GwinnettForum | Number 21.87 | Nov. 18, 2022
VETERAN HONORED: On Veterans Day, November 11, Park Springs Life Plan Community in Stone Mountain hosted a Veteran’s Day Ceremony honoring each of the 114 veterans who are members at Park Springs. Former Second Lieutenant Robert Spera was presented with a Quilt of Valor. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II and flew the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber. From left are Glen Avant and Col. Les Carter, Parks Springs’ most senior veteran, who was master of ceremonies, and Cathy Spera of Bonita Springs, Fla., daughter of the honoree. All others live at Park Springs.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Join in the movement to send assistance to Ukraine people
EEB PERSPECTIVE: The slow-cranking vehicle and dodging a bullet
ANOTHER VIEW: Natural gas at 14 year high, so expect higher heating bill
SPOTLIGHT: Peach State Federal Credit Union
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
UPCOMING: Peachtree Christian Health seeks $500,000 to prevent closing
NOTABLE: Republicans re-elect Chuck Efstration as majority leader
RECOMMENDED: The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Namesake of Fort Benning was judge and Confederate General
MYSTERY PHOTO: Today’s mystery is local, but can you tell us where?
CALENDAR: Lilburn Farmers’ Market returns Saturday with holiday treats
Join in the movement to send assistance to Ukraine
Morsberger in Ukraine. Photo via HelpingUkraine.us
By Emory Morsberger
CEO, Morsberger Group
Founder, HelpingUkraine.us
LILBURN, Ga. | Eight months ago, Russia’s unprompted attack on Ukraine shocked the world. It was another historical event unfolding before our horrified eyes that compelled me to find a way to help. Fast-forward to today, I can proudly say I have had the honor and privilege of supporting the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom. In June, I went to Ukraine to deliver medical supplies and met hundreds of organized and committed volunteers who continue to serve in Ukraine and Romania.
Morsberger
This platform, Helping Ukraine, has supplied hospitals in Ukraine with crucially needed medical equipment. We have shipped over $500,000 worth of medical equipment and supplies to 14 major hospitals throughout Ukraine, including three at the current front. We have delivered battery-operated Stryker Surgical Drills, which enable surgeons to re-attach limbs that would have otherwise been amputated. Incubators for newborn babies, with battery-pack backups, gave medical personnel the ability to transfer babies from regular hospital space into bomb shelters. Each time air raid sirens sound and the power goes out, we have dramatically reduced the risk of injury or death.
Unfortunately, the need for hospital supplies and equipment is growing as a result of intensified Russian bombing throughout Ukraine. We are now working to get an additional $500,000 worth of supplies to Ukraine by year-end, using the same reliable network that has functioned to date.
Our strategy involves purchasing equipment and supplies in the U.S. when it cannot be purchased at a lower price in Europe. Our purchasing, warehousing, and shipping through Tucker-based FODAC (Friends of Disabled Adults and Children), receives free or heavily discounted shipping to Baia Mare, Romania. From there, shipments are escorted by Rotarians across the border to the Rotary warehouse in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Then supplies are distributed by Ukrainian Rotarians to hospitals throughout the country.
I continue to receive calls and emails from my new friends on the other side of the globe in Ukraine. They’ve sent pictures of our equipment in use at the maternity hospital in Cherkasy, Ukraine. In Dnipro, friends have emailed me asking, on behalf of emergency room doctors, for basic aid like saline for wound irrigation, defibrillators, and surgical equipment.
We need funding now for warm clothing, blankets, and generators. They are desperately needed to improve the survival of Ukrainians in shelters and in their homes as harsh winter conditions combined with vicious Russian attacks that threaten their spirits and survival. The local Ukrainian community greatly appreciates all that we are doing for their homeland. They are an inspiration to me, and others involved in the effort as we continue to build community for this movement.
At some point – hopefully soon – the war in Ukraine will end, leaving a huge need for replacement infrastructure and economic development. When the bombing ceases, there will still be much work to be done – but we need to raise more money immediately to accommodate the requests we are getting every day.
As we go into this holiday season – the season of giving – we hope this effort will come to mind. I only hope-that more and more will join our movement. Please help by going to helpingukraine.us.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The slow-cranking vehicle and dodging a bullet
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
NOV. 18, 2022 | Sometimes you get lucky and dodge a bullet.
There I was, in a shopping center parking lot, and my vehicle had a slight pause in starting. Then it slowly cranked and I moved the gear from park…..but what? Instead of a smooth sliding into readiness, the gear was hard to move, and felt heavy handed.
Something was wrong.
Being cautious, I, with some difficulty, put the gear back into park.
Then the car announced to me that something was amiss, and not something small in itself.
“Your transmission needs service,” came the message on the screen.
Oh no! This could be costly. By then I was wondering if I could even drive the SUV. I cautiously moved the gear, it crankily slid into reverse, and I carefully backed out of the parking space.
Putting the gear into drive, I moved slowly down the lane, turned around the stores to a back street, and drove very slowly, traveling at about 20 mph. I was about six miles from the service station where I routinely get my car worked on. I finally gained a three lane side street, and kept to the right of the road and drove slowly. Soon several cars were backed up behind me, though I don’t know why they didn’t pass me in the center lane, for no other cars were coming.
Turning south on four lane Buford Highway, cars continued to pass me as I moseyed along. About then I realized something was wrong with the radio. And it was a warm day, and the air conditioner wasn’t working right either. Meanwhile, continuing about 20 mph, I could feel nothing wrong with the transmission, but I didn’t want to risk going faster.
It seemed like this trip took forever, but eventually there was Bolton’s Service Station on Buford Highway, and I turned across the lane. When Bill Bolton came out and tried to start the car, nothing happened. “Bet it’s your battery,” he said immediately.
That surprised me. “But what has a battery got to do with a cranky transmission?” I asked.
Then the understanding, as Bill said: “Cars today are run by computers. They are in every part of the car, and that transmission acting up was caused by the dead battery. And you were lucky that you got the car to start at all. Once you were moving, the alternator took over, and you were able to get here.”
So Bill pulled out his battery charger, ran it a while to get my old battery pepped up, and in the meantime called an auto parts store down the street. He had given them my vehicle number. “They’ve got two batteries that will fit your car,” he said. After a couple of minutes of charge, the car started smoothly, and Bill sent me off for Advanced Auto Parts.
Without a hitch, I made it to Advanced. While I remember batteries costing $25, this modern one was $224. The other one cost $400. Soon I had a new battery, and everything in the car was working soundly.
Since then, mentioning my plight to several people, everyone has had the same reaction: “I didn’t realize the transmission had computers in it, too. I’ve learned something new.”
And I had dodged an expensive transmission problem.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Natural gas at 14-year high, so expect higher heating bill
By Savannah Chandler
MONROE, Ga. | Electric utility consumers are feeling the pinch from record high natural gas prices through their power bills. Natural gas prices are currently at a 14-year high, up 525 percent since June 2020. Besides other factors, inflation is also impacting natural gas prices.
Most electricity – more than 60 percent in Georgia and 38 percent nationwide – is now generated by natural gas. Not that long ago, natural gas provided less than 10 percent of our state’s power.
Environmental concerns have caused a shift away from coal for power generation. Now, only five percent of Georgia’s electricity is generated from coal.
Walton EMC has contracts for most of the power it purchases on the wholesale market. The co-op’s power supplier buys the rest on a day-to-day basis. This prevents overbuying on days with low electricity demand.
Most day-to-day power is generated with natural gas. That’s because gas-fired plants can be brought in and out of service quickly to meet rapid changes in demand for electric power.
The U.S. Energy Information Agency lists several supply- and demand-related factors that affect natural gas prices:
- Weather – much of the U.S. experienced a heat wave this past summer, causing an increased demand for natural gas-produced power.
- Exports – the U.S. has greatly increased its exports of natural gas to Europe to counter the Russian shortfall, decreasing supplies here at home. U.S. exports have risen more than 1000 times the amount as compared to 2015.
- Storage levels – since summer natural gas demand was higher and exports have risen, very little natural gas was put into storage for this fall and the coming winter.
Consumers can expect electricity bills to rise modestly over the next few months.
The largest part of a Walton EMC customer-owner’s power bill is the cost of wholesale electricity, which is directly affected by rising natural gas prices. Walton EMC keeps costs low for the other parts of a typical bill, having some of the lowest overhead and operating expenses in the nation.
Walton EMC’s Greg Brooks says: “One benefit of being not-for-profit is that we only charge customer-owners the actual cost of doing business. Our members can rest assured that we do all we can to keep what they pay as low as possible. Any excess revenue is returned to them in capital credit refunds on their December bill.”
Customer-owners can always find ways to save on energy bills through the Home Energy Evaluation at waltonemc.com. This free service provides a step-by-step video and comprehensive checklist to improve the energy efficiency of any home.
Other services, like PrePay, levelized billing and payment arrangements, can help consumers having a difficult time paying their bill. The cooperative also offers referrals to community assistance agencies if needed.
Walton EMC is an innovative, customer-owned and -focused electric utility serving accounts in 10 Northeast Georgia counties between Atlanta and Athens. In its long history of meeting customer-owners’ needs, the cooperative established successful natural gas and security subsidiaries as well as nationally recognized solar initiatives. For more information, visit waltonemc.com.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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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.
Peachtree Christian Health seeks $500K to prevent closing
Gwinnett is in danger of losing its only adult health care facility for cognitive and physical decline.
Peachtree Christian Health may close unless it can raise $500,000 by Thanksgiving Day. President Anne Mancini said earlier this month that insurmountable financial hardships, starting with the pandemic, and continuing, had brought this about.
However, Bob Dutlinger, chairman of the board of Peachtree Christian Health, issued this statement this week: “While our Board of Directors reached a difficult decision to close our center in December because of sustainability challenges, the outcry from the families we serve who had no other viable or affordable care options for their loved ones set into action this vital “Save Our Center” campaign.
“The response from our families, civic leaders, and the community at large has been extraordinary. Our $500,000 goal is truly within reach by our campaign deadline of Thanksgiving Day. Achieving our goal to continue operations in service to those living with dementia and providing respite to their caregivers will be a tremendous and timely outcome for us at Peachtree Christian Health.”
Through November 16, contributions have come in totaling $230,279.08. To learn more about this possibility, call Peachtree Christian Health at 770-624-2727, or click here: https://bit.ly/SavePCH.
Marietta newspaper company acquires Gwinnett Daily Post
Times-Journal Inc. (TJI), a Marietta-based publisher of several newspapers, news websites and magazines in Georgia, has purchased six metro Atlanta newspapers, including the Gwinnett Daily Post, from Southern Community Newspapers, Inc., (SCNI).
The other publications acquired by Times-Journal are the Rockdale Citizen, Newton Citizen, Henry Herald, Clayton News and the Jackson Progress-Argus.
Brumby
The sale was announced today by Times-Journal Publisher Otis Brumby III and Michael Gebhart, president and CEO of SCNI. A seventh SCNI newspaper, the Albany Herald, will be retained by the company and be operated by Gebhart. In addition, Gebhart will remain employed by TJI as a senior advisor.
The acquisition brings to 21 the number of Georgia newspapers and corresponding websites published by TJI. Those publications now stretch from northwest Georgia, throughout metro Atlanta and east to Madison.
Murphy
J.K. Murphy, vice president of content with Times-Journal, will serve as publisher of the newly acquired newspapers. Murphy previously worked for 17 years at SCNI in various executive positions before joining Times-Journal in 2015. He will continue to oversee news content throughout the expanded company.
Brumby, whose family has been in the newspaper business since 1916, said the two companies have been working closely over the last several years with SCNI outsourcing several operations to Times-Journal ranging from printing to customer service to pagination of its news pages. “It was the next logical step and provides an opportunity for our company and operations to become that much more efficient,” Brumby said of the acquisition.
“It is an honor and a privilege for my sister Lee Garrett and me to be the third generation of managers of a family-owned newspaper business,” Brumby said. “Growing up, our father taught us the value of hard work, faith, family and integrity. We take our new responsibility to these additional metro Atlanta areas seriously and look forward to getting to know, working with and serving the people in those communities.”
Republicans re-elect Efstration as majority leader
Efstration
A Gwinnett legislator has been re-elected as the majority leader for the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, the third-highest ranking party post. Chuck Efstration, from Dacula, is to serve in the 2023 Legislature. His election came after Rep. Jon Burns of Newington was named the 74th speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. Burns represents District 159, which includes Screven County and a portion of Bulloch and Effingham counties. He was first elected to the House in 2006.
Other key leaders named include Jan Jones (R-Milton) as the speaker pro-tem; James Burchett of Waycross, minority leader whip; Bruce Williamson of Monroe, majority caucus chair; Houston Gaines of Athens, caucus vice chair; and Ginny Ehrhart of Marietta, caucus secretary-treasurer.
Representative Efstration represents District 104, which includes portions of Gwinnett County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013 and previously served as the House Majority Leader. He also serves as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and the Rules, Code Revision, Ethics, Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment, Defense and Veterans Affairs, Insurance and Juvenile Justice committees. He also serves as an Ex-Officio member of the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
Gwinnett’s firm receives “Deal of the Year” recognition
The Peachtree Corners firm of Intuitive, Gwinnett County Government, City of Peachtree Corners and Partnership Gwinnett received the Large Community Deal of the Year Award at the Georgia Economic Developers Association Annual Awards at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta recently. The Deal of the Year Awards recognize outstanding achievement in new business expansion or relocation that have significant community support and meet economic development goals.
Intuitive, a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and a pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, previously announced expansion at 5655 Spalding Drive would include $500 million capital investment and 1,200 new jobs.
Intuitive Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Henry Charlton says: “The City of Peachtree Corners advocates innovation and thoughtful development, which are tenets of Intuitive’s business. When combined with Gwinnett County’s diverse and educated workforce, expanding our presence after more than a decade in Peachtree Corners is the right thing to do.”
Intuitive expects their campus expansion, which includes new construction and renovations with engineering, manufacturing, office and training space totaling more than 750,000 square feet, will finish in the next few years.
Intuitive currently employs approximately 180 professionals and plans to hire for a variety of high-paying jobs.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
From Rick Krause, Lilburn: This children’s classic, from 1908, is still one of the most enduringly popular works. In this sorely troubled world, a morning inspirational read was just what I needed. I found I could get some warm feelings by reading such books as Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte’s Web, and The Wind in the Willows. I took the advice and read them, and was captivated by all three. They speak to the innocence and tenderness in us, and remind us how we can get through troubled times. The Wind in the Willows is set at the turn of the last century in the English countryside, field and farm, with some encroaching modern industry and city, train, and motorcar. The prose is lyrical, eloquent, romantic, and sometimes dark. Themes are friendship, forgiveness, courage, sacrifice, fantasy, near myth. Written for children, it still offers adults substance, sophistication, and depth. It certainly soothed my soul.
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
Namesake of Fort Benning was judge, Confederate General
Henry L. Benning was a jurist who became associate justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia in the 1850s. He then became a vocal advocate for secession and earned the rank of brigadier general during the Civil War (1861-65).
Henry Lewis Benning was born in Columbia County on April 2, 1814. His family moved to Harris County in 1832, while Benning was studying at the University of Georgia in Athens. In 1835 he was admitted to the bar in Columbus, which was thereafter his permanent home. From 1837 to 1839 he served as solicitor-general in Columbus, and in 1839 he married Mary Howard Jones with whom he had ten children.
Benning practiced law privately before running unsuccessfully in 1840 for a seat in the Georgia General Assembly which he lost. He was elected associate justice of the Georgia Supreme Court in 1853 and served on the court for six years.
Benning was chosen as chairman of the Georgia delegation to the Democratic National Convention of 1860. Led by Benning, the Georgia delegation and most Southern delegates walked out of the convention when the national party refused to put a plank supporting slavery into its platform. In the wake of Lincoln’s election, Benning became one of Georgia’s most vocal proponents of secession. Benning did more than just speak; he briefly presided over Georgia’s secession convention and helped to draft the state’s Ordinance of Secession.
With the outbreak of the Civil War, Benning helped to raise the troops that became the Seventeenth Georgia Infantry, and he was chosen as colonel in August 1861. Most of his military service was in Virginia. By January 1863 Benning had risen to the rank of brigadier general. On July 2, 1863, he led his men on an unsuccessful assault of Little Round Top at Gettysburg, Pa.
Benning and his troops were part of the contingent sent west in the fall of 1863 to reinforce Confederate forces trying to prevent a Union invasion of Georgia. He participated in the Confederate victory at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, helping to lead the charge that broke the Union lines and having two horses shot from under him. By the spring of 1864 he was back in Virginia, where he was wounded in May at the Battle of the Wilderness. In April 1865 he was at the final Confederate surrender in Appomattox, Va.
Benning continued to practice law right up until his death and is buried in Linwood Cemetery in Columbus.
In 1918 the U.S. Army established its infantry school at a camp located partly in Muscogee County and partly in Chattahoochee County. At the request of the Columbus Rotary Club, the camp (and later fort) was named for Benning.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Today’s mystery is local, but can you tell us where?
Even our most serious mystery photo experts may have problems identifying today’s Mystery Photo. Saying that, we’ll give one clue: this photo was taken in Gwinnett County. Now start your sharpest search and tell us where this scene is located. As usual, send your answers with your hometown to elliott@brack.net.
Fran Worrall, Lawrenceville was among those who told us the answer to the current mystery. The photo came from Gail Gause, of Cramerton, N.C., via Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Fran wrote: “This mystery photo depicts the resort town of Oban, Scotland. The area has dramatic natural scenery as well as numerous castles and ancient religious sites. However, its most prominent attraction is McCaig’s Tower (also known as McCaig’s Folly) on Battery Hill. Built of granite, the structure was commissioned by wealthy banker John Stuart McCaig in 1897. His intention was to provide a lasting monument to his family and provide work for the local stonemasons during the winter months. An admirer of Roman and Greek architecture, McCaig had planned an elaborate structure based on the Colosseum in Rome that would include a museum and art gallery as well as a large central tower. Inside the tower he planned to commission statues of himself, his siblings and their parents.
“McCaig’s death in 1902 at age 78 brought an end to the construction, with only the outer walls completed. Although his will had included £1,000 per year for maintenance, the family challenged the will in court and won. The empty shell of the tower dominates the Oban skyline and is now a public garden with spectacular views of the islands of Kerrera, Lismore and Mull. Most people get to McCaig’s Tower via the 144 steps of Jacob’s Ladder, which is quite a climb and steep in places. Visitors can also drive to the base of the tower, where there is a small car park. The gardens can then be accessed by a short flight of steps. The attraction is open year-round.”
Others identifying the mystery included Lou Camerio, Lilburn; Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; George Graf, Palmyra, Va. and Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.
Tree lighting tonight (November 18) at the Forum in Peachtree Corners, with activities running from 6 to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and will occur in a new format with Forum Drive closed off so guests can stroll along the street. The Forum is located at 5155 Peachtree Parkway. Gwinnett County Media Relations Manager Deborah Tuff will serve as host for the evening. Deborah and Mr. Claus will help the crowd count down to the lighting of The Forum’s tree. Then a live band will return to the main stage and perform holiday classics.
The Lilburn Farmers Market will have its Holiday Pop Up Market on Saturday, November 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church parking lot, 1400 Killian Hill Road. This is your chance to stock up on local foods from over 40 food entrepreneurs. There will be lots of local crafters to start your holiday shopping and buy from the person who made your gift. For more information www.lilburnfarmersmarket.org.
The 12th annual Public Safety Fall Festival, recently postponed due to severe weather conditions, will take place Saturday, November 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 12Stone Church, located at 2050 Sugarloaf Circle in Duluth. This event is a collaboration between Gwinnett Police and Fire and Emergency Services, and celebrates the relationship between public safety and the community. The festival will allow residents to interact with fire and police personnel in a non-emergency environment. Attendees can enjoy giveaways, demonstrations and displays.
Free Holiday Concert on Sunday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m. by the University of Georgia British Brass Band. The concert will be at the Gwinnett Salvation Army, 3455 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. Among the performers will be young musicians from Gwinnett County.
Sing the Messiah: Join with Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church and members of Gwinnett Symphony Chorus on Sunday, November 20 at 3 p.m. to start the Christmas season off with a Messiah Sing Along. This event is free to all and all are welcomed. Audience members are invited to sing or simply sit back and enjoy the performance. The Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church is at 800 Lawrenceville Highway.
Cravin’ the Bacon Walk 2022 in downtown Braselton will be on December 1, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are now on sale at $35 a person, and purchasers must be 16 years of age and older.
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