GwinnettForum | Number 20.70 Sept. 29, 2020
GATEWAY CID PHASE II of the Lighting District continues with installation of 26 pedestrian lights and five streetlights from Live Oak Parkway to Rockbridge Road. The installations are part of Gateway85’s Pedestrian Lighting District along the Jimmy Carter Boulevard corridor designed to make the area more user friendly, welcoming and safe.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Unexpected flight to Berlin leads to an unforgettable highlight
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Wyoming-registered “local” Internet site perpetrates hate, divides people
ANOTHER VIEW: Democracy might be doomed if voting is not in the heavy numbers
SPOTLIGHT: Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful
FEEDBACK: Comment concerning recent suggestion to enlarge Supreme Court
UPCOMING: For over 20 years, Gwinnett maintains AAA financial rating
NOTABLE: Renee Byrd-Lewis tapped to be new director of Gwinnett Coalition
RECOMMENDED: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Atlanta Historical Society Publishes Bulletin Until Ceasing in 2006
MYSTERY PHOTO: Waterfront scene asks for your ID of this Mystery Photo
CALENDAR: Mountain Park community plans virtual meeting on October 5
Unexpected flight leads to an unforgettable highlight
By Ross Lenhart
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. | It was the presidential election of 1960, my first presidential election, with Kennedy v. Nixon. My Dad, the lifelong Republican, drove me to the polls. As I got out he said, “Ross, you are voting for Nixon aren’t you?” and I said without much thinking, “Of course, Dad.” And I did.
Lenhart
In several years, I found myself as the Commanding Officer’s clerk of the 24th Aviation Battalion located at Gablingen Army Airfield, just outside of Augsburg, Germany in beautiful Bavaria. I was “Radar.”
I held a rather interesting position as I was the only one trusted to handle then Officer Efficiency Reports (OER), whereas senior officers would rate their underlings. These ratings would have much to do with promotion or advancement along career lines. Back then they were secret.
It was my job to type, collect, and move them along efficiently. I knew the OER Army Regulation through and through. In short, even though I was enlisted, it was somewhat of a power position. Thus, in a world of aviation, I saw much of Europe from the windows of helicopters or fixed wing aircraft through the favors of Army aviator officers, but I never once violated a sacred trust.
One day an officer appeared at my desk and asked, “Lenhart, I am flying to Berlin tomorrow and I need a wingman. I would love for you to come with me.” He fixed it up. That was June 25th, 1963. What he didn’t tell me is that we would be there to see President Kennedy speak the next day.
So there I was, standing in that square in Berlin, seeing my president, whom I didn’t vote for, give an address to adoring Germans. It was electrifying. He gave one of his best speeches ever, and being an American in uniform that day was so special. I was so proud that he was MY president.
Germans citizens were wild with enthusiasm, slapping me on the back, laughing, cheering. It was pandemonium. While watching and cheering, I said to myself, “How in the world could I have voted for that grumpy guy Nixon over this charismatic leader who has this whole foreign country in his pocket?” From that point on, I was “my own man” in making my decisions for my democratic vote.
It was an interesting tour of duty for me. That June experience of 1963 in Berlin was one of its highlights. I have taken my vote seriously ever since, never an automatic vote without thinking.
Thanks, JFK, for the very special memory and a lesson in democracy. And thanks to the U.S. Army for many lessons learned and a chance to see the world.
Kathy and I returned to Berlin in 2015. And something bothered me. These “soldiers” (see photo) then at CheckPoint Charlie are really Germans wearing the same uniform that you and I did, standing next to our flag, impersonating you and me for cash. You can pay to have your picture taken with them. I don’t know why it bothers me, but it does.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Wyoming-registered “local” site perpetrates hate, division
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 29, 2020 | The year 1984 was a turning point in Gwinnett politics. That was the year Republicans won 17 of 18 Gwinnett County races. The Democrats elected only an incumbent unopposed Probate Judge, and in effect, Republicans have been in charge in Gwinnett ever since.
For 2020, it is the Republicans who are endangered, as Democrats have fielded a full slate of candidates, many of them first class candidates. Both sides have also put up some poor candidates, who are making waves that sound like they could send Gwinnett down an unfortunate path in coming years.
One Democrat has won the party’s nomination for District 5 on the School Board. She is Tarece Johnson, who has no Republican opposing her in the General Election. She defeated longtime incumbent Louise Radloff. The three Democratic women seeking the School Board seats include Karen Watkins, Tanisha Banks and Johnson. Already sitting on the Board for another two years is another Democrat, Everton Blair, while the other member not on the ballot this year is Republican Steve Knudsen.
Let us point out something most voters know: Gwinnett in the past 10-20 years has had not just a good public school system, but a superior one, winning nationwide honors, and graduating highly qualified students to go on to higher honors. Two Republican board members, Carol Boyce and Mary Kay Murphy, seek re-election.
We regret to report that, surprise, politics is getting dirty here. Interesting, some of this degradation into pure politics is coming from outside Gwinnett.
An internet site that doesn’t fully indicate who posts it, Gcps.info, looks like it is from the Gwinnett County Public Schools (see the “gcps” similarity?) But it is not a governmental site. Some say it is a right-wing, Tea Party site stirring up trouble. It is registered in Wyoming. Go to this site, “Great children in public schools,” or Gcps.info. It’s not peaches and cream here, for sure.
The site concentrates on the candidate who has already won the Democratic nomination, Tarece Johnson. She told GwinnettForum that she is in these videos, though the Tik Tok one shows her in an “acting capacity” which had been altered. “Remember, I am an artist. It is me, but I am acting. But it is not my voice.” She also told GwinnettForum she removed an unaltered Tik Tok video from another site before the primary. She adds that “the gcps site perpetrates hate, causes issues and divides people. It misconstrues what is reality.”
Ms. Johnson also says that the site incorrectly lists her campaign manager. She told GwinnettForum earlier in 2020 that the campaign manager is Zavier Pace, different from what the “gcps.info” site maintains.
It’s unfortunate to see such a site. The Internet is wonderful. But it is not always accurate.
Should two more Democrats win seats on the Gwinnett School Board, with Tarece Johnson almost certain of being seated, the board would shift from Republican to Democratic control. Would it continue to run smoothly? We would be concerned to see it make substantial shifts from the smooth and efficient operations it has long been known to employ. We’ll see in 2021.
It’s exciting that in highly-diverse Gwinnett that we will see more minorities on elected boards. For instance, in the race for the Gwinnett County Commission, we expect to see three Democrats elected this year, which will mean that the entire board is made up of minorities. And it was only two years ago that the first minorities were elected to this board. We expect that come January 1, 2021, this all-minority commission will function smoothly, and bring distinction to the county.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Democracy might be doomed if voting is not heavy
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga | “A kid approached me and asked if I wanted to buy a white puppy. I said “No” because their eyes were all closed. The next week, he came up again, but said their eyes were now open. I asked when that had happened. He answered, “When we turned off Fox News.”
O.K., Steven Colbert does not have much to worry about in regard to me stealing his job. But there’s a lot of truth hidden in my little joke.
As opposed to most progressives, most of my friends are President Trump supporters. Some of these people are not bright. But many of them are sharp, just brainwashed. And they all vote regularly.
They tell me up front that they only watch Fox because it’s the only “believable network.” When I ask them why they support Trump, many immediately talk about Hannity or some other Fox political commentator and just repeat what they heard. They often ignore Trump altogether, but talk about right wing conspiracies, like the COVID-19 virus being intentionally released by China.
And if I try to provide other information sources with accurate information, they say that unless the information is on Fox it cannot be believed.
From a recent Monmouth poll, most American voters believe that we will have a fair election. Still, three out of four also express fears of election meddling. However, while the majority of Democrats point to Russia and other nations (as confirmed by our own intelligence agencies), only 21 percent of GOP voters feel this way.
An amazing 53 percent of Republicans believe Democrats will interfere in the election, a non-factual myth promoted on Fox and other right-wing social media sites who oppose Democratic efforts to increase minority voting. Only two percent of Republicans feel like the GOP will interfere, despite Trump stating multiple times that he is open to it.
Voting by mail is another example of GOP voters being unduly influenced by extremely positive, non-objective right wing coverage of President Trump’s incorrect, non-factual statements about mail-in ballots causing voter fraud. Although 90 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of independents believe voting by mail is a good idea, only 20 percent of GOP voters agree.
With these types of views, it is impossible to have a relevant conversation, much less change anyone’s mind, about how the Trump Administration is employing authoritarian tactics to achieve its goals.
Unless progressives, the young and minorities vote in heavy numbers (unlike what they did in 2016), our democracy is doomed.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful
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Comment on recent suggestion to enlarge Supreme Court
Editor, the Forum:
Quoting George Wilson’s recent column: “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”– Mitch McConnell, Republican majority leader, back in February, 2016.
I’m so glad that George. Wilson published McConnell’s quote from 2016, to remind people that McConnell and his Republicans bent a “law” that no Supreme Court nominee could be considered in an election year. Apparently, this rule only goes so far as to benefit Republicans. Why is this allowed? Do the people have no say? Must we abide by whatever Mitch McConnell proclaims???
— Lucy Brady, Suwanee
Editor, the Forum:
Always enjoy reading Wilson’s comments and the possibility of enlarging the Supreme Court. This is being heard a lot lately. Perhaps in tandem with that, The Boston Globe did an op-ed suggesting term limitations for the justices. Of course, that makes sense for what are now lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court and should be enacted for every elected member in Congress.
— Howard Hoffman, Berkeley Lake
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
For over 20 years, Gwinnett maintains AAA financial rating
Gwinnett’s management and financial policies served as the basis for receiving AAA bond ratings from all three bond-rating agencies again this year, a distinction Gwinnett County has held for over 20 years. The highest possible ratings allow the county to borrow money and refinance bonds at favorable interest rates, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in future interest payments.
Financial Services Director Buffy Alexzulian says new bond issues will be used to begin developing the new Rowen research park, to fund new construction for the Infinite Energy Center expansion and to refinance existing debt.
She adds: “Another way of looking at the County’s AAA rating is that we will save about $12.7 million in additional interest payments on the new issues over what they would have cost with an A rating. Going back to 1998 when the County was first rated AAA, the savings total more than $138 million.”
The latest ratings came in September after the County’s finances went through intense review by analysts from S&P Global, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings. Triple AAA bond ratings put Gwinnett in the top two percent with 48 others out of more than 3,000 American counties.
Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash says: “Since 2011, our total estimated debt service savings from refinancing total more than $108 million in interest, which demonstrates that we’re managing the County’s finances very well and not leaving money on the table. Our credit ratings and subsequent interest savings is a reflection of the County’s strong financial position bolstered by sound management decisions and solid financial policies.”
Moody’s Investors Service Aaa rating “reflects the county’s large and growing tax base outside Atlanta, strong financial position and manageable long-term liabilities and fixed costs.” Further, Moody’s stable outlook for the rating “reflects our expectation that the county’s base will continue to expand given strong permitting activity, recent development announcements, and proximity to Atlanta.”
Byrd-Lewis tapped to be new director of Gwinnett Coalition
Renee Byrd-Lewis has been named the new executive director of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. Byrd-Lewis will assume her new role on October 19, 2020. Current Executive Director Ellen Gerstein will transition to a support role and assist Byrd-Lewis until December 31, 2020.
Byrd-Lewis
Chuck Warbington, Gwinnett Coalition board chair and Lawrenceville city manager says: “Renee Byrd-Lewis’s experience, vision and heart for Gwinnett, past successes, and exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills made her our top choice for the position.”
Byrd-Lewis, a Buford resident, has a long history of both career and community accomplishments in Gwinnett.Her experience includes leading community relations and corporate engagement strategies at Scientific Atlanta for eight years both before, during and after its merger with Cisco Systems. She then moved to Georgia Gwinnett College where she served as vice president of advancement before becoming vice president of strategic communications and positioning.
While at Georgia Gwinnett College, it became the number one most ethnically diverse southern regional college. She led marketing and communications efforts that contributed to a 31 percent enrollment increase, oversaw the Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation and related assets of $179 million, and increased fundraising efforts. Most recently Byrd-Lewis has served as senior counsel for POWER 10, where she provided strategic counsel and hands-on tactical support to nonprofits seeking to increase resources to accomplish their organizational goals.
A graduate of Emory University, Byrd-Lewis also has a master’s degree from Georgia State University. She currently serves as board chair of the Leadership Gwinnett Foundation and a board member of the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation, Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation and Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Advisory Board. She has served on multiple other boards throughout the years and won the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce’s Public Service Award, the Gwinnett Coalition’s Thomas James Corporate Involvement Award, United Way Women’s Legacy Award and numerous other awards. She and her husband reside in Buford with their two sons.
The Coalition’s vision is for a community where all residents have the opportunity to thrive. The board’s new strategic plan prioritizes increasing cross-sector coordination, aligning resources, and measuring impact to create large-scale social change. Byrd-Lewis says: “I’m excited to lean into this work and collaborate with community leaders and local organizations to drive positive impact throughout Gwinnett County.”
Rawls is Georgia Gwinnett College’s top teacher
Georgia Gwinnett College History Professor Dr. Richard Rawls has earned the college’s Outstanding Teacher Award, which spotlights those who demonstrate excellence in helping students become adept in an academic discipline. This came at the 13th annual GGC Awards program.
Rawls
Rawls uses both written and oral strategies to immerse students into their studies. In Rawls’ classes, students can expect to prepare assignments using research about a given era, deliver arguments from disparate points of view, or march around the campus green using a seventh-century Greek military formation to demonstrate the value of protection and the influence it had on democracy of early civilizations.
Rawls’ interest in his students does not end when they complete his courses. After graduation, Rawls follows his students’ careers, offering insight and advice along the way.
Dr. Rawls is a native of Biloxi, Miss., and grew up in Central California. He has a B.A. degree from Fresno Pacific University in history and communications; a M. Div. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary; and both a master’s and Ph. D. degree from Emory University in history. He has also studied at the Goethe Institut in Mannheim, Germany.
Others honored at the awards ceremony include:
- Dr. Veronica Sublett Breeden, Outstanding Part-time Teaching;
- Dr. Binh Tran, Outstanding Faculty Mentor;
- Dr. Kathryn Zimmermann, Outstanding Faculty Scholarship and Creative Activities;
- Dr. Carlos Ruiz Burgos, Outstanding Faculty Service;
- Dr. Luis Mora, Outstanding Student Engagement; and
- Ben Hines and Mari Jameison, Outstanding staff members.
Two agencies combine efforts for food distribution in Duluth
Good Samaritan Health Center of Gwinnett and Satisfeed combining forces again on a recent Saturday to distribute free food and health screenings to the residents of Gwinnett County. Katrina Robinson of Buford sorts the pre-packaged sacks for the distribution. The two independent organizations are expanding their services with more than $1.6 million in Coronavirus CARES Act funding. Satisfeed’s weekly Saturday distributions in Duluth serve about 500 families, climbing steadily from 30-40 pre-COVID. Satisfeed is on track to distribute about one million pounds of food this year. Life Church International, a multicultural church whose members represent more than 120 nationalities, provides Satisfeed with free office space and a storage warehouse where forklifts move mountains of food. LCI volunteers support the weekly Saturday distribution services.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
“Every now and then an exquisite gem of a book pops up. We found this in our Little Free Library in front of our house. It’s short—a novella—and you know the subject: the Queen of England. For years she’s been a busy person, traveling, meeting world leaders, etc., but somehow, she has never had the time to read books, though of course she has met many famous authors. This book takes us on her journey of finding reading in her latter years, and how so much she enjoys it, which dramatically changes her. The book is written in a subtle light-hearted, somewhat comic manner, moves smoothly, and is easy to read. The author is one of England’s leading men of letters, in writing, in television and on stage. What joy he must have had with this precious jewel of a book! And…be braced for an exciting ending.”—EEB
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
Atlanta Historical Society publishes Bulletin until 2006
In 1926 a group of 14 Atlantans, led by prominent attorney Walter McElreath, formed the Atlanta Historical Society (AHS). The organization’s goal was the “preservation of sources of information concerning the history of the City of Atlanta in the State of Georgia.” Membership benefits included a subscription to a yearly publication called the Atlanta Historical Bulletin, of which McElreath was the first editor.
The first issue of the Atlanta Historical Bulletin was published in September 1927 and contained information on the new society and two essays—”A Short History of the Parish of the Immaculate Conception” and “The Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children.” The AHS published the Bulletin yearly from 1927 to 1936. It contained historical essays on Atlanta and genealogical records like rosters, listings of names from tax digests, marriage records, and county resident lists. Beginning in 1930 the AHS increased publication of the Bulletin from three to four times a year.
From the start of World War II (1941-45) until the mid-1960s the Bulletin appeared sporadically, with a seven-year gap in publication from 1957 to 1965. Quarterly publication resumed in 1966. Many of the essays focused on Atlanta. The topics were diverse—architecture, the Civil War (1861-65), education, literature, medicine, music, sports, and transportation. Contributing authors were a combination of local “amateur” historians and well-known scholars of the South. The journal also contained articles that focused on various aspects of Georgia—Cherokee County, the Western and Atlantic Railroad, the Georgia Democratic Party, the Farmers’ Alliance, colonial Georgia, Savannah, religion in early Georgia, and the legal history of Georgia, for example.
The AHS also published a number of special issues. After Margaret Mitchell died in 1949, the AHS published a special issue dedicated to her life and career. In 1977 two special issues were published—one on the African American experience in Atlanta and the other on music in Atlanta. More recently, the AHS published a special issue focused on the twentieth-century American South (2001) and another issue focused on automobile racing in the South (2004). Essays included in the former later became the basis for The American South in the Twentieth Century, published by the University of Georgia Press.
In 1978 the Bulletin was renamed the Atlanta Historical Journal to reflect the publication’s purpose as a research-based collection of essays. In 1987 the Atlanta Historical Society broadened its mission to include more articles on the state of Georgia and the South. The publication’s name was changed for a third time to Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South to reflect the broader focus.
The longest-serving editor was Stephens Mitchell (1930-66). The well-known Atlanta historian Franklin M. Garrett was also involved with the journal for decades, serving in different capacities but primarily as editor emeritus. In 1983 Bradley Rice, a professor of history at Clayton Junior College (later Clayton State University) assumed the editorship of the publication until 2001, when Craig S. Pascoe, an assistant professor of history at Georgia College and State University, became the editor.
In 2006, almost eight decades after its initial appearance, the AHS ceased publication of the journal. At the time of its discontinuation, the publication boasted a circulation of approximately 6,000 and an editorial board comprised of noted academics in such fields as history, American studies, political science, and sociology.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Waterfront scene asks for your ID of this Mystery Photo
Where’s this waterfront scene? Careful, you might jump to a conclusion that isn’t right. Tell us where you think this was photographed. Send you answers to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Though expected to be a tough Mystery Photo, several people chimed immediately on the last mystery.
The photo came from Frank Studer of Greenville, S.C.
Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: “This is the Fountain of King Matthias I of Hungary and Croatia in Budapest. Found on the grounds of the Buda Castle, the fountain depicts a hunting party led by Matthias. It is sometimes called the Trevi Fountain of Budapest.
“Matthias Corvinus lived from 1443 to 1490 and ruled during turbulent times. He is credited with reshaping Hungary by increasing its borders, codifying the law, making the tax system fairer and resisting Ottoman expansion. He is known for his sense of justice and was nicknamed the “Just” during his reign. He was a generous patron of the arts and his library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe’s greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, second only in size to the Vatican library.”
Virginia Klaer, Duluth, wrote: “The mystery photo is the Fountain of Kine Matthias in Budapest.
The fountain was designed in 1904. According to the legend, King Matthias Hunyadi, the fairest king of Hungary, went hunting in disguise which he often did to learn about the affairs of the Hungarian Kingdom. During the hunting, he met a pretty peasant girl, Szep Ilonka. They fell in love at first sight, but when she found out that he was the king of Hungary, she realized that their love could not become true, so she died from a broken heart.”
Others recognizing the photo include Hoyt Tuggle, Buford; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; and Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.
There is a similar (at right), but certainly not the same, fountain in Paris, which Rob Ponder of Duluth spotted, and thought he had the right answer. He wrote: “ Today’s photo is the Fountain Saint Michelle in Place Saint Michelle in the Latin Quarter on the left bank of Paris. Our family has sat on the edge of that fountain (just like the people in the photo) many times watching the world go by in a busy part of Paris.” Not so, Rob, though similar!
The Mountain Park community will hold a public meeting on Monday, October 5, at 7 p.m. This will be the fifth public meeting since the Mountain Park Community came together in November, 2019 to advocate. Speaker will be Catherine Long of the Gwinnett Planning and Development Department. This meeting will be virtual over Zoom. A link to join the meeting will be provided a few days prior to the meeting.
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