1/22: Duluth football history; hospital merger; 60,000 jobs

THIS PAINTING by Joyce English of Norcross, Self-Portrait in a Purple Vest, captured one of the prizes in the recent Kudzu Art Zone of Norcross contest. For more information and other winners in the contest, see Notable below.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Local Author Is Writing History of Start of Duluth Football

EEB PERSPECTIVE: Gwinnett Hospital Merger with Northside Moving Well

ANOTHER VIEW: Here’s How Governor Deal Could Create 60,000 New Jobs

FEEDBACK: Longtime Forum Reader Presents Another View on Marijuana

UPCOMING: County Plans Road Projects, Seeks Grant, and Expands Fort Daniel Site

NOTABLE: David Raderstorf Captures Kudzu Art Zone Exhibition Prize

RECOMMENDED: Guardians of Prosperity by Richard X. Bove

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Looking Back at Election Officials in Georgia

TODAY’S QUOTE: Napoleon Explains Why We Need Religion

MYSTERY PHOTO: Several Spot Mystery, Plus an Explanation of a Previous Photo

LAGNIAPPE: Jasper Johns Exhibit Now Open at Brenau University

History of first 10 years of Duluth football ready for publication

By Charles Summerour

DULUTH, Ga., Jan. 22, 2016 | When two members of Duluth High School’s first football squad brought up the idea of capturing the history of the school’s football beginnings, we all realized that it was important that we do so soon, as many of the school and community leaders as well as a number of players, had passed away. The result is a History of Duluth High School Football: 1959-69, which will soon be published in booklet form.

Summerour

Duluth High football beginnings coincided with the opening of the “new” school in 1958, after one year of being consolidated with Norcross High into West Gwinnett High. This ended when Duluth citizens demanded and got their school opened again. With a groundswell of community support, a supportive administration, but no money, no coach and no football field, no gym, and not much else, enthusiasm turned into action. Principal M.C. McDaniel was able to convince Bill McClure to take the job as head coach, despite the fact that he was already coaching both basketball teams and the baseball team. Mr. McClure had been a star athlete at Piedmont College and had coached the West Gwinnett basketball team to a region championship in the previous year, but had never coached football. He agreed to start the program with the caveat that: “I will coach until they can get a real football coach”.

Key community leaders soon formed a Touchdown Club, which purchased the original basic equipment, and begin practicing in 1959. One of the most vivid memories of the 30 or so players from grades 6-9 who showed up for the first practice was when Coach McClure showed up with a book, Bobby Dodd on Football, by the Georgia Tech coach which he used to teach his neophytes the basics of the game.

Duluth High Football Team, 1960-61: On the back row: Tommy Brown (30), Jimmy Garmon (66), James Watson (88), Curtis Franklin (38), Tommy Franklin (10), Nelson Anglin (50), Bennie Sharpton (55), Jimmy Hartwick (85),Charles Sewell (65), Don Bullock (75) and Vernon Grafton (80). On the front row are Coach Bill McClure, Philip Mees (25), David Bagley (45), Richard Maddox (77), Johnny Wilson (15), Jeff Burdette (20), Jessy Farmer (68), Billy Powell (50), Kenny Moon (35) and Andy Petty (70).

The first season of recorded play was in the fall of 1960, when Duluth High played a “B” team schedule, and ended with a record of 6-3. After that season, Henry Shaddix, a “real football coach,” came from Alabama to lead the school in its first varsity season, which ended with a record of 5-5 and with a small team which had gained a reputation as tough and competitive. The second varsity season ended with a commendable record of 5-4, with two ties, despite playing against some schools with long histories of football. This year produced Duluth’s first all-state player, Jimmy Garmon, who also was awarded a scholarship to Wofford College—all after only two seasons of varsity play.

This 10 year history had some surprises. According to Georgia High School Association records, Duluth had played and won two games in 1929—both against Norcross, although verification that these were games was not possible. Also, we soon realized that eight of the first 20 players on the first year’s team are now deceased. Both Bill McClure and Dan Smith, who had coached that team, are very much alive at age 84. We also gained a new measure of respect for Coach Shaddix, who had passed away in 2006, but served during World War II, and had been awarded two Bronze Stars, the French Merit of Legion and two Purple Hearts. Many of the first 20 players had notable military records as well.

The cost of publishing the history will be paid for by members of the original team, and will be sold for $10, with all proceeds going to the Duluth Touchdown Club. Details of how to obtain a copy will be noted in the GwinnettForum when the booklet is published.

Hospital merger talks with Northside moving along well

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher

JAN. 22, 2016 | Gwinnett is in the “quiet period” when nothing is heard much about a possible merger between Gwinnett Medical Center and Northside Hospital. The parties are doing their due diligence before announcing if the merger will go forward, and under what terms.

GMC President Phil Wolfe gave some inkling of what was about to happen in speaking before the Gwinnett Rotary Club this week. From what he says, the merger talks are progressing nicely, and we can anticipate a possible announcement before the middle of the year.

Northside Hospital is already the largest in the state (in revenues), and adding on the estimated $700 million in revenues from Gwinnett, will give the merged hospitals more than $3 billion combined in total revenues.

Wolfe

Gwinnett Medical Center opened at its 100 acre main campus in Lawrenceville in 1984. (GMC Duluth has about 30 acres, and re-opened in new facilities in 2006.) The Lawrenceville site has gone through several expansions, completing a second tower in 2009. It now has 550 acute beds on both campuses. Northside Hospital has campuses in Atlanta, Cherokee and Forsyth Counties with a total of 852 licensed beds.

Wolfe, who has been president of GMC for 10 years now, said that since his first years here, there have always been discussion among the Hospital Authority, which owns the Gwinnett facility, about what the medical future of the county would be. It was in 2014, two years ago, that the Hospital hired a Chicago consultant to guide the operational deliberations on its future.

He adds: “The board decided to put out requests for proposals from the other regional hospitals about a possible merger of services.” The hospital has already decided that it was too small to buy other hospitals, so sought these proposals.

From this, the Authority decided to enter into talks with Northside.

Once Northside and GMC make a final agreement on terms of the merger, the proposal must be reviewed by the Georgia Attorney General, which can take from 60-90 days or more. The merger must also be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, to make sure it is not anti-competitive. Wolfe says: “But hospitals in this area have no monopoly, and we think this approval will be coming from the FTC.”

Meanwhile, Wolfe is pleased that in talks so far, there have been several positive developments:

• All the GMC employees will keep their jobs.
• The Gwinnett facility will make key decisions here, with local management being in control of local operations.
• All contracts, such as with local physicians, will continue to be honored.
• While the eventual name has not been decided, Northside likes the Gwinnett brand with its heart logo, and wants to make sure that remains in place.

Since GMC is officially owned by the Gwinnett County Hospital Authority, it’s anticipated that Northside will lease the hospital from the Authority. Gwinnett Authority will get a not-yet-defined number of seats on the Northside board.

As to the future, Wolfe says that Gwinnett Medical Center has a huge capitol appetite for its future expansion and operations, which will move even more quickly. “It will move a lot faster with the backing of Northside.”

Wolfe concludes: ‘The Gwinnett Medical Center Authority feels that the merger will be beneficial to the local hospital, and beneficial to the community.”

Here’s how Gov. Deal could create 60,000 new jobs

By George Wilson

JAN. 22, 2016 | Every election year the Republican waltz out a show to prove that they have a concern for the millions of Americans living below the poverty line and the working poor.

This year it was a seminar called the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity in South Carolina, hosted by house speaker, Paul Ryan. They are so good with Orwellian names. Some of the Republican candidates for president were present and voiced their views. As expected, the candidates presented no new ideas.

Remember for George W. Bush it was something called “compassionate conservatism.” He gave tax breaks to the rich while the poor waited for the “trickle down” that never came. Soon forgotten was this notion. Romney, of course, made no such attempt except to get caught on tape spouting the real Republican philosophy of viewing the working poor as the 40 percent deadbeats.

However, when we discuss expanding Medicaid (paid for by the Federal government), raising the minimum wage, family leave, paying for college, or equal pay for women, they quickly retreat into the usual Grand Old Platitudes of letting the free market work, too much government regulation; and we can’t afford the costs.

Finally, here is an example of the true Republican philosophy working. Georgia has given the film industry in excess of a quarter-billion dollars. Governor Deal said, “This is a good trade for more than 79,000 jobs and $4 billion in wages.” However, he could have also created 60,000 jobs by expanding Medicaid that the federal government would have paid for without giving away any tax incentives. Governor Deal seems to be a considerable believer in passing out tax incentives and has become the Johnny Appleseed of crony capitalism, but reluctant to assist the working poor or save lives.

Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

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Longtime Forum reader presents another view on marijuana

(Editor’s Note: The following comment came from a long-time reader who was writing primarily to educate the editor, and did not want this published. However, the person relented when we explained that the information in this letter contributed to the public debate on this subject. This was in line with our goal to be a forum of public opinion on vital issues of the day. After all, the message is more important than who sent it. –eeb)

Editor, the Forum:

Let me comment on your column of January 12, 2016 (concerning the upcoming Legislature) and disagree with you on one very important point.

It concerns medical marijuana.

You may have been fortunate enough to have escaped not only these direct afflictions but indirect contact with family members who may have them … but I have not. Five of the seven children in my mother’s family, all of whom are female, have had many years each of suffering from very serious rheumatoid arthritis of the terribly disfiguring kind.

In my wife’s generation of four sisters, three of the four inherited a particularly aggressive kind of osteoarthritis from their father. All three have had to have major joint replacements that began as early as their late 40s. Two, including my wife, have had both hips and both shoulders replaced and the third has so far had two hips replaced. One has also had both knees replaced and my wife needs new knees now.

We put aside our moral convictions about people who should use an illegal drug and traveled to another state once where it is legal to use marijuana and experimented with it, just so that we could judge for ourselves. We used liquid and edible marijuana and discovered over a few days that there is relief from the constant pain from arthritis.

Whether it’s a “conservative value of most Georgians” matters not to us. For you and others to refer to the effort to legalize the use of marijuana where medically determined and prescribed as an “undesirable venture,” serves only to denigrate an effort that can bring relief to those who suffer from maladies much worse than the common cold.

I think, my good friend, and I don’t mean the use of that term lightly, that you need to get a little closer to those Georgians who have a legitimate need for the use of this potentially useful pain-relieving drug before you pigeon-hole them along with people who would be classified as alcoholics because they continued to use alcohol during Prohibition.

I may not have the same respect for the Fourth Estate that I once had, but I still believe that there are those readers who are too easily misled by misguided opinions that are not well thought out before they’re published.

But I’m not going to stop reading you just because of this one.

— Name Withheld

Also had problems with sounds at Fox Theatre event

Editor, the Forum:

Your recent article on attending the Book of Mormon at the Fox caught my eye. Similarly, I didn’t understand much of Act 1.

Then the usher recommended that I go to the “Spanish Room” and sign out one of their assisted listening devices. With that device I got every single word of Act 2. I would recommend bringing your own earphone cord, but otherwise using this technique was fine.

— Warren Davis, Peachtree Corners

• Send Feedback and Letters to: elliott@brack.net

County plans road projects, seeks grant and expands Fort Daniel site

Gwinnett commissioners have approved construction contracts for various SPLOST-funded pedestrian safety and intersection improvement projects.

One project will add about two total miles of sidewalks along the northern side of Burns Road from Beaver Ruin Road to East Johns Road, and along both sides of Dickens Road from Indian Trail-Lilburn Road to Indian Way, and along both sides of Beaver Ruin Road from Shady Drive to Beaver Ruin Court. The new sidewalks will fill gaps and provide connectivity to existing sidewalks located in the Lilburn area. The $1.1 million contract was awarded to low bidder Summit Construction.

CMES Inc. was the lowest responsive bidder at $732,392 for improvements at two intersections. One project will add another left turn lane onto Lawrenceville Suwanee Road from Walther Boulevard, creating dual left turn lanes, and lengthen the left turn lane from Lawrenceville Suwanee onto Walther. The second project will add a right turn lane on Cruse Road northbound at Pleasant Hill Road. Both projects include pedestrian and traffic signal upgrades. Work on all these projects is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Gwinnett commissioners on Tuesday agreed to let the Department of Transportation apply to the State Road and Tollway Authority for seven GO! Transit Capital Program grants that would fund various transit projects within the county.

The grants would help the department purchase 28 replacement buses, improve facilities at the Sugarloaf Mills park-and-ride lot, and resurface the Indian Trail Road and Hewatt Road park-and-ride lots. Funding is also being sought to replace the transit transfer center at Gwinnett Place Mall, build two new park-and-ride lots in the Georgia Highway 316 corridor to serve the Lawrenceville and Dacula areas, and purchase five additional buses necessary to establish new transit service.

SRTA’s GO! Transit Capital Program is a competitive funding program designed to address some of the critical capital-related public transportation needs throughout the state of Georgia. During the 2015 session, the Georgia General Assembly designated $75 million in state general obligation bonds for transit projects statewide and identified SRTA to administer the funds.

Gwinnett’s historic Fort Daniel site property got a little bigger Tuesday when commissioners agreed to buy 5.4 acres of adjoining property for $285,000.

Local archaeologists and historians found the original location of the fort in 2009. The County bought the original 4.3 acre site with SPLOST funds in 2012 and leased it to the Fort Daniel Foundation to maintain and operate as a permanent archaeological research preserve and active learning facility for researchers, educators and students.

Major General Allen Daniel commanded the 4th Division of Georgia’s militia and helped build Fort Daniel a few years before the formation of Gwinnett County in 1818.

Snellville accepting applications for 12-week Citizens Police Academy

Applications are currently being accepted for the next Snellville Citizens Police Academy class. The class will run from March 3 through May 19 and take place each Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Snellville Police Department, 2315 Wisteria Drive.

The Snellville Citizens Police Academy began in the spring of 2003 and has grown into a 12-week program which is held in the spring and fall each year. The class is designed to educate civilians on the operation of the police department and how community involvement can help to deter crime.

Law enforcement topics are discussed and members engage in practical exercises with Snellville police officers. Topics include domestic violence, drug awareness, traffic stops, firearms training and crime scene processing. Participants will tour the Gwinnett County Jail and will have a graduation dinner provided at the last session.

This program is open to all Snellville and Gwinnett residents, 18 years and older. There is no charge for attending and you do not have to live in the city limits to participate. Applications are on the city website at snellville.org, or can be picked up at the police department. A background investigation will be conducted on all applicants prior to acceptance in the Academy.

• For further information, contact Lt. Robert Pendleton at 770-985-3555 or rpendleton@snellville.org.

Walton EMC seeks 4 local students for Washington youth tour

Walton Electric Membership Corporation is seeking four local high school students to attend the Washington Youth Tour this June. The tour is a once-in-a-lifetime leadership opportunity with all expenses paid by Walton EMC. The trip is designed to teach students valuable leadership skills while at the same time giving them an opportunity to experience our state and national governments up close.

High School sophomores and juniors are eligible for a spot on the tour. Entrants must also live or attend a school in Walton EMC’s 10-county service area. To enter, students should first complete an entry form and return it to Walton EMC by Feb. 12. To get an entry form, log on to waltonemc.com or call 770/266-2572. The selection process includes a test and short interview.

During the week of June 9-16, winners will first meet with Georgia’s legislators. They’ll also learn what it takes to manage the state’s electric power supply. Then it is on to Washington, D.C.

In Washington D.C., Youth Tour participants will visit cornerstones of the U.S. government and history. Highlights of the trip include a luncheon with Georgia’s congressional delegation and a visit to Arlington National Cemetery where delegates participate in a wreath laying ceremony. Walton EMC is a customer-owned power company that serves 124,000 accounts over its 10-county service area between Atlanta and Athens.

Raderstorf captures Kudzu Art Zone exhibition prize

Winners have been announced in Kudzu Art Zone’s first exhibition of the new year. The exhibition was judged by Philip Carpenter, a prominent artist who has worked, exhibited and taught in the Atlanta area since 1978.

Kudzu Art Zone member artists interpreted the exhibition’s title, Something of Value.

The judge awarded first place to David Raderstorf of Lawrenceville for his painting, The Old Barn Door. Radersdorf uses multiple media and techniques. “This is the first painting I have done from a photo,” said Mr. Raderstorf, “ I usually paint in an abstract manner. This painting was done as a challenge from my friend Pat Dews. She handed me this photo of an old barn door and pushed me to see if I could paint realistically.”

The judge awarded second place to Lorraine Kimsey for Carolina Color and third place to Joyce English for Self-Portrait in a Purple Vest, an actual double portrait showing a reflection of the subject’s back.  Honorable mentions went to But What Can It Do? by Lucy Brady; My Father in World War II by Debra Barnhart and Bright Spot by Karen Phillips.

Located at 116 Carlyle Street in downtown Norcross, Kudzu Art Zone’s gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.  For further details call 770-840-9844 or visit www.kudzuartzone.org for details.

Guardians of Prosperity

A book by Richard X. Bove

Controversial? You bet! I have followed Mr. Bove for years and have a deep respect for his intellect and honesty. He succinctly presents the case, that while the large banks contributed to the recent financial crisis, they were not ‘responsible’ for it. He compares previous financial collapses, 1837, the Great Depression and others, to the 2008-2009 “Great Recession”. He points out how similar circumstances abounded in all of this financial crises. He also makes the case of how poor Federal Reserve action leading up to the crisis made things worse yet how Federal Reserve action after the crisis prevented things from getting far worse. Most importantly he shows how the Congress, the President and the media have used the big banks as a scapegoat, created myths about who was to blame and passed, or influenced in the case of the media, the passage of laws that have actually harmed the consumer and tax paying citizens.” The full title is Guardians of Prosperity: Why America Needs Big Banks.

–Hoyt Tuggle, 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

Looking back at history of elected officials in Georgia

Elected officers have served Georgia since the colonial era. A 19-member Commons House of Assembly was elected in 1755 to advise the royal governor. In colonial times the franchise, or right to vote, was quite limited; only white male property owners with significant land holdings could vote.

Over time, both the number of elective offices and the franchise were greatly expanded. Georgia is recognized as a pioneer among the states in implementing innovative electoral policies. For example, in 1943 Georgia became the first state in the nation to allow every citizen 18 years of age and older the right to vote in local, state, and federal elections. This provision was enacted 28 years before the U.S. Constitution was amended to grant the voting privilege to all 18-year-olds.

The Elections Division of the secretary of state‘s office oversees all elections in Georgia. County registrars perform the duties of registering voters and conducting elections at the local level. In several smaller counties the judge of the probate court handles this function. At the state level it is the secretary of state’s responsibility to tabulate official returns and certify the outcome, thus pronouncing a candidate duly elected to office.

The voters of Georgia elect 15 individuals to statewide political offices: two U.S. senators; the governor; the lieutenant governor; the secretary of state; the attorney general; the state school superintendent; the commissioners of labor, agriculture, and insurance; and the five public service commissioners. The seven members of the Georgia Supreme Court and the 112 members of the Court of Appeals of Georgia are also elected statewide.

Other offices are elected at the district level (including Georgia’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives and members of both houses of the General Assembly). These districts are drawn by the General Assembly every ten years after the results of the U.S. census are released. Federal guidelines require relatively equal population distribution in the drawing of all districts, but such factors as established boundaries (city and county lines), political history, and race also influence how the maps are shaped.

County and city officers (such as mayors, county commissioners, and judges) are also elected in accordance with state law. In addition, boards of directors of special and regional public authorities, such as water, waste treatment, and transportation authorities, may be elected.

The number of elected officials on each council or commission varies widely. For example, in Haralson County, in the western part of the state, a single county commissioner is elected to conduct all of the county’s administration. Ten other counties also have a sole-commissioner form of government. In contrast, the consolidated governments of Athens-Clarke, Augusta-Richmond, Macon-Bibb and Columbus-Muscogee all have commissions (plus one mayor) elected by districts divided among the population of the county.

Citizens may register to vote by mail through the secretary of state’s office or at a public service facility such as a board of elections office, library, Division of Family and Children Services office, armed services recruitment office, or driver’s licensing authority.

(To be continued)

• To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org

Several clues could guide you to today’s mystery

There’s a few clues in today’s Mystery Photo which might help you spot the location. The tower, of course, signals water. But where is this? Send your idea to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.

The photo in the last edition was sent in by Lou Camiero of Lilburn. It was of a snowy photograph that didn’t fool some of our readers. Karen Burnette Garner of Dacula writes: “It’s Yew Tree Farm, in the Lake District, Coniston, England.” Next came George Graf of Palmyra, Va. with more detail: “Yew Tree Farm, Coniston, Cumbria, England. It was once owned by Beatrix Potter, who left it to The National Trust, it was used as Miss Potter’s home in the film Miss Potter starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, and has been visited by many celebrities over the years. Emma Thompson stayed and even Queen Elizabeth visited the farm on her last trips to the Lakes Country.  Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist best known for her children’s books.”

Others recognizing the home of Beatrix Potter were Ruthy Lachman Paul of Norcross, who says: Norcross: “What is the secret charm of Beatrix Potter stories and illustrations, the first of which, Peter Rabbit, was published in 1902, which is still fascinating to read. Yew Tree was owned by Beatrix Potter in the 1930s and is still home to many of her furnishings.”

Recently a photo of the Philadelphia Museum of Art caused Bob Foreman of Grayson to respond: “The photo I sent in of the Philadelphia Museum of Art does not show boat houses. The boat house row area is nearby along the river basin above the dam. The area along the water line with the classical buildings on top is part of the old Philadelphia Water Works.  This area is part of the Museum complex and forms the southern end of Fairmount Park, site of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. I expected the photo to be easy, but I did not expect people familiar with Philly to misidentify the old water works as boat houses.”

Jasper Johns’ prints exhibit open at Brenau University’s Sellars Gallery

Brenau University President Ed Schrader, left, speaks with Dr. Jermaine Whirl, dean of Business and Art and Design at Gwinnett Technical College, among The Prints of Jasper Johns exhibit in the Sellars Gallery on Brenau’s campus in Gainesville. The exhibit began January 21 and runs through March 17. Johns, 85, whose aunts Eunice and Gladys graduated from Brenau Women’s College, was the featured artist in the first exhibition in Sellars Gallery. The university’s permanent collection, now comprises more than 6,000 paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and other works.

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