Our Town

Gwinnett/NE DeKalb Community & Family Magazine

— An EndResultz Media Company EndResultz.com

Our Town Gwinnett is published and direct mailed to select homes in the Gwinnett/NE DeKalb area. Opinions expressed by the writers and staff are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Our Town Gwinnett reserves the right to edit and/or reject any editorial or advertising content. Our Town Gwinnett is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space or for the validity of claims made by advertisers.

Entire contents copyright 2023 by Our Town Gwinnett. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden in any media without written permission from the publisher.

Publisher/Owner

Dr. Ryan T. Sauers

Ryan@EndResultz.com

Creative Director

Elsie Olson

Cover Photography

Emil Powella

Photography

Distribution Coordinator

Feature Writers

Victoria R. Crosby

Tana Poncsak

Traci Sanders

Beth Volpert Johansen

Elsie@EndResultz.com

Editor

Catherine L. Osornio

Editor@EndResultz.com

This Issue

Wendy Head

Cover Story

Feature Writer

Kristen Eleveld

Jane Bishop

Bill Crane

Terie Hansen

Pam Walker

Contributing Writers IN

5 On the Cover: Get Your Lawn and Landscape Ready for Summer!

7 From the Publisher: Ryan’s Remarks

8 Pet Perch: Dogs and Grief, How You Can Help 8

Ryan’s Remarks

By Dr. Ryan T. Sauers

Wow, it is April 2023. Spring is here and warm weather should be here to stay. In this column, I want to share some things I do and believe in all parts of my life. People have asked me to write this, so here it is. These are things I believe in and that help people achieve success.

As a small business consultant, sales and marketing expert, entrepreneur, speaker, media owner, and published author, there are things that just work in achieving success.

I believe in a relentless work ethic, a passion for excellence, and unwavering grit and perseverance. Success is not a matter of luck or talent, but a result of hard work, dedication, and resilience. There are no shortcuts in life; a strong work ethic is a key foundation of success. There is no substitute for putting in the time and effort required to achieve your goals, or your dreams. Success is not a matter of “working smart,” but rather “working hard and smart.” Or said another way, of being both efficient and effective at what we do. I always encourage people to adopt the Keep Pushing Forward (KPF) mindset, as I have done for over 30 years. This means digging deep, finding a way to make things happen, and displaying grit.

In my dissertation, I learned that grit is the deep drive and courage to persist in the face of all types of adversity. You see, success is not a straight line but a journey filled with setbacks, failures, and obstacles.

Continued on page 20

Pet

Dogs and Grief, How You Can Help

By Terie Hansen

Dogs, like people, have different personalities, each being an individual. When a family experiences the loss of a dog and they have another dog or dogs, the dog(s) left behind will grieve the loss of the passing pack member.

Some dogs grieve longer than others, but in general, compared to their human counterparts, their grieving process is less emotional and much shorter. However, if the human puts all their emotions into the dog or dogs left, it can certainly extend the grieving process and may even create some behavioral problems.

While it can be difficult for you, the best approach is:

If possible allow the companion dog(s) to be present at the Euthanasia. A mobile veterinarian can typically perform an in-home euthanasia, allowing for a peaceful passing and the presence of the other family dog(s).

Keep your emotions in check as much as possible. Easier said than done for sure! And yes, a little extra TLC goes a long way, but too much can do more harm than good.

Keep a normal routine going. This helps dogs feel safe and secure, and helps to relieve or keep stress to a minimum.

Some added exercise is in order, as this will get their feel-good chemicals (endorphins) flowing, helping them to be in a peaceful, happy state. The same will work for you as well, so get out and walk!

This is a great time to introduce some training as a means of stimulating your dog’s brain in a positive way. Perhaps some agility, nose work, or some good old fashioned basic obedience is in order. Dogs thrive on learning new things.

Remember, time heals, and you and your canine companion will feel happy again one day, maybe even enough to open your heart and your home to another dog in need of a family.

Terie Hansen is Owner of Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care. More information at www.gooddogcoaching.com.

Feeding Gwinnett Students and Families –Camp Creek Elementary Food Baskets

By Traci Sanders

In 2019 Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful encouraged environmental school clubs in Gwinnett County to partake in the Food Waste Warrior Program. Grants were available for schools that conducted initial Food Waste Audits and that had a plan on how to combat the waste.

Led by teacher Annette Santana, the Earth Patrol Club at Camp Creek Elementary School was a recipient of one of those grants. After attending several Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful meetings for inspiration, Santana discussed an idea with her principal and cafeteria manager to help address the food waste problem in the school. Santana gained their support for her mission and used some of the grant money to purchase several blue baskets, and the Food Baskets program was born. Each day the Earth Patrol students stood by the blue baskets, situated next to the cafeteria trash cans, and removed any unwanted, unopened food items that were later taken back to their classroom for snack time to offer to students who didn’t have a snack.

That process halted when COVID hit a few years later, and the children were no longer able to share food items. The idea was revisited and implemented in the second half of 2021. Santana invited other classes to deliver their unwanted items to her classroom. Over 1,200 students in the school participated in this first food audit, and Parkview High School students came to help with counting and weighing of the waste.

A second audit was conducted later in the school year to see if the blue baskets had made a difference. The program was proving to be beneficial, and so it continued. Some classrooms delivered the blue baskets

Continued on page 15