Atlanta Senior Life - January 2023

“We’re honored that both Sterling Estates Communities have been recognized as ‘Best of Cobb’ for Retirement Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care again in 2022. I’m proud to say that it’s the 4th year in a row we’ve won these awards and an awesome tribute to our staff members. We’ve been serving seniors in greater Atlanta for over 25+ years now...we invite you to come

“What I’ve learned is that all communities talk about wellness and socialization... but they don't have the that Sterling Estates has. No one can match what Sterling provides for their residents. My parents are thriving at Sterling Estates... Bet yours will too." ~ Susan S.

Come See What Sets us Apart

Housing market forecast

Atlanta area housing market expected to stay strong while market normalizes

By Kathy Dean

The last few years have been full of trauma and change. Economically, we’re facing real challenges across the country and around the world. That’s been particularly apparent in the housing market.

But it’s not as bleak as all that. Local real estate professionals point out that the market is now getting back on a healthy footing. They’re also quick to add that Intown, Buckhead and areas like Brookhaven, Dunwoody, and Sandy Springs are particularly strong.

Despite economists predicting a recession this year, Georgia is poised to weather the headwinds thanks to a strong labor market and major developments bringing investment to the state, which means more jobs.

Still a strong market

“We are currently experiencing month-over-month average sales

prices decreasing. However, year-over-year sales prices are still 5% above 2021 values,” said Chase Mizell, Global Real Estate Advisor | Atlanta Fine Home Sotheby’s International Realty.

“Our inventory is less than three months, and our average days on market are fewer than 20.”

Figures from the Georgia Multiple Listing Service, which tracks home sales in metro Atlanta, show the median sales price in the region in November was $370,000, an increase of 4.2% from November 2021, but down 2.6% compared to October.

Mizell noted that Atlanta has a leg-up on the national market as it continues to be a top-five city nationally for corporate relocation. “Generally speaking, we’re expecting the normalization of the real estate market to continue,” Mizell said. “Interest rates are more than double where they were at the beginning of 2022; however, inventory levels remain very low.”

Mizell said Atlanta needs new developments that are attainable by first-time homebuyers. “The rate of appreciation has forced most of our first-time homebuyers to the suburbs, so any developments with more approachable pricing, such as Summerhill, will lead the pack in demand,” he said.

Molly Carter Gaines, Ansley Real

a slower rate than previous years, “which is how a normal market functions. I strongly disagree with the negative prognostications, mainly because we still have an influx of buyers moving to Atlanta coupled with very limited inventory, and this won’t change any time soon.”

She added that Druid Hills, Morningside and Virginia Highland continue to be highly sought-after neighborhoods, and the demand for areas like Candler Park and Lake Claire has skyrocketed. “We’re also witnessing the push and pull between historic landmark districts and new commercial construction Intown, which will be a hot topic in 2023,” Carter Gaines said.

“We will continue to see low inventory and interest rates at 6%,” predicted Robin Blass, The Robin Blass Group, Harry Norman REALTORS, adding that the current interest rates are not out of line with historical rates.

She said that first-time buyers are at the lowest level in years, down by 6% according to the National Association of REALTORS. “We do feel that they will be back in the market as home prices stabilize, sellers become more motivated, and buyers find ways to work with the interest rates.”

Blass said that Dunwoody,

Estate | Christie’s International Real Estate, said she expects to see continued growth, but at

A Buckhead penthouse for sale by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

Chase Mizell

Molly Carter Gaines

Sandy Springs, and Brookhaven are expected to remain strong, with their accessibility to highways and the new job growth coming to the Perimeter area.

“People can live in almost any part of the country and still have stimulating, interesting careers. I see them weighing their options and making their choices very carefully.”

Since Atlanta still has low inventory in sought-after Atlanta neighborhoods, multiple offers are not necessarily a thing of the past, according to Kim Boyd, Broker Associate, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. “Demand has slowed some, but so has supply. We are only seeing a very slight downward trend on prices with this market shift, particularly with high-end homes.”

She concluded that sellers can still expect a successful profit, but they can expect to give on inspection items when needed repairs or defects come up.

Atlanta continues to top the

Good things ahead

Ken Covers, a Private Office Advisor with Engel & Völkers Atlanta with over 20 years of experience, also sees good things in the coming year. “The shifting interest rate certainly has a big effect on the market, but at the same time, we have a really robust city with people moving in and out,” he said. “I expect the Intown market to stay strong.”

From a big-picture perspective, buyers are still trying to understand what life is really like after the pandemic, Covers said.

lists as one of the best places to do business and live, Boyd said, adding that many buyers love being close to the city. “The areas, year after year, that are hot will continue to be Buckhead, Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, Morningside, Virginia Highlands, and Ansley Park.”

The first quarter of 2023 is likely to continue as the fourth quarter of 2022, according to Bill Murray, Senior VP/Managing Broker for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties. “If the Feds slow the increases to a half basis point and then, in second quarter, no hikes, this will bring mortgage rates down to the mid to upper 5% and we should be in a much-improved market,” he said.

Murray believes that townhomes will continue to be a strong segment of the market. He shared that his focus is on Doraville, the Westside Quarry area and neighborhoods along the yet-to-bedeveloped sections of the BeltLine.

“Home ownership is still an excellent way to build wealth,” Murray stated. “Higher mortgage rates are just a cost of building your real estate wealth.”

Mizell also had some encouraging words to share. “We are experiencing a normalization of the market which will be healthier for both buyers and sellers in the long term.”

Older adults active in the housing market

Murray said that he’s seen an increase in seniors in the housing

market, especially those who want to downsize and find lowermaintenance properties. He noted that it can be a challenging time for some older adults, who have seen their retirement accounts drop, requiring them to look at different price ranges.

Carter Gaines has a different experience. “I’m intrigued to see that instead of downsizing, I have several older adult clients upsizing and pursuing opportunities with larger lots and more square footage, she said. “These clients like the idea of having a hub for their children and grandchildren to gather for holidays and family get-togethers.”

She added that, in her experience, it’s been an ideal time for active seniors to buy. “My senior clients rely less on financing, which gives them a more competitive foothold in multiple offer situations,” Carter Gaines said.

Blass reported that many older clients feel their large homes and yards are too much to take care of – or they’d rather spend their time and money with travel and other things.

“You’d think that they are looking for smaller, but it’s really something different that they’re looking for,” she said. “They need everything on one floor, but still want lots of square footage with some availability on another level for the family to visit. They’re also looking for developments with smaller lots that are maintained by someone else and that have a sense of community.

Ken Covers

Bill Murray

A home for sale in Brookhaven by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

Kim Boyd

New year, new challenges for housing options

By Erica Copenhaver

As we welcome the new year, we’d like to reflect on last year’s successes and challenges and illuminate where we’ll be heading next. MicroLife Institute continues to support the belief that housing is a human right, and that everyone deserves a place to call home.

While so many of us have the joy of spending time with family and

our communities over the holidays, there are many more who face housing insecurity and the numerous hardships that come with it. Though we shared our mission with many last year, there is still much work to be done.

In 2022, MicroLife made great strides in changing housing policy to promote abundant housing and housing choice throughout the Southeast. We were honored to

receive the Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award for our pilot pocket neighborhood in Clarkston, Georgia, the Cottages on Vaughan.

We brought hundreds together and shared education about missing middle housing through our public tours of the Cottages, the South Eastern Tiny House Festival, and the Innovative Housing Summit. We worked directly with municipalities to

highlight the housing challenges their communities are facing and how they can forge stronger neighborhoods through implementing better policies.

Coming off the heels of such a big year, MicroLife is even more dedicated to making sure everyone has access to housing options. The spirit of giving and togetherness doesn’t only have to last for the holiday season. We can create lasting community bonds and develop relationships with our neighbors who will support and uplift us when we need and allow us to return the favor when we’re able.

We are committed to building community through the built environment – our next plan for developing more housing for those who need it is already underway.

MicroLife Institute is partnering with Hope Springs Housing to build 10 homes for previously incarcerated women to reunite with their children.

We are also looking forward to developing more pocket neighborhood communities in the greater Atlanta area and beyond. Moreover, we will continue to forge new partnerships with cities and counties who need our help in developing equitable policies and pilot developments for the good of their citizens.

Last year may have been a big one for us, but it was only the beginning of what we know we are capable of accomplishing. We will continue to educate community members, policy makers, builders and developers alike on the urgent need for housing change, and the profound impact that it can have. We’re so excited to share our insights and progress with you here, and we hope you’ll join us in our journey to create a better world through better housing.

Cottages on Vaughn

MicroLife Institute founder Will Johnston (center) accepts the Urban Land Institute Award.

Driving into history

Tom

Houck

drove

MLK Jr.,

now gives history tours

– even stabbed in the leg.

He gravitated to politics, working on and/ or managing campaigns for Maynard Jackson, Lewis, Andrew Young, and Zell Miller.

From the late 1970s through the early aughts, he settled into multiple media roles: talk show host at WGST Radio, a regular on the “Georgia Gang” political gabfest, and columnist for Atlanta Magazine and Creative Loafing.

A strong drive to preserve history led to the creation of Civil Rights Tours Atlanta in 2015. After taking

By Mark Woolsey

Genial, but no-nonsense. A rapid-fire delivery paired with a still-pronounced Boston accent. A sometimes-blunt crusader for justice. A skilled wordsmith and broadcaster.

Those qualities embody Tom Houck and served him well as he morphed from a key activist in the civil rights movement to a political consultant, journalist, and talk show host. For his latest act, Houck is a civil rights tour guide.

Along the way, he became an Atlanta treasure.

Snared by the goals of the civil rights movement, Houck was expelled from his Jacksonville, Florida High school for taking part in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights march. He became close friends with such icons as John Lewis, Julian Bond and, yes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom he worked for as a driver for about nine months. That became part of a longer stint aiding the King family.

Work organizing with such groups as the SCLC and Voter Education Project helped solidify the role of Black voters in a South emerging from Jim Crow. He also organized for the Poor People’s Campaign and did yeoman’s work on voter registration drives and as an informal policy adviser to many in the movement. He was arrested at demonstrations numerous times

a hit during the pandemic, the enterprise has bounced back.

ASL caught up with him recently What pulled you into the civil rights struggle?

I tried to change the name of my high school [in Jacksonville named for Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest] and they kicked me out for two weeks. After what I saw happened on “Bloody Sunday,” [violent protests in Selma] I decided I’d had it with high school, and I joined the Selma-to-Montgomery march. I needed to be in the movement.

So, you worked for NAACP, SCLC, and other groups. But it sounds like the job helping the Kings out was the highlight.

Driving for [Dr. King and Family] was the greatest experience of my life. And that’s what moved me to Atlanta. I would say that when I worked for the King family, I met everybody in the sphere of the King world. That really put me into the city of Atlanta, and I stayed on here.

Any particular memories you want to share?

I’d pick up Dr. King at the airport and he’d want to drive, but he had a lead foot. He could go 100 miles an hour. Coretta always wanted to make sure I drove when I picked him up at the airport. Daddy King was a little concerned about a white guy driving around with four black kids around Atlanta in 1966 when it was still considered kind of dangerous. But Martin never had any problem with it. Neither did Coretta. We were in the front yard on Sunset Avenue where the Kings lived, playing football, and the kids would joke and call me Uncle Tom.

You maintain plenty of ties from that era I gather?

I talk to Andy Young three or four times a week. I talked to Joseph Lowery constantly before he died and CT Vivian. John Lewis was one of my best friends in the world. He would call me almost daily and wake me up in the morning. “Mr. Houck are you awake? It’s almost eight o’clock.” You were a fixture on WGST and a panelist on “The Georgia Gang” for more than a quarter century. What’s your take on talk radio in Atlanta nowadays?

It’s a shame that the talk radio market has been taken over for almost a half-century by the extreme right in this country. When Sean Hannity came to work for WGST, I was still working there. I saw the handwriting on the wall and what was coming down. And not just WGST. What prompted you to do the civil rights tours?

I want people to know what a great town this was. From the days of Reconstruction until today, Atlanta has a very proud history of being a mecca for African Americans both in this country and around the world. Auburn Avenue was unique.

Do you think the gains and knowledge of the civil rights movement are in danger of being lost?

I’m hoping not. Atlanta has a number of great resources. The Auburn Avenue Research Library for example. It’s a place where there is so much of a repository of the civil rights movement. There’s the Woodruff Library at Morehouse College. But there’s a real lack of teaching kids about civil rights history in this town.

Do you see the current toxic political environment turning around anytime soon?

No. I’m a very optimistic person usually, but in this case, we have a long way to go. And it’s for a number of reasons. Look at the Democrats in Georgia: they didn’t win one single statewide office this year. Let’s face reality that social media has played a huge role. We have too many Kari Lakes out there, too many Marjorie Taylor Greenes. They are the new lawless of our day.

Tom Houck outside the former home of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King in Vine City. (Photos courtesy Tom Houck)

Houck is shown here with Coretta Scott King.

Houck with his friend, the late Congressman John Lewis.

New adult day care center resembles 1950s town

Town Square, an innovative new adult day center, is now open in Sandy Springs.

The center is the first of its kind in Georgia to offer experiential memory and cognitive care. Located at 8601 Dunwoody Place, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.

Town Square provides an immersive, therapeutic, social experience for members while care partners are at work or otherwise unavailable. Members take part in a range of activities facilitated by Program Assistants along with

exercise, socialization, and cognitive strategies to spark memories and stimulate the mind.

The 12,000-sq. ft. facility resembles a mid-century American town with 13 storefronts, including a 1950’s diner, a theater, music room, library, hair and nail salon, and an exercise studio.

This reminiscence therapy model helps individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Inspired by the renowned George G. Glenner Centers, the programming evokes a time when seniors were teens or young adults.

Photos courtesy Town Square

SCOTT ANTIQUE MARKETS

This therapy model has been shown to improve mood, communication, sleep quality, as well as reduce anxiety, depression, and agitation in those with dementia. The unique behavioral approach uses prompts such as movies, music, images, games, and other vintage props to stimulate long-term memories.

“The impetus for Town Square was our desire to take part in the innovation of the adult day space,” said Kellen Stennett, owner of Town Square Sandy Springs.

“We saw a huge need to elevate the level of dignity and compassion that persons necessitating cognitive, or memory care receive. At Town Square, we’re actively improving

the quality of life of our members and their loved ones in a fun, fresh way. I couldn’t be prouder of what we stand for and the impact we’re making in the north Atlanta community.”

In addition to this weekly enrichment, the facility is also available for rent on evenings and weekends for special events including corporate meetings, birthday and anniversary parties, and group visits from senior living facilities.

For more information about Georgia’s first Town Square, please visit townsquare.net/sandy-springs or call (404) 595-2034.

Atlanta Expo Centers - Atlanta, GA

Show Hours: Thurs. 10:45am-6pm Fri. & Sat. 9am-6pm Sun. 10am-4pm

Directions: 3 miles East of Atlanta Airport, I-285 at Exit 55 (3650 & 3850 Jonesboro Rd SE)

TOGETHER WE THRIVE.

Connection is key to a longer and more vibrant life, and powers everything WE do at The Piedmont at Buckhead senior living community. It’s like being part of a super supportive family of waiters, chefs, housekeepers, ZEST® activity coaches, care & wellness teams, and even a bunch of really friendly and fun neighbors, all helping you thrive. Experience the Power of WE at The Piedmont.

News anchor, entrepreneur, poet

Cynthia Good finds new outlet for her unique voice

SCHWARTZ CENTER 20TH ANNIVERSARY

ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER and the MUTTER VIRTUOSI

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 | 8 P.M.

WEST-EASTERN DIVAN ENSEMBLE with MICHAEL BARENBOIM THURSDAY, MARCH 2 | 8 P.M.

LAWRENCE BROWNLEE, tenor: RISING FRIDAY, MARCH 17 | 8 P.M.

CHAD LAWSON TRIO featuring JUDY KANG, violin, and SETH PARKER WOODS, cello SATURDAY, MARCH 25 | 8 P.M.

BELA FLECK, EDGAR MEYER, and ZAKIR HUSSAIN with RAKESH CHAURASIA THURSDAY, APRIL 20 | 8 P.M.

award-winning poet Memye Curtis Tucker at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center.

She went on to get an MFA in poetry from New York University and worked with noted local poet Travis Denton to shape her debut collection. Most of the poems in the collection previously appeared in literary journals.

Good said she’s “not trying to change the world or sell books,” but hopes that her poetry will resonate with others facing similar life-altering circumstances.

Good says she’s also found new freedom in writing poetry. “I’m being more honest and genuine and writing whatever I want to write without selfcensoring.”

contemporary poets like Ocean Vuong and Ada Limon.

While promoting “What We Do with Our Hands,” Good is also shopping a full-length collection and a second chapbook to publishers. And doing a lot of writing.

“I’ve got notes for new poems everywhere,” she said.

Find out more and order a copy of Good’s poetry collection at poetcynthiagood.com.

What We Do with Our Hands

Box Office: 404.727.5050 Monday–Friday, noon–6 p.m. schwartz.emory.edu

The poetry of Sylvia Plath, Toi Derricotte and Gwendolyn Brooks informed much of Good’s understanding of poetry, but she’s also become enamored with more

He invites me in, his feet bare on the cold tile. In a Saturday fog, we sit across a table. He is a forest at midnight, birdwings, the cry before an avalanche, pull of the moon. He is wind, the silence of space, the thirst of cactus, hunger of wildfire. He moves to my side, his leg pressing mine. My awkward arm around his shoulder. Words stay in the lines on his face, welled up, sunken, an Aitken crater. When morning purples the low mountains from grey clouds in a swath, it’s like that moment before a storm, the sky hovering like a truce.

Cynthia Good

Blasts from the past for a new year

FROM THE CRATES

Kelly McCoy is a veteran Atlanta broadcaster who writes about the days popular music only came on vinyl records, which often were stored in crates.

Do you remember that “In the year 2525” song by Zager and Evans? Holy decades, folks, it’s nearly here!

Denny Zager and Rick Evans are the real names of these Nebraska dudes who wrote the song and became one-hit wonders in 1969. I’ll let you look up the lyrics. It’s really heavy, weird, and apocalyptic are a few adjectives for starters.

And here’s another blast from

our youth. “The Jetsons” was set in 2062, which seems to get closer by the day. That show is now 60 years old! What?!

As we enter this new year, each of us reflects on years prior and those “what was I thinking” moments. The key word is “thinking” or lack thereof in some cases.

One thing about being “experienced,” I know I’ll wake up on Jan. 1 with a clear head and remember everything I did and said the night before. I used to refer to myself as a professional partier. That Eagles song “Life in the Fast Lane” wasn’t too far off as a description for me. New Year's Eve, Fourth of July, Cinco de Mayo, and any other “let’s go out and get wasted” holiday is what we called Amateur Night. Thank the good Lord above that I was never stopped by the people in blue.

Most years I was fine, but like most of us have learned, being impaired for the evening while on the streets is not a smart thing on any level. No one thought about

hailing a nasty cab, and Uber and Lyft didn’t exist. We did feel extra special on occasion and get a limo. Stylin’ and profilin’ for sure!

I was a part of a lot of radio events over the years, inviting a few thousand to come and party hearty – and we did. Atlanta was shy of a few hundred thousand in those days. We had events in the streets, Underground Atlanta, hotels, restaurants, and bars… anywhere that could handle us.

Speaking of a party, best wishes to the bawdy, massive crowds braving the elements to stumble around while awaiting the new year. Think of those in Times Square for former Atlantan Ryan Seacrest and “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” which he inherited from the late Dick Clark. It’s one of our country’s greatest traditions, but everyone looks like they’re freezing.

Not to get philosophical, but when someone reminds me that I’m

old, I tell them I’m pretty happy about that. Quite a few don’t have the pleasure. This life is flying by, isn’t it?

I have no resolutions or serious wisdom to pass along. Well, maybe one: Don’t sweat the petty stuff, and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.

All the best, and I hope 2023 is the best year of your life.

Skin exams can be performed in under 15 minutes and we recommend getting one annually.

‘Drastic changes’ proposed for Cumberland Island

federally-protected “wilderness” or “potential wilderness.” As one of the largest remaining barrier island ecosystems on the Atlantic Coast and the first national park to limit the number of daily visitors, Cumberland was always intended to be managed differently from most other units of the park system.

In 1984, the NPS approved a general management plan for the island with a visitor limit of approximately 300 people per day: the maximum number that two large ferries can carry to the island; purposefully, there is no bridge. Many years of studies and heated debate led to this decision, bolstered by literally thousands of letters from the public saying, in essence, “leave the island alone.”

ABOVE THE WATER LINE

Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and an environmental and sustainability advocate.

I was looking forward to spending the final weeks of this particularly difficult but also joyful year doing virtually nothing: walking, reading, and getting ready for the new year. That is, until I learned the National Park Service has proposed to dramatically alter the way a beloved barrier island on Georgia’s coast has been managed for decades. Cumberland Island National Seashore, a unit of the national park system, is threatened by an overdue but fatally flawed new management plan. The deadline for the public to make comments is Dec. 30. Most glaringly, in its draft visitor use management plan, the NPS proposes more than a doubling of the number of visitors to the wilderness island with no clear explanation of what is driving this action at this time.

An environmental assessment explores the potential impacts of allowing more people and development on Cumberland, but it is not sufficiently comprehensive and doesn’t appear to meet federal requirements.

Longtime island resident Carol Ruckdeschel – a biologist, environmental activist, and author – believes the proposal is “far out of bounds.” A fierce protector of Cumberland for nearly sixty years, Carol has dedicated her life to studying sea turtles on the island, as well as its ecology and natural history. She told me: “We have a giant mess on our hands here with a terribly destructive visitor management plan. If accomplished, it will drastically change the island as we know it.”

Conservation and Conflict

The U.S. Congress established Cumberland Island National Seashore in 1972 and President Nixon signed the legislation into law to be managed and protected by the NPS. The enabling legislation states: “the seashore shall be permanently preserved in its primitive state, and no development… for the convenience of visitors shall be undertaken which would be incompatible with the preservation of the unique flora and fauna or the physiographic conditions now prevailing.”

A decade later, half of the island, which is about eighteen miles long and averages several miles in width, was designated as

Hans Neuhauser, former coastal director of the Georgia Conservancy, was actively involved in the planning for Cumberland. He says there was little evidence in the early days – or now – to suggest that the general public wants any change. “To protect the special quality of a visitor’s experience, the island’s ‘carrying capacity’ was determined through experimentation and adopted in official policy; the ferry became the mechanism to control the number,” he said. As a management tool, Hans believes the restricted ferry access has worked well for the 50,000-plus people who visit annually.

Private boats and cruise tours also regularly visit the island; however, the NPS is unable to monitor the number of people who arrive in this fashion, given the minimal funding and staffing available to enforce use limits and other laws. This is a serious problem. Astonishingly, under the proposed plan, no additional funds are assured to monitor, and then adaptively manage, the impacts of more visitors (up to 700 daily ferry passengers and more private boaters) and new development. One hundred of these ferry passengers would be allowed to dock, for the very first time, at Plum Orchard mansion on the edge of the wilderness.

Why is the NPS proposing to dramatically increase visitation now? Currently, more than 100,000 people are allowed on the island every year: double the number of

visitors logged annually over the past decade. I read hundreds of pages of NPS documents, seeking clear, fact-based answers to this essential question. I found only vague references to recurring stakeholder debates, possible socioeconomic barriers, and the need to enhance access to the wilderness.

Wilderness Protection

The proposed visitor plan opens the door for more expansive use of electric bikes near wilderness areas, potentially violating federal law. E-bikes were approved for national lands by the Trump Administration; however, a recent judicial order requires the NPS to review potential user conflict and damage to the environment and allow public comment. It is premature for Cumberland’s new plan to promote the use of motorized bikes, zooming down beaches and near wilderness areas at 25 miles per hour.

There is no doubt that factbased management plans must be developed for Cumberland Island National Seashore to offer solutions to real problems and opportunities to enhance park goals. Many of the suggestions in the proposed visitor use plan are positive. The plan’s visitor capacity analysis for a dozen key park destinations is helpful, with the exception of the wilderness section. How can visitor capacity in wilderness areas be calculated without the required stewardship plan?

The NPS must prepare a fullblown EIS, or environmental impact statement, to comply with federal law and answer the many questions posed here and by others. I plan to make that recommendation in comments submitted to the NPS by December 30. Will you also make your views known? There will be plenty of time to rest and plan for the new year, once we’ve given a voice to the pristine maritime forests, saltmarsh, and beaches of Cumberland Island.

Review the draft Cumberland Visitor Use Management Plan at https:// www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm and please comment by the extended Dec. 30 deadline. Wild Cumberland offers helpful comments at www. wildcumberland.org.

Cumberland Island (Photo by Charles Seabrook)

Quick Bites

▲The iconic Polaris, the Hyatt Regency’s rotating blue dome, has finally reopened after the pandemic. The restaurant remains committed to serving meats, cheeses, and produce from local farms and food purveyors, while the bar highlights liquor from minority-owned distilleries. Get more information at facebook.com/PolarisAtlanta.

A new Korean and Japanese fusion restaurant, Jinbei West, has opened in Peachtree Corners. Details at jinbeiwest.com.

Morty’s Meat and Supply is now open in The Village on Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody featuring daily specials like a pastrami sandwich or barbecue lasagna alongside regular menu items, including meatloaf, brisket,

smoked chicken wings, and assorted sides. See the menu at mortysmeatandsupply.com.

TKO, a Korean-American street food concept, has opened its first brickand-mortar location at the Southern Feedstore in East Atlanta Village. Find out more on Instagram @ tko_thekorean1.

Postino Wine Café is opening a new location in West Midtown soon after receiving positive responses from its Buckhead flagship. Get updates at postinowinecafe. com.

The Belvedere Plaza Shopping Center is getting a new Dunkin' née Dunkin' Donuts, in the former Sonic spot—plans have been

submitted, but no opening date is set.

The Australian-inspired "all-day café" Isla & Co is open in Buckhead featuring brunch, lunch, and "elevated" dinner options, including charred octopus. Find out more at isla-co.com.

▼Tyde Tate Kitchen, a new Thai concept along South Downtown’s Historic Hotel Row, is projected to open in Spring 2023.

Cameli’s Pizza in Little Five Points closed in December after nearly 30 years, while Floataway Café on Zonolite Road closed after 25 years.

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is committed to facilitating conversations on the topics important to aging well in Atlanta and providing you resources to live your best senior life — especially in today’s challenging environment.

Visit us at ajc.com/aging to sign up for the newsletter and learn more about our upcoming virtual event.

You’ll find plenty of 55+ focused content there as well as links to our previously published sections and events.

Look for our special section publishing on February 12th in your Atlanta Journal-Constitution print and ePaper editions.

PRESENTED BY:

A 2023 nature calendar for Georgia

TRAVELS WITH CHARLIE

Veteran Georgia journalist Charles Seabrook has covered native wildlife and environmental issues for decades.

For “Travels with Charlie,” he visits and photographs communities and places throughout the state.

For the multitudes of us who love being outdoors, Georgia offers marvelous opportunities all year long to enjoy nature’s wonders. Here are a few nature happenings to look for in 2023:

slopes along the Trout Lily Trail next to Rottenwood Creek in the Paces Mill unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

January: Shed of their leaves, deciduous trees have a special beauty now. The bare limb patterns of soaring oaks, maples, tulip poplars, hickories, sweet gums, and other hardwoods are like exquisite works of art – organic sculptures –when spread against a golden winter sky. A special beauty at month’s end is red maples in bloom.

March: The wildflower season revs up with the blooming of so-called spring ephemerals – bloodroot, toothwort, Dutchman britches, spring beauty, and others. Their mass blooms make a stunning sight in late March along the famed Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail in the Pocket of Pigeon Mountain in Walker County. Meanwhile, ruby-throated hummingbirds start arriving; bluebirds and Carolina wrens commence nesting.

May: Bird song fills the air as the nesting season moves into full swing. You may need to go no farther than your front yard to see the feathered creatures busily tending their nests.

wetlands, alligators build nests. Terrestrial turtles are breeding. White-tailed fawns are born.

February: With Georgia’s mild winters, some wildflowers bloom early, such as hepatica, trailing arbutus, and yellow Jessamine. But the star of the show is the bright yellow trout lily. In late February, its mass blooms carpet the gentle

April: Spring is bursting out all over with the first waves of warblers and other Neotropical songbirds returning from Latin America to nest in Georgia. The trails in the Kennesaw National Battlefield Park in Cobb County offer great opportunities to see the colorful avian migrants. Trilliums, violets, and dogwoods bloom. Butterflies flit about. Hardwoods leaf out.

June: The landscape seems to turn 50 shades of green as summer takes hold. In South Georgia’s famed Okefenokee Swamp and other

July: Life in the wild slows with summer’s heat. Katydids and cicadas crank up their monotonous droning. With their nesting season wrapping up, hummingbirds return to feeders to fatten up for their arduous fall migration. Summer wildflower blooms include iewel-weed, blackeyed Susan, common milkweed and others.

August: Hummingbirds and some songbirds already start heading south for winter. Babies of several snake species start slithering about. Orb-weaving spider webs appear.

September: Fall songbird migration gets underway in earnest. Highway roadsides and old fields are ablaze with blooms of fall’s iconic wildflowers, goldenrods, and asters.

Blooming red maple

Yellow jessamine

Cardinal

Bloodroot

Katydid

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Goldenrods

Alligator

Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly

October: The first blushes of fall leaf color appear early in the month. By month’s end, the colors are in full glory. Spectacular views of the fall foliage can be had from the Richard Russell Scenic Highway (Ga. 348) in North Georgia. Deer rutting season begins. Northern nesting songbirds and ducks arrive for the winter.

November: Fall leaf color peaks during the first week or two. Hardwoods shed their leaves. Black bears, white-tailed deer, squirrels, beavers, and other creatures prepare for winter. Bald eagles and great horned owls begin nesting.

December: Winter brings a quiet over the natural landscape. Amidst the mostly brown terrain, evergreens – pines, cedars, hollies, Christmas ferns, mistletoe, and others –stand out. Some folks gather boughs and sprigs to decorate homes for the holidays.