A NEW MEMBER has been picked for the national board of Trustees of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Surgery (PCOM). He is Timothy Burgess of Athens, left. He’s shown with the two other PCOM board members from Georgia, Wayne Sikes and David McCleskey.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Our Country Is in Trouble, No Matter Which Party Wins Next
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Fob Batteries, Handkerchiefs and the Many Dates for 2020 Elections
ANOTHER VIEW: With Brexit Question Finished, England Now Open To Move Forward
SPOTLIGHT: Peach State Federal Credit Union
FEEDBACK: Googled Product and Found That Snake Venom Is Used in Process
UPCOMING: Sixth Annual Women in Action Forum in Suwanee on February
NOTABLE: PCOM Names Athens Resident as New Member of Trustee Board
RECOMMENDED: The Year We Seized the Day by: Elizabeth Best and Colin Bowles
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Digital Library of Georgia Resources Found in Online Encyclopedia
MYSTERY PHOTO: Here’s Another Searchlight Tower To Ponder as Mystery
CALENDAR: Historically Black College and University Fair is February 8 at Meadowcreek High
Our country is in trouble, no matter which party wins next
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | Because of bi-partisan bickering, there has been very little accomplished at all in this Congress on any topic, including healthcare financing reform and coverage, my passion. But it’s nothing new.
When President Obama first took office, Senator Mitch McConnell stated that rather than pass bi-partisan legislation on healthcare, his focus would be making Obama unsuccessful. So, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became a Democrat-passed law, warts and all.
Short-term, it worked for McConnell, and the Grand Old Party took over Congress in 2010. Mitch succeeded in blocking bi partisan legislation going to the president for six years. President Obama then used executive orders to bypass Congress on items like environmental regulations…dysfunctional Congress be damned.
When President Trump was elected, he continued to use executive orders instead of going through Congress, repealing many Obama initiatives. Often, he just ignored Congress like with the Iranian General hit and the Ukrainian funding scandal.
After his sham Senate trial/acquittal, you can expect this trend to increase exponentially in 2020.
Meanwhile, the GOP now refuses to interact with the Democrats in the House, so the Democrats pass their own bills which are then sent to the Senate. McConnell, the self-anointed “Grim Reaper”, kills all of these bills, most without even sending them to a committee for discussion.
Meanwhile, the American public is totally alienated with politicians and their games. Taxpayers want matters to be accomplished. For example, many surveys have shown that the cost of healthcare, especially drugs, is a top issue. Despite both parties recognizing this fact, the Congress cannot seem to compromise on bi-partisan bills.
Meanwhile, our country spends $10,586 per capita for healthcare whereas Canada spends only $4,974 and Israel only $2,780 (2018, OECD). And, don’t buy that baloney about you can’t get significant care in Canada. Tell that to a Canadian citizen and they will laugh you out of the room. I know, I worked with four Canadian Provincial Health Associations. All thought our U.S. health system to be backward, overly costly… and immoral, because 30 million are left uncovered.
So, that’s why I have major problems with the current administration and its drift towards authoritarianism. But with a dysfunctional Congress, our Republic is in trouble regardless of who wins the 2020 Presidential election. And the healthcare of our citizens is just one casualty.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Fob batteries, handkerchiefs and dates for 2020 elections
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 7, 2020 | Newton’s Third Law tells “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
The action was simply daily using the key fob to enter the automobile. The opposite reaction cost $20.
You see, this smart automobile told me: “Your key fob battery is low.” Suddenly it dawned on me that of course the key fob had a battery. It’s necessary to power the signal for the car to unlock itself. Yet how to get that battery replaced?
There are more than 1,500 batteries sold at Batteries Plus. I went to the Pleasant Hill Road location, and within five minutes, I was out, just $20 poorer. But I had a lifetime guarantee on the battery, which really means until I dispose of that car.
That’s modern driving, thanks, somewhat, to Issac Newton.
SO WHAT ARE the first two Laws of Newton?
Law 1 – “An object at rest shall remain at rest until an outside force acts upon it. An object in motion shall remain in motion unless an outside force acts upon it.”
Law 2: Newton’s second law is a quantitative description of the changes that a force can produce on the motion of a body. (It’s complicated. Let’s move on.)
EACH GENERATION CHANGES. For anyone born since the 1960s, we have learned, their lifestyle doesn’t fit what the Traditionalist or the Silent Generation does, that is, those born before.
We found another difference this week: Those born from the 1960s on don’t routinely carry handkerchiefs. Instead, they use Kleenex. For me, I don’t see leaving the house without at least one handkerchief. And I certainly start the day with socks on. And, the telephone is an instrument of communication, not information, for most of my generation. Maybe you have an example of your own how our generations are different.
No telling what the next generation will bring.
2020 ELECTION DATES: the way Georgia handles its 2020 election may be confusing to some, what with voting for president and all the other voting days this year. Here is the line-up on voting in Georgia in 2020:
- Presidential Preference Primary: March 24;
- General Primary/Nonpartisan election for judges: May 19;
- General Primary/Nonpartisan Election Runoff: July 21;
- General Election: November 3;
- State General Election Runoff: December 1; and
- Federal General Election Runoff: January 5.
Meanwhile, persons wanting to run in the Republican or Democratic Party primaries must qualify for office between March 2 and March 6 at noon. That’s a month from now! Watch for announcements soon in many races in Gwinnett.
This means that if you vote in each election, you will make in 2020 at least three trips for voting, if there are no runoffs. And remember, the General Primary on May 19 is when we elect our judges. GwinnettForum’s Continuing Objectives advocates electing our judges in the General Election, when the most people participate in elections. Ask your representative to introduce this change in our voting procedures.
SOME HAVE ASKED why we missed a few editions last month. Simple answer: the person who formats GwinnettForum was incapacitated. He’s our son, Andy, who had unexpected bypass surgery two weeks ago in Charleston, S.C. He’s making good progress, but still isn’t allowed to drive an automobile for another two weeks. Some things you cannot speed up. We appreciate the concern that many showed about our son.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
With Brexit finished, England open to move forward
By Darryl McDonald, U.K. correspondent
LONDON, England | At Midnight in the European Union (EU), on the 31st of January, England left the EU. So how did we reach this momentous point and what happens next?
With the huge majority delivered to the Conservative Party at the December election and most of the Remainers defeated at the polls, Parliament now had a strong leave presence, so the Withdrawal Bill went through quite easily. However, there were a number of amendments made when it passed through to the second chamber, The House of Lords, which still retained a significant number of Remainers. When the Bill returned to Parliament it ignored the amendments and passed it with 621 for and 49 against, a conclusive victory for the Leavers.
This was achieved within a couple of weeks of the recent election, so we had a new Queen’s Speech setting out the aims of the Government for the next five years and Parliament got back to dealing with the immediate issues of the United Kingdom (UK).
Now, what happens next? Well actually nothing!
There is now a period to the December 31, 2020 where the UK has stipulated that a Trade Deal with the EU needs to be agreed. If this is not possible, it is still possible for the UK to leave without a deal, but unlikely!
Unfortunately, it will take the EU until March for them to instruct their negotiators as to what they would like to see the deal look like. So the real negotiations will not begin until then. During this period the UK can start negotiating deals with other countries. There have already been initial talks with the USA and Trump is keen to get it done quickly. But at what price to us?
It has been suggested that, as part of the deal, we would hand over Prince Andrew to the FBI to be interviewed about the Epstein trial if the USA suspends the Diplomatic Immunity on Ann Seculas and send her to the UK for trial!
There has been one breakthrough on the Irish political front, Stormont the Northern Irish Parliament, dissolved three years ago because of internal power struggles. It has finally sat down and thrashed out a new agreement. Their Parliament is now sitting and trying to sort out issues which have been left to deteriorate. However there are new elections taking place on February 8 and the balance of power could shift considerably!
There are some bright sides.
It really is nice that things have got back to normal and the bitterness over Brexit is now a thing of the past. Most people are relieved and now even Remainers are looking forward to a positive outcome to the negotiations with the EU. Business can finally look forward and prepare with some amount of certainty.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Peach State Federal Credit Union
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Googled product; Found snake venom is used in process
To the editor:
I, too, take Lisninopril , 20 mg. each day. And sometimes I have a cough, too. May have a talk with the doc on this. Thanks for the info!Googled that stuff and found out that snake venom is used in the process!
— David Early Tyre, Jesup
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
Sixth annual Women in Action Forum in Suwanee on Feb. 14
Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV), Georgia’s first, largest and most experienced nonprofit working to end domestic violence, is hosting its first official event of the decade, the sixth annual Women in Action Forum, from 8 to 10 a.m. on Friday, February 14 at The River Club in Suwanee.
The Women in Action Forum is a special event hosted by the Gwinnett Fund Development committee that gathers people from all walks of life in the Gwinnett County area to educate them and further grow awareness on the issue of intimate partner violence. This year’s theme will discuss teen dating violence.
Every year, 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner, and one in three girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. At this year’s Women in Action Forum titled “Love Shouldn’t Hurt,” attendees will have the opportunity to hear and see the tremendous impact dating violence has on teens and how they can help improve awareness of the issue.
Nancy Friauf, president and CEO – Partnership Against Domestic Violence, says: “We host this event every year because it educates our community on a different aspect of domestic violence. This year’s event will be unique because guests will have the opportunity to hear from industry experts and guest speakers about how dating violence affects a teenager’s life, warning signs and steps to prevent this horrific epidemic.”
This event will include a breakfast buffet and a marketplace of vendors. Proceeds will fund the general operating budget of PADV’s Gwinnett Shelter, which is the largest domestic violence safe house in Georgia.
- For more information, please visit www.padv.org or contact PADV’s special events director Nordene Bartley by email at Nordene.Bartley@padv.org.
Gwinnett Stripers plan debut of “Thirsty Thursdays”
The Gwinnett Stripers have announced the debut of “Thirsty Thursday” at Coolray Field in 2020, The team will offer fans 12-ounce domestic draft beers for $2 during Thursday night home games, excluding Opening Night. The Stripers will host “Thirsty Thursday” for eight of their nine 7:05 p.m. Thursday games (excluding Opening Night on April 16.)
In order to help fans arrive home safely after Thursdays and all other games, the Stripers are introducing a season-long designated rideshare pick-up and drop-off zone. The corner of the VIP Lot (Lot A), just steps from the main entrance at Coolray Field, will serve as a convenient location for fans to be picked up and dropped off before, during, and after games.
The Gwinnett Stripers’ 2020 home opener is set for Thursday, April 16 at 7:05 p.m. vs. the Norfolk Tides. For information about all ticket options for 2020, including Memberships, Groups, Youth Parties, and more, visit GoStripers.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale Sunday, March 8 during the Preseason party.
PCOM names Athens resident to trustee board
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has named Timothy Burgess of Athens, Ga., to its Boards of Trustees. There are two other Georgians on this board, David McCleskey of Hoschton and Wayne Sikes of Snellville. PCOM has campuses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suwanee and Moultrie, in Georgia.
Burgess
With a wide range of state-wide experience, Burgess formerly served as the senior vice president for finance and administration at the University of Georgia. In addition, he has served as the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety, and chief financial officer for the Georgia Technology Authority. He also served as the director and state budget officer of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget for Governors Zell Miller and Roy Barnes.
Burgess earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Georgia State University, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Georgia.
He is currently in his sixth year as an elected member of the Oconee County School System Board of Education. A Leadership Georgia graduate, Burgess served nine years on the St. Mary’s Health Care System Board of Directors and on the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee for the University of Georgia.
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a private, not-for-profit, accredited institute of higher education dedicated to the healthcare professions. PCOM Georgia offers the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, as well as graduate degrees in Biomedical Sciences and Physician Assistant Studies. Emphasizing “a whole person approach to care,” PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the wider community. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit www.pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500.
Snellville City Hall features new works by local artists
A former Snellville police officer and an art instructor are currently showing their art in Snellville City Hall.
Watercolor artist and instructor John R. Duke and former Snellville police officer Linda Nixon will have a reception to show their art from 3 to 5 p.m. February 23 at Snellville City Hall, 2342 Oak Road. The Snellville City Hall Art Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
NIxon
By the time she was 12, Nixon said she was painting with oils on canvas. During her senior year of high school, she enrolled in commercial art and advertising at a local technical college. She said she knew she “wanted a future in art, but also knew I had to pay the bills.” After graduation, she took a job in the art department of a printing company and later worked for several advertising agencies. In 1993, she started her 23-year law enforcement career.
She says: “Throughout my working years I had to put most of my artwork on hold. During this time I took a lot of photos of everything I wanted to draw or paint one day. After a few lessons I was painting with ink-based watercolors and I’m still exploring their brilliant color and contrast. You will see in my paintings that I have a love for nature and southern relics.” Nixon is a Member of the Southern Heartland Art Guild and a Master Gardener extension volunteer at the University of Georgia.
Duke
In 2005, after being on dialysis and having a kidney transplant, Duke, a 1981 graduate of the Atlanta College of Art, said he now has a new perspective on life and his art. “I hope it shows in the way I paint and teach others to see the world’s natural beauty portraying it through bright transparent flowing colors,” he said.
Through the years of creating artwork in many different mediums, he now works primarily in watercolors, but he also does commission works in oil, acrylic and graphite. With watercolors he likes to start with light pale colors, building up layers to achieve more depth, brightness giving the artwork a realistic look, but yet in a painterly fashion, he said.
Duke teaches watercolor on Tuesday through Thursday at Cobble Creek Studios Art Academy in Snellville, founded by Deborah Kepes, and on Saturday mornings at Expressions Fine Art Gallery and Studios in Lawrenceville.
Duke has won numerous awards in art shows and festivals and is a member of the Southern Heartland Art Guild, the North Georgia Arts Guild and the North Gwinnett Arts Association.
The Year We Seized the Day, by Elizabeth Best and Colin Bowles
From Karen Harris, Stone Mountain: Two writers who barely know each other share a poignant and life affirming journey when they walk the 800 mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Not only do Eli and Colin battle and adapt to the elements of the pilgrimage, both face their own personal demons along the way. Colin and Eli both have an idea of what the pilgrimage will bring them and both are extraordinarily surprised by the impact other pilgrims have on them and how the heat, dirt, smells of the wilds and the people along the way strip them of all non-essentials so that they meet themselves at the center of their hearts and vulnerability. In some ways I found this to be a difficult read because the physical trials and the rawness of the psychological terrain was intense. Still, it is a wonderful story of endurance, grit and ultimate victory…. over self.
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
Digital Library of Georgia resources found in online encyclopedia
(Editor’s Note: Lane Fuller, author of the Old Georgia Homes on the Internet, describes how he uses the Digital Library of Georgia resources to enliven his posts about historical Georgia homes, available through the Georgia Encyclopedia.—eeb)
Old Georgia Homes is an internet posting that began in 2015 as a hobby for me as a Georgia history and old house enthusiast and has since grown to 60,000 social media followers. One of the goals of this blog is to share house histories and notable personalities in an engaging format to an audience that is primarily under the age of 40.
I believe that it is important to share homes and history all over the state–small towns have as much reader engagement as large cities. I partner with historical societies and preservation organizations to share local success stories and am proud to see our audience members taking trips to small towns after learning about them on my site.
The Digital Library of Georgia’s Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive is a valuable tool in researching old homes throughout Georgia. Sometimes old houses may tell us clues about their former owners. Many times, they do not. Older newspapers often have a lot of information about the families of historic homes, and usually some details of their construction. The Archive allows me to bring new and different information about some of these old homes and businesses. Social history adds engaging content for my audience versus just architectural details on the house. Stories that get passed down through the generations may change over time. The Archive provides an avenue to find the story when it was a current event.
The Georgia Historic Newspaper Archive has been invaluable for information about homes in smaller towns all over the state. Leading families often owned historic homes in smaller cities, and the local newspaper covered them extensively. I’m able to add details about a party held in the home, dinner menus, a wedding, or other significant events that took place in the home. This type of information helps to bring an old house to life.
Finally, the Newspaper Archive has a great deal of information on businesses that were in operation at the time. Old advertisements combined with news and editorials provide an excellent snapshot of the timeframe. What were the major topics of the day? What business was in that old building on Main Street? These are factual answers the Georgia Historic Newspaper Archive can help provide.
Combining the Georgia Historic Newspaper Archive, along with the Vanishing Georgia photograph collection from the Georgia Archives helps to bring the story of a house – and its families – to life.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org\
Here’s another searchlight tower to ponder as mystery
Yep, we love photos such as this, which has both a historic and safety connotation. Just where is this seaside photo taken? There may be some hints looking at you in this photo. Send your thought about this photo to elliott@brack.net, to include your hometown.
Allan Peel San Antonio, Tex. correctly identified the last Mystery Photo, sent in by Mark Barlow of Peachtree Corners, who noted that this is now called the Microsoft building. Peel writes: “It is the 555 California Street Building in San Francisco, and features Masayuki Nagare’s sculpture called ‘Transcendence’ located on the plaza at the north entrance to the building. The high-rise was formerly the Bank of America Center and is 52-stories and 779-feet high. According to Wikipedia, it is the fourth tallest building in San Francisco, but with over 1.9 million square feet. of floor space, it is the city’s largest building by floor area. It was completed in 1969.
“As can be seen in the mystery photo, the plaza on the north side of the building contains a 200-ton, black Swedish granite sculpture by Masayuki Nagare called ‘Transcendence.’ Even though the sculpture is shaped like a human liver, the monolith earned a new nickname after San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen dubbed it the ‘Banker’s Heart.’ The name suited the slick and muscular piece of art, and it stuck with the locals. Though Bank of America moved its headquarters to Charlotte, N.C. in 1998, it clearly ‘left its heart in San Francisco!’
Bob Foreman, Grayson identified the photo, as did George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
’80s Trivia Fest will be February 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bogan Park Community Recreation Center, 2723 North Bogan Road, Buford. Wear your Scrunchies, put on your best ’80s regalia, and challenge your friends to a fun evening of 1980s trivia. Enjoy ’80s snacks and refreshments provided. Appropriate for all ages. Cost: $6 per person. Preregister online with code BOP11650 or by calling 678-277-0850.
Second annual Greater Atlanta Historically Black College and University Fair will be Saturday, February 8 from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Meadowcreek High School, 4455 Steve Reynolds Boulevard, near Norcross. Recruiters from some 40 colleges are expected. Sponsors are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Upsilon Alpha Omega Chapter and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Rho Kappa Lambda Chapter. This year band auditions will be held for students interested in band scholarships. The fair registration link is: www.hbcucf.org. Registration to attend is required.
State of the County Address by Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash will be Wednesday, February 12 at 11:30 a.m. at the Infinite Energy Center. The luncheon is co-hosted by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and the Council for Quality Growth will provide an update of county services, focusing on the county’s economic development, revitalization, public safety, mobility and infrastructure. For more information, contact Lina Teitelbaum |at 678.584.2252 or email her at Lina@GwinnettChamber.org.
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