Monday, May 20, 2013
Businesses on Main Street are affected.
Several businesses on Main Street in Old Town Suwanee were damaged by flooding from Sunday's thunderstorms. Among the affected businesses was the law office of Beth Hilscher, who also serves on the Suwanee City Council. Hilscher and co-workers were on the scene Sunday afternoon, tending to cleanup work. According to people on the scene Sunday, other businesses in the area were flooded. It is not known whether the Pierce's Corner building, which sits near other businesses on Main Street, was affected. The storms also caused a gas leak in Suwanee, and other emergency situations around Gwinnett. -- Was your home or business affected by Sunday's storms? Share your experiences, and upload your pics here.
Friday, May 17, 2013
The venerable facility is hosting a two-day benefit event that's also about entertainment.
Jazz. Tattoos. Everett's Music Barn. Bet you thought you'd never see those things in the same place. Everett's Music Barn, the Suwanee bluegrass performing site that has been an institution since the 1970s, is breaking still more new ground. This weekend, the site on Stonecypher Road will host a rare -- perhaps first-ever -- two-day event. And also, there will be more than bluegrass, and more than music. According to a news release, Poverty is Real (PIR), a non-profit organization that uses music to combat poverty in local communities, will hold a Family Fun Day on Friday and Saturday (May 17-18). This is being done in conjunction with Family Promise of Gwinnett (FPG). FPG mobilizes communities of congregations to end homelessness one …
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Week in Review: Checking some recent local headlines.
Here are some of the top headlines from Suwanee and Gwinnett over the past week: NEW HQ FOR MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC: The new 550,000 square foot building for the company's heating and cooling division was so important that the CEO came in from Japan. The facility in unincorporated Suwanee marks Mitsubishi Electric's fourth expansion in 20 years in Gwinnett. FIREFIGHTER HOSTAGES DISCUSS SWAT STANDOFF: Gwinnett firefighters who were held hostage by gunman Lauren Brown in his home spoke out on the ordeal. "He said, 'You would not believe how well I've planned this out,' " firefighter Tim Hollingsworth said. HISTORIC DISTRICT UPDATE: Officials with Georgia's Historic Preservation Office held a public information session at City Hall about the …
Friday, April 19, 2013
Residents hear about and discuss the proposed district in Old Town with Georgia officials.
The application process for a national historic district in Suwanee is still moving forward. But the boundaries for such a district in Old Town are far from certain. The current map for the proposed district is a "work in progress," Denise Messick, an official with the state Department of Natural Resources, told a public information session Thursday at Suwanee City Hall. Though not required, Georgia officials held the meeting because they feel it's "important to be transparent," said Dave Crass, another state official. They are with the DNR's Historic Preservation Division. It was the first time state officials, who handle the screening for the National Parks Service, have met directly with Suwanee residents. About 30-40 people, including …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
State officials will meet the public about the proposed national district at City Hall.
With the next phase of the process already scheduled, Georgia officials will hold a public session Thursday (April 18) in Suwanee on the proposed national historic district in Old Town. The meeting is scheduled at City Hall at 6 p.m. Officials with the state human resources department, which is in charge of the screening process, will preside at the meeting. Also, a letter to Suwanee from the state Department of Natural Resources shows that an August meeting is scheduled as the next part of the application process. The March 14 letter reads: I am writing to let you know that the above-referenced district will be presented to the August 2013 Georgia National Register review board. At this time, the Review Board will make a formal …
Monday, April 1, 2013
He keeps making new fans for Everett's Music Barn -- and entertains returning ones.
Tommy Everett keeps finding new ways to get the word out about Everett's Music Barn in Suwanee. Since the barn, a bluegrass performing site that dates to the 1970s, reopened under new ownership in spring 2011, Everett has been leading efforts to broaden the appeal. And it's working. In spring 2012, the City of Suwanee held its rollout party for the 2020 Vision citizens survey at the barn, which is located in Old Town. During the 2012 holidays, the barn hosted a book signing by Atlanta author Mackie Carson. The book "Judas Deputy" details the 1960s slayings of four Gwinnett County police officers. One of those officers, Jerry Everett, was Tommy Everett's uncle. Emotional fallout from that event led to the construction of the barn by hand in…
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
State officials will discuss the proposed national district in April at City Hall.
The next step in potentially having a national historic district in Suwanee will happen in April. State officials have scheduled a public information meeting for Thursday, April 18, 6 p.m., at City Hall about the proposed district in Old Town. "This is part of the process," Suwanee Economic Development Director Denise Brinson said Tuesday. She noted that even though the meeting will be at City Hall, that it will be coordinated by officials with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. That agency does the screening for areas seeking historic district recognition. Suwanee officials received encouraging news from state officials earlier in March. In a letter to Suwanee dated March 1, Amanda Schraner of the state Department of Natural …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Three 'mature' oaks on Main Street are targeted.
No timetable is set, but three large oak trees in the city right-of-way on Main Street in Old Town Suwanee have been targeted for removal. City officials recently hired an arborist, who gave each of the trees a "high" risk rating, meaning that "monitoring" and eventual removal will be necessary. "Each of these trees poses an unreasonable level of risk to surrounding targets," according to a document filed with the city by the arborist, Onebark of Stone Mountain. -- Will you miss these trees along Main Street? Share your thoughts in the comments below. The trees are located at 511 Main Street, 527 Main Street, and at the intersection of Main Street and Stonecypher Road. Among the symptoms cited by the arborist are: City Manager Marty Allen …
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Burnette will make his speech Wednesday evening at City Hall.
Suwanee Mayor Jimmy Burnette will mark a one-year anniversary in office Wednesday (January 9) when he makes the annual State Of The City address at City Hall, 6 p.m. The Suwanee native and Old Town resident plans to note several of the city's accomplishments in the past year, as well as highlight future strategies. In Burnette's first year in office, Suwanee saw the following happen: -- What do you think of the job Jimmy Burnette has done so far as Suwanee mayor? Tell us in the comments below. Also, Burnette plans to speak about the city's 20/20 Vision planning effort. The city rolled out the effort last April at a picnic at Everett's Music Barn in Old Town. Emphasizing community engagement, that effort included input from more than 800 …
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
State officials want to meet with the city about some residents' opposition before proceeding.
Suwanee officials have received a favorable reaction to their formal application for a national Historic District in Old Town. However, officials in charge of screening want to meet with the city before resuming the process. State officials said the proposed Historic District "meets the criteria for listing in the National Register," according to a December 2012 letter to Suwanee officials and others involved in the review process. However, state officials noted that they have received a petition by "a number of property owners" within the proposed district who are opposed to the district. The number is about one-third of the historic residential buildings within the proposed district. -- Do you want to see the Pierce's Corner building in …
Steve Burns
11:56 am on Monday, May 20, 2013
Thanks, Brendan. more ›