THE ANNOUNCEMENT that WestRock Corp. would move its home offices from Norcross to Sandy Springs is the second Fortune 500 company to leave Gwinnett in recent years. NCR moved from Duluth to downtown Atlanta previously. For a perspective on the moves, read Elliott Brack’s comments below.
IN THIS EDITION
TODAY’S FOCUS: The Bridges of Madison County Among Offerings in March at Aurora
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Gwinnett Needs Urgency on Tackling Question of Mass Transit Here
SPOTLIGHT: The Piedmont Bank
UPCOMING: County Seeking To Use Technology for Better Water Usage
NOTABLE: Suwanee and Duluth Both Win Awards in SE Festival Competition
RECOMMENDED: Prayer: Experiencing the Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Artist Community in Rabun County Has Been Operating Since 1934
TODAY’S QUOTE: Here’s Something Else That You Must Use Sanitary Tactics When Doing
MYSTERY PHOTO: Here’s Another Old Mill To Test Your Geography
LAGNIAPPE: PCBA Donates to Norcross High for After School Matters Program
CALENDAR: Quince Girl Expo is to be Saturday, March 11 in Pinckneyville Center.
The Bridges of Madison County among offerings in March at Aurora
SWEEP continues through March 5.
By Austin Northenor, Lawrenceville, Ga. | Spring is on the horizon, which means Aurora Theatre is abloom with a wide variety of programming for Atlanta audiences. Guests can get swept away in the whirlwind romance The Bridges of Madison County, explore a splintered world of strange imaginings during the world premiere production SWEEP, dance to the beat of Brazilian rhythms during Teatro Aurora’s presentation of Carnaval Brasileiro and enjoy a heavy dose of laughter during Aurora Comedy Nights courtesy of the city’s top comedians. No matter the happening, March at Aurora means fun for all!
The Bridges of Madison County will run from Thursday, March 9 through Sunday, April 16. Prepare to be swept away by this endearing love story. Based on the best-selling novel by Robert James Waller, the now two-time Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of a lonely Iowa farmer’s wife, Francesca, and her unexpected, four-day love affair with a traveling photographer. Will the passionate romance fuel Francesca to leave her family and to continue along the fiery, amorous path with her newfound love? Audiences are invited to experience the whirlwind romance that has captivated 50 million readers worldwide.
Special March Programming at Teatro Aurora will see Carnaval Brasileiro on stage on Saturday, March 11 at 8 p.m. Get ready to groove along to the Samba rhythms and beats during this one-of-a-kind dance sensation will feature Ritmo Brasil and the elite dance artists of Dance Brasi, who will come together to give audiences a night of spicy Brazilian flavor! Tickets are $20. For more information, visit bit.ly/AuroraCarnavalBrasileiro.
SWEEP continues through Sunday, March 5. Step into a splintered world of strange imaginings as Aurora Theatre presents the world premiere of the femme fantasy story SWEEP. The magical quest, written by rising Latina playwright Georgina Escobar, follows two sisters’ attempt at resetting history’s imperfections by hunting both biblical and modern-day targets through a set of alternate realities called the “multiverse.” Imaginative and adventure-filled, this zany, time-traveling escapade is a can’t-miss production this year! For more information, visit bit.ly/AuroraSWEEP.
Aurora Children’s Playhouse will be on Select Saturdays during March at 10 and 11:30 a.m. Aurora Theatre assembles the best children’s performers in the region, bringing them to Gwinnett County for a family-friendly series filled with an array of extraordinary performances. Playhouse tickets are $7; PlayhouseTix punch cards are $50 and good for 10 admissions to any Children’s Playhouse show. For more information, visit bit.ly/AuroraChildrensPlayhouse. The shows are:
- The Giant, The Beanstalk and Jack by That Puppet Guy, Saturday, March 18; and
- Ocean of Discovery by Georgia Aquarium, on Saturday, March 25.
Aurora Comedy Nights include:
- Laughing Skull’s Best of Atlanta Comedy on Friday, March 10 at 7:15 and 9:15 p.m.; and
- Dad’s Garage, Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18; 7:15 and 9:15 p.m.
- For more information or to purchase tickets for events, call the Box Office at 678-226-6222 or visit www.auroratheatre.com.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Gwinnett needs urgency on tackling question of mass transit here
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | It was a terrific blow to the Gwinnett economy recently when WestRock Company announced that it was moving its company home office from its Thrasher Street location in Norcross to Sandy Springs. With this announcement some 800 jobs will be lost to Gwinnett County.
It was worse than that. WestRock, the former Rock-Tenn Corp. which has been headquartered in Norcross since the 1960s, is a Fortune 500 Company. You don’t easily replace firms of this size, nor of their prestige. The company said it would keep its IT and back-office functions in two Gwinnett buildings in Norcross and Duluth. You remember that Gwinnett lost another Fortune 500 company, NCR, a few years back. Neither was good for the county.
The reason WestRock gave for the move was to ensure that its employees had access to rapid transit, and easy access to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The company also said access to mass transit would boost its chance of attracting young employees who want the option of riding transit to work.
Unfortunately, the lack of mass transit in Gwinnett County is no closer now than it was 5-10 years ago, at least for concrete plans for its implementation. However, there has been a major change, we feel, in the way Gwinnettians look upon mass transit. With the influx of 550,000 residents since the last MARTA vote in 1990, many of these new residents are questioning why Gwinnett doesn’t have mass transit. They recognize the benefits it will bring them individually, and also understand how it will bring Gwinnett into the modern era.
We’ve heard many of these new residents lament: “We can’t understand why Gwinnett hasn’t adopted the concept of rapid transit.”
Put simply, the leadership of Gwinnett County has yet to see the urgency of moving toward bringing alternative forms of transportation to the county.
Even in her state-of-the-county address last week, Chairman Charlotte Nash seemed to rank mass transit way down the list or improvements. She said: “The County needs to explore new ways to improve mobility – including transit. We can’t stop improving our road network, but expanded transit options must also be part of any long-term solution.”
There was no tone of urgency in this statement. Recognize that even if the county would vote tomorrow for the implementation of mass transit, it would probably take 10 years for it to be a fully-functioning system. You don’t build, or finance, such an option overnight. And the final action is to sell this concept to the voters.
The leadership of Gwinnett County needs to move to a high-level of planning for mass transit. Options need to be already under study, so that perhaps by the 2018 General Election, voters would have a chance to voice their choice for mass transit.
Chairman Nash mentioned in her recent address the state-of-the-art water treatment system Gwinnett County has. We are a world leader in this concept.
We need to apply that same engineering effort to bring forth plans to make a Gwinnett County mass transit system to the proposal stage. We need to hire the world’s best engineers, and begin moving to make the studies so that we can feel confident we have moved in the right direction when it is presented to the voters.
To delay is to see further erosion of our corporate community, and to deny our citizens the mass transit option they want.
The key word is “Urgency.” We look to that concept being on Gwinnett’s immediate agenda.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
The Piedmont Bank
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. The Piedmont Bank, which opened its doors on June 30, 2009, is a full-service bank, with four locations, with its home offices at 5100 Peachtree Parkway in Norcross; and other locations at 185 Gwinnett Drive in Lawrenceville; east of Interstate 85 near Suwanee at Old Peachtree and Brown Roads; and in Dunwoody at 1725 Mount Vernon Road. The bank has loan production offices in Cumming and Brookhaven. It has a capitalization of $51 million, and more than $525 million in assets now. The bank is making substantial business and personal loans. Its directors include Paul Donaldson, Robert D. Cheeley, John J. Howard, Monty G. Watson (who is chairman), Robert J. Ratliff and T. Michael Tennant, while James E. Stephenson is an advisory director. Deposits in The Piedmont Bank are insured by the FDIC.
- For more information, call 770-246-0011 or visit http://www.piedmontbankonline.com.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
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. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
County seeking to use technology for better water usage
Gwinnett is working to ensure better technology in its water use.
An agreement with CH2M Hill Engineers Inc. is to look at groundbreaking applications of internet technology (the “internet of things”) across a number of industrial sectors, including water.
Smart meters – meters connected to the internet – are emerging technology, and the pilot project will allow The Gwinnett Department of Water Resources to evaluate how this technology can enhance service to customers, but also allow DWR to continue being a good steward of the environment and plan for the future.
Smart meter technology tracks water as it moves through the system, allowing utilities to find even small leaks in the system and prevent loss of water. As part of this pilot project, DWR will test different types of smart meters for reliability and accuracy.
There is no capital investment for the county, and no obligation for further implementation at the end of the pilot project. Pilot project partners include AT&T (wireless connectivity), QualComm (communication chips in meters) and CH2M (project management).
Suwanee and Duluth both win awards in SE festival competition
An event in Duluth
Two Gwinnett cities have won awards recently for their ongoing projects.
The City of Suwanee’s public art fund- and awareness-raising event, Guess Who’s Coming to Cocktails, was honored with multiple Kaleidoscope Awards at the Southeast Festivals and Events Association’s (SFEA) Annual Conference in Lexington, Ky. recently.
The giant cocktail party at Suwanee City Hall won the silver prize for Best New Event, a silver for Best Event Video, and a bronze award for Best Print Ad. The city also won a bronze award for Most Creative Idea for its collaboration with the Suwanee Youth Leaders and Suwanee Fest transportation.
Suwanee Events and Outreach Manager Amy Doherty says: “I’m so proud of our staff and volunteers for continuing to make our events award- winning memory makers for those that attend.”
The city of Duluth was recognized as one of the Best in the Region for two events over the last year. At the SFEA Kaleidoscope Award Conference, Duluth was awarded the Best Event with a Gold Award for its STEAM event. The STEAM award was part of the wonders of science, technology, engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) that ran alongside the Food Truck Friday activities.
It also won a bronze Award for its Kicks 101.5 Cumulus Media. The city nominated Radio Kicks 101.5 for their long partnership with the City in promoting many events.
The Southeast Festivals and Events Association is a membership based organization comprised of festival and event planners, venues, and industry service providers. A panel of experts in event planning, marketing, and tourism review entries from states across the southeast. Judging is based on originality, creativity, media impact, volunteer programs, and the overall impact to the community.
County works toward new bridges and improves pedestrian needs
Gwinnett Commissioners have approved two contracts, to replace a bridge on Harbins Road over Jackson Creek in Lilburn, and several pedestrian projects.
The bridge contract in Lilburn is for $2.9 million to address flooding concerns, and also fills in the sidewalks along Harbins Road. It will include the installation of sidewalk on both sides of Harbins Road from U.S. Highway 29 to Dickens Road. The contractor also will install curb and gutter and drainage improvements.Georgia Bridge and Concrete LLC, submitted the lowest of five bids at $2,902,486. The plans call for the contractor to replace the existing bridge while raising the roadway at its approach to the bridge. While road closures will be required as part of this project, driveway access will be maintained at all times during the construction.
Three separate projects will address pedestrian needs on Richland Parkway, Old Peachtree and Rock Springs roads, and Harbins and Dacula roads.
At Richland Parkway, the contractor will build a new pedestrian bridge alongside the existing roadway bridge. Lewallen Construction Co. Inc. was the lowest of five bidders at $709,325. The Richland Parkway project includes installing a pedestrian bridge as well as new sidewalks from Shore Drive to Collins Port Cove. The pedestrian bridge will be about 230 feet long and will serve to complete the sidewalk connection from Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road to Taylor Road.
The Old Peachtree/Rock Springs project will include several sections of new sidewalks along both roadways. Also Old Peachtree Road eastbound will be widened from Ridge Oak Drive to Blakely Drive, extending the right turn lane onto Collins Hill Road. The Ohmshiv Construction LLC, bid of $833,326 was the lowest of four received for this project.
Ohmshiv was also the low bidder on the project to install sidewalks along four sections of Harbins Road and Dacula Road. The four sections of sidewalk total just under a mile and will connect gaps of sidewalk from Harbin Oaks Drive to Liam Avenue. Ohmshiv’s bid of $438,619.60 was the lowest of the five bids received for this project.
All these projects are funded by the 2014 SPLOST program.
Prayer: Experiencing the Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller
Reviewed by Karen Harris, Stone Mountain Georgia | This book is a truly wonderful and insightful read. My keeper from this book is the importance of prayer include re-ordering our loves in life. By this the author suggests that healthy prayer includes, adoration, confession and supplication. The humility that comes from this spiritually digested truth is that we become of a mind to put the will of God first when we pray. Faith ensues along with an understanding that our lives are in order and that what may come is ordered for our lives. Our own gifts and talents are easily given because the weight of trying to control is released…hence our lives become ‘ordered’ and peaceful. Author Keller also presents a model for employing scriptural reading as the foundation for a robust prayer life.
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
Artist community in Rabun County has been operating since 1934
The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, founded by artist Mary Crovatt Hambidge, is an artists’ community situated on 600 acres of pristine, natural forests, woodlands, and streams of the north Georgia mountains.
Hundreds of visual artists, writers, potters, composers, dancers, and other artists have pursued their crafts here in solitude. The Hambidge Center, along Betty’s Creek in Rabun County, was the site of a revival of the mountain art of weaving from the 1930s to the 1950s, and it continues today as a focus for community activities geared toward the arts and nature.
Mary Crovatt Hambidge was born in Brunswick in 1885, the daughter of Judge Alfred Crovatt. She was educated in the classics at a finishing school in Cambridge, Mass., and moved to New York in her early 20s. She had acting aspirations and was a professional whistler on Broadway at a time when artists of all kinds were featured on the stage. In New York, she met Canadian-born Jay Hambidge, an artist, illustrator, and scholar who pioneered the concept of “dynamic symmetry,” the linking of nature’s symmetry with that of human art objects. Though they never married, the two spent the next decade together.
The couple traveled to Greece, where she became intrigued with the village weavers who sheared sheep, spun wool thread, and wove wool garments on a daily basis. She became imbued with the idea of learning to weave, and the craft became her passion. After Jay Hambidge’s sudden death in 1924, she went to Rabun County to weave in a friend’s summer home. She wrote that she made contact with women in the mountains whose “looms had been relegated to the attics or the woodpile” but who still “kept their craft knowledge and their native integrity.”
Through her benefactor, Eleanor Steele Reese, Mary Hambidge was able to buy nearly 800 acres surrounding a proposed hunting lodge. In 1934 the Jay Hambidge Art Foundation was formally created; it was incorporated ten years later as a nonprofit organization for educational and scientific purposes.
Hambidge fostered a group of women, known as the Weavers of Rabun, who grew and sheared sheep, carded and spun wool thread, and created fine woven goods. Hambidge lived in an old dogtrot-style cabin, and the Rock House, a fieldstone-base lodge, served as the weaving house until the Weave Shed, now used as the Hambidge Gallery, was built for the women.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Here’s another old mill to test your geography
People enjoy sending us photos of mills, and here’s another. Note the long length of the raceway to power the mill, and the relatively low (but wide) dam itself. Does this tell you something? Send in your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.
The unusual design of last edition’s Mystery Photo immediately gave several people a clue to what it was. It was sent in by Mark Barlow of Peachtree Corners, and of course, “is the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta – home of the NFC Champion Falcons,” Rob Keith of Peachtree Corners reported.
Others spotting the mystery included Terry Webb of Lawrenceville; Bob Foreman of Grayson; Lou Camerio of Lilburn; Jim Savadelis of Duluth; Craig Hewitt of Atlanta; Tim Sullivan of Buford; Howard Williams Jr. of Snellville; and Joseph Hopkins of Atlanta, who said “I can see this ‘spaceship’ from my office.”
George Graf of Palmyra, Va., finally figured it was “The Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium under construction in Atlanta.” He reported that “The stadium will cost an estimated $1.6 billion and serve as the home of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer. Major events for the new stadium include the men’s NCAA college basketball Final Four in 2020, the SEC football Championship Game, beginning in 2017 and remaining there until 2027; the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 8, 2018, and the Super Bowl LIII in 2019.”
Wine About the Issues on February 21 at the 1910 Public House in downtown Lilburn to two legislators, Sen. P.K. Martin and Rep. Clay Cox. Sponsored by the Lilburn Woman’s Club, attendees can enjoy a complimentary beverage and light hors d’oeuvres. Seating is limited. For more details, contact to lilburnwomansclub@gmail.com.
Free Photography Workshop at Collins Hill Library Branch, 455 Camp Perrin Road, on February 21, at 6:30 p.m. Join the Georgia Nature Photographers Association for this informal talk and Q&A photography workshop. They will provide information about cameras, editing software, and tips for getting better photographs with the equipment you already have.
Oil and ‘Cold Wax’ is the focus of a new class at Kudzu Art Zone in Norcross. Expand your personal vocabulary and vision through a series of exercises that will loosen you up and help you discover techniques of moving paint. The class explores cold wax and other media to create expressive, richly surfaced paintings, using pigment sticks, graphite, ink, pastels and oil paint. This runs from February 22-25, from, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For details, supply lists or to register for classes, go www. kudzuartzone.org or phone 770-840-9844.
Looking for information on citizenship and naturalization? Let the Gwinnett County Public Library help you! Learn about the requirements and resources available to prepare for the naturalization test. Get help finding the forms you need, learn how to prepare for the interview, find free or reduced rate legal assistance, and learn how to avoid potential scams. In partnership with the U.S. Immigration Services, Gwinnett County Public Library is offering this free Citizenship Information Workshop on Thursday, February 23 at 6 p.m. at the new Lilburn Branch, 4817 Church Street, Lilburn, GA 30047. For more information, call 770-978-5154 or visit www.gwinnettpl.org.
Genealogy interest has exploded with the ease and availability of online research. Learn how to get started in this fun hobby and explore free genealogy databases, including the Library Edition of Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest. Join Gwinnett County Public Library, in partnership with the United Ebony Society of Gwinnett County, Inc., for this free Trace Your Roots: An African American Genealogy Workshop. This event takes place on Saturday, February 25 at 11 a.m. at the Centerville Branch, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
Tree Planting Class: In Lilburn on Saturday, March 4. Learn about tree maintenance and planting form Master Gardener Kate Pittman. This is a lunch and learn, and will be from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Lilburn City Hall. Bring a sack lunch and enjoy the mid-day. No pre-registration is required.
Opening Reception is March 4 for the Spring Juried Art Exhibit at the Tannery Row Artist Colony in Buford. The exhibit continues through April 14. For more details, visit www.tanneryrowartistcolony.com.
Cartooning for Teens and Cool Adults, with Lawrence Hardy. Drop-ins Welcome. Have you ever wanted to learn how to draw from your imagination? Want to learn how to draw action figures, faces and more? Welcome artist Lawrence Hardy as he shows you the fundamentals of drawing. The class is for the beginning to intermediate artists. Come sharpen your skills and pencil at Kudzu Art Center! Through March 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To register for classes, go to www.kudzuartzone.org. Kudzu Art Zone is located in Norcross at 116 Carlyle Street, Norcross, phone 770-840-9844.
(NEW) Quince Girl Expo will be Saturday, March 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pinckneyville Community Recreation Center. Party planning professionals are invited to feature interactive demonstrations, fashion shows and share ideas on planning the perfect Quinceañera celebration! The event is free for attendees and will feature do-it-yourself workshops. Interested exhibitors and demonstrators are encouraged to reserve space early by calling 678-277-0920 or visit the website for information on the event www.gwinnettparks.com.
Exhibition Extended: World Through the Lens Photo Show of Frank Sharp at the Tucker Library, 5234 LaVista Road has been extended until April 28, 2017. The library is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
HANDYMAN SERVICES: Whatever your home maintenance problem is, Isaias Rodriguez can help. An experienced painter, he is dependable in installing or repairing siding, gutters, ceramic tile, plumbing, garage doors, or any other problem around your home. He’ll even fix your bike! He is originally from Mexico and has been in Georgia since 1996. He is legally allowed to work in the United States and is insured. Give him a call at his home in Norcross at 404-569-8825 or email him at rodriguez_isais@yahoo.com. Visit his Facebook page at Neza construction and home repair to see some of his past work
GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday.
Meet our team
- Editor and publisher: Elliott Brack, 770-840-1003
- Managing editor: Betsy Brack
- Roving photographer: Frank Sharp
- Contributing columnist: Debra Houston
- Contributing columnist: George Wilson
More
- Location: We are located in Suite 225, 40 Technology Park, Peachtree Corners, Ga. 30092.
- Work with us: If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more.
Subscriptions to GwinnettForum are free.
- Unsubscribe. We hope you’ll keep receiving the great news and information from GwinnettForum, but if you need to unsubscribe, go to this page and unsubscribe in the appropriate box.
© 2017, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.
Follow Us