GwinnettForum | Number 19.87 | Feb. 14, 2020
THIS DISTANT SCENE of the American west is an iconic one, and served as today’s Mystery Photo. Out west, the views carry so far in the distance. No telling how far it is to where you see this road twist to another direction. If you can identify the Mystery Photo, see Mystery Photo for instructions.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Chairman Nash Challenges County To “Bend the Trend” in the Future
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Attending Function at Infinite Energy Center? Pay Parking in Advance
ANOTHER VIEW: With Presidential Election Coming, Time to Grow Up, Children
SPOTLIGHT: Gwinnett County Public Library
FEEDBACK: Looking at Implications and Democratic Delegate County
UPCOMING: Dacula To Hold Special Election March 24 to Fill Council Seat
NOTABLE: William Day DAR Chapter Recognized American History Essay Winner
RECOMMENDED: A Very Stable Genius by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Estuaries along Georgia Coast Are Critical Habitat for the Area
MYSTERY PHOTO: Where Is This Area That Could Do with Significant Rain?
CALENDAR: Boxing Icon Ezzard Charles Subject of Talk February 20 at Heritage Center
Nash challenges county to “bend the trend” in the future
Nash addresses the state of the county.
By Shaunieka Taylor
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Gwinnett Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash voiced optimism that the county’s future leaders will continue to meet Gwinnett’s challenges at her 10th and final State of the County Address Wednesday at the Infinite Energy Center. She called on the audience of about 920 business, civic and political leaders to be bold and thoughtful to ensure Gwinnett continues to “bend the trend.” She frequently referred to “the Gwinnett Standard,” a high measure of professionalism and service that the County strives to meet.
“I encourage each of you to roll up your sleeves, and rally your colleagues, your civic clubs, your congregations and your neighborhood groups to turn ideas into actions for the sake of Gwinnett’s future,” Nash said. “If all of you expect greatness and Gwinnett leaders continue to lead with vision and courage, then our most extraordinary days are still to come.”
The first area of focus, Nash said, is ensuring adequate water supply for Gwinnett’s booming population. She touts the County’s current water system, stating that it operates with the highest treatment standards in the world. She said the Water Tower at Gwinnett, a planned advanced research facility, will assure that Gwinnett’s water and wastewater technologies are state of the art.
“We’ll break ground for this facility later this year, but I challenge Gwinnett’s leaders to ensure that it reaches its full potential,” she said. “By this, I mean that it should bend the trend for excellence in managing and conserving water resources here in Gwinnett and beyond – even while the County grapples with growing water and wastewater needs.”
She said the second challenge is mobility. “A gridlocked Gwinnett without a range of mobility options won’t attract those seeking a high quality of life and a productive work environment,” Nash said. “So, my second challenge to Gwinnett leaders is to deliver a transit system that meets the Gwinnett Standard and serves its needs across time while taking full advantage of technology and targeted road improvements.”
Nash said a third issue will be maintaining Gwinnett’s excellence in public safety. She said the County continues to prioritize these services, but added it must recruit and retain good people and hire personnel that reflect its diversity.
Gwinnett also must preserve and expand its parks and recreation system, including a County trails plan to add hundreds of additional miles of walking, biking and jogging paths that connect with each other and the County’s parks, Nash said.
The fifth priority for future leaders will be responsible management of the County budget, including keeping the County’s Triple-AAA bond rating, Nash said.
Nash concluded her list of challenges with a call to support early childhood literacy. As Gwinnett County Public Schools implements its Early Learning Strategy, the County will promote early learning through programs at County parks and summer camps. She announced that the County is providing seed money in its 2020 budget to fund a literacy-focused initiative with the Gwinnett County Public Library. The initiative will be named in honor of Shirley Carver Miller, former first lady of Georgia and a former Norcross businesswoman.
A video of the speech will air frequently on the County’s government access cable channels of Charter, Comcast and AT&T U-verse beginning tonight at 6 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. To read her complete talk, a text version of the speech and a handout highlighting the previous year’s accomplishments can be found at www.gwinnettcounty.com.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Headed to Infinite Energy Center? Pay parking in advance
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 14, 2020 | Before the Gwinnett Civic Center was built (now known as the Infinite Energy Center) off Sugarloaf Parkway and Satellite Boulevard, across from the new building was a former corn field, which was the original parking lot.
The Civic Center was completed in 1992. County officials opened the Center with what often happens at such events. It was a traditional fireworks show. But there was a problem. The fireworks were scheduled during the daytime.
Yep, Boom! Boom! Boom! The fireworks show went on as scheduled. But, since it was taking place during daylight, no one saw any flashes of lights! Even today, some 27 years later, no one has admitted to the lame-brain idea of having a daytime fireworks show!
The first big event at the Civic Center was during the 1992 Christmas season, a “Festival of Trees.” In general, it went smoothly, again except for one thing: people did not cotton to the idea of paying $3 for parking in that former corn field adjacent to a suburban forest. We remember their saying: “We don’t mind paying for parking in downtown Atlanta, but in suburban Gwinnett, $3 for us to park in a corn field?”
Civic officials heard this complaint. They took the step to continue to charge for parking. After all, parking fees had been built in into the budget for the center. But that parking fee was now included up front, when you bought a ticket to an event at the civic center. And up until recently, the ground-level parking lot in front of the civic center appeared free to all for parking, though you never recognized the fee was built into the ticket price of the event you attended.
This comes to mind after the gigantic, 3,250 vehicle car parking decks in front of the current civic center have been opened. Now when you go to an event there, such as the recent State of the County address, you have to pay for parking. After all, keeping traffic flowing smoothly before and after an event takes lots of manpower.
But the Infinite Energy Forum (it’s the official name of the Civic Center) has made it easier for those attending events. Now you can buy your parking ticket in advance, to make exiting the Center easier. With buying parking in advance, it makes the traffic flow faster.
We filled out a form online, and were able to pay with a credit card the $3 parking fee. If we had waited and paid in cash at the parking deck, the charge would have been $5. So paying for parking online was cheaper and easier. But sometimes it seems people in front of you pay cash for parking, and often have to root around for their money, slowing the exiting.
The first parking garage at the Gwinnett Arena came about in 2007, with the parking deck leading directly into the Arena, with 900 spaces. Altogether, there are over 5000 parking spaces at the Civic Center area, counting 500 spaces behind the buildings for people who work at the Center, and for the touring companies.
Increased activity at the Civic Center site now involved three major contracting firms working on major improvements at the Center. More on that later.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
With presidential election coming, time to grow up, children
By Debra Houston, contributing columnist
LILBURN, Ga. | It’s time to grow up, children. There’s a presidential election November 3. You young Democrats have a problem on your hands created by your elders. You don’t understand that their hatred for this president has delivered a slew of unintended consequences. For example, Republican voters are furious because of the partisan way that party mistreated President Trump, first during the Mueller investigation (not guilty) and then impeachment (acquitted). Voters will walk their anger to the polls. So, young Democrats, find a grown-up who can avert a Republican tsunami because it’s coming ashore in November.
Why am I giving Democrats advice? Because I love my country and we need to maintain a strong two-party system. Ditch socialism. Bernie’s a nice old guy, but you need to stay with the democratic/republic/capitalism triplets. For the most part, this three-tiered-system has worked for the country since the beginning. Where we need to improve is figuring out how to extend opportunity to all Americans without too much government breathing down our necks. Otherwise it seems as if the Democratic Party is disintegrating before our eyes. Someone should throw in a life preserver.
I know what you’re thinking: The president is no grown-up. Maybe not, but he’s getting close: There’s a reason why the hair turns gray in office. Nevertheless, Congressman Adam Schiff’s reckless adventure led the House not only to impeach Trump but also sought the Senate’s approval to unseat him on articles devoid of high crimes and misdemeanors. Had Mr. Schiff been successful in kicking the president out of office, he’d have nulled the 2016 election as well as this year’s in November.
Trump’s base rallied around him while he suffered through the humiliation. So don’t be surprised if you hear Democrats say they’re voting Republican this November. Why would they? Because Americans of all stripes value fairness, and the president was treated unjustly. The shift in voters could be considered another unintended consequence.
The Senate acquitted the president, of course, making Schiff and Company look small in comparison to Trump’s team of attorneys. And what about Joe Biden? The attorneys noted that Mr. Biden and his son were apparently involved in a questionable scheme with a company in Ukraine. Because of the aforementioned, the former vice president has come down in the polls. That may be good or bad depending on the Democrat you speak to, but Joe Biden is definitely another unintended consequence of impeachment.
You can rip apart his speeches all day, Mrs. Pelosi, but President Trump is a fighter. And he has a message for us all: It’s okay to love your country again, the way we did when Reagan was in office. Now there was a grown-up.
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Looking at implications and Democratic delegate count
Editor, the Forum:
It is interesting to consider where Biden’s and Warren’s votes would/will go to if they recognize their lack of traction and exit along with Wang and Bennett. If Warren’s go to Bernie and Biden’s is split between Pete and Amy, then we still have a very clustered race (with Bloomberg being the potential spoiler).
The question is did Republicans stay at home in New Hampshire or does the Democrat vote represent their crossing over as the Dem/Rep ratio was approximately 3/2 with Trump getting over 85 percent of the GOP votes?
Also, I am not sure that Pete will do as well in South Carolina or Nevada as he did in New Hampshire and Iowa, giving Amy a chance to gain steam and delaying the emergence of a clear winner until Super Tuesday. As of today however, Pete has a narrow lead (22) in delegates over Bernie (21) with Warren a distant third (8).
— Joe Briggs, Suwanee
Found President Trump not playing well in Europe
Editor, the Forum:
While traveling recently in Europe, I saw and heard the same things quoted in an International article about world-wide opinions of President Trump. In Italy, a local merchant indicated “two thumbs down” for Trump. A French newspaper’s headline asked “Why do Americans put up with Trump?” And people in Europe are appalled by his conduct, behavior and complete lack of morals.
— Lucy Brady, Suwanee
Corporations benefit while public pensions are underfunded
Editor, the Forum:
Public pensions are seriously underfunded in some states, and the situation is not helped by the fact that states continue to give huge tax breaks and other subsidies to corporations. Such subsidies often exceed the amount a state owes to maintain its pension obligation. Moreover, education , transportation and health could also suffer. It’s government practicing corporate welfare!
— George Wilson, Stone Mountain
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Dacula to hold special election March 24 to fill council seat
A special election is to be held in Dacula on March 24 to fill an unexpected vacancy.
In the 2019 election, Hubert Wells won a seat on the City Council. However, he moved out of the city before he could be sworn in, Mayor Trey King reports.
Four people qualified to run for the vacancy, though one has since pulled out, Heather Coggins, director of finance and human relations for the city, says.
The three candidates for the seat include Adrienne Johnson, who has lived in Dacula for five years and is a notary public; Dave Slotter, six years in the city and owner of Cobb Technical Consulting; and Sean Williams, a citizen of Dacula for 24 years, who works in information technology.
When are presidential primaries? Check out this list
To help GwinnettForum readers, listed below is a link to show when the various states will be holding their presidential primaries. Note the major Super Tuesday primary is March 3. Georgia doesn’t hold its presidential primary until March 24. The list is provided by CNN.
Local DAR Chapter recognized American history essay winner
Duluth’s William Day Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, presented a medal, certificate and monetary award on February 9 to American History Essay winner Anum Khan, a fifth grader from Bethesda Elementary School. Her parents are Nazeed Khan and Sabahat Malik. This year’s topic was “The Voyage of the Mayflower.” Shown with Anum are Essay Chairman Kris White, on the left, Anum Khan, and Regent Vanessa Watkins-Nutty on the right. The William Day Chapter meets every second Sunday at 2:00 p.m., at Gwinnett Community Bank in Duluth.
A Very Stable Genius by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig
From Raleigh Perry, Buford: This book is not written by people who have worked in the Trump White House and have axes to grind. It is written by two Pulitzer Prize winning journalists from the Washington Post. They are reporting in this book; they are not grinding axes. They have spent hundreds of hours and have more than 200 sources, many not wanting to be identified because of possible retribution or they feel honor bound not to openly be criticizing a sitting president. This book shows up at the top of the Non-Fiction list in both The New York Times and The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. I have read almost all of the axe-grinding books that have been published. This is not one of those. I would recommend this book to everyone.
- 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
Estuaries along Georgia coast are critical habitat
Estuaries, where freshwater mixes with saltwater, are dominant and vital ecosystems along Georgia’s coast. They are transition zones between river and sea and provide critical habitat for an assortment of plants and animals. More than 70 percent of Georgia’s recreationally and commercially important fishes, crustaceans, and shellfish spend at least part of their lives in estuaries.
In general, an estuary is a semi-enclosed body of water with a free connection to the ocean. There, saltwater from the ocean is measurably diluted with freshwater from a river or stream. Freshwater also may come from local storm runoff and groundwater.
The major estuaries of Georgia generally connect with the Atlantic Ocean through large bodies of water called sounds, which lie between coastal barrier islands and separate them. From north to south on Georgia’s coast, they include Wassaw Sound, Ossabaw Sound, St. Catherines Sound, Sapelo Sound, Doboy Sound, Altamaha Sound, St. Simons Sound, St. Andrews Sound, and Cumberland Sound.
Saltwater in the sounds is diluted by freshwater from five major Georgia rivers that originate inland and flow to the coast: the Altamaha, Ogeechee, Satilla, Savannah, and St. Marys rivers.
Georgia’s estuaries have formed integral relationships with tidal salt marshes. The marshes develop in estuaries where the rate of sedimentation equals or exceeds the rate of rising sea level. Tidal creeks link the marshes to estuaries. Together, the estuaries and the marshes are some of the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth.
Sediment and nutrients are delivered to the estuaries by the freshwater rivers and by tides and currents from the sea. The mixing of nutrients, sediments, and water from land and sea creates a murky brown, biologically rich mixture. The enriched estuarine water flows into the marshes with the tide and nourishes smooth cordgrass, and an array of other organisms. The marsh, in turn, produces huge amounts of food that flow back into the estuaries with the tide.
Most major estuaries extend inland as far as 20 miles or more, to the point where the river water becomes fresh. An estuary’s area may depend on the point of origin, the average flow, and the size of the river entering it. For instance, median flow in the Satilla River is one tenth that in the Altamaha. As a consequence, one typically encounters freshwater about 12 miles upstream in the Altamaha as compared with more than 30 miles upstream in the Satilla.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Where is this area that could do with significant rain?
While it’s been raining significantly in Gwinnett in recent days, signs are in this Mystery Photo that the area doesn’t get much rain at all. And this looks like a place you can see forever. Some of you have no doubt traveled here. Tell us about it. Send your answers to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Duluth’s Kay Montgomery was the first to recognize the most recent Mystery Photo, which came to us from Gloria Coley of Alpharetta. Kay wrote: “That’s the ‘Walking Man,’ which stands in front of the entrance of Muenchener Rueckversicherungsgesellschaft, a German reinsurance company, which is based in Munich, Germany.”
Lou Camerio of Lilburn recognized it, as did Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill, who added: “This is the “Walking Man” was completed in 1995 by Jonathan Brorofsky. It is 56 feet tall and is on the Leopoldstraße in Munich near the Munich Re building.”
George Graf of Palmyra, Va. noted that the statue “weighs 35,000 pounds. Jonathan Borofsky’s most famous works, at least among the general public, are his Hammering Man sculptures. Hammering Man has been installed in various cities around the world. The largest Hammering Man is in Seoul, Korea and the second largest is in Frankfurt, Germany.”
Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex., wrote: “Today’s mystery photo is of ‘The Walking Man’ sculpture by American sculptor and printmaker Jonathan Borofsky (born December 24, 1942). At 56-feet tall, the sweeping, yet delicate step, of this towering giant is intended to symbolize, among other things, values such as progress, dynamism and the will to disrupt. To me though, it looks like ‘The Walking Man’ is ready to dart across the very busy Leopoldstraße boulevard, something that one would assume would be discouraged by a major insurance company, right? The sculpture was presented to the public in September 1995. To this day the sculpture remains popular with the public.
“Taking more than a year to build, the sculpture has a steel-pipe inner structure and a fiberglass outer shell. It was made in nine separate sections at the La Paloma Fine Arts Metal Factory in Sun Valley, a northern neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. The sections were then transported to Munich where workers spent five weeks bringing the parts together. There is actually a steel staircase inside the upper body of the figure which allowed the final sections of the sculpture to be assembled from the inside. Another fun fact is that before the interior of the sculpture was completely sealed off, a metal time capsule was placed inside the sculpture with written statements from both the workers who built the sculpture, as well as the workers at Munich Re.”
Boxing icon Charles is subject of talk at Heritage Center
Learn and discuss the cultural phenomenon of Afrofuturism – the blend of science fiction, fantasy, and technology with the rich traditions of black literature, art, music, and folklore. Dr.Tanya Clark of Morehouse College will speak on Saturday, February 15 at 1 p.m. at the Lilburn Branch Library. The session is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
Evermore CID is conducting a concept study of U.S. Highway 78 from Ross Road to Hewatt Road. A Public Open House will be held at the Evermore CID office on February 19, 2020 from 3 to 6 p.m. to discuss the findings of the study, and answer any questions you may have. Check out the flyer in the link below for more information: 2020 Concept Study Open House.
Boxing Icon Ezzard Charles, a native of Lawrenceville, is the subject of a talk at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center on Thursday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. Speaking will be Dr. Erice Metcalfe, assistant professor of history at Georgia Gwinnett College. Register for this talk at GwinnettEHC.com, using activity code EHC11403.
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