GwinnettForum | Number 21.92 | Nov. 16, 2021
HAVE YOU SEEN this imposing building? If not, you’re in for a treat. It’s the new $45 million Lawrenceville Arts Center in downtown Lawrenceville, across the street on the east side of the courthouse. It’s to be the home of the Aurora Theatre, which will present its first performance in this hall starting November 26, which will be the always popular Christmas Canteen.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Applauds Senator Dixon for seeking non-partisan school board
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Two announcements last week drew immediate uproars
SPOTLIGHT: Walton Gas
FEEDBACK: Readers respond to proposal to change Gwinnett government structure
UPCOMING: Smart City connectivity conference coming in 2022 to Gwinnett
NOTABLE: County Commission has faith in the legislative process
RECOMMENDED: Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Max Cleland had long political and governmental career
MYSTERY PHOTO: Note people sitting on benches near this imposing Mystery Photo
CALENDAR: District commissioner plans open house on Thursday night
Applauds Dixon for seeking non-partisan school board
By Cathy Loew
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. | Let me applaud Senator Clint Dixon’s attempt to rein in the highly politicized school board. This was Everton Blair’s plan as Benjamin Herald explained in Education Week, October 26, 2020, “How the Fight for America’s Suburbs Started in Public Schools.”
Loew
Gwinnett County Public Schools is an attractive target as the 13th largest school district in the nation. As quoted in the article, “Blair helped inspire Democratic challengers in those races, too. Win both, and younger progressives of color would suddenly have a commanding 4 -1 majority of their own.”
The first order of business was to terminate Alvin Wilbanks. Gwinnett County taxpayers had to pay for his contract buy-out of over $530k. Some Gwinnett citizens complained Mr. Wilbanks earned too much money. The board approved the salary of Dr. Calvin Watts to the exact penny of Mr. Wilbanks base salary. Dr. Watts came from a district with enrollment of 27k (versus 188K for Gwinnett) and a $450 million dollar budget (versus $2.4 billion for Gwinnett). So now Gwinnett citizens are paying two salaries! Mr. Wilbanks announced his retirement for June, 2022. What a needless waste of money with no cause of termination provided.
Letters of complaint to Cognia, the school board accrediting agency, came rolling in. Cognia conducted a special review mid-June U.S. News and World Report summed it up with the headline, “Accreditor: Gwinnett School Board Members Must Improve.”
Cognia agreed that some board members were overstepping their bounds or were behaving questionably.
Cognia interviewed 124 employees, parents and community members, and found that the board members circumvented the chain of command improperly, end-running the board chair with demands for emergency meetings.
The report highlighted social media posts by a board member that sought money or were found racially offensive. A quote from the report: “Parent, teacher and principal interviews indicated the school board’s unprofessional behaviors do not contribute to positive student outcomes. Your activities are reported as embarrassing.”
Cognia issued mandatory directives requiring more training, revising ethics policies, creating processes of evaluation and collecting community feedback. Paid for by our tax dollar!
This is a black eye for Gwinnett County Public Schools. And it’s not over. Cognia follows-up on these mandatory directives in May. And then, Cognia returns for their normal review in June, 2022. Many people are unaware of Cognia’s impact. Loss of accreditation means the loss of the HOPE funds and athletic scholarships. Housing prices plummet, and business and economic growth will be stunted in Gwinnett.
So yes, I applaud Senator Dixon’s attempt to make the school board non-partisan. Everton Blair raised over 65k for his school board race in 2018. Half of his $100 or more contributions came from donors in states outside Gwinnett. Why are outside donors influencing our local school board election? We are the 13th largest school system in the nation. I can’t think of a better way to influence the next generation of voters.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Two announcements last week drew immediate uproars
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
NOV. 16, 2021 | Two events last week in Gwinnett County drew immediate uproars.
One apparently got people fired up enough so much that it was immediately withdrawn.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution created a new format of its pages, telling its readers it was working to improve the newspaper. (We got out of it that we’ll get far less real news.) But while most of the changes drew little response, moving the obituaries out of the local news section to, of all places, the midst of the sports section, created quite a hullabaloo for the newspaper.
Two days later, the obituaries were back in the news section. Apparently, readers don’t think funerals and obits are sporting events. We agree. It felt awkward reading obits amongst the sporting news.
Dixon
In Gwinnett, the major political bombshell was the unannounced effort by Republican Sen. Clint Dixon for drastic changes in the makeup of the county commission and school board. The senator introduced legislation, during the General Assembly session supposedly only dealing with redistricting, to add five more seats to the county commission (to 10 members). And in an unrelated effort, this legislation would change the way that school board elections are held, eliminating party affiliations, and making all elected positions non-partisan.
Perhaps the most insidious part of this effort was that Senator Dixon had not discussed either of these changes with county commission or school board officials. It turned out that they are all dead-set against the changes.
In reality, both proposals seemed to be a rushed attempt for Republicans to hold onto power, in the face of the major loss of seats the GOP found in recent Gwinnett elections. Even with redistricting, the Republican Party should find it impossible to win a majority of seats in future Gwinnett elections, mainly because of the increased diversity of the county. But antics like this, which one called “ambush” legislation, may raise eyebrows among independents in backing the GOP.
While Senator Dixon engineered the proposal, don’t forget that four other Republican legislators joined him in signing onto the document. They are house members Timothy Barr, Chuck Efstration, Tom Kirby and Bonnie Rich. (The only other Gwinnett Republican legislator, Rep. David Clark, was not listed among those signing the proposition.)
Besides enlarging the county commission to ten (nine commissioners representing districts, and the chairman, running countywide) the part of the legislation that is most questionable is that it would eliminate the chairman from having a vote, unless matters ended in a tie. This format is called a “weak chairman” vote. It makes the person elected by the whole county literally only the “chairman” of the commission, running the meetings, voting only when a tie, and exercising power only indirectly.
There’s an organization in Georgia that helps cities and counties in structural matters. It’s the Carl Vinson Institute for Government at the University of Georgia. We heard of not the first instance when Senator Dixon called upon this body to help come up with a new structure for Gwinnett’s government. History reminds us that the Institute helped set up the present five members commission back in 1966 at former Commission Ray Gunnin’s urging.
Instead, Senator Dixon pulled out of his magic hat a format that he himself created. The worst part of his proposal is that it is far harder for 10 people to agree and work together than it is for five people. Apparently Senator Dixon neither considered, nor knows, about how people work together.
Senator Dixon’s proposal is a bad idea. It needs to be quashed as did another idea, obits in the sports section.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Walton Gas
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Feels party affiliation has no place in local elections
I read with great interest the background on chestnut trees – thanks so much for this fascinating story.
I want to chime in on the Gwinnett commission.
I applaud the elimination of party affiliation for local elected officials. It has no meaning or place. Only ideas, commitment, and integrity matter. I also think paying them a living wage encourages them to stay around too long. It should hurt to serve; that’s why it’s called “serving.” More people should “serve” and for a shorter amount of time.
— Joe Briggs, Suwanee
New governmental proposal was a big surprise, and ambush
I have to agree with your thoughts about changing the county commission. My real objection was that this proposal was submitted as a surprise, or ambush, with no discussion with the two governing boards of the county. To me this sounds a lot like what we have seen in politics across our country in the last few years. I have said that much of our politics now has the look of two New York or Los Angeles street gangs that have the objective of killing each other.
I’m so frustrated by both the Republicans and Democrats now, that I wish there was a way to fire every single elected official and start all over. I would like to see some centrists from either persuasion elected who will talk to the ones that disagree with them. This proposal from Senator Dixon is just more of the attack politics that we see everyday.
— Ed Hurley, Peachtree Corners
Agrees that larger commission is not necessarily better
I agree. Larger is not better. Look at Dekalb, a perfect example that this model does not work.
— Mike Tennant, Duluth
Person new to Gwinnett resents SB 5EX, implications
As a constituent of Gwinnett County, I am appalled by the egregious display of behavior by a senator who was elected to represent 14 percent of the people of Gwinnett County. Senate Bill 5 EX was written, endorsed, and sponsored by Senator Clint Dixon, who lives in Buford and his children attend the City of Buford Schools. This leaves out 86 percent of the remaining constituents in Gwinnett County who are represented by six senators, five school board members, and 13 House representatives whose voices have been silenced by the introduction of SB 5EX.
Senator Clint Dixon and all those supporting this bill made a decision to ignore my voice by not including those who were duly elected by myself and other citizens in my district, when drafting and submitting this bill. MY voice was quashed when Senator Clint Dixon introduced SB 5EX. The fact that Senator Clint Dixon covertly denied the remaining Gwinnett County senators a chance to introduce the bill shows ill intent as this bill will have a major impact on the nearly million residents in Gwinnett County as it allowed a misuse of power in skipping the Georgia Senate rules.
Senator Clint Dixon wants to effectively cancel my voice and abolish my civic rights as he surreptitiously imposes his will for his own political gains all while my tax dollars are being lobbied against me. That is effectively against the state laws and constitution!
I passionately ask that this bill be immediately removed until the voices of all Gwinnett stakeholders have had an opportunity to have an input in the redistricting process. Do not silence the voices of the 86 percent.
— Uduak Ikpe, Dacula
As constituent, he is appalled by proposed legislation
As one of Senator Dixon’s constituents in Buford, I am totally appalled by the contents of his Senate Bill 5 EX. It was written in the spirit of “good ole boys” behind closed doors with a dual purpose: 1) Suppress the civil rights of people of color and 2) regain political power by any means necessary.
As a product of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, I am keenly aware of racism when I “see” it. And, his hastily-written bill is racist to the core. As he attempts to shove his bill down the throats of the majority of the citizens in Gwinnett County, ponder these two questions:
- Why was there no “push” to reconstitute the Gwinnett Board of Education and County Commission when the members were all-white and all-Republican? (The answer is obvious.)
- Since Senator Dixon’s children attend Buford City Schools, why is he endeavoring to “re-constitute” or “diversify” their all-white board?
I can attest to the fact that he did not seek input from members of my community regarding your antebellum bill. Your thirst for power and Jim Crow ideals are unmistakable. I cannot support any bill that is race-based and gnaws at the civil rights of any resident of Gwinnett County or the State of Georgia.
— James “Jim” Taylor, Buford
Comparing Pittsburgh’s county government and Gwinnett
Pittsburgh, Penn., is in Allegheny County and the whole area has 1.25 million people. It is one third larger than Gwinnett, so the density is similar. Allegheny has 43 school districts, including Pittsburgh with all having a school board to pay. Outside Pittsburgh, each high school has a school board! My old high school had 2,500 or so when I was there. Now they have just over 1,300 with an extra year. No, this isn’t what we want. It just provides perspective.
Allegheny County has 86 boroughs, 130 townships, and seven municipalities, all with elected people to charge taxes and make regulations. Imagine that here in our race to balkanize the area. A house less than $200,000 pays almost $6,000 in some type of taxes. That’s too much government.
That county will continue to shrink. Gwinnett will grow greatly and having more commissioners may be necessary to represent this growth. Gwinnett’s population will soon exceed the million mark and go far beyond that. What about a commissioner for each high school to better represent each community?
— Bryan Gilbert, Duluth
Dear Bryan: thanks for bringing in humor into this discussion. It’s amazing how different parts of the country have far different governments, yet they all somewhat work (though differently) under our democracy. Another distinctive government is the New England town meetings, which may be the most workable small government. But 43 school districts in Allegany compared to two districts (Gwinnett County and Buford City schools) in Gwinnett? A striking difference. The worst part about the current change in commission districts is that the five member commission seems to be working well here. Having 10 can only complicate matters. –eeb
Watch out in the woods; Bears have good sense of smell
Please correct what your reader, Virginia Klaer of Duluth, wrote to you about thinking bears do not have a good sense of smell! Couldn’t be more wrong!
Bears may have the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom. And, they are quite smart as well. Below is an article from the ‘Yosemite Ranger Notes’ (https://www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/Bear-Series-Part-One-A-Bears-Sense-of-Smell.htm), this applies to eastern black bears and all bears.
The public needs to know and be aware of animal behavior, especially if going out into the wilderness areas. We humans are invading their home and sometimes we do things that are not smart from plain ignorance about the danger to ourselves and their magnificent animals.
All too often a report comes up of a person trying to take a selfie with a bear, elk, bison or whatever large animal and getting seriously hurt or killed. The animal then will be put down (killed) as the current policies demand.
— Stewart A. Woodard, Lawrenceville
- 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.
Smart City connectivity conference coming in 2022
Peachtree Corners will host a Smart City connectivity conference next year.
This new era of 5G, transportation infrastructure and innovation from vehicle connectivity is the focus of the V2X Live 2022 conference and exhibition, to be held March 16- 17, 2022 in Peachtree Corners. The city is one of the nation’s first smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G. The event, presented by T-Mobile and sponsored by Intel, is produced in partnership with Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, a premier incubator and live technology proving ground in the Southeast of the United States.
Executive Producer Tim Downs says: “Attendees will look beyond connected cars and self-driving vehicles to important considerations such as 5G connectivity, infrastructure and investment to deliver high-bandwidth, low latency communications and computing to the cloud; to street infrastructure; and to other vehicles.”
Live tours of Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, including the country’s first “IoT central control room” implemented by a city (where data from all IoT devices across the city’s smart infrastructure is managed, analyzed and acted upon through a single pane of glass), are included in the conference experience for attendees, sponsors, speakers and partnering organizations.
Peachtree Corners chief technical officer and assistant city manager, Brandon Branham, adds:
“Systems Integrators, technology innovators, automotive industry executives and government transportation leaders will convene here. We are the heart of what’s being called “Silicon Orchard.” They will focus on investment, design and deployment of the next generation of connected vehicle infrastructure.”
This conference will be a unique opportunity for solutions providers and experts to help forge a new digital architecture for communities and regions. They’ll see in Peachtree Corners connected smart city infrastructure that isn’t just a concept: it’s a living reality that’s experienced every day by residents. Some of the brightest technology developers in the world who are proving in Peachtree Corners emerging solutions in a real city that can’t be replicated in a closed setting.”
- For more information on Peachtree Corners and the Curiosity Lab, or to schedule a briefing with city government officials, contact Peachtree@GoDRIVEN360.com.
County Commission has faith in the legislative process
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has faith in the legislative process, despite being blindsided earlier this week by state Sen. Clint Dixon’s introduction of legislation during a special session of the Georgia General Assembly on redistricting that would significantly change the structure of Gwinnett County government, altering the way the County conducts business.
SB 6EX would double the size of the elected board from the current five-member format to 10 members. The proposal also would weaken the authority of the board chairperson to an occasional tie-breaker.
The burden of a board twice the size would fall on taxpayers, who would have to fund the salaries, staff and expenses for five additional politicians.
The current board members have not received any indication from Gwinnett County residents wanting to see drastic changes made to a governing body that has seen so much success, both recently and in the past. SB 6EX and SB 5EX (non-partisan school board) bypassed the normal local legislation process and are questionable to be considered “emergency” local legislation
A release from the county contained this message from the board: “The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners’ asks are simple: deny the proposed legislation altogether and give the board a chance to do what taxpayers voted them in office to do – get the job done – and draw their own district lines in a fair process.”
Jackson EMC Foundation grants $80,900 for local charities
The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded $80,900 in grants during its October meeting, which benefit organizations serving Gwinnett County.
- $15,900 to Medlink Georgia, a nonprofit primary medical care network that provides care to medically underserved people throughout Jackson EMC’s service area, to purchase two retinal screening machines.
- $15,000 to Barrow Ministry Village, a Winder nonprofit that provides food distribution, foster family resources and affordable counseling services to needy families in Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett and Jackson counties, to provide counseling for individuals struggling with PTSD, anxiety and other family issues.
- $15,000 to Ser Familia, Inc., a comprehensive social services program for Latino families in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties, to provide youth programming for students experiencing significant learning loss and anxiety/depression due to COVID.
- $10,000 to Gwinnett Citizens Fire Academy Alumni Association, Inc., a Lawrenceville-based nonprofit promoting and supporting fire safety education, to provide carbon monoxide alarms and stove top-fire stop devices, an automatic stove top fire suppressor designed to prevent unattended cooking fires.
- $10,000 to Helping Mamas, Inc., to provide essential baby items, not available through public assistance programs, to Gwinnett and Hall County women and children in need.
- $10,000 to NOA’s Ark, Inc., for its Trauma Counseling Program, designed to serve adults and children in Gwinnett, Hall and Lumpkin counties recovering from family violence, child sexual assault, and dating violence.
- $5,000 to Burn Foundation of America, to provide financial assistance with purchasing specialized pressure garments and distraction therapy supplies, which assist in healing and help reduce stress during procedures, for burn patients and their families in all Jackson EMC counties.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: NPR’s Celeste Headlee has published a book on how to break away from overworking, overdoing and underliving. This book doesn’t tell you to lie around all day. It helps you to focus on what you want to do and to appreciate it more. It also inspires an appreciation for nonproductive activity (FUN!) and making space in your calendar “to allow air in.” Celeste also writes about the history of work and how the Industrial Revolution changed nearly every aspect of human life. This significant shift to “time equals money” created a new work ethic, and hobbies began to disappear. She touches on multitasking, technology, social media, “toxic hustle” and personal relationships. She urges people to stop spending so much time online and to invest in leisure pursuits and not leave them to chance. I could write even more, but I think I’ll go outside and watch the autumn leaves.
- 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
Cleland had long political and governmental career
Max Cleland was a lifelong public servant whose political career included elected positions in the state and federal governments. A disabled war veteran, Cleland was the first person to receive more than a million votes in a Georgia election.
Cleland
Joseph Maxwell Cleland, the only child of a working-class family, was born in Atlanta on August 24, 1942. He grew up in Lithonia and attended local schools while dreaming of a career in teaching or politics. He earned a B.A. from Stetson University in Florida, where he studied history and politics, and he continued his education at Emory University, eventually earning a master’s degree in history in 1968.
A year into his master’s program, Cleland entered the army and was eventually deployed to Vietnam as a captain. On April 8, 1968, as Cleland was returning to his barracks, a grenade was accidentally dropped. Cleland reacted quickly by falling upon it, no doubt saving the lives of several soldiers. He lost both his legs and his right hand in the explosion. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Soldier’s Medal, and he underwent many months of rehabilitation in army hospitals.
As he grew stronger, Cleland decided to pursue a career in politics. In 1970 he became the youngest member of the Georgia Senate. There he became an ally of Jimmy Carter’s, and the two developed a friendship that would endure for decades. Carter supported Cleland in his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governorship in 1974 and then named him to head the Veterans Administration when Carter became U.S. president in 1977. Cleland was the youngest person, and the first Vietnam veteran, ever to head the agency. Cleland was seen as a sympathetic ear for other veterans, many of whom became his political supporters.
When Carter was defeated in his second presidential bid in 1980, Cleland, still quite young at 39, moved back to Georgia and began to contemplate the next stage of his career. He decided to challenge David Poythress, Georgia’s popular secretary of state, who had been appointed to the office when the longtime incumbent, Ben Fortson, died. Cleland won the tough 1982 Democratic primary and then the general election. Reelected in 1986, 1990, and 1994, Cleland actively and successfully advocated changing voter registration procedures to make it easier for college students and minorities to participate in Georgia elections. In his reelection campaign of 1990, Cleland garnered more than a million votes, breaking the record for the most votes cast for a candidate in a Georgia election. During his time as secretary of state, Cleland wrote an autobiography entitled Strong at the Broken Places, which was published in 1980. In it Cleland discusses the physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges his injuries and career have brought him.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Note people sitting on benches near this imposing mystery
Can you identify this imposing structure, today’s Mystery Photo. Tell us about it, and where it’s located and why. Send your answer to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
George Graf, Palmyra, Va. wrote of the last Mystery Photo: “The mystery photo shows the underground of Fort Pulaski National Monument, located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island, Ga.
“Little is known about the architect of Fort Pulaski, General Simon Bernard. He was born at Dôle, France, on April 22, 1779 and educated at the Polytechnic School and entered the Engineer School when all Europe was an armed camp.
“Bernard rose through the various grades to that of field marshal of France in 1814 and was a trusted adviser to Napoleon and became his aide-de-camp. After Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo and exile to Elba, King Louis XVIII forgave Bernard and allowed him to maintain his rank in the King’s army. However, the Minister of War advised Bernard to gather his things and get out of France. He took all his engineering plans with him which were the most comprehensive in all of Europe and sailed to the American Colonies.
“At the same time, during the War of 1812 (peace obtained in 1815), the British Fleet pillaged the American coastline because of the weakened earth works and poor defenses except for Fort Washington on the Potomac and Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The War Department began to look for an engineer of repute, one who was thoroughly familiar with all types of warfare and well versed in the science and art of designing fortifications. President Madison, in 1816, advised the American representative in Paris to secure the services of a prominent military engineer to supervise the fortification of our coast. As luck would have it, there was General Bernard’s situation of leaving France and his vast experience as a military engineer.
“President Monroe, on November 16, 1816, commissioned Bernard to be an assistant in the Corps of Engineers of the United States and he became the chief architect in building new fortifications and improved weaponry. These included Fort Pulaski, Fort Jefferson of the Dry Tortugas, Fort Macon of North Carolina; Fort Pike and Fort Macomb of Louisiana, and Fort Morgan, at Mobile Point, Alabama.”
Others contributing correct answers include: Raleigh Perry, Buford; Robert Foreman, Grayson; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; Rick and Sandy Krause, Lilburn; Ashley Herndon, Oceanside, Calif.; Rick Hammond, Flowery Branch; Steve Spellman, Dunwoody; and Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; and Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.
Open House with Commissioner Kirkland Carden is Wednesday, November 17, at the Duluth Library from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This is the first in a series of open houses to be held in coming weeks by the county commission to help Gwinnett residents understand how redistricting works.
Photographic show at Duluth Public Library by Frank Sharp. It’s entitled as “Six Continents in One Lifetime” and will run from November 22 through January 31, 2022. Hours are from Mondays to Thursdays, 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.
Silent Auction at the Norcross Gallery and Studios is now underway. Bid on 100 original paintings, all 12×12 inches, during this annual FUNdraiser. You may view these paintings in many styles and genres through December 4 at the gallery, at 116 Carlyle Street in Norcross.
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