GwinnettForum | Number 25.17 | Feb. 28, 2025
HAPPENING AT ANNISTOWN SCHOOL: Walton EMC Communications Coordinator Savannah Chandler (left) presents Annistown Elementary School Principal Gwenda Nimmo-Smith with a $22,466 Walton EMC School EmPOWERment Grant. Students join the celebration for the “Playground of Possibilities” project, which will create an engaging and safe outdoor space accessible to all students. To see the list of other winners in Gwinnett, totaling $143,490, see Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: New Gabriel Garcia Marquez adaptation worth the wait
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Brooklynite enjoys story of tree that owns itself
SPOTLIGHT: The Piedmont Bank
ANOTHER VIEW: Clyde the comical cat, battling to defend his home
FEEDBACK: Patent and Trademark office could have major impact
UPCOMING: Road paving, sidewalk contracts awarded by county
NOTABLE: Walton EMC awards $366,164 in school grants
RECOMMENDED: The Leopard, by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Phytoremediation can be used to improve soils
MYSTERY PHOTO: Can you pinpoint the location of this older building?
CALENDAR: Workshop on returning March 1 to college in Norcross
New Gabriel Garcia Marquez adaptation worth the wait
Via Netflix.
By Ruthy Lachman Paul
NORCROSS, Ga. | The television adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude was worth the wait.
Paul
The new series is based on the literary masterpiece by Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez. It has been translated into more than 46 languages and sold over 50 million copies. The new adaptation is receiving rave reviews.
The fictional Macondo, a figment of Marquez’s imagination, was born from death. The imaginative José Arcadio, an entrepreneur and explorer at heart, killed a man. Haunted by the spirit of the dead, fueled by visions, and accompanied by Úrsula, his practical and energetic wife, he fled his home, dragging with him other people who became the founding generation of the town.
The eight episodes of the first season of the series (a second season of eight episodes is expected to air in 2026) have already earned nicknames such as “Netflix’s biggest series in recent years,” and some even said: “Even Marx himself would have been happy with this series.” I have no intention of bursting the big balloon that hovers over the town of Macondo, which seeks to create an entire world, touches on relationships between spouses, families and neighbors, and later expands to include wars over faith and politics.
So, regardless of the series or the book, it is clear to me who benefits the most from wars in the world. As someone who has lived in war most of my life (in Israel), let me take this opportunity to open your eyes. I have been in the USA now for 20 years.
The main beneficiary is the U.S., but not the only one. In war games those who think they have the power call themselves men. I call them a bunch of children who continue to play in the four-year-old sandbox. Yes, that’s where they are stuck without creative thought.
My aspiration is that one day the success of generating more financial profit from the deeds of peace—not war—will come. We will achieve peace in the world. Until then we will live in a vicious circle that hurts our souls.
President Jimmy Carter was committed to the future of Israel and the region and to promoting the two-state solution. It is very unfortunate that too many in Israel and in the world are distorting his legacy, because he understood earlier than others the danger of our deterioration into a bloody bi-national state of Israel.
Carter was probably the most progressive president the United States has ever known, with a world view for which he also felt a deep commitment to Israel. He made great efforts to promote peaceful solutions and prevent Israel from degenerating into the reality of apartheid. He was a progressive evangelist, different from those white evangelists that took over the Republican Party and thought that war would bring redemption. He believed that peace was the redemption.
Many of my fellow Republicans said to me in the past month, “I’m sorry that we opposed your opinion on Prime Minister Netanyahu. who was called Israel’s “angel of sabotage” by the late former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir.
Those who watched the series One Hundred Years of Solitude and understood that time does indeed move linearly throughout the generations, but for me time does not pass linearly but revolves in a circle. This sense of circularity exists in every area of our lives, especially in politics and wars. Until when will we revolve in this vicious circle? Maybe this is our punishment for the lack of listening and understanding.
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Brooklynite enjoys story of tree that owns itself
The tree that owns itself in Athens, Ga. Provided.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 28, 2025 | An old story out of Athens, Ga., that is familiar to some Georgians got the attention of a guy in Brooklyn, N.Y.. recently. We learned this from our friend, George Graf of Palmyra, Va., who has written some travel stories for the TravelGumbo web site. Among the owners of the site is Paul Heymont of Brooklyn.
Heymont
Heymont was fascinated about the story of a tree in Athens that owns itself. Many of today’s Gwinnett residents may not know of this story.
Below is what Heymont wrote in TravelGumbo on February 22.
“This is a story that is almost certainly not true, though I wish it were.
“In Athens, Georgia, there is a tree that legend says is its own owner, given to itself about 200 years ago as a mark of the donor’s affection for the tree whose shade he had long enjoyed.
“According to the story, and on a stone at the tree’s foot, Col. William H. Jackson granted a deed:
“The story first appeared in a local newspaper in 1890, saying that the deed dated to 1832. The story appears to have been known to a number of old-timers, who gave dates from 1820 to 1832….At the time, the land was countryside, not yet with city streets.
“Over the years, age and erosion took a toll on the tree, estimated to be somewhere “between 150 and 400 years. Its base was shored up several times, but by the early 1900s it was clearly declining; when it fell in a storm in 1942 it may have already been dead for several years, although it appears healthy enough in a 1930s postcard view.
“After the tree fell, members of a local garden club who had cultivated new trees from acorns of the original tree, arranged to have one of them stand in for its parent, as the inheritor to the title. That’s the tree that’s there now. Legally, it’s said, the deed would never have been valid because both parties to such a transfer have to have the legal capacity to act, which a tree doesn’t”But that doesn’t seem to bother the local government or the Athens’ Junior Ladies Garden Club, which serves as its ‘primary advocate.’ The city’s view? “However defective this title may be in law, the public recognized it. In that spirit, it is the stated position of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government that the tree, in spite of the law, does indeed own itself. It is the policy of the city of Athens to maintain it as a public street tree.”
Well, Mr. Heymont, you bet the story is true. And yes, we’ve visited that site, on a hill east of downtown Athens, and we’ve seen the tree.
Mark Smith, now of Eatonton, who lived in Athens for years, doubly confirmed it: “The story is true and the tree was still standing several years ago, just off Broad Street, near the University of Georgia campus.”
Paul Heymouth has himself visited the tree, and it also turns out that he was born in Georgia.
“I was born at Ft. Benning in 1944; my father went overseas, and my mother took me back to New York, which is my real home, although I didn’t really settle here until college. I’m successively retired from graphic arts, from teaching and school administration, and keep myself much too busy both traveling and working on TravelGumbo.”
Paul, we’re glad you learned something new about your native Georgia, and was able to spread the word about that tree that owns itself.
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The Piedmont Bank
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter, The Piedmont Bank, which opened its doors in 2009, is a full service commercial bank. It has recently closed a merger with Westside Bank with offices in Paulding and Cobb Counties and also recently opened an office in downtown Duluth. Piedmont now has offices in 14 locations, with its home office in Peachtree Corners at 5100 Peachtree Parkway and other locations; at 185 Gwinnett Drive in Lawrenceville; east of Interstate 85 near Suwanee at Old Peachtree and Brown Roads; in Dunwoody at 1725 Mount Vernon Road, in Cumming at 2450 Atlanta Highway and in Cleveland, Gainesville, Jefferson and Blue Ridge, plus another office in Kennesaw opening soon. Piedmont Bank has capitalization in excess of $200 million and over $1.9 billion in total assets and is active in making loans to businesses and individuals in its local markets. Piedmont’s board of directors includes local business leaders with strong ties in the communities it serves. Board members include Lamar Black, Ray Black, Robert Cheeley, Paul Donaldson, Kelly Johnson, John Howard, Paul Maggard, Michael Tennant, Ray Barnes and Monty Watson. Deposits at The Piedmont Bank are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000.
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Clyde the comical cat, battling to defend his home
Clyde.
By Robert H. Hanson
LOGANVILLE, Ga. | About three years ago, I acquired the first house pets I’ve had in over 25 years. They were two kittens – litter mates – that I named Bonnie and Clyde.
Hanson
Bonnie and Clyde have grown from two adorable kittens into two very sweet, beautiful cats. They are great companions and a joy to me.
A few days ago, I was scanning some black and white photographic negatives to sell on eBay. I have a flat-plate scanner with a green bar that lights up and moves down the plate, scanning the subject – negative, photo, or document.
I leave the scanner lid up to scan negatives in order to get light behind the image. The sight of the moving green “bar” under the glass drives Clyde nuts. He doesn’t know what the scanner is, is afraid of it, and considers it an imminent threat to our household. He will generally jump onto a table beside my desk and watch very intently (and with grave suspicion) the activity taking place under the glass.
This particular day, Clyde, still being very frightened by and mistrustful of this monster, took matters into his own hands – er, paws. He eyed the machine with great suspicion, not to mention fear, and eventually began to swat at the scanner with his right paw. He did this several times until he lost his balance and fell off of the table. He immediately jumped back up and the battle resumed. He ultimately got onto the scanner with all four paws and who knows what damage he could have inflicted had I not intervened and taken him off the machine.
I thought it quite hilarious at the time, and took some photos of his antics. But when I thought about it later, I realized that Clyde was not playing with the machine. He was doing his dead-level best to defend his home and his housemates (his sister, Bonnie, and me) from this invading monster.
He is terrified of the machine, but still engaged it in battle. He fell off the table and could have called it quits, but he returned to the field to defend his home.
He was afraid – very much so – but engaged the opposition despite his fear.
That, folks, if the very definition of courage—engaging the threat despite any fears that one may have.
In these times, a lot of politicians could learn a lesson from Clyde.
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Patent and Trademark office could have major impact
Editor, the Forum
Without passing judgment on the wisdom of the extensive changes in the federal government that the Trump administration is attempting at the moment, I thought I would share with you how one aspect of that effort impacts patents and trademarks.
The patent examiners almost all work remotely, from all 50 states, and the Patent Office doesn’t even have office spaces for its patent examiners. If the Return To Office mandates end up applied to patent examiners and the patent examiners are forced to work in Washington, D.C. (or Arlington, Va.), a great many of them will have little choice but to quit. For it will be difficult for them to uproot their lives and move to another state (with more expensive housing costs).
Losing patent examiners will mean that patent applications will take a lot longer to get through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Right now, the time to a first office action (initial examination) of a patent application is around 18 months. If the Return to Office mandate goes through for patent examiners, expect that delay until a patent application is first examined to soar. It might be measured in years, not months.
The same is true for trademark registration applications, as the trademark examining attorneys almost all work remotely. For both patent examiners and trademark examining attorneys, more than 90 percent work remotely (from all over the country).
Unlike some federal workers, the patent examiners and trademark examining attorneys largely work alone and their production easily can be measured quantitatively by simply looking at how many applications they have examined in a given time period.
— Arthur A. Gardner, Atlanta
These two video clips about schools worry her
Editor, the Forum:
This clip below is circulating on social media concerning the public admonishment from Dr. Adrienne Simmons to Steve Gasper. It was during the working session on November 20. Here is that clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PLCbTiGY7Zg
During this admonishment the subject of appropriate social media use was mentioned. I am attaching a clip that went viral a few years ago… was even reported on by 11 Alive television station. Here is that clip: https://youtu.be/mzVX0yoLS54
As a parent, it is frightening to realize these people are responsible for the decisions to educate 183,000 students. And have oversight of a $3.2 billion budget. The lack of professionalism is mind-boggling.
– Cathy Loew, Peachtree Corners
Trump oversteps position on Ukraine treaty proposal
Editor, the Forum:
Trump has overstepped his position. He has no right to make a treaty between Russia and Ukraine and then try to shove it down Zelensky’s throat. He does not like Zelensky at all because Z would not get him dirt on Hunter and Joe Biden.
Ukraine is rich in heavy metals and Trump wants them. They are used in computer chips and other electronics.
– Raleigh Perry, Buford
Comments concerning the most previous issue
Editor, the Forum:
I agree that the Trump regime has led us on an insane path towards aligning with dictators and AGAINST democracies like Ukraine and most of Europe. My parents are rolling over in their graves.
I was in elementary school when the Cuban Missile crisis was happening. I can remember being in the living room with my Mom and brothers while she watched Khrushchev and Kennedy … I will never forget the look of terror on my Mom’s face at that moment. Yes, this is NO WAY to run the USA!
– Sue Baum, Hoschton
Editor, the Forum:
As to the comment in the book review of today (“Bad Faith” by Stephen Ujlaki and Christopher Jacob Jones), I would suggest changing the wording from “Christian Nationalists believe that the will of the majority is not as important as the will of God” to: “Christian Nationalists believe that the will of the majority is not as important as what they consider to be the will of God.”
– Fran Stewart, Lawrenceville
Editor, the Forum:
Andy Brack makes some very good points. (What we’re seeing is no way to run a country). Wake up USA!!
– Barbara Knox Luckhurst, Duluth
Different views on Medicare Advantage
Editor, the Forum:
Perhaps Jack Bernard wants to increase health care costs for people who stay healthy with exercise and healthy eating habits and not being overweight as they age. I guess doing the right thing is wrong in his opinion.
I personally exercise often and am very healthy, not overweight and will be 70 soon with Medicare Advantage and spend around 2-3 hundreds of dollars for a lot of regular healthcare a year. He is being very political and not promoting good health.
– Stewart Ogilvie, Rehobeth, Ala.
Dear Stew: Funny, we got an entirely different idea from his comments. And in recent days I have read where Dr. Oz is making millions out of Medicare Advantage. I particularly liked the final sentence: “Therefore, phasing out Medicare Advantage would be a good start towards giving DOGE credibility. The bottom line for the Trump administration is: get your act together on health care. Or you will feel the wrath of the American public, both now and in 2026/2028.”
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: ebrack2@gmail.com.
Road paving, sidewalk contracts awarded by county
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners have approved infrastructure projects to improve road conditions and expand pedestrian access across the county during its Feb. 1 meeting.
Via Unsplash
To maintain and improve county roads, the Board awarded six term contracts totaling $36 million for the resurfacing of more than 119 miles of residential streets. These contracts cover the entire county and include pavement patching, asphalt milling, asphalt topping, water valve and manhole cover adjustments and new pavement markings Stewart Brothers, Inc. of Doraville will manage resurfacing for three of the contracts, while Scruggs Company of Valdosta will oversee the remaining three.
Commissioners also approved a contract to build new sidewalks on the east side of Pucketts Mill Road, from Lilly Way to Hamilton Mill Road. The project includes curb and gutter installation and drainage improvements, enhancing pedestrian connectivity and safety.
Backbone Infrastructure, LLC of Sugar Hill was awarded the $491,753 contract, which is funded by the 2017 SPLOST program.
Norcross hires firm for those with sensory needs
The City of Norcross is entering into a new partnership with KultureCity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting inclusivity and accessibility for individuals with sensory needs at city events held at Thrasher Park. Norcross is now the first city in Gwinnett County to partner with KultureCity of Vestavia Hills, Ala.
The certification process involved training the city staff at Thrasher Park by medical and neurodivergent professionals on how to recognize and assist guests with sensory needs and handle sensory overload situations. Sensory bags, which include noise-canceling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads, will be available to any guests who may feel overwhelmed by the environment during events.
Individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and other conditions may experience sensory sensitivities, and age is no factor in these challenges. The sensory-inclusive program at Thrasher Park ensures that everyone can enjoy the sights, sounds and atmosphere of local events with greater ease and comfort.
Walton EMC awards $143,490 in Gwinnett school grants
In an annual ritual, a small caravan of Walton Electric Membership Corporation employees – armed with signs and checks – zig zags throughout the cooperative’s service territory stopping at schools along the way recently.
When the crew arrives, waiting administrators with wide grins usher them inside to take part in an exciting surprise. Sometimes, the unsuspecting educator gets called to the principal’s office. In other cases, the entire procession makes its way to the teacher’s classroom.
In either case, the look on the recipient’s face tells the story – they have won a Walton EMC School EmPOWERment Grant!
This scene was repeated 70 times recently as $366,164 in grants in its service areas to both public and private schools were awarded in the 2024-25 distribution. The money comes from unclaimed refunds and is authorized by Georgia law. No grant money comes from members’ power bills.
Since the School EmPOWERment Grant program began nine years ago, more than $3 million has gone to school systems across Walton EMC’s 10 counties.
Walton EMC CEO Ron Marshall says: “Our co-op is focused on providing reliable, affordable electricity and serving our local community. One of the highlights of our year is helping to make classroom dreams come true for these deserving educators.”
The $143,490 grants in Gwinnett went to these schools (click here to see list.)
GGC Gala nets $275,000, recognizes leaders
At the GGC Four Pillars Gala were, from left, John D. Stephens, Judy Jordan Johnson, GGC President Jann Joseph, Jonelle Faal, Dr. Daniel J. Kaufman and Tom Willard, of Sugar Hill, who is chair of the GGC Alumni Board.
Scholarship. Leadership. Service. Creativity. These four pillars define Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC). On February 21, more than 500 guests, ranging from business and community leaders to GGC alumni, gathered at the college’s new Convocation Center to celebrate their support of the college.
By the time the evening ended, GGC’s inaugural Four Pillars Scholarship Gala raised more than $275,000 to support student scholarships and emergency fund needs memorabilia.
During the evening, four community leaders received awards recognizing their contributions to the college and the surrounding community.
John D. Stephens, a Gwinnett County native, businessman and philanthropist, received the GGC Visionary Award, a tribute to his lifetime of giving, dedication and civic vision on behalf of GGC’s students, faculty and staff.
The Honorable Judy Jordan Johnson, a lifelong resident of Lawrenceville and math teacher who served as the city’s mayor, received the GGC Community Champion Award. This award honors her for going above and beyond to support GGC in the community and region.
Jonelle Faal, senior vice president of SitusAMC and GGC alumna, received the GGC Alumni Legacy Award, given by the GGC Alumni Association. This award recognizes alumni who have achieved distinction in their careers, demonstrated exceptional leadership and have made a significant impact on their communities, the college and future generations.
Dr. Daniel J. Kaufman, GGC’s first president, was honored with the President Emeritus Medallion for his leadership and service to the college from its formation in 2005 through 2013.
Thermacell in new and expanded facilities in Buford
Thermacell, a manufacturer of zone mosquito repellents, has relocated its operations in Gwinnett County with the development of a new 256,000-square-foot facility at 3157 Buford Highway in Buford. This significant capital investment, totaling $4 million, will increase the company’s overall capacity by 38 percent, enabling Thermacell to meet growing market demand and continue its commitment to employee-centered growth.
Thermacell’s rechargeable technology keeps mosquitoes away with the only EPA-registered formula that creates a 20-foot zone of protection. There is also no need for unpleasant chemical sprays or lotions, as Thermacell repels mosquitoes in the air, not on your skin. Thermacell rechargeable repellents are people and pet-friendly and provide a better way to repel mosquitoes through heat-activated technology. The proven protection is independently tested and EPA-reviewed for safety & effectiveness, and repels dangerous mosquitoes, including those that may transmit Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, and Zika Virus.
The new facility at 3157 Buford Highway in Buford will consolidate Thermacell’s existing operations, including the distribution center on Gainesville Highway and the manufacturing facility on Distribution Drive in Buford. This expansion will centralize Thermacell’s 60 full-time employees currently working across two shifts, 52 percent of whom are in direct labor roles. Additionally, the new site will accommodate up to 75 temporary employees during the busy summer season from May to September. The larger facility positions Thermacell for long-term growth, with ample space to support workforce expansion over the next decade.
Rebecca Illsley, Chief Operating Officer at Thermacell, says: “We’re thrilled to expand our operations in Buford and grow alongside our employees in Gwinnett. Our new facility is not just about increasing capacity; it’s about supporting our people, improving our processes, and positioning ourselves to make a meaningful impact in the community.”
The Leopard, by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: The year is 1860 and the setting is Sicily. It is a troubling time for people throughout the peninsula of Italy and its surrounding islands because a revolution is bringing change to all it touches. Italy is on the verge of unification. On the island of Sicily, an aristocratic family headed by Prince Don Fabrizio, faces challenges because the family’s way of life is slowly dying as an approaching democratic society replaces it. Fabrizio’s favorite nephew takes the side of General Garibaldi’s revolutionaries, and Fabrizio (whose family crest is the leopard) does little to fight this upcoming shift in society. Very slowly and very gently, this story depicts the changes – both external and internal – that unfold during this historic time. It gives a real insight into the Sicilians’ way of understanding the world and their places in it. This classic is one of the bestselling Italian novels of all time.
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Phytoremediation can be used to improve soils
Many types of soil and water pollutants that pose a serious risk to human and environmental health can be removed through a process known as phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is a type of bioremediation (the removal of toxins from the environment using microorganisms) in which plants are used to break down and remove unwanted or dangerous toxins and contaminants that might otherwise persist in the environment for hundreds or thousands of years.
Soil and water can become contaminated through pesticide use, oil and chemical spills, and improper disposal of chemicals and industrial waste. Additionally, many chemicals can seep into groundwater and spread great distances from the original site of contamination.
Traditional cleanup of contaminated soil is expensive and difficult because it usually involves the physical removal of all toxic soil from the site. The soil is then cleaned in a factory and returned to the site, or new soil is brought in to replace the old.
The bioengineered techniques of phytoremediation offer cleanup solutions that can be applied to large areas and are less expensive and less destructive to the environment than conventional physical removal methods. While bioremediation involves placing specific kinds of bacteria or fungi directly into the soil or water, phytoremediation (“phyto” is derived from the Greek word for “plant”) involves transferring specific genetic traits found in bacteria and fungi directly into trees or other plants.
The resulting transgenic (genetically modified) plants will then contain genetic material that enables them to take up pollutants from soil or water and store those pollutants in their above-ground structures, such as stems and leaves. Once a contaminated site has been sufficiently remediated, the plants can be harvested and removed, along with any pollutants stored within them.
Transgenic plants can be designed to clean up specific toxins, depending upon the type of pollutant present at the site. For organic pollutants, or those that contain carbon, plants can be engineered either to degrade the compound themselves or to provide nutrients and support to the microorganisms that do the work. Inorganic pollutants, which consist mainly of metals, can be absorbed from soil or water and then stored within the plant.
Because of its potential usefulness, phytoremediation has been the subject of much research. The genetics and forestry departments at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens are working together to develop plants that can clean up soils contaminated with such metals as mercury and arsenic. People suffering from mercury or arsenic poisoning may experience nausea, vomiting, pain, altered states of mind, or be at increased risk of developing several forms of cancer, so this area of research has many potential benefits for human health. As of 2009 researchers at UGA had succeeded in making eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) trees capable of growing in mercury-contaminated soils. These trees convert the mercury into forms that are less harmful to humans, animals, or other plants.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Can you pinpoint the location of this older building?
Today’s mystery photo is an older building serving its community for years. What function did this old-timer have, and where is it located? It might prove difficult. Send your ideas about this mystery to ebrack2@gmail.com, and tell us where you get your mail.
Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C., easily identified Brownie, a town dog of Daytona Beach, Fla. He wrote: “Owned by no one but loved by all, Brownie was a short-haired brown and white stray dog who lived in Daytona Beach, in the 1940s and 1950s. This beloved dog was so popular and well looked after he would be mentioned in numerous magazines and newspapers, receive Christmas presents and cards, have his own bank account, and receive visitors from all over the United States. When he passed away from old age in 1954, Daytona Beach citizens laid him to rest with a proper burial and gravestone and had a memorial made for him. Over 70 years later, Brownie still holds the heart of locals, and attracts visitors from all over.”
Help! We lost the name of who sent in the photo.
Also recognizing the mystery were Kay Montgomery, Duluth; George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Virginia Klaer, Duluth; 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!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Workshop on returning March 1 to college in Norcross
The third annual Taste of Lilburn will be Saturday, March 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Parkview High School, 998 Cole Road, Lilburn. Listen to live entertainment, view the Spring Into Art competition between area middle school students, and sample foods from around the world and around the corner. Pre-purchase food tickets at tasteoflilburn.org. or at the door.
Thinking about returning to college? On March 1 at the Norcross Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library there will be a workshop, College Admissions 101 for Adult Learners. Don’t miss this engaging workshop where adult learners will share their stories of returning to school, applying to colleges, and navigating the admissions process.
Join the Great Gwinnett Wetlands field work on Saturday, March 1 at two sites. Help give some extra TLC to one of our most important water resources – our wetlands! Join to help remove litter, manage invasive plants, and protect the health of our environment! This is a joint effort of Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, Gwinnett Parks and Recreation and Gwinnett Water Resources. To volunteer, click here.
Snellville Commerce Club meets Tuesday, March 4, at noon at City Hall. Speaker will be Deketa Tranae, CEO of Pure Necessity.
Gwinnett State of the County presentation will be presented on March 6 at 8:30 a.m. at 12 Stone Church, 1322 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville. Commission Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson will reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and share the vision for the upcoming year and beyond.
Hear local author Dan Leonard at the Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA in Peachtree Corners on March 14 at 12;15 p.m. He will have a Q&A session and book signing of his memoir.
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