3/2: Revel project; Delta flap; Arming teachers

HERE’S WHAT the area around the Infinite Energy Center will look like once development in that area is complete by the end of 2020. The company, North American Properties, told of their plans for this development at a breakfast on Tuesday. Learn more in Today’s Focus below.

TODAY’S FOCUS: “Revel” Project Seeks To Bolster Area around Infinite Energy Center

EEB PERSPECTIVE: Cagle-Delta Air Lines Flap Signals Beginning of 2018 Election Season

ANOTHER VIEW: Read This Possible Scenario And Question, Do We Arm Teachers?

SPOTLIGHT: Primerica Inc.

FEEDBACK: Democrats Controlled Congress During Obama’s First Two Years

McLEMORE’S WORLD: Medical Bills

UPCOMING: Lilburn To Get New Playground and More Downtown Parking Spaces

NOTABLE: Art Center and Holtkamps Continue Offering Free Admission in 2018

RECOMMENDED: The Rooster Bar by John Grisham

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Agnes Scott College Sees Significant Accomplishments by Its Alumnae

MYSTERY PHOTO: Is Today’s Mystery Photo Deemed Easy, or Is It Difficult for You?

CALENDAR: Workshop on Foster Care To Be Presented March 4

“Revel” project seeks to bolster area around Infinite Energy Center

By Liana Moran, Duluth, Ga.  |  Plans for upgrading the area anchored by Infinite Energy Center were revealed this week by North American Properties (NAP), a multi-regional developer. To be known as “Revel,” the site plans were shown at a breakfast hosted by Partnership Gwinnett.

Revel will break ground in the spring of 2019, and encompass a blend of uses for the land. The first phase of the nearly $1 billion mixed-use destination is expected to be open in Fall of 2020.

Outlined below are the experiences planned for Revel:

• Approximately 215,000 square feet of specialty retail and chef-driven restaurant space;
• Anchors such as a 35,000-square-foot premium movie theater, a 25,000-square-foot food hall, a 60,000-square-foot fitness center, a 20,000-square-foot grocery market and a 20,000-square-foot beverage market;
• A 300-room, 4-star Marriott hotel;
• 700 residences; and
• 600,000 square feet of modern office space.

A feature of Revel will be an activated public realm and exceptional street-level programming of activity which is anticipated to become a vibrant center of the county.

The vision for Revel is based upon months of market research and community engagement.  NAP has  experience with creating the successful mixed-use communities such as Avalon in Alpharetta. The NAP team plans to visit Patriot Place in Foxboro and Ballpark Village in St. Louis, among other arena and stadium related mixed-use properties nationwide.

Liz Gillespie, partner and vice president of marketing at NAP, says: “We explore our country’s premier examples of entertainment-focused destinations, and apply what we learn from these tours, local market research and past projects to develop our vision for Revel.”

Last year Infinite Energy Center hosted 995 events and 1.2 million guests, generating $15 million in ticket sales. The arena, convention center and performing arts venue attracts visitors near and far, serving as a tourism draw that garners $1.2 billion in expenditures and 11,500 hotel room stays. NAP strongly believes the venue’s surrounding area is ripe for development. It was named by Billboard as one of the top ten “Arena Power Players,”

David Weinert, partner and senior vice president of leasing at NAP, says: “Revel will be  founded on a retail-driven mixed-use model – one that resonates with today’s marketplace. Our merchandising strategy will create a unique, best-in-class offering that centers on great food and beverage, specialty retail, as well as fabulous, entertainment-focused anchors such as a luxury theater or bowling experience.”

To bring the Revel vision to life, North American Properties has assembled the same team that collaborated on the award-winning Avalon community. Wakefield Beasley is the master architect; Site Solutions is the landscape architect; and Kimley-Horn is the civil engineer.

John Kelley, partner and senior vice president of development, says: “Now that we have unveiled our initial plans for Revel, we invite the community to share feedback, and help us co-curate the experience. We want to hear about shopping and dining preferences, ideas for art, events and entertainment – what would elevate our community’s quality of life? The more our neighbors share and collaborate with our team, the more personalized the Revel experience will be. Together, we will create a diverse hub of activity and community gathering place – one that turns up the volume and amplifies life in Gwinnett.”

• For more information, visit com.
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Cagle-Delta Air Lines flap signals beginning of 2018 election season

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher  |  The political season is about upon us. March 9 is the last date to qualify to run in primary and non-partisan races, with the actual political primaries coming on May 22. Should a runoff be needed from a primary, that date will be July 24.

The biggest recent political bombshell centers on whether Delta Air Lines and other airlines should get a tax break for fuel bought in Georgia. What at first seemed to be a normal political question got quickly escalated when Delta announced it would not give a discount any more to members of the National Rifle Association (NRA).  Many other companies announced backing out of close ties with the NRA, so this did not seem to be a problem for Delta.

But Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle saw it differently, and confounded the question by threatening to yank Delta’s Georgia tax break unless they restored the NRA members discount.

Recalling the 2016 national elections, we thought early on before candidates were even chosen that Hillary Clinton would not become president. Even though she got the nomination, and faced an unlikely challenger in Donald Trump, and even though we at GwinnettForum endorsed her candidacy for president, we still did not think she would become president. Just call it intuition.

We bring this up for this reason: we have thought all along that Casey Cagle would not become the next governor of Georgia. Again, it’s intuition telling us this, even thought Cagle has raised perhaps the biggest pot of money in trying to become governor.  As an aside, remember that Gov. Roy Barnes raised much more money than Sonny Perdue, but that did not mean that Mr. Barnes would be re-elected.  Sometimes it’s not money that elects.

Perhaps this adamant response by Mr. Cagle about Delta Air Lines will be one of the reasons he won’t be elected governor.

Meanwhile, perhaps his most significant challenger in the race for governor, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and other gubernatorial candidates, must be smiling widely as they stay away from the Delta question. At present, Mr. Kemp seems to be the most likely beneficiary to the loud Cagle noise about Delta.

Of course, there are other candidates for the Republican and Democratic nomination for governor. But Cagle and Kemp are the front runners for now, because of their previous office.

The Cagle incident also gives rise to some thinking that it could affect the possible selection of a second headquarters for Amazon. The least we can say is that the loud Cagle outburst doesn’t seem to help the Atlanta bid to land Amazon in the state.

Remember that one of GwinnettForum’s Continuing Objectives is that the Georgia Legislature should meet only once every two years. We’ve maintained this position since we all get nervous about what will happen every time the Legislature opens its doors. This Cagle-Delta-Amazon question is a great example of why the Georgia Legislature needs to meet only once (for 40 days) every two years, like it’s done in Texas and several other states.

Watch out: more fireworks will be coming, since March 9 is just around the corner to officially begin the 2018 election season.

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

Read this possible scenario and question, do we arm teachers?

By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist  |  Let’s arm teachers?

I have shot an AR-15, a semi-automatic military assault rifle numerous times at gun ranges. I like to shoot other guns, but it simply is no fun to shoot an AR-15, the gun used at Parkland and the other school shootings.

The AR-15 does not hit a target; it destroys it. There is no skill involved.

With that in mind, here is a vivid theoretical picture of what might happen after we take President Trump’s advice and arm teachers. These are just my thoughts, but unfortunately I can foresee this horrible scenario or one very similar to it happening some day soon:

“Johnny was a troubled small town boy who went squirrel hunting with his Dad. People picked on him as a small kid growing up. He developed a bad attitude over his years in high school, hating bullies.

“When he got out of school, after a year or two he joined the Army where he learned to shoot assault rifles. But, he was dishonorably discharged. Later on, someone pushed him; Johnny got into a fight and shot the aggressor with a Saturday Night Special. Johnny went to prison where he was radicalized.

“When he got out of prison, he started going to gun shows. At gun shows, no identification is needed to purchase a weapon. Eventually, he bought an AR-15 which he became good at shooting, with an extended magazine.

“Johnny returned to his former school which had a policy of arming the principal and assistant principal. He shot them first before they could even draw their small handguns. He then found out from the school secretary which teachers had guns… and shot them next as they ran from the AR-15.

“He then shot the security guard, an elderly Sherriff’s Deputy, in the back as he ran for the exit, He knew that the deputy’s Glock was no match for a military style automatic rifle.”

IN THIS MADE-UP YET REALISTIC TALE, you the reader can surmise what happens next. It usually ends with Johnny being shot and the politicians  saying, “Let’s pray.” Then little else is done until it happens again at the next outbreak of violence.

The point to this upsetting scenario is that simply arming a few teachers helps nothing. There is no reason for anyone of any age to own a military type semi-automatic rifle (which can easily be converted to automatic).

It is folly to permit anyone at all, including criminals, to be able to purchase weapons at gun shows with no background check. It negates the entire reason for having background checks.

We have five times the per capita gun deaths of European nations. Why? Because we have more guns and very weak background checks.

These are not technical issues; they are political ones. Almost all of our Georgia Senators and Congressmen have an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Do you want real change? Pledge now to vote against those who back the NRA in the next election.

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

Primerica, Inc.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Primerica, Inc., headquartered in Duluth, is a leading distributor of financial products to middle-income families in North America and is Gwinnett’s fourth largest employer, with 1,700 employees. Primerica representatives educate their Main Street clients about how to better prepare for a more secure financial future by assessing their needs and providing appropriate solutions through term life insurance, which it underwrites, and mutual funds, annuities and other financial products, which it distributes primarily on behalf of third parties. In addition, Primerica provides an entrepreneurial full or part-time business opportunity for individuals seeking to earn income by distributing the company’s financial products. It insures approximately 5 million lives and had over 2 million client investment accounts at December 31, 2017. Primerica is a member of the S&P MidCap 400 and the Russell 2000 stock indices and is traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRI.

• For more information, visit primerica.com.

Representative Coleman has served Gwinnett County well

Editor, the Forum:

Brooks Coleman is a great American as well as a great Georgian, a talented motivator, he has represented Gwinnett County well. I wish for him a healthy and happy retirement. Well done Brooks.

— Ralph Barber, Peachtree Corners

Democrats controlled Congress during Obama’s first 2 years

Editor, the Forum:

One of your letter writers says:

“The Republicans in Congress had a publicly stated policy of opposing anything President Obama proposed and acted on that policy daily.”

Somewhat of an exaggeration I believe, really “everything?” The writer might also remember that the Democrats controlled the House and Senate for Mr. Obama’s first two years, so regardless, they could have done something.

— Tim Sullivan, Buford

• 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

Medical bills

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Lilburn to get new playground, more downtown parking spaces

This summer Lilburn residents will get a new playground in Lilburn City Park and more parking to serve downtown.

In a 2015 citizen survey conducted by the City of Lilburn, more than half of park users expressed a desire for new playground equipment including a toddler area. The renovated playground will include separate areas for younger and older children, brand new equipment, a softer playing surface, and better wheelchair accessibility.

The timing of these park improvements coincides with the construction of 55 townhomes and storefronts on the square created by Railroad Avenue, Main Street, First Avenue, and Lula Street. The former city maintenance parking lot on Railroad Avenue, which is currently used for public parking, will be part of this mixed-use project by Old Town Lilburn Partners LLC. The city will build a new parking lot in Lilburn City Park near the playground, at the site of the existing tennis courts.

City Manager Bill Johnsa says: “This townhome development is exciting for Lilburn. More rooftops downtown will attract more shops and restaurants to Main Street. However, we are losing valuable public parking, which must be replaced to accommodate park users and the busy city event season.”

Because of the topography of the area, the mixed-use development’s stormwater will run through Lilburn City Park to Camp Creek. This necessary drainage construction opened the door for the city to add parking and replace the playground. Construction work on the private townhome project and the city park renovation is expected to begin in late spring.

The tennis courts will close May 1. Playground closure will be announced when a construction schedule is finalized. The playground and parking lot construction will be funded by the 2017-2023 SPLOST, the one-cent sales tax approved by voters.

Snellville unveils Tactical Urbanism Program to involve residents

The City of Snellville announces the creation of its Tactical Urbanism Program, an effort to get residents and business owners more involved with the planning of the city.

City Planner Austin Shelton says: “In one sense, tactical urbanism has been happening as long as there have been cities and towns. Any time you see someone making a small improvement to the built environment is likely an example of tactical urbanism. Tactical urbanism projects are low-cost, small-scale and temporary changes to the built environment. They are often demonstrative, meaning that they are meant to demonstrate how a small change or addition to the built environment can help improve the safety, health and visual appeal of a place or community.”

Common examples of tactical urbanism projects include: public art, bike lanes, crosswalks and street furniture.

Snellville’s program is modeled off a similar one in Fayetteville, Ark. The hope is that it will be community-led, with residents and business owners in the city coming forward to propose projects they feel are necessary and important to their community. The city’s Planning Department will advise and guide the process, but the initiative to create and follow through on an idea begins with residents.

In addition, anyone wishing to create their own project can also apply for a small grant through the city’s Downtown Development Authority, Development Authority and Urban Redevelopment Agency of Snellville to help pay for the materials for their project. There is no guarantee of a grant, but the low-cost ideal of the projects will hopefully make them easily attainable for most applicants.

Shelton adds:  “The City of Snellville is very excited about getting this program off the ground. The city’s hope is that this program will allow applicants to showcase how small changes to the built environment can have a big impact on the health, safety and beauty of their community.”

• To learn more about the program and to apply to start a project, visit www.snellville.org/tactical-urbanism.

Art Center and Holtkamps continue offering free admission in 2018

The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning is continuing a strategic partnership with Holtkamp Heating and Air which allows free admission to its galleries during 2018. . In addition the Holtkamp team will service the Center’s HVAC Systems. It has also installed 18 new smart thermostats to maximize energy efficiency.

According to Executive Director Ife Williams, “By offering free admission to our galleries the Holtkamps have helped us eliminate barriers and broaden our audience by over 2000 gallery attendees for those that would otherwise be unable to gain exposure to the arts. Additionally, thanks to their heating and air efficiency expertise, we’ve saved several thousand dollars in utility costs that can now be

put to good use for our non-profit mission to bring the arts to all. Owners Matthew and Suzanne Holtkamp have a strong commitment to the local arts community.”

North Metro Academy students perform at state legislature

State lawmakers and visitors to the state capitol were entertained by students from the North Metro Academy of Performing Arts of Norcross last week. Students visited the capitol and performed the state song, Georgia on My Mind as well as several songs from their upcoming Spring Musical, Oz. The scholars were introduced by state Rep. Pedro Marin. The were also invited to the capitol to showcase the talent of the North Metro Academy Performing Arts Players.  These select scholars represent creativity in dance, music, and drama for the entire student population.

Beauty P. Baldwin, the founder of North Metro Academy of Performing Arts, is proud of the school’s talented students. She says: “Experiences like the State Capitol performance give students a real-life application of the integration of academics and performing arts. They are not only proudly sharing their talents with state lawmakers, the students are also seeing firsthand how our state government works.”

North Metro Academy of Performing Arts is a Gwinnett County Charter School in Norcross. It is a free public charter school founded in 2014, and designed to provide all students access to a quality education that is integrated with music, drama, and the arts.

The Rooster Bar by John Grisham

The subjects of this latest Grisham novel are two-fold: the vast government loan program that encourages students in the professions to sign on for huge loans to finance their post-graduate education, and the unscrupulous and sleazy private law schools that takes unprepared students and graduates them with degrees which often leave them flunking tests to become attorneys. Grisham’s book focuses on three aspiring law school students who realize that the school is taking them for a ride, and that they each owe about $200,000 in student loans, and that their degree from this unscrupulous institution won’t help them get the job they need to repay these loans. So they begin a crazy venture to practice law without a license, and eventually have to stay one step ahead of a lot of people seeking to find them.  It’s a wild romp, and fun to read. You’ll be surprised at the ending. — eeb

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.  Send to:  elliott@brack.net

Agnes Scott College sees significant accomplishments of its alumnae

Agnes Scott College, located in Decatur, just six miles from Atlanta’s city center, is an independent liberal arts and sciences college for women. The college’s mission is to educate women to think deeply, live honorably, and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times.

In fall 2017, 937 students were enrolled at Agnes Scott. The school emphasizes its 11:1 student/faculty ratio, average class size of 16, diversity, and global education. Its undergraduate students represent 46 states and territories and 34 countries; about 84 percent of traditional students live on campus. Beginning with the class of 2019, all students will participate in a global experience.  Half of class of 2017 graduates studied abroad.

All tenure-track faculty have a Ph.D. or terminal degree in their field; approximately 60 percent are women. The college offers a bachelor of arts degree in thirty majors as well as a master of arts in teaching secondary education and a post-baccalaureate premedical program. Agnes Scott has dual degree programs with Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and with the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, as well as cross-registration with eighteen Atlanta-area colleges and universities.

When Frank H. Gaines became pastor of the Decatur Presbyterian Church in 1888, he brought with him a strong interest in education, and he led the effort to open a school under the auspices of the church. In 1889 the Decatur Female Seminary opened with 63 students and four teachers.

A strong supporter of this effort was church member George Washington Scott, who later donated $40,000 to provide a home for the school with the condition that the school be renamed for his mother, Agnes Irvine Scott, a Scots-Irish woman who immigrated to America as a teenager. Chartered as Agnes Scott College in 1906, the institution is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The neighborhood in which the campus lies is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are some of the college’s buildings.

The first institution of higher education in Georgia to receive accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Agnes Scott College dedicated itself from the beginning to the highest level of “moral and intellectual training and education.” Its emphasis on academic excellence and a rigorous liberal arts curriculum has encouraged independent thinking in an atmosphere for learning. Since the 1920s Agnes Scott has ranked in the top 10 percent of American colleges whose graduates complete Ph.D. degrees.

The college’s residential campus, prized for its aesthetic distinction and its state-of-the-art facilities, has given all student generations a sense of place, purpose, and responsibility. Student self-government under an honor code has been a hallmark since 1906. A founding member of many national and regional educational associations, Agnes Scott has been a member of Phi Beta Kappa since 1926. This tradition of educational leadership continues as the college models new forms of undergraduate education for women, including innovative science and international programs; language, technology, and speaking throughout the curriculum; and linkages to Atlanta’s university, business, and cultural communities.

Among Agnes Scott’s outstanding alumnae are Georgia’s first female Rhodes Scholar, the first woman ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the first woman to chair the Federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the first female chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, a member of the U.S. Congress, and Fulbright, Gates Millennium, Goldwater, Pickering, Rhodes, and Truman scholarship awardees.

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

Is today’s Mystery Photo deemed easy, or is it difficult for you?

Some may recognize today’s Mystery Photo instantly, while others may think that this one is quite difficult. See where you fall. Send your answers to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown.

Quickly Lou Camerio, Lllburn identified the most recent Mystery Photo: “I believe this is the Tower Life Bldg. in San Antonio, Tex.”  He’s right. The photo came from Jerry Colley of Alpharetta.

Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill and Bob Foreman of Grayson recognized it, who mentioned it is known  “for its amazing gargoyles.”  Alan Peel said: “This one was real easy, considering that I now live in San Antonio, and recognized it immediately. The photo is of the Tower Life Building in San Antonio. What is particularly interesting is that the photo was taken from the famous “River Walk” in San Antonio. It is definitely a ‘classic’ photo and looks stunning in the evening.”

He adds: “The building pictured originally debuted as the Smith-Young Tower when it first opened to the public on June 1, 1929. There were so many people (over 5,000) joining the festivities and celebration of the opening of this wedding cake-tiered, 31-story building that many had to be turned away. That night, the tower was ‘ablaze with lights’ much as it is to this very day. The Smith-Young Tower (now Tower Life Building) was the grandest of the buildings during the high-rise boom of the 1920s. And on the night that the Smith-Young opened, Mayor C.M. Chambers gave this assessment of the growth spurt: ‘the faster the Rip Van Winkles of this city go, the faster will we progress.’ Ironically, a few months later, Wall Street crashed, bringing the roaring ’20s to a screeching halt and ushering the start of the Great Depression!”

George Graf of  Palmyra, Va. writes of this photo: “The Smith-Young Tower bears a colorful history. It has served as a mooring mast for a blimp, a performance site for a duo of accomplished aerialists, as headquarters of the Third U.S. Army, and as a transmission tower for a television station. In the 1950s the San Antonio Transit Company owned the building and it was known as the Transit Tower. The Tower Life Insurance Company has owned the building since the 1960s and locals since refer to it as the Tower Life Building.”

Committee members help to break ground for new parking addition

Turning the dirt during the groundbreaking of an expansion of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration (GJAC) parking garage were several members of the GJAC Addition and Parking Deck Planning/Coordination Committee. The facility will be at the Nash Street edge of the GJAC center. From left are Deputy Sheriff Major Bob Rapien, County Administrator Glenn Stephens, State Court Judge Joseph Iannazzone, Chief Superior Court Judge Melodie Snell Conner, Chief Magistrate Kristina Hammer Blum, and Chief Court Administrator Phil Boudewyns. The addition will consist of 850 spaces and a four-story, 180,000-square-foot courthouse addition, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

(NEW) Workshop on Foster Care: This will be March 4 at 2 p.m. at the Norcross branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. It is presented by the library and the Gwinnett County Division of Family and Children Services. Those who have a place in their heart and home to provide care for these children are asked to attend. Space is limited. Contact Cathy Chapman at 678-367-8257 or at Cathy.Chapman1@dhs.ga.gov to reserve a seat or for questions.

(NEW) Tracing your roots, a genealogy workshop will be held on March 6 at 10:30 a.m. at Bethesda Park, 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville.  Learn how to get started in this hobby and explore free genealogy databases, including the Library Edition of Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest. Registration is requested by emailing events@gwinnettpl.org or calling Gwinnett County Parks at 678-277-0179.  For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

(NEW) Free Photography Workshop at the Dacula Library Branch, 265 Dacula Road, on March 10, at 2p.m. Join the Georgia Nature Photographers Association for this informal talk and Q&A photography workshop.  Hear information about cameras, editing software, and tips for getting better photographs with the equipment you already have.

(NEW) Youth Summit: The Snellville Youth Commission will host a Youth Summit from 12-5 p.m. on March 17 at the City Hall, 2342 Oak Road. The event is free to all area high school-aged students. For more information visit http://www.snellville.org/snellville-youth-commission.

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