SURPRISE WINDFALL: Gwinnett Public Schools Foundation got a windfall Wednesday, when Infinite Energy, the gas distribution firm which bought the naming rights for the former Gwinnett Center for $18 million over 20 years, announced it was entering into a 20 year partnership with the Gwinnett schools. It will donate each year $5 for every gas customer it has in Gwinnett, and gave the schools a check for $41,325 for its current 8,265 customers in Gwinnett. From left are Darin Cook, co-founder and co-CEO of Infinite Energy; J. Alvin Wilbanks, superintendant of Gwinnett County Public Schools; and Rich Blaser, co-founder and co-CEO of Infinite Energy. The presentation came at a press conference where the marquee sign over the Infinite Energy Arena was officially switched on. The company has the naming right also for the Infinite Energy Forum, the 50,000 square foot exhibit hall formerly known as the Gwinnett Convention Center, and the Infinite Energy Theater, with its 708 seats, which was formerly known as the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center. Infinite Energy provides natural gas in Florida, Georgia, New York and New Jersey as well as electricity in Texas. The company has 350 employees and gas sales of $200 million in Georgia. (Photo by Kate Awtrey.)
IN THIS EDITIONTODAY’S FOCUS: Roving Photographer Returns from Roving Around Europe
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Having Problems Trying To Hook Up Local TV Antenna
ANOTHER VIEW: Should College Be Free to All?
FEEDBACK: Wants Next President to Leave Party Label at the White House Door
UPCOMING: Lionheart Theatre Offers Big Variety of Programs for the Holidays
NOTABLE: Michigan Public Health Selects Gwinnett Fire Department for an Award
RECOMMENDED READ: The Abolition of Man; The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Wesleyan in Macon Is Oldest Degree-Granting Women’s College
TODAY’S QUOTE: Here’s What Memory Can Give you During the Cold Season
MYSTERY PHOTO: Only One Person Spotted Recent Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Snellville Police Citizens Academy Graduates Another Class
TODAY’S FOCUSRoving photographer returns from roving around Europe
The square in Prague, Czechoslovak was one of the cities Frank Sharp and his wife visited on a recent tour. Wow! This would have made a great Mystery Photo.
By Frank Sharp
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Dec. 4, 2015 | An ambitious and taxing trip to Europe began with a Delta flight to New Jersey to a hotel close to the airport – a move that saved my wife and I a total of $500. We both got our flu shots before leaving and I carried a bottle of antibiotics just in case. Who knows what might happen on such a long and ambitious trip: six countries in 14 days and 2,000 miles on the ground?
Next morning we flew United to Montreal for the eight-hour flight on Lufthansa to Frankfurt. Our Cosmos tour guide, Anita, met us at the airport with the tour bus, a 60-seat Mercedes-Benz, which I learned to love. We had 41 in our group, so we could spread out on the bus. There were only four American couples in our group, with others from Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, and Indonesia.
Next morning we rose at 6 a.m., had a great buffet breakfast and boarded the bus for Berlin, a six-hour 350 mile trip, with a “comfort stop” every two hours. Our first city was Weimar “the Athens of Germany,” with luminaries such as Luther, Bach, Schiller, Liszt and Goethe.
Our tour of Berlin began with a city guide for each of the cities we visited. We saw Checkpoint Charlie at the Berlin Wall, which had black and white photos of John Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s visits. Other stops included the Brandenburg Gate where President Ronald Reagan, behind two panes of bullet-proof glass, said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
After two days in Berlin, we took another six-hour, 350 miles drive to Warsaw, Poland, stopping to see the statue of Chopin. Eighty percent of Warsaw was destroyed by the Nazis in World War II, yet they rebuilt it beautifully, so that you hardly see any damage. However, one section of the ghetto formerly had 80,000 Jews, but now none live there!
Later we traveled to the notorious Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, hidden deep in the Polish forest. It looked like a well-maintained apartment complex, intentionally I suspect, to make it look pleasant, not to upset the incoming millions to its gas chambers. Hitler was an evil master of deception.
Next was Krakow, Poland’s second largest city. It was untouched by World War II with its buildings all preserved, many dating from the 16th century! It is considered the cultural capital of Poland. We visited the medieval Old Town and its Market Square, Jewish Quarter, St. Mary’s Basilica and the Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus.
Later came Budapest in Hungary, seeing Buda Castle and Heroes’ Square, and enjoyed a short cruise on the Danube River for the evening lights. Then we were in Vienna and had a chance to attend a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the highlight of our trip.
Prague, capitol of the Czech Republic, was our next stop, walking across its Charles Bridge with its 34 saints over the Vitava River. Munich on the final stop on our trip where I picked up a “bug”. That made the medicine we brought a life-saver. (There were no doctors at the hotels even though they were four and five-star hotels.) We have had this problem before in Europe, so we were happy to return in one piece!
On our final leg back to Rhein-Main Airport in Frankfurt, as a fitting tribute to America, they played Elvis Presley’s greatest hits. All the travelers seemed to enjoy it immensely.
EEB PERSPECTIVECutting your pay-TV bill possible, but not by much
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
DEC. 4, 2015 | Do you think your cable or pay television cost too much, especially compared to the channels you actually watch? What good are 500 channels if you only watch a half dozen?
We thought that way, and sought to do something about it. So we embarked on learning more about over-the-air TV, buying two different types of inside-the-house antennas and started experimenting. Be careful: this venture took most of a Saturday.
We were told that the antennas would probably get better reception high on the wall. With us having our prime TV sets on the main floor, and in our basement, we began our experiments in the basement.
But first, about the antennas: one cost $79, and was primarily about a foot square of thin aluminum. The other cost $5 and essentially was a thin plastic box about six inches high and you set it near your TV set.
So we began. Depending on where we mounted the antenna on the wall, the thin but expensive aluminum antenna pulled in from 41 to 81 over-the-air channels. It was many more than we expected. But there was a problem: PBS channel 8 wasn’t one of those channels no matter where we mounted the antenna. Often Channel 30 wasn’t available either. And that Saturday a college football game was on Channel 69, and many times that station, and sometimes Channel 11, did not always appear on those that this antenna pulled in.
Then we tried the $5 antenna, with essentially good results, but again, no PBS. We later found that the $5 antenna did a decent job upstairs, on a kitchen TV where often we listen to the PBS Evening news. At least it had PBS regularly in the slightly higher placement.
Now all this fiddling with the indoor antennas was to (1) eliminate being hooked to our pay-TV provider, while (2) cutting our monthly TV bill. But so far the antennas had not done the trick, in that they did not bring in the PBS channels we listen to often.
What to do? That bugged me as I was going to sleep that night, bugged me when I woke up in the middle of the night, and was still bugging me when I woke up before getting up on Sunday morning.
Yet some say we are more clear-headed when first waking up. Thinking through the problem once more, a solution came into being: we could not be able to use the in-house antennas, since we did not like the idea of not having PBS around. Happily, we were able to return the higher prices antenna.
And not wanting to mount a roof antenna, we decided to tackle the second of our two objectives: cutting our monthly bill. Our next step was to try and negotiate with our pay-TV provider.
So we called. And hearing the threat of possibly stopping the pay-tv programming, at least we got a $10 off our monthly bill in a new contract. So while we still have those 500 or so channels which we mostly don’t watch, at least the bare-bones pay-tv service is a little cheaper.
We still can’t figure out why we couldn’t get PBS on the antenna. Perhaps some of you who are technical whizzes can tell us.
Error Correction: Sometimes you just find your mind wondering. In the last edition, writing about the Supreme Court, we mis-attributed. It was William Howard Taft who was the only U.S. president and chief justice, not Grover Cleveland. Funny thing, I had the information right in front of me, and misappropriated the Cleveland name for Taft. And I had just read a book about Teddy Roosevelt and Taft. (“The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism.”) Here’s my red-faced apology to our readers. Thanks to several of you for pointing this out.
ANOTHER VIEWIt works in Germany; Should college be free in USA?
By George Wilson
DEC. 4, 2015 | All German universities are now free to Americans and all other international students. Why are they offering such a generous plan?
It is because their government feels tuition fees are “unjust” and they discourage young people who do not have a traditional academic family background from taking up study. Further, they feel, it is a core task of politics to ensure that young women and men can study with a high quality standard. Therefore, semester fees are free, discounts for food; clothing, events, and free transportation are available.
Considering the average student loan debt in the United States is $29,400, many American high school students would do well to start learning German.
The “Brain Drain” that used to benefit this country is now going the other way. Most of the rest of the civilized world now looks at:
- Our increasing political insanity and dysfunction;
- Our delusional hatred of one another;
- Our crumbling infrastructure, which we insist on neglecting just as we insist that our government is not permitted to function for the common good;
- Our ever rising wealth disparity and the purposeful destruction of our middle class;
- The disappearance of opportunity for all but the very wealthy;
- Our rising intolerance and anger;
- Our insistence on everyone having the right to go shopping while toting military weapons of mass killing; and
- Our exorbitant student debt to pay for an education while we starve public education.
Perhaps an answer is to have a government where the citizens actually are willing to pay taxes for a government that works, an economy that benefits everyone and has the highest standard of living in the world.
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Wants who is elected president to leave party label at the door
Editor, the Forum:
Your recent perspective about the possibility of a deadlocked Republican convention is interesting, although a bit disturbing.
Justice John Roberts is, without question, a very qualified lawyer, but what qualifies him to be president of the United States? He doesn’t seem to have any more foreign policy experience than Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, etc., etc., etc. He doesn’t have any (apparent) experience in the corporate world or in government either, as an executive.
Though he is a “much-loved figure among Republicans,” I question whether this qualifies him to be president of ALL Americans! My opinion is that our country needs a leader who does or does not belong to one of the mainline parties; but who is ready to leave the party label at the White House door upon taking the oath of office — someone who leads all of us, and not just those of us who donate more, yell more, or lobby more.
— Cathy Ramadei, Duluth
Dear Cathy: All we were trying to do is consider what might could happen if the convention was deadlocked. No matter what, we anticipate that the Republican nominee will be someone selected by the Party regulars. And we agree: whoever is elected should leave that party label at the door. It might also help the future president with his relationship with Congress.–eeb
Also sees small possibility of brokered GOP presidential convention
Editor, the Forum:
A GOP brokered convention editorial: An interesting hypothetical.
I sense a tongue-in-cheek attempt to elicit a lively conversation. If so then I guess it may be successful.
While I too believe a brokered GOP convention is possible, I believe your thinking that John Roberts could be the ultimate nominee is definitely improbable.
There seems to be no doubt but that the vast majority of Republicans are upset with the current GOP leadership. The one thing this vast majority and the GOP leadership agree on is that John Roberts has betrayed the “conservative” cause. Having said that Roberts is not a viable choice doesn’t mean that he might not be posed as an brokered nominee in an attempt to make a less controversial candidate be more acceptable to the convention.
My guess, and I have been wrong all year, is either Kasich or Christie, both on near opposite ends of the spectrum, will be the nominee. Not so far extreme as to have uncompromising opposition but far enough apart to represent a compromise. The word “compromise” is still absent from today’s new conservative vocabulary.
The 30-35 percent of the GOP base that feels it has been used and betrayed by the leadership for decades will have to have a candidate that keeps them from staying home on election day. The callous disregard the leadership has shown towards this group, originally brought in by Richard Nixon, has finally come home to roost.
Therein lies the real problem for the GOP, whether it is a primary elected nominee or a brokered nominee.
— Hoyt Tuggle, Lawrenceville
- SEND FEEDBACK AND LETTERS: elliott@brack.net
Lionheart Theatre offers extensive line-up of December activities
Lionheart Theatre Company in Historic Norcross is offering a sleighful of fun holidays activities in December. Lionheart is Gwinnett’s premiere community theatre. In the heart of Historic Norcross, offering a season of dramas and musicals, camps, classes and special events for the community. Lionheart’s Centre for the Arts is at 125 Lawrenceville Street in the Historic Cotton Gin.
On December 3-6, for adults only, there will be Holiday Punch, a collection of original short plays with a Holiday Kick. Tickets are $15, which includes all refreshments. On Thursday-Saturday show time is 7:30 p.m., while the Sunday performance is at 2 p.m. The venue will be the Cotton Gin at 125 Lawrenceville Street, Norcross
On December 11-20, The Harmony Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary Church Jubilee, a comedy written by local playwright Laura King is scheduled. No one wants to play the angel, the star on the tree won’t light, the fruitcake bake-off is a disaster, and baby Jesus is missing. Amid chaos and laughs, the town fights to hold on to their traditions. This will be at the Lionheart Theatre, 10 College Street on Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays 2 p.m.
Then on December 19, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Secret Santa Workshop will be at the Lionheart Center for the Arts for ages 6 and up. Create a gift for mom, dad, grandma, grandpa or other special adults! For information call 678-365-6562.
On December 20, from Noon until 1:30 p.m., there is a champagne brunch and a show at the Lionheart Centre for the Arts.. Price is $35, and includes brunch and a ticket to The Harmony Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary Church Jubilee at 2 p.m.
On December 21-23 and 28-30 will be a three Day Drama Camps for all ages in the Lionheart Theatre and Lionheart Centre for the Arts. Several drama camps covering Musical Theatre, holiday themes, clowning and more. Go to www.lionhearttheatre.org for details or call 404-314-0668.
Wednesday, December 23, 7 p.m. is a Holiday Karaoke Sing-a-long, supporting the Norcross Co-op! Family sing-a-long to favorite holiday songs from Theatre, TV and Film! Admission is by cash donation or canned foods for Norcross Co-op. Seating is limited.
For ages 12 to adults, on December 28-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lionheart Centre for the Arts will be a Video: Digital Filmmaking Camp. Create a short digital film in only three days. Learn key aspects of filmmaking. No experience or equipment necessary! Premiere party 3 p.m. on Wednesday and special screening Wednesday, 7 p.m. at the Lionheart Showcase. Cost is only $175. For information call 678-549-1040.
Wednesday December 30, 7 p.m., all ages, Lionheart Theatre, Holiday Showcase. Musical Theatre and
Clown camp performances, a Film Camp Movie Screening and surprises. Teens can stay for an after-party open mic. $5 at door, first come seating. For information call 404-314-0668.
- For tickets visit reservations@lionhearttheatre.org For other info, visit www.lionhearttheartre.org..
Think carefully before buying a pet for a holiday gift, BBB says
One of the most popular holiday gifts for youngsters is a new member of the family, such as a dog, cat, bird or exotic animal. However, it is not a good idea to buy a pet without discussing it in advance and getting the entire family on board, warns the Better Business Bureau of Atlanta.
There is no question that kids’ faces light up when they get a new pet. Yet some young children do not understand that they will have to be responsible for the pet too, and that means feeding and taking a dog out for a walk in the middle of winter.
When your family brings home a pet, it needs some peace and quiet, and the opportunity to get used to its new surroundings. This is often not possible around the hectic holidays. All of the excitement can be stressful for the pet.
Other concerns involving the purchase of pets are fraud and unwittingly buying from a breeding facility known as a puppy mill. Puppy mills are operations where the breeders put profits ahead of the health of the animals, in conditions experts describe as “inhumane.” When you buy from a breeder outside of the state you are taking a big chance. If you don’t see the breeding facility, you won’t know what sort of conditions the pet was raised in.
BBB offers these tips to help you make the right decision for your family when buying a pet:
- Select a pet that is age-appropriate.
- Check breeders’ and shelters’ credentials.
- Avoid buying pets through classified ads.
- Don’t be fooled by a well-designed website.
Take all of the costs into account – Many people don’t think past the initial fee required to buy or adopt a pet. A cat costs about $350 to $400/year and a small or medium dog costs about $400 to $500/year and larger dogs even more. Remember, veterinary care can be very expensive when there’s a health problem or if your pet is injured in an accident.
NOTABLEMichigan Public Health Institute selects Gwinnett for fire safety funding
The Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services will provide funds for a Gwinnett County fire safety program. The Gwinnett Department will participate in Sound Off with the Home Safety Patrol, which originated with the Michigan Department. The program focuses on providing second and third graders with detailed instruction on fire safety and the importance of working smoke alarms in the home. A Department of Homeland Security-Federal Emergency Management Agency grant made the funds available.
Gwinnett was selected as one of two sites for the program because of the robust smoke alarm and home safety visit programs the department already has in place. The department will receive a $10,000 stipend to use for smoke alarms, educational materials, promotional items, and incentives for student participation.
Gwinnett Fire Chief Casey Snyder says: “We are excited to work with the MPHI and Gwinnett County Public Schools to promote fire safety and to advocate for working smoke alarms in at-risk homes. Department representatives plan to meet with leaders at Chesney Elementary in Norcross and Patrick Elementary in Buford about the program. Both schools are named for fallen Gwinnett firefighters who dedicated their lives to fire safety and education advocacy.
Students will learn about smoke alarms and fire safety through classroom visits from firefighters. They will also participate in activities that encourage families to work together to count and test smoke alarms at home and report the findings in class. Parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to request a visit by firefighters if their home lacks working smoke alarms.
Fire Marshal Stephen Hrustich says: “Our goal is to use Sound Off to get working smoke alarms in at least 250 at-risk homes that currently lack that protection. The key is to engage these children to be active participants in their own safety, a lesson that will serve them and their families for life.”
More sidewalks, morgue and park improvements approved by county
Gwinnett Commissioners approved several minor items at their weekly meeting this week.
One was a contract to build sidewalks on the south side of Old Norcross Road from Langford Road to Ingram Road. The project will connect residential and commercial areas by installing about a third of a mile of sidewalks. The commissioners awarded the $302,762 contract to the lowest of five bidders, CMES Construction of Lilburn. Funding comes from the 2014 SPLOST program. It is expected to be completed in the spring of 2016.
Another item approved was a construction contract for a new morgue and medical examiner’s office. The 2014 SPLOST is funding the 15,000 square foot facility that will be built on 5.6 acres the county owns at 320 Hurricane Shoals Road in Lawrenceville. McKnight Construction Company Inc. was the lowest of three pre-qualified bidders at $5.7 million. The building is designed by Precision Planning Inc. to achieve LEED Certification. The facility will be designed with energy and water efficient fixtures and will be built using environmentally friendly practices and materials.
The morgue space will have three state of the art autopsy stations plus a laboratory and space for evidence processing and storage. The facility will also have office space for the Medical Examiner, medical staff, investigators and administrative staff along with a family conference room and respite area.
One other concern was the popular Ronald Reagan Park, first opened in 2004, which is in line for a million dollars in renovations. The 2014 SPLOST program and a federal $100,000 grant will fund the contract with Multiplex LLC approved by commissioners on Tuesday. The work includes improvements to the trail system and three bridges, the dog park, skate park, parking, storm drainage, stream bank stabilization, and landscaping. The 25-acre park is on Five Forks Trickum Road near Ronald Reagan Parkway.
Peachtree Corners Marriott debuts refreshed public spaces
In time for holiday celebrations, the Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners has completed a major renovation and refreshing of its public spaces. It includes the lobby and front desk; nearly 5,000 square feet of meeting and conference space; swimming pool; as well as the addition of a trendy new dining spot, Restaurant 4-7-5.
Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners General Manager, Roger Fleming, says: “Guests are now welcomed into a contemporary lobby that opens to a Marriott signature Great Room with areas for business as well as socializing. The new Restaurant 4-7-5 is adjacent to the lobby as is our new lounge that offers a variety of craft beers and cocktails. Our conference and event space is magnificent with new décor and furnishings, making it a perfect backdrop for a successful corporate meeting or a special occasion such as a wedding.”
The new Restaurant 4-7-5 offers a locally sourced menu designed by Chef Robert Mitchell. The inspired American cuisine is served with a distinctly Southern flair incorporating the produce of local farmers and seafood of regional fisheries to create fresh offerings.
Additional new upgrades at the hotel include a redesigned swimming pool and deck area, contemporary new furnishings and soft goods throughout, as well as the hotel’s signature personal service that makes it a preferred location for guests and the community.
RECOMMENDEDThe Abolition of Man; The Great Divorce
Books by C.S. Lewis
In this book, C. S. Lewis discusses education of young people and questions whether one way this is done today is to the detriment of students. He suggests that “rote” education undermines emotional response and full resonance of responses to life. He laments what seems to be an absence of moral education and a willingness to skim the surface of the larger questions of life. He paints a picture of what education can be and describes how far below this standard we have fallen. Lewis eloquently argues that, as a society, we need to underpin reading and writing lessons with moral education. In The Great Divorce, Lewis paints a picture of his version of the afterlife. The protagonist takes an eventful journey through Heaven and Hell during which he comes to understand the nature of good and evil. This book is perfect for the philosopher in each of us.
— Karen 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 TIDBITWesleyan in Macon is oldest degree-granting women’s college
Chartered in 1836 as the first degree-granting women’s college in the world, Wesleyan College is a private four-year liberal arts college for women located in Macon.
Consistently named to the Princeton Review’s Best 361 Colleges, as well as to U.S. News and World Report’s annual listing of “America’s Best Colleges,” Wesleyan enjoys a reputation as one of the South’s premier educational institutions for women. “Forever first for women’s education—striving for excellence, grounded in faith, and engaged in service to the world” is the college’s mission, anchored by four cornerstones: excellence in academics, an environment rich with opportunities for women, a foundation of faith and shared values, and service to the world community.
Wesleyan’s Lane Center for Community Engagement and Service presents opportunities for students to share with the community what they are learning in the classroom. Before Wesleyan students enter the classroom they are introduced to the Lane Center philosophy of service-based leadership through the first-year Immersion Program, which includes touring Macon and participating in service projects with such partner agencies as Aunt Maggie’s Kitchen Table, a community resource center and outreach program located in a local housing project. Aunt Maggie’s, founded by Lane Center director Catherine Meeks, has been so successful that it garnered the first Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration in 2000. (The award is named for U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter.)
Although the seeds for a women’s college in Georgia were planted in the 1820s, they did not come to fruition for another decade, when the role of women in American society became an important part of the antebellum social reform movement. Through their involvement in campaigns against slavery, alcohol, and substandard prisons, female activists began to consider themselves the equal of men and called for reforms that would allow them opportunities previously denied. Some male activists agreed, and as part of the drive for women’s rights, reformers focused on the creation of colleges for women that would offer the same course work as men’s colleges.
In 1835 several Macon businessmen met to discuss the opening of a women’s college. On July 8 they held a town meeting and secured $9,000 for the school’s construction. This group of men also possessed the religious zeal common to the reform movements of the time and sought to affiliate the new college with the Methodist Church. In January 1836 the Methodist Conference unanimously agreed to adopt the college, and on December 23 the state legislature issued a charter for the Georgia Female College.
(To be continued)
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
One or two clues looking at you in today’s Mystery Photo
Hmmmm. Perhaps this edition’s Mystery Photo is too easy. The dead give-away is the modern clock in this photo. So try to figure out where this photo was taken. Send your answers to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include the town where you live.
Had it not been for Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill, last edition’s Mystery Photo would have been a no-hitter, as all but her did not recognize the French town of Strasbourg. And she nearly didn’t, saying:
“That mystery photo looks like a painting. I can’t say for sure where it is but it reminds me of Strasbourg. It’s been ages since I’ve been to France, so just call it a guess.” She was right! The photograph was sent in by Donny Loeber of Norcross.
LAGNIAPPESnellville Police Citizens Academy graduates another class
Another group of Snellville residents are educated in law enforcement thanks to the efforts of the Snellville Police Department. The latest class of the Snellville Citizens Academy graduated recently. The class graduating class included, from left, are Robert Herrington, Anna S. Herrington, David Coe, Katie Thomason, Greg Purves, Alexandra Callaway, Jo White, Randell Crawford Sr., Jasmin Rivera-Sommano, Jeff Miller, Alfred K Jallah, Nick Andrews and Lt. Robert Pendleton. On the front row are Kimberly Kuharic and Kenny Venegas. The next class will take place in March. This program is open to all Snellville and Gwinnett residents, 18 years and older. There is no charge for attending the 12-week program and participants do not have to live in the city limits. The Snellville Citizens Police Academy was founded in the Spring of 2003
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