DISCOVER THE RETIREMENT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED 770-765-0607
FROM REPORTER NEWSPAPERS
AUGUST 2022 • Vol. 7 No. 8 • AtlantaSeniorLIFE.com
FINDINGHed PLACES FOR NATURE Grand gardens bloom from metro Atlanta to the north Georgia mountains
places to see Cartersville collects museums of art, history and wonder page 6
THINKING HEALTHY Form your own entourage page 10
LEADING THE WAY
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Contents AUGUST 2022
COVER STORY gardens flower from 4 Grand Atlanta to the mountains
TO SEE 6 PLACES Cartersville collects museums of art, history, wonder
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HEALTHY 10 THINKING Form your own entourage WITH CHARLIE 12 TRAVELS DeKalb Avenue mural depicts the dividing of the waters
SIZING 14 RIGHT Returning to housing types we need to age in place
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FROM REPORTER NEWSPAPERS
Editorial
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Amy Wenk Editor, Reporter Newspapers Contributors Erica Copenhaver, Kathy Dean, Shelly Howell, Kelly McCoy, Logan C. Ritchie, Steve Rose, Charles Seabrook, Donna P. Williams, Mark Woolsey
THE CRATES 17 FROM Play my record, please….
18 PEOPLE Former Gov. Roy Barnes: ‘Good-humored jousting in Keith Pepper Publisher keith@springspublishing.com
Collin Kelley Editor, Atlanta Intown
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Volunteer Sally Wright tends a plant at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Photo by Donna P. Williams
AUGUST 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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COVER STORY
Grand gardens flower from Atlanta to the north Georgia mountains Logan C. Ritchie The scent of camelias. The crunch underfoot of tiny, gray gravel. The rhythmic swish of a water fountain. There’s nothing quite like a stroll through a garden to engage the senses and let the world melt away. In fact, research has shown levels of depression and stress decrease when immersed in nature. Atlantans are lucky to live in a gardening zone that gives life to a wide range of trees, shrubs and flowers. Local gardens change with the seasons as azaleas and rhododendrons emerge in the spring, ferns and flowers explode in the summer, and, come fall, trees show new colors across the north Georgia mountains. Here are some nearby gardens to visit.
neighborhood of Lake Claire, this hidden gem is frequently enjoyed by neighbors. Address: 1815 S. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307
the Atlanta Historical Society established its headquarters there. Goizueta Gardens has 33 acres of woodland gardens and trails steeped in local history.
Contact: 404-377-3836 or www.catorwoolfordgardens.org
Address: 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30305
Hours: Daily, sunrise to sunset, unless an event is be held.
Contact: 404-814-4000 or www. atlantahistorycenter.com/buildings-andgrounds/swan-house/
Cost: Free.
Georgia State University Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden is located near the southeast corner of I-285 and I-20. In 1990, botany professor George Sanko established the garden. Over the years it has become known for indigenous plants including azaleas, magnolias, viburnums, pitcher plants, sundews and carnivorous plants, wildflowers and ferns.
Contact: 678-891-2668 or www.sites.gsu.edu/pcnativegarden
Address: 1345 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30309
Contact: 770-919-0248 or www.smithgilbertgardens.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May to October. Check the website for hours outside of these months. Cost: Entry fees range from $25 to $50. Flex tickets cost more but allow for flexibility due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. Parking rates vary.
Cator Woolford Garden is best known as an event venue. On 39 acres of old growth forest, visitors will find landscapes fit for a family photo or hour of exploration. In the intown
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Cost: Tickets are free for age 4 and under, $10 for ages 4-12, $20 for students and seniors, and $24 for adults. Parking is free.
Address: 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501 Contact: 404-888-4760 or www.atlantabg.org/gainesville-garden Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March 1 to Oct. 31. Check the website the remainder of the year. Cost: Timed tickets are required for nonmembers. Children under 3 years old are
Address: 3251 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA, 30034
Metro Atlanta: Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Midtown Atlanta is displaying large scale origami pieces throughout the garden until midOctober, when the landscape will transform to a spooky Halloween treat. The origami installation features nearly 70 museumquality metal sculptures inspired by the Japanese art of folding paper by Santa Fe artists Kevin and Jennifer Box, Te Jui Fu, Beth Johnson, Michael G. LaFosse and Robert L. Lang. Visitors can enjoy cocktails in the garden with live music from Tuesday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Contact: 404-876-5859 or www.atlantabg.org
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; historic homes open at 11 a.m.
month. On the first Saturday of the month through October, attend cocktails in the garden until 8 p.m. Ada Mae Pass Ivester Children’s Garden is open for little explorers who love fairies, dragons and magic.
Hours: Daily from dawn to dusk. Cost: Free. Visitors may park in Lot 5 for GPC staff and students.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw is a family friendly property with events and classes. Visitors can learn about a wide range of topics from Native American Cherokee plants and agriculture to ecosystems. Must see: the bonsai collection, an award-winning butterfly exhibit and hummingbirds. Address: 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30152
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Tickets are timed. Free for children under 3, $5 for ages 3-17 and military/ students, $10 for adults and $8 for seniors over 65.
Swan House is poised on West Paces Ferry Road, one of the poshest stretches of road in Atlanta. Located behind the Atlanta History Center, Swan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was occupied by the original family until 1966 when
AUGUST 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Georgia State University Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden. Photo by Donna P. Williams
Woodlands Gardens is an urban sanctuary about a mile from downtown Decatur. Piedmont native gardens feature iris, camelias and pollinators with an occasional spotting of wild mushrooms (not for foraging). Note: Dogs are best left at home. Address: 932 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, 30030 Contact: 404-373-2222 or www.woodlandsgarden.org Hours: Daily from dawn to dusk. Cost: Free. Parking is limited, so Woodlands encourages carpooling or biking.
Further afield: Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Gaineville has just as much to offer as its older sibling in midtown Atlanta. Tai chi, storybook time and birding classes are all on the docket this
free; children ages 3 to 12 are $12.95; and adults are $14.95. Onsite parking is free.
Barnsley Gardens is better known as part of the resort and spa in Adairsville, but the gardens are spectacular. Wander in and about Woodlands, the manor house ruins at Barnsley Gardens, and feel the grandeur of Godfrey Barnsley’s creation. Built for Barnsley’s wife, Julia, what is left of the Italianate style villa is romantic and peaceful, covered in wild greenery. Address: 597 Barnsley Gardens Road, Adairsville, GA 30103 Contact: 770-773-7480 or www.barnsleyresort.com Hours: Daily from sunrise to sunset, unless it is booked for an event. Cost: Free.
Ball Ground Botanical Garden’s Roslyn Carter Butterfly Trail is a popular part of this property. In the shape of a swallowtail butterfly, the trail boasts pollinator plants like butterfly bush, milkweed, sedum, yarrow and more. Along the way, posters and signs provide education about butterflies.
Address: 1987 Gibbs Drive, Ball Ground, GA 30107
Contact: 706-808-0800 or www.howardfinster.com
Contact: 770-893-1880 or www.gibbsgardens.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Children under 12 are free, over 12 and students cost $12, seniors cost $10 and adults cost $15.
Address: 215 Valley Street, Ball Ground, GA 30107
Fred Hamilton Rhododendron Gardens claims to be the largest collection of rhododendrons and native azaleas in the southeast. Check out dogwoods, rare forest perennials, trillium, ferns and more than 400 varieties of rhododendron. The property features 30 acres of woodlands, including short hikes.
Contact: www.ballgroundgardenclub.com/ ball-ground-botanical-gardenFree Hours: Daily from dawn to dusk. Cost: Free.
The Freedom Braille Trail is located within Dellinger Park. The Braille trail is designed for a range of abilities. Visually impaired and physically challenged visitors should feel welcome on this hard-packed trail, which is lined with navigation ropes and Braille displays. Address: 100 Pine Grove Road, Cartersville, GA 30120 Contact: 770-387-5626 Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Cost: Free.
Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground may be best known for its spring explosion of daffodils and tulips, but there’s a lot more to this property. Rhododendrons, azaleas, roses, hydrangeas and daylilies capture visitors in spring and summer, but the fall encore of azaleas is also a stunner.
Cost: Free for children under 3, ages 3-17 cost $10, seniors cost $18 and adults ages 18-64 cost $20.
Rock City Gardens is accessible all year by the Enchanted Trail woodland path and magical Fairyland Caverns. Sure, it’s touristy, but a waterfall, spectacular views and 400 different species of plants, trees, and shrubs make up for it. Visitors love to witness fall colors across the mountain vista. Address: 1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Address: 1311 Music Hall Road, Hiawassee, GA 30546
Contact: (706) 820-2531 or www.seerockcity.com
Contact: 706-896-4191 or www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/ localevents/hamilton
Hours: Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. Cost: Free.
Paradise Garden is a tribute to one of Georgia’s most wellknown self-taught folk artists, Howard Finster. Today his work can be found in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Library of Congress, Atlanta’s High Museum of Art and beyond. In a surprising and quirky landscape, Paradise Garden provides year-round art education, programs, tours and camps. It’s a Georgia bucket list destination.
Cost: Tickets are timed, and cost between $15-28 depending on the day. Parking is free.
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is on the campus of the University of Georgia. Guided tours ensure visitors see it all: the conservatory, heritage gardens
and international gardens. An edible garden, a children’s garden, flower gardens and walking trails along the Middle Oconee River are popular. Address: 2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, GA 30602 Contact: 706-542-1244 or www.botgarden.uga.edu Hours: Check the website. Cost: Free for individuals, group tours can be arranged for a small fee. Donations are welcome.
Thompson Mills Forest, 330 acres of land designated to provide public education and research opportunities, was deeded to the University of Georgia in 1980. Visit the granite outcropping and self-guided trails for a peaceful walk. Address: 8755 Highway 53, Braselton, GA 30517 Contact: 706-654-2666 Hours: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost: Free.
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5
PLACES TO SEE
Cartersville collects museums of art, history and wonder
Photo by Donna P. Williams
By Kathy Dean The Tellus Science Museum building winks through a cluster of tall trees along I-75 near Exit 293. It hits the eye like the prow
of a proud ship. The building hints at the treasures displayed within it, and other treasures in Cartersville, a city less than an hour’s drive north of Atlanta that has collected a cluster of unusual
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museums. “Cartersville is home to … some of the Atlanta area’s most interesting museums,” said Meredith Dollevoet, sales and marketing manager at the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Things really started, Dollevoet said, when a group of local business owners got together and decided they needed a place to show artworks they had gathered to the public. “The Booth Museum was opened in 2003 as a way to share their art collections with the community and to provide educational opportunities,” she said. That was just the start. The group formed the non-profit Georgia Museums, Inc., and in 2009, opened the Tellus Science Museum as an expansion of a building then known as the Weinman Mineral Museum. Other museums followed, with Georgia Museums now responsible for the Bartow History Museum and a related entity that operates the Grand Theatre in downtown Cartersville. The latest addition to the group’s collection, the Savoy Automobile Museum, opened in December 2021. “It displays not only some of the benefactors’ private collection, but also an array of automobiles in rotating temporary exhibitions that showcase the history and diversity of the automobile,” Dollevoet said. The gathering of museums draws tourists and attention to the city. In fact, Smithsonian Magazine included Cartersville as one of the 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2022. “In a nutshell, Cartersville became Georgia’s Museum City because a group of generous businessmen wanted to give back to the community through their love and appreciation of art, history, science, education, and now, cars,” Dollevoet said.
Booth Western Art Museum
The Booth Museum, named for Sam Booth, a friend and
mentor to the founders, boasts a permanent collection of the art of the American west, Civil War art and presidential portraits and letters, allowing visitors to “See America’s Story” in paintings, sculpture, photography and artifacts. The Booth also features Sagebrush Ranch, a hands-on experience and interactive children’s gallery. “The museum has become an important attraction since opening in Cartersville, being the world’s largest permanent exhibition space for Western art, and it is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast,” said Grace Adams, director of marketing at Booth Western Art Museum. 120,000 square feet of space, the Booth is a great size to see in a day, but offers more than enough to make additional trips worthwhile, Adams said. “Temporary exhibits are changed every three to four months in four galleries, resulting in 12 to 15 exhibitions per year, the most in any Georgia art museum,” she said. More than 800,000 people have visited the Booth Museum since it opened. “In 2019, Booth achieved its highest level of attendance with over 68,000 visitors,” Adams reported. The museum currently has about 1,600 members. As it’s grown in popularity, the Booth Museum has also received many awards, “including being named Best Art Museum by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice award program in 2020, 2021 and 2022,” Adams pointed out. The process involves a panel of experts partnered with editors at 10Best to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 were determined by popular vote. Booth Western Art Museum, 501 Museum Dr., Cartersville, Ga. 30120, 770-387-1300, boothmuseum.org Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.8 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission is $13 for adults; $11 for seniors, 65+; $10 for students; and free for children 12 and under.
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Tellus Science Museum
Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas
visitors are invited to roam a Great Hall and four exhibition galleries that showcase automobiles of different makes, models, and eras. There is also a state-of-the-art theatre with stadium seating for nearly 300 guests that includes an ultra hi-definition video panel wall, measuring 17 feet by 33 feet, and a turntable stage for rotating vehicles. The museum’s permanent collection rotates periodically; it includes a 1932 Rolls Royce 20/25, 1953 Kaiser Dragon and 1957 Chevrolet Corvette. The museum’s name seemed pre-determined. “When developing the land, a 1954 Plymouth Savoy car with a tree growing out of it was unearthed. As if by fate, it was the only vehicle uncovered,” Dollevoet said. “This famous Savoy car is on permanent display outside the museum in all its rusted glory.” The Savoy has a 37-acre campus, and there are plans to build an outdoor pavilion for use with events on the showgrounds. Current and upcoming exhibitions include: “Pirelli: The Story of a Company,” through Sept. 4, with a collection of cars that don Pirelli tires, including Formula One, Ferrari and Lamborghini; “FrontRunners,” through Oct. 2, featuring record-breaking Indy roadsters from the 1950s and 1960s; and “Big Blocks,” Aug. 2-Dec. 4, showcasing “the big and bold from an iconic era in American automotive history.” In addition to exhibitions, the Savoy hosts events. On August 13 at 2 p.m., the 1968 Steve McQueen film “Bullitt” will be shown at the Savoy’s theatre. “Ford v Ferrari,” a 2019 movie starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, is scheduled for Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. Though it’s only been open since last December, the Savoy Automobile Museum has been getting a lot of interest. It has already welcomed more than 70,000 visitors and has grown its membership to over 2,500.
Admission is $17 for adults; $15 for seniors, 65+; $13 for kids aged 3-17; and free for kids 2 and under.
Savoy Automobile Museum, 3 Savoy Lane, Cartersville, Ga. 30120, 770-416-1500, savoymuseum.org
The Tellus Science Museum is an expansion of the former Weinman Mineral Museum, according to Shelly Redd, Director of Marketing at the Tellus Science Museum. “The Weinman Museum was one of the few options teachers had for geology field trips for students,” she said. “However, the 9,000-square-foot museum could not accommodate the high demand for educational activities. Eventually the museum was turning away more students than they were able to serve and that’s when the decision was made to expand the museum and the services we offer.” It has grown to 120,000 square feet with four permanent galleries: The Weinman Mineral Gallery, The Fossil Gallery, Science in Motion and The Collins Family My Big Backyard. Some of the most popular exhibits are an 80-foot-long Brontosaurus and a replica 1903 Wright flyer. Tellus also houses three special exhibit galleries, a fossil dig, and gem-panning interactive exhibit, as well as a 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory that features a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope. “The museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate shortly after opening in January 2009,” Redd added. Affiliation with the Smithsonian benefits museums with support in development, expertise, fundraising and promotion. “Studies in the community have shown that many visitors to the area came primarily to visit Tellus,” she said, noting that the average annual attendance at Tellus, excluding 2020 and 2021, is just over 195,000. “To date, we’ve hosted 2,456,000-plus guests.” Tellus Science Museum, 100 Tellus Dr., Cartersville, Ga. 30120. 770-606-5700, tellusmuseum.org
Savoy Automobile Museum
Inside the 65,000-square-foot Savoy Automobile Museum,
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Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults; $5 for kids 3-12; and free for kids 2 and under, as well as active military (with ID).
AUGUST 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Hopkins grows Cartersville’s museums Seth Hopkins
By Kathy Dean Seth Hopkins, the Booth Museum’s first employee, helped the museum take root and flourish from the moment it was conceived. Hopkins, now the Booth’s executive director, also headed up the team that developed the Tellus Science Museum and re-envisioned the Bartow History Museum. Originally from Maine, Hopkins earned a journalism degree from Syracuse University and embarked on a career in radio and TV news. He worked in several Georgia markets, including Columbus and, finally, Cartersville, where he worked for a family that collected Western art and had enjoyed a good deal of business success. Then, at the end of 1999, Hopkins said he had his “Y2K moment” when his boss announced that he was starting an art museum in Cartersville, and told Hopkins, “You’ll run it.” Hopkins says h responded: “I don’t know anything about art, and I’m not sure I can even spell museum.” But, at age 32, he took the challenge and ran with it. Since it took more nearly three years to build the Booth Museum, Hopkins spent that time researching what it takes to assemble a collection, create exhibitions, and generally run a museum. He also traveled through the American West to acquaint himself with its culture,
history, and art. That was a real highlight, he said, asking “How many people get to visit Yosemite National Park for their job?” Hopkins also hit the books and took courses in museum studies, Western history, and art history at five universities before settling on Oklahoma University. There he earned his master’s degree, and his thesis on the Western art of Andy Warhol became a national traveling exhibition in 2019. “I am very proud,” he said. “Despite some COVID setbacks, the exhibition, called “Warhol and the West,” visited four major venues and the companion book received several awards.” The Booth now is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast. It has received a range of awards through the years, including Best Art Museum by USAToday Readers’ Choice 10Best awards program in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The nonprofit that runs Booth Museum, Georgia Museums, Inc., (GMI) recently added Savoy Automobile Museum to its collection. Hopkins stepped down as Executive Director of GMI to focus on the Booth, where his crash course in museums began. “I was already stretched thin among the three museums, and with a fourth on the horizon, I knew it was important to have a new leader for GMI,” he said. “Then I could turn my full attention back to the Booth.”
But Wait, There’s More! Other noteworthy places to visit in Cartersville and Bartow County Bartow History Museum, the fourth museum managed by Georgia Museums Inc. illustrates the past and present of Bartow County with exhibits that span 200 years, starting with life in the early 1800s when the area was inhabited by Cherokee. 4 Church St., Cartersville, Ga. 30120, 770-387-2774, bartowhistorymuseum.org Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., admission is $7 for adults; $6 for students and seniors, 65+; and free for kids 5 and under, as well as active military.
Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site is 54 acres of protected land that was the home to Native Americans from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1550. Visitors can visit the museum to see artifacts to learn about life for the Native Americans of the Mississippian Culture, as well as follow a nature trail to view the mounds and other sites. 813 Indian Mounds Rd., Cartersville, Ga. 30120, 770-387-3747 gastateparks.org/ EtowahIndianMounds
Open 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; mounds area closes at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults; $5 for seniors, 62+; $4 for ages 6-17; and $2 for kids under 6.
Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center features historical aspects of Black culture in Bartow County. It is in the restored Rosenwald School that was built in 1923 as the first school for Black children. This is also a stop on the African American Trail. 2361 Joe Frank Harris Pkwy., Cassville, Ga. 20123, 770-382-3392, NobleHillWheeler.org, Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Call to confirm hours before visiting. Free.
Old Car City Car Museum bills itself as “the world’s largest known classic car junkyard.” Hundreds of cars rest on 34 acres, with vegetation growing around them. “This is a favorite of mine, because it is so unique and eclectic, plus Dean Lewis, the owner, is a great storyteller,” Dollevoet said. “Outside the main building, there is a lot of walking, so I would just recommend this for agile seniors.” 3098 Hwy. 411 NE, White, Ga. 30184, 770-382-6141, oldcarcityusa.com Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is cash only. It’s $30 for all ages for anyone who takes photos. Just to look (no camera), admission is $20 for ages 13 and up; $10 for kids 7-12; and free for kids 6 and under.
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9
PERSONAL HEALTH
FORM YOUR OWN ENTOURAGE thinking healthy Shelly Howell is the author of “Don’t be a Wuss: Inspiration for a great life after 60.”
They say that to successfully raise a child, it takes a village. I’d like to propose the idea that to be a healthy, active senior, it might just take an entourage. For an actor who’s managing a film career, the entourage gets them safely to events, protects them from crazy fans, and makes sure they have a cold beverage when they’re thirsty. Now that
Friends who met on vacation four years ago and now meet in France every summer. Photo by Jonelle Birney Sullivan
I’m in my 60s, I need all these things. While most of us will not achieve star status and hire an
Exercise classes are a great place to meet new people and build your own entourage. Photo courtesy CDC
entourage, we can build a team of people in our lives who protect and support us as we do the same for them. Wild animals know
instinctively that there is safety in numbers. Lawmen in the old west formed a posse when there was a dangerous mission. But that’s probably too many analogies for one column. Emergencies are going to happen. Whether it’s a sudden period of rapid heartbeat or a broken pipe under the sink, we will all need resources in the future to get things fixed. Isolation becomes more and more dangerous, so having an entourage at your disposal can save your life. How can we put this idea into play in our own lives? We can start building a community of people around us for our health and safety as we age. Unfortunately, as we get older, we don’t get more courageous. There are times in our lives when making new friends feels easy. When my children were grade school, we were constantly showing up for soccer teams, class birthday parties and music lessons. We easily met other families along the way. Our children gave us all something in common. With this in mind, look for opportunities to do things you love and develop friendships with others who share your interests. 1. Knock on doors. Your neighbors are not just resources, they are potential new friends.
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AUGUST 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
My family entourage: Right to left: Trisha Beck, Lori Mundwiller, Millie Howell and Brenda Howell.
Put together a game night and invite them. Bake them cookies and see if someone can help you solve a problem with your cellphone. Offer to babysit or housesit for a young family and get to know them all better. 2. Join something. Anything. It might be that a group at your church that is working on a nonprofit effort, or a quilting club sponsored by a local retailer. I joined Weight Watchers a few months ago and now have a pack of new men and women that I see once a week as we all lose weight. And senior centers in most communities have multiple opportunities to meet others as you exercise, learn a new skill or practice your favorite hobby. 3. Travel with a group. There’s no better place to make new friends than on a vacation. Look at trips
available through AAA and AARP, or just reach out to a local travel agent. 4. Take a class. Many colleges and universities, including George State, let seniors attend for free. Find out more at admissions.gsu.edu. 5. Check out local websites like Meetup (www.meetup.com). You can join one of hundreds of specialized groups from gardening to salsa dancing to poker. You can also use the platform to start a group that others will join. And it’s a perfect place to look for ballet tickets, local concerts, and activities at discount prices. Building your own entourage may sound silly at first, but it can be an extremely important part of our safety, mental health, and happiness as we all continue to age. Surround yourself with people of all ages, and maybe take turns getting the cold beverages.
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The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is committed to facilitating conversations on the topics important to aging well in Atlanta and providing you resources to live your best senior life — especially in today’s challenging environment.
Visit us at ajc.com/aging to sign up for the newsletter and see a recording of our spring virtual event. You’ll find plenty of 55+ focused content there as well as links to our previously published sections and events. Look for our upcoming special section publishing September 11th in your Atlanta JournalConstitution print and ePaper editions and learn more about our upcoming Fall event.
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TRAVEL
DeKalb Avenue mural depicts the dividing of the waters Travels with Charlie Veteran Georgia journalist Charles Seabrook has covered native wildlife and environmental issues for decades. For “Travels with Charlie,” he visits and photographs communities and places throughout the state.
Running parallel to MARTA’s East Line tracks, DeKalb Avenue connects Decatur with downtown Atlanta. Its route also follows a feature of great geological importance to Atlanta — the ridge known as the Eastern Sub-Continental Divide. The divide’s significance is that it separates the two major river systems that drain most of Atlanta, the Chattahoochee River Basin and the Altamaha River Basin. That’s why you’ll this magnificent mural — the so-called Watershed Mural — gracing a concrete retaining wall along a stretch of DeKalb Avenue at the edge of the Lake Claire neighborhood in northeast Atlanta. On the map, the 350-foot-long painting, also known as the “Native Waters” mural, stands between DeKalb Avenue’s intersections with Arizona Avenue and Connecticut Avenue, near the EdgewoodCandler Park MARTA station. Fifteen years ago, the Lake Claire Neighbors association commissioned nationally renowned muralist David Fichter to depict the two river basins in their entirety — from their beginnings in North Georgia to where they eventually enter either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the Eastern Sub-continental Divide, if you held a bucket of water in each hand and stood in the middle of DeKalb Avenue facing west
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towards downtown Atlanta, the water you dumped to the right technically would end up in the Chattahoochee River, whose waters flow to the Gulf of Mexico. The water tossed to the left would end up in tributaries of the Altamaha and ultimately in the river itself, which empties into the Atlantic. One half of the colorful Watershed Mural is devoted to the Chattahoochee basin, the other to the Altamaha. The mural shows the two basins beginning as small, sparkling streams — the Chattahoochee in Georgia’s mountains and the Altamaha in Georgia’s Piedmont — and their tributaries joining up as they wind to the sea. The 137-mile-long Altamaha River, for instance, is formed in south Georgia by the confluence of its main tributaries, the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers, which begin in the Piedmont. The Chattahoochee joins with the Flint River near the Florida line to form the Apalachicola River, which flows across the Florida Panhandle to the Gulf.
1 On their seaward journeys, the rivers pass through swamps, farmland, forests, rocky shoals, small communities, bustling cities — all portrayed in the mural. Native plants and animals that depend on the rivers appear in colorful settings. Finally, the mural shows the rivers flowing into great estuaries at the edge of
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the sea, represented by dolphins, loggerhead sea turtles and other marine life. The murals help drive home a point — that even Atlanta, some 270 miles from the Atlantic and even farther from the Gulf, has a connection to the sea. You can get a glimpse of the Watershed Mural simply
by driving on DeKalb Avenue. Visiting it on foot requires more vigilance and safety precautions. For best views of the expansive mural, cross over DeKalb Avenue — but do so very carefully — to view it from a grassy strip next to the MARTA line.
1 | An explanation of the Sub-Continental Divide. 2 | A portion of the Watershed Mural along DeKalb Avenue. 3 | The Eatern Sub-Continental Divide is dividing line for the two river basins that drain most of Atlanta — the Chattahoochee Basin and the Altamaha Basin. 5
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4 | A Kingfisher along the Chattahoochee River, which joins the Flint near the Florida line to form the Apalachicola River that flows to the Gulf of Mexico. 5 | Another scene of paddlers in Lake Lanier as MARTA trains speed along in Atlanta. 6 | In Atlanta. 7 | Atlanta’s Lake Claire neighborhood, whose association commissioned the mural.
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8 | Along the Chattahoochee as it flows south of Atlanta to Columbus. 9 & 10 | The Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers, whose headwaters are in the upper Piedmont region east of Atlanta, join in south Georgia to form the Altamaha River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.
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11 | A dragonfly at the confluence of the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers to form the Altamaha River. 12 | The Oconee and Ocmugee rivers’ confluence is just south of the town of Lumber City, Ga.
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13 | Wood duck, alligator, great blue heron and other creatures in a swamp along the Altamaha River in south Georgia. 14 | A dolphin and other creatures in the Altamaha River delta near Darien, Ga.
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Photos by Charles Seabrook. To view these pictures online please scan the QR code. 13
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AUGUST 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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PERSONAL PLANNING
Return to housing types we need to age in place RIGHTSIZING Erica Copenhaver is project coordinator for the MicroLife Institute in Atlanta Home is where the heart is, and we tend to share our hearts with the people around us. As we age and get ready to downsize and simplify our lives, why should we have to leave the communities that make our homes feel like
homes? Most housing markets do not offer the opportunity to downsize within one’s community, requiring individuals to move sometimes hours away from their homes to find right-sized housing. This can have severe negative effects on our health when we are forced to leave everything we know behind and try to start over in a different place, especially in a time in our lives when we might require extra care from our neighbors, friends, and loved ones. America is facing a loneliness epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, social isolation has been reported to
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contribute to risk of premature death, dementia, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Fortunately, we can combat this by revamping our housing choices in our communities. There are many existing housing types that can enable people to downsize comfortably and age in place. Some options include “accessory dwelling units,” duplexes and multiplexes, or cottage court communities, which are neighborhoods consisting of “right-sized” houses (usually less than 1,200 square feet) clustered together
around a common green space. These types of developments are designed with community in mind–they bring people together and enable the neighborly interactions that have long been forgotten in many communities. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as motherin-law suites or granny flats, are the cute little houses you build in your backyard. An ADU can also be a separate section of the main home converted into an independent residence. Here are some ways to use an ADU: allow family their own place to stay when they visit; rent out the ADU for additional income; live in the ADU and rent out the main
home (and be able to travel more!); downsize into the ADU and allow your adult children to live in the main house; have a live-in caretaker reside in the ADU Duplexes and multiplexes are another great right-sized housing option. These homes add thoughtful density without changing the character of the neighborhood. They are also a great option for downsizing within your ZIP code at an attainable price. But diversifying housing types in a community isn’t enough. Walkability and access to public transit are vital. Most places are car-centric with limited walkability. We need options for getting around that don’t require driving. Also, the housing types we mentioned are not available (or even allowed) in many places. Our current zoning laws are limiting, unimaginative, and stifling to greater community health and diversity of all
kinds. Though the housing types we’ve discussed used to be commonplace, they have faded out of our housing stock and are all but forgotten in many communities. They often don’t meet updated zoning requirements, preventing them from being built new today even though the need for them is still there. What can we do about it? First and foremost, we need to educate ourselves and our neighbors on what these housing types are, why they are important, and how they can benefit our lives and our communities. Next, we can meet with our local policymakers and zoning and planning officials to discuss reinstituting these missing housing types. For more information on how to reach out to your policymakers about housing choice, please contact us at thoughts@ microlifeinstitute.org.
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PERSONAL SAFETY
Do the cryptic problems of cryptocurrency create real-life Monopoly money? STAY SAFE
I do not understand cryptocurrency. Are we inventing new money, making a real-life Monopoly game? Here is one definition of cryptocurrency: a digital currency in which transactions are verified and records maintained by a decentralized system using cryptography, rather than by a centralized authority.
and weeping.) What happened to just money? Well, for all the crypto kings out there, May was not a good month for you, with crypto’s value crashing as it did. Instead, it provided a reminder, especially for seniors, to be suspicious about investing your money, retirement money as well, in such volatile currency. So, what is the attraction? For crooks, there can be good reasons to use cryptocurrencies. Once something is paid with cryptocurrency, it’s nearly untraceable. Now that retailers are more aware of, and savvy about, gift card scams, crooks are looking for new ways to scam, and crypto fits the bill. According to AARP, their Fraud Watch Helpline contacts involving Bitcoin scams have tripled. Their advice is this: if a stranger or business asked you to use cryptocurrency to make
victims said the scam started with an ad, or message, posted on social media. Instagram and Facebook originated 32% and 26% respectively and involved phony investments. I thought Facebook and Instagram were for looking at photos of your dinner or dog sleeping on your couch. Lonely hearts, also known as “romance scams,” represented $185 million in losses since 2021. Crooks who created fake online identities then developed online relationships with vulnerable targets and bilked them of money with such scams as debts which needed to be paid before they could leave the country they were in to join the victim and be together. The article concluded by saying that unlike traditional banks, there’s no formal way to flag suspicious activity and it’s only possible to reverse
Uh, what? It went on to say, “Decentralized cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin now provide an outlet for personal wealth that is beyond restriction and confiscation.” (At this point, I’m on the floor in the fetal position
a payment or transfer money, assume it is fraud. According to Forbes, between January 2021, and March of this year, 46,000 people lost money, totaling over $1 billion dollars, in cryptocurrencies. The article said more than half the
transactions with a private key that’s difficult to acquire. The rising incidence of fraud has triggered renewed interest in stricter regulation. The FTC points out three things to remember about crypto:
Steve Rose is a retired Sandy Springs Police Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and freelance writer. He is the author the book “Why Do My Mystic Journeys Always Lead to the Waffle House?” and the column “View from a Cop.”
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AUGUST 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
1. Only scammers will guarantee profits or big returns. No cryptocurrency investment is ever guaranteed to make money, let alone big money. 2. Nobody legit will require you to buy cryptocurrency. Not to sort out a problem or to protect your money. Suspect a scam. 3. Never mix online dating and investment advice. If a new love interest wants to show you how to invest in crypto, or asks you to send them crypto, suspect a scam. Why is cryptocurrency attractive? According to an article in Investopedia, most cryptocurrencies have a limited supply, capped by mathematical algorithms. This makes it impossible for any political body or government agency to dilute their value through inflation. Moreover, due to the cryptographic nature of cryptocurrencies, it is impossible for a government body to tax or confiscate tokens without the cooperation of the owner. But the markets can be dominated by speculative trading, meaning crytocurrencies could again have another month like May. So, when Matt Damon comes on the TV and tells you to invest in Bitcoin because, “Fortune favors the brave,” well the follow-up question should be, “How much Bitcoin is Matt invested in, and did he take cryptocurrency for the ad, or good Ol’ greenbacks? Warren Buffett, on the other hand, is convinced crypto “will come to a bad ending.” I tend to side with Buffett. For me, a man who’s never won a game of Monopoly, I’m not in the mood to lie awake each night wondering if they’ll be anything left in the piggy bank in the morning. If you are that person though, do your homework.
FROM THE CRATES
Play my record, please… from the crates Kelly McCoy is a veteran Atlanta broadcaster who writes about the days popular music only came on vinyl records, which often were stored in crates. How did radio stations decide what songs to play? If some on-air person told you they were playing their own choices, they weren’t exactly telling the truth. Especially in a major market. Each station had program people for their formats. In the old “Top 40” world of stations, the choices of songs to be played were your identity. These programming people determined which songs were the best for their target audience. How did they find out which songs and future hits were available? Record companies to the rescue! Giving you a CliffsNotes version of the business side of airtime for the stars, I’ll attempt to explain. Any singer, singers, and all musicians who were priorities of the record company would be presented to a radio station for airplay. Previous big sellers, established entertainers,
and the latest trends demanded management, and promotion by the public would be the “acts” teams. People such as Steely promoted. Dan, The Eagles, and then some Labels had promotional teams performers you’ve ever heard of. all over the country to work their When she found her true niche product. LA and New York were working with smooth jazz artists, it national headquarters for most of was musical heaven for her and the the major labels, and those people talent. The world-class smooth jazz called the shots. artists I met via Deborah are still Promotion people were some of making new music and touring as I the coolest people I ever met. What write this. a great gig! Wining and dining If you don’t know the name Bob radio people with fancy intimate James or his group, Fourplay, look lunches and dinners with famous entertainers. I have, have had, and have lost lifelong friends I met on the record side of the business. Being one of the programming people I mentioned earlier allowed me the pleasure of meeting these characters. Having worked in different Motown Records radio formats, I’ve representative met stars from Wayne Fogel, left, different genres. and singer Lionel I have to say the Ritchie, center, smooth jazz folks share a laugh with are the most laid Kelly McCoy back. How can they not be? Look at the music they performed. One of my ’em up. Your jaw will l drop. Great longtime associates who became a people. Their individual talents lifelong friend worked with the top and accomplishments speak for artists in the world. themselves. Blend them together as Her name was Deborah Lewow. a group, and there are none finer. She passed away from the most I’ve spent a considerable amount of horrific disease on earth: ALS. I “real” time with them on different could write an article on her to tell occasions. part of her story and some of the Lionel Richie could be the people she worked with in their
nicest superstar I ever met. Fresh from winning a Grammy with Diana Ross, he stopped by WQXI one day to hang a while. I had him on the air at least a half hour, pretty much unheard of with stars of the era. They had to get to the next radio station, TV station or record store for an appearance. Our station, known as “Quixie,” had a special place in his heart. In the days the Commodores were just getting started, the group would drive to Atlanta from Tuskegee, Alabama, to hear the station to find out the popular songs they should “cover” with their appearances. He stayed for another 30 minutes wandering around the station and freaking out people at their desks. Can you imagine looking up to see Lionel Richie asking where the restroom is? Quite often we’d have dinner at 103 West, Panos and Paul, Bones, or another way-above-average dining establishment. In past “From the Crates” columns, I’ve mentioned the concerts, backstage parties, and show-biz lifestyle the radio and record business used to provide. I’m guessing it still happens today. What a way to make a living.
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PEOPLE
Former Gov. Roy Barnes: ‘Good-humored jousting in the past between Democrats and Republicans... [has] become all-out war...’ As a trial lawyer, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes appreciates a good courtroom faceoff. He enjoys tackling complex cases that require skillful maneuvering and deepdive research. Those same qualities won the day when Barnes and his allies struck down a Georgia state flag that prominently featured the Confederate Battle Flag and replaced it with a new flag that included images of many flags that had flown over the state— an act many, including Barnes, feel played a large part in his defeat when seeking a second term as governor. Barnes, who grew up in
Cobb County, served as governor from 1999 to 2003 after more than 20 years in the state House of Representatives and state Senate. As governor, he took on education reform and changes in health care. Since Barnes’ defeat in 2002 by Gov, Sonny Perdue, no Democrat has held the governor’s office in Georgia. Now, long out of mainstream politics and its bruising battles, Barnes has gone back to his roots as a
trial lawyer. Senior Life contributor Mark Woolsey caught up with Barnes recently. Q. You have said you got interested in public discourse while working at your mom and dad’s general store in Mableton. Can you elaborate on that? A. It had a bench and a heater, used to be an old stove, and folks would gather there particularly when it was cold and politicians would come by to meet and see everybody and talk to my daddy. I got interested in politics just hearing them talk.
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Q. Can you talk about getting into public office? A. I came home from law school in 1972 and I had a military commitment. I went off to officer’s basic [training] in ‘73. That was about the time they were winding down the Vietnam War. We finished officer’s basic, and they put us in a reserve unit. I worked in the Cobb County District Attorney’s office before I went down to basic and worked there when I came back. The D.A, retired and we went into practice together. The next election, in 1974, I ran for the state Senate and won. I was one of the youngest senators. You had to be 25 to run and I was 26 when elected. Q. You served 16 years in the Senate and several more in the House. What motivated you to try for the governorship? A. When I went to the Legislature, I thought I’d serve four or six years and then come back home and practice law. But I got down there, and I started working on a new state code of Georgia, a new Constitution. Then I became Gov. [Joe Frank] Harris’ floor leader. By that time, I saw that I could -- you know, working with the governor every day -- I said I believed I could do this job and there were a lot of things I was interested in doing. I was very interested in education and infrastructure. I became very interested in health care. Q. You fought battles as governor over the possible elimination of teacher tenure and changing the Georgia flag. Did those issues figure into your defeat? A. I think changing the Georgia flag had a lot to do with it. There was a backlash against taking the Confederate Battle Flag off the state flag, and I think that led to my defeat and to the defeat of several others in the General Assembly. It was the right thing to do, and I would do it again. Q. You’ve said the Republican surge that had happened about the same time might have played a role. With the
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state now trending more Democratic, how would you assess the chances of Stacey Abrams capturing the governorship and the state Legislature returning to Democratic hands? A. I think Stacey Abrams has a good shot. I think it’s going to be close, as it was before, and it’s impossible to predict. You know 24 hours is an eternity in politics. I think the general assembly is going to be a slower process because re-apportionment is still hands of the Republicans. I think it’s inevitable that Georgia becomes and moves over the next four years to a state either side can win.
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