Vol 4 No 11 NGV11-6-20

GOES BLUE GWINNETT

Reader of the Week Ayush Nagaraj

Meet Ayush Nagaraj, a fourth-grade student of Mrs. Stephanie Perry and Mrs. Amy Klem at Buford Senior Academy. Ayush was selected as this week’s Reader of the Week because of his hard work and his love of reading.

BSA Media Specialist Sara Blankenship said, “Ayush is such a joy! He is so excited about reading and works hard to meet his goals each day.”

Ayush’s favorite genre of books is fantasy, and his favorite book is Harry Potter because he enjoys the adventures of the characters as they try to stop Voldemort. Even though he enjoys fantasy novels, Ayush still enjoys reading to laugh. His favorite author is Dav Pilkey. Ayush said he likes to read Pilkey’s books because, “He writes funny books like Dog Man and Captain Underpants.”

Ayush loves his mom, his dad and his little brother, Aarav. Besides reading, Ayush loves to stay active. Some of his favorite hobbies are swimming, karate and music. His favorite sport is basketball, and his favorite food is macaroni and cheese.

Congratulations to Ayush for being awarded the honor of Buford Senior Academy Reader of the Week! Keep up the good work Ayush! Go Wolves! — Torin

The following reports were filed by the Gwinnett County Police Department between Oct. 20, 2020, and Nov. 2, 2020.

• A report of simple assault was made in the 500 block of N Gwinnett Street NE in Buford.

• Officers responded to reports of battery in the 5700 block of Crest Hill Drive NE in Buford and 1100 block of Ball Park Lane NE in Buford.

• Reports of simple battery were made in the 4600 block of Riley Run Court NE in Sugar Hill, 1000 block of Level Creek Road NE in Sugar Hill, 1700 block of Ambercrest Place in Buford and 2100 block of Waterleaf Drive NE in Buford.

• DUI arrests for alcohol were made in the Buford Drive NE/I85 NE on-ramp at Buford Drive area (two arrests) and Buford Drive NE/Brandsmart Way NE area. Buford addresses.

CRIME LOG

• DUI arrests for narcotics were made in the Buford Drive NE/Plunketts Road NE area and Buford Drive/Satellite Boulevard area. Buford addresses.

• Indecent exposure was reported in the 200 block of Highland Avenue NE in Buford.

• A non-forced-entry residential burglary was reported in the 2100 block of Millgate Lane NE in Buford.

• Officers responded to reports of criminal damage in the second degree in the 4200 block of Chatham Ridge Drive NE and 2200 block of Hillbriar Drive NE. Buford addresses.

• Reports of entering autos were made in the 1300 block of Pine Acres Drive NE in Sugar Hill, 5500 block of Lakeshore Road NE in Buford, 2100 block of Water Leaf Drive in Buford, Mill Springs Circle NE/Gravel Springs Road NE area, 3300 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford, 2100 block of Splitrail Trail NE

Restaurant Inspections

The following restaurant health inspection scores were pulled from the Georgia Department of Health between Oct. 17, 2020, and Nov. 2, 2020.

• Antoneta’s Italian Restaurant; 2700 Braselton Hwy #8 Dacula; 84

• Arby’s; 3475 Braselton Hwy Dacula; 100

• Asian Garden; 2463 Hamilton Mill Pkwy Suite 210 Dacula; 88

• Austin’s Gourmet Burritos; 2463 Hamilton Mill Pkwy Suite 205 Dacula; 91

• Bojangles Restaurant; 625 Dacula Rd Dacula; 86

• Caprese New York Pizza & Pasta; 2300 Liam Ave NE Suite 200 Dacula; 91

• Chen’s Restaurant; 3421 Ridge Rd #B101 Buford; 97

• Chili’s Grill and Bar; 2705 Hamilton Mill Rd Buford; 89

• El Centinela Mexican Restaurant 4, Inc.; 7380 Spout Springs Road, Ste 170, Flowery Branch; 100

• El Picante Bar & Grill LLC; 4195 S Lee

St Suite E-F Buford; 87

• Fish Chicken N More; 2733 Braselton Hwy Suite A Dacula; 97

• Flavor Rich Restaurant; 1175 Buford Hwy Suite 130 Suwanee; 91

• Home Spun Restaurant; 5192 Nelson Brogdon Blvd Suite 1100 Sugar Hill; 94

in Buford, 3100 block of Hallmark Lane NE in Buford, 2100 block of Mill Garden Run NE in Buford, 3200 block of Millgate Court NE in Buford and 1900 block of Buford Mill Drive NE in Buford.

• Reports of larceny, theft by deception, were made in the 700 block of Brogdon Road NE in Suwanee, 1400 block of Buford Highway NE in Buford and 4300 block of S Lee Street NE in Buford.

• Reports of larceny, theft by taking, were reported in the 1200 block of Hillcrest Drive NE in Sugar Hill, 1500 block of Buford Highway NE in Buford, 2200 block of E Maddox Road NE in Buford, 1700 block of Sturgeon Road NE in Buford, 2300 block of Walkers Glen Lane NE in Buford, 400 block of I-985N exit ramp/Buford Drive ramp NE in Buford and 2900 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford.

• Motor vehicle thefts were reported in the 1200 block of Chatham Road NE in Sugar

Hill and 4100 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford.

• Reports of theft by shoplifting were made in the 3300 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford (three reports).

The following reports were filed by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office between Oct. 20, 2020, and Nov. 2, 2020.

• A report of aggravated assault with a firearm was reported in the 100 block of Green Road/ McEver Road in Flowery Branch.

• A report of battery was filed in the 6200 block of Huckleberry Ridge in Flowery Branch.

• Harassing phone calls were reported in the 3200 block of Shoreland Drive in Buford.

• A report of theft by taking less than $1,500 was made in the 5000 block of Bristol Industrial Way in Buford.

• Jacks Public House; 6332 Grand Hickory Dr Braselton; 89

• Kirin Asian; 6323 Grand Hickory Dr Suite 300A Braselton; 92

• La Hacienda; 5391 Highway 53, Suite 106, Braselton; 90

• Lolas Mexican Cantina; 2475 S Waterworks Rd Buford; 92

• Louis’ House of Bourbon; 100 Rue de Charlemagne, Braselton; 90

• McDonald’s Restaurant; 6005 Cumming Hwy NE Sugar Hill; 95

• Panda Express; 3276 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd Suwanee; 84

• Pimenton Parrilla; 1570 Buford Hwy NE Buford; 96

• Pizza Hut #4805; 525 Peachtree Industrial Blvd Suwanee; 92

• Rockin Jump; 3520 Gravel Springs Rd Suite 1 Buford; 93

• Tani Thai Restaurant; 15 E Main St NE Buford; 92

• Tequila Mama Taqueria; 340 Town Center Ave Suite A08 Suwanee; 89

• Tradewind Coffee Co.; 2300 Liam Ave NE Suite 200 Dacula; 91

• Versailles Bar; 100 Rue de Charlemagne Drive, Braselton; 90

• Wayback Burger; 6323 Grand Hickory

Dr Suite 100B Braselton; 100

• Wendy’s Restaurant #160; 7348 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch; 91

Buford commission meeting minutes

Nov. 2, 2020 — The City of Buford Commission meeting for Nov. 2, 2020, was called to order at 7 p.m. by Chairman Phillip Beard at the Buford Arena. The minutes from the Oct. 5, 2020, meeting and agenda with amendments were approved. The December meeting will be moved to Dec. 14, 2020.

The City of Buford requested a rezoning change for 23.742 acres located between Poplar Street and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. The request is to go from R-100 to M-1 to allow a proposed industrial project by Brookfield Properties. Brookfield Properties are the developers that were a part of the Hamilton Mill and Lanier Logistics Centers in Buford. They are in the process of

acquiring other parcels to make up the new proposed 70.98-acre industrial park, which will come in off Peachtree Industrial. Two residents who live in a neighborhood off Peachtree Industrial that will be impacted by the proposed development spoke up to voice concerns over noise and traffic. They stated an existing warehouse is being used as a hangout for local teens and they are spinning tires in the parking lot and shooting off fireworks. The North Precinct Commander for the Gwinnett County Police Department will be addressing the matter. Representatives with Brookfield were on hand to show their plans and addressed the concerns of the residents. The rezoning request was approved.

Atlas Development asked that 3.44 acres located at the corner of West Shadburn Avenue and

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Drake Street be rezoned from C-2 to R-100 to allow for five single-family homes to be built. The homes must be a minimum of 2,400 square feet. The request was approved.

A special use permit was approved for Michael Timpson to operate a boat and RV storage business located at 4151 Gainesville Highway.

Properties located at 3659 and 3661 Carter Road were granted an exemption of the requirement to install curb, gutter and sidewalks requested by Hall County, which maintains this portion of the road. A failure of the water filtration #2 necessitated that emergency purchases and repairs be made at Buford Water Works. The commission approved the expenditures associated with getting the filter back up and running. The city manager was authorized to issue a donation letter for 23.742 acres purchased by the City on Poplar Street/Pugh Street in October 2019.

A one-year renewal was granted for the annual contract for construction and maintenance of water mains and gravity sewers and force mains with John D. Stephens Inc. The chairman and city manager were authorized to fund CARES Act eligible expenditures submitted to the city by Buford City Schools. A one-year extension was granted that will allow for a church to continue to be operated at Atwater Court, Suites 101-102. An ordinance was amended to allow Barebones Steakhouse to keep the wooden columns at its new location. Barebones was inspired by a photo found of the old bank building and used that to restore the exterior to resemble that photo.

The commission (Beard abstained) approved the release of pledged funds to Peoples Bank & Trust. Payments were authorized for the Church Street stormwater improvements project, Buford parking deck project, Legion Fields improvements project, Southside Wastewater Plant Flow

Diversion Structure and Bona Road improvements project.

City Manager Bryan Kerlin gave a brief update on things happening in the city. The Buford Water Works plant extension project is in the bidding process, and he anticipates that the lowest bidder will be presented to the commission to vote on in the December meeting. He explained that filter #2 failed at the water plant and a replacement has been ordered. The Wastewater Diversion Structure was almost finished. The turn lane extension project on Buford Highway at Robert Bell Parkway is almost complete. The city has started the large project of installing all of the Christmas lights and decorations throughout the city. Various gas, water and electrical projects are being worked on. The street department is doing general maintenance and repairs. Fall baseball and softball at the Legion fields are finishing up. In youth football, all Buford teams have made the GFL playoffs. More than 300 kids have signed up to play basketball at the new Buford City Gym. The season is expected to kick off the first week of December. No parents will be allowed in the practices and players’ temperatures will be taken upon entering the facility. A decision is expected to be made regarding the presence of parents at the games shortly. This concluded the city manager’s report.

The commission and the city manager, as well as several residents in attendance, commended the city workers who worked tirelessly to restore the city’s power and clean up from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Zeta.

Chairman Beard adjourned the meeting after no further business was brought before the commission. The next commission meeting will be held at at 7 p.m. Dec. 14, 2020, at the Buford Arena.

@northgwinnettvoice | @gwinnettvoice

Staff Writers:

Nida Merchant

Anoshka Ramkumar

Hayden Wiggs

Emily Hammond

Torin Smith

Jordan Askew

Greyson Watkins

Staff Photographers: William Curtis

Cathy Moore

Jenny Johnson

David Griffin

Contributing Writers:

Lynn Bowman

Brandon Hembree

ON THE COVER: Election 2020: Gwinnett Goes Blue

Design by Alicia Couch Payne and Deanna Allen

Woman says man exposed himself at Dacula gas station

Staff Reports

DACULA — Gwinnett police responded to the Quick Trip at 2460 Hamilton Mill Road on Oct. 15 in reference to a report of indecent exposure.

A woman there reported she was returning to her vehicle from inside the gas station when she saw a male in a tan color Toyota 4Runner at the gas pump beside her with his door open. When she looked closer, she noticed the man had “white, hairy legs, an erect penis, and was actively stroking it.” The man was either not wearing

pants or his pants were down around his ankles. When she saw what the man was doing, the woman said, “That’s [expletive] disgusting,” and the suspect then closed his vehicle door and drove away.

When talking to police, the woman said she only remembered a visual of the suspect from his knees to his chest and did not get a close look at his face. The woman was unable to provide a tag number for the 4Runner.

Police requested video footage from the gas station and were advised only management could provide access to any recordings.

Tropical Storm Zeta leaves death, destruction and residents in the dark

Alicia Couch Payne

BUFORD — With the way that 2020 has gone so far, it’s not shocking to have a powerful tropical storm blow into Georgia from the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Zeta made landfall as a strong Category 2 storm in southern Louisiana on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Zeta then made her way across Mississippi and Alabama before causing widespread damage in north Georgia on Thursday as a tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Zeta is only the second tropical storm to come through the Atlanta area and have a tropical storm warning issued by the National Weather Service. The first tropical storm to do this was in 2017 when Hurricane Irma rolled through the area. Irma hit north Georgia during the daytime hours and did not leave as big of a punch as Zeta did.

School systems in the area closed their doors Thursday in anticipation of the storm. The schools had intended for students to operate on a Digital Learning Day, but with so many power outages in the area, school was called off all together Thursday. Gwinnett and Hall County Schools were also closed Friday as many of their students were still without power.

Zeta’s wrath was at its peak just before sunrise Thursday morning in the north Georgia area. The fast-moving storm left death and destruction in its wake. Wind gusts of near 50 mph combined with already saturated soil toppled trees all over the area, taking down power lines and blocking roads.

A newlywed couple in their early 20s was killed in Buford after a tree fell on their home killing them instantly as they slept in their bed.

One million Georgians were without power after the storm hit. Power crews worked feverishly to get power restored to residents, but early Saturday morning, close to 3,500 Georgia Power customers in Gwinnett and south Hall were still without power and all customers were not fully restored until Sunday evening. Jackson EMC fared better with fewer than 200 customers still were

without power come Saturday morning.

The City of Buford Power customers fared the best of all the local power compa-

nies. Crews were out as early as 4 a.m. working on making sure customers were taken care of. City Manager Bryan Kerlin said Zeta caused 245 electrical outages on the city’s grid with the primary affected areas being 140 outages Power Avenue, Williams Street, South Hill Street and New Street; 40 outages on North Gwinnett Street, City Walk and Latimore Street; 30 outages on Lee Drive; 15 outages on Watson Street; and 20 isolated outages. The electrical department handled numerous calls about tree limbs on power lines and crews are still working on cleaning up the storm’s aftermath.

Trees came down all over the area and Buford’s Street Department “responded to over 27 addresses and locations in Buford with debris, tree and limbs blocking the streets, impeding traffic or other issues related to the storm,” Kerlin said.

Buford employees will continue the clean up work over the course of normal business operations. They have been working hard to keep up with the sheer volume of tree limbs, leaves, brush and other debris that residents have placed at the street for the city to pick up.

Lanier Homecoming 2020 CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

Lanier Homecoming 2020

The Vote 2020: A sign

Alicia Couch Payne

The 2020 General Election, like the rest of the year 2020, was, to put it nicely — different. Days after Election Day on Nov. 3, the country is still in limbo waiting on all of the votes for the presidential election to be tallied. Gwinnett County flipped

from a once Republican-held county to a Democrat one. Long-time officials were ousted, shaking up the political landscape of the county.

This election cycle was a circus of misinformation and propaganda. Big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter used their platforms to sway voters

and censor those that did not hold their views. The mainstream media abused their power to push their own agendas. Outlets like CNN were prone to take little clips of candidates and use those in ways that skewed the truth while completely ignoring the wrongdoings of others all to convince voters to get behind

the candidates that fit their agenda. Record numbers voted whether it was through early voting, mail-in ballots or in person on Election Day. Mail in ballots or absentee ballots were being pushed hard while mishandling of said ballots plagued election officials. Concerns over voter fraud have run rampant, but those con-

STATE OF GEORGIA RACES

President of the United States

Joseph R. Biden (Dem) 50.5% 73,485,395

Donald J. Trump (I) (Rep) 47.9% 69,622,136

Jo Jorgensen (Lib) 1.2% 1,684,732

U.S. Senate

David A. Perdue (I) (Rep) 49.9%

Jon Ossoff (Dem)

Shane Hazel (Lib)

*A runoff between Perdue and Ossoff is possible

U.S. Senate (top three)

Raphael Warnock (Dem) 32.8% 1,601,459

Kelly Loeffler (Rep) 26% 1,266,825

Doug Collins (Rep) 20% 975,437

*A runoff will be held between Warnock (Dem) and Loeffler (Rep)

U.S. House of Representatives — District 7

Carolyn Bourdeaux (Dem) 51.2% 187,187 W

Rich McCormick (Rep) 48.8% 178,557

U.S. House of Representatives — District 10

Jody Hice (I) (Rep) 62.4% 235,107 W

Tabitha Johnson-Green (Dem) 37.6% 141,927

Public Service Commission — District 1

Jason Shaw (I) (Rep) 50.25% 2,431,290 W

Robert G. Bryant (Dem) 46.10% 2,230,543

Elizabeth Melton (Lib) 3.65% 176,828

Public Service Commission — District 4

Bubba McDonald Jr. (I) (Rep) 50.04% 2,401,500 W

Daniel Blackman (Dem) 46.84% 2,248,059

Nathan Wilson (Lib) 3.11% 149,434

Georgia State Senate — District 9

Nikki Merritt (Dem) 51.79% 52,971 W

P. K. Martin IV (I) (Rep) 48.21% 49,311

Georgia State Senate — District 45

Clint Dixon (Rep) 55.75% 56,209 W

Matielyn Jones (Dem) 44.25% 44,623

Georgia House — District 98

David Clark (I) (Rep) 59.21% 18,292 W

Taeho Cho (Dem) 40.79% 12,601

Georgia House — District 103

Timothy Barr (I) (Rep) 67.65%

Clifton Marshall (Dem) 32.35%

Georgia House — District 104

Chuck Efstration (I) (Rep) 51.37%

Nakita Hemingway (Dem)

GWINNETT COUNTY RACES

Gwinnett County District Attorney

Patsy Austin-Gatson (Dem) 55.81%

Daniel J. “Danny” Porter (Rep) 44.19%

Gwinnett County Commission Chair

Nicole Love Hendrickson (Dem)

David Post (Rep)

Gwinnett County Commission —

Kirkland Carden (Dem)

Laurie McClain (Rep)

Gwinnett County Commission —

Jasper Watkins III (Dem) 58.72%

Ben Archer (Rep) 41.28%

*Results are unofficial — Totals may not include all absentee or provisional ballots; results

48.63%

sign of the times

cerns have been brushed aside.

Long before Election Day rolled around, registered voters were being hounded nonstop by text messages, phone calls, emails and by good ol’ snail mail. This is the first major election where campaigning by text messages took place and it did not go over well with voters.

The messages were simply too many and at all hours. U.S. Postal Service mail carriers were inundated with thousands of extra pieces of mail to deliver due to all of the political flyers and postcards being sent out for virtually every race taking place. One mail carrier said that what was once a six- to seven-hour route had

turned into a 12-hour job. If all of those things didn’t make this election different, the topics up for debate among the candidates will loudly state that this election is far different than those that came before, controversial topics including COVID-19, Black Lives Matters, ANTIFA, riots and China,

just to name a few.

Regardless who won the various races, the nation needs to remember that above any political party affiliation, they are first and foremost Americans. Their neighbor with whom they might disagree is an American. An America that is divided will fall, an America that is united will prosper.

Gwinnett Transit Referendum  No 50.22% 196,236 W

Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner

Gwinnett County Clerk of Superior Court  Tiana P. Garner (Dem)

Gwinnett County Board of Education — District 1

Karen Watkins (Dem) 58.72% 54,901 W

Carole C. Boyce (I) (Rep) 41.28% 38,589

Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation (Vote for two)

Ellis R. Lamme (I) 41.53% 257,154 W

Matthew R. Retter (I) 36.09% 223,439 W

Travys Harper 22.38% 138,588

Gwinnett — Buford Board of Education SPLOST Referendum

Yes 76.56 297,223 W No 23.44% 91,013

for national races were compiled Thursday evening and may not reflect updated information

Sugar Hill Council Seat 4   Nicholas “Nic” Greene 65.8% 393 W Amber Chambers

Student of the Week

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE CITY OF BUFORD

Monroe Harless

12TH GRADE

Meet Monroe Harless, a senior at Buford High School. Monroe was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mark and Kelly Harless and moved to Washington D.C when she was a year old. Monroe was raised in this beautiful city until her family made the move to Gwinnett, where she attended Gwinnett County Schools through the seventh grade. Monroe first began at Buford Middle School in eighth grade.

Monroe is dynamic at Buford High School, accomplishing greatness in the academics, athletics and arts. Academically, Monroe holds an unweighted 4.0 GPA, while keeping up rigorous coursework, for example, the nine AP classes she has taken all through high school as well as the numerous honors courses. In fact, Monroe was awarded with the AP Scholar with Distinction Award for her AP exam scores.

Monroe said Mr. Wig and Mrs. Harris are her favorite teachers.

¨Mr. Wig made math something more than a chore for me and I looked forward to AP Stat with him,” Monroe said. “And Mrs. Harris cared about me beyond just teaching me the material for an AP exam; she was very invested in my life beyond school.¨

Outside the classroom, Monroe continues to exceed expectations and thrives as a member of the student body. Monroe participates in dance, an activity she has participated in for 10 years now. She grew up at the Buford School of Ballet, where she trained intensively for six years. Currently, Monroe takes part in the Buford dance program and is involved with the various dance shows throughout the year.

“Dance has taught me a level of discipline that I think has followed me since I was seven” Monroe said. “Ballet can be extrapolated to real life necessities, such as being on time and listening to instructors. Dance has influenced and ultimately taught me a discipline that has been heightened beyond something I could have never learned in high school.”

Alongside dance, Monroe participates in many extracurricular activities. Monroe has been in the Buford dance program for four years, Beta Club for two years, National Honor Society for two years and she has held a leadership position for the Thespian Society for four years. As a thespian officer, Monroe plans monthly meetings and helps teach the junior thespians at the middle school.

When asked about her favorite subject, Monroe said, “My favorite subject has always been language arts because it is a class that I can enjoy; it is something that I have a knack for and I understand really well. I love to read, specifically poetry and Shakespeare, and language arts has always been a class that I’ve been completing the work for even if it wasn’t assigned in the classroom.”

In her free time, Monroe enjoys volunteering for her community, leading a small group at Gwinnett Church and serving as a speaker in the student ministry department.

After high school, Monroe plans to attend college where she will be able to earn a dual degree in theatre and political science. While these two majors appear to have nothing in common, Monroe was able to take her two passions and find a good mix between the two through her involvement in the BHS Literary Team.

“Literary was a real life chance to see tangibly if theatre and political science would connect in some way and for me they did,” she said. “It is my way of molding my two passions together and literary showed me that it would work.”

Monroe has clearly demonstrated her accolades as a student and as an individual. She is an outstanding student and well-rounded person who will without a doubt become a successful leader. We can only imagine what she will do with her life when she leaves Buford High School and encounters the world. What we know for certain, however, is that Monroe will transcend even the highest of expectations in whatever path she chooses. Congratulations, Monroe!

— Emily Hammond for the North Gwinnett Voice

WHERE NOW? are they

Drew Dasher is a Buford High School graduate of 2008. He was born in Snellville to Gary and Vicky Dasher. Drew also has a sister, Shelby, 29. The Dashers moved to Buford when he was 4, and Drew started at Buford in kindergarten in 1995.

While in high school, Drew was a busy athlete. He was a football player from 2004 to 2007. He was on the championship-winning team in 2007. He was a scholar athlete in 2007, and he was also a Gwinnett County TD Club Scholar Athlete in 2007. In addition to football, Drew also played baseball for Buford from 2005 to 2008, and he was honored with the Deano Kilgore Award in 2008.

In high school, Drew balanced his busy athletic schedule with his academics to earn a 3.95 GPA. His favorite subject in school was math, which he currently teaches at BHS. When asked about which staff member had the most significant influence on him, Drew fondly remembered two of his teachers from high school. Academically, Patsy Maltbie was his greatest influence. Mrs. Maltbie was his math teacher for three years. Drew said she always pushed him

Drew Dasher, Class of 2008

to be the best student he could be, even when he was stubborn. Athletically, Drew remembers Coach Ryan Daniel as having a major impact. Growing up, Drew always looked up to Coach Daniel, and when he returned to help coach in Drew’s senior year, he offered a lot of great advice for Drew to apply in his life. Drew said Coach Daniel’s guidance helped him grow into the man he is today.

During his time at Buford High School, Drew said the most important lesson he learned came from the Buford football program: “Family, Grab On, Snap to Whistle, Believe, Toughness, Effort, Class, and Respect” were the foundations the program was built on, and they are still

taught to the players today. Drew said these values were instilled in him while at Buford, and they have continued to help him work through every tough situation he has faced in his life after his high school years.

After he graduated from Buford, Drew attended Georgia Gwinnett College, where he received his undergraduate degree in mathematics with a teaching certification. Drew graduated cum laude from Georgia Gwinnett. Since then, he has earned a master’s in education in instructional technology, and he is currently scheduled to graduate this December with his education specialist degree from the University of West Georgia.

Drew has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout all of his graduate school courses. Drew is in his third year of teaching at Buford High School. He teaches math, and he is the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach for the BHS football team. He also is the head coach for the JV baseball team. Before coming to Buford, Drew spent five years teaching and coaching at North Gwinnett High School. Drew first got into teaching because he wanted to be a high school coach. He said he later realized that, “teaching

is really just coaching in the classroom.” Drew was inspired by all of the teachers and coaches that always poured their efforts into his success while he was in high school, both in the classroom and on the field.

Drew lives in Braselton with his wife, Kali, and their two sons, Ryan James, 4, and Camden, 2. Kali is a North Gwinnett High School graduate, and she currently teaches math and coaches the swim and dive team at Mill Creek High School.

— Torin Smith for the North Gwinnett Voice

Buford Board of Education meeting minutes

Oct. 26, 2020 — Buford Board of Education Chairman Phillip Beard called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. at the Buford Arena. The Buford Middle School Girls Volleyball team was recognized for winning the Northeast Georgia Area Championship. The agenda and Sept. 21, 2020, meeting minutes were approved.

The board voted to surplus the following — BA Media & Technology surplus, BMS Media & Technology surplus, CO surplus and Transportation surplus.

A pay request for $20,981 was approved to

be paid to BJ’s Mechanical Co. Inc. for work at the Fine Arts Center. The HVAC at the Buford Senior Academy required work in the amount of $5,199.

The board approved two fundraisers for BHS Band to sell candles and cookie dough, as well as a car wash for the BHS Track and Field teams.

In the principals’ reports, BES has 390 students enrolled and 80 in day care. They celebrated Red Ribbon Week and are in the midst of a book fair. BA’s enrollment is 1,176 students with 225 digital students, and 75 digital students recently returned to school. They had benchmarks and held virtual parent/teacher

conferences. Now, 854 students are enrolled at BSA with 119 digital students. The school recently had 67 digital students return to in person learning. A virtual Multicultural Diversity Day was recently held and students celebrated Bus Driver Appreciation Week. BMS has an enrollment of 1,305 students with 170 students being digital, and 108 students recently returned to in person learning. The BMS Chorus has its fall concert available on its website for viewing. BHS has 1,666 students enrolled with 340 students still enrolled in digital learning. The CTAE clubs had a virtual conference. Students are in the process of electing their student leadership. National Signing Day will be

held at the Performing Arts Center on Nov. 11.

Dr. Downs and Beard went over the recently released Niche rankings. Buford was selected for the sixth consecutive year as the No. 1 Public School System in the state. Dr. Lacrecia Smith gave an update on the Diversity and Inclusion Program. The school system recently celebrated the Hispanic Heritage Month, Multicultural Diversity and teacher training is ongoing.

Beard asked the attendees if they had any business to present to the board and as no one came forward, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be held at noon Nov. 9, 2020, with the location to be determined.

Lanier High School students join North Gwinnett Voice for internships

Jordan Askew is a new Lanier Cluster intern for the North Gwinnett Voice. Born in Atlanta, she has been in Gwinnett schools for her entire educational career. She has been in the Lanier Cluster specifically since eighth grade, previously being in the Mill Creek and North Gwinnett cluster. She is now 17 years old and is in her senior year at Lanier High School. She will be graduating in spring 2021.

Jordan is very artistically inclined, and she really enjoys photography, music and art. Photography is one of her favorite hobbies, and it’s part of the reason why she wanted to pursue this particular internship.

“I knew it would give me a chance to try different things in photography that I’ve never done before,” she said.

Jordan also really enjoys music. She is a bassist for the school orchestra on the double bass and has been playing the instrument for six years.

“I love it so much that I decided that I wanted to do something in music around the age of 11,” she said.

Jordan plans to go to college and study music education. She said her dream is to join a major orchestra or symphony. She is currently in AP music theory and has volunteered to be in Orchestra LGPE (Large Group Performance Evaluation) for the past three years.

“I’ve been told for most of my life that I have a musical gift when it comes to not only orchestra, but like music in general,” she said.

Jordan also enjoys art. She is currently taking AP art and is a member of the art club at Lanier.

Aside from music and art, Jordan’s favorite subject in school is math. She said it comes to her much easier than other academic subjects.

“Memorizing formulas and math logic comes naturally to me,” she said.

Jordan does well academically and has been on the honor roll since sixth grade.

When asked about her biggest inspiration, Jordan named her mother.

“She’s a counselor, so I really admire her drive to help others,” Jordan said.

Asked about her favorite book, she named “Emergency Contact” by Mary H.K. Choi.

Outside of her academic and artistic pursuits, Jordan enjoys traveling.

Greyson Watkins, a new North Gwinnett Voice intern, is a senior at Lanier High School. Greyson, who also goes by the nickname Grey, is 17 years old and was born in Macon, Georgia. He has been a part of the Lanier Cluster Schools in Buford since his second grade year.

In school, Greyson is a part of Lanier High School’s Center of Design and Technology, a Georgia Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics-certified program that allows students to learn about robotics, game development and software development.

“The kinship is something I’ve always appreciated in CDAT,” Greyson said. “The large access to technology and machines is greatly appreciated as well.”

Greyson is also part of the Chess Club and has been a member since last school year.

Outside of school, Greyson likes to play video games, make music and read. He has been playing guitar for four years and piano for two. His favorite books are “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson, “Negroes with Guns” by Robert F. Williams and “Autobiography of Malcolm X”. He enjoyed Malcolm X’s autobiography so much, he says Malcolm X has inspired him the most throughout his life because of the way he prevailed through troubling times through hard work. Greyson also said he highly recommends this autobiography to anyone.

Greyson has not decided on his plans for a future career. He said he knows he wants to go to college but is unsure of what major to pursue. He plans to attend a local college for

two years and then later finish his degree at a larger college.

Non-fiction writing is one of Greyson’s interests. Because of this interest, he was intrigued in becoming a North Gwinnett Voice intern.

“Non-fiction writing has always been something that I’ve wanted to do, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity,” he said.

Sugar Hill Elementary honors Teacher of the Year Katie Blum

Greyson Watkins

“She is a very outgoing and creative teacher,” said Sophie Watkins, a former student of Ms. Katie Blum, who has been named Sugar Hill Elementary’s Teacher of the Year for the 2020-2021 school year.

Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Ms. Blum moved to Georgia in 2015. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and elementary education, as well as a master’s degree in theory and practice in teacher education and elementary education from the University of Tennessee. She attended Georgia College and State University for her specialist degree in education.

Ms. Blum started teaching in 2015, working with various grades at Riverside Elementary School. In 2016, she transferred to Sugar Hill Elementary, where she has been teaching second graders ever since.

At home, Ms. Blum enjoys watching Tennessee and Clemson football. She lives with her husband, Joshua Blum, and their dog Nellie.

Ms. Blum has tremendous passion for teaching.

“For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher,” she said. “I was very blessed to know my dream career from a very early age.”

Ms. Blum encourages a very energetic classroom. She believes in incorporating kinesthetic learning in her lessons.

“I also believe that children are most successful in active classrooms that incorporate ...

Kristy Shea recognized by White Oak Elementary

Adversity during this school year has resulted in the need for dedicated teachers. Ms. Kristy Shea, a first-grade teacher at White Oak Elementary, is one of those dedicated educators.

movement, songs and hands-on activities,” she said, adding she likes to dress up herself and the classroom to help “bring my students’ learning to life.”

When asked about her teaching philosophy, Ms. Blum shared that genuine relationships are key.

“Children learn and thrive most when they know their teacher truly loves, respects and supports them in all of their academic and personal adventures,” she said.

Creating these relationships with her students is her favorite

part of teaching.

“The relationships that I nurture with my tiny humans makes the long hours and challenging work worth every second,” she said.

Ms. Blum said being recognized as Teacher of the Year by her peers has been a great honor.

“I am so blessed to work with some of the most incredible educators at the sweetest school in Georgia,” she said.

Ms. Blum has been named a semi-finalist for Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year for 20202021.

Ms. Shea graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in child and family development and a minor in dance. She later earned her Masters of Arts in early childhood education from Brenau University.

Ms. Shea has worked in Gwinnett County for 13 years, with five of those years spent at White Oak. Before joining GPCS, she worked in Fayetteville County Public Schools as a substitute teacher teaching PE, music and art classes, and teaching within P-5, special education and special area classrooms. She was also a dance instructor.

“Before I began teaching in the classroom, I taught dance for several years,” she said.

Ms. Shea began teaching in traditional classrooms once her son was born and said, “No matter what I’m teaching, I love the relationships, and I love seeing students grow!”

Ms. Shea’s teaching philosophy is based around the idea that everyone is a learner.

“First, I believe everyone is a learner. From the moment we are born, and throughout our lives, we learn new things each day,” she said. “I also believe we don’t all learn at the same time or the same way. As an educator, I believe learning about my students is essential, so I can help them to learn.”

Ms. Shea said she has developed a habit of innovation in finding ways to keep her virtual students engaged, and she creates an environment where students know they matter and are comfortable trying new things.

Being named Teacher of the Year was a bittersweet moment for Ms. Shea because the other finalist was her co-teacher, Ms. Lisa Neal, whom Ms. Shea has known for a long time. Although Ms. Shea had hoped Ms. Neal would win, she was honored that she could represent White Oak.

“I am very grateful to be a part of the White Oak community,” Ms. Shea said. “The students, the families and my colleagues are all phenomenal. This community is one of the most kind, most hardworking and most supportive communities I’ve ever been a part of.”

Ms. Shea has been named a semi-finalist for the 2020-2021 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year award.

Robotics club makes adjustments heading into seventh year

Greyson Watkins

BUFORD — Gearing up for their seventh year of competition, the Lanier High School robotics club has had to make a few adjustments this year.

The club was founded in 2012 by teacher Mike Reilly and is associated with the organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), as Team 4509. Every year, the club constructs a robot from the ground up and takes it to compete against other schools, where team members have the opportunity to win scholarships and recognition. The students in the club handle the designing, building and programming of their robot. The club competes under the name Mechanical Bulls.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused trouble for the team, especially with the significant increase in members this school year. Earlier in the year, the second FIRST Robotics Competition of 2020 was cancelled. In the 2020-2021 school year, the club had to implement masks and social distancing in its meetings. These in-person meetings have been supplemented with online meetings for students who chose

the digital learning option. While the online participants cannot work with the robot physically, they can still help with its programming and watch its progress. The pandemic has also made the team’s future uncertain, as the 2021 tournaments are in limbo.

“We’ve made the difficult decision to open FIRST Robotics Competition registration built around a season experience that does not include in-person game play,” the FIRST website states. “If conditions change, we will evaluate the possibility of adding in-person game play events later this season.”

In Robotics Club, students learn skills they won’t find in their normal classes. The club uses a room called the Makerspace, a space filled with all types of sophisticated tools and technology. There are 3D printers, saws, laser cutters and a variety of other machines. Members of the club learn how to use this tech safely and effectively in service of making a great robot.

The 2021 FIRST Robotics Competition season is scheduled to kickoff Jan. 9, 2021, and despite the obstacles, the Mechanical Bulls intend to compete.

Buford moves to state finals after win over Kennesaw Mountain

Staff Reports

BUFORD — The Buford Lady Wolves volleyball team hosted Kennesaw Mountain in the GHSA Class AAAAAA State Championship Final Four on Oct. 31.

Buford had a commanding performance from the start as players knocked out their sets against Kennesaw Mountain 2517, 25-12, 25-19. This win puts the Lady Wolves back into the state finals for the first time since 2017, with Buford having fallen just shy in the semifinals the last two years.

Sophomore Ashley Sturzoiu had a good performance with 10 kills and 14 digs for Buford. All season long, senior setter Grace

Adams has done a great job at spreading the ball around to her teammates and this match was no exception. She set Mikayla Hayden and Sydney Austin up with eight kills, Camryn Carlton had six kills and Kiana Polk got five kills.

The Lady Wolves played great defense as well with Hayden getting five blocks and Carlton four blocks. Senior Macy Upshaw shined with 26 digs for Buford.

This win puts Buford’s overall season record at 32-2.

Buford will play for the GHSA Class AAAAAA State Championship title against Pope at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Lakepoint Sports Complex in Cartersville.

Buford varsity softball team racks up post-season honors

Staff Reports

The Buford Wolves varsity softball team in its first year in Class AAAAAA dominated the region and finished in the top four in the state playoffs. Buford had a good mix of players both underclassmen and upperclassmen.

The Gwinnett Diamond Club recognized senior Abbi Perkins as its defensive player of the year. The Wolves took home the Program of the Year award. Sophomore pitcher Olivia Duncan, senior outfielder Emmy Hall and freshman infielder Mackenzie Pickens each earned All-County honors. Senior outfielder Alicia Ross was recognized as a Scholar Athlete.

The honors for Buford’s players did not stop there. The head coaches of the teams in Region

8-AAAAAA met recently and voted on which players would make the All-Region team. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players, which means receiving this designation is a high honor.

Perkins was named the Region 8-AAAAAA Player of the Year, while freshman Emma Grace Williams was voted Region Pitcher of the Year. The Buford players who made the All-Region team are Duncan, sophomore catcher Emma Castorri, junior infielder Taylor Malvin, Mackenzie Pickens, Hall and freshman outfielder Madison Pickens.

Buford finished its season with an overall record of 32-8 and was undefeated in Region 8-AAAAAA at 15-0.

Congratulations to these players!

The Buford High School Varsity Football Player of the Week is #47 Brett Rogers. The 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound senior plays in the position of defensive end for the Wolves. In the game against Habersham Central, Rogers had four tackles, one tackle for a loss, one quarterback pressure and 0.5 sacks. Rogers also had two tackles, a sack and a safety for Buford in a game against Shiloh.

Congratulations, Brett Rogers! Keep up the good work!