SAFE DRIVERS: Here are two of the Gwinnett School Board many safe drivers who won new buses for their safe driving record last year. The two were picked at random. At the left is Julie Radford, while Sonya Allen is at the right. Read Elliott Brack’s perspective to learn more about these two drivers.
IN THIS EDITIONTODAY’S FOCUS: Remembering Margaret Tanner of Lawrenceville
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Gwinnett Schools Award Two Safe Drivers with New Buses
UPCOMING: Parkview Cluster Foundation Plans Fund-Raising Fun Walk
NOTABLE: Jackson EMC Foundation Awards $10 Million in 10 Years
RECOMMENDED READ: The Jewels of Paradise, by Donna Leon
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Black Georgians Participate More in Government after World War II
TODAY’S QUOTE: On the Movement away from September
MYSTERY PHOTO: Old World Conditions Shown in Quiet Scene
LAGNIAPPE: A Look at Gwinnett Place Mall in 1984
TODAY’S FOCUS
Margaret Elizabeth Sumner Tanner, genial Gwinnettian, dies at 103
(Editor’s Note: One of Gwinnett’s most gracious ladies, Margaret Elizabeth Sumner Tanner, died recently at age 103. We asked her daughter to pen memories of her mother. Here are her thoughts.—eeb)
By Rachel Bronnum
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Oct. 6, 2015 | Margaret Elizabeth Sumner was born on January 8, 1912 in Shingler, a Worth County town in South Georgia. Until her death on September 11, 2015, Margaret was physically and mentally active. She swam at the YMCA in her Twinges in the Hinges class, participated in church groups, was chaplain of her Garden Club, and enjoyed being with people.
Margaret Tanner
A letter Margaret wrote after an accident exemplifies her indomitable spirit.
“To my dear children:
“A week ago (February 6, 2006), I had a very close call! Due to carelessness, just not thinking, I lost control of the car, wrecked it, but ended up alive, with no injuries! There’s no doubt in my mind that my guardian angel protected me. The Lord wanted me to live a little longer. Even if I’m 94 now, I was spared, and I don’t know why. Anyway, I’m very thankful to be here and I do thank Him every day.”
Margaret continued to drive until she was 99 years old and realized her license had expired. She reluctantly decided not to renew it.
She grew up in Worth County with her parents and three younger siblings. Her father, a doctor, sometimes let Margaret ride in his horse drawn buggy to make house calls. Dr. Sumner volunteered in 1918 for World War I and served in France as a Captain in the medical corps. After the war, the family lived in Poulan, Ga., near Tifton. Margaret graduated from high school in 1927and from Georgia State Woman’s College, now Valdosta State University, in 1931. She taught English and French until 1938. Had she taught one more year, Margaret would have earned one hundred dollars a month.
In the summer of 1937 Margaret enrolled in graduate school at the University of Georgia. Her roommate introduced Margaret to her brother, Herman Tanner. The romance flourished, they married in 1938, settled in Lawrenceville and had seven children: Rachel Tanner Bronnum, Bill Tanner, Peggy Tanner Weiss, Emily Tanner, Nancy Tanner Sloss, Marian Tanner and Dr. Susan Tanner.
Not long after Margaret married, the United States entered World War II. Margaret remembered participation in the war effort, planting Victory Gardens and sending CARE packages overseas. Margaret saved ration coupons to buy gas to visit her parents in South Georgia. The infrequent trips were fraught with uncertainty due to poor quality tires; most of the rubber supply went to the military.
Their growing family kept Margaret and Herman busy, but they both found time for church, school, and civic activities. Herman died in 1983 after a two year illness. Always independent, Margaret never asked anyone to do anything for her that she could do herself.
In later years, Margaret traveled and had a sense of wonder about each new place she visited. She liked to dance, and her son and five sons-in-law took turns on the dance floor. Margaret’s friends and family numbered over three hundred at her 100th birthday party, and she greeted them all by name. She was an inveterate reader.
Although she suffered ailments that accompany aging, Margaret remained an eternal optimist who began everyday with her favorite Bible verse: “This is the Day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it.”
EEB PERSPECTIVEGwinnett school bus system is 3rd largest in the nation
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
OCT. 6, 2015 | Each school day, over 1,600 Gwinnett School buses transport 130,000 students twice a day. The Gwinnett system is the third largest transporter of students in the country. Their daily trip total is like driving 30 round trips to Los Angeles each day.
Danny Jardine, chief operations officer, adds another way to look at it: “Like driving to the moon and back every four days.”
This year as the 1,655 drivers gathered before school started at Hebron Baptist Church for a State Department of Education mandated driver seminar, two drivers were surprised, when they were chosen from among the many drivers who had no accidents last year. Each was to receive a new school bus to drive. In effect, Gwinnett school bus drivers are safe drivers. Usually 96 percent of the bus drivers complete the school year without an accident.
Allen
One of these drivers who got a new bus is Sonya Allen, who drives a special education bus to Ferguson Elementary and Berkmar High Schools, making two round trips daily. The other is Julie Radford, who makes three round trips a day in the Grayson area, hauling students of Starling Elementary, Couch Middle, and Grayson High Schools.
Soon after getting her new bus, however, Sonya Allen was T-boned by a driver who was “flying down Carter Drive as I approached Berkmar High on Pleasant Hill Road and ran right into the side of my bus full speed,” she says. She had five kids on the bus, “but they were higher on the bus than his car was and the kids weren’t hurt. That’s the first thing I thought about.” The other driver was charged in the incident.
Allen, who lives in Stone Mountain since she was small, is originally from Toombs County, has been driving a bus for 10 years. “It was my first accident. I’ve never caused one.” She likes driving, and enjoys the parents of the kids she drives. Each day she leaves her home about 5 a.m. and finishes about 8:30 a.m. She returns to pick up the elementary kids at 1:50 p.m., and finishes her driving about 4:15 p.m. “This work gives me time to do some things in the middle of the day. Sometimes I take a nap at home.”
Radford
Ironically, though promised, Julie Radford hasn’t seen a new bus yet. Officials say her new bus is expected here “soon.” Radford is originally from St. Louis, Mo. She and her husband live between Lawrenceville and Grayson. She was told by a neighbor about a job driving a bus route. “I like the flexibility of it. And I can be with my daughters, Emily and Ava, all the time before I drop them off at school, instead of having them in day care. We leave just before 6 a.m., and I’m done about 9:20 a.m. Then I go back to driving at 1:30 p.m., and home about 5:20 p.m.
Radford drives defensively. “My eyes are always looking everywhere to try and predict what drivers might do. One guy would have T-boned me the other day on Pinehurst Road, for he was going too fast, and though it was my turn to go, I didn’t. He ran right in front of me. You have to drive defensively all the time.”
Congratulations not only to Sonya Allen and Julie Radford, but to all those drivers who safely look after Gwinnett students on their routes each day.
IN THE SPOTLIGHTInfinite Energy Center
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The Arena at Infinite Energy Center has had 12 years of tremendous success hosting countless concerts, family shows and sporting events, and is home to the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators and the NLL’s Georgia Swarm. Some past concerts include George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Beyoncé, Foo Fighters, Eric Clapton, Katy Perry, Kid Rock, James Taylor and Michael Bublé. The Arena at Infinite Energy Center also hosts many family shows including Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey, Cirque du Soleil, Disney On Ice and Harlem Globetrotters. Infinite Energy Forum offers patrons the opportunity to host or attend a wide variety of events, from corporate meetings to trade shows to social occasions. Infinite Energy Theater has an intimate capacity of 708-seats and is home to many local events, family shows and even some comedians. The Hudgens Center for the Arts showcases a range of artwork throughout the year along with offering a wide range of fine art classes.
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Parkview Cluster Foundation plans fund-raising run on Oct. 18
The Parkview Cluster Foundation has scheduled a Fun Run/5K for October 18 in Lilburn City Park. The event kicks off at 1 p.m. and includes a Zumba warm-up, followed by a One-Mile Fun Run and a 5K, on a route that includes the Lilburn Greenway Trail. The Foundation hopes to make this an annual event. Participants can pre-register online through the Foundation’s website, www.parkviewfoundation.org, or may register in person at the event site.
The Foundation, now in its second year, supports the public schools in the Parkview Cluster: Parkview High, Trickum Middle, Arcado, Camp Creek, Knight, and Mountain Park Elementary. Runners/walkers from each of the schools have already pre-registered, and include teachers, parents and students.
Karen Wood, whose children attend Camp Creek Elementary, is heading up the Fun Run. “We are really excited about this event. With the teachers, school principals and families we are expecting, it should be a lot of fun.” Mike Levengood, foundation president, adds: “We see this as an event that appeals to the entire Lilburn community. We have been pleased with the community response we have received, which is consistent with the support that people who live in the cluster have historically given to our excellent schools.”
The foundation supports the schools by awarding grants to teachers to advance the academic programs and initiatives of the school. Following a successful start-up funding campaign, the Foundation awarded over $8,700 in grants in May, 2015. The second grant cycle is now underway, and the Foundation expects to award $10,000 in grants in October, with the awards being announced at the Fun Run.
Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible, and may be made through the Foundation’s website or through the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Foundation website at www.gcps-foundation.org.
Sugar Hill Sugar Rush Festival to take place Oct. 17
The City of Sugar Hill’s Sugar Rush Festival will take place on Saturday, October 17. To start the day off, the Sugar Rush 5k will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the festival itself at 11 a.m.
The festival will include a Juried Art Show, art and food vendors, Preservation Society Oral Stories and artifacts display, a car show, face painters, inflatables, carnival rides, a monster mural, and street performers. It will continue until 4 p.m., then seating for the Bowl will open at 5 p.m. for a concert by Pilot, Loganville native and country singer Presley Sullivan; and a Sugar Hill group, the Gasoline Brothers!
At 8 p.m., the City of Sugar Hill will attempt to break the world record for largest dessert party with ice cream for all attending. The party will be followed by two-time Grammy winner and Grand Ole Opry star Travis Tritt.
- Tickets for the “Tannery Row Party Deck” on the upper level of the parking deck are still available for $25 at www.thebowlatsugarhill.com. The tickets include private access to a bartender, view of the Bowl where the concert will be held, and a food vender.
Experience the wonder of nocturnal animals Oct. 16 at Heritage Center
As the leaves begin to fall and the crisp, cool air of autumn takes its hold on Georgia, the woods of the Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC) come alive at night. Experience the wonders of nocturnal animals and their amazing adaptations at the Creatures of the Night Festival on Friday, October 16. The event features expanded hours starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m.
Meet real, live examples of night time creatures that might inhabit your own backyard, such as an owl and an opossum. Additional activities include a firefly mini trek, crafts, owl pellet dissection, nocturnal trivia, puppet theater, touchable skins and skulls, tram rides and the opportunity to discover bioluminescence in the forest. Bat experts will be in attendance showcasing bat habitats and highlighting the importance of this flying mammal. Younger guests can even explore the EHC’s own mini bat cave.
Throughout the evening, the EHC will offer self-guided night hikes for visitors where participants will use all of their senses to explore what goes bump in the night. Guests can also enjoy a large, inflatable outdoor screen on the lawn of the Chesser-Williams House as they watch a short movie on nocturnal animals.
The event will feature local food trucks, so that guests may purchase dinner while they enjoy the evening’s festivities.
Program fees for the Creatures of the Night Festival are $8.00 per person. Children two and under and EHC members are free. Some activities may require an additional fee. Program fees can be paid at the door, but guests are encouraged to register early and pay online.
- To register and obtain more information on the event, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.
Jackson EMC Foundation Round-Up awards $10 Million in 10 Years
For 10 years, Jackson Electric Membership Corporation’s (EMC) members have steadily contributed pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters by rounding up their electric bills to the next dollar amount. And that spare change has added up in a very big way, resulting in $10,226,411 in charitable grants that have helped local organizations and people in need, with all of it going into 10 northeast Georgia counties.
Foundation board Chair Beauty P. Baldwin, who has served on the board since its creation, says: “When the cooperative offered its members the opportunity to participate in the Operation Round Up program and set up the Jackson EMC Foundation to help members channel their contributions where it was needed, I don’t think anyone had any idea that it would have such a tremendous impact. As the foundation celebrates its 10th anniversary, I’m so proud to have played a part in this extraordinary effort.”
President/CEO Chip Jakins adds: “Our members’ generosity has truly exceeded everyone’s expectations. They came together and created an amazing tool for doing good in their own communities, and that’s what cooperatives are all about – working together to do something you can’t do by yourself.”
Operation Round Up collected its first spare change in October 2005, the same month the Jackson EMC Foundation awarded its first grants, nearly $54,400 to seven organizations that included such nonprofits as Good News Clinics in Gainesville, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and a forerunner of the Hi-Hope Service Center, along with three individuals.
Since then the Foundation has distributed 1,012 grants to organizations and 319 to individuals. Broken down into major categories, the Foundation has funded:
- Social Services $3,797,308
- Health & Human Services $1,864,618
- Shelter $1,569,440
- Education $1,543,508
- Food $ 552,500
- Other $ 42,979
- Individuals $ 856,058
On average, Jackson EMC members who participate in Operation Round Up contribute $6 per year, none contributing more than $11.88. Grants are available to any organization that serves one or more of the 10 counties where Jackson EMC operates (Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Franklin, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe) or any individual living in those counties. Applicants do not need to be members of the cooperative. Grants are awarded monthly by a foundation board of directors made up of local citizens who volunteer their time.
Eight new members named to Sugar Hill Youth Council
Eight new members have been announced for the 2015-16 Sugar Hill Youth Council. The new council members are Bryn Pugh, Amber Nicholson, Roshni Patel, Shelby Borek, Taylor Morain, Kaan Cubukcu, Aysha Jerald, and Agam Singh.
The purpose of the City of Sugar Hill Youth Council is to help its members have a better understanding of their local government. The Youth Council works with the city’s council to help resolve issues and achieve goals of the City of Sugar Hill. Councilman Mike Sullivan states: “Over the next several years, the city will be building a downtown, and members of the Youth Council will have a front row seat in helping make decisions for it. The Youth Council can help provide input and voice so the city includes the voice of our teen generation.”
The Youth Council will have the opportunity to plan events for youth, as well as work with the council, City department heads, and local organizations to create leadership and service possibilities for the youth in the City. Academy Coach Kyle Jones says of the Youth Council: “The council really is an unprecedented experience for our young men and women, and an opportunity for them to impact their community.”
The first meeting of the new youth council was held on September 16. Regular meetings will be held on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
RECOMMENDEDThe Jewels of Paradise
A mystery by Donna Leon
Every one of the previous 23 Donna Leon books have focused on the life in Venice of local Police Commissario Guido Brunetti, delving into distinctive ways to solve unknowns. However, this book is entirely different, except that it still depicts the natives of Venice with an alert eye. Instead of a mystery in the present day, this modern twist has a detective of another sort, one with a doctorate in baroque opera, seeking through research what happened to a musician, priest and governmental servant ages ago. Include some present day shady Venetians, and the plot thickens. Throw in research through the Internet, and a secret compartment in one of two large trunks, and eventually the solution comes to light. The author continues her mastery of detective work in Venice, just through another sleuth this time. –eeb
- An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (100 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. –eeb
Black Georgians participate in government more after World War II
(From previous edition)
Black Georgians were well represented among those veterans who turned to politics after the war. In Georgia and elsewhere, prominent African American spokesmen linked the sacrifices made by black servicemen to the conditions that awaited them upon their return to southern states. If these soldiers fought to promote democracy and freedom abroad, the argument went, they surely deserved the same at home.
In Georgia the 1946 abolishment of the white primary contributed to reform efforts by opening the doors to large-scale black participation in statewide politics for the first time since Reconstruction. Voter leagues flourished throughout the state, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other civil rights organizations dramatically increased their memberships. By the time of the 1946 gubernatorial contest, more than 100,000 black Georgians were registered to vote.
In many cases, however, Georgia’s black voters encountered stiff resistance when heading to the polls. Because large numbers of black Georgians relocated to urban areas to find employment during and after the war, the county unit system limited black electoral influence by conferring undue weight to rural votes. Moreover, such groups as the neofascist Columbians and the Ku Klux Klan discouraged black voting with the threat of violence.
Despite these obstacles, however, large numbers of black Georgians persisted in their efforts to vote. Because the county unit system limited their influence in statewide elections, black voters made their greatest impact in municipal contests, particularly in Atlanta, where black leaders A. T . Walden and John Wesley Dobbs formed the Atlanta Negro Voters League in 1949. Their efforts consolidated the city’s black votes into a powerful voting bloc capable of determining the outcomes of municipal elections.
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Several clues obvious in this edition’s Mystery Photo
Ruins from long ago, an early paved road, a flat landscape……these are clues to this edition’s Mystery Photo. These give you any idea of where this might be? Think old world. Send your answers to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include the town where you live.
While several mystery photos have been stumpers lately, the latest was easy for several people. Jimmy Simpson of Lilburn was first in, recognizing: “Tucker, Ga. main street after revisions to downtown parking, sidewalks etc. Looks like photo was taken from Cofer Hardware store next to rail tracks.”
The photo was sent in by Frank Sharp of Lawrenceville.
Others recognizing it included Rich Hammond of Duluth, who said: “Sure looks like downtown Tucker to me. That looks like the old Cofer Brothers hardware store on the right.”
Others sending in a correct answer were James Savadelis, Duluth; Michael Wood, Tucker; Sandra Moore, Loganville; Harriet Nichols of Trickum; and Mark Barlow of Peachtree Corners.
Bob Foreman, Grayson, says: “There was a movie scene shot almost right at that same spot in the movie, Smokey and the Bandit. In that scene, you can see the gas station on the corner of Main Street and Lawrenceville Highway, and you can see Cofer Brothers lumber in the background.”
Robert Brannen of Tucker says: “I live in the Tucker area and recognize the railroad crossing as the retail business district in downtown Tucker. It’s a great little small town atmosphere where you can walk from shop to shop and enjoy a variety of things to see and purchase. Also, there are several events, including Tucker Day in May, where they close the streets and bring in vendors and bands and provide a fun day for families and friends.”
LAGNIAPPEA look back at what Gwinnett Place was like in 1984
BYGONE DAYS: Here’s what Gwinnett Place looked like in June of 1984, four months after its opening. Note the parking lot filled with cars. Since then, two more major malls have been developed in Gwinnett, and Gwinnett Place is no longer as viable as it once was. The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District is undertaking efforts to re-vitalize the area.
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