POPULAR EVENT: Main Street in Duluth from the center of town to the City Hall will be blocked off for the Duluth Rotary Club’s eighth annual car show on April 11, rain or shine. For more details, see Upcoming below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Sees Alienation and Apathy and Tribalism Among the Democrats
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Here’s How You Can Find Details about Candidates in Coming Election
SPOTLIGHT: Northside Hospital
FEEDBACK: Conservatives Simply Want to Conserve Taxes for Foreign Folly
UPCOMING: Duluth Rotarians Planning Eighth Annual Car Show on April 11
NOTABLE: Two Gwinnett Youths To Represent Jackson EMC on Youth Tour
RECOMMENDED: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Irene Mounds near Savannah Now Lies Under Ports Authority Docks
MYSTERY PHOTO: One Big Clue Staring at You in Today’s Mystery Photo
CALENDAR: McDaniel Farm Park Hosting The Art of Beatrix Potter on March 15
Sees alienation, apathy, tribalism among Democrats
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | Although I’m a pragmatic progressive, I don’t like a lot of what I see on both the left and the right of the Democratic Party. There is a tremendous amount of dissent from alienated people, tearing the Party apart.
For example, if I post something positive about “Medicare for All,” the Democrat moderates go wild. If I post something about the Democrats needing a moderate to run as Bernie’s vice president, the left has a heart attack.
Back in October 2013, I wrote two dialogue pieces for the New York Times regarding American alienation and apathy. I referred to basic causes like the questionable wars in Vietnam and the Middle East, as well as the failure of Congress and President Obama to correct the underlying causes of the Great Recession and punish those on Wall Street who were responsible.
I’m on social media a lot more now than 2013, as are most activists. And, more negative events have occurred, like the Russians interfering in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Plus, government lying and incompetence have objectively increased. Maybe that’s why the alienation and apathy problems are worse now.
In the New York Times pieces, I cited a Gallup poll that showed only a 42 percent approval rate on domestic affairs and a 49 percent rate on international affairs. At the time, I believed these to be extremely low and very concerning.
Gallup has done another more recent survey (9-3-19). It shows an even lower approval rate on domestic affairs, 39 percent (including 25 percent for Democrats and 36 percent for independents) and little movement on the foreign end with 50 percent approval (including 32 percent for Democrats and 48 percent for independents).
In a way, this situation should not be surprising, especially on the Democratic side. For example, progressives are upset that the Democratic National Committee apparently rigged the 2016 nomination process. Moderates are angry that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by three million and we still ended up with President Trump. The Democratic leadership should be worried that many of the alienated will become apathetic and just not vote in November, though recent turnout in primary votes shows otherwise.
Since 2013, we have had much more “tribalism” in general. This can be seen in the media.
Fox and the right-wing newsletters have moved further right, supporting President Trump regardless of the facts. (As for the GOP voters, who surveys show, many only watch Hannity and Fox, the impeachment process was looked upon as merely a partisan witch hunt…regardless of the truth.)
And CNN, MSNBC and the others have moved leftward, obsessed with covering President Trump’s failures both as president and person rather than focusing on issues. Only the PBS Newshour seems to be covering the middle ground.
As for myself, I’m increasingly concerned with the tribalism enveloping our nation, as well as the two wings of the Democratic Party. I can only believe that the situation will get much worse regardless of who is nominated on the Democratic side, Biden or Bernie, and who then wins the 2020 Presidential election.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
How to find details about candidates in coming election
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MARCH 13, 2020 | Boy! What a job awaits Gwinnett voters in the upcoming primary election! There are 135 candidates from Gwinnett seeking your support. Making sense of who to support out of this onslaught of candidates may be the toughest job ever in an election for Gwinnett.
In what is the most essential election of a democracy, the voting itself, it is becoming harder and harder to find enough information to determine which candidate to support. One reason is that there is less and less media presence allowing candidates to present their information and stances.
You can bet that GwinnettForum will do its best to help you in deciding which candidate to vote for. For you new readers, this is our standard approach for GwinnettForum since 2008. We will:
- Ask all opposed candidates to come to our office and spend 30 minutes with us, so that we can get to know them.
- From these conversations, GwinnettForum will determine who it thinks is the best candidate in each of the races. We will endorse candidates in both the Democratic and Republican primary. Later, we will endorse the person we think is the best candidate in each of the General Election races.
There’s more, with GwinnettForum providing our readers with additional information on the many candidates.
- On March 31, we will send six questions for all candidates who sit down with us for 30 minutes to answer. We will post their answers without cost to candidates on our web site to the six questions provided, in the candidates’ own words without editing. That way, our readers can compare what each of the candidates say, then use this as one basis to determine those they will support with their vote. Deadline to return is April 14.
- Understand that we ask each candidate to answer each of six questions in no more than 100 words. And from time to time, some candidates forget, and go on and on in far more than 100 words. When that happens, GwinnettForum will cut off that answer after the first 100 words…and discard and not print the remaining words. (Think seriously: if the candidate “can’t count,” or follow instructions, do you want that person as your elected official?)
- On April 28, we will print our endorsements in each race.
Another way Gwinnett voters can inform themselves about the many candidates is by going to the candidates’ web sites and reading what they have to say there. Some candidates may invite comment, but the chances that the voters will hear from the candidate is small.
Each political season, many organizations in Gwinnett put on political forums to educate the voters and promote the election. Unfortunately, attendance is often small at these gatherings. These well-intentioned forums have several drawbacks. First, with so many candidates running this year, it’ll be difficult for the candidates and those in attendance, to have significant interaction. And secondly, the candidates tell us that, in essence, not much can get accomplished at these forums. Some even question if they are worthwhile. But many show up so that their opponent won’t have a free ride.
Today in smaller communities of our nation, people often know the candidates well in advance of elections. But in a vast and growing diverse community like Gwinnett, most of the time the voters do not know the candidates at all, making determining who to vote for difficult.
So, do what homework you can, go vote, and hope others are also diligently getting enough information to elect worthy candidates. And keep your fingers crossed.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Northside Hospital
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. The Northside Hospital health care system is one of Georgia’s leading health care providers with five acute-care hospitals in Atlanta, Canton, Cumming, Duluth and Lawrenceville and more than 250 outpatient locations across the state. Northside Hospital leads the U.S. in newborn deliveries and is among the state’s top providers of cancer care, sports medicine, cardiovascular and surgical services. For more information, visit: northside.com.
- To learn more about Northside, visit northside.com.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Conservatives simply want to conserve taxes for foreign folly
Editor, the Forum:
The 3/10 Forum was enjoyable for its local focus particularly on the upcoming commissioner candidates. I do wish there were more opportunity for local candidates to speak out on what they feel the issues are and their positions on them.
I also appreciated Gregg Stoffer’s comments on the conservative’s preference for small government. However, that ship sailed with the attack, occupation, and 20 years of war with Iraq and Afghanistan and the over $6 trillion costs. In that 72 months, the USA spent $14 billion PER month, which is about the cost of Boston’s 10-year Big Dig project!
Imagine if we had 72 Big Digs around the country instead of borrowing money to throw it away in foreign deserts. Yet every “conservative” and many Democrats like Joe Biden embraced it. It seems like many “conservatives” simply want to conserve taxes for foreign folly.
— Joe Briggs, Suwanee
Good reminder of one person’s contributions to this church
Editor, The Forum:
In reply to Janice Rinaldo, who was kind enough to remind us of one of Louise McDaniel’s many contributions to the Duluth First United Methodist Church, I say “Thank You” for the reminder.
The Louise McDaniel Memorial Library continues in a new space and with an online catalog as part of the 2003 Family Life Center addition. And, it is now easily accessible on a main floor, directly across the hall from Wednesday Night dinners and near numerous Sunday School rooms, as well as being open to the church’s Christian Beginnings school students.
You can see what the library offers online at http://duluthumc.org/resources/church-library. Or, you can read about the library as part of the amazing growth of the church in Pete Fleming’s completed book in 2021. Either way, Thanks, Pete, for your abstract of the church’s history, getting us excited for the sesquicentennial!
— Sara Burns, Duluth
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
Duluth Rotarians planning 8th annual car show on April 11
The Rotary Club of Duluth will host its eighth Annual Car Show in historic downtown Duluth on Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Organizers of the family-friendly event, which is free to spectators, anticipate a record-breaking turnout after having 110 cars on display last year.
Professional judges will view every car for first-to-third prizes in each category: Antique Classics, Foreign Sports, Hotrods, Jeeps/Off-road Vehicles, 1972 and Older Muscles, Muscles After 1972, Pickups, and Super Exotic Sports. Each attendee may also cast one vote for a people’s choice winner. All prizes will be awarded during a closing ceremony. Each exhibitor will also receive a goodie bag and automatic entry in a raffle for prizes.
Duluth Rotarians will also sell raffle tickets for $1 each and split the proceeds with the winning ticketholder, announced at the closing ceremony. The club will also sell collectable car show tee shirts and refreshments. Additionally, an array of local eateries and shops within walking distance will be open for business. This is a rain-or-shine event.
Duluth Rotary encourages entrants to register in advance by visiting Facebook.com/RotaryClubofDuluth or using this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/98515393193.
Entries will be accepted on the day of the show between 8 and 10 a.m.. as space permits. The cost to exhibit per car is $20 through Friday, April 10, and $25 on Saturday, April 11. Entrants should plan to arrive between 8 and 10 a.m.
Duluth Rotary’s Car Show chair, Mark Tyrrell, says, “We are grateful to Duluth for co-hosting this event. The city has always been gracious in supporting us by promoting the show and in providing essential services, including the police and maintenance crews.”
- For more information about Car Show participation or sponsorship, contact Mark Tyrrell at 678-468-7841.
$10 pet adoptions at Gwinnett Animal Clinic March 16-21
You won’t need a four-leaf clover or a pot of gold to find your new best friend. Gwinnett Animal Welfare will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day from March 16 through March 21 with the Lucky in Love Adoption Event. Adoption fees for all cats and dogs are $10 during this weeklong event.
Alan Davis, director at Gwinnett Animal Welfare, says: “They say true love and friendship are as rare as a four-leaf clover, and those who find it are lucky indeed. We have so many great pets at the shelter, and we encourage you to come let us help you find the perfect match for you and your family.”
All pets adopted at Gwinnett Animal Welfare have been vaccinated, neutered and microchipped and are ready to go home with their new family. Dogs that have tested heartworm positive will be treated before going home. The standard adoption fee is $45 for dogs and puppies and $30 for cats and kittens.
Gwinnett Animal Welfare is located at 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. For more information, including available pets, adoption specials and events, visit www.GwinnettAnimalWelfare.com.
Muddbuggs and Music returning to Duluth March 28
For its fourth consecutive year on Duluth Town Green, Muddbuggs and Music will feature baskets of crawfish to be pinched and sucked in this distinctive event, while listening to music.
The City of Duluth hosts this event on March 28 from 12-8 p.m. for all-ages. There will be live musical performances by Joe Lasher, Lilac Wine and the Wasted Potential Brass Band. There will also be a Kidz Zone hosted by Hollywood Feed with free face painting and balloon sculptures. Unlimited jump house access will be available for an additional $8 (advance purchase).
General admission and VIP tickets are available for purchase online and at the door. VIP tickets include all you can eat crawfish, complimentary beer, wine, soda or water beverages, two unlimited jump passes for children ages 3-13, exclusive viewing lawn and VIP restroom facilities.
General admission tickets are currently available for $15 and VIP admission for $75. These prices are subject to change as the event gets closer. For more information and/or to purchase a ticket, visit https://www.freshtix.com/events/muddbuggsmusic2020-duluth
Braselton accepting applications for 2020 Citizens Academy
Applications are now being accepted for the 2020 class of the Braselton Citizens Academy.
The classes are held from May to October on the third Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. There are also optional other days for special tours and law enforcement ride-alongs.
Classes cover all aspects of Braselton’s government structure and responsibilities. Members get a true behind the scenes look at how Braselton performs its daily tasks and special events. Applications will be accepted through May 1, 2020. Class size is limited. Download the application HERE
Two Gwinnett youths to represent Jackson EMC on Youth Tour
Two high school students from Gwinnett County will represent Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) as delegates for the 2020 Washington Youth Tour, scheduled June 18-25.
Crabb
Alex Crabb, a junior at Dacula High School, and Kennedy Turner, a junior at North Gwinnett High School, were chosen for the all-expense paid leadership development experience sponsored by Georgia’s electric cooperatives and organized by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
Jackson EMC President/CEO Chip Jakins says: “Our delegates have demonstrated outstanding character, community service and academic achievement. We are honored to support these rising young leaders in our community.”
Crabb, son of Kristin and Nicholas Crabb of Dacula, is vice president of the Georgia Association of Student Councils. He serves as class representative for the Dacula High School Student Council, where he manages the annual “Food Fight,” a food drive benefiting the school’s food pantry. He is a member of the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team and Dacula Student Leadership Team. Crabb is a scholar athlete in swimming and lacrosse and a member of Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society), Health Occupation Sciences of America (HOSA) and National Honor Society. Outside of school, Crabb is a soccer referee, swim coach and food pantry volunteer. He plans to pursue a career in public policy.
Turner
Turner, daughter of Donyale and JuanDrago Turner of Suwanee, is a member of the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team, Beta Club, National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society. She is a member of the school’s Lunch Bunch team, which meets with special needs students for weekly social interactions. Turner is a leader on the North Gwinnett Swim and Dive team where she has won the coach’s award for the past two years. She is the 2020 Girls Gwinnett County dive champion and a member of the Georgia Diving Club. Additionally, she volunteers at Furkids, Rainbow Village, Metro Gymnastics and local nursing homes. Turner plans to pursue a career in pediatric occupational therapy.
The other two Jackson EMC delegates selected were Jack Thomas, a junior at Flowery Branch High School, and Erick Villanueva, a junior at East Hall High School.
Since 1965, the Washington Youth Tour has given more than 3,300 Georgia students and more than 53,000 students nationwide the opportunity to participate in this leadership and team-building experience. For more information on the Washington Youth Tour, go to jacksonemc.com/wyt.
Seven locations now open for voting in presidential election
The Voter Registrations and Elections office is offering more voting opportunities through March 20 from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. every day including weekends at six satellite locations around the county.
The satellite locations are:
- Bogan Park Community Recreation Center, 2723 North Bogan Road, Buford;
- Dacula Park Activity Building, 2735 Old Auburn Avenue, Dacula;
- George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center, 55 Buford Highway, Suwanee;
- Lenora Park Gym, 4515 Lenora Church Road, Snellville;
- Lucky Shoals Park Recreation Center, 4651 Britt Road, Norcross; and
- Mountain Park Activity Building, 1063 Rockbridge Road, Stone Mountain.
In addition, eligible voters may vote in person every day, including weekends, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until March 20 at the Voter Registrations and Elections Office located at 455 Grayson Highway in Lawrenceville.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout
“Olive Kitteridge is a big old girl, as she says, the key character in these short stories describing the activities, affairs, life and death of the people of the town of Crosby in the state of Maine. Olive is middle aged and teaches math to seventh graders. She’s married to the town pharmacist, and has one teen age boy, whom she somewhat protects. She’s also gruff and difficult to everyone, including her students, who fear her. The story turns around people of the small community, and the different ways Olive impacts their lives, amid the changing scenery of this coastal town. Olive, whose house overlooks the Atlantic and its continual tides, enjoys nature in general, and loves working in the garden. She also worries people with her abruptness. This book won the Pulitzer Prize. Enjoying rambling with Olive in this peaceful yet troubled community. The sequel novel is Olive Again.”–eeb
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
Irene Mounds near Savannah now under Ports Authority docks
Irene mounds were located five miles northwest of downtown Savannah in Chatham County, and are now completely destroyed; they lie under the ship docks controlled by the Georgia Ports Authority. The site, however, was almost completely excavated by professional archaeologists from 1937 to 1940 as part of the Works Progress Administration, or WPA, archaeological excavations conducted in many places across Georgia. Its importance rests on the fact that it was the most completely excavated mound site in Georgia.
Irene was occupied primarily during the Middle Mississippian period (A.D. 1100-1350) but also was occupied in the Late Mississippian period (A.D. 1350-1600). Although the date is uncertain, it likely had been abandoned before Europeans began visiting the coast of Georgia. Mound sites like Irene were quite common in the Georgia Piedmont but rare on the Georgia coast. While it is certain that its residents grew corn and beans, such coastal resources as fish and shellfish were also clearly vital to their economy.
The major features of the site included a large rectangular, flat-topped mound called the Temple Mound; a small conical mound with much shell and several burials called the Burial Mound; and a square building and surrounding wall at ground level in the village with many burials named the Mortuary. The site also included a series of concentric circular walls interpreted as a rotunda, and a few other small buildings or houses scattered in the village area. Shell middens and other food debris were found liberally scattered throughout the site.
The Irene site was perched directly on the bank of the Savannah River and bounded on two sides by Pipemakers Creek and on the third side by a small ditch. It was named after a small mission and school for the Indians established by the Moravians in 1736. Remnants of the school were located on the summit of the Temple Mound during the 1930s excavations.
The research at Irene was led by several important archaeologists, the most important of whom was Joseph R. Caldwell. He published an influential account of the site in 1941, and much has also been written of the high quality of the excavations by a workforce of all African American women.
The Irene site is now best interpreted as a Chiefly Compound, a special location normally inhabited only by a chief and his family, wives, and children. Thus, the total full-time resident population may have been as few as 30 to 40 people. The compound also served as a social center for all the other families that lived nearby, likely in individual farmsteads. The rotunda served for much of the society as a meeting place where issues of the day could be discussed. It is likely that the site also functioned as a gathering place for parties and celebrations by much of the population.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
One big clue staring at you in today’s Mystery Photo
Today’s Mystery Photo gives only one big clue. See if you can figure it out. Send your ideas to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
The previous Mystery Photo was easy to spot for several people, though some readers thought the photo was of the Pacific Highway North of San Francisco. George Graf of Palmyra, Va. immediately got it right: “The famous scenic drive, known as the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.” The photo came from Ann Royster, of Shelby, N.C. By the way, if you make the 186 mile loop of this beautifully historic area, let us suggest you make the drive clockwise. If you drive it the other way, the Atlantic Ocean is always on your right, often at steep inclines. While in this area, also visit the Alexander Graham Bell Historic Site, in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.
Others spotting the photo included Bob Foreman of Grayson; Jim Savadelis of Duluth; and Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. sent a view from a pull-off from Highway 30 along the western side of the island, and the location of the 
Veteran’s Monument. During the Parks Canada centennial year in 1985, this monument and plaque was placed at this stunning location by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to recognize the contribution of Canadians who died overseas during the World Wars. A touching tribute to the fallen is captured in the signage on the monument itself, which reads “They will never know the beauty of this place, see the seasons change, enjoy nature’s chorus. All we enjoy we owe to them. Men and women who lie buried in the earth of foreign lands and in the seven seas. Dedicated to the memory of Canadians who died overseas in the service of their country and so preserved our heritage.” (See photo).
McDaniel Farm Park hosting Art of Beatrix Potter March 15
Plumbing Workshop: Join Gwinnett County Public Library as representatives from the Gwinnett County Water Department discuss ways to make common plumbing repairs around the house. The average American household wastes more than 10,000 gallons each year from easy-to-fix water leaks. Learn the steps you can take to help save water and how these small changes add up to significant savings each year. This workshop takes place on Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. at the Collins Hill Branch, 455 Camp Perrin Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30043. It is free and open to the public. Attendees get a free water conservation kit for indoor and outdoor use for all attendees! For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
Second Annual Lilburnchaun Parade will take place in Lilburn City Park on Saturday, March 14 from 4-6 p.m. Dress in your most festive St. Patrick’s Day attire and you might just be crowned one of this year’s Lilburchauns! The event includes a parade around the park, entertainment, children’s activities, and more! Lilburn is Inviting all Leprechauns and Lilburchauns to participate! This walking parade will take place inside Lilburn City Park.
The Art of Beatrix Potter: March 15 at 2 p.m. Follow in the footsteps of author and artist Beatrix Potter. Learn about her love of the land and nature and how she used her books to pass that on to a whole generation of children. Then, try your hand at a children’s book watercolor painting. All supplies provided. Cost: $5 per person. For ages 7 and older. Preregister online by March 13 with code MFP14700 or by calling 770-814-4920. This will be held at McDaniel Farm Park House/Barn, 3251 McDaniel Road, Duluth.
Foster Parent Information Session: Join the Gwinnett Division of Children Services to learn how to become a foster parent at the Norcross Public Library,6025 Buford Highway, on Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m. Help children in your community who are victims of their circumstances. These children are in great need of compassionate, committed, and caring people. Do you have a place in your heart and in your home to provide care for these children? This information session is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
Shamrocks and Shenanigans: March 17 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at OneStop Buford, 2755 Sawnee Avenue, Buford. Put on your best green attire and have a shamrockin’ good time coloring four-leaf clovers, making leprechaun hats, and creating other St. Patrick’s Day arts and crafts. Parent/guardian participation required. For ages 6 to 12. Cost $2 per person. Preregister online with code OSB1101 or by calling 678-225-5360 by March 13.
Splash Bash: Water Safety: March 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the West Gwinnett Aquatic Center, 448 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Norcross. Does your child know what to do if he or she accidentally falls into the pool? Led by our swim lesson instructors and award-winning lifeguards, this clinic will teach children and parents valuable tips for staying safe at the pool. In addition to basic water rescues and education, children can also learn to use lifeguard tubes, shepherds crooks, and items often lying around a pool deck. Cost: $2 per person. Preregister online with code WGP11100.
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