GwinnettForum | Number 22.78 | Oct. 31, 2023
AWARD-WINNING AREA: This scene from above shows how the Lawrenceville Lawn and its Southlawn housing development are situated right in the middle of the city. To the left is Jackson Street, while the City Hall is seen in the top right of the photo. The city was recently recognized by the Atlanta Regional Commission for these two projects. See Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Braselton organizes foundation to support its police force
EEB PERSPECTIVE: The best part of the Blue Ridge Parkway is close by
SPOTLIGHT: E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc.
FEEDBACK: Universal Military Service would bind our nation together
UPCOMING: Hudgens Center to feature painting of Artist Ann Odum
NOTABLE: Lawrenceville wins regional excellence award from ARC
RECOMMENDED: The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Seven steps to Xeriscape gardening
MYSTERY PHOTO: Classic lines form today’s Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Anne Labaire is Norcross Gallery artist of the month
CALENDAR: Gwinnett Coalition plans event for Nov. 1
Braselton organizes foundation to support its police force
(Editor’s note: the author’s daytime job is the senior vice president of RM Woodworth and Associates out of Atlanta.–eeb)
By Ed Walls
President, The Braselton Police Foundation
BRASELTON, Ga. | The Braselton Police Foundation has been organized to fund equipment and financial support to the Braselton Police Department (BPD) to individual officers in need. The Foundation is additionally working with BPD so they can expand their activity to institute an array of public safety initiatives. Through our public-private partnership model, we plan to pursue privately funded events and implement programming that creates a safe town for every citizen of Braselton.
Walls
The foundation was formed on Sept. 19, 2022.
Senate bill 361, the Law Enforcement Strategic Support (LESS Crime) Act, allows businesses and individual taxpayers to claim a tax credit for their contributions to qualified law enforcement foundations. SB 361 allows single filers to claim a tax credit of up to $5,000 for qualified contributions. Joint filers and qualified businesses may claim up to $10,000.
These funds can be used to train officers, purchase, or maintain equipment or go towards establishing a mental health co-responder program. Total contributions are capped at $5 million per foundation per year and $75 million statewide annually.
While we wait on our 501(3)(c) designation letter from the IRS and become a qualified law enforcement foundation, you can mail donations to the Town of Braselton, and they will accept them on our behalf.
In July, we held our first fundraiser, a 5K Run Walk with a turnout of over 100 participants. We received multiple sponsor donations from Braselton businesses and individuals. The tremendous support from the community has been terrific.
Additionally, we have sponsored the second annual recognition dinner for the department, recognizing officers for several awards including officer of the year. It has been rewarding to support the Braselton Police Department. They are such a great group of people that are committed and focused on doing things the right way.
We welcome everyone’s support. It is tough to fully fund a police department with a limited municipal budget. Our goal is to bridge that gap and help the BPD with the right tools to achieve excellence. If you would like to help, donations can be mailed to:
Town of Braselton
Police Foundation
P.O. Box 306
Braselton, Ga. 30517
Officers of the foundation include Greg Krafcik, Vice President; Jennifer Scott, Secretary/Treasurer; and board members Amy Bell, Richard Harper, Broderick Smith and Kevin Thompson.
On behalf of The Braselton Police Foundation Board, let me thank you for your support!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The best part of the Blue Ridge Parkway is close by
Fall leaves along the parkway.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
OCT. 31, 2023 | Relatively near to Gwinnett is the nation’s longest national drive—the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). For the last few days, we’ve driven on segments of this 469 mile parkway, enjoying the fantastic scenery and views, and seeing the fall change in color.
The parkway is not just a road, for it abounds in scenic beauty. The road itself is a work of engineering art. It is beautifully maintained, and usually smooth for driving.
From Gwinnett, it’ll take you only three hours to get to the BRP. We picked up the BRP at U.S. Highway 23/74 near Balsam, N.C.
Now for the best part: this nearby area is not only the highest part of the BRP (at 6,053 feet), but it’s the most scenic area. There are far more overlooks along this portion of the parkway, giving you vistas galore. We traveled about 50 miles along this part of the BRP, headed for Asheville, N.C. for the night. We were on the BRP for three parts, taking us as far north as Roanoke, Va., before heading back home. The Virginia segment is often through meadows, not mountains.
You’ve got to be patient for BRP driving. The entire parkway is often double-yellow-lined, meaning no passing. Max speed limit is 45 mph, but you’re really only traveling as fast as the slowest car ahead of you. That’s usually about 35 mph. Another positive: no big trucks are allowed on the parkway!
BRP driving tips:
- First, fill your gas tank before the BRP, since gas stations are few. And make sure your brakes are good, for you often use them.
- Keep intervals of several car distances when driving, as drivers are often tapping the brakes. There are a lot of steep grades and continual curves on the BRP. Driving slowly becomes normal.
- Study maps before your trip. Know in advance where you want to get off and stay another night. Don’t count on traveling long distances quickly. This driving is tiring and much slower than normal.
- If you want to spend the night on the BRP, make reservations well in advance, like six months before. The few places with rooms fill quickly. We stayed off the parkway.
- Bring snacks. There are few places to buy anything. And most places are really crowded, so buy in advance.
- Take lots of photos. (Photographing the overlook sign will help you know what location this was later.) Volunteer to take pictures of others, so they can use your camera to take photos of you.
- Natural scenery. Recognize the delight of having no glaring billboards around.
- There are 26 tunnels on the BRP. Think of how difficult these were to bore through rock nearly 75 years ago. They make driving the parkway more efficient.
- The parkway is open year-round, though weather-permitting. Snow can close portions unexpectedly.
- Visit the several key sights along the parkway: Mount Mitchell State Park, Grandfather Mountain, Linville Falls, and more than 50 nearby trails to enjoy, from easy to difficult. There are 16 peaks of more than 5,000 feet.
- Besides a wild growth forest of the BRP, the road is lined with rhododendrons along the way. Come spring, this will give constant colors also from azaleas, dogwood, mountain laurel and other plants. Compared to fall, it would be seeing entirely different colors of spring.
- Get a copy of the Ridge Parkway travel planner before you start. Write Box 2136, Asheville , N.C. 28802.
The colors of the BRP are fading fast for this fall season. If you want a delightful relatively close trip, consider driving the parkway for next year.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc.
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. of Snellville. Founded in 1923, E.R. Snell is a local, family-owned construction and infrastructure company dedicated to delivering excellence in every road and bridge they undertake. Their rich history has established them as a trusted name in the industry, renowned for their bedrock commitments to safety, quality, and customer satisfaction. ERS is excited to celebrate its centennial year this year and launched a brand redesign and updated website. These updates flow out of honoring those who founded, grew, and continue to serve E.R. Snell, while also looking toward their next ten decades of business as they build the road ahead.
- Visit online at www.ersnell.com
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here
Universal Military Service would bind our nation together
Editor, the Forum:
The recent item in the Forum about Universal Military Service was well said. We need elements that will bind us together as a nation. Shared experience does that. Better experiences produce better citizens. Better citizens produce better voters. It’s win-win.
I differ on making it mandatory for men and not women. The percentage of women serving in the military has steadily gone up. Women can now choose virtually all career paths. Also, women are required to serve in most of the countries that were cited. Why not in America, too?
And finally, if the intent of Universal Military Service is to instill all or many of the qualities mentioned, women and men should be treated equally. The military has evolved and there are opportunities for all. We send the wrong message to our youth if we limit their obligations to our nation.
The subject is politically toxic in our country. The day will come when we wish we had better and more experienced citizens.
– Doug Heckman, Peachtree Corner, Colonel (ret.), U.S. Army
Agrees 100% with UMT, especially for its leadership
Editor, the Forum:
As a veteran of six years active enlisted service in the Navy, I agree 100 percent with the idea of universal military service. There are some myths of concern however.
The biggest myth is that the military is an exercise in subjugation and following orders of some angry barking neanderthal. Yes, in bootcamp you might get a small taste of this, but that is where it ends. The military is about leadership – getting people to push themselves beyond what they thought they were comfortable with or capable of. You don’t do that through insults and intimidation. It’s accomplished through growth, training, encouragement, and teamwork. That’s why companies want to hire ex-military – because they have proven leadership skills.
There is no question that some assignments are better than others. Some involve more physical risk than others. The potential of an influential parent being able to get their child assigned preferential duty would be a morale killer.
I lived in a common 80+ man open bunk-bed berthing for most of my six years. No privacy. No bringing dates back. A far cry from the “luxury” dorms and apartments that our children today experience college in. But still, it was some of the best and most memorable times of my life. At 65, I still talk every day to my shipmates through social media.
There is nothing more valuable as a young adult than to be forced to do what you don’t want to do in a place you don’t want to be with people that you don’t want to be with for longer than you want to be there. You learn that is actually what you want to do, and that place is what made you, and the people around you are your brothers, and that you would do anything to be back with them one more day.
– Joe Briggs, Senoia
UMT’s big advantage: it teaches responsibility
Editor, the Forum:
Let me agree as to the desirability of Universal Military Training. It has one additional advantage that you did not highlight. That is responsibility.
As a young officer who went through NROTC and took the Marine option, I learned immediately about obedience. One’s answer to an order was “Aye, aye, sir,” which was translated as “I understand and will obey.”
A second important lesson was that an officer was responsible for everything his men did or failed to do. When something went wrong and was questioned by a superior, the proper answer was “No excuse, sir.” I think that as one advances in the enlisted ranks, that acceptance of responsibility is also learned and expected.
Too few American families have ties to military service or understand its challenges, benefits and sacrifices. Universal Military Training would help overcome that lack of understanding and appreciation.
– John Titus, Peachtree Corners
Suggests alternatives for youth in non-military services
Editor, the Forum:
For years, I have been saying this concerning uniformed service. I’d have an option for Urban Services, National Parks Service, National Forest Service, any service that gets young people (male and female) out on their own.
Get them away from protection or neglect of parents. Cut apron strings, dad’s bank account. Make them learn the real world.
If military, then as an incentive offer at the end of enlistment either college fund or education of some kind. They would get the best growth from a military experience. My discharge was as a Staff Sergeant Oct 17, 1975.
Hard sell, but I have always felt it would greatly benefit all Americans!
– Stewart A. Woodard, Lawrenceville.
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.
Hudgens Center to feature painting of artist Ann Odum
An exhibition by award-winning pastel artist Ann Parsons Odum, whose paintings have helped preserve the memory of small-town Duluth, will be featured at the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning’s Rowe Promenade Gallery, November 10, 2023 through January 13, 2024.
Odum
A preview reception will be held November 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling (770) 623-6002 or email at info@thehudgens.org. The exhibit will be open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ms. Odum’s exhibition is called “Through the Eyes of One of Our Own” and features a retrospective of pastels and paintings inspired by Duluth, China and Africa, plus flowers.
Odum’s early work was focused on historic paintings of Duluth and the surrounding area. Among her favorites is a mural of Old Duluth on the brick wall of what used to be her family’s store, which has since been razed to create Parsons Alley. She painted or drew more than 90 local scenes during her career, donating many to charitable causes.
She says: “I painted around Duluth because I loved it. Little did I know that most of the sites I painted would be gone so soon.”
Her career as an artist began late in life, when she was the mother of four and worked full-time in the Parsons’ family store. She began painting when her sister, Margaret, broke a leg on a skiing trip and asked Odum to come visit and paint to pass the time. That stoked her creative fires, and she soon took a correspondence course and began painting with oils and acrylics.
In 1984, she discovered her love for pastels and worked for several years with internationally known pastelist Philip Lekki. She also participated in workshops conducted by notable artists such as Alan Flattmann, Flora Grufuni, Ray Pierotti and Albert Handell.
Odum has been a juried member of excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society and has won awards in numerous international shows. Her work has been featured on the cover of the Duluth Fall Festival publication for years and she has been voted best artist by Gwinnett Magazine. She is a member of the Duluth Fine Arts League.
She jokingly said, “I’m famous for about one square mile.”
Now officially retired at age 91, Odum has worked on murals at Duluth First Methodist Church, Gwinnett Tech and the Southeastern Railway Museum, which features her latest work, a pair of 4-by-5-foot paintings of streetscapes from old Duluth.
The “Through the Eyes of One of Our Own” exhibition is made possible through the support of the Margaret Parsons Andrews Family.
Two Gwinnett city managers slated to get awards
Two city managers from Gwinnett will be honored when the Metro Atlanta Redevelopment Summit (MARS) meets on November 2 at the John C. Maxwell Leadership Center at 12Stone Church, 2050 Sugarloaf Circle, in Duluth. It will be from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Warbington
Radford
They are Paul Radford, city manager of Sugar Hill, and Chuck Warbington, city manager of Lawrenceville. Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin will also be honored. All three will be named to the Redevelopment Champion Hall of Fame.
The Summit will be co hosted by Partnership Gwinnett and the Council for Quality Growth. It features an inside look at upcoming redevelopment projects around the region. The program also offers insight into trends affecting the industry, networking and best practices from successful redevelopment projects, and the presentation of the annual MARS Awards.
Keynote Speaker will be David Dixon, the vice president of Stantec’s Urban Places Fellow. He has been named by Residential Architecture Magazine as the “person we call when we want to know about cities.” Dixon is well known for helping create new, mixed-use urban districts (in both cities and suburbs) and the planning, revitalization, and redevelopment of downtowns.
The event will also recognize and honor pinnacle achievements in redevelopment from throughout the 11-county metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Other categories and finalists for the 2023 MARS Awards include:
Small Redevelopment Project of the Year
-
- Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center
- Saddle Shoals Subdivision
- StillFire Brewery & Station Park
Medium Redevelopment Project of the Year
-
- Atlanta Humane Society Corporate Headquarters
- The Grove at Towne Center
- Village Green Park
Large Redevelopment Project of the Year
-
- Better Buford Highway Project
- Johns Creek Town Center Vision and Master Plan
- Pullman Yards
Lawrenceville wins regional excellence award from ARC
The Atlanta Regional Commission has presented the Regional Excellence Award for Livable Center to the City of Lawrenceville and the Novare Group for the Lawrenceville Lawn and Lawrenceville SouthLawn projects.
Lawrenceville Lawn, a 5.5-acre city park, and the adjacent Lawrenceville SouthLawn, a mixed-use development, bring new green space, housing, and shops to the city’s downtown.
The Lawn features a volleyball court, dog park, playground, and amphitheater and boasts an exciting schedule of events. The SouthLawn is a live-work-play community that includes 15,000 square feet of retail, 159 single family homes, and 426 apartments and townhomes.
- For additional information about the 2023 Regional Excellence Awards, visit
atlantaregional.org/regional-excellence-awards/.
More Flock cameras coming to states routes in Gwinnett
Gwinnett commissioners have approved Gwinnett Police Chief J.D. McClure to sign a right-of-way maintenance agreement between Gwinnett Police and the Georgia Department of Transportation that allows 36 Flock cameras to be installed along state routes in Gwinnett County. These strategically placed cameras enhance public safety and reduce response times to crime. There are more than 7,400 cameras in metro Atlanta, and 835 of those cameras have been placed across Gwinnett since 2020.
Harris’s father named to Inventor’s Hall of Fame
The late father of Karen J. Harris of Stone Mountain has been honored in Dayton, Ohio, Ms. Harris is a retired Gwinnett Public Librarian, and compiler of many recommendations to GwinnettForum.
Her father, James Parsons, Jr., a Dayton metallurgist and inventor, has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame recently. The family found a binder full of materials — research notes, patents and news clippings about Parsons. Parsons had never bragged about his invention of Durimet 20, a corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy. He never mentioned how he oversaw the production of materials useful to the Manhattan Project, which led to the first atomic bomb.
As early as 1929, Parsons received the first of eight patents — six for himself and two shared with others — involving the development and application of noncorrosive metals. It was only on going through the binder that Joy Harris, Parson’s granddaughter, began to understand how important his work was.
The Bhagavad Gita,
translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: The Bhagavad Gita is the Gospel of Hinduism. It is a luminous and evocative series of communications between Krishna and Arjuna about right conduct and the meaning and purpose of life. The primary theme is the story of King Bharata and ancient India, which is the land where the Bharatas lived and ruled. In its earliest form it was 24,000 verses but grew to 100,000 verses. It is similar to the Old Testament in that it is in narrative form and tells a story. The importance of Yoga in its many forms is explained with definitions of what type of growth can occur with its practice.. Reading this Hindu Gospel was a revelatory experience for me. It felt like I was remembering meanings that I had lost over lifetimes. There is no one way to Enlightenment. Identifying what works for the individual is a laudable goal.
- 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
Seven steps to xeriscape gardening
Xeriscape (pronounced “zera-scape”), a term coined in Colorado in 1981, is loosely defined as a water-conserving method of landscaping in dry climates. Xeriscape gardening refers to a seven-step approach to conserving landscape water without sacrificing environmental quality. Its importance in Georgia has increased as water shortages and restrictions on outdoor water use have become more common and population growth has placed increasing strain on available water supplies.
Between 1990 and 2000, Georgia’s population grew by 20 percent, and the majority of these new residents migrated to urban areas. By 2000 more than half of Georgia’s 8.1 million residents lived in just 15 of the state’s 159 counties. Not only are there more people competing for water resources in urban areas, but periodic drought during the growing season increases the demand for municipal water as citizens turn on irrigation systems to keep their lawns green and their plants healthy.
During the summer months, when citizens irrigate their yards and gardens, residential water use typically increases between 40 and 60 percent. Unfortunately, much of the water applied to landscapes is used unnecessarily to irrigate drought-tolerant plants that do not need supplemental water. Millions of gallons of water could be saved each year if citizens learned how to water, when to water, the most efficient methods of applying water, and the water requirements of lawns and landscape plants.
There are seven steps to xeriscape gardening.
- Proper planning and design are important, both for designing a new landscape and for adding to an existing landscape. When possible, incorporate existing native vegetation into the landscape. Native areas left undisturbed generally require no supplemental irrigation. When designing new areas, divide the landscape into three water-use zones: high, moderate, and low.
- Soil analysis is critical to optimize the soil’s water-holding capacity, yet provide good drainage. Organic amendments, for example compost, benefit most soils. It is recommended that four inches of an organic material be applied to the soil surface and incorporated into the top 12 inches.
- Appropriate plant selection: select plants that are adapted to the site conditions and plant them in the appropriate water-use zones. Any plant in the nursery trade can be used in a Xeriscape, provided it is zoned according to the amount of water the established plant will require.
- Practical turf areas emphasize the use of turfgrass for its function in the landscape, such as for erosion control or as a recreational surface. Avoid using large expanses of irrigated turfgrass just to fill space in the landscape..
- Efficient irrigation makes every drop count. By irrigating between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., less evaporative water loss occurs than in the hot midday sun.
- The use of mulches helps conserve water in the soil and insulates the roots of plants from extreme heat in summer and cold in winter. Mulches also reduce soil-borne foliar diseases by acting as a barrier between the soil and the foliage. Such organic mulches as pine straw, pine bark, and shredded hardwood bark are excellent mulch choices.
- Appropriate maintenance is critical once the other water-saving steps are in place. Reduce the amount of fertilizer applied, particularly during dry periods, and minimize summer pruning that encourages new, succulent growth, which has a high demand for water.
Xeriscape gardening is a practical, common-sense approach to quality landscapes that conserves water and protects the environment. It is a beautiful way to have twice the landscape for half the water.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Classic lines form today’s Mystery Photo
Today’s Mystery Photo is a classical statue in a great setting, with two flags flying above it. It might be somewhat remote, since not many people are in this scene. Now: where is it? Send your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and tell us in which town you live.
Few readers recognized the last Mystery Photo. Allen Peel of San Antonio, Tex. wrote: “Today’s mystery photo is a shot of the main entrance to the Dohány Street Synagogue in downtown Budapest, Hungary. Sometimes referred to as The Great Synagogue, it was built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish-Revival style, and is based on Islamic architecture from North Africa and medieval Spain. It was the first Hungarian synagogue built on land owned by the Jewish community and it is the largest synagogue in all of Europe with a seating capacity of 3,000 and an additional 2,000 standing people.
The Hebrew inscription that is visible in the bottom of the mystery photo (over the main doorway), can be translated into English as ‘And they made me a temple and I lived among them.’ This is a reference to Chapter 25 of the Book of Exodus (from the Old Testament) where God gives Moses detailed instructions for worship, the end result of which is to build a sanctuary, or tabernacle, where the people can meet with God even in the midst of their desert journey. Specifically Exodus 25:8 states ‘And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.’” The photo came from Clair Danielson of Black Mountain, N.C., via Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Also recognizing the photo were George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; 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.
Labaire is Norcross Gallery artist of the month
Norcross Gallery and Studios has chosen Anne Labaire the Artist of the Month for November, whose works will be on display at Café 45 South from October 27 until November 27. There will be an opening reception on Friday, October 27, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. A former owner of Labaire Pottery, a Fine Crafts Gallery in Norcross, this master of design and color builds on a lifetime of artwork that she has boldly and fearlessly made her own, expressed in many media. A mixture of realism and abstraction, her paintings leave much to the interpretation of the viewer. Labaire also maintains a working studio at the Norcross Gallery and Studios.
The annual fundraiser and sale is Norcross Squares, which raises money to help support artists and community outreach projects: an annual exhibition of artwork by Norcross cluster high school students, a citywide photography competition and exhibition, and outreach projects with People Making Progress, Annandale Villagers, and C.H.E.E.R. homeschool social program. All the paintings in the exhibit are in a square format and will be sold at an ongoing silent auction. Dates of this event are November 2 until December 9, when bidders will excitedly place their final bids.
The Gallery welcomes visitors at the festive Holiday Open House on Saturday November 11, with hot chocolate and peppermint treats in a festive atmosphere.
Gallery hours are 11 am to 4 pm, Thursdays through Saturdays, Phone is 770-840-9844 and the website is norcrossgalleryandstudios.org.
Gwinnett Coalition plans event for Nov. 1
The Gwinnett Coalition (for health and human services) is planning an event for November 1 at their office at 750 Perry Street in Lawrenceville. The event will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Featured speakers include Renee Byrd-Lewis, president and CEO of the Coalition; Gwinnett Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson; Chamber President Nick Masino; Suleima Salgado, chair of the Coalition board; and Lawrenceville Mayor David Still.
“Get IT Done” is the subject of best-selling author and global practice leader, Wall Street Journal’s Chris McChesney, for a leadership seminar on November 1 from 9 a.m. until noon at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta. Breakfast starts at 8:15 a.m. This event is a part of the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia’s nonprofit academy series, designed to equip all leaders – for-profit, nonprofit and individual – with the tools they need to bridge the gap between strategy creation and successful implementation.
Arrival of the Christmas tree for the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse will be Thursday, November 2, at 6 a.m. A team of county employees will begin decorating the 39 -foot Norway Spruce from North Carolina for the 36th annual Lighting of the Tree ceremony, held on Thanksgiving Day.
Ridge Lake Park ribbon cutting in Sugar Hill will be Thursday, November 2, at 5:30 p.m. The 22 acre park is located at 5494 Cumming Highway. This marks the completion of Phase I, including site development, landscape screening, parking, pond/dam reconstruction, restroom/storage building, picnic pavilion, and a dog park. Phase 2 will begin immediately and includes a dock, gazebo, walking trails, and disc golf.
Reading is FUNdamental workshop. Would you like to learn how to build your child’s speech, language, and emergent literacy skills while reading together? If so, this series is for you. This will be held Saturday, November 4, at 11 a.m. at the Norcross branch of Gwinnett County Public Library.
Community Clean-Up in downtown Braselton will be Saturday, November 4. Come help the Downtown Development Authority pick up trash in the historic downtown district from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers will gather on the town green where they will receive supplies and instructions.
Snellville Commerce Club will meet November 7 at noon at Piedmont Eastside Hospital in the ERC classroom on the second floor. Enter at the breast center entrance of Medical Plaza No. 1. This will be a business meeting with reports from Don Britt,president of the Snellville Tourism and Trade Association.
Those wanting to attend Braselton’s fourth annual Cravin’ Bacon Walk should order their tickets now. The event will be December 7 from 5 to 9 a.m. in downtown Braselton. There are two levels of tickets: the $35 Squealer ticket, and the $65 VIP ticket, for those over age 21. For tickets, go here.
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