JUNE 2020 Gwinnett/NE DeKalb Community & Family Magazine
Our Town GWINNETT
Lawrenceville Snellville Lilburn Stone Mountain Tucker
Up Close with Green Financial Resources LLC, see story on page 5
8 11 16 19
Crane’s Corner: Leadership Requires Making Tough Calls Community Spotlight: Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary Getting Schooled: UGA Graduate Laure FitzSimons From the Front Lines of Hospitals: Meet Lisa Remshik
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On the Cover: When in Doubt, Go Green By Kristen Eleveld Have the multitude of challenges from COVID-19 created a whole new set of personal or business financial challenges to solve and many questions you need help answering? You want to find the right people to help you – and for those in Gwinnett, the right people aren’t too far away. Meet the team at Green Financial Resources, LLC (GFR). For over thirty years, President and CEO Roger Green, MSFS, CFP has been helping people with their money through the good times and the challenging. Roger has made it his personal mission to help as many people as possible make the most of what they have. Roger has invested in a large customer-focused service team led by his wife, Laura, as his Chief Operating Officer for the past twenty years, and that includes advisors Jason Piper, Tim Conway, and sons Andrew and Michael Green. Whether you want a second opinion on your existing planning, are wondering where you are in your path to retirement, are just getting started, need help making an emergency game plan, or are a business owner facing challenges, GFR is the team for you. “Helping people make wiser and more informed financial decisions – and ending up in a better place than they otherwise would have been without experienced guidance – is what I love about this profession,” said Roger. To meet Roger’s goal of helping as many people as possible, GFR offers a free initial consultation so potential clients can hear their advice and decide for themselves how they want to proceed. In this present climate with COVID-19, they are offering telephone consultations, video calls, and even screen sharing in an effort to make the most of their time. The team is qualified to guide not only your retirement planning and traditional financial aspects, but also has the experience to help you navigate these volatile times for both your personal planning and small business planning.
GFR strives to make the process of requesting help simple and free. Fill out the Data Consultation Form from their website and the team will reach out to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation appointment to discuss your situation. Appointments are currently being done via telephone due to COVID-19, but they normally would be held at the GFR office in Duluth. It’s easy to see how Green Financial Resources has become such a dependable place to turn to over the last thirty years. The company has received multiple awards emphaContinued on page 22
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Our Town Gwinnett/NE DeKalb Community & Family Magazine
Publisher/Owner Ryan T. Sauers Ryan@EndResultZ.com Creative Director Elsie Olson Elsie@EndResultZ.com
Editor Catherine L. Osornio Editor@EndResultZ.com Photography Gena Ford Photography
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— An EndResultZ Media & Communications firm 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 2020 by Our Town Gwinnett. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden in any media without written permission from the publisher.
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IN THIS ISSUE 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 20 21
On the Cover: When in Doubt, Go Green From the Publisher: One Man’s Opinion Crane’s Corner: Leadership Requires Making Tough Calls • Maintenance Work Mixing it Up with Mixtura Prevention Clubhouse Testing, Tracing, and Fears • Warranty Work Community Spotlight: Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary SportsTalk: Q and A with Parkview Athletic Director Nick Gast • Remodel/New Construction One on One with Trickum Middle School Principal Ryan Queen Student Success: The Dream Team Commercial/Residential • Exterior Lighting Time Out and Reflection: Quality Quarantining Licensed and Insured Getting Schooled: UGA Graduate Laure FitzSimons Teacher Feature: How the School Year Changed for a Gwinnett Educator CALL US NOW AT Life Goes on for Cancer Patients amid the Pandemic Travel Tales: Relax, Renew, Rejuvenate From the Front Lines of Hospitals: Meet Lisa Remshik ovationelectrical.com Pet Perch: Master the Walk services@ovationelectrical.com Promoting Locally with Gwinnett 360 Simply the Best: How the Right Lawn Care Can Make All the Difference PAGE 6 Become an Advertising Partner: Email Info@OurTownGwinnett.com or Call 678-825-2049 Our Town Gwinnett
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From the Publisher:
1988
One Man’s Opinion
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Hello there Our Town community. We are about three months into the “new normal.” For me, it seems like 2019 was so long ago and most of 2020 has been a blur. I have stayed busy doing many things, but most importantly, I’ve been reconnecting with people I had not talked to recently and have been having deep and meaningful conversations with others in my life. This period (during the coronavirus) is what I refer to as the great “human reset” in terms of our being forced to slowdown. I have talked/written for years how humans are always “drowning, slammed, swamped” and chasing the clock. We have repeatedly stated that we do not have enough time to do “xyz” – until one day we did. All of the sudden we had lots of time. The question we must consider is what we have learned about ourselves, others, and life during this time. Also, I do not know about you, but I miss people. I missed friends, family, sports, entertainment, and travel, to name a few. I took all these things for granted until they were taken away. Now they are slowly coming back. We must remain prudent and intelligent, and continue to do our part, but I know most people are ready for life to get rolling again from the coronavirus. Also, please continue to support our small businesses (make up 99% of all businesses) that have been hit hard by the economic shutdown. This year I have seen the best in our schools as teachers, students, and parents were forced to “pivot” on a dime to learn how to use digital learning. Love it or hate it, we all did our best. I am so proud of our 2020 graduates. They did not get the normal graduations, but everyone has made things the best they could be. Also, I do not know anyone from 10 years to 80 years old who by now has not heard of Zoom. It is like a verb. For example, I may just zoom to the grocery store after our zoom call. On a personal note, I started a new show during this time called Community Connections (CommunityConnectionsTV.com) and finished one of my last doctoral classes in leadership. In doing these things, I have talked to countless people and most people are optimistic about the future days beyond (coronavirus). Day by day and side by side we are working together, and in doing so we are making progress. We have challenges beyond the coronavirus. Such challenges bring about much needed discussion of the inequality across America. We must address this one community at a time. We are all flesh and blood. We all must sleep, eat, and drink water. We all laugh and cry. We are all created equal in the eyes of God. I certainly cannot understand all of this but am talking to a variety of friends. In doing so, my goal is to listen and learn. So, how do we start? We must first fully listen to our fellow man. We must learn from them. We must love them. We must act (no more sitting on the sidelines) and be the change we want to see. We must help lead change. We must expand our own thinking and worldview. All change takes time, and we are in this together. We are all interconnected and on the same team. Let us remain positive and stay united! I know our community will serve Continued on page 22
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Crane’s Corner: Leadership Requires Making Tough Calls By Bill Crane “I find it impossible to keep it from spreading through the whole Army in a natural way...necessity not only authorizes but seems to require the measure,” General George Washington writing to John Hancock and the Continental Congress on February 5, 1777 explaining his decision to order his chief medical officer to inoculate all troops in the Continental Army against smallpox. As a young man in 1751, George Washington visited the Caribbean island of Barbados and contracted smallpox. At the time, the disease caused by the variola virus killed nearly 1 in every 2 victims. Washington was lucky. After weeks of fever, chills, and painful pustules covering his face and body (the pox), he emerged with a pockmarked face, but alive and with immunity to the virus. In 1775, the smallpox virus arrived in Boston, carried in by British, Hessian, and Canadian troops brought in to help quell the building Colonial rebellion. The virus was devastating to soldiers and civilians alike as it swept across the burgeoning colonies. An inoculation procedure against smallpox, dating back to ancient China, was called variolation. It was considered highly controversial in the colonies, and its improper admission had resulted in the painful death of the son of King George III. The treatment required an incision in a patient’s arm and the insertion of a small dose of the live virus, large enough to trigger an immune system response, but small enough to prevent severe illness and death. A much more exacting process involving live virus is present in many modern vaccines today. Even though Washington was immune to smallpox, his ragtag troops were not. The British had just brought an additional 30,000 troops to New York harbor, approximately the population of the largest city within the fledgling colonies. Washington became an advocate for variolation, even convincing his wife Martha to take the treatment in May of 1776. The opening shots of the war for American independence were not in the colony’s favor. Washington and his ill-trained forces were quickly losing battle after battle, as New York City fell and Washington escaped with a small consort of remaining troops into neighboring New Jersey. A New Jersey signer of the Declaration of Independence recanted his participation and declared his loyalty to the crown, and while Washington considered inoculating his entire army, many colonial governments forbade the procedure. Variolation not only had a risk of death, but it would also in the best of circumstances lay the vaccinated up for a few weeks as their body fought off and developed immunity to the infection. Finding the right/best time for attempting mass inoculation was not only a gamble, but if known to the British it could trigger an en-masse attack when Revolutionary forces were at their weakest. The Continental Congress ordered army surgeons NOT to perform variolations. Washington was hamstrung, but ordered instead that all new recruits receive the procedure, hoping that by the time they were trained and battle-ready they would be fully recovered and newly immune to the pox. As the epidemic spread, Washington took a risk and, against the direction of the Continental Congress and governors of many colonies and their prevailing laws, directed that all troops be inoculated. By the end of 1777, nearly 40,000 soldiers had received variolation therapy. Infection rates among the troops dropped from above 20 percent to below 1 percent, while the British forces were losing thousands to the smallpox epidemic, significantly more than from musket balls and battles with Revolutionary forces. Washington made variolation mandatory for all his troops. For the British who were being even more devastated by the pox, it remained voluntary, and both the conscripted Hessian and superior British forces feared the treatment which had taken the life of their monarch’s son. As a result the British forces were decimated by smallpox, as well as typhoid fever, dysentery, and other public health threats of the day. Smallpox remained a global health threat until its eradication centuries later in 1980 by another longtime Georgian, Dr. William Foege of the CDC. Tough times require tough decisions to be made. At times we simply must step back, keep some faith, and let our leaders lead. 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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Mixing it Up with Mixtura Prevention Clubhouse By Kristen Eleveld Mental health – It’s a topic that many are talking about, whether they want to improve the quality of services available, or are seeking services for themselves or a loved one. And one group in Norcross has moved beyond just talk and has spent the last several years developing resources for at-risk youth in the area to address both mental health and potential addiction issues. The key to it all is one word: Prevention. Mixtura Prevention Clubhouse has its roots in a more traditional after-school program, in which kids who needed a safe place to go after school while their parents were working could participate in soccer or dance. However, once its state funding underwent some changes, the program decided to go in a different direction and open up clubhouses around the area where kids ages 11 to 17 could come at various times throughout the day, after school, and into the summer. Everyone is provided with prevention education, as the Clubhouse specifically serves kids who are at a higher than average risk for drug and alcohol abuse, either at the current time or later in life. Besides these helpful classes, kids get to decide between a host of other options. “We have dance classes, art therapy, recreational sports, and nutrition classes,” said Director Michelle Baroni. “We also offer resources for job placement and help the kids work on scholarship opportunities. Anything to help them succeed.” Indeed, success is the name of the game at the Clubhouse, whose staff is committed to giving local youth everything they need to stay away from drugs and become involved in their community. Aside from providing so many classes and recreational opportunities, the Clubhouse also offers transportation within a specific radius to ensure that anyone who wants to attend is able. If a child is outside of the radius, the staff works with the parents to determine what transportation arrangements can be made. “We try everything possible to make sure every kid has everything they need,” Michelle said. Parents aren’t only involved in the logistical side of things at the Mixtura Prevention Clubhouse. Parents and child can participate in monthly family gatherings or parenting workshops. This is an opportunity to share with the parents how their child is doing and check in as a family to stay up to date on the next steps for their child – and, more importantly, how they can help make those steps happen. When a child is accepted into the program, all parties sign an agreement stating they will participate in these monthly meetings to help facilitate the continued education of the whole family. In order to make sure that a language barrier does not prevent anyone from being part of the program, every single member of the staff is bilingual – some are even trilingual – with Spanish being the staff’s most common second language. If a language is not spoken by a staff member, translators for all languages are made available to aid in the communication process. The application is a simple process. You can start by just calling the Clubhouse or emailing Michelle. From there, you will be directed to the forms you will need, and be given an opportunity to tour the old 8,000-square-foot church that the Clubhouse renovated to serve the needs of their participants. Once you have applied and been accepted, you can participate in the program for an entire year and take advantage of all of the recreational and educational opportunities offered. For Michelle, this program has become a large part of her life, as she started working with the Clubhouse at the age of nineteen. She went on to study psychology in college to give her a better insight into the causes and challenges of addiction that would allow her to serve the kids she had already grown to love. “To me, the key is prevention,” said Michelle. “We need to talk to these kids at an early age about the risks of drugs. After working with fifteen thousand kids over fourteen years, most of them have never touched drugs. I love seeing those changes in the mentality of Continued on page 22
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Testing, Tracing, and Fears By Bill Crane Though nine weeks seem a world away, it is helpful to recall that our self-imposed quarantine and national lockdown was about “flattening the curve” to prevent an unmanageable and perhaps much the more fatal surge of COVID-19 cases from overwhelming our hospitals and healthcare system during this pandemic. COVID-19 testing, both public and private, has ramped up considerably across the state, ranging from free drive-in testing offered by the state of Georgia and staffed by medical professionals and the National Guard, to private sector options offered by CVS, Walgreens, Emory Healthcare, and others. While a positive, false positive, or a negative result may follow, those results are a specific snapshot of that testing day. Infection is still possible later that same day in an unprotected or non-hygienic environment, or from the sneeze droplets of an asymptomatic individual behind you in line at the grocery store as social distancing spaces begin to erode and contract. The best minds in bio-science and pharmacy in the world are on this case and collapsing typical testing timelines, but as those vaccines will later be injected into humans, we also do not want to rush a treatment or cure which might later prove to do more harm than good. Anti-body testing shows promise, but it is also rife with current tests wrongly indicating that the common cold (a different corona virus) or certain other viral strains are giving false-positive antibody test results. And on the treatment front, several drug therapies show promise, but again there is yet no silver bullet. As each state wrangles with the assembly of its own Contact Tracing apparatus, I would like to suggest a quick fix and a more viable solution. The US Department of Commerce has already hired and is training 400,000 temporary workers (NOT A TYPO) for conducting field interviews to gather data for the US Census. During a normal census year, those temps would be going door to door. The census deadline has been extended, and most follow up work is now being conducted by phone, email, and other online methods. The not yet entirely expended budget for our 2020 Census will be close to $16 billion – again, not a typo – and for comparison purposes, prior to this pandemic, the budget for the entire state of Georgia for the next fiscal year was going to be $27-28-billion. These
workers have already been hired and phone follow up for the US Census is already underway. It seems a logical fit to have the census workers aid with contract tracing since the Contact Tracers use a questionnaire and template to record personal contacts, locations, etc. The only significant concern would be mixing the sensitive HIPA protected tracing data with the public census data, but that certainly seems simpler than 50 states creating their own Contact Tracing team and mechanisms from scratch during a pandemic. Fear has always been among the most powerful and effective catalyst tools for behavior modification. The multi-million deaths projections of 8-9 weeks ago certainly had the desired effect, and most Americans stayed home – religiously. But now, as it becomes equally important to begin the process of renewing and jump-starting our economy, it would be EQUALLY helpful to better disseminate data regarding patient recoveries and to tell and share success stories, as we have seen so effectively used in fundraising for treatments and cures of other chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson’s. Americans NEED to be able to better visualize, as is now the case with both HIV and AIDS, that a COVID-19 diagnosis, as with cancer, no longer means a death sentence. As roughly 70 % of GDP is consumer spending and behavior, it will require a major push regarding the new sanitizing and hygiene procedures becoming pervasive and commonplace, AND stronger herd immunity as well as eventually successful treatments and a vaccine, before all Americans will again feel safe setting foot outside their front doors. We are not going to have a vaccine any time soon either, and virtually no one wants to unnecessarily risk the health and well-being of a more fragile loved one. We may be in this for Continued on page 14
It’s time to strategize.
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If you are 65 or older, on Medicare, or enrolling in Medicare for the first time, the Medicare Supplement Plan options can be confusing and the wrong decisions costly. This session will help you analyze the many Medicare combinations available to narrow your choices and find the best options for your situation. Updates to Medicare 2020 will also be discussed, to prepare you for the open enrollment period that begins in October. We are partnering with a local firm that assists in making these decisions on Wednesday, August 26 1:00-3:00pm via Zoom. Registration is being coordinated through our office. Simply call 770.931.1414 to sign up.
• Financial and retirement planning • Estate planning • Pension and retirement decision making • Impact of changing/losing a job • Financial protection for dependents • Income protection • Planning for potential incapacity • Tax reduction and deferral advice
• Retirement withdrawal advice - “harvesting” plan for assets • Small business financial planning • Timing of Social Security • Caring for elderly parents and special needs dependents • Mortgage and real estate decisions • IRA/Roth contributions • And more. 3700 Crestwood Pkwy, #140 Duluth, GA 30096 | 770.931.1414 ww.RogerSGreen.com
Investment Advisor Representative offering securities & advisory services through Cetera Advisors LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor, Broker/Dealer, member FINRA, SIPC. Green Financial & Cetera Advisors are not affiliated. Awards are not to be considered a guarantee of future results, nor as an endorsement by any client. Best of Gwinnett winners are chosen via voting and editors’ input, & opinions are vetted with the use of other available information. Pinnacle award rankings are based on growth, revenue, community service, & other criteria. Barron’s: based on total assets (AUM), revenue, & other factors. Office located at 3700 Crestwood Pkwy, Ste 140, Duluth, GA 30096.
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Community Spotlight: Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary
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By Kristen Eleveld If you’re from the Gwinnett area, odds are high you have heard of the Yellow River Gaming Ranch in Lilburn. The Game Ranch closed a few years ago, much to the disappointment of many of its regular visitors. But thanks to Katy and Jonathan Ordway, the Yellow River facility is back – and it’s even better than before. Renamed the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary, Katy and Jonathan have made it their goal to provide care for animals in need. “When we first talked about doing this, I wanted to make sure there was a real need for a wildlife sanctuary,” said Katy. “We learned that there was a huge need for a place that could not only give a home to non-releasable animals, but also for some education about the animals we help.” The organization does not work for profit. Rather, the Ordways have a dream of making the sanctuary self-sustaining so that profits from ticket sales and their gift shop can go directly to purchasing anything the animals need – food, medicine, veterinary care, and everything in between. One of the biggest draws that brings the crowds to the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary is their bear exhibit. Everyone is excited to see the new bear habitat, which Katy describes as “Disney-esque,” thanks to the efforts of Johan Marais, a local sculptor who specializes in creating cave environments for animals. The bears also receive state-of-the-art treatment for medical issues, and have become celebrities in their own right as visitors flock to see them and their amazing new habitat. While the Ordways had a lot of experience owning and running a business, Katy was not sure if running the wildlife sanctuary was the right fit at first. They wanted only the best for the animals – so they started bringing in the experts. Their first stop was to see Clint Murphy at Bear Hollow in Athens, which is another facility that takes in non-releasable animals that need a place to call home. Murphy now works with the Ordways to advise them on the best care for their animals. Katy and Jonathan also looked for zookeepers who had both the experience and knowledge to aid them in their mission to give these animals the right diet and environment. Two of their keepers came from the San Francisco Zoo, while another had experience at the Memphis Zoo. Perhaps the most important members of their staff are Katy and Jonathan’s five children, who help out around the sanctuary with different tasks. “It’s been neat as a family. We really are making a difference,” said Katy. “Whether it’s a sick animal that comes home for the kids to take care of, or dividing greens for the animals to eat, or selling tickets, the kids are able to help out a lot.” Other people in the community have also stepped up to offer their time as volunteers, serving in whatever capacity they are needed. They may be weighing food, working in the gift shop, or even greeting and guiding visitors. But the volunteers have never been in short supply. “The community has been awesome,” Katy said. “We have volunteers that are here every day we are open. To know other people care about the animals gives you hope for the next generation.” If you are interested in visiting or volunteering for the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary, you just need to head to their website where you will find all the details waiting for you. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the sanctuary is observing social distancing guidelines, and is currently only open Thursday through Sunday, as well as limiting the Continued on page 22
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SportsTalk: Q and A with Parkview Athletic Director Nick Gast By Our Town Gwinnett Staff Our Town Gwinnett Magazine (OTG): Can you tell us more about you, your family, and your position? Nick Gast (NG): I am the Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Parkview High School. I am married to my wife Traci, who teaches at Camp Creek Elementary, and we have two children, Caleb and Caroline. They are twins and are going into the 2nd grade next year. OTG: What were your thoughts in early March regarding your school, students, and athletes when schools were closed because of COVID-19? NG: I have to be honest, I never imagined that schools were going to close for the remainder of the spring and into the summer. When we got the call from Gwinnet County Public Schools on March 12th that school was cancelled for the next week, I was at a Parkview baseball game against Grayson. Our head baseball coach, Chan Brown, decided to put together a makeshift senior night after the game just in case the season got cancelled and those seniors never got to play at Parkview again. During that ceremony I remember thinking that it was a nice gesture by Chan, but that there was no way the season would not be played. I just had no idea of the magnitude of what was getting ready to happen in the world. I thought we would be out for a few weeks, and then things would get back to normal. Here we are several months later and things are still nowhere close to normal. It’s still hard for me to wrap my mind around everything. OTG: Tell us any story of students, coaches, or athletes that encouraged you during this time. What stands out to you? NG: Even though schools closed and sports seasons were cancelled, the coaches at Parkview never stopped working. The effort they put forth to make sure that the class of 2020 got their proper recognition was amazing. Our coaches did virtual senior nights and signing ceremonies, they drove around and took senior family pictures at their houses, they made highlight videos, and, of course, as a school we did the #BeTheLight tribute for
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seniors where we turned the stadium lights on every night at 8:20pm (20:20 military time) and left them on for 20 minutes and 20 seconds. I was so happy to see how much our seniors enjoyed all of those gestures. It was another really cool example of how special our community is here at Parkview. OTG: How has your own daily routine changed since social distancing measures began? NG: One major change for me was doing digital learning every morning with my two first graders. I work with high school students every day and I love it, but working with first graders is a totally different ball game! The other major change for me and the HARDEST part of this situation is that in the spring I typically spend every night at Parkview High School watching our teams compete. A normal day for me starts at 6:30 a.m. when I get to work, and it typically ends around 9 or 10 p.m. when the lights go off at whatever game I was attending that night. I miss watching our teams compete and interacting with our student athletes more than anything. OTG: What are the biggest challenges you had to face as the school year went all digital and closed athletic seasons? NG: The biggest challenge that I have had to face during this time has been the fact that there is absolutely no precedent for any of this. None of us has ever been through anything like this before, so there are a lot of questions that nobody really knows the answers to. We are writing the rule book for this as we go, which is always scary. As the athletic director I get a lot of questions about what I think is going to happen and when things will get back to normal for our schools. The truth is that none of us really know. We just have to do the best we can to keep our students and coaches safe while trying to find some kind of normalcy. OTG: What has surprised you most about how life has changed? NG: All of this is a surprise to me. Like I mentioned earlier, I never would have predicted that all of this would have happened. Honestly, some of the small things are the hardest for me. Things like shaking hands or giving someone a hug. I think shaking another person’s hand is important, and now that is obviously not socially acceptable. I fear that things like that may never be the same. I just can’t imagine meeting someone for the first time and giving them an elbow bump – it’s just not the same. OTG: What new things have you learned about yourself or school? NG: I would not necessarily say that I am just learning this, but I will say that the last few months have confirmed for me that the Parkview community is a special place with special people. Watching how we have adapted to this situation has been really cool. Times are obviously difficult right now, but this community is built for this. Our coaches prepare our athletes every day for how to successfully deal with adversity. That is what makes sports so great. I heard a lot of stories about kids who have really struggled to deal with the pressure of digital learning from home, but I know our athletes were prepared to handle whatever is thrown at them and they handled it wonderfully. I am really proud of the work our kids and our teachers did with digital learning. OTG: What are you most excited about moving forward? NG: Of course I am excited to get back to normal. I am excited for the 2020-21 school year to start, and I am excited to see the kids again. I am excited to get back to work with all the other coaches at Parkview. One thing I am certain of is that Parkview High School will come out on the other side of all this, and we will be better and stronger because of it. Every year we choose a word for the year that signifies what we are all about. For this school year our word is “Relentless.” I think that is a perfect word to describe Parkview as we head into this next school year. I can’t wait to see our athletes and our coaches work relentlessly to make 2020-21 a great year! More info at https://parkviewhighathletics.com/
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One on One with Trickum Middle School Principal Ryan Queen By Our Town Gwinnett Staff Our Town Gwinnett Magazine (OTG): Please let our readers know more about you and your family background. Ryan Queen (RQ): I am completing my twentythird year in education, all in Gwinnett County Public Schools. I began my career as a teacher at Parkview High School, spent a number of years in a variety of roles around the district and the district office, and am finishing up my fourth year as principal at Trickum Middle School. My wife is an alumna of the Parkview Cluster (Arcado, Trickum, Parkview), and my in-laws still reside in the cluster. I have two wonderful daughters, one who will be a senior at Archer High School and the second will be a freshman at Parkview. OTG: What were your initial thoughts in early March regarding your school, students, and faculty? And how have these thoughts changed over time? RQ: As our motto states, Trickum is The Greatest Middle School in the Nation. This is true because of the people (students, faculty, and community). These thoughts have only been solidified over time. It truly is the Greatest. The students and faculty have risen up to the challenge set before us and maintained a focus on high levels of learning till the end. OTG: How has your own daily routine changed since social distancing measures began? RQ: Greatly. I no longer spend my days walking all over campus but instead I spend it at my desk in a virtual environment. I still drive to work every day, but it is to a (mostly) empty building. OTG: What are the biggest challenges you had to face as the school year went all digital?
RQ: Personal interaction. We all became quick experts on virtual meetings; nevertheless, they can only be so “personal.” That ability to engage with people, look them in the eye, and interact has been the biggest challenge, in my opinion. OTG: How proud of you are you of all stakeholders at your school – students, community, teachers, faculty? RQ: Immensely. Maintaining our focus was never lost as we continued to ensure learning for all our students. OTG: Any special words of encouragement to your 8th graders who are now headed to high school? RQ: Go forth and do great things for you are well prepared. OTG: What do you miss the most about how you did your job before this began? RQ: Personal interactions. I enjoy moving around and interacting with staff and students, but that is hard to do in an empty building. OTG: What has surprised you most about how life has changed? RQ: I was not really surprised, but am certainly reassured about how life moved on. We continued as a school and school district, with little interruption; we adapted and some of us certainly even thrived. That’s encouraging. OTG: What new things have you learned about yourself or school during this time? RQ: That I don’t like all this time alone. Most people during this were home with their family all day and all night. They were maybe looking for ways to get away. Since I left each day for work, I spent a majority of my time in the car alone or in the building with very few folks. I really enjoyed the time in the evenings I spent with my family. Every night was family night, and it was certainly a great break from the normal “go, go, go” of life with active teens. OTG: What are you most excited about moving forward? RQ: A return to normalcy, hopefully. Regardless, I am excited to see how these new ways of teaching, interacting, and reaching our community are incorporated into life moving forward when they are no longer the requirement or our only option. I think we were able to do new, good, exciting things and we learned ways to reach folks that maybe we wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Now, how do we incorporate that into the life moving forward is the question. More info at https://www.gcpsk12.org/TrickumMS
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Testing, Tracing, and Fears Continued from page 10 the long haul though, and placing our seniors and the medically fragile somewhat apart from the rest of us for a time may be the only practical long-term solution as we plan for the virus and its likely return this fall. This nation has weathered worse, and through a combination of self-sacrifice, community spirit, and grit, we have almost always come together and pulled through. At least with family and your neighbors, let us all try to focus on our many commonalities, look out for and protect the weak, and take your common sense, as well as your mask, gloves, and newly enhanced public hygiene habits as you begin to venture out. The curve has been flattened. Now let us reboot our economy. 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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Student Success: The Dream Team By K. Coats Often when we think of a student being successful, we imagine a student alone, bent over a desk, working hard on assignments. That student studies hard, turns in assignments, and gets the grade. The reality is a good deal messier, as most of us have discovered, thanks to Digital Learning Days (DLDs), and it confirmed what this fourteen year veteran teacher has known all along: education is a team effort. The common vision usually follows something along the lines of the student doing the assignments the teacher hands out while parents/guardians cheer on from the sidelines. But that understanding of how students achieve success is faulty to say the least. A student’s classroom success is the result of three parts of a team: the student, the teacher, and the parent. Not all team members have equal parts, and the divisions might surprise you. Student success is best broken down into: student - 50%, teacher - 25%, parent - 25%. This does not mean they give that percentage of their effort; it means that to reach the full potential, each team member is responsible for that percentage of the success. If a student is giving his or her all, giving everything but having no support and no guidance from anyone else, then their efforts are only going to take them so far. Being successful is extremely difficult. They can probably get to about 50% of what they could have achieved if they had support. A student and only one of the other team members giving their all can help a student be successful, but it’s possible that more could have been done had the third team member put in his or her all – achieving around 75% of what could have been done with full support. Students can be fully successful and reach their utmost potential when they give their all, parents give their all, and teachers give their all. Only when every team member is giving 100% will a student reach his or her most successful point. A student trying his or her hardest and a parent trying his or her hardest can overcome a weak teacher element. A student and teacher both giving their all can overcome a disinterested parent element. Likewise, a parent and teacher giving their all while the student does not, will never result in success. Their responsibility percentages are too small in the overall picture. But when all three team members come together in full effort, it is the Dream Team. Looking back on the Digital Learning Days, I think those percentages came out in brighter contrast than any of us were used to. In some ways, it was frustrating. Parents felt like they were homeschooling while teachers were feverishly working more hours than ever. They relied on one another more than ever because the lines between home and school were erased. The stories I heard that were the most successful were the ones where the student, parent, and teacher understood that they were a unit all working towards a common goal. When the teacher is seen as the adversary, or the parent is viewed as the interloper, then the student success potential goes down. It really does take all three to achieve the highest level, and DLDs redefined what we all thought we were giving. What this means moving forward, especially as we approach an uncertain fall semester, is to remember, above all, that we are a team, and each member is responsible for a piece of the student success. Parents and teachers cannot achieve success on behalf of the students, but students need the support and unity of both to be the best version of themselves. We are a team, and now, more than ever, our ability to work together is imperative.
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Time Out and Reflection: Quality Quarantining
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By Rev. Ron Lambros For a self-professing workaholic, the word “quarantine” conjured up thoughts of dread and isolation. Being told to stay indoors, locked up tight unless absolutely necessary, were not words I wanted to hear. But being the law-abiding citizens my wife, Bridget, and I are, and wanting to do our part for the good of the city, we stayed indoors, not venturing out, just like Governor Kemp and his medically-guided directive requested. I must admit, looking at the calendar didn’t help. Here it was, mid-March, and we were looking at mid-April at a minimum for the scourge to pass, or at least to be contained enough for RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PEST CONTROL life as we know it to return to normal. It wasn’t long before the proposed deadline was extended, schools closed, and digital learning was in place, businesses and non-essential services were shut down – and my personal feeling that this too shall pass began to waiver. I became genuinely concerned. It did not help that there was nothing on television except story after story about Covid19. It then morphed into political attacks between parties, and the all-out accusation that Save water! it was purposefully developed and released by China. Chemical warfare were words that Save onon water! Our proven Hydretain were bantered openly on every network, along with reports of the collateral damage of program reduces Our proven Hydretain unemployment and stock market plunges. outdooor watering up One day became one week, then two, and soon it was difficult to even remember the treatment reduces to 50% while improving day of the week, much less the date of the month. Being a minister, my “internal clock” the health of your lawn. outdoor watering revolved around Sundays. Everything I did was “reset” on that day. 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I realized Smaller company, bigger service Pre-pay Not valid withdiscount any other all over again what an increddiscount offer. ibly beautiful and intelligent person my wife was. It’s not No contract to sign that I didn’t know it; it was You call, we come just that raising children and Pre-pay discount 80-hour work weeks sometimes clouded my mind. Service guaranteed We also began to find No contract to sign WeYou strive to exceed immense joy in the peace the call, we come quarantine offered. Television your expectations programs we dared not miss Service guaranteed were no longer important. We strive to exceed We simply enjoyed the quiet. your expectations We talked and we read. We laughed at silly things and enjoyed doing it. We played video games on our iPhones or computers, and it no longer mattered what we were doing as long as we were in the same room together doing it. We prayed together, for each other, for our country, and for our family, thanking God for Continued on page 22
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Getting Schooled: UGA Graduate Laure FitzSimons By Traci Sanders I recently spoke with University of Georgia (UGA) graduate, Laure FitzSimons, about her experience at this prestigious university and how it has given her an advantage during the current world crisis. Laure completed her college career with a 3.69 GPA and received a Bachelor’s of Science and Health Promotion and Behavior. The last six credit hours of that program are obtained through a 300-hour internship experience. Laure served as an intern at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in the Strong4Life office to finish out her degree. After the onset of COVID-19 in the United States, Laure was thankful to be able to complete her internship by working from home. However, the pandemic has canceled her in-person commencement service, though she stated that UGA is very hopeful to have an in-person celebration for the graduating class in October. Regarding how her field of study and her internship plays into the current world crisis, Laure said, “I feel like I am in a very unique position right now as someone studying public health because the field actually seems to be becoming more relevant in the current state of the world. Certainly, any job market will be a difficult one to enter amid this crisis, but public health plays such an important role in the management of the health of communities always, especially in a pandemic.” Laure’s five-year plan has been to spend a year or two working and saving money before beginning a Master’s program. She was hoping to be able to serve in Americorps during this educational break to benefit a community and save money specifically for further education, but it has been more difficult to find these placements in the midst of COVID19. Laure is still hopeful to be able to find a health-related job in the fall and spend time saving money and deciding which Master’s program is best suited for her. Regarding how the e-learning process affected her educational experience as a graduate and what advice she has to offer any students who are dealing with e-learning right now, Laure responded, “I think that e-learning has helped serve as a reminder for so many that our teachers and schools play such an essential role in the life of the school-aged child. It also has illustrated how flexible and creative they can become. I hope that the current appreciation for school faculty and staff that I have observed on social media and in the
news recently continues for years to come!” Laure advises students who are e-learning right now to have patience and be forgiving “…with your teachers because this is all new to them; with your parents, siblings, and unexpected classmates you may now have because we are all learning to adjust to this new normal together. Just as importantly, try to be patient and forgiving with yourself. This season of life is difficult for everyone, and it is more than okay to struggle. Give yourself some grace and continue to do the best you can with what you have.” She encourages future high school and college graduates to try and find what they are passionate about and work for it, then dream big and explore all sorts of possibilities. The exemplary college graduate had one final piece of advice for upcoming UGA students: “Find a community in Athens where you can fully be yourself. Explore whatever you are interested in, and allow yourself to try new things and step outside of your comfort zone. UGA can seem intimidating because of its size, but finding a smaller community within the school can make it seem like a tight-knit family. My own four years at UGA certainly had their ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade my time as a Bulldog student for anything.” Let us all congratulate Laure FitzSimons and the entire UGA graduating class of 2020!
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Teacher Feature: How the School Year Changed for a Gwinnett Educator By Kristen Eleveld No one could have predicted how the 2019-2020 school year would end. So when Georgia school buildings were closed for the remainder of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators everywhere had to rise to the challenge of not only teaching their material online, but also working with individual students to answer questions on everything from internet connections to navigating their classroom website. One Gwinnett teacher went the extra mile as she worked with her classes to make the rest of the year the best it could possibly be. Meet Samantha Mihalak, a history teacher in the Special Education department at Brookwood High School. Between balancing her family life and teaching responsibilities, Samantha has had a full plate over the last few months. Of course, it helped that she has been preparing to go into the Special Education field since she was a student herself. “My mom was a pediatric occupational therapist who owned her own practice working with special needs children,” Samantha said. “Growing up I would help her at her clinic. I loved working with the kids.” A graduate of Brookwood High School herself, Samantha has spent four of her seven years in the education field teaching at her alma mater. One of the most difficult parts of teaching her class through digital resources was that she couldn’t spend as much one-onone time with each of her students to determine if they needed additional help to understand the material. On a more personal note, Samantha and her husband, who is a sergeant for the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, often found that their conflicting schedules presented its own set of unique challenges, as Samantha worked with her students and her own children during the day, and her husband worked the night shift. However, the Mihalak family is nothing if not resilient, and Samantha was more than ready to work through the unexpected turn of events resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. Samantha and her family were not the only ones to rise to the new challenges this year. She said her students did an amazing job of working with her on the digital learning platform. “I was so proud of my students,” Samantha said. “While there were a few who struggled with the change, most of my students really stepped up to the plate and got the work done.” She was even able to schedule several video calls each week, which allowed her to check in with every student to ensure he or she was doing okay, both with schoolwork and with the upheaval to their schedule. She also created a YouTube channel to teach her lessons on video and record them, so students could always refer to them for future use. One takeaway from this situation for Samantha was her ability to share her own experiences in high school with her class. “I was my students’ age and a student at Brookwood when the tragedy of September 11, 2001 occurred,” recalled Samantha. “I used this experience to explain to my students that when they are older, their children will be learning about COVID-19 and how it affected the country and world and that they will be able to share their personal experience with their own children. The idea that they are living through history was a real ‘light bulb’ moment for them.” While the digital learning days were successful for Samantha’s classes, she still looks forward to the next school year and seeing her students in person again. Student safety is the highest priority for every educator, and while no one can see the future, it is Samantha’s hope that classes can safely gather in school buildings once again this fall. “I truly miss the daily interaction with our students,” said Samantha. “No matter what the next school year looks like, I look forward to getting to know my new group of students and sharing my passion for history with them.”
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Life Goes on for Cancer Patients amid the Pandemic By Emily Rubin
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2019
Life has changed in some way for almost everyone during the current pandemic, especially the immunocompromised such as the cancer patients of Winship at Emory Johns Creek Hospital and their nurses. Oncology nurse Darlene Hostetler from Lilburn has worked for Emory for sixteen years and began working in the Johns Creek Winship Cancer Center at Emory in January after transferring from the Winship Cancer Center on Clifton Road. Most of the day-to-day patient care has remained the same, but some major changes have been put in place to protect the patients and nurses from COVID-19 exposure. In the initial weeks of the pandemic, only some nurses wore masks as a precaution and now every nurse must wear a mask. The visitor policy changed from one visitor per patient, but in the past month that has changed to no visitors. “Going through cancer is a very difficult thing to have to be dealt with in life and to deal with by yourself,” Darlene said. “It’s very sad for the patients and for us because we know how lonely they are and how much care and love they require and deserve and need.” Volunteers visited the cancer patients to talk and pass out snacks and warm blankets before the pandemic, but with the extra measures in place the volunteers are unable to visit. Now, on top of their regular patient care, nurses are filling in for the volunteers and spending as much time with each patient as they can during chemotherapy treatments. A chaplain also visits twice a week to talk with the patients as well as the nurses for emotional support. Darlene says the nursing staff has been incredible. Nurses check in with each other to make sure everyone is doing well mentally, emotionally, and physically. She says the nursing staff receives supporting and encouraging emails, and she could not feel safer going into work. The safety precautions for chemotherapy have remained in place throughout the pandemic. Nurses wear masks and gowns, and double glove to treat the patients. New precautions such as screening have been put in place as well. Upon arrival at the building, nurses scan each other’s temperatures. Only nurses and cancer patients can enter the cancer center. All staff, patients, and limited visitors must wear masks, and anyone who enters the building must use hand sanitizer. The cancer center has been closed off from the rest of the hospital to reduce the risk of exposure. Plenty of people are frustrated about having to walk to another entrance, but the safety of the patients is priority. Many nurses take an extra step to reduce exposure and completely change clothes when they get home. Darlene tries her best not to stop anywhere on her way home from work in her scrubs. None of the cancer patients or the nurses at the cancer center have tested positive for COVID-19. “Our cancer patients are vulnerable, and I just think it’s really important for people to wear a mask and be respectful of those people who are super vulnerable,” Darlene said. “And just try to be vigilant and not let their guard down so we can keep our patients and their families and our staff safe.” More information at ons.org/coronavirus.
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Travel Tales: Relax, Renew, Rejuvenate
From the Front Lines of Hospitals: Meet Lisa Remshik
By Pam Walker
By Traci Sanders
Renew and rejuvenate your travel desires. That is the big message that I am receiving every day from my suppliers in the travel industry. Countries are slowly opening to visitors and around the world airports are beginning to open to international flights. I can’t wait to get on an airplane again! I never thought I would say that. As one who hated the crush of airports and the lines of the TSA, I am actually looking forward to getting back into it again. That said, things are going to be different. There will finally be space to breathe, both in airports and hotels. Airlines are leaving seats empty between passengers when they can. Some airlines have even pledged to keep those dreaded middle seats empty! Great news for everyone, I am sure. Oh, and masks are now required on most flights. I have always cleaned my seat back table with antiseptic wipes along with armrests, buttons, or TV controls. Now they are sanitizing planes between each flight and making sure that the air filters are working correctly. It is a fact that 50% of the air on flights is from nature and the other percent is sanitized through big scrubbers to stop the spread of any unfriendly viruses and to protect passengers. I have a pair of glove liners that are going to be packed in my bag as well and washed after every wearing when I travel this month. Many hotels have purchased sanitizing steam machines, and when a guest checks out of a room, in comes the sanitizer as well as housekeepers to polish things with antiseptic wipes. Restaurants within the hotels are being attended by wait staff with gloves and masks. All cutlery, plates, and menus are plastic or paper, and condiments come in little packets that are thrown away if not used. Gone are those big, dirty bottles of catsup and mustard! So, if you are afraid of getting out there again, don’t be. It will be different and most definitely more sanitary than it used to be. Relax and let’s get going again! I miss the world. How about you? Pam Walker is a Virtuoso Travel Advisor. More information at pam@walkeradventures.com
I recently interviewed Lisa Remshik, Manager of Clinical Operations in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) on the Egleston Campus, to get her take on how COVID-19 has affected, and still is affecting, essential workers in the medical field. Lisa holds a BSN in Nursing and an MSN in Nursing Management and Leadership, and has been in the medical field for twenty-three years. She has experienced the effects of a multitude of viruses and illnesses throughout her career. During the early weeks of COVID-19, Lisa stated that she felt immense pressure to ensure proper communication and education to keep her staff safe. As the quarantine was extended and more people stayed home to flatten the curve, the census in her workplace experienced a big shift, which illuminated an even more demanding aspect of Lisa’s job – maintaining the budget while keeping her staff employed. Each day was spent reviewing the facility’s resources to make sure there was not an overstaffing issue. Due to the nature of the virus, Lisa said that she and her staff were pulled in two directions: wanting to protect their own health and that of their families, and knowing they had a job to do. In the early stages, the uncertainty and lack of PPE (personal protection equipment) created an understandable amount of fear and anxiety. “My staff was open and ready to care for the patients but were rightfully scared initially,” she said. As the weeks wore on and the number of hospital goers increased, Lisa said her staff endured immense stress and exhaustion. “There are times during a twelve-hour shift that you’re lucky if you can take a bathroom break, much less eat,” she shared. And it was not just their everyday schedules that were affected. Many nurses experienced skin breakdown due to the extended wearing of the masks and gloves. Despite all these extreme conditions and demands on their bodies, Lisa said her nurses have been troopers. “My staff never hesitated to care for our patients even in the midst of all the uncertainty,” she stated. There is also a camaraderie that is necessary in environments such as her hospital when life and death are part of the equation. “Nurses are strong and resilient,” she added, “but we do not do this alone. We work alongside some of the Continued on page 22
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Pet Perch: Master the Walk
Promoting Locally with Gwinnett 360
By Terie Hansen
By K. Coats
I get many calls from people who have dogs that are reactive on the leash while out walking. They are reactive toward people, dogs, bicycles, cars, motorcycles, kids, squirrels, and the list goes on. Teaching your dog how to walk properly on a leash in the “following mode” (heel position with their nose no further up than your heel) is very important. When you lead the way, your dog is put at ease and it helps them to be more relaxed and compliant. Keep your dog on a short but loose leash. Direct him into the heel position. If he forges ahead, simply let out the leash, and when he gets almost to the end of it, do a quick, but firm pop on the leash followed by a 180° turn going in the opposite direction. Here is a quick video to teach you how: https://rb.gy/xdlwpr You can also use the spatial pressure technique to stop your dog from forging ahead. Here is a quick video to teach you how: https://rb.gy/n74xhh Start by doing driveway drills up and down your driveway while working on your technique. It is not about how far you go but about how you get there. When you master driveway drills, move to walking back and forth in front of your house. When you master that, go a little farther. Each time you venture a bit farther you need to reinforce the technique of having your dog walking in following mode. Repeat until your dog is no longer forging ahead. If your dog cannot walk properly in your driveway, then encountering distractions such as other people, dogs, squirrels etc. will seem impossible. Lastly, what structures and boundaries are you are implementing INSIDE your home? If there are none, how do you expect your dog to trust that you are in charge outside of your home under stressful or exciting circumstances? Terie Hansen is Owner of Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care. More information at www. gooddogcoaching.com
Each year, the cry of “buy local” seems to be getting louder and louder. It’s even become a major selling point with many products and companies boasting “locally owned, locally made,” and it seems Gwinnett County has local entrepreneurs in spades. But how on earth does one find them? Wouldn’t it be lovely if there was a central place one could go to find local businesses and services: restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, musicians, crafters, etc? Atee and Dylan Thomas certainly thought so as they were stumped one night two years ago when looking for local restaurant selections. She remembers, “My husband and I were looking for a local place to eat one night. I was looking for a platform for locally owned businesses in Gwinnett, and I couldn’t find one.” With that in mind, the idea of Gwinnett 360 was born. Gwinnett 360 is an online platform, available on Facebook, Instagram, and MAXMIX Media via YouTube. It is a central place for people to look and see featured local businesses around Gwinnett County. Creators Atee and Dylan moved to Gwinnett from Virginia about twelve years ago and are now based in Lawrenceville. They run Gwinnett 360 together along with Max Smith – aka Max Mix (video & editor), Xavier Thomas (interviewer), and Tyler Smith (behind the scenes). Since its first post two years ago, this platform has gone on to feature about 65 businesses with a variety of services such as restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, musician/song writers, dog camps, and gyms. Atee claims that some of the more unique businesses Gwinnett 360 has featured “…would definitely have to be Joe Garage Games and More and Quest Quilts. You can’t find comics or quilts just anywhere anymore!!” For Gwinnett 360, the biggest reward comes from a desire “to give back to Continued on page 22
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Simply the Best: How the Right Lawn Care Can Make All the Difference By Kristen Eleveld Between work responsibilities, spending quality time with your family, and handling all of the errands that go in between, you may feel like you are running out of hours in the day to attend to things like keeping your yard healthy. But when you look out the window and see that your plants just aren’t thriving like you hoped, you want to make a change. For many people in Gwinnett, the name of that change is Simply Green Lawn Care. Based in Lilburn, Simply Green Lawn Care has provided lawn care for the Gwinnett area for over fifteen years, and offers a myriad of services to keep your yard, shrubs, and trees as healthy as they can be. You might have even seen some of their handiwork at the Parkview High School sports fields. “We are here to be the total service provider for the care of your lawn,” said Sales Manager Mary Thompson. “We focus on the health of the entire landscape.” It’s easy to see what makes Simply Green Lawn Care the choice for so many Gwinnett residents: their dedication to excellent customer service. In fact, the high level of customer support is one of the biggest missions of everyone who works for Simply Green, from the service managers in the field to the administrative staff working in the office. “We like to say we are a customer service business that happens to offer lawn care,” said Mary. “We always make an effort to really get to know our clients.” One of the ways the Simply Green staff accomplishes this goal is through education, both for their team members and the customers they serve. When you call Simply Green they will work with you to determine exactly which of their services would help your landscape thrive, and will let you know what types of results you can expect. Once a service manager comes out to inspect your lawn, he or she will provide additional information that will help you make an informed decision about what your lawn needs most. Mary emphasizes that they never recommend services just for the sake of it. Each recommendation is customized and carefully reviewed to ensure that every client gets exactly what he or she needs. Their website also offers tips and information to anyone who is looking for some education about their lawn, or even to help identify potential plant diseases or pests. And, since Simply Green is local to Gwinnett, all of the information they provide is created especially for the nearby areas. Protecting your landscape investment is important, so they always recommend the services they think will do just that. “There is a real level of care and concern for everyone here,” said Mary of the overall workplace attitude. “We are not just employees – we are family.” Indeed, with a small, close-knit team that works seamlessly together to serve all of Gwinnett – made all the easier by the fact that they are located right in Lilburn – it’s easy to see how this company has created such an atmosphere. There are also added benefits to working with a small company – anyone in the Simply Green Lawn Care office can help you with your needs. They each have assigned roles, but everyone receives training and wears a few different job hats to ensure that customers have their needs met with a minimal wait. One thing each team member at Simply Green understands better than anything is the partnership they create between themselves and each of their clients. “You provide the mowing and watering, and we will provide all of your fertilization, weed control, and insect and disease control,” said Mary. Partnership is also a key part of the Simply Green’s attitude towards serving their community. Aside from treating the training fields at Parkview High School, Simply Green Continued on page 22
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Mixtura Prevention Clubhouse Continued from page 9 the youth.” Michelle encourages anyone and everyone who is interested in participating to fill out an application and learn how this program has changed local kids for the better. More information at www.cetpa.org/mixtura/
Simply Green Continued from page 21
Front Lines of Hospitals Continued from page 19 best physicians and respiratory therapists. It is truly a team effort.” To Lisa the biggest challenge faced by people in her line of work is burnout, especially when nurses are already under extreme stress from everything they see come through the PICU on a daily basis. “Resiliency is a necessary quality among nurses,” she said. “They give 100% of themselves to everyone and do little to give back to themselves to heal and recover from what they see and do every day.” Lisa loves her job and says that leading her staff through the good and bad is what drives her. Of course, she also enjoys interacting with the patients. “Not many people can say that they have had such an impact on someone,” she added. “To know that you impacted someone who will remember you for the rest of their life is an overwhelming feeling that you can’t describe.” I asked Lisa what she advises people to do to protect themselves against the COVID-19 virus, or any health-related epidemic, and she recommended everyone follow the CDC guidelines. “I was in the hospital during H1N1,” she said, “and we felt the same. We continually looked to the CDC for recommendations. This can be true for any virus or illness we come into contact within the hospital.” She added that the best way people can help make her job, and the jobs of all medical staff, easier is to practice good hand washing and hygiene, and if you are sick – regardless of a pandemic – stay home.
One Man’s Opinion
Continued from page 5
as an amazing example to the rest of America. Together, we are living history that will be studied a century from now. I am proud of the Our Town community and to be an American. Keep pushing forward everyone so that when we look back on 2020, you’ll be able to say, yes, I lived in that time and we made a difference. Thank you as always for continuing with us on the journey of my town, your town, Our Town.
Quality Quarantining Continued from page 15 His gracious goodness and blessing in the midst of a pandemic. And we reprioritized the important things in our life which seemed that we had become too busy to always notice or appreciate. The laughter and innocence of our grandchildren was another thing I noticed more. Playing Uno and other card games was special, as was the early-morning viewing of their programs on Nickelodeon, Disney, and The Hallmark Channel. I would watch the children as they watched the television. Trust me, I was the one entertained. We would venture out to the beach when it opened to the public, and I watched as all three tackled skim-boarding and boogey-boarding. They already had sandcastle building down-pat. All simple joys and pleasures. In mid-March, I dreaded the onset of the quarantine. Now, in mid-May, I dread it coming to an end. I am well-aware of its necessity, the hardship it has been economically and personally on so many. And I know that our national and local leadership has done its very best to maintain a level of normalcy throughout the ordeal. But I also realize that I need to take every measure necessary to remember all I learned to re-appreciate and reprioritize during the pandemic. I don’t know what the “new normal” will be in our country, but I now realize that the “old normal” wasn’t as good as it could have been – and I’m going to change that. Ron Lambros is the CEO/Founder of Ron Lambros Ministries, Inc. More information at ronlambrosministries.org.
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also donates to the school, and works closely with the coaches of different teams to find out exactly what kind of terrain their players need in order to play their best. In return, Simply Green makes sure that all the fields are healthy and can stand up to damage done by cleat-wearing athletes. If you’re ready to make your yard the envy of the neighborhood and boost your curb appeal, it’s time to try out the experts at Simply Green Lawn Care. You can reach them in whatever way suits you best – phone, email, or even Yelp – but Mary recommends filling out the form on their website so you can be quickly directed to the person who can help you the most. Ditch your brown grass and finish out spring with the healthiest yard on your block! More information at https://simplygreenlawncare.com/ or call 770-923-0387
Yellow River Wildlife SanctuaryContinued from page 11 number of visitors allowed in at one time. “We want to make this place self-sustained so the bears and other animals are never in danger again,” Katy said. “If an animal moves here, it has a home for life.” More information at yellowriverwildlifesanctuary.com
Gwinnett 360 Continued from page 20 the community and all the local business owners are trying so hard to keep their establishments open.” But this commitment is also felt first-hand. “We are not a big company or corporation,” Atee explains. “We are locally owned and family run. We are no different than all the other Gwinnett County business owners. We started with a vision and passion.” So they are as much invested locally as the businesses they promote. For the long-term plan, Atee would love to see Gwinnett 360 become the go-to spot for all locally owned businesses in Gwinnett County. “Gwinnett is a great place to live with awesome people who live here,” she says. “These local businesses are our friends, family, and neighbors.” We can all agree that when our local businesses do well, then the community thrives. It’s a good thing that Gwinnett County possesses so many wonderful and talented local services because Gwinnett 360 will never run out of businesses to feature. We wish Atee, Dylan, and all of the crew at Gwinnett 360 the best as they give back to their community and help promote the local businesses and services in our own backyard. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for our community! More information at “Gwinnett 360” on Facebook and Instagram or MAXMIX Media on YouTube.
When in Doubt, Go Green Continued from page 5 sizing their ongoing focus on excellence in all they do, such as the Gwinnett Chamber Small Business of the Year Award in 2016 and being included multiple times in Barron’s Top Advisor listings. In 2018, Roger received a Public Service Award by the Gwinnett Chamber for the many ways he has served his community. Community-minded, family-oriented, customer-focused, with over three decades of experience – Green Financial is among the best of the best for your financial needs. More information at www.RogerSGreen.com Investment Advisor Representative offering securities and advisory services through Cetera Advisors LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor, Broker/Dealer, member FINRA, SIPC. Green Financial and Cetera Advisors are not affiliated. Awards are not to be considered a guarantee of future results, nor as an endorsement by any client. Pinnacle award rankings are based on growth, revenue, community service, and other criteria. Barron’s rankings based on total assets (AUM), revenue, and other factors. Public Service via standing and service within the community. Roger’s office is located at 3700 Crestwood Pkwy NW, Duluth, GA 30096.
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