GwinnettForum | Number 22.29 | April 25, 2023
NOW OPEN IN THE CITY OF BUFORD is the new 153-door terminal of Saia trucking lines. Dignitaries at the grand opening included Andrew Hickey, project manager; Shantell Wilson, Gwinnett economic development manager; Todd Toppor of the City of Buford; Fritz Holzgrefe, CEO and president; and Executive Vice President Ryan Ramu. The company is headquartered in Johns Creek, Ga. For more information, see Upcoming below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: We must resist, reclaim, rebuild and be counted
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Get out and relax along the Chattahoochee River
SPOTLIGHT: Gateway85 CID
FEEDBACK: Money made from Birt book should go to the government
UPCOMING: Be alert, as another rabid raccoon found in Buford
NOTABLE: Gwinnett students score in the Shuler Music Theatre Awards
RECOMMENDED: Armageddon by Bart D. Ehrman
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Columbus Museum hosts more than 90,000 visitors annually
MYSTERY PHOTO: Distinctive cemetery is today’s Mystery
LAGNIAPPE: SAR honors three Gwinnett officer for saving a life
CALENDAR: Curiosity Lab Criterium bike race takes place Wednesday
We must resist, reclaim, rebuild and be counted
2017 photo from Ocean Beach near San Francisco, via Unsplash
By Ashley Herndon
OCEANSIDE, Calif. | We must counter corruption, inequality, false faiths and thievery. Fear is not a viable mechanism. Corruption is unsustainable as the wolf chases its tail. The snake will devour itself, so we must avoid the pitfalls of bogus populism. True populism is people power, not hateful corporate demagoguery.
Herndon
Look around. Two-thirds of this world practices democracy, yet we are moving away from its best qualities here and elsewhere, back to the dark times preceding our Civil War and the two World Wars. Thousands died to get us here out from under dictators. We cannot allow their deaths to be in vain.
For a government to survive, it takes faith and trust, that is, the faith and trust of the citizens and all of its people. First, we must learn to recognize some office holders have simple emotions. Pleasure at adulation, anger at rejection. They ran for the job. To succeed, all that they have to do is buck up and do what is right for the people.
Goebbels said: “People can be destabilized by marketing campaigns,” that is, by propaganda. Goebbels…we all know who he worked for.
The decline of a government or the glory of a nation can arise from a single source.That source is Agape, or “unconditional love, meaning you are loved more than you know.” Force and violence are ineffective for survival.
We are currently faced with the preservation of our country – not preservation of a “self.” These times are like Reinhold Niebuhr said, “The Dramas of History!” Neither opportunism, force, nor terror, nor fear, generate respect or trust. Partnership and mutuality are the proven strategies and tactics.
Stupid, selfish, and petty men and women are trying to destroy our country. They cannot use democracy to generate hate. We must not allow it. Release the forces of egalitarianism or live under the burdens created by “Plantation Capitalism.”
You have heard it before: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is for good people to do nothing.” Edmund Burke said it over 100 years ago. John Kennedy quoted it in his inaugural address.
The next 18 months will be as important as Appomattox, Midway, the Beaches of Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and Iwo Jima. Fascism must be buried once again.
So, as the adage advises: “Let all good people stand up and be counted.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Get out and relax along the Chattahoochee River
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
APRIL 25, 2023 | Most of us don’t spend enough time in the great outdoors, enjoying nature.
Instead, we laze so often that we spend too much time in front of the television, while complaining that our kids watch too much television, or while away time on their phones.
How about if you could turn that around, and it does not cost you much, or possibly anything, in the great outdoors?
Would that entice you?
Here’s the suggestion. Enjoy the 23 miles of the Chattahoochee River waters that form Gwinnett’s western border.
You might:
- Go fishing in the cold waters of the river. There could be trout out there with your name on it. (Be sure to obtain your fishing license if you try this.) And except for the license and tackle, it’s inexpensive. And you might catch supper.
- Or go boating on the river. You might want a motor boat, which could help with fishing. Or perhaps you just want to jump into a canoe or kayak and lazily paddle around. Yes, it’s much easier to head south rather than to face the current headed north!
- If you have kids, and they like to play in the water and what kid doesn’t, sit them in some eddy of the river. They can be wet until their heart’s content. In most places the water is ankle to knee deep, but be careful: deeper areas are possible. The water’s still a little cold now; this might wait until warmer weather.
- With this one, you’ll have to be patient until May 20. That’s when Chattahoochee River Tubing will take you up river from Abbots Bridge to Rogers Bridge and let you float back in about two hours. Expect water temperature of about 50 degrees!
- Or just go visit one of our river parks: they’re in several places up and down the river. Just sit and watch the river go by. How soothing! Your mind will soon rid itself of many cares, as the steady quiet gurgling of the water against the rocks or shoreline relaxes you. Watch it: you might even nod a bit.
That’s what we did one day last week, visiting Jones Bridge Park. We walked down the shoreline pathway, and found a spread of what looked like Stone Mountain Granite steps in a semi-circle facing the river. There were nearby picnic tables, where someone was grilling. Others were sitting on rocks with their feet in the waters. This is the place where the river runs so low you can nearly walk (carefully) on rocks across the river, as the Indians did.
It was so calm, so distinctly peaceful.
At Jones Bridge Park, the river must be about 150-200 feet wide. And it flows by at about one to two miles an hour. But just quietly sitting by the river, it was so serene. We spent about 45 minutes listening and watching its quiet flow.
Eventually came a single yellow kayak with two paddlers, on the far side of the river, gently moving along. And in the southern distance we could see one fisherman in high wader boots standing and casting.
So here’s a suggestion for you to enjoy this wonder of nature, right at our back door.
We’ll add a caution: Ever so often, the Corps of Engineers releases water out of Lake Lanier at Buford Dam, and the river can become more dangerous, rise and flow swiftly. So enjoy the river, but always be alert.
- 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 Emory Morsberger at 770-409-8100.
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Money made from Birt book should go to the government
Editor, the Forum:
Any money made from the sale of the book about Billy Sunday Birt (Grace and disgraced) should go into government funds for keeping the sorry murderer alive all those years. He should’ve been executed years ago instead of wasting money keeping his sorry self alive. Instead of him hanging himself, the government should’ve taken care of that for him along with all the rest of these murdering gang members.
I had a cousin that was murdered by the sorry soul. Then threw my cousin’s body in a well!
– Bobby Martin, Winder
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.
Be alert, as another rabid raccoon found in Buford
Another rabid raccoon has been captured in the Buford area. Animal welfare and Health Department officials are advising residents to continue to use caution and avoid animals behaving in unusual ways after a second raccoon tested positive for the rabies virus.
On Sunday, April 16, dogs attacked a raccoon at 517 Buford Highway in Buford. The raccoon was collected and brought to the shelter the same day for testing. Foxes, raccoons and other wild animals carry diseases like rabies that can spread to people and pets through a bite or scratch.
All pet owners should ensure that their pets are current on the rabies vaccination. Unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid animal must be strictly quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month prior to being released.
If you or your child have been bitten or scratched by any stray animals or an animal that is suspected to have rabies, preventive treatment for rabies is necessary. Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement will be investigating whether there’s any further threat in the area. If you believe someone has been exposed, immediately seek medical care and let them know you were exposed.
Saia trucking opens new terminal in the City of Buford
A commercial trucking firm Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA), opened its new multi-million=dollar 153-door terminal in Buford on April 20 at 3500 Blue Ridge Drive. It features a maintenance shop and a high-speed fueling station, The office will offer faster shipping with reduced freight handling. Saia also plans to eventually employ approximately 200 personnel, ranging from dockworkers, drivers, mechanics and office and sales positions.
Saia President and CEO Fritz Holzgrefe says:”We are tremendously excited about the opening of this new flagship terminal. This facility will add much needed enhanced service in the Metro Atlanta area, a major market for Saia. Its completion will allow us to have the capacity to meet our customers’ needs for years to come.”
In 1924, Louis Saia, Sr., a produce dealer in Louisiana, realized he could earn more delivering produce rather than selling it, converting their family car into their first “truck” by removing the rear seats. By 1986, his company became one of the largest regional less-than-truckload carriers in the country with 23 terminals in five states, approximately 1,000 employees and more than $50 million in revenue.
In 1987, the family sold the business. By 2006, Saia became a publicly traded company after several acquisitions and mergers. Today, as the ninth largest and oldest less-than-truckload carrier, they operate 191 terminals, including seven in Georgia, delivering approximately 30,000 daily shipments and employing more than 12,000 people. Their Buford terminal represents the fourth facility they have opened in the state in the past two years, as well as the fourth location this year. The company is based in Johns Creek, Ga.
Saia embraces innovation and sustainability and continuously enhances their products and services. They have developed energy-saving policies, implemented conservation initiatives and invested in clean technology, such as compressed natural gas tractors, electric trucks and solar panels. Their Buford terminal features LED lights, xeriscaping and solar panels that will offset 100 percent of the facility’s energy usage once fully installed.
Gwinnett students score in Shuler Music Theatre Awards
Several Gwinnett students have been recognized at the annual Shuler Awards for 2023. The Shulers—Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards the GHSMTA were celebrated at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and via live broadcast on GPB-TV on April 20.
Winning the “Showstopper” award for the live on stage performance was Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, with a production of “Revolting Children” from “Matilda.”
Honored with scholarships were two Gwinnett students. Sarah Anne Behunin, Mountain View High School won the Aurora Theatre $650 summer scholarship, while Madison Le, providence Christian Academy, won the $5,000 James Carlos Family Theatre Performance award.
Other nominees from Gwinnett Schools included:
OVERALL PRODUCTION:
-
- Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, for “Matilda;”
- Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville, for “The Last Five Years.”
ENSEMBLE: Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, for “Matilda.”
DIRECTION: Lynda Micki Ankiel, Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville for “The Last Five Years
CHOREOGRAPHY: Kara Johnson, Greater Atlanta Christian School for “Matilda.”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS: Maddy Le, Providence Christian Academy in “Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein).”
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER:
-
- Max White, Greater Atlanta Christian School for “Matilda.”
- Emily Nelson, Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, for “Legally Blonde.”
TECHNICAL EXECUTION: Sam Casey/Abbey Duke, Greater Atlanta Christian School for “Matilda”
SOUND: Zach Pyles/Ashley Clark, Greater Atlanta Christian School for “Matilda.
Sugarloaf CID names 3 to its board of directors
Three new members have been named to the board of directors of the Sugarloaf Community Improvement District. They include:
Karle
Hood
Adrienne Hood, the new general manager for Sugarloaf Mills, joined Simon Property Group in 2019 in Austin, Tex. Following a one year stint in Boston, She took the reins at White Oaks Mall, a regional center in central Illinois and briefly served as a general manager at Orlando International Premium Outlets in 2022. She is a graduate of Tuskegee University She is an Atlanta native who started her real estate career in 2005.
Rachel Karle is a leasing manager at Prologis for the Atlanta Northeast submarket. She has been working in the commercial real estate industry for a combined for seven years. Prior to joining Prologis, Karle, who lives in Brookhaven, worked at JLL and CBRE. Karle graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree. She serves on the board of the YMCA Board of Ambassadors. She is also involved with the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, Young Life Ministries, and North Point Community Church.
Ferrari
Anthony Ferrari is chief financial officer at 12Stone Church. He earlier spent four years in a finance and operational leadership role with The John Maxwell Company. Ferraro graduated from Dacula High, and is a summa cum laude graduate of The University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a Master of Accountancy. He is a member of the Association for Certified Public Accountants. He will now serve as assistant treasurer of the Sugarloaf CID. Ferrari and his wife, Meagan, and their two children live in Dacula.
Armageddon by Bart D. Ehrman
From Raleigh Perry, Buford: If you have ever naively opened your Bible and started reading the book of Revelation, you probably are really surprised if you kept reading. The book is not bothered with in a lot of mainline churches; they ignore it. Evangelicals, however, see it as how the world will end. There are guiding events that say it is very soon. The word “soon” bothers me. I have seen signs about that for my entire lifetime and I need to know the definition of “soon.” Evangelicals do not understand the symbolism in it at all. It is basically aimed at Caesar and Rome, not the end times of the world. Get Ehrman’s book before you read the first line in Revelation. This will get a clear, concise, approach to reading. Ehrman, a prolific author, is head of the Religious Studies Department at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.”
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
Columbus Museum hosts more than 90,000 visitors annually
The Columbus Museum, serving more than 90,000 visitors annually, is a major artistic center for west central Georgia. As the largest art museum in Georgia outside Atlanta and the only art museum within a 40-mile radius of Columbus, it draws patrons primarily from 13 Georgia and seven Alabama counties. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Columbus Museum offers educational programs for children and adults, changing exhibitions, and related activities. There also is an interactive gallery as well as space for lectures and advanced studio art instruction.
Chartered in 1941 and opened to the public in 1953, the Columbus Museum has been a partner and part of the Muscogee County School District since its beginning. After many years of operating in cramped and outdated facilities, a capital campaign was launched in 1985 to raise $10.5 million for the renovation and enlargement of the present building. The expanded facility opened in April 1989 and increased the size of the museum from 32,000 to 86,000 square feet. The gardens surrounding the museum, designed in the 1920s by the firm founded by the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, have also been renovated.
The museum’s original collection was quite broad, reflecting its purpose as stated in its charter: to serve as a “museum of the arts, crafts, and historical subjects, promoting educational and cultural activities.” In 1992 the trustees narrowed the museum’s emphasis to focus on American fine and decorative art and cultural history. The current collection of more than 16,000 objects relates the rich visual history of American art from the seventeenth century to the present and records the development of the culture and history of the Lower Chattahoochee River Valley.
Pivotal artists represented in the museum are William Merritt Chase, Sanford Gifford, Robert Henri, Eastman Johnson, Hiram Powers, Gilbert Stuart, and John Henry Twachtman. Contemporary artists include Roger Brown, Robert Motherwell, and Robert Rauschenberg; there are major works by such women as Janet Fish, Nancy Grossman, Ida Kohlmeyer, Lee Krasner, Alice Neel, Sarah Miriam Peale, and Joyce Treiman.
Mid-20th-century artists significant to the Southeast include George Cress, Lamar Dodd, Robert Gwathmey, Carl Holty, Ed Moulthrop, and Howard Thomas. African American artists include Benny Andrews, Radcliffe Bailey, Sam Gilliam, William H. Johnson, and Alma Thomas. Notable decorative arts range from a 1670 Pilgrim-era Boston chest and an 1813 Philadelphia sideboard attributed to Joseph Barry to a group of mid-20th-century Eames-designed chairs.
The museum’s historical and archaeological collections present a comprehensive survey of the human occupation of the Chattahoochee River valley, beginning with the prehistoric archaeological record and moving through early settlement, the Civil War (1861-65), Reconstruction, industrial expansion, and the civil rights movement. In informative exhibitions, the collection tells the story of this region and its people via archaeological fragments, costumes, portraits, maps, books, photographs, tools, weapons, household goods, and machinery. The community’s full ethnic and socioeconomic history is presented, with special attention paid to artifacts relating to the Native American presence, African American history, and the story of textile mill laborers.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Distinctive cemetery is today’s Mystery Photo
We’ll admit up front that this is no beautiful natural scene, and that it is obviously a cemetery.
Your job is to determine where this cemetery is located. Use your imagination and come up with the right answer. Send your idea to elliott@brack.net, and tell us your hometown.
First in with the right answer to the most recent Mystery Photo was Lindsay Borenstein of Atlanta, who recognized a sculpture in downtown Suwanee, on the Suwanee lawn. The photo comes from George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill adds: “This is the Mommy statue in Suwanee. Artist Lee Benson designed this based on the way little kids draw their mothers and, in particular, on a drawing by his granddaughter, Reese Benson. This 9-foot tall piece is powder-coated steel and weighs about 400 pounds. Benson is Art Department chairman at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Here’s the front side of the artwork.” Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. also identified the work.
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.
SAR honors three Gwinnett officer for saving a life
From left are Gwinnett County Police Chief J. D. McClure; Master Police Officers Tomas Rodriguez and Coty Stewart; Sergeant Jeff Legg; Button Gwinnett Chapter SAR President Thomas L. Jacques; Immediate Past President Don McCarty; and First Vice President Raymond Kyle, Sr.
Three Gwinnett County Police officers were off duty at a Suwanee softball field on March 13, 2023, when they found themselves saving the life of Scott Corley, retired Dekalb County fireman. On April 13, the Button Gwinnett Chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) honored Sergeant Jeff Legg, Master Police Officers Thomas Rodriguez, and Coty Steward by presenting them with SAR Heroism Medals and Certificates.
Officers Legg, Rodriguez and Stewart were off duty at George Pierce Park, when Scott Corley was found unresponsive and reported to have no pulse. The officers shocked Mr. Corley twice with a defibrillator and applied CPR for some 13 to 14 minutes to save his life. In the presentation awards, Button Gwinnett Chapter President, Thomas L. Jacques, noted it is an honor to award the SAR Medal of Heroism to the three “in recognition of their outstanding actions to save the life of another, thus, exemplifying the high ideals and principles which motivated and sustained our patriot ancestors.”
Foster Parent Information Session will be Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. at theLawrenceville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library.Join the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services to learn how to become a Foster Parent.
Lunch and learn at The Water Tower, 2500 Clean Water Court in Buford, will be Wednesday, April 26 at 11:30 a.m. Join Carlos Williams, applications development manager for HACH, to discuss water quality parameters and machine learning to provide real-time optimization using a system that provides feedback and feed forward modeling. Register at www.theh2otower.org/calendar.
The Curiosity Lab Criterium 2023 bike race will be Wednesday, April 26 in Peachtree Corners, starting and ending at the City Hall. There will be six races, the first beginning at 3:30 p.m. It is a week-long event of USA Cycling. Parking and food will be available near the City Hall.
Grand unveiling of the City of Suwanee’s Ultimate Participation Trophy will be at 1 p.m. April 29 at Town Center Park, during the Suwanee Arts Festival. This masterpiece of public art was created by artist Phil Proctor using old trophies, awards, and medals donated last fall by Suwanee citizens and local schools. The city will also be filming as part of an “artumentary” that will accompany the project.
A Taste of Lilburn will be April 29 from 4-7 p.m. at Heritage Hall of Salem Missionary Baptist Church. It is sponsored by the Lilburn Woman’s Club. There will be over 20 restaurants participating. Tickets prior to the event are $10, and can be purchased online at www.TasteofLilburn.org. Tickets at the door will be $15.
Snellville Commerce Club’s next meeting will be Tuesday, May 2 at noon at the City Hall Community Room.. Recipients of two $1,000 scholarships to Future Business Leaders of Brookwood and South Gwinnett High will be present. Reservations are required, use the link to reserve your place: https://experiencesnellville.com/snellville-commerce-club/#cc-registration
Toast to Braselton dinner and auction will be on Thursday, May 4 at the Braselton Civic Center from 6-9 p.m. The Braselton Downtown Development Authority invites you to become a supporter for our Toast to Braselton “Un Noche en Braselton” Cinco de Mayo event. Tickets include buffet dinner, wine and beer, entertainment, silent auction and live auction.
Jeffrey by Paul Rudnick will be the next presentation at the Lionheart Theatre at 10 College Street in Norcross. Presentations will be from May 5-21, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays. This hit off-Broadway comedy wildly-funny play is packed with one-liners. The play is directed by Scott King. For tickets, go to lionhearttheatre.org.
The 10th Gwinnett Multicultural Festival and County Government Open House will be Saturday, May 13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Gwinnett Place Mall on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth. Residents can enjoy the day with cultural performances from around the globe, bounce houses, carnival rides, touch-a-truck with public safety vehicles, and more. For more information, email PDCommunityAffairs@GwinnettCounty.com or call 678-442-6520. All ages are welcome at this free event.
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