GwinnettForum | Number 23.55 | July 12, 2024
WARTIME SCENE: During the time of the Civil War, photographer George N. Barnard framed this image of the former Atlanta railroad depot well after the Union Army went through the city. The downtown depot has long been gone, but this shows an image of the early days of the city. For more about this pioneer photographer, see Georgia Tidbit below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: GGC selects its first college basketball coach
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Singapore produces innovations in public housing
SPOTLIGHT: Gwinnett County Public Library
FEEDBACK: Our country needs people, not God, to save the USA
UPCOMING: Clan Ewing speaker coming to Historical Society on July 15
NOTABLE: Snellville tax office to have short term closing
RECOMMENDED: The Demon of Unrest, by Erick Larson
GEORGIA TIDBIT: George Barnard photographed Civil War in Georgia
MYSTERY PHOTO: Where is this different structure located?
LAGNIAPPE: Mitsubishi Classic raised $876,309 for charities
CALENDAR: College Fair at Five Forks Branch Library on July 15
GGC selects its first college basketball coach
By Dale Long
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia Gwinnett College has named its first basketball coach. He is Chase Teichmann, who after four seasons as coach at Florida College in Temple Terrace, Fla., his teams posted a 100-27 overall record, including at least 27 victories in each of the last three seasons. Teichmann’s teams earned national rankings, conference championships and participated in the NAIA national tournament.
Teichmann
The men’s basketball program is scheduled to begin NAIA competition in the 2025-26 athletic season, playing home games in the college’s new Convocation Center that’s set to open this fall. Men’s basketball adds to an athletic department whose teams have won national and conference championships and perennially are nationally ranked in their sports.
Executive Athletic Director Dr. Ian Potter says: “Chase’s conference and national success make him the ideal person to start our program.”Georgia Gwinnett College President Dr. Jann L. Joseph adds: “His energy and passion for creating a team that embodies the spirit of our athletic department and college are truly inspiring.”
Teichmann will begin his duties on August 1. He is a native of Brentwood, Tenn. He and his wife Maggie have two daughters. He received a bachelor of science degree in business management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2015 before earning a master’s degree in business administration at Freed-Hardeman in 2017.
He says: “GGC is a special place with incredible people. We look forward to continuing its tradition of excellence with the addition of men’s basketball. We will build a program that the student-athletes, alumni, and fans will take great pride in, on and off the court.”
As a Head Coach, Teichmann led Florida College to two Continental Athletic Conference tournament championships and three of his teams advanced to the second round of the NAIA national tournament. His 2020-21 team had the program’s first winning season at the NAIA level, and in 2022-23 the Falcons were a No. 2 national tournament seed and finished with a 27-6 record. This past winter, Teichmann’s team had a 28-5 record and was a No. 7 seed in the national tournament.
Florida College has ranked among the most offensively productive teams within the NAIA during the past four seasons. In 2021-22, the Falcons teams led all NAIA teams by making 375 three-point field goals, ranked second in three-pointers made per game, and had the third highest scoring average by averaging 88.4 points per game. His teams have posted a 39-2 home record during the past three seasons.
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Singapore produces innovations in public housing
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JULY 12, 2024 | Our country needs to take another look at how it views public housing. One nation has turned around the way public housing works, creating a new group of homeowners.
We’re talking about the Republic of Singapore, an island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia, which has six million residents.
Public housing in the United States generally gets a bad rap, and is looked down on by ordinary citizens. But in Singapore, it is far different, having more public housing of a far different kind, and creates areas of thriving living.
It’s all in how you plan it, the government of Singapore has demonstrated. The government in that country has used a significantly different way to think of public housing. It has also introduced another element, private ownership of government-built public housing, into the equation. And that has made a major difference in the way families live in that nation.
Liu Thai Ker in 2013; via Wikipedia.
It all started with a Singaporian, Liu Thai Ker, who was an American-trained architect from Yale University. After working with famed architect I.M. Pei, he returned home and eventually designed significant public housing communities far different than the American variety. He designed whole new neighborhood towns, self-sufficient neighborhoods with schools, shops and playgrounds.
He learned from experts that six to eight families living in close proximity created more social interaction. So he designed housing differently. His apartments are along a wide corridor with six to eight units, to encourage conservation among neighbors. His clustered housing flats dramatically change the way of life in Singapore. It also has the effect of keeping the communities up, clean and bright, and not turning themselves into slums or ghettos, seen in public housing in many parts of the world.
Contrast that with the design of public housing in the USA, which are often clusters of apartments, sometimes in low-rise, other times in high rise buildings, such as Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York, or one and two story units as seen around Gwinnett. These units often face one another. Often these are known in the USA as “the projects,” not a positive term, and often are concentrations of poverty.
The Singapore government added another element that really changed its housing. The government holds public lotteries to determine who gets new public housing units. The authorities in Singapore allowed those wanting the housing units to own their flats by tapping into their government retirement fund to pay for the down payment on the unit. It also has programs for grants toward ownership for low income families.
These developments have been going on for years, and they have substantially changed home ownership in Singapore. This started in the late 1960s, and today, many more Singapore families are living in what was built as public housing but now they own it. This in turn, results in that they maintain and keep up their property. In effect, this method of providing housing with cooperation of the government has produced well-kept public housing in a close community of neighbors.
Would something like this work in the United States? For it to do so, we’ll have to make major steps to change the way government operates such housing, and change the perception of public housing. With the right design, and by finding a way for citizens to own their public housing, in the long run, we’ll have less downtrodden housing and better living for the citizens.
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Our country needs people, not God, to save the USA
Editor, the Forum:
Let me make a comment about Ashley Herndon’s last sentence in today’s Gwinnett Forum: “If we ever needed it, more than ever now, we need God to save the USA.”
We don’t need God to save the USA. We need people who are willing to do concrete steps to prevent the election of a wannabe king/dictator who has sworn retribution on his political enemies; and we need to prevent the re-election of those red-hats in Congress who have caved in to his demands.
Encourage people, young people particularly, to register to vote; stand up to bigotry and hate; quit whining with like-minded people; encourage people who think like you do to take these same steps; understand that if the other side wins, the Christian Nationalists among them will claim that God was on their side. This isn’t a God issue. This is a critical moment when we can make a difference, or when we’ll regret it for decades if we don’t do our part now.
– Frances Stewart, Lawrenceville
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Clan Ewing speaker coming to Historical Society on July 15
The Gwinnett Historical Society will have its next general membership meeting on Monday, July 15 at Rhodes Jordan Park Community Center in Lawrenceville. Stewart Ewing, a local historian and amateur genealogist with deep roots in Gwinnett, will be the featured speaker. His presentation will focus on road development during colonial times and is more specifically entitled “The Road to Georgia – Colonial Road Development into the Southeast and the Great Migration.” His father, Thomas Ewing, was a longtime GHS member who was a very active volunteer for many years.
Stewart Ewing has been an avid genealogical researcher for more than 30 years, with a life-long passion for American and European history. In addition, he is an author who has contributed multiple works for the Ewing Family of America and Clan Ewing of Scotland periodicals. This summer he will be publishing his first full work entitled “The Ewings of Gwinnett – Cowal – Stirling – Ulster – Maryland – Georgia.” The scope of his genealogical work of more than 30 years and his contact information can be found at www.ewingsofgwinnett.org.
Mr. Ewing earned his MBA, BS in Computer Science and a minor in History from Kennesaw State University He is a Senior Technical Accounts Manager at IBM.
Come at 6:30 p.m. and bring a snack. Business begins at 7 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m.
Free adoptions at Animal Center through July 20
The Bill Atkinson (Gwinnett County) Animal Welfare Center is seeking adopters to give shelter pets a home as the center launches its 12 Strays of Christmas in July adoption campaign. The Center is located at 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville.
With the center reaching critical capacity, Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement is offering free adoptions — and a holiday pet care package while supplies last — until Saturday, July 20. All pet adoptions include vaccinations, microchips and spaying/neutering.
Animal Welfare and Enforcement Division Director Katrina Amaro says: “With the care packages and waived adoption fees, we want to generate some holiday magic to help these pets find loving homes or temporary foster placements until they find their forever families.”
- For those interested in temporarily fostering pets, Gwinnett County provides food, preventive vet care and basic supplies like leashes at no cost. For more information about adopting and fostering, visit GwinnettAnimalWelfare.com.
Because One Matters plans its second Splash and Dash
Because One Matters of Lawrenceville, a nonprofit organization that supports children impacted by foster care, will have its second annual Splash and Dash 5k and Family Fun Day on July 27 ending at Coolray Stadium.
The Dash and Family Fun Day aims to raise awareness and funds to empower children impacted by foster care in our community. This event will unite individuals, families, and community members for a fitness and fun day.
Participants of all ages and fitness levels are invited to join us for a refreshing 5k run/walk/jog/stroll, starting and finishing at Coolray Stadium.
Alec McMiller, the board chair, says: “Whether you’re an avid runner or simply looking for a fun-filled day with your loved ones, come join us.”
After the race, participants can enjoy a variety of activities, including a bounce house, face painting, live entertainment, the Lettum’ Eat food truck, and other vendors.
Proceeds will go directly towards Because One Matters’ programs and initiatives, which provide educational opportunities, mentorship, and essential resources to children impacted by foster care and low-income families.
Registration for the Splash and Dash 5k and Family Fun Day is now open. Visit the race page to sign up and secure your spot.
Snellville tax office to have short-term closing
The Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner’s Snellville Tag Office, located at 2845 Lenora Church Road, will be closed Wednesday, July 24 until Monday, July 29 for repairs to a water main break.
Customers can access all DMV services at the GCTC’s other tag locations: Lawrenceville, North Gwinnett, Norcross and Peachtree Corners. The tag offices are open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Operating hours extend to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Customers can find locations for the tag offices and conduct a range of DMV services at www.gwinnetttaxcommissioner.com. Online services include tag renewal, change of address and canceling a registration.
- If further assistance is needed, customers can call the GCTC’s DMV customer service line at 770-822-8818, or they can email tag@gwinnettcounty.com.
Kids can earn discounts in summer reading program
A summer reading program that is easy and fun for kids to participate in and gives them the opportunity to earn a free ticket to Monster Jam or Disney On Ice, with the purchase of one adult ticket.
Monster Jam and Disney On Ice are partnering with Atlanta area public libraries including all 15 branches of Gwinnett County Public Library.
Children are encouraged to visit their nearest participating library to pick up a Reward Club Card that includes program specifics. Once five or more books have been read, the child and their parent/guardian can take the Reward Club Card to Gas South Arena’s box office for Monster Jam and redeem for the following event: Saturday, September 1 at 7 p.m. For Disney On Ice, parents/guardians can take the Reward Club Card to Gas South Arena box office and redeem for the following performances: Thursday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m., either of the two Friday, September 27 performances (11: a.m. or 7:30 p.m.) or Saturday, September 28 at 7 p.m. performance only. The voucher can be redeemed June 1 through September 1 for Monster Jam and June 19 through Sept. 28 for Disney On Ice.
The Demon of Unrest, by Erick Larson
The author is one of the most prolific and best storytellers of the day, telling big stories in his deliberate and forceful manner. This book tells of the time leading up to the start of the Civil War when the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter, at the mouth of the Charleston, S.C. harbor in 1861. Going into extreme finite detail, the author draws from correspondence from many sources to tell about the South in that day, of the actions of Presidents Buchanan and Lincoln, but mainly focuses on the Union commander of the fort, Major Robert Anderson, and his efforts in defending it against incredible odds. Finally, the fort fell, and Anderson surrendered Sumter, after over 3,300 shells and “hot shot” had been fired during the initial 34-hour bombardment by 43 Confederate guns, catching it on fire, and pulverizing the fort. Incredibly, no one was killed in the continuing bombardment.—eeb
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Barnard photographed Civil War in Georgia
A pioneer of 19th-century photography, George N. Barnard is best known for his work during the Civil War (1861-65) as the official army photographer for the Military Division of the Mississippi, commanded by Union general William T. Sherman. His images, first published in 1866 as a limited collector’s edition entitled Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign, record the destroyed landscapes and gutted cities left in the wake of Sherman’s Atlanta campaign and subsequent march to the sea.
Barnard, photographed by Matthew Brady.
Born in Connecticut on December 23, 1819, George Norman Barnard was producing daguerreotypes (the first photographs commercially available to the public) by the age of 23, and in 1846 he opened his first studio in Oswego, N.Y.
Barnard opened a studio in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1854, but a poor economy forced its closure. Finding employment with Edward Anthony’s studio in 1859, Barnard worked in New York City on stereoscopes. Mathew Brady, a famous daguerreotypist with studios in New York and Washington, D.C., hired Barnard as a portrait photographer and sent him to Washington to photograph Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inauguration as president of the United States.
When the Civil War broke out, Brady formed a crew of cameramen, “Brady’s Photographic Corps,” to document the conflict and the men who fought in it. In 1862, using a tent or wagon as his darkroom, Barnard produced the earliest known collodion photographs at the site of the Bull Run battle in Virginia.
In December 1863 the veteran photographer returned to the battlefield, this time as the official photographer for the Military Division of the Mississippi, with headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. Barnard’s main function, as an employee of the Topographic Branch of the Department of Engineers, was to duplicate maps and documents and to photograph fortifications and bridges.
Barnard traveled to the Atlanta front on September 11, 1864, after Sherman had captured the city. Over the next two months, he photographed Confederate fortifications, railroad yards, private homes, and city streets. Sherman’s troops departed Atlanta in November and marched toward the coast. Barnard took no photographs during the march until he reached Fort McAllister, near Savannah, which Union forces captured in December. He remained in Savannah, duplicating maps of the march route, until late January.
Following Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston’s surrender to Sherman in 1865, Barnard revisited many of the key battle sites in Georgia to produce the body of work for which he is now best known. The majority of the finished 61 prints illustrate a landscape of trees shorn by gunfire and cities of empty streets and ruined buildings, an eerie and mute testament to the brutal power of war.
By 1869 Barnard had established a new studio in Chicago, Ill., but it was destroyed in the great fire of 1871. Using borrowed equipment, he then recorded the process of rebuilding the city in a series of photographs that recall his Civil War scenes. He went on to promote the new gelatin dry process in collaboration with George Eastman in New York and later opened a studio in Painesville, Ohio, in 1884. Barnard died at his daughter’s home in New York, on February 4, 1902, not far from his first studio.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Where is this different structure located?
Up front, we’ll tell you that today’s Mystery Photo is not from around here. So stretch your neck again and determine what this is, and where it is. Send your answer to ebrck2@gmail.com and be sure to tell us your hometown.
Though the last Mystery Photo was far away, several people chimed in quickly with the correct identification. Tom Upchurch of Suwanee recognized the mystery: “That would be the bust of Jack Lord (aka McGarrett of Hawaii Five O) at the Kahala Mall on Oahu Hi.” The photo came from Will Bradley of Las Vegas, Nev.
Also recognizing the photo were Stew Ogilvie of Lawrenceville; Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill, who noted that “Sometimes, people put colorful leis around the neck.’; Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C., George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. Peel wrote: “The bust was installed in 2004 to honor Jack Lord (1920-1998), an American actor who was most famous for playing the part of Detective Steve McGarrett over 12 seasons (from 1968-1980) of the hit TV series Hawaii Five-O. Lord lived in Honolulu until his death of congestive heart failure in 1998. The bust, a fan memorial, was sculpted by Lynn Weller Liverton and dedicated in 2004 on the sidewalk outside the Macy’s at the Kahala Mall. Lord and his wife could occasionally be seen at the mall.”
George Graf also made us remember that catchy ending, when McGarrett added: “BOOK ’EM DANNO !!”
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Mitsubishi Classic raised $876,309 for local charities
Tournament officials of the 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Classic raised $876,309 for various local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Inc. Georgia’s only PGA TOUR Champions event has now raised more than $5 million to benefit Gwinnett County and Metro Atlanta area organizations since 2013. This year, the Classic selected Cink Charities and Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett as its primary charitable beneficiaries. From left are Classic staff members Stan Hall, Isabelle Nissen, Jeff Cadran, MacKenzie Tritt and Ashley Hamilton. For more information on the tournament, please visit mitsubishielectricclassic.com.
College Fair at Five Forks Branch Library on July 15
Author Talk with Elle Cosimano, New York Times and USA Today best- selling author. This will be Saturday, July 13, at 7 p.m. at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. She will discuss her newest witty mystery, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. Registration is required.
College Fair will take place on Monday, July 15 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Five Forks Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Local college and university admissions counselors will answer your questions and provide information about their specific schools.
The Gwinnett Soil and Water Control District will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 17 at 9:30 a.m. at the Gwinnett Senior Center, 567 Swanson Drive, Lawrenceville.
Helping Kids Manage Big Emotions will be a program at the Centerville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library on July 17 at 5:30 p.m. Gain a greater understanding of the challenges facing your child and practical steps you can take to ensure your child’s needs are met.
McCracken Posten Jr., an author and attorney, will discuss his true crime story of Zenith Man on Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m. at the Dacula Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Writers Workshop is coming to the Lilburn Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. The workshop will be July 20 at 1 p.m. Learn more about writing, network with other writers, and listen to accomplished authors offer tips to improve your writing. In partnership with the Atlanta Writers Club. Registration is recommended.
Lionheart Theatre in Norcross presents The Enchanted Bookshop by Todd Wallinger on July 25-28. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; on Saturday at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 3 p.m. The playhouse is located at 10 College Street. For tickets at $12, call 404 919 4022.
Braselton 5-K run benefiting the Braselton Police Foundation will be Saturday, July 27, starting at 6:30 a.m. This is a certified run and the time can be used as a qualifier for next year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race. To register, go to this site.
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