Articles by: Elliott Brack
BRACK: Check out the 100-year-old bungalow restored in Norcross
By Elliott Brack | A 1917 Norcross bungalow got a new owner nearly 100 years after it was built, and has been beautifully remodeled by Johnny Day. This Thrasher Street house was built by William McElroy, who ran a coal business in the area. He is an ancestor of S.T. McElroy, who ran a lumber company in Norcross.
BRACK: C’mon, Lawrenceville, don’t develop Crogan-Clayton corner
By Elliott Brack | The City of Lawrenceville may be on the verge of defaming a facility of which they should be most proud. This county seat government has before it what is described as a “feeler proposal” to develop a sliver of land next to the now-just-about-completed Cultural Arts Center at the intersection of Clayton and Crogan Streets. A sign on the property indicates both businesses and condos are being considered, with the location potentially to be called “The Winn, East Crogan Street Lofts.” The property measures 70 x 300 feet.
Hayes auto dealership in Lawrenceville marks 50 years in business
By Elliott Brack Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum MARCH 12, 2021 | A Lawrenceville auto dealer is marking its 50th anniversary this month. Hayes Chrysler-Dodge began operations on Scenic Highway in 1971. Today the Hayes Automotive Group operates another dealership in Gainesville and two more in Baldwin, selling Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles. It’s a fourth […]
BRACK: Pay the Gwinnett County commission chair a higher salary
By Elliott Brack | Over the years, GwinnettForum has championed a more adequate salary for the chairman of the Gwinnett County Commission. One of our Continuing Objectives for Gwinnett County, published in each issue, is: “21st century salary for the Gwinnett County Commission members.” For several reasons, which we have never understood, the county has failed to act on this objective over the last few years.
BRACK: Extremes in local weather; Why your mail arrived later
By Elliott Brack | Georgia and Atlanta have experienced relatively warm temperatures this winter. Lucky for us, we didn’t see the extreme low temperatures that hit Texas during January.
While we prefer the warmer climes, we always like to see a fairly low, below freezing, day or two in order to kill the unwanted insects around the yard. But extreme lows haven’t hit Atlanta this year.
Gwinnett Forum | Nov. 26, 2024
“Bureaucrats write memoranda both because they appear to be busy when they are writing and because the memos, once written, immediately become proof that they were busy.”
— Editor-in-chief of the Washington Monthly Charles Peters (1926-2023).
Continuing objectives
Gwinnett Forum publisher Elliott Brack suggests that Gwinnett County needs a long-range list of continuing objectives for improving the county. His list:
- Move statewide non-partisan judge and school board elections to the General Election.
- Adoption of the 2023 Transit Plan for Gwinnett.
- More creative efforts to support the arts in Gwinnett.
- Advancement and expansion of city historical societies.
- Require establishments that serve alcoholic beverages to halt sales of such products at 1 a.m., and close by 2 a.m.
- Require the Georgia Legislature to meet only once every two years.
- 21st century salary for the Gwinnett County Commission members.
- Remove chewing gum on sidewalks at entrances of post offices and other governmental buildings.
- Eliminate single-use plastic packaging and straws in Gwinnett and require instead the use of paper products.
- Condos instead of apartments for Gwinnett.
Interested in Gwinnett history?
Now re-printed in its third edition, Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta, the award-winning history of Gwinnett County, is once again available for purchase. It sold out of its first two printings. The book won the 2010 Award of Excellence in Documenting Georgia History from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board. The book is available at Old Town Antiques at 93 Main Street in Lilburn.
- The history of Gwinnett is also available as an e-book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble for $9.95.
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