July 20, 2018 — Gwinnett Daily Post

STATE’S BEST TASTES, 3C

Two local restaurants make Georgia list

LOCAL LEGEND Collins Hill activity room to be named after wrestling coach Cliff Ramos • Page 2A

Gwinnett Daily Post FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

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75 cents ©2018 SCNI

Vol. 48, No. 133

Police: Body found in lake not yet ID’d

Deceased man appears to fit description of pharmacy intern

BY ISABEL HUGHES

sponded to Lake Carlton after receiving a 911 call about “something floating in the water,” according to Police are still working Gwinnett County Police to identify a body that was Department Sgt. Jake found floating in a LoSmith, a spokesman for ganville lake Wednesday the agency. evening and determine “Fire Department how it got there. personnel responded with Around 8:15 p.m., officers and used a boat multiple agencies reto approach the object,”

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

Smith said. “They were able to confirm it was a deceased male.”

On Thursday, police said the body appeared to fit the description of University of Georgia graduate and pharmacy intern Alvin Ahmed, who was last seen Monday night leaving work at the Publix grocery store on Atlanta

Highway in Loganville.

But Smith said later in the day that “nothing from the autopsy immediately identified the deceased male.”

“Investigation in the case is ongoing,” he said.

“Further tests will be completed, but the results (are) not (yet) available. Further results from the autopsy

will not be released at this time.”

Police said they “haven’t been able to make a determination on identification” as to whether the body could be Ahmed’s, though the area where the body was found isn’t far from where Ahmed worked.

Surveillance video from

Monday shows Ahmed buying groceries before he left work around Alvin 9:15 p.m.

Ahmed The video shows him putting groceries in his car, and that’s the last time he was seen.

See BODY, Page 6A

Mixed-use development proposed near Mall of Ga.

BY CURT YEOMANS curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com

Multiple departments worked together with the Gwinnett Metro Task Force to remove about a dozen bags of what appears to be marijuana from this home in Lilburn. (Photos: FOX 5 Atlanta)

DRUG BUSTED

Search of 19 homes nets 2,600 marijuana plants, 10 guns, $340,000 and arrest of 16 people

BY ISABEL HUGHES

MORE ONLINE

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for more photos.

Less than an hour before sunrise Wednesday morning, local law enforcement officers, deputies and federal agents descended on homes throughout Gwinnett County, each team of men and women assigned to a specific house.

Search warrants in hand, at the dot of 6 a.m., the agents began banging on 17 front doors — two more homes were later targeted in the sting — disturbing the usually quiet, well-kept subdivisions.

As the residents of neighboring houses, which are largely occupied by families and priced in the mid-to-

Multiple departments worked together with the Gwinnett Metro Task Force to remove about a dozen bags of what appears to be marijuana from this Lawrenceville home. (Photo: FOX 5 Atlanta)

upper $200,000s, looked on, they expressed shock as law enforcement officials hauled out hundreds of marijuana

plants, part o f a multi-agency marijuana grow house and trafficking bust that netted more than 2,600 marijuana

plants and $340,000 in cash.

“I had no idea — I just didn’t know,” Maribel Gonzalez, who lives on Rafington Drive in Lawrenceville next to one of the houses that was raided, told the Daily Post.

“I was just telling someone I thought they were growing vegetables; I don’t pay attention to things like that and I would never have known. You just couldn’t tell.”

The raid, which Gwinnett Metro Task Force officers had been planning for months, also recovered 10 firearms See BUSTED, Page 6A

The developer behind Peachtree Corners’ Town Center project and The Battery at SunTrust Park is looking to build a 64-plus-acre mixed-use development with about 500 residential units near the Mall of Georgia.

Fuqua Development recently filed an application for county approval of The Exchange at Gwinnett, which would be located at the Buford Drive and Interstate 85 interchange. Along with residences, plans call for an indoor and outdoor entertainment facility with a golf driving range and possibly a hotel, fitness center and retail.

The proposed development is consistent with the policy goals set forth in the Gwinnett County 2030 Unified Plan,” Fuqua representative Shane Lanham wrote in a letter accompanying the application.

“The property is located in the Regional Mixed-Use Character Area for which the 2030 Plan recommends ‘the county’s most intense concentration and mix of commercial, employment, and residential developments.’

“Moreover, the 2030 Plan specifically provides that the preferred location for mixed-use development is ‘at the intersection of arterial roadways’ such as Buford Drive and Interstate 85.”

Fuqua is asking county officials to rezone the property from its current residential, commercial and office zonings to a regional mixed-use zoning, and to approve a special use permit for the entertainment facility proposed for the site.

Tax records show the property that the development is being proposed for is located across Buford Drive from Floor

See DEVELOPMENT, Page 6A

This rendering shows the conceptual design for The Exchange at Gwinnett regional mixed-use project that Fuqua Development wants to build at the Interstate 85 and Buford Drive Interchange near the Mall of Georgia. (Special Photo)

DOJ: Gwinnett sheriff must return $70K used to buy sports car

BY ISABEL HUGHES

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

Gwinnett County taxpayers may have to absorb the cost of a nearly $70,000 sports car Gwinnett Sheriff Butch Conway purchased earlier this year that is primarily being used to transport the sheriff to and from work.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice sent

a letter to the sheriff demanding that the $69,258 Conway spent on the car — the money came from funds seized in federal drug cases — be returned by the end of the month, the FOX 5 I-Team reported.

The letter calls the 2018 Dodge Charger Hellcat, which has a 707 horsepower, supercharged 6.2-liter engine that reaches speeds of 200 mph, “extravagant” and said that law enforcement should

spend seized drug money on items that do not create “the appearance of fraud, waste and abuse.”

But the sheriff “maintains that this vehicle is an appropriate purchase, especially for an agency with a $92 million budget,” Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Shannon Volkodav, spokeswoman for the agency, told the Daily Post.

“We requested the vehicle in February 2018 and made

the purchase in April 2018,” Volkodav said. “We had no indication at any time throughout the purchasing process we followed that there was a concern about this vehicle until an investigative reporter contacted the DOJ’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, who then determined that the Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter purchase did not meet the to Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway demanding guidelines for use of equita- that the $69,258 Conway spent on this 2018 Dodge Char-

ger Hellcat be returned by the end of the month. (Photo:

See CAR, Page 6A Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office)

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2A • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

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School board honors longtime Collins Hill coach

BY TREVOR MCNABOE trevor.mcnaboe @gwinnettdailypost.com

Longtime Collins Hill wrestling coach Cliff Ramos’ name will permanently mark the school after the Gwinnett County Public School Board of Education approved the school’s field house Cliff Ramos activity room to be named after him on Thursday evening.

A letter submitted

by Timothy Krajec, chairman for The Local School Council of Collins Hill High School, on June 15 to GCPS Associate Superintendent Steve Flynt requested the school district approve the naming of the athletic facility.

“He’s a great coach and a great man,” School Board Chairman Carole Boyce said.

“I’m going to have to second it,” School Board Member Dr. Robert McClure said.

“His team beat a lot of Parkview wrestlers over the years.”

Officially, the title of the building will be the “Cliff Ramos Wrestling Facility — A Tradition of Excellence.”

Ramos, who was a driving force behind starting the Eagle wrestling program and making the program a state

— Carole Boyce, chairwoman of GCPS Board of Education

powerhouse, held a dual meet record of 626-80 and guided Collins Hill to nine state team titles as well as coaching 34 individual state champions.

In addition to state championships, his Collins Hill wrestling team was ranked in the top 25 nationally five times in a six-year span.

Ramos was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

In other news, Vulcan Materials Company presented a check of $24,049.54 to GCPS for its third annual Quarry Crush held in May. The run brought out more than 700 runners with proceeds going toward three schools — Meadowcreek High School, Meadowcreek Elementary School and Radloff Middle School.

In addition, the Vulcan Materials provided proceeds to two Gwinnett-based Boys and Girls Clubs — A. Worley Brown in Norcross and Lawrenceville.

“We broke all records this year,” said Carol Landrum, a spokesperson for Vulcan Materials Company. “We had the most sponsors and runners this year. Our goal is 1,000 runners next year and see the proceeds go up.”

BY CURT YEOMANS

picking residents to serve one-year terms on the panel. Each commissioner will get to appoint one Gwinnett County is person to the board. starting up a new board “The purpose of the Anito hear cases about issues mal Control Hearing Board involving animals. is to receive and hear danThe Board of Comgerous dog and vicious dog missioners approved the hearing requests and act creation of an Animal upon them in a timely and Control Hearing Board on reasonable manner,” GwinTuesday. The five-member nett Community Services board will begin Aug. 1 Director Tina Fleming told with county commissioners commissioners this week.

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

BY CURT YEOMANS

rail built in the region.

Richardson is familiar with how MARTA rail works. When he worked Hartsfield-Jackson Atin the heart of Atlanta lanta International Airport’s for the city’s government second in command knows before moving to airport as a thing or two about how part of the town’s Departdifficult it can be to get from ment of Transportation, he Gwinnett County to the often drove to the Doraville airport.

MARTA station and took Interim Deputy General the train to work.

Manager and Chief Finan“But not everybody cial Officer Greg Richardcan get from Suwanee to son lives in Suwanee, but he Doraville and so whatever has to fight Gwinnett’s rush the connections are that we hour traffic every morning can develop, whether it’s through bus rapid transit, rail and then try to get through or around Atlanta to get to transit system that runs to Part of the 30-plus-year plan transit, whatever we’ve got to do — if we can do that, work each day. Then he the airport,” Richardson calls for an extension of then we do open up possibildoes it all in reverse at the said. “MARTA is a pheheavy rail from MARTA’s ities then for people to get to end of the day. nomenal asset to have that Doraville train station to at the airport more effectively,” While Gwinnett leadruns right smack dab into least a multi-modal hub on Richardson said. ers wrestle with whether to the middle of the (airport) the Jimmy Carter BouleRichardson likes hold a MARTA referendum atrium so it’s wonderful to vard corridor in Norcross, Atlanta’s chances in this fall, Richardson steered be there. My concern has or possibly some day up to Amazon HQ2 race clear of the debate when always been sort of the Gwinnett Place Mall.

MARTA wasn’t the only asked about the county’s ancillary connections of getThere are two possible transit plans and how it ting people to MARTA. ways MARTA could extend big topic Richardson was could affect the airport dur“Anything we can do to into the county under legis- asked about during his preing a Gwinnett Chamber connect a lot of the cities lation passed by the Georgia sentation to the chamber.

The airport’s No. 2 ofluncheon Wednesday. He with that main artery to get General Assembly earlier ficial also weighed in on pointed out, however, that down to the airport would be this year. One is a referenthe Amazon HQ2 search.

MARTA does serve the phenomenal.” dum on joining MARTA airport.

Richardson kept his that could be held as early as Atlanta is one of 20 finalists for the online retail giant’s “For me the equation is comments centered around November. second headquarters, and you’ve currently got a rapid making sure residents can The other is holding a somehow get access to the Gwinnett-specific transpor- Richardson said the city has MARTA system, regardless tation special purpose loca- a lot of qualities — including Hartsfield-Jackson — of whether Gwinnett joins tion option sales tax under that make it an attractive that system or not. the new Atlanta Transit candidate for Amazon.

Improving connections Link, or ATL, system.

“Ultimately I think Atto MARTA is part of the Either way, the new Connect Gwinnett Transit transit law for metro Atlanta lanta has a great opportunity, Plan that county commisstipulates that only MARTA and I think it has a great chance,” he said. “When you sioners approved Tuesday. can operate any new heavy read about what Amazon is looking for, I think Atlanta The offers all of that piece. I think it’s going to be interAudiology Center esting as it comes down the of Snellville line to find out what that real decision point was.

Providing personalized hearing healthcare that “I’ve got to believe the connects you to your family and your world. airport provides a tremenCall us today and experience the difference a dous piece of that equation personalized hearing solution can make for you! and a positive one for that, so we’ll be anxious to see 2176 Oak Road, Suite C, Snellville Samuel F. Vaught, Au.D. how that works out.”

855-875-2842 • www.audiologysnellville.com Doctor of Audiology HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport Interim Deputy General Manager and Chief Financial Officer Greg Richardson talks about the airport and its future during a presentation to the Gwinnett Chamber on Wednesday.

(Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans)

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ings over the past year,” Fleming wrote in a July 10 letter to commissioners.

“Furthermore, the strict timelines that the law imposes for such hearings to be scheduled and a decision to sustain, modify or overrule a dangerous or vicious dog classification have placed a tremendous burden on the county Board of Health to establish a quorum of its members for the hearings.”

Hartsfield-Jackson official: Connecting metro cities to MARTA system would be ‘phenomenal’

FABRICS

New N O T T CO S PRIN

County documents show the Board of Health for the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale health district has been serving as the county’s animal control hearing panel for the last year. Gwinnett’s animal ordinance sets the Board of Health as the hearing board unless county commissioners designate another group to handle those issues.

“The board has been inundated with such hear-

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“

He’s a great coach and a great man.”

Gwinnett establishing board to handle animal control hearings

perspectives

Todd Cline, Editor

todd.cline@gwinnettdailypost.com

Honored as a newspaper of General Excellence

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2018

PAGE 3 A • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

‘Deep state’ is between us and the abyss WASHINGTON — Before this hare-brained and reckless administration is history, the nation will have cause to celebrate the public servants derided by Trumpists as the supposed “deep state.”

The term itself is propaganda, intended to cast a sinister light upon men and women whom Trump and his minions find annoyingly knowledgeable and experienced. They are not participants in any kind of dark conspiracy.

Eugene Rather, they are feared and Robinson loathed by the president and his wrecking crew of know-nothings because they have spent years, often decades, mastering the details of foreign and domestic policy.

God bless them. With a supine Congress unwilling to play the role it is assigned by the Constitution, the “deep state” stands between us and the abyss.

Witness, with horror and shame, Trump’s disgraceful performance on the world stage during the past week. The lowest of several low points was his joint appearance Monday in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who smirked with obvious glee as the president of the United States soiled himself. Metaphorically, I mean.

Trump said that Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and other officials had told him “they think” Russia meddled with the 2016 election. But Putin issued an “extremely strong and powerful” denial when the two leaders met privately, and Trump concluded that “I don’t see any reason why it would be” Russia. Coats fired back within hours, issuing a statement that reiterated the intelligence community’s consensus view, which is not “we think” but “we know.”

Trump’s ridiculous claim Tuesday that he meant to say “wouldn’t” instead of “would” amounted to nothing more than a moment of comic relief.

Thanks to a New York Times story published Wednesday night, we now know that the nation’s top intelligence officials briefed Trump in detail about the Russian meddling on Jan. 6, 2017 — two weeks before his inauguration. According to the Times, the officials shared with Trump powerful evidence that the interference, meant to boost Trump’s chances of winning, was ordered

by Putin himself.

So we know that when Trump casts doubt on Russia’s culpability, he’s not speaking from a position of ignorance. It’s not that intelligence officials have asked him to take their conclusion on faith. They’ve shown him the goods. He’s just lying.

Who were the anonymous sources for the Times story? I have no idea. But if I had spent a career fighting for my country in the secret world, and I heard my president give more credence to the former KGB officer who rules an undemocratic Russia than to his own intelligence chief, I would be angry.

And if I also heard my president welcome what he called an “incredible” offer from Putin — that he would allow special counsel Robert Mueller observe questioning of the 12 Russian spies he indicted last week if Russian authorities were also allowed to interrogate Americans they speciously accuse of crimes, including a former ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul — I would be furious and alarmed. I would have to wonder about the loyalty of my commander in chief. And I would have to think about my duty to the nation.

Russian officials have said publicly that they are ready to begin implementing agreements reached by Trump and Putin during their twohour private meeting, which only one Russian and one American translator were allowed to attend.

But according to The Washington Post, in a story also published Wednesday night, high-ranking U.S. diplomatic and military officials did not know what those agreements were.

Did they reach some sort of understanding about nuclear arms? About Syria? About Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea? If you worry, as I do, that Trump may have intentionally or unintentionally given away the store, you have to root for the “deep state” to find out what transpired in that room — and find ways to reverse or at least mitigate the damage.

Is Trump so obsequious to Putin because his ego will not allow him to acknowledge that the Russian strongman helped him beat Hillary Clinton? Or does Putin have something on him?

We will get answers at some point, but we can’t ignore what we appear to be seeing right now: ongoing collusion, between Trump and Putin, to impede and denigrate the Mueller investigation.

It’s happening before our eyes.

Democrats in Congress are powerless; the Republican leadership, spineless. Experienced government officials know that their job is to serve the president. But what if the president does not serve the best interests of the nation?

In this emergency, the loyal and honorable “deep state” has a higher duty. It’s called patriotism.

Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com.

At least try to be civil, by George “Can you believe that a man dumped a drink on a teenager because the teenager’s baseball cap favored the president?

What’s happening to civil discourse in our country?”

“That’s a question on a lot of people’s minds. Our political discourse is at a fever pitch. Like or dislike President Trump, his sharp rhetoric isn’t helping matters.”

“So what if he attacks his opponents with nasty comments and tweets? He’s a rough-and-tumble New Yorker fighting back the way New Yorkers do!”

“Maybe so, but a president has the power to set the tone, and the tone President Trump is setting is getting people fired up. Other political leaders are also stepping over the line. But the truth is civil discourse has been on the decline for years.”

“If you say so, you jerk!”

“Psychology Today reports on a recent study that found people are ruder to each other online for the simple reason that they don’t make eye contact, as they do in face-to-face discussions.”

“That explains why so many

Tom Purcell dirty rats leave nasty remarks on my Facebook posts!”

“Look, it’s easy to be rude.

Being civil and polite requires effort. Civility is the cornerstone of all well-functioning societies.”

“Says who?”

“Did you know the word ‘etiquette’ originated under Louis XIV in the 1600s?

Etiquette and manners define what social behavior is and isn’t proper.”

“I ain’t following rules drafted up by snooty old French people!”

“Then consider someone nearer and dearer to your heart: As a teenager, George Washington hand-copied ‘The Rules of Civility,’ a list started

by French Jesuits in the 1590s

that was translated into English around 1640.”

“His mother probably put him up to it!”

“Washington’s 110 rules are still relevant. Here’s one that we all should heed: ‘Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another though he were your enemy.’”

“You mean we ought to stop posting items on Facebook that gleefully celebrate election losses by our most reviled politicians?”

“Something like that. Here’s another Washington rule that we ought to heed: ‘Speak not injurious words neither in jest nor earnest. Scoff at none although they give occasion.’”

“If Trump heeded that advice, he’d have to shut down his Twitter account!”

“Washington’s rules include this one about the company we keep: ‘Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation.

For ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.’”

“If people started doing that, Congress would have nobody to talk to!”

“You get the point. Look,

Judith Martin, better known as Miss Manners, says good manners are the philosophical basis of civilization, that it’s essential folks have a common language of civil behavior that restrains their impulses.”

“But impulsiveness is my favorite hobby!”

“She says that what used to be an insult is now called slander. What used to be meanness is now called hate speech.

What used to be boorishness is now called sexual harassment.

If the rules of civility and etiquette were stronger, fewer people would engage in actions that are now considered crimes. We all can and must do better. Civility and incivility are contagious. If we want more civility, we each need to practice it. And press our political leaders to do likewise — by George!”

“Slander, meanness and boorishness is against the law?

There goes the weekend!”

Tom Purcell, author of “Misadventures of a 1970’s Childhood,” is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. Send comments to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com.

Trump not only president close to Putin WASHINGTON — The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting to get a different result, which is one of the many reasons President Trump’s news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed so insane. Trump is trying to do something that both of his immediate predecessors tried to do: turn over a new leaf with Russia. They both failed, and so will he.

Recall that George W. Bush entered the White House promising to end the “dead ideological rivalry” of the Cold War. At a 2001 summit with Putin in Slovenia, Bush declared, “I looked the man in the eye. I found him very straightforward and trustworthy — I was able to get a sense of his soul.”

President Obama tried to appease Putin by giving in to the Russian leader’s demands that we cancel our missiledefense plan with Poland and the Czech Republic — and did it on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. And while serving as Obama’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton humiliated herself when she gave Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a giant red button with the word “reset” on it (which, adding insult to injury, misspelled the Russian word for “reset” to read “overload”).

It is now Trump’s turn to learn the hard way that Russia is an adversary, not a

Marc Thiessen competitor. His summit with Putin was a moment that called for presidential strength. It came on the heels of the indictment of 12 Russian intelligence agents for intervening in the 2016 election and of Russia’s brazen use of a banned chemical weapon on British soil, which resulted last week in the death of a British citizen. But instead of condemning these actions, Trump refused to acknowledge or denounce the fact of Russia’s election interference, and he publicly sided with Putin over his own intelligence community. It was a position he wisely retracted on Tuesday, declaring what he should have said standing next to Putin: “I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place.”

Trump does not seem to fathom that the problem with U.S.-Russia relations is not a lack of effort on the part of U.S. presidents. Russia is the only country on Earth other than North Korea that would dare use a toxic nerve agent to attempt to carry

out assassinations on foreign soil. It is a regime that blatantly violates its nuclear and chemical weapons treaty obligations, has invaded two of its neighbors, and has threatened NATO countries (and even Mar-a-Lago) with nuclear annihilation.

Yet, as cringeworthy as Trump’s news conference was, unlike Obama, he didn’t throw U.S. allies under the bus to appease Putin or take any of the actions many feared — such as lifting sanctions or recognizing Putin’s annexation of Crimea. Unlike his rhetoric, Trump’s Russia policy has actually been a dramatic improvement over that of his predecessor.

Trump expelled 60 Russian diplomats, approved a $47 million arms sale to Ukraine, continued the deployment of NATO forces to the Baltic states, posted troops to Poland’s border with Russia and levied new sanctions against Moscow for violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. During his first year in office, he got NATO allies to increase their defense spending by $12 billion and twice bombed Putin’s ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, for his regime’s use of chemical weapons. If Putin was looking for more pro-Moscow policies from the United States, his election interference backfired in a big way.

Critics say, words matter — and they are right. But if words matter, then Trump’s

critics should be careful what they say. In many cases, their responses to Trump’s news conference have matched the president in absurdity. John Brennan, the CIA director under Obama, tweeted that “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of treasonous.”

And Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., declared, “A single, ominous question now hangs over the White House. What could possibly cause President Trump to put the interests of Russia over those of the United States?”

As always, Trump’s critics bail him out by overplaying their hands. A news conference, however humiliating, is not an impeachable offense.

And conspiracy theories aside, there is a simple explanation for Trump’s performance in Helsinki: He is deeply wrong on Russia.

He thinks he can charm Putin into behaving like a normal leader. He’ll learn that Putin is KGB to his core, just as those before him learned.

When should we be worried? When Trump’s actions match his rhetoric. Until then, Trump’s summit was simply an embarrassment, not a disaster.

Marc Thiessen is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and the former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush.

4A • Friday, July 20, 2018 To Your Good Health

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Keith Roach

More to ozone therapy DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 36 and have had Crohn’s disease for years. I’m having a mild Crohn’s flare. My specialist is leaning toward biologicals (Remicade, Humira, etc.), but I’m not game for that. I’ve been hearing more and more about ozone therapy, pioneered in Germany. Do you have any experience with that?

— P.G. ANSWER: I don’t have any experience with ozone, and when I looked it up, I found many treatment centers with impressive testimonials. However, when I looked it up in the scientific literature, I found nothing. It took further research to try to identify why.

Ozone was indeed studied in Germany in the 1930s, but the effectiveness of using ozone topically (on wounds) was not impressive, and it was much less effective than other, safer treatments.

Research was mostly abandoned. Ozone is irritating to mucus membranes and to the lungs.

The Food and Drug Administration has stated that “ozone is a toxic gas with no known useful medical application in specific, adjunctive or preventive therapy.”

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database has reviewed the evidence and concluded that ozone treatment is “likely unsafe.” From the standpoint of medical science, the question is answered, and ozone is neither safe nor effective. I recommend strongly against it.

However, people clearly are using it, and I read reports of people saying it worked for them. One study looked at people who, like you, had had Crohn’s disease for many years. The longer people have had inflammatory bowel disease, the more likely they are to try alternative treatments. These may include herbal therapies, such as wheatgrass, curcumin and Boswellia; traditional Chinese medicines; probiotics; and acupuncture.

People naturally will try alternative treatments when standard treatments are less effective or more toxic than desired. Some alternative treatments I mentioned have shown promise, and although none has been studied well enough to be definitive, there is enough information to suggest that they may be useful and deserve further study.

I suspect that most of the practitioners offering ozone treatment are doing so in good faith, believing it will be helpful, despite the evidence. That can lead people to believe it is working: There is a robust history of people claiming that ineffective, dangerous treatments are effective, probably due to placebo effect. Unfortunately, there also are some people who prey on the desperately sick while knowing that their treatments are ineffective and toxic.

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solunar tables The Gwinnett Daily Post (UPSP 921-980, ISSN 10860096) is published Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by SCNI, 725 Old Norcross Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30045. Periodical postage paid at Lawrenceville, GA 30044. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gwinnett Daily Post, P.O. Box 603, Lawrenceville, GA 30046-0603.

The solunar tables for lakes are based on studies that show fish and game are more active at certain times during the lunar period.

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lake levels Full Yesterday Lake

Full Yesterday

Allatoona..............(840.0)......839.88 Lanier..................(1071.0).... 1071.93 Blackshear............(237.0)...... 237.04 Nottely................(1779.0)....1775.56 Blue Ridge.........(1690.0)....1686.50 Oconee................(435.0)......434.93 Burton................(1865.0)....1865.02 Seminole.................(77.5)........76.97 Carters............... (1072.0).... 1074.80 Sinclair.................(339.8)......338.59 Chatuge..............(1927.0)....1924.93 Thurmond............(330.0)......328.78 Harding.................(521.0)...... 519.11 Tugalo....................(891.5)......890.25 Hartwell................(660.0)......659.75 Walter F. George.. (188.0)......189.59 Jackson................(530.0)......529.34 West Point............(635.0)......635.40

today in history

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TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1944, Adolf Hitler survived an assassination attempt orchestrated by several seniorlevel German military officials.

In 1969, Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, became the first person to set foot on the moon, followed by Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.

In 1976, Viking 1 landed on Mars and transmitted the first photos of the planet’s surface.

In 2012, a gunman opened fire during a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” at a theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) (1304-1374), poet; Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), explorer/mountaineer; Cormac McCarthy (1933- ), writer; Natalie Wood (1938-1981), actress; Carlos Santana

(1947- ), musician; Chris Cornell (19642017), singer-songwriter; Dean Winters (1964- ), actor; Josh Holloway (1969- ), actor; Sandra Oh (1971- ), actress; Omar Epps (1973- ), actor; Ray Allen (1975- ), basketball player; Julianne Hough (1988- ), dancer/singer.

TODAY’S FACT: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) honored Neil Armstrong and associates with its Best Foreign Television Award in 1969 for their telecast from the moon.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1968, the first International Special Olympics Games concluded at Soldier Field in Chicago.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “I try to solve my problems by writing music and recording albums, but you know what’s really funny about that? Once the album becomes a success, it doesn’t solve your problems. It just gets harder to write the next album.” — Chris Cornell

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Honored as a newspaper of General Excellence

2018

Senior wants to go for the gold in ‘golden years’ Dear Amy: I am 74; my wife of 53 years is 71.

Our marriage is solid, and it is my strongest desire to support my wife in every way possible, especially giving her things that we may not have had resources for in our younger years.

I am blessed to be very healthy, and I am an avid exerciser, now getting into short-distance triathlons.

My wife was an exercise trainer, but now has injuries and aches and pains that prohibit her from joining me in my training. She is opposed to me partaking in triathlons, even though I know my physical limits and want to “complete” rather than “compete.”

She fears that I will die or be severely injured, thereby “ruining” our golden years. I love the sport and want to partake.

She remains angry and adamantly against it.

What is the best way to handle this?

— Devoted Dear Devoted: Your wife has physical ailments preventing her from fully partaking in your interests. Have you accused her of “ruining” your golden years? (No!) Your wife is a former trainer, and she may be more in tune with the risks of injury or illness due to extreme exercise than she is with the risks of illness or injury due to simply being alive.

I’m going to guess that

I know she meant it as a joke but every time I am around her I worry that she thinks I am not good enough for her son. This makes me uncomfortable around her, and honestly I don’t really like her because of it.

To me, jokes come from real feelings, but are Amy Dickinson masked in a way to avoid confrontation. her concern might not How do I address this be solely about physical with her without it being injury, but also about the awkward or confrontatime it takes to train for tional? these endurance races.

My boyfriend does not The way through this remember her saying it, marital challenge is to but he has my back. If we use the same techniques move toward marriage, that have probably served we will have to address it. you well during your very — Trying to Move long marriage: listenForward ing, communication and Dear Trying: You compromise. You should want to address this statenot give up on your goal, ment, but you don’t want but you also need to work to risk any awkwardness with your wife to find yourself, and in that way, new activities that you you are trying to take the two can do together. Per- easy way out. haps the week after your But there is no easy first race, you two could way out. take a trip together. She You don’t seem able chooses the destination to accept this as a very and the itinerary, and you failed (and unfunny) commit fully to her plan, “joke,” and move on — while recovering from and so you will have to your completed race. confront this, respectDear Amy: My fully. boyfriend’s parents are The best way to address nice people, but I don’t an awkward situation is to know them very well. His acknowledge how awkmother made a comment ward it is. to me that I can’t shake.

You should say to her, We were out to lunch privately, “Can I ask one day and she made a you something? This joke that I would “make is awkward and a little a great first wife.” She embarrassing, but you said this in front of her said something to me one husband, as well as my day that I keep thinking boyfriend. about…”

Ask Amy

The best-case scenario would be for her to admit having said this, tell you she regrets it, reassure you that she meant no harm and apologize for having said it.

However, she may have forgotten making this remark — or she may simply deny it.

Prepare yourself: After you say your piece, you should make your peace.

Look for positive things about her; after all, she might one day be your (first and last) mother-inlaw.

Dear Amy: I commend your response to “Camera Shy,” who was reluctant to allow her boyfriend to take nude photos of her.

Amy, everything about your response was dead on. I just retired from over three decades teaching high school, and it was painful to see students sometimes make mistakes that could haunt them for the rest of their lives.

— Retired Teacher Dear Teacher: And I commend you for choosing a career that has affected more young lives than I ever will. Thank you!

You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson. com. Readers may send postal mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or “like” her on Facebook.

Visit us online at www.gwinnettdailypost.com.

Incorporate something new into your life.

Socialize more or start a new hobby or creative endeavor that will bring you joy. Take stock of your current emotional, physical and mental health, and make lifechanging alterations that will ensure you look and feel your very best.

Invest in you.

CANCER (June 21July 22) — Attending a reunion or getting together with an old friend will stimulate memories that will make you revisit an old idea or prospect.

A romantic gesture will improve your personal life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Focus on what you can do instead of getting upset over something that you can’t control.

Keep your life simple and meaningful and avoid making emotional mistakes.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22) — Let your actions speak for you. A gesture of kindness will show how you feel and what you are willing to do. A positive change can be expected.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Don’t shy away from opposition. If you feel strongly, speak up or take action. Being part of the solution will be gratifying. An unexpected offering is heading your way.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22) — Concentrate on updating your look or creating a plan that will allow you to use your skills to get a higher income. Think big, but don’t overextend yourself emotionally or financially.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Your desire to get things moving is commendable, but make sure your motives are stellar to avoid backlash from someone eager to point out your shortcomings. Put your strategy in place first.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You can motivate others with your vision and ability to incorporate all sorts of unique ideas into one big plan. If you take control, you will make a difference.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19) — Take a deep breath and prepare to do your own thing. Refuse to let anyone pressure you into something that doesn’t sit right with you. Avoid unpredictable individuals.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) — A financial opportunity can change your life.

Reconnect with people you have worked with in the past or who have inspired you to follow your heart. Romance is highlighted.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Look at your options and react accordingly, but don’t burn bridges. You can turn a negative into a positive if you are focused and precise. Know what you are up against.

TAURUS (April 20May 20) — Your hope for change will require more than mere desire.

Hard work, research and physical stamina will determine the degree of your success. Personal gains are within reach.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Spend more time at home nurturing important relationships or making changes that will ease tension. Use your intelligence to find workable solutions and help keep the peace.

gwinnettdailypost.com

World Court: S. Korea must pay victims, families involved in Sewol tragedy

Friday, July 20, 2018 • 5A

world&nation Putin makes own meddling claims

By Radina Gigova CNN

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his summit A South Korean court with President Donald ruled Thursday the govern- Trump in Helsinki was ment is partially liable for “overall successful and led the tragic sinking of the to productive agreements” Sewol ferry four years ago but warned “certain forces and must compensate fami- in America” are trying to lies of the victims, accord- undermine the results. ing to news agencies.

Speaking at a meeting The passenger ferry sank with ambassadors and peroff the southwest coast of manent representatives in South Korea in April 2014. Moscow on Thursday, Putin As the country watched accused forces in the U.S. live broadcasts in horror, of attempting to subvert re304 of the almost 500 pas- lations between Washington sengers — most of them and Moscow. high school students on “We see that there are a field trip to the holiday forces in the United States island of Jeju — drowned. that are willing to sacrifice South Korea’s Yonhap Russia-U.S. relations to news agency reported a promote their ambitions Seoul court ruled the state amid the domestic political is liable in part, and must strife in America,” he said. compensate 200 milTrump was fiercely critilion South Korean won cized when he refused to ($177,000) to the families back the U.S. intelligence of each victim, and an community’s assessment of additional 40 million won Russian efforts to influence (about $35,200) to the par- the 2016 election during ents of every student who a joint news conference lost their lives. with Putin, instead touting Putin’s strong denials — Queen’s bravery and his desire to not back down or apologize over his awards recognize performance.

London Bridge Trump subsequently said he misspoke, but has attack victims not acknowledged that he Eight people involved in repeatedly put the U.S. the London Bridge terror intelligence community’s attack, including two who assessment and Putin’s dedied, were among those nials on the same footing. honored for their courBut amid the criticism age in the U.K.’s annual Civilian Gallantry List on Thursday.

Twenty people in total were recognized in the Senate votes 2018 list, which is approved by the Queen.

98-0 to reject Three men rammed a Putin proposal van into pedestrians on The Senate voted and London Bridge before stabbing dozens of people approved a resolution to oppose sending U.S. ofwho were out enjoying a night in London’s popular ficials to be interrogated

by Russian officials on Borough Market area in Thursday, following a June 2017.

Three police officers weeklong clash between also received awards for congressional Republicans their bravery in tackling and the White House over the terrorists. the U.S. relationship to Russia.

Syria reaches deal The 98-0 vote came after the White House anwith Nawa rebels nounced it now disagreed The Syrian government with the proposal from reached a reconciliation Russian President Vladiagreement Wednesday with mir Putin. rebels in Nawa, in southern The resolution exDaraa province. pressed the sense of the According to the agree- Senate that no current or ment, rebel forces agreed former diplomat, civil to hand over “military servant, law enforcement hardware” followed by official, member of the the rest of their weapons armed forces or politionce ISIS is removed from cal appointee should be southern Syria. made available to Putin’s Anyone who is unwillgovernment for an intering to be part of the deal rogation. The proposal will be allowed to transfer was produced by Senate to Idlib — a rebel-conMinority Leader Chuck trolled city in the country’s Schumer, a New York northwest — the agreeDemocrat. ment said.

Thursday’s vote was a It comes after a week of rare sign of unified reacheavy artillery shelling and tion to address the diviair strikes from Syrian and sive fallout of President Russian forces on Nawa, Donald Trump’s highly according to the U.K.controversial news conferbased Syrian Observatory ence earlier this week, for Human Rights. where the U.S. President The rebel-linked Daraa appeared to back Putin Martyrs Documentation over the U.S. intelligence Office said 26 people were community assessment killed Wednesday in the that Russia interfered with Daraa countryside. the 2016 U.S. presidenAbout 6.2 million Syrtial election. Trump’s ians have been displaced comments have reverbersince the conflict began in ated across Capitol Hill 2011, with a further 6.3 all week as lawmakers million having fled abroad from both parties sharply as refugees, according to a criticized the President, recent UNHCR report. and Republicans in Con— From wire reports gress — who control both

Nation

People Jennifer Lopez to star in new ‘Second Act’ film

It’s been far too long since we’ve seen Jennifer Lopez flex her comedy muscles on the big screen, but our wait is almost over.

In Lopez’s next film, “Second Act,” the trailer for which was released Thursday, she plays a retail worker named Maya who seeks a path more in line with her big dreams and ambitions. Lacking a college degree — and Russian President Vladimir Putin said “certain forces in America” are trying to under- self-confidence — Maya’s mine the results of his summit with President Donald Trump. (CNN) road to a better life seems blocked.

That is, until a friend, of the president, Putin took Putin also insisted that and to prevent the growing through somewhat deceitaim at those he sees as nay- Russia remains open to fur- tension in the Middle East sayers of the U.S.-Russia ther contacts with the U.S. from getting out of control.” ful means, helps Maya score an opportunity she’s relationship. on an equal and mutually He added that the talks “They are ready to beneficial basis. over the New START trea- always hoped would come her way. sacrifice the interests of “This is what not only ty, an agreement aimed to Lopez stars in the film their businesses, which are our people but the world as cut the number of nuclear alongside Milo Ventimilosing multimillion-dollar a whole need,” he added. weapons that the U.S. and glia, Vanessa Hudgens and contracts and the Rus“As the world’s largest Russia could deploy by Leah Remini. sian market in general, as nuclear powers, we have about one third, was also well as jobs in the United special responsibility for the “correct step” at the States,” he said. strategic stability and time, while warning “unless Harvey Weinstein “Even though not many, security.” we start working right now there are jobs in place as Putin took time to praise to coordinate its extension, files motion to dismiss Judd suit part of cooperation with Trump’s role in the progit will cease to exist in a Russia. We are talking ress of the situation on year and a half.”

Harvey Weinstein has about tens of thousands, the Korean peninsula but During the meeting, potentially hundreds of expressed regret in the U.S.’ Putin also took the opportu- asked a federal judge to thousands, of jobs,” Putin decision to withdraw from nity to denounce the NATO dismiss Ashley Judd’s said. the Iran nuclear deal. troop expansions in eastern defamation suit against him, according to court “I am not saying this to “This document is of cru- Europe. scold or commend anyone. cial significance for global “We will respond appro- documents obtained by CNN. Absolutely not,” he added. non-proliferation,” Putin priately to such aggressive Weinstein claims that “These are the facts of said. “Our task is to presteps, which pose a direct Judd suggested she would modern life.” serve this vital arrangement threat to Russia.” consider letting him touch her if she ever won an Michigan, Minnesota, New Academy Award for work in one of his films.

Jersey, New York, North Judd’s attorney, TheoCarolina, Ohio, Oregon, dore J. Boutrous, said in Pennsylvania, South a statement to CNN on Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia Thursday that Weinstein’s arguments were “baseless” and Wisconsin, according and “offensive.” to the CDC. In an interview with In interviews with health officials, people who have ABC’s Diane Sawyer, gotten sick reported eating Judd said Weinstein asked different types and brands her to a meeting in his hotel room in 1997, where The Senate voted, 98-0, approving a resolution to oppose of turkey products pursending U.S. officials to be interrogated by Russian of- chased from several locaafter repeated attempts to ficials. (CNN) tions, the CDC noted in its pressure her into sex, she convinced him to let her announcement. chambers — are consider- said in a news release.

“This report urges the EPA The first cases of illness go. ing multiple options for “He kept coming at me to strengthen its oversight in the outbreak began in how to respond. with all this other stuff, of state drinking water November, and they conThe vote followed anand finally I just said, programs now so that the tinued to this month. other one earlier Thurs‘When I win an Oscar agency can act quickly in day, where a top Senate in one of your movies, Republican leader blocked times of emergency.”

‘Confront okay?’” Judd told Sawyer.

The EPA OIG’s office passage of a nonbinding Corruption’ The comment, according began investigating the bipartisan resolution — to Judd, enabled her to protest held agency’s handling of the proposed by another Republican senator — back- crisis in October 2016, 10 near Mar-a-Lago leave the room. months after the agency ing the U.S. intelligence Members of the public issued an emergency order community.

Zuckerberg gathered near Mar-a-Lago criticizing Michigan state addresses his Wednesday evening to and local government’s Watchdog: EPA protest President Trump comments on handling of the crisis and helped cause ordering specific actions be following Monday’s the Holocaust Flint water crisis taken to address the public controversial summit with Facebook CEO Mark health threat, according to Russian President Vladimir A report from the Zuckerberg tried to Putin. an EPA report.

Environmental Protection clarify his controversial Protesters gathered at Agency’s Office of the comments about HoloSouthern Boulevard and Salmonella Inspector General strongly Flagler Drive and marched caust deniers Wednesday outbreak in 26 criticizes the local, state afternoon, hours after he to Trump’s estate in what and federal government’s was quoted saying some they called a “Confront states tied to response to the Flint water raw turkey deniers who post on FaceCorruption” vigil. crisis in 2015 and 2016. book aren’t “intentionally The protest occurred An outbreak of salmoThe report claims that after the president’s contro- getting it wrong.” nella linked to raw turkey the Michigan Department He went on to compare versial comments about products has sickened at of Environmental Quality conspiracy theories to Russian hacking and his least 90 people across 26 failed to comply to two people who simply misclosed door meeting with states, the U.S. Centers Lead and Copper Rule Putin in Finland this week. speak. requirements, and that the for Disease Control and His comments drew im“We would like this presPrevention announced EPA issued an emergency mediate condemnation on ident impeached. Period.

Thursday. order seven months after social media, in the press I think that’s the general Among them, 40 people feeling of everybody that’s and among civil rights it had the “authority and have been hospitalized, sufficient information” activists. coming out here and exbut no deaths have been to do so, according to a “I personally find pressing their considerable news release from the EPA reported.

Holocaust denial deeply discontent,” said protester offensive, and I absolutely Illnesses have been OIG’s office.

Mark Offerman. didn’t intend to defend “While oversight author- reported in Alaska, CaliThis was just one of the intent of people who ity is vital, its absence can fornia, Colorado, Florida, many candlelight vigil deny that,” he wrote in an contribute to a catastrophic Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, marches held throughout email.

Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, situation,” EPA Inspector the country Wednesday.

— From wire reports Kentucky, Massachusetts, General Arthur A. Elkins — From wire reports

Former NASA engineer creates giant water gun

By Eva Wohiren CNN

What do you do when you’re done building the world’s largest Nerf Gun? If you’re Mark Rober, you set your sights on the mother of all water guns.

Rober is a former NASA engineer who clearly likes to think big.

Not content to rest on his laurels when Guinness World Records recognized him as the

Must read creator of the biggest Nerf gun on earth, he set his sights on a Super Soaker.

And this thing is a beast.

It shoots water at 272 mph.

That’s eight times more powerful than a fire truck hose. It can break through glass, destroy large watermelons and slice through soda cans.

“It’s definitely something you

don’t want to stick your hand in front of,” Rober told CNN. “You can see in the video we dropped a hotdog in front of it and we weren’t putting it through slowly and it sliced it in half.”

Rober worked for seven years at NASA. His baby, the Curiosity rover, is now out exploring Mars.

Today, Rober is a YouTube personality known for his do-ityourself gadgets. He made his Nerf gun using plunger heads and pool noodles.

To make the Super Soaker, he worked away at it for six months, he said. It’s seven-feet long, holds two gallons of water and uses nitrogen gas instead of air to get its power.

“It was another classic from my childhood. The Super Soaker was such a big deal when it first came out,” he said.

“Somehow it could shoot further and for longer than anything else out there and so I have memories of being the first kid

on the block who brought one of these to a water fight. It was like showing up with a machine gun in World War I. I sorta of wanted to pay homage to it after the Nerf gun.”

The certificates recognizing both his creations as Guinness record holders are framed on his wall.

The original Super Soaker was also the handiwork of an engineer at NASA — Lonnie Johnson.

6A • Friday, July 20, 2018 •From Page 1A

Development

and Decor, putting it on the opposite side of the interstate from the Mall of Georgia.

Since the plans for the 61.156-acre development were filed with the county less than a month ago, they are still being reviewed by staff and haven’t been placed on the Gwinnett Planning Commission’s agenda yet.

The project is being touted as a “regional mixed-use development” by developers and their representatives.

That means state and Atlanta Regional Commission officials will likely be reviewing the plans at some point.

The application shows there are 21 buildings that are being proposed for the site, with a combined 880,585 square feet of space and a density of 13,726 square feet per acre.

A conceptual site plan for the development show both

•From Page 1A On Tuesday, his car was found unlocked and abandoned in the grocery store

•From Page 1A

gwinnettdailypost.com

This rendering shows the conceptual design for retail shops that could be included in The Exchange at Gwinnett regional mixed-use project that Fuqua Development wants to build at the Interstate 85 and Buford Drive Interchange.

(Special Photo)

apartments and senior living on the back of the property with small shops, large retail, an entertain center, a hotel, a fitness center and a gas station lined up along a central road leading form Buford Drive.

Lanham told county officials in his letter that the smaller retail buildings will include about 8,000 square feet of space while the larger retail buildings will occupy about 50,000 to 60,000

square feet of space. The recreation and entertainment facility would serve as a golf entertainment complex with a driving range, a full-service restaurant and a bar.

“Overall, the proposed development would include approximately 400,000 square feet of non-residential development in addition to approximately 500 units of multifamily dwellings,” Lanham wrote in his letter to the county.

Body parking lot off Atlanta Highway with the groceries still inside.

Anyone with information is asked to call

police at 770-513-5300.

A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered by Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest.

Car

munity throughout the year by educating young drivers bly shared funds.” of the very real dangers of The DOJ had previstreet racing and distracted ously approved the purchase, driving. This vehicle will though now said the Hellcat attract the very audience we is not being used for its want to draw for this imporstated use, which Volkodav tant message.” said “in addition to driving it Though the sheriff’s to and from work,” would be office has not yet formally for Conway to “use this veresponded to the DOJ’s letter hicle when he participates in — Volkodav said the agency field operations, covert and is “exploring all options otherwise, with our deputies with the most conservative and for any law enforcement approach to our budget in function in which he opermind” — Gwinnett County ates, including traffic stops.” Communications Director She said the sheriff was Joe Sorenson said the county driving the Hellcat “a few “will comply with the Justice days ago” when he stopped Department’s request.” an “unsafe driver” on the “Staff is working with the road. sheriff’s office to respond “This vehicle was (also) to the Department of Justice selected because it provided regarding the vehicle purthe opportunity to expand its chase,” Sorenson said. “We use to support our Gwinnett are committed to resolving chapter of Beat the Heat the matter quickly and will Inc., an organization of be adding review points in which we’ve been part since our process for equipment 2010,” Volkodav said. “Our purchased with asset forfeiBeat the Heat team provides ture funds to make sure we a great service to the comcomply with guidelines set

forth by the Department of Justice.”

By returning the money to the DOJ, the car’s $70,000 cost will now have to be absorbed by the sheriff’s office’s budget, which comes from county funds that are generated through taxpayer dollars.

Volkodav said that while the sheriff is “disappointed that the MLARS doesn’t seem to find value” in the agency’s eight-year-long effort to combat street racing and distracted driving, “he’s satisfied knowing that this effort will continue with or without their cooperation.”

“Sheriff Conway has always been a forward thinker and will continue to make decisions with the best interest of his community and staff in mind,” she said.

Until the sheriff’s office returns the money to the Justice Department, it will be unable to use seized federal drug money for any other purchases.

•From Page 1A

well-hydrated.

“They had a dog, a — one of which was a little puppy that they semi-automatic rifle — used to walk out here • 2,600+: Marijuana resulted in 16 arrests and every now and then,” she plants recovered said. “We saw kids there, ultimately seized seven • $340,000: Cash netted so there were definitely vehicles, said Lawrencev• 10: Firearms confischildren in the home a ille Police Department Lt. cated lot. There was an Asian Jake Parker.

• 7: Vehicles seized guy here all the time who “Investigators (with • 16: Agencies involved would park his Mercedes the GMTF) got a lead on • 19: Homes raided in front of the house — I some sort of marijuana • 16: Arrests made think he’d come take growing operation in care of the grandma or April and they started developing suspicions as to of the homes they raided his mother or something.

That’s what he told my what (houses) were part would be grow houses, ex-husband when we of that operation,” Parker Parker said, which was moved here last year, that said. “It took substantial almost right on the he was taking care of the planning and effort, but money: Wednesday’s elderly woman. I guess they secured search war- raid positively identified you just never know.” rants for 17 homes and 11 grow houses, xalong Some of the children the plan (Wednesday) with several stash houses Gonzalez would see at was for every team to be and document houses, the home were removed serving their particular or places where those

by Division of Family search warrant at 6 a.m.” involved in a trafficking and Children Services The 17 homes raided operation keep related staff Wednesday afterWednesday led law documents. noon, with their parents enforcement officers “This grow house later brought out in from the municipal police operation — which we departments that make up also call a clandestine lab handcuffs.

Of the four children the task force — GMTF — had a lot of sophisremoved from the home, was formed in August tication,” Parker said.

2012 by Duluth, Law“Clandestine labs refer to the oldest looked no older than 6 or 7, and the renceville, Lilburn, Snell- anything from meth labs ville and Suwanee — to to crack cocaine kitchens, youngest, a little boy, was two more homes, which but also include marijua- likely not even a year old.

Other houses that were were also raided. na grow houses where we raided Wednesday also In addition to task find potting soil, fertilhad children in them, force officers, county izers and gas canisters agencies, including the to alter (the environment Parker said.

“In a case like this, in Gwinnett County Poto make) good growing some instances, we reach lice Department and the conditions. out to family members sheriff’s office, as well as “At some of (Wedneswho are nearby to take state and federal agenday’s) locations, the custody of the kids,” he cies, such as the Georgia (suspects) had re-routed said. “It’s usually someBureau of Investigation, water lines for irrigation one the parents ID as a Georgia State Patrol, and some had fabricated the Drug Enforcement extra (air) filtration units custodian or guardian, Administration and the so that neighbors weren’t but for families that don’t have that person (nearby), Federal Bureau of Inves- getting the smell from we have to call DFCS.” tigation, assisted, Parker (the operation).”

Parker said while he said.

Gonzalez said she cer“When (task force oftainly wasn’t getting that did not yet have the exact ficers) really got into this smell — or any indication number of children who were found at the homes and saw how large of an that there was anything or the number of families operation it was, they had illegal occurring inside involved in the growto call on more resources her neighbors’ home. personnel-wise,” Parker “It’s an elderly couple house operation, “as far as the (task force) could said. “Also, when you’re that lives there and their tell, all of (the 19 houses) looking at drugs that are kids used to come with probably going to be their grandkids,” Gonza- are part of one organization.” linked elsewhere, you lez said. “I used to tell “We don’t know right want the DEA, FBI, GBI my kids to tone it down now how extensive the and those agencies on because there was an board.” elderly person who lived grow house operation is, but it’s a safe assumpIn total, about 200 ofnext door. I didn’t know ficers and agents worked — you just couldn’t tell.” tion that this stretches outside of the county and into the evening hours on Nothing seemed out Wednesday, sorting, pro- of the ordinary about the potentially the state, too,” Parker said. “Usually cessing and documenting home, Gonzalez said, things like this large are their finds. whose residents kept part of a bigger operaOfficials initially sustheir topiaries perfectly tion.” pected about nine to 11 trimmed and their grass

obituaries

days in Atlanta. Jean was a devout Catholic and devotJean Edwards ed mother to her children.

Jean Mayer Edwards of She will be missed by her Duluth, GA passed away children who could always on July 14, 2018, at the count on her unconditional age of 88. She was born on love, support, and advice.

July 23, 1929 in OwatonA memorial service will na, MN to Bob and Helen be held at St. Benedict’s Mayer. Jean was preceded Catholic Church at 10:30 in death by her husband of on Monday, July 23, 64 years, William C. Ed2018. In lieu of flowers, wards. She is survived by memorials may be made her sister Lois M. Feldick, in honor of Jean Edwards of Casper, Wyoming; her 4 to St. Benedict’s Catholic children, son Bill Edwards Church, 11045 Parsons Rd, (Glenda) of Jacksonville, Duluth, GA 30097.

FL, daughter Leslie Van Haltern (Frank) of Atlanta, Calhoun son Graham Edwards Ann Bryson Goza (Sally) of Dahlonega, GA and daughter Hilary Cruz Ann Bryson Goza, age (Angel) of Sugar Hill, GA, 80, of Calhoun, GA, for6 grandchildren, Jamie Van merly of Lilburn, passed Haltern, Atlanta, GA, Shae away on Wednesday, July Van Haltern, Duluth, GA, 18, 2018. A graveside Alex Cornell, Sugar Hill, service will be held at GA, Ryan Cruz, Sugar 11am on Friday, July 20, Hill, GA, Will Edwards, 2018 at White Chapel Dahlonega, GA, and Sam Memorial Gardens, DuEdwards, Dahlonega, GA. luth. A native of Atlanta, Jean married her beloved Ann was a member of Bill at Sacred Heart Harmony Grove United Catholic Church in Atlanta Methodist Church and a on June 7, 1952. During retired school bus driver their marriage, Jean and for Gwinnett County after Bill lived in Albany, GA, 33 years of service. She Kansas City, MO, Atlanta, was a loving wife, mother GA, Tifton, GA and finally and grandmother to her Duluth, GA. Jean mangrandchildren. Survivors aged the family household, include her husband of and spent nineteen years 59 years, Raymond Goza volunteering in the hospital of Calhoun, daughter and gift shop at Joan Glancy son-in-law, Angie and Hospital, which brought Robert Rouzee of Calher much joy. In her spare houn, son and daughtertime, she enjoyed readin-law, John and Monique ing and visiting with her Goza of Kaufman, TX many friends. She always and her loving grandchilloved going to the beach. dren, Elizabeth Rouzee She looked forward each and Blake Rouzee. Online year to reuniting with the girls from the boarding house where she lived in the 1950’s during her early DULUTH

condolences may be left at www.billheadfuneralhome.com. The family will receive friends Thursday from 5 until 7 pm at the Bill Head Funeral Homes and Crematory, Lilburn/Tucker Chapel, (770) 564-2726.

Busted By the numbers

For more obituaries, visit www.gwinnettdailypost.com.

by a very loving family.

Services of death and resurrection with be held at Dacula United Methodist Church 2655 Fence Rd NE, Dacula, GA 30019 on July 20, 2018 at 12:00pm.

Please wear white to the funeral at the request of the family.

Arrangements by BryantGrant Funeral Home

She was a bright light in this world and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

The celebration of her life will be Saturday, July 21, at 2 p.m. at Garden Plaza Lawrenceville. 230 Collins Industrial Way, Lawrenceville GA. Snellville

LAWRENCEVILLE Franklin, NC

Denise Emma Ursula Simpson-Rich Denise Emma Ursula Simpson-Rich, 51, went hometo be with the Lord, July 13, 2018 in Franklin, North Carolina. She was born on October 21, 1967 to Fredrick Joseph Marszalek Sr. and Marianne Katherine Marszalek, in Frankfurt Germany.

Denise attended primary school at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Rockaway, New Jersey, and graduated from Lenape High School in Medford, New Jersey. She spent her young adult years studying at the University of Arizona, before moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1986, where she attended Georgia State University and eventually attended Cosmetology School, becoming a professional hair stylist. Denise was a beloved sister to 4 siblings, mother of 2 children and was surrounded

Dorothy Strickland Dorothy Marie Bond Strickland (Enos) passed away July 2, 2018 in Lawrenceville, GA. She is survived by her daughter, Dorothy Renee Bond Woodard of Marietta, GA, son Edwin Ray Bond Jr of Lawrenceville GA and daughter in law, Debbie Bond.

Grandchildren Loren Marie Bond Chandler of Athens, GA, Christine Ray Woodard, of Lawrenceville, GA, Alison Jade Woodard of Loganville, GA, Sarah Jean Woodard of Loganville GA and Jake Ray Bond of Lawrenceville GA. Great Granddaughter Julia Ray Woodard Gaspard of Loganville GA. and many nieces and nephews.

She was one of six children born to David and Mary Ellen Enos on March 4, 1924 in Johnstown, PA. She moved to Florida where she spent most of her early adult years and then moved to Atlanta in 1967.

She loved her dog, Benji, reading, dancing and cheering on the Atlanta Braves.

Marilyn Mason Williams Marilyn Mason Williams age 85, died peacefully on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, in Snellville, Georgia. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Nelson L. Williams, Snellville; her daughter and son in law, Kathy Williams Bass and Charles E. Bass of Hoschton; granddaughter, Katie Bass of Auburn, Alabama; grandson, Mason E. Bass, and wife Nikki of Buford; great grandchildren, Landry and Myles Bass; sisters, Carolyn Jacobs of Gainesville, Ga; and Rebecca Page of Snellville. She was preceded in death by her parents, J. Wideman and Maude Tanner Mason.

Mrs. Williams was a long time member of Grayson United Methodist Church where she was a member of the Seekers Sunday School Class, and the Sisters in Faith Bible Study. Many friends and customers remember her as the Bookkeeper at Snellville

Auto Parts for many years, and some of her dearest friends enjoyed their bridge parties throughout the years. She traveled extensively and she and Nelson especially loved their travels abroad. Once she was able to travel easily, they enjoyed going to Hilton Head as often as possible.

Her family was her pride and joy. Nothing brought a smile to her face more than a visit from Kathy and Charlie or one of the grandchildren and great grandchildren, who lovingly called her Mimi. She cherished that title and wore it proudly. Nelson has been her sweetheart for over 65 years and so gallantly stood by her side during her illnesses.

An 11:00 AM Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 21, at Grayson United Methodist Church, 555 Grayson Parkway, Grayson, GA with The Reverends Gerald Varner and Phil Schroeder officiating.

Those who desire may make contributions to the Seekers SS Class or Sisters in Faith Bible Study at Grayson United Methodist Church.

Visitation and a reception will immediately follow the service in the Fellowship Hall.

Byrd and Flanigan Crematory & Funeral Service, Lawrenceville in charge of the arrangements.

770-962-2200

gwinnettdailypost.com

Friday, July 20, 2018 • 7A

Deal endorses Shafer for lt. governor

By Curt Yeomans

Deal pegged Shafer as the candiWith less than a week date who to go before next week’s he feels Republican lieutenant can carry governor runoff election, on that Nathan state Sen. David Shafer, legacy in Deal R-Duluth, pulled out what the future. is perhaps the biggest of “It’s of the figurative big guns critical in current state politics imporWednesday. tance that Gov. Nathan Deal we build endorsed Shafer in the race upon our against former state Rep. successes, Geoff Duncan, giving the achieveDavid former Senate president ments and Shafer pro tempore the backing of reforms,” the governor’s mansion in Deal said. “The only way final days before Tuesday’s to ensure that occurs is runoff vote. In a statement, by electing leaders who unDeal recalled legislative derstand what it will take accomplishments of his to build upon those efforts. administration, including David Shafer is a strong a $5 billion tax cut and and principled conservainvestments in education, tive. transportation and infra“He has been a key structure. legislative ally in my ef-

forts to cut taxes and keep Georgia the No.1 place to do business, and I believe he will continue moving Georgia forward. For these reasons, I’m endorsing and voting for David Shafer for lieutenant governor.”

Shafer already had a long list of high profile endorsements in the lieutenant governor’s race, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as well as a handful of other Republican — and in one case Libertarian — candidates for president, and several former and current legislators and congressmen from Georgia, among others.

Earlier this week, Deal endorsed current Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who is also facing a Republican runoff challenge, in the governor’s race.

Shafer’s opponent in the Republican runoff for lieutenant governor, Duncan,

responded to the endorsement in a measured way.

He did not attack Deal’s decision on who to back in the race, but rather reestablished his stance that he would represent change at the state Capitol.

“I respect Gov. Deal, and he has served our state with honor,” Duncan said.

“Career politician David Shafer and his campaign are in a free fall because voters want an outsider that will bring a fresh perspective to state government. David has all of the endorsements from elected officials. Good for him.

“Republican voters want policy over politics under the Gold Dome, and David Shafer doesn’t represent that. Brooke and I will spend the last few days on this campaign the same way we started it: working hard and taking nothing for granted!”

By Curt Yeomans

the heated run up to the runoff.

The winner will face former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, in the general election this fall.

Kemp’s campaign announced late Thursday that the secretary of state will appear with VicePresident Mike Pence at a rally in Macon Saturday afternoon, meaning some of his campaign stops scheduled for that day, including one in Buford, have been called off.

Trump’s endorsement of Kemp was an unexpected move since there hadn’t been much talk about who the president was going to endorse in the race, or if he was even going to make an endorsement. It also came nearly half an hour after a press conference

for Kemp in which former Republican candidate for governor, Clay Tippins, endorsed the secretary of state.

Another former Republican candidate for governor, former state Sen. Hunter Hill, endorsed Kemp on Tuesday.

Hours after Trump tweeted his support, Kemp said he was “incredibly grateful” to receive the endorsement.

“Like the president, I am running as a politically incorrect conservative with a plan that puts people over politics,” Kemp said in a statement.

“As governor, I will unapologetically stand with President Trump to secure our border, deport criminal aliens, crush gangs and ensure a bright and promising future for our families.”

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

Ten-year-old Jake Bachman is recovering in a hospital in Tennessee following a fatal car crash July 8. (Facebook)

Trump endorses Kemp in gubernatorial race Assistant principal’s tool he has often used to make announcements: Twitter. Kemp will face Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in President Donald Trump next week’s Republican is urging Georgians to primary runoff election for back governor.

Secretary “Brian Kemp is running of State for Governor of the great Brian state of Georgia. The PriKemp’s mary is on Tuesday. Brian bid to be is tough on crime, strong governor, on the border and illegal signaling immigration,” Trump said the highin the tweet. “He loves Donald Trump est profile our Military and our Vets endorseand protects our Second ment so Amendment. I give him far in the my full and total endorsegubernament.” torial race.

Trump’s endorsement Trump of Kemp might arguably antop the endorsement Cagle nounced received earlier this week his enfrom Gov. Nathan Deal in Brian Kemp dorsement terms of how high-profile of Kemp the backing is. Kemp and on Wednesday afternoon Cagle have been courtvia the communication ing Republican voters in

555213-2

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

son recovering after crash in Tennessee

By Trevor McNaboe

ing to Tennessee Highway Patrol, the crash killed Rebecca Bachman, 42, Laura Bachman, 15, and A Gwinnett County Daniel Bachman, 13.

THP said the Bachmans Public Schools assistant were returning from a trip principal’s 10-year-old to visit family in Michison is recovering in a Knoxville, Tenn., hospital gan.

“Words cannot express after a crash that killed his the depth of gratitude for mother and two siblings, the kind words, prayers his father said. and generosity by so “Jake (Bachman) is many over the past several improving daily, but still days,” Ben Bachman said has a long road to reon Facebook. “Every covery,” Ben Bachman, single message, text, and assistant principal of phone call helps us to Richards Middle School in Lawrenceville, said in a keep going.”

More than $26,000 has Facebook post. been raised on a GoBachman is recoverFundMe page set up for ing following a crash on the family, surpassing the Interstate 75 South in initial goal of $25,000.

Campbell, Tenn. Accord-

trevor.mcnaboe @gwinnettdailypost.com

8A • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

gwinnettdailypost.com

PEACHTREE CORNERS

Mason talks vision for future in State of the City Address

BY CURT YEOMANS

“

“We need a safe way Cities can curt.yeomans to get across 141,” Mason flourish, or they @gwinnettdailypost.com said. “Let’s be candid here. can flounder.”

That is a river of traffic. It — Peachtree Corners Peachtree Corners Mayor is 45,000 cars a day and we Mayor Mike Mason Mike Mason came back to don’t control where they the city’s future time and come from.” again as he delivered his Another big approved State of the City Address to two companies that had a project that Mason highresidents and business lead- total of three employees, is lighted was the planned currently home to 15 starters Thursday night.

Hotel Indigo and high-end While such speeches are up companies with a total of Innovation Lofts apartments often a time for officials 54 employees. The mayor that will be built next to the to highlight how a city or said two more companies Town Center site. One concounty has been doing over will soon move in, but he dition of the project is that the last year while also wasn’t sure how many em- the hotel must be built first highlighting what projects ployees they would have. before the loft apartments are on the horizon, Mason “We have applied for can be built, according to had a lot to talk about. He a grant to purchase the the mayor. even offered a teaser or two Prototype Prime building,” He also said city leaders of announcements yet to Mason said. “We had taken wanted to make sure the come. over the first floor, but we apartments would be a qualBut one point he made should hear any day wheth- ity development. early on was why he felt er we’ll get that grant.”

“We heavily condition cities needed to prepare for Mason highlighted some (the lofts),” Mason said. their futures. of the projects already “We have all of the same “Cities can flourish, or approved and underway in concerns that you do about they can flounder,” Mason the city, including the Town apartments so we heavily said as he compared side by Center project and the Rog- conditioned that and they side images of two towns ers Bridges-esque pedesare about the most highthat are near each other in trian bridge over Peachtree end apartments this side of Montana, one of which was Parkway that will connect Buckhead.” bustling while the other was The Forum and the Town Mason also highlighted quiet.

Center. some projects planned for Mason did offer some The bridge has been a the future. Those include: information about new controversial topic in the • Phase II of the Town projects in Peachtree Corcity, with a previous proCenter project. ners, particularly involving posal for the bridge receiv• Installation of a traffic the Prototype Prime. A big ing push back from some circle at the intersection of piece of the news about the residents.

Medlock Bridge Road and city’s business incubator, Mason said the bridge Peachtree Corners Circle. which is a partnership with is needed because of • The construction of a Georgia Tech, teased an an increase in traffic on trail around Technology upcoming announcement Peachtree Parkway that is Park Lake. expected to be made in expected to continue to get • The installation of an early August. busier. He told residents autonomous vehicle test That teaser included that the traffic routing app track. news that Peachtree Corners Waze has begun redirecting • The offering incentives officials are hoping to buy drivers toward Peachtree to encourage redevelopment the building that Prototype Parkway because of antici- along Holcomb Bridge Prime leases space out of. It pated issues with traffic on Road. was previously the town’s Ga. Highway 400.

• Using grant money City Hall, but the city has He also said city leadfrom the Atlanta Regional never owned it. Even when ers have been told by their Commission to look into it was the center of city counterparts in Johns Creek installing a trail along government, it was leased that an increase in traffic Crooked Creek. space. can be expected because • The promotion of addiPrototype Prime, which of development in Forsyth tional educational facilities began in October 2016 with County. in the city.

GBI: Meth making a resurgence

BY ISABEL HUGHES

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

Though opioid use — especially in Gwinnett — remains a public health crisis, methamphetamine continues to be the most commonly seized and tested drug in the state, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation recently found.

On Monday, the GBI’s Forensic Chemistry section released annual data on Georgia drug trends, which is generated from law enforcement drug seizures that are submitted and tested by the agency’s crime lab.

In calendar year 2018, the top six drugs tested out of 3,954 cases submitted to the crime lab were: methamphetamine (1,890); cocaine (891); alprazolam, which is more commonly known as Xanax, (201); oxycodone (196); heroin (175); and hydrocodone (120).

The top six drugs tested last year were the same as this year’s and were ranked in the same order, which GBI Director of Public Affairs, Nelly Miles, said indicates an increasing methamphetamine problem in the state.

“We would never try to minimize the opioid crisis, but when it comes to a very strong threat to law enforcement, methamphetamine is (at the top) because people can get very violent and have very violent reactions when using the drug,” she said. “When it comes to the symptoms of people taking methamphetamines versus opioids, though, methamphetamine generally has a long-term effect which can be very bad, but opioids, because they’re so potent in small doses,

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they are very deadly.

“I think that is why we, very appropriately, focus so much on opioids, especially (on) a drug like fentanyl (where) just a very, very small amount of the drug can literally kill you.”

While GBI crime lab data for 2016 is not available, a November 2017 paper by Georgia State University researchers that looked at metro Atlanta drug use patterns and trends from 2011 to 2017 found that in the last several years, there has been “an increased supply of methamphetamine in Atlanta with elevated average purity levels reaching approximately 90 percent.”

The largest seizure of methamphetamine in 2017, the paper said, occurred in Norcross.

“Atlanta has traditionally had the highest rates of methamphetamine use among other major U.S. cities east of the Mississippi River,” the report said. “In addition to high rates of use, the purity levels of crystal methamphetamine in Atlanta during 2016 reached an average of nearly 90 percent and conversion of methamphetamine from a liquid to a crystallized form is increasingly being conducted in the city.”

The paper also said that results from the last two annual reports from Atlanta’s DEA Field Division “have described local methamphetamine availability as high compared with stable in years 2011 through 2013” and that “the frequency of Georgia deaths where methamphetamine was on board has continued to increase over the last three years.”

Still, while metham-

phetamine availability and the number of deaths resulting from an overdose of the drug have grown over the last few years, the opioid crisis in the state, specifically in metro Atlanta and Gwinnett, cannot be ignored, officials stress.

According to the GBI data, opioid use in Gwinnett surpassed Fulton this year, bumping the county up one spot in the top five counties with the highest use of opioids.

Last year, Gwinnett ranked third in the state for the most opiate occurrences by county; this year, it ranked second, just behind Cobb County and followed by Fulton, DeKalb and Chatham.

While the GBI’s data doesn’t offer solutions to the county or state’s drug problem, Miles said it’s important to give the public information so they know what is out there and “so they can have knowledge of what to look for.”

“When you’re looking at what adults or parents think is going on, (you find) that you truly don’t know (without this data),” Miles said. “We would not have known about the issues with counterfeit pills if not for the crime lab. People are copying pills and making them look legitimate, and (people) buying them on the street may think that that’s a safer alternative (than heroin) because, ‘oh, that’s just oxycodone.’ But the reality is, when these analysts test these cases, they’re finding all different types of fentanyl as well as other opioids (in the pills).

“It’s very important to have this information and be armed with this information because we believe that (knowledge) saves lives.”

“What, Darling?”

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sports

gwinnettdailypost.com

SECTION B • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

Gladiators ink captain Nesbitt

By Christine Troyke christine.troyke@ gwinnettdailypost.com

The day after Derek Nesbitt won the Kelly Cup with the Idaho Steelheads in 2007, he was sitting at the airport with his teammates and Jeff Pyle called.

Pyle, then and now the head coach of the Atlanta Gladiators, traded Nesbitt suddenly to Idaho at the beginning of that season after a breakout rookie year here.

“Dumbest mistake I ever made,” Pyle said with a grin and shake of his head.

Pyle sent Nesbitt to Idaho when former league MVP Jeff Campbell returned to the Gladiators from the AHL much sooner than expected. It was either low-ball Nesbitt on his salary to make the cap or deal him away.

“We were too good and I wasn’t smart enough to get rid of somebody else,” Pyle said before laughingly adding, “I did him a favor.”

When Nesbitt lifted the Kelly Cup, Pyle was one of the first to call with congratulations.

A week later, Nesbitt signed with Atlanta for the 2007-08 season.

“That’s taking nothing away from Boise, it’s a top-notch organization, I just really wanted to play for Jeff again,” Nesbitt said.

When Pyle was in the mix to be hired as Atlanta’s head coach earlier this month, Nesbitt was again one of his

first calls.

“Because I know he knows what was going on and he knew which direction the guys wanted to head,” said Pyle, who returned to the Gladiators after seven years coaching other pro organizations. “I think the biggest thing is having a player you can lean on that knows the way you think.

“To me it was really important that he was going to stay, Atlanta Gladiators captain Derek Nesbitt (17) untangles

himself from Greenville’s Joe Basaraba last season at In-

See NESBITT, Page 4B finite Energy Arena in Duluth. (Photo: Amanda Bingham)

FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION

Blake McIntyre, who plays for the Sam Allen-coached Blue Collar Basketball AAU team, is one of the state’s premier point guards who feeds off being the underdog. (Staff Photo: Christine Troyke)

McIntyre feeds off being considered an underdog

By Christine Troyke The “never” is definitive.

Blake McIntyre doesn’t talk trash.

“I hate it,” he said. “I don’t understand why people do it. I think it shows weakness. I get there’s a science behind trash talking for people who are good at it, it’s just not me. I try to be a nice kid at all times, but sports are different.

“Don’t get me wrong, if someone’s talking to me,

“

By Taylor Denman

taylor.denman @gwinnettdailypost.com

Austin Meadows’ first game at Coolray Field was a spectacle.

The seats behind the first base were packed with friends and family, most of which took a short drive north on Ga. Highway 20 to watch the former Grayson High School standout and, at the time, the highest-drafted player in Gwinnett County history play in his third Triple-A game of 2016.

His major league debut was more subdued but just as emotional. In place of the hundreds that packed the Coolray Field infield grandstands, Meadows’ immediate family and his fiance watched the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospect debut against the San Diego Padres.

See MEADOWS, Page 2B

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Austin Meadows (17) stands at the batting cage before playing the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park.

(Photo: Charles LeClaireUSA Today Sports)

christine.troyke@gwinnettdailypost.com

find McIntyre would be for someone willing to look at more than height.

“He’s being overlooked currently and he’s going to — Point guard Blake McIntyre be overlooked by college coaches because of his for years. size,” said Allen, who was College coaches aren’t an assistant in the colbeating down the door of a lege ranks for eight years 5-foot-8 point guard. before founding Blue ColBut his AAU coach Sam lar Basketball. “Now, if Allen, who played for Ed- being small is a problem, die Martin at Brookwood then we don’t need to keep and set records at Reintalking, but if you want hardt, knows just what a a basketball player, you

“You definitely have to pick your spots if you’re little. If you see a crease, you better go, because some big dude wants to send your stuff into the third row.”

I’m not just going to let it go by, but I won’t start it.”

McIntyre would rather just show you what he’s got.

“Everybody can talk,” he said.

McIntyre’s been proving himself over and over

Meadows embraces life in big leagues

won’t find a better shooter in the state of Georgia.”

Allen, who also directs courses at the renowned Point Guard College, understands. And so does McIntyre.

“Look, any college coach’s job is to win games,” Allen said. “But sometimes coaches fall in love with the measureables and what gets overlooked are the intangibles.

See MCINTYRE, Page 4B

SEC MEDIA DAYS

Bulldogs working to fill defensive voids

By Taylor Denman

taylor.denman@gwinnettdailypost.com

J.R. Reed, a junior defensive back for the University of Georgia, stops to sign autographs Tuesday as he makes his way to the 2018 SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

(Staff Photo: Jason Braverman)

ATLANTA — Four players from one of the University of Georgia football team’s most talented defenses are returning for the 2018 season.

Two of those players attended Day 2 of SEC Media Days on Tuesday in Atlanta. J.R. Reed is Georgia’s returning leading tackler with 79 total stops in 2017. Jonathan Ledbetter started 11 games, appearing in all 15 for Georgia. They’re perhaps the most experienced players returning to Georgia’s defense.

The losses start with NFL firstrounder and Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith, continue with the graduation of former Norcross

MORE INSIDE • Smart is impressed by Justin Fields’ eagerness, ability • Godwin provides athletic option, optimistic mindset for UGA • Arkansas’ Morris completes rise from prep to college ranks • Saban would like to see more SEC games, tougher schedules • Vols’ Pruitt already making recruiting footprint in Atlanta — Page 5B

Blue Devil Lorenzo Carter, and are capped off by the departure of Dominick Sanders and his 16 career interceptions. Georgia will have to find more than one half of a startSee GEORGIA, Page 2B

Braves look to continue hot streak in second half

By David Friedlander david.friedlander @gwinnettdailypost.com

It would be hard to find anyone around Major League Baseball who would disagree with Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker’s assessment of his young team’s surprising 2018 season thus far.

“At the end of March, if somebody would have asked if (I’d take) being 10 games over .500 and a half-game out of first, I wholeheartedly would have,” Snitker told MLB.com after the Braves headed into the All-Star break at 52-42 following a win last Sunday over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “It was a really solid half. We did a lot of good things. Young guys have taken some huge steps forward.”

Of course, the biggest question for the Braves as they begin the second half of the season with the first game of a three-game series in Washington against the Nationals at 7:05 p.m. today is, what do they have to do to go beyond being just a feel-

See BRAVES, Page 4B

2B • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

ondeck

The Home Teams

TODAY NEXT UPCOMING

Off

United

D.C. United

Sat, 3:30 p.m.

UNI/92.9-FM

at Montreal

July 28, 7 p.m.

FSSE/ 92.9-FM

at Richmond at Nashville SC Off Sat, 7 p.m.

July 25, 8:30 p.m.

ESPN+ ESPN+

Pawtucket Pawtucket Pawtucket 7:05 p.m.

Sat, 6:05 p.m.

Sun, 1:05 p.m.

97.7-FM 97.7-FM 97.7-FM

United 2

Stripers

at Washington at Washington at Washington 7:05 p.m.

Sat, 7:05 p.m.

Sun, 1:35 p.m.

FSSO/93.7-FM FSSO/93.7-FM FSSO/93.7-FM

Braves

FSSE = FOX Sports Southeast, FSSO = FOX Sports South, UNI=Univision

On TV AUTO RACING

Today

4:30 p.m. — Monster Energy Cup Series: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, Qualifying. NBCSN

BASKETBALL

8 p.m. — BIG3 Week 5, Miami: Ball Hogs vs. Killer 3s; Ghost Ballers vs. Tri-State; 3 Headed Monsters vs.

3’s Company; Power vs. Trilogy. FS1

BOXING

7 p.m. — Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Deivi Julio Bassa, vacant WBO international super featherweight title.

ESPN

CYCLING

8 a.m. — Tour de France, Stage 13. NBCSN

GOLF

2 p.m. — U.S. Junior Amateur: Semifinals. FS1

MLB

7 p.m. — Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals.

FSSO

RUGBY

7 p.m. — Rugby World Cup Sevens, Men’s Matches.

NBCSN

SOCCER

9 p.m. — International Champions Cup, Manchester City FC vs Borussia Dortmund. ESPN2

X GAMES

9 p.m. — X Games Minneapolis. ESPN

AUTO RACING

Saturday

12:30 p.m. — Monster Energy Cup Series: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, Final Practice. NBCSN 4 p.m. — Xfinity Series: Lakes Region 200. NBCSN

BASKETBALL

Noon — TBT Tournament: Regional Round. ESPN 2 p.m. — TBT Tournament: Matadors vs. Bearcat Jam, Regional Round. ESPN 4 p.m. — TBT Tournament, Regional Round. ESPN

BOXING

10 p.m. — Jaime Munguia vs. Liam Smith. HBO

CYCLING

8 a.m. — Tour de France, Stage 14. NBCSN

FOOTBALL

4 p.m. — CFL, Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto Argonauts. ESPN2 9 p.m. — CFL, Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders. ESPN2

GOLF

7 a.m. — Open Championship, Third Round. NBC 1 p.m. — U.S. Junior Amateur: Championship. FS1

MLB

7 p.m. — Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals.

FSSO 7 p.m. — St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs. FOX

MOTORSPORTS

7:30 p.m. — NHRA Drag Racing, Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, Qualifying. FS1

RUGBY

3 p.m. — Rugby World Cup Sevens Bowl, Quarterfinal. NBC 6:30 p.m. — Rugby World Cup Sevens, Men’s Matches. NBCSN

SOCCER

3:30 p.m. — NWSL, Seattle Reign FC at Orlando Pride. LIFETIME

Sports Calendar ALL SPORTS

Ongoing through Aug. 3: All Sports Youth Camps, in partnership with Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation, will host summer break camps in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, lacrosse, softball and multisports this year. Locations include Bogan Park, Collins Hill Park and George Pierce Park. Camps are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, go to www.allsport-

syouthcamps.com, email DLStancil@yahoo.com or call 770-356-6861.

GOLF

July 23: The South Gwinnett football booster club will host a golf tournament fundraiser at Summit Chase Country Club. Shotgun start is at 9 a.m. The cost of entry for one person is $125 and $400 for a team. For more information, contact Joey Sulkowski at 229-326-8181 or contact the booster club at 404-447-8142.

Today in Sports History 1859 — At a racetrack on Long Island, about 1,500 fans become the first ever to pay to see a baseball game. The spectators spend 50 cents to watch New York defeat Brooklyn, 22-18.

1912 — Philadelphia Phillies’ Sherry Magee steals home twice in one game.

1976 — Hank Aaron hits his last big league homer, his 755th and establishes the all-time major league record for career home runs.

2010 — The New Jersey Devils and Russian left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk officially agree to a landmark 17-year, US$102-million contract, but the NHL rejects the deal a few hours later, saying it circumvents the $6 million per year salary cap by paying more in early years and less in later years.

Feedback • Will Hammock, Sports Editor: will.hammock@gwinnettdailypost.com • Christine Troyke, Staff Writer: christine.troyke@gwinnettdailypost.com • David Friedlander, Staff Writer: david.friedlander@gwinnettdailypost.com • Taylor Denman, Staff Writer: taylor.denman@gwinnettdailypost.com • Scott Smith, Senior Correspondent: scott.smith@gwinnettdailypost.com • To report scores, call 770-339-5850

gwinnettdailypost.com

Atlanta, SEC Media Days a natural fit

By Taylor Denman

taylor.denman@gwinnettdailypost.com

ATLANTA — The Empire State of the South continues to attract the eyeballs and dollars of the lucrative sporting world.

The bookends of two college football seasons met in the same place. Media events ahead of the 2017 College Football National Championship, including the College Football Awards, were hosted at the College Football Hall of Fame and MercedesBenz Stadium. The 2018 college football season began in earnest with Southeastern Conference Media Days at the Omni Hotel and College Football Hall of Fame.

The event is a continuation of attractive sporting events that Atlanta will host in the coming years, most notably Super Bowl 2019 and potentially matches in the 2026 World Cup. SEC Media Days, which Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey called one of the organization’s “signature events,” has been traditionally held in Hoover, Ala., a suburb south of Birmingham, for more than a decade. The transition toward making Atlanta the hub of the conference’s preseason hype show began during Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s construction in 2017, but the timing wasn’t exactly right.

Discussions continued throughout the season to solidify Atlanta as SEC Media Days’ new landing spot.

“It started a set of thoughts and preparations that led us here today,”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks during SEC football media day on Monday at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. (Dale Zanine-USA Today Sports)

Sankey said at the podium on Monday. “And then, believe it or not, there’s a lot of work with changing something you’ve done in the same place for well over a decade to relocating to a different city in a different facility.”

Of course, Atlanta has been at the center of college football for decades.

The Georgia Dome was the home for the SEC’s championship game from 1994 to 2016. Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s first conference championship game was the second-most attended in the history of the conference title game.

The College Football Hall of Fame is typically a museum, where hundreds of athletes, coaches and officials affiliated with the SEC are recognized.

The location will also act as a studio,

media workroom and college football fan attraction. Coaches walk on a rolled-out carpet lined with velvet rope like A-list celebrities, signing autographs and taking selfies with fans.

The event, however, will move back to Hoover, Ala., in 2019. Sankey included the possibility that the event can rotate among different locations each year, keeping the fans in attendance in mind.

“I’ve can see already there are fans who likely have not seen this event or been a part of this event who are here today. We can do that in different places, just like we had a men’s basketball tournament in St. Louis in March.”

Scheduling scenarios Since the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC in 2012, the conference has followed what Sankey called a 6-1-1 model of scheduling.

Each football team plays six divisional games, one consistent interdivisional game and one revolving inter-divisional game. That scheduling model was reviewed and upheld in 2014 when other scheduling models were explored.

Each year, the SEC is plagued with the same possibility: the SEC West will chase national champion favorite Alabama while the SEC East fights to be the challenger in the SEC championship game. Of course, the conference championship has not always worked out that way, but the SEC championship featured at least one team from the previous season’s game from 2013-16.

Mullen calls UGA-UF rivalry ‘healthy’

By Taylor Denman

dogs bludgeoned Florida 42-7 in the 2017 meeting between two teams. Mullen ATLANTA — Dan Mul- would like to stop Georgia’s len gets credit for being on momentum before it can be the winning side of the UF- called a “winning streak.”

UGA football rivalry.

“One of the great things Mullen was 3-1 in his is that’s a healthy rivalry befour seasons as the Univertween the fan bases,” Mullen sity of Florida’s offensive said. “Everybody enjoys the coordinator. That was argu- game. I think both programs ably the peak of Florida’s know it’s such a critical football power when the game to accomplish the Gators won two national goals you have, which are to championships under head win the SEC East.” coach Urban Meyer.

While Georgia owns the Georgia is trying to advantage in the historimanufacture a winning cal record between the two streak in the third year under teams (50-43-2), Florida Kirby Smart after the Bullhad won the last three prior taylor.denman @gwinnettdailypost.com

to 2017. While the neutral site and annual matchup rekindle excitement around the Georgia-Florida football rivalry each year, it’s been some time since the two teams were actually both competitive simultaneously.

The last time the matchup had serious implications between the two teams was probably 2012 when a No. 12-ranked Georgia team knocked off the No. 3-ranked Gators.

Smart seems to have led an effort convincing of Georgia’s return to consistent contention when the Bulldogs were a drive short

of a national championship. How long will it take Mullen to do the same at Florida?

The man who helped develop Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott knows where he’ll start.

“What we’ll do is change offense around the strength of the quarterbacks, and they’ve surprised me,” Mullen said. “I want to see how they continue to grow and develop through the summer. And as we move and get closer into the season, we’re going to put them in a position to be successful on the field.”

Pruitt responds to criticism from Murray, Pollack

By Taylor Denman

taylor.denman @gwinnettdailypost.com

ATLANTA — Shots have been fired.

Former UGA quarterback Aaron Murray first verbally opened fire on new University of Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt with criticism regarding his ability to handle the nonfootball duties of his job on ESPN Radio The Game in Nashville.

“As a head coach, there’s so many things that go into it,” Murray said. “It’s not just going out there and coaching. You have to deal with front office. You’ve got to go talk with the president of the university. You have to deal with boosters. You have to deal with the offense, the defense. It’s not just going in there and dealing with kids and scheming up.”

•From Page 1B

Aaron Murray

David Pollack

Murray was blunt in his assessment of the former UGA defensive coordinator and the way he interacted with former Georgia head coach Mark Richt.

“I don’t think he’s the right guy to kind of be the CEO of a corporation. He’s really good managing just a defense and being a defensive coordinator. He needs to prove to me that he can handle the whole ship. For right now, I don’t think he can.”

Pruitt’s response to those comments during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta was

measured. He more or less stated that he wouldn’t have made his rise to the coveted position as Tennessee’s head coach had he not proven himself a relatable person.

“I would like to think that I’m a player’s coach,” Pruitt said. “The reason I’m in this game is because I want to have a positive impact on young people. Our guys, I think, know that. I think everywhere I’ve ever been, it’s all about your players. Your players are your best recruiters, and if you help them get what they want, that’s kind of why you’re in the business.”

While Murray and Pruitt’s paths never intersected at Georgia, Pruitt’s brief time spent in Athens was rumored to be tense.

Another former UGA player and Shiloh High School grad David Pollack had this to say of Pruitt on SEC Network following the

Tennessee coach’s presser: “He put on a good show, he definitely showed you what he has. I want to see if he continues to treat people in the correct manner, if he respects authority, because — to be honest — the stories we’ve heard … it was pretty bad. It was disrespectful.”

Pruitt’s remarks regarding his time in Athens at Wednesday’s SEC Media Days press conference were borderline nostalgic in tone.

“You know, Coach Richt, the things he taught you, one thing, probably the biggest thing to me is there’s more to life than football,” Pruitt said. “I know that sounds — but there is. And, you know, one of these days, you don’t care how many championships you win and all that. So I’m thankful for the opportunity. My time in Athens, I loved it, built a lot of great relationships.”

Georgia

up. That’s part of being a good coach to me, saying, ing 11 this offseason, not ‘What pieces of the puzzle including players that act as are we going to put into substitues in other defensive place?’ It might take three packages. linebackers to fill the role Defense was crucial and of what Roquan Smith did. perhaps the most important It might take a guy on third piece of Georgia’s success down, a guy on first down. in 2017. Kirby Smart took Lorenzo Carter played a lot over as head coach at Georgia of roles for us. after working previously as “I think the more you talk Alabama’s defensive coordi- about what we lost, the more nator. From his first season to those guys say, ‘Let me show his second season, Georgia you what I can do.’” improved in several defensive Reed, who started all statistical categories: average 15 games for Georgia last points allowed, average yards season, said he’s seeing Tae allowed, passes defended, and Crowder, David Marshall and rushing yards per game to Natrez Patrick perform like name a few. potential first-team linebackThat production isn’t easy ers in practice, as well Tyler to replace, and it may take Clark on the defensive line more than one player to miti- and Richard Lecounte in the gate the defensive drop off. secondary.

“Replacing those players, Reed himself is noticing an it’s not something we talk increase in comfort as he ushabout,” Smart said during his ers the defensive newbies in. turn at the podium Tuesday.

“Last year, I was really “The guys with those roles inexperienced on the team,” have an opportunity to step Reed said. “I was almost like

a young guy on the team, even though I was older in my first year playing at Georgia. Now, my role has switched to be the older guy playing, and I know how to relate to guys that are playing their first year.”

Ledbetter said he’s always played football with some measure of confidence. While his role increased on the defensive line in 2017, he’s been building confidence in his abilities since before he first appeared in a game for Georgia in 2015.

Still, there are experiences from Georgia’s College Football Playoff run that Ledbetter would like to build on this year, including his 38 total tackles, 5.5 for lost yardage and 2.5 sacks.

“I work hard and do my due diligence working off the field and in the weight room,” Ledbetter said. “It definitely is a good season to have under your belt. Just building off of that, you have my stats that I

made. I’m just trying to better myself off those and continue to develop as a player and as a young man.”

Smart said the only pressure his players feel is the pressure they place on themselves, and he’s tried to channel that positively by combining the Bulldogs’ physical training with mental training.

Smart is concerned with how being viewed as a favorite changes the team’s demeanor, although Georgia was picked to win the SEC East at SEC Media Days in 2017.

By fostering competition for starting positions in training camp, Smart believes that will translate positively to the field.

“I think the biggest confidence is the work ethic we have,” Smart said. “Our guys embrace the challenge.

You guys just keep printing about how many we lost, and I think that helps us. It’s the chip on our shoulder that we really want.”

gwinnettdailypost.com

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 • 3B

Meadows, Indians snap Stripers’ win streak

By Ken Chrzanowski

Martin, but Pablo Reyes stroked a two out single to right, past the diving secLAWRENCEVILLE ond baseman Phil Gosselin — Grayson grad Austin to score Kramer, giving the Meadows collected two Indians a 1-0 lead. hits, a double and a home Gwinnett threatened in run, as the Indianapolis its half of the second. Lane Indians defeated the Gwin- Adams opened the inning nett Stripers 10-3 before with a ground rule double 2,090 fans at Cooray Field off starter J.T. Brubaker on Thursday. The loss (5-3) to right and with one snapped a five-game win out stole third. Jonathan streak for Gwinnett (44Morales walked to put run53). ners on the corners. HowIndianapolis (51-44) ever, Gohara’s squeeze broke on top in the second. attempt with two strikes Kevin Kramer reached went foul for the strikewith a one out infield out, and then Luis Marte single to second, and Ryan grounded out to third to Lavarnway followed with a end the threat. walk. Stripers starter Luiz Indianapolis added a Gohara struck out Jason run in the third. With two Staff Correspondent

out, Meadows doubled to left and was brought in when Jose Osuna’s deep fly to the left center field alley just eluded the diving Adams, coming over from centerfield. Gohara was able to strikeout Lavarnway to prevent any further damage.

Trailing 2-0, Gwinnett mounted a rally in its half of the third. Rio Ruiz tripled to right center, and Austin Riley hit a double that landed on the warning track in centerfield to make the score 2-1. After a groundout by Carlos Franco advanced Riley to third.

Dustin Peterson grounded out to first against the drawn in infield, which

kept Riley from scoring.

Adams followed with a groundout of his own, stranding the tying run and leaving the score 2-1.

Gohara was unable to hold the Indians in the fourth. Martin led off with an infield single and scored on a triple

by Reyes. In turn, Reyes came home on an RBI groundout from Kevin Newman to increase their lead to 4-1.

After inducing Meadows to ground out to open the fifth, Gohara was lifted from the game. The lefty (1-4) allowed seven hits, walking one and striking out four while being charged with four earned

runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Stripers cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fifth when Marte singled to short and advanced to second on a throwing error by Newman. Ruiz singled to left to put runners at first and third. Riley followed with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Marte.

Indianapolis again countered just after a Striper score. In the sixth, Athens native Adam Frazier singled home two runs before Meadows followed with a 389-foot home run to right center to give the visitors an 8-2 advantage.

Newman closed out the scoring for the Indians with a two-run home run

to left field off the newly acquired Fernando Salas.

Kramer finished with five hits on the night for Indianapolis, the first time an Indians players had collected that many hits in a game since 2011.

Ruiz hit his second triple of the game and his fourth hit of the night to lead off the ninth and scored on a base hit by Riley, who drove in all three runs for the home side in the defeat.

Gwinnett continues its homestand today, hosting Pawtucket at 7:05. Highly touted prospect Touki Toussaint (1-0, 1.35 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Stripers.

All-Star Futures experience gives Shiloh grad Lewis positive outlook

By David Friedlander david.friedlander @gwinnettdailypost.com

For Kyle Lewis, playing the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game was like nothing he’s ever experienced in his baseball career.

And the Shiloh grad and former Mercer University All-American admits playing in a major league ballpark in front of the largest crowd he’s ever played in front of and competing against the game’s top minor league prospects was a lot to take in.

“That was the biggest crowd I’ve played (in front of),” said Lewis, a first-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in the 2016 MLB FirstYear Player Draft. “The biggest crowd before that was the (2016) college home run derby (in Omaha, Neb.). That was pretty packed. And we might’ve had some workouts in big league ballparks, but that was the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of in a game.

“It was good. It was a lot of fun. I thought it was a great environment.

You know, the people in (Washington) D.C. really came out for it. So I was excited to see that because I didn’t know what to expect as far as attendance. It was actually pretty great.”

Sure, Lewis’ performance for the U.S. Futures in their 10-6 victory over the World Futures before 38,071 fans last Sunday at Nationals Park could’ve been longer.

However, the 6-foot4, 210-pound outfielder is hardly complaining about his 0-for-1 performance, which included a walk and a run scored in two plate appearances.

It’s the latest step in getting his career back on track after a tempo-

Collins Hill shortstop Nasim Nunez, left, is enjoying a busy summer with Team USA Baseball and the MLB Breakthrough Series showcases. He met Kansas City infielder Alcides Escobar, right, at the MLB Breakthrough Series in Kansas City, Mo. (Special Photo)

Nunez to continue Gwinnett tradition at All-American Classic

By David Friedlander Cal League North center fielder Kyle Lewis (1) is pictured at bat in the fifth inning of the Cal League All-Star Game on Thursday held at The Hanger, home of the Lancaster Jethawks, in Lancaster, Calif. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA Today Sports)

rary setback when he suffered a torn right knee ligament just weeks after beginning his professional career in 2016.

He came back strong a year ago, hitting .257 with seven home runs, 31 RBIs and a .740 OPS in 49 combined games with the Modesto Nuts and the Rookie League Arizona Mariners.

And all signs say he’s headed in the right direction.

As he rejoined the Nuts, Seattle’s Class A (advanced) affiliate, on Wednesday, Lewis had already met or exceeded most of his numbers from last year, hitting .266 with five home runs, 32 RBIs and a .752 OPS in 47 games.

However, he prefers not to look at the injury as having set him back, but rather look ahead to the road his career path is currently on.

“I don’t like to speculate where I could’ve been,” Lewis said. “I think I could’ve been farther along for sure without the injury, but given the fact I did have

the injury, that put me out for an extended period of time, I’m happy with where I’m at. I’m being patient with the process.

“I think my path is unique because it’s not really one that’s linear.

It’s not like, ‘Oh, I was hurt, and when I came back, I wasn’t myself, and now I’m myself.’ I don’t think that’s really it. What I think it’s been for me, it’s been a situation that’s been up and down.

“I think now we’ve been able to get to a place of some consistency where I kind of know … how I’m going to feel.

On those days, it kind of relaxes my mind a little bit and gets me back to being able to play pretty decent. It’s kind of exciting for me to be able to play consistently.”

Indeed, Lewis does seem to be playing with plenty of consistency this season.

The fact that the Mariners brass nominated him for Sunday’s Futures game says a lot about how happy they are

about his progress.

“I really appreciate that and am grateful to them for all the support they’ve given me throughout trying to come back,” Lewis said.

“I never hesitate to show my appreciation to them because that’s an honor.”

Playing in the Futures game may be more than just an honor. It may be a springboard, and Lewis definitely believes he gained plenty of positives from participating in last weekend’s showcase.

“I think that being able to get around a big ballpark and get around with a lot of guys from different organizations have kind of re-energized me, … getting me excited for new opportunities like that,” Lewis said. “So for me, I’m excited to finish strong, build off what I’ve already done and continue to improve.

“So if I can finish strong and continue to just consistently hit balls hard and have good atbats, I’m happy with my performance.”

david.friedlander @gwinnettdailypost.com

For the seventh time in the last decade, Gwinnett County high school baseball will have a presence at the Perfect Game All-American Classic.

Collins Hill’s Nasim Nunez was among 52 players selected for one of the nation’s most prestigious high school baseball showcase games for rising seniors.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound infielder was a third-team All-County selection by the Daily Post this past spring after hitting .367 with a home run, 11 RBIs, 27 runs scored, a .933 OPS, a .924 fielding percentage and a Gwinnett-leading 23 stolen bases.

He was also named second-team All-County by the Daily Post when he burst upon the scene in 2016 as a freshman for the Eagles, when hitting .400 with 20 RBIs, 26 runs, a .991 OPS, 5 steals and a .943 fielding percentage.

“It’s amazing,” Nunez said. “It’s something I won’t take for granted. I’ll stay humble and try to keep representing (Gwinnett County and Collins Hill).”

Nunez becomes the 12th Gwinnett resident to be named to the event since

2008. The event enters its 16th year when the 2018 game takes place Aug. 12 at Petco Park in San Diego.

All 12 of the previous Gwinnett representatives have gone on to be selected at least once in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

One of those players (GAC grad and Miami Marlins relief pitcher Drew Steckenrider) is currently in the major league, while two others (Brookwood’s Lucas Sims with the Atlanta Braves and Grayson’s Austin Meadows with the Pittsburgh Pirates) have spent time in the majors over the past two seasons.

Nunez becomes the second Gwinnett player named to one of the major national rising senior showcases after Parkview catcher Jonathan French was named to the Under Armour AllAmerican Game, scheduled for Friday at Wrigley Field in Chicago, earlier this summer.

Both Nunez and French, who also took part in the USA Baseball 18U National Team trials last month, are verbally committed to play college baseball at Clemson.

“It’s a blessing for Frenchy and I to both get a chance to succeed (nationally),” Nunez said. “We grew up together, and he’s a really good player, too.”

Thunder trade Anthony to Hawks for Schroder, Muscala Field Level Media Carmelo Anthony is apparently one and done in Oklahoma City.

The 10-time All-Star and former league scoring champion was traded along with a protected 2022 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for guard Dennis Schroder and forward Mike Muscala, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday.

Wojnarowski also reported in a series of tweets that Anthony, 34, will be immediately bought out and waived by the Hawks, becoming a free agent, with the Houston Rockets as the frontrunner to acquire the 15-year veteran. Wojnarowski said that Anthony met recently with the Rockets and Miami Heat in Las

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony (7) reacts after hitting a 3 point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Anthony was traded to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday (Photo: Mark D. Smith-USA Today Sports)

Vegas.

Sources told Wojnarowski that Muscala is expected to be a trade chip and end up elsewhere, but that the Thunder wish to keep Schroder

and team him with Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Anthony and the Thunder have been working together over the past two weeks on a method to part ways in

hopes of allowing Anthony to join a new team and save Oklahoma City around $100 million in salary and luxurytax penalties. Anthony’s contract, which has one year and $27.9 million remaining, was expected to make a trade difficult. But the Thunder save $107 million through the trade, compared to about $90 million if they waived him via the stretch provision, stretching his salary over the next three seasons.

Anthony, who played his first seven-plus seasons with the Denver Nuggets, was acquired by Oklahoma City in September after sevenplus years with his hometown New York Knicks in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a second-round pick.

As the team’s third offensive option behind Russell Westbrook and Paul George, Anthony posted career lows in points (16.2), shot attempts (15.0), assists (1.3) and minutes (32.1) in 78 games (all starts) while playing primarily power forward instead of small forward. He failed to earn an All-Star nod for the first time since 2008-09, though his 169 3-pointers made set a new career high.

Per Sirius XM NBA’s Mitch Lawrence on Wednesday, the Hawks had been talking with the Thunder about a deal and hoped to receive an asset as well, which they did in the protected first-rounder in 2022 — which is protected if Nos. 1-14, but transforms into a pair of second-round

picks if not conveyed in one year.

But Lawrence reported that getting rid of Schroder, who has three years and $46.5 million left on his contract, was Atlanta’s “No. 1 priority.”

Schroder became the odd man in Atlanta after the team acquired point guard Jeremy Lin from the Brooklyn Nets last week, as the Hawks intend to keep Lin — who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon — and his $12.5 million expiring salary.

Fifth overall pick Trae Young — whom the Hawks acquired, along with a future first-round pick, in a draft-day trade with Dallas — also is expected to see extensive minutes running the offense.

4B • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

•From Page 1B first of all, and play. That way I knew we had someone who had lived the success we had before and knew what it would take in order for us to get back there. It was a no-brainer.”

Nesbitt’s re-signing was made official Thursday.

“There’s always been an understanding,” Nesbitt said.

“I think we view the game the same way and that’s why it worked when I came here as a first-year pro. It made for an easy transition for me.”

Nesbitt racked up 69 points in 71 games as a rookie out of Ferris State and helped the Gladiators to the Kelly Cup finals in 2005-06. Atlanta lost to Alaska in the championship series, but Nesbitt was a significant factor in the Steelheads’ title win. The Egmondville, Ontario, native finished with 81 points, including 30 goals, in 66 regular-season games and 18 points in 22 playoff games.

He had 39 points in 22 games with Atlanta at the start of 2007-08 before getting called up to AHL Rockford.

Nesbitt spent the vast majority of the next six seasons in the AHL. He re-signed with the Gladiators in 2010-11 and the stay was even shorter. After 18 points in 11 games, Nesbitt was called up to Peoria.

Nesbitt played in Italy in 2014-15, but when his former

•From Page 1B Meadows roped two hits off Padres starter Tyson Ross and stole one bag. It sparked a hot start to his major league career in which Meadows was 18-for-44 with Pittsburgh in May. He flexed his power and homered four times in his first 11 games.

Meadows cooled off in June and the days in July leading up to the MLB AllStar break. Meadows missed the Triple-A All-Star break when he was wrapping up the first half of Pittsburgh’s season, so the organization elected to option him back to Triple-A Indianapolis and give him a few days off before rejoining the team near his hometown in time for the Gwinnett series.

When Meadows comes back to Gwinnett, he doesn’t stay at the team hotel. He said he commutes to Coolray Field from his parents’ house instead.

The five years between draft day, when Meadows was selected ninth overall in 2013, to his debut felt long.

The 23-year-old outfielder has put up with setbacks and nagging oblique and hamstring problems that have slowed his progression through the minor leagues. Meadows played 72 games last season but still managed to earn a spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster. He started the 2018 season back in Indianapolis knowing he was a phone call from suiting up with the Pirates.

“It definitely felt longer

•From Page 1B good story of the first half to continue making a serious challenge for the National League Eastern Division title and perhaps more in October?

There are many possible different specific answers, the most obvious being to hope that the team can continue to benefit from the leadership of veterans like All-Stars Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis and the breakouts of several youngsters, such as fellow All-Stars Ozzie Albies and Mike Foltynewicz.

What is certain is that the Braves head into the second half of the 2018 with a far different mindset than they have since their last postseason appearance in 2012, when they were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card game.

And it’s a much different place from where the team was when Albies was first promoted to the major leagues last August after spending the first four months of the season with Triple-A affiliate

gwinnettdailypost.com

Nesbitt

Atlanta Gladiators captain Derek Nesbitt (17) carries the puck into Jacksonville’s zone during a game last season at Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth. (Photo: Amanda Bingham)

teammate and roommate Andy Brandt was hired as Atlanta’s head coach, he signed here for 2015-16. He’s been the captain the last three seasons as Atlanta went through myriad changes. Apart from the usual roster carousel, Pyle is the third man in as many years to hold the head coaching job, and, for the first time since the franchise moved to Gwinnett in 2003, there’s a new owner.

Last year saw a dip for Nesbitt personally in terms of his offensive numbers, but the team snapped a four-year playoff drought, which is what really matters to the 36-yearold.

“Last year was definitely an odd year for me, playing

everywhere,” said Nesbitt, who was drafted to play defense in several games. “So it was tough to really get in a rhythm and it was frustrating for a bit, but it is what it is.”

That last phrase is practically patented by Pyle.

“All the injuries we had were insane so if you’re a guy who has to step in and fill a role when asked, that’s what I’ll do,” Nesbitt said. “Unless it’s to put the (goalie) pads on.

Once I got to have some consistency at the end of the season, I think it was some of the best hockey I played. Not only knowing who I was going to play with and where I was going to play, but it was realizing on top of that that I was

McIntyre still in good enough shape.”

Nesbitt, Atlanta’s all-time leader in goals and second in points, won’t predict how long he’ll play.

“I guess it’s embracing the grind, too,” Nesbitt said. “I still like it. I was excited to get back to the gym and put some sweat into it again.

“At lot of people say, ‘I don’t know how you can ride the bus; I don’t know how you can play that many games.’

I don’t know, I kind of crave that still. I don’t mind the grind of it.”

Pyle chuckled.

“We’re way too much alike,” he said.

“When embracing the grind is gone, then it’s time to be done,” Nesbitt said.

Nesbitt was coming back either way, but getting to work with Pyle again was icing on the cake.

“Being around the rink, it was a fun place to be every time I’ve been here with Jeff,” Nesbitt said. “It rubs off on guys. It’s not a knock on who has been here since, it’s just been a battle to get back to where we were. There have been a lot of changes over and over. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s just the way it was.

“But you want this to be a fun place, to wake up excited to come to the rink. I think he’s always proven that’s been a big factor with all his teams.”

Meadows and how to handle both. He hired a new personal trainer in the offseason who installed a new regime that he’s stuck with during the season. Right now, he said he feels 100 percent.

Meadows’ trials have given him a unique perspective on moving up through the minor league ranks, which he’s shared with his younger brother, Parker Meadows. Parker Meadows was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the second round of the 2018 June AmaPittsburgh Pirates pinch hitter Austin Meadows (17) sinteur Draft and made his profesgles against the Washington Nationals on July 10 during the seventh inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (Charles sional debut in the Gulf Coast League in late June. Parker was LeClaire-USA Today Sports) 1-for-2 with two walks. Austin than it was,” Meadows said. relax. Meadows typically Meadows’ advice to his little “It was a long road to the big played center field with Pitts- brother before he embarked on leagues, but for me, I think burgh between Dickerson and his own journey to the majors those were good things to kind Jordy Mercer. was that the road isn’t perfectly of go all through those things Meadows got a regular spot paved for him. and realize what I need to do in the lineup and logged time There’s no timetable for to be able to stay on the field.” in 48 games before he was Meadows’ return to PittsThere was hardly an adjust- optioned back to Indianapolis burgh, but his spot on the ment period for Meadows earlier this week. He said club’s 40-man roster makes when he finally got the call. he benefitted from pitchers’ it likely he’ll be a part of the “I think for me it was just lack of scouting material on organization’s mass call-ups not putting pressure on myself Meadows’ plate approach and when rosters expand in Sepand letting the nerves play was able to be aggressive in tember. Given his .298 averout, not trying to control it or early counts. age and .810 OPS in his first battle it,” Meadows said. “I “More me, it was pretty glimpse of the big leagues, just tried to relax out there. cool to be up there and be Meadows’ next shot figures to It’s a great clubhouse up able to do something like come sooner than that. there. Being able to play with that,” Meadows said.

“They just said, ‘Go out, them in spring training before After his family left and play hard,’” Meadows said. and having that comfort level the celebration of his debut “You never know what could with those guys on the field over the weekend, Meadows happen in this game. Trades and in the clubhouse, having started to settle into his locker and injuries could happen. that leadership.” and adapt to the day-to-day Just coming down here, stayMLB veteran Corey Dick- routine of major league life. ing consistent in my routines erson gave Meadows some Meadows has been intense- and not getting down on advice. ly focused on his health this myself for not being in the big “This isn’t life or death out year. He’s grown to learn the leagues, having the motivathere,” he told Meadows. difference between a serious tion each and every day to get That helped the rookie injury and a nagging injury back up there.”

Braves

in Gwinnett.

“We’re doing something special this year,” Albies told MLB.com as he participated in All-Star festivities for the first time in his career this week. “I feel better that we’re winning.

It’s changed. It’s a different feeling. I’m happy to be doing such a great job this year.”

Albies has definitely been doing a great job for the Braves thus far this season, placing among the top five in the National League with 20 home runs, to go with a .281 batting average and 55 RBIs in his first full season in the majors.

And he’s hardly been alone with Markakis (.323, 10 HR, 61 RBIs) and Freeman (.315, 15 HR, 61 RBIs) ranking among the top five in the league in average and top 10 in RBIs, while youngsters Foltynewicz (7-5, 2.66 ERA, 120 K, 101 2/3 IP) and lefthander Sean Newcomb (8-5, 3.51 ERA, 97 K, 105 IP) have combined with veterans like Julio Teheran (7-6, 4.00 ERA, 98 K, 105 2/3 IP) and

a suddenly resurgent Anibal Sanchez (4-2, 2.60 ERA, 62 K, 65 2/3 IP) to form a surprisingly solid nucleus to the starting rotation.

Of course, the Braves acknowledge there are plenty of holes still left to fill if they are to beat out the Philadelphia Phillies, another young organization perhaps a little ahead of schedule in its rebuilding process, and Washington, division champions in three of the last four seasons, for the NL East title.

The most notable hole is in the bullpen, though Braves first-year general manager Alex Anthopoulos has also mentioned depth to the back end of the starting rotation or a bat off the bench as other possible areas the team may be looking to improve on for the stretch run in numerous recent interviews.

But that brings us back to Snitker’s initial observation that has been universally accepted: that the Braves are ahead of where a lot of observers expected them to be

before the season.

Foltynewicz, in particular, recognizes that position, since he spent the early part of his career in the Houston organization as it went through a rebuilding process similar to what the Braves have been through the last six years before being dealt to Atlanta just as the Astros were beginning to emerge from its rebuild.

The Braves have high hopes their rebuild can end the same way the Astros’ did: with a World Series title that came to Houston last season.

Foltynewicz said he sees a lot of the signs in place.

“We’re in the same book as (the Astros were a few years ago),” the 26-year-old righthander said to MLB.com during All-Star week. “I’ve seen us do this whole rebuild.

So has Freddie (Freeman). It’s the same as Houston, the way they were going. We’re a year ahead, I think, of what a lot of people thought. We’re taking the bull by the horns and running with it. It’s been a lot of fun this year.”

•From Page 1B Those are what Blake brings to the table. It’s going to take a program that appreciates those kind of things.”

McIntyre and his family are deeply connected to Gwinnett County and the sports community here. His dad, Scott, is a Brookwood High grad who played on Georgia Tech’s 1994 national runner-up baseball team.

His grandfather, Tony, is president of Bufordbased All-American Specialties. His mom, Kari, was the assistant principal at Mill Creek before taking the same job at Buford High School.

But two years ago, McIntyre transferred from Mill Creek to Lakeview Academy in Gainesville. He did it knowing it meant sitting out his sophomore season. He did it knowing that moving from the biggest school in the state to one of the smallest might affect his basketball profile.

“That was about the only thing I thought about for two weeks,” McIntyre said. “I love everything about Mill Creek. I still miss the school. It was tough to leave, but I just felt like for me, personally, it would be a better fit.”

Lakeview head coach Todd Cottrell talks often about how important the fit is.

“Especially for college, but also in high school, where you think you’re going to grow and develop into the best man you can be,” McIntyre said.

So he sat out a 201617 campaign as Lakeview returned to the Final Four.

He wasn’t sitting at practice, though. Cottrell used McIntyre to run his own offense ragged.

“Oh, yeah, I played a lot of defense,” McIntyre said with a chuckle. “For a year straight. But I actually enjoy it because I think I’m undervalued there, too.”

Cottrell had McIntyre practicing twice a day as a sophomore, once with the JV and then with the varsity.

“He’s a fantastic young man,” Cottrell said. “He’s so fun to coach. He’s one of the most positive people I’ve been around.

He works hard and he’s got that infectious personality. He’s brought a lot to our team and our school.”

Those workouts torched any bit of baby fat from the now whipcord lean McIntyre.

“People used to lie to me,” McIntyre said, grinning. “I’d ask my parents, ‘Am I chunky?’ They’d say, ‘No, you’re fine.’

I look at pictures and I was! Y’all lied to me. All of a sudden, I hit puberty and got really skinny playing basketball.

“They were trying to be nice. It’s OK.” When McIntyre came to Allen for training as a seventh-grader, there was work to do.

“Blake has improved as much as any player I’ve worked with in 15 years of coaching,” Allen said. “It’s a credit to his love of the game and his strong work ethic.

“When we first started working with him, he was short and pudgy. The speed of the game would swallow him up sometimes, but not now. He’s improved his quickness and he’s in incredible shape. It helps when he goes against bigger, stronger players.

“He’s really developed the ability to compete — the most undervalued skill. Some people think competing is hitting a few buckets and talk-

ing trash. To me, that’s fake competitiveness.

I’ve seen Blake, guys start talking and he just quietly goes about his game.”

During a long stretch this spring with BCB, Allen watched McIntyre hit no fewer than five 3-pointers each game.

“It was 10 or 12 games I think I averaged 15 or 18 points,” McIntyre said. “I didn’t score like this last year. I really started getting focused with my training and that hard work kind of showed up this year.”

During the streak, Allen tweeted that college coaches should take note. McIntyre laughed at the memory because, of course, the next game, he went 0-for behind the arc.

“After that, I was right back at it though,” he said.

McIntyre started training with Allen before BCB even put together an AAU team.

“From a skill standpoint, he’s worked so hard,” Allen said. “He’s as good of a leader and communicator as you’ll find.”

It wasn’t until he connected with Allen that McIntyre realized how good he could be.

“I started to see I could become an elite shooter,” McIntyre said.

One thing Allen would like to see him polish now is his mid-range game and finishing at the rim.

“You definitely have to pick your spots if you’re little,” McIntyre said. “If you see a crease, you better go, because some big dude wants to send your stuff into the third row.

“Being my size, I have to be able to score the basketball. I’ve also got to be a floor general and be that consummate point guard, the team leader that everyone can look to, that calming presence. A lot of times in high school basketball, things get hectic and, I’ve always watched growing up, there’s always that one guy you want to have the ball when the game is on the line. I need to be that guy.”

McIntyre was a good baseball player growing up and he certainly has a pedigree.

“When I was little, if I was watching baseball on TV and they changed the channel, I would start crying,” he said with an infectious laugh.

But you can’t pick what you love.

“It’s kind of crazy how basketball just kind of game into my life and took over,” McIntyre said. “It was baseball for the most part. In seventh grade, I thought, ‘Shoot, I’m short and white — let’s try to play basketball.’

“Basketball is my passion so it’s what I like to work at.”

He learned early on, from both of his grandfathers, that life is too short to do something you don’t love.

McIntyre talks daily to his grandpa Tony. It’s almost always about sports.

And maybe his love life.

“I have a great family,” McIntyre said. “Everybody is so supportive.

My grandpa Tony is my biggest supporter. I’ll get 20-30 minute phone calls every day. Guaranteed. I call him T-Mac. He loves me so much. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

His mom’s dad, Rich Keckler, fought cancer for some time before passing away when McIntyre was younger.

“He’s a big reason why I play,” McIntyre said.

“It gives me motivation when I think about things not going my way.”

gwinnettdailypost.com

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 • 5B

SEC MEDIA DAYS

Vols’ Pruitt establishing recruiting footprint in Atlanta

By Taylor Denman taylor.denman@gwinnettdailypost.com

Georgia quarterback Justin Fields (1) passes the ball during the Georgia spring game at Sanford Stadium. (Photo: Dale ZanineUSA Today Sports)

Smart impressed by Fields’ eagerness

By Taylor Denman taylor.denman@ gwinnettdailypost.com

ATLANTA — In his freshman season at the University of Georgia, former Houston County High School quarterback Jake Fromm stepped in and managed his team to a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Even that won’t stop the questions about his presumed backup: Harrison High School graduate and early-enrollee, Justin Fields.

Fields played seven games during his senior season at Harrison, passing for 1,417 yards and rushing for 920

yards. He was considered a five-star dual-threat quarterback by recruiting services, and the No. 2 overall recruit in the country.

“With our situation, we have two quarterbacks that are both really talented guys,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “I am really excited about watching these two guys come out and lead our program and lead their units. They both have grown. They’ve both done a tremendous job of embracing that role, not only in the locker room, but out in the field in spring practice. And I think Jake and Justin are tremendous assets for our program.”

A brief scare on the Fourth of July involving one of

Jake Fromm’s hands spurred thoughts of pressing Fields into service as Fromm was enlisted when former quarterback Jacob Eason went down during the first game of the 2017 season. But Smart’s initial reaction to hearing the news was “which hand?”

Thankfully for Smart and the Bulldogs, it was his left, non-throwing hand.

Still, Fields provides at least a reliable depth option for Georgia, if not a potential threat in the 2018 season.

Alabama backup quarterback Tua Tangovailoa appeared in seven games last season before stepping in at halftime during the national championship and throwing the winning touch-

down pass in overtime to beat Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Smart overtly stated Fields is working with the second team, but he’s emphasized his desire to foster competition within the team during the offseason.

Why not do the same at quarterback?

“He’s going to come in and compete very similar to the way Jake Fromm came in and competed with Eason,” Smart said. “He’s coming in to compete and learn our system.

He’s made the players around him better. He’s embraced the challenge of learning the offense, and he’s a very bright young man.”

Godwin provides athletic option for UGA

By Taylor Denman

rus on social media. The athlete that Georgia football players and coaches see every day in practice was gaining national ATLANTA — University of attention.

Georgia senior wide receiver Godwin was recruited by Terry Godwin grinned at the several colleges out of Callaway mention of his one-handed High School as an athlete, not touchdown catch against Notre just a wide receiver. Godwin Dame last season. played both sides of the ball in Fans, family and classmates high school and was rated as a still bring it up to Godwin in five-star prospect by recruiting person, between his hometown services, as well as one of the of Hogansville and on campus top athletes in Georgia. in Athens.

But UGA treated Godwin “To be honest, it’s all around differently, he said, when campus or even when I go back former coach Mark Richt’s staff to my hometown,” Godwin pursued him. said. “They’re still talking about “Everybody that recruited me it. To me, it’s like an ordinary wanted me to play both sides, catch.” but Georgia actually took me The play made national in and was like, ‘This is what news. It was recognized by we’re going to do with you,’” ESPN. Footage spread like a vi- Godwin said. “They actually set taylor.denman@ gwinnettdailypost.com

out a plan for me, and I knew then and there that’s where I wanted to be.”

That plan has developed Godwin into a dynamic No. 1 wideout for Georgia quarterbacks. He reeled in 38 catches for 639 yards and tallied six touchdowns in 2017.

Smart was one of those coaches in contact with Godwin early on since he was in ninth grade at Callaway. He was impressed by Godwin’s athleticism — he was an impressive baseball player at Callaway — his positive demeanor in practice and around his family.

“You can put Terry in any position, and it works for him,” Smart said. “He’s been around football. He was well-coached in high school, great baseball player. And he understands the

game. His leadership in that room with wide outs has been tremendous for us.”

Wide receiver could be one of Georgia’s more experienced positions in 2018. Riley Ridley also started games for the Bulldogs last season, and Smart pointed out Mecole Hardman as a player who has gained confidence in his second season since moving positions from defensive back.

Godwin had the opportunity to declare for the NFL draft after his junior season. It would mean leaving Georgia on a disappointing note, following the overtime defeat to Alabama in the championship.

But Godwin didn’t want to run from disappointment. Instead, he stayed for the possibility of another fulfilling season.

ATLANTA — The University of Tennessee football brand is a national one, said new head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

Since the program announced his hiring, the former Alabama, Florida State and Georgia defensive coach has striven to make his footprint not just in his program’s home state of Tennessee, but also beyond to neighboring states of Georgia, Alabama, and North and South Carolina.

The 2019 recruiting class shows that brand has made an impact in Atlanta.

Earlier this summer, five-star offensive tackle prospect Wanya Morris — a member of Grayson’s highly touted 2019 class — announced his commitment to Tennessee at The Battery Atlanta, alongside teammates Owen Pappoe, Kevin Harris and Kenyatta Watson.

“Coach Pruitt, he made changes there,” Morris said after his commitment in May. “There’s more discipline.”

Pruitt has built a reputation as a disciplinarian based on tales from his past stops as an assistant and coordinator. But Pruitt’s demeanor was cool and calm at the podium Wednesday. What nervous energy he might have had, he channelled into a gentle rock back and forth as he shifted weight between his feet. If you weren’t looking for tells, you’d never notice.

But Pruitt also has a reputation for being a relentless recruiter. He has ambitions to return the Volunteers’ football program to dominance it hasn’t seen since Peyton Manning was under center.

Pruitt talks about recruiting players in a scientific manner. While he seeks to re-establish a foothold in his new home state, his recruiting footprint is already extending to Atlanta.

“I think it’s definitely important to recruit our state, but I think when you look at the power of the T, it’s a national brand,” Pruitt said. “And you have an opportunity to go anywhere in the country and everybody knows what Tennessee’s all about. But whether it’s in our state, somebody else’s state, I think it’s important that we get the right players that fit us.”

While the overarching strategies may be his own, the former high school coach said he’ll miss when being on the trail and meeting players’ families was one of the focal points of his job as a coach.

Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt addresses the media Wednesday in Atlanta.

(Dale Zanine-USA Today Sports)

Saban wants more SEC Arkansas’ Morris completes games, tougher schedules rise from prep to college ranks

By Taylor Denman

Alabama’s players. They taylor.denman@ hardly provided more gwinnettdailypost.com clarity.

But Nick Saban knows ATLANTA — The when he talks that people word “quarterback” might listen. Saban remarked on have been the most-used Central Florida’s claim question by reporters dur- last season it was denied a ing Wednesday’s interdeserved spot in the Colview sessions, followed lege Football Playoff. Saby “Tua” and “Jalen.” ban, whose team claimed The latter two words the No. 4 seed last year, are names, of course, was clear regarding his referring to the perceived stance on the subject: The competition between right teams got in.

Jalen Hurts, who has But Saban, of course, started for Alabama since would argue for his own his freshman season in team’s merit. What he 2016, and Tua Tangoadded was a direct convailoa, the true freshman tradiction of something who led a second-half Southeastern Confercomeback to clinch a ence Commissioner Greg national title over Georgia Sankey stated earlier this in the College Football week. Alabama’s head Playoff National Chamcoach, the most successpionship Game in Januful active coach in college ary at Mercedes-Benz football, wants to see Stadium. an expanded conference Alabama’s coach schedule and more games wouldn’t provide a satis- between Power 5 conferfactory, so reporters asked ences.

“I’ve heard Greg talk about the fact that we don’t want to play nine SEC games, but I’ve always been an advocate of playing nine or 10 SEC games, and a couple other games against some other good opponents that everybody would be happy to watch,” Saban said.

He said modification to the typical football schedule would provide some clarity regarding how the committee determines the top four teams in December. He sympathized with UCF’s predicament.

Likely, that didn’t make the program’s fans or players feel much better.

“You might not have to go undefeated to get into the playoffs, because there would be more games against highquality opponents, which would help determine who the best teams are,” Saban said.

By Taylor Denman

sity of Arkansas.

“For me to have the taylor.denman@ platform as a high school gwinnettdailypost.com coach to represent the high College football’s school coaches all across typical career arch makes the country, regardless of offensive and defensive what state,” Morris said. coordinators candidates for “I’ve recruited across this head coaching jobs. entire country, and to see But they can be born the phenomenal high school from different backcoaches and to know that, grounds. Ten years ago, ‘Man, there’s an opportucurrent Arkansas head nity that one day I can be football coach Chad Morthere. One day I can coach ris was a head football in the SEC. I could be on coach at Lake Travis High that stage as a head football School in Texas. Morris’ coach.’ That excites me.” two seasons at Lake Travis Morris said being a high were back-to-back 16-0 school coach has taught championship seasons. He him to adapt to what he was hired in 2010 to be has, something the estabthe offensive coordinator lished college coach does and associate head coach not deal with. High school at Tulsa, then the offensive coaches are forced to work coordinator at Clemson. within the population of In his first head coachtheir school’s district, while ing gig, Morris steadily colleges recruit inside a improved a 1-11 SMU national footprint. Morprogram to a 7-5 record in ris is adapting now in his 2017. That was enough for first year at Arkansas. He Morris to earn his shot in doesn’t even have the benthe SEC with the Univerefit of being familiar with

the inside of his office, beyond the few months since he’s been hired.

Morris is a colleague, of sorts, with another former high school football coach.

Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn spent 13 years in the high school ranks in Arkansas, coincidentally.

Morris said he gives Malzahn some credit for where he is today since Morris reached out to Malzahn at a crossroads in his coaching career a few years ago. The two remain steady friends when they’re not opponents.

“Gus and I have had a relationship going back to the very early 2000s,” Morris said. “And I consider him a very dear friend for 364 days a year. But, you know, we’ve played against each other before, and — but he — he’s been very instrumental into me standing on this stage today.”

0720_GDP_FRI_CLASS_Classifieds 7/19/2018 4:55 PM Page B7

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FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 PUBLIC HEARINGS

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE NOTICE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE REQUEST An application for an alcohol beverage permit to serve beer, wine and distilled spirits has been filed with the City of Norcross Georgia by the following party at the following location, to wit: Application / owner TIRSO BENITEZ Registered agent CARLOS TAVAREZ Location: BOGA LATIN CUISINE 193 NORTH NORCROSS TUCKER RD NORCROSS, GA 30071 9 0 4 - 5 5 8 9 2 0 , 7/20,25,27,8/1,3,8,10,15,17, 22

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928-558935, 7/20 NOTICE OF ABANDONED VEHICLE The following vehicle, advertised pursuant to O.C.G.A. Code Section 40-11-2, is being stored at: 259 North Price Rd. Sugar Hill GA 30518 1968 FORD FASTBACK VIN# 8T02R213352 Is deemed abandoned and will be disposed of if not claimed by the owner by 8-1-2018 928-557755, 7/13,20 The following vehicle(s) have been impounded at Quick Drop Impounding, (2481 Old Covington Hwy SW Conyers GA 30012) and will be deemed abandoned if not redeemed within one week from this ad’s date.

2001 Nissan Maxima Gray TAG# <\<>unknown> V.I.N. # JN1CA31A51T309551 removed from 1869 Appaloosa Ln NE, Buford, GA 30519.

928-558912, 7/20,27 NOTICE OF ABANDONED VEHICLE The following motor vehicle, advertised pursuant to O.C.G.A. Code Section 4011-2, is being stored at: (Address) 6013 WILLIAMS RD. NORCROSS, GA 30093 (Yr/Make) 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT VIN# WVWAK73C47P026776 This vehicle is deemed abandoned and will be disposed of if not claimed by the legal owner or lienholder by (Date) 07-15-2018.

928-558785, 7/20,27 THE CITY OF NORCROSS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Public Hearings will be held at 65 Lawrenceville Street, Norcross, GA 30071, before the Norcross Mayor and Council on the following date and for the purpose of due process of the following: HPC2018-0003, located at 7 Jones Street, parcel identification number 6254A001, a request to install public art, a mural, within the National and Local Historic Districts.

The Mayor and Council hearing shall be held on 8/6/2018 at 6:30 PM. For further information please call the Community Development Department at 678-421-2067.

928-558515, 7/20 STATEWIDE WRECKER SERVICE INC. 2775 SIMPSON CIRCLE NORCROSS, GA 30071 PHONE: 770-381-1140 FAX: 770-935-9651 ABANDONED VEHICLES: RE: 1964 Chrysler Newport VIN NO VIN LICENSE PLATE NO. NO TAG COLOR Grey TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The above vehicle was initially removed from 26 Jordan Drive in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is presently l

located at 770-381-1140 at 2775 Simpson Circle in Norcross, Georgia, in possession of Statewide Wrecker Service, Inc. Attempts to locate the owner have been unsuccessful. The vehicle is deemed abandoned under O.C.G.A. 40-11-2 and will be disposed of if not redeemed.

This notice is given pursuant to Georgia Law. RE: Jaguar Mark I VIN NO VIN LICENSE PLATE NO. NO TAG COLOR Blue TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The above vehicle was initially removed from 26 Jordan Drive in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is presently located at 770-381-1140 at 2775 Simpson Circle in Norcross, Georgia, in possession of Statewide Wrecker Service, Inc. Attempts to locate the owner have been unsuccessful. The vehicle is deemed abandoned under O.C.G.A. 40-11-2 and will be disposed of if not redeemed.

This notice is given pursuant to Georgia Law. RE: 1971 Triumph Spitfire VIN FK14704 LICENSE PLATE NO. NO TAG COLOR Red TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The above vehicle was initially removed from 26 Jordan Drive in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is presently located at 770-381-1140 at 2775 Simpson Circle in Norcross, Georgia, in possession of Statewide Wrecker Service, Inc. Attempts to locate the owner have been unsuccessful. The vehicle is deemed abandoned under O.C.G.A. 40-11-2 and will be disposed of if not redeemed.

This notice is given pursuant to Georgia Law. RE: 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Aire VIN VC56F014814 LICENSE PLATE NO. NO TAG COLOR Blue TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The above vehicle was initially removed from 26 Jordan Drive in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is presently located at 770-381-1140 at 2775 Simpson Circle in Norcross, Georgia, in possession of Statewide Wrecker Service, Inc. Attempts to locate the owner have been unsuccessful. The vehicle is deemed abandoned under O.C.G.A. 40-11-2 and will be disposed of if not redeemed.

This notice is given pursuant to Georgia Law.

PUBLIC SALES/ AUCTIONS Notice is hereby given that onJune 21st ,2018,U-Haul Company of Atlanta North will be offering for sale under the contractual landlords lien process by public auction the following storage units. The goods to be sold are generally described as household goods. U-Haul reserves the right to refuse any and all bids.

Your goods will be sold online at storageauctions.com U-Haul Moving & Stor@ Lawrenceville: age 1290 Pleasant Hill Rd, Lawrenceville GA 30044 -(770) 381-9793:keedron flemming unit 2058 Uhaul Moving & Storage @ Snellville: 2161 Hewatt Rd, Snellville GA, 30039(770) 979- 5237: Uhaul Moving & Storage @ Rockbridge: 140 Rockbridge, Lilburn GA, 30047(770) 717- 9666: vanessa dixon unit 425, berry bigsby unit 365 Uhaul Moving & Storage @ Norcross: 5365 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross GA 30093- (770) 447-5017: , silvia washington unit b112, jared ppayton unit a101, anjene moore unit 1085, lopez avila unit b125 929-558936, 7/20,27 There will be sold at public outcry for cash at Willard Wrecker Service, 719 Shadburn Avenue, Buford, GA 30518, on Saturday, July 28th, 2018 at 11:00 AM the following vehicles declared abandoned or foreclosed vehicles pursuant to O.C.G.A Section 40-11-05, as follows : # Year; Make; Model; VIN 1 1991 Nissan 300ZX JN1RZ24A6MX050073 2 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1G1ZC5E0XAF174511 929-557354, 7/13,20 NOTICE Pleasantdale Storage of Doraville shall conduct an online auction at www. selfstorageauctions.com to conclude on Saturday, July 28th, 2018 at 12:00pm Unit #B73 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; John Championâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Unit is said to contain: Industrial Fan. Ladder. Bar Stool. Three (older)TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Deep Freezer. Chandeliers. ?30 Boxes/Totes. Gas Weed Eater. Silver Platters. Office Phones. 10X25 Unit #B98 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Eudon Delemarâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Unit is said to contain: Computer Towers.

Computer Screen. Nissan Maxima. 10X30 Unit #108/109 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nicole Lathropâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Unit is said to contain: Upholstered Queen Headboard. Rolling Rack of Clothes. 4 Bar Stools. Bar Table. Dresser. Storage Shelf.

Ottoman. Luggage. Shoes Racks. 20X20.

929-558079, 7/13,20 NOTICE THESE VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD FOR PUBLIC OUTCRY FOR CASH AT STATEWIDE WRECKER SERVICE LOCATED AT 2775 SIMPSON CIRCLE, NORCROSS, GEORGIA AT 10:00 A.M. ON JULY 28, 2018. THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES ARE DECLARED ABANDONED AND FORECLOSED VEHICLES PURSUANT TO OCGA 40-11-5.

ESTOS VEHICULOS SERAN VENDIDOS AL PUBLICO POR DINERO EN EFECTIVO EN STATEWIDE WRECKER SERVICE LOCALIZADO EN 2775 SIMPSON CIRCLE, NORCROSS, GEORGIA A LAS 10:00 A.M. EN 28 JULIO 2018 . LOS SIGUIENTES VEHICULOS AN SIDO DECLARADOS ABANDONADOS Y CERRADOS DE ACUERDO

PUBLIC SALES/ AUCTIONS

PUBLIC SALES/ AUCTIONS

PUBLIC SALES/ AUCTIONS

PUBLIC SALES/ AUCTIONS

A OCGA 40-11-5 NUEVA LOCALIZACION 770-381-1140 www.swsatlanta.com 2009 Honda Accord 1HGCP36809A028493 1998 Lexus LS 400 JT8BH28F9W0126550 2008 Toyota Corolla 1NXBR32E98Z003696 2002 Toyota Camry 4T1BE32K82U582771 1995 Mercedes-Benz S500 WDBGA51E1SA264584 2005 Nissan Altima 1N4AL11D35C199480 1999 Ford Taurus 1FAFP53U6XG241604 2002 Honda Civic 1HGES165X2L020848 2010 Nissan Cube JN8AZ2KR1AT152780 1972 Dodge Cabana Motorhome M49CN2J556698 2003 Toyota Corolla 1NXBR32E13Z071371 2010 Honda Accord 1HGCS1B39AA003173 1994 Nissan King Cab 1N6SD16SXRC340647 2006 Nissan Altima 1N4AL11D26C101475 2004 Honda Pilot 2HKYF185X4H536339 1997 Toyota Corolla 1NXBA02EXVZ520250 2004 Honda Pilot 5FNYF18584B005784 1992 Honda Accord 1HGCB7277NA060757 *** REBUILT *** 1998 GMC Sonoma 1GTCS1447W8511046 2005 Kia Optima KNAGD126855385907 1998 Ford E-250 1FTNE2423WHB62083 1996 Mazda MX-5 Miata JM1NA3531T0715574 2004 Infiniti G25x JNKCV51F94M700529 2005 Chrysler Pacifica 2C4GM68485R657767 1998 Volkswagen Cabrio 3VWAA81E5WM801133 1999 Chevrolet Astro Van 1GNDM19W3XB104474 2002 Nissan Maxima JN1DA31D52T413151 2000 Dodge Durango 1B4HR28Z2YF249042 2003 Volvo V70 YV1SW61T432328477 *** REBUILT *** 1984 Chevrolet C10 1GCDC14H4EF340125 1977 BMW R100-7 RS 6141765 1985 Honda Gold Wing 1HFSC1457FA102271 2002 Long Chih Utility Trailer LCAU508142T272806 2002 Toyota Celica JTDDR32T820119076 1985 Chevrolet Corvette 1G1YY0781F5105416 1985 GMC Suburban 1G5EC16H9FF506732 Dual Axle Flatbed Trailer NO VIN 2001 Suzuki VZ800 JS1VS53A412100622 1996 Chevrolet C1500 1GCEC14M0TZ192794 Enclosed 30 ft Trailer NO VIN 1969 Harley Davidson Softail 0390216701 1996 Acura Integra JH4DC4462TS004489 2001 Isuzu Rodeo 4S2CK58W014359246 2002 Buick Rendezvous 3G5DB03E52S523455 2012 Ford Focus 1FAHP3E20CL419906 2007 Honda Civic 2HGFA16527H512477 2009 Nissan Sentra 3N1AB61E99L695321 1998 Lexus ES 300 JT8BF28G4W5027183 1994 Ford F-150 1FTDF15Y4RNA00796 1994 Ford F-150 1FTEF14N8RNB38711 929-558074, 7/13,20,27

PUBLIC AUCTION In accordance with the provisions of State law, there being due and unpaid charges for which the undersigned is entitled to satisfy an owner and/or manager lien of the goods hereinafter described and stored at the Life Storage location(s) listed below.

And, due notice having been given, to the owner of said property and all parties known to claim an interest therein, and the time specified in such notice for payment of such having expired, the goods will be sold at public auction at the below stated location(s) to the highest bidder or otherwise disposed of on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 @ 10:45 AM. 420 Grayson HWY Lawrenceville, GA 30046 Phone: (770)-6827717 Space No. C u s t o m e r Inventory Name Tessa Reyes 1242 Household Goods/Furniture

MCCULLOUGH TOWING 4431 BUFORD HWY NORCROSS, GA 30071 770-263-8483 7/17/18 NOTICE OF ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE The following vehicle, advertised to O.C.G.A.Code Section 40-11-12, is being stored at 4431 Buford Hwy, Norcross, Ga. 30071. 770263-8483.

This vehicle is being deemed abandoned and will be auctioned or disposed of if not claimed by the legal owner and or lien holder.

The Vehicle was impounded from 6750 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Atlanta GA on 6/15/18, at the request of the property owner or manager.

Kawasaki Jet Ski VIN# KAW90188B989 TAG# No Tag 929-558913, 7/20,27

Impala let 2G1WB58K069159454 Honda 56 1994 1 H G C Accord D5662RA155409 57 2005 Magnum Dodge 2D4FV48T45H629025 Volkswa58 1999 Cabrio GLS gen 3VWBB81E5XM805959 59 1995 325I BMW WBACB3327SFE22157 Ford 60 2003 1 F M C U Escape 03163KA12731 61 2004 525I BMW WBANA53514B167448 Ford 62 2000 1 F A F Taurus P53U6YA152149 63 1998 Century Buick 2G4WY52M4W1610296 Chevrolet 64 2010 1G1ZC5E0XMalibu AF174511 929-558868, 7/20,27

Life Storage # 413 875 Marathon Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30046 678-242-1441 Auction Date: Tuesday, July 31st 2018 @ 10:30 AM In accordance with the provisions of State law, there being due and unpaid charges for which the undersigned is entitled to satisfy an owner and/or managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lien of the goods hereinafter described and stored at the Life Storage location(s) listed below.

And, due notice having been given, to the owner of said property and all parties known to claim an interest therein, and the time specified in such notice for payment of such having expired, the goods will be sold at public auction at the below stated location(s) to the highest bidder or otherwise disposed of on Tuesday, July 31st 2018 @ 10:30 AM 875 Marathon Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30046 678-242-1441 Space No. C u s t o m e r Name Inventory 1033 Christine Ceasar Household Goods/Furniture; TV/Stereo Equip.; Office Furniture/Machines/Equip.; Account Records/Sales Samples; Boxes, Sporting Goods, Appliances.

1060 Annette Brown Household Goods/Furniture.

2076 Ashley Williams Household Goods/Furniture.

2121 Roger L Montgomery Household Goods/Furniture.

3031 Christine Ceasar Household Goods/Furniture.

3173 Latasha R Lewis Household Goods/Furniture; Office Furniture/Machines/Equip.; Boxes.

3183 Paula Paulk Household Goods/Furniture; TV/Stereo Equip.; Tools/ Appliances; Office Furniture/ Machines/Equip.

4168 Shannon Jackson Household Goods/Furniture; TV/Stereo Equip.; Tools/ Appliances; Office Furniture/ Machines/Equip.; Office Furniture/Machines/Equip.; Account Records/Sales Samples.

929-558089, 7/13,20 NOTICE Pleasantdale Storage of Doraville shall conduct an online auction at www.selfstorageauctions.com to conclude on Monday, August 6th, 2018 at 12:00pm Unit #B25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Alejandra Beltran-Arayaâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Unit is said to contain: Set of Rims/Tires.

Spray Paint. Lumber. Extension Cords. Tool Belt.

Unit #401 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Maria Ortizâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; Unit is said to contain: Motorcycle Helmets. 20 Bags/ Boxes/Totes. Home Decor Accents.

929-558882, 7/20,27

929-557371, 7/13,20 NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION â&#x20AC;&#x153;In accordance with the provisions of State law, there being due and unpaid charges for which the undersigned is entitled to satisfy an owner and/or managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lien of the goods hereinafter described and stored at the Life Storage location(s) listed below.

And, due notice having been given, to the owner of said property and all parties known to claim an interest therein, and the time specified in such notice for payment of such having expired, the goods will be sold at public auction at the below stated location(s) to the highest bidder or otherwise disposed of on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 @ 10:00 AM.â&#x20AC;? 2655 Langford Road Norcross, GA 30071 (770) 242-0468 Space No. C u s t o m e r Inventory Name 052 Stephanie Flounoy Household Goods/Furniture/ Stereo EquipTV ment 154 Sandra Sain Household Goods/Furniture 195 William Lunsford Landscaping/Construction Equip/Tools Appliances 198 Benjamin Murray Household Goods/Furniture/ Equipment/OfTV/Stereo fice Furn/Machines Equip./ Boxes/Sporting Goods Alfredo Ambrosini 252 Household Goods/Furniture 264 Dulcelina Garcia Household Goods/Furniture 267 Amanda Wilson Household Goods/Furniture/TV Stereo Equipment/Tools Appliances 274 Evan Wynn Household Goods/Furniture/TV Stereo Equipment/Tools Appliances 355 Nikhil B Dalal Household Goods/Furniture/TV Equipment/Office Stereo Machines/ Furn Equip.

409 Robert Morgan Household Goods/Furniture/Boxes 534 Cheree King Household Goods/Furniture/TV/Stereo Equipment 548 Michael A Blankinship Household Goods/Furniture/ Stereo EquipTV ment 929-555817, 7/13,20 NOTICE Scottyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thrifty Storageâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; Duluth shall conduct a public sale on the following spaces at 3280 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Duluth, GA 30096.

Tuesday August 11, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.

Unit D20 Mark Nelson Unit is said to contain curio/china cabinet, chairs, dining table, art work, 2 side tables, file cabinet, small safe, ukulele, briefcase, wicker hamper, suitcase, misc. boxes and bags.

Unit D71 Eduardo VilchezPortocarreo Unit is said to contain 5 indoor ladders, painting supplies, flooring tools, quilts and blankets, chop saw (?), snow skies (?).

Unit D82 Cheryl Awahili Unit is said to contain sewing machine, cooler, folding table, suitcases, pots and pans, small weights, kettleball weight, fans, George Forman Grill (?), yoga mat, ladies shoes, misc. boxes, bags and tubs.

929-558015, 7/13,20 NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: The following self-storage Cube contents containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart #6929, 5985 South Norcross Tucker Road, Norcross, GA 30093, to satisfy a lien 08/09/2018 at approx. 2:00 PM.at www. storagetreasures.com.

Name Unit # Viola Marshall B081 Cherice Shinholster B085 Armando Urquilla Medrano B114 Tanesha Jaume Jackson Nelson C030 Arreal H Tilghman Jr. C051 Fred Phillips C088 Sharronda Hogges E024 Francisco O Discua Reyes E054 Larry B Temah E075 929-558915, 7/20,27 NOTICE OF ABANDONED VEHICLE 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA VIN: 2GIWF52E759366994 The above vehicle was left for repair or diagnostics and is presently located at DANZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Auto Repair, 5402A Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, Ga 30093. The vehicle is deemed abandoned under O.C.G.A.40-11-2 and will be disposed of if not redeemed by owner or lien holder within 10 days of this notice.

This notice is given pursuant to Georgia law.

929-558907, 7/20,27

NOTICE There will be sold at public outcry for cash at Willard Wrecker Service, 719 Shadburn Avenue, Buford, GA 30518, on Saturday, August 4th, 2018 at 11:00 AM the following vehicles declared abandoned or foreclosed vehicles pursuant to O.C.G.A Section 40-11-05, as follows : Make Year VIN Model 1 2014 Volkswagen Passat 1VWCS7A39EC061858 2 2002 C h e v r o let Impala 2G1WH55K929220359 3 2001 N i s san Altima 1N4DL01D11C228430 4 1999 Lincoln Town Car 1 L N H M 82W7XY658722 5 2010 N i s san Rogue JN8AS5MT1AW028635 6 2010 Chrysler 300 2C3CA2CV7AH297766 7 2001 Ford Taurus 1 F A F P53261G256089 8 2006 MercedesBenz R500 4JGCB75E06A007484 9 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse 4A3AC44GX3E005947 10 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 5 N M S G13D58H181505 11 1998 O l d s m o bile Cutlass 1G3NG52M7W6306942 12 1994 Honda Accord 1 H G C D7261RA029995 13 2002 N i s san Xterra 5N1ED28T42C536550 Honda 14 2000 J H M B Prelude B6245YC002521 Datsun 15 1973 PL620109842 N i s 16 1990 240SX san JN1HS36P5LW148538 17 2002 S80 Volvo YV1TS92D221280961 18 2004 C70 Volvo YV1NC63D74J047891 Ford 19 2003 Expedition 1 F M FU17L63LB27127 Honda 20 2000 J H M C Accord G6697YC027562 Honda 21 2001 1 H G C Accord G56461A050298 Cardinal 22 2006 4 X 4 T Camper CAG296G087828 Chevrolet 23 1996 1 G C D M Astro Van 19W4TB154836 Toyota 24 2006 4 T 1 B K Avalon 36B56U166637 Cadillac 25 1998 1 G 6 K S 5 4 YSeville 8WU926201 Dodge 26 1999 1 B 3 E Stratus J46X6XN689796 27 2003 Durango Dodge 1D4HR48N73F548209 Buick 28 2001 1 G 4 H P LeSabre 54K41U283855 Hyundai 29 2003 K M H C G Accent 45C63U487829 Honda 30 1998 2 H G E Civic J6673WH584555 Toyota 31 1996 4T1BG12KCamry 9TU935227 Toyota 32 1997 J T 2 A Tercel C52L5V0202106 Mitsubi33 2003 Galant shi 4A3AA46G53E120474 Volkswa34 1999 Passat gen WVWMA63B4XE389236 Ford 35 2000 Taurus 1 F A F P53U2YA167893 36 2009 Kia Optima KNAGE228995354658 37 2004 Hyundai Elantra K M H D N 46D14U710040 38 2008 Ford F-350 1 F T W W30R08EB78708 39 1999 Ford Explorer 1FMZU32P6XZA49678 40 2006 Ford Expedition 1 F M P U 15576LA49258 41 1999 Ford F-150 1FTZF172XXNA22748 42 2000 Toyota Celica J T D D Y 32T8Y0007423 43 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor 4A4MM21SX5E066818 44 1997 Toyota 4Runner J T 3 H N87R2V0088181 45 1998 Honda Accord 1 H G C G 5645WA048596 46 2000 Ford Expedition 1FMRU1762YLA57530 47 1997 Toyota Camry 4 T 1 B G 22K6VU069592 48 2006 C a d i l lac CTS 1G6DP577960122252 49 2004 Lexus ES 330 J T H BA30G940007876 50 2004 Nissan Altima 1 N 4 A L11D14C125005 51 2002 Ford Focus 1 F A F P34312W190876 52 1999 Toyota Camry 4 T 1 B G 22K7XU447423 53 1999 Toyota Corolla 1 N X BR12E4XZ165027 54 1999 MercedesBenz CLK320 WDBLK65G0XT012432 55 2006 C h e v r o -

ZONINGS GWINNETT COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2018 AT 7:00 P.M. GWINNETT COUNTY JUSTICE AND ADMINISTRATION CENTER AUDITORIUM 75 LANGLEY DRIVE LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA 30046 The following Rezoning, Change-in-Conditions, Special Use Permit and other items of business, located within Unincorporated Gwinnett County, are scheduled for public hearings as stated above. Site plans, legal descriptions, and other information are available in the office of the Planning Division, 446 West Crogan Street, Lawrenceville, Georgia. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

RZM2018-00003, Applicant: Brand Partners, LP c/o Mahaffey Pickens Tucker, LLP, Owner: Perimeter Group Corporation, Rezoning of Tax Parcel No. R7207 085, M-1 to RM-24; Apartments (Buffer Reduction), 1600 Block of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, 16.07 Acres. District 1/Brooks RZR2017-00011, Applicant: Home South Communities, LLC c/o Mahaffey Pickens Tucker, LLP, Owner: John T. Lamb, Rezoning of Tax Parcel No. R7136 001, RA-200 to OSC; Single-Family Subdivision, 2400 Block of Sunny Hill Road and 2500 Block of Morgan Road, 86.15 Acres. District 4/Heard RZM2018-00006, Applicant: Edge City Properties, Inc. c/o Mahaffey Pickens Tucker, LLP, Owner: Richard Craig, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R5084 001 & 524, R-75 to R-TH; Townhouses (Buffer Reduction), 1400 Block of Five Forks Trickum Road, 12.39 Acres. District 4/Heard RZC2018-00011, Applicant: Jessica Lane c/o Andersen, Tate & Carr, P.C., Owner: Jessica Lane c/o Andersen, Tate & Carr P.C., Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R6095 019 and 293, O-I & NS to C-1; Coffee Shop/Restaurant (Buffer Reduction), 1100 Block of Old Tucker Road, 1.70 Acres. District 2/Howard RZM2018-00011, Applicant: Casgwyn Construction, LLC, Owner: Realestate Remarketing, LLC, Rezoning of T

ZONINGS Tax Parcel No. R6062 007, R-100 to R-TH; Townhouses (Buffer Reduction), 1900 Block of Pucketts Drive, 4.47 Acres. District 2/Howard RZR2018-00017, Applicant: The Providence Group of Georgia, LLC, Owners: Myron & Linda Baynes, Baynes Family, LLC and Yuling Hayter, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R7166 001, 043, 045 and 047, R-100 to TND; Neighborhood Traditional Development (Buffer Reduction), 3200 Block of Suwanee Creek Road, 49.73 Acres.

District 1/Brooks CIC2018-00011, Applicant: Ariston Group, LLC c/o Mahaffey Pickens Tucker, LLP, Owner: Ariston Group, LLC, Tax Parcel No. R7177 047, Change in Conditions of Zoning for Property Zoned MU-R, 2600 Block of Mall of Georgia Boulevard and 3100 Block of Woodward Crossing Boulevard, 16.0 Acres. District 4/Heard P&D PC TBL 8-7 934-558932, 7/20 PUBLIC NOTICE GWINNETT COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION (BRIEFING AND WORK SESSION) TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2018, 4:00 P.M. GWINNETT COUNTY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ONE JUSTICE SQUARE 446 WEST CROGAN STREET, SUITE 250 LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA 30046 Notice is hereby given that the Gwinnett County Planning Commission will hold a work session regarding the 2040 Unified Plan at the time, date and location stated above. The purpose of the work session will be a briefing by staff, review and discussion of citizen input and findings to the 2040 Unified Plan. The Future Development Map will also be reviewed and discussed.

Copies of the items under discussion are available in the planning office on the second floor of One Justice Square, 446 West Crogan Street, Suite 250, Lawrenceville, Georgia. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

P&D PC WORK SESSION 8-7 934-558930, 7/20 GWINNETT COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2018 AT 7:00 P.M. GWINNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018 AT 7:00 P.M. GWINNETT COUNTY JUSTICE AND ADMINISTRATION CENTER AUDITORIUM 75 LANGLEY DRIVE LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA 30046 The following Rezoning, Change-in-Conditions, Special Use Permit and other items of business, located within Unincorporated Gwinnett County, are scheduled for public hearings as stated above. Site plans, legal descriptions, and other information are available in the office of the Planning Division, 446 West Crogan Street, Lawrenceville, Georgia. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through F

ZONINGS Friday.

RZC2018-00013, Applicant: John E. Swiney, Owner: Mustafa Sharif, Rezoning of Tax Parcel No. R7039 845, C-1 to C-2; Commercial/ Retail Uses, 2700 Block of Cruse Road and 2700 Block of Old Shackleford Road, 1.50 Acres. District 4/Heard SUP2018-00045, Applicant: John E. Swiney, Owner: Mustafa Sharif, Tax Parcel No. R7039 845, Application for a Special Use Permit in a C-2 (Proposed) Zoning District for a Billiard Hall, 2700 Block of Cruse Road and 2700 Block of Old Shackleford Road, 1.50 Acres. District 4/Heard RZM2018-00012, Applicant: 4RNJ2, LLC, Owner: Omran Habib, Rezoning of Tax Parcel No. R6138 473, C-2 to R-TH; Townhouses (Buffer Reduction), 5800 Block of Lawrenceville Highway and 300 Block of Kenvilla Drive, 4.18 Acres. District 2/Howard RZM2018-00013, Applicant: Integrity Development Group, LLC, Owner: Glenda Sells, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R5118 001A and 002, R-100 to R-TH; Townhouses, 2400 Block of Sugarloaf Parkway, 11.54 Acres. District 4/Heard RZM2018-00014, Applicant: Hathaway Development, LLC, Owner: Glenda Sells, Rezoning of Tax Parcel No. R5118 001A, R-100 to RM-24; Apartments, 2400 Block of Sugarloaf Parkway, 23.98 Acres. District 4/Heard RZR2018-00015, Applicant: Robert Jackson Wilson, PC, Owners: Stephen Dee Pennington and Andrew Huff, as Executor of the Estate of Donald R. Huff, et al., Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R5272 003 and 012 and R5273 035, RA-200 and R-140 to R-SR; Senior Oriented Residences (Buffer Reduction), 2000 Block of Hurricane Shoals Road, 25.49 Acres. District 3/Hunter RZR2018-00016, Applicant: Smithton Homes LLC, Owner: Frances Thomas Carrol, Rezoning of Tax Parcel No. R5064 007 & 041, RA200 to R-75; Single-Family Subdivision, 1900 Block of Lenora Road, 4100 Block of Pate Road and 4200 Block of Gresham Road, 35.58 Acres.

District 3/Hunter RZR2018-00018, Applicant: Marisol C. Angelini, Owners: Marisol C. Angelini, Martha Elena Chacon and Zoilamar Chacon, Rezoning of Tax Parcel No. R6114 015, O-I to R-100; Personal Care Home (Family), 500 Block of Rockbridge Road, 1.18 Acres. District 2/Howard SUP2018-00042, Applicant: Marisol C. Angelini, Owners: Marisol C. Angelini, Martha Elena Chacon and Zoilamar Chacon, Tax Parcel No. R6114 015, Application for a Special Use Permit in a R-100 (Proposed) Zoning District for a Personal Care Home (Family), 500 Block of Rockbridge Road, 1.18 Acres. District 2/Howard RZR2018-00019, Applicant: Stone Manor Holdings c/o Mahaffey Pickens Tucker, LLP, Owners: Stone Manor Holdings, LLC, Mary Imogene Fowler, JML Rev. Trust U/T/A and Timothy J. Boyle, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R7182 009B, 033, 044, and 045, RA-200, R-75 MOD and C-2 to TND; Traditional Neighborhood Development (Buffer Reduction), 3100 S

ZONINGS South Puckett Road and 3400 Block of Hamilton Mill Road, 27.84 Acres. District 4/Heard ApRZR2018-00020, plicant: Quyp Development Services, LLC c/o Alliance Engineering and Planning, Owners: Dwain N. Kilgore and Grace N. Kilgore c/o Alliance Engineering and Planning, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R2003 026 and 263, RA-200 to OSC; Single-Family Subdivision, 100 Block of Auburn Road and 3600 Block of Bailey Road, 56.58 Acres.

District 3/Hunter RZR2018-00021, Applicant: Pulte Group, Inc. c/o Alliance Engineering and Planning, Owners: Janice F. Lee, Whitney Corbin Lee, and Brenda Corbin Lee c/o Alliance Engineering and Planning, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R6108 007, 201, 272 and 273, R-100 and RA-200 to OSC; Single-Family Subdivision, 3500 Block of River Drive, 21.8 Acres. District 2/ Howard ApRZR2018-00022, plicant: GCIP SIX, LLC, c/o Mahaffey Pickens Tucker, LLP, Owner: GCIP SIX, LLC, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R5127 090 and R5128 002, R-100 to OSC; Single-Family Subdivision, 3900 Block of Lake Carlton Road, 55.23 Acres. District 3/Hunter RZR2018-00023, Applicant: Martha Belle, Owner: Martha Belle, Rezoning of Tax Parcel Nos. R3003 247 and 294, RA-200 to R-100; Single-Family Subdivision, 1800-1900 Blocks of Lake Holman Road and 1900 Block of Mineral Springs Road, 3.65 Acres. District 3/ Hunter SUP2018-00041, Applicant: Ernest Flagg, Owner: Ernest Flagg, Tax Parcel No. R6001 090, Application for a Special Use Permit in a R-140 Zoning District for a Personal Care Home (Family), 4000 Block of Brenteresa Court, 3.39 Acres. District 3/ Hunter SUP2018-00043, Applicant: Pengfei Zhang, Owner: Pleasant Hill Road Estate LLC, Tax Parcel No. R6232 035, Application for a Special Use Permit in a C-2 Zoning District for a Tattoo Parlor, 2100 Block of Pleasant Hill Road and 3500 Block of Satellite Bouleard, 2.40 Acres.

District 1/Brooks SUP2018-00044, Applicant: Alegre Farm, Owners: Juan and Pilar Quintero, Tax Parcel Nos. R5280 017 and 130, Application for a Special Use Permit in a RA-200 Zoning District for a Special Events Facility, Outdoor Recreation and Farmers Market (On and Off-Site Products), 2200 Block of Givens Road, 14.67 Acres. District 3/ Hunter SUP2018-00046, Applicant: Eberly & Associates, Owner: J.M. Williams Jr., Tax Parcel No. R6059 001B, Application for a Special Use Permit in a M-1 Zoning District for a Building Height Increase to 80 feet, 2100 Block of West Park Place Boulevard, 78.11 Acres. District 3/Hunter P&D PC/BOC 8-7 & 8-28 934-558926, 7/20

0720_GDP_FRI_CLASS_Classifieds 7/19/2018 4:55 PM Page B8

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Delicious duo

we Gwinnett Daily Post

weekend entertainment FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018

Two local restaurants make top 100 dishes list, Page 3C

The Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger at Uncle Jack’s Meat House in Duluth is one of the 100 Plates Locals Love for this year’s state culinary tourism guide. (Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans)

10 spot the

Uncle Jack’s Meat House in Duluth was recently recognized for its Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger on the 100 Plates Locals Love list put out by the state’s Culinary Tourism Guide. But where can you get the best burgers in the country?

According to TripAdvisor, these are the top 10:

1. Al’s Burger Shack, Chapel Hill, N.C. 2. Brooks Gourmet Burgers and Dogs, Naples, Fla. 3. Honest Abe’s Burgers and Freedon, Lincoln, Neb. 4. Grumps Burgers, Granbury, Texas

the dish

5. Slabtown Cafe and Burgers, Traverse City, Mich.

6. Burger Republic, Nashville, Tenn.

7. Pearl’s Deluxe Burger, San Francisco 8. Back Door Grill, Steamboat Springs, Colo.

9. MacPhail’s Burgers, Jackson, Wyo. 10. The Burger Dive, Billings, Mont.

Lucha Taqueria Libre page 2C

in movies ‘Mamma Mia’ sequel better than the original, Page 6C

more of the same ‘Equalizer 2’ lacks plot, originailty, Page 8C

a look ahead

July 27 Lawrenceville Concert Series — On The Border, an Eagles tribute band, will perform on the Lawrenceville Lawn, starting at 8 p.m. The concert is free to the public.

For more information, go to lawrencevillega.org.

July 28 Movies Under the Stars — The Mall of Georgia hosts this movie night featuring “Cars 3.” The movie starts at about 7:15 p.m. Live music from local act Hamrick and Haynes will take place starting at 5 p.m.

For more information, go to www.simon.com/mall/mall-ofgeorgia.

BJ Wilbanks Band — The band will play a show at the Lawrenceville Train Depot.

The band plays “back porch soul.” Tickets start at $20.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, go to www. facebook.com/TheTrainDepotLawrencevilleGA.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11 5-10PM

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F RE E & S H U PA R K I N G T B E AVA T L E W I L L IL 3 0 5 S H A B L E AT N O R T H AW N E E DRIVE.

2C • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

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dining

dish the

Lucha Taqueria Libre 2525 Hamilton Mill Road Suite B, Buford www.luchataquerialibre.com 470-589-7484

Buford’s Lucha Taqueria Libre offers authentic Mexican street food, its owners said. Tacos are a large staple of that kind of graband-go food, so they are highlighted on the restaurant’s menu.

(Staff Photos: Isabel Hughes)

BY ISABEL HUGHES

ON THE MENU

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

Open Since: June 2 Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday Location: Located next to the Shell gas station on Hamilton Mill Road, right by the Interstate-85 on and off-ramps Owners: Alberto Gonzalez, Eduardo Hernandez and Javier Torres Atmosphere: Parking in the lot outside Lucha Taqueria Libre, one can’t help but notice several unique features of the restaurant even before entering.

Outside, to the left of the door, a five-foot head donning a lucha libre mask — a mask worn by professional wrestlers in Mexico — stares menacingly at patrons while also piquing their curiosity enough to beckon them inside to examine what the taqueria has to offer.

Painted on the windows, too, are heads and busts of the traditional masked wrestlers, which advertise the restaurant’s offerings: tacos, burritos, arepas and other Mexican street food classics.

Inside, the restaurant pumps loud, energizing music, what one might hear at a professional wrestling match in Mexico.

“We try to make it very friendly,” said Eduardo Hernandez, one of the restaurant’s three owners.

“We take photos with the masks with all the customers because everyone likes lucha libre masks, you know? We make it fun and (upbeat).”

Though the inside of

HOSTED BY COMEDIENNE ALISHA COLEY

STARRING COMEDIAN

DR. FOOLISH

• Taco: Your choice of meat, cilantro and onions — $1.99 • Burrito: Your choice of meat, rice, beans, cilantro, onions and salsa — $6.99 • Tortas: A Mexican sandwich that includes your choice of meat, lettuce, tomato, avocado, beans and mayo — $6.50 • Arepa con Penco: A Venezuelan sandwich with eggs, tomatoes, onions and peppers — $6.50

the restaurant indicates that it used to be used as a diner, given Lucha Taqueria Libre’s menu and offerings, the space works well for the restaurant.

“Everything around here is Tex-Mex,” Hernandez said. “This is authentic flavor from the streets (of Mexico). We are trying to make this authentic Mexican street food, because if you go to Mexico, the only place to get tacos or this type (of food) isn’t in the restaurants, but in the streets in a little cart. You eat while you walk there, so (our customers) come from work to just have a little bite and have some quick food.”

The set-up of the restaurant also reflects that grab-and-go feel; when patrons enter, they order at a counter top from a menu that sits above the stove.

Though customers can sit to wait for — and eat — their food, which is brought to them at their tables, they also pay at the counter when they are finished with their meals, once again adding to the feel of street cart or food

Buford’s Lucha Taqueria Libre offers authentic Mexican street food, unlike many tex-mex restaurants in the area.

tortas — a type of Mexican sandwich — with classic Mexican meats and fillings in each item.

The meats patrons can choose from include carnitas, or fried pork; barbacoa, or shredded beef; pollo or pollo con mole, chicken and spicy chicken; al pastor, or marinated pork; and lengua de vaca, or beef tongue.

In addition to the Buford’s Lucha Taqueria Libre offers tortas — a type of meats, burritos include Mexican sandwich — with classic Mexican meats and fill- the traditional rice and ings, such as tomatoes, cheese, ham and other items. beans, with fresh cilantro, onions and the customer’s truck items. offerings and their inchoice of salsa.

The prices also reflect gredients — though also “Another part of the that feel; the most expen- includes the Venezuelan menu is vegetarian,” Hersive item on the menu arepa, a daily bread made nandez said. “I have four costs $8.50, which is a of white cornmeal, water different tacos with cactus burrito-drink combo. and salt that is formed and pico de gallo, another Tacos cost $1.99, while into a patty, grilled and with cactus and beans quesadillas cost $6.50 baked and then split open and another with cactus and burritos cost $6.99. and stuffed with a varicon mole. People say Menu: Given Lucha ety of ingredients like a thank you for having that Taqueria Libre is authen- sandwich. on your menu, because tic Mexican street food, At its core, the restautaquerias are usually the restaurant’s menu rant centers its offerings meat, meat meat. We have stays true to those staples on the classics: tacos, a little bit for everybody, — both in the types of burritos, quesadillas and so while the menu isn’t

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too big, we try to make everyone (happy).”

In addition to the main lunch and dinner dishes, Lucha Taqueria Libre offers breakfast with its arepas, which range from more traditional breakfast sandwiches — eggs, tomatoes, onions, peppers, ham and sausages — to grilled chicken, avocado and mayo arepas.

For children, Lucha Taqueria Libre offers smaller and simpler items, as well as sides of rice, beans and, of course, french fries.

Something You Might Not Know: Lucha libre, which translates to “free fight,” is the term used in Mexico for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form of the genre, characterized by colorful masks and specific holds and maneuvers. Lucha libre wrestlers are known as luchadores.

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 • 3C

gwinnettdailypost.com

arts&entertainment

Fan favorites

Georgia tourism officials picked the Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger, above right, at Uncle Jack’s Meat House in Duluth as one of its 100 Plates Locals Love for this year’s state culinary tourism guide. The 100 plates list is a collection of recommended restaurants and dishes that the state recommends visitors try when they are in an area, and it is based on customer recommendations. (File Photo) The Brasstown Beef Bistro Filet with Gen. Tso Brussels sprouts, above left, at Marc at Chateau Elan was one of the dishes that made the Georgia Division of Tourism’s 100 Plates Locals Love list this year. (Special Photo)

Two area restaurants make statewide list for top dishes

BY CURT YEOMANS

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

AT A GLANCE How much do the dishes cost?

Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger Offered at: Uncle Jack’s Meat House Cost: $17 Brasstown Beef Bistro Filet with Gen. Tso Brussels sprouts Offered at: Marc at Chateau Elan Cost: $30 for the beef, $7 for the Brussels sprouts

Georgia tourism officials are encouraging visitors to trying out dishes at two Gwinnett area restaurants when they are in town.

The Georgia Division of Tourism has put the Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger at Uncle Jack’s Meat House in Duluth, and Brasstown Beef Bistro Filet with Gen. Tso Brussels sprouts served at Marc at Chateau Elan on its 100 Plates Locals Love list for this year. The list is put out each year in the state’s Culinary Tourism Guide.

“That’s great, that’s unbelievable,” Uncle Jack’s owner Willie Degel said.

“That means the customers are liking what we do. That means my chefs, my team, me, the creative chef of the company — everything we’re working on is coming together and we’re feeding the people in the community, and they’re liking it and I’m happy Georgia is loving it.”

The inclusion of the Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger and Brasstown Beef Bistro Filet with Gen. Tso Brussels sprouts on the list continues a trend of menu items from Gwinnett restaurants making their way onto the culinary tourism list. More than a handful of restaurants in Gwinnett have had dishes featured on the list since 2015.

Dishes featured on the list are chosen based on customer nominations.

“This burger is unlike any I’ve ever had! The quality of the meat is fantastic,” a customer identified as “Jessica W.” said in her nomination of the burger. “It’s served with a secret sauce, onion jam, maple pepper bacon and a buttermilk blue cheese fondue that puts it over the top.”

While Uncle Jack’s burger was listed under the metro Atlanta section of the list, however, the Brussels sprouts at Marc were listed in the Northeast Georgia Mountains section.

“Typically, I’m not a huge fan of Brussels sprouts, but oh my word, these are amazing,” a customer identified as “Emily T.” said in her nomination of the Brussels sprouts. “Brasstown Beef in general is so delish, and this filet was everything.”

it is not common to see the items paired together though. The beef costs $30 and the Brussels sprouts cost $7.

Degel has long considThe beef comes from a ered the dish, which costs cattle ranch that is located $17, to be Uncle Jack’s in North Carolina. As for signature burger. the sprouts and their prepaHis approach to burgers ration, officials said they begins with picking the right are prepared in a blend of bun for it to sit between. different sauces and spices, Uncle Jack’s Meat House in Duluth is one of the restaurants across Georgia that state In the Ooey Gooey Mooey with orange juice serving as tourism officials are promoting in their 2018 100 Plates Locals Love list, which was included in this year’s state culinary tourism guide. (File Photo) Burger’s case, it’s a brioche the anchor and red pepper bun that’s egg washed so juice. it’ll be soft.

“This dish is one of our the other items rotate,” Chef and deep friend until crispy, crunch of a comforting friend food. Our guests love But there’s a lot more that most popular and never Cameron Udick said. “The giving them the rich flavor them.” goes into making a good leaves the menu, even when Brussels sprouts are halved of roasted sprouts with the burger, he said.

“I look at the bun for the burger to be the blanket; it’s a pocket,” Degel said.

“It’s the first thing you see, and then it’s all the layers in between. So then how we stack and layer the burger, I always like to have our secret sauce on the bottom bun before the patty goes on.

“Then when I look at the patty — so we do like A Purpose Purpose Friendship Friendship Baptist Baptist Church Church IGNITE YOUR LIFE, YOUR WORSHIP, 3375Church ChurchLane, Lane,Duluth, Duluth, GA GA a four- to five-inch brioche Driven 3375 Driven ChurchOffice: Office:770-497-8227 770-497-8227 •• Fax: Fax: 770-497-9775 770-497-9775 Church bun and then with the patty, Church AND YOUR WORLD! Church Rev.Ronald Ronald L. L. Bowens, Bowens, Pastor Pastor Rev. we do an eight- to nineWarmerthrough through Fellowship ounce custom blend that’s Warmer Fellowship Deeperthrough through Discipleship Deeper Discipleship my blend. It’s brisket, it’s Larger through through Evangelism Larger Evangelism short rib and then it’s chuck.

Sharing through Sharing throughMinistries Ministries It’s 75 percent beef (and) 25 ANDStronger Stronger through God AND throughWorship Worshipand andthe theWord Wordofof God percent fat so it’s all picked Services........... 7:30 AM, Sunday Worship Worship Services................7:30 AM,11:00 11:00AM AM from dry-aged meat and 7:30 AM, Children’s Church......................

Church............................7:30 AM,11:00 11:00AM AM Celebrating 6 years done to my specs.”

9:45 AM Sunday School.............................................

School .................................................

9:45 AM Rev. Ronald L. Bowens The patties used for the Wednesday, 7:30 PM Bible Study (all (all ages) ages)............... ...................Wednesday, 7:30 PM Pastor A contemporary Wesleyan community meeting at Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger Peachtree Ridge High School are hand-shaped in the 1555 Old Peachtree Rd., Suwanee restaurant and cooked on a 770-596-3573 griddle so it retains its favor and fat. It’s blended with Weekly worship Sundays 10:30 AM a special steak seasoning ignitegwinnett.com made from three different types of salt.

From there, the burger is Regency stacked with lettuce, tomato, Church of God maple pepper bacon, onion 1132 Buford Hwy jam and buttermilk blue 770-271-5610 cheese fondue.

Dr. Terry Reece • Senior Pastor “(It’s stacked visually) “Come and get connected to Jesus” so that your mouth is in Sunday 10:30 AM awe,” Degel said. “I look at Worship Daily Inspirational Quotes that can Sunday 10:30 AM a burger no different than a “J” Town Kids Lift You Up and Help You Better Cope sandwich. How you layer Church with the Pressures of Daily Life. a sandwich is so important Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study & Youth so you add juices, flavors, regencycog.com This book contains selected quotes from the book An vinaigrettes, fat, caramelizaEndless Quest for Spiritual Truth that may help one gain tion, crisp, crunchy bacon, deeper spiritual insight into day-to-day life. One way to get the most out of this book is to randomly open one of the cheeses (to make it) ooey pages and see what is there for you. How does that relate gooey mooey.” to a question you might have? Does it contain pearls of

Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger is a signature dish Degel said he believes the popularity of the Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger is due to its size as well as the quality of its ingredients and how they go together.

He called it “one item we’re never going to stop.”

Beef and Brussels sprouts a popular combination The Brasstown Beef Bistro Filet with Gen. Tso Brussels sprouts served at Marc at Chateau Elan is actually a combination of two items on the restaurant’s menu.

Restaurant officials said

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Your local house of worship welcomes you

To advertise in this Worship Directory Please contact

770-963-9205 x1211 or 404-953-8403

Author Eric Chifunda 556487-3

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Mary London

wisdom you may need to help you get through the day?

Maybe words of inspiration to jump-start your day? Right words to open your heart? Encouraging words to lift your spirits and infuse in you a new sense of hope? Maybe a nugget of spiritual truth that may help begin to awaken one spiritually? Eric Chifunda is a New York-based occupational therapist who works as an independent contractor licensed in New York and New Jersey. Awarded Editor’s Choice Award in 2006 by poetry.com and the International Library of Poetry. He is also an actor and an artist who intertwines visionary, abstract, and representational forms geared toward opening people’s hearts.

Available on Amazon, Apple iTunes, Google play, Barnes & Noble

‘Beyond just singing’ 4C • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

“We are looking for women who love to sing,” says Georgia Sensation Chorus spokesperson Celia Barlow. “Music is our primary focus, but we always remember that singing in four-part harmony is a group effort. Besides spending time at rehearsal, we enjoy plenty of social events together.”

The award-winning group will have an opportunity to welcome potential new members Aug. 2 with its second annual guest singer workshop titled “Riser Up!” The event will culminate in a reception and performance on Oct. 11.

Guests learn two songs, discover more about barbershop singing and how it differs from other choral music, and get to know Georgia Sensation and its members.

“We provide recordings and sheet music for guests to learn their parts,” Barlow said. “Women age 14 and up are welcome to join us for this free workshop.”

The group is headquartered at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church, located at 4480 Peachtree Corners

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Ga. Sensation Chorus seeking new members

Art Beat

in some way beyond just singing,” says Barlow. “It takes everyone’s dedication to reach our goals.”

Dylan Oxford has been the director since August of 2017. He has more than 25 years of barbershop experience as a singer, director, coach and arranger, and has helped to expand the Holley Calmes group’s repertoire.

Jennifer Word of Duluth Circle. Guests are always is a founding member of welcome to their weekly the chorus who works with rehearsals. all members to improve Georgia Sensation their performance skills.

Chorus, directed by Dylan Karen Baker is the liaison Oxford, is a chapter of the with Peachtree Corners national organization Sweet Baptist Church, sings in Adelines International, the chorus and in a quartet which has 23,000 members called Peachy Keen. worldwide.

“The spirit of Sweet He said barbershop singAdelines International is to ing is different from other share knowledge, mentor forms of vocal music. others, and share your love “We use no instruments, Georgia Sensation Chorus sings barbershop harmony and invites potential new mem- of music,” says Barlow. bers to their Aug. 2 workshop at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church. (Special Photo) just our voices” Barlow “We have certainly been said. “Our four-voice parts the recipients many times blend together to create over.” each spring at the regional says. ers,” Barlow said. chords that have overtones. convention for choruses For more information, The group performs They also won the perIf you listen carefully, you and quartets for Georgia, across North Georgia. forming arts division award visit www.georgiasensacan hear a fifth note high tion.com or call 770-744Virginia, North Carolina “Recently we performed in this year’s Dunwoody above the highest vocal 0329. and South Carolina. at the Cumming Playhouse, July Fourth parade. part. This ‘lock and ring’ Holley Calmes is a free“For the past two years, Veterans Administration Many people come makes barbershop harmony Georgia Sensation has won long-term care facility and together to make Georgia lance writer and public reexciting to hear and lots of second place in the small lations consultant specializJohns Creek United Meth- Sensation a success. fun to sing.” chorus division for groups odist Church’s Patriotic “Every member contrib- ing in the arts. Email her at hcalmes@mindspring.com.

The chorus competes up to 30 singers,” Barlow Pops concert, among othutes her gifts and talents

BY VENUE — MUSIC 37 MAIN 37 E. Main St., Buford 678-288-2030 buford.37main.com • July 20: Southern Accents • July 21: Uptown Funk • July 27: Cash Unchained 40 WATT CLUB 285 W. Washington St., Athens 706-549-7871 www.40watt.com • Aug. 3: Dance FX ATLANTA SYMPHONY HALL 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta 404-733-4900 www.atlantasymphony.org • July 24: Tony Bennett Live in Concert • July 27: The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show

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BUCKHEAD THEATRE 3110 Roswell Road, Atlanta 404-843-2825 www.thebuckheadtheatre. com • July 23: Kim Walker-Smith

ENTER TO WIN

PRIZE PACK!

CELLAIRIS AMPHITHEATRE AT LAKEWOOD 2002 Lakewood Way, Atlanta 404-443-5000 www.thelakewoodamphitheater.com • July 27: Weezer and Pixies

Chino and Imani Ray COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta 770-916-2800 www.cobbenergycentre.com • July 25: 2018 Monsta X World Tour • July 27: Bowzer’s Rock N’ Roll Party EDDIE’S ATTIC 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur 404-377-4976 www.eddiesattic.com • Ongoing: Eddie’s Attic Songwriter’s Open Mic EVERETT’S MUSIC BARN 4055 Stonecypher Road, Suwanee 678-858-5363 everettsmusicbarn.net • July 28: John Brown & Company FOX THEATRE 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta 404-881-2100 • July 26: Kingdom Heart Orchestra INFINITE ENERGY ARENA 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth 770-813-7500 www.infiniteenergycenter. com • July 22: The Smashing Pumpkins

CENTER STAGE THEATER THE LOFT 1374 W. Peachtree St., 1374 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta Atlanta 404-885-1365 404-885-1365 www.centerstage-atlanta. www.centerstage-atlanta. com/shows/center-stagecom/shows/the-loft theater • July 20: Freddie McGregor • July 28: Work in Progress Live with The Big Ship Band, featuring Faten Matarazzo from “Stranger Things” featuring Wayne Wonder,

Visit the cosmetic/fragrance department at participating locations by August 15, 2018 and enter to win a pair of tickets, a $50

giftcard and a $50 MARLOWS TAVERN giftcard.

Barrow Crossing Shopping Center • Mall of Georgia • Colonial Mall Lakeshore Lakeland Plaza • Snellville Pavillion

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One winner will be chosen at each participating location!

THE MASQUERADE 695 North Ave. N.E., Atlanta 404-577-8178 www.masqueradeatlanta.com • July 20: Strawberry Girls • July 21: Fantastic Negrito, Mourn, Danny Duncan RED CLAY MUSIC FOUNDRY 3116 Main St., Duluth 678-957-7283 www.eddieowenpresents. com • Ongoing: Songwriters Open Mic hosted by Eddie SYLVIA BEARD THEATRE Buford Community Center, 2200 Buford Highway, Buford 770-945-6762 bufordcommunitycenter.com • Aug. 11: Mother’s Finest SMITH’S OLDE BAR 1578 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta 404-875-1522 www.smithsoldebar.com • Ongoing: DJ Sky • July 22: The New Division • July 24: Dentist • July 27: Ray Fulcher THE TABERNACLE 152 Luckie St., Atlanta 404-659-9022 tabernacleatl.com • Aug. 5: Janelle Monae — Dirty Computer Tour VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE AT ENCORE PARK 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta www.vzwamp.com • July 28: Kidz Bop Live 2018 THE BOWL @ SUGAR HILL 5039 W. Broad St., Sugar Hill 770-945-6716 www.thebowlatsugarhill.com • Aug. 25: Michael Bolton

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 • 5C

gwinnettdailypost.com

arts&entertainment

BY VENUE — ARTS ‘A Southern Exposure’ coming to Norcross’ College Street Playhouse GWINNETT GWINNETT

AURORA THEATRE 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville 678-226-6222 www.auroratheatre.com • Ongoing: Aurora Comedy Nights • Ongoing: Children’s Playhouse • Ongoing: Lawrenceville Ghost Tours • Through Sept. 2: Newsies

BY ISABEL HUGHES

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

Norcross’ Lionheart Theatre Company is performing Kelley KingstonStrayer’s play, “A Southern Exposure,” which will open next Thursday at the College Street Playhouse in the heart of historic downtown Norcross.

The play, which is based on a true story, is a comedy-drama set in a small town in 1990s Kentucky and centers on a year in the life of four Southern women as they learn about love, family and the power of the female spirit. “‘A Southern Exposure’ addresses the importance of family, whether it is the one you are born into or the one that you make for yourself,” director Brandi Kilgore said.

“Having a support system where you can find love and acceptance is something we all need so we can plant our roots and continue to grow.”

HUDGENS CENTER FOR THE ARTS Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 300, Duluth 770-623-6002 www.thehudgens.org • Through July 28: Gallery Exhibition: Into the Nature • Through July 27: Passport Adventures in Art Summer Camp

Callie Belle (played by Katherine Waddell) shares a tender moment with her grandmother, Hattie (played by Merle Halliday Westbrook), in Norcross’ Lionheart Theatre Company’s performance of Kelley Kingston-Strayer’s play, “A Southern Exposure.” (Photo: Nancy Caldwell)

“A Southern Exposure” runs through July 29 at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, students and those with a military ID. A special Champagne

Brunch by Norcross’ Sizzling Peach is set for noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 29. The cost is $35 and includes the show ticket.

Play and brunch tickets are available at lionhearttheatre.org. For information, call 678-938-8518.

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre sets ‘Nutcracker’ auditions times

BY ISABEL HUGHES

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

Children looking to audition for the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s 37th annual “Nutcracker” will soon be able to do so.

Beginning at 10 a.m.

Saturday, July 28, dancers ages 3 and older will have the opportunity to audition at the GBT’s studio, which is located at 1800 MacLeod Drive in Lawrenceville.

GBT welcomes all dancers to the audition, and if selected for “The Nutcracker,” participating dancers will be required to register for GBT ballet classes and rehearsals.

The holiday tradition will run from Nov. 30 to Dec. 16 on weekends at Duluth’s Infinite Energy Center in the Infinite Energy Theatre.

Shows on the second and third weekend will be accompanied by a live, professional orchestra conducted by Predrag Gosta.

Times for each age group are:

INFINITE ENERGY THEATER 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth 770-813-7500 www.infiniteenergycenter. com • July 28-29: Annie • Sept. 8: Giselle — Act 2, Emerging Choreographers Contemporary Showcase KUDZU ART ZONE 116 Carlyle St., Norcross 770-840-9844 www.kudzuartzone.org • Through Sept. 7: Waterworks Exhibition • Sept. 14 to Oct. 7: 12 by 12 Exhibition • Oct. 15 to Nov. 30: Lasting Impressions Exhibition NEW DAWN THEATER Mall Corners, 3650-A Satellite Blvd., Duluth 678-887-5015 www.newdawntheatercompany.com • Aug. 10-26: The Scarlet Letter

PLAYER’S GUILD @ SUGAR HILL Events held around Sugar Hill City Hall, venues noted 5039 W. Broad St. 678-541-6132 www.pgatsh.com • Sept. 14-30: Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple • Oct. 20: Sugar Hill Cemetery Tours • Nov. 2-18: The Importance of Being Earnest • March 8-24, 2019: Goodbye Charlie ATLANTA ATLANTA

ALLIANCE THEATRE 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta 404-733-4650 www.alliancetheatre.org • Sept. 5 to Oct. 21: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (at Atlanta Botanical Garden) • Sept. 29 to Oct. 28: Nick’s Flamingo Grill (Hertz Series) • Oct. 2 to Nov. 4: Little Raindrop Songs (Theatre for the Very Young Series) • Oct. 6-13: Paige in Full (Family Series) • Nov. 13 to Dec. 9: Knead (Hertz Series) • Dec. 12-24: A Christmas Carol (at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre) ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta 404-876-5859 www.atlantabg.org • Through September: Cocktails in the Garden • Through October: Science Cafe • Through October: Garden Chef Demos (Saturdays and Sundays) • Through Oct. 28: Imaginary Worlds: Once Upon a Time exhibit ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER 130 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W., Atlanta 404-814-4000

FOX THEATRE 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta 404-881-2100 foxtheatre.org • July 17-22: The Book of Mormon • July 27 to Aug. 23: CocaCola Summer Film Festival • Aug. 4: Dan and Phil 2018 World Tour: Interactive Introverts FERNBANK MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 767 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta 404-929-6300 www.fernbankmuseum.org • Ongoing: Tadpole Tales • Ongoing: Fernbank after Dark • Ongoing: Salsa Night • July 28: Summer STEM Day • Through Aug. 2: Backyard Wilderness 2-D • Through Aug. 26: Food: Our Global Kitchen

They won’t be this age for long. So make every second count with a family vacation in Florida.

It’s time to make moments that shine.

The Gwinnett Ballet Theatre will hold “Nutcracker” auditions July 28 for children ages 3 and up. (Special Photo)

• 10 a.m. to noon for GBT Performance Division Auditions (open to dancers ages 12 and older with at least two years of training); • Noon to 1 p.m. for ages 3 to 6; and

• 1 to 2 p.m. for ages 7 to 11.

For more information, call 770-237-0046 or email gbt78@bellsouth. net. GBT’s website can be accessed at gwinnettballet. org.

SATURDAY, JULY 21 11:00 AM

BBQ & RAFFLES!

COLLISION CENTER | 770-962-0169 289 Hurricane Shoals Road N.E. Lawrenceville 30046 visit our website at www.mundyscollision.com

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PRIZES INCLUDE: ATLANTA BRAVES TICKETS, STRIPERS TICKETS, FERNBANK MUSEUM AND MUCH MORE.

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COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta 770-916-2800 www.cobbenergycentre. com • July 28: Views Live with David Dobrik and Jason Nash • Sept. 1: My Brother, My Brother and Me • Sept. 2: The Adventure Zone • Sept. 14-16: Return to Fall: Atlanta Ballet

This moment, forever.

GRAND OPENING PARTY BOUNCE HOUSE!

www.atlantahistorycenter. com • Ongoing: Magic Mondays • Ongoing: Homeschool Days • Ongoing: Cherokee Garden Library Lectures • Aug. 11: Storytelling Saturday featuring Carmen Agra Deedy • Aug. 25: Life in the Past Lane: Beginning Genealogy

Visit us online at www.gwinnettdailypost.com.

6C • Friday, July 20, 2018

gwinnettdailypost.com

movies

Hitting the right notes

Long-awaited ‘Mamma Mia!’ sequel better than first Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (PG-13) HHHH

over $144 million domestically (and over $600 million worldwide), which makes one wonder why it took so long to strike while the iron was hot.

None of the math and profit will make a lick of difference to the fan base — which also

By Michael Clark includes lovers of ABBA, the Movie Critic colossally successful Swedish Arriving a full 10 years after pop group whose songs make up the original, “Mamma Mia! the entire soundtrack. It won’t Here We Go Again” bests it matter to the faithful that five predecessor in almost every way songs from the first installment and delivers to its target audiare repeated in the second. Also ence everything it could posshowing up on the “I don’t care, sibly want and then some. This I’ll still love it” list will be the doesn’t mean it will work for staples of virtually every musical everyone or even the majority of ever made: a lack of logic and audiences. people breaking into song and Aside from documentaries, dance for no reason whatsoever. and foreign films, live-action Serving as a prequel, sequel musicals are the worst perform- and origin story, “MM!2” bears ers at the box office; the 89 mu- a stronger structural resemsical films released since 1974 blance to “The Godfather, Part have pulled in an average of $40 II.” Bouncing back and forth million each, a number skewed between the late 1970s and late up significantly by last year’s 2000s, “MM!2” wastes no time “Beauty and the Beast.” Take its with the setup and introducing $500 million out of the mix and key players. Sophie (Amanda the average drops to $34 milSeyfried) is preparing a grand lion, a figure considered paltry reopening of the Greek island by today’s standards. The 2008 hotel left to her by her late movie “Mamma Mia” took in mother, Donna (Meryl Streep),

the younger version of whom is played by Lily James (“Baby Driver,” “Darkest Hour”) with just a tad too much enthusiasm.

After graduating college in England, Donna makes a pit stop in Paris, where she hooks up with and soon parts ways with Harry (Hugh Skinner, later Colin Firth). After landing in Greece (actually the Croatian island of Vis), Donna meets Swedish teen beefcake Bill (Josh Dylan, later Stellan Skarsgård), who she will hook up with later. While Bill is away racing his sailboat, Donna beds paramour No. 3, Sam (Jeremy Irvine, later Pierce Brosnan), but gives him the boot after discovering a dark secret.

You don’t have to be prude to come to the conclusion that the young Donna might have been something of a floozy operating with a disfunctioning moral compass and unchecked hormones. There will be some who will give Donna a pass, as this took place at the end of the sexual revolution — which is true, but it was also the beginning of the onslaught of AIDS. It would be interesting if this

same scenario would play the same if Donna was an unmarried Eastern Indian woman and “MM!2” was a Bollywood musical. Parents should think long and hard about exactly how they are going to explain the behavior and of single motherto-be Donna to their teen (and preteen) girls after seeing the film.

Apart from this touchy, potentially divisive major subplot, “MM!2” is pure high-end cotton candy; an ultra-glossy confection of fluff and indulgence with glittering, pastel visuals and inventive camera work recalling that found in writer/ director Ol Parker’s two “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” flicks.

Parker was beyond fortunate to bring back the entire major core cast, but especially Christine Baranski as Tanya and her younger, virtual doppelganger, Jessica Keenan Wynn. Not faring quite as well are Julie Walters and Alexa Davies as older and younger Rosie. Apart from Sophie’s “three” fathers (Bronsan, Firth and Skarsgård), everyone called on to sing can carry a tune and do so without

incident.

Perhaps Parker’s biggest coup was snaring Cher and convincing her to play the Streep character’s mother. It’s worth mentioning that Cher (only three years older than Streep, also her co-star in the 1983 film “Silkwood”) was the original choice to play Tanya in the first film but turned down the offer.

Her rendition of “Fernando” toward the end (with eventual love interest Andy Garcia) is superb and marks just one of the film’s many bright spots.

In retrospect, waiting 10 years between installments was probably a good idea. No sequel was expected (though always entertained by the studio) and allowing the story to “breathe,” as it were, staved off the many downsides associated with most sequels. Needless to say, “MM!2” is a chick flick on steroids which will lead to untold numbers of “girls’ night out” gatherings. A note to the gents: If your significant other wants you to take her to see it, do so gladly and without hesitation.

You could do a lot worse.

(Universal)

Alexa Davies plays a young Rosie, Lily James a young Donna and Jessica Keenan Wynn a young Tanya in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.”

(Special Photo: Universal Pictures)

Solid cast can’t save ‘Woman Walks Ahead’ might be true), but in reality, had more to do with politics and her desire to improve race relations.

In the film, the recently widowed Weldon heads west unaccompanied (but in truth was joined by her

By Michael Clark 12-year-old illegitimate Movie Critic child) to meet Sitting Bull and was met with immediCherry-picking from ate disapproval and disdain historical facts, “Woman by every white man on the Walks Ahead” is the latest train, and in particular, Col. entry in the micro-slim Silas Grove (Sam Rock“white savior” genre where well), a War Department Caucasians — through one (now known as the Departform or fashion — show up ment of Defense) official. and rescue people of color The (likely fictional) Grove in distress. The “white sav- does everything he can to ior” tag is an insult to people dissuade Weldon from carof any color and was likely rying out her mission only invented by someone with to be met with terse objechis or her own misplaced tion. sense of white guilt.

Things get worse when The always fascinating Weldon arrives at her destiand incandescent Jessica nation when she is summariChastain stars as Caroline ly ordered to leave by James Weldon, a late 19th century McLaughlin (Ciarán Hinds), New York artist who travan army officer with a (not eled west to paint a portrait revealed in the film) Native of Lakota tribe leader American wife. Despite so Sitting Bull (native Canamany people telling her to dian actor/dancer Michael leave, Weldon forges on Greyeyes). According to in her mission, which also the film, Weldon began her includes a scene in which trek because of the lack of white men mercilessly beat artistic representations of her and rub urine-drenched Native Americans (which soil into her face. There

Woman Walks Ahead (PG-13) HHHH

is nothing to indicate or substantiate this passage as fact, although it comes with a strong dramatic impact.

Needless to say, screenwriter Steven Knight (“Dirty Pretty Things”) and director Susanna White (“Nanny McPhee Returns”) present their film with no concern whatsoever to actual history and only a cursory nod to facts. From about the 30-minute mark until it concludes, “Woman Walks Ahead” plays out like a Western Harlequin paperback novel, minus the bodice-ripping. To Knight and White’s minor credit,

the flirting and bedroom eyes exchanged by Weldon and Sitting Bull never lead to any actual coupling, which would have killed what little believability the narrative musters.

The filmmaker’s most egregious trampling of the truth arrives late in the third act with the death of one of the major characters, which omits several events, twists others and invents more from whole cloth.

There is no arguing that Native Americans were mistreated and slaughtered wholesale by many, including soldiers of the U.S.

(Wild Bill Hickok and George Custer among them) and was soaked to the bone in black humor.

Michael Greyeyes If you prefer straightstars as ahead fiction, you can’t go Sitting Bull wrong with “The Last of the and Jessica Mohicans” (1992) starring Chastain Daniel Day-Lewis, “Legstars as ends of the Fall” (1994) Catherine starring Brad Pitt and AnWeldon in thony Hopkins, and Kevin “Woman Walks Costner’s multi-Oscar-winAhead.” ning “Dances with Wolves” (Special (1990).

Photo: A24) Perhaps the best film of any kind regarding the unfiltered plight of Native Americans is the 2007 HBO original film “Bury My Army, a point made all the Heart at Wounded Knee.” worse by the thousands of The recipient of 20 comfilms that mostly misrepresented them while trying to bined Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations rewrite history.

This began to shift in the (it won six), it sports a top-shelf cast and features a late 1960s with the nearSitting Bull character. perfect revisionist “HomWhile the cast members bre” (1967), based on the of “Woman Walks Ahead” novel by Elmore Leonard starring Paul Newman. This give it their all, they can’t was followed by “Little Big rescue a movie that is not only poorly executed but Man” (1970), based on the one that blatantly misreprenovel by Thomas Berger sents history. starring Dustin Hoffman.

Presented in English Still my favorite movie of and multiple Native Ameriall time, “Little Big Man,” had a fictional lead character can tongues with English mixed in with non-fictional subtitles.

(A24) supporting historical figures

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 • 7C

gwinnettdailypost.com

movies

‘Skyscraper’ film fans

STANDOUT PERFORMANCE

PASS/FAIL

EDITOR’S NOTE: Film Fans features local residents reviewing the movie of the week:“Skyscraper.” To be a film fan, email features@gwinnettdailypost.com.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS...

SEE IT NOW OR WAIT

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Pass: This movie has seriously impressive special effects — really well done, making the skyscraper look real. The flow of the story is consistent and does not stagnate.

Fail: The plot is extremely predictable with no surprises. Despite that, it is an entertaining movie.

No actor stands out, which is not surprising since the script is hardly demanding. Most cast members work well together.

However, Hannah Quinlivan as Xia gives a very stiff, boring performance.

If you like Dwayne Johnson, death-defying, extreme special effects and lots of action, you will most likely enjoy this adventure. I don’t recall hearing any cursing, but there is an intense fight scene and gun violence.

I did not see this movie in 3-D but with all of the spectacular special effects it might have been worth it. Even in 2-D, the CGI is best appreciated on the big screen — wait until you see the glass floor of the skyscraper and Dwayne Johnson’s “stunts” on the side of the tower.

This is certainly not an Academy Award contender, but it is entertaining summer fare with an easy-to-follow plot.

While not the best acting from Dwayne Johnson during serious or emotional scenes, he is good when he needs to flex his muscles. The whole concept is obviously fantasy, but there are scenes (such as the plank placement, wall climbing, wall jumping) that are mesmerizing to behold. If you stay through the credits hoping for bonus scenes or a sequel teaser, there aren’t any.

Pass: This was a high-action, big stunts movie. It kept my attention and you were really rooting for Dwayne Johnson’s character to save his wife and kids.

Fail: There were definitely unbelievable parts. But many people go to the movies to escape reality, so it didn’t really bother me.

Definitely kudos to Dwayne Johnson. He was very convincing as a former FBI agent, devoted husband and father. He also did a great job portraying someone with a prosthetic leg. Neve Campbell as his wife, Sarah, was also great.

Fans of action movies will enjoy this and also fans of The Rock. If you like the “Die Hard” movies, this would be a good fit.

This movie would be best viewed on the big screen. I didn’t see the 3-D version but that would definitely add to the excitement in some scenes.

I enjoyed the movie and thought it was well done. I liked the message about love and what you will do for your family. It kept you guessing and was just the right length. There were also some fun moments of comic relief.

Pass: Lots of hair-raising action; excellent cinematography and special effects; decent acting.

Fail: Very predictable plot that borrows heavily from other action films; uneven direction at times; otherwise, “Skyscraper” is decent escapism that’s a lot better than it deserves to be.

Dwayne Johnson carries the film — literally and figuratively — on his broad shoulders as Will Sawyer, former Marine and disgraced FBI agent who now serves as a freelance security consultant.

His latest and biggest gig is to give his safety blessing on a colossal new tower in Hong Kong that dwarfs Dubai’s Burj Khalifa by a country mile. When things go literally up in flames, Sawyer is framed for the resulting inferno that also threatens his family.

Neve Campbell does a good job as wife Sarah, and even gets to throw a few punches around herself in a supporting role.

“Skyscraper” is a shameless mash-up of 1974’s “The Towering Inferno” and 1988’s original “Die Hard” but lacks the biting sarcasm and clever dialogue of either of those action flicks.

That said, “Skyscraper” is certainly a big improvement for Johnson from the ridiculous “Rampage” disaster released earlier this year to a resounding thud at the box office.

“Skyscraper” is definitely worth a matinee viewing at your local cinema, especially for hardcore Dwayne Johnson fans.

Heck, go ahead and spring for the tub of popcorn while you’re at it.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well filmed “Skyscraper” turned out to be. There are times where the scenes of Johnson’s character teetering on the edge of the umpteenth floor of this gargantuan building are quite suspenseful, so if you’re afraid of heights, this movie will leave you a nervous wreck. Sure, the action sequences are very contrived and unrealistic, and the direction of the film abruptly shifts to the point of disorienting the viewer at times. Johnson has shown that he can combine some decent acting chops with a flair for comedy (as in last year’s hit remake of “Jumanji”), so it would have been nice to have had more bantering and quips from his character here. Nonetheless, “Skyscraper” packs a punch at 10,000 feet and won’t leave you with a nosebleed to show for the money you spent.

Francine Benoit, Lawrenceville

★★★★

Cindy Evans, Duluth

★★★★

Tim Weekley, Suwanee

★★★★

COMING SOON TO OWN

NOW SHOWING

• “Gravity Falls: The Complete Series” (July 24): The animated Disney series traces the exploits of two siblings (voices of Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal) during their summer in a strange town. (Not rated) • “Ready Player One” (July 24): The Steven Spielberg-directed fantasy casts Tye Sheridan as a youth vying to win a virtual-reality game for multiple reasons.

(PG-13) • “Tully” (July 24): Marlo (Charlize Theron) is a New York suburbanite who’s about to give birth to her third child.

Her husband, Ron, is loving and works hard, but remains clueless about the demands that motherhood puts on his wife. When the baby is born, Marlo’s wealthy brother hires a nighttime nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) to help his sister handle the workload. Hesitant at first, Marlo soon learns to appreciate all that Tully does — forming a special bond with her new, lifesaving friend. (R) • “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (Aug. 28): Young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) finds adventure when he joins a gang of galactic smugglers, including a 196-year-old Wookie named Chewbacca.

Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium.

In need of a fast ship, Solo meets Lando Calrissian, the suave owner of the perfect vessel for the dangerous mission — the Millennium Falcon. (PG-13) • “Counterpart: The Complete First Season” (July 31): Oscar winner J.K. Simmons has dual roles, as an intelligence-agency drone and his much more adventurous doppelganger, in the Starz series. (Not rated) • “Overboard” (July 31): A revision of the Goldie HawnKurt Russell comedy stars Anna Faris as a single mom who gets revenge on her suddenly amnesiac ex-employer (Eugenio Derbez). (PG-13) • “Breaking In” (Aug. 7):

Recently reviewed films now playing in metro area theaters. Ratings are out of 4 stars.

• “Ant-Man and the Wasp” — 3 stars After the regal “Black Panther” and everythingplus-kitchen-sink throwdown that was “Avengers: Infinity War,” this latest Marvel Studios movie feels even more like the featherweight fluff it is — and that’s OK. Evangeline Lilly is as winsome as Wasp as Paul Rudd remains gregarious as Ant-Man. Though the film is missing the wit of the 2013 original written (and initially directed) by Edgar Wright, it benefits from a much-improved villain in Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost. — Khari J. Sampson • “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” — 3 1/2 stars In what is the best of this franchise’s installments since the original “Jurassic Park,” “Fallen Kingdom” brings back Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) to what they think is helping rescue the dinosaurs from ruins of the Jurassic World park.

But after Owen leads a strike force to the lone surviving velociraptor, Blue, they find out they’ve been misled. Owen and Claire battle to save the lives of the dinosaurs before Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) can sell them to the highest bidder. The movie is enjoyable from start to finish, and it smartly explores the morality of creating and controlling life. — Michael Buckelew • “Incredibles 2” (PG) — 3 1/2 stars It can’t quite live up to the near-perfect superhero family original but it far outdoes every Pixar sequel effort not named “Toy Story.” Set just 14 seconds after the first film (which came out 14 years ago), this one focuses on Elastigirl’s fight to restore superheroes’ status in the world — and her husband’s reaction to being stuck at home with the kids: volatile teenaged Violet, still-impetuous Dash and toddler JackJack. Great fun ensues. — Khari J. Sampson • “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (PG-13) — 3 stars Featuring a younger version of the rogue made famous by Harrison Ford decades ago, “Solo” is a fun enough romp to warrant a trip to the big screen. Alden Ehrenreich is better than expected in the title role (though still not great), and Donald Glover shines as Han Solo’s longtime frenemy Lando Calrissian. — KS • “Breaking In” (PG-13) — 2 1/2 stars Gabrielle Union stars as a mom whose childhood home — and children — are tar-

A woman (Gabrielle Union) does whatever it takes to save her children from thieves in a security-laden vacation house. (PG-13) • “The Good Doctor: Season One” (Aug. 7): One of the past television season’s top new hits, this ABC drama stars Freddie Highmore as a

skilled young surgeon who has autism and a new job at a major hospital. (Not rated) • “Life Of The Party” (Aug. 7): After her husband calls it quits with her, a woman (Melissa McCarthy) decides to go back and finish her college education.

(PG-13)

geted by a criminal cadre in search of a secret fortune. It’s a low-budget feature that’s smart enough, but it’s Union who elevates “Breaking In” from being completely forgettable. — KS • “Deadpool 2” (R) — 3 stars This sequel to the 2016 raunchfest superhero original is both better and worse than its predecessor. As the title character, Ryan Reynolds continues to send up the superhero genre to hilarious effect and the whole shebang has surprising heart, but it also plays into a couple of well-worn tropes — most courtesy of new antagonist Cable (Josh Brolin). No one will really care, especially when it shreds twice as many such cliches. — KS • “A Quiet Place” (PG-13) — 3 1/2 stars John Krasinski (“The Office”) directs and stars in this suspense thriller about a family trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world of creatures that kill at the slightest noise.

Krasinski and wife Emily Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada”) turn in strong performances as Lee and Evelyn Abbott with few lines of spoken dialogue in the movie. The child actors who portray the Abbott children hold their own, especially Millicent Simmonds as Regan. Both Simmonds and Regan are deaf, and Simmonds’ real-life experience of mostly sign language communication benefits her character and the whole film. The movie is intense, but it also has a lot of heart. — MB • “Avengers: Infinity War” (PG-13) — 3 stars Ten years’ worth of Marvel Studios superhero movies deliver payoffs galore in this massive mashup. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) come together — sort of — to stop genocidal galactic baddie Thanos (Josh Brolin) from collecting the Infinity Stones he plans to use to wipe out half the universe. One could call it a love letter to fans if not for its gut punch of a cliffhanger ending. — KS

8C • FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

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More of the same Denzel Washington stars as Robert McCall in Columbia Pictures’ “The Equalizer 2.” (Special Photo: Glen Wilson/Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.)

‘Equalizer 2’ comes up short on plot, originality Equalizer 2 (R) ★★★★

picture. This is a shame as the crackling opening title sequence set on a train in Turkey could easily fit snugly into any James Bond flick.

A former Marine and

BY MICHAEL CLARK government spy, the retiring, Movie Critic bookish (make that book lover) Robert McCall (DenOrdered by the studio zel Washington in his first months before the 2014 ever sequel) lives in Boston original even opened, and earns spending money as “Equalizer 2” succeeds and a Lyft driver. He must be dofails for the same reasons as ing really well as he receives its predecessor. Like most no government pension action sequels, it’s bigger — because he’s faked his own meaning more firepower and death. A spy using his real international settings — but name hiding in plain sight in thankfully has a shorter run- a major U.S. city who goes ning time than the first. undetected for years on end?

As with the original, “E2” Sorry, no sale. (or stylized as “EQII” if you Instead of a teen prostitute like) is bogged down for a (Chloe Grace Moretz) in good 30 minutes with overthe first, McCall makes it long exposition, the introduc- his duty to look after Miles tion (or re-introduction) of (Ashton Sanders, “Mooncharacters (some of them light”), a teen male and budinconsequential) and scenes ding artist who could easily which add nothing to the big ignore his calling and be-

come a gangbanger. Less effective is Sam (Orson Bean), one of McCall’s Lyft regulars who is a Holocaust survivor trying to locate a family member he hasn’t seen in over 70 years. Making the best impression with the least amount of screen time is returning character Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo), the only former co-worker of McCall’s who knows he’s still above ground.

The protection of a call-girl is revisited when a potential gang-rape victim picked up by McCall on a Lyft ride has her honor avenged when he shows up at a hotel suite where some preppie types are called to task for their loathsome, criminal, privileged frat-boy behavior. Be careful who you hand over your metal credit card over to; it might come back to haunt you.

Called to Belgium to

investigate a suspicious husband-wife murder-suicide, Susan is the first to look into a series of deaths, the origin of which is never explained.

People are dropping like flies and we never know the motives or why or how it all started. The returning filmmakers (screenwriter Richard Wenk and director Antoine Fuqua) attempt to slap some narrative spackle on this huge storytelling oversight later on in the film with the not-realsurprising revelation of the “who” behind everything.

It is only because of the performances of Washington, Leo and Sanders that we care about what eventually happens to all of them, even though it takes an hour to get to that starting point. As a director with a proven action track record, Fuqua (who directed Washington to an Oscar in “Training Day”) treads far too much water in

getting to the movie’s entrée but once he does, the movie finally finds its groove.

In the first installment, McCall was an employee at a national chain hardware store and the weapons of death often depended on what was on the shelves and it was ingenious. Killing people in action films with any kind of surprise methods and/or originality is hard to do and while not as clever as those in the first, the filmmakers (and by extension Washington) make them interesting. Considering most of these situations take place during a nasty New England Nor’easter is all the more impressive.

“E2” ends in a manner that provides solid closure yet in the same manner as the “Taken” franchise, could easily be resurrected or continued with another case or cause and it would be up to

Washington (and to a much lesser degree, Fuqua) if that would ever happen. The fact that this is Washington’s first sequel speaks volumes. This is a man who has no reason to make any movie merely for money and “E2” proves this theory.

This was a sequel almost no one outside the film community expected, which audiences will likely embrace.

A great deal of the appeal of the original 1980s TV series starring Edward Woodward as McCall was with a man of advanced years employing his wiles to overcome those taking advantage of easy and/or soft targets. This is a hard-to-beat formula and given that “E2” is not a total embarrassment with Washington coming off like a strong, silent, wise badass, a third installment is entirely plausible.

(Sony/Columbia)

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