August 2017 Gwinnett Citizen | Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Norcross, Berkeley Lake, Suwanee

Gwinnett’s oldest locally owned newspaper - established 1988 Covering Duluth, Peachtree Corners, Norcross, Berkeley Lake, and Suwanee

Vol. 29, No. 10

Never too late

page 5

FREE

AUGUST 2017

www.gwinnettcitizen.com

Tiny homes in Norcross Carole Townsend Staff Correspondent

5 years solid growth

page 7

The city of Norcross is once again blazing a relatively new trail in Gwinnett County, giving careful consideration to the crafting of a“tiny homes” ordinance. Tiny homes, also known as “accessory dwelling units,” are a trend that is catching fire across the United States and now, possibly in Gwinnett. In a county known for attracting successful businesses and enjoying considerable affluence, why the interest in accommodating “tiny” homes?

“I believe that Norcross is pretty special,” said Councilman Josh Bare, who is excited about this growing trend in housing. Bare is the city leader who initially recommended some guidelines for tiny home construction in the city.

See TINY on Page 18

Former Rockette turns 90

page 15

Special Photo

Wingo Street Cottages in Norcross

Right place, at right time for heroic beach rescue

Harlem Globetrotters thriving in the South

Full moon over Tybee page 16

INSIDE Gwinnett Pulse 2 Health & Wellness 12 Editorial 15 Classifieds 16 PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LILBURN,GA PERMIT NO. 99 ECR-WSS POSTAL CUSTOMER

Photo by Emmett Clower

Special Photo

The internationally famous Harlem Globetrotters, beginning its 90th season of entertaining fans around the world, are located in Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County, opening its doors in Technology Park in May 2016.

By Dan Brown Staff Correspondent While the name doesn’t roll off the tongue, and wasn’t exactly what founder Abe Saperstein had in mind when he started the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team in 1927, if you want to be geographically correct, the Peachtree Corners Globetrotters it is.

The Harlem Globetrotters basketball organization moved to the northeast Atlanta suburb in May 2016, after being headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. Team President Howard Smith said there were several reasons why the team chose to relocate to Peachtree Corners. According to

See

HARLEM on page 8

(L-R) Ellen takes pride in her son’s swimming abilities. “It all started with me!” she said (laughter).

By Carole Townsend Staff Correspondent Art and Tina Totten both have demanding jobs; both are respiratory therapists at Gwinnett Medical Center. Art works in Adult Intensive Care, and Tina in Neonatal Intensive Care. So when they headed down to the beach in June for a little rest and relaxation, they were both ready to unwind and enjoy some peace and quiet. Fate, (and Tropical Storm Cin-

dy), on the other hand, had different plans.

On the second day of their trip to the Gulf Coast, Tina wanted to head over to the area known simply as “the jetty,” an area of water protected from the open Gulf by rocks. The water there is calmer, and she wanted to be able to swim without fighting the big waves churned up by the storm.

Art –a former lifeguard, life-saving instructor, and competitive swimmer

See

RIPTIDE on page 10

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 2

August 2017

Historic Norcross Art Splash Festival Celebrates 14 Years!

Co-Publishers/Editors Carolyn Ekenstierna Bagheri Auveed Bagheri Cawthon

107 W Crogan St, Lawrenceville, Ga 30046 Office (770) 963-3699 www.gwinnettcitizen.com info@gwinnettcitizen.com

The Gwinnett Citizen is a monthly community newspaper that has been providing community news for the past 28 years. It is Gwinnett’s oldest locally owned newspaper. Our readers know how to love life and have a passionate interest in the well being of our community. Through our stories and photos we bring to life the passion of living, working, playing, living healthy, and worshiping in Gwinnett. We help to connect readers with local businesses and services to promote shopping and buying local. We are a free and direct mailed publication with 3 geographic zones (newspapers) that contain hyper-local news pertinent to each community. Each zone distributes 20,000 copies via direct mail with a few select local businesses for rack distribution to total a distribution of 60,000 in Gwinnett County, Ga.

Have a Story of Community Interest or Announcement?

Community News is our passion (Scouting, Proud Achievements, Special Birthdays...) Please email: info@gwinnettcitizen.com or call us (770) 963-3699

Send us your Special Announcements!

Email them to us by the 20th of the month to be included in the upcoming month’s issue. Wedding, Anniversary & Birth Announcements are FREE!

For Advertising Information Please Call or Email (770) 963-3699 | advertising@gwinnettcitizen.com

© Copyright The Snellville Citizen, Inc dba Gwinnett Citizen, 2017. All rights are reserved, including those to reproduce this printing or parts thereof in any form without permission in writing from Gwinnett Citizen. Gwinnett Citizen is a monthly newspaper publication covering all of Gwinnett County. The publication was established November, 1988 as The Snellville Citizen. The views expressed in articles, columns and Letters to the Editor published in Gwinnett Citizen, do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Gwinnett Citizen.

Let the party begin! The Historic Norcross Art Splash Festival, now in its 14th year, celebrates the arts with the popular (and award-winning) event on October 7 and 8. Named the “Festival with Personality,” Art Splash features whimsical and colorful artisan displays by talented exhibitors from the southeast and beyond!

The charming and magical downtown streets of Historic Norcross come alive with vibrant art by energetic artists who have been hand-selected to showcase their creations. The show will open Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. “We are so excited for the festivities to start, and we can’t wait to work with our 400 volunteers again,” explains Cindy Flynn, Art Splash producer. We have invited the most gifted and fun vendors in painting, folk art, photography, pottery, jewelry, metalworking and so much more. That means, there’s something for everyone, and the result is the best two-day art event in Gwinnett County.”

Historic Norcross Art Splash Festival will offer continuous live entertainment on the Thrasher Park Stage – always an anticipated feature of the big Event. The hopping Kidz Zone, also in the Park, returns with jazzy rides and engaging children’s activities. A silent auction filled with decorated chairs and surprises by local school students will be waiting for the highest bidders at the

Special Photo

Wildly colorful and whimsical art splashes into the streets of Historic Downtown Norcross on October 7 & 8, 2017 renowned “Chairs for Charity”. The Food Court on Buchanan Street is always a favorite among hungry shoppers looking for a quick break before venturing back to the artist market.

Flynn and Frances Schube of Splash Festivals also produce Acworth Art Fest, Dunwoody Art Festival, Alpharetta Arts Streetfest, the Artist Market for the Sandy Springs Festival, Johns Creek Arts

Festival and the Historic Norcross Holiday Tour of Homes.

Parking and shuttle service are free and easy to find. For more information and volunteer opportunities, check out www.SplashFestivals.com. Get updates and a glimpse of the fun to come on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ NorcrossArtSplash.

SAIL WITH FRIENDS OF THE GWINNETT CITIZEN BOOK NOW AT THE GWINNETTCITIZEN.COM

Lay Away NOW to Cruise to the Greek Isles July 2018 with $125 deposit* (reg. $250, applies to trip total) 7-Day Greek Isles from Venice

July 22-29, 2018

Interior Fare Starting at $999*; $1549*/balcony

CHOOSE UP TO 2 FREE OFFERS

FREE Ultimate Beverage Package FREE Specialty Dining FREE Shore Excursion Credits

FREE Internet (WIFI) FREE Prepaid Service Charges* - 1st & 2nd guests only

FREE $75 OnBoard Credit* per cabin (cannot be used for taxes/ gratuity)

Prices do not include airfare/hotel and $50 booking fee. Taxes, Fees, Port Expenses & Fuel Supplement of up to $225 are additional and subject to change. *All prices subject to change.

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

Good Word Brew Pub holds groundbreaking ceremony

Page 3

Visit gwinnettcitizen.com for more local news!

Special Photo

(L to R): Teresa Lynn, City Clerk; James Riker, City Manager; Will Corbin, Economic Development Specialist; Jim Dugan, City Council; Billy Jones, City Council; Todd DiMatteo, Good Word Brew Pub; Ryan Skinner, Good Word Brew Pub; Andrew Case, Good Word Brew Pub; Sean Roach, CRL Contracting; and Anthony Storey, CRL Contracting.

From Staff Reports The new brew pub slated to open for business in downtown Duluth held their official ground breaking ceremony July 20th. Construction of the interior portion of the Good Word Brew Pub has already begun and excitement has filled the air.

“I had been thinking about the viability of a brewpub or craft beer bar in Gwinnett County for a couple of years.

I always believed it would be viable, but others told me I was crazy. Meeting Nancy, James, and Chris with the city was a real eye opening experience. It was amaz-

ing to see a local government be as interested, invested, and helpful as they were.

What they’ve got going on here is really special and we hope to play a small role in it” said partner Ryan Skinner.

The nearly 7,500-square-foot brew pub comes to the City of Duluth’s new restaurant and retail district called Parsons Alley that is being redeveloped as a destination location. The team behind the successful Brick Store Pub in Decatur, Todd DiMatteo and Ryan Skinner, is bringing their talents to Duluth. The duo brings more than 20 years of experience in the business to the district; making

this location their seventh business.

“We are going to be community driven and hope folks will choose us as a backdrop to their lives and conversations. We will be laid back, give great service, food and beer. We’ll have a mix of wood and leather for decor; we’re still in that part of the process” said partner Todd DiMatteo.

Hopes are the new location will open mid to late October. Plans are to open for dinner initially and then lunch in the early part of 2018.

3463 Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd. Suwanee, GA 30024 678-541-5571 pozaricamexicanrestaurant.com

BUY ONE ENTREE GET ONE ENTREE

FREE*

*Of equal or lesser value.

Good August 1-31,2017

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 4

Skydiving.

It just isn’t natural

Carole Townsend

(Not So) Common Sense A dear friend of mine just turned age 55, a milestone I glimpsed in the rear view mirror more than a year ago.

The big 5-5 bothered her, I’m afraid. She worried about 50’s approach for a full year before it arrived, and for some reason, 55 has bothered her even more. “But stores offer 55-year-olds senior discounts!” she cried, as I patted her hand and made a mental note to find out which stores she was talking about. I’m nothing if not a bargain hound.

I’ve tried to be a good friend to her, to listen when appropriate and to offer some cheerful advice to prop her up when appropriate. I don’t think I’m helping much.

Reaching age 50 did not bother me.

Age 55 didn’t bother me. The way I see it, every day spent above ground is a good one. I celebrated both milestones with my family and moved on, or at least I think I did. The biggest thing on my mind at the time was making sure I got signed up for all the supermarket and AARP deals that surely awaited me after I crossed this golden bridge. Boy, was I disappointed.

My girlfriend called me early last week with a proposition. She said that she wants to go skydiving, but she’ll only do it if I go with her. Frankly, I was stunned by her proposition. Where on earth did she get the idea that I had any inclination to go skydiving? I do not. I’m not even sure I have what it takes to jump off of a plane that’s safely parked on the tarmac, much less jump from one in flight. My fear has nothing to do with my age, mind you. I

have been a self-preservationist chicken for as long as I can remember.

I’ve gotten myself into a pickle though, because I may have led my friend to believe that I’d do it if she’d snap out of her funk. I thought that surely I’d exceed the age or weight limit, or perhaps I thought that she’d come to her senses if I just played along. As luck would have it, my weight is well within the guidelines (go figure), and while many people claim the honor of being the world’s oldest skydiver, they all far exceed my own age.

My friend is determined to follow through with her reckless goal, and I have to figure out how to break it to her that I will not be participating, no matter what I may have said up to this point.

I thought about taking the coward’s way out and sharing this column with her on social media. But I can’t be sure she’d read it, and then I’d just double my anxiety worrying about that.

We are supposed to talk about the specifics of the plan this coming weekend. I have a few days to figure out how to either talk her out of skydiving or talk her out of skydiving with me, her best friend. I think honesty may be the best approach. If she didn’t already know that “Carole” and “skydiving” do not belong in the same sentence, I suppose it’s time she learned.

Wonder if she’d be up for a girls’ weekend at the beach instead? Now that I can do.

Carole Townsend is a Gwinnett author and freelance writer. Her fourth book, BLOOD IN THE SOIL, was published in 2016. It is the true tale of a crime that took place in Gwinnett County nearly 40 years ago. Her previous three books are written with Southern humor. Carole often appears on network television talk and news shows, as well as on national true crime radio shows. Her books can be found in bookstores, on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and at www.caroletownsend. com. When she’s not writing, Carole travels throughout the southeast, talking to groups about women, writing, family, and life in her beloved South.

August 2017

County making strides in becoming voter compliant as elections draw near

By Dan Brown Staff Correspondent The bulk of responsibility regarding the addition of Spanish to Gwinnett County election ballots, and the way county voters cast their votes will initially rest on the shoulders of Gwinnett’s individual municipalities.

According to Gwinnett County Communications Director Joe Sorenson, the municipalities in Gwinnett County will convene city elections before there is another county wide election.

“Implementing the new bilingual voting method in Gwinnett County will first fall on the shoulders of Gwinnett’s cities as they will hold elections before the county has another one,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson told the Gwinnett Citizen on July 7th, the County is set to implement a website wide translating service for Spanish speaking citizens.

“We had hoped to implement some changes earlier this month, but we’ve had to push them back a bit,” Sorenson said. “The enhancements we had hoped to add in early July may happen near the end of July or the first of August.

A feature has been added to the Gwinnett County website that can be found at the bottom of each web page. An icon simply saying “TRANSLATE” will, upon clicking, translate the appropriate text from English to Spanish, Sorensen said.

“We would like to put the icon in a more prominent place on each page to make it easier to find for those of Hispanic heritage,” he said.

Sorensen added that voters should keep visiting the county website for new updates, news, and press releases.

“We will have further announcements in a couple weeks,” he said.

On December 5, 2016, the Director of the Census Bureau determined that Gwinnett County met the coverage formula under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. § 10503, concerning persons of Hispanic heritage. The coverage formula under Section 203 is based upon the number of voting age citizens of a single language minority with limited-English proficiency and the illiteracy rate of the citizens in the language minority.

The purpose of Section 203’s requirements is to provide the voting age citizens in the language minority group who are limited-English proficiency the opportunity to participate fully and effectively in the covered jurisdiction’s registration and election process. To accomplish this objective, Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act requires a covered

jurisdiction to provide bilingual voter registrations and elections in the language of the language minority population meeting the coverage formula as well as in English.

As the Director of the Census Bureau determined that Gwinnett County met Section 203’s coverage formula with respect to persons of Hispanic heritage, this means that Gwinnett County is now required by the Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act to provide for voter registrations and elections in both English and Spanish.

To comply with the requirements of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and to provide effective language assistance to those voting age citizens of Hispanic heritage with limited-English proficiency, Gwinnett County has begun a comprehensive bilingual voter registrations and elections program. As part of this program, Gwinnett County voters will now be provided and/or offered registration and election information in both English and Spanish, including but not limited to registration applications, forms, instructions, signage, and ballots. Spanish language assistance will also be available at polling locations, satellite polling locations and the Office of the Gwinnett County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections.

The introduction of the Spanish language into Georgia’s second largest county comes as a result of a spike in the Gwinnett’s Spanish speaking voter population, Sorenson said.

“The addition of Spanish-language ballots was the result of a spike in minority voter registration across Gwinnett County,” Sorenson said. “We hit a population threshold where this applies to us now.”

So far, Gwinnett County is the only Georgia County included on the new Census Bureau designation list released last December. An estimated 171,000 of Gwinnett County residents – about onefifth of the county’s population – are Latinos, according to the latest census figures.

In the November 2016 presidential election, Hispanic voters helped Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton win Gwinnett County for the Democratic Party in her unsuccessful bid for the White House. Up until then, Gwinnett had voted Republican in every presidential election since the Reagan/Bush years, according to election records.

While President Donald J. Trump carried Georgia, he did not win in Gwinnett County, where Clinton defeated Trump by a 51-to-45 percent margin.

Sorenson said each municipality

would be responsible for becoming compliant with the merging of the Spanish language onto local voting ballots and providing voter assistance at the polling booth with translators and monitors to ensure each registered voter, regardless of the language they speak, has an equal opportunity to cast a vote for its respective candidate.

Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) Executive Director Jerry Gonzalez said voting is an equal right for all U.S. citizens regardless of language.

“Voting is an important right we have as U.S. citizens, regardless of English language proficiency,” Gonzalez said when the announcement about introducing Spanish into Gwinnett’s voting process was made in December 2016. “As we had mentioned over one year ago, the need for Spanish language assistance and information is certainly a reality.”

The U.S. Census Bureau designation is part of Section 203 of the U.S. Voting Rights Act requiring jurisdictions to offer bilingual ballot access if more than 5 percent or 10,000 voting-age citizens are members of a single language minority and have difficulty speaking English.

Gwinnett County officials intend to comply with any new voting requirements as stated in the Voting Rights Act. “As soon as the order came down, we had to work to be in compliance with the new order,” said Sorenson. “We don’t have a deadline we’re working against other than being in compliance with the U.S. Voting Rights Act as quickly as possible.”

The new process will also affect registration materials and other daily operations, in addition to the new ballots, he added. “We’re working on being in compliance, not just the county, but each individual city needs to be in compliance as well. The cities have their own individual elections. On a very high level, everything that touches voters and potential voters happens in Spanish as well as English. We’re working on total compliance.”

The County’s latest announcement guarantees Gwinnett County voters, regardless of the language they speak, be it English or Spanish, they will have an equal opportunity to cast a ballot for the candidate of their choice.

With November elections over four months away, the clock is ticking and time is quickly running out.

The transition is still a work in progress, Sorenson said. “We have been working hard toward total compliance for the past couple weeks.”

BERKELEY LAKE Council: Rodney Hammond, Chip McDaniel, and Scott Lee August 21 - August 24 4040 S. Berkeley Lake Road, Berkeley Lake, GA 30096 (770) 368-9484

PEACHTREE CORNERS Post 2: Eric Christ, Post 4: Jeanne Aulbach, Post 6: Weare Gratwick August 21 - August 23 147 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (678) 691-1200

SUWANEE Post 3: Linnea Miller, Post 4: Beth Hitscher, Post 5: Dan Foster Begin August 21 330 Town Center Avenue Suwanee, GA 30024 (770) 945-8996

NORCROSS Mayor: Bucky Johnson, Council: Craig Newton and Pierre Levy August 21 - August 23 65 Lawrenceville Street, Norcross, GA 30071 (770) 448-2122

DULUTH Post 1: Marsha A. Bomar, Post 2: Jim Dugan, Post 3: Billy Jones August 21 - 23, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

3167 Main Street, Duluth, GA 30096 (770) 476-3434

Qualifying for these positions are in August

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

Page 5

It’s never too late, or too soon to plan for retirement kets,” he said. “I’ve invested during the 1987 crash and the 2008 downturn.”

The key to successful investing is to avoid the big hit. “When you invest money in retirement, there are fender benders and accidents,” Hansen said.

“While you may lose a little with your investments from time to time, you want to avoid a big accident that may change your lifestyle.”

If you have questions about your financial future, whether you’re retired, a Baby Boomer nearing retirement, or a Gen X’er just getting started, it’s never too late, or too early to talk to a financial advisor about your investing options. For

Wealth Advisor Jerry Hansen

By Dan Brown Staff Correspondent It is never too late or too soon to plan for retirement.

So says Wealth Advisor Jerry Hansen of Hansen Financial Services in Suwanee.

Given today’s workplace environment, it is a different world than the world of your parents and grandparents.

Today’s professionals are changing jobs more often, enjoying their mobility. You don’t see many who spend their entire working careers with just one company.

A casualty of this new work trend is the corporate retirement plan.

“Getting into some kind of formal retirement plan is important, regardless of your age. You want to maximize earnings in any way possible. A lot of people are working well beyond the age of 65 these days. The key is to have a ‘game plan’, budget and put something away each month. No matter how little,” Hansen said.

“In 1983, I went to a seminar as a young man, and I could still see the speaker today, and the man conducting the seminar was silver haired and in his 70s and he said, ‘If you take nothing away from this seminar, take this, save 10 percent.’ It was the most-sound financial advice I had ever heard, and remember it to this day.” The lack of a retirement plan is not that uncommon as many Baby Boomers approach retirement. Hansen said establishing a plan, and sticking to it, is important. “Financial plans need to be written,” he said. “There is something that happens during that hand-eye process that makes the plan stick.”

It’s important to have goals and these goals need to be reviewed every year, Hansen said. “The key is to save, but if you can’t save 10 percent, save five percent. Put something away, anything that won’t take food off the table.”

Sooner is better, Hansen said, but it’s never too late to start saving.

“If you defer your social security beyond the age of 65, your benefits may increase by seven percent each year you defer. They say the new 70 is the old 65.

Because people are living longer, some need to work beyond 65 as long as their

health permits and it’s enjoyable. Budgeting is important. You have to be cognizant of your expenses.” Hansen said if someone’s budget is tight, they need to distinguish between what they want and what they really need.

“People are living very actively well into their 80s and even into their 90s.

Retired folks need to understand their retirement may be lasting 25-to-30 years, and they need ongoing financial planning.”

A common planning mistake among retirees is they overspend for their dream home in retirement, and in 12-to-15 years they realize they overspent on that home, according to Hansen.

The days of paying off your mortgage and living mortgage free are waning.

“With interest rates today being as low as four percent, there is nothing wrong with entering your retirement with a mortgage,” Hansen said. “Many of us are changing the way we think about where we live and how we pay for it.”

With the change in the job market in the past generation or two, professionals have taken over control of their own retirement plans as opposed to the corporate pension. Gone is the lifetime job where you retire at age 65 after more than 40 years of working for the same company.

Gone is the retirement party and the gold watch. Gone also, is the pension on which your grandparents lived during the years of their retirement. Families lived in one town, one house and worked one job over the course of a lifetime. This isn’t your grandparents’ world anymore.

“Pensions are becoming a thing of the past,” said Hansen. “Boomers are approaching retirement age and the days of having a company based pension are waning.”

Hansen said, the 401K plans or other retirement savings funds has replaced his parents’ and grandparent’s pensions of a generation past.

“Today’s professionals want to be in control of their own financial investments.”

A Midwest native, who earned a Masters’ Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995, Hansen started his

Special Photo

career in insurance, eventually focusing on investment management.

Hansen, who has been a part of the financial planning industry since graduating from college in 1983, has weathered the ups and downs of market over the years. “My father was wealthy, but he eventually lost his fortune and died broke. I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor, and I don’t want to see others live in financial desperation.”

Hansen knew early on he wanted a career in finance and before the days of the Internet, spent a lot of time in his local library studying up on the trade and researching investments.”

“I lived through several bear mar-

more information, visit www.jthlpl.com, or give Jerry a call at (678) 407-4445.

Jerry Hansen is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ and President of Hansen Financial Services Inc. His offices are located at 1325 Satellite Blvd., Suite 1406, Suwanee, GA. Securities and Financial Planning offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 6

August 2017

Often Overlooked Retirement Planning Questions

Roger Green, MSFS,CFP ® Green Financial Resources

When planning for retirement, often the focus seems to be almost entirely on “how much can I save?”, but there are some other significant questions to consider.

How long will I live? U.S. life expectancy is increasing – advances in medicine and other factors are allowing us to live longer. This means you need to plan to accrue more asset to last through a potentially longer retirement period.

As an alternative to saving more, you may think you will simply work longer, however, health issues or loss of job combined with trouble finding new employment as a senior may prevent you from doing so. Make sure you plan for these potential realities.

How much do I want to be able to spend in retirement? It is very important to determine what you plan to spend annually in retirement. Project too high and

your goal may seem unattainable, but too low and you may run out of money. Generally you should plan that you will spend more on travel, hobbies, and entertainment early in retirement when you have the time and better health to enjoy those activities.

How will inflation impact my retirement? Inflation can be defined as an overall upward price movement of goods and services in our economy as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). To illustrate inflation’s negative impact, say you are 52 now, plan to retire at 70, and anticipate needing $25,000 a year from your assets based on today’s figures. In that 18 years until you reach age 70, the amount you need to withdraw to provide the spending power of $25,000 currently would be double that figure ($50,000 annually), assuming a 4% average inflation rate.

What will my tax bill be in retirement? You will have to pay taxes on the money you withdraw in retirement from your tax-deferred assets, such as from your 401(k) and IRA accounts. These are the ones that helped you reduce your tax bill when you were actively working, but since you didn’t pay the taxes on that money then, you now have to do so.

On an account worth $500,000, you may pay more than $65,000 in taxes during retirement at a 15% tax bracket, but more than $130,000 if you are in the 33% tax bracket. This can be challenging, and planning early for this eventuality by using tools like Roth IRA investments as a part of your overall portfolio may help your retirement dollars last longer by lowering your

tax bill in retirement.

How will I afford health care?

Health care costs are increasing significantly – and out pacing inflation. The median health care cost for a 65 year old today is $4660, which is 6% more than the median costs just one year ago. At the current growth rate, according to projections, by 2036 the same senior can expect to be paying over $18,000 annually in health care costs (JP Morgan/ERBI/Select Quote).

These costs will include Medicare Part B premiums (doctor and hospital), Medicare Part D (drug) coverage, as well as Medicare Part F (Medigap) and vision, dental and miscellaneous costs.

Keep in mind that with age generally comes greater potential you will develop chronic health issues and illnesses. This is likely to require a higher percentage of your income in retirement be devoted to paying for health care and prescription drugs. This increased usage of healthcare, coupled with the inflationary growth occurring in overall healthcare costs is a “double whammy” you will need to be prepared to handle. What you are spending now is likely not a good guide for what you may be spending in retirement. And don’t forget inflation applies to healthcare costs as well.

Will I need Long Term Care? According to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, on average, about one-third of people age 65 or older report functional limitations of one kind or another. Among people age 85 or older, about two-thirds report functional limitations. One study estimates that more than two-thirds of 65-year-olds

will need assistance to deal with a loss in functioning at some point during their remaining years of life. So unless you are at an asset level so low that spending down your assets to qualify for Medicaid assistance make sense for you; then yes, you probably do need to consider some form of long term care insurance in your retirement planning.

What returns can I expect on my investments? Is your money sitting in cash or very low return investments, such as some bonds; where you may actually be losing money net of taxes and inflation?

Are you one of the rare individuals who has saved enough that you don’t need to invest your money for potential compounded growth over time? Most people today will need to achieve long term growth on their assets to have a chance at building a nest egg capable of meeting their needs throughout their longer retirement periods.

For most, this will be achieved through investments where they have a chance at that long term growth that has historically been best achieved through stock market investments*. Even with the potential opportunity for growth in the stock market, most investors will need to plan to save more prior to retirement and spend less while in retirement to be able to achieve their goals.

Does it matter how I withdraw my money in retirement? An emphatic “yes” to this one. You need a plan for using your assets in retirement, especially if you are one of the many who have not saved enough, so you need that continued

potential for growth throughout retirement. I teach clients about my “retirement harvesting plan”, a model that helps you strategically allocate and withdraw from your assets in retirement. This plan allows for the potential for continued growth on a portion of your retirement assets, sets aside reserves for immediate needs, and keeps you from having to pull from your stock market investments during down markets. This can potentially help to stretch your assets or to increase the amount you can draw annually to increase your chances of living comfortably and securely in your retirement.

No matter where you may be in terms of your age, income, and accumulated assets, we strongly recommend you work with a professional to help get your planning on track to maximize your assets.

There are just too many factors to consider doing this on your own. If you already have a retirement plan in place, it may be time to seek a second opinion of that plan to see if there is anything else you should consider doing. Hear what we have to say with no obligation by calling us now at 770.931.1414 for a free retirement planning consultation or visit www.rogersgreen. com for info on the retirement planning classes I have been teaching since 1997.

Roger S. Green is a Registered Representative with Cetera Advisors LLC, FINRA/SIPC, with his office located at 3700 Crestwood Parkway, Suite 140, Duluth, GA 30096. Hear more “Your Green”, Saturdays at 10:00 AM, on 970 AM or live at www. faithtalk970.com. *Historical returns are not a guarantee of future returns.

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

Page 7

Peachtree Corners Annual State of Gwinnett at 200: City Address celebrates 5 years Planning a Year-long Celebration of Community

Charlotte J. Nash

County Business

You’re invited to a birthday party.

With a million or so other people. And it will last for an entire year. How’s that for a celebration!

Gwinnett County will be 200 years old next year – on December 15, 2018, to be exact. We have organized an advisory committee to start a celebration countdown this December, ending with the big day a year later. We are inviting everyone who lives or works in Gwinnett to participate in some way.

A good place to start is the new website for the bicentennial, www.gwinnett200.com. It has a calendar of bicentennial events and a form you can use to register related events. Any event that builds community spirit and celebrates the strengths of Gwinnett County is welcome. The easy, online form prompts you to provide the basic details of your event.

We’ve also started assembling a Story Vault of videotaped recollections of life

in Gwinnett as told by people who were here. Some stories are seen through the eyes of a child while other stories, still vivid many years later, speak to the perseverance, determination, and problem-solving of Gwinnett County residents. For newer residents, we want to hear your stories about how you chose Gwinnett. All stories are welcome whether you were born here or moved here last week.

TVgwinnett, our government-access cable channel, is providing the cameras and crew – and even a studio to tape in. All we need is you. We’ll edit the best stories together to make a video portrait of Gwinnett to show at the closing celebration 17 months from now. Information on the website explains how you can volunteer to tell your stories and get them recorded for posterity.

The new website also lists the members of the advisory committee along with photos, resources, and ways to get involved in the celebration.

When Gwinnett County was formed by the state legislature in 1818, they named it for Button Gwinnett, one of three men from Georgia who signed the Declaration of Independence. We have a fascinating history, but everyone who lived through our first century is gone.

Now it’s up to each of us to take part in documenting and celebrating our second century and looking ahead with optimism to our third.

Let’s celebrate how far our remarkable community has come and make some memories that they’ll still be talking about a hundred years from now.

Special Photo

The Peachtree Corners Business Alliance hosted the 5th Annual State of the City Address. Pictured are members of the PCBA and Mayor and Council

By Staff Reports It’s been five years of solid growth for Gwinnett County’s newest city. At the annual state of the city address on Friday, July 21, Mayor Mike Mason pointed to the numbers that indicate the significant growth of the city’s business sector and the noteworthy increase in the corporate real estate investments since its incorporation on July 1, 2012.

“What a difference a few years make,” said Mayor Mason to the group of 120 business and community leaders and residents who had gathered for his early morning presentation hosted by the Peachtree Corners Business Association at the Hilton Hotel. “When we incorporated the city had office vacancy problems.

Since the city was founded, we’ve seen a 64 percent increase in company reloca-

tions and a 182 percent increase in the number of jobs that those relocations have brought to Peachtree Corners.

“The city has made tremendous progress in just five years,” said Mayor Mason. “I look forward to the next five

years in our city. With your continued support and assistance, we can indeed expect Peachtree Corners to continue as a city where you can live, work, play and learn.”

AmericAn Legion Buford Post 127

POST 127 IS A NON-SMOKING FACILITY

The American Legion is the largest veterans’ service organization in the country and non-profit 501(c)19. We raise money providing services to veterans, their families and the community. The American Legion’s success depends entirely on active membership, participation and volunteerism.

We invite you to participate in the events below. Everyone is welcome!!

UPCOMPING EVENTS August 16th – Bike night will be a fundraiser for Shriners Children Hospital – Live Band – Classic Reunion Wednesday Nights – ALR Bike Night @ 7PM – Food, Music and Fun Thursday Nights – Trivia @ 7PM – Prizes for 1st, 2nd and last place.

Food available for purchase Friday Nights – Karaoke and Dancing @ 9PM Saturday Nights – Live Bands (listed below) – Ladies drinks ½ price July 22 July 29 August 5 August 12 August 19 August 26

– – – – – –

Brian Daniel – Food available for purchase Brian Daniel Raven Shine – Food available for purchase Bad Habits Bottoms Up – Food available for purchase Mid-Nite Cruzers

2640 Sawnee Ave. • Buford, GA 30518

Www.BufordAmericanLegion127.org

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 8 HARLEM continued from page 1 Smith, with Atlanta being a central travel hub and the expansion of business opportunities beyond I-285 into the suburbs, specifically Gwinnett County, it made the decision to move an easy choice. Herschend Entertainment, the Globetrotters’ parent company, is also located in the metro Atlanta area, in Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County.

“Shortly after being acquired by Atlanta based Herschend Enterprises, we moved the Globetrotter’s Corporate Headquarters and global business operations to the Atlanta area from Phoenix,” Smith said. “Being co-located with the parent company clearly weighed heavily in our decision, but we also recognized the many strategic advantages that the Atlanta area provides for the organization: home to many Fortune 500 companies, a passionate sports community, a thriving entertainment industry, two first-class arenas, a skilled talent pool and the best airport in the world — which comes in handy for us Globetrotters.”

The move to Gwinnett County means the Globetrotters now essentially have two home courts: One in Duluth and another in downtown Atlanta. The Globetrotters’ recent home stand included two games at the Infinite Energy Arena and two more at Philips Arena over the last two weekends.

Herschend Entertainment, whose corporate offices are located in Technology Park in Peachtree Corners, bought the team in October 2013.

The Harlem Globetrotters enter their 90th season of play since Saperstein put the team together in the 1920s. They have played in 122 countries and on six continents, entertaining generations of fans, young and old alike. Contrary to the Harlem moniker, originally stitched on the team’s jerseys by Saperstein himself, the Globetrotters were never located in Harlem.

The Globetrotters were Saperstein’s

creation, who called Chicago home. He took over coaching duties for a team of African-American players originally known as the Savoy Big Five – named after the famous Chicago ballroom where the team played their early games.

This was an era of racial segregation in professional sports, not just basketball, and Saperstein decided to promote the Globetrotters’ racial makeup by naming them after Harlem, according to the Harlem Globetrotters website, and outfitted the team in their signature red, white and blue uniforms.

The Globetrotters’ original lineup included Walter “Toots” Wright, Byron “Fat” Long, Willis “Kid” Oliver, Andy Washington and Al “Runt” Pullins.

The Globetrotters played serious basketball until the late 1930s when Saperstein suggest the team add its recent clowning around antics and sharpshooter ball-handling skills to its repertoire.

Some of the best know ambassadors to the game of basketball were Harlem Globetrotters and included Marques Haynes, Goose Tatum, Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal.

NBA players who began their careers playing for the Harlem Globetrotters include Hall of Famer Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton.

In 1985, Olympic gold medalist Lynette Woodard became the first female Globetrotter.

Also, Major League Baseball Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Bob Gibson, and Ferguson Jenkins also played for the team at one time or another.

According to the website, the Globetrotters didn’t play a game in Harlem until the late 1960s.

After Saperstein’s death in 1966, the team was sold to a group of Chicago businessmen for $3.7 million; they later sold it to Metro Media for $11 million.

Satellite Boulevard Streetscaping Project continues

By Staff Reports The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (GPCID) recently completed phase two of its Satellite Boulevard streetscape project that included the construction of pedestrian enhancements along both sides of Satellite Boulevard from Pleasant Hill Road to Old Norcross Road.

The enhancements feature a combination of new brick lined and concrete sidewalks, brick paver crosswalks, striping, landscaping, pedestrian plazas, benches, trash receptacles, ADA ramps for accessibility, concrete curbs and gutters, concrete header curbs, conduit for future pedestrian light poles, reconstructed retaining walls, enhancement of existing retaining walls with stone veneer, and new barrier railings. The project begins at the intersection of Pleasant Hill Road and ends at the Gwinnett County Transit Center/Old Norcross Road intersection.

“This project began early this year and its completion is another milestone in our ongoing efforts to improve Gwinnett Place for pedestrians and drivers

alike,” said Joe Allen, Executive Director – GPCID. “This project has reconstructed sidewalks, landscape enhancements and other features of Satellite Boulevard to ensure the safety of pedestrians, while improving Gwinnett Place’s walkability and visual appeal,” he added.

Stantec Consulting Services prepared the planning and construction documents for the project, and in 2016, GS Construction, Inc. was awarded the project by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. The project ties into an earlier streetscape enhancement project along Satellite Boulevard from Tandy Key Lane to Old Norcross Road and to existing streetscapes along Pleasant Hill Road.

The projected was funded by a Transportation Enhancement grant secured by the CID and CID funds.

The CID recently completed preliminary engineering and streetscape construction plans for the remaining portions of Satellite Boulevard within the district.

These plans were submitted to Gwinnett County in May 2017.

August 2017

Rotary Club of Gwinnett Honors Nearly 2,000 School Bus Drivers 4th Annual Event Recognizes Bus Drivers, Supports “Unsung Heroes” Campaign The Rotary Club of Gwinnett will kick off a new school year honoring nearly 2,000 Gwinnett County Public School Bus Drivers and monitors as part of its “Unsung Heroes” initiative. The celebration took place at Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, Georgia, on July 31. This year marks the fourth year that the Rotary Club has held this appreciation event.

Chuck Warbington, past president of Rotary Club and current City Manager for Lawrenceville, said, “This annual event is a small way to say thank you for taking care of our most precious cargo – our children. Knowing that these drivers have a 99-percent success rate of delivering students safely and on time is no small feat! That tells me that these

folks take their jobs seriously and that deserves all the recognition we can afford.”

This year, Gwinnett Cities have joined forces with the Rotary Club of Gwinnett to support this special group of professionals. Butch Sanders, Snellville City Manager, added, “”This program is just a great opportunity to bring attention and affirmation to a group of community servants who are often overlooked and undervalued.”

Gwinnett County Public School buses travel over 132,000 miles a day. That is equivalent to 32 round trips to Los Angeles from Atlanta. Driving a fleet of around 1,000 buses, Gwinnett Schools’ bus system is currently the third largest in the Country.

“As the school year begins, we are quick to show appreciation for the teachers in the classroom and we often overlook the fact that our bus drivers are responsible for those same very children and pull off an extraordinary feat each day school is in session,” said Jennifer Hendrickson, President, Rotary Club of Gwinnett. “They contribute to Gwinnett’s age-old adage of being “Great” and we look forward to continuing this new tradition and honoring these fine civil servants for their contribution to our community.”

For more information, please visit the Rotary Club of Gwinnett’s website at www.gwinnettrotary.com.

SCAM Alert – Federal Reserve Bank routing numbers cannot be used for Georgia Power bills Georgia Power has received reports of a new scam in which criminals sell Federal Reserve Bank routing numbers to customers with instructions to use the routing numbers to pay utility and other bills from nonexistent accounts. According to a news release from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: Federal Reserve routing numbers are used for sorting and processing payments between banks. Any video, text, email, phone call, flyer, or website that describes how to pay bills using a Federal Reserve Bank routing number or using an account at the Federal Reserve Bank is a scam.

While Georgia Power’s system may initially accept a Federal Reserve Bank routing number to process a payment, the payment will eventually be rejected and the customer’s account could be subject to additional late fees or possibly disconnection.

Other reminders from Georgia Power ment to avoid disconnection, they should to help avoid common scams and fraud: contact the company’s 24-hour customer service line at 888-660-5890.

— Georgia Power will never ask for a credit card or pre-paid debit card number Georgia Power continues to work with over the phone. law enforcement agencies throughout the state to identify and prosecute criminals — Employees are not sent into the who pose as Georgia Power employees in field to collect payment in person and will order to defraud customers. The company not ask a customer to pay anywhere other encourages customers to report scams than a business office or Authorized Pay- and fraud attempts to local law enforcement Location. ment and to the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.

— Delete all emails that demand gov/. Additional information about freimmediate payment or personal informa- quent scams and how the company works tion or that are from a company that is not to protect customers is available at www.

Georgia Power.

GeorgiaPower.com/Scam.

— If a customer receives a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from Georgia Power and demanding pay-

Duluth’s Summer Stage Concert Series featuring Sister Hazel A night of dancing, food and entertainment Known for their upbeat sound characterized by highly melodic tunes and prominent harmonies, Sister Hazel will hit the stage at Duluth’s next Summer Stage Concert Series on August 19th.

“Sister Hazel is such an amazing band with an awesome following. We are happy to bring them to Duluth this year” said Event Coordinator Madison Chucci.

Sister Hazel is an alternative rock band whose style blends elements of jangle pop, folk rock, classic rock ‘n’ roll and southern rock. Band members Andrew Copeland (acoustic guitar), Ryan Newell (rhythm and slide guitar), Jeff Beres (bass guitar), Ken Block (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), and Mark Trojanowski (drums) continue to live up to their reputation of crowd-pleasing performers with an electrifying stage presence.

It will all take place on Duluth Town Green from 8-10pm. Food and drink vendors will be available. The event is FREE.

Sister Hazel is an alternative rock band This is an open zone event, so you may bring your own drink or purchase from our licensed vendors. For more information, visit http://www.duluthga.net/community/summer_stage_concert_series.

php

Special Photo

The award–winning Summer Stage Concert Series will wrap up with Journey tribute band Departure on September 23rd.

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

GCPS to delay dismissal by one hour on August 21 to help ensure safe viewing of eclipse On August 21, 2017, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) will delay dismissal by one hour to help ensure the safe viewing of the eclipse and a safe dismissal of students. On this day, all of North American will experience an eclipse of the sun. This means that Earth, the sun, and the moon, which all orbit in space in predictable paths, will align. The moon will move between the sun and Earth blocking the light of the sun. Thus, the moon will cast a shadow on Earth. Here in Gwinnett, we will experience a near total eclipse between 2:35 and 2:40 p.m. that will last approximately two minutes.

This alignment of the sun, the moon, and Earth will mark the first time this phenomenon has occurred coast-to-coast in our country in nearly 100 years.

As dismissal for Gwinnett County Public Schools high school students occurs shortly after 2 p.m. and the first tier of elementary school students are released at 2:45 p.m. the district felt a one-hour delay in dismissal would allow for better supervision of students during the eclipse. NASA has issued guidelines for watching the eclipse that advise that children should be carefully supervised when using solar filters to view the eclipse. “GCPS has made the decision

Special Photo

to dismiss one hour later than usual as a safety precaution, explains Dr. Jonathan Patterson, associate superintendent for Curriculum and Instructional Support.

“It would be difficult to monitor students who are being dismissed or those who are riding on school buses during the eclipse. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. In addition to addressing safety concerns associated with the eclipse, the delay will provide more time for us to make this a special educational event for our students, allowing us to organize safe and engaging viewing experiences for students.”

We ARE story tellers We Specialize In: • Commercial Videos; • Corporate Videos • Online Videos • Social Media Videos • Wedding Video

What’s YOUR Story!

678.951.5702 www.brmedia.solutions info@brmedia.solutions

Page 9

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 10

Yes, ma’am!”

RIPTIDE continued from page1

Photo by Emmett Clower

Art Totten was recognized by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office & Citizens for saving the lives of five individuals from drowning on the beaches of Panama City Florida on June 24, 2017. Tina was thanked as well for helping the victims onto shore and monitoring their medical conditions until help could arrive.

– wanted to enjoy the challenge that the churning waves present to a strong swimmer. Tina acquiesced, still looking forward to reading a Fannie Flagg book she had brought along for some light beach reading.

“We were really surprised to see that, when we got to St. Andrews State Park near the pier, there were double red flags posted,” said Art. Double red flags signify to beach goers that the water is too dangerous for swimming. “Not only were the flags posted, but airplanes were flying overhead warning people to stay on the shore, out of the water,” Art added. “I’ve never seen that before.”

Most people heeded the warnings and stayed on the sand, with a few only wading shin-deep in the water. The couple both took notice of five people, two teen boys and three adult men, in the water pretty far off the beach. Thinking nothing of the men in the water or the double red flags, Art left Tina on the beach and went for a swim – a challenge for even the best of swimmers, which he happens to be.

“I hadn’t been out there long, when I saw one of the boys looking toward the beach, waving his arms and yelling for help. Normally, I would have just thought they were playing around, but both the riptide and the undercurrents were strong, so I swam closer to check it out,” said Art. Sure enough, the boys were in trouble. One of the men (in the same group) that was nearby was yelling out to the boys, “You’d better swim, or you’re going to drown.”

Art grabbed the teen closest to him and swam to shore, with the young man hanging onto his back. “Even when I got him to the shallow water where he could stand up, he was so afraid, he wouldn’t let go of me,” Art said, “but I knew I had to get back out there.”

Tina, by then, had seen what was happening. She rushed to the young boy and was talking to him, telling him he was okay and that he could stand. “He was so exhausted. We had to pull him to the sand, and he just collapsed.”

Fighting the rough waves and deadly currents, Art swam back and got the

August 2017

Katie Hart Smith From the Heart

Photo by Emmett Clower

Art Totten’s saved the lives of five swimmers in the Gulf by acting quickly and without thinking of his own safety. other teen, pulling him to safety. Then he went back a third time and pulled one of the adult men to safety. “I kept talking to all of them the entire time, telling them they’d be OK, that I had them. But both boys seemed to be in shock. They never said anything back to him. “When I got to the first adult, I was talking to him too, and he just kept saying ‘Thank you, Jesus,’ and things like that.

When there were two men still left in the water, Art could see that one of them had been pulled further out into the Gulf. While he had been fighting and trying to swim earlier, he had stopped.

“I knew he was in trouble, so I swam freestyle straight to him, something that lifeguards are always warned not to do, but it was the fastest way to get to him.”

Another swimmer came far enough out to throw Art a blow-up swimming inner tube, and while he fought to get to the man who was in dire trouble, another swimmer rescued the other adult.

“When I got to the man who was so far out, I could see he was in need of serious help. He was flailing erratically and struggling very hard to breathe. Having that inner tube to help drag him in was a great help,” said Art. “By this time, Tina was at the water assisting the swimmers being pulled to shore. When Art had the last swimmer to safety, Tina stepped in. “There was chaos, really. Some of the man’s family members were yelling at him, telling him how foolish he was to be swimming in such rough water,” she said. “I signaled to a little girl to call 9-1-1, and one of the man’s family members said, ‘No, he is not going to the hospital.’ I pulled her aside and said that the man was having difficulty breathing and that he was very likely having a heart attack. She was not his wife, so I made the decision to get professional medical help.”

A soon as the EMTs arrived, they took the man immediately to the nearest hospital. All five swimmers survived the harrowing incident, thanks to the help of a couple who hadn’t planned to even be on that beach that day. “A woman told me later that God put me there on that beach

that day, and I guess she was right,” Art said, noting that the EMTs and several onlookers shook his hand and thanked him for his heroic acts that day. To this day, he does not know the names of the people he rescued. Probably because they were in a state of shock, none of them talked with him or even thanked him. “You never know how people are going to react when they’re in a situation like that. But I didn’t need a thank-you. I was just glad that I was there.

When asked if she feared for her husband’s safety while all this was going on, Tina replied, “Not once. I know what a strong swimmer he is.” Art’s mom Ellen added, “What a blessing that he has kept up with all of his lifeguard training, and that he is still such a strong swimmer after all these years.”

To say that Art is a strong swimmer is an understatement. For his 57th birthday, his wife gave him the present of swimming with the whale sharks and many other “toothy creatures” at the Atlanta Aquarium. “It was an incredible experience,” said Art. That’s right; Art is 63 years old. He braved dangerous conditions and battled exhaustion to save a couple of teenagers, a couple of men in their 30s, and a man in his mid-50s. Did God put him and Tina on that beach that morning? No one can answer that question for sure, but there are probably at least 5 people who would answer, “Yes, He did.”

Incidentally, after having breakfast that morning and before heading to the beach, Art swam 120 laps in the condominium pool for his morning exercise.

“When all the excitement was over, I was looking for Art, just to make sure he was OK,” Tina said. “I found him in our beach tent, eating the sandwiches I had packed for our relaxing day by the water!”

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office presented Art with a certificate, thanking him for his bravery and heroism that day.

“That is now going to be a family heirloom, handed down from one generation to the next,” said Ellen.

Live Local, Shop Local, Support Local Thank you to all our advertisers and community partners.

Contact the GWINNETT CITIZEN today to share your community news & inquire about advertising and partnering.

(770) 963-3699 • info@gwinnettcitizen.com • gwinnettcitizen.com

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” ~ Proverbs 18:21.

My husband, Jeff, and I visited my parents in New Hope, Pennsylvania last month. Early one Saturday morning, we went shopping with Mom. During our transaction with the sales clerk, Mom asked me a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. I responded, “Yes, ma’am.”

The sales clerk – we learned earlier in our conversation with her that she was from New Jersey – replied, “Oh! I just love your accent. You must be from the South.

It’s so nice to hear your polite way with words.”

Afterwards, her words caused me to pause and reflect.

We live in a country that honors the freedom of speech. Do we not owe it to ourselves to use our words responsibly, respectfully, and carefully?

How we communicate with each other is learned and role modeled – it begins at home.

When one is brought up to learn that should everything get stripped away at the end of the day, all you have is your name, faith, and reputation. What are you going to be in this world? How do you represent yourself – your best self?

Simply put, your words and actions define your reputation. How do you want to be remembered - foul words + foul actions or kind words + kind actions?

Words and actions are so important; we are going to have to give account of what we have said and done in this lifetime when we stand before God. Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).

In the current climate of “fake news” and misinformation, words are purposely careless, mismanaged, carefully crafted to mislead, and thrown into a jumbled word salad, mixed and tossed for freshness. The result creates undue drama, conflict, and spurs rage and anger to fuel the ratings fire. It’s time to extinguish that fire.

Can you imagine if you ran your life or business’ strategic plans on fake facts and misinformation? What would the end result be for you – personally or professionally?

Strive to be honest, forthright, and to have integrity to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. That’s how you build a reputation of trust. I believe each one of us has a responsibility to be truthful and the ability to choose our words with love.

Do you tend to open your mouth and let the words fall out without thinking of the consequences? Do you ask yourself, “How will my words impact another – positively or negatively?” By practicing

empathy - by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes - ask, “How would I respond if I heard those words spoken to me?”

The value of words, emotions, and interpersonal relationships are being lost on today’s youth – unless it’s being taught at home. Social media devices replace the written word (LOL!). Abbreviations, emojis, swipes right or left, or a quick tap to give a thumbs up – such responses create an environment that devalues the written and spoken word, emotions become non-essential.

Sound familiar?  While building interpersonal relationships learn to create opportunities to listen without interruption rather than just listening to respond, meaning you aren’t taking the time to hear the other person’s intended message, but instead are formulating a response in your mind while the other person is talking. When someone else speaks, allow their words to be heard and understood. Pause before responding. Clarify if needed. If you are not on the same page about a topic, agree to disagree with courtesy and tact.

In Emily Post’s, Etiquette, originally published in 1922, she outlines the proper etiquette for a myriad of topics - how to properly converse at every social occasion, welcome newcomers in the community, write and address letters, set the table, and how to teach young children about the rules of social engagement through their interactions with each other. Yes, this book is priceless and etiquette is becoming a lost art. Post writes, “Good taste or bad is revealed in everything we are, do, or have. Our speech, manners, dress and household furnishings – and even our friends – are evidence of the proprietary of our taste...The truly considerate person has many qualities – tact, graciousness, charm, hospitality, kindness – that are apparent in every detail of his life.”

Be an example of good behavior – speak kindly of yourself and others. Let’s take the opportunity to skill-build the younger generation, remembering – it begins at home and by the example of those of us in our culturally diverse community when we interact with each other in public. Don’t tolerate the exhibition of bad behavior. If ignored and unaddressed, it becomes acceptable.

Take these words off the bookshelf, dust them off, and begin using them again - “Please”, “Thank you”, “I’m sorry”, “Excuse me”, “Pardon me”, “No, sir”, and “Yes, ma’am”. Kind words and good manners will always take you far – personally and professionally.

Be a reflection of your good words and deeds.

“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: At the first gate, ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’

At the second gate, ask, ‘Is it necessary?’

At the third gate, ask, ‘Is it kind?’” ~ Rumi About Katie Hart Smith “Words, written or spoken, have power.” Katie Hart Smith’s column, “From the Heart,” touches the heart, inspires, entertains, and speaks to one’s heart and soul.

With over 20 years of experience, Smith has written for a wide array of audiences. Her latest historical fiction novel, Aspirations of the Heart, has been placed in the Governor’s Mansion Library by Georgia’s First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Deal. To learn more about this Southern author, visit www.katiehartsmith.com.

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

Page 11

Divorce and Equitable Division of Property-Businesses and Pensions

David Walker

Attorney at Law

Georgia law provides for equitable division of marital property in a divorce case. The purpose behind the doctrine of equitable division of marital property is to assure that property accumulated during the marriage be fairly distributed between the parties. Property acquired as a direct result of the labor and investments of the parties during the marriage is subject to equitable division. Each party is entitled to an equitable, but not necessarily equal share of the property.

How is it done? Georgia jury instructions tell how the court or jury can approach dividing property. There are a number of ways property can be divided.

The jury is instructed as follows: “If you decide to make an equitable division of property in this case, you should bear in mind that the law permits an equitable division of property in sever-

al different ways: 1) You may make an equitable division of specific personal property or real property. That is, you may designate the specific property (such as so many shares of stock in a named company or a certain house or tract of land) to be awarded as equitable division of property.

2) You may make an equitable division of property in cash. That is, you may designate a certain sum of money to be awarded as equitable division of property, even though that sum of money is not presently in the form of cash.

3) You may make an equitable division of property by awarding specific items of property and also awarding an amount of cash.

4)Furthermore, you have the power to award percentages of property to spouses or to require the parties to sell property in equitably dividing the marital property.”

The judge uses the same rules if the case is tried without a jury.

A pension providing for a lifetime benefit, known is a defined benefit plan, can be divided by having a present value calculation made based on the total amount of contributions in the life expectancy of the beneficiary. This is a simplified description of what an actuary would do to compute the present value.

There are 3 ways pensions can be then divided by the court: • The immediate offset, or net present value method allows the party owning the pension to keep it, and the other par-

ty is given a share of other property or money equal to what an equitable share of the pension value would be.

• The deferred distribution method requires the pension owner to pay a portion of the pension payments to the other party at the time payments of the pension benefits actually start.

• The reserve jurisdiction method allows the court to not make an immediate decision, but wait until the pension starts paying to decide how the pension payments will be divided.

Which method the court or jury may choose depends on the value of the pension, the value of the other marital property of the parties, how long before the pension will start paying, and other equitable factors.

When a party owns an interest in a business that does not have publicly traded stock, the court must make a valuation of the business. There are 3 approaches to valuation of the business: • The asset or cost approach is based on the book value of the business, which is very generally the value of its assets over liabilities.

• The income or capitalization method involves calculation of what value it would take at a given interest rate to earn the income that the business actually generates.

• The market approach involves researching comparable companies that have been recently sold in comparing the sales price of such businesses to the business in question to get a comparable

price or value.

Both pension valuation and business valuation generally involve the assistance of an actuary or business valuation expert who can make the necessary calculations to come up with these values. Attorneys usually work closely with these experts to provide the needed information to the

expert and to develop their testimony in order to give the court or jury a clear idea of what the value is and how it was calculated.

David S. Walker, Attorney at Law, Walker Law Firm See website for more information-http://www.Walker-Law-Firm.com

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 12

August 2017

Health, Beauty & Wellness Are You And Your Child Ready For Back To School?

This time of year, nearly every parent starts feeling mildly overwhelmed as the back-to-school rush starts. Between school-supply shopping, scheduling routine wellness exams and picking out a wardrobe for the school year, there almost too many things to keep track of.

So, to help you navigate this hectic time, Howard Ellis, MD, a pediatrician with Gwinnett Medical Group’s Mason Pediatrics, provides key ways to make this the best school year yet—not just for your child, but for you, too. Keep these expert tips in mind to conquer this school year like a pro!

Early to bed, early to rise.

Summertime and sleep routines don’t usually go together. However, to help children and teens adjust to the earlier wake-up times that school demands, start by making slight changes to their

sleep schedule. Even moving their bedtime back in 15 minute increments each night will make a difference.

Keep in mind that school aged children need nine to 12 hours of sleep, while teens need more like eight to 10 hours.

Dress for success.

While your student may think that picking out the most stylish clothes should be the top priority, it’s important to not overlook things like backpacks and shoes. Surprisingly, these two things can have a big impact on the health and comfort of your child.

When it comes to picking out backpacks, focus on shoulder straps. Make sure that they are durable and will evenly distribute weight across your child’s back. Between their textbooks and electronic gear, backpacks can easily weigh your child down.

As far as shoes go, it can be tricky to find a pair that can keep up with your child’s growing feet. If shoes don’t fit well, this can irritate their feet and lead to a number of issues, like bunions, corns, hammer toes and pain.

When picking out shoes, remember, your child should be able to wiggle their toes freely inside the shoe and shoes should be slightly loose so that as feet swell throughout the day, they don’t feel too tight.

Keep it delicious—and nutritious.

Despite your best intentions in trying to keep your child’s diet balanced and healthy, it’s often easier said than done.

Ideally, children should be eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy.

So what’s the secret to getting your child to eat all of these different foods?

Let them pick it out. Instead of taking them to the store with you, which can be notoriously dangerous with endless unhealthy options, give them a list of choices in each of these healthy food groups and let them select their favorites. This is a great technique to use for both breakfast and lunch.

Arrive in style.

Surprisingly, recent studies have shown that riding the bus is 13 times safer than riding in the family vehicle and 10 times safer than walking to school. While school buses are designed with safety in mind, remember these tips: • While waiting for the bus, make sure your child stays away from traffic, alleys or private property.

• Make sure they avoid roughhousing or other distracting behavior—like playing with toys or looking at their cellphone.

• When on the bus, remind your child

Special Photo

that they should stay in their seat, keep aisles clear and don’t make loud noises that could distract the driver. Also, make sure they don’t put their head, arms or hands out the windows.

If you plan to drive your child to school, utilize the National Safety Council’s safety tips.

Confidence is key.

Self-esteem and confidence may not be an issue for younger children, but for older ones, middle school and high school students, self-image can take quite a hit. There are a number of factors that can contribute to self-doubt at this age, but the good news is, there are simple ways you can give them a much needed confidence boost.

While your child may go through a bit of a learning curve when it comes to curfew or other rules at home and school, focus on what they do right instead of wrong. Praise their good choices and things done well.

Seek your child’s opinions, and include them in family decisions.

This is a time for self-discovery, so encourage your child to find their strengths and things they enjoy doing.

Whether that’s participating in sports, drama club or art programs, there is no shortage of options.

Support your child’s efforts to make friends. Help them stay socially involved and offer to organize get-togethers as desired.

Your child + GMG Primary Care = A healthy school year.

With a never-ending list of things to do before the start of the school year, let Gwinnett Medical Group Primary Care take care of all things health. At Mason Pediatrics, a GMG Practice, your child will receive customized care that grows with their needs. To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit gwinnettmedicalgroup.com/mason.

Need your medical records but your doctor’s office is closed?

By Staff Reports You need your medical records but learned your doctor’s office closed down.

What do you do now? Aren’t these records supposed to be kept on file for several years?

The following information is provided by the Georgia Department of Law, Consumer Protection Unit.

State laws generally govern how long medical records must be retained.

In Georgia, a provider must normally retain records for 10 years from the date the record item was created. However, there are exceptions. For instance, an individual provider who has retired from or sold his or her professional practice is exempt from the 10-year retention requirement if the provider has notified the patient of the retirement or sale and offered to provide the records (or copies of the records) to the patient or another provider of the patient’s choice.

Although your doctor’s office is now closed, you may still be able to get the information you need. You might want to first consult with an attorney before taking any action. If you choose to do it yourself, there are various steps you can take to try to find your records. The

Medical Association of Georgia (“MAG”), an industry group that advocates for physicians, provides a guide which includes the following suggestions: * Mail a letter requesting a copy of your medical records to the practice’s last known street address and any other addresses that may be associated with the practice, such as the registered agent (you can get this information from the Secretary of State). * Let your new doctor know that you haven’t been able to obtain your medical records. * Request a copy of the claims that have been submitted on your behalf from your health insurance company. * Contact hospitals in your area that you believe might have access to your medical records. * Contact MAG. Although MAG

does not have the legal authority to compel a provider to produce a patient’s medical records, it may be able to contact the provider on your behalf. * Submit a letter of complaint to the Georgia Composite Medical Board (the agency that licenses physicians in the state).

Other laws may also apply, particularly if you were receiving services under Medicare or Medicaid, in which case you may also try reaching out to the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights at: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr.

For more information, please contact BBB Serving Metro Atlanta, Athens & Northeast Georgia at 404-766-0875 or info@atlanta.bbb.org.

August 2017

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 13

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 14

August 2017

Gwinnett Medical Center Provides Tourniquet Kits For Use at Prominent Locations in the County Georgia Gwinnett College, Infinite Energy Center and Coolray Field now equipped with new life-saving tools

By Staff Reports As part of its commitment to the national _Stop the Bleed_ campaign, Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) recently announced that it has donated lifesaving tourniquet kits to Georgia Gwinnett College, Infinite Energy Center and Coolray

Field. Purchase of the kits was made possible by the generous support of the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation.

The noted entities represent three of Gwinnett County’s most prominent public facilities which are collectively visited by hundreds of thousands each year.

Tourniquet kits offer the ability to provide immediate treatment to individuals facing bleeding emergencies.

Injuries that result in heavy bleeding may be life-threating and often the greatest threat comes from loss of blood.

Thus, it is important to control bleeding

as quickly as possible through application of a tourniquet.

The ‘Stop the Bleed’ campaign was launched by the White House in 2015 and is intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in bleeding emergencies before professional help arrives.

“As a busy trauma center in metropolitan Atlanta and north Georgia, we see cases where tourniquets can and do save lives,” said Gina Solomon RN, Trauma Program Manager at GMC. “While we

never want to see anyone suffer an injury, we know accidents happen and hope by equipping the college and the arenas we can help ensure more positive outcomes for trauma care patients.”

The donation of tourniquet kits is part of GMC’s ongoing effort to support the community through public outreach initiatives that promote health and wellness for all citizens.

“We are truly grateful to GMC for providing the tourniquet kits,” said Buck Buchanan, Director of Emergency Management at Georgia Gwinnett College.

“With nearly 12,000 students and more than 1,000 faculty and staff, our institution is one of the fastest growing colleges in the Southeast. That growth places increasing importance on our ability to address emergency situations, and the tourniquet kits from GMC fill one vital area of need.”

Earlier this year, GMC teamed up with the Gwinnett Department of Fire and Emergency Services and Gwinnett Police Department to offer life-saving tourniquet application training for its 5,000 employees and interested citizens.

Walk To End Alzheimer’s®2017 - the nation’s 6th leading cause of death Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research

By Staff Reports The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at Duluth Town Green in Duluth. Nearly 800 people from the Gwinnett County area are expected at this year’s event to raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer’s disease.

Walk participants will complete a 3 mile walk and will learn about Alzheimer’s disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment and support programs and services from the Alzheimer’s Association.

A tribute ceremony to honor those

affected by Alzheimer’s disease will also be held.

In Georgia alone, there are more than 140,000 people living with the disease and 519,000 caregivers. In the United States, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth-leading cause of death in and the only disease among the top 10 causes that cannot be cured, prevented or even slowed. Additionally, more than 15 million family and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Register at georgiawalk.org to participate, join a team, or become a team captain.

Girls Are More Vulnerable to Concussion Than Boys

Paige Havens

The Concussion Discussion

Ongoing research continues to reveal that gender may actually be a risk factor for injury and/or influence injury severity when it comes to concussion.

Female athletes suffer more concussions than men in the sports that both play, with an injury rate 50 percent higher.

Boys and girls play by the same rules, using the same equipment, on the same fields, yet girls have higher concussion rates than boys. Many researchers are actively working to help determine why.

Below are some interesting findings that are worthy of note.

Physiology is the first big factor.

Girls’ neck and torso muscles are formed differently and are simply not able to handle forces as well as males. On average, women have shorter and thinner necks than men and approximately 50 percent less neck strength. In general, that means females have smaller heads,

hence less of a buffer against anything their heads might hit, whether it’s a ball, another player’s body or the ground.

Biomechanically girls’ skulls experience greater acceleration when their bodies whiplash and often it’s that motion that jars their brain and leads to a concussion.

This begs the questions - Do we need to make protective equipment, strengthening exercises, training techniques and game strategies different for girls than boys? Are we taking into consideration the very basic design of their bodies as they play?

Now I know that some of you are gasping and thinking. “Women have fought hard for equality and competitive respect on the field for so many years, I can’t believe you are saying this,” but the reality is women ARE built different.

Maybe they need to play different. I’m not implying women need to play less aggressively or be less competitive. I’m saying we need to be honest with ourselves about the biological realities and do everything we can to protect our girls from harm.

The sad truth is that many sports advocates have resisted gender-focused research related to concussion because they don’t want any implication that girls are weaker than boys. But, research continues to unveil realities that we all need to take seriously like - once concussed, girls are more symptomatic than males; they take longer to recover; and their symptoms are often more subtle and more easily missed or attributed to other

causes than concussion.

The good news is that girls are more likely to report symptoms when they do suspect something is wrong. Unfortunately studies show that their reporting of symptoms is often not taken as seriously as their male counterparts. Culturally girls are believed to be more dramatic and over-emotional. They are more likely to be given a “shake it off” attitude even more than boys. Hence, all too often, concussions in women are not diagnosed and treated with the same diligence as males and it’s setting our girls up for a worse result.

Studies also show that we aren’t doing as good of a job educating our girls about concussion. Since women and girls are less educated about female brain injury, many of them are not prepared to cope with more severe symptoms and often have unrealistic expectations of recovery time.

Despite the growing evidence that females are built and affected differently when concussed, the sport and medical communities have yet to develop any female-specific medical guidelines, return to school/play/work protocols or education resources designed for women. Concussions can no longer be treated with a one-size-fits-all approach. Change is coming, but it takes time. For now, educate yourself and always seek the care of true concussion specialists when concussion strikes.

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

Page 15

Former Rockette Celebrates 90th Birthday and a dormitory for those girls who lived

Photo By Katie Hart Smith

For eighty-five years, the Rockettes have performed live on the great stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Photo By Katie Hart Smith

Snellville resident and former Rockette, Janice Ferguson, celebrates her 90th birthday.

By Katie Hart Smith Staff Correspondent Gwinnett resident and former Rockette, Janice Ferguson, celebrated her ninetieth birthday in March. Ferguson remarked that she was almost considered an antique. “If the occasion arises, I present myself as an almost genuine antique Rockette. You have to be 100-years old to be called an antique.”

Ferguson grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. “I had danced all my life, starting in kindergarten. I knew that was what I wanted to do.” Ferguson and her friend danced for a summer in Dallas at the Starlight Theater – an open air summer theater. The following summer, they danced together in St. Louis with the Muny Opera – America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater. “We decided it was time to move on and follow our dreams.

We bought a train ticket to New York City and through our association in St. Louis, we knew a Rockette, and she arranged for us to have a private audition. Shortly thereafter, we both had a job. I joined the Rockettes just out of high school in 1944 and danced with them until 1945.”

Did you know? The Rockettes originated in 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri and were called the Missouri Rockets.

Russell Markert created the precision dance company. Ferguson recalled, “His dream at that time was to collect tall women who were exceptional dancers and high kickers and create a dance group. Russell brought the Missouri Rockets to New York City, and they appeared at the Roxy Theater and were known as the Roxyettes.”

On December 27, 1932, when Radio City Music Hall opened, the dance ensemble moved to their forever-home and was renamed the Rockettes. Ferguson

chuckled and said, “Being a Rockette was my college education. We use to say that our director, Russell, gave the lectures and the rehearsal hall was the classroom.

Russell was a perfectionist. He once stopped our rehearsal and commented that we looked like a centipede having a spasm!”

Ferguson described what it was like to work at Radio City Music Hall. “The format was that a G-rated movie was followed by a performance by the Rockettes. We did four shows a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.” The Rockettes had a demanding schedule.

“We worked four weeks on with a week off and three weeks on with a week off.”

The Rockettes remained an integral part of the 365-day show until 1979 when the movie scene changed, and parental-guidance films were upstaging G-rated films. Ferguson said, “Radio City Music Hall closed, and the building was going to be turned into an office. There was such a public outcry, not only from people all over New York but from all over the country, that they changed their mind and refurbished the theater to host various shows. The main attraction is still the Christmas show. When I was there, the animals used in the nativity scene were exercised in the streets in the early morning hours when the city was asleep, but you know, New York never sleeps!”

Ferguson continued, “Seventy-two years ago, our costumes weren’t as glamorous as they are today. We wore pink anklets. Shoes were issued from the costume department. It was war time, and pink socks weren’t available to purchase.

So, we had to devise a way to dye white socks pink supposedly to look like our skin.

We were stationary when we were at Radio City Music Hall. We had a cafeteria

far away and needed to spend the night to attend dress rehearsals early in the morning, like at 7:00 am, before the first movie began.

I lived in an apartment two blocks away on 53rd Street and 6th Avenue.

When I was there, there was a full-time men’s glee club as well as a ballet company. There were three permanent performing troops.

Radio City was very protective of us.

Our dressing rooms - there were two of them – were located on the third floor.

No one was allowed on the third floor.

Russell would sometimes call and make an appointment to come to see us there as opposed to seeing us in the rehearsal hall. We spent a lot of time between shows in the dressing rooms – reading, sewing, or napping. We had eight-cubic feet at our dressing table which meant we were almost hip to hip to the person next to us; so much so, that you had to be careful that you stepped into the leg of your own costume and not the girl’s next to you!

Being so close, one might wonder why it didn’t create a lot of resentment.

But, it didn’t. We spent a lot of time between shows with each other. Sometimes, we went to the cafeteria together, and we went out to eat if we felt flush.

We didn’t make much money. Between shows, activities were varied. In fact, one girl got married and came back in time for the next performance.

Between our two dressing rooms, there was a hall where the elevator was, and there was a pay phone on the wall.

One day, a call came in between shows.

A voice said, ‘Can I speak with Rockette number 099.’ It turned out that Al Jolson was on the phone. He had just returned from entertaining the troops overseas.

One of the boyfriend’s had asked him to call his girlfriend, a Rockette; her name was Roberta Ogg. Al Jolson misread the lower case ‘g’s’ as Rockette 099. We finally figured out which Rockette it was after a while and got the message to her.”

Did you know? Today, Rockettes have to be between 5’ 6” and 5’ 10 1/2” tall.

“I was one of the short ones. Rockettes have always been required to do eye-high kicks but, as you would expect, mine is now only thigh-high!”

Ferguson reflected on how she met the love of her life. “I met my husband, Tom, when I was sixteen years old when I was part of an entertainment group performing a show at the Navy base in

Photo By Katie Hart Smith

Janice Ferguson reflects on her experience as a Rockette in the photograph taken during a dance rehearsal.

Memphis. There was a dance afterward, and the performers were guests. After we met, he was commissioned as a Navy pilot. When the war ended, he was honorably discharged, and we came to Georgia where we lived for a number of years in Albany. Later, we moved to Virginia Beach and made our home there for thirty years. During that time, I designed and built a dance studio that still is in operation. Through those years, it was my joy to share the love and discipline of dance with many students. In our Golden Years, we came to Snellville to make our home close to our daughter, Jan Hadden. My husband died two years ago after seventy wonderful years of marriage. We had two children, our daughter and a son, John, four granddaughters, and eight – soon-tobe nine great-grandchildren.”

There were many funny stories Ferguson shared to include being a hit with her granddaughter’s second-grade class at Show and Tell. “Many years ago, one of my granddaughters, Emily, called from Connecticut to say, ‘Gran Jan, you must get up here as soon as you can. Yesterday, a girl in my class went to New York City to see the Rockettes, and she talked about it today in Show and Tell. I stood up and said, well, that’s nothing. My grandmother was a Rockette! My teacher said you needed to come up here and talk to us.’ Shortly thereafter, I was on a plane to Connecticut. I was Show and Tell for the second-grade class. I even taught them a little dance routine. Their thank you card was a drawing of them dancing.”

Ferguson is an active member of the Rockette Alumnae. The philanthropic group meets regularly and contributes to various charities. Ferguson and her alumnae colleagues were invited back to Radio City Music Hall in 2000 for the opening night of the Christmas show. Ferguson said, “I can officially say I have stopped traffic in New York. To promote ticket sales for the Christmas show that year, several hundred members of the alumnae, along with Santa Claus and Rockettes from that year’s show, performed a short routine on 6th Avenue directly in front of Radio City. Later that evening, the alumnae joined the Rockettes on the stage, and the Mayor of New York City read a proclamation declaring that

the Rockettes were a legacy. It’s a nice thought to know that I’m part of a legacy.”

In March 2017, Ferguson celebrated her ninetieth birthday. “I had two parties, and I am taking our family on an eleven-day cruise of the Great Lakes. Photos may turn gray and darken, but nothing can take experiences or memories away.”

Ferguson loves to travel, having visited every continent except Antarctica. She plays bridge and card games a couple of times a week with friends and is an active member of Snellville United Methodist Church. “My family is wide-spread. I try to get together with them as often as possible. There are nineteen of us. Making time to spend with my family is one of my most important goals at this time in my life.”

What is her advice to the younger generation? “Follow your dreams.”

Photo By Katie Hart Smith

Janice Ferguson stands on the rooftop of Radio City Music Hall in the snow wearing her “Wooden Soldier” costume. Making its debut in 1933, the Rockette’s “Wooden Soldier” costume, worn in the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” in the Christmas Spectacular, was designed by Vincente Minnelli.

The hat is nearly three-feet tall.

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 16

Dan Cowan and the Dan Random Band

By Staff Reports

Join the Gwinnett County Public Library and Eddie Owen Presents for this book talk and musical performance by the Dan Random Band. Grammy nominated Dan Cowan is the author, composer, and producer of the unique reading and listening experience weaving science fiction with original music. Joining him will be his six-man band playing songs from the album Somewhere Called Now. This book talk and performance with Dan Cowan will be held Friday, August 25

at 8:00pm at the Red Clay Music Foundry, 3116 Main Street, Duluth, GA 30096.

This event is free and open to the public.

Seating for the show is limited and is firstcome, first-serve. For reservations, visit https://public.ticketbiscuit.com/EddieOwenPresents/Events/310140. Tickets not picked up by 7:30pm will be given to the public.

For more information, please visit www.gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook. com/GwinnettLibrary and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GwinnettLibrary.

Classifieds

HELP WANTED

HIRING

LICENSED COSMETOLOGIST VIP studio on the Lawrenceville Square is currently looking for someone to join us @ #peacelovehairsalon (station/ space for rent).

Must be mature, responsible, self-motivated, drama free, organized and dedicated (plus have own clientele).

Any questions regarding the position, please call

770.820.8420

NOW HIRING Advertising Sales Executive

Advertising Sales Account Executive for established, 28 year community newspaper that is growing rapidly. Candidates must be extremely articulate with strong communication skills and a team player. The ideal candidate will be professional, highly motivated, competitive, and energetic.

Experience in advertising sales a plus but not necessary.

To apply please email your resume to jobs@gwinnettcitizen.com

SOFTWARE PROGRAMMER Develop Android applications; create & test user interface for web pages by HTML/CSS, .asp, Javascript through Visual Studio; create & manage SQL server & store procedures; manage web pages, fix the current bugs & customize software for client use; Req’d. Bachelor’s degree in computer science or computer engineering; 9AM-5PM, Mon.-Fri., 40 hrs/wk; Mail resume to EsolutionTG, LLC 3235 Satellite Blvd.

Bldg. 400, #290, Duluth, GA 30096

IDI ENTERPRISES Experienced Asphalt Worker Loop, Roller, Paver Transportation and Travel Required Drug Free Organization

Call 404.886.0930

August 2017

A Full Moon Over Tybee

Dan Brown

Fanfare for the Common Man While I enjoyed spending weekends with my grandkids, nothing matched a recent weekend visit to Tybee Island where I decided it was as good a time as any to show my grandson Carter how Pappaw could boogie board.

Decked out in my American flag bathing suit and with the boogie board lashed to my wrist, I charged into the surf, imagining I’m with the Baywatch gang, David Hasselhoff on a mission to save a drowning Pamela Anderson. The Baywatch reboot with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Effron had been filmed on Tybee Island, so we were in full Baywatch spirit that weekend.

The waves were big, 5 and 6 feet high. Great for body surfing and boogie boarding, but not so good when you’re standing in three feet of water and treading deeper into the dark abyss.

There is an old maritime saying that warns every fifth wave is a monster wave.

If you want a wave to ride, be patient. One will come. If you are trying to avoid those big waves, keep count; a really, really, big one will be heading your way soon.

Sadly, this was advice I did not heed.

I did not keep count.

I sensed it coming. I turned around.

And I looked.

To my growing horror, I saw the mother of all waves rise-up to blot out the sky. Seven feet tall, and I’m not lying. It looked like it could be 20 feet high in my fearful heart. ... Oh no ...

The wave hit in the center of the back and threw me to the ocean floor like a discarded child’s toy.

I landed on my knees, forgetting that ocean sand is 100 percent crushed seashells and sand is not soft or smooth.

Skidding across sand is like skidding across asphalt. Also, I had this boogie board lashed to my wrist, and the wave took that and tried to send it the long way back to China where it was made, along with my left arm.

I landed on all fours – well, all three, because there continued to be the issue with the boogie board lashed to my wrist and my left arm trying to dislodge from my shoulder socket.

I discovered something about the power of water that day. There’s this thing called undertow. And another thing called my pants.

I felt a slight tug right as the onslaught of pounding waves hit.

I went down for a third time and ate some ocean floor.

The surf and undertow continued to yank at the boogie board, which made any support function with my left arm a wasted effort. Any support here came from my right arm.

But then, a real cold wave of fear hit – not a fear of drowning but worse.

A harder tug yanked at my pants, but when I reached to hold on to the waist band, I fell flat on my face and sucked in some sea water.

This was a tug of war, sadly, I would

not win.

Wave after wave continued to try to bury me in the Tybee sand without the benefit of a shovel, and I was shoved into shallow water to the north, while my American flag swimming trunks were yanked out to sea to the south.

I know now what people who have endured tsunamis feel as they stand there in its wake of ruin while CNN films all the action, how they lost half their clothes. I’ve seen the same thing watching tornado footage. How did that guy lose a shoe? It was securely tied to his foot just a moment ago.

My swim trunks were securely tied about my waist.

Lying there with the other flotsam and jetsam that had washed ashore, scraped and battered, I slowly rose to all fours in about 10 inches of water, hacking and coughing up seawater and the last shred of dignity to which I desperately clung.

I heard a gasp from somewhere, “Oh my!”

The beach goers on Tybee Island that Saturday early afternoon didn’t have to wait until sunset to see the full moon rise over a picturesque Atlantic Ocean.

They could make other plans. Perhaps, enjoy a quiet dinner in Savannah.

No, at 11:33 a.m. on Saturday a full moon rose over Tybee.

Carter, who observed all this at the water line, said, “Pappaw, where’s your ‘babin soot’ at?”

Where was Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff when I really needed them?

Dan Brown is an award-winning humor columnist, and it is days like these that always give him something to write about.

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

Page 17

Guest Editorial: Kindness Is Not Just a Southern Thing

By Leigh McIntosh Maybe every person believes they came from a great generation, but as an Atlanta native, I am so grateful I had the opportunity to grow up in Lawrenceville in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The values I learned have helped me navigate through many difficult life challenges. When I was growing up, Gwinnett was a slow paced, friendly county of about 45,000 where everyone knew everyone, and they also knew everything about each other. This taught me that my actions had consequences that usually involved my parents, so accountability was introduced to me at a young age. People were always watching, and that meant children were generally safe. We ran around town without worrying about someone harming us, and if we needed help, someone lent a hand. People were respectful of others. I knew that people had differing views on politics and religion, but my father taught me that those were not things to be discussed because it could cause dissension.

(I wonder why we stopped teaching that.)

I was a teenager before I knew one of my parents was a Republican and the other a Democrat. They never argued about politics, they just joked about canceling each other’s vote. I remember my dad saying that more wars had been fought over religion than anything else. He said God allowed us to have free will and we needed to respect a person’s right to decide what they believed.

In those years before air conditioning and technology, we spent our days

playing outside, swimming in the river, reading books, visiting friends and avoiding chores. When I discovered transistor radios, I begged for one for my birthday.

I thought it was the greatest thing to listen to the music I wanted to hear, even though we were mostly listening to static due to the poor reception. This was an era when the Youngbloods sang, “Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another, right now.” Popular mantra’s included: “Flower Power,” “Make Love, Not War,” “Give Peace a Chance”, and “Love is all you need.” The radio and television brought the world into our homes, and we realized the world was less safe than our community. We had to worry about the war in Vietnam and whether or not Russia was going to annihilate America. But through it all, we had time to be bored in the summer, and that boredom inspired contemplation and creativity.

Being kind to people and respecting our elders was expected even if we did not agree with them. Punishment for disrespect was as certain as punishment for breaking one of the Ten Commandments.

I believed that with education and hard work I could do anything I wanted to do.

My dad and I were both animal lovers and our bonding time was spent riding horses accompanied by our dogs, on long, lazy days while discussing philosophical issues. My love for animals and philosophy made me realize how deeply I felt about the sacredness of all life. I embraced several Gandhi quotes including: • “The greatness of a nation can be

judged by the way its animals are treated,” • “The greatness of humanity is not in being human but in being humane,” • “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

I knew from a very young age that I wanted to help people and animals in need because those less fortunate, many times, do not have a voice and it is our obligation and responsibility to love and advocate for humanity.

My father used humor much of the time, and I still gravitate to people who can diffuse situations by making me laugh. He taught me that everyone is valuable and that we should not look down on individuals or groups of people.

Kindness is vital, and as I witness the current tensions in our country, I believe that if we collectively model kindness for our children, we will positively change the future of our world. I am not sure when the news stopped being truthful. I was taught in school that communists used propaganda to distort the truth as a way to control their citizens. I had no idea America would be condoning propaganda 50 years later. When President Reagan told Gorbachev to “tear down that wall”, I thought the world was safer again because freedom had won. Have we forgotten that using violence, intolerance, intimidation and fear tactics is not humane, but evil?

We must be vigilant if we want to protect what is great about America.

In my lifelong quest to help people, my career has been to work with people with disabilities and to educate about the

natural benefits of high-quality essential oils. Recently, the number of people sharing their feelings of anxiety and depression with me has skyrocketed because people feel less safe and more insecure. As a result of people being attacked for their opinions, they have stopped expressing them. Is that the kind of society we want to live in? What happened to our safe community where individuals were respected, and a very long history of southern hospitality encouraged good manners? Have we forgotten we are uniquely made and individually have something to offer? The recent election should have taught us that if nothing else, being quiet to avoid intolerance does not mean people do not have an opinion.

Recently, I have talked with concerned leaders of nonprofit agencies across Gwinnett County, and we envision something better for our community.

Happiness and peace come when what we think, say and do align positively so that good works can be accomplished. This is how we can develop confident adults who will one day be benevolent leaders.

Gwinnett County is fortunate to have inspirational leadership, but it is not enough. The entire community must work together so that everyone can be safe and feel secure. I would love to hear from readers about their ideas to make our community kinder. It only takes a few of us to create massive change, and I have great faith in this community that I have spent a lifetime calling home. In recent weeks the people we serve at Creative Enterprises, Inc., started a campaign called

“Creative Acts of Kindness.” I am humbled when I see a person with a severe disability helping someone in need, and I, fortunately, get to watch this happen every day. These beautiful people want to be part of something that changes lives and are willing to do their part. They also pass out “hero” cards to folks they catch being kind.

Lawrenceville and all of Gwinnett County has a long history of leading the way, setting an example and helping others in need. That is a legacy we can all choose to share with our children and those in need so they may one day reminisce about the great generation they came from.

Let’s bring civility to our communities by encouraging kindness and respect for all. We do not have to agree with everyone, but being kind will allow us the freedom we should feel as Americans to express our beliefs. We have an opportunity to create a future that produces caring and responsible adults, and in the process, we will be making history. Our freedom and our children’s future is at stake and will be determined by what each of us does today. In our own way, we can change the world. What will you choose to do?

Leigh McIntosh is the CEO of Creative Enterprises, a not for profit, training, and employment, community rehabilitation program for adults with severe disabilities. To learn more visit www. creativeenterprises.com

The Gwinnett Citizen

Page 18

Give Your Home a Southern

Quality Professional Craftsmanship

Face Lift!

August 2017

TINY HOMES continued from page 1

Painting 770-5134470

www.southernpaintingandrepairs.com

Free Estimates

Licensed & Insurced

FREE

ESTIMATES!

• Pressure Wash • Wood Repair • Prep Work • Daily job site clean up • No up front money

$200 OFF INTERIOR

Liscensed & Insured • Warranty Available

Call today!

770-513-4470

On complete int./ext. or 10% OFF any painting job.

$250 OFF EXTERIOR

On complete int./ext. or 10% OFF any painting job.

www.southernpaintingandrepairs.com

WILLARD WRECKER SERVICE

• Local and long-distance towing • Boost battery recharge • Flat tire change • Flatbed towing service 719 Shadburn Ave. Buford, GA 30518 770-945-7580 Fax: 770-945-9843

• Lockouts • Gas Delivery • Junk car removal • Accident removal

2451 Pleasantdale Rd. Doraville, GA 30340 770-733-1215 Fax: 770-864-9533

www.willardwrecker.com

Special Photo

Josh Bare, Norcross City Council

“Councilman Andrew Hixson and I share a lot of the same ideas, and we see similar needs for the city,” Bare said. “When you think about it, we really don’t own our ‘stuff,’ our ‘stuff’ owns us. Building a tiny home and owning it gives people an alternative to apartment living and really lightens the burden of debt.”

Bare is quick to point out that the ordinance being considered is one that provides for an Accessory Dwelling Unit, not a standalone “tiny” home on a lot by itself. In fact, the city has already made some provisions for such housing in its Adam’s Vineyard “farmunity,” located at the intersection of North Peachtree Street and Reps Miller Road. This upscale (homes priced in the $500,000s) conservation community is centered around a natural muscadine vineyard that was preserved by builder Brock Built Homes. Within guidelines set forth by the city, homeowners in Adam’s Vineyard may construct an Accessory Dwelling Unit on their property.

“It’s worked well, so far,” said Bare.

“The city ordinance, if the council decides to proceed, will obviously have to provide for variances in the standard building code. For example, the bathroom sizes and a number of entrances to the homes will be different.”

Another good example of the type of homes the city intends to invite is the Wingo Street Cottages development. “These homes are very small by most peoples’ standards – about 1000 – 1400 sq. ft. - Bare said.

The Wingo Street homes, according to several real estate websites, make smart use of every inch of the floor plan. Maintenance is easier, and utility bills are lower, making a “tiny” home the perfect solution for seniors or simply for those who wish to contain the time and resources they spend maintaining a home.

The popular Tiny House Festival held in Decatur, held last year and slated for a 2017 return, is hosted by Tiny Homes, a pioneer in education and advocacy for the tiny house movement. Some of the homes showcased at the Festival last year were as small as 400 sq. ft. The festival will return this year, from September 29 – October 1 (see

Special Photo

900 sq. ft. Rakestraw House in Chicopee that Bare owned and renovated.

www. http://www.decaturmetro. com/2017/03/01/tiny-house-festival-returns-to-decatur-this-fall/ for more details). Similar festivals are popping up across the nation and enjoying enthusiastic reception by people looking to understand more about smaller-home living.

Tiny House Atlanta is an advocacy group that promotes the building of neighborhoods similar to condominium neighborhoods, at the cost of about $40,000 per home. Organizations working to provide help and hope to the homeless are taking notice of this and similar movements, as the allowance of “tiny” homes in areas where they have previously been prohibited could virtually end the sweeping problem of homelessness among families and individuals hit hard by the laboring economy.

Another indication of the growing popularity of “tiny home” living is the sprouting of companies like Mustard Seed Tiny Homes in Suwanee.

The company was founded by young couple Clint and Haley Gooch. The pair has traveled the world doing mission work, and they have seen people living in poverty, owning very little if anything. But according to the Mustard Seed Tiny Homes website, “we lived amongst communities that had so little in terms of physical possessions (especially by American standards), but whose lives were so rich from deep connections to their culture, their land, their faith, and each other.” (The Gooches could not be reached for comment by the time this story went to print, but learn more about their company at http://mustardseedtinyhomes. com/our-story/ .

Not surprisingly, the city of Atlanta is getting its feet wet in the “tiny homes” market, also. The R5 zoning designation – the one that allows Accessory Dwelling Units – includes Grant Park, Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, Edgewood and

Candler Park, and dwellings may not be larger than 750 sq. ft. Before the new legislation was enacted, the only accessory structures allowed on properties in these areas was a carriage house, a detached garage, or some similar building. In other words, accessory structures could not contain a kitchen, a stipulation that obviously prohibited construction of a separate standalone house.

Bare refers to the Gainesville community of Chicopee as an excellent example of the type of community that “tiny” homes can comprise.

“Chicopee is actually an old mill town for Johnson & Johnson,” he said. “It was really kind of a socialist experiment, I suppose, but the homes in the community are 900 – 1200 sq. ft. in size. They are wellbuilt, with wood floors, slate roofs, things like that. That town fascinates me. It is really a standalone conservation community.” As a Johnson & Johnson mill town, home occupants could not own the dwellings; the company did. Of course, Bare sees a forward-thinking vision in the construction and size of the homes, with individual homeowners owning them.

Bare, and apparently many other lawmakers in cities from coast to coast, see the advantage of building accessory housing on property that can be inhabited by grandparents, children, or even renters. The “tiny homes” market is simply a natural offshoot of a society in which people are living longer, and economic concerns are driving housing choices.

“They can be built, and built well,” Bare said, “giving people the option of home ownership with less of a financial burden. And think about it; how nice would it be if Grandma could live that close but still maintain her privacy and independence?”

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017

Right Now is the Best Time to Prepare for the Unexpected

Page 19

Summer Sale on Motorized Window Coverings

“We have no way of knowing when the next stage of life will begin for our family.”

James Miskell

Estate Planning

In the middle of a Georgia summer, the days are long and it seems like we’ve got more time for the things we enjoy.

The kids are out of school, and work slows down a little. If we’re lucky, we get some extra time with our family, spend lazy days at the pool, and vacation with children and grandchildren. It can feel like summer will last forever.

But all along know that September is just around the corner. Another school year has begun and work will kick back into high gear. The kids will need school supplies and new clothes for school. All too soon, parents will find themselves crossing off items on the back-to-school list and standing in the check-out line.

Fortunately, the schools publish a supply list for each grade so parents know exact-

ly what is needed to be prepared on that first day of school.

Unlike the predictability of the end of summer and the back to school routine with its checklists, we have no way of knowing when the next stage of life will begin for our family. Will it be the death of a spouse or a long illness? Will it be the marriage of a child, the start of a new business, or an auto accident or lawsuit?

Unfortunately, we don’t get a timetable with these events penciled in and a “todo” list to guide us through how to handle them. Failing to plan before these events occur is one of the most serious threats to family financial security.

Big events and big changes require big decisions. A family that has not planned in advance will face those decisions in the heat of the moment, subject to the pressure of time and emotion--and perhaps with limited information. If you plan while you can--while you are healthy and have time--you can give your family a playbook to follow when life altering events occur.

What should your plan look like? Do you need more than a will and a power of attorney? Does your family know your wishes for medical treatment? As you age or become ill, what benefits (Medicaid,

VA) are available to you? Can you protect what you have earned from predators without losing control of your assets? Is a trust the best way to protect your assets?

If so, what kind of trust?

The answers to these questions are different for every family. The first step is to begin the conversation with one another about what is most important for your family’s future.

Knowing that fall is coming shouldn’t make summer less enjoyable--the knowledge that fall is coming allows you to be prepared for all the events that fall brings. So enjoy your summer! Make the most of your time with the family. There is no better time to start a conversation about what is important to you when life’s changes unpredictably--but inevitably--occur.

James M. Miskell received his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1993. His Asset Protection, Estate Planning and Elder Law practice has offices located in Lawrenceville and Johns Creek.

He offers educational workshops and free consultations to assist clients as well as fellow professionals in creating individualized solutions. Visit his website: www.

LetsTalkEstatePlanning.com. For more information, see his ad in this issue.

Joan Miller

The Blind Ladies

Smart Phone, Smart Home, Smart Window Coverings. All of the conveniences right at your fingertips. You don’t even have to be on location to control your electronics from your hand held devices. From your doorbell to your windows and everywhere in between is where it’s at today. Just download the app and set up your personal programs. Imagine you have 4 windows in your Master Bedroom. You like to open the shades at sunrise. Set up & name the room: Master Bedroom. For time schedule, use the sunrise setting. The program will automatically adjust to the time of sunrise.

More specifically, the actual time of day can be set. Then, on the back end, set up a time schedule to close the shades.

If you don’t want to raise/lower all of the shades, just select each shade individual-

ly or group them as desired. The app will guide you through the process. Multiple rooms can be added along with multiple time schedules. If you’re familiar with Nest or IFTTT, we can integrate with either platform.

If you travel or have a busy schedule, set the days and times to raise and lower your shades or tilt your blinds. If you’re at work when the sun is on the west side of your home, set the time to close those window coverings. This feature helps with your energy bills. If you’re out of town, program the window coverings to open and close at your designated times giving the appearance that you’re home.

You may choose to run different schedules for each day of the week.

For those intimidated by this technology, I assure you it’s easier than you think. If you can use your Smart Phone or tablet, you can do this…OR just consult with any teenager. Just think how convenient it will be to operate those hard to reach windows with Smart Technology!

Hunter Douglas is offering mail-in rebates for purchases made on many of their motorized products now through September 11th, 2017. Of course, certain restrictions apply. If you’re interested or curious about how these products can work for you, please give Joan a call for a free in-home consultation. The Blind Ladies: 404 918-5288 or visit the website: www.theblindladies.com

Page 20

The Gwinnett Citizen

August 2017