Elliott Brack’s Perspective
BRACK: Gwinnett’s pride shows through its modern fire department
By Elliott Brack | A South Georgia native and attorney, John Mattox, was a good friend of mine. We keep remembering his idea about how any community looked upon itself. John thought anyone could tell a good deal about any town’s pride by the way it took care of two elements in that town: its cemeteries and its courthouse. If you saw either of these run down, the community didn’t take much pride in itself.
BRACK: Sugar Hill’s downtown has amazing growth in 10 years
By Elliott Brack | If you haven’t been to Sugar Hill in a few years, you will find it difficult to believe how much this fourth-largest city in Gwinnett has blossomed. In the last 10 years, the City Council has brilliantly created a new downtown area, now teeming with about 2,000 people living within a half mile of City Hall and enjoying the “Sweet Life.”
BRACK: Proposal concerning private information upsets bankers
By Elliott Brack | A proposal from the Biden Administration got bankers across the country, including those in Gwinnett, all hot and bothered this week. Proposed legislation would have required that the banks and credit unions give far more sensitive banking information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about the bank’s depositors.
BRACK: Short takes and catching up on items from the past
By Elliott Brack | Rest on your laurels, Judy Putnam. Just after Peachtree Corners became a city, you became the communications officer and you have served well. We appreciate all the courtesies you have extended to GwinnettForum, keeping us alert to activities in this the newest of Gwinnett cities. And you have done it in such a friendly, cordial way. Now, enjoy your well-earned retirement from the daily grind!
BRACK: Hudgens to be inducted into Hall of Fame for Georgia veterans
By Elliott Brack | The late Scott Hudgens Jr. of Duluth will be inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ga. on November 6. Nominating him for the award was Mike Camp of Johns Creek, a person who never met Mr. Hudgens, but heard of his war record and many lifetime achievements.
BRACK: Handsome 5-story Baptist center on Sugarloaf could be razed
By Elliott Brack | The five-story stately building housing the Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center at 6405 Sugarloaf Parkway may eventually be destroyed, as a developer wants to purchase the 43 acre property. However, for this to happen, the property must be rezoned. The property is now zoned for residential, office and general business use.
BRACK: Government of Poland honors Lawrenceville credit union official
By Elliott Brack | A Gwinnett resident and credit union official has been honored by the Polish government. He is Marshall Boutwell of Lawrenceville, president of the Peach State Federal Credit Union, who has been awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, in a token of Poland’s appreciation and gratitude for his support and friendship. It is one of the highest awards awarded by the Polish government to foreigners.
BRACK: When folks in the country got the time of day from railroads
By Elliott Brack | Songwriter Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah, but probably never rode on the daily passenger train, the “MD&S.” The letters stand for the train’s name, the Macon, Dublin and Savannah. But you see the train, powered by a Baldwin 4-6-2 steam engine, didn’t go on to Savannah. It ended each day’s run in Vidalia, then reversed itself and choo-chooed back to Macon in the afternoon. It was a short train, a mail car and one or two passenger cars. But it was vital to people along its route in South Georgia. The line also hauled freights, of course.
Gwinnett Forum | Jan. 10, 2025
“Nothing makes us feel more connected than when we are engaged in a healthy balance of thoughtful speaking and hardcore listening.”
— Belgian-American psychotherapist and relationship expert Eshter Perel (1958- ) via John Titus, Peachtree Corners.
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Continuing objectives
Gwinnett Forum publisher Elliott Brack suggests Gwinnett County needs a long-range list of continuing objectives for improving the county. His 2025 list:
- Move statewide non-partisan judicial and school board elections to the date of the General Election.
- 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.
- Eliminate single-use plastic packaging and straws in Gwinnett and require instead the use of paper products.
- Gwinnett planners to encourage condos and townhouses instead of apartments.
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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