Due to budget cuts brought on by the ongoing economic downturn, Gwinnett County has cancelled the annual fireworks display in downtown Lawrenceville:

"In the face of declining revenues and the difficulty in raising sponsorship funds, Gwinnett County Government officials cancelled the annual Gwinnett Glows 4th of July celebration. Gwinnett Glows has been a fun community tradition for two decades, but the old adage "all good things must come to an end" is particularly apt in this case given the current state of the economy."

As many of you may remember, last fall and winter, Gwinnett County attempted to initiate a new solid waste program. The program was halted, however, after a number of lawsuits and complaints from waste service providers who felt they were not treated fairly by the county. Gwinnett County is crafting a new solid waste program and is seeking further public input.

Another great pool party in Spalding Mill. Although this year's turnout was a bit smaller than expected, everyone still had a great time. The clouds that threatened rain broke by mid-afternoon and gave way to a fair amount of sunshine. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food from Hometown Barbecue, especially the wings, which disappeared in short order; I highly recommend the ribs, too, the next time you're in Lawrenceville.