GwinnettForum | Number 19.66 | Nov. 19, 2019
JACKSON EMC DELEGATES to the 2019 Washington Youth Tour enjoy a beautiful day on the National Mall. From left are Ahema Gaisie of Dacula, Alyssa Ramos of Braselton, Alex Campo of Flowery Branch, and Katelyn Sheridan of Suwanee. It’s time for students to apply for the 2020 Youth Tour. See Notable below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Excitement for a 14 Year Old Wearing Converse High Tops
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Time to Eat Crow and Apologize for Error on Loganville Election
ANOTHER VIEW: Considerations for President Trump with the Senior Voters
SPOTLIGHT: Renasant Bank
FEEDBACK: The People Chose a Certain Rock; But Do They Still Feel Well?
UPCOMING: Gwinnett Continuing To Benefit From Top Financial Ratings
NOTABLE: Jackson EMC Accepting Apps for 2020 Washington Youth Tour
RECOMMENDED: Movie: The Beautiful Fantastic
GEORGIA TIDBIT: “Piano Red” Perryman Also Performed As “Dr. Feelgood”
MYSTERY PHOTO: This Traditional Shipyard Mystery Has Many Interesting Facets
LAGNIAPPE: Another Good Guesser Who Gets the Mystery Photos
CALENDAR: Pop-Up Lilburn Farmers Market will be Saturday, November 23
Excitement for a 14-year-old wearing new Converse high tops
By David Simmons
NORCROSS, Ga. | I was at LA Fitness recently, doing my weekly Monday workout. In between sets on the various machines, instead of standing around waiting for my heart rate to return to normal, I always walk it off. I take a lap around the outside of the room then mosey on up to the next machine.
Simmons
Today I ran into a blast from the past. There was a guy wearing a pair of the classic Converse Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoes. I went over to him and commented on his fine footwear. And in my mind that took me back to 1969-70. Chuck Taylor high top shoes were the official shoes of the Greenfield (Ind.) Central High School basketball teams.
I had a love/hate relationship with my Converse high tops. You see, the school provided us with a brand new pair at the beginning of practice before the basketball season started. And I was as proud as could be just to be on the team, in the great state of Indiana, where high school basketball reigns supreme, much less be given a free pair of the greatest basketball shoes of all time.
It was the circumstances that caused my love/hate relationship. Basketball practice started before the football season was over, so the guys not playing football had a head start on us guys that were finishing out the football season.
That’s where my conundrum came about. Basketball season started on the first school day that came about after our last football game. So, bruised and battered from the weekend before, we showed up eager to start basketball, and lace up those bright, shiny, new Chuck Taylors. So, after months of well- broken in cleats, running around on the soft and forgiving turf of the football field, quite abruptly it was the squeak and squawk of brand new shoes on the indoor court. We were making the sudden stops and starts, cuts and direction changes that basketball requires. Not to mention the laps, and the line drills, and the end to end sprints.
So, agony began. Even with the two pairs of brand new cotton socks as a cushion, after a two hour practice session my feet became the land of blisters. I had a big round one right on the back of the heel, often a nice big one right on the front of the arch on the bottom of my feet, and sundry random ones on the toes. What with the excitement of the first day of practice, it really didn’t bother me much during that first day. But man-oh-man, after about a week, it was pain. Finally, when the shoes were broken in, the blisters hardened and healed.
As I look back, an older and wiser me, I think, why in the world didn’t they give us the shoes a week or so in advance so we could break them in? It seems so logical. But since that was not the case, why wasn’t I smart enough to leave those new shoes in my locker? Why not wear my old shoes at practice? I could have shown off those new Converses during the school day for a day or two until I could break them in.
But I was a 14-year-old with a new toy and excitement and exuberance and overruled my brain and logic. I can understand doing it the first time, but the second year you would think I would know better. I didn’t. But I do now.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Time to eat crow, apologize for error on Loganville election
By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
NOV. 19, 2019 | Every so often in the news business, you find it’s time to eat crow.
Today is such a day for me.
Last Friday we fouled on reporting the results of the Loganville election. Going to the Internet, we posted the results of the 2017 election, thinking we had the 2019 election. We simply did not read the small print correctly, and gave the wrong information.
We first learned that something was amiss when a regular reader from Loganville, Bob Hanson, called. He had read our report on the election in Loganville, and had voted early. “I don’t remember seeing the name of Mike Jones on the ballot,” he said. “Nor did I see that we were voting on the mayor.”
That set in motion an investigation. It ended up when we asked City Manager Danny Roberts to send us the results of the 2019 election. And when we got it from Elections Superintendent Kristi Ash, we immediately realize that we had picked up the results on the city’s web site for the 2017 election.
So to rectify that bad information, here are the correct results of the 2019 voting in Loganville.
For Council in 2019, the results shows that of the total of 751 votes:
- Bill Duvall, 465 votes (62%);
- Jay Boland, 419 votes (56%);
- Linda A. Dodd, 367 (49%) votes;
- Femi Oduwold, 344 (46%) votes; and
- Misty Cox, 287 (38%) votes.
We had also reported the 2017 results for Mayor, where Rey Martinez won. However with Loganville having four year terms, there was no election for mayor this year.
Note, too: the overall direction of last week’s column with the incorrect votes was to show that Loganville has a unique way of electing office-holders. Their method is to have everyone run in one race, and whoever gets the most votes for the number of seats that are open are declared the winners.
Other cities in Gwinnett require that the winning candidate must have a majority of the votes to be declared the winner. Hence, three cities in Gwinnett, Norcross, Snellville and Braselton, will have a runoff on December 3 to determine the final make-up of the City Councils.
In the Loganville vote this year, two of the three winning candidates had a majority, while the third winner, Linda Dodd, was elected, even with no majority, but 49 percent of the votes, and therefore was declared the third winner of the seats available. So, Loganville got a new council without having a runoff, though one candidate did not have a full majority.
That’s a long -inded explanation of why we’re eating crow this week. Thanks, Bob Hanson, for first calling it to our attention. We apologize for our error.
* * * * *
So therefore, if you live by the Internet, you can die by the Internet. Be careful when going to the Internet for anything……..and read completely to make sure what you think you have…..you really have.
We apologize for not paying enough attention to what we saw on the Internet,
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Considerations for President Trump with the senior voters
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | The 2018 election was a clear rebuff for Trump’s policies, although he’s still strong with seniors versus young voters. A key factor in the 2020 election will be the elderly and their priorities.
Based on polls, Democrats have many policies more in line with the majority of the American public, especially the young (women’s rights, for example). But Democrats have had incredibly weak strategies for getting their politicians elected. Hillary Clinton’s failure to campaign in key swing states is a prime example. It also contributes nothing to your electoral success if these younger voters stay home.
The GOP is the opposite, having strong election skills/strategy. For example, going after hard hats in the swing states in 2016 versus wasting time on the coasts. But the GOP platform contains many policies not supported by the average American (i.e. building the $24 billion “wall”).
Per Politico/Morning Consult, at the time of Trump’s inauguration, polling shows his popularity by age cohort ranged from 51 percent (age 18-29) to 60 percent (age 45-54). Since then it has decreased with all groups, including the elderly.
From the high, senior support for Trump has fallen precipitously. Specifically, in the 65+ age group Trump support was at: a. 56 percent right after inauguration; b. 68 percent on July 1, 2018; and c. only 43 percent on June 14, 2019. It may fall even lower as a result of the impeachment effort; we don’t yet know.
Seniors are a key factor in this upcoming 2020 election and must try to look objectively, rather than emotionally, at candidates. This process begins with an analysis of the issues.
Here’s my take. Seniors concerned with many areas, but two stand out: healthcare and financial security.
Seniors should understand that we currently have socialized national health insurance for all those 65 and older. It’s called Medicare, one of the government’s most popular programs. Before the law was passed in the 1960s, conservative politicians like Ronald Reagan described it as socialism taking over healthcare delivery (funny, few say this about the Veteran’s Administration, which really is socialized) and incorrectly say it was unaffordable.
It’s a fact that every other democracy has universal coverage, as well as much heavier government involvement in health insurance, with better outcomes and lower cost. Expanding Medicare to cover all will make the program even more popular here and solidify its financial status by bringing proportionately fewer ill people into the risk pool. That directly helps seniors.
The financial security of many middle- and lower-income seniors depends on having a financially sound Social Security program. The best way to do this long-term is to tax all income, not just wages below $138,000 (the current cut-off). That also means taxing capital dividends and stock earnings at the same rate as wages. Why should well-off people (yours truly included) be taxed at a much lower rate than working people?
Seniors must think about these items before they vote. And, try to take their emotions out of the equation, voting based on facts.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Renasant Bank
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Renasant Bank, which has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Miss. bakery. Since then, we have grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with approximately $12.9 billion in assets, approximately 2,500 associates, and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of our banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people we serve. At Renasant Bank, we understand you because we work and live alongside you every day.
- For more details, go to www.gwinnettchamber.org.
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The people chose a certain rock, but do they still feel well?
Editor, the Forum:
After getting over the shock of a President Trump victory, and reading the news of the day both here and abroad, I have come to the conclusion that Trump was just a rock found laying in the street. The people rose up in a revolution against the status quo of Washington and its many problems and lack of action.
The people looked at the rock; it was covered in spots of lovely colored things maybe some people had no ill feelings for and did not wish to disturb. It was also covered in the repugnant dirt, filth, and stink that would normally discourage anyone from wanting to touch it, but here it lay, the only weapon they had.
The people looked carefully at the one rock, and then looked at their goal of making a dent in our government.
They had to carefully pick up the rock, now a weapon, by not touching the things they cared for and not getting the vileness that was on it, on themselves. Each voter carefully handled the rock and wrestled with their conscience, and let it fly with a mighty heave scoring a direct hit. Each thrower could then sit back and say he had done his best and be relieved of any guilt of the outcome for they had not touched the filth.
Now we are in November 2019. Tell me now voters, are your hands truly clean? Do you sleep well?
— Tom Payne, Gray
Provincialism cripples Great Britain in Brexit conundrum
Editor, the Forum:
I have tried to intuit the mess of Brexit. Half ancestry from the United Kingdom with concentration in the west Midlands, Welsh Marches and the western highlands of Scotland, I have tried to read this issue that is ripping the UK apart. Fear is the driving force behind those on both sides. The UK is divided quite equally causing no happiness with any choice. Imagine the instability this must be causing in every home.
It’s not a singular issue like anti-immigration. Brussels and the European Union are slowly encroaching on the sovereignty of the national parliaments of its members with regulations. Yet the carrot of an open market insures jobs, trade, travel, and talent. Going alone with no relationship is a giant leap of faith that half believe will be into oblivion. The other half sees the opportunity to free the UK from regulating ties to one market and developing trade with the rest of the world.
I am amazed by the provincialism that cripples the country to think bigger. The country is factions ripping at each other to win. Sounds so familiar.
— 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
Gwinnett continuing to benefit from top financial ratings
Gwinnett County’s finances again placed in the top two percent of all U.S. counties after getting the highest possible scores from all three major ratings agencies for the 22nd consecutive year.
Board of Commissioners Chair Charlotte Nash said the ratings are a strong vote of confidence by independent experts that Gwinnett County is well-managed, fiscally strong and a solid investment.
“The rating agencies conduct an intense review of our finances, operations and policies. These stellar ratings are very difficult to achieve,” she said.
The AAA/Aaa ratings came after the County’s Water and Sewerage Authority sought in September to refinance $128.5 million in bonds issued in 2009. They expect to save about $20 million over the life of the bonds.
Financial Services Director Maria Woods said, “These ratings allow us to borrow and refinance at the most favorable rates thanks to smart debt management and financial policies adopted by the Board of Commissioners.”
In its report, Moody’s Investors Service expects “the county’s base will continue to expand given strong permitting activity, recent development announcements, and proximity to Atlanta. This growth will support strong revenue performance which, along with good management and low fixed costs, will lead to continued stability in the county’s financial position.”
Fitch Ratings said its top quality ratings “are supported by the county’s strong revenue and expenditure flexibility, maintenance of healthy reserves, and low long-term liability burden.”
S&P Global praised “Gwinnett County’s strong, diverse, mature, and continually growing economy… demonstrated ability to maintain strong financial performance… low debt burden and manageable pension and other postemployment benefit (OPEB) obligations.”
Lilburn kicks off yule activities with tree lighting Nov. 23
Guests at the City of Lilburn’s upcoming holiday events will have the opportunity to have their picture taken inside a life-sized snow globe or watch Santa Claus as he travels down Main Street in a horse drawn carriage.
The Lilburn Tree Lighting, taking place on Saturday, November 23 at 6 p.m., includes live holiday music, character visits, and a life-sized snow globe photo opportunity.
The Lilburn Middle School Chorus and the Lilburn First Baptist Proclamation Handbell Ensemble are both returning this year to entertain the crowd. Additional entertainment at the event will include the Atlanta Trombone Ensemble, the Lilburn Elementary School Chorus, and the Salem Missionary Baptist Youth Choir. Macaroni Kid Snellville will offer a free kids craft inside Lilburn City Hall-Library while supplies last. After the countdown, guests can take pictures in front of the beautiful 25+ foot tree in front of city hall.
The Lilburn Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 7, will feature floats, classic cars, marching bands, and more. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and residents will line the route as parade participants make their way down Main Street. The City of Lilburn is honored to have the 2018 Gwinnett County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, Heidi Campbell, serving as Grand Marshal for this year’s parade. Ms. Campbell teaches journalism and British literature at Parkview High School. Santa Claus will travel the parade route in a horse drawn carriage. Following the parade, guests are invited to stop by Lilburn City Hall-Library to visit with Santa and take pictures.
Jackson EMC accepting apps for 2020 Washington Youth Tour
Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is accepting applications for the annual Washington Youth Tour, sponsored by the nation’s electric cooperatives. Jackson EMC will send four student delegates on an all-expense paid leadership development experience to Washington, D.C., June 18-25, 2020.
Current high school sophomores and juniors in the Jackson EMC service region who have demonstrated leadership potential, academic success and community service may apply online at jacksonemc.com/wyt or through their high school guidance counselor or teacher, who may nominate candidates for consideration. Applications must be received or postmarked by 5p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, at any Jackson EMC office.
Ten finalists will interview with a panel of business, community and university leaders to be selected as one of Jackson EMC’s four delegates to receive the Washington Youth Tour leadership experience.
The fast-paced, high-energy program is designed to give students a taste of democracy in action, expose them to the nation’s rich history through visits to national monuments and museums, and encourage students to become politically-aware citizens.
Katelyn Sheridan is a senior from North Gwinnett High School and 2019 tour delegate from Jackson EMC. She says: “The Washington Youth Tour gave me the confidence I didn’t know I was missing. It taught me that I have the ability to influence people in my community.”
Ahema Gaisie, a senior at Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology and 2019 tour delegate from Jackson EMC, says: “The Washington Youth Tour enables you to grow as a leader with other motivated young leaders from across Georgia and the nation.”
Two nonprofits get grants from Jackson EMC Foundation
The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total $95,500 in grants during its October meeting, including $20,000 of which benefit organizations serving Gwinnett County. Among the local organizations getting grants were:
$10,000 to Childkind, a non-profit supporting families that care for medically fragile children, to help provide in-home care instructions through its Home Based Services program, preparing parents in Banks, Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties to adequately and successfully care for their child or foster child at home.
$10,000 to Chris 180, (Creativity, Honor, Respect, Integrity and Safety), a Gwinnett Counseling Center, which serves Banks, Gwinnett and Hall counties with a mission to heal children, strengthen families and build community, to support mental health services and trauma counseling for uninsured and underinsured clients in an effort to end the intergenerational cycles of poverty and abuse.
Movie: The Beautiful Fantastic
From Karen Burnette Garner, Robesonia, Penn. | A wonderful treat for the eyes and heart, The Beautiful Fantastic is a film portraying the life of a quiet, obsessive compulsive young writer and her journey beyond her fears into life. Afraid of disorder, of nature, and especially plants, she rents a flat in London which is meticulously arranged within, but a riot of disorder in the garden. Faced with eviction, she is befriended by a grouchy neighbor, a friendly chef, and a quirky inventor, and tackles her fears, one at a time. Her growth and embracing of her life results in a children’s story, a delight. A movie that is beautifully filmed, thoughtfully acted, and will warm your heart. An uplifting tale of what can happen when we open our eyes to the beauty around us. You can see it streaming on Amazon Prime. A sweet clean movie.
- 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
“Piano Red” Perryman also performed as “Dr. Feelgood”
Willie Lee Perryman, who performed during his career as “Piano Red” and as “Dr. Feelgood,” was a self-taught pianist who played in the barrelhouse blues style. (The term barrelhouse was used to describe a loud percussive type of blues piano suitable for noisy bars or taverns.) His performing and recording careers emerged during the period of transition between completely segregated “race music” and “rhythm and blues,” which was marketed to white audiences. Some music historians credit Perryman’s 1950 recording “Rocking With Red” for the popularization of the term rock and roll in Atlanta.
Perryman was born on October 19, 1911, on a farm where his parents, Ada and Henry Perryman, sharecropped near Hampton. Perryman was an albino African American, as was his older brother Rufus, who also had a blues piano career as “Speckled Red.”
When Perryman was six years old, his father gave up farming and moved the family to Atlanta to work in a factory. Not much is known about Perryman’s education or early life, but he recalled that his mother bought a piano for her two albino sons. Both brothers had very poor vision, an effect of their albinism, so neither took formal music lessons, but they developed their barrelhouse style through playing by ear.
Perryman sometimes recalled imitating Rufus’s style after watching him play, but it is doubtful that his brother was a major influence. Rufus, 19 years older than Perryman, left Georgia in 1925 and did not return until a 1960 visit. Another influence that Perryman cited in interviews was Fats Waller, whose records his mother brought home.
By the early 1930s, Perryman was playing at house parties, juke joints, and barrelhouses in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. He developed his percussive playing style and harsh singing style to compensate for the lack of sound systems and to overcome the noise of people talking in venues. He worked these circuits with other Georgia bluesmen, including Barbecue Bob, Charlie Hicks, Curley Weaver, and “Blind Willie” McTell.
Perryman married in the early 1930s, and he and his wife, Flora, had two daughters. He obtained seasonal employment performing in Brevard, N.C. The Brevard job brought him before white audiences; by 1934 he had also begun to play at white clubs in Atlanta. In Atlanta he would play at a white club until midnight and then head over to an African American club, where he would play until 4 a.m. Perryman developed a repertoire of pop standards, which were more popular among the white audiences, while continuing his blues sets in the African American clubs.
Because of the popularity of blues on the radio, recording companies sent agents, looking for talent to sign and record, throughout the South on “field trips” from the 1920s until the mid-1930s. In 1936 W. R. Calaway, a representative for Vocalion Records, recorded Perryman with Blind Willie McTell, the famous 12-string blues guitarist, during a session in Augusta. According to Perryman, these recordings were never released because the wax masters melted in the Georgia heat. Perryman recalled that Calaway was familiar with Rufus’s career, and knowing that Rufus’s nickname was Speckled Red, he suggested that Perryman record as “Piano Red.”
Perryman’s first marriage ended in divorce, and in 1941 he married Carrie Lou Bailey; their marriage lasted until her death in 1979. He took a job at a furniture factory, assisting upholsterers and also cleaning up. Later, Perryman learned to upholster for himself, and he maintained this job as a way of supporting his family throughout the rest of the 1940s.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
This traditional shipyard mystery has interesting facets
This beautiful scene cannot be found in many places. Tells us the subject of this photograph, and what it signifies, as well as identifying where it is. Send your answer to elliott@brack.net and be sure to include your hometown.
Frank Sharp of Lawrenceville shot the most recent Mystery Photo, when in Copenhagen. Several people recognized it, among them Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: “This is Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark. Here you see Asian architecture and Scandinavian people in a place with an Italian name.
Tivoli Gardens is the second oldest amusement park in the world. (The oldest is Bakken, also in Denmark.) It was named after the Jardin di Tivoli in Paris which was named after the Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Italy, just east of Rome. The old world charm of this 20-acre amusement park supposedly inspired Hans Christian Andersen to write his fairytale, Nightingale, after visiting the park one day. It also inspired Walt Disney who visited a number of times to study it.”
Also recognizing the picture was Mitzi Hull of The Villages, Fla.; Tom Merkel, Berkeley Lake; Hoyt Tuggle, Buford; Jim Savedelis, Duluth; Lou Camerio, Lilburn: “This is Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. First opened August 15th, 1843. This makes it the second oldest amusement park in the world. It is also the second most popular ‘seasonal’ park in the world.”
George Graf, Palmyra, Va. writes: “Our son Mike was a 10th grade exchange student to Denmark back in the 1980s. He had a girlfriend at school there. A couple years after high school, they were married and he moved there permanently to the northern Jutland. Now, three grandkids later he and his family have enjoyed the benefits of socialism like year-long maternity and three-month paternity paid leave, free university for the kids, free medical and paid retirement in mid-60’s. This is not to mention his 35 hour work week and six weeks vacation from the first day on the job. Of course it is not free since the Danish government absconds with a huge chunk of his paycheck and everything there costs an arm and a leg. Anyway, while stationed in Germany I got to visit the grandkids a number of times while they were growing up. Mike and I had a long visit to Copenhagen one time but we skipped Tivoli in favor of the Carlsberg Brewery and Museum. When Walt Disney visited Tivoli in 1951, he spent hours jotting down notes about everything from the rides to the food to the lush gardens. He later said he wanted Disneyland to emulate the ‘happy, unbuttoned atmosphere of fun’ he witnessed at Tivoli.”
Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.: “Today’s mystery photo is of the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the second oldest operating amusement park in the world, second only to Dyrehavsbakken (or Bakken), which opened 436 years ago in 1583 and which coincidentally is only seven-miles north of Tivoli Gardens.
“Tivoli Gardens receives over 4.6 million visitors each year, and has a total of 25 attractions, including four roller coasters and two water rides. In the mystery photo is a roller coast called the Dæmonen (The Demon) which was opened in 2004 and features two loops and a zero-G roll all during the ride time of just one minute and forty six seconds.
“The second dominan t feature to the right in the mystery photo is Det Japanske Tårn (The Japanese Tower). Currently housing the Letz Sushi restaurant, the tower was built in 1900 and was designed to light up Tivoli Gardens in the evening and to reflect beautifully in the Tivoli Lake. The tower is 80-feet high, and is divided into four stories, of which the bottom two are open to the public. The tower and its extensions are lit up by 2,800 colorful, low energy LED Tivoli bulbs.
“Finally, I am pretty confident in stating that today’s mystery photo was submitted by Frank Sharp of Lawrenceville, since the Tivoli Gardens are less than one-mile away from Nyhavn Harbor, a photo of which was submitted by Sharp and featured in the Oct 29, 2019 edition of the GwinnettForum.”
Who are these good guessers who get the Mystery Photos?
Over the last few years, several individuals around the country stand out as experts in answering the mystery photo in each issue of GwinnettForum. “Just who are these people?” several readers have asked us.
To shed a little light on that question, we asked consistent spotters who recognize the mysteries to tell us something about themselves, in about 150 words. We’ll run one in each upcoming issue.
McBrayer
Today’s Mystery Spotter is Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill. She writes:
“Susan McBrayer moved to Gwinnett County about nine years ago from Decatur, where she had lived for many years. A native of North Carolina, Susan was a newspaper reporter and photographer there for two decades, but today her greatest passion is spending many happy hours as an ongoing student at Emory University. She is also the organizer of the Buford Book Club and the Gwinnett Classic Lit Book Club.
“This Scottish descendant is a history buff and has been an amateur genealogist for 40 years. She loves to travel and went to college in England before graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Lenoir, N.C. She also loves a good mystery and worked as a private investigator before beginning her second career as a media specialist in Buckhead. A life-long Democrat, Susan has worked for a U.S. Senator and a Congressman in Washington, DC. She is also a member of WaterMoon Refuge in Atlanta.”
Hear Dr. Michael Gunther talk about pineapples and pumpkins, to ideas about liberty and government. This will be at the Collins Hill Branch library on Tuesday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Gunther is Assistant Professor of History at Georgia Gwinnett College . He will tell you many surprising ways that our original Americans have helped to develop and enrich our country.
Pop-Up Lilburn Farmers Market will be Saturday, November 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1400 Killian Hill Road. This market will be filled with locally grown and produced foods and gift items. Come and reconnect with your favorite vendors from the summer market. Expect smoked salmon/trout, jams/jellies, pickles, spice blends, cakes, cookies, pies, breads, bath and body, prepared foods, fresh eggs, wool balls, nuts, popcorn – just to tempt your taste buds. Stock up with special treats that will impress your holiday guests! For more information, go to lilburnfarmersmarket.org.
32nd Annual Gwinnett Christmas Tree Lighting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28 at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse in downtown Lawrenceville. The 28 foot Norway Spruce comes from the North Carolina mountains and is erected on the courthouse grounds for the holiday season.
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