Tucker Becomes a Reality TV World in
“Being Cayce”
Tucker Becomes a Reality TV World in “Being Cayce”
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8 Age Friendly Tucker: Is Senior Cooperative Housing Right for You? 15 Can You Out-Hike the Scares on Tucker’s Haunted Trail? 16 Taste of Tucker Goes Virtual for 2020
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Medical Alerts starting as low as $1 per day†. *Fall detection pendant does not detect 100% of falls
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OurTown NE DeKalb Community and Family Magazine
A Shiny Inc Publication Editor Lizbeth A. Dison Shinycomm.com ldison@shinycomm.com Our Town DeKalb is published and direct mailed to Creative Director Jay Adcock jaywadcock@gmail.com Writers Lizbeth A. Dison Cindy E. Farrar Lois Ricci Sanah Sayani Karl Schwartz Art Wood
Entire contents copyright 2020 by Our Town DeKalb and Shiny Inc LLC. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden in any media without written permission from the publisher.
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select homes in the Tucker / Northeast DeKalb area. Opinions expressed by the writers and staff are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Our Town DeKalb reserves the right to edit or reject any editorial or advertising content. Our Town DeKalb is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space or for the validity of claims made by advertisers.
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IN THIS ISSUE
4 “Being Cayce:” Even in Television, Business Is Important but Family Is Everything 6 The Bits in Between: Amok! Amok! Amok! 7 Wellness In-Sight: Thriving in Uncertain Times, Part 4 The Ties that Bind 8 Age Friendly Tucker: Is Senior Cooperative Housing Right for You? 9 Common Sen$e: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work 10 Friends of Tucker Parks Launches Bee Educated Initiative 11 Tucker Girl Scouts Promote Pollinators in Henderson Park 12 Rotary Club of Tucker Golf Tournament Supports Local Scholarships 13 Back Talk: It’s Never Too Early for That First Spine Check 14 Beauty Byline with Sanah: Don’t Let Dry Skin Crack You Up 15 Can You Out-Hike the Scares on Tucker’s Haunted Trail? 15 Kroger Opens New Fuel Center at Cofer Crossing 16 Taste of Tucker Goes Virtual for 2020 18 Having a Great Community...Or Being a Great Community? 18 Henderson Park Upgrades Provide Safety and Comfort to Park Visitors ON THE COVER: The Season Three cast of “Being Cayce” (left to right): Chris Guest, Tiara Burns, Susan Guest, Cayce Guest, Ruby Lee, Tamara Bolden, and Jerry Hadden.
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On The Cover:
“Being Cayce”
Even in Television, Business Is Important but Family Is Everything L.A. Dison The Season Three cast of “Being Cayce” (left to right): Tiara Burns, Chris Guest, Susan Guest, Cayce Guest, Ruby Lee, Tamara Bolden, and Jerry Hadden. Georgia’s film industry is the largest in the U.S., with nearly 400 movies and television shows filmed in the state in 2019, and almost $10 billion added to the state’s economy from that film work. While Atlanta has gained fame as the “Hollywood of the South,” Tucker has seen its fair share of film work; fans are often surprised to see cast and crew signs posted in their neighborhood, or when familiar landmarks pop up as background in a scene. Georgia’s film fame has inspired countless residents to undertake their own quest for stardom, with crowded auditions, long days as low-paid (or no-paid) extras, and disappointing rejections. One Tucker resident, while working to bring his own original series to the screen, found himself at the center of a reality show, along with his family and friends as well as his home town. Actor, writer, and producer Cayce Guest has been in the entertainment industry since the age of five. His Hollywood Week audition in Season Six of “American Idol” led to featured extra roles on such series as “Teen Wolf,” “Vampire Diaries,” “The Originals,” and “Fatal Attraction.” He thought his big break had come when he was cast as one of the stars in LGBTQ pilot “Out Life” in 2011, but when that series failed to make it to network, Cayce decided to move into writing and producing. He began work on his original series “Canoa Heights,” a fictional drama exploring the lives and loves of the staff of the Canoa Heights Country Club. While working on that project, Cayce took work at a Tucker restaurant to support himself. Here he met best friend Ruby Lee, whom he affectionately dubbed “Sis.” Noting that his life was often overly
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The Season One cast celebrates a successful series launch. dramatic, Ruby suggested to Cayce that he should star in his own reality series. Thus, was born “Being Cayce,” a You Tube series following Cayce as he struggles to balance his work life as a server and running his production company Q Lite Ent, while dealing with his crazy love life and sometimes irksome but always supportive family. The series stars Cayce, his mother
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Susan, his brother Chris and his girlfriend Tiara Burns, and friends Ruby, Tamara Bolden, and Jerry Hadden. “Being Cayce” treats Guest’s struggles in his film career almost as a backstory; the real focus in the series is on the loving relationship with his family and friends that helps him through his darkest moods. The series quickly gained a following, and Season Two recorded 32,000 views for its fourteen-episode season. “Being Cayce” was also nominated for a Webby Award in video; the winners of the 25th Annual Webby Awards will be announced in May 2021. The series launches Season Three in October, with plenty of changes in everyone’s lives. Season Two left off with the national pandemic pushing everyone into Cayce on the NYC set of the Longhorn Steakhouse quarantine; the cast commercial shoot. starts shooting from home for their “Quarantine Season,” but will being away from each other and the nation’s political and mental state threaten to rip the tight-knit family apart? This season, the cast will also release their first “Fall-Inspired Cookbook” and first Christmas Album, “Home for Christmas.” Is “Being Cayce” headed to broadcast or cable in the future, or perhaps another streaming service? “I’m a YouTube ho now,” laughed Guest. “Seriously, YouTube has been very good to me, now that we are monetized for our channel and make money. But I will always be up to consider syndication anywhere that wants us.” Are there plans to expand the now fifteen-minute episodes to a longer format? “One thing I have noticed in the two years of doing YouTube is that people have short attention spans,” said Guest. “The fifteen-minute episodes on YouTube are just short enough to keep them watching. But if another producer asked me again, who knows, maybe?” And the future of “Canoa Heights?” Guest’s reality show has opened up some interest in his scripted series, for which he has secured some “hush hush” names to star along with him. “I still love ‘Canoa Heights,’ and want to see it on the screen. But I don’t really want more than that and the reality show right now. I want more of a private life when I am not shooting on those projects.” No matter where the series leads Cayce or any of his co-stars, they all still live by a very simple motto: “Business is important but family is everything.” “My mother said that in Season One, and it grew on us,” Guest explained. “[The producer] Michelle and I decided to use it as a tag line. We are all about family. RuPaul once said, ‘You can’t choose who you are born to, but you can choose your family.’” Guest has certainly chosen well with the “Being Cayce” family. Newly remastered episodes of Seasons One and Two of “Being Cayce” are being rereleased on You Tube and Amazon Prime on October 1. Season Three will be released exclusively on You Tube on October 19, with availability on Amazon Prime in early 2021.
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Tom Edmondson
The Bits in Between: Amok, Amok, Amok!
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One of my favorite Halloween movies is the 1993 Disney comedy “Hocus Pocus,” starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as three sister witches brought back from the dead seeking revenge on the small New England town that hung them 300 years before. The oldest sister Winifred (Midler) is shocked to realize that their most sacred holiday has changed considerably since they last celebrated it. “All Hallow’s Eve has become a night of frolic, where children wear costumes and run amok!” says Winifred in disgust. To which her youngest sister Sarah (Parker) begins to dance around shouting, “Amok! Amok! Amok!” before being punched in the stomach by sister Mary (Najimy). I don’t know why but even after watching this film about a hundred times over the years, that scene always makes me erupt into fits of laughter. 2020 has certainly been a year which has given real meaning to the word “amok,” which means “behaving uncontrollably and disruptively.” COVID disrupted everyone’s life, political turmoil has divided the country into two warring factions, and backlash against long-held social conventions has some people literally running amok in protest. The upcoming election is already contentious, and whatever the results on November 3 (or whenever the results are known) will undoubtedly only increase exponentially the level of disruption. Amok just isn’t funny right now. But the Halloween season has begun and perhaps the witches will cast a spell of levity over us. Home Depot, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and Home Goods all have aisles dedicated to the spooky season which delight the senses with their colorful décor. Neighbors are starting to decorate with pumpkins, bats, skeletons, spider webs, witches, and monsters. Publix and Kroger have entire aisles filled with yummy candy to add to our COVID fifteen. And then ending the month come the trick-or-treaters, who we hope are going to run joyfully amok through the neighborhoods, masked and socially distanced but bringing smiles nonetheless. Let’s bring a more positive amok back to the season. Happy Halloween – Be Safe and Have a Frightfully Good Time.
Lizbeth A. Dison Publisher and Editor
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Wellness In-Sight:Thriving in Uncertain Times, Part 4 The Ties that Bind Cindy E. Farrar Where do I begin this installment? It has been quite a month. The challenges seem to be mounting with a sense of urgency. In these uncertain times, the world feels less and less in our control. The experience of loss is pervasive. When speaking of loss, we most readily refer to relationships, illness, or death. Loss can also be experienced with a significant change of the familiar or norm, as in job, home, and personal routine. In addition to increased stress, one of our responses to loss is grief. Grief, while felt emotionally, can also impact us in all aspects including physical, social, and spiritual. The expression of grief does not mean we are weak. It indicates that we cared enough to be experiencing the change as a loss. What we are encountering these days is different than what we have in most of our lifetimes. Our innate or acquired coping mechanisms that have gotten us through difficult times before may not be effective or enough in these specific times. There are various stages of grieving we go through that are not necessarily linear. They are looping, twisting occurrences. Our time spent in each one is unique to each of us. David Kessler (co-author with Elisabeth Kubler-Ross of On Grief and Grieving) identified a sixth stage of the process in his 2019 book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He states, “those who find meaning have an easier time, than those who don’t.” This is not to minimize the loss or feelings associated with grief. It serves to acknowledge and affirm the life, person, or thing we are grieving, ultimately helping us to keep moving. Meaning can be found almost anywhere, in anything: in our memories, in nature, and in our community. Specifically, our communities provide meaning through connection to something outside of and sometimes greater than ourselves. That connection is the tie that binds. Not in a restrictive sense, rather one that secures for safety and support, that carries at times and is lifted up at others, is energizing when needed and allows for rest when we are feeling tired. In these times of transition, if you are feeling the rollercoaster of loss and grief or know someone else who is, reach out to your community and connect. You may not feel you want to or that it takes too much energy. This is precisely when it is most needful do so. Note: If you are having feelings of being overwhelmed, depressed or suicide, please seek the assistance of a mental healthcare professional. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-daya-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis
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centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They’re committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness. Call 1-800-273-8255. Cindy E. Farrar, LMT, BCTMB, CLC is a licensed massage therapist, certified life coach and the owner of Massage Associates of Atlanta, LLC (Lavista Road in Tucker). In addition, she is a certified Qi Gong instructor and a nationally approved continuing education provider for massage therapy and bodywork. Cindy enjoys sharing insights on wellness and personal and community development as a speaker and writer.
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Age Friendly Tucker: Is Senior Cooperative Housing Right for You? Lisa Bily As you join millions of other older adults searching for affordable senior housing, have you considered cooperative housing? Options for seniors include assisted living, independent living and residential care homes but senior cooperative housing has grown in popularity the past several years. Designed to be more affordable than traditional models, it focuses on the overall well-being of the residents while offering the benefits of active-aging by providing an interconnectedness and burden-sharing environment that can help residents thrive rather than just survive. How do you “buy in” to cooperative housing? According to Senior Housing News, residents purchase “shares” in a corporation that owns the building. These shares entitle stakeholders to lease a specific unit within a building and utilize common areas. Additionally, there is a monthly charge for assessments, maintenance and repairs. Shares grow between one to two percent annually which helps maintain affordability and marketability for new residents. Also, residents retain the tax benefits of homeownership without the stress of maintaining the asset. What costs are shared? Items such as cleaning services, personal fitness classes, and in-home care can likely be pooled by the cooperative members. The residents create a group- buying model resulting in lower costs for items and services. Furthermore, overall operating and maintenance expenses are shared by the residents making the overall cost of living more affordable than a single-family home. Is there a homeowners association or board? Cooperatives have an elected executive board that allows members to vote on how the community is managed and operated. There are usually subcommittees that focus on particular aspects such as groundskeeping, common kitchen operations, and building maintenance. Usually terms are limited to one to two years. What are some of the life-style and life-enhancing benefits? In general, living in a co-op housing development offers opportunities for residents to create community, make new friends, discover new ways to volunteer, and be active. One of the perks of a co-op is the amount of social interaction activities like community gardens, walking/hiking clubs and cooking in communal kitchens. Volunteering is a major component of this type of housing which helps residents not just wind-down their lives but find new purpose. What are the cons to this type of housing? Usually, a ten to twenty percent down payment is required which is not unusual for any type of housing but for some people this is not affordable. Also, there is a limited amount of lenders that provide co-op loans so financing options are minimal. In addition, rules for renting a unit can be very restrictive which makes them harder to rent. Finding the right community may feel like a challenge—especially with the population of Americans ages 65 and older projected to nearly double by 2060 to comprise 23 percent of the total U.S. population. Overall, the benefits of senior cooperative housing can far outweigh the cons due to the emphasis in these communities on the quality of life for aging residents, making “affordable” not necessarily mean a sacrifice of quality or lifestyle. This type of housing option is still a niche in the senior living industry but it is certainly growing in both the number of communities and in popularity. While there are currently no cooperative developments in the Tucker community, the Age Friendly Project plans to include recommendations for housing that will serve the needs of all ages and needs in their report on the
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city’s Age Friendly designation to the World Health Organization. Housing is one of the eight domains of livability required to meet and maintain the WHO designation, and details on the group’s research and recommendations for that domain will be the topic for the November column. Our regular Age Friendly Tucker columnist, Dr, Lois Ricci, is taking a fall break but she’ll be back next month. Our guest columnist this month is Tucker realtor (and resident) Lisa Bily, who specializes in helping buyers and sellers of single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and estate-owned homes. Bily is a member of the DeKalb Association of Realtors, the Georgia Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. She can be reached at 404.326.5007 or LisaBily.PropertySales@gmail.com.
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Common Sen$e: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Art Wood Let’s start this off with a few questions…WHEN is the right time to start building a financial and professional team around you? WHY do you need a “team”? WHOM do you need on your team? HOW do you go about finding the right team? The answer to the first question is NOW, regardless of your net worth or income. Next, you need to surround yourself with a TEAM of experts who can help you make life choices that you may, or may not, be qualified to answer. I don’t know about you, but my eyes glaze over when I am looking at my 401K options. I lean on my financial advisor to help me make those choices. When you are sick, you go see a doctor (aka an expert) to help you make the right decisions about your health. Why would you not want to protect your wealth as you do your health? So whom should you add to your “team?” I would start will the following: financial planner, CPA, attorney, mortgage professional, personal banker, and insurance agent. This list is a great start but can certainly be expanded as needs change. These experts will be able to guide you through most of the questions that are outside your skillset. The biggest benefit of having a team is the relationship you build as you get to know each other. Constantly shopping around for experts and continuously re-introducing yourself to new people can be stressful. I had a conversation the other day with a potential client, and she mentioned that the “shopping process” was exhausting. I went through this whole spiel with her that if you had a team in place already, it would not be exhausting. You would simply call up the mortgage professional on your team and ask them what they would do and what they would recommend. – no having to fill them in on background information because they would already know your history. Once you have a team in place, the goal shifts from being short term solutions to long term success. There have been countless numbers of clients that I have recommended NOT to refinance because it wouldn’t fit in their long-term plan; I knew them and their situation and history. There are several ways to build your team. A great first step is to get referrals from friends, family, or other financial professionals. Ask them with whom they have had a first-class experience and whom they trust. If you are having a hard time locating a team this way, you can always use the Internet and do your due diligence. There is a wealth of knowledge there but I do believe that a personal connection is crucial. Lastly, you need to consider cost, experience, location, expertise, and reputation when making a decision. Most folks focus on cost, but I would argue that cost shouldn’t be high on the list of priorities. In speaking with a financial planner last week, he told me that ”a good CPA is definitely worth paying for. They may cost you an extra $1,000 but will save you an extra $10,000.” Or as my grandfather used to say, “it only costs a nickel more to go first class.” At the end of the day, life comes at us fast and is stressful. By surrounding yourself with a team of professionals that you trust, you lift an enormous weight off your shoulders and allow yourself to enjoy your efforts.
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Art Wood (NMLS #118234) is the branch manager of Legacy Mortgage Team of Goldwater Bank, located at 2341 Main Street in downtown Tucker. “Tucker’s Mortgage Guy” for fifteen years, he is a former Tucker Tiger (Class of ’92), and co-founder and organizer of Taste of Tucker. Family guy, community guy, and definitely not your typical mortgage guy - it’s all that he does that makes Art Wood who he is. Contact him at 678.534.5834 or art.wood@goldwaterbank.com.
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Friends of Tucker Parks Launches Bee Educated Initiative Our Town DeKalb Staff
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In September, the Friends of Tucker Parks launched the “Bee Educated” Initiative with a meeting of members and supporters to outline the mission, plans, and budget. Bee Educated seeks to develop and maintain a thriving bee ecosystem that promotes and leverages Tucker’s park land, while providing educational elements and programs focused on the important role of pollinators in our environment. Plans include building and maintaining bee hives and pollinator gardens in several of the Tucker parks, including the Nature Center, where the Friends also plan to construct an education center. The Friends have already raised $60,000 for the initiative but still need to raise another $90,000 to $140,000 through grants and fundraisers. Individuals or companies interested in donating to the project can do so through tuckerparks.org, or for questions, contact Suzanne Borchert with Friends of Tucker Parks, suzbb1@gmail.com.
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Tucker Girl Scouts Promote Pollinators in Henderson Park Our Town DeKalb Staff Girl Scout Troop 15523, Henderson Middle School, will be constructing pollinator houses to be placed at Henderson Park as a Bronze Award Project. The girls, with troop leader Sarah Visel and several Scout parents, met at Henderson in September for an educational tour of the park with Master Gardeners Kimbra Wiseman and Mary Mortenson, Friends of Henderson Park. The girls learned about different types of pollinators, not just the familiar honeybees, and what flowers and trees attract them. Wiseman and Mortenson then suggested some places at the park which would be ideal for house placement. Mortenson is a beekeeper with several hives at her house, and she answered the girls’ many questions on the life and care of honeybees. The troop hopes to have the pollinator houses in place at the park by spring 2021.
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Rotary Club of Tucker Golf Tournament Supports Local Scholarships Our Town DeKalb Staff Even though the Rotary Club of Tucker Annual Golf Tournament had to be postponed this year due to the COVID pandemic, it managed to raise almost $10,000 to support the club’s Scholarship Program. The tournament had about 35 golfers at Stone Mountain Golf Club who played on July 27 rather than the original date in April, and observed COVID safety guidelines during the event. The proceeds benefit the Peace Scholarship, which awards $500 scholarships to selected students in Tucker Middle School; the organization tracks the students throughout middle and high school, and those that meet the criteria and successfully graduate are awarded $10,000 scholarships to the college of their choice. The 2021 Rotary Club of Tucker Golf Tournament is tentatively scheduled for April 2021, date and other details to be announced in January.
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Back Talk: It’s Never Too Early for That First Spine Check Karl Schwartz Last month, we discussed the importance of chiropractic care for pregnant mom. This month, I would like to extend that discussion to include infants. I am frequently asked by patients, once they are under care and their health starts improving, “When is the best time to start receiving chiropractic care?” My response? “The earlier the better!” Just like regular check-ups with the dentist, it is always better to prevent a cavity then it is to require a filling. Taking care of your spine is no different. Labor and delivery of a baby is a natural process. In most cases, it occurs without problem. However, in a minority of cases, problems occur which call for necessary medical interventions, but the results can be traumatic to a baby’s spine and nervous system. Any delivery which requires induced labor, suction, or forceps can increase the chance of trauma to the brain and nervous system. How do we know if the baby should be checked? I would recommend any mother whose delivery required the aforementioned procedures to have their babies checked shortly after birth. Checking and adjusting an infant is quite easy and painless. Most of the problems that can occur usually are related to the upper neck due to the necessary twisting of the head to extract the baby from the womb. Because the baby’s spine is mostly cartilage, correction of a misaligned bone in the neck or spine requires only a sustained finger pressure on the area involved which moves the bone back into its normal alignment. My first observation of this miracle was when I was being adjusted due to a car accident. My chiropractor was treating an infant perhaps only six to eight weeks old. Since birth, she constantly screamed and could not sleep through the night. The OB said it was colic that the baby would grow out of. Imagine being a parent listening to your baby scream all day and all night. I remember after the baby’s first adjustment, there was an immediate change, a wave of relaxation and muscle loosening in the baby’s body. After the second adjustment, the baby started sleeping through the night. The baby’s neck had been misaligned from the birth process! Moms, have your babies checked if you have had a delivery with medical intervention, your baby had a low APGAR score, or your baby shows early signs of distress. The next time a baby might need to be checked would be with minor trauma. How many times does a baby fall while trying to learn how to balance or walk? Falls off bicycles, roller skates, or ice skates, tumbling in gymnastics, sitting in chairs in school for long hours - these are all minor traumas but when repetitive can lead to spinal misalignment. So, remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - the earlier the better!
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Dr Karl Schwartz is a graduate of Life University in Marietta, Georgia; he has been practicing chiropractic in Tucker for twenty-one years and a resident here for fifteen years. His office specializes in preventing sports injuries and maximizing performance by analyzing posture, weight bearing, and gait. If you have a question you would like addressed in a future column, please email karlschwartzdc@gmail.com. Note “Back Talk” in the subject line.
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Beauty Byline with Sanah: Don’t Let Dry Skin Crack You Up Sanah Sayani Wasn’t it just 90 degrees? How is it already October? The transition from summer to fall can be hard on your skin. And if you’re already on the drier side, you’re dreading the cooler temps. Plus, climate change isn’t helping. Before we get into tips on how to keep your skin soft and smooth, it’s important to understand the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin. Dry skin is your body’s way of telling you it needs oil. Dehydrated skin is when you look in the mirror and your skin looks wrinkly and thirsty. Your skin needs water to make it soft but it also needs oil to keep the hydration from escaping. You can help your skin from the inside by consuming enough water and eating the right foods and from the outside by helping it hold onto moisture. Humidifier The hot air blowing from the heater is drying out your skin. Running a humidifier while you sleep will add moisture in the air and your skin can grab this extra moisture for hydration. Shower Temperature Who doesn’t love a long, hot shower on a cold day? But the momentary pleasure could be causing long term damage. Experts say the heat from the shower softens the skin’s natural oil barrier while the soap washes it away. Once the barrier is gone, the skin loses its hydration which can lead to itchy and irritated skin. Keep the water at lukewarm temperature and try not to spend more than ten minutes in the water. Moisturizer As soon as you get out of that shower, moisturize. Immediately applying lotions or oils to the body while it is wet helps trap that water and uses it to hydrate the skin. In-shower moisturizers are also a quick way to lock in the water. Keep lotions all over the place to make it easier for you to remember to moisturize.
Rose Water Spritz Rose water is a natural way to keep your skin hydrated all day long. Use it as a toner after washing your face or spray a little throughout the day to freshen up your skin. Rose water has strong anti-inflammatory properties and may even help soothe the irritation of eczema or rosacea. Water Hydration is very important for skin health but this doesn’t mean go overboard. Drink the recommended amount for your body type and lifestyle. Stay hydrated so the oils and lotions you put onto your skin can trap in moisture to keep your skin looking supple. A lot goes into the health of your skin because everything impacts it. Medications, diet, pollution, climate change, mental state, genetics - it all ties in. There’s no right formula, you’ll just have to try things out until you find what works for you. These tips are a good place to start. And like with everything in beauty, you have to let it work. Be consistent and committed and you’ll see results. Sanah Sayani is a master cosmetologist and owner of Thread Beauty Spa (4426 Hugh Howell Road in the Tucker Publix Shopping center). Her monthly column seeks to answer readers’ beauty concerns; write to her at threadbeautyspa@gmail.com, or drop by the shop to ask her in person!
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Can You Out-Hike the Scares on Tucker’s Haunted Trail? Our Town DeKalb Staff Strange things are happening around Henderson Park’s Lake Erin, and only you can get to the bottom of them! Come visit the Haunted Trail selfguided hike on Friday, October 30, 2:00 to 7:00 p.m., and help the residents of Tucker sleep better at night by discovering the truth. The event will offer hikers of all ages the opportunity to engage in an interactive but COVID-safe experience through one of the city’s most beloved parks using QR codes. Participants are asked to socially distance on the trails and wear masks. Registration is now open at tuckerga.gov/parks; the event is free. Tucker Parks and Recreation also will be giving away candy bags in a drivethrough event on Saturday, October 31 in four parks (Montreal Park, Tucker Recreation Center, Cofer Park, and Smoke Rise Pool and Recreation) from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. or as long as supplies last.
Kroger Opens New Fuel Center at Cofer Crossing Our Town DeKalb Staff Kroger opened its newest fuel center in September at its Cofer Crossing store, with sixteen fueling stations and a 4,000-square-foot convenience center. The completely rebuilt walkin center includes twelve doors of cold beverages, as well as grocery supplies. It also has a deli area that includes hot food, nachos, and Icees. Located at 4357 Lawrenceville Highway, this is the 147th fuel center in Kroger’s Atlanta Division.
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Taste of Tucker Goes Virtual for 2020 Our Town DeKalb Staff Despite COVID 19 and the recommended restrictions on large gatherings, Taste of Tucker 2020 will still go on, in a virtual - and expanded - event. “Taste of Tucker Reimagined” will run for a month, from October 9 through November 7. Participating restaurants will be assigned a day during the run, and will donate a portion of their proceeds from that day to TOT. TOT will help drive attention to the “restaurant of the day” through social media, and will ask patrons to check-in and post on event Facebook and Instagram pages when visiting the restaurants. Event organizers will keep a running tally of the patron posts and use these check-ins to help determine a “People’s Choice” award at the end of the event. There will also be a prize for the patron with the most participation throughout the event. This is a departure from the past ten TOT events, where thousands of people packed Tucker’s Main Street, eager to taste samplings from over thirty of the best local restaurants and enjoy live performances from some of Tucker’s most talented musicians. Funds raised from the event benefited two local non-profit organizations: NETWorks Cooperative Ministry, providing food and other support for those in need, and Camp Kudzu, serving children and teens living with type 1 diabetes through camping experiences and educational opportunities. This year’s TOT will still donate proceeds to the two organizations, with event organizers Art and Karen Wood providing matching funds. “Taste of Tucker has been a labor of love for the Wood Family, so it was very difficult for us to imagine canceling the event despite knowing that we had to do what was best for the community in the midst of a pandemic,”
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said Art Wood, who is also producing branch manager at Goldwater Bank Legacy Mortgage Team on Tucker’s Main Street. “Our charities are very important to us, as are the restaurants that support our event every year. By reimagining Taste of Tucker for 2020, we hope to raise as much money as we can for our chosen beneficiaries while also driving business to our friends at participating restaurants.” Taste of Tucker Reimagined kicks off October 9 at Tucker Meat Market, followed by days for Hot Betty’s, Corner Cup, Local 7, Los Colinas, Village Burger, Uncle Maddio’s, Little Farmhouse Café, Grecian Gyro, and many more. The schedule is still being finalized, check Taste of Tucker Facebook page for the latest listings.
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Start that Project now! WITH OUR LOW-RATE HOME EQUITY LINES!
We will pay closing costs on lines up to $250,000!* Variable rates as low as Prime Rate, currently 3.25% plus .25% (3.50% APR)**, plus .50% (3.75% APR)***, or plus 1.00% (4.25% APR)****
Brian C. Moon, Branch Manager Northlake Branch 3953 Lavista Road Tucker, GA 30084
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IN TUCKER Runs October 12-30 at Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library 5234 LaVista Road. For details including hours tuckerga.gov/government/elections
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Having a Great Community... or Being a Great Community? Tom Edmondson You may have heard that a recent AJC poll named Tucker as Atlanta’s best suburb. What is remarkable about this is that Tucker was not one of the many candidates listed but was a write-in. How does a write-in candidate get 39% of the votes, far exceeding the second-place winner? Answer: someone got on the ball and told others to vote. For me, that was Tucker city council member Matt Robbins. I got his message and voted - only once! But be sure, I meant my vote. I have been here in Tucker for almost four years and am constantly amazed at what a great place it is. What makes it great is not the location - it’s the people. Tucker is filled with many fine people and groups who donate time and energy to the well-being of all its residents. They, like Matt Robbins, “promote” Tucker in the best ways. In my opinion, it’s because they see the difference between having a great community and being a great community. Anything we have can be lost, but something that we are is more enduring. Being a great community means taking responsibility for it and working to maintain it. That’s the purpose of the Tucker Community Action Team (TCAT). Attend one of our monthly meetings (currently via Zoom) to share, to be informed, and give back to Atlanta’s Best Suburb. Tom Edmondson, MTS, JSMA, Th.D. is the senior pastor of First Christian Church of Atlanta (Disciples of Christ), and a co-founder of the Tucker Community Action Team. Visit the Tucker Community Action Team Facebook page for scheduled events and the link to attend its next Zoom meeting.
Henderson Park Upgrades Provide Safety and Comfort to Park Visitors Our Town DeKalb Staff
OurTown NE DeKalb Community and Family Magazine
Visit us online at
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Henderson Park’s White Trail boardwalk was repaired and a second dock was added on Lake Erin in September; DeKalb County Commissioner Nancy Jester was instrumental in helping to allocate the funds necessary for the projects. The park also had new restrooms installed behind the tennis courts.
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September 24 - 28
FREE BRACELET when you spend $125* Up to $65 value. Upgrades available.
Š 2020 Pandora Jewelry, LLC • All rights reserved
AVAILABLE AT
ROSENFELD JEWELRY 770-414-1390
*Offer available 9/24/2020 - 9/28/2020 at participating retailers and online at pandora.net. Spend $125 or more on Pandora jewelry and receive a free bracelet up to $65 value, no substitutions. Upgrades available in-store only. Free and/or upgraded bracelet style excludes the Disney and Harry Potter collections. Limit 3 per person. Qualifying spend must be after applicable discounts and excludes taxes, fees, and the purchase of gift cards. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Not valid with prior purchases. Void where prohibited. Free bracelet must be returned with qualifying purchase or original retail value of free bracelet (up to $65) will be deducted from return. Product not for resale.
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ELECTION
HAROLD DENNIS FOR DEKALB COUNTY SHERIFF SHERIFF
LET’S TAKE DEKALB BACK!!
www.harolddennisforsherii.com
Contact Us For Campaign Information 404.590.6269 • hdennisforsheriff@gmail.com • www.harolddennisforsheriff.com PAGE 20
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