APR 2013: Our Town Gwinnett/NE Dekalb Monthly Magazine

The Gwinnett Area’s Family Lifestyle News Magazine

Our Town

April 2013

Lilburn l Lawrenceville l Snellville l Grayson l Stone Mountain

Meet Randy Huffman and Butterbean

5 Conversation with Randy Huffman 6 From the Publisher: One Man’s Opinion 11 Inside Parkview baseball team’s quest for a three-peat state championship

12 Getting to know Brookwood’s Principal Debra Dees

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Our Town

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— An EndResultz Company

Publisher Ryan T. Sauers Creative Director Elsie Olson Cover Photography D. Flores

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

Editorial and Feature Stories Team: Hank Cohen Allie Gardner Stefanie Lamp’l Ashton Pike

Entire contents copyright 2013 by Our Town.

Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden in any media without written permission from the publisher.

Contributing Writers Glenton Ashby Tamsen Boone Susan Cadley Kelly Farris Terie Hansen Elizabeth Hawkins Kristin McCabe Julie Mills Lauren Taylor Pam Walker Carol Wood

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Our Town Monthly 1227 Rockbridge Road Stone Mountain, GA 30087 678-825-2049 ryan@endresultz.com www.endresultz.com

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On The Cover - Randy Huffman, Pebblestone Landscape Group One Man’s Opinion March Calendar Crossword Puzzle Fear: Friend and Foe Retire To Do What?

Try Straw Bale Gardening Spring Clean Your Body Parkview High School Baseball Team’s Quest

Getting to Know Brookwood’s Principal Debra Dees Extending Imagination into Summer Camp 7 Characteristics of Great Marketers!

Local Barbeque Provides Great Food and Better Hospitality Vocabulary Building Strategies

Grammar Matters: The Good Versus Well Conundrum

A Nurse Gives Her Kidney to a Patient and Saves a Life How to Save the Healthcare System Kirkin the Tartan for the Haggis Does Your Dog Hover and Beg?

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L a d i e s Wo r k o u t E x p r e s s S n e l l v i l l e . c o m

Family Lifestyle News M agazine

IN THIS ISSUE

Our Town

5 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 16 17 17 18 18

For more information call 678-825-2049 • ourtownmag.org

Our Town

About the Cover:

Randy Huffman, Pebblestone Landscape Group

By Lauren Taylor Randy Huffman moved to the Lawrenceville area in 1985 from DeKalb County, and Gwinnett has never been the same. Huffman is the founder of Pebblestone Landscape Group based in Lawrenceville, which operates both commercially and privately in the Metro Atlanta and surrounding areas.

He also co-founded the English Bulldog Rescue of Georgia. This organization allows Huffman to serve the community in a unique way and show his devotion to the English Bulldog breed. He and his wife live in Lawrenceville with their two English Bulldogs, Butterbean and Biscuit.

Huffman was originally drawn to this area because “[the] Gwinnett and Lawrenceville area has that perfect balance of location, location, location, central access to major transportation and that hometown feeling combined.” Throughout the twenty-eight years he has lived here, Huffman enjoy’s local eatery Mexican Pie and shopping at the Avenues at Webb Ginn. However his favorite locations are the Gwinnett County Parks “The parks and recreation areas that Gwinnett provides are second to none,” said Huffman.

This love of nature can be seen through Huffman’s company, Pebblestone Landscape Group. Randy describes his passion when he said, “I started out when I was young, just helping my neighbors take care of their yards. My love of caring for our natural resources sprang from a need to maintain a certain standard of living in my own community. The growth of the urban areas and commercial construction boom of the 80’s and 90’s created a real need for a company to build and maintain our green spaces.” Although Pebblestone Landscape Group is a multi-faceted landscaping company, Huffman’s favorite projects

are Landscape Installations. Landscape Installation allows Pebblestone Landscape Group to take a bland, forgetful area and turn it into a place Gwinnett can enjoy.

Huffman’s personal motto “Do right by those I serve” has transcended from his personal life into his business philosophy which has remained service oriented for 25 years and will continue into the future. Huffman explains, “This is a customer driven business. There are a lot landscapers out there, and what brings the customers back is service. We provide service tailored to their needs.”

Huffman also co-founded the English Bulldog Rescue of Georgia after he and his wife adopted a rescue out of Miami in 2007. This dog suffered great hardship but has returned to health in the Huffman household. Randy said of the adoption, “She changed the way I look at all living things, and she is the inspiration behind the rescue. There is such a need for good rescues in Georgia.” Huffman was more than willing to fill this need.

Today, the English Bulldog Rescue of Georgia takes bulldogs in from anywhere and cares for their multiple rescues through a group of wonderful foster families.

These families willingly donate their time and resources to help out the lovable dogs.

If you want to learn more about the English Bulldog breed or adoptions you can visit their website, www.englishbulldogrescueofga.com.

Above all, Huffman wants Gwinnett to know, “I live, work, and play in Gwinnett.

It is my home, and my company is dedicated to making a difference in Gwinnett County. Keeping my community looking its best is a priority. I drive these streets every day, and I want to be proud of the place I call home. From Ronald Reagan Parkway to Evermore CID, this is my way of giving back to the place that has given so much to me.” Huffman has displayed incessant love and dedication to the community he calls home. Indubitably, Huffman’s love and skills have made Gwinnett a masterpiece.

Together we can make a difference.

It is a 501(c)3 not-profit. For donations please visit us at www.englishbulldogrescueofga.com

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PAGE 5

From the Publisher: One Man’s Opinion

By Ryan T. Sauers On behalf of our entire Our Town team I want to express how excited we are to begin a new era of Our Town Magazine that will build on the magazine’s rich history. The magazine’s best days lie ahead. Also, I want to give a special thanks to D. Flores (past Publisher) for all of your hard work over the years to make our community a better place. Thank You. To our readers and community, I want you to know that we are dedicated to improving every part of this experience. A few examples include upgrading the content, improving the design, increasing the in-home circulation, the distribution points, integration with online mediums and more. Our objective is to bring you great news and stories – on time – each month. So, thank you for your support. We live in a world that loves to cover everything negative. This magazine can see the many positives and will continue to focus on the great things we have to celebrate – right here in Gwinnett. As the Publisher, it is a blessing to have such a great team around me. Folks, you know who are—so here it is…from me to you…a big Gwinnett – Thank You. We are excited that our awesome advertisers love our new vision and are looking forward to the future. Thank You. We are pleased that super new advertisers have come on board. We had barely begun the transition and “word of mouth” began helping us grow. Thank You. We are pleased that many of the existing Our Town writers wanted to stay on and continue to write…and also that we have added new and talented writers and editors as well. Thank You. You will see that we will have more stories than ever. By the way, some are written by some incredibly talented Brookwood High School seniors. This is community magazine and our way of letting great talent in our community have a chance to display it. Also, you may notice that some articles are shorter in length and this is correct – as our goal is for more people to write – to bring you more stories of interest. This way, Our Town Magazine, is one you look forward to getting and reading at the beginning of each month. Our goal is to provide you with great content so everyone wants to read Our Town information whether (online or offline). In the coming months, you will see how we integrate the “worlds” of the printed magazine (offline) with the social media world (online) to provide the best of all worlds.

As an example, you can see it in this article, where we have a QR code and website you can go to —and see a video greeting from the publisher (in this case), advertisers and others in the future. Now that is what integrated communications is all about. You see, Print is not dead NOR does an online medium solve everything. The key is to have both of them. And, this is what we will do. We have a great new design team (coming on fully for the May issue) so the design will continue to improve each month. So from your end – please let us know how we can help you grow your business. Let us know people we should write a story on. Let us know who may want to write or become an advertiser. Let us know how we can help our community. You will see a focus on schools (principal each month), chaplains’ corner (different pastors each month), sports news from coaches/leagues and more. So finally, this is your magazine (free to homes) and I thank you for supporting it. So, buckle your seatbelts Gwinnett, we are in for an exciting journey, as we share community happenings and the community story. The story of THIS TOWN; YOUR TOWN…the new OUR TOWN!

PAGE 6

For more information call 678-825-2049 • ourtownmag.org

See online message from publisher at ourtownmagvideo.com or scan the QR code below.

Our Town

April Calendar Spring Art Show April 01 – 12, 2013 Gwinnett Historic Courthouse 185 West Crogan Street, Lawrenceville www.gwinnettcounty.com View the of work of artist, Christopher Sherry, which includes self-portraits, landscapes and still-life in mixed media.

Pancake Breakfast Starting April 6, 2013 (No End Date) Briscoe Field Airport 600 Briscoe Blvd., Lawrenceville www.690.eaachapter.org Come enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast and learn about the Experimental Aircraft Association.

Great American Cleanup April 01 – May 31, 2013 Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful 4300 Satellite Blvd., Duluth www.gwinnettcb.org The Great American Cleanup, locally hosted

by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, is the nation’s largest annual community improvement program.

Horseshoe Fun Day April 6, 2013 Rhodes Jordan Park Mountain Park Tennis Center 100 East Crogan Street, Lawrenceville Learn how to play horseshoes on our new horseshoe pits! Horseshoes are provided or you can bring your own.

Greater Gwinnett Rose Society April Meeting and Annual Plant Swap April 2, 2013 Gwinnett Justice and Administrative Center 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville www.gwinnettrose.org The Drowsy Chaperone April 04 – 07, 2013 Aurora Theatre 128 Pike Street, Lawrenceville www.auroratheatre.com This recent Broadway hit pays tribute to the Jazz-Age shows of the 1920’s that lifted our spirits during the Great Depression.

Wand of Dreams April 6, 2013 Aurora Theatre 128 Pike Street, Lawrenceville www.auroratheatre.com Childrens Playhouse Rainbow Dance Competition April 06 – 07, 2013 Performing Arts Center at Gwinnett Center 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth www.rainbowdance.com Children’s Dance Competition.

Fresh Face for the NEW YEAR

Drama Beach April 10 – 11, 2013 Aurora Theatre 128 Pike Street, Lawrenceville www.auroratheatre.com A full day of beach-themed theatre events!

Mid-day cook out at the theatre, come dressed for the beach party.

Teatro Del Sol Aurora Theatre 128 Pike Street, Lawrenceville www.auroratheatre.com Teatro Del Sol is the region’s only professional Spanish-Language Theatre, whose main purpose is the preservation of Hispanic Cultural Heritage. Shows are performed in Spanish with English supertitles.

The Crucible April 12 – 28, 2013 New London Theatre 2485 East Main Street SW, Snellville www.newlondontheatre.org AMC Sensory Friendly Films April 13, 2013 Sugarloaf Mills, AMC Theatres 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensoryfriendly-films Special sensory friendly screening of your favorite films, great for families with autistic children. Today’s film, Jurassic Park 2-D

Carmen Johnston, Southern Living Plant Collection & Lifestyle Expert April 13, 2013 The Family Tree Garden Center Free seminar on planting and gardening for a healthy happy lifestyle.

Swing Nights April 13, 2013 Aurora Theatre 128 Pike Street, Lawrenceville www.auroratheatre.com Aurora Theatre Swing Nights featuring Metro Jazz Club are a series of concerts with magnificent music performed in an intimate venue with powerhouse vocalists.

Annual Spring Fling April 19, 2013 Primrose School of Five Forks Doll and Me Tea and Fashion Show April 20, 2013 Gwinnett Historic Courthouse 185 West Crogan Street, Lawrenceville www.gwinnettcounty.com A favorite mother/daughter event returns!

Girls are encouraged to bring their favorite doll, dress alike too and participate in the fashion show. Tea and light snacks will be served in the lovely Superior Court Ballroom.

Daylily Days April 27, 2013 The Family Tree Garden Center Hundreds of varieties of dayliles on sale.

Meet representatives from the Atlanta Daylily Society.

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PAGE 7

Fear: Friend and Foe

By Susan Cadley “Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live it?” Caroline Myss You absolutely know right now what the next best thing is you need to do for yourself. These are things that will make your life more fulfilling, easier, happier, and healthier. You may hear them as a quiet whisper or like an all out show stopping blow horn that is trying to get your attention. So what stops you from making even small changes? More than likely, fear.

Fear can be a friend or foe. Fear is a survival sense that helps us determine if danger is imminent. It serves us well when we listen to our instinct about people and situations we feel fear around. However fear can keep us from our good when we replace it with cycling worry and anxiety; this is where we stop in our tracks. We may talk ourselves out of making changes by believing that change will harm us or will be too difficult. So we hide or deny, creating a false sense of safety. Until, that whisper or loud horn shows up again, and it always does.

Facing fears makes us grow and realize our potential. If we never test it, we may never know. In her book Finding Your Own North Star, Martha Beck writes “you’ll realize that the difference between success and failure isn’t the absence of fear but the determination to pursue your heart’s desires no matter how scared you are.” Stepping into change will create feelings of fear and excitement; they go together, hand-in-hand.

Expect this, and fuel your fear with excitement of what the change may create.

Imagine yourself one year from today looking back at the year behind you. What one small change can you begin to make that will make a difference? Decide to take small steps towards your future. This is where your personal growth will burst forth.

Susan Cadley, LPC, CSC, Licensed Professional Counselor & Certified Soul Coach, is available for couples counseling, adult individual counseling, Soul Coaching and creativity classes in Suwanee, GA. She may be reached direct and confidential at 678-296-1278, www.coachingforyoursoul.com

Retire To Do What?

By Glenton Ashby

Solution on page 16

PAGE 8

Many people do well with their everyday finances simply by using common sense. However, addressing all aspects of your financial life requires time and knowledge and very likely some research. Formal financial planning brings focused time to your financial needs or objectives by someone who does work you cannot do, or don’t have time to do or don’t know how to do.

The most beneficial approach looks not just at how much money you have, how much more you will have and where to invest it. The best approach addresses those things but also takes into account your bigger life picture, working to fit your upcoming stages of life, objectives, dreams and aspirations and your finances into a comprehensive plan.

One aspect of that plan is retirement. Retirement means different things to different people, whether already retired, waiting to retire or wondering if retirement will even be possible.

Do you plan to retire to a life of ease, to doing something new, to travelling or to spending time with far-flung family? Is there a passion or dream you can’t pursue during your “working” years? Consider your future needs and desires ahead of time and know what you want to do when that phase of life arrives. Then make a financial plan that will enable you to be happy and healthy and also allow you to achieve your needs and desires. This includes living comfortably, managing healthcare needs and doing things you want to do. Make a plan to manage your resources for your retired life and then to leave something behind to benefit others. Most importantly have a plan. If you don’t aim for a target you will miss every time. Good planning will give you the necessary time and resources to “live” well in retirement.

Feedback and topic suggestions are welcome – email HalcyonTimes@ HalcyonFP.com, or comment at www.HalcyonFP.com/halcyon-times. Tweet @ halcyonplanning.

Glenton Ashby is the founder and owner of Halcyon Financial Planning, LLC, a fee-only financial planning and Registered Investment Advisor firm. Visit HalcyonFP.com.

For more information call 678-825-2049 • ourtownmag.org

Our Town

Is Space A Problem for Your Garden?

Try Straw Bale Gardening

By Dana Pike Having a garden can be time consuming and laborious, but the wonderful reward of fresh, healthy fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers far exceeds the work.

There is also the issue of space for many of us in suburbia. Consider this new gardening idea that will take care of all those problems. Straw Bale Gardening can be done in almost any area, is minimal in cost and produces the same fresh edibles and flowers. All you need is a bale (one or more) of wheat straw, some fertilizer and plants. It takes about three weeks to get the bale prepared for planting, so go ahead and start now. Just put it where it’s going to stay (in plenty of sunlight), keep the bale watered thoroughly (don’t let it dry out), and fertilize every other day with a quality fertilizer for three weeks. When it’s time to plant, dig a hole into the top of the bale a little bigger than the plant’s pot. Take the plant out of the pot and put it in the hole. Pack the straw around the roots. Keep the bale wet, fertilize every 6 weeks and wait for the harvest. So easy!

There are great ways to make this garden fun for the whole family. Try giving each person their own bale and let them decide what plants to grow. Make a long row of bales around your existing garden. Add a trellis for trailing plants. Add flowers to the sides of the bale for pops of color.

Once you have harvested all your great produce, use the bale as compost around your plants and flower beds.

For more information, see one of our associates at The Family Tree Garden Center or go to www.familytreegardening.com.

Mountain Park Fitness’ Workout for St. Jude’s 5K Fun Run/Walk Date: Saturday, May 18th 2013 Time: Race Starts at 8am, Runners please show up 15 minutes early for registration Price: $20 to register before May 1st $25 to register from May 1st till race day Info: All donations collected will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Register early to ensure your t-shirt size! Tell all your friends, you do not have to be a member of the gym to race!

We look forward to hosting another great Fun Run! Thank you for all your help and support!

“We are teaching more than A,B,C and 1,2,3!”

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Spring Clean Your Body

By Julie Mills It’s spring and that means it’s time to spruce up our homes and yards! It’s also the time to make some improvements to our bodies as well. It wouldn’t be spring in Georgia without an inch of pollen on the ground and the site of puffy eyes and runny noses everywhere you look, would it? However, did you know that if we did some “spring cleaning” to our bodies we could build our immune function and reduce the symptoms of those allergies!! That’s right, if you eat a clean diet and cleanse your body, your eyes will be less itchy and your nose won’t look like Rudolph!

At Body of Health, we specialize in lymphatic drainage therapy. This therapy can be implemented in many different situations from reducing edema to stimulating your immune system. After all, your lymphatic system is your immune system.

Whatever your cells do not use goes into your lymph. The allergens, pollens, dust mites, and infections that are associated with spring are handled by your lymph function.

While I have talked about the lymph system in previous articles, I want to stress the importance of it at this time of year. The key ways to strengthen your immune is to drink lots of water. Try to drink at least 8 ounces every 2-3 hours throughout the day. Reduce the amount of processed food you eat. These foods are denatured and the body cannot recognize them nor use them. They clog the lymph system and make it work overtime to rid the body of unwanted waste. Concentrate on increasing your fruits and vegetables. If you cannot eat enough during the day, then find a whole food supplement. I have Juice Plus in my office which is 17 fruits and vegetables in capsules. Not only will the body use these nutrients, they will also help with losing those unwanted pounds that we accumulated during the winter.

A trained lymph therapist can help your body get rid of toxins by concentrating on your major “dumping” stations, or major lymph nodes. These dumping stations are located at the neck, under the arms, and at the front crease of the legs. Think of your body as being divided into quadrants. Start at the naval and draw a horizontal line. Everything below that line drains to the inguinal nodes which are located at the crease of the leg. Everything above that line drains to the axillary nodes which are under the arms. Now, draw another line right down the center of your body.

All of the lymph vessels on the right side of that line drain to the right and the back comes around to the front on that same side. All of the lymph vessels on the left side drain to the left. All of these nodes drain deeper into the body to a place called the cysterna chylie. This is located right below the diaphragm and would be worked on by the therapist as well.

When our lymph nodes are sluggish and full, the toxins that are waiting in the lymph vessels have no place to go and your immune is therefore impaired. If the nodes are flowing and clear, the vessels can run smoothly and toxins can be eliminated on a regular basis. Remember that whatever your cells do not use goes into the lymph vessels. It is important to only put nutrient-dense foods into our bodies and lots and lots of water.

Just a note, that if you do get that allergic reaction and become congested, lymph drainage therapy works well to open the neck nodes and drain the sinuses.

In closing, spend time cleaning your body and building your immune to have a fun, healthy spring!!

Julie Mills, CMT, is owner of Body of Health and Life LLC, for more information visit www.bodyofhealthandlife.com

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Our Town

Two-Time State Champions

Parkview High School Baseball Team’s Quest for Three-peat Only twice has a high school baseball team from Georgia ever been named national champion. In fact, since Lassiter High School in 1999, only one team from Georgia has been able to earn this title. The Parkview Panthers have continued to build a dynasty with statistics that are impressive to say the least. Led by head coach Chan Brown, the Panthers have become an unstoppable force in Georgia, winning back-to-back state championships in the past two years and being labeled national champions for 2012. Now, they want more.

Coach Brown is in his ninth year as head coach of the Panthers, carrying on the tradition of excellence originally started by the Panther’s former and first head coach, Hugh Buchanan. Talent has certainly not been in short supply for the Panthers as they have sent many players off to play baseball in college and to the major leagues, such as former Atlanta Brave Jeff Francoeur and recent first round draft pick, Matt Olson. Olson, who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics as the 47th pick in the first round of the major league draft, was one of seven seniors on the 2012 championship team, and his presence will surely be missed. According to Coach Brown, Olson was not only a leader and impact player on the field, but also in the locker room, motivating and guiding the team.

However, in the absence of Olson, a new player has risen to fill his position.

Senior Josh Hart, an outfielder and a starter since freshman year, will be leading the charge as Parkview seeks a rare three-peat. Hart, like Olson, is a potential first round pick in the major league draft. And, even with the loss of a very talented senior class at the end of last season, Parkview still has a lineup that has potential to produce many runs. The Panthers did, however, lose a good portion of their pitching rotation with last year’s senior class, and that, according to Coach Brown, is where the Panthers need to adjust the most to keep their hopes of a third straight state championship alive. “This year, the pitching has to come through,” said Coach Brown. “We’ve got a lot of good guys coming up, but our pitching needs to come through.”

Though, even if the Panthers do make it to the state championship again, the chances of a more unique championship game than last year’s is highly unlikely.

The Panthers faced cross-town rival Brookwood High School for the state championship last season, sweeping the Broncos in the championship series. But, last year’s playoff tournament also paid tribute to the amount of talent that resides in Gwinnett, as all four of the teams in the quarterfinals of the playoffs were from Gwinnett. Parkview’s final game with Brookwood to win the state championship capped a season of high anticipation and expectations that had been hovering around the Panthers. With many of the boys from the 2011 championship team returning, pressure remained high throughout the season for the Panthers to duplicate their results. “Everyone expected us to repeat because we had everyone returning from the year before. There was huge pressure that came with that, but our boys came through,” said Coach Brown.

This year, the Panthers have changed very little in their strategy to prepare for the season. In the offseason, players do workouts, which include weight lifting, swimming, and a program called Competitive Edge Sports. The boys also begin 2-on-1 training with coaches as early as November, and continue these sessions until full team practices start in February. While the work ethic of the players and coaching staff is a key factor to Parkview’s continued success, another important factor contributing to the team’s consistent dominance is the expectations of players when they enter the Parkview system as a freshman. Players realize early on the high

Our Town

level of commitment they must invest in the program to continue the tradition of excellence that has already been established. The quality of talent and the determined mindsets of Parkview’s players, according to Coach Brown, are the keys to Parkview’s dominance over the years. As a result, at the end of last season, not only was Parkview the state champion for a second year in a row, but they were also deemed national champions by the Baseball America/National High School Baseball Coaches Association.

As the Panthers seek their third straight state championship, they face a typical tough schedule, and many of the games will act as tests for Parkview to prove that they are still the best team in Georgia and possibly in the nation. Coach Brown has been successful in his nine years as head coach, and while the many region and state championships are always a benefit to him, he truly enjoys the time with his players the most. “Winning the state championships were great moments, but the most satisfying part of my job as a coach is working with all of these great kids and watching them develop.”

The Panthers may have lost a great deal of talent with last year’s senior class, but they definitely cannot be ruled out. Parkview is still a force to be reckoned with in Georgia. A three-peat is certainly still very possible.

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PAGE 11

Getting to Know Brookwood’s Principal Debra Dees A woman in a pantsuit is a woman of power and business. It is true that this accurately portrays part of Brookwood High School’s principal, Debra (Debbie) Dees, who is regularly complimented and well-known for her trendy attire, but it is a very minor part at that. A principal’s life like Dees’ is one of hard work and unexpected decisions, but has turned out to be one of huge success.

Born and raised in Vidalia, Georgia, Dees grew up with a love for her family and sports, especially basketball. Graduating from high school at a mere 16 years old, Dees was already ahead of the game and had many options for her future, including being offered a basketball scholarship. Going into college, the ideas of coaching, teaching, or even dentistry were in the back of her mind as a possible career choice, but she began with an undecided major at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.

Four years later, Dees’ vision prior to college altered. She graduated with a degree in education, and so her future began.

Dees’ teaching career began when she was 20, and since then, she has conquered many parts of the Georgia educational system. Her résumé includes 5 years at Telfair County HS, 1 year at Dunwoody HS, 6 years at Meadowcreek HS where she was also the coach for the girls’ basketball team, and 17 years and counting at the place she calls home, Brookwood HS. Although Dees was an incredible teacher, her talent of coaching brought her to Brookwood when the now former athletic director recruited her to coach the Lady Broncos basketball team. Dees spent her first 5 years as a teacher, 4 years as an assistant principal, 2 years as an associate principal, and, for the past 6 years, she has been leading the school to nothing but success as the principal. “After 18 years in the classroom, I began yearning for my ‘next step,’ so I pursued administration.

The years as an assistant principal drew me towards wanting to be in a principal’s role, and I was encouraged by others,” said Principal Dees, recalling what attracted her to being the principal of a school.

Even though being a principal is a career that Dees never imagined suited for her, she has enjoyed every moment of it, even the times of exhaustion due to a demanding schedule. Time management has been the most difficult aspect for Dees

while transforming from the leader of a classroom to the leader of an entire school. She even admits with a subtle smile and a laugh, “I’m sure I have probably missed a deadline or two.”

Dees thoroughly enjoys working with the “most incredible student body and staff,” who adore their principal not only for her prestigious position, but for the understanding, humble, cheerful person that she is. Brookwood 2012 graduate, Maddy Johnson, reflected on her 4 years with Dees as her principal and said, “Ms. Dees is one of the most intelligent women I have ever known. I had the opportunity to work with her through the RSVP program my senior year of high school, and she took the time out of her busy day to meet with us to hear the students’ concerns about our school. She genuinely cares about every student and does everything in her power to make sure that Brookwood stays a tradition of excellence.”

Away from the wooden desks and name plaques, Dees values personal time with her family. She keeps in touch through phone calls she has everyday with her mother after leaving the school. When the weather permits, she loves to “piddle” in her yard, but, as predicted, Dees spends a large portion of her time attending Brookwood events.

Dees not only takes care of the business side of her role, she goes beyond the expected and shows students that she cares about what they do and their involvement in school programs. She encourages students to take part in school functions and believes her students have the highest potential to accomplish anything. Dees takes an unexplainable amount of pride in her school and gives credit daily to those who make it possible. When asked what accomplishments she has made during her 17 years at Brookwood, Dees did not hesitate to refuse taking full credit: “I think we all have accomplished a lot. There are many leaders at Brookwood. Our students and staff continue to work hard to keep Brookwood as one of the premier high schools in the state. It is the people that make Brookwood a great place.”

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Our Town

Extending Imagination into Summer Camp

By Kristin McCabe Throughout the school year accredited preschools focus on literacy, math and critical thinking skills. Students participate in activities that teach them to adopt a healthy lifestyle, use their imaginations, express themselves creatively, and strengthen character development. The instruction, attention and support from their teachers prepare students for success in the school years ahead.

Participating in this kind of balanced program doesn’t have to stop at the end of the school year. Learning shouldn’t take a summer vacation. Although many organizations offer summer camp programs filled with fun activities and discovery over summer break; consider one which offers a summer camp that enables children to have fun, explore, and learn.

“Encouraging children to use their natural tendency to learn through play and exploration over the summer gives them time to practice, internalize, and apply what they learned during the more academic part of the year…,” says Dr. Gloria Julius.

Here are a few tips from Dr. Julius on choosing a summer camp program: Include your child in the decision. You already know most of activities your children enjoy, but ask them what they would add as you create a list.

Choose a balanced program. Choosing a program offered by an accredited educational organization will ensure that your child will be learning and having fun at the same time.

Visit the location. Gather the written information and brochures, but you will always get a better feel for the program by visiting the location and asking questions.

Ask other parents and children. Find out where parents in your community have sent their children for summer camp in the past and what their children thought of the experience.

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7 Characteristics of Great Marketers!

By Ryan T. Sauers Now more than ever, all organizations are looking to the discipline of marketing, for help in curing their organizational woes. With that said, excellence in marketing is more important than ever. Thus, the top marketing professionals, in all types of organizations, are looked to for leadership and also share common characteristics. As it is always easier to remember an odd number, you will find I have listed 7 characteristics of great marketing professionals below. Here they are #1-7.

1. The highest degree of personal values, ethics and integrity. Superior ethics may not always win the marketing battle but most always win the marketing war.

2. Continual positive outlook and enthusiastic vision. This is a key separator between great, good and poor marketers.

3. Use of creativity to differentiate yourself from the competition. When products or services appear the same to the customer – creativity in approach and positioning by marketing professionals makes all the difference.

4. Content, consistency and connection. These three traits separate the average marketer from the superstar marketer. Enough said!

5. A sense of being “human” that builds brand loyalty. Being human and using humor makes your efforts likable, and people like brands that make them feel such a connection 6. Creative positioning that differentiates you and makes you clearly known by all of your stakeholders. Online and offline. Superior positioning reduces competition – which is a great added value.

7. Push the envelope. The marketer who appreciates the past, is dedicated to the present AND pushes the envelope with passion – and has a vision for the future – is the one that will achieve success.

Marketing is more important than ever in every business in 2013 and beyond… and it is the job of marketers, to exhibit the highest degree of excellence in all that they do. Have you seen such great marketing in action? If your desire is to market better — let’s talk.

Ryan T. Sauers is President/Owner of Sauers Consulting Strategies. Our business is growing your business. More info: at www.ryansauers.com @ryansauers ryan@ryansauers.com

Our Town

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PAGE 13

Local Barbeque Provides Great Food and Better Hospitality

By Allie Gardner In this day and time, the restaurant industry is filled with processed or microwavable meals served to people at ridiculous prices with customer service worse than the food itself. It is almost impossible to find a place with consistently great food and pleasant people who genuinely enjoy their job. A barbeque restaurant off Lawrenceville Highway has succeeded in doing the impossible. Hometown Barbeque, run by owners Martha Kelly and George Richboorg, has been a local hot spot for more than seven years and is still going strong.

Hometown Barbeque started in 1999 as nothing more than a weekend concession stand. It continued as this for five years with Richboorg and two of his colleagues but Kelly, then a schoolteacher stepped in to help with the weekend business. Things changed for the two in 2004 when the Atlanta Journal Constitution wrote an article about their barbeque. The newspaper gave Hometown a four-star rating for their pork and five stars for their ribs. That is when Richboorg and Kelly decided to buy Gunter’s restaurant, rename it, and start their own place.

“Though we [George and Martha] both had to quit our jobs to run the restaurant, it was a nice change of pace. We enjoyed doing it and had a good customer following,” Kelly said.

The barbeque joint has a great variety of food serving everything from pulled pork to ribs to beef brisket. With prices varying from three dollars for a hamburger to eighteen dollars for a three meat combo plate with two sides, the reasonable prices are just an added bonus to the five star foods. The best seller at Hometown Barbeque is the pulled pork followed by their ribs, chicken, and beef brisket. For sides, the Brunswick stew is a favorite as is their coleslaw.

One item that appears on the menu that is not found at a typical barbeque joint is the Hometown Chili Dog. This hot dog topped with spicy chili and options of pickles, cheese, and slaw in addition, is a remnant of the Gunter’s former restaurant.

“Gunter’s had chili dogs and people really loved them so we decided to keep them. They are one of our best sellers,” said Richboorg.

Hometown Barbeque shows hope for small restaurants struggling to make it in a monotonous fast food industry. Their tremendous variety of barbeque that is always amazing combined with the genuine and kind staff makes eating at the joint a wonderful experience every time. With a strong customer base and menu, Hometown is not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

Richboorg said, “I always joke that one day I’ll be a Wal-Mart greeter. I love talking to the regulars and listening to their stories. I want to eat in a place where they treat me like I am more than just a customer, which is what we have tried to do with our restaurant.”

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Our Town

Vocabulary Building Strategies

By Carol Wood Last month, my article addressed the importance of having a broad vocabulary.

NOW is a great time for students of all ages to put effort and energy into broadening their vocabulary. They can do so on their own at home or seek professional assistance if preferable. This month I will provide several strategies to do so, which follow: Go back to your roots. Learning the origin of words, or word etymology, can be fun and certainly a great way to remember the meaning of words. Studying Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and root meanings will allow you to see the foundation for all words. Being familiar with word etymology is a great start to building vocabulary. This can prove to be beneficial even for elementary students as it makes learning new words fun and improves retention.

Learn. Use. Repeat. Add. Each week, select five challenging vocabulary words and write each definition on a single flashcard. After memorizing each word’s meaning and practicing each word’s pronunciation, use the words daily in conversation and in writing. Continue the process week by week and add five new words each week to the list. Before you know it, you will have an extensive vocabulary!

Make it a family affair. Every day, assign the same new word to each person in your family and look up the word’s definition. At the dinner table or elsewhere in the home, take turns verbalizing the word and its meaning and have each family member construct a sentence using the word in context. Each person is to make a commitment to use the new word throughout the day in conversation and in writing and is to share his/her progress and hold each other accountable for the word of the day. Do this five days each week for one month. You will be amazed at the broadening of vocabulary and the fun of doing so together! If there are elementary students in your family, create two groups of words each week; one group for them and another for older students and parents.

Read with a dictionary and a thesaurus. While it’s important to become well-read and to read challenging books, it is vital to know the meanings of unfamiliar words that you read! It is also essential to acquaint yourself with word relationships and word associations so that you do not limit yourself – this will allow you to be a better conversationalist and a proficient writer. Familiarizing a young student with how to use a thesaurus and dictionary is especially valuable in building their use of words and their meanings.

Play games. Doing crossword puzzles, analogy puzzles, Boggle, and Scrabble (just to name a few) keeps your mind energized and allows you to have fun at the same time! There are also many vocabulary software programs available online, such as:

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Carol Wood is the founder and owner of Total Learning Concepts, Inc., a private, professional tutorial service located in Gwinnett County. Please email questions to ccwood@bellsouth. net or fax to 770-381-1626. OTM

Our Town

For more information call 678-825-2049 • ourtownmag.org

PAGE 15

Grammar Matters

The Good Versus Well Conundrum

By Tamsen Boone Salutations, greetings, acknowledgements, and welcomes all make us feel warm and fuzzy. When someone asks us how we are doing, we commonly reply, “I’m good, thanks!” Do you walk away wondering how you possibly slipped into the trap again? Do you chastise yourself as you hear your mom or high school English teacher explain the difference between good and well? Do you worry that you’ll be considered the half-wit who continues to mix up adjectives and adverbs well into adulthood? Relax! You’re probably OK. Let’s begin with the fact that good is an adjective used to describe nouns. “I am a good singer,” albeit a terrible lie for me to say, is proper grammar. Well is an adverb and should be used as such. If I were to tell you, “I sing well,” I’d be fibbing again, but I would not offend the grammar gurus of the world. After you’ve mastered the basics and can determine the difference between adjectives/ adverbs and good/ well, you may have one last lingering question, “How do I respond when someone asks, ‘How are you?’”

It technically depends on the nature of the inquiry. Without spiraling into a lesson about predicate adjectives, you can rest assured that many sources confirm that well is used when specifically com-

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menting on someone’s health. If someone wants to know if you are in good health, a proper response would be to say, “I am well.” However, if someone wants to know your mental or emotional state, then your answer is a predicate adjective, and you should answer, “I am good, thank you.” I don’t know why, but I usually figure that a casual, “How are you?” is an inquiry about my emotional mind set for the day. I naturally assume a friendly greeter in the grocery checkout line is not interested in an organ recital about which failing body part is aggravating me on that particular day. Now my husband, always the diplomat, hesitates to pin me down. He’ll accept “well” or “good” or even “well and good” as he insists that he is interested in both my physical AND emotional well-being (insert snarky little laugh). He also knows it is my prerogative to answer the question I choose to answer, so he doesn’t give me grief about either answer.

Please continue to use good as an adjective and well as an adverb. As for answering questions about your health or state of being, the bottom line is that careful speakers and writers will tend to answer, “I am well,” but perhaps we can consider the code more like guidelines than actual rules (please forgive the Pirates allusion). If you are like me, and you 1) don’t want to run the risk of someone assuming you’ve no idea how to speak properly 2) don’t want to corner every casual greeter to determine whether they are asking about your physical OR mental well-being, perhaps you can just reply, “I am great! Thank you for asking!”

We hope you are enjoying the new OUR TOWN magazine • There are now more in-depth com• More integration of online and munity news, more stories and events offline media to most effectively that you want and need build your brand • New ownership team working with • Contact us for advertising rates or communities across Gwinnett to make info with our new increased (April our county a better place 2013) circulation and distribution For info: Phone: 678-825-2049 Email: ryan@endresultz.com Web: www.ourtownmag.org

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Our Town

A Nurse Gives Her Kidney to a Patient and Saves a Life

How to Save the Healthcare System

By Kelly Farris

By Stefanie Lamp’l The doctors and nurses gather in the OR. They put on their sterile gloves, gowns, and masks and prepare to begin the surgery. Allison knows the procedure well. Being a nurse herself, she has stood through several of these routine kidney transplant surgeries. This surgery is different though. Allison is going to be the one on the table. She is a perfectly healthy woman who is now laying in the operating room because she volunteered to be there. The anesthesia begins to run through her body. Her eyes get heavy and slowly close. The surgeon grabs the scalpel and prepares to take out Allison’s kidney which she will then pass on to a boy who is in great need. He is a patient of Allison’s and he is dying. Allison is going to save his life.

Clay Taber was at a turning point in his life. He graduated from Auburn University and was looking forward to marrying his college sweetheart. Things changed for Taber though when he discovered he had Goodpasture’s Syndrome.

This is a rare auto immune disease in which antibodies attack the lungs and kidneys. This leads to bleeding, damage to the lungs and kidneys, and possible death.

Taber was already showing signs of kidney failure. Instead of spending the next few months picking out floral arrangements and apartment hunting, he was going to make a new home in the hospital doing dialysis three times a week. Taber’s name was put on the waiting list along with the other 90,000 people that are currently in need of a transplant. Some have been on the list for five years. Without a kidney transplant Clay will have to do peritoneal dialysis. This means that every night he will have to be connected to a machine that will filter his blood while he sleeps.

This would leave him very weak and unable to do much physical activity. Taber’s future was slipping away.

Everything changed the day Nurse Allison Batson and Clay Taber met at Emory University. Taber was a patient on Batson’s floor. Batson has always been the type of person that couldn’t resist helping those in need, which is why she was called to go into the nursing field. She takes care of patients every day as well as her husband and four children. Batson often forms relationships with her patients and long term bonds. There was something about Taber that spoke to Allison. She was called to help. As she states, “God placed us in each other’s path on purpose. He was tapping me on the shoulder leading the way.”

When Clay Taber’s mother was tested and found to not be a match for a transplant, Batson offered her own kidney. It is an extremely rare case that a doctor or nurse donates an organ. It is not against the rules but it is discouraged. Batson knew this but she also knew that donating her kidney would mean Clay Taber could have a normal, healthy life. She knew her sacrifice could bring happiness and peace to a kind person in need.

Even though there were several risks involved with the surgery and a six week recovery time, Batson selflessly donated her kidney to Clay Taber on January 10, 2011. Clay is now happily married and doing well. He remains close to Batson and her family referring to them as his “kidney in-laws.” Batson’s sacrifice did more than help one person. It gave hope to the many that it is possible to fight. Batson and Taber encourage all who are willing to save a life and be a donor to contact the Emory Transplant Center at www.emoryhealthcare.org/transplant-center. It is not about being a hero; it is about giving 90,000 people the chance to live fulfilling, healthy lives. Take the first step.

Our Town

Did you know that $381 billion healthcare dollars will be spent on preventable diseases this year? And yet exercise costs next to nothing.

If we want to overhaul our healthcare system, a healthy lifestyle must be part of the equation.

If cardiovascular exercise were in pill form, which can prevent over 40 chronic conditions, it would be the most prescribed drug in the world. A lack of exercise will cause 7 million early deaths this decade, and chronic diseases like Type II diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure are responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths.

The American College of Sports Medicine, the largest sports medicine and exercise organization in the world, recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise five times per week. And so the majority of Americans do not get that amount.

Lack of time is the excuse I hear most often when clients tell me why they don’t or haven’t been exercising. But how much time do you spend on Facebook, watching television, surfing the web or reading?

See? You do have time. It’s just a matter of how we use it.

Here’s a simple solution: walk out of your door right now and keep walking for fifteen minutes. Then, turn back around and walk home. Or go to one of the fabulous parks Gwinnett has to offer! Join a gym that offers a variety of cardiovascular exercise options, with equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes or ellipticals. Join a cardio group fitness class like spinning, Zumba or kickboxing. Any class that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up is considered a cardio class.

If you love dance, Zumba, Flirty Girl or a step class could be a great option for you. If you have two left feet, kickboxing or spinning may be a better choice. It’s funny, I hear many people say that spinning looks so hard, but when they try it they see how much fun it is. There’s no impact, safe for the knees and its just a bike and you’re in control if it.

Yoga, Pilates and flow classes are a nice addition to your cardio exercise but they can’t replace it. Take control of your health and get moving!

Kelly Farris is owner of Ladies Workout of Snellville, visit LadiesWorkoutExpressSnellville.com

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There is nothing more irritating for many dog owners then having their dog(s) hover or beg for food. Even worse, you have company over and Fido plants his head on your guest’s lap while they are trying to enjoy the dinner you so generously prepared!

Picture this…You are trying to enjoy a meal whether at the dinner table or the sofa (where many people seem to eat these days) and your dog is sitting right in front of you, staring you down, waiting for that inevitable morsel to fall or be tossed.

Creating boundaries around your dinner table, your sofa or anything else is really quite simple. It does however take patience and persistence. Keep in mind if you own multiple dogs it may take a little longer to get results. Practice one dog at a time so that you can see that it is possible.

Grab a bag of chips and sit on your sofa or at your dinner table. The moment the dog comes over to investigate you will stand up, snap your fingers and point like you are telling him to go away. DO NOT SAY A WORD, DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT. If he tries to go around you just block him with your body (shall we dance?). You will block and keep standing until one of two things happens, the dog lays down or walks away. Those are his ONLY options. If he sits and looks at you or just stands there you are not finished! The moment he lays down or begins to walk away immediately turn and sit back down. This tells the dog that he did the right thing. Don’t say “good boy!” as he will just come back over.

Need some help? Shoot us an email, we’re here for you!

Terie Hansen, Professional Dog Trainer, Pet Sitter & Owner at Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care-may be reached at 404-422-9832 info@gooddogcoaching.com or www.gooddogcoaching.com

PAGE 18

How many years has it been since I was last in the UK? Way too many, I am sure. It used to be that I would “hop over the pond” every now and then, when airfares to Europe were cheaper than flying to the west coast of the USA. Now again, it is cheaper to fly to Europe than to some places here in the US. This visit to the UK was all about the Haggis.

January 25 of every year the Scottish celebrate the birthday of their most famous bard, Robert Burns.

Father of some really deep and sometimes downright creepy poetry, Burns echoes the sentiments of the people of the Scottish Moors…a beautiful deep green place where mists sometimes cover the rocky countryside. The north of Scotland inspired works such as Wuthering Heights and the Hounds of the Baskervilles. Burns poetry is sometimes as dark as the places he wrote about, especially his Address to a Haggis.

So we celebrate his birthday with traditional Scottish Haggis, neeps and tatties.

Haggis is the insides of a sheep mixed with herbs, spices and stuffed in the stomach skin of the animal. Neeps are puréed turnips and tatties are puréed potatoes.

Tradition has it that the Haggis is carried on platter around the room preceded by a Scottish piper. When the music stops, a dagger is pulled from the knee socks of the Lord of the house and plunged into the Haggis. Served with a “wee dram” of whiskey, there is more music and fun until “crankies”, a Scottish desert of oats, is served. I too am of Scottish heritage and very happy to live the part of my ancestors.

I find myself again in the UK after so many years to enjoy Burns Night; happy to be here enjoying the beauty and festivities of the Scottish Highlands.

Pam Walker is a Virtuoso travel consultant and may be reached atpliwalker@earthlink.net & www.walkeradventures.com

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