Vol 5 No 3 01/29/2021

Your Town. Your Paper. Your Voice.

Friday, January 29, 2021

CELEBRATING

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL

— PAGES 8-9 —

Vol. 5, No. 3 • 16 Pages • FREE

House representative ejected from Gold Dome — read an exclusive interview

• Page 5

New boutique opens on Buford’s historic Main Street offering variety of merchandise

• Page 11

Reader of the Week Zayna Padania

Meet Zayna Padania, a fifth-grader at the Buford Senior Academy. Zayna has six people in her family, including herself, and she also has a dog named Zoey! Zayna loves to play softball, eat tacos and without a doubt, she loves to read.

Zayna’s teachers are Mrs. Glenn, Mrs. Sullins and Mr. Novales, and this week, Zayna is being honored as the Reader of the Week because of her love and devotion to reading.

Zayna said “The Land of Stories” by Chris Colfer is her favorite book series because they are fantasy novels, her favorite genre to be exact. Also, she loves how all of the fairy tale characters within the novels are so different from how humans perceive them. Besides her favorite book series, Zayna’s favorite author is Erin Hunter.

“She created ‘The Warriors’ and ‘The Survivors’ series, and they are super good books,” Zayna said.

Mrs. Sara Blankenship, Buford’s Senior Academy’s media specialist, speaks on Zayna Padania’s love for reading. She said, “Zayna is a fantastic reader. She is always up for a new challenge and she’s already read almost two million words this year!”

Congratulations on being named Reader of the Week, Zayna! — Emily Hammond

The following reports were filed by the Gwinnett County Police Department between Jan. 4-21, 2021.

• A report of simple assault was filed in the 1900 block of Frontier Drive NE in Sugar Hill.

• Reports of battery were made in the Satellite Boulevard NW/McGinnis Ferry Road NW area of Suwanee, 4600 block of Candlewyck Way NE in Buford and 4100 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford.

• Gwinnett police responded to reports of simple battery in the 4600 block of Lois Drive NE in Sugar Hill, 550 block of Creek Dale Way NE in Buford, 4200 block of S Lee Street NE in Buford, 3100 block of Gravel Springs Road NE in Buford, 2900 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford, 2600 block of Oak Log Way NE in Buford and 3300 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford.

• A forced-entry, residential burglary attempt was reported in the 600 block of Wood Branch Trail NE in Suwanee.

• A non-forced entry, residential burglary was reported in the 2900 block of Copper Trail Lane NE in Buford.

• A forced-entry, non-residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of Peachtree Industrial

CRIME LOG

Boulevard NE in Sugar Hill.

• Gwinnett police responded to a report of criminal damage in the second degree in the 2200 block of Ivy Crest Drive NE in Buford.

• Criminal damage to property in the second degree was reported in the 800 block of Level Creek Road NE in Sugar Hill.

• Vandalism was reported in the 3300 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford.

• A report of illegal discharging of firearms was made in the 0 block of E Main Street NE in Buford.

• Gwinnett police responded to a report of pointing or aiming a gun/ pistol at another in the 2400 block of Suncrest Court NE in Buford.

• DUI arrests for alcohol were made in the Buford Highway NE/S Church Street NE area, E Main Street/Wiley Drive area, I-85 North on-ramp at Buford Drive area and Buford Drive NE/S Bogan Road NE area. Buford locations.

• Reports of disorderly conduct were made in the 2700 block of Mall of Georgia Boulevard NE and 3700 block of Buford Drive NE. Buford addresses.

• Motor vehicle thefts were reported in the 2000 block of Buford Dam Road NE, 2900 block of Buford Drive NE and 2300 block of Copper Trail Lane NE. Buford addresses.

• Gwinnett police responded to a report of entering auto/larceny of articles from vehicle in the 5600 block of Riverside Walk Drive NE in Sugar Hill, 3300 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford, 1200 block of Mall of Georgia Boulevard NE in Buford (two incidents) and 1900 block of Mall of Georgia Boulevard NE in Buford.

• Reports of larceny/theft by deception were filed in the 1100 block of Magical Way NE in Sugar Hill and the 4300 block of Hamilton Mill Road NE in Buford.

• Reports of larceny/theft by taking were made in the 5000 block of W Broad Street in Sugar Hill, 4400 block of S Lee Street NE in Buford, 2200 block of Skylar Leigh Drive NE in Buford, 2600 block of Buford Dam Road NE in Buford, 2000 block of Buford Dam Road NE in Buford, 3300 block of Buford Drive NE in Buford, 1500 block of Laurel Crossing Parkway NE in Buford, 1700 block of Ivy Stone Court NE in Buford, 3200 block of Buford Drive in Buford, 1800 block of Appaloosa Mill Court NE in Buford.

• Reports of larceny/theft of services were filed in the 0 block of Level Creek Road NE in Sugar Hill and 3400 block of Financial Center Way NE in Buford.

Buford resident reports being extorted by woman he met online

Staff Reports

A Gwinnett County police officer was dispatched on Jan. 5 to handle a call from a Buford resident receiving harassing phone calls. Upon meeting with the victim, the officer learned that the situation involved extortion.

• Gwinnett police responded to a report of theft by extortion in the 2000 block of Appaloosa Mill Circle NE in Buford.

• Theft by shoplifting was reported in the 2100 block of Buford Dam Road NE, 3300 block of Buford Drive NE (four incidents), 1700 block of Mall of Georgia Boulevard NE (two incidents) and 3700 block of Buford Drive NE. Buford addresses.

The following reports were filed by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office between Jan. 4-21, 2021.

• A death investigation was conducted in the 5800 block of Lakeshore Drive in Buford.

• Aggravated assault was reported in the 3300 block of Lee Drive in Buford.

• A report of masturbation for hire was made in the 4900 block of Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford.

• Deputies responded to a report of keeping a place of prostitution in the 4900 block of Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford.

• Violation of a family violence order/temporary restraining order was reported in the 3900 block of Crimson Ridge Way in Buford.

• Criminal damage to property in the second degree was reported

in the 5900 block of Whispering Pines in Buford.

• An arrest for DUI — drugs was made in the 6300 block of Saint Barts Court/Gaines Ferry Road in Flowery Branch.

• A report of trespassing on personal property was filed in the 5000 block of B U Bowman Drive in Buford.

• Deputies responded to a report of theft by taking — motor vehicle parts in the 1100 block of Parkway Industrial Park Drive in Buford.

• Reports of theft by taking — greater than $1,500 were made in the 6200 block of Rock Port Drive in Flowery Branch, 5900 block of Nachoochee Trail in Flowery Branch, 6100 block of Atlanta Highway in Flowery Branch, 4100 block of Brentwood Drive in Buford and 5000 block of Bristol Industrial Way in Buford.

• Reports of theft by taking — less than $1,500 were made in the 5900 block of Terrace Lake Point in Flowery Branch, 6400 block of Snelling Mill Road in Flowery Branch, 800 block of Gainesville Highway in Buford, 1000 block of Parkway Industrial Park Drive in Buford, 4900 block of B U Bowman Drive in Buford and 900 block of Sherwin Parkway in Buford.

Sugar Hill resident uses phone to track stolen smartwatch to nearby residence

Staff Reports

The victim made a payment to the woman via Western Union, but she claimed to have never received the money.

The victim told police that the woman has his phone number and address. He also provided the officer with his wife’s phone number, as she was aware of the situation, and he has difficulty hearing over the phone.

The victim was advised to contact police again if the woman continued to demand money or showed up at his home.

The victim told police he met a woman online through xvideos.com. The woman wanted to meet the victim at a hotel, but he declined and instead sent the woman full-body pictures of him exposing himself. The woman then demanded $800 and said she would post the pictures online the next morning if she wasn’t paid.

A Sugar Hill resident contacted the Gwinnett County Police Department on Jan. 7 to report that his smartwatch had been stolen while he was at the E Center.

The victim said he was there working out from 3 to 6 p.m. Jan 6 and had put his watch in his pocket. When he went home, he noticed the watch was missing.

Using his phone to track the watch, the victim found it at a residence in a nearby subdivision. He and a friend went to the residence, where they suspected someone was home but were unable to make contact. They left a note

about the watch on the door. Later, the victim received a phone call from someone who at first denied knowing anything about the watch but later said a girl he knew had “sticky fingers.” That person also contacted the victim from a blocked phone number and said someone else may have taken the watch.

The victim told the responding officer that the watch was still showing at the same residence.

No further action was taken by the officer. Reports of thefts at the E Center in Sugar Hill have increased lately, and residents are encouraged to secure their belongings while visiting the facility.

Restaurant inspections

The following restaurant health inspection scores were pulled from the Georgia Department of Health between Jan. 4-24, 2021.

• 2 Plus 2 — 3890 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd Suite 500 Suwanee; 100

• Arby’s Restaurant — 2610 Old Winder Highway Braselton; 96

• Bada Sushi — 2790 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd Suite 185 Suwanee; 88

• Bare Bones Steakhouse — 101 E Main St NE Buford; 96

• Big Burritos Mexican Grill — 3652 Wallis Road, Flowery Branch; 100

• Bon Bon — 3131 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd Suite A-6 Suwanee; 82

• Café Amico — 320 Town Center Ave Suite 9A Suwanee; 99

• Chick-fil-A FSU #4006 — 2600 Old Winder Hwy Braselton, 100

• China House — 5965 Cumming Hwy NE Suite 750 Sugar Hill; 89

• Chipotle Mexican Grill — 3186 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd Suwanee; 97

• Choi’s Grill — 1500 Peachtree Industrial Blvd Suite 190 Suwanee; 95

• El Sombrero #6 — 5900 Spout Springs Road, Ste E5, Flowery Branch; 87

• Firehouse Subs — 3465 Braselton Hwy Suite 150 Dacula; 94

• Golden Palace Express — 2115 Hamilton Creek Pkwy Suite 104 Dacula; 94

• Holy Smokes Barbecue — 1862 Auburn Rd Suite 117 Dacula; 100

• Homerun Nutrition — 5458 McEver Road, Ste C-2, Flowery Branch; 100

www.northgwinnettvoice.com info@northgwinnettvoice.com

Jessica Wilson, Publisher 706-633-0334 • jessica@northgwinnettvoice.com

Alicia Couch Payne, Editorial Manager 404-453-5261 • alicia@northgwinnettvoice.com

Deanna Allen, Assistant Editor/Creative Design 770-883-9530 • deanna@northgwinnettvoice.com

• Jimmy John’s Sandwiches — 3730 Buford Dr Buford; 88

• John Pho N’ Bar — 3446 Winder Highway, Ste 503, Flowery Branch; 90

• Kung Fu Tea — 1291 Old Peachtree Rd NW Suite 402 Suwanee; 100

• La Mixteca Tamales House — 1185 Old Peachtree Rd NW Suite D Suwanee; 84

• La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant — 3446 Winder Highway, Ste O, Flowery Branch; 100

• Little Caesars #3393-035 — 5866 Spout Springs Road, Ste D, Flowery Branch; 100

• McDonald’s — 7370 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch; 90

• Papa John’s #2973 — 4605 Elk Ridge Court, Flowery Branch; 91

• Pearls Tea — 3131 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd Suite A2 Suwanee; 96

• Peyton’s Pie Company — 5609 Main St., Ste A, Flowery Branch; 95

• Pizza Hut 4243 — 5885 Cumming Hwy NE Suite 301 Buford; 96

• Praise the Lard BBQ — 1350 Buford Hwy NE Suite 109 Buford; 100

• Restaurante La Casa Del Taco — 5533 Atlanta Highway, Flowery Branch; 100

• Shane’s Rib Shack — 5877 Spout Springs Road, Ste D500, Flowery Branch; 100

• Silverbacks Sports Center — 4285 Brogdon Exchange NE Suwanee; 100

• Sliced Pizza — 3458 Winder Highway, Ste 110, Flowery Branch; 88

• Sopranos Grill — 5783 Old Winder Highway, Ste 211, Braselton; 95

• Starbucks — 6001 Cumming Hwy NE Sugar Hill; 100

• Subway — 2740 Braselton Hwy Suite A1 Dacula; 93

• Subway #59634 — 4025 Winder Highway, Ste 500, Flowery Branch; 100

• Sushi Heeya — 7380 Spout Springs Road, Ste 430, Flowery Branch; 90

• Taco Bell — 6011 Highway 53, Braselton; 90

• Your Pie — 3370 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd Suite 100/102 Suwanee; 96

• Wild Wing Café — 3519 Braselton Hwy B-100 Dacula; 100

Suwanee residents face charges of keeping place of prostitution

Reports

Two Suwanee residents are facing charges stemming from an undercover investigation by the Gainesville/Hall County Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad into illegal prostitution-related activities.

@northgwinnettvoice | @gwinnettvoice

Staff Writers: Joy W. Fowler

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: From left, Buford City Schools students Elliott Nichols, Dylan Iszard, Porter Cole, Maisley Hastings and Nori Barnes celebrate the 100th day of school dressed as rock stars • Design by Deanna Allen

Yuxia Zhang, 43, was arrested Jan. 7 at Good Massage in the 4900 block of Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford. She is charged with keeping a place of prostitution and masturbation for hire. Zhang was released from the Hall County Jail on Jan. 8 on a $2,600 bond. Investigators obtained an arrest warrant on Jan. 11 for Yu Ying Chen, 26, who is also charged with keeping a place of prostitution in a separate case for allowing an employee to conduct masturbation for hire at her business, Snow Massage, also in the 4900 block of

Chen

Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford. Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Chen on Jan. 12. She posted a $1,300 bond and was released from the Hall County Jail on Jan. 13. Chen’s employee, Baoyu Zheng, 54, of Duluth, also faces charges in the investigation.

State representative ejected from House chamber after refusing test

Joy W. Fowler

ATLANTA — Moments after Rep. David Clark, R-Buford, was seated in the Georgia Capitol for Tuesday’s legislative session, Speaker of the House David Ralston publicly called on “a member” who had refused to submit to COVID testing to exit the Chamber, then called on Capitol police to escort Clark out. Clark walked out voluntarily without incident and was later denied access to his legislative office.

Clark, who has served North Gwinnett’s legislative District 98 at the state level since 2015, privately discussed his concerns with state leaders about the new requirement for all members and House staff to be tested twice weekly during the 2021 session. In a statement to a local news outlet posted on Twitter, Clark indicated his being called out publicly came as a surprise after his prior conversation with House leaders.

“I’m all about following the CDC guidelines,” Clark, an Army Ranger and combat veteran, said. “We do masks, temperature checks, six-feet social distancing, and have followed their protocol this entire time, but that’s not (what) we’re doing in the House now; we’re making up our own guidelines.”

Amidst the growing tumult of concern regarding a daily stream of ever-changing mixed data swirling around the topic of COVID-19, citizens are increasingly searching for answers on COVID safety. On Jan.

“

I don’t want to make this political, but that’s what it is. And someone is paying for this; I guarantee you it’s not free. Nothing in politics is free.

”— Rep. David

Clark

20, the World Health Organization released an updated guide on PCR testing, relieving some of the stringency of testing criteria, which will lead to a decrease in positive cases. Within a matter of days after the presidential inauguration, multiple locked-down states, including California and Michigan, have announced their reopening. Combined with the rising distrust of Georgia’s top elected officials, Georgia residents are speaking out for honesty and integrity.

“It makes no sense to do this twice a week; if we’re really trying to protect people, then we need to be doing it every day — and we shouldn’t be doing the rapid tests,” Clark said, citing the inaccuracy of the rapid antigen tests versus the PCR tests, which provide more accurate results but come with a longer wait time.

Clark’s assertions are not without background or merit. In November

Rep. David Clark, seen here speaking to his colleagues about a piece of legislation up for vote in a previous legislative session, was singled out for not taking a COVID-19 test and ejected from the Georgia House Chamber on Jan. 26, 2021. Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. David Clark

2020, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made headlines after taking four sequential rapid antigen COVID tests in the same day, two of which were positive and two negative, as reported by CNN and ABC News Los Angeles.

The November article released by CNN Business writer Jackie Wattles stated, “ … medical professionals are well aware that rapid antigen tests can be inaccurate and generate false negative or, more rarely, false positive results.”

“One of my constituents who’s a nurse told me she’d sent in five clean, unused tests,” Clark said in an interview with The North Gwinnett Voice on Tuesday, Jan. 26. “All five of those clean tests she submitted were re-

turned with a positive result.”

Clark has been vocal in his criticism of Speaker David Ralston, a criminal defense attorney, having challenged him for the speakership in November 2020 and publicly citing a number of ethics violations of which Ralston has been accused.

Ralston has faced numerous allegations of abuses of power in his 10 years as Georgia Speaker of the House, including a reprimand settlement reached with the Georgia Bar Association in 2016 for co-mingling funds in a 2014 complaint. A joint investigation by the AJC and Channel 2 Action News outlined continued misuses of power by Ralston, who repeatedly used his legislative priv-

ilege to delay and ultimately deny justice for victims of violent crimes. The investigation stated that Ralston claimed to be unavailable for court due to legislative duties. In a February 19, 2019, article in the AJC, writer Johnny Edwards wrote, “In case after case reviewed by the newspaper and Channel 2, Ralston utilized the provision repeatedly. One man’s DUI case has been pending for more than a decade, delayed at least 17 times by Ralston. A man charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes has been awaiting trial since 2009, with Ralston filing for 14 delays.”

The 2014 rape and molestation of a 14-year-old Towns County girl awaited trial for over five years, only to end in a 10-year probation deal. The case was repeatedly stalled by Ralston’s legislative duty claims. The victim’s mother said, “I think Mr. Ralston knows exactly what he’s doing.”

In 2019, a former FBI agent said that, since becoming Speaker of the House, Ralston had delayed 226 cases approximately 966 times, according to The Associated Press.

Clark said his name was just one on a list of 19 out of 20 representatives who had also not tested for COVID. However, none of the other representatives were called out in the session and removed from the Chamber.

“I don’t want to make this political, but that’s what it is. And someone is paying for this; I guarantee you it’s not free,” Clark said. “Nothing in politics is free.”

Kindness cues: Neighborhood gifts postal carrier after Christmas accident

Joy W. Fowler

SUGAR HILL — One has to look no further than the United States Postal Service for a picture of the frenzy many feel during the holiday season. As we frantically shop and ship, our local postal workers are typically hard at work, delivering our “it’s-the-thought-that-counts” goods, burning up the roads around us as they race against Santa’s rapidly ticking clock. The week of December 12, 2020, Gwinnett County mail carrier Darlene Bales was running her daily route on Highway 20 in Sugar Hill near Lanier Animal Hospital when a driver pulled out in

front of her, causing her USPS truck to flip.

Sugar Hill residents Kevin Henderson and Yuri Vidal witnessed the accident, called 911 and stopped to offer assistance and stay with the badly injured driver of the mail truck until medical help arrived. The good Samaritans recognized Darlene as the mail carrier for their Arbor Clos subdivision and, in the spirit of the season, sparked a neighborhood-wide fundraising effort when they shared their story with neighbors.

The Arbor Clos social committee, chaired by Arielle Book and Beth Stanley, picked up on their kindness cues and carried it a step further, launching and organizing a collection of

cash to help Bales.

“Darlene had been working so hard with the strain of the holidays,” said Jennifer Thatcher, HOA secretary for Arbor Clos. “It broke my heart to know she was injured while taking care of us.”

With facial scars still healing, Bales returned to her mail route on Jan. 16, surprised to be greeted in the street by two residents who had been waiting for over a month with a special piece of mail to deliver to her.

In a Facebook neighborhood group post on Jan. 16, Book wrote:

“Jennifer Thatcher and I stopped Darlene

mid route and gave her her gift. She later messaged me that she waited to open the card until she was with her daughters. They took guesses as to how much it was (I told her it was money) and they guessed around $200.”

Through tears, Bales said she was grateful and blown away by the thoughtfulness of the Arbor Clos neighborhood. Book said the final amount raised was $1,225 and credited her neighbors for being such wonderful, giving people.

See the good and tell us about the Kindness Cues you witness! Email joy@northgwinnettvoice. com.

Student of the Week

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE CITY OF BUFORD

Tommy Olawole

EIGHTH GRADE

Tommy Olawole is an eighth grader at Buford Middle School. He was born right here in Buford, where he has lived his whole life. Tommy has two older brothers at Buford High School, Timi and Tobi. Tobi is a junior this year, and Timi is a senior. Both Timi and Tobi play on the football team. Tommy started at Buford in kindergarten, but before that, he attended the preschool near Buford City Hall, where he was taught by Ms. Tasha and Ms. Angela.

Tommy is already a busy student at the middle school, participating in many extracurricular activities. The past two years, he has run on the BMS track team, and he plans to run again this year. In addition to running track, Tommy is on the BMS Debate Team, Technology Student Association (TSA), Win TV (the BMS weekly news show) and he is part of the concert band. Tommy is the president of TSA and a very active member of the Debate Team. He strives to win all of his debates and preside at all TSA meetings. To date, he has only lost one debate, and he has never missed a meeting. Tommy also finished in sixth place in the state competition last year for TSA.

In his free time, Tommy likes to keep himself informed on current events. He

likes to watch the news and he actively keeps up with American politics. Tommy is also an avid reader. He loves to read books about social sciences and autobiographies. He has also recently begun experimenting in the kitchen as he is learning how to cook.

Tommy is an excellent student at BMS, and he looks forward to continuing his success at the high school level. His favorite subject in school, by far, is social studies. Tommy loves to learn about all sorts of topics in social studies, but wars, government and geography are his favorites. Despite his love for social studies, Tommy’s favorite class he has taken at BMS is family and consumer sciences, where students learn certain life skills like cooking and sewing.

Tommy’s favorite teacher at Buford is Mrs. Oates. He has known her son Colin since the two were in kindergarten, and he currently has her for his social studies class this year. Tommy said she is very welcoming and her class is interesting and comfortable for him when he walks in every day.

While he still has lots of time to make some decisions while in high school, right now Tommy plans to attend college and major in political science with a pre-law concentration. He wants to use his love of social studies and government, as well as politics, to help him to get into politics, and hopefully become a member of the U.S. Congress. Tommy will surely continue his high level of academic success as he transitions from middle school into high school. His dedication and hard work will undoubtedly pay off for him, both in high school and beyond. Best of luck to Tommy in his last year of middle school and his transition into high school. Go Wolves!

— Torin Smith

Opinion: Foreign-owned US farmland is cause for concern

Alicia Couch Payne

When one thinks of America’s farmland, the vision of an American farmer and his family tending to their crops in the heart of the United States’ Midwest and Great Plains comes to mind. While this might have once been the norm, it is anything but these days.

According to a February 2020 study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2019, the United States had just over 897 million acres devoted to farming. This may seem like a lot, but the number of acres of farmland decreased by 2.1 million acres in just one year’s time.

The farmers most people think of are growing older and their children or other family members do not wish to continue in their footsteps. This has led to farms being put into corporate trusts and the land rented out or sold outright. The same study showed that the number of farms decreased by 5,800 over the same year’s time.

Who is purchasing the land once the traditional farmers sell? American farmland is a highly sought after commodity with corpo-

rate giants and investors rapidly snatching up the acreage for sale. It’s not just domestic corporations buying up agricultural land across the country, foreign corporations and even governments are paying top dollar for the nation’s food-producing acres.

The North Gwinnett Voice asked local residents, “Would you be concerned if foreign companies or governments controlled America’s farmland thus our food supply?” in a recent poll on Facebook. The findings of the poll show that 92.3 percent of those who answered the poll said they would be concerned about foreign control of American farmland, while only 7.7 percent were not concerned.

The amount of American farmland owned by foreign corporations or governments was nearly 30 million acres, according to a May 27, 2019, article published by NPR. To put that into context, that amount of land would be roughly the size of Pennsylvania or Mississippi.

While Canada currently holds the most farmland by a foreign government, China is aggressively buying up American farmland. China’s 2013 purchase of the world’s largest

Sugar Hill will become first city outside perimeter to use Soofa signs

Staff Reports

New signage coming to Sugar Hill makes it the first city outside the perimeter and the second city in the state to boast the new technology.

The Soofa signs are solar-powered and feature an electronic display. In the first phase of installation, three of the signs will be placed in the city’s downtown district and will display small business offerings, local events, community surveys, and city updates.

“Sugar Hill is excited to be bringing this state-of-the-art technology to our city,” Mayor Steve Edwards said. “The Soofa signs will provide us the ease and flexibility needed to communicate with our constituents effectively, whether it’s alerting them about public health guidelines or inviting them to take part in our citywide events. We’re excited to deploy Soofa’s technology to keep Sugar Hill residents in touch with one another and with the city even as we remain physically separated.”

pork producer, Smithfield Foods, raised red flags with many. WH Group, a Chinese corporation, purchased Smithfield Foods for nearly $5 billion, the largest Chinese acquisition of an American company to date.

The acquisition of Smithfield Foods put 146,000 acres of American farmland into Chinese hands, making China one of the largest overseas owners of farmland in the United States. Smithfield Foods puts out a variety of pork products sold under familiar brands like Cook’s, Eckrich, Gwaltney, John Morrell, Krakus and Smithfield.

Restrictions regarding foreign entities purchasing American farmland vary state to state with only six states having laws banning foreign ownership of farmland. Those states are Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota and Oklahoma. Maine and Texas have the most foreign-owned farmland in the nation.

The ramifications of the ever-increasing foreign-controlled American farmland could be massive. Having potentially hostile foreign entities with land in America’s heartland poses a major security threat. They could

host spies, introduce diseases that could wipe out crops and livestock and have a foothold to launch attacks. They could control America’s food supply chain and could potentially impact the quantity, quality and price of food products.

Perhaps the most immediate threats are to local communities. These foreign investors often buy these farms well above market value thus driving up the land prices so the average American cannot afford to compete to buy land of their own. Foreign investors do not put back into the local communities in which they own their farmlands. The land is used to profit entities in distant lands and the wealth derived from the land is no longer being put back into American communities. While it might be impossible to stop all foreign investment, it is possible to encourage state lawmakers to tighten their restrictions on foreign entities purchasing land within the state of Georgia.

If you are interested in finding your local state lawmakers, you can find them by going to https://www.legis.ga.gov/ find-my-legislator.

100th day of school takes on new meaning

Alicia Couch Payne

It is a long-standing tradition within Buford Elementary School, Buford Academy and Buford Senior Academy of celebrating the 100th day of school by dressing up as either rock stars or elderly people. This year, this celebration takes on an extra special meaning.

After school was moved to being fully digital in March of last year and having ended the 2019-2020 school year that way, many questioned whether students would be able to return to in-person learning for the 2020-2021 school year.

Administrators with Buford City Schools, as well as members of the Board of Education, think children belong in the classrooms, that they miss out on so much in an all-digital learning environment. So the school system worked tirelessly all summer long to prepare to welcome back Buford stu-

dents in person.

Students were welcomed back to the halls of Buford City Schools on Aug. 12, 2020. The school year has been one about being flexible and adaptable as the coronavirus situation has continued to evolve. BCS staff members, parents and students have all had to do their part to make this school year a success.

On Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, Buford City Schools reached the 100th day of school milestone, all the while navigating a pandemic.

“I never had a doubt we would reach 100 days because of the incredible staff working in this district,” said Dr. Robert Downs, superintendent of the Buford City School district. “It has been a total team effort.”

This year has been stressful on everyone, but there’s one common theme coming from BCS parents — thankfulness.

“For our family, making it to our 100th day of school means so much more this year,” said Amanda Rogers, mother of Sam, a third-grader, and first-graders Ben and Leo. ”Our biggest heartbreaks and greatest joys in 2020 were all centered around school. Is it ending? Are we going? Are we staying? When I look around at surrounding schools and bigger districts constantly changing their calendars and schedules, I’m all the more grateful for our little community that believes wholeheartedly that kids need to be in school.”

Kacy Claxton, who is a mother of Karsyn, a kindergartener, as well as a teacher at Buford Elementary School shared her perspective on making it to this part of the school year.

“Making it to the 100th day of school is a huge accomplishment during these uncertain times,” she said. “My daughter started kindergarten this

year and my heart broke for her having to start school wearing masks, social distancing, having dividers between the seats and most of all having to miss out on all the fun Buford traditions! However, Buford has totally rocked it! They’ve made this year extra special even if it meant going out of the way and coming up with ways to make it all happen. Her kindergarten year has been amazing, thanks to Buford! Being a teacher at Buford myself, I can tell you that Buford has done everything they can to make it work!”

Everyone involved in ensuring parents and students have the option to do in-person learning are all rockstars, from the administrators to the school board to the teachers to the custodians who keep the schools extra clean. It also starts at home with the support from parents and students committing to making sure they follow the guidelines. Together we are Buford Strong!

WHERE NOW? are they

Meet Jenna Rolin, a 2016 graduate of Buford High School. Jenna was born in Buford to Shannon and Stacy Rolin. Jenna was also raised in Buford and has lived here since. Jenna has four older brothers — Zachary, 32, Matthew, 30, Cameron, 30, and Spencer, 28. Jenna began at Buford in pre-K and continued through her senior year; she is a “Buford baby”, or as others like to call it, a lifetimer.

Throughout her high school career, Jenna was heavily involved in extracurricular activities. She participated in the Buford Lady Wolves volleyball program up until the 10th grade and she also participated in Buford’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes all four years of high school where she was a part of the leadership team.

At Buford High School, Jenna’s favorite classes were her economics and government courses. Despite her love for those courses, however, the teacher who had the biggest influence on her throughout her high school career was her freshman year math teacher, Mrs. Laura Graves (Laura McAdam now).

“She was always so

Jenna Rolin, Class of 2016

helpful when I needed help which was a lot — haha!

Mrs. Graves was more than a teacher, though,” Jenna said. “She became a friend and was always there to talk to when needed. We are still friends to this day and I am so thankful for her!”

When asked what she has learned at Buford High School and taken into adulthood, Jenna explains, “Buford had high expectations for students. Teachers and staff expected hard work and determination. Even when I didn’t think I had it in myself, my teachers always believed in me.” She continues, “This has helped me far beyond high school. Once I got to

college, I felt more prepared than I ever thought was possible. Sometimes, there are things that feel too hard to even attempt, but having been through many years of being pushed beyond my limits, I know that I can do anything I put my mind to.”

Following her high school graduation in 2016, Jenna went on to attend the University of Georgia, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. There, Jenna received such high performing grades that she made the dean’s list, and to say the least, we didn’t expect any less. Jenna graduated from UGA in May 2020 and she plans to begin her master’s degree in the summer of 2021.

Jenna is a second-grade teacher at Buford Academy, the same school she once attended herself many years earlier. Jenna explains her desire to become a teacher, saying, “Knowing how influential my past teachers were helped my decision in teaching at Buford. I was ready to give back the love and dedication that my teachers gave to me growing up, to my own students. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!”

The 2020-2021 school year is Jenna’s first year teaching. In the midst of a global pandemic, Jenna continues to rise above and show the world what she is capable of overcoming.

“What a year to begin my career,” she said. “It is nothing like I imagined it being, but I wouldn’t change this crazy and unpredictable first year for anything. My sweet students make it all worth it!”

Jenna resides in Buford, where she is very close to her family. She grew up with two amazing parents, four older brothers and now she has

four awesome sisters in law! She became an aunt in 2020 to two sweet baby boys and she absolutely loves being an aunt. At the moment, Jenna is not married, however, she plans to be in a few years! Without a doubt, Jenna Rolin is a true Buford Wolf. Every day, she continues to prove her greatness and show the world what it means to be strong. Jenna Rolin is a hardworking, intelligent and genuine young woman who will go on to change the lives of many students. Once a Wolf, always a Wolf!

— Emily Hammond

New boutique opens its doors on Buford’s historic Main Street

Alicia Couch Payne

BUFORD — Buford’s historic Main Street offers people a variety of unique shops and restaurants to choose from, and now patrons have one more shopping option. Impressions Spirit Wear Boutique opened its doors Jan. 15, 2021, at 95 E. Main St.

The boutique is the brainchild of Tracey Bowman, Kim Fenoglia and Debra Bhalla. Each lady brings something unique to the table, or rather boutique, in this case. The ladies are not completely new to putting out merchandise to sell in a retail environment. Each one previously was a vendor at West Main Trade, a coffee shop and consignment type boutique just down the street. When the owners of West Main Trade decided they wanted to downsize to just do coffee, this spurred the trio to take the next step ... opening their own storefront.

Impressions Spirit Wear Boutique offers a wide variety of Buford spirit wear, Buford spirit gear (water bottles, key chains, pens, notepads, etc.), gifts, a Charm Bar, women’s clothing and accessories. The merchandise is thoughtfully arranged on antique and vintage furniture that Tracey and her husband, Lynn Bowman, the curator of the Museum of Buford, collected over the years. On the walls are photos from the Buford of yesteryear, which is fitting as the building was built in the late 1800s. The original brick walls are visible in some sections where the plaster was removed.

The building was well maintained through the years. For 100 years, the building was a pharmacy. Three pharmacies to be exact — Buford Drug Co. was the first followed by Simpson Drugs and then Sherwood Drugs, which relocated in the ’90s to a medical building on Nelson Brogdon Boulevard. A large cabinet in the front of the boutique was actually from Sherwood’s and housed cigarettes.

Tracey and Kim will be the smiling faces working the boutique day to day, while Debra will be running their online store. Tracey said she is excited to be in the store four days a week and to be able to reconnect with the community. Her children all went to Buford, she has lived in Buford for a long time and her husband’s family goes way back in Buford’s history. So to reconnect with the people who make Buford quintessentially Buford is something she is looking forward to. Kim has lived in Buford for six years and instantly fell in love with the beauty of the town and the amazing, warm residents.

Kim Fenoglia

and Tracey Bowman look forward to reconnecting with the community at Impressions Spirit Wear Boutique. Right: The boutique offers a wide selection of Buford spirit wear, as well as other gift items and women’s clothing and accessories. Photos by Alicia Couch Payne

Giving back to the community is also a priority for the ladies. Previously, they have donated clothing and other items to various causes and they intend to do so in the future as they want to give back to the community that has given so much to them over the years.

The ladies are hosting a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Feb. 6. The celebration will be held keeping social distancing and other precautions due to COVID-19 in mind. The event will include giveaways and discounts on merchandise. More details will be released on social media closer to the event.

Stop by the new boutique, get to know these genuinely kind, lovely ladies, shop a little and admire the history of the building and surrounding area. Impressions is sure to be your go-to gift and spirit wear store and you will be supporting a small local business in the process.

If you prefer to shop online, you can find their online store at www.shopbuford spiritwear.com. They are on Facebook (@tdImpressions), Twitter (@toddletags) and Instagram (tdimpressions).

Buford Board of Education meeting minutes

Staff Reports

January 26, 2021 — The Buford Board of Education was called to order at 7 p.m. at the Buford Arena by Chairman Phillip Beard. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the board approved the agenda and the Dec. 7, 2020, minutes.

In the facilities report, the board was presented with BES and BA needing new roofs. Members voted to approve the necessary steps and costs associated with replacing the roofs at these two schools. Breaux & Associates and Charles Black Construction will be used for the roof replacements. The board expects some funding to come from the state.

The board voted to approve the expense of converting the field at Tom Riden Stadium to turf.

One fundraiser was approved for the boys and girls soccer teams.

Eight art tables will be placed into surplus. The board approved a modification to the FY 2021-2022 school year calendar. A teacher workday was moved up to Jan. 4 making it Jan.

5 when students return from winter break. BCS was awarded $1.6 million from the CARES 2 Act Relief Funds, although the funding has not arrived as of yet.

Dr. Lacrecia Smith gave an update on the Diversity and Inclusion Program. She went over the things the schools did to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. BCS is gearing up for Black History Month. Students may enter the new Black History Month Poetry Contest. Winners will receive gift cards, as well as read their poetry during the March Buford Board of Education meeting.

Mr. Graves gave an update on Buford Elementary School. The enrollment at BES is 393, 23 digital and 83 in the day care. BES recently celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the 100th day of school. Later this month, they will celebrate dads. BES had 134 applications submitted for tuition students for 2021-2022 and staff will begin to process those.

Mrs. Poole said the enrollment at BA is 1,192 with 116 digital students. Forty-two digital students were welcomed to in-person learning at the start of the semester. They had

91 students attend the first Saturday school of the year to receive additional help. They too celebrated the 100th day of school. On Monday night, students and teachers participated in digital BINGO.

Mrs. Pulley said the current enrollment for BSA is 860 with 83 digital students. Thirty-one digital students began in-person learning at the start of the semester. On Jan. 5, BSA hosted the BCS spelling bee, which fifth-grader Grady Lundy won. Students and teachers alike dressed like they were 100 years old to celebrate the 100th day of school. BSA had a successful first Saturday school session.

Mrs. Short said the enrollment at BMS is 1,316 with 98 digital students. BMS teachers have been helping more than 100 students weekly in their after school and Saturday school sessions. A team from Mrs. Castleman’s social studies classes came in first place in the Stock Market Game with the stock portfolio they submitted. Those students are Issac Menakumtima, Carsan Reeves, Christopher Alcott and Aiden Rice. Sixteen students made the District Honor Band. The eighth-grade boys basket-

ball team ended its season 9-3. Fifth through eighth-grade girls basketball teams had successful seasons with the seventh- and eighthgrade teams wrapping up their seasons next week. They hope to win to maintain their firstplace ranking in their league. BMS was set to host the Miss BMS pageant on Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Fine Arts Center. They are pre-selling tickets to allow for social distancing.

Mrs. Hagelthorn said the current enrollment at BHS is 1,648 with 294 students still learning digitally. BHS hosts the second annual Cookies and Cocoa 5k on Saturday. They currently have 268 participants signed up. Social distancing will be promoted during the event. DECA, FBLA, HOSA, Skills USA and FCCLA are currently competing at Region and State competitions with their eyes on doing well at Nationals. Mrs. Hagelthorn also gave an update on athletics, which can be read on page 14.

This concluded the Buford Board of Education meeting. The next meeting will be held at noon Feb. 22, 2021. Check the school website or Facebook page for the meeting location.

Pandemic performance: Buford theatre to compete at region

These days, it is not uncommon for plans to be postponed or events to be cancelled. High schoolers are no strangers to this, as every event seems to have an asterisk next to it on the calendar, but when opportunities arise, students are always eager to make the most of them. The BHS Theatre program has greatly felt the effects of the pandemic this year, with most of its shows being cancelled. However, students will compete in the GHSA Region OneAct Competition in February.

The One-Act Play competition is a unique opportunity for theatre programs to showcase talents and abilities to adapt a show to fit specific time and performance restrictions. This means sections of shows have to be cut out and changes have to be perfected to shorten the show. When shows go to compete, they are given one shot to perform in front of three judges. The judges then score the show, and the top performance from each region will move

on to the state competition. There are also other awards that are given for Best Actor and Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Ensemble, and All Star Cast.

Buford has had plenty of success in the One-Act Competition recently, winning the 5A state championship in 2016, 2018 and 2019. This year, the Wolf Pack Players will look to continue their success at the regional competition with the musical “Bright Star,” a story about the love

of a family and their triumph over darkness. The show is full of surprises and turns, as the characters find their pasts and futures intertwining.

Of course, this year’s competition will be different from years past. No audiences will be in attendance, and COVID protocols will be in place on the day of competition. Rehearsals and classes have also been different this year. COVID protocols have pulled students out of in-person rehearsals, making it

more difficult to focus and practice certain things. Additionally, masks and contact tracing have added an awkward obstacle to rehearsals that the cast has had to overcome. Just recently, all of the leads in the show were not present for rehearsals for two weeks due to contact tracing. Even with these obstacles, the cast is confident their hard work and dedication will pay off when it comes down to competition time on Feb. 6.

James Morgan and Kennedi Nichols are two of the seniors in the cast of the competition show this year. James has been involved with theatre since seventh grade when he joined the Junior Thespians. Since then, he has performed in such productions as “Singing in the Rain,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and “Catch Me If You Can.” This will be the second time James has been cast in the One-Act show, and he is very excited for the performance.

Kennedi has been in theatre since elementary school, and she has competed in the One-Act competition twice already, as a sophomore

and a junior. Her favorite role was in the show “Company” because it was her first One-Act show and her first leading role.

Both James and Kennedi are in the Advanced Musical Theatre class at BHS. In the show this year, Kennedi plays the role of the protagonist’s mother, Mama Murphy. James can be seen as the main antagonist of the show, Mayor Josiah Dobbs. While audiences have not been allowed to attend the few performances so far this year, as of now, people will be allowed to see the show in person on April 18, 19 and 20 at the BHS Performing Arts Center. Good luck to James, Kennedi and all of our seniors in their last State One-Act competition. Break a leg!

This past year has been a tough time for students, but moments like these will prove to be bright spots looking back. As the BHS Theatre program looks to continue its success at the One-Act competition, we wish the best for them in their health and their performance. Go Wolves!

Buford varsity wrestling team advances to Elite Eight competition

Alicia Couch Payne

BUFORD — The Buford varsity wrestling team advanced to the Elite Eight in the State Duals after beating Carrollton 54-18 and Sequoyah 4722 on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Buford Arena.

The Wolves will compete in the Elite Eight in the State Duals Championships on Saturday, Jan. 30, at Lassiter High School. They are ranked the No. 5 seed for the meet and will face No. 4 seed Richmond Hill. The winner will then face the victor of the Alexander and Valdosta match-up.

Head wrestling coach at Buford, Tom Beuglas, said his team had some “pretty good performances on Saturday but as a group, we are going to have to really wrestle well this weekend to beat either Richmond Hill or

The Buford wrestling team beat Carrollton and Sequoyah on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2021, to advance to the Elite Eight of the State Duals Championship being held on Jan. 30 at Lassiter High School. Photo by Alicia Couch Payne

Alexander. Both are very good from top to bottom.”

With four of the team’s top performers graduating last year and

only a handful of upperclassmen, the varsity team has filled its roster with five freshmen. The freshmen are talented but inexperienced. Coach

Beuglas knows that having a young team has led to some missed points and is already working with his wrestlers to improve their performance.

The Buford High School varsity wrestler of the week is senior Dylan Bozoian. Bozoian competes in the 138-pound weight class for the Wolves.

During the Gwinnett County Championships on Jan. 2, he had a strong third-place finish. On Jan. 23, Bozoian was instrumental in helping the BHS wrestling team beat Carrollton and Sequoyah in the State Duals qualifying. His two pins during the qualifying meet helped push the Wolves into the elite eight on Jan. 30.

Congratulations, Dylan! Keep up the good work! Go Wolves!

The BHS Wrestler of the Week is selected by the BHS coaching staff.

“In order to win, we will need to minimize the points we give up in some weight classes (not getting pinned) and improve from the bottom position,” Beuglas said. “We will work a lot this week on the neutral and bottom positions.”

Looking ahead to their competition at the Elite Eight on Saturday, Beuglas said he has never seen Richmond Hill wrestle. However, he knows they will be a tough team having been one of the top teams in Class AAAAAA for the last several years.

“I know their kids are tough and are going to come ready to wrestle. It is going to be a very physical match for us in the first round,” Beuglas said. “Being the 5 seed we will have a tough road, but being new to 6A, that is what we expected. Hopefully, our guys are up for the challenge.”

Buford’s athletic department is busy place this time of year

Staff Reports

It is that time of year when winter and spring sports converge, making this a busy time at Buford High School. Basketball, wrestling, swimming, competition cheerleading and bass fishing are all in the middle of their seasons. Soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics, golf, tennis, track and field and baseball will be starting their seasons beginning in February.

Here’s a quick update on what is taking place in Buford athletics.

Buford wrestling is headed to the Elite Eight for the State Duals championship tournament on Saturday, Jan. 30, after beating Carrollton and Sequoyah at the Buford Arena on Jan. 23.

The Buford bass fishing team competed in the first GHSA bass fishing tournament of the year at Lake Seminole with 120 teams competing. Lake Seminole is located on the Florida/Georgia line. Three teams from BHS participated in the tournament with the team of Emilee Aikens and Peyton Rinker placing fourth, while the team of Avery and Samuel Shoemaker came in 17th, which qualifies them for the state championship.

Girls basketball is having a great season so far as they remain undefeated with an overall record of 15-0 and 5-0 in Region 8-AAAAAA. The Lady Wolves are No. 1 in the region.

Boys basketball has an overall record of 13-4 and is 4-2 in their region. They are currently in third

place in the region.

The region basketball tournament is being held at the Buford Arena on Feb. 15, 17, 19 and 20.

Buford’s swim team has 11 swimmers who have qualified for the state championships being held at Georgia Tech on Feb. 2-5.

The girls who will go to state are Caroline Church, Alyssa Hong,

two-time state champion Caroline Irvwin, Mary Grey Shaginaw, Avery Shoemaker and Riley Smith. The boys headed to state are Lucas Cortelloni, Ben Irwin, Christopher Larrazabal, Landon Selph and Aiden Smith.

The competition cheer team competed in its first-ever virtual competition on Jan. 23 for the

Peachtree Ridge competition. The team came in second place behind Lanier. The team placed first in a previous competition at Dacula.

Riflery has not competed again since early December due to COVID-19 shutdowns at the request of opponents.

Spring sports, with the exception of the golf team, are busy

practicing for the upcoming season. Golf will start practicing Feb. 8. Both boys and girls soccer will have their first season game Jan. 29 at Blessed Trinity. Lacrosse, tennis and gymnastics will have their first competition during the first week in February, while baseball and track will get under way during the second week in February.

North Gwinnett swim/dive are back-to-back County Champions

Anoshka Ramkumar

North Gwinnett High School’s swim and dive team has always been an excellent example of a team that showcases hard work, commitment and energy. Despite the coronavirus pandemic that has had a primarily negative impact on the athletic community at North, these athletes have continued to maintain positive attitudes and focus throughout the course of their season, leading them to become back-to-back county champions.

The North Gwinnett Voice spoke to three senior athletes from NG swim and dive about the impacts and challenges they have witnessed with a drastically different season than the one they are used to.

Amy Zureich (swim) was confident and clear about how the pandemic impacted not only her but the team.

“It was really hard at first knowing that my senior season wouldn’t be the same as my previous ones,” she said. “We normally have Camp Swamp at the start of every season so we can meet our new team and get to know everyone but because of the pandemic and social distancing we couldn’t do it this year.”

Amy continued to speak of how the pandemic has thankfully not affected the morale of the team.

“There is a lot more teamwork and we all work together to find solutions to make our season as normal as possible because we’re seniors and we’re leaders,” she said, “so it’s our job to make sure that our last year on this team is a good one no matter what happens.”

Nick Stark (dive) spoke about the support of the coaches and team parents during a very different season.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that for dive, a lot of parents have been volunteering to judge and film and help the team out in ways that we really need it and they’re doing their best to provide normalcy,” he said. “I’m very thankful for that.”

Stark was asked how the team had helped him to grow up to this point, where he is soon to be a grad-

uating senior.

“My favorite part about diving for North is definitely the people,” he said. “Everyone is so welcoming and I’ve learned to open my shell up around new people I meet. They always push me to be better.”

Ethan Whiting (swim) provided a perspective on how the pandemic has taken a toll on proper team bonding.

“The biggest challenges during the pandemic have been being unable to get together as a team to bond and the inability for us to not always have the whole team together at swim meets,” he said. “Because of the pandemic, we have been unable to have as many group activities as before, which makes it much harder to form relationships with people on

the team, especially the freshmen.”

Whiting, also a senior, explained that his experience on the team has always been a good one, even during a pandemic.

“By being on this team I was able to make friends with people I might not have ever become friends with before,” he said. “I was able to make friends with people across multiple grade levels who all shared a common interest with me, which made my high school experience much more enjoyable.”

North Gwinnett boys and girls swim/dive brought home a second County Championship on Saturday, Jan. 23, allowing them to move on to the State Championships that will be held Feb. 2 for diving and Feb. 6 for swim.