1/10: Lawrenceville charter; Bad forecasts; Vote by mail

THESE GWINNETT TECH STUDENTS have reason to smile. They are holding their certificates marking their completion of a program in film-making and television production. Gwinnett Tech is the first Georgia college to award these certificates for the industry. For more information on this program, see Notable below.

The Norfolk Southern rail crossing at Georgia Highway 120 in Downtown Duluth will be closed Tuesday, January 10, from 5 a.m. between Buford Highway and Main Street. The crossing is expected to be closed from six to eight hours.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Lawrenceville Seeks Charter Modification from General Assembly

EEB PERSPECTIVE: Bad Weather Forecasts Mean Millions Lost in Economic Impact

ANOTHER VIEW: Could Georgia One Day Adopt Oregon’s Vote by Mail System?

SPOTLIGHT: Walton EMC

FEEDBACK: U.S. Should Never Abandon Its Values for Any Country

UPCOMING: 17^th Annual MLK Celebration Starts with Parade on Monday

NOTABLE: Gwinnett Tech Is First In Georgia To Award Georgia Film Certificates

RECOMMENDED: Masterpieces of Medieval Literature by Professor Timothy B. Shutt

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Pistol Pete Maravich Has Record-Setting Basketball Career

TODAY’S QUOTE: Here’s Why History Can Be So Complicated

MYSTERY PHOTO: Clean, Modern Setting Could Give You Clues to This Mystery

CALENDAR: Check Out Upcoming Events in Gwinnett

Lawrenceville seeks charter modification from General Assembly

By Marci Gross, Lawrenceville, Ga.  |  The City of Lawrenceville is seeking to get the Georgia General Assembly to pass on a city charter modification to replace the current version, which dates from March 28, 1986. City officials will be working with the Gwinnett County legislative delegation to present the resolution as a request to the Georgia General Assembly for a Charter modification during the 2017 legislative session.

Lawrenceville Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson says that “Our Council has worked hard to ensure that the written authority for the City of Lawrenceville is an accurate reflection of our operating procedures. We believe that the adoption of the proposed new charter will be in the best interest of the citizens of Lawrenceville, as well as the operational affairs of the City.”

Originally chartered in 1821, the City of Lawrenceville is the oldest city in Metro Atlanta. Since the last version was adopted over 30 years ago, there have been several amendments made to the Charter. In addition to consolidating those amendments into one single document, the Charter request includes clarification on the role of the City Manager position that was originally adopted in 2011 after moving to a Council-Manager form of government. The Charter request also grants a provision naming the Mayor as a voting member on all matters brought before the City Council. Currently the mayor has a vote only when the Council vote ends in a tie.

The previous 10 Charter amendments being consolidated into the requested version include:

• Providing homestead exemption from municipal ad valorem taxes (1988);
• Changing provisions for the Lawrenceville corporate limits (1989);
• Retaining terms of office for mayor and council for two years (1990);
• De-annexation and removal of certain property within corporate limits (1992 and 1995);
• Increasing homestead exemption from city ad valorem taxes (1994);
• Amending mayoral duties and establishing city manager position (2011);
• Changing terms of office for mayor and council and establishing term limits (2012);
• Amending the procedures related to ordinance introductions (2014); and
• Amending the Lawrenceville corporate boundaries (2015).

The Charter modification request will be presented as a bill to the Georgia General Assembly during the 40-day session that began January 9. After the bill has been formally introduced, it must receive approval from both the Senate and House of Representatives. If approval is granted, the bill then goes before Governor Nathan Deal for his approval, after which the bill would then become law and the modified City Charter would be granted.

• For more information, visit www.LawrencevilleGa.org or to view the City of Lawrenceville’s current charter in its entirety.

• Have a comment?  Send to:  elliott@brack.net

Bad weather forecasts mean millions lost in economic impact

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher  |  Well, the Atlanta weatherpeople got it wrong again last weekend.  Don’t know how many times this makes it. If threatening weather is anticipated, all us listeners really want to know.  We listen avidly to the radio and television. And we have learned to take decisive action. Even our governor has learned this, after a real jam-up last year.

We heard that many went home early Friday, and huddled down to await the four inches of snow, and the icy roads that were being predicted for all of North Georgia.

One forecaster predicted the heaviest accumulation would be right in Metro Atlanta, basically from Spaghetti Junction to Hall County. Four inches, they said.  The map showed a purple area where it would hit, and basically, Gwinnett was in its center.

As the sleet started late Friday and into the night, it seemed to be going the way predicted. But waking up Saturday morning, at first we saw that the roofs were white, the grassy areas were covered with a white mesh…..but no snow was falling. On inspection, we found no snow at all. Just a light glazing of ice.

Yep, the weatherpros had missed it again.

We began thinking of the economic impact of lousy weather forecast.  Think of:

Productivity: Many of us left work early, some after lunch, others a couple of hours before the expected onslaught on Friday. If the North Georgia population is roughly six million people, and one-third was employed, that means two million lost an average of three hours work.  If each contributed only $100 an hour in productivity in their job, that’s $200 million lost production for the firms that employ them.

But that is only the beginning.

Sales: People busy scurrying home from a storm might stop and buy bread, milk and beer, but they don’t visit the major malls. Those two million North Georgia workers, if they didn’t spend $50 each Friday afternoon, that’s another $100 million in lost sales for the mall retailers.

Movies: A lot of people didn’t routinely go to movies. At least another $10 million (that includes popcorn) in lost revenue for the show people.

Auto Sales: Think about it: is anyone going to be shopping for either new (or used) cars as a  “weather situation” approaches?  Auto dealers probably lost another $25 million in that day’s sales. (Car buying with its big ticket stuff, adds up quickly.”  (Since you pay ad valorem taxes on cars when you buy them, even the State of Georgia governments lost at least a few million in taxes.)

High tech: These retailers also found their aisles empty. No one was wasting time to shop for a new computer, or modem, or television set. Count at least $10 million lost here.

You get the drift. Just counting these few items amounts to $345 million impact in lost sales.  And we haven’t included people on an hourly wage losing valuable work dollars. Consider, too, that we are trying to be conservative in putting estimates on these lost dollars.

It all adds up to mean that snow threats count heavily in lost economic impact, all because the valuable information that the weather people give us is thoughtfully considered by us average souls wanting to get home before the storm hits.

Years ago, something told us that the three top universities for studying meteorology were Penn State, Florida State and Texas A&M.  Next time you see such a graduate of these schools, remind them of their weather grads……..and their continual loss of credibility.

• Have a comment?  Send to:  elliott@brack.net

Could Georgia one day adopt Oregon’s Vote by Mail system?

(Editor’s Note: An idea first appearing in Statehouse Report might be beneficial to Georgia. Dr. Jack Bass is professor of humanities and social sciences emeritus at the College of Charleston, and author or co-author of eight books that include The Palmetto State, published by USC Press.  In his first career as a reporter, he covered South Carolina politics while based in Columbia.—eeb)

By Jack Bass, Charleston, S.C.  |   Oregon’s system of Vote By Mail offers a model that for South Carolina would save millions of dollars to buy new voting machines, avoid long lines for voting, and insure total security for elections results.

It is used for all elections: federal, state, and local, whether primary, general or special, and has been in operation for roughly 25 years.  One result is increased voter participation by working parents and senior citizens.  The system makes voter fraud virtually impossible, and research has shown that the system favors neither party.

Bass

The idea originated with Oregon county elections officials and has fully met their goals of substantially saving money and increasing voter participation.  The Vote By Mail has been adopted in whole or part by three western states, and South Carolina could become a leader in showing it works in the South.

Twenty days before each election, ballots are mailed by the county election officials to the address as registered by each voter.  Each ballot is customized to the address/precinct so that they are voting only on the federal, state, and local elections for their precinct.  Any registered voter who doesn’t receive a ballot mail for some reason, or loses one, can go to the elections office and get one.

Ballot integrity is insured by the voter signing the return envelope on the outside and the elections officials visually matching that signature to the signature on file with voter’s registration.  The ballot itself is in a separate inside envelope.  Once the signatures are matched, the inside envelope is separated from the outside one and the ballot scanned electronically to record it, which insures both voter privacy and a secret ballot by each voter.

To insure the integrity of the election, the system also provides a paper record of every vote, which can be recounted by hand if a recount is needed.

Every household in the state also receives by mail a ‘Voter’s Pamphlet,” with a concise biography and party identification of each candidate.  Voters can refer to it while filling out their ballot, which means they can vote at their own pace in the privacy of their homes during the three weeks before the election.  Typically, about half of the ballots are received before the last week.

Starting one week before the election, county elections officials begin counting ballots, using optical scanners, with results electronically recorded in the statewide voter database.  This allows candidates, political parties, and the media to monitor turnout as it unfolds.

This process means that early voters aren’t bothered by robo-calls and mailers and knocking on the doors by canvassers because they are known to have already voted.  It also means that candidates and their political party can focus on those who haven’t yet voted.  No elections results are released until the polls close on the day of election.

• Have a comment?  Send to:  elliott@brack.net

Walton EMC

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Walton EMC, which provides electric service to 70,000 Gwinnett homes and businesses in the Lilburn, Snellville, Grayson, Loganville and Dacula areas. Because its customers own the company, service — not profit — is Walton EMC’s primary focus.

• Contact Walton EMC at waltonemc.com, facebook.com/waltonemc or 770-267-2505.

U.S. should never abandon its values for any country

Editor, the Forum:

It takes a brave soul these days to be critical of Israel or the U.S. policy in support of it. But George Wilson is one of the few, by defending the UN vote against continued West Bank construction of Jewish-only subdivisions that would be constitutionally prohibited here. Were the housing made available to all who live in the West Bank, it would be a very different story. This election demonstrated America’s support for racial equality under the law, and we should not abandon our values when it comes to Israel or any other country.

—  Joe Briggs, Buford

Too little emphasis on punctuation and spelling in schools today

Editor, the Forum:

About grammar:  punctuation is definitely not being taught in schools these days. Apostrophes abound, usually not where they belong.  A plural word requires no apostrophe; possessive words do.

Spelling?  Nah.  Not there.  And general word meanings, especially homonyms, apparently are no longer taught.  I recently read an article with the headline, “So-and-So makes Bazaar Claim.”  Unless that person is stating his ownership of a street market, this headline is erroneous.  I suspect they meant “bizarre.”

I don’t think we can blame educators for this, but rather politicians sticking their noses into areas they where they have absolutely no knowledge or expertise.

There is too much emphasis on teaching the test and not enough on imparting practical knowledge.

— 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 300 words.  We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length.  Send feedback and letters to:    elliott@brack.net

17^th annual MLK Celebration starts with parade on Monday

The United Ebony Society of Gwinnett County, Inc. will host the 17th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Monday, January 16, in Lawrenceville. The theme, “Striving For Excellence: Awareness, Education and Service,” underscores the importance of everyone making a difference in the community, nation and world. The parade will start on Langley Drive in front of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 11 a.m. Dr. Frances E. Davis formerly of he Gwinnett Public Schools, is the 2017 Grand Marshal.

The parade concludes at Moore Middle School, located at 1221 Lawrenceville Highway. The celebration continues at the school at 2 p.m. and includes information provided by community outreach organizations, artwork displays, performances by students, food and a book discussion and signing by Dr. John Harris, author of Mr. Tuck and the 13 Heroes.

Author John Harris is a math professor at Furman University in Greenville, SC.  Having been inspired and encouraged by many of the educators in his own life, he has always had a deep appreciation for educators who make significant impacts on the lives of others.  One such person was family friend Brooks Tuck, whose powerful story is shared in this children’s book.  Illustrator Sophie Harris, his daughter, also of Greenville, is an artist and photographer.  She brings to life the scenes of this difficult but significant time in our history.

The book tells a true story of a family friend who was the principal of an elementary school in Henry County when that school was desegregated.  That man, Brooks Tuck, volunteered his school to be the only school in the county that would be integrated — and this is the story of him and of the 13 brave children who entered a school where no one looked like them.

PCOM plans open house at Suwanee campus on Jan. 13

Prospective students are invited to an open house at the Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA–PCOM) on Friday, January 13 from 5:30–8 p.m. Faculty members and students will be on hand to discuss the programs offered at the Suwanee campus including Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Pharmacy (PharmD), Biomedical Sciences (MS), and Physician Assistant Studies (MS).

The open house will include a tour of the campus. Information about the curriculum, the application procedure and the financial aid process will also be available. Those interested in attending the open house are encouraged to register online or call the Office of Admissions at 678-225-7500.

Environmental Center offers program on native mammals Jan. 16

Darlene Tarabula with the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center highlights the physical adaptations of the beaver and the many uses of its unique tail.

The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC) plans to explore STEAM (Science – Technology – Engineering –-Arts – Math) with a special event that highlights Georgia’s native mammals and how they survive the winter months.

The Discover Georgia’s Native Mammals event takes place at the EHC on Monday, January 16, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.  The program fee for the event is $8 per person. Children two-years-old and younger and EHC members are free.

Activities include demonstrations with a Lego Mindstorm EV3 as visitors help a robotic squirrel gather acorns for the winter.  Guests can also touch and experience the EHC’s vast collection of animal pelts, including those of a black bear, beaver, fox and more.

A special Squirrel-A-Palooza guided hike takes place at 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. as visitors venture into the EHC forest and look through the eyes of native animals in their quest for survival.

Guests can also design and build their own beaver lodge as they explore the engineering skills of beavers.  Additional activities include a Critters in the Cold class, various crafts that enhance an understanding of the EHC’s forest friends and a game of native mammal trivia.

• Guests can pre-register or pay at the door. For more information about the Discover Georgia’s Native Mammals event and the EHC, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.

Gwinnett Tech is first in Georgia to award Georgia film certificates

As the film industry in Georgia continues to grow exponentially, so does the demand for skilled filmmaking talent. Georgia is now ranked third in the nation, behind only Hollywood and New York, for number of film productions. Gwinnett Technical College is an educational partner working in tandem with the Georgia Film Academy to meet the workforce demands of this booming $7.2 billion industry.

Recently, Gwinnett Tech was the first technical college in Georgia to award Georgia Film Academy Certificates to students that are seeking to launch careers in filmmaking. Forty-six students successfully completed the 32-week inaugural program that offers hands-on training and experience in major film and television productions.

Rebecca Alexander, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs for Gwinnett Tech says, “Breaking into the film industry is not easy. On-set film workers need very specific training. The film industry is fast-paced and time is money. Film producers want skilled workers that can hit the ground running from day one. At Gwinnett Tech we’re committed to ensuring our Georgia Film Academy graduates are equipped and ready to fill these high-demand jobs.”

The Georgia Film Academy program is an 18-credit hour program, comprised of two courses specifically designed to provide students with on-set film production skills. The first course combines classroom instruction and hands-on experience with industry standard equipment. The second is a semester on-set, where students learned and honed their craft while working with the crew of a professional production. The program prepares students for entry-level positions both on set and in production offices. Students can earn credits towards their AA, AAS or BA degree. A stand-alone certificate is also offered to non-credit seeking students.

Gwinnett Tech’s 46 Georgia Film Academy students completed their on-set internships on a total of 11 television and movie productions, including The Walking Dead, Spiderman, Krystal, Finding Steve McQueen, Adult Swim, Stan Against Evil, Life of the Party, Step Sisters, and Media. Some also worked with equipment and studio rental companies like Cineverse and MBS. Many Gwinnett Tech students have already landed coveted industry jobs directly from their internships.

• Aspiring filmmakers looking to break into the industry are encouraged to learn more about the Georgia Film Academy at GeorgiaFilmAcademy.org or call Gwinnett Tech direct at 770-962-7580.

Masterpieces of Medieval Literature by Professor Timothy B. Shutt

Reviewed by Karen Harris, Stone Mountain: Professor Timothy B. Shutt’s presentation is both a history lesson and an involving story about the life and times mirrored through works of this various periods. He begins with a historical overview presenting an especially picturesque description of Iceland, including Icelandic poetry, which was my favorite topic in this course. Other topics covered include Anglo-Saxon poetry, Anglo Saxon attitudes, Beowulf, the Germanic North, the Celtic West, religious literature and the later Middle Ages. He compares and contrasts Chaucer and Dante making it easy to read or re-read the works of these authors. This book on CD course is well worth your time if you enjoy exploring history through the lens of literature.

• 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

“Pistol Pete” Maravich has record-setting basketball career

Basketball player Pete Maravich‘s showmanship and style earned him the nickname “Pistol Pete.” In the first of his four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, he was named to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) All-Rookie Team. He gained a reputation as an accurate long-range shooter, and his ball handling and flair pleased crowds.

Born in Aliquippa, Penn., Pete Press Maravich was the son of Helen and Press Maravich, a former National Basketball League and Basketball Association of America guard and college coach. After a successful career at Needham-Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C., Maravich enrolled at Louisiana State University, where his father coached. While at LSU, he led the nation in scoring. A three-time First Team All-American, he set 11National Collegiate Athletic Association records and 26 Southeastern Conference records. In his senior year he won the Sporting News’s College Player of the Year and the Naismith awards. Maravich also completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration. LSU’s overall record was only 49-35 during Maravich’s career, despite his remarkable shooting percentage.

During the 1970 NBA draft the Atlanta Hawks were the third team to select, and Maravich was their top choice. The veteran Hawks, many of whom were said to resent Maravich’s reported $1.9 million contract over five years, an enormous sum at the time, received him coolly. Maravich, however, continued to excel, making an impact during his rookie season. He was one of the top ten scorers in the league. Atlanta, however, maintained a poor overall record.

Maravich suffered a number of injuries his second season and missed 16 games. During his third season he remained healthy and adjusted to professional play. He continued to accumulate individual honors his third year, landing spots on the All-Star Team and the All-NBA Second Team. The cycle of losing seasons continued, however, and the Hawks traded him to an expansion team, the New Orleans Jazz.

Back in Louisiana, Maravich peaked, making the All-NBA First Team twice and the All-NBA Second Team twice. He also led the NBA in scoring, with 31.1 points per game during the 1976-77 season. The Jazz moved to Utah in 1979. On January 17, 1980, Maravich left the team in midseason and just five days later signed with the Boston Celtics, after five and a half seasons with the Jazz. During the 1979-80 season the NBA initiated the three-point shot; Maravich scored 10 out of 15 from three-point range that season.

At the end of his season with the Celtics, Maravich realized his knees were unable to withstand the physical stress of playing basketball, and he retired. He ended his ten-year career with a scoring average of 24.2 points per game. Maravich and his family moved to rural Louisiana, where he held basketball clinics, made instructional basketball videos, and worked occasionally as a commentator. In 1987 he was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Shortly after his induction, on January 5, 1988, Maravich died of a heart attack while playing in a pickup game; he was 40 years old.

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

Clean, modern setting could give you clues to this mystery

This edition’s Mystery Photo looks like a well-kept modern area.  Now hunker down and figure out where these picture clues lead you. Send in your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.

Several readers quickly recognized last edition’s Mystery Photo. First in was Julie Duke of Norcross, saying: “This house is beachfront on Sullivan’s Island, S.C. It is designed to minimize hurricane damage. We lovingly refer to it as the Flintstone House in my family! I am not sure if it was built before Hugo, but has been there since the 90s.”

Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill also recognized it: “This has got to be that dome house on Sullivan’s Island in S.C. It’s supposedly built to withstand big storms, but it is not at all my cup of tea.”

Bob Foreman of Grayson didn’t get the location: “This Dome House may be located near Pensacola, Fla. The dome shape deflects strong winds and the concrete shell protects the interior from flying debris. The windows are built to withstand impact or have shutters which can be closed when a storm is expected. Most are built up so the main living space is above a storm surge level and have an unoccupied ground level which usually serves as the garage and utility space. They are also great for tornados.”

Ruthy Lachman Paul adds: “The Monolithic Dome is energy efficient because of the inherently minimal surface area relative to the volume of the structure. Basically, there is less surface area to transfer heat. In fact, Monolithic Domes meet FEMA standards.”

George Graf of Palmyra, Va. says:  “This is the Eye of the Storm” dome home, Sullivan’s Island, S.C.  On a sunny morning in 1991, George Paul, designer and builder of dome structures, built a permanent house for his parents, Huiet and Helen Paul, who lost their original summer home on that site to Hurricane Hugo in 1989.  Since it’s in a hurricane-prone area, Paul designed the Eye’s ground level with eight huge openings — five of which are large enough to drive through. In bad weather, particularly a hurricane, storm surge rushes through the openings under the house, often leaving debris in its wake but the main structure unharmed.  Pilings sunk into the crust or solid part of the substrate also contribute sturdiness.”

Lou Camerio of Lilburn didn’t get the location right, but wrote: “Looks a lot like the Myatt house on a golf course near Marietta. Professor Myatt was a structural engineer and taught at Southern Tech, now part of Kennesaw State Univ. He wanted something different and he wanted to show what could be accomplished with concrete shell construction, so he built this structure. It has been 45 years since I was in his home.”

Windows 10 Training, January 11 at 11 a.m. presented by Gwinnett County Public Library. This will be at the Lawrenceville Branch Computer Lab, 1001 Lawrenceville Highway, Lawrenceville. Learn to navigate Windows 10 and how to explore the Taskbar, resize tiles, use File Explorer, and more!  This workshop will also discuss how to keep your information private and Internet browsers.  Gwinnett Senior Learning Center (GSRLC) will lead the workshop. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Homeowner Water Education Seminar scheduled for January 12, at 6 p.m. at the Suwanee Branch Library, 361 Main Street. The Gwinnett Department of Water Resources developed Homeowner H2O to educate Gwinnett County residents about water conservation.  This presentation will focus on leak detection and repair, installing water-efficient fixtures and increasing water-saving behaviors inside and outside the home.  For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

State of the Region address is Friday, January 13 at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast. Speaker will be Kerry Armstrong, chairman of the Atlanta Region Commission. This is presented by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. To register, click here.

Open house: Prospective students are invited to an open house at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA–PCOM) on Friday, January 13 from 5:30–8 p.m. Faculty members and students will be on hand to discuss the programs offered at the Suwanee campus including Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Pharmacy (PharmD), Biomedical Sciences (MS), and Physician Assistant Studies (MS). The open house will include a tour of the campus. Information about the curriculum, the application procedure and the financial aid process will also be available. Those interested in attending the open house are encouraged to register online or call the Office of Admissions at 678-225-7500.

Get To Know a Tree: on Saturday, January 14, Arborist Barry Smith from Arbor-Nomics will ramble around Discovery Garden in Norcross identifying trees by bark, structure and more. This event will take place at 10 a.m. The Garden is located behind the Norcross Welcome Center on Lawrenceville Street.

Writer’s Playshop: January 14, 10 a.m. at Gwinnett County Public Library’s Five Forks Branch. Looking to enrich your writing and illustrating?  Come play with language, ideas, and real artifacts to bring your work to life for ages 14 and above.  Join Author Heather L. Montgomery for a morning of writing, sketching, and stretching your brain!  Montgomery writes nonfiction for kids who love animals.  Her latest book is How Rude:  Real Bugs Who Won’t Mind Their Manners. RSVP to events@gwinnettpl.org.  For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

(NEW) The 17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on January 16 starts at 11 a.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. The parade concludes at Moore Middle School on U.S. Highway 29 south of Lawrenceville. The grand marshal for the parade will be Dr. Frances E. Davis, formerly with the Gwinnett Public Schools. The United  Ebony Society of Gwinnett County is the parade sponsor.

Free Photography Workshop at Hamilton Mill Library Branch, 3690 Braselton Highway, on January 18, at 10:30 a.m. Join the Georgia Nature Photographers Association for this informal talk and Q&A photography workshop.  They will provide information about cameras, editing software, and tips for getting better photographs with the equipment you already have.

State of Duluth Address: The Honorable Mayor Nancy Harris will deliver the Annual Duluth’s “State of the City” address on Monday, January 23 at 7 p.m. at the Red Clay Music Foundry. Reserve a free seat at http://tinyurl.com/DuluthSOC. The doors will open at 6 p.m. This address will take the place of the regularly scheduled Council work session.

Plant sale: The Gwinnett County Cooperative Extension office is offering varieties of Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Figs, Apples, Pomegranate, Goji Berries, Native Azaleas and other landscape plants as part of their annual sale. This year Pecan Trees and the big Titan blueberry, which produces blueberries the size of quarters, have been added to the list of pre-ordered options. Supplies are limited so please order early. Orders will be taken through March 7, 2017. Order forms may be obtained from: www.ugaextension.org/gwinnett, or by calling 678-377-4010 to request a form be mailed to you.

GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday.

Meet our team

• Editor and publisher:  Elliott Brack, 770-840-1003
• Managing editor: Betsy Brack
• Roving photographer:  Frank Sharp
• Contributing columnist: Debra Houston
• Contributing columnist: George Wilson

More

• Location: We are located in Suite 225, 40 Technology Park, Norcross, Ga. 30092.
• Work with us: If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more.

Subscriptions to GwinnettForum are free.

• Click to subscribe.

• Unsubscribe.  We hope you’ll keep receiving the great news and information from GwinnettForum, but if you need to unsubscribe, go to this page and unsubscribe in the appropriate box.

© 2017, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.