GwinnettForum | Number 21.47 | June 28, 2022
TRANQUIL SCENE: Roving Photographer Frank Sharp of Lawrenceville has been on a cruise to Alaska. He departed from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He sent back this peaceful scene, the rooftop garden at the Vancouver library, built in 2011, surrounded by tall buildings. The architecture of the library is patterned after the Colosseum in Rome. Sharp says: “The library was the high point of our trip. It wasn’t hardly mentioned in the guidebooks.” To see an architectural view of the building, go to Another Voice below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Okabashi Brands of Buford to expand production 100%
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Congress can step into breach of rights pronounced by the Court
ANOTHER VIEW: Suffering from “Covid fever,” here’s a report on visiting in Alaska
SPOTLIGHT: Howard Brothers Outdoor Power Equipment and Hardware
FEEDBACK: Failed plots become practice coups; the next may succeed
UPCOMING: Busy July coming to Aurora Theatre at new Lawrenceville Arts Center
NOTABLE: Northeast Georgia Medical Center has $3.5 billion impact
RECOMMENDED: Drive Yourself Sane by Susan Presby Kodish and Bruce I. Kodish
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Braves’ Manager George Stalling was known as the “Miracle Man”
MYSTERY PHOTO: Tranquil lake scene belies the hot Georgia weather
Okabashi Brands of Buford to expand production 100%
By Jaclyn Allison
BUFORD, Ga. | Okabashi Brands Inc., a third-generation family-owned and woman-led shoe company, will renovate their 100,000-square-foot facility, creating approximately 340 new jobs and $20 million in capital investment over the next five years. The facility, located at 4823 Roy Carlson Boulevard in Buford, will accommodate new manufacturing lines, increasing production by 100 percent.
Irvani
Chief Executive Officer Sara Irvani says: “Okabashi Brand’s commitment to our community and its people is one that dates back to the 1980s when my grandfather chose to bring his footwear manufacturing background to Georgia. The support from our community has fostered our growth and has allowed us to continue producing quality American-made footwear. We are thrilled to be contributing to the local economy through this expansion.”
Comprising just one percent of footwear manufacturers who remain in the United States, Okabashi Brands Inc. have sold more than 35 million pairs of shoes since 1984.
With a commitment to community, Okabashi Brands Inc. have donated more than 100,000 pairs of shoes for disaster survivors, frontline workers and veterans worldwide. They have also partnered with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that distributes donated clothing and shoes to disaster survivors and micro-entrepreneurs trying to escape poverty, for more than 10 years.
Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson says that: “Okabashi Brands epitomizes the Gwinnett Standard, excelling in integrity, service and stewardship. We appreciate their commitment to philanthropy, sustainability and most importantly, supporting our vibrant community.”
As an eco-friendly company, Okabashi Brands Inc. uses bio-based BPA-, latex-, phthalate and rubber-free material with 45 percent soy by weight and closed-loop manufacturing, resulting in 100 percent recyclable shoes. Their American-made material and manufacturing process saves approximately 100 tons of scrap material from filling landfills and 134,000 gallons of fuel on overseas transportation every year. They also offer a recycling program for their customers, offering a 15 percent coupon to those who return their worn shoes.
Buford City Manager Bryan Kerlin adds: “Okabashi Brands shares our values for community engagement and environmental stewardship. Their growth will continue to make the City of Buford a desirable place to live and do business.”
Okabashi Brands Inc. recently received the Corporate Citizen Award for their community involvement, educational partnerships and workforce development at the Partnership Gwinnett Movers and Makers: Manufacturing and Supply Chain Awards in April. They also won the Medium Manufacturer of the Year Award in 2018.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Congress can step into breach of rights by the Court
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JUNE 28, 2022 | The two bomb blasts handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court last week may serve as a rallying cry to change our nation. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be quick.
When the court hands down verdicts that a majority of the people are not in step with, something eventually must give. We have little doubt that a majority of Americans, and especially women, think it should be an individual woman’s fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy.
Realize, too, that while America has a basic Second Amendment right to own a gun, we are not still living in the Wild West or in the 18th Century. The concept of “open carry” is abhorrent to most Americans, especially where a majority of Americans live now, in cities.
So with the court rulings, our nation must turn to another route to return these rights to the people, that is, through the ballot and the Congress. We see the day in the future when Congress will have a majority of members who will restore the right to abortion, as well as restrict the ability of citizens to openly carry a gun without a permit.
Realize that the campaign by zealots, fundamentalists, and Republicans took over 50 years to overturn Roe v Wade. Beginning with Ronald Reagan, the continual appointment of conservative judges to the courts finally swung the Supreme Court from its Warren-liberal stance to a decidedly conservative one, now at 6-3.
Yet when the country suffered the most exasperating president this country has ever seen, that of Donald Trump, by the timing of deaths of three Supreme Court judges, Trump got to appoint three of the current nine judges (Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett.)
Three other conservatives were appointed by Republican Presidents George H.W. Bush (Savannah’s Clarence Thomas); and George W. Bush (Roberts and Alito).
The court’s three liberal judges were appointed by Democrats Bill Clinton (Breyer); and Barack Obama (Kagan and Sotomayor.)
As an aside, we must not forget another element for the current court: someone who was not appointed. The Republican Senate leader, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell, blocked the appointment of Merrick Garland while Barack Obama was president. Without Neal Gorsuch on the court, the current conservative stance might be different, at one less, 5-4.
Wasn’t it interesting that at the day the Supreme Court banned abortions, that same day Congress passed, for the first time in 30 years, a bipartisan gun control bill? Doesn’t that say something about the Court ruling being out of step with not only the people, but their Congressional representatives?
This new gun legislation, coming too at a time when there are too many major shootings in our nation, sprang out of the concerns of a majority of Americans about these random, irrational and costly shootings. Yet the Supreme Court saw gun matters in a different light!
Yes, we have three branches of government. When one of these branches oversteps common sense, the other branches must step in. That’s what’s happening in the Congressional hearings of a crazed president who tried to overturn an election. Congress is slowly doing its job in holding these hearings, and understanding the January 6 insurrection.
And now another branch, the Supreme Court, has disregarded the people and turned a basic woman’s right into an arcane ruling, plus the Court also swept reasonable gun legislation aside. Both can be addressed by the Congress, and changed. It won’t be soon, but we feel confident the Congress will eventually move in those directions. Meanwhile, a majority of Americans will suffer in disagreement. Let’s hope that too many don’t die, too.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Suffering from “Covid fever,” a report on visiting in Alaska
Vancouver Public Library
Editor’s note: Roving Photographer Frank Sharp, along with his wife, Pearl, have been on a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, then on a cruise to Alaska from June 12 until June 19. Here are his thoughts on the trip. –eeb)
By Frank Sharp
VANCOUVER, Canada | Having been bundled up by the Covid-19 pandemic and suffering from “cabin fever,” we decided it was time for another travel adventure.
Sharp
After landing in Vancouver, we walked to the 44-story Harbor House Tower with its panoramic observation tower on its top floor. Next, we visited the nearby Chinatown, which is the second largest Chinatown in North America. I stopped for a moment to photograph the welcoming Chinatown Gate.
The next day we took a taxi to the huge Stanley Park on the waterfront, about the size of New York’s Central Park and Hyde Park in London. We walked along the six-mile seawall and the promenade running alongside. This is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever visited with a galore of trees, flowers and wildlife covering the environment.
There I saw a wild coyote dashing across our dirt path. I couldn’t get my camera out in time! Ouch! So, I turned to settle for the mango flavored sherbet ice-cream cone instead, the best I had ever eaten! We visited the many totem poles on display and the rose garden not yet in bloom. We marveled at the fantastic city skyline view of Vancouver and the many yachts and boats anchored in its harbor and the long Lions Gate Bridge. Later we visited the chief downtown library, which was modeled after the Colosseum of ancient Rome. It is an architectural gem.
The next day, we caught our cruise ship. The Serenade owned by the Royal Caribbean line. As soon as we were located in our stateroom, we made a dash to the breakfast cafe called the Windjammer where we would eat most of our meals. We had been on previous trips with this company and their food is fantastic with several islands serving scrambled eggs, boiled eggs. bacon, cereals, hash browns, milk and oatmeal. I took some boiled eggs and pastries back to our room for nighttime snacks.
The first day was cruising. Our first port of call was the small port of Sitka. We walked ashore and took the free shuttle bus to downtown but stayed on the bus and returned to the ship. The pure cool air and scenery was enough.
Next stop was Juneau, the capital of Alaska. Juneau has about 33,000 permanent residents and is a great place to view grizzly and black bears, whales and golden eagles. Taking the golden tram from the dock to downtown is a great view of the docks.
Our third stop was Haines, Alaska, a photographer’s paradise. It has picture card snow-capped mountains with tall evergreen trees covering the hills and mountains.
Our last and fourth stop was Ketchikan, which was the first city to be settled in Alaska. It is also the first and only Walmart to be found in Alaska!
The next day we took Air Canada to Winnipeg for a five-hour stopover for our flight to Toronto. We were using our frequent flyer bonus miles. Temperatures were in the 60s and 70s temps when we left Vancouver, but 90s in Atlanta – a big change!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Howard Brothers
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Howard Brothers Outdoor Power Equipment and Hardware. John and Doug Howard are the “brothers” in Howard Brothers. This family-owned business was started by their dad, and now John and Doug’s children are helping to lead in the business. Howard Brothers has locations in Alpharetta, Athens, Doraville, Duluth, Lula and Oakwood. They specialize in hardware, outdoor power equipment and parts and service. Howard Brothers are authorized dealers of STIHL, Exmark, Honda, Echo, and other well known brands in the green industry. Howard Brothers is also an authorized Big Green Egg dealer, and is one of the only Platinum Traeger Grill dealers in the state of Georgia.
- Visit their web site www.howardbrothers.com.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here
Failed plots become practice coups; the next may succeed
Editor, the Forum:
Recently we had another excellent article by Ashley Herndon (“January 6 was similar to Germany’s Kristallnacht”). As Paul Harvey would say, “…the rest of the story”. Or maybe, in this case, the rest of two stories.
Like Kristallnacht, January 6 was preplanned to look like a mob gone wild. The Proud Boys were already at the Capitol removing barriers and fighting with the police before Trump issued his orders for the crowd to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell”. The Proud Boys were out of uniform so that they could fall back and blend in with the crowd once the crowd had arrived.
Having instigators who would blend in with the crowd was also a feature of Kristallnacht. The Proud Boys were the equivalent of Nazi Party’s Sturmabteilung. Kristallnacht was not spontaneous. Neither was January 6.
The goal of January 6 all along was to stop the electoral count. Unlike the Nazis, the coup plotters on January 6 had neither the cold-blooded resolve nor the discipline to see it through. Had it been Hitler on January 6, the military would have been staged nearby with orders to fire upon the demonstrators and martial law would have been declared. Killing supporters would not have been a problem for the Nazis. They had done it before for political purposes, even killing Germans soldiers dressed as Polish invaders.
Failed coup plots that have no long-term consequence only become practice coup plots. Mistakes made in the practice coup are corrected and the next one succeeds.
– Hoyt Tuggle, Buford
Recent court rulings are judicial activism and self-deceptive
Editor, the Forum:
Judge Samuel Alito’s “Dobbs’ Opinion Overturning ‘Roe” thinking is judicial activism at its most self-deceptive. This isn’t constitutionalism, or even politics. It’s religious fundamentalism, using legal theory as a fig-leaf.
And Thomas wants to outlaw any and all contraception. That is activist also. Funny, for years the conservatives hated and talked about activist judges when the Court was considered liberal. Now look at them!
– Raleigh Perry, Buford
Court members embrace minority rule
Editor, the Forum:
Thursday and Friday defamed our nation with two extraordinary events that are related. The current-day faux-Republican Party and its supplicant “Zombie Justices,” have abandoned the idea of democratic governance where a majority of the people elect their government. Instead, its members and financial benefactors have embraced minority rule and are hastening our move to becoming an autocracy.
– Ashley Herndon, Oceanside, Calif.
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.
Busy July coming to Aurora Theatre at new arts center
Beat the heat and start your summer off with laughs, and music.
This summer the Lawrenceville Arts Center, home of Aurora Theatre, is bringing laughs, love, and . . . Christmas? Yes, Christmas Canteen in July is back for a night of summertime holiday cheer.
This month is also jam-packed with laughs as Aurora Comedy Nights presents Rob Cleveland, while Dad’s Garage is partnering with Urban Clinic for a Dose of Comedy.
Curious theatergoers can also join Aurora for Explore LAC, a backstage tour revealing all of the magic of theater and the inner workings of the fantastic, new facility.
There will be opportunities to travel the world without leaving the city through the Global Market Festival, offering attendees a chance to experience the many cultures that call Lawrenceville home.
July will also kick-off Aurora Theatre’s 27th season with events celebrating the classic Disney musical Mary Poppins which will take over the Lawrenceville Arts Center in August. Tickets will go on sale and a special “Mary Poppins” movie night will prepare audiences for the return of the world’s favorite nanny to the Aurora stage.
Here are the dates:
- July 8-9: Aurora Comedy Nights: Rob Cleveland, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Standard Tickets are $20. - July 9-10: Inside Look at LAC Summer 2022 Campus Tour. Tickets are $5.
- July 12-13, Dose of Comedy: Dad’s Garage, Family show at 5 p.m.; Mature audiences at 8 p.m. Tickets are free.
- July 14, Mary Poppins movie event, tickets are free.
- July 23: Christmas Canteen (in July) will be a Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15.
- July 30: Global Market Festival, Saturday at 3 p.m. Tickets are free.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center has $3.5 billion impact
Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has a positive financial impact on the local community and state, estimated at more than $3.5 billion, according to a recent report by the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA).
The report found that, in 2020, NGMC generated $3,554,257,187 in revenue for the local and state economy; provided more than $70 million in total estimated charity care; and provided more than 22,500 full-time jobs throughout the region and state – in addition to more than 9,000 people directly employed by Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). The more than $70 million in total estimated charity care cost, which provides financial assistance to people who meet certain criteria and cannot afford to pay all or portions of their medical bills, doesn’t include unpaid bills that are written off or nearly $12 million NGMC provided in community outreach such as free screenings and health education.
The report said that, in 2020, NGMC had direct expenditures of more than $1.5 billion. When combined with an economic multiplier developed by the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, the total economic impact of those expenditures was more than $3.5 billion. This output multiplier considers the “ripple” effect of direct hospital expenditures on other sectors of the economy such as medical supplies, durable medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Economic multipliers are used to model the impact of a change in one industry on the “circular flow” of spending within an economy as a whole.
Carol Burrell, president and CEO of NGHS, comments: “This study is an accurate representation of the collaboration between staff members, administrators, physicians, community leaders and others who dutifully work together for the good of our region,” said Carol Burrell, president and CEO of NGHS. “NGHS is proud to be an economic pillar in our community and will continue to reinvest in expansion projects, new healthcare technologies and more to better care for our growing community.”
The figures in the GHA study only reflect the economic impact of hospital expenditures and do not include the impact of other services, such as physician offices and long-term care facilities, provided by NGHS.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Drive Yourself Sane,
by Susan Presby Kodish and Bruce I. Kodish
From Susan J. Harris, Stone Mountain: This book presents a step-by-step methodology for evolving clear thinking. Based on the work of Albert Korzybski, developer of the field of General Semantics, it illustrates how we create our own realities and how we can make them clearer and sharper. There are 18 chapters with illustrations of how we take in information visually, and internally within our own private universes. There are valuable exercises at the end of each chapter which serve as training grounds for such chapter topics as the following: “The Process of Abstracting,” “Uncommon Sense,” “Endless Complexities,” “The Structure of Language” and other invaluable chapters. The most edifying information had to do with the discussion of the Aristotelian Orientation, and the Non-Aristotelian Orientation wherein Korzybski went beyond Aristotelian orientation. This is a book with information to explore rather than only read. It will open windows and doors within the mind.
- 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
Braves’ manager Stalling was known as the “Miracle Man”
George Stallings, known to baseball fans as the “Miracle Man,” managed one of the most renowned teams in the game’s history, the 1914 “Miracle” Boston Braves. Trailing the first-place New York Giants by 11.5 games on July 15, the Braves mounted an unprecedented streak, winning 61 of their final 81 games to capture the National League pennant by ten and a half games.
George Tweedy Stallings was born to Eliza Jane Hooper and William Henry Stallings in Richmond County, near Augusta, on November 17, 1867. He began his baseball career as a student at Richmond Academy. Primarily a catcher, Stallings later played on various minor league teams before appearing briefly in the major leagues, with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, in 1890.
Demoted to the minors, he enjoyed success as a manager. In 1897 Stallings returned to the majors, serving as manager of the National League’s Philadelphia Phillies for parts of two seasons. Over the next decade he managed several minor league and major league teams, including the American League’s Detroit Tigers and New York Highlanders (later the New York Yankees).
In 1913 Stallings assumed the helm of the team that would bring him fame, the Boston Braves. Fifth-place finishers in 1913, the Braves appeared to be headed for another lackluster season in 1914, occupying last place in mid-July. Under Stallings’s guidance the Braves reversed their momentum, racing to first place in fewer than 40 days. Climaxing their remarkable comeback, the Braves swept the Philadelphia Athletics, considered invincible, in the World Series. Stallings continued managing the Boston team until his retirement at the end of the 1920 season, but he never again enjoyed the success of 1914. He finished his career with 879 victories in 1,813 major league games. He later came out of retirement as an owner and manager in the minors.
Stallings was notorious for his temper and superstitions. He ranted at players if they left trash behind in dugouts. Yellow signs and yellow clothing annoyed him; yellow ballpark advertisements had to be painted over before he would let his team play. He refused to talk to rookies until they had played one week, insisting that his silence tested their courage.
If he was in a particular physical position, no matter how uncomfortable, when the Braves began a rally, he remained in that position until the rally ended. When asked after the 1914 World Series why the Braves won, he replied that it was because of a “lucky penny.” He also attributed the team’s success to a “lucky dime” that had been blessed by a priest in Cuba.
For more than 30 years Stallings lived on a plantation in Haddock, in Jones County. He took his teams there for part of spring training each year. He died in Haddock on May 13, 1929, and was buried in Macon. At the time of his death, he was owner of the Montreal Royals of the International League. Stallings was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. He married more than once and had three sons, White, Vernon, and George Jr.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Tranquil lake scene belies the hot Georgia weather
With the weather getting to the hot stage in Georgia these days, here’s a photograph that has a cooling feeling. There are few clues, and so this might be a difficult photo problem to solve. Send your best guess to elliott@brack.net, and be sure to include your hometown.
Several readers recognized the Mystery Photo, this time a local photo. Mary Sims of Lawrenceville wrote that it was the restored 1827 Isaac Adair House. It was originally built at the corner of Hurricane Shoals Road and Pike Street in Lawrenceville. After being relocated to Chandler Road in the 1980s, it was moved a second time adjacent to the Lawrenceville Female Seminary.” The photograph came from Fitzgerald’s Brian Brown’s Vanishing Georgia series.
Other recognizing the photo include Michael Green, Milton; Lou Camerio, Lilburn; Bob Foreman, Lilburn; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.; and George Graf, Palmyra, Va.
Graf wrote of Issac Adair: “He made his mark in the Gwinnett County community during the years of 1824-1844. He arrived from South Carolina in 1824 and settled in Lawrenceville. One of the oldest houses in Gwinnett County, the Isaac Adair House, was built circa 1827 near the intersection of what is now Pike Street and Hurricane Shoals Road. It was disassembled and moved to Chandler Road starting in 1984. Gwinnett County agreed to move and preserve the historic structure when it bought the land for the Sugarloaf Parkway extension construction project in 2008. The home is well constructed and represents a building style found in the southern states from 1780-1820. The architectural style is considered to be both Federal (Adam) and Georgian.”
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