GwinnettForum | Number 23.41 | May 24, 2024
RECUPERATING: Norcross resident “Bud” Norman, left, is recuperating from an injury at the Joan Glancy rehab center in Duluth. She marked her 103rd birthday in April. David Camp of Cumming, who has known her for years, cheered her up with a visit in the sunshine. She is in surprisingly good spirits. Ever know her first name? It’s Evelyn.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Special Needs School kicks off $4.5 million campaign
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Do incumbent candidates have an election advantage?
SPOTLIGHT: Aurora Theatre
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
UPCOMING:Goico joins Gateway85 CID board
NOTABLE: Regents honor GGC with award for student success
RECOMMENDED: KING by Jonathan Eng
OBITUARY: William (Bill) Dwight Brown and Jill Anna Swenson
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Soft red wheat is major winter crop in Georgia
MYSTERY PHOTO: Can you determine where this gateway goes?
LAGNIAPPE: Well-placed chairs arrive before music lovers
CALENDAR: Memorial Day Challenge in Peachtree Corners on Monday
Special Needs School kicks off $4.5 million campaign
By Adam Fenwick
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Coltman Farms Racing of Maysville, Ga. owner Brett Coltman announced a $1 million charitable donation to the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett on May 15, kicking off a campaign to raise $4.5 million for a new classroom building of six classrooms. The school hopes to complete the campaign by June of 2025, with occupancy one year later.
The donation was announced during Coltman Farms Racing’s annual ‘show and tell’ visit to the facility, which featured the entire driving team. It comes one year after Coltman made a $150,000 donation in support of the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett.
Jamie Hamilton, executive director of Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett, says: “Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett is beyond grateful to everyone at Coltman Farms Racing for their continued support and an amazing day on campus. Our students loved meeting Drivers David McCoy and Tanner English, seeing their cars, getting the autographs, and some even made it into their drivers’ seats. Everyone from the team was so kind, patient, and engaging with our kids and went above and beyond to create a wonderful experience. To cap the day off with a $1 million donation is nothing short of a dream.”
The new classroom building is needed, as 74 students are enrolled to be in school in the fall of 2024. But another 85 more are on a waiting list, since at present there is insufficient space for them.
The Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett offers classes for children ranging in age from toddlers to high schoolers. The school’s philosophy is that special needs students are children first, with all the needs, desires, and feelings of children without disabilities. They are more like other children than different.
Their disabilities are inconveniences that keep them from enjoying full lives, and therefore must be overcome or compensated for so that the children can grow and move out into the world.
Brett Coltman, who owns Coltman Farms Racing, operates four house cars for English and McCoy, but also sponsors many of dirt racing’s brightest young stars. Coltman Farms Racing is also heavily involved in grassroots racing, serving as the title and presenting sponsor of several regional and national touring series.
“Coltman Farms Racing is not just about winning,” Coltman says. “It’s about instilling values and principles that go beyond the track. Those values and principles include giving back to your community. It’s an honor to do just that with this donation. We are committed to nurturing a generation of drivers who are not just skilled and competitive, but also embody the spirit of sportsmanship, integrity and the American dream.”
Coltman adds that children should aspire to be leaders in their own respective communities. By supplying this donation, Coltman knows the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett will continue to foster strong characteristics in their students that they can carry with them through the rest of their lives.
He further says: “We’re honored to be able to make this $1 million donation to the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett to help them provide care and education services to children of all ages and disabilities. To see the smiles on their faces and to see them in their Coltman Farms Racing hats while interacting with our team and drivers was priceless.”
- For additional information about the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett and their mission, visit www.specialneedsschools.org.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Do incumbent candidates have an election advantage?
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 24, 2024 | See if you find something out-of-whack in this situation in Georgia for elections.
The Supreme Court landmark decision in Reynolds v. Smith (1964), determined that state legislature districts must be roughly equal in population. This decision by the Warren Court became known as the “one man, one vote” principle.
With that in mind, let’s turn to another question.
Should incumbents be given preferential treatment on an election ballot? Is this fair to challengers?
You saw it in the Georgia Primary ballot this week, when those who had been immediately previously elected to an office, were listed as “incumbent” on the ballot.
Is this “fair to all?”
Going further, does that simple word of office (”incumbent”) say to all those voting that this particular candidate has held this office before and so could be better qualified to hold the office for another term than a challenger?
Again, is this fair for any challenger? Should challengers be looked upon in another light than the current office holder? In effect, does it put challengers at a distinct disadvantage?
It is obviously difficult enough to gain elected office. Should additional hurdles be placed against challengers, just because they have not held office?
The web site Ballotpedia says that “…the incumbent position may be seen as advantageous depending on the current sentiment of the associated constituents. If the constituents feel current circumstances are acceptable, there may be a higher inclination to vote for the incumbent. If the constituents disapprove of the situation resulting from the incumbent’s policies or actions, they may be less inclined to vote for them.”
It further states: “The advantages that an incumbent candidate has include being a known quantity. Their name is known, their personality, their beliefs, and their opinions, the knowledge of running a successful campaign, an air of success, established donors, the risk aversion of voters, and control over certain areas of the government.” They also raise more money, especially from lobbyists.
One outcome is for sure: incumbents tend to win more elections than the challengers. One source says in 2023 that 94 percent of incumbents won their elections. In fact, the incumbent win rate was at 90 percent or above in all states except for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Ohio.
This would indicate that the ballot noting the incumbent therefore gives the office holder an advantage. That seems to violate the spirit of fairness that you would want to have when government performs its actions.
In the primary on Tuesday in Gwinnett County, every incumbent won re-nomination as their party’s choice to run in the General Election. That should come as no surprise.
Election challengers by definition face an uphill struggle to win office. Having to face an opponent who on the ballot has “incumbent” before his name makes winning by a challenger doubly doubtful.
It’s just downright not fair.
The problem: to get this situation changed would require legislation from….guess who? Mainly incumbents. And most don’t want to give away that distinction on the ballot.
Welcome Mulberrians to cityhood. Some 57 percent of your neighbors voted to create the 17th city in Gwinnett on Tuesday. From the success we’ve witnessed in Peachtree Corners, this looks positive for you.
Now seek good candidates to run for office in the fall to lead your city
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Aurora Theatre
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Aurora Theatre, providing the best live entertainment in northeast Georgia. Aurora Theatre produces Broadway’s best alongside exciting works of contemporary theater. Aurora Theatre manages Lawrenceville Arts Center (LAC) in partnership with the City of Lawrenceville. This $45 million world-class facility, with five venues, has the ability to host a wide variety of performances, weddings, celebrations and community events both indoors and outdoors. Nestled on the historic downtown square, Lawrenceville Arts Center has FREE attached covered parking and is surrounded by restaurants and shops. Don’t miss any of the concerts, stand-up comedy, children’s programs, award-winning theater, or Atlanta’s only professional Spanish language theater, Teatro Aurora. Visit our website to learn more information and secure your seat today!
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Send us your thoughts
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Goico joins Gateway85 CID board
Goico
A new member of the board of Gateway85 Community Improvement District is Hipolito “Po” Goico, co-founder and managing partner at Goico Bolet. He was elected to serve a three-year term. Goico fills the seat that was vacant following Lisa Reeves’ retirement announcement from the Gateway85 CID board in March after 12 years of service.
Goico’s legal career began in 1995, when he joined Blumer International as an associate, practicing corporate and immigration law. In 1999, he co-founded Goico Bolet, P.C., where he has continued to build his expertise and serve a diverse clientele for 25 years. Throughout his career, Goico has played a pivotal role in various professional and community organizations. He co-founded the Hispanic Bar Association in Georgia and served as the past Chairman of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.. He is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and Leadership Georgia
Gateway85 CID Chairman Shiv Aggarwal was re-elected to serve another three-year term on the board and will remain as chairman of the board. Aggarwal, president of American Management Services, brings more than 34 years of active community involvement to his role and founded Global Mall in Norcross.
Current board member Michael Reams was also re-elected to serve a three-year term. He is the director of studio operations at OFS.
Here’s recap of recent commission decisions
Below are a few key items from recent Gwinnett Commission meetings.
Gwinnett’s accountability courts will apply to the Criminal Justice Coordination Council for nearly $1 million in grants to fund new and existing programs that help to reduce the prison population. The drug, DUI, mental health and veterans’ treatment courts as well as the juvenile drug, behavioral health, and family treatment courts programs provide evidence-based treatment, drug testing and training opportunities to improve the lives of participants.
Road enhancements will be coming to 4.4 miles of Scenic Highway. Gwinnett County is partnering with the Georgia Department of Transportation to widen Scenic Highway from U.S. Highway 78 to Sugarloaf Parkway. The highway will be widened to three travel lanes in each direction with a raised median and urban border areas.
Pedestrian improvements coming near Jimmy Carter Boulevard will see the installation of new sidewalks, addressing gaps along the north side of Britt Road from Old Norcross-Tucker Road to Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The enhancement also includes a new traffic signal with pedestrian crossing facilities at the entrance of Lucky Shoals Park on Britt Road. The $756,500 contract, funded by the 2017 SPLOST program, was awarded to Backbone Infrastructure, LLC.
Mountain Park area: Commissioners are seeking a grant that will fund the replacement of two miles of aging water distribution mains in two Mountain Park area neighborhoods. In addition to the $2.9 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the County will match 20 percent of the total project cost.
Georgia Gwinnett’s baseball team in NAIA World Series
Georgia Gwinnett College’s 2024 baseball team has advanced to the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Their first game will be May 25 (today) at 9:35 p.m. EST, against the winner of William Carey vs. Indiana Southeast. GGC’s record for 2024 is 51 wins and only 7 defeats. They were this World Series winner in 2021.
The GGC Grizzlies baseball team came back in the bottom of the ninth to win over Faulkner University (Alabama) on May 16 championship game of the NAIA Opening Round’s Lawrenceville Bracket. Scoring five runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the top-seeded Grizzlies won a dramatic 7-6 victory against the No. 2-seeded Eagles – advancing to the NAIA World Series for the sixth time.
Regents honor GGC with award for student success
Dr. Ashwani Monga, Chief Academic Officer of the University System of Georgia, left, and Chancellor Dr. Sonny Perdue (right) present the Momentum Award to Georgia Gwinnett College’s Dr. George Low, Dr. Karen Jackson, Dr. Justin Jernigan and Nancy Ciudad-Simmons during a recent Board of Regents meeting in Atlanta.
Georgia Gwinnett College has won the Georgia Board of Regents Momentum Award for Excellence in Advising and Student Success. This award is “designed to honor institutional advising that creates a trajectory toward student success and completion.”
Dr. Justin Jernigan, dean of student success, says of the winning: “We’ve increased first-year student retention within the university system by eight percent, and since we started offering these learning community initiatives such as Hispanic Achievers Committed to Excellence in Results (HACER) in the fall 2020, we’ve served over 700 students.”
According to the awards committee, “Georgia Gwinnett’s portfolio demonstrates a deep understanding of practices and strategies that are proven to support students, along with a history of reflection and review of these practices to adjust and align them to GGC’s population and priorities. Through their work with Hispanic Achievers Committed to Excellence in Results (HACER) and Learning Communities, they demonstrate a deep commitment to establishing effective practices and using the results of this work to scale beyond initial pilots to impact the entire institution. Their work intentionally makes meaningful connections with students and shows tremendous commitment to building community among them and with the institution as a whole.”
Traffic control program integrated into Curiosity Lab
Peachtree Corners announces that enterprise video software powerhouse Network Optix has partnered with Curiosity Lab. It has integrated its award-winning Nx Go solution, tailored for traffic infrastructure, into the city’s “IoT Control Room.” This marks the first time that the company’s technology has been deployed as a full solution in the United States.
Curiosity Lab Executive Director Brandon Branham says: “Our IoT Control room has been a model for how other smart cities across the world can aggregate massive amounts of data from sensors across connected infrastructure into the future – so it was only fitting that we partner with Network Optix to process and display traffic sensor data. From fixed LiDAR to traffic camera feeds delivered over the 5G network, this data is critical to city operations that ensure roadway safety for autonomous vehicles, regular drivers and pedestrians.”
Nx Go software takes a wide array of devices into a single, cohesive network to simplify management and amplify data-generation capacity of infrastructure. At Peachtree Corners, cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) powered roadways feature sensors and devices installed across light and traffic signal fixtures, crosswalks, buildings and more to communicate with connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles and pedestrians. The management and viewing of information are critical components to managing the smart city. The transportation solution, poised to expand across the country, also helps generate critical data such as intersection analytics, car counts, lane usage and more to enhance operational efficiency and data utilization.
King, by Jonathan Eig
This monumental work about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. comes as a wonderful gift from Author Jonathan Eig. He tells this story so easily, as it is beautifully written, pulling you quickly into the story. Documenting material from many sources, including the unpublished files of the FBI, Eig pulls no punches, telling the story simply, starting with the King family heritage going back two generations. He introduces material not previously known, recording stories of King’s about his personal life, and recognizes that Coretta King was always there, though long suffering. There’s J. Edgar Hoover secretly snooping on King, and Lyndon Johnson’s on again-off again relationship. Standing out is how very young King was in the movement, showing maturity beyond his years. The success of his efforts created enormous pressures on his psyche, and troubled him greatly in his last days. The book deserved, and won, the 2024 Pulitzer Prize.—eeb
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William (Bill) Dwight Brown , Jill Anna Swenson
Bill Brown, 74, and Jill Swenson, 73, of Norcross, passed on Sunday, May 19, 2024.
Jill Swenson and Bill Brown
Married for 43 years, Bill and Jill were beloved parents, siblings, and friends. Long-time members of the Norcross community, they attended Norcross Presbyterian Church, were founding members of Lionheart Theater, volunteered time at the Cooperative Ministry and Clifton Sanctuary Ministries, were avid storytellers, and everyone’s favorite Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Bill Brown was born in Washington, D.C., in 1950 to Aldworth Richard Brown and Shirley Hunter Brown. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned degrees in Business Administration and Transportation Logistics. With a father in the Air Force, Bill lived in several countries worldwide before the family settled in Texas. He spoke Japanese, Italian, Turkish, and Spanish. As an adult, he lived first in Chicago, then Tampa, before finally moving to Norcross in the late ’70s.
Jill Swenson was born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1951 to F. Karl Swenson and Ruth Fournier Swenson. She attended Presbyterian College, earning a degree in education, before later going on to earn her Master’s in education from Oglethorpe University. She spent her early years in Buffalo before moving to Atlanta. As an adult, she lived briefly in South Carolina before returning to Georgia. She was an elementary school teacher for over 30 years.
Bill and Jill are survived by their daughters, Sarah and Jessie. Bill is also survived by his brother David Brown, his wife Shelley, and their three children. Jill is also survived by her sister Erin Swenson, her sister Jana Swenson and husband E.C Hall, as well as her nieces Inge and Lara.
Bill was preceded in death by both of his parents, as well as his two brothers, Aldworth Richard Brown, Jr. and John Robert Brown. Jill was preceded in death by both of her parents.
A celebration of life for Bill and Jill will be performed at Thrasher Park in Norcross on Tuesday May 28, 2024 at 11 a.m. Please feel free to come dressed brightly and cheerfully in honor of the lives they lived.
A reception will follow at Social Fox Brewing and Norcross Presbyterian Church in Norcross.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Neighborhood Cooperative Ministry and Atlanta Toys for Tots in honor of their memory would be appreciated.
- Online condolences may be expressed at www.crowellbrothers.com. Final arrangements were handled by Crowell Brothers Funeral Homes and Crematory.
Soft red wheat is major winter crop in Georgia
(From previous edition)
Summer crops, such as grain sorghum, are of lesser importance but are still produced where local markets are available. Some grain sorghum is favored by plantation owners who feed wildlife for hunting. Pearl millet is currently a new “old” grain for Georgia farmers. Unfortunately this grain is better adapted to some soils with low water-holding capacity and poorer fertility but cannot produce as much grain under irrigation as the other grain crops. While developed as a food/feed substitution for corn, lower yields prevent the adoption of pearl millet even though it is favored as a feed for poultry, wildlife, and songbirds.
The major winter grain in Georgia is soft red winter wheat. (Several types of wheat are grown in the United States: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, white, and durum.) Soft red winter wheat is used mostly for baked goods such as cracker, pastries, and cookies. Most of the wheat grown in Georgia is milled into flour for use in the baking industry.
The greatest amount of wheat was produced in the state in 1982, when farmers harvested 1.48 million acres and averaged 33 bushels per acre. That year they received about $3.05 per bushel. Currently, Georgia farmers grow between 85,000-100,000 acres of wheat per year and average about 56 bushels per acre. Georgia farmers generally received about $6.14 per bushel over the last five years, falling below the average cost of production.
Rye and oats are other winter grains that farmers use for forage or feed. Rye is used primarily as a forage for grazing animals or as a cover crop to reduce soil erosion and improve water infiltration during the winter and spring months in preparation for summer crop production. Oats are used mainly for grazing and some feed grain. Occasionally some fields of barley or triticale can be found growing when a farmer has developed a local market.
Of the winter grains, rye is second in importance. It is favored for its ability to grow rapidly after planting and to withstand less favorable temperatures than wheat or oats. Livestock owners desire winter forage before the onset of cold temperatures in December and January. Planted in September and October, rye will produce more forage than wheat. Most farmers who plant row crops in either a conservation or a no-till system prefer rye. It accumulates more growth earlier in the spring than wheat or oats and therefore provides more cover and residue to protect the soil.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Can you determine where this gateway goes?
You might call this a gateway of sorts. Figure out where this Mystery Photo was taken, and tell why it could be called a gateway. Send your thoughts to ebrack2@gmail.com, and tell us where you live.
Lots of readers responded to the statue of a kissing couple, inspired by a photograph on V-J Day in New York in the previous edition. But many submissions were wrong, since there are copies of this statue around the world in numerous locations.
This particular statue is in Civitavecchia, Italy, and came from Steve Spellman of Dunwoody, who was on a cruise, and saw the statue. He wrote: “In talking to several people and then verified by our tour guide, this statue was erected as a way to say thank you to America for freeing Italy from one of their biggest mistakes in history (Mussolini).”
Allan Peel of San Antonia, Tex. wrote: “Today’s mystery photo is the gigantic 25-foot high, styrofoam sculpture of a sailor kissing a nurse that resembles the iconic 1945 photograph ‘V–J day in Times Square’ by Alfred Eisenstaedt. The statue in the mystery photo is in Civitavecchia, Italy, approximately 50 miles northwest of Rome. Several different versions of this statue have been created in the USA and abroad (and more keep getting installed). Some are made of styrofoam and others in aluminum. They can be found in San Diego, Sarasota, Key West, Snug Harbor, N.Y., Hamilton, N.J., Pearl Harbor, Royal Oak, Mich., Graham, N.C., and Omaha. They can also be found in Caen (France), Bastogne (Belgium) and Portsmouth (England).”
Sara Rawlins of Lawrenceville told us: “They were strangers who came together for that brief moment in time, and Alfred Eisenstaedt, photographer for Life magazine, was able to take at least four pictures of this couple. After the kiss, the two people quickly parted ways, never to know each other.’”
Others with the right answer were George Graf, Palmyra Virginia; Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; and Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
- 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.
Well-placed chairs arrive before music lovers
These empty chairs arrive well before their occupants each time there is a Friday concert in Thrasher Park in Norcross. The music-lovers start placing their chairs early each Friday, so that they will have an ideal spot to listen to the music. The first concern of the season will be May 24 (tonight), with The Platinum Band. Music begins at 7:30 p.m.
Memorial Day Challenge in Peachtree Corners on Monday
Gwinnett County Memorial Day speaker at 1 p.m. on May 27 will be Patricia Ross, a retired Air Force colonel. The ceremony will be at the Fallen Heroes memorial on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville.
Peachtree Corners will honor fallen heroes with a Memorial Day service on May 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Town Green. Youth Challenge kicks off the day. A ceremony at 11 a.m. will honor fallen heroes on the Town Green.
The inaugural Memorial Day Challenge in Peachtree Corners on the Town Green is an obstacle course-themed physical competition for competitors ages 9 to 18. Its purpose is to provide a physical competition for youth and to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Memorial Day and those we honor. It will be held Monday, May 27, beginning with a rolling start at 9 a.m. It is for boys and girls ages 9 to 18. Registration Fee is $10, which includes t-shirt, dog tags, and refreshments.
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.
A public meeting for residents is to learn about and share comments on the 2025 Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The public meeting will be held on May 29 between 6 and 8 p.m in the Lilburn Activity Building, located at 788 Hillcrest Road in Lilburn. You do not need to RSVP to attend.
Author Lara Love Hardin will visit the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library on Saturday, June 1 at 7 p.m. She will recount her slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to jailhouse shot caller and her unlikely comeback as a successful ghostwriter in this harrowing, no-holds-barred memoir, The Many Lives of Mama Love, an Oprah Book Club Pick. Registration is required.
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