JULY 2013: Our Town Gwinnett/NE Dekalb Monthly Magazine by Our Town Gwinnett Magazine

The Gwinnett Area’s Family Lifestyle News Magazine

Our Town

July 2013

Lilburn l Lawrenceville l Snellville l Grayson l Stone Mountain

Meet Kim Ryan, CEO of Eastside Medical Center

5 Inside Eastside Medical Center with Kim Ryan 8 Meet Cathy Ruffing: Learn About Gwinnett’s Swim Heritage 10 Restaurants That Rock: Jimmy D’s-in Lilburn: A Can’t Miss Food Experience

12 Your Brand of Communications 16 Q and A with Julie Mills and Her Inspiring New Book

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Most of us know that when you improve your lifestyle, not only do you lose weight but many health problems improve. But sometimes the body needs more than just a balanced diet and exercise. You could be having other health issues that may be prohibiting you from having the full effects of a good healthy lifestyle. That’s where Functional Medicine may be able to help. As a Doctor who practices Functional Medicine, my job is to assess what your body needs so that it can work (FUNCTION!) at its best - without the use of stimulants or drugs! And if you are on medications, I will work with your Medical Doctor to help you reach your health goals!

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These results may not be typical. Results with products may vary from individual to individual. These nutrition recommendations are provided solely to support good nutrition with the intent of supporting the physiological and biochemical process of the human body and not to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Be advised that any nutritional program recommended by Dr. Gravante is not intended as a primary therapy for any disease. Prior to starting any diet, nutrition or exercise program, you should consult with your medical physician.

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Family Lifestyle News M agazine

— An EndResultz Company

Publisher Ryan T. Sauers

Our Town is published and direct mailed to select homes in the Gwinnett area. Opinions expressed by the writers and 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.

Creative Director Elsie Olson Cover Photography Chris Hamilton

Contributing Writers Dr. Jeanette Altieri Glenton Ashby Tamsen Boone Susan Cadley Carol Chandler-Wood Kelly Farris Terie Hansen Amy Hentschel Stephanie Lamp’l Kristin McCabe Ashton Pike Ryan T. Sauers Karen Tanner-Holt Pam Walker

Our Town Monthly 1227 Rockbridge Road Suite 208-171 Stone Mountain, GA 30087 678-825-2049 info@endresultz.com www.endresultz.com

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IN THIS ISSUE

Our Town

5 On the Cover: Inside Eastside Medical Center with Kim Ryan 5 Are You Nurturing Your Dog’s Fears? Part Two 6 One Man’s Opinion 7 July Calendar 8 Crossword Puzzle 8 Meet Cathy Ruffing: Learn About Gwinnett’s Swim Heritage 9 This Summer Make It Paris 0 Restaurants That Rock: 1 Jimmy D’s-in Lilburn: A Can’t Miss Food Experience 11 A Senior Moment: Track Changes

11 People in the News

12 Your Brand of Communications

13 There Is a Better Answer to Helping Kids with ADD/ADHD

13 Finding Your Voice 14 Like - A Four-Letter Word 5 Depression, ADHD, or Both? 1 6 Q and A with Julie Mills and Her Inspiring New Book 1 17 Successful Parent – Teacher Partnerships 8 Shuffling Along 1 8 Baseball Is Similar to Life – Part 2: Getting to Second Base 1 www.musiconmainstreetlilburn.com

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Our Town

On the Cover: Inside Eastside Medical Center with Kim Ryan

Helping Families Find True Solutions

By Stephanie Lamp’l “Meeting your needs and exceeding your expectations is our goal,” states Kim Ryan, CEO of Eastside Medical Center. Located off of Ronald Reagan Parkway, Eastside Medical Center has been serving the community for the past thirty years. Eastside offers a full range of services to the people of Gwinnett: emergency care, cardiology, surgical services, oncology, and orthopedics. “We focus on removing obstacles so that employees can do their best work in providing patients with exemplary care,” explains Ryan. The staff works hard every day to ensure they are up to date on the health care needs of the community. Many investments have been made to guarantee the hospital is providing the best care possible, including new cutting edge technology. Kim Ryan and Eastside Medical Center are excited about one new improvement. A billboard was put up on Tree Lane that displays the current wait time for patients in the ER, something Eastside has been working on improving over the last eighteen months. “We feel it is important for our community to know how long it will be from the time they arrive, to the time they are seen by a physician,” Ryan comments. In addition to the billboard, a new state-of-the-art surgical tower has been opened as of January this past year. It has two floors with twenty-four beds on each floor. It houses all surgical patients from Intensive Care, Progressive Care, and Surgical Care. The tower also has seven new surgical operating suites, including the first Hybrid Operating Suite in the county. Also in May of last year, an interventional Cath lab was opened that provides care to patients with coronary artery disease. There are many reasons Eastside Medical was voted the safest hospital in Georgia by consumer reports. The employees use compassion, respect, and teamwork when it comes to providing patients with the best care possible. Eastside is also not afraid of change; instead, they embrace it. It is Ryan’s goal to make Eastside Medical Center the best it can be. She will always be searching for the most recent and up-to-date technology. She welcomes any and all additions that will give people a positive healthcare experience and that will expedite the process of getting patients back to their everyday lives. When Ryan was asked what makes her hospital stand apart from other hospitals in the area, she said, “Eastside is a world class hospital that is patient-centered, caring, growing, and engaged with our community. Eastside will continue to grow as the community grows and stay focused on providing the best and most efficient healthcare possible.”

Are You Nurturing Your Dog’s Fears? Part Two By Terie Hansen Now there are some fears you can help your dog overcome on your own, such as the fear of an object in his environment. Common items are vacuum cleaners, trashcans, bicycles, cars, different floor surfaces, and the sound of power tools, blow dryers, toasters, etc. You’ll probably need a professional dog trainer, though, to help you with separation anxiety, fear based aggression towards people or dogs, and other serious cases. A slow gradual desensitization program is best for most things. An example is having your dog be near things that frighten him and not allowing him to flee (by using a leash), showing your quiet confidence (no talking, please), and allowing your dog to walk away only when he is in a relaxed state (reward the calm behavior), all of which might take a few minutes. This empowers him to learn that nothing bad happened! Socializing and exposing your dog to any and all things in his environment make for a happy, well-adjusted dog who you can take anywhere. Now isn’t that what having a dog is all about? Terie Hansen, Professional Dog Trainer, Pet Sitter & Owner at Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care - may be reached at 404-422-9832 info@gooddogcoaching.com www.gooddogcoaching.com.

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One Man’s Opinion By Ryan T. Sauers This month we have a variety of articles with great content, including stories about a new restaurant, a great book, swimming from a unique viewpoint, and a look at Eastside Medical Center, our cover story. While other magazines are declining, we are in growth mode. Thank you for all the calls and emails with story ideas and the desire to advertise, and for requesting additional copies of the magazine. Also, special thanks to our awesome existing advertisers and writers, and a welcome to our new writers and other new team members. Another feature article covers the subject of branding. You can read more about this in the pages ahead, but I want to challenge your thinking. Most people love Our Town Magazine. Does everyone love it? No. Does everyone like everything in life? No. Will Our Town Magazine sell more “widgets” (insert your product or service) for you? No, that is your job. Will it help grow your brand and get people to give you a try? You bet. Is Our Town Magazine or any printed piece the solution to all of your marketing needs? No. Should Our Town Magazine be a part of your marketing mix? Absolutely. You see, there is no silver bullet in marketing. There is no such thing as a “quick fix,” or, “I will try it once and see if it works.” As a business you want to build your brand, have the community know who you are, what you do, and know the value you provide, and to think of you above the competition. Is Our Town Magazine such a place that can keep your name “local”, online and offline, each month? Definitely. Should you also use tools like Facebook, Twitter, Google ads, vehicle wraps, billboards, radio, promotional products, etc.? Yes, you better believe it. It is all about choosing the proper integration of these tools into your marketing mix. Why does Amazon. com or L.L. Bean mail you a printed catalog? Simple: to remind you to visit them online. Remember, we all benefit from people buying local products and services. So, please approach your local marketing efforts with the mindset that you need to give it time to work. Trying anything once, twice, or even three times in marketing is a surefire way to gain little response. It takes time to build your brand. It also takes a plan and requires a methodical strategy. If you do these things and integrate online/offline tools to best meet the needs of your business and, then you will succeed. Give me any form of advertising and I can give you a reason why it won’t work. Billboards: people do not see them. Radio: people listen to their IPod or Satellite radio instead. Facebook ads: people run away from these. Email blasts: most get caught in spam filters. Everything has its pros and cons. Our Town Magazine is committed to helping our valued customers grow their brand while simultaneously providing our readers with great, strong content each month. Great content means people will read the magazine. When people read the magazine, they see the ads. When they see your effectively designed ad, you will grow your brand. If you grow your brand, over time you will gain customers, which will allow you to reinforce your brand month after month. Did you know Facebook and Twitter have their own printed monthly magazines? Why? Simple: printed direct mail with unique stories work. It also provides these online giants another medium to “touch” their customers. We love this community. I am honored to work with such a super team who joins me each month to improve our magazine. I hope you enjoy the new ownership’s fourth issue. So take a deep breath, relax, and spend a few minutes reading about people you know and businesses we can support. After all, this is the town, your town, OUR Town.

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

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PAGE 6

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Our Town

July Calendar Lilburn Farmers Market Fridays through Aug. 30 Across from Lilburn City Hall www.lilburnfarmersmarket.org 4 to 8 p.m. each Friday. Music, chef’s demonstrations, children’s activities and BBQ. Shoppers can pick up Friday night dinner along with their weekly produce. “Flowing as Water: Vessels of Freedom” July 01 – 10 Norcross Arts Center www.aplacetoimagine.com A multi-media exhibit created by nationally renowned MidTown artist Corrina Sephora Mensoff. Summer at the Rock!  July 01 – August 4 Stone Mountain Park www.stonemountainpark.com 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. / 9:30 p.m. lasershow at Stone Mountain Park Adventure Pass $27 for adults and $21 for children ages 3-11

Three Dimensional Art Exhibit  July 01 – August 15 Gwinnett Historic Courthouse www.gwinnettparks.com 6 p.m. The Art of Cynthia Frigon July 03 – August 17 ART Station  www.artstation.org Norcross Summer Concert Series  July 05 – August 30 Thrasher Park  www.aplacetoimagine.com Movies Under The Stars July 06 – 27 Beaumont Sports Park www.simon.com 5 p.m. movies start at dusk  Scrapbook Expo  July 12- 13 Gwinnett Center  www.gwinnettcenter.com

“Cabaret” July 12 – 28  New London Theatre  www.newlondontheatre.org $12 advance, $15 day of the show, $10 seniors & children Primrose Schools National Open House Event July 20 Primrose School of Five Forks www.primrosefiveforks.com Primrose School of Five Forks is hosting a National Open House Event from 10:00a.m.-2:00p.m. for local families to enjoy fun activities, an optional school tour & a chance to win a one-year scholarship. International Film Festival  July 27- 28 Gwinnett Center  www.gwinnettcenter.com

Flicks on the Bricks  July 21 Duluth Festival Center  www.duluthga.net Les Miserables  July 25 – September 08 Aurora Theatre  www.auroratheartre.com Broadway in the Park  July 26 – 27 Suwanee Town Center Park  www.suwaneeperformingarts.com 8 p.m. Repticon – A Reptile & Exotic Animal Expo  July 27- 28 Gwinnett County Fairgrounds www.gwinnettcountyfair.com $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children and free admission for under 4

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Across 1. “Raiders of the Lost ___” 4. Old Glory 8. Fitness centers 12. Pygmy buffalo 13. Enormous birds of myth 14. Air 15. Grace word 16. Abrasives 18. Home for the poor 20. Killers whales 21. High school class, for short 22. “___ Doubtfire” 23. Jewish month 24. Mame, for one 26. “Check this out!” 28. Moray, e.g. 29. Attack ad, maybe 30. Greek cheese 31. European language 32. Usual 4th celebration 35. “Let it stand” 38. Carbamide 39. Milky gems 43. Big ___ Conference 44. Coal site 45. Nature

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15. Rum cakes 17. “Go ahead!” 19. Bauxite, e.g. 23. Boris Godunov, for one 25. 1920’s chief justice 26. Kentucky valley 27. Ancient colonnade 30. “Charlotte’s Web” girl 31. Catch a glimpse of 33. Archaeological site 34. Cabbage 35. Stars mate 36. Adolescent 37. Law maker Down 40. Goes after 1. Buttercup family member 41. Splenic 2. Betsy 42. Hoses 3. Language in India 44. O. Henry’s “The Gift 4. Moth of the ___” 5. Arcing shots 45. Apple 6. “God’s Little ___” 47. Yellow-flowered shrub 7. Fed. construction 48. Additional overseer 51. “That’s a ___!” 8. American flag element 52. #1 spot 9. Boxer 53. Not kosher 10. Star on Scorpious 55. Santa ___ 11. Attached 12. Ornamental onion Solution on page 15

Meet Cathy Ruffing: Learn About Gwinnett’s Swim Heritage By Ashton Pike If you have never met a person who works year round and absolutely loves their job, then you obviously have never met Cathy Ruffing, Gwinnett Aquatics’ year round swim team coach and Evergreen Lakes’ summer league swim team head coach. Instead of taking a break during the summer to relax on an exotic beach, Ruffing remains hard at work, persevering through the summer heat to train young athletes into future Olympians. Though she barely has time to relax as her schedule is filled with coaching and swimming and more coaching, Ruffing gladly invests the majority of her time to swimming. “I go home exhausted and usually happy,” explains Ruffing. A roster of 149 swimmers may frighten and scare away rookies in the coaching business, but Ruffing is no rookie. With over 30 years of swim team coaching experience, and over 10 years of personal competitive swimming experience, coaching and swimming are second nature to her. Ever since Ruffing began swimming lessons as a toddler at Glenwood Hills Public Pool, her talent in the water has been noticed and admired by many. Ruffing began her swimming career at the age of 7 when her swimming lessons instructor convinced her to join the summer league swim team, Midway, in DeKalb County. In fact, in 1975 Midway won the DeKalb Championships with the help of Ruffing and some other current coaches in the swim league: Mark Medley of Summit Chase and Rick Creed of Chateau Elan. Ruffing’s talent and dedication to swimming drove her to keep moving forward. She joined the Decatur DeKalb YMCA Aquabears, swam at the Northlake Aquatic Club, pursued swimming through high school for the Dynamo Swim Club, and swam competitively for 2 years at Georgia State University, where she also met her husband and fellow swim team member, Martin Ruffing. One of her major accomplishments was holding a state record in the IM (Individual Medley) at the age of 12, only 4 years after she began swimming competitively. Though Ruffing is a mother of 2 boys, Mason and Andrew, both college graduates, and the adored wife of Martin Ruffing since 1985, she balances her family and work quite easily since the two intertwine. When her boys got older, they began swimming competitively, and she was outside of the pool as their coach. Ruffing says, “As they got older and started swimming on the team, [coaching] became more precious to me. My parents would come to the meets to watch the boys swim. They were so proud of me as a coach and the boys as swimmers. Winning high school state championship back to back with my boys and Parkview High School has to rank up there as some very special memories.” A regular summer week in the life of Ruffing consists of coaching the swim team at Evergreen Lakes from 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. During this time, Ruffing coaches swimmers between the ages of 4 and 18. Following these groups, she leads private lessons for several hours, showing her dedication to the swimmers so that they can perform their best at meets on Thursdays. From 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Ruffing’s presence is also required at Gwinnett Aquatics to coach 8 to 12 year olds who train year round. However, even during her busiest weeks, Ruffing manages to take a couple of days to get in the water herself with her masters group, with whom she has a 2 or 3 day meet on the weekends once or twice a month. Throughout a regular week, Ruffing encounters over 200 student swimmers who are eager to excel in the sport. “Swimming is fantastic in so many ways,” Ruffing says. “The swimmers learn to improve themselves as well as learn to work with a team. You are not always just racing another person, but you are racing the clock, which makes you race yourself. I always encourage the swimmers to not worry about what place they came in, but what was your time. This way, you can be the slowest or the fastest, and you can always improve.” The most stressful part of her job at Evergreen Lakes is when she is in charge of all the entries and paperwork for each meet on meet days. In the 10-week season, there are 6 dual meets and the County Championships. “Trying to figure out who is in or out of town this week and where to best place the swimmers to strategically win the most points is always a challenge. On meet days, my assistant coaches run the warm-up sessions while I frantically figure out how to complete the relays of 4 swimmers when the ones that were originally assigned do not show up. I hate it when I have 3 swimmers staring at me because someone went home early, and they don’t get to swim,” explains Ruffing. On the other hand, Ruffing’s perseverance through the stressful times pays off as she watches her swimmers progress week after week. Fun Day Fridays occur weekly the day after a meet and are when the swimmers receive ribbons that show improvement Continued on page 17

PAGE 8

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

Our Town

This Summer Make It Paris By Pam Walker “April in Paris…” So begins the famous song that touts the wonderful French city. A walk down the Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde gives you a real sense of place in this romantic city. In April, there are fewer tourists and you can almost feel like a native as you stroll down the Left Bank admiring some of the local artwork that is always on display. However, the summer months have set in and this year Paris is back in a big way. For a while Americans dismissed France from travel plans because of that country’s position against the war with Iraq. That was yesterday. The movie Les Miserables has put Paris back on the map. Relive the movie by taking a walk along the Seine, or visiting Notre Dame. Paris’ answer to MARTA is the METRO, the easiest way to get around. Colored maps easily display the rail lines to the major tourist sites, allowing you to avoid the horrendous traffic on the streets above. No visit to Paris would be complete without a visit to the “Tour Eiffel.” Over 1000 feet high this famous landmark was inaugurated by Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, in 1889. Elevators take you partway; but to get the view from the top, you must climb the last steps. The famed Arc de Triomphe was erected by Napoleon, and the massive towers of the Cathedral of Notre Dame were made famous by the story of the renowned “hunchback” who inhabited them. Best of all, Paris has wonderful museums. You can even tour the sewers of Paris that were used by French patriots during the French Revolution, or go on a chocolate tasting tour. Thanks to the movie, Paris is again exciting; and this summer is a perfect time to a visit. Pam Walker is a Virtuoso Travel Advisor. You can reach her at pliwalker@earthlink.net

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Restaurants That Rock:

Jimmy D’s-in Lilburn: A Can’t Miss Food Experience By Ryan T. Sauers Q and A with Joe: Owner of Jimmy D’s New York Café Q: Where are you originally from in New York? How long have you been in GA? I’m originally from Long Island and I have lived in Georgia since 1994. Q: So why did you decide to start a New York style restaurant in Atlanta? Well, I love to cook at home and make the meals that I grew up on. I found that there were restaurants that did have a few things on their menu that were New York style, but no one focused on it. I wanted to bring the flavors of New York here and really bring that experience to both northerners who live here now, and to locals who aren’t accustomed to New York style foods. Plus, it’s only fair that everyone has the opportunity to experience the delicious flavors of New York. Q: How long has your restaurant been open? We opened on April 27, 2013 and things have been going great. Q: Where is the restaurant located? We are at 4111 Stone Mountain Hwy in Lilburn, just west of Killian Hill Road, in front of the Home Depot Shopping Center. Q: What do customers tell you

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after they have tried your food? The Northerners say that the food brings back memories of home and the flavors that they miss so much. The locals really enjoy the unique items that we offer. They all say they are happy a new place has opened that doesn’t offer the same old thing. Q: What types of food do you offer? Do you have any special/secret recipes? We offer breakfast and lunch right now, but I am getting more and more requests to open for dinner. I may do that in the near future. My special recipes are my homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Everything is homemade and cooked to order, so it is as fresh as can be. Q: What does Jimmy D’s offer that is different from other breakfast or lunch restaurants in Gwinnett? We have a unique menu with such items as a French Toast Bagel, which is an authentic NY bagel sliced and made into French toast. We also serve our sandwiches on bagels as well as your choice of bread. Our most recent addition is a Meatloaf Parmesan Sub. That one pretty much sells out every day. The one that has received the best reaction is the Glazed Grilled Cheese, where we use a glazed doughnut instead of bread. That’s just to name a few. I can go on and on. Q: What vision do you have for the restaurant? To be a local favorite in Lilburn and the community, and to keep people smiling when they taste our food. Q: What do you want Our Town Magazine readers to know about you and Jimmy D’s? That I’m not Jimmy D, which people think when they walk in the door. Jimmy D was my father. He passed away two years ago and I wanted to pay homage to him by naming the café after him. But if you come in and ask for Joe D, I’ll be here. Q: Please tell us anything else we should know about Jimmy D’s! Please be sure to stop by on July 14th. We will be having a Grand Opening combined with a Classic/Muscle car show from 11:30am – 4pm. All proceeds from the car show, as well as 10% of all our food sales, will benefit the Tripp Halstead family. A great cause, beautiful cars, fantastic entertainment, and delicious food.

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

Our Town

A Senior Moment: Track Changes

dad talk to an attorney or a financial planner that he has used over the years. It is vital that he discloses what he can afford soon. Having a third party broach these subjects with your parent often relieves the children of that responsibility. I’m here when you are ready to look. God Bless! Amy

By Amy Hentschel Dear Amy, My dad’s doctor told him last week that he is no longer safe to drive or live alone. He has had ongoing health issues since my mother passed, and has fallen several times trying to take showers or get out of bed. He is ready to start looking at senior communities, but he tells me all the time that he can’t afford it. Honestly, I have no idea what his income is or if they have enough in savings. My parents always kept financial matters to themselves, but now he wants me to help him and I don’t know where to start or what budget to work with! Help! How do I get this information and still show him respect? We need to move fast before another fall. What do you suggest? Connie-Grayson, GA Dear Connie, First of all, congratulations on getting through some tough milestones! The doctor has done a great job of helping your dad see that driving and living alone is no longer safe or in his best interest. As a senior care advisor, I am often called on to help with these tough financial conversations. Your dad’s generation grew up coming out of the depression and getting by with very little. He has been a good steward of his resources and naturally is struggling with the incredible cost of 24-hour care. The average assisted living community ranges from $3000-$4000 a month, well over most senior’s income. If he was a veteran, then he may qualify for the Aid and Attendance program which reimburses senior care for veterans as much as $1700 a month. I would recommend that you find another gentleman his age that your dad trusts, perhaps someone from church or a former neighbor who lives in assisted living. Ask him to talk to your dad about assisted living and how he was worried about the money, too. This trusted friend could perhaps approach this change as an earned benefit that his service time awarded him. You may even want to have your

Amy Hentschel, founder of Senior Provisions LLC, offers 20 years of experience to the senior market, helping to guide families through the maze of senior care. Senior Provisions offers personalized planning and referrals at no cost to families. For more information, call 678-925-0223.

People in the News Dr. Jeffrey S. Hackleman of Snellville was recently selected by his peers to serve as president-elect of the Georgia Optometric Association. Founded in 1904, the Georgia Optometric Association (GOA) is a statewide professional organization whose 750 members serve communities throughout the state and work to provide the public with quality vision and eye care services. Prior to being elected president-elect, Dr. Hackleman served in a variety of positions in the Georgia Optometric Association including secretary, treasurer, and Georgia Carrier Advisory Committee representative; GOA Ninth District vice president and president; and, for the American Optometric Association, Ohio State University College of Optometry student trustee. Dr. Hackleman is in practice at Heritage Vision Center located at 2427 Heritage Village, Suite #4, Snellville, GA 30078 and can be reached at 770-978-2020. He specializes in primary family eyecare, with a focus on sports vision and dry eye therapy. Dr. Hackleman completed his undergraduate studies at Purdue University and received his optometric degree from Ohio State University. He performed internships at the TLC Laser Eye Center, Columbus, Ohio, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Hampton, Virginia.

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Your Brand of Communications By Ryan T. Sauers Successful organizations recognize the power of branding, and they work hard to develop their brand through effective communications. This process includes establishing valuable brand equity, as well as a recognizable brand name. So what does this mean to you? Think about our instant recognition of Nike’s “Just Do It,” or Apple’s “there’s an app for that” campaign. These messages are effective in connecting a customer with the brand, making a brand experience personal. For example, are you a McDonald’s or Burger King person? A Coke or Pepsi person? You get the idea. Successful communication of your brand is both the present and the future of marketing. It is not about you or what you offer. It never was. It is about customers. It always has been, and always will be. This means that the way an organization communicates its message is of utmost importance. Always remember that building a strong, recognizable, reliable, and consistent brand takes time, effort, and commitment. It requires a deliberate, purposeful, and intentional strategy. This hard work pays off by creating brand loyalty—one of the most valuable assets any organization can have. Quite frankly, brand loyalty is why customers will pay more for goods and services. A brand is the sum total of key ideas, emotions, and perceptions that are communicated to your audience and associated with your organization’s work. A brand is like “shorthand” for the identifying characteristics your stakeholders retain and recall when they reflect upon their experiences with your organization. I have developed an acronym to help us better understand and examine the subject of a brand. A BRAND can be considered the Barometer reading of one’s Reputation, Attributes, Name, and Distinctiveness. This means it is the “barometer” or measurement of your “reputation” (what your organization stands for), your “attributes” (the characteristics others use when describing you), your “name” (which suggests something good, bad, or indifferent when a person hears it), and your “distinctiveness” (what makes you different/unique). So the question is not whether you have a brand—all organizations have a brand. But rather, what do you do with your brand? Your brand is not defined by what you say it is, but by what others say it is. We all know that perception is reality.

Here are five things a business should consider when it comes to “branding.” 1. Be consistent. Do you successfully communicate your message online and offline on a regular basis? Can your current and prospective customers easily recall and define who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique? 2. Be remarkable. What does this mean? Be worthy of someone making a positive remark about you. A great brand is an organization that does not merely have satisfied customers, but instead has raving fans. 3. Don’t become overwhelmed with social, mobile, and emerging media. Remember, it is all about the psychology, not the technology. These tools are simply new ways to communicate, and, if used correctly, they are an asset, not a threat. They are a tool not the tool in your marketing mix. However, when used correctly, they can help you grow your business in an exponential manner. 4. Determine what it is you are best at. After you decide this, embrace it, and then build and promote your brand around it. Print it, email it, tweet it, video it, handwrite it, etc. Note: Be sure to build trust in all your communications. Continued on page 14

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By Susan Cadley

When _______ happened, I felt ________________. And I would like you to___________ or not____________. This process is clear, concise, and to the point. If the receiver becomes defensive, go back to the three-step process and repeat yourself. The next time you wish you had said something to someone instead of swallowing your words, go back and use the three-step process. It’s never too late to speak your truth or to begin learning to care for yourself. Susan Cadley, LPC, Licensed Professional Counselor, is available for couples and/ or adult individual counseling in Suwanee. She may be reached directly and confidentially at 678-296-1278 or www.susancadley.com.

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“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” Maggie Kuhns Do you find that you often “bite your tongue” and “swallow your words” so you won’t “rock the boat”? If so, you may need a quick lesson in speaking your truth. Speaking your truth is not about lashing out at others or shaming someone on purpose. It is about clearly communicating how you feel, which is difficult for many people. The reasons why it is so difficult to speak up are varied, but they mostly stem from how we learned to handle conflict or express our feelings. As children, many people were told to be quiet, not cry, or stop being angry. Or, if there was chaos and conflict in the household, a child may have decided to stay quiet because he/she was afraid of getting hurt. These early experiences mold how we express ourselves as adults. The benefits of speaking up include increased self-esteem, relaxation in the body, and richer relationships. In order to begin this process, you must decide that you want to improve your communication skills. Then notice bodily cues when you have an interaction with someone. You may have a feeling in the pit of your stomach, your jaw may tighten, or you clench your fists. Noticing is the first step. Next, decide to practice speaking your truth with someone safe, someone you know will not leave or ridicule you. This practice is like exercise: it takes repetition for this muscle to build. Expect to feel scared at first. Here is a quick three-step process to get you started:

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There Is a Better Answer to Helping Kids with ADD/ADHD By Dr. Jeanette Altieri Concerta, Ritalin, Adderal, and many other drugs are used to treat children with ADD/ADHD. However, they always come with side effects, some more severe than others. These side effects include seizures, high blood pressure, headaches, anxiety, stomach and appetite problems, and confusion. They can also cause trouble concentrating, which is why they are being taken in the first place. These drugs work to change the chemistry in the brain, but most are prescribed without testing to see which neurotransmitter is causing the problem. So it essentially becomes a guessing game as to which drug to use, if a neurotransmitter is really the problem since there are other reasons why children have attention issues. Your child may start with one drug, but then that one gets changed until maybe you hit the “right one.” But why guess? Why not look at the big picture of what is going on in the body and nervous system and correct the problem? No one wants to live on medications for life, especially if you don’t have to. There is another way! It is not just a matter of checking neurotransmitters like serotonin or dopamine. It’s looking at the body’s chemistry, and how it is working or not working. For instance, a lot of your serotonin is produced in the gut, so if that’s where the problem is, fix the gut and you fix the problem. When helping people with ADD/ADHD, we look at the whole picture of what is going on in the body with some simple tests. Then we use supplements to bring chemistry and function back to normal instead of using harmful drugs that just cover up the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. You have just found a better way. Don’t wait. Call today! Dr. Dr. Jeanette Altieri is Owner of AC Spine & Wellness Center.

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PAGE 13

Like - A Four-Letter Word By Tamsen Boone It’s past the time to clean up our children’s language! Have you listened lately to what your child has to say? I mean really listened? I challenge you to count the number of times your child uses the word like in a short conversation as he is on the way to the bus stop or she is coming home from the soccer fields. Sadly, it’s not just our students. I’ve even been guilty as well. The use of like, as either an interjection or to introduce dialogue, is rapidly infecting the 40 and under population. This trend should have disappeared with Valspeak, big hair, and shoulder pads. Like is a tricky little word. It is most commonly used as a verb, as in I like teaching, or a preposition, Your paper looks surprisingly like one from the internet, but it can also be used as a noun, adjective, or subordinating conjunction. If the word like shows up in a student’s paper as one of these parts of speech, we’re golden. However, the way we speak often pours into the pen when we write, and teachers across America are pulling their hair and gouging out their eyes as they read the written words of our young scholars. While the use of like as an interjection or filler still remains more verbal than written, as in Their language is, like, terrible, the use of what linguists now call the quotative like (yes, they have a name for it) is surfacing more often in student essays. For example, “The main character is like, ‘We must save the world from bad grammar and usage,’ and the evil antagonist responds like, ‘You’ll never defeat mob rule, so go ahead and accept the quotative like sooner than later.’” A linguist may contend that a new use of like is perfectly acceptable since languages are living entities and evolve from one generation to the next. One argument is that the quotative like can introduce paraphrased material: The teacher was like, “My students are never going to get it.” Another claim is that like is an effective tool when introducing thoughts an individual has that are never truly verbalized in a conversation: I was thinking like, yea, if I’m starting to slip into this bad habit, how can I expect more from my students? As one who always expects clarity in writing, I’d prefer my student use clear, vivid verbs when introducing dialogue: My editor (exclaimed, thought, added, detailed, argued, screamed, whispered, announced, contended, whined) that I should be sure to meet my deadlines. There are so many brilliant ways to paint a clear picture when introducing thoughts and dialogue that it is a shame the word like is creeping in. If a college professor is not likely to accept such informality in proper writing, or if most interviewers will not be tolerant of what is still considered colloquial speech, we should train our children/students to avoid it. Therefore, here’s to holding our ground in hopes that these variations of like will be snuffed out. In an effort to combat the treacherous debauchery of our language, we now make a game out of like in our home. I simply put up a finger at the first use of an inappropriate like, and then raise an additional finger for each time I hear my child use the word incorrectly. Their carpool buddies have fun playing along as well. I challenge you to take note of the language your child is using and eliminate like before we hardly recognize our own language (hyperbole intended).

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Your Brand of Communications Continued from page 12

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5. Be authentic. What does this mean? Simply, only you can be you. Your competitors can copy your ideas, but they cannot replicate your DNA. Remember, your brand is that “extra value” you provide, and the reason a customer stays with you over similar competition/offerings in the market. When pondering your brand, you must first determine what it is all about. Obtain feedback from those around you as a first step. Be sure to obtain this 360-degree-feedback from those close to you as well as those who are more removed from you. Once you know what your brand is, you can determine the ways you want to grow, change, re-frame, promote, and/or strengthen your current brand position. So, how do you define your brand? Does it matter? You bet. We all have a brand, and there is no better time than now to address it. Let us know if we can help. Ryan T. Sauers is President/Owner of Sauers Consulting Strategies, whose business is growing your business. The firm consults, trains, and speaks on sales, marketing, and organizational strategies for organizations across the country. Sauers is working on his Doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership, and is an adjunct college professor. Sauers is a certified Myers-Briggs (MBTI) and DiSC practitioner as well as a Certified Marketing Executive. This article is based on a chapter from Sauers’ best-selling book, Everyone Is in Sales, which can be ordered through Amazon at www.everyoneinsales.com. For more information, visit www.ryansauers.com.

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Depression, ADHD, or Both? By Carol Chandler-Wood If your child has been diagnosed with attention deficit and/or depression, you may find this month’s article informative. I read a publication recently by Dr. Lara HonosWebb, Ph.D. in a publication entitled ADDitude. The following is my summary of the article which I think many readers may find informative and helpful. There are occasions when a child is misdiagnosed with having ADHD when he or she is depressed, or a diagnosis of depression is made when the child has ADHD. Because both depression and ADHD have overlapping characteristics, there is a high risk of misdiagnosing the two. For example, forgetfulness, low motivation, and an inability to concentrate are found in both ADHD and depression. Therefore, it is important to seek a trained specialist for your child to make sure the diagnosis is correct. However, it is not uncommon for children to become depressed after they learn they have been diagnosed as “attention deficit.” To them an ADHD diagnosis means they are slow, have a brain disorder, can’t control him/herself, stink at school, are not on the same playing field as others, or are not as smart as other kids. What a terrible way in which to view oneself, yet it happens more than we may know in children and adults! Research has shown that when a person views him or herself negatively, he/she is at risk for depression. In other words, an ADHD diagnosis can be a recipe for developing depression. The following are five steps that could help reverse the symptoms of depression if your child has been diagnosed or has symptoms consistent with both ADHD and depression: • Determine your child’s gifts and focus on them. People with ADHD actually possess gifts that others may not have such as creativity, emotional sensitivity, interpersonal intuitiveness, exuberance, and feeling connected to nature. Other gifts can be the ability to lead, being strong willed, and being inner directed. Focusing on your child’s gifts can aid in building motivation and confidence. • Build emotional intelligence. Accept your child’s emotions and then teach him or her to recognize and label them. If your child is able to verbalize that he is angry and needs help to calm down, this may help him or her control the emotions better. By building emotional intelligence, your child will likely reduce the impulsivity and hyperactivity that often accompanies ADHD. • Seek and use cognitive-behavioral therapy with a trained counselor. A counselor can help the child reframe negative thoughts about him/herself into positive ones. Your child can begin to realize he or she is very capable of success by thinking better about his or her abilities, working hard, utilizing sound study strategies, and managing his or her own behaviors and choices. • Get physical exercise each day. Research has shown that physical exercise increases focus and concentration, as well as improves depression symptoms by increasing neurotransmitter levels in the brain. A half hour or more of physical exercise before school and in the afternoon or evening before study time can help! • Talk to your child’s doctor about medications. Recent research has suggested that psychotherapy and other treatments can be as effective as anti-depressant medications when depression is mild to moderate. However, for severe depression, medications should be considered. Remember, children and teens that have been treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, need to be monitored closely since research has found elevated rates of suicide attempts among those taking this type of medication. Our children deserve to know and understand the many positive traits of having attention challenges. This diagnosis can help a child understand WHY he or she thinks and behaves in certain ways and also recognize how truly gifted he or she is! Some of the most successful and creative individuals have had the same diagnosis and are accomplishing remarkable things in their lives! Carol Wood is Founder & CEO of Total Learning Concepts, Inc.

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770.985.6070 A Fighter Pilot’s Toughest Mission… Local business owner and author, Julie MillsWatson, shares her thoughts about her new book, Here’s the Deal About Cancer, in this informative question and answer session. By Karen Tanner-Holt In April 1998 Julie’s husband, Tommy, turned his F-14 fighter jet into position for a routine air combat maneuver and suddenly realized that he was nearly blind! Was he blacking out due to pulling too many “G’s”? Had his oxygen malfunctioned? Having nothing but training and instinct to guide him home, he managed to somehow land in one piece. Two days later, they sat in stunned silence as a doctor told them Tommy had a malignant brain tumor. Q. What prompted you to share your journey by writing a book? A. Julie: At first, when Tommy was diagnosed with cancer and we began doing integrative therapies (nutrition, supplements, and building up his immune system, along with the chemotherapy and surgery), we saw a huge increase in quality of life. I was so excited about it. I had to share it with everybody. Later, my Dad really encouraged me to write it down. At first, I said, “No, I’m not a writer. I’m not going to do that.” After hearing about it for the twentieth time, I finally took his advice and began writing it all down. That’s how the book began. Q. If you had someone in your life who just received a cancer diagnosis, what would you say to them? A. Julie: The first thing you can do even before getting any treatment plan is to immediately change your diet and your lifestyle. There’s an environment in which cancer can live. Changing that environment so that it cannot live is definitely in your hands. It can be improved with good nutrition, supplements, and hydration.

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Next thing I would say: know your cancer. Know where it is. What it is called? Know what organ it is. Can you live without it? Lastly, get a second opinion. You don’t always have to go with the physician who diagnosed you. Perhaps it’s not his/her specialty. It’s all about what’s best for you. Seek out the specialist for that particular type of cancer. They are the ones doing the research and writing the journal papers. Tommy’s cancer was in the brain, so we sought out a neurooncologist. Also, it’s okay to travel to see these specialists. Don’t think that just because they aren’t local that they are beyond your reach. It’s your life we’re talking about. Q. What do you hope people will take away from the book after they’ve read it? A. Julie: They don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I’ve answered a lot of questions that we had along our journey. It was a nine year journey. You need to build your quality of health and life for the medications to be more effective. To fight the battle, you need to integrate; you need to make changes. It’s not about taking a magic pill. I’m hoping the book will help you make those changes. It’s very overwhelming out there in the internet world. There is such conflicting information, and this book just cuts right to the chase. It tells you exactly how the environment even exists in your body to create disease and what you can do to change that. Integrating both the conventional and alternative medicine worked very well for us, and I hope it will work for others. In closing, Julie Mills stood beside her husband, Tommy, every step of the way during his long battle with brain cancer. They had three small children at the time of his diagnosis, and had no medical background. However, by being proactive and changing their lifestyles, a diagnosis of only two years turned into nearly nine. Tom’s prognosis of brain damage and the inability to speak gave way to his working full time and even playing golf! The probability of their children not knowing their dad turned into years of wonderful memories for their family. Because of this journey, Julie Mills is now a nationally certified massage therapist, certified lymphedema therapist, certified oncology massage therapist, specialist in mastectomy therapies, certified health coach, contributing columnist, and the founder of the Body of Health and Life Clinic in Snellville, Georgia. Here’s the Deal About Cancer is available online at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, Cornerstone Christian Book Store, or at Body of Health, 1780 Oak Road, Suite A2, Snellville, GA 30078, 678-344-0050, www.bodyofhealthandlife.com.

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

Our Town

Successful Parent – Teacher Partnerships By Kristin McCabe As parents, we want our children to succeed in all aspects of their lives. One of the easiest ways to ensure your child’s success in school is by developing a quality relationship with your child’s teacher and becoming involved in special classroom events. With the new school year fast approaching, it is the perfect time to start building the foundation for a successful relationship. Here are a few tips on how you can create the kind of parent-teacher partnership that will benefit you and your family and support your child’s teacher: Invest in orientation. Worried about what you can expect on the first day of school for both you and your child? Don’t skip orientation. This may be the first time you meet your child’s teacher. It’s also the best way to calm your nerves and get answers to initial questions! If you can’t make the orientation, don’t be afraid to schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher for another day. Be ready. Go to orientation, or the first day of school, prepared. Have emergency contact information and all the required paperwork ready to give the school or your child’s teacher. For orientation, draft a list of questions you would like to have answered. Keep the lines of communication open. If you have a concern, or your child said something you didn’t understand, ask about it immediately. If there is a problem, it can’t be solved unless someone knows about it. On the other hand, if you are particularly happy with how something is going, let the teacher and school know. Teachers are like everyone else — they enjoy hearing positive feedback. It makes them feel good and opens the door to positive two-way communication. Take the home-to-school connection seriously. Being involved in your child’s education is not as difficult as it might seem. Remember, you are your child’s first teacher, so give yourself credit for all the time you have spent reading, modeling appropriate behavior, and answering questions. You can also ask your child’s teacher for ways to extend or encourage exploration and learning at home.

Check-in regularly. In addition to seeing progress reports from your child’s teacher, schedule a conference when you feel like you need to get a better understanding of how your child is doing. Ask what you can do at home to support your child’s learning. A quality relationship between you and your child’s teacher can make a difference in your child’s academic and emotional development. Relationships are built on trust; and trust builds over time and requires communication. Don’t wait for the school or teacher to initiate the contact. Primrose School of Five Forks: in Lawrenceville, www.PrimroseFiveForks.com or call 770.985.0028.

Gwinnett’s Swim Heritage Continued from page 8 for each event, along with doughnuts celebrating their achievements. Ruffing’s favorite part of her job is hooking the athletes to the sport and helping them discover the world of swimming. “All the small victories of each summer really add up to make my career as a summer league swim coach the reason why I do it,” Ruffing states. Away from the stopwatches and red ribbons, Ruffing works at Mountain Park Elementary during the school year and comments how exciting it is getting to know the swimmers outside the summer league season. “I love being involved with the school and watching my little eels grow throughout the year. Some of my swimmers call me Mrs. Ruffing at school, but some of them love to call me Coach Cathy. They seem to want everyone to know that I’m their swim coach.” Swimming has become more than a sport to Ruffing; it has become a lifestyle. Since the age of 7, she has taken on swimming as the student, the coach, and the parent, not to mention having broken a state record. Though she has been coaching competitive swimming for over 30 years, Ruffing continues her career as her love for the sport and the job has not quite allowed her to retire. Ruffing jokes, “I always thought I would retire from swimming when [Mason and Andrew] graduated high school, but here I am still coaching, and they have graduated from college. I hope I can stop coaching by the time the grandchildren come along...”

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Our Town

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PAGE 17

Shuffling Along

Baseball Is Similar to Life – Part 2

By Kelly Farris

Getting to Second Base

From a distance we see that senior citizen’s unmistakable shuffling: small steps in a turtle pace and looking down at the ground. You may be surprised that this pattern of walking usually has no mechanical cause. Research has shown that healthy seniors, with no disease or history of falls, adopt this gait-pattern solely out of a “fear of falling”. Most everyone can relate to this fear. Ever walk on ice or snow? We naturally change the way we move and walk to prevent ourselves from falling. It’s a natural response to prevent a fall. How can a natural response eventually lead to disaster? Studies show that purposely altering your gait can have a profound impact on muscles used while walking. Cautious walking can lead to less foot clearance to the ground (shuffling). Knees bent to lower your center of gravity reduces your natural arm swing that balances the movement of the legs. With all these altered walking movements, you can no longer stabilize your body while moving because it reduces the load to the muscles and causes muscle atrophy. Take these shrunken muscles, tiny steps, altered balance, and a crack in a sidewalk and, bam, you are going to fall. So what can you do to improve your gait and balance and reduce your fear of falling? The first thing that I tell my clients undergoing gait-training is to “look up.” Your eyes will guide you through obstacles ahead. As an avid mountain biker, we say look through the corners. Your eyes tell your brain how to navigate through technical obstacles you find on the trails. You are much less likely to fall if you see what’s coming. The next thing you can do is functional training, training with life specific movements and balance exercises. Enlist the services of a certified personal trainer who has specific skills in corrective exercise. This type of training can dramatically change your gait for better, safer movement. Then, get on the floor. No one wants to fall and then not get up. Many people don’t have the strength to get off the floor, simply because they don’t do it anymore. Practice makes perfect. Practice getting up and down from the ground. In the trendy world of fitness options, most of which are not suitable for the average person, real world movements are often forgotten and not addressed. Bottom line: addressing the “fear of falling” can dramatically improve seniors’ self-efficacy and build confidence, ultimately resulting in a better quality of life and continued independence. Kelly Farris, ACSM CPT is Owner of Ladies Workout Snellville.

PAGE 18

By Glenton Ashby Last time I wrote about getting to financial first base. The next stage, getting to second base, involves supporting a family, buying a home, saving for retirement, paying off outstanding debt (based on the plan set up at first base), and putting asset protection into place. Buying a home brings a new element of debt. However, this is not “bad” debt if it is handled correctly: buying only what you can truly afford. Make sure to get adequate homeowner’s insurance coverage for replacing your structure and possessions. Or, if you are a renter, buy a renter’s insurance policy. Saving for retirement should begin in this stage if you haven’t begun to save already. Take advantage of employer-sponsored retirement savings plans. If your employer offers any type of matching, do what is necessary to get the whole match. Alternatively, look into a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA, or perhaps you might consider your own personal or small-business retirement plan. Very likely you may have to weigh saving for retirement against saving for your child’s college education. Err on the side of saving for your own retirement. You won’t be able to borrow to fund retirement, and your children may not be able to support you later in life. For those saving for college consider a 529 plan. In Georgia contributing to a 529 plan also brings the potential benefit of a tax deduction for all or part of the contribution. Finally, proper asset protection is essential if you have dependents and/or substantial assets. Have a written will to define what happens with your belongings when you are gone, including defining guardians for minor dependents. If you do not have employer-provided disability insurance, add a personal disability insurance policy. Also, make financial provisions for surviving dependents through term life insurance. As you move on to third base, expect more life changes. Glenton Ashby is the founder and owner of Halcyon Financial Planning, LLC, a fee-only financial planning and Registered Investment Advisor firm. Visit www.HalcyonFP.com.

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

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