Atlanta Senior Life - January 2020

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By Donna Williams Lewis

Two years ago, Ronald and Samra Robbins launched a program that altered life for dozens of families at Dunwoody’s Kingsley Elementary School. Their Backpack Buddies program at Congregation Beth Shalom began by providing weekend meals for 50 children at a school where more than half of the student body qualified for free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch.

But even at the beginning, the Robbins knew they were just getting started.

Thanks to their determination and to an anonymous donor, Backpack Buddies has spawned 15 affiliate programs in synagogues,

‘Hunger doesn’t take the weekend off’ Groups respond to rallying cry of Backpack Buddies founders

churches and other locations in just a little more than a year.

“The best part about this to me is that without a huge amount of effort, there are a huge amount of children being fed,” Samra Robbins said.

Nearly 500 children at 10 schools are now receiving enough food for the weekend through the work of all of the groups.

The Robbins’ Beth Shalom group has upped its own efforts and now, in addition to Kingsley, also delivers backpacks weekly to 30 children at Montclair Elementary School and to 25 at Woodward Elementary School. Children should not be going hungry in America, Ronald Robbins said. “We have so many freedoms but so many people who don’t have food to

Right,

Above, from left, volunteers Mary Freeman, Kristen Wages and Matt Hurd sort food into bins at Skyland United Methodist Church in Brookhaven on Oct. 3, the first day of the Backpack Buddies program at the church. Each week, volunteers deliver backpacks filled with weekend food to 25 students at Montclair Elementary School.

(Photo by Rev. Dr. Miguel Vélez )

Top right, volunteers sort food for the Backpack Buddies program at Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs for students at Dunwoody Springs and Dresden elementary schools. From left are Susan Eisenstein, Ruth Levison, Roberta Rittner and Sharon Freedman.

Backpack Buddies co-founders Ronald and Samra Robbins, center, talk with, Rose Haber, left, and Bonnie Cook, co-leaders of the Backpack Buddies program at Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs. Behind them, volunteers Larry Ellison and Susan Eisenstein sort food.

(Photos by Donna Williams Lewis)

eat,” he said. The retired Ford Motor Co. sales and marketing executive typically books three or four meetings a week with organizations he hopes to sell on starting their own Backpack Buddies programs.

His message to them: “Hunger doesn’t take the weekend off.”

“Samra’s been there right by my side the whole time,” he said. “This has been a labor of love for both of us.”

All it takes to start a Backpack Buddies program, he tells prospects, is “having a place to store and pack the food, a champion willing to spearhead the effort, willing volunteers and a desire to help feed nutritionally challenged children in the community.”

‘So blessed with volunteers’

Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs was Backpack Buddies’ first affiliate and sent its first delivery to Dunwoody Springs Elementary School in September 2018. Co-led by Rose Haber, Bonnie Cook and Debbie Sonenshine, the group has now added Dresden Elementary School to its list. Their program delivers weekend meals for 80 children between the two schools, with expectations to add more as time goes on.

They have a wait list for volunteers.

“So many people have wanted to participate it’s unbelievable,” Haber said. “We have been so blessed with volunteers.” Among them, Alan Cohn and Larry Ellison help to pick up, sort and deliver the food.

“I think it’s a great way to help the children in school. A child has to be healthy to learn,” Ellison said.

One of the group’s appeals is that all money donated goes directly to the children, Cook said. “There’s no lack of needs, even in our wealthy suburbs,” she said.

Donations have come from both their congregation and the community, with some following the Jewish custom of giving

monetary gifts in increments of 18, Cook said.

Eighteen is the numerical value of the Hebrew word “chai,” which means “life,” and the congregation was told that $180 could provide enough weekend food for a child for an entire school year.

protein products, two vegetable items, two cereals, two fruits, two milks, two juices and two snacks.

The bins’ contents are loaded into sacks which are delivered weekly to schools for students selected for the program with parental permission. Counselors place the food into the backpacks on Fridays for the children to take home on the weekends, and they return the backpacks to school on Mondays.

The affiliate programs generally follow the same guidelines but, as autonomous organizations, can design their own workflows.

‘This is what it’s all about’

An anonymous donor has been key to Backpack Buddies’ expansion, providing a $1,500 grant to each new affiliate and a $500 mentoring grant to the group that launches them. New groups must commit to serve at least 24 children and to grow their Backpack Buddies programs over time.

3. On Oct. 6, a family came to our church and one of the little boys was telling our youth pastor about getting food in his backpack,” Flanagan said.

“I choked up,” she said. “It’s one thing to think about it in theory, but to have a human being in our sanctuary who got one of those bags, it kind of just rocked my world. It really made it ‘this is what it’s all about.’”

Backback Buddies affiliates

Backpack Buddies programs launched by Ronald and Samra Robbins:

■ Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Atlanta

■ Assistance League of Atlanta, Chamblee

■ Chamblee First United Methodist Church, Chamblee

■ Congregation B’nai Torah, Sandy Springs

“Some donated $18. A lot of people donated $180. Some did $1,800,” Cook said. “The generosity of the community has been overwhelming.”

How it works

At least twice a month, Ronald, 72, and Samra, 69, visit the Atlanta Food Bank to pick up as much as 1,300 pounds of nonperishable food in seven specific categories. They load the food into their SUV, then drive to Beth Shalom and unload it all. When the Food Bank can’t completely fill their needs, they strike out in search of the best grocery store deals.

Once a week, volunteers from their synagogue and the community spend about an hour sorting food into a bin for each child. Each one will contain four

The Robbins help them go through the channels to connect with schools and partner with the Atlanta Food Bank, which charges a small handling fee per pound of food received. The couple also personally donates packing bins, backpacks and packing bags to each new group, offering them ongoing assistance and encouragement.

Eleanor Flanagan, treasurer of Brookhaven’s Skyland United Methodist Church, still remembers her initial talks last August with Ronald Robbins. “I can’t tell you how committed he was to this and how persistent he was,” she said. “He’s just a great guy. … He makes it work for you.”

Today, Flanagan is the administrator of Skyland UMC’s Backpack Buddies program, which has 10 volunteers filling backpacks weekly for 25 Montclair Elementary School students. More than 90 percent of Montclair students qualified for free and reduced-price lunch in 2018.

“Our first delivery was Oct.

■ Congregation Beth Shalom, Dunwoody

■ Congregation Gesher L’Torah, Alpharetta

■ Congregation Or VeShalom, Brookhaven

■ Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, Atlanta

■ Congregation Shearith Israel, Atlanta

■ Kingswood United Methodist Church, Dunwoody

■ Lenbrook Square life plan community, Atlanta

■ Skyland United Methodist Church, Brookhaven

■ Temple Beth Tikvah, Roswell

■ Temple Emanu-El of Atlanta, Sandy Springs

■ Temple Sinai, Sandy Springs

■ The Temple, Atlanta

To learn more, contact Samra Robbins at 912-844-9127, samrarobbins@gmail.com, or Ronald Robbins at 912-272-6245, ronaldrobbins034@gmail.com.

I choked up. It’s one thing to think about it in theory, but to have a human being in our sanctuary who got one of those bags, it kind of just rocked my world. It really made it ‘this is what it’s all about.’

ELEANOR FLANAGAN BROOKHAVEN’S SKYLAND UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

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Assistance League of Atlanta

Assistance League of Atlanta, a nonprofit that helps more than 60,000 children and adults in need each year, launched its Backpack Buddies program in September. The allvolunteer organization delivers 30 backpacks filled with weekend food each week to Dresden Elementary School.

It’s the first time the organization has helped people with food, according to Carol Mason, vice president of philanthropic programs.

“There is a great need in the Atlanta area to provide food for those that are hungry,” Mason said. “We are pleased to be able to feed the children at Dresden for the weekend when they might not have anything to eat.”

Through its programs and a network of community partners, the Assistance League provides new clothing, household goods, hygiene kits, comfort items, baby layettes and educational aid to those affected by poverty, abuse and homelessness. “We love what we are doing to help those in need. We are an organization of very happy people,” Mason said.

Programs are funded by monetary donations and grants and from the sale of donated clothing, household goods and furniture at the Attic Treasures Thrift Shop in Chamblee, at 3534 Broad St. For more info, visit assistanceleague.org/atlanta/thrift-shop.

A counselor speaks

Ruth Blackstock is a counselor at Dresden Elementary School, where 93% of more than 1,000 students receive free and reduced-price meals. Here’s what Blackstock had to say about Backpack Buddies:

“Dresden Elementary started working with the Backpack Buddies program in August 2019. Our first distribution was 9/20. We have distributed every Friday since.

We received almost 300 applications interested in being part of the program. We are currently receiving food for 60 backpacks per week. We hope to increase that number to 100.

Distributing 100 backpacks of food per week is about all we can handle with our current level of volunteers to tag and distribute the bags, track receiving individuals in a spreadsheet and track the bag returns.

Our PTO parents have been the backbone of the tagging and distributing. We so appreciate them!

The students are proud to be receiving the backpacks. They are grateful they can bring some help to their households.

We are so thankful to Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation B’nai Torah and the Assistance League for their faithful donations and support of our students and families.”

Photo by Asep Mawardi

Two Million Served

Midtown church’s food ministry helps feed the hungry

By Donna Williams Lewis

Every weekday morning, a line of people forms outside the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Midtown. They are there for the lunch of soup, bread and dessert that has been provided by the Lutheran Community Food Ministry since 1982.

On Oct. 23, 2019, the food ministry celebrated a monumental milestone – its two millionth meal served to the hungry.

Mary Howle, a member of the food ministry’s board, said commitment to the meal service is strong. “It’s pretty amazing, I think, in terms of just the longevity of it,” she said.

The celebration included proclamations presented by government officials and a special lunch of fried chicken, yams, green beans and cake.

During the event, the “two

millionth meal” was served to the ministry’s longest continuous guest, Calvin McQueary.

McQueary, who is blind and lives in a nearby senior living community, has been showing up for lunch almost every day since 1993, Howle said.

The food ministry was started to help meet increasing demand at the former Community Kitchen at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, now Crossroads Ministries. When it began, the average number of

lunch guests was 250 to 300.

That count has dropped over time – particularly since the 2017 closure of the nearby PeachtreePine homeless shelter – to an average 80 to 100 today. Most of the food served is donated by grocery stores and restaurants and “rescued” by the Second Helpings Atlanta organization.

The volunteer-driven ministry relies upon financial support from Lutheran Church of the Redeemer and donations from its members,

other churches and individuals. Paid staff do most of the cooking and clean up and provide security. Volunteers prepare plates and serve them.

Spiritual support and connections to resources such as the city’s Public Defender’s Office are offered. Howle and other volunteers also do a monthly greeting card ministry, providing cards, envelopes and stamps. Howle enjoys “watching the delight” as lunch guests choose cards to send. As they talk about their choices, “You see that person as part of a family and part of a structure and not just some random person on the street,” she said.

As its daily meal count drops, the ministry has begun sharing any food its chef can’t use with residents of the nearby senior living community.

Learn more at redeemer.org/ give/volunteer.

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Southern Comfort: The ageless glory of The Colonnade

By Megan Volpert

Atlanta’s beloved The Colonnade restaurant has been around since 1927, and everyone knows it because the date has been on all their signage since the beginning. After 35 years at the corner of Piedmont and Lindbergh, the restaurant moved to Cheshire Bridge, where it has been ever since.

2019 marked the 40th anniversary of The Colonnade’s “new” management of Paul Jones and his family. Amusingly, the Jones clan has been operating The Colonnade for almost as long as its current executive chef, Ryan Cobb, has been alive—and even he’s been working there for more than a decade at this point.

Some of the bartenders have long been eligible for AARP membership. They’ve got a line cook at the restaurant who has been there nearly 40 years. There are as many graying heads behind the scenes as in the dining room.

The Colonnade clientele has a

reputation for being as much gay as gray, and this is one of its truest measures of hospitality.

Most outsiders would expect the grays to be giving stink eye to the gays, or vice versa. But the fact remains, The Colonnade is equally warm and welcoming to everybody, and it expects that the customers will treat each other with a live-and-let-live attitude that includes everyone as part of the restaurant’s family.

This accepting atmosphere is a main reason why folks keep coming back. The Colonnade has some regulars who have been showing up to lunch or dinner two or three times a week for decades.

The other reason they come back is the food. The Colonnade offers traditional Southern fare and the same menu all year round.

If you crave Thanksgiving in July, their turkey and dressing has got you covered. They’ve got a prime rib and a cheeseburger that have been classics since the day they were born. The fried chicken—crispy but not greasy,

seasoned but not spicy—has far more of a right to the title of “Atlanta’s best and most famous fried chicken” than pretty much all other plates attempting to lay claim to such a label.

They’ve got a strawberry shortcake and a coconut icebox pie that can each satisfy three or four spoons digging in at once. That’s only if, somehow, you don’t fill up on bread first. The Colonnade has still got a terrific free bread service of corn muffins and sweet rolls, which you’ll be hard pressed to find in the majority of Atlanta’s finest dining establishments nowadays.

This place is not “fine dining,” but there’s simply no doubt about it being Atlanta’s finest. There’s a consistency—or one might do better to say constancy—to the dishes that provides maximum comfort.

In the Yelp reviews, for example, there are 11 pages of photos going back many years. I went through them, just to look at all the breadbasket pictures,

and you know what? Every single photo looks just like the one in this article.

Many moons ago, when The Colonnade’s coffee supplier changed distribution, the coffee didn’t taste the same, so the restaurant put their regular coffee drinkers through a taste test to get to the coffee they liked best.

In fact, The Colonnade is so entirely reliable that when they finally made the obvious—and many would say long overdue— move from cash only to accepting credit cards, the headlines treated it as a legendary “stop-the-presses” type of moment.

At a place where so few things ever change, perhaps it was indeed major news.

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The Dog Aging Project: Em-‘barking’ on A New Line of Research

Researchers Learning from Dogs

What if we could improve our understanding of human aging with the help of our dogs? Perhaps our four-legged friends can lead us to discover what influences the aging process.

Researchers are working to prove that what takes decades to learn from humans, might be learned much faster with canines. Perhaps as much as seven times faster.

Dogs suffer from major diseases, such as cancer and heart problems, just like people. Canine diseases “[even] include cognitive

decline,” said Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, professor of pathology at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, one of two collaborating universities. (Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences is the other major research lab.)

“Dogs also share our living environment and [like humans] have a diverse genetic makeup,” Kaeberlein said.

The National Institutes of Health believes a $23 million Dog Aging Project now underway

is going to make a valuable contribution to science over the next decade. Although the project has been in its preliminary stages for a while, its full-throttle launch was announced this past November at the annual Gerontological Society of America meeting in Austin, Texas.

The hope is to “… create a national community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and other volunteers,” according to Texas A&M and UW media, who are putting the word out for canine volunteers and their owners.

“Working together to advance knowledge about how genes, habits and the environment influence of dog aging, we can

improve the lives of humans,” says a Texas A&M media statement.

Become A Dog Aging Project Citizen

All owners whose dogs are accepted at the end of the nomination process will become Dog Aging Project citizen scientists. Their dogs will become members of the Dog Aging Project ‘pack,’ according to the study.

All kinds of dogs are invited to be nominated, according to the study. That includes canines of every age, from puppies to seniors; all sizes, from miniature to huge; males and females; neutered or not; and dogs living in all types of locations.

Healthy dogs, as well as those with chronic illnesses, will be considered for this project.

Over the next 10 years, scientists will gather information on about 10,000 enrolled dogs in a collaborative, open-data platform. That means the massive amount of data collected can be analyzed by scientists around the world in a variety of ways.

Dr. JoAnna Pendergrass, a Sandy Springs veterinarian and freelance medical writer, suggested this project will “benefit dog owners as much as the project’s researchers.”

“Understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of dog aging will help owners

Above, Dr. Daniel Promislow and his dog Frisbee (Photo by Tammi Kaeberlein)

Left, Dr. JoAnna Pendergrass (SPECIAL)

Judith L. Kanne, RN, BSN, BA is a registered nurse and freelance writer who lives in Atlanta.

not only recognize the signs of aging in their dogs, but also be proactive about keeping their dogs healthy and happy during each life stage, from puppy to old soul,” said Pendergrass.

The study will include a survey of the effectiveness of an FDA-approved drug called rapamycin. Based on scientific studies, researchers anticipate that the drug will improve cardiac function, boost immune function, reduce or delay the risk of cancer and increase healthy lifespan of middle-aged dogs by two to five years, according to UW research.

In the first phase of this study, Dr. Kaeberlein and his team will enroll middle-aged pet dogs (6-9 years old, depending on the breed) in a three-month, low-dose rapamycin trial.

In the second phase, they will enroll middle-aged pet dogs in a longer-term, low-dose regimen. In addition to improved cardiac and immune function, they expect that cancer rates will be significantly reduced, overall health (including cognitive function and activity) will be improved and life

expectancy will be increased.

More than 40 other researchers from a variety of fields and institutions will join in this endeavor. For this study—the largest of its kind ever undertaken—the dogs will be followed throughout their lifetimes.

How to Nominate Fido

“Only dogs need apply,” can be found in several articles about this unique project. But, according to dogagingproject.org, dogs will likely need human help with their forms.

“The applications, with its impending information, will allow important research on aging in dogs,” said one of the project’s trio of directors, biology of aging expert Dr. Daniel Promislow. He is a professor of pathology UW’s School of Medicine and professor of biology.

The project administrators will ask owners to fill out surveys about their dog’s health and life experience. Following that, they will provide owners with a kit to swab the dog’s saliva for genetic testing.

They may also ask owners to complete special activities with their dogs and report back on their performances. As dog owners themselves, they plan to make the

experience easy and fun for all participants.

To nominate your dog, please visit DogAgingProject.org.

Some FAQs from the Dog Aging Project

Where does this study take place?

The study takes place in the United States. Since the researchers want to study your dog in their natural environment, it will take place in your home or wherever you and your dog normally live and play.

If I am selected to participate, do I have to take my dogs into a lab or a research location?

No. Dogs enrolled in studies within the Dog Aging Project will continue to live and play in their home environments and continue to see their regular veterinarians. However, owners of some dogs will also be asked to visit nearby veterinary specialists for certain tests.

What is rapamycin?

Rapamycin, also called sirolimus, is a drug that has been used in people for decades for cancer chemotherapy or organ transplant anti-rejection. However, when used at much lower doses in mice, it seems to change the way their bodies age. Mice treated with rapamycin seem to live longer and age more healthfully. The researchers are interested in discovering whether these benefits could be seen in dogs as well.

This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from The Gerontological Society of America, Journalists Network on Generations and the Silver Century Foundation.

ROAD TRIP

Home of Southern Rock Reopens

Mercer Music at Capricorn Studios and Museum Ready to Receive Visitors and Musicians

By Mark Woolsey

The lead singer of the 70s southern rock band Wet Willie finished one of the group’s signature songs, “Everything that ‘Cha Do (will come back to you)”, took a bow, wiped sweat from his eyes and told his audience, “They say there ain’t no ham like Birmingham. Well today there ain’t no corn like Capricorn!”

Wet Willie lead vocalist and saxophonist Jimmy Hall and company played a 45-minute set during a sun-splashed outdoor ceremony Dec. 3 that marked the reopening of Macon’s historic Capricorn Studios. It’s the place where bands such as the Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels’ bands, Elvin Bishop and, yes, Wet Willie recorded albums that created “Southern Rock” and helped define a decade of music. (Who can forget their 1974 top 10 hit “Keep on Smilin’”?)

“Capricorn became a crucible of southern rock,” Mercer University president William Underwood said at the early December event. “And the Allman Brothers were at its center. And many of you here today made Capricorn what it is.”

The reopening—on the 50th anniversary of Capricorn’s founding— marked the culmination of several years of work on a number of fronts. The formerly dilapidated space was stabilized, cleaned up and refurbished under the umbrella of Mercer University and now bears the somewhat academic-sounding title of “Mercer Music at Capricorn.”

So just how did a nondescript building on downtown Macon’s fringe gain ascendancy as a temple of rock music, years before the Athens music scene and Atlanta’s “Dirty South” hip-hop wave took hold?

The story begins with Mercer University graduate Phil Walden, his brother Alan and soul singer and Macon native Otis Redding forming Redwal Music in 1967, buying the property on what was then Cotton Avenue (now MLK Boulevard) with plans for a sound studio. Redding’s death in a plane crash later that year delayed plans to set up shop until Dec. 3, 1969, under Phil Walden and co-founder Frank Fenter’s auspices. In the meantime, Phil Walden had recruited Duane Allman and, indirectly, Duane’s brother Gregg, to form the nucleus of the Allman Brothers, the label’s flagship artist.

The 70s found the complex a beehive of activity as a broad variety of acts were signed and southern rock and soul incubated in Studio A. Capricorn music peppered the airwaves and record sales soared. But the boom ended quickly, and following the label’s 1979 bankruptcy, the building changed hands a number of times. Parts of the structure eventually teetered on the brink of collapse and, at one time, it was named one of Georgia’s most endangered historic buildings.

“It was either going to be a parking lot or torn down and made into offices or something,” said middle Georgia resident Chuck Leavell, an Allmans’ band member and current musical director for the Rolling Stones. His group Sea Level recorded their debut album at Capricorn Studios in 1977. In a university news release, Leavell said, “It’s a miracle we can walk in and see that it’s the same as it was in the 70s when I first came here.”

After nearby Mercer acquired the space in 2015, restoration efforts gathered momentum as the school established a partnership with a downtown booster group and two developers to bring the complex back to life. The restoration work itself kicked off in recent months, helped along by $2 million in grant money from a pair of non-profit foundations.

The finished $4.3 million refurbishing of the 20,000-square-foot space fits hand-in-glove into Leavell’s recollections. The entire “Mercer at Capricorn” has a 1970s vibe, particularly historic Studio A, which appears almost as it did during its halcyon days.

The original burlap wall coverings, soundproofing and recessed lighting remain—along with acoustics so good that several groups recorded in Studio A over the last few years, even when it had no heat, AC or power. (They had to bring their own power and lighting along with their instruments.)

The school had a custom-built analog sound console of period design installed in the control room for Studio A. A piece of what appears original studio equipment occupies one corner and retro-style signs guide visitors throughout the complex, which features earth and rusty orange tones. Next door, Studio B boasts cutting-edge digital recording and mixing equipment and a space that can accommodate live performances.

“People say the place looks, sounds and even smells like it did in the

1970s,” Mercer spokesman Larry Brumley said.

A climb to the second floor reveals a museum which traces the roots and influences of the label with artifacts ranging from concert tickets and T-shirts for Capricorn artists to copies of contracts for live performances and original notes from recording sessions. One exhibit relates how a Plains peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter partnered up with southern rock acts to help further his quest for the White House. Others are interactive, allowing visitors to pull up and play their favorite artists’ tunes.

The complex also features rehearsal space for Mercer students and music incubator rooms for rent. They’re designed as a place for budding artists to experiment, collaborate and turn out new material. Office, conference and co-working spaces round out the complex.

The Dec. 3 public ceremony and open house attracted many graying beards and ponytails, character lines etched by the decades, hearing aids and canes, but younger performers and music fans plus ordinary folk were also much in evidence.

“I think it’s great to have something like this in Macon,” said one footstomping member of the audience during the Wet Willie performance. “I don’t know much about the music, but I do appreciate the history.”

Mercer Music at Capricorn opens to the public on Jan. 2 for tours. The museum will be open Tuesday through Saturday with tours of the studios given between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday. There will be an admission charge for both.

Location: 536 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Macon, Ga. 31201

More info: capricornmuseum@mercer.edu, capricorn.mercer.edu

Courtesy of Mercer Music at Capricorn

Macon’s Musical Eateries

By Mark Woolsey

You’re visiting Macon and taking in the music attractions and you want to eat like a rock star? Look first and foremost for H & H Soul Food at 807 Forsyth Street.

The unpretentious home of meat and three plates, fried chicken and other soul-soothing goodies shines. Service can be slow, but the arrival of the food makes all things right in the universe again.

Founders Louise Hudson and Inez Hill may no longer be in the kitchen, but their spirit of love and service survives, said former general manager Drew Jennings.

In 2017, Jennings told the Georgia Public Broadcasting show “Hometown Georgia” the restaurant’s famous connection between “Mama Louise” and southern rock icons the Allman Brothers began when the band was struggling to get established-and flat broke.

“Mama Louise saw a bunch of hippies walking her way and didn’t know what they wanted. She walked outside to talk to them, and they asked for two plates of food. That was all the money they had, and they were going to split the food among the seven of them.”

Jennings said Hudson noticed the boys were “skinny as a rail,” brought them in and generously fed all seven. Thus began her lifelong friendship with the Allmans as well as other Capricorn music icons.

Hudson had a moment in the sun at the Dec. 3. Capricorn studio reopening ceremonies. During the “Jimmy Hall and Friends” set, a band member noticed the 90-year-old in the audience and wheeled her to the bottom of the stage where Hall leaned down and belted out a song he’d written for her called “Leona’s Home Cooking Café.”

“If it hadn’t been for Mama Louise, we would have starved,” he told the crowd.

H & H’s decades of feeding hungry musicians came to a temporary end in 2013. Co-founder Hill had passed away a few years before. The eatery struggled and shut down, re-opening the next year under the ownership of a local restaurant group. The customers came flooding back for breakfast and lunch.

The first thing you notice walking in is that the walls are festooned with pictures and stylized drawings of the Allmans from all phases of their career. The Marshall Tucker Band and other Capricorn Records greats get some wall-display love as well.

We missed breakfast but lunch was a belt-loosening indulgence.

A meat-and-three of moist friend chicken, collards, mashed potatoes and gooey mac-and-cheese didn’t miss a beat. The meatloaf was Sunday-dinner-style goodness. The tangy-tomato-sauce-covered slice had my companion remarking that it was “just like my mom used to make.”

Breakfast features the holy trinity of eggs, bacon and toast plus variations like the “Red Dog,” an open-faced biscuit freighted with fried chicken, collard greens and a poached egg.

It’s stick-to-the-ribs fare that’s timeless. No trendy avocado toast or meatless burgers here, but it you’re jonesing for country fried steak, pork chops and BBQ brisket, you’re in luck.

On a recent weekday, the room was peppered with visitors, but a hometown-crowd-feel dominated. Cheery greetings, handshakes, backslaps and hugs were frequent. The diners ranged from “suits” to blue-collar ballcap wearers to three guys in hunting camo.

Buyer beware: the service is polite and enthusiastic but can be sluggish.

Their biscuits may bear names like “Butch” (Trucks), “Midnight Rider” and “Ramblin Man,” but H & H isn’t the only place you’ll find food echoing the town’s performing greats.

■ The Rookery is a nearby restaurant with a more upscale feel and treads the same ground, with “The Little Richard Pennimelt” and the “Jimmy Carter Burger”—smeared with peanut butter.

■ For something less caloric but still with a rock-n-soul connection, try Molly’s Café, named after Macon native Little Richard’s song “Good Golly Miss Molly.” The lunch-only spot has heavier southern-style food but also lighter fare such as wraps and salads.

■ It’s now known as the Downtown Grill, but it used to be called Le Bistro, said to have been Macon’s first French restaurant. It’s where Gregg Allman proposed to Cher in the 70s. It bills itself as an English-style steakhouse that’s open evenings.

■ Also in the heart of the city is the Tic Toc Room. A cape-clad Little Richard thumped the piano there in the late 1940s. Today it plays host to a more sedate crowd with steaks and seafood.

A day of looking at music memorabilia coupled with dropping in on one of the city’s live performances can certainly generate that empty belly feeling. Macon’s eateries stand ready to satisfy with a wide range of edibles coupled with a side dish of performance history.

PHOTO BY MARK WOOLSEY

Diners enjoy the food and homey atmosphere of H&H Soul Food.

Ask Rusty: Does Paying Social Security Payroll Tax Increase my Benefit?

By AMAC Certified Social Security Advisor Russell Gloor

Dear Rusty:

After losing my job of 31 years in 2013 at 63 years of age, I decided to start drawing my Social Security benefits. In 2015, I started a part-time job, which I still have. In January 2020, I will fully retire.

I’ve been paying Social Security taxes for the last four years without receiving any increase in my Social Security benefit amount. Can I therefore claim an increase in benefits or even a refund of those taxes? If not, is there anything that I can do?

Signed: Overtaxed Senior

Dear Overtaxed Senior:

I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, nor is there anything you can do to get either an increase in your benefit amount from—or a refund of—those FICA payroll tax contributions you made to Social Security while you were working and also collecting Social Security benefits. Everyone who works and earns—even those who are collecting Social Security benefits—must pay the Social Security FICA payroll tax. But paying that payroll tax doesn’t entitle you to a benefit increase. The FICA tax you pay doesn’t get credited to a personal account for you; rather, it goes into the Social Security general fund to help pay benefits to all current beneficiaries.

Social Security’s basic premise, since its inception in 1935, is that current workers pay for current beneficiaries. Today, there are about 175 million workers contributing to pay benefits to over 63 million beneficiaries.

Actually, the ratio of workers to beneficiaries has been declining for years, which is largely responsible for Social Security’s current financial issues. For example, in 1950 there were about 16.5 workers for each Social Security beneficiary; today there are about 2.4 workers per beneficiary.

Everyone who works and earns must pay the Social Security FICA tax, but the FICA taxes you pay do not increase your benefit, and there’s no refund of FICA taxes for those already collecting Social Security benefits. Once you’ve claimed your Social Security benefit, the amount was set and will only change as a result of COLA (cost of living adjustment) increases, or if any of your current/recent earnings are more than any of the inflation-adjusted earnings in the 35 year lifetime work record used to originally compute your benefit.

Social Security uses the highest earning 35 years in your lifetime work history (adjusted for inflation) to compute your benefit, and if you don’t have earnings in at least 35 years, they put in zeros to make a full 35 years. In that case, any current earnings you have would replace any zero earning years in your 35-year history which would slightly increase your benefit. Except for those circumstances, your benefit won’t change simply because you’re paying Social Security FICA payroll taxes while you’re working.

Think of it this way: The Social Security benefits you’re now receiving are being paid for by those Americans currently working. That’ll continue even after you retire completely in January—and you’ll continue to get those Social Security benefits for the rest of your life, from the payroll taxes paid by those folks still working.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. To submit a question, visit amacfoundation.org or email AMAC at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

activist and grandmother writes her memoir

Are you living your best life?

Sherry Frank wears a small gold necklace. The unobtrusive chain displays a single word: bubbe.

It means grandmother, or, more specifically, a Jewish grandmother. “I wear it every day,” Frank said, smiling when the word draws notice. “Bubbe fits me.”

Others may see the 77-year-old Sandy Springs grandmother as an energetic activist who has lived a very public life. But her jewelry proudly proclaims she’s also the kind of woman who likes to bake cookies for her grandkids.

Still, she’s no homebody. She served 26 years as executive director of the Atlanta chapter of the American Jewish Committee. She was president of the Atlanta section of the National Council of Jewish women for two years in the 1970s, and now is again president of the group. She helped create the Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition and worked to build bridges between religious and ethnic groups.

Frank has worked to promote human rights, civil rights and women’s rights. She describes herself as “a pretty passionate feminist.” She’s been involved in Atlanta politics for decades. She helped start a successful synagogue, Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, and served as its president. She recently published a memoir called “A Passion To Serve: Memoirs of a Jewish Activist,” which was included in the 2019 book festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center Atlanta.

Frank came to politics early. She remembers that back when she was growing up in the Morningside neighborhood of Atlanta, her family had one of the first TVs on their block. It made a big impression when members of her third-grade class came over one night to watch election returns.

Atlanta was different then, she remembers. She grew up in world that was segregated racially and culturally. “The only African American I knew was the housekeeper,” she said. At the same time,

Photo by Joe Earle Sherry Frank

“it was Jewish world. My social life was Jewish,” she said recently during a chat at The Temple in Atlanta, where she had appeared as part of a panel discussion about the history of Atlanta’s Jewish community. “I was very much in a Jewish world.”

But she doesn’t remember being conscious of overt antiSemitism as a child. Atlanta seemed a welcoming place for her as she attended public schools, including Grady High. The world seems much more threatening now, she said, as anti-Semitism grows more visible. “You can’t but be fearful in this day, when you see so much hate out there,” she said.

She grew interested in social service and political activism in part because of the times and in part because of her upbringing. She gave money for trees in Israel. She was a teenager when The Temple in Atlanta was bombed by white supremacists. She remembers, a decade later, the devastating news of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

She hasn’t given up on politics. Throughout her career, she’s sought ways to bring racial and ethnic groups together and she wants to keep doing so. “I’ve said 1,000 times that if this country is not safe for Jews, it’s not safe for blacks,” she said. “And if it’s not safe for blacks, it’s not safe for Jews.”

She’s worked with Christians and with Muslims to allow people to get to know others they might otherwise vilify. As she’s done that, she’s wanted people to understand her Jewishness. She said Jewish leaders once worked behind the scenes. Not her. “I want people to know a Jew is in the room,” she said. “I want them to know Jews are a part of our coalition. I think that’s part of my desire to heal the world.”

She’s proud of the work she’s done. That shows up in her conversation and in her memoir. She’s takes pride in trying to make the world a better place by bringing together different types of people to address common issues and improve understanding among various groups that might otherwise be opposed.

“It’s given my life great purpose,” she said. “I remember after 9/11, thinking what I do really matters. … It was such a threat to the Muslim world. I thought building bridges of understanding was a great cause and I was part of the chorus.”

“This place is so very special— It’s home, It’s family.” MARGARET JACKSON Resident since 2016

Check on Charities before Donating your Dollars

I hope you survived the Christmas Holiday. It should be easier nowadays, at least for most of us whose kids have flown the nest—only to return after college. Then, well, they left again—after we bugged them to death—rather encouraged to seek the glorious tranquility of independence.

Hopefully those of you with grandchildren got to spend time with them and to share endless embarrassing stories about mom and dad.

STAY SAFE

As we gleefully frolic into the new year, be mindful that some crooks who focus on holiday crime are either in Key West spending the fruits of their crimes or, hopefully, in jail dining on baloney sandwiches and bad milk.

Still, this is a time when charities kick-start their efforts towards the new year’s goals. Along with those charities come the charity scams, those less than lovable parasites seeking to rid you of your meager earnings, consisting of what’s left over from your holiday budget.

If you’re like me, your post-holiday attention span is like that of a small tomato, so in lieu of an overbearing and little-read collection of this and that, I’ll hit the high notes so we can all get on with it. Here is a list of ways to protect yourself.

1. Common sense—Use it!

2. Research—Use the Internet. If it’s hurricane relief, research that topic for top charities and which ones are showing up as scams. If it’s a fake, chances are that someone posted it online. Don’t go with just one review, check multiple stories.

3. Current events—Know that following hurricanes, tornados, fires and other large-scale traumatic events, charities will spring into action to raise funds for the victims. The scammers won’t be far behind. Refer to number 2 (above).

4. Visual appearance—Fake websites easily mimic legit ones. In the URL, there may be what appears to be the legitimate website address with perhaps one or two missing or additional letters or numbers. READ CLOSELY.

5. DO NOT make impulsive decisions involving your money! Don’t buy into sale people pressuring you to open that wallet.

6. Legit charities will be registered as a 501(c)(3) charity. If they’re not—don’t donate.

7. Always, always, always refer to bullet points number 1 and number 2!

Happy New Year!

Steve Rose is a retired Sandy Springs Police Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and freelance writer. He is the author the book “Why Do My Mystic Journeys Always Lead to the Waffle House?” and the column “View from a Cop.”

pet picks

Nikai

Nikai is a 2-year-old Domestic Shorthair who is available for adoption at the Atlanta Humane Society’s Mansell location. This tabbystriped, 2-year-old guy was originally adopted out when he was a kitten but came back when his owners had to move out of the country.

He was a bit shy when he first arrived, but he’s gaining more confidence day by day. Nikai doesn’t have much experience around other cats or dogs, but he’s completely litter box trained and dutifully uses a scratching post rather than digging his claws into furniture. He’s a bit on the independent side and will let you know when it’s an appropriate time for ear-scratching.

His previous owner said that he’d likely do best in a home without young children as he has a petting limit. Nikai is neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations and ready to meet you! Learn more about Nikai by visiting atlantahumane.org/cats or emailing adoptions@ atlantahumane.org.

DONNA

Meet Donna! This 10-year-old sweetheart has had it rough. She was surrendered to the Atlanta Humane Society when her owner was moving and couldn’t take her along. She’s completely blind in one eye and was diagnosed with heartworm disease as well. Her underbite and blind eye don’t cause her any pain, and even though she has a bit of a unique look about her, Donna has unlimited love to give.

The Atlanta Humane Society will complete Donna’s heartworm treatment at no cost to her adopter. All she’s looking for is a comfortable bed to call her own and someone to scratch her favorite spot right behind her ears. She has lived with other dogs and kids before and they got along great, so we’d recommend bringing your family and current pets in to meet Donna to make sure everyone gets along.

She’s already housebroken, has great manners and is spayed and up to date on vaccinations. This low-key girl would love to find the perfect family and you can meet her at the Howell Mill location, 981 Howell Mill Road in Atlanta. For more information on Donna, email adoptions@atlantahumane.org or visit atlantahumane.org/dogs.

DONNA

NIKAI

5 Must-Have Experiences in Central America

By JoAnn Bell

Central America: It’s located in North America, shares its language with South America and is truly a region like no other.

Natural wonders like rainforests, cloud forests and coral reef systems create an impressive backdrop for ancient Mayan ruins, quiet villages and modern cities.

With all its complexity, Central America is one of our favorite places to explore. Here are our top five recommendations of must-have experiences in Central America.

1. Voyage through the Panama Canal

When the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, it marked the culmination of hundreds of years of dreaming and a decade of work— finally, a shortcut existed from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Yet more than 100 years later, the Panama Canal is still thrilling to experience.

A six- to eight-hour journey from start to finish, you’ll pass through three locks and six chambers on this 50-mile voyage—and you’ll be able to tell your friends that you have personally experienced one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

2. Bird is the Word

Even amateur birders will be amazed by the diversity of species found in Central America. Costa Rica alone is home to an estimated 894 species, including beautiful Greatgreen macaws and the reclusive Resplendent Quetzal.

Make your way to Panama for a chance to spot the magnificent Harpy Eagle—one of the largest eagles in the world—or search for rarely seen Jabiru Stork in Guatemala.

3. Trace the Legacy of the Maya

If you’re a history buff who’s fascinated by ancient civilizations, Central America is the place to be. The Maya made their footprint in this region around 1800 B.C., leaving behind awe-inspiring ruins that are

filled with ancient mysteries—many of which are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In Guatemala, explore the once-vibrant city of Tikal, boasting an impressive 4,000 structures. Make your way to Honduras to the ruins of Copan, where a Great Plaza, ball court, amphitheater and Hieroglyphic Stairway await your study.

Be sure to check out Cahal Pech ruins in Belize, one of the country’s oldest Mayan sites offering beautiful views of the Maya Mountains and Belize River Valley.

4. How Does That Grow?

Coffee. Chocolate. Indigo. How does it all grow? Who harvests it and what happens after that? If you’re interested in studying the exotic side of horticulture, then make Central America your classroom.

Skip the Starbuck’s menu and trace the miracle beverage of coffee at its source as you explore plantations in El Salvador and find additional farms where cacao and indigo are grown and harvested.

5. Be Amazed by Nature

There’s no shortage of natural wonders to be amazed by in Central America, and if we had to pick a favorite experience it would be this: taking in the nature around you.

Test your knowledge of volcanology as you explore Costa Rica’s Arenal National Park or learn about the habitats of tapirs, howler monkeys and more in the cloud forests. Snorkel in the waters along the coast of Belize to experience the beauty of its coral reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is second only in size to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Or journey to El Salvador to hear more about efforts to conserve the endangered Hawksbill sea turtle at Jiquilisco Bay. We guarantee that no matter where you go in Central America, you’ll find a natural wonder to awe and inspire.

Road Scholar calls itself the nation’s largest educational travel organization for adults–a true university of the world. This notfor-profit educational organization offers 5,500 extraordinary learning adventures in 150 countries and 50 states. Road Scholars are immersed in a variety of educational activities, enlisting renowned faculty and experts who offer insider access not available to most individuals. Dedicated to making educational travel available to everyone, Road Scholar offers financial aid for those who otherwise could not participate in its programs.

Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in educational travel for adults since 1975. Learn more at RoadScholar.org.

►Out & about

The Arts

Dunwoody Fine Art Association Meeting & Special Program

Wednesday, Jan. 8, 9:30 a.m.

The January Dunwoody Fine Art Association (DFAA) meeting will feature a program by Eric Bowles, well-known photographer with the Georgia Nature Photographers Association (GNPA). He’ll present an exciting collaboration between GNPA and DFAA allowing DFAA artists to create paintings based on GNPA photos. The meeting is free and open to all interested artists. It begins with refreshments and social time at 9:30 a.m. The program starts at 9:45 a.m. Dunwoody North Shallowford Annex, 4470 North Shallowford Road, Room 1 in Dunwoody 30338. Visit dunwoodyfineart.org for more info.

ARTrageous

Suzanne Engel Artist Opening Reception

Sunday, Jan. 19. Back by popular demand, ARTrageious is a one-ofa-kind, interactive art and music experience. The troupe of artists, musicians, singers and dancers pay tribute to a variety of art forms, pop icons and musical genres, culminating in a gallery of finished paintings. Brenau University’s Pearce Auditorium, 331 Spring Street, Gainesville 30501. Get tickets and details at TheArtsCouncil.net.

Saturday, Feb. 8, 5-7 p.m. Exhibition runs Feb. 6-March 29. Suzanne Engel’s work is shown in various locations in and around Atlanta. She works in oils and often paints landscapes inspired by her world travels, though she also has a passion for floral still life. Recently, she has moved into creating abstracts with bold colors. Gallery 4945, 4945 High Point Road, Sandy Springs 30342. Learn more at suzanneengel.com and gallery4945.weebly.com.

Calendar Girls

Runs Feb. 7-23. When Annie’s husband John dies of leukemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room and settle on the idea of an ‘alternative’ calendar. This hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven Women’s Institute members who famously posed

nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research. Act 3 Playhouse, 6285 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs 30328. To find out more or order tickets, call the box office at 770-241-1905 or visit act3productions.org.

Health & Wellness

Blood Clots: Awareness & Prevention

Friday, Jan. 17, 4 p.m. Learn what blood clots are and how to prevent them. The Global Thrombosis Forum is a voluntary nonprofit organization and an affiliate of the North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF). Gwinnett County Public Library, Suwanee Branch, 361 Main Street, Suwanee 30024. For more event info, visit gwinnettpl.org or call 770-9785154.

Learn Something

Marist Evening Series Classes

Mondays, Jan. 13, Jan. 27 and Feb. 3. Marist School presents the Marist Evening Series, three evenings of courses for adults taught by the school’s faculty and staff. Class topics include art history, religion and spirituality, history and culture, science, ceramics, drawing/painting, photography, film and writing. The cost is $95 for early bird registration, until Jan. 4; $110 for registration Jan. 5-Jan. 12. Marist School, 3790 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta 30319. Register online at marist.com/ eveningseries by Sunday, Jan. 12. Onsite registration will be available Monday, Jan. 13 from 6-7 p.m. in Whitehead Cafeteria at Marist School.

Painting with Acrylics for Adults–Winter Session 1

Wednesdays, Jan. 15-Feb. 19, 6-9 p.m. or Thursdays, Jan. 16-Feb. 20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Have you always wanted to learn to paint? Join this 6-week session of classes and discover the versatility and ease of painting with acrylics. The class is designed to jumpstart beginners while also catering to the individual needs of the more advanced students. For adults only. The cost for the 6-week session is $199. Students provide their own supplies; the suggested supply list will be provided at registration. Hammond Park Community Building, 6005 Glenridge Drive, Sandy Springs 30328. Limited spaces are available, so register now to save your spot! Register at registration.sandyspringsga.gov.

Bird Walk and Wildlife Viewing

Saturday, Jan. 18, 8-10:30 a.m. Join the Sandy Springs Naturalist for a family-friendly guided bird walk from Overlook Park to historic Morgan Falls Dam. Resident and migratory birds may be observed during this time. Binoculars will be available to borrow or bring your own. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by adult. Weather permitting; free and open to all ages. Morgan Falls Overlook Park, 200 Morgan Falls Road, Sandy Springs 30350. Register at registration.sandyspringsga.gov.

Author and Historian

Lisa M. Russell: Underwater Ghost Towns of North Georgia

Monday, Jan. 27, 6:30 p.m. Presented by Gwinnett County Public Library in partnership with the Gwinnett Historical Society. The lakes of north Georgia are known for their breathtaking views and fun weekends on the water, but there is often a forgotten history that lurks beneath them. Listen to Russell as she tells the tales of these fascinating underwater ghost towns. Gwinnett Historic Courthouse, 185 Crogan Street, Lawrenceville 30046. Parking is available at 153 Crogan Street and around the Courthouse Square. Get more info at gwinnettpl.org or by calling 770-978-5154.