Gwinnett’s oldest locally owned newspaper - established 1988 Covering Duluth, Peachtree Corners, Norcross, Berkeley Lake, and Suwanee
Vol. 29, No. 9
Gratitude is attitude! page 2
FREE
JULY 2017
www.gwinnettcitizen.com
Bluegrass music and history alive and well in historic Suwanee By Carole Townsend Staff Correspondent
Spread the Love page 3
Drive past the modern-looking Suwanee city hall building, past the always-bustling town green, and head toward the older, historic part of the city. There’s a treasure nestled in on Stonecypher Road, and inside lives rich history and some of the best bluegrass music found this side of Nashville. The Barn, as the venue has come to be called, is a favorite destination for both locals and out-of-towners. One visit to the 50-plus year-old venue, and the reasons are obvious.
“Music hath charms...” A healing place
True music lovers know that the best live venues are often the
See MUSIC on Page 18 Spooled Out
page 5
Provided by Mrs. Katerina Flanders
Lexi Flanders aspires to be an oncologist when she grows up and is determined to find a cure for cancer.
Everson’s job at Gwinnett Tech a perfect fit
Chorus Sings at the Vatican
Bensley publishes Finnegan page 9
INSIDE Gwinnett Pulse 2 Health & Wellness 12 Editorial 15 Classifieds 17 PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LILBURN,GA PERMIT NO. 99 ECR-WSS POSTAL CUSTOMER
Special Photo
Ed McQuade, Choral Director, conducting The Buford Community Girls Chorus at the Pantheon.
By Katie Hart Smith Staff Correspondent The Buford Community Girls Chorus just returned from their international, week-long choir tour. From June 7 – June 14, 2017, the group made three stops, providing concerts throughout Italy - Venice, Florence, and at the Vatican in Rome. Ed McQuade, Choral Director for The Buford Community Girls Chorus and the music teacher at
Buford Middle School, reflected on the trip. “After our audition video and audio submissions were reviewed, we were selected to sing abroad. For the past two years, we prepared our music selections, held two benefit concerts, and organized a variety of fundraisers. We were appreciative of the Buford Lanier Women’s Club, who also provided financial support for the trip.” The choir, consisting of thir-
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VATICAN on page 8
Special Photo
One of the biggest areas Melvin Everson affects is Information Technology (IT), a rapidly growing field.
By Carole Townsend Staff Correspondent The name “Melvin Everson” is a household name to many in Gwinnett, especially to those who live in Snellville. The man who has worked his way up through the state’s political ranks as a councilman, member of the House of Representatives, Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development, then
Executive Director and Administrator of the Georgia Office of Equal Opportunity, has come back home to Gwinnett County. In April of this year, Everson assumed the role of Director of Business and Industry Training at Gwinnett Technical College. Although this new job isn’t in the political arena, Everson will pull from his many years’ experience in
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MELVIN on page 10