GwinnettForum | Number 26.19 | March 6, 2026
HERE’S A SIGN that spring is on its way. The colorful planting at Thrasher Park in Norcross is an indication that warmer weather is coming. Sure, it’s about two weeks away, but never too soon for the cold-blooded among us. Send in photographs of emerging springtime near your home.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Our government has been dysfunctional for decades
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Gwinnett motorists enjoy good, smooth roads
SPOTLIGHT: Law Office of J. Michael Levengood, LLC
FEEDBACK: Worried about Trump’s terrible decisions
UPCOMING: Daylight Saving Time returns Sunday
NOTABLE: Lawrenceville plans meeting on coming annexation
RECOMMENDED: The Impossible Fortune, by Richard Osman
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Midtown is Atlanta’s second largest business area
MYSTERY PHOTO: Where is this building; what is its importance?
CALENDAR: Chalk Fest coming March 7 to Hudgens Arts Center
Our government has been dysfunctional for decades
By Sid Camp
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. | I read with interest your article and certainly agree with the information you have shared with the readers. I would just add that our federal government has been dysfunctional for decades and worry that it will get worse before it gets better.
When George Washington decided not to run again, he published a farewell address to the American people delineating several concerns, mostly out of protecting the Constitution. Washington was clearly concerned that the Republic was threatened by the forces of geographical sectionalism, political factionalism, and interference by foreign powers in the nation’s domestic affairs. I believe Washington had his faults, but he was clearly on target with helping the people understand the forces that could derail our young nation.
Washington urged Americans to subordinate sectional jealousies to common national interests. Writing at a time before political parties had become accepted as extra-constitutional, opinion-focusing agencies, Washington feared that they carried the seeds of the nation’s destruction through petty factionalism. Washington was not an isolationist. However, he recognized the necessity of temporary associations for “extraordinary emergencies;” he did counsel against the establishment of “permanent alliances with other countries,” connections that he warned would inevitably be subversive of America’s national interest.
Unfortunately, our nation has not heeded Washington’s warnings and continues to engage in factionalism, allow political parties to determine many of the processes for elections, and now the nation finds itself with a broad scope of allies and enemies. Over the weekend, I read that many of the challenges can be summed up in these four words, “Someone will fix it.”
For too long, we have allowed reactive politicians to articulate their platform and not hold them accountable. This includes Democrats, Republicans and any other party that puts forth a candidate. Our nation continues to return the same “do nothing” politicians to office year after year. I would argue that the future is not written and the challenges can be solved with just three words, “We the People…”
Until voters demand a new structure that eliminates the control of our elections by political parties that create factionalism, we are likely to continue along this path. It will not get better until we make it better.
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Around Gwinnett, motorists enjoy good, smooth roads
By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
MARCH 6, 2026 | Today, let’s address Gwinnett County’s solid smooth road system. It’s great to cruise along on roads that are not bumpy, and free of potholes and bad paving, and feel the smoothness of the 2,700 miles of roadway that our county maintains.
Gwinnett’s Transportation Department keeps roads smooth through a combination of proactive, scheduled maintenance and rapid responsive repairs. They resurface, repave, patch with asphalt and seal cracks.
For 2026 alone, the county is planning to re-pave 241 miles of road, which is taking on a big job. In the last 10 years, they have resurfaced over 1,000 miles of roadway. Asphalt plants don’t open during cold weather. The plants operate when the air temperature is 45 degrees and rising.
- For a list of the roads to be repaved in 2026, click here.
Tommy Whitlock, construction manager who oversees roadway resurfacing for Gwinnett, says that the county surveys its roads every three years to see what type of work is needed. The roads to be repaved are based on an evaluation score.
Whitlock says: “This year there are nine major contracts for three major roads, and six residential contracts. The majority of the work is anticipated to be completed by October 31.” The major road work will be done by Triple R of Morrow, while the residential roadwork will be contracted to Scruggs Company, dba Sunbelt Asphalt of Auburn.
What will happen is that the contractor will mill the road to remove the top layer of old, damaged pavement, readying the surface for the new asphalt. The contractor will also patch and repair potholes. Then comes the full depth reclamation pulverizing the old road and base to make a new, stabilized foundation.
Also recognize the importance of keeping ditches, pipes and catch basins clear, to prevent water from pooling and damaging a road surface. Shoulders of the road must sometimes be graded to make sure the asphalt shoulders are level with the roadway.
The year’s work begins with the evaluation, where the department rates roads, checking for cracks and depressions in the roadway. They also take inventory of sidewalks, catch basins and guard rails. Helping to pinpoint where roadwork is needed is done by a modern invention, the laser. Evaluation this year will determine which roads will be in line for work in 2027.
Our neighborhood in Norcross has a newly-paved entrance to our subdivision that drives mighty smooth these days. Work on removing the top layer of asphalt began in late January when we had some warm weather. But then the weather turned cold….and for three weeks we drove on rough roads awaiting a new layer of asphalt. Finally the work was finished, and we can drive and smile at the smoothness of repaved Sunset Drive.
Fortunately, people all over Gwinnett are generally enjoying these smooth roads.
It’s good government paying attention to the details, keeping up, and looking to the future.
A salute to Edward Aponte, our county transportation director, for leading this department. Next time you drive, appreciate the smooth Gwinnett roads!
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Law Office of J. Michael Levengood, LLC
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s underwriter is the Law Office of J. Michael Levengood, LLC. Before relocating his general civil practice nine years ago to Lawrenceville, Mike Levengood practiced law as a partner in an Atlanta firm for almost 34 years, handling a wide variety of commercial and litigation matters for business clients. Mike is a community leader in Gwinnett County where he serves on several non-profit boards. In 2023, he received the Justice Robert Benham Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service from the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism.
- Visit this supporter’s web site at https://www.levengoodlaw.com
Worried about Trump’s terrible decisions
Editor, the Forum:
The recent comment on Iran was beautifully written. I am so saddened and worried that this man in the White House continues to make terrible decisions. I pray myself that the members of Congress will have the backbone and courage it takes to stop his lawlessness.
– Nancy Price, Lawrenceville
If Congress would do its job, Trump could be stopped
Editor, the Forum:
It seems if Congress would grow a spine and do their job, Trump could be stopped. Nearly nothing he does is legal but no one stands up to this dictator who ignores our Constitution.
– Louise Stewart, Norcross
Points out USA took land from Mexico, and other areas
Editor, the Forum:
In the Tuesday GwinnettForum, it is stated “But in all our military activities, the United States has never sought to take land for ourselves and take freedom away from other peoples. After all, our very Constitution begs us to make peace work.”
I think you missed the following where we did get quite a bit of land for the US:
- Mexican–American War (1846–1848): Territory gained: The Mexican Cession, including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
- Spanish–American War (1898): Territory gained: Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines (Philippines later became independent in 1946).
This is not to mention the many wars against the natives as we expanded west. Surely most all of those were land grabs as well.
– Tim Sullivan, Mulberry
Dear Tim: You are right. Thanks for recognizing what we had left out. Neither of these wars seems today as horrible as the outright attack and continued pounding on Iran.—eeb
Continues to realize Andrew Clyde doesn’t get it
Editor, the Forum:
In his newest newsletter, Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde still doesn’t get it. In lauding Trump’s war against Iran, he fails to justify why our Congress wasn’t notified, nor has he justified attacking Iran without our being at risk of immediate nuclear war. Andrew Clyde blindly follows Trump’s warlike policies.
Andrew Clyde doesn’t represent the needs of the American people nor does he represent me.
– Alan Schneiberg, Sugar Hill
- 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.
Daylight Saving Time returns Sunday in most of nation
In the United States, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March (March 8) and ends on the first Sunday in November (Nov. 1.), with the time changes taking place at 2 a.m. local time.
The saying goes that it takes an act of Congress to get something done. That includes Daylight Saving Time (DST).
Mike Martinez, assistant professor of legal studies at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) says: “Yes, it would take an act of Congress to do away with Daylight Saving Time. Initially, reasons for it included concerns about child safety when it’s dark during the school year. It’s something that has been debated for decades.”
DST started in the early 1900s and was mandated in the U.S. when Congress passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966. According to a poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs, only 12 percent of Americans still support the fall and spring time changes. Even so it is yet to be accomplished.
“Unfortunately, the joke is that Congress is where good ideas go to die,” said Martinez. “Part of the problem is that for the past 40 years, Congress has become increasingly divisive, and a lot of districts are so heavily gerrymandered that they don’t want to play ball with the other party. That’s why it’s so hard to get anything done.”
So what needs to happen to either change or abolish DST?
“States can opt out of Daylight Saving and remain on Standard Time,” says Martinez. “Other states, like Georgia, have passed laws to stay on permanent Daylight Saving, but it can’t go into effect without federal authorization.”
Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that don’t observe DST, along with five U.S. Territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. So far, more than 20 states have passed legislation or resolutions to make DST permanent.
Adding to the issue states face is whether to adopt permanent DST or standard time. Either way, it still requires federal approval.
There may be light at the end of the tunnel. The Daylight Act of 2026 (H.R. 7378) was introduced in February. This proposal was to shift time zones by 30 minutes permanently and eliminate DST. U.S. Rep. W. Gregory Steube, R-Fla., put forth the bill on Feb. 4, 2026. The bill proposes a permanent, year-round, half-hour shift in daylight saving time to replace the traditional one-hour change.
“It’s tiring to have to change your clocks twice a year,” said Martinez. “It disrupts sleep cycles for millions of Americans. You already deal with the time zones in the U.S. and then need to add moving your clocks forward and back twice a year. Having a permanent time would benefit everyone.”
Lawrenceville plans meeting on coming annexation
The city of Lawrenceville will host four public information meetings on a proposed annexation, to be held on May 19, 2026.
The public meetings will be on March 18, April 23, May 6, and May 14, starting at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall. The meetings will provide detailed information about the proposed annexation and allow residents and property owners to ask questions. Additional details are available at lville.city/annexation.
City staff will be available at each meeting to review the proposed annexation area, explain city services that will be provided if the annexation passes, and answer questions from residents and property owners. The meetings are designed to ensure that individuals in the proposed area have access to accurate information and an opportunity to speak directly with City representatives.
Residents who are unsure whether their property is included in the proposed area may review the online resources or contact the City for assistance at annexation2026@lawrencevillega.org.
The Impossible Fortune, by Richard Osman
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: This fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club series about four Brits who live in a posh retiree community is my favorite. While it could probably stand alone, it will have more impact if you’ve read a couple of the other books in the series. This last book focuses more on the quirky retirees and their families and less on the local police and hardened criminals. I won’t give away too much (spoilers from the earlier books), so I’ll just say The Impossible Fortune includes the disappearance of a best man after a wedding, a car bomb explosion, the search for an “uncrackable” bitcoin code reportedly worth hundreds of millions of pounds, an abusive drug-addicted husband on the run and the sweetness of an ex-con. This book has more suspense and surprises than the others. It’s also very personal, funny and – despite being a crime story – touching and poignant.
- 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.
Midtown is Atlanta’s 2nd largest business area
Midtown is the second-largest business district in Atlanta and features the largest concentration of arts facilities and organizations in the South. It is bound by Peachtree Station on the north, Ansley Park, Piedmont Park, and Monroe Drive on the east, the Downtown Connector on the west, and North Avenue on the south.
During the 1850s, what is now Midtown was a vast stretch of forest and field outside Atlanta’s corporate limits. The section of Peachtree Street that forms the backbone of Midtown today was a narrow country road that served as the main connection between Atlanta and Buckhead. North of Eighth Street and south of Twelfth Street, Peachtree followed a westward bend in order to avoid a deep gulch.
Following the 1887 Piedmont Exposition, residential development along Peachtree Street between Eighth and Fourteenth Streets altered Peachtree’s “country road atmosphere,” as prominent merchants, bankers, lawyers, and architects built lavish homes in what had once been Tight Squeeze village.
A feverish building activity only increased after the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895, which saw the extension of streetcar tracks on Piedmont Avenue to Piedmont Park’s main entrance at present-day Fourteenth Street. As the city’s economy continued to boom throughout the first quarter of the twentieth century, the fashionable suburb along Peachtree was eclipsed by larger, garden suburbs such as Ansley Park and Druid Hills.
As affluent Atlantans moved further and further afield, the intersection at Peachtree and Tenth Street welcomed multi-family development and an influx of new retail outlets. Elegant apartment buildings were constructed alongside the neighborhood’s streetcar lines, and the once stately homes on Peachtree Street were subdivided into boarding houses or razed altogether.
In the years after World War II, Peachtree and Tenth welcomed large numbers of itinerants, students, and singles who were attracted by the area’s inexpensive rent and central location. Younger residents, many of them students from the nearby Atlanta College of Art, crowded into the neighborhood’s old homes, and the community adopted an increasingly bohemian cast. By the late 1960s, Midtown had become the epicenter for Atlanta’s countercultural movement.
In 1969 neighborhood property owners established the Uptowne Neighborhood Association to promote neighborhood improvement through the renovation of old homes, new construction, and master planning. The association changed its name to Midtown Neighborhood Association in 1972, after a Buckhead mall claimed the “uptown” mantle in a series of advertisements. Six years later, leaders of Midtown’s gay community established the Atlanta Business and Professional Guild to promote financial lending in the neighborhood.
Midtown beckoned large-scale developers in the years that followed as the expansion of the Downtown Connector and MARTA improved access to the area, and a growing arts scene renewed the neighborhood’s vibrancy. Mayor Andrew Young marked the beginning of a development boom in 1984 when he announced that IBM would build a 50-story tower on the corner of Fourteenth and West Peachtree Streets. In 1997 Midtown Alliance released Blueprint Midtown, a master plan that helped fuel the neighborhood’s economic resurgence over the next two decades.
Today’s Midtown is a center of commerce and culture. Global headquarters and regional corporations have made Midtown their home base alongside arts venues like the historic Fox Theatre and High Museum of Art. As of 2014, more than 14,000 people live in the neighborhood, and millions more visit each year.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Figure out where this building is, and its importance
Tell us why this building is of importance. It serves as our Mystery Photo for today. Send your answer to ebrack2@gmail.com and include your hometown.
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, gave us information on the previous mystery. “One could easily jump to the conclusion that the dome in today’s mystery photo was from a historical Capitol building, church, or temple, but none of these assumptions would be correct. Instead, the ornate and gilded dome of today’s mystery photo was originally part of a luxurious resort hotel, the Hotel Ponce de Leon, that was built in 1888 by railroad magnate Henry Morrison Flagler (1830–1913). Today, this 86-foot-high, three-and-a-half-story dome is above the grand lobby of the Ponce de Leon Hall at Flagler College in the Historic District of St. Augustine, Fla.” The photo came from Chuck Paul of Norcross.
“The Hotel Ponce de Leon was designed in the Spanish Renaissance style by New York architects John Carrère (1858–1911) and Thomas Hastings (1860–1929). It was completed and opened in 1888 and is historically significant in that it was one of the first major cast-in-place concrete structures in the United States, and the hotel was one of the first buildings in the country to be powered by electricity, installed under the supervision of Flagler’s friend, Thomas Edison (1847–1931).
“The stunningly beautiful murals were created by the American painter and muralist George Maynard (1843–1923). Look closely at the mystery photo, and you will see seven of the eight standing goddesses, four of which represent the four primordial elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, and the remaining four representing the stages and timeline of Spain’s expansion into the New World, namely … Adventure, Discovery, Conquest, and Civilization.”
Recognizing the photo were George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C.; Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill; and Stew Ogilvie of Rehobeth, Ala.
- 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.
Chalk Fest coming March 7 to Hudgens Arts Center
Gwinnett Ballet Theatre brings this timeless fairy tale, Cinderella, to life at the Gas South Theatre in three performances on March 6, 7, and 8. This is the kind of evening that becomes more than a show. For tickets, go here.
The Snellville Farmers’ Market is on the first and third Saturday of each month. The next market is March 7 at the City Hall Parking lot.
Gwinnett will have a chalk fest festival in March. Gas South District, in partnership with Sugarloaf Community Improvement District and the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning, will host Draw the District: A Chalk Arts Festival on Saturday, March 7. It will bring a free, community-wide celebration of art, culture, and creativity to the area.
Irish Fest will take place in downtown Norcross on March 7, from noon to 5 p.m. Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style, with lively music, spirited Irish dancing, good food, balloon tying and other events. This is a partnership between the Norcross Business Association and the Drake School of Dancing.
Author Terri Parlato discusses her newest psychological suspense novel, She Thought She Was Safe, where a young woman is reunited with the famous father she never knew. This will take place on March 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lilburn Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library.
The Southwest Gwinnett Chamber will have its next Thursday Thought Leaders luncheon at Hilton Atlanta Northeast on March 12 at 11:30 a.m. The guest speaker will be Ken Bernhardt, professor at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. The topic: “Why Strategic Plans Fail: 10 Pitfalls Every Leader Should Know.” Buffet lunch is included. Registration is required and closes at noon on March 10.
A Night at the Hunnicutt Inn will be at Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church. This is an original play sharing the history of Mt. Carmel and the Pinckneyville community! Performances are Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the church at 5100 S. Old Peachtree Road, Norcross. Tickets are $15 and include dessert! Purchase tickets here.
Participate in the Peachtree Corners Baptist Church 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 14 at 9 a.m. for the Neighborhood 5K Run/Walk benefiting Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries. Enjoy as a runner, walker, and family friendly 5K, running along a quiet neighborhood course. Race is chip-timed, and registration includes a t-shirt, post-race refreshments, and medals for Top 3 Overall and Masters M/F finishers as well as top three M/F finishers in each age group. To register, click here.
Join the Gwinnett Historical Society’s next meeting on Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at Rhodes Jordan Park Community Recreation Center, 100 East Crogan Street, Lawrenceville. This meeting will feature guest speaker Susan Hogue from Master Framing and Preservation in Chamblee, who will discuss the proper care and restoration of family heirlooms.
Gwinnett Master Gardeners will meet at the Bethesda Senior Center, 225 Bethesda Church Road, on March 16 at 7 p.m. Speaker will be Dr. Allan Armitage, renowned horticulturist, discussing his new book, The Common-Sense Gardener, which offers hands-on gardening with wisdom, humor and no-nonsense advice.
Opening the Door to Yiddish: Join us for a fascinating lecture with literary scholar Dr. Miriam Udel, explore a vibrant culture through the stories told to its children, and gain insight before diving into the Library’s 2026 Yiddish Book Club Series. This will be March 16 at 7 p.m. at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library.
Author Jeannine A. Cook discusses her memoir, Shut Up and Read, which chronicles the improbable true story of how she left an abusive past to build a bookshop that survived the pandemic and became an international sensation. This will take place March 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Snellville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library.
Enjoy an evening of connection, celebration, and impact at Raise Your Glass!, Spectrum Autism Support Group’s signature spring fundraiser, taking place Thursday, March 19, at 6:30 p.m. at The Hudgens Center for the Arts and Learning in Duluth. For tickets, go to spectrumautism.org/events/raise-your-glass.
Help Master Gardeners kick of the spring season at the Spring Blooms Market. We are looking for local vendors offering handmade treasures, vintage finds, and tasty food! To be considered fill out the attached application and return to BethesdaParkSeniorCenter@gwinnettcounty.com. The event is Saturday, March 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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