SMILING HAPPILY in their new white coats, signifying that they are on their way to becoming physician assistants, are members of a 2018 class at the Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (Ga.-PCOM) Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program. The coats show that they have reached a milestone on their journey to becoming physician assistants. Recently the Suwanee-based Ga.-PCOM’s inaugural class of 20 PA students earned their white coats. On the back row, from left are Katie Jo Wacker – Conshohocken, Penn.; Haley Peeples – Bowman, Ga; Lauren Carosi – Cranford, N.J.; Benjamin Singleton – Lawrenceville; David Castillo – Caracas, Venezuela; Lucas Mallory – Ashland, Va.; Danielle Kemp – Warner Robins; Anna Cauthen – Alpharetta; Carrie Simpson – Alpharetta; Alanna Viken – Mazon, Ill.; and Ashley Hayes – Rochester, N.Y. On the front row are Lacey Bennett –Commerce; Lauren Terrell – St. Louis, Mo.; Audrey Jeon – Atlanta; Angelica Forero – Fayetteville; Christina Larkin – Riverdale; Hee Namgoong – Seoul, South Korea; Lucy Johnston – Fairhope, Ala.; Dallas Knox – Edison; and Kelly-Ann Peters – Suwanee. (See story in Notable below.)
IN THIS EDITIONTODAY’S FOCUS: City of Sugar Hill Names Adjacent Plaza for Dawn P. Gober
EEB PERSPECTIVE: The World Is Just “This Close” To Eradicating the Polio Virus
SPOTLIGHT: Peach State Federal Credit Union
FEEDBACK: Recent Column by Houston Prompts Two Immediate Replies
UPCOMING: Peachtree Corners To Have First Recycling Event on Sept. 10
NOTABLE: New Ga-PCOM Physician Assistant Class Earn White Coats
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Governor Henry Ellis Viewed as “Georgia’s Second Founder”
CALENDAR: Peachtree Corners Business Association Plans Charity Event
TODAY’S QUOTE: Here’s FDR’s Definition of a Conservative
MYSTERY PHOTO: The Mountains, the Buildings, the Water….Where Is This Place?
TODAY’S FOCUSCity of Sugar Hill names adjacent plaza for Realtor Dawn P. Gober
Family all smiles with Dawn P. Gober recognition
By Varessa Butts | The newly-created plaza at the Sugar Hill City Hall has been named for Dawn P. Gober, a Sugar Hill resident and long-standing advocate for the city. Mayor Steve Edwards and Council of the City of Sugar Hill have recognized her for her infectious energy and dedication to public service. Her work has helped define the Sugar Hill of today and set the stage for the welcoming and iconic destination city of tomorrow.
The Mayor and Council proclaimed that the newly created plaza located directly behind City Hall, which will serve as a public gathering place for friends, families, businesses and guests, as the “The Dawn P. Gober Community Plaza.”
Gober
“Dawn P,” as she is affectionately known, is the ultimate cheerleader and consummate ambassador for the City of Sugar Hill. She has been active in the community her entire adult life. She is a member of the North Gwinnett Kiwanis and attends Sugar Hill Church. She is an avid tennis player. She has been a commercial real estate agent for 21 years. She has lived her entire life in Gwinnett, being born in Buford. She was Miss North Gwinnett in 1972, and graduated in 1973. One of Dawn P.’s favorite remembrances from high school is her instant decision one day to participate in track and field, but had left her sneakers at home. So she ran the 50 yard dash barefooted, won, and set a school record.
Dawn P. has dedicated her life to public service and the idea of creating and building a downtown Sugar Hill. Through her 12 years of service on the Sugar Hill Downtown Development Authority (DDA), downtown Sugar Hill is taking shape and is receiving accolades from throughout Gwinnett County, metro Atlanta and across the state.
Her vision and passion for Sugar Hill combined with her energy and work ethic have been pivotal in the continued growth of the “Sweet City”. The only thing that Dawn P. treasures more than Sugar Hill is her faith, family and friends, whom she holds close to her heart. It is often said that anyone that meets Dawn P. becomes an instant friend and she always treats her friends like family.
Family and friends gathered August 8 to surprise Dawn P. as the proclamation was read at the City Council meeting. Upon hearing the proclamation, in true Dawn P. fashion, she had a gift to give back to the city. She presented the city with a photo that she had found and framed of the first commercial building ground-breaking in Sugar Hill, that of the TG & Y Department store.
Mayor Edwards says that The Plaza is the perfect place to honor such a bright individual. “The next generation of City Council Members will be found laughing, playing, and splashing in the Sugar Hill Splash Park adjacent to the Plaza. Future Downtown Development Authority members will be picnicking and dreaming in the Plaza with their families.”
A plaque featuring Dawn P.’s infectious smile was posted near The Plaza, reminding residents to enjoy the “Sweet Life” just as Dawn continues to do. “The Dawn P. Gober Community Plaza” will be the official home of sweet memories and future dreams and aspirations of Sugar Hill.
EEB PERSPECTIVEThe world is just “this close” to eradicating the polio virus
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Polio was a terrible menace to the world in the days when I was growing up. It was a widespread, worldwide problem, causing pain, suffering and even death to many, particularly children under age five.
Often children struck hard by polio had to live in what looked to us kids as a monster—the giant so-called “Iron lung,” which kept them alive by helping their breathing. Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.
No one knew yet what caused polio. So rumors flew. Some thought it was transferred through water. The swimming pools in Macon, where I grew up, were closed several summers because of that fear, with people thinking that polio was transferred by water. In my memory there still resides images of the empty swimming pools.
Although President Franklin Roosevelt had polio, many Americans did not realize how much that incapacitated him, or what he had overcome, since his office and the media seldom let him be photographed in a compromising manner, such as having difficulty walking, or him in his wheel chair.
Then along came Dr. Jonas Salk with the polio vaccine. His breakthrough would halt the spread of polio to children who took the vaccine. But there were millions of people throughout the world with polio, and others being exposed to it. How could polio be curbed? How could these children get this vaccine?
Finally, one group stepped up to take the leadership in fighting polio. It was Rotary International, that service club with members worldwide, who in 1985 launched an effort to eradicate polio worldwide. It would be a prodigious task. Could it even be done? And what would be the cost, and how would it be accomplished?
Now, some 31 years later, Rotary and its many partners are just about to cure the world of polio. It’s hard to believe. As recent as 1988, there were an estimated 350,000 polio victims. Rotary has contributed more than $1.5 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.
But often in trying to conquer something, for every two steps you take forward, you are beset with one step back.
As of 2015, there were only two countries in the entire world where the wild polio virus had struck. There were six cases in Afghanistan, and 28 cases in Pakistan. So far in 2016, Afghanistan reported six more cases, and only 13 in Pakistan. But this July, came a setback: two cases were reported in Nigeria. It shows how difficult it is to wipe out polio.
More than one million Rotary members have donated their time and personal resources to end polio. Every year, hundreds of Rotary members work side-by-side with health workers to vaccinate children in polio-affected countries. Rotarians work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute mass communication tools to reach people in areas isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty.
Every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication is matched two-to-one by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, up to $35 million a year through 2018. These funds help to provide operational support, medical personnel, laboratory equipment, and educational materials for health workers and parents.
As a worldwide campaign says, the world is “this close” (picture of celebrity holding up thumb and index finger) to eradicating polio. There may be more setbacks, but look how far we have come!
The world is just “this close.”
- More: EndPolio.org
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Recent column by Houston prompts two immediate replies
Editor, the Forum:
The recent column by Debra Houston is just a very embarrassing article. She should be ashamed to write this/post this. Women died, many of them to earn the right to vote. It is our RIGHT TO VOTE. Not voting is just a stupid response.
If you pay taxes, you need to vote. Period the end. Playing games and saying “Oh, I don’t like either one,” is not voting.
Geez!
— Trish Gates, Lilburn
Editor, the Forum:
Well, Debbie Houston’s head can explode. I will say once again that the obstructionist Republicans did, in fact, largely prevent the Obama Administration from accomplishing its goals.
Yes, an “Opposition Party” is supposed to oppose, but the Republicans have gone past opposition and into obstructionism. Their publicly stated goal was to oppose anything the Obama Administration proposed. Period. They did not even have the courtesy to hear the president’s nominee for the Supreme Court!
I believe the United States would become a single-party nation in a few minutes if President Obama issued a proclamation in favor of respiration. The Republicans would immediately refuse to breathe.
— Robert Hanson, Loganville
- 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
Peachtree Corners to have first recycling event Sept. 10
On Saturday, September 10, the City of Peachtree Corners will hold its first ever recycling event. Residents of Peachtree Corners will be able to recycle electronics and shred those unwanted and no longer needed documents. It will be at 6025/6075 The Corners Parkway (the location of Glenfield Capital), from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. or until the recycling truck is full.
American Security Shredding will have their on-site shred truck for all paper materials. You can watch your materials being shredded on the video display monitor. This event is free, but limited to five medium size boxes or equivalent.
Electronics Recycling is also offered. You can get rid of old cell phones, computers, copiers, and keyboards without guilt. ITAD Technologies will be on site to help you recycle those unwanted electronic devices.
This event is free except for recycling CRT monitors. The cost to recycle CRT monitors over 17” in size is $25 each, while smaller monitors are $15 each. Only cash will be accepted. Note: console or projection televisions or batteries that are leaking, will not be accepted.
Acceptable Electronics include: Personal Computers, Modems, Printers, CD-Roms, Cell Phones, Copiers, PC Power Supplies, Scanners, Typewriters, Mouses, Wire/Cabling Servers, Networking Equipment, Laptops, Floppy/Disk Drives, UPS Batteries, Fax Machines, Circuit Boards,
Phones, Music/VCR/CD-Players, Keyboards, Wire/Cabling, Test Equipment and PC Monitors.
Honeybee Festival to be held Aug. 28 at environmental center
It may be small, but the honeybee plays a huge role in the production of the foods Americans eat as it is one of the top pollinators of crops in the United States.
In recognition of its vital function in the food cycle, the Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC) will hold its annual Honeybee Festival on Sunday, August 28, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
The Honeybee Festival features numerous activities for families including bee games, crafts, honey samples and Honeybee Theater. Guests will also discover innovative snack ideas using honey. A number of beekeepers and vendors will be on hand to discuss their craft and to sell local honey and beeswax products.
Visitors will have an opportunity to experience a guided, pollinator trivia hike, see real live observation hives and learn from beekeeping information sessions. The information sessions will include a 2 p.m. presentation on making beeswax lip balm by Lena Franklin with the Eastern Piedmont Beekeepers’ Association and a 3 p.m. presentation on natural beekeeping and honey processing by Silviu Gavriliuc, a certified beekeeper. A special kid friendly intro class focusing on the honeybee will also be offered at various times throughout the event.
The EHC Gift Shop plans to get into the spirit of the festival by highlighting and selling all natural, raw honey from the EHC Foundation’s own hives. The local honey is available for purchase in both six and nine ounce jars.
Program fees for the Honeybee Festival are $8.00 per person. Children two and under and EHC members are free. For more information on the Honeybee Festival and the Environmental and Heritage Center, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.
Kudzu Art Center offers four opportunities in new classes
Late summer and fall bring exciting new classes and opportunities to exercise your creative muses at Kudzu Art Zone in Norcross. Four new classes are in the works.
Fiorello
Painting Flowers Alla Prima in oil with Pat Fiorello begins Wednesday, September 7 and runs to Friday, September 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This three day workshop will help you to approach painting flowers in oil directly with loose, fresh, soft results.
Ms. Fiorello will provide demonstrations, instruction, critique and guidance while you learn to understand and simplify flower shapes, light and shadow patterns and mixing color. She has taught workshops in the US, Caribbean and in Europe.
Experimenting with Watercolor with Kathy Kitz is to be on Mondays, September 12 to October 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Explore the possibilities of watercolor on a variety of surfaces, using different techniques. Ms Kitz, an award winning watercolorist, will provide demos and individual guidance, starting with landscapes and exploring other subjects.
Painting with Chris Sherry will be Wednesdays, September 14 to October 19, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. It is a class in oil or acrylic which will advance painter’s skills and confidence with a great instructor.
Emerging Artists (teens) After School Drawing Program with Angela Faustina is from Monday, August 22 through September 26, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Young artists will explore a wide variety of drawing media and subject matter while expanding drawing skills, and learn about important art movements. See website for supply list.
- For additional information or to register for classes check the website: www.kudzuartzone.org or call 770-840-9844.
Kudzu Art Zone is located at 116 Carlyle Street in downtown Norcross. All classes and workshops are held in its large, well-lighted art studios and gallery. Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays 1p.m. to 4 p.m.
NOTABLENew Ga.-PCOM physician assistant students earn white coats
While many students are just beginning the academic year, those enrolled in Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (GA-PCOM) Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program have reached a milestone on their journey to becoming physician assistants. Recently GA-PCOM’s inaugural class of 20 PA students earned their white coats.
The White Coat Ceremony for the Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2018 was held at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth and featured guest speaker James Becker, PA-C. He advises the students that “faculty members are not your true teachers, although they observe your actions and interactions and insure you possess a caring and compassionate attitude.” But, rather, patients will be the true teachers. “Some will give their lives for you to learn,” he says.
Describing the profession as a calling, he says: “You empower the (white) coat. It doesn’t empower you.” He advises the students to fill their coat pockets with four items – a mirror for self-reflection; running shoes to pursue perfection; a sense of humor and joy; and a passion outside of work. “Work is important,” he says, “but so is life.”
Becker has practiced as a surgical PA in Gainesville, Ga., for 17 years. He has served as both a committee chairperson and board member of the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants. He will join the GA-PCOM physician assistant studies faculty as Associate Professor and Clinical Coordinator in October of 2016.
Dr. Laura Levy, chair of PCOM’s Physician Assistant Studies department, addressed the PA students’ family members and friends. “You are about to become involved in medical education,” she said, noting that their ear canals, retinas, chests, abdomens and lung and heart sounds are very valuable to the students. She added, “You will most likely endure the longest and most thorough medical exams possible!”
RECOMMENDED- 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
Gov. Henry Ellis viewed as “Georgia’s Second Founder”
Henry Ellis, the second royal governor of Georgia, has been called “Georgia’s second founder.” Georgia had no self-government under the Trustees (1732-52), and the first royal governor, John Reynolds (1754-57), failed as an administrator. Under the leadership of Ellis (1757-60) Georgians learned how to govern themselves, and they have been doing so ever since.
As a teenager Ellis left his irascible father in Monaghan County, Ireland, to take to the sea. Gifted with intelligence and ability, Ellis learned the science of navigation and the art of mapmaking, and at the age of 25 was offered the position of scientific observer on a ship bound for Hudson’s Bay in a search for the Northwest Passage. His subsequent book about the voyage and his maps earned for him an audience with Frederick, Prince of Wales; the patronage of Lord Halifax, president of the Board of Trade; and membership in the prestigious Royal Society. He went to sea again as the captain of the trading vessel Earl of Halifax and carried out a series of experiments for members of the Royal Society.
From 1750 until 1755 Ellis carried cargoes of slaves from Africa to Jamaica. He negotiated with African chieftains for the purchase of those who had already lost their freedom because of war, crime, or debt. Unlike some practitioners of the terrible trade, he exercised the slaves on deck and fumigated their quarters below deck. He made three voyages from England to Africa and Jamaica. He reported that none of the 312 slaves he carried in 1754 died on the passage from Africa.
As head of the Board of Trade, Lord Halifax, hoped to make Georgia a model colony. A chorus of complaints from Georgia about Governor Reynolds caused Halifax to remove Reynolds and send Ellis in his place. Georgians greeted Ellis with enthusiasm when he arrived in February 1757. With tact he quieted the vicious factionalism that had wracked the Reynolds administration and guided the members of the legislature in the rudiments of government. In 1758 he sponsored legislation that divided the province into eight parishes, each with delegates to the assembly.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
The mountains, the buildings, the water….Where is this place?
The mountains, the buildings, the water….where is this area, in Europe, or perhaps Colorado, or you figure where it is. It certainly seems like a wonderful summertime setting. Send in your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.
Only the reliable George Graf of Palmyra, Va. was able to identify the most recent Mystery Photo. George writes that “the photo is of the Burlington, Vermont Lake Champlain Waterfront.” The photo was sent to us by Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
George adds: “Lake Champlain is situated between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The lake is named after the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who encountered it in July, 1609. The naval Battle of Valcour Island took place on October 11, 1776, on Lake Champlain. The battle is generally regarded as one of the first naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, and one of the first fought by the United States Navy. Most of the ships in the American fleet under the command of Benedict Arnold were captured or destroyed by the British force.”
CALENDAR
(NEW) Third annual charity function for Peachtree Corners Business Association. This will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 25 at Slingshot Entertainment, at the intersection of Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Funds raised will go to Junior Achievement Academy, Norcross Cooperative Ministry, and the After School Matters (ASM) Program, among others.
16th Annual British Car Fayre will be on Saturday, September 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Norcross. No cost to attend. Over 400 British automobiles and motorcycles will be on display. Free parking and a shuttle service will be provided. More info:www.atlantabritishcarfayre.com.
Restoring Hope Partner’s meeting and breakfast, Thursday, September 15 at 7:30 a.m. at the Norcross First United Methodist Church, 2500 Beaver Ruin Road. Restoring Hope is the campaign to engage, encourage and empower the Norcross Community Ministry. Those wanting to attend should RSVP by August 22 to kyra@norcrossco-op.org or call 770 263-0013.
(NEW) Open House at Byrd and Flanigan Funeral Service in Lawrenceville on Sunday, September 18, from 1 until 5 p.m. The new funeral home is located at 288 Hurricane Shoals Road Northeast.
Library Temporarily Closing: Gwinnett County Public Library’s Suwanee Branch will be closed on Thursday, September 22 for the removal of the help desk. The branch will resume normal business hours on Friday, September 23. Book drops will remain open.
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