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Gwinnett Daily Post SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2017
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$2.00 ©2017 SCNI
Vol. 47, No. 147
Hunter still could face recall effort
“It was very fulfilling to see the finished product. They said it was perfect and really liked it.” — Boy Scout Garrett Hinton, on his Eagle Scout project, a garden built for residents of an assisted living facility
BY CURT YEOMANS
curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com
‘Sense of purpose’
Garrett Hinton, who is pursuing his Eagle Scout rank, looks on as Joan O’Donnell talks about squash recently plucked from a garden that Hinton built at Country Gardens Senior Living in Duluth. (Staff Photo: Keith Farner)
Boy pursuing Eagle Scout status builds facility garden BY KEITH FARNER
keith.farner@gwinnettdailypost.com
DULUTH — A 14-yearold looking to earn his Eagle Scout rank and residents at an assisted living community in Duluth may not have had much in common two years ago. They do now. Each growing season, they should receive ripe reminders of a connection formed about a year ago. Garrett Hinton, a founding member of Troop 608 in Suwanee, was connected with Country Gardens Senior Living in Duluth after Debbie Brown, the activities director at the facility, contacted the Boy Scouts of America looking for someone to help residents realize the dream of a fresh garden. Hinton’s father, Toby, called it perfect timing. “It was about the same degree as other Eagle projects had heard of, and I felt it was a really good thing to do for the community,” Garrett said.
weekends. “It was a little challenging because there (were) two work areas,” said Hinton, who is homeschooled. “So I had to run back and forth. I designated a leader for the site I wasn’t directly working with. I know all of them, we have pretty good teamwork, so it went well.” After he met with Brown and staff at Country Gardens, Hinton built a garden table so wheelchairs can roll partially under the garden and people in wheelchairs can reach the plants. Herbs, squash, tomatoes and other vegetables were planted and fried green tomatoes have become such a hit among the residents that it’s difficult to find tomatoes still on the vine. “It gives them the ability to take back a hobby that they stopped doing,” Brown said. “They lose so much when they move into an assisted living or nursing home. They have to give up so much Garrett Hinton, who is pursuing his Eagle Scout rank, works independence. The way it’s on a garden table at Country Gardens Senior Living in Duluth. designed and built, they don’t have to give it up anymore.” (Special Photo) Willie Mae Lee, a resident “It’s really hard to figure out of planning, executing and at Country Gardens, said what to do. You have to find leading the project. So Hinshe’s a country girl raised on out what you want to do and ton organized about 20 mem- a farm in Alabama, and also what the community needs.” bers of Troop 608, working said, “I know all about this.” The person pursing the about four hours each, and See SCOUT, Page 5A Eagle Scout rank is in charge completed the work in two
Think the saga concerning Commissioner Tommy Hunter’s controversial Facebook comments is over with now that his colleagues have publicly reprimanded him? It may not be. The reprimand concluded the ethics process Tuesday, but Hunter has sued the Board of Commissioners and members of the ethics board over the constitutionality of the process. After the vote, his colleagues spoke out about his comments and his handling of the controversy and condemning them — giving the protesters something they have wanted for months. But the question remains: Could Hunter still face a recall effort? “The threshold, or the trip point, the date for the ability to start recall Tommy Hunter proceeds is about to come forward, so we’ll find out whether people who have been saying they’re going to organize a recall will do something,” Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said. Residents who want to see him removed from office have had to wait for a recall to become available to them since January. That’s because state law prevents a recall from being launched during the first or last 180 days — essentially six months — of an elected official’s term. Hunter started a new term at the beginning of the year, meaning the 180-day waiting period won’t come to a close until the end of this week. County spokesman Joe Sorenson said the county’s elections office has not received any inquiries about conducting a recall recently. The commissioner’s opponents in the community would prefer to see him resign — a step he and his camp have said won’t happen — but they haven’t ruled out the possibility of launching a recall effort once the waiting period ends. “Right now, we’re looking at the requirements and trying to access the possible outcome before we make a decision which way to go with that,” Gwinnett County Democratic Party See HUNTER, Page 5A
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Richards delivering final sermon as Corinth Baptist’s pastor today BY CURT YEOMANS
years,” Richards said. “I just want to say to them that I want them to keep obeying the lord and keep doing what they’ve After 45 years of leading been doing all of these years Corinth Baptist Church, Don and just reach for greater Richards will deliver one last heights in the Lord’s work. message to the congregation as “That’s what I’m going to its pastor today. encourage them to do.” Keep the faith and stay the Richards officially retired as course. the Loganville-based church’s “I hope I can encourage pastor on Father’s Day, the exthem and express my gratiact 45th anniversary of when tude for what they’ve done for he came to the church. Corinth me,giving me the privilege Baptist’s leaders wanted to of being their pastor for 45 hold a reception in his honor curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com
after his final sermon, however, so it was decided to do it this weekend. That avoided conflicts with any Father’s Day plans that congregation members may have already made. Tom Foskey, who has worked with Richards for 38 years and served as his co-pastor for two-and-a-half years, is taking over sole pastoral duties. The church voted this past week to make See PASTOR, Page 5A
Retiring Corinth Baptist Church Pastor Don Richards, left, and Pastor Tom Foskey pose for this 2017 photograph, which was provided by the church. Richards is retiring after leading the church for 45 years and will deliver his final sermon to the congregation this weekend. (Photo: Corinth Baptist Church)
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