COME VISIT THE HUDGENS ART CENTER in Duluth on Family Day on March 16 and participate in activity like this. Doesn’t it look fun to splash paint on a canvas, and create something distinctive? There will be activities for all ages. For more details, see Upcoming below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Urges You To Vote Yes March 19 to Take More Cars off the Roadways
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Proposed Gwinnett Transit Plan Has Five Major Components
ANOTHER VIEW: Here’s a Voice Against Gwinnett Ever Joining Up with MARTA
SPOTLIGHT: Gwinnett Medical Center
FEEDBACK: Daylight Saving Time Comes This Sunday; Not Until March 31 in Europe
UPCOMING: New Snellville Program Will Offer Meals To Seniors Three Days a Week
NOTABLE: District Attorney Danny Porter Urges Citizens to Vote “Yes” on Transit
RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT: Nacho Daddy’s, Duluth
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Georgia Lumbering Once Cut More Than 1.6 Million Board Feet Daily
MYSTERY PHOTO: Figure Out Where This Adonis Statue Is Located!
LAGNIAPPE: Flowering Trees Making Springtime Gorgeous throughout Gwinnett
CALENDAR: Lionheart Theatre presents Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile from March 8-24
Urges you to vote “yes” March 19 to take more cars off the roadways
(Editor’s Note: Reagan Havens is a resident from Lawrenceville who commutes to work in Buckhead via Express Bus daily. –eeb)
By Reagan Havens
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | As Gwinnett voters go to the polls between now and March 19 to vote on expansion of our transit options and connect to the rest of our region, opponents are recycling the same discredited arguments we heard in the late 1980s: increased crime, demographic changes, decreased property values, new taxes for a service no one wants.
Havens
Just a little bit of research and observation shows the opposite is true in every case. There’s no evidence that links transit to an increase in crime. Our county has diversified and prospered simultaneously. There are many studies that show that proximity to transit hubs greatly increases property values. And one cent sales tax is a small investment in transportation solutions that will attract high-paying jobs and bring to the county the young, high-skilled workforce we need to fill those positions.
I can personally attest to why Gwinnett should vote yes on March 19: faster commutes, more productivity and less stress in your life. I know because I experience the travel stress every day.
I have been using transit from Gwinnett to Buckhead for more than four years now. I ride an Xpress bus (the ones you see pass you in the HOT lane on I-85) to the Lindbergh MARTA station and then take the train to my office at Lenox. While you are watching the bumper in front of you and your rearview mirror for the car riding your bumper, I’m reading the news, catching up on email and listening to podcasts. (And to be honest, sometimes I’m taking a nap. You can’t do that driving a car!)
The buses are on time and consistently make the commute faster than driving. Yes, the bus is subject to traffic and can get caught up by the same wrecks that car traffic experiences. However, on average, I have found I save about 30 minutes a day to and from work. The best part is that I don’t get stressed about my commute. For me, getting to and from work is no longer a competition with the cars around me; it’s about me using that time more productively.
I’ll admit it was a little daunting for me to start using transit. You may ask the same questions I did at first: where do I park, which bus do I take, how close can it get me to work? The hardest part of a new routine is simply…..starting. I promise you can figure out the logistics, but first you must make up your mind to take the opportunity.
This transit referendum is about more than commuting to work in Atlanta. It’s about getting around Gwinnett on the weekends, or going to the mall or out to dinner and having someone else drive without worrying about who’s behind the wheel or surge pricing.
The solution to our shared congestion is taking cars off the road. When there are more options to meet your individual needs, you might find your life is easier if you leave your car in the park- ride lot next to mine. And even if you don’t, the thousands of people who do will leave the roads clearer.
Let me urge you to please vote “Yes” on March 19.
Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Proposed Gwinnett Transit plan has 5 major components
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MARCH 8, 2019 | It’s apparent that a tremendous amount of work has gone into crafting the complex, comprehensive and far reaching transit plan that Gwinnett votes on March 19.
Most Gwinnettians can’t spend an hour on the phone with Alan Chapman, Gwinnett County director of transportation, and Karen Winger, in charge of the transit division.
If they did, they would learn that the upcoming referendum on future transit possibilities for Gwinnett is vastly more multifaceted and extensive than ever I imagined. It shows that the county and area officials have put major time in making this proposal, which should work wonders for the movement of people in Gwinnett far into the future.
Chapman
First of all, it’s much more than a tie-in with Atlanta’s MARTA system. The plan has five major components for Gwinnett that are being proposed. They include:
- The Multi-Modal heavy rail connection with MARTA near Jimmy Carter Boulevard, at least 10 years out, if not 15.
- Bus Rapid Transit, a new concept and relatively inexpensive method to move people much more rapidly, through dedicated lanes with special signals to get through crowded intersections without stopping. There would be 50 dedicated miles of this service along three routes. It will start in 5-10 years.
- Rapid Bus service, along dedicated routes, is not as complicated as Bus Rapid Transit, and is faster than ordinary buses. There would be eight routes along 110 miles for this service. This will start as a local bus, within two years.
- Expansion of local bus commuter service will be the first major change. This will be the first big change in transit to come into play. It will have increased frequencies of route throughout the area, including Hamilton Mill and Loganville areas.
- On demand Microtransit Flex Service will expand to six zones. The pilot program has already begun in Snellville and will continue, and the next area to get this service will be Buford, followed by four more areas.
Whew! You can see from this short overview that the proposed improvements are extensive and detailed. Oodles of hard planning has already been done, with the overall plan just waiting for an okay from the votes.
Let’s look more at one of these elements, the Bus Rapid Transit proposal. These long buses (for up to 80 to 90 people) would run on three routes with dedicated lanes.:
- Along Satellite Boulevard south from the Sugarloaf Mills area to initially the Doraville MARTA. Long term, the route would terminate at the Jimmy Carter MARTA station.
- From Snellville adjacent to U.S. Highway 78 to the Indian Creek MARTA station (requiring a partnership with DeKalb County.)
- From Lawrenceville to the Infinite Energy Center and on to Peachtree Corners.
Altogether, the Bus Rapid Transit routes cover 50 miles, and will require additional right-of-way and road widening.
Here’s how it would work. Each of the buses would send signals as it approached major cross streets, signaling the traffic lights to switch, to allow the bus to continue through while stopping cross traffic. This will make the trip faster than normal traffic on these streets. Meanwhile, passengers will have the luxury of time to use the wi-fi, or read, but not have to drive this route, so more cars will be off the roadways. Payment for ticketing will be as the rider enters the transit station. Buses would run on demand, perhaps every 10 to 15 minutes during peak times.
IN THE NEXT ISSUE: more about the plan and its Arterial Rapid Transit routes, something of a Light Bus Rapid Transit system.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Here’s a voice against Gwinnett ever joining up with MARTA
By Debra Houston, contributing columnist
LILBURN, Ga. | The first vote I ever cast was against MARTA. And the last rapid transit vote I cast in 1990 was against MARTA. And the next vote I cast will go against MARTA.
Friends ask, “Why would we want to be like DeKalb and Fulton?” I say we already are, but what they’re really saying is, “We don’t want to be like Atlanta.” How do I know? Well, the second letter in MARTA stands for “Atlanta.” And the last time I looked at a map of Gwinnett, nowhere did I find a city called by that name.
Gwinnett has long resisted any merger, association, or jurisdiction with the big city to our south. Why are we starting now? Our commissioners know MARTA won’t solve our traffic problems. Has it solved DeKalb’s? Or Fulton’s? The answer is no.
Consider this: Gwinnett County has a population of nearly a million strong. Why aren’t we dictating to Atlanta what we want instead of it dictating to us what it thinks we need?
The entire idea of MARTA coming into Gwinnett is absurd. Consider that if the measure passes that until 2057 we’ll be paying an extra penny on the dollar to link the Doraville station in DeKalb to a “spur” running to Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth. In case you haven’t read the paper lately, there’s a fellow who wants to turn Gwinnett Place Mall into a cricket stadium. Now I know how popular the sport of cricket is in our fair county, but are you willing to pay billions of dollars to catch a game there?
Planners estimate we won’t get the spur for 25 to 30 years, but the sales tax won’t wait. I wonder if, in the meantime, our penny tax will fund any financial shortcomings for MARTA in Clayton, Fulton, and DeKalb. While the gung-ho pro-MARTA, pro-Stacey Abrams zealots are waiting with baited breath for the spur to take place, someone in Gwinnett had better keep an eye on our money.
I’m willing to bet that by the time we finally get MARTA the “authorities” will demand ANOTHER penny on the dollar because “way back in 2019 when we approved the measure, costs have risen astronomically.”
On March 19, save your money and vote “no” on the MARTA referendum. And in the future, Gwinnett commissioners, perhaps you could come up with a better transportation plan without dragging Atlanta into it. Maybe we could develop our own rapid transit system and tell MARTA to take a hike.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Gwinnett Medical Center
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Daylight Saving Time comes this Sunday; Not until March 31 in Europe
Editor, the Forum:
or your calendars: In 2019, Daylight Saving Time begins in the US on Sunday, 10 March, and in Europe (Summer Time) on Sunday, 31 March. During those three weeks, time zone differences between most of the US and Europe will be one hour less than usual.
Remember for Daylight Saving Time, clocks are turned forward one hour.
— Larry Zani, Kaiserslauten, Germany
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
New Snellville program will offer meals to seniors 3 days a week
Gwinnett County officials briefed Snellville senior citizens about a food program to make its debut at T.W. Briscoe Park next month.
While next month’s start date is not yet firm, the Snellville Satellite Congregate Senior Program will serve 40 seniors Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Betty McMichael Room in T.W. Briscoe Park on Lenora Church Road. Administered by Gwinnett County Department of Community Services, Division of Health and Human Services, the project receives federal funding through the Atlanta Regional Commission. Grayson will also host a county-administered satellite food program.
Lisa A Platt, CPRP, director of Snellville Parks and Recreation (SPRD), says: “Our Senior Center and the programs we run are for more active adults. We do not provide any kind of meal program. By partnering with Gwinnett County, SPRD will be able to serve a section of our community that needs this assistance. We believes as Gwinnett County does, that we are here to serve our community and specifically our older adult community in mind, body and spirit. And this partnership allows us to serve our citizens in that capacity. We hope this is just the start of something that can grow and allow us to serve more who are in need now and in the future.”
The creation of the program in Snellville arose following the popularity of the food service in nearby Centerville where there is a waiting list of 156-pre-screened clients. The congregate program encourages senior citizens to not only come to a specific location to eat, but also learn about nutrition and physical health.
To participate in the program, those over 60 must be evaluated to determine their need for the program. After determining their need, senior citizens will likely be placed on a waiting list before they can take part in the program. For more information on the program, call 678-377-4150.
Norcross Community Market wins AgSouth Farm grant for 3rd year
For the third year, the Norcross Community Market has been selected to receive a $500 AgSouth Farm Credit farmers market support grant. The Norcross Community Market was one of 50 markets throughout AgSouth’s territory in Georgia and South Carolina to receive a portion of $25,000 in total grant funds. The grant will be used for advertising and promotion of the venue.
Farmers Market Coordinator Connie Weathers says: “We are very thankful to have been selected to receive AgSouth’s Think Outside the Store farmers market grant. The funds will be used for a ‘Know Your Farmer’ series of articles.”
Norcross Community Market is a seasonal producer-only farmers market featuring locally and sustainably grown food and handmade products. The 2019 season opens Saturday, June 1 and runs every summer Saturday through August 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Webb Park, near historic downtown Norcross. The weekly events are family-friendly and free to attend. Vendor applications are now available. Contact norcrosscommunitymarket@gmail.com.
Hudgens Art Center plans Interactive Family Day for March 16
On March 16, the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning will welcome the community to Family Day with interactive art activities designed for all ages. Hands-on activities and story times will take place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. that day. All Family Day activities, including admission to the galleries, are free of charge. Vanessa Zebrowski, art educator at The Hudgens, said those participating in Family Day will be invited to create art inspired by two of the gallery’s current exhibits – Page by Page, an exhibit celebrating the artistry of bookmaking, and My View from Seven Feet, an exhibit featuring art and narratives by artist and NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll.
Porter urges citizens to vote “yes” on transit
Longtime Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter is encouraging a “Yes” vote on the March 19 transit referendum, saying that it would contribute to public safety in addition to increasing mobility and economic development.
Porter said areas around transit hubs attract new investment and big crowds, key ingredients for reducing crime, while also expanding law enforcement presence.
He adds: “A ‘yes’ vote will connect Gwinnett to the rest of the metro Atlanta region, while at the same time letting the county retain local control over transit projects and services – services that include public safety. Gwinnett officials – directly responsible to the people of this county – will determine how the transit system works in our county, and they will have flexibility to meet the changing needs of their constituents. I trust our locally elected officials to implement this transit plan in a way that maximizes mobility while still prioritizing public safety.
“Beyond my role as a prosecutor, I also live here. This county has given my family a remarkable quality of life. As more people come into our county to enjoy all the assets of this community, we’re going to need new capacity to build on the success we’ve seen for many decades. This well thought out plan will relieve congestion, save us time and energy and boost our economy. Please vote yes.”
That same day, Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway also asked voters to approve the transit vote.
Suwanee to get its first brewery and taproom in current fire station
The City of Suwanee is getting its first brewery and taproom. StillFire Brewing, a 20-barrel brewery and taproom, is set to begin construction this May near Town Center Park.
The co-founders – who include the owners of Suwanee Magazine, Suwanee Beer Fest, Gwinnett Beer Fest, and Suwanee Wine Fest – plan to convert the soon-to-be-vacated Gwinnett County Fire Station 13 into a high-end industrial-style taproom that will feature an always-changing selection of 18 original craft beers on tap.
Co-founder Randall Veugeler says: “Every year at the beer fest, people tell me that it is their favorite day of the year, and it became obvious to us that the community with the largest craft beer fest in Georgia needed a year-round craft brewing experience.”
An outdoor patio and an adjoining city-owned green space will allow customers to bring their children and dogs to play games and enjoy live music, as well as snacks from on-site food trucks. StillFire will also offer space for events and brewery tours.
The lease agreement for Fire Station 13 between Gwinnett County and the Downtown Development Authority is set to expire in mid-April 2019. Gwinnett County plans to relocate the fire station to recently acquired property on Buford Highway near Westbrook Road. Fire Station 13 personnel will continue serving the Suwanee area out of existing surrounding stations until the new facility is completed.
Nacho Daddy’s, Duluth
From Cindy Evans, Duluth: We just dined at the newly opened Nacho Daddy’s in the downtown Duluth area. This Las Vegas-based chain was fun to try. We enjoyed chips and guacamole for our appetizer. For dinner, I ordered the Chicken Burrito that came with a side salad It was tasty and affordable. My husband had one of the many nacho entrees which he really liked. The hostess and server were both very nice. Should be great for an outing with family or friends! Later on, with warmer weather you will be able to dine on the patio! It is located at 3095 Main Street in Duluth.
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
Georgia lumbering once cut more than 1.6 million board feet daily
Prior to the 1860s commercial logging occurred primarily along navigable streams, where logs could be floated to downstream ports. However, after the Civil War (1861-65), the expansion of railroads and portable saw mills allowed access to remote mountain slopes and the interior Coastal Plain.
At the same time northeastern forests were becoming depleted, new markets for longleaf pine heartwood emerged. Lumber became a huge commodity in Georgia. The state was the nation’s leading producer of lumber in the 1860s and 1870s, and by 1890 Georgia sawmills were cutting more than 1.6 million board feet per day. Nearly all the longleaf pine forest was cut, as were the magnificent cypresses of the Okefenokee Swamp, and over time, the old-growth trees of the mountains. In addition, urbanization occurred along the railroad lines, and highway development began with the arrival of the automobile.
Hence, by the 1930s commercial agriculture, industrial logging, and increasing urbanization had created a landscape far different from that first encountered by Europeans. The stumps and scraggly trees of cut-over land, silted streams and denuded hillsides of abandoned farms, and growing networks of towns and transportation corridors had replaced much of the forest mosaic.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Figure out where this golden Adonis statue is located!
How about this golden Adonis to identify today? Note the pet he has with him. Figure out where it’s located and let us know. Send to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
Among the 12 spotting the Monument were Dick Goodman, Suwanee; Tim Sullivan, Buford; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; John Titus, Peachtree Corners; Catherine Coleman, Charleston, S.C.; Jim Savadelis, Duluth; Emmett Clower, Snellville; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.; and Theirn Scott, Lawrenceville.
Bob Foreman, Grayson: “The photo looks like a close up view of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. There are several other possibilities. There is not much detail to go on. But I am sticking with the Washington Monument.”
Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex. “Pretty certain that today’s mystery photo is the Washington monument in Washington, D.C.”
Note that George Graf of Palmyra, Va. didn’t get mentioned above. There was a reason. He sent in the photo.
Flowering trees make springtime gorgeous throughout Gwinnett
With spring nearing, the colorful fruit trees are flowering beautifully. Roving Photographer Frank Sharp took these two scenes of pear and cherry trees, one on Breckenridge Boulevard, the other across from the Collins Hill Library. Just look around and you can see what homeowners and developers have given Gwinnett when they made these plantings years ago. Spring’s coming soon!
Art at the Kudzu by Joyce English.
Photo Exhibit of Australia and New Zealand by Roving Photographer Frank Sharp is now on display through April 30 at the Tucker Library, 5234 LaVista Road. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This library is closed on Sunday.
Lionheart Theatre in Norcross presents Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, from March 8-24. The theatre is open Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. This comedy is directed by Scott King. The cast includes Grant Carden, Aaron Sherry, Daniel Cutts, Jamie Goss, Jessie Kuipers, Gregory Nassif St. John, Briana Murray, Doug Isbecque, Colton Combs, Cat Rondeau and Veronica Berman.
Opening Reception for the Tannery Row Artist Colony Spring Exhibition will be March 9 from 5-8 p.m. Featured will be two-D and three-D works by local and regional artists. Musical entertainment will be provided by Jared Akins. The Artist Colony is located at 554 West Main Street in Buford. He spring exhibit continues through May 3.
By Mikki Root-Dillon
Meet and greet local artists at the Kudzu Art Gallery on Saturday, March 9, from noon until 2 p.m. This spotlight fine art exhibition will be on the premises of the Kudzu Gallery at 116 Carlyle Street in Norcross. Enjoy over 50 pieces of art by these eight Kudzu artists: Kathy Collins, Tim Dempski, Mikki Root Dillon, Terry Enfield, Joyce English, Margaret Evans, Lynda Ellis and Susan Faircloth.
Southern Wings Bird Club will meet Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. Speakers will be Kathy and John Shauger, who will present photos on their recent birding trip to Trinidad and Tobago.
Sustainability Workshop: Join Gwinnett County Public Library and Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Tuesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Five Forks Branch, 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lawrenceville. This workshop will teach you how you can help make your community sustainable for now and the future. Learn about the resources and services available in Gwinnett to help residents with recycling, reducing litter, and beautifying their community. Also, create a “self-watering” seed starter by bringing an empty two-liter bottle. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
Lilburchaun Parade: Dress in your most festive St. Patrick’s Day attire for the Lilburchaun Parade in Lilburn City Park on Saturday, March 16. A bagpipe player and stilt walker will lead a walking parade inside the park! This family friendly event will include live entertainment. Prizes will be awarded for the best Leprechaun look-alikes, also known as the first ever Lilburchauns! The event starts at 4 p.m. and the walking parade will begin at 4:15 p.m.
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