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Gwinnett’s oldest locally owned newspaper - established 1988. Covering Snellville, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Loganville
Vol. 30, No. 2
VIP in court
page 12
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www.gwinnettcitizen.com
DECEMBER 2017
A Look Back - 40 Years of Carlin Vision By Tiffany Brix Staff Correspondent
Community banking page 17
When Dr. Richard Carlin opened his door for patients for the first time in 1977, the entire practice was two people: Richard and the receptionist, Linda. Forty years later, the Carlin Vision practice employs about 60 people, including seven doctors, and there is a surgery center as well as an impressive free-standing office building. Even from day one, Richard Carlin wanted something different inside his walls—he had a vision—Carlin’s vision— and used that intentional pun when choosing a name for his practice. Even with such a noble concept, surely Richard Carlin himself would have had trouble predicting 40 years ago that one day he would offer lens replacement surgery or the Lasik procedure. Richard first
See CARLINVISION on page 36
Proud to serve page 27
Special Photo
CarlinVision Doctors, Michael A. DeRosa MD, Melanie Bennett-Sims MD, David Carlin MD, Richard Carlin MD, Blake Thornhill OD, Allison R Tyler MD, and Michael Willman DO.
Life at Three Miles Per Hour
The Alexander Oak
Equestrian therapy page 34
INSIDE Picture Perfect Gwinnett Pulse Roadrunner Health & Wellness
PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LILBURN,GA PERMIT NO. 99 ECR-WSS POSTAL CUSTOMER
Chad Alexander Smith Photo
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Engagement photo of Chad Alexander Smith and Rebecca Clay Smith (small silhouettes) when the land was still part of Jane Alexander’s farm, which would later be turned into Alexander Park. Special Photo
A snapshot of Brett Bramble on his 2016 Walk from Lewes, Delaware to San Francisco By Paige Havens Staff Correspondent
Lilburn Man Walks Across America for Addiction Awareness
Brett Bramble grew up in Lilburn in a big family full of lots of love. In middle school he fell into
See
LIFE on page 38
By Mary Long Staff Correspondent The giant oak that looked out on Scenic Highway from its place in the 91 acres Alexander Park is gone now, and that big oak tree was probably just an acorn when Gwinnett became a Georgia county in 1818. Through the years after the oak became a big tree and a landmark on the
Alexander property it has seen all kinds of weather and over a century of changes in the Alexander family and Gwinnett County. J.T. and Jane Alexander moved to their farm in 1949 before their daughter Shirley was born. J.T. was the county extension agent, and Jane taught in Gwinnett. The
See OAK on page18