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SECTION C • SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016
spotlight on
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
THE PUSH-UP KING 82-year-old performs an average of more than 1,000 a day
By Katie Morris
katie.morris @gwinnettdailypost.com
Lilburn resident Don Magee, 82, who averages more than 1,000 push-ups a day, works out at the gym above. (Special Photos)
We all have a morning routine that gears us up to tackle the day, like sitting and enjoying a warm mug of coffee, or maybe two, trying to wake up. For 82-year-old Don Magee, the morning begins around 6 a.m., not with a hot cup of joe but rather 500 push-ups. Afterward he enjoys that morning cup of coffee, but he’s not done yet. The Lilburn resident cranks out another 500 push-ups, performing a set of 200 then cutting back to 150 until he hits his goal. That’s how Magee, who’s been dubbed The Push-Up King of Lilburn, starts his day. And Magee continues to pump out push-ups throughout the day until he hits his daily average of around 1,000. Magee can be seen dropping down and giving 100 everywhere from the golf course to the airport. “I don’t have any inhibi-
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I see people walking in the airport. I consider that an exercise, but I don’t walk, I do push-ups.” — Lilburn resident Don Magee
tions about doing it,” he said. “I see people walking in the airport. I consider that an exercise, but I don’t walk, I do push-ups.” Magee keeps careful track of his daily totals and said he only missed one day last year, Christmas Day. He acknowledges that perhaps he should rest a bit more but said his body has become conditioned, and he makes sure to stretch his muscles well after almost every set. Magee also throws other exercises into the mix during his daily trip to the gym, including 300 to 500 crunches, arm curls and 20 minutes on the stationary bike. According to Magee, his push-up pursuits started 25 years ago when his wife, See PUSH-UPS, Page 3C
2C • SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016
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spotlight on new year, new you
Carol Love, a personal trainer, lifts weights as part of his fitness routine. (File Photo)
Sticking with a goal Resolutions, including weight loss, can be achieved
By Heather Middleton
a healthy weight goal. Several BMI calculators Welcome to 2016. are available on the InThe start of the new ternet, including at www. year, for many, comes cdc.gov. with several resolutions “A high BMI can be like getting in shape, an indicator of high body losing weight and eating fatness and can be used healthy. as a screen tool,” acThe Department of cording to the Centers Health and Human For Disease Control and Services offers several Prevention website. suggestions to reach your Individuals can use goal of getting fit and their BMI as a guide to staying healthy. determine what their First — determine your ideal weight is in relation body mass index and set to their to height. Special to the Post
Second — adjust your diet. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than you’re burning daily. “Some people give up sugary desserts to help lower calories. Others find measuring their foods and watching portions is the key. Often, making just a few changes can help with weight loss,” according to the and Human Services Department of Health website.
Top to bottom, incorporating exercise can help those looking to lose weight and get healthier in the new year. Making small diet changes and exercise can help residents attain their goals of losing weight in the new year. (Special Photos)
Tips to eating healthier include: • Limit high-calorie snacks. • Skip or share sugary and high fat-desserts. • Cut back on highcalorie beverages. • Eat smaller portions. Third — Keep a list of what you are eating. HHS suggests doing so can help those trying to lose weight stay on track. “Keeping track will give you an idea of your eating patterns. It also can help you see areas where you are doing well and areas where you could improve. For example, are you snacking too much in the evening?,” according to HHS. Ways to keep track include: • Write down everything you eat and drink in
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a notebook. • Track food intake at www.choosemyplate.gov. • Take a photo of your meals with your cellphone. Finally, add activity to help burn calories. “Staying physically active can help you arrive and stay at a healthy weight. It makes sense— staying active helps you burn up some of the calories from foods. Most of us don’t get enough activity to make up for what we eat,” HHS officials said on their website. Exercising doesn’t always have to be in a gym. Other ways to keep moving include taking the stairs, riding a bike, taking a walk at lunch, taking up a sport and jogging in place while watching television.
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016 • 3C
spotlight on new year, new you
Exercise can help prevent low back pain By Kathryn Doyle
these various interventions for low back pain hasn’t been clear, Steffens told Back pain is common Reuters Health by email. and difficult to treat, but The researchers reone effective strategy to viewed 23 published help prevent it is exercise, reports of prevention according to a new review. strategies for nonspecific “At present, a variety low back pain, including of interventions, such as 21 randomized controlled exercise, education, back trials. belts and shoe insoles, In many cases, structured are commonly prescribed exercise programs lowered to prevent an episode of the risk of later episodes low back pain,” said lead of low back pain. Lower author Daniel Steffens of quality evidence suggested the University of Sydney in that these programs might Australia. also reduce later use of sick But the effectiveness of leave from work. Reuters
There was no good quality evidence that other options, like back belts or shoe insoles, helped prevent pain, the authors reported in JAMA Internal Medicine. “There was some variation, but in general trials included exercises to improve strength, flexibility, skill and aerobic fitness,” Steffens said. “The exercises did not just focus on the spine but included upper and lower limb exercises as well.” Most trials had participants do two to three
exercise sessions per week at the clinic plus at-home exercises, for eight weeks to 18 months. “Regular exercise develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance,” Steffens said. It also helps with weight control, delays the aging process and reduces stress, “some of the main risk factors for low back pain,” he added. Back pain is 25 to 33 percent less likely to recur for people who adhere to a structured exercise program, said Dr. Timothy S.
Push-ups
Carey of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who coauthored a commentary accompanying the new results. “Eighty percent of us will have back pain at some point in our lives,” Carey told Reuters Health by phone. “Most will get over it in a few days or weeks, but exercise appears to be a good thing in terms of prevention.” Back pain is costly to the health care system and preventing it with exercise would be cost-effective for insurers, he said.
“It seems to matter less exactly what type of exercise you do than that you do it in a regular way,” he said. People should do the type of exercise they are most likely to sustain, he said. Professional societies should take a closer look at what exercise programs work and issue clear recommendations that will be easier for people to follow, he said. “Simply telling somebody to go exercise isn’t likely to work,” he said.
•From Page 1C Florence, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She decided to fight her affliction through exercise and began walking three to four miles on the treadmill daily and joined a gym. Magee followed Florence’s lead and also began working out, though the Illinois native said he’s always been active. Growing up, he was an athlete and played football at Illinois State University, serving as team captain his senior year. He remembers having a natural talent for push-ups — a talent he re-discovered when he began exercising. Back then, he could perform 25 to 50 push-ups with ease. Over the years, that number grew and grew, and eventually Magee was averaging more than 1,000 a day. Magee is continually setting personal goals for himself — by the time he was 74 years old, he hit the goal of completing 3,000 push-ups in one day.
Lilburn resident Don Magee, 82, who averages more than 1,000 push-ups a day, was able to complete 5,000 pushups in a day in November. (Special Photo)
spent running St. Andrews preschool in Tucker during retirement. Magee’s advice for novice Lilburn resident Don Magee, who averages more than 1,000 push-ups a day, poses push-uppers who might be looking to take it to the next with his wife, Florence. (Staff Photo: Katie Morris) level is to take it slow and When he was 79 years Magee credits Florence as we’ve done together.” set reasonable goals. old, he broke his record with his inspiration and becomes The two both enjoyed “If someone says, ‘I can 4,000 push-ups in a day, and choked up with emotion longtime careers in educaonly do 10.’ I tell them, in November, Magee finally when discussing his wife of tion, and the pair went on ‘Well, do 10 every day for hit 5,000. According to Flor- 56 years. to get their Ph.D.s together. five days straight, then do 10 ence, Magee has always “She’s unbelievable,” Ma- Magee looks back fondly twice a day.’ But don’t hurry been determined but she gee said. “I have such deep on his 22 years as school su- it because I tell you, if you never expected him to reach feelings for her and what perintendent in Eureka, Ill., get sore, you’ll say it’s not this point. she’s done for me and what as well as the 12 years he worth it,” he said.
The next personal challenge Magee has given himself is to play 18 holes of golf and do 100 push-ups at each tee box — without holding up the next foursome. Magee is happy to share his push-up accomplishments in hopes of inspiring others to get involved with fitness and live a healthier lifestyle. “It’s never too late to start. I’m 82 years old,” Magee said.
4C • SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016
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spotlight on new year, new you
Consumers globally are willing to pay more for foods with health attributes, according to a recent study. (Special Photos: Oldways)
SUBSTANCE OVER SIZZLE
By Sara Baer-Sinnott
healthier food choices continues to gain momentum. A recent Euromonitor With ubiquitous food survey projects global sales porn and hyped health head- of healthy food products lines, 2015 was the year will hit $1 trillion by 2017, of sizzle over substance. almost doubling the figure At Oldways, a 25-yearfrom 2007. It’s no wonold nonprofit celebrating der as consumers are now cultural food traditions, we exposed to, and educated predict 2016 will reverse about, food choices practithat formula with these six cally everywhere: restaufood trends for the new year rants, grocery stores, TV that will affect what we put food shows and schools. on our plates. Based on Nielsen data, with nearly nine in 10 (88 Our appetite for healthy percent) willing to pay food continues to grow more for foods with health The movement toward attributes, this provides Reuters
significant incentive and op- lishments are increasingly portunity for manufacturers touting a twofold mission developing new products. to offer healthy and sustainable fare. Despite being Sustainable diets move struck from the Dietary to the center plate Guidelines, sustainability, One diet does not fit for many scientists, tops the all, but research points to list of priorities for a healthy plant-based diets such as diet. “A plant-based diet the Mediterranean diet presents major advantages and vegetarian diet as the for health, the environment, gold standard for good use of resources and animal health and sustainability. In welfare,” said Neal Barnard, unexpected places like the president of the Physicians airport (e.g., San Francisco Committee for Responsible International Airport’s Napa Medicine and featured Farms Market) and the strip presenter at Oldways mall (e.g., LYFE Kitchen, Finding Common Ground, Sweetgreen), food estaba conference devoted to clarifying distorted nutrition messages. Food literacy finally catches hold The term “food literacy” is gaining currency. Thanks to the 75 million members of the experiential millennial generation, and technology, the youngest American adults connect good health with knowing where their food comes from and who produces it. As Eve Turow, author of “A Taste of Generation Yum,” said in an interview in The Atlantic, “food is also allowing us to access the globe, so we can find out what harissa is made with and how to prepare something with it, in two seconds on our phones.” This extends to appreciation for personal food traditions and a desire to reconnect with the culture of one’s ancestors. That’s good news, as heritage is an ever more powerful motivator for healthier eating, inspiring home cooking, which saves an average of 200 calories per meal.
Six food trends for 2016
Plant-based diets are good for your health, as well as the planet.
More than half of all cheese lovers say they prefer raw milk cheeses and purchase them regularly.
2015 Raw Milk Cheese Consumption and Attitudes Survey. Supermarkets are the new However, the FDA health hubs is looking carefully at According to the Food unpasteurized cheese, and Marketing Institute, a food new regulations could limit retail trade group, Ameriavailability of traditional cans make 1.5 trips to the cheeses in the United grocery store each week. States. Still, 90 percent of That far outstrips visits U.S. cheese lovers believe to health care providers. they should be able to To help customers make choose raw milk cheeses. balanced food choices, This may be the impetus to supermarkets like Hy-Vee, give these products, created Wegmans and Giant Eagle through the old ways of are hiring registered dieticheese making, the attentians in their stores. These tion they deserve. RDs will bring good health to consumers (and finanIncreased consensus cial health to the grocery on what to eat business) by demonstratA study in the Journal ing how to move healthier of Health Communication choices from shelf to table. showed contradictory nutrition news creates consumer Raw milk cheese is hot confusion, leading people More than half of all to doubt health and nutricheese lovers say they pre- tion recommendations. But fer raw milk cheeses (think that may change. Le Gruyere AOP, ParmigiaWith the imminent no-Reggiano, Roquefort, release of the updated Grafton Village Cheddar, Dietary Guidelines, along and Pont-l’Eveque, a with movements such as favorite of Prince Charles) Oldways Common Ground and purchase them regu— launched with a gathlarly, according to the ering of 75 top nutrition Oldways Cheese Coalition scientists, medical experts
and media members to reach consensus on what Americans should be eating — and the True Health Initiative, started by Yale University Prevention Research Center’s founding director David Katz, which enlists hundreds of experts to spread evidence-based truths about lifestyle as medicine, clarity will begin to trump confusion. Sara Baer-Sinnott is the president of Oldways, a Boston-based nonprofit food and nutrition education organization. Oldways’ mission is to guide people to good health through cultural food traditions and lifestyles, using practical and positive programs grounded in science. Simply put: We advocate for the healthful pleasures of real food. Oldways is the parent organization for The Whole Grains Council and The Mediterranean Foods Alliance, and is well-known for creating the Whole Grain Stamp and the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. We invite you to connect with us on our website, Facebook and Twitter.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016 • 5C
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your community: city by city
City by City is a weekly look at the happenings in the places you call home MORE FROM BUFORD
AUBURN Governor appoints mayor to serve on state board Gov. Nathan Deal recently announced that he is appointing Auburn Mayor Linda Blechinger to serve on the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. Blechinger was cited by the governor’s office for her past experience as a manager in the defense manufacturing field, a member of the Auburn City Council and for her involvement in the Georgia Municipal Association. Deal’s office also cited the fact that Blechinger has won GMA’s Women in Municipal Government Leadership Award and the World Chamber of Commerce’s International Hero Award. BARROW COUNTY Winder chairwoman named library Champion of the Year The Winder Public Library’s Board of Trustees chairwoman, Kathy Ash, was recently awarded this year’s Georgia Public Library Champion of the Year. Ash is the president of the Friends of Georgia Libraries and a trustee of the Jefferson-based Piedmont Regional Library System. The award is presented to an outstanding advocate who was not employed in any capacity by a public library but whose support significantly raised the profile of libraries and improved services during the year. “To be chosen to receive this award is an immense honor — and hugely humbling, considering that Georgia’s public libraries are championed by so many dedicated library supporters,” Ash said. BERKELEY LAKE Elementary school rolls out safety changes The new semester brought safety changes to Berkeley Lake Elementary School. A front door “buzzin system” is now being used as visitors enter the school, and it’s intended to enhance the safety and security of both students and staff by establishing greater door control at the primary entrance to the school. All doors are locked each day after cars and buses arrive so visitors will need to press the “bell” button to gain entry to the school. BRASELTON Themed story time for kids planned The Braselton library is hosting story time for kids 2 to 3 on Wednesday. At 10 a.m., the kids will be treated to the themed “Inchworm” story time. For more information, contact lhayes@prlib.org. The library is located at 15 Brassie Lane. BUFORD GEHC hosting night hike The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center is inviting residents to a brisk night hike through its “winter woodland” on Saturday. “Dare to discover the dormant denizens of the dusk hours as we look for signs of creatures above and below ground that are adapted to survive the winter,” the center said in a statement on its website. “Then look up through the bare trees into the night sky to look for planets and constellations of the northern hemisphere.” The event is set for from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the center, located at 2020 Clean Water Drive. It’s free for members. The cost is $8 dollars for non members. For more information or to register, visit gwinnettehc.org. DACULA GRTA adding Dacula to Midtown XPress service The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority has announced it will add “first ever service” between Dacula and midtown Atlan-
review. For more information, visit norcrossga.net. PEACHTREE CORNERS Local tapped for state authority board Gov. Nathan Deal has appointed William “Bill” Tanner, a resident of the Peachtree Corners, to the Private Colleges and University Authority. Tanner has practiced law for more than 50 years and serves as counsel with the firm Webb, Tanner & Powell. He is a past president of the Gwinnett County Bar Association and sits on the advisory board of Wesleyan School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a law degree from the University of Georgia. Tanner and his wife, Cynthia, have two children and five grandchildren.
EHC guests will enjoy roaming from tree to tree to house as they discover the many habitats that trees provide for animals large and small with a visit to the “TreeHouses: Look Who’s Living in the Trees” exhibit. The exhibit will be on view from Monday until May 7. (Special Photo)
Gwinnett EHC presents treetop exploration exhibit By Polly Ouellette
tree house that’s reached by a bridge. Once inside the tree house, The treetops won’t seem so far visitors can look for signs of aniaway to visitors at the Gwinnett mals who make their homes in the Environmental and Heritage Cen- trees, try to identify animal sounds ter’s newest exhibit, “TreeHouses: on an animal dance floor and use Look Who’s Living in the Trees.” stereoscopic view finders to see The family-friendly exhibit, 3-D images of smaller critters. which opens Monday, aims to proThe traveling exhibit aims to vide a new point of view on the educate both children and adults world living in the treetops. Vision the ecology of forests and tors will be able to explore and the sustainable harvesting of the learn about the habitats that trees natural resources provided by provide for a variety of animals. trees. Guests to the Gwinnett EHC Hands-on activities will teach will be able to experience “Treeguests how a tree becomes wood Houses: Look Who’s Living in the for a house and encourage creative Trees” through May 7. minds to design and build tree “This exhibit is perfect for houses of their own, drawing infamily audiences and provides spiration from tree houses all over a unique opportunity to explore the world. The exhibit will feature STEM through the lens of forestfictional characters, including ry,” EHC Program Director Jason Winnie the Pooh and Ewoks from West said in a statement. “Star Wars,” who are also wellCoinciding with the opening of known tree-dwellers. the “TreeHouses” exhibition, the “TreeHouses” will also allow EHC will hold a science, technolexplorers to experience the forest ogy, engineering and math event world first-hand with an indoor to highlight the field of forestry. Staff Intern
ta, as part of an overhaul of the XPress bus service’s route 416 this year. The route will pick up residents at Hebron Church and carry them into Atlanta with stops in midtown and downtown Atlanta, including a stop at the North Avenue MARTA station. “GRETA (sic) hopes to provide more service by adding the new service between Dacula and Midtown and adding service for the entire corridor between the Mall of Georgia and Downtown and between Sugarloaf Mill and Perimeter Center,” Dacula Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks wrote on the city’s website. GRTA has not announced when the service will begin in Dacula, but it is posting information about the changes on a commuter website, www. upgradeyourcommute.com/ r416.
Graham said. “We invite you to critically assess the current state of affairs and identify the ‘issues’ that move you to witness, remember, envision the future and act. When you look closely, the political is personal and personal is political.” Among the topics addressed in the exhibit are the “black lives matter movement,” government’s increasing infringement on civil liberties, continued inequality of women society and around the world, the economic gap, and the growing alienation of society from the natural world. “Each artist’s personal interest contributes to the larger societal discussion that shapes our world,” Graham said. “The works resonate with one another to provide a rigorous visual dialogue and food for thought.”
DULUTH New Hudgens exhibition focuses on personal politics The Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth has opened an exhibition that will run through March 26 called “Personal Politics: Artist as Witness, Memory Keeper and Social Conscience.” It’s curated by Jerushia Graham and works are by Jamaal Barber, Jessica R. Caldas, Alfred Conteh, Drék Davis, Jessica Scott Felder, Shanequa Gay, Deborah R. Grayson, Carlton D. Mackey, Masud Olufani, Iman Person and Dante Yarbrough. “Whether you actively engage in the political process or quietly volunteer your energies towards activities you consider personal interests, each of our actions, our voices, and our memories lay the foundation for future generations,”
GRAYSON Grayson Day Festival applications now available Vendors who want to be a part of the 2016 Grayson Day Festival in April can now sign up for a spot in the annual event. The city posted an application on its website www.cityofgrayson.org, and set an April 1 deadline to submit paperwork for the event. The festival will be held in Grayson Community Park on April 30. School and Relay for Life fundraising teams, advertisers and vendors selling items ranging from food, to crafts, antiques and other commercial items must fill out an application. Entrance fees should be made payable to Grayson Day Festival. Fees range from $10 for a 10-by-10 school fundraising booth to $100 for a 10-by-20 adver-
Out On a Limb: STEM Forestry Fun will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. The event will include a robotics activity challenging visitors to help a “roly poly” navigate through a maze in search of a safe habitat, allowing them to learn about the role of the tiny arthropods in the forest ecosystem. A variety of other STEM activities will be conducted in the EHC lab, and attendees will be able to take an exploratory walk through the forest and learn about environmentally friendly building methods. Tickets for the STEM event are $8 per person and free for EHC members. Admission to “TreeHouses: Look Who’s Living in the Trees” is included with daily admission to the Gwinnett EHC, which is $10 for adults and $7 for children. The EHC is located at 2020 Clean Water Drive in Buford. For more information, visit gwinnettehc.org.
tising booth. LAWRENCEVILLE DDA seeking proposals for downtown townhomes The Lawrenceville Downtown Development Authority announced this past week that it is seeking proposals from qualified home builders and developers to build townhomes in the city. The DDA wants to develop the townhouse on a 7.4acre parcel off Oak Street in downtown Lawrenceville and has issued a request for proposals, as well as a request for proposals for the development. “This RFQ/RFP constitutes a second major initiative to create new luxury residential living opportunities in downtown Lawrenceville in an effort to revitalize the City center,” the city announced on its website, www.lawrencevillega.org. A link to the RFQ/ RFP was included with the announcement. The DDA wants to build townhouse that will sell in the $325,000 to $425,000 range, according to the document. Proposals must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on March 14, and a builder or developer is expected to be announced on April 8. LILBURN Still time to register for active shooter training The registration is still open for the Lilburn Police Department’s upcoming course aiming to enhance preparedness throughout the community for shootings on Jan. 21. The Civilian Response to Active Shooter Event course is modeled after the “Alert, Deny, Defend” strategy, according to the city. It provides strategies,
guidance and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. The class is planned for Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Providence Christian Academy, located at 4575 Lawrenceville Highway. It will be taught by Lilburn Police Capt. Thom Bardugon, Lt. Chris Dusik, and Sgt. Tim Allen. Attendees are asked to RSVP to police department volunteer Carmen Stewart at carmen5242@bellsouth. net. LOGANVILLE Movie Night on Feb. 14 The city of Loganville recently released its events calendar for this year, and the first event is set for Valentines Day. A movie night, a Sunday, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rock Gym will feature “Minions.” The night precedes a student holiday in Gwinnett County Public Schools and is the district’s first inclement weather makeup day for this school year. The next event organized by the city is scheduled to be a car show on May 14. NORCROSS Meeting planned for info on greenway Norcross residents are invited to learn about the LCI Beaver Ruin Greenway and hear the presentation of the pre-final plan for public review on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The event is at the Norcross Community Center, 10 College St. It will be the final public meeting on the LCI Beaver Ruin Greenway in a series of three. The first meeting, held in September, served to present a site analysis and gather public input with the second meeting in November presenting two concept options for public
SNELLVILLE City excited for visit from civil rights icon At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Tommie Smith raised a fist covered with a black leather glove as he stood on the medal podium. The 200-meter champion’s gesture became a symbol of the civil rights movement. This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Smith will be the keynote speaker at the Snellville’s celebration and parade for the holiday, the city said in a news release. The event, scheduled for 10 a.m. behind City Hall, will also feature a performance by vocal group Forever in Ministry. Following the program, a parade will travel on Wisteria Drive to South Gwinnett High School. “This is a perfect opportunity for us to show the new spirit of a united Snellville and to come together to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy,” said Mayor Tom Witts, who is organizing the event. Once at SGHS, participants will be treated to a turkey dinner, have access to the clothes closet for free gently used clothing and a bag of groceries and entertainment, according to a separate news release from New Jerusalem Baptist Church. “The day is important especially with everything the nation at large has had to deal with in the past few months,” Pastor Elijah Collins said. “It’s a way to unify the community and fulfill the dream of Dr. King. It lets us know there is still hope in the dream. We are not giving up on the dream Dr. King spoke so much about.” SUGAR HILL New ice rink hours, open to Feb. 14 The ice rink at Sugar Hill has posted new hours and expects to be open through Feb. 14. It was originally expected to be open through January. The rink is now closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 4 to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for children, including skate rental. The rink is located at 5039 West Broad St. Skating Session dates and times are subject to change. Group discounts are available. Call 770-5547506 for current information. SUWANEE Library evening pajama storytime The Suwanee branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library on Tuesday will have the first of two storytime events for children and their families. They’re invited to listen to stories and sing songs while wearing pajamas and a favorite stuffed toy. This program is for kids, ages 3-6 and their parents or guardians. The event begins at 6:30 p.m., and there is another event scheduled for the same time on Feb. 16. The library is located at 361 Main St.
6C • SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016
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lifestyles
When things go ‘beep’ in the middle of the night It was about 1 a.m. when our alarm system woke me up with the beeping sound that it makes when one of the exterior doors is opened. The beep was coming from the front door. Somehow I knew that Tink wasn’t in bed, so I sat straight up and called out, “Tink!!!” Within a second, he was standing at the bedroom door. “It’s me,” he replied. “I was just going out on the front porch.” Tink rarely goes out on the front porch during the day, so going out there in the wee hours of the morning was more than odd. “Is everything OK?” I asked still pretty much asleep. “It’s fine. Go back to
injured by said villain? Then, what if the sheriff’s deputy asked me, “So, you knew it was unusual for him to go out the front door yet you didn’t question it and just went back to sleep?” We watch a lot of true Ronda crime shows at our house, Rich and Tink is actually paid to make up crime drama sleep.” I lay back down, stories from time to time, but I got to thinking and so we probably look at that thinking got me these situations differently worried on two accounts: than most folks. With all First, Tink had recently that stuff in my head — purchased a new handplus the fact that I actually gun then gifted himself a had a home invasion in shotgun for his birthday. the middle of the day once Secondly, it occurred to (that is a story for another me what if Tink had heard time when the district atsomething outside and torney has finally agreed gone out to confront the that I can tell) — I wasn’t villain? And what if he got going back to sleep. I tried
to figure out how I was going to help. “If he has the revolver with him, I could use my little shotgun,” I thought to myself since I didn’t know where the new shotgun was. I was really troubled by the forthcoming inquisition I would face from the sheriff’s department. This is what I learned from all the true crime shows we watch: The spouse is always the first suspect. Then I started thinking, “What if he is harmed and the villain then comes in and gets me, which would be easy to do if I go back to sleep?” Dixie Dew (shortly before her death) was curled up beside me, but she was
deaf so she would be no help. Plus, if the villain had handed her a piece of chicken, she would instantly become his best friend and give me up without a guilty thought. This was when I decided I’d best get up and investigate for Tink’s safety as well as to prevent me from going to prison for the villain. I tiptoed to the front door, opened it and peeped out. We recently installed lantern lighting, so the yard is well-illuminated. A possum skittered by while one of the cats looked at her from the sidewalk and yawned with boredom. But no Tink on the porch or in the yard. No sound of scuffling. No smell of gunpowder in the air. I did not call out to him. “What will I tell the law if they question why I didn’t call for him?” I decided I’d better get my
shotgun and protect my husband. I went back to the bedroom while deaf Dixie Dew slumbered on, and I got the shotgun and ammunition. I heard the front door open quietly. I froze. Footsteps quietly crossed the wood floor. Then I heard the sound that stopped the panic: water rushing from the kitchen spigot and the squirt of soap from the nearby container. Tink always washes his hands the moment he comes in from outside. I put down the shotgun and crawled back in bed, comforted. No respectable villain would clean his hands before he bloodied them. Ronda Rich is the bestselling author of “There’s A Better Day A-Comin.’” Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter.
Consistency doesn’t always equal success The team was concerned. They were making an organizational change. At the same time, they were under pressure to move into new markets. People were anxious. They believed the internal conditions weren’t stable enough to pursue new opportunities externally. They were wrong. My father once told me, “If you look at really successful people, they always have some backstage level of chaos in their lives.” Successful people don’t wait for every element of their lives to be perfect before they act. They accept the fact that in successful endeavors, change and uncertainty are constant. I work with senior leaders who bring me in because they want to accelerate revenue and market growth. I can gauge how successful our initiatives will be by their team’s response to change. I often start with the question: “Would you rather work for an organization that keeps changing or one that doesn’t change?” There were once many horse-and-buggy manufacturers staffed with people who loved the stability of their business. Successful organizations are able to change rapidly because they have a clear North Star. In the most successful organizations their true and noble purpose is to improve the lives of their customers. Their people flex and change rapidly because their constancy of purpose keeps them grounded. Less successful organizations lack a clear purpose, and because of that, they become overly attached to their current business models. For less successful leaders and organizations, change feels like a threat to their way of life. Case in point, Blockbuster was overly attached to making money off their retail stores. This blinded them to changes in the way customers consumed content. If they had been focused on their customers, and used them as their North Star, they would have seen what was coming, and perhaps been able to change their model. As it happened, their desire to keep the
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Forget Perfect
Lisa McLeod
conditions of their business constant cost them their entire company. As humans, we all need some level of consistency in our lives. The key is to understand the difference between consistency of conditions and constancy of purpose. When constancy of purpose is your North Star, you can flex and change your conditions. In the absence of a purpose, people will cling to consistency of conditions. The same principle applies to our personal lives. I see parents whose homes and behaviors remain frozen in time. They act as though their children are still in grade school when in reality their children are on the verge of becoming adults. If you loved it when your kids were little, as I did, it’s hard to acknowledge that time is over. But if your true and noble purpose as a parent to is to nurture and raise successful happy adults, you’re more be able to change your home and your behavior as the current situation merits. In parenting, when your end game is happy successful adults, change is exciting. In business, when your North Star is your customers, change is an opportunity. If you wait for the pace of change to slow down before you act, you’ll never get anything done. Instability is not a bad thing; it’s a sign of progress. People who cringe at changing conditions are the people who quickly find themselves becoming irrelevant. Next time you find yourself feeling uncomfortable, remind yourself, your purpose isn’t to stay the same. Your purpose is to keep growing in new situations. Lisa McLeod is the creator of the popular business concept Noble Purpose and author of the best-seller “Selling With Noble Purpose.”
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Roberts receives $2K grant for autism, special needs Autism and special needs classrooms at Roberts Elementary School recently received a $2,000 check from the Jonny and Xena’s Spread the Words Foundation, Inc. The organization raised $20,000 in cash and supplies from a 5K and fun run at Suwanee’s Town Center. There was also an “I’m Not a Monster” shelter drive that benefitted autism and animal rescue programs in metro Atlanta. That effort raised $3,000. The foundation gave similar grants to other schools around the north metro Atlanta area.
words” to support animals and bring awareness to autism.
Good News from Schools
Trickum Middle School receives $4,000 grant Best-selling author James Patterson recently gave $4,000 to Trickum Middle School to upgrade the school’s library. The Scholastic Reading Keith Farner Club also will match each The foundation is named dollar of Patterson’s donain honor of Jonny’s parents tion with “bonus points” who are also animal lovers that teachers can use to and adopted a severely acquire books and other abused dog. Xena and materials for their classJonny, their son who has a rooms. profound form of autism, Trickum was selected team up to “spread the from a pool of nearly
28,000 applications for funding grants. Patterson and the Scholastic Reading Club have made a commitment to school libraries around the nation and encourage people to read. Patterson has recently personally donated $1.75 million to 467 school libraries nationwide with grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Work to create a Superhero room and update the superhero graphic novels at Trickum Middle School is already underway. The school’s media center intends to purchase Spiderman, Batman, Avengers
and Justice League comics. A local graphic artist, Chris Rumble, has painted a new superhero mural. Keller Williams donates to Anderson-Livsey Elementary School A club at AndersonLivsey Elementary School received a financial donation from a local realty group. Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners donated $825 to the 2015-16 Ladies of Character Club. The Atlanta realty company has pledged to partner with the club annually. The mission of the Ladies
of Character Club is to provide fifth-grade girls opportunities to develop into leaders and develop character skills while serving as positive role models in their school and community. The program covers five character development tiers: Leadership and academics, etiquette, decision-making, health and wellness, and community service and cultural development. Keith Farner writes about education. Good News from Schools appears in the Sunday edition of the Daily Post.
MILITARY NOTES
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK Crossroads Hospice
Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Michael W. Maready has recently graduated from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. Maready is a 2009 graduate of South Forsyth High School in Cumming. U.S. Army Private Jamil A. Sabbatt has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Sabbatt is the son of Jermaine R. and Ramatu A. Sabbatt, and brother of Aisha H. Mahmud of Snellville.
Crossroads Hospice seeks compassionate volunteers throughout the Atlanta area to provide comfort, companionship and a helping hand to terminally ill patients and their families in their homes, in assisted living facilities and nursing facilities. Crossroads invites the community to come make crafts and cards to brighten patients’ days on Monday, Jan 18. Families are welcome to participate, and volunteers can drop in any time from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Crossroads Hospice Office is located at 1957 Lakeside Parkway, suite 500, in Tucker. For more information, call the volunteer department at 770-270-9898.
Andrew Tran has recently received a Certificate of Commendation, receiving his first set of “gold bars” from Colonel Ron Viles, a retired US Army colonel. Tran was commissioned a Second Lieuten-
ant in the US Army Signal Corps, and he is the son of Toang Tran and Lang T. Quang of Lawrenceville. Cody C. Holwell has recently received a Certificate of Commendation receiving his first set of “gold bars” from Colonel Ron Viles, a retired US Army colonel. Holwell is the son of Stan and Samantha Holwell of Dacula. U.S. Army National Guard Private Joshua D. Watkins has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Watkins is a 2003 graduate of Parkview High School in Lilburn. U.S. Army Private Olivia K. Mack has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Mack is a 2014 graduate of Maynard
Jackson High School in Atlanta. U.S. Army National Guard Private Andy K. Shaw has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Shaw is a 2015 graduate of Archer High School in Lawrenceville.
2014 graduate of Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville. U.S. Army Private Brandin A. Lamb has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Lamb is the son of Sonya Phillips of Lawrenceville.
U.S. Army National Guard Private Deidrich Ajax has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Ajax is a 2014 graduate of Shiloh High School in Snellville.
U.S. Army Private Fawad A. Sahar has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Sahar is the brother of Farhad Sahar of Lawrenceville.
U.S. Army National Guard Private Alexoglender Vergara has recently graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Vergara is the son of Reyna Diaz and Alexander Vergara of Lawrenceville and is a
U.S. Air Force Airman Stephen E. Cleveland has recently graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San AntonioLackland in San Antonio. Cleveland is a 2015 graduate of Shiloh High School in Snellville.
SCHOOL LUNCH MENUS EDITOR’S NOTE: Schools will be closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Elementary school Tuesday: Chocolate cookie day, roasted drumsticks, creamy mac and cheese, vegetarian entree, PBJ’wich. Wednesday: Pizza by the slice, BBQ pork sliders, vegetarian entree. Thursday: Mozzarella sticks, deli fresh subs, veg-
etarian entree, PBJ’wich. Friday: Brunch 4 lunch, fish nibblers, vegetarian entree. Middle school Tuesday: Pizza by the slice, classic chicken nuggets, vegetarian entree, signature salads. Wednesday: Hot dog, lasagna marinara, vegetarian entree, deli fresh subs, signature salads. Thursday: Pizza by
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the slice, crunchy tacos, vegetarian entree, signature salads. Friday: Brunch 4 lunch, grilled cheese, vegetarian entree, deli fresh subs, signature salads. High school Tuesday: Pizza by the slice, Gwinnett’s best burger, Italian trio, deli fresh subs, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree. Wednesday: Pizza by the
slice, homestyle boneless wings, crunchy tacos, deli fresh subs, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree. Thursday: Pizza by the slice, hot dog, brunch 4 lunch, deli fresh subs, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree. Friday: Pizza by the slice, seafood basket, mashed potato bowls, home-style crossiant, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree.
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Each week the Gwinnett Daily Post will feature an animal available for adoption at the Georgia SPCA, which is located at 1175 Buford Highway, Suite 109, Suwanee, GA 30024. The hours of operation are Mondays through Fridays 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sundays 1 until 4 p.m. You can see the rest of the adoptable cats and dogs at www.georgiaspca.org. Tully is a 4-year-old male Australian shepherd mix. He’s handsome but not in a stuck-up kind of way, and he is guaranteed to make any person he’s next to be 25 percent better looking. Not only that but he’s loving, playful and patient and enjoys having his beautiful coat brushed often to keep it shiny. He’s still young and has enough energy that he should go home with an active person or family. Tully came to the shelter as a stray but has won over the hearts of staff and volunteers at the shelter — come meet him and he’s sure to melt yours. Tully’s adoption fee is $250. He has been neutered, disease tested, given age appropriate vaccinations, dewormed, and is up to date with flea/tick & heartworm prevention. A 24Petwatch microchip will be listed in the adopter’s name and h is adopter will receive 30 days of 24PetWatch pet insurance.
8C • SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016
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College sports provide a glimpse into color-blind society Big-time college sports are often criticized for prioritizing athletics over academics, spending lavishly on coaches and facilities, even courting corruption. Some of those criticisms might be justified. It’s hard to read the sports page and not conclude that college athletes, at least in the major sports, are athletes first and students second, if at all. It’s difficult to reconcile the football coach’s princely salary with the rising cost of college tuition. And of course we’ve all seen the stories about schools’ paying off their athletes or cheating to
judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. Watching the games over the past several weeks, I saw black and white young men — and Asians and Hispanics and Native Americans and Rob Pacific Islanders — highJenkins fiving, chest-bumping and locking arms. I watched keep them eligible. them embrace each other But college sports don’t in victory and console get nearly enough credit each other in defeat. for something that was I saw middle-aged white clearly on display through- coaches embrace young out this past bowl season: black men and middleoffering us a glimpse of aged black coaches ema world where actions brace young white men. mean more than appearI watched white quarance — where, as a great terbacks throw the ball to man once said, people are black receivers and hand
it off to black running backs — and I watched black quarterbacks throw the ball to white receivers and hand it off to white running backs. Meanwhile, blocking for them all were large young men of every possible ethnicity and skin tone, some with unpronounceable names that barely fit on their jerseys. None of them seemed to have any sense they were doing anything extraordinary. Indeed, no one seemed to care what color anybody else’s skin was. They just cared that each man was trying to do his job to the best of his ability — and pretty much
The sixth annual Blue Devils 5K and Fun Run will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, at Pinckneyville Middle School. (Special Photo)
Norcross High to host sixth Blue Devils Run The sixth annual Blue Devils 5K and Fun Run will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, at Pinckneyville Middle School. The gym doors open at 7 a.m. for packet pick-up and race day registration, and the race begins at 8 a.m. All participants will receive a t-shirt, and each finisher will receive a prize. New Balance gift cards will be given to the top finishers immediately following the fun run. There will be a runner raffle including items from local merchants. The race is a fundraiser for the Norcross High School cross country and
teamwork and brotherhood. Those are powerful lessons, lessons that apparently aren’t lost even when players perform in front of millions. As for the rest of us, in a society that has become increasingly polarized and race-conscious — well, perhaps we can learn from those young men what the world might look like if we all took Dr. King’s dream to heart. Rob Jenkins is a local freelance writer and the author of “Family Man: The Art of Surviving Domestic Tranquility,” available at Books for Less and on Amazon. Email Rob at rjenkinsgdp@yahoo.com.
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GWINNETT GAB track and field teams, and proceeds from the race go to reduce participation fees and purchase new uniforms and equipment. The Blue Devils Run is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier. Pinckneyville Middle School is located at 5440 W Jones Bridge Road in Norcross. For more information and registration, visit bluedevilsrun.wix.com/bluedevils-run.
everyone was. The love those players felt for each other, and the trust they had in each other, was nearly palpable. And that’s exactly the way it should be. Coaches love to say that sports are really about life and their job is not to win games but to develop young men (or women). A lot of them even seem to mean it, especially at the lower levels (rec leagues, middle school). Things can change when money is tossed into the equation. But the fact remains: sports really ARE about life, about how we conduct ourselves in victory and defeat, about
Health’s care team will be on hand throughout the event to give tours of its new Duluth center. The wellness event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Harken Health Center, 3780 Old Norcross Road in Duluth. For more information, visit harkenhealth.com.
The top two artists, voted on by The Fresh Market employees, will have their designs printed on reusable shopping bags, which will be sold in The Fresh Market stores nationwide in 2016. In addition, the winners of the Design Our Bag Challenge will each receive a $200 gift card for The Fresh Market and a kid-friendly The Fresh Market goodie bag filled with an artist kit and other edible accepting ‘Design treats. No Kid Hungry is a Our Bag’ entries Harken Health campaign of the national Center to host The Fresh Market is on anti-hunger organization a nationwide search for a Share Our Strength. For wellness event creative design for its 2016 more information, visit Harken Health is partner- limited edition reusable NoKidHungry.org. ing with the county’s Live shopping bag, which will Gwinnett Gab appears on Healthy Gwinnett program benefit No Kid Hungry. Thursdays and Sunday edito host a free wellness event Children ages 15 and tions of the Gwinnett Daily on Tuesday. under who have a love for Post. To submit an item The event will feature both food and art are invited to Gwinnett Gab, email an interactive wellness 101 to submit a drawing that gab@gwinnettdailypost. workshop, GPS Your Wellanswers the question “What com. ness: How to Find Your Start is the best thing about The Line, where participants will Fresh Market?” through discover where they are and Feb. 2. establish goals for 2016. Local communities are After the workshop, there invited to take part, and The will be a complimentary Fresh Market welcomes zumba class, followed by schools, children’s musea stretching class both led ums and art groups to parby certified wellness coach ticipate. Drawing templates and group fitness instructor are available at all 183 The Kandice Shelton. Fresh Markets, including Members of Harken Gwinnett locations.
Monday
Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Association is featuring Joe Lamp’l at their next meeting with lunch at noon and the beginning of the meeting at 12:30 p.m. Joe Lamp’l will present his Growing a Greener World series. The event will take place at the Bethesda Senior Center, 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville. For more information, visit gwinnettmastergardeners.com. Out on a Limb: STEM Forestry Fun will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center located at 2020 Clean Water Drive in Buford. The program fee for the event is $8 per person. Children two and younger and EHC members are free. For more information, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org. New Jerusalem Baptist Church invites all residents of Snellville and surrounding areas to Snellville’s MLK Day celebration from 10:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. The city’s 5th annual march and luncheon will begin at the church and ends at South Gwinnett High School. Attendees will enjoy choir performances, a free dinner and a clothing donation all while celebrating the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For more information, email Beverly Johnson at bevjohnson@ gmail.com.
Thursday
The Norcross Garden Club is featuring a program about tree identification and selection presented by Wes Nettleton, a Gwinnett County Master Gardener, at their next meeting. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Club House, 33 College St. in Norcross. For more information, visit www.norcrossgardenclub.org.
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COLLEGE NOTES
Elizabeth O. Ariyibi and Ariel A. Goolsby of Gwinnett County were recently named to the Fall 2015 dean’s list at South Georgia State College for receiving at least a 3.5 GPA. The following local students names were omitted
from the Jan. 10 list of the Georgia College’s fall 2015 dean’s list: Michael Rhodes of Suwanee, Austin Smith of Norcross, Michael Rhodes of Suwanee, Austin Smith of Norcross, Elissa Truett of Snellville, Taylor Keil of Duluth, Kennedy Miller of Suwanee, Phoebe Pearson of Lilburn, Anika Patel of Atlanta, Abigail Owen of Lawrenceville, Emma Schaeffer of Atlanta, Justina Tomi of Lilburn, Emily Gilleland of Snellville, Katelyn Hensley of Lawrenceville, Thomas Reifenberger of Norcross,
Riley Coordes of Johns Creek, Ryan Eichwald of Snellville, Mary Fenton of Sugar Hill, Jenna Bass of Lilburn, Colleen Costello of Snellville, Abigail Norman of Lawrenceville, Christina Pryles of Duluth, Rachel Simonton of Lawrenceville, Zachary Sine of Suwanee, Abby Agee of Suwanee, Mallory Sears of Suwanee, Hannah Smith of Auburn, Emily Berg of Norcross, Gabriela Maldonado-Ortiz of Sugar Hill, Lisa Oommen of Lawrenceville and Rachael Kutuk of Suwanee.
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Alyse M. Watson of Gwinnett County was recently named to the Fall 2015 President’s List at South Georgia State College for receiving a 4.0 GPA.
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