GwinnettForum | Number 22.53 | July 25, 2023
ONE OF THE HISTORIC HOMES on North Peachtree Street in Norcross is being renovated by its new owner, Stan Howington. The city’s Architectural Review Board allowed part of the old building to be torn down, but insisted that the front of the structure be left intact. So Howinton, who formerly lived in Norcross, is remodeling the house to live in himself, and will add a second floor, kitchen, family room, plus garage at the rear of the house. “I hope to have my Christmas Party there this year,” he says. He is also starting this week on the first of three houses behind this house, which will build out at about 4,500 square feet plus detached garage. The older home was known as the Simpson house, where former Police Chief Grady Simpson lived. He was chief from 1937 until 1969. The house was occupied by Simpson’s daughter, Jane Holbrook, who died at age 84 in 2019.
TODAY’S FOCUS: The war on “Woke” is not won; continue seeking truths
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Trump is the poster child of trying to delay justice
SPOTLIGHT: Walton Gas
ANOTHER VIEW: Finally to the tables, then getting bookended
FEEDBACK: Arriving in a snowstorm, to learn about a key fob
UPCOMING: 34th Snellville Police Academy now open for applications
NOTABLE: Winn DAR officials visit Unknown Soldier’s grave
RECOMMENDED: Saints for Dummies by the Revs. John Trigilio and Kenneth Brighenti
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Southern Labor Archives housed at Georgia State University
MYSTERY PHOTO: Figure out where is this red lighthouse located
LAGNIAPPE: Reception for Macon artist to be held on July 28
CALENDAR: Author Julia Franks visits the Duluth Branch Library on August 3
The war on “Woke” is not won; continue seeking truths
“Ignorance is bliss. But one day, people will realize the sheer scale of destruction humans do on earth. We can all do our part to improve what we can.” ― Torron-Lee Dewar.
By Jack Bernard
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | An objective source, the Oxford Dictionary, defines woke as “aware of social and political issues, especially racism.” However, the political right in America uses this term and has chosen to attack those of us who acknowledge our many social, political and environmental problems.
In Governor Ron DeSantis’ words: “You’ve got to be willing to fight the woke,” which he incorrectly defines as “cultural Marxism” and “a war on the truth.” But DeSantis and similar disingenuous politicians who accuse liberals and activists of being woke are in reality asking their fellow Americans to ignore science and facts. Just go back to sleep, and remain ignorant.
For example, Torron-Lee Dewar is correct about the myopic view that many conservatives have towards environmental change. It is very easy for right-wing politicos to just say that excessively hot days are completely normal. That severe storms are just caused by Mother Nature, no problem. That increasing pollution is just uncontrollable, a fact of life. And biased right-wing advocacy media reinforces these emotional positions.
However, just because we don’t fully understand climate change does not mean that we should be “unwoke, ignoring its dire consequences. Yet a 2021 report stated that there were 30 Senators and 109 House Representatives who did not believe in climate change. These “unwoke,” conservatives included Senator Mitch McConnell, now Senate Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
But that is not the only topic where MAGA politicians have chosen to stick their heads in the sand like proverbial ostriches. In DeSantis’ words: “We will fight the woke in education.” He and his imitators want us to ignore negative historical facts and refrain from teaching them in our schools and having truthful books in our libraries.
In their way of thinking, the Confederacy was noble and glorious, fighting for state’s rights. The Civil War had nothing to do with slavery. But according to Dr. William Davis, a conservative Southern historian and Civil War expert, “It is impossible to point to any other local issue but slavery and say that Southerners would have seceded and fought over it.” And that view is spelled out specifically by Confederate leaders in the Confederacy’s Constitution, which clearly defines black slaves as “property.”
The unwoke politicians on the right also want us to ignore historical bigotry and kill “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” programs meant to finally make our society more just. Per them, people of color don’t have the same economic prosperity as whites solely because they are unmotivated. Let’s just close our eyes to centuries of persecution and discrimination; let’s just stay “unwoke” to the truth.
So far, DeSantis and the other cultural warriors are not winning (with the exception of GOP voters). The majority of Americans, including independents, view being woke as a positive.
But the war on “woke” has not yet been won. We must all continue to fight for facts, truth and progress.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Trump is the poster child of trying to delay justice
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JULY 25, 2023 | It was four-time British Prime Minister William Gladstone (1809-1898) who is credited with the phrase, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” In the modern day, that phrase was brought back to popularity by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, smuggled out of prison in 1963.
Essentially, it means that when a person is charged, neither side benefits from a delay in moving through the justice system.
Certainly the defendant, especially if not guilty, continues to suffer tremendously until a verdict is rendered. If guilty, when a trial is drawn out, allows the defendant to be free until the verdict is pronounced.
And the government, trying to bring order and move people and charges through the court system, can be thwarted for a long, drawn-out process, even to the point of seeing witnesses die before they can testify, sometimes to the benefit of the defendant.
That brings us to a person who seems intent on thwarting the American system of justice – none other than former President Donald Trump.
Among his many lawyer maneuvers, Trump is saying that his many possible trials should be delayed because he is a presidential candidate. That’s crazy!
What? Does that mean that if you or I are charged with a crime, all we have to do is declare for the presidency, and that trial might be delayed?
Seems to us that the exact opposite is true. The American people need to know before they go into the voting booth in 2024 if they should support someone charged with crimes. Isn’t that best for the United States, that we pick leaders who are upright, and are not criminals?
Just read one element in Mr. Trump’s attempt to get a delay in one of his many charges. The court was told:
“Proceeding to trial during the pendency of a Presidential election cycle wherein opposing candidates are effectively (if not literally) directly adverse to one another in this action will create extraordinary challenges in the jury selection process and limit the Defendants’ ability to secure a fair and impartial adjudication.”
Let us add what the Trump lawyer left out to that: “And if that candidate should be elected before a trial, then found guilty later on, wouldn’t that be a travesty of justice that the American people just elected a guilty person?
Not only that, but wouldn’t a jury find it much harder to convict a sitting president? And what would be the outcome to get a guilty president out of office if he was convicted after he assumed office?
We find that Donald Trump, before, while president and since, continues to lawyer up and litigate his problems, trying to scare people away, getting his attorneys to come up with reason after reason that Trump should not ever face a jury.
Yep, he is the international poster child of trying to delay justice!
Donald Trump wasn’t raised like you and I were. His parents never said, “No Donald, don’t do that.” He has never been disciplined. He goes into tantrums when people say “No” to him, as he tries to thwart every critic.
The best thing for the American people in the coming year is to get Donald Trump into court in short order on every charge. Don’t let him hoodwink our government – and our people – with his rage and outlandish views.
Let him get the justice he deserves. And we pray even the Republican Party will cut his efforts short and not nominate him for any office. Again, justice delayed is justice denied.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Walton Gas
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Finally to the tables, then getting bookended
Judy Holiday and Dave Simmons in Mexico. Photo provided.
By David Simmons
NORCROSS, Ga. | Recently my girlfriend, Isabel, and I went on a cruise to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico over the Fourth of July Holiday. We had a great time and got to see some interesting sights on our excursions. There were lots of comedy shows and stage productions onboard in the evenings. Of course there was more food than any human could ever eat. This being my second cruise, I was able to modify my first cruise limit of six swirl ice cream cones per day to only two per day this time. Ahhh, maturity!
Another sign of maturity was that I kept myself out of the casino until the day before debarkation. Oh, I walked through the casino lots of times and meandered over to the table game area. I watched some craps and black jack, but never played; instead I wisely got my wallet out of there.
Finally, late afternoon the day before the cruise ended seemed like the right time. So I bought it for $200 and sat down at a $10 table where three people were playing. I held even for about 15 minutes when the dealer got hot and just wiped out the other three players whose bankrolls were sparse to begin with. All three bailed out at once, and so did I. I think I was up about $15.
I moved into the only open spot on another table just as they were changing dealers. The brand new dealer, a woman, dealt the cards and dang if she didn’t start off with a blackjack. And I thought, oh no, here we go. But after that, things were pretty normal except for one thing. I played for about an hour and I never got even a single blackjack. First and third base had at least five blackjacks apiece during that time, but none for me, but I was steadily winning, pulling ahead.
Finally, I pointed out to the rest of the table that I had been playing 45 minutes without a single blackjack. And started rooting for one. Several ace and face card starters came around but still no blackjack.
I was starting to lose hope. Then I got an ace of hearts, and I started rooting again as she kept dealing. Then I just felt it. I shouted out, “Come on baby, queen of spades.” And boom, the queen of spades gave me the blackjack. Me and several players jumped up and we high fived, going crazy.
Then reality set in. The dealer had the king of spades showing, and she checked it and showed an ace. Blackjack! I lose!
After several expletives I finished by saying “I quit” and shoved all my chips to color up. I had been bookended, the dealer blackjacked on my first and last hand at the table. I took my chips and cashed them in, finished for the trip.
And as I told several people there, “The only way to win at gambling is to quit when you are ahead.” So I did. It was a nice cruise. But I got a blackjack and bookended on the last hand!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Arriving in a snowstorm, to learn about a key fob
Editor, the Forum:
Your Alfa Romeo column reminded me of a trip my husband and I took a while back. We were traveling to Dayton, Wash., to attend the funeral of his much-loved aunt.
On the way to Hartsfield-Jackson from Dacula, we learned that a tornado watch alert was posted. Our plane was delayed for quite a while, but eventually left Atlanta. Our connecting flight was late, so we were delayed several more hours, causing us to arrive in Spokane, in the wee hours of the morning.
We had reserved a rental car, and we had kept calling to tell them we were coming, and to please have someone available. It was 2 a.m. when we arrived in Spokane, stepping out of the airport into the parking area for rental cars into blowing snow and rain mixed with freezing cold.
We got into our rental car, some sort of sport SUV. At the time, our car was a 2005 Mercury Marquis, which of course had a key. When we got to the car, first, we could not figure out how to open the hatchback to put our luggage in, so we put it in the back seat.
When we got into the car, we realized the agent had not given us a key, only a fob. My husband went back inside and said: “This is all you gave me. I need a key.” The very kind agent, who probably thought, “These people are country-come-to-town”, explained that what she had given him was all he needed. He came back out, but we still could not find out how to start the car, so he went back in.
Coming back out, looking very sheepish, he said: “I have to press the brake pedal and push the button.” That worked! We started on our way to Dayton, a trip of about 125 miles. It was blowing a gale of snow and rain all the way. Blessedly, very few cars were on the road at that hour. Hours later, we reached our destination, having not slept for 23 hours! We oldsters are tough, though. Later that morning, we got up at our regular time so we could visit with family.
– Elizabeth Truluck Neace, Dacula
Dear Elizabeth: I remember getting my first keyless car with a fob. Also learned that after I got the car started, I needed to press another button to get it into gear. That Alfa Romeo had that system, but so does the Jeep, so that didn’t slow me. –eeb
Needs way to help people with unused medical supplies
Editor, the Forum:
Here’s an interesting problem. Believe it or not, it got solved through FaceBook.
My husband, Tom has been on wound vacs off and on for two years or so. A neighbor and another friend were in the same boat. Medicare delivered boxes of the supplies to each of us. They have been sitting in my garage, as well as my friend’s. for four to 18 months. They were big boxes! None of us wanted to throw them in the garbage; it seemed such a waste.
I reached out three times to the emails of the community colleges that provided nursing degrees, thinking they could be used for teaching purposes. Tom actually called, and talked to someone, and that person fell off the radar. So no luck in giving these supplies for teaching purposes.
I put it out on Facebook A friend I had not heard from, who just got her master’s in nursing, said she would take them and make sure they went to good use. Also, Marsha Bomar Anderson, said she would contact her friends in the community colleges. I opted with my friend, who I had not seen in seven years. She got seven gallon boxes of medical supplies.
This got me thinking. Medicare is very gracious in their supplies, but there should be a way to give back. I get the fact that no one wants the liability of distribution, but what about the underserved people of the community that cannot afford basic supplies, or in this case, non basic supplies? There should be a way, instead of the garbage, to get rid of them.
Hopefully, someone that reads this will have an answer. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has been in this predicament!
– Mickey Merkle, Berkeley Lake
How people get head-happy and money-stupid
Editor, the Forum:
People get head-happy and money-stupid when it comes to purchasing a new car.
I would never buy a new car, It’s a net loss anyway that you look at it. Time you drive it out of the showroom, it’s worth far less.
Right now my wife drives a 2011 Subaru with 75K miles on it and after a trip to the shop tomorrow for maintenance beyond oil and filters, it will be in excellent condition. I drive a 2017 Pathfinder, Nissan, with 55,000 miles on it. I bought it used with 35,000 and have had it for three years. I service it when it is scheduled to be serviced.
In over 30 years on the road and driving Volvos until the wheels fall off, I did buy new cars, but at the same time during all of those 30 years, I never had any down time, never had a flat tire, and was, therefore, never late for an appointment. This car will last me 200K miles at the rate I am going before I croak.
– Raleigh Perry, Buford
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.
34th Snellville Police Academy now open for applications
The Snellville Police Department is offering a Citizens Police Academy class, strengthening the bond of friendship and cooperation between the city’s police and the people they serve.
The 34th session of the class runs nine weeks from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays beginning September 7 and ending November 2. The program is designed to help citizens gain a better understanding of the risks and responsibilities of police officers.
Some of the classes included in this training will be domestic violence, traffic stops, building searches, driving under the influence and firearms safety. This program also includes a ride along opportunity with a Snellville police officer.
The program is open to all Snellville-area residents 18 years and older. The academy is free and attendees do not have to live in city limits. Visit www.snellville.org/sites/default/files/uploads/police/scpa-application-revised.pdf for an application or pick one up at the Snellville Police Department. A background investigation will be conducted on all applicants prior to acceptance in the academy. Deadline is August 18.
Water Tower Institute seeking board members
The Water Tower Institute (TWTI) in Buford nominating committee is now accepting applications until July 28 to be on its board. Visit its website to apply or nominate a colleague to serve on the Board and help TWTI advance its mission.
The Water Tower is comprised of two nonprofit organizations, is currently seeking volunteer leaders to join their Board of Directors. TWTI’s mission is to serve as a hub for solutions in research, training, and engagement for water utilities and the water resources industry ensuring access to safe, affordable and resilient water services. Board members are actively involved in organizational governance and engaging community and industry organizations to support TWT. The website is: https://www.theh2otower.org.
Winn DAR officials visit Unknown Soldier’s grave
Four officers from the Lawrenceville-based Philadelphia Winn Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), participated in a public wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. on July 28 while DAR Daughters across the nation and abroad were in attendance for the 132 Continental Congress in Washington, D.C. At the ceremony were, on the front row Second Vice Regent Caitlen Green and Treasurer Kathy Schmidt while on the back row were Regent Lynn Jacques and First Vice Regent Randi Minor. Additional organizations who accompanied the Philadelphia Winn Chapter were the Button Gwinnett Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution from Lawrenceville, and the Elisha Winn Society, Children of the American Revolution, from Gwinnett County. Ceremony arrangements were made by Philadelphia Winn Chapter member, Paula Spicer.
Saints for Dummies,
by the Revs. John Trigilio and Kenneth Brighenti
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: This book provides an explanation of sainthood in all its simplicity and complexity. The book is organized into six sections with approximately 10 to 30 explanations within each topic. An especially interesting topic is the Litany of Saints, which includes approximately 100 names of saints who protect us from different trials and problems. Another important section is how one becomes a saint, or the canonization process, which includes the titles of Venerable, Blessed and when confirmed Saint. There is also a chapter that discusses ordinary saints and official saints or those who have been canonized as Saints. Ordinary saints can be regular devout people who pray and who adhere to church doctrine with devotion. Read about understanding sainthood, overcoming weakness, looking at undeclared saints, incorruptibles, holy martyrs and Holy Virgins and religious women. It is a fascinating read about a topic about which little is known.
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
Southern Labor Archives housed at Georgia State University
The Southern Labor Archives is committed to “collecting, preserving and making available the documentary heritage of Southern workers and their unions, as well as that of workers and unions having an historic relationship to the region.”
Holdings are particularly strong in the areas of aviation, machinery, and aerospace; the textile and garment industry; building trades; the nursing profession; the communications industry; government, office, and retail workers; furniture and wood industries; and union activities in the Southeast. The largest accumulation of labor records in the Southeast, the Archives includes materials dating from 1884 to the present and comprises union records, the personal papers of individuals, photographs, artifacts, periodicals, film and sound recordings, and oral history interviews.
Georgia State University (GSU) history professor Merl E. Reed realized the need for a labor archives in Atlanta when he learned about the Texas Labor Archives, housed at the University of Texas at Arlington. Reed collaborated with leaders in the local labor community, who in 1969 planned a dinner to honor the labor attorney Joseph Jacobs, with the proceeds earmarked for founding the Archives.
On April 28, 1970, GSU representatives, including Reed, history professor Gary Fink, and library administrators, along with local labor union representatives signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the Southern Labor Archives. The labor community pledged continuing financial support, and the university agreed to house and administer regional labor records at the library. In July 1971 David B. Gracy II, an archivist from Texas, became the first director of the Southern Labor Archives. The archives’ first significant collection, one box of material from William T. Clitheroe, a retired member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), arrived on July 15, 1971.
Upon Gracy’s departure in 1976, Leslie S. Hough was hired as the Archives’ second director. Under his guidance, the collections continued to grow as did the Archives’ national reputation. Collections of note that came in under Hough’s administration include the records of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), the papers of former U.S. secretary of labor W. J. Usery Jr., the records of the United Garment Workers of America, and the papers of Stetson Kennedy, a renowned investigative reporter and labor activist. In 1992 the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers made the Southern Labor Archives its official repository.
Hough left the Archives in 1992. After his departure the duties of the director were gradually assumed by the archivist for the collection. By 2015 the Archives housed more than 500 collections covering work and workers across the Southeast and the nation.
In addition to its papers and records collections, the Archives also collects oral history interviews with leaders of the labor movement, workers, and representatives from associated communities. Stories are recorded through interviews that are autobiographical in nature and cover the subjects’ personal backgrounds, work histories, and participation in the labor movement or their chosen professions.
In 2010 Georgia State University Library began a digitization program that provides online access to its collections. Selections from the Southern Labor Archives include the underground newspaper Great Speckled Bird, the records of PATCO, the Eastern Air Lines Digital Collection, and photographs and manuscripts documenting unions, work, and workers from across the Southeast.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Figure out where this red lighthouse is located
Yep, another lighthouse, this time a red one. Pinpoint where you think this lighthouse is located, and send your thoughts to elliott@brack.net with your hometown listed.
The last mystery photo was taken by Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill on a trip to the Northwest. George Graf of Palmyra, Va. was first to spot it: “It’s the Changing Form Sculpture, In Kerry Park, Seattle Wash. It’s also known as Kinetic and Volumetric Space Frame, and is an abstract steel sculpture by artist Doris Totten Chase, installed in the center of Seattle’s Kerry Park. The sculpture was given by Mr. and Mrs. Kerry’s three children, and stands 4.6 meters (15 ft) tall. Since installation in 1971, the sculpture has been popular among photographers using it to frame the Seattle skyline or Mount Rainier.” Others recognizing it include Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex.; Steve Ogilvie, Lawrewnceville; and Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.;
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!) Send to: elliott@brack.net and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Reception for Macon artist to be held on July 28
“Yellow Flowers”
Norcross Art Gallery and 45 South Café are presenting a special exhibit showcasing the unique and colorful work of local artist Micah Goguen at 45 South Café in Norcross through September 12. A reception will kick off the exhibit on Friday , July 28, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Gogean
Goguen, an artist/art therapist and educator, conveys his interest in the world around him with his impressionistic and expressionistic works. He focuses on bringing art to the community and uses art as a form of communication for those struggling to understand and cope with life situations. An eclectic artist skilled in many media, his talents have recently merited him an artist residency in France.
A resident of Macon Ga., Goguen earned a Bachelor of Art and Art History and Masters in Art Therapy from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. His many popular workshops, mostly in middle Georgia, use the ideals of color and design to paint the “spirit” or “idea” of a person, place or thing that has meaning in one’s life. He is a certified GOLDEN Working Artist, Silver Brush Educator and an Ampersand Artist Ambassador.
Franks visits the Duluth Branch Library on Aug. 3
Two more workshops on Gwinnett’s 2045 Unified Plan are scheduled to allow the community to provide input as to what Gwinnett will become in the next 20 years. Topics include regarding land use, housing, community resources, transportation, sustainability infrastructure, and economic development. The workshops will be The workshops will be on Wednesday, July 26 at the Lawrenceville Senior Center), and Thursday, July 27 at the Water Tower in Buford. Both will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The first workshop was in Dacula on July 20.
Snellville Commerce Club meets on August 1 at noon in the community room of Snellville City Hall. Speakers for the upcoming meeting will be Jason West and Brian Boggs, both of the Gwinnett Department of Community Service. They will appear in an interpretation of Snellville founders James Sawyer and Thomas Snell. Go to this link for reservations, which are required.
Visiting Author: Award-winning Julia Franks will discuss her new novel, The Say So, about two young women contending with unplanned pregnancies in different eras. She will speak at the Duluth Branch Library on August 3 at 7 p.m. Books will be available for sale and signing.
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