AUGUST 2020 Gwinnett/NE DeKalb Community & Family Magazine
Our Town GWINNETT
Lawrenceville Snellville Lilburn Stone Mountain Tucker
Up Close with Primrose School of Five Forks, see story on page 5
8 10 17 18
One on One: Navigate Recovery Gwinnett Making a Difference: LETTUM Eat with Chef Hank Dealing with Stress: Finding Peace Under Pressure Leading Through a Crisis: Meet Principal Angie Wright
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On the Cover: Get Set for School at Primrose School of Five Forks By Kristen Eleveld
The year has been a memorable one, with businesses across every industry feeling the effects of the COVID19 pandemic that has swept the world. Schools and their teachers and staff have been faced with some particularly hard challenges as they work to ensure student safety while still giving children the education they need. It is all about balance – and one preschool in Lawrenceville has gone the extra mile to be superheroes for their community and make sure that these last few months have been just as amazing as years before. Primrose School of Five Forks has been around for over twenty-five years. With owner Gil Benjamin and Senior Director Jeanne VanEmburgh at its helm, this school has made a name for itself through the creative and inspired ways it offers education to its students. It all starts with the teachers and staff, who love what they do, and the children that they teach and are consistently involved with. “I just love children. I love coming to work every day to hear their laughter and see their joy,” said Benjamin, who became the owner of the school eight years ago. “We put the students first, even in times where everything is a little uncertain.” Putting the students first has clearly been a high priority for everyone who works at the school. During a typical year, you will likely find the students and staff – and even the parents – engaged in some type of activity. One favorite is the Celebrating Cultures event in which Primrose celebrates the diversity and culture represented in their school while also finding common ground among their students and staff.
Another exciting event is the Parade of Costumes, which gives the teachers and staff the chance to really go all-out for the children. This past year’s theme was superheroes, and every member of the staff participated by dressing up. Along with educating and providing a safe environment for the children in their care, Primrose is all about giving back. They collect canned foods during the month of November, and their annual Spring Fling has raised up to $10,000 dollars, a portion of which goes to local Brookwood schools. Each winter they host an Art Show which showcases all the children’s art. Families can purchase their child’s art piece for a donation that benefits Brookwood community schools. This year, of course, everything was different once schools began to close in March. Field trips were canceled, and large gatherings had to be postponed. But that did not stop Primrose from bringing the field trips to the students. For instance, while the staff normally takes the summer campers to Medieval Times for a fun outing, this year they adapted their plans in order to keep students safe while still giving them a memorable experience: The Explorer classes made shields and other accessories out of art supplies, and the staff dressed up in Medieval costumes to serve the children lunch. They were even able to bring in a castle waterslide. With such an obvious love for what they do, it is no wonder that much of the Primrose staff has been at the school for many years.
“We have a great staff here, and wonderful teachers who love what they do,” said VanEmburgh, who has been with the school since 1994, and served as its senior director since 1996. “Some of our staff has been here for over fifteen years.” Continued on page 13
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IN THIS ISSUE 5 On the Cover: Get Set for School at Primrose School of Five Forks 7 From the Publisher: One Man’s Opinion 8 Navigate Recovery Gwinnett: Support for Individuals and Families Impacted by 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23
Addiction Community Spotlight: Rotary Club of Stone Mountain Entering the Pulitzer Prize LETTUM EAT with Chef Hank Summer Fun: Make the Most of Summer Get Togethers in 2020 Travel Tales: Flying the Friendly Skies with Masks Business Spotlight: Meet American Comfort SportsTalk: 2020 Fall Middle School Golf League School Days, Rue Days, Dear I Am Confused Days Finding Peace Under Pressure Leading Through a Crisis: Meet Principal Angie Wright Up Close with Park Bridge Academy Pet Perch: Flirt Pole Fun – How to Engage Your Terrier Take TWO Doses of Some Common Sense, and Call Me in the Morning Crane’s Corner: Raising Cain
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From the Publisher: One Man’s Opinion
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I want to thank each of you for being a unique and special person. We are all created in God’s image and desire to have relationships with other people. I may not know all of you, but your feedback and encouragement to me is greatly appreciated. And it helps me in writing these columns and other things I do. Iron sharpens iron. So, let me share some things on my mind in August 2020. Let me encourage us all to the consider the time we are living in. It is tough. Unprecedented. Lonely. Frustrating. Confusing. Overwhelming. Unknown, and much more. Quite frankly, there are no real words that are good enough to encompass or describe 2020. In such an environment where we are isolated a lot more than we are used to, we often turn to social media to interact and express ourselves. There is nothing wrong with these tools and I use most of them. However, social media can be toxic. These amazing tools of communication can create great division and can seemingly push our buttons and/or push us over the edge. So, if what we post divides people, puts people down, or is not encouraging in nature, then maybe we should think twice before posting. Right? I hope we can give each other the benefit of the doubt, and love more, listen better, judge less, care more, smile, and be patient. We all need to be loved and told it is all going to be okay. IT WILL. This too SHALL pass. Trust me, I do not profess to have mastered all these things, and I work on them each day. Despite all we are facing, we will get there. But we can only do so “shoulder to shoulder” and together. We must remain UNITED and not become UNTIED. Finally, we must be extra careful if we are posting when we are sad, hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (SHALT rule). So, to all my family, friends, colleagues, and to this community, you are the best. We can do this, we will do this, we will prevail – and we will prevail together! Keep Pushing Forward. I wish all of you the best, and thank you for continuing with me on the journey of my town, your town, OUR TOWN!
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Navigate Recovery Gwinnett: Support for Individuals and Families Impacted by Addiction By Traci Sanders
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Anyone who has ever been affected by any type of addiction knows that recovery is a lifelong journey that entails unique challenges. Setbacks and expenses can crop up, though there is always hope for successful and sustained recovery – especially with the right resources in hand. As people in long-term recovery, Farley and Susan Barge are familiar with the twists and turns associated with finding wellness after addiction. The couple has been happily married since 2004, have raised five beautiful daughters, and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. The Barges have been leaders in three different churches and co-founded a parent support group at a local megachurch to help parents learn about addiction and gain support for their circumstances. The Barges founded Navigate Recovery Gwinnett when they realized a greater need to serve individuals and families affected by addiction. A trusted non-profit organization, Navigate Recovery Gwinnett exists to aid addiction sufferers and their families whilebolsterContinued on page 11
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Community Spotlight: Rotary Club of Stone Mountain By Our Town Gwinnett Staff The Rotary Club of Stone Mountain (RCSM), a member club of Rotary International, recently named Dr. Jermain E. Sumler-Faison, principal of Wynbrooke Traditional Theme School in Stone Mountain, as its 2019-2020 Educator of the Year. Sumler-Faison was honored as one of nine top DeKalb educators, one from each of the member clubs of the DeKalb Rotary Council. The annual awards are normally presented during an awards breakfast in March, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the educators this year were recognized during a virtual meeting in June. Sumler-Faison was cited by RCSM for her strong support of the club’s education initiatives with Wynbrooke. Some of the programs Sumler-Faison worked on with RCSM member included: • The Dictionary Project, a national program that distributes dictionaries to third-grade students across the nation. RCSM distributes 1,000 dictionaries each year to third graders in Stone Mountain elementary schools, including Wynbrooke. • Rotary Career Day, where RCSM members come to the school and talk about their careers and how education factored into their success. • Read Across America Day, where RCSM volunteers read to students to encourage a love of books. • Soda Straw Rocket/STEM Day, where RCSM member Gene Fleeman conducted student workshops on how to build a working rocket using a soda straw as a basic element. The workshop emphasizes the importance of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education, and introduces students to elements of aerodynamics, physics, chemistry, math, and propulsion dynamics. Continued on page 13
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Entering the Pulitzer Prize By Rhonda Frankhouser On May 4, 2020, the winners of the Pulitzer Prize were announced via an online Zoom feed from Columbia University. It took twenty excruciating minutes of listening to the dozen other categories before the fiction winner was read. I held my breath and prayed. Up until the moment, I really believed I could win. My heart-wrenching novel, Beyond Forever, ticked every emotional and literary box. There was absolutely no reason it couldn’t take the prize. If by some miracle my entry was announced, even as a finalist, it could change my life. Up until then I allowed myself to believe my honest story of the last day of a young woman’s life could compete with the works from the great literary minds of our generation. But let’s start this story from the beginning. Beyond Forever is loosely based on my very own battle with cancer. The sentiment and fear that poured onto those pages came directly from my heart and soul. I created a fictional character living through a fictional scenario of dying at the age of thirty-three, leaving behind the love of her life, and a dysfunctional family who needed her. I cried through writing the entire first draft. It was painful, yet so cathartic. Ironically, it was never meant to be a novel at all as I was never meant to be an author. My career and the miracle of the birth of this book were borne of this experience. During a woman’s retreat in the mountains, I asked a friend to read a very rough copy of the story to show how I had written away my own fear of dying. In tears, she demanded I send the manuscript away to agents right away. And send I did. I had three agents interested. That was unheard of for a first-time author, and it boosted my confidence to the moon, though, that excitement was very short lived. My hopes of becoming a published author went down with the planes on September 11, 2001. Along with the mourning nation, editors were looking for happy endings. Don’t get me wrong, Beyond Forever leaves open a door of hope in the end, but publishers shelved my manuscript for another time when our people could handle the struggles faced in this book. I understood, but I was devastated to say the least. Some two decades later, the time finally came to publish the long-anticipated novel. I worked feverishly with a very attuned editor to bring a dual perspective to the dying experience: Lily, a young advice columnist, and her ever-dedicated, ever-loving, ever-protective husband, David. I wanted their love to be one for all to emulate. Experiencing the final transition and the closures, then finally the hope for another chance, through both of their eyes, brought a new layer of realism to this sad, yet beautiful final day. This brings us back to the day I noticed the Pulitzer was accepting entries for the 2020 prize. I hemmed and hawed, considered it, then felt foolish believing my novel could ever win. But then I said, WHY NOT ME? If I don’t enter, I’ll never know. It took every bit of my courage, but I did it! What happened next was more worrisome. I TOLD NO ONE I’D ENTERED. Why not? What was wrong with me? If I was so confident, why didn’t I want anyone to know? Let’s be honest, I feared failure. I loathed the thought of others laughing at my arrogance.
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But then I reasoned, who cares what other people think? I’m at a stage in my life that if I don’t try things now, I’ll regret it later. That’s really what this exercise was all about. That’s the message I’m trying to bring to anyone reading this article. If not now, when? When the finalists and winner for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction was announced, I wasn’t surprised when my name wasn’t read, but I admit I was disappointed. I believed wholeheartedly in this project and I was darn proud of myself for at least putting myself out there. That, in itself, was a HUGE accomplishment, and it just makes me want to keep on striving. My takeaways from this experiment are: • Winners always enter. • Continue writing to the highest standard and read Pulitzer winning novels. • Enter as many times as I have a worthy novel. • And last, but not least, continue to take every chance. Stay safe out there and thanks for listening. Rhonda Frankhouser is an award-winning novelist of mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. More information at www.rhondafrankhouserbooks.com
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LETTUM EAT with Chef Hank By Traci Sanders Homelessness and hunger have been an ongoing issue for many years; however, the pandemic has increased the instances of food insecurity tremendously due to people losing their jobs and children being home from school full time. Of course, there are food banks and church ministries in place that offer temporary or occasional assistance, but one organization is stepping up to the plate to address hunger in a whole new way. Chef Hank has lived in the Snellville area for over two decades. After years of working in and outside the community, he was blessed with what he called the opportunity of a lifetime and has for two years served as the Executive Chef/ Food and Beverage Director at First Baptist Church of Snellville. Hank recognized the opportunity he had to serve the community by utilizing the abundant food service provisions the church had, combined with the fact that his heart kept telling him that God had a much bigger plan for him: to create a mobile food service called LETTUM EAT that provides free meals to food insecure individuals and families in local communities. Officially founded in November 2019, LETTUM EAT truly took off during the COVID19 pandemic. After more than a year of serving restaurant-quality meals to families at an affordable cost through the church’s Wednesday night Meal Ministry, along with the sudden stoppage of societal functions due to coronavirus, Hank shared, “I heard God clearly say ‘NOW is the time!’ I had always intended to serve the homeless, both the visible and invisible population of extended-stay motel families, which is growing every day due to the unprecedented soar in the unemployment rate.” The program was developed with the support of Hank’s long-time friend and business partner, Chef Jose Aguilar, who currently wears the various hats of Production Chef, Treasurer, and Hank’s personal confidante. Hank stated he “couldn’t do this without Jose. It’s awesome having people in life that won’t let you fail. Jose often saves me from myself.” Thanks to partnerships with local churches like Annistown Road Church and Zoar United Methodist Church, in addition to the free access to the kitchen at Hank’s home church, the two friends have multiple locations to prepare the meals in professional kitchens, maintain-
ing health and safety regulations. The organization has developed the infrastructure to expand and mass produce meals to serve in surrounding areas. Hank aspires his program to be like other successful community organizations such as the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry, which happened to derive from the First Baptist Church of Snellville and is led by Laura Drake, a huge supporter of Hank’s work. LETTUM EAT focuses on hot, dinner-style meals that include a vegetable, starch, and protein. Chicken, steak, and pasta with meat sauce are just a few offered entrees. “Imagine a restaurant that gives away great food instead of selling it to you,” Hank explained, “and then they brought it to you. Or the ice cream truck pulling into a neighborhood or extended-stay motel parking lot, only it is a food truck delivering free, delicious meals.” The program will soon be implementing a new line of microwaveable hot meals for drivethrough pick up service that will allow an increase in production. Some meals are sponsored by the host organizations, and through donations and grants. “We’ve been blessed with so many supporters donating money and resources,” Hank stated. “We’ve had great support at the county level from Solicitor General Brian Whiteside and County Commissioner Marlene Fosque.” LETTUM EAT was also awarded a $10,000 grant through the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services – which got them through four weeks of LETTUM EAT Gwinnett where they served close to ten thousand meals throughout the county – and a $7,500 donation from Scott Pryor Law to help purchase the organization’s first food delivery truck. Both cooperatives in Lawrenceville and Grayson offered tremendous support as well. “None of this would be possible without the love and support of Pastor Brian Boyles and my family at First Baptist Church of Snellville,” Hank added. LETTUM EAT does its best to offer consistent, unlimited service. If they run out of food during one run, they make sure to bring extra the next time, attempting to serve as many families per car as possible. The program has a minimum of 200 meals at every distribution, Continued on page 12
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By Our Town Gwinnett Staff While traditions may be a bit different this summer, some things can remain the same. Finding new ways to celebrate our favorite summer events make for a great opportunity to reunite in a safe manner with small groups of friends and family members. With a little thought and creativity, our get togethers will still be as fun as in years past. Make it safe: Gathering outdoors more safely means keeping your distance, so plan to help everyone be together, without being too close. Review current CDC health guidelines before your event and follow the rules from your local authorities regarding party size limits. Some suggestions are: • Arrange picnic tables, patio furniture, or picnic blankets into groups, with adequate space between each group. • Make decorative signs for each person with their names or photos so everyone can find his or her spot. Get creative! • Ask guests to bring their own drinks, snacks, and utensils. • Offer plenty of disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer to keep hands and objects clean. Also, do not forget to remind guests that washing hands with soap and water is essential if hands are visibly dirty. • Provide patriotic-themed masks for everyone to wear and encourage guests to bring their own. Make it fun: Choose outdoor games or bring indoor games outside and set up activities that help encourage social distancing for guests. • With an outdoor screen and a projector, you can recreate that theater experience in the great outdoors or show fireworks on a loop as the sun sets. • Bring out washable games like Connect 4 or life-sized Jenga, or revisit those outdoor classics like horseshoes and cornhole. • If you all cannot get together in person, bring the party to those who are missing with a Zoom call. Set up a call time, select a patriotic background, pull up a frosty beverage, and let guests interact with those they miss with a virtual meet-up. Enjoy your summer celebrations with care this year, making them memorable, safe, and fun. (BPT)
Navigate Recovery Gwinnett Continued from page 8 ing the community support needed to transform the landscape of addiction care in Gwinnett. They believe that the chronic condition of addiction is best treated in a self-directed, recovery-oriented system of care. The organization helps those facing addiction and their families meet their goals through several different facets of support. Navigate Safe Harbor in Lawrenceville is Navigate Recovery’s hub of services and activities. It serves as a resource and training center as well as a headquarters for the non-profit and a venue for support-based events. Working in local hospitals and emergency departments, the Navigate Lifeline program connects individuals and families who have experienced overdose (or are at high risk for overdose) and other addiction or alcohol-related patients with peer recovery coaches, 24/7. Recovery coaches arrive within 60 minutes of a call to offer treatment options, emotional support and counseling, and other provisions or resources to help the patient initiate the first steps toward wellness. Navigate Workplace is an innovative approach to addressing addiction in the workplace. It allows employers to provide employees and their loved one’s assistance for addiction treatment and recovery. This program complements other health programs and creates a positive culture of wellness. The goal is to educate managers, human resources personnel, and employees on how to recognize the symptoms of addiction, its effect on productivity and safety, and to encourage those impacted to seek help. Life Skills Support offers resources and workshops on resume writing and career skills, personal finance, managing legal issues, parenting strategies, and much more. Through its growing menu of programs, Navigate Recovery continues to bridge the gap in services and resources in the Gwinnett community. Ultimately, the road to recovery is rarely a simple one, but it doesn’t have to be traveled alone. More information at www.navigaterecoverygwinnett.org
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LETTUM EAT with Chef Hank Continued from page 10
Travel Tales: Flying the Friendly Skies with Masks
adding, “It costs less than ten dollars to feed a family of five.” There is no cost to participants; however, donations are accepted. There is also no formal application process in place. Hank shared that they rely on their partners and host locations to access the need in the area, which is reevaluated over a four-week period. “There are so many gracious individuals and organizations that offer food relief on occasions and holidays” Hank stated. “But people are hungry every day. We are structured to exist as a fully functioning service operating seven days a week.” The organization cannot accomplish this alone. They are always welcoming private donations, use of more church kitchen facilities, and volunteers willing to deliver the food to local areas. A big part of LETTUM EAT’S mission is to ensure that local citizens receive quality meals for free, served with compassion and empathy. As Chef Hank put it, “Think about this… what if you were hungry?” More information at https://lettumeat.com/
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“Fly the Friendly Skies” used to be the tagline of one of the major US carriers. I booked a direct flight to the West Coast in early January way before Covid. It was cancelled, then changed, then changed again, and now I am on three flights with stops in airports along the way. The skies are indeed friendly. The airlines need us. Flights are only 50% full with blocked seats and social distancing everywhere. And if you don’t have a mask, they give you one and ask you to wear it. In a usual year, I travel every month. This was the first time I had been in an airport since February. I cannot say I was not apprehensive. I was about to spend the night in a hotel as well as begin flights that would take at least thirteen hours in a mask. Overnight in a hotel was different, too. Plexiglass shields, like those at the grocery stores, are everywhere. So are those little round dots on floors to keep you six feet from each other. But I could avoid the dots and the plastic shield, and check in and go right to my room directly on my smartphone. My phone even unlocked the door to my room, which smelled so clean and nice that I knew it had just been disinfected. I wiped everything down anyway! The next morning, I took the shuttle to the airport. No social distancing here – just a little van and a driver with a mask. Once in the airport, the plastic shields are everywhere. What wasn’t everywhere were people. Check in again was on your phone, but you must show the agent your driver’s license. In the TSA line it was actually taken from me in the gloved hand of an agent. There were minimal TSA agents in place, and whether you had PreCheck or not, there was only one line that separated at the agent into the Precheck path or the regular line. Boarding the flight was easy – much better now than before. For years, foreign air carriers have been boarding passengers from the back forward. Now my beloved Delta was doing the same. They still board people who need assistance, then military, then First/Business Class, then Comfort class. After that, they board from the back of the plane. One thing that has not changed is the fact that people still jam the aisle while they get in their seats. No social distancing here. If that makes you nervous, you do have the right to get off the flight and ask the Gate Agent to put you on another flight without charge. A suggestion would be to stay away from aisle seats if the boarding process puts you too close to those anxious bodies getting aboard. Seating is still spaced so as not to sit too close to other passengers unless you are in that aisle seat. Gone are the drinks on board. You now get a baggy with a bottle of water, a cookie, and some crackers for the duration of your flight. No differentiation with Business Class or Continued on page 14
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Primrose School of Five Forks Continued from page 5 The amazing staff at Primrose has been working hard to comply with the CDC guidelines on safe practices at schools – though, as Benjamin pointed out, they had already placed a high priority on keeping the school clean. Frequent, scheduled handwashing and building maintenance and cleaning were already part of the Primrose’s regular cleaning routine, but they have taken additional measures to ensure that even their playground surfaces are germfree. “These kids are in good hands here,” Benjamin said. “There is a lot of love waiting for your child on the other side of the classroom door.” If you are looking for a preschool for your child, Primrose School of Five Forks is open and waiting for you! Their regular school day has classes for infants through kindergarten, and they also offer before- and after-care to kindergarten through fifth-grade students from local elementary schools. Finding a place like Primrose School of Five Forks is a bright spot in what has been a year full of uncertainty. Do not miss your chance to enroll your child today. More information at www.primroseschools.com/schools/five-forks/
Rotary Club of Stone Mountain Continued from page 8 Under Sumler-Faison’s leadership, Wynbrooke has achieved the highest proficiency test scores in the Stone Mountain area. She stresses discipline for both students and parents where students must wear school uniforms, and parents must provide eighteen hours of volunteer work to the school for each semester. Sumler-Faison has worked as an educator for twenty-six years, fifteen of those in the DeKalb County School System, and the past five with Wynbrooke. She holds a B.S. in elementary education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; an M.Ed. in reading, language, and literacy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from the University of Georgia in Athens. “RCSM’s dedication to education is made easier by educators like Dr. Sumler-Faison,” said Lizbeth Dison, president of Rotary Club of Stone Mountain. “She has always welcomed our members into the school halls and worked along with us on programs that benefited her students. We are honored to recognize her with this award – it is well-deserved.” More information at http://stonemountainrotary.org/
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Flying the Friendly Skies with Masks Continued from page 12
Business Spotlight: Meet American Comfort
coach. Everyone gets the same thing on domestic flights. On the way back home, Delta decided to add a glass of wine or a beer in Business and Comfort Class. Deplaning was excellent. While I am not sure about the other major airlines, Delta asks you to remain seated until the person in front of you has collected his or her bag and exits the plane. Believe it or not, everyone was respectful of that rule and it worked much more quickly than the old pushing and shoving to get off the plane. Now back home again, I cannot state enough that flying is like it was years ago when only the elite could travel: no crowded airports, people very quiet and polite and standing in line like they are asked too. There is no crowding and the airlines are delighted that you are flying with them. Things are opening again, and I would not hesitate to fly the friendly skies again soon – even with my mask on! Pam Walker is a Virtuoso Travel Advisor. More information at pam@walkeradventures. com
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Summer is here and it is hot. Who do you trust for your HVAC needs? It is simple and we have an introduction for you. Meet the team at American Comfort. With thirty years of HVAC service experience, not only is this group a family in the sense that they work as a seamless, unified team, but they are actually, literally a family, with many of their seventeen employees being related to one another. While working closely with family may not appeal to everyone, the team at American Comfort has settled into a groove that allows them to operate seamlessly and to give their clients the best that the HVAC industry has to offer. “It’s not for everyone,” laughed Hillary Watkins, one of the partners at American Comfort. “But working with my family here has been a really positive experience.” Even for those not related by blood, the family atmosphere continues to expand. Everyone knows that are part of the family team. “Everyone has different roles,” Hillary said, “but we are all working towards the same goal. We all want to help our clients as much as we can.” In fact, the opportunity to work closely with clients is one Hillary’s favorite parts about her job. While she fills a lot of roles and wears many hats during business hours, she is the one who both team members and clients trust to help resolve any difficulties they may face, whether it has to do with an emergency HVAC service issue or finding more information about what clients need for their homes. This is what it means to be a truly family-owned business – extending your community out to those around you who are in need. Chris Allen, Sr., another partner at the company, said it best: “We are a family-owned business, so we treat every customer like family.” Of course, while their close-knit atmosphere is certainly one of the qualities that makes American Comfort stand out, you can’t ignore the fact that they have decades of experience that make them an excellent choice for all of your HVAC needs. Hillary emphasized that it is not about the bottom line for this group. They believe in a job well done, and will settle for nothing less than the best when it comes to providing the services you need. This attitude, combined with their considerable expertise, has quickly made them a business to watch in the two-and-a-half years they have been operating in Buford. The community-oriented spirit and family atmosphere make it easy to see why American Comfort has earned its many rave reviews. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Give them a call today to learn how they can help you with all of your HVAC needs. More information at www.americancomfortac.com.
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SportsTalk: 2020 Fall Middle School Golf League
“Make Last Call Your First Call”
By Our Town Gwinnett Staff The Middle School Golf League (MSGL) on-line registration for the 2020 fall season opened July 26th and is scheduled to close on August 25th. However, participation will be limited to the first 100 registrations. Play will begin in August and run through the end of October. Parents can register their middle school players at the league’s website. The Middle School Golf League is organized with parents registering through the South Gwinnett Athletic Association (SGAA). Players are assigned teams based on middle school attendance, and receive golf shirts with their middle school or feeder high school colors. Play during the fall season is planned to be at Dacula’s Trophy Club of Apalachee, Lawrenceville’s Collins Hill Golf Course, Loganville’s Cedar Lake Golf Course, Monroe’s Bear Creek and Providence Golf Course, Snellville’s Country Club of Gwinnett, and Summit Chase Country Club. “Unfortunately, we had a start-stop spring season because of COVID-19,” said League Director Les Witmer. “Parents were given an option of a partial refund or they could carry their registration forward for the full fall season.” MSGL will be following the guidance provided to the schools and other sports organizations from state medical experts. “Because we usually have two to four teams at one of our six golf courses, we will not have a large gathering of players and parents at one place,” added Witmer. “We, of course, play outdoors, and that increases our safety precautions.” With digital learning, school starting later, and uncertainty among parents, there is a shorter window for the league to promote registration through the schools. In the past participants attended many different middle schools including Bay Creek, Couch, Creekland, Crews, Dacula, Five Forks, George Walton, Loganville, North Gwinnett, McConnell, Osborne, Providence Christian, Shiloh, Trickum, and Youth Middle Schools “We’re really proud of the interest we have received in the past from these middle school players and parents and the support from their middle school administration and their cluster high school golf coaches,” Witmer said. The program’s goal is to teach the fundamentals of golf and through team best ball play provide a positive environment where everyone participates no matter whether he or she is a beginner or a junior player. During the first weeks beginning golfers spend time becoming more proficient at ball striking and understanding golf rules and etiquette. Then they take that knowledge onto the golf course, joining repeat league players or the more advanced junior golfers as team members in the best ball Lauderdale format. Players play from forward or junior tees based on ability. The league schedules four weeks of team best ball play for all, including a week where high school players are invited to play with their cluster middle school team, and then the middle school golfers are introduced to stroke play where they play their own ball for an individual score. The season culminates with a very popular Drive, Chip, and Putt competition and awards party. The league play and clinics are normally held on Sundays at 4 p.m. “Each team has a volunteer team marshal who is responsible for team lineups and supervises the play on the course,” added Witmer. “Parents are welcome to walk or ride carts along the course as spectators, but must remain on the cart paths.” COVID-19 has altered the planning for many things including school activities and youth sports. “We will be in regular contact with host facilities prior to and throughout the season to discuss local precautionary rules, flagsticks remaining in, raking sand traps, etc., and sanitizing practices for common touchpoints such as carts, practice balls, bathrooms, etc.,” Witmer said. “While we aim to be consistent across the entire schedule with policies and procedures, there may be certain instances where a participating golf club’s policy take precedence.” Before arriving on-site for a competition, if a player or parent feels sick, or shows any symptoms of COVID-19, or if within the last fourteen days have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or been in close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19, they will be requested to stay home and not play. At the close of on-line registration, the SGAA is planning to conduct the parent orientation via video conferencing. Also, because of COVID-19 precautions, the beginning all player clinics will be held over two days in smaller groups. More information at https://www.middleschoolgolfleague.com or lawitmer@comcast.net.
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School Days, Rue Days, Dear I Am Confused Days By Bill Crane “There is nothing in the data that suggests kids being in schools is in any way dangerous,” said US Department of Education (DOE) Secretary Betsy DeVos during a recent interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News. With all due respect Madam Secretary, I respectfully disagree, and we may all rue the day if we rush to get kids back in their respective classrooms and schools too soon to do things safely. Let us first get down to brass tacks. I think every parent and most every child want their local, public, private, neighborhood, or church-based school to re-open. But, like it or not, home rule will set the structure, agenda, class schedule, and rule book for schoolhouses across the nation this fall. The DOE, the Center for Disease Control, and various state departments of education have already released their guidance and guidelines, including in-person instruction, half-days, alternating days, online-only, online hybrid, and almost every combination in between. It is a mess. The city of Atlanta is postponing start of ONLINE ONLY instruction to August 24th. Several north metro suburban counties will open schools with primarily in-person instruction as early as August 3. Griffin/Spalding County Schools are offering hybrid options and a start date after Labor Day. Pity the family with children in more than one school system. Remote Learning challenges: 1. Technology gap – Home internet, Wi-Fi, or even a nearby reliable connection is not a given in many households. Libraries remain closed, leaving restaurants, hotel lobbies, and other places not ideally suited for instruction for many families. 2. Further weakened immune systems – Socialization and interaction do strengthen the immune system. Like a muscle, our immune system weakens over time with minimized use or exposure to outside elements. Think Bubble Boy. 3. Child abuse/unsupervised minors – One-parent households, or homes with both parents in first responder, health care, or front-line jobs cannot continue to stay home indefinitely, potentially leaving thousands of school-aged children through late teens unsupervised and online. 4. Nutrition – In as many as 25% of Georgia households, the one solid, nutritional meal per day for hundreds of thousands of Georgia school children is a meal served at school.
In-School challenges: 1. Transmission of COVID-19 – Though young children through pre-teen cases of the Coronavirus generally result in milder symptoms, there have been fatalities, lingering symptoms, and related severe and rare illnesses. For the medically fragile, childhood cancer survivors, or those with breathing disorders or a compromised immune system, the threat of the virus remains quite real. Asymptomatic children and teens may also carry the virus unknowingly home with them, or on a visit to see a grandparent, as well as transmit to school faculty and staff during dozens of hours together each week in enclosed spaces. 2. Older HVAC and physical plants – Air conditioning systems in most schools are older and rely heavily on recycled air. As we learn more about this virus, we understand that microscopic virus droplets hang in mid-air when the air is cooled. Outdoors, hot air leaving our body rises into the atmosphere, but inside people walk right through our last breath or those droplets can be riding recycled cool airwaves right down our throats. 3. In-person/online hybrid instruction – Though Georgia already offers certified and trained online academies and instruction in high school, technical school, and for many license certifications, less online curriculum is available and standardized for elementary and middle school children, in part due to varying speeds of learning and shorter attention spans. But for the educator, it is far from easy or simple to lead a live tutorial or lecture online as well as have children in the classroom using the same materials simultaneously. My oldest child is a fourth-grade teacher in Gwinnett County. She is also in the midst of a high-risk pregnancy, carrying twin boys. Her obstetrician and medical team have all advised her that she is also at high risk from this virus, as well as her unborn sons. Our youngest child has asthma as well as a slightly compromised immune system. It is hard to imagine a safe classroom environment for either child, amid an ongoing spike in COVID-19 cases. Yes, we all want kids heading back to school, but for now, until I hear or see Baron Trump or a DeVos, Jr. trotting off to class, perhaps with a Secret Service Agent in tow, we will keep our two under close supervision, with both likely schooling from home. Safety first. Crane is the senior political analyst with WSB Radio and TV and owns the full-service communications consulting firm, CSI Crane. More information at www.CSICrane.com
Understanding Alzheimer’s: Effective Communication Strategies Thursday, September 24 at 5:30 pm. The Mansions Assisted Living & Memory Care communities are coming together to host this informative virtual event that aims to help caregivers and loved ones gain a better understanding of Alzheimer’s. Don’t Wait! Register with one of The Mansions communities below!
Contact Kristen at (470) 735-4475 OR KLockwood@TheMansionsatAlpharetta.com PAGE 16
Join us as we learn how Alzheimer’s and dementia affects a person’s communication skills and how we can better connect and communicate with them. Presented by: Brandi Hackett, LMSW, C-ASWCM, Clinical Care Specialist at Family Private Care LLC.
Contact Stacey at (770) 901-2477 OR SDonald@TheMansionsatGwinnettPark.com
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Finding Peace Under Pressure By Rev. Ron Lambros When I was a kid, I loved the circus. I loved seeing the lion tamers and the trapeze artists, and I am still trying to figure out how they got twelve fullgrown clowns into that one itty-bitty car. But of all the thrills that made the circus so fascinating to me, watching the jugglers had to be right at the top of the list. How anyone could balance all those objects without dropping one was just mindboggling. Honestly, juggling has been a challenge to me for years. I am talking about my struggle to maintain balance and peace in my life, juggling all the many responsibilities I have going on, and staying calm, cool, and collected, when the world and everything around me is in chaos. The pressure is real. We are all being pulled in a million different directions. We’re all trying to achieve a stress-free life, avoid burnout, manage our time and our money efficiently, deal with daily frustrations and interruptions, allow enough time for our marriage, family, AND our career, make good decisions, deal with change, and give God the time we need to cultivate a maturing spiritual life. And sooner or later, we hit a wall. We realize we are just surviving, not thriving. So, what is the answer? Is there a magic formula for finding the peace we so desperately want, all while living under the constant weight caused by the tremendous pressures in our life? Well, I believe there is, and it is found in one word: priorities. It is really a quite simple process. To find balance in our life, we must determine what our true priorities are, and then give our main focus, time, and energy to those things we firmly establish as most important, leaving our remaining time and attention to all the rest. It did not take long for me to come up with my three priorities in a specific order. These three define the most important things in my life: 1) My relationship with God; 2) My relationship with my wife, my family, and my marriage; and 3) My ministry and everything else after that. These are sacred to me, and I do my very best to never waiver or compromise their order of importance, or the time I spend on each one. The Number One priority of my life and yours should always be Your Relationship with God. This is not up for debate or question because if you fail here, everything else in your life will tumble like dominos and fail as well. You cannot be a successful spouse, father or mother, sibling, employee – anything – if your relationship with God is not what it is supposed to be. What do I mean by having a relationship with God? Well, it is no different than any other relationship you might have in your life. Look at your relationship with your husband or wife. When you first met and began to date, what were your priorities? Well, spending as much time with each other as possible must be at the top of the list. You wanted to learn everything you could about each other and just wanted to be together. Continued on page 20
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Leading Through a Crisis: Meet Principal Angie Wright By Traci Sanders Angie Wright has been the principal of Craig Elementary for the past twelve years and has dealt with many crises, but nothing could have prepared her for all that has transpired during COVID19. “It is really hard to pinpoint one feeling to describe all of the emotions I felt with the announcement of school closing due to the COVID crisis,” Wright said. “It was like I was anxious, sad, and stressed all balled into one. But I must admit looking back now, there was so much brightness that came out of this crisis. We saw creativity, a renewed sense of purpose to engage our students, and wonderful new experiences to continue our sense of community.” Wright still recalls the day the announcement of school closures came out. It was a Thursday evening, just before a school holiday. She was at a Great Wolf Lodge with her family, enjoying a quick getaway. Her vacation was cut short for an emergency strategy session with her staff the next morning. The digital learning process was up and running by Monday morning. Principal Wright fully expected school to be back in normal session by the end of May at the latest. She said she felt an overwhelming sense of loss the day she heard that schools would be closed for the rest of the year. “There is nothing like the end of the year,” she said, “and I wanted our students to be able to say their goodbyes and be able to celebrate all their hard work.” Wright also noticed a strong sense of loss and sadness throughout the school. The teachers expressed that they wanted to say their goodbyes to their students as well. The first few weeks of dealing with the crisis was nothing short of busy, chaotic at times, and exhausting. Her teachers came in during their days off to learn new software that would ensure they could capture their instruction while learning how to transition from in-person lessons to digital learning. “It was the same kind of passion and commitment to this situation that these teachers exhibited in their classrooms on a daily basis,” Wright said. “It was very important to me to continue our traditions so that our community felt conContinued on page 22
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Up Close with Park Bridge Academy By Amy Ney Some may say it was destiny or fate, but regardless of what you call it, the day Tara Bowen, the owner of Park Bridge Academy, and Elizabeth Smith, the director, ran into each other at the Georgia Business Licensing facility, they developed an instant friendship. The future of Park Bridge Academy (PBA) was sealed. “I used to be a teacher,” Smith stated, “and had just closed my in-home childcare program. Park Bridge Academy had been in operation for over a year, and Tara was looking for a new director. It’s been a great fit.” The faculty currently serves children ages six weeks through twelve years. “We have a preschool program for children under age five,” Smith said. “Then there is a pre-kindergarten program. For older kids, there is an afterschool care and summer program.” The school operates a recognized STEAM curriculum, which emphasizes science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. “Each week we choose a different emphasis,” she said. “Since our teachers are all CDA (Certificate of Development Associate) or higher accredited, they can create lesson plans and have a fun, educational day, not just provide babysitting.” CDA certification is a National credential awarded by the Council for Early Childhood. It requires at least 120 hours of formal training within the previous five years. The school is also a Two-Star Quality-Rated program, meaning they surpass the normal expectations of daycare programs. This year they will be applying for their last possible star. “We are almost there,” said Smith. “We have nine teachers, and everyone has a CDA certificate or higher. They are all CPR certified. Because we are a small program, we can do things exceedingly well. It’s really what sets our program apart.” The school is located on Lawrenceville Hwy with the entrance on Davis Mill Court in a renovated home. “The space is exceptionally well-thought out,” Smith added. “Our class-
rooms are so much larger than average because of this.” Outside there is significant room to move around, to play with bubbles, hula-hoops, or parachutes, and separate the different-aged children safely. Safety is a huge priority. Even when the state needed to shut down for COVID-19, PBA was able to continue to operate for parents who needed childcare. “We have been Center for Disease Control-compliant in all aspects,” Smith stated. “Additionally, we hired an outside firm to come in and do an extradeep cleaning to kill all germs and bacteria for thirty days.” PBA normally enjoys field trips and service projects within the community. Smith and her staff have worked hard to be sure the students still were able to continue learning. “We haven’t been able to go to places likes the aquarium, but we have been able to bring those field trips into the classroom,” she said. “Mr. Steve, a teacher who specializes in science, math, and theory, led a class in making bottle rockets.” The entire school was able to go outside and watch the rockets being launched. “That week,” she added, “we also watched the Space Shuttle launch and focused on crafts and snacks involving space exploration.” Community involvement is also important, and the academy tries to find opportunities to give back to the community the students live in. Students recently brainstormed how to best use a vanity kit Home Depot donated. “Our students were able to build, paint, and fill the vanities with goodies,” Smith explained. The vanities were donated to a local Women’s Shelter for children who live there. Teaching children to be kind, generous, and sensitive towards others is a priority of PBA. More information at http://pbacademy.com
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PAGE 19
Pet Perch: Flirt Pole Fun – How to Engage Your Terrier
Finding Peace Under Pressure Continued from page 17
By Terie Hansen
It is not that different in your relationship with God. You want to learn everything you can about Him and want to spend time with Him as well. How do we do this? First, PRAY. I personally believe that the single greatest way you get to know the heart, mind, and perfect will of God for your life is through intentional, dedicated times of prayer. Prayer is simply an open, honest conversation with God where you express your deepest appreciation, praise, needs, and desires, pouring your heart out to Him just as you would your closest friend, and then taking time to listen to all He wants to say back to you as well. You will be surprised by what God wants to say to you if you take the time to listen. Then, another way to get to know God better and grow your relationship with Him is to Read His Word…The Bible. The Bible is God’s handbook, the instruction guide, for your life. You will be hard pressed not to find the answer to a single question or problem you may be facing in this book. Read it often and ask God to show you what He wants you to learn when you do. Ask Him to open your eyes, your mind, and your heart to receive all He is trying to say to you and show you. You will be amazed how much you will learn about God by reading His Word. When facing tough or difficult decisions, you might also consider Seeking Godly Counsel from someone mature in the faith or who has faced similar situations in his or her life. Or Get an Accountability Partner to help you stay focused and on-track in your relationship with God. Make sure that person can be objective, truthful, open, and honest with you! Another thing is to Become Active in a Bible-believing Church. You would be amazed by what the strength and support of a godly body of believers can do for you when you face the pressures of life. You will find you are not alone, and you will also have a ready-made platform of worship and praise each week, along with a growing relationship with God through the messages you hear. What am I saying? I am saying that prioritizing your relationship with God above everything and anyone else is paramount for finding peace and balance in your life. After establishing that priority, you will find that everything other aspect of your life will fall into place. More information at rlambros@ronlambrosministries.org.
Terriers love to chase. It is an instinct that runs strong in the breed. A flirt pole is a great way to allow your terrier (or any dog) to engage the chase instinct in a positive manner. A flirt pole is a long pole with a bungee rope attached and a dog tug toy at the end. These toys are amazing for play and exercise, but they are even better for training purposes. It is a great way to reinforce impulse control and other commands such as sit, down, and out. Have your dog sit or down. Then just before you engage the toy, release them from command “break” and off they go! Go a few rounds letting them chase the flirt pole toy and then let them catch it. Give them a few seconds to enjoy their catch, then give them the out or drop it command and repeat. By starting and stopping frequently throughout the game you are not enabling your dog to get over aroused. You are also training an on/off switch. Sit/down, break, out. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Do not go for too long. Chasing a flirt pole can quickly exhaust a dog. And remember to change directions. Also, be aware of where your dog is at all times as terriers can get tunnel vision when in high drive and may accidentally run right into you at the knees when trying to make a quick turn. Play safe, play smart. Keep the toy on the ground. Do not have your dog jumping in the air after it. This can cause injury to your dog’s joints. Play for short periods of time and stop before your dog loses interest. This keeps the game fresh and exciting each time you bring out the flirt pole to play. It is best to play on cool days, so your dog does not overheat. Terie Hansen is Owner of Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care. More information at www. gooddogcoaching.com
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Take TWO Doses of Some Common Sense, and Call Me in the Morning By Bill Crane If it has not already been clear in the past several weeks, we are in this mess for the long haul. This pandemic, in multiple hots spots and red zones across the United States, is about to get worse before it gets better. More testing or false positives alone don’t fill hospital beds or need ICUs and ventilators, but hospital capacity is filling up, and the state of Georgia has re-activated extra pop up bed capacity at the Georgia World Congress Center, as well as entered into a partnership with Piedmont Hospital Systems to bring more hospital beds online. Here are a few doses of common sense to expedite reduced severity of our looking stupid symptoms: The Great Mask Debate – Keep touching your face with unwashed hands to adjust your mask, wear the mask below your nose, or pull it down under your chin when you are having a conversation and you might as well go without. That said, the masks are barriers; they do trap more of what is coming out of your mouth, as well as the mouths of others you encounter who are wearing masks. If you remain convinced that the mask does nothing, then go ahead and stop covering your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze, using Kleenex or the crook of your elbow. Those are all just human emissions to a greater degree, surely purely harmless, without even considering human emissions from our southern hemispheres. Hoax or Chinese Viral Conspiracy – As I review the daily conspiracy and counterconspiracies on social media, often from the same folks posting, I am trying to discern where their head and heart lie. Is this all a media hoax, designed to take out an incumbent president which many national legacy media outlets want to embarrass and run out of office? Or is it a James Bond villain-like scheme by the Chinese to kill old people, minorities, and the medically fragile, with the Chinese using their own population first as Guinea pigs? Real and Lasting Impact – Through trial and error and millions of patients globally, from hydroxychloroquine to Remdesivir and other anti-viral drug treatment, options for this vile virus are improving, and the medical community and health care researchers are making steady progress as the race continues on multiple fronts for a reliable vaccine as well as better anti-body tests. And even as fatalities stagnate or decline, an increasing number of patients are recovering with lingering symptoms and maladies, from mild to severe, ranging from near-permanent loss of smell or taste to ongoing issues with breathing and proper circulation to reoccurring symptoms and reasonably frequent relapse. In Schools...or Out – Though the calendar says it is time to ring the schoolhouse bell and resume normal school days, how many places of business, restaurants, churches, or other parts of your community are already there and remaining there? Why would we consider experimenting again first with our children, or our teachers, knowing full well that whatever the experience there, it will likely come back home with our children as well? What about suspending the entire fall semester until late September or early October, and then plowing through Thanksgiving break and wrapping up a week prior to Christmas and Hanukkah? PPP Loans Mature and other economic devastation – Those 3-month forgivable SBA payroll loans which can be covered by Uncle Sam are all about to hit maturity. Expect a second, and significant round of layoffs during these early days of slight recovery, unless Congress and the Trump Administration further extend those Payroll Protection Program loans, as companies and particularly small business owners have to reach into their own pockets or reserves to keep the doors open and make payroll. And finally, Atlanta City Hall and our state capitol building is roughly a short twoblock walk apart, though increasingly miles apart on philosophy and approach to this pandemic. I do not see this changing without at least having a good face to face chat on Zoom, or, when both parties are COVID free, the gentleman walking a few blocks to chat and iron out differences. Yes, a mask ordinance can be difficult to enforce, and differing local laws in 500+ municipalities and 159 counties would create an impossible regulatory patchwork, but attempting to muzzle criticism or differing viewpoints is equally inane. Please pick up the phone and soon – without lawyers on the call – or at least send in your senior staff to the same room and WORK THIS OUT. And oh yeah, WEAR YOUR MASKS. Crane is the senior political analyst with WSB Radio and TV and owns the full-service communications consulting firm, CSI Crane. More information at www.CSICrane.com
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BEST BEST BEST BEST
Meet Principal Angie Wright Continued from page 18
As to what the new in-school environment could look like, Wright said, “Throughout all of these conversations, principals and district-level personnel have used the guidelines from the Health Department and the CDC to make adjustments for our school environment. Utilizing nected,” she added. “We held weekly meetings to plan instruction and keep faculty abreast these guidelines, we reflected, planned, and began to implement these changes within our of new processes and information. We also provided School Leadership Team meetings to building since the start of the pandemic. The building has been open since March, so it was discuss, plan, and implement new procedures and address new concerns.” All those tasks imperative to ensure the safety of the staff present.” were like the work that Wright and her staff would have done within the walls of the school The goal Wright and the Craig staff have is to provide their students with the best possible building but were now taking place through Zoom calls. instruction, whether digitally or in-person. She stated that Craig teachers will get to know “The challenge was in navigating how to maintain engagement and ensure mastery of the their students well and base their decisions on that knowledge. “We focus on the things we Academic Knowledge and Skills for such a long period of time,” Wright stated. “We procan control: what we teach, how we teach and assess it, and the environment in which we vided multiple families with Chromebooks and worked with families who had no internet by teach it. Most importantly, we control the quality of work we give students to do, with the allowing them to submit paper copies. Teachers communicated daily with families to ensure goal of producing high levels of student engagement. We will notthe loseperfect sightWhen of ourroof vision and to it comes When it comes to finding students were supported.” mission through these unchartered times.” for home for your home we astaff HUGE selection The decision for reopening of schools has been an ongoing conversation. All Gwinnett was extremely proud of roof how she have and herperfect stepped up your and united to we When it Though comesWright to finding the perfect When it comes to finding the roof County principals have been involved in weekly meetings to discuss both in-person and help the students transitionof as smoothly asand possible to digital learning, she to be back ofhopes brands and colo brands colors to choose from, so home we have a HUGE selection for your we have HUGE digital instruction. The district was very purposeful in planning both options since, atfor anyyour in her school building, united home with all her staff and a students veryselection soon. we can make house look Allmake your of brands and choose from, soyour point, they could have transitioned between the two. ofto brands and colors to choose from,perfect. sowe can More infocolors at https://www.gcpsk12.org/craiges
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Crane’s Corner: Raising Cain By Bill Crane The year 2020 continues to be the year of the GREAT Suck. The world and Georgia lost two Civil Rights giants within hours of each other, and just recently, we lost another leader, and at least to me, a good friend. Herman Cain, a successful entrepreneur, former presidential and US Senate candidate, and longtime radio talk show talent at WSB Radio, as well as a nationally syndicated commentator, succumbed to the coronavirus. He will not be the first person taken too soon by this pandemic, nor the last; but the place he leaves behind was and is a unique one. Herman Cain was a Black conservative. They are not as rare as a white rhinoceros or white deer, but they can be hunted and targeted, even within their own communities, almost as fiercely. Herman was originally brought in to the WSB Radio team in Atlanta as a fill-in host, and I would later learn of his many abilities and highly impressive business career with Burger King, Pillsbury, Godfather’s Pizza, and the National Restaurant Association, and that he had also chaired the regional Federal Reserve Bank during his tenure in Kansas City. I joined the deep talent roster of WSB Radio in Atlanta as a political analyst in 2006. As I got to know Herman, I heard often of his wife Gloria and his two children, and as Herman’s conservative star was rising, he became WSB Radio’s nighttime conservative voice and talk show host. The New Herman Cain Show was born. Heading into the 2008 presidential campaign season, Herman and his longtime radio show producer, Shane Backler – or Shaney B. as he is known to longtime Cain fans – began to call and to book me during the 9-10 p.m. hour of Herman’s show. We would discuss the presidential primaries, the field shaping up for contested races in the US Senate and House, as well as the issues driving the attention and focus of the electorate. I am not sure who suggested it first, but this segment became a Wednesday night regular feature of Herman’s show called, “Cain & Crane: Food for Your Brain.” My politics were not and are not as conservative as Herman’s; there were and are many things we agreed on, particularly the responsibility of EACH INDIVIDUAL to take control of his or her own life, and to not look to or rely on the government (at any level) to solve every problem. Yet, on those rare occasions that we disagreed, Herman was never disagreeable. I asked Herman as he was entering the presidential contest in 2012 why he would
give up the lucrative and safe perch of a nationally syndicated radio program for the crapshoot of national politics, as well as the possible negative impacts of a presidential campaign on his family. He said it had been a hard lesson that took him a long time to learn to tell the difference between what you had to do and what you ought to do – the latter coming to him in church, often as it related to helping or leading others in a better direction. Herman felt he had something to offer our nation, and he ably entered the arena as he felt it was something he ought to do, with little regard for the financial and personal sacrifices he was making. Finally, as news outlets and particularly cable networks, will continue to insinuate that Herman caught COVID-19 while attending a Trump campaign rally in Tulsa on June 20th, sans mask, I think you should know that it was Cain’s daughter, who came home to be with Herman and his wife Gloria, who was experiencing several COVID-19 symptoms after the rally. On July 1st, Herman was taking her to be cared for at an area hospital. Having survived multiple forms of cancer and aggressive chemotherapy treatments, Herman had a somewhat compromised immune system. As his daughter was being taken into care, Herman stood up out of his car to check on her and collapsed at the door to the ER. He was taken into the hospital as well, and unfortunately this virus did the rest. But even until the end, Herman was fighting back, and I hear from those who did speak to or email him, he still had those jokes and that smile and high spirit until the end. I imagine about now it will be happy hour in heaven. Herman, please go ahead and pour one for me. I will be there before too terribly long to join you. Rest in peace, my friend. Crane is the senior political analyst with WSB Radio and TV and owns the full-service communications consulting firm, CSI Crane. More information at www.CSICrane.com
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