GwinnettForum | Number 21.71 | Sept. 23, 2022
LOOK AT ALL OF THE BUTTERFLIES! No, this rest room at Lilburn City Park hasn’t been invaded by butterflies. They are the work of Muralist Sonny Franks of Lilburn, his second mural in the city. Franks recently joined 220 other “Wall Dogs,” as muralists are known, to create 15 new murals in The Dalles, Oregon. Read about them below in Elliott Brack’s perspective.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Feels the country needs to change Social Security
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Lilburn artist, a “Wall Dog,” paints mural in Oregon
SPOTLIGHT: Gateway85
FEEDBACK: Sees similarity in previous USA and what is happening now
UPCOMING: Electric Vehicle car show coming to Peachtree Corners this Saturday
NOTABLE: Program tries new ways of keeping interest in teaching
OBITUARIES: Marvin Nash Worthy
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Lookout Mountain is located in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama
MYSTERY PHOTO: Tell us where you think this architectural gem is located
CALENDAR: Gwinnett County Fair continues through September 25
Feels the country needs to change Social Security
By Alvin Johnson
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga | In an earlier issue of the GwinnettForum, I mentioned the Biden administration was considering making changes in the Social Security program and I offered up recommendations for their consideration.
Johnson
The recommendations were:
- Reduce the FICA tax from 12.4% (6.2% individual) to 10%;
- Remove the cap on taxable income entirely. (Presently, the cap is $147, 000);
- Increase the death benefit to three times the deceased recipient’s monthly benefit. (Presently it’s a flat $255); and
- Revise the tax code so that Social Security benefits are tax-exempt.
The Biden administration has now released its recommendations. They are:
- Implement a new methodology to measure inflation. They report that since 2000, Social Security benefits have lost 40% of their purchasing power;
- Have the FICA tax apply to individuals earning over $400, 000 a year. Individuals earning between $147,000 and $400,000 would still have their taxable income capped;
- Increase benefits for those recipients aged 80 and older by about 5%; and
- Increase the minimum benefit amount from $951 per month to $1,341 per month.
Also, last month U.S. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota introduced a piece of legislation called the “You Earned It, You Keep It Act,” which would repeal all federal taxes on Social Security benefits.
Craig stated: “This change would be fully paid for by raising the cap for individuals earning more than $250,000 and asking them to continue paying into Social Security each year.” Craig maintains this legislation would also improve the long-term solvency of Social Security.
I fully support some kind of Social Security reform, particularly in light of the calls we hear to reduce Social Security benefits. The fact is 21% of the married couples on Social Security rely on it for over 90% of their income.
At a very minimum, the tax rate should be reduced, the earnings cap removed, the death benefit increased, and all Social Security benefits should be tax exempt.
The time is long overdue for these changes.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Lilburn artist, a “Wall Dog,” paints mural in Oregon
2022 mural in The Dalles, Ore.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 23, 2022 | A Lilburn artist is part of the team “The Wall Dogs,” an elite international group, which selects a town each year where they paint murals on walls of that town, transforming it beautifully. He is Sonny Franks, who has produced two wall paintings in Lilburn, the “Lilburn Tunnel Bridge” on the Cofer building, and “Butterflies” on the Lilburn Park Rest Room.
He traveled this summer to The Dalles, Oregon, where with 220 other “wall dogs” from around the world, they painted 15 murals in four days. Every year, for 25 years, Wall Dogs gather in some town and transform its vacant walls into historic works of art. Next March they will be in High Springs, Fla., and in August in Centerville, Iowa.
The town provides a theme and cleans and prepares the actual wall to be painted well in advance of the team’s arrival. The first town where they painted was Allerton, Iowa, and the original Wall Dogs had so much fun they decided to paint murals in towns each year. One of the murals in The Dalles this year was 180 feet long on a wall for an entire city block.
Once there, project leaders are picked to come up with the authentic historical depiction. On Wednesday night they project their art work on the wall, outline it with a Sharpie pen, and the painting begins on Thursday morning. It’s finished by Sunday. Later the painting gets a water-based industrial clear coating to protect it.
Franks paints.
Franks, a mural project leader this year again, says of this year’s painting: “Daytime, the temperature was up to 103 degrees in The Dalles. Midday, we took a long break, a siesta, but were back at work by 2:30 p.m., and luckily, it was shady by about 3:15, and made it bearable. We also painted at night.”
While the professional artists do a majority of the painting, the Wall Dogs encourage local residents to help with the painting. Franks says: “We had 47 locals working with us, some the whole time, others for only an hour or so. Later they can ride by and see their names on that wall.”
For the last two years, with the pandemic, the Wall Dogs haven’t been active for the last two years. Franks has been a project leader on nine teams. This year his mural featured Ben Snipes from the 1850s. Snipes, a gold miner, recognized the area needed meat, so he became a cattle rancher, selling meat to the gold miners in the West, and even in Canada. He later was a banker and town leader.
A mural Franks painted in Waverly, R.I.
Franks, a native of Columbia, S.C., and a Clemson graduate, got into painting after producing T-shirts for rock bands. He and his wife, the former Peggy Hill of Decatur, have one adult daughter. They have lived in Lilburn for 42 years.
He got into wall painting after he met a guy he calls “Mr. Pillsbury,” a sign painter. “He was a small Colonel Sanders with a beret.” He was lettering a large sign for the University of South Carolina. Later Franks learned techniques such as pinstriping…airbrushing….gold leaf. “It just grew from there…people needing signs.” And Franks, now 71, has been doing it ever since.
When communities attract the Wall Dogs, Franks says: “It’s hard to explain the magic. It’s more than just a sign on a wall. It’s community pride. And we always hide something in the mural for people to find. People told us that Ben Snipes rescued wiener dogs (dachshunds), so we put some of those dogs in the painting, chasing the cattle. That’s fun!”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Gateway85 CID
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Gateway85 Community Improvement District is a self-taxing district that includes just over 800 commercial property owners with a property value of over $1.7 billion. Gateway85 includes the southwestern part of Gwinnett County including properties along Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Buford Highway, Indian Trail Road, and Beaver Ruin Road. Gateway85 is one of five CIDs to be created in Gwinnett County and is one of the largest CIDs in the state. The community is an economic powerhouse that helps fuel the regional economy. More than 3,000 businesses employing roughly 47,400 people call Gateway85 home. The jobs in the district account for almost 16 percent of Gwinnett County’s total employment. Gateway85 provides $27.5 billion in economic output for the County and $36.4 billion economic output for Georgia. Gateway85’s mission is to improve property values through increased security, decreased traffic congestion, and general improvements to the curb appeal and infrastructure of the area. The CID has recently moved its headquarters to a portion of the Gwinnett County-owned OFS site. The mailing address is 1485 Chinook Ct., Lilburn, Ga. For more information visit https://www.gateway85.com/ or call 770 409 8100.
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Sees similarity in previous USA and what is happening now
Editor, the Forum:
Watching the Ken Burns documentary on the Holocaust, I had tears in my eyes. Not only for the millions killed by the Nazis, but also by the fear and xenophobia shown by so many Americans. We denied entry to Jews because, as a country, we made it our policy to be antisemitic. Thousands of Jews died because our immigration policy were designed to appease rampant American antisemitism.
What is truly troubling is that the same dark character is again raising its head. Americans are again supporting the same fears and xenophobia that is allowing thousands of endangered immigrants to die because they are turned away at the border.
The immorality displayed by Americans before World War II is again underlying our heartless immigration policies. I am so sad to realize that so many Americans now fail to understand the peril and danger facing those seeking refuge .
I am calling for politicians, faith leaders, and Americans of good heart to stand up to those mean- spirited Americans who again show the dark side of our American character.
– Alan Schneiberg, Sugar Hill
More thoughts concerning the Oxford comma
Editor, the Forum:
The Oxford comma makes my skin crawl. I love reading Raleigh Perry’s comments and I couldn’t resist responding to his musings about the Oxford comma.
Raleigh wisely acknowledges that using the Oxford comma is a personal preference because different “expert” sources give different suggestions. And I agree there are times a sentence requires it to clarify meaning. But my knee-jerk reaction is usually against it. It’s probably because I was taught that a comma takes the place of the word, “and,” so having both in a sequence is redundant.
Secondly, I was a newspaper reporter for 20 years and the AP Stylebook does not support using the Oxford comma. It’s a personal preference and nearly everyone I know (who talks about these things) prefers the Oxford comma. As usual, I am in the minority. Story of my life . . . .
– Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill
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.
Electric Vehicle car show coming this Saturday
Peachtree Corners is planning its first Electric Vehicle car show. It will be Saturday, September 24, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the CineBistro parking lot in Town Center.
People are invited to the car show, hosted by the City of Peachtree Corners in partnership with Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, Qwik Charge, Ford, Jim Ellis, Georgia Power, and other sponsors.
Guests will experience electric mobility firsthand and learn about the city’s continued commitment to the sustainability through innovative and smart technologies. There is no cost to attend. There will be free chicken and waffle breakfast provided by Flavor on the Fork.
Program tries new ways of keeping interest in teaching
When it comes to professions that make a real impact on the world, it’s hard to stop teaching. Most everyone has that teacher who lit the creative spark that changed the course of their life.
Sadly, the job of teaching has apparently not been giving educators the same inspiration. Teachers have been leaving the profession in droves. A recent study by Forbes showed anywhere from 25 to 54 percent of the nation’s educators are considering leaving their jobs.
The School of Education at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has launched a fellowship pilot program this year to change that. The heart of the program is centered around the essence of teaching – relationships.
Teachers rely on relationships with their students, which don’t happen in a day. The architects of GGC’s fellowship program understood that. That’s why they created a program that takes undergraduate teaching students and places them in K-12 classrooms around Gwinnett County for an entire year. The fellowship is unique, as the regular teacher steps aside into a mentorship role and the student teacher is given control of the classroom and full-time pay.
Anita Anderson, director of the program and interim chair of field and clinical experiences and Education Partnerships for GGC’s School of Educations says that schools are careful about offering experienced teachers for the mentoring program. “They’re nervous, but, in the end, they’re getting two for one,” says Anderson.
Anderson and her team have developed this idea when thinking of filling the understaffed classrooms. They picked seven students for the pilot program and placed them in Peachtree Elementary School, Jackson Elementary School and Meadowcreek High School.
Jackson
Nequasia Jackson, a senior studying Elementary Education placed in a Jackson Elementary School classroom for the year under mentor teacher Nicole Hollum, says the program was not for the weak “But I have learned more in the short time I have been in the program than anywhere else and that has set me up for my future in this career.”
Also participating in the fellowship is Nick Williams, a senior majoring in history and minoring in religious studies. Williams has been placed in a classroom in Meadowcreek High School for the year with mentor teacher Harvey Gratz. “For me, the most appealing aspect of the fellowship program was the chance to get paid while teaching. But beyond that, on a deeper level, the opportunity to bring to life my own version of a classroom environment was one I could not pass up.”
Williams
Anderson says the fellowship is proving beneficial not just to the student teachers, but to the veteran teachers and the school system itself, as the program also serves as a professional development opportunity. “A big piece of this is retention,” says Anderson. “We want to give the fellowship teachers support so they feel confident and make them a part of the school community, so they want to stay.”
Anderson and her team plan to triple the program size next year, placing 20 to 24 GGC undergraduates into Gwinnett County classrooms. Jackson and Williams both say they would recommend the program to any GGC student who appreciates a challenge and has a passion for teaching.
“If you’re passionate about teaching and want to get a leg up on the competition, this is the program for you,” says Williams.
Grants to 5 charities from Jackson EMC Foundation
The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $117,500 in grants for organizations during its August meeting, including $47,500 to organizations serving Gwinnett County.
- $15,000 to Mosaic Georgia, Inc., formerly known as Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center and Children’s Advocacy Center, based in Duluth, to provide assistance for its Children’s Advocacy Center program for clients in Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Hall, and Jackson counties.
- $15,000 to St. Vincent De Paul Society—Duluth, to help fund direct aid for housing assistance, including rent, mortgage and temporary housing for Gwinnett County families in crisis.
- $7,500 to Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, Inc., for its Ag Experience Mobile Classroom designed for grades 3-5 throughout Jackson EMC’s service area.
- $5,000 to Connect Ability, Inc., based in Dahlonega, for its Sidekicks Respite program designed for people with disabilities and their caregivers in Gwinnett and Hall counties.
- $5,000 to Georgia Options, Inc., in Athens, for its Person-Centered Support Program serving people with developmental disabilities in Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Jackson and Madison counties.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Marvin Nash Worthy
Marvin Nash Worthy died peacefully at home on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. Marvin was born in Detroit, Michigan and came to Gwinnett County at age seven. He was preceded in death by his parents, Marvin Olin and Clara Worthy, and brother-in-law, Norris T. Bailey. He is survived by his sister, Jane Worthy Bailey and nephews Stephen Bailey and Martin Bailey of Tucker, and second cousin, Chloe Rutledge.
Marvin served in the United States Army in World War II from 1943 -1947 as a combat engineer with George Patton’s Third Army in two major campaigns. As a water specialist, he and his unit were responsible for locating a water source in each area and purifying the water for Mess, the Field Hospital, and the troops.
He was a Life Member of American Legion Post 232 Snellville and served one term as city councilman for Lilburn. He worked as a private genealogist and historical researcher and held the title of Gwinnett County Historian from April 2, 1969 until his passing, authoring the third volume history of Gwinnett County. One of the founders and chairman of the committee to organize the Gwinnett Historical Society, Mr. Worthy served as the first president of the organization and chairman of its executive council. Other memberships included the Georgia Historical Society, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Georgia Municipal Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce.
The family respectfully requests that donations be made to VFW National Home for Children, 3573 South Waverly Road, Eaton Rapids, Mich. 48827 in lieu of flowers. The funeral was held at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Grayson, on September 22 with internment on site immediately following.
Arrangements by Bill Head Funeral Home and Crematory Lilburn/Tucker Chapel.
An invitation: We need more recommendations. People enjoy them. Just think about 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
Lookout Mountain is in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama
Known primarily for its role in the Civil War (1861-65) battles of Chattanooga and Chickamauga, and for the Rock City, Ruby Falls, and Incline Railway tourist attractions in and near Tennessee, Lookout Mountain is actually a bigger physical presence in Georgia, and even larger in Alabama.
Geologically considered a ridge in the state’s Valley and Ridge province, Lookout Mountain stretches 84 miles from downtown Chattanooga, Tenn., to downtown Gadsden, Ala.. Only three miles of Lookout Mountain are located in Tennessee, while 31 miles lie in northwest Georgia and 50 miles extend into northeast Alabama. The mountain’s highest point is located near the community of High Point, Ga., along the eastern brow, where it reaches an elevation of 2,393 feet.
Lookout Mountain is the southernmost extension of the Appalachian Plateau, a land mass that runs from Birmingham, Ala., to Knoxville, Tenn. Lookout Mountain is separated from Sand Mountain (also part of the Cumberland Plateau) by Lookout Valley, a two-mile-wide channel that includes the towns of Trenton and Rising Fawn, Ga.
Along the top of Lookout Mountain, in Walker County, are incredible views of two different valleys: Chattanooga Valley to the east and Lookout Valley to the west. The narrow, flat top of Lookout Mountain is large enough for small communities and a few roads, and is well suited for homes built along the brow that provide outstanding scenery into the valleys below.
The precipitous drop-offs from the top of Lookout Mountain into the valleys also furnish an excellent site for hang-gliding. One of the world’s best-known hang-gliding schools, the Lookout Mountain Flight Park, is located in Georgia, just southwest of the West Brow community.
Covenant College, a four-year school affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America, is located on top of Lookout Mountain in Georgia. The college occupies a former hotel, and that building’s tower can be seen from miles in all directions. It is possible, for example, to see the Covenant College campus while standing on White Oak Mountain in Ringgold, 15 miles away. Covenant’s campus sprawls northeast to southwest along the mountaintop, occupying numerous buildings.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Tell us where you think this architectural gem is located
Today’s Mystery Photo is a distinctive architectural gem, but may be hard to locate. Give it your best effort, and send your thoughts to elliott@brack.net, and be sure to include your hometown.
Last edition had a most difficult photo, with only George Graf of Palmyra, Va. able to solve it. It was the L.L.Bean Flying Point Paddling Center, in Freeport, Maine. It was sent in by Lou Camerio of Lilburn, who also was left off the list of those recognizing the Grand Central station in the previous edition.
Gwinnett County Fair continues through Sept. 25
Beehive exhibit at the fair; By Frank Sharpe.
Attend the 68th annual Gwinnett County Fair, which continues until Sept. 25 at the Gwinnett Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. (2022 photo at the beehive exhibit by Frank Sharp.)
Put on your calendar: The 43rd Annual Elisha Winn Fair will be Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, at the Elisha Winn House, Gwinnett’s birthplace, at 908 Dacula Road in Dacula. Enjoy a living history exhibit, good food, craft vendors, music, blacksmithing, weaving, spinning and military enactors. The fair is sponsored by the Gwinnett Historical Society.
“We are family” is the title of the 2022 black-tie optional Rainbow Village benefit gala, to be held Saturday, October 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The event will include reception and dinner, silent and live auctions and raffle to win a week for four in Tuscany, Italy. Tickets can be purchased online through the Rainbow Village website at www.RainbowVillage.org.
Gwinnett residents are invited to interact with public safety personnel in a non-emergency environment. Gwinnett Police and Fire and Emergency Services will partner to hold the 12th annual Public Safety Fall Festival on Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Coolray Field. For more information, please call 770-513-5119. Coolray Field is located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville.
Preview Days: Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) will give high school and transfer students a glimpse of college life during its in-person Preview Days, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., October 1 and again on November 12. Members of the Grizzly family will be on hand to discuss programs of study, admissions, financial aid, student housing and more. Participants will be able to tour GGC’s campus and talk to student ambassadors about their experiences at GGC. The party-like atmosphere will include food, music and fun giveaways. GGC team members will host selected breakout sessions in Spanish.
Hispanic Latino Heritage Festival will be Tuesday, October 4 at 6:15pm at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville. This year’s theme, “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger County,” will be marked with food, performances, and remarks from the Board of Commissioners and historian Dr. Iliana Yamileth Rodriguez.
The 50th annual Lilburn Daze celebration is Saturday, October 8 at Lilburn City Park. Sponsored by the Lilburn Woman’s club, it is co-sponsored by the City of Lilburn. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This festival allows the club to support and enrich the Lilburn community through scholarships, support of the arts, beautification projects, public health and safety projects, and much more. Come for the shopping opportunities, rides, games, tons of food, and entertainment. There is something to appeal to every member of the family.
Picnic with the police on the Braselton Town Green on Thursday, October 13 from 5-8 p.m. Come enjoy food and drinks at no cost. There will be kid’s activities, police cars and West Jackson fire trucks.
Fourth annual Rewriting Your Story gala in support of the Gwinnett County Public Library foundation will be Saturday, October 15 at 6 p.m. at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth. Three people will be honored: Beauty Baldwin, David McCleskey and Clyde Strickland. Keynote speaker will be Army Master Sergeant Cedric King. For details including ticket information, contact jdifranco@gwinnettpl.org.
The Fort Daniel Frontier Faire will be held Saturday, October 15, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Faire will be in Hog Mountain, , just south of the intersection of Gravel Springs Road and Georgia Highway 124. There will be blacksmith demos, ongoing public excavations, museum/lab education, genealogy, living history encampment, frontier life education and lots of fun for all ages.
The Braselton Zombie 5K Run/Walk will be Saturday, October 15, starting at 8:30 a.m. Zombies will take over Braselton as top male and female runners will compete in age groups. There will be prizes for the best-dressed zombies. This is a qualifying event for the AJC Peachtree Road Race.
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