Gwinnett Roadrunner – On The Run MAY 2014

 

A LOOK BACK
•President Harry Truman was born on May 8, 1884 and President John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917. Both presidents were democrats.
•Charles Lindberg finished the first transatlantic solo flight on May 21, 1927.
•On May 16, 1777 Button Gwinnett was mortally wounded in a duel with Lachlan McIntosh. The duel was fought in Savannah.
•May 8, 1886 Dr. John Pemberton a pharmacist, combined syrup and coca extract with carbonated water to make a fizzy drink which was the forerunner of coca cola.
•On May 25, 1923 the Kiwanis Club of Lawrenceville received the Charter making it the 43rd club in Georgia.
•The News-Herald reported on May 16, 1940 that the school enrollment in Lawrenceville was nearly 600.
•May 1, 1953, the first elevator in Gwinnett County was installed at Alford’s Store in Lawrenceville.
•The beginning of the end of World War II happened when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945. Japan surrendered on September 12, 1945 and the war ended.
•On May 21, 1959 The News-Herald reported that a total of 280 seniors from Gwinnett public schools received diplomas.

 

Three sisters, Hazel Butler Ethridge, Barbara Butler Martin and Lola Butler Danforth celebrated big birthdays in April. Hazel Butler Ethridge 82 from Lawrenceville Ga, Barbara Butler Martin 85 from Lawrenceville Ga, Lola Butler Danforth 89 from Taylorsville Ga. They celebrated with a luncheon given by sisters Gerldine Everett and Joy Peevy of Dacula. Three other siblings were in attendance. Ronnie Butler, Shirley Paden and Garvin Butler. Sister Connie Swanson lives in Florida and could not attend. They survive 6 other siblings.

 

GRAYSON ALUMNI 18th ANNUAL LUNCHEON
Classmates who attended Grayson High School when it was in Downtown Grayson gathered for the annual reunion in March 2014. President Susan Gerard welcomed visitors and presided over the meeting which was attended by former students from 1925 through 1960 Grayson High School classes. There were about 100 who met at Grayson High School on Hope Hollow Road to renew old friendships and remember school days. An important part of each meeting is the presentation of scholarships to current Grayson High School Students and the celebration of Nell Foster’s birthday. Nell Foster, class of 1925, celebrated her 108th birthday during the 2014 meeting. Breanna Ethridge and Kristin Simon were presented scholarships. Grayson High grads Edith Kemp, Eugene Berry and Susan Cown worked on the scholarship committee. President Susan Gerard, Vice President Linda Turner, Secretary Drusilla Gregg and Treasurer Jo Knight Puckett will remain in their offices during 2014/15.
•Retired Gwinnett County Educator Stephanie Hodgin completed 5,136 volunteer hours during 2013/14 and earned the Georgia Retired Educator State Community Service Award.

Hats off to Officer Jennifer “Rain” Nieddu of the Snellville Police department who has been named Public Safety Person of the Year at the Gwinnett Chamber Valor Awards.

Hats off to Lovin Elementary School students for first sending 41 boxes of books to students in Bizoton, Haiti and later sending more books and other supplies to the school. In Haiti the school has opened a media center and named it the “Lovin Bibliotheque” in honor of Lovin Elementary in Gwinnett County.

Hats off to Jane Alexander for being selected as Eastside Hospital Volunteer of the Year. Jane has worked as a volunteer at the hospital since it opened and she goes one day a week to work there. Hats off to Friends of Gwinnett County Senior Services for assistance in providing home-delivered meals to seniors by donating a total of $104,000 to the program.

Hats off to Lanier High teacher Michael Reilly who received the Aspirations in Computing Educator Award sponsored by the National Center for Women and Information Technology.

Hats off to the Brookwood High Science Olympiad team for winning the fourth consecutive state Science Olympiad championship. Brookwood and the second place team from the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology will represent Georgia at the National Science Olympiad at the University of Central Florida in Orlando in May.

Hats off to Hyunjin Son of the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology who has been named one of ten educators who are finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced at the Georgia Teacher of the Year Banquet on May 16.

 

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Ralph and Pat Greene organized a group of volunteers to assist in cleaning the yard of a Snellville lady recovering from two organ transplant surgeries and the cleanup mission extended to another yard in the same neighborhood. The Greenes contacted the Mormon Church and found that missionaries would assist nonmembers in need and so the cleanup was accomplished with the assistance of the young men who came to work on the project. The volunteers are Mormon Missionaries from Utah serving in Gwinnett and they worked with the Greenes for four days as they mowed, raked, stacked and removed piles of trash from the two Snellville yards. The group received no pay for the work but they did enjoy a delicious rib lunch prepared by Pat Greene.

HAPPY TIMES

Rubye Moore Cates celebrated her 90th birthday at a party given by her children Harriet Bagby, Tommy Cates, Velma Durden and Anita King. The event was held at Tommy Cates’ home in Good Hope, Georgia on Sunday April 27. Rubye is a Gwinnett native, born in the Five Forks Community and attended Bethesda School where she was the valedictorian of her graduating class. Rubye is a member of the Mount Zion Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School for several decades. Her parents were Esther and Sterling Moore who lived on a farm on Five Forks Road. Rubye’s siblings are Charles and Fred Moore and Louise Justice.

Mary Guiney, Harriette Coffey and Jane Alexander were honored as Emeritus Members at the April meeting of Gwinnett Retired Educators. All three honorees have contributed many years working in education in Gwinnett County.

Mary Guiney is a retired educator and she worked as a volunteer at Dyer Elementary for many years after retirement.

GWINNETT RETIRED EDUCATORS SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION

Dacula High School Seniors Daniel C. Diplotti and Kendall Jackson were awarded scholarships at the April 18th meeting of Gwinnett Retired Educators. Teacher scholarships were presented to Tara Finco and Katie Nunn.