GWINNETT COUNTY will vote on whether to add a one cent sales tax for mass transit in a referendum in November. County Commissioners voted for the placement of the question to the people this week. For more details, see Upcoming below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Former Aide Remembers His Time with Congressman John Lewis
EEB PERSPECTIVE: School Starting, Tweeting, Redskins Name Suggestions and Telephoning
ANOTHER VIEW: Recollections about Vidalia Onions and Some Natives of Montgomery County
SPOTLIGHT: Imagine Advertising and Global Signs
FEEDBACK: Congress Needs to Pass an Amendment Guaranteeing Us a Right to Vote
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Puts Mass Transit Referendum on November Election Ballot
NOTABLE: Gwinnett Schools To Begin Year August 12 with All-Digital Instruction
RECOMMENDED: A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Hammerin’ Hank Aaron Was Prodigious Home Run Hitter
MYSTERY PHOTO: Ornate Sculpture and Waterfall Are Today’s Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Sparkling Goldfish Highlight Environmental and Heritage Center
Former aide recalls time with Congressman John Lewis
Lewis, center, with Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Sam Skardon at a Charleston party. Photo provided.
(Editor’s Note: Sam Skardon served as an aide to the late Congressman John Lewis from 2010 to 2013. He currently lives on James Island, S.C., with his wife, Leslie, and is the Democratic nominee for S.C. Senate District 41. This column first appeared in the Charleston City Paper on the day after Lewis died at age 80.—eeb)
By Sam Skardon
CHARLESTON, S.C. | I wish I had counted the number of times I heard Mr. Lewis tell his life story. His voice would roar to life with that deep Alabama accent. He was a preacher and every audience quickly became his congregation. He had been doing it his whole life, as the crowd would quickly learn.
Skardon
Growing up on a farm in Alabama, his job was to raise chickens. They were his first parishioners. He wanted to be a minister, and his way of training himself was to gather the chickens in the yard and recite a sermon every Sunday. At this point in the story his voice would lighten, he’d add, like a proud dad approaching the punchline of a bad joke, that he could get those chickens to bow their heads, sometimes they’d shake their heads, but he could never quite get them to say, “Amen.”
The chicken story warmed up every audience for the serious talk they’d come to hear, a lesson from one of America’s great civil rights leaders. He’d talk about listening to the radio in high school and being inspired by Rosa Parks in nearby Montgomery, and the local minister who’d organized a bus boycott after her arrest, Martin Luther King Jr. Occasionally, he’d mention the outrage he felt that same year when he learned about the brutal lynching of Emmett Till, who was his age.
It was those events that inspired the future congressman to write King, asking for help getting into his local college, Troy State University. At the time, Troy didn’t accept applications from black students. King, likely realizing he had a precocious potential ally on his hands, wrote back saying he could not get him into Troy that year, but included a bus ticket so they could meet in Montgomery and discuss ways for Mr. Lewis to become involved in the movement.
He would go on to be a leader of the early Nashville sit-in movement, a Freedom Rider, chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). At 23 he was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington, and led what became known as the ‘Bloody Sunday’ march for voting rights in Selma.
Forty years later, as a member of Congress, he was awarded an honorary degree by Troy State. Writing that letter to King succeeded beyond his wildest expectations, he’d say with a proud smile; it got him the degree without ever having to sit through a class there.
It was those stories of progress that he witnessed – like the mugshot of him smiling on my desk, the degree from Troy, or the cocktail napkin with a note from President Obama at his inauguration saying, “Because of you, John” – that will forever inspire me. They show how much change can happen in our lives, even against the most impossible odds, and how we can each play a role in it.
Having worked with Mr. Lewis will forever give me a sense of hope, determination and solemn pride. God rest his soul and help us carry on his legacy. As I heard him say countless times, at the end of each talk he gave, “We must never become bitter, never become hostile. Never give up and never give in. We must all keep the faith, and we must all keep our eyes on the prize.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
School starting Tweeting, Redskins names and telephoning
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JULY 24, 2020 | Lots of Georgians have been arguing for the public school year to start after Labor Day in September, instead of most Georgia systems starting in early August.
This year some systems may start in September, but not by choice, but because of the COVID-19 virus. That reminds me of the old thought of being careful what you wish for. Most of us will be happy with school starting in August rather than having to put up with the virus. But still, many of us wish for the older ways allowing August to be part of summer, not school days.
EEB, Catherine Brack and Lewis
The time was June of 2017, and the place was Nationals Park Stadium in Washington, D.C. It was the annual Congressional baseball game. My daughter, Catherine, had walked down the aisle to turn and take a photo. On returning, she said: “Look who is sitting behind you.’’ It was Congressman John Lewis. It was the only time I ever met the late Congressman. He was a pleasant and happy baseball fan that day. His was a textbook of a life well-lived. John Lewis (1940-2020), may you rest in peace.
Since we mentioned Washington (D.C.), how about thinking about a new name for the Washington Redskins. There are all sorts of apt possibilities. No doubt you may have some suggestions of your own.
But consider these names for the professional football team. Since in D.C., perhaps it should have some name associated with government. They might bring back the old baseball name and apply it to football: The Senators.
That would be better than The Representatives (certainly would be known by headline writers as The Reps.) Or you might try The Justices, or The Lobbyists (The Lobs), or The Taxers. Or even The Deficits.
As long as we are thinking government, here’s perhaps a better one, which really captures the aura of our Nation’s Capital: The Bureaucrats!
Suggest your idea to help the Redskins change their name.
Tweeting: would the voters be amenable to picking a candidate for president if that candidate promised that he would not Tweet when president? That form of communication has certainly been a big part of the current president’s way of doing business. Yet, as Michael Bloomberg said during his campaign, “Tweeting isn’t leadership.”
We come back to thinking about the way another Republican president handled that office. Calvin Coolidge was known to be close-mouthed, and even got the moniker, “Silent Cal.” No one can even envision “Silent Donald.”
Come to think about it: we haven’t heard much from Mr. Bloomberg since he pulled out of running. And truthfully, we miss some of his better insights.
Does this bug you? When telephoning your party, after someone answers, and you ask for a certain party, the next you hear is:
“Whom may I say is calling?”
Or: “What is this regarding?”
Or: “Why do you want to talk to her-him?”
Or fairly often: “May I tell (this person) the subject of this call?”
Boy! That burns me! Granted, some of the people I call may have been instructed by their boss to get call details. If so, they are bad bosses. It’s a waste of time. I don’t want a gatekeeper thwarting me. I simply want to talk to that person.
Yep,, that’s bad telephone management for any company. Grrrr!
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Stories on Vidalia onions and some in Montgomery County
(Editor’s note: The author is president of Genoa Construction of Alpharetta, and a native of Montgomery County, Ga., where he was an English student of Mrs. Rachel Moses of Uvalda, who obviously taught him something about writing. We knew him first when he was a student in my newspaper management class at the University of Georgia. This letter came in a package for our family.-eeb)
By Ray Moses
ALPHARETTA, Ga. | Damn a virus. For nearly 20 years, the last week of June, I send the finest late season, old variety Vidalia onions to my old friends, new friends, and clients. And even though many things have changed in our lives recently, that ain’t changing. Here they come. The Robison Boys from my hometown worked mighty hard to get them out of the ground and into your box. You should love ‘em.
Moses
This year I want to share with you some of the health benefits of onions that I learned from some folks back home. Big Deal Duncan (we call him “Bigun”) says that onions lower your cholesterol. He knows about these things because he eats a lot. All those Duncans eat a lot and they are all real big. Not fat but Big. When people say they have a large family, they are not referring to how many there are. He goes to Ben Tom’s about four times a week and gets a Diet Coke, two orders of fries, and two Double Bacon Chili Cheese Burgers. He puts a handful of chopped Vidalias on each burger for the health benefits.
Mae Pearl Dixon is a fabulous cook. Her card reads New Trition Expert and Gore-may Cook. Uncle Cooney said she used to be a spelling teacher, but I’m not sure. She got Honorable Mention several times at the Vidalia Onion Cook-off, but was banned in ‘09 for entering Sweet Onion Daiquiris, and getting all the judges drunk. It was a mess, but nobody got hurt badly. She says that onions lower your blood sugar. So, when she has a Debbie Cake or donut with her skim milk at breakfast, or is planning on some chess pie after dinner, she generally has onion rings with her lunch.
I went to see Old Man Dickel (no disrespect, even his last couple of wives called him that). He is age 101 and can still drive. In fact, he drives better than most of the folks on I-285. He’s a character. He used to run a country store near home. Sold groceries and sundries out front and moonshine out back. Had a big sign over the counter that read “We Cheat the Other Guy and Pass the Savings On To You.” He said he didn’t know much about healthy eating, but had always heard that onions improve bone density. He thought that was important when you fell off a tractor or got in a fight down at the “Cut and Shoot.” Said he made good money growing onions over the years. Kept him in chewing tobacco, corn licker, fish bait, and wives (four of them). I asked him why he thought he had lived so long. He spit backer juice at his feet, sipped his corn and replied. “Because I ain’t died yet.”
I checked all these claims on the Internet, and they are true as well as many other benefits. Enjoy the onions and try to stay healthy. God Bless you and our great country.
P.S. Speaking of health, I got a new knee a few weeks ago. Northside Hospital Forsyth will sell you one, and put it in for you. Cost about the same as a new truck. That’s if you don’t get leather and four-wheel drive (on the truck, not the knee). Dr. Kress has a better team than the 1927 Yankees. They get it done. I’m already walking better. I’m thinking about getting another one in August. I was working on a “buy one-get one free” deal but it got all tangled up with the insurance company.
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Imagine Advertising and Global Signs
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Among the underwriters are Imagine Advertising and Global Signs, two separate companies that are jointly owned and co-located right here in Peachtree Corners. Imagine Advertising is a full-service advertising agency that specializes in creative design, print, and digital services – including their subsidiary, Imagine Retailer, which hosts and manages some 500 web sites for retailers across the country. Global Signs is a full-service sign company that has been in business since 1952. Acquired three years ago, Global designs and fabricates all types of indoor and outdoor signage, and currently works with seven of the top ten home-builders in the country. Relevant websites, to learn more, are: www.imagineadv.com; www.globalsignsusa.com; and www.imagineretailer.com.
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Pass an amendment guaranteeing us a right to vote
Editor, the Forum:
As a former teacher of civics, I am ashamed that I did not realize that Americans do not have an affirmative right to vote written into our Constitution. The framers, in their wisdom, decided that voting should be left to the states. I checked the Georgia Constitution and found that Georgians’ right to vote is in article two.
However, history provides some understanding that this right has not always been available to every citizen. Originally only white males over the age of 21 who owned 50 acres of land were allowed to vote. Then in 1870 the federal Constitution was amended to allow black men to vote. Unfortunately, our Jim Crow laws undermined their franchise.
In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed allowing women to vote. In 1962 the 24th Amendment prevented poll taxes. The 26th amendment was passed in 1971 allowing 18 year olds to vote.
These protections have been enforced using the equal protections afforded to citizens by the Constitution. Unfortunately, the voting protections have been unequally enforced by the courts because there is no overriding Constitutional right to vote. As a result we have a patchwork of state laws that have allowed gerrymandering, restrictive identification laws, limited access to polls, failure to allow mail-in ballots, and a multitude of rules that make voting difficult.
In order to have a blanket constitutional right to vote, Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN5) has introduced House Joint Resolution 91 that calls for a Constitutional amendment that guarantees our right to vote. This amendment would provide for a more equal protection of our voting rights and would enable Congress to pass more sweeping voter laws.
On a more personal note, I have voted in every election in the last 60 years. I would love to have every American feel the same pride I have in actively participating in our democracy. Thus, we need a Constitutional guarantee of our right to vote. In the meantime, I hope every citizen exercises their right to vote in every election.
— Alan Schneiberg, Sugar Hill
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Gwinnett puts mass transit referendum on November ballot
A referendum on mass transit will be on the Gwinnett November 3 ballot, after county commissioners approved a one per cent sales tax to fund a wide array of transit projects. Gwinnett will be the first county to propose this method of transit sales tax, which was passed by the 2018 Legislature.
If approved by voters, the Transit Special Purpose Local Option Sales and Use Tax would run for 30 years and fund 82 transit projects that include premium high capacity services bus rapid transit (BRT) and arterial rapid transit (ART), enhanced and expanded coverage of the county by both local bus and express commuter bus service, on-demand micro-transit, and paratransit service. The proposed transit plan also features an extension of heavy rail from Doraville to Jimmy Carter Boulevard, subsidies for vanpools and transportation network companies, and funds to improve pedestrian connectivity to transit services.
The Board of Commissioners developed the list of projects with input from the Gwinnett County Transit Review Committee (TRC). The Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (The ATL), which coordinates and oversees transit planning in metro Atlanta, then approved the list.
Board Chairman Charlotte Nash says: “By 2050, Gwinnett County is projected to have 1.5 million residents. This growth will require a range of options that enhance mobility, including more robust transit choices. We believe this plan’s broad range of projects will best position Gwinnett for future mobility success.”
Under the referendum, the County would design and construct the transit projects; it would also operate and maintain the transit system except for the heavy rail extension, which MARTA must operate as stipulated by state law. In addition to the sales tax provided in the referendum, federal and state dollars and fare box collections would help fund the proposed transit projects over 30 years.
The transit plan on the 2020 ballot differs from earlier plans in the following ways:
- Outlines a more aggressive, first 10-year implementation strategy;
- Adds more local bus routes, including routes in Lilburn, Sugar Hill and Suwanee/Buford, while also shortening wait times for local bus service;
- Increases regional connectivity, including routes to Alpharetta, Stonecrest and Athens;
- Adds a BRT route to the Mall of Georgia; and
- Increases paratransit coverage throughout the county.
The list of projects includes.
-
A Bus Rapid Transit program in Colorado, via Wikipedia
BRT projects to create a network of frequent, reliable transit service through the construction of dedicated lanes and high-quality stations; projects include connections between a proposed multimodal hub at Jimmy Carter Boulevard and the Sugarloaf Park-and-Ride lot, Lawrenceville and Peachtree Corners. This includes connections to Georgia Gwinnett College and Gwinnett Tech, and Snellville and the Indian Creek MARTA Station in eastern DeKalb County as well as between the Infinite Energy Center and the Mall of Georgia.
- A network of complementary ART bus projects that incorporate some elements of BRT at a lower cost, such as queue-jumper lanes and transit signal priority for vehicles to provide enhanced transit service.
- Local bus projects that improve the existing network as well as create connections to the high capacity transit backbone of the system (heavy rail, BRT, and ART).
- Projects that result in robust expansion of the express commuter bus system, providing rides from park-and-ride lots throughout the county to major employment centers in Downtown/Midtown Atlanta, Buckhead, Perimeter, Emory/CDC, and Athens; these routes are further supplemented by new all-day service that provides access to park-and-rides from MARTA rail stations.
- Micro-transit projects that enable residents within designated areas of Gwinnett to request an on-demand ride either within this specified zone or to connect to nearby transit service.
- Expansion of paratransit services throughout the county to provide transportation services for those with mobility challenges.
For the resolution and a list of projects on the transit plan, visit GwinnettCounty.com.
Northside Systems welcomes 2 new physicians
Two new doctors have joined Northside Hospital Healthcare Systems. Dr. Peter Mann and Northside Center for Urogynecology to its network, while Georgia Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates, a Northside Network Provider, announced Dr. Cici Zhang will join its practice.
Mann
Dr. Peter Mann is a board-certified physician in obstetrics, gynecology, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. He specializes in robotics and non-robotic minimally invasive surgery. He is a native of New Orleans, La. And lives in Buckhead. Dr. Mann is a graduate of Baylor University, and holds his M.D. degree from Louisiana State School of Medicine. He did his residency at the University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore, Md.
Northside Center for Urogynecology has offices at 1800 Tree Lane, Suite 300, in Snellville and at 960 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 336, in Atlanta. To make an appointment, call 470-325-1280.To learn more, visit northsidecenterforurogyn.com.
Zhang
Georgia Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates, a Northside Network Provider, announces that Dr. Cici Zhang has joined its practice. Dr. Zhang will see patients in Lawrenceville (721 Wellness Way, Suite 200) and at the Sandy Springs (5445 Meridian Mark Road, Suite 180).
Dr. Zhang is a board-certified general and colorectal surgeon, and she is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She received her bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Zhang’s medical degree is from the University of Indiana and she completed her residency in general surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. While there, she was the Chief Resident.
- To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call 770-277-4277 or visit gcrsa.com.
Gwinnett schools to start Aug. 12 with all-digital instruction
On July 20, CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks announced that Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) will open the 2020-21 school year on August 12 with all students receiving digital instruction. Although the district had planned to begin with both in-person and digital instruction, the current COVID-19 situation required a change in those plans.
Superintendent Wilbanks said: “There is no replacement for face-to-face instruction, and that was our preferred model for starting the school year. With that in mind, we offered parents an option between in-person and digital instruction in order to be responsive to their wishes for their children. However, out of an abundance of concern for our students, families, and employees, we made a very difficult decision based on the increasing number of COVID-19 cases we are seeing in our county, as well as the concerns that have been expressed by our teachers, parents, and others in the community.”
GCPS leaders will continue to gather information from health officials and monitor the still-fluid COVID-19 situation in Gwinnett County. That information will help determine when the district can safely open for in-person instruction.
During the spring and summer, school system staff have worked diligently to improve the digital learning experience for students. Summer staff development has focused primarily on effective teaching in a digital environment. Content specialists created digital lessons and provided instructional resources to help teachers better serve students.
Digital instruction this fall will look very different than it did in the spring. Expectations for teachers and students will be consistent with those for in-person instruction. The digital school day will follow a daily schedule. School attendance will be expected and documented. And, students will receive grades and will take assessments to measure their learning.
Teachers will report to their schools to deliver their digital lessons, participate in staff development, and collaborate with their fellow teachers to make digital instruction more effective for their students. For some employees, reporting to school may be difficult for a number of reasons. Principals will work with the staff members at their school to address individual concerns and make accommodations where possible. Those who are allowed to work from home will be expected to come to the school periodically to work with other school staff and leaders.
With the move to 100 percent digital learning, GCPS leaders continue to address the challenges that we know exist in terms of student access to devices and reliable internet connections. The district will check out Chromebooks and internet hotspots to students, based on need, to ensure equitable access to quality digital learning.
“This is not the beginning of the school year we had hoped for; however, it was a possibility we planned for, knowing that keeping students and staff safe had to be a priority,” said Wilbanks. “We are confident we can do digital learning well, thanks to the quality teachers and leaders we have in this district, the comprehensive preparation over the last four months, and our steadfast commitment to do what’s best for Gwinnett students.”
Gwinnett to renovate site for new entrepreneur center
A former preschool building at 405 North Perry Street in Lawrenceville is the site of an entrepreneur center that will nurture fledgling business startups and support small business growth in Gwinnett. Gwinnett Commissioners approved the renovation for the new agency this week.
The Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center will provide budding entrepreneurs with instruction, workshops, coaching, peer learning, connections to customers and capital, and market research, plus membership opportunities that include co-working space and offices.
The $1.5 million center will feature private offices and co-working space where members can work in an open collaborative atmosphere, a training room with technological equipment, conference rooms, a breakroom/dining area, and outdoor workspace.
The Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center will be a place where business people who are starting out can learn from experts, from experienced business owners or CEOs, or from each other. The center will be actively recruiting owners from low-to-moderate income households, as well as minority owners. Gwinnett County is in talks with Georgia Gwinnett College about partnering with its business school to operate the center under County direction.
The project will renovate the 6,718-square-foot, single-story structure that formerly housed the Sheltering Arms Educational Center. The Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center is tentatively set to open later in 2020.
A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer
From Karen Harris, Stone Mountain: Laurel Millard, 18, the youngest of five children, is told by her brothers and sisters that she must be responsible for their widowed mother rather than have her own family. Willie Sharp is a young worker whose widowed father is recovering from a stroke and is dependent upon Willie’s ability to provide for the family. Quincy Tate is Willie’s best friend. The fact that Quincy is a Negro means nothing to Willie as they have been friends since early childhood. Langdon Rochester is the heir to his family steam-powered -engine empire in the days leading up to the Cotton Exposition in 1895 Atlanta. When circumstances bring these four lives together, issues of faith in God’s will for each life, forgiveness, and integrity are put to test. This is a good story which shows that perseverance and unconditional regard can and often is rewarded with one’s heart’s desire.
We’re needing more recommendations! Send in yours. What books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Send to: elliott@brack.net
Hammerin’ Hank Aaron was prodigious home-run hitter
“Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron, a player for the Atlanta Braves, hit 755 home runs, a record that stood unchallenged until 2007, during his 23-year career in major league baseball. Aaron’s other records include career runs batted in (RBIs) and number of All-Star game appearances. His contributions to baseball on and off the field continued the struggle against segregation begun by Jackie Robinsonin 1947.
Henry Louis Aaron was born in Mobile, Ala., on February 5, 1934, the day before Babe Ruth’s 39th birthday. He was the third of eight children born to Estella and Herbert Aaron. Raised in Toulminville, a village on the outskirts of Mobile, Aaron attended Central High School and finished school at Josephine Allen Institute.
When he was 14 his father took him to see Jackie Robinson play during the Brooklyn Dodgers’ spring training swing through Mobile, and they attended a speech Robinson gave in town. From that point on, Aaron has said, he was determined to become a major league player himself. Because neither high school he attended had a baseball team, he originally played softball before joining a semiprofessional baseball team, the Mobile Black Bears, during his junior year in high school. During an exhibition game in 1951 between the Bears and the Negro American League’s Indianapolis Clowns, the Clowns’ management was impressed with Aaron and quickly offered him a contract. He joined the Clowns in the spring of 1952, at the age of 18, playing shortstop. Despite his cross-handed grip, the right-handed hitter led the league with a .467 average.
Major league scouts soon took notice of the powerful hitter, and the Boston Braves bought out his contract for $10,000 midway through his first season with the Clowns. With a corrected grip and a new position in the outfield, Aaron played short stints for the Braves’ farm teams in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Jacksonville, Florida. As a member of the Jacksonville Tars, part of the South Atlantic (or Sally) League, he toured Georgia, playing other league teams in Savannah, Macon, Columbus, and Augusta. He won the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in 1953.
When Bobby Thomson, the Braves’ starting left fielder, fractured his ankle in the 1954 preseason, Aaron filled his place in the lineup and hit a home run in his first at-bat. His career as a Brave was sealed. The Braves (who had by then moved from Boston to Milwaukee) would be his team for the next 21 years, twelve in Milwaukee and nine in Atlanta.
After his first season in the majors, Aaron hit at least 20 home runs a season for the next 20 consecutive seasons, with 30 home runs or more in 15 of those seasons.
He also scored more than 100 runs each season from 1955 until 1967. Aaron holds yet another record for his 25 All-Star games. In 1957 he clinched the pennant for the Braves with an extra-inning homer against the St. Louis Cardinals. That year Aaron was named league MVP, and the Braves went on to win the World Series. He received the Gold Glove as the National League’s top-fielding right fielder in each of the next three years.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Ornate sculpture and waterfall are today’s Mystery Photo
Wow. Isn’t today’s Mystery Photo some heavy ornate sculpture, thoroughly proud of itself? Figure out where it is and send your thoughts to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown.
Sara Rawlins of Lawrenceville quickly solved the most recent Mystery Photo: “I recognized that hotel immediately: The Breakers of Palm Beach. When I moved to Lake Worth, after getting married in the early ’70s, one of the many fun past-time things my husband, Jeff, and I would do is get in our car and cruise up Highway A1A to Palm Beach and marvel at all the Millionaires’ homes as we headed for the town of Palm Beach to ride up and down Worth Avenue. One of the many splendid places we saw was Mar a Largo, when it still belonged to the Post family and the Kennedy Compound (which wasn’t as impressive as you might think). We would pass by the Flagler Museum and next to it was the Royal Poinciana Chapel. where I had my daughter christened.
“We would have had lunch at the Breakers with all my family and friends, but we opted for a backyard picnic instead with Kentucky Fried Chicken and fixings. One more thing about The Breakers: they used to have ‘cottages’ a little past the grand hotel, which wealthy people who didn’t want to stay at the hotel could rent for the season. Five and Dime store founder W.T. Grant was one of them. Mr. Grant always had his secretary with him and she was a very close friend of my husband’s family. After we were first married, we went to meet her at Grant’s cottage. I wanted to meet Mr. Grant, but he never came down from upstairs, being he was in his late 90’s. Now all the cottages are gone and what’s left is the grand hotel.”
The photo came from Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill about two years ago.
Others recognizing the photo included Kay Everett, Lawrenceville; George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Dan Mackaben, Lawrenceville; Robert Hanson, Loganville; Howard Hoffman, Peachtree Corners; Michael Wood, Peachtree Corners; Robert Foreman, Grayson; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; Emmett Clower, Snellville; Kathy Gestar, Sandy Springs; Rob Ponder, Duluth; Virginia Klaer, Duluth;
Lynn Jacques, Snellville; and Bo O’Kelley, Peachtree Corners.
Allen Peel, San Antonio, Tex. tells us that The Breakers at Palm Beach is a “five-diamond AAA-rated, historic 538-room hotel and resort. Located on 140-acres of prime beach-front property, The Breakers was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The building depicted in the mystery photo is actually the third hotel on this property. Originally called the Palm Beach Inn, the resort had its first opening on January 16, 1896, part of a string of coastal hotels developed by Henry Flagler (1830-1913), partner of John D. Rockefeller, as they extended the Florida East Coast Railroad deeper south into Florida. The original Breakers Inn was a wooden structure that burned down on June 9, 1903 and Flagler quickly rebuilt The Breakers as a colonial-style wooden building containing 425-rooms, reopening it on February 1, 1904.”
GOLDFISH SWIM in a pond near the entrance of the Environmental and Heritage Center and get the attention of a youngster as Roving Photographer Frank Sharp captures in a scene not too long ago. However, the operations at the Center are suspended now, because of the corona pandemic.
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