Atlanta Senior Life - February 2021

Senior Life Atlanta

MOVE, STRETCH, BREATHE

Senior yoga instructors help older adults stay active and strong through the pandemic

Winning at the game of love

In late December, there was an ownership transition of Atlanta Senior Life and its parent company, Springs Publishing. The new owner and publisher is Keith Pepper, an Atlanta native who has deep roots in the community. Keith has pledged to continue to operate the company with a focus on being present in civic, corporate and cultural events across Metro Atlanta.

Even against the strong headwinds facing journalism (and newspapers in particular), the hyperlocal media space continues to thrive, delivering the type of relevant journalism that is essential to a functioning society and a vibrant community. Providing consistent, reliable news and information while growing a viable print media business requires engaged local ownership.

As regular readers of Atlanta Senior Life know, Springs Publishing founder/ owner Steve Levene built a successful group of local papers by staying focused on the communities they serve. The Springs family includes Atlanta Senior Life as well as the four Reporter Newspapers and Atlanta Intown. These publications are produced by a committed and talented staff of journalists, designers and sales executives.

Since 2016, Atlanta Senior Life has been the go-to source for metro Atlanta’s dynamic active seniors, who live, work and play in some of the most influential neighborhoods and cities. Our readers have come to rely on our journalists to know what’s happening: from profiles of well-known locals to continuing education opportunities and the latest on where to take your grandkids to impress them (and everything in between).

By producing high-quality products that reach coveted audiences, local advertisers have been able to grow their businesses using simple but effective marketing plans to connect with their neighbors. It’s because of these engaged constituencies that Atlanta Senior Life has been able to survive so many changes in the industry. The plan going forward is to lean into this market leadership and continue to cover the stories that are meaningful to our community and to do it in fun, engaging and nonsensational ways.

Continue to look for us around town, but also please connect with us on social media. Spread the word: we’re all in this together. While our names may be on the masthead, we want this to be your paper as well! Please reach out with feedback or questions to publisher@springspublishing.com.

Atlanta Senior Life focuses on the interests, accomplishments and lifestyles of the active senior population in metro Atlanta. It aims to inspire readers to embrace a more rewarding life by informing them of opportunities to expand their horizons, express their talents and engage in their community.

Keith Pepper

Steve Levene

By Kathy Dean

Frani Green found yoga in 1985 and felt the calling to teach it in 1993. The 60-year-old has a background in theater and dance. She has studied different styles of yoga and has earned several certifications.

Through the years, she has instructed people of all sizes and shapes, and at all levels of ability. “I’ve taught deaf people, blind people, kids, teens, young people, old people and people with disabilities....so all people,” she said.

“The benefits of yoga are different for different people,” Green explained. “I teach yoga to seniors for strength, balance and overall wellness. This practice is paramount to our health, especially as we age, to keep our hips, knees and core strong.”

She said that one of her students is 76 and has been practicing yoga with Green for 20 years. “Another student is 89 and has been with me two years,” she said.

Yoga is something that’s often recommended for older adults. It can help strengthen muscles and allow practitioners to become more focused and flexible. This is especially important to prevent dangerous falls.

YogaJournal.com lists some of the many other benefits of yoga, including increasing core strength and improving circulation. In fact, several organizations that focus on the health of older adults recommend yoga. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has articles and links on its website to help seniors get started, with beginner poses, Chair Yoga and even Wheelchair Yoga.

A 2019 article on the SilverSneakers site notes, “Research shows a regular [yoga] practice not only improves balance and mobility in older adults, but it may also help ease back pain, relieve depression, and even reduce blood pressure for people with hypertension.”

Throughout the Atlanta area, there are yoga studios

Local yoga instructors help older adults STAY active and strong through the pandemic

and instructors available to teach and motivate people to improve their well-being. The coronavirus pandemic has created challenges, but yoga instructors say it also has made their services more valuable.

Something for everyone

Green has taught at locations all around Atlanta, including institutions such as Morehouse College and studios like Kashi Atlanta. For 20 years, she held yoga classes at CNN / Turner Broadcasting and the Coca-Cola Co. in their gyms. Once the pandemic hit, the gyms closed.

“I had corporate folks come to my classes for stress reduction, relaxation, rehab from knee replacements, shoulder surgery,

frozen shoulder, sciatica, back surgery and pregnancy,” she said, adding that one woman continued the classes through all four of her pregnancies. “She is still my student on Zoom classes, since all the gyms are closed,” Green said.

In 2020, yoga instructors needed to find a new way to teach, and they’ve done it with [online] platforms like Vimeo and Zoom. “I teach three Zoom classes a week and one class at Kashi Atlanta online,” she added. “I’m grateful that I can still teach and help people.”

Her students shared what they get from the classes. Carl Seville has practiced with Green for more than 15 years and said, “Her classes have helped to

Frani Green

eliminate years of frequent back pain and improve my overall mental and physical health.”

Melissa Howard, who has attended Green’s classes weekly for 12 years, added, “They’re a critical component of my overall physical and mental health and well-being. I leave feeling refreshed, relaxed, renewed, stretched, calm and strong.”

Green said that she knows

that one thing that holds some folks back from yoga is the mistaken idea that yoga is a religion. “It is not,” she stated. “Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice. Only recently, in the past half-century, did yoga arrive in the West as a way to wake up the body and the mind.”

Also, people think that they must be flexible to do it and are concerned that they’ll need to twist themselves into pretzels. Green stressed that that is also false.

“The only flexibility you need to come to class is to be flexible in your mind...your body will follow,” she said. “What I love about yoga is that anybody can do it. It allows you to create space in your whole being and is beneficial in so many ways.”

Deep breathing

The pandemic hit shortly after Naima Lewis finished developing a new course she calls “Breathe into Believing.” “It assists people in understanding the oxygen / carbon dioxide exchange,” she said. “Yoga is uniquely valuable because it focuses on the breath.”

Lewis holds a doctorate in education, a master’s degree in dance and is an internationally certified yoga therapist, through the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She is also Founder and Director of HYer DYnamic Health Discoveries (HY-DY), a non-profit program begun in 2002. Through HYDY, Lewis offers yoga and whole human development classes throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area, as well as online classes, and DVDs

and CDs on topics such as meditation and weight loss. Breathe into Believing, offered as a series of online courses, is based on fundamental principles and practices of yoga. Lewis has also had success with her “Shaping Shades of Gray” program for people aged 55 to 75. “I designed the program to shape the aging process and to assist and move the body, mind and spirit as we age,” she said.

Not only does Lewis help seniors move into better health, she also provides a way for them to move into yoga as a profession. She began offering a training program about seven years ago. The three-month, 200hour course is approved through Yoga Alliance, an international, certified organization.

Naima Lewis

Yoga student Fran Gersten, above, strikes a pose. At right, yoga instructor Naima Lewis works with one of her students.

“We encourage seniors to pursue, engage and train to become certified yoga teachers,” Lewis said. “I’m a senior, and I saw that a number of seniors were interested in it.”

She said that many older adults want to do something after they retire, or they look to shift their profession. “Many seniors get to a point where they feel the need to serve and help others,” she said. “That’s what our teacher training offers.”

At least a dozen people over the age of 60 have graduated the teacher training. Three were in their 70s when they completed it. “It is not designed for any one age, race, gender, etc.,” Lewis said. “They just need to have a sincere interest in yoga with a fitness level and the dedication and willingness to contribute to whole human development.”

The program helps participants to understand yoga and learn how to teach

it to other adults throughout their lifespan. The next teacher training program will begin March 13, 2021 — as will Breathe into Believing and Shaping Shades of Gray.

Marie, a professor at Life University and graduate of the Shaping Shades of Gray yoga teacher training program, said that it was a wonderful program, “but what I learned was that there’s such a great possibility for the baby boomers to really embrace their bodies and enjoy their life.”

The gentle approach

Twice a week, Springs Yoga in Atlanta offers a Gentle Yoga class, taught by Theresa Barnett. It’s not solely for seniors, but it attracts many older adults. Since the pandemic hit last year, the inperson classes are held according to CDC guidelines, and it’s been made available through Zoom.

“Gentle Yoga is a slower paced practice geared toward all different ages and different abilities,” explained Barnett, a 61-year-old yoga instructor who has been teaching at Springs Yoga for almost 20 years. “It’s gentle, but it’s still moving in a slow, deliberate, paced way.”

About 70% of her students are older adults, she said. “I specialize in helping people get in touch with moving.” Barnett said that lot of older people see the yoga poses in books or magazines and think, “there’s no way my body can do that.”

“We celebrate what you can do, and we accept that it may be different tomorrow,” she said.

The way she teaches is a mindfulness practice that focuses on moving and breathing. “It doesn’t matter if you can touch your toes or not,” Barnett said. “I always say that it’s not how far you go, it’s how deep you go.”

Yoga works with balance, she continued. “As we age, things change — like our eyesight, balance, stability. We work on how to use our bodies to stay as vibrant as we can.” Yoga helps

to build stamina, endurance, balance and stability, she said. “Let’s do everything we can to prevent falls and stay as healthy as we can.”

Some of Barnett’s students have been with her for a long time. She said that now, with things being closed due to the coronavirus, the classes are something that many of them look forward to in many ways. “To see the friendships that develop is just delightful. We have a community, and we connect with everyone through Zoom,” she said.

Ellen Hopkins, a student of Barnett’s, said, “Not only does Theresa’s Zoom yoga uplift me when I’m connected to a supportive community, it helps me to know that it’s Monday or Wednesday. During our COVID challenges, I look forward to her energy and upbeat manner.”

According to Fran Gersten, senior yoga can make you more flexible and stronger. “It also

Yoga instructors Theresa Barnett, upper right, and Frani Green, left, practice yoga on beaches.

increases your stamina and your endurance,” she added. “It’s wonderful for the soul!”

For 80-year-old Tillie Young, Gentle Yoga calms her breathing and has increased her strength and flexibility. “I feel it helps to counter some natural effects of aging, such as falls and loss of balance. Emotionally, yoga class centers me and deepens my appreciation for others and for nature,” she said. She noted that she is looking forward to returning to in-person yoga classes.

Sandy Gamble shared that she is making a commitment

to herself to help sustain her physical and mental well-being, and that she likes doing the yoga in the comfort of her own condo. The yoga classes also help her connect with others. “I am able to enjoy friends that, due to the pandemic, I would not be able to talk and laugh with.”

One positive aspect of holding classes online is that, even when traveling, everyone can still get together for yoga. “I’ve taught from Florida, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas,” Barnett said. “As long as there’s an internet connection, we can still connect and practice.”

Get moving and feel better

To reap the health and calming benefits of yoga, contact a local yoga center or yoga teacher.

Frani Green

franigreen.com, “Yoga with Frani” Facebook page, or franigreen@bellsouth.net.

Dr. Naima Lewis hydyinc.org or 678-565-8800. The next series of programs begin March 13, 2021.

Theresa Barnett yogab50om@gmail.com or 404-256-9216.

New kitchen to rev up Meals on Wheels Atlanta

Meals on Wheels Atlanta

Donate — Support programs including meal delivery, food pantry, pet food and home repair. $9 a day provides a senior in need with breakfast, dinner and pet food.

Stock the new kitchen — Purchase an item from the wish list on MOWA’s website. Volunteer — Deliver meals. Prepare shelf-stable meal options and stock food pantry. Decorate food delivery boxes.

Contact — Visit mowatl.org or 404-351-3889. Find it on Instagram and Facebook @mealsonwheelsatlanta.

Other home-delivered meal programs for seniors

■ DeKalb County — Visit dekalbcountyga.gov/seniorservices/office-senior-affairs or call 770-322-2950.

By Donna Williams Lewis

By early December, Jacquelyn Barnes was getting desperate.

She and her husband, Dexter, both disabled, live in an area no longer served by a bus and have little money left for food after paying for rent and medicine on their low fixed incomes.

“We barely had enough to survive,” the retired DeKalb County school cafeteria worker said.

To help get food to their southwest Atlanta apartment, Barnes turned to Meals on Wheels Atlanta (MOWA), a nonprofit organization that has supported vulnerable seniors since it was founded as a small soup kitchen in 1965.

Last year, MOWA delivered more than 600,000 meals to food insecure seniors across the city of Atlanta. That was up

by at least 100,000 meals from 2019, due primarily to the global pandemic, MOWA says.

Still, as of mid-January, nearly 400 seniors remained on what the organization calls its “Can’t Wait” list for ongoing meal delivery service.

But hope is at the end of a sledgehammer.

In February, MOWA’s outdated kitchen — designed to serve 200,000 meals a year — will be demolished. More than 18,000 square feet in the organization’s building near I-75 at Northside Drive will be transformed, including an ultramodern commercial kitchen, allowing meal production to be tripled.

Also planned are a gourmet demo kitchen for cooking classes, an organic garden and community event space in a project that is a community collaboration of designers,

architects, builders, chefs, gardeners and others.

MOWA plans a variety of fundraisers to complete the build and asks the community to “Pitch in for Our Kitchen” by purchasing items from a wish list on its website.

The goal is to eliminate that “Can’t Wait” list, said Hillary Baker, MOWA’s chief marketing officer. “Nobody should be waiting for food,” Baker said.

Several weeks after she applied for help, Barnes and her husband were moved off the waiting list and added to a route sheet. Breakfast items and freshly prepared and then frozen meals are delivered regularly to the couple.

“I got really lucky … and I definitely like the service. I worked in a cafeteria, so I know quality,” said Barnes, who’s particularly a fan of the meatloaf

■ Cobb County — Visit cobbcounty.org/publicservices/senior-services/ services-and-resources. Call 770-528-5364 for information about receiving meals. For information about volunteering, call 770-528-1447.

■ Fulton County — Visit fultoncountyga.gov/services/ senior-services/homedelivered-meals or call 404-613-6000.

■ Gwinnett County — Visit gwinnettseniorservices.com or call 678-377-4150.

and chicken and rice meals she receives.

No surprise there.

MOWA’s executive chef is Robert Gerstenecker, former executive chef at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. Gerstenecker and a registered dietitian nutritionist

Left, an Atlanta resident receives a Meals on Wheels Atlanta delivery from longtime volunteer Deb Vander Ploeg. Below right, Meals on Wheels Atlanta volunteers pick up food to deliver to seniors. Below left, film industry sound technician Kevin Cerchiai has been a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels Atlanta since the pandemic started. (Photos courtesy Meals on Wheels Atlanta)

design meals to meet most clients’ dietary restrictions.

“Everything is proportioned. Everything is nicely sealed,” Barnes said. “This is remarkable and a blessing to me. I love it.”

High-octane help

Before the pandemic, MOWA volunteers delivered food to seniors five days a week. Now, six meals are delivered weekly on Saturdays.

The organization’s largest fundraiser, “A Meal to Remember,” which in 2019 brought in $825,000, had to be cancelled.

As the going got tough, MOWA got creative. Gerstenecker and his staff have created gourmet holiday dinners for eight to help raise funds and developed a line of gourmet snacks called “Purposeful Foods” that are sold on MOWA’s website.

In September, the organization held a drive-in theater event in Sandy Springs called “Reelz On Wheels.”

In the meantime, MOWA is getting a lot of love from local celebrities. Its website features Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, rapper Lil Jon, actor Ed Helms (“The Office” and “The Hangover”) and others making pitches for MOWA.

During the holiday season, rapper and singer/songwriter

André 3000 shared his family’s “Quick Lil’ Apple Pie” recipe on Instagram in support of MOWA’S Pass It Down campaign. The dish has four ingredients: applesauce, canned biscuits, butter and an optional pinch of salt.

“COVID-19 was devastating for nonprofits but for Meals on Wheels, the community has really stepped up to support its efforts, so much so that the new kitchen project can be a reality,” Baker said. Going the extra mile MOWA’s volunteer drivers are the final loop in the chain of getting food to seniors, providing the only human interaction some seniors regularly receive.

Kevin Cerchiai, a sound technician who worked on Marvel Studio’s upcoming “The Falcon

and the Winter Soldier” miniseries and several episodes of “The Walking Dead,” started driving for MOWA after the pandemic hit.

His help soon went beyond delivering food to the six homebound seniors on his route in the Bankhead community.

The Westside resident rallied his friends to help him purchase a new refrigerator for one of those seniors. They took extra holiday food to everyone on the route and at Christmas bought three bikes for a grandfather who’s raising three grandsons.

Cerchiai, a recent transplant from Miami, said driving for MOWA — often accompanied by family members or friends — has been a great way to get to know Atlanta and serve the community.

“All of my friends are on the same level with this. We don’t do this stuff to make us feel good. We do it to make the other people feel good,” he said. “It’s a blessing to be able to help people out and their excitement is good enough for us.”

Meals on Wheels Atlanta volunteers pick up boxes of food for delivery.

Local matchmakers advise single seniors looking to start dating again

BY Tiffany Griffith

It’s never too late to play the game of love. Meeting new people can be awkward and tricky, but with many resources available, the game of love is a game you can win.

With the help of technology and modern-day matchmakers, people are finding new loves at any age. More apps and websites are being tailored for the over50 crowd to bring older adults together for more meaningful relationships.

Plus, matchmaking has evolved from the responsibility of the shadkhan in Fiddler on the Roof. The demand for 21st Century matchmakers has skyrocketed, as they help love seekers connect in our busy and crowded communities.

And when it comes to dating, local matchmakers say seniors may have the upper hand.

“It’s like they understand part of the joy in dating is dating itself. Not the endpoint,” said Jennifer Miotke, the President of One on One Matchmaking. “And I think that’s something seniors do really well. They’re trying to live every day to the fullest.”

“People are really believing you can have a life filled with love at every stage and every age,” said Lisa Lyngos, the co-owner of Atlanta Matchmakers.

Both women can confirm there is a dating pool for single seniors in and around Atlanta. Lyngos even coached an octogenarian. The 50+ dating scene is described as a melting pot of people from all religions, ethnicities, races, body types, and professional levels. Some have a little relationship experience, while others are widows or were in decades-long relationships. They’re educated and love to travel.

But what the older age group has more of than any other generation is confidence.

“Seniors are not asking their dates out via texts. They’re more

old school in how they court people,” Miotke said. “They don’t want to play the field a lot. They’re not trying to have three different options. They just want one.”

But with so much of our

interests, and a fun fact that no one would guess about you.”

And once you meet a guy or gal that piques your interest, take the pressure off and have a good time.

“The main thing is, when people are dating, they just need to treat the other person like a friend. Like someone they would meet in their retirement community and not worry so much about their chemistry,” Miotke said. “Just concentrate on having fun.”

Miotke and Lyngos say the Atlanta area offers endless options for safe and entertaining dates. They recommend a day hike in the mountains or a walk along the BeltLine. Take a tour of the High Museum of Art and the

a little extra help, that’s where experienced matchmakers like Miotke and Lyngos can step in. Their years of work have led to thousands of dates, and even some marriages.

Businesses such as theirs offer a range of services: A consultation to get to know you and what you’re looking for. Setting clients up with vetted, compatible love interests. Constructing your perfect online profile.

communication happening via texts and social media, it helps to know the new rules in the game of love. So, before you run out into the dating world, run to your computer first. The matchmakers said the first place someone will try to find more information about you is on the internet.

“So, control the narrative by getting a professional photographer to take some good photos of just you and maybe your pet. Then post them to Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn,” Lyngos said.

There are a number of online dating services specifically for seniors – and some are free! Among the top-rated sites are OurTime.com, SilverSingles. com, SeniorMatch.com and 50plus-club.com. Websites like ChristianMingle.com and JDate. com match singles based on their faiths. Lyngos recommends keeping your online dating profile short and sweet.

“Introduce yourself the way a friend would introduce you,” Lyngos said. “Talk about your personality traits, hobbies and

Atlanta Botanical Garden. You could play golf or tennis. Visit The Avenue, The Battery, or watch an outdoor movie at Starlight Drive-In Theatre. And in our new, socially distant world, you could also have a lunch date over Zoom or FaceTime.

Another hot tip the matchmakers provided was to keep conversations fun and flirty. Stay away from discussing difficult times in your past, politics, or other uncomfortable subjects. Spend time getting to know each other before diving into more serious subjects.

It also doesn’t hurt to pick out a few books on dating to do your research. For those who need

Miotke’s agency also runs the Eight at Eight Dinner Club, where local singles meet for a group date, great conversations, good food, and a possible companion.

“I have a 75-year-old client, named John,” Miotke said. “He was married for 35 years before his wife died of cancer. He had never done blind dating. He just came in here and had a good time. Before we knew it, he was dating like a 25-year-old.”

“We had a couple that matched in 2019,” Lyngos said. “He’s a 66-year-old retired corporate executive. She’s 65 and runs a chemical company. They’ve already been to Italy, New York, Mexico, Portugal, Sea Island and so many other places. They even made it through the pandemic together.”

Dating can be frustrating. That’s why Miotke and Lyngos urge you to stay optimistic.

“Love is possible again in life. It’s about being hopeful,” Lyngos said. “New adventures, new beginnings, creating new memories, trying new things. That is what keeps us young. That is what keeps us going.”

Jennifer Miotke

Lisa Lyngos

Have a happy Valentine’s Day, but watch out for tricksters who’ll break your heart

February is the month of romance, highlighted by the annual celebration of Feb. 14, known as Valentine’s Day. It is no secret that among us men folk that Valentine’s Day is a conspiracy, born within the Hallmark Corporation, simply for greed and profit. They even created a television network so that women can fantasize about being swept away by a prince from an obscure country while their husbands cut the grass. Actually, the historical perspective on Valentine’s Day is anything but romantic. Here’s a sample taken from History.com : The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men.

Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday. He,

too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome.”

I can see why Claudius II never received a dozen roses or a six-dollar, fold-out Valentine’s Day card.

That brings me to a point, which is the failure of men to learn from their past mistakes and those of their elders.

Valentine’s Day comes each year. It is well publicized (overly publicized,

STAY SAFE

or drug store at 6 p.m. on Feb. 14 and you will observe doomed men with the ThousandYard-Stare in the checkout line, holding the worst cards left behind by everyone who didn’t wait until the last minute. In their hands, they hold a half-dead flower a kudzu leaf and a couple of Kit Kat bars because the good candy was sold out. Nothing good will come of it later that evening.

Don’t be that guy.

Love, of course, isn’t contingent on your Valentine’s-Day

I had a friend who took his girl to Fiji to enjoy the sunsets on the Pacific. She left him a week after they returned. I guess she thought they had peaked. Another friend took his girl on a summer-long tour of all the NASCAR tracks nationwide. She left him at Talladega.

Love is like a knuckleball. You can’t always catch

Unfortunately, the search for love can also lead you to trouble and despair.

Online dating has become a popular way for people to meet, and, of course, people meet online for the chance that it will lead to romance and beyond. Many times, however, it leads to fraud and heartbreak.

Anyone can access an account on an online-dating site with a completely fabricated profile and a slick story, geared to tug at the heartstrings of a vulnerable person. The fraudster says all the right things leading the victim to feel a connection and of course, he wants to build on it—online

Why? Because the fraudster says he’s on an oil rig off the

Afghanistan, or some other remote location that prohibits a face-to-face meeting.

Once the crook succeeds in connection and comfortable the victim has taken the bait, they want to move the conversation away from the dating site and text one-on-one. Soon after, the request for money surfaces. The needs are many, including surgery needed for a sick relative, taxes or other debts needing to be paid by wiring funds or sending pre-paid gift cards.

These are just a couple of examples that the person on the other end of the conversation is a crook. Another clue you’re being set up for a scam is the request to set up a bank account in your name and Social Security number. This is when you need to bail out and cut off the communication. Never send money to someone you’ve never met.

That sounds easy but unfortunately, slick-talking con artists know all the right things to say, leading a victim to believe it is true love despite all the clues.

At the slightest hint of suspicion, confide in someone — a relative or close friend, someone not connected emotionally to the person — and get an honest opinion on the facts.

It will save you a lot of money and heartbreak.

Also, don’t be caught on the greeting-card aisle at 6 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t end well for you. I speak from experience.

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

Historic Cemetery launches renovation plan

By Collin Kelley

In 1884, Oakland Cemetery was becoming overcrowded with departed souls. A group of prominent Atlantans looked west of downtown Atlanta to a large swath of rolling land still scarred from fighting during the Civil War. It was on this site that Westview Cemetery became the final resting place of more than 125,000 residents – and counting.

In the intervening years, the Westview community, established in 1910, and its quaint bungalows have become one of the city’s most desired neighborhoods with the arrival of the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail. Westview Cemetery is also primed for a renovation of its historic, but aging structures and grounds.

To that end, Westview Cemetery and the Atlanta Preservation Center have launched The Friends of Historic Westview Cemetery with plans to bring more attention to the nearly 600-acre burial ground and to raise money for its upkeep.

Westview’s permanent residents include Coca-Cola Co. founder Asa G. Candler, the soft drink company’s president Robert Woodruff, Atlanta Symphony Conductor Robert Shaw, Atlanta Falcons owner Rankin Smith, civil rights icons Rev. Joseph, Evelyn Lowery, Vivian Jones and Donald Hollowell, and local restaurateur and LGBTQ activist Ria Pell, to name a few.

Atlanta Preservation Center’s new executive director David Y. Mitchell said that unlike Oakland Cemetery, which holds a handful of burials a year, Westview is an active site with regular funeral services. It is expected that Westview’s permanent residents’ list will grow to a quarter of a million.

Mitchell said he hopes that Friends of Westview will help transform the site into a place for repeat visits, as well as a tranquil location for walking and contemplation. He said the cemetery’s recent addition to the National Register of Historic Places was another step toward bringing wider recognition to Westview.

“There is a weird, complex intersection of beauty and mortality at Westview,” Mitchell said. “You’ll want to come back again and again.”

The first project on the Friends of Westview’s list is the renovation of the Gatehouse structure, which was formerly the main entrance to the cemetery. Constructed in 1890, the Romanesque Revival bell tower is a Westside landmark. Mitchell envisions the Gatehouse being used for events, exhibitions, and community meetings, as well as a welcome center with public, unisex bathrooms.

Also on the list of projects is restoration of stained glass windows in the Abbey’s chapel depicting the life of Christ.

The 38 panels were made by the LA ART Glass Company in 1943 when the Abbey was conceived by Asa Candler Jr., the son of the CocaCola founder, who had himself installed as director of the cemetery association in 1934 and would remain there for 21 years. He oversaw Westview’s biggest expansion, including the building of the Abbey, greenhouses, a trophy room for his big game conquests, and even a movie theater.

For more information or to join Friends of Westview, visit friendsofwestviewcemetery.org.

- Dan Richin & Dr. Paul Richin, MD

health systems ask ‘what matters’

IN ORDER to put patient’s perspective first

There are more than 46 million Americans age 65 and over, and that number is projected to double to more than 98 million by 2060, according to researchers. For many, it is nice to think about how many years Americans are living today. But today’s senior citizen also is focused on quality of life, not just the quantity of years.

It is important to recognize many older adults have more than one chronic disease and have been prescribed multiple medications (often ordered by a variety of physicians). And many individuals in this population live with uncertainty as they transition from living independently to reliance on others. It can be a complicated time once they are hospitalized.

One initiative hoping to make a difference is the “Age-Friendly Health Systems” approach to healthcare. This move comes from the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). They have joined in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA).

As of July 21 of last year, 779 health care organizations have earned either level 1 (Participant)

recognition in the [Age-Friendly] movement, according to the IHI.

In the Atlanta metro area, several facilities have implemented the program, including Grady’s ER, Emory’s Integrated Memory Clinic and the Veterans Health Administration (VA) facility.

“Putting the patient’s perspective first, asking what matters, is one of the most critical aspects of following 4M Age-Friendly Health System framework,” said Dr. Rina Eisenstein, Chief of the Bronze Out-patient [geriatric] Clinic, which employs the system that often is called simply “4M.”

“The 4M framework of knowing what matters to a unique individual, putting patient’s preferences first, and addressing them in the evidence-based manner will not only improve care and patient outcomes, it could also improve professional satisfaction in caring for older patient,” Eisenstein said.

“Perhaps the patient prefers to be made comfortable and remain home as opposed to having multiple tests requiring him to leave the house creating vulnerability during the pandemic,” she says. “During this era of COVID-19, when family members cannot accompany the patient or be at the hospital bedside, making home arrangements might be essential.”

The 4M system is based on an evidencebased framework that plays an integral role in maintaining an agefriendly system. The name comes from the four “M’s” in the system’s guidelines as healthcare workers

■ Determine what Matters to older adults;

■ Make sure Medications are helpful, not harmful to patients;

■ Attend to Mentation, including delirium, depression, and dementia; and

■ Ensure Mobility, so older Adults can maintain their function.

Age-Friendly Health can extend beyond the hospital. For example, your physicians’ medical practice may incorporate these strategies, as well:

■ What Matters to Seniors: knowing and aligning care with each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care, and across settings of care.

■ Medication: if medication is necessary, using age-friendly medication that does not interfere with what matters to the older adult, Mobility, or Mentation across settings of care.

■ Mentation: preventing, identifying, treating, and managing delirium across settings of care.

What COVID-19 Is Teaching Us About Seniors

In a recent Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine article, there are excellent updates for emergency room providers. “COVID-19 has taught us, once again, that acute illness may happen at any time, regardless of underlying conditions or risks,” state the authors.

“Inoculation of all older adults will take time and we’re facing a long winter in which social distancing and isolation will be the norm,” says Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President, The John A. Hartford Foundation.

In a December 2020 article, Fulmer says, “Health systems must learn from their experiences with COVID-19 thus far, prioritize age-friendly care and support champions of this movement in all departments, not just COVID-19 hot spots like the ICU.

Current research is showing there are specific problems with COVID-19 and older adults, making the age-friendly process more important than ever:

■ More than 42% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have occurred in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.

■ People with mental health disorders presenting to the ED have a higher risk of COVID-19 infection than people without them.

■ Rehospitalization increases if caregivers are not involved in developing personcentered discharge plans and helping with adherence to treatment plans.

■ Mobility: ensuring that each older adult moves safely every day to maintain function and do what matters.

■ Older adults with COVID-19 infections who have multiple comorbid illnesses and underlying uncontrolled medical conditions have a higher rate of admission to the intensive care unit and a higher mortality rate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that acute illness may happen at any time, regardless of underlying conditions or risks.

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

Dr. Rina Eisenstein

While individuals with certain underlying diagnoses such as diabetes or COPD, as well as those who are older may be at higher risk for more severe disease, younger and previously ‘healthy’ people have also become seriously ill.

Even after a year, there is still much to learn about the coronavirus and how pandemics can affect all populations.

Decline Happens

“In the last quarter of their lives, people experience a higher frequency of loss compared to other life stages, whether it’s people around them dying, a loss of their roles in society, or losses in terms of hearing, vision, mobility or function,” said Erin EmeryTiburcio, PhD, Co-Director of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program of Illinois based at Rush University Medical Center.

“Almost everyone is going to experience some degree of decline and sorting out what is normal can be difficult. Psychologists are well-equipped to help with this.” In addition, the vast majority of research that’s been done on older adults now needs to be redone with the baby boomers because their generation is quite different from those who came before them,” she said.

The year 2020 and COVID-19 have played havoc with several age-friendly programs. Sadly, the pandemic is not showing any signs of slowing down. And with the senior population filling emergency rooms, serious overcrowding in the ER and hallways and staff shortages, saving as many lives as possible has taken precedence.

With a slowing of COVID-19, Age-Friendly Health Systems will begin to help today’s hospitals plan ahead. “They can redeploy and prioritize existing resources, if necessary, to serve a rapidly growing patient population,” Dr. Melinda Estes, President and CEO, Saint Luke’s Health System (and 2020 AHA board chair), states in an AHA blog.

“At some point, all of us may depend on a hospital or provider who is expertly trained in the nuances of caring for older adults. This initiative is another integral part of advancing health for everyone,” Estes said. This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from The Gerontological Society of America, The Journalists Network on Generations and The John A. Hartford Foundation.

Back in the day, Chastain Park’s amphitheater was the place to see concerts

On a beautiful May morning in 1978, I was an excited, nervous 25-year-old on the way to my new job broadcasting middays on WQXI in Atlanta.

Tower Place was the glass palace this legendary radio station called home. Little did I know that this day would be the beginning of an amazing, long and, I must admit, colorful career. I had experiences that most people dream of, in the greatest city in the world…Atlanta.

I’m Kelly McCoy and I want to remember/ relive a lot of those experiences with any Atlantans who were enjoying concerts, clubs, restaurants and the entertainment from those days we “seasoned” humans experienced. If you weren’t here then, I’m hopeful you’ll learn more about those days before we became a major city.

we, and our sister station 94Q were dominant in the market.

Hanging in recording studios, backstage after the show for “meet and greets,” industry parties, wild conventions, lunches and dinners with artists and musicians, and enjoying life in the semi fast lane was our way of life.

FROM THE CRATES

Kelly McCoy

is a veteran broadcaster who worked for more than four decades at radio stations in the metro Atlanta market before his retirement.

I’ll maybe give you some inside scoop that we people in the biz were privy to — how we were the station that the TV show “WKRP in Cincinnati” was patterned after; how on-air interviews with artists, bands and stars happened all the time since

Editor’s note: Kelly McCoy was inducted into the Georgia Radio Museum and Hall of Fame in 2013. Through his “From the Crates” column, he’ll revisit the days when music was recorded on vinyl and stored in open-sided wooden boxes. He’ll take a regular look at the concerts, venues and musical celebrities he recalls from the days when metro Atlanta was becoming a major music center.

There were plenty of entertaining places to eat and drink in the mid 70s: Jeryl’s, Billy’s, Nikolai’s Roof, Manuel’s Tavern, The Colonnade. The Coach and Six was happening way before this new place, Bones, opened (in 1979). Writers Ron Hudspeth and Lewis Grizzard showed up here and there. Harrisons, Café Erewon and Cy Timmons…all great names, and places we experienced. Music, recorded or live, could be found at record stores such as Turtles or in venues such as The Omni, The Agora, the Great Southeast Music Hall.

I thought I’d start with one of the best places to hear live music that this great city has to offer: Chastain Park Amphitheatre. Chastain, before it had corporate names, was just called Chastain. I’ve said many times that there’s nothing better, and that nothing says “Atlanta,” quite like a perfect Chastain evening…definitely a crown jewel. When temperatures, and the weather cooperated, it was musical magic.

Over the years, hundreds of performances happened on Chastain’s stage. I attended scores of shows there, seeing and hearing anyone from Tony Bennett to The Allman Brothers Band.

Having worked making ads for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, I started appearing as a narrator with the orchestra and emceed a good number of Chastain shows. Of course, our radio stations usually were involved to promote certain acts. As one of the on-air people, I got to “meet and greet” the patrons, and quite often meet with the performer(s) before and after show time.

Every age group could be there. We even took our kids to see the Monkees at Chastain after their resurgence in popularity thanks to Nickelodeon. They were most surprised to see the Monkees looked like their parents and not the silly dudes on TV.

Chastain’s patrons included some of Buckhead’s finest decked out in high style and rockers who rolled in from just about anywhere in the state. In those days – before catering companies would deliver your feast – menus could vary widely for the patrons who brought in dinner. Candelabras, and champagne flutes gleamed from the tables in front. A few tables away, there would be a group enjoying a KFC dinner with cold beer.

I’ve been to concerts at Chastain that were so crowded, women would go to the men’s restroom and no one cared. Once again, these were the “old days,” and amenities have greatly improved.

You could catch any kind of act -- from Motown legends, to rockers with lots of hair. There were big names, both current and

from the past. Chastain was a favorite of Frank Sinatra. Tom Jones played there. On one of those perfect evenings, we got to enjoy The Allman Brothers with Gregg Allman.

The great blues artist BB King celebrated his 80th birthday there…what a night!

As an evening progressed, quite often the adult beverages would usually be abundant. One evening I heard a band say, “the more you drink, the better they sound.” This was before Uber, of course, and cabs were pretty nonexistent. Having a designated driver or behaving yourself was usually the best way to stay safe getting home after the show.

That was then. Now with the pandemic, many venues and clubs where musicians appeared have shut their doors, at least for now. According to Pollstar, the entertainment industry has lost more than $30 billion. Yes, billion.

I know you join me in looking forward to more perfect Atlanta evenings while enjoying one of the best places to catch a concert in our city, state and country: Chastain.

This photo of Kelly McCoy and Whitney Houston was taken at a celebration of Houston’s 21st birthday at Chastain Park’s amphitheater. “Little did we know that many years later our daughters would go to elementary and middle school together,” McCoy said. “Her daughter, ‘Krissi,’ as the kids called her, is a year younger than my daughter Courtney. We saw Bobby [Brown] and Whitney quite often doing family things and supporting their child. No bodyguards, no drugs...just being normal.”

Should a working widow claim Social Security now or wait?

Dear Rusty

My husband died 13 years ago, at age 50. I am now 64, never remarried, and work full time making a healthy income. I have never claimed any of his benefits. What are my best options?

Working Widow

Dear Working Widow:

You have several options available as both a widow and a worker entitled to your own Social Security benefit.

You could collect a reduced survivor benefit (only) from your deceased husband and allow your own benefit to grow to a larger amount. At age 70, your own benefit will be about 29% more than it will be at your full retirement age, which is 66 years and 4 months (your own benefit stops growing at age 70).

If you take your survivor benefit now, since you are claiming it before you reach your full retirement ae, it will be reduced by about 11% from the amount your husband was eligible to receive at his death. But at your full retirement age, your survivor benefit would reach the maximum of 100% of what your husband was eligible for at his death.

If your survivor benefit from your husband at your full retirement age will be more than your own benefit will be at age 70, you should strive to maximize your survivor benefit by waiting until your full retirement age to claim it. You can find out what your survivor benefit will be by contacting Social Security. They can also tell you what your age 70 benefit will be, but you can get that too by creating your “My Social Security” account, which is easy to do at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

If your own benefit at age 70 will be your highest benefit, you should strive to maximize your personal benefit by claiming your survivor benefit (only) first, as described in 1. above, and delaying the claim for your own benefits until age 70.

But here’s a big red flag: since you still work full time at a “healthy income,” be aware that if you claim any Social Security benefit before you have reached your full retirement age, you’ll be subject to Social Security’s “earnings test” which limits how much you can earn before they take away some of your benefits.

The earnings limit for 2021 will be $18,960 (it changes annually), and if you are collecting early Social Security benefits of any type and exceed that limit, they will take back benefits equal to $1 for every $2 you are over the limit (half of what you exceed the limit by). The earnings test is in effect until you reach your full retirement age, after which there is no longer a limit to how much you can earn while collecting benefits.

So, what is your best option, considering the above?

Well, if your earnings from work are substantially more than the annual earnings limit, you may find that you will not receive

Russell Gloor is a certified Social Security advisor with the Association of Mature American Citizens

any benefits, even if you were to claim. That’s because they will “take back” benefits by withholding your future Social Security payments until they recover what you owe.

For example, if your annual earnings are $60,000, you would exceed the limit by about $41,000, which would mean you would need to repay them $20,500. If your monthly benefit was about $1500 (about average), they would withhold benefits for about 14 months to recover what you owe, meaning you wouldn’t be getting any benefits while you were earning that much money. Thus, you may find your best option right now is to wait until your full retirement age to claim any Social Security benefits.

In the interest of full disclosure, there are some nuances related to the earnings limit. The limit is higher, and the penalty less punitive, in the year you reach your full retirement age. And while you may gradually recover withheld retirement benefits starting at your full retirement age, survivor benefits withheld before that age may not be fully recovered, depending upon how long afterwards you collect them.

Rusty

About AMAC

The 2.3 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] www.amac. us is a conservative advocacy organization founded in 2007 that represents its membership in the nation’s capital and in local Congressional Districts throughout the country. The AMAC Foundation (www. AmacFoundation.org) is the Association’s non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and educating America’s Seniors.

Now We’re Cooking A Q&A With Chef Linton Hopkins

By Collin Kelley

In 1997, Chef Linton Hopkins was working as saucier in New Orleans when he was diagnosed with lymphoma and came to Atlanta for treatment at Emory University. The trip to Atlanta was a success in more ways than one: Hopkins beat the cancer, met his wife and culinary partner Gina, and soon after opened his first restaurant – the now shuttered Restaurant Eugene – in Buckhead.

Hopkins, a James Beard Award-winning chef, is now a fixture in Atlanta with his renowned eateries Holman & Finch, Hop’s Chicken, H&F Burger, forthcoming Eugene & Elizabeth’s, and online marketplace The Buttery ATL, but he hasn’t forgotten how his life was touched by his battle with cancer.

At the end of 2020 Hopkins served as an ambassador for The Great Bake, a virtual spin on the classic bake sale, to raise funds for The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF). Hopkins is an avid baker, so when he was approached by LRF to be an ambassador he immediately said, “sign me up.”

Q. What’s your approach to baking?

A. I’m kind of like Willy Wonka when it comes to baking. I love to tinker and see what happens. You can eat your mistakes hot out of the oven. Just put a little butter on top. I’m an endless learner; I love the exploration of how to do something. So I play

around with flours, I’ve built relationships with millers, and even took a side-trip to visit a mill in England where they make rye flower.

Q. You participated in the LRF charity fundraiser, but you have a different idea about charity. Tell us about it?

A. I think we need to end the concept of charity forever. It should be built into the business model of how we solve things. I really believe in this idea of being a maker. By doing what I love to do, I can give back. So, for example, when I buy a sandwich the charity should be part of the price and some of that money goes to the charities that fix things in our world.

Q. With many restaurants going through rough financial times due to the pandemic, what’s your advice to fellow restaurateurs?

A. The biggest lesson is to recognize that you have mobility. The pandemic has given people a taste for takeout, delivery, and pick up, and that’s not going away. Food and beverage is going to last until the zombies take us, but the structure of how food and beverage gets to guests is going to change. I’m a “no exit” kind of restauranteur; I’ll keep working and tweaking it until it works. Personally, if we have to shrink the company down to me with a cast iron skillet and Gina with bottle of wine, we’ll start from scratch again.

Veteran journalist has seen the changes in Georgia politics up close

It’s more and more unusual for a print journalist to make almost an entire career from working at one publication, but Jim Galloway is that rare bird. The 1977 University of Georgia graduate spent about 18 months at a South Carolina paper before jumping to the AJC and has been there ever since.

Galloway was hired as editor for the Atlanta paper’s North Fulton Extra, a weekly suburban edition. He next jumped to the Journal to cover religion. Stints at Atlanta City Hall, the Georgia Legislature and as a foreign correspondent – among others – followed. He became a political columnist about 20 years ago, a position he planned to retire from after the Jan. 5 runoffs for the U.S. Senate seats representing Georgia..

Galloway reflected on his career and the changes in

Georgia’s political landscape in a conversation with Atlanta Senior Life contributor Mark Woolsey.

Q. What influences drew you to journalism?

A. I would guess probably reading the paper when I was growing up. We took the Journal, the evening paper. Then there’s this: Remember the movie “Teachers Pet” with Clark Gable and Doris Day? He was a feisty old city editor. Also, Art Buchwald, the humor columnist of the day, influenced me.

Q. How has covering politics changed?

A. My first presidential candidate is an example. He was Florida Governor Ruben Askew. I think it was 1984. At that point you were assigned to a specific candidate. I remember he had this interesting tic. Every so often his voice would stop and his eyes would roll to

the back of his head. Nobody ever wrote about it. Fast forward to today, can you imagine that happening?

Then, there’s the immediacy. The rhythm of the business has changed so much. Usually I finish the Sunday column at around 5 p.m. on Thursday. It goes up at about 6 p.m. and then into the Sunday paper. So, the internet presence gets priority over print. And you’re competing with all these social media outlets, trying to combat all the disinformation that’s out there.

Q. What were highlights of your career?

A. I thought my stuff out of Beijing during all the [Tiananmen Square] unrest was pretty good. I have spent about the last 20 years as a political columnist and that has gotten more and more interesting every year. The other big one I did was in 2006, when Ralph Reed was making a play for governor of Georgia, and that’s when the [Jack] Abramoff scandal was breaking. It turned out that Reed had taken a good bit of money that had been laundered through another organization to stop the state of Alabama from establishing a lottery and [halt] gambling initiatives in other states. It was one of those cases where it paid to have covered religion for a while.

Q. What will you miss?

A. It’s something I already miss: Talking to people face to face. I

always did my best stuff when I could look someone in the eye. Now you don’t see their faces…everybody is masked up. The other thing is that I have gone through life half deaf and you don’t realize in a situation like that how much you depend on lip reading,

Q. What’s ahead for politics in Georgia?

A. I don’t know if it will happen this cycle or the cycle after that or the cycle after that, but Georgia is changing demographically, and by 2030 we’ll be a majority-minority state. White voters will be outnumbered by everybody else. The question is how are we going to react to that? The arc has been coming to grips with the progression of the US into a multiracial democracy.

Q, Were you surprised by the recent election and runoff?

A. November surprised me in that Democrats did well at the top of the ticket – in the presidential, Senate and congressional contests, but not down-ticket. They made minimal gains in the state Legislature, which bodes ill for them during a special session to redraw political boundaries later this year.

The results of the two Senate runoffs on Jan. 5 surprised me less and less as we moved closer to final voting. With Trump insisting that he won, against all evidence, he made sure that the election was about him, and not about putting a check on Democrats. In essence, he asked Georgia whether we were really sure about how we voted on Nov. 3. And on Jan. 5, we said yes.

Q. What’s next for you?

A. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do next. I have a lot of woodworking tools I want to play with. I’ll have to buy a new laptop. I don’t know what I’ll write but I’ll keep writing.

Q. The great American novel perhaps?

A. Naw, I don’t know how I’d write fiction.

Jim Galloway

Going Out

Dazzled by orchids

“Orchid Daze” at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Avenue, NE. The garden opens its annual “Orchid Daze” displays on Feb. 13. The show continues through April 11. The garden promises that thousands of orchids will flower to present lovely and fragrant displays in the garden’s Fuqua Conservatory and Orchid Center.

The orchid center is open from noon to 9 p.m. Timed tickets are required for entry. Tickets cost $21.95 for adults and $18.95 for children aged 3 to 12. For more: atlantabg.org.

Persian delights ►

“Bestowing Beauty:

Masterpieces from Persian Lands” will be on view through April 18 at the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE.

The exhibition includes carpets, textiles, manuscripts, paintings ceramics, metalwork and other objects that illustrate the artistic traditions of Persian civilization. The nearly 100 works

in the show, organized by the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, were made from the sixth to the 19th century and highlights includes miniature paintings from the Shahnama (Book of Kings), the Persian national epic; rare Qur’an pages; and monumental silk carpets from the height of Safavid carpet production.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Timed tickets and face coverings are required. General admission tickets cost $14.50. For more: high. org.

▲For the birds

The art exhibit “Three Billion” opens Feb. 6 at the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300, Duluth. The exhibit continues through April 24.

“Three Billion,” is a group show of works by 10 artists from across the country whose work focuses on environmental themes and wildlife declines. The show’s title refers to the number of North American birds thought to have been lost over the past half-century. Admission is free. Timed tickets are needed for the show’s opening on Feb. 6. The Hudgens is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Georgia Audubon plans a virtual tour of the show as part of its monthly meeting scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Feb. 28. For more: thehudgens.org

Thinking outside the house

The recently published “2021 Guide to Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites” now is available for free at park offices or from GaStateParks.org. The booklet offers tips on hiking trails, fishing spots, pet travel, golf courses, cabins and campsites available in parks across the state. For more: gastateparks.org

Staying In

Virtual author talks

During the month of February, the Atlanta History Center hosts a series of online talks by authors. The talks are shown on Zoom and free and available to the public. The authors and their books featured include:

◄ Chad Sanders, author of Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.

■ Leesa Cross-Smith, author of This Close to Okay, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

■ Anna Malaika Tubs, author of The Three Mothers, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.

■ Thomas Holt, author of The Movement: The African-American Struggle for Civil Rights, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. For more: atlantahistorycenter.com

Mozart behind the curtain

On Feb. 18, starting at 8 p.m., the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presents an online performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 as part of its “Behind the Curtain” concert series. ASO Concertmaster David Coucheron performs while opera-star-turned-conductor

Nathalie Stutzmann conducts. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the single concert and $130 for the full “Behind the Curtain” series. For more: www. atlantasymphony.org

Animation at the Alliance

The Alliance Theatre’s first animated feature, SIT-IN, is available for streaming now on Alliance Theatre Anywhere.

Written by Atlanta playwright, and civil rights activist Pearl Cleage, this original animated special for family features a mix of civil rights anthems and new freedom songs. It follows three friends as they learn about the sit-ins of the civil rights era, and powerfully apply those lessons to issues they – and we all –face today. The stream is available at www.alliancetheatre.org/sitin.

On Feb. 25, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Booth Museum’s Curator of Photography Dr. Samuel Gerace and Seth Hopkins, the museum’s executive director, discuss diversity in the West as they walk online visitors through the museum’s new photography exhibit, “Vaquero Legacies and Diverse Descendants.” On Booth’s Facebook page and its YouTube channel. For more: boothmuseum.org

Virtual gallery walk