1/25: Trump’s first 2 years; Void McGill left; Our Maginot Line

HOME SHOW COMING: The 22^nd annual North Atlanta Home Show is coming to the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth on the weekend of February 8-10. There will be more than 150 home remodeling experts on hand. For more details, see Upcoming below.

TODAY’S FOCUS: An Assessment of President Trump’s First Two Years in Office

EEB PERSPECTIVE: There’s No One in the South Filling the Void that Ralph McGill Left

ANOTHER VIEW: The USA Essentially Has Its Own Version of The Maginot Line

SPOTLIGHT: United Community Bank

FEEDBACK: Transit Proposal Can Fulfill Promise of Effective Regional System

UPCOMING: 22nd Annual North Atlanta Home Show in Duluth February 8-10

NOTABLE: Chamber Announces That Dan Kaufman Will Retire in Mid-2019

RECOMMENDED: Well of Rage, by Lynn Hesse

GEORGIA TIDBIT: Political Cartoonist Mike Luckovich Has Won Two Pulitzer Prizes

MYSTERY PHOTO: Statues of Two People Beg the Question: Who and Where is This?

CALENDAR: Soap Making Class Coming to Environmental and Heritage Center

An assessment of President Trump’s first two years in office

By Gregg Stopher

PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga.  |  So, here we are, roughly two years into the Trump presidency, with the country (presumably) more divided than ever.

Stopher

As I write this, President Trump has just given his second national television address in as many weeks, this time without an “official” opposition party rebuttal (search “American Gothic memes” for further insight on Ms. Pelosi’s and Mr. Schumer’s response).

The day before the second address, yet another “we have finally got ‘em” story hit the newswires by way of Buzzfeed, the same crew that initially published the (now infamous) dossier that was the initiating point for the FISA court’s approval for the FBI to spy on Carter Page (a low-level Trump staffer). This was nothing more than a back-door entryway into spying on the Trump campaign itself {for those uninitiated readers, this “dossier” (i.e., opposition research) was paid for, I maintain – in order – by a Republican averse to Mr. Trump during the Republican primary; and subsequently Hillary Clinton and the DNC}.

Just this past week, we have learned that FBI Number Four person, Bruce Ohr, whose wife Nellie works as a contractor for the firm (Fusion GPS) involved in funding this “research” (no conflict here – right?), testified (under oath) that Ohr told all of the relevant players in this saga (Comey, McCabe, Page, Strzok, etc.) who had actually funded this entire document.

Furthermore, the man who compiled the document was a known Trump-hater (Christopher Steele) who was subsequently fired by the FBI for violating the terms of his contract (again, no conflict here!). And yet the FISA warrant to spy on Mr. Page was granted anyway (does anyone really believe that the FISA judge was fully informed of these relevant facts?).

It is clear that a fairly large number of us “deplorables” out here in the hinterlands see through all these shenanigans, and we know what is going on (yet remain stunned that these people appear to have gotten away with this stuff…at least for now). Mr. Trump, warts and all, crashed their little (globalist) party, and they – having never seen it coming – have attempted to undermine him at every turn from day one. Meanwhile, the country hums along, racking up win after win after win for the American people.

The border issue is real; physical barriers do work. And the very same Dems who have supported this common-sense solution in the past have done a 180-degree turnabout, as their party lurches to the left. It is so sad that these people have no idea that they are nothing but political pawns, as the Democrat party survives only with a permanent underclass that trades their votes for theoretical benefits that will never allow them to climb the economic ladder and achieve the American dream.

A recession is long overdue, and if one occurs, Trump will certainly get blamed (i.e., all Presidents do). Other than that scenario playing out on a grand scale, our Dem friends better get used to simply angling for 2024.

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

There’s no one in the South filling the void that Ralph McGill left

By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum

JAN. 25, 2019  |  It’s fulfilling and fun to go back and re-read some of what you have read before.

Heading for a doctor’s appointment, and not having a book for the waiting room, at the GwinnettForum office I pulled from the shelf a small book from more than 50 years ago. Its title was “The Fleas Come with the Dog,” by the late editor and publisher of the Atlanta Constitution, Ralph McGill, a giant of a man.

The way McGill addressed his readers in his every-day, front-page column was straight and to the point. He essentially was the conscience of the South as it suffered through its struggles with integration.

Yet McGill was not just writing about this one subject. Yes, he wrote about his home Southland like no other.  But he also was trained to look at the wider picture, in our country, in the world, and in individual’s lives, writing about names you knew and about people you would never hear from again.

McGill

McGill was raised on a Tennessee farm, and schooled at Vanderbilt. He began as a reporter in Nashville on the Banner in 1921, and quickly became its sports editor. He came to Atlanta in 1929 to write features for the Constitution, and soon was its sports editor. By 1938 he was its editor, and before he retired, became its publisher.

He was syndicated in many other newspapers and magazines. There’s no one in the South today in any media with the impact and respect all across the region that McGill had.

McGill was progressive, and told the Southerners sometimes what they did not want to hear. Many hated him, accusing him of being in cahoots with anything they did not like. But even though many complained, they read him, many grudgingly recognizing what was to come. His thoughts helped many Southerners adopt a new attitude.

McGill took on people who wrote him.  One lady wrote: “The South has the finest people in the world; her land will grow every crop in the world. Let those that don’t like it go somewhere else.”

Calling her views the “philosophy of decay,” he said it is like “wearing a new evening gown with a dirty slip showing.”  And he called it dishonest.  He added: “Let us muster the best we have to eliminate the worst we have. Let’s wash the dirty slip under the new dress.”

McGill also had a knack of being where news was made. He traveled quite a bit, in the 30s visiting Cuba, or watching with his wife while Hitler took over Austria. He seemed to gravitate to where news would take place. He talked to Patton and Churchill. Then he gave us his take on it.

Do not forget that McGill was a superb writer. For instance, while in Florida one January day, he saw 10 middle-aged people in two cars from North Dakota fascinated with the ocean pounding the beach:

“White-capped rollers were breaking far out from the beach. The gathering ground swells seem to rise enormously before they, too, broke out their white crests and crashed against the sands, rolling along in a smothering turbulence that hissed and muttered over the sands in progress and in retreat.”

We don’t have the likes of Ralph McGill today, (or even an editorial philosophy in the Atlanta newspapers). While we have more media than ever, we have few universal clear-voices sounding the call, pushing us to think creatively in wider limits, and doing what is right.

Ralph McGill, 1898-1969: we miss you so.

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

The USA essentially has its own version of the Maginot Line

By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga.  |  My paternal grandparents and father were citizens of France before World War II. Fortunately, they had little faith in the Maginot Line and departed France for the USA in October, 1938.

The Maginot Line was a concrete and steel wall (as well as other fortifications) that France constructed along its northeastern border to keep out the Germans. Many insightful Frenchmen opposed the wall, including De Gaulle, who thought the money could be much better spent in other ways. A wise person once said: “If we build a 20-foot wall, someone will build a 21-foot ladder to go over it.”

Nationalistic French politicians, however, stated that the outrageously expensive wall would permanently keep the Germans (and their Army) out. They purposefully scared the French public, saying those opposing it were weak and unpatriotic. So eventually the wall was built to the exclusion of other more cost-effective remedies.

In May 1940, the invading German Army simply went around the wall. The German Air Force just went over it. Within a month, the Germans were in Paris and the French surrendered in their worst military defeat in history.

Does this scenario sound vaguely familiar? It should.

The above is not to say that no walls should be built anywhere, ever. However, walls should not be constructed with blinders on, playing to a screaming base while ignoring reality.

America must have a well thought out, comprehensive overall strategy for dealing with legal and illegal immigration. It must be long term, bi-partisan and realistic, along the lines of what George W. Bush proposed decades ago.

Most importantly, immigration policy must not be a political football used to incite people to take the law into their own hands. A prime example is the recent incident at the Lincoln Memorial where racist Kentucky high school students (many wearing MAGA hats) chanting “Build that wall, build that wall” berated and harassed an elderly Native American war veteran. (Editor’s note: there are at least three versions of this story of native Americans and the school kids.—eeb)

If it were not so frightening, this situation would be humorous. It amounts to privileged white boys from a private school essentially telling a Native American that people like him should not be entering their own country.

Realize that these kids did not just come up with this ridiculous attitude on their own. Their parents, who watch Fox News where this foolishness is encouraged, helped form these immigration views

Of course, the chief provocateur is our President, son of an immigrant.  He is married to an immigrant who, solely due to his wealth and connections, was able to get her citizenship (and her folks as well). That hypocrisy will be the subject of a future column.

• 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 sponsors of this forum, click here.

Transit proposal can fulfill promise of effective regional system

Editor, the Forum:

Hurrah for the transit proposal!

It sounds like a good proposal that will deal with the concerns of the past.  It’ll be good for all of us as it begins to fulfill the promise of an effective regional transit system that can become more accessible to us in Gwinnett. And, it’s about time; perhaps we’ll live to see it. Hopefully, it will pass.

— Ed Orr, Peachtree Corners

Call all members of Congress to protest government shutdown

Editor, the Forum:

In response to “Republicans write your Senators, etc, etc.”  I wanted to remind everyone that there are two parties involved in this so-called standoff.

The Democrats have refused to discuss a solution or to offer any compromise that includes what the President (and a high percentage of the American population ) wants in order  to stem what some view as a compromising of our borders and the need for immigration reform.  In the past Democrats have said  they want to talk but they don’t want to talk about  any solution that might look favorable to the President.

In my opinion both parties are derelict in their fiscal/political  duties and every citizen, whether Republican or Democrat ,should  not only write their representatives in both Houses of Congress but should call them on the phone.  Many of you have connections to members of Congress . Why not call their office whether, Republican or Democrat, and ask that the standstill be resolved?

— John Moore, Duluth

We’re watching history unfold for Europe amid Brexit talks

Editor, the Forum:

The story begins as the second world war was ending and the western leaders wanted to form a true European market.  The idea was to avoid future wars and stabilize the recovery throughout the free countries of the west, leading to the beginning and evolution of the European Union.

It has grown to control more than many want.  Many of its members feel it has changed the identity of their nations.  Brexit is a result of a well-organized group of people in the United Kingdom who want to take back control of their economy, their culture, and their national identity.   Some were the left behind as Brussels made choices that made them obsolete.

To leave, Brussels has demands, if the UK wants to do business with the EU members.  the UK would not have the freedom to make trade deals with other countries like the United States on its own.  The border with Ulster must be open, and there would be a major multibillion dollar tag just for the privilege. This was defeated 2 to 1 in Parliament.   Surrender rarely gets support in Parliament.

Prime Minister Teresa May has a Plan B.   Is there a deal Parliament and Brussels can both accept?  I doubt it.  The self-described “brilliant ” see the huge European mainland only a few miles away, and see no way for the UK to survive without it.  The Brexit side wants a UK controlling its own destiny.

History is being determined over there.  The direction and role of this once major player will be determined over the next few weeks.   The media over there makes ours look honest.

— Byron Gilbert, Duluth

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

22nd annual North Atlanta Home Show in Duluth Feb. 8-10

More than 150 home remodeling experts will gather together at the Infinite Energy Center February 8-10, for the 22nd Annual North Atlanta Home Show.  The three-day Show at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth will include expert speakers, buyer discounts and product demonstrations, and is presented by Marketplace Events, North America’s largest producer of consumer home shows.

For the first time, Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke, founders of the global lifestyle brand Madcap Cottage, will be featured at the Show.  They will speak Friday, February 8 at 2 and 4 p.m., and Saturday, February 9 at 2 and 5 p.m. on the Main Stage.  General admission is $8 at the Box Office or $6 in advance online at www.NorthAtlantaHomeShow.com.

On Saturday, February 9, guests will be able to enjoy live radio broadcasts WSB 95.5 FM and AM750. Walter Reeves will broadcast “The Lawn & Garden Show”, Dave Baker will broadcast “The Home Fix-It Show” and Belinda Skelton will broadcast “Atlanta Living”, all from the North Atlanta Home Show.

Friday, February 8 is both “Trade Day” sponsored by PMCPros, and “Hero Day.”  On Friday only, anyone who works in the home industry will receive free admission to the Show, simply by showing his or her business card at the Show’s main entrance.  First responders, military veterans, fire fighters and police officers will also receive free admission with ID.  Marketplace Events is also offering free admission throughout the Show to Federal Government employees with ID.

The North Atlanta Home Show will be open from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Friday, February 8, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 9 and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 10.  Children age 12 and under and adults age 65 and older (with I.D.) are admitted free.

Chamber announces Kaufman will retire in mid-2019

Effective June 30, Dr. Daniel Kaufman will retire as president and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber. He joined the Chamber in July 2013 and has been a staunch advocate for regional strategic initiatives resulting in a more competitive economy and an enhanced quality of life in Gwinnett County and the metropolitan Atlanta region.

Kaufman

As Gwinnett County continues to grow, so does the Gwinnett Chamber and its reach. Over the past six years, Dr. Kaufman has been at the helm of many great accomplishments, including:

A significant expansion of the Gwinnett Chamber’s engagement with its regional partnerships.

Gwinnett Young Professionals, a re-invigorated leadership program for young executives who are just beginning their careers.

• The introduction of Gwinnett Chamber’s Small Business Resources initiative, an array of resources, activities, and programs designed specifically to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses.
• Continued outreach to such programs as the Gwinnett Leadership Organization for Women and ongoing relationship with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
• The continued implementation of Partnership Gwinnett, a public-private community and economic development initiative of the Gwinnett Chamber.
• A successful capital campaign to improve the Gwinnett Chamber’s facilities, raising more than $800,000 in its first 18 months toward a $2 million, five-year goal.
• A strategic partnership with Norsan Group to establish Frankie’s the Steakhouse in the Chamber building..
• Continued support for vital community development initiatives including the successful eSPLOST referendum to fund Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2016 and the successful general obligational bond referendum to fund two new high schools in the county and technology upgrades in every school.

Prior to assuming his duties at the Chamber, Dr. Kaufman was the founding president of Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC). Before serving as president of Georgia Gwinnett College, Dr. Kaufman was a brigadier general in the U.S. Army, serving as Dean of the Academic Board and Chief Academic Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point. A native of Brunswick, Ga., his plans are to continue to live in Gwinnett County.

Brrrrrrrrr! With cold weather here, check out these saving tips

When frigid temperatures linger, energy use typically increases as heating systems work harder and longer to keep homes and businesses warm. Jackson EMC offers tips on how to manage energy costs during cold winter months.

Historically, Northeast Georgia continues to see freezing temperatures through February and March. To save money, Jackson EMC recommends you follow these energy efficient tips:

• Nearly half of the electricity used at home goes to condition the air inside. To reduce cost, the HVAC unit needs to run less.
• Set your thermostat to 68 degrees.
• For homes with heat pumps, nighttime setbacks and frequent thermostat changes will increase energy costs and are not recommended. Programmable and smart thermostats designed for heat pumps allow setbacks without increasing operating costs.
• Check and/or replace air filters every 1-2 months. Dirty or clogged air filters restrict airflow and cause your compressor to work harder, increasing costs.
• Use the fireplace sparingly. It draws your home’s heated air up the chimney.
• Ensure proper airflow to indoor supply and return vents, and around your outdoor unit. Do not block indoor supply and return vents with furniture or other objects.
• Keep the outdoor unit free of leaves, grass, shrubs, snow, or anything else that can block airflow.
• Do full loads when you use clothes washers, dryers and dishwashers.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED lightbulbs, which burn longer and use less energy.

For more money-saving tips, visit http://www.jacksonemc.com/waystosave. \

Well of Rage, by Lynn Hesse

From Marlene Buchanan, Snellville:  Well of Rage is a gripping book that kept me reading. This was the author’s (Lynn Hesse of Stone Mountain, a retired Dekalb police officer)) first endeavor at writing. She does it very well with authenticity, humor and tension. It was the first place winner of the 2017 unpublished fiction contest and Public Safety Writers Association. This is one of the best cop stories I have read. A Mobile, Ala. police recruit gets caught in the cross hairs of a recently discovered skeleton, which brings families, agency loyalties and old grudge-bearing white  supremacists together.   Love a strong woman character?  There are several in this book, but it is Officer Carly Redmond who is the anchor.  Dealing with her own personal demons, Carly must learn to survive in a hostile environment, develop friends fast in a new city, and solve a cold-case murder to bring justice to a grieving mother.

• 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

Political cartoonist Luckovich has won two Pulitzer Prizes

Pulitzer Prize–winner Mike Luckovich, a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist, uses his offbeat wit and deft drawing skills to skewer politicians and comment on world events in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His provocative visual satires have amused and enraged both Democrats and Republicans.

Michael Edward Luckovich was born on January 28, 1960, to Marilyn Westwood and John Luckovich in Seattle, Wash. His family moved often, and he learned that drawing caricatures of his new teachers proved an effective ploy in making friends, even if his creativity was not necessarily appreciated by his subjects.

He was inspired by the cartoons in Mad magazine, especially those of Mort Zucker, who was known for his caricatures of celebrities. During high school Luckovich discovered the work of political cartoonists Jeff MacNelly, Pat Oliphant, and Mike Peters. At age 14, he drew his first pointedly political cartoon to amuse his grandmother: a sketch of U.S. President Richard Nixon. He has been poking presidents and other celebrities with his pen ever since.

Luckovich graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington in 1982 and then sold insurance door-to-door for a couple of years while trying to break into his unusual brand of journalism. (Only an estimated 90 artists earn a living as editorial cartoonists in the United States.)

Luckovich finally landed a job at the Greenville (S.C.) News before moving on to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Newsweek began publishing his work in the mid-1980s, and in 1989 he joined the staff of the Atlanta Constitution, where he is known for his congeniality.

Luckovich’s roll-with-the-punches attitude is all the more unusual because, unlike other cartoonists, he does not sketch rough drafts in pencil. He works only in ink, right up until deadline. “I use a lot of Wite-Out,” he says.

In 1994 Luckovich received the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and in 1995 he won the Pulitzer Prize for 20 different cartoons covering a variety of issues. In 2006 he won a second Pulitzer for cartoons that addressed various topics, from Hurricane Katrina to the Iraq War (2003-11). One cartoon features the names of the first 2,000 American soldiers killed in the war, arranged to form the word, “WHY?”

According to Luckovich, one of the highlights of his career was riding on Air Force One with U.S. president Bill Clinton in September 1996. He asked the president to draw a self-portrait, which Clinton gamely provided. “I understood why he was trying to keep his day job,” Luckovich says.

Luckovich and his wife, Margo, have four children: John, Lucy, Mickey, and Michaela.

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

Statues of two people beg the question: Who and where is this?

Today the Mystery Photo is that of a statue, man and woman. Note the period dress of the pair. That might help you determine who and where this is. Send your ideas to elliottt@brack.net and include your hometown.

The mystery for the last edition provided quite difficult for many, with the Ferris wheel in the background making several think the photograph was taken in London. It was sent in by Chuck Paul of Norcross.

Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill was the first right answer: “ OK, this one was a doozy, but I’m going to guess Budapest. I took four things into consideration: the structure of the Ferris wheel; the cathedral beyond it’ the fact that there appears to be a Thomas Cook office below and there is a modern building to the side. My first reaction was the wheel in Jardin des Tuileries in Paris because it has the wide spokes and apparently three pods between each spoke. There are loads of Thomas Cook offices in the area, but I couldn’t find a cathedral nearby (and this doesn’t look like the Sacre Coeur). So, based on the fact that I think that is St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest in the background and that the Ferris wheel in Erzsebet Square has wide spokes and two or three pods between each spoke, I’m guessing Budapest.”

Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.: Today’s mystery photo is of the upscale St. Andrea Wine and Skybar in Budapest, Hungary. The photo was taken facing north-east towards the Budapest Eye Ferris wheel in Erzsébet Square and St. Stephen’s Basilica, both of which are visible in the photo.  Opened in 2017 and located just off the banks of Danube river, St. Andrea Wine and Skybar is a gourmet cocktail bar that towers over Vörösmarty Square in the heart of the city. It is definitely an upscale hangout, where the target audience can enjoy the high life enhanced with sophisticated entertainment, gourmet experiences, and far-reaching vistas.”

George Graf of Palmyra, Va. also recognized the photograph. “This was a tough one !The new Ferris Wheel opened on Erzsébet Square in mid-March 2017 and it will operate throughout the year. It looks different than the previous Eye and the 42 partially open cabins are simpler. Still, if you aren’t scared of height a ride the new wheel will dazzle you with the fantastic view. With its 65 meters height, this is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe offering awesome view from the top. Only the Basilica, which you can admire during a ride, is higher.”

Free Nature Photography Workshop at the Gwinnett Public Library’s Five Forks branch, 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road in Lawrenceville, on January 26, at 2 p.m. Join the Georgia Nature Photographers Association for this informal talk and Q&A nature photography workshop.  They will provide information about cameras, editing software, and tips for getting better photographs with the equipment you already have.

STATE OF DULUTH: Mayor Nancy Harris will provide her unique view on the state of the City on Monday, January 28 at 7 p.m. at the Red Clay Music Foundry. Seats will be on a first-come, first seated basis. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and take the place of the city’s regular work session. Come to hear of the accomplishments of 2018 and what Duluth will anticipate in 2019.

Beginning Soap-making will be January 29 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, Classroom 32, 2020 Clean Water Drive, Buford. Create your own soap. For ages and 10 and older. Cost: $10 per person. Preregister online at https://secure.rec1.com/GA/gwinnett-county-parks-recreation/catalog.

Georgia Business Breakfast of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce will be Thursday, January 31, at 8 a.m. at Improve USA, 6945 Button Gwinnett Drive in Doraville. Speaking will be Jesse Morado of Remodeling Business Systems, Inc. Cost is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. To register, go to: http://www.laccgeorgia.org/events/details/business-breakfast-january-92.

STATE OF LAWRENCEVILLE will be the topic for the city’s mayor, Judy Jordan Johnson, to present on Monday, February 4 at the City Hall at 7  p.m. Those attending will hear the mayor’s view on what will take place in the city in 2019, and the successes of 2018. Updates will be given on the anticipated expanded arts complex, the College Corridor, new public utility facility, two way street conversion, and other plans.

CHOCOLATE WALK and fun strolling in downtown Braselton, Saturday, February 9, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The fifth annual Chocolate Walk treats you while you shop. Tickets are $10, and have sold quickly in the past. For details, visit this site.

QUR’AN EXHIBITION, exploring women’s empowerment, is scheduled for the Five Forks Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library on February 10 from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m. The purpose of this exhibition is twofold. First is to eliminate the misconceptions about the Qur’an and second is to highlight the peaceful message of Islam. Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be available to answer questions about Islam.

LILBURN POLICE ADADEMY is accepting applications for its 13 week course. Registration deadline is February 15. Preference is given to Lilburn residents or to someone working in Lilburn. The minimum age is 21. For more information, go to https://www.cityoflilburn.com/281/Citizens-Police-Academy.

State of the County Annual Report will be February 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the Infinite Energy Center. Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash will review 2018 achievements and present the vision for 2019 and beyond.

ANNUAL PLANT SALE, from the University of Georgia Extension Service, runs through March 6. Plant experts are offering a host of fruit shrubs and trees. Purchasers must pick up their prepaid order on March 14 at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. No orders are shipped. For order forms or for more information, visit www.ugaextension.org/gwinnett, or call 678-377-4010.

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