

Those in the South Hall group see education of students and parents as potential solutions. They are not confident that schools alone can respond to the challenge. They see a need for a community-wide response that involves government, faith-based organizations, schools and parents working together.

The fast pace of life and the influx of new residents means that those in South Hall struggle to connect with the community. Out of this group of 11, only two participants said they know their neighbors. Some are active in their children’s schools and some are active in churches, but that’s about it.

When it comes to immigration, a top-of-mind issue for many in the county, this group expresses a welcoming tone. Many see immigrant families living in South Hall as simply part of the community, well assimilated and established. Latino families living in South Hall are not perceived within this group as transient or as outsiders.

South Hall dwellers have no central source of news and information about the community. There is no one newspaper or media resource from which they learn about life and events in Hall County.

To improve Hall County in the future, those in the South Hall group would like to see emphasis on resources for children and a more thoughtful approach to development.

For children, South Hall parents want to focus on developing and maintaining safe schools that are free of drugs and worries about violence. They would also like to see development of more parks, recreation areas and walking trails for use by South Hall families.

They would like to see more family education, and more awareness of how to prevent and discourage youth obesity and youth risky behavior.

South Hall residents know that further development of their area is unavoidable, but they hope for a slowing down and a more thoughtful approach. They would like to see developers be more sensitive to improving areas surrounding their developments and providing infrastructure that supports the fast-growing population.