IT’S THE TIME OF THE YEAR when the spring flowers are showing off. Look at this bed of iris, with red azaleas in the background at this home in Norcross. It takes tender care to ensure a beautiful scene like this. This homeowner is to be congratulated.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because of the length of today’s editorial endorsements, many regular elements of GwinnettForum are not appearing today. They will be back in force in the next edition. Tell others about not only the endorsements, but the information provided by many candidates, speaking to the voters, in their own unedited words, which will run now until the primary on May 22.—eeb
IN THIS EDITIONEEB PERSPECTIVE: GwinnettForum’s Endorsements in the May 22 Georgia Primary
SPOTLIGHT: United Community Bank
GEORGIA TIDBIT: GALILEO System Has Special Learning Pages for Kids in Grades 3-7
MYSTERY PHOTO: A Magnificent Mansion is Today’s Mystery For You To Solve
CALENDAR: Norcross High School Foundation Gala Is Coming Soon
EEB PERSPECTIVEHere are GwinnettForum’s endorsements for public office for the May 22 Georgia primary elections
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 1, 2018 | Gwinnett’s 2018 primary election has attracted a wide list of candidates, many of them from minorities. This makes this political season particularly spicy, with a total of 143 candidates appearing on the Gwinnett ballot this year.
So this year’s election will be vastly different from the rubber-stamping Gwinnett has often given candidates in the past. It could, literally, change the face of the elected officials of the county, more in line with the diversity the county has seen for many years.
Again this season, GwinnettForum attempts to make sense out of the many candidates that come before Gwinnett voters. We have spent 30 minutes with 68 of them face-to-face, certainly not all, and will see even more before the fall’s general election. We do not endorse in any races where we have not spoken personally to the candidate. We have not talked with unopposed candidates , but if they have opposition in the General Election, we will invite them to talk with us before November.
All the candidates we have met have been asked to answer six general questions in 100 words or less. Their answers appear in a clickable box to the right of this column, and will run until May 22. We commend these answers to you, which are presented without any editing on our part. They are the candidates’ own words talking directly to the voters. Please compare their views before election day.
There are several candidates in the race for governor. We have not spoken to any of these candidates. Since this race gets much publicity, we figure the voters are aware of the attributes of the candidates in this race.
With many good candidates, still each voter has only one choice he must make in each race. While we are pleased to see many people offer for office, often several good candidates in any race, we can only endorse one, and voters may pick just one.
Now here are our single recommendations in the May 22 primaries.
Federal candidates
For Congress, 4th District: no recommendations.
Hazel
Reilly
For Congress, 7th District:
Republicans: We endorse the challenger, Shane Hazel, 37, a Cumming businessman.
Democrats: Steve Reilly, 56, an attorney in Lawrenceville, gets our endorsement among the six all well-qualified candidates.
For Congress, 10th District:
Hunt
Montgomery
Republicans: Watkinsville businessman Joe Hunt, 42, is our choice to replace the ineffective Jody Hice. Mr. Hunt has a well-thought-out approach to government which his fellow Republicans can appreciate.
Democrats: Chalis Montgomery, 40, of Bethlehem has the passion to do a good job in Washington, and is our choice for this office.
Statewide candidates
For Lieutenant Governor:
Shafer
Republicans: Gwinnett’s own David Shafer, 53, gets our endorsement for this No. 2 post in Georgia. Now after serving 16 years in the Senate, hopefully next term as presiding officer of the Senate, he has the background to step into the job, and make major changes in insuring the Senate is not only more effective, but fairer to all Senators.
Democrats: No endorsement. Triana Arnold James offers for this position. She has owned an accounting and auditing firm, after 20 years in the U.S. Army in legal support.
For Secretary of State:
Brockway
Republicans: In a field of four strong candidates, our own Buzz Brockway, 41, is our choice for this office. Mr. Brockway has served admirably since 2011 as a state representative, looking out for his district, and we handily endorse him.
Democrats: Former Congressman John Barrow, 62, of Athens brings years of insight to this race and is our choice for this important office. He knows government well, having also been for 14 years a Clarke County commissioner. Mr. Barrow we feel will to bring more efficiency to this area of government.
For Insurance Commissioner:
Beck
Zedlin
Republicans: The president of the Georgia Underwriters Association, Jim Beck, 56, of Carrollton, is our choice as the GOP nominee. He sees this office as “in a mess” and that it is being operated he feels in violation of state law. He says he will work with zest in making this office more responsible to the people.
Democrats: Cindy Zedlin, 41, of Atlanta sees this office at a crossroads, and particularly sees citizens not being treated fairly in the office. A long advocate of people being more informed about insurance, she has the skills needed to make this office more responsible to its people.
For Superintendent of Schools:
Woods
Thornton
Republicans: We endorse the current office holder, Richard Woods, 55, of Tifton, for this position.
Democrats: There is one man in this race who shows great understanding of the field. He is Otha E. Thornton Jr. 59, an Elberton native now living in Richmond Hill. He is retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and is making his first political race. He is a former president of the national Parent Teachers Association. He speaks with a great insight of how public schools should work, and gets our endorsement.
For Public Service Commission, District 3:
Noel
Democrats: A person already involved in energy efficiency, John Noel, 46, of Atlanta, is our choice of the three candidates in this race. He has previously served one term in the legislature. He wants to bring accountability to the PSC, feeling right now it is only accountable to the entities it regulates. He also criticizes the PSC for not listening to its own staff when making decisions. He should bring both intelligence, insight and energy to this position, and gets our endorsement.
For Public Service Commission, District 5:
Randolph
Pridemore
Republicans: The recent Nathan Deal appointee, Tricia Pridemore, 46, is our choice in this race. She looks on this position as being crucial in Georgia’s future economic development, as energy is such an important element in determining which firms and how many companies will come to our state.
Democrats: Two people seek this post, and our choice is Dawn Randolph, 52, of Stockbridge. She runs to “put the public back on the PSC.” She feels utility bills are too high, and is particularly critical of recent Plant Vogtle decisions of the PSC.
For Labor Commissioner: No endorsements in the primary.
Georgia legislative candidates
For State Senate:
District 5:
Rahman
Democrats: This race will be decided in the primary, since there is no Republican candidate for this position. Incumbent Curt Thompson has served many years in this office, but our choice is Sheikh Rahman, 58, a Muslim small businessman from Lawrenceville. He says the district is one of the lowest performing in the county, and wants to see more participation by the people of the district, and wants to serve the area more efficiently.
District 40:
Harrell
Democrats: A former six-year state representative who left to raise children, Sally Harrell, 52, of near Tucker brings a good understanding of how politics works, and looks forward to being in the legislature again. She is passionate about improving both education and health care and will be a strong advocate for these issues in the Senate.
District 41:
Henson
Democrats: A long-term serving Senator, and current Democratic leader in the Senate, Steve Henson, 59, gets our endorsement. He’s done a good job. Keep him in office.
For House of Representatives:
House District 81:
Holcomb
Democrats: We endorse incumbent attorney Scott Holcomb, 45, for this office, a veteran of eight years in the House. His past sterling record shows he has earned another term in this slot. A clear-thinker, he brings experience and careful thinking to this office.
House District 94:
Heard
Democrats: Lithonia’s Dean Heard, 63, making a political race for the first time, is our pick to be in this post. He will champion small businesses in the office. He is disappointed with what he sees in the incumbent in this office, and promises change to benefit the people.
House District 97: There are eight candidates to replace Rep. Brooks Coleman for this position, and all we have talked to are well qualified to serve.
LeCraw
Yaqoob
Republicans: We choose to go with Scott LeCraw, 64, of Suwanee for this position. A real estate broker for years in Gwinnett, he knows the county well, and can easily reflect the views of his constituents in the House. He promises to maintain the right climate to get the job done with particular attention to education and small businesses.
Democrats: Two people seek this position. We endorse Aisha Yaqoob, 24, though the youngest candidate in the race, she is someone who knows her way around the Capitol as a lobbyist for advancing Asian-American concerns. A Muslim, born in this country and a University of Georgia graduate, she will bring intelligence and a different background to the Legislature.
House District 99:
Democrats: No endorsement.
House District 102:
Hastings
Republicans: A longtime Gwinnett Planning and Zoning Board member, Paula Hastings, 51, of Lawrenceville, will show a new approach in the Legislature. She has as a tag line: “I’m just a mother and want to make a difference.” Her experience in local government will serve her well in the Georgia House.
Democrats: no endorsement.
House District 105:
- Republicans: no endorsement.
House District 107:
Hutchinson
Democrats: A native of New Orleans, Shelly Hutchinson, 46, now lives in Snellville, and operates a social empowerment center. Feeling underrepresented by the current office holder, she got in the race, and hopes to move the issue on Medicaid expansion in Georgia. She looks to work with the current county commission and school board in moving their agenda forward in the legislature.
Local Gwinnett County races
County Commission, District 2:
Ku
Democrats: Two minority candidates are running for this post. Our choice is Ben Ku, 36, of near Lucky Shoals Park, a native American and a Georgia Tech graduate. He owns a consulting and software company. He feels the southern part has been neglected and that the current board does not reflect the diversity of Gwinnett.
County Commission, District 4:
Fosque
Democrats: A retiree from Aetna, Marlene Fosque, 55, of Lawrenceville, is our choice for this nomination. She now consults with two non-profits. After living here since 2002, she feels that she is well prepared to make this race now, having previously worked locally in the Obama campaign.
Board of Education, District 2:
Knudson
May
Republicans: Our choice in this race is Steve Knudsen, 54, Sugar Hill, an officer of a firm that plans family retreats. Recognizing that Gwinnett educates one in 10 Georgia students, he feels as Gwinnett goes, so will Georgia in education. He appreciates the Gwinnett school system, deliberately deciding to remain in Gwinnett so that his four children could be educated here. He has good insights, and should serve us well.
Democrats: Once Donald May, 58, retired as a risk finance vice president of the Trust Company, he found he was going to Kroger just to see people. That led him to a new job in retirement as an auditor at the Southern Company today. Now living in Suwanee, he is our choice, with his extensive background, for this position. He feels Gwinnett has a good school system, but could stand some tweaking, particularly on graduation rates. He wants to start with a more intensive reading program when entering the system.
Board of Education, District 4:
Studebaker
Blair
Republicans: A Lilburn resident, Chuck Studebaker, 50, wins our endorsement in this race. He always wanted to serve, remembering that both his grandfather and mother had served in Ohio as elected officials when he was growing up. Employed as a management consultant in the auto industry, he recognizes the challenges the Gwinnett board has in the coming years. He also recognizes that teachers do not make enough money, and hopes to improve on that.
Democrats: Our choice is Everton “EJ” Blair Jr., 25, a native of Atlanta, who is a graduate of Shiloh High, Harvard and holds a master’s from Stanford in policy organization and leadership. A former math teacher in Atlanta, he is now an educational consultant for a national program. Blair is 25, and wants to represent the voices of students on the board., though not overlooking any demographic. He also wants to see that all teachers have the management pieces to do a good job.
Nonpartisan judicial candidates
For Judge, Court of Appeals: no endorsement.
Mason
For Superior Court (Davis seat): There are five attorneys seeking this position. Our choice is Tracey Mason, 56, a mediator from Grayson who comes from a family long associated with leadership of the county. (Her father was a state representative.) She especially sees the job as looking after the interest of children in custody cases, while recognizing this is only one part of the job. This comes from her work in family law and in mediation. She has the experience and background to be a fine judge, and we endorse her candidacy.
Person
For Superior Court (Turner seat): Our choice for this judgeship is Wesley Person, 54, a Loganville resident whose specialty is criminal law. He will bring a different background as a minority to the Gwinnett bench. He has an extensive background that speaks well to his candidacy. He suggests the addition of a Behavior Court, to help people convicted of smaller crimes to become more productive citizens.
Colvin Leary
For State Court: (Iannazzone seat): Two well-qualified people seek this seat. Our choice is Ronda Colvin Leary, 46, of Snellville, who practices both criminal and civil law, and is a former prosecutor. She has been active in many areas of the county, and has a perspective that will serve her well on the bench. She feels judges should be aware of what is going on in the community and be more adept in addressing sentencing of criminals.
* * * * *
WE ARE PLEASED to see so many distinctly qualified people seek office in Gwinnett this political season. Many of those not endorsed would do a fine job in office. We wish all these candidates well.
From those nominated in the primary, we will select those to endorse in the General Election in the fall.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
United Community Bank
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriting sponsor is United Community Bank, with 30 offices within Metro Atlanta. Headquartered in Blairsville, Ga., it is the third-largest traditional bank holding company in the state with more than 134 locations throughout Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina. Since 1950, United Community Bank has been dedicated to providing platinum-level service to its customers as the foundation of every relationship. Known as The Bank That SERVICE Built℠, it is committed to improving the lives of residents in the communities it serves through this philosophy of delivering exceptional banking service. In Gwinnett, the bank has offices in Lawrenceville, Snellville and Buford.
- For a list of other underwriters of this forum, go to: Our underwriters.
Send us your thoughts
We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 300 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBITGALILEO System Has Special Learning Pages for Kids in Grades 3-7
(Continued from previous edition)
GALILEO’s (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online), Kids’ Page, intended for users between grades three and seven, offers age-appropriate databases and Internet resources for elementary and middle school students. The Kids’ Page has greatly simplified information retrieval among GALILEO’s youngest users and is extremely useful for Georgia’s teachers in their day-to-day classroom instruction.
Practical benefits of GALILEO include system versatility and expandability, greater standardization of services and integration of services among Georgia’s libraries, and enhanced ease of searching and efficiency of information retrieval for users throughout Georgia.
Within the university system, GALILEO Interconnected Libraries (GIL) provides the library management systems for the 34 system institutions; GIL has unified the collections of those libraries through a union catalog containing more than 4.5 million bibliographic records, of which 3.8 million titles are unique. Through the GIL Express universal borrowing module, which utilizes a sophisticated patron validation system, users are able to borrow books from any system institution, remotely or in person, regardless of the borrower’s home institution.
Phase III : The Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) provides a platform for access to manuscripts, books, diaries, newspapers, pamphlets, video, and other unique resources on the history and culture of Georgia that are currently housed in rare book rooms and archives of Georgia libraries. Making these primary documents available online allows users to see the actual words and images without having to visit special collections or having to handle precious and fragile documents.
An important DLG project, Georgia HomePLACE (Providing Library and Archives Collections Electronically), offers a virtual doorway into Georgia’s past by making digitized versions of family, local history, and related records available online. Georgia HomePLACE includes the Vanishing Georgia Collection of more than 18,000 photographs, housed in the Georgia Department of Archives and History, that document the economic, social, cultural, and political history of Georgia. The New Georgia Encyclopedia, an entirely electronic reference work, is part of the DLG.
(To be continued)
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
A magnificent mansion is today’s mystery for you to solve
While the last two Mystery Photos were relatively easy for many, this edition’s mystery may be more difficult. Isn’t this a gorgeous mansion? Now tell us where it is. Send your answer to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Last edition’s Mystery Photo was relatively easy, as several people recognized St. Philips Church in Charleston. The recent photo was sent in by Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill. First in was Kay Montgomery of Duluth, followed by Lou Camiero of Lilburn. A few confused it with St. Michaels, as the steeples are similar.
George Graf, Palmyra Va. recognized St. Phillips, and sent some little-known facts about the church:
“John C. Calhoun was buried in the west church yard, but during the Civil War his body was moved to the east church yard in fear that the federal troops would desecrate it. Calhoun’s massive tomb was erected by the state legislature in 1880.
- During the Civil War, a chime of 11 bells was contributed to the Confederate army to be melted down and re-cast for ammunition and weapons. Four bells were replaced in 1976, which can still be heard today.
- In 1870, St. Philip’s home was dedicated and used as a home for widows and elderly ladies.
- A beacon located in the steeple was used to guide ships into the harbor.
In the early 18th century, the congregation built a second brick church at the site of the current church.”
John Titus of Peachtree Corners writes: “I’m fairly certain that is a photo of St. Philip’s Church in Charleston. To me the clues are that it juts out into Church Street and the palmettos in the picture.” Others recognizing the structure include Ross Lenhard of Pawley’s Island, S.C.; Fran Worrall, Lawrenceville; Ruthie Lachman Paul, Norcross; and Mikki Dillon, Lilburn.
Allan Peel of San Antonio also spotted the photo, and writes: “Charleston is well known for its many and varied historic churches. St. Philip’s Episcopal Church is a National Historic Landmark that houses the oldest congregation in South Carolina and was the first Anglican church established south of Virginia. This church is the third building to house the congregation, which was formed by Charles Town colonists. The first church, built in 1681, was a small wooden building located at the present site of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. In the early 18th century, the congregation built a second brick church at the site of the current church. Its construction was partially funded by duties on rum and slaves. After suffering from one fire that was extinguished by a black slave, who was given his freedom for this act, the church completely burned in 1835. The current St. Philip’s was constructed from 1835 to 1838 by architect Joseph Hyde, while the steeple, designed by E.B. White, was added a decade later.”
CALENDAR
Gwinnett Interfaith Prayer Breakfast will be Thursday, May 3, at 7:30 a.m. at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth. The Gwinnett observance of the National Day of Prayer will bring together leaders of all faiths to pray for the community. The program will feature Keith Parker of Goodwill North Georgia; Doug of Shipman Woodruff’s Art Center; and MC Angela Harrington with the Atlanta Interfaith Community Initiatives.
(NEW) Annual Gala of the Norcross High School (NHS) Foundation for Excellence is Friday, May 4. The event will be at Atlanta Tech Park, 107 Technology Parkway, at 7 p.m. The Gala will also honor NHS Hall of Fame inductees: Elizabeth Frisbee, NHS Math Teacher and Department Chair; Gina Parrish, NHS Drama Instructor; and Harris Patel, NHS alumnus and certified Physician Assistant and Athletic Trainer. For more information, visit www.norcrosshighfoundation.org.
(NEW) Wind Orchestra of the Gwinnett Symphony presents Wildflowers on Sunday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at the Discovery High School Theatre, 1335 Old Norcross Road in Lawrenceville. The music for this concert is fitly named, because it has just as much variety and beauty. Music will be from Grainger, Schoenberg and Marquez. For more information, visit http://www.gwinnettsymphony.org/concerts/page43/.
(NEW) Groundbreaking and Expansion of Peachtree Christian Hospice will be Monday, May 7, at 11 a.m. Dignitaries will join Peachtree Christian Health leadership, donors and key community stakeholders to celebrate the launch of the new construction phase. Event is open to the community. For more information, contact Anne Mancini at 770-403-4581.
OUR TEAMGwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday.
Meet our team
- Editor and publisher: Elliott Brack, 770-840-1003
- Managing editor: Betsy Brack
- Roving photographer: Frank Sharp
- Contributing cartoonist: Bill McLemore
- Contributing columnist: Jack Bernard
- Contributing columnist: Debra Houston
- Contributing columnist: George Wilson
More
- Location: We are located in Suite 225, 40 Technology Park, Peachtree Corners, Ga. 30092.
- Work with us: If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more.
Subscriptions to GwinnettForum are free.
- Click to subscribe.
- We hope you’ll keep receiving the great news and information from GwinnettForum, but if you need to unsubscribe, go to this page and unsubscribe in the appropriate box.
© 2018, Gwinnett Forum.com. Gwinnett Forum is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.
Follow Us