1/31: On warmest year on record, mobile homes, Greatest Generation

KEY INTERSECTION TO BE CLOSED THURSDAY for short-term repairs:  Georgia Department of Transportation maintenance crews will work to create a smoother transition for traffic merging from Georgia Highway Route 316 onto Interstate 85 southbound. Recently the concrete that connects the roadway to the bridge has settled. Initial repairs have been completed but final work to ensure a smoother ride will take place Thursday, February 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This work will require the bridge to be closed to traffic. Drivers will use the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane as they merge onto I-85 south from Route 316. Drivers need to be alert while traveling the HOV lane detour and depart from the lane if they are not carpooling.

TODAY’S FOCUS: The Most Recent Year, 2016, Was the Warmest Year on Record

EEB PERSPECTIVE: How About Eliminating Manufacturing of Mobile Homes?

ANOTHER VIEW: Modesty One of the Characteristics of Many of Greatest Generation

SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

FEEDBACK: Six Letters on Varied Subjects Today

UPCOMING: Gwinnett Tech Launching New Health Program, “Sterile Technicians”

NOTABLE: Duluth Recognizes Nine Citizens for Contributions to Community

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Early Moravians in Georgia Were from the Present day Czech Republic

TODAY’S QUOTE: Even Ages Ago, There Was Conversation About the Truth

MYSTERY PHOTO: Look Up To Recognize This Special Shape

LAGNIAPPE: Workshop Coming Soon for Brain Injury Survivors

The most recent year, 2016, was the warmest year on record

(Editor’s note: The following comes from a retired civilian employee of the U.S. Department of Defense now living in Buford. –eeb)

By Bert Schuster  |  Scientists recently reported that in 2016 the earth reached its highest temperature on record. Each of the previous two years earned the same dubious distinction.

At agencies like NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), scientists compute an annual average temperature, based on daily thermometer measurements at thousands of stations across the planet. In recent years we experienced drought and extreme weather in many countries. The most extreme rise in temperature has occurred in the Arctic. Climate change is global, and what counts is long-term trends. Of the 17 hottest years on record, 16 occurred since 2000.

Schuster

The scientific study of the so-called greenhouse effect and anthropogenic (human- caused) warming was developed in the last 50 years, though it has been known for about 150 years that carbon dioxide absorbs heat. With the increased burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil that began with the Industrial Revolution, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane have been trapping heat in the atmosphere, forming a sort of blanket around our planet.

As a result, less solar radiation is reflected back into space, so that there is an energy imbalance. This process is ongoing and cumulative, and the climate keeps getting worse. The impacts, such as severe weather events, droughts, floods, ocean acidification, and rising sea levels, are not uniform, and they affect various regions quite differently. One of the bitter ironies of climate change is that some countries that have had few greenhouse gas emissions have suffered some of the worst consequences. But all of us are threatened, and none of us can escape.

Unfortunately, there are folks who claim that climate change is a hoax or a Chinese plot. Their strategy is to make people believe that there is no scientific consensus: “We really don’t know if humans cause climate change.”

Campaigns designed to sow doubt in the public’s mind have been well documented. In their book, The Merchants of Doubt, Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway show that climate change deniers today, and those who in the past opposed action to curb smoking, used the very same strategies: “We don’t really know if smoking causes lung cancer.” Their aim is to prevent solutions that might hurt their interests, and they employ rogue scientists to support their false claims.

The distinguished physicist and astronomer James Hansen has been studying man-made climate change since the late 1970s. He served as the director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and is one of the best-known experts on global warming. Currently Hansen is adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. In 2012, he gave a truly remarkable TED Talk. Listen to it here.

Hansen showed how the impacts of global warming had gotten much worse since his first major publication in 1981, warned about the threats, and strongly advocated for a change in U.S. energy policy.

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

How about eliminating the manufacturing of mobile homes?

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher  |  The winds of nature can cause massive destruction. The continued and long-lasting winds of a hurricane cause enormous damage. Luckily, these days the weather forecasters can tell you often days in advance where a hurricane is likely to hit. While it may leave tremendous infrastructure and building damage, widespread human deaths are curtailed with the weather forecasters’ early warnings.

Yet a tornado prediction is far more difficult. These fast-moving whirlwinds seem to pop up at a moment’s notice, sometimes not even allowing people to run for cover. It’s a chilling sound: the winds of a tornado. I have heard that sound, though once I slept through a tornado just a mile from our house.

Tornados have a unique ability to slam into housing projects and wreak massive damage. In particular, they seem to aim at mobile homes, as they did last week in South Georgia, killing 16 people, some in mobile homes.

Today one of the key topics in our everyday lives is the subject of ethics. We want ethics in our everyday living, in government, in business…..everywhere.  But let me ask you: did you ever consider the ethics of home building?

Why do we allow mobile homes anyway? Knowing that they can be death traps when heavy weather comes around…..knowing that people can be trapped inside them…..knowing that tornados can lift up mobile homes and toss them miles away…..why do communities allow the construction of mobile homes in the first place?

This photograph shows some of the destruction of a tornado which hit Albany, Ga., last week. The City of Lawrenceville Electric Division sent four people, plus a bucket truck and equipment, to help in the restoring of power for four days, from Tuesday to Friday. A total of 23 cities sent crews to South Georgia to help in the cleanup, while two contractors also sent crews.

Do people who own mobile home manufacturing companies, many in the South, ever consider what the outcome of their work can become?  Do they even care?  Do they think they are doing mankind a favor by putting together cheap materials to form a home that is so light that even wind gusts can overturn them, and cause havoc?

You wonder.

There’s even more reason to question mobile homes. From their very settings, they are a financial drain on the people who buy them. They immediately begin to de-preciate, not ap-preciate, just like automobiles. They are worth less the moment people occupy them.

Take an alternative: the manufactured home, one not on wheels, but constructed on a slab or brick foundation: these homes do not often get blown away by tornados. They are secured to their foundation.  Add another benefit of homes built away from where they are located, erected quickly, and lived in for years: they can ap-preciate in value!

Why do people buy mobile homes instead of stick-built or manufactured homes?

Because they are cheap. These homes may provide immediate housing, but the long-term benefits do not abound.

Gwinnett County, years ago, limited mobile homes to a few mobile home parks around the county, and seldom in backyards or on adjacent lots. Hurrah for Commissioner Ray Gunnin, now in Hall County, who led this move.

Eliminating mobile homes may never come. But educating people to their drawbacks is a worthy venture.  Perhaps we can also shame those in the mobile home manufacturing business to invest in another business itself, or even in simple manufacturing housing, for the benefit of mankind.

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

Modesty one of the characteristics of many of the Greatest Generation

By Debra Houston, contributing columnist  |  He wasn’t there when we arrived, but my husband Eddie had an extra key to his father’s house, so we went inside. “Wonder where he is,” I said with concern in my voice. Lord knows why I’d worry about a 99.9-year old man I love like my own dad. And an ice storm coming! We had crawled three freeways full of frantic drivers trying to beat the storm.

Eddie assured me Dad was probably eating breakfast with his friends. My worry subsided when his car drove up. Dad walked into the kitchen, and as he has for 43 years, greeted me with a peck on the cheek. I asked how he was doing.

“Terrible or tolerable, I don’t know which.”

I chuckled, but Eddie said, “Do you have enough food? Let us buy groceries for you.”

“I have everything I need,” he said, popping a marshmallow in his mouth. “I was going to Kroger anyway to fill up. I’ll just run in and buy a few things.”

Run in. Dad is the independent type, you see.

Of course the storm fizzled, but six days later, Dad’s birthday party rocked at John Boy’s Restaurant, which had reserved half the room for friends and family. There wasn’t an empty seat anywhere.

Dad

Cheers erupted when they spotted him. They rushed over to greet the century old World War II veteran. The men shook his hand, the ladies hugged his neck, and the younger set posed with him for selfies. My heart swelled with pride. Over a half-hour later, he finally sat at the head of our table.

A little boy walked up. “Thank you for your service to our country.” Dad held the boy’s hand and said, “Son, I hope you never have to do what I did.”

He dons a veteran’s cap wherever he goes and seldom pays for meals. Others pick up the tab for a man they identify as a patriot, one of 16 million American soldiers who saved the world. The V. A. says less than a million of those men are left.

I told Dad I couldn’t imagine fighting in a world war. In his understated way, he said, “It was a rough project. I’ll tell you that.”

I thought of my late mother-in-law. Only after her death did I discover she had worked in a gas mask factory during the war. The fact she never mentioned it is a testament to her modesty.

Our new president promises to make America great again. I don’t see how we can do it unless we model ourselves after The Greatest Generation.

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

Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Professional healthcare programs leading to doctoral degrees in Pharmacy (PharmD) and Osteopathic Medicine (DO) are offered at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) in Suwanee Ga. A graduate degree at the master’s level can be earned in Biomedical Sciences and Physician Assistant Studies. GA–PCOM is a private, not-for-profit branch campus of the fully accredited Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, a multi-program institution founded in 1899 with a tradition of educational excellence.

• To learn more about how GA-PCOM is educating tomorrow’s healthcare professionals, visit www.pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. For an appointment at the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic specialty clinic which is open to the public, call 678-225-7485.
• For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: https://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.

More comment about Commissioner Hunter’s unfortunate tweeting

Editor, the Forum:

Hitting the “Send” button too quickly on social media is a two-edged sword.  Tommy Hunter’s remarks can be seen as the real underlying values of his personage, who in the past could hide his true sentiments when speech writers and press secretaries could advise politicians on the “correct” things to say that would provide some personal trait camouflage.

Social media has subverted much of the ability of political entourages to “protect” the politicians.  So, maybe it is a good thing that this came out and that all Commissioner Hunter’s actions from now on will be scrutinized.  Look at today’s professional athletes who display bad behavior on social media that is then quickly admitted as a lapse in judgment in a professionally written apology statement from their agents.

— George Graf, Palmyra, Va.

Editor, The Forum:

I read with amusement your article on Commissioner Hunter.   I am always amazed at the very public people with what we like to call “potty mouths.”  And it seems to afflict even the most powerful in our society.

Remember “Uncle Tommy” Hunter said that what President Obama  was doing by signing the ACA was a “big —- deal”!    What about  President Reagan, thinking the mike was not live, saying he was ready to nuke Russia? And now we have Madonna the all-wise threatening to blow up the White House!

Will folks never learn: once the words leave our mouth you can’t put them back in.   My mama taught me that life lesson many years ago.  And it’s a good one to remember!

— Dave Robertson, Flowery Branch

More reflections on the political art of gerrymandering

Editor, the Forum:

I appreciated your column about gerrymandering and share your concerns. It made me recall that after the 2016 election I was watching a news program about the results. One commentator remarked that if she were to pick out one person who most influenced the results it would be a young Republican operative who developed a plan for the GOP to take over the House of Representatives and maintain it. His plan involved working hard to elect GOP legislators at the state level. Once in a majority at that level the GOP would control the redistricting process following the 2010 census. It worked.

Our Declaration of Independence declares all men are created equal. I would contend that not only should each person have an equal vote, but also the process by which their voting districts are determined should have some sense of equality as part of it. When it does not, the result is that portions of the electorate are consigned to permanent minority status.

I believe our democracy works best when there is vigorous competition between the two parties. Gerrymandering works against that. My preference would be to have redistricting taken out of the hands of the legislatures and conducted by independent commissions. However, I doubt that will happen as those in power, i.e., the legislators, never like to lose any of their power.

— John Titus, Peachtree Corners

Editor, the Forum:

Your recent article about gerrymandering made me think of Cynthia McKinney’s former meandering district!  Could Billy McKinney have contributed to the shape of that district?

And you omitted the namesake of gerrymandering, Elbridge Gerry. And that great line (we are told) on someone’s first viewing in coining the new word: “Looks like a salamander.” “No, more like a Gerrymander.”

— John Hager, Lilburn

Be careful what else you do when reading GwinnetttForum

Editor, the Forum:

When eating and reading the GwinnettForum, I almost choked on my food when I read Kenneth Gilkes Sr.’s letter that Democrats “MUST be able to trust the words that come from the White House.”

Does he really think we could trust what Obama said?  Hardly! We Republicans survived eight years of Obama.  I think he will survive these “dangerous” years of Trump.  I look forward to the days when the Democrats quit whining and marching and accept that their candidate lost.

— Libby Cromer, Lawrenceville

Remembering that same phrase, but asking other questions

Editor, the Forum:

In a recent article, Mr. Gilkes wrote: “We MUST be able to trust the words that come from the White House.”

I agree, but does he remember, “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.” Or “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor?”

— Alex Ortolano, Duluth

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

Gwinnett Tech launching new health program, “Sterile Technicians”

If you are looking to break into the booming healthcare industry, this may be a great time to make your move. Gwinnett Technical College is launching a new Central Processing Technician certificate program that only takes two-semesters to complete.

A Central Processing Technician (CPT) works with surgical equipment and instruments before and after surgeries. They play a vital role in local hospitals and operating rooms, working to help prevent patient infections by decontaminating, cleaning, processing, assembling, sterilizing, storing, and distributing the medical devices and supplies needed in patient care, especially during surgery. CPTs are needed in hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, doctor’s offices, medical sales, medical laboratories, and other fields. The 2014 median pay for a CPT was $33,330 per year and the job growth for CPTs over the next 5-7 years is expected to be around 14 percent.

Sterile processing technicians, also referred to as “sterile techs” or central supply technicians, are essential to a clean working environment and prevention of the spread of disease. Without them, patients would suffer from preventable infections and other complications. Sterile processing technician job descriptions may include:

• Decontaminating instruments using chemicals, machines and various other techniques to remove “bio burden” or waste from surgeries;
• Operating and maintaining steam autoclaves for equipment sterilization;
• Examining equipment for flaws for disrepair; and
• Preparing instruments and equipment for distribution to various operating rooms as necessary.

Prospective students can apply online at www.GwinnettTech.edu. All CPT applicants are required to submit a program packet in addition to other standard college application materials. Those forms are available online at GwinnettTech.edu/enrollment/forms-documents/. A program information session is offered on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. on Gwinnett Tech’s main campus (5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville) in Building 200, Room 367. Call 678-226-6751 to reserve a seat for the next meeting. For more general information, call 678-226-6348.

Sixth annual Suwanee Sweetheart Sprint coming Feb. 11

The Rotary Club of Buford/North Gwinnett invites all runners to the sixth annual Suwanee Sweetheart Sprint on Saturday, February 11.  The 5k sprint is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier that begins and ends at Suwanee’s Town Center Park, taking runners through the Suwanee Creek Greenway.

Advance registration is $28 per individual or $45 per couple/pair.  On-site race day registration is $35 per individual or $55 per couple/pair.  Awards will go to the top male and female overall, top male and female masters, fastest dog, most senior finisher and top three male and female finishers in 15 age groups.  All runners will receive a long-sleeve, Dri-fit style official race shirt and goodie bag, which includes a special chocolate treat.  Hot chocolate and cookies will be available after the race.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the event begins at 10 a.m.  Participants are encouraged to wear a Valentine’s-themed costume for a chance to win prizes. Everyone is invited to attend this family-friendly event. Strollers and dogs are welcomed and allowed at the back of the start.

• Proceeds are used to support a variety of local community organizations.  For more information or to register, visit http://www.suwaneesweetheartsprint.com/home.html

Duluth recognizes 9 citizens for contributions to community

Nine Duluth community volunteers, business owners and citizens were recognized in Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris’ State of the City address recently. She said in the recognition: “These volunteers, business owners and citizens go above and beyond to contribute to their community. The Council wanted a way to recognize them and thank them for their passion and commitment to our great city. This is just a small token of our appreciation for all the hard work and dedication these individuals share because they love the place they call home.” The citizens are, from left, Kurt, Vreny and Alexander Eisele, Parv Mahajan, Ray Walker, Mark Hearn, wife Gail VanArsdale and daughter Linda, who accepted on the behalf of Peter VanArsdale; and Kathie and Wayne Herman.

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

Early Moravians in Georgia were from the present-day Czech Republic

The Moravians are Protestants who trace their origins to ancient Bohemia, in the present-day Czech Republic. The denomination was founded in the 15th century. Today, only one Moravian congregation exists in Georgia, in Stone Mountain.

The Moravians’ move to Georgia in 1735 was one of many in their worldwide missionary campaign during the mid-18th century to unite Christians and convert non-Christians. The campaign included efforts in Africa, the Caribbean, India, North America (including Greenland), Suriname, and much of Europe. Many German and other Protestant leaders mistrusted or condemned the group because of its desire to unite the Christian churches and several unusual practices that deviated from traditional Protestant thought, including an acceptance of women preaching and holding religious offices.

Consequently, Moravian activities in Georgia were closely watched, debated, and written about in Europe. While the community in Georgia did not last long and was never very large (at most, 41 immigrants and converts, including 12 preachers and missionaries), it marked the beginnings of the group’s successful settlement in North America. The community became an important part of the ongoing transatlantic evangelical revival then occurring in Europe and British North America, where it is usually referred to as the Great Awakening. Many of the German-language letters, diaries, and reports of Moravians and their allies and enemies in the colony were published, and others are still preserved in European and American archives, offering historians important materials for studying life in early Georgia.

During their ten years in Georgia (1735-45) the Moravians, led initially by August Gottlieb Spangenberg and David Nitschmann and later by Johann Hagen, lived in a communal settlement in Savannah. Things did not go well for them. They had hoped to bring with them a few hundred Schwenkfelder refugees, a persecuted religious group from Silesia, but this group decided at the last minute to go to Pennsylvania instead. The Moravian leader Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf had also hoped to assist the persecuted Lutheran refugees from Salzburg who were on their way to Georgia. But the Lutheran leaders in Halle, Germany, intervened, wrestled this mission away from the Moravians, and kept the Salzburgers in Ebenezer, a few miles upriver of Savannah.

(To be continued)

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

Not much geography to identify this new Mystery Photo

There’s not much in the way of geography to determine where this photograph was taken. But give it a guess. Send in your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include where you live.

There was a flurry of interest in the last edition Mystery Photo, which was sent in by Pat Herndon, who lives near where the photo was taken. Even she has a difficult time telling people where she lives, as four counties come together near there. She says: “My actual address is in Buford (Hall County) and I do live just around the corner from this sign.  Braselton city limits touch my backyard, but the mailing addresses for the buildings there are Flowery Branch.  So, you can see that a sign is necessary.  Amazon Echo’s Alexa thinks that we live in Flowery Branch.  My Google Home thinks that we live in Braselton.  So funny.”

The “community” name we were seeking was “Duncan’s Corner.”  But since that sign went up, there has been considerable growth in the area, so several names were right.  Jones Webb of Lawrenceville called it “Chestnut Mountain.” Jack Francis of Hoschton wrote: “The pictured directional sign is located at the intersection of Spout Springs Road and Old Thompson Mill Road. That spot is in either Flowery Branch, Buford or Braselton. The city limits are ill-defined in this area.”  He’s right.

Cheryl Simpson of Clayton, Ga. gave another answer: “Duncan Creek, Hog Mountain, Zion Hill community in the Gwinnett county area.  A lot of my ancestors are buried in all three communities.”

Nikki Perry of  Flowery Branch: “This memorable sign is at Duncan Corners, which is at the crossing of Spout Springs Road and Thompson Mill Road. It is partially in the Braselton city limits. It is a beloved landmark for those of us who have lived in that area for years!”

Duncan’s Corners today.

George Graf, Palmyra, Va. chimed in from afar: “In the late 1970s, after years of giving directions to lost travelers who would knock on the door of his corner house, the late Lucius Duncan, Frank Duncan’s father, asked the county to put up a road sign so people would stop interrupting family dinners.  After being told a sign at that intersection would bankrupt the county, Lucius Duncan took matters into his own hands and erected a handcrafted sign directing people to cities like Winder, Athens, and Jefferson, and even London and Hong Kong.  As the self-appointed mayor of Duncan City, Lucius Duncan even set the speed limit for the intersection as ‘let ’er go.’”

Tim Sullivan, Buford wrote: “It’s a tricky question as the fellow who erected the sign, at the corner of Spout Springs and Friendship Road called the area Duncan Corners.”

Rob Keith, Peachtree Corners: “Duncan’s Corner, in South Hall County.  The sign was erected by Lucius Duncan in the 1970’s, reportedly to keep lost travelers from knocking on his door to ask for directions and interrupting his dinner!”

Dr. Slade Lail of Duluth also said “Duncan’s corner. Located at Friendship and Spout Springs Roads. Originally established by Frank Duncan’s father. Frank used to own property in Duluth (Duncan’s child care), where I attended kindergarten.”

Howard Williams of Snellville says: “The whimsical directional sign is located in what is variously called Duncan’s Corner, Duncan Creek Community, and simply Duncan Community. “

Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: “The area used to be known as ‘Duncan City’ and it’s now called Duncan’s Corner. The county turned down his request to erect a sign there, so it made his own sign. His speed limit: ‘Let Er Go!” What a hoot!”

BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS are invited to a special art workshop on Saturday, February 4 starting at 1:30 at the Hudgens Center for the Arts, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth at the Infinite Energy Center. Attend this free workshop that allows them to make masks that tell their powerful stories of survival and share insights into their journeys living with brain injury. Brittany Harrington (left) and Kim Bauer, members of the New Beginnings Brain Injury Support Group in Suwanee, made masks at an earlier workshop that will be included in the exhibit at the Hudgens Center for the Arts in March. The masks will be gifted forward to a national brain injury awareness program, Unmasking Brain Injury, where the masks will become part of a permanent art collection that travels across the country. These will be the first masks from Georgia gifted to the national exhibit. (Photo by Jennifer Mottola)

Memoir Writing Workshop will be presented by the Gwinnett County Public Library on Wednesday, February 1, at the Peachtree Corners Library Branch, 5570 Spalding Drive, at 11 a.m. The event is free, as David Raney shows how to write and edit your legacy memoir. Learn the difference in memoir writing and journaling or biography writing. For more information, please visit www.gwinnettpl.org.

Author Lisa Gardner will be in Gwinnett for an appearance on February 1 at the Norcross cultural and Community Center at 7:30 p.m. Gardener is a crime thriller novelist with over 22 million books in print. Her latest novel, Right Behind You, is part of her F.B.I. Profiler Series. Four of her novels have become movies for the small screen, and she has made appearances on TruTV and CNN. Books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of Eagle Eye Book Shop. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

A conference in Suwanee February 3-5 at the Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine will host students from the Latino Medical Student Association Southeast Region. Those interested in attending may register online at http://lmsa.me/2017SEC.

Second annual Gwinnett Historical Society Scavenger Hunt will be Saturday, February 4. Enter as an individual for $10 or a group of two or more for $20. For more details and to register, go to GHScemhunt@yahoo.com.

Third annual Chocolate Walk in Braselton will be Saturday, February 4, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., rain or shine. Present your bag and get a treat from each participating business. Tickets are limited at $5 each, so advanced purchase is recommended. Walkers should be at least 16 years old. Contact Downtown Director Amy Pinnell at 770-684-0369 or apinnell@braselton.net.

Georgia Backroads magazine Editor and Publisher Dan Roper will speak at noon on Friday, February 10 at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. His talk will be on “Searching for Beulah Buchanan.” She died suddenly on Thanksgiving Day 1917.  By chance, the author came across her abandoned grave in the pine woods one day in 1991 and wondered who she was, what had caused her death, what had become of her family, and what had happened to the little community that had once existed there.  It took him more than 20 years of research to find the answers to these questions. After the talk, join in at the Archives for a special celebration in honor of Georgia’s 284^th birthday. Georgia State Senator Valencia Seay and Archives Director Christopher Davidson will speak briefly, and refreshments will be served.

Author Amber Brock will visit Barnes and Noble in Peachtree Corners on Wednesday, February 11, at 3 p.m. as part of the Gwinnett County Public Library’s author series. She writes historical fiction novels set in the glamorous 1920s.  She teaches English at a girls’ school in Atlanta,.  Brock will speak to fans and aspiring authors about the writing and publishing process and book promotion strategies as well as her book, A Fine Imitation. This event is free and open to the public.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.

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: http://www.ugaextension.org/gwinnett, or by calling 678-377-4010 to request a form be mailed to you.

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