Feb. 2018 issues of GwinnettForum

TODAY’S FOCUS: Norton List of 10 Events Which Changed North Georgia
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Only Two Months Left Before Deadline for Primary Races in 2018
ANOTHER VIEW: Patients Need More Than Raw Data In Health Care Pricing
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
McLEMORE’S WORLD: Flu Shot?
UPCOMING: Major Changes Coming to Lake Lanier Islands Resort
NOTABLE: Primerica Inc. Is Winner of Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award
RECOMMENDED: Seven Days of Us By Francesca Hornak
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Dean Rusk Center at UGA Focuses on Internal Legal Activities
TODAY’S QUOTE: Jack London Thinks of a Dog and a Bone
MYSTERY PHOTO: Stunning Architecture of This Building May Signal Its Use
LAGNIAPPE: Duluth Recognizes God Spirit Award Winners
CALENDAR: Aurora Theatre Planning Gala for February 9

Norton List of 10 Events Which Changed North Georgia

By Billy Chism

TOCCOA, Ga., Feb. 2, 2018—Back in December, I received an e-mail from Frank Norton, chairman and CEO of The Norton Agency, based in Gainesville. This business is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

The e-mail contained a survey, asking to choose the 10 events “that forever changed our North Georgia region over the last 90 years – from 1928 to 2018.” To make the job easier, Norton had included about 30 events to be pondered before filling out the survey.

Frank Norton is a force in the world of real estate in Northeast Georgia. His annual Native Intelligence report is anticipated each year by hundreds of business people, elected officials and those working in the nonprofit world.

Norton gave his latest business forecast last week – which included a summary of his survey results.

So, in ascending order, here is the Top 10 significant events that have forever changed Northeast Georgia, as voted on by area residents.

No. 10. The Gainesville tornado of 1936. Much of downtown Gainesville was destroyed, hundreds died and thousands were injured.

No. 9. The expansion of public colleges and private colleges in Northeast Georgia. These colleges, spread throughout Northeast Georgia, have provided our citizens with a broader educational opportunity. I would have ranked this one higher.

No. 8. Utility infrastructure. To put things in perspective, in 1928 only an estimated 5 percent of our region had electricity. Reliable telephone service in this region wasn’t available until the 1950s. Think how far we’ve come.

No. 7. The Atlanta airport. The decision to make Atlanta’s airport a major transportation hub changed everything. Atlanta’s airport is the busiest in the world, and its impact definitely reaches into Northeast Georgia.

No. 6. The 1996 Olympics. Remember the excitement when the Olympic torch was carried through downtown Toccoa? Norton believes the “can do” spirit of the Olympics was its most lasting legacy.

No. 5. Atlanta’s business and population growth. We have all witnessed it… as development moved first into Gwinnett County, then Hall, Barrow and Jackson counties and is now making its way into Lumpkin, White and Habersham counties.

No. 4. The birth of the chicken industry. Chicken houses and processing plants have brought plenty of jobs and economic growth to all parts of North Georgia.

No. 3. Northeast Georgia’s healthcare system. The Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville and the North Georgia Physicians Group has put top-quality healthcare within the reach of many. I agree, and put this one as my No. 1.

No. 2. The Interstate Highway System. It now criss-crosses Northeast Georgia and has given all of us greater accessibility to everything. I’m not sure I would have ranked it No. 2, but you can’t deny how these four-lanes have opened up our world.

No. 1. The creation of Lake Sidney Lanier. The creation of Lake Lanier changed everything for the many counties that border this huge body of water – all 38,000 square acres of it.

As Frank Norton noted, it wasn’t one event that moved Northeast Georgia forward and created these growth dynamics. It took them all.

And that’s something to think about.

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

Only Two Months Left Before Deadline for Primary Races in 2018

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | For the last six years, there has been little change in government in Gwinnett.

The Gwinnett Commission has brought stability to county operations, under the leadership of Charlotte Nash and her other commissioners.

The Gwinnett School Board has had the same line-up of board members now for 12 years.

There has been continued stability in the cities of Gwinnett, except for problems in Snellville. That city’s operations now seem to run smoothly under Mayor Pro-tem Barbara Bender, awaiting the outcome of charges against former Mayor Tom Witts.

Yet you wonder, with 2018 being an election year, if could there be any upheaval in politics in the county. Even if new members were to come to the governing boards of the county, we would anticipate that few changes would be seen in the operations of its governments. After all, changing of a few members would not necessarily upset the applecart.

However, we all know, especially in Gwinnett, that change is on the way. The 2016 elections, where several candidates came close to upsetting incumbents, indicate that 2018 might see more close races, and might even see several newcomers elected.

At some point soon in Gwinnett, many anticipate an even stronger shift toward Democratic contenders winning elections. The Republicans have held onto most offices since 1984. With the obvious diversity and continued growth, we would be most surprised if more Democratic candidates did not win several elections.

Then remember that in the presidential election in 2016, Gwinnett went for Democrat Hillary Clinton. That alone should make some Republicans, who won close races, to be alert. They might not fare as well in 2018.

Many state offices will also be in contention in 2018. That includes the governor’s race, with new faces seeking that office. . That race always seems to attract the most attention. We can foresee the time, maybe not in 2018, when a Democratic might take the top spot, but the lower ticket statewide races remain in the hands of the Grand Old Party.

Another race that is being watched carefully in 2018 is that of the Seventh Congressional District. Incumbent Republican Rob Woodall some say faces a serious challenger for the Republican nomination. The winner then will have at least three Democratic candidates vying for the seat in Washington. With Democrats targeting that race as possibly winnable, this could be a stemwinder.

The year 2018 races might also have impact from the national political scene. In several special elections around the country in the last year, Democrats have shown remarkable strength in unseating Republicans. Some say that this is a reaction to the leadership of President Trump, with voters overwhelmingly rejecting his administration, and seeking to send a message that they don’t like his style of administration. Therefore, they send more Democrats to office.

Yet right now this is only the start of the second month of the year. Lots can happen, outside the political arena, which might influence this year’s politics.

All this interest in politics won’t be settled until November. However, deadline for qualifying for political primaries in Georgia is on March 9, just five weeks away. The primary vote will be on May 22, 2018.

So people who might want to throw their hat into the ring have only about five weeks to make up their minds if they want to run. If you have friends who are thinking about running, now is the time to encourage good candidates.

Those people to seek political office this year….well, it’s time to seriously consider it now.

Time’s a’wastin!

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

Patients Need More Than Raw Data In Health Care Pricing

By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist | Florida has moved to provide patients with more pricing information on their health.

As the former Director of Health Planning for Georgia, I fully support Florida’s efforts at healthcare price transparency as a first step. I just wish Georgia would follow their lead. However, I would caution patients/consumers regarding the impact of this move.

An April 12, 2017 report from the respected Commonwealth Fund lists all of the impediments regarding pricing transparency, including: “determining in advance the health services any given patient will need. The wide variety of insurance benefit structures, a lack of standard formatting for reporting prices, and the difficulty of determining prices when charges originate from multiple providers is obvious.”

Giving patients unintelligible raw data will not help them to make better decisions. Providing real intelligence in a simple, clear, usable format is another matter… but will take a lot more work than most lay people believe.

Plus, quality considerations must be accounted for. Three years ago, I was living in a rural area with a “hospital” with an average daily census of three (yes, you heard it right, three). Obviously, a “hospital” that size cannot be much more than an urgent care center which sends you elsewhere.

When my wife became seriously ill, I did not check their prices. I immediately moved to a suburb of Atlanta with a major hospital and specialists. It was the best decision, although it meant leaving many friends and political supporters where I was a two term County Commissioner.

The less obvious aspect of pricing transparency is on the provider side. For decades, I supervised over a hundred provider pricing studies. We studied how much major hospitals and physicians paid for supplies, capital equipment and pharmaceuticals. We found tremendous variation, so much so that the process reminded me of buying a used car.

For example, I ran a vaccine study for the Pediatric Association of Kentucky, consisting of all the pediatricians in the state, having a potential purchase of $52 million. We gathered data from all of their practices.

Not surprisingly, each of them was told by suppliers that they alone had the lowest pricing versus other practices. What we found was much different.

Prices varied tremendously and, surprisingly, even the smallest practices sometimes had the best pricing. We implemented a statewide group purchasing program and pricing immediately dropped 10-20 percent overall.

If government really wants pricing transparency, it also needs to work on the supply chain for providers.

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

Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Professional healthcare programs leading to doctoral degrees in Pharmacy (PharmD) and Osteopathic Medicine (DO) are offered at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) in Suwanee Ga. A graduate degree at the master’s level can be earned in Biomedical Sciences and Physician Assistant Studies. In addition, a physical therapy education program is under development. GA–PCOM is a private, not-for-profit branch campus of the fully accredited Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, a multi-program institution founded in 1899 with a tradition of educational excellence.

To learn more about how GA-PCOM is educating tomorrow’s healthcare professionals, visit www.pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. For an appointment at the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic specialty clinic, call 678-225-7485.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.

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Flu Shot?

For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
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Major Changes Coming to Lake Lanier Islands Resort

Virgil Williams and his family’s LLI Management Company, which has leased Lake Lanier Islands since 2005, has announced a joint venture with Knoxville, Tenn.-based Safe Harbor Development. The partnership seeks to position the 1,500-acre lakeside resort and entertainment venue in north Metro Atlanta as the destination for the next phase of its growth and development.

Safe Harbor, in partnership with Margaritaville, the global lifestyle brand, will assume management of LanierWorld, its campground and marina. The firm already operates Aqualand marina on Lake Lanier. Safe Harbor President Darby Campbell has a longstanding relationship with Margaritaville, most recently developing a Margaritaville Hotel, opening next year in Downtown Nashville.

Safe Harbor will also manage the destination’s special events programming, including the popular annual Magical Nights of Lights, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Other short-term enhancements will include development of an all-new RV park, as well as the addition of new wet and dry slips at the resort’s primary marina.

The Williams family will continue to operate the resort’s accommodations, meeting and wedding sites, and on-site recreational venues such equestrian center and Legacy on Lanier Golf Club – the island’s breathtaking 18-hole lakeside golf course.

Virgil Williams, chairman of the board for the management company, says: “Over the last 11 years, the Williams family has been committed to elevating quality, product and service standards at Lake Lanier Islands, in order to create a venue that Georgians can be proud of.” It will be in charge of the resort’s accommodations, meeting and wedding sites, and on-site recreational venues such equestrian center and Legacy on Lanier Golf Club, the island’s 18-hole lakeside golf course.

Together, Safe Harbor and Margaritaville – along with LLI Management – are planning for a phased multi-million-dollar transformation of Lanier Islands over the next several years.

Campbell, adds: “We see huge potential working with Margaritaville to build upon what has been created here, while introducing new attractions, amenities, services and events that truly elevate the destination. We are excited to partner with the Williams family and to help position Lanier Islands for an incredible evolution.”

Lawrenceville Schedule of Community Events for 2018 Released

The City of Lawrenceville has announced the schedule of community events for 2018, including all of the city-sponsored activities and events happening in the Historic Downtown District. Lawrenceville will continue its annual tradition of bringing hometown favorite events to the Lawrenceville Square but will also feature some new events as well.

Two new events are planned in 2018. They include two Brewery Festivals (one in spring and one in fall) as well as the Bicentennial Bus Tours that the County is putting on.

Additional details about the movie titles and concert headliners will be available soon! To find out the latest news and updates for all of the Lawrenceville events, visit http://www.lawrencevillega.org/371/City-Events.

Suwanee Seeking Proposals for Annual Art on a Limb Project

The City of Suwanee is seeking proposals and samples from artists willing to go out on a limb for the city’s finders-keepers art-in-nature program.

A Suwanee tradition, Art on a Limb is an award-winning, month-long program designed to celebrate and bring attention to the arts, as well as the natural beauty of the Suwanee parks and greenway. Since 2005, the city has hidden two pieces of original artwork daily throughout the month of May within City of Suwanee parks and along the greenway; those who find a piece of art get to keep it.

Past Art on a Limb pieces have included clay birds and orbs, small paintings on canvas, pieces of the City’s old water tower, magnets, gourds painted to look like birds, the Suwanee S shaped from metal, and pottery pieces that include leaves found along the Greenway. This year, we’re looking for something a bit more whimsical; think fairy doors, pot creatures, and the like.

Artistic proposals for this year’s program will be accepted through February 23. Guidelines and an application are available at suwanee.com.

Snellville Working on Creation of Master Plan through Year 2040

A plan to map out Snellville’s future through 2040 is under way. City officials have begun the process of creating the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, a guide to shaping Snellville’s future for decades to come.

Three firms have been chosen as finalists to create the plan: Jacobs of Atlanta; TSW of Atlanta; and Amec Foster Wheeler of Kennesaw. These firms will be interviewed in the coming weeks and one will be chosen to collect public and professional input through community meetings, disseminate findings and ultimately write the plan.

The City of Snellville 2030 Comprehensive Plan was adopted Feb. 9, 2009. Since then, the city has worked to create a Towne Center in the downtown area. A major focus of the new plan will be to expand the Towne Center around a city market and library though a partnership with Gwinnett County. Officials believe that will spur commercial and residential growth in the areas surrounding City Hall and elsewhere.

The 2040 Comprehensive Plan could be ready for approval by the end of the year, city officials said, as the mandated state deadline is Feb. 1, 2019. To review the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, visit www.snellville.org/comprehensive-plan.

Primerica Inc. Is Winner of Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award

Primerica, Inc. of Duluth (NYSE: PRI), a leading distributor of financial products to middle income families in North America, has announced that the company’s philanthropic arm, The Primerica Foundation, has been selected by The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce as the 2018 recipient of the D. Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award.

The award is presented annually to an organization that best exemplifies the spirit of compassion and generosity of late developer and philanthropist, D. Scott Hudgens. The Primerica Foundation will be honored at the upcoming 70th annual dinner of The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce on February 2.

Karen Fine Saltiel, chairman of The Primerica Foundation, says: “We are truly humbled to be selected for the D. Scott Hudgens Humanitarian Award, and we are honored to share in the legacy of a true community hero.”

The Primerica Foundation was established in 2010, and to date, it has granted over $6,000,000 in funding throughout the state of Georgia, with Gwinnett County and Metro Atlanta benefiting from nearly $4,000,000 of this total. The Foundation’s grant funding impacts over 200,000 people every year, and a majority of all funding has supported programs that help people towards self-sufficiency. The Foundation also funds local community programs that enhance the quality of life for all residents. “We feel strongly about giving back to our hometown community,” said Saltiel.

The Primerica Foundation is led by Karen Fine Saltiel, founding Chairman and president, and Anne Soutter, founding vice-chairman and operations officer. The Foundation’s Board of Directors also includes William Nemetz, treasurer; Margaret Halbert, secretary; and Kelly King Herndon and Randy Redner, community advisers.

Seven Days of Us By Francesca Hornak

From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill:

“I finished this book in one night. Not because it was that great but because it kept pulling me in. Set in England, the story is about a family that includes a doctor who has been working with a deadly epidemic overseas. She is granted a week’s leave to visit her family during the Christmas holidays on the condition they quarantine themselves. But don’t go thinking all family gatherings are filled with joy. Throw into this a man who has discovered the identity of his biological father, a woman who is recently engaged to a man she senses she doesn’t know, a mother who is keeping a sad secret and a cool and distant father and you have a bit of a page turner (once you get going). The author packs a lot of drama into a few days. Far fetched? Yes. Gut wrenching? Sometimes. But poignant and entertaining.”

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. Send to: elliott@brack.net

Dean Rusk Center at UGA Focuses on Internal Legal Activities

The Dean Rusk Center for International Law and Policy serves as the principal focus for the international activities of the University of Georgia School of Law. The center was established in 1977 to expand the scope of research, teaching, and service at the University of Georgia School of Law into the evolving international dimensions of the profession.

The center is named for Dean Rusk, the U.S. secretary of state (1961-69) and Samuel H. Sibley Professor of International Law at the University of Georgia (1970-85), who provided the inspiration for the center’s creation and its continuing role at the School of Law and the university. The Rusk Center merged with International and Graduate Legal Studies in 1999, and today the center plays an active role in international law and policy and comparative law projects, organizes conferences and colloquia, hosts visiting scholars, and undertakes international research and outreach projects.

The Rusk Center serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas and the development of concrete international projects among students, faculty, staff, practitioners, and alumni, and with diverse international partners on international and transnational legal and policy matters.

Through collaboration, partnership, and exchange, the Rusk Center integrates international scholarship at institutional, state, national, and international levels. Members of the center staff identify feasible research, outreach, and service projects; find appropriate partners at the University of Georgia and at other universities and national and international funding organizations; and make proposals for such projects and manage the projects when funded.

Nationally, the center cooperates with academic and professional legal institutions active in international and comparative law. It also plays an active role in international exchange and outreach in Europe, the Americas, and other parts of the world. Moreover, collaboration with foreign universities, judiciaries, and governments has the goal of furthering institutional reform, capacity building, and legal scholarship in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The Occasional Papers series publishes papers in connection with the participation of individual scholars in conferences, projects, research, and other activities of the Rusk Center. One set of Occasional Papers, published in 2003, contains a series of lectures by eminent legal scholars given in memory of Dean Rusk on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the center.

The Rusk Center Monographs have published results of work done at the Rusk Center, conference proceedings, and other work on diverse themes. The LL.M. Research Theses, housed at the Rusk Center library, record the extensive comparative and international research work prepared by the graduate law students. The Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law has published the proceedings and papers of a number of international legal-studies conferences as well as articles on the international and transnational dimensions of law by faculty members who take part with colleagues at other universities in international and comparative law projects.

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

Stunning Architecture of This Building May Signal Its Use

Look at the lines and the domes of this Mystery Photo. It’s a stunning building. Just tell us what it is and where it is, and you will have solved this edition’s Mystery Photo. Send your thoughts to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.

We’ll admit to playing with your mind in the last Mystery Photo, taken straight from Frank Sharp’s recent tour to Down Under. Spotting the mystery immediately were Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill, Bob Foreman of Grayson and Lou Camiero, Lilburn. It was, of course, Cook’s Cottage.

As George Graf of Palmyra, Va. told us: “ Built in 1755, Cooks’ Cottage is the oldest building in Australia and a popular Melbourne tourist attraction in Fitzroy Gardens. Originally located in Yorkshire, England, and built by the parents of Captain James Cook, the cottage was brought to Melbourne by Sir Russell Grimwade in 1934. Astonishingly, each brick was individually numbered, packed into barrels and then shipped to Australia.Combining a history of the evolution of the cottage and how it came to be in Melbourne, centuries-old antiques, a delightful English cottage garden and volunteers dressed in 18th century costumes, Cooks’ Cottage is a fascinating step back in time.”

Allan Peel of San Antonio write: “When I saw the mystery photo, I immediately realized it was not a house anywhere in America. It may have a slight resemblance to houses in Williamsburg but I have been there, and that house is not in Williamsburg. I had read the entire issue of the Forum and realized you had already given us the answer in the article by Frank Sharp who is your roving photographer. There it was, as Sharp wrote: “Norwegian Jewel bound for Melbourne. We choose the Botanical Gardens land excursion option to see Captain James Cook’s cottage owned by his parents where he stayed when not at sea.”

Duluth Recognizes Six Citizens with Spirit of Good Living Award

As part of the “Be Duluth Show” on January 22, six community volunteers, business owners and citizens were recognized with Spirit of Good Living Awards. Mayor Karen Harris began this tradition at the 2014 State of the City Address and the awards continue to honor citizens at the annual event. Each Councilmember selects a recipient of the award. This year’s recipients have volunteered on numerous City boards, committees, non profit organizations and so much more. The winners, from left, are Anthony Smith, Mark Williams, City of Duluth Staff (represented by City Clerk Teresa Lynn), Katrina Stone, Chip Sweney and Leonard Barze.

GwinnettForum | Number 16.83 | Feb. 6, 2018

AURORA GALA: Aurora Theatre welcomes the community to join them for their biggest party of the year at the Eighth Annual Aurora Gala on Friday, February 9 at 6 p. m. This evening of live entertainment, food, drinks and fun will benefit Aurora Theatre’s programs, including the theater’s productions, educational programs and cultural events to enrich the community. New this year, ticket price includes a sit-down dinner where individuals or companies can purchase a table for ten to host friends, clients or family. Individual tickets are $100 each and can be purchased online at auroratheatre.com .

Southern Wings Bird Club will meet Monday, February 2 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. The topic will be Birding the Mayan Ruins, presented by John Shauger, showing exotic birds of that area. For more information, visit www.southernwingsbc.com.

5,000th graduate: Georgia Gwinnett College’s 5,000th graduate is Micah Seibel, previously of Lawrenceville and now of East Atlanta, shown with Lori Buckheister, vice president for Advancement at Georgia Gwinnett College. She presents him with a special plaque recognizing the college’s 5,000th alumnus, at a recent social event for GGC alumni. The former Lawrenceville resident graduated from GGC in December 2017, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in international relations. Micah is operations assistant of Perimeter CID. He was born in Kansas, but has lived in Gwinnett since age 8. His parents are Connie and John Seibel, who have recently moved to Hillsboro, Kansas. For 15 years John Seibel was with the Gwinnett County Public School as a teacher.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Don’t Be Hornswoggled Into Believing in Fake News
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Remembering an Humble Giant, Rufus B. Donnigan of Norcross
ANOTHER VIEW: Here Are Some Predictions for the USA for the Year 2020
SPOTLIGHT: Lail Family Dentistry
McLEMORE’S WORLD: Church on Television
UPCOMING: Duluth Offers “Meaningful Conversations” with City Officials
NOTABLE: United Way and Gwinnett Tech Partner in Early Education Center
RECOMMENDED: Robicheaux by James Lee Burke
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Physician Thomas Brewer Spearheaded Drive for Equality in Columbus
TODAY’S QUOTE: What’s Dangerous for a National Political Candidate
MYSTERY PHOTO: Just a Slice of a View of This Mystery Photo Awaits You
CALENDAR: Three Legal Aid Workshops To Be Held in February

Don’t be hornswoggled into believing in fake news

By Andy Brack, Charleston, S.C. | There is no such thing as #FakeNews.

There is, however, a cynical, national political strategy called #FakeNews. It is a continuing attempt by President Trump and his cronies to promote public disbelief in information that these politicos don’t like or that makes them look bad.

The whole “#FakeNews” phenomenon is nothing more than a public relations ultra-spin to kill the messenger AND the message.

Before you shout #FakeNews or #RealNews, please realize neither exists. Something is news or it is not. That which is not news either doesn’t measure up as something that’s new, factual and interesting. Or it is something titillating that is simply made up, a fiction.

Here’s a description of news given years ago to students in a college journalism class:

“News is anything that’s interesting to people. It’s information that one did not have previously. It’s new data that helps one form new opinions. It’s the unexpected. It’s the weird, the bizarre, the odd. It’s the description of conflict and the resolution of conflict. It’s what somebody famous is doing. And it’s stuff that affects people in communities.”

In the news business, just like in any profession, reporters make mistakes. Similarly, chefs might have an off day and cook a bad meal. With tens of thousands of words churned every day by every newspaper, there are bound to be errors, misspellings and inaccuracies. But if an outlet or reporter makes a mistake, both have a responsibility to correct the record so truth prevails.

The incorrect information wasn’t “FakeNews,” but an error, which must be corrected.

It is in no one’s interest in the news business for a falsehood to spread. It is also not in the public interest to label a story that you don’t like to be #FakeNews when it is, in fact, true. Some politicos, however, are taking advantage of an often gullible public more often by saying what’s true is false. That’s wrong.

When determining whether something is news, reporters and editors rely on news values – criteria they use to assess whether they should publish a story on an issue of public importance. Here are some of the principal news values used every hour of every day:

Prominence. When a famous person does or says something, it often makes news. Because the president is prominent, his tweets make news.

Unusualness. Unexpected or odd happenings often make news, just because they’re different. It’s not news when 100 planes land safely at an airport in a day. But it is news if one crashes.

Proximity. Things that are local tend to be news locally.

Timeliness. It’s called “news” for a reason – news is something that is happening or happened fairly recently. Last year’s wildfires in California aren’t news.

Conflict. Whenever there are two distinct sides to anything — a trial, a bill in Congress or even a baseball game — the conflict attracts reporters like white on rice. They must, however, report both sides to provide balance.

Impact. Reporters often focus on stories that make a big impact. For example, a middle-aged family might not care much about changes to Social Security. But reporters know a lot of seniors would care because changes could significantly impact their lives. The bigger impact a story has, the more likely it will get news coverage.

Don’t get hornswoggled into believing real reporters are zealously pumping out #FakeNews. They’re not. They’re doing their jobs to provide facts and truth in an America saturated with constant partisan sniping and trash-talking.

Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report, where this piece first appeared.

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

Remembering an humble giant, Rufus B. Dunnigan of Norcross

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | It was a proper and fitting way for the funeral for Rufus B. Dunnigan of Norcross to be conducted Saturday at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church.

The audience of church members and friends gave homage to a man who his entire 88 years had known Hopewell Baptist Church, his joining the church at age 6. He had been a solid stalwart of the church all his adult years. And just as Rufus Dunnigan appeared in public and at home in a proper and dignified way, so this service was just that. He would have been proud of the way it was conducted, and humbled to know that so many attended to honor his memory.

Dunnigan

He was born December 14, 1929 to Deacon Esters Dunnigan and Annie Trimble Dunnigan. He was raised in Norcross, attending the public schools of Gwinnett County, and graduated at nearby Chamblee High School in 1947.

When the Korean War broke out, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in March of 1951, and spent two years on active duty, before being transferred to the Army Reserve in 1953, then was honorably discharged in 1957.

Something significant happened to him in 1955, when he met Barbara Hood of Doraville, and they were married. The couple had three sons, DeRick, Ronald and Donald.

Working to support his family Rufus Dunnigan was employed for over 40 years at Westvaco Company, as an warehouseman until his retirement. He also had part time jobs at the Big Apple grocery store, and later at Northside Baptist Church.

Early in life he learned to play the piano. His favorite hymn was by Charles Wesley, A Charge to Keep I Have. Many remember being in his presence when he played, often for the children. People, especially remember him often baking pound cakes, and giving them to others. He would show up on many occasions with his cakes, which he made the old-fashioned way, from scratch. People say his cakes were delicious. He also enjoyed gardening especially in retirement , and preparing Sunday dinner for his family and anyone who came by his home.

People of Hopewell remember him as a deacon and clerk of the church for over 30 years, to his dying day. He was a member when it was the small Rock Church prior to the 1980s. Later it became the massive City of Hope congregation led by an especially spirited minister, William Sheals. Mr. Dunnigan was named an elder of the church. He had served in all the lay duties of the church, Sunday School teacher, musician, and minister of music. He was also a leader of a Boy Scout troop.

Through all this, Rufus Dunnigan was a quiet, tall and slim man who did not seek the spotlight, but was a mighty fortress behind the scenes of the success of his church, and of other churches. He always presented himself with dignity and graciousness, glad to meet and talk with people. We need more people like him.

Rufus Bernard Dunnigan, 1929-2018: May you rest in peace.

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

Here are some predictions for the USA for the year 2020

“As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” … H.L. Mencken

By George Wilson, contributing columnist | The winning of the election by President Trump may prove to be a poisoned chalice. A one-term administration is likely as the new president struggles with high unfavorability ratings. Indeed, we have already seen many street demonstrations.

There is a still ideologically divided Congress and a predicted mild recession as the business cycle comes to an end. With his cabinet picks and hands off management style, we are likely to see scandals and maybe even impeachment proceedings. Policy decisions based on right-wing ideologies will result in some negative consequences for the nation. One only has to examine the state of Kansas and how the implementation of these right-wing policies has on a state.

Nonetheless, the unpopularity of Trump means that he will start from a position of weakness and a divided Congress will make passing key pillars of his unrealistic agenda even more difficult. Without possible concessions on immigration policy and the toning down of nativist and racist rhetoric, a Republican victory is therefore unlikely in 2020.
Trump’s plans for a huge wall on the southern border with Mexico and mass deportations of millions of undocumented workers are unrealistic. The predicted attacks on promoting clean energy and healthcare reforms will not go over well with the educated suburban voter, especially women. The increase in violent deaths by guns will increase and the lack of will to tighten gun control laws will start to corrode support for the NRA’s radical positions.

Trump’s filling the vacancy in the Supreme Court will be the most consequential act of the new president. But it is likely to create even more animosity, again, especially among women.

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

Lail Family Dentistry

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Lail Family Dentistry is a family practice in Duluth, Georgia. We would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to our hometown. Many residents refer to Duluth as “the biggest small town.” This is mainly because of the strong sense of community that is shared by many who reside here today Lail Family Dentistry has been a big part of that sense of community for almost 50 years when Dr. Wallace Lail started our practice in 1968. Since that time, we have added three additional family members to our team of dentists.

Dr. Slade Lail, Dr. Lisa Moss, and Dr. Devan Callaway are proud to continue the tradition

of treating patients along with Dr. Wallace Lail. We utilize the latest techniques and procedures
that are available today. As a patient, you can enjoy the fact that we are available for you
Monday through Friday during regular office hours as well as after hours, if necessary You will also be seen on time. If your appointment is at l0 am, you will be seen at l0 am. If you are looking for a traditional, family dental practice where you will be treated honestly, fairly, and like a member of our own family, we would love to have you here.

Go to www.drlail.com for more information, or call (770) 476-2400 to make an appointment.

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

Church on television

For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
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Duluth offers “meaningful conversations” with city officials

Duluth’s newest outreach program seems to already be a popular one among Duluth residents. Connect Duluth was introduced during “The Be Duluth Show” by Mayor Nancy Harris. Seats have already been filled with residents eager to talk about Duluth.

Mayor Harris says: “We realized there is a need for community members to get in touch with city leaders to discuss ideas or concerns related to Duluth. This program lends itself to just that and we are excited to get it started.”

Connect Duluth is a program designed to spark meaningful conversations between members of the community and city officials over dinner. It is a nod to the very popular Gwinnett County program “Dinner and Dialogue with Chairman Charlotte Nash,” where residents meet with their county commissioner over dinner.

Connect Duluth will consist of six meetings a year where community members are encouraged to meet for dinner and discuss concerns and/or ideas about Duluth with a council member and a city representative. Guests are responsible for the cost of their own meals.

Events are limited to 10 guests and registration is required to attend. Additional information can be found here: www.duluthga.net/connectduluth.

United Way and Gwinnett Tech partner in Early Education Center

Continuing their legacy of commitment to strengthening communities, United Way of Greater Atlanta and Gwinnett Technical College announce a partnership designed to reach and teach young children ages six weeks to eight years.

As part of the partnership with Gwinnett Tech’s D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center, United Way has provided a grant to help ensure the community has highly trained, well-qualified early education professionals to work with our youngest children.

Becky Olson, director of the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center, says: “We are thrilled to be the recipi ent of this grant. We designed our program to be a model child development center for the state to give our youngest citizens a solid foundation on which to build a successful future.

“Our leadership and expertise in early childhood education is known across the state. In fact, this year alone more than 700 educators and community leaders toured the facility to carry our model into their communities. This United Way gift allows the Center to continue to ensure that the quality of education for our young people is of the highest caliber.”

Etha Henry, executive vice president, United Way of Greater Atlanta says: “United Way of Greater Atlanta is proud to team up with the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center, a key partner in the mission to improve child well-being in Greater Atlanta. Early literacy has a large impact on a child’s ability to read on level by third grade, which is a critical milestone for future success. It’s of vital importance to provide all of our community’s children with access to high-quality early learning experiences. Together, we can lay strong foundations for our community’s children.”

The Hudgens Early Education Center has been already recognized as delivering a high level of education and care, recently earning a three-star quality rating from Bright from the Start. “This three-star rating is earned by only a small percent of the early childhood centers in Georgia,” according to Olson. Quality Rated is Georgia’s system to determine, improve and communicate the quality of programs that provide child care. From its opening, the Center has followed best practices in Early Childhood Education. The Center has been recognized by Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education for modeling best practices in early education.

Contributing to the three-star rating are the exceptional programs, faculty and facility design in the 26,000 square foot Hudgens Center. In addition to highly skilled, certified teachers, The Hudgens Center serves as a hands-on “apprenticeship” learning environment for students in the College’s Early Childhood Care and Education degree, diploma and certificate programs. Following best practices in early childhood education, the Center often pilots programs for the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

Mary Beth Byerly, vice president, institutional advancement at Gwinnett Tech, celebrates the United Way and Gwinnett Tech partnership over the past decade around this child development center. “We have similar missions – to help ensure children are successful – and for Gwinnett Tech, to train teachers and influence the lives of these children.”

The Hudgens Center was built in 2006 with private funds given by individuals, corporations and foundations who wanted to support exceptional excellence in education for children.

Secretary of State recognizes 2 sisters at GACS for award

Greater Atlanta Christian School students, Kendall Robinson (12th Grade) and Kaylin Robinson (6th Grade) were presented with the Outstanding Georgia Citizens Award by Georgia Secretary of State, Brian P. Kemp recently at the Georgia State Capitol. This honor is one of the highest awards for service that an individual can receive at the state level.

The sisters were recognized for LOVE ROLLS, their non-profit which has distributed over 150,000 rolls of toilet paper in the past 15 months to the homeless. LOVE ROLLS was launched after Kendall encountered a homeless man who shared his greatest need was toilet paper. “I remember he had to ration one roll of toilet paper for an entire month.”

Ms. Robinson was inspired to think of a way to help him and others with an item that most never speak about or take for granted. Her dreams to make a difference were never small, because she knew the need was so great. She created a business plan with her family’s help, and launched LOVE ROLLS, which now has commitments for over 250,000 rolls of toilet paper to be distributed by area outreaches. The sisters’ goal is to reach 1,000,000 rolls by 2019.

Both the sisters have high aspirations to transform needs into actionable solutions. Their passion to advance activism within the community is one of the many reasons cited for receiving this award.

LOVE ROLLS has received many corporate donations and multiple recognitions and awards, with CNN featuring Kendall’s story during the MichaeLa show. LOVE ROLLS is a 501c3 non-profit and collects both toilet paper and monetary donations to purchase toilet paper for distribution. The sisters welcome the opportunity to partner with other businesses and individuals, for details: www.loverolls.org

Robicheaux by James Lee Burke

Reviewed by Tim Anderson, Fitzgerald | Years from now, people will be reading it and discussing it. A blurb on the top of the book cover from the Denver Post claims James Lee Burke is ‘America’s Best Novelist.’ For Burke repeat readers, the title is instantly attractive, because it is about Burke’s most famous and carefully drawn character, Dave Robicheaux, a recovering alcoholic with many flaws. But he is as lovable a character as there is in modern fiction. This is all Burke novels. His narrative is genius. He writes about the Cajun people with great respect and tells of their lives of poverty and abuse with care and dignity. And humor. His bad guys are truly awful, and they almost have an odor to them. They sort of waft a sour smell off the page. They are that bad, and that richly drawn. Enjoy the feast.

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. Send to: elliott@brack.net

Physician Thomas Brewer Spearheaded Drive for Equality in Columbus

Thomas Brewer, an African American physician, spearheaded the drive for racial equality in Columbusfrom the 1920s until his assassination on February 18, 1956, which was widely believed to have resulted from his political activism. Brewer, whose death had considerable impact on local race relations, is recognized as a martyr of the national civil rights movement.

Thomas Hency Brewer was born in Saco, Alabama, on November 16, 1894. He graduated from high school and college in Selma, Alabama, and earned his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1920 he joined a thriving black medical community in Columbus, Georgia, establishing his office on the 1000 block of First Avenue as other black doctors and dentists had done before him. In 1929 he and other black professional men created a service organization, the Social-Civic-25 Club; in 1939 Brewer led these same men in founding a chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Columbus.

As the tactician for the local NAACP, Brewer orchestrated the attack on the all-white primary system in the state of Georgia, designating Primus E. King, a Columbus barber and minister, to challenge the system by attempting to vote in the primary election at the courthouse in Muscogee County on July 4, 1944. A generous donor himself, Brewer raised the funds for the subsequent Primus King legal case (King v. Chapman et al.),in which federal courts found in favor of King in 1945 and 1946. Following this victory Brewer initiated successful black-voter-registration drives in Columbus in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He also campaigned successfully for the hiring of black police officers in Columbus; four were hired in 1951 to patrol the downtown black neighborhoods.

By the late 1940s Brewer was receiving death threats from such hate groups as the Ku Klux Klan. However, it was his support for racial integration of the public schools following the Brown v. Board of Education decision in May 1954 that brought him the opprobrium of more moderate white leaders and organizations. Even before the announcement of the Brown decision, Brewer’s requests to the all-white Muscogee County School Board for more equitable funding of the black schools had been routinely shelved.

In 1955 two other issues raised local hostility to Brewer: his effort to integrate the golf course on Columbus’s South Commons, and the allegation, which he steadfastly denied, that as a prominent Georgia Republican with national party connections he had used his influence to deny a popular white Columbus citizen the position of city postmaster, a federal government job. Racial tensions were also mounting late in 1955 as a result of publicity surrounding the bus boycott being carried out by the local chapter of the NAACP in Montgomery, Alabama.

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

Just a slice of a view of this Mystery Photo awaits you

Perhaps the greenery, the water and the building will help you identify this edition’s Mystery Photo. This might be considered difficult, since it is an obvious only a slice of a picture of this building. Send in your thoughts about the identity of the photo to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your home town.

It didn’t take Bob Foreman of Grayson long to recognize the recent Mystery Photo, which came from Brian Brown of Fitzgerald. Bob said: “The mystery photo is of First United Methodist Church, Cordele, Ga., completed in 1914. I passed this building many times in my travels around the state.” Also spotting it were Lou Camerio, Lilburn; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; and George Graf of Palmyra, Va., who wrote: “According to the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, Cordele First United Methodist was organized in 1887, in the Cordele Academy, where services were held until the first building was completed in 1891. It is the oldest church in the city. The first service was held on the third Sunday in January, 1887, with 75 people attending and Rev. John Wesley Conners officiating. The simple, white building was large enough to host the 1891 session of the South Georgia Conference. The present building was erected in 1914. It is one of the most architecturally unique Methodist churches in the state.”

NOTE: The previous identification of Allan Peel as recognizing the James Cook house in Australia was incorrect. The person identifying it was Bob Foreman of Grayson. Our apologies.

GwinnettForum | Number 16.84 | Feb. 9, 2018

Legal help? Gwinnett County Public Library and Gwinnett Legal Aid, an office of Atlanta Legal Aid Society, can help! Gwinnett Legal Aid helps low income people meet basic needs through free civil legal services and legal education. Areas of law focused on are consumer, education, housing, health, probate, employment, public benefits, family, and juvenile. Three information sessions are available:

Wednesday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. at our Five Forks Branch, 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lawrenceville.
Wednesday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m. at our Lilburn Branch, 4817 Church Street, Lilburn.
Wednesday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m. at our Norcross Branch, 6025 Buford Highway, Norcross. These sessions are free and open to the public. For more information, call 770-978-5154 or visit www.gwinnettpl.org.

Hear Dr. George Yancy at the Snellville Branch of he Gwinnett County Public Library on Saturday, February 10 at 7 p.m. He is a professor of philosophy at Emory University. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Duquesne University where he was the first McAnulty Fellow. His first M.A. in philosophy was received from Yale University and his second M.A. in Africana Studies from New York University where he received the prestigious MacCracken Fellowship. He has authored, edited, or co-edited over 18 books. .This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase (cash only) and signing. For more information, call 770-978-5154 or visit www.gwinnettpl.org.

Meet Lauren Willig, the New York Times bestselling author and RITA award winning romance novelist of the Pink Carnation series. She will be joined by fellow romance writer and RITA award winner Deanna Raybourn. Raybourn is the author of the Lady Julia Grey series. Presented by Gwinnett County Public Library, Willig and Raybourn will speak at Books for Less, 2815 Buford Drive, # 108Aon Saturday, February 10 at 3 p.m.. 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.

Tracing African American genealogies has many challenges. This workshop will provide tips that will help you carry out such research. Learn how to get started in this fun hobby and explore free genealogy databases, including the Library Edition of Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest. In partnership with the United Ebony Society of Gwinnett County, Inc., this genealogy workshop will be hosted at Gwinnett County Public Library’s Dacula Branch on Sunday, February 11 at 3 p.m. It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

WHAT COULD WELL BE a Mystery Photo is a building dubbed “The Beehive,” which is the capitol of New Zealand in Wellington. Roving Photographer Frank Sharp took this when on a recent trip to that country and New Zealand. For more scenes from New Zealand, see Lagniappe below.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Gwinnett Stripers Release Promotion Schedule for 2018 Baseball Season
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Fewer Traditional Funerals or Weddings Now at Area Churches
ANOTHER VIEW: Modern Southern Control Tactics Remind Us of Jim Crow Lite
SPOTLIGHT: Peach State Federal Credit Union
FEEDBACK: Truck Road Would Be “Subsidy” for Industry If Not a Toll Road
McLEMORE’S WORLD: Tied Up on Sunday
UPCOMING: Two Incumbent Commissioners Seek Re-Election
NOTABLE: World Thinking Day To Be February 24 at Environmental Center
RECOMMENDED: Lagom by Linnea Dunne
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Columbus Doctor Shot Among Racial Tensions in 1955
BICENTENNIAL FACT: County Airport Busy, with 85,314 Flight Operations in 2016
MYSTERY PHOTO: Some Mystery Photo Clues Are Not Always What They Seem
LAGNIAPPE: More Scenes from Visit to New Zealand by Frank Sharp
CALENDAR: Lawrenceville Plans Open House for new Public Works Complex

Gwinnett Stripers release promotion schedule for 2018 baseball season

By Dave Lezotte, Lawrenceville, Ga. | The Gwinnett Stripers have announced a fresh Promotional Schedule for the 2018 season. The team’s first year playing under a new bass fishing-themed identity will feature 12 post-game fireworks displays, four bobblehead giveaways and numerous other promotions and theme nights.

The night sky over Coolray Field will light up 12 times in 2018. Fireworks will follow games on April 12 (Opening Night), April 27, May 12 (Star Wars Night), May 28 (Memorial Day), June 9 (Superhero Night), June 22, July 4 (Independence Day), July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17 and September 1.

The Stripers are partnering with Coolray Heating and Cooling to give away four unique bobbleheads to the first 2,500 fans at these attending games:

Stripers “Fishtail” bobble (April 14) – A twist on the conventional bobblehead, this bass modeled after the Stripers primary logo features a bobbling tail.

Ozzie Albies “Star Wars” bobblehead (May 12) – The 2017 International League All-Star Ozzie Albies’ bobblehead is the highlight of Star Wars night.

Ronald Acuña “Superhero” bobblehead (June 9) – The 2017 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year and Atlanta Braves’ No. 1 prospect, Ronald Acuña becomes truly incredible for Superhero night.

Mike Foltynewicz bobblehead (July 21) – Atlanta Braves’ starter Mike Foltynewicz, a member of the Gwinnett pitching staff in 2015 and 2016, is immortalized in bobblehead form.

The Stripers have also announced a new fishing-centric set of weekly promotions:

Military Monday – Active or retired military members will receive two infield box seats for the price of one when they present their military ID card at the ticket office.

Reel Deal Tuesday – All Dugout seats are two for the price of one each Tuesday.

Worm Wednesday – All fans who present a valid state-issued fishing license at the ticket office will receive two Field Box seats for the price of one (excluding July 4). Stripers’ players will wear the popular “Worm” alternate hat, and fans who purchase apparel featuring the “Worm” logo from the Team Store will be entered for a chance to win a prize pack.

Thursday Hook, Line and Sinker Special: Get four Infield Box tickets, hot dogs and four soft drinks for just $44 each Thursday, courtesy of Coolray Heating and Cooling.

Stripers Sunday: Fans are invited to play catch on the field before the 1:05 p.m. game and kids (ages 12 and under) are welcome to run the bases following the game.

(To see the entire promotional schedule, Click Here.)

Ticket plans, including the new “Stripers Fishing License” and the “Five and Dine” plan, are available for purchase now by calling 678-277-0340 or by visiting GoStripers.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 10.

The Gwinnett Stripers open the 2018 season with a road game on Friday, April 6 at 7:05 p.m. vs. the Norfolk Tides. The Stripers’ home opener at Coolray Field is set for Thursday, April 12 at 7:05 p.m. vs. the Rochester Red Wings.

Did you realize that it is only 61 days until the Opening Game at CoolRay Field?

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

Fewer traditional funerals or weddings now at area churches

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | You don’t have to be a research scientist to realize that church attendance in this country is down. Not only that, but it seems that this is a problem which is getting worse.

Also: fewer weddings are in churches. Couples pick all sorts of sites, from mountain event venues, to the beach, country clubs, back yards, but less and less in church.

These two factors alone are enough to make us realize that the church is becoming less important in American lives.

Several national studies have shown this falling off of church attendance. Some point out that only about 40 percent of Americans consider themselves regular church attendees. Others think that a mere 23-25 percent are steady attendees.

The publication Church Leaders, says this:

“…..more than 40 percent of people say they go to church every week, but statistics show that fewer than 20 percent actually attend.. Between 2010 and 2012, half of all churches in the U.S. did not add any new members.”

Others point out that while lots of churches disband, there are also new churches springing up each year, though most of them are not from traditional backgrounds, but from individuals starting churches and seeking followers.

But, all in all, it’s apparent that our nation is no longer deeply-churched as it once was.

We have found this in a distinctive way: by reading the local obituaries.

Many people in Gwinnett, who are not from “around here,” seldom even glance at the obituaries, much less get a daily newspaper. They have few roots here. Knowing who died is just not important to them, unless it is one of their close friends. And these days, many will get that information by some social media.

Yes, we read the obituary pages carefully, recognizing someone at least once a week who died, or find people related to someone who died, like a friend’s parents who become deceased. It’s another way to keep up. And yes, we attend all too many funerals.

Another fact we have learned: fewer people are being buried out of the church. Often the deceased has a service at a local funeral home. Many have no funeral at all. People have memorial services at all sort of places, a country club, open field, beach or some other public space. Funeral directors say that it’s more unusual today for a funeral to be at a church.

Many deceased do not list themselves as having been a member of any church. (Rhonda Rich told us recently that when it says that a person was “of the Baptist faith” (or any other denomination), that means that they may have attended such a church, but that they were not a member of any church!)

Let me add a positive note here: most people who belong to liturgical churches (Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Greek Orthodox, etc.) tend to have their funerals within a church.

Add in too, that the growing Hispanic Americans tend to be buried out of a Catholic church. They are bucking this trend. And their church is growing in the United States.

So what does all this say? How can our nation, founded by people who were strong in religion, continue its course if we depart from our churchly background? Is this saying something about what course our nation will take?

Church membership and attendance may not be a panacea for our nation. Yet its decline worries lots of people. It may be a trend that continues steadily downward. And if so, that will not be beneficial to our nation. Lack of funerals and weddings in churches points that way.

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

Modern Southern control tactics remind us of “Jim Crow Lite”

By George Wilson, contributing columnist | W.J. Cash’s The Mind of the South, first published in 1941, is a brilliant examination of how the Southern elite, even with slavery no longer possible, managed to extend the same economic and political philosophy and system to their own benefit for 100 years, using Jim Crow laws.

When I see the Confederate flags waved today, I always think about the social unfairness that existed in the South during the Civil War. Here are a few examples.

The food riots by starving people, in Atlanta, Richmond, Columbus, Macon, Augusta and other cities because the planter class refused to grow food crops, but persisted in growing cash crops, cotton and tobacco;
The Confederate Congress amending the draft law to exempt anyone who owned 20 or more slaves;
Above all, Southerners were about split between those who favored secession and those who wanted to stay with the Union. David William’s book, A People’s History of the Civil War, is a good place to learn how the only state to hold a secession referendum was Texas. The vote was 2-1 to stay in the Union. Secession conventions in the other states were won by the planter class largely through vote fraud, violence and threats of violence against anti-secessionists.

It would be hard for rich slave owners to get the non-slave owners to fight, hence they would wrap it in pretty words like “Slave Rights or States’ Rights.”

Today, I’m more interested in the political chicanery that Republicans and moneyed elites commonly implore to maintain control in the South. For example, wedge issues such as same sex marriage, guns, and abortion are used to play the same old shell game on the gullible. The latest is the so-called freedom of religion, a non-issue. Moreover, gerrymandering and voter suppression laws can only be characterized as “Jim Crow Lite” as they try to maintain control.

Finally, as the Georgia legislature meets, you can depend on these continual diversions from the real problems facing Georgia and the south. They are, raising the minimum wage, extending Medicaid to everyone, making it easier to vote, solving transportation problems and addressing educational inequality. These are examples of issues that could assist ALL Southern men.

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

Peach State Federal Credit Union

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Peach State Federal Credit Union is a $424 million credit union that serves more than 60,000 members throughout Georgia, and in South Carolina. Operating as a not-for-profit financial cooperative, Peach State’s mission is to provide quality financial services that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of its member-owners.

For more information about its products and services, or to find one of its convenient branch locations, visit www.peachstatefcu.org.

Truck road would be “subsidy” for industry if not a toll road

Editor, the Forum:
I just heard that the Georgia Department of Transportation has plans to build a “Trucks-Only Highway” between Atlanta and Macon. The anticipated cost, so I heard, is somewhere near $2 billion.

I cannot believe that an organization (GDOT) that shrieks “subsidy!” at anything that does not involve pavement (namely rail transit) is willing to build, with the taxpayers’ money, a highway intended for the exclusive use by the trucking industry.

Can you say “subsidy?”

Having spent a number of years in the trucking industry, I can understand the supposed safety aspects of the road, but unless it is a Toll Road , it will amount to a $2 billion gift by the taxpayers to the trucking industry.

— Robert H. Hanson, Loganville

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

Tied Up on Sunday

For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
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Two incumbent commissioners will seek re-election

The two incumbent Gwinnett County commissioners up for election this year have both announced their intention to offer their candidacy again. Both Lynette Howard, (District 2) representing the southwestern part of Gwinnett, and John Heard (District 4), representing a central area of Gwinnett, have announced their intention to seek office.

Lynette Howard said in her announcement: “I have been honored to work with Gwinnett’s citizens, staff and fellow commissioners to build a stronger community-focused county. The past four years, we have acquired park space for trails such as Simpsonwood Park and have engaged more citizens in the planning process than any time in our history.

“While we have made great progress, there is still work to be done on issues such as addiction, transportation, and homelessness that are impacting our community. If re-elected, I will not only work to improve upon these issues, but will continue my efforts in engaging our citizens and business owners to seek and identify opportunities and work towards solutions that strengthen our community.”

Heard said in his release: “This Board of Commissioners, in the spirit of co-operation, has demonstrated a ‘Can-Do’ approach to government and a rare ability to work together in the best interests of the people of Gwinnett. We managed utilizing an economical and efficient use of resources.

“Since my first election to the Board of Commissioners, Gwinnett has weathered the most difficult fiscal crises since the end of World War II. We were able to navigate those difficulties while holding the line on taxes, maintaining essential county services and balancing our budget. This year alone we will add 65 new police officers, improve our award-winning parks, make common sense zoning decisions to protect our neighborhoods, help lower insurance rates by bolstering our fire department, add Emergency Services and keep Gwinnett business friendly by keeping taxes low.

“I am committed to open and transparent and neighbor friendly government. I look forward to a vigorous campaign.”

World Thinking Day to be Feb. 24 at Environmental Center

The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (GEHC) invites residents to travel around the globe in less than two hours without the need for a passport at the annual World Thinking Day event on Saturday, February 24 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Conducted in partnership with local Girl Scouts from the Apalachee and Mill Creek service units, World Thinking Day is a learning opportunity that highlights international friendships and reminds everyone that we are a part of a global community. At World Thinking Day, each participating Girl Scout troop adopts a specific country, shares information, provides a taste of that country’s cuisine and makes a “swap” that is reflective of the culture. With more than 30 troops planning to attend, visitors will travel to countries such as Cyprus, Hungary, Switzerland, Ghana, Romania, the United Arab Emirate, the Bahamas and more.

World Thinking Day may be organized by the Girl Scouts, but the public is invited to participate. GEHC’s Director of Programming Jason West said, “You don’t have to be a Girl Scout to enjoy this program as it is for everyone. With 2018 being Gwinnett’s bicentennial year, World Thinking Day helps highlight all of the diverse cultures that call Gwinnett home.” This year’s event also features students from the Gwinnett Youth Commission who plan to celebrate the community’s diversity though song, dance, crafts, poetry and special activities connected to Black History Month.

Admission to World Thinking Day is $2 per person for Gwinnett residents and $4 per person for non-residents. There will be a separate Girl Scout charge of a $.10 per beverage/food item and swap. For more information on the GEHC and World Thinking Day, please visit www.gwinnettEHC.com.

Lagom by Linnea Dunne

Reviewed by Karen Harris, Stone Mountain | Lagom, Swedish for balanced living aiming for ‘not too little, not too much, just right.’ The emphasis is in all parts of life, from acquiring material goods, preparing food, enjoying the outdoors and communing with both nature and friends. Sweden is one of the top ten countries in the world with contented, happy people. The author, Linnea Dunne answers the question, why would one adopt Lagom: that most people are under stress from staring at screens, feeling overloaded with toxins and missing out on communing with friends. The most enjoyable and educational feature of this book is her presentation of terms for Swedish activities. Example include ‘Fredagsmys’ or honoring downtime with loved ones; enjoying a ‘Fika’ culture or sharing coffee; and ‘Kanelbullar,’ or cinnamon buns; and ‘Pyttipanna,; that is creating a meal with all the leftovers in the fridge! This is a delightful excursion through Swedish ways of living.

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. Send to: elliott@brack.net

Columbus doctor shot among racial tensions in 1955

(Continued from previous edition)

Thomas Brewer was shot and killed in the midst of racial tensions late in 1955. Luico Flowers, who owned a clothing store beneath Brewer’s office, said he shot Brewer in self-defense when Brewer, after a heated disagreement, entered his store and reached for a pistol. Police and a grand jury accepted Flowers’s story.

Brewer and Flowers had witnessed from their places of business the forceful arrest of a black man by police. Brewer believed he saw a case of police brutality and wanted Flowers to witness accordingly, but Flowers disagreed, believing the man apprehended was resisting arrest. Feeling he had been threatened, Flowers called for police protection. An officer and two other men were in the store at the time of the shooting.

Those who believe the shooting was murder reason that Brewer would never have walked past two white police officers and pulled a gun on Flowers. (Police did find an unfired pistol in Brewer’s left pants pocket; given the frequency of death threats against him, he had long carried it.) Almost exactly a year after Brewer’s death, Flowers was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head. His death was officially ruled a suicide. For many, Flowers’s death was evidence of a cover-up of Brewer’s murder.

The death of Brewer, affectionately known as “Chief” by his associates, shocked the Columbus black community. An estimated 2,500 mourners flowed out of First African Baptist Church onto Fifth Avenue for his funeral service. Brewer’s widow, Lillian; their daughter, Thelma; and her husband, Dr. R. M. Haskins, left the city. (Brewer’s son, Thomas H. Brewer Jr., also a doctor, had left the city years before.) Brewer’s attorney, Stanley P. Hebert, moved his family out of town, as did Dr. W. G. McCoo and his wife, Mary, also a physician. (One of the McCoos’ children, Marilyn, would later become a nationally known rhythm-and-blues singer.)

E. Farley, a Columbus Realtor, stayed on as president of the local NAACP but succumbed to a heart attack in late 1956. As a result of the Brewer shooting, the Columbus civil rights movement, although ultimately effective, followed a less confrontational course of action than movements in other Georgia cities in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Brewer is buried in Green Acres Cemetery in Columbus.

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

Some Mystery Photo clues are not always what they seem

Watch out for what you see in this Mystery Photo. Every clue doesn’t lead you to the right answer. Figure out where this Mystery Photo is and send your entry to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown.

It was just a tiny slice of a much bigger vista, but Scott Mullennix of Peachtree Corners recognized the scene. He said: “It’s Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Arkansas. A visit to the buildings and grounds is as interesting as the art it houses. The town and area around Northwest Arkansas is also a very nice place to spend time exploring.” The photo came from Molly Titus of Peachtree Corners.

George Graf of Palmyra, Va. also recognized the scene. He wrote: “According to arkansas.com, the museum houses a permanent collection of American art masterworks from the colonial era to modern day, and touring collections from national art institutions. Acclaimed collection includes such masterpieces as Charles Wilson Peale’s and Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of George Washington; Asher Brown Durand’s Kindred Spirits; and Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter. Other major works by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, William Merritt Chase, Thomas Hart Benton and Andy Warhol, are also featured. Temporary exhibitions program complements the permanent collection. The museum acquired Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman-Wilson House in 2015 after it was taken apart in New Jersey and rebuilt on the grounds in Bentonville. Solar powered shuttles transport visitors.”

More scenes from visit to New Zealand by Frank Sharp

Roving Photographer Frank Sharp captured two scenes from the Botanical Gardens in Wellington, New Zealand. The other picture is of old St. Paul’s Church, an Anglican church in Wellington. The church was built between 1865-66 and constructed from fine native timbers. Spectacular lighting gives the interior a rosy glow, enriching the appearance of brass fittings, stained glass windows and exquisitely embroidered furnishings. It is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the world.

GwinnettForum | Number 16.85 | Feb. 13, 2018

Aurora Gala. Aurora Theatre welcomes the community to join them for their biggest party of the year at the Eighth Annual Aurora Gala on Friday, February 9 at 6 p. m. This evening of live entertainment, food, drinks and fun will benefit Aurora Theatre’s programs, including the theater’s productions, educational programs and cultural events to enrich the community. New this year, ticket price includes a sit-down dinner where individuals or companies can purchase a table for ten to host friends, clients or family. Individual tickets are $100 each and can be purchased online at auroratheatre.com.

Films for Black History Month. In celebration of Black History Month, join Gwinnett County Public Library for a film screening and discussion surrounding the plight of the Civil Rights Movement. A different film will be shown each Saturday in February at 2 p.m. at the Five Forks Branch, 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lawrenceville. All viewings, discussions, and popcorn are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154. The film schedule is below:

February 10 – Marshall;

February 17 – Southside with You; and

February 24 – Selma.

Hear Dr. George Yancy at the Snellville Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library on Saturday, February 10 at 7 p.m. He is a professor of philosophy at Emory University. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Duquesne University where he was the first McAnulty Fellow. His first M.A. in philosophy was received from Yale University and his second M.A. in Africana Studies from New York University where he received the prestigious MacCracken Fellowship. He has authored, edited, or co-edited over 18 books. .This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase (cash only) and signing. For more information, call 770-978-5154 or visit www.gwinnettpl.org.

Southern Wings Bird Club will meet Monday, February 12 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. The topic will be Birding the Mayan Ruins, presented by John Shauger, showing exotic birds of that area. For more information, visit www.southernwingsbc.com.

(NEW) RIBBON CUTTING and Open House for new public works complex in Lawrenceville, from 2-4 p.m. on Monday, February 12. The complex is located at 435 Pike Street. It will serve as the new home to the city’s gas, electric, damage prevention, fleet maintenance, streets and sanitation departments. This project not only provides a improved working environment for employees but also serves as a first-step toward completion of Gwinnett’s largest redevelopment project currently underway – the South Lawn in Downtown Lawrenceville. Tours will be available following the ribbon cutting.

Wednesday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m. at our Lilburn Branch, 4817 Church Street, Lilburn.

Wednesday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m. at our Norcross Branch, 6025 Buford Highway, Norcross. These sessions are free and open to the public. For more information, call 770-978-5154 or visit www.gwinnettpl.org.

A new development of 36 three story town homes is being built behind Duluth’s Festival Center. This first phase has been completed with prices in the high $300,000 range. Home South Communities is raising these homes, known as Park at Parsons Town Square. The homes offer 2,500 square feet of living space, with rear entry garages. A second row of these townhouses is also nearing completion and are expected to be finished by the end of 2018.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Workplace Fear of Losing a Job Often Hides Company Mismanagement
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Watch the 2018 Election, for It Could Signal the Direction in 2020
SPOTLIGHT: United Community Bank
FEEDBACK: Church Membership Losses Are in Mainstream Churches
McLEMORE’S WORLD: Summer Videos
UPCOMING: Those with Changes in Detail about Voting To Get Notification
NOTABLE: Free Assistance Offered in Lilburn To Those Seeking Citizenship
RECOMMENDED: It’s All Relative by J.A. Jacobs
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Columbus Is Host to the National Civil War Naval Museum
MYSTERY PHOTO: There’s a Bell Tower in This Mystery Photo To Help You
LAGNIAPPE: Roving Photographer Visits North Atlanta Home Show at Infinite Energy Center
CALENDAR: Job Fair Coming to Five Forks-TrickumLibrary

Workplace Fear of Losing a Job Often Hides Company Mismanagement

By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist | Gallup has just released a very important paper: “The No. 1 Employee Benefit That No One’s Talking About.” Strangely, it is rather misnamed.

It is a discussion of why employee morale suffers at some firms versus others. According to Gallup, poor managers affect: “absenteeism; performance; customer ratings; quality; and profit.”

Let’s face it; no one wants to work for someone that you do not get along with and who doesn’t get along with you….or someone who has repeatedly made unwanted advances. So why do employees put up with it?

Unfortunately, the answer is fear.

I mentioned to a close friend, a strong conservative who only watches Fox News, how horrible it was that so many powerful men were abusing their positions to exploit women at work. His response was that none of these women can be believed because they did not report the incidents when they happened.

I explained to him that when you are in a position with little power versus your exploiter, you are at a distinct disadvantage….especially in an employment situation. You do not want to lose your position, raises, references and so forth.

Good managers can identify internal bad apples and apply appropriate discipline in the case of sexual harassment. A bad manager will not. But, as Gallup mentions, there are many other ways a bad manager can hurt a firm other than sexual harassment.

In my career I have been very fortunate to work for very high level executives (CEOs, presidents, COOs, and EVPs) with strong people management skills.…with one notable exception. In this particular case, I worked for a man who, although he was well educated and high up in the food chain, was mentally unbalanced. He was eventually terminated for cause.

But, in the years I worked for him I put up with continual verbal abuse. I was known as an aggressive, strong, capable executive. So, why did I put up with this behavior?

The answer is fear; I had three children in college and a non-working wife. I made a calculated judgment to put up with the abuse.

Would I have been more effective under a good manager versus a sick one? Of course!

Because of the basic superior-subordinate relationship, the possibility of exploitation of employees will always be there. We must all be aware and take appropriate action, even if it must be anonymous, when we see anyone abusing their subordinates.

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

Watch the 2018 Election, for It Could Signal the Direction in 2020

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | The direction our nation will take over the next three years may very well be guided by what happens in the November, 2018 election.

Will our nation remain led by President Trump, who we presume will get the Repblican nomination in 2020 to fill a second term? Or will some Democrat emerge from their ranks to upset the Trump applecart, and return our nation to a quieter regime?

From two distinct recent turns, we might be seeing the way the 2020 election may develop.

First, consider that there are many, many members of the Congress, more than normal, who have already announced that they will not be candidates in the fall elections. So far the count is staggering, and highly unusual.

Three Republican Senators say they will not run for election in November. This includes Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Orin Hatch of Utah. However, no Democratic Senators have said they will not be a candidate this fall.

For the House of Representatives, as of January 31, a total of 49 representatives (11.2 percent of the 435 members) have announced that they will not to run for re-election.

That includes 34 members of the Republican Party, and 15 members of the Democratic Party. Of those 49 representatives, 30 are not only not running, but are also retiring from public office. Of those 30, 22 are Republican and eight are Democrats. No Georgians are on the list of representatives who will not seek office again.

We get these statistics from the online site, Ballotpedia. To see the names of the House members, go to go to https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_U.S._Congress_incumbents_who_are_not_running_for_re-election_in_2018.

So, how will this affect our government?

With 22 incumbent Republican Congressmen not running, this seems to give the Democrats an additional possibility of winning those offices. With 435 House members, there are currently 238 Republicans in the House, and 193 Democrats (plus four vacancies). The Democrats would have to win 25 seats (and should they keep all 193) to have a one vote majority. But with so many Republicans not seeking election, it gives the Democrats a chance, granted a far-flung chance, of winning the House in 2018.

Then, with the Republicans in the Senate having 51-49 majority (with independents voting with the Democrats), another win by a Democrat would mean a 50-50 split in the Senate. Since the vice president would break such a tie, the Democrats would have to win two more seats to take control. But it could happen.

In other words, politics could become even dicier.

So, the election this fall could tell us if the Congress will continue to be controlled by the Republicans. And if the Democrats should prevail by winning either house in 2018, that would be even more of a problem for President Trump, and might point to the Democrats taking it all in 2020.

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

United Community Bank

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriting sponsor is United Community Bank, with 30 offices within Metro Atlanta. Headquartered in Blairsville, Ga., it is the third-largest traditional bank holding company in the state with more than 134 locations throughout Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina. Since 1950, United Community Bank has been dedicated to providing platinum-level service to its customers as the foundation of every relationship. Known as The Bank That SERVICE Built℠, it is committed to improving the lives of residents in the communities it serves through this philosophy of delivering exceptional banking service. In Gwinnett, the bank has offices in Lawrenceville, Snellville and Buford.

For more information, visit https://www.ucbi.com or call 770 237 0007.
For a list of other underwriters of this forum, go to: Our underwriters.

Church Membership Losses Are in Mainstream Churches

Editor, the Forum:

Concerning funerals and church members: You may want to look at Pew Research information, as they seem to have a much deeper in-depth look at this issue. The “losses” are most typically from what you and I call “mainstream “ denominations such as Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, etc instead of “independent “ type churches who are more Bible based. Many, if not most, of those churches are actually growing. North Point’s Andy Stanley is taking Baptist members, Perimeter is taking Methodist and Presbyterian members, etc.
These big old line denominations are falling for the liberal “political correct” issues such as gay acceptance , abortion, etc and many normal folks are walking away by the thousands. Your view is accurate but you haven’t covered the reasons behind the headlines in my opinion.

Steve Rausch, Peachtree Corners

Dear Steve: Are you suggesting it is mainly younger people, or all sorts, moving church attendance? If both, that’s significant! -eeb

Weddings, Funerals at Large Open Space Auditoriums Would Look Tiny

Editor, the Forum:

Another possible reason for less weddings in churches: the modern style of newer churches. I grew up in a traditional Baptist church, where I was married, but attend Gwinnett Church here. We meet in an auditorium with a very modern stage in the front: not exactly a dream wedding location. So if I were getting married today, I would be looking for a venue other than my church. It’s also a giant space, so unless the deceased was an extremely popular person, a funeral would look tiny.

–Abby Wilkerson, Buford

Destination Weddings Are the Casualty of Declining Church Attendance

Editor, the Forum:

I really enjoyed your article about church weddings and funerals and the decline in attendance. I find it all so true! I would never have thought this decline of church membership and attendance could be the norm for America, and certainly not for Duluth!

When I was growing up in Duluth I knew that if someone wasn’t in our Methodist church then they had to be a Baptist, because everyone went to church, and those were the only two here. And the “destination weddings” are one of the outcomes (or casualties) of all of this. Yes, all mainline Protestant churches seem to be suffering. I see a whole different world from the one I came into 86 years ago.

–Kathryn Willis, Duluth

Book Recommendation Brings Memory of Denmark’s Hygge

Editor, the Forum:

I really enjoyed Karen Harris’s recommendation of Lagom by Linnae Dunne and immediately thought of the similarity of “lagom” in Sweden to “hygge” in Denmark. Both notions seems to promote a feeling of safety, happiness and well being in our daily lives.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking similarly describes the national culture of Denmark, supposedly the happiest country in the world. “Hygge” is defined as something like “coziness” and is considered a cure for those very long, dark, cold Scandinavian winters.

Like “lagom,” it is a lifestyle that promotes relaxed evenings of comfort food and soft lighting with friends and neighbors. I believe Norwegians calls this idea “koselig.” I salute those cultures who have found a way to live with and even enjoy what would be considered by some people as a harsh and unpleasant climate, and I look forward to reading Karen’s recommended book.

–Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill

Summer Videos

For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net

Those with Changes in Detail about Voting To Get Notification

Gwinnett County voters who have a change in their name, address or polling place will receive a new kind of precinct notification from the Gwinnett Voter Registrations and Elections Office.

The new precinct notifications were first mailed out January 30 to about 1,600 registered voters in the Suwanee area whose old polling place opted not to be a voting location any more.

The new notice, a tri-fold pamphlet, will replace the postcard typically sent by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

The pamphlet, printed in English and in Spanish, will include the voter’s polling location and all political districts for the residential address. Voters should keep these notifications for their records; however, they are not required in order to vote

If the voters’ name or address as shown on the notification is incorrect, they need to provide the correct address and send it in the return envelope provided. Voters can visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do to find their poll location, as well as to view their registration and absentee ballot request status, find early voting locations, and view sample ballots for upcoming elections.

Two Sessions Offered in Soil Fertility and Composting Workshop

Soil is the most important component of growing healthy plants and many factors affect soil quality. UGA Extension Gwinnett Agent Tim Daly will cover the basics of soil fertility, pH, and testing in addition to the practice of composting to create organic matter to add to soil.

Hosted by Gwinnett County Public Library, two sessions will be available at your convenience:

Tuesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hamilton Mill Branch, 3690 Braselton Highway, Dacula; and
Tuesday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Suwanee Branch, 361 Main Street, Suwanee.

Both sessions are free and open to the public. Registration is requested but not required. Please RSVP to events@gwinnettpl.org. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Free Assistance Offered in Lilburn To Those Seeking Citizenship

Are you a green card holder? Become a citizen and exercise all your rights!

The Latin American Association and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta will provide qualified legal representatives to aid in filling out the US Citizenship Application Form N400. Certain applicants may also be eligible to have the government filing fees waived.

Assistance will be provided in English, Spanish, Urdu/Hindi, and Mandarin and is provided on a first come, first served basis.

This program takes place at our Lilburn Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library, 4817 Church Street, Lilburn, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the following dates:

Friday, February 16;
Friday, March 16; and
Friday, April 20.
Email events@gwinnettpl.org for a list of required documents and materials to bring. For more information, please visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

It’s All Relative by J.A. Jacobs

From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill:

“This book is made for amateur genealogists. It’s a quirky account of how author A.J. Jacobs seeks out his various relatives and family stories, but it has the added drama of Jacob’s decision to break the Guinness World Record by hosting the world’s largest family union. (The current record is just more than 4,500 people.) Along the way, we learn methods used by genealogists in researching ancestors plus a bit of DNA information, as well. And we suffer along with Jacobs while he panics over whether or not anyone will show up for big bash. Unfortunately, Jacobs illustrates a few too many points with his own family stories, but I skimmed over some these. This book illustrates how everyone is connected in so many ways and it repeatedly makes one thing very clear – as Jacob will tell you over and over – we are all one big world family!”

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. Send to: elliott@brack.net

Columbus Is Host to the National Civil War Naval Museum

The National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus, formerly the Confederate Naval Museum, is the only institution in the nation dedicated to telling the little-known maritime story of the Civil War (1861-65). This 40,000-square-foot facility located on the Chattahoochee River in Columbus opened in 2001 and features the remains of two original Confederate navy ships, along with full-scale reproductions of parts of three other famous Civil War ships and numerous artifacts. Port Columbus is operated as a public-private partnership project between the City of Columbus and the Port Columbus Civil War Naval Center, Inc., a private nonprofit organization. The first phase of the project was funded by nearly $8 million in private local donations.

A major feature of Port Columbus is the CSS Jackson, a 225-foot ironclad ship built in the Confederate Navy Shipyard, which is located less than a mile from the current museum. Though under construction for more than two years, the ship was not quite completed when a U.S. Cavalry column under General James Wilson captured Columbus in April 1865. All military and Confederate government property in Columbus was burned, including the shipyard and the CSS Jackson, which was set on fire and left adrift in the Chattahoochee River.

The fire persisted for nearly two weeks, until the ship finally burned to the waterline and sank about 30 miles south of Columbus, where it remained for 96 years. The Jackson was raised in 1961 and brought back to Columbus, where today it forms the nucleus of the museum. The CSS Chattahoochee also burned at the war’s end; it too was recovered and returned in the early 1960s.

In 2009 the museum completed and commissioned a replica of the wooden gunboat USS Water Witch. The ship served as part of the Union naval blockade during the Civil War before its capture by Confederate forces in 1864.

Port Columbus is designed to place its visitors inside the stories it tells. Reproduced ships, including the USS Hartford, the USS Monitor, and the ironclad CSS Albemarle, are open so that Civil War naval life can be experienced from the inside. A visitor can hear the ships creaking and the water lapping at their sides; in the Albemarle, visitors enter the ironclad combat “simulator” and witness the U.S. Navy fleet sailing up and sending 455-pound cannonballs bouncing off the casemate in which they stand.

Years of collecting have resulted in an extraordinary array of artifacts on display. The uniform coat worn by Catesby Jones, skipper of the CSS Virginia (popularly known as the “Merrimac”), on the day he fought the USS Monitor in one of naval history’s most famous battles is featured, along with weapons, equipment, documents, paintings, and a stunning flag collection.

Special events are held year-round at Port Columbus and range from academic symposia to living-history activities in which an original Confederate navy cannon is fired over the river. The museum’s largest annual event is “RiverBlast,” held in early March on the weekend nearest the anniversary of the facility’s opening. Port Columbus also features educational opportunities; a teacher’s guide is published, and special tours and programs are available to student groups visiting the museum.

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

There’s a Bell Tower in This Mystery Photo To Help You

Where in the world did someone take this picture of what appears to be a church? Figure it out and send your answer to elliott@brack.net with your hometown indicated.

Scott LeCraw of Suwanee quickly recognized the most recent Mystery Photo: He writes; “I know this week’s photo!! That’s the harbor at Marblehead, Mass. My LeCraw ancestors fished out of that harbor from the late-1600s until about 1850. William LeCraw, my fifth great grandfather, sailed a privateer out of there during the Revolutionary War to attack the British.”

Well Scott, you should have known the mystery. You sent the photo to us about two years ago, and we are just getting around to using it. At least your memory remains intact!

Also correctly identifying the photo was George Graf of Palmyra, Va. But it wasn’t easy for him. He writes: “This photo had quite a degree of difficulty for me. Almost got tired of looking and was ready to send you an email for Newport, Rhode Island harbor, but thought to try one more time. After severe eyestrain, I could make out one boat name in the photo that appeared to be ‘Buchere’ which has several European language meanings, so I spent all my time looking around Normandy and Ireland.

“Finally, focusing on that name once again, another variation gave me ‘Buckeye.’ So searching Ohio and Lake Erie I threw in the towel and went a different direction. I searched boat name registries. Almost struck out until I saw a 56-page pdf file that had the word ‘F/v Buckeye.’ I looked up the meaning of f/v and it turned out to mean fishing vessel. So, I dug down in the big pdf file and found out the boat owner was listed as being out of Marblehead. Some place I never heard of. The match looks very close though it looks like the photo you used had some kind of shroud over the Abbott Hall tower which still has me scratching my noggin.

“Marblehead Harbor was the home port of the schooner Hannah, the first armed vessel of the Continental Navy, and her original owner and most of her crew were from Marblehead. Her first military expedition was during the American Revolution, giving birth of what was to become the United States Navy. The ship was equipped with cannon and with provisions including the indigenous ‘Joe Frogger’ molasses/sea water cookie.

“On August 20,1912, Alfred Austell Cunningham became the first Marine aviator, taking off from Marblehead Harbor in a Burgess Model H seaplane given to him by the Burgess Company. His flight began the era of United States Marine Corps Aviation.”

Roving Photographer Visits North Atlanta Home Show at Infinite Energy Center

Roving Photographer Frank Sharp visited the North Atlanta Home Show at the Infinite Energy Center last weekend. Here are several of his views of some of the activities taking place. North Atlanta Home Show Director Michael Schoppenhorst, estimates there were over 10,000 attendees. This year’s Show was 40 percent larger than any of the previous North Atlanta Home Shows.

GwinnettForum | Number 16.86 | Feb. 16, 2018

JOB FAIR: Looking for a job? Let us help you! Gwinnett County Public Library, in partnership with Goodwill of North Georgia, is holding a Job Fair on Wednesday, February 21 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m at the Five Forks Branch, 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lawrenceville. This event is free and open to the public. Bring your resume, dress professionally, and get hired. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Another senior community is coming to Gwinnett, this time in Suwanee, being built by Caddis, a Dallas, Tex. developer of several of this style of units. Known as Heatis Suwanee, it will include 175 independent living, assisted living and memory care units in a building totaling 187,375 square feet. The building is well out of the ground now, and is expected to be complete by November, 2018. It is located near the Suwanee Library on the west side of the railroad tracks. Caddis also has facilities in Smyrna, Houston and Phoenix.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Chairman Says Gwinnett Is Healthy and Has Job Base of 345,000
EEB PERSPECTIVE: It’s Good To See Some Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett Achieved
ANOTHER VIEW: Loganville Mayor Pleased with Visit to the Trump White House
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Gwinnett College
McLEMORE’S WORLD: Waffle Iron for Valentine?
UPCOMING: Lawrenceville’s new $20 Million Public Works Facility Now Operational
NOTABLE: SPLOST Funds To Be Used for Snellville’s Oak Road Park and Trail
RECOMMENDED: Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Revolutionary War Battle of Kettle Creek Named for Fish Trap
MYSTERY PHOTO: Pastoral Scene Begs Your Identification in This Mystery Photo
CALENDAR: Lecture about Frederick Douglass Coming on February 2

Chairman Says Gwinnett Is Healthy and Has Job Base of 345,000

Nash

By Heather Sawyer, Lawrenceville, Ga. | Almost 200 years of Gwinnett County history provided the backdrop for Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash ’s 2018 State of the County speech Wednesday to an audience of about 800 at the Infinite Energy Center.

“Gwinnett is not a bedroom community anymore,” she told her listeners, “We’re an employment center and a destination. Two hundred years after our founding, we remain a community of pioneers, with many of our residents having come from across the U.S. and from around the globe, seeking opportunity and prosperity.”

Chairman Nash pointed to a pioneering spirit as “the true source of Gwinnett’s strength” that is “not satisfied to simply accept what is, but rather strives to create what should be.”

She said that SPLOST continues to help us address capital needs, with such projects as the expansion of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center for much-needed courts space, a new Fire Station 15 in Lawrenceville now under construction, a new Police Precinct adjacent to Bay Creek Park, parks and libraries, and almost $500 million in transportation improvements funded by the current six-year SPLOST.”

Nash said that a robust economy is fundamental to a healthy community and that fostering job creation and economic opportunity is a primary focus for Gwinnett government. “Eight years ago, private sector jobs in Gwinnett had dropped to about 256,000 as a result of the Great Recession. Today the number stands near 320,000. Adding public sector jobs brings the figure closer to 345,000.”

Noting that Gwinnett had only 4,000 residents when it was formed in 1818, she said, “Gwinnett’s population is projected to exceed 1.5 million in 2040 and there must be expanded options for travel. My goal is to present a viable transit approach to voters and give them a chance to decide.”

She praised several bills now in the state legislature and said, “Striking the right balance between regional oversight and local control is difficult and there are obviously hurdles to overcome. However, I believe we have a window of opportunity that should not be squandered.”

Progress in the areas of public safety, water, education, economic development and community outreach provided other highlights of the speech. She urged listeners to get involved in bicentennial events throughout this year and attend a 200th birthday party for the county on December 15 at the Infinite Energy Center.

“We honor our past and those who built today’s Gwinnett through 200 years of opportunities and decisions. And as we approach the next 100 years, we still need a pioneering, can-do spirit to face our challenges together and develop new solutions,” Nash concluded.

Video of the speech will air frequently on the county’s government access cable channel on Charter, Comcast and AT&T U-verse beginning at 7:30 p.m. daily and will be available to view on demand at www.gwinnettcounty.com. A text version of the speech and a handout highlighting the county government’s previous year accomplishments can also be found on the County’s website.

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

It’s Good To See Some Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett Achieved

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Periodically we like to re-visit GwinnettForum’s Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett County.

Here is a list we are currently running in each issue of GwinnettForum, to keep these ideas before the people of Gwinnett County:

Development of a two-party system for county offices
Moving statewide non-partisan judge election runoffs to the General Election
Light rail for Gwinnett from Doraville MARTA station to Gwinnett Arena
Extension of Gwinnett Place CID area to include Arena and Discovery Mills Mall
Banning of tobacco in all Gwinnett parks
More diverse candidates for political offices and appointment to local boards
Creative efforts to support the arts in Gwinnett
Advancement and expansion of city and Gwinnett historical societies
Stronger regulation of late-night establishments with alcohol licenses
Requiring the legislature to meet once every two years.
Development of more community gardens.

We’re pleased to see some developments that have somewhat accomplished two of these objectives.

Instead of an extension of Gwinnett Place CID to the Arena and Discover Mills Mall, we have a new CID in Gwinnett that is covering that general area. The Sugarloaf CID is now operational, and takes in much of the area around the Infinite Energy Arena. The work will begin soon to bring a hotel and additional activities, which will be beneficial to the area and CID. So far, the Sugarloaf CID does not extend to the Discover Mills Mall.

Our objective of more community gardens has been achieved. We applaud work in Suwanee, Snellville, Sugar Hill, Lilburn, Norcross and other areas, in particular, as these areas have thriving community gardens. Such an activity can benefit any area. We hope to see even more in other parts of the community.

We are pleased to remove these two Objectives from our list.

There appears to be a possibility that another Objective will see significant changes this year. That concerns the elections scheduled for 2018. The Gwinnett Democratic Party seems to be fielding candidates with real chances at winning this year. Having two thriving political parties in the county will mean, in the long run, better candidates and a better county. A competitive two-party system has been a long time coming, but might make a significant breakthrough this year.

When Gwinnett sees a competitive two party system, that will go a long way toward completion of another objective: More diverse candidates for a political offices and appointment to local boards. So this, too, might move forward in and after the 2018 elections.

With lots of people having interest in crime control, one objective speaks to that. We would continue to push for stronger regulations of late night establishments which have alcohol permits. Currently they can serve drinks until 2 a.m., but can stay open until 5 a.m. Most everyone agrees that nothing much good happens at these establishments between 2 and 5 a.m. Closing them earlier would be most beneficial to the county.

We also emphasize our desire to see the Georgia Legislature meet only once every two years, like some other states do. All Georgians get nervous when the Legislature meets, so have them meet only once every other year.

So, our revised list for 2018 shows:

Development of a two-party system for county offices
Moving statewide non-partisan judge election runoffs to the General Election
Commuter rail for Gwinnett from Doraville MARTA station to Gwinnett Arena
Banning of tobacco in all Gwinnett parks
More diverse candidates for political offices and appointment to local boards
Creative efforts to support the arts in Gwinnett
Advancement and expansion of city and Gwinnett historical societies
Stronger regulation of late-night establishments with alcohol licenses
Requiring the legislature to meet once every two years.

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

Loganville Mayor Pleased with Visit to the Trump White House

By Robbie Schwartz

LOGANVILLE, Ga., Feb. 16, 2018—-New Loganville Mayor Rey Martinez had high hopes of setting the pace for the celebration as Walton County’s Bicentennial flag made its stop in Loganville. Literally. He’s an avid runner and planned on leading the pack in taking the flag by foot along U.S. Highway 78 on its journey.

But when the White House called and extended an invitation to join the Mayors’ Day at the White House, Martinez knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He says: “A few days before the meeting, I received a call from the White House Intergovernmental Affairs Office congratulating me on becoming the new mayor of Loganville. I was asked if I would be interested in taking part of the annual Mayors’ Day at the White House and of course I was humbled and honored to accept.”

Martinez had helped lead a group in Georgia called Hispanics for Trump and also joined Vice President Mike Pence at the podium during campaign stops in Georgia in 2016. Some of the relationships forged during that experience led to the invitation.

On the Mayors’ Day, President Donald Trump spoke to the 75 mayors that gathered for the January 24 event, which itself was in limbo because of the government shutdown just days beforehand. But the shutdown ended in time for Martinez and the others to gather and listen as President Trump addressed the crowd, speaking about the administration’s accomplishments in its first year.

He said following the presidential address: “I was impressed with how much our president and vice president love our country and how much they want us to succeed. So many jobs were created in 2017, African-American and Hispanic unemployment rates are the lowest they have ever been and I think that the streamlining of the permitting process for roadwork will really help the City of Loganville as we work to address some of our congestion concerns.

“The president and vice president understand the role mayors play in their city. I also had a brief conversation with Vice President Pence to encourage and support the administration on the steps they’ve taken to advance the Hispanic population.”

Following the president’s address, the mayors then had a meet-and-greet to get to know the other elected officials in attendance and took part in a roundtable discussion with representatives from federal agencies on how to make cities safer and to make relationships stronger with the federal government.

The mayor served seven years on the Council before being elected to the post last year. He has been in the restaurant business since 2007, and recently turned this into a full catering service of Cuban dishes for events, festivals and markets across the Metro Atlanta area.

Mayor Martinez said he enjoyed his first trip to the White House and the overall experience. “I was amazed by the history and beauty of the East Wing. But more importantly, I feel this trip has made me a better leader and given me a deeper understanding of the relationship between the local and federal government,” he said. “As mayor, it gives me great joy to know that Loganville has an ally in the White House. Our president and vice president are great leaders and I believe they want to bring the United States back into a prominent role as leader and defender of democracy across the globe.”

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

Georgia Gwinnett College

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Waffle Iron for Valentine?

For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
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Lawrenceville’s new $20 Million Public Works Facility Now Operational

The new $20 million Public Works Complex of the city of Lawrenceville is now open at 435 West Pike Street. The facility brings together the city’s gas, electric, damage prevention, fleet maintenance, streets and sanitation departments in one location. The facility also serves as an essential first-step toward completion of Gwinnett’s largest redevelopment project currently underway – the South Lawn in downtown Lawrenceville.

Mayor Judy Johnson says that the new Public Works Facility “streamlines city services for the community as well as providing a quality work environment for our employees. This facility will serve as a catalyst for current redevelopment activity and future growth for our great city.”

The new complex sits on a 25-acre site and now houses 122 employees. The 66,000-sq.-ft. complex includes three buildings, a mezzanine space and additional capacity for growth and future expansion if needed. The project also incorporated 240 parking spaces and new intersection improvements.

Opening of the Public Works Facility and moving those operations allows for the development of the South Lawn project. That will include over 600 residential living units, more than 15,000 square feet of retail space, connect City Hall and the Police Station with the increasingly popular Lawrenceville Lawn and create a comprehensive walkable environment straight down to the Lawrenceville Square.

Aurora Theatre Presents Hit Musical Mamma Mia! Through April 22

Calling all dancing queens and kings!

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, is set to run at Aurora Theatre from March 8 until April 22. It is the eighth longest running show in Broadway history and one of only five musicals to have run for more than ten years on Broadway. Aurora Theatre is \ producing Atlanta’s post-Broadway premiere of the feel-good show in the heart of downtown Lawrenceville!

“When the professional rights for Mamma Mia! were on the verge of becoming available last year, we knew we had to produce the show at Aurora Theatre,” says Justin Anderson, Director. “It is both the most anticipated and most spectacular production of our theatrical season. Along with hit after danceable hit—that every dedicated fan knows and loves—we’ve taken a fresh look at the design that will inject the show with unprecedented energy and verve, while also mining the story for its real heart. Whether you’ve seen Mamma Mia! once or a hundred times, this production is sure to leave everyone singing and dancing all the way home!”

Mamma Mia! combines timeless tunes with a sunny, funny tale that unfolds on a small Greek island. Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding where her father walks her down the aisle, but she is faced with one problem: the identity of her father is unknown! On a quest to discover his identity, she secretly invites the three possible candidates to her wedding, bringing them back into her mother’s life for the first time in 20 years. The show is filled with ABBA hits, non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers.

Tickets range from $40-$75 and may be purchased online at tickets.auroratheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at 678-226-6222.

Show times are Tuesday–Saturday at 8 p. m.; and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p. m. Get tickets soon. Many shows are already sold out.

Exhibit in Centerville Recognizes Achievements of African Americans

Gwinnett County Health and Human Services will celebrate Black History Month with a free self-guided exhibit at OneStop Centerville, located at 3025 Bethany Church Road, until March 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Gwinnett County Public Library Centerville Branch will also host a free orated tour of the exhibit on March 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The exhibit honors African Americans’ achievements and recognizes their role in history. As a special recognition for the Gwinnett County Bicentennial, the display explores how Irish immigrant Thomas Maguire settled in Snellville. The Maguire house and surrounding land, later owned by the Livsey family, is known locally as the “Promised Land.”

Gwinnett County acquired the Maguire-Livsey property in 2017 and will preserve it as a historic site. The exhibit also includes other history specific to the Snellville area, such as the first settlers and how English immigrants Thomas Snell and James and Charles Sawyer and their families impacted the area, including increasing commercialism, opening a post office and incorporating the city.

Attendees of the orated tour can learn more about Snellville’s unique history, diverse community and dynamic growth from Mayor Dan Curry and historian Terry Freeman.

SPLOST Funds To Be Used for Snellville’s Oak Road Park and Trail

Snellville’s city council approved a measure Monday, which will help pay for the bulk of the new Oak Road Park and the proposed Towne Center Multi-Use Trail.

The city will use a maximum of $1 million in Special Local Option Sales Tax funds to pay for a majority of the costs of the two projects. Oak Road Park had a price tag of $400,000 while the trail system is expected to cost $1.25 million.

The trail will offer a path for pedestrians and cyclists to and from the city’s proposed Towne Center which will feature commercial, residential and business space.

Beginning at Scenic Highway on the west side of the downtown area at a new trailhead, the proposed 1.25-mile multi-use trail will travel east crossing North Road. It is designed to include park space at many points along its path and will incorporate needed stormwater features that double as scenic lakes/ponds. The trail is slated to traverse the entirety of the proposed Towne Center area and become part of the city’s Greenway system.

The trail will serve a larger purpose than just general recreation use as it will be an integral part of the city’s Towne Center development tying together residential, retail and education aspects of the development creating a new downtown Snellville.

City officials said the trail would be constructed ahead of or in conjunction with the Towne Center project.

Oak Road Park was envisioned first in 2003, when a 4.67-acre tract of land was acquired by the city on Oak Road which included the stipulation that it could only be used for greenspace. In 2015, a united Mayor and Council agreed on how it should be developed as a neighborhood park. This plan included working with the county on building a sidewalk from Scenic Highway to Mountain View Road, also with joint SPLOST funding, to make the park easily accessible to downtown and nearby neighborhoods. The city hired the engineering firm of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood to design the park and oversee construction.

Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock

From Karen Burnette Garner, Dacula:

“Recent discoveries in Mexico and other locations in Central and South America have led experts to announce that vast ancient civilizations lie buried beneath tropical jungles. The timeline of human expansion in the Americas is now questioned, and what we were taught in grade school about the Aztecs, the Mayans, and the Incas appear to be woefully incomplete. Written in 1995, the writer heralds these discoveries, and accompanying questions, we are asking today. The author focuses on findings by other scientists and explorers who have spent their professional lives trying to make sense of facts that don’t add up. Does the past of man reach back much further than we’ve thought? Mr. Hancock presents a vision of world pre-history that questions what we think we know about mankind’s presence in the world, and ultimately where we may be going”.

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. Send to: elliott@brack.net

Revolutionary War Battle of Kettle Creek Named for Fish Trap

Kettle Creek flows into the Little River near the Tyrone community in Wilkes County. It likely takes its name from a local fish trap, called a kittle.

During the American Revolution (1775-83) several incidents occurred along its banks. The South Carolina militia established a station there in 1776; an Indian attack on Robert McNabb’s Fort in November 1778 resulted in McNabb’s death; and in the last days of the Revolution, the rebel partisan and horse thief Josiah Dunn met his death in a skirmish nearby.

The most important event to occur at Kettle Creek, however, took place on Sunday, February 14, 1779. On that morning 600 American supporters of the British cause, popularly known as Loyalists or Tories, encamped atop a hill in a bend of the creek. They were following an established trail to the nearby Quaker settlement of Wrightsborough en route to Augusta. Aside from the defensive qualities of the position, the hill offered the new arrivals food in the form of cattle penned there.

The leader of this expedition, James Boyd, an Irishman from Raeburn Creek, S.C., had traveled to Georgia with a British invasion force from New York. He carried an open commission (as a colonel) to recruit southerners for the British military from settlements behind the rebel lines. Boyd left Savannah sometime after January 20, 1779, and reached Wrightsborough, deep within the Georgia backcountry, by the 24th, looking for guides to the South Carolina frontier. Within a week he established a camp near present-day Spartanburg, S.C.. With 350 recruits he set out for Augusta on February 5. During their march south along the Indian frontier, Boyd and his followers were joined by 250 North Carolinians under the command of John Moore.

The Loyalists were ineffectively pursued by small groups of rebel militiamen. Boyd’s command captured Fort Independence and the outpost at Broad Mouth Creek in South Carolina, but they declined to attack the garrison of McGowan’s Blockhouse on the Cherokee Ford of the Savannah River. The Loyalists crossed the river further north at Vann’s Creek on February 11. The garrison of Cherokee Ford, with reinforcements, attacked Boyd’s men at the crossing but were repulsed. As Boyd and his men camped at Kettle Creek on February 14, he dispatched his prisoners to Augusta. He could not know that the British troops sent there to rendezvous with him had that morning begun a withdrawal toward Savannah.

At the same time 340 South Carolina and Georgia militiamen, under Colonel Andrew Pickens of South Carolina and Colonel John Dooly and Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke of Georgia, were preparing to attack Boyd’s camp at Kettle Creek. They had been besieging Loyalist horsemen at Robert Carr’s Fort on nearby Beaverdam Creek when they abandoned their prey to intercept Boyd’s party. Four days of pursuit brought them almost to where they had started.

(To be continued)

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

Pastoral Scene Begs Your Identification in This Mystery Photo

This edition’s Mystery Photo may prove difficult, as it looks like many other areas of this part of our country, in a very good photo. Figure out where you think this pastoral scene is and send your info to elliott@brack.net, to include your hometown.

What we thought would be a difficult Mystery Photo last edition quickly was recognized by several of our eagle-eyed readers. First in was Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill, recognizing the “Convent of Christ in Portugal. It is in Tomar and is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.” The photo came from among the travels of Ross Lenhart of Pawley’s Island, S.C.

Bob Foreman of Graysold told us that “This Mystery Photo at least has some recognizable architectural elements. Based on the architectural style, I figured it was Spain, Portugal, or Italy. Portugal was a good place to start since you have had a lot of photos from Portugal in recent months. It is the convent in Tomar, Portugal. ‘Convento de Cristo’ – Convent of Christ is the English translation. It is also a Castle tied to the Knights Templar.”

George Graf of Palmyra, Va. expounded more: “The cityscape of Tomar is dominated to its west by the vast monumental complex of the Convent of Christ as it stands at the top of a hill. It is a main feature of the city’s identity, the unity of which has been preserved. The Convent is surrounded by the walls of the Castle of Tomar. It belonged to the Order of the Templars and was founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, grand master of the Knights Templar. Originally designed as a monument symbolizing the Reconquest, the Convent of the Knights Templar of Tomar (transferred in 1344 to the Knights of the Order of Christ) came to symbolize the opening up of Portugal to other civilizations.”

Rotarians Fill 300 Bags For Those Struggling with Food Insecurity

Raising $7,700 to stuff over 300 bags with food, the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County celebrated Valentine’s Day with a special ‘”Rotary Has Heart” project to benefit people in the community who are hungry and struggling with food insecurity. The bags contained items such as canned tuna or chicken breast, vegetables, fruit cups and fruits, crackers, oatmeal and cereal. The project was held in partnership with Friends of Gwinnett Seniors and View Point Health, groups who had identified low-income individuals in need of supplemental food during the winter months. Club members rolled up their sleeves and assembled over 300 bags in under 20 minutes. The bags were boxed and divided evenly between the two agencies and were in place to distribute that afternoon. Members Mary Hester, Sherwin Levinson, and Bill McCargo go down the line filling bags for the program. To learn more about the Gwinnett Rotary Club and the many ways they give back to the community, visit: http://www.gwinnettrotary.org/.

GwinnettForum | Number 16.89 | Feb. 20, 2018

GROUNDBREAKING of a new parking deck, phase I, of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center will be Tuesday, February 20 at 3:30 p.m. The event will be at the GJAC Garage Avenue behind the exiting parking deck.

“The Spirit of Frederick Douglass” is the topic of a lecture on Tuesday, February 20 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 7 p.m. Historian Michael Crutcher Sr. portrays abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery and as a teen escaped to become an internationally known anti-slavery leader and adviser to President Abraham Lincoln. He is known as the “Grandfather of the Civil Rights movement.” An exhibit on the Bicentennial of Frederick Douglass it will be on display at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center for the month of February!

GRANT WINNER: Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC) is the winner of two 2018 Collaborative Innovation Grants totaling $80,000. FODAC will use the grant funds to create new partnerships with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Goodwill Industries of North Georgia. These partnerships will be mutually beneficial and support FODAC’s mission of providing durable medical equipment (DME), such as wheelchairs, walkers, shower benches and patient lifts, to those with either short- or long-term mobility impairments, at little to no cost to the recipients or their caregivers. The annual Collaborative Innovation Grant program is an invite-only competition for nonprofits in the Building Community Network, led by Georgia Center for Nonprofits and The Home Depot Foundation. “These grant funds greatly expand FODAC’s reach into the community,” said Chris Brand, president and CEO of FODAC.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Here Are Six Facts That You May Not Know About Natural Gas
EEB PERSPECTIVE: The Very Thought of Schools Having “Red Alert” Is Scary
ANOTHER VIEW: After Parkland Shooting, People Have Little Choice on Voting
SPOTLIGHT: E.R. Snell Contractor Inc.
FEEDBACK: Sees Two Different Groups in Gwinnett as County’s Biggest Obstacles
McLEMORE’S WORLD: Little Light of Mine
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Seeking Poll Workers at Two Hiring Events Soon
NOTABLE: Snellville Chooses Atlanta Firm To Create 2040 Comprehensive Plan
RECOMMENDED: It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again by Julia Cameron
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Several Patriotic Groups Support Battle of Kettle Creek Site
MYSTERY PHOTO: What’s the Function of This Photo, and Where Is It?
CALENDAR: New Eastside Hospital Facility To Open on February 28

Here Are Six Facts That You May Not Know About Natural Gas

By Savannah Chandler, Monroe, Ga. | If you turn on a gas range to make dinner or switch on the furnace for heat, you’re doing what people in 62 million other American homes do every day: using natural gas.

In fact, U.S. consumers use more natural gas than any other nation in the world, Walton Gas has found out. The other top consumers are Russia, Iran, China and Japan, respectively.

“Today, Walton Gas customers are using natural gas for industrial, commercial and residential applications — and even to power cars and trucks,” says Ronnie Lee, president of Walton Gas and Walton EMC.

Using information from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Lee shares these little-known details about natural gas.

Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Like other fossil fuels such as coal and oil, it forms deep below the Earth’s surface. It formed millions of years ago from the remains of plants and animals that decayed and built up in thick layers. Over time, these layers were buried under sand, silt and rock. Pressure and heat changed some of this organic material into coal, some into oil (petroleum), and some into natural gas.
The U.S. produces nearly all of the natural gas it uses. Natural gas is produced from onshore and offshore natural gas and oil wells and from coal beds. In 2016, U.S. natural gas production was equal to about 97 percent of U.S. natural gas consumption.
Domestic natural gas production has increased. U.S. natural gas production in 2016 was the second-highest level recorded, down slightly from 2015, which has the highest-recorded production level. Improved recovery methods contributed to the increases. In the past, as little as 10 percent of the available gas in a deposit could be recovered. Today, enhanced mining techniques are used to bring as much as 60 percent of the gas to the surface.
Five states produce about 65 percent of the nation’s natural gas. Texas is the leading producer, accounting for 24 percent. Pennsylvania ranks second at 20 percent. Oklahoma, Louisiana and Wyoming follow, each producing less than 10 percent.
There are more than a half million natural gas wells in the U.S. Natural gas is commonly extracted by drilling a well vertically into rock formations. The trapped gas flows up the well to the surface. Currently, there are 553,495 natural gas wells in the U.S.
The continental U.S. has more than 210 pipeline systems to transport natural gas to the lower 48 states. Transported through pipelines that can be from 2 to 60 inches in diameter, natural gas is sent to underground storage fields or to distribution companies. The pipeline system requires more than 1,400 compressor stations to ensure that the gas continues on its path, 400 underground storage facilities, 11,000 locations to deliver the gas and 5,000 locations to receive the gas.

Now, the next time you’re relaxing in a toasty warm house heated by natural gas, you can better appreciate how it got from the ground to your home.

Learn more about natural gas at: www.waltongas.com/index.php/blog.

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

The Very Thought of Schools Having a “Red Alert” Is Scary

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Think back to when you were in elementary school. Isn’t it interesting that in many places, such as in Macon where I was raised, we called them grammar schools! After all, they did teach us grammar.

Most of those school days were routine in the classroom. But every now and then, a little drama entered when we had a fire drill. We excitedly marched outside in the prescribed way, stood around a while no doubt noisily, then a little exhilarated, returned to class.

We came to this thought when realizing that in today’s times, in Parkland, Fla. schools, the new drill is “Red Alert.” It’s not a laid-back fire drill, but it’s more like a panicked and frenzied question of life and death.

Hearing of Parkland students and teachers jammed into closets in fear, of many of them calling 911 on their cell phones, or calling their parents while crammed closely , not knowing if a shooter might barge into their area and send rat-a-tat-tat rounds their way…….send shivers up my spine.

This is not what school should be about. Parents should not have to worry about the safety of their children when they are in school; they are there to learn for tomorrow. But for some students at Parkland and other schools around our country, there is no tomorrow. They have been gunned down, or luckily just wounded, and now face recovery, all in a country whose government will not take the right steps to safeguard not only its children, but safeguard teachers and others who face the rounds of ammunition that crazed people aim at them.

It shouldn’t be so. Our country should have the will to eliminate the means that allow these deranged people to access weapons and ammunition and wreck havoc on our people.

For this is not going away without significant government action. Since Sandy Hook in 2012, there have been 239 school shootings nationwide, 438 people have been shot, and 138 people killed by deranged shooters bursting into schoolrooms in all parts of the nation and at random spraying automatic weapons upon the terrorized victims. (See chart: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/15/us/school-shootings-sandy-hook-parkland.html.)

And yet even the person who is supposed to lead our country will not contradict such actions from the gun community. Instead, President Trump addressed it as “mental health” after the most recent event.

Granted, we need more action promoting mental health. But we need dramatic and quick action to eliminate the means that these crazies destroy the safety of schools—and our nation—by their actions, all because our governments will not stand up and recognize the gun industry for what it is.

We’re not just talking about the Federal government and a Congress that functions so poorly. Our State of Georgia has elected officials who can step forward and take actions that will make our communities safer. They will have to have the courage and be forceful to stand up to the National Rifle Association and its wide gun lobby, for our conditions to improve.

Every time we see a state representative, or state senator, or member of the House or U.S. senator, we all should be questioning them, “When are you gonna’ take action against the gun lobby?” Or ask: “How much did the gun lobby contribute to your campaign?” We can’t continue to see the same lack of inattention in this arena.

Remember those school children shivering with fear in that closet during the latest “Red Alert.” Remember them and those who died in the Parkland tragedy.

Then vow you will seek to elect people who will take on the gun manufacturers and outlaw these weapons of death.

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

After Parkland Shooting, People Have Little Choice on Voting

By George Wilson, contributing columnist | After the Parkland, Fla. shootings, Author Jon Meacham, said on Morning Joe: “There’s a huge opening here for a significant moment of leadership. If you’re a United States senator or if you’re the president of the United States, this is a moment where you can speak out against the interest group that has an outsized influence over the lives of our children [the National Rifle Association].

“Speak out, take them on. We remember political leaders, we remember generations — because this is not just the leaders, it’s also us. We remember those leaders and those generations who stand up against clear, self-evident wrongs. This is a self-evident wrong. And if I were in the United States Senate today or the White House today, I’d be thinking that this is a moment to stand up and be counted.”

Will Trump and the Republican dominated legislatures standup? This is highly doubtful.

Trump viscerally felt the reaction from his crowds during the campaign when he gave full-throated pitches for gun rights. And no organization stuck by Trump like the NRA did. The group spent $30 million helping elect him. Furthermore, the Associated Press reported: “President Donald Trump is calling for a focus on mental health and school safety ,responding to shootings like the one that took 17 lives in Florida.” However, his budget would cut funding in both areas.

Here is what needs to happen:

Reinstate the federal assault-weapons ban, passed in 1994 but allowed to lapse 10 years 2004 Under Bush;
Raise the age to buy firearms to 21;
Trump opted to exclude fugitives from the background-check database unless they crossed state lines; that removed 500,000 names from the list; and
Kill the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

We suspect that none of the above will happen with Republicans. So, the only choice is to vote Democratic and not Republican.

As CNN’s Joan Walsh said,” I want to remind everyone about Virginia 2017: In the 13 races where pro-gun control Democrats squared off against NRA Republicans, Democrats won 12.”

Finally, while voting for Democrats is no guarantee that they’ll begin to solve the gun violence problem, voting for Republicans is a stone-cold, absolute, ironclad, 100 percent guarantee that we won’t.

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

E.R. Snell Contractor Inc.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. of Snellville. Founded in the 1920s, ERS was built on Christian beliefs with honesty and integrity leading the way. Specializing in roads, bridges and culverts, its goal is to build a safe and modern highway system while preserving our natural environment. Through quality production and high safety standards, it strives to be the best contractor possible, while continuing to be a positive influence on its employees and the community. Internet access is available at www.ersnell.com.

For a list of other underwriters of this forum, go to: Our underwriters.

Sees Two Different Groups in Gwinnett as County’s Biggest Obstacles

Editor, the Forum:

Recently I did a survey for the county 2040 unified plan. One question stood out for me.

In your opinion, what is the single biggest obstacle facing Gwinnett County right now.

My opinion: Two groups of people who hate the county.

The first group is those who have lived here many years or have recently moved away, but want to see the county fail because they don’t like change.

The other group is people who recently moved here because Gwinnett is much better than where they came from, but they are determined to make our county the same as the place they ran from.

I’m glad we still have people like you around writing positive things about Gwinnett County.

Mark Tapp, Grayson

Little Light of Mine

For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net

Gwinnett Seeking Poll Workers at Two Hiring Events Soon

Gwinnettians looking for ways to get involved in the electoral process and give back to the community are invited to Gwinnett County’s upcoming poll official hiring events on February 21 in Norcross and February 24 in Snellville.

The Voter Registrations and Elections Division is looking for citizens of all backgrounds, but has an urgent need for bilingual poll workers, particularly Spanish speakers.

Lynn Ledford, Gwinnett County elections supervisor, says: “We have 156 polling locations in Gwinnett County for Election Day and eight advance voting locations that we need to staff, and to comply with federal law, we need bilingual polling officials. We’re seeking to recruit citizens who may not know of the need or that they can get involved. It’s a great opportunity for citizens to participate in the elections process. Plus they can gain valuable work experience and earn $75 to $300 per day.”

The hiring events are set for:

Wednesday, February 21 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at OneStop Norcross, 5030 Georgia Belle Court, Norcross (across from Greater Atlanta Christian School).

Saturday, February 24 from 9 a.m. to noon at OneStop Centerville, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville.

Ledford said the events were scheduled in the evening and on a Saturday to reach people who can’t get away from work during the day.

Among the requirements, applicants must be at least 16 years old, a U.S. citizen and be able to read, write and speak English. They also must be a Gwinnett County resident or a Gwinnett County government employee, and they must have access to a computer for required online training.

Interested citizens are encouraged to apply online at www.gwinnettcountyjobs.com prior to the event.

Gwinnett County Human Resources staff will be on site to accept applications in person. Computers will be available at the events for applicants to use. To fulfill federal I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification requirements, applicants will need to bring documents to verify their identity and legal authorization to work in the U.S.

WES Foundation Plans Gala To Raise Dollars for Leukemia Research

On March 3, 2018 Sugarloaf TPC Country Club will be hosting the WES Leukemia Research Foundation’s second Annual Pigs and Pearls Party! Since inception, the WES Foundation has donated $1.5 million to research.

TheYacht Rock Revue band will be performing live so guests can enjoy their music as they dance the night away. Tickets are $150 and include a dinner and open bar along with entertainment! Come dressed in denim and pearls so you’re sure to be comfortable and enjoy the night to the fullest. Tickets can be purchased at: www.wesfoundation.org

WES Leukemia Research Foundation is a Duluth-based 501(c)3, nonprofit charity established by the Smith family after their 22 year-old son, Wes, succumbed to leukemia in 2005. The Foundation’s primary purpose is collecting and distributing funds for leukemia research.

The WES Foundation makes proceeds available to fund laboratory based leukemia research. The Foundation recognizes that choice exists for your giving and, that to deserve your consideration, the dollars you donate must be distributed in the most judicious fashion to ultimately fund the research necessary to find a cure.

Here’s how that is accomplished. The WES Foundation has selected an Advisory Board of medical professionals to determine the most productive research recipients. These research professionals provide an invaluable service to the Foundation by judging the requests received and choosing the most innovative, responsible and potentially curative research for funding.

Historical Society Planning Third Annual Cemetery Scavenger Hunt

As Gwinnett County celebrates its bicentennial year, the Gwinnett Historical Society will have the third annual Cemetery Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser on the weekend of March 3-4, or in case of bad weather, the weekend of March 11-12.

Those interested may register as a team of four or more and get the clues/questions at 9 a.m. on Saturday March 3 online. Each team will have until 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 4 to submit in the correct numerical order—the “answers” to the clues including at least one team member in the photo of the headstone or “answer.”

Using photos from Find-a-Grave is not permitted. Photo shopping is strictly prohibited. The idea is for teams to go the cemeteries, enjoy and learn. This will not be a race, but rather a learning experience in the bicentennial year. All the clues/questions will have to do with pioneers, early inhabitants and leaders in Gwinnett County.

The names of teams with all the correct answers and all rules followed will be put in a drawing and three teams will receive awards. All teams will be recognized for participation. To register, pay in the office with check, credit card or cash. Or, mail in a check. Go to GHS FB page for updates.

For questions or to email answers on the hunt, the email address for the Scavenger Hunt maintained by Bobbie Tkacik, the Cemetery chairperson, is GHScemhunt@yahoo.com

Snellville Chooses Atlanta Firm To Create 2040 Comprehensive Plan

The Snellville city council has approved an Atlanta-based firm’s bid of $132,000 to create the city’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

The city’s Comprehensive Plan Review Committee recommend award of the contract to Jacobs Atlanta-based Advance Planning Group, led by Jim Summerbell, AICP, says Planning and Development Director Jason Thompson.

Jacobs bested six other firms. Three companies were chosen as finalists to create the plan including Jacobs, TSW and Amec Foster Wheeler. Jacobs will now be tasked to collect public and professional input through community meetings, disseminate findings and ultimately write the plan that will shape the city’s future for decades to come.

The City of Snellville 2030 Comprehensive Plan was adopted February 9, 2009. Since then, the city has worked to create a Towne Center in the downtown area. A major focus of the new plan will be to expand the Towne Center around a city market and library though a partnership with Gwinnett County. Officials believe the market and library will be a catalyst for commercial and residential growth in the areas surrounding City Hall and elsewhere.

Norcross Firm Wins Contract for New Hope Road’s Alcovy Bridge

The Gwinnett Board of Commissioners has awarded a contract to build a new bridge over the Alcovy River and the installation of a multi-use path along New Hope Road. The Board awarded the project to CMES Inc. of Norcross at an amount not to exceed $6,041,798.

Contractors will replace the existing bridge and improve the alignment of New Hope Road at the approaches to the bridge as well. The new structure also will provide more clearance between the river and bridge deck to help address flooding issues in the area. The multi-use path will extend from Callie Still Road to Alcovy River Drive. Curb and gutter and other drainage improvements also will be installed as part of these projects, which stretch for about 1.6 miles.

CMES was the lowest of four responsive bidders on the group of projects, which is funded by the 2009 and 2014 SPLOST programs.

Community Garden in Snellville Gets Grant from Master Gardeners

For the third consecutive year Snellville’s Community Garden has been awarded a grant from the Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Association. The $500 grant will help support the garden’s greenhouse operations with the purchase of supplies, including pots, potting soil, organic fertilizer, rooting hormone and vegetable and flower seeds. The garden’s greenhouse is maintained by a team of volunteers. The team plans to have plants available for sale at this year’s Snellville Days, May 5-6 at T.W. Briscoe Park.

In addition to its primary purpose of providing space for families to grow flowers, food for their own consumption and to donate to local charities, the Community Garden @ Snellville also adds a new dimension to Snellville’s sense of community. The garden is located in T. W. Briscoe Park on the corner of Marigold Road and Sawyer Parkway. Currently the garden includes 48 raised beds, a pavilion, beehives, a greenhouse, tool shed and a large perennial garden.

It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again by Julia Cameron

From Karen Burnette Garner, Dacula

“Written by the popular author of The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron, this workbook/instruction manual provides a structure for new retirees to view retirement creatively. With more time and opportunity to “do what they want,” retirees may find that lack of structure leaves them with more questions than answers. Are we doing what we really want to do? Exercises guide the reader to examine childhood interests and values that can result in a fulfilling and creative future. Through journaling, memoir writing, solo art dates that spur creative thinking, and quiet walks that quell stress and anxiety, the author leads the reader to see that their perspective of life is uniquely their own. Finding fulfillment, serving others, or simply enjoying life is the goal of this book.”

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. Send to: elliott@brack.net

Kettle Creek Not So Significant, But Provides Rebels with a Victory

(From previous edition)

Colonel Andrew Pickens led his 200 men in a direct assault on the rocky hill on Kettle Creek, while Colonel John Dooly and Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke attacked the camp across the creek on the left and right respectively. Pickens’s advance guard disobeyed orders and fired on the Loyalist sentries, announcing the attack. Boyd led his men in ambushing Pickens’s troops while Dooly’s and Clarke’s men were entangled in the swamp.

James Boyd fell mortally wounded, shot by a party of Georgia militiamen who had become lost and found themselves in the Loyalist camp. With their leader down, the Loyalists panicked and were driven across the creek. Boyd and nineteen of his men were killed, and twenty-two others were taken prisoner. Pickens and Dooly lost seven men, and fifteen were wounded. Counting the Loyalists who went home and later surrendered to local authorities, about 150 of Boyd’s men were eventually taken prisoner. They were held at Augusta and later at Ninety Six, SC.. Five of their number at Ninety Six and two others in North Carolina were eventually hanged.

Two hundred and seventy of Boyd’s command escaped the Battle of Kettle Creek and safely reached the British army. They were formed into the North Carolina Royal Volunteers under John Moore and the South Carolina Royal Volunteers (later the second battalion of the South Carolina Royalists Regiment). Both units virtually disappeared by the summer of 1779 because of desertions and transfers.

The Battle of Kettle Creek provided the rebel cause with a victory, however small, in the midst of a string of much larger defeats. The British had expected thousands of loyal southerners to rally to their flag and restore the whole South to the king. However, Boyd proved only able to assemble 600 men, some of whom were criminals in flight. Other men who traveled with him were allegedly coerced into joining under threats to their lives and property.

After Kettle Creek, British leaders should have realized that practical Loyalist military support in the South, if it ever existed, had disappeared. Campaigns to find a great Loyalist army in the South continued, however, through the defeats at King’s Mountain, Hammond’s Store, Ramsour’s Mill, and even Yorktown. On the local level, many of the southerners who shared Boyd’s dream to return the South to the king’s cause learned the futility of their hopes on impromptu gallows at the hands of their rebel neighbors.

Today a county park preserves the Kettle Creek battlefield. Rechanneling in the early 1920s turned the original cane-choked creek into a dry ditch. Monuments were erected on the hill by the federal government in 1930 and the state of Georgia in 1979. The Kettle Creek Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution maintains a cemetery in the park for the remains of Revolutionary War veterans. The Georgia Compatriots of the Sons of the American Revolution supports the preservation of the site.

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

What’s the Function of This Photo, and Where Is It?

Today’s Mystery Photo shows something that provides a definite function. Figure out where it is and what it is and send your idea to elliott@brack.net, to include your hometown.

It was a simple photo, and few could pinpoint it. Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill identified it as

Amish farms in Lancaster County, Pann. and we accepted that. The photo came from Karen Garner of Dacula, sent in a long time ago.

Then Bobbie Tkacik of Lilburn said that “The photo of the silos and farms I’m sure is in Amish country in middle to Eastern Pennsylvania. My clue was the stone house in the front. There is a lot of limestone in the area and lots of buildings and barns built with it.”

GwinnettForum | Number 16.88 | Feb. 23, 2018

Dedication Ceremony at 12 noon on February 24 at the Norcross Welcome Center and Museum. This is a dedication of an original painting of Norcross’ historic downtown by Florence Warbington Green, which will be on extended loan to the Norcross Museum and Welcome Center. Local Historian and tour guide Gene Ramsay will lead a tour to its historic cemetery. The Norcross Cemetery dates back to the 1800s. Meet at the cemetery entrance at 110 South Cemetery Street at 1 p.m.

Grand opening of the Eastside Medical Center’s newest physician specialty practice, Eastside Heart and Vascular, will be February 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Meet the physicians and tour the office, located at 1700 Tree Lane, Suite 190, in Snellville.

Here are the finalists in the contest for design of the t-shirt for the Peachtree Road Race. This year a Duluth resident is among the finalists. The design of Cheryl Totty of Duluth is at the center. For more details, see Notable below.

TODAY’S FOCUS: Sip and Swine Barbecue Festival Coming to Cool Ray Field March 2-3
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Blooming Trees, Daylight Savings Time, and Hurrah for Mitt Romney
SPOTLIGHT: Gwinnett County Public Library
FEEDBACK: Perhaps the Religious Leaders Can Help Solve Shooting Problems
McLEMORE’S WORLD: Speaking in Tongues
UPCOMING: 10th Annual Debutante Cotillion Ball Coming to Duluth March 3
NOTABLE: Georgia Gwinnett’s School of Business Wins National Accreditation
RECOMMENDED: Celebrate! By Alma Kennedy Bowen
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Large Chestnut Trees Once Dominated Forest of the Georgia Mountains
MYSTERY PHOTO: Perhaps the Green Grass and Red Brick Give You An Idea

Sip and Swine Barbecue Festival Coming to Cool Ray Field March 2-3

By Jason Marlowe, Lawrenceville, Ga. | With highly successful runs in 2016 and 2017, the organizers of Lawrenceville’s Sip and Swine BBQ Festival at Coolray Field are banking on the best results to date in 2018. Fully sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) and set to take place March 2-3, the family-friendly barbecue competition will feature food, fun, and live music.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter. Over the course of the last two years, Sip and Swine raised more than $110,000 for the charity.

Jim Lloyd, president of InsuranceHub, the sponsor of Sip and Swine BBQ Festival, says: “It’s a simple, but solid recipe: good things happen when you bring great food and great people together for a great cause. This event provides our neighbors with an opportunity to have fun and enjoy amazing barbecue while raising funds for Home of Hope, a residential care facility that provides services for homeless children up to 17 years of age along with their young mothers. Impacting the lives of two generations at once and serving as their next best step towards independence, this nonprofit teaches these families valuable life skills while giving them a true sense of community and empowerment.”

In addition to sponsoring the event, InsuranceHub will have a major presence at Sip and Swine with many of its employees serving as volunteers. Other sponsors include Brand Properties, SEI Group, Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company and Clear Channel Outdoor. Additional sponsors are Advanced Disposal, Pinnacle Custom Signs, KICKS 101.5 FM and Foggy Bottom BBQ.

The two-day festival will feature many volunteers, 78 barbecue competition teams, 73 food and craft vendors, and several live bands set to perform throughout the day on Saturday. Barbecue competition teams will include a blend of pro teams from all over the country and “backyard” teams – featuring a number of local businesses and friends vying for victory in their respective categories. It runs from 3-10 p.m. on March 2, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m on March 3. Admission and parking is free.

About Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter: Focused on ending homelessness two generations at a time, Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and a residential care facility. Home of Hope also offers care and services for homeless girls aging out of the foster care system at 18 years of age. It provides customized “Life Plans” that are designed around the physical, emotional and educational needs of the children it serves, while helping their mothers develop a plan of action to get back on their feet. Not wishing to serve simply as a place of refuge, Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter is the “Next Step” towards independence. It takes its guests from homelessness, to hopeful, to a home of their own. To learn more about Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter, visit www.homeofhopegcs.org.

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

Blooming Trees, Daylight Savings Time, and Hurrah for Mitt Romney

By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Nothing thrills us more this time of year than to see the new crop of blooms on the flowering trees of our area. It’s a sure sign that the weather at least has temporarily shifted a bit, though we also know that another cold snap can kill those blooms quickly.

So sit back and enjoy the flowering these days. It means that pretty soon, our toes won’t be so cold much longer. Hurrah!

We welcome back into the political arena, the former Massachusettes Gov. Mitt Romney, who says he will seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Oren Hatch of Utah.

We remember Mr. Romney as a well-prepared and intelligent candidate for the presidency, and feel the people of Utah will send him to the Senate in 2018. There he will be well qualified to help our country. He’s a Republican, but a smart one who will work hard with both his party, and I suspect, the opposing senators, too.

Mr. Romney is what we need in candidates for any office: well organized, well read, and a thinker. Our country will benefit from his win for the Senate.

Larry Zani reports from Kaiserslauten, Germany, that this year Daylight Saving Time begins in the United States on Sunday, 11 March. However, if you are interested in Europe, or doing business there, you should remember that the European summer time doesn’t start until Sunday, 25 March. During the two weeks, the time zone differences between most of the US and Europe will be one hour less than usual.

One reader, Liz Fehrs, is irked by something she sees all too often: many cars, especially those that are black, grey and white, are the worst offenders, she feels, of driving without headlights at twilight/early evening. “I counted 15 in a three mile stretch,” she says. “It is most dangerous as those three colors in particular are hard to see at this time of day.”

What’s she’s talking about are older cars, since most newer cars have headlights which stay on all the time. So if you are driving an older model black, grey or white car, make sure you switch on your headlines at low light times.

We’ve just marked the President’s Day, a holiday once celebrated as George Washington’s birthday, February 22.

The first president of the United States was born in Westmoreland County, Va. (1732). His favorite foods were mashed sweet potatoes with coconut, string beans with mushrooms, cream of peanut soup, salt cod, and pineapples, we have learned. He lost all of his teeth except for one by – according to second president John Adams – cracking Brazilian nuts between his jaws.

He got dentures made out of a hippopotamus tusk, designed especially to fit over his one remaining real tooth. But the hippo dentures were constantly rubbing against that real tooth so that he was oft\ten in pain. He is said to have used opium to alleviate the pain.

He snored very loudly, and instead of wearing a powdered wig like other fashionable people, he put powder on his own hair, which was naturally a reddish brown. We hate to tell you this, but he was not good at spelling and he had a speech impediment.

George Washington’s inaugural address was the shortest inaugural address in U.S. history: It was only 133 words long and took him just 90 seconds to deliver.

So, he didn’t tarry, either.

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

Gwinnett County Public Library

The award-winning Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) system was formed in 1996 after the dissolution of the Gwinnett-Forsyth Regional Library. For more than 20 years, GCPL has provided resources and services that enrich and inspire our community. The Library has 15 branches that offer free access to computers and Wi-Fi, classes, materials, and programming for people of all ages. In 2016, more than five million items were checked out at GCPL, more than any other library system in Georgia. In 2017, GCPL was recognized as a Top Workplace by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

For more information about Gwinnett County Public Library programs and services, visit www.gwinnettpl.org.
For a list of other underwriters of this forum, go to: Our underwriters.

Perhaps the Religious Leaders Can Help Solve Shooting Problems

Editor, the Forum:

To introduce myself: I’m not an NRA member nor a normal proponent of gun control. My wife and I grew up on farms where rifles and shotguns were available in our homes for a variety of reasons. Members of our family have hunted for sport and to put food on the table for years. They also target shoot with pistols for recreation at the local ranges. With that being said, the statistics you cited about recent school shootings astounded me and are horrific many times over.

We need a rational answer; one that responds to the problem and is not a knee-jerk reaction or a part of the partisan politics that are gripping our nation. If we avoid the polemic, then perhaps we can sell it to the country. This appears to be a problem that will not go away; it is not a drug-related issue that can be easily written off as someone else’s problem.

The bigger question is how do we resolve the problem. I doubt that President Trump has the skill set to develop and manage the solution; I also don’t believe the national press have anywhere near the credentials or capability to resolve the problem. I don’t think Congress or our various state legislatures have the backbone to make this happen without significant steady and guided pressure.

The only bipartisan group that comes to my mind are our collective religious leaders in this country. To my recollection these were the leaders that allowed us to develop the groundswell to manage the changes that were required in our society in the 50s and the 60s. So, in addition to feedback to our representatives to the legislature, perhaps further discussions on our respect Sabbaths are warranted.

Ed Orr, Peachtree Corners

Would Not Now Think of Moving from Adopted Home of Gwinnett

Editor, the Forum:
Regarding Mr. Tapp’s recent comments on two different groups in Gwinnett, I believe there are actually three groups. My husband and I belong to a group not represented in Mr. Tapp’s answer to the survey. Neither of us is a born Gwinnettian, and by some old-time Gwinnettians standards, we are considered newcomers, I arrived in Gwinnett in early 1973, and my husband arrived in 1982.

Feeling crushed by the increasing traffic in Lilburn where we lived, we bought property, built a house, and moved to the Harbins area of Dacula in 2002. Harbins has changed drastically over the past few years, and we are very saddened by that, but we certainly don’t want to see Gwinnett fail!

On the contrary, we want our home county of choice to succeed. One thing that really makes us angry, though, is the second group Mr. Tapp mentioned: the group that moved here so life would better—maybe so they could get a job and find affordable housing for their family—but they want to change Gwinnett to mimic what they had before they moved here. The group we especially do not understand are the people who love the rural feel of our part of Gwinnett, then move onto a wooded lot and commence to take down all the trees. (I will not go into a rant here on all the issues I have with those people, especially developers.)

I moved here from South Georgia, and I missed my home and my family and friends, and for the first year, I would have gone back in a heartbeat; but I never thought of trying to change my new home, which I came to love. Instead, I adapted.

Elizabeth Neace, Dacula

No One Can Solve the Gun Control Issue by Waving a Wand

Editor, the Forum:

Let’s not put all of the blame on the Republicans for failure to pass stricter gun control laws. President Obama had eight years to do something. I don’t believe any gun control laws were passed under him. This is a very complex issue and can’t be solved by the party in control just waving a magic wand.

Mary Upchurch, Atlanta

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

Speaking in Tongues

For more of Bill McLemore’s cartoons, see his page on Facebook.
Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net

10th Annual Debutante Cotillion Ball Coming to Duluth March 3

The Gwinnett Pearls of Service Foundation, Inc. (GPS) and the Upsilon Alpha Omega Chapter (UAO) of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated will host their 10th Biennial Debutante Cotillion and Scholarship Ball on Saturday, March 3 at the Infinite Energy Center at 6 p.m.

Themed “Prelude to a Vision Fair,” the GPS/UAO 10th Biennial Debutante Cotillion and Scholarship Ball is for high school junior and senior girls in the Metro Atlanta area. It is the culmination of more than six months of social, cultural, educational and service-related and bonding activities that reinforce critical self-esteem principles that will last a lifetime.

Andria S. Daniels, UAO president says: “Upsilon Alpha Onega’s Debutante and Cotillion Scholarship Program offers scholarship, educational, and cultural opportunities to young ladies within the state. Over the last ten years, over 200 young ladies have completed our program and gone on to do great things in the community. UAO salutes the 2018 Debutante class and we look forward to a magical night at the Cotillion.”

Georgia Gwinnett’s School of Business Wins National Accreditation

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) has announced today that Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has earned accreditation for its School of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide.

GGC President Stas Preczewski says: “We are extremely pleased that our business program has attained stature among the top five percent of business programs in the world. Earning this accreditation so very early in the history of GGC is a testament to the diligence of our faculty, staff and supportive community to provide an outstanding educational experience from a credentialed business program. Our challenging curriculum affirms our dedication to meeting the highest educational standards, to enhance our academic reputation globally, and to prepare graduates for careers in a global market.”

AACSB Accreditation provides a framework of 15 international standards against which business schools around the world assess the quality of their educational services. These standards ensure continuous improvement and provide focus for schools to deliver on their mission, innovate, and drive impact. AACSB-accredited schools have successfully undergone a rigorous review process conducted by their peers in the business education community, ensuring that they have the resources, credentials, and commitment needed to provide students with a first-rate, future-focused business education.

Duluth’s Railway Museum Honors 152 Volunteers for Hours of Service

The Southeastern Railway Museum has honored more than three dozen volunteers for each giving more than 100 hours of their time in 2017.

In total, the museum’s 152 volunteers gave more than 18,800 hours last year.
During a celebratory dinner at Family Restaurant in Duluth, the museum honored 41 volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award..

Randy Pirkle, the museum’s administrator, says: “Our museum could not operate without volunteers. They work tirelessly to make sure our guests enjoy their time at the museum and learn about the role railroads played in shaping our community. They literally keep the trains running on time.”

The museum’s top volunteers in 2017 were Steve Storey with 1,446 hours, and Leo Schiltgen with 1,483 hours.

Gold honorees were: Bill Bickley, Ken Birmingham, Duncan Carel, Michael Dudley, Andrew Durden, Sue Kelly, Donald Lower, Kurt Lumbatis, Jim Morris, Lallie Morris, Lloyd Neal, Randy Pirkle, John Pollock, Leo Schiltgen and Steve Storey.

Silver honorees were: Bert Chu, Marty Dorfman, Cliff Smith and Paul Whitehouse.

Bronze honorees were: Doug Ballin, Tom Batcha, Paul Charagh, Randy Cofer, James Conery, Jeffrey Darter, Bob East, Leland Ford, Donnie Foster, Kristen Fredriksen, Ken Greenwood, Jackie Hallam, Ruth Hummel, James Kelly, Ryan Kelly, John Kruger, Kevin Ledbetter, John Marbury, Colin Maurer, Jackson Stewart, Stephen Warner and Stuart Wilson.

Duluth Resident Among Finalists for Peachtree Road Race T Shirt

Five Atlanta-area graphic designers, including a Duluth resident, are vying for the chance to be on Atlanta’s hottest summer apparel item.

Atlanta Track Club and the Atlanta Journal Constitution announced the finalists in the AJC Peachtree Road Race T-Shirt contest today. The public will now have a chance to vote on their favorite design by visiting ajc.com/peachtree. Voting is open through March 26.

The winning art will appear on the coveted finisher shirts received by 60,000 runners and walkers at the finish line of the 49th AJC Peachtree Road Race.

This year’s finalists are:

Michael Martinez, Austell;
Bart Sasso, Atlanta;
Cheryl Totty, Duluth;
Russ Vann, Atlanta; and
Margo Weitzel, Smyrna.
Read more here.

Celebrate! By Alma Kennedy Bowen

“Before 1890, the Northeast Georgia mountains were largely covered with virgin forest. But soon, northern industrialists bought up for pennies the timber rights and land, and with a vengeance, clear-cut these mountains, reaping vast benefits for themselves while creating major erosion of the mountain’s topsoil. It’s taken more than 100 years for these forests to recover, and today the area is threatened again by timber interests. In this short novel, Alma Bowen of Gainesville brings to life these times, centered around what was once a giant sawmill town of Helen. The timber barons brought in the strength of the railroads deep into these woods to carve into the hills and harvest the timber. The author weaves into this book the story of the hard-scrabble people of North Georgia and brings them to the modern day in this insightful book. To know north Georgia is to know this history.” (The full title is Celebrate! A History of the Northeast Georgia Forest and Its People.”) It is available at Amazon. —eeb

Large Chestnut Trees Once Dominated Forest of the Georgia Mountains

Forest removal in the Georgia mountains began on a small scale with Native Americans and reached its height with large-scale industrial logging in the late 19th and 20th centuries.

This forest was diverse, with such large trees as the American chestnut dominating the canopy or uppermost layer of vegetation. It remained largely in this condition until the removal of the Cherokees in the 1830s and the arrival of gold-hungry Georgians. However, with gold found in north Georgia in such small quantities, settlers turned to the abundant forests for their valuable timber and plant commodities for home consumption, and to the land itself for basic subsistence agriculture.

These early settlers, whose farms were generally about half forested, logged primarily for their own uses, employing such draft animals as oxen and mules. When they did engage in commercial timbering, their logging techniques were for the most part sustainable, leaving the soil in a condition that enabled the forest to reproduce itself and thus not heavily affecting the land. The homesteaders generally practiced single-tree selection, used non-mechanized equipment, and had a knowledge of and respect for the land.

Beginning around 1880, large timber companies composed primarily of northern industrialists flocked to the South to buy tens of thousands of acres at rock-bottom prices. Timber companies bought thousands of acres in north Georgia for a few dollars an acre, mainly from poor mountain farmers who had little education or experience with the cash economy of the industrialists and thus were easily taken advantage of.

The new breed of timber extractors practiced large-scale industrial logging, using heavy machinery and clear-cutting (removing all the forest cover) in large tracts. They pushed railroads into many rugged north Georgia hollows, blasting out hillsides to

gain access to the more remote areas. Across once-pristine mountain streams they built splash dams, log structures that raised the water level enough to back up a large quantity of cut timber. These temporary dams were then exploded in order to wash the timber far downstream in one enormous and instant flood.

These logging techniques, still in use today, stripped almost every mountain watershed and wreaked havoc on mountain wildlife and fisheries. Local economies, once self-sufficient, found themselves in decline; the number of lumber mills in north Georgia dropped drastically between 1909 and 1919. The economic catastrophe was accompanied by a decline in farming and mountain population.

Iron ore mining also contributed heavily to forest removal in northwest Georgia. This activity occurred primarily in the Ridge and Valley region stretching from Dalton to Rome. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, speculators, chiefly northeastern industrialists, mined coal and iron extensively in Dade and Walker counties, and logged the ridges for timber to make charcoal for smelting the iron ore. In 1924 Georgia’s state geologist declared that the stripped landscape had lost its potential, making it a prime candidate for inclusion in the emerging national forest system in the Southeast.

(To be continued)

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