ON PERIL LIST: The historic Norcross Woman’s Club is one of two Gwinnett sites on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation list of “Places in Peril” in 2016. For more on this story, see Upcoming below.
IN THIS EDITION
TODAY’S FOCUS: Majority of Gwinnett Citizens Now Favor Public Transit
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Unrest in Midwest Could Be Changing College Football
ANOTHER VIEW: Wants Change in the U.S. Constitution for “Fairer Representation”
FEEDBACK: We’re Rewarded with Three Letters for Readers Today
UPCOMING: Two Gwinnett Properties Named as “Places in Peril” by Historic Trust
NOTABLE: GGC Dedicates Military Success Center in Memory of Deborah Reato
RECOMMENDED READ: Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels: How Human Values Evolve by Ian Morris
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Christopher Murphy Jr. Prominent Artist For Years in Savannah
TODAY’S QUOTE: Why Voting Just Doesn’t Make Any Difference
MYSTERY PHOTO: What a Beautiful Photograph of a Harbor Town!
LAGNIAPPE: Vines Park Wins International Award for Grounds Maintenance
TODAY’S FOCUSRecent study shows Gwinnett majority wants public transit
By Joel Wascher
NORCROSS, Ga., Nov. 13, 2015 | The Gr8 Exchange on Transportation, one of the largest ever transportation studies focused on public input process undertaken in a single week, showed that Gwinnett residents are ready to talk about different options when it comes to their transportation network.
Wascher
When asked, “In an ideal world, how would you like to get around? Some 55 percent of total responses chose transit as the only mode they would like to utilize or included it as a portion of their desired transportation network.
In another question where survey participants were asked if they could wave a magic wand and change one thing in Gwinnett, the most popular response was either transit expansion or improvements to the existing transit system (37 percent).
Other findings in the Gr8 Exchange include:
- Respondents prioritize convenience over cost (50 percent of responses vs. 9 percent).
- The most desired outcome of transportation improvements is lowering commute time at 49 percent with access to local destinations following at 34 percent.
- A total of 84 percent of respondents live in Gwinnett County. Some 36 percent of respondents live in Gwinnett, but work in another county.
- The full report can be viewed here.
Chuck Warbington, executive director for the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District, says: “The input process we utilized for the Gr8 Exchange were by no means scientific, but the results mirror numerous other recent polls that have been conducted. The CID worked hard to bring diverse stakeholders to the table to ensure that the results were a true reflection of the community.”
The Gr8 Exchange took place the week of August 24 as thousands of Gwinnett residents and workers shared their views on the current state of Gwinnett’s transportation network and what investments they’d like to see in the future. A total of 4,000 individuals provided just under 40,000 unique responses via the Gr8 Exchange survey.
The results extended well beyond the survey participation. The goal of this initiative was to engage local residents and employees in a conversation about transportation. Many did not necessarily complete the survey, but did participate in other ways.
Just under 100 individual events were held in association with the Gr8 Exchange; ranging from telephone, town halls meetings and formal city presentations to small group conversations at local cafes..
Warbington adds: “We will deliver these results to local, state and federal transportation partners to help them better understand the priorities of Gwinnett’s citizens. In addition, Gwinnett County will soon be seeking public input for their long range transportation plan and we encourage individuals who participated in the Gr8 Exchange to carry the passion and ideas they exhibited into that planning process.”
EEB PERSPECTIVEUnrest in the Midwest and how the modern day is changing football
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
NOV. 13, 2015 | Take any given Saturday in the fall. It demonstrates how instilled college football is in our country. Many people plan their entire fall Saturdays on the basis of where their favorite college football team is playing.
Though years ago many thought the arrival of televised football would hurt actual attendance at stadiums, just the opposite is true. Stadiums remain full, while television has greatly expanded interest in football.
There appears to be plenty of students and young graduates to demand tickets for the limited seats, plus plenty of graduates paying their alumni dues in hopes of moving up each year to better seats. The best seats are still held to the key (meaning good contributors) alumni, a way to swell the ever-growing football purse.
While others lament the impact of football on the overall university campus, still, football and other sports flourish on campuses all across the country. There has even been realization in recent years that football can improve campus life at smaller colleges, and that alumni will pay most of that cost. Note the revival of football at Mercer, LaGrange, Shorter and Reinhardt in Georgia, and at many other smaller schools throughout the nation.
This week we saw another incidence of the power of football, in a way that perplexed many. It showed what could happen when a weakness on many college campuses is combined with football and social media. In unrest in the Mid-West, the president and the chancellor of the University of Missouri resigned in the face of a growing racial threat to the University. Problems on that campus were not new; the unrest had been simmering for weeks this fall and before.
That it took place in Missouri most probably is because a major racial problem has been exposed in that state this year after the shooting of a black person by a white policeman. Recriminations continue from that incident, which may be the weakness of that’s state’s efforts to foster good relations between the races. Pent-up frustrations lead to wider incidents, as we have already learned time and time again.
There may be a positive side to the Missouri football incident. What seemed to spring the situation forward was a threatened boycott of the black players on the Mizzou’s football team and other students of this weekend’s game with Brigham Young University. Even the football coach was on board with this strategy.
The upside is that the resignation of these two top University of Missouri officials, which the black football players and other students called for, came in a non-violent manner. At least there was no major outbreak of violence, as it was in Ferguson, Mo. Yet the causes of the uprising still must be addressed, and may take years to calm the situation.
On a local note, the voices of social media are also taking on a football icon here in Georgia, as more and more people are asking questions about the football program at the University of Georgia, and its coach Mark Richt. It started several years back when UGA football players continued to make negative headlines in criminal behavior. It now seems to be focused not on the overall Georgia football winning record, but more on Richt’s inability to win games against key opponents and deliver a higher ranking for the team.
It is really ironic to think that as big as college football is, some of its programs can be significantly changed by student unrest and uprisings, coupled with social media, and all done non-violently. Perhaps we can look at this as a blessing of the modern world.
ANOTHER VIEWWants change in the U.S. Constitution for “fairer representation”
By George Wilson
NOV. 13, 2015 | When the Constitution was being written, it became necessary to make an important concession to the smaller states by giving them the same number of Senatorial positions as the larger states.
The smaller states feared domination by the larger states. Therefore, this was a compromise to get them to ratify the Constitution.
Now the question has to be asked in the 21st century, was this a “poison pill” that today will impede the continual development of a true representative democracy in the United States? Does this Constitutional arrangement contribute to stagnation, gridlock, and a weakening of this legislative institution? Does this enhance the “legalized bribery” of elections by special interest groups and the wealthy oligarchy? Does this contribute to the apathy and cynicism of the electorate?
The population of California is 38,041,430 and the population of Wyoming is 576, 412. They both get two senators. Is that fair or representative?
The total populations of California, Texas, and New York are about 84 million or 28 percent of the total population of the United States, and they get six senators. The population of Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming total less than two million, they have six senators.
Four states have populations lower than Gwinnett County, yet they have eight U.S. senators. Undoubtedly, the issue is now one of fairness to the majority.
We must never forget that the path to “a more perfect union” is a continual process. Reforms are also needed in the drawing of Congressional districts to minimize gerrymandering. Moreover, we must eliminate big money in our politics, if the republic is to survive. Finally, the Constitution of the United States isn’t so sacred that it can’t be changed, to make it even more perfect.
* * * *
Dear George: First, Gwinnett is now larger than six states, not four, and only 20,000 short of passing Delaware. You leave out one important element about Senate representation: geography. That’s why the compromise came about. That throws a vastly different light on the way we select our Congressional delegates.–eeb
IN THE SPOTLIGHTHoward Brothers Hardware
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Howard Brothers, marking its 60th year in 2015, which has retail stores in Alpharetta, Doraville, Duluth and Oakwood. John and Doug Howard are the ‘brothers’ in Howard Brothers. This family owned business was started by their dad, and continues to specialize in hardware, outdoor power equipment and parts and service. Howard Brothers are authorized dealers of STIHL, Exmark, Honda and Echo outdoor power equipment. They are authorized Big Green Egg and Traeger Grill dealers and have recently become an authorized YETI Cooler dealer.
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Likes what she sees in changes in Gwinnett Library System
Editor, the Forum:
Dick Goodman and the entire Gwinnett County Library System Board — along with Director Charles Pace — deserve huge thanks for re-establishing a strong, useful resource for all county residents (“Chairman outlines recent improvements in Gwinnett Public Library,” November 10 issue).
At the conclusion of the Engage Gwinnett process, designed to help deal with the effects of the recent great recession, the library system appeared to be in a pretty dismal state in nearly every area imaginable. Now, as exemplified by this article, the board is fostering an open atmosphere concerning the administration of the library –– a breath of fresh air very different from the past.
The accomplishments of the last three or so years, as noted in the report, not only restored services and cuts, but have moved the system into the 21st century by implementing changes that actually meet the needs of today’s residents of many ages and backgrounds. The current board and director have brought this system a long way in a very few years! There’s much to be positive about here.
— Carol Hassell, Suwanee, member of Engage Gwinnett Citizens Committee
Local elections impact Gwinnett directly, and need more people voting
Editor, the Forum:
Thank you for highlighting voter apathy. This has been a concern of mine for years. So many eligible voters participate in a presidential elections only and ignore the fact that local election outcomes directly impact their lives daily. They should consider that the privilege of voting allows us to have a say in how we are governed.
— Margaret Thurman, Lawrenceville
Takes exception with 2 plans of Huckabee (Rausch) comments
Editor, the Forum:
Steve Rausch’s letter to GwinnettForum seems to indicate support for eight of Governor Huckabee’s political goals. I would like to take exception to two of them.
First, “Abolish the IRS and pass the FairTax”. The IRS does not enact the federal tax laws; Congress does. The IRS merely enforces them. Abolishing the IRS only means Congress would have to establish another enforcement agency. The so-called FairTax is typically a flatter-rate, more regressive tax than the current income tax.
It would hit middle class and low-income Americans harder than upper income Americans. That does not seem very fair to me. Under the current, progressive income tax structure, the top five percent of upper income Americans pay about 50 percent of the income tax. Are Governor Huckabee and Mr. Rausch suggesting spreading about 45 percent of the income tax burden back over the remaining 95 percent of American taxpayers? These suggested changes do not seem very well thought out.
Second, “End the Department of Education”. Perhaps ending the DoE would “Kill Common Core and restore common sense.” However, I would prefer to see American voters elect members of Congress and a president who would work to change the DoE’s emphasis on Common Core, and what I consider excessive testing of students, and to emphasize traditional modes of educating our children.
— Michael L. Wood, Peachtree Corners
- SEND FEEDBACK AND LETTERS: elliott@brack.net
Two Gwinnett properties named as “Places in Peril” by Historic Trust
Two Gwinnett County properties have been named “Places in Peril” by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. There are altogether 10 places in the state that have made the 2016 list.
- For the full list, go to this link.
The two Gwinnett place in Gwinnett are the Norcross Woman’s Club Library and the Hudson-Nash House and Cemetery in Lilburn.
The Norcross Woman’s Club was founded in 1905 by civic-minded women involved with the National Library Movement. The women approached various businessmen and philanthropists for donations to support the construction of a library building. By 1921, enough funds were raised to construct the first library in Gwinnett County. After it grew to 24,000 books in circulation and 1,400 registered members. In 1971, the library was relocated to a new building.
The Norcross Woman’s Club has retained ownership of the building, but they struggle with the building’s continual maintenance needs, as well as finding a sustainable use for the building. The building is on North Peachtree Street in a prime location for development. The city has rejected proposals for a historic preservation ordinance, leaving the library even more vulnerable to development, the Trust says.
The second property was owned by Thomas P. Hudson, who was a Georgia legislator in the 1850s and 1860s, moved his family from South Carolina to Gwinnett County in 1839. There he purchased 542 acres and built a Plantation Plain Style house with folk Victorian elements. Other structures on the property served as a post office, general store, and a small school for residents of the nearby Yellow River community. Hudson allowed a local guard group to practice on his property and provided his community with food and necessities during the Civil War. A family cemetery is maintained adjacent to the rear of the house, and contains gravesites for Hudson, his family and slaves.
The original 542-acre tract has been divided, and most it has been developed over the years. The privately owned and poorly maintained Hudson-Nash House and the Hudson family cemetery are threatened by encroaching development. Alternatives are being sought in order to preserve the historic structures and five acres of property that remain.
Gwinnett libraries offering “Let’s Talk” program for English practice
Gwinnett County Public Library’s Let’s Talk, an English conversational program for speakers of other languages, has become a valuable resource in one of the Southeast’s most diverse counties.
Mountain Park branch manager Robyn Saint-Paen explains: “The goal of the program is to allow library customers the opportunity to practice their English speaking and listening skills in a comfortable, informal, and supportive environment.”
Let’s Talk began as Spanish Talk Night at the Buford branch in 2006 and has expanded to seven more branches to currently serve eight communities around the county.
Library staff, after attending annual training seminars, act as facilitators for the program and gently guide each session as conversations develop among the participants.
Sonia Lopez, who attended two recent sessions at the Centerville branch, lauds the program. “Both were excellent,” she said. “For me, I will need 30 more minutes because one hour is too short.”
Current future sessions are planned at the following locations:
- Monday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Lilburn Branch Library.
- Monday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Buford-Sugar Hill Branch.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 10: 30 a.m. at Lawrenceville Branch.
- Wednesday, 18 at 1 p.m. at Hamilton Mill Branch.
- Wednesday, 18 at 4 p.m. at Centerville Branch.
- Wednesday, 18 at 5 p.m. at Collins Hill Branch.
- Thursday, 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Norcross Branch.
- Thursday, 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Duluth Branch.
- Future times and locations for Let’s Talk can be found at www.gwinnettpl.org.
GGC dedicates Military Success center in memory of Deborah Reato
Georgia Gwinnett College had a ribbon-cutting celebrating the opening of its Military and Veterans Success Center and to dedicate an honor wall in memory of Deborah Reato, the college’s first director of Veterans Success.
At the ribbon-cutting of the GGC Military and Veterans Success Center are John Maison, president of the GGC student organization Coalition of Veteran Engagement, Readiness and Trust; Dr. Stas Preczewski, GGC president; Dr. Lois C. Richardson, provost; Aizaz Shaick, GGC student volunteer; Dr. David Snow, director of Military Affairs with the University System of Georgia; and Paul Reato, representative of the family of Deborah Reato.
Reato, who passed away earlier this year after a battle with cancer, had worked at Georgia Gwinnett since 2011. She was responsible for developing and managing GGC’s Office of Veterans Success, a division of the college’s Office of Enrollment Management.
At the ceremony, GGC President Stas Preczewski says: “GGC is committed to the academic success of our military students. Deborah’s enthusiastic and uniquely dedicated service was deeply appreciated and will long be remembered by the students with whom she worked so closely. Only a few months ago, she was named the Registered Student Organization Advisor of the Year for her work with the college’s student organization, the Coalition of Veteran Engagement, Readiness and Trust (COVERT).”
The Military and Veterans Success Center has several functions, including:
- Meeting the needs of GGC students serving or who have served in the U.S. military and family members of such individuals;
- Informing student veterans, service members and veteran dependents about educational benefits for which they may be eligible and assist them with securing these benefits;
- Providing programming, activities, information and referrals that promote student success;
- Serving as a resource to other GGC departments on issues and activities pertaining to the veteran community;
- Acting as the college’s primary liaison to outside organizations in matters related to veteran support programs; and
- Addressing issues pertaining to veteran students and their families with the GGC, local and state communities to build awareness and create avenues for change.
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful welcomes new Youth Advisory Council
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful (GCB) welcomed the second group of young and aspiring environmental stewards to serve on its Youth Advisory Council recently. Tasked with serving as the official youth ambassadors for GCB, the 2016 Youth Advisory Council will also advise GCB on environmental issues, and assist in educating and engaging Gwinnett County Public Schools’ and local private high school students in programs and projects that impact both local and global environmental challenges.
Students from any public or private high school in Gwinnett County are eligible to become members of Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful’s Youth Advisory Council. Students must complete an application and obtain at least one teacher recommendation in order to be considered for the Council. A maximum of two students per high school may be selected.
GCB’s 2016 Youth Advisory Council is comprised of:
- Emily Kaufman and Aly Pine of Archer High School;
- Abigail Mathews of Gwinnett Online Campus;
- Basent Saleh and Yetzin Osorio of Lanier High School;
- Raymond Johnson and Georgina Platero of Brookwood High School;
- Meyer Anne Hudson and Madison Dashner of Mill Creek High School;
- Vanessa Ishimwe and Ansley Rushing of Collins Hill High School;
- Paola Hernandez of Norcross High School;
- Theresa Argott and Malika Montgomery of Dacula High School;
- Emma Haywood and Janis Yoon of Peachtree Ridge High School;
- Myra Khushbakht of Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Technology; and
- Jacques Burgess of South Gwinnett High School.
Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels: How Human Values Evolve
By Ian Morris
Most people in the world today think democracy and gender equality are good, and that violence and wealth inequality are bad. But most people who lived during the 10,000 years before the 19th century thought just the opposite. Drawing on archaeology, anthropology, biology, and history, Ian Morris, author of the best-selling Why the West Rules–for Now, explains why. The result is a compelling new argument about the evolution of human values, one that has far-reaching implications for how we understand the past — and for what might happen next.
— Andy McClung, Lawrenceville
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 TIDBITChristopher Murphy Jr. prominent artist for years in Savannah
Christopher Murphy Jr. was a prominent artist, teacher, and arts advocate in Savannah for much of the 20th century. Best known for his etchings of Savannah and the surrounding area, he was equally adept at portraiture.
Murphy
Christopher Aristide Desbouillons Murphy Jr. was born in Savannah on December 28, 1902, to Lucile Desbouillons and Christopher Patrick Hussey Murphy, both well-known artists in Savannah. The oldest of their seven children, he was known as Christopher Murphy Jr. His middle names differed from his father’s and were bestowed upon him in tribute to his maternal grandfather. Murphy’s sister Margaret also chose art as her vocation.
Art was a constant presence in the Murphy home at 11 East Perry Street. Reference books and art materials were in abundant supply for Murphy’s use, and he began to study art seriously at the age of ten. He received his initial art instruction from his parents and was also influenced by Hardesty Gilmore Maratta, a visiting artist and inventor of the Maratta theory of color, which advocates the use of harmonizing colors in an innovative way. Murphy graduated in 1920 from the Benedictine Military School, a local Roman Catholic school for boys.
Murphy attended the Art Students League in New York City off and on from 1921 until 1923, and again in 1925 and 1930. During his time there he studied life drawing with George Bridgman, painting and composition with F. V. DuMond, portraiture with Henry R. Rittenberg, and etching with Joseph Pennell. Murphy was also intensely interested in architecture, and in 1922 he studied design with the architect Lloyd Warren, who was the director of the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York City. In 1925 he was awarded a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Fellowship.
During the 1920s Murphy divided his time between Savannah and New York. He took classes offered by the Savannah Art Club at the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences in Savannah with local artist Hilda Belcher and visiting artists Adolphe Blondheim, William Chadwick, and Eliot Clark. His etchings and portraits won awards, and his work was widely exhibited, appearing at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England; the National Academy of Design, the Brooklyn Society of Etchers, and the New York Water Color Club, all in New York; the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois; the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and a solo exhibition in New Jersey. His work was also included in traveling exhibitions of the Southern States Art League and the American Watercolor Society.
(To be continued)
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to c
Here’s a beautiful photograph of a site along a seacoast
Red roofs, the sea and a harbor, all in this Mystery Photo taken from a hill. But where is it? Send your answers to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include the town where you live.
Another clue to last week’s Mystery Photo could have been the words “Arbeit macht frei” which can be seen over the gate at the Auschwitz, Poland Concentration Camp once operated by Nazi Germany. First in with the correct identification was Ross W. Lenhart of Pawleys Island, S.C. The photo came from Frank Sharp of Lawrenceville, who recently returned from a trip to Europe. He writes: “Before going to Auschwitz, I wondered if I would be able to make an attractive photograph is such a grim place, but I was surprised when I actually arrived. The buildings were all well maintained and looked like a neat compound or complex. The watchtower and the German book sign might be a hint where it was.”
Also recognizing the photo were Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill and Ruthy Lachman Paul of Norcross who wrote: “My father survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau, known as the German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp. The photo is of the Auschwitz Museum. My father condensed his feeling of the site as the ‘expression of human evil.’ This is a tourist site and is visited by more than a million and a half people a year, who come from over 30 countries. Only seven percent come from Israel.”
LAGNIAPPEVines Park wins international award for grounds maintenance
Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation (GCPR) received top honor for Vines Park, a 79-acre park located in Loganville. The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) recognized Vines Park for exceptional grounds maintenance. Winners were honored during the Society’s 2015 Awards Dinner in Louisville, Ky. in October. Receiving the award were, at left, Rad Hamilton, and at right, Josh Harris, both Grounds Maintenance coordinators. PGMS Past President John Burns presents the award. Vines Park is a passive park that was recently renovated with the 2005 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Program. Vines Park is located at 3500 Oak Grove Road in Loganville. For more information about the park or hours of operation, visit www.gwinnettparks.com.
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