GwinnettForum | Number 21.83 | Nov. 4, 2022
MAJOR GIFT: A check for $185,000 has been presented to Annandale Village at Suwanee as a result of the nationwide Tidal Wave Auto Spa’s Charity Day. It was given by Tidal Wave CEO Scott Blackstock, right, as Annandale’s Kayce Pearce accepts. Thomaston, Ga.-based Tidal Wave’s annual Charity Day takes place at 119 locations. Each location selects a local charity to receive 50 percent of its daily proceeds. The remaining 50 percent is donated to Annandale, a nonprofit providing progressive life assistance for adults with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries. Annandale CEO Adam Pomeranz says: “Tidal Wave has always been a fantastic partner of Annandale Village, and this year was no exception. We are always blown away by the generosity of Tidal Wave and their customers.”
TODAY’S FOCUS: Professor says candidates need to talk policy, not just sling mud
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Buford High teams of all types keep on accomplishing
SPOTLIGHT: The 1818 Club
FEEDBACK: Anticipates there will not be any Social Security cuts
UPCOMING: Col. Dolores Hampton to be Veteran’s Day speaker Nov. 11
NOTABLE: Walton EMC members help local charities with $90,125
GEORGIA TIDBIT: New England native first natural history professor at UGA
MYSTERY PHOTO: A few bodies appear to be yearning for attention
CALENDAR: Independent authors talk at noon, Nov. 5 at the Duluth Public Library
Prof says candidates need to talk policy, not just sling mud
By Collin Elder
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia is once again in the limelight with its upcoming election. Georgia Gwinnett College’s Dr. Laura Young, associate professor of political science, is weighing in on the critical points people should know going into voting.
Young
“Georgia is a swing state,” said Young. “That means that if the state were to veer towards a Democratic consensus, there’s a 91 percent chance the next presidential election will follow suit.”
Young said that topics most people want to hear about are abortion rights and the worrying levels of inflation hitting the economy. Young thinks both issues are going to be crucial to who wins the election. Inflation is currently the big topic, as it affects everyone.
However, the issue of abortion rights has dominated headlines with the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. Young said candidates should delve deeper into the issues. At present, she said, candidates are not talking about policies; it’s either “one extreme or the other.”
“Everyone knows that one of the candidates is pro-life and the other is pro-choice,” she said. “But what about the policy? If there is no abortion, what are candidates going to do to support maternal health in Georgia?”
With that example, Young said that candidates don’t do enough discussing of actual policies they plan to implement if elected. She noted a plethora of “name dragging” and “mud-slinging” through which both sides seek to discredit their opponents rather than discuss policies.
“This is typical in a lot of races,” she said. “Candidates talk about scandalous issues that will grab headlines. That works for a little bit, but at the end of the day, it’s the policies that matter. People want to know what the candidates will do to make their lives better.”
Young’s advice for both sides of the debate is simple: People just need to vote, even those who are on the fence about the issues.
“A lot of the time people in the middle who don’t like either candidate just won’t show up,” Young said. “And so, the very first thing they need to consider is voting. They need to look at the candidates and determine who’s going to be the best representative of the state because their politicians are reflections of the state.”
Young said if people don’t vote, assumptions can be made that they are alright with whoever wins the election. Even if it’s a write-in ballot, Young said it’s important for voters’ voices to be heard. “If the numbers are low and a number of people submit write-in ballots, it sends a message to politicians that they don’t have a blank check to do whatever they want.”
Young said voters also need to consider the reputation of the state and who they want to elect to be the face of Georgia.
Finally, she said people need to think about the long-term impacts of the election.
“A lot of people think about short-term policies and issues,” she said. “Inflation is a big deal, but what are your children and grandchildren going to face when it comes to issues like climate change, affirmative action? Who’s going to vote on these policies that benefit you not only now, but future generations, because that’s what it’s all about.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Buford High teams of all types keep on accomplishing
Buford High School, 2019.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
NOV. 4, 2022 | People in Gwinnett know that one thing is for sure: Buford supports the students in its independent city school system. Altogether, there about 5,800 students enrolled in the K-12 system, supported by 657 employees.
And while Buford may be best known for its football program, it ranks high in all sports. But not only that, it continually ranks among the state’s best in its Fine Arts and Literary Arts programs.
This weekend, the focus of Buford will be on its girls volleyball team. They will play Lambert High of Forsyth County at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lake Points Sports Complex in Cartersville for the 7-AAAAAAA title. They beat Lambert earlier this season, and so far, have a 37-5 record.
Coaching the girls volleyball team is Christina Lecoeudre, who is in her first year. She is a middle school “connections” teacher, who focuses on founders of business. Hadley Daniels is now the volleyball director, having coached the team in previous seasons.
Already bringing home this year’s 7 AAAAAAA state championship is Buford’s girls softball team. They defeated East Coweta 9-1 for the title last weekend in Columbus, going through four games to win in the tournament. Their overall record was 32-1.
In this double elimination super region tournament, Buford’s girls lost to Lambert 5-4 in one game, but came back and defeated Lambert by 4-2 in the championship.
Trent Adams is the softball coach, having spent 17 of 20 years in Buford, teaching health and physical education. He’s been part of 11 state championships in softball, 12 regional titles and three final fours. This is his first year as head coach.
Adams cites three key players as contributing heavily to the state title:
- Senior Olivia Duncan was their key pitcher, with a 13-1 record. In 87 innings, she struck out 103, and had only six walks. The opponent’s batting record against her was .195.
- Freshman Caroline Stanton is a pitcher and left fielder, and had a batting average of .425, making 80 appearances at bat. She had 14 home runs and batted in 37 runs.
- Junior Madison Pickens, the catcher, batted 82 times, and hit. 415, with 18 runs batted in and two home runs.
What is so impressive about the Buford School System is that the classical arts are also vitally important, again, winning statewide recognition year after year.
Buford has won 19 state literary championships in its history, and been the state champs for the last 13 years! What a record!
Teresa Hagelthorn, a Buford native who is now the high school principal, emphasizes: “We pride ourselves with Triple A excellence, in academics, athletics and the arts.”
As an indication of this emphasis, this year, as last year, Buford will host the 6 and 7-AAAAAAA Literary competition. Students from all across the state will be in Buford on March 18 to compete for the state titles in the literary categories.
In March of 2022, these Buford students won as state champions in individual events, winning enough points to earn the overall team champion again:
- Humorous interpretation: Jenna Gubran.
- Girls Solo: Mara Eva Cline.
- Girls Trio: Alyssa Lovern, Rachel Bryson and Mara Eva Cline.
Winning second place in boys solo was Dylan Appling; and in international extemporaneous speaking, Sophie Lee won.
Taking third place in dramatic interpretation was Sydney Holton; while taking fourth place for personal essay was Karyme Santibanez, and for duo interpretation, Jenna Gubran and Grace Johnson.
And watch out: tonight the football Buford Wolves hope to remain undefeated in their last regularly-scheduled game, facing Central Gwinnett (5-4) in Lawrenceville.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The 1818 Club
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter is The 1818 Club, named for the year that Gwinnett County received its charter. The 1818 Club is a member-owned, private dining experience providing the best in food, service and meeting accommodations for its members. Whatever your business or social dining needs, the 1818 Club has the proper facilities, recently renovated, to gracefully host your gatherings.
- 100-seat formal dining room open for breakfast and lunch.
- Capital Room open for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as cocktails.
- Three private rooms which can be used for dining or meeting space. AV is offered in each room.
- 220-seat Virgil Williams Grand Ballroom, divided into three sections, all with AV.
- Gwinnett Room for upscale dining, with Frankie’s menu available.
Our top-notch service team enhances your experience by providing a sophisticated social atmosphere, engaging events and a full serving of dining and entertainment opportunities. If you want an urbane and central site to entertain people, consider joining the 1818 Club. For more details, visit https://www.the1818club.org/Home.
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Anticipates there will not be any Social Security cuts
Editor, the Forum:
As Terry Swain said so well, Social Security dollars paid in are a tax. Not a contribution. That “contribution” nonsense is Orwellian foolishness. I would encourage your readers to do some research on the promises made regarding Social Security in the 30’s, when it became the law of the land. And compare those promises to the way Social Security works today. At the moment, Medicare premiums are means-tested, meaning the higher your income, the higher your Medicare premium. I could go on.
Also, I’ll agree with Terry regarding cuts or lack thereof. There will be no Social Security cuts. Our elected officials, like the rest of us, are beneficiaries of Social Security. They want their money. I’ll also suggest that the Social Security Trust Fund won’t be broke within 10 years. Demographics don’t support that notion. Just more fear-mongering by those who want to win elections or support those who do.
– Randy Brunson, Duluth-Suwanee
Our nation should concentrate on thorium-fuel energy
Editor, the Forum:
Thank you for publishing Chris Lunghino’s article on solar farms. It tears me up to see a flat, sunlit field covered with solar panels, when it should be pushing up tomatoes. The place for solar panels is on buildings, homes, and, as Lunghino describes, barns or animal shelters. They should complement these structures; not displace them.
The fact that solar panels are as recyclable as soft drink bottles doesn’t mean that they will actually be recycled. They are just as likely to end up in the landfill.
We need to keep our eyes on thorium-fueled small modular molten salt reactors as the only solution shown to have the long term economical, ecological, resource-independence, and power capacity to fuel our economy for the future.
– Joe Briggs, Suwanee
Both tribes are petrified on the potential loss of democracy
Editor, the Forum:
Two tribes in America are petrified of the potential loss of the democracy. GwinnettForum had an article about Franco’s Spain and the travesties committed against the left by his fascist regime.
Republicans are threatened by the army of new IRS agents armed and willing to shoot to kill as described in the advertisement for recruits. They also see the Justice Department as weapons of the Democrat Party to attack the opposition to their policies. The FBI is also used to attack opposition and protect the home team. The Attorney General plays his own political preference rather than equal treatment for all. Things are askew in our democracy, when the two major parties feel existentially threatened by the actions of the other.
We expect to have competition that is passionate between the parties, but the rhetoric is exaggerated with outrageous comparisons and accusations. This is how things can get out of hand, as we have also weakened our authorities to control lawlessness.
Are we just missing a spark to ignite a social explosion? Or are we just hearing the whining of those not getting what they want like a middle school adolescent? I still see that number of more guns than Americans. A shooting war would be amazingly destructive. Two percent of the population died in the last civil war. That would amount to 6. 5 million today.
– Byron Gilbert, Duluth
Seeks to recognize historical significance when traveling
Editor, the Forum:
Recently, as noted in the GwinnettForum, my wife, Molly, and I visited Montpelier, the home of James and Dolley Madison. While touring the house we were in Madison’s library and our guide noted that in that room Madison worked on composing our Constitution. As I reflected on that it made a deep impression on me. We were standing in the midst of history.
The other time I felt a deep connection was during a Mediterranean cruise and we visited Ephesus. We walked the streets of those ancient ruins and I stood in the amphitheater. As I did so I thought, “St. Paul walked these streets. St. Paul stood in this amphitheater where I am standing.”
Molly and I grew up outside of Philadelphia; she only a few miles from Valley Forge and I about half-way between Philadelphia and Valley Forge. As a school boy I visited Independence Hall. I have stood in the midst of history several times in my life – Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, Ephesus, and various battlegrounds and other places of history. Did I fully appreciate them? Most likely not, but as we travel in the future, I will. I hope you will also.
– John Titus, Peachtree Corners
Dear John: Such high-level thoughts!. My mind works in the low undercurrents, in that I was at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1973 when Hank Aaron hit No. 713. –eeb
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Hampton to be Veteran’s Day speaker on Nov. 11
Speaker for the 28th annual Veteran’s Day observance at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Gwinnett County will be retired Army Col. Dolores Hampton, who lives in Atlanta, and retired from the United States Army in 1997 after 26 years of service. The ceremony will begin at 11:11 a.m. on November 11 in front of the Gwinnett Judicial and Administration Center.
Hampton
She is a native of Englewood, N.J. who entered the Army as a private as a member of the Women’s Army Corps and graduated from officer training school. One of her earlier duties was as a lab technician in Fort McClelland, Ala.
The colonel is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson College and has a master’s degree from Florida A&M University.Her final military assignment came in 1991 at Fort McPherson, Ga., where she was the commander of the Army Medical Detachment, which took care of critical speciality Army Reserve physicians and nurses. She was also previously the Inspector General for the U.S. Army Reserve Command for the nation at Fort McPherson, responsible to oversee all Reserve unit inspections and IG complaints.
She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Inc, the first president (and president emeritus) of the National Association of Black Military Woman, a member of Ben Hill United Methodist Church and the Metro Atlanta Kiwanis Club, and has served as a volunteer with the Atlanta VA Medical Center
She says of her Army years: “It was a great career. Earlier we caught a lot of flak from our male counterparts, so I always did the best I could do. It was by no means always easy. But you have to put your blood, sweat and tears in anything worth having. Today’s youths seem to think that everything comes easy.”
In her retirement, Colonel Hampton is a motivational speaker, community psychologist and counselor, and she enjoys playing golf, dancing and exercising.
The Gwinnett Veteran’s Day observance was the brainchild of Carolyn and Ron Buice, then residents of Sugar Hill. The first observance was in 1995, when former Sen. and Veterans’ Administrator Max Cleland was the first speaker.
Be alert! Study the sample ballot before you go to the polls
With voting just days away, GwinnettForum offers the Gwinnett sample ballot for the November 8 General Election. Votes should particularly study the constitutional amendments that will be voted on in this election. Note that the ballot is presented in both English and Spanish.
- Click here to see the sample ballot
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Walton EMC members help local charities with $90,125
With a dollar not going as far right now, every cent counts to those in our communities whose passion is caring for others. Tens of thousands of Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) customer-owners are helping with their spare change by allowing the cooperative to round up their electric bill to the next dollar. In turn, that empowers the Operation Round Up program to help local charities when they need it most.
In the most recent distributions, $174,037, including $90,125 for Gwinnett charities, aided worthy organizations and needy individuals throughout the utility’s 10-county service area. “No donations are used to administer the program,” said Walton EMC COO Ron Marshall. “Every penny goes straight to those who need it.”
Those recently benefitting include:
- Auditory-Verbal Center, $10,000: Scholarships for children with a hearing disability who do not have access to insurance.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, $5,000:youth development programming at their Lawrenceville club.
- Childkind, $2,500: recruiting of foster families for children with major disabilities.
- First Book Club 165, $7,525: books for Title 1/low-income children.
- Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity, $10,000: critical home repair for low-income homeowners.
- Helping Mamas, $10,000: car seats and portable cribs for low-income families.
- Lekotek of Georgia, $2,500: scholarships for families with disabled children.
- Mending the Gap, $15,000: services for low-income and vulnerable senior citizens.
- Reach One U.S. Corporation, $4,000: mentoring program for at-risk middle and high school students.
- Salvation Army Gwinnett, $15,000.
- Skye Precious Kids, $7,200: medical equipment for children of families suffering a financial crisis.
- Special Olympics of Georgia, $2,000: funds for state fall Special Olympics.
- Words of Comfort Ministries, $8,400: tutoring services for foster children.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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New England native first natural history professor at UGA
Malthus Ward was the first professor of natural history at the University of Georgia, as well as a founding member of the Horticultural Society of Georgia.
Malthus Augustus Whitworth Ward was born in Haverhill, N.H., on February 11, 1794, to Elizabeth Whitworth and Joshua Ward. As a young man, Ward apprenticed to a local doctor and attended a course of lectures at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire before striking out on his own in 1815. After working for a time in Pennsylvania and Indiana, Ward returned to the Northeast in 1823 to pursue a degree from the Medical School of Maine at Bowdoin.
Upon graduation, Ward moved to Salem, Mass. There, with the assistance of old family ties and the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was a college friend, he set up a medical practice. In addition to medical work, Ward participated in a number of social and scholarly associations. He lectured on botany, horticulture, and chemistry and was a founding member of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
In 1825 Ward became superintendent of the East India Marine Society, which later became the prestigious Peabody Essex Museum. While there, he supervised an update of the museum’s catalog of artifacts and organized the opening of a new hall to house the society’s extensive natural history specimens.
The University of Georgia elected Ward to fill its chair of natural history in 1831. He settled in Athens with his family and taught mineralogy, geology, and botany. As part of his duties, Ward created a university botanical garden adjacent to his residence.
Though the garden disappeared long ago, Ward’s home on Dearing Street, including some of the trees he planted, is now part of a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1842 the university experienced economic problems, resulting in Ward’s dismissal. His zeal for the natural world undiminished, he operated a commercial garden in Athens and helped found the Horticultural Society of Georgia and the Pomological Society.
Ward died on May 7, 1863. He and his wife, Eliza Cheever Ward, had three daughters. His grave in Oconee Hill Cemetery remained unmarked until 1987, when the Athens Garden Club restored the grave site and installed a stone recognizing his significant contributions to Georgia horticulture.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
A few bodies appear to be yearning for attention
Today we present a more unusual Mystery Photo. Give us the year and the background (the how and where) of this photograph, if you can. Send your details in to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
Yep, the last Mystery Photo was a tough one. First one in was Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville, who recognized The Arch of Trajan in Ancona, Italy. The photo came from Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Lou Camerio of Lilburn, George Graf of Palmyra, Va., and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. all chimed in with the right answers. Peel detailed: “One of the earliest and most celebrated arches to have survived from Roman times, the Trajan Arch, was built on the harbor at Ancona, Italy. It is a ‘Roman Triumphal Arch’ and was completed and dedicated in 115 AD. It was built to honor Emperor Trajan (ruled 98-117 AD), after he expanded the port of the city out of his own pocket, improving the docks and the fortifications.”
We also show another view of that arch.
Another view of the arch.
Here is more information on the previous mystery photo, that of the Bona Allen mansion in Buford. As Bob Foreman of Grayson thought, that tile on the mansion indeed is Ludowici tile, named for the town in Georgia. The original owners of the tile factory, the Ludovisi family, were from Rome, Italy, and by the late 1800’s, had established a roof tile factory in Alfred, N.Y. in 1888, and called it Celadon Terra Cotta Co. In 1893, the Ludowici Roof Tile firm opened a plant in Chicago. By 1902 it purchased Imperial Brick in New Lexington, Ohio, and in 1904 it started a second manufacturing facility in Johnstown, Ga., which was later renamed Ludowici.
Tragedy hit in 1909, as both the New York and Chicago plants were destroyed by fire. In 1914, the Georgia plant was closed, and all operations moved to the Ohio facility. Later the company was sold to Certainteed, a division of Saint-Gobain. Meanwhile “Ludowici” terra cotta tile is on the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building; crowns buildings at the University of Colorado; the Plaza Hotel in New York; in 1927 on buildings at Duke University; and is seen on many buildings throughout the nation. The company says: “Since 1888, Ludowici has been protecting buildings large and small.”
Independent Authors Day will be Saturday, November 5 at noon at the Duluth Public Library. The program will include “How to Get your Passion Into Print.” Local Author Charles Summerour will review Germany to Georgia : Ten Generations of An American Family, which includes his family’s role in over 270 years of American and local history.
Recycling Event: Bring hard-to-recycle items to America Recycle Day on Saturday, November 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at Coolray Field. Items should be placed in disposable containers in the trunk or back of your vehicle. Paper shredding is limited to five copier boxes, paint is limited to 10 gallons, and tires without rims are limited to eight items. Recycling electronics is free except for televisions, monitors, and printers. There is a $35 cash fee per projection or console TV, a $15 cash fee per flat screen TV or computer monitor, and a $5 cash fee per printer. This is a rain or shine event. Coolray Field is located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville. This event is sponsored by Gwinnett Solid Waste Management in partnership with Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful.
Automobile enthusiasts and the public can once again feast their eyes on the artistry of an incredible variety of cars at the ninth annual Suwanee Classic Car Show. This takes place in Suwanee Town Center on Sunday, November 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event, sponsored by the Suwanee Arts Center, will showcase up to 180 unique cars,
Veteran’s Day: Gwinnett residents are invited to pay tribute to veterans during the county’s annual Veteran’s Day Ceremony on Friday, November 11 at 11 a.m. at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. For those who cannot attend in person, the ceremony will stream live on Facebook @GwinnettGov and be available on TV Gwinnett and TVGwinnett.com following the event.
Get a glimpse of college life during its in-person Preview Days at Georgia Gwinnett College, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., 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.
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