THE JOY ON THE FACE of Laura Bono of Knight Elementary School getting her very own new dictionary tells a big story. Third Graders in the Lilburn schools each got a dictionary, thanks to the Lilburn Woman’s Club, an affiliate of the Georgia Federation of Woman’s Clubs. For more details of this event, see Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Resist Email Scams by Simply Deleting That “Important Message”
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Remembering Some Fascinating Journeys in Different Modes
SPOTLIGHT: Lail Family Dentistry
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
UPCOMING: Lawrenceville Branch of Peach State Credit Union Schedules Ceremony
NOTABLE: Dictionaries for Third Graders Is Project of Lilburn Woman’s Club
RECOMMENDED: Political Tribes, Group Instincts and the Fate of Nations by Amy Chua
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Inside Passage Dictates Oglethorpe’s Southern Flank Strategy
MYSTERY PHOTO: Here’s Another Lighthouse Asking You for Its Whereabouts
CALENDAR: Art on the Chattahoochee Coming Soon in Peachtree Corners
Resist email scams by simply deleting that “important message”
By Raleigh Perry
BUFORD, Ga. | There are a lot of email programs on the Internet. You might have to look at yours seriously to figure out what I will bring up today.
Perry
There are as many email scams as there are Robocall scams. Most often they will appear in your JUNK or TRASH file, but that does not mean you should not look into those files to see what is there. Some of the things that end up in those files are completely legit and you might want to look into them.
Most frequently emails that I get come, supposedly, from FEDEX, UPS, or the Postal Service. They can also come in from banks and might seem other important. BE CAREFUL!
When you click on these emails, for instance, from the USPS, it will tell you that they have a message for you. These sites look official. They have the USPS logo on them and the message might say: “Delivery problems notification.” That is followed by something like this: “More information.” That, in turn, is followed by a notation that says “Sign in and get started!” Of course you don’t have a password so the next line says “Forgot your password? Reset it here.” In both of those instances there is a place to click. JUST DO NOT CLICK! Forget this email. They are only after your money.
Other messages you may get are similar. If it is UPS, it looks official. If it is FEDEX, it has their logo. All these messages appear to be from that firm’s official site. But the scammers have only cloned the site. It’s not from that firm at all! You have to be diligent to realize it.
Regarding FEDEX, UPS, and the Postal Service and others……have enough sense to merely delete the email from your computers. Do not even click on the indication that you have an email in your junk file, just delete it.
The fake messages coming from banks are a bit more ominous. The probabilities are that they are not from any bank that you use at all. The message may be from one of the banks that you use. Move it to your junk file. Many of these want personal information from you that they say needs to be updated. Never give such to any email! Or else you will feel a hole in your pocket.
The bank you use probably has more information on you than they really need. They keep it updated on their own. They are not going to send you an inquisitive email. So far, I have gotten them from Bank of America, Citi Bank, Wells Fargo and a few other large banks. If you get one from the bank that you do business with, do not give them information over the internet. Instead call them up to talk to a local representative from a phone number you have, not one listed on the email.
As wonderful as the Internet is, there are crooked people trying to use it to get into your own money. You must be wary of any such probe, by simply resisting what they want you to do.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Remembering some fascinating journeys in different modes
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
APRIL 19, 2019 | Any trip can be great fun. We’ve had some unusual ones.
Years ago, a friend offered a trip—for two—on the Goodyear Blimp, in Atlanta for a promotion. He said: “Just two seats, leaving at 2 p.m. Sunday.” That caused a problem in our five member family. Pulling straws, our youngest won the second seat available.
We arrived at DeKalb Peachtree Airport…..and began waiting for the other five people for the seats of the trip. Finally, at 2:30, the pilots gave up on the others, and we lifted off.
Soon we were perhaps 2,000 feet high, flying toward downtown Atlanta. Eventually the pilot set the engines so that with the headwinds, we just hung there motionless in the sky—helpful we suspect when televising from the air.
Asking where we lived, the pilot turned the dirigible and headed toward Norcross. Soon we were over Edwin Howard’s house in Doraville, and there was the late Rachel Howard around their swimming pool with her children, waving at us.
We continued to Norcross, finding our house among the trees. Then we were over the Chattahoochee River, turned at what is today Peachtree Corners and headed back to the airport. It was a fun 30 minute blimp ride for the two of us.
ANOTHER FRIEND, from Lufthansa, the German airline, called: “Want to ride in a German three engine Junkers airplane?” Yes we did! Leaving from Peachtree-DeKalb airport, this one-time pride of the Lufthansa fleet was a primitive airplane. The frame was covered in corrugated tin. Two rows of single seats were buckets, with little padding. But the tri-motor lifted us gently into the air. There were about a dozen passengers—its capacity—flying to Jacksonville, Fla., as the airplane was touring the USA in a promotion for Lufthansa.
At about 3,000 feet, it was easy to see much familiar Georgia territory, especially around and south of Macon. We flew very close to where I was born. The flight took about 2.5 hours at about 125 mph. After landing in Jacksonville, Fla., Lufthansa soon had me on Delta and back to Atlanta.
USNS Darby
ANOTHER MEMORABLE TRIP: when in the Army, aboard the USNS General William O. Darby, transporting my wife and me to Germany to start military tour. I had a two-year commitment in the Army, but signing on for another year, my wife could travel with me. We had a small stateroom, while a big contingent of soldiers were billeted below. The Army kept me busy checking on troops during the day. In some rolling seas at one time, we both felt a little puny. It took seven days from New York to Bremerhaven.
HERE ARE THREE memorable railroad trips:
- The three mile trip on a cog railway to the top of Mount Washington, N.H., at 6,168 feet the highest peak in the northeast. This is a three hour round trip, at a speed of 2.8 mph on the 25 percent grade.
- The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This is a journey through the southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The trip is only 48 miles one way, but takes 67 minutes, as the train huffs and puffs along continually curving tracks through gorgeous country.
- The trans-Canada journey from Vancouver, to Toronto. It’s a four day trip, and the first two days are beautiful and distinctive. The last two let you see little more than rocks, trees and lakes….all boring.
How about it: what special trips do you remember?
MY APOLOGIES: Got a name wrong last week. It was Sandy Moore of Loganville who told us the name of the Snowball Tree. Pardon us, Sandy! She’s with Parks and Recreation for Gwinnett County. You can never tell what your mind will do to you!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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Lawrenceville branch of Peach State Credit Union schedules ceremony
Peach State Federal Credit Union will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of its new branch in Lawrenceville on Monday, April 22 at 11 a.m. The new building is located at 40 East Pike Street.
This full service branch location featuring state of the art teller pods officially opened in January 2019. The ribbon cutting celebrates the completion of the branch construction and the credit union’s new home in downtown Lawrenceville.
The credit union’s original downtown Lawrenceville branch on North Clayton Street was purchased by the Lawrenceville Downtown Development Authority in early 2017. This location will make room for a new Lawrenceville Performing Arts Center, with a 500 seat auditorium and a cabaret theatre.
Snellville Police Department plans Drug Take Back Day on April 27
The Snellville Police Department (SPD) is hosting a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day April 27.
The event, which allows residents to drop off unwanted or expired prescription drugs, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the police department, 2315 Wisteria Drive. Residents can pull up to the police department and hand off the drugs from their vehicle.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency sponsors the event twice a year. The SPD partners with PCOM School of Pharmacy at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine during the event. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day allows police to foster relationships with future pharmacists that will work in the community and educate citizens in the proper disposal of prescription medication.
Medical Center presents “Strollin’ 4 the Colon” on April 27
Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) and Sugarloaf Mills invite you to join the first-ever Strollin’ 4 the Colon event on Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 a.m.
Participants will learn more about colorectal cancer while also getting to tour a giant inflatable colon, visit local vendors and enjoy photo ops with favorite mascots such as “Chopper” from the Gwinnett Stripers, “Maximus D. Lion” from the Atlanta Gladiators, and “Knights” from Atlanta’s Medieval Times’ dinner theater.
There will also be a cancer survivor ceremony followed by a celebratory stroll around the mall to learn more about symptoms and prevention of colorectal cancer. The family-friendly event will be hosted at Sugarloaf Mills, 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway. Lawrenceville.
Registration is $25 for participants, $20 for cancer survivors. This includes a T-shirt and medal. All proceeds from this event will benefit local cancer patients at Gwinnett Medical Center. Register online or on the day of the event beginning at 7 a.m. To register and for full details, visit http://www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/stroll.
Gwinnett Stripers Youth Baseball Camp will be July 16-17
The 2019 Gwinnett Stripers Youth Baseball Camp, offering anyone ages 7-14 the opportunity to learn the game from the future stars of the Atlanta Braves, will take place from July 16-17 at Coolray Field. The Stripers are accepting registrations now through June 28.
For $125 per participant, the Youth Baseball Camp features hands-on instruction from Gwinnett Stripers players and coaches from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on both Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17. Participants will also receive a camp t-shirt, lunch on both days, an opportunity for player autographs and pictures following the final day of camp, and two Field Box tickets for the Stripers’ home game on July 17 at 7:05 p.m. vs. Lehigh Valley.
- A registration form can be found online at GoStripers.com/youth-camp. Registration is open until June 28, but parents and guardians are encouraged to register participants early, as space is limited. For more information on the 2019 Gwinnett Stripers Youth Baseball Camp, contact Jerry Pennington at jerry.pennington@braves.com.
Dictionaries for third graders is project of Lilburn Woman’s Club
The Lilburn Woman’s Club community improvement project for 2019 will put dictionaries in the hands of 1,415 third graders in public schools in Lilburn.
The (LWC) Education Committee challenged themselves and the community to meet the goal of providing every third grader attending a Lilburn public elementary school with an age appropriate dictionary. Why third grade? Professional educators have determined that third grade is when children begin transitioning from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”
Organizations cooperating with the LWC in the dictionary project includes the Lilburn Business Association, Lilburn Lions Club, Evergreen Senior Club and Sweetwater Masonic Lodge No. 421. Each group agreed to sponsor a different school. Individual LWC club members also made personal donations to support the project.
When the CEO of The Dictionary Project, Mary French, learned of the LWC community challenge, she agreed to show their support by donating dozens of cases of books to help achieve their goal. The dictionaries are child-friendly, with more than 35,000 entries, parts of speech, punctuation and pronunciation with dictionary guides. They also include a 150 page reference section containing information about the solar system, international flags, U.S. presidents, The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, sign language instructions, Braille and much more.
The Dictionary Project, founded in 1995, is a charitable organization headquartered in Charleston, S.C., whose goal was to provide a personal copy of a dictionary to every third grade students in the South Carolina school system. It has now grown into a national organization.
Sugar Hill preservation group offers scholarship based on research
The Sugar Hill Historic Preservation Society is now accepting applications for the organization’s first continuing education scholarship.
The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one Sugar Hill student who will be attending college or technical school as a freshman or sophomore during the Fall of 2019. The applicants are asked to write an essay discussing the social progression of the area between the city’s early days and today. Applicants are encouraged to research and interview Sugar Hill natives, founding families, and veterans to gain insight on life in early Sugar Hill.
The Preservation Society members hope that this scholarship opportunity will encourage students to discover and foster a love of community and history. Council Member Brandon Hembree, who was instrumental in the founding of the Society, says: “Sugar Hill’s unique history and strong sense of community set it apart from other places in Gwinnett County. This is a great opportunity for rising college students to earn scholarship funds, but also rediscover and share Sugar Hill’s past.”
Chris Walker, the Society’s chairman, invites students to dive deep into the community’s history. He notes: “I love calling Sugar Hill home…it has changed a lot since I first moved here, but one thing it has kept is its strong sense of community. We have so much more to learn about Sugar Hill, our best resources are those that lived here before us.”
- Applications are due July 1, 2019. For more information or to apply, visit https://cityofsugarhill.com/shhpscholarship/.
Political Tribes, Group Instincts and the Fate of Nations by Amy Chua
From Therin Scott, Lawrenceville: We all know human beings are tribal. And we’ve learned that tribalism has implications for international as well as domestic public policy. But who knew, before Amy Chua’s book, our ignorance of a small but economically powerful ethnic Chinese population, hated by the Vietnamese, were a contributing factor to our loss in Vietnam? Our inattention to ethnic tribes also contributed to our problems in Iraq, Afghanistan and even Venezuela. Domestically, political tribalism has led to a vitriolic culture. Chua describes how the actions on both sides contributes to this. She ends with this suggestion; “… we all need to elevate ourselves, we need to find a way to talk to each other if we’re to have any chance of bridging divides. We need to allow ourselves to see our tribal adversaries as fellow Americans engaged in a common enterprise.” She provides examples of people doing exactly this.
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
Inside Passage dictates Oglethorpe’s Southern flank strategy
Sincere though General James Oglethorpe may have been about Georgia’s philanthropic rhetoric, he understood that the colony also had a vital military mission to fulfill. Imperial strategy demanded a sturdy settlement to defend South Carolina’s southern flank, both against Spanish Florida and unpredictable Southeastern Indians, and to secure the strategically vital Altamaha River against possible French encroachments from the west.
Oglethorpe took these responsibilities seriously and, as soon as circumstances allowed, began the work of fortifying Georgia’s coastline in earnest. The decisions he made, for better or worse, shaped the colony’s early history and had much to do with its final southern border.
The establishment of Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island, near the mouth of the Altamaha River, in 1736 marked the beginning of Oglethorpe’s defensive scheme. His thinking was influenced heavily by Georgia’s maritime geography, which consists of an uninterrupted series of barrier islands running along the coast. They form a natural water route, known as the Inland Passage, which offers protection from the unpredictable weather and harsh conditions of the open sea.
Long used by Indians traveling in canoes, the calmer waters of the Inland Passage quickly became the preferred route for Europeans as well. Oglethorpe therefore placed his coastal fortifications at key locations on these barrier islands in order to monitor and control access to the Inland Passage. On the southern end of St. Simons Island, for instance, he built Fort St. Simon to defend against enemy ships seeking to slip in from the open sea between St. Simons and Jekyll islands.
The inlet between Jekyll and Cumberland islands, just southward, was guarded from 1736 until 1742 by a fortress erected on the northern end of Cumberland, named Fort St. Andrews. Still farther south, the inlet between Cumberland and Amelia islands was guarded by a small “scout station” until 1740, when Fort William was constructed on the southern tip of Cumberland Island.
Oglethorpe attempted to extend his coastal defenses well south of Georgia’s official boundary, stipulated in the colonial charter as “the most southern stream” of the Altamaha River. In 1736 he even began construction of a fort on St. Georges Island at the mouth of the St. Johns River, barely 35 miles from the Spanish stronghold of St. Augustine, Fla. Spanish anger over this intrusion ultimately forced the abandonment of Fort St. George, but Oglethorpe continued pressing to expand southward.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Here’s another lighthouse asking you for its whereabouts
Why our readers send us many photographs of lighthouses is beyond us. Of course, they are dramatic and often beautiful, and we enjoy getting them. So today the Mystery Photo is of another lighthouse. Tell us its name and where it’s located. Send your answer to elliott@brack.net, and be sure to include your hometown. We rate this as an “easy” Mystery.
However, last week’s Mystery Photo proved to be most difficult, for all except for George Graf of Palmyra, Va. (Even Allan Peel threw up his hands on this one!) Cindy Evans of Duluth contributed the photo, which George recognized as “A suspension bridge overlooking historic Banning Mills, in Georgia. Historic Banning Mills is located in Georgia’s only hidden gorge on the Snake Creek in Carroll County. Originally, the area was home to the Native American Creek and Cherokee nations who farmed and hunted along the rich and fertile Chattahoochee River area.”
George adds: “In 1846, a manufacturing community, built by the Bowen brothers, opened on Snake Creek. During the Civil War, federal troops were ordered to find and burn the mills. Upon finding the mills in the Snake Creek Gorge, the equipment had already been shipped to South Carolina in hopes of saving the machinery. Since the mills were found in ‘non-working’ condition, they were not burned. Confirmed by Georgia Tech, Banning is considered to be the birthplace of the modern paper industry. By 1895, the town contained up to ten mills, including two pulp mills, a paper mill, a grist mill and a sawmill. Banning was one of the first towns in Georgia to produce its own electricity – well before Atlanta. Documented diary and journal entries talk about day-long horse and buggy rides from Atlanta to watch the lights come on at Banning.”
Suwanee’s “Glow in the Park” and Community Lantern Parade and concert returns Saturday, April 20. Suwanee invites everyone to get lit in Town Center at the community lantern parade! Suwanee’s Glow in the Park will feature a strolling jazz band leading an illuminated pageant of light, music, and color around, ending with a concert starring Electric Avenue. Prizes will be awarded for the best glow looks and costumes. Activities begin with lantern making at 5 p.m., with the music on stage at 5:45 p.m. The parade is at 8:15 p.m.
Art on the Chattahoochee Art Market will be April 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Join us at Jones Bridge Park in Peachtree Corners . There will be arts and crafts, food vendors, live entertainment, kids’ activities, a chalk art contest, egg hunts, and photos with the Easter Bunny. For all ages. For more information, call 678-277-0920.
Sugar Hill Health Fair will be April 25 at the E Center gymnasium from 2 until 5 p.m. The fair will bring together health service providers to share information, answer questions, and provide free health screenings. This is a free event. For information, visit www.cityofsugarhill.com/healthfair.
The inaugural Downtown Lilburn Lil’ Crawl will be April 27. Participants will make three walkable stops for food and/or drink at 1910 Public House, Agavero Parkside, and Hope Springs Distillery from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The event culminates with a concert at 7:30 p.m. at Music On Main Street featuring classic rock band “Those Meddling Kids.” For tickets, click here.
In honor of National Arbor Day, Lilburn will hold a Tree Walk on Saturday, April 27. Professionals will lead attendees on a guided tour through Lilburn City Park and Camp Creek Greenway, identifying and discussing native trees. This free event is open to all ages. Guests may register in advance or at the event.
Multicultural Festival will be on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shorty Howell Park, 2750 Pleasant Hill Road, in Duluth. . Explore other cultures and learn about all the different services provided by your county government. Families can see exhibits and cultural performances from other countries, meet police officers, and enjoy kids’ activities such as bounce houses, sports clinics, a dunk tank, and more. Kids can collect stamps in their festival passports and earn a prize while supplies last. For more information, call 770-513-5119.
Photo Exhibit of Australia and New Zealand by Roving Photographer Frank Sharp is now on display through April 30 at the Tucker Library, 5234 LaVista Road. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This library is closed on Sunday.
Community Garden beds for rent in Lilburn. Now accepting applications for a year’s rental, until next March 31. Rates are $40 for a 4×8 foot bed, or $60 for a 4×12 foot bed. An Easy Access bed is $20. For more information, go to http://www.lilburncommunitygarden.org/garden-bed-rentals-and-sponsorships.html.
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