GwinnettForum | Number 22.85 | Nov. 28, 2023
RETIREMENT: The Gwinnett County Police Department announced the retirement of K9 Elsa, badge #2109A, this month after eight years of service. Gwinnett commissioners recently approved K9 Elsa to retire under the care of her devoted handler, Cpl. Austin Hylton, for the remainder of her life. Over the years, she was deployed on an impressive 545 calls for service and was responsible for 51 patrol apprehensions, 87 narcotic apprehensions and 133 evidence recoveries.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Choose the values of celebrations with positive agents
EEB PERSPECTIVE: American judicial system offers plenty of “Wiggle Room”
SPOTLIGHT: Comet National Shipping
FEEDBACK: What can our nation do about harmful carcinogens?
UPCOMING: Suwanee plans veteran’s memorial in new park
NOTABLE: Part of Braselton Highway to get four lanes
OBITUARY: Mary Slade Lail
RECOMMENDED: The Professor and the Madman, (2019 movie)
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Rosalynn Carter was major advocate for mental health
MYSTERY PHOTO: This guy seems mighty proud of what he has caught
CALENDAR: Gwinnett Rotary to present Antisemitism talk on Nov. 30
Choose the values of celebrations with positive agents
By Randy Brunson
SUWANEE, Ga. | In late 1965, The Byrds released Pete Seeger’s “Turn, Turn, Turn,” a peace anthem taken almost exclusively from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. The overarching theme of these eight verses is seasons, with the author describing a time for every season and purpose under heaven.
You may remember some of the phrases: “A time to be born, a time to die….a time to plant, a time to reap…a time to kill…a time to heal…a time to weep…to laugh, to dance, to mourn. A time to gain, to lose, to speak, and to remain silent.”
We often measure the quality of our lives by our physical health, the state of our relationships, and our financial well-being. A sweet spot for each of us is when we feel as if we are in robust physical health, all of our key relationships are emotionally healthy and rewarding, and we feel as if we have financial margin. Many of us however, have experienced health challenges, relational mishaps, and times where there seemed to be more months than money. Those cycles are a part of the journey.
Just as days, weeks, months, and years have cycles, so does life itself. There are times when we have never felt better physically and times when we experience health challenges. Times of joy with those closest to us and times of grief, whether that’s due to misunderstandings or the loss through death or mental impairment. Times when we are knocking it out of the park financially and times when we are searching couch cushions for lunch money.
A very natural response to loss, whether health, relationships, or finances, is grief. This is as it ought to be, as grieving losses is part of the healing process. Disappointment can also make an appearance. What can often determine the future trajectory of our lives though, is how we handle disappointment. We can reject our experience, remaining resolute that life is unfair and we are a victim. Or, we can choose to realize that experience is part of the journey, and common to the human condition.
How so then, as we move through all these seasons of life? I’ve learned only two things about this. One is to reject cynicism, skepticism, and doubt. Those three, very much like quit, criticize, condemn, and complain, are mentally and emotionally destructive.
The other is to embrace joy, which is a state of being when confidence comes from knowing that the best is yet to come. That we will one day see the renewal of all things, the restoration of all that has been lost. And gratefulness. For the day. For life. For those relationships which remain. Or new ones formed. For sunshine, a good meal and a bottle of wine. For meaningful work to pursue.
And finally, to celebrate. Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving. And in the coming weeks, we will experience the celebrations of Christmas and Hanukkah. Such celebrations can be times of reflection which help restore joy and gratefulness, as we allow this to happen.
I am continuing to learn on this journey and through all the seasons of life, to choose love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, to share words from one of the ancients. We continue to learn the value of celebration, times to pause and reflect, to renew and restore relationships. And on this journey, we will continue to share as we learn. And we invite you to share what you have learned with us.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
American judicial system offers plenty of “wiggle room”
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
NOV. 28, 2023 | There’s a passage in Rachel Maddow’s new book, Prequel, which really stunned me.
(Earlier, this book was one of GwinnettForum’s recommendations from Raleigh Perry. I agree. The book needs to be required reading for citizens interested in current governance, who will learn how before World War II, the Nazi government had used the freedoms that we enjoy in this country to promote all-out fascism and start a series of efforts to undermine our government from entering World War II.)
The passage concerns the American judicial system, which many think is unequaled in the world. But read what Maddow wrote:
“…the genius of the American legal system was in how it allowed for the circumvention of this obvious contradiction by use of (the German term) “(judicial) unwege”, secret and twisting passageways of reasoning that led to whatever outcome was politically desirable. (The writer of this passage) understood this would be a bit of a revelation to legal scholars and practitioners of Germany, where they operated within the limits of civil law—a mechanical system to which the written statutes and codes were not at all fungible. In the United States, where common law held sway, judges had (and have) more room to maneuver.”
Here’s how that is bothersome. It makes me question what I thought was the integrity of the American judicial system.
Essentially, the system that was the law in Germany before World War II would not allow any “wiggle room.” It was written down, it was the law, and there was no derivation. But Hitler took advantage of the “judicial unwege” and finally got his way.
But compare that with the laws in the United States, especially in common law. Here, judges at all levels have more room to maneuver, and find various nuances of past laws to determine court cases. Essentially, the court system in the United States gives judges plenty of room to color their decisions to interpret the law.
Because of this, it’s not uncommon for a judge’s ruling to be reversed on appeal. These higher courts amount to a safety net for the people in many, but not all, cases. Sometimes it’s up to the Congress to tackle and write new laws and reverse the courts, when judicial oversight has gone too far.
Why is all this a major concern these days?
Simply this: we are as a nation in a time of peril, as the courts will soon tackle the questionable actions of an indicted former president, who wants to return to office. Former President Trump is even scheduled to appear in one case before a judge who he appointed to the bench, who has not recused herself.
Add that with judges sometimes able to find “wiggle room” for their actions, and you must ask if the people of this country will see a full and fair trial as the former president comes before the courts.
Will it lead to “to whatever outcome was politically desirable?”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Comet National Shipping
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- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
What can our nation do about harmful carcinogens?
Editor, the Forum:
In December, 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act. Its primary goals were the treatment of cancer, and the study of cells.
Fifty years after the signing of this act, cancer has reached an alarming increase of 50 percent. It appears that not enough research has gone into identifying what causes cancer.
We have seen the proliferation of plastics and the use of chemicals that we use on a daily basis. Many of these are possible carcinogens. We are told that more plastics are to be produced in the future. An advertisement on television states that now “good plastics” will be made.
On February 23, 2023, there was a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. One of the rail cars caught fire and burned. It contained toxic vinyl chloride, which may be a carcinogen. The people living near the derailment, some 1,500-2,000 people, became sick with a range of health hazards. They had to be evacuated for their safety. Months later, remediation efforts continue.
When I Googled about everyday chemicals that we use, I couldn’t believe what I read. Many of them must be harmful. Then consider the air we breathe, and the food additives that are suspect.
What can our nation do about all this?
– Marilyn Haritos, Duluth
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.
Suwanee plans veterans memorial in new park
The City of Suwanee seeks to commemorate individuals who have served or continue to serve in the military.
Set to open in the summer of 2024, Suwanee’s newest park, Town Center on Main, will be home to a veterans memorial, to be called the Greater Good. It will be integrated within a tranquil water feature and include an entranceway lined with commemorative plaques honoring service members.
Toni Hardy, Greater Good project manager, says that the heart of the project will include a series of plaques integrated into a walkway leading to the memorial, offering a tribute to those who have made a profound impact.
Each 8×4 inch plaque will be of customized etched in stainless steel which can be customized with up to four lines of text, allowing for 30 characters per line. This flexibility allows for the celebration of multiple service members on a single plaque.
A limit of 300 plaques are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Service members do not need to be residents of Suwanee to be commemorated with a plaque. The cost per plaque is $350; orders will be accepted until November 30, 2023.
- For more information regarding the Greater Good veterans memorial or to purchase a plaque, visit Suwanee.com or contact Toni Hardy.
North Gwinnett Kiwanis plans 15th annual Valentine’s dance
President Chris Witmer of The Kiwanis Club of North Gwinnett says that the club is planning its 15th annual Father-Daughter Valentine Dance on February 2 and 3. The event will be held at the Braselton Civic Center. There will be three sessions: on February 2 from 7-9 p.m.; and two sessions on February 3, from 5-7 p.m. and from 8-10 p.m.
Cost to participate in the dance Is $100 per couple, with $10 for each additional daughter. Click the links below to purchase tickets and for more information:
- Tickets: https://www.bigtickets.com/e/ngkc/FDD2024.
- Website: https://www.northgwinnettkiwanis.com/father-daughter-dance.
Braselton highway widening, short rentals and other topics
Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners acted on several initiatives during meetings recently. A recap of what they approved follows.
- Braselton Highway widening: The county awarded a construction contract to Wilson Construction Management, LLC to widen Georgia Highway 124 (Braselton Highway) from Pine Road to Spout Springs Road from two lanes to a four-lane road, complete with turn lanes, sidewalks, curb and gutter, and drainage improvements. The $10.6 million project is funded largely by SPLOST with $3 million coming from the Georgia Department of Transportation.
- Georgia DOT grant funds road resurfacing: An application for another Local Maintenance Improvement Grant to fund the resurfacing of more than 35 miles of roadways in Gwinnett County was also approved. GDOT’s contribution is $7.6 million with a local match of $2.3 million coming from the 2017 SPLOST Program.
- Short-term rentals:The Board created a new Short-Term Rental Citizen Task Force to address residents’ concerns that short-term rentals contribute to higher crime, negatively impact property values and cause a decline in the sense of community and stability within neighborhoods. From this study, the findings will present recommendations to the Board.
- Operation Save-A-Life contribution: Firefighters will distribute 252 Kidde smoke alarms and 234 Kidde carbon monoxide detectors to residents. Commissioners accepted the donation valued at $18,690.
- Sewer service expands in Dacula: an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Dacula and county to expand sewer service along Maxey Street to Sanjo Street. Gwinnett County is paying 20 percent of the construction costs along with design, permitting, construction, ongoing operation and maintenance of the sewer. Dacula will pay for easements and 80 percent of the construction costs using American Rescue Plan Act funds.
SE Railway Museum hires new director
Chuck Miller is the new executive director of the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, according to Search Committee Chair Allen Rider. He will replace Randy Pirkle. Miller was previously the executive of the Fox Theatre in Hutchinson, Kan.
Miller started his career in public broadcasting. He served as the production manager of the Vienna (Austria) Jazz Festival for 30 years, 25 of them in the Vienna Opera House. Miller also enjoyed 25 years as the production manager for JazzFest Saalfelden in Salzburg, Austria.
Born in Oak Park, Ill., Miller grew up in Mt. Prospect, Ill, and is a graduate of Southern Illinois University, and holds a master’s degree from Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. He is married to Denise Brodsky, who is the executive director of Clubhouse Atlanta. He has three step children, one of whom lives in Atlanta, and he and his wife live in Lawrenceville. He still has his toy train set. “It’s in boxes at the moment.”
Miller says he plans to “Learn the vast scope of opportunities, concentrate on volunteer recruitment, fundraising and the visitor experience, and what’s next in restoration of the historic property.”
Jackson EMC Foundation awards $66,520 in grants
The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $225,620 in grants for organizations during its recent meeting, including $66,520 to organizations serving Gwinnett County. The Gwinnett service area grants include:
- $20,000 to Neighborhood Meals on Wheels Inc. Norcross, to purchase a van that will help the organization expand its services in Gwinnett County.
- $15,000 to Buford First United Methodist Church for its Sack Kids Hunger relief program that provides weekend food bags for children in need in Gwinnett and Hall counties.
- $15,000 to Nothing But the Truth, Inc., Dacula, to purchase 3,333 bags of food for children in Barrow and Gwinnett counties for its Weekend Food Bag program.
- $11,520 to The Block Community Outreach, Inc., Sugar Hill, to provide 768 “break boxes” for school holiday breaks as part of its Weekend Food Program for children in need in Gwinnett County.
- $5,000 to Canopy Studio, Inc., Athens, for sponsorships 24 students from Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties in its Canopy Outreach Program, an aerial arts program that serves students with autism, developmental disabilities, behavioral and emotional disorders.
Jackson EMC Foundation grants are made possible by the 211,732 participating cooperative members who have their monthly electric bills rounded to the next dollar amount through the Operation Round Up program.
Mary Slade Lail
Mary Slade Lail, 83, passed away on Sunday, November 26, 2023 in Sandy Springs following a stroke in late August. Mrs. Lail was born September 8, 1940 in Griffin, Ga. to the late Mary Evelyn Dunlap Slade and Ira Hunt Slade. She graduated from Griffin High School in 1958 and went on to attend Valdosta State College.
She wrote and published several books of prose and poetry. In the early 1980s she and her husband enjoyed performing with the Duluth Cloggers and even appeared on the Dinah Shore Show. She was involved with many community organizations including the Duluth Fall Festival committee as well as local and state education committees.
Mrs. Lail was a true southern woman. To know Mary was to love her. She was never short on fresh flowers or sweet tea with a pinch of mint. Mary loved to make everything pretty and was the perfect hostess. She always had a smile on her face and her blue eyes were always sparkling.
Mary is predeceased by her parents, five brothers, Ira “Dutch” Jr, Dick, David, Dan, and Dunlap Slade, and a niece, Deanna Callaway Wells. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Wallace Lail of Duluth, sons Ray (Katie) Lail of Lilburn, Slade (Kristy) Lail of Duluth, and Brandan Lail of Dawsonville, grandchildren Griffin, Spencer, Ethan, Carson (Lexie), Garrett, Sidney, Jamie, Scarlett, Isaiah, Emory, Hudson, Silas, and Georgia Claire Lail, nephews Chris (Terri) Callaway, and Kevin (Lisa) Callaway, great-nephews Derek, Devan (Lindsey), and Kevin Callaway, and great-niece Lauren Callaway.
Visitation will be at Bill Head Funeral Home in Duluth on Thursday, November 30 from 2 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m. Funeral services will be Friday, December 1 at 2:30 p.m. at Duluth First United Methodist Church. Flowers are welcome and donations to the Woody Gap School in Suches, Ga. would also be appreciated.
Bill Head Funeral Homes and Crematory, Duluth Chapel, is handling arrangements.
The Professor and the Madman (2019 movie)
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: This tells the true story of how two unlikely men, an American doctor from Yale (played by Sean Penn), and an English polyglot without a degree (played by Mel Gibson), come together to create the first Oxford English Dictionary in the late 1800s. The acting is superb and if you get nothing else from this heartwarming story of compassion and forgiveness, you will certainly appreciate your dictionary more by the time it’s over. The story begins slowly but gets better as these men tackle one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. I think this movie is one of those rare times when the movie is actually better than the book. The screenplay is loosely based on The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester. It is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
- 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
Rosalynn Carter was major advocate for mental health
Rosalynn Carter, wife of the 39th U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, forged a career in public service as one of the nation’s foremost advocates for mental health. Her lifelong dedication to improving life for women, children, the elderly, people with mental illness, and impoverished people worldwide earned her numerous awards and honors, including an induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2001.
She was born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith on August 18, 1927, in Plains, the daughter of Wilburn Edgar Smith, an auto mechanic and farmer, and Frances Allethea Murray, a dressmaker. As a child she was shaped by strong religious and family values and an early acceptance of hard work and responsibility. When her father died of leukemia at age forty-four, thirteen-year-old Rosalynn helped her mother tend house and care for her siblings and relatives. She graduated as valedictorian from Plains High School in 1944 and studied at Georgia Southwestern College.
In 1946 she married her high school classmate Jimmy Carter, after he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. The Carters’ three sons were born in different navy ports: John William in 1947, in Portsmouth, Virginia; James Earl III in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1950; and Donnel Jeffrey in 1952, in New London, Connecticut. Their only daughter, Amy Lynn, was born in 1967, in Plains.
Upon the death of Jimmy’s father in 1953, Rosalynn returned with her husband to Plains, where she helped him run the Carter family’s peanut-farming business and played key roles in his successful political campaigns for the Georgia senate (1963-67), the Georgia governorship (1971-75), and finally the U.S. presidency (1977-81).
As Georgia’s first lady, Rosalynn Carter advanced many charitable causes. Moved by the challenges Georgians faced in caring for loved ones with mental illness, she conceived a lifelong dedication to fighting the stigma against mental illness and improving the quality and availability of mental health care. In the White House she chaired the President’s Commission on Mental Health, holding hearings across the country, testifying before the U.S. Congress, and spearheading passage of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980.
She worked to create what she described as “a more caring society,” fostering programs and services not only for people with mental illness but also for senior citizens, women, and disenfranchised groups. She lobbied vigorously for the Equal Rights Amendment, mobilized a worldwide coalition to raise tens of millions of dollars for refugees in Cambodia, and brought together all the advocacy organizations for the elderly at a White House roundtable discussion on aging.
In addition to fulfilling the traditional demands of official White House hostess, she helped to shape the role of the modern first lady as a partner with the president, becoming the first presidential spouse to carry a briefcase to her White House office. Noting her singular tenacity and southern gentleness, the media dubbed her a “steel magnolia.”
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Where was this proud fisherman photographed?
For today’s mystery photo, this guy seems mighty proud of what he has caught. Or else someone gave it to him and he’s claiming that he caught it. Figure out where this guy is standing, and send your ideas along to elliott@brack.net, and be sure to list your hometown.
John and Molly Titus, Peachtree Corners, quickly recognized the latest Mystery: “It is the plant sculpture of a Madonna figure in the Atlanta Botanical Garden. No matter how many times we see it, it always inspires.” The photo came from Barbara McRoberts of Douglasville, via Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Lots of others recognized it, including Marsha Bomar, Duluth; Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; Wally Watson, Stone Mountain; Steve Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; Jon Davis, Duluth; Kay Montgomery, Duluth; Lindsey Borenstein, Atlanta; George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Barbara Myers Mason, Big Canoe; Jim Cofer, Birmingham, Ala.; and Lou Camerio, Lilburn;
Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex. gave more detail: ‘The Ice Goddess, a 25-foot horticulture sculpture that is part of the spectacular holiday light display Garden Nights, Holiday Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, GA. An annual event that first started in 2010, this is the 13th time this exhibit has been at the botanical gardens and is open now through January 14, 2023. There are over 25,000 LEDs used to light up the Ice Goddess, and more than 1.5 million lights across the entire Garden Nights Holiday Lights exhibit. Interestingly, in order to ensure that the plants that make up the Ice Goddess are able to survive the frigid temperatures that Atlanta sometimes see during the winter months, garden engineers have strategically placed heating elements inside Ice Goddess’s head and hand to keep the exhibit from freezing over.”
- 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.
Gwinnett Rotary to present Antisemitism talk on Nov. 30
Gwinnett chapter of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association will meet on Tuesday, November 28, at 11:30 at Jackson EMC in Lawrenceville, at 825 Buford Drive. Speaker will be Emory Morsberger, founder of Gateway85 CID and Tucker Summit CID. To register online, go to www.ATLANTAHOMEBUILDERS.COM.
Build a Successful Business workshop will be on November 28 at 7 p.m. at the Suwanee branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. This session is designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners with the essential knowledge and tools to transform their ideas into thriving ventures.
Understanding the rise of Antisemitism: join the community for a conversation about antisemitism on Thursday, November 30, at 5:30 at The 1818 Club, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. Hear Eytan Davidson, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, moderated by Peter Schneider, president of Primerica, and an ADL board member. There is no cost. The gathering is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County. For reservations, visit https://bit.ly/RotaryNPFH.
Join New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner as she discusses her newest novel, One Blood at the Snellville Branch Library on December 1 at 7 p.m. Her book is about three women who are tied together by blood, love, and family secrets. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Meet award-winning author Zoe Fishman as she discusses her novel, The Fun Widow’s Book Tour, a funny, moving story of friendship and resilience. The talk will be at noon on December 2 at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Parents of Gwinnett students receiving special education are invited to a workshop entitled “Behavior strategies to support your child.” It will be presented by Katherine Eisner and Jessica Phillips, behavior specialists with Gwinnett Public Schools. There will be two sessions, on Tuesday, December 5, at 10 a.m. and by Zoom that same day at 6 p.m. For more details contact Dawn Albanese at 678 301 7212, or by email at dawn.albanese@gcpsk12.org.
Those wanting to attend Braselton’s fourth annual Cravin’ Bacon Walk should order their tickets now. The event will be December 7 from 5 to 9 a.m. in downtown Braselton. There are two levels of tickets: the $35 Squealer ticket, and the $65 VIP ticket, for those over age 21. For tickets, go here.
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