In This

About the Photographer J. Mae Photography..........................................4

Talkin’ Sports with Justin Justin introduces you to a special coach that got a “bonus life”............................................11

Cover Story: Welcome to 100% Chiropractic......................15

Community Spotlight

He’s back...................who is the new voice at Xtra106.3 FM?................................................21

Special Feature

Meet Amy Knight, a local real estate agent with tips for you.....................................................25

Feature Q&A

A sit down with Serenity Adult Day Care.........26

Food & Health

Avocado has snagged a spot as one of the world’s most healthy foods.

Registered Dietician, Allyson Balzuweit, has the scoop..............................................................28

Giving Back

Because FOOD is a MUST..............................29

Travel Expert

Experience Africa with Heather Meliski, travel extraordinaire.................................................31

Real Estate

Want to know when is the best time to sell your house? Our Town’s Real Estate expert, Deborah Ratchford, has the good news.......................38

Our Town is published and direct mailed monthly to prestigious homes in Cobb County. Opinions expressed by the editorial staff are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Our Town reserves the right to edit and or reject any editorial or advertising content. Our Town is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space or for the validity of claims made by advertisers. Entire contents copyright 2023 by Our Town. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden in any media without prior written permission from the publisher.

PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR

Tara Hill Hanover

EDITOR/SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

Justin Hanover

DIGITAL EDITOR

Kimberly Watkins-Swenk

GRAPHICS AND DESIGN

Jules Fandos

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

West Cobb

Sara Young sara@ourtownmonthly.com

Smyrna/Vinings/Galleria/Cumberland

Amy Knight amy@ourtownmonthly.com

J. Mae Photography

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Allyson Balzuweit

Heather Meliski

Deborah Ratchford

OTM Staff PO Box 813610

Smyrna, GA 30081-8610

(678)337-7844 info@ourtownmonthly.com www.ourtownmonthly.com

FB: Our Town Monthly IG: @our_town_monthly

STERLING

Full Continuum of Living, IL Cottages and Apartments to AL & Memory Care, All on One 28 Acre Neighborhood Campus LIMITED

“What I’ve learned is that all communities talk about wellness and socialization… but they don’t have the wellness center, greenspace, programming and staffing that Sterling Estates has. No one can match what Sterling provides for their residents. My parents are thriving at Sterling Estates… Bet yours will too” - Susan S.

Oaks at West Cobb: Family-operated Senior Living Community Cultivates Person-centered Lifestyles.

Oaks Senior Living was created in 1998 to provide person-centered care to elders who can no longer live safely at home. The family operated executive team has been faithfully providing senior living in Georgia and South Carolina. Oaks Senior Living strives to create a vibrant, life-affirming environment where each person matters and everyone has opportunities for growth, regardless of age or abilities.

Oaks at West Cobb, an Oaks Senior Living managed community, embodies the values set in place to create the best home for your loved one. Located in Marietta, GA and only a short drive from Atlanta, Oaks at West Cobb features luxury assisted living and memory care apartments with various care service options tailored to fit your needs.

The Thriving Lifestyle of an Oaks at West Cobb Resident

At Oaks at West Cobb, each resident’s community experience is tailored to their individual needs and desires. The flow of one resident’s day may not be the same as another, being individual care needs vary per resident. Take a few moments to join the journey of a typical day in the life of an Oaks at West Cobb resident.

Many of our residents begin their day with a freshly prepared meal by our Executive Chef, with the option of having specialized meals or alternate dining choices depending on dietary need. Meals continue to be prepared for lunch and dinner; however, residents have the option to eat at any point during the day as they would in their own home due to our all-day dining service

Residents then have the freedom of joining devotional time led by our Lifestyle Director. Spiritual, educational, physical, and social activities continue throughout the day and residents have the option of attending all that interest them. Our daily activities create freedom of choice for residents, so each day has new possibilities! Through our partnership with Parker Chase, residents can also enjoy offsite activities, engaging with young students in arts and crafts, performances, etc.

While dining and activities are fundamental parts of the Oaks Senior Living mission, person-centered care is our main priority. Each day, the resident is always the focus. Our management team works together to provide the exact care plan that you need to create the most abundant life possible. Residents will have 24-hour access to care partners with care services optimized by our professional nursing team. Partnering with EmpowerMe Wellness, residents can receive onsite physical therapy and have access to diagnostics for non-blood products creating quick turnaround times of results and treatments.

“Living here has been a pleasure. The staff and residents are very friendly, the community is beautiful, and it just feels good calling this place home.” Oaks at West Cobb Resident

Come be a part of our family!

Each part of a resident’s day is created to honor the life, desires, and needs of the resident all while providing a sense of purpose. Come take a look and see everything that is available for you and your loved one at Oaks at West Cobb.

By Justin Hanover

When you have had three ruptured disks and back pain your entire adult life you get used to going to physical therapy. This time, however, things seemed a little different as there was numbness as well, but off to the therapist it was for some stretches to hopefully work the issue out.

After taking blood pressure in his right arm and then his left arm the therapist took the batteries out, a sign to Mike and Melody Gold that all things were not well.

“Is he having a stroke?”, Melody asked.

Mike Gold grew up in Buffalo, New York and has been a Coach, a leader, an Athletic Director and a Christian educator for most of his entire life. He went down South to Clearwater Christian College after graduating High School and played basketball and baseball. He quickly knew his calling and now, 38 years later, Mike, a father to six and grandfather to soon to be 17, has done it all, Athletic Director, basketball coach, baseball coach, soccer coach, PE teacher, grass cutter, field chalker, scheduler and so on. You name it, Mike has done it, all in the name of service to others.

But on December 28th, 2020 the answer to Melody’s question was yes and it all almost came to an end.

Mike was immediately taken to the hospital on that fateful day. The therapist, a former player of Mike’s, called ahead and with it being the height of Covid, Melody was not allowed in. After a blood pressure reading of 245/140 and an A1C test of 12 (due to his diabetes) along with a Covid positive test the Athletic Director and women’s basketball coach at Dominion Christian School in Marietta was sent to the Covid ward. Mike facetimed with Melody who knew this Covid diagnosis did not seem right and implored the hospital to look into a possible stroke.

As time went on Mike’s left side started to lose feeling and the hospital performed an MRI. The neurologist read the exam which showed massive strokes and informed Mike that he would probably never walk or talk again.

Things happened quickly and the coach was actually back home within two days. The Gold’s had no idea of what they were in for as they were now seeing him for the first time, post stroke.

As Melody told me, “We didn’t know how bad it was. We weren’t allowed into the hospital. For a long while it took two of us just to get him out of bed or a chair. He lost all of his core strength.”

Life had been turned upside down but within five weeks, not five months or five years, Melody wheeled Mike up to the basketball court so he could sit beside the team and watch his girls play. He couldn’t coach, yet, with his whispers, as he lost that “coaching voice”. But like a miracle, within minutes, suddenly the coaching voice came out.

Melody explained, “We were going to do everything we could to get him better, you name it we tried it, hyperbaric treatment, stem cell therapy, everything. But that first day