GwinnettForum | Number 23.67 | Aug. 27, 2024
GATEWAY85 CID has been honored with the Community Impact of the Year Award by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This recognition highlights the impactful work of the Gateway85 Coalition, a partnership launched in 2023 to enhance business opportunities and economic development for the Latino community in Gwinnett County. The Coalition, formed by local business leaders, nonprofits and government officials, focuses on improving access to essential services, education and employment opportunities. The presenter is Gabriela Elisa Lamberson. The award was presented at the Hispanic Chamber’s 40th Anniversary Black Tie Awards Celebration, “A Night of a Million Stars” in August.
TODAY’S FOCUS: County to build Human Resources Center
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Reading this book made me change my priorities
SPOTLIGHT: Aurora Theatre
FEEDBACK: Slander and libel laws would violate First Amendment
UPCOMING: Resident’s team weighing Gwinnett government priorities
NOTABLE: Gwinnett Tech has highest enrollment in history
RECOMMENDED: Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Inscoe was first editor of the New Georgia Encyclopedia
MYSTERY PHOTO: Soaring lady and modern facility are mysteries
CALENDAR: Gwinnett Moxie Awards to be held on Friday
County to build Human Resources Center
Gwinnett County government will construct a 78,8000 square foot, three-story building on Grayson Highway in Lawrenceville focusing on Human Services.
This first-of-its-kind facility for Gwinnett will be located on the same site as the new Gwinnett County Records Management and Storage Facility at 1050 Grayson Highway in Lawrenceville. The building will be at the former Ingles location. Construction is set to begin in January 2025.
This will be a OneStop center to serve as the central hub for the county’s human services and offer community resources, including veteran and family services, workforce development programs and other community and partner spaces for classes and training. It will also be the command center for the county’s Community Navigator Team.
In a partnership with View Point Health, OneStop Gwinnett will address the county’s growing need for mental and behavioral health services. The facility will feature a 30-bed inpatient stabilization unit and a 23-hour temporary observation day center capable of accommodating up to 15 individuals.
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said after years of intentional planning and strategic alignment with the board’s priorities, she expects the facility to have a significant impact.
View Point Health CEO Jennifer Hibbard says: “View Point Health is grateful for the opportunity to locate services in the Gwinnett County OneStop in Lawrenceville. This will be the first-ever behavioral health crisis center with 24/7 access to care in Gwinnett County as well as an outpatient clinic and administrative offices.”
Commissioners awarded a contract for $35 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to Reeves Young, LLC of Sugar Hill for the construction of the facility.
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Reading this book made me change my priorities
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
AUG. 27, 2024 | Every now and then, a book changes your life. Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande, did just that for me.
First, it got me to exercising, that is, back to walking, which I have returned to doing for the last two weeks each day since reading the first part of the book. And yes, already I can feel that I am making progress in depth and strength from this walking. This alone made reading the book worthwhile. And yes, I’ll continue to walk daily.
Secondly, the book gets you thinking about what could happen at your own life’s end, which most of us just put off thinking about. The author forces you to consider what you can do to make dying less onerous for you and others.
The author is a surgeon, and often explains ideas through stories about his patients as they came toward their life’s end. But that is the more technical, and less fulfilling, part of the book.
For those of you who are elderly, ask a question for you to answer: can you … “eat, dress, bathe, groom, get out of bed, get out of a chair, walk and use the toilet” all by yourself? If you cannot do these, then you no longer have the capacity for basic independence. The author restates it in another way: If you cannot “shop for yourself, prepare your own food, maintain your housekeeping, do your laundry, manage your medications, make phone calls, travel on your own and handle your finances,” then you then don’t have basic independence.
Those questions hit me hard, realizing I need more body strength to do these simple functions. Hence the return to walking.
There are several other directions the book takes. The key one is that for those nearing death, the family should seriously consider home hospice. After all, who among us wants to die in a hospital, hooked to several machines, to keep us going?
As the author says, “Medical professionals concentrate on repair of health, not sustenance of the soul.” Meanwhile, hospice professionals want to see the patient live as full a life as possible, while ensuring that they are without pain, in dignity, and are among their loved ones in their own home.
Gawande
Dr. Gawande has this conviction: “Our most cruel failure of how we treat the sick and the aged is the failure to recognize that they have priorities beyond merely being safe and living longer; that the chance to shape one’s story is essential to sustaining meaning in life….”
He points out that if a person is near dying and under hospice care, when matters turn worse, and the patient seems to be nearer death, the tendency of family members is to call 911. But that is the wrong next step. Emergency medical technicians will come in an ambulance, and speed the patient to the hospital, where the hospital will try to prolong life.
Instead, the family should call hospice, who will come and allow matters to take their course, giving the patient care to relieve suffering, be in no pain, with the family there, and die a natural death at home.
Some families find calling hospice, instead of 911, hard to do.
Atul Gawande sums it up with these words about the medical profession: “We’ve been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is to enable well-being.”
Read Being Mortal, no matter what!
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Aurora 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, providing the best live entertainment in northeast Georgia. Aurora Theatre produces Broadway’s best alongside exciting works of contemporary theater. Aurora Theatre manages Lawrenceville Arts Center (LAC) in partnership with the City of Lawrenceville. This $45 million world-class facility, with five venues, has the ability to host a wide variety of performances, weddings, celebrations and community events both indoors and outdoors. Nestled on the historic downtown square, Lawrenceville Arts Center has FREE attached covered parking and is surrounded by restaurants and shops. Don’t miss any of the concerts, stand-up comedy, children’s programs, award-winning theater, or Atlanta’s only professional Spanish language theater, Teatro Aurora. Visit our website to learn more information and secure your seat today!
- For more information or to purchase tickets: http://lvilleartscenter.com/or call 678-226-6222
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Slander and libel laws would violate First Amendment
Editor, the Forum:
Unfortunately, having laws to be able to sue for slander and libel would be a violation of the First Amendment. Not only that, but an individual could be sued by a big corporation or wealthy persons and therefore would dampen free speech, because lawyers are expensive.
A better way might be to have editors at social media companies to edit content for accuracy, as most newspapers and other print publications used to do so well. The demise of newspapers and the rise of social media, which is not monitored for accuracy, has led to more misinformation in the society.
– George Wilson, Stone Mountain
More on the Atlanta newspaper’s coverage
Editor, the Forum:
Let’s concur emphatically about the AJC. It’s not covering the entire region, and the sports page is the absolute worst, unless you are a UGA or Ga. Tech fan. I only read it for the obits and to download the crossword.
– Mike Tennant, Duluth
Dear Mike: Yes, we hear you. War Eagle!—eeb
Find informative gems in GwinnettForum
Editor, the Forum:
Jeff Ploussard’s piece on immigration was an informative little gem of quiet reason. George Wilson’s list of questions for thoughtful Republicans is a must-read for all of us who wonder what ever happened to the real GOP.
The Forum continues to be an oasis of calm sanity in a desert of disinformation and delusion. Thank you.
– Mary Beth Twining, Durham, NC,
Wants more people to hear facts on immigration
Editor, the Forum:
Here’s wishing more people would read and hear the facts about immigration. Many people get their immigration information from Fox news, which sometimes is “slanted.” We need to open our minds (and our hearts) to the facts.
– Barbara Knox Luckhurst, Duluth
Dear Barbara: Sometimes?—eeb
Reduction on insulin came when Biden was president
Editor, the Forum:
Concerning who dropped the price on insulin, according to Google: “Jan. 1, 2024, the $35 price caps for insulin made by Sanofi took effect.” It further stated this was because of the Inflation Act.
I am aware that Eli Lilly did this voluntarily earlier because my dad worked for them for years. I was very proud of them for doing it before being required to do so. However it was while the Inflation Act was being written, and the handwriting was on the wall.
– Ardie Brackett, Lilburn
Dear Ardie: Thank you for clearing this up. Something sounded funny about the previous indication that President Trump did it. Eli Lilly did it alone while Trump was in office. –eeb
Mason brothers had tremendous impact on Gwinnett
Editor, the Forum:
I have bought a cemetery lot and know where I will be buried. I have known both the Masons, Jimmy and Wayne, and know the impact that they have had and still have on the economics of Gwinnett.
– Louise Radloff, Lilburn
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 by to: ebrack2@gmail.com.
Residents team weighing Gwinnett government priorities
A team of residents will weigh in on county government priorities before Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson proposes the 2025 budget.
Gwinnett County department directors and elected officials presented their 2025 business plans to a Citizens Budget Review Team on August 26. Later on, the Review Team will be recommending funding priorities from the viewpoint of residents.
Returning team members David Cuffie, Michael Park and Ronald S. Skeete will again lend their expertise. Cuffie is CEO of Total Vision Consulting LLC and director of church ministries for Berean Christian Church Gwinnett. Park assists clients with commercial insurance and risk management needs and is a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett and a strong advocate for Atlanta’s AAPI community. Skeete is an experienced nonprofit executive who has helped transform communities while also serving as a member of 100 Black Men of North Metro Atlanta, where he volunteers to coordinate programs that serve youth across Cobb, Gwinnett and Fulton counties.
New to the review team is Denise Rumbaugh, a member of the Gwinnett County Zoning Board. Rumbaugh’s service to the community has involved advocating for students in Gwinnett County Public Schools, where she serves on the Disciplinary Action Committee.
The Chairwoman’s proposed 2025 budget will be available to the public and news media when presented to board members in November. Per County ordinance, the Board of Commissioners must adopt the annual budget during its first meeting in January.
Empty nesting is major milestone for parents
Just recently, a major lifetime milestone has come and gone for some families. New high school graduates started college, meaning that many parents returned home to an empty nest.
Georgia Gwinnett College’s David Ludden, Psychology Department chair, says that empty nesters may experience many emotions. “I think for most parents, the experience of sending their children to college is bittersweet. They spend so much time raising their children that part of their identity is being their son or daughter’s parents and having them at home. It’s natural to feel sad when they leave. This is a shift in family life for both the parents and the children.”
Ludden adds that parents should view this milestone in a different light. “It’s not the situation that parents should focus on. It’s how to interpret it. In this case, parents have done a good job raising their children so that they are ready to leave the nest and become self-sufficient adults,” he said.
Becoming an empty nester is also an opportunity. “With children out of the house, parents now have time to refocus their energies on themselves,” Ludden says. “It’s the chance to reinvigorate the marriage now that parents have more time to spend together, whether it’s as simple as taking the time to really talk with each other or planning a date night.”
With extra time, Ludden suggested that parents should rediscover themselves as individuals and as a couple. “Parents should explore their interests and become involved in hobbies or activities they enjoy. They should also pay more attention to their own health, like exercise. It may also include reaching out to a therapist if feelings of emptiness or sadness persist.”
As parents adjust to life in an empty nest, another family dynamic evolves. “Parents need to understand that their children are now adults and that the relationship between parents and children changes,” Ludden feels. “It becomes more of an equal relationship. For example, when our son left for school, we would reach out if we were planning to be in town and ask him if he was available to meet for lunch.”
Gwinnett Tech has highest enrollment in 40-year history
Gwinnett Technical College has recorded the highest enrollment numbers in its 40-year history. More than 11,000 students across the region are flocking to Gwinnett Tech’s dynamic educational programs and career opportunities.
The 2024 Fall semester saw a staggering 20 percent increase in enrollment compared to last year, and this does not include the upcoming fall mini-mester (term C) figures expected in November. This follows a similar 18 percent surge in the past spring semester.
Dr. D. Glen Cannon, president of Gwinnett Tech, credits this phenomenal growth to several key factors. That includes more transfers from traditional four year colleges; programs in high-demand careers with full tuition coverage by HOPE; new campus facilities; affordability and quick entry into the job market; and strong industry partnerships.
Gwinnett Tech now offers over 140 associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs, continually expanding to meet evolving job market demands. Recently, the College introduced 20 new certificates in fields such as information technology, cosmetology/barbering, automotive technology, electrical vehicle technology, film, healthcare, and welding.
Snellville author has new book out about learning
Buchanan
Award winning Snellville author Marlene Ratledge Buchanan has a new book out. It’s called Tips, Tricks and Techniques, a Self-directed Approach to Learning. It is available from Amazon and other sources for $11.24 and consists of 68 pages.
The Buchanan’s son was deprived of oxygen at birth and was Developmentally Delayed, with numerous other disabilities. He was the impetus of all her research to find the best things to help him. This small book contains volumes of information to help parents and their children navigate learning and the world.
Ms. Buchanan is the Georgia Independent Author of the Year winner for 2024.
Garbage pick-up rate going up in Norcross
Beginning September 1, 2024, garbage rates will go up in Norcross. The rate will be increased by 4.8 percent for residential and commercial waste pick-up. The adjustment will be visible to residents on annual tax bills, while commercial charges will be updated on monthly statements. This change aligns with the 4.8 percent annual increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Water, Sewer and Trash Services, as outlined in the City of Norcross’ contract with its provider, Waste Management.
Falling Angels, by Tracy Chevalier
By Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: Maude Coleman and Lavinia Waterhouse become fast friends despite their different backgrounds when they meet in a cemetery where their families have plots. Their parents become acquainted, but do not develop bonds. When Queen Victoria died in 1901, the Waterhouse family went through all of the Victorian rituals, whereas the Colemans looked forward to a more modern England with the new King. The large angel atop the Waterhouse plot is a source of dismay to the Colemans, whereas the Urns at the Coleman plot evokes similar feelings in the Waterhouses. When Maude’s mother Kitty Coleman gets involved with the suffrage movement, she sets in motion a series of events that result in tragedy for both families. Told over nine years, this is a lyrical and beautifully written story of coming of age amidst changing mores and inexplicable circumstances.
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Inscoe was first editor of the New Georgia Encyclopedia
John C. Inscoe is University Professor Emeritus and the Albert B. Saye Professor of History, Emeritus, in the Department of History at the University of Georgia. One of the leading scholars in the fields of Appalachian and southern history, he is the author of several books, has served as secretary-treasurer of the Southern Historical Association, and is the founding editor of the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
Born to Linwood St. Clair Inscoe Jr. and Harriet Cunningham on November 3, 1951, John grew up with his two brothers in Morganton, N.C. His father, a World War II (1941-1945) fighter pilot and prisoner of war, worked as a mechanical engineer at Drexel Furniture Company, and his mother was a leader in the First Presbyterian Church. In 1970 Inscoe enrolled at Davidson College, earning a B.A. in 1974. For the next four years, he taught at Darlington School in Rome where he met Jane Ransom Hawkins, whom he married on August 13, 1977. In 1978 John and Jane moved to Chapel Hill where he completed his Ph.D. in 1985.
With the publication of his first book, Mountain Masters: Slavery and the Sectional Crisis in Western North Carolina (1989), Inscoe emerged as a prominent figure in the field of Appalachian studies. The winner of the Weatherford Award for Nonfiction and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, Mountain Masters shed significant light on the internal political and economic dynamics of antebellum western North Carolina and demonstrated how slavery connected that region to the Deep South’s cotton economy. When combined with The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War (2000), which he co-authored with Gordon B. McKinney, Inscoe profoundly reshaped scholars’ understanding of antebellum and Civil War era Appalachia.
An award-winning teacher, Inscoe joined the Department of History at UGA as a temporary instructor in 1984. Hired as an assistant professor in 1988, he earned the title of Distinguished University Professor in 2005 and the Albert B. Saye Professorship of History in 2010.
Inscoe mentored countless graduate students. His popular community studies graduate seminar launched dozens of theses and dissertations.
Inscoe also volunteered his time to several organizations. As a doctoral student, Inscoe presented his first conference paper at the Appalachian Studies Association meeting in Pipestem, W.Va. in 1983. It was the beginning of a fruitful relationship. He presented five more times at their meetings and served in a variety of official positions In 1989 he became editor of the Georgia Historical Society’s Georgia Historical Quarterly, a position that he held until 2000.
In 1999 Inscoe became the founding editor of the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the nation’s first born-digital state encyclopedia. Inscoe concluded his editorship at New Georgia Encyclopedia in 2022.
Inscoe’s commitment to research, teaching, and service made him the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards. In 2005 Inscoe received the Governor’s Award in the Humanities. Seven years later the Georgia Association of Historians presented him with the Hugh McCall Award, an honor given every three years to a historian “in recognition of scholarly attainment, excellence in teaching, and/or encouragement of the study of history.”
Inscoe retired from teaching at UGA in 2019, but his influence remains very present even as he enjoys more time with his wife and their children, Meg and Clay.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Soaring lady and modern facility are mysteries
Today’s mystery is a statue in front of a modern building. See if you can figure out where this photograph was made. Send your answer to ebrack2@gmail.com, and include your hometown.
The last mystery photo had little in the way of clues as to its location. But George Graf of Palmyra, Va., as almost always, came through with the identification: “It’s the door latch of a former Amtrak material handling car located at the Southeastern Railway Museum, 3595 Buford Highway in Duluth.” Also recognizing it were Mikki Dillon, Lilburn and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex.
- 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: ebrack2@gmail.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Gwinnett Moxie Awards to be held Friday
STEM Mathematics Workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, at 4 p.m. at the Peachtree Corners Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Learn more about the discovery of infinity, use fractals on paper to show infinity and create fractals with toothpicks and marshmallows! Perfect for ages six and up.
Healthy Living Workshop is scheduled for August 27 from 3-5 p.m. at the Lawrenceville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Join community health experts for a brief wellness workshop to learn more about maintaining your physical, mental, and social health.
Gwinnett’s Moxie Awards will be presented on Friday, August 30, at 10 a.m. at the Gas South Arena. More than 120 finalists across seven categories will be recognized. Keynote speaker will be Emmy Award-Winning News Anchor and Journalist Monica Pearson.
Citizenship Preparation Class is scheduled at the Dacula Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library on September 4 at 6 p.m. Are you about to take the exam and interview for U.S. citizenship? Register for our eight-week course covering all subject matter related to the citizenship exam and interview.
Author Talk with Martha Boone will be held September 5 at noon at the Lawrenceville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Join the author as she discusses Mother Charity, the long-awaited sequel to The Big Free. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Visit Coolray Field on Saturday, September 7 for the 15th annual Public Safety Fall Festival! Come out from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to meet our first responders and enjoy food, giveaways, demonstrations, and displays. Kids will love the touch-a-truck experience featuring a SWAT personnel carrier, fire trucks, and other specialized vehicles. There will also be a Motorcycle Training Challenge showcasing courses from multiple police agencies. This event is open to residents of all ages and abilities. Email this address for more information. Coolray Field is located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville.
British Car Fayre will return to Norcross on Saturday, September 7, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the downtown area. This annual marking of all things British means classic cars, motorcycles and other items British. Over 400 vehicles are expected, with proceeds going to local charities.
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