Heading Back to School: Drive Carefully

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

As 1.6 million children across Georgia return to school, AAA urges motorists to slow down and stay alert in neighborhoods and school zones. They also must be especially vigilant for pedestrians before and after school hours. Children are particularly vulnerable during the afternoon hours following their school day. Over the last decade, nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 and 6 p.m.

“We are aware of the risk to children in and around school zones, which is why we developed the AAA’s School’s Open–Drive Carefully awareness campaign to help curb unsafe driving behavior near schools,” said Garrett Townsend, Georgia Public Affairs Director, AAAThe Auto Club Group. “If Georgia motorists slow down and stay alert, they can save lives.”

The AAA School’s Open Drive Carefully awareness campaign was launched in 1946 to prevent school-related child pedestrian traffic crashes, helping kids live fulfilling, injury-free lives.

AAA offers seven ways to keep kids safe this school year:

1. Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 25 m.p.h. is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 m.p.h. faster. A difference between 25 m.p.h. and 35 m.p.h. can save a life.

2. Eliminate distractions. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between two parked cars. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.

3. Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, driveway, and around your vehicle before slowly backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under, or around vehicles – even parked ones.

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One on One with The Snellville Lions Club

By Traci Sanders

The Snellville Lions Club has contributed to the Gwinnett community in many ways since 1952 with the simple motto: WE SERVE.

Lions Club International began in the United States in 1917 upon the influence of a young Chicago insurance agent named Melvin Jones, who believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world. In 1925, the Lions began serving and advocating for the blind and visually impaired by strengthening eye care systems in underserved communities, offering assistance, and enabling them to fight blindness and vision loss.

I recently spoke with Lion Cheryl Johnson with the Snellville Lions. The Lions support Georgia Lion’s Lighthouse Foundation through the White Crane fundraisers, and several Lions volunteer weekly at the Eyeglass Recycle Center at the Georgia Lion’s Lighthouse. Their recycle boxes are located throughout Snellville. Another organization that the Lions support is the Georgia Camp for the Blind, which allows visually impaired people to participate in activities they would normally not be able to enjoy outside of the camp.

The Snellville Lions also contribute to local schools, from awarding scholarships to high school seniors to providing dictionaries to third graders at Britt Elementary. The principal of this school is, in fact, a proud Snellville Lion herself.

Their mission has now expanded to address vision needs, diabetes, hunger, childhood cancer, and the environment. They continue to operate under the premise where there’s a need, there’s always a Lion.

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Travel Tales: Ride the Rails in the USA!

By Pam Walker

I have been on many train trips in Europe, but it has been way too many years for an adventure here in the US. When I started in the travel industry too many years ago to mention, I was the escort on the Amtrack Empire Builder from New York to Chicago to Glacier National Park in Montana. It was a great trip, but it included a lot of freight yards along the way.

I migrated from that trip to taking people to Mexico and South America on 10-day journeys. As a Spanish speaker, I escorted all types of folks from New York City to the southern hemisphere,

Weeding…A Word for Your Day

By Jane Bishop

I find great solace and therapeutic value in sweat equity when I work in my yard. Weeding is a required task and is defined as “to remove invasive or unnecessary elements; to make space for new growth.” Weeds are annoying and stubborn! Managing them effectively requires treatment and consistent attention, i.e., removal. When weeds are ignored and left unmanaged, they quickly stage a “takeover” and can choke out healthy vegetation.

What if we apply this weeding metaphor to life? When we ignore aspects of our self-leadership, “weeds” stage a “takeover” that drains our energy, diminishes our joy, and hinders our effectiveness. How can weeding strengthen our self-leadership?

Pose these questions to self: What area of self-leadership have I ignored for too long? As a result, what weeds have taken root and now threaten to overrun my effectiveness? What are the weeds, and how is your self-leadership impacted? Just as weeds multiply when left unattended, our unresolved issues and lack of structure tend to exacerbate if we ignore them.

To regain control and restore balance, it is helpful to perform a weeding audit. 1. Claim a day/time to begin the weeding. 2. Identify one thing in your life that has been taken over by weeds and is “choking” and/or derailing your effectiveness. 3. Name the weeds. Examples may be procrastination, lack of boundaries, and unhealthy relationships. 4. Identify what action is required to remove them. 5. Choose to take the action steps identified. 6. Once removed, what action is required to prevent the reoccurrence? This process requires reflection and acknowledging the aspects of self-leadership that have been ignored. Identifying and addressing these issues is the crucial first step towards reclaiming your energy and finding life satisfaction.

Completing the weeding process in my yard brings great satisfaction. Completing a personal weeding audit can cleanse our emotional and mental landscape, creating an inviting and enjoyable space within ourselves. Practicing daily steps to prevent the weeds of negativity, self-doubt, and stagnation from multiplying helps cultivate an environment where person-

Continued on page 18 hoping that travelers would get to know the people south of our border.

Last week, I was on a train again. But this time back across the US West. Rocky Montaineer’s journey, called the Rockies to the Red Rocks, is a two-day trip from Denver, Colorado to Moab, Utah. When you ride the rails across the western United States, there are few rail yards and much fabulous scenery. We climbed out of Denver into the Rockies while being fed and catered to by a wonderful host team on board. On this trip, you don’t have to go from car to car to get to a dining table. Just like first class on the airlines, they open a tray table in front of you, put down a small tablecloth, and serve the several-course meal while the beautiful scenery passes. The food was terrific! All meals and beverages are included. Yes, wine, beer, and alcohol are included, too! The narrative as you go along is filled with stories of the old West and the characters that made the history of the US fascinating.

Also included is an overnight in a historic hotel in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where you can take a dip in the famous hot springs located in the town.

On the train again and headed to Moab, the scenery changed from green to yellow sand and the Southwestern desert’s red rocks. It makes you wonder how the early settlers made it through this inhospitable land. On arrival in Moab, you are on your own to explore Arches National Park or Canyonlands National Park. It is also the land of dinosaurs with a great little museum with life-size statues of the species that were found there.

What a wonderful land we live in. “God Bless the USA,” as the song title goes. Thank you, Rocky Mountaineer, for bringing the beautiful and hard-to-reach places of our country up close and personal.

Pam Walker is a Virtuoso Travel Advisor and can be reached at pam@ walkeradventures.com

Supermom Raises Autistic Son While Battling Own Invisible Disease

By Traci Sanders

No one would argue that raising two kids is not an easy task. But raising two kids under the age of five, who are only one year apart – one of whom is Autistic – adds an extra challenge.

This was Jennifer Willen’s exact situation by November of 2020. Her son Jacob was born in November of 2018 and was diagnosed with Autism on his second birthday. “There were a few signs here and there that helped us obtain early intervention,” Jennifer shared. “A big one was that Jacob didn’t respond to his name or make eye contact with us. He also used to line his toys up and obsessed over certain topics like the solar system, letters, and numbers.”

Jennifer stressed that it’s crucial to speak to your child’s pediatrician and ask for a referral for evaluation if any of these nontypical behaviors are present. “The sooner they get the therapy, the better,” she explained.

Just over a year after her son was born, Jennifer gave birth to her daughter Adeline and decided to step back from a job she loved in journalism to be home with her babies. She soon found her groove with her kids, but longed to be back in the corporate workspace. Unfortunately, just a few months into her work as a freelancer this time, she began experiencing excruciating back pain, numbness, and tingling. At first, she thought it was a pinched nerve and tried to ignore it. But the pain grew stronger, and she soon found herself exhausted by even minimal activity.

“This was very bothersome to me because I’ve always been a go getter and someone who’s always moving,” Jennifer said.

She soon started noticing her cognitive function and response time being delayed. When it began affecting her work, she finally gave in and Continued on page 22