Keep the 50th anniversary alive with a season of rebooting programs and solving challenges
Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve turns 50 this year [2022] and officials of what has long been considered one of DeKalb County’s natural gems are excited about the opportunities this milestone presents.
The reservation is the relaunch of programs and events in 2022, which have been on hiatus since 2019 following the cessation of activity due to the pandemic.
On Jan. 2, guided hikes, educational talks, and community events resumed at the preserve.
“Attendees will have the chance to learn and explore vibrant history, breathtaking beauty, interesting cultural changes and much more,” according to a press release. “There are a number of new and exciting offerings that will appeal to both first-time and repeat visitors,” said park naturalist Zana Pouncey, who led this year’s first hike.
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Stone Mountain Church steps in to help charity after theft
Stealing catalyst from a charity’s delivery does not stop the organization from providing food to people in need.
Lettum Eat!, a charitable mobile food service that delivers meals to people throughout Gwinnett County every week, faced a challenge after the catalytic converter was stolen, leaving the van noisy and noisy and likely unable to pass inspection.
“It sounded like a Corvette,” said Hank Reid, executive chef and founder of Lettum Eat!
Catalytic converter thefts have increased in recent years as prices for the precious metals – platinum, palladium and rhodium – contained in them have risen. According to some sources, converts can earn between $50 and $300.
The theft was discovered in early January, and a DeKalb County church leader contacted Reid and offered to finance the purchase and installation of a new catalytic converter.
Mo Huggins, senior pastor of Mountain West Church in Stone Mountain, said church leaders learned of Reid’s situation from an employee who saw Reid’s social media post about the theft. Huggins said his congregation is currently studying the “Great Expectations” series, and Reid expressed his expectation that God will bring about a positive outcome.
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Dunwoody couple among the beekeeping community
You could say that Cindy and Mike Hodges lead sweet lives.
The Dunwoodys’ children are grown and gone, and the care of the offspring has been replaced by caretakers of thousands of buzzing insects.
The Hodges are beekeepers who keep hives at several locations in Dunwoody and also harvest the bees’ precious honey for themselves, family and friends.
“Beekeeping is a fantastic learning experience,” said Cindy Hodges, who has been caring for and learning about bees for 17 years. “You become much more connected to nature.”
Cindy Hodges, past president of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association and past board member of the Georgia Beekeepers Association, is a member of the 30-member Dunwoody Beekeepers Club.
“We want to educate local residents on how to keep your bees alive and how to be a good neighbor,” she said.
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National lifeguard shortage affecting some DeKalb pools
Splashing in the pool is a hallmark of many families’ summer activities. While there’s still plenty of fun at the pools this year, there’s also plenty of murky water ahead for pool managers trying to find enough lifeguards.
According to several sources, there is a lifeguard shortage affecting many pools from coast to coast.
About a third to nearly half of the nation’s more than 300,000 pools are likely to be affected, according to an estimate by Bernard J. Fisher II, director of health and safety for the American Lifeguard Association, reported by CNN.
In Austin, Texas, which opened five pools in May with a staff of 234 lifeguards, Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department’s aquatics division said in a news release that it needs an additional 375 lifeguards to open 10 more pools on June 6. .
“Paramedics can earn up to $1,250 in bonuses and pay ranges from $16 to $19 an hour depending on experience and certifications,” Austin’s website said. “Employees receive paid sick leave, free bus passes, and flexible scheduling.”
The Stone Mountain branch had such difficulty filling lifeguard positions that management decided to go the summer without lifeguards.
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Mother/daughter summit of Mount Washington
The words about her father may have been on Katie Sharma’s mind as she and her mother climbed Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
Her father, Jimmy Robinson, often told her growing up to give 100 percent to everything she tried and to always finish what she started.
Sharma of Decatur and her mother, Karen Robinson of Marietta, completed the ascent of the 6,288-foot mountain peak during a four-day climb/descent as part of a 16-member team participating in the Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma event. The program is a joint initiative between CURE Media Group and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) with sponsorship from GlaxoSmithKline.
Sharma and Robinson raised $12,409 for Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma, a program dedicated to raising funds and awareness for multiple myeloma research and in honor of Sharma’s father and Robinson’s husband, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015.
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Exercise is key to fighting dementia and Parkinson’s, experts say
Memory loss is a normal part of aging, but assessing whether the loss is mild, moderate or severe is key to determining whether it’s dementia, according to the specialist.
Eleni Footman, a doctor who specializes in geriatrics, told a group of about 20 people at a luncheon Aug. 10 at Smoke Rise Country Club in Stone Mountain that it’s important to rule out other causes of memory loss rather than consider dementia. . In addition to normal aging, thyroid disease, severe depression and other mood disorders and attention deficit disorder could be the cause of memory loss, she said.
Footman explained that memory loss, also known as cognitive impairment, also affects learning, language, executive functions (such as planning and strategy), as well as complex attention.
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Exciting helicopter rides help vets keep military aviation relevant
Towering high above the ground, the Huey helicopter tilts to the right, then gently to the left before suddenly dropping, causing the passengers to squeal in delight or scream in terror. With open side doors and seating for 10, the helicopter’s strapped passengers are exposed to the reverberations of the rotors and engines as well as the wind for a rich sensory experience.
That’s a brief description of what it’s like to be piloted by two military veterans flying civilians over Henry County in a plane that once flew missions in Vietnam.
Open to the public for $110 per person for a 10-minute fly-around in a Huey, these rides are part of the mission of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum (AAHF). One of the purposes of the 25-year-old non-profit organization is to “acquire, restore and maintain in working condition examples of historic aircraft representing Army aviation from Vietnam to the present.”
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Donate your time
“This season of giving and giving comes in many forms – not just the wrapped and decorated with ribbons and bows. Charities depend on monetary donations and welcome them year-round, especially during the holiday season when generosity overflows. However, the most valuable gift that money cannot buy is the gift of volunteering. The important work that charities do requires people to help carry it out – office work, communicating with clients, collecting/distributing goods, delivering, teaching and similar activities.
Below are a few of the many DeKalb County charities that need volunteers not just during the holidays, but all year long:
• DeKalb Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
Provides volunteer opportunities for those 55 and older.
(770) 482-0390
• Champions
Lou Walker Senior Center Volunteer Program
(770) 322-2900
• Compeer Atlanta, Inc.
(404) 378-8312
• ICARE, Inc.
Transport seniors to doctors
(404) 377-2273
• ROSA (Addressing the elderly)
Caring ministry of the caller
(404) 614-0055
• DeKalb Public Library
For more information, call Volunteer Services (404) 508-7190.
• ABLE Housing Services
For more information, call (770) 415-5363.
• Decatur Cooperative Ministry
Decaturcooperativeministry.org
(404) 377-5365
Individuals and groups interested in volunteering for DCM should complete an application at decaturcoopertiveministry.org.
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