GwinnettForum | Number 25.42 | May 23, 2025
LAKE LANIER ISLANDS has a new feather in its cap. Recently the Georgia Institute of Technology named the 1,200-acre destination the official hotel and resort of Georgia Tech athletics. Perhaps most proud of this distinction are both the chairman and president of Lanier Islands, both of whom are Georgia Tech alums. Chairman Virgil R. Williams graduated with an industrial engineering degree in 1963, and President Matthew Bowling graduated with a finance degree in 2019. Georgia Tech Vice President and Director of Athletics J. Batt states: “It’s a great privilege to partner with Lanier Islands Resort, one of the premier hotels and resort destinations in the Southeast We’re grateful for the Williams family’s longtime support of Tech athletics, and we’re very proud to link the Georgia Tech and Lanier Islands brands.”
TODAY’S FOCUS: Mosaic Georgia moving to new location in Lawrenceville
EEB PERSPECTIVE: One guy leaves among his legacy, a Party Shack
SPOTLIGHT The Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
ANOTHER VIEW: SCORE can benefit many veterans with its service
FEEDBACK: Is concerned about authoritarian School Board
UPCOMING: GGC baseballers playing in World Series again
NOTABLE: Johns Creek Symphony names new music director
RECOMMENDED: Send us your recommendations
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Dagg was prominent Baptist clergyman
MYSTERY PHOTO: Can you identify this soaring worship center?
CALENDAR: Vietnam War veterans to be honored today in Norcross
Mosaic Georgia moving to new location in Lawrenceville
By Lacie Manning
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Mosaic Georgia, a leading advocate for victims of sexual violence, child abuse, exploitation, and trafficking, announces its relocation to a 16,000-square-foot medical office building that will bring all its critical services under one roof.
For nearly four decades, Mosaic Georgia has been a steadfast advocate for those impacted by sexual violence, serving more than 3,000 people annually. The organization provides medical forensic exams, forensic interviews, victim and family advocacy, counseling, support groups, holistic healing modalities, and civil legal services to clients ranging from infants to seniors across Gwinnett County and the surrounding area’s diverse population.
Marina Sampanes Peed, executive director of Mosaic Georgia, says: “This new facility represents a transformative step forward in our mission to guide change for the safety, health, and justice of children and adults impacted by sexualized violence and other interpersonal abuses. By bringing all our services under one roof, we will significantly improve the experience for survivors while increasing our capacity to serve our community.”
Peed
Mosaic Georgia has secured a nominal seven-year lease for the building from Northside Hospital Gwinnett. The new center will feature updated medical exam rooms, forensic interview rooms, offices, quiet rooms, a child/youth playroom, support group rooms, and more. The expanded facility will need to increase service capacity by 20-40 percent, helping more children and adults while maintaining client privacy and confidentiality.
The total project budget is $1.5 million, with a community fundraising goal of $450,000 remaining to complete the transition. Mosaic Georgia is offering naming opportunities for various spaces within the new facility, ranging from $3,000 to $100,000, providing businesses and individuals with meaningful ways to support this critical community resource.
“We invite the community to be a part of this transformative journey,” added Marina Peed. “Your contribution will make a significant impact on the lives of survivors and their families. Together, we can create a community where safety, health, and justice are accessible to all.”
Mosaic Georgia provided over 85,800 services to more than 3,300 clients in 2024. Direct services include:
- 1,176 crisis calls
- 27,246 advocacy services
- 554 child forensic interviews
- 325 medical forensic exams
- 572 clients received legal services
- 1,441 counseling sessions
- 365 participants in support groups
- 685 participants in Wholeness Collective wellness programming.
Mosaic Georgia serves a diverse client base that reflects Gwinnett County’s multicultural population. In 2024, 82 percent of clients were children and youth ages 17 and younger, with services provided in over 12 languages, including American Sign Language, Amharic, Bosnian, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
- For more information about Mosaic Georgia or to contribute to the new facility project, visit www.mosaicgeorgia.org.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
One guy leaves among his legacy, a party shack
The Party Shack
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 23, 2025 | None of us will ever live to realize what our legacy is going to be.
Most of us will be known by our children and their accomplishments. Some of us will be known by our nature, others by business acumen, others by constant smiles and friendliness, and still many by their constant giving to others.
One guy we remember fondly is also known today for erecting a well-used party house on his property, among his many other endeavors. We’re thinking of the late Wally Odum, who conceived a place for people to gather, at what became known as “Wild Wally’s Party Shack” adjacent to his home in Duluth. The Odums had previously moved tables for parties in their car port. Wally figured they had plenty of room for parking for larger gatherings, and constructed the shack on their five acres.
If you knew Wally, he definitely was not “wild.” Bill Cook of Duluth painted a sign, and added the word “wild.”
That was back in 2001. Wally’s younger brother, Carey, who lived in Stone Mountain before moving to Duluth, came up with the design and built the party house. It’s screened-in, sits under the shade of massive pine trees, and can accommodate 60 people in three rows of tables. A restroom is provided, and many groups bring grills for cooking before dining there. Or other groups bring in their food, pot-luck style. There are all-weather concrete tables in the shade outside for the Party Shack overflow.
The shack is in constant use during the warmer season, sometimes two or three times a week. Best estimate: if just 30 people were at the Party Shack three times each week for half a year, times 24 years…..why that’s more than 50,000 who have enjoyed this facility.
Wally’s wife, Ann, keeps a calendar for the shack, and there’s no cost to local groups using it. The Duluth Fall Festival often brings people together there. Recently a group put on a dinner for the departing choir director at Duluth First Methodist Church. There have been weddings at the Party Shack, as well as one funeral.
Today Ann’s son-in-law, daughter Sharon’s husband Ron Paris, “Keeps it cleaner than I did,” Ann says. He’s a retired math teacher in Duluth, who looks after the shack.
Wally Odum was born in Waycross, and graduated from Mercer University in Macon. While in college, he met Ann at Wesleyan College in Macon. Ann and Wally were married in 1955, and in their early life Wally was an officer at Fort Gillem Army Depot near the airport.
Odum
All three of Kate and Calvin Parsons’ daughters’ husbands worked with the Parsons, one in the lumber yard, another in a grocery and Wally was with the hardware store. Later Wally was president of the seven-store Parsons chain.
During his life, Wally was continually busy in community activities. He chaired the board of the Duluth Methodist Church for five years, was an Explorer Scout Leader, was treasurer of the Duluth Fall Festival for many years and hosted an annual cookout. Wally was a director of Gwinnett Community Bank, and as a citizen-member of the Gwinnett County Budget Committee. He was a former president of the Gwinnett Rotary Club, a member of the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia, was on the Gwinnett Hospital Foundation and was a life member of the University Yacht Club.
Happily, Wally enjoyed the Party Shack for 10 years before his death in 2011.
What a legacy. The Party Shack is Wally keeping on giving today.
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Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
Today we add a new underwriter for GwinnettForum. The Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce serves as a vibrant connector for business leaders, nonprofit organizations, retired professionals, and government representatives who share a common interest in building a stronger, more connected community. Our mission is to create educational, content-rich events that not only inform but also inspire—offering opportunities to engage with others who are curious about local and state issues, eager to network, and ready to contribute. Whether it’s learning from expert speakers, understanding public policy, or joining hands on a local volunteer project, we foster meaningful participation across all sectors of our region. Explore the SWGC website, www.southwestgwinnettchamber.com, for upcoming events.”
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
SCORE can benefit many veterans with its service
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | SCORE is a nonprofit national organization which has the nation’s largest network of expert business mentors. SCORE is proud to be a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Gwinnett veterans wanting to do business with the government can find SCORE helpful.
Unpaid, volunteer Score mentors like Tim Richards (and this writer) work with business clients to give them a more accurate picture of the opportunities available to them. Mentors help clients solve problems, make businesses more efficient, and assist with developing short-term action plans as well as long-term, strategic business plans.
Websites promoting future expos/conferences will often post a “call for abstracts/papers” and/or “call for speakers” as they build their event agenda. These are opportunities for entrepreneurs to get exposure as well as instant credibility and influence.
There are multiple resources available to veterans who are entrepreneurs wanting to do business with the government. Here is a partial list.
- Systems for Awards Management is the federal government registration site for enterprises wanting to do business with the federal government, including contracting. Firms must register with this agency before it can be of assistance.
- The Small Business Administration has a set-aside program for veterans. This can give veteran contractors an advantage over other businesses, large and small, by restricting bidding and awards to companies that meet the set-aside criteria and have been certified as such by this agency.
- National Defense Industrial Association allows entrepreneurs to learn to network. With chapters across the globe, this association is inexpensive to join and a key resource for clients wanting to do business with the Department of Defense. There are monthly local chapter events, plus topic driven larger events.
- Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer provide links to government departments and agencies by funding topic, including application instructions.
- Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association has chapters across the globe, promoting small businesses to provide both larger government contractors (such as Lockheed Martin) and federal/state government (such as the Department of Defense), which has needs far beyond just communications and electronics). Their monthly chapter luncheons are great for networking. Plus, there are local and national expos and conferences covering an array of topics.
A final note to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. If you interested in learning how to start a small business or to grow your existing business, SCORE is the organization that can help you to succeed. Simply go to the www.score.org website and register for a seminar or ask for a free mentoring session on-line or via telephone. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Is concerned about authoritarian school board
Editor, the Forum:
Thank you for your recent article on the school board. It is spot on. The anger from Gwinnett residents will grow and will only rage hotter. The Gwinnett Board of Education has become an authoritarian group filled with grifters, cowards, and abusers. I am beyond disgusted, and many others are, too.
Thank you for your voice also. When will Gwinnett residents revolt against this abuse, as Lisa Rutherford said last Thursday night? This is nothing short of masterfully executed abuse.
I hope Governor Kemp removes some members of this board soon. Georgia lawmakers have been made aware of the continued malfeasance. It must not stand. There is legal precedent to remove school board members (2013 case law related to Dekalb county school board members). This entire GCPS board needs to be removed.
– Maria Popovici, Lawrenceville
Jenny Allen is one of Gwinnett’s special heroes
Editor, the Forum:
Our heroes get that special elevated description by a wide variety of criteria by what people think is important in their lives.
Allen
Jenny Allen, executive director of Neighborhood Meals on Wheels, which services an ever growing community (in need) in Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Sugar Hill and beyond, deserves that honor as do the anonymous generous donors who make this all work.
Along with her husband, Chuck, and his church in Sugar Hill, they have grown this program from a modest operation into what it is today a program providing nearly 5,000 meals/month and some 63,000 for the year. There are more than 100 volunteers, who help make it work, delivering meals Monday-Friday each week and often providing the only social contact their clients have, typically seniors often battling serious illnesses.
I am so pleased to play a small part in this operation. Over my years I’ve had a firsthand view of this logistical expanding puzzle and if you don’t her name…Jenny Allen is truly the very definition of a godsend and a hero.
– Howard Hoffman, Berkeley Lake
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.
GGC baseballers playing in World Series again
In a déjà vu moment fit for an action-packed Hollywood script, the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team completed a rally for the second straight year to capture the opening round’s Lawrenceville Bracket and propel the program to the Avista NAIA World Series for the seventh straight season.
The Grizzlies are scheduled to play the University of British Columbia (Canada) in their Avista NAIA World Series opener on Friday, May 23, in Lewiston, Idaho, starting at 7 p.m. PST. The World Series is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, May 31.
Facing two must-win situations in the recent championship round at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, the top-seeded Grizzlies scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to turn a 10-5 deficit into an 11-10 victory against Keiser University (Florida) in the first game of the day.
Then, the tournament hosts came back from trailing 7-6 by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to defeat the Seahawks 13-8 to lead the way to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, as one of the 10 remaining teams in this year’s tournament.
Georgia Banking starts retail mortgage channel
Georgia Banking Company (GBC) announces the launch of its Retail Mortgage origination channel, another significant step in the company’s strategic growth plan. The expansion is set to provide comprehensive mortgage solutions to homebuyers and homeowners across metro Atlanta, reinforcing GBC’s commitment to enhancing its service offerings and market presence.
Leading this initiative are veteran mortgage banking professionals Doug Casbon and John Steele. Casbon will serve as managing director. He will work closely with John Steele, the director of retail mortgage.
Bartow Morgan, CEO of Georgia Banking Company, expressed his enthusiasm for this new venture, stating, “We are excited to welcome Doug and John to GBC. Their expertise and leadership will be instrumental in establishing GBC as a premier provider of mortgage services in Atlanta. The expansion aligns with our strategic vision of offering diverse financial products and exceptional service to our customers.”
GBC will offer a wide range of mortgage products, with purchase and refinance options, including fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages, home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). GBC Retail Mortgage provides personalized service and competitive rates tailored to each customer’s needs.
Ethics charge brings statement from Holtkamp
Holtkamp
Recently County Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp has been accused of unethical conduct when he made a video opposing the county’s transit plan in 2024. This week Commissioner Holtkamp released this statement to GwinnettForum:
“The videos I made were as a private citizen. When you also serve in the role of a commissioner, you have to keep one word in the top of your mind. That word is ‘resource.’
“I was very intentional to not use county resources at any time. I went so far as to not disclose any of my actions so that no special accommodations or effort by any county employee would be made for me. I boarded a normal Gwinnett bus route, paid my fare, and shot a video.
“Thank you to all who voted against the referendum. While we do need some sort of transit for our future, this plan used old data. Thankfully the voters recognized this and we saved ourselves $17 billion!”
Johns Creek Symphony names new music director
Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra (JCSO) announces that Henry Cheng has been selected as the orchestra’s new music director, beginning in September 2025. He was selected from a field of 106 applicants. Cheng conducted two concerts with the JCSO as a guest conductor in the orchestra’s 2024-2025 season.
Cheng
Peter Hildebrandt, president of JCSO’s Board of Directors, says: “Henry Cheng has both the experience and the passion to make that happen, and we couldn’t be happier with the choice. The entire board is excited to work alongside him to make Johns Creek an even more vibrant place.”
Cheng is an internationally recognized conductor whose work brings together musical excellence, cultural curiosity, and a deep commitment to community. He is the winner of the Antal Doráti International Conducting Competition and the European Union Conducting Competition, Cheng has led performances across Europe, Asia, and North America with ensembles such as the La Scala Chamber Orchestra and the Tonyeong International Music Festival Ensemble.
His projects often reimagine the concert experience — whether through Classical K-pop, which bridges the worlds of BTS and Beethoven, or Minecraft x In C, a music education initiative merging minimalist composition with digital interactivity. Cheng has also collaborated with Justice Desk Africa, a South African human rights organization inspired by Nelson Mandela’s legacy, using music as a tool for healing, empowerment, and cross-cultural understanding.
In addition to his work on the podium, Cheng composes and produces interdisciplinary performances that fuse sound, movement, and visual storytelling. Often developed in collaboration with dancers, technologists, and visual artists, his work has been featured at venues such as the Berliner Festspiele, the Singapore Art Museum, the Steirischer Herbst Festival, and the Kaohsiung Performing Arts Center.
Cheng’s artistic leadership is shaped by a simple question: how can an orchestra be of greatest service to its community? Whether through interdisciplinary programming, school partnerships, or creative audience engagement, his work reflects a belief in music as a shared space for connection, reflection, and imagination.
Cheng studied at Georgia State University, the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, and the University of the Arts in Berlin.
Cheng looks forward to his new role: “This isn’t about making music – it’s about building something meaningful and lasting, and serving a community that truly values innovation, education, and the arts. Orchestras grow when they serve, and my vision is for JCSO to become a place where people feel connected, inspired, and proud of what we create together – not just on stage, but throughout the city. My family and I are looking forward to becoming part of Johns Creek’s cultural and civic life, and to building on the strong foundation JCSO has established – helping it grow artistically, strategically, and in service to the people who call this place home.”
Latin American Association reopens Outreach Center
Gwinnett County officials joined the Latin American Association(LAA) this week to mark the grand re-opening of the LAA Gwinnett Outreach Center in Norcross at 5320 Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The facility, formerly known as The Resting Spot, will serve as a resource for families and individuals facing housing insecurity across the County.
Earlier this year, the Board of Commissioners approved a more than $1 million contract with the Latin American Association to operate the center. The funding supports expanded services designed to prevent homelessness and promote housing stability for families throughout the region.
Santiago Marquez, who is CEO of the Association, says: “Our ultimate goal Gwinnett Outreach Center is to end homelessness in Gwinnett County. One of our organization’s many priorities, all of which are rooted in dignity and empowerment, is to continually assess the needs of our community and strive to meet folks where they currently stand.”
The LAA Gwinnett Outreach Center offers temporary shelter, case management focused on financial stability, emergency rental assistance, tenant advocacy, legal support for eviction or housing discrimination, and direct referrals to permanent housing solutions. The center brings these critical services under one roof, connecting residents with the tools and resources they need to rebuild their lives with dignity.
PCOM graduates 287 new health professionals
On May 20, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee graduated 287 students in a commencement ceremony at the Gas South Convention Center. The ceremony honored graduates earning degrees from all doctoral and graduate programs within the medical, pharmacy and health professions.
Following graduation, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine graduates will begin residency training in a wide range of specialties, including emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, and others.
PCOM Georgia Class of 2025 highlights:
- Youngest graduate: 23 years old;
- Oldest graduate: 60 years old;
- Most popular first names: Daniel, Sarah
- Most common last name: Patel
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Dagg was prominent Baptist clergyman
Author, educator, and Baptist clergyman John Leadley Dagg spent the latter part of his career in Georgia, including 12 years as a professor of theology and then president of Mercer University in the 1840s and 1850s. His influential books on theology and ethics established his reputation as the country’s first systematic Baptist theologian.
Dagg was born near Middleburg, Va., on February 13, 1794. He received limited formal education, attending school from 1803 to 1810. In 1817 he married Fanny H. Thornton, with whom he had four children. In 1832 he married Mary Young Davis; they had one child.
After beginning his career as a Baptist pastor and teacher in northern Virginia, Dagg served from 1825 to 1834 as the minister of a prominent Philadelphia church, despite being lame and almost blind. After he lost his voice as well, he resigned his pulpit and became president and professor at Haddington Literary and Theological Institute, near Philadelphia (1834-36), and then at Alabama Female Athenaeum, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (1836-44). In 1843 the University of Alabama awarded him an honorary doctorate of divinity.
As an educator and theologian, Dagg is best known for his work in Georgia between 1844 and 1870. From 1844 to 1856 he was on the faculty of Mercer University, then located in Penfield, as professor of theology and later president of the college. Under his leadership four brick buildings were constructed; the student body almost tripled, to a total of 181; and a three-year program leading to the bachelor of divinity degree was established, with three full-time professors.
His greatest contribution to Baptist life came after his retirement in 1856, when he lived successively in Cuthbert, Madison, and Forsyth with his clergyman son, John Francis Dagg. He prepared A Manual of Theology (1857), A Treatise on Church Order (1858), The Elements of Moral Science (1859), and The Evidences of Christianity (1869). His reputation as a theologian and ethicist rests on these four works. All were used as textbooks and enjoyed wide circulation and commendation into the twentieth century. The first two are still in print.
In 1870 Dagg moved to Alabama, where he lived with a married daughter. He died on June 11, 1884, in Hayneville, Ala. He is buried there in a grave approximately located and marked in 1957 by the Georgia Baptist Convention.
Dagg is perhaps the most representative theological figure among antebellum Baptists in the United States. To his contemporaries he was “the venerable Dr. Dagg,” a man of intellect and piety, of honesty and integrity, of clarity in thought and discourse. His gentleness and courtesy were frequently noted. One person wrote: “If there ever was a great man who did not know it, or knowing, cared not for it, that man is Dr. Dagg.”
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Can you identify this soaring worship center?
The Mystery Photo today comes with one fact: this church is not located in New Orleans. So, try to find out in what city it’s located, and tell the name of this church. Send to ebrack2@mail.com, and tell us your hometown.
Recently Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C., was first in with his answer: “House, a sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), an American comic book style pop artist. Perhaps less known are the sculptures he created. His two dimensional house sculpture visually changed as you circled it.” The photograph was taken by George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
Also recognizing the art work were Matt Willis, Lawrenceville; Susan Shenefield, Flowery Branch; Holly Moore, Suwanee; Tonya Aumack, Lilburn; Tom Upchurch, Suwanee; Virginia Klaer, Duluth; Pat Bruschini, Peachtree Corners; and Allan Peel, San Antonio, Texas: “Today’s mystery photo is called House III, the third in a series of three sculptural art pieces designed by American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. It is located on the grounds of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and while the structure may look proportional in all three dimensions from some angles, it is really just an optical illusion. Walk around it, and it will transform into a two-dimensional object.
“Roy Lichtenstein (1923 – 1997) is best known for his 2D cartoon-style paintings of the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. The House Series are painted on either aluminum or fiberglass sheets using bold lines and primary colors.
“House III was originally designed in 1997, shortly before Lichtenstein’s death. However, it was never actually fabricated during his lifetime, as the full-scale version was constructed posthumously in 2002 by Amaral Custom Fabrications. This aluminum-fabricated piece was first exhibited on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2003, alongside other works by Lichtenstein. It was relocated in 2005 and installed on the grounds of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, where it remains in public view today.”
- 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.
Vietnam War veterans to be honored today in Norcross
Vietnam War veterans will be honored Friday, May 23, at 11 a.m. by the First Senior Center of Georgia at 5555 Oakbrook Pkwy, Suite 500-B in Norcross. The event will bring together Vietnamese American Veterans and members of the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association, many of whom served side by side during the Vietnam War.
Andersonville National Historic Site will commemorate Memorial Day with a series of events that are free and open to the public from Saturday, May 24, to Tuesday, May 27, 2025. The Memorial Day observance will begin on Saturday, May 24, with the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence Band performing at 9:30 a.m., followed by the program at 10 a.m. After the ceremony, hundreds of scouts and volunteers will place American flags on over 20,000 veterans’ graves. Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, Ga, and 10 miles northeast of Americus, Ga, on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery, and the site of the historic Civil War prison, Camp Sumter. Andersonville National Historic Site is the only national park within the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war.
Mountain Park Community Association Volunteer Event: Join your neighbors in this Adopt-a-Road Clean Up on Saturday, May 24 at 11 a.m. Meet at Lipson Dental, to split into groups along Five Forks-Trickum Road from Killian Hill to Pounds Road to pick up trash and debris. Minimum age: 14 years old. MPCA will provide safety vests, sunscreen, water, trash bags and enthusiasm!
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.
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 discusses her book, The Battle for the Black Mind, about the history of education in the U.S. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
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