GwinnettForum | Number 23.29 | April 12, 2024
GET READY for an extraordinary experience as the Suwanee Arts Festival prepares to dazzle the community at Suwanee Town Center Park, Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 14, from noon to 5 p.m. Immerse yourself in art exhibits, stage performances, a variety of activities for kids and pets, and indulge in an eclectic selection of international cuisine. Over 120 talented artists will showcase their work. See the Be Tru Yoga Studio with Victoria Ladd kicking off the Suwanee Arts Festival on the main stage.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Bedrock values doing better than pundits decry
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Candidate endorsements will be coming on April 23
SPOTLIGHT: Crowne Plaza Atlanta NE Norcross
ANOTHER VIEW: Could a third party create an earthquake in November?
FEEDBACK: MTG right, but she caused much of it herself
UPCOMING: Heart procedure at Northside Gwinnett is first in state
NOTABLE: County launches “It’s Your Ride” transit plan
RECOMMENDED: Let Yourself Be Loved: by Eugene McCaffrey
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Landmarks, raw materials found in state’s Piedmont
MYSTERY PHOTO: Can you identify this landmark from its back side?
LAGNIAPPE: Another hawk sighting in Norcross
CALENDAR: Workshop on wills on April 13 at library in Lilburn
Bedrock values doing better than pundits decry
(Editor’s Note: Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston (S.C.) City Paper.)
CHARLESTON, S.C. | America’s traditional mom-and-apple-pie values appear to be in better shape than many talking heads and pundits decry, according to a big new national poll.
Brack
That’s good – particularly in times of too much news about fissures for democracy, including former President Donald Trump’s criminal tribulations, current President Joe Biden’s and Trump’s ages, a do-nothing Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court’s continuing ethical gaffes.
This new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 1,282 people shows most Americans still agree on core national values.
“There’s a lot more convergence [about issues] than you might imagine,” University of Chicago political science professor Michael Alobertus told the AP.
When asked about the importance of certain bedrock American principles, freedoms and rights, an overwhelming majority of Americans responded these were extremely important or important to our national identity:
- The right of equal protection under law: 91%;
- The right to vote: 91%;
- Freedom of speech: 90%;
- The right to privacy: 88%;
- Freedom of religion: 84%; and
- The freedom to assemble peaceably, 83%.
But in our polarized political environment where mass shootings are an almost daily occurrence, it wasn’t surprising how only 54% of those polled said they found the right to keep and bear arms to be important.
“The results, which included perspectives on a number of different freedoms and rights, have only small variances between Republicans and Democrats except on the right to bear arms, which Republicans are more likely to see as core to the nation’s identity,” said a news story about the poll. “The overall findings are striking because they come at a time of extreme partisanship when political agreements seem rare and concerns are heightened over the potential for violence during a volatile presidential election year.”
Other findings: Three in four Americans believe a democratically-elected government is extremely or very important, while about 80% believe the same about Americans having a chance to get good jobs and realize the American dream.
As you might expect, the poll didn’t have only good news. More Americans – about half – said they thought the country’s democracy was functioning poorly, compared to the third who thought it was functioning well. Also, younger Americans were not as likely to have as rosy of a view of traditional American values as older Americans.
These attitudes of supporting American democracy, particularly after the turmoil during and after the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, may be impacting South Carolina, too.
Hundreds of candidates filed for Statehouse, local government, Congress and other offices in the last half of March. In June, some 526 candidates will meet in primaries across the state.
At the South Carolina Statehouse this year, all 170 legislative seats are up for grabs. The 124-seat House, where Republicans hold a 2-1 majority over Democrats, is sure to remain in Republican control. But the Senate, where Republicans enjoy a similar majority, may be more in play as Democrats would have to flip just eight seats to gain control.
There will be lots of good back and forth during the election season. But if everybody is pulling for America and our shared bedrock principles, we’ll be O.K.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Candidate endorsements will be coming on April 23
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
APRIL 12, 2024 | Readers who are new to GwinnettForum in the past 18 months may not know of a key issue coming on April 23.
That will be the date when GwinnettForum endorses candidates in the party primaries, and in non-partisan races for the school board and local judgeship races.
At present we are continuing to interview candidates for these positions, seeking a 30-minute interview, so that GwinnettForum can determine which candidate it thinks is best for each of these slots.
Longtime readers may remember that GwinnettForum first began this service back in 2008. What caused it was the decision by the publishers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to discontinue endorsing candidates. Previously they had done an admirable job of endorsing candidates in key Metro Atlanta counties down to the school board and county commission level. It was a big job, and candidates would be lined up awaiting to be interviewed one-on-one by staff members. If I remember correctly, they might endorse any one year in 300 or more races for statewide, legislative and local offices.
But when their decision came to eliminate this service, it made me mad. After all, I feel it is a newspaper’s duty to endorse candidates, since often it knows much more about some of the candidates that you can easily flat-out print.
After about a week of being mad about it, an idea hit me: “Wait a minute. Many people consider GwinnettForum as something like a newspaper! Maybe GwinnettForum can endorse!”
That first year we talked to 69 candidates, and made our endorsements in both the primary and general election. We have endorsed candidates in every election since 2008, and will again this year. Last year, with statewide offices open, we spoke with 147 candidates. So far, we are approaching 50 this year.
In the 30 minutes we spend with candidates, we ask a lot of demographic questions, where they are from … .went to school…age…family…church…job…hobbies…etc. We then let them talk about what they think is important in the race, and why they are running for office.
You can learn a lot in 30 minutes this way. And you form opinions, which are quite subjective. But after all, often you vote subjectively, too.
From my beginning of publishing a newspaper, when I was in a new town for three weeks, I endorsed a candidate for governor I did not know. But I knew his opponent, a former Georgia governor, and didn’t like his politics.
Time the newspaper came out that week, an older woman bounded into our office, pounding the counter, and wanted to see the editor. “You ain’t got no right to tell me how to vote!” she shouted. And we went around for a while, with me finally starting to say, “Let’s solve it this way. Write me a letter saying how you will vote….” She cut me off immediately: “You won’t print my letter.” I assured her I would, which I of course, I should, and did.
That turned out to be one of the best things I did in that new town. For she was the town gossip, so she went around telling everyone how how “wonderful” I was, since I printed her letter. That was a great way for me to get known in my new hometown. Who could have written a better scenario?
Later on, at work with the Gwinnett Daily News, and later the AJC, we always endorsed.
Tell your friends of the upcoming endorsements by GwinnettForum, and invite them to subscribe (it’s no cost) at www.gwinnettforum.com.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Norcross
Today’s sponsor is the Crowne Plaza Atlanta NE ,Norcross, ranked No. 1 in guest satisfaction amongst all Crowne Plaza hotels in North America! The Norcross hotel provides everything you need for a great stay, including modern guest rooms, complimentary Wi-Fi, and free parking. Enjoy a delicious meal at Eighteen70 Restaurant and Bar, take a dip in our outdoor pool or relax in the sauna or steam room. There are over 10,000 square feet of conference space available to rent for social or business events. Crowne Plaza Atlanta NE-Norcross is the perfect place to relax after a great day exploring the area or working. No matter what brings you to town, Crowne Plaza Atlanta NE-Norcross welcomes you! Book your reservation at the Crown Plaza online at www.crowneplaza.com/norcrossga .
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here
Could a third party create an earthquake in November?
“It’s as if in politics, as in economics, we have a privileged one percent. Without the Electoral College. every vote would be worth exactly the same. That would be a step toward democracy.”
– Cathy O’Neil, “Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy”
By Jack Bernard
(Part 1 of two parts)
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | As a former Republican Party elected official in Georgia and county party chair, I left the GOP and became an active Democrat because Trump is a narcissist would-be dictator. He puts the good of himself before our nation. But I believe he will be elected because of Biden’s continuing inability to adequately publicize his many achievements, plus the influence of third-party candidates in select swing states.
In 2020, Joe Biden got seven million more votes than Trump. But in the complicated, out-of-date, undemocratic U.S. Presidential election system, the national popular vote count is irrelevant. Electoral College votes, determined state by state, decide who wins the presidency. Biden got 306 versus 232 for Trump (a difference of 74 electoral votes). But it was still a close election from the Electoral College point of view.
There were six key swing states which gave Biden the 2020 Presidential election: Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The seventh swing state, North Carolina, went for Trump.
Here is how Trump will probably win the Presidency in 2024 by prevailing in most swing states if everything else is equal. Let’s start by analyzing Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
- Georgia: In 2020, Biden won Georgia by less than 12,000 votes (0.3 percent), the only deep South state to go blue. Georgia has 16 electoral votes.
- Arizona has 11 electoral votes. As in Georgia, Biden barely won (0.4 percent), winning by less than 11,000 votes.
- Nevada: In terms of votes, this state was even closer. Trump lost by 4,000 votes. Nevada has six electoral votes.
A third party want-to-be, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (a way-out vaccine denier) should be able to qualify in almost all states as a presidential candidate in 2024. His name alone will mean that many Democrats in these states will be tempted to vote for him, especially older African Americans who remember the civil rights legacy of RFK and JFK.
In addition, Cornel West is running on the far left, pulling away extreme progressives and younger voters concerned about the Middle East. On the other hand, the MAGA base voters will not vote for anyone but Trump. And, few traditional Republicans voters will vote for RFK, Jr. versus Trump.
If RFK Jr gets two percent of the vote in Georgia and Arizona, with two-thirds coming at Biden’s expense, then, Biden will lose these two states. If RFK gets three percent and Cornel West one percent in Arizona, with two-thirds coming from Biden voters, Biden will lose this state’s six electoral votes.
In the coming issue, we will analyze the Northern states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. All were very close presidential races in 2020 and are expected to help determine who wins in 2024.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
MTG right, but she caused much of it herself
Editor, the Forum:
[U.S. Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene said this weekend that “…our Republican Party has failed.” Nothing could be said that is any more accurate than that.
The cause, however, has a lot to do with her singularly. She is a megalomaniac, a narcissist par excellence, tried to get Biden impeached before his inauguration and she has been on him ever since the inauguration. She is impeachment crazy and not taking the concept of impeachment seriously. She is more interested in having her name in the news multiple times per day than she is in legislating. In her tenure of representing northeast Georgia, she has basically done nothing but hound the president, and a couple of secretaries.
She has introduced no substantive legislation but has taken credit for things that relate to her district that she voted against.
She has had a tizzy fit over the earthquake, the hard weather, probably the beginning of an eruption of Mt. Etna in Sicily, and the eclipse. She wants us all to repent. Articles in the news tell me that the Republicans in the House are, more and more, disregarding her. This will be proven when she really goes after Mike Johnson and gets no support.
– Raleigh Perry, Buford
Appreciates Forum voting information
Editor, the Forum:
We retired and relocated from the West Coast seven years ago and vote in every election. I’m always searching for election information and I happily found your GwinnettForum voting information. I even forwarded them to my neighbor two streets away. I love being in a state where voting is not taken for granted. Thank you again.
– Cheryl Russell, Lilburn
Surprised at reading page 226 of favorite book
Editor, the Forum:
You cannot imagine the gift I received from you this morning. I must give you a bit of backstory, though.
In 1993, I moved to Georgia. In 1994, I bought a particular book, read it, thoroughly enjoyed it because it was so meaningful to me, put it on my bookshelf, refer to it in every Memoirs Class I taught as a perfect example of a memoir, re-read it periodically over the years, and decided to re-read it yet again just this past week.
This morning, after breakfast, I sat for a few minutes, planning to get through the last couple of chapters. Naturally I cried (as I had the first, second, and third times I’d read it) when I got to the part that chronicled the passing of Red Barber. And then, at the bottom of page 226, I read Bob Edward’s comment about how “Elliott Brack … with the Atlanta newspapers … encouraged me to write a book,” which turned into Fridays with Red.
He wouldn’t have written it without your letter to him. I wouldn’t have had such a marvelous resource all these years. But all the times I re-read it, I’d breezed right over your name because it wasn’t on my radar. Until now.
I love coincidences like this, and I’m firmly convinced that there’s a pattern here that is beyond me to describe or to understand. I only know that I need to thank you deeply for this gift. A gift I truly appreciate.
– Fran Stewart, Hog Mountain
Another report on Palmetto postal snafus
Editor, the Forum:
You will get a lot of responses on your comment about the postal service. Let me give you one example of how it can cost folks. I mailed a check for my homeowner’s insurance well in advance, only to find out they never got it. So I paid them online and issued a Stop Payment on the original check. That was easy enough but the greedy credit union charged me a $38 fee!
I also had a postal package from REI get rerouted for two weeks all over the country from the Palmetto location. It made no sense to me at the time. However, if the facility can’t handle the load, that explains it. DeJoy has to go. And reopen Duluth’s Boggs Road processing center.
– Mike Davis, Peachtree Corners
Mail being delayed in South Georgia, too
Editor, the Forum:
Boy, are you right on target about the mails being delayed! We have been victims of at least four lost or seriously delayed letters. Thank you for bringing this to the attention of your readers. At my local office, no one offers any reason and it’s difficult to get someone at the front desk to even answer a question.
– Bobbie Scott, Jesup
- 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.
Heart procedure at Northside Gwinnett is first in state
Northside Hospital Heart Institute in Gwinnett is the first in Georgia to complete a cardiac ablation using the new FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System for treating atrial fibrillation (AFib). The system was FDA-approved in January and has been used safely and effectively across the globe.
The new technology is a unique alternative to the standard-of-care thermal ablation, during which a catheter is guided to the interior of the heart, generating extreme temperatures — hot or cold — to destroy targeted areas in the heart associated with AFib, or abnormal heart rhythms. Rather, Farapulse relies on tissue-selective, non-thermal electric fields to ablate heart tissue and avoid damage to surrounding structures.
Dr. Alok Gambhir, cardiac electrophysiologist with Northside Hospital Heart Institute, successfully performed the procedure using this FDA approved technology on April 8.
He says: “Pulse field ablation is truly a revolutionary and practice-changing technology in our field where most of the ablation for atrial fibrillation will be performed using this technology in the future since it is safer, faster, better tolerating with faster healing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 12.1 million people will have AFib in the U.S. by 2030, as risk increases with age. Cardiac catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is now first-line treatment in patients who are symptomatic with atrial fibrillation with no obvious reversible cause.
Positive 12-month data from the pivotal clinical trial found therapy with the device was as safe and effective as conventional thermal ablation, with statistically shorter ablation times.
Second Criterium coming to Gwinnett on April 28
Peachtree Corners is scheduling the second annual Curiosity Lab bicycle Criterium as part of Speed Week on April 28, 2024. This year’s event will also feature a running race, kids races, food trucks, vendors, and other activities for the family.
Speed Week is a premiere week-long event on the U.S. Pro Cycling Circuit that draws cyclists from around the world, including Olympic medalists and world and national champions. In 2023, the professional men’s and women’s events drew cyclists from over 30 states and more than 20 countries.
The 2024 Curiosity Lab Criterium will take place on a course in the world-famous Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, a 5G-enabled 500-acre living laboratory ecosystem designed specifically as a proving ground for IoT, mobility, and smart city emerging technologies.
The Curiosity Lab Criterium will feature an array of innovative technologies currently being deployed to help protect vulnerable road users (VRUs). This event will also showcase VRU technology of tomorrow as exhibited by private sector V2X companies and sensor innovators, OEMs hardware and software manufacturers, government officials, bike companies, advocacy groups, and more.
Enter a race, or just come to enjoy the festivities.
Category Time Duration
Junior 9-10,11-12,13-14 10 a.m. 30 min
Junior 15-16, 17-18 10:45 a.m. 30 min
Master 40+ 11:30 a.m. 45 min
Master 50+,Master 60+ 12:30 p.m. 45 min
Women 4/5 1:30 p.m. 30 min
Men 4/5 2:15 p.m. 30 min
Women 3/4 3:00 p.m. 40 min
Men 2/3 3:50 p.m. 45 min
Running Race 5:00 p.m. 15 min
Kid’s Races 5:15 p.m. 15 min
Women Pro 1/2/3 5:45 p.m. 50 min
Men Pro 1/2 7:00p.m. 60 min
The Curiosity Lab Criterium will feature an array of innovative technologies currently being deployed to help protect vulnerable road users (VRUs). This event will also showcase VRU technology of tomorrow as exhibited by private sector V2X companies and sensor innovators, OEMs hardware and software manufacturers, government officials, bike companies, advocacy groups, and more.
County launches “It’s Your Ride” transit plan
Have you heard about Gwinnett’s Transit Plan? Gwinnett County has launched the ‘It’s Your Ride Gwinnett’ educational hub to help residents get informed about the plan and get answers to their transit questions.
The educational hub explores proposed transit modes, benefits for the community, and information about a potential transit referendum. It also features a monthly video series that highlights different components of the plan.
Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson says: “As our county grows, it’s important that we continue to enhance and expand our current transit system so our residents and community can move throughout Gwinnett and across the region with ease. Our ‘It’s Your Ride Gwinnett’ educational hub serves to provide our residents with information about the plan so they understand the power that mobility can have in their lives now and in the future.”
Gwinnett’s Transit Plan aims to provide 100 percent transit coverage through the expansion of the County’s existing microtransit service. Proposed services in the plan also include an airport ride to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, high-capacity systems and additional transit transfer facilities.
In February, the Board of Commissioners approved a notice of intent to call for a transit referendum. As outlined in Georgia law, this action is required before the Board can officially call for a transit referendum that, if approved by voters, could fund the proposed transit projects through a one-percent sales tax not to exceed 30 years.
The one percent sales tax, if authorized as per Georgia law, would be paid by all consumers who purchase goods within the county, shifting funding for transit away from Gwinnett’s property owners to all residents, businesses and visitors. Gwinnett County used $4.5 million in SPLOST funds for the project.
- Visit the educational hub to explore information about the Transit Plan at GwinnettCounty.com/YourRide
Dyer Elementary student wins state DAR award
Collyns Pangle, a fifth grader at Dyer Elementary in Dacula, has been named the Georgia Society Daughters of the American Revolution state winner of the American History essay contest. She was recognized during the 126th State Conference in Atlanta. Collyns is a member of the Elisha Winn Society, Children of the American Revolution and the daughter of Chris and Kelley Pangle and granddaughter of Carol Pangle in Dacula. She was sponsored by the Philadelphia Winn Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Lawrenceville.
From left are Georgia Society DAR State Regent, Betty Harrah; Collyns Pangle; Georgia Society American History Committee Chair, Susan Gwaltney and National Society DAR Honorary Vice President General, Joyce Patton.
The topic for this year’s contest asked students to imagine that they were a newspaper reporter for the Philadelphia Times of the pre-Revolutionary War era. They were asked to cover a new march by John Philip Sousa, The Stars and Stripes Forever, that was played for the first time on May 14, 1897.
PCOM graduates to hear Chamber president
Masino
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Georgia announces that Nick Masino, president and CEO of Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett, will deliver the keynote address to graduates during PCOM Georgia’s 2024 Commencement Ceremony on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 1p.m. The ceremony will be held at Gas South District in Duluth.
In his role as President and CEO, Masino has orchestrated a progressive transformation, ushering in the most diverse board of directors in Chamber history. Under Masino’s leadership, the Gwinnett Chamber achieved unprecedented milestones, securing a historic five-star accreditation rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2022 and earning the organization’s inaugural global title as ‘Chamber of the Year’ by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) in 2023.
Masino is a graduate of The Ohio State University, he holds a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal and organizational communication. He and his wife, Suzanne, live in Suwanee, where they take pride in having raised three accomplished adult children. He was mayor of Suwanee for eight years.
Let Yourself Be Loved, by Eugene McCaffrey
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: Eugene McCaffrey shares some insights of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, who lived her brief life of holiness in the Dijon Carmel Order in Central France. Elizabeth is a ‘Woman for Our Times’ because, in her words: ‘It seems to me that I have found my Heaven on earth, since Heaven is God, and God is in my soul. The day I understood that everything became clear to me. I would like to whisper this secret to those I love so that they too might always cling to God through everything.’ Many of her numerous writings explain the simplicity and importance of suspending our will to God and to believe and know that we are loved. This personal exploration of the thoughts and prayer life of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is a spiritual banquet and a call to holiness amidst the trials and struggles in the world. The full title is Let Yourself Be Loved: Elizabeth of the Trinity.
- 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
Landmarks, raw materials found in state’s Piedmont
The Piedmont geologic province, underlain by igneous and metamorphic rocks, forms the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The region contains some of the most distinctive landmarks in Georgia and is the source for many of the state’s most important raw materials.
The Piedmont extends west to east across Georgia, from the edge of the Coastal Plain in the south to the Blue Ridge chain of the Appalachian Mountains in the north. It is an area of generally modest relief, rolling hills, and narrow valleys that contrasts with the more dramatic relief of the Blue Ridge. The diversity of Piedmont rocks, the scale of their variation, and the complexity of their interrelationships have made the study of them a challenge.
Major, long-inactive fault zones divide the Piedmont into several belts. The fault zones and the rocks between them generally have a northeastern strike, parallel to the overall trend of the Appalachian Mountains, which rose during the Cambrian period, about 500 million years ago. In spite of much detailed work by many geologists, not all agree on the extent, interrelationships, and significance of these faults, although general patterns of development have been established.
In a broad sense, the northern boundary of the Piedmont is the Hayesville-Allatoona fault. This fault separates the Blue Ridge on the north from the northern Piedmont, or eastern Blue Ridge, on the south. This contested ground, bounded on the south by the Brevard zone, contains Kennesaw Mountain and the Dahlonega gold belt as well as several other gold-bearing trends. South of the Brevard zone, which continues across the state, lies what most people consider to be the true Piedmont province. This area, in turn, is subdivided into the Inner Piedmont, Pine Mountain, Charlotte, Uchee, and Kiokee belts by the Towaliga, Bartletts Ferry, Goat Rock, Middletown-Lowndesville, Modoc, Ocmulgee, and Dean Creek faults. The granitic Elberton, Stone Mountain, Ben Hill, and Palmetto batholiths (masses of igneous rock below the earth’s surface) occur within the Piedmont. Deformation of the Ben Hill and Palmetto batholiths near the Brevard zone indicates that these masses formed before some of the geologic movement along the Brevard.
Major amphibolite, or metamorphic bodies, also occur in these belts. These bodies contain remnants of severely deformed pillow lavas, or mounds of lava that are indicative of submarine extrusions. The Carolina Slate belt contains the remnants of shallow subvolcanic intrusions, volcanic sediments, and extrusive rocks, all part of an island system characterized by explosive volcanism and hydrothermal activity, much like today’s Japanese and Philippine islands and the floor of the Sea of Japan. Graves Mountain, whose deposits are thought to be exhalative (caused by submarine hot water vents) in origin, also occurs in the Carolina slate belt. At one time, the metamorphic rocks of the Piedmont may have formed the substructure of a volcanic arc, which has been compared to the present-day Indonesian arc.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Can you identify this landmark from the rear?
Sometimes the back sides of famous landmarks don’t look the same as the front. Can you determine where this particular landmark photograph was taken? Send your ideas to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
The previous Mystery Photo is of a statue that many have seen in several parts of the world. Sara Rawlins of Lawrenceville wrote: “It a statue of the adventures of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha located on the Avenida de Mayo in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This was a gift to the city from Spain in the ‘80s for its 400th Anniversary.” Michel Blackwood of Duluth added: “I’ve never been there to Buenos Aires, but Don Quixote has always fascinated me. I love the different images of the characters you find around the world. Years ago my wife bought Picasso ‘Don Quixote and Sancho Panza’ lithograph from one of the early runs Picasso did for money problems he had in the early ‘60’s. The character is an eternal representation of all our hopes and dreams contrasted with the realities of an impartial world.”
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, wrote: “Created by Spanish Sculptor Aurelio Teno (1927 – 2013), the statue is 50-feet tall and weighs over 220 tons. Built in Uruguay, it took more than 100 workers and six months to create the controversial statue. The statue has remained controversial since its 1980 inauguration having been harshly criticized by many for being ‘unsightly, poorly located and irrelevant to Argentina.’ Looking very much like its bemused yet determined namesake, the sculpture captures not only the oddity of Don Quixote’s character but also of his horse, whose awkward twisting neck has been sculpted to appear more bull-like than horse-like.”\\The photo c
The photo came from Mark Barlow of Peachtree Corners. Other readers recognizing it were George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; Kay Montgomery, Duluth; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; and Lou Camerio, Lilburn.
- 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.
A particular Norcross hawk gets around, and people are angling to shoot a picture of it. Here’s a recent photo from Patty Cheek, which sheds good light on its red feathers. It was taken when the hawk was in a dogwood tree at Sunset Drive and North Peachtree Street. Got a good photo of a critter or bird? If so, send it to info@GwinnettForum.com and tell us where the photo was shot!
Workshop on wills on April 13 at library in Lilburn
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.
Upcoming breakfast: Speaking at Christ Episcopal Church Men’s Civic Breakfast will be Larry Campbell, president of Corners Outreach. The breakfast will be in the parish hall on April 13 at 8 a.m. Men of the community are invited.
“Reflections in Abstraction,” a talk by Robert Wa dell Cook, will be April 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Lawrenceville Arts Center’s Mary Kistner Gallery. Join the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning and Aurora for the talk by painter, R.W. Cook. The event will include light refreshments.
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 and 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.
Household Hazardous Waste Workshop: Celebrate Earth Month and learn how to protect the environment from harmful waste. This workshop will take place on April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Snellville Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library.
Come celebrate 30 Years of Hands of Christ Duluth Co-op, serving neighbors in need. Join the celebration on Friday April 19 at 6:30 p.m. for a night of food, music and community on the grounds of the Payne-Corley House. This is the kickoff to a meaningful year recognizing the extraordinary community whose compassion has nourished local families in need for three decades. Tickets can be purchased here.
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.
Republican Congressional meetings on April 20: The 4th District Convention will be at the Pine Creek Center, 4328 Cowan Road, Tucker. The 9th District Convention will be at the Dillard House Center, 768 Franklin Street in Dillard. The 10thDistrict Convention will be at the Oconee County Civic Center, 2661 Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville; and the 13th District Convention will be at the Conyers First United Methodist Church, 921 North Main Street in Conyers. Doors open at 9 a.m. The party reminds those planning to attend that the doors for all conventions will close promptly at 10 a.m.
Clean-Up Day: the town of Braselton has scheduled a city-wide clean up for Saturday, April 20. The day aims to beautify the city’s surroundings, foster a sense of pride in the neighborhoods, and contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone. The town needs volunteers to join us in this important endeavor. Meet at 8:30 to 9:30 at the Asa Carlton building, 100 Highpoint Park Way in Braselton. Here, staff will hand out supplies and help you determine where you can make a difference!
Another Clean-Up Day: Norcross is also planning a Clean-Up Day on April 20 at Norcross Public Works, 345 Lively Avenue. Paper shredding, recycling of electronics, paint and scrap metal collection and other household junk and hard- to-dispose of items can be recycled.
Historic Cemetery Tour of Norcross will be two days, Sunday, April 21 at 2 p.m and Tuesday, April 23, at 11 a.m. Join Gene Ramsey for an immersive tour where you’ll unravel tales of the town’s founders, decode the mysteries of street names, and hear stories spanning 1915 to 1923.
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