Elliott Brack’s Perspective
BRACK: From drone training to Georgia State to likely Maiming Act of 2016
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Here and there during this holiday season, a round up:
Most likely prediction to come true if it hasn’t already: you will soon hear of a Christmas gift, one of those drone airplanes, crashing into either a house, automobile, or even a human. Those machines take training to fly them correctly, and don’t you know a lot of kids (or adults) getting such a “toy” for Christmas will think he or she has become expert in its operation, when they have not, and may hurt someone.
BRACK: “Joyful, Joyful” and Beethoven’s Ninth, plus Bernstein in Berlin
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | During the holiday season, we hope you (and I) get to hear and sing one of our favorite hymns, Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee. Somehow it reminds me of Christmas.
The stirring hymn was written in 1907 by Henry Van Dyke, a Princeton University professor of English, who was also a Presbyterian minister. His inspiration was two-fold: the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, and the fourth stanza of Ludwig Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
BRACK: Hudgens Art Center selects Ife Williams as its new director
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | GwinnettForum has learned that the Hudgens Center for the Arts will name Ife Marie Williams as its new director. She previously was the interim director of the Department of Art and Culture in Fulton County.
Ms. Williams was introduced to the board of directors of the Art Center on Thursday night. Reached by telephone, she tells the Forum she is looking forward to “doing what the Hudgens does well, reach out into the community, and expanding into new programs. The Hudgens wants to do what the community in Gwinnett wants it to do.”
BRACK: Settlement against for-profit college firm is good for nation
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Every now and then a big-time civil settlement makes sense and is good for our country. Recently the government brought suit against Education Management Corporation, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., which operated several for-profit colleges. The government maintained that the company was violating rules on paying incentives to employees for signing up unqualified students for Pell grant assistance to attend their schools.
BRACK: Take a look at Gwinnett County’s largest taxpayers
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Gwinnett’s largest taxpayers are firms with multiple locations in the county. Georgia Power Company paid the most taxes in Gwinnett, $4.5 million, followed by Publix with $3.9 million and Wal-Mart with $3.5 million. This is followed by t15.elliottbrackhe Mall of Georgia, being taxed at $3.2 million.
BRACK: Gun rampage legislation can start at the local level
By Elliott Brack | Researchers know that getting to the root of a problem is the best way to solve it.
Jonas Salk recognized his vaccine immunizing youth would solve polio. It was a scourge in the days before 1955 when parents were fearful of allowing their children in public swimming pools. Now polio is approaching eradication world-wide.
BRACK: Cutting your pay-TV bill possible, but not by much
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Do you think your cable or pay television cost too much, especially compared to the channels you actually watch? What good are 500 channels if you only watch a half dozen?
1We thought that way, and sought to do something about it. So we embarked on learning more about over-the-air TV, buying two different types of inside-the-house antennas and started experimenting. Be careful: this venture took most of a Saturday.
BRACK: Would deadlocked GOP convention turn to someone not running?
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | This election season has produced a bumper crop of candidates for the Republican nomination, but just a few seeking the Democratic nomination. After some dropouts in both parties, the list now stands at 11 Republican and three Democrats still running.
While we question whether Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination, she is moving closer to locking it up.
BRACK: Enterprising Buford resident produces cookie kit for youngsters
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | A resident of Buford has launched her own business — producing a Cookie Chemistry Lab for children eight and older. It’s already in several stores, and online, all aimed at children during the Christmas season.
The young lady, Crystal Felton, age 30, is hoping that this initial effort at selling her own product will allow her to develop new ideas….and not saying what they are, she has several in mind. She’s a budding entrepreneur, and has the confidence to become successful. Her business is named Epiphany of Chemistry, LLC.
Gwinnett Forum | Jan. 7, 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 Ester Perel (1958- ) via John Titus, Peachtree Corners.
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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