GwinnettForum | Number 22.10 | Jan. 03, 2023
ANOTHER CRUISE REPORT: Two more Gwinnettians, Bea and Bob Grossman of Norcross, went on a cruise to the Antarctic recently. They also had an unusual experience. Read about it in Feedback below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: In era of NRA influence, mass killings continue in USA
EEB PERSPECTIVE: No housing should be permitted along major thoroughfares
ANOTHER VIEW: In spite of setbacks, Gwinnettian enjoyed Antarctic adventure
SPOTLIGHT: Law Office of J. Michael Levengood, LLC
FEEDBACK: Another local couple’s Antarctica’s trip had emergency
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Chamber to mark 75th anniversary tonight
NOTABLE: Sherman promoted to new position with Chamber
OBITUARIES: Myron E. Bullock Sr.
RECOMMENDED: J Alexanders in Peachtree Corners
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Country music artist Jerry Reed was an Atlanta native
MYSTERY PHOTO: Do you recognize this famous building?
LAGNIAPPE: Suggest some young cartoonist to submit his work to GwinnettForum
CALENDAR: Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra has concert Sunday night
In era of NRA influence, mass killings continue in USA
By Raleigh Perry
BUFORD, Ga. | The Gun Violence Archive counted 648 mass shootings in 2022 in our country. In 2023, mass killings began with at least 36 dead in January. This is ridiculous and could be cut way down with national controls on guns.
Perry
Ah, but for the National Rifle Association (NRA), something could be done. They get their way by paying, one way or the other, enough members of the House and Senate to vote their way to save the infamous Second Amendment.
I admonish all to read the Second Amendment to see exactly what it says. Basically, it is there to have a well- armed militia in the states and this was done because there was not really a functioning army originally.
I would say that another real reason to have a gun would be to procure food through hunting, especially in the days when the Second Amendment was written.
Let us talk about the guns for a second. What they had, whether they were pistols or rifles, were flintlock, single-shot guns. But what the NRA is protecting today is pistols and rifles that are automatic, or semi-automatic, that can hold clips or magazines with a lot of rounds (bullets). The AR-15 types of guns will hold up to 30 rounds, and the man who has one can carry several additional clips with him.
There are rational ways to control these shootings that do not involve anything that the Second Amendment says. The most rational would be to control the amount of ammunition manufactured. Make the rounds that end up on store shelves so expensive and so heavily taxed that you would not want to shoot 15, certainly not 30 on the streets of Atlanta or Buffalo. Interstate sales of ammunition has to be stopped and the importation of rounds from outside the U.S. has to be stopped.
Also, without ever registering guns, you can find out who owns them and what calibers that they have by having a type of credit card that would have to be used to purchase ammunition. That credit card could be run through a reader and information on it would be downloaded by state and/or federal agencies. Ammunition could not be bought except in the state of a person’s residence.
In addition to that, stop all sales of guns that hold more than eight rounds. Make it illegal for a person to carry more than one magazine or clip.
Part of the problem of gun control is that there exist a plethora of laws pertaining to guns all over the place in the U.S. Code. They are attached as riders to much legislation. We need to codify our laws in the U.S.
The problem is the National Rifle Association (NRA) which funnels massive amounts of money to congressmen and senators. It makes you think they almost pay Supreme Court Justices somehow.
People are not going to become responsible with guns on their own. They will have to have responsibility forced upon them. But, of course, the NRA cannot have us touch (or barely mention) the Second Amendment. Any mention of it is sacred — at least to gun owners, but not in the same way to most Americans.
No housing should be permitted along major thoroughfares
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 3, 2023 | Have you ever considered that there ought to be a special place in hell for people who come up with the ideas of locating housing for people next to major thoroughfares? Adjacent to such roads you see many developments of apartment complexes, townhouses and condos, and even single-family subdivisions.
Those behind such real estate projects adjacent to highways affect people far into years to come, as these residents have to put up with the continual noise from the roadways, breathe the pollution from the fumes of the road, and have their lives disturbed merely by the location of their housing. Once multi-family housing, or even one-family homes in subdivisions are built along highways, such units stay and stay and stay.
The sad part is that while some people must live in these housing areas, they have to put up with the noise from the roadway 24/7 if they are retired, or don’t work. Then come nightfall, sleep here is overlaid night after night with the rumblings, sirens and continued whine of vehicles.
“Oh,” but you say, “People don’t have to live there.” Not entirely so. For some, it’s the only housing they can find. And look at how many units are near roads. The number will stagger your mind.
Also in that special place in hell ought to be a lot of space for the public officials, elected and appointed, who gave approval for land to be developed for housing along roadways. Yes, besides those elected officials who stamp their final approval on the land use, we’re talking about spineless members of Planning and Zoning boards, who give their early signal that such housing along the always-busy highways is OK for their community. And no wonder these Planning and Zoning people rubber-stamp such projects, for these boards are often pre-loaded with people who, shall we say, are “developer friendly.”
But you also throw up: “But shouldn’t a landowner be allowed to determine what goes on his land?”
Poof! Property rights go so far. Landowners ought not to be allowed to disturb their neighbors. Public officials can work for the common good of mankind by making sure that the rights of everyone are protected, not just landowners. That’s why Planning and Zoning boards were introduced, along with public hearings. (In reality, the elected officials often use the P & Z board to protect themselves from making decisions on land use. The elected officials pass what can be a hot potato to the P&Zs. It’s politics.)
What can a good planning and zoning board do to provide adequate housing for an area? First, keep such housing distant from major roadways. Then approve not so many apartments in any area, but require condos. That means that the new homeowner is just that, an owner of the property. Owners take far more care of units than renters. In addition, though we are no champion of homeowner associations, these collective groups tend to discipline owners, to make sure that the property is maintained and kept clean at a high standard.
You want an example? A reader recently sent to GwinnettForum this photograph of trash and debris in a complex less than a mile from the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. That’s what can happen in apartment areas if enforcement provisions are not in place. You no doubt can cite other trashy examples like this near where you live.
Building housing adjacent to highways is downright wrong. Use the land for warehouse, commerce and manufacturing, not for people’s homes.
We warn those approving housing near highways to prepare themselves for a mighty hot future.
For those of you who note such items, today can be marked as 2-3-23.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Despite setbacks, Gwinnettian enjoyed Antarctic adventure
Nelson at the start of her polar trip.
(Editor’s note: a Gwinnett 77-year-old finally visited her seventh continent recently, but boy, does she have a story! The author is a Florida native, a graduate of Florida State and worked in capital markets for C&S Bank for 25 years. She was married to the late Robert Kenerly of Lawrenceville for 25 years).
By Jo Ann Nelson
Part two of two articles (Click here to read part 1)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | After getting new clothes at an Ushuaia store, someone on the ship asked if anyone had any regrets about the trip. I spoke up and said that I had planned to do the Polar Plunge and regretted not being able to do that. One of the crew leaned over and said he thought the wave coming into my room counted as my Polar Plunge. It all depends on your perspective.
Nelson wrapped up at southernmost lighthouse
We also went to visit the southernmost lighthouse in the world, with a great deal of wildlife in the area: seals, penguins, many different birds and other animals.
On December 5 we headed to Buenos Aires. Stayed in a very nice hotel. A night flight home was canceled, after sitting on the runway for two and a half hours.
Then it was up to Viking to find hotel rooms for 200 plus travelers at midnight. I was paired up with a fellow American to take a taxi to a “nearby” hotel. It took over an hour to get to the hotel and to say it was on the lower end of the spectrum is putting it mildly.
It was very hot. The fan on the air conditioner worked but the air conditioner did not work. I was determined to make the best of the situation and got ready to take a shower. Unfortunately, I missed the step up into the bath area and fell and took the skin off of my left forearm. One thing that I had was plenty of bandages. I just wrapped it up after the shower and did not tell anyone. I wanted to go home.
The next day I got directions to a shopping area to get a cooler outfit. Then we went to board the airplane. I fell asleep as soon as I sat down and did not wake up until they served dinner. It was quite special to be in first class.
We arrived in Atlanta 15 minutes early and the powers that be would not let us off because the customs section was not opened. But, I thought “THE PENGUIN HAS LANDED!”
Then more: the shuttle bus to my parking lot to get my car was over an hour late. It wasn’t over.
Where my car was supposed to be parked, it wasn’t my car. As we drove down lanes of cars, I kept pushing the key fob trying to locate my car. Eventually, I found it and took off for home faster than a speeding bullet.
It was not over yet. The day after I got home, my furnace quit. A friend let me use her guest room the first night. The second afternoon the gas logs provided heat and I slept on the sofa until the furnace was fixed.
Hoping this was the end of my disasters, I was wrong. I went to Boca Raton to spend Christmas with my brother, Bill, and his family. He fell twice, and the second time, he broke his left hip. He had successful surgery and is now in rehab.
In spite of all of these disasters, we did have a great time together. I’ve been fortunate that my injuries were not severe, and that the crew of Viking was so kind and helpful. But now, wow! I visited seven continents!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Law Office of J. Michael Levengood, LLC
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter is the Law Office of J. Michael Levengood, LLC. Before relocating his general civil practice eight years ago to Lawrenceville, Mike Levengood practiced law as a partner in an Atlanta firm for almost 34 years, handling a wide variety of commercial and litigation matters for business clients. Mike is a community leader in Gwinnett County where he serves on several non-profit boards.
- Visit this supporter’s web site at https://www.levengoodlaw.com
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Another local couples’ Antarctica’s trip had emergency
Editor, the Forum:
Sister ship Viking Octantis
It was with keen interest that I read the travails experienced by Jo Ann Nelson on her recent Viking Antarctic Explorer expedition. Interestingly enough, my wife and I were on the identical twin sister ship of the Polaris, the Viking Octantis, several days later.
We were setting sail from Ushuaia on December 3, 2022 and had spent several days in advance touring in Buenos Aires. After the Polaris incident, our cellphones began blowing up, as family members and friends knew we were on a Viking ship, but not the exact name. They were inquiring as to our safety as a result of the rogue wave incident.
When we arrived at the port in Ushuaia, we could see the damaged Viking Polaris, just as it appears in your picture.
As you can imagine, there was some initial trepidation, but we figured that the likelihood of such an event happening twice in a week was quite remote, so forward we went. Our experience, for the most part, was exceptional. We had Antarctica “Chamber of Commerce” weather for our initial landings and the onboard experience was unparalleled.
However, even our good luck came to an end before a kayaking excursion. However, we were cruising at a high rate of speed with no land mass to be seen. Soon, the Captain informed on the public address system that a guest onboard had a life-threatening medical emergency and would have to be medically evacuated. It would take 17 hours to arrive at the closest Chilean base.
By the time we arrived at the base, we had lost a complete day. Then when we made it to the next destination—far from our scheduled itinerary—the weather had turned sour and we lost a second day of excursions. We are thankful for the experiences we gained through the trip, but have come to realize that one is at the whim and fancy of Mother Nature on these Antarctic sojourns.
– Bob Grossman, Norcross
Hearing train horns is similar to airport noise complaints
Editor, the Forum:
GwinnettForum’s story about Duluth rail crossing and horns of trains is somewhat like the people who move near the airport and then complain about the noise from the airplanes.
Wait until the first casualty at one of the crossings and then hear the whining about “I didn’t hear the train coming.” Consider how many people already run around crossing gates! Often they get hit. Maybe they should talk to the Brightline train operators in south Florida and see how that Quiet Zone is working out for them. Good luck. Duluth.
– Dan Mackaben, Lawrenceville
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 Chamber to mark 75th anniversary tonight
The Gwinnett Chamber will celebrate seven-and-a-half decades of progress at its 75th Annual Dinner on February 3, 2023. This diamond anniversary event will be the first sold-out event held in the newly renovated Grand Ballroom of the Gas South District. A reception begins at 6 p.m. with dinner and program following at 7:30 p.m.
Annual dinner honorees, congressional leaders, state legislators, county and officials, and over 800 business and community professionals are expected to be present.
The Chamber annually presents awards at these dinners. The 2023 honorees include:
- Citizen of the Year – Tammy Shumate, Capital City Home Loans;
- Public Service Awards (6):
- Dr. D. Glen Cannon, Gwinnett Technical College;
- Jason Chandler, Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation;
- Jennifer Hibbard, View Point Health;
- Tim Le, NDI MAXIM Real Estate;
- Chief J.D. McClure, Gwinnett County Police Dept; and
- Emory Morsberger, Gateway85 CID;
- D. Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award – United Way of Greater Atlanta in Gwinnett
- James J. Maran International Award – Siemens Electrical Products;
- Wayne R. Shackleford Legacy Awards (posthumously given) – Tiffany P. Porter and Jones Webb
The event will be emceed by President and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett Nick Masino, while comedian Henry Cho will be the entertainer.
Sherman promoted to new position with Chamber
Sherman
Lisa Sherman has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and Partnership Gwinnett. She will now oversee a consolidated team of marketing, communications, and design professionals for the Gwinnett Chamber. Sherman is a 29-year resident of Gwinnett County and resides in Grayson with her husband, Robert, and their two children, Ben and Hannah.
She was hired back to the Gwinnett Chamber in November of 2021 to develop strategic communication plans for both Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett. Now written and adopted, Sherman will work in tandem with the Partnership Gwinnett marketing team and oversee the Gwinnett Chamber’s now consolidated marketing and branding teams to implement those plans. Sherman spearheaded the Gwinnett Chamber’s accreditation application process that earned the organization its first-ever 5-Star designation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She was with the Chamber previously, and had been employed by the City of Lawrenceville and by AGCO Corporation of Duluth.
Ilyas wins Winn DAR chapter essay contest
Winner of the American History essay contest sponsored by the Philadelphia Winn chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is Nur Sufiya Ilyas, a fifth grader at Winn Holt Elementary School in Lawrenceville. She is shown with Linda LaPerre, American History committee chair (center) and Lynn Jacques, Chapter Regent. The contest was established by the Daughters of the American Revolution to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation’s great history and learn about history in a new light. Nur Sufiya’s Winn Holt Elementary School Principal Lisa Glausier and fifth grade teacher Faith Harvienx attended the awards presentation during the January meeting of the Philadelphia Winn Chapter.
Learn more about Gwinnett with Citizen’s Academy 101
Ever wonder how Gwinnett County Government provides services to the community? Here’s your chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at county operations, meet local leaders, and tour government facilities! The GwinnettCitizens Academy 101 is a 12-week program offered twice each year to develop and nurture informed and engaged residents, students, and business owners in Gwinnett County. To be considered for the spring term, apply at Gwinnett101.com by Wednesday, March 1.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Myron E. Bullock, Sr.
Myron E. Bullock Sr. passed away at his home on January 31, 2023 at the age of 83. He was born February 7, 1939 in Winder to Vernie Lee and Sara Knox Bullock. His family had deep roots in Gwinnett County. He grew up in Duluth and attended Duluth High School where he played basketball and baseball. He attended Piedmont College for his Bachelor Degree in Education and earned his Master’s and sixth year degrees at the University of Georgia.
Bullock
Myron was known to many as “Coach Bullock,” since he was a high school teacher and coach for over 30 years. He began his teaching career at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville in 1962. He met his wife of nearly 60 years, Janice Lord of Lawrenceville and they married in March, 1963. His teaching and coaching career took him to Saint Joseph’s Catholic School in Atlanta in 1965 and then to Dacula High School in 1967. Over the years, Coach Bullock taught various subjects and coached basketball, football, baseball, soccer, track, golf and was an athletic director. He touched the lives of generations of students in the classroom, on the field and in driver’s education classes. He retired from Gwinnett County Public Schools in 1995.
Myron loved coaching, but even more than that he loved his family. He and his wife, Janice, shared a love that spanned nearly 60 years and had an unbreakable bond. They welcomed a son, Myron Jr, whom they called “Skooter,” in 1964 and then a daughter, Terra, in 1973. He instilled in his children a strong work ethic and a love of family.
He coached both of his children and all of his grandchildren for many seasons. In later years, he affectionately became known as “Coach B” to many of the young players on the teams. Even when he was not coaching he never missed any of his grandchildren’s ball games or events. He found his greatest joy watching his grandchildren and great-grandchildren compete and do what they love. His granddaughters, Tiffany and Erica, called him Granddaddy, but his grandson, Luke, named him “Da” and that is also what his great-grandchildren called him.
Coach Bullock was also known for his “corny” jokes and bits of “useless information” that he used in the classroom to get students attention and to make his grandchildren laugh. The smiles he created will live on as countless students and family members still share those stories. He loved to talk to strangers and research his family’s genealogy that goes back more than nine generations in Gwinnett County. He also loved traveling and his family has memories of trips to Hawaii, Europe, Alaska, on cruises, and many of the Major League Baseball stadiums around the country.
After retiring from teaching, Myron became a Master Gardener. His yard was immaculate and filled with so many species of flowers, fruit trees and plants. He loved planting a garden each year and harvesting the fresh vegetables. He found solace in dirt, rooting new plants and in nurturing his garden in the same way that he nurtured his family. Myron and Janice were longtime members of Lawrenceville First Baptist Church. He was a man of quiet Christian faith, but there was never a doubt that he loved the Lord, so his family take comfort knowing that he is now walking in Heaven’s gardens.
Myron was preceded in death by his father and mother, Vernie Lee and Sara Knox Bullock and his brother, Donald “Don” Bullock. He is survived by his wife, Janice Lord Bullock; son, Myron E. Bullock, Jr, (Theresa); daughter, Terra Bullock Winter (Anthony); granddaughters Tiffany Bullock (Teresa), Erica Whiten (Cory); grandson, Luke Winter; and great-grandchildren, Dylan Larsen, Emma Larsen, Chase Larsen, Gabby Larsen and Levi Larsen (all of Lawrenceville); brother, Ken Bullock (Irene) of Athens, and sister, Sally Southerland (Mike) of Duluth.
A celebration of life will be held at Wages and Sons Funeral home in Lawrenceville on Sunday, February 5, 2023. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. and the service will be at 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Myron E. Bullock Sr. Family Fund at The Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia: www.cfneg.org.
J Alexanders in Peachtree Corners
From Chuck Paul, Norcross: Recently I had lunch at this restaurant at Peachtree Corners Circle and Peachtree Parkway, in the area of the Forum. There was great energy and feel to the restaurant. The staff was well trained having the best teamwork of any restaurant I have seen in the area, and our server was super-friendly and accommodating. The food and service were consistently great. My pork tenderloin was spot-on and my guest’s crab cakes were termed excellent. The restaurant scored a “10” in every category, and yes, of course I will go back.
- 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
Country music artist Jerry Reed was an Atlanta native
Preferring to be known as an “entertainer,” Georgia native Jerry Reed had a successful career as a recording artist and songwriter, as well as a film actor.
Born Jerry Reed Hubbard on March 20, 1937, in Atlanta, the future rockabilly star started playing the guitar at age seven. His mother taught him a few chords, and the rest he picked up by listening to country music guitarists. At the age of 18, Ken Nelson of Capitol Records in Nashville, Tenn., signed Jerry Reed Hubbard to a recording contract.
In 1958 Reed moved to Bill Lowery’s National Recording Corporation (NRC) label in Atlanta. Although Lowery had discovered and nurtured such talented young Georgia artists as Ray Stevens, Billy Joe Royal, and Joe South, Reed was not happy with his professional recording career and joined the Army.
In 1959, while in the Army, Reed married Priscilla Mitchell. He also remained musically active and played guitar for the Circle A Wranglers Army Band. He also penned “Crazy Legs” for Gene Vincent and “Misery Loves Company” for Porter Wagoner, which was a number-one hit in 1962. Late in his Army tenure Reed signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, where he stayed until 1963.
After leaving the army, Reed and his family moved to Nashville, where he continued to write songs and store them away for a rainy day when they might be recorded. Reed sent one of his songs, “Scarecrow,” to Chet Atkins at RCA Victor. Atkins liked the song so much that he recorded and released it, and in 1964 he signed Reed to RCA Victor.
From 1964 to 1967 Reed was busy as a studio session musician for other artists, including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Elvis Presley. In 1967 Reed released his first RCA Victor album, The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed. Later that year Elvis Presley recorded two selections, “Guitar Man” and “U.S. Male.” Reed recorded on and off for RCA Victor over the next 20 years. He was also named musician of the year in 1970 and 1971 by the Country Music Association.
The highlights of Reed’s recording career, however, were the three albums he recorded with Chet Atkins, two on RCA (Me and Jerry in 1970 and Me and Chet in 1972) and the third on Columbia Records (Sneakin’ Around in 1992). Me and Jerry and Sneakin’ Around each won a Grammy Award.
In addition to his work in the music industry, Reed appeared in 15 movies. Reed also appeared on numerous television variety shows and in 1972 hosted The Jerry Reed When You’re Hot, You’re Hot Hour, a summer replacement for the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS.
Reed died of emphysema at 71 on September 1, 2008, in Nashville.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Do you recognize this famous building? What for?
Where is this long building? We’ll tell you in advance it’s famous. Now tell us more about it and the stories surrounding this facility. Send your finding to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Allan Peel, San Antonio, Texas, asks: “So when is a ‘palace’ not a palace”? Well, when it is an elaborate water reservoir system that simply looks like a palace.” The photo came from Kay Montgomery of Duluth.
Peel continues: “The recent mystery photo is of the Palais Longchamp, an elaborate monument built to celebrate the construction of a complex water reservoir built in the mid-1800s to bring water to the city of Marseille. As the city of Marseille was rapidly growing and expanding in the early-1800s, it became evident that despite sitting along the Mediterranean Sea, the city would need to find a solution to the lack of fresh drinking water. Following a terrible drought that struck the city in 1834 and the cholera epidemics of 1835, the construction of a canal to divert the waters of the Durance River, a 200-mile Rhône River tributary that originates in the Swiss Alps and makes its way through southeastern part of France, was first envisioned. The result was the Canal de Marseille, a 50-mile main canal (with 99-miles of minor arteries) that took almost 15-years to complete, finally opening on July 8, 1849.
“To celebrate the planned source of fresh water to the city, the foundation stone of what would become called the Palais Longchamp Monument was laid in 1839. However, it took more than 30 years to complete the project because of the complicated nature of the overall project, cost overruns and complex local regulations. With a fancy fountain in front, and elaborate gardens behind the monument, it eventually became a zoo, a park, two museums, and an observatory and today, it is considered to be one of the most eclectic spots in Marseille.”
Others nailing the photo were Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; George Graf of Palmyra, Va,; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; and Sara Rawlins, Lawrenceville.
Youth cartoonists wanted to submit their work
GwinnettForum is looking to encourage cartooning by Gwinnett youth. If you know of any students who can draw well, and can dream up outlandish and funny ideas in a cartoon format, they should submit three of their drawings. The sample cartoons to determine those selected should be submitted in a horizontal, black-and-white format by email, to be sent by email to elliott@brack.net. More than one cartoonist might be selected, anticipating that GwinnettForum would show one cartoon in each edition.
Deadline for submission will be Feb. 14, 2023. GwinnettForum will compensate the winner who can produce cartoons on a regular basis.
Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra will present “Spanish Nights” on February 5 at 5 p.m. at Discovery High School’s theater. Tickets available at the door for $10. Hear music from Rimsky-Korsakov, Bernstein and Ravel.
Author and historian Rita Roberts will visit the Duluth Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library to talk about her new book, I Can’t Wait To Call You My Wife: African American Letters Of Love And Family In The Civil War Era. The event will be Thursday, February 9 at 7 p.m. This book honors the voices of African Americans of the Civil War era through their letters, inviting readers to engage personally with the Black historical experience.
Stakeholder input session: The Town of Braselton has partnered with Downtown Strategies for a Strategic Visioning Workshop and Strategic Plan for moving Downtown Braselton forward. Citizen input is needed! Plan to attend the session and come prepared to collaboratively share ideas, goals, concerns, and challenges. The session will be held February 9, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Braselton Civic Center, 27 East Lake Drive.
Men’s Civic Breakfast at Christ Episcopal Church in Norcross will be February 11 at 8 a.m. in Webster Hall. Speaker will be Gwinnett Sheriff Keybo Taylor. The church is located at 400 Holcomb Bridge Road in Norcross.
The 14th annual Father-Daughter Valentine Dance will be February 10-11, being put on by the Kiwanis club of North Gwinnett. This year the event will be at the Braselton Civic Center. Three dances are scheduled, from 7-9 p.m. on February 10; and on February 11 from 5-7 p.m. and from 8-10 p.m. All dances are $90 per couple, with $10 for each additional daughter. For tickets, visit: https://ngkc.bigtickets.com/father-daughter-dance-2023
Doing business with Gwinnett County: Join the Gwinnett County Purchasing Division Thursday, February 16 at 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. to learn about doing business with Gwinnett County government. During the one-hour virtual clinic, Purchasing and Water Resources staff will share information about the different divisions of Water Resources, current and upcoming opportunities, and how to do business with the County. Register for one of the two virtual sessions atgcga.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.
© 2023, 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