GwinnettForum | Number 25.44| May 30, 2025
A HISTORICAL MARKER tells part of the history of the Norcross City Cemetery. It is located east of Buford Highway, with Cemetery Street starts where Holcomb Bridge Road ends. Norcross resident Gene Ramsey often gives historical tours of the cemetery. For a pictorial view of the current conditions of the cemetery, see Elliott Brack’s perspective below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: New firm formed to produce printed paper cups
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Norcross cemetery, dated from 1870, looking shabby
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Banking Company
ANOTHER VIEW: MAGA-GOP is no party of fiscal responsibility
FEEDBACK: Our Congress seems to be making it more like MTGA
UPCOMING: Impasse continues as county refuses a sit-down
RECOMMENDED: The Language of Trees by Katie Holten
GEORGIA TIDBIT: “Big Cat” was from Demorest, and in Hall of Fame
MYSTERY PHOTO: Here’s a wooden sanctuary for you to identify
CALENDAR: AAPI Heritage Cultural Night on May 30
New firm formed to produce printed paper cups
Cups awaiting printing
Special for GwinnettForum
BERKELEY LAKE, Ga. | At a modest 20,000-square-foot facility tucked along at 4590 South Berkeley Lake Road, a new business is quietly pouring years of global experience into every paper cup that comes off the production line.
The company, Cups24, is a new venture with deep roots. Launched by a Chinese family with three decades of experience in printing and packaging, Cups24 is a U.S.-based paper cup manufacturer committed to fast turnaround, sustainable packaging, all produced locally, right here in Gwinnett County.
The team is lean, comprising of just three people: founder Daz Dazhuang, his father Li Dazhuang, and a local partner Todd Patt of Buckhead, who is helping bring the family’s vision to the American market. They are the three people running the company.
Patt
Li Dazhuang
Daz Dazhuang
Daz Dazhuang, who speaks fluent English and manages the day-to-day operations, says: “My father has been in this business in Shenyang, China for over 30 years. We wanted to bring his expertise and high standards to the U.S., and Gwinnett felt like the perfect place to start — diverse, business-friendly, and growing.”
Inside the facility, industrial-scale printing machines whir as paper cups move swiftly through entirely in-house production. From custom branding to eco-friendly materials, Cups24 offers a complete manufacturing service — no outsourcing, no delays, and no overseas shipping.
“I don’t speak English,” said Li Dazhuang, with his son translating. “But I speak cups and printing and production. I love this work — it’s what I know, and I want to build something good in this country.”
The team’s goal is to serve small and medium-sized businesses — especially restaurants, coffee shops, and hospitality companies — that need custom-printed cups without being forced into large-volume minimums.
Li says: “So many suppliers require big minimum orders that just don’t make sense for smaller operations. We want to be the opposite of that — fast, responsive, and right-sized. If a business needs just a few thousand cups, we’ll make it happen.”
Though newly launched, Cups24 is already fielding orders and shipping throughout the Southeastern U.S., with ambitions to scale in the coming year. The company also has its sights set on developing compostable and recyclable product lines that align with growing sustainability demands in the industry.
“We believe the future of packaging is local, sustainable, and flexible,” said Daz. “That’s what we’re building here.”
For now, the small team handles everything — from order intake and design to printing, packaging, and shipping — working long hours to establish a reputation for quality and reliability.
“Eventually we’ll grow and hire,” Patt adds. “But right now, we’re proud to say we do every step ourselves. It’s personal.”
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Norcross cemetery, dated from 1870, looking shabby
Sample of neglected coping
“You can tell a lot about a town by the way it keeps up its courthouse and its cemeteries.”
— the late South Georgia attorney and Marine lieutenant colonel and World War II veteran John Mattox (1917-1993).
By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 30, 2025 | If you take the words above, it is obvious that the City of Norcross has a handsome City Hall, which is well kept up. However, you can’t say that about its city cemetery. It is east on Cemetery Street, which starts where Holcomb Bridge Road ends at Buford Highway.
It’s an old cemetery, dating back to 1870 when an early resident, Milton C. Lively, donated land for a community burial ground, a total of nine acres. (Part of that land is now the Cemetery Fields park.) In 1916, the city purchased land from Lively’s descendants, making the cemetery size about three acres. The land sits on a knoll above the park.
In the early 1900s, the United Daughters of the Confederacy led efforts to erect a covered stone pavilion near the current exit of the circle road within the cemetery, affording a place for visitors to rest or take cover from the weather. It has been kept up well. (A rack for a pamphlet about the cemetery recently was empty.)
Back in 2015, the city upgraded the cemetery, adding a black metal fence around the property, cleaning and repairing headstones, and replacing the pavilion’s roof. Much of the cemetery needs attention.
There are probably two reasons why the cemetery looks run down. It is operated under the budget of the city’s Parks Green Spaces and Trail Commission. There appears to be little constant care of the cemetery, though the grass is mowed occasionally.
The second aspect is that many of the older plots are in disrepair. Some headstones are broken and fallen to the ground, or the copings around family plots are cracked, dislodged and not maintained. This is probably because there are few living members of the people buried in the older family plots. No one is around to give the plots loving care.
There’s another problem. The city has no map of the cemetery showing where people are buried, or how many are buried. The city has no way to determine where there are open spaces for future burials. Therefore, unless a family knows where vacant spots for burial are in their plot, few burials take place in the city cemetery these days.
Some time ago, a new privately-owned cemetery was open across the street from the city cemetery. This is the Wright Cemetery, where most current burials in Norcross now take place. You can search online for 861 people buried in Wright Cemetery.
From all this, we can only conclude: the City Council of Norcross needs to be more pro-active in keeping up its city cemetery. Its residents buried there deserve that.
How about the other city cemeteries in Gwinnett? How does your city cemetery look? Write to GwinnettForum and tell us about it.
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Georgia Banking Company
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. At Georgia Banking Company (GBC), we are deeply committed to empowering the communities we serve. Our dedication goes beyond traditional banking; we actively engage in community events, support local charities, and collaborate with small businesses to boost local economic growth. By being an integral part of the community, we strive to make a positive impact on the lives of our customers and neighbors. Our approach to community banking is all about providing personalized financial services that meet the unique needs of individuals and businesses. We understand that every community is different, so we tailor our services to ensure we’re meeting the specific needs of each one. Whether it’s through our involvement in local events, our support for charitable organizations, or our partnerships with small businesses, we’re committed to making a difference. At GBC, we believe that when our communities thrive, we all succeed. Our team is dedicated to building strong relationships and providing expert financial advice to help our customers achieve their goals. We take pride in being a trusted partner and neighbor, and we’re honored to be a part of the communities we serve. Discover why Georgia Banking Company is the Bank of Choice for so many. Visit www.GeorgiaBanking.com to learn more about our commitment to community banking and how we can help you achieve your financial goals. Member FDIC.
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MAGA-GOP is no party of fiscal responsibility
“Largest tax cuts in history: This bill prevents the largest tax hike in American history by protecting Medicaid benefits for those who need them, and exposing Medicaid fraud, such as the 1.4 million illegal immigrants who stole from American taxpayers. It also creates no tax on tips and no tax on overtime, putting more money back into the pockets of hardworking Americans.”
— U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, May 25, 2025.
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | What U.S. Rep. Mike Collins does not say is that the Medicaid cuts that he and his GOP buddies have approved have nothing to do with fraud. The cuts are simply going to dump over 10 million low-income people into the uninsured category, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Likewise, the bill contains cuts to SNAP, the program providing food to low-income families, and many kids.
The plan that Collins endorses has $3.8 trillion in tax cuts, while increasing spending for the military and other Trump talking points. And the benefits would go to reduce taxes for the wealthy, that is, those people making over $400,000 a year. Richer folks would get a reduction of $60,000 annually versus only $500 for the least affluent.
Under Trump in his first term, our deficits reached record highs—the exact opposite of what he promised when his first set of tax cuts were passed. But Trump ignored the past when proposing these newest cuts. Our nation is setting itself up for virtual bankruptcy.
Of course, we now have a President who does not believe that bankruptcy is bad. After all, Trump’s own private enterprises have gone bankrupt six times. It is startling that any casino company can go belly up. But Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts, Inc. repeatedly filed for bankruptcy whereby “shareholders lose much of their equity.” Trump personally did just fine, walking away as usual with his personal wealth intact, while blaming everyone else for his own failures.
And now Trump wants to bankrupt our government through outrageous tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy while increasing spending for his pet projects. Of course, he is shifting some of the cost to tariffs, a regressive tax that most Americans do not understand is a tax which falls more on the common person than the rich. And, according to the nonprofit group Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF), the MAGA folks in Congress want to make things even worse.
Republicans are pushing a reconciliation bill which “would make massive cuts to Medicaid, nutrition for children, and other vital programs while using procedural tricks to hide the true cost of their multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts for billionaires.” The projected bill “treats extending tax cuts that are set to expire as having no cost despite their near $5 trillion price tag.”
ATF has also done an analysis of tax rates paid in 2022 by 55 large corporations, finding that they pay less than undocumented immigrants. For example, Tesla made nearly $5.5 billion in profits but paid no federal taxes at all. Neither did Atlanta-based Delta Airlines, even though they made nearly $2 billion. In total, these 55 firms had “income of nearly $200 billion but paid just $3.7 billion in federal income tax.”
President Ronald Reagan once stated: “When a business or an individual spends more than it makes, it goes bankrupt. When government does it, it sends you the bill. And when government does it for 40 years, the bill comes in two ways: higher taxes and inflation.” Ronald Reagan understood. The MAGAs do not.
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Our Congress seems to be making it more like MTGA
Editor, the Forum:
“What can we do?” Better said, “What can Congress do?”
These are our elected leaders who have all sworn to uphold the Constitution and rule of law. Unfortunately, our Republican Congress has chosen instead to sit by quietly, thus enabling Mr. Trump to continue his reign of terror.
Our government depends on a fragile system of checks and balances which, when it works, keeps the narcissistic leader from gaining too much raw power and control.
Instead, our Congress had chosen to enable the terribly destructive and covert actions of Trump, who has demonstrated over and over again that he’s not the least bit interested in MAGA, but, rather, MTGA, that is Making TRUMP Great Again.
How long will our Republican leaders continue this dereliction of duty while ignoring the fact that their legacy is being shaped and influenced by their fear of Trump rather than their love for the American people and their promise to serve the greater, common good?
– Gary Christensen, Chamblee
Not all Cuban refugee boats landed in Florida
Cumberland Island deteriorated Refugee boat
Editor, the Forum:
Part of my work sent me to Cumberland Island off the southeast coast of Georgia. Of course there is plenty of history and natural sites there. This, however, was a little stirring. One of the boats washed ashore on Cumberland Island. They and others like them brought Cuban refugees or migrants out of their homeland and to the United States. Not all Cuban refugee boats landed in Florida.
Today, the new administration would probably have ordered them shot on sight.
– Rick Krause, Lilburn
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: ebrack2@gmail.com.
Impasse continues as county refuses a sit-down
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | The impasse between Gwinnett County Commission and the new City of Mulberry continues. Joe Sorenson, Gwinnett’s communications officer, released a statement to GwinnettForum. It said, in its entirety, the following:
The opinion asserted in your column may have been formed without careful consideration of important facts:
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners will pursue legal action to challenge the unconstitutional provisions of a new state law. Senate Bill 138, legislation dictating the transition of services between Gwinnett County and the newly created city of Mulberry, became law on May 15. County officials have voiced strong opposition to the bill’s unconstitutional, unprecedented, and unworkable mandates that will impose an impossible administrative compliance burden as well as a financial burden on all Gwinnett taxpayers, including those who live in the city of Mulberry.
“I am committed to building a stronger, more prosperous future for all residents of Gwinnett County,” said Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson. “This commitment includes a responsibility to ensure that all of Gwinnett County’s residents and taxpayers, including those who live in Mulberry, are not unfairly burdened with costly, unworkable mandates.
“Further, this new law potentially removes the benefit of sovereign immunity from all Gwinnett County taxpayers, setting a dangerous precedent for other counties across the state of Georgia. This provision, among others, prompted our peers at ACCG to oppose Senate Bill 138.”
Michael Rudnick, mayor pro tempore of the City of Mulberry, told GwinnettForum in an email: “We agree that a conversation not only needs to happen, but it is also the best path forward. Regarding availability, we are willing to meet on any day, at any time, and at any location the county requires. We at the City of Mulberry have attempted to contact the county leadership several times to coordinate a meeting via multiple channels. We still haven’t gotten a response from them about moving forward with a meeting. If you can coordinate a meeting, we would be more than happy to be present.”
PSC election is June 17, but you can vote early now
Voters are not limited to Election Day to cast their ballot for the June 17 Special Primary Election. Registered voters can vote advance in person every day, including select weekend days, now through June 13 at the Gwinnett Voter Registrations and Elections Office in Lawrenceville and four advance voting locations throughout the county.
If you prefer to vote by mail, you can request an absentee ballot until Friday, June 6. Complete the absentee ballot application online or call the Voter Registrations and Elections Office at 678-226-7210 for assistance. For more information, visit the County’s website.
- To check the status of your voter registration, see a sample ballot, and find your polling location, visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
GGC still alive in NAIA World Series in Idaho
LEWISTON, Idaho – The No. 2-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team fought off elimination at the Avista NAIA World Series by defeating No. 3 seed Tennessee Wesleyan University in a 5-3 game that went down to the action-packed last out on Wednesday afternoon.
GGC (56-6) was victorious over the Bulldogs (48-14) for the second time in three days at the
World Series, after picking up a 14-0 win in seven innings on Monday.
The Grizzlies were scheduled to play on Thursday, May 29, at 3 p.m. PST in another rematch game against No. 6 seed Southeastern University (Florida) at Lewis-Clark State College’s Harris Field.
The Language of Trees by Katie Holten
From Holly Moore, Suwanee: We’re told not to judge a book by its cover, but I did just that. I chose this book from the library shelf for its cover. It did not disappoint. With the cover’s dark green background and exquisite gold leaf trees, Irish artist and author, Katie Holten, beckons you to explore the magic of forests and trees and their place in our world through the written word and her own tree alphabet. This thought-provoking book of over 50 essays and poems from writers around the world inspires further appreciation for our forests and the need to preserve our trees and their habitats, while also being a thoroughly enjoyable read…perhaps while sitting under a tree! The full title is The Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature and Landscape.
- 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. Click here to send an email.
“Big Cat” was from Demorest, in Hall of Fame
A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, first baseman Johnny Mize was one of the most prolific home run hitters in the game’s history. Graceful at the plate, the 6-foot-2-inch Mize was immortalized as the “Big Cat.”
John Robert “Johnny” Mize was born on January 7, 1913, in Demorest (in Habersham County). Gifted at both tennis and baseball, Mize early on caught the attention of the baseball coach of nearby Piedmont College. Invited to join the team, Mize played his first college game when he was only 15. He broke into the majors on April 16, 1936, with the St. Louis Cardinals and soon became one of the most feared sluggers in the National League. As a Cardinal, he captured home run titles in 1939 (28) and 1940 (43). Later, as a member of the New York Giants, he won two additional home run crowns: 51 in 1947 (an honor he shared with Ralph Kiner of Pittsburgh) and 40in 1948.
Mize joined the American League’s New York Yankees in 1949. As a pinch hitter and part-time first baseman, he helped lead the Yankees to five consecutive World Series titles (1949-1953). Mize retired after the 1953 campaign with 359 lifetime home runs; 2,011 hits; 1,337 runs batted in; and a .312 career batting average. In contrast to most sluggers, especially today’s long ball artists, Mize rarely struck out, fanning only 524 times over the course of his career. On six occasions he hit three home runs in one game—a record. He was enshrined in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
After living for several years in Florida, Mize moved back to Demorest in 1974, settling in his old family home. He died there on June 2, 1993, and is buried in nearby Yonah Cemetery.
The Johnny Mize Athletic Center and Museum, located on the campus of Piedmont University, is named in his honor.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Here’s a wooden sanctuary for you to identify
Can you identify this old sanctuary? It might not be where you think it is. Send your idea of this location to ebrack2@gmail.com and tell us your hometown.
Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C. was first to recognize the past Mystery. “It is the Barnegat Lighthouse, also known as ‘Old Barney,’ a historic lighthouse located in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on the northern tip of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. The lighthouse was commissioned in 1859 and is a popular destination for visitors looking for panoramic views of the surrounding area. It’s a 172-foot-tall structure with 217 steps to the top, offering views of Island Beach, Barnegat Bay, and Long Beach Island.”
Others getting the location right included George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Kay Montgomery, Duluth; Stew Ogilvie, Rehobeth, Ala.; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, who told us: “The Barnegat Inlet area was historically known as the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic, because of its treacherous currents and shifting sandbars which led to many shipwrecks. Its light was visible up to 20+ nautical miles out to sea. Its red and white bricks were hand-molded locally, with the top half being painted red to increase visibility against the sky during daylight, and the bottom half was whitewashed so that it would stand out against the darker land and sea surface. Since it was a remote and strategic coastal region during World War II, the U.S. Coast Guard used the lighthouse as an observation tower on the lookout for German U-boats and submarines as well as a testing ground for new and experimental radar and radio technology. After being dark for more than 80-years, the lighthouse was re-lit in 2009, using modern LED technology, on the 150th anniversary of its construction and now serves as a private aid to navigation.”
- SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
AAPI Heritage Cultural Night on May 30
Ribbon-cutting for a new Gwinnett company, Lighting Shared Scooter Co., will be May 30 at 3:30 p.m. at The Co-Hatch in downtown Duluth.
Celebrate the Asian American and Pacific Island heritage! Attend the annual AAPI Heritage Cultural Night on Friday, May 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville. Bring the whole family for a vibrant celebration featuring music, food, dance, and community spirit.
A Lantern Parade will take place in downtown Duluth on May 30. Join your neighbors to light up the night. The fun begins at 5 p.m. on the Town Green where you can make your own lanterns, listen to live music and enjoy other family-friendly activities. This event is free to all. The parade begins at 9 p.m. The lantern-making workshop features free materials and instruction, while supplies last — so we suggest arriving early.
Snellville Commerce Club will meet on Tuesday, June 3, at noon at the City Hall. Speaking will be Michael W. Davis, associate director of prevention for GUIDE (Gwinnett United in Drug Education). Reservations are required, so use the link to reserve your place.
Author talk: Join scholar and author Karida L. Brown at the Snellville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library on June 5 at 7 p.m. She will discuss her book, The Battle for the Black Mind, about the history of education in the U.S. Books will be available for purchase.
Rock the Park will return to Lilburn City Park on June 7 beginning at 7 p.m. There will be live music and food trucks nearby. Attendees are welcome to bring their snacks and chairs, blankets, etc. Outside alcoholic beverages will not be allowed but they will be available at the event to purchase.
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