NEW for 8/12: Festival volunteers; New scam at post offices

GwinnettForum  |  Number 21.59   |  Aug. 12, 2022

IMPROVEMENTS COMING: The City of Dacula is getting improvements at its Maple Creek Park, located at 435 McMillian Road. Funds for improving the park come from the late Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks. For more on this story, see Upcoming below. 

IN THIS EDITION

TODAY’S FOCUS: Why do 400 people work so hard on Duluth’s Fall Festival?

EEB PERSPECTIVE: Acetone is element of new scam of stealing checks at post offices

SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Gwinnett College 

FEEDBACK: One new idea for straws does not always work 

UPCOMING: Late Dacula mayor’s bequest to fund park improvements

NOTABLE: Tracy Rye is new assistant city manager in Norcross

RECOMMENDED: War and Peace by Leon Tolstoy

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Georgia saltpeter was basic ingredient in Confederates gunpowder

MYSTERY PHOTO: Where do you think this bubbling fountain is located?

TODAY’S FOCUS

Why do 400 people work so hard on Duluth’s Fall Festival?

Bird houses on sale at the festival. Photo provided.

(Editor’s Note: The author of this article is one of the key persons involved with the Duluth Fall Festival. She is one of the originators of the festival, chaired it for years, and still  works handily on it. She is the perfect person to answer the question, “Why the Festival?”—eeb).

By Kathryn Willis

DULUTH, Ga.  |  All of these frantic preparations; a year of meetings and planning. Why?  

We’re talking about the Duluth Fall Festival. Why do we work so hard and long to put it on?

None of the volunteers personally profit. We aren’t paid. Is there another reason?  

Willis

Yes, there is!  We all love Duluth,  newcomers and oldtimers alike, we love our town!  Working with Duluth Fall Festival lets us show this, and in the process makes us love it even more! 

The roots of Duluth Fall Festival go back over 60 years.  Duluth’s first celebration was held in the spring of 1962.  This was inspired by a newcomer, a Yankee banker, who said we should have a centennial.  

We told him Duluth wasn’t 100 years old; he convinced us that no one would ever know.  So we did!  We had a five-week celebration of the history of the town, with everyone wearing turn-of-the-century clothing and the men growing beards. Then in 1976, another successful spring festival was held, celebrating the real centennial of Duluth’s charter, and the bi-centennial of our nation.  

Out of these two events evolved the Duluth Fall Festival.  It was supposed to be another spring festival.  We started in early 1983, but by the time we were ready it had turned into a Fall Festival. This year will be the 39th year, and every Festival has gotten bigger and better. It is always held on the very last weekend of September.  

We are the biggest festival in the southeast that has no paid staff, with more than 400 volunteers.  Through the years the Festival has won numerous awards.  We have often won best in Gwinnett and Georgia, and also best in the Southeast.  One year, Country Living Magazine named us fifth best Festival in the entire nation.

And we are much more than just a Festival!  We have over 30 events a year including a free public concert, monthly Festival meetings, Festival Nights Out, a Festival retreat, several sponsor parties, a Summer Rally and a volunteer Christmas party.  Plus, we have an untold number of planning meetings of our 55—yes 55—separate committees.

The money we have raised through our Festival sponsor program has almost all been spent right here in Downtown Duluth.  We have remodeled and updated buildings, originally bought Taylor Park and donated it to the City, and completely paid for the center point, the Festival Center.  We have bricked sidewalks, completed landscaping, built out parks, and donated heavily to areas such as Parsons Alley.  

We have funded art pieces such as the historic Mosaic on the side of Dreamland, the Eastern Continental Divide monument, large Downtown Christmas trees, three original paintings for the Festival Center and other projects.  

But this is only part of the success of the Festival.  The camaraderie of getting to know each other, and working together for a common cause, is almost more important.  Duluth still has that same small- town spirit it had before all of this tremendous growth, and we all want to keep it that way.

 So, in case any of you would like to know more about us or even be a part of this, let us know.  Also, plan to come to the Duluth Fall Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 24-25, and then you will understand.

• Have a comment?  Send to: elliott@brack.net

EEB PERSPECTIVE

Polish remover part of new check-theft scam at post offices

By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum

AUG. 12, 2022  |  Something’s going on at the Post Office that belies understanding.  The bad part is that postal officials haven’t responded to numerous requests for information on this. That looks bad.

It’s something that is going on nationwide.  It’s a scam involving a person writing a check routinely and dropping the check into the mail to pay a bill.  Somehow, scammers find a way to intercept the check.

Most all of these checks are not cashed locally. Often younger people are asked to deposit the check in their account, and for this might seek to make $100.  But often the scammers also scam the youth and they don’t get their $100 fee.

We first heard that the checks were being stolen out of the drop-boxes in front of a few post offices in Gwinnett.  Postal officials said nothing, but finally responded by taping shut these drop-off boxes.

Even that didn’t solve the problem, we now hear. Some people sending checks have simply gone to the post office and mailed their check INSIDE the post office. Even some checks mailed in this way have been intercepted by thieves.  How they do that when the letter is deposited within the post office is hard to understand.

Numerous calls to local law enforcement agencies and even the FBI in Atlanta got us the same answer: “That’s something for the postal inspectors to investigate.”  Calls to that agency’s national numbers get this excuse:  “It’s under investigation, and we can’t talk about it.”

Dead end, you might say.

One banking official tells us that the method being used to change the payee is not something new.  “It’s an old way of scamming someone.  Once they have a perfectly-good check, made out to a legitimate payee, these persons simply take fingernail polish remover (Acetone) and apply it on the name of the payee.  Once it dries, they insert another name, and the check looks proper.  After all, it contains the original signature of the person on the check. This type of scam has been going on for  years, and the banks have no way to know that this is not a legitimate check.”

The banker adds: “We are under rules to clear the check within 24 hours. If we find a check that looks illegitimate, or is for a large sum, we sometimes call the customer. We’re constantly on the alert for fraud.  But if we clear it, and someone is scammed, it’s up to the customer to make a report.”

Given all the facts, we suspect the thieves are using the mobile deposit method of taking a picture of the check on their cell phone, and depositing it that way.  That would allow the scammer to get money into his (or her) account without having to show themselves at a bank, and risk getting caught.  We’ve heard this from no one; just an educated guess on our part.

Our banker friend says: “So far, our biggest loss has been $1,000. But it can just as well mean that $100,000 could come through.”

One safeguard: you can buy a “Signo by Uniball” pen that the fingernail polish won’t make the payee disappear.  Or you can pay your bills electronically  through the Internet.  But people don’t always take these safeguards.

We often hear of scams generated from other nations. But some group is finding a way to intercept the mail locally, and living high off it. It could happen to anyone. Be careful!

• Have a comment?  Send to: elliott@brack.net

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Georgia Gwinnett College 

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to readers at no cost. Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is a public, four-year and accredited liberal arts college that provides access to baccalaureate level degrees that meet the economic development needs of the growing and diverse population of Gwinnett County and the northeast Atlanta metropolitan region. GGC’s mission is to produce future leaders for Georgia and the nation whose graduates are inspired to contribute to their local, state, national and international communities and are prepared to engage in an ever-changing global environment. GGC currently serves nearly 11,000 students pursuing degrees in 20 majors and more than 48 concentrations. Visit Georgia Gwinnett College’s website at www.ggc.edu.

• For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.

FEEDBACK

One new idea for straws does not always work 

Editor, the Forum: 

Recently I took a trip to visit my daughter and granddaughter who live in Manhattan Beach, Calif. We went to dinner one night and our beverages were provided with a straw…made from pasta. I was amused, however the straw didn’t seem to last through the meal as it absorbed too much liquid and eventually went limp. 

– Jim Savadelis, Duluth

Send us your thoughts:  We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum.  Please limit comments to 300 words, and include your hometown.  The views of letters are the opinion of the contributor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length.  Send feedback and letters to:  elliott@brack.net.

UPCOMING

Late Dacula mayor’s bequest funds park upgrade

The Dacula community will soon be able to enjoy a new playground and other improvements at Maple Creek Park, thanks to the generosity of former Dacula Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks. The park is at 425 McMillian Road in Dacula.

Wilbanks

The redesigned playground will feature all new equipment and include a separate Tot Lot specially designed for toddlers. New grading and specialized playground turf will be added, providing improved accessibility for the area. 

The plan also includes a separate physical fitness area with exercise options designed for adults. A new four-foot-wide concrete sidewalk will be installed around the entire playground area to provide pedestrian connectivity from the existing sidewalk to the asphalt path. Additional sidewalk improvements will be made, and new landscape will be installed in the area. 

Maple Creek Park improvements and beautification are being funded by an endowment fund created by former Dacula Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks, who served as an elected official for 17 years. Wilbanks, who was born and raised in Dacula, was first elected mayor of Dacula in 1971 and served two terms. He was re-elected in 2002 and was serving his third consecutive term, when he died in 2019. 

Mayor Trey King says that the “new playground and improvements at Maple Creek Park are very exciting and will be a great addition for the community to enjoy for many years to come. The city is grateful to Jimmy Wilbanks and his generosity that is making the project possible.”

Sealed bids for the Maple Creek Park New Playground Addition Project will be received by Dacula City Hall until 3p.m. on, September 1, 2022. There will be a Pre-Bid Conference at 3 p.m. on August 16, 2022, at Dacula City Hall. All bidders are encouraged to attend this conference. 

Duluth playground design contest won by Suwanee resident

Big winner in a Duluth playground design contest is Lyn-Nell Huffman of Suwanee, who gets a $1,000 check for her prize winning effort. 

Huffman with Mayor Nancy Harris. Photo provided.

She came up with a willow tree idea, which will be used for inspiration when the new piece of playable art is installed for the Town Green in Taylor Park. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2023.  The winner is shown with Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris. 

Winning second place was Jackson McGregor of Suwanee with his hot air balloon creation. Third place went to Megan Vladick for a robot balloon man entry. She is 14 and attends Coleman Middle School. Her mother is Laura Vladick.

A total of 175 qualifying submissions were received with the youngest artist being just three years old. Designs ranged from sea creatures to tree houses, pirate ships to crash landed satellites and musical instruments to giant animals. 

County awards study for the Piedmont Pathway Trail

A scoping study for the Piedmont Pathway Trail alignment will be conducted by Heath and Lineback Engineers, Inc. Gwinnett commissioners approved a contract not to exceed $325,000, funded 74 percent by the Atlanta Regional Commission and 18 percent by 2017 SPLOST funds. 

This trail is one of several signature trails proposed in the Gwinnett Trails Master Plan. The study will establish a corridor pathway with secondary options, fostering community input with an overall goal of connecting Gwinnett trails to others in DeKalb and Barrow counties. The 12-month study is necessary for future trail design.  The money for the project comes from the Atlanta Region Commission, $240,000, plus $60,000 from Gwinnett SPLOST Funds, and another $25,000 from the Recreation capital fund.

NOTABLE

Rye is new assistant city manager in Norcross

The city of Norcross has a new assistant city manager. She is Tracy Rye, who has previously been the director of the Development and Planning area. She replaces Barbara Bender, who retired.

Rye

Rye is a native of Atlanta, and a Georgia Tech graduate with a masters in city planning also from Georgia Tech. She has over 20 years experience in local government and for 15 years was with Douglas County government. 

During her term in Norcross, she and her team have worked on the update of the Norcross Comprehensive Plan and a rewrite of the City’s zoning ordinance, followed by the Buford Highway Master Plan and City’s Green Communities Platinum Recertification. 

Tracy lives in Sugar Hill, is a member of Gwinnett Church, an avid hiker, enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and two Dachshunds, Milo and Munro.

City Manager Eric Johnson says that “Tracy’s lengthy experience working in local government as well as the boards and committees, provide both the needed breadth of experience, and a growing knowledge of the community we serve.”

Gwinnett Young Professional picks 45 for 2023 Class

Gwinnett Young Professionals (GYP) announces the Journey Class of 2023. Forty-five emerging young leaders have been named to this year’s class, making 2023 the largest Journey class to have been selected since the program’s inception in 2020.

Journey was established to support the growth and development of young professionals within their places of work. Backed by the Gwinnett Chamber, GYP cultivates next generation leadership through core initiatives like the Journey Leadership Institute that enable young professionals to grow, connect and impact the greater Gwinnett region.

Members of this year’s class include:

• Have a comment?  Send to: elliott@brack.net

RECOMMENDED

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

From Susan McBayer, Sugar Hill: I did not expect to enjoy this 1867 Russian classic, but I did. It’s part Pride and Prejudice, part war novel, part commentary and part philosophy. This richly descriptive and moving tale of Russian life in the nineteenth century uses the stories of several aristocratic families to tell us the bigger story of the Napoleonic wars, focusing on 1812. These tales cover romance, family drama, arrogance, ambition, idealism, transformation, violence, ineffective leadership, wisdom, self-delusion and the unreliability of historical bias. It’s much more about war than it is about peace and, frankly, I thought I would be skimming over the war bits. But Tolstoy is so good at describing the confusion, conditions, causes, results and misinterpretations of war, that I found it a revelation. True, the names are a bit of a nightmare and some of the war chapters can be tedious but, on the whole, it’s really quite readable. (Translation by Louise and Aylmer Maude).

• An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next.  Send to: elliott@brack.net 

GEORGIA TIDBIT

Georgia saltpeter was ingredient in Confederate gunpowder

When mixed in proper proportions with sulfur and charcoal, saltpeter—or potassium nitrate—forms gunpowder. The ability of early colonists to procure their own supplies of this essential substance enabled them to successfully fight the Revolutionary War (1775-83) despite blockades by England. As did the Confederates during the Civil War (1861-65), the colonists depended on a secure source of gunpowder, and Georgia proved to be an important producer.

Caves within the Appalachian Mountains were the most significant source of saltpeter. Earth from the caves was mined and carried in bags or wheelbarrows to be processed either outside or, in many instances, inside the cave. Large wooden hoppers, or vats, were constructed to hold the excavated soil. Water was then poured in and allowed to stand for several days to take into solution the nitrates present in the soil, which was stirred often with wooden paddles. The water would then be collected by troughs at the base of the hoppers.

This aqueous solution was next boiled in large cast-iron kettles to extract the mineral, a process known as lixiviation. Since the nitrate obtained was actually calcium nitrate, wood ash was added during the lixiviation to convert the substance into potassium nitrate. Once the water boiled off, the remaining precipitate was bagged and transported to gunpowder factories, such as the Confederate Powder Works in Augusta.

The work of the “peter monkeys,” as the miners were known, was an extremely tiring and dangerous task. Laboring for long hours in the cold and dark environment of a cave, dimly lit with torches that gave off noxious smoke, the workers often crawled into small passages to extract the earth. They also felled many trees to provide wood for the hoppers and to fuel the fires used for boiling. If the processing was done within the cave, all of this material was carried underground. If a water source was not readily available, logs were hollowed out to provide piping for its transport. Wages were low, and often either enslaved laborers or conscripted soldiers were employed in the operation.

Several caves in Georgia served as mines for saltpeter. The most prominent was Kingston Saltpeter Cave in Bartow County. The cave was located far enough south of advancing Union forces in 1864 that, while other saltpeter operations farther north had been overtaken, Kingston survived until late May.

 Mined for nitrates as early as 1804, Kingston was a privately owned site at the outbreak of the Civil War but was taken over by the Confederate Nitre Bureau in order to increase production. While none of the saltpeter works are in evidence there today, records attest to the large quantity of material processed from the cave before its destruction by the Union army.

• To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org

MYSTERY PHOTO

See if know where this bubbling fountain is located

Yes, here is a  fountain for our readers to identify today. Tell us where you think this fountain is located and you’ll be recognized as the Mystery Photo winner of the day!  Send your ideas to Elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown. 

Iowa native Matthew Holtcamp of Buford wrote of the last Mystery Photo: “You didn’t think I wouldn’t recognize a statue from my own hometown did you? I’ve walked by the statue of Belle Babb Mansfield for years on the Iowa Wesleyan College campus in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. She taught at Iowa Wesleyan from 1874 to 1885 and is recognized in 1869 as the first woman admitted to the State Bar.” The photo came from Steward Woodard of Lawrenceville.

George Graf of Palmyra, Va. and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. also aced the photo. Graf wrote: “Arabella Babb Mansfield was born on May 23, 1846 in Benton Township in Des Moines County, Iowa. Mansfield attended local schools and Howe’s Academy, where she began to develop her interest in law. She then enrolled in Iowa Wesleyan College in 1862 and started to call herself Arabella. She graduated in 1866 as valedictorian and began teaching political science, English, and history at Simpson College, which is Indianola, Iowa. It appears she returned to Mount Pleasant in 1867 where she started to study law at Ambers and Babb. In 1868, she married her high school sweetheart, John Mansfield, who was a professor at Iowa Wesleyan College. She joined the faculty and started teaching English and history. Over the course of the next year, they studied law together and both passed the bar exam in 1869.

“This was an unprecedented achievement for Mansfield, who earned a high score, since at the time only white men over the age of 21 could take the exam. Not everyone was ready to accept a woman lawyer and the status of her membership in the bar was taken to court. The court ruled in her favor, declaring that women and minorities had a right to practice law in Iowa. 

“Despite becoming a lawyer, Mansfield never practiced law. She continued teaching at Iowa Wesleyan and also earned a master’s degree in 1870 and a law degree in 1872. She helped established the Iowa Woman Suffrage Society and became its first secretary. Throughout her career, Mansfield continued to support women’s voting rights and educational opportunities. In 1879, she and Miles started teaching at DePauw University (it was called Indiana Asbury University at that time) in Greencastle, Indiana. She remained there for the rest of her life. She was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 1980. She died on August 1, 1911.”

Peel adds: “The bronze statue, which depicts Mansfield reading a law book, was created by sculpture Benjamin Victor, a renowned artist who specializes in monumental representations of the human form. Victor is recognized as the youngest artist to ever have a sculpture installed in National Statuary Hall in Washington D.C.”

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