GwinnettForum | Number 21.08 | Jan. 29, 2021
NORCROSS WILL HAVE rooftop dining this fall, as B&W Burgers, Buns and Brews opens at the former B&W Auto Parts location near the intersection of South Peachtree Street and Holcomb Bridge Road. Owner Jimmy Redding said there would be 15 tables on the roof, plus downstairs dining of about 50 tables. Mr. Redding currently operates Jimmy’s, a Mexican steak house, in Doraville. He and his family are residents of Norcross.
EDITORIAL: Commendation to 4 Atlanta commercial television stations
TODAY’S FOCUS: Ex-Gwinnett School Board member thankful for great system
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Gwinnett, Buford now dealing with the state for water allocation
ANOTHER VIEW: Better Covid inoculation sign-ups needed for elderly people
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Gwinnett College
FEEDBACK: Maintains U.S. is having third imperial presidency in a row
UPCOMING: Suwanee police chief, city clerk both announce retirement
NOTABLE: Lawrenceville to crack down on illegally parked vehicles
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Emeritus UGA professor translates Near Eastern mysticism
MYSTERY PHOTO: Here’s another water scene as a Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Two Button sculptures now at Infinite Energy Center
Commendation to 4 Atlanta commercial television stations
Aaron in 1974.
GwinnettForum would like to publicly recognize the four commercial television stations in Atlanta for their 2 hour 45 minute broadcast of the funeral of Henry Louis Aaron. Many stations outside Atlanta also carried the service.
We commend the management of WSB-TV (Channel 2); WAGA-TV (Channel 5); WXIA-TV (Channel 11) and WGCL-TV (Channel 46) for their Wednesday uninterrupted coverage, without commercial messages. Their presentation of this funeral is a fitting tribute to the memory of an athlete, businessman, gentleman and humanitarian Hank Aaron, an Atlanta treasure.
The fans of Metro Atlanta thank the stations for their commendable public service in this broadcast.
Ex-Gwinnett School Board member thankful for great system
By Dr. Patricia Mitchell,
Assistant professor, Department of Government and Justice Studies, Appalachian State University
BOONE, N.C. | The recent Gwinnett school board election led me to reminisce about my service on the board in the early 90s. Alton Crews had recently passed away, George Thompson was the new superintendent and we were introduced to Outcome Based Education. My first thought was “Gee whiz, where did 30 years go!” But then, I got serious in reflecting on what I learned in that experience.
MItchell
When considering running, Connie Wiggins introduced me to Louise Radloff, a strong friendship that is still in place. Louise concluded our meeting with “Learn as much as you can, and then learn to think on your feet.”
I ran, I won and a few months later walked into a LSAC meeting to discuss the new elementary school proposed for Collins Hill Cluster. Cars were lined up, the parking lot was full and I thought how nice, people came to greet their new representative. It did not take long to realize they were not there to welcome, they were there to “Eat my lunch” because of the site’s location near transmission lines. Louise’s words came back, ‘Learn and then think on your feet.’
Leadership lessons were taught to me by some of the best. George Thompson whom I still consider a mentor; David Crews, who is the most ethical man I’ve ever known; Jim Steele, who was invaluable in understanding the big-picture; and Alvin Wilbanks, then at Gwinnett Tech. From George I learned to focus on students and never make a decision based on politics. From David, while an action might not be illegal for a board member, perception can be just as damaging. From Jim I learned to build a network, be politically astute and never violate a trust. From Alvin I learned about having passion for your work and an absolute need for quality in the institution.
Caring about kids was a constant lesson from Louise. Understanding the varying populations and needs in the Clusters came from board members, such as Julie Duke and Joel Taylor.
A most poignant lesson came from a little girl at a PTA meeting. Children were sharing art work and I asked her to tell me about her picture – a curly headed stick figure with a “package” in the doorway of a structure. In her broken English she told me it was her holding her doll that she had to leave behind when they fled their village and their country. Thirty years later I cannot tell that story without tears.
Today, I teach in a university graduate program for aspiring town and county managers, administration of justice and nonprofit leaders. My public management classes present to peers who are instructed to “Learn and think on your feet.” Students wrestle with ethical decisions and discuss ‘perception.’ Principles and values, rather than politics, is one of the lessons taught. Building networks, political astuteness and trust are woven throughout my classes. Passion and quality must be demonstrated.
The public school classroom is a reflection of our society—all its successes and its failures. It offers a great opportunity to educate our future leaders. George Thompson and Louise Radloff were right: focus on the children.
My very best wishes to the Gwinnett County Public Schools, a fine institution that not only educated my two children, but that provided me a lifetime of lessons from really great leaders.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Gwinnett, Buford dealing with the state for water allocation
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
JAN. 29, 2021 | With Gwinnett County getting its drinking water from Lake Lanier, any modification in policy regarding that water is significant. However, a new agreement announced this week for water supply isn’t as significant as it may have first appeared.
The new agreement is between the Corps of Engineers, which controls the lake’s water, and the State of Georgia. Both Gwinnett and Forsyth counties, plus the cities of Buford, Gainesville and Cumming, have an agreement directly with the Corps for water supply. The new agreement is between the Corps and the state for water. Essentially, the local water systems will now deal with the state instead of the Corps for water allocation.
Gwinnett’s original allocation was included in legislation in 1946 led by Sen. Richard Russell.
When Buford Dam was opened in 1950, the Corps flooded the Chattahoochee basin, and covered up water intake facilities into the river that the cities of Buford and Gainesville used to pull drinking water from the river. As the Corps did not pay the two cities for the water plant land (Buford had 40 acres for its site on the river), the Corps granted both cities water rights indefinitely. Buford’s original intake was two million gallons of water per day (mgd), while Gainesville originally had 10 mgd.
Later Gwinnett County gained an intake into the Lake when Secretary of the Army Bo Callaway signed such an agreement in the early 1970s, which former Commission Ray Gunnin pushed. He and then Chairman Bill Atkinson went to Fort McPherson for Callaway’s signature on the water intake document.
About the current modification, Philip Beard, chairman of the Buford City Commission, sees no need for the new document. “We have a contract for the water. It’s just more lawyers getting involved.”
He added: “Someone came up with the idea that local government needed to pay for the storage of water in Lake Lanier. They took our land and small water plant, covered it up with water, and made a deal to give us water a year free. Now our allocation is two million, but the water is still free. Now they want to charge us for the storing the water in the lake that is free to us. That will be a substantial cost for a big system like Gwinnett.”
Beard says Buford currently uses 1.6 mgd of water. Gwinnett County’s average usage is currently 73 mgd on an annual average, says Tyler Richards, head of the Gwinnett Water Department. The county’s permit allocation for withdrawal from the lake is 150 mgd.
With Gwinnett using 73 mgd, there’s another consideration: Gwinnett recycles wastewater, and returns it to the lake an average of 35.6 mgd, cleaner than when it is pulled from the lake. So far the state Environmental Protection Division does not give Gwinnett any credit against its daily allocation.
We’ve learned of the passing of Jackie Joseph, long an advocate for Lake Lanier. She was 89 and died January 20. She was president of the Lake Lanier Association, and for 30 years was a spokesman for improving the lake. She and her late husband, Bob Joseph, once had a radio station in Buford.
The Association spent nearly $500,000 putting riprap, or heavy rocks, around the islands dotting the 38,000-acre lake. The rocks were placed along heavily eroded areas, which had turned into sheer cliffs exposing red dirt and sediment.
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Better COVID inoculation sign-ups needed for elderly people
By Debra Houston, contributing columnist
LILBURN, Ga. | During my routine physical in January, I asked my doctor if it’s true COVID cases are spiking. He nods before I finish the question: “The Christmas spike.”
“But you can understand why,” I say. “Grandmother has been sheltering in place for nearly a year and she wants to hug her grandkids on Christmas morning.”
The vaccine rollout seems stymied in Phase 1a in Georgia. There’s not enough vaccine and the cumbersome online appointment system is a maze of confusion.
Phase 1a includes vaccines administered to our heroic health care workers along with our precious elders in long-term care facilities.
Phase 1b includes essential workers like police, firefighters and EMS workers. Those 75+ are in 1b because they’re at high risk of being hospitalized or dying from COVID.
Phase 1c includes ages 65-74 and 16-75 with chronic illnesses like asthma or diabetes. As you can see, some of the phases overlap. I’ve shortened their descriptions, but you can read more about them at cdc.org.
Who are we forgetting? Grandmother! Sure, the CDC mentions her age group and acknowledges the urgency to vaccinate them but doesn’t suggest how they should go about it.
Grandmother can’t afford assisted living or a nursing home. Even though she feels isolated, home is where she raised her children. She’ll stay there until she dies. Anyway, she doesn’t want to be a bother.
The online appointment system the general public uses won’t help her. She doesn’t own a computer and wouldn’t know how to use it anyway. The generation least familiar with computers is at the bottom of Phase 1c competing against lawyers, bankers, and electrical workers for appointments. Some employers might invite health care workers to administer the vaccine at their places of business. But Grandmother is a woman of one.
If she fails to get vaccinated, she’ll still see those grandkids at Christmas or on their birthday if possible. Let’s say one of them unknowingly has the virus. The worse scenario is that Grandmother will contract it. We’ve already read that the CDC classifies her as likely to die if she gets it. What if the whole family comes down sick? Not to place blame, but next January we’ll have another COVID spike.
I speak to neighbors in this age group. They say how frustrated they are with the online appointment system. It needs to be streamlined. Also, pharmacies could set up 800-numbers for only the elderly. We also could use community senior centers to ask health care workers to administer vaccinations for the elderly at socially distanced tables. Volunteers could drive them there and back and help them fill out the required registration and consent papers.
If everyone pitches in, maybe we won’t have a spike next January. After all, I have a set of brand-spanking-new twin nieces and one rowdy nephew I want to meet before they head off to college.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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Maintains U.S. is having third imperial presidency in a row
Editor, the Forum:
With a narrow margin in the national House and a tie in the Senate, President Joe Biden sat down to sign a stack of executive orders kicking off another imperial presidency where one executive cancels the predecessor with a stack of leather bound documents and a signature and begins new efforts with new documents never bothering with the legislature. Augustus crushed his republic the same way after centuries of the Roman Senate-making policy.
Agreement on issues is almost impossible in a highly connected, multicultural, large population that is litigious and well armed. Determining facts is a problem. In the 20th century, the government first became the protector, but late in the century, it became the provider. This compounded the decision-making process. We are the world in a microcosm trying to operate a republic. It’s a microcosm where everyone holds dearly to their identity rather than being an American with subordinated identity.
President Biden will be the third imperial president in a row. He needs to stand and engage the press like his predecessors have. If he plans to move the government with orders, he should have conversations with the press and the public to hear their questions and comfort their concerns.
— Byron Gilbert, Duluth
Dear Byron: some would count No. 42, George W. Bush, also an imperial president. But perhaps not No. 41 (Clinton), who was busy with other matters.—eeb
Enjoyed tribute to Hank Aaron, and getting an autograph
Editor, the Forum:
Thank you for your Hank Aaron tribute. I remember my dad taking me and my brother to see the Atlanta Braves (and Hank Aaron!) for the 713th home run night. It was thrilling. And I got an autograph from Hank Aaron’s father, Herbert Aaron! I was 8 or 9 at the time and figured THAT would be a rare signature! Aaron’s father was a lovely man, very gracious. I found that signature is in a mod-’70s lime green zippered autograph book with vivid ’70s flowers on it. Great memory!
— Liz Fehrs, Hillsborough, N.C.
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Suwanee police chief, city clerk both announce retirement
From left are new Suwanee Police Chief Cass Mooney, retiring Chief Mike Jones, retiring City Clerk Elvira Rogers, new City Clerk Robyn O’Donnell.
Two long-time City of Suwanee employees are retiring.
After 23 years in Suwanee, Police Chief Mike Jones has announced his retirement. And City Clerk Elvira Rogers, after 22 years with the city, is also retiring.
Suwanee Police Chief Mike Jones has 23 years of service to the city and a total of 47 years in law enforcement. During Chief Jones tenure, the Suwanee Police Department has more than doubled in size. The department became accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 2010 – one of just 56 in Georgia – and in 2016, the department was named the Agency of the Year by the Georgia Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. Chief Jones was also named Outstanding Chief of the Year by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police in 2018. He has been in law enforcement for 47 years.
Chief Jones is a past president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and on the Reinhardt College Police and Gwinnett Technical College advisory boards. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and Georgia Command College, and Chief Jones has taught at all levels of law enforcement, sharing his extensive experience and knowledge with his fellow officers.
Suwanee City Manager Marty Allen says: “Mike transformed the Suwanee Police Department into the high quality Department that it is. I have witnessed a dedicated professional that earnestly works to serve and better his community with humility.”
Additionally, City Clerk Elvira Rogers, hired as part-time to support the planning, inspections, and public works departments, became a Certified Municipal Clerk in 2009, obtaining her Master Clerk Certification in 2016. Prior to the city, Rogers worked for Gwinnett County government for 12 years.
Rogers is also a pastor within the United Methodist Church, and plans to “devote more time to her calling” in her retirement.
Allen points out: “Elvira was the first person I hired when I came to the city. We’ve been through a lot together,” commented Allen. “Her contributions will always be valued and remembered; Elvira’s commitment and dedication these past 22 years are worthy of admiration.”
With every change comes new opportunities for others: Deputy Chief Cass Mooney was sworn in as Suwanee’s new police chief, effective February 1, and administrative coordinator Robyn O’Donnell is the new City Clerk.
Chief Mooney has spent 23 of his 26 years in law enforcement with the Suwanee police.. He holds a degree in criminal justice from the University of North Georgia, as well as a Master of Public Administration with concentration in Justice Administration from Columbus State University.
O’Donnell completed the Georgia Clerks Education Certificate Program in 2020, receiving the designation of official Georgia Certified Clerk. O’Donnell has been with the city since 2013, and has worked in municipal government since 2006.
Gwinnett, Italy-American Chamber agree to MOU
The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce (GCOC) and Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast (IACCSE) have agreed to an alliance. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is meant to encourage further collaboration between the two parties to best serve their members.
Gwinnett Chamber Board Chair Doug Jenkins says: “This is our first of many Memorandums of Understanding in 2021, and we are excited about the possibility of partnerships to come. Working together gives us strength in numbers and a unified voice to protect our pro-business environment.”
In addition to a collaborative partnership, this alliance is formed to develop a mutual understanding and working relationship between the two chambers.
Eugenio Fumo, vice president of the Georgia Chapter, Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast says: “More Italian companies call Gwinnett County home than any other county in Georgia. We are confident this important partnership will allow our members even greater access to participate in events and to connect with the local business community in Gwinnett County. Entering this Memorandum of Understanding is definitely a significant step in the development of closer and even more substantial business ties between Gwinnett County, Italy, and our respective members.”
Also in attendance was Filiberto Calascibetta, Honorary Consul General of Italy in Atlanta, and a member of IACCSE. To read the Memorandum of Understanding, visit GwinnettChamber.org.
Gwinnett seeking members of 2021 Community Outreach programs
Applications are now open for Gwinnett County’s signature Outreach’s programs. Those interested in a behind-the-scenes look at their local government are invited to apply. Applications for the spring class are available online at Gwinnett101.com. The deadline is March 1.
Last fall, 25 participants graduated from the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy’s 11th class, the only such class in 2020 because of the ongoing pandemic. Participants learned about the history of their County government, took virtual and in-person tours of County facilities and had conversations with County leadership.
In addition, 20 high school students participated in the 2020 – 2021 Gwinnett Youth Commission and were sworn-in as youth commissioners on July 29. The weekly classes that took place during the eight-week training session were completely virtual.
Shaunieka Taylor, Community Outreach director, says: “As we look to 2021, we hope to continue offering these programs while keeping our participants and County staff safe.”
Lawrenceville to crack down on illegally-parked vehicles
Beginning February 1, 2021, the Lawrenceville Police Department will begin a two-part Parking Enforcement Campaign focusing on public education and awareness. The purpose of this campaign is to reduce the number of illegally parked vehicles within the city limits.
During the month of February, officers will leave a violation notice on the offender’s windshield outlining the parking ordinance, but will not issue citations unless the vehicle is a habitual violator or causing an immediate safety concern for the motoring public. Beginning March 1, 2021, violators will be issued citations for the appropriate violations and towed if necessary.
Chief Tim Wallis says: “Violators prevent access by Emergency Response and Support Vehicles and block access to fire hydrants. In addition, illegally parked vehicles are more subject to vandalism and theft.”
- For a full list of parking ordinances or to report a concern, visit https://linktr.ee/lawrencevillepolice.
Suwanee to have time-lapse photos at Sims Lake Park
Time-Lapse photography of nature coming to Sims Lake Park
The City of Suwanee is teaming up with Chronolog to create an online repository of time-lapse photographs in Sims Lake Park.
Visitors to the park can utilize the photo station, installed at the base of the waterfall stone steps feature at Sims Lake, with their own cell phone. Participants simply prop their phone in the cradle, snap a photo, and upload it to the website displayed on signage at the photo station. The website will automatically sort the photos in chronological order and can be viewed in a sequential time lapse at Suwanee.com.
Kim Towne, who spearheaded the project for the City of Suwanee, says: “It’s a great opportunity to engage our citizens with nature and to keep a photographic record of environmental change, further connecting our community to the global environment.”
Winn DAR Chapter names Griffin as top history teacher
Griffin
Johnny Griffin, a George Walton Academy faculty member, is the nominee of Lawrenceville’s Philadelphia Winn chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, for the outstanding teacher of American history. He has been also selected as the State of Georgia nominee for this award and his name submitted to the national competition. Philadelphia Winn member Randi Minor suggested his nomination. She was his student in eighth grade at Shiloh Middle School. A retired Gwinnett County teacher, Griffin currently teaches eighth grade Georgia History at George Walton Academy in Loganville; he has been teaching for 33 years. will be honored during the state DAR Annual Conference at Evergreen Conference Center in March. Historian Kathy Lobe presented the honor to the winner at a recent DAR meeting.
- 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
Emeritus UGA professor translates Near Eastern mysticism
Coleman Barks, a poet and professor emeritus at the University of Georgia in Athens, has gained world renown for his translations of Near Eastern poets, especially Jalal al-Din Rumi. He is also an accomplished poet, whose interest in Near Eastern mysticism infuses his observations of southern landscape and life.
Barks
Barks has published several collections of his own poetry and numerous poetry translations, and his work has appeared in a wide array of anthologies, textbooks, and journals, including the Ann Arbor Review, Chattahoochee Review, Georgia Review, Kenyon Review, New England Review, Plainsong, Rolling Stone, and Southern Poetry Review. He was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2009.
Coleman Bryan Barks was born on April 23, 1937, in Chattanooga, Tenn., to Elizabeth Bryan and Herbert Bernard Barks. His sister, Elizabeth, also became a writer, and her fiction has been published under the name Elizabeth Cox.
Barks attended Baylor School, where his father served as headmaster for 35 years, and later received his Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1962 he married Kittsu Greenwood. The couple had two children, Benjamin and Cole, before they divorced.
After teaching for two years at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Barks joined the faculty of the UGA English department. Since his retirement from UGA in 1997, Barks has lived in Athens, where he works on his poetry and translations and operates Maypop Books, which publishes translations of Rumi and other Near Eastern religious poets, as well as Coleman’s own work.
- For a more detailed analysis of Barks works, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/coleman-barks-b-1937
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
Here’s another water scene as a Mystery Photo
Similar to last week’s Mystery Photo, here’s a water scene that asks for identification. If you have an idea where this is, send your answer to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Last week Ross Lenhart of Stone Mountain easily recognized that harbor scene was the Ashley Marina in Charleston. For several years Lenhart lived near Charleston in Pawleys Island, but moved back to the Metro Atlanta area recently. The photo came from Rob Ponder of Duluth. Cathy Petty Nichols of Peachtree Corners also recognized the photo.
Allen Peel of San Antonio, Tex. wrote about this photo: “This photo is of the boats docked at The Harborage at Ashley Marina in Charleston, SC. The photo was taken facing southwest, from the Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Waterfront/Downtown. In the left of the frame is the James Island Expressway (Hwy-30) as it crosses over the Ashley River, and directly across the river in the center of the photo (the building with arched windows) is the California Dreaming restaurant. The marina consists of approximately 230 wet slips, and is capable of accommodating vessels up to 150 feet in length. Back on May 29, 2017 a fire broke out on a 32-foot recreational boat near the fuel docks (at the center-left of the mystery photo) sending a massive plume of thick, black smoke into the air above the marina on the Ashley River sank one boat and damaged another.”
George Graf of Palmyra, Va. said that identification of this mystery “…was much harder than I imagined. It took me an hour to find this view of the Ashley Marine, taken from the Hilton Garden Inn of Charleston. The big element that threw me off was that building in the distance with the gigantic American flag. I thought it was a historical place, maybe a fortress, but it turned out to be the California Dreaming restaurant that threw me a curve ball and sent me on a wild goose chase.”
Two Button sculptures have been installed at the Infinite Energy Center. This is part of a grant awarded by the Gwinnett Creativity Fund to install these commemorative Buttons around the county.The piece “JAZZ”, by artist Bill Stevens was selected by the team at Sugarloaf CID. An interactive chalkboard Button Sculpture was installed outside of the Hudgens Center for the Arts. From left at one of the Infinite Energy Center Buttons are Kate Driscoll (Public Programs Manager, The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning), and Laura Ballance (Executive Director, the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning). Button Art, Inc. seeks to install 200 original Button Sculptures throughout Gwinnett County. This art project was inspired by Gwinnett County’s 200th birthday celebration.
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