GwinnettForum | Number 21.70 | Sept. 10, 2021
THERE’S A GWINNETT CONNECTION HERE: Atlanta architect John Portman’s final work, “Koan,” now has a permanent home on the campus of Georgia Tech. It stands 40 feet tall, and was constructed over the years in an adventurous alliance between a Gwinnett luxury bath company, a boat manufacturer, and supercomputers at the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech. MTI Baths of Sugar Hill President Russell Adams collaborated with Portman’s Stanley Mickey Steinberg and the School in bringing the complicated work to fruition. Georgia Tech’s website describes “koans” as “paradoxes, riddles, or dialogues meant to shake up our logical, rational minds.” For more on this story, go to WABE at https://www.wabe.org/john-portman-koan/.
After a solid year of preparation and with 37 years of experience, it is almost time again for Sept. 25-26 in downtown Duluth. It begins on Saturday morning with a huge parade, followed by the opening ceremony. There will be 300 plus booths of arts and crafts, food, sponsors, etc., entertainment on two stages. Sunday starts with a Road Race at 8 a.m. followed by worship on the Green. Ride one of our ten large shuttle buses and you won’t have to worry about parking at all. duluthfallfestival.org.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Texas abortion ruling might find impact in Georgia, too
EEB PERSPECTIVE: One way to know if a community is proud of itself
SPOTLIGHT: Comet National Shipping
FEEDBACK: No room in his heart for people who do not get shots
UPCOMING: County awards $618,450 contract for Equity Action Plan
NOTABLE: GGC grad wins national award synthesizing waste cooking oil
RECOMMENDED: 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Gold leaf atop State Capitol has been applied twice
MYSTERY PHOTO: What’s the location of this Mystery Photo of a tall church?
CALENDAR: Peachtree Corners Festival coming on September 18-19
Texas abortion ruling might find impact in Georgia, too
“When you factor in the time it takes to confirm a pregnancy, consider your options and make a decision, schedule an appointment and comply with all the restrictions politicians have already put in place for patients and providers, a six-week ban essentially bans abortion outright.” — Dyana Limon-Mercado, executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes (regarding new Texas law).
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | Women in Georgia should be concerned with the recent Supreme Court abortion decision. Specifically, in a 5-4 decision (with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the liberals) The Supreme Court of the United States decided that it would not hear a case stopping the new Texas anti-abortion law from taking effect.
The Texas abortion law is unique, but in a horrible way. It outlaws all abortions after an ultrasound can detect a fetal heartbeat (usually six weeks). That’s before most women even know that they are pregnant. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. That effectively halts 90 percent of abortions.
Further, it puts the enforcement of the law in the hands of private citizens, in effect making them bounty hunters as they report violators. In order to prevent legal challenges, it also blocks Texas state officials from having any role regarding enforcement.
Private citizens having nothing to do with a case can sue healthcare providers in civil court and collect $10,000 or more if they can identify anyone violating this new law. People who could be sued (i.e., if they “aid and abet” an abortion) also include family members as well as the staff of clinics, such as counselors… or even the driver giving a woman a lift to the clinic
In effect, the Texas law sets up a pitched battle between women trying to exercise their constitutional right to control their own bodies against the authoritarians saying that the government can exercise its regulatory authority to stop them. The fact that the Texas government is not the enforcer of the law is clearly an irrelevant scam, purposefully built into the law to give a clearly right-wing Court an excuse to permit government intrusion to restrict a woman’s freedom of choice. And it appears that the scam worked.
This may possibly force many women to have unwanted children or go to other states (or Mexico) for an abortion. It takes about 10 minutes to go across the border from El Paso into Juarez, where, as of a Mexican Supreme Court ruling this past week, abortion is not a crime.
Texas Right to Life, a key anti-abortion group, is working to replicate this law in other states. Clearly, Georgia is high on that list.
Georgia passed its own abhorrent anti-abortion law in 2019 (HB 481). But it was more traditional, with governmental enforcement. Like Texas, it stated abortions were banned after a fetal heartbeat could be detected (i.e., before most women even know that they are pregnant).
But, unlike Texas, at least it has exceptions for rape and incest for those women under 20 weeks. Fortunately, a year later, the Georgia law was deemed unconstitutional by the Federal courts and never implemented.
However, with the success of the Texas law, we can expect pro-lifers in the General Assembly to modify our state law to pass muster with the Federal courts by placing enforcement in the hands of individuals acting as paid bounty hunters. And that would in effect stop virtually all abortions in Georgia, at least until the Republicans in Georgia are voted out of power.
Along these lines, the GOP is succeeding in sinking their chances in swing states like Georgia. Suburban women once were solidly Republican, but no longer. Anti-abortion laws like the one in Texas may create a backlash whereby these suburban ladies get out to vote for Democrats in 2022. We have a little over a year to find out.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
One way to know if a community is proud of itself
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 10, 2021 | A now deceased attorney was familiar with many of the small towns of South Georgia, and had a theory which applies elsewhere. “You can tell a good deal about a town just by looking at its cemeteries and its courthouse. If they are kept up neat and clean, that’s a pretty good town to live in.”
We agree, and have seen that played out in many towns. It seems that some communities just don’t think much of their key facilities, and that tells…..
Around suburban areas, we’ve seen another way to tell potential business people whether they should rent space in a particular shopping center. It also applies for potential renters in housing units. If you find a lot of potholes in the parking lot of a shopping center or untended lawns at apartments, don’t rent an office or home there. Places with well-maintained facilities show that the owners care, and will probably be a good landlord.
It’s downright bad, and virtually criminal, to find developers routinely buying land adjacent to heavily traveled roads, such as along the Interstate highways, and building apartments, houses and condos there. (They build there since it’s cheap land.) All that Interstate traffic can only bring constant noise, at all hours of the day. That’s not healthy living. The developers should know better, but all too often they are looking for the immediate dollar.
Not only that, but all too often after building such complexes, these owners vamoose, selling out that development, and probably going to build more apartments adjacent to noisy roads.
One more sore point about those building apartments and condos: when you see an end unit of each building, why do builders not install windows for the renters or owners in at least that end unit, to have more sunlight? We can understand no end windows in apartments in the middle of a row of housing. But the two ends of the buildings? There’s no excuse for that! Or, the builder could put in clerestory windows to bring in more light. Good architecture tries to get light from the outside with at least windows in every room. Not only that, but they could probably get higher rents from units with more light shining into the rooms.
A recent retiree, just turned 62, summed up life this way: “I always knew that I wanted to travel extensively in retirement, but I didn’t know it would be from doctor to doctor.”
The Mary Tyler Moore television series was a wonderful, zany and happy series. It made us laugh. Sure, it was often outrageous, but it was generally grounded on a positive aspect that maybe could have happened in that television newsroom.
Asner
Recently Ed Asner, one of the show’s principal actors, died. He was a really good actor, as he showed with his solid performances and many awards.
For us, one of the scenes we laughed out loud about took place in the very first show, which I have probably written about before. Mary is to have an employment interview with Asner, the newsroom boss, and she comes to his office somewhat nervous just after the daily news show has been completed, as Asner is off the deadline pressure.
Once Mary enters his office and sits down, Asner also sits down at his desk, leans back, and pulls a bottle out of his bottom desk drawer, smiles, and asks: “Wanna drink?”
This somewhat startles Mary, but she gets her composure, and tells him: “I’ll have a Brandy Alexander.”
That was funny.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Comet National Shipping
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No room in his heart for people who do not get shots
It is a pathetic thing to say when a person presents themselves to the local hospital with both pneumonia and a heart attack. But that person has to wait in an aisle to get to the Emergency Room because some idiot who would not get a vaccine shot has COVID and that idiot gets the room.
If I am not wrong, the Federal Government can force those who refuse vaccines to take them. The schools demand certain vaccines in order to attend the schools.
It is interesting that this particular city has a religious radio talk host and his message, other than a bit of religious material, is nothing more than “Avoid the vaccines.” That minister died of COVID just last week. Ironically, a similar incident happened in that state. A talk show host who had damned the shot for over a year had a rough time in the ICU, there for many weeks.
I have no sympathy for the unreasonable people who will not take the shot. It is their fault that the Intensive Care Units around the nation are filled. People with serious illnesses have no place to go. The hospitals should send the COVID patients to die at home and take care of patients who did not bring about their problem.
We certainly would not want to infringe on those people who think their liberties are threatened. But some are idiots and are now threatening the lives of legitimately ill people.
— Raleigh Perry, Buford
Suggests Americans judge history with smugness and bliss
On August 26, 2021, Robert Kagan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote a long essay in The Washington Post evaluating American involvement in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. Beyond his analysis of those years, what captured my attention was the following two sentences: “We live history forward, in the chaos of onrushing events, without a clear guide. But we judge history backward, smugly armed with the knowledge of what did happen and uninterested in what might have happened.”
To me, that said as we judge recent events, we should approach that effort with a measure of humility as only the passage of time will bring events and decisions into sharper focus.
— John Titus, Peachtree Corners
Dear John: What? Can’t we no longer employ our knee-jerk reactions to matters of great importance? You want us to think rationally and sanely? What will America come to?–eeb
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, and include your hometown. The views of letters are the opinion of the contributor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net.
County awards $618,450 contract for Equity Action Plan
According to the Racial Equity Alliance, when it comes to local government, people of color face disparities in housing, employment, education, justice and health. The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners this week took the first steps to eliminate racial inequalities and improve outcomes of all racial groups, awarding a $618,450 contract to develop an Equity Action Plan for Gwinnett County. HR&A Advisors Inc. was selected out of nine firms that submitted proposals in a competitive selection process. They have offices in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Raleigh, and Washington D.C.
Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson says: “The Equity Action Plan will help us take a deep dive into the challenges we face and find solutions that improve the lives of our residents. Diversity is already our reality. With the Gwinnett Standard of Excellence in mind, we must commit to reducing systemic barriers and making all of Gwinnett’s communities places of opportunity.”
HR&A will analyze the County’s current structure and processes then provide recommendations for policies, an organizational structure and training for County leadership and employees to foster equity and inclusion. The study will take place over the course of nine months.
Lilburnite commemorates 9/11 victims with 2,977 origami cranes
On the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, Lilburn resident Daniele Roberts is to honor each of the victims in a distinctive manner. After years of considering this memorial, Roberts and her family have folded 2,977 origami paper cranes and will create a public art memorial by suspending these blue paper cranes from a large oak tree at Lilburn City Park. Each paper crane has one victim’s name handwritten on it, along with the 20th anniversary date of 9/11/21.
In partnership with the City of Lilburn, Roberts’ art installation will be introduced to the public with a brief ceremony on Saturday, September 11th, 2021 at noon at Lilburn City Park. The ceremony will take place right next to the art installation, which is located directly in front of the children’s playground. In case of rain, the ceremony will be moved to the Gartrell Nash Pavilion, which is located near the children’s playground at Lilburn City Park.
Citizens are welcome to attend this ceremony. The art installation will remain up for people to view it throughout the weekend. The art installation will be taken down on Monday, September 13, and various strands of the cranes will be donated for local organizations to display.
- Readers can follow more about this project from Daniele Roberts on Facebook with the group “2977 Cranes”: https://www.facebook.com/groups/666415778086563.
GGC grad wins national award synthesizing waste cooking oil
A 2021 graduate Evelyn Calina, who was part of an Environmental Research Cluster of six students and faculty from throughout GGC that worked on the biodiesel project, recently received the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Student Award for her work on the project and for her overall excellence in undergraduate studies. She is the fifth GGC student in the GGC Environmental Research Cluster to win the prestigious award, which is given to only about 20 students per year.
Calina, of Buford, says she’d never found chemistry in general particularly interesting, but she did have a fascination with organic chemistry and spectroscopy, which is what led her to join the project.
“I love understanding how different bonds and organic structures can be distinguished by simple peaks from electromagnetic radiation, such as in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR),” she explains, adding that when she joined the group she knew very little about what they would be researching. “While renewable fuels are not a new idea, before I started this project I did not know waste oil could be used as biofuel. I understood that biodiesel was fuel made from renewable resources like corn and cane sugar, however, I would have never imagined using used cooking oils to run in engines.”
In the study Calina was involved in, biodiesel fuel was synthesized by collecting waste cooking oil and grease from on-campus dining facilities and using deep eutectic solvents in the production to minimize byproducts. The waste oil and grease, which would otherwise be disposed of, was made into a renewable fuel through a chemical reaction called transesterification. The group was able to create and quality test fuel, and discovered the process could efficiently produce sustainable fuel suitable for use in campus utility vehicles year-round
David Pursell, professor of chemistry and environmental science and one of the overseeing faculty says: “There has been a lot of research on biodiesel production from waste oil and grease for probably 30 years or so, and our group is working on methods to lower costs and improve recycling and reuse of by-products of the production.”
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith
So far this Scotsman has written several books in this series about people living at an address in Edinburgh inhabited by several appealing families. There’s Bertie, a six-year-old prodigy, who has an aggressive, pushy, horrible mother insisting he speak Italian, play the saxophone and go to yoga, while all he wants is to play with other boys. There’s Domenica, a 60-year-old anthropologist, who studies others and has lived with people like Malacca Straits pirates; Bruce, a preening narcissist, who believes women always fall for him; Angus, an artist who has a gold tooth, as does his dog, Cyril; and affable coffee-house owner, Big Lou. The author writes in beautiful English, unaltered by curse words or violence. His first book, The Number One Detective Agency, is in its 19th volume. He pens at least four novels a year with warmth and wit! Read him; he’s always most delightful.–eeb
An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Send to: elliott@brack.net
Gold leaf atop state capitol has been applied twice
During a 1957 renovation of Georgia’s capitol, A. Thomas Bradbury, the architect in charge of the project, and Gordon Price, a Dahlonega-born engineer living in Atlanta, proposed that the deteriorated tin-covered dome be replaced by a more attractive and durable surface, which would then be covered by a gilding of Georgia gold.
In response to the state’s reservations about the cost, citizens from Dahlonega and Lumpkin County offered to donate the gold. Within a week, 20 ounces of gold had been pledged by citizens from an area that 129 years earlier had been the site of the nation’s first gold rush. Secretary of State Ben Fortson accepted the chairmanship of the gold dome project, which by the end of July had collected the 43 ounces of gold estimated to be necessary for covering the dome.
On August 4, 1958, a caravan of seven mule-drawn covered wagons left Dahlonega with the gold. Following the three-day trip to Atlanta, during which time the wagon train averaged about three miles an hour, the gold was presented to Governor Marvin Griffin in a ceremony on the steps of the capitol. Thereafter, the gold was sent to Philadelphia, where it was milled into gold leaf 1/5,000th of an inch thick, or about the thickness of a piece of tinfoil used to wrap chewing gum.
The gold was expected to last 30 to 40 years. Unfortunately, the gold was applied during the winter months, and the engineers were unaware that gold leaf does not bond properly when it is applied during cold weather. The thinness of the gold leaf also made it susceptible to wearing away from oxidation and weather.
By 1977, only 19 years after its application, almost half of the gold was gone from the dome. Concern over the disappearing gold and the dome’s appearance led a number of Georgians and state officials to explore how the dome might be regilded. The Dahlonega–Lumpkin County Jaycees committed their organization to raising the gold for the project, as they had done in the late 1950s, with overall responsibility for regilding to be assumed by the Georgia Building Authority.
The fund-raising effort was ambitious; a wagon train crossed the state, visiting each of the state’s former capitals. In June 1979, after a journey of almost six weeks, the wagon train pulled up to the city limits of Dahlonega, where Governor George Busbee boarded the lead wagon and drove it for the final few miles. Before the end of the year, enough gold for the dome had been collected.
By 1981 the total regilding of the capitol dome was complete. Gold leaf is very thin and vulnerable to heat, wind, and rain damage, so by the 1990s flaking was again occurring on the dome. Today, rather than waiting until the damage is visible from the ground, the Georgia Building Authority now repairs the damage as it occurs.
Only ten other states have capitol domes covered with gold leaf: Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Of these, the gilded domes of Iowa and Georgia are the largest.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
What’s the location of this Mystery Photo of a tall church?
Just where is this magnificent church located? Is this from New England, the Deep South, or even from some overseas country? Figure this out and send your answer to elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Those readers who live in Duluth missed a good chance of identifying the last edition’s Mystery Photo. Many Duluth residents drive by the Strickland House on Buford Highway each day, but did not submit that identification for the photo taken by Frank Sharp of Lawrenceville. The only Duluth two residents who spotted the house were Kay Montgomery and Virginia Klaer. She notes that it is one of the oldest houses in the city.
For a while, this was known as the Strickland House Museum, which has disbanded. Historical artifacts from that house now are housed at the Southeast Railroad Museum, down the street on Buford Highway.
George Graf, Palmyra, Va. told us this about the Historic Strickland House. “The home, dated 1898, was the original home of Alice Strickland, first female mayor of Duluth. The Strickland House second floor was also the first hospital in Duluth. Alice’s granddaughter, Alice Strickland Ziegler, started the first Gwinnett Humane Society.”
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. also identified the photo, and sent a YouTube video of Mrs. Strickland when she was named a Georgia Woman of Achievement. To see the three minute video, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17sy0hvsTGY
The Supervisors of the Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District will be conducting their scheduled public meeting on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 beginning at 9 a.m. Because of the increasing COVID statistics, the Supervisors have requested this meeting be held via Zoom. To join the Zoom meeting, use Meeting ID: 884 3167 0021,Passcode: 971752, and go to this link.
Tenth annual Peachtree Corners Festival will be Sept. 18-19 in a new location at the Town Green, 5140 Town Center Boulevard. Enjoy arts, crafts, live music, a car show, plenty of food vendors, and all with free parking. Hours are on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Gwinnett Historical Society will hear from Jim Cofer on the lost letters of Tom Snell, the co-founder of Snellville, at its meeting in Lawrenceville at the Historic Courthouse on September 20 at 6:30 p.m.
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