February 3, 2019 — Gwinnett Daily Post

Page 1

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, 1C

STATE FARM ARENA FEB 17 – 18

Snellville woman, 25, runs own business

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2019

www.gwinnettdailypost.com

© 2018 MARVEL

MarvelUniverseLive.com

$2.00 ©2019 SCNI

SUPER BOWL 2019

BIG BOWL OF FUN Fans partake in festivities even without game tickets

Vol. 49, No. 15

‘A moral compass’

Gwinnett Chamber names Willis its Citizen of the Year BY CURT YEOMANS

curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com

trophy), but in terms of all of the lighting and staging and graphics, other folks (took care) of that.” Still, without the Duluth company, the 4,500-pound trophy likely wouldn’t be where it is today, as the centerpiece of Super Bowl Live, Atlanta’s

Kathryn Parsons Willis said she inherited a love for the Duluth community from her parents, Calvin and Kate Parsons, at an early age, but she now has something else in common with her father. They both have been named the Gwinnett Chamber’s Citizen of the Year. Calvin Parsons received the award in 1982. The honor was in turn bestowed upon his 87-year old daughter — a wellknown figure in the Duluth community in her own right — Friday night during the chamber’s 71st Annual Dinner at the Infinite Energy Forum in unincorporated Duluth. “I’m thrilled about it,” Willis said. “I still can’t Kathryn Parsons believe it and don’t feel Willis like I deserve it, but I certainly am happy about it, especially since he received the same award, but it seems too good to be true, really.” As a member of the Parsons family — a well-known, longtime Duluth family that has been in the city since the 1800s — Willis comes from a lineage that has deep ties to Gwinnett County, and particularly Duluth. The family owned a store in downtown Duluth for decades. Willis worked at the store for 62 years, including time at a location in Cumming. “She is just a rock here,” Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris said. “She’s a moral compass in a lot of ways. She’s just got her roots here, she’s grounded, we know where her heart is.… She’s just been a real inspiration for me and for a lot of people.” As she received her award Friday night, the numerous awards that she has received over the years were MORE ONLINE rattled off, Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for a photo gallery. including the Duluth Spirit of Good Living Award, the Gwinnett Hospital Distinguished Service Award, United Way First Legacy Award and the Gwinnett Hospital Legacy Award. Willis has been a lifelong resident of downtown Duluth — all three of the homes she has lived in in the city have been within a half-block of each other — and her five children still live in the area. Many of her seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren — with a third on the way — live in the area, as well. Willis’ various activities in the community were also highlighted at the dinner. In the Duluth community, Willis has been a lifelong member of Duluth First United Methodist Church. She co-chaired campaigns to raise money for its sanctuary and family life center, and helped raise

See TROPHY, Page 5A

See WILLIS, Page 5A

BY TAYLOR DENMAN

taylor.denman@gwinnettdailypost.com

ATLANTA — Tickets to Super Bowl 2019 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium today are not exactly a bargain. If you’re OK flying solo, buy a ticket in the upper levels on the secondary market for slightly more than $2,600, not including fees and taxes that can total more than $600. Want to bring a friend? Scour the internet for two seats together and watch the price per seat increase. Want to be close to the action? You’re getting a great value if you pay $4,797 in Row 13. Not everyone in Atlanta can afford to go to Super Bowl 2019, but thousands of fans willing to fight some crowds and traffic tried to make the most of the experience downtown this week. Super Bowl LIVE was a free event in Centennial MORE ONLINE Olympic Visit gwinnettdailypost.com/ superbowl for complete Park that Super Bowl coverage. featured live music, pep rallies for fans of both teams and several sponsored activities. All events in the park were free. Tickets to the Super Bowl Experience, the interactive Super Bowl-themed exhibit in the Georgia World Congress Center, fluctuated throughout the week. The Super Bowl LIII app listed $40 tickets for adults and $25 for kids on Friday and Saturday, but Monday’s prices were slashed when event organizers encouraged local fans to come downtown early. The attractions at the Super Bowl Experience were more interactive and numerous — the exhibit space takes up roughly 800,000 square feet — and includes access to the NFL Shop. Though a decimal percentage of the price of a ticket, in some ways it brought fans closer to the action. There were meet-and-greets and autograph sessions with NFL fans. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Justin Hardy made guest appearances on Saturday and signed autographs. There were several TV sets for

580403-1

Gwinnett Daily Post

INFINITE ENERGY ARENA FEB 22 – 24

The Patel family of Suwanee, including Nick, Sonia, Raj and Jigs, gets a photo with the replica Lombardi Trophy on Friday at Super Bowl LIVE at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. (Staff Photo: Jason Braverman)

CBS Sports, which will broadcast the game today, and NFL Network. The last time the Super Bowl was in Atlanta was Super Bowl 2000. It also happened to be the last time the Rams played in the NFL’s championship game, and the only time the franchise has won. The first Super Bowl the city of Atlanta played host to was in 1994, when the Geor-

gia Dome was roughly 2 years old. The prestige and elusiveness of the Super Bowl drew Suwanee resident Tim Kindermann. “How often is the Super Bowl 25 miles from where you live?” he said. Kindermann and his family took See FANS, Page 5A

Duluth company behind giant Lombardi trophy BY ISABEL HUGHES

aspects — such as the not-sosmall 25-foot Vince Lombardi Trophy replica that stands in Centennial Olympic Park — Putting on a major sporting are only made possible with event such as the Super Bowl the cooperation of multiple takes a lot of work, and requires businesses, something Josh coordination between hundreds, Polley and his business partner, if not thousands, of different Sedrick Livingston, are well entities. aware of. But even the smaller-scale “We’re only one piece of the isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

MORE INSIDE

Falcons player gives military widow Super Bowl tickets ..................... 2A Police: Lawrenceville man nets $750K in Super Bowl scam ....... 5A

overall pie,” said Polley, who co-owns Duluth-based manufacturing company Fascinate. “We fabricated the structure and the football (of the replica

gwinnettdailypost.com

INSIDE Classified .....13A

Community ....1C

Lottery............4A

Sports .......... 10A

Comics.........12C

Horoscope .....4A

Obituaries ......6A

TV ..................9C

Crossword ...12C

Local ..............2A

Perspectives ..3A

Weather .........4A

Stay connected with the Daily Post online, where you can submit news tips, browse photo galleries and sign up to receive headlines digitally at gwinnettdailypost.com/newsletter. Send us engagements, wedding, births or anniversaries under “Submit your news” on the home page.

Thrive won’t hurt your chances at getting the Tiffany lamp you and your sister both want.

Ivy SprIngS Manor

3177 Gravel Springs Road, Buford, GA 30519 770.573.9096 | ThriveSL.com/IvySpringsManor A Thrive Senior Living Community

At Thrive, we consider parents to be more precious than heirlooms. So we treat your parents like June treated the Beav. We challenge and encourage them. We forge meaningful relationships based on admiration and trust. There is purpose in every breath. Let us help you see how. Come. Bring your parent. Experience what it feels like 585189-1

to thrive. Why there’s just no telling how your parent will show their gratitude.

Take the Virtual Dementia Tour® Join us on a powerful journey to experience the realities of daily life with dementia. February 22 Call 770.573.9096 to reserve your spot today


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.