GwinnettForum | Number 21.30 | April 22, 2022
HAVE YOU NOTICED that some post office drop-off boxes in Gwinnett are taped over? What’s the reason behind having to go into the post office to post a letter? For the answer, see Elliott Brack’s Perspective below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Jackson EMC names Fennell new Gwinnett district manager
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Taped Post Office boxes, Freeman, old businesses and passports
ANOTHER VIEW: Having Alice around is the only good side of “Constitution Carry”
SPOTLIGHT: Crowne Plaza Hotel
FEEDBACK: Reaction to comments about New Mexico’s college funding
UPCOMING: GGC prof studies impact of scientists in climate change
NOTABLE: Gwinnett County employees getting 8% pay raise
RECOMMENDED: The Second Mrs. Astor, A Novel of the Titanic by Shana Abe’
GEORGIA TIDBIT: State’s antebellum newspapers were mostly political in nature
MYSTERY PHOTO: Where is this beautiful pot of flowers located?
LAGNIAPPE: Snellville artist’s work on display at City Hall
CALENDAR: Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee will be April 23 in downtown Norcross
Jackson EMC names Fennell new Gwinnett district manager
By Wendy Jones
JEFFERSON, Ga. | Jennifer Fennell has been named the Gwinnett district manager of Jackson EMC and will succeed Randy Dellinger upon his retirement in May, 2022.
Fennell
As district manager, Fennell will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Jackson EMC’s local office in Lawrenceville, including community involvement, member services and governmental affairs.
Fennell was born in Atlanta and raised in Stone Mountain. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor of science in agricultural business and a master of business administration.
In 2014, Fennell joined Jackson EMC as a commercial and industrial marketing representative in Gwinnett County. Her responsibilities included growing Jackson EMC’s footprint in Gwinnett County, key account management of existing commercial and industrial customers, legislative affairs, and community and economic development. She was promoted to senior business development Manager in 2020.
Fennell is involved with Partnership Gwinnett where she serves as Goal One Chair, executive committee member, and recently volunteered as co-chairman for its 4.0 Capital Campaign. She is president-elect of the Rotary Club of Sugarloaf, where she has been a member since 2016 and formerly served as secretary and on the membership committee.
Fennell is secretary for both the Gwinnett Police Foundation and the Water Tower at Gwinnett Board. She is a member of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Economic Developers Association, Southern Economic Development Council, and Council for Quality Growth.
She is a member of the 2022 class of Leadership Georgia and the class of 2018 graduates of Leadership Gwinnett.
Jackson Electric Membership Corporation, the largest electric cooperative in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation, is headquartered 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Jefferson, Georgia. The cooperative serves more than 246,000 meters on 14,000 miles of energized wire. For more information, visit jacksonemc.com.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Taped P.O. boxes, Freeman, old businesses and passports
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
APRIL 22, 2022 | Post office patrons living in Peachtree Corners or Norcross may have been frustrated to see the post office’s drop-off blue boxes for mailed taped shut so that you can’t deposit mail any more.
So far we have heard of no other Gwinnett postal locations taking this route.
We’ve noticed it for about two months, and finally got one postal employee to tell us more about it.
Seems that thieves have been stealing mail out of the boxes to such an extent that the postal officials felt they had to tape over the opening so people could not drop mail into the boxes. If you want to mail a letter at these two city locations, you now have to get out of your car and go into these two post offices to deposit your mail inside the building.
No longer can you slip your mail into the slots of the blue box from your car. Yes, it is frustrating and inefficient.
Yet the postal officials take the position that they would rather inconvenience you than see your mail get violated, and even lost.
We made numerous efforts over the last two weeks to get an official from the post office to talk on record about this subject, to no avail. It is near impossible to get anyone from the post office on the phone, much less get them to talk for the record.
It grieved a lot of Atlanta Braves fans when the team could not come to terms with a key player of their recent world’s championship team, first baseman Freddie Freeman. The negotiations for re-signing Freeman may have dealt more than anything else with the total Braves player payroll and what Freeman thought he should be worth. For some reason, the negotiations collapsed, and free agent Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That one action just might deliver the National League pennant to the Dodgers this year, and may have cost the Braves a second consecutive title.
So it was fitting, in a way, for the Dodgers to win a game the other night, with Freeman delivering a home run for his new team. Having Freeman in a Dodger uniform will be a story to itself whenever the Braves and Dodgers meet this year. Freeman is a skilled batsman, and may be the Braves’ nemesis this season….and maybe for more than one season.
Yep, we’re still working on identifying the oldest businesses in each of the cities of Gwinnett, and the oldest in the county. Digging out history is slow sailing. Several people have responded with bits and pieces. Know that we are working on determining these oldest businesses. Eventually this history will see the light of the day.
Passports: Good to see that the Gwinnett County Clerk of Court’s office stepping up and now accepting applications for U.S. passports. While passports have customarily been a service of the U.S. Post Office, it’s good to see an alternative place to submit an application. Thank you, Clerk of Court Tiana Garner, for making passport applications available at your office in Lawrenceville.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Alice is only good side of “Constitutional Carry”
By Raleigh Perry
BUFORD, Ga. | This country is going to hell in a handbasket. The tides will ebb and flow and other things will wax and wane but we are too close to the edge. We are in an endless teeter.
Perry
Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill on April 12 that will allow every citizen that is eligible, and there are some who are not, to own and carry a gun. In the same paper telling us that, there was an article telling us that the homicide rate in Atlanta for the first part of the year ending April 12 is 31 percent higher than it was last year. Up to yesterday, to have a concealed carry permit, you had to submit a form that went to a judge and was evaluated by data that the GBI has on you. That is not necessary any more.
While Kemp was signing that, a “deranged” man hopped on a subway in New York with an automatic pistol and some smoke grenades, shot some people before his pistol jammed and exploded the smoke grenades. I am not sure yet what type of smoke or gas was in those grenades.
If something like this was a rarity, it would be a different thing. But firearms use by deranged people is ever present today. Data that I have from the Atlanta police the other day told me that, among the dead since the first of the year, are 25 babies or children. Every day when you watch the evening news in Atlanta or read the morning paper, you read of new deaths caused by gunfire. All of this and Governor Kemp was to add fuel to the fire with so-called “Constitutional Carry.”
Just last week, it was announced that a multitude of guns has been tracked to New York City. There is a regular path from Georgia gun stores to people who are taking them into New York. That will just get worse. Georgia is not the only state now with its “Constitutional Carry.” (I suspect the Founding Fathers would consider that term crazy in today’s times.)
“Constitutional Carry” will, indeed, generate more gun thefts from cars because a lot of people, when they go into an office or so, leave their gun in the car, sometimes unlocked. It will undoubtedly mean more guns in the airport. Atlanta already leads the nation in confiscated guns in the airport. Ergo, more guns will result in more shootings.
Most of the guns sold will be automatics. What stopped the man on the subway from shooting was his automatic pistol jammed. A jammed pistol’s only worth throwing at someone. The reason automatic weapons will exceed a simple revolver is because of expense: revolvers can be a lot more expensive, but they do not jam easily.
Perhaps the good thing about all of these guns in people’s hands is that if we were invaded, the invading country would not know about this. Can’t you see how Alice, walking down a broad street seeing an enemy soldier, pulls out her .357 Magnum and blows the man into another zip code?
That’s trying to see a good side of “Constitution Carry.” But it’s not worth it.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Crowne Plaza Hotel
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriting sponsor is the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Norcross. It is the only four-star hotel in the area, at the intersection of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Holcomb Bridge Road. It has 238 rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting spaces await you. Enjoy amenities such as an on-site pool and fitness center. Enjoy the elegant Eighteen70 restaurant and lounge (named for the date the City of Norcross was founded.) You will find the two ballrooms and in-house catering makes for a perfect wedding venue. Parking is always free, and you can easily connect to the internet without cost. Nearby are shopping, sports and parks. The Chattahoochee River is two miles away, offering some of the best trout fishing in its cold waters. For more details visit www.crowneplaza.com/norcrossga.
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Reaction to comments about New Mexico’s college funding
Editor, the Forum:
What a brilliant idea that New Mexico is funding college expenses, including tuition, fees, housing, childcare, etc., for its citizens.
But wait….funding by oil money coming from domestic production? My God, what if President Biden helped America’s raging cost of gasoline by opening the pipeline and encouraging domestic production for our own oil independence? I know he has opened up new leases on government land-too little, too late.
Think what North Dakota, among other oil reserve rich states, could do with fracking being allowed again?
Oh my, other Americans could benefit from oil money-funded worthy causes. Crazy-just crazy.
– Mike Tennant, Duluth
Dear Mike: We’re glad to have this space for you, but for the life of us, we don’t get your drift. You might break it down for us who don’t understand your logic.—eeb
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.
GGC prof studies impact of scientists in climate change
It’s been more than 50 years since the first Earth Day, and polling data shows an increasing understanding that humans play a significant role in the earth’s changing environment. An overwhelming majority of scientists – 97 percent – agree on anthropogenic global warming. Still, the remaining three percent play an impactful role in keeping the debate about the reality of climate change alive.
Young
Dr. Laura Young, associate professor of political science at Georgia Gwinnett College, wanted to know more about that disparity. “Who are these three percent of people who are so impactful in the debate among the scientific community?” Young decided to approach the question pragmatically, using her expertise as a researcher. She enlisted student assistants to set about collecting data.
Young says: “We looked at items like the Montreal Protocol and the Manhattan Declaration, and those documents that experts had signed and were used as evidence to stop climate change mitigation policies.”
Young and her student assistants methodically researched the signers for several years. She says the project really kicked into gear when Erin Fitz, a political science major from Jackson, Miss., came aboard in 2019. Fitz graduated from GGC in 2020 and is now pursuing a doctorate at Colorado State University.
“She was a workhorse,” says Young. “It was quite an undertaking because you find all the info but then you have to verify it. You can’t just rely on a website. There was a lot of contradictory information about individuals.”
Young and Fitz compiled their findings into a paper published in the British Journal of Political Science in 2021. They discovered that the people who make up the “three-percent” have a lot of things in common. That includes both in terms of connections to certain industries and organizations, and in age, education, and even non-educational backgrounds and interests.
Young offered two solutions to mitigate the damaging effects the “three percent” has on the worldwide effort against global warming. First, she said, is doing just what she and Fitz did with their paper: talk about who exactly makes up that three percent.
Second, she is reframing conversations so that addressing climate change isn’t viewed as a zero-sum game.
“We need to talk about it in economic terms,” says Young, “and focus on what can be gained by addressing climate change. Important issues including more jobs, greater energy independence, and a better economy – ideas that are always big talking points but are even more so right now considering current events – are really important.”
Trenton Systems opens new headquarters in Duluth
Trenton Systems, an American-made computer hardware manufacturer, celebrated their headquarters expansion with a grand opening at their new office, located in a 50,000 square former IBM building at 3100 Breckinridge Boulevard in Duluth, on April 19.
Trenton Systems designs, manufactures, assembles, tests and supports secure computing solutions, ensuring tamper-free hardware and cybersecure firmware and software within a vetted supply chain. Their clients include national military and defense organizations and information industry partners, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, Disney, Google, IBM and NASA.
Trenton Systems will use the modern facility for their new headquarters and business support and expand their manufacturing infrastructure at their current facility, located at 1725 MacLeod Drive in Lawrenceville, to better support customer needs.
Trenton Systems Chief Executive Officer Michael Bowling said the expansion will lead to more than 50 new positions, allowing them to broaden their product and service offerings and continue innovating computing solutions that drive some of the world’s most complex applications across all environments. He adds: “Trenton Systems is excited to be growing its footprint in Gwinnett County. Our people truly do make all the difference and the additional space will enable us to keep adding to the talent pool across all departments.”
Duluth Fourth of July will be different for 2022
The “Duluth Celebrates America” event traditionally held on July third is no more. Instead, the City of Duluth has a new event, hosting a kickoff of the Fourth of July on Friday, July 1. This event will include musical performances by A-Town A-List, a patriotic stage show (similar to that of Howl on the Green), inflatables and other activities. Patriotic decor and flying the nation’s flags honoring deceased veterans will remain on display through the holiday time.
Gwinnett County employees getting 8% pay raise
Gwinnett County employees are getting an eight percent pay raise, and first responders are getting more, 10 per cent!
That’s the result of a primary objective for the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners—to be the public sector employer of choice. The Board recently approved measures to meet that objective and to stay competitive in a challenging environment impacted by the national labor shortage.
Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson says: “We take pride in Gwinnett being a preferred public sector employer. We also know a generous compensation and benefits package is essential to keeping this status and shows our current employees we appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Gwinnett community. At the same time, we hope these incentives will attract prospective employees to consider a career in public service.”
The market adjustment will raise the minimum hourly rate for all positions in Gwinnett County Government to $15.
Norcross grants $480,000 to local nonprofits
Seven local nonprofit groups are getting grants totaling $480,000 from the City of Norcross to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act Nonprofit Grant Program.
Getting the grants are Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries, $170,182; St. Vincent de Paul Society $99,000; Ser Familia Inc., $88,000; Next Generation Focus, $38,000; Helping Mamas, Inc., $34,818; Corners Outreach, $25,000; and Good Samaritan Health Center, $25,000.
Mayor Craig Newton says: “These organizations are doing amazing work in Norcross, and we are grateful for the opportunity to play a small part in their life-changing work.”
With the success of the ARPA nonprofit grant, the City of Norcross, in partnership with Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs has decided to extend the opportunity to the small businesses of the community as well. Applications for the ARPA Small Business Grant Program will open on May 2, 2022. More information can be found at https://www.norcrossga.net/2214/ARPA-Small-Business-Grant-Program.
The Water Tower lands major new sustaining partner
Carollo Engineers has committed to being a Sustaining Partner at The Water Tower Innovation Center, a 55,000-square-foot research collective on The Water Tower Global Innovation Hub Campus located in Gwinnett County.
The campus will serve as an accelerator for water innovation by bringing together utilities, technology providers, educational institutions, and other industry partners to conduct applied research, technology innovation, workforce development, and community engagement.
Ranked by Engineering News Record as the country’s largest water-focused engineering firm, Carollo brings a full range of planning, design, and construction management services to clients nationwide. As a Sustaining Partner and The Water Tower’s first official tenant, Carollo will facilitate knowledge and technology transfer at The Water Tower gleaned from nearly 90 years in the water sector.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The Second Mrs. Astor, A Novel of the Titanic by Shana Abe’
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: The richest man in America, John Jacob Astor III, was 46 years old and newly divorced when he met a teenager called Madeleine Force. A year later, they scandalized New York society by marrying each other. Before their honeymoon was over, Astor was dead and his teenage bride was pregnant. This book is about their courtship and brief marriage. I wasn’t really paying attention and thought I was getting a biography, but this is actually a historical novel – and more disappointingly – a mushy love story. You won’t learn too much about the Titanic from it either. However, The Second Mrs. Astor does have a few redeeming qualities. The setting is my favorite time in U.S. history, the Gilded Age, so there’s plenty of glitz and glamor and descriptions of high society extravagance and snobbery. Nonetheless, I only recommend this book for those who enjoy a fairly frivolous read.
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 .
State’s antebellum newspapers were mostly political
Georgia’s antebellum newspapers were mostly political in nature. Editors were bombastic political impresarios who touted party lines and perhaps even held political office.
A large portion of their papers’ revenues came from political party patronage, even if the owners were not otherwise directly involved in the politics of the day. Politics was the basis for many newspaper rivalries and attacks in this period. Editors commonly harassed and abused other journalists, politicians, and even private citizens who were of a different political persuasion.
These editorial attacks were almost always scathing. One particularly vile curse an editor might hurl at another was to call him an “apostate politician.” Editors also dug up dirt on their opponents. Given the southern value of honor and a good name, a number of editorial disputes resulted in duels. A few Georgia journalists carried weapons—generally pistols but sometimes knives—with them at all times.
Between 1820 and 1835 a number of political newspapers arose in Georgia to support the state’s two political parties, the Troup Party, which merged with the national Whig Party, and the Clark Party, which merged with the national Democratic Party. The change in 1824 to a popularly elected legislature increased the importance of the state’s political press, since politicians needed a mechanism by which to communicate with distant voters.
In the sectional conflicts of the late antebellum period, most Georgia newspapers leaned toward a Unionist position, though virtually all supported southern rights. The issue was whether the South’s rights could best be protected from inside or outside the Union.
The debates over nullification and secession were complicated by the issues of slavery and abolition. Most editors, themselves slave owners, opposed abolition and argued that vast social problems would arise should enslaved laborers be emancipated. Editors tried to downplay unrest. They said little in response to the Nat Turner revolt of August 1831, for example, though they increased the number of stern warnings they published about the possibility of further rebellion.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Where is this beautiful pot of flowers located?
Yes, it’s spring, and flowers are blooming everywhere. Can you identify where this giant flower pot full of flowers is located. Send your answers to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
It appeared at first we had conflicting answers to the last Mystery Photo.
Al Hombroek of Snellville identified the location as Stone Mountain Park, saying: “The creature in the Gwinnett Forum just might reside at Stone Mountain Park.” Well, it did for a while. It was a part of a show called “Mega Bugs” of individual creepy crawlers that you could get up close with and be enjoyable for a bug lover. It appeared last, best we could tell, in 2019.
But now, Bob Foreman of Grayson says, “…is one of the super-size creatures in the Mega Bug exhibit at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga.” George Graf of Palmyra, Va. and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. also identified the photo. Peel writes: “The mystery photo is of a giant Madagascan Fire Millipede sculpture, part of the Mega Bugs Exhibit. The Mega Bugs Exhibit was introduced in 2020 as a permanent feature at Callaway Gardens and has over 73 enormous sculptures spread across more than 28 scenes. This particular sculpture is over 50-feet long. In real life, a Madagascan Fire Millipede is a blazingly red, non-poisonous arthropod that is typically only four-inches long.”
Snellville artist’s work on display at City Hall
Snellville artist Joel Sturdivant’s work celebrates nature, and is now on display at City Hall. His exhibit, “An Eye on Nature,” is currently on display in the City Hall Community Room. There is a reception of the work from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 30.
Sturdivant has a bachelor’s degree of Fine Art from the Atlanta College of Art. He has contributed to Westmont College’s charity art auction and many of his works are now on display in private collections throughout the Southeast.
He says: “Many of my works contain various planes, an idea I developed while in art school,” he said. “I use these planes to manipulate time and space. I violate parameters in an attempt to enter the space of the viewer. By stacking planes, I can move between seasons, or centuries. I sincerely hope you enjoy this exhibition!”
Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee will be April 23
Gwinnett Democratic Women will have a virtual candidate forum on Saturday, April 23 at 7 p.m. Registration for this virtual candidate forum is required. “Day of event” registration will not be available. Register on the GDW website at: www.gwinnettdemocraticwomen.org/events/. Candidates will share who they are, the positions that they are each running for, and why they are running. This is not a debate.
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be April 23 in Skin Alley in downtown Norcross from 5-8 p.m.. This celebration of Elizabeth II marks the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the British crown on February 6, 1952. There will be multiple activities going on, including bands, foods, face painters and other events. The Queen turned 96 on April 21.
Earth Day: Recycle your electronics, paint, tires, and paper on Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. until noon at Coolray Field, located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville. Attendees must remain in their vehicles at all times. Items to be recycled should be placed in the trunk or back of the vehicle where they will be removed by vendors. Materials should be placed in disposable containers or boxes as containers will not be returned. This annual Earth Day event is brought to you by Gwinnett Solid Waste Management and Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful. For full details, visit GCSolidWaste.com.
PAWfest in Lawrenceville at its Lawn will be Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.. The Puppy Parade is at 10 a.m. followed by a Canine Costume Contest at 10:35. Admission is free for leashed dogs and their humans.
Take Back Initiative: The Gwinnett Police department is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration for the National Take Back Initiative on Saturday, April 30 to provide a safe and convenient way to drop off unused and expired medications. Tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs can be dropped off at Police Headquarters and six precincts from 10 a. m. until 2 p.m. for proper disposal. Liquids, syringes, sharps, and other drugs will not be accepted. Find a collection site near you.
Free Prostate Cancer Screening with Northside Hospital Cancer Institute will be Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Centerville Library Branch (3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville). Get a free PSA blood test to measure your risk for prostate cancer. Schedule your appointment today.
Sell to the county: Join the Gwinnett County Purchasing Division Thursday, May 5 at 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. to learn how to do business with Gwinnett County government. During the one-hour virtual clinic, Purchasing and Community Services staff will share information about the different divisions of Community Services, current and upcoming opportunities, and how to do business with the County. Register for one of the two virtual sessions at gcga.us/QuarterlyClinicSignup.
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