It has been over a year since I first took my position as mascot and columnist here at the DiG. In that time, I have brought grounded, down-to-earth stories and thought-provoking conversation to the county through my articles. Together, you and I have tried dining in the dark, learned Gwinnett’s rich history through the names of our streets, discovered the wide variety of pink foods available in our county and, of course, paid homage to some of the finest restrooms around. While the publication has always offered readers a snapshot of Gwinnett through its plentiful offerings, I sought out to bring something out of the ordinary to the table, something Not the Norm, and in 2025, we certainly did. To thank you all for joining me on my journey of unpredictable twists and turns, I thought we could take the next 270 words to reminisce about some of the greatest hidden gems we dug out of Gwinnett’s rich soil.

Looking back, I of course am first reminded of my first article: Gwinnett’s Best Bathrooms. There were so many to choose from: with Umaido’s heated seats, LR Burger’s vibrant neon signs and Two Cities Pizza’s full-on New York subway aesthetic, I was reminded of a famous children’s book: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”.

Speaking of places, we followed that exploration up with a deep dive into the fascinating world of street names and their origins. Many of Gwinnett’s more unique street names have straightforward explanations, like Netherworld Way being the street where the renowned haunted house lies. However, I discovered that Norcross’s Beaver Ruin Road had a much more storied history, coming from a Cherokee man named Beaver whose home was ruined by a flash flood from a nearby creek. The creek became known as Beaver Ruin Creek and later the road borrowed this name, and the story along with it.

Just as the places of Gwinnett can take on stories of old, so can the items! This past summer, my team and I went on a thrifting expedition to find the most abnormal pieces the county had to offer. Some highlights included an old VHS camera, a chicken-shaped wine bottle holder and a storage tin made to look like a tub of cream cheese. 

With all of these discoveries last year, I think we can safely conclude that Gwinnett has plenty to offer that’s Not the Norm. I can’t wait to see what other oddities we can unearth in the issues to come!