GwinnettForum | Number 22.22 | March 31, 2023
IF YOU’RE GOING to the World Peace Celebration and King Statue unveiling, you can tell from this map where the elements of this day’s activity will be held. For more on this Saturday celebration, seek Today’s Focus below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Unveiling of Dr. King Statue is Saturday in downtown Atlanta
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Berkeley Lake plans day of fishing for veterans on May 6
SPOTLIGHT: Crowne Plaza Hotel
ANOTHER VIEW: Two PCOM grads leave practices to return to teach
FEEDBACK: Ex-officer sees mishandling in District Attorney’s office
UPCOMING: Renova Technology expanding at Oakbrook Parkway location
NOTABLE: Math competition at GGC honors late faculty members
RECOMMENDED: Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins by William and Mary Morris
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Maj. Gen. Thomas Ruger was provisional governor of state
MYSTERY PHOTO: Perhaps this one clue will guide you to ID this photo!
CALENDAR: Gwinnett Stripers’ 2023 season opens tonight at 7:05 p.m.
Unveiling is Saturday in downtown Atlanta of King Statue
By DePriest Waddy, president
Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia
ATLANTA, Ga. | It started with a dream…a dream to launch a billion prayers and acts of kindness worldwide.
That desire led to the National Monuments Foundation of Atlanta, partnering with Clyde and Sandra Strickland, Tim Minard, Dame Didi Wong and Social Investment Holdings, Inc., to commission a statue of Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the world’s greatest examples of peace. Minard, Wong and SIH are also sponsoring the statue’s India granite pedestal.
The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia serves as a lead partner in the planning and execution of the World Peace Revival; connecting these great caring individuals with a phenomenal cause that will span generations to come.
Duluth Artist Kathy Fincher began creating the statue – but not just any statue. She discovered that while there are over 80 statues of Dr. King throughout the world, none show him “talking to God, praying or seeking God.”
Through the “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” sculpture, Dr. King is portrayed seeking God as he raises his hands to Heaven for guidance and as the spirit of the Lord flows through his robe.
She says: “We believe that the message behind Dr. King’s ministry has international value. It was his faith that led him to do good works, become a great man, and a Nobel Peace Prize Recipient.”
Stan Mullens works on statue. Photo provided.
Fincher designed and sculpted the original model. The National Monuments Foundation then paired Fincher and Athens Sculptor Stan Mullins, creator of the 20-foot-tall Chief Tomachichi, together to sculpt Dr. King’s design on a large scale. The work was completed in Mullins’ studio in Athens.
It will be unveiled in the Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park in Atlanta’s Historic Vine City on April 1 at 1 p.m., where it will be one of 18 statues dedicated to 300 years of Georgia’s icons of peace.
Peace is the Atlanta way. It’s the home of two Nobel Peace Prize winners Dr. King, Jr. and former President Jimmy Carter. Atlanta is known as the place of peace and unity.
Atlanta’s origins of diversity and peace can be connected to its founding. When British General James Oglethorpe landed on the coast of Georgia, he was greeted in peace by Chief Tomochichi. He was the only Native American granted the rank of king by the British monarchy and was received at court in England in 1734. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ambassador Andrew Young have suggested that their lives and influence stand on the broad shoulders of Chief Tomochichi.
Since then, Atlanta has become one of the most diverse and accomplished cities in the world and the center of the Civil Rights Movement. Its continued growth, prosperity, and history as the city of peace is attributed to a 150-year-old tradition known as “The Atlanta Way”.
In fact, Asa G. Candler VI, a member of Coca-Cola’s founding family and former National Monuments Foundation board member, recommended that the Millennium Candler Peace and Justice Prizes be jointly given in Atlanta and Copenhagen in alternating years. As a result, Georgia’s long-standing peaceful history caught the attention of numerous peace institutes including the Nobel.
In 2019, The National Park Foundation, with the assistance of The National Monuments Foundation, purchased the M.L. King Life Home, and is now renovating it. It will eventually be open to the public.
Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park is a reconstruction of Mims Park, the first integrated park in Atlanta, originally built in the 19th century. Today, Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park has become an epicenter for peace and unity. Once the additional phases of the park are completed, it will become a beacon of peace to the world through education and international diplomacy.
World Peace Day Schedule
- 10:45 a.m.: Opening Remarks, Home Depot, 1 Backyared Way, Atlanta
- 11 a.m.: Peace Walk to Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park
- 12:15: p.m. Greetings and Speakers
- 12:30: Passing the legacies of Dr. King and non-violence
- 1 p.m.: Unveiling of statue of Dr. King
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Berkeley Lake plans day of fishing for veterans on May 6
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MARCH 31, 2023 | The Berkeley Lake community is planning to honor veterans of the area by hosting a VALOR outing for them, that is a Veterans Appreciation Lake Outing and Refreshments, on May 6. They’ll serve a breakfast, barbecue lunch and allow veterans to fish the 88 acre lake that day.
Berkeley Lake Mayor Lois Salter says that though the city gets many requests from outsiders to fish the lake, and “It’s not normally allowed. But on this day, we’ll open the lake to veterans for fishing.” She adds: “We’ll provide them with breakfast, fishing gear, take them out in boats, or let them fish from the dock, and then have barbecue for lunch.”
She says that the event will be a fundraiser for the Disabled American Veterans non profit. “We’re asking anyone who wants to help veterans to contribute a minimum donation of $50 to help raise this money. We are also seeking sponsors from individuals and companies for the day.” Sponsorships start at $250.
The mayor has asked Rex Spitler to coordinate the activities, and he is working with the local homeowner’s association. “The mayor has been thinking about this since before Covid. People of the community are volunteering their time and their boats to take the fishermen out. We hope to raise between $5-10,000 to support the DAV.”
The overall event is an activity of the Berkeley Lake Homeowners Association. The Blossoms, a ladies’ organization in Berkeley Lake, will be welcoming participants at breakfast, directing people to the boats, and serving lunch.
Billy Lyons is president of the Homeowner’s Association. He says: “We are proud to be helping with this day and getting response from the residents and companies. We’ll provide the boats and equipment, or fish from the dock. We look forward to our residents coming out and supporting the veterans.”
Buddy Booker, a local resident, who still works full time in the computer field, is also the director of lake management for the Association. He regularly makes sure that the lake is managed property. “We have a fish feeder, which routinely flings food to the fish automatically, since it is on a timer. We have so many fish in the lake, we need to get some out, and hope the veterans will net plenty of them.”
What kind of fish are in the lake? Booker responds: “We’ve got largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill. The record for a bass from the lake is 12.45 pounds, and the largest catfish taken here is 24.5 pounds!
“For the crappie, the record is three pounds, but the best eating fish is the bluegill, and the largest taken here is 1.6 pounds.”
When the veterans go out fishing, Booker says that the event will supply them with a variety of artificial lures and worms, plus cut bait if they want to try for catfish. Booker is from Oklahoma, and has lived at Berkeley Lake for 20 years. He points out the dam at Berkeley Lake is the second largest earth day in the country.
What if it rains on May 6? Booker has the answer: “The fish don’t care. They’re already wet. But we have new open-air pavilion the veterans can fish from if it’s raining hard.”
Volunteers from the Association have hosted fishing for 40-50 kids each month in summer for the last eight years. The day for veterans will be an extension of this hospitality.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Crowne Plaza Hotel
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Let your destination for Easter Brunch be the family-friendly Crowne Plaza Hotel at the corner of Holcomb Bridge Road and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Norcross. It will hold its inaugural Easter Brunch on Sunday, April 9. Bring your family and friends to enjoy Cher Rahl’s short rib hash, shrimp and crawfish grits, made-to-order chicken and waffles, create-your-own omelets, smoke salmon display, shrimp cocktail, lavish salad bar, honey-glazed ham, tip-top carved beef, house-made bread pudding, cakes and pies. Then there’s the ice cream sundae bar! Unlimited mimosas are available. Price is $55 for adults (12 and up), $20 for kids (5-11) and under five are free. The Easter Brunch runs from 11:30 a. m. until 4:30 p.m. Book your brunch reservation at the Crowne Plaza online.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Two PCOM grads leave practices to return to teach
By Barbara Myers
SUWANEE, Ga. | In 2009, four years after PCOM Georgia was established, PCOM Georgia Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Renee Himmelbaum, and Department of Family Medicine Assistant Professor Joy Zarandy matriculated into the campus’ osteopathic medicine program. They both remember their student years in a similar fashion.
Himmelbaum
Dr. Himmelbaum’s best memories revolve around the friends she made and “laughing through the tough times with them.” She said, “Quotes from faculty members still echo in my brain!”
Dr. Zarandy’s memories include “meeting my best friends, meeting my husband, putting on my white coat to go today’s Simulation Center and feeling like a ‘doctor.’” She also recalls having conversations in the hallway with faculty who treated her like a future colleague.
Today, Dr. Himmelbaum is in private practice as the owner of Suwanahoochee Pediatrics in Sugar Hill, while Dr. Zarandy teaches full time at PCOM Georgia, having worked for six years in a family medicine practice in North Atlanta, not far from campus.
“I remember the day I interviewed with Walter Ehrenfeuchter, DO ’79, FAAO, for medical school and I left knowing I wanted that,” Dr. Himmelbaum recalled. “It was very ironic because I never thought I wanted to teach, yet here I am!”
Zarandy
“Teaching has rejuvenated my career in medicine,” Dr. Zarandy said. “I love medicine, practicing and treating patients, but honestly I was experiencing high burnout. PCOM has provided me the opportunity to maintain a healthy work/life balance so that I can continue to do medicine with the added benefit of teaching.” She added, “I’ve always loved teaching, but didn’t have the time while practicing medicine.”
Prior to joining PCOM Georgia full time, Dr. Zarandy served as a guest lecturer and osteopathic manipulative medicine table trainer while working in private practice. “I realized I always felt re-energized anytime I had a chance to teach. However, the busier I got in private practice, the less time I had to teach and the more burned out I felt.”
”One day, I took a PTO day from my practice to teach and my husband asked me ‘Why don’t you just teach full-time?’ Once he planted the idea in my mind, just the idea of doing academic medicine fulltime lifted my spirits and I applied for a position at PCOM,” she said.
Himmelbaum said she always joked that teaching was her “tuition repayment program.”
Dr. Himmelbaum, who had two young children when she started medical school, advises students to hold on. “Life gets so much better after residency.”
Dr. Zarandy, the mother of two young sons, wants students to know that study/life or work/life balance is very important in such a demanding profession.
“Find what you love to do, fight for it, and don’t be afraid to set healthy boundaries to prevent burnout from the rigors of your studies as a student or practicing medicine as a physician.”
A board certified family medicine physician and life-long Georgian, Dr. Zarandy attended the University of Georgia where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned a Bachelor of Science degree with double majors in biology and psychology and a minor in Spanish. She completed her family medicine residency in 2016 at AnMed Health in Anderson, S.C.
A graduate of Berkmar High School in Gwinnett County, Dr. Himmelbaum earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Georgia Tech. After graduating from PCOM Georgia, she completed a pediatric residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and is board certified in pediatrics.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Ex-officer sees mishandling in District Attorney’s office
Editor, the Forum:
Let me write as a former Gwinnett County Police Officer. I left the department because of a move out of state in 2018; I believe I’d still be at Gwinnett police (GCPD) if it wasn’t for the move as I believe in the department and the county as a whole. I was assigned as a Detective Corporal in the Homicide/Assault Unit when I left.
Over the years, I have returned for my own court cases, as well as other cases where I assisted on the investigations. I have seen first-hand the decline in quality prosecutions at the Gwinnett’s District Attorney’s (GCDA) office. I also routinely receive information from multiple former colleagues about their own frustrations with GCDA’s office. I have seen the eroding level of dedication to these cases that matter so much to not only the affected victims and families, but to the safety and peace of the entire county and Metro area.
GCPD has prided itself for a long time on the promise to uphold integrity and trust within the community. While they are not perfect, they had been met in the past by the former District Attorney and their office to provide the highest level of justice available.
I was hopeful for a continued process with the last election; however, I quickly began to see the cracks begin to show. Senior staff was removed from office, and inexperienced loyalists emerged as the face of the many divisions in the office. There have been so many cases fumbled, lost, and egregiously mishandled under the current administration.
Thank you for continuing to shine a light on the problems to alert the county’s citizens that they must act in 2024.
– Shannon Kulnis, Birmingham, Ala.
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.
Renova Technology expanding at Oakbrook Parkway location
Renova Technology, Inc., an after-market repair services company, has expanded their supply chain operations with a $600,000 capital investment and adding 30 new jobs, at their offices on Oakbrook Parkway in Norcross. The combined 40,000-square-foot facility will help them meet customer demand by doubling repair production and expanding supply chain programs.
Pine
Jonathan Pine is founder and CEO of the firm.
Chief Operating Officer Marc Melkerson says: “We are really excited to keep our longstanding base of operations in Gwinnett County. With this expansion, we will be well-positioned for long-term growth, providing repair and refurbishment services to local, national and international manufacturers of electronics equipment. We have been afforded the opportunity to lean into the talent that Gwinnett County has through its university system to help us attain the 30 percent growth we are anticipating in the next year.”
Renova Technology, Inc. has continued to grow since 1996 and currently offers advanced exchange, circuit board modification and repair, data intelligence, hard drive storage, security equipment repair and supply chain services for manufacturers, self-maintaining enterprises, systems integrators and third-party logistics companies. Their services support industries, such as access control, automotive, gaming and lottery, fintech, fitness, health care, parking, security, self-service kiosk, telecommunications and more.
In 2001, Renova Technology, Inc. relocated to unincorporated Gwinnett County to better serve their customers and employees. They have also maintained approximately 40 employees, including several who have been with the company for more than 20 years.
Rowen Foundation adds Spelman College president to board
Gayle
The Rowen Foundation has announced the addition of Spelman College President Dr. Helene Gayle to its board. Board Chair Sachin Shailendra says: “Dr. Gayle is known globally as a health expert and problem solver. Her unique perspective and experience in the medical and educational sectors will be vital as Rowen continues to drive impact in those industries in Georgia and around the world.” Dr. Gayle is the 11th president of Spelman College. Prior to assuming the role in July 2022, she was the president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust. Before joining the Trust, she was president and CEO of Atlanta-based CARE.
An epidemiologist by training, Dr. Gayle also spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS and at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with a focus on global public health. Dr. Gayle holds a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Psychology from Barnard College of Columbia University, a M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and a M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.
Dr. Gayle joins other members of the board of the 2,000–acre knowledge community, which includes, Emory University Senior Vice President for Research Dr. Deborah Watkins Bruner; Gwinnett Resident Sam Hinton; University of Georgia Provost Dr. S. Jack Hu; Georgia Gwinnett College President Dr. Jann L. Joseph; Georgia Institute of Technology Vice President of Institute Relations Bert Reeves; Former Congressional Advisor Arthur Tripp; and CEO and President of the Rowen Foundation Mason Ailstock.
Hands Only CPR classes being offered on April 15
Hands Only CPR and AED Class is an awareness campaign designed to equip Gwinnett County citizens with the knowledge and understanding needed during a cardiac emergency. Responsible citizens using the life-saving skills they have been taught will be able to provide faster assistance. This course is for informational purposes only and does not meet certification requirements for employment purposes.
This session will be on April 15 from 9 to 11 a.m. It is being offered through the Medical Reserve Corps, the all-volunteer nonprofit organization supporting public health in Gwinnett County Fire Department headquarters, 408 Hurricane Shoals Road, Lawrenceville.
Anyone 18 and older (a healthcare background is not necessary) is welcome to join MRC GEM. Sign up for this class at http://bit.ly/CPR4MRC
Math competition at GGC honors to honor late faculty members
The Olifer Math Competition at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is named to honor Dr. Andrei Olifer and his wife Svetlana. First through 10th grade students showed off their math skills at the annual competition, which was held on the GGC campus on March 25.
Now in its sixth year, the Olifer Math Competition honors GGC mathematics professor Dr. Andrei Olifer, who founded and organized the competition. Natives of Russia, Olifer, his wife, Svetlana, and daughter, Maria, emigrated to the U.S. from Prague in 2004. After a stint at Emory University,where he worked in computational biology and neuroscience, the Olifers joined GGC. Olifer taught mathematics as an associate professor, and Svetlana, a physicist, tutored math in GGC’s Academic Enhancement Center.
Sadly, Olifer succumbed to cancer in 2019 and his wife passed away in 2021.
Their daughter, Maria, says the Olifer Competition is somewhat similar to mathematics competitions in the country where she was born. “In Russia, math is heavily emphasized as a foundational skill and very important for everyone to know and master,” she explains. “It’s celebrated through ‘math olympiads,’ which are competitions held a number of times annually.”
She says her father wanted to inspire the same kind of interest in math, in the pursuit of education and in the love of learning. The competition, she said, serves as a fun and engaging way to accomplish those goals. “He took so much pride in creating and organizing the competition. He was so happy that the student participants were learning about math and how to approach all these different math questions,” she adds
Dr. Boyko Gyurov, GGC mathematics professor and one the of the organizers of this year’s event, says: “We were so moved by Andrei’s commitment to teaching, to students and to their love of mathematics, that we decided to keep this event going and to honor Andrei and Svetlana.”
While the event first was geared to elementary school students, its popularity inspired organizers to add additional grades. “During the first years of the event, we had up to 60 participants,” says Dr. Katya Nathanson, GGC associate professor of mathematics. “That number grew to nearly 100 last year and to over 130 this year. This competition means many things to us. We continue the work of our beloved friend and colleague. We strive to spread the love of mathematics and finally, it’s a way to support and motivate the children in our community.”
Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins
by William and Mary Morris
From Raleigh Perry, Buford: It’s true that I have a penchant for words and word origins. This is a comprehensive book with 619 pages. Both of the authors are lexicographers. I have found a couple of sins of omission, but they are not major. I have other books similar to the one but none so complete. My volume is from 1977, but there is an updated one from 1988. The hardbound is on ABEBOOKS at a very low price. If you are reading and want to know where a word came from, this is your source. I recommend it. One of the omissions that I found was ‘black shoe sailor,’ which refers to the surface sailors, officers and enlisted. He does not, however, mention ‘brown shoe sailor,’ which is what Naval pilots wear when they wear their green uniforms.
- 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
Ruger was provisional governor of state
Maj. Gen. Thomas Ruger served as the military provisional governor of Georgia for six months in 1868. In that role he oversaw the removal of the capital from Milledgeville to Atlanta and instituted the convict lease system. A Union veteran of the Civil War (1861-65), Ruger later served as the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Thomas Howard Ruger was born on April 2, 1833, to Maria Hutchins and Thomas Jefferson Ruger in Lima, N.Y. At the age of 11, the family moved to Janesville, Wis. Ruger spent the remainder of his childhood there, earning a reputation as a quiet but diligent student. Accepting an appointment to the military academy at West Point, Ruger graduated third in his class in 1854. The next year Ruger left the military and opened a law practice in Janesville. In 1857 he married Helen Lydia Moore, and they had two children. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Ruger returned to the army and remained a soldier for the rest of his life.
As an officer in the Third Wisconsin, Ruger served in a variety of engagements, including Chancellorsville and Second Bull Run in Virginia, Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, and the draft riots in New York City. Through his exceptional service, he achieved the rank of brevet major general by war’s end. Afterward, Ruger served as commander of the state of North Carolina during the early years of Reconstruction.
On January 13, 1868, Union general George Meade appointed Ruger as Georgia’s new provisional governor. His appointment followed the removal of elected governor Charles Jones Jenkins due to his withholding of funds for the 1867 constitutional convention. Ruger served more as a figurehead for carrying out Meade’s wishes than as an executive authority. Although Ruger wielded very little power, he is noteworthy as being the last of Milledgeville’s governors before the capital’s removal to Atlanta in 1868.
The only lasting impact of Ruger’s governorship was the convict lease system. Citing an 1866 provision giving discretionary powers to governors, Ruger initiated two such programs that would set precedence for future administrations. On July 4, 1868, Ruger left the governorship after Rufus Bullock, Georgia’s first elected Republican governor, was inaugurated.
Following his stint as governor, Ruger enjoyed wide postings and appointments within the postwar military hierarchy. These positions included superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, commander of the Department of the South, and commander of the Department of Dakota. In 1897 Ruger retired from his long military career at the rank of major general. His last years were spent quietly with his family at their home in Stamford, Conn. He died on June 3, 1907, and is buried at the West Point Cemetery in West Point, N.Y.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Perhaps this one clue will guide you to ID this photo!
The major clue for today’s mystery is that body of water in the foreground. That’s the only help we’ll give you today as you seek to identify this photograph. Send your ideas to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Sara Rawlins of Lawrenceville was among those recognizing the latest mystery. She wrote: “This a photo from Andy Brack’s vacation in and around St. John’s, Newfoundland. It is one of a series of pictures taken to go along with an article he wrote for the Charleston Currents. He provides several pictures of that area and a glowing commentary about the place and people who live and work there. Another ‘bucket list’ place for me and my husband to travel to someday.”
We also liked the comment from Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: “This has to be St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada. (How many blue-colored Courtyard Marriotts can there be?)”
Others recognizing the multi-colored photograph included George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Lou Camerio of Lawrenceville; Stew Ogilvie of Lawrenceville; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex., who wrote: The ‘pièce de résistance’ in this photo (as noted in the clue) is the colorful houses that make up much of the downtown area. Most of the buildings are painted in vibrant colors, earning its downtown the nickname Jelly Bean Row. While the name might suggest a single row of houses, in fact, you will find yourself immersed in a rainbow of colorful houses pretty much along every street in the downtown area.”
>>> SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: elliott@brack.net and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Baseball begins: The Gwinnett Stripers’ 2023 season opens with the earliest Opening Night in club history at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, March 31, with a three-game weekend series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins) through April 2. The series marks the first professional baseball games played in the Atlanta metro area this year. The Friday game will feature fireworks after the game, while the first Giveaway game is Saturday at 6:05 p.m. (Clear Fanny Packs presented by Gwinnett Daily Post). On Sunday will be the first Funday matinee game, with the first pitch at 1:05 p.m.
King statue unveiling: On Saturday April 1, 2023, at Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park, in downtown Atlanta, will be at the unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I’ve Been to the Mountaintop statue. The statue is the work of Gwinnett artist Kathy Fincher, now of Clayton, and Artist Stan Mullin of Athens. It will be unveiled at the World Peace Revival Movement inaugural World Peace Legacy Award. The awards will be presented by Ambassador Andrew Young, passing on to the next generation of Dr. King’s Beloved Community to further his mission of peace and nonviolence. This award is being presented to nine recipients who personify these ideals and have showcased them in their dedication and commitment to the community. Two recipients are from Gwinnett: Dr. Calvin Watts, superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools, and Congressman Rich McCormick.
Food Giveaway on Saturday, April 1 at Berkmar High School, 408 Pleasant Hill Road, Lilburn., from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. First come, first served, until one meal kit per car runs out. Sponsored by FeedMyPeople.org.
Snellville’s Commerce Club will meet at noon on April 4 at the Snellville City Hall. State Senator Nikki Merritt will report on the 2023 legislative session. Sen. Merritt was re-elected to serve Georgia’s Senate in 2022. In the first year of her second term, Sen. Merritt serves as the vice-chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, chairwoman of the Gwinnett Senate Delegation, and also on the Advisory Board of the Gwinnett Reentry Alliance. Sen. Merritt resides in Grayson with her husband and two teenage children.
Virtual Dementia Tour at Park Springs Community in Stone Mountain Park will be Thursday, April 6, at 11 a.m. It is for members of the Atlanta community who have a loved one experiencing dementia. This tour is offered through a partnership with Second Wind Dreams so that family members and caretakers can experience the physical and mental challenges their loved one with dementia faces on a daily basis in order to improve understanding, increase connection and ultimately provide better care. This is the first time the Virtual Dementia Tours are being offered publicly.To register, visit https://www.parksprings.com/hs-2023-04-06-rsvp/.
Eighth annual Duluth Rotary Club Car Show will be Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in downtown Duluth. The family-friendly event is free to the public. For refreshments and shopping, downtown eateries and retailers will remain open for business.
Firearm safety and security classes will be given by the Gwinnett County Police on Wednesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. The location will be the Police Training Center, 854 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. Classes will highlight firearm security, terminology, and how to properly store firearms to keep children safely. Visit GwinnettCounty.com/FirearmSafety to register. Youth who plan to attend must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Residents are prohibited from bringing their own firearms to class.
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