Lasseter in the Loop

By Shirley Lasseter
Gwinnett District 1 Commissioner

As I look back on the results of last month’s city elections, many congratulations are in order. Peachtree Corners will soon be Gwinnett’s 16th city. Voters in Duluth, the first Georgia city to elect a female mayor back in 1922, elected Mayor Nancy Harris and council members Kelly Kelkenberg and Greg Whitlock.

In Suwanee, Mayor Jimmy Burdette and council members Doug Ireland and Dick Goodman won their races. Congratulations to all who stood for public office. I appreciate your willingness to serve.

I enjoyed seeing many American Legion members and other veteran friends at the county’s Veterans Day Ceremony in Lawrenceville last month. We heard an inspiring keynote address by Dr. Daniel Kaufman of Georgia Gwinnett College, our very own retired Army brigadier general. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Congratulations to Primerica, which will be moving its 1,800 Gwinnett employees into a new world headquarters in Duluth in 2013. And many thanks to Partnership Gwinnett for bringing new investments into our community through business expansions and relocations.

Kudos also to the Chattapoochee Dog Park that broke ground a few months ago on three acres at Duluth’s Rogers Bridge Park.

There are a lot of good things happening in county parks these days, too. We just finished building a new section of the Ivy Creek Greenway at George Pierce Park in Suwanee that will eventually connect with a section of the trail at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center near the Mall of Georgia.

Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash has presented her proposed fiscal year 2012 budget; it totals $1.3 billion compared to $1.5 billion for 2011. The Board of Commissioners will consider the proposed budget for adoption during our first meeting of the year on Jan. 3, 2012. Be sure to check out the budget proposal on the county’s website and submit written comments or attend the public hearing on Dec. 13 to let us know what you think.

I’m pleased to announce to you that the Gwinnett County Police Department has activated its Holiday Task Force to provide additional visible police presence in Gwinnett County's shopping districts like Gwinnett Place and The Forum. The officers want to remind you to be safe and offer the following tips:

• Don't shop alone and when offered, let retail employees assist you with taking your merchandise to your vehicle.

I hope you have a very happy holiday season and find plenty of quality time to spend with your family and friends. Please remember the drop off for Toys for Tots at the American Legion Post on Hwy. 120. They are also selling beautiful Frasier Fir Christmas trees! I ask that you support your local veterans in this way for the holidays. Also don’t hesitate to contact me at 770-822-7000 or shirley.lasseter@gwinnettcounty.com if there’s anything I can do for you. May 2012 bring you great joy and togetherness. For the only way we will all make it through this trying time is working together through the powers of God.