GwinnettForum | Number 25.22 | March 18, 2025
OPENING THURSDAY NIGHT at the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville is Gods of Comedy, a farce employing the Greek gods, to some hilarious turnarounds. Starring in the play, from left, are Brad Raymond, Alexandra Ficken, Chris Hampton and Kate Fahrer. For more details, see Upcoming below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: With no mandate, Trump oversteps his boundary
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Legislative delegation calls out school board chair
SPOTLIGHT: Mingledorff’s
FEEDBACK: Looking back to other threats to our nation
UPCOMING: Aurora Theatre’s The Gods of Comedy starts March 20
NOTABLE: Fort Pain is unique obstacle course in Peachtree Corners
RECOMMENDED: Becoming Madam Secretary, by Stephanie Dray
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Azaleas bloom at Callaway Gardens where cotton was once king
MYSTERY PHOTO: Today’s Mystery is a weather-worn structure
CALENDAR: Suwanee hosts nutrition for a healthy life March 19
With no mandate, Trump oversteps his boundary
Via Unsplash
By Mike Wood
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. | Does Donald Trump have a mandate from voters?
Yes, he won the electoral votes last November to become president.
Yes, he won the popular vote, too, but only with a plurality. He did not get over 50 percent of the popular vote.
Therefore, such a win is not a mandate for him.
However, Republicans also won control of both the House and Senate. This so-called trifecta win may be a mandate for the administration and the Congress together to govern in a more assertive conservative manner. It is not a mandate for Trump to usurp Congress’s prerogatives, to ignore federal laws governing terminations of personnel, and to allow Elon Musk to slash and burn the federal bureaucracy and then replace it with who knows what!
Well, we already know some of what, for instance:
DOGE: looking more and more like the Office of Government EVISCERATION.
Office of Personnel Management: Using the Office of Personnel Management to intimidate, humiliate, and harm federal workers appears more and more and more addictive to guys like Musk and Trump.
Yoyo Tariffs: Trump’s poorly thought-out, straight-ahead tariffs policy. Right! On again, off again. Up and down. That’s no way to instill trust in government! It not only destabilizes the economy of our nation, but it also dramatically hurts our allies and neighboring nations. Tariffs will increase the cost of living for Americans, which falls most heavily on the working class. (Rich people can afford eggs at any cost.) Funding the extension of the 2017 tax cuts after they sunset in 2025 will benefit mostly high income and wealthy Americans.
Department of EXTERNAL Revenue: A new Treasury Department to collect tariffs from American businesses that import goods from “tariffed” countries. Wait, wait, aren’t the tariffs paid by U.S. businesses and not external countries or businesses?!? Why not continue to use the Internal Revenue Service, as the country has done for over a century?
MAGA 2.0: Make America GRATE Again (Trump’s MAGA 2.0 grates so much more than 1.0 did.)
Our military veterans will suffer disproportionately from the Department of Government Efficiency and Office of Personnel Management staffing cuts. Veterans make up about 30 percent of all federal workers, with an even higher percentage in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including VA hospitals and other medical treatment centers. To compound this harm to veteran workers, having fewer employees working with veterans means the veterans’ care will suffer even more delayed appointments and attention, getting fewer needed medical services, and the loss of compassion these valuable workers provide. Trump did call them suckers and losers, and those who voted for him in 2024 are now at the top of his list.
He can say it again and again, but Donald Trump did not get a mandate in the 2024 election! He is far overstepping the boundary of what a president should do, and needs to be curtailed in his efforts.
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Legislative delegation calls out school board chair
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MARCH 18, 2025 | It’s highly unusual when one element of government upbraids another level of government. It happened last week at the Legislature.
A bipartisan group of the Gwinnett delegation to the General Assembly filed a bill last week that criticized Gwinnett School Board Chair Andrienne Simmons for publicly re-dressing new School Board member Steve Gasper. (See a video clip of this meeting.) If this measure becomes law, it would also cut the pay for school board members if they terminated a school superintendent early. The legislation also prevents the School Board from barring its five members from talking to the media.
House Bill 767 was filed by Rep. Dewey McClain of Lilburn, but was co-authored by 11 other members of the delegation, including seven Democrats and five Republicans. The others included Reps. Scott Hilton, Arlene Beckles, Sandy Donatucci, Ray Martinez, Billy Mitchell, David Clark, Marvin Lim, Derrick McCollum, Sam Park, Karen Bennett and Doreen Carter.
All this comes after the school board fired its last two superintendents, and paid a high buy-out figure to keep them from completing their contracts.
Rep. McClain told the Gwinnett Daily Post: “We had one superintendent at (a buyout of) $580,000 and another superintendent at $750,000. That is $1.3 million that the citizens of Gwinnett are paying two individuals not to work,” because the board terminated their contracts.
McClain added about the School Board: “We don’t have any say (word) in what they do. They’re independent. The only thing we do have a say over is their pay.”
School Board members earned $22,243 each in 2024. Under the House Bill 767, the per diem pay for school board members would be $50 each time the school board meets. The bill would not affect the two previous buy-outs, since the legislation cannot be retroactive.
The legislation comes after many people in Gwinnett have been critical of the actions of the school board. That criticism widened when at a February work session, Chairwoman Adrienne Simmons was curt in openly scolding new board member Gasper for speaking independently to the media. (The current school policy is that members will not talk directly to the media.)
For most county and municipal board meetings, there is seldom an outright open break among members of that particular board. While members may differ on matters among themselves, such divergent views seldom break open to the public. In the past, this has been seen as a board being unanimous in most of its deliberations and pronouncements, working in a calm and unified way to provide leadership.
So it was a shock to Gwinnett residents when the new chair of the School Board, Adrienne Simmons, spoke out publicly to Mr. Gaspar. Those reverberations made their way to the Gwinnett delegation, which found common ground to offer legislation critical of Ms. Simmons.
What Gwinnett citizens want and have come to expect is a calm, deliberate approach to governing bodies. The recent firings of the two school superintendents belied that action, coming as they have after years and years of solid leadership by past school boards, and recognition of Gwinnett schools being among the best in the nation.
The current school board should recognize its problems, put petty differences behind, and work to find a new superintendent and keep its activity focused on policy, not operational details, so that the Gwinnett Public Schools can remain among the best in the nation.
Thank you, legislators, for your call of attention to this matter.
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Mingledorff’s
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum to you at no cost to readers. Today’s featured sponsor is Mingledorff’s, an air conditioning distributor of the Carrier Air Conditioning Company. Mingledorff’s corporate office is located at 6675 Jones Mill Court in Peachtree Corners, Ga. and is proud to be a sponsor of the Gwinnett Forum. With 40 locations in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina, Mingledorff’s is the convenient local source with a complete line for the quality heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration parts and supplies you need to service and install HVAC/R equipment. Product lines include Carrier, Bryant, Payne, Totaline and Bard.
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Looking back to other threats to our nation
Editor, the Forum:
Knowing the history of the United States provides us with a better insight into our current events.
In the 1850’s we had the Know Nothing Party who stirred up fear of Catholics, Irish, and foreigners as dangerous to “Americans.”
In the 1930’s we had Father Coughlin spouting hatred toward Jews and capitalists.
In the 1950’s McCarthyism spurred fears of a communist conspiracy that led to a period questioning the loyalty of almost everyone.
We now have the MAGA movement which is threatening anyone who is LGBTQ, Muslims, or anyone who might support diversity, equity and inclusion. These periods of paranoia are episodes of American history that give us a better insight into what’s happening today.
– Alan Schneiberg, Sugar Hill
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.
Aurora Theatre’s The Gods of Comedy starts March 20
What do you do when you lose the most important ancient manuscript in existence? Well, if you’re in Ken Ludwig’s The Gods of Comedy, you call on the Greek gods for help—and immediately regret that decision. Aurora Theatre is bringing the legendary playwright’s latest farce to the stage from March 20 – April 13, and if history (or mythology) is any indicator, audiences are in for an epically funny night at the theatre.
Ludwig has once again crafted a rollercoaster of a comedy, where high-stakes academia collides with divine intervention—because what could possibly go wrong when ancient deities meddle in modern problems? (Spoiler alert: everything.)
Directed by David deVries, a three-time Suzi Award nominee in directing, and a winner for I’m Not Rappaport at Aurora, this laugh-out-loud spectacle follows an unlucky classics professor and his panicked protégé as they attempt to retrieve a lost manuscript with the help of some very unhelpful Olympian gods.
If you loved Aurora’s past Ludwig hits—Lend Me a Tenor (2002), Moon Over Buffalo (2004), and The Fox on the Fairway (2012)—you know exactly what to expect: razor-sharp wit, absurd misunderstandings, and an escalating chaos that would make even Zeus shake his head.
Aurora Theatre Co-Founder and Artistic Director Ann-Carol Pence says:: “The Gods of Comedy is my favorite kind of theatre; larger-than-life characters and brilliant humor. At Aurora, we are committed to telling stories that bring people together, and in a time when joy is more important than ever, Ken Ludwig is the perfect channel to lift spirits and celebrate the power of laughter.”
GGC economics professor explains possible recession
As fears of recession dominate the national conversation, Dr. Philip Vinson, assistant professor of economics at Georgia Gwinnett College, explains the complexities of recessions and outlines how individuals can prepare for potential economic challenges.
Vinson
Vinson emphasized that recessions are not simply cyclical events, but rather the result of specific precipitating factors.
“All recessions are unique because they are caused by different triggers, whether it’s political uncertainty, technological disruptions, or economic policies like tariffs,” he said. “It’s misleading to think of the economy as following a predictable cycle, as recessions often arise from specific, unpredictable events.”
In the current climate, Vinson identified several factors contributing to the potential recession, including tariffs, global political instability, and the possible burst of the AI bubble. These issues create uncertainty that could negatively impact the global economy and spark a contraction.
As the economy starts to slow down, Vinson pointed to several common indicators of a recession.
“Once a recession begins, we typically see sales decline, which leads to reduced production and investment. This often results in layoffs and, consequently, a rise in unemployment,” he said.
Additionally, Vinson acknowledged the stock market’s role in signaling the onset of a downturn, with market declines often occurring before broader economic changes.
Inflation is another key concern, especially in the current environment where tariffs could drive prices up despite an overall drop in demand, he said
“This creates a real challenge for the Federal Reserve, which would typically lower interest rates to stimulate the economy,” Vinson said. “However, doing so could exacerbate inflation, leaving policymakers in a difficult position with no easy solution.”
Vinson advises individuals to prepare for a potential recession by ensuring they have adequate savings to cover potential periods of unemployment.
“It’s crucial to have a financial cushion during uncertain times,” he said. “And while it can be tempting to sell off stocks in a downturn, that’s generally not the best approach. If you have savings to spare, this might actually be an opportunity to buy assets at a lower price and benefit in the long term when the market recovers.”
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Fort Pain is unique obstacle course in Peachtree Corners
One of the obstacles at Fort Pain. Provided
Nestled in the heart of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, Fort Pain stands as a one-of-a-kind outdoor obstacle course for adults. Located at the Peachtree Corners Town Green, this fitness haven offers an exhilarating and challenging experience that merges physical endurance with the thrill of competition. Unlike traditional gyms, Fort Pain provides an immersive, open-air workout.
The concept for Fort Pain originated from Peachtree Corners City Councilman Alex Wright and City Manager Brian Johnson, who sought to bring an elite-level fitness experience to the community. Initially introduced as the Path to Fitness, Fort Pain officially opened in 2021 with 10 fitness stations. Over time, it has evolved into a 26 station obstacle course, featuring challenges inspired by renowned competitions such as Spartan Races, American Ninja Warrior, and the Ranger School at Fort Moore, Ga.
Drawing from their experiences at the U.S. Army’s Ranger School, Wright and Johnson envisioned Fort Pain as more than just an exercise area—it was designed to be a grueling yet rewarding space that encourages individuals to push their limits. Constructed with durable wooden structures and steel equipment, the course provides a functional and effective way to develop full-body strength, endurance, and resilience.
Fort Pain is far from a typical playground; rather, it is a challenging space designed for those who seek an intense and engaging fitness experience. Whether participants are athletes, fitness enthusiasts, or military personnel, the course offers an array of obstacles that test different aspects of physical fitness.
The beauty of Fort Pain lies in its accessibility. Open seven days a week, it allows visitors to train at their own pace, embrace the outdoors, and break free from the confines of a conventional gym.
To keep the spirit of competition alive, the City of Peachtree Corners hosts two annual events at Fort Pain, inviting participants.
Fort Pain stands as a premier outdoor fitness destination, combining elements of military training, functional fitness, and competitive sports into one thrilling experience. Its expansive obstacle course, annual competitions, and community-driven spirit make it a standout attraction in Peachtree Corners.
Whether you’re training for a Spartan Race, improving overall fitness, or simply looking for a new challenge, Fort Pain offers an unmatched combination of intensity, fun, and camaraderie. So, gear up, test your limits, and take on the challenge of Fort Pain.
Weaver gets promotion at Jackson EMC
Weaver
Jonathan Weaver has been named vice president of engineering and power supply at Jackson EMC. He was most recently the director of systems engineering, a position he’s held since 2016. While director, Jonathan led or contributed to several implementation teams including Grid Automation, NISC, SCADA selection, PrePay, Renewables Energy Strategy, and Demand Response. He also contributed to the creation of the company’s engineering training class.
In his new role , he will continue to oversee Jackson EMC’s Systems Engineering area, which is responsible for system planning, management of wholesale power cost, mapping and metering. He will now also oversee Operational Technology, led by Jay Tooke. This area implements technology and communications for field devices. As Vice President, Weaver is also responsible for Facilities, led by Mark Reynolds, which provide safe, comfortable, and welcoming spaces for our members and employees.
Chip Jakins, Jackson EMC President and CEO, says: “Jonathan’s knowledge and expertise will serve him well in his new role. Jonathan will continue to serve our members through innovative investments in a strong, reliable distribution system, delivering affordable power well into the future.”
Weaver joined Jackson EMC in 2002 as a project engineer. He started his career at Jackson EMC as a youth apprentice in the engineering department while attending Jackson County High School. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science in Electrical Engineering and holds a degree from Berry College. He has a master of business administration from Auburn University. He completed the University of Georgia Management Development Program.
Becoming Madam Secretary, by Stephanie Dray
From Sue Baum, Hoschton: This historical fiction book is about Frances Perkins, the first female US cabinet member, serving as Secretary of Labor under Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She began her career in the early 20th century, helping impoverished mothers and children get nutrition and medical care. Later, she was one of the first women to lobby Congress to get progressive legislation passed—like setting the work week to only 54 hours—all before she could legally vote! Later, she worked on the ‘New Deal’ to help get the country out of the Depression, including the WPA and the CCC to get people working again. Her greatest achievement was the development of the Social Security program, which retired Americans have come to rely on. From minimum wage to reducing the length of the work week, Frances devoted her career to make work life easier for her fellow Americans. In today’s vocabulary, Frances Perkins was WOKE.
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Azaleas bloom where cotton was once king
Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, site of the world’s largest azalea garden, encompasses more than 14,000 acres and, in addition to the gardens, offers golfing, boating, cycling, and other leisure activities. In the 1950s Cason and Virginia Hand Callaway transformed land left barren from decades of cotton farming into a place of beauty and relaxation. Since it opened to the public, Callaway Gardens, located about seventy miles southwest of Atlanta, has attracted millions of visitors.
While picnicking near their home one day in the summer of 1930, Cason Callaway, a textile manufacturer, and his wife, Virginia, a knowledgeable horticulturist, came upon a bright, orange-red azalea. Virginia Callaway soon identified the flower as a plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium), which is native to a 100-mile area in west Georgia’s Harris County. Taken with the beauty and local flora of the place, the Callaways purchased 2,500 acres for a weekend retreat. After retiring from his textile business in 1938, Cason Callaway considered making the lands useful again.
Callaway cleared fields, moved rocks, and built dams along the creeks to create lakes, and he constructed a nine-hole golf course. Within a few years, the basic patterns of lakes, woodlands, flower trails, and golf courses were laid out. Virginia Callaway worked with the landscape architects Gilmore Clark and John Leon Hoffman to plant more than 20,000 new trees and shrubs, including many native flowering varieties.
In May 1952 the couple opened the Ida Cason Gardens, named for Cason Callaway’s mother, Ida Cason Callaway. In the 1960s the facility became known as Callaway Gardens. The gardens included a driving trail through wooded areas, a golf course, picnic grounds, a restaurant, and canoes and boats for fishing.
The following year the Callaways brought in thousands of tons of white sand to create Robin Lake Beach, one of the largest man-made sand beaches in the world. During the next decade, they added a seven-and-a-half-acre fruit and vegetable garden, known as Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden. It became the site of the southern filming of The Victory Garden on PBS, a long-running production of WGBH in Boston.
Callaway Gardens offers a hotel, cabins for rent, a conference facility, and other attractions, including the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center, the Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center, and the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. Since 1958 the facility has hosted the Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament as well as the Florida State University Circus, which performs each summer under the great tent. More recently, the Fantasy in Lights display, with more than eight million lights illuminating the driving trail, trees, and lakes, occurs annually during the Christmas season.
The management of Callaway Gardens has gradually been moving the site away from its automobile focus; instead, trolleys are available for touring the gardens, and extensive hiking and biking trails connect the attractions.
Cason Callaway once told a visitor to the gardens, “What I’m trying to do here is hang the picture a little higher on the wall for the people of this region. Every child ought to see something beautiful before he’s six years old—something he will remember all his life. And there hasn’t been too much beauty in this part of the country in the past.”
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Today’s Mystery is a weather-worn structure
It’s an old, weather-worn shingled structure, apparently battered by the wind and rain over the years. Your job is to determine where it is located, and what its use was. Send your idea to ebrack2@gmail.com, and include your hometown.
The last Mystery Photo was easily spotted by Ruthy Lachman Paul of Norcross: “It is the longest and deepest fjord in the world: Sognefjord,also known as Aslandsfjord located in Norway. It reaches a length of over 200 km. Fjords are long, deep and narrow valleys filled with seawater and bordered by high cliffs, which form a kind of U-shape.
“Fjords can be found in several countries around the world, including New Zealand, Canada, Greenland and Chile, but the Norwegian fjords are known for their high number and spectacular beauty. They are considered an integral part of the Norwegian identity.”
The beautiful photo came from Bruce Johnson of Lawrenceville.
Others recognizing the photo were Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Lou Camerio of Lilburn; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas.
- 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!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Suwanee hosts nutrition for a healthy life March 19
Nutrition for a Healthy Life is to be held on March 19 at 10:30 a.m. at the Suwanee Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Another session will be March 25 at the Centerville Branch at 11 a. m. This nutritional program series will help participants enhance knowledge and facilitate healthy behavior change across the lifespan.
PDC In Norcross meets at 8:15-9 a.m. each Wednesday in Norcross at the 45 South Café. On March 19 the PDC (People Drinking Coffee) will hear Eric Johnson, city manager of Norcross. All are welcome. There are no attendance or dues requirements.
Author Talk with Vanessa Miller will be March 20 at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County. She will be discussing her latest book, The Filling Station, a story of two sisters during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Visit the Peachtree Corners Library on March 20 for Hiking: Adventures on the Trail, Guest speaker Robert Bobinski, Appalachian Trail outreach director, will share fun facts and fascinating experiences from his life-changing adventures on the trail and inspire you to get outdoors for hikes of your own. 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Ages 19+.
Bloom into Spring by hearing author and garden expert Teresa Speight in conversation with horticulturalist Abra Lee as they discuss Black Flora, which celebrates the vibrant legacy and future of Black floral artists and entrepreneurs. This will be March 22 at 11 a.m. at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library.
Family-friendly 5K run will be Saturday, March 22 at 9 a.m. at the Peachtree Corners Baptist Church, 4480 Peachtree Corners Circle, hosted by the church and Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries. Lace up your running shoes and support a great cause! Register here! Enjoy a scenic, chip-timed race through a quiet neighborhood, complete with a race t-shirt, post-race refreshments and medals for top finishers.
Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony will be featured at the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at the Discovery High School in Lawrenceville. Conductors will be Robert Trocina and Gregory Pritchard. Other works featured will be by Brahms and Barber. For more details: info@gwinnettsymphony.org.
Heritage of Duluth will host a reception celebrating the cultural heritage of Duluth on March 25 at 5 p.m. at Dreamland Barbecue. The Society will unveil its newest art acquisition, an original painting of The Belle, a railroad locomotive, by Ann Odum. The Belle was famous for its daily commuter run from Toccoa to Atlanta. Kathryn Willis will receive the Society’s Impact Awards, and her sister, Ann Odum, will be honored as historian of the year. The Society is fundraising to preserve the Knox Family Cabin at the Duluth Depot Museum.
Science, Spiders, and the Wolbachia Mystery is the subject of a discussion by Dr. James Russell, professor of biology at Georgia Gwinnett College. This will be March 28 at noon at the Lawrenceville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. He will discuss Wolbachia spiders in general, and the research findings at Georgia Gwinnett College on the infection in Joro spiders found in Georgia.
Recycling and Spring Clean Up Day in the City of Norcross will be Saturday, March 29, from 8 a.m. until noon at Norcross Public Works, 345 Lively Avenue. Residents will be able to drop off their paper for shredding, as well as electronics, batteries, scrap metal, and paint (limit to five containers) for recycling as well as bulky junk items for disposal or donation.
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