By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JAN. 9, 2026 | A new trivia puzzle for you. Let’s go to history for this one. What portrait is the most reproduced in the United States? We just want to tickle your brain with this one. Answer at the bottom of this column.
Local tie: Marty Flournoy of Columbus is a commercial Realtor and husband of Gwinnett native Cindy Odum of Duluth, daughter of Ann Odum. Flournoy, 69, has always had an avocation, flying airplanes and competing and judging in aerobatics, that is, advanced aerobatics for over 20 years.
Recently at the U. S. National Aerobatic Advanced Power competition in Salina, Kansas, after years of competition, Flournoy finally emerged as the winner. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson presented an official proclamation declaring “Marty Flournoy Day.” And to Marty’s surprise, his friends bought space on eight electronic billboards around the city to honor him further.
Marty says: “I’d won individual flights before, but I’d never won the overall, so this was kind of like finally putting the icing on the cake,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer. Being the oldest among the 13 pilots who qualified for the national competition in the advanced division made this victory especially sweet for Flournoy.
He’s competed as a member of the U.S. team in international competition, the most recent in Hungary, where the U.S. finished third. Residents of Columbus have been able to see him flying aerobatic stunts over the city for at least 20 years.
When younger, Marty was also participating in stunts, as part of water ski shows at Callaway Gardens. “I was the one on top.” Among his teammates for ski shows was Kathy Fincher, who introduced him to her cousin, Cathy Odum, and that’s how they met.
The new Norcross Police Station is rising these days, with the use of aluminum 2x4s. That put us to wondering the cost of wood vs. metal. Here’s what our internet search found:
Generally, wooden 2x4s are cheaper upfront for basic materials than metal studs, costing around $3-$4 vs $6-$10. But metal can become cost-competitive or even better value long-term because of less waste, no rot/termites, and fewer repairs, though steel requires special tools and insulation. The final cost heavily depends on current market prices (lumber cost spikes favor steel) and project specifics like labor, tools and energy codes.
The Internet hits all of us in many ways, puzzling us often. The people in Denmark are experiencing a new outcome taking down an institution.
The nation of Denmark’s government is halting delivery of mail. It’s because Denmark has turned to the digital age with such impact. Only less than 5 percent of Danes get their official government communications through the mail. Writing letters has declined by 90 percent.
As people use the internet more, other countries might curtail deliveries. It might even happen one year sooner than we expect.
No, the most reproduced portrait in our country is not someone you would immediately think about, like George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln. Of course, Washington on the one dollar bill, and Lincoln on the penny were circulated heavily.
The most reproduced photograph is that of DeWitt Clinton (1769-1825), a former New York governor responsible for building the Erie Canal. But the Canal has little to do with his prominence on reproductions. His face is on tax stamps on packages of cigarettes. His photo is on every tobacco tax stamp ever issued by the government, dating back to 1883 to 1959, numbering in the billions, or maybe trillions. Now you know!
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