GwinnettForum | Number 25.99 | Dec. 23, 2025
IN DOWNTOWN LILBURN adjacent the Seaboard rail line, work continues on The Porchline development and the new parking deck in Old Town, with steady progress across the site. Crews are completing block walls around the elevator shaft, with brick installation now underway. Window and exterior siding installation is ongoing, and the buildings are expected to be fully dry within the coming weeks. It has 269 apartments, and a public-private parking garage for 700 vehicles. It is a public-private partnership between the City of Lilburn, the Lilburn Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and RangeWater Real Estate.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The next edition of GwinnettForum will appear in your mailbox on Dec. 30.—eeb
BLATANT COMMERCIAL: If you need a last-minute Christmas present, the 850-page history book, Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta, by EEB, makes a great gift. It sells for $75. We’ll even deliver to you if you live in Gwinnett. Call 770 840 1003 to get this in time for Christmas.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Lighting candles on Christmas Eve brings joy
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Christmas carols brighten our holiday season
SPOTLIGHT: Walton Gas
FEEDBACK: Looks like Trump wants to conquer Venezuela
UPCOMING: Remember the Chipper to recycle Christmas trees
NOTABLE: From GGC Graduate to NYU Professor
RECOMMENDED: Learning Review: Duolingo by Van Ahn and Hacker
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Georgia Botanical Society dates from 1926
MYSTERY PHOTO: Check out this old industrial photo. Why now?
CALENDAR: Quilt Exhibit continues through Dec. 31 in Norcross
Lighting candles on Christmas Eve brings joy
By The Rev. Dr. Matthew M. Fry
Pastor, Norcross Presbyterian Church
NORCROSS, Ga. | Many churches have a similar tradition for Christmas Eve services. People sing Silent Night holding candles while the lights in the sanctuary are turned off. Many people tell me that it is their favorite church moment every year, to see the community gather around candlelight singing a favorite hymn.
And a lot of churches will follow that with the classic denouement, the lights come back on with everyone singing Joy to the World.
For more than 20 years, Joy to the World has been my favorite part of the Christmas Eve service. And it’s not because it means that the service is over and this pastor gets to go home and crash after a long busy day.
At Norcross Presbyterian, we take our still-lit candles, our bulletins with lyrics printed in them, and we go outside to sing Joy to the World. I usually say we are singing it to the world. But while we sing it TO the world, outside of the building IN the world, I hope we are singing it WITH the world. I hope that by getting outside of our building we remember that we don’t bring joy just to those who attend our service, or any service, but to all people in every corner of the world.
One of the things that happens often is that when we go outside sometimes people’s candles blow out. Windy year or not, that much movement will take the light right off of a small candle. We have gotten used to that fact, and people are well aware that when your light blows out, turn to someone next to you and let them help you light your candle again. And when your neighbor’s candle blows out, lend them your light.
And that is why it is my favorite moment of Christmas Eve. The simple reminder that sometimes our joy does get diminished, does find itself blown out. The pressure to keep your light shining bright can be overwhelming. But if you know that you have help from someone standing right next to you, and if you know that you can help someone else, that pressure seems to just dissipate, to blow itself out, if you will.
Not every year, but sometimes, someone will drive by right as we are all outside, looking silly, holding our lights and trying not to set our bulletins on fire. When that happens, I look inside and invariably see a smile on the faces of those inside the car. Last year they even rolled down the window and joined the singing. Someone gave the driver their candle. That felt holy and sacred to me.
If you want to join us, if you want to share some Joy To, In, and With the World, we start at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve and everyone is invited. If you’ve got Joy to share, come share it. If you find that your light is running a little low, come find someone who will help you light your candle again.
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Christmas carols brighten our holiday season
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
DEC. 23, 2025 | One of the joys of the holiday season is the singing of Christmas carols. Today we’ll give you the first lines of these Yuletide visitors, and bet those few words will have you humming along. The words are from the hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA.
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O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.
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O come, o come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to three, O Israel!
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Lo he comes with clouds descending, once for our salvation slain.
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O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.
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While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone all around.
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It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from Angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.
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O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
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Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to our new born King!
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The first Nowell the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.
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Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice; give ye heed to what we say: Jesus Christ is born today.
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Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.
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What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
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God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.
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Angels we have heard on high, singing sweetly through the night. And the mountains in reply, echoing their brave delight.
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Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
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In the bleak midwinter, Frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
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What star is this, with beams so bright, more beauteous than the noonday light?
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Christ for the world we sing! The world to Christ we bring, with loving zeal.
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Rise up, o men of God! Have done with lesser things.
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Christians, awake, salute the happy morn, whereon the Saviour of the world is born.
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Unto us a boy is born! The King of all creation. Came he to world forlorn, the Lord of every nation.
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Joy to the world! The Lord has come; Let earth receive her King.
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Christmas carols: they bring to us the magic of holidays!
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Looks like Trump wants to conquer Venezuela
Editor, the Forum:
Let me guess that Trump wants to conquer Venezuela. We have a million man army, a large Navy, lots of bombers but those are easy. So he has also mentioned a ground war. Venezuela has a small army, almost no Navy and they have a few jet fighters.
What they have is more poisonous snakes and one, non-poisonous one that is the largest snake in the world. You get snakebit down there, you die quietly, no noise and that is that.
Tanks are no good there. Has Trump ever been in a jungle, especially at night? Bugs, oh boy! They have those in great numbers. They have more cats than the cat lady down the street, but there are a lot and they are all very much bigger than the calico cats. Theirs eat live meat.
Trump has said fighting on the ground, which is where wars are won. This is but where most warriors die or get seriously injured. In Vietnam, I have seen US troops stacked up like cord wood. Only Congress can declare a war, not Trump.
– Raleigh Perry, Buford
Trump look-a-like Andrew Clyde does not represent me
Editor, the Forum:
I am upset that I am not represented in the House of Representatives. Andrew Clyde is a Trump look-a-like that was gerrymandered to represent Sugar Hill. None of his issue positions represents the needs of his constituents.
In his response to my query about his position on the department of education’s need to support handicapped students, Andrew Clyde failed to understand the hurt caused by withdrawing funding for handicapped children. All I received was the Trump party line. He does not represent me or the children of his district.
– Alan Schneiberg, Sugar Hill
About the Howard Brothers and CFNEGA
Editor, the Forum:
Really enjoyed your column on the Howard Brothers in last Friday’s issue.
I don’t remember the specifics, but when Covid started, the Neighborhood Co-Op wanted to do a pop-up food drive. Within a blink of an eye, Piedmont Bank offered a spot and Howard Brothers offered an 18 wheeler. There are so many benefits to supporting local businesses. They are good neighbors!
Good luck on your search for more subscribers!! I gave you a shoutout on Nextdoor.
Also: I am copying Depriest Waddy of the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia (CFNEG) on this email because it could be an opportunity to educate people on Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). They are misunderstood.
Randy Brunson wrote in your publication today… the need for a significant money event. People don’t know what that means or how little it takes to open a donor advised fund with CFNEG. It’s like having your OWN family foundation without the specific IRS regulations or costly legal fees. In addition to managing our investment, CFNEG educates us on local nonprofits.
I praise DAFs every chance I get and people think you need to be Warren Buffett to hold one… simply not true.
– Cathy Lowe, Peachtree Corners
CFNEGA working on Dec. 31 for callers
Editor, the Forum:
You are absolutely correct, Cathy. Our team is working through 12/31 to open last minute DAFs and give our community every opportunity to take advantage of these benefits.
My personal cell number is below if you know of anyone needing help.
– DePriest Waddy, 404-358-2516, Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia
- 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.
Remember the Chipper to recycle Christmas trees
It’s time to remember the chipper when disposing of your live Christmas trees.
Each December, Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful and its partners at Jackson EMC, Walton EMC, Republic Services, and the Gwinnett County Departments of Transportation, Parks and Recreation, and Fire extend the magic of Christmas. Through Gwinnett County’s annual Bring One for the Chipper event, these organizations team up to transform live Christmas trees into mulch that will grace public spaces and parks over the coming months.
Trees will be collected at select fire stations throughout the county between December 26, 2025, and January 21, 2026. The trees will then be transported to Bethesda Park at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville for Bring One for the Chipper 2026 on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Dozens of volunteers will be needed to ensure a smooth event from start to finish.
Marlatt encourages anyone who wants to volunteer to register now for the 2026 Chipper event on Saturday, January 24. Hosted from 7:30-10:30 a.m., volunteers must be 14 or older and can include individuals and families, school clubs, civic groups, companies, and neighborhood associations. To volunteer, interested parties must register online at Volunteer Gwinnett – Gwinnett | Gwinnett County. Questions may be directed to gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org or 770-822-5187.
Meanwhile, the city of Suwanee will have its own recycling of trees. Area residents may drop off their former living Christmas trees at Sims Lake Park, at 1600 Suwanee Dam Road, from December 26 to January 31.
Decorations, lights, and stands should be removed from all trees prior to donating. Last year, mulch from nearly 1,200 former Christmas trees were spread in Suwanee parks.
- To volunteer, contact Nicole Schnepper at nschnepper@suwanee.com or 770-945-8996.
From GGC graduate to NYU professor
The beauty of a collegiate journey lies in the opportunity to discover one’s passions and turn them into a purposeful career.
For McKenzie Preston, GGC ’16, that journey began after graduating from North Gwinnett High School and spending his first year of college elsewhere before transferring to Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), a move that set the course for his future.
“I chose GGC because of its strong focus on teaching, affordable tuition and flexible course offerings, all of which made it possible for me to work full-time while pursuing my degree,” Preston explains. “During my time there, I balanced a full course load with full-time positions at JPMorgan Chase and Navy Federal Credit Union.”
Preston majored in business administration, drawn to its focus on management, leadership and marketing, areas that matched his growing interests. After earning his bachelor’s degree from GGC in 2016, he went on to receive a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Georgia in 2018, followed by a Ph.D. in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2023.
During his graduate studies, Preston held positions in diverse industries, from business management software to real estate and even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but something still felt missing.
“I realized I hadn’t yet found my true sense of purpose,” he said. “Through several long conversations with Dr. Douglas Johnson, a former GGC professor now at Wake Forest University, I came to see that academia aligned much more closely with my aspirations for autonomy, problem-solving and making a meaningful social impact.”
That realization ultimately led him to join the NYU Stern School of Business as a tenure-track assistant professor. He described the position as a natural fit.
“NYU and GGC both share a deep commitment to education and innovative learning,” he says. “I still remember my capstone course at GGC, where we worked in teams to run a simulated company. It was an incredible hands-on experience that mirrors the type of experiential learning I now see at NYU.”
Though NYU operates on a global scale, Preston credits GGC’s faculty for laying the foundation for his success.
“Dr. Douglas Johnson’s leadership courses were not only engaging and informative, but they also had a lasting impact on my career,” Preston says. “He has continued to be a key mentor and source of guidance over the years. I also vividly remember many of the outstanding professors whose courses shaped my time at GGC — including Dr. Jason Delaney, Dr. Eric Gresch, Dr. Phillip Hartley, Dr. Ali Kooti, Dr. Sanjaya Mayadunne, Dr. Carlos Enrique Ruiz Burgos, Dr. Luis Torres and Dr. Mei Miranda Zhang. Their enthusiasm for teaching and dedication to students left a lasting impression on me.”
Learning Source Review: Duolingo b y Ahn and Hacker
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: Duolingo is an American educational technology company that offers a most engaging way to learn a second language! There are 42 languages that can be selected and with endurance a new language can be planted in the brain of the student. In addition to Spanish, French and Italian, there are courses in Welsh, Dutch, Swahili, Turkish, Swedish, Romanian, Polish, Russian, Japanese, and many others. There are some levels of Duolingo that are free and some subscription based. The idea for Duolingo was formulated in 2009 by Carnegie Mellon University professor Luis Van Ahn and a Swiss post-graduate student Severin Hacker. It was initially developed to help a community in Guatemala learn English. Severin Hacker believed that providing a means for free education could change the world. Duolingo fosters continuous learning for all ages, with bite size lessons that train one to think in a language and access another world. The full title is: Learning Source Review: Duolingo: A Popular Way to Learn Another Language.
- 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.
Georgia Botanical Society dates from 1926
In 1926 the Georgia Botanical Society was founded in Atlanta by Eugene Scofield Heath with the following goals: to promote the understanding and appreciation of plants and their relationship to the environment; to undertake or support the setting apart of appropriate areas in Georgia for the preservation of native and cultivated flora; to encourage the protection of rare and endangered plant species and significant botanical habitats; and to promote the conservation of botanical resources and encourage the practice of a conservation ethic.
Field trips are offered by the society for botanical education and enjoyment to anyone interested in Georgia’s native plants. These trips (scheduled throughout the year) are held across Georgia from the mountains to the coast. Most of the approximately 400 members are not professional botanists but enjoy learning about the state’s native plants.
The society publishes a newsletter, BotSoc News, six times a year plus a special wildflower pilgrimage issue. It includes detailed information about upcoming field trips, as well as reports from previous field trips. BotSoc News also includes items about Georgia botany and botanists, and features articles on native plants. The botanical magazine Tipularia is published once a year and documents the interesting plants, places, and people in Georgia botany.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Check out this old industrial photo. Why now?
There’s a particular reason to print this Mystery Photo in this issue. See if you can figure out this mystery, and submit your entry to ebrack2@gmail.com, and tell us your hometown.
Ruthy Lachman Paul of Norcross wrote of the previous mystery: “Like many buildings in Vienna, this opera house was built for the pleasure of the Habsburg family that ruled Austria. It was initially called the ‘Royal Opera House’ and after the fall of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of Austria, its name was changed to the Vienna State Opera House. The Second World War period was devastating for the opera house. Between 1938 and 1945, the Nazis ruled Austria and as a result, many artists were dismissed from their positions, persecuted and some were even murdered. The Nazis banned many performances and damaged the functioning of the opera house.
“Today, the Vienna State Opera is considered one of the best opera houses in the world. Each season, there are no fewer than 350 performances, presenting about 60 ballets and operas in various styles from the Baroque period to the present day, presented almost every night of the week. My first visit to the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) in 1980 was a unique experience. There was also the famous New Year’s Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic and marked the beginning of a new era with conductor Laurin Maazel.”
Others recognizing it include Dick LoPresti, Berkeley Lake; Holly Moore, Suwanee; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas.
Chuck Miller of the Southeastern Railway Museum, Duluth, who sent in this photo, is quite familiar with the opera house, since he worked there. “The view of the Vienna Opera House is being set up for the Vienna Jazz Festival. I managed the production of the event for decades.”
Peel adds: “The Vienna State Opera was the site of the world’s longest-standing ovation. This occurred on July 30, 1991, after a performance of Otello by the Spanish opera singer and conductor, Plácido Domingo (1941 – Present). It lasted for an incredible 80 minutes and included 101 curtain calls.”
- 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.
Quilt exhibit continues through Dec. 31 in Norcross
Holiday Quilt Exhibit is ongoing now through Dec. 31. Presented by Spirited Quilters Guild, this colorful showcase runs through Wednesday, Dec. 31 at the Welcome Center and History Museum, 17 College Street, Norcross. Open hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free! Marvel at 15+ holiday-themed quilts featuring a variety of materials, techniques, and patterns. Perfect for a festive outing in Norcross, wander through the creativity of local artists and get inspired by the warmth and whimsy of fiber art.
A solo exhibit of the work of Chitra Ramanathan of Norcross, a teaching artist at Norcross Gallery and Studios, is now going on at the Pinckneyville Park and Recreation Center in Berkeley Lake through Jan. 31, 2026. It is a retrospective, as some early works are included up to current ones, many large in scale.
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