Senior Life Atlanta
Gardening in small spaces PAGE 20
AUGUST 2020 • Vol. 5 No. 8 | AtlantaSeniorLIFE.com
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older find homes with seniors
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Technology
Andy Young has seen the world change PAGE 12
Zoom like a pro PAGE 14
Contents AUGUST 2020
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COVER STORY
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Seniors find new appeal in older pets
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What’s Up, Doc? A shelter just for rabbits
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10 PETS Senior pet spotlights 11
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE Robin’s Nest: A whippoorwill’s song calls me home
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE Andy Young has watched Atlanta grow and change
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TECHNOLOGY Digital Device Doctor Gene Rubel zips through Zoom
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PERSONAL SAFETY Pandemic and protests getting you down? Steve Rose says don’t give up just yet
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PERSONAL HEALTH The coronavirus is changing how we think about going to the doctor’s office.
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22 Atlanta Senior Life focuses on the interests, accomplishments and lifestyles of the active senior population in metro Atlanta. It aims to inspire readers to embrace a more rewarding life by informing them of opportunities to expand their horizons, express their talents and engage in their community.
GARDENS Gardening in small spaces OUT & ABOUT Some local museums are again open for visits.
On the cover
Rabbit fanciers Ellen and Carl Stilwell say their rescued pets bring them joy. “They’re soft and they’re furry and fluffy and they just elicit such a feeling of love and comfort,” Ellen Stilwell said. (Special)
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COVER STORY By Donna Williams Lewis Shelters see it all the time. The typical person looking to adopt a pet will pass by older animals in search of a puppy or a kitten. Cumming resident Skeet Wright has seen that for herself. “You go and look at these animals and your heart just breaks. No one wants a senior animal. They’re all just looking for the younger dogs,” Wright said. She’d had a dog before and didn’t want to go through the puppy stage again. “I just thought … let me find one that I can give the best years to,” she said. She and her husband, Les, last summer adopted a 7-year-old dog whose teeth were in such bad shape that PAWS Atlanta had to remove all but three of them before releasing her for adoption to her new family. The dog was also prescribed liver medication, which she must take daily for the
Making new friends with old souls rest of her life. But the Wrights couldn’t be happier with their choice of tiny, 5-pound “Miss Penny.” She eats canned food and likes scrambled eggs and rice for an occasional special treat. “She’s such a Miss Priss and she’s very dainty. She is just the best companion,” Wright said. “She loves to sit in your lap. She’s not super demanding. She’s just there for us. She loves our grandkids, too. She loves to play with them.”
‘What you see is what you get’
LifeLine Animal Project, which runs shelter operations for Fulton and DeKalb counties, has done “Golden Girls” and “Golden Oldies” events to promote adoption of older animals. November is national Adopt A Senior Pet Month, and there are groups devoted solely to senior animals. Among them is the Grey Muzzle Organization. Since 2008, Grey Muzzle has provided more than $2 million in
grants for senior dog programs to 190 nonprofit organizations nationwide, according to its website. Among them are grants for programs that help seniors adopt senior dogs. Denise Fleck, president of the organization’s board of directors, said one benefit of choosing a senior animal was, “with older dogs, what you see is what you get!” “They have already grown into their bodies and personalities, are often more low-key and just love to sit adoringly at your side,” said Fleck, of Villa Rica. “It is important to remember, however, that a 7-year-old senior dog can be quite different from a 13-year-old. So senior dogs, like senior people, have a range of needs and activity levels, but all still have so much love to give.” PAWS Atlanta has partnered with Grey Muzzle on projects such as helping to pay for some of the extra medical care senior
Volunteer Hope Gentle checks in on animals at the LifeLine shelter
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into our shelter gets whatever they need in order to be healthy and prepare them for their forever family,” she said. “Senior animals are usually house-trained, really chill companions, and they’re just so grateful,” Sloan said. “Many senior pets we take in recently lost their owners, so they’re used to being in a loving home.”
Living and working with senior animals
Top to bottom: Miss Penny, Mountain and Dew, Hope Gentle says older dogs often require less work than younger ones
animals may need. Founded in south DeKalb County in 1966, PAWS Atlanta is Georgia’s oldest no-kill shelter. The shelter usually has about 175 to 225 animals on site and in foster homes. Suzie Sloan, the shelter’s director of development, said medical conditions are often barriers to finding homes for senior animals. “Every dog and cat that comes
LifeLine Animal Project currently has more than 1,000 animals at its Fulton and DeKalb shelters and in foster homes. About 20 percent of them are seniors, or ages 8 and up, according to Karen Hirsch, public relations director. A devoted animal shelter volunteer since 1994, Hope Gentle has been attached to the Fulton shelter since 2003. “Generally speaking,” she said, “an older dog is less work.” That’s a huge bonus at her Austell home, which she’s currently sharing with 11 foster and adopted dogs and cats. Four of the six dogs are at least 13 years old. “I’m never lonely, and if I hear a noise in my house I don’t wonder what it is,” Gentle said. “I get my exercise walking the dogs two at a time. The good thing about walking an older dog is they don’t pull as hard.” She’s at the shelter for 10hour days, twice a week, to do everything from laundry to transporting shelter animals to rescue groups who’ve agreed to take them. “Last Saturday, I drove a duck and a sheep to Save the Horses,” she said. Gentle, who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, was featured a few years ago in a LifeLine newsletter about the veterans among its staff and volunteers for Memorial Day. “As much as I am grateful for my military experience,” Gentle was quoted as saying, “had I been able to work with an organization that helps animals, I would have chosen that path without hesitation or regret.”
Mountain and Dew
Linke and Amiel Tomlin, wound up with two new senior pets a few months ago when they went to LifeLine looking for a companion for Pam, their 2-yearold rescued chihuahua. While they also own 15-yearold Bear, they could tell that their chihuahua was really missing their 16-year-old dog, Peggy. Linke gave Peggy to her mother after her mother’s cat died. After that, “We noticed a change in Pam’s behavior,” Tomlin said. “She didn’t eat a lot. She seemed very sad. She just wanted to lay down all day long.” Tomlin said Linke started tearing up when she found an 8-year-old chihuahua named Dew on LifeLine’s website. “Right then, I know we were getting this dog,” he said. They took Pam with them to meet Dew at LifeLine’s DeKalb shelter. The dogs instantly hit it off. Done, they thought. But then they met Mountain, another 8-year-old chihuahua who’d entered the shelter with Dew. When they saw Mountain and Dew curled up together they knew they couldn’t break them apart. Tomlin said their dogs’ energy levels are perfect for their household because he and Linke work a lot. He’s a radio broadcast technician and Linke’s a photo stylist. He said he wants to show love to those dogs that get the least, when it comes to adoption. “They’re older. They may not live that long, but at least you can give them those cool last few years. These are like my friends and we look at them like family,” he said. “If I had a young kid, which we may one day, I want them to understand that there is beauty on both sides. Everything isn’t perfect, and get out of the mentality of young, old and good, bad and something not being worth something or not.” Skeet Wright, Miss Penny’s owner, said people searching for new pets should “give senior animals a chance.” “Just look at them. Don’t just look at the puppies,” she said. “They’ve got great personalities, and they’ll appreciate you.”
How you can help PAWS Atlanta The shelter expects to reopen to the public in August. During the COVID-19 pandemic, you can help by becoming a monthly supporter, virtually adopting animals, hosting virtual happy hours, creating Facebook fundraisers or donating supplies from the shelter’s Amazon Wish List. For more information, visit www.pawsatlanta.org.
LifeLine Volunteer at the shelter or from home, where you can make flyers to advertise animals and make enrichment toys for dogs. Donate supplies or money, which helps pay for surgeries for injured animals and helps support a shelter program that provides free pet care services for people in need. Senior discounts for adoption are available. For more information, visit lifelineanimal.org or call 404-292-8800.
County animal shelters ■ DeKalb and Fulton counties. lifelineanimal.org or 404-292-8800. ■ Cobb County. cobbcounty.org/publicsafety/animal-services or 770-499-4136. ■ Gwinnett County. gwinnettcounty.com/web/ gwinnett/departments/ communityservices/ animalwelfareenforcement or 770-339-3200.
A Grant Park couple, Alycia
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What's up, doc? A local shelter just for rabbits By Donna Williams Lewis Ellen Stilwell lives in a very hoppy household. The Tucker home she shares with her husband is also home to nine rescued domestic rabbits, including a couple of senior rabbits and two certified as therapy pets. Stilwell is an educator for the shelter that eight of her rabbits came from, a Marietta facility that’s unique in Georgia and one of very few like it in the country. It’s a shelter for rabbits only, operated by the Georgia House Rabbit Society (GHRS) rescue organization. To date, the organization has rescued more than 3,500 domestic rabbits. “Some of these bunnies that we’ve rescued have come from horrific situations and yet their hearts are so big and they love the safety that you give them and they’re so resilient,” said Stilwell, who runs the Crime Victims Compensation Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “They bring joy to people. When you pet them, they’re soft and they’re furry and fluffy and they just elicit such a feeling of love and comfort,” she said. Linda Reed, of Kennesaw, has volunteered with the nonprofit, no-kill shelter for several years. “I volunteer because, despite being 76, it gives me a purpose to serve in my community,” Reed said. “Bunnies have always been my passion and this keeps me active while playing with these sweet ones.” GHRS was founded in 1996 when rabbits were rising in popularity as house pets and there were few animal facilities that would take abandoned rabbits, according to shelter Manager Jennifer McGee. “Rabbits are the third companion animal behind dogs
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and cats,” McGee said. “They stay in the home, they’re litter box trained, they’re very neat and tidy, and you don’t have to walk them.” But the “prey animals” are often misunderstood pets that can get frightened when picked up. They bond in pairs and can reproduce at light speed, live for 10 to 12 years, and have delicate bones. “Dropping a bunny is a broken leg, for sure,” McGee said. GHRS gets more than 1,000 requests each year from owners and breeders who want to surrender their rabbits to the shelter. Rabbits adopted from its facility can be returned, but other rabbits can only be taken under extreme circumstances, when space permits. The shelter focuses on rescuing rabbits who are facing death at other animal shelters and rabbits that have been abandoned to the outdoors where they could be attacked or eaten by other animals, get hit by a car, or die from sickness, starvation or abuse. In 2015, the shelter took in 186 rabbits in one day that had been confiscated from a backyard petting zoo in Gwinnett County. The shelter stays hopping with an average 150 to 200 rabbits on-site and in foster homes at any given time, McGee said. Right now, the shelter is taking a giant leap of its own. Run initially out of members’ homes, GHRS moved into its current building in 2005. This summer, the group is relocating to a 6,500-square-foot building purchased in December that more than triples its space. Located near the historic district of Downtown Kennesaw, the new facility allows room to expand shelter operations, which include serving as an educational center, a boarding facility and a source for rabbit
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supplies. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the shelter has been open to the public by appointment only and the adoption process has been refined, McGee said. “Because we were open to the public, people wouldn’t do their research before they would drive over and they would just walk in thinking they would leave with a rabbit, which isn’t the case. There were lots of crying children and angry parents,” McGee said. “We’ve found that that kind Continued on page 8
At top, volunteer Linda Reed pats a bunny. At bottom, shelter manager Jennifer McGee says that after dogs and cats, rabbits are the most popular companion animals (SPECIAL)
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of spontaneity results in the rabbit not staying in the home very long.” A two-hour Bunny 101 class was required and offered offsite due to space limitations. Now, due to social distancing requirements, that class has been converted to a 12-page digital presentation that is emailed to potential fosters and adopters. “When they’ve reviewed it and it didn’t scare them off and they know they want to adopt, then they schedule a time to come in and take a knowledge quiz based on this presentation. Then they can adopt,” she said. “We’re not judging them. We’re
just trying to make sure they’re aware of what they’re getting into.” McGee is happy with the results. The shelter is experiencing the same uptick in adoptions as many other animal shelters since coronavirus set in and people find more time to add a pet to their lives. “Our numbers have skyrocketed,” McGee said. “We’ve actually had to suspend our fostering program because we’re calling bunnies in from foster care to keep our pens full.” In May, 73 rabbits were adopted; 58 were adopted in June. Before that, monthly
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adoption numbers were typically in the 30s, she said. “We do get senior rabbits … and some people actually gravitate toward them because they don’t want a 10- to 12-year commitment. They want a 4- to 5-year commitment,” she said. Stilwell and her husband, Carl, have taken their rescued rabbits to hospitals, nursing homes and community events. A few of them have also appeared in movies, including “Neighbors 2” and “Stuber.” She uses her therapy rabbit encounters as opportunities to educate people about the animals. Dante, about 7 or 8 years old, and Popcorn, 4, are her therapy bunnies. For safety, she typically puts them in a basket and places the basket on a child’s lap. “Dante has an amazing personality. He is so outgoing, and he doesn’t mind being held,” she said. Popcorn was part of the 2015
Gwinnett County confiscation and Stilwell has had her since she was two days old. They’ve got their own Facebook and Instagram pages, at instagram. com/dantethebunny and facebook.com.dantethebunny. The rabbits are regulars
at Tucker holiday events, especially during Easter season when the Stilwells let families take pictures of them with their children. “Easter is a bad time (for rabbits) because people want bunnies and they get them,
realize how much special care they require, and then they dump them in shelters or outside,” Stilwell said. “I explain that chocolate bunnies are the best.”
Learn More The Georgia House Rabbit Society, located at 2280 Shallowford Road in Marietta, always needs volunteers just about around the clock to help with cleaning, grooming and staffing its Hop Shop, among other jobs. For more information on volunteering, donating or fostering or adopting a rabbit, visit www. houserabbitga.com or call 678-653-7175.
SPECIAL Therapy bunnies Dante and Popcorn
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PETS
Senior pet spotlights
LifeLine Animal Project ▼
Nog is a calm and loving regal lady who is 8 years old and gets along well with everyone, including cats, dogs and kids! Don’t tell Nog that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. She has recently learned the commands: sit, stay, down, up and paw! Her foster parents tell us that she is a wonderful dog with a soft and quiet demeanor who is also super affectionate, sweet, kind and fun. For more information about Nog, email foster@fultonanimalservices. com.
PAWS Atlanta ►
Daydream is a female Shepherd mix who weighs 63 pounds. At 9, she’s been waiting for a home so long she’s been assigned to our “penthouse,” a little airconditioned, heated cottage with its own play yard. Inside, Daydream has three dog beds to choose from and a little area rug she keeps tidy. She loves to go for walks on our trail. She loves tennis balls and toys and Milk-Bone treats. She loves baby pools and would prefer to spend her entire summer crouched down in one, for maximum water coverage. Daydream is a part of our Secret Crush Club which means her adoption fee has been covered by one of her many fans! To meet Daydream, email info@ pawsatlanta.org.
◄ LifeLine Animal Project
LifeLine Animal Project ►
Buster is a delightful 10-year-old gentleman who has wonderful manners and is a great snuggler. He is already housebroken and crate trained, and he gets along well with other dogs. Buster loves people and is gentle with children. His idea of a good time includes cuddling with his human and watching TV all afternoon, although he also loves short walks and is good on a leash too. He’s up for whatever you are and is just happy to be with you. Buster is partially deaf, but it doesn’t seem to bother him. His former foster parents say he is sweet, snuggly, soft, mellow and goofy. If you are interested in meeting Buster, email adoptions@ fultonanimalservices.com.
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Mrs. Pearlie is an affectionate senior lady who weighs 6 pounds. Sweet and friendly, she will chat up a storm when she meets someone new. In return for her conversation, she’ll expect to be pet and to be told how pretty she is. Mrs. Pearlie will soak up all the love that you can dish out, and she’ll give plenty back. She is hoping you speak her love language and will want to adopt her. To meet Mr. Pearlie, email foster@ lifelineanimal.org.
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▲LifeLine Animal Project
Exotic is a super affectionate and very low-maintenance 10-year old gal. She is good on a leash and will happily take a one-mile or two-mile walk with you, and then come home and nap. She loves to sleep and lay in the sun and run around the yard a few times between naps. She gets along well with her foster siblings, is easy to bathe and brush and loves to cuddle and have her head rubbed. Exotic is also housebroken, crate trained and knows the sit and stay commands. To meet this wellbehaved dreamgirl, email foster@fultonanimalservices.org
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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
A call to serenity This is a difficult hard-pressed to find a time to write a column topic of diversion. that I hope people Then I came across turn to as a source of a quote by writer diversion and perhaps Annie Dillard: “A writer mild amusement. looking for subjects Even the spreading inquires not after what virus and ensuing he loves best, but after lockdowns could what he alone loves be fodder for jokes at all.” So, I thought about weight gain and I’d start there, first quarantine beards focusing on what I and wine tours that love, which is a lot of took you from your ROBIN’S NEST things, then trying to kitchen to your identify that thing that Robin Conte lives with her bathroom to your living husband in an empty nest I, uniquely, love. room. Creative types Chocolate and coffee in Dunwoody. To contact repurposed popular are easy to cancel out, her or to buy her column tunes and masterworks as they are items of collection, “The Best of the of art with coronavirus universal adulation. Nest,” see robinconte.com. Mountains and themes. (My favorite was “The Girl with the beaches, sunsets and Purell Earring.”) waterfalls also garner widespread I thought it was a tribute to the admiration. human spirit that in the face of I am developing increasing a global pandemic, people found appreciation for Mason jars, a way to laugh. Humor gets us versatile little things that can be through a lot. But there’s nothing used as drinking vessels, rustic entertaining about the current vases and storage containers and events of our nation, and I’ve been are useful as a measuring utensils
to boot, but they’re making a comeback, so I’m not alone there, either. And then, suddenly, I thought of the whippoorwill. I know I’m not the only one to be enchanted by the call of a whippoorwill, yet for me it is singular in that it is the song of my own memories. The very sound carries me back to my childhood and nestles me softly down onto the old couch on the front porch of my grandparents’ house in rural New Hampshire. It was there that I learned of this bird as a herald of the night and heard its call, a piercing sound that begins at the first dusky moment of twilight when the sky melts into mystical shades of bluish gray (shades which I’m sure Benjamin Moore has a found a way to can and number). It was there that my grandfather Nono told my siblings and me a legend of a pair of star-crossed lovers who became separated, as lovers of legends are wont to become, and whose nightly calls to each other were immortalized in the whippoorwill’s repetitive trill. It was there that I would sit as
the evening deepened and cooled, by then just with my siblings and our grandmother Nana, because Nono always retired early. We would sit in the comfort of her presence, watching and listening, and use the time to rest and reflect on the day that just faded and how it was spent and the promise of not much more to come but sleep and rejuvenation and the prospect of rising again. I think of the song as mine alone because it is the call of my wise and loving grandmother, as well as my own naive youth. And with it I remember the words I spoke at her funeral almost 20 years ago, when I struggled to describe her to the congregation. I admitted that my words were flat, like snapshots, and that to truly reveal the person that she was, I would have to take you with me, to her house on the hill, where you would feel serene just to be in her presence … the presence of a woman whose soul was as pure and clear as the call of a whippoorwill. Perhaps that’s why I love that bird’s call, because in reminding me of her, it calls for me to be the same.
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Q&A: Andrew Young has seen the world change Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of question-and-answer sessions with distinguished seniors who have made a significant difference in metro Atlanta and their communities through a lifetime of work and service. If you would like to recommend someone to be included, email editor@atlantaseniorlife.com. Andrew Young arguably has an unmatched perspective on this year’s Black Lives Matter/ renewed civil rights movement sparked by the George Floyd killing, as well as the current state of Atlanta. The New Orleans-raised Young first came to Georgia as a smalltown preacher, got involved
in the 1960s civil rights movement with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and helped him lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; served multiple terms as both a Georgia congressman and Atlanta’s mayor; and was tapped by thenPresident Jimmy Carter as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He later established the Andrew J. Young foundation, which
Andrew Young
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focuses on education and human rights issues, and is the author of several books. ASL contributor Mark Woolsey caught up with Young recently at his Atlanta home.
Q. How is the Black Lives
Matter/renewed civil rights movement underway now different from what you took part in in the 60s?
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AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
A. We (in the 60s) were
organized and we came out of a university environment. We consulted with lawyers in advance. We had a legislative strategy for Washington and the states. And it took us three months to get a movement organized that got maybe 55 people to show up. I think we had 63 in Birmingham. This movement you have, coinciding, people getting laid off and not working because of the virus. Everybody was at home and we all saw the death of George Floyd. With the mass media available now, and the social media, they were able to gather thousands of people. It went worldwide in less time than
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it took us to organize one small city in the 1960s. I am 88 and I haven’t seen anything galvanize the planet like this since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And I was 9 years old then.
Q. What about the response
of national leadership now as compared to back then?
A. We had brilliant leadership
in the Second World War. Roosevelt was a genius. We don’t see leaders who are mobilizing people right now. The thing is that in each of these previous movements in our lifetime we had leaders that grew up and were trained for a time like this. Lyndon Johnson (for example) had a tremendous amount of experience legislating and he understood the importance of using a crisis to make creative changes. … There doesn’t seem to be anybody prepared for these multiple crises now.
Q. How has Atlanta changed since you first came here?
A. The first time I came
to Atlanta was for a YMCA conference. I was 14 or 15 and I was at the Butler Avenue YMCA and I saw the Klan march. I rode here on a segregated train. Things have changed and improved enormously for people of color, but I would say that economic changes have not kept up with changes in race relationships. The problems of race and poverty are intertwined. When I came here Atlanta was maybe 300,000 people in the metro area. Now it’s six million. We have had simultaneous explosions of populations of both rich and poor. We are both richer and poorer simultaneously. The colleges and the Fortune 500 companies have brought in more rich people than any city in the world, I think, but at the same time people were abandoning the rural areas of the South and flocking to the cities. While we were prepared for the economic boom, we weren’t prepared for the poverty boom.’
Q. What role do you feel you had in the changes?
A. Between 1981(when he
became mayor) and 1990, we attracted 1,100 international firms to Atlanta. There was $70 billion in direct investment. Our airport had grown to be the world’s busiest and we didn’t use any government money on the airport, except for the highways to get to it. The secret was we used private sector money from Wall Street for everything we did, starting with the airport. There was no money in Washington, but there was money in Germany and Japan. So almost immediately I started visiting those places and inviting businesses to come to Georgia.
Q. What would you say if you
could talk to your younger self?
A. I’d keep reminding my
younger self: keep faith, keep faith in good, keep faith in the eternal values of humanity.
Q. A lot of people have called you a hero. Who are yours?
A. Martin Luther King Junior
and Jimmy Carter. Also (Atlanta businessmen) John Portman and Charlie Loudermilk. They were two guys who grew up poor and who got rich on their brains and determination. Also, I basically started out as a preacher so Gandhi was one of my first spiritual heroes.
Q. How do you feel about the
future? Optimistic? Pessimistic?
A. I am faithful. I hope and am
sure it’s going to work out all right, but we’ll have some tough times …My grandmother used to sing a song “I’ve got a feeling that everything’s going to be all right.” So, when there are hard times, I sing those old Negro spirituals. They were written in the hardest of times, but they were all very faithful and visionary. The answer to all questions is spiritual and when we infuse the spiritual into the technological and the modern era, everything’s going to be all right. PS0241 MECH RPTR-ASL 2020-08 AUG 4.94x12.5 CHOOSE.indd 1
AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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7/9/20 2:55 PM
TECHNOLOGY
zoom like a pro With COVID-19 restrictions or safety practices showing no sign of letting up for seniors, it’s time to get yourself up to speed for Zoom or any other videoconferencing service. It’s as close as we’re going to get a personal interaction for the foreseeable Gene Rubel future. The Digital Device Zoom has Doctor cures digital become the go-to earbuds) and your anxiety for seniors and videoconferencing microphone before home/home-office users. service for many you join. A graduate of Harfamilies, churches ■ Find the best vard Business School, and synagogues, and combination of “Doctor Gene” spent social and educational video and sound. more than 30 years in organizations. Sometimes, you international business. For most families, need to use a He can be reached at it’s free – if you can computer camera generubel@gmail.com. limit a session to 40 for video and a minutes – and easy phone for the to install, configure, audio. Zoom and most other and use. In fact, if you’re just services have phone numbers joining a session, there’s practically you can use to get audio over nothing to do except follow the any phone. instructions. Zoom and most other services work on any kind of Be Equipped computer, tablet or mobile phone. Regardless of how you connect, you’ll need the right equipment, But before we get into Zoom, whether it’s a laptop computer, there are some videoconferencing desktop computer, tablet or tips that apply to any service: mobile phone. Each technology ■ Make sure you can connect has its own set of requirements. to the internet. As basic as it Laptops: Most laptops come seems, the services are webwith built-in cameras, speakers, based, and you can connect and microphones, and they’re as long as you have internet generally adequate for Zoom. access through a Wi-Fi or However, you can add external cellular network. devices and either connect them ■ Pay attention to your camera to your laptop or use Bluetooth or angles, especially with a wi-fi connections. computer. Try to center your Laptops and Windows 10 also faces (or faces in a group). have their own sets of issues. We see a lot of ceiling fans The problems usually show because cameras are aimed up as a frozen screen or loss of too high and a lot of belly video or sound. Windows has buttons when people stand. a utility program that can look When you join a Zoom for problems and fix them, and meeting, for example, it asks it generally works. The more if you want to “join with extreme solution is to restart video.” If yes, you’ll see what your computer by clicking on others will see during the the Windows icon in the lower conference. left corner of your screen and ■ Check your sound. Most selecting “power” and then services give you the selecting “restart.” opportunity to test your speakers (or headphones or
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AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Be Connected
Desktops: Many desktops don’t come with built-in cameras, speakers, or microphones. If they do, they may not be adequate for giving you quality time with friends and family or giving you the clarity needed for online learning. You can easily add them and get better quality sound. Today’s external cameras have clips that enable you to mount them directly over the center of your monitor, and that will look more conversational for Zoom. However, you can also find cameras that you can place on a stand and connect to your computer with a cord or with Bluetooth or wi-fi for more flexibility. Similarly, external speakers give better quality and sound volume. You can connect a separate microphone, or you can solve the speaker and microphone issues with a headset or earbuds that handle both functions seamlessly. Again, they’ll require Bluetooth or wi-fi connectivity, but the setup is straightforward. Phones and Tablets Zoom works well as a mobile app on a smart phone or tablet. You can get your sound and speak through the device’s speaker and microphone or through your earbuds or headset. The most limiting factor will be screen size. The larger the screen, the more people you’ll be able to see, and that’s one of the reasons why you use a videoconference app. However, on most smart phones, the speaker will always be highlighted – and for some, that might be better.
Zoom is one of those technologies that probably hit the market before it was ready, and that created issues as the company attempted to – as the saying goes – fix the plane while flying it. Zoom constantly upgrades its product through online updates, so be on the lookout to download and install new versions or major updates. You may also run into a glitch of sorts not necessarily related to Zoom. One of those issues is a problem between Zoom and Microsoft’s Windows 10 that seems to appear when Zooming on a laptop. People have experienced unstable internet connections, resulting in the freezing or loss of video, audio or both. We consider them major annoyances that likely will be solved by Zoom and Microsoft. You can head off the problem by checking your audio and video when you join a Zoom conference. It takes a few seconds, and if there are problems, you can usually resolve them fairly quickly. Windows has a utility program that can look for problems and fix them, and it generally works. Sometimes, the pre-conference check will let you know that you need to use either your internal or external cameras and speakers. In most cases, you simply use their onscreen instructions to activate specific devices. Some people also use a combination of computers, tablets or mobile phones to get audio and video connections. If a problem occurs during Zoom, the first solution to try is to leave the meeting and reenter. You can also check your internet connection to make sure it’s still there or if it’s providing a strong enough signal. One lesson that’s now ingrained in our daily lives is that technology isn’t perfect. We’ve also learned that at peak hours of use, the internet can be as congested as any Atlanta highway during rush hour – or any random time that a lot of people hit the road at the same time. The more extreme solution on a computer is to restart it.
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Zoom Procedures
There are a few things you should be aware of, both as a host or a participant. When you want to host a conference, just follow the instructions for scheduling a Zoom meeting. You must have a Zoom account to do this, and for most of us, the free account will handle personal needs. The big drawback is the 40-minute time limit. If you find you need more time on a consistent basis, you can get the Pro service for $14.99 a month that gives you up to 24 hours of meeting time per month. With the free or Pro package, you can have up to 100 participants, which is way more than enough for most of us. When scheduling a meeting, you’ll need to select a date and time, and when you do, Zoom will assign a password, which participant can copy from their invitations. That sends them to the waiting room, where you’ll be able to admit them. The password and waiting room are security features to prevent unwanted intruders. With the waiting room enabled, you, as the host, will be notified when somebody wants to join. Invitations are sent by email. If you use Outlook or Gmail, you can access your contact list to select those you want to invite. The email will have your Zoom link and the password for the session. As the host, you have the option to mute everyone or individuals, which can be useful to silence crying babies or unruly adults. You also have the option to remove any participant from the meeting but be careful. Once a person is removed, they can’t rejoin the meeting. As the host, you can also share your screen with everyone, which is great for showing photos or videos or sharing a website. You can also designate a participant as the host to enable them to share their screens. Yes, there are numerous other services and apps for videoconferencing, but Zoom seems to be out in front right now because it’s relatively easy to use and works across just about every communications platform available.
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70th Annual Georgia Mountain Fair August 14th - 22nd Music, Rides, Crafts & Fun!
Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruiz-In July 30th - 31st & August 1st 70th Annual Georgia Mountain Fair August 14th - 22nd Gene Watson/Janie Fricke/Marty Haggard Saturday, September 5th Happy Together Tour 2020 Saturday, September 12th LandFest 2020 September 17th, 18th & 19th
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AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
PERSONAL SAFETY
Don’t jump off a bridge just yet day, but a piece of advice from me Life goes on. That is what we when I’m in uniform. Stop flipping keep saying to ourselves. But I me off! think we are all getting a little It doesn’t hurt my feelings—in sideways these days. fact, it’s soothing. I Covid-19 wasn’t in have thick skin and the bag, yet we started married twice. There acting as if it never is nothing you can existed. Crowds on July say that has not been 4 completely ignored thrown at me dozens of the distancing advice times before. and yes, they were And, while we’re on kids, meaning the the topic, what in the under-25 crowd -- you world do you think know, the ones who will come of the talk will live forever. of “defunding” police They had to close that has become so the beaches again to STAY SAFE popular? You will feel keep the knuckleheads Steve Rose is a retired Sandy Springs Police the effects and you’re from congregating not going to like it. there. The information Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and What do you think is out there, although freelance writer. He is the happens when they I too am getting a bit author the book “Why cut money from the tired of ABC-TV anchor Do My Mystic Journeys David Muir’s over Always Lead to the Waffle police budget? Services House?” and the column are affected. Nonthe top “Doom and “View from a Cop.” emergency calls just Gloom Report of the sit there, waiting for Day.” (Another thing, the next available officer, already David: sit back in the chair and do backed up seven calls. something about your 12th grade Any police call can turn haircut! Am I too critical?) dangerous so the plan to send Who thought we would get social workers on calls involving to this point when we are quite mental issues is a design to get sure we are losing our collective someone killed. Any cop will tell noodles and becoming those you “normal” calls easily become weird uncles who used to show up violent. Believe me, it’s not the uninvited at reunions? answer to the problem. “Hey Uncle Steve, what have Still, I would like to wake up you been up to?” one day thinking the world isn’t “Oh, nothing much. Quarantine slowly circling the drain. and all, sitting around eating Tater I would like to hear national Tots with Elvis.” news that actually makes sense, I, however, choose to think decisions made on facts, not of this as an opportunity to be political agendas, and problems that guy: the unfiltered one who objectively addressed rather than creates awkward moments with sticking a Band-Aid on them abrasive responses to simple hoping for another day for the questions;, the guy who absolutely problems to magically disappear. and unlimitedly will offer up And so, here we are, marching his advice and then use the through the forest of the quarantine as an excuse. It’s great! unknown, wearing our designer It worked so well that the guy masks and wondering if those who called me saying he’s been who do not are too vain or too trying to reach me about my car’s lazy to consider it a small step to extended warranty actually hung helping us stay alive. It isn’t too up on me! much to ask. I thought I would miss baseball Still, with all that’s going on, we more than I actually do. They have a unique ability to adapt to canceled the minor-league season. the conditions, and that’s how we I loved watching the minors. As beat this coronavirus. Don’t jump far as the majors? Not interested. from the bridge just yet because They whine too much and there’s a lot to live for—unless the why pay all that money to see cable goes out. millionaires play? Then, you’d better make room What about all the social for me. unrest? That’s a story for another
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FINANCE
Do joint tax filings alter SS earning limits? Dear Rusty:
Is this true? What are the benefits for doing this?
My wife and I have filed a joint income tax return for years. My wife is working and I’m 62 and wondering - if I Income tax filing start drawing Social status doesn’t matter Security, does the when it comes to earnings limit only determining if your relate to what I earn, earnings from work or does it include exceed the Social what my wife earns as Russell Gloor Security “earnings well? Is the earnings is a certified Social Se- limit.” limit tied to our IRS curity advisor with the If you collect filing status? I need to Association of Mature Social Security know if I should file American Citizens before you reach my taxes as a single your full retirement to be sure my wife’s age, your wife’s earnings are not earnings from combined with mine to affect working will not be counted my Social Security payment. toward your personal earnings limit. The earnings test looks Also, I’ve read that it’s only at your personal earnings recommended to register online and, if you exceed the limit, with Social Security if you’re Social Security will take back 62. benefits yet. some of your benefits. But only
Wondering
Dear Wondering:
Re-opening in August!
your personal earnings – as reported on your W-2 or SelfEmployment tax return – count. As for your second question: it is not necessary, nor would it gain you any advantage, to “register” with Social Security before you are ready to claim your benefits. Indeed, Social Security does not even provide you with a way to do that. What they do provide is a way for you to create your own personal “My Social Security” online
account, which gives you access to all of the online features provided by the Social Security Administration. Having an online Social Security account doesn’t provide you with any benefit advantage, but it allows you to monitor your earnings record, get a replacement Social Security card and get estimates of your current and future Social Security benefits to help you decide when to claim.
This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-securityadvisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. The 2 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://www. amac.us] is a senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today.
WWelcome to Addington Place of Roswell
A Brand New Senior Living Community
This August, Addington Place at The Mills is reopening
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Addington Place of Roswell • 550 Barrington Drive • Roswell, GA 30075 • 770-285-1590 • AddingtonPlaceTheMills.com
AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
17
HEALTH
Is the coronavirus keeping you away from your doctors? The threat of COVID-19 had missed routine medical appears to be changing how appointments because of many people think about going to COVID-19. the doctor or the dentist. Patients, “The survey shows that, in the health care practitioners and wake of the pandemic, people experts alike say the coronavirus are afraid to go to their doctors. and strategies to avoid it are Understandably, there is a lot of changing the ways people seek fear about exposure to the virus. health care. What we need everyone to know Semi-retired teacher Riki is that missing appointments Bolster of Atlanta puts you at has seen some much higher of the changes risk for serious close up. She has health issues, appointments every such as cancer,” three months with Carolyn “Bo” her rheumatologist. Aldigé, founder This year, her March and CEO of the appointment was Foundation said done virtually, over in a press release. the internet. In June, “Americans she returned to the should get medical clinic where her appointments Judith L. Kanne, doctor works to find back on the books RN, BSN, BA things had changed. and schedule their is a registered nurse and “I saw lots of physicals and [personal protective freelance writer who lives routine cancer in Atlanta. equipment], screenings.” individuals at Here’s a look the entrance to at other areas each hallway asking questions, and other ways the coronavirus checking your temp, giving you is changing reactions to health a sticker to say where you were care, at least in the short run. going,” Bolster said. “Everybody wore masks — all staff, doctors, From the Medical Office patients. I think they were Manager’s Perspective spacing time between patients, Chris Jueschke, office manager as I did have to wait longer than of at Peachtree-Dunwoody usual,” said Bolster. Medical Associates in Sandy And the chairs in the waiting Springs, said strategies about area “were cordoned off so no dealing with the virus have one would sit too close to the varied and have changed over next person. All the protective time. COVID-19 protocol made me feel “We saw a wide range of safer.” preferences among patients, and But as they make changes to did our best to meet everyone’s accommodate their patients’ personal needs,” he wrote in an safety, some hospitals and email. “In mid-March we saw doctors have expressed a lot of patients postpone their concerns that fear of “catching” appointments due to concern the coronavirus has patients about exposure to COVID-19, foregoing treatment for some but we also had many patients small problems — from ingrown who still chose to come into the toenails to sore throats — office. By the end of March, we that could cause them future provided services exclusively via difficulties. telemedicine. This was for the A recent study by the Prevent protection of both patients and Cancer Foundation found that our staff.” 43 percent of American adults
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AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Preventive visits, such as wellness visits and routine checkups, were initially all postponed, he said, but “we resumed seeing patients in the office on a limited basis in May, and by June were back on a full schedule. We continue to see some patients postponing visits, but demand keeps us pretty well
Jeremy Rosenberg
booked. For those patients who come in, masks are mandatory, and hand sanitizer is always within reach.”
A Dental Office’s Perspective
Many dental practices nationwide closed during the early spread of COVID-19.
unscheduled hiatus, only dealing with rare emergency situations. The American Dental Association created an advisory group to help dental practices recover from the closings, association president, Dr. Chad P. Gehani said. “Our community is in it together as we navigate these trying times,” Gehani said to his membership. Peachtree Dunwoody Dental Group in Sandy Springs was one of the practices that did not shut down completely during the early days of the pandemic. “We remained open to handle emergency procedures at first,” Dr. Jeremy Rosenberg said. “Most dentists closed completely. However, we stayed open to see emergencies, but kept very limited staff. It was just myself, my assistant and one person up front,” he said. We actually stayed pretty busy just because people had infections, or a broken tooth requiring an immediate extraction — while others required root canals.” His office, Rosenberg said, always uses “universal precautions so we were set
Source: CDC/MMWR, June 26, 2020 /69(25);795-800
Dentists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, and others in the field were forced to take an
there.” And staying open paid off in the long run. “Because we kept in contact with patients, and saw
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The implication for public health practice is to educate the public about the importance of immediate emergency care, regardless of a pandemic. People need to know that if they are experiencing chest pain, loss of motor function, altered mental status, or other lifethreatening issues, they should seek care right away.
What happened to elective surgeries
Riki Bolster
some with emergencies, it was a little easier for us to get back into a full dental flow,” he said. “Some dentists closed for two months, and I think it was much harder for them to reopen.”
What about Emergency Room visits?
In the weeks following the declaration of COVID-19 as a national emergency, substantial reductions in emergency department visits made the news.
On June 26, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) noted three potentially life-threatening conditions where ED visits were down by all age groups, and across genders. In a New York Times report, it’s suggested that patients “may be coming in later and sicker.” Perhaps patients stayed home longer before they came in with worsening conditions, suggested one physician?
As part of a special “CovidSurg Collaborative,” a survey was done of 1,000 surgical leaders across the country to assess the surgery outcomes for patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19. The survey included academic medical centers, hospitals and surgery centers (identified by general surgery) and included certain specialties (such as orthopedics and urology). More than half of the respondents said up to 40% of their patients had canceled their elective procedures. “As [surgical centers] start the process of reopening, it’s critical that we also strive for equitable access to surgical care across the communities we serve,” stated one professor (who partnered with the CovidSurg Collaborative).
What should you do?
There is still much to learn about this unprecedented virus. At the time of this writing, we don’t’ know how far it already has penetrated into society and we still don’t know how to completely prevent its transmission. From patients to multiple medical practices, the public is experimenting on how to adjust COVID-19 into our lives. And as medical offices reopen, now may be a good time for patient protection against the unseen health hazards affecting our communities. The take-home message is: Don’t wait. For starters, if you, or someone you care for, is feeling sick, experiencing a fever, or showing signs of difficulty breathing, call your primary care physician right away for further directions. However, if your upcoming appointment can be handled virtually, that may be another option for you depending on the medical practice. Stay vigilant with selfcare and continue to follow COVID-19 guidelines when you are seeing your health care provider — even if it’s for bloodwork, X-rays or other tests. The good news: medical practices are safer than they’ve ever been.
Tech Care for Seniors → Computers → Devices → Wi-Fi Networks “We make house calls.”
404-307-8857
We call it home. MARGY MANCHESTER
Resident since 2006 “I’ve been involved with the community since 1960 and I was on the very first board here at Saint Anne’s Terrace. It’s a beautiful part of town and the best part about living here is the wonderful family atmosphere in which everyone gets along.”
During this difficult time, we have maintained the CDC guidelines to keep our residents safe and functioning. We are in a “soft” re-opening phase for family members and look forward to re-engage with outside visitors in late August. Please call for details. We hope to see you then!
• Serving Buckhead community for over 30 years • Minutes from OK Café • Quiet residential neighborhood • Apartments tailored to personal needs
CALL US TO SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT 3100 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta 30327 www.saintannesterrace.org • 404-238-9200
AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
19
GARDENS
Gardening in small spaces By Collin Kelley Gardening space is often at a premium If you live in an apartment, condo or townhouse. But if you’re itching to scratch your green thumb, here’s a few ideas to get you started. The easiest way to get started with growing plants in small spaces is to try container gardening. If traditional clay or plastic planters aren’t your thing, think outside the pot and look around your home for alternatives. If the planter is big enough to hold soil and permits adequate drainage – by punching or drilling holes – then you’re ready to grow. Be mindful to select the right size pot for your garden. Don’t go too small or you run the risk of inhibiting root growth as well as creating a challenge to keep the container hydrated. If you don’t see a planter idea around your home, check out yard sales, thrift shops, or a neighborhood message board. But don’t use anything that once held toxic chemicals or is rusted. And be sure to wash the container before you plant. If you want to use a wooden planter, consider treating it with a clear waterproof latex sealer to extend its life and durability. Some container suggestions: milk crates, bottles, jars, fish tanks, old toolboxes, glassware, coffee mugs, pallets, or even one of those shoe organizers you hang on a door. The latter happens to be perfect for growing herbs. For something a bit bigger – to grow lettuce, kale, spinach, and other greens – try recycling an old desk or dresser to create raised beds. One of the easiest and most efficient ways to garden in a small space, like on a balcony or patio, is to find an old shipping pallet and flip it vertically to create growing shelves. Now that you’ve got your containers, here’s a few tips from Pike Nurseries (pikenursery.com) on how to actually grow a small garden. Sun: The most important rule for beginning a container garden
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AUGUST 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
is to group plants together based on their sun requirements. Gardeners should get acquainted with their space to determine lighting – ranging from full sun (with more than six hours of direct sunlight), partial sun or shade (with three to six hours). to full shade (with less than three hours) – before choosing their container garden plants. Soil: Fill a pot with potting and container soil that contains fertilizer and wetting agents to prevent pots from drying out too quickly. A helpful tip is to place a coffee filter at the bottom of the container near the hole to keep soil from spilling out, but still allowing proper drainage. Leave two to three inches at the top to mix in a fertilizer like Dr. Earth Root Zone – a nutrientpacked organic fertilizer that reduces transplant shock and helps establish roots. Fill in areas around the plants with more potting soil. Water: Gardeners also want to plant species with similar water needs, ensuring no under- or overwatering takes place. Container gardens should be watered two to three times a week, increasing this to seven times a week when temperatures are at their hottest. Container gardens require more attention, so use the touch test to determine water needs; if the top one to two inches of the soil feels dry to the touch, water until it begins to drain out of the bottom. Be sure to get rid of excess water in the saucer to prevent rotted roots. Water globes and waterabsorbing granules are useful tools to ensure plants receive enough water. Fertilize: Fertilize containers every four weeks with a blend of natural and organic compounds in Dr. Earth Annual Bloom to keep annuals thriving or every three months with Osmocote Outdoor & Indoor Plant Food that controls nutritional release. All that’s left is to decide what to grow in your small garden. Although we’re in the middle of the summer, there’s still plenty to plant, according to the Georgia
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Cooperative Extension Service (extension.uga.edu). Some suggestions: Cauliflower, pole and lima beans, butterpeas, cucumbers,
eggplan, okra, bell pepper, and some varieties of tomato can be planted in July. For flowers, try marigold, cosmos, cleome, and dwarf sunflowers.
GETTING OUTDOORS
Chattahoochee River NRA increases access to park By Collin Kelley Following federal, state, and local guidance, the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (NRA) has eased COVID-19 restrictions and increased recreational access. The National Park Service (NPS) has allowed commercial services on the river to resume, including Nantahala Outdoor Center, Deep South Fly Anglers, Shoot the Hooch, River Through Atlanta, Kayak Classes of Georgia, Tie One On, $10 Tubing, and High Country Outfitters. The park, which has units located along the river, charges a $5 entrance fee. Look for signage at each parking area on how to electronically pay the fee. “We welcome visitors back to the park for increased recreation opportunities in Chattahoochee River NRA,” said Acting Superintendent Ann Honious. “We ask visitors to remember to recreate responsibly, by recreating with the people in your household. Give others plenty of room whether you are on a trail, at a boat launch, or in a parking lot.
Follow the CDC social distancing guidelines for staying six feet away from others. Be prepared to cover your nose and mouth if you’re near others.” Honious said that the NRA is working closely with the NPS Office of Public Health, using CDC guidance, to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities. Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website nps.gov/ chat and social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/ coronavirus. A new NPS report shows that 3.4 million visitors to Chattahoochee River NRA in 2019 spent $152 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 2,160 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $213 million.
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OUT & ABOUT
Georgia Aquarium, High Museum and more reopen with social distancing will be assigned an entrance area during ticket purchase. The main entrance to the aquarium will be closed and visitors will be assigned a designated alternate entrance to use. For more: georgiaaquarium.org.
Fernbank Museum
By Collin Kelley The city’s tourist and cultural attractions are reopening with social distancing protocols in
in July after it had closed due to COVID-19 and was damaged during recent protests. Visit cfbhall.com for more details.
◄ The High Museum of Art
place as the COVID-19 outbreak continues. Here’s a look at what was open – or had made a reopening announcement – at press time. Be sure to check the website and social media of the local attraction you want to visit for updated hours of operation, safety measures, and more. College Football Hall of Fame The museum opened for visitors
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Officials at the Midtown museum planned to reopen to the general public on July 18. The High will be following local, regional, and federal recommendations for reopening, according to a media announcement. The museum said face coverings would be required and masks will be available for purchase. For updates on the High’s reopening procedures and online ticketing, visit high.org.
two months due to the pandemic. Tickets must be reserved online at georgiaaquarium.org. Entry will be scheduled in 30-minute timeslots and admission is valid only during that time. Only be a limited number of guests are allowed at any one time in order to maintain social distancing. All visitors must consent to a contactless temperature scan prior to entering the building. All guests older than 3 are required to wear masks, which will also be available upon entry. Visitors
The Druid Hills science museum has reopened after being closed for more than two months due to COVID-19. Most museum exhibits are open, with some hands-on exhibits, outdoor children’s exhibits and interactives temporarily unavailable. Fernbank is encouraging visitors to explore the 75-acres of outdoor experiences in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest, which features nature trails, a treelined canopy walk, a creek-lined pollinator sanctuary, and a variety of trees, native plants and blooming wildflowers. Tickets must be purchased online and in advance. Entry to the museum will be timed and visitors aged 2 and older are asked to wear masks. , Capacity limits will be in place to support physical distancing. All transactions at the museum will be cashless, so be sure to bring a credit or debit card. For more: fernbankmusuem.org.
Zoo Atlanta
The Grant Park zoo reopened
Georgia Aquarium ►
The Downtown attraction reopened to the public in midJune after shutting its doors for
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in mid-May with a new timed ticketing system to control capacity and limit the number of guests inside at any given time. Tickets may only be purchased online at zooatlanta.org.
a limited number of visitors admitted every 15 minutes. Entry is not guaranteed to visitors who walk up to the ticket counter to reserve and purchase tickets. For more: atlantabg.org
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta History Center
The Midtown beauty spot reopened in late May after being closed for two months due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the garden’s website. Tickets must be reserved online and will provide for timed entry, with
The history museum and its 33-acre campus on West Paces Road in Buckhead has reopened, according to the center’s website. The history center’s Midtown campus remained closed in mid-July, the website said. The center says it is following CDC public health guidelines. Entry to
◄ Skyview Atlanta
Downtown’s giant Ferris wheel is open for rides daily from noon to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Tickets and social distancing guidelines are available at skyviewatlant.com.
Six Flags Over Georgia the center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, requires a timed ticket. Visitors must reserve tickets in advance at atlantahistorycenter. com.
Services directory
The amusement park has reopened, but reservations are required to facilitate social distancing and attendance flow. The park is limiting the number of guests and staggering arrival times to maintain distance. For details, visit sixflags.com.
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