GwinnettForum | Number 21.67 | Aug. 31, 2021
ART SOLD WELL: This is a “wall of fabric” art at the “Grand Opening” of the Hemlock Gallery in Clarkesville, Ga. on display last week. The work on this wall is by sewing artist Adele Steele, now of Toccoa, and formerly of Lawrenceville. Adele says she is getting ready for a celebration of the life of the late Jim Steele in October for Gwinnett friends. Her hobby of sewing has been “an important part of my journey back to a new balance.” Many of the fabric art pieces, including the long geisha on the right, sold during the opening.
Sunday morning, September 26, at 8 a.m., close to 500 runners will wind through Downtown Duluth in the annual Duluth Donut Dash 5K Road Race. Every runner will receive a donut and coffee compliments of Dunkin’ Donuts. Pre-registered runners are guaranteed a long-sleeved tech shirt. This is a qualifying race for the Peachtree. Much of the proceeds go to the Wellroot Family Services, which works with children in foster care and transitional housing. Go to duluthfallfestival.org to learn more about the race, register for the race, and to find out about our Festival! Or, look for the Festival tent at Food Truck Fridays in Downtown Duluth for more information.
TODAY’S FOCUS: New Senate Bill 202 to change next year’s voting significantly
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Watch out for those modern marvels; they have a “Gotcha!”
SPOTLIGHT: Aurora Theatre
FEEDBACK: Sees problems with the way some transportation projects built
UPCOMING: British Car Fayre, in 21st year, coming to Norcross on September 11
NOTABLE: Review team at work already underway on 2021 Gwinnett budget
RECOMMENDATION: The Odyssey by Homer, translation by Emily Wilson
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Watson-Brown Foundation supports rural students in higher education
MYSTERY PHOTO: Figure out where this six-story building is located on a hillside
LAGNIAPPE: Sons of the American Revolution chapter participate at the Birdies for the Brave
CALENDAR: Stripers open six game home stand Tuesday night
CORRECTION: In the August 27 GwinnettForum, the book recommendation was incorrectly attributed. The reviewer for Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky was Karen J. Harris of Stone Mountain. GwinnettForum apologizes for this incorrect identification.
New Senate Bill 202 to change next year’s voting
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
“Throughout its history, Georgia has been among the worst actors in systematically suppressing the ability of its communities of color to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”- Former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams.
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | As forward-looking Americans, we all should be devoted towards making our republic a more inclusive nation. But Georgia’s Senate Bill 202, passed by the General Assembly earlier this year and quickly signed in private by Gov. Brian Kemp, does the opposite.
The most objectionable portion of the bill is the removal of local decision making because of raw politics. Historically, Georgia local Boards of Elections have made decisions on the acceptance of ballots and the eligibility of individual voters. But, under the extremely dubious guise of ensuring honest elections, SB 202 removes that power from the counties and the Secretary of State and gives it to the State Board of Elections, controlled by the General Assembly which appoints three of the five members.
As state residents know, there have traditionally been cries from rural GOP legislators that the votes in larger counties like Gwinnett, Fulton, DeKalb, and Cobb, all of which recently have voted for Democrats over the Republicans, have been tampered with in some way. Although there were many allegations, none have been proven in court. This is true despite the fact that many GOP leaders are repeating absurd fraud claims as though they were proven facts.
However, because Republicans simply filed so many suits, it has caused their base to believe fraud was committed, though it was not. Under the new SB 202 legislation, the GOP-dominated legislature can conjure up excuses to throw out ballots in those bigger Democrat vote areas in future elections that may be tight, like it appears the 2022 vote may be.
Long voting lines in many of these Democratic leaning counties are outrageous, at least in part by design of the Republican Party. According to one report, Fulton County had the longest waiting lines in the entire nation. On the other hand, in many rural Georgia counties which lean Republican, there are virtually no lines at all.
Showing an ID and many of the other new requirements under the new Georgia voting act seem innocuous. But they are not. For example, take an elderly or infirmed person in Gwinnett who wants to get an ID to vote. He or she would either have to go to the Department of Motor Vehicle or the County Registrar’s office. That seems like a simple task for most of us. And it is if you are able bodied and young. But not everyone fits that description.
If you thought that the 2020 election was disruptive, get ready for 2022 when this new legislation kicks in for Georgia. From SB 202, there is now in place wording that authorizes an anonymous fraud Tip Line, which allows unlimited challenges by any citizen. It will be an outrageous farce.
Because of this new legislation, Georgians will be very lucky if the state knows the winner of many major races by 2023. There’s also an indication that a large portion of the Georgia public will not believe the results anyway.
When Democrats get control of the General Assembly, they should immediately take action to scuttle Senate Bill 202 of the past legislation session.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Watch out for modern marvels; They have a “Gotcha!”
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
AUG. 31, 2021 | These modern marvels of technology can sometimes bite you when you least expect it.
The key fob of some of today’s automobiles allows keyless entry and push-button starting. But twice last week, it bit me.
Needing to leave home for an appointment, when I got to the car, the door wouldn’t open. I didn’t have my key fob in my pocket. Earlier in the day, I had driven the car home, so the key fob should have been with me, but wasn’t. I couldn’t find it anywhere in the house.
My wife has a second fob, so I borrowed hers…..and the SUV’s locked door would not open. Apparently, this fob battery was dead. However, with the push of a link on the fob, you can remove a key from it, and use this to unlock the door. Once unlocking, and opening the door, immediately the horn started honking, like this was an unauthorized entry. Even when I shut the door, the beeping continued, then after a couple of minutes, it stopped. Meanwhile, the engine would not start since the key fob battery was kaput. Dumb me, I tried using the key to open the door again not once, but twice, and each time more beeping, which finally stopped. Eventually my wife found in the car manual a way to use the fob to touch the starter button, which cranked the engine, and the horn stopped blowing. Whew!
After my outing to the store, and returning home, guess what I found in my desk chair. Yep, my key fob. It had been there all along, and I had overlooked it while sitting in that same chair looking for it.
The second bite from the key fob came a couple of days later. On a trip to Tallahassee, we stopped for a snack at a Chick-fil-A, which we found had no inside service, and about 20 cars in line to order.
There was a Publix adjacent, so I went there. Before leaving the car, my wife asked for me to roll down the two front windows for air, while I shopped. We were parked about 10 spaces from Publix, and just before I entered, I felt a raindrop on me, though I had not noticed any clouds.
I was about three-four minutes in the large store to buy the snack, but as I started out the door, what? It was raining, a real downpour with sheets of water. Then I realized that my wife must be getting drenched with the windows down, and here I was 10 cars away with the key fob. Then I got lucky. I noticed hanging near the entrance knee length clear plastic raincoats for the staff to use, with yellow plastic hoodies. I borrowed one and started with my purchase for the car.
And guess what? By the time I got to the car, the rain had almost stopped. And yes, inside my wife was wet all over from the blowing-in rain. Luckily, she found a towel in the car and she was wiping the area down, soaking up the rain, and drying herself. Next job was to drive to the Publix entrance to return the raincoat.
So that’s why on that hot afternoon we were running the heater for a while, to help dry things off. And finally eating a well-earned snack.
Those modern marvels, such as the key fobs, sometimes play “Gotcha” with you!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Aurora Theatre
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Aurora Theatre, home of the best live entertainment in northeast Georgia. Aurora Theatre presents Broadway’s best alongside exciting works of contemporary theatre. Additionally, Aurora produces concerts, comedy club events, children’s programs, and metro Atlanta’s top haunted attraction, Lawrenceville Ghost Tours. Aurora Theatre is a world-class theatrical facility with two performance venues. Aurora just opened its first fully produced musical since March of 2020 with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance. This limited engagement production runs through September 12. Aurora has added requirements because of COVID-19 for the safety of artists, patrons and staff. These safety considerations are different for indoor and outdoor events and are subject to change as conditions change. The theatre thanks you for your cooperation. You can support Gwinnett’s non-profit arts gem by making a tax-deductible donation and learn more about programs that are happening here: http://www.auroratheatre.com .
- For more information or to purchase tickets: http://www.auroratheatre.com or call 678-226-6222.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here
Sees problems with way some transportation projects built
Editor, the Forum:
September 3 is the closing date for a public survey on improvements to the Interstate 85 corridor from Spaghetti Junction through the I-985 split. The survey really is pretty generic in nature and really a waste of time. I think the first step in improving our traffic situation is replacing the leaders of the Georgia Department of Transportation. (DOT).
Let’s review.
Diverging diamond interchanges at Jimmy Carter and Pleasant Hill: How much did this cost us a couple years ago? Now they are already being considered to be removed as traffic has increased. They seem to me a waste of money.
316 crossovers in Lawrenceville: Let’s see. How about building west to east one road at a time to eliminate the most traffic first. No, the DOT did Collins Highway while other crossings and lights are still there, slowing down traffic
Anyone who drives this corridor can see these and more. Why don’t we use the money first to hire people that know what they are doing and then move on from there?
— Dan Mackaben, Lawrenceville
Dear Dan: First we have heard of anyone questioning the diverging diamond interchanges. I use the Pleasant Hill, the Ashford-Dunwoody and the Jimmy Carter diamonds often, and it seems that the traffic flows smoothly through them. And the original estimated cost of changing the Jimmy Carter exit was $40 million, while the diverging diamond cost was $7 million.–eeb
Speed cameras used in Germany, but check other ways also
Editor, the Forum:
For 18 years, I was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. Germany uses speed cameras, which photograph your vehicle when exceeding the speed limit over five kilometers per hour (about three mph). The cameras are moved around each day, though some are permanently placed in dangerous areas, and some are placed in the back window of parked cars so you cannot spot them in advance.
Though the fines are usually small for low speed infractions, they get steeper the more you exceed the limit and some will result in the loss of your license. I remember an Army buddy who said he got “flashed” by a camera while going under the speed limit, and he reversed course and went back through the camera location with a passenger friend as a witness to his speed and the camera flashed again. Turns out, he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt and got fined twice for that infraction. The camera was checking for mandatory seat belt usage and flashed every vehicle.
If you speed through construction zones, the fines are extremely high in order to help protect road workers. I asked my German neighbors about the cameras and they responded by saying it allows the police to work important crimes rather than sit in a car waiting to catch speeders.
I believe Gwinnett uses cameras in school zones. Maybe by expanding this throughout Gwinnett County, especially in construction zones, could be another method to have police spend more time on solving crimes rather than sit in a car waiting to catch the offenders. Yes, we realize some detractors say that the cameras are a “money grab” opportunity or an invasion of privacy. But they work.
— George Graf, Palmyra, Va.
Many politicians seem to be stuck in eighth grade
Editor, the Forum:
Back during my Scouting days, I remember those young men as they went through middle school. We always tried to get them to achieve as much as possible then before the fumes set in. Perfume and gasoline were the fumes and the distraction to finish their Scouting work was overwhelming. Girls and learning to drive was too much competition for many.
One thing about males at this age reminds me of politicians, particularly as I watch the news these days. Whenever something went wrong, the guys would have the knee-jerk reaction of “It’s not my fault!” or “I didn’t do it!” Blame was the hot potato that no one could accept in middle school. High School changed things a great deal, as the guys became leaders. Politicians don’t seem to be the same. They seem to be stuck in eighth grade.
— Byron 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, and include your hometown. The views of letters are the opinion of the contributor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net.
British Car Fayre, in 21st year, coming to Norcross Sept. 11
Displayed at an earlier British Car Fayre
The 21st Atlanta British Car Fayre, the largest such show in the Southeast, will be held Saturday, September 11, in downtown Historic Norcross. Nearly 400 cars and motorcycles will be on display, including some very rare and historic examples of British car legends. These older units are some of the most exotic sports and sedan cars available today. There is no cost of admission.
The show is an enormous benefit to Historic Norcross. The one day show (from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.) will pull 15,000 to 20,000 visitors, giving the downtown merchants their best single business day of the year. Many of these visitors have returned to partake in the restaurants and stores and some have even decided to make Norcross their home.
Profits that are generated through the show are donated to the Amanda Riley Foundation. This foundation supports hospitalized children who have cancer and their families during their stressful time.
The Atlanta British Car Fayre had humble beginnings. Twenty-one years ago Edna Berkshire, who at the time owned the Taste of Britain, and who was born in Britain, decided to start a British Car Show. . The first show with just 18 cars was held within the small car park next to The Crossing Restaurant in Norcross.
Since then, with the help of dedicated volunteers and the City of Norcross, the Car Fayre has grown year by year. The Fayre gets support from the City of Norcross Public Works, the City Police and the Mayor Craig Newton and council.” It takes more than 40 volunteers to make this run like clockwork. Without their help, we would not have a show,” says Pierre Levy of the show.
Review team at work already on 2022 Gwinnett budget
Before next year’s Gwinnett County budget is finalized, it is leaning on its residents for support to set priorities.
County elected officials, department directors and agency leaders presented their 2022 financial outlooks and business plans to a Citizens Review Team starting August 30. The diverse group of men and women will team up with Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson to study the needs of departments and agencies to provide services to Gwinnett residents and businesses. From there, the team will recommend funding from a resident’s perspective.
Seasoned team members David Cuffie and Asif Jessani will again lend their expertise. Cuffie is the CEO of Total Vision Consulting and director of Church Ministries for Berean Christian Church Gwinnett. Jessani is a principal marketing and technology consultant with CCS.
New to the review team this year: Founder of RudHil Companies and Co-Chair of the GHCC Hispanic Business Center, Hilda Abbot; former law enforcement officer and small business owner Matt DeReimer; and Michelle Kang with the Korean American Chamber of Commerce. Recordings and on-demand video of the budget presentations can be found here.
The Chairwoman’s proposed 2022 budget will be available to the public and news media when presented to board members in November. A public hearing will be held Dec. 6, 2021. By county ordinance, the Board of Commissioners must adopt the annual budget during its first meeting in January.
PCOM students take part in traditional white coat ceremony
Sixty-eight physician assistant and physical therapy students in the PCOM Georgia Class of 2023 received their white coats on August 19, 2021, in separate ceremonies held at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth.
Bryan Ginn, PCOM Georgia Chief Campus Officer, brought greetings from the Board of Trustees, PCOM President Jay S. Feldstein, and Provost Kenneth Veit. He recounted his experience as a recovering hospital patient of COVID-19 and told the students that, based on his personal experience, “I am a fan of your profession and am delighted to be here to help celebrate this milestone with you today.”
The Master of Science in Health Sciences/Physician Assistant Studies ceremony was attended by 29 first-year physician assistant students, their family members, and PCOM Georgia faculty and staff members. The ceremony featured Haley Queen, the current president of the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants, as the guest speaker.
She called the power of the white coat “sacred. It is only given to those who earn it,” she said. “When you walk into a patient’s room with a white coat on, you have the power to instill trust, wisdom and healing upon the patient.”Queen noted that the length of the white coat is symbolic as students wear short white coats, while graduates or practicing PA’s wear long white coats.
Thirty-nine second year Doctor of Physical Therapy students received their white coats. Kathleen Geist, an associate professor and director of the orthopedic physical therapy residency program at Emory University, delivered the keynote address. She noted that the ceremony “is a culmination of celebrating your accomplishments and signifies your transition into a profession in which you will be called to transform the lives of others and improve quality of life through movement.”
She said, “What I have come to realize is the more you practice, you realize how much more there is to learn and that you cannot know it all. Seize the opportunity to learn from your patients, your clinical instructors and from those around you.”
Stripers give Mentor Me North Georgia $2,500 grant
The Gwinnett Stripers, in conjunction with the Atlanta Braves Foundation, have awarded their $2,500 August grant to Mentor Me North Georgia. This is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the diverse needs of children and youth, ages 6 to 17, in Forsyth County since 2002. Their mission is to serve school-age children and youth in need of positive role models, to help them grow into healthy and productive members of our society and community. The $2,500 grant will be utilized by the organization to expand its Mentoring After School (MAS) program at elementary schools in North Georgia.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The Odyssey by Homer, translation by Emily Wilson
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: This ancient and familiar story begins with a young man’s search for his father, Odysseus. A warrior hero who left Greece to fight on foreign soil, Odysseus has been away from home for 20 years and is now missing in action. His family doesn’t know if he is dead or alive. There is no way I will attempt to sum up this well-known classic about the Trojan War, the Greek gods, the suitors of Penelope and the life and travels of Odysseus. But what I will do is recommend Emily Wilson’s translation of the story. I have read three other translations of this poem and, to me, this 2018 translation is the most readable and understandable, while also retaining a poetic rhythm. If you haven’t read this classic, please do not be afraid to try. Wilson has written an easily understandable translation and it pulls you right in.
- 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
Watson-Brown Foundation supports rural students
The Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofit Georgia corporation organized in 1970 by journalist and broadcast pioneer Walter J. Brown as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt private foundation. Based in Thomson, it is one of the state’s largest private foundations, with liquid assets well in excess of $100 million. The Watson-Brown Foundation supports higher education by committing more than $1 million annually in college scholarships to qualified students from Georgia and South Carolina. The foundation also awards millions more in grants every year to southern institutions of higher education.
Walter Brown
Named for Thomas E. Watson and J. J. Brown, the Watson-Brown Foundation at inception was given a mission largely inspired by the Byrnes Foundation, the charitable legacy of James F. Byrnes, Walter J. Brown’s longtime colleague and friend. Walter Brown established his foundation primarily to provide college scholarships for underprivileged children. Like Byrnes, Brown stipulated that his foundation’s scholarship awards be conditioned upon merit and need. Brown directed trustees to consider applicants from farm backgrounds and rural areas.
Walter Brown also created the foundation to preserve the legacy of Thomas E. Watson. In 1925 Brown married one of Watson’s two granddaughters. Brown’s father, Georgia commissioner of agriculture J. J. Brown, was a friend and political ally of Watson’s. Through these relationships, Brown earned a profound respect and appreciation for Watson’s scholarship and agrarian advocacy.
Early actions of the foundation reflect Brown’s interest in historic preservation, especially of Watson-related memorabilia. In 1973 the foundation bought and restored the log cabin where Watson was born in 1856. Brown also maintained Watson’s first home: a National Historic Landmark, the restored Thomas E. Watson House today serves as the administrative headquarters for the Watson-Brown Foundation. Brown used Watson’s last home, Hickory Hill, as a private residence and weekend retreat. Fully restored, Hickory Hill today serves the mission of the Watson-Brown Foundation as both a house museum and a seminar venue for academics and scholars of the South.
Largely because of the restoration efforts of Brown, the Watson-Brown Foundation continues to support historic preservation with annual grants through an internal program that enlists the aid of talented high school students. As of 2003 the “Junior Board” of the Watson-Brown Foundation awards $25,000 in grants to worthy historic preservation projects in the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina.
Brown was never directly involved in the management of his foundation, but he gave it broad direction and funded it throughout his life. Brown died in 1995, and he bequeathed the majority of his estate to the foundation. From its headquarters in Thomson the foundation continues to operate its college scholarship program, to support higher education in the Southeast, and to encourage and fund responsible scholarship on the South.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Mystery Photo is a simple modern building. Where is it?
Here’s a modern building set in a downtown location. Your job is to figure out details about the building, plus also tell us where it’s located. Send your answer to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
Many of GwinnettForum readers are graduates of the University of Georgia, and they missed the recent Mystery Photo! It came from the UGAToday website. How could these graduates miss this, or are they just merely football fans of the university’s football team, and really don’t know that much about the town? Granted while the actual university campus was not shown, the photograph was taken from the edge of the campus, looking west. And no one even noted that the building to the left of the intersection once housed the downtown Varsity! Shame on you, UGA grads!
First in with the identification of the recent mystery was Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.: “Today’s mystery photo shows the intersection of East Broad Street and College Avenue. in downtown Athens, Ga. Clearly visible in the top-left corner of the photo is the Athens First United Methodist Church with the Athens City Hall located in the top-center part of the picture.”
Other eagle-eyes include Robert Foreman of Grayson (UFla); Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; and George Graf, Palmyra, Va.
Supporting veterans: Members from the Button Gwinnett Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), participated as the Color Guard Unit at the Birdies for the Brave fundraising event at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth recently. This organization is dedicated to supporting the men and women of the United States military. It was founded in 2004 by Golfer Phil and Amy Mickelson to support combat-wounded veterans and is an initiative supported by the PGA Tour and the TPC Network. This organization provides funds to military charities that make programs and services available to meet the needs of veterans, including financial assistance in renovating homes to provide disabled access. From left are Bill Palmer, Georgia SAR color guard coordinator, Mark Smith, Bruce Maney and Eldon Evans.
Striper’s Home Stand: The Gwinnett Stripers host the Memphis Redbirds at Coolray Field for a six-game series from August 31 to September 5. The homestand includes Pink in the Park and Fireworks Friday (September 3), and an Austin Riley “Bow-Hunting” Bobblehead Giveaway on Outdoors Night (September 4).
The sixth Gwinnett Cares Healthcare Summit will be held virtually September 1 from 8 until 9:45 a.m. Focus will be how to best navigate, co-exist with and build immunity to Covid 19. Guest speakers will include Epidemiologist Dr. Rebecca Mitchell; D. Valerie Cade, professor of microbiology and immunology; and Dr. Audrey Arona of the Gwinnett Newton Rockdale Health Departments. The event will be hosted online via Zoom Webinar and broadcast live via Facebook Live at GwinnettCares.org. Attendees can register for the Zoom link at https://bit.ly/GwCaresSummit. The summit is powered by the Gwinnett Coalition.
Snellville’s Commerce Club will meet at noon Wednesday, September 1 at noon at Snellville City Hall’s Community Room. Speaker will be Superior Court Judge Tracie Cason.
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