DEBT REPAYMENT: The Lilburn Community Improvement District (LCID) Monday presented a $71,500 check for repayment of loans by the Lilburn Community Partnership to help form the LCID…..seven years ago. Executive Director Emory Morsberger, left, presented the check to the partnership, with former Lilburn Mayors Diana Preston and Jack Bolon present. Morsberger says: “These past mayors bet on the ability of local property owners to organize and improve the area — and everyone won big. They had incredible vision! And now the LCID has sights set on an even brighter and more prosperous future,” he adds. Each year for the past seven years, the LCID has cleaned up more than 15 miles of CID-maintained roadway, removed almost 5,000 pounds of trash, applied 3,200 gallons of weed control and mowed and maintained the landscaping along Lilburn’s roadways, plus made numerous road improvements on streets within the district.
IN THIS EDITIONTODAY’S FOCUS: Johns Creek Symphony Announces Upcoming Season of Music
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Candidate Suggests That Insurance Be Required of All Gun Owners
ANOTHER VIEW: New York Primary Victory by Oscasio-Cortez Is Inspirational
SPOTLIGHT: United Community Bank
UPCOMING: Re-Scheduled “What Floats Your Boat” is July 14 at Rogers Bridge Park
NOTABLE: Snellville Police Officer Seizes Largest Ecstasy Haul in USA in 2017
RECOMMENDED: Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate
GEORGIA TIDBIT: More Astrology Telescopes in Georgia Than You Might Think
MYSTERY PHOTO: Venerable Old Sanctuary Is This Edition’s Mystery Photo
CALENDAR: Free Family Fun Day at McDaniel Farm Park on July 14
TODAY’S FOCUSJohns Creek Symphony announces upcoming season of music
Photo credit © Ben Weitz
By Linda Brill
Executive director, Johns Creek Symphony
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. | The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra announced its 2018-2019 season, which will open with a free concert on October 6 at the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater at Newtown Park.
Now in its 12th season, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra is metro Atlanta’s only fully-professional, part-time symphonic orchestra, made up of professional musicians from all over the greater metro Atlanta area. The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Founder and Music Director J. Wayne Baughman, provides musical enrichment for the community of Johns Creek through a three-concert series of performances, as well as additional educational programs and special events each year.
Board President Craig Carter says: “The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra season subscription is an excellent arts and entertainment value right here in North Fulton, without the hassle and expense of traveling elsewhere. As a Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra subscriber, you receive your tickets at 20 percent off our adult and senior single ticket prices and 50 percent off student single ticket prices. These tickets are a seat to professionally-performed classical music at the JCSO’s very best price available.”
The balance of the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra’s 2018-2019 season will all be at the Johns Creek United Methodist Church, 11190 Medlock Bridge Road. The balance of the season is as follows:
MAESTRO AND FRIENDS, Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Johns Creek United Methodist Church, presented by Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Don’t miss an evening of chamber music, featuring Dvorak’s Quintet Op. 77 and Mendelssohn’s Octet, Op.20, featuring JCSO musicians and Maestro Baughman as emcee.
CHRISTMAS GALA HOLIDAY POPS: Saturday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Johns Creek United Methodist Church. The whole family will enjoy this celebration of the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! This concert features the Johns Creek Chorale, sing-alongs, and special guests in a Johns Creek holiday tradition.
AN EVENING OF FRENCH MUSIC: Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. Feel the power and the beauty of the magnificent Johns Creek United Methodist Church’s organ, rescued from the devastation of NYC’s Ground Zero. This magnificent instrument will take center stage in Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, Timpani, and Strings, performed by organist Jeremy Rush. Also on the program is Maurice Duruflé’s hauntingly beautiful Requiem, in which we feature the Johns Creek Chorale.
TICKET PRICING: For the three-concert subscription, the price is $77 for adults; $65 for seniors; and $24 for students. Individual Concert Tickets (On-sale date: August 15) are $32 for adults; $27 for seniors; and $16 for students. For tickets, call (678) 748-5802 or visit www.johnscreeksymphony.org.
Thanks to our 2018-2019 season sponsors, who include besides Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Appen Media Group, Renasant Bank, Fulton County Arts and Culture and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
JCSO musicians are among the finest instrumentalists in America, with an average of 16 years experience in professional orchestras. Most of the members have graduate degrees or artist diplomas in performing arts from the leading institutions of higher learning in the US, and many have received additional training in Berlin, London, Rome, Salzburg, Vienna and other leading European music centers. The members of the JCSO are committed to providing its audiences with the highest caliber of symphonic music possible.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Candidate suggests that insurance be required of all gun owners
By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
JULY 13, 2018 | Many of the 78 candidates GwinnettForum has interviewed so far this year in our offices have been asked the question, “What can be done about school shootings?”
So far, we’ve heard no overall innovative solution. Mostly, the candidates are as perplexed as most people are on how to stop these horrible incidents.
A common theme we’ve heard is that our nation must do something to identify people who show signs of problems, so that we can give them some help. Yet time and time again, our nation has found that this plan has not worked. Perhaps authorities, teachers and even those close to disturbed students are too lenient on identifying these problem people. So far no easily-recognized and accepted overall workable solution has come to the fore.
What is so frustrating is that some suggestions on controlling these shootings seem to work, but then are not acceptable to some groups because they violate on one or another of our long-cherished American freedoms. So, it gets shot down!
It’s interesting that there are more of these random mass school shootings in the United States than anywhere else in the world. And yes, some of these may come about because people in the United States have all these freedoms, such as gun ownership, which many other countries do not have, and therefore, don’t have all this gun violence.
Australia by legislation has freed itself from fatal mass shootings. Germany, Finland and Scotland have new policies that have curbed shootings, having no school shootings in the last decade.
One candidate we’ve talked to came up with a distinctive idea about school shootings. His idea would be that every gun owner be required by government decree to have gun insurance, similar to auto insurance being required.
This would allow private enterprise insurance companies to enter the picture. Granted, that might not solve the school shooter problem, but if that gun was used in a shooting, the private owner’s gun insurance would kick in and at least compensate the victim(s) of the shooting.
You might think the National Rifle Association (NRA) would not get on board with this idea. However, if gun ownership insurance was required by our governments, you can bet that the NRA would be the first to draw up such insurance plans, and find a profit in selling these plans to its members. In reality, if such talks became serious, even before any legislation was approved, we suspect the NRA would be working on such a plan, and time the law was implemented, the NRA would start hawking their insurance plan.
While other current Georgia candidates we’ve talked with have themselves little to offer in this area, perhaps this single suggestion of gun owner’s private insurance might be a trial balloon for candidates for the office of State Insurance Commissioner. Such an idea would allow the candidates to perfect such a plan for presentation as their contribution to the mass school shooting solution. That would be a major contribution by the candidates for insurance commissioner that might be welcomed by other states as one way to help at least the victims of mass shootings.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
New York primary victory by Oscasio-Cortez is inspirational
By George Wilson, contributing columnist
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. | The many victories by forward looking Democrats recently is yet another sign that candidates who run progressive, grassroots campaigns are not only winning the battle of ideas, they are winning elections.
In the Democratic primary after primary across this country, candidates are running and winning while supporting ideas like Medicare for all, a $15/hour living wage, progressive taxation, free tuition at public colleges and universities, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and promoting racial, social and environmental justice. We can add to this list measures for real gun safety and federally guaranteed jobs.
Their messages were clear and appealed to voters looking for something other than a sellout to special interests and oligarchs. The entire South needs a good shot of these types of candidates.
If voters really want the swamp drained, they should check out Alexandria Oscasio-Cortez’s advertisement on YouTube. This 28 year old woman defeated an old line incumbent Democrat in the New York primary and is a real inspiration for people seeking real change in this country. Finally, she was outspent 10 to 1 which made her victory even more impressive, proving once again that ideas are often better than big money in the voter’s mind.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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UPCOMINGRe-scheduled What Floats Your Boat is July 14 at Rogers Bridge Park
Whether you want to tube down the Chattahoochee River or just hang out at a local park while enjoying live music, yard games, and food, Whatever Floats Your Boat has something for everyone! It’s scheduled on July 14 (rescheduled from June 2) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rogers Bridge Park on the river.
This event is presented by 10 Dollar Tubing and the City of Duluth. Admission to this event is free but tubes, rafts, kayaks, and standup paddle boards will be available to rent. You may also choose to bring your own. There will be food trucks, live music and games for some added fun.
All event participants on the river are REQUIRED to wear a life jacket, no matter the age. For more information,visit: https://www.duluthga.net/community/2what_s_happening/upcoming_events/whatever_floats_your_boat.php.
Aunt and niece art work now on exhibit at Snellville City Hall
Meenach
James
The work of an aunt and her niece is now on display in the Snellville City Hall Community Room. The works of Kim Meenach and her niece, Megan James, can be viewed free from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through the summer.
Meenach says she discovered the artistry and beauty of photography in 2008, on a winter trip to Alaska. Prior to that, she didn’t have a professional camera and would just grab a disposable point-and-shoot from the drugstore. However, her father told her, “You can’t go to Alaska and take pictures with a disposable camera!” and so he gave Meenach her first digital camera for Christmas, right before the Alaska trip Meenach lives in Lawrenceville with her rescue greyhound named Promise.
Megan James says it was her imagination that led her to begin to create art. “Being able to bring my ideas to life with a pen or pencil brought me such joy. Over time I began to experiment with different mediums and tried to see how far I could push my creation off the page and onto something bigger and better,” she says. “I’ve dabbled with acrylics, oils, sculpting figures from clay, stuffed animals and handmade purses. But, I always came back to pencil and paper.” One of her passions is illustrating children’s books.
NOTABLESnellville police officer seizes largest ecstasy haul in USA in 2017
From left, Chief Roy Whitehead and officer Brett Chism.
Snellville Police Officer Brett Chism was honored at a recent City Council meeting for winning a national award after making the largest seizure of MDMA in the country last year. (MDMA is Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as Ecstasy.”)
The National Criminal Enforcement Association recognized Chism for making the largest seizure of MDMA in the country in 2017. The organization provides training and networking opportunities for its 7,000-plus international members in aggressive criminal patrol and “looking beyond the ticket.”
Chief Roy Whitehead says: “Brett is dedicated, energetic and driven as he serves and protects our city. He deserves to be honored for this effort as well as for what he does every day. His actions have brought tremendous recognition to our city and our department. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
At about 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2017, Chism stopped a car for an equipment violation on East Main Street. The driver and passenger exhibited several indicators leading Chism to believe they were involved in criminal activity. He asked the driver for consent to search the car, but he refused. A K-9, on the scene, conducted a free air sniff of the car giving a positive indication for the odor of narcotics.
Chism searched the car finding 45,000 MDMA pills, marijuana and two handguns (one stolen). He arrested both occupants and between them charged them with trafficking ecstasy, possession of marijuana, possession of drug-related objects, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and theft by receiving for the stolen handgun.
Chism attended the National Criminal Enforcement Association National Conference in Denver for additional training and to receive this well-deserved recognition. The NCEA was founded in memory of Capt. Robbie Bishop of the Villa Rica Police Department who was killed in the line of duty.
RECOMMENDEDBefore We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate
Reviewed by Karen Harris, Stone Mountain | This is the story of Rill Foss and her family, who live a magical life on a Mississippi River shanty boat, the Arcadia. It is also the story of Avery Stafford, born into privilege in Aiken, S.C. Decades pass before the lives of Ross and her family merge with Avery’s family, rectifying the evil perpetrated upon Rill Foss and her family by the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in the late 1930s. Rill’s father takes their mother to the hospital to have her baby, leaving the children unprotected. Scattered like leaves in the wind, the Foss children have a different fates, but the same pain, the destruction of their family. Privileged Avery Stafford is led through this mystery to find the answers to questions long unexplored with rich blessings the bittersweet reward. This is a heartbreaking but ultimately a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
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
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBITMore astronomy telescopes in Georgia than you might think
(From previous edition)
Several universities in Georgia maintain observatories with research-grade telescopes. At Agnes Scott College in Decatur, students in undergraduate astrophysics use a 30-inch Cassegrain telescope, which was purchased in 1947 and upgraded in 1998. Included in the college’s Bradley Observatory is a radio telescope and a number of smaller telescopes.
Hard Labor Creek Observatory (HLCO), located in Rutledge’s Hard Labor Creek Park, opened in 1986 to house a 16-inch Boller and Chivens telescope for GSU. The observatory also houses a 16-inch Meade telescope and a one-meter Multiple Telescope (MTT) instrument. The largest astronomical telescope in the Southeast, the MTT is used for astronomical spectroscopy. Although HLCO has become home for several professional astronomers from GSU, it also offers a public viewing program.
During the 1990s the Georgia Institute of Technology Research Corporation obtained two refurbished 30-meter antennae (built by AT&T), located in Woodbury, for the purpose of joining the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project with Greenbank Observatory in West Virginia. The antennae were abandoned in 2000, only to be purchased by a farmer for agricultural purposes.
The Coca-Cola Space Science Center at Columbus State University in Columbus opened in 1996, and students from around the world were invited to design proposals for studying the sun. Winning students and schools were awarded time on the remote-controlled 16-inch solar observing telescope in the center’s Mead Observatory.
Young Harris College Observatory, dedicated in 2002, houses a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to teach undergraduates, and North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega uses a 16-inch Boller and Chivens reflecting telescope for the same purpose.
Mark Smith Planetarium at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon houses 10- and 14-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, as well as a 17-inch Dobsonian for public observations. The Fernbank Observatory, part of the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, which has offered astronomy education to the public since its 1967 opening, houses a 36-inch Cassegrain reflector, one of the largest telescopes ever dedicated to public viewing.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Venerable old sanctuary is this edition’s Mystery Photo
Yes, this is an older church, and all we want is for you to identify its location. Try to sniff this one out, and when you do, send your answers to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown address.
Jim Savedelis of Duluth got the river right, the Elbe, but had the town wrong. This is at the historic Bastei site looking down to the Elbe and the little town below is the river port of Rathen. The photo was sent in by George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. sends in more information: “Today’s mystery photo was taken from the ‘Bastei Viewpoint’, just outside of the Saxon Switzerland National Park, approximately 15-miles south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany and about 8-miles north-west of the border with the Czech Republic. The river seen on the right is the Elbe River and the craggy peaks in the left of the photo are part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. The area is popular with Dresden locals and international climbers.”
CALENDAR
Family Fun Day at the historic McDaniel Farm, 3251 McDaniel Road, Duluth. On July 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p. m., step back in time at McDaniel Farm and enjoy a tour of the farm and Archie’s Garden. This is a special Bicentennial event, and there will be food concessions, vendors, demonstrations, crafts, hay rides, and farm animals. Visit the playground, pavilion, and dog park while enjoying the natural beauty and historic heritage of four generations of the McDaniel family. There is no charge for this event.
SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP will be Saturday, July 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Lilburn Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. Learn the fundamentals of starting a business, and test your business idea. Identify the key factors that influence start-up success. Learn financial realities, success factors, business plan elements, and more. This workshop is free and open to the public. Registration is required at www.atlanta.score.org. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
The state of the City of Peachtree Corners address will be on July 19 at the City Hall. The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) will be hosting the state of the city reception, which begins at 5 p.m. in the Community Chest room, with the state of the city address by Mayor Mike Mason at 7 p.m. The PCBA will announce news about its August charity event. The reception will be a catered event including food and beverages. Gwinnett Medical Center is the sponsor for this event.
WORKSHOP: The Evolution of Data Security will be held July 19 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Peachtree Corners City Hall, 310 Technology Parkway, by the Partnership Gwinnett Technology Forum. Ed Pimental, chairman of AgileCo Labs, will be speaking. Learn about steps banks are taking to reduce fraudulent activity, what e-commerce is expected to continue to grow, and how block chain technology supports the industry. The cost is $10. Register at http://web.gwinnettchamber.org/events/Partnership-Gwinnett-Technology-Forum-2612/details.
MANUSCRIPT WORKSHOP, Saturday, July 21 at 1 p.m. at the Lilburn Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. In partnership with the Atlanta Writers Club, the Library will host Emily Murdock Baker for this Writers’ Workshop. Writing a query letter has been known to strike fear into the heart of even an experienced writer. Emily Murdock Baker will decode the querying process and provide a special focus on choosing the correct comp (comparative/competitive titles) for your manuscript. She will discuss best practices for querying, deciding which agencies to query, understanding guidelines, how to write your query letter, and more. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.
Business Breakfast of Georgia Association of Latino Elected officials, July 26 at 8 a.m. at the LACC office, 4120 Presidential Parkway, Atlanta. Speaker will be Jerry Gonzalez, executive director, with the topic “The Latino Vote in Georgia.” To register, go to http://www.laccgeorgia.org/events/details/business-breakfast-the-latino-vote-in-georgia-80.
Free Photography Workshop at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, 2020 Clean Water Drive in Buford on July 28 from 1 to 3 p.m.. Join the Georgia Nature Photographers Association for this informal talk and Q&A photography workshop. They will provide information about cameras, editing software, and tips for getting better photographs with the equipment you already have.
Wine, Walk, Shop and Sip in downtown Braselton on Thursday, August 2. This first such event will have check in between 4-6 p.m, followed by sipping stations open until 9 p.m. Only 100 tickets will be sold at $35 per person, upon proper ID check. Ticket holders get a wine cup, wrist band, punch card with map and tasting and food bite at each station. For more details, email apinnell@braselton.net.
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