GwinnettForum | Number 20.62 | Aug. 25, 2020
LOOKING SHARP: One element Community Improvement Districts have given Gwinnett is streetscape improvements. In Lilburn, BrightView’s landscaping crew continues to maintain its CID streetscape and keeps the district looking neat, sparkling and beautiful. This summer they have been busy with upkeeping Lawrenceville Highway and Jackson Creek Trail.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Rudy Bowen of Suwanee Elected Head of State Transportation Board
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Governor’s Idea of News Seems More Reasonable Than AJC’s Views
ANOTHER VIEW: Lists What He Feels Are Accomplishments of Trump Administration
SPOTLIGHT: Infinite Energy Center
FEEDBACK: If You Mail in Your Ballot, Do So Well in Advance and It’ll Be Counted
UPCOMING: Health Care Firm Moving 400 Employees to Peachtree Corners
NOTABLE: Lilburn Businessman Funds Third Edition Printing of Gwinnett History
RECOMMENDED: Movie: Words on Bathroom Walls
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Learn of the Differences in Butterflies and Moths for Georgia
MYSTERY PHOTO: Put on Your Thinking Cap To Determine This Mystery Location
CALENDAR: Duluth To Host Special Drive-in Movie on August 29
Suwanee’s Bowen elected head of State Transportation Board
Special to GwinnettForum | The State Transportation Board elected its new executive leadership team at their board meeting on Thursday, August 20. Rudy Bowen of Suwanee was named chairman; Emily Dunn of Blue Ridge was named vice chairman; and Kevin Abel of Atlanta was named secretary.
Bowen
The new officers take effect immediately. Board elections are held annually to ensure that all regions of the state are represented at the executive leadership level.
Chairman Bowen is a community and civic leader who represents the Seventh Congressional District. He was elected to the board in 2007 and most recently served as board vice chairman. Bowen attended the University of Georgia. As chairman, Bowen serves as ex officio member of all committees.
He says: “I am extremely proud to continue my service to the citizens of Georgia, now as the chairman of the State Transportation Board. The team at GDOT, from the executive leadership to our district employees around the state, are some of Georgia’s finest public servants. That fact was brought home these last few months as our teams continued the good work of the department in spite of a global pandemic that disrupted every corner of everyday life. I am honored to take on this role and to continue a legacy of stewardship and a commitment to serve the citizens of Georgia.”
Bowen replaces Tim Golden of Valdosta, who has served on the board since 2015 and represents Georgia’s Eighth Congressional District. Golden is credited with providing steady leadership to the board, the department and the men and women of Georgia DOT during a global pandemic where essential crews worked during unprecedented times to keep roadwork and maintenance projects on or ahead of schedule. Golden, a graduate of Valdosta State University, served 24 years in the Georgia General Assembly – eight terms in the Senate and four terms in the House. He has been named three times to Georgia Trend’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” list.
Vice Chairman Dunn represents the Ninth Congressional District on the State Transportation Board. She was elected to the board in 2011, and served as the first female chair in 2015-16 and most recently served as secretary. Dunn, a community and civic leader, has been named to the Engineering Georgia magazine 100 Influential Women to Know list two years in a row. She is a registered nurse who received her bachelor’s in science in nursing from North Georgia College.
Secretary Abel is the newest member of the State Transportation Board, elected in 2019, and represents the Sixth Congressional District. Abel, a philanthropist and businessman, is a Leadership Atlanta graduate, a former finalist for Atlanta Small Business Person of the Year and was named to the Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40 list. He has been president of New American Pathways, a refugee resettlement non-profit.
The 14-member State Transportation Board determines policy and governs the Georgia Department of Transportation. Each member is elected by a caucus of Georgia General Assembly members from their specific congressional district. Board members serve staggered, five-year terms. For more information, visit http://www.dot.ga.gov/AboutGDOT/Board.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Governor’s idea of news seems more reasonable than AJC’s
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
AUG. 25, 2020 | Governor Brian Kemp’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has certainly been wishy-washy if not questionable. His lack of understanding that local officials, particularly mayors, by definition ought to be able to order their populations to wear masks seemed unreasonable. If the local mayor thinks that his area is severely threatened by the pandemic, as an emergency measure, the mayor should protect his citizens and have the inherent right to order masking.
The governor’s picking of a fight with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was monumentally inappropriate. It seemed more like the governor was picking on her because she was of another party, more than anything else, and also not kowtowing to what the governor thought was the right action.
As criticism of the governor rose, and the news media started to question him more, what does an entrenched state leader do? He reacts in the usual manner, attacking the Atlanta newspaper, saying the paper is not being fair. It’s the standard ploy of a politician who is not seeing matters go his way. Overall, what this seems to be indicating is that the governor is getting bad advice from his staff, who are not pointing him in the direction with solid facts on which he can base his decision.
Yet we will side with the governor on one use of the pandemic figures. The Atlanta newspapers keep telling us of the total number of Georgia confirmed cases from the virus (252,222 as of Sunday) and the total number of deaths in the state (5,092 as of Sunday.) Those are facts. But these two numbers tell us nothing of whether the virus is slowing or spreading. We believe that is the crux of the governor’s fight with the AJC.
Kemp
In a press release on Sunday morning, the governor outlined what he wanted to see. It made sense. He charged: “As expected, the Atlanta Journal Constitution refuses to write about it (or print the GADPH (Georgia Dept. of Public Health) data) because the numbers provided usually expose the bias of Georgia’s ‘flagship paper.’”
What the public needs to know is the most recent trend, not the history of how many are sick or dead. The governor put it this way: “We need to make sure that Georgians know their sacrifices are yielding measurable results.”
He then outlined that:
- Georgia’s weekly statewide cases decreased by 11 percent.
- The seven-day moving average of new cases is down 30 percent since the peak in late July.
- The positivity rates decreased from 12.2 percent on August 7 to 9.4 percent on August 21.
- Hospitalizations are down 10.5 percent since August 14, and down 25 percent since Georgia’s daily high of 3,200 on July 30.
Gwinnett’s own Medical Director, Dr. Audrey Arona, on Monday supplied GwinnettForum with the latest statistics. It showed that the 14-day case rate is 322/100k. This continues to decrease, but still considered high level of community transmission. The Positivity for 14-days is 8.5 percent, which continues to decrease but is considered a moderate level of community transmission.
Governor Brian Kemp may not have handled the coronavirus pandemic flawlessly.
But his idea that his constituents want to know whether the overall situation is improving, rather than the totals of deaths and cases, makes sense. The governor’s own “news judgment,” in this case, seems more appropriate than the newspaper’s.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Lists what he feels are Trump’s accomplishments
By Gregg Stopher
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. | It’s fascinating how my friends on the left arrive at their conclusions with respect to President Trump. When I challenge them about their opinions of the man, they are always “light” on facts. When I offer up the “did ya know” questions about his actual achievements while in office, I mostly get blank stares. Their opinions were formed long ago and have been “hardened” over time.
Stopher
But when you get your “information” (a term I use somewhat loosely) from the same sources, what else would one expect? Even within the pages of this publication, I witness a great deal of opinions that are clearly anti-Trump, but very little in the way of facts to back up those assertions.
Most people simply do not take the time to seek out more sources, particularly sources that may conflict with their pre-ordained viewpoint. This is known as confirmation bias in the world of social science. An over-simplified way of stating this is that people are more prone to believe what they want to believe…and what they already do believe.
Let us take a look at some facts. The Trump’s administration’s (shortened) list of accomplishments:
- Lowest levels of unemployment ever (blacks, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans);
- First Step Act (criminal justice reform);
- Funded Historically Black Colleges and Universities;
- Opportunity Zones in economically-depressed areas;
- Four million people off food stamps (SNAP);
- European countries paying billions more towards NATO defense funding;
- VA Choice Act, allowing veterans to use private practitioners when VA docs are unavailable;
- More generic drugs approved by FDA, resulting in lower prices;
- U.S. is now a net natural gas exporter and energy-independent; and
- Some 400,000 manufacturing jobs created
Meanwhile, Mr. Biden’s shortcomings continue to be glossed over by a subservient press corps. It is clear to anyone paying attention that, in addition to making a series of inartful comments on race over an extended period of time, the man is clearly in an advanced stage of cognitive decline. I kind of feel sorry for the man, and sadder still that the Democratic establishment would prop him up and put him through such a process.
Joe Biden has been in politics since 1972. That is almost half a century. His most notable “accomplishment”? The crime bill of 1994, which sent thousands of minorities to jail with extremely long sentences. He is also well-known for plagiarizing, the most famous speech being British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock’s speech during the 1988 presidential campaign (other notable ones include both Robert and John F. Kennedy’s speeches).
He has also abandoned virtually all of his previous policy positions in response to his party’s lurch to the left. With his election of Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate, he has solidified his leftist bona fides (although the “real” progressives in his party remain nonplussed by this selection, believing Ms. Harris to be a late-comer to their worldview).
The mainstream media is all-in for Biden, and the polls will again attempt to lead public opinion, as opposed to reflect it (as they are supposed to do). Although the public education system has failed us miserably with respect to educating our young people about the evils of socialism/communism/fascism, I suspect there are still enough sentient Americans to turn back this tide…at least one last time.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Infinite Energy Center
The public spiritedness of our sponsors Infinite Energy Center allows us to bring GwinnettForum to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter is Infinite Energy Center, home to four distinct facilities in Duluth: Infinite Energy Arena, Infinite Energy Theater, Infinite Energy Forum, and The Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center For Art and Learning. Infinite Energy Arena has had 17 years of tremendous success hosting countless concerts, family shows and sporting events, and is home to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators and the NLL’s Georgia Swarm. Some past concerts include George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Beyoncé, Foo Fighters, Eric Clapton, Katy Perry, Kid Rock, James Taylor and Michael Bublé. Infinite Energy Arena also hosts many family shows including Cirque du Soleil, Disney On Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters. Infinite Energy Forum offers patrons the opportunity to host or attend a wide variety of events, from corporate meetings to trade shows to social occasions. Infinite Energy Theater has an intimate capacity of 708-seats and is home to many local events, family shows and even some comedians. The Hudgens Center For Art and Learning showcases a range of artwork throughout the year along with offering a wide range of fine art classes.
- For further information, please visit www.InfiniteEnergyCenter.com.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here
If you mail in your ballot, do early and it will be counted
Editor, the Forum:
The two parties take different positions on the post office: Democrats see it as a service provided by the government regardless of cost, Republicans see the post office as a government system that must operate efficiently and support itself like any business. Personally, always remember the phrase I was told so many times, “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!” Streamlining the Postal Service is required to get it out of the hole it’s in. I see no reason why politicians want citizens to be able to mail a vote as late as
3 days before an election. The same should be for voting. Give each county enough time to process the mailed vote properly. Three weeks to a month prior to election day gives the Postal Service and county enough time to perform.
— Bryan Gilbert, 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
Health firm moving 400 employees to Peachtree Corners
Soliant, a health care and education staffing company, is relocating its headquarters to Peachtree Corners. Founded in 1991, Soliant provides medical staff to various staff health facilities throughout the United States from Tucker, Ga.
The health care staffing company will relocate its national headquarters to a 58,000 square-foot space in the former Career Builder building in Technology Park Atlanta. The move brings 400 new jobs to Peachtree Corners.
Soliant’s CEO David Alexander says: “Central to our mission at Soliant are our values specific to innovation and curiosity. The new headquarters will put us in close proximity to progressive tech resources while our space itself is designed to promote employee collaboration, engagement and culture.”
Soliant signed a 10-year lease for its new location at 5550 Peachtree Parkway. The new offices will provide team members with a larger and more flexible space designed to promote employee health and well-being. The new location features amenities that include a rooftop terrace with outdoor kitchen, state-of-the-art gym with full locker rooms and showers, an outdoor basketball court, sand volleyball court, 5G Wi-Fi, and access to the city’s multi-use trails and its new Town Center featuring retail shops, dine-in theater and over 15 restaurants.
Mayor Mike Mason welcomed the new company: “Our city is pleased to welcome Soliant to Peachtree Corners. The city’s Technology Park is considered the metro area’s business hub for forward-looking businesses seeking to collaborate with like-minded industries. We are confident Soliant’s leaders and its 400 employees will enjoy our city and its many amenities.”
The company is currently renovating its new space and moving its employees in phases; it expects to complete the move to its new headquarters in December.
Gwinnett pools open for limited hours; Reservations needed
Gwinnett Parks and Recreation is offering modified indoor and outdoor leisure play pool hours until the end of September. Three-hour time slots are available for reservation from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at Bethesda Park, Bogan Park, Collins Hill Park, Mountain Park and West Gwinnett Park Aquatic Centers, as well as Best Friend Park and Rhodes Jordan Park Pools.
Family swim nights are available for time slot reservations from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays at West Gwinnett Park Aquatic Center, Tuesdays at Mountain Park Aquatic Center and Thursdays at Collins Hill Park Aquatic Center. Patrons can make reservations at least one day in advance until September 27 by visiting the website or calling the facility. The cost is $4.25 per person for Gwinnett residents and $8.50 per person for non-residents. Ages 18 and older must provide proof of residency. Patrons will have their temperature checked before entering the facilities.
Lilburn businessman funds 3rd printing of Gwinnett history
A Lilburn businessman is funding the printing of a third edition of Elliott Brack’s history book, Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta. The book won the 2010 Award of Excellence in documenting Georgia History from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board.
Souter
The businessman is John Souter, a Lilburn real estate investor and president of Comet National Shipping of Lilburn. He says he had “…..heard of many people who wanted a copy of the book, but were unable to buy it since the second edition is out of print.” The information in the third printing is unchanged from the second printing.
Handling retail sales of the hardback book is Liberty Books of Lawrenceville. The 850-page hardback edition is priced at $75. Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta is also available as an e-book, priced at $9.95 from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. (A hardback version of a previous edition was recently priced on Amazon at $459.07.)
Souter says: “Gwinnett County is changing at warp speed. It is vital to have a fundamental understanding of how things came about, and know about the people who have been responsible for our county’s success. This book offers that insight. I bought the book twice, then loaned it to friends, and never saw either again. After unsuccessfully trying to find another copy, I felt that it was due time for printing another edition. It’s my hope that our future leaders, and responsible Gwinnett citizens, will not only read the book, but put it to good use.”
Souter is secretary treasurer of the Lilburn Community Improvement District.
This modern Gwinnett history book was first published in 2008, with a second edition printed in 2011. The book concentrates on the growth of Gwinnett County since 1950, though a short section of the book highlights the county’s earlier history. Included in the book are 143 tables of officials holding offices in Gwinnett and its cities, plus extensive demographic information about the county. Two previous out-of-print histories of Gwinnett by J.C. Flanigan covered the history of Gwinnett up until 1950.
Gwinnett ad valorem tax bills due by Dec. 1
As the county approaches the 2020 property tax season, Tax Commissioner Richard Steele is sharing information about what taxpayers can expect to see on their tax bills this year. The Tax Commissioner’s office was notified of the new economic development tax on August 17. Adding the new tax to the tax bills will require additional programming; therefore, the estimated mailing of the 2020 tax bills is now October 1, with a December 1 due date.
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners adopted its 2020 millage rates on August 18. The new property tax for economic development, a tax of 0.3 mills, was included in the resolution. According to the Board’s resolution, the new tax will “provide funds for financial assistance to the Development Authority of Gwinnett County for economic development purposes.”
Also, according to the BOC resolution, taxpayers in unincorporated Gwinnett, and those in cities that use Gwinnett police services, will see an increase of 1.3 mills on the police line of the tax bill. The resolution also calls for a 0.05 increase for recreation taxes. All other county tax rates will remain the same as last year.
With the County’s 0.259 mill rollback of the Maintenance and Operations rate, the total millage rate for unincorporated Gwinnett will increase to 14.71 mills, which is 1.391 mills higher than 2019.
The Tax Commissioner’s office was notified of the new economic development tax on August 17. Adding the new tax to the tax bills will require additional programming; therefore, the estimated mailing of the 2020 tax bills is now October 1, with a December 1 due date.
Movie: Words on Bathroom Walls
From Cindy Evans, Duluth: The AMC at Sugarloaf Mills finally opened (with CDC guidelines in place) and so my husband, Mark, and I went to see the new Words on Bathroom Walls film. It was a fairly heavy drama but well done. A high school boy, Adam (played excellently by Charlie Plummer), develops schizophrenia. In a tasteful and compassionate way, the movie follows his attempts to be treated with drugs and also building a relationship with the girl he is falling for. One of the messages of the movie was about letting people in your lives, with all the good and bad, and was shown very well. I also liked seeing Andy Garcia in his role as the priest who is kind to Adam during all his struggles and challenges. The 411: PG-13, 1 hour, 51 minutes.
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- An invitation: 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
Learn of the differences in butterflies, moths for Georgia
Butterflies and moths are insects grouped into a family called Lepidoptera. There are several hundred butterfly species and more than 1,000 moth species in Georgia. Many species are native, but quite a few migrate annually or become visitors to the state during the summer months. Butterflies and moths are second only to bees and wasps as the pollinators of flowers in Georgia. Their greatest importance is to the native flowers and trees, as many of the state’s native plants rely on the butterflies and moths, rather than on bees, for pollination. Thus the butterfly may help to preserve endangered wildflowers.
Some general rules aid in determining butterfly from moth species. Butterflies are diurnal, meaning that they are usually seen during the daylight hours. Moths are primarily nocturnal creatures, although there are a few day-flying moths. It is not surprising, then, that most butterflies are brightly colored and easily seen by potential mates and predators in the sunshine. Moths, on the other hand, are dark and dull, relying on chemical scents to locate mates and avoid predators. There are twice as many moths flying at night as there are butterflies during the day. May and June, during a full moon and between dusk and midnight, are the best times for observing night-flying insects.
Butterfly bodies are usually slim, whereas moth bodies can be husky and fuzzy. Moths hold their wings outstretched when they rest, whereas butterflies hold their wings upright, or vertically, when they rest. Another difference is in their antennae. Moths and butterflies use these antennae to detect chemicals in the air that signal the presence of the opposite sex. Moth antennae are feathery and extensive, as they have poor eyesight and rely heavily on chemical signals at night. Butterflies have knobby ends on their antennae stalks and use flight pattern and shape as additional aids in locating mates.
Several larvae (called caterpillars) of moths have stinging spines, and several species, including the common cabbage butterfly, are not native and multiply rapidly each year. These invasive caterpillars can do millions of dollars of damage to vegetable crops.
In general butterflies and moths congregate in areas that feature their basic necessities. The list includes a food source for the young caterpillars, a nectar source for adult butterflies (few moths eat when mature), and shelter. Butterflies also congregate near water sources, such as muddy stream banks or depressions in the ground. Some species prefer the cover of trees and shrubs, whereas others, especially butterflies, require wide open spaces with tree cover nearby.
Many species of butterflies and moths overwinter in Georgia. They emerge on warm winter days and return to their shelters when the cold returns at night. These shelters can be rock outcroppings, fallen trees, tree bark, eaves of houses, barns, and even warm compost piles. Overwintering sites must have some warmth to keep the butterfly or moth from freezing. Butterfly boxes are not suitable for overwintering, but they do well as places for butterflies to hide during thunderstorms. Both butterflies and moths quickly find niches under tree bark, large branches, or overhangs of rocks when storms approach.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Put on your thinking cap to determine this mystery location
Perhaps that airplane in this Mystery Photo might be a give-away clue as to the location of today’s mystery. Consider that and other clues as you send in your guess of where this was taken. Send to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
The most recent Mystery Photo proved difficult, as only Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. recognized the Clock Tower in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, located approximately 23 miles west of Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. Neuchâtel is part of the Jura region of Switzerland, known worldwide as the home of Switzerland’s watchmaking industry, and dubbed locally as the ‘Watch Valley.’ So it is no mystery why today’s ‘mystery photo’ is an appropriate representation of Neuchâtel and the surrounding region. The clock tower in the center of the old town was built in the late 1200s using the rubble of Roman ruins brought in from the town of Avenches, 10-miles southeast of Neuchâtel. More than 700 years after it was constructed, the bells of the clock tower still properly ring out each and every hour, on the hour. Much like a Timex watch, the Neuchâtel Clock Tower simply ‘keeps on ticking!’” The photo came from George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
Duluth to host special drive-in movie Aug. 29
Duluth Drive-In will be August 29 in the parking lot of Bill Head Funeral Home and Crematory, 3088 Duluth Highway. The movie, Grease (PG-13), will be shown. Vehicles must be parked by
7:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Guidelines including social distancing parking, with sound transmitted to FM radios. For more information, visit: www.duluthga.net/events.
Book Club: Join Gwinnett County Public Library for a virtual book club for adults. The next event will be September 15 at 7 p.m. for the book Birdcage Walk by Helen Dunmore. Email events@gwinnettpl.org if you want to join in. Download a free copy of the book by visiting gwinnett.bibliocommons.com or, purchase a copy from your favorite bookstore. Read the book, and join the online meeting on the planned date/time by using your laptop, phone, iPad, etc. You can join the discussion, or you can type comments in the chat box
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