GwinnettForum | Number 21.29 | April 19, 2022
COMPANY: ATTEN-SHUN! These clipped and ready-to-bloom crepe myrtle plantings appear standing in rows of military precision at the approach to Bethesda Church Road exit on the Ronald Reagan Parkway. Before you recognize it, they’ll be sprouting their new blooms for 2022. Gwinnett County’s maintenance crews have done a good job of keeping this and other parts of this parkway in fine form with its planting along the parkway entrances and exits.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Gwinnett benefits from having private Special Needs School
EEB PERSPECTIVE: New Mexico in forefront paying all college costs for its residents
ANOTHER VIEW: Create a legacy through meaningful volunteer opportunities
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Banking Company
FEEDBACK: Reflecting on what might happen to Mother Russia
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Place CID names two new board members
NOTABLE: Southwest Chamber contributes phone charger to Duluth hospital
RECOMMENDED: Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Georgia’s largest arts and sciences museum is located in Macon
MYSTERY PHOTO: Looks like something you want to avoid, if real
LAGNIAPPE: Idyllic setting of a sunset at Lake Lanier
CALENDAR: Major recycling event is April 23 at Coolray Field
Gwinnett benefits from having private special needs school
By Jamie Hamilton
Executive Director, Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Since 1987, Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett (SNSG), which is not part of the Gwinnett County Public Schools, has served the special needs community in Gwinnett and surrounding counties through their PreK-12 School and Young Adults Learning Life Skills (YALLS) Program. It currently enrolls nearly 100 students, ages 3 to 40.
Hamilton
What started with four preschool students, a teacher and a converted storage closet at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church in Lawrenceville has grown substantially on its eight-acre campus on Davis Road. Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, it serves families who’ve struggled to find the right learning environment for their child. By providing an individualized approach to education where every student has their own strengths, challenges and goals, SNSG teaches a positive self-image and love for learning that will serve as the foundation for a successful and joyful life.
With approximately 20,000 school-aged children in Gwinnett County classified as having a disability, the need for educational options has never been more important. While some can succeed in a public traditional educational setting, most need a personalized approach to truly thrive. To do this, SNSG provides a high-quality, safe and inclusive experience where academic, social, emotional and personal growth are cultivated in classrooms of only 10 students.
Its students, who come from all backgrounds and functional levels, learn together so that higher functional students can act as role models and motivators for their lower-functioning peers. They, in return, help teach empathy, patience and understanding which many students lack.
As a private school, there is a tuition for students to enroll in the school program, which is among the most affordable in the Atlanta metro area. Nearly every family receives financial support through the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10 Program) related to their child’s disability. Tuition and fees are complemented by charitable giving from personal, business and foundation donors.
Thanks to the tireless work of teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists and support staff, students will learn and grow as they progress through their educational journey. Many will graduate with accredited diplomas, attend college or technical schools, or seek employment opportunities. Others will continue building their education, focus on life skills development and set goals that are appropriate for them and their families.
To help support these individuals, SNSG also operates the YALLS day program that acts as a transition from school into adulthood. The YALLS program focuses on continuing education, support, and training that will help build independence that will serve these young adults in their communities, at home, and in work settings.
In the summer of 2022, the school will renovate an existing building on its property and create the YALLS Life Skills Development Center, a purposefully built space that will provide training in the areas of housekeeping and hospitality along with culinary arts and food service. Through industry partnerships, SNSG will develop detailed training programs, on-the-job training opportunities and provide the support needed for students to contribute to the workforce and/or in their home lives.
Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett continues to see a tremendous demand for its services. It will soon launch an effort to add a new school building that will serve at least 60 new students. It also strives to provide financial support to families so that these amazing young people can receive the education they deserve regardless of their family’s circumstances. To learn more about SNSG, visit www.specialneedsschools.org or contact me at j.m.hamilton@specialneedsschools.org.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
New Mexico in forefront paying college costs for residents
The U.S. flag atop the flag of New Mexico, via Wikipedia.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
APRIL 19, 2022 | There are benefits for these United States in having 50 states. Each state has its own distinctive characteristics in several ways. And each state competes in so many ways with the other 49 states.
Some states are more liberal than others, and vice versa, as some states produce more far-out characters. And some states seem to hum along, not attracting a whole lot of attention. But for sure, each state keeps a keen eye on what is happening in other areas.
All these differences make our one nation more interesting. And as the state governments play out distinctively, our people benefit by learning about new and different ways of governing.
For instance with this as a political year, we remember that Washington and Oregon have moved entirely to mail-in election ballots, and, yes, they work fine. While the many other states often argue about the manner of the vote and whether it is fair or even conducted in a legal manner, these two states are past this. They have shown that mail-in voting works, if you set it up right.
Back in 1993, Georgia set the pace for helping students get a college education. That was the year the HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship was launched, recognized today as the best-known state financial aid program. Funded by the Georgia Lottery, it has provided college scholarships and grants to two million public, private and technical college students in Georgia during the more than 29 years since its inception.
People have been known to move their residence to Georgia to see the state help pay for a smart student’s education.
Recently a new state has been in the spotlight regarding education. The state of New Mexico
has just created a program that will begin in July to cover the cost of attending public colleges, community and tribal colleges. All New Mexico residents, from high school graduates to part-time adults, will be eligible for this financial assistance from the state, regardless of income.
The program not only covers tuition and fees, but also covers lodging, food and child care. The program is non-partisan, supported by Democrats and Republicans.
It’s estimated the program will cost New Mexico $75 million a year, principally expected to be funded in the long run by oil money. New Mexico shares with Texas oil revenues from the Permian Basin, which recently has pumped 5 million barrels of oil a day. New Mexico officials based the program on oil bringing $60 a barrel, while recently oil has been at $100 a barrel.
This new program puts New Mexico and its 2.1 million people in the forefront when it comes to providing higher education for its residents. It will probably be the catalyst that will serve to have other states re-examine what they are doing for their people, when it comes to higher education.
States have always competed with one another in many ways. New Mexico’s new efforts to fund higher education for all its residents is really, in the long run, a developmental issue. People will move and get jobs in New Mexico to take advantage of this new educational benefit.
New Mexico realizes that raising the educational level of its people is a good thing.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Create a legacy through meaningful volunteer opportunities
By Al McRae
President, Bank of America Atlanta
ATLANTA, Ga. | There is no doubt our community has experienced immense challenges over the past two years as a result of the pandemic. Local nonprofits and charitable organizations were particularly impacted as they faced increased demand for their services and support while losing in-person volunteer support because of safety concerns.
McRae | Provided
While charitable giving was up in 2021, volunteerism rates continued to trend downward, an unfortunate pattern over the last few years that was only made more difficult by limited in-person activities during the pandemic. Many nonprofits here rely on volunteers to assist in delivering critical services, resources and tools to vulnerable and historically marginalized communities. Without the support of volunteers, several nonprofits were challenged even more as they navigated the heightened needs of metro Atlanta.
To help, many private sector companies like Bank of America found unique ways to safely contribute and give back to nonprofits in Atlanta, such as Atlanta Community Food Bank and Junior Achievement of Georgia Atlanta Discovery Center. As part of our approach to addressing issues in the community to advance economic mobility and social progress, we actively encourage employee volunteerism by offering paid weekly time off to give back to the community. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, such as limited in-person activities, local bank employees volunteered more than 100,000 volunteer hours in 2020 and 2021.
As society begins reopening safely, April’s Global Service Month is exciting as community members renew their commitment to volunteerism through onsite and in-person opportunities for the many nonprofits making a positive impact in Atlanta. As we discover our new normal and start to enjoy more of the in-person activities we missed in the last two years, we’re pleased to drive volunteer engagement through live and virtual opportunities.
During this special month, there are some great opportunities where we can support the local nonprofits and charitable organizations:
- United Way Shoe Box Project;
- Atlanta Community Food Bank;
- Junior Achievement of Georgia Atlanta Discovery Center;
- Smithsonian Transcribe-A-Thon; and
- USO of Georgia, among others.
A few ways Bank of America teammates are spending their time volunteering and giving back this month include partnering with the United Way of Greater Atlanta assembling more than 1,000 shoeboxes filled with essential toiletry items that will be distributed to homeless men, women and children in Atlanta. Additionally, Bank of America Better Money Habits Champions will be presenting to local nonprofits in Atlanta and partnering with Junior Achievement of Georgia Atlanta Discovery Center. The Junior Achievement event will teach sixth grade students through an immersive simulation that enables them to develop financial skills to successfully navigate today’s complex economic environment and discover how decisions today can impact tomorrow.
By fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors, we can create pathways to connect our employees to meaningful opportunities and embrace their passion for lending a helping hand.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Georgia Banking Company
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriting sponsor is Georgia Banking Company, which has recently been re-organized under the leadership of Bartow Morgan Jr., veteran Gwinnett community banker. The company has assets of $900 million and plans to open five new offices over the next several months in Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties. GBC was custom built to be the perfect fit for mid-sized businesses. Every individual hired for this team has been specifically chosen for their ability to provide a high level of expertise and service to the bank’s customers. Jennifer Bridwell, formerly with BrandBank, will serve as Market President for Gwinnett. Kevin Jones and Wanda Weegar, both also formerly with BrandBank, will serve as Branch Managers at GBC’s Lawrenceville and Duluth offices. Local decision-makers along with premier technology and personalized service are the most distinguishing traits that separates GBC from the current banking landscape. Visit www.geobanking.com to learn more.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Reflecting on what might happen to Mother Russia
Editor, the Forum:
One can’t help but wonder what the non-G-7 countries are thinking about the fumbling reaction to Russia deciding to conquer its neighbor country. The world can understand the angst in Vladimir Putin as he watched country after country of the old Eastern Bloc become members of NATO. Prone to paranoia, he felt the pressure of his enemies creeping closer to his borders. His own puppet leaders in Ukraine were voted out of office and democracy was on his doorstep. How long before democracy would topple his oligarchy and iron grip on Mother Russia?
It is inevitable that Russia will westernize over the next few decades, particularly after Putin passes on. He has no successor; anyone who would come close to his power is poisoned or imprisoned or both. This invasion and genocide is a last effort to crush that which will consume what he cherishes: Stalin’s Communist USSR. Once Finland and Sweden join NATO, his birthplace, St. Petersburg, will be sealed in by NATO. Murmansk will be cut off early by Finnish and Swedish ships and air forces.
Yet, the second- and third-tier countries have to be watching closely as NATO and the superpower, the United States of America gingerly and feebly try not to anger the crazy Russian. Countries with weapons of mass destruction of all types certainly don’t want a war using them.
That Russia would “westernize” isn’t so inevitable. If their strong central government ceases to exist, there is no guarantee that the society will function at a high enough level to westernize. At the rate we are going, we will all “meet in the middle,” Russia may become less autocratic, we will become more socialistic, and all of us will be more chaotic and anarchist.
– 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.
Gwinnett Place CID names two new board members
Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (GPCID) has elected two new board members and re-elected one board member.
Caltabiano
Jett
The newly elected board members include Ondria Jett, regional manager for Banyan Street Capital, and Christopher Caltabiano, senior vice president at Northwood Investors. They will serve a three-year term and join seven other board members.
Trey Ragsdale, manager of public affairs for Kaiser Permanente, was re-elected for another three-year term on the board of directors and retains his position as vice-chair for the board. Leo Wiener, president of Ackerman Retail, was re-elected as the board chair along with Mark Williams, owner of Printing Trade Company, as secretary/treasurer.
Ondria Jett, as a regional manager for Banyan Street Capital, is responsible for the oversight of nearly 3 million square feet of commercial property in Atlanta and New York, as well as annual business plans and budgets with a net operating income (NOI) of more than $45 million. Jett holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Caltabiano is senior vice president of Northwood Investors. He graduated from St. John’s University with a bachelor’s degree and received a master’s degree from the New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate where he is currently an adjunct assistant professor.
Ragsdale
Ragsdale is responsible for securing government and community support for Kaiser Permanente’s healthcare initiatives throughout Georgia. Previously, he held leadership positions with MARTA, the United States Senate, the White House, King & Spalding law firm and The Coca-Cola Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and a master’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University.
Suwanee plans 2o-day event: International Night Market
The City of Suwanee and the Atlanta International Night Market are collaborating to bring two days of fun, food, and entertainment from around the world to Suwanee Town Center Park.
On Friday, April 22 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., guests will enjoy food and stage performances highlighting Gwinnett’s rich cultural diversity! For the past seven years, the Atlanta International Night Market has woven arts, education, and cuisine into an amazing event that enriches and displays the vibrant multiculturalism that is our community. Guests can also enjoy an Insta-worthy curated selection of illuminated art from Illuminate Georgia!
Atlanta International Night Market and Illuminate Georgia return on Saturday, April 23 from 2-10 pm, along with a favorite community tradition: the Glow in the Park lantern parade!
Suwanee Event Manager Amy Doherty says: “This event is a community celebration of creativity; everyone is encouraged to create illuminated costumes, carry their pre-made lanterns, and parade together. This electrical spectacle is family- and pet-friendly, so everyone can join in as we make our beloved park glow in the dark!”
Southwest chamber gives phone charger to Duluth hospital
The Northside Duluth Hospital is getting a $1,100 phone charging station through a donation from the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
Board member Jill Morris, works at Northside Duluth, shared this critical need with the chamber. She says: “Patients arrive at the hospital with hopes to be quickly treated and return home. Grabbing a phone charger is not always on their last-minute packing list. Having a means to communicate with loved ones via phone or IPAD becomes essential to their feelings of connection to home. If they do not have a charger, then those important connections can be completely cut off.”
Cindy Murphy, associate director of Development and Operations for Northside Hospital, explains the impact of the donation. “Our nurses and floor techs are the first to offer their chargers to a patient in need. However, people forget to return them, or the needs outweigh the supply. Having a station where the cords are safely secure, and the phones are protected, is another need met by the hospital.”
Murphy credits the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce with helping meet a community need. “Thanks to the generosity of the Chamber members, we are now providing comfort in another way. It is an excellent gesture of meeting the needs of others.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: The Sparrow sisters of Granite Pointe are famous or infamous depending on who you believe. Their talents for creating beautiful scenic gardens and healing tinctures goes back for generations. Sorrell, (deceased twin Marigold) Patience (Impatiens) and Nettie each have a unique gift that builds community and mystery. When a young boy dies unexpectedly, the community believes it is Patience’s remedies that have caused the death. It takes the women of Granite Pointe to create sanity where fear has taken root. This is a light and beautiful story that will quickly engage the reader. The true main character is the gardens that create a magical world that will remain after the story is completed.
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
button size=”small”]GEORGIA TIDBIT [/button]
Georgia’s largest arts and sciences museum is in Macon
Established in 1956, the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon is Georgia’s largest institution devoted to the arts and sciences.
It serves as a regional resource for lifelong learning and enrichment by providing exhibitions and programming of scientific, historical, cultural, and artistic value. The museum offers a multidisciplinary facility housing art and science galleries, a planetarium and observatory, the three-story interactive Discovery House, a live-animal complex, nature trails, and an off-site nature preserve. The museum has an annual visitation of nearly 100,000 people per year, including 25,000 schoolchildren. The museum became a Smithsonian affiliate in January 2005, allowing local curators to access the Washington-based institution’s 143 million-item collection.
Each year the museum showcases an extensive schedule of changing and permanent exhibitions in the arts and sciences. In the last several years the museum has shown such exhibitions as Fired by Genius: The Ceramics of Pablo Picasso; Mysteries of Egypt; A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie; Sunlight and Shadow: American Impressionism; Dinosaurs: The Invasion; and The Art of Tiffany.
In addition, the museum preserves nearly 5,000 cultural objects in its permanent collection, including an early cubist etching by Pablo Picasso and a lamp by Louis Comfort Tiffany, as well as many paintings, ceramics, textiles, and other decorative and fine works of art. The museum’s natural science collection includes rocks, minerals, shells, and a 40-million-year-old whale fossil, Zygorhiza, or Ziggy, which was discovered at a local kaolin mine.
The Discovery House provides an interactive adventure for children of all ages. Three floors of hands-on exhibitions explore art, science, and the humanities. Nestled next to the Discovery House is the Backyard, which is centered on a replica of a banyan tree. The Backyard is home to the museum’s live collection of animals, featuring an alligator, Geoffrey’s tamarins (small monkeys native to the Central American rainforest), a kinkajou (a small, nocturnal, arboreal mammal related to the raccoon and found in the wild from Mexico southward), a variety of snakes and birds, and much more.
Visitors can journey to the vast reaches of space in the Mark Smith Planetarium, where the night sky is recreated with more than 4,000 twinkling stars. Planetarium shows are presented daily, and a weekly program provides the latest information about current and upcoming celestial events. Telescope and meteorite clinics offer the experience of selecting and using a telescope and identifying meteorites. Visitors may also use the museum observatory’s telescope to view celestial objects.
Brown’s Mount, a 200-acre satellite site for environmental education southeast of Macon, allows for the study of multiple habitats, microhabitats, and wildlife. The museum provides a variety of programs at Brown’s Mount, including day and evening hikes, educational camps, and curriculum programs for school groups.
The museum’s newly restored on-site nature trails offer visitors a close-up view of native plants and animals. Of special interest along one of the trails is a grouping of concrete forms called Ruins and Rituals created by Athens artist Beverly Buchanan. She donated the interactive sculpture to the museum in 1979, intending for visitors to walk around it, climb on top of it, and regard it from different viewpoints.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Looks like something you want to avoid, if real
Wow! Look at the size of this creature! Looks like it is big enough to eat someone alive! Ever seen it before? Can you tell us where it resides (so that we can avoid that area?) Figure all this out and send your guess to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
The recent Mystery Photo was easily spotted by several people. Bob Foreman of Grayson sent in: “The photo is of Lake Como in northern Italy, very near Switzerland. I am not sure which country the photo shows. Beautiful place, and I would love to visit it sometime.” The photo came from Dick LoPresti of Berkeley Lake who said: “That’s the photo I took in Varenna, Italy, a beautiful little town on Lake Como. We spent a week there with our daughter back in 2019. Thanks for the memory.”
George Graf of Palmyra, Va. came in with: “Varenna is a comune on Lake Como in the Province of Lecco in Italy. My wife and I have completed many road trips to the Italian Lake District to visit each of the lakes on separate trips. With the beautiful coastlines and backdrop of the Alps, this place is very special. On Lake Maggiore are the colorful flowered islands of the Borromee, which is an easy boat ferry trip. We also enjoyed Lake Orta which is a quiet small lake with very few tourists, but very relaxing.”
Others identifying the photo were Lou Camerio of Lilburn; Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. He added: “To the right of the photo is the belfry (i.e. bell tower) of the Church of San Giorgio, and the yellow building in the left foreground is the Gardens of Villa Cipressi. The Gardens of Villa Cipressi is a complex of buildings and gardens, built between 1400 and 1800. In 1980, the property was purchased by the Municipality of Varenna, and is now used as a renowned hotel, restaurant and convention center. The gardens are open to the public and, as can be seen in the photo, are characterized by stairways and terraces sloping down to the lake with numerous plant species.”
Idyllic setting: From the camera of Polly Burnett of Flowery Branch comes this idyllic photograph of a sunset over Lake Lanier. The relatively cool spring temperatures makes an outing on the lake an enjoyable experience at this most-visited Corps of Engineers lake.
Major recycling event is April 23 at Coolray Field
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.
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.
GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday.
Meet our team
- Editor and publisher: Elliott Brack, 770-840-1003
- Managing editor: Betsy Brack
- Roving photographer: Frank Sharp
- Contributing columnist: Jack Bernard
- Contributing columnist: George Wilson
More
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1365, Norcross, Ga. 30091
- Work with us: If you would like to learn about how to be an underwriter to support the publication of GwinnettForum as a community resource for news and commentary, please contact us today.
Subscriptions to GwinnettForum are free.
- Click to subscribe.
- Unsubscribe. We hope you’ll keep receiving the great news and information from GwinnettForum, but if you need to unsubscribe, go to this page and unsubscribe in the appropriate box.
© 2022, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.
Follow Us