3/3: Distortions to farmers markets to mass transit and more

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: This spring Georgia volunteers will team up with the Civil War Trust to aid in the maintenance and restoration of numerous sites as part of Park Day, a nationwide effort that includes more than 130 historic sites in 30 states. That includes nine sites in Georgia, from Dalton to Andersonville. Here’s a scene at the Andersonville National Historic Site.  Thousands of volunteers across the country will participate as Park Day celebrates over 20 successful years on Saturday, April 1. To date, the Trust has preserved nearly 45,000 acres of battlefield land in 23 states, including 2,201 acres in Georgia. Learn more at www.Civilwar.org.

TODAY’S FOCUS: How Did Distortions and Fake Fact Become a Major National Topic?

EEB PERSPECTIVE: Farmers Markets, Wall That Heals, Gwinnett Village and an Apple

ANOTHER VIEW: Three Potential Methods for Providing Mass Transit for Gwinnett

SPOTLIGHT: Infinite Energy Center

UPCOMING: Suwanee Announces Members of Fourth Youth Leaders Class

NOTABLE: Jackson EMC Foundation Awards $40,000 to Local Agencies

RECOMMENDED: Walden by Henry David Thoreau

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Haunting Scenes Portrayed by Former Wesleyan College Professor

TODAY’S QUOTE: How Many of Us Will Achieve This in Life?

MYSTERY PHOTO: Careful Timing and Patience from Photographer in This Mystery

LAGNIAPPE: PCBA Donates to Norcross High for After School Matters Program

How did distortions and fake facts become a major national topic?

By Mike Wood, Peachtree Corners, Ga.  |  President Donald Trump and his administration representatives call out the news media with increasing frequency as publishing or broadcasting “fake news.”  They have used this assertion as justification for excluding media organizations from asking the president a question at a White House news conference and it and others from attending a briefing in the White House.

The news media, PolitiFact, and other organizations have shown repeatedly that the “fake news” assertions are either outright false or very overblown.  What they also have shown is that Trump and his representatives repeatedly use “fake facts” to self-justify their worldview and their high assessments of themselves.

PolitiFact lists several pages online of false statements (“fake facts”) from Trump and the administration.  Here is a small sample.

• We had a massive landside Electoral College victory. It was the largest since Ronald Reagan. Actually, it was in the lowest quartile of presidential victories and was not the largest since Reagan.
• We had the largest attendance at an inauguration in history.  No, not right again. Pictures of attendees on the Mall from President Obama’s inauguration show a great many more attendees than at Trump’s.  This particular point was put to Kellyanne Conway in an interview as not being factual, and she replied that the administration was using “alternative facts,” another term for “fake facts,” it seems.
• The murder rate in the USA is the highest it’s been in 47 years.  Wrong. It’s actually lower than the high rates in the 1990s, although it has ticked up in the past two years because of shootings in some major cities like Chicago.
• Sweden had some immigrant-perpetrated massacre on February 16^th.  Sweden had nothing of the sort.  Sweden has had no more crimes perpetrated by immigrants than by its own citizens according to its new media.
• There was serious voter fraud in California, New Hampshire, and Virginia.  There are no facts to support these assertions, and these three state election authorities deny them.

Granted, the news media have made several disclosures based on administration leaks for which they did not name sources.  In particular, they reported that then National Security Adviser nominee, Mike Flynn, in December had discussed with his Russian counterpart changing President Obama’s sanctions on Russia arising from their hacking efforts to interfere with our presidential election. The Trump administration has tapes of the telephone calls, so, if Flynn did not discuss the sanctions, why fire him three weeks into the administration rather than disclose the tapes?  It seems the charge of “fake news” for media reports about Flynn’s discussions is likely fake itself.

It’s time to decide.  Who is faking it and who isn’t?

You decide, but please do so based on reasonable assessments of the purported facts and not on which political party or presidential candidate you support.

(Editor’s addition: Below is a statement formally issued on “Alternate Facts” from the Public Relations Society of America.)

• “Truth is the foundation of all effective communications. By being truthful, we build and maintain trust with the media and our customers, clients and employees. As professional communicators, we take very seriously our responsibility to communicate with honesty and accuracy.
• “The Public Relations Society of America, the nation’s largest communications association, sets the standard of ethical behavior for our 22,000 members through our Code of Ethics. Encouraging and perpetuating the use of alternative facts by a high-profile spokesperson reflects poorly on all communications professionals.
• “PRSA strongly objects to any effort to deliberately misrepresent information. Honest, ethical professionals never spin, mislead or alter facts. We applaud our colleagues and professional journalists who work hard to find and report the truth.”
• Have a comment?  Send to:  elliott@brack.net

Farmers markets, wall that heals, Gwinnett Village and an Apple

The Wall That Heals, in Texas in 2016. Via Wikipedia.

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher |  Here we are just into March, and we get an announcement about the Snellville Farmers Market’s upcoming season. Snellville is now accepting applications from vendors and scheduling entertainment for its upcoming eighth season.  Wow!  Eight years. Seems only yesterday.

The Snellville market will be each Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., June 3 through Sept. 30. The market is located on the Towne Green at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Oak Road.

These markets in the various cities are providing a great service both to the cooks of the area, gaining fresh produce, but also to the farmers, finding a ready acceptance of their local products. We hope more and more of these markets this year will concentrate on providing mostly vegetables, bread, jams, and fruit, and not so much of the add-on not-necessaries arts and crafts that discourage people visiting who want the foods.

Oh, well, people with their original creations have to exist too. And some people must buy their goods, for they keep hanging around.

We look forward to other communities’ announcements of their fresh markets!

Coming to nearby the nearby city of Johns Creek is The Wall That Heals, a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile Education Center, on March 30 through April 2. It will be open 24 hours a day and free to the public. The location is Newtown Park Soccer Complex, at the intersection of Old Alabama and Haynes Bridge Roads.. Entrance is across from Fire Department Station 63.

Local sponsors are the City of Johns Creek, the Johns Creek Veterans Memorial Walk, the Johns Creek Veterans Association, the St. Brigid’s Knights of Columbus and the Johns Creek Foundation.

The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War and it bears the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.

The replica Wall is approximately 250 feet in length, and like the original Memorial is erected in a chevron-shape. The replica is constructed of powder-coated aluminum, supported by an aluminum frame, and is made up of 24 individual panels, each containing six columns of names.

The names on The Wall That Heals replicate the names on The Wall in Washington, D.C. As on The Wall, the names are listed alphabetically by day of casualty. Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back in to the center/apex. Thus, the beginning and ending of the conflict are joined at the center, signifying an epoch in American history.

• To learn more about VVMF and the future Education Center at The Wall, visit www.vvmf.org or call 202-393-0090.

The Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District has been awarded a $136,000 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The funds will be used for the 10-year update of the existing Jimmy Carter Boulevard Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) plan. The update will include a market analysis which will inform an updated concept plan to support appropriate redevelopment and plan for multi-modal transportation improvements.

A framed sign in the examination room of Sylvia Flower, PA-C, in Lilburn: “An Apple a Day Won’t Do It.”

• Have a comment?  Send to:  elliott@brack.net

Three potential methods for providing mass transit for Gwinnett

By Robert H. Hanson  |  The loss in Gwinnett County of two major employers in as many years has fueled a new round of discussions on rapid transit for the county, especially since both firms stated that lack of adequate public transit as one of the reasons for their departure.

Public transit does not necessarily imply rail transit, but, as a former director of the Georgia Department of Transportation once told me, “You cannot pave your way out of a traffic problem.”  If the problem is to be solved, a truly viable solution will involve rail transit in one way or another.

There are three types of rail transit – light rail, heavy rail, and commuter rail.

Light rail: This usually means street cars, or something very similar.  Frequently operated on city streets, or in the median of a divided street, the cars are of fairly low capacity (50 or so seats, max), make frequent stops, and usually operate at fairly low speeds.  Light rail is best for short trips – usually a few blocks or a mile or so, at most.

Heavy Rail: This is what MARTA has.  Heavy rail usually means subways or elevated trains operated on a private right of way.  They make fewer stops and therefore can attain somewhat higher speeds between stops.  These are trains of several cars, usually electrically operated, and have a higher capacity, and are used for somewhat longer trips.  Again, MARTA is a prime example of heavy rail.

Commuter Rail: This type service is in use in most of the larger northern cities – New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, etc.  It involves multiple car trains, either self-propelled or locomotive-hauled, using freight railroad tracks (compensating the owning companies for their use, of course) and covering a much larger service area than either light or heavy rail.

In my opinion, commuter rail would be the best alternative for Gwinnett and for Metro Atlanta in general.  A clean, reliable, reasonably priced service would do something that nothing else that has been tried has accomplished: it would take cars off the interstates.

My limited exposure to the Georgia Department of Transportation indicates to me that they tend to break out in hives any time any mode of transportation that involves anything other than pavement is discussed.  This mindset would have to be overcome if anything is to be done with rail transit.

Gwinnett County has two rail lines that could be used (again – compensating the owners for the use, and for the upgrading necessary for commuter service.)  The CSX line through Lilburn, Lawrenceville, and Dacula to Athens, and the Norfolk Southern line through Doraville, Norcross, Duluth, and Buford to Gainesville.

Yes, it would be expensive.  No, it would not turn a profit. No transit agency, anywhere in the world, makes a profit carrying passengers alone.  But sooner or later Gwinnett County – no, the entire State of Georgia – is going to have to face the fact that we are strangling on our own traffic, more pavement is not the answer, and public transportation, like many other services provided by government agencies, should be considered a necessity and not a luxury.

The sooner we face this fact, the better off we’ll be.  Sooner or later, the companies won’t simply be leaving Gwinnett for another part of the metro area, they’ll be leaving for areas with easier commutes and better public transportation.

• Have a comment?  Send to:  elliott@brack.net

Infinite Energy Center

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter is Infinite Energy Center, home to four distinct facilities in Duluth: Infinite Energy Arena, Infinite Energy Theater, Infinite Energy Forum, and The Hudgens Center for the Arts. Infinite Energy Arena has had 14 years of tremendous success hosting countless concerts, family shows and sporting events, and is home to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators and the NLL’s Georgia Swarm.  Some past concerts include George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Beyoncé, Foo Fighters, Eric Clapton, Katy Perry, Kid Rock, James Taylor and Michael Bublé. Infinite Energy Arena also hosts many family shows including Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey, Cirque du Soleil, Disney On Ice and Harlem Globetrotters.  Infinite Energy Forum offers patrons the opportunity to host or attend a wide variety of events, from corporate meetings to trade shows to social occasions.  Infinite Energy Theater has an intimate capacity of 708-seats and is home to many local events, family shows and even some comedians. The Hudgens Center for the Arts showcases a range of artwork throughout the year along with offering a wide range of fine art classes.

• For further information visit www.InfiniteEnergyCenter.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

Suwanee announces members of 4th Youth Leaders class

The City of Suwanee has named the members of its fourth Suwanee Youth Leaders (SYL) Class for the year 2017. These students were chosen based on a combination of the strength of application, feedback from a student-led selection committee made up of recent SYL graduates, recommendations from teachers and school administrators, academic performance, and extracurricular resume.

SYL is an eight-month leadership program for high school sophomores and juniors who attend public, private, or home-based schools and live within the North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge, or Collins Hills cluster districts. The program centers on civic involvement, leadership skills, and volunteer opportunities.

The SYL Class of 2016 recently won a Southeast Festivals and Events Association Bronze Kaleidoscope Award for Most Creative Idea for collaboration between the Suwanee Youth Leaders and Suwanee Fest transportation. SYL also won an Atlanta Regional Commission 2016 CREATE Community Award in the category of Educational Excellence.

Thanks to SYL, says Assistant City Manager Denise Brinson: “We now have a group of young people who have more knowledge of their community and how local government works and the work that goes into building community. The City wanted to develop a real connection with our schools and find a way to meaningfully encourage youth involvement as prescribed in our strategic plan – not just checking a box, but building sincere, authentic relationships.”

Members of the Suwanee Youth Leaders Class of 2017 include:

Lawrenceville starts construction of new Public Works facility

Ready for duty at groundbreaking

The City of Lawrenceville held groundbreaking for its new Public Works site last week, as exemplified by these shovels which were awaiting use. (Note the Lawrenceville city logo on each shovel.) The new facility will soon be home to 112 city employees, and will be located on Pike Street adjacent to the CSX railroad. The total investment of the project is estimated to be around $20 million. Croft and Associates, the architectural and engineering firm managing the project, will begin prep of the site this month. Construction will be completed by Reeves Young, with architectural design competed by Precision Planning and an intersection being added to Pike Street by E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. Facility operations will be housed out of the new site include Electric, Gas, Damage Prevention, Fleet Maintenance and Streets and Sanitation Services.

button size=”small”]NOTABLE [/button]

Jackson EMC Foundation awards $40,000 to local agencies

The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total $103,750 in grants during their January meeting, including $40,000 to organizations serving Gwinnett County.

$15,000 to the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center to allow students from low-income families in Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties to attend interpretative, hands-on field studies and educational programs.

$15,000 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Georgia Chapter to help cover copayments for qualified blood cancer patients in the 10 counties Jackson EMC serves.

$10,000 to Angel House of Georgia, a Gainesville recovery residence for women with alcohol and/or drug addiction, to enable indigent women with no financial resources or support to participate in the twelve-month program by covering their program fees and living expenses, offering these women a second chance at life so they can become productive members of society.

Walden By Henry David Thoreau

Reviewed by Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill  |  What can I say about a classic that hasn’t been already said? I guess my best bet is to recommend Walden based on how it hit me personally. When I was young, I loved Thoreau’s uncluttered, unconventional, ‘hippy’ approach to life. But I thought the bulk of the book was tediously boring. I was not interested in Thoreau’s bean garden or how his ants behaved. But after three decades plus two visits to Walden Pond, I now think Walden is a better book. (Funny how that happens.) Today, I see it as quite modern. Thoreau was ahead of his time in practicing things that are trending today – minimalism, self-sufficiency, tiny houses and trusting in yourself. I love the Eastern philosophy in Walden and see the whole book as an exercise in mindfulness. And I’ll bet I’ll think it’s even better when I read it in another 30 years

• 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

Haunting scenes portrayed by former Wesleyan College professor

Art Werger, an acclaimed printmaker, was born on December 4, 1955, in Ridgewood, N.J. In 1978 he earned a BFA degree in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, and in 1982 he completed an MFA degree in graphics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. From 1982 to 2000 Werger lived in Macon, where he served as a professor of art and chair of the Fine Arts Division at Wesleyan College. His next move took him to Ohio University in Athens, where he became a professor of printmaking and the director of foundations.

Werger is best known for producing prints of intricate detail through various methods, including etching, mezzotint, and multiplate color. His works are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon; the Boston Public Library and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts; the Brooklyn Museum in New York City; the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania; and the Trenton City Museum in New Jersey.

Werger also holds memberships in numerous associations, including the American Print Alliance, College Art Association, Middle Georgia Art Association, and Southern Graphics Council. Werger’s prints Dog Day Shadows (1987), Incident before Dawn (1985), Night Games (1987), and The Other Side (1989) are part of Georgia’s State Art Collection.

• To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org

Careful timing and patience from photographer in this Mystery

Note that the photographer sending in this Mystery Photo exactly timed clicking the shutter when the sun was directly behind this obelisk.  It’s an impressive shot. Figure it out and send in your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.

That unusual Mystery Photo in the last edition stumped everyone but the old reliable, George Graf of Palmyra, Va. It was sent in by Jerry Colley of Alpharetta. He also sends in another view (far right).

George writes: “Mural de la Prehistoria in the Viñales Valley located in the Sierra de los Órganos mountains in the Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. Cuba was once covered by limestone which has eroded away, leaving mountains with steep sides and rounded tops. The mountains are called mogotes, which means ‘haystacks.’ Viñales is said to be Fidel Castro’s favorite place in Cuba.  In 1961 Fidel Castro visited this beautiful valley and commissioned that the cliff should be painted with snails, dinosaurs, and a family of cavepersons, in garish colors.  The Viñales Valley is the country’s second most visited tourist destination after Havana.”

PCBA donates to Norcross High for After School Matters program

The Peachtree Corners Business Association has awarded $1,500 to the Norcross High School Foundation to help fund the successful After School Matters Program at NHS. From left are Dawn Muchow, and Kim Janis, NHS Foundation Co-Presidents, and Laura McMichael, Maria Chininis and Bonnie Marshall, all members of the PCBA Board. Since inception in 2013, the PCBA has donated thousands of dollars back into the Peachtree Corners community.

(NEW) Re-Opening of Uncle Maddio’s Pizza in Buford under new management, on March 4 at 3320 Buford Drive in Buford, across from the Mall of Georgia. Free pizza will be offered on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Briann Welborn, owner of the Gainesville, Ga., Uncle Maddio’s, is the new operator of this Gwinnett restaurant.

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.

Business Start-Up Basic Workshop, Tuesday, March 7 at 6 p.m. at the Five Forks Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. Partnership with SCORE Atlanta, the library, participants will learn financial realities, success factors, assessing the market and business plan elements. The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Veterans’ Roundtable: Wednesday, March 8 at the Buford Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. Enjoy free coffee, comradery, and expert advice on filing VA claims, medical and educational resources, housing, and more.  No reservations are needed.  Drop-in between 1-3 p.m. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Painting Flowers, Alla Prima in Oil, at the Kudzu Art Zone in Norcross, March 8-9-10 a.m. from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Pat Fiorello will lead this workshop  with demonstrations, instruction, critique and guidance. while you learn from Pat. Work from a photograph on day one, then from your own fresh flower set ups on the next two days. For details, supply lists or to register for classes, go to www.kudzuartzone.org.

Fix-a-Leak Workshop, Thursday, March 9 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration, 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. Time: 7 p.m. Plumbers will be on-hand to provide guidance and tips on solving problems at home. To register for this free work­shop, call 678-376-7126 or visit www.gwinnettH2O.com.

Electronic Assembly and Forklift Training at the Lawrenceville Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. Classes will be March 10 at 1 p.m. and March 11 at 12:30 p.m. Presented in partnership with Goodwill Industries and the library. Email events@gwinnettpl.org for questions or information, or visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Spartan Sprint 5K and one mile Fun Run, March 11 at 7 a.m. at Greater Atlanta Christian School Spartan Stadium. Dress like a Spartan! For details, go to: https://www.greateratlantachristian.org/page/campus-life/spartan-sprint-5k–fun-run.

Author Visit: Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, 5141 Peachtree Parkway, at the Forum in Peachtree Corners. Brad Parks is the only author to have won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Awards, three of crime fiction’s most prestigious prizes. Parks is a graduate of Dartmouth College and a former journalist with The Washington Post and The (Newark, NJ) Star-Ledger. This event is free and open to the public.  Books will be available for purchase and signing. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

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.

The Foreigner, by Larry Shue, will be presented March 17 through April 2 at the Lionheart Theatre in downtown Norcross. Set in a fishing lodge in rural Georgia, a shy man who “speaks no English” learns more than he should. Runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 p.m. Details: http://lionhearttheatre.org/buy-tickets/.

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

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• Managing editor: Betsy Brack
• Roving photographer:  Frank Sharp
• Contributing columnist: Debra Houston
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