BREAKING GROUND at a new Georgia State Patrol station north of the Suwanee exit of Interstate 85 are these patrolmen. Col. Mark McDonough, fifth from the right, says: “What better place to locate this building to be able to serve Gwinnett County and help local law enforcement.” The site is a formerly closed highway rest stop. The 12.2-acre site will be home to a single story, 10,797-square-foot building that will replace the existing State Patrol Post off Pleasant Hill Road. The land is owned by GDOT. Carroll Daniel Construction is building the patrol post as designed by Precision Planning. The post will house command staff offices, a troopers’ dayroom, classroom, evidence storage, dormitory space for 16 troopers and a Highway Emergency Response Operators Unit dayroom. The site also provides parking for GDOT’s HERO units.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Happyfeat Program Gives Special Needs Residents An Opportunity
EEB PERSPECTIVE: STEM School Students Change the Way for Future Ribbon Cuttings
ANOTHER VIEW: PCOM Georgia Names Fabrizio as Innovative Teacher of the Year
SPOTLIGHT: Howard Brothers
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
UPCOMING: Third Annual Sunday Supper on Sept. 29 To Benefit Aurora Theatre
NOTABLE: Georgia Gwinnett College Again Ranked Tops in Diversity in the South
RECOMMENDED: It All Comes Back To You by Beth Duke.
GEORGIA TIDBIT: J.B. Fuqua Gets Involved with Politics and Distributes His Wealth
MYSTERY PHOTO: Rough-Hewn Log Building is This Edition’s Mystery Photo
CALENDAR: 67th Gwinnett County Fair Continues Through September 21
Happyfeat program gives special needs residents an opportunity
Dawn Carr and Happyfeat friends
By Nicole Short
SUWANEE, Ga. | Happyfeat was established in 2014 when Lucy Miller of Suwanee met at North Gwinnett High School a very special young man, David, who has Down Syndrome.
The more time she spent with David and all his special friends she discovered the overwhelming and undeniable need for friendship, acceptance, and most importantly inclusion in all aspects of life. From then on Lucy’s main mission was to provide as many opportunities as possible for all our happy friends.
Lucy Miller and David O’Callagha
Happyfeat was organized by Lucy Miller and her mother, Dawn Carr, also of Suwanee. It is a nonprofit organization, 501(c) 3, that gives individuals with special needs the chance to work and be a part of a variety of special events.
Miller says: “Our dream is to provide fun inclusive programs to support our incredible friends and their communities in these three critical areas: education, employment and life enrichment platforms. We strongly believe that the more exposure that people with disabilities have, the more accepting people will become and with that comes more possibilities and more love for our special friends. Our objective is pretty simple – create an unmeasurable amount of chances for the world to see that those with disabilities are beautiful, valuable and capable.”
Carr adds: “We have two major programs we offer each year. Our summer camp runs for seven weeks throughout the summer, attended by individuals from a variety of ages. Summer camp includes visits from special guests, field trips, crafts, and many more fun activities.”
The day program runs equivalent to Gwinnett County’s School schedule and is geared for individuals who have aged out of the school system. Miller says: “We strongly believe when individuals with disabilities age out of high school, their journey is just beginning. We continue to work on educational and life skills where they continuously accomplish and master a variety of capabilities. We are lucky to have found a group of work sites, where our happy group is constantly learning and interacting with their coworkers.”
Along with summer camp and day program Happyfeat hosts several events throughout the year. These events include server nights where its happy friends get to work alongside waitresses and waiters while building communication and restaurant skills. There is also a Happy Golf Tournament, Happy Halloween Party, Jingle in the Park, Happy Gala, and the Night to Shine Prom. These events not only to give all Happyfeat’s attendees the experiences they deserve, but also to build relationships, spread love, and reach as many people as possible.
With the help from the overall community and others, Happyfeat can continue to build an organization that will support “the happiest people on earth” well beyond their high school years.
Among its supporters are Atlanta Classic Cars, Ippolitos, Mellow Mushroom, Jim Ellis Automotive, and Benco Wood/AL Grading. Happyfeat operates on a budget of approximately $245,000. Summer camp and day programs are $150 a week.
Carr says: “We call it inclusion for life. Our ultimate goal is to grow this program so we can support as many individuals as possible. We urge others to spread Happyfeat’s love and help us grow this program! Follow us on social media to witness all the joy!
Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up on the website, www.Happyfeat.org.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
STEM school students change the way for future ribbon cuttings
With drones in the upper corners holding the red ribbon, the ribbon has just been cut at Curiosity Lab is about to take place! From left are Jan Geldmacher, president Sprint Business; Paul Powers, president and CEO of Georgia Power; Wayne Hodges, member of Pendleton Group; Ann Purcell, GDOT Commissioner; City Councilmembers Phil Sadd, Erick Christ and Alex Wright; Mayor Mike Mason; Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan; City Councilmembers Jeanne Aulbach and Lorri Christopher; Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; Councilmember Weare Gratwick; John F. King, State Insurance Commissioner; and Brian Johnson, city manager.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 13, 2019 | Ribbon cutting will never be the same again after Wednesday’s official opening of Curiosity Lab’s new activities in Peachtree Corners. Four students from Paul Duke STEM High School changed the way ribbons cuttings are held, as they guided two drones through the skies, holdings ends of a red ribbon, as city and Curiosity Lab officials snipped the ribbon signaling the start of the nation’s first 5G-powered smart city technology proving ground on Technology Parkway.
The student team with the drones were Pilots Smit Patel, a senior, and Josh Taylor a sophomore. On the ground guiding the drones as spotters were William Tomsik and Noah Budnitz, both sophomores. All are members of the Drone Club, guided by Lee Conger of Tucker, who is the school technologist, helping other teachers use technology better ways in instructing their students.
Conger is a former English teacher, a UGA grad, who is a native of Bainbridge in south Georgia. He says of the Wednesday event: “These students are bright, motivated, and truly special. I’m happy to report our part of the event was pretty perfect, but there was much more work to prepare for it than we originally anticipated. It so happens that it’s fairly difficult to fly a flimsy piece of ribbon without it getting caught in some propellers.””
The Drone Club has about 25 students in it, with a smaller group of a half dozen students with basic experience leading the activities. Already the Club has done drone photography for other schools with its experienced students. Conger says: “We are out there helping other schools when called upon.”
Drone team members are Josh Taylor, Smith Patel, William Tomsik and Noah Budnitz.
Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason, other city officials and those from Curiosity Lab were smiling Monday as the Lab officially began activities. For the past few months, the roadway of Technology Park has been busy with renovations for the Curiosity experiments. Soon a variety of companies are expected to use the 1.5 mile autonomous test track with a variety of self-driving vehicles, robots, shuttles, teleoperated e-scooters and even autonomous lawnmowers. Major companies, like Kia and Mercedes-Benz, have an interest in using the test track in implementing their own experiments.
The site is next generation connectivity in testing operations in real-world conditions. It is the nation’s first 5G-powered smart city technology proving ground, and is attracting attention from many companies, even including Delta Air Lines, which sees potential for testing driverless vehicles connecting airport operations with airplanes, in moving baggage around, for example.
The unusual ribbon cutting in Peachtree Corners came during the three-day Smart City Expo, going on this week in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center. This is the first year that the Expo has been held in the United States. Normally the program on innovation and urban planning is held in Barcelona, Spain. The conference is planned to take place in Atlanta for the next three years.
During the ceremonies, Mayor Mike Mason remembered the founder of Technology Park/Atlanta, Paul Duke. He said: “I would like to think Paul Duke would be proud of us for trying to recapture that spirit of innovation that he started here back in the (1970’s and 1980’s),” Mason said after the ribbon cutting.
Though Curiosity Lab’s work is futuristic in nature, the Paul Duke STEM High School students brought in today’s real time a new wrinkle to ribbon cutting. Here’s our Big ATTABOY! to them.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
PCOM Georgia names Fabrizio as Innovative Teacher of the Year
Dr. Philip Fabrizio in the classroom. Photo provided.
By Barbara Myers
SUWANEE, Ga. | “Teaching to everyone” is the philosophy that has guided Dr. Philip Fabrizio’s classroom methodology for the past 32 years. While researching student motivational behavior, he uncovered a quote, attributed to authors Henry A. Murray and Clyde Kluckhohn, which aligns with his style – “Every person is, in certain aspects, like all other people, like some other people, and like no other person.”
This methodology earned Dr. Fabrizio the “Innovative Teacher of the Year” award for 2019 at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Georgia. He was selected by a panel of fellow faculty members across all programs who teach at the Suwanee campus.
A physical therapist by training, Dr. Fabrizio earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2008 and is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Education degree with a specialization in Teaching and Learning. He joined PCOM Georgia in April 2018 as an associate professor and currently teaches physical therapy students clinical anatomy, clinical exercise science and wellness and clinical neuroscience.
Dr. Fabrizio believes that his role as a teacher is more about being a “facilitator and personal role model rather than the expert.”
He explains that his curriculum is linked to clinical cases and scenarios from the start of the anatomy course which improves student orientation to learning. “Students are allowed to draw from their current knowledge and experiences, thus improving motivation,” he said.
He augments traditional lectures with presentation techniques such as visual interpretation of images, dissection of cadaver specimens, clinical cases and palpation exercises. “Teaching should be “multi-faceted with a considerable amount of freedom and creativity to allow student self-discovery,” he believes.
Dr. Fabrizio’s students are not required to follow a dissection guide in the laboratory, but are asked to find the structures discussed in class using a variety of learned dissection techniques.
Dr. Fabrizio said, “Fostering independence in the laboratory has allowed students to view their cadavers and their work differently than simply following the dissecting manual, in effect viewing the cadaver with a more inquisitive sense.”
He explained, “In past classes, several unique dissection techniques, driven by student curiosity and creativity, have been published in peer-reviewed journals as novel techniques and teaching aids.”
Oral examinations and peer and near-peer teaching methods are also distinctive teaching styles. Dr. Fabrizio’s methods have resulted in presentations to the American Association of Clinical Anatomists and the American Physical Therapy Combined Sections meetings.
He said, “I am very excited about the award, not just for my personal recognition, but also as a way to recognize the physical therapy department and our students who have been receptive to the process.”
“Without our students, we wouldn’t be here,” he said.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Howard Brothers
Today’s sponsor is Howard Brothers, which has retail stores in Alpharetta, Doraville, Duluth, Oakwood and Athens. John and Doug Howard are the “brothers” in Howard Brothers. This family-owned business was started by their dad, and continues to specialize in hardware, outdoor power equipment and parts and service. Howard Brothers are authorized dealers of STIHL, Exmark, Honda, Echo outdoor power equipment and Benjamin Moore paint. Howard Brothers is also an authorized Big Green Egg, Traeger Grill and YETI Cooler dealer.
- Visit their web site www.howardbrothers.com.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
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
Third annual Sunday Supper on Sept. 29 to benefit Aurora Theatre
Local Republic restaurant is teaming up with Springer Mountain Farms for a tasty evening in support of Aurora Theatre. This will be the third annual Sunday Supper on September 29.
Held at the new industrial-chic Laundry Events in downtown Lawrenceville, Sunday Supper brings the community together in support of the arts for a family-style meal around communal tables. The fried chicken feast will be prepared by Local Republic’s Chef Alex Kim and his team, with the freshest ingredients from Springer Mountain Farms. Enjoy libations courtesy of Cathead Vodka and Southern Brewing Company. Experience live music with blues-rock melody makers Kristin and the Honey Badgers.
This event’s proceeds all go to the Aurora Theatre, bringing world class arts experiences to Gwinnett while strategically working to build a strong sense of community across the most diverse county in the Southeastern United States.
Laundry Events is located at 235 North Perry Street, Lawrenceville. The all-inclusive event is $75 per person at 6-8 p.m.
Learn about aging in comfort and good health at seminar
Are you interested in learning more about aging in comfort and good health? Explore resources and effective aging options for yourself or a loved one at a community forum on aging Tuesday, September 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center.
Gwinnett County Health and Human Services is hosting Engage in Aging, a free event with speakers and breakout sessions to provide insight and best practices for those who are planning to age in place, those who may need transitional support or those who are considering alternative housing.
The hourly breakout sessions will offer hands-on demonstrations and cover topics such as healthy eating, assistive technology and fall prevention, nutrition and cooking demonstrations, transportation considerations and active mobility and balance.
Light refreshments and lunch will be available. Registration is required using code GPP4199 at www.GwinnettHumanServices.com. George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center is located at 55 Buford Highway in Suwanee.
Georgia Gwinnett College again ranked tops in diversity in South
For the sixth year in a row, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report magazine as the most ethnically diverse Southern regional college. The ranking was included in the magazine’s 2020 “College Compass” report, issued today.
Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president, says: “Since its inception almost 15 years ago, GGC’s student body has reflected the rich diversity of Gwinnett County and the Atlanta metropolitan region. We are very proud to be part of this great community and to provide a vibrant, welcoming learning environment in which all students can feel right at home.”
The ranking was based on data reported from the college’s fall 2018 semester, when enrollment was 12,508. At that time, the ethnic composition of GGC’s student body was 32.1 percent black/African-American, 30 percent white, 21.3 percent Hispanic, 11 percent Asian, 3.8 percent multi-ethnic and less than one percent each for Native American, Pacific Islander and unknown. About 75 percent of GGC’s students in fall 2018 hailed from Gwinnett County. In addition, 32 U.S. states and 120 nations were represented.
It All Comes Back To You by Beth Duke
From Tim Anderson, Fitzgerald | This is a lovely book of parallel lives. You savor it, and you can’t put it down. The war is over. South Alabama, 1947. Violet is beautiful, her life full of promise, and her world is perfect. Until it isn’t. Fast forward to the present day and Violet is living in an assisted living facility where she befriends a nurse, Ronni. As we live Violet’s life backwards, we meet the wounded and broken Ronni, who was herself abandoned by her drug addict mother at five and we creep through her
tortuous years in foster care. Soon Violet asks Ronni, a budding writer, a bold challenge: to tell Violet’s story and receive a generous inheritance, which she does. The reader will love these two generous women, who give more than they take from life. Surprising plot twists abound. Duke is a compelling writer, who will engage readers from the first page.
- 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
Fuqua gets involved with politics and distributes his wealth
(Continued from previous edition)
J.B. Fuqua‘s venture into the world of conglomerates began in 1965, when he gained control of Natco, a brick and tile manufacturer. He followed that deal with the acquisition of other companies, including Martin Theaters, the Snapper Power Equipment Company, and Georgia Federal Savings and Loan. Over the next several decades Fuqua bought companies the way some people buy stock, and he developed Fuqua Industries into a corporation worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Fuqua
In 1957 Fuqua began a political career that spanned three terms in the Georgia legislature and ended when he left the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party in 1966. While in the General Assembly, he was responsible for passing legislation to finance a new governor’s mansion. After helping Carl Sanders become governor in 1962, Fuqua became friends with John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and other national leaders. With the help of U.S. attorney general Robert Kennedy, he and Sanders were able to prevent much of the racial violence that plagued some other southern states.
After leaving politics Fuqua combined business with philanthropy. To show his gratitude to Duke University in Durham, N.C., for lending him books through the mail as a teenager, he donated $10 million to establish the Fuqua School of Business in 1980. In the late 1980s, just as the Soviet Union was on the verge of breaking up, he began a program to teach American capitalism to business leaders in the former Soviet Union. Selected businessmen were brought to the Fuqua School of Business for several weeks of intense instruction.
Friends describe Fuqua’s life as the ultimate rags-to-riches story, and in fact, he was presented with the Horatio Alger Award by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in 1984. But his financial success was accompanied by several personal tragedies. The worst of these was in 1970, when the younger of his two sons, Alan, was killed in a plane crash at the age of 18. Another setback came in 1991, when he lost control of the company he had built. In his 2001 memoir, Fuqua: How I Made My Fortune Using Other People’s Money, he publicly acknowledged that he had suffered from severe depression much of his life.
After his retirement, Fuqua continued to go into his office every day and also advised his son, J. Rex, on business ventures. Much of his time was given to considering new philanthropic projects.
His charitable work was concentrated in Atlanta, where he had lived since 1967. His contributions included a $5.5 million donation to the Atlanta Botanical Garden to establish the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory in honor of his wife and another $3 million for the Orchid House. He also gave $6 million to establish the Fuqua Heart Center at Piedmont Hospital and $4 million to Wesley Woods Center of Emory Healthcare and the George West Mental Health Foundation for the treatment of depression in the elderly, all in Atlanta. (He also conceived the idea of establishing the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way of Atlanta, which honors individuals who donate at least $10,000 to the United Way. As of 2019, there are 975 members in Atlanta. The first big individual gift to United Way came from Scott Hudgens of Gwinnett, at $25,000, made in 1989, which eventually led to the establishment of the Society.—eeb)
Fuqua died in Atlanta of complications from bronchitis in April 2006.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Rough-hewn log building is this edition’s Mystery Photo
Try your eyes on this building as today’s Mystery Photo. Figure out its location and give us your answer by sending to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown.
The last mystery in photography came from quite a delightful place, Prince Edward Island, in Canada.
The photo came from Ann Royster of Shelby, N.C.
Lynn Naylor, Atlanta: “This is “Teacup Rock” at Thunder Cove Beach, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It’s one of the most photographed rock formations on PEI.”
Spotting it early on was Jim Savadelis, Duluth: “ Today’s picture is Thunder Cove Beach on Prince Edwards Island, Canada.” Then came Robert Foreman, Grayson: “The photo is of Teapot Rock, at Thunder Cove, near the small town of Kensington on Prince Edward Island. Never been there, but planning to go real soon.”
Allan Peel of San Antonio (currently in Silver City, N.M.) wrote: “This photo is along the north shore of Prince Edward Island near Darnley, PEI, Canada. The rock formation is called ‘The Tea Cup’ and is a natural sandstone sea stack where the rock around the bottom eroded more quickly than the rest of the formation leaving the structure standing alone in the water. “
George Graf of Palmyra, Va. sent to us: “Thunder Cove Beach is one of those hidden gems that locals try to keep for themselves. It’s off-the-beaten-path in Darnley, just outside of Kensington. While most of PEI’s north shore is known for epic rolling dunes and wide beaches of fine sand, Thunder Cove is so much different. The shore and beach is geologically diverse and a real-time example of how water and wind shape and change the Island landscape. The sandstone cliffs, columns (sea stacks) and cave formations are never the same way twice, completely at the mercy of a restless stone carver – nature! If you’re looking in the right direction, you can imagine you’re standing in the Arizona Desert. Well… if the desert overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. Cliffs and dunes surround the beach. Bring your beach blanket and let your worries be washed away by the gentle waves rolling in from the sea.”
The Goat Show is always popular
The 67th annual Gwinnett County Fair continues through September 22 at the Fairgrounds at 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. See the livestock shows and the art, crafts and agricultural exhibits, enjoy the carnival rides, and partake of the food and entertainment venues. The fair is a venture of The Gwinnett County Livestock and Fair Association.
Juried Art Exhibit at the Tannery Row Artist Colony in Buford begins September 14 and continues until November 1. The opening reception will be September 14 from 5-8 p.m. Includes a variety of media, including painting, pastel, colored pencil, pen and ink, mixed media, printmaking, fibre arts, photography, digital art and three dimensional art, including ceramics, pottery and found object sculpture. The Colony is located at 554 West Main Street in Buford.
Relationship between the United States and Mexico is the subject of a discussion led byAlexander Wisnoski, III, PhD, on the current dynamics between the United States and Mexico, specifically mentioning reasons for increased friction between the two, and how both countries view their relationship today. This will be on September 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lawrenceville Public Library Branch, 1001 Lawrenceville Highway. The program is presented in partnership with the University of North Georgia.
Meet Author Daniela Petrova at Liberty Books, 176 West Crogan Street in Lawrenceville on Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m. Petrova will talk about her immigrant experience, the importance of libraries in her life, and her debut novel, Her Daughter’s Mother, which was named “Best Beach Read of 2019” by both O, the Oprah Magazine and The New York Post and one of five thrillers to read this summer by Time Magazine.
An evening with Author Kyle Mills will be Monday, September 30 at 7:30 at the Peachtree Corners Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library, at 5570 Spalding Drive. Mills is fascinated with the dark side of politics and well connected to the intelligence community. He has authored 13 books under his name and is finishing the Vince Flynn series from notes left by Flynn for the six published books. Lethal Agent is his current novel.
The Good Neighbor Gala, Benefitting Good Samaritan Gwinnett will be held on Thursday, October 3 at Ashton Garden in Sugar Hill. Purchase your ticket in support of Gwinnett’s largest Christian charitable organization serving the low-income and uninsured families with medical, dental and pharmacy services under one roof, and nearing 36,000 appointments just this year! Go to www.goodsamgwinnett.org/the-good-neighbor-gala for ticket purchases and for making your nomination for The Good Neighbor Award.
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