2/5: Kaufman backs MARTA vote; Buford’s bum rap; SCORE’s importance

GwinnettForum  |  Number 18.75 |  Feb. 5, 2019

 

HERE’S ANOTHER AERIAL VIEW of the Mystery Photo from the last edition. It gives you a better perspective as how the architect, I.M. Pei, designed the building to resemble a record player.  For more on last week’s mystery, look below.
IN THIS EDITION
TODAY’S FOCUS: Chamber President Urges Voting ‘YES’ on March 19 Transit Referendum
EEB PERSPECTIVE: It Appears To Me That the City of Buford Is Getting a Bum Rap
ANOTHER VIEW: For New Entrepreneurs, SCORE Provides the Help for Success
SPOTLIGHT: Gwinnett County Public Library
FEEDBACK: Brexit Reminds Us That Washington Warned of Entangling Alliances
UPCOMING: Suwanee Seeking Vendors for Farmers Market Beginning This Spring
NOTABLE: Two Different Websites Name Buford Schools Best in Georgia Again
RECOMMENDED: Movie: The Wife from the title by Meg Wolitzer
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler Is Nationally Significant
MYSTERY PHOTO: We’re Back to Statues for This Edition’s Mystery Photo
LAGNIAPPE: Roving Photographer Visits Santa Fe, New Mexico
CALENDAR:  Check out interesting area events
TODAY’S FOCUS

Chamber president urges voting ‘YES’ on March 19 transit question

Dr. Dan Kaufman
President and CEO, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

DULUTH, Ga.  |  For many years, Gwinnett was literally the fastest growing county in the United States. Today, our pace of growth continues; predictions are that Gwinnett will grow from about 940,000 residents today to between 1.3 and 1.5 million by 2040.

Kaufman

We will be the most populous county in Georgia. The prospect of another half a million people on our highways and roads is a daunting proposition indeed.  We need to plan for the Gwinnett of 2040 today. The time for more transportation options is now.

On March 19, I urge all Gwinnettians to vote YES to fund the largest transit expansion in Gwinnett and metro Atlanta’s history.

The development of transportation alternatives is essential for retaining and attracting new and expanded businesses and high-paying jobs. The development of a robust transit system in our region will enhance our residents’ ability to live, learn, work and play right here in Gwinnett County.

The need for enhanced transportation assets is not new. County leaders have been studying this issue for some time.  The Connect Gwinnett study took a comprehensive look at the future of transportation in the county and how best to position the system for success.

If the transit resolution is approved, the four-phase plan will enhance connectivity both locally and regionally, improve service and rider experience, expand accessibility, as well as provide continuous system upgrades and expansions over time. The proposed agreement between Gwinnett and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority ensures that transit funds raised in Gwinnett will be spent on projects in Gwinnett or that directly benefit Gwinnett.

Forty years ago, community leaders in Gwinnett understood the need to invest in the highways, water and sewer systems, schools, libraries, and other infrastructure requirements required to create and sustain a world class community. Today we face the same kind of strategic decision about our community’s future.

How can we prepare for the Gwinnett of 2040? If we are to continue to grow and thrive in the years and decades ahead, we must have transportation options. Sustained and adequate funding for the creation of a regionally connected transit system is key to the ability of Gwinnett County to provide all residents and businesses in the county with the mobility and transportation services needed to sustain a vibrant and growing community.

The leaders who made today’s Gwinnett possible understood that sound strategic investment is the key to a prosperous future. Today, we need to be as wise.

Gwinnett really is Great. Success really does Live Here. Let’s keep it that way. Vote YES on March 19.

EEB PERSPECTIVE

It appears to me that the City of Buford is getting  a bum rap

By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum

FEB. 5, 2019  |  From what I know, I think the people of Buford are getting a bum rap.

Buford is a good place to live, lots of people know. It has a tremendous community spirit. Its people are top notch, and recognize that being a resident of Buford is something of which to be proud.

Their reputation has recently been hurt by some mean spirit seeking to tarnish the city and its schools. Its top school system employee, the superintendent, apparently is a racist, as determined by a tape that a mystery person surreptitiously recorded in an attempt to get even with him. It was a low-down, dirty deception.

Because of the previous superintendent’s action and words, he is now gone.  Most people agree with that, not wanting a racist to head the system.  The terms that he is recorded saying are despicable and never should have been thought by anyone in these modern times.

From what we understand, whoever was behind this plot to make the city and its schools look bad, apparently tinkered with the tapes that are now so infamous. The person who first got the tapes said publicly that the voice of Buford Commission and School Board Chairman, Philip Beard, were not originally on the tapes.   Apparently someone tampered with the tapes, adding Mr. Beard’s voice, before making them public.

Even so, Mr. Beard said nothing on the tapes that was inappropriate. Apparently the perpetrator of the tape recording wanted to hurt both the school system and the city. They succeeded.

But now people are beginning to ask about the person who secretly recorded the tapes (and maybe spliced in the innocent words of Mr. Beard) and then distributed them.  We will probably never apprehend this despicable person. That  dirty work has been done. We suspect that he may even some day eventually brag about it. Perhaps others he (or she) talks to will make that bragging known, and bring to life the rest of the story.

Here are a few facts about the City of Buford, from its website.

Companies have located operations in Buford for some very solid reasons:

  • Well-developed infrastructures enhance the efficiency of business operations and favorably impact bottom-line profits.
  • Abundant, highly motivated, production-oriented labor force.
  • City-owned water, sewer, gas and electric systems provide the lowest utility rates in the area.
  • Scenic beauty and small town friendliness that create a nurturing environment for employees.
  • Major industrial and commercial acreage available on major transportation arteries priced to attract new business.
  • Independent city school system with local control of elementary, middle and high schools. More than 10 major universities within a 50 mile radius.
  • Fishing, boating, swimming, skiing, camping, beach and water park and golf at Lake Lanier Islands and local parks at Lake Lanier; hiking and camping in the north Georgia mountains; major league sports (baseball, basketball, football and hockey), theatre, concerts of all types, symphony, ballet and museums in nearby Atlanta.
  • 25-acre Buford City Park with tennis and basketball courts, as well as baseball, softball, and soccer fields.
  • Mall of Georgia, Art Colony Downtown, Tannery Row Antique Mall.

That’s not to mention the new facilities around town, the stately City Hall, the gorgeous and expansive Community Center with its 300 seat auditorium, and the new $80 million high school to open in August of 2019. The high school is on 16 acres.

We have no doubt Buford will overcome this recent bum rap.

ANOTHER VIEW

For new entrepreneurs, SCORE provides the help for success

By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga.  |  SCORE- a free resource for Gwinnett’s and other counties budding entrepreneurs.

We hear a lot about big manufacturing firms creating jobs. However, many large firms are contracting and moving overseas.

If Gwinnett or any county really wants to create jobs, it will look to small companies. Smaller businesses created 64 percent of new USA jobs between 1993 and 2011.

When I retired, I looked around to see where I could volunteer to help Georgia’s small businesses to grow and succeed. I found out about the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and have been an active member ever since, mentoring a wide range of small businesses.

SCORE is a not-for-profit national organization which has been around for over 50 years and has over 11,000 volunteers nationally. As a resource partner of the federal government’s SBA (Small Business Administration), it has been assisting small businesses to grow and prosper via confidential mentoring and professional workshops (both on-line and locally) which are either free or offered at minimal cost.

SCORE has several chapters in the greater Atlanta area, including Gwinnett. There are 100+ SCORE mentors in the Atlanta MSA alone. All are unpaid and mentoring sessions are 100 percent free.

SCORE attempts to match a budding entrepreneur with someone who knows the industry he or she is interested in. Mentors have assisted people to either enter or increase profitability in the many different industries.

Workshops are taught by volunteers in numerous areas. Current workshops can be found on the web site https://northmetroatlanta.score.org, which contains a wealth of information about the organization’s services.

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I know that it is not easy to succeed as a small business. Four out of five start-ups fail, even with hard work and the best of intentions. Therefore, mentoring is key.

If you are interested in learning how to start a small business or to grow your existing business, SCORE is the organization that can help you succeed. Simply go to this website and register for a seminar or ask for a free mentoring session. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Gwinnett County Public Library

The award winning Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) system was formed in 1996 after the dissolution of the Gwinnett-Forsyth Regional Library. For more than 20 years, GCPL has provided resources and services that enrich and inspire our community. The Library has 15 branches that offer free access to computers and Wi-Fi, classes, materials, and programming for people of all ages. In 2016, more than five million items were checked out at GCPL, more than any other library system in Georgia. GCPL was recognized as a Top Workplace by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution in 2017 and 2018.

  • For more information about Gwinnett County Public Library programs and services, visit gwinnettpl.org.
  • For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
FEEDBACK

Brexit reminds us that Washington warned of entangling alliances

Editor, the Forum:

George Washington warned Americans to beware of entangling alliances in his farewell address.   While the initial concept of the European Union(EU)  was certainly well intended,  things are not as intended at its inception.

The EU has worked because of generally positive outcomes for its member states. Yet, recently Germany and its bankers have achieved what the Wiermacht could not. Its economic power translates into political power.  Brussels has been imposing policies that have challenged the culture and sovereignty of its members.

Brexit is the people of England wanting to control the destiny of their country. That border with Northern Ireland and Ireland has become labeled as a “backstop” whatever the deal is with the EU.  The EU and Ireland want goods and people to be able to freely pass between the two areas even though one would not be in the EU.

Goods coming from other parts of the UK would have to be inspected to go to Northern Ireland. PM Theresa May wants this as a part of any deal. However, her ministers have resigned over this and Parliament has destroyed her offerings.  EU will not take any deal without it.

Backstop seems to be an obscure naming; backdoor seems more appropriate.   The EU wants and needs movement from country to country like we in the USA move from state to state. That requires open borders. There can only be one set of inspection standards. If each member state breaks this down, the Union collapses.

There is a very real possibility of no deal and a hard border. Articles report that the government is preparing to explain what this means to the public. Impact on the UK economy will be significant. There are discussions of whether marshal law will be necessary. Brussels has asked what the UK wants, but demands open borders in Ulster.

My bet is that there’s no deal.   Interesting stuff, in a time when so many are writing about the rise of nationalism.

— Byron Gilbert, Duluth

Adding to the “spiteful roar” is what many in business are thinking

Editor, the Forum:

The opinions expressed the recent edition of GwinnettForum by a businessman who is dismayed “at noise being added to the spiteful roar” are the opinions held, though usually not so eloquently expressed, by the majority of  John Q. Public.  We are, indeed, tired of the posturing and bluster.

— Elizabeth Truluck Neace, Dacula

Having more good role models around would make a big difference

Editor, the Forum:

The recent article about Raleigh Perry’s grandfather was a great read.  We’re all products of the way we were raised.  Having a good role model makes a big difference in our perspective. We need to see more such role models today.

On the other hand we should remember that our children and grandchildren watch what we do and hear what we say.   The story was a good one.

— John Moore, Duluth

Says he’s not a journalist, but an aspiring opinion writer

Editor, the Forum:

This is how I operate.

Published news of the day is taken from many sources and augmented with data from leading “think tanks” that are conservative, centrist, and left of center. That effort is supplemented further by books related to today’s issues.

Out of this brew comes an intended effort to make readers think — a trait commonly found among opinion writers of any political persuasion. Moreover, it may cause readers to see an issue from a different perspective with perhaps a more nuanced outlook on the subject. Finally, I do “fact checks” with reliable sources. This is unlike some conservative media sources and our present political leadership in the White House.

            — George Wilson, Stone Mountain

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

UPCOMING

Suwanee seeking vendors for farmers market beginning this spring

The City of Suwanee is in search of purveyors of fine fruits and vegetables, herbs, flowers, creators of jams and soaps, and others to participate in the 16th season of its city’s Farmers Market. The regular Suwanee Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays from May 11 through September 28, at Town Center Park. The Winter Farmers Market is the second Saturday of the month from 9-11 a.m. October through April.

Food Truck Fridays also return to Town Center on May 3, June 7, August 2, and September 6, with each month bringing food and music from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The city allows up to ten food trucks per event. The city is craving new and exciting options this year!

Applications for both the Farmers Market and Food Truck Fridays are due on March 18, and can be found at Suwanee.com.

Karinshak will head Gwinnett Senate delegation

Senator Zahra Karinshak (D-Duluth) is the newly-elected chairwoman of the Gwinnett Senate delegation.

Karinshak

Sen. Karinshak will be responsible for sponsoring and carrying local legislation beneficial to Gwinnett County. Sen. Sheikh Rahman (D–Lawrenceville) will serve as vice-chair and Sen. P.K. Martin (R–Lawrenceville) will serve as Secretary of the Gwinnett Senate Delegation.

She says: “I am so honored to take on this new leadership role that will directly impact my constituents. I look forward to working with the entire Senate team in a bipartisan manner to support legislation that will continue growth and prosperity in Gwinnett County.”

NOTABLE

Two different websites name Buford schools best in Georgia again

(Exclusive to GwinnettForum)

The website Niche.com’s algorithm likes the numbers that the Buford City Schools achieve. For the fifth straight year, the website has named the Buford School System the best school district in Georgia. The system has 4,330 students.

Not only that, but another rating website, schooldigger.com, has also ranked Buford as the top system in Georgia among the 182 school districts in Georgia for the 2017-18 school year. Schooldigger also ranked the Buford schools first in 2017.

Niche.com also picked the Gwinnett County Public Schools as having the best public high school in Georgia. It is the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology ranked number one. It was also named by niche.com as the 13th best public high school in the United States.

Schooldigger.com ranked the Oconee County schools as second best in Georgia; Jefferson City Schools third; and Forsyth County fourth.

Coming in second in the Niche.com rankings is the Forsyth County School System, consisting of 44,286 students; and third was the Oconee County Public Schools, with 7,271students.

The Niche.com ranking graded Buford as scoring A+ on teachers, clubs and activities and health safety. It ranked A for diversity and college prep, and A- on academics.

The Gwinnett County Public Schools were also ranked high, the 17th best system in the state, with its 176,052 students.

Niche.com also rates private schools, naming Wesleyan School of Norcross as the 12th best private school in Georgia. It also named Greater Atlanta Christian School as the 16th best private school in Georgia.

RECOMMENDED

Movie: The Wife from the title by Meg Wolitzer

From Karen Harris, Stone Mountain:  This movie is the story of the Castleman couple, Joe and Joan, who meet in a writing class led by Joe. They soon become a couple, though Joe is married when they become involved.  While Joe is the instructor and supposed authority on writing, it is Joan who has the real talent though her submissive personality hides her gift. Fast forward many years to the time when Joe is to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm, Sweden.  The fractures in the marriage, the hostility between Joe and his son who is also a writer, are subtlety dismissed by his father, along with the carefully constructed façade dealing with who is the talent in the couple, are revealed in a startling denouement that is  riveting.  The masterful acting by Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce makes the viewing most satisfying

  • 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
GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA TIDBIT

Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler is nationally significant

Located in Pooler, just minutes from downtown Savannah on Interstate 95, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum is a nationally significant military history museum that documents the role of the Eighth Air Force in the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II (1941-45).

The Eighth Air Force was organized in Savannah on January 28, 1942. The largest force of its kind at the time, the Mighty Eighth comprised 48 bomber groups, 21 fighter groups, and three photo reconnaissance groups. Each of these groups, in turn, were composed of a number of squadrons. Later in 1942 the Eighth’s headquarters, as part of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), moved to England, where its base of operations remained until the war’s end in 1945. The mission of the Eighth Air Force was the heavy bombardment of strategic and military targets in Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany. The Eighth benefited from such outstanding generals as Carl Spaatz, Ira Eaker, and Jimmy Doolittle and at its peak numbered 200,000 officers and enlisted personnel.

The Eighth flew its first bombing mission over Germany in the summer of 1942. By August of that year, the Eighth had begun to operate with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and later supplemented its strategic arm with Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Fighters also operated as part of the Eighth.

The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, established in 1996, tells the story of the Eighth Air Force in World War II. The exhibit opens with an examination of the rise of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany and the Battle of Britain. In a special “mission experience” theater, an audiovisual re-creation puts the viewer in the flight crew’s seats during a mission over Germany. Exhibits also document the cramped quarters of a B-17 and B-24, the hazards of flying high-altitude missions, the prisoner-of-war experience, and the standard flight gear on a World War II bomber. Also on display are personal artifacts and memorabilia that document veterans’ experiences during the war.

A “combat gallery” contains one-to-one scale replicas of the P-51 and the Messerschmitt Bf-109, an ME-163 rocket plane on loan from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and a PT-17 Steerman. Also on the grounds of the museum are aircraft from the cold war era, including an impressively restored (and rare) B-47, an F-4 Phantom, and a MiG-17A. In January 2009 the National Air and Space Museum gave a B-17 bomber to the museum.

The museum maintains a library and archive, four theaters, an artifact collection, a gift store, and a veteran database that seeks to preserve the service history of Eighth Air Force personnel. The museum also maintains an active program in education for middle grades and higher and offers lecture programs for the public. From time to time, aviation art exhibits are on display in the museum, some of them part of the nationally renowned U.S. Air Force art collection.

The museum welcomes reunions and commemorative events. In recent years it has become an important gathering place for veterans. In addition to the museum building, the grounds include a chapel, the Wall of Valor, and memorials recognizing bomber crews shot down during World War II.

The Eighth Air Force played an important role in World War II. The sacrifice and heroism of its personnel stand as an important part of the story of the U.S. war effort in Europe. The museum is a testimonial to that heroism and an important collection that documents the service history and stories of Americans who made up “the last great generation.”

MYSTERY PHOTO

We’re back to statues for this edition’s Mystery Photo

Today we are back to statues as our Mystery Photo. Check out this person on a horse on a pedestal, and try to figure where it is. Send your answers with hometown to elliott@brack.net.

The last mystery photo was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland, Ohio, which several people found easy to identify. The photo came from Ross Lenhart of Pawley’s Island, S.C.

First in with the right answer was Jo Shader of Suwanee. Also recognizing it was Bob Foreman of Grayson: “The photo today is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, designed by architect I. M. Pei;” Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; Ann Serrie of Lawrenceville; and Lou Camiero of Lilburn, who noted it was “Designed by world renown Architect I.M. Pei, who has glass pyramids all around the world. Most famous at the Louvre in Paris.”

Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. sent in another view of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  “The angle of the mystery photo leaves the viewer with the perception that this is a glass pyramid. However, as shown in the attached photo, taken from a different angle, the building is really not a full pyramid on all four sides. Instead it is a combination of geometric forms and cantilevered spaces that are anchored by a 162-foot tower. Designed by I. M. Pei, the tower supports a dual-triangular-shaped glass ‘tent’ that extends (at its base) onto a 65,000-square-foot plaza that provides a main entry facade. There are seven levels in the building and it houses more than 55,000 square feet of exhibition space. The building was dedicated on September 1, 1995.”

George Graf of Palmyra, Va. added more details with this added view of the Hall: “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame looks like a glass pyramid from the ground. But if you look at it from above, the building’s footprint has a specific shape: It’s a record player, with the round plaza in front of the museum serving as the record. The museum was supposed to be taller. The Hall of Fame was supposed to stand about 38 feet higher than it is; its height was lowered from 200 feet to 162 feet because it’s so close to Burke Airport. For one year, there was a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex in New York City. The venue had exhibits that featured John Lennon, Elvis and Bruce Springsteen artifacts. However, the ticket price ($26.50) and low attendance caused it to close after just one year.”

LAGNIAPPE

Roving photographer enjoys visit to the Santa Fe, N.M. area

Our roving photographer, Frank Sharp, and his wife, Pearl, recently visited in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area. They flew into Albuquerque, then took the “Santa Fe Railrunner” to the New Mexican capitol. He says: “The one-way ticket was only $4 for this 50 miles in 60 minutes smooth ride.   This train trip was one of the highlights of our trip with its great views of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains with its valleys and hills. It made a roadrunner chirp at each stop!” Once in Santa Fe, he found that there are no taxis in the city, but a pleasant restaurant manager took the pair to their location in her car.

“We enjoyed the New Mexico History Museum which had a huge store of native history, culture and art.  We then visited the Loretto Chapel (1873) which had the miraculous stairway of 360 degrees without any visible means of support!  Next day we saw the beautiful St. Francis Cathedral, founded in 1610. We loved the building’s Santa Fe Adobe style with its cream colored adobe with flat roofs and rounded corners. We also visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, dedicated to this great American artist who lived to be 98 and was responsible for bringing the American modernism to our country. She holds the record for the highest price ever paid for a female artist painting of $47 million in 2018!”

The chapel

Inside the chapel

CALENDAR

CHOCOLATE WALK and fun strolling in downtown Braselton, Saturday, February 9, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The fifth annual Chocolate Walk treats you while you shop. Tickets are $10, and have sold quickly in the past. For details, visit this site.

Journey through Jazz and Blues: Join musicians from the Atlanta Blues Society and learn about influential blues and jazz musicians.  Connect today’s popular music with old tunes and make some music of your own! This Journey through Jazz and Blues program takes place on Saturday, February 9 at 1 p.m. at the Gwinnett County Public Library’s Lilburn Branch, 4817 Church Street, Lilburn.  It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.orgor call 770-978-5154.

An HBCU College Fair will take place Saturday, February 9 at Meadowcreek High School, 4455 Steve Reynolds Boulevard in Norcross. Representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities will be present, including, Howard University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Tuskegee University, Clark Atlanta University, Tennessee State University and Florida A&M University. The college fair is free and open to the public. The Fair is sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Upsilon Alpha Omega Chapter, and the Gwinnett County Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Trace Your Roots at an African American Genealogy Workshop. Learn how to overcome the challenges of tracing African American genealogy through free genealogy databases, including the Library Edition of Ancestry.com. Presented by Gwinnett County Public Library, this workshop will take place on Sunday, February 10 at 3 p.m. at the Collins Hill Branch, 455 Camp Perrin Road, Lawrenceville.  It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Celebrate Virtuosity with the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, February 10, at 4:30 p.m. at Discovery High School Theater, 1335 Old Norcross Road in Lawrenceville. Under the director of Robert Trocina and Gregory  Pritchard, conductors, this program will feature Jose Manuel Garcia on piano  and Nancy Schechter on violin. Tickets are $10 and will be sold at the door. For more information, visit www.GwinnettSymphony.org.

QUR’AN EXHIBITION, exploring women’s empowerment, is scheduled for the Five Forks Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library on February 10 from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m. The purpose of this exhibition is twofold. First is to eliminate the misconceptions about the Qur’an and second is to highlight the peaceful message of Islam. Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be available to answer questions about Islam.

LILBURN POLICE ADADEMY is accepting applications for its 13 week course. Registration deadline is February 15. Preference is given to Lilburn residents or to someone working in Lilburn. The minimum age is 21. For more information, go to https://www.cityoflilburn.com/281/Citizens-Police-Academy.

State of the County Annual Report will be February 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the Infinite Energy Center. Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash will review 2018 achievements and present the vision for 2019 and beyond.

Fifth Leadership Challenge Workshop will begin February 26 with a four hour session, and continue for five other periods, concluding on April 9. The Workshop brings local leaders together to equip them to serve the community. It is sponsored by the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. It will be facilitated by Betsy Corley Pickren, with guest instructors. For more information, visit www.SouthWestGwinnettChamber.com, or call 678-906-4078.

ANNUAL PLANT SALE, from the University of Georgia Extension Service, runs through March 6. Plant experts are offering a host of fruit shrubs and trees. Purchasers must pick up their prepaid order on March 14 at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. No orders are shipped. For order forms or for more information, visit www.ugaextension.org/gwinnett, or call 678-377-4010.

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