GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE students applaud and celebrate the naming of Dr. Richard Pennington, professor of chemistry, as the 2023-2024 Outstanding Teaching Award winner. For more details of this and other awards at the ceremony, see Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: The Road Forward: Gwinnett’s transit plan
EEB PERSPECTIVE: The coming of fall and enjoying college football
SPOTLIGHT: Peach State Federal Credit Union
FEEDBACK: Another government buys mall and takes it down
UPCOMING: With new rates, mortgages and car loans could fall
NOTABLE: Richard Pennington is GGC’s outstanding teacher
RECOMMENDED: Astor, by Anderson Cooper
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Physics distinguished at Ga. Tech and Clark Univ.
MYSTERY PHOTO: Check out the features and clues of this building
CALENDAR: State of the City of Norcross will be Sept. 26
The Road Forward: Gwinnett’s transit plan
By Lewis Cooksey
Gwinnett County Transportation Director
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | With over a million residents in Gwinnett, we at the Gwinnett Department of Transportation (DOT) are focused on ensuring that we are providing connectivity and access to move around the county’s 437 square miles. With more cars on the road, it’s clear we need a better way to get around.
Cooksey
This is why we are focusing on improving mobility for all—not just to ease traffic but to connect people to jobs, shopping, education, and entertainment. When new residents move to Gwinnett, providing a high quality of life—including the best transportation options to connect where they live, work, and play—is essential.
In September 2023, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved a robust transit plan based on public input to address critical services such as health care, jobs, and schools. The plan seeks to provide the infrastructure that supports mobility for all, while leveraging technology and improving the reliability of transit services. This comprehensive plan includes a variety of solutions to build a stronger transit system and aims for 100 percent countywide coverage, starting with a foundation of microtransit services.
The introduction of zone-based microtransit, offering curb-to-curb shared-ride service, has been a game changer for residents, making it easier to reach their destinations. Recently, we spoke with a resident who shared that without the microtransit service in Snellville, their son and daughter wouldn’t have had an affordable way to get to work. Our Ride Gwinnett app allows users to book and pay for service within designated zones. Microtransit is currently available in Snellville, Lawrenceville, and, most recently, as a pilot program in Norcross. It operates Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. With smaller vehicles, quicker trips are available.
Click image to read the executive summary.
Both residents and business owners are excited about the proposed Airport Ride from Gwinnett County to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This service will operate on-demand, allowing residents to book trips in advance. Available from multiple locations in the county, up to seven days a week, it will offer a convenient one-seat ride to the airport.
The transit plan also includes a 26-mile Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to move large numbers of people quickly and frequently. This service will feature stations, dedicated bus-only lanes, transit signal priority, queue jumps and off-board payment, serving major destinations like Northside Hospital Gwinnett, Gwinnett Technical College, Gas South District, and Jimmy Carter Boulevard at OFS.
For longer trips within the county, the plan proposes a traditional local fixed-route bus service, called County Ride. This service will have more frequent buses and use transit signal priority to ensure buses reach their destinations on time. Transit signal priority communicates with traffic lights to improve travel times for buses.
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved a referendum for a Transit Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (Transit SPLOST) that will be on the November 5 ballot for the voters to determine whether to fund transit projects with Transit SPLOST revenues. If passed, the one percent sales tax would fund up to 75 projects over 30 years.
Currently, Ride Gwinnett is funded by property taxes, federal funds, grants, and fares. This dedicated Transit SPLOST would be paid for by everyone who makes purchases in Gwinnett. If voters approve the tax, our goal is to add microtransit zones, implement the Airport Ride and design our Bus Rapid Transit in the first five years.
One key difference from previous referendums is that this transit plan does not include heavy rail or MARTA. I encourage you to learn more about the referendum so you can make an informed decision when voting.
- Visit GwinnettCounty.com/YourRide to explore the plan in detail.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
The coming of fall and enjoying college football
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 24, 2024 | There’re many reasons to enjoy the fall season. There is the cooler weather, the turning leaves, the return to a more normal-than-summer schedule….and college football. The best part of college football is that you can sit in your own television chair and virtually have a front row seat for the best games of that day, in essence enjoying several top games.
Television has also allowed us to enjoy the top high school game of the week in Georgia. But you note, we leave out pro football. We’re no fans. We don’t watch it, until deep into the playoff games. And then we have no favorite pro team, for the ages have proven, you are lonely looking for Falcon victories.
Perhaps the best part of the college game is the unpredictable nature of the game. All of a sudden, a lowly team takes down a powerhouse. It happens over and over, virtually every week of the season. That alone makes the matches more interesting.
Nearby, there was Georgia Tech taking down heavily favored Florida State in the overseas opener. And FSU, coming off an undefeated regular season, continued to flap around ineptly, finally winning their first game of the year in its fourth try, against a weak California team, 14-9 last weekend. Don’t expect FSU to score easy victories in coming weeks, facing strong SMU, Clemson and Miami teams, with Duke also on that stretch of the schedule. Then FSU plays Miami and Notre Dame. Their only easy game: against Charleston Southern, but watch out!
Though we spent a year at a Big Ten school, we’ve been no fan of their teams. But look at the big surprise of that enlarged now Big 18 Conference: most-times lowly Indiana, the Hoosiers. They’re 4-0 to start this season, the best start ever for Indiana football, which is quite a surprise. We suspect it’s because of their coach Curt Cignetti, who has been successful at other schools, at Elon and James Madison, where he was 11-1 in his fifth season, and 52-9 for his five seasons at James Madison. He’s another model of successful coaches having successful teams. The not-so-good coaches don’t win, and often, simply get out of coaching.
Another Big Ten (18) team making a racket this year is Illinois, also 4-0, and upending Nebraska last week. We’ll know more about the Illini this weekend, when they face 3-0 Penn State.
Back to the Southeastern Conference. It’s playing pretty good football, having four of five top teams in the nation. Texas is on top, followed by Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Tennessee. That’s pretty tall cotton!
In the top college game of the week, Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide. The last time the Bulldogs were in Tuscaloosa, in 2020, the Tide won 41-24. We’ll see how new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer does against Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs. The winner could be the SEC champion, but remember there’s also Texas and Tennessee seeking that title. The game is at 6:30 on ABC. I’ll be watching, but switching to see what’s happening in other games!
Enjoyable part of the football season so far: hearing Brad Nessler of Duluth and Gary Danielson and their expert analysis and play-by-play description of top Big Ten games. While we often turn off the sound for most games, these guys know what they are doing, and make the game more enjoyable.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
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Another government buys mall and takes it down
Editor, the Forum:
Good old Gwinnett County can’t keep the checkbook closed. $16.5 million for just the Macy’s properties? Check out Stratford Square mall in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The village bought the whole mall for $16 million , closed it in April, and will begin demolition in October. Much better location with higher land values than Duluth.
How long is Gwinnett Place going to be sitting there losing tax revenue while the county “geniuses “ keep raising the price tag on redevelopment with basically nothing done?
Another CoolRay field disaster in the making? Lots of promises and few returns.
– Dan Mackaben, Crystal Lake, Ill.
Dear Dan: You never said what that Illinois community will do at the mall site. Please give us more details.—eeb
Notes order of signatures from Georgia
Editor, the Forum:
Here’s a photo of a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Note the Georgia signers are the far left hand column of signatories. Button Gwinnett at top, Lyman Hall and George Walton at bottom. The three are in order based on last name alphabetical, G H W, top to bottom. As a history buff, I find this interesting.
– Stewart 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: ebrack2@gmail.com.
With new rates, mortgages and car loans could fall
What does the cut in interest rates by the Federal Reserve mean and how does it affect individuals and the economy as a whole?
Vinson
Dr. Philip Vinson, assistant professor of economics at Georgia Gwinnett, says there are many factors that will influence the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) decision about interest rates. The last FOMC meeting where they raised rates was September 17-18.
Factors that influenced the FOMC’s decision to cut rates include inflation and the unemployment rate.
Vinson notes that “Inflation has fallen to 2.5 percent as of August, which is the lowest level since February 2021. This means that the Fed has nearly, but not quite, hit their inflation target.”
On the other hand, the unemployment rate has remained steady at 4.2 percent. “While 4.2 is still considered low, there is increasing concern that higher interest rates are jeopardizing labor markets and economic growth, so the overwhelming consensus is that Feds are about to cut rates at their September meeting,” he says.
With inflation steadily declining and the unemployment rate remaining low, what impact might a rate cut have on the average consumer? Vinson feels: “With lower rates, many things will be cheaper, such as investments for businesses and loans for consumers. More business activity also means increased hiring.”
While assets like housing prices could increase, overall, mortgages and car loans will likely become cheaper, making it a more favorable environment for borrowers,” Vinson says.
Dr. Philip Vinson is an assistant professor of economics at Georgia Gwinnett College specializing in macroeconomics and the intersection of housing prices and consumer behavior.
Chamber recognizes 11 businesses being certified
The Gwinnett Chamber Foundation announces that 11 small businesses in its inaugural certification cohort have achieved full Minority Business Enterprise, or Woman Owned Small Business certification, through the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. This significant milestone was reached in 60 days, a process that typically takes three to six months.
Newly certified members of the cohort include:
- Armor Industrial Services
- BGMart Construction
- Carter Construction Partners Inc.
- Empire Contracting, LLC
- Lead with Coach Jeimy, LLC
- LPZ Construction LLC
- Pampa Bay Landscape
- Simply HR Inc.
- The Edge Agency
- Wandaful Herbs
- Westbridge Solutions, LLC
The expedited success of these minority-owned businesses is a direct result of the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation’s targeted support, strategic marketing efforts, and comprehensive resources. By providing individualized coaching and guidance, the Foundation’s team ensured the businesses crafted relevant messaging and had the essential translation services to complete requirements on time and with excellence. This collaborative effort was made possible through a technical assistance grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and JPMorgan Chase.
Deirdra Cox, executive director of the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation, says: “We are committed to empowering minority, veteran, and women-owned businesses with the resources they need to succeed. Achieving these certifications in just 60 days is a testament to the dedication of our team and the businesses in our cohort. This accomplishment aligns perfectly with our mission and highlights the importance of tailored support in navigating the community.”
This achievement reflects the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation’s commitment to fostering minority-owned business success and sets a new standard for what can be accomplished through focused collaboration and community assistance.
Pennington is GGC’s outstanding teacher
Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) annual Fall Recognition Ceremony recently honored six faculty and two staff members for embracing its four pillars of scholarship, leadership, service and creativity.
The faculty awards are the result of nominations submitted by GGC students.
Dr. Richard Pennington, professor of chemistry, received the 2023-2024 Outstanding Teaching Award. Pennington is no stranger to this honor, having been recognized in 2012-2013. He says: “Organic chemistry is one of those subjects that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I struggled with it myself as a student, but my professors made it as enjoyable as possible. That’s what I do for my students; make the students comfortable. I want them to understand I’m not a robot standing in front of the class and they’re not a number.”
The key, Pennington adds, is to let students know that they are there for them from day one and that it’s okay to ask questions and for help. “I had a student last semester who was shy and introverted. She told me that she would sit alone in the class and just do her work. Now, she’s in my second semester class and she’ll answer every question I ask and lead discussion groups with her classmates. It’s such a turnaround for her and gratifying for me to see her shine.”
At the end of the second semester class, Pennington asks his students to share what advice they would give to incoming students. That document, which he said he updates every semester, is available for all students to read. “The advice students give is very thoughtful and helpful to new students in the class. They talk about what you should do, and what happens if you don’t do what’s needed to succeed.”
Since joining GGC in 2007, he has received multiple honors including the Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award – 2013-2014, the Technology Association of Georgia Excalibur Award in 2011, and the Blackboard Catalyst Award for innovative Mobile Technology in 2012.
Other award winners include:
- Carrie Tatum, a part-time lecturer in psychology in the School of Liberal Arts, received the Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Teaching Award.
- Dr. Maryann White, associate professor of Criminal Justice/Criminology in the School of Liberal Arts, received the Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Award.
- Dr. Fengjie Sun, professor of biology in the School of Science and Technology, received the Outstanding Faculty Scholarship and Creative Activities Award.
- Dr. Cindy Robertson, associate professor of information technology in the School of Science and Technology, received the Outstanding Faculty Service Award.
- Dr. Sairam Tangirala, professor of physics in the School of Science and Technology, received the Outstanding Faculty Student Engagement Award.
Two staff members were recognized with Outstanding Staff Awards. They are Diana Gonzalez, a former student success adviser, and Jessica Manahan, administrative assistant in the School of Liberal Arts.
Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune by Anderson Cooper
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: Following on the success of Vanderbilt two years ago, Astor tells the story of the Gilded Age family who looked down their noses at those tacky, upstart, nouveau riche Vanderbilts. It was the Astors who ruled New York before all the other big names and it was the Astors who were America’s first millionaires. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about my favorite time in American history. First there was John Jacob Astor, the beaver trader and later a NY real estate tycoon. Then came his two sons who doubled Astor’s wealth. But then Astor’s grandchildren split the family into rival camps. There was competitiveness, backbiting, greed and over-the-top opulent spending. One side of the family stayed in America and its fortune here fizzled out. But the rest of this larger-than-life Astor family moved to England where they now bear aristocratic titles and have been flourishing ever since the late 1800s. The full title is Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune.
- 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. Click here to send an email.
Physics distinguished at Ga. Tech and Clark Univ.
The Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta was formed on October 13, 1885. At the outset, Georgia Tech closely modeled itself after the Worcester “Free School” in Worcester, Mass. (now the Worcester Polytechnic Institute) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. The curricula of such schools emphasized primarily an amalgamation of undergraduate physics education with engineering.
In the 1920s and 1930s the physics department, under the directorship of J. B. Edwards, was closely tied to applied research connected with public and private companies. The nature of such research indicates the transformation of research and development exemplified by the new technical schools. Yet aside from demonstrating the nascent trend in corporate-institute partnerships, such research grants also indicate the relative obscurity faced by the physics profession in those days. There was general controversy and confusion concerning the precise nature of such work, some calling it mathematics and others engineering. Only after World War II (1941-45) did physics rise to higher prominence and thus distinguish itself in its own right.
During the latter decades of the 20th century, research at the Georgia Institute of Technology began to distinguish itself in breadth and scope. The internationally renowned groups specialize in applied, interdisciplinary, and pure research. The applied and interdisciplinary centers include the Center for Nonlinear Science (CNS), which consists of thirteen core members and ten associate members. In addition, the center hosts visiting faculty.
In terms of pure research, David Finkelstein heads the Quantum Relativity Group, which specializes in fundamental theoretical problems involving the search for simpler, unified models that adequately account for both the “Standard Model” in particle physics and the relativistic nature of space and time. Finkelstein is editor of the respected International Journal of Theoretical Physics, which deals with fundamental problems in theoretical physics.
Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta harbors a distinguished community of world-class mathematicians and theoretical physicists. J. Ernest Wilkins, for example, has made significant contributions in mathematics, physics, and engineering. In addition, Ronald Mickens has done distinguished work in mathematical physics, biophysics, and the history and sociology of science. Such researchers work alongside and within the Clark Atlanta’s Center for Theoretical Studies of Physical Systems (CTSPS), originally established in 1991. The center was launched after Clark College consolidated with Atlanta University in 1989. Since 1990 the eight core researchers and collaborators of the CTSPS have published hundreds of papers and presented hundreds more at national and international conferences.
CTSPS enjoys an international reputation in areas ranging from wavelet theory to molecular dynamics and computational physics. It also plays an essential international role through the development of physics in sub-Saharan nations. Along with its Belgian and French collaborators, CTSPS researchers hold fully institutionalized conferences every other year in Contonou, Benin.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Check out the features and clues of this building
Here’s a modern structure. Can you figure out what it is, and where it is located? If so, send your ideas to ebrack2@gmail.com, and include your hometown.
Mary Green of Milton recognized Tyron Palace in New Bern, N.C. “It is a 1950s-era reconstruction of the first permanent capital of North Carolina. The original structure was destroyed by fire in 1798.” The photo was taken recently by Thomas McBrayer of Raleigh, N.C., the nephew of Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Others recognizing the mystery were George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Allen Peel of San Antonio, Tex.; Lou Camerio of Lilburn; and Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C., who wrote: “Tryon Palace, also called the Governor’s House and the Governor’s Palace, is a two-story building located in the eastern part of New Bern. The building is a faithful reconstruction of the original 1770 residence built by architect John Hawks.
“Serving as the official offices of the British governors of North Carolina from 1770 until the American Revolution, the original building was seized by provincial militia in 1775. The palace was the site of the first few sessions of the state legislature following the 1783 treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution, and served as the state house until 1792 when the capital was relocated to Raleigh.”
- 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.
State of the City of Norcross will be Sept. 26
State of the City of Norcross will be Thursday, September 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 6050 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Mayor Craig Newton will deliver the address, sharing updates of city developments and outline key initiatives for the coming year.
Men’s civic breakfast at Christ Episcopal Church will be Saturday, September 28 at 8 a.m. Speaker will be the Rt. Rev. Robert C. Wright, the 10th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. Members of the community are welcomed.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Lilburn and enjoy the experience of the magic of traditional Mexican Folk Dances. The Alma Mexicana Dance performance will take place at 11 a.m. September 28 at the Lilburn Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library.
Celebrate history in downtown Braselton on Saturday, September 28, from 10 a.m. until noon in the lobby of 1904 at 9924 Davis Street. Join the group as it unveils a special display highlighting the 1930 incredible journey of Braselton High to the national basketball tournament.
Jazz in the Alley in Norcross will be Saturday, September 28 at 7:30 at Betty Mauldin Park. The smooth sounds of The Black Gold Orchestra will be featured.
Art program: come on Friday, October 4 from 5:30 until 8:30 to the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth for a special photographic exhibit. Be at the grand opening of Beebe and Clegg: Their Enduring Photographic Legacy from the Center for Photography and Railroad Art. The museum is located at 3595 Buford Highway in Duluth. Honor the art of giving with the gift of art.
Georgia Race for Autism will be on October 5 at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, located at 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. Check in begins at 7 a.m. There will be a certified 5K race, a 1 Mile Fun Run, a 100-yard Dash, and a Tot Trot. To register, click here. Stay for the free Fall Festival, kicking off at 8 a.m., which lasts until noon. Enjoy a petting zoo, face painting, pony rides, inflatables, balloon art, a sensory fun area, a trackless train, music, entertainment, and a silent auction.
Bananarama III Here We Go Again is returning to the Lionheart Theatre in downtown Norcross. Show times are October 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. This is Project Chimps’ annual comedy-variety-drag show hosted by Jolene Goodall with featured performances by Berlinda Wall! It is for ages 16+ and not suitable for all audiences.
Norcross Art Splash Festival is back on October 5–6 in downtown Norcross. View the works of 80 artists from across the country who will show off their talents with folk art, ceramics, paintings, photography, mixed media, fiber art, metalwork, and jewelry. Kids can enjoy the interactive Kidz Zone, with face painting, sand art and inflatable rides. Festival food and drinks will be in abundance to enjoy throughout the weekend.
Alma Mexicana Dance Performance will be at the Norcross Branch of Gwinnett County Public library on Saturday, October 5, at 11 a.m. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! Experience the magic of traditional Mexican Folk Dances!
Learn more about Korean culture, seeing live K-POP performances, and trying some delicious food? A Korea Festival will be on Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6, from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. It is hosted by the Korean Festival Foundation. Tickets are $20 each per day (or $30 for both days) and can be purchased here.
Capture the essence of Norcross in a snap! Norcross Gallery and Studios is hosting the ‘Our Home Is Your Home’ Photo Competition through Sunday, October 20. Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, they want to see the world through your lens. The Gallery is accepting photos from smartphones as well as professional cameras. Submitted photos will be displayed in Norcross City Hall and Norcross Gallery and Studio. Top photos will receive prizes and ribbons. Participants are not required to live in Norcross, but the pictures must showcase the city.
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