DULUTH DOWNTOWN RENDERING: Here is a rendering of what part of downtown Duluth will look like in the future. The gray building at the left was at one time the First Baptist Church, and later Duluth City Hall. One of the features of this newly-designed area will be the location of Dreamland Barbecue, previously located in Peachtree Corners. Demolition work will be completed in mid-August, with the re-building of this part of downtown Duluth anticipated to be completed by February, 2015. The firm of Fabric Design of Decatur is the developers of the site.
IN THIS EDITION
TODAY’S FOCUS: County Seeking Applicants for Second “Gwinnett 101” Class
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Speaker Ralston Proposes Bill That Georgia Doesn’t Need
MYSTERY SOLVED: Flowers on Courthouse Square Were Misidentified
FEEDBACK: Vines Railroad Needs Volunteers; School Buses; Rapid Transit
UPCOMING: Career Fair in Norcross; Snellville Names New City Attorney
NOTABLE: Program Seeks Improved Medicine for Area; Watch for Summer Scams
RECOMMENDED READ: My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me by Jennifer Teege
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Blueberries Now Worth Multi-Millions in Georgia
TODAY’S QUOTE: Here’s What an Expert Says about the Adjective
MYSTERY PHOTO: Some confused “Little Mermaid” with last mystery
LAGNIAPPE: Great egret
TODAY’S FOCUS
County taking applications for second “Gwinnett 101” class
By Shaunieka Taste
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., July 14, 2015 | The Gwinnett Commissioners have launched a new local program, Gwinnett 101, aimed at developing and nurturing informed and engaged residents, students and business owners in the county. It is a 10-week crash course in Gwinnett County Government operations. The first class has been graduated, and officials are looking for applicants for a fall session.
The fall session begins September10. Classes will be held Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at locations throughout the county. Interested applicants must be at least 18 years old, a resident and/or business owner in Gwinnett or student at a Gwinnett college or university. Applications are available at www.gwinnett101.com and must be received by Friday, July 31 in order to participate in the fall session.
Recently persons completed the Gwinnett’s inaugural Gwinnett 101 class. Class members learned the ins and outs of their local government from a first-person perspective. The weekly sessions included an interactive history lesson conducted by Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage staff, an overview of the county’s budget process from Financial Services, the Tax Assessor and the Tax Commissioner, and a community planning session facilitated by Planning and Development.
In addition, class members toured the county’s F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center, the county’s state-of-the-art wastewater treatment center, and the Traffic Control Center, where staff members monitor busy intersections and corridors throughout the county and posts real-time traffic information on the website for motorists. Participants also performed a mock trial led by judges and participated in demonstrations led by the Fire and Emergency Services, Police, and Community Services departments.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash reports: “I am proud of the class members who chose to spend their personal time to take part in the academy and learn more about their county government. This program gives residents an opportunity to see first-hand how County government operates each and every day and provides an avenue to become more involved in their community.”
Community Outreach Director Nicole Love Hendrickson says: “These individuals were hand-selected to participate in the pilot session to give us constructive feedback on each of the classes to help us refine the bi-annual program. One of our goals for this academy is to improve the quality and quantity of civic participation by residents with an emphasis on underrepresented communities in local government, so we set out to select leaders from the many multicultural groups in Gwinnett County.”
Class member Jennifer Hendrickson says:, “The citizens academy is not only engaging and informative, it helps create a sense of ownership to our community and builds leaders for future volunteer positions within our government. I gained invaluable information and feel very proud to live in Gwinnett.”
- For more information, call Nicole Love Hendrickson at 770 822 8877 or via email.
Members of the first class include, front row from left,: Michelle West, Victor Dang, Leroy Sewell, Yanira Camacho, Sharon Sequeira, Brenda Lopez, Michelle LaLand, Meghna Bharucha, Chairman Charlotte Nash, Italia Metts and Shamika Battle-Packer; On the second row are District 2 Commissioner Lynette Howard, District 4 Commissioner John Heard, Nicole Love-Hendrickson, Antonio Molina, Jennifer Hendrickson, Reem Bajes and Tracy Proell; on the top row are Vivian Burell, Tugay Angay, Darel Duliman, Gary Bailey, Craig Newton, Latabia Woodward, Luis Montes, Lisa Burelson, Annie Davis, Kimberly Westbrooks, District 1 Commissioner Jace Brooks, District 3 Commissioner Tommy Hunter, and Paul Kelley. Not pictured is Gerri Smith.
EEB PERSPECTIVEGeorgia doesn’t need “protection” offered by Speaker Ralston
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
JULY 14, 2015 | Why do legislators think we need so much protection?
It seems that they are always modifying current law to protect us from that Boogerbear or that Devil? And the fact is that we often don’t need their help at being protected, for we already have more protection in our Bill of Rights and Constitution than most people in other countries of the world.
Yet legislators feel that they can re-write the law to give us more protection that we certainly need. We bet most of the Founding Fathers would be upset with many current “improvement” protections.
Now comes none other than Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, the Republican from Blue Ridge, anticipating that he will make sure that the pastors of Georgia have protections, which are already guaranteed them in the First Amendment. Lucky pastors!
What the speaker is seeking is to show that the Grand Old Party will protect pastors and their flocks, when these people don’t need further protection. In fact, we suspect that if such a wording was added to the Georgia Constitution, it would more likely erode protections, should a canny lawyer start snooping around in the nuances of such a bill.
Ralston
This is another case of a legislator, himself the chief House solon, trying his best to gain some personal advantage out of the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage. The good Speaker doesn’t want any pastor to be required to perform such a ceremony.
We don’t know anything about Speaker Ralston’s own religion, but we feel pastors already can make up their own mind as to who they will marry. And should they deny performing the vows for one couple, what would stop the couple from asking another minister to perform that rite? If the pastor doesn’t want to perform that ceremony, that seems to us to be his own right to refuse.
What the speaker is attempting is to jump into the fray where he, nor new laws, are not needed.
Look at the language of the overriding measure in this debate, the First Amendment to the Constitution. It says in 46 simple words:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Note the phrase: ““Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” That seems mighty straight-forward. It certainly reads to many people that Congress and our laws should stay out of the arena of religion and churches, and the next part “or the free exercise thereof” covers all sorts of activities within the church, including marriage.
You might also note that if someone feels harmed, they can petition the government, we presume through the courts, for a clarification of whatever harmed them. That’s redressing a grievance. Any pastor who someone might sue for not performing a marriage could counter-sue with these protections that the First Amendment ensures. (Even non-lawyers should understand this.)
We suspect that the gay marriage decision will soon subside, and most Americans will recognize it as the law of the land. That’s the route big court decisions usually take. It’s just the people who feel disjointed as such decisions that keep the conversation going on far too long. Right now that looks like that includes the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives.
MYSTERY SOLVEDCrack GwinnettForum investigative team solves mystery of flowers!
A mystery developed recently, which a crack GwinnettForum investigative team has chased down and solved! It all started when the Forum ran a beautiful picture of the Historic Gwinnett Courthouse in the background, with floral plantings in the foreground. The flowers, in the height of bloom, were identified as begonias.
First to respond was Gail Zarnik of Lilburn, saying: “The photo of the Lawrenceville old courthouse is indeed lovely, obviously taken by a fine photographer. But I am pretty sure those are not begonias. They are actually annual vinca — very beautiful and sun tolerant. Thank you for the stunning picture!”
That got the quest underway. Looking at the photo again, the GwinnettForum editor determined that they looked like impatiens to him.
With the puzzle still unsolved, came Sandy Moore of Gwinnett Parks and Recreation chiming in: “That is a beautiful photo Frank took of the vinca/periwinkles at the Gwinnett County Courthouse. They are not begonias.”
Then another message, from Sandy and Rick Krause of Lilburn: “Aren’t those New Guinea impatiens in the flower bed across from the old courthouse that Frank Sharp photographed? We don’t think they are begonias.”
By then we were worried. So we sent the photograph to Tim Daly, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, of the Gwinnett County Extension office.
And here is the answer to this Gwinnett mystery, or mid-identification from Tim: “These flowers are vinca, sometimes called periwinkles. Often they are confused with the perennial groundcover with blue flowers with the same name. However, these flowers are annuals meaning they last for only one season. They are durable plants that can tolerate the hot, dry conditions of our summers. Vinca can be planted in your home garden, and can be purchased from local garden centers. They need to be planted in soil that has had organic matter, such as peat moss, top soil, compost or similar material worked in it. They do not tolerate wet soils, so make sure they have adequate drainage.”
High-fives to all who contributed to get to the base of this mystery!
IN THE SPOTLIGHTGwinnett Braves
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today we shine our spotlight on the Gwinnett Braves of the Triple-A International League. They play at Coolray Field, located on Georgia Highway 20 just east of the Mall of Georgia. Come out and enjoy the family-friendly fun and kid-friendly activities of Minor League Baseball while also watching the future stars of the Atlanta Braves develop.
- Follow the Gwinnett Braves at GwinnettBraves.com, facebook.com/GwinnettBraves1 and twitter.com/GwinnettBraves.
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Vines Garden Railroad may close; desperately needs a few volunteers
Editor, the Forum:
Help! Volunteers are needed to keep the Vines Garden Railroad up and running!
It is with a heavy heart that I write this e-mail. Volunteers have been operating the Vines Garden Railroad since 2003. Recently only one volunteer with his 10 year old son were available to run trains at the Vines Garden Railroad at Vines Garden, near Loganville.
This attraction is the only garden railroad in the state of Georgia that is open and free to the public. It will be a shame to see it closed for lack of volunteers.
The need is great but the effort to keep it open is small. Only five volunteers are needed every other week to keep it open. This is in all likelihood the last effort that will ever be made to keep the Vines Garden Railroad open.
Your servant for the last 12 years with the railroad,
— Bob Giselbach, Buford
Wants signs to do a better job of educating about school bus stops
Editor, the Forum:
And while we are speaking of roads…consider school bus stops and when to stop for a school bus. Divided highways with medians or with raised medians. The county school board has spent tens of thousands of dollars for on-board cameras. These cameras are good at catching people, but not educating them.
To me the simple answer (I know, we are talking about politicians) is to put up “school bus stop ahead” signs (less expensive than cameras) at a majority of the school bus stops. The board knows where most of these stops are and they don’t change very often.
Now, the education part: on this sign a second sign below the first sign could read. “Traffic must stop in both directions or Traffic must stop in one direction”. Or whatever makes the most sense.
This would reinforce peoples understanding of the law regarding when to stop. People have to be reminded of these laws. Signs are inexpensive and they are up 24/7. People will see this on a daily bases and at some point in time some of this might sink in…
— Steve Jones, Peachtree Corners
Dear Steve: We hear you, but where were you a year ago (or more) when the cameras were first discussed? Afraid now that the expenditure has been made, it’s too late. And there are 52,000 bus stops in the county, according to the Gwinnett Department of Transportation. The cameras will do their own education of those who have to pay a fine for passing illegally, don’t you suspect?–eeb
Likes idea of running rapid transit up above the Interstates
Editor, the Forum:
Steve Jones, Peachtree Corners: you are brilliant for your suggestion of using the Interstates for rapid transit.
Using existing expressways and highways is a great solution to public transportation. The state already owns the property. I think Steve’s idea would be much more cost efficient than purchasing additional land and prepping it for construction. I don’t know if the two HOV lanes and the center median would provide enough space for the rail system, but it would certainly go a long way in the territory needed.
Turning the various Park and Ride sites into the stations would use already owned property. I am sure more land would need to be acquired, but expansion on owned property would be cheaper than purchasing all new land for every station.
Let me suggest that Steve Jones submit your idea to all the agencies involved in transportation expansion.
— Marlene Ratledge Buchanan, Snellville
Send us a letter. We encourage readers to submit feedback (or letters to the editor). Send your thoughts to the editor at elliott@brack.net. We will edit for length and clarity. Make sure to include your name and the city where you live. Submission of a comment grants permission for us to reprint. Please keep your comments to 300 words or less. However, we will consider longer articles (no more than 500 words) for featuring in Today’s Issue as space allows.
UPCOMINGNinth career fair July 16 at Norcross First United Methodist Church
The Georgia Department of Labor’s (GDOL) Gwinnett Career Center, along with Norcross First United Methodist Church and the Norcross Cooperative Ministries, will co-sponsor the ninth annual CareerFest Expo Thursday, July 16. The expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 2500 Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross.
The expo will feature more than 50 employers, educational institutions and resource agencies that provide assistance to job seekers. The employers will be hiring or discussing future employment opportunities, while other organizations will provide educational and other resources. Applicants should bring plenty of resumes and be prepared to fill out company applications and interview for available jobs. The GDOL staff will be available to critique resumes for the job seekers. Attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately to improve their opportunities for jobs.
The expo will also feature a workshop conducted by Tamika Condé, AARP project director, which will focus on issues facing job seekers over the age of 50. Also, there will be a workshop on interviewing skills.
- For more information about the expo, contact Ozzie Montalvo at the Gwinnett Career Center at (770) 840-2200, or at Osvaldo.montalvo@gdol.ga.gov.
City attorney for Snellville is from the Atlanta office of Alabama firm
The Atlanta office of Balch and Bingham LLP, has been named Snellville city attorney by Mayor Kelly Kautz. Christopher S. Anulewicz, a partner in the firm, has been assigned to the city. Among the partners in the firm is the former Attorney General of Georgia, Mike Bowers.
Anuleqicz
Balch and Bingham, based in Birmingham, Ala., which lists government affairs as one of its specialties, replaces Tony Powell after a recent Supreme Court ruling clarifying mayoral authority to appoint and remove the city attorney.
Anulewicz said he will be assisted by others in his office including Righton Johnson and Josh Moore.
Anulewicz was Law Clerk to Judge William M. Acker, Jr., of the Northern District of Alabama. He is a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary. He is a member of the bar of Georgia and Virginia.
- For more information on Balch and Bingham LLP, visit www.balch.com.
New program seeks to bring better medicine to northeast Georgia
A new pathway to medical school is encouraging students to practice medicine in northeast Georgia. The Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Ga.-PCOM) in Suwanee is partnering with Foothills Area Health Education Center of Gainesville in this program.
The 31 counties of the medical district.
Foothills is a community-driven, non-profit organization serving northeast Georgia to partner with communities to recruit, train, and retain health care professionals and to improve their supply and distribution in medically underserved areas. Its ultimate goal is to improve the health of citizens in 31 counties of Northeast Georgia.
Joining the Georgia Regents University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, GA-PCOM collaborates as one of the program’s medical school affiliates. Foothills’ summer program aims to encourage prospective medical students to return to northeast Georgia to practice medicine once they become doctors.
Modeled after a Southwest Georgia long-established program, Foothills Pathway to Med School Program is a 160-hour structured residential experience where students will participate in clinical shadowing, practice-based community research and gain mentoring from local physicians and direct instruction on applying to medical school. Ga.-PCOM, which offers a range of health-related degree programs, will host the students on July 14 as one of the program’s medical school campus visits.
The Pathway to Med School Program is geared specifically toward undergraduate, pre-med college students in northeast Georgia who are interested in becoming generalist physicians. Generalist physicians complete broad training in specialties such as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB-GYN and general surgery. The four-week program, which began July 6 and concludes July 31, will enhance students’ understanding of the medical profession, offer experiences that will increase their chance of acceptance into medical school and provide exposure to generalist physician practice and the medical community.
Remember: Summer is the time for scams to warm up and get you
Summer is a great time to take that long-overdue vacation or make much-needed home repairs, but as the weather heats up, so do scams. The Better Business Bureau of Atlanta is warning consumers about these popular summer scams.
Don’t let a scam ruin your vacation. Fake travel agents and websites are known for touting too-good-to-be-true deals in the hopes of getting your money in return. Whether it’s a fake timeshare rental or a falsely promised Disney vacation, don’t let a vacation scam take you for a ride.
Keep your belongings safe during your move. Summer is the peak time of year for changing residencies, and unlicensed movers and dishonest scammers are waiting to take advantage of the busy season.
Beware of summer concert ticket scams. Before paying for concert tickets online, make sure the seller is reputable. Oftentimes, phony sellers will trick consumers into wiring money with no intention of sending real tickets. Most concert venues now allow ticket holders to print tickets from personal computers, which also gives scammers the opportunity to sell the same ticket over and over to unsuspecting consumers.
Be wary of high pressure door-to-door sales tactics. Many legitimate companies use door-to-door sales, and various city ordinances regulate solicitors to protect residents from unscrupulous individuals. However, consumers need to watch for individuals who try to work their way around the system to line their pockets.
Beware of job scams that can turn a hot summer cold. Finding summer employment is a top priority for most college and high school students. Don’t let the seasonal job hunt turn into a huge waste of time and money. Always be wary of employers who require fees for training and background checks, or who tout “no experience needed.” BBB considers these red flags for employment scams. Make sure any offer is legitimate by checking bbb.org first.
Click to see a larger image of this photo.
Cadillac of sidewalk art lights up Gwinnett Art Fest in Lawrenceville
Roving Photographer Frank Sharp visited the 3-D chalk Street Art put on by the Gwinnett Art Fest in Lawrenceville recently. He reports: “What a sight ! This pink Cadillac was created by Atlanta Artist Katie Bush which was by far the best I saw. It was a chalk rendition of Elvis Presley’s pink Cadillac, pointing to the play “Memphis” which will be performed at the Aurora Theater in Lawrenceville later this month.”
RECOMMENDEDMy Grandfather Would Have Shot Me
A book by Jennifer Teege
One day Jennifer Teege picked up a book in a library in Hamburg Germany, I Have to Love My Father Don’t It? written by Monika Goeth. This was her mother’s name! Looking inside the book she found pictures of her grandmother and grandfather, the master of the Plaszow Concentration Camp…Amon Goeth! This event in a library was the beginning of the author’s research of her family’s Nazi past. The author relates her horror which propels her into depression. Slowly and inexorably she pulls together all the loose tendrils of her existence. This was a difficult read but so worth the effort. It brings a personal resonance to the horrors of a time past and helps the reader to understand that the effects of that time live on generations after the events. One weeps with and cheers Jennifer Teege’s courage, humility and willingness to open wounds to build understanding of a time we must never revisit.
The full title is My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family’s Nazi Past.
— Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain
An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (100 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. –eeb
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBITBlueberry raising now multi-million dollar endeavor in Georgia
(Continued from previous edition)
The combined current economic value of horticulture is more than $2.4 billion. The vegetable segment is by far the fastest growing and the largest, representing more than $635 million in farm gate value (the value of a product when it leaves the growing site), a 63-fold increase over the last 30 years. The fruit and nut segment of the industry produces pecans, peaches, and other fruits, which generate more than $210 million in farm gate value.
Perhaps most visible to the average citizen, the greenhouse and nursery segment is also growing rapidly, along with housing starts, large chain home-improvement stores, and an awakened interest in gardening. The farm gate value for greenhouse, nursery, and turf production is well over $516 million annually. The horticultural service industry, which represents retail florists, lawn care services, and landscaping and garden centers, generates more than $1 billion annually. Overall, the horticulture industry has expanded 15-fold since 1970, making it one of the few consistently profitable segments of agriculture in Georgia, and one in which even small family-owned businesses can still thrive. Georgia’s excellent airports and highways make it possible to ship products worldwide.
The diversity and profitability of Georgia horticulture continues as many crops are emerging that promise to bring sustainable incomes to the state’s farmers.
For example, the blueberry industry was almost nonexistent in the 1970s, but since the discovery of sandy, acidic soils in south Georgia, it has become a multimillion-dollar endeavor. Carrots are emerging as an important crop in southeastern Georgia, where the soils are perfect for production of high-quality specialty carrots. Vidalia onions are a good example of how farmers were able to capitalize on the unusually low sulfur content of some southeastern Georgia soils to produce and market a mild onion that does not bring tears to the eyes. New crops such as wine grapes, Christmas trees, and native plants for landscape use are also appearing in north Georgia.
(To be continued)
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Many confused statue photo with “The Little Mermaid”
Do the steps, the brick, the steeple and even naked branches of the tree give you a clue as to where this might be? If you have a hunch of its location, send along to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include you hometown.
THE LAST MYSTERY PHOTO didn’t fool some of GwinnettForum readers. Last week’s mystery photo was taken July 25 by Bob Foreman of Grayson. It is known as “Girl in a Wetsuit” at Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Several readers confused this statue with that of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark.
First to make the identification was Ruthy Lachman Paul of Norcross. Then came Ross Lenhart of Pawleys Island, S.C., saying: “That is ‘The Girl in the Wetsuit’ in Vancouver, Canada”.
From Kaiserlauten, Germany, Larry Zani said: “Your current mystery photo is the Mermaid statue in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. Note that she here is wearing the jersey of the Canadian team from the recent Women’s World Cup.”
Roy Holman of Snellville identified the photo, adding that the “statue on the north side of Stanley Park overlooking Vancouver ‘harbour.’; I initially thought it might be “the little mermaid” in Denmark, but the mountains in the background ruled that out.” Mary Swint of Lawrenceville added to the conversation saying that the harbor is in “the Strait of Georgia off the Pacific Ocean. It is known as Burrard Inlet.”
LAGNIAPPEStill around
This Great White Egret is still around at Rhodes-Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. Roving Photographer Frank Sharp says: “I was fortunate this morning in seeing a Great White Egret (also known as an American Egret or Common Egret) on my morning walk. It was on the shoreline off the main boardwalk at Rhodes-Jordan Park. This is a most elegant and graceful bird that was almost hunted to extinction in the early 1800s. After an outcry from the early conservation groups, it was made a protected specie.”
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