4/24: New PCOM campus; Candidates and diversity; Divisiveness

HERE’S AN ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT of what the just-announced South Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Moultrie will look like. Groundbreaking is this week. See Today’s Focus for more information on this recent announcement of the new training site for doctors.

TODAY’S FOCUS: PCOM To Break Ground on South Georgia Campus on April 26

EEB PERSPECTIVE: The 2018 Primary Candidates come from Many States, Many Countries

ANOTHER VIEW: Close-mindedness Based on Lack of Diverse Info Builds Divisiveness

SPOTLIGHT: Lail Family Dentistry

FEEDBACK: Several Transportation Factors Continue To Be Ignored

McLEMORE’S WORLD: Baptism

UPCOMING: 200 Years of Snellville History To Be Available for Sale on April 29

NOTABLE: Peach State FCU Expands by Buying Toccoa Credit Union Branch

RECOMMENDED: More Recommendations Needed Urgently

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Wetlands Area near Valdosta Is Vast Ecological Educational Center

MYSTERY PHOTO: Think Coastal To Figure Out This Seafaring Theme

CALENDAR: Snellville Drug Take-Back Day Is April 28

PCOM to break ground on South Georgia campus on April 26

By Barbara Myers

MOULTRIE, Ga.  |  On Thursday April 26 at 11 a.m., individuals and organizations from across the South Georgia region will take part in an event to mark the beginning of construction for Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (PCOM’s) newest location—PCOM South Georgia.

The ceremony will be held at the facility’s planned home on 31 acres near the intersection of Tallokas Road and Veteran’s Parkway.

The 75,000-square-foot building, with a construction and capital operating cost of close to $30 million, will house a four-year osteopathic medical program.

PCOM President and CEO Dr. Jay Feldstein says: “We’re really thankful for the local support and the community support we’ve received to date. With that ongoing support, we’re really excited about how successful this program can be, not only for the local community, but for the entire region of South Georgia.

“Collaboration is key to the success of PCOM’s regional endeavor,” he adds.

The participants in the groundbreaking event, according to PCOM officials, highlight the collaborative nature of the project.

• Natalie Shell, a music student from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, will sing the national anthem.
• Laura Calhoun, executive director of the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center headquartered in Albany, coordinated an essay contest in conjunction with the groundbreaking.
• B. Crumbs, a Thomasville caterer, will prepare refreshments.
• Nanci Scheetz, a faculty member at Valdosta State University, will provide sign language interpretation.
• The Colquitt County High School Marine Corps JROTC from Moultrie will present colors.

Scheduled speakers at the April 26 ceremony include Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and former Representative Amy Carter of Valdosta. Carter, the recently appointed Georgia deputy commissioner for rural development, will speak about health education as an integral aspect of rural prosperity.

For more information about the groundbreaking event, visit pcom.edu/southga. PCOM will also host an information session for prospective students on Thursday, April 26 at 4 p.m. at ABAC.

About PCOM South Georgia

PCOM South Georgia is a private, not-for-profit four-year additional location of the fully accredited Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, a multi-program institution of educational excellence founded in 1899.   Located in Moultrie, Ga,, PCOM South Georgia is being developed to help meet the healthcare needs of the South Georgia region.  The school has received initial accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. With a planned opening date of August 2019, PCOM South Georgia will offer the doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) degree to 55 initial medical students. For more information, visit www.pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine is based in Philadelphia, Pa., and also has another Georgia campus in Suwanee.

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

The 2018 primary candidates come from many states, many countries

By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum

APRIL 24, 2018  |  Come next Tuesday, May 1, GwinnettForum will focus the entire issue on the 2018 primary election.

There will be two parts to that issue. First, will be GwinnettForum’s endorsements of candidates for state and local candidates in the primary. We will endorse in all races that are contested if we have talked to at least one of the candidates.  So far we have talked this season to 66 candidates in this primary season.

Perhaps most valuable to GwinnettForum readers will be direct presentation of the candidates’ views to six questions we put to them. We asked the candidates to answer those questions in 100 words or less so that the readers can quickly understand the position of each of the candidates on those questions.  With lots of candidates this year, it will be quite a chore just to read through the comparative questions. However, readers might determine the candidate they will vote for by seeing the candidate’s views in their own unedited words.

Then come the November general election, GwinnettForum will endorse the candidates we think best to hold the various offices for this political season. And again, you may read the views of the candidates to questions we put to them.

This is part of our service to our readers. While enjoyed talking and learning about the many candidates. Particularly this year, more than a few candidates have declined to visit with us for 30 minutes. For candidates who decline to visit with us, we won’t offer these candidates a chance to answer our questions. Candidates cannot pay us to get their views heard; the only way they can be posted on the GwinnettForum’s site is to sit down face-to-face with us. We thank those candidates who have come to visit with us, and wish them well in the election.

SOME OF YOU may recognize how diverse Gwinnett is these days. Well, if you thought it was diverse before, consider where the candidates on the Gwinnett primary ballot were born. You may understand more about Gwinnett and the state of Georgia and how our area has grown as you read the birth sites of people running for office this year.

Eighteen (27 percent) are native Georgians. Only one candidate (Tracey Mason, a candidate for Superior Court judge) was born in Gwinnett County. Other Georgian candidates come from the following cities: Albany, Americus, Atlanta (6) Athens, Cumming, Douglasville, Elberton (2), Marietta (2), Murrayville, Snellville and Summerville.

Now let’s look where the 24 candidates (25 percent) were born in the South: Baltimore, Md., Bethesda, Md., Columbia, S.C., Dillon, S.C., Fort Deposit, Ala., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (2), Franklin, Tenn., Harlingen, Tex., Hickory, N.C., Merritt Island, Fla., Miami, Fla. (2), Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, La., Norfolk, Va., Owensboro, Ky., Pensacola, Fla., Roanoke, Va. and Tarboro, N.C.

If you think that is widespread, note we have 17 nationwide candidates born in: Hamilton, Ohio, Boston, Mass., Germantown, Pa., Alma, Mich., Concord, N.H., Milton, Mass, New York City, Suffix, N.Y., New Haven, Conn. (2), Lewisburg, Pa., Glen Cove, N.Y. Dayton, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Mich., Brooklyn, N.Y., Chanute AFB, Ill., Stratford, N.J. and Pittsburgh, Pa.

And there are seven  (11 percent) candidates born in other countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Jamaica (2), Korea, South Vietnam and Sri Lanka!  Amazing!

We’ve long known Gwinnett as diverse. While we are proud to see people from all areas run for office, we particularly welcome foreign born persons as candidates for election this year.

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

Close-mindedness based on lack of diverse info builds divisiveness

By Jack Bernard

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. |  “Me, I romp and stomp, thankful as I romp; Without freedom of speech, I might be in the swamp”– Bob Dylan (Motorpsycho Nightmare).

Brother Bob had it right. Our democracy is based on free speech and a free press, as clearly stated in the First Amendment of our Constitution, thus distinguishing us from dictatorships.

But, the normal multi-media press in our nation is under attack as never before, especially from the president and the far right. All Americans should be very concerned.

As a moderate Republican and news “junkie”, I receive both right and left wing social media posts and newsletters. I’m retired with few time constraints, so I rotate between watching various national news channels: ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox.

It disturbs me that people on the right, including the majority of my friends, increasingly indicate that they only read right wing papers, only receive right wing on-line newsletters and only watch Fox. Plus, their conservative friends on Facebook and Twitter reinforce this bubble, by sending information which simply confirms what they have already read and seen.

There is absolutely no diversity in their news sources. And, it is concerning that they derisively state that “main stream media” reports “fake news” and must be ignored.

When I bring up the Fox brainwashing to them, for example, their response is predictable:

1. all of the networks are biased;
2. Fox is the least biased; and
3. only the Fox opinion shows are slightly slanted to the right.

All news sources do have some bias. But, other than in opinion pieces clearly labeled as such, they generally attempt to be somewhat neutral and simply present the news.

However, that objectivity is not as true for Fox, which often does not adequately cover subjects which cast a negative light on the right. Their on-line Fox News channel is also sometimes slanted.

If a significant portion of Americans only watch/read Fox, they cannot understand when this bias occurs…and that is not good for them or our nation.

While I strongly defend the constitutional right of Americans to watch and read whatever they wish, their lack of diversity in news sources is causing them to have blinders on concerning many vital national and international issues whether it is gun control or Russian interference in our elections. That close-mindedness based on lack of information builds divisiveness and portends trouble for our democracy.

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

Lail Family Dentistry

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Lail Family Dentistry is a family practice in Duluth, Georgia. We would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to our hometown. Many residents refer to Duluth as “the biggest small town.” This is mainly because of the strong sense of community that is shared by many who reside here today Lail Family Dentistry has been a big part of that sense of community for almost 50 years when Dr. Wallace Lail started our practice in 1968. Since that time, we have added three additional family members to our team of dentists.

Dr. Slade Lail, Dr. Lisa Moss, and Dr. Devan Callaway are proud to continue the tradition of treating patients along with Dr. Wallace Lail. We utilize the latest techniques and procedures that are available today. As a patient, you can enjoy the fact that we are available for you Monday through Friday during regular office hours as well as after hours, if necessary. You will also be seen on time. If your appointment is at l0 am, you will be seen at l0 am. If you are looking for a traditional, family dental practice where you will be treated honestly, fairly, and like a member of our own family, we would love to have you here.

• Go to drlail.com for more information, or call (770) 476-2400 to make an appointment.
• For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.

Several transportation factors continue to be ignored

Editor, the Forum:

I doubt anyone in Gwinnett County would disagree that traffic gridlock has become a major issue, however, several factors seem to be continually ignored.

1. The referendum votes against MARTA happen because MARTA has constantly been one of the more corrupt organizations. They tend to take fares from outlying counties and utilize the unstolen balances of funds mostly in Fulton and DeKalb County areas. It’s highly unlikely the addition of Gwinnett County would change this.

2. During those past referendums Gwinnett voters have never had any assurances of rail services being built. Just adding more bus traffic congestion to our already gridlocked streets isn’t a viable alternative.

3. If local and county government officials were serious about resolving gridlock traffic they would;

(a) actually improve our traffic control system to updated “smart” traffic signals, and improve traffic flow systems as well as;

(b) restrict new high density housing development. The City of Peachtree Corners just approved 900+ new units on top of the 750+ units already underway. The balance of Gwinnett County hasn’t slowed or restricted the growth of high density housing either.

4. Finally, we already have a Gwinnett Transit system, why not understand why that’s not working and improve the existing system?

            — Steve Rausch, Peachtree Corners

Wants to hear more opinion from youth of the community

Editor, the Forum:

As a former Gwinnett teacher, I was impressed by the clearly written article by the fifth grader, Ellie Simmons in the previous issue of GwinnettForum.  She represents the importance of our youth expressing their thoughts in the public forum. Young people deserve to have an opportunity to publicly express their views.

After watching the students of Parkland High School express the depths of their thoughts, it struck me that we need the hear the views our youth.  As a community we would be certainly enriched by the opinions of our young people.

I, therefore encourage the GwinnettForum to reach out to students to express their views for all of us to read. We all would be enriched.

 — Alan Schneiberg, Sugar Hill

Dear Alan: Good thoughts. We welcome comment from all sources, especially the students. Thank you for your suggestion. –eeb

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

Baptism

• For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
• Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net

200 years of Snellville history to be available for sale April 29

Snellville’s first complete history book, entitled 200 Years of Snellville History by local author James W. Cofer, Jr., has just been published by King Publishing of Boston Mass. It will be available for purchase beginning April 29, 2018.

Cofer

This research-intensive history, commissioned by the Snellville Historical Society, was six years in preparation and includes 529 pages, 360 photos, figures, and tables, and over 275 cited references.

The author covers many important aspects of the Snellville community including the Native American period, early settler families, churches, schools, business and industry, military heroes, medical community, city governance, sports, and community organizations.

The lost art practices of one-horse farming, saw milling, and hog killing are described.

Chapters are also devoted to a Snellville Hall of Fame, local folklore, and the “Demands of the 21^stCentury.”  The text includes a review by journalist Elliott Brack.

This hardback book with dust jacket is priced at $30 for members of the Snellville Historical Society and $35 for non-members.  Copies may be purchased at Snellville City Hall on Mondays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and noon or by mail.  Checks should be made payable to Snellville Historical Society, add $7 shipping and handling for mail orders.

• The address for book sales is Snellville Historical Society, c/o Snellville City Hall, 2342 Oak Street, Snellville, Ga. 30078.

Peach State FCU expands by buying Toccoa Credit Union Branch

Peach State FCU’s new branch in Toccoa.

Peach State FCU has acquired a branch in Toccoa, Ga. from DOCO Credit Union after DOCO made a strategic decision to leave the Toccoa market. Peach State moved forward with the acquisition as part of its long term strategic plan to expand services in the North Georgia area.

Peach State President/CEO, Marshall Boutwell says: “This transition from DOCO to Peach State is in keeping with the values that each organization believes in—a focus on meeting and exceeding the expectations of our members. We are pleased to be able to bring a smart place to bank to the Toccoa market which provides another convenient location to our members.”

The branch will continue to serve DOCO members until September 30, 2018, at which time the branch will exclusively serve Peach State members. The current staff at the Toccoa and former Curahee locations of DOCO will be available to assist in the transfer of accounts and will continue to work at the branch as employees of Peach State.

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

Wetlands area near Valdosta is vast ecological educational center

The Robert Patten Grand Bay Wetland Education Center, located ten miles north of Valdosta in Lowndes County, teaches and demonstrates the complex ecological relationships between plants and animals. A partnership between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Coastal Plains Regional Educational Service Agency, the center concentrates on the contributions of a functioning wetlands ecosystem to a healthy natural environment.

Its educational activities, including guided trips into the Grand Bay Wetland; working with live mammals and amphibians and reptiles; and interactive ecological experiments, correlate with the state of Georgia’s curriculum standards. Approximately 6,500 schoolchildren visit the center annually.

The center also offers to the public an interpretative experience of the Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area, which includes the 18,000-acre Grand Bay/Banks Lake ecosystem. The size of the Grand Bay ecosystem is second in Georgia only to the Okefenokee Swamp. Like the Okefenokee, Grand Bay offers many plant communities, including upland longleaf and slash pine flatwoods, cypress and gum swamps, savannahs, and various shrub bogs.

Interpretive experiences include access to the wetland along a half-mile boardwalk, which ends at the Kinderlou Tower, a gift of local businessman Harley Langdale Jr. The boardwalk takes the visitor through many features of the wetland, beginning with a wet savannah and coursing through shrub bogs, a black gum/cypress pond, and a prairie with various herbaceous plant communities.

Grand Bay is a designated site on the Southern Rivers Birding Trail, which spans the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of Georgia and terminates in the state’s wetlands. There are 30 sites for observing birds along the entire birding trail. The larger Grand Bay ecosystem contains four so-called Carolina Bays, an unusual feature of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Oval in shape, these peat-tilled, relatively shallow depressions always lie in a northeast to southeast direction. Their origins are unknown. Native plants common to Carolina Bays—such as fetterbush and pitcher plants—are well adapted to acidic conditions.

The ecological and recreational features of Grand Bay were not always so appreciated. Around 1900, a steam-powered sawmill began operations on the east side of Banks Lake, located just outside of the town now known as Lakeland. In 1901 the sawmill owner constructed a rail line into the swamp and began extensive logging of cypress trees. From 1908 until 1918 the Barney Smith Car Company operated this mill and used the cypress to build railroad cars. (A remnant of the logging era—a 607-year-old cypress log—is on view at Grand Bay’s nature center.) Also, as late as the 1930s, local farmers grazed cattle in parts of Grand Bay during dry seasons.

Since 1988, the M.A.R.S.H. Project, a partnership between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Ducks Unlimited, Moody Air Force Base, and local landowners, has allowed for the ongoing restoration and maintenance of this wetland. As a result, Grand Bay has become a regional nesting site for wood ducks, with more than 850 wood-duck boxes in annual use. Grand Bay also serves as the winter home of migratory sandhill cranes, as well as the year-round home to some crane populations.

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

Think coastal to figure out this seafaring statue

Some of you may have seen this seafaring statue.  Now try to figure out where this is, and send your answer to elliott@brack.net, including your current hometown.

Every now and then the Mystery Photo stumps most readers, with only George Graf of Palmyra, Va. recognizing the phone. . That handsome structure is in Arbor Lodge State Historical Park in Nebraska City, Nebraska, sent in by Sandy and Rick Krause of Lilburn.

George writes: “It is the Arbor Lodge Mansion in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The Arbor Lodge Mansion was home to J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day. It was on this property in 1872 that J. Sterling and his wife, Caroline, initiated their vision for a greener, more tree-filled world—a challenge to people everywhere to plant trees so desperately needed. It is estimated that nearly one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872.

“The showpiece of this 72-acre park is the historic mansion, with its 52 rooms and countless historic artifacts belonging to the Morton Family. The park also includes an arboretum, Italian terraced garden, log cabin, carriage house, walking trails, more than 200 varieties of lilacs and a charming whispering bench.

“The park grounds are open year-round; a park permit is not required to enter. The mansion is open for tours and special events under the direction of the Arbor Day Foundation.”

Temporary Library Closing: Through April  27, the Peachtree Corners Public Library Branch will close for an HVAC system replacement. Book drops will remain open, but fines for items due during the period will be waived. Customers are encouraged to select alternate pickup locations for holds expected to arrive at the Peachtree Corners branch during this time, and can call the Library Help Line with questions at 770-978-5154.

Lilburn Relay Rally Picnic, Wednesday, April 25, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Lilburn Park Pavilion. A $10 donation gets  you lunch including sides. First come, first served, so get tickets at info.wrhouse@gmail.com. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Robotics Community Open House at Eastside Medical Center on Wednesday, April 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. on its main campus North Tower lobby.  The celebration is to mark the 1,300 robotic surgeries at Eastside, procedures that results in less pain and scarring of patients plus shorter hospital stays.  RSVP to Hope.Moeck@HCAHealthcare.com

Technology Forum: the future of the Autonomous Vehicle will be Thursday, April 26 at 8 a.m. at Technology Park/Atlanta, 107 Technology Parkway, in Peachtree Corners. Cost is $10. Hear a panel of experts discuss the latest trends in autonomous vehicle technology and how autonomous vehicles may change our lives, economy, and the future of technology. Sponsored by Partnership Gwinnett.

Free Nature Photography Workshop at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, 2020 Clean Water Drive, Buford, on April 28, at 1 p.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.

(NEW) 2018 Singleton Four Miler of the Atlanta Track Club will start from Thrasher Park in Norcross on Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 a.m., rain or shine. It is the fourth event of the Track Club’s Grand Prix Series. The Singleton event is named after one of our founding members and a pioneer in road racing, Dr. Tim Singleton. Dr. Singleton made a significant impact on the health and fitness of the Atlanta community and left an amazing legacy for future generations.

(NEW) Statewide Day of Service of the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs in Lilburn will be April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In an effort to multiply impact to raise awareness and support those affected by domestic violence, the Lilburn Woman’s Club will be supporting this effort in a Day of Service. Support the Lilburn Woman’s Club by donating any item, such as baby wipes, conditioner and shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes and paste, gift cards and other personal items. Bring items to the mail and package center, next to Kroger, at 4255 Lawrenceville Highway.

(NEW) Drug Take Back Day in Snellville will be April 28, hosted by the Snellville Police Department. The event, which allows residents to drop off unwanted or expired prescription drugs, will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the police department, 2315 Wisteria Drive. Residents can pull up to the police department and hand off the drugs from their vehicle. The department partners with School of Pharmacy at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine for the event.

(NEW) Gwinnett Interfaith Prayer Breakfast will be Thursday, May 3, at 7:30 a.m. at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth. The Gwinnett observance of the National Day of Prayer will bring together leaders of all faiths to pray for the community. The program will feature Keith Parker of Goodwill North Georgia; Doug of Shipman Woodruff’s Art Center; and MC Angela Harrington with the Atlanta Interfaith Community Initiatives.

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