TO BE CITY HALL: This is the building that the City of Peachtree Corners is to buy for its new city hall. The building is located on a high point in the city at 310 Technology Parkway. See more details in Today’s Focus below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Peachtree Corners To Buy Building in Technology Park for City Hall
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Stay at Older Hotel in Hot Springs, Ark. Proves To Be Memorable
ANOTHER VIEW: Good Data Equals Good Public Policy in Gun Debate
SPOTLIGHT: Peach State Federal Credit Union
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Tech To Host Coding Youth Camps This Summer
NOTABLE: Eastside Medical Center Proudly Flies Donate Life Flag
RECOMMENDED: This Close to Happy: A Reckoning with Depression by Daphne Merkin
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Artist Find Acceptance, Including Major Work Done for Coca-Cola
TODAY’S QUOTE: Problems With Having an Open Mind
MYSTERY PHOTO: Tell us Who This Bust Represents and Where It’s Located
LAGNIAPPE: Roving Photographer Frank Sharp Visits Zoo Atlanta
CALENDAR: Paper Shredding at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lilburn on May 13
Peachtree Corners to buy building in Technology Park for city hall
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. | Five years after establishment as Gwinnett’s largest city, Peachtree Corners is soon to purchase a building to be its City Hall.
The city will purchase the property at 310 Technology Parkway, located in Technology Park, and anticipates being operational in the building in the fall of 2017. The new building will soon begin renovation to reformat space for the city.
The city paid $4.59 million for the two story building, in 61,224 square feet, or $74.97 per square foot. The building will be financed over a 15 year period through the Georgia Municipal Association.
Anticipation is that the city will occupy the first floor of the structure, and rent out the second story.
The city currently operates out of a building at 147 Technology Parkway, with 12,500 square feet of working space. Rent on this facility cost the city $16,000 a month. City Manager Manager Brian Johnson says that “The city’s decision to renovate an existing building rather than building a brand new facility is a fiscally conservative and responsible decision and more cost effective than new construction.”
The City of Dunwoody recently purchased a 45,000 square-foot building for $8,050,000 ($178 per square foot) for use as its new city hall. The City of Johns Creek recently purchased a 75,000 square-foot building for $9,405,125 ($125 per square foot) for use as its new city hall.
Mayor Mike Mason says that the additional square footage of the new city hall “…. will accommodate a larger council chambers, election space and additional meeting space which would also be available for public use. The large meeting space will be multi-purpose for diverse uses and will be available to the public.”
He also says about the new facility “Unlike the current space being used for City Hall, the new building will be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), have public restroom access, and will provide a safe and secure environment for the residents, visitors, and staff that will access the building daily.”
One of the drawbacks of the present city hall is that it sat back from the main street, and was not highly visible. Mayor Mason says that the present city hall: “….is difficult for visitors to locate. The 310 Technology Parkway building offers road frontage with clear visibility from the street. It’s also just steps away from the city’s multi-use trail.”
Overall, Mayor Mason says that the decision to purchase the new building was based on several factors: “Remaining at its current location, the city would be facing a significant rent increase. Conversely purchasing property would be a more fiscally prudent option as the new location, which has more square footage, will also allow the city to lease out a portion of the building, providing additional income which will offset the monthly cost.” —(eeb)
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Stay at older hotel in Hot Springs, Ark., proves to be memorable
A 1924 postcard of the hotel.
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | There’s something about staying in a family-run hotel that just beats the chain-run stays. Older hotels have their own charm, such as the Monteleone in New Orleans, the DeSoto in Savannah, the Fairmont and the Sir Frances Drake in San Francisco, and even the Henry Grady in Atlanta. You probably have your own favorite.
But our favorite is in a once-thriving area, now on harder times: in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It’s The Arlington. It is situated across from Hot Springs National Park Bathhouse Row, the original hotel built in 1875 of yellow bricks. The present building opened in 1924, with its several wings and 560 rooms, and commands a majestic view of the downtown main thoroughfare. Add to it the charm of its seventh floor pool, plus being able to take the elevator in slippers and robe from the hotel room to its hot bath and massage area. It’s wonderful.
We have visited it several times when our children were growing up, them learning of the soda fountain in the basement, plus allowing our Beagle at the time to stay with us. The dog enjoyed riding the elevator.
Our most recent visit was as several others: to attend the Arkansas Derby during the middle of April, a race for three year olds and precursor to the Kentucky Derby. (Now at least we have a name of a horse in the Kentucky Derby for Saturday: Classic Empire, who won the 2017 Arkansas Derby. In 2015, American Pharoah won in Hot Springs, and went on to take the Triple Crown.)
Two incidents on our 2017 Arlington visit made the trip memorable.
The Arlington today.
First, when making airplane, car and hotel reservations, somehow I forgot to get Arkansas Derby grandstand tickets. Realizing it was about two weeks before the race, I learned that all grandstand tickets were sold. They told me: “We might have some returned to put on sale Saturday morning.” That was a downer, for at least I wanted for Barbara and me to be inside, out of the sun and possible rain.
Calling the hotel, I inquired if they possibly had some tickets. But no. Drat it.
About a week later, to my surprise, before the race, there was a call from the Arlington. They had two tickets that a hotel guest who had planned to go had made available. “Thanks,” I gushed, “How much do I owe you for them.”
“There’s no charge,” I was told. “The couple just wanted someone to have them.”
Wow! And whew! We would for sure be under cover. And they proved to be good seats! (We still don’t know who provided them. But thanks to that kind couple!)
Sunday morning when checking out, I realized that I had my Swiss Army knife with me. We had checked a bag on the way to Arkansas, but would not check a bag on the return, and the TSA agents would confiscate my knife, as they had done several times before when I forgot to leave the knife at home.
Then came an idea. Seeking a desk clerk, I asked would she address an envelope to me at home, put the knife inside, and mail it? I gave her a dollar for the postage. Once home, I thought little about it…..and after a week, wondered what happened.
I should not have worried. Some 10 days after checking out, a padded envelope arrived with 88 cents postage, knife and all! The Arlington had come through again!
Perhaps a chain hotel would have helped us just as well as these two incidents.
But, for sure, I felt the Arlington would treat its customer well.
They always do.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Good data equal good public policy in gun debate
“There have been more mass shootings in the United State in 2016 than we have had days this year” …Gun Violence Archive
By George Wilson, contributing columnist | The importance of good and reliable data is essential for all good decisions. However when it comes to making public policy, reliable and trustworthy data can be missing for a number of reasons.
One example is the undue influence of special interest groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) that killed funding for a study on gun violence by the Communicable Disease Center. We could understand the risks better if the U.S. Government actually commissioned studies on guns and gun ownership, something prohibited by law. Despite this, sometime in 2017, a privately funded reliable study will be released that looks at gun ownership and usage. It is currently under peer review, but we got an early preview.
Here are a few facts that will emerge from this study.
- Three percent of American adults own 130 million guns;
- About half of all the civilian firearms in circulation in the United States are owned by just three percent of the people. That means that about 7.7 million Americans own eight to 140 guns each.
My conclusion is that because of this concentration of gun ownership, these serious gun owners should understand the need for basic controls that ensure that the wrong people don’t have access to weaponry.
Gun owners are disproportionately white men over 45 who hold conservative political views.
Here is another item from the study: the main reason women are becoming gun owners is self-defense. But the data shows that generally, keeping a gun in the house makes people less safe, especially women and children.
In my view the NRA and the gun manufacturers keep their members people in a constant state of fear, by saying falsely that the government “….wants to take away their right to bear arms.”
Finally, we should develop good policy to save thousands of lives, while reconciling the need for rural gun owners to hunt versus the urban environment of excessive shootings.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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Gwinnett Tech to host coding youth camps this summer
“Screen time” gets smarter this summer as Gwinnett Technical College makes plans to host a wide range of new technology camps taught by Kids 4 Coding, the metro Atlanta’s leader in technology and design youth education programming. This year camps will be offered for students ages 7-15 at both the Lawrenceville and Alpharetta campuses.
The addition of more Kids 4 Coding summer camps comes as requests increase for computer science and programming education for young students. Basic technology instruction in public schools combined with what young people self-teach through digital app use cannot alone create a tech-ready generation. In fact last year, the National Assessment Governing Board released a study showing that less than half of America’s eighth graders are considered “proficient” when tested on technology literacy.
Highly interactive modules – new every summer – are developed by Kids 4 Coding in collaboration with teachers and industry professionals to lead campers through fun, age-appropriate projects and challenges that develop skills in game creation and modification, programming techniques, robotics, and additional computer science and engineering areas. Camps are supervised by certified teachers and taught by experienced instructors who are passionate about technology. Students enhance their logical thinking, problem-solving, mathematics application and creative abilities in a collaborative, entertaining format.
Kids 4 Coding summer camps at Gwinnett Tech will run from Tuesday, May 30 – Friday, July 28.
Half and full-day session options include:
- Building/Coding Drones Game Design;
- Game Design and Programming (including Python and JavaScript);
- Encryption and Raspberry Pi;
- Minecraft Modding and Robotics;
- 3D Design (Architecture);
- Mobile Apps and Games Design; and
- Website Design.
Camp fees include a t shirt, healthy snacks and a certificate of completion. The ratio of student to instructor is 9:1, and space is limited. For full details, including tuition, session dates and registration, visit Kids4Coding.com/atlanta.
Food Truck Fridays to begin in Duluth on May 5
Food Trucks will take over Duluth Town Green soon as they begin rolling in to stake their claim in downtown Duluth. New this year is two entertainment stages along with free inflatables, movies and games.
Food Truck Friday will run alongside Fridays N Duluth, which kicks off May 5. Fridays N Duluth offers an array of entertainment including the Peach State Cornhole League and live music on the Festival Center Stage and in Parsons Alley.
On Fridays Duluth presents “Flicks on the Bricks,” which showcase movies on Duluth Town Green on the first Friday of the month from May to September. The movie will kick off at dusk.
Braselton plans 6th annual Toast to Braselton fundraising on May 11
The Braselton Downtown Development Authority is hosting its sixth annual Toast to Braselton fundraising event on Thursday, May 11, from 6 to 9pm. The event will be held at the Braselton Stover Event Center in Downtown Braselton. “Business is Blooming in Braselton” is the theme this year.
A buffet will be served along with a beer garden, wine bar provided by Chateau Elan, entertainment, dancing, games, silent auction, live auction and prizes. Tickets are $55 per person or $500 for a table of 10. Garden party attire.
- For tickets contact any DDA board member or Amy Pinnell, 706-654-0369 or email apinnell@braselton.net.
Eastside Medical Center proudly flies Donate Life flag
Eastside Medical Center administration and staff gather together to take part in a Donate Life flag-raising ceremony in honor of Organ Donation Awareness Month.
Eastside Medical Center held a private Donate Life flag-raising ceremony recently at their main hospital location in Snellville. The Donate Life flag is a symbol of unity and hope, and honors and celebrates the hundreds of thousands of donors and recipients whose lives have been affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.
Eastside Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit Nurse Leader, Kathy Brown says: “Organ and tissue donation can save and improve lives in our community, across Georgia and across the nation, and Eastside Medical Center wants to help drive that point home with this symbolic flag. Joining the Donor Registry gives hope to those in need of organ and tissue transplants, while leaving a legacy of generosity for the donor and his or her family.”
Donate Life America’s national Flags across America celebration began in 2009. The initiative rallies every donor hospital and transplant center, as well as all recovery agencies, to collectively fly the Donate Life flag during April.
- To learn more about organ and tissue donation and to register your donation decision visit www.LifeLinkFoundation.org.
Medical school students visit Washington to discuss health care
Three Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) students in Suwanee, along with several alumni, traveled to Washington, D.C. recently to discuss health care with Georgia’s senators and congressional representatives. Hosted by the American Osteopathic Association, it brought together hundreds of osteopathic medical students and graduates from across the country to advocate about healthcare issues.
One of the main topics addressed was reauthorization of the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, which provides residents with medical training in underserved areas of the country. Support of this program, as alumni Rachel Gougian, DO ‘16, explained, would allow the training to continue, while addressing the gaps in healthcare accessibility, and providing sustainable long-term outcomes.
Prior to the hill visits, participants were schooled in how to effectively communicate issues with legislators. GA-PCOM’s Riona Booze (DO ‘20) was actively engaged in the training and offered advice to new participants about what to expect in their interactions on the hill.
On the agenda for Georgia’s constituents were meetings with the offices of U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, U.S. Senator David Perdue and U.S. Representative Rob Woodall in which the legislators or their staff members were informed about the basics of osteopathic medicine and the importance of reauthorizing THCGME. Representative Woodall raised questions about the transactional nature of medicine today, health disparities across Georgia, and the distinction between coverage and access to care. The students discussed how partnering with patients can be an asset to delivering care in a time when medicine has become seemingly less personal.
Before the journey ended, GA-PCOM students had a chance encounter with Dr. Regina Benjamin, 18th Surgeon General of the United States. Awaiting flights to Atlanta, they exchanged stories and Dr. Benjamin imparted some wisdom. “You can’t feel defeated,” she said when asked about patient noncompliance.
She explained that whatever the challenges may be, physicians have the responsibility to persevere in empowering patients to make the best decisions for themselves. They discussed how patient autonomy is the cornerstone of change and the importance of patient education, service and outreach. Minutes before departure, pleasantries were exchanged, business cards were swapped, and photos were snapped. Just like that, the group parted ways after a beneficial and educational experience in the nation’s capital.
This Close to Happy: A Reckoning with Depression
Nonfiction by Daphne Merkin
Reviewed by Karen Harris, Stone Mountain | This is a poignant and heartfelt treatise about living with lifelong clinical depression. The author was born to a wealthy Orthodox Jewish family in New York City, the youngest girl in a family of six children. Daphne had her first depressive episode while in grade school and was hospitalized for childhood depression. Daphne and her sisters and brothers experienced little love in the home while growing up, which she believes is the reason for her lifelong clinical depression. Despite the ongoing malaise, she has functioned as a writer and parent, though always with depression hovering in the background. Daphne’s complex relationship with her parents, primarily her mother, unfolds, filled with examples of neglect. The second part of the book is about her career which she forges while managing her depression. She describes the opposite of depression as “not a state of unimaginable happiness…but a state of relative all-right-ness.”
- 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 finds acceptance, including major work done for Coca-Cola
Continued from previous issue
Athos and Sara Menaboni settled into a small apartment on 11th Street and survived financially through commissions acquired through the prominent Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze. Menaboni designed murals for Swan House, the home of Emily and Edward Inman that is now part of the Atlanta History Center. That work led to additional commissions for private homes, public buildings, and places of worship. The childless couple longed for a place of their own, surrounded by nature. In 1939 the couple purchased a six-acre parcel of land in Sandy Springs, where they built first an aviary and then a house. In 1942 they moved into the new house, named Valle Ombrosa (“Shady Valley”), after the village Vallombrosa, located southeast of Florence, Italy, where Menaboni had spent summers as a child.
Menaboni
In 1937, during a lull in commissioned work, Menaboni had time to paint from memory a cardinal, which was inspired by the work of John James Audubon and Menaboni’s own careful observations of the animal in nature. This single painting opened a new avenue of work for Menaboni when Molly Aeck, a visiting interior decorator and friend, saw the painting and sold it to a client. He preferred to capture an animal’s distinct personality by observing it in nature. He was meticulous in painting both the birds and the flora of their habitat. Using thin layers of oil paints for a translucent quality, he painted on wood, silk, canvas, glass, and mirrors.
The height of Menaboni’s career occurred during the 1940s and 1950s, when he created yearly Christmas cards for Robert Woodruff, the president of the Coca-Cola Company. His work appeared in advertisements and magazines, which led to the publication in 1950 of the book Menaboni’s Birds, with illustrations by Menaboni and text by his wife. He also illustrated the American bird article in The World Book Encyclopedia in 1957, and his work was exhibited widely during this time. His lithograph American Bald Eagle is included in Georgia’s State Art Collection.
Menaboni died on July 18, 1990, from complications of a stroke. His wife died on August 10, 1993. The couple left their estate to Callaway Gardens.
The largest archive of Menaboni papers and possessions is located in the Troup County Archives in LaGrange, and Menaboni collections are also found at both the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library at Emory University in Atlanta, and the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Georgia in Athens.
The Albany Museum of Art opened an exhibition entitled Living on the Wind: The Bird Paintings of Athos Menaboni in 2001, and in 2009 an exhibition of Menaboni’s work entitled Athos Menaboni: Portrait of a Painter opened at Kennesaw State University. The Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State has one of the largest collections in the world of Menaboni’s work.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Tell us who this bust represents and where it’s located
Who is this man? That’s part of the mystery for today. Not only tell us who you think this is, bt also give us the setting for this bust. Send in your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.
Once again, George Graf of Palmyra, Va. was the only one to correctly search and find the answer to last edition’s Mystery Photo. It was sent in by Beverly Lougher of Lawrenceville. George correctly identified the Wallace-Cross Mill, located in East Hopewell Township, York County, Penn. He says:
“According to Wikipedia, the mill was constructed in 1826 and was operated continuously until the 1980s taking its water power from Rambo Run. The mill, now a part of the York County Parks system was placed on the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places on February 24, 1977 and the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1977. Since 1840, ownership of the mill changed only four times with one name change from the family name of Wallace to Cross. All three floors of the mill are open to the public with milling displays and equipment. The mill was originally powered by a wooden overshot wheel with wooden spokes and shaft. In 1922, the wooden wheel was replaced by a steel Fitz wheel.”
Roving photographer Frank Sharp visits Zoo Atlanta
There’s always plenty to train your camera on when you visit a zoo. Roving Photographer Frank Sharp recently made a stop at the Zoo Atlanta, and captured this image of a youngster fascinated by a panda bear. Then check out this mighty lion, and an always-identifiable zebra. Zoo Atlanta is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round.
- For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.
Job Fair on May 4 at 11 a.m. at the Five Forks Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library, 2780 Five Forks Road. Gwinnett County Public Library, in partnership with Goodwill of North Georgia, is holding this Job Fair on Thursday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Bring your resume, dress professionally, and get hired!
Author Visit: Gwinnett County Public Library will host Ace Atkins, New York Times bestselling author, on Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Aurora Theatre, 153 East Crogan Street, Lawrenceville. This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of Eagle Eye Book Shop. For more information, please visit www.gwinnettpl.org.
Quarry Crusher Run will be May 6 at the Vulcan Materials Quarry, at 1707 Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross, to benefit the Gwinnett County Public Schools. Starting time is 8 a.m. Descend 600 feet to the bottom of the quarry before you begin your climb out! See if you are up to the challenge. It’s two miles down, and of course, another two miles back. Test yourself! For details, visit quarrycrusherrun.com/atlanta to register.
Third Annual Gwinnett Beer Fest at Coolray Field is back on May 6. This event takes place INSIDE the baseball stadium, with hundreds of beers surrounding the entire concourse and berm. There will be 25-30 rare or exclusive beers, catered food and one hour early entry. Taste unlimited samples of craft beer from 1-5pm. Tickets are on sale now at gwinnettbeerfest.com. Tickets are $45 for General Admission ($50 at the door) and $110 for VIP.
Mayberry Moments will be Saturday, May 6 at 8 p.m. at the Red Clay Theater in Duluth. Come meet original Andy Griffith show cast members Maggie Peterson, who played Charlene Darling, and Rodney Dillard, one of the Darling family brothers. Also see David Browning, also known as The Mayberry Deputy, a portrayal of Barney Fife. For tickets, visit http://eddieowenpresents.com.
Southern Wings Bird Club meeting on May 8 at 7 p.m. at the Gwinnett Judicial and Administration Center will feature a presentation by Richard Hall: “Warbler Wonderland: What Georgia’s Warbler Tell Us About Our Changing World.”
(NEW) Safety for Seniors Workshop will be May 10 at 1 p.m. at the Grayson Library, 700 Grayson Parkway. Join Gwinnett County Public Library, in partnership with the Gwinnett County Fire Department, for this free SeniorBSafe program. Fire educators will help senior adults identify fall and fire hazards and ways to create a safe living environment, including testing smoke alarms. Staff will also assist seniors with filling out compact personal health history packets that can be accessed quickly by emergency responders. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
(NEW) Behind the Gate Garden Tour in Lilburn will be Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. It is sponsored by the Lilburn Woman’s Club. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased online through Paypal by logging onto www.lilburnwomansclub.org.
(NEW) Free paper shredding and electronics recycling on May 13 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1826 Killian Hill Road in Lilburn. Time: from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Atlanta Recycling Solutions will be in the church parking lot at for the event. For a complete list of items accepted, visit www.tlc-lilburn.org and click on the event announcement or call 770-972-4418.
SERVICES
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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