5/31, full issue: PCOM grads; Early summer; Dealing with heat

COUNTY SEAT SCENE: Roving Photographer Frank Sharp captured this cool scene the other night when walking around Lawrenceville Lawn. That’s the First Baptist Church in the background. He adds: “what a great place it is for a peaceful walk.”

TODAY’S FOCUS: PCOM Georgia Holds Commencement for 270 Graduates

EEB PERSPECTIVE: Tidbits of Summer, Including No Hat, No Shorts, No Service

ANOTHER VIEW: With It Hot Outside, Consider These Tips for Staying Cooler

SPOTLIGHT: Gateway85 Gwinnett

FEEDBACK: Reader Challenges Conventional Thinking of Winston Churchill

UPCOMING: New Scholarship at Gwinnett Tech Honors Service of Rick Davis

NOTABLE: Johnson To Head DNR Law Enforcement Division in Northeast Georgia

RECOMMENDED: Unexampled Courage by Richard Gergel

GEORGIA TIDBIT: DeSoto’s Expedition Had Enormous Impact on Pristine Native Americans

MYSTERY PHOTO: Determining Where East and West May Help Solve This Mystery

CALENDAR: Adopt-a-Stream Workshop To Be on June 8

PCOM Georgia holds commencement for 270 graduates

Ayesha Patel, DO and Shannon Philipps, DO, new graduates of PCOM-Georgia.

By Barbara Myers

SUWANEE, Ga.  |  Commencement ceremonies for PCOM Georgia’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy, and Master of Biomedical Sciences graduates were held on May 22 at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth.

Family members and friends gathered to watch as the 270 students received their diplomas and hoods and flipped their tassels from right to left. Trupti Patel, DO, a graduate of the inaugural class of 2009, addressed the DO graduates at the morning ceremony, while William Douglas Figg Sr., PharmD, MBA, addressed the PharmD and Biomedical Sciences students at the afternoon ceremony.

Dr. Patel encouraged the graduates at the 11^th annual DO commencement ceremony. “My hope for you is that you focus on being the best at what you do…You’ll be expected to be tough and focused and accurate during hard, devastating cases,” she said. “And you‘ll be expected to be soft, kind and human when delivering bad news.”

A board-certified emergency medicine specialist, Dr. Patel advised the students who will become interns and residents in July.

“There will be a lot of firsts for you. It will be hard, but you will figure it out and it will get better. Read, study, pay attention to smart people. Learn everything you can from those you admire. Create your own reputation of being good, smart and kind.

“Shine for your family. Shine for all of the people here with you today celebrating you and all of your hard work,” she said, before showing a clip of Snoop Dogg accepting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And like Snoop Dogg, she encouraged the students to thank themselves for giving everything they have and never quitting.

Dr. Figg, a senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, addressed the Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences graduates.

“Think of the opportunities you have to impact the lives of the patients you treat, to alter the standard of care through thoughtful and well-designed studies and improve the way medical care is provided.”

He advised the graduates to “set goals, but don’t close the door on opportunities that come your way…Be someone who always says yes – the more opportunities that you seek out and go for, the more doors will open.”

Dr. Figg provided graduates with his top ten list for success with the most important being “Don’t alter your moral compass. Choose the hard right over the easy wrong and the courage to do what is right.” He said, “Pharmacists commonly face situations that call for moral courage.”

PCOM President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Feldstein addressed the graduates. He said, “Commencement day, by nature, is a crossing of an intangible threshold. It is the future touching the present.” He advised the new alumni to “honor the humanity of those who suffer. Feel awe. Be humbled. The prospect of healing rests in your sense of compassion.”

Suwanee Mayor James “Jimmy” Burnette, Jr., brought greetings from the city, the county and the citizens of Georgia – “from a grateful community.” He thanked the graduates for their volunteer efforts during their time at the Suwanee campus.

During the invocation, Chief Campus Officer Bryan Ginn asked that the graduates have “courage tempered with humility, great strength accompanied by innate tenderness, judgment to know when to seek assistance and counsel from colleagues, friends and family,” along with “perseverance, a prescription for taking care of themselves and a passion for life-long learning.”

• Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net

Tidbits of summer, including no hat, no shorts, no service

By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum

MAY 31, 2019  |  Summer has definitely arrived well in advance of its normal start for Gwinnett, June 21, giving us a full three more weeks of hot weather here at beginning of summer. (I like hot weather; Hurrah!)

Today let’s salute people years ago who approved planting trees in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. By having the foresight to plant shade trees, now maturing, between the rows in the parking lot, we now enjoy their summer shade, and it just makes the area a whole lot nicer. It’s a pity more developers of big parking lots don’t recognize the beauty that trees bring, much less their shade. It keeps the vehicles much cooler, of course, and that’s a great benefit to motorists. We suspect people would shop stores more if their parking lots had trees and their shade.

We’re also pleased to find that we are seeing more white vehicles these days. A person got into my white Jeep SUV the other day, and immediately said: “Wow! This is a whole lot cooler than my car,” which is a gray SUV.  Why people in the South purchase darker colors in vehicles makes you wonder.

You’ve seen the signs in shopping establishments, particularly near the ocean.  They tell their potential customers: “No shoes, no shirts, no service,” or similar thoughts. They don’t want any sloppy-looking customers!

Now we have seen a new list of “No’s.” It surprised us: “No hats, no shorts, no service.”

And we thought hats were coming back.

However, there was great irony in this sign. You see, it was that of a restaurant, and above the name of the restaurant was a single emblem….of a hat!

How many of you were pleased as I was this week when The Writer’s Almanac reappeared on your computer screen?  It is great to have this feature of the Internet back and running.

It’s the vehicle that Garrison Keillor had produced previously on the Internet and in an audio version on public radio. While Keillor may not be heard on the radio anymore, it’s good to get his tidbits, literature, history and contemporary thought via computer.

Medical schools in Georgia were at one time confined to either Augusta or Atlanta, at Emory or Morehouse. Then Mercer University (my alma mater) opened a medical school in Macon, and later on extended a medical campus to  Savannah. Meanwhile, our own Suwanee was surprised one day to learn that the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) would start a campus in Gwinnett. Today it has over 1,000 students in several medical programs. And last year PCOM announced it would also open a campus in Moultrie, to start matriculating students on August 12.

Now even another city will get a medical school. Mercer University is expanding its two-year medical campus in Columbus to a full four year program and campus by 2021. Mercer will eventually increase the number of students to 240 on a downtown campus known as a former Synovus Bank call center on 11th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It’s a culmination of an eight-year drive that launched a $25 million public-private venture.

Mercer President Bill Underwood says: “It is a very vivid demonstration of the good that can come when local communities and institutions and our state government identify a problem and say we’re going to come together and solve this.”

• Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net

With it hot outside, consider these tips for staying cooler

By April Sorrow

JEFFERSON, Ga.   |  As temperatures climb into the 90s, Jackson Electric Membership Corporation encourages members to reduce energy use where possible to save money. When temperatures outside are high, heat pumps must work overtime to keep the air indoors cool.

Follow these tips to reduce energy use to save money.

Stay cool for less 

Nearly half of the electricity used at home goes to condition the air inside. To impact cost, the air conditioner or heat pump needs to run less.

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees.
• Don’t turn off the air conditioner when you’re gone; instead set it higher. Turning it off makes the system work much harder to overcome the heat built up in the house when you turn it back on.
• Better still, use a programmable thermostat. Set it to bring your home’s temperature down to 78 degrees 30 minutes before you get home.
• Replace air conditioner filters now, then once a month. The dirtier the filter, the harder your heat pump must work.
• Lamps, televisions or anything that creates heat needs to be kept away from the thermostat, as they will impact its accuracy.
• Don’t block vents with furniture or other objects.
• Use ceiling fans when you are in a room to provide additional cooling; they also provide better circulation, which reduces air conditioning costs.
• Trim foliage around the air conditioning condenser to allow adequate airflow around the unit.

Reduce heat inside

• Restrict use of heat-producing appliances like ovens, dishwashers and dryers to the early morning or late evening when temperatures are cooler outdoors.
• Grill outside or use a microwave or toaster oven. A toaster oven uses one-third to one-half as much energy as a regular oven and releases less heat into the home.
• Turn off heat-generating devices when not in use — including lamps, televisions and computers.
• On warm days, close blinds and drapes, especially in south-facing windows which allow in the most heat.

Cut energy use everywhere else

• Activate “sleep” features on computers and office equipment that power down when the equipment is not in use.
• Do full loads when you use clothes washers, dryers and dishwashers.
• Use dimmers, timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
• Replace lightbulbs with LED bulbs, which burn longer and produce less heat.

Plan long-term

• Plant deciduous trees to shade the south side of your house.
• Insulate floors, walls and attics to keep cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
• Get your air conditioner tuned-up. Consider a maintenance contract that provides a checkup twice a year, prior to peak cooling and heating seasons.
• If your HVAC unit is 10 years old or more, consider replacing it. New models are more efficient and may lower your electric bill. Jackson EMC offers rebates and low-interest loans for qualifying members. More details about these programs are available at jacksonemc.com/rebates.

For more money-saving tips, check out the list at www.jacksonemc.com/waystosave.

• Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net

Gateway85 Gwinnett

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Gateway85 Gwinnett is a self-taxing community improvement district that includes just over 800 commercial property owners with a property value of over $1 billion. Gateway85 includes the southwestern part of Gwinnett County including properties along Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Buford Highway, Indian Trail,  and Beaver Ruin Rd. Gateway85 is one of six CIDs to be created in Gwinnett County and is the largest of all CIDs in the state. The community is an economic powerhouse that helps fuel the regional economy. More than 3,600 companies (employing roughly 36,000 people) call Gateway 85 home. The jobs in the district account for almost 12 percent of Gwinnett County’s total employment and support $2 billion in annual payroll. Gateway85 Gwinnett‘s mission is to improve property values through increased security, a decrease in traffic congestion, and general improvements to the curb appeal of the area. The CID moved their offices to 1770 Indian Trail-Lilburn Road, Norcross and recently rebranded to reflect the strong future of this area.  It was previously known as Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District.

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Some say Churchill was reason that Battle of Gallipoli failed

Editor, the Forum:

About John Titus’ review on Churchill: I have not yet read Meacham’s book that paints a halo around this controversial leader. Other historians regard him as striking the match and blowing the flames that created a war out of a resolvable diplomatic crisis. Patrick Buchannan’s Unnecessary War, David Irving’s Churchill’s War, among others, paint a very different picture of the Gallipoli architect where almost 500,000 were needlessly sent to their deaths in World War I.

— Joe Briggs, Suwanee

Dear Joe: You have a different view than some others.  While Churchill was controversial in several ways, he still provided the moral fiber to prop up England initially and during that country’s most intense times facing the German air strikes. You gotta give him credit: he made sure he was remembered kindly in history by writing about the times himself.  His six volume history of World War II is well written. –eeb

Technology makes possible easier reading of community newspapers

Editor, the Forum:

What a marvelous boost that the technology of mobile devices like iPads, smartphones and tablets, have given to rural and small town newspapers!  I have been using mine to read the GwinnettForum and other online editions of printed newspapers for at least five years.  Moreover, I have noticed the quality, readability and usefulness of features offered by the e-editions has significantly gotten better during that time.

Speaking of small town newspapers, I have to give kudos to The Clay County Progress (of Hayesville, N.C.).  Not only does this weekly newspaper publish a newsy, content-rich print edition, they too offer a free online edition to print subscribers.

— Al Swint, Tucker

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

New scholarship at Gwinnett Tech honors service of Rick Davis

A new scholarship has been created at Gwinnett Technical College to honor former Peach Federal Credit Union State Director, Rick Davis, who officially retired from the Board at the May meeting. The scholarship was established by Peach State to honor Davis’s 19 years of service as a member of their board of directors, including the last six as chairman. Davis retired from the Gwinnett County Public School System after 30 years of service.

Davis

The scholarship is open to students currently enrolled in the Early Childhood and Education Program at Gwinnett Tech. Applicants will prepare a 300 word essay expressing how the scholarship will benefit them and their future education plans and career goals. One recipient will be selected for the $1,000 scholarship each spring and fall semester by the Gwinnett Tech Foundation Committee.

Dr. D. Glen Cannon, president of Gwinnett Tech, says: “Peach State’s passion for education is evident in their contributions and support for Gwinnett Tech and our students. We are so grateful for their support and we look forward to awarding the first scholarship this fall.”

Peach State’s President/CEO, Marshall Boutwell said that Davis joined the credit union’s Board in 1999 and was elected chairman in 2013. “He has helped shape the future of the credit union, guiding us through significant growth and change. One of his most significant accomplishments was leading the Board through the implementation of a formal Board governance process. We are so pleased to be able to recognize those years of dedication through this scholarship that will benefit future educators like the ones who founded our credit union 58 years ago.”

Johnson to head DNR Law Enforcement Division in northeast Georgia

Captain Johnny Johnson was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and will join the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement’s Northeast Georgia region in Social Circle as its supervisor. He steps into the vacancy created when Lt. Col. Jeff Weaver retired a few weeks ago.

Johnson

Johnson has been with DNR Law Enforcement for 31 years, starting his career in 1988 assigned to Dodge County in the Cordele District. He has previously served in in both northeast Georgia and northwest Georgia. He has managed 19 counties in northeast Georgia and supervising all of DNR Law Enforcement’s operations at Lake Sidney Lanier, one of the busiest lakes in the nation.

Johnson also implemented the DNR LED K-9 program, becoming the Division’s first K-9 handler in 1999, and began the DNR K-9 Training Academy in 2000. He also created and implemented the man-tracking curriculum for the Georgia Game Warden Academy and was responsible for starting the Game Warden Advisory Council under Colonel Black.

He was the State Supervisor of the Year for the Division in 2001 and State Investigative Ranger of the Year in 1995.Lt. Col. Johnson’s wife, Angie, is employed by the GA DNR State Parks and Historic Sites Division and they have two children. He is a Whitfield County native and resides in Lumpkin County.

Unexampled Courage by Richard Gergel

If you want a book that goes behind the scene to explain President Truman’s desegregation of the military, and at the same time shows how a South Carolina judge was the key person in killing the “separate but equal” idea of education, this is the book for you. The key person is Judge J. Waties Waring, a Federal District Judge in Charleston, with the book written by Richard Gergel, a judge who is the successor to that seat.  The author has the touch that makes a history read like a can’t-put-down novel. You’ll learn that all this started when a returning Army sergeant, a black man, a few hours after his discharge when in uniform, had his eyes put out by a South Carolina city policeman. You’ll learn that sometimes justice does not prevail. But you will come away far more enlightened about our South and its way of life.—eeb

The full title is UNEXAMPLED COURAGE, the Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring.

• An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (100 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next.  Send to: elliott@brack.net

DeSoto’s expedition had enormous impact on pristine Native Americans

(Continued from previous edition)

The impact of the 1539-43 Hernando de Soto expedition was enormous. Not only did surviving Spanish chroniclers offer their first and last glimpse of pristine Native American chiefdoms across the interior southeastern United States, but the accidental introduction of European plague diseases most likely resulted in massive epidemic population losses in these same regions.

De Soto

In the aftermath of the de Soto expedition the Spanish crown first mounted an abortive missionary effort by Dominican priests under Fray Luis Cancer on the Gulf Coast of the Florida peninsula in 1549. In 1559 they launched a massive colonial venture under Tristan de Luna, when some 1,500 Mexican soldiers and colonists sailed from Vera Cruz to Pensacola Bay, where a hurricane destroyed most of their ships and supplies shortly after arriving.

The colonists moved inland in search of food at a town called Nanipacana, but when their supplies were exhausted, in April 1560, Luna sent a detachment of 140 soldiers and two Dominican friars northward, backtracking along de Soto’s earlier route toward the populous chiefdom of Coosa in northwest Georgia. Several of the officers were veterans of the de Soto expedition who had settled in Mexico.

The detachment passed through Apica and Ulibahali before arriving at Coosa, where they spent several months. During this stay a detachment of these men accompanied the Coosa chief and warriors on a military raid against the rebellious province of Napochin near present-day Chattanooga, Tenn. In 1561, after the Luna Spanish colony failed and the colonists returned to Mexico. Luna’s replacement, Angel de Villafane, led a ship around the Florida peninsula briefly to reconnoiter the Atlantic coastline of Georgia and South Carolina.

This same region soon witnessed a flurry of activity by other European explorers. In 1562 French sailors under Jean Ribault reconnoitered the coastline before establishing Charles Fort on Parris Island, S.C., and two years later a Cuban ship under Hernando Manrique de Rojas scoured the coast in search of the abandoned French fort, which they destroyed. That same year French ships visited the Georgia coast from Rene de Laudonniere’s new colony at Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville, Fla., but it was Spanish colonists under Pedro Menendez de Aviles that completed this coastal exploration in the decades after the 1565 founding of St. Augustine, Fla.

(To be continued)

• To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org

Determining east and west may help solve this mystery

Today’s Mystery Photo raises a question which may help you locate where the photograph was taken. The question: is this a sunrise or sunset? Figure this out, and you are on your way to determining all. Send your answer with your hometown to elliott@brack.net.

Jerry Colley of Alpharetta sent in the most recent Mystery Photo, wanting it to be run near Memorial Day.  This P-51 replica is at the entrance of the 57^th Fighter Group restaurant near Peachtree-DeKalb Airport. See the sign explaining the airplane that Jerry also sent that is near the airplane.

Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill, was first in, saying: “This is one of the planes in the yard at the 57th Fighter Group restaurant in Atlanta, a place I visited frequently during my 21 years in north Decatur. The restaurant is a bit like a museum with various kinds of war memorabilia everywhere you look and it has an airport in its backyard. (I especially like the recording of Winston Churchill they play in the ladies’ room.”)

Click to make the sign larger.

Steve Rausch, Peachtree Corners, said: “This is Bob “Punchy” Powell’s plane at Peachtree DeKalb’s 57th Fighter restaurant. This is a ‘authentic replica’ of the airplane. There was a ceremony when it was placed, with Bob himself signing the monument.  I am part of a group of ‘Silver Wings’ who are pilots who have flown at least 25 years, that meet every Wednesday for lunch at the 57th.”

Bill Bell of Peachtree Corners, president of the local chapter of Atlanta chapter of the Silver Wings fraternity,  sends more details on the plane: “The blue-nosed P-51 is painted to represent ‘The West By God Virginian,’ a 352nd FG aircraft flown by my dear late friend Robert “Punchy” Powell.  He earned his nickname by winning the Golden Gloves boxing competition in his home state of West Virginia before World War II.  I attended Briarcliff High with Punchy’s daughter, Linda, and enjoyed attending lunches with him and the Silver Wings fraternity for many years. He wrote our weekly newsletter and was the unit historian for the 352nd FG. He actually wrote two Blue Noser books.  ‘Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney’ is the unit history, and ‘Blue Noser Tales’ is a compilation of stories collected from the surviving members.  They were originally based in Bodney, England. His flight jacket and other artifacts are on display in Pooler, Ga. at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum.  It was a great honor to know Punchy Powell.”

Others recognizing the scene include Al Swint, Tucker; Bob Foreman, Grayson; Ann Serrie, Lawrenceville; Mike Tennant, Johns Creek; Jim Savadelis, Duluth; John Titus, Peachtree Corners; Cindy Hall, Snellville; and George Graf, Palmyra, Va.

Snellville Farmers Market to open June 1.

Lilburn Dinner: To provide funds to support the Georgia Fresh for Less program, the Lilburn Farmers Market is hosting a Farm to Market to Table fundraising dinner on Friday, May 31 in the outdoor courtyard at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church. Chef Lisa Lowe of Cooking for Caregivers has crafted an amazing three-course meal focusing on the locally grown and produced products found at the market. It is a preview of the upcoming Lilburn market which opens on June 7. However, the dinner is sold out!

Kids’ Fishing Day at Jones Bridge Park, 4901 East Jones Bridge Road in Peachtree Corners, will be Saturday, June 1 from 9 a.m. until noon. Bring the kids for food, fun, and fishing. For both beginners and the more advanced. Rod and bait will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 678-277-0906 for more information. Jones Bridge Park, 4901 East Jones Bridge Road, Peachtree Corners.

The Farmers Market in Snellville will be the place to be Saturday, June 1, as it opens for the 2019 season, which continues through all of September. Some 40 stalls will greet customers. Opening Day events will include Kriss Johnson singing the National Anthem, other musicians, health screenings, and an educational theatre.

Third Annual Spring Fling returns to the Duluth Town Green on Saturday, June 1 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s a great way to connect with others on a mission to get healthy while having something for the kids to do. The event will feature free workouts, a live DJ, raffles, prizes and inflatables for the kids. Spring Fling raises money to support Rainbow Village. For more information, visit here: https://www.facebook.com/events/169881980561696/

Concert in the Park in Norcross on June 1: Gwinnett Symphony will close the 2018-19 season as its Jazz Ensemble completes its third concert season with an entertaining evening in Thrasher Park at 7 p.m. This free concert sponsored by City of Norcross features a program which includes a diversity of groovy music from North and South America. Bring your chairs or blankets and your favorite foods to enjoy as you relax to the sounds of music on a summer evening.

The Benefits of a Drug Free Program: Join Chuck Wade Tuesday, June 4, from  9-11 a.m. in theGwinnett Chamber – Education Room, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. Wade is state director of Drugs Don’t Work in Georgia and executive director and CEO of the Council on Alcohol and Drugs. He will provides a program overview and teaches you how to maximize your benefits.  For additional information, contact Sara Heady with any questions at (770) 232-8805 or SHeady@GwinnettChamber.org.

Toddler Trek Tuesday: Honeybee Hunt will be June 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Honeybees are always busy as they gather nectar and help pollinate our plants. Join the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center in Buford as it explores these valuable insects through stories, songs, and fun hands-on activities. For ages 18 months to 3 years. Cost: $10 per person, with one adult free with each paid child. Preregister online with code EHC29170 or call 770-904-3500.

Author Lauren Willing will speak on June 5 at 7 p.m. at the Georgia Gwinnett College Heritage Room on the third floor of the Kaufman Library.  She is a  bestselling author of historical fiction.  Her works include The Other Daughter and The English Wife. Her latest book is The Summer Country. Visitor parking is at Lot 3000 off of Lonnie Harvel Boulevard. The event is open to the public and free and is presented by the Gwinnett County Public Library.

Groundbreaking: The City of Sugar Hill will host an official groundbreaking ceremony for its new Veterans Memorial Plaza on the 75^th anniversary of D-Day, June 6 at 9 a.m. Mayor Steve Edwards and the Sugar Hill City Council welcome the Sugar Hill community to take part in the groundbreaking for this community symbol.   The ceremony will be held at the intersection of W. Broad Street and Church Street, across from City Hall at 5029 W. Broad Street. NE. The Memorial Plaza includes monuments for the six military service branches, a water feature, and an eternal flame, arranged on a walkable hardscape plaza.

Mary Kay Andrews will speak at the Peachtree Corners City Hall on June 7 at 7 p.m. She is a Georgia author of 24 novels and a cookbook. Her latest novel is Sunset Beach. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Her appearance is presented by the Gwinnett County Public Library.

Adopt-a-Stream Workshop: Learn how to monitor the condition of a creek or stream in a class held by Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful in partnership with the Department of Water Resources. Receive free supplies, training, and certifications in chemical, bacterial, and macroinvertebrate testing. This will be June 8 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. To find out more about the Adopt-a-Stream program, visit gwinnettcb.org/adopt-a-stream/.

June picnic of the Southern Wings Bird Club will be Monday, June 10, at 6 p.m. at Pavilion No. 1 at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. The club will provide chicken and tableware. Bring a side dish or salad or dessert. For more details, call Rebecca Deitsch (678-334-1173) or Hank Ohme (770-845-3631).

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