THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO AT The Sheridan at Eastside

With a daily schedule that can include fitness, educational programs, hobby groups and plenty of chances to socialize with other fascinating residents, your life will be an adventure of your own design.

See for yourself when you attend an upcoming event:

He Is Risen: A Musical Celebration

Thursday, April 6 | 2 p.m.

Join us for an Easter celebration featuring an inspirational music and spoken word performance.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Thursday, May 4 | 10 a.m.

Join us for breakfast as Lisa Wilson and Sherri Selman of NexSeason Transitions share tips and information on downsizing.

Zumba & Acai Bowls on the Green

Thursday, June 8 | 2 p.m.

Come enjoy a free Zumba class taught by our own Renee Sanders, Sales Manager. Weather permitting, this will be an outside event. In unforeseen weather, the event will move indoors.

We look forward to welcoming you!

RSVP to 678-841-0030

For the safety and well-being of all residents and guests, all recommended safety precautions will be taken. Please call to inquire about our safety measures for these events.

Auto Talk: Your Next Car Might Be Electric

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

Love them, hate them, or don’t really care, electric vehicles (EVs) are beginning to take over transportation conversations and roadways, and soon, boats and planes. Already, there were 16.5 million electric cars on the road worldwide in 2021, three times more than in 2018, according to S&P Global. Though still in the early adopter phase, here are four reasons your next vehicle is likely to be electric.

Auto manufacturers are phasing out the production of internal combustion engine (ICE) models. General Motors announced in 2021 that the company will only sell vehicles that have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035 across all global markets. Similarly, leading companies like Ford committed to zero emissions globally by 2040 and no later than 2035 in key markets. Some states are making the same commitment. Through Michigan’s Healthy Climate plan, for example, the state is working to achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050, including through electrifying vehicles and increasing public transit.

States are accelerating the push for EVs through legislation. The Air Resources Board is offering a Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, making new and used electric cars more affordable for consumers, as some states seek to ban the sale of ICE model vehicles. On the federal level, as part of a broad new Inflation Reduction Act – designed to address climate change, healthcare, and taxes – a new tax credit of up to $4,000 on used

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Camp Creek Elementary

Continued from page 8 directly to Santana, and others placed their items in the blue baskets in the cafeteria. Earth Patrol members collected the baskets and delivered them to Santana’s classroom several times per day.

Many of Santana’s days soon involved running around the school looking for available refrigerators in which to store donated milks. Within a week or two, Santana had to purchase a small refrigerator from a scratch-and-dent store to accommodate these donations. There was even a surplus of items that ended up being given to the local Free Fridge or The Yellow River Game Ranch at least two times per week.

Laraine Mayhan, a teacher at Camp Creek, helps deliver the surplus food items to these establishments. Her daughter Ceci is a former Camp Creek Club member and now freshman at Agnes Scott College. Ceci visits Camp Creek twice a week to pick up salvageable foods and deliver them to Atlanta Free Fridge (formerly Free 99 Fridges). Laraine then returns the coolers to Santana to be filled up again. Paige Royster, a para pro at Camp Creek, delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to the Yellow River Game Ranch for the animals.

During the school year, the Earth Patrol Group has been counting and weighing the collections again to approximate what can be donated. They will also attempt to meet with the cafeteria manager and write letters to county cafeteria managers to see what changes can be made to school menus to help cut down on food waste.

Even though the food saving program is now schoolwide, the Earth Patrol club involves grades four and five only. However, students from other grades have been assigned to help with signage, and other grade teachers have shared presentations with their students to educate them on how the program works.

Santana shared, “It’s a lot of work collecting, packing up, and delivering food, but ultimately being able to avoid hundreds of pounds of food per week going into the landfill makes it a worthwhile task.”

More information at https://www.gcpsk12.org/campcreekes.

Peter and Paul’s Place Holds Winter Dance

By Tana Poncsak

There was a lot of twisting and shouting going on at the Tucker Recreation Center the evening of January 21st where Peter and Paul’s Place held their Winter Dance. About seventy dancers and over thirty volunteers, family members, and staff signed up to hear Sammy Rosenburg, DJ extraordinaire, and his partner, Frankie Acosta, spin some tunes while dancers cut a rug on the dance floor. The Chick-Fil-A located in Northlake Festival in Tucker donated food. The Winter Dance is just one of the many activities Peter and Paul’s organization has planned this year.

Peter and Paul’s Place is a dream that first percolated in the minds of Charlotte McKinnon and Lois Shingler when they realized their sons, Peter McKinnon and Paul Shingler, who both have intellectual disabilities, were aging, and so were they. With that realization they also knew that their sons, who have been friends since elementary school, would both eventually need a place where they have support and a sense of independence, something that’s important to all of us as adults. Peter is now 48 years old, and Paul is now 47.

“Ultimately, we want a residential community that’s inclusive and supportive,” Shingler said. “By inclusive I mean not just folks with disabilities, but primarily people who are 55 and older, and anybody who wants to live in the community and enjoys being around individuals who have special needs. That’s the end goal.”

Shingler described the vision of the residential community as affordable with a support center. She said there are plenty of good models

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Community Spotlight: Author Lora E. Sandler Announces New Book!

By Traci Sanders

Author Lora E. Sandler’s first illustrated children’s book, The Girl with Caterpillars in Her Hair, hit the digital shelves in June 2021 and has since garnered over a hundred reviews while maintaining an overall 4.9-star rating on Amazon.

Her second title, a timeless tale of a mother speaking positivity into her daughter from infancy through adulthood, is set to release in enough time to purchase for Mother’s Day this year. She can’t announce the title until the book has an official copyright.

The storyline was inspired by Sandler’s relationship with her own two daughters, over whom she spoke similar encouraging words from birth. “Although I wish I’d taken it further and been more consistent like the mother in this book,” she said, “I enjoyed pouring inspiring thoughts into my children from the time they were born.”

Sandler dedicated over a year to the writing and illustrating of this labor of love. With influences like Dr. Seuss and Gertrude Chandler Warner (author of The Boxcar Children series) Sandler’s new book incorporates rhyming elements and whimsical, engaging illustrations

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Key Steps to Healthy Aging

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

As you age, your health needs change. Staying on top of senior wellness activities is important, but it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Creating a list of health and wellness to-do’s can help you stay organized, so you look and feel your best.

“Aging well is living well, and it all starts with a combination of activities that can improve our mental and physical well-being,” says Dr. Scott Kaiser, chief executive officer of Determined Health and a physician specializing in geriatric medicine.

“Although health and wellness may seem to get increasingly complicated with age, it doesn’t have to be a struggle. A few simple – and fun – steps can keep us on the healthy aging path. By taking a proactive approach and prioritizing health, seniors can live their best life.”

Kaiser shares a simple senior-health checklist to help keep you or a loved one focused on wellness:

1) Annual physical: Everyone’s health is different. Even if you see specialists for certain conditions, it’s typically recommended to get an annual physical with your primary physician. This is an opportunity for important health screenings that may include tests to evaluate blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, bone density, and more. It’s also a good time for you to ask any questions and discuss concerns.

2) Vaccinations: Staying current on recommended vaccinations can

Continued on page 22 electric cars and revised tax credits of up to $7,500 on certain new EVs are available for prospective buyers to take advantage of. These legislative changes highlight the need for tangible progress in increasing the accessibility of EVs.

States are building out supporting infrastructure for EVs. All over the United States, you will find EV chargers popping up at local supermarkets, malls, and sporting events. Michigan is taking it a step further by bringing chargers to state parks and working with public universities on pilot programs and research programs to improve battery design. The Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour, for example, is a network of EV chargers that, once completed, will span over 1,100 miles of drivable shoreline around Lake Michigan throughout Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

“We are going to see a huge uptick in EV adoption, especially as manufacturers continue to diversify the EV models on the market, lower prices for increased accessibility, and partner with states to ensure infrastructure is catching up with the high-tech innovation happening across the country,” says Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. “It’s only a matter of time before your neighbors are driving one, too.”

Beyond incentives and legislation, we’re still human and want to keep up with our neighbors and peers. EVs have been around for almost thirty years, with the first mass-produced, purpose-built modern electric car from one of the industry’s key players released in 1996 from General Motors. Soon, EVs will make up a majority of new cars available. And, with the many financial incentives and user benefits associated with making the shift to EVs, it may not take long for you to begin reimagining how an EV could fit into your life, too.

While your next car choice will hinge on a range of factors – lifestyle, brand preference, car features, safety ratings, availability, and price – you may be surprised how many boxes an EV can tick. Even without gas, there’s a lot of sustainable power under their hoods. (BPT)