GwinnettForum | Number 23.26 | April 2, 2024
STATE CHAMPS: It was like old times for the Buford High School Literary Team, as it won another state title recently in the Georgia High School Association AAAAAAA (7-A) level. This marked the 20th overall state literary championship for Buford. See details of the individual winners in Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Mystery shopping firm researching senior living
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Auto ads, lawyers, awakening and thanking the Lord
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Banking Company
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Stripers to begin 15th season tonight
NOTABLE: Buford High wins 20th state literary champion title
RECOMMENDED: After I Die: What my Executor will need to know, by Fran Stewart
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Mighty Altamaha River basin lies entirely within Georgia
MYSTERY PHOTO: Dramatic turn of a river: where is it?
CALENDAR: Three memoir writing workshops to take place in April
Mystery shopping firm researching senior living
(Editor’s note: A firm with an office in Norcross, A Closer Look, is employing mystery shoppers to study senior living facilities. Here’s why.—eeb)
By Jessie Friskney
Director of Sales and Product Development, A Closer Look
NORCROSS, Ga. | As the senior living industry continues to grow and evolve, mystery shopping programs gain valuable insights into the prospective resident experience. While mystery shoppers come from all walks of life, seniors themselves often make excellent candidates for this role. Recruiting them as mystery shoppers, can leverage their more relevant perspectives and experiences, ultimately leading to more accurate and actionable insights.
Friskney
Mystery shoppers have firsthand knowledge. Seniors often research and tour senior living communities, either for themselves or for loved ones. Many have family members or friends who are current senior living residents, giving them a deep understanding of the factors that influence decision-making processes, as well as the challenges and concerns that seniors and their families face when considering a move to a senior living community. Mystery seniors can provide insight into the sometimes lack of follow-up from sales staff, which can be a crucial factor in the decision-making process.
Senior mystery shoppers can provide detailed and accurate feedback about their experiences, assessing everything from the cleanliness and safety of the communities to the friendliness and responsiveness of the staff. This feedback can also help measure the effectiveness of the sales process for prospects, identifying areas where follow-up may be lacking or where the process could be improved. This feedback can be invaluable for senior living operators, too, as it allows them to identify areas where they can improve, or already excel.
Recruiting seniors as mystery shoppers can also help to build trust and credibility within the senior living industry. Seniors are more likely to feel that their opinions are valued and respected. This can lead to increased trust and loyalty, as well as positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Of course, recruiting seniors as mystery shoppers does require some special considerations. Senior living providers must ensure that their mystery shopping programs are accessible and easy to navigate for older adults. This may include providing clear instructions, offering online and offline feedback options, and ensuring that the physical demands of the mystery shopping experience are not too taxing.
Those providing senior services must be mindful of the sensitive nature of the senior living decision-making process. Seniors and their families are often facing difficult and emotional choices. Mystery shopping programs must be designed with this in mind.
Despite these considerations, the benefits of recruiting seniors as mystery shoppers far outweigh the challenges. By tapping into the unique perspectives and experiences of older adults, senior living providers can gain a deeper understanding of their prospective residents’ needs and develop targeted strategies for meeting them. Mystery shopping can provide valuable insights into the sales processes and follow-up practices of local competitors, allowing providers to stay ahead of the curve in a competitive market.
Utilizing seniors as mystery shoppers can be a smart and effective way for senior living communities to gain valuable insights. Mystery shopping allows operators to benchmark their sales processes against those of their competitors, identify areas for improvement and ensure they remain competitive in the market. This first-hand knowledge can build trust and credibility while enhancing the prospective resident experience.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Auto ads, lawyers, awakening and thanking the Lord
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
APRIL 2, 2024 | Seeing a lot of commercials during the NCAA basketball tournament, did you recognize how the many automotive companies advertise their products?
What hit us was the rugged, and sometimes abusive way, the brands portray driving the automobiles. They seem so reckless in the way they promote the vehicles. It often is the opposite of sound, safe driving.
Many drive way too fast. And it seems like every model had to be shown either driving through mudholes or across streams, or scampering to the very edge of many a peak in North America. Why do they show virtually every model each firm builds on top of mountains?
Hit you that way?
Many of you are too young to remember the day when the legal profession never advertised. Today first one lawyer after another pays thousands of dollars to the television people to promote that they are the best firm to represent you in any dispute. Makes you wonder how the TV stations could survive without the lawyer advertisements.
TV attorneys seem to particularly suggest to people who were in accidents that perhaps that stiff neck could mean a big bundle of money….if they called this specific lawyer. (Really?)
If you take the plunge to hire one of these pitchmen, don’t expect money any time soon. Don’t expect to get a big payout from the insurance company quickly. All these TV attorneys want to do is to sign you as a client, then not go to court, but to “settle” with the insurance company. And if you get anything, remember that 33 per cent the lawyer will take.
It was way back in 1977 when the modern era of attorney advertising began. The U.S. Supreme Court in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona essentially struck prohibitions against advertising by attorneys. So blame lawyers advertising on an activist court.
Mickey Merkel of Berkeley Lake wrote: “I laughed out loud when I read your commentary about waking up at three a.m. Thought I was the only one that did that!” No, many others do! Waking up and not immediately going back to sleep is quite common.
When it happens to me, first I think of what day is up next (takes a while), then often I will either plan the next day, or come up with a new idea about something. The next problem is remembering that idea. Some keep a pad and pen beside their bed to write items down, which make sense, though I don’t. So don’t think you are the Lone Ranger when you fail to go back to sleep soon.
What helps me sometimes is to go to the den, relax, and before you know, I am asleep. An hour later, I wake up, then go back to bed and then sleep hard!
How often do you say a real prayer, something as simple as “Thank you, Lord?” That’s always our prayer throughout the day, or particularly when we return from a trip, or sometimes even get back from the grocery store. And I don’t know about you, but every time I’m on an airplane that lands no matter how much the bump, that’s my immediate thought! How do those planes ever fly anyway?
We owe our God above our gratitude for so much, for everyday life and health. We’re not talking religion here, but thinking of how good our God is to us poor souls. We are most blessed. “Thank you, Lord,” again!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Georgia Banking Company
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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 Stripers to begin 15th season tonight
The Gwinnett Stripers begin the 15th season of Triple-A Baseball in Gwinnett County with the opening homestand of 2024, a six-game series vs. the Louisville Bats from April 2-7. See 2024 Stripers’ players and coaching staff, led by first-year Gwinnett manager Kanekoa Texeira, introduced in a pregame ceremony.
Following Opening Night festivities on April 2, the Stripers will celebrate their milestone campaign with an exclusive 15th Anniversary T-Shirt giveaway presented by Coolray Heating and Cooling on April 6.
Here’s a full look at the homestand:
- Tuesday, April 2 – Stripers vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds); Gates open at 6 p.m. with the start at 7:05 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 3 – Stripers vs. Louisville Bats. Gates open at 6 p.m. with the start at 7:05 p.m. Xolos de Gwinnett: For the first time in 2024, the Stripers will transform into the Xolos de Gwinnett, honoring the culture and traditions of Gwinnett County’s Hispanic and Latino communities for MiLB’s Copa de La Diversion. It will be Wet Nose Wednesday: free admission for dogs with a paid owner on The Bank, our outfield lawn seating.
- Thursday, April 4 – Stripers vs. Louisville Bats, first pitch: 7:05 p.m. This game is Thirsty Thursday: The popular promotion returns with $2 select 12-ounce domestic beers available for fans age 21 and older.
- Friday, April 5 – Stripers vs. Louisville Bats, first pitch: 7:05 p.m. Wizards and Wands: Celebrate the otherworldly stories we love on a night filled with spells, magic, and baseball followed by Fireworks Friday after the game.
- Saturday, April 6 – Stripers vs. Louisville Bats, game starts at 6:05 p.m, with gates open at 4 p.m. As the 15th season of Gwinnett Stripers baseball begins, the first 1,750 fans will receive an anniversary t-shirt (sizes M and XL only) to celebrate a decade-and-a-half of Triple-A Baseball in Gwinnett County.
- Sunday, April 7 – Stripers vs. Louisville Bats, gates open at noon, first pitch at 1:05 p.m. It’s Sunday Funday, a special matinee game for families, with Pregame Catch on the Field and Postgame Kids Run the Bases (weather permitting).
GGC to host solar eclipse viewing April 8
Provided.
Bring your protective eye wear to Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), which is hosting a solar eclipse viewing that is free and open to the public. A solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon and Earth align perfectly so that the moon completely blocks the sun’s light. According to NASA, the eclipse on April 8 is special because it will be the most visible yet, crossing many states with a slice of total darkness. Learn more here.
Buford High wins 20th state literary champion title
Congratulations to the members of the Buford High School Literary Team. They are the 7A Literary State Champions!
In doing so, it is the 20th overall state literary championship for Buford High.
Among the winners:
- State Champions: Belky Claros Espino, Personal Essay; and Rachel Brody, Maggie Dale, and Katelyn Sebring, Trio.
- Runners-up: Jack Leland, Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking; and Emily DiMaggio, Humorous Interpretation.
- Third Place: Aiden Holland, International Extemporaneous Speaking’ and Julia Travis, Literary Analysis.
- Fourth Place: Vincenzo Fuoco, Boys Solo and James Coltrin, Vincenzo Fuoco, Samuel Jennings, and Trevor Puckett, Quartet.
The team’s coaches are Amy Lister, Bethany Phillips, Makimsey Morris, Taylor Greer, and Leila Bowman.
Work begins on park and trail head off Singleton Road
Gwinnett County officials kicked off the construction of Singleton Park and the Greenway trailhead in southwestern Gwinnett off Singleton Road. The project involves redeveloping the existing property into a vibrant park spanning almost two acres. It will offer a variety of community spaces, including such a ¾-mile multi-use trail, playground, covered picnic area, restroom building and a 41-space parking lot. Officials expect to cut the ribbon at the new park in late 2025.
In addition to park amenities, a 12-foot-wide concrete trail segment will wind through the park and utility corridor, connecting Singleton Road to Dickens Road. This trail segment is part of the 2018 Gwinnett Trails Countywide Trails Master Plan’s Norcross to Lilburn Trail, with an internal loop trail connecting to the neighborhood.
Funding for the project includes a $2.2 million state grant for Improving Neighborhood Outcomes in Disproportionally Impacted Communities, a $2.4 million allocation from the Recreation Fund for the park, $1.4 million from the 2017 SPLOST program for the greenway and a $380,000 Community Development Block Grant for the playground.
After I Die: What my Executor will need to know, by Fran Stewart
From Sally Jackman, Chapel Hill, N.C.: This book came to me a couple of months after my husband died suddenly. I wish we had known about it and filled it out for both of us! It would have been a tremendous resource (and time-saver), as the workbook-format prompts one to locate and note down key information pertinent to one’s life — as in, who to contact — family, friends, work, names of doctors, lawyers, where stocks, bonds, retirement funds are held, tax returns, vehicle information, funeral wishes, a will’s location, any prescription or other drugs taken, automatic payments, monthly donations, and so much more. The author suggests filling in the information using pencil, as some things may change. Note: There is an index with numbers attached to the referenced topic. These numbers are not page numbers; rather, they are numbers placed along the vertical margins for easy location. Highly recommended — terrific resource!
(Editor’s note: the author is a resident of Gwinnett County.)-eeb
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
Altamaha River basin lies entirely within Georgia
The third largest contributor of freshwater to the Atlantic Ocean on North America’s eastern shore, the Altamaha River basin lies entirely within the state of Georgia. The Altamaha River, formed by the confluence of the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers near Lumber City and joined farther downstream by the Ohoopee River, flows more than 130 straight-line miles from its northernmost points to its entry into the Atlantic Ocean north of Brunswick. The Altamaha River basin drains nearly one quarter of the state of Georgia, with its 14,000-square-mile watershed reaching from the upper Piedmont to the Lower Coastal Plain and encompassing the cities of Athens, Macon, Milledgeville, and parts of Atlanta.
The river and its floodplain swamps and marshes are among the most undisturbed habitats in the state, although increasing population in the Coastal Plain and pressure from development are threatening their pristine nature. The integrity of the lower river’s ecosystem can be credited in part to the absence of dams: the banks of the river as it courses through the Coastal Plain are so low-lying and broad that the river is relatively inaccessible to humans.
The Altamaha flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Darien, about midway down Georgia’s coastline, carrying millions of gallons of freshwater, nutrients, and sediments to the estuary and coastal area every day. This estuary, where the freshwater from the river mixes with saltwater from the Atlantic, occupies an area of roughly twenty-six square miles in Glynn and McIntosh counties in southeastern Georgia and is arguably the largest intact, relatively undegraded estuary system on the Atlantic coast.
A mix of geological events, environmental variables, and human impact has shaped the character of the Altamaha. Sixty-five million years ago, during the late Cretaceous geological period, what are now the lower reaches of the Altamaha River were beneath the sea. Sandbars along the river and forests beyond the banks were still prevalent in the upper sections of the river, as is true today, but the estuary itself was far into the landscape of present-day Georgia. The marine waters gradually receded during the Eocene epoch (55-38 million years ago), so that millions of years later the freshwater followed natural courses from the Georgia uplands to the Atlantic Ocean, ultimately forming the river systems we know today.
The Altamaha has a distinctive and fascinating natural history long appreciated by naturalists. Travelers along the Altamaha River can still see a variety of trees and bushes: wax myrtle, sweet bay magnolia, spicebush, red bay, alder buckthorn, chickasaw plum, and cherry laurel.
The Altamaha River flows through the legendary longleaf pine system of the Southeast’s Coastal Plain. Once, 90 million acres of the towering Pinus palustris swept through the southern states. In 1865 one man alone, Robert Pell, had 4 million acres for sale, with the Altamaha at the epicenter of his holdings.
Logging along the Altamaha before 1870 was limited to what was accessible from the banks. Pine that was close enough to be hauled to the river was floated to the port of Darien. Most of the longleaf forest remained standing, however, until the introduction of the railroads into the interior of the Coastal Plain after the Civil War (1861-65). Within50 years that endless stretch of pines was mostly destroyed, and today it is estimated that only 3-4 million acres have survived.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Dramatic turn of a river: where is it?
Check out the dramatic Mystery Photo today. It’s not the Altamaha, as you might imagine. We can also tell you right off the bat that it is not around here. Send your ideas of where it might be to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
In the last edition, it was GwinnettForum one, Readers zero, as no one came up with the location of the Mystery Photo. This was located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a statue dedicated to the memory of troops who died in service, dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the financial needs of children and families of wounded or fallen Special Operations Forces. Operation One Voice is based on Spalding Drive in Norcross, and the monument was erected by Eagle Rock Distributing Company, whose office is in Norcross.
- 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.
Another sighting: Bill Ensley of Norcross found this wandering hawk in another location, near City Hall. He is a handsome fellow. Perhaps someone will give him a name that recognizes his efforts.
Three memoir writing workshops to take place in April
Snellville Commerce Club will meet Tuesday, April 2, at noon at the City Hall. Speaker will be Nick Masino, president of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and of Partnership Gwinnett.
Calling all gardeners, garden enthusiasts, and everyone in between! Garden Fest is returning for its fifth year with a week’s worth of programming at the Grayson Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. It is from April 9 to 11, with special events each day. Get details here.
Nutrition for a Healthy Life Series will be April 9 at 11 a.m. at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Learn about healthy lifestyle changes and healthy recipes to cook. This program will have Korean translation available.
Authors to visit: Bestselling authors Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight discuss their new book, Can’t We Be Friends, a novel that uncovers a friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. This will take place on Tuesday, April 9, at the Snellville Branch of Gwinnett Public Library at 7 p.m.
Memoir Writing Workshop will be at the Five Forks Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library on April 10, 17 and 24. The event will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Learn how your experiences and life lessons can entertain and inspire others in this 3-part writing course taught by local author Fran Stewart.
Wills Legal Clinic will be April 13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Lilburn Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Get free assistance with filling out a will form and advance directive. Attorneys will be available. Registration is required as space is limited.
Gwinnett Republicans will have an April 13 breakfast meeting at 70 Boulderbrook Circle in Lawrenceville at 8 a.m. Candidates expected to attend include Arefeen Chowdhury, Justice Nwaigwe, B.T. Parker, Tim Le and Elvia Davila. Purchase Chick-fil-A breakfast tickets in advance at purchase@www.GwinnettRepublicans.org.
The Suwanee Arts Center celebrates the Suwanee Arts Festival April 13-14, as the city is transformed into a vibrant tableau of creativity, with art displays, live performances, interactive children’s activities, local author signings and a taste of international cuisine.
Author appearance: Laura Elizabeth discusses her debut cozy mystery book, All is Now Lost, rooted in the South Carolina Lowcountry home of Carr Jepson and her Books & Brew bookstore – where teas are not the only things brewing. She will appear on April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Lawrenceville Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library.
Coming April 19 to the Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center is “A Taste of Black Gwinnett—spring edition,” which will be from 6-10 p.m. It will feature culinary showcases and youth entrepreneur exhibits.
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