November 24, 2017 — Gwinnett Daily Post

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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT, 4C Magical Nights of Lights celebrating 25th anniversary

BULLDOG BOND Bill, Jake Stewart made their marks quickly with North football program • Sports, 1B

Gwinnett Daily Post FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

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Vol. 48, No. 31

Retailers hope for support

Residents urged to shop small Saturday BY CURT YEOMANS curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com

Thousands of visitors marvel at the Christmas tree after it was lit at the Gwinnett County Historic Courthouse in Lawrenceville on Thursday night. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the tree lighting on the Lawrenceville Square. (Staff Photos: Curt Yeomans)

Holiday celebration Thousands visit courthouse for 30th annual tree lighting BY CURT YEOMANS

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

As Lawrenceville resident Greg Cantrell held his 1-year-old son, Griffin, on the town square Thursday, the toddler became transfixed by the towering, 30-foot-tall Gwinnett County Historic Courthouse Christmas tree lit up in front of him. It was a generational thing. When his father was a little boy, he came to the tree lighting at the courthouse each year on Thanksgiving night with his family. Now Cantrell brings Griffin, as well as his MORE ONLINE wife, Jennifer, and their other Visit gwinnettdailypost.com children, Garrison, 10, Kaitfor a photo gallery. lyn, 8, and Caroline, 7, to see the tree lighting every year. “It’s just a neat family can remember coming here tradition,” Cantrell said. “I one year when I was prob-

Santa and Mrs. Claus are joined by FOX 5 Atlanta’s Randy Travis on a balcony of the Gwinnett County Historic Courthouse during the 30th annual county Christmas tree lighting in Lawrenceville on Thursday night.

ably about (Garrison’s age) and standing on the steps (in front of what is now Local Republic) and Santa Claus came down the street on a fire truck.” After spending the day

munching on Thanksgiving meals, thousands of people crowded onto the lawn at the historic courthouse in downtown Lawrenceville See LIGHTING, Page 8A

If not for the small guys in the business world, Gwinnett residents would see a lot more empty storefronts as the retail landscape shifts and national retailers scale back and, in some cases, go out of business, one local business official said. The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District is one area in the county where that shift has been noticeable, with national retailers such as HHGregg, The Sports Authority and JCPenney pulling out of the area in recent years. As they’ve left, CID Executive Director Joe Allen said, small businesses have helped ease the impact of those departures. “They have replaced some of the major retailers, the national retailers as they’ve downsized,” Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District Executive Director Joe Allen said. “By having these small, local entrepreneurs come in, they’ve been able to keep our vacancy levels relatively low here.” Gwinnett residents are encouraged to think of the ways in which small business owners affect their community this weekend by forgoing the malls and big box stores for one day and heading for small, non-chain shops and restaurants on Small Business Saturday.

See SHOP, Page 8A

Visitors walk up and down the sidewalk in front of downtown Duluth’s small retail shops and restaurants Wednesday. The city is encouraging residents to visit those businesses for Small Business Saturday. (Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans)

Woodall joins Norcross Meals on Wheels to deliver food to seniors BY CURT YEOMANS

Duluth resident Shirley Davis, left, shakes hands with U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., in her kitchen Wednesday as the congressman helps Norcross Meals on Wheels officials deliver meals to Davis and her husband. (Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans)

curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com

Duluth residents Joseph and Shirley Davis got an unexpected surprise with their Meals on Wheels delivery Wednesday: a congressman. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., joined Norcross Meals on Wheels representative Sharon Langley to deliver meals to participants in the program

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The Davises talked with Woodall at length about gardening, history and genealogy, particularly Joseph Davis’ Native-American ancestry. His ancestors were removed from Georgia and sent to a reservation in Oklahoma in the 19th century. “I’m a member of the Cherokee Nation,” Davis told

See WOODALL, Page 8A

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who live in the Duluth area. Although Woodall is involved in national politics, the conversations between the congressman and the people he and Langley visited tended to steer clear of political talk. There was talk instead about who likes to eat broccoli and chit-chat about one Meals on Wheels recipient’s involvement in local Rotary Club programs.

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