PINNING CEREMONY: Students, faculty, staff, family members and community partners gathered for Georgia Gwinnett College’s historic, first nursing pinning ceremony, held recently on campus. The ceremony included a congratulatory message from Philip R. Wolfe, president and CEO of Gwinnett Medical Center, a charter nursing partner of GGC’s program. Among the graduates were Jessica Arana, Suwanee; Arjumand Asif, Alpharetta; Nigel David, Lawrenceville; Anca Epure, Duluth; and Keelan Harris, Snellville. The ceremony included four special awards, presented by Eastside Medical Center, also a charter nursing partner. Ivori Miller of Snellville received the Clinical Excellence Award; Susan Yoon of Duluth received the Nursing as Caring Award; Amelia Jones of Lawrenceville received the program’s Professional Leadership Award; and Jordan Rudnicki of Dacula received the Pillar Award, which recognizes excellence in GGC’s four pillars of scholarship, leadership, creativity and service.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Today, May 24, is primary election day. To see what the ballots look like, and to compare candidates’ ideas, click the orange box button to the right. You can also see GwinnettForum’s recommendations on endorsements by clicking on the link above the box. Be sure to get to the polls to vote, if you have not already done already. –eeb
TODAY’S FOCUS: PCOM Establishes New Venture Capital Fund to Aid Healthcare Field
EEB PERSPECTIVE: State and Local Judicial Balloting Should Be at General Election
SPOTLIGHT: MTI Baths of Sugar Hill
ANOTHER VIEW: Look for More Half-Truths, Lies and Innuendos about Hillary Clinton
UPCOMING: Dacula Memorial Day Activities Begin at 10 a.m. on May 30
NOTABLE: Kudzu Arts Zone Aims Summer Program at Unlocking Arts for Students
RECOMMENDED: The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Georgia Municipalities Must Provide At Least Three Distinct Services
CALENDAR: Memorial Day Ceremony Will Be on Saturday in Duluth
TODAY’S QUOTE: Something To Consider on Georgia’s Primary Election Date
MYSTERY PHOTO: Easy Clues: Art, Water and Mountains Give You Hints
LAGNIAPPE: How You Can Figure Out How Your Roses Rank
TODAY’S FOCUSPCOM establishes new venture capital fund to aid healthcare field
By Barbara Myers
SUWANEE, Ga., May 24, 2016 | Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) announces that it has committed through its Foundation the allocation of $5 million to a new venture capital fund designed to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in the healthcare field, with a specific focus on primary care.
Investments from across the country will be considered, with a focus on the Philadelphia and Atlanta, Georgia, metro areas. PCOM’s branch campus is located in Suwanee.
The Primary Care Innovation Fund is the first such endeavor in the College’s 117-year history and will invest in companies with established products and services that are healthcare-related and focused on primary care. PCOM is the first osteopathic medical school to establish such a fund.
Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, president and CEO of PCOM, says that the establishment of the fund underscores the College’s mission of advancing knowledge and intellectual growth broadly, and its commitment to the well-being of the community through leadership and service.
“The osteopathic philosophy focuses on prevention and maintaining wellness, and seeing the patient as a whole person—not just their symptoms. Through the Primary Care Innovation Fund, PCOM can extend that philosophy by investing in innovative opportunities nationally to improve and maintain patients’ quality of life,” adds Dr. Feldstein.
He added that he was hopeful the more than 13,000 osteopathic physicians and other healthcare professionals whom PCOM has educated could benefit from these innovations by addressing the quality, access and affordability of health care for their patients.
The fund will also provide myriad benefits for the College’s students, faculty, staff and alumni by opening doors financially to those who have a product or service appropriate for funding, and connecting those individuals to learning and networking opportunities within the investment community. The fund will focus on producing financial returns and as a result, offers the College a potential revenue stream that is not tuition-based.
Michael Cassidy, president and CEO of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), says of this proposal: “I am excited that PCOM will focus on investments to improve healthcare in Georgia and across the country. There are many opportunities for collaboration with healthcare institutions in the state.” Mr. Cassidy will represent Georgia on the fund’s advisory board. The GRA is a not-for-profit organization that grows Georgia’s economy by expanding university research capacity and by seeding and shaping startup companies around inventions and discoveries.
Dean Miller, a private equity and venture capital investor with strong regional and national ties to the healthcare and technology sectors, will manage the fund. Mr. Miller also serves as president and CEO of the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) and as a partner at Evergreen Industries LLC.
An advisory board comprised of physicians and business operators from Philadelphia and Atlanta will assist Mr. Miller in determining the feasibility and market demand for each potential investment. PCOM’s Executive Committee will serve as the Fund’s Board of Managers and, along with Mr. Miller, will make the final determinations on investments.
EEB PERSPECTIVEState and local judicial balloting should be at General Election
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 24, 2016 | There’s nearly a dearth of candidates in the two main party primaries in Georgia today. Fully 80 percent of the legislative candidates have no opposition, while many Gwinnett offices also go unopposed.
Topping both party ballots this year is the race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Johnny Isakson, who is standing for re-nomination against two GOP opponents. On the Democratic ballot, four Democrats seek that seat.
The only other statewide balloting will be in the Republican primary, as three people seek a six-year seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission for North Georgia, though the balloting for this position is statewide.
With Georgia having its presidential primary early on in the year, it makes today’s balloting less exciting, and probably will draw a smaller turnout. And in reality, Secretary of State Brian Kemp may have been wrong in seeking to give Georgia more influence in the presidential preference by having the presidential voting on March 1.
Had Kemp not tampered with moving that date, Georgia would have been in the catbird seat in having more attention and influence in the presidential primary, that is, if it were being held today.
IN GWINNETT’S Republican races, there are eight legislative races, one for the District 40 Senate seat held by Fran Millar. For the House of Representatives from Gwinnett, there are seven contests.
The only Gwinnett GOP race for constitutional officers is the challenge by Keith Van Nus for the sheriff’s post held by Butch Conway. Whoever wins the primary will be the sheriff, since there are no Democratic candidates.
Gwinnett Democrats offer even fewer races contested than Republicans, only one for House District 99, near I-85 and Indian Trail Road. Two newcomers to that race are pitted for the Legislature, the only contested Democratic race.
IN THE NON-PARTISAN balloting for statewide judges, no one sitting on both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals drew any opposition.
However, there are three races for local judges, one for Superior Court, and two for State Court. All three sitting judges drew single opponents.
With all Gwinnett registered voters eligible to vote in these three races for judge, they may pull more votes than any of the other races. While the two parties are only nominating people to run in the General Election today, the non-partisan judicial races will be over after today, sitting the winners on the judicial benches.
Have you ever wondered why Georgians vote for non-partisan judicial offices during the Georgia primary, and not during the General Election?
We feel that the best time to vote for judges would be when the most people would be voting. Usually more Georgians vote in the General Election, especially in presidential election years, than they do in the primary voting. So why not vote for judges in the General Election, instead of the primary?
We have a theory.
We suspect that the sitting and influential judges would prefer to have an election when the fewest people are voting, thereby insuring their election.
Let’s face it: few incumbent judges are thrown out of office. Unless the jurist has come into the limelight for some misdeed, the people usually re-elect them.
GwinnettForum for years has stood for moving statewide non-partisan judge election runoffs to the General Election. That’s why it is at the top of our statewide Continuing Objectives. We stand by that again, and urge the Legislature to move election of non-partisan judges to the General Election.
IN THE SPOTLIGHTMTI Baths Inc. of Sugar Hill
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s featured sponsor is MTI Baths Inc. of Sugar Hill. MTI Baths is a manufacture of high-quality acrylic and engineered solid surface bath products, including whirlpools, air and soaking baths; lavatories; shower bases; and kitchen sinks; the Jentle Jet® laundry sink for delicates; and the Jentle Ped® foot spa. MTI’s patented Fill-Flush® and Simple Touch® whirlpool cleaning systems are the best on the market. Every product is custom-made to order and shipped within seven business days. Opening soon will be MTI’s new 38,000 square foot manufacturing plant. CEO of the firm is Kathy Adams, while Russell Adams is president.
- Visit their web site at http://www.mtibaths.com/.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: Our sponsors.
Look for more half-truths, lies and innuendos about Hillary Clinton
By George Wilson
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” — Joseph Goebbels
MAY 24, 2016 | The right wing machine has been repeating lies, half truths, and innuendos about Hillary Clinton so much that the above quote is true as it applies to accusations against Hillary for many people. Look for this to continue in the days ahead with talk radio, Fox news and “Trump tweets.”
Now for some truth telling from no other than the Clinton’s old nemesis, Kenneth Starr, who was special council for the investigation of President Bill Clinton.
In November 1998, Kenneth Starr told the House Judiciary Committee that, after years of investigating all accusations, he had “…nothing negative to report about either Bill or Hillary Clinton regarding Whitewater, the FBI files, or the White House travel office.”
When asked on what date he had exonerated the Clintons on the travel-office issue, he replied that there was no such date because there had never been any information implicating them in the first place. Remember the right wingers were spending tons of air time on this issue.
The Republican propaganda machine has now gotten into the email controversy and of course numerous hearings on Benghazi. It has been a huge waste of taxpayers’ money that has yielded nothing of consequence. I’m sure they will keep repeating the same old lies.
Let’s examine one more significant fact:
Clinton and her husband have released their tax returns going back to 1977.The soon-to-be Republican nominee, Donald Trump, said recently, that “…voters don’t have a right to see his tax returns.” When pressed about on the tax rate he himself pays, he stated “none of your business.” What is he hiding?
Finally, we need a person who can understand and handle the growing pressure from globalization, social fragmentation, and a backlash from those who think they have lost out. Hillary Clinton is that person.
FEEDBACK- Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 200 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
Dacula Memorial Day parade begins at 10 a.m. on May 30
The 23rd annual Dacula Memorial Day parade, an American hometown tradition, will be Monday, May 30 at 10 a.m. This year the parade theme will be “Faces of Honor.” A 5 K Run, starting at 8:30 a.m. from the Dacula Library, will precede the parade.
O’Kelley
Grand Marshal will be George E. O’Kelley Jr., a Jackson County native who now lives in Carnesville. He is a Naval veteran of World War II.
The 130-unit parade will begin at Hebron Baptist Church, and proceed down Dacula Road, then turns right on Second Avenue and ends at Dacula High School. The parade review and announcer stand will be in front of Fire Station 16, at 195 Dacula Road.
Mr. O’Kelley, now 91, entered the U.S. Navy on June 7, 1944 at the age of 19. He served on an Amphibious Personnel Assault ship, the U.S.S. Barnwell, in the Pacific theater. This crew landed troops all around the Pacific Theatre, including Guam and Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, New Caledonia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Iwo Jima, and Japan.. At the end of the war, his ship delivered our occupying forces to Nagasaki, Kobe and Osaka Japan.
O’Kelley says that when they dropped the troops in Nagasaki, “…there was nothing there; it just looked like a yard.”
He was honorably discharged on February 26, 1946 with the rank of Seaman First Class. Following his service, he attended North Georgia Vocational/Technical school on the GI Bill. He worked for a short while with General Motors and Ford Motor Company. Then he spent the next 33 years working for Lockheed Georgia Corporation.
He has been married to Ossie O’Kelley for 67 years.
Marvin Atherton, who founded the parade, says: “We invite you to come experience and be a part of this exciting, touching, and heart warming tribute to the men and women who have answered their nation’s call and gave their lives so that others may live in freedom. This parade honors and remembers those who put their lives on the line for their country and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the rights and privileges we have today.”
Gwinnett Tech to unveil and dedicate memorial to veterans on May 27
Gwinnett Technical School will unveil and dedicate on Friday, May 27 at 10 a.m. a custom crafted bronze and granite memorial that will serve to honor all veterans who have served to protect our freedom.
The community is invited to be a part of the dedication of this new memorial that will stand in perpetuity to honor members of our armed forces. The new memorial will be on the front lawn of Building 100 on the main campus in Lawrenceville.
Peachtree Corners library to close for a week of re-carpeting
The Peachtree Corners branch library will be closed from May 31 to June 5 for a carpeting and flooring project. Book drops will be closed. Customers can return borrowed items to another GCPL location or hold them until the branch re-opens. Fines for items due during the closed period will be waived.
Customers are encouraged to select alternate pickup locations for holds expected to arrive at the Peachtree Corners branch during this time, and can call the Library Help Line with questions or concerns at 770-978-5154.
NOTABLEKudzu Art Zone aims summer program at unlocking arts for students
Kudzu Art Zone announces a new program, Unlock the Arts. It will offer artistically-talented students a week-long visual arts summer camp. The camp will be held at the Kudzu Art Zone Art Center and Gallery at 116 Carlyle Street in Norcross. Unlock the Arts is funded by the Southeastern Pastel Society and Kudzu Art Zone’s Susie Schklar Scholarship Fund.
Unlock the Arts will engage middle school children who, either for social, economic or other reasons, do not have access to quality art programming and art materials during the summer months. Unlock the Arts will run from Monday, July 18, through Friday, July 22. Candidates were recommended by Gwinnett County middle school teachers. The eleven students in the inaugural program are from the Norcross/Duluth area.
Unlock the Arts students will have the chance to work with various art media and will be taught by experienced art professionals. At the end of the camp children will be given art supplies so that they can continue creating art at home.
Buford school gets $2,000 grant for healthy lifestyles for students
A $2,000 Fire Up Your Feet award has been made to White Oak Elementary School in Buford, for outstanding achievement in promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles for students, families, and school staff. The award came from Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation.
Nayo Tobin, PTA Health and Wellness Chair at White Oak School , says: “Health and wellness are extremely important topics here at White Oak. We believe that eating well plus playing well equals staying well. The Fire Up Your Feet program is one of many activities we use to get our school excited about health and wellness. This reward is going to give us the resources needed to continue our goals of promoting healthy eating, developing an after-school running program, and increasing physical activity at school.”
The next Kaiser Permanente Activity Challenge will take place October 1-31, 2016 and is open to any K-8 public, private or charter school in the metro Atlanta region. Sign up at fireupyourfeet.org.
Georgia Gwinnett College has $416 million impact on local economy
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) contributed more than $416 million to its local economy during fiscal year 2015, according to an annual study of the University System of Georgia’s (USG) economic impact on the state. The annual study is conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
Stas Preczewski, GGC president, says: “The college’s presence creates a multiplying effect as dollars are spent and re-spent in the Gwinnett area economy. In addition, for every job created on campus, there are more than three jobs created in the community.”
According to a May 10 news release issued by the USG, Georgia Gwinnett was second among state colleges, and surpassed most state universities in its total impact. As of May 12, GGC will have more than 3,600 graduates since the college started in 2005. The college is responsible for 4,208 jobs, 2,894 of which are off-campus jobs that exist because of spending related to the institution.
RECOMMENDEDThe Husband’s Secret
A novel by Liane Moriarty
This book had me from the first page. Set in Australia, it starts with the myth of Pandora’s Box, and the theme throughout is: what do you do when you would rather not know something? Cecilia, who thinks she knows her husband inside out, is surprised to discover a sealed envelope saying, ‘For my wife – to be opened only in the event of my death.’ The three women in this story find out their lives and beliefs aren’t quite what they think they are. They examine their core values and have to live with the consequences of their actions. It took me a while to understand all the characters and their stories, but once that happened, it was smooth sailing. I really love the way this author writes. If you choose to read this book, you might even learn something about the Berlin Wall . . . .Yea, that’s random!
— Reviewed by Ann M. Royster, Shelby, N.C.
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 TIDBITGeorgia municipalities must provide at least 3 distinct services
Traditionally, local governments are divided into two categories: general purpose and special purpose. The distinction depends on the number of areas or functions in which services are to be provided.
Georgia law declares that the terms city, town, municipality, and village are identical in meaning. Municipalities anywhere are formed when residents of an area ask the legislature to grant a charter. A 1963 law provided three requirements for charter eligibility: there must be at least 200 people living in the area, the proposed municipality must be more than three miles from another one, and 60 percent of the area must be developed and divided into tracts.
In 1993 the Georgia legislature passed a law defining the minimum conditions necessary for a community to remain as a municipality. As a result, the 724 cities in Georgia were reduced to 537 by 1995. The law required that in 1995 and thereafter the following three conditions must be met if the municipality is to retain its charter: the city must perform a minimum of three services from a prescribed list; it must hold at least six regular, officially recorded public meetings in a year; and it must have held or show that it could hold regular municipal elections.
If the municipality does not meet these criteria, then it can be eliminated in one of two ways: either the state can revoke its charter, or after the municipality has been inactive for ten years, a majority of the registered voters in the area can petition the court to dissolve it.
The 1983 Georgia Constitution prescribes 15 different services that a municipality may provide:
—police and fire protection
—garbage and solid-waste collection and disposal
—public health facilities and services
—street and road construction and maintenance
—parks, recreational areas, programs, and facilities
—storm-water and sewage collection and disposal systems
—development, storage, treatment, purification, and distribution of water
—public housing
—public transportation
—libraries, archives, and arts and sciences programs and facilities
—terminal and dock facilities and parking facilities
—codes, including building, housing, plumbing, and electrical
—air-quality control
—the creation, modification, and maintenance of retirement or pension systems for local-government employees
—planning, zoning, and community redevelopment
The 1993 law added to this list electric or gas utility services and street lighting, for a total of sixteen municipal services.
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Red, White, Bluegrass and Bach comes to Suwanee on Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at Town Center Park. The Fort Benning Silver Wings will parachute into the Center, weather permitting, to kick off activities. Bluegrass Band Sideline begins their entertainment t 8:30 p.m. For more information contact Events Manager Amy Doherty at 770-904-3387 or adoherty@suwanee.com.
(NEW) Memorial Day Service in Duluth will be Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m. on the Duluth Town Green, honoring veterans and Armed Services members. The Duluth High ROTC will present colors and the city will recognize veterans and service members.
Art Exhibit is now on display at St. Edward’s Episcopal Church in Lawrenceville, each day from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. through July 8. This features the work of artist Mikki Root Dillon, in paintings and photography, both abstract and representational. The church is located at 737 Moon Road.
Summer Camps: Lionheart Theatre Company in historic Norcross is planning summer camps, with classes and shows for tots through adults. Highlights include a musical theatre class and talent show for older adults, a new art class, digital video for children, teens and adults, and a workshop to give actors complete audition preparation including a resume and headshot. The summer’s finale is The Tempest, a children’s musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s whimsical adventure. That will be on August 4-7. The camps begin on June 6, and are aimed at specific ages. For a list of camps for all ages, go to http://www.lionhearttheatre.org/camps/.
MYSTERY PHOTOEasy clues: Art, water and mountains give you hints
Here’s an art piece, set alongside water with mountains as background. See if you can determine where this edition’s Mystery Photo is located. Send in your thoughts to elliott@gwinnettforum.com and be sure to include your hometown.
Rex Schuder of Lawrenceville was the first to identify the Mystery Photo in the last edition, noting that it was taken in Pittsburgh, Pa. It was sent in by George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
Bob Foreman of Grayson gave more information: “The Duquesne Incline provides a scenic ride up Mount Washington, providing a great view of downtown Pittsburgh.” Jo Pinder, formerly of Gwinnett, and now of Baltimore, sent her answer while on a small ship Alaska cruise: “Sure looks like the Duquesne Incline in North America, Pittsburgh, Pa., my hometown. Used for wonderful views of the city, cheap dates and a way to get to Mt. Washington.”
Other recognizing the photo included Steve Rausch, Peachtree Corners; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; and Becky Panetta, Dacula.
LAGNIAPPEHow you can figure out how your roses rank
Roving Photographer Frank Sharp traveled to the Greater Atlanta Rose Show, held at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens recently to capture images of fabulous roses. Judges evaluate each specimen in accordance with the following 100 point system: Form 25; Color 20; Substance 15; Stem and Foliage 20; Balance and Proportion 10; and Size 10. Now figure out, how do your roses stand up to this system? More photos:
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- MORE: Contact Editor and Publisher Elliott Brack at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
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