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4 COVER STORY: A Tree Grows in Tucker 7 Wellness In-Sight: Tag! You’re It! 11 Back Talk: Springing Safely Back to Action 16 Tucker Resident Shares Valentine Love with Decatur Women’s Shelter
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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
select homes in the Tucker / Northeast DeKalb area. Opinions expressed by the writers and staff are their Creative Director own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Jay Adcock the publisher. Our Town DeKalb reserves the right jay@adcockcreativegroup.com 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 Writers validity of claims made by advertisers.
Cindy E. Farrar Doug Reynics Lois Ricci Sanah Sayani Karl Schwartz Stacy Slocum Art Wood
Entire contents copyright 2021 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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4426 Hugh Howell Road, Suite 307B Tucker, Georgia 30084 770.621.9041 info@ourtowndekalb.com
IN THIS ISSUE 4 A Tree Grows in Tucker 6 The Bits in Between: The Rare Jewel of True Friendship 7 Wellness In-Sight: Tag! You’re It! 8 Age Friendly Tucker: Transportation and Maybe a Trolley for Tucker 9 Common Sen$e: Credit Karma vs. Your Mortgage Company – Whose Credit Report Do You Believe? 10 Food for Thought: New Owners of Blue Ribbon Grill Manage to Keep the Charm 11 Back Talk: Springing Safely Back to Action 12 Beauty Byline with Sanah: Collagen Keeps It Together 14 Tucker Couple Brings ‘Ultimate DIY Experience’ to Main Street 16 Tucker Resident Shares Valentine Love with Decatur Women’s Shelter 18 Tucker Optimists’ ‘Suitcases of Love’ Lessen the Trauma of Transition for Foster Children ON THE COVER: In these troubling times, Cindy Farrar often finds comfort and inspiration in a 250-year-old tree named Beauty.
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On The Cover:
A Tree
Grows in Tucker
include many members of the Tucker Running Club. As the practice grew, Massage Associates moved to larger facilities, and in 2013 was once again considering expansion. Over the previous years, Farrar had several opportunities to lease the Lavista office building but she never felt a connection to the property on any of the previous visits. When her realtor, who was also a personal friend, once again brought up Lavista as a possibility, Farrar reluctantly agreed to revisit the property. Still not interested in pursuing a lease, after her meeting she walked out to the parking lot behind the building to leave. As she walked from the front of the building around the side to the back yard, she looked up and saw the tree – and knew in an instant that this was her new office. Farrar had been so focused on the building when she drove up, she had not noticed the magnificent copper beech tree
L.A. Dison
In 2013, local massage therapist Cindy Farrar was looking for a new location for her practice. Massage Associates of Atlanta had been in business since1998, and had already moved thrice as its office needs changed. Now it had outgrown its Lavista Road building, and Farrar was on the lookout for larger accommodations while remaining in Tucker. Her realtor had shown her several local properties over the months, including a former home converted to an office further up Lavista which would require a minimum of renovation. Farrar was famously known by friends and family for her strong intuitive nature, and so far nothing she was shown by her realtor “spoke” strongly enough as a potential new office. Then she met a 250-year-old copper beech tree who spoke to her of community and connection. After a successful yet stressful corporate career, Farrar was called to a career as a massage therapist. She founded Massage Associates of Atlanta with partners in 1998, and became the sole proprietor two years later. The practice facilitates healing by providing the highest level of massage therapy as well as allied wellness therapies. Its main focus is on clients living with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, sciatic issues, and back and neck pain. Services like oncology and lymphatic massage treat clients in illness recovery. Senior client needs and professional referrals inspired Farrar to add programs and services promoting senior health and wellness. The practice also works in injury and sports rehabilitation, with referrals from physical therapists and chiropractors; clients
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that graced the back yard. Yet there she was, beckoning to her. “Beauty,” as the tree would one day be known, was telling her that Massage Associates needed to be in that space. Even though circumstances delayed pursuing the lease for several months, during that time Farrar never lost that sense of destiny. Like the clinic she has come to symbolize, Beauty is a place of comfort that facilitates healing. Her vast root system is a great network of grounding and connection. Her tremendous canopy offers a place of shelter, rest and renewal, and has become the central feature in many of the center’s events and celebrations. Around her trunk, Farrar and other therapists have led class demos, hosted open houses, enjoyed live acoustic music and celebrated unity with drum circles. This past fall, Farrar hosted “Just for a Moment: Pause and Connect,” a zoom and live hour for reflection and meditation. Farrar also has held staff meetings and hosted clients and friends using the space under her canopy. When the pandemic broke out in March 2020, Farrar and her staff had to quickly reformulate how they would continue to operate while ensuring the safety of both staff and clients. New COVID-19 policies, procedures and practices were adopted similar to those implemented in doctors’
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CONTINUED on page 13
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The Bits in Between: The Rare Jewel of True Friendship Tom Edmondson
OurTown NE DeKalb Community and Family Magazine
Got a story idea?
Our Town DeKalb is always looking for talented writers! Send story suggestions to info@ourtowndekalb.com. Submissions become the property of Our Town DeKalb; all submitted material is subject to review and editing. Acceptance of submitted material does not guarantee publication. PAGE 6
In February, Tucker mourned the loss of one of its most beloved residents. William C. Rosenfeld passed away after a brief illness, leaving behind family and friends in inconsolable grief. Successful businessman, gifted artist and jeweler, small business advocate, generous philanthropist, active city councilman and untiring advocate for the city of Tucker – Bill was all of that but most importantly he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather and steadfast friend to just about everyone who knew him. I am so fortunate to have enjoyed his friendship and generosity for thirteen years. I met Bill at the Tucker Business Association, where he was an active member and past president. He made an effort to get to know me there, nominated me to the board, and was one of the first clients for my fledgling PR company. He invited me to lunch at his Rotary Club and nominated me for membership, where ten years later I was voted president of the club (an office he held twice). I was one of his many loyal jewelry customers; all of us considered Bill our “personal jeweler,” and he was just that, giving the same personal attention to each of us no matter the size of the purchase. When I decided to launch this magazine, Bill was there to offer business advice and sincere support. He was the first advertiser to sign on, and has advertised in every issue since its launch. And since we first met, whenever I came in to the store, he always welcomed me to sit down in his office just to catch up, or eagerly showed me his latest design equipment and the cool new things he could do with it. He always asked about my daughter Emma, whom he had watched grow from primary school to college freshman. In December, he helped her pick out a watch (from his own “Guille” line) for her boyfriend. When I called her in Cincinnati (where she is attending University) to tell her the news, she was stunned into silence before she started to cry. The day I learned of his passing, the news hit me like a gut punch. Two weeks later, past his memorial (which was closed to all but immediate family due to COVID concerns), and past the Rotary club meeting where we honored him with a cash donation to a local food pantry, I still have a hard time accepting that he is gone. There are so many things in my life that remind of him but I think it is fitting that a lot of those things are my jewelry. There are the diamond studs that when I lost one of them, he helped me replace it with a perfect match (and made me reset them both in screw back settings so I wouldn’t lose another one.) There’s my mother’s diamond ring that was a gift to her from my father on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Bill cleaned, repaired and resized it when she died so I could wear it in her memory, and now it also shares his memory. British theologian Charles Bridges said, “A true friend is no common acquisition…the jewel itself is as rare as it is precious.” To many people, Bill Rosenfeld was that rare jewel in their lives. With his loss, the world now sparkles just a little less brightly. Lizbeth A. Dison Publisher and Editor
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Wellness In-Sight: Tag! You’re It! Cindy E. Farrar Twenty-five years ago, on March 4th, I began massage school. Initially, I was bummed as I had missed the previous September class start registration deadline by about a week. So, I had to wait the additional five months to March. Then it occurred to me that my delayed start was perhaps prophetic. I was being led to “March forth” on my new path. As cheesy as it may sound, it served as a powerful guidepost on my journey that has been significant in leading me to where I am today. Guideposts or signs are all around us, happening every day. Sometimes they are bold and bright, like rainbows following a rainstorm or the sudden appearance of a butterfly. Other times they are less obvious as in the reappearance of a once lost item or the date March 4th. On our journey we are encouraged to pause to take in that which delights and inspires. In addition to what is obvious to the eye, you never know what lies beneath and what message it may hold. There are occasions when a little nudge of acknowledgement or direction is precisely what we need - even if we do not yet know it. These occurrences can help us to move in a particular direction or away from something no longer serving our best selves. At times they are simply the slightest bit of uplift necessary during a challenging period. The skeptic may say it is coincidence, luck or attributable to the law of averages. Perhaps it may be so. My experiences lead me to believe otherwise. Along our journey it is also important to have what I call “touchstones.” Different than the conventional definition, I use this term to refer to those things that we can “touch” physically or literally, that call us to be present, make us feel comforted or safe, and serve as a point of grounding. A touchstone can be a designation of something or someplace special. It can be traveling back to our childhood home, a trinket we keep near, or the small shell found on the beach. Or maybe it is something that just “speaks” to us. A touchstone may also hold spiritual, religious, or cultural significance, like a crystal, cross or totem. What a touchstone calls to mind for me are childhood days of playing tag. There was always one predetermined place we called “home base.” It was essential it be easy-to-reach like a porch step or tree trunk. As long as some part of you was touching it, you could not be tagged. You were safe. It was our tag touchstone. March, the only month that is also a command, is “tagging” us to embrace the upcoming spring with all of its promises of vibrant guideposts and touchstones. Remember, a large tree may be just a large tree, or it may be what calls one to form a place of healing and community. It may also serve as a welcoming place of shelter, comfort, and grounding. With our touchstones accessible and our awareness tuned to the potential guideposts, our journeys await. 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: Transportation and Maybe a Trolley for Tucker Dr. Lois Ricci At the end of 2020, the Tucker Civic Association Lifelong Community Committee submitted its Action Plan for Renewal of the WHO Age Friendly City Designation, and in January, the city received notice that the designation was renewed. In three years, the committee must submit a progress report as to how the plan is progressing; in five years, it will submit a report on the results of that plan. In drafting the action plan, the team looked at each of the eight domains to review what had been done and what will need to be addressed. (To review, here are the eight domains: the built environment; transportation; housing; social participation; respect and social inclusion; civic participation and employment; communication; and community support and health services.) Transportation continues to be a challenge although there are several programs and services available. Many organizations in Georgia provide transportation for older adults and individuals with disabilities to destinations at little or no charge. • Uber and Lyft each offer alternatives to taxis and private transportation services. Both give passengers a convenient way to request and pay for rides through their smartphones. • Taxi services are available at a nominal cost. • Church buses provide some transportation to their members. • MARTA has several buses routed through Tucker. The buses travel main streets and secondary roads in the city, but they are not easily accessible to people living in residential areas away from the main roads. • MARTA Mobility provides Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complimentary paratransit service to anyone unable to easily get on or off a regular bus. Riders must qualify, have a photo ID and Breeze card, or pay the $4.00 fare in cash. Empowerline is sponsored by the Aging and Independence Services Group
of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), and is the front desk for people who need help navigating life changes and surprise obstacles in their homes, with their health, and in their communities. It can connect you to privately and publicly funded resources from more than 26,000 community-based providers, including those that provide transportation services for seniors. It can be reached via phone at 404.463.3333 or online at empowerline.org. Dekalb County offers several transportation programs for residents 60 and older and for adults with disabilities. • The voucher program makes travel available and offer the opportunity to be active and involved. For details, call the DeKalb County Transportation Line at 770.322.2967. • The Quality-of-Life rides offers small groups of seniors (age 60 and above) transportation to destinations of choice, such as restaurants, shopping centers or salons, for up to three hours. Reservations are made at 770.322.2967. • The I Care program provides volunteer transportation for those over 55 to medical appointments, grocery stores and other necessary stops. Call 404.377.2273 to arrange transportation. Senior Solutions offers a variety of services to help seniors remain safe and comfortable in their own home—including transportation for residents age 60 years and older. Vans with qualified drivers will pick up the passenger, drive to the desired destination, and then safely return the passenger home. You can find out more about all its services by calling 888.769.7724 or visiting sscares.com. A new idea that is being discussed is a trolley car for Tucker. Originating in the late nineteenth century, trolleys were known as “the cars that built our cities.” In large cities where trolleys still operate, they provide an important local transportation service, and political and business leaders in some small cities are giving them a try. From a transportation planning perspective, the trolley may not have a lot of advantages, but people like them. The trolley would be a good solution for residents looking to travel within a small local area, or for those with mobility challenges. Like in San Francisco, the trolley could even become a tourist attraction. Businesses could leverage a trolley as an economic development tool, encouraging investors to spend, grow new businesses, and create pedestrian business districts. Cities across the country are investing in old-fashioned trolleys. It is not an experiment - everything that was old is new again. Maybe…a trolley for Tucker?
Dr. Lois Ricci is a longtime resident of Tucker, where she chairs the Tucker Civic Association Lifelong Community Committee. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at both Kennesaw State University and Clayton State University, where she teaches gerontology courses and the Professional Development in Gerontology Certificate Class. Ricci also serves as an official representative for American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
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Common Sen$e: Credit Karma vs. Your Mortgage Company – Whose Credit Report Do You Believe? Art Wood This may be the Number One question I am asked. When a client tells me what their credit score is, more often than not, when I pull the report, the score comes back lower. The client is usually quite frustrated, and often feel that either I am lying, or the consumer credit company from which they obtained their credit score is lying. I mention Credit Karma in the title, as that seems to be the most popular brand name people know. But there are many different resources people can use now for obtaining their credit score, including credit card companies, the recognized credit bureaus (Equifax, Transunion and Experian) and freecreditreport.com. The truth is that no one is lying to you, rather they are pulling your credit in different ways. The first thing to know is that there are three different industry-sanctioned credit reporting agencies, as noted above. The second thing is that they all have different ways to report your credit; they all give different weights to everything that is on your credit report. To make things even more confusing, all three of them have different scoring models. While FICO Score 8 is the most commonly used by lenders, it isn’t the newest model. There is now FICO score 9, and the biggest difference there is that it puts less emphasis on medical collections. FICO 9 is most commonly used by car dealers. Pretty confusing isn’t it? When it comes to checking your credit via a consumer service, the resulting report usually is not going to line up with any mortgage company or car dealer. The analogy that I use with consumer credit is that it is like sticking your arm out the window and calling yourself a weatherman. You can tell if it is hot or cold, or if it is wet or dry, but that’s about it. With consumer credit, you can follow trends in your credit. You can tell when it is trending up or when it is trending down, but never pinpoint exactly what your “official score” is. When it comes time to really analyze your credit, it is best to go straight to the source that will be using your credit to determine credit worthiness and let them advise you.
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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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Food for Thought: New Owners of Blue Ribbon Grill Manage to Keep the Charm Doug Reynics Happy March! This is a month of transformations. We shake off the cold of winter and welcome spring’s new awakening. We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on the seventeenth and Passover begins on the twenty-seventh. There’s a “new” place for these celebrations. Blue Ribbon Grill, located at 4006 LaVista Road in Tucker, was established in 1985 but its new owners, Eric and Jennifer Greene, have big plans for this well-known Northlake restaurant, while keeping its legacy intact. I recently stopped in for a meal and asked Jennifer about this new venture. As we talked, I enjoyed a delicious Philly cheesesteak with onion rings. The business had been for sale since early 2020, about the time the couple had started looking to open their own restaurant. COVID presented more than the usual difficulties in opening a new restaurant, and the chance of buying an established business like Blue Ribbon Grill seemed the perfect opportunity. They closed on the purchase February 1, 2021. The Greene family has two children and live in Embry Hills. Eric’s
background was in operations management, which provided an excellent skillset in his and his wife’s new career. Jennifer’s background in advertising and marketing came in handy as the new owners started to reintroduce and relaunch the restaurant. (Look for Blue Ribbon Grill’s Instagram page.) Former owner Eddie Smyke has stayed on as kitchen manager, to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. Upon entering the restaurant, I felt a strong sense of community. Regular customers and long-time wait staff made me feel like I had been there many more times than I have. Thinking back to my last meal here, I realized that while I have always enjoyed a great meal and service, somehow Blue Ribbon Grill had slipped from my restaurant “go-to list.” The restaurant has kept many long-time specialties. For those that imbibe, the martinis are huge. The meatloaf, prime rib, reuben sandwiches, and burgers are all classics. The lunch and dinner specials change daily, and there are many specials slated for St. Patrick’s Day. There will be green beer and corned beef, of course, but also many other drink and entree options offered for the holiday. We are blessed to have so many restaurants to enjoy a meal in the Tucker area. I have put Blue Ribbon Grill back into my list of regular places to dine, and I hope you will, too. See you there soon! Doug Reynics is a longtime Tucker resident and self-described “foodie.” Many know him as “Doug the Driver,” who provides rides to and from both the domestic and international airport terminals. (To date, his service has provided 1,450 airport rides!) If you have a food story or question you would like to see him write about, email him at dougthedriver1@gmail.com.
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Back Talk: Springing Safely Back to Action Dr. Karl Schwartz Spring is just around the corner, and oh, what a wonder! It seems like an eternity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the world began locking down. It seems like a miracle, but finally there is a downturn in the number of new COVID cases as well as hospitalization in Georgia and nationwide. We are optimistically hopeful for a quick return to normal life, including resuming outdoor events, concerts, travel, vacations and sports. However, there is one extremely important thing to note before we dive back into our favorite pastimes and hobbies. For most of us, we have been dormant, separated, quarantined and inactive for far longer than we thought was humanly possible. Let’s remember that our bodies need to be re-educated and retrained so that we don’t suffer injuries when we start back to our spring sports activities. In sports, the worst-case scenario for any coach or player is to suffer an injury. In professional sports, injuries cost money. For us average folks, injuries are more of a frustration and negatively affect our quality of life. Let’s do what we can to avoid them! Here are a few easy steps to avoid injury this spring: First, for all sports and hobbies, start off stretching daily. This can be followed by small amounts of calisthenics and walking. Build up from mild to moderate exercise in both time and intensity. Remember, start slowly and mildly. As with any physical therapy training, we must stretch the muscles and ligaments to allow for maximum pliability, then to strengthen them to perform higher intensity exercise or tasks. Getting back into gardening? Start pulling weeds, planting, trimming or edging for short increments (fifteen to thirty minutes) and then work your way up over successive days or weeks to the more time consuming and harder tasks. Back to golf or tennis? Start stretching daily and walking. If you have access to a piece of cardio equipment, perform interval training. Cross training such as riding a bike can also be a great way to limber your muscles and joints. Intervals can be easy ones of thirty seconds to one minute increasing in intensity (either speed or resistance). In exercise fitness, this is the best way to build up your heart and lungs and to prepare your body for more intense exercise. If you have been exercising virtually, good for you. Yoga has been a savior for many folks working from home. If you have been doing yoga, you can move right to the interval training without too much regard for injury. Yoga teaches the body and spine how to move gently and correctly. A healthy spine is directly related to greater motion, flexibility and decreased risk of injury.
Since 2004
So before you “spring” back to your hobbies, remember: stretch, strengthen and increase intensity!
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.
Stacy Slocum,Realtor
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PAGE 11
Beauty Byline with Sanah: Collagen Keeps It Together Sanah Sayani Has your skin been feeling a bit blah lately? Have you noticed new sun spots, age spots, or fine lines and wrinkles? Are your joints hurting? Is your hair thinning out? If you said yes to any of those questions, you need collagen! Collagen is a protein that is the major component of connective tissues which make up most of your body. Your skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, teeth and even corneas have collagen. The body naturally produces it but as you age it slows down in production so the body starts to break down. By age forty, your body can lose up to one percent of your collagen. If your diet is high in sugar, if you smoke, drink or spend a lot of time in the sun, you could lose collagen. The skin loses its suppleness, sun damage becomes noticeable, joints start hurting, and you no longer look or feel like you. There are more than two dozen types of collagen but the main ones are:
Type I, which is found in ninety percent of the body. It is in skin, bones, tendons, cartilage, connective tissue and teeth. Type II is found in the joints. Type III is found in muscles, organs and arteries. Type IV helps with filtration and is found in skin. Collagen is an integral part of our body but if natural production slows down with time, how can you replenish it? Experts suggest increasing collagen in your diet to help your body continue to hold everything together. Collagen is found in the flesh and connective tissues of animals. It’s found in bovine (cow), poultry, pork and fish. This doesn’t sound too good for vegetarians. There are plant-based collagen supplements on the market but they don’t actually contain collagen. The ingredients are usually for promoting the production of collagen instead of actual collagen. Unless it’s made in the lab, collagen comes from animals. Not all animals produce the same types of collagen. According to experts, bovine collagen has been found to increase types I and III whereas marine collagen boosts types I and II. Bovine collagen may help with wrinkles, skin elasticity and moisture while marine collagen may help with cartilage and skin health. Marine collagen is absorbed up to one and a half times more efficiently into the body over bovine collagen. Because of this, the collagen enters the bloodstream more quickly. Marine collagen is considered to be the best source for your skin. Bottom line, you need collagen. You can either eat collagen rich foods like bone broth, beef, fish, chicken, eggs and dairy products, or you can add foods with copper, zinc and vitamin C which boost collagen production. You can also get collagen supplements which come in pill, powder and liquid form. Experts say about 2.5 - 15 grams of hydrolyzed collagen peptides each day may be safe and effective. There are many types of supplements on the market, find the one that works for you. I’m currently sipping on a delicious liquid form of marine collagen. Write to me to find out! 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 o r drop by the shop to ask her in person!
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A Tree Grows CONTINUED From page 4 offices. Heightened sanitizing, appointment spacing, no waiting in reception area, increased pre-screening and properly fitted masks were required by anyone entering the office. The practice is still not accepting new clients, with the exception of healthcare professional referrals and other extenuating circumstances such as gift certificate redemption. Qi Gong and yoga classes moved online. Revenue dropped drastically as clients, particularly seniors, sheltered in place for safety, and some massage therapists chose not to return to Massage Associates or the profession. Beauty offered quiet solace for this time of uncertainty, when pandemic, civil unrest and intense polarization left no room for personal serenity. On that day last March, when she closed her office door without knowing when it would be reopened, Farrar looked over at Beauty, and suddenly became aware that the aged tree was the perfect representation of the resilience needed in times like these. Centuries old, she had lived through historical battles fought nearby, survived the significant alterations to the terrain that surrounds her, and withstood the extremes of the everchanging weather. Each year she moves through her life processes. Come each springtime her roots are deeper, and she is standing stronger. She was the very embodiment of “sheltering in place.” A year later, Farrar is hopeful that we are slowly returning to a normalcy, albeit a new sense of it. She is confident that with continued public observance of COVID safety protocols and the progress in vaccinations, her practice can open up to returning and new clients, and she and her staff can connect with them one-on-one and in group settings. She looks to Beauty
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as a symbol of hope and unity. “While Beauty is made up of many trunks, it’s difficult to tell which one was the first,” she says. “However, in their own space they all reach toward the sky making up her wonderful sheltering canopy, their roots serve to ground and bring in nutrients to the whole. And collectively they make up Beauty as we know her to be. The whole is truly greater than the sum of her parts. We are all interconnected and stronger together than we are apart.” Beauty resides in the back yard of Massage Associates of Atlanta, 5165 Lavista Road in Tucker, next to Walgreen’s and across from Cofer Library.
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Tucker Couple Brings ‘Ultimate DIY Experience’ to Main Street Our Town DeKalb Staff A couple with Tucker roots has brought do-it-yourself (DIY) arts and crafts to Main Street. Peter and Chrissy Kuzel have opened Nailed It DIY Studio in downtown Tucker, at 4292 Railroad Avenue, right off Main Street. The studio will host both adults and children individually or in groups, making a variety of wood projects from kits provided onsite. Guests at any level of experience will learn to safely use power tools while being guided by trained “Art-Tenders” through the steps to sand, build, paint, design and create a project as unique as they are. The studio offers woodshop classes, summer and holiday youth camps, and birthday parties as well as team building for youth teams and corporate groups. Offsite functions are also available for larger groups. The Kuzels both grew up in the Tucker area. Peter grew up in Embry Hills and graduated from Henderson High School. The couple began their family in Tucker, and now have three daughters: Hannah (25), Allie (20) and Cayleigh (16). Oldest daughter Hannah started school at Smoke Rise Elementary and played soccer with Tucker Youth Soccer Association (TYSA), where her father played as a young boy and later coached her team. “What’s really exciting about opening a Nailed It DIY Studio in Tucker is knowing just how many ways we are going to be able to help the community,” said Chrissy Kuzel. “The youth in our community is by far the main reason
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for starting this business. Children of all ages need to be able to express their creativity and they need a structured, affordable way to do that. Helping to raise funds for local organizations and schools is another big reason. We also know that people are looking for new ways to safely get back to spending time with their friends and family.” Nailed It DIY Studio will host a (Right to left) Peter and Chrissy Kuzel, owners of Grand Opening on Saturday, Nailed It DIY, with their youngest daughter March 13 at 10 a.m. The Cayleigh, who is an “Art-Tender” for the studio. opening festivities will include studio tours, DIY demonstrations, party booking opportunities and complimentary projects for guests to create on-site. This free event is open to the public and will feature fun giveaways, sweet treats and raffle drawings at the top of every hour until 4:00 p.m.
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Our Town DeKalb
Since 1998
MASSAGE A SSOCIATES OF A TLANTA , LLC GA License #MT000505
We are open for therapeutic massage with limited appointment availability. Thank you for your patience and support! Weekly Online Wellness Classes
YOGA for Every Body
“That’s why your x-rays look so good! Keep it up!”
Surgeon to one of our yoga students 1 year following back surgery
Monday & Thursday 11:00am
TAI CHI QI GONG for Life & Body Balance “After the class I wake up the next morning without my usual aches and pains!” Qi Gong Student, 75+ years old
Tuesday 1:00pm
Details at massageassociates.net/Classes
5165 Lavista Rd., Tucker, GA 30084 ~770.493.8181 ~ massageassociates.net “Be at Home in Your Body.”
Our Town DeKalb
To become an Our Town DeKalb advertising partner, email info@OurTownDeKalb.com or call 770.621.9041
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Tucker Resident Shares Valentine Love with Decatur Women’s Shelter Our Town DeKalb Staff Residents of a Decatur women’s shelter shared in some happiness this Valentine’s Day thanks to Tucker resident Lori Harrison (pictured in the center) and her program “Have a Heart, Lend a Hand.” Harrison, an independent sales consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics, worked with her Mary Kay sales team and the Lilburn Women’s Club to collect gently-used purses and use them to make gift bags for the women’s crisis center run by the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. Each of the twenty-five purses contained hand cream, gloves, a toothbrush and toothpaste, hand sanitizer and a mask. Center volunteers Cherlye Haynes (left) and Nikki Venson (right) picked up the purses and distributed them to the shelter residents on Valentine’s Day. Over the past ten years, Harrison has coordinated fundraisers benefiting
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various women’s needs programs. In May, she has planned “Adopt-a-Mom,” for Mother’s Day. Similar to her February program, this one will again gift purses filled with personal care products to residents of the women’s crisis center. If you are interested in donating a gently-used or new purse for Adopt-a-Mom, or sponsoring a purse for the program for $20, contact Lori Harrison at jwwlah@aol.com or 404.641.4560.
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Our Town DeKalb
Our Town DeKalb
To become an Our Town DeKalb advertising partner, email info@OurTownDeKalb.com or call 770.621.9041
PAGE 17
Tucker Optimists’ ‘Suitcases of Love’ Lessen the Trauma of Transition for Foster Children Our Town DeKalb Staff Members of Optimist International celebrate Optimist Day throughout the world the first Thursday of every February, promoting the organization’s efforts in bringing out the best in youth, our communities and ourselves. This year, the Tucker Optimist Club recognized the day with a “Suitcases of Love” delivery to Wellroot Family Services. The duffel bags were meant for children in foster care, who often do not have luggage in which to pack their belongings before being brought to a foster home. Foster children without suitcases or duffel bags must use trash bags to transport their belongings, exacerbating an already traumatizing situation. Suitcases of Love seeks to help make this transition a
little less painful. The fifty donated duffels each included a cozy blanket, a keychain emoji and a luggage tag that could be personalized by the child, giving a sense of value and belonging. The Tucker Optimist Club has been supporting local youth since 1970. Programs and service projects supported by the club include Essay and Oratorical contests, gift baskets and cards at Thanksgiving and Christmas, food drives, and Suitcases of Love. For more information on membership or program sponsorships, contact Tucker Club President Kathy Forster at president@tuckeroptimistclub.org, or visit tuckeroptimistclub.org.
Rotary Club of Tucker Annual Golf Classic
Monday, April 26, 2021 Smoke Rise Country Club | Tucker, Georgia The Rotary Club of Tucker will hold its 2021 Golf Classic: FOREducation on Monday, April 26 at Smoke Rise Country Club. The annual event will benefit the club’s education initiatives both in Tucker, including REACH Georgia Scholarships for Tucker Middle School and Tucker High School and the DeKalb Rotary Council Teacher of the Year, and globally, including the Tutu Desk Campaign and the Senegal Teacher Project. The event begins at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast, followed by a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. Lunch is served on the course during the game, with award ceremony and presentations after in the clubhouse. Details, including sponsorship and registration information, is available online at tuckerrotary.org/golf.
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To become an Our Town DeKalb advertising partner, email info@OurTownDeKalb.com or call 770.621.9041
Our Town DeKalb
Our Town DeKalb
To become an Our Town DeKalb advertising partner, email info@OurTownDeKalb.com or call 770.621.9041
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To become an Our Town DeKalb advertising partner, email info@OurTownDeKalb.com or call 770.621.9041
Our Town DeKalb