GwinnettForum | Number 20.79 | Oct. 30, 2020
THE DISCOVERY GARDEN PARK is one of the attractions within the City of Norcross, which on Monday marked its 150th anniversary as Gwinnett’s second city. Mayor Craig Newton plans his state of the city address on November 12. For more details on the city’s sesquicentennial, see Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Asian-American group advocates vote for transit referendum
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Clearing up: not all Gwinnett Republicans opposing transit referendum
ANOTHER VIEW: Urges support for transportation plan for ParaTransit improvements
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Gwinnett College
FEEDBACK: Why doesn’t GOP repeal or modify the Affordable Care Act?
UPCOMING: After four years of study, Snellville oks new development ordinance
NOTABLE: City of Norcross marks sesquicentennial; state of city coming Nov. 12
RECOMMENDED: Too Much, Never Enough: by Mary L. Trump
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Sea Island architecture modeled after Mizner work in Florida
MYSTERY PHOTO: Simple park monument is this edition’s Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Reader sends along a beautifully blooming area within Georgia
Asian-American group says vote for transit referendum
(Editor’s Note: Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood serves as director of the Asian American Advocacy Fund, a grassroots 501(c)4 social welfare organization dedicated to building a politically-conscious, engaged, and progressive Asian American base in Georgia. Prior to joining the Asian American Advocacy Fund, she served as the policy director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta.—eeb)
By Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood
Director, Asian American Advocacy Fund
NORCROSS, Ga. | Growing up in Gwinnett County, some of my fondest memories include weekend trips to Jimmy Carter Boulevard to get our ethnic groceries, stocking up on some great Indian food, and hanging out with our friends at Global Mall. Businesses along the Jimmy Carter corridor have helped bring pieces of home for many Asian communities for over 25 years. To this day, my friends and family from neighboring counties plan trips to Gwinnett, as it is revered as a nexus for so many immigrant communities.
Mahmood
As our communities grew, Asian American businesses started branching out up north toward Pleasant Hill Road and Duluth; this area has become its own cultural district for Asian communities, with restaurants, cafes, and stores that serve Korean, Vietnamese, Pakistani, Indian, and many more groups.
Although the thriving immigrant population in Gwinnett has brought culture, food, and business to our neighborhoods, the influx of new families and development has signaled a need for expanded, accessible transit infrastructure. In addition to the rapid population growth of Gwinnett, the state projects that by 2050 our population will exceed 1.5 million people, including many Asian American and immigrant residents. Already today, getting through Jimmy Carter Boulevard or Pleasant Hill Road on a weekday afternoon feels impossible. Adding more lanes or expanding our roads is not the option – Gwinnett, now is the time to expand mass transit.
That is why I’m so excited to vote for Gwinnett’s newest transit expansion plan that will be on our ballot this November, and everyone I’ve spoken to from my community feels the same. The new plan would implement a modest one percent sales tax for the next 30 years to cover a massive expansion of the existing Gwinnett County Transit bus system, a newly developed bus rapid transit program, and bring MARTA heavy rail to the Jimmy Carter corridor – further opening up access to different parts of the city for various communities.
The proposed expansions to be funded with this transit special purpose local option sales and use tax will help mitigate the traffic nightmare that has caused delays and distress to metro Atlanta residents for years. This plan will include more local bus routes, shortened service wait times, increased connectivity to neighboring counties, and an increase in paratransit services. Robust expansions like these will bring about unprecedented mobility in Gwinnett County.
For Asian American and immigrant-run businesses, this means more accessibility to customers and easier access for employees. For our families, this means greater access to jobs and institutions of higher learning. And for Gwinnett, this means more connectivity to other parts of our region and being open to new opportunities.
For my family in particular, we’re looking forward to increased paratransit opportunities and connectivity with other parts of the metro Atlanta area. Growing up in the northern suburbs of Gwinnett County, my sister, who has a disability, rarely had access to paratransit; when she did have access, she was limited in where she could go. With this transit plan, we’re hopeful that the paratransit expansion will give her the mobility she needs to visit friends in other parts of the metro region, shop at her favorite malls, and be more independent.
As we get closer to our November 3 election, my organization, the Asian American Advocacy Fund, is encouraging voters to support the transit referendum that would help bring more mobility, opportunity, accessibility, and connectivity to Gwinnett County. AAAF has just launched our Move with Gwinnett campaign to inform our voters about the benefits that this expanded transit plan brings to Asian American and immigrant communities in our region. For more information about our campaign, please visit our website.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Not all Gwinnett Republicans opposing transit referendum
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
OCT. 30, 2020 | Now more details of a squabble among Gwinnett Republican Party members are being seen in a new light. In Tuesday’s GwinnettForum (in my perspective) there was information that indicated that the Gwinnett Republican Party was going to oppose the referendum on the Gwinnett transit question.
That’s not right. It was a small faction of the party getting the upper hand in a specially called meeting recently. When taking a vote on the transit question, the vote was 17-15 against the referendum. That certainly is no landslide.
Gwinnett Republican Party Chairman Edward Muldrow may have been blindsided by the vote, when a faction of the party, led by Joe Newton, pulled off this vote. Newton, aggressive in his efforts to be a power in Republican politics, has not always been polite in his manner at party meetings. Newton is a law school graduate, but does not practice in that field. He is originally from North Carolina, and lives off Norcross-Tucker Road.
Muldrow explains what happened in this manner: “There’s a group of people within the party who have been around for a while, and feel that this is the way we’ve always run the party, and do things. These people are not flexible.
Muldrow
“Others think we have to change with the times. There are probably many Republicans who will vote for the transit bill. This transit referendum will give Gwinnett a larger power in how the overall local transit system operates in this county, without MARTA having a larger impact.”
In fact, MARTA is a small part of the referendum. The larger portion would add four bus rapid transit lines, and seven new bus routes among major corridors. It will expand bus service and paratransit operations. The only MARTA element would bring the heavy rail one additional stop from Doraville to Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
In September of this year, at a regular every-other-month meeting of the 200 paid members of the party (dues are $30 annually), some members wanted to pass a resolution for the party to take a “no” stance on the transit resolution. However, a vote was not taken then. But in a special called meeting later on in the month, only 34 people attended. (A quorum of special meetings is 20 people.) That’s when the “No” vote passed 17-15, with two abstentions.
Muldrow maintains that this gave the impression the Republican Party as a whole was against the transit vote, and as such, “was misleading.” It was publicized on the United Tea Party of Georgia web site.
Muldow also feels that the vote in the special election “puts the party and especially Republican candidates, in a difficult position. Jurisdictions of some candidates are more middle-of-the-road, and our candidates have to align themselves with their constituents. That’s only fair for them. So we as a party must at least consider what the transportation issues are. In the past it was stern opposition and now we must give consideration to what the options look like, and so that we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot.
“For the party, if we don’t figure it out, and quick, in Gwinnett we’ve going to have a hard road ahead of us.”
Muldow retired to Gwinnett in 2008, and lives in Snellville. Originally from Miami, Fla., he grew up in a black, liberal neighborhood. “I’m not supposed to be a Republican, but it makes more sense to me.” He is a 23-year Air Force veteran, retiring as a master sergeant. He was attracted to Gwinnett so that his two sons could have a better education. He is an international consultant helping provide infrastructure to African countries.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Urges support for plan for ParaTransit improvements
By Letha Kelly,
Transit Review Committee Member
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | As the parent of an adult with special needs, who has been successfully using ParaTransit for about nine years now, I was asked to be on the Transit Review Committee last fall to represent the ParaTransit community. The committee was tasked with analyzing current and projected transit needs, as well as the potential for various types of transportation modes for citizens across Gwinnett County.
While there are several types of transportation modes recommended in the Transit Report, the ones that I am bringing to your attention are the ones that offer optimum transportation service for adults with mobility issues. Even though you may know a child with special needs who is not yet old enough to use Gwinnett Transit services, please keep in mind that the following information refers to positive impacts for local transportation over the next 30 years.
The upcoming Transit Referendum, which will be included on the November ballot in Gwinnett County, is basically asking voters to vote their opinion on a one percent sales tax to fund transit projects for the next 30 years. However, the item on the ballot does not explain important enhancements for public transportation in Gwinnett County, which includes expanded transportation for adults with special needs.
This type of transportation is called ParaTransit.
- ParaTransit refers to ADA compliant curb-to-curb shared ride bus service for eligible adults with disabilities.
- The ParaTransit Service has strict safety requirements for their employees. Their drivers must pass yearly background checks and must maintain ADA compliance. This is not necessarily true for private taxi or private transport network companies.
- Currently only 20 percent of Gwinnett County is serviced by ParaTransit. In the new Long-Range plan when all goals are completed, 72 percent of Gwinnett County will be in the ParaTransit Service Area.
- MicroTransit, also known as Flex Service, was piloted last year in the Snellville area and the Buford area. Flex Service is an on-demand transportation bus service that carries passengers upon request to destinations within the Flex Service Area.
- A group of adults with special needs utilized the Snellville area MicroTransit pilot program, which they considered to be a valuable and welcome mode of transportation. In the Long-Range Transit plan a total of eight Flex Zones are proposed, which will offer a considerable amount of affordable and convenient service, especially to areas not currently receiving any type of transportation service.
- This Transportation Referendum presents public transportation improvements for the next 30 years, with major enhancements within the first 5 – 10 years. Children with disabilities may not currently need transportation other than what their families offer at this time, but those families may not know what their children will need as adults within the next 30 years.
There are many more points for enhanced transportation in the referendum that I did not address because of space, but I feel are important for easing road congestion and improving prospects for navigating throughout Gwinnett County.
Also, please keep in mind that anyone shopping in Gwinnett County will help pay for Transportation improvements.
I encourage you to take the time before you vote to go online to the Gwinnett County Government website and read the main points of the Transportation Plan to help you decide how you want to vote on this important item. For more information, visit https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/web/gwinnett/Home.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Georgia Gwinnett College
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Why doesn’t GOP repeal or modify the Affordable Care Act?
Editor, the Forum:
The Trump Administration has a case before the Supreme Court that seeks to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sometimes known as Obamacare. It’s one of many Republican efforts (about 50) over some 10 years to repeal the ACA, sometimes accompanied by a “promise” to replace the ACA with an undescribed “better” plan. I question why it’s necessary to repeal the ACA. Why not propose legislation to modify it, to make it better along whatever lines the Republicans believe would appeal to and benefit Americans?
I believe the repeal attempts seek to denigrate President Obama by jettisoning his signature legislative accomplishment. They may even reflect some racial animus because the ACA passage was led by a Black president and it benefitted Americans, many Black, who otherwise could not afford healthcare insurance.
What do Gwinnett Forum readers think?
— Michael Wood, Peachtree Corners
Finds argument for electing Biden as “reprehensible”
Editor, the Forum:
The “argument” for Joe Biden I find it reprehensible that it is made using “accusations” rather than facts. The entire narrative in the piece for Biden is that President Trump is inconsistent on the military. It is interesting that the writer extolled the virtue of Beau Biden’s service to the country but said nothing about the shameful service of Hunter Biden.
The Obama/Biden administration was no friend of the military. By comparison, Trump rebuilt the military that Obama/Biden decimated, created a new branch of service, brought troops home, started no new wars and fixed the ailing Veteran’s Administration. Not to mention getting the members of NATO to pay up.
There are numerous problems with Biden as president….but, it seems any Biden supporter ignores higher taxes, wipes out energy independence, destroys the second amendment, wants to pack the court, add the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as states, provide free healthcare to illegals, rejoin the horrible Paris Climate Accords (try actually reading the agreement) and there is a laundry list of other items.
It would be a sad day for America if the senile old puppet were elected.
— David P. Meers, Johns Creek
Dear David: We hear you and print your views. Don’t you suspect others would also be feeling it would be “reprehensible” should Mr. Trump be re-elected”—eeb
Pleased with initial remarks after Barrett sworn in
Editor, the Forum:
Your last issue published my wish for comments from Amy Coney Barrett. Now that she has been confirmed and sworn in, I am pleased with the comments she made after taking the Constitutional Oath during a ceremony at the White House. Among her comments were the following:
“Federal judges don’t stand for election. Thus they have no basis for claiming that their preferences reflect those of the people. The separation of duty from political preferences is what makes the judiciary distinct among the three branches of government.”
“The oath that I have solemnly taken tonight means at its core that I will do my job without fear or favor, and that I will do so independently of both political branches and of my own preferences.”
I was pleased to see Justice Barrett publicly declare her independence in performing her duties.
— John Titus, Peachtree Corners
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
After 4 years, Snellville OKs new development ordinance
Snellville’s City Council brought four years of community input, idea testing and draft review to an end on October 26 with the adoption of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a comprehensive updating and consolidation of the city’s existing zoning and development regulations.
Social distancing is practiced at Snellville council meeting
Snellville Director of Planning and Development Jason Thompson summed up the experience: “We took the time to get it right. As a result, we’re no longer facing modern growth and development challenges with yesterday’s tools. Under the UDO, we’ve cleaned up and simplified everything, increased flexibility, and enabled the kind of redevelopment — like our Towne Center plan — envisioned by the community,” he said.
Work began on the plan in early 2016. Direction for the project was obtained through a series of one-on-one interviews, focus groups and a widely attended Towne Center gathering, where a broad cross section of the community — residents and neighborhood groups, builders and developers, members of the city’s faith communities and small business owners and entrepreneurs — made their priorities known.
Those priorities reflected a desire to preserve and build upon Snellville’s enviable quality of life and touched on everything from what’s built to where it’s built to how it’s built. Collectively, they expressed a need for a modern and user-friendly code that fosters quality redevelopment, promotes innovation, effectively manages stormwater, enables the city’s Towne Center, and cultivates better design.
Project lead Caleb Racicot of TSW Planners says: “Most development on the horizon will come in the form of re-development — re-building on previously developed sites. That’s a whole different game and requires a different set of rules.”
Norcross marks sesquicentennial; State of City to be Nov. 12
The city of Norcross marked its birthday on October 16. It is 150 years old. For the occasion, Mayor Craig Newton made a short video concerning the birthday. Go to https://youtu.be/3NG2XlLkObQ to see the video. You can also download the city’s special edition newsletter, filled with fun facts, pictures and activities celebrating our history. Click the following to read: English (PDF) | Espanol (PDF). Commemorative items about celebrating Norcross’ 150th Anniversary are available for purchase in the Welcome Center and downtown merchants celebrating Norcross’ 150th Anniversary. The Sesquicentennial State of the City address by Mayor Newton will be online on November 12.
Too Much, Never Enough: by Mary L. Trump
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: Mary L. Trump, the niece of Donald J. Trump, presents a portrait of a family that had questionable dynamics resulting in a pattern of abuse and power struggles that stretched across decades. She is the daughter of oldest son Frederick Trump Jr., who suffered the bulk of the abuse by the Real Estate mogul Frederick Crist Trump Sr. It is a portrait of the character development of Donald J. Trump. Other family members stand out as others who were warped by the expectations of Frederick senior. What emerges is essentially a description of an elaborate pyramid scheme that honors and humiliates family members depending on their adherence to the family script. It is a difficult reading experience because these events actually happened to people, one in a power position with unbridled influence on the country. It is an important book that should be read despite political persuasion. The full title is Too Much, Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.
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
[butto n size=”small”]GEORGIA TIDBIT [/button]
Sea Island modeled after Mizner work in Florida
Howard Coffin commissioned Addison Mizner, noted for his work in Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, to design a small hotel, which opened as the Cloister in October 1928. A beach club, fishing dock, tennis courts, and shooting school were built near the hotel. North of the resort, a colony of private cottages developed along a three-mile drive down the center of the island. A golf club, riding stables, and yacht club for the Cloister were located on St. Simons Island.
Sea Island in a 1931 photo
In 1928 Coffin turned over the administration of the resort to his young cousin, Alfred W. Jones, who steered it through the difficult years of the depression. In 1966 Alfred W. Jones Jr. succeeded his father as president of the Sea Island Company. The Jones family continues to own and manage the company and the resort. Since 1997 Alfred W. Jones III has served as chairman of the board.
Over the years the Cloister was enlarged from 46 to 286 rooms, which were located in the original hotel and in a variety of surrounding buildings. In 2003 the original building was razed, and construction began on a new structure designed by Peter Capone. Capone’s plans closely follow Mizner’s Mediterranean architectural style and include a replica of his original turret.
In addition, the hotel’s famous Spanish Lounge was dismantled and restored to its original condition within the new building. Featuring 70 hotel rooms and 30 suites, the new structure opened in April 2006.
Sea Island’s cottage colony now has more than 500 residences. Ocean Forest, a private golf club that opened in 1995, is located on the northern tip of the island. Designed by Rees Jones, it was the site of the 2001 Walker Cup Match.
In June 2004 the G8 Summit, an annual meeting of the eight largest industrial nations to discuss economic and political issues of global importance, was hosted by the United States on Sea Island.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Simple park monument is this edition’s Mystery Photo
Many a city has a park with different types of statues in them. Here’s another. Now, can you identify the city where this monument is located? Send your ideas to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. tells us of the last Mystery Photo: “This is of the bronze, tall-ship sculpture dedicated to the SS Savannah, the first steam-powered tall-ship to make a transatlantic crossing. The sculpture is located along the Savannah waterfront in the John P. Rousakis Riverfront Plaza in Savannah, Ga.
“Captained by Moses Rogers (1779-1821), this ship set sail from Savannah on May 22, 1819 and arrived in Liverpool, England on June 20, 1819. The 98-foot, 320-ton hybrid vessel was built to operate as a side wheel steamship or a sailing ship with three masts. With 32-passenger berths and three saloons, it had an interior resembling a pleasure yacht. However, it had been dubbed the “steam coffin” and the owners had been unable to secure any passengers or freight for the trip to Liverpool, therefore it was an experimental voyage.
“It took 29 days and 11 hours to reach Liverpool but the steam engine was only employed for a total of 80 hours during the voyage. Considering that the total distance travelled (as the crow flies) was over 4,000 miles, this means that the ship was able to achieve an average speed of 5.7 mph (or 5.0 nautical mph), assuming a 24/7 sailing regiment.
Another view in photo by Holly Craft.
“Despite the historic voyage, the Savannah failed to be a commercial success due to the great space that was taken up by the large steam-engine and its associated fuel, limiting the cargo-carrying capacity of this type of ship. In order to make ends meet, the owners of the ship had it converted to 100 percent sail shortly after its return trip from Europe in 1819. Just two years later, the SS Savannah met her fate in a devastating ship wreck off Long Island, New York in 1821, coincidentally the same year that Captain Moses Roger died from typhoid fever.”
George Graf of Palmyra, Va., adds: “The Savannah was wrecked off Long Island in 1821. No other American-owned steamship would cross the Atlantic for almost 30 years after Savannah‘s pioneering voyage.” He also sent along a U.S. postage stamp featuring the ship.
Others identifying the photograph include Michael Blackwood, Duluth; Robert Hanson, Loganville; Joseph Hopkins, Lawrenceville; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; and Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill, who sent this different view of the ship’s model, taken by Holly Craft of Buford. The original photo came from Andy Brack of Charleston.
DELIGHTFUL TO THE EYE: Lovely almost any time of year, here’s a photo sent to us by Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill of her recent visit to Gibbs Garden, above Ball Ground, near Big Canoe in Cherokee County. There are some 16 different gardens in the 220 acres of this beautifully-blooming area. It’s always worth a trip during the milder months.
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