Today’s Focus

Snyder

FOCUS: Global investors look at Gwinnett County and see some drawbacks

By John Snyder | “Global investors are looking toward Atlanta.”

This was the headline of an article in the Dec. 23, 2015 AJC, dealing with the regional economy and what major investors are looking for. These investors, both national and international, are impressed with the variety of business-to-business technologies the area possesses. They view Atlanta as a fertile ground for investing thanks to the Advance Technology Development Center and the Atlanta Tech Village. This region is looked upon favorably as being supportive of technology growth.

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by · January 5, 2016 · Today's Focus
Distinguished Gentlemen gather. Click to make the image larger.

FOCUS: Lanier High bringing “Distinguished Gentlemen” program to fruition

By Vanessa Butts | Lanier High School Counselor Bobby Gueh has taken a winning recipe for mentorship at other schools, and implemented it on a larger scale at Lanier High School. Gueh asserts that, “…the Distinguished Gentlemen program was designed to provide mentorship, academic support, and social development for young men who have been identified as being at-risk. The majority of students in this program come from a low socio-economic status home and have challenges both academically and socially. Currently, an extension of the program has been created at various Gwinnett County Public Schools, and we have now birthed the Distinguished Gentlemen (D.G.) of Lanier High School.”

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by · December 29, 2015 · Today's Focus
Woodall

FOCUS: Woodall misrepresents keeping partners of U.S. accountable

By Joe Briggs | In George Washington’s prescient farewell speech to the nation, he dedicated 11 paragraphs to warning us against ‘passionate attachments’ to other countries and “neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences.” He feared that we would take on that country’s enemies, fight their wars, and accept their values. Defenders of that country would be hailed as patriots whereas critics would be treated as traitors.

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by · December 22, 2015 · Today's Focus
A Thompson prize-winning bull

FOCUS: Snellville residents were teachers, breeders of thoroughbred cattle

By James W. Cofer, president, Snellville Historical Society | This is the story of two local residents who dedicated their lives to educating Snellville’s children, maintained a second career of raising pigs, Holstein cows, and finally Black Angus beef cattle, and parlayed their success into franchising and artificial insemination of national championship Angus thoroughbreds.

It’s the story of Blanche and Troy Thomason, former Snellville residents.

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by · December 18, 2015 · Today's Focus
Foreman

FOCUS: Steps to take if you find yourself in terrorist attack

By Paul Foreman | This past week’s terrorist attack in California has frightened many of us. For several years now, our nation has experienced mass shootings at schools, churches, shopping malls, and now mass shootings by Islamic terrorists. The Department of Homeland Security basically instructs us to “hide in place, barricade the doors and wait for the government to rescue you.” Ronald Reagan once said, “The most dangerous words you could hear, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

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by · December 15, 2015 · Today's Focus
Bailey

FOCUS: Once homeless, writer is grateful to those who helped

By David Bailey | I am extremely grateful. I am grateful to express my gratitude and appreciation to all the people and organizations who provided encouragement, guidance, information, and financial resources enabling me to break free from the hopelessness of “recidivism,” which is “the revolving door syndrome.”

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by · December 11, 2015 · Today's Focus
FOCUS: Baptist Sword Drill imprints Bible verses on children’s minds

FOCUS: Baptist Sword Drill imprints Bible verses on children’s minds

By Vally Sharpe, Asheville, N.C. | I recently ran across a news clipping of me in 1971. It was a listing of the regional winners of what was called the “Bible Drill” by then, a competition held in the Southern Baptist Church for younger kids. Older youth in the church participated in a speaker’s tournament. When I first began to participate, the competition had been known as the “Sword” Drill, a name I still prefer, although the “Bible” Drill is, admittedly, a more descriptive term. Successfully competing in the Sword Drill meant one had to know the books of the Bible and the order in which they appear, from Genesis to Revelations.

The whole “sword” reference came from the fact that the “word of God” is sometimes called the “sword of the spirit.” But it didn’t stop there. The commands “Attention!” and “Draw swords!” and scripture references like “Joshua 4:14” or “Philemon 1:16” would be called out and the sound of pages rustling would commence.

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by · December 8, 2015 · Today's Focus
FOCUS: Roving photographer returns from roving around Europe

FOCUS: Roving photographer returns from roving around Europe

By Frank Sharp | An ambitious and taxing trip to Europe began with a Delta flight to New Jersey to a hotel close to the airport – a move that saved my wife and I a total of $500. We both got our flu shots before leaving and I carried a bottle of antibiotics just in case. Who knows what might happen on such a long and ambitious trip: six countries in 14 days and 2,000 miles on the ground?

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by · December 4, 2015 · Today's Focus
12/1: On family history, GOP convention, cemetery tour

12/1: On family history, GOP convention, cemetery tour

Click here to view the latest edition. Inside:
TODAY’S FOCUS: Children Do Better When They Know Their Family History
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Would a Deadlocked GOP Convention Turn To Someone Not Running?
ANOTHER VIEW: Historic Free Tour of Norcross Cemetery Scheduled on December 12
FEEDBACK: Not Happy When People Change the Name of Holidays
UPCOMING: A Christmas Carol Returns to Aurora Theatre
NOTABLE: More Young Men Performing at Gwinnett Ballet Theatre
RECOMMENDED OUTING: The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Georgia Leads the Nation in the Production of Pecans
TODAY’S QUOTE: What “Bipartisan” Really Means
MYSTERY PHOTO: Clues Galore for This Edition’s Mystery Photo

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by · December 1, 2015 · Today's Focus
Colley

FOCUS: Children do better in life when they know their family history

By Jerry J. Colley | When in the hospital recovering from surgery, I read in an old Reader’s Digest that children do better in life when they know their family history. It started me thinking about my family history and how little I know about it.

I would love to know about my great and great-great grandfathers’ experiences serving in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. And my first hero was my Great Uncle Larry Wootan, who served in the U.S. Army during World War I. His memory was gone by the time I was old enough to appreciate what he had done.

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by · December 1, 2015 · Today's Focus
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