FIRST MVG AWARD: Louise Radloff has been presented with a Most Valuable Gwinnettian award for her years of yeoman service to the overall Gwinnett community by the GwinnettForum. Publisher Elliott Brack makes the presentation at Tuesday’s meeting of the Gwinnett Rotary Club, of which Joe Godfrey is president. GwinnettForum plans to make a similar presentation to another recipient in May of 2025.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Roving the world with a Nikon
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Where to find your candidates on your ballot
SPOTLIGHT: Walton Gas
ANOTHER VIEW: Don’t prejudge people by their silos
FEEDBACK: Finds Mr. Black dividing our country in two
UPCOMING: Ross to speak at Memorial Day service
NOTABLE: GGC wins three National Science IT grants
RECOMMENDED: Don’t Dress for Dinner, a play by Marc Camoletti and Robin Hawdon
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Sherman captures Fort McAllister, near Savannah
MYSTERY PHOTO: Tell us where this monument is located
LAGNIAPPE: Lilburn Splash Pad to open May 18
CALENDAR: Saturday’s Multicultural Festival is at Gwinnett Place
Roving the world with a Nikon
By Bill Durrance.
(Editor’s note: The following author is a professional photographer, who had a dream job of wandering the world for the camera company, Nikon. He is a former student of the editor, when the editor was a visiting professor at the University of Georgia. —eeb)
By Bill Durrence
SAVANNAH, Ga. | In 1988 I was hired by Nikon USA to work in their Nikon Professional Services department. I was one of about a dozen “tech reps” scattered around the United States with the broad job description of working with the professional market—the photographers for newspapers and magazines, commercial studios, hospitals and medical schools, freelancers, etc.—to spread the gospel according to Nikon. It was not to sell, but just to educate heavy, high-end users on ways to get the most out of the gear we made, calling on their businesses, and staffing media depots for loaning and repairing equipment at major media and sports events.
Durrance
Within a week of starting work, the company introduced the N8008, which I think was the most revolutionary camera since George Eastman made his Kodak camera pre-loaded with a 100 exposure roll of film in 1888. Suddenly we had to train the market on a new concept: Matrix Balanced Fill-Flash; and a whole new way of using the camera.
It was not the first autofocus camera, but the first that could regularly satisfy professional needs. In the milliseconds between pressing the shutter button and the shutter curtain opening and recording the image, the camera could focus the lens, calculate a sophisticated exposure based on referencing a database of 1000’s of photographs, and modulate the flash output to look like natural light, softly opening the shadows, with little or no effect on the highlights.
A question one of my colleagues asked at the time was, “Who trains the trainers?” It was a turbulent few years, trying to learn the rapidly evolving technology, at a minimum a precursor of Artificial Intelligence, and teach it at the same time. It was a bumpy road sometimes, but an amazing education, and looking back, it was a blast and I’m so glad I was there.
Before this technology was incorporated into automatic (and user modifiable) functions, using a flash well was complicated, leading to an attitude by many if not most serious photographers illustrated by an oft repeated phrase, “I only shoot available light, but sometimes the only light I have available is my flash.” Using the flash was a last resort.
These days I’ll use flash when it can help, but I’m still looking for the “available light” option, and sometimes that is temporal. And for some subjects, it would be hard to have enough flash.
If you stand on the left bank of the Seine, across from Notre Dame, after dark, and wait…a Bateaux Mouches will be along shortly, brightly lighting up the cathedral. Be ready, composition already framed up and focused, shoot fast and continuously. As the barge moves, the lighting will move across the architecture revealing different nooks and crannies.
- For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Where to find your candidates on your ballot
By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher
MAY 7, 2024 | Some thoughts today that might help you when voting in the May 21 General Primary in Georgia, if you haven’t already early-voted.
You may be overwhelmed if you look at the Gwinnett sample ballots, which you can access to the right of this column. There are so many names on the sample ballot, and the ballot is long.
Here’s one reason why it’s long: the sample ballot lists all 30 Gwinnett delegation races. However, each voter will only vote in two of these races, that for those running in their area for the House of Representative and for the Senate. So what you see in the voting booth will be more simple than the sample, with you only voting in two legislative races.
Another reason for the long sample ballot is that there are a lot of judicial races on the primary ballot. These candidates will be elected to office in the primary voting, not in the general election. (Note that GwinnettForum deplores electing judges, or other non-partisan candidates at the date of the primary, when the fewest number of people vote. That’s why “Move statewide non-partisan judge and school board elections to the General Election” is among our Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett.)
Altogether, there are 24 judicial races in Gwinnett to be decided. But, there are only six contested races. Four races are for Georgia Supreme Court judges, with only one race contested. For the state Court of Appeals, there are seven contested seats, but only two with opposing candidates.
On the local level, for Gwinnett Superior Court, there are six judgehips on the ballot, and two races have opponents. For Gwinnett State Court, five races are on tap, with only one with two candidates.
We also will elect a Probate Judge and Chief Magistrate judge, but neither current offices are opposed.
Boundaries of voting districts change from time to time. But that can surely cause confusion for the individual. Even the most astute voter can be confused about voting districts.
We now have a way to check out who each of us will be voting on prior to going to the polls. Using the internet for this service, you simply put in your address, and whether you want to vote in either the Democratic, Republican or non-partisan election.
What will pop up are all the names you will face on the ballot, including their photos. Use this before you go to the polls, and write down who you want to vote for. It’ll make it easier, and quicker, to vote this way.
But a word of caution: The way this internet site is constructed, remember that the name of the office comes first, then the candidates follow on the list. As you look at the last name on each race list, immediately after that person’s photo is ANOTHER race listed. It is somewhat confusing.
- To see who the candidates on your ballot will be, input your address here and scroll down to “Let’s find what will be on your ballot.” This is a service provided by the website Rough Draft Atlanta.
GwinnettForum endorsed candidates: back several weeks ago, GwinnettForum endorsed candidates in all races in Gwinnett County. To refresh yourself on who these candidates are, go to Endorsed Candidate at the right of this column. Or click here.
If you have not already voted, be sure to go to the polls on Tuesday, May 21.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Walton Gas
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Walton Gas is a local natural gas provider that serves homes and businesses all across Gwinnett – and the greater Atlanta area! With an office in Gwinnett, it has a rich history of investing in this community – from civic and business groups to non-profit organizations and scholarships/grants for school students and classrooms. They have received the highest customer satisfaction ratings among all of Georgia’s competitive natural gas providers. To learn more about their outstanding value and service, call 770-427-4328 or, visit:www.waltongas.com/gwinnett.
- Contact Walton Gas at waltongas.com facebook.com/waltongas or 770-427-4328.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Don’t prejudge people by their silos
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | “You live and learn” you hear often. But this is not actually implemented by enough of us. This Mother’s Day, I am thinking about the saying in regard to the mother of my kids.
I was born in New York City, the son of an undocumented French refugee (my Dad) and the grandson of blue-collar Italian immigrants on my Mom’s side. Growing up in tough areas, I was much smarter than my peers and they resented me for it. So, I eventually changed from a child nerd, becoming an aggressive, “Fonzie” looking and acting teenager. I was not afraid to fight, and did often. It was the way you survived in the city.
My father was a smart but poorly educated workaholic who worked his way up from sweeping the factory floors to being a part owner. But I hardly knew him. He put every hour…and every spare dime…into his NYC business, which eventually went bankrupt.
He could not find a job in New York but secured one in rural Georgia. So, the family moved to the Georgia hill country when I was 16. As you might expect, it was a very difficult transition. It was the 1960s and I was the only Yankee in my high school.
Regrettably, before I moved, my preconceived notion was that the entire South was backwards, and all Southerners were dumb. When I met a fascinating girl on my first day at the University of Georgia, I learned that my opinion of Georgians was a very big mistake.
She was pretty…a farm girl from rural central Georgia with a very deep Southern accent. She was also extremely bright and intuitive, the sharpest person I had ever met. After a year, she became my wife and eventually the mother of our three kids.
Thanks to my wife, I learned that a person’s accent, whether Southern Georgia or Southern Brooklyn, does not indicate their intelligence, or their worth. I learned that we must evaluate everyone individually based on their actions.
In today’s tribalistic America, it is increasingly difficult for people to accept folks from the other “tribe.” I would encourage my fellow Georgians not to simply accept what you might hear about the other side. Yes, there are bad apples. But we cannot simply say that the other side is flawed and that those who are not are the “good ones.” That is bigotry.
We cannot just throw all members of any racial, ethnic or political group into broad categories. Not all conservatives are domineering bigots. Not all liberals want to confiscate your guns. Not all undocumented Hispanic immigrants are here committing violent crimes. Not all Jews are rich. Not all young black men are violent.
So don’t prejudge people by their silos. Not all Yankees are dumb, or smart.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Finds Mr. Black dividing our country in two
Editor, the Forum:
It is people like you, Mr. Black, that is dividing our country in two. This is the same judge that proudly removed his glasses and grinned when the media was trying to take photos. Enough said about the judge because I do not think he is one of our finer justices in the land.
President Trump is on trial for paying money to Stormy Daniels, not to divulge the lie that she supposedly had sex with him. The actual money came from Michael Cohen, a convicted liar. Therefore, what of her character and his that they blabbed this unproven statement to anyone that they could sell this prefabrication.
The trial is a sham due to the fact than every President that came before may have had liaisons; to mention a few: Clinton, Obama, Biden, etc. The American people do not give a hoot about this trial, other than it is causing election Interference by the Biden DOJ. When you tell a lie enough times there are people who believe that it is true.
The number one thing on people’s minds right now is the economy, closing the border and getting back to good jobs. Recently, Nancy Pelosi said that during the Trump presidency, his record reveals that more jobs were lost; when the media reporter told her that was because of the Covid lockdowns, Nancy shouted back telling the reporter that she should not defend Trump.
All I ask of the readers is that they at least listen and question both sides. The good Lord gave us brains so we could think and then use our freedom to choose.
Have an awe-inspiring day.
– Barbara “Gault” Warden, Norcross
Appreciates GwinnettForum endorsements
Editor, the Forum:
Many thanks for your endorsements in the Gwinnett primary! I have spent hours researching candidates and your counsel is appreciated.
– Shel Waxweiler, Berkeley Lake
Whoops! amaryllis, not daylily
Editor, the Forum:
Your beautiful picture of the red daylilies is actually a beautiful picture of red amaryllis. Makes no difference because it is a picture of beauty and brings joy.
– Marlene Ratledge Buchanan, Snellville
On Tuesday, even EEB article was interesting
Editor, the Forum:
Tuesday’s Forum is one of the best in many years. Terry Swaim’s writing was outstanding. Even your article was interesting. And, there was no political malarkey – at last!
– Mike Tennant, Duluth
How two colleges gained university status
Editor, the Forum:
Kudos to Georgia Gwinnett College for their students’ success in passing the state nursing licensing exam in such fashion! Also noted the highlight of recent success through determination for GGC graduate Nicholas Brown. And hats off to Operation One Voice, an organization supporting military and law enforcement families.
As a side note, both my degrees came from colleges that later became universities. I often remark that my graduation raised their status from college to university.
– John Moore, Duluth
After student exchange, son chose to live in Denmark
Editor, the Forum:
I thoroughly enjoyed your story about hosting Nancy, the Rotary student. Our son Mike chose to be an exchange student for his 10th grade and was assigned to a family in Denmark. He fell in love with a Danish student named Inge, and they stayed in close contact after that, then decided to get married after they both graduated from high school.
Mike decided then to choose Denmark as his newly married home. When I was stationed in Germany for the second time with the U.S. Army, my late wife, Diane, and I had many fantastic visits to his home on the northern tip of the Jutland peninsula. His exchange host family converted part of their barn to an apartment and Diane and I would stay in the small attic bedroom space. We learned all about Danish traditions, Inge’s family, history and cuisine. Mike and Inge still live in Denmark along with our three Danish grandchildren. An enriching experience.
– George Graf, Palmyra Va.
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 by to: ebrack2@gmail.com.
Ross to speak at Memorial Day service
The commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Services will speak at the annual Gwinnett Memorial Day service on Monday, May 27, at 1 p.m. on the grounds of the Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville. She is Patricia Ross, who previously served as the chief operating officer of the Veterans Education Career Transition Resource, VECTR Center, for five years.
Ross
The Georgia VECTR Center provides veterans and their families a gateway into Georgia’s 51 public technical colleges and university system schools. In addition, the VECTR Center provides accelerated training in high demand and strategic industries, career counseling, academic advising, employment assistance and in partnership with other state, federal, and community agencies, and provides a one-stop-shop to help meet veteran’s needs.
Prior to leading the VECTR Center, Ross served as the first Director of Military Affairs for the Technical College System of Georgia.
After 25 years on active duty in the United States Air Force, Ross retired as a Colonel in October 2014. She culminated her career as the Vice Commander of the 78th Air Base Wing, Robins Air Force Base where she led the management of facilities and equipment valued at $3.5 billion and the execution of a $161.8 million operating budget.
Ross received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tampa, Fla; a master’s degree in systems engineering management from St. Mary’s University, Texas; and a master’s degree in military operational arts and science from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Ala. In 2023, Ross completed her Doctorate in organizational leadership from Valdosta State University.
She and her husband Scott (also retired Air Force) have four adult children.
Peach State FCU honors Boutwell with named awards
Peach State Federal Credit union is celebrating President/CEO Marshall Boutwell’s 30th anniversary with the credit union creating two $5,000 scholarships for veterans seeking to expand their education to enhance their long-term career opportunities. The Robert Marshall Boutwell Veteran’s Educational Scholarships will be funded through the Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation and available during the credit union’s 2025 Scholarship Program.
Boutwell, a North Carolina native raised in a military family, volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1967. He held several command and staff positions including company commander and battalion executive officer. While serving in Vietnam, Boutwell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, twelve Air Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
He has been a leader in the credit union movement. Boutwell’s dedication earned him the World Council of Credit Unions Distinguished Service Award in 2022; the Moses C. Davis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015; and induction into the Credit Union House Hall of Leaders in 2013. Boutwell’s leadership has also garnered international recognition. He was the recipient of the Knights Cross of the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland in 2021 and the Polish Credit Union Foundation “Feniks” Award in 2009 for his support of Polish credit unions.
Under his direction, Peach State has enjoyed astounding success; growing from $14 million to more than $933 million in total assets, over 70,000 members, a team of 200 plus employees, and 26 branch locations throughout Georgia and South Carolina.”
GGC wins three National Science IT grants
In less than a year, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has received three grants totaling $700,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF). All three grants will help address specific needs in the information technology (IT) field.
Dr. Chavonda Mills, dean of GGC’s school of science and technology, says: “We appreciate the generosity of NSF and the dedication and hard work of our faculty to recognize and find solutions for gaps in the information technology field. Our faculty worked tirelessly to submit these three proposals to NSF, all of which benefit our students.”
The most recent grant of $200,000 was awarded by GGC on March 26. Its aim, said Dr. Wei Jin, professor of information technology, is to improve retention and academic success for GGC’s information technology majors. The two-year grant is focused on “a holistic approach to improve learning and motivation in introductory programming with automated grading, web-based team support, and game development.”
Also this year, a grant of $200,000 was awarded on March 19 this year and will be used to fund a special internship program for IT students to help them gain real world experience while also helping area non-profit organizations in developing software. Its focus is to help encourage more Hispanic students to pursue careers in software development. The grant is for three years and will assist 18 GGC interns.
Says Dr. Cengiz Gunay, associate professor of IT at GGC: “We will conduct a yearly hackathon with a challenge to help causes in the Hispanic community and we will employ various methods to recruit more Latina students into the software development major.”
In October 2023, NSF awarded GGC a $300,000 grant to expand and broaden the Technology Ambassador Program (TAP). The grant helps TAP share its experience and work products with the public, especially teachers.
Dr. Anca Doloc-Mihu, associate professor of information technology at GGC, says: “The project will disseminate this expertise by sharing TAP workshop activities with teachers via on-site workshops and then on a public online repository so that anyone can use them for outreach. Finally, a newly created alumni network will provide career development workshops to nurture the current TAP students and strengthen this exemplary program.”
EMC foundation funds $57,500 to local nonprofits
A $10,000 Jackson EMC Foundation check to Vision to Learn will help provide free vision screenings, eye exams and prescription glasses for K-12 students in need in Gwinnett County schools. At the check presentation with students at Alford Elementary School were, from left, Jennifer Fennell, Jackson EMC Gwinnett district manager; Dee Anderson, Jackson EMC Foundation board member; Dr. Shon Davis, principal, Alford Elementary School; Beauty Baldwin, Jackson EMC Foundation board member; Ayanna Browne-Magee, national director of operations for Vision to Learn; and Kenny Lumpkin, Jackson EMC Foundation representative.
The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $107,795 in grants for organizations during its recent meeting, including $57,500 to organizations serving Gwinnett County.
- $20,000 to Hi-Hope Service Center, Inc., Lawrenceville, to help fund part-time nursing and nutrition services for 20 Gwinnett County residents with developmental disabilities.
- $15,000 to Heirborn Servants, Inc., serving Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties, to provide assistance with its Give Rides program, which partners with community groups, transitional housing organizations and rideshare companies.
- $10,000 to Vision to Learn to provide free vision screenings, eye exams and prescription glasses for K-12 students in need in Gwinnett County schools.
- $7,500 to NOA’s Ark, Inc. (No One Alone) for its Trauma Counseling Program, designed to serve adults and children in all counties served by Jackson EMC recovering from family violence, child sexual assault, and dating violence.
- $5,000 to Georgia Transplant Foundation, Inc., serving all Jackson EMC counties to provide financial assistance for organ transplant candidates and recipients for medication, insurance premiums, lodging, transportation, emergency assistance and other services.
Don’t Dress for Dinner, a play by Marc Camoletti and Robin Hawdon
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: When Bernard learns that his wife, Jacqueline, is going to visit her mother for the weekend, he sees the perfect opportunity to invite his glamorous Parisian mistress, Susanne, over for a lovefest. But to keep his neighbors from gossiping, Bernard has also invited his best friend, Robert, to visit. As Jacqueline is about to leave, Robert phones to say he is on his way over. Jacqueline is surprised to learn Robert is coming and decides to cancel her trip and stay home because – yes – Robert is her lover! Add to the mix one saucy Suzette, the hired cook for the weekend, and you get a fast-paced, hilarious tangle of outrageous assumed identities and constantly changing stories that will keep you on your toes. This cast is superb and the play is only running for three more days at School Street Playhouse in Cumming. For information go to https://schoolstreetplayhouse.com.
- Three performances remain, on May 17-18 at 7:30 p.m. and May 19 at 2:30 p.m.
- 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. Click here to send an email.
Sherman captures Fort McAllister, near Savannah
Fort McAllister was a Confederate earthwork fortification near the mouth of the Ogeechee River in Bryan County. The fort played an important role in the defense of Savannah during the Union navy blockade of the Georgia coast.
Built in 1861 at Genesis Point, the fort was constructed on the plantation of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Longworth McAllister, for whom it was named. Fort McAllister provided protection from the U.S. Navy for the southern flank of Savannah, about 15 miles to the north, during the Civil War (1861-65). It also afforded defense for the productive rice plantations of the lower Ogeechee River basin, and for the Savannah, Albany and Gulf Railroad Bridge, a key transportation link, farther upriver.
The earthworks were designed by military engineers to absorb considerable punishment from Union bombardment. The fort was built chiefly for defense against naval attacks, rather than against a landward assault. Fort McAllister had ten large-caliber guns and facilities for the heating of “red-hot shot,” cannonballs that, when striking their targets, could set wooden warships ablaze.
During 1862 and 1863, Fort McAllister repelled seven Union naval attacks by elements of the blockading forces offshore and in nearby Ossabaw Sound. Several of these attacks were made by the latest in naval warship technology, including the ironclad monitors USS Montauk and USS Passaic.
Fort McAllister never fell to Union naval forces because of its unique earthen construction. This was in sharp contrast to the much larger and supposedly impregnable Fort Pulaski at nearby Cockspur Island, which fell after less than 36 hours of bombardment by Union forces using newly developed rifled artillery. (Rifling, or the addition of spiral grooves within a gun’s barrel, made these weapons especially effective against Fort Pulaski’s masonry fortifications.)
Elements of the right wing of Union General William T. Sherman’s Army of the Tennessee crossed the Ogeechee River in early December 1864, near the end of its March to the Sea. Sherman’s orders to Major General O. O. Howard were to capture Fort McAllister from the landward side, so that the Union army might be resupplied from navy transports anchored offshore. Reduction of Fort McAllister would also open the “back door” to Savannah for Sherman’s forces.
The Union land assault on Fort McAllister on December 13, 1864, overwhelmed the heavily outnumbered Confederate defenders in a brief, but very intense, battle of 15 minutes. Federal infantry poured across the narrow causeway linking Genesis Point with the mainland, despite the mining of the approaches to the fort by the Confederates. Sherman observed the successful attack from a vantage point atop the rice mill of the Cheves Plantation across the river. Following the surrender of Major George W. Anderson’s force, Sherman and members of his staff landed at Fort McAllister by boat, and they made contact with the Union naval forces in Ossabaw Sound.
For the remainder of the war, Fort McAllister served as a prison for Confederate soldiers captured on the upper Georgia coast. After the war, the fort fell into ruin and remained so until the late 1930s, when it was restored as a historic site for the public through funding provided by Henry Ford, who owned the property at that time. Fort McAllister is now maintained by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as a state historic park, with a museum, guided tours, and interpretive programming.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Tell us where this monument is located
Today’s Mystery Photo is a monument which looks like it is in the middle of nowhere. Identify it and tell us where it is located, and why. Send your answer to ebrack2@gmail.com, and include your hometown.
A massive bronze monument in Spain was quickly identified by several Gwinnett readers. George Graf of Palmyra, Va. wrote that it was the monument to the Castellers, Rambla Nova, in Tarragona, Spain. This bronze sculpture is by Francesc Anglès of hundreds of bodies forming a traditional Catalan human tower. Castells are human towers built by members of amateur groups, usually as part of annual festivities in Catalonian towns and cities. The traditional setting is the square in front of the town hall balcony. The human towers are formed by castellers standing on the shoulders of one another in a succession of stages (between six and ten). Each level of the tronc, the name given to the second level upwards, generally comprises two to five heavier built men supporting younger, lighter-weight boys or girls. The pom de dalt – the three uppermost levels of the tower – comprises young children. Anyone is welcome to form the pinya, the throng that supports the base of the tower.
“Each group can be identified by its costume, particularly the color of the shirts, while the cummerbund serves to protect the back and is gripped by castellers as they climb up the tower. Before, during and after the performance, musicians play a variety of traditional melodies on a wind instrument known as a gralla, setting the rhythm to which the tower is built. The knowledge required for raising castells is traditionally passed down from generation to generation within a group, and can only be learned by practice.”
The photo came from Sharon LeMaster of Decatur, via Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill. Others pinpointing the photo were Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C.; Stew Ogilvie of Lawrenceville; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas.
- 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: ebrack2@gmail.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Water for warm weather cooling
The Splash Pad at Lilburn City Park will open for the season at noon on Saturday, May 18. Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Pad is closed for maintenance on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Saturday’s Multicultural Festival is at Gwinnett Place
Grief Writing Workshop will be held May 18 at 11 a.m. at the Lawrenceville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Author Zoe Fishman, who lost her husband in 2017, will lead the workshop to explore the good, bad, and ugly of your hard-won identity.
Multicultural Festival returns Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Gwinnett Place Mall. This is the 10th annual Multicultural Festival and county government open house. Residents of all ages can enjoy a fun-filled day with cultural performances from around the globe, bounce houses, carnival rides, and touch-a-truck with public safety vehicles. For more information, contact the Gwinnett Police Community Affairs Section at PDCommunityAffairs@GwinnettCounty.com or call 770-513-5119.
Community Health Fair on May 19 will be sponsored by the City of Norcross. The event will be on May 19 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Lillian Webb Park in Norcross. The city is partnering with MRI Imaging and other health care officials. All prizes, food, and health services are free to the general public.
Gwinnett Historical Society will meet on May 20 at 6 p.m. at the Yellow River Post office, 3519 Five Forks Trickum Road in Lilburn. Take a tour of this historic Post Office site, including the Hudson-Nash House and outbuildings. With limited parking at the site, arrive at the parking area at Maranatha Baptist Church, 1193 Martin Nash Road, and take a shuttle to the historic site.
Mahler’s Titan Symphony will be the main offering when the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra, Youth Orchestra and Symphony Chorus give their season finale on Monday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gas South Theatre in Duluth. Scott Woodard will be the guest conductor for the Mahler Symphony. Other music will be from Rossini, Elgar, Bernstein and Webber. For tickets, call 770-813-7600.
Author visit: Photographer and author Randy Louis Cox will visit the Peachtree Corners Branch Library on May 22 at 11 a.m. He will discuss his new book, 715 at 50: The Night Henry Aaron Changed Baseball and the World Forever. Books will be available for sale and sign in
Heritage night celebration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will be Wednesday, May 29, at 6 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. Join Gwinnett County government for this celebration of culture, heritage and contributions. Enjoy performances, food and fellowship. It’s open to all. Reserve your spot at GwinnettCounty.com/AAPICelebration.
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