GwinnettForum | Number 21.37 | May 17, 2022
NEW MEDICAL COMPLEX OPENS: People living in Buford now can visit a new urgent care center and more convenient access to specialty care, as Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) of Gainesville opened a Medical Plaza at the corner of Buford Highway and South Lee Street. The three-story, 90,000-square-foot Medical Plaza is expected to see more than 100,000 visits per year. Patients can schedule family medicine appointments in Buford by visiting ngpg.org/buford or calling 770-848-5200.
TODAY’S FOCUS: In new slot, Aurora founder ready for new opportunities
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Georgia newspaper giant, Millard Grimes, is dead at 92
ANOTHER VIEW: Hard to believe: 20% of Gwinnett not connected to Internet!
SPOTLIGHT: The Piedmont Bank
FEEDBACK: Two candidates want to eliminate the state income tax
UPCOMING: Six artists featured in new Norcross Gallery presentation
NOTABLE: Gwinnett Tech graduates 550, all in classes during pandemic
RECOMMENDED: The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth
GEORGIA TIDBIT: UGA campus houses the Georgia Museum of Art
MYSTERY PHOTO: Steady as she goes; don’t jump to conclusion of this mystery
CALENDAR: Asian American and Pacific Islander celebration will be May 17
In new slot, Aurora founder ready for new opportunities
By Ann-Carol Pence
Co-Founder/Associate Producer, Aurora Theatre
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Twenty seven years ago, Anthony Rodriguez and I had a dream of running a theatre. We were 30, had big ideas and no money, but we were in love.
Pence
A year and a half later, we bought a house in Duluth, and it changed our lives. We programmed our first full-cast book musical Oliver! Patrons couldn’t imagine how we were going to perform Oliver! in that tiny space. But we did.
That musical was followed by Bye Bye Birdie, Big River and many others. New musicals deserve a beautiful life in the cities and towns of America. I have always been most at home behind a piano at them. We also produced new musicals like Heartbeats, Floyd Collins, and Clue! the Musical. We lived three minutes from work so we could be there day and night. And we were!
We learned so much in that first decade. We created a non-profit corporation, formed a Board of Directors and made lifelong friends. We created business partnerships and sponsorships, wrote our first grants, and hired our first full-time employees including Al Stilo, now the director of Sales and Programming.
We launched a huge educational play series; we continued to produce blockbuster musicals like The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Guys and Dolls, and Chicago and we still found ways to pepper in small new musicals like Spitfire Grill, Pete ’n’ Keely, and Das Barbecü.
Then we moved the theatre to Lawrenceville – a city that grew with us, from one diner on the corner that wouldn’t stay open past 3 o’clock, to a booming downtown, full of , great restaurants, breweries, and “walking around beers.” Anthony and I continued to build this dream together producing mega hits like Les Miserables, Mamma Mia and Newsies, while still continuing to support new musical work.
So what will it be like in my new position? As the Producing Artistic Director, we will still be committed to musicals big and small, we will continue to support new musical work. We will venture to find plays that make us laugh and cry.
Someday soon, we plan to produce a show that premieres in the Lawrenceville Arts Center and then moves to New York. I am committed to Aurora and the City of Lawrenceville with all my heart. I have been a committed theatre leader for 27 years. Now I wear a fancy new name tag, a title that will inspire other women to be bold leaders and to manage their own companies. My career confirms that women producers are essential to the cultural fabric of American theatre.
I don’t have time to sit back and relax; to wax poetic about a job I have been doing for 27 years. I have too many hugs to give, too many dreams to realize, and a community to continue to make more compassionate, more inclusive, more kind and more fun! It is astounding to feel so loved by so many.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Georgia newspaper giant, Millard Grimes, is dead at 92
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 17, 2022 | A giant of modern Georgia journalism has died. Millard Berry Grimes Jr. died May 3, 2022, at the age of 92, at his home in Athens of natural causes. He at one time published, owned or partly owned more than 40 newspapers, many small weeklies, in Georgia and Alabama.
In 1985, he was chief writer and author of The Last Linotype: the Story of Georgia and its Newspapers Since World War II. He also served as the president of the Georgia Press Association in 1986 and president of the Alabama Press Association in the early 1970s.
His long career in the newspaper world began in Columbus as a copy boy. Grimes headed to the University of Georgia for college, and put in countless hours on the student newspaper, The Red and Black. He was its editor during his senior year of college.
Years later, he was a member of the board of directors of The Red and Black Publishing Company, Inc., which operates the student daily. He was also a member of the Gridiron Secret Society.
Grimes
Returning to Columbus after graduation, he worked on the Ledger as a copy editor. While on that staff, the newspaper won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the clean-up of corruption in Phenix City, the then-notorious Alabama town that was just across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus. He later founded The Phenix (Ala.) Citizen, which he operated before eventually returning to the Columbus newspaper to write editorials and an editorial column before being named editor of the morning paper, the Enquirer. There he was an opinion columnist.
Grimes put together a group that purchased the Opelika Daily News, and years later sold it to the Thompson Group. Then began years of buying small newspapers, mostly in northern to central Georgia. He also bought, operated and sold two statewide magazines, the Georgia Journal and Georgia Trend. He sold his last newspaper in 2011, but came back to start the Buford Weekly Illustrated, which later folded.
We have comments about Millard from five Georgia Press past presidents.
Dink NeSmith, former chairman of Community Newspapers Inc., says: “Millard’s mind never took a rest. We were next-door neighbors 15 years in Athens. He’d walk over and say, ‘I’ve been thinking about something.’ And when he’d leave, I’d mutter, ‘Now why didn’t I think of that?’ Smart and kind to the core. That was Millard.”
Robert Williams of Blackshear writes: “Millard was as dedicated to quality newspapering as anyone I’ve ever known. He was always unselfish in his service to the industry in terms of time, money and talent. He was a giving individual his long life. We’re all in his debt.”
Mark Smith of Eatonton, adds: “Millard was a kind, thoughtful person who believed in the value of newspapers to a community and protecting and affording free to all. He was a mentor to many and a true friend and a special person.”
Neely Young, editor of Georgia Trend, feels that “Millard was my best friend, and one who shaped journalism in Georgia in the 20th century. He stayed involved in journalism circles and was an inspiration for people both young and old.”
Walter Geiger of Barnesville says: “I sat in on several newspaper sales transactions in which Millard was involved. He feigned distraction but was actually intensely focused on the details. He told me the linotype guys were, to a man, alcoholics and constantly irritated by something. ‘I don’t know why we would expect more from them. They have been breathing lead fumes all their adult lives.’”
Millard B. Grimes Jr.: 1930-2022: May you rest in peace.
- To read his entire obituary, click here.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Hard to believe: 20% of Gwinnett not connected to Internet!
(Editor’s note: Dewey McClain (D-Lilburn) represents the 100th District in the Georgia House of Representatives. A former NFL linebacker, Rep. McClain previously worked at the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency and served as president of the Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council.—eeb.
By Rep. Dewey McClain
LILBURN, Ga. | The COVID-19 pandemic crashed into Georgia’s economy like a freight train. Two years later, we’re still just barely getting back to our pre-COVID jobs numbers.
McClain
Joe Biden’s COVID relief and infrastructure bills give Georgia a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate our recovery and build an inclusive 21st century workforce. Investments in digital literacy and job skills development need to be near the top of the list.
A recent study from the National Skills Coalition found that one in three U.S. workers lacks basic digital know-how. These skills gaps are a hurricane-force headwind against economic mobility, and the income gap between the digitally fluent and the disconnected will only grow as more jobs require computer skills.
Georgia is already off to a strong start closing one piece of our digital divide: making sure every home and business has high-speed internet service available. We’re investing $408 million to build out networks to reach the estimated 10 percent of Georgians not yet reached by broadband.
That’s a good start, but it’s far from a complete answer. Here in Gwinnett County, for example, more than 99 percent of homes already have broadband available, but roughly one in five still aren’t connected. Full digital participation has never been as easy as “if you build it, they will come.”
The cost of internet service has historically been one factor among many explaining this “adoption gap.” But the combination of low-income discount programs from ISPs and the federal government’s new $30-a-month broadband benefit now makes home internet service essentially free for lower-income families.
It’s hard to beat free. Yet even still, a big chunk of our community is stuck offline, falling further behind as they miss out on the job leads, educational programs, and other opportunities that an internet connection unlocks.
Digital skills gaps are a big part of the reason why. Without a comfortable handle on the basics – operating a computer, navigating online – even signing up for a free or low-cost internet program can be intimidating. What’s more, without these skills, it can be harder to really appreciate the value and opportunities that come from getting online in the first place.
Georgia now has a big opportunity to tackle this challenge head-on. We can put some of our incoming federal broadband funding to work funding digital skills training programs and other initiatives aimed at increasing sign-up rates.
For example, we can fund community colleges to offer or expand free “computer skills 101” courses for adult learners. Partnering with community centers, libraries, and churches can bring these classes off-campus and directly into under-connected neighborhoods.
Pilot programs in other cities have proven out the “digital navigator” model: training a corps of boots-on-the-ground community workers to work one-on-one with unconnected neighbors and help them get online. Georgia should scale this model statewide.
At the same time, we should bring big employers and labor groups around the table to map out the digital workforce skills urgently needed for today’s job openings and tomorrow’s opportunities – and then deliver virtual trainings and upskilling courses online to our newly connected neighbors.
As the AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka has argued, technology can be a force “for good, not for greed.” But to realize this vision, we first need to make sure everyone has the skills and confidence to navigate and thrive in our digital future.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The Piedmont Bank
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter is The Piedmont Bank, which opened its doors in 2009, is a full service commercial bank. It has recently closed a merger with Westside Bank with offices in Paulding and Cobb Counties and also recently opened an office in downtown Duluth. Piedmont now has offices in 14 locations, with its home office in Peachtree Corners at 5100 Peachtree Parkway and other locations; at 185 Gwinnett Drive in Lawrenceville; east of Interstate 85 near Suwanee at Old Peachtree and Brown Roads; in Dunwoody at 1725 Mount Vernon Road, in Cumming at 2450 Atlanta Highway and in Cleveland, Gainesville, Jefferson and Blue Ridge, plus another office in Kennesaw opening soon. . Piedmont Bank has capitalization in excess of $180 million and over $1.8 billion in total assets and is active in making loans to businesses and individuals in its local markets. Piedmont’s board of directors includes local business leaders with strong ties in the communities it serves. Board members include Lamar Black, Ray Black, Robert Cheeley, Paul Donaldson, Kelly Johnson, John Howard, Paul Maggard, Michael Tennant, Ray Barnes and Monty Watson. Deposits at The Piedmont Bank are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Two candidates want to eliminate the state income tax
Editor, the Forum:
Concerning that eliminating the state income tax: it will increase property tax on retirees….and all of us.
This election season there are several candidates who have expressed intentions to eliminate the Georgia income tax. That money will have to be made up through other tax modalities including higher sales and property tax, hurting small retail businesses and fixed-income retirees. A similar home to mine outside of San Antonio TX – which has no income tax, is taxed over $14,000 per year. That is almost double mine, and their 8 percent sales tax is punishing when you need a new major appliance.
Georgia has achieved a balanced and fair tax blend to provide first-rate education for our children while funding the necessary and expected government programs and services. It allows every sector of society to do their fair share to fund the state’s programs, and allows for seniors to remain in Georgia once they retire.
Doing anything that would rock the balance that has created such great schools and quality of life should be studied deeper than the candidate’s campaign speeches. David Purdue and Butch Miller are leading voices in this movement, and the voter should consider what the implications are for their own future and that of their children.
–Joe Briggs, Suwanee
Remembering large Chinese machines at Knoxville Fair
Editor, the Forum:
A recent GwinnettForum item provided an explanation: “How can a World’s Fair be viable when everyone has a camera in their pocket? A quick search on your phone has replaced an expensive trip across our nation or to a foreign country.”
This, in a nutshell, explains why World Fairs have disappeared.
Marie and I attended the 1982 World Fair in Knoxville,Tenn. You asked, “What can you remember?” What I remember most was the Chinese exhibit. While every other country’s exhibit was about culture, China’s was about selling industrial products, primarily, manufacturing machinery. That struck me as something out of the past, when World Fairs were about introducing products to foreign countries. The second thing that stuck to me was the immense size of China’s machinery compared to the size of the equivalent capability machinery available here in the USA. Electric motors, for example were three-to-four times as large as the same horsepower motors built here.
This was 40 years ago and China was just beginning to emerge on the world stage as a trading partner. They had a long way to go in machine manufacturing. That’s one reason they began labor intensive manufacturing, i.e. cutting and sewing, to better compete on the world stage.
Their exhibit seemed so out of place. Oh, and the red star was openly displayed.
–Hoyt Tuggle, Buford
About being president and military service
Editor, the Forum:
About “throwing dirt” on Trump. I didn’t think it was a requirement to be in the military to become president. President Biden served by representing his state by being a congressman, senator, vice president and now president of the United States. His son, Beau Biden served in the Army and became Delaware’s Attorney General as well as serving in the National Guard. What service did either Trump’s elder boys serve?
As for Biden’s deferments, asthma can be a pretty serious complication if treatment isn’t administered right away. Bone spurs can be removed for better comfort in walking (which I guess that is why when President Trump plays golf, as he is in a golf cart zipping around the course).
– Sara Rawlins, Lawrenceville
Dear Sara: You raise interesting questions. Raleigh Perry has researched presidents and military service. –eeb
The 16 presidents who didn’t serve in the military
Editor, the Forum:
Here is a list of the 16 U.S. presidents who did not serve in the military:
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Herbert Hoover
- Calvin Coolidge
- Warren G. Harding
- Woodrow Wilson
- William Howard Taft
- Grover Cleveland
- Millard Fillmore
- Martin Van Buren
- John Quincy Adams
- Thomas Jefferson
- John Adams
- Bill Clinton
- Barack Obama
- Donald Trump
- Joe Biden
Actually, I would count it at 17 since No. 43, George W. Bush served in the Texas National Guard. There is no constitutional requirement that the president served in the military.
Note also that every president between John Adams to Bill Clinton was a member of the military service.
– Raleigh Perry, Buford
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.
Six artists featured in new Norcross Gallery presentation
“Clay Pots” by Adrienne Zinn
“The Turquoise Door” by Joyce English
Norcross Gallery and Studios is presenting a new exhibit, “As We See It”, another of the series of Spotlight Shows which concentrate on a few select artists and their works. Opening Friday May 13, continuing through Saturday June 18, the participating artists are Beth Arnold, Joyce English, Micah Goguen, Gail Lenahan, Michael MacManus, and Adrienne Zinn.
- Beth Arnold’s paintings reflect her long career of teaching and she now paints for pleasure, drawing from multiple sources, including landscapes from her travels and flowers from her gardening hobby.
- Joyce English continues to paint from a variety of observations. The painting “The Turquoise Door” was inspired by a trip to Sicily; the brightly -colored door stood out amidst all the subtle tones of surrounding buildings.
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“Faintly Remembered” by Micah Goguen
Micah Goguen who has taught classes in the gallery and teaches workshops throughout the Southeast. His mesmerizing multi-media painting in this exhibit is “Faintly Remembered.”
- Gail Lenahan excels in fabric collage with added elements such as twine or beads to create her fantasy, fun paintings of fish and animals. A very appealing one in this show is a bright, cheerful blue fish titled “Fantasy Bluegill #2” that may swim into your heart.
- A portrait artist, Michael MacManus, paints for pleasure and relaxation away from a busy professional life. His painting in the exhibit is “Mountain Flowers” and is from a hike to Arabia Mountain. He has commendably donated a painting of Zelinsky which he offers for sale for a $500 contribution to Ukraine.
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“Fantasy Blue Gill #2” by Gail Lenahan
Widely traveled Adrienne Zinn gives us an intimate portrayal of people and places in Africa, notably Zanzibar and Tanzania, also impressions of India and Antarctica.. Her painting in the exhibit is “Clay Pots” which was inspired by visits to street markets in Jaipur, India.
Norcross Gallery and Studios (a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization) is located in downtown Norcross at 116 Carlyle Street. Open hours are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The website is www.norcrossgalleryandstudios.org and phone is 770-840-9844.
Gwinnett Tech graduates 550, all at school during pandemic
More than 550 students won degrees, diplomas and certificates at Gwinnett Technical College last week on the successful completion of their studies.
Keynote Speaker and 2022 Rick Perkins Award Instructor of the Year for the State of Georgia, Jeff White, spoke about being a person of value, stating, “There are three keys to being a person of value. The first key is education. No matter what situation you find yourself in, more education gives you more choices, and it provides more opportunities to make the right choice for you. The second key to being a person of value is hard work, and the third key is respect.”
The Class of 2022 enrolled and attended their entire College career during a pandemic. They met adversity head-on and marched forward through sheer will and self-determination through the many barriers put in front of them. Many of them with full-time jobs, families, and financial hardships, yet still walked across this graduation stage and staked their claim to a great career with a great company or are beginning their own companies.
Students at GGC put research on full display
Research was on full display at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) recently at the college’s Science, Technology and Research Symposium (STaRS). This in-person event came back in full force with more than 80 exhibits featuring sleek posters, unusual artifacts and interactive activities. It was postponed for two years during the Covid outbreaks.
Dr. Charles Pibel, associate dean and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in GGC’s School of Science and Technology, says the event allows budding scientists to present their work in a familiar environment.
“They are presenting science as a scientist,” he explains. “It’s a very important skill that students need to learn and communicate to their peers and the public. Even if they are not going to be a scientist, the event helps students practice communication and answer questions on a topic on which they have expertise.”
Pibel says that the event helps student researchers as they go on to present at research conferences and meetings. The hope is that after they’ve practiced presenting their work, they will be able to communicate effectively about complicated topics with prospective graduate mentors and eventually, prospective employers.
“They can talk about real science they did while they were in college and present the results and demonstrate their proficiency to scientific and non-scientific audiences.”
Alexander Merryman, 19, of Lawrenceville is a biochemistry major who graduated last year from the Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology. Someday, Merryman hopes to be a surgeon, but currently, he’s spending his freshman year at GGC researching ways to analyze the elemental composition of different materials using a more cost-effective process. Merryman explained that similar to each person’s unique fingerprint, each element has its own wavelength or spectrum. Scientists use a spectrometer to identify and analyze those elements, but commercial spectrometers can cost upwards of $40,000 to purchase.
So Merryman built his own spectrometer in GGC’s Optics, Photonics and Laser Laboratory using an inexpensive tattoo removal laser, which, when combined with a less expensive pocket spectrometer, essentially achieves the same result. He says: “Using a cosmetic pulsed laser, you can just order off of Amazon, it costs a lot less with fewer resources involved. We were able to use engineering, physics and chemistry to make our own system.”
Joining students were faculty, who highlighted their research collaborations during the event. Dr. Ajay Mallia has worked with student Joel Suazo as part of the American Chemical Society’s SEED project when Suazo was a senior at Grayson High School in Gwinnett County. Now a biochemistry student at GGC, Suazo is continuing to research with Mallia. The pair is studying thixotropic ‘self-healing’ soft gel materials, which Mallia said can potentially be used in pharmaceutical materials and drug delivery vehicles.
Mallia said along with helping students communicate about their research, the STaRS event helps faculty to identify future research collaborations within and beyond the college.
“This is a great venue to present the importance of research to students, administrators and external partners.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The Mother-In-Law, by Sally Hepworth
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: Lucy had high hopes when she was introduced to her fiancé Oliver’s mother. Having lost her mother at an early age, she craved a warm relationship that would fulfill the dream of a nurturing mother. Diana, Oliver’s mother is cool, very polite, and obviously not taken with Lucy upon the first meeting. Overtime, the fragile relationship deteriorates. When Diana is found dead, many eyes point to Lucy because of the painful 10-year history. As police delve into the particulars of the case, secrets begin to unfold and the circumstances of other family members make it clear that the case is not clear cut. The shattering ending is a shock and lends credence to the saying, “Things are not often what they seem to be.” A thriller with complex characters and great plot, this book is worth checking out.
- 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
UGA campus houses the Georgia Museum of Art
The Georgia Museum of Art, on the campus of the University of Georgia, in Athens, is both an academic museum and the official art museum of the state of Georgia. The permanent collection consists of American paintings, primarily of the 19th and 20th century; American, European, and Asian works on paper; the Samuel H. Kress Study Collection of Italian Renaissance paintings; and growing collections of southern decorative arts and Asian art.
The museum opened to the public in 1948 in the basement of an old library at the University of Georgia, and by 2011 the museum occupied a contemporary building in the university’s Performing and Visual Arts Complex. There, nearly 82,000 square feet house more than 8,000 objects in the museum’s permanent collection, as well as gallery space for temporary exhibitions and classrooms.
Much of the museum’s collection of American paintings was donated by Alfred Heber Holbrook, in memory of his first wife, Eva Underhill Holbrook. Included in this collection are works by such luminaries as Frank Weston Benson, William Merritt Chase, Stuart Davis, Arthur Dove, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Theodore Robinson. Over the years it has been impossible to separate the history of the museum from the story of Holbrook’s generosity.
Holbrook retired from an active New York law practice at the age of 70. He began a personal quest to learn about the world of art, an interest piqued by his passion for visiting museums. In his retirement he was determined to study art in a gentle southern climate. A trip to Athens in the mid-1940s led to his introduction to Lamar Dodd, head of the university’s art department. The two became friends and shared a joint vision of enriching the visual arts environment in Georgia. The Georgia Museum of Art was founded in 1945, and Holbrook became its first director. Holbrook continued to serve as the museum’s director past his 90th birthday.
Under the leadership of succeeding directors, numerous museum exhibitions have traveled to national and international venues. When the 1994 exhibition Adriaen van Ostade: Etchings of Peasant Life in Holland’s Golden Age was shown at the Rembrandt House in Amsterdam, the catalog quickly sold out, becoming a text for the study of 17th-century Dutch printmaking in classrooms across the country. This exhibition also reflected the importance of prints and drawings in the programming of the museum, which houses one of the finest collections of works on paper in the Southeast.
Since the early 1970s the Friends of the Museum, a support group of more than 1,200 members, has hosted fundraisers and openings for exhibitions and has sponsored exhibitions and educational programs at the museum. In 2000 the Henry D. Green Center for the Study of the Decorative Arts opened at the museum, and two years later the Pierre Daura Center, dedicated to the exhibition and study of the Catalan American artist Pierre Daura, was established.
The museum broke ground in 2009 on a major new expansion; additions included galleries to showcase the permanent collection, the outdoor Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden, the Study Centers in the Humanities, and an education wing.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Steady as she goes; don’t jump to conclusion of this mystery
All we can say about this Mystery Photo today is don’t jump to a quick conclusion. Things may not be as they seem, Send your thoughts on today’s photo to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
Four readers recognized the most recent mystery. Lou Camerio of Lilburn told us it was at the town of Bucksport, Maine, “….taken from the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory. The highest bridge observatory in the world. It is very near to Fort Knox, Not the one with the “gold.”
Bob Foreman of Grayson also reported it was a scene from the Penobscot Observatory.” George Graf of Palmyra, Va. also recognized it. The photo came from Lynn Jacques of Snellville, a native of Maine.
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. sent along a photo showing the observatory. He adds: “In August 2014, my wife and I drove through this area of Maine and I stopped to take some photos of this impressive cable-stay bridge and its observation tower. Unfortunately, the observation tower was not open at the time we were there, so I was unable to get a similar view as that of the mystery photo.” The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory was first opened to traffic on December 30, 2006 and the Observatory was opened to the public on May 19, 2007. The total length of the bridge is 2,120-feet, and the main span is 1,161-feet across and 135-feet above the Penobscot River. It was the first cable-stay bridge in Maine and cost $85M to build. With a tower height of 447-feet, it is the tallest public Bridge Observation tower in the world.”
Celebration for Asian American , Pacific Islanders is May 17
Annual celebration of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAAPI) community will be Tuesday, May 17, at 6 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Plaza. This year’s national theme is “Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration. ” This year’s observance will recognize the rich history and culture of AAPI residents, while honoring the community and business leaders. Gwinnett County is home to Georgia’s largest AAPI community.
Zoom Meeting: The supervisors of the Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District will be have a scheduled public meeting on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. To join this meeting via Zoom, click here.
Fall Prevention Workshop will be Wednesday, May 18 at 1 p.m. at the Five Forks Branch Library, 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lawrenceville. Professional health providers will examine your fall potential by simple testing and provide an evaluation and recommendations for strength and balance improvement.
Registering your child for school in Gwinnett County is an easy, two-step process. Register online on Gwinnett County Public Schools’ website. Before May 20, schedule an appointment at your child’s school to verify information, complete a readiness profile, pick up materials, and learn about exciting summer learning activities for your child. To learn more, visit the kindergarten registration webpage.
19th annual Memorial Day observance will be May 30 at 1 p.m. at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. Keynote speaker will be Gwinnett County Commissioner Lt. Col. (Ret) Jasper Watkins.
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