SNELLVILLE PLANS CEREMONY: There will be a ceremony to honor veterans with a wreath placing at the new Veteran’s Memorial on Wednesday, November 11, at 7:30 p.m. There will be speeches from dignitaries and patriotic music. To conclude the event, there will be a “Light Up the Sky” ceremony, during which attendees can honor their loved ones who served in the military. Those wishing to take part in the event can buy cards which will display the name of a beloved veteran, at Wild Wing Café on Georgia Highway 124 or at the event. Cards are $5. (Photo by Brian Arrington.)
IN THIS EDITIONTODAY’S FOCUS: Major Improvements Seen in Gwinnett Library System
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Lilburn Councilman To Take Seat with Plurality Victory
FEEDBACK: Items on Huckabee, E-SPLOST, Closing Bars Earlier….and an Error
UPCOMING: Snellville Presents Well-Known Artist; Entries Sought in Promoting Event
NOTABLE: Dahlonega’s Calhoun Gold Mine Offered at Auction
RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT: Glen Ella Springs
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Yamacraw Indians Important When Oglethorpe Founded Georgia
TODAY’S QUOTE: On the Differences Between Hearing and Seeing
MYSTERY PHOTO: Four Readers Identify Recent Mystery
LAGNIAPPE: Vines Park Wins National Award
TODAY’S FOCUSChairman outlines recent improvements in Gwinnett Public Library
By Dick Goodman, chair, Gwinnett County Library Board of Trustees
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. Nov. 10, 2015 | On behalf of the entire board of the Gwinnett County public library board, (myself; Betty Atkinson, Lawrenceville; Babs Wagoner, Duluth; Suzanne Skeen, Duluth and Deborah Oscarson, Lawrenceville), I’d like to report on recent developments at the Gwinnett County libraries. Many of these may appear minor, but cumulatively they represent major improvements in the level and quality of service for our patrons. Significantly, they have come about as a result of the leadership and professionalism of our library director, Charles Pace.
Goodman
Charles joined us in January, 2013. Since then he has worked to make Gwinnett’s library system a model of the 21st century library. Many of the things Charles has done have taken place behind the scenes. The net effect has been better and more services for all library patrons. It started with his re-assessing the staffing needs in the branches and adjusting them to better utilize the library’s limited financial and personnel resources.
Recently he restored Saturday morning hours. Now all branches are open at 10 a.m., where previously they opened at noon. It was a simple fix that gave patrons something they’ve been clamoring for.
One of the first actions he took was to replace some of the public service librarians with “early education literacy associates.” This saved money, but most significantly it added a dedicated children’s specialist in each branch. With these changes, the children’s program attendance has doubled over the past two years.
The library has created an “assistive learning center” at the Lawrenceville branch to provide resources for patrons with disabilities. This included special software and adjustable height furniture to help people with physical or visual impairments.
Charles has encouraged individual initiatives by staff members. In the Centerville branch, for example, the manager and another staff member implemented a STEM initiative to give kids hands-on experience with science and technology. It may be a model for similar programs in other branches.
Library trustees include, from left, Deborah Oscarson, Babs Wagoner, Suzanne Skeen, Dick Goodman and Betty Atkinson.
The library is now making much more effective use of volunteers. Charles has expanded opportunities for volunteers, no longer limiting them to just shelving books. Today, volunteers are invited to take on more responsibilities, such as doing story times, and other programming functions. This is a much more satisfying experience for them, and importantly, it encourages more volunteerism and frees up staff for higher level tasks.
In April, the library went through a strategic planning process. Three years ago was a long, drawn out undertaking. This most recent one, a one-day retreat with nearly 60 recognized community leaders (instead of a series of sparsely attended multiple focus groups), has given the library a clear road map for the next three years. And notably, this one came with an implementation plan that assigns specific tasks, goals and time-lines for implementation. It was the best strategic planning process I’ve ever been through.
A terrific communicator, Charles has strengthened the library’s relationship with funding authorities by, among other things, for the first time ever, meeting with the entire board of county commissioners to explain the library’s mission, services, plans and challenges.
And very importantly, behind the scenes he made a number of important management level changes. He hired a new business services director (CFO), a human resources director and a marketing specialist. These people have brought new energy, professionalism and insight to the way the library conducts business and delivers services.
The board is pleased with what has been accomplished in less than two years, and we hear that our patrons are as well. We are confident that this is only the beginning.
EEB PERSPECTIVELilburn resident wins council post with less than majority vote
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
NOV. 10, 2015 | There was one surprising vote from last week’s city elections in Gwinnett. One candidate, in Lilburn, went into office without a majority of the vote. He is Brian Burchik, who won a seat on the Lilburn Council with 48.1 percent of the vote. Lilburn, as far as we can tell, is the only city in Gwinnett where candidates can win an election with a plurality of the vote.
Burchik had 279 votes, six shy of a majority-plus-one of the 568 votes cast. Teresa Czyz finished second with 182 votes, and Michelle West garnered 107 votes.
As Lilburn Clerk Melissa Penate said, winning without a majority surprised a lot of people in Gwinnett. But recognize that it means that Lilburn didn’t have to have a costly run-off vote.
While we can advocate plurality voting, we would like to see the candidates get at least 40 percent before being declared a winner. After all, should 10 people be in a race, you could have newly-elected public official with 11 percent of the vote!
Congratulations, Brian, on your “stunning” victory!
Hunter
Ronald Hunter, a professor of criminal justice/criminology at Georgia Gwinnett College, has been recognized with a 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. The award was presented to Hunter at the Hall of Fame Celebratory Brunch, held recently in Tallahassee, Fla. As a scholar, Hunter has presented numerous papers at regional, national, and international criminology/criminal justice meetings, and has published many articles and book chapters dealing with crime prevention, policing, research methods, and criminological theory.
How moviemakers will pull this one off is beyond me.
You see, the Clint Eastwood film about Pilot C.B. ‘Sully” Sullenberger landing an jetliner on the Hudson River in 2009 ……is being partially filmed in Georgia! The movie is simply called “Sully.” One scene where the young Sully is learning to fly an airplane was filmed at Pike County’s’ Peach State Airport in Williamson, Ga., as reported in the Pike County Journal.
Will they use the Chattahoochee River for the filming of the landing? If so, they’ll have to patch in lots of tall buildings along the banks!
It’s another way Georgia is benefiting from its provision giving a tax rate to films made partially within the state. It’s paying off more and more each year, with several films being shot partially in Gwinnett County.
To kick off a celebration of 50 years of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the federal agency recently recognized 50 projects of special significance that have enriched and shaped American lives. One of those was the New Georgia Encyclopedia (NGE), a program of Georgia Humanities Council in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System of Georgia/GALILEO, and the office of the Governor.
The Georgia Encyclopedia is the first state encyclopedia conceived exclusively for publication on the Internet. NGE has served as a model for other state encyclopedia projects seeking NEH funding.
Readers have commented for years favorably on the inclusion of an Encyclopedia in this publication. There’s reason: It’s authoritative, richly illustrated, and free to everyone.
Georgia Humanities president Jamil Zainaldin adds: “The NGE is quite an achievement, thanks to the tremendous usage of the site by educators, tourists, journalists, and others who care about our state’s history and culture.”
IN THE SPOTLIGHTAurora Theatre
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Aurora Theatre, celebrating their 20th anniversary as home of the best entertainment in northeast Georgia. With over 600 events annually, Aurora Theatre has live entertainment to suit everyone’s taste. Aurora Theatre’s Peach State Federal Credit Union Signature Series is comprised of Broadway’s best plays and musicals alongside exciting works of contemporary theatre. Additionally, Aurora produces concerts, comedy club events, children’s programs, and metro Atlanta’s top haunted attraction, Lawrenceville Ghost Tours. Aurora Theatre is a world-class theatrical facility with two performances venues. It is nestled on the square in historic downtown Lawrenceville, with free attached covered parking and is surrounded by myriad of restaurants and shops.
- For more information or to purchase tickets: http://www.auroratheatre.com or call 678-226-6222.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: Our sponsors.
Reader finds Mike Huckabee’s recent posting most pleasing
Editor, the Forum:
This is from Gov. Mike Huckabee’s recent posting:
“Washington politicians voted last week and now every American taxpayer will owe $167,000 in debt! Had enough? My plan to burn down the corrupt political machines is simple:
1) Term Limits for Congress and judges. Going to Washington should not be a career.
2) No budget, no pay for the President or Congress. If the President or Congress won’t do their job, they don’t get paid.
3) Abolish the IRS and pass the FairTax. Enough tinkering with the tax code, we need a tax revolution!
4) Stop raiding Social Security. Washington has done enough lying and stealing! 5) Require Congress to get their healthcare from the V.A. No American veteran will ever rot and die again if they’re waiting in line alongside a U.S. Senator.
6) End the Department of Education. Kill Common Core and restore common sense!
7) Lifetime ban on lobbying for members of Congress. Going to Washington should not be a career.
8) Pass a balanced budget amendment. I did it for 10 years as governor despite facing the Clinton machine and most Democrat legislature in America. Why can’t Washington?”
— Via Steve Rausch, Peachtree Corners
Dear Steve: Glad you sent this in. We were distressed to see Gov. Huckabee eliminated from the next GOP debate. Somehow doesn’t seem fair to eliminate what are considered major candidates. The political party should control this, not the electronic media. –eeb
Finds sales tax inescapable and reason for getting his vote
Editor, the Forum:
The low turnout for the ESPLOST vote was matched only by cynical feeling that many had about having such an important decision on an off-year election, when there is little else to bring you to the polls. In most parts of the country, it was the only question.
Whether fact or fiction, many feel that it’s deliberately scheduled that way so that only those who benefit from it will vote. I personally advocated it because of the alarming number of large apartments being built that are tax-negative when school costs are factored in. A sales tax is inescapable, and all have to pay their fair share.
— Joe Briggs, Buford
“Spot on” for advocating closing bars in Gwinnett earlier in the a.m.
Editor, the Forum:
Spot on Sir, about your advocating closing bars earlier! Nothing good goes on after midnight. A deadline should be 2 a.m., should be the latest any bar/club should be open.
— Tim Sullivan, Buford
Two readers spot typo in recent Raines Encyclopedia tidbit
Editor, the Forum:
Very interesting article on Aviator Hazel Raines! Being an old commercial pilot, I can really appreciate her accomplishments. The picture of her reminds me of my aunt Meta, my mother’s oldest sister. She served in the WACS during World War II, also, and she and Raines favor!
One thing though; There is a typo on Raines’ age at death. She was born in 1916, so she would have been 40 at her death. Good issue. Keep up the good work!
— David Earl Tyre, Jesup
Editor, the Forum:
I believe Hazel Gaines was 40 when she died, not 30, as stated in your otherwise terrific article on this pioneer of aviation. Thanks!
— Leo Lawrenson, Suwanee
Dear David Earl and Leo: Good eyes on both of you. She was indeed 40. Let me tell you how this error came about: When we take articles from the Georgia Encyclopedia, we sometimes shorten them, and usually edit them to conform to newspaper style. Many of their articles are from historians, who spell-out many numbers. So we changed “forty” to 30, and goofed up. Now you know. Entirely our error. –eeb
- SEND FEEDBACK AND LETTERS: elliott@brack.net
Snellville to host famed Atlanta artist Junko Ono Rothwell
Atlanta artist Junko Ono Rothwell’s art will be featured in Snellville City Hall beginning Nov. 13. The gallery is located in the Community Room in City Hall, 2342 Oak Road. The art can be viewed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Rothwell
Ms. Rothwell says of her work: “My subjects are people, places and the things around me. Nature, the change of seasons, the change of color of daylight always inspire me, and also people, their movement and their atmosphere. I try to capture the beauty of everyday life and ordinary things.”
Rothwell received her art degree from Okayama University in Japan. She has had numerous one-person and group shows. She has shown in selected National Exhibitions including the American Artists Professional League National Exhibition and the Pastel Society of America in New York and the Pastel Society of Japan in Tokyo.
Water Birds, by Rothwell
She is a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Society of America, a member of excellence of the Atlanta Artists Club and the Southeastern Pastel Society, a Fellow of the American Artist Professional League of New York, and a Board Member of the Pastel Society of Japan.
She is represented by Anderson Fine Art and Frameworks Gallery in Georgia and Wells Gallery and Portfolio Gallery of South Carolina.
“Most of my paintings are done on location,” she says. “For figure paintings I paint from live models. I can learn and understand more with the subject in front of me. The most important thing is to paint what I feel. For instance, plein air painting is wonderful because when I stand in a field I can watch water rise at high tide, smell the ocean, hear the birds and taste the salt air. When I paint on location I see and feel everything vividly, as if I have become part of nature. This is what I try express on my canvas.”
Recreation Department seeks entries for Chattahoochee Art Event
Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation (GCPR) is seeking submissions of an original graphic design for use on promotional material and t-shirts for its 2016 Art on the Chattahoochee event. The winning design will receive a $250 cash prize, second place will receive $100, and third place will receive $50. Cash prizes are generously awarded by the Gwinnett Parks Foundation. Submission is free and deadline is 5 p.m. on January15, 2016.
In 2016, Art on the Chattahoochee will have a new location at Simpsonwood Park, in addition to a 3K Fun Run to kick off the event. The winning design will be featured on the runners’ t-shirts and all promotional material. Art on the Chattahoochee will be held on April 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring unique work of local artists, live performances, artist demonstrations, food trucks and a Budding Artist Kids’ Zone.
The logo design contest is open to all ages, for design criteria and submission rules, or Art on the Chattahoochee call 678-277-0920 or visit www.gwinnettparks.com. Simpsonwood Park is located at 4511 Jones Bridge Circle in Peachtree Corners.
NOTABLEDahlonega’s Calhoun Gold Mine being offered at auction
A Dahlonega, Ga., gold mine is being listed for auction on December 2. You can buy it if you have a few million dollars. The Calhoun Gold mine, on South Chestatee Streeet in Dahlonega, consists of 483 acres, and is being offered at auction by Micoley.com, a Green Bay, Wisconsin real estate auction firm.
After the Georgia Gold Rush in 1829, John C. Calhoun, the seventh Vice President of the United States, purchased the land included in this property, permanently lending his name to the site. The Calhoun Mine was added to the National Register of Historical Places and named a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
The property is listed at $5,100,000 with an opening bid of $2,950,000 if no offer is received before the December 2 auction.
The property is located outside the City of Dahlonega, with 135 acres under permanent conservation with an easement that is perfect for hiking, hunting, fishing, and ATV use on existing roads. The property can be subdivided and/or annexed into the City of Dahlonega.
The property includes not just the Calhoun Gold Mine, but also the Calhoun Dam and Stamp Mill and a 14×40 shed.. Three homes also exist on the property.
Micoley.com founder and CEO Wade T. Micoley says: “The Calhoun Mine is a National Historic Landmark for a reason. It’s simply a beautiful piece of land. We cannot wait to match a buyer with the property who will continue to uphold its tradition with the same zeal the Calhoun family did in the 1800s.”
- Interested parties should visit this link to find more photos and details about the property, or visit in person.
Author Winston Groom to visit Gwinnett on Nov. 16
Celebrated historian Winston Groom will visit Gwinnett on November 16, talking about his book, The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II. It tells the intertwined and uniquely American tales of George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, and George Marshall – from the World War I battle that shaped them to their greatest victory: leading the allies to victory in World War II. The event will be Monday, November 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Norcross Cultural Arts Center.
Grooms
These three remarkable men-of-arms who rose from the gruesome hell of the First World War to become the finest generals of their generation during World War II redefined America’s ideas of military leadership and brought forth a new generation of American soldier. Their efforts revealed to the world the grit and determination that would become synonymous with America in the post-war years. Filled with novel-worthy twists and turns, and set against the backdrop of the most dramatic moments of the twentieth century, The Generals is a powerful, action-packed book filled with marvelous surprises and insights into the lives of America’s most celebrated warriors.
Winston Groom is the author of 14 previous books, including Forrest Gump; The Aviators; Conversations with the Enemy (nominated for a Pulitzer Prize); 1942: The Year That Tried Men’s Souls; Vicksburg, 1863; and Shiloh, 1862.
RECOMMENDEDGlen Ella Springs
For years we’ve heard of Glen Ella Springs, a North Georgia bed and breakfast with highly-lauded restaurant. We finally visited recently. We now know what we had heard is true: the food is delicious, well presented, reasonable and tasty. Yes, we agree with others: it’s one of the top dining experiences in Georgia. What we particularly like is that the menu is not extensive: yet there are perhaps a half dozen choices for appetizer, main courses, and desserts. There’s a good selection of drinks, too. And the setting is off the beaten path, though quite easy to get to. We didn’t stay the night, but look forward some day to their breakfast, too. If you’re out for a good experience, visit Glen Ella Springs, off (we love this) “Bear Gap Road” near Clarkesville and Tallulah Falls. –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
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBITYamacraw Indians important when Oglethorpe founded Georgia
The Yamacraw Indians were a small band that existed from the late 1720s to the mid-1740s in the Savannah area. First led by Tomochichi and then by his nephew and heir Toonahowi, they consisted of about 200 people and contained a mix of Lower Creeks and Yamasees. Most eventually reintegrated themselves with the Lower Creeks to avoid future confrontation with European intruders.
Before the Yamacraws’ formation, the Creeks and the Yamasees dominated the region now known as the state of Georgia. Both nations came under the economic influence of British traders based out of Charleston, S.C. As the Indians slid further into debt, the British required immediate payment in the forms of deerskins and/or Indian slaves.
Rather than submit to these demands, the Yamasees attacked British traders and settlers in backcountry South Carolina in 1715, resulting in the Yamasee War, and the Creeks joined their relatives in the fight. When hostilities ended two years later, the Creeks, led by Brims, were quick to re-establish trade with the British, which offended their Yamasee allies, who instead linked with the Spanish out of St. Augustine, in present-day Florida.
Indians who disagreed with these alliances broke away from their brethren in 1728 and formed the Yamacraws under Tomochichi’s leadership. They relocated to the bluffs overlooking the Savannah River, choosing the site for its vacancy, its proximity to British traders, and its spiritual significance as the resting place of Tomochichi’s ancestors. Here they created a new town and prospered quietly until more British settlers, led by James Edward Oglethorpe, arrived in February 1733.
Tomichichi
Tomochichi negotiated with Oglethorpe and agreed to move his village upstream from the new outpost that would become Savannah. The two men became strong allies and helped to maintain communication among the various ethnic groups in the area at that time. Many Yamacraws returned inland and rejoined their Lower Creek kinsmen as more British colonists settled in Georgia. With Tomochichi’s death in 1739 and Toonahowi’s death in 1743, the Yamacraws ceased to be an influential force.
The Yamacraws followed many of the same traditions shared by all southeastern Indians, including political organization based on towns and familial connections centered around clans. British treaty negotiations with the Lower Creeks in May 1733 suggest that the Creeks’ accepted the Yamacraws as a branch of their larger polity, which opened the possibilities for additional kinship ties and for the return of repentant individuals.
The Yamacraws believed in one god and an afterlife and that spirits inhabited all objects, natural and man-made. Since the group developed in the years after contact with whites, the Yamacraws were already familiar with European traders and had acquired the diplomatic skills necessary to negotiate shrewdly with newcomers and to choose their alliances carefully. They understood the importance of trade and relied upon outposts like the one Mary Musgrove, a Creek-British woman, operated nearby to supply them with certain items in exchange for deerskins and other native goods.
The Yamacraws, as a subsidiary of the Lower Creeks, lasted for less than two decades before merging with that larger nation to avoid encroaching British settlers.
- To access the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Try your hand at identifying this tourist attraction
This edition’s Mystery Photo shows a relatively peaceful scene and is a well-known tourist site. See if you can identify this place. Send your answers to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include the town where you live.
OK, we admit it. We tried to sneak a local scene past our readers in the last edition. Only a few people easily recognized Old Town Suwanee, though for the life of us, we don’t remember who sent it in. But spotting it was Bob Foreman of Grayson; Susan McBurney of Sugar Hill’ Carolyn Hill of Suwanee; and Richard Lux of Trickum, who said: “This is in the historic part of Suwanee, although it looks as though it could be somewhere in New England, from this photo, (or even Highlands, N.C.”
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