By Denise Hartzell | On Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015, the faculty and staff of one of Gwinnett County’s newest schools, Jordan Middle School, hosted the ceremony which officially dedicated the new facility. Jordan Middle School is named for longtime Lawrenceville mayor and public servant, H. Rhodes Jordan.
By Louis Detweiler | Alone, in the middle of a church service in 2004, Sally Knapp recounted, “I was feeling out of place with all the couples and I was thinking other singles must be feeling the same way.” A member of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Sally presented the idea of Christian Directed Singles to the pastor and the group officially opened within the church and to the community. The church is located at 5575 Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners.
By Russell R. McMurry | Over one thousand fatalities. Over one thousand lives lost on Georgia’s roads. Over one thousand families in turmoil.
Georgia has reached an alarming milestone of over 1,000 traffic fatalities in 2015, with several months remaining in the year. As of October 1, the number of people who died in roadway crashes in Georgia was 1,006 — almost one every 6-1/2 hours; about four per day (3.67 fatalities to be exact) – just short of 26 deaths a week.
By Gordon L. Jones | In the 1880s, before the advent of motion pictures, massive 50-foot high 360-degree cyclorama paintings were the virtual reality time machines of their day. The resulting fad produced at least 20 cyclorama paintings of seven different battles – virtually all of them Northern victories. But in the 1890s, cycloramas gave way to nickelodeons and nearly all were lost to fire or decay. Today, only two Civil War cycloramas survive on exhibit: The Battle of Gettysburg and The Battle of Atlanta.
By Bill Baughman | Patsy Jane “Pat” Livingston Johnson, age 89, of Bushnell, Fla., and formerly of Lawrenceville and Gainesville, Ga., passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday morning, Aug. 9, 2015.
The preceding was in an obituary I found in the newspaper. I wonder how many local folks remember this person who had lived and worked in Gwinnett for many years. I had to do a double take to see if this was the person I knew. Was it the journalist I remembered fondly who worked at the Gwinnett Daily News? Sadly, it was.
By Sloan Jones | Georgia Gwinnett College President Stanley C. “Stas” Preczewski says that Dr. T.J. Arant has been selected as GGC’s new senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs and provost. In that role, he will build upon the college’s strong foundation of academic excellence and extend it in ways that continue to support student success leading to degree completion. He will assume his duties no later than July 1, 2016.
By Keith Fenton, chief development officer, Annandale at Suwanee | I have spent my entire professional career in the nonprofit sector, doing work that I have found intellectually and personally rewarding. All of my positions have involved some mix of fundraising, communications, marketing, or organizational development. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the things that we do, and finding ways to explain to others how nonprofit organizations operate similarly to for-profit businesses.
By Rachel Bronnum | Oct. 6, 2015 | Margaret Elizabeth Sumner was born on January 8, 1912 in Shingler, a Worth County town in South Georgia. Until her death on September 11, 2015, Margaret was physically and mentally active. She swam at the YMCA in her Twinges in the Hinges class, participated in church groups, was chaplain of her Garden Club, and enjoyed being with people.
By Kasie Bolling | Celebrating its 16th year, Great Days of Service is a cooperative and community-focused initiative created by the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. Because the environment plays such a vital role in the health and wellness of the citizens it serves, another local nonprofit has been honored to play a role in Great Days of Service since its inception. Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful (GCB) is proud to carry on that tradition with a special focus on a local watershed.
By Harvey Snider, president, Norcross Touchdown Club | So, what’s the story on this new 31×50 foot videoboard at Norcross High School’s football field?
Back on August 23, 2014, Norcross High School Head Football Coach Keith Maloof looked across the field at the McEachern High School videoboard before leading his team to victory over Tucker in the Corky Kell Classic. (The game had been moved from the Georgia Dome since the Atlanta Falcons had a football game there on that date.)
“We are born charming, fresh and spontaneous and must be civilized before we are fit to participate in society.”
– Etiquette Authority Judith Martin (1938 – ), also known as Miss Manners.
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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