17 minute read
In the Beginning
Peachtree Corners Community Development Director and first full-time city employee Diana Wheeler recounts the early days.
By Diana Wheeler
Ten years ago, when I was offered the opportunity to become Peachtree Corners’ first employee, I eagerly accepted because I thought that with over 25 years of government experience, I could make a real contribution to this new city.
I didn’t realize until I visited the first City Hall building for the very first time that I would be contributing more than just my knowledge and experience. I would also be contributing my cell phone, car, laptop and credit card. The fledgling city of Peachtree Corners had a framework for governance in place and several part-time consultants to manage operations, but there were no other permanent employees or much of anything else. The space that had been leased for City Hall was an old, empty building with glass walls and a poor ventilation system.
I had my pick of any empty office I wanted. With my architectural training and an understanding of the building’s orientation, I could tell immediately that I would have a choice of either being too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer. (I went with too cold in the winter and invested in a space heater.) Setting, and resetting, priorities
I spent that first morning in August 2012 making a list of everything that needed to be done and then got to work on my list. The first item was a call to the cable company to sign up for internet service. There was only so much I could do on my phone. Without computers and internet, there would be no way to start up this start-up.
Next on my list was a trip to a
From top left clockwide, John Wheeler plays the national anthem at the first City Hall Grand Opening, January 2013 Diana Wheeler addresses the audience in the first City Council chambers, March 2014 City Council cuts the ribbon to City Hall at the Grand Opening, January 2013 Mayor Mike Mason unveils the city name and logo at the first City Hall Grand Opening, January 2013 (Photos courtesy of the City of Peachtree Corners)
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used furniture store to see about buying desks, chairs, file cabinets and other essentials. There was no time to order new furniture and wait for delivery. I needed to buy things that were on-hand — or second hand. Fortunately, six matching office sets were found, and I told the salesperson that I would take them all.
I was feeling a great sense of accomplishment until he asked how I wanted to pay for them. I told him that the furniture was for the City of Peachtree Corners and asked if he could create an account for the city. He said he never heard of Peachtree Corners, but he could set up an account if it was tied to a credit card or a bank account.
Well, of course, Peachtree Corners had neither, so I contributed the use of my credit card and hoped that the purchase cleared. Luckily, it was the beginning of the month, so the transaction was approved — and I was off to my newly re-prioritized next destination: the bank.
All went well there, but I thought it might still be prudent to call my credit card company and see if they would raise my card limit. They did and that made me happy until I started to think about explaining the next month’s credit card bill to my husband.
Challenges and accomplishments
Over the next few weeks, I worked to secure office equipment, including copy machines, a plotter (for maps and plans) and AV equipment, as well as basic office supplies. Fortunately, my credit card with its increased spending limit was up to the challenge and carried us over until the bank issued the city a line of credit.
Meanwhile, without the benefit of coworkers, I often needed to find creative solutions to routine challenges. For example, when trash got dumped along Peachtree Corners Circle, I reached out to Gwinnett’s Sheriff Department and made arrangements for an inmate work crew to pick it all up. And when deliveries were made to City Hall that I couldn’t physically manage, a staffing agency sent folks with strong arms to assist.
I even put my family to work. Large tables and file cases with drawers were needed for building plan review and large format projects, so my husband Robert and son John assembled big IKEA dining room tables and cabinets that were later outfitted with glass tops. They worked hard interpreting Swedish instructional hieroglyphics over the course of a weekend, and I supplied a picnic lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, because a refrigerator hadn’t yet been purchased for the break room.
Celebration for the new city
One of the biggest challenges came at the beginning of December 2012 when the City Council announced that there would be a Grand Opening of City Hall with an open house in January — and the entire community would be invited.
It seemed like an impossible goal, but the City Council had just hired City Clerk Kym Chereck and that made all the difference. The two of us worked with a consultant, developed an action plan, delegated assignments — and everyone got very, very busy.
We worked up until the very last minute. A Boy Scout troop was even recruited to raise the flag at City Hall on opening day. It didn’t occur to me until the week before that the national anthem should be played when the flag is raised for the first time. It was too late to solicit a volunteer, so again, I pressed my good-natured, trumpet player son John into service. He did an admirable job and set the tone for a jubilant day.
The highlight of the Grand Opening came when Mayor Mike Mason unveiled the city name and logo on the wall of the new Council Chambers. The unveiling generated a standing ovation and marked the realization of a dream for all those involved and for a brand-new city. It was a truly remarkable achievement.
And 10 years later, we’re still living the dream. Happy Birthday, Peachtree Corners! ■
Chillin’ in Peachtree Corners
Even in the long, hot days of summer, chilling in Peachtree Corners is a breeze. Kids dance in the refreshing fountain at Town Center, get “snow-bubbled” at the annual festival, feed the geese in the Chattahoochee or laze in a swimming pool. Adults enjoy outdoor recreational activities, concerts and social time, and succumb to the occasional afternoon nap. Pets find ways to chill out too, in water and shady spots, and love extra time with their humans.
Enjoy these photos of the lazy, hazy days of summer from members of the Peachtree Corners Photography Club. The monthly meetings of the Club are open to everyone, from beginners to pros. For more information about the Club, go to their website at pcphotoclub.org. ■ This page. Left, Alfonso Caycedo, by the river Top down, Anna Niziol, Volunteers; Eric Richter, Fun Flying the Drone
Opposite page. Left column top down, Anna Niziol, Pickleball
Scan QR to find out more about the club.
Elaine Bullard, Foam Kids Tracey Rice, Lifeguard at River Station Pool Far right column top down, Singh Vipul, Wave your hands in the air Richard Phillips, Peachtree Corners Festival Richard Phillips, Practicing Robotic Surgery at the Intuitive Robotics Mobile Van
First Column top down: Tracey Rice, Cooling off at Town Center Alfonso Caycedo, Reading by the river shore
Tracey Rice, Weekend Break
Above, Elaine Bullard, Foam at Peachtree Corners Festival
Second column top down: Eric Richter, Watching Youth Baseball Singh Vipul, On daddys shoulder Eric Richter, Shopping the Festival Booths
Third Column top down: Jim Worthington Anna Niziol, Tai Chi Tracey Rice, Napping Richard Phillips, Car Shows Main Attraction
Gwinnett County Public Library Photo Annual Exhibition Invitation: Jumping Through Time
Open to submissions now, submission deadline is August 15.
Information and entry form at gwinnettpl.org/news/photoannual22/ or scan the QR CODE
Exhibition is free to enter; each entrant can submit up to five images.
The Gwinnett County Public Library invites photographers to submit to the GCPL Photo Annual. Selected photographers will have their work exhibited and published during the Atlanta Celebrates Photography festival in October. Entries are juried by Coco Conroy, the Director at Jackson Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta.
Explore the past, the present or the future in this year’s theme, Jumping through Time. Judges are looking for broad interpretations of the theme, including fictional narratives, emotional landscapes, literal translations, altered timelines and more. Any photographic, lens or light-based images are welcome for entry. Please note that artworks cannot contain nudity, drug use or violence.
Submissions are collected through Google Forms. Accepted photographers will be notified September 9. The exhibition will open October 14 and close November 18. On October 22, there will be a juror talk with Coco Conroy.
Scouts learn many life skills while have fun doing it.
With school starting for most students this month, it’s time to start thinking about signing up for extracurricular activities as well as educational ones. If scouting is on your radar, it’s possible you’ll be signing your child up for something recreational that
By Arlinda Smith Broady
imparts life lessons as well.
Peachtree Corners Troop 525 out of Simpsonwood United Methodist Church has been proving that Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts of America) is still relevant these days, even when kids can have busier schedules than their parents. Chartered with eight boys in August 1984, the troop prides itself on being boy-led, meaning that the youngsters are trained and then allowed to put those lessons to the test.
Although now is the best time to sign up and get in with the troop as the school year starts, boys are welcome all the time, said Scoutmaster Scott Donaldson. There may not be as many boys signing up now as there have been in the past, but they aren’t hurting for recruits.
“We’re at around 65 boys right now,” said Dave Burns, Committee Chair and Merit Badge Counselor. He’s the father of Will Burns, Eagle Scout #177, now a rising freshman at the University of Alabama. He also has another son/scout in the troop, Christian Burns.
The troop had more than 100 scouts just a few years ago and as large groups age out, large groups join.
From boys to leaders
Each scout is required to hold leadership positions as he advances in rank. “I was in Cub Scouts, did all Cub Scout stuff, got finished with Cub Scouts and was very much done with it,” said Joshua Farley.
He was encouraged to give Scouts BSA a try. “When I got to the troop, I immediately loved it,” he said.
Where Cub Scouts involves younger boys in a parent-structured environment, older scouts get the opportunity to flex their leadership muscles and make most decisions themselves.
“We go camping once a month, and it’s totally boy-led,” said Farley. “We get to decide what camp we want to go to, what …to eat on a campout — it’s a lot of fun.”
Fellow scout Andrew West, agreed. “When we go and camp out, the adults kind of point and say, ‘Hey, you’re over there. We’re going to be over here. And then they go and drink coffee and make up stories about how cool they were when they were young,” West said.
Fly high as an Eagle
Some of the scouts go on to earn the highest possible rank of Eagle Scout. Requirements include actively serving in positions of responsibility, earning a total of 21 merit badges and leading a service project from planning to completion.
West slid in just before the deadline with his Eagle Scout project. “I built a picnic table for a local neighborhood HOA’s garden. I was originally planning on two, but the price of wood isn’t cheap and they were happy with the one. They like it and they enjoy it,” said West. “Honestly, it was a spur of the moment thing because I was coming down to the wire in terms of my aging out. It was May and I aged out in June.”
Farley didn’t play it as close. “I got my Eagle back in 2018. …I built 340 Eagle Scouts, two or three maybe fall in that category,” said Donaldson. And again, not to say anything at all negative about this, but Andrew chose the more common path, which we jokingly referred to as the ‘Hard Tech Eagle,’ which is basically, ‘I’ve got the merit badges. I turn 18 in 30 days, and I’ve got to get this done.’ So, it’s basically ‘get the project done.’”
Opposite page, Finishing Eagle Scout project – benches for Norcross High School tennis courts Clockwise from bottom left this page, Proclamation from city of Peachtree Corners in April with Mayor Mike Mason and City Councilman Eric Christ Official Troop 525 Scouts at Camp Woodruff Scout Camp in Blairsville, GA in July Boy Scout Leader Dave Burns at Camp Woodruff Scout Camp in Blairsville, GA Andrew West works on his Eagle Scout project, a picnic table for a local neighborhood HOAs garden. Joshua Farley earned his Eagle Scout rank in 2018.
some shelves for a dog rescue,” he said. “They were some pretty massive shelves. I think they were eight-foot by six-foot by four-foot shelves. Originally, they were designed to fit dog crates. The last time I was there, they were using them to store dogs inside of dog crates, as well as giant bags of dog food that they order in bulk. So they’re still getting used a lot.”
Unlike most boys, Farley was still in eighth grade when he earned his Eagle Scout rank — 13 years and 10 months old.
“I would say that out of the past Growth through adventure
Even though earning that ultimate rank is a major accomplishment, the troop leaders were quick
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to point out that scouting is about much more than earning badges and achieving ranks.
“I went to my first camp out in Cub Scouts …in an eight-man tent on two blow-up mattresses. And it was like 30 degrees and we’re like ‘How is it that we’re so cold?’” Farley recounted. Both he and his dad were novices at camping but liked the outdoors and the camaraderie of scouting.
“This summer, I backpacked about 105 miles in 10 days out in New Mexico at the Philmont Scout Ranch with our crews,” Farley said. “I’ve totally come full circle since then. Obviously, that was my first camp out. When I first joined the troop, I was showing up with a sleeping bag that came up only a little past my waist.
“…A lot of the kids, they show up in their first year and they’ve got either these giant tents or they’ve got this super-duper high-tech backpacking tent that their parents got them from REI. They have no idea how to set it up. Then as they’re in it, they figure it out,” he added.
Joshua’s dad, Paul Farley, the Outdoor Chair and Merit Badge Counselor, nodded in agreement. He has another son/scout in the troop, Patrick Farley.
They both grew together in the Scouts experience. Although movies may portray all scout leaders as outdoorsy types, many learn along the way with their children. Paul Farley enjoyed it so much, he signed on to volunteer — and he kept volunteering. Now he’s in charge of logistics. He went along on the 105mile hike, carrying a backpack to summit a 12,400-foot-high peak.
“I also went to Sea Base Camp in Florida, where they get to paddle a war canoe out five miles to barrier island. There’s no power and you carry everything out with you,” said Paul Farley. “My job in the troop as the Outdoor Chair is to do the behind-the-scenes stuff so that the boys have the opportunities to have these adventures and experiences.”
Learn life skills
When it comes down to it, one of the most amazing things about Scouts is that the teens learn life skills, leadership skills and coping skills without realizing they’ve learned them.
Burns shared a story about a 12-year-old scout whose house caught on fire. “The stove caught fire,” he said. “He called 911, got the dogs out of the house and got the fire extinguisher and gave it to his mom and she put the fire out. We’re actually in the process of submitting him for a reward recognition for keeping a calm head and using his scout skills.”
Boys of 11 and 12 enter the troop as nervous tweens. They learn how to set up tents, cook over campfires, coordinate with other boys to get chores done and tie a bunch of knots — and they come out as confident, caring and cognizant young men.
Basic info
Scout BSA Troop 525 meets on Mondays, 7:30 p.m., at Simpsonwood United Methodist Church, 4500 Jones Bridge Circle, Peachtree Corners 30092. To learn more about the troop, go to troop525.org . ■
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