OUR TOWN DEKALB (April 2021) by Our Town Dekalb

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Our Town DeKalb

4 COVER STORY: Wellroot Family Services: Building Strong Families for 150 Years 10 Food for Thought: Buy Now, Preserve for Later 16 Pontoon Brewing Company Announces Second Location in Tucker 20 Tucker Son Circumnavigates the Globe

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Our Town DeKalb

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.

Don Crochet Cindy E. Farrar Doug Reynics Lois Ricci Sanah Sayani Karl Schwartz Stacy Slocum Bob Smith Art Wood

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Distribution Coordinator Emma Dison Brantley

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4426 Hugh Howell Road, Suite 307B Tucker, Georgia 30084 770.621.9041 | info@ourtowndekalb.com

IN THIS ISSUE

4 Wellroot Family Services: Building Strong Families for 150 Years 6 The Bits in Between: Is It Time to Party Yet? 7 Wellness In-Sight: So Close… 8 Age Friendly Tucker: Making Tucker’s Housing Market Affordable 9 Common Sen$e: How to Win in a Red Hot Housing Market 10 Food for Thought: Buy Now, Preserve for Later 11 Back Talk: Chiropractic Wellness Care 12 Beauty Byline with Sanah: The Palliative Power of Scent 14 Avoiding Financial Crisis through ACA Open Enrollment 16 Pontoon Brewing Company Announces Second Location in Tucker 18 Exercise Your Freedom for Good Health 19 FODAC Run Walk ‘n’ Roll is Again a Virtual Fundraiser 20 Tucker Son Circumnavigates the Globe 21 Smokey and the Bandit ‘Live’ at Old Hickory House 22 Henderson Park Community Garden Opens Its 11th Season ON THE COVER: Wellroot Family Services sponsored children Michael, Joseph and Alice walk into a local church together.

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On The Cover:

Wellroot Family Services: Building Strong Families for 150 Years Lizbeth A Dison In 1871, The Decatur Orphan’s Home was established to care for children who had been orphaned during the Civil War. 150 years, three name changes and one relocation later, the Tucker-based organization now known as Wellroot Family Services celebrates a milestone anniversary and the many children and families it has helped over the years. Built on industry best practices and innovative approaches toward child welfare, Wellroot is a leading family services organization in North Georgia. As an agency of The United Methodist Church, the organization’s programs are designed to address the needs of children and families through faith-centered service. Supporting youth from infancy through early adulthood, Wellroot helps people reach their full potential through the encouragement and love of a healthy home. During its first six decades, The Decatur Orphan’s Home grew from housing and caring for orphaned children to also helping Georgia families and children in need. In 1934, the organization changed its name to The Methodist Children’s Home, to reflect its new role as an agency of The Methodist Church that was helping not just orphans but any child who needed shortterm emergency care. The Methodist Children’s Home became The United Methodist Children’s Home in 1970, and by the mid-seventies, began to work with Georgia agencies to develop the state’s current foster care system. Evidence showed that creating a stable family unit better served children removed from their home than the outcomes associated with group care. UMCH began to move towards placing children in loving homes with foster families, and programs were developed with the goal of helping families at risk become more stable and self-sufficient. Congregate care ceased there in 2010. In 2017, UMCH decided to sell its 77-acre campus and buildings to the City of Decatur, and move to its current location in Tucker at 1967 Lakeside Parkway,

Tucker foster parents Leanne and Billy Galligan currently care for three siblings.

Suite 400, former site of the Cordon Bleu culinary school. In 2018, after much consideration, the board of directors of UMCH voted to rebrand the organization as Wellroot Family Services. The new name, according to the organization’s website, was symbolic of the organization’s mission to provide “the support and love you need to become the person God intends for you to become…to be well-rooted is to be firmly planted, to feel stable, and to feel taken care of and secure.” Wellroot provides four basic programs to assist families and children. Foster Care Program recruits, trains, and equips families to provide stable and nurturing homes to children (birth to 18 years of age) who have been removed from their homes. A 24/7 on-call system, access to a stocked resource closet, and extra financial support are some of the many ways Wellroot supports families as they care for vulnerable children. Transitional Living Program (TLP) serves young adults (ages 18 to 21) in a state-contracted residential program with 24/7 direct care staff, including life coaches and an educational coordinator. Independent Living Program (ILP) serves young adults who are ready to live in their own apartment and who are working, enrolled in postsecondary or vocational school, and have demonstrated maturity in decision-making and savings, but still need support in their transition. Family Housing provides shelter and resources to intact families facing the threat of homelessness and having their children removed from their care. These families receive CONTINUED on page 13

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The Bits in Between:

Is It Time to Party Yet?

Following the vernal equinox on March 20, which in the Western Hemisphere ushers in the spring season, comes the religious holidays Passover and Easter, as well as secular celebrations May Day, Star Wars Day, Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day – all days that celebrate in differing ways rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth. The days gradually start to get longer, and the increased sunshine drives off winter doldrums and brightens our mood. The landscape surrounding us bursts into color, the budding trees and blooming flowers showering us with joy and hope (along with copious amounts of pollen). But this spring, it’s not just the warm weather that is releasing us from our winter prisons. The increasing pace of the COVID-19 vaccination program has given us hope in fighting this virus. As more of us earn our vaccination cards, we feel safer in venturing out. Unlike the winter holidays, with many of us rejecting the big gatherings with family and friends, we now have clearance to gather in small groups with others who have been inoculated. Of course, until we have achieved “herd immunity,” we still have to operate with common sense and safety. We still need to wear masks when outside or in situations around those who might not be inoculated. We still need to maintain that six-foot distance when in public space. We should still wash our hands regularly (which has and always will be an excellent idea to maintain good health). But we can hug each other again. We can hug, and touch, and hold hands, and kiss those who have also taken the needle. And we can smile more, and laugh more, and cry more now for joy and not so much for sadness or because we miss that intimacy with others. A lingering sadness remains as we remember those whom we lost over the past year to this unpredictable virus, which attacked so many, spared most but randomly took others. But while we mourn their loss, we will celebrate this new spring and the rebirth and renewal it brings. The late comedian Robin Williams once said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” Maybe it’s a little too soon for all-out celebrations but as we eat our chocolate bunnies or munch on our Passover macaroons, let’s rejoice in the party that may be just around the corner. Lizbeth A. Dison Publisher and Editor

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Wellness In-Sight: So Close… Cindy E. Farrar Welcome to Spring - April 2021! What wonderful “touchstones” and guideposts await us on this part of our journey. Mother Nature is about to burst forth her pallet of vibrancy upon our part of the Earth. With the enthusiasm that comes with early Spring, it can also bring confusion and impatience. There is hope for moving out of the darker, shorter, colder days of winter and even greater hope to be out of the last year and all that Covid-19 has brought with it. However, we are not quite there yet. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the inauspicious anniversary of the 2020 Covid-19 shutdown and laud our perseverance. We have come a long way, with many more miles to go. It is as though on our 2021 journey, we can see 2020 in the rearview and look ahead to where we want to go. We just are not moving forward as fast or as far as we would like. It invokes the saying “so close and yet so far.” It also brings to mind the Tibetan word “bardo” that is similar to what we refer to as limbo. It refers to being in a place of existence between what is and what is to come; a period of time when what we have known to be normal has been suspended, having us live in an unfamiliar state while trying to maintain our norm. This feeling of being stuck, or bouncing between hope and “not yet,” can be disorienting, unsettling or downright frustrating to say the least. However, it is often in these in-between times that we find the greatest opportunities for renewal and growth. The cycles of nature are perfect examples of this state of perpetual waiting for the manifestation of evolution to brighter days - the time between high tide and low tide, sunrise to sunset, and from seed to flower, to name a few. Even evergreens have their timely processes of losing leaves or needles. It just does not happen all at once, hence giving the appearance of continuous green. These models of tenacity are there at every turn. They remind us that wonder, and solace, are available even when they feel fleeting and out of our reach.

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: Making Tucker’s Housing Market Affordable Dr. Lois Ricci The term “affordable housing” is often thrown about without a clear definition of what it is. Educating the public on what affordability really means is essential to solving a growing problem for many cities. Affordable housing describes housing that is priced reasonably in the context of one’s own lifestyle, income and market options. HUD defines an “affordable dwelling” as one that a household can obtain for thirty percent or less of its income. This does not consider childcare expenses, health care expenses, travel and other necessities. For example, a household is considered “low-income” if it makes less than eighty percent of the median income in the local area. By this definition, a dwelling is considered “affordable” for low-income families if it costs less than twenty-four percent of the area median income. The middle price tier of homes in Tucker is $327,000 and the median household income is $67,810. Tucker home values have gone up eleven percent over the past year. Low income or affordable housing in Tucker is becoming more difficult to find. According to Tucker Realtor Bob Espy, “Even older homes that are available are being bought up and flipped at prices not seen in Tucker before.” The last few decades have seen a shift in how people are viewing housing. Millennials are renting much longer than in the past, and the older generations are living longer. Both are bidding up the prices on a limited housing stock not suited for the increase in buyer demand. Affordability is a complex topic but there could be options to solve the problem. Tucker Realtor Guy Van Ort explains that developers who build affordable housing face many hurdles, including “complex subsidy programs, expensive labor and materials, onerous local land-use regulation and community zoning.” Neighboring residents worry that low-cost housing will have cheap-looking facades. Even with constraints, there are strategies that allow developers to build apartments that are visually appealing and offer comfort and convenience while meeting all the essential requirements of safe, healthy housing. Eric Kronberg, an Atlanta urbanist architect, believes our most important opportunity to build places people love is in reinvigorating existing, blighted neighborhoods that have adaptable building stock and walkable

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infrastructure. Redevelopment is hard but the potential to repurpose these existing assets is unparalleled. Constructing new places and associated infrastructure from scratch is massively expensive and misses the opportunity to capitalize on the inherent social value in familiar local buildings. Public revitalization is the best hope for developing neighborhoods that are economically, ethnically and socially inclusive. 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: How to Win in a Red Hot Housing Market Art Wood I am sure you have heard - the housing market is on FIRE! There has never been a better time to be a seller than right now. I heard two stats today that I could not believe. 1. There are 47,000 licensed real estate agents in Georgia but there are only 8,000 single family homes listed for sale 2. 36% of U.S. houses are being sold for over list price. Between lack of inventory and the fact that we are coming off historically low interest rates, being a buyer has been REALLY tough in today’s market. Buyers are having to put in multiple offers with escalation clauses that indicate how high over the asking price the buyer is willing to go. I want to offer up a couple of tips to help you succeed while trying to buy a house in this challenging market. Pre-qualification vs. pre-approval Most lenders offer pre-qualification letters, which mean they pulled credit reports, and asked you how much money you make and how much money you have. That may have been enough a few years ago, but currently I am having all my prospective buyer clients go completely through the underwriting process so they can get a pre-approval letter that shows the seller your loan won’t have any issues. Contigencies If you go the route of getting fully pre-approved, then you can also remove the financing contingency in the offer/ contract. There are typically three contingencies built into a contract. Due diligence means you can walk away “just because.” Appraisal contingency means you can walk away if the appraisal comes in lower than the sales price. Financing contingency states that you can walk away if you can’t get financed. The more of these contingencies you can remove, the more confident the seller is that the transaction will move forward. I also suggest getting the appraisal done during due diligence so that you can remove that contingency as well. In order to do that, you have to be willing to pay for an inspection and appraisal upfront, but you also need to make sure you are dealing with a lender that can get the appraisal done quickly. Consider if you were a seller, you would most likely choose a cash offer first, but after that, you are going to pick the offer with not only the highest price but also the one with the best chance for quick closure. Finally, my most important suggestion is to deal with an amazing real estate agent whether you are buying or selling. A good agent is worth their weight in gold. They do this for a living and can help you navigate these uncharted waters. As a buyer, it costs you nothing to have an agent working for you, but as a seller, it generally costs you 3% of the purchase price - a small price to pay to avoid making the wrong decisions! It is always best to negotiate from a position of strength, and I believe these tips will increase your odds of success as you make offers on your dream house in 2021. Good luck out there, and as always, I am here to help! 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: Buy Now, Preserve for Later Doug Reynics Happy Spring! We enter a season filled with warmer days, warmer temps and fresh produce and meats. I am a long-time canner and believe strongly in the power of safe canning as an easy method of food preservation. Canning for home users was invented in the early 1900s. For many, if you didn’t can, it meant you didn’t have food to sustain the family for the winter. There were unsafe canning practices Grandma did that a few still practice today. I am a strong advocate for safe canning, and will walk you through some very basic concepts to ensure you prepare things that will be safely shelf-stable. First, the canner: there are three types of home canners. Water bath canners will process more acidic items (most fruits, jams, jellies, tomatoes and pickles). Pressure canners safely can less acidic items (meats, broths, vegetables that aren’t pickled); modern pressure canners are much safer than in the old days. For safe home canning, the pressure canner must be a minimum of sixteen quarts in size. Steam canners are similar to water bath canners. They allow you to prepare highly acid item jars like water bath recipes and that take no longer than forty-five minutes to process. There are no safe instant pot type pressure canners approved for canning. There are a few on the market that claim to be safe but are not. It is also not safe to Doug’s stockpile of home-canned goods includes rich broth made from cooked Cornish game hens. “open kettle can” which means you boil the item and the jar and flip the jar upside down. Temperatures in this PLEASE avoid Pinterest and YouTube for canning recipes as many are not method are not going to be hot enough to kill the nasties that can grow inside safe. I am also a member of a safe canning group on Facebook; the private the jar. Only the three types of canning above are considered safe. group is simply named “Canning,” and you can request membership in the Canning is based on science. A safe, approved recipe provides everything group. needed for you to safely can an item. One online source I use is The National A bit of wisdom I learned while canning, regardless of which of the three Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html), safe methods you use, is to have every single ingredient necessary in the recipe based out of the University of Georgia and considered to be the premier site on the counter. Many times, I am mid-way through a recipe when I realize I for all things canning and preservation. If I do not see a recipe for something am missing an ingredient and have to stop for a quick run to the store. Also, that I want to make on this site that means it is not considered safe to prepare. it’s important that you stay around to monitor your canner when in use. I have If you are a cookbook type, the Ball brand books dated past 2006 are safe. walked away with the pressure canner going when the relief valve purged. That’s a scary sound but a vital safety mechanism needed to keep the canner at a safe pressure level. For your water bath canner, you need to have your jars fully submerged two inches below the water at all times. I have lots more suggestions but short on space here. I am happy to answer canning questions so email me! I also strongly encourage you to join the Facebook Canning group. Happy and safe canning! See you next month. 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: Chiropractic Wellness Care Dr. Karl Schwartz Aaahh…the beginning of spring! A whole world of possibility is ours for the taking. As the vaccination program continues to move forward, people are emerging from their year-long isolation. It is so refreshing to see cars on the streets, kids going back to school, families finally being able to get out of the house and resume their lives again! But as I have said many times before, with great opportunity comes great responsibility! I have been adjusted most of my life. I am elated to have a freely moving spine, somewhat flexible muscles and a body that heals quite well. As I continue to move through middle age, I find myself comparing my health and quality of life to those around me, especially those who are about the same age as I am. I am flabbergasted at the aches and pains of many folks whom I encounter. I am a tennis player, so I often play with men and women who are close to half my age. I am shocked to find that many of them are extremely sore after playing for an hour or two and complaining about the level of pain they are in. I have witnessed several players who actually even premedicate before playing, anticipating that they will be in some pain after their exercise. I am older than many of my teammates and yet this is not my experience! Pain is your body’s way of alarming you that something is wrong. Most people wait until they are in pain in order to treat a problem. That is human nature and it is good that pain moves people to action. It is pain that drives nearly all people into my office. We call this acute care. We correct problems by removing pressure to the nerves that exit your spine by giving an adjustment, which aligns the spine and allows the nerves and tissues they supply to heal. Most patients are ecstatic to find a professional who can correct their problem without the use of drugs and surgery, and Since 2004 do it quickly and efficiently. We see this happening every day in our office. At the end of acute care, we offer our patients an option to continue with wellness care. That is simply coming into the office for an adjustment not because you are in pain but now because you want to stay pain-free! Wellness care gives you the most “bang for your buck.” It doesn’t take a lot of time or money, and helps in preventing spinal problems. Less spinal problems, less pain, better function! This is the reason why I don’t have a lot of pain, because I utilize chiropractic wellness care. When was the last time you and your family had your spines checked?

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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Beauty Byline with Sanah: The Palliative Power of Scent Sanah Sayani The saying is true: you don’t realize how important something is until it’s gone. I haven’t been able to properly smell since I was diagnosed with COVID-19. It’s been three months and I still get only whiffs of certain scents. The Internet says my sense may need to be retrained to identify different scents, that I need to inhale strong smells like peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus. So lately I’ve been surrounding myself with a lot of essential oils and thinking what is it about oils that make them so good for us? Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts. “Highly concentrated” means a little goes a long way and too much can be a problem. These oils should always be used with a carrier oil to dilute it down and make it safe enough for application. Some carrier oils are almond, jojoba, olive, sunflower seed, avocado and grapeseed. If you’re planning on making your own, make sure to do some research before mixing. Most essentials oils are extracted from the aromatic part of the plant. Experts say the oils can help relieve anxiety, induce sleep, treat some skin conditions, soothe muscle inflammation and boost energy. Oils can be used on their own with a carrier oil or mixed together for whatever it is you need. A lot of household products and skincare have these essential oils for either addressing concerns or fragrance. This article would never end if I tried to talk about every oil and its use and every mix and its use. Instead, I’ll mention oils I’ve used myself and how they’ve helped me. The first oil that comes to mind is peppermint. I get random headaches which last for hours. I’ll take a little bit of peppermint oil and rub it on my forehead, temples and behind my ears. The smell will instantly calm my headache and cool my skin. Peppermint can also help with muscle pain, sunburn and itchy skin conditions like insect bites. I’ve also been applying a blend of grapefruit oil, grapeseed oil, lemon oil and eucalyptus oil all over my body to tighten my skin, erase scars and even my skin tone. Each of these essential oils has benefits that your body needs. Some studies show massaging grapefruit oil may promote weight loss. Studies conducted on rats have found the scent of grapefruit oil stimulates the breakdown of fat tissue and reduces food intake. Grapeseed oil is another oil that has a lot of benefits. This essential oil can help reduce the signs of aging, sun spots, wrinkles, acne, lighten scars, hydrate and firm, and even lessen hyperpigmentation. The oil contains high amounts of omega fatty acids and vitamin E which is why you’ll find it in a lot of skincare products and why I never go a day without it. The scent of lemon oil can calm you and enhance the body’s detoxification process. And the scent of eucalyptus oil helps relieve stress and anxiety which are connected to overeating and weight gain. And just like that I’m over my word limit. This will now be a two-parter because I have so much more to share. Hopefully the next time you hear from me, I’ll be able to smell a little bit more because I’m missing out on a lot of scents and it doesn’t feel right. What does coffee smell like again? 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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Wellroot

transportation, and the transition to a virtual education that has required a great deal of selfdiscipline. ”It’s been hard,” said Heather Kersey, housing and financial assistance as well as director of development at Wellroot, “but also training in financial management, parenting, an opportunity for our incredible staff to step up healthy habits and other life skills, while focusing and go above and beyond in their service to our on educational and professional development. families and kids.” With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic As it celebrates 150 years of service, Wellroot last year, Wellroot immediately faced new is planning three signature events throughout challenges. While its programs themselves have 2021 to raise support and engagement within not changed significantly, the delivery of them the community. The Founder’s Day 5K (May 1) had to be adapted. The majority of administrative is a virtual running event for the whole family. staff moved to almost entirely remote work and The Cochran Building was used as administrative offices and to host Wellroot will host FamFest (August), designed to has only recently resumed in-person case community events at the former UMCH campus in Decatur. celebrate the children, families, and supporters by management visits. However, the residential team gifting a wonderful, fun-filled experience at Six Flags Over Georgia. Finally, continues to show up in-person every day during the ongoing pandemic a gala event (fall) will wrap up a year of celebration and the launching of so that they can care for and be a stabilizing presence for the youth in new strategic programs to better serve families throughout the state. Support TLP and ILP. and participation from individuals, organizations and businesses throughout Wellroot has continued to recruit and train new foster parents, and has Tucker will be crucial to the success of this year. Email development@wellroot. been very successful in transitioning that work to virtual platforms. Like org to learn more about these events and other opportunities to get involved. everyone else, the transition to full-time life at home has been a challenge for foster families. Working from home while trying to care for and help Wellroot Family Services has five regional offices. Its main office is in Tucker, with educate the children at home for months has been taxing and complex. satellite offices in Gainesville, Augusta, Newnan and Troup County. Wellroot will Foster families have needed additional support in terms of technology, child accept foster parent applicants from communities across North Georgia; last year it care, and counseling and health services. Children in foster care have already served children from forty-two distinct counties across Georgia. If you are interested in experienced significant traumas in their young lives and the pandemic becoming a foster parent or learning more about the organization and its programs, experience has been very triggering for many. The youth in Wellroot visit wellroot.org. residential programs have faced job loss, uncertainties with finances and

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Avoiding Financial Crisis through ACA Open Enrollment Bob Smith It has been twelve months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting challenges have been on multiple fronts leaving few people unscathed. As businesses have closed, many employees have lost health insurance through no fault of their own. Loss of employment and reduced annual income can make health insurance premiums costly and add a further challenge to an already strapped family budget. An unanticipated medical consequence can further exacerbate a family’s financial situation even leading to bankruptcy. This dire situation was addressed in February by the Federal Government with the reopening of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Open Enrollment. Through August 15, individuals have an opportunity to select health insurance on the Federal Marketplace at healthcare.gov. Subsidies based upon estimated 2021 income will reduce monthly premiums making the health plans affordable and attainable during this difficult time. No one can anticipate the unexpected and being without health insurance creates a vulnerable situation. To avoid the medical and financial consequences of an illness, accident or injury, individuals should secure health insurance before the window of opportunity closes. The process of selecting coverage and qualifying for ACA subsidies can be daunting. Fortunately, there are no-fee resources to help avoid costly mistakes, such as confirming if your doctor is in the provider network, and what copays, deductibles and maximum out of pocket responsibilities you can expect. Individuals in need of health insurance through the Federal Marketplace should consider the services of a Licensed Insurance Agent who is certified by the Marketplace to represent insurance companies offering plans on the Federal Marketplace. In searching for a viable insurance agent be aware some may require a fee for service while others do not. Agents are compensated by the insurance company. The Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment is scheduled to end on August 15. The time to be proactive in securing health insurance is now! Since 2009, Licensed Health and Life Insurance Agent Bob Smith has represented major health insurance carriers for the ACA Marketplace, Medicare, Ancillary Plans and life insurance. For a free no-obligation quote and review of your health coverage programs call Bob at 404.593.9663 or email Bob@BobCaresForYou.com. For additional insight, visit BobCaresForYou.com. From Obamacare to Bidencare to Bobcares - Helping Families Protect Their Health, Wealth and Assets.

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Pontoon Brewing Company Announces Second Location in Tucker Our Town DeKalb Staff Pontoon Brewing Company has announced its second location, scheduled to open in Tucker in fall 2021. The 33,000 square foot, twostory facility will house a taproom, private event space and production facility which will include the installation of a fivevessel automated thirtybarrel Alpha Brewing Ops brewhouse as well as a five-barrel pilot system. The new facility is located at 3730 Stone Drive, and renovations on the building will start immediately. Pontoon Brewing was founded in 2014 by a group of longtime pals and home brewers who were passionate about making Pontoon owners Sean O’Keefe and Marcus Powers celebrate the new location in Tucker. “awesomely scrumptious beer, the great outdoors, and pretty much anything on or near the water,” which they dubbed the “Pontoon Lifestyle.” In 2017, they opened a brewery and taproom in Sandy Springs, becoming the first and only brewery in the city. Since then, the company footprint has grown into distribution throughout the southeast. The Sandy Springs production facility will continue to operate, expanding Pontoon’s experimental wild ale programs, barrel-aged programs and more, while the larger Tucker facility will allow the company to build on its distribution successes both inside and outside of Georgia. While the Tucker location will not be serving a Pontoon-branded menu, there

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Artist’s concept of the tap room for Pontoon Brewing Tucker.

are plans to eventually have a catering kitchen for outside vendors as well as occasional on-site food truck events. Pontoon Brewing’s beers are available in its Sandy Springs taproom, throughout the state of Georgia, central and south Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee and Boston, Massachusetts. For more information on Pontoon Brewing and to follow along with construction updates, visit its Facebook page or check out its website at pontoonbrewing.com

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Exercise Your Freedom for Good Health Donald Crochet, RPT We all agree that exercise is vital to good health. However, due to a myriad of factors, few Americans fully “exercise” their freedom to get a beneficial level of activity on a regular basis. So why don’t we? As a practicing physical therapist for the past 38 years and owner of a private clinic, I have observed thousands of patients who benefited from exercise “prescription.” This form of exercise is mostly to restore function or relieve pain from a medical condition or disease. Others have gained weight and wish to feel better, or improve their personal appearance and self-image. In either case, there is a distinct reason or goal involved - something to shoot for, something to measure their progress. Unfortunately, unless they have a good reason, many folks simply don’t exercise regularly. Those extra bites of meals, the desserts and sugary beverages have a tendency to add up until they create a problem in our body. Sometimes, it is the annual check-up that reflects a subtle change in the blood pressure that has quietly shifted to “a little high,” or maybe the cholesterol level has crept up since last year. These physiological downturns are cumulative and insidiously bad for our health. The news from our doctor isn’t good so we start to get moving again on an exercise program; now we have a goal - to lower that blood pressure, shave off

some weight or reduce our cholesterol. So why don’t we exercise more before we get into this situation? The reason I hear most often is, “Not enough time.” But maybe the real reason is “Not enough importance” - until it becomes important. It’s all about priorities. Recent changes in our lifestyle to control the spread of COVID-19 quarantining, social distancing, wearing masks – has significantly decreased overall involvement in exercise. Whether it be due to practical reasons like lack of exercise space or gym closures, concern for viral exposure, or other related issues, the truth is Americans are missing out on an opportunity to “reset” their lifestyle for better health. We are driving less and working more from our homes, yet we still have not found the time to do the most important thing to ensure optimal health. The basic value of a daily walk for 20-30 minutes is huge. Again, it’s priorities. Recent research has proven that exercise combats the aging process. Replication of new cells increases for those who exercise three to four times a week for twenty to thirty minutes at a moderate level. Any runner or athlete will also attest to the mental benefit of regular exercise. Stress relief from the rigors of parenting or caregiving can be relieved greatly by a regularly scheduled walk, workout or bike ride. Make your exercise interesting and fun by using a Fitbit or Apple Watch that counts your daily steps and helps you monitor heart rate (maximum heart rate 220 minus your age is the desired maximum heart rate). Measure and set your own exercise goals; make it a fun competition to maximize participation. I recently saw a great bumper sticker that sums up my advice: “Perform a Death-Defying Act: EXERCISE.” And by the way, the healthier you are, the better your chance to whip COVID. Have a great workout! Don Crochet, RPT is the founder and director of Crochet Physical Therapy (1382 Scott Boulevard in Decatur), an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy facility. The clinic has offered quality patient-centered service since 1984, providing thorough care for soft tissue injuries, post-operative recovery and postural related disorders. Contact Don at 404.377.1223 or info@crochetpt.com.

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FODAC Run Walk ‘n’ Roll is Again a Virtual Fundraiser Our Town DeKalb Staff For the second year, non-profit Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC) will hold its Annual Run Walk ‘n’ Roll (RWnR) as a virtual fundraising event. Participants can run, walk, or roll at a place of their choosing, away from the crowds, during the weekend May 8-9, 2021. One of FODAC’s major annual fundraisers, last year’s event raised over $45,000; 100% of funds provides home medical equipment (HME), like wheelchairs, patient lifts, shower benches and walkers, at little to no cost to people with disabilities, and donations are tax deductible. Participation in the event is easy. 1. For as little as $35, participants can register for the 2021 RWnR at fodac. org/run. Indicate that your donation is for Run, Walk ‘n’ Roll in the drop-down field while making your gift. 2. Make your plan for how you want to exercise during RWnR. Run inside on your treadmill; walk your favorite park trail; roll through your neighborhood. On the day of the virtual event, share videos and pictures of the fun during your run, walk, or roll. Make sure you tag FODAC on your posts and hashtag #MovingWithFODAC. FODAC will share posts on its social media feeds. 3. Encourage others to donate in honor of your participation in the 2021 RWnR. Registrants will receive details on how you can raise awareness and raise funds for people with disabilities. The participant who raises the most money for FODAC will receive a prize and a special shout-out on FODAC social media. Last year, FODAC provided over 8,500 HME items to recipients with disabilities and their families. This year, FODAC has also been heavily involved with distributing personal protective gear (PPG) and medical equipment like respirators to healthcare facilities throughout Georgia, partnering with Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) in the fight against COVID-19.

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Tucker Son Circumnavigates the Globe Our Town DeKalb Staff In February, Midshipman William Arthur Roberts successfully completed a circumnavigation of the globe during ninety-five days at sea. The son of Tucker residents Peter and Tracy Roberts, MDN Roberts is a Midshipman at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, and a Strategic Sealift Officer for the U.S. Naval Reserve. After boarding M/V Liberty Pride, a rollRoberts last year in front of the M/V Liberty Eagle on/roll-off vehicle carrier, MDN bulk carrier in Djibouti. in November 2020, Roberts visited more than twenty ports of call and points of interest including Freeport and Beaumont, Texas; Wilmington, Delaware; Gibraltar; Livorno, Italy; Port Said, Egypt; Suez Canal; Aqaba, Jordan; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Sohar, Oman; Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Hamad, Qatar; Shuaiba and Shuwaikh, Kuwait; Indian Ocean; Strait of Malacca; Pyeongtaek, Kwon Yang-sook and Busan, South Korea; Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico; Balboa, Panama; Panama Canal; Jacksonville, Florida; and Brunswick Georgia. William served his time as a Bridge Cadet carrying out duties including standing watch, overseeing cargo operations, and steering the ship. Roberts is pursuing a career goal which has taken him on adventures thousands of miles from home in his military service; last year, he sailed for three months as a Cadet on a bulk carrier to Djibouti as part of a humanitarian mission to deliver grain. Known for its rigorous academic program, USMMA requires more credit hours for a baccalaureate degree than any other federal service academy. This challenging coursework is augmented by the Academy’s Sea Year experience, which affords midshipmen the opportunity to acquire hands-on, real-world experiences aboard working commercial or military vessels sailing to ports around the world. Midshipmen like Roberts who master the demanding curriculum earn a unique combination of credentials: a highly-regarded Bachelor of Science degree, a U.S. Coast Guard license, and an officer’s commission in the U.S. Armed Forces. All graduates have a service obligation upon graduation that provides the most career options offered by any of the federal academies. Williams is a 2014 graduate of St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Atlanta and 2018 alumnus of Baylor School in Chattanooga. He is scheduled to graduate from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in June of 2022 with a B.S. in maritime logistics and security. He rows on the Academy’s crew team and has competed at the Head of the Charles as well as many other regattas. He is also a member of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta.

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Smokey and the Bandit ‘Live’ at Old Hickory House Our Town DeKalb Staff Diners at Tucker’s Old Hickory House relived an iconic 70s action comedy when two celebrity impersonators met up there in March and reenacted one of the film’s most famous scenes. The restaurant appeared in the 1977 film “Smokey and the Bandit,” starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason. Old Hickory House was the setting for a scene featuring Sheriff Buford Justus (Gleason) and bootlegger Bo “Bandit” Darville (Reynolds) In the scene, Buford runs in and orders a Diablo Sandwich (an actual item from the Old Hickory House menu) and Dr. Pepper while the Bandit is sitting at the counter. Reynolds impersonator Tim Philips and Gleason impersonator Sean Bailey appeared at Old Hickory House to celebrate the 44th anniversary of the film.

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Henderson Park Community Garden Opens Its 11th Season Our Town DeKalb Staff Henderson Park Community Garden celebrated its “10+1” anniversary as it kicked off another year of gardening with a special visit from Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of Wylde Center. New and current members gathered at the event to learn more about seasonal planting in Georgia and what to grow each season. Van Parys dug deep with tips about dirt, compost and mulch. She also shared advice on how to plant seeds and seedlings and plant vegetables. HPCG plots are rented for the year. Plots are currently filled but those wishing to sign up on the waiting list can visit the website at hpcgtucker.org.

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