2/15: Hospital merger; Woodall’s announcement; Another view

SUWANEE 10^th AERIAL ART ANNIVERSARY COMING: Neither rain nor wind nor frigid temperatures could keep the Suwanee community from commemorating the opening of City Hall on March 29, 2009 with a Human Aerial Art Community Photo. If you were one of those souls who braved the elements, you and everyone you can pull together are cordially invited back for the 10th anniversary photo! On Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m., the City of Suwanee will once again take a massive aerial community photo in Town Center Park, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the original S photo. Those interested can register at Suwanee.com. The first 2,000 registrants will receive a keepsake Suwanee cape to wear in the photo; superhero costumes are also encouraged! “Now I’m a work of art!” commented one of the original participants.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Final Approval Given To Merge Northside and Gwinnett Hospitals

EEB PERSPECTIVE: Surprise Announcement by Woodall May Foretell Good for Democrats

ANOTHER VIEW: Author Gives Her Views on Partial Birth Abortion, An American Issue

SPOTLIGHT: Heaven and Alvarez, LLC

FEEDBACK: Doesn’t Want To See First Amendment Debased in Discourse

UPCOMING: Gwinnett Stripers Bring Baseball Back on March 3 with Free Party

NOTABLE: Holtkamp Heating and Air, Art Center Announce Continued Partnership

RECOMMENDED: Agatha Christie’s The A.B.C. Murders

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Last Recorded Duel Between Georgians Occurred in 1889

MYSTERY PHOTO: Here’s Another Mystery Photo, This Something also of a Sculpture

LAGNIAPPE: William Day DAR Chapter of Duluth Announces Essay Contest Winner

Final approval given to merge Northside and Gwinnett hospitals

By Beth Hardy

Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville.

LAWRECEVILLE, Ga.  |  Northside Hospital and Gwinnett Health System (the parent of Gwinnett Medical Center) have announced that they have cleared the final regulatory hurdle toward combining operations.

Bob Quattrocchi, president and CEO, Northside Hospital, said: “We are excited to move forward on the merging of our two health systems. Leaders from both systems are already meeting to develop a comprehensive integration plan that honors our employees and physicians. This plan ensures that our patients continue to receive quality health care with no disruption of service.”

The merger agreement was approved by the State of Georgia Office of the Attorney General in November 2017.  Late last week, the Federal Trade Commission completed its review of the combination and gave its approval to move forward. The two systems now will focus on finalizing patient, operational, and business functions. The combined system is expected to be operational by summer 2019.

Philip Wolfe, president and CEO of Gwinnett Health System, said: “Through the merged entity, Gwinnett County will continue to have access to world-class medical treatment. Health care is a dynamic industry that requires complex technology, highly skilled medical professionals and exceptional leadership. I’m confident the merger will help sustain our ability to offer leading-edge, compassionate and effective health care close to home for many years to come.”

Northside Hospital and Gwinnett Health System are both driven by quality patient care and satisfaction, strong medical professionals, health care innovation and unparalleled patient access.

Anchored by five hospitals in Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, Cumming, Canton and Duluth, the new nonprofit health system will also operate additional sites of care including cancer treatment, imaging, surgical, urgent care and other outpatient centers throughout the state. Altogether, the Northside-Gwinnett combined system will have 1,604 inpatient beds, over 250 outpatient locations, 21,000 employees and more than 3,500 physicians on staff.

• For regular updates, visit com.

About Northside Hospital: Northside Hospital has more than 240 locations across the state, including three acute care, state-of-the-art hospitals in Atlanta, Cherokee County and Forsyth County. Northside Hospital leads the U.S. in newborn deliveries and is among the state’s top providers of cancer care and surgical services.

About Gwinnett Health System:  It is the parent company of Gwinnett Medical Center, Gwinnett Medical Group and Sequent Health Physician Partners. Gwinnett Health System has hospitals in Lawrenceville and Duluth. Additional facilities include: the Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion, the Gwinnett Extended Care Center, Glancy Rehabilitation Center, and outpatient health centers including surgical, imaging and physical, occupational and speech therapy.

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

Surprise announcement by Woodall may foretell good for Democrats

By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum

FEB. 15, 2019  |  It was surprising to read that U.S. Congressman Rob Woodall, representing the Seventh District which includes much of Gwinnett, will not seek another term in Congress. After all, he had just won re-election to another term. But what was even more surprising was that this announcement came a little more than a month after Rep. Woodall was into his fifth term serving in Washington.

It makes you wonder:

• Did the Congressman realize during the recent election period that he would not run again in 2020?
• Was there some new element that caused him to announce he would not run again barely after he was seated in the new Congress?
• 

  Woodall

  Was the closeness of his recent race the element that caused him to change his intention? After all, he only defeated Democratic Challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux by 433 votes.

• Or was it the Congressman’s recognition that the Seventh District is rapidly changing toward a more Democratic and liberal base of voters that made him realize that he might not elected in this district again?
• Or still further, did he recognize that by the 2022 election, the 7th District would be so changed to a Democratic base that it would be impossible for a Republican to win even in a newly gerrymandered district?
• Or somehow did a lucrative lobbying job loom in the horizon for the Congressman, and he elected to take the high road and announce his intentions so that others would have plenty of time to make a campaign strategy?

Whatever the reason, Georgia’s Seventh District for the next two years will be represented by a lame-duck, and maybe disinterested Congressman.

When Rob Woodall was first elected to Congress in 2010, he followed his previous employer, Seventh District Congressman John Linder, in the job. He had been the chief of staff for Linder, and among other considerations, became a champion of the Fair Tax that Rep. Linder had long fought for, in what continued to be a losing battle for the Congressman.

Rep. Woodall first easily won election to the Seventh District slot. While meeting with constituents regularly, he did not author any significant legislation. However, he continued the Linder manner of talking repeatedly in a boring appraisal of the wonders of the Fair Tax. It was as if the Congressman had no other agenda, but droned on about a major change in the way our nation charged its citizens their taxes, which essentially was doomed.

Bourdeaux

Now with Woodall bowing out of Congress mighty early, have you noticed how several Republicans have been contacted about their interest in seeking the 7th District Congress seat, and few, if any, have jumped into the fray?  Some of those asked currently hold elected office, and would have to give up one post….to run in a district that is trending Democratic. We expect to see few Republicans who currently hold an elected post choose to run.

And the person who came so close to defeating Rep. Woodall in 2018?  Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux jumped in feet-first, and looks to be the most electable of the Democrats at this point.

That surprise Woodall announcement may have signaled what will be the eventual takeover of several more elective offices by Gwinnett Democrats in 2020.

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

Author gives her views on partial birth abortion, an American issue

By Debra Houston, contributing columnist

“Ah,” wrote Robert Frost, “when to the heart of man was it ever less than treason to go with the drift of things, to yield with a grace to reason …”

I’ve never been one to go “with the drift of things.” How many of you wept when you heard Virginia Governor Ralph Northam describe partial birth abortion?

The taking away of a human heartbeat is a subject many consider better left unsaid. Pro-life advocates are parodied but not into submission. They tolerate the hurling of insults directed at them because not speaking out is truly “nothing less than treason.”

I want to remind you of Governor Northam’s words on “trimester abortion.” Don’t forget he’s a physician who took the Hippocratic oath.

“…the infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”

According to the U.S. Constitution, a human being delivered is … a human being and entitled to the same rights as those of us who never survived the torture of abortion. It is not a mother’s decision or a doctor’s to set a baby aside on a table to die a slow death. The law is clear.

The issue of abortion is not confined to the left or right. It is an AMERICAN issue. We are a better nation than to allow a “discussion to ensue” on whether to kill the most innocent among us. If we were talking about dogs, PETA would have it stopped.

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

Heaven and Alvarez, LLC

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Doesn’t want to see First Amendment debased in discourse

Editor, the Forum:

Journalism, that paragon of virtue, was not always so.  It wasn’t at the Founding of America.  It was rife with political bias and ad hominem exposure AND YET, the Founders with the First Amendment specifically forbade “…abridging freedom of speech, or of the press…”

I’m not a fan of Jeff Bezos or the National Enquirer so I don’t have a dog in this hunt, except for freedom.  Do what you will, but don’t debase the First Amendment in the process.

— Theirn Scott, Lawrenceville

Dear Theirn: We disagree about press history. Journalism, in other forms, has always been around. Remember Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac?  And the Fathers were seeking, not just to provide protection for individuals and the larger press, but as they said somewhere, for “the lonely pamphleteer.” And remember the 45 words of the First Amendment are, as you quote, just four words about the press. We all are protected by these other elements of this precious amendment…..our religion, our speech, gathering together, and even to petitioning our government to right a wrong.—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

Gwinnett Stripers bring baseball back on March 3 with free party

The Gwinnett Stripers are celebrating the return of baseball season with a pre-season party at Coolray Field on Sunday, March 3 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The free open house includes complimentary hot dogs and soda, and features activities for fans of all ages.

Fans can participate in on-field batting practice, take self-guided tours of the ballpark, be among the first to catch a glimpse of updates to Coolray Field including the Home Plate Club, purchase individual game tickets for 2019 home games, and shop for Stripers merchandise at Bobby’s Tackle Team Store. There will also be activities for kids, including inflatable games and amusements, face painting, and visits with mascot Chopper the Groundhog.

For a $20 donation to the Atlanta Braves Foundation, fans can swing for the fences like Stripers players in an on-field batting practice (weather permitting). Each $20 donation includes 10 swings.

Self-guided tours will give fans access to behind-the-scenes areas of Coolray Field, including the home clubhouse and dugout. Areas being improved for 2019 like the Home Plate Club will be available for a sneak preview. Fans can also scope out the view from any seat, group party area, or luxury suite with a member of the Stripers ticket sales staff.

The Coolray Field Ticket Office will be open for the event, giving fans their first chance to purchase individual game tickets to all 70 Stripers home games. Be the first to purchase tickets for premium games like Opening Night (April 4), Star Wars Night (May 11), Independence Day (July 4), all Friday Fireworks nights, and all giveaways. Fans are advised to get a great seat now, and avoid box office lines and a $2 increase on game day. For a list of all games and promotions, visit GoStripers.com/promotions.

Fans who have purchased a 2019 ticket plan or have registered for the Little Anglers Kids Club will be able to pick up their packages at any time from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Stripers open the season at Coolray Field on Thursday, April 4 with a 7:05 p.m. game vs. Norfolk. Memberships for 2019 are on sale now by calling the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340. For more information, visit GoStripers.com/memberships.

Snellville wins 2 grants for defibrillator and playground safety

The Georgia Municipal Association has given the city a Safety Grant check in the amount of $4,553 and a Liability Grant check in the amount of $8,926.07 toward the purchase of a defibrillator and accessories, a Strike Alert Lightning Detector and playground safety netting at T.W. Briscoe Park. From left with the checks are City Clerk Melisa Arnold; Eileen Thomas, GMA marketing field manager; Parks and Recreation Director Lisa Platt; and city Benefit and Finance Clerk Gaby Downs. The GMA Safety and Liability Management Grant program was introduced in 2000 to provide a financial incentive to assist members in improving their employee safety and general public liability loss control efforts through training and the purchase of equipment or services.

Holtkamp Heating and Air, Art Center announce continued partnership

The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning announces the continued renewal of a strategic partnership with Holtkamp Heating and Air. In addition to sponsoring free admission to the galleries since 2017, which has generated thousands of new visitors, the Holtkamp team also serviced all of the center’s HVAC systems and maintained 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 to include thousands of local attendees who would otherwise be unable to gain exposure to the arts. Additionally, thanks to their heating and air efficiency expertise, we’ve saved thousands of dollars in utility costs that can now be put to good use for our non-profit mission of bringing the arts to all. Finally, the Holtkamps will be sponsoring dozens of passes for free classes to give local citizens the gift of art, many of which will be used to help children enjoy The Hudgens’ Passport to the Arts Summer Camp.”

The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning is committed to presenting a strong mix of gallery programming, highlighting both internationally and locally renowned artists across a variety of mediums.

Holtkamp Heating and Air has provided residents of Gwinnett County and surrounding areas with high-quality customer service for over 20 years.

Lilburn preparing 10^th season for Farmers Market starting in June

The Lilburn Farmers Market is already preparing for its 10th season of the Friday market operating in June, July and August from 4 to 8 p.m. The market is located at 1400 Killian Hill Road at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church.

Local produce, fruit, salsa, meats, flowers, ready to eat foods, food trucks, and coffee vendors are needed. The vendor application is now available at www.lilburnfarmersmarket.org.

Applications are also being accepted for not for profit organizations that would like to promote themselves in the Lilburn community. Free booths for these organizations are limited to one per week. This is a great way to draw attention to your cause!

Musicians are also needed to fill the market with music each week. The market would be happy to provide a tent and we have electricity available for your amplifiers. This application is also available at the website.

Resolution by House recognizes tenure at GGC of Preczewski

Preczewski

State Representative Gregg Kennard (D-Lawrenceville) led the Georgia House of Representatives recently, in honoring Stanley C. “Stas” Preczewski with House Resolution 107. Preczewski was recognized in the House Chamber of the Georgia State Capitol for his retirement as president of Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC).“‘Stas’ Preczewski is a leader of leaders,” said Rep. Kennard. “Every group or organization he touches is immediately elevated by his influence.” Preczewski has served as president of GGC since 2014, overseeing the growth of Georgia’s

youngest state institution to an enrollment of

than 12,500. Dr. Preczewski’s retirement from GCC is effective in May 2019. He is to become the president of Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville.

Visitors get direction sign for Lilburn’s Hope Springs Distillery

Visitors looking for Hope Springs Distillery in downtown Lilburn will now have an easier time navigating their way. Several key people gathered in downtown Lilburn recently to unveil a new directional sign. At the corner of Main Street and Railroad Avenue, the sign  directs visitors to Gwinnett’s first distillery. From left are City Manager Bill Johnsa, Planning Director Doug Stacks, Council member Tim Dunn, Hope Springs Distillery owners Betsey Dahlberg and Paul Allen, Council member Scott Batterton, Mayor Johnny Crist, Main Street Manager Brian Burchik, and DDA member Hugh Wilkerson. (Photo by Emil Powella).

Agatha Christie’s The A.B.C. Murders

From Karen Burnette Garner, Dacula:  This is a three episode series by Amazon Studios on Amazon Prime. While not a big fan of mysteries, or thrillers, I am a fan of good storytelling. Looking for perfect binge-watching for a grey afternoon, I was tempted. John Malkovich stars as the aging crime-solver Hercule Poirot, a favorite protagonist of Ms. Agatha Christie.  Well past his best years of solving crime, Poirot is despised by the police for showing their inadequacies, and suspected by the public who resent the influx of refugees flooding England prior to World War II.  Malkovich is stunning in his performance, conveying the inner conflicts of a haunted man as only he can.  With Christie’s typical twists and turns, the murderer is revealed after you think you have it figured out.  You’ll be wrong!  Loved it!

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

Last recorded duel between Georgians occurred in 1889

Dueling involved two combatants, with some intractable disagreement, who fought one another, often to the death. These engagements proceeded according to a predetermined set of rules and were usually waged with pistols.

An ancient European practice, dueling began in Georgia in the mid-18th century. The last recorded duel in the state occurred in 1877, though Georgia had criminalized the practice in 1809. Dueling in Georgia was significant because it highlighted aristocratic southerners’ conception of honor, which in no small part led to secession and the Civil War (1861-65).

Duels originated in medieval European society in accordance with chivalry, a social code that emphasized courtesy, courage, and martial prowess as the most essential qualities in a knight or male aristocrat. By imposing rules on violent confrontations in a society where lawlessness often seemed rampant, dueling was actually seen as a civilizing ritual.

Practiced by some of the first European settlers in Georgia, dueling spread quickly throughout the colony. Georgia’s first recorded duel took place in December 1739, when a British officer wounded a compatriot in Savannah.

Duels occurred when one party issued a challenge, written or verbal, to another, usually in response to a perceived slight. Swords and pistols were the weapons of choice, although by the 19^th century duelists usually opted for pistols. Seconds, or representatives of the dueling parties, organized these affairs, and when pistols were used, the antagonists fired at one another.

Although the distance between the shooters was negotiable, shots were usually exchanged at close range, sometimes even as short as ten paces. Still, early 19th century pistols were notoriously unreliable, and often duelists simply wanted to prove their courage and hesitated to kill their opponents. Most duels, then, were not fatal and ended with (sometimes intentionally) wildly errant shots, compromises, or apologies. Nevertheless, many resulted in one or both of the combatants being maimed, mortally wounded, or killed outright.

While the 1804 duel between Alexander Hamilton—whose second, Nathaniel Pendleton, was a Georgian—and Aaron Burr in New Jersey is the most famous duel in American history, it was in the antebellum South that dueling became most ensconced in the social code. An accepted protocol by which duels were fought, known as code duello, largely defined the practice in the South. Dueling helped establish a community’s perception of an individual and played a critical role in an aristocratic society that placed a high value on personal honor.

In some respects, the southern conception of honor that precipitated so many duels also helped precipitate secession and the Civil War. By 1860 southern aristocrats had come to associate slavery with honor. Just as ignoring a challenge to a duel would court dishonor, so would letting abolitionists usurp the moral high ground in the national controversy over slavery. For this reason, many aristocratic southerners, at least initially, saw the Civil War as a large-scale version of a duel.

Military confrontation was a test of courage that ultimately reflected both personal and sectional honor, and the war itself was to be fought according to an implicit set of gentlemanly rules, in the fashion of code duello. Although not fully implemented until 1864, northern “total war” policies came to represent a flagrant betrayal of the sacred code and, for many Confederate officers, a grievous breach of chivalric honor.

Among the most famous duels in Georgia were the Gwinnett-McIntosh Duel and the Stark-Minis Duel. (See Encyclopedia for more details.)

The last duel between Georgians, on the other hand, did not occur until 1889. Fought just over the state line in Alabama, this “Calhoun-Williamson affair” was a subject of great popular interest. Patrick Calhoun and J.D. Williamson, both prominent figures in the state’s railroad industry, agreed to duel after an exchange of insults. When the parties finally convened safely out of the reach of law enforcement, they stipulated that five shots from hammerless Smith and Wesson pistols could be used if necessary. Williamson misunderstood the stipulations and, when the word to fire was given, emptied his clip as quickly as possible. All of his shots went harmlessly errant. Calhoun, who had only fired one errant shot, demanded his opponent retract his previous insult. After Williamson refused, Calhoun fired his four shots into the air. Both men apologized to each other, and the parties returned home unharmed. Dueling was, at last, extinct among Georgians.

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

Here’s another Mystery Photo, also something of a sculpture

Moving away from man made sculptures for the Mystery Photo this edition, here’s a sculpture of another type. Figure out where this is located and let us know. Send your idea to Elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.

The last edition “Valentine’s mystery” came from Jerry Colley of Alpharetta. Several readers immediately recognized it. George Graf of Palmyra, Va. wrote: “It depicts the sculptor, Victor Delfín, and his wife kissing. According to local accounts, the mayor of the district holds (or used to hold) a competition for the couple who could sustain the longest kiss, and this sculpture celebrates this. The park is supposedly inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s Parc Guell in Barcelona.”  Jo Shrader of Suwanee identified where it is located: “The picture is of the Victor Delfin Sculpture of Lovers, El Beso, Lima Peru, at “Love Park” by the Pacific Ocean in the Miraflores district.”

Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex.  said additionally: “Unveiled in 1993, this art depicts the sculptor, Victor Delfín, and his wife kissing. Many newlyweds visit the park to pose in front of the sculpture. It also draws throngs of lovers from all areas of Lima celebrating Valentine’s Day each February 14. While best known for his monumental “El Beso”, Víctor Delfín is one of the leading sculptors and painters in Peru and works with a range of materials — wood, metal, canvas, polychrome acrylics and aluminum. He has a worldwide reputation and his art has been exhibited across South and North America and housed in major museum and private collections. Delfín is highly regarded for his massive metalwork sculptures of birds, horses and other animals, strong political themes, as well as sensual, often sexually charged paintings. Delfín’s studio also overlooks the ocean in the nearby and artistic Barranco District of Lima. His house, filled with his paintings and sculptures, is now a bed-and-breakfast run by his daughter. Here’s a photo of Delfín in his studio.”

Others identifying the work include Lou Camerio of Lilburn and Virginia Klaer of Duluth.

 Essay winner

Duluth’s William Day Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) presented a medal, certificate and monetary award on February 10 to American History Essay winner Adelaide Lee Bolling, a fifth grader from Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School. Essay Contest Chairman Kris White shared that Addie’s parents, Davey and Beverly Bolling, had also won awards in their respective states for the same contest many years ago. This year’s topic was “The Women’s Suffrage Campaign.” From left are DAR Regent Vanessa Watkins-Nutty, history essay chair Kris White and Addie Bolling.

LILBURN POLICE ADADEMY is accepting applications for its 13 week course. Registration deadline is February 15. Preference is given to Lilburn residents or to someone working in Lilburn. The minimum age is 21. For more information, go to https://www.cityoflilburn.com/281/Citizens-Police-Academy.

Making a Memory Quilt: Contemporary memory quilts preserve treasured memories of people, events, accomplishments, and places.  Quilters of previous generations saved scraps of fabrics from dresses, aprons, or shirts out of necessity to use in their quilts.  This created the unintended, yet still special, tradition of quilts holding special memories and connections to people in our families. Join Master Quilter, Elizabeth Thomas, for this workshop to learn more about the art form.  Presented by Gwinnett County Public Library, this event takes place on Saturday, February 16 at 2 p.m. at the Lawrenceville Branch Library, 1001 Lawrenceville Highway, Lawrenceville.  This event is free. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Meet Historian and Author Jim Jordan: He won the 2018 Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council Excellence Award for his book The Slave-Trader’s Letter-Book:  Charles Lamar, the Wanderer, and Other Tales of the African Slave Trade.  These 70 long-lost letters detail the illegal landing of 400 African slaves on American soil by Charles Lamar who used the yacht the Wanderer as a slave ship dropping off slaves on Jekyll Island. Gwinnett County Public Library, in partnership with Liberty Books, presents this author event on Saturday, February 16 at 3 p.m. at Liberty Books, 176 West Crogan Street, Lawrenceville.  This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

State of the County Annual Report will be February 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the Infinite Energy Center. Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash will review 2018 achievements and present the vision for 2019 and beyond.

Fifth Leadership Challenge Workshop will begin February 26 with a four hour session, and continue for five other periods, concluding on April 9. The Workshop brings local leaders together to equip them to serve the community. It is sponsored by the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. It will be facilitated by Betsy Corley Pickren, with guest instructors. For more information, visit www.SouthWestGwinnettChamber.com, or call 678-906-4078.

ANNUAL PLANT SALE, from the University of Georgia Extension Service, runs through March 6. Plant experts are offering a host of fruit shrubs and trees. Purchasers must pick up their prepaid order on March 14 at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. No orders are shipped. For order forms or for more information, visit www.ugaextension.org/gwinnett, or call 678-377-4010.

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• Managing editor: Betsy Brack
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• Contributing columnist: Debra Houston
• Contributing columnist: George Wilson

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