By Renee Unterman, Buford, Ga. | On October 18, the FBI announced over 239 arrests for trafficking and prostitution as part of Operation Cross Country X, a nationwide initiative conducted in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. Nearly 70 of those arrests were from locations in Georgia including Alpharetta, Marietta, Dunwoody and Gwinnett County.
By Dick Goodman, Lilburn, Ga. | There is one thing the other speakers this afternoon didn’t mention: the important role of libraries in our community and in our definition of who we are as Americans.
Libraries were not always as convenient as they are today, but we all have memories as children of going to a library. But libraries weren’t always accessible. In some communities they just didn’t exist, or they weren’t open to ordinary people.
By Melita Easters, Georgia’s WIN List, Atlanta, Ga. | As citizens vote early in record numbers, women will be the deciding factor as polls and political pundits increasingly predict Georgians will vote blue for the first time since 1992.
This shift is not entirely unpredictable. Legislative seats and private sector leadership positions held by women are leading indicators for a strong Georgia progressive streak. This is obscured by the fact that all statewide offices, the majority of congressional seats and House and Senate majorities are held by Republicans, who in Georgia are predominantly pale and male.
By Alan Chapman, Director, Gwinnett County Department of Transportation | The Citizens Project Selection Committee (CPSC) has recommended funding allocations for 10 categories of road improvements to be funded by the proposed 2017 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
Developing these allocations was the initial task of the newly formed CPSC. If the SPLOST is approved by voters on November 8, the CPSC will reconvene to discuss project priorities to recommend to the Board of Commissioners. Projects will be selected from the list of potential projects developed in conjunction with update of the County’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
By Alvin Leaphart, Jesup, Ga. | My grandmother, Florence Gibbs, a former United States Congressman, taught me “Noblesse oblige,” a French phrase meaning “nobility obliges.” It is the concept that nobility extends beyond mere entitlements and requires the person who holds such status to fulfill social responsibilities, particularly in leadership roles. She fervently believed that this applied to everyone in government, from the bottom to the top.
By Susan Shenefield, Yellowstone National Park | How does one spend six months living in a caldera, a large volcanic crater of the mouth of the volcano? We’ve been working and relaxing in Yellowstone National Park for a season!
The back story is I met my husband, Jordan, 45 years ago working summer jobs in Yellowstone as college kids. We’ve been married 43 years and our goal has been retiring and returning to give back to this Park we love so much.
So year 2016 the stars aligned for us to do that…and more, since this is also the Centennial Celebration of the National Park Service. We are ambassadors for Yellowstone.
By David Bell, Duluth, Ga. | Since 2010, the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts has bi-annually offered a $50,000 art prize to a talented Georgian. The Center is now accepting entries for the fourth cycle of our prestigious visual arts prize. With a stunning cash award of $50,000 and a solo exhibition for one talented Georgia Artist, the Hudgens Prize is one of the largest awards given to an individual artist in the entire nation. The purpose of the competition is to elevate and promote the arts and artists of Georgia, while providing a transformational opportunity for the winning artist.
By Barbara Myers, Suwanee, Ga. | Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has committed through its Foundation the allocation of $5 million to a new venture capital fund designed to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in the healthcare field, with a specific focus on primary care. Investments from across the country are being considered, with a focus on the Philadelphia and Atlanta metro areas, as PCOM’s branch campus (GA-PCOM) is located in Suwanee.
“Never tell anyone that you’re writing a book, going on a diet, exercising, taking a course, or quitting smoking. They’ll encourage you to death.”
– Comic Artist Lynn Johnston (“For Better or Worse”) (1947 – ).
The family-friendly event, Duluth Fall Festival, will take place on September 28-29. This is the 41st year, and the Festival has consistently been voted one of the top festivals in the entire area, including “Best Large Festival in the Southeast’” by national publications.
There will be more than 300 arts, crafts and food booths, a huge parade, entertainment at two venues, a 5K road race, and much more. If you would like more information, are interested in volunteering, etc., go to the Festival website:
Gwinnett Forum publisher Elliott Brack suggests that Gwinnett County needs a long-range list of continuing objectives for improving the county. His list:
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