GwinnettForum | Number 25.89 | Nov. 14, 2025
DECORATING LADY: For many years, Mavis Burson planted flowers throughout Lawrenceville and maintained the decorated beds, such as these daylilies. But she is better known as the person who first lit up the Historic Courthouse Christmas tree, with the 2025 lighting on Thanksgiving night marking its 38th observance. Get more details in Elliott Brack’s Perspective below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: GGC approved to offer first master’s degree
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Burson started the lighted Christmas tradition
SPOTLIGHT: Georgia Banking Company
ANOTHER VIEW: GGC expert offers tips for coping with holiday stress
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
UPCOMING: French electrical firm announces expansion in Gwinnett
NOTABLE: Lawrenceville offers temporary help to utility customers
RECOMMENDED: Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence
GEORGIA TIDBIT: After Seminole Wars, US acquired Florida from Spain
MYSTERY PHOTO: Where is this building and what is its use?
CALENDAR: Festival of Trees opens Saturday at Railway Museum
GGC approved to offer master’s first degree
By Teresa Araque
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is expanding its academic offerings to meet the growing professional needs of Gwinnett County and beyond. The University System of Georgia Board of Regents has approved GGC’s request to launch its first graduate program, a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary Education.
Pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the college plans to begin offering classes for the new degree in Spring 2027.
Dr. Jann L. Joseph, GGC’s president, says: “In addition to offering affordable, high-quality bachelor’s degrees, we are now in a position to begin offering master’s degrees in areas that address the workforce and economic needs of our region. The demand for well-prepared teachers remains high, and this new degree will support both current and future educators in advancing their careers.”
A master’s degree can open additional career doors for students.
Dr. Chavonda J. Mills, provost and senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs, adds: “This milestone celebrates our strategic expansion to serve adult learners and career changers, extending the college’s impact and opening new pathways for educational and professional advancement. Our goal is for the new MAT in Secondary Education to position GGC as a leading producer of master’s-level certified teachers in our region.”
Gwinnett County Public Schools, the largest school district in Georgia and the 11th largest in the nation, has hired 92 percent of GGC’s School of Education graduates over the past decade, with the remaining eight percent employed outside Gwinnett.
Dr. Angie Jasper, dean of GGC’s School of Education, says: “The MAT degree will open additional opportunities for our current students and alumni, as well as provisionally certified teachers.”
Last year, 94 percent of GGC School of Education graduates passed the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) exam, a required step for earning a teaching license in Georgia.
With the introduction of its first master’s degree, GGC continues to strengthen its role as a key contributor to the region’s educational and economic growth.
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Burson started the lighted Christmas tradition
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
NOV. 14, 2025 | Today meet the person who was the first to put lights on the Christmas tree at the Historic Courthouse lawn. She is Mavis Burson, now still alert at age 96 in Lawrenceville, who was the first to suggest putting lights on the tree, back in 1987. Now on Thanksgiving afternoons, the lighting of the 38-foot spruce has turned into a major element of the holidays, with thousands attending.
She first decorated a tree at the Historic Courthouse in 1979. Her husband, the late Mahlon Burson, had just become a city Lawrenceville commissioner, and she wanted to see a decorated tree on the square.
The first Yule tree at the courthouse was donated by the Craig Family, Ms. Burson says, “But it wasn’t planted deep enough. And praise the Lord, it fell over.” This tree had decorations, but no lights. While the Historic Courthouse was being renovated, Ms. Burson decorated the former Lawrenceville City Hall. The first tree lighting was in 1987, which means the 2025 lighting will be the 38th annual celebration.
She says: “I just enjoyed the idea of lighting the tree for others to see.” She not only decorated the tree, she also had wreaths placed around the courthouse and its square. “We had the wreaths in storage, so each year we had to fluff them up to look nice, and that’s when they called me the ‘Fluff Lady.’”
Mavis Burson was born in Walton County, but her family moved to Dacula when she was two years old. She graduated from Dacula High, where she was a guard on the first girls basketball team. “We didn’t have a gym, and practiced on a court outside. We had our home games at the Lawrenceville gym.”
She first met her future husband on a prom night, in a “passing the penny” game. “I was 14 and he was 17 and we went on a penny walk down the road and back. I told my parents he was a good looking fellow.” By 1943 Mahlon was in the infantry, and in 1945 he was on his way to Japan when the war ended. His ship was diverted to the Philippines.
When back home from the war, Mahlon went looking for Mavis. “Not only that,” Mavis says, “But I was looking for him.” She had worked at the Genesco shoe plant and later for the county tag department. They married in 1948, and eventually had three children, Bill, Barbara and Mark, who all live nearby today.
Mavis has also been known as the lady who planted flowers on the right-of-way throughout Lawrenceville. “We got the city to pay for the flowers, and I would put them in different areas around the city, work them into the ground, and pull the weeds to make the area look nicer.”
Mahlon Burson after the war was the second person in Lawrenceville who worked for the telephone company, where he retired. Later he operated a tire company before passing at age 90 in 2017.
When Mavis turned 80, the Lawrenceville Council got Mavis to the city hall on a ruse, and had a surprise party for “Mavis Burson Day.” The proclamation reads in part: “For about 30 years, Mavis Burson had been a one-woman decorating committee for the annual Christmas Tree lighting….THEREFORE, we name October 2, 2009, ‘Mavis Burson Day in Lawrenceville,” and named her volunteer lifetime chair of the tree lighting.
Send Mavis a card thanking her for starting the tree lighting. Her address is 309 Simmons St., Lawrenceville, Ga. 30045.
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GGC prof offers tips for coping with holiday stress
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | While the holidays are often a time of rest, joy and togetherness, they can also bring anxiety, sadness and stress, according to Georgia Gwinnett College psychology expert Dr. LaKeisha Gantt.
She says: “There are myriad reasons why the holidays are not necessarily good news. A person might have experienced loss during the year. People might not have the ability to take time off from work or afford activities that help them decompress. So the holiday season might remind us of the things that we are already stressed about.”
That stress, Gantt said, can heighten anxiety and make people feel overwhelmed.
A 2023 American Psychological Association report found that 89 percent of U.S. adults feel stressed during the holiday season. More than half of the study’s participants said that “spending too much” or “not having enough money to spend” were the leading causes of their stress.
Another factor, Gantt notes, are individuals facing chronic issues such as illness, depression or isolation.
“All of that exacerbates the problem and can work together to create an even heavier experience during the holidays,” she says.
To manage feelings of sadness, anxiety and stress, Gantt offers several strategies:
Acknowledge your feelings: “I know that seems very strange,” Gantt says. “But acknowledging that ‘I am experiencing something that is impacting me in a very different way, or maybe in a way that doesn’t feel comfortable’ is important. It’s a way to validate your emotions.”
Set boundaries: Because the holidays are a time to celebrate and spend time with family and friends, many people find themselves stretched thin. Combine family obligations with holiday shopping, gift wrapping and special events, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
“Look at your schedule to determine what you have to do versus what you want to do,” Gantt says. “There may be things you want to do, like having lunch with a friend, but that might not be something you have to do. Setting boundaries is key.”
Don’t overcommit: “It’s easy to overcommit, especially during the holiday season. If you know you’re someone who tends to do that, train yourself. Instead of automatically agreeing to an ‘ask,’ take time to get more information, think about your schedule and assess your priorities.”
Reflect on your accomplishments: One of the best ways to move toward a positive mindset, Gantt said, is to reflect on what you’ve achieved — even partially.
“If people think long enough, they may realize they’ve made meaningful progress,” she says. “Maybe they dedicated time to a leisure activity, listened to a few of the podcasts they planned to, or finally finished a book that took a year to read. It’s important to take stock of your accomplishments.”
Practice compassion: “The thing that joins us is our humanity,” Gantt adds. “Everybody has a different lived experience and may be in a different place this holiday season. So it’s important to give grace and commit to showing compassion — to others and to ourselves.”
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French electrical firm announces expansion in Gwinnett
Socomec, a global industrial group that designs, manufactures, and markets low-voltage electrical equipment, has announced the company’s expansion in Gwinnett with a new facility in unincorporated Suwanee at 2935 Shawnee Industrial Way. This will create 300 new jobs and represents more than $10 million in capital investment.
Socomec is headquartered in Benfeld, France and has 4,400 total employees worldwide.
Michele Putignano, president and CEO of Socomec North America, says: “Opening our new facility in Georgia marks a major milestone in Socomec’s growth in North America. The state’s strong talent pool, infrastructure, and business environment make it the ideal location to accelerate innovation, support the energy transition, and advance our commitment to sustainable development while delivering greater value to our customers.”
Socomec specializes in power switching, monitoring, conversion, and energy storage, as well as services that support each business area. Socomec launched its U.S. subsidiary in 2009 and has since invested in local manufacturing, resources, and product development, allowing for the group to support the evolving needs in the North American market with a combination of local expertise and global support.
Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners says: “Gwinnett County’s strength lies in the diversity of our industries and the vision we share for long-term prosperity. Socomec’s investment reinforces our strategy to build a balanced, resilient economy. By welcoming companies like this, we’re not only growing jobs and capital investment, we’re also ensuring that Gwinnett remains a place where businesses of all kinds can succeed and our community can flourish.”
- Hiring for production and operations roles is expected to begin in early 2026. To learn more about Socomec, visit Socomec.US.
Lawrenceville offers temporary help to utility customers
Lawrenceville Utilities, the utility division of the City of Lawrenceville, is providing temporary assistance to residential customers who receive electric or natural gas service from the City and are facing financial hardship due to the loss of SNAP benefits or a federal furlough. These funds come from the City’s Round-Up Program, which allows participating customers to round up their bills to the next dollar to support households in need.
Applications are screened through the City’s partners, the Lawrenceville Response Center, a stabilization program of Impact46, which verifies eligibility and facilitates assistance as available. To qualify, applicants must be active Lawrenceville Utilities account holders, and the name on the application must match the utility account holder. Assistance is limited to a one-time award per eligible household.
The program offers vital short-term relief during times of financial uncertainty.
“Lawrenceville is a community that takes care of its neighbors,” says Mayor David Still. “Through the Round-Up Program, small acts of generosity add up to make a real difference. Whether it is helping families keep their utilities on during a difficult time or offering support through trusted community partners, this program reflects the compassion and unity that define our city.”
City Manager Chuck Warbington added, “The Round-Up Program is one of the best examples of how a city-owned utility can directly serve its community. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps ensure that our neighbors have the support they need when unexpected challenges arise. It is about being responsive, reliable, and human in how we deliver essential services.”
Lawrenceville Utilities also reminds customers that service disconnections are suspended during periods of extreme weather. Natural gas disconnections will not occur when temperatures are forecast to be below 32°F for a 48-hour period beginning at 8 a.m. on the proposed disconnection date and electric disconnections will not occur when a National Weather Service Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning is in effect prior to 8 a.m. on the disconnection date.
Gwinnett Clinic doctor named vice chair of regents
The member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, who is an official of Gwinnett Clinic, has been named vice chairman of its board. He is Dr. Deep Shah. He joined the Regents in 2024 as an at-large member. He is a practicing primary care physician and the chief operating officer at Gwinnett Clinic, a northeast Atlanta multi-specialty group, which champions patient-centered, physician-led care.
Named chairman of the Regents for a one year term is David B. Dove of Marietta, who joined the Board in 2024 and represents Georgia’s 11th congressional district. He will serve as chair from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026. Dove is a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke in Atlanta, where his practice focuses on regulatory and economic investment matters. Originally from Athens, Dove earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Georgia, where he was inducted into the Order of Barristers and Blue Key Honor Society.
Shah, who lives in Johns Creek, graduated with highest honors from the University of Georgia as a Foundation Fellow and won Truman and Rhodes scholarships to study at Oxford University, where he earned a master’s degree in social policy. He earned his medical degree from Harvard University and trained in internal medicine at Emory University before entering private practice.
Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: This is a classic story of four friends, two of whom are sisters and two best friends, who meet and attempt to work out the tangle of what being in love is all about. It is a gorgeously rendered story of sisters who meet two best friends, and fall in love. The two relationships are vastly different from one another. In the background is the erotically charged attraction between two, which never overtly acted upon looms large in terms of the emotional/spiritual availability of others. The story explores the inner workings of each character, especially their need for relationship and validation or not through relationship. The deeply moving denouement is poignant but is unavoidable as the relationships evolve. I attempted to read this book 25 years ago but was unable to understand it. Picking it up now, I inhaled the ideas, motivations and the interior landscape of each character.
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After Seminole Wars, U.S. acquired Florida from Spain
The three Seminole Wars that commanded the attention and manpower of the U.S. Army and Navy during the antebellum period intensified the violence and chaos that had been characteristic of the Georgia-Florida frontier since the early colonial period.
The engagements that took place between American troops and the Seminoles in Georgia, particularly during the First (1817-18) and Second (1835-42) Seminole Wars, were pivotal moments that crystallized some of the major issues underlying the battles.
British, Spanish, and French colonists had been, at best, uneasy allies with Native American nations in the Southeast since initial contact in the 16th century. Conflicts over trade agreements and land cessions resulted in small-scale skirmishes that ultimately exploded into declared warfare.
The antebellum period Seminoles were a confederacy of multiple clans that had splintered from various southwestern tribes (Lower Creek, Oconee, Yuchi, Alabama, Choctaw, and Shawnee) and drifted into southern Georgia and northern Florida in the early 1700s. These disparate bands, without much in common but geography, began to hunt, fish, farm, and herd livestock in the area. By 1750 clans had built towns along the Suwannee River, linked to other Native American and maroon (fugitives from slavery) villages through infrastructure (roads, shared outbuildings) and intermarriage.
After 1767 Upper Creeks began to move into the area, increasing the Native borderland population to more than 2,000 by 1790. There is also evidence that antebellum Americans understood Seminole to refer to “wild people,” “pioneers,” “adventurers,” and “wanderers” in Georgia and Florida.) An 1890 census estimated that there were about 5,000 Seminoles living along the Georgia-Florida border at the start of the First Seminole War.
In November 1817 a detachment of soldiers stationed at Fort Scott in southern Georgia traveled to the Seminole village of Fowl Town,15 miles away and just north of the Florida (Spanish) border. The soldiers demanded that the Seminole chief Neamathla surrender warriors whom American military officials believed responsible for the murder of several Georgia families. Neamathla refused. In response the soldiers drove the Seminoles into the surrounding swamplands (killing about 20 men) and then plundered and burned Fowl Town. Both Seminoles and Georgians living along the frontier immediately arose, and the First Seminole War began.
These battles, which lasted for a little less than a year, were characterized by hit-and-run attacks by the Seminoles on frontier plantations and towns and American retaliations.
After General Andrew Jackson took control of American troops in January 1818, his efforts weakened Seminole offenses by dividing their numbers between Georgia and Florida. In April of that year, Jackson and his troops marched against the Seminole villages along the Suwannee River, ultimately chasing the Seminoles into the Okefenokee Swamp. Jackson then left Georgia and marched—mostly unopposed—through East Florida, destroying Seminole towns, Spanish forts, and British plantations. The First Seminole War was the result of conflicts over land and trade between Seminoles and Georgia colonists. The most important outcome of the war was the acquisition of Florida from Spain in 1819.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Where is this building and what is its use?
Yes, we’ve removed the words from the signs on this building. Tell us where this building is, and what it is now being used for. It won’t help much, but we will tell you that this structure once housed Southern Bell equipment for this area. Send in your idea to ebrack2@gmail.com, and tell us the town in which you live.
Virtually all but two responses to the last Mystery Photo did not answer the question as to the location of this train depot sign. Many recognized it as from where it was once at Union Station in Atlanta, but that building is no more. Kay Montgomery of Duluth, had the correct location: “This schedule is from the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth,” as did Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill. The photo was taken by the editor
Those who answered Union Station in Atlanta included Robert Hanson, Loganville, who dated the year of the board as 1968; Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C.; and Stewart Ogilvie of Rehobeth, Ala. Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas submitted several possibilities, his last being it was at the Duluth museum.
- 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.
Festival of Trees opens Saturday at Railway Museum
Join the 10th annual Yellow River Trash Bash on Saturday, November 15. Meet at the Yellow River Park pavilion at 3232 Juhan Road, Stone Mountain. You will be transported to the site. Teams will return to the pavilion at the end of the event for a lunch provided by the Yellow River Water Trail Association. Wear suitable clothing for the event. For more information and to register, please follow this link: https://cerv.is/0024×5139.
Festival of Trees at The Southeastern Railway Museum will be November 15 through January 4. The annual event features over 70 holiday trees designed and installed by the community, along with the arrival of Santa Claus by train on opening day. Guests can enjoy train rides, the festival and access to the museum with general admission tickets (available online or at the door).
Local Asian American History and Zine Workshop will be held at the Suwanee Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library on November 15 at 11 a.m. Enjoy crafting your very own zine and learn about the vibrant history of Asian AmeDr. LaKeisha Ganttricans in the Atlanta-metro area from the Georgia Asian American Community Archive Initiative.
Join the Gwinnett Historical Society on Monday, November 17 at the Rhodes Jordan Park Community Center in Lawrenceville. The guest speaker will be Dr. Marshall Shepherd, distinguished meteorologist and professor at the University of Georgia, who will share information about the historical nature of recent weather events impacting Georgia. Come for refreshments begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.
Join New York Times bestselling author Karen White as she discusses The Lady on Esplanade, her newest thriller in the Royal Street series. The meeting will be at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public library on November 17 at 6:30 p.m. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
The Story of Raymond Santana of the Central Park Five will be presented November 18 at 7 p.m. at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett Public Library. Join Raymond Santana, one of the Central Park Five, as he discusses his young adult illustrated memoir, Pushing Hope, which reflects on his wrongful conviction and tireless fight for his 2002 exoneration. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Join Jeannine A. Cook as she discusses her debut novel, It’s Me They Follow, set in a world where a book shopkeeper becomes a reluctant matchmaker, bringing soulmates together through books. This will take place on November 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Benefit concert for Ukraine will be November 22 at 6 p.m. at the Lawrenceville Arts Center. It will be a night of music, storytelling and compassion with John McCutchen, a six time Grammy-nominated folk legend, author and performer. Joining him will be Ukrainian bandura player Olena Kovban, who will share the soulful sounds of Ukraine’s national instrument, and an art exhibit featuring children’s works from Kharkiv, created in underground shelters during the war. Proceeds provide safe classrooms, education, and art therapy for nearly 200 Ukrainian children.
Gwinnett Symphony Chorus will start the Christmas season with a Messiah Sing-along! This event is free and all are welcomed. This will be at the Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church, 800 Lawrenceville Highway, at 3 p.m. on November 23. Audience members are invited to sing or simply sit back and enjoy the performance. (Choral scores will be provided.) Singers interested in joining the choir may attend the rehearsal on Sunday, November 15, from 6-8 p.m.
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