MAY 2024: (BLUE) Our Town Gwinnett Monthly Magazine for Gwinnett/NE DeKalb

At Primrose Schools® Summer Adventure Club, your child will discover new things every day through fun hands-on activities—like sports, robotics and more—that encourage them to think with creativity, compassion and resourcefulness.

• Theme weeks with in-house experiences. Foam Parties, Water Slides, Science Wiz and more.

• Multiple field trips per week.

• Medieval Times, Fernbank, Georgia Aquarium, Painting with a Twist, Gwinnett Stripers and more.

Fun for children in K–5th grade.

On the Cover: Getting to Know WellSpot Chiropractic

By Kristen Eleveld

When Dr. Lorenil Hencock Boncek sustained a bad injury to her back in her early twenties, she wasn’t sure if she would ever fully recover. Her injury, which affected both her back and leg, caused her to go from being an active, energetic person to someone who could barely take a step without pain. Finally, just as she was gearing up for a surgery that wasn’t guaranteed to give her any relief, someone suggested that Lorenil try a chiropractor.

And after only a couple of sessions, the difference was unbelievable.

“I could feel sensations in my leg that I had not felt in a long time!” said Dr. Boncek, who usually goes by Dr. Lorenil to her patients. “Other people noticed the difference in me, too. It was life changing.”

As a result of this incredible experience, Dr. Lorenil knew that she wanted to help others in the same way. She began the education track to become a doctor of chiropractic medicine with the goal of helping others in the same way her own chiropractor had helped her.

Patients who come to Dr. Lorenil for care can expect to sit down with her while she gets to know you and understand what your goals are so she can determine how to help. It’s important to Dr. Lorenil that each patient understands how each technique she uses is helping their body, and she also works to discover the root of your problem instead of only treating your pain.

“If your neck hurts, I will examine your entire spine,” said Dr. Lorenil as an example of the way she approaches her care. “You only have one spine, so if part of it hurts, I want to examine all of it.”

This whole-body approach also extends to Dr. Lorenil’s other services, like her prenatal chiropractic care. As a recently-certified Webster chiropractic who is passionate about helping pregnant women manage their back, hip, and joint pain, Dr. Lorenil has spent a lot of time with mothers-to-be who are looking for some relief from their aches and pains.

“I love prenatal care,” said Dr. Lorenil. “I love the community of moms and seeing how much relief they can experience!”

Dr. Lorenil is also excited about another treatment her facility offers, one that is newer to her practice: cold laser therapy. This treatment is designed to help with multiple issues, like inflammation, joint disorders, and musculoskeletal pain – so

it’s no wonder that Dr. Lorenil is so excited to offer this treatment to her patients and the community.

As a chiropractor for seven years, Dr. Lorenil knows that many first-time patients are hesitant to begin chiropractic care. That’s why she takes the time to get to know each patient, get a thorough history, and explain each step as she goes along. She always encourages her patients to stay active and keep moving, even after they feel better, and she has never had a patient be injured under her care.

“Maintenance is important,” said Dr. Lorenil. “All I do is allow movement to the spine and take away the interference the injury causes.”

If you’re ready to be treated by WellSpot Chiropractic and get to know Dr. Lorenil, the process is easy. Just head to her website or give her a call to make your first appointment. But remember – once you get one adjustment, you might be hooked for life!

More information at https://wellspotchiro.com/ or 470-870-8680

Entire

in any media without written permission from the publisher.

Publisher/Owner

Creative

IN THIS ISSUE

From the Publisher: Ryan’s Remarks

By Dr. Ryan T. Sauers

@RyanTSauers @RyanTSauers

Wow, May is here, and summer is on the way. I thought I would provide insights into an area most people desire to improve. This area of focus is how we use our time. Every successful person I know desires to have more time. The better we manage our time, the more productive and successful we will be in all parts of our lives. Thus, what we do with our time makes all the difference.

Time is a precious commodity that we all have in equal measure. It is the one resource that cannot be bought, sold, or recovered once lost. Therefore, it is essential to manage it effectively to achieve success. In this column, I want us to focus on the importance of time management using the acronym TIME. I have broken this concept down to make it easier for you to consider.

T—Take control: The first step to effective time management is controlling your time. So, take ownership of your time and plan activities based on priorities. You are in charge of your schedule, and it is up to you to use it wisely. So be very clear of non-priority things you will say “no” to.

I - Invest in yourself: Invest in yourself by caring for your physical and emotional well-being. Eat well, exercise regularly, and take time off to relax and recharge. You cannot manage time effectively if you are not healthy and happy.

M—Manage your tasks: It is vital to set and break down goals into manageable chunks. Prioritize your tasks based on their importance and deadline. Focus on one task at a time and avoid continual multitasking, which can reduce productivity.

E—Eliminate distractions: Eliminate distractions that steal your time and attention. By removing distractions, you can focus on the task and accomplish more in less time. Turn off phone notifications, limit social media usage, and create a conducive work environment.

Effective use of our time is essential to success in any area of life. It requires

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Trickum Middle School’s Ryan Queen named Principal of the Year

By Tana Poncsak

How hard would it be to surprise a school principal during a teacher workday in the middle of a faculty meeting? If you ask Ryan Queen, the principal of Trickum Middle School, his answer would perhaps be “easy.”

On March 15, 2024, as Ryan conducted a faculty meeting, he found himself surprised. It was a good surprise, as he was recognized as Middle School Principal of the Year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.

Ryan says being chosen as Middle School Principal of the Year is first and foremost a great honor. “It was a great day and a wonderful surprise,” he says. “I thought the setting couldn’t have been any better.”

Trickum Middle School faculty and staff had almost a month to plan and prepare for the surprise. In addition, Ryan’s wife, children, and his parents all attended the event where representatives from Gwinnett Public Schools were on hand to make the presentation.

Ryan started his twenty-seven-year career in education with Gwinnett Public Schools as a biology teacher at Parkview High School in the Parkview cluster, and he spent time working in several other areas of Gwinnett Public Schools. Eventually, he started thinking about expanding his leadership and seeking prin-

cipalship.

“Leadership is really about influence,” he says. “As a classroom teacher, you have influence over your students in your classroom. But it’s not until you come out of that classroom and realize that as a building leader, you can have an impact on a lot more students.” Ryan explains that it’s similar to throwing a rock in a pond and having a ripple effect. “I impact those around me, and they impact those around them,” he adds. “Ultimately, that goes all the way down to impacting the students in the classroom, which is our goal. That’s really the approach I take and the philosophy that I bring to the role.” Ryan is completing his eighth year as principal at Trickum Middle School.

It was around the end of 2023 when Ryan was first notified that he had been nominated for Georgia Middle School Principal of the Year. He says he was touched by the fact someone thought enough of him and his work to nominate him, and out of respect for that person, he completed the application form. By mid-January, Ryan was notified that he was one of three finalists and invited to Athens for a panel interview. On a Saturday in late January, Ryan made the drive to Athens and went through the interview process. Once the interview was done, it was a waiting game – waiting for a “Thanks, but no thanks” email or waiting for a BIG surprise. Ryan got the BIG surprise. He says he’s humbled.

“This recognition has my name on it, but it’s really a recognition of Trickum Middle School and the hard work of the staff,” he says.

Ryan feels like he’s come full circle with his career in education having started out in the Parkview cluster and now he’s made his way back to the same cluster where it all began. He says from time to time, it’s not unusual that he’s stopped by former students from his biology teaching days who are now dropping off their own kids at the very same school the parent attended some years ago.

“The fact these folks are now sending their kids to the schools they attended…I don’t know if there’s a better compliment than that,” Ryan says.

For now, Ryan hopes to continue to have a positive impact on the faculty and students at Trickum Middle School. “We become leaders because we hope to impact more students and our colleagues in a positive manner, and I guess ultimately, I became principal for that same opportunity,” he says. “Whether it’s impacting the school or impacting the district or just simply impacting my colleagues that are immediately around me, that’s really all that I hope for in the future. That I can continue to become better at whatever I’m doing, and that I continue to have a positive impact on those who I interact with.”

Congratulations, Principal Ryan Queen!

More information at https://schools.gcpsk12.org/TrickumMS, or https://www. gcpsk12.org/, or https://www.gassp.org/.

Expanding Young Minds with E3

By Traci Sanders

Jestacia Jones is an accomplished holistic health and beauty expert, author, and TV professional who worked with many celebrity clients for decades. But she found the most joy and fulfillment in being a mom to her son Alexander.

When Jones saw Alex’s aptitude for learning science, math, technology, and engineering concepts through his love of playing with Legos at age nine, she recognized that this kind of learning experience could lead to a bright future in rewarding, hands-on careers. She created a program in 2014 called E3, which just celebrated its tenth year of enrichment for Gwinnett youth, to offer these learning opportunities to local students. The three E’s in the name represent Education, Engineering, and Exposure.

E3 takes a unique approach that focuses on the knowledge of coding and engineering principles, which results in students acquiring a number of valuable skills in communication and creativity as well as problem solving and critical thinking.

As Jones states, “Working with Legos allows the students to have a fun learning atmosphere where they can be open-minded, make friends while learning, and experience physical and cognitive exercise.”

Jones is proud to have found a way to give back to her community, especially in supporting the youth, as the program is geared toward elementary kids. Sara M. Sellers at Dekalb County Public Library is a strong advocate for the work the E3 Tech Club is doing and offers its fundamental training to local youth at no charge.

“I want every kid to excel and receive a holistic education, regardless of their financial status,” Jones says.

Continued on page 13

One on One with Family Promise of Gwinnett

By Traci Sanders

In 2009 a young forensic accountant named Carol Love found herself being laid off from her job. “I found myself ‘homeless’ for the first time in my adult life,” she said, “at least in my career. I very well could have ended up without a place to live as well. I was lucky that since I had traveled extensively for my job, I had been living with my mother as my home base when in town.”

Prior to losing her job, Love felt uncertain about the direction of her life. She reconnected with Jesus Christ and her local church where she had grown up. Shortly after, she sought counsel from her minister about feeling called to serve in some capacity. He referred her to a woman who was involved

Continued on page 17

Brookwood Animal Hospital: Finding Care for Your Furry Family Members

By Kristen Eleveld

Pet owners know that giving their furriest family members the best care is essential. But how do you choose the right veterinarian? Finding a vet who knows animals is key, but it isn’t the only thing that matters. You need a vet who truly values you and your pets and is committed to giving your dogs, cats, and everything in between all the care they need, from vaccines to belly rubs.

That’s why so many pet owners in Snellville and the surrounding area are turning to Brookwood Animal Hospital. Led by Dr. Jenny Reesman, the team at Brookwood Animal Hospital is all about keeping your pets healthy, happy, and ready to keep you company for years to come.

Dr. Reesman, a Gwinnett native, has known since she was a child that she wanted to work with animals. While attending Brookwood High School, she had the

opportunity to work with Dr. Yeomans, who owned Brookwood Animal Hospital at the time. Through this experience, Dr. Reesman truly saw all aspects of what it meant to provide vet care and gained an invaluable understanding of both the highs and lows of caring for animals.

Driven by her love for these furry friends and a desire to increase her knowledge in the veterinary field, Dr. Reesman pursued a career as a vet and, four-and-a-half years ago, bought Brookwood Animal Hospital, the same place she had earned so much experience as a high school student.

“I’m the ‘other’ family doctor,” said Dr. Reesman of her role in a pet owner’s life. “I love what I do, and part of my job is to educate each client on the best ways

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the worries of public judgement

Brookwood Animal Hospital

they can care for their animals.”

For instance, Dr. Reesman is passionate about providing preventative care for each of her patients, in addition to offering education to her human clients on why preventative care matters so much. Dental checkups, heartworm medication, regular vaccinations – these are just a few of the topics that Dr. Reesman and her team often find themselves speaking about to clients to convey the urgency of how important these steps are for the health of the pet and the family as a whole.

Dr. Reesman has also observed that the practice sees fewer cats come in for preventative care. While many cats live indoors only and can often seem low-maintenance when it comes to health, Dr. Reesman urges all cat owners to make – and keep – regular checkups for their feline friends to ensure that any issues are caught quickly and addressed as soon as possible.

In addition to providing excellent medical care for your pet, Dr. Reesman and her team also value creating genuine relationships with each client and getting to know both you and your pets.

“I grew up in this area, and I love being part of the same community that my business is in,” said Dr. Reesman. “Gwinnett County has grown so much, but our office really strives to keep that small-town feel and grow and maintain personal relationships with each of our clients. I treasure each one of those relationships.”

Dr. Reesman’s love for her hometown is also evident in the way she gives back to the community. As a former student of Brookwood High School, Dr. Reesman and her practice work to give back to local schools, especially female athletes at Brookwood High School.

“As soon as I had something to give back, I knew I wanted it to go to Brookwood,” said Dr. Reesman. “I want to encourage young girls to build their confidence and become strong women who can reach their goals.”

Dr. Reesman also donates to the Robotics programs at Brookwood High School and Five Forks Middle School. This is a cause especially important to her, as each of her three children participate in Robotics teams through their schools. Dr. Reesman is hoping to promote and support STEAM opportunities for students through the donations her practice gives each year.

If you are looking for a veterinary practice that will love your pet like their own, develop a meaningful relationship with you as a client, and is run by the best vet team in Snellville, look no further. You’ve found it all at Brookwood Animal Hospital. Give them a call at (770) 979-0089 to find out why this vet will truly care for your pet as part of the family.

More information at www.brookwoodanimal.com

Shift… A Word for Your Day

By Jane Bishop

What thoughts surface when you think of “shift”? One definition of shift, from Oxford languages is “move or cause to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance.” Simon T. Bailey wrote Shift Your Brilliance several years ago. It is a book I recommend as it offers thinking from a different perspective to help anyone who is stuck in “neutral” to shift and move forward.

Shifting can be a challenge. I remember when I learned to drive a standard transmission car (which I really enjoy driving!). As I practiced the shift of clutch, brake, and accelerator, it took time to get to that “sweet spot” of all working precisely at the right moment to make the gear change smoothly. How exhilarating it was the first time it happened! It took repetition and practice for the shifting to happen consistently and become second nature.

Effective self-leadership recognizes when we must make a shift. We make many shifts during the course of the day that are second nature. Each shift requires a choice. Because I often view situations as “a story and/or example of a concept,” I recently experienced several shifts in the span of twenty minutes! It was a nice day, and I was completing errands. I decided to treat myself to an ice cream cone on my way home. Here is the progression of shifts:

Location #1: out of ice cream. No problem, I said to myself. I made the shift and drove across the street to another option.

Location #2: closed/out of business. Shift again so I decide on another business on my route home.

Location #3: The computer system was down and unable to take orders or payments! Really?!

The next shift was to decide if I would continue my mission of getting ice cream or journey home. In the interest of time, I drove home and shifted my desire for a treat to something else! You may not find the humor in this story. However, I do believe it reflects the connection between shifts, choice, and change. The “Janeism” that came out of that twenty minute of shifts is this: “to shift your mindset, start with a consistent conscious choice.”

As I work with individuals, groups and teams and empower them to create their shifts, the results they experience are sustainable! When we choose to shift, it can be refreshing to experience the change!

“Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.” (James Belasco and Ralph Stayer)

How will you practice a shift to move forward?

More information at www.janebishoplive.com.

Expanding Young Minds with E3

She believes that enrichment and exposure are the keys to overcoming poverty. To help accomplish this goal, the E3 program requires parental involvement. Monthly classes and weekly updates are available in the E3 app. Private coaching is also available for parents and students for a nominal fee.

A prime example of how the E3 program develops mathematical and technical skills in Gwinnett youth is evident in Jones’s own son. Alex used the training and skills he received in E3 in his journey of becoming a certified FAA Drone Pilot at the age of sixteen. He’s also now the captain of Georgia’s first ever Drone Soccer Team, for which he built a drone from scratch, and is a member of the Aerospace Engineering pathway program in Rockdale at just seventeen years of age, as well as one of the coaches of the E3 program working with local youth.

Alex and his mom wrote an e-book together about the E3 program, each giving their unique perspective on its formation and continued impact and success.

This dynamic mother-son duo has worked together for many years to spread awareness of the E3 program and its core themes of encouraging a passion for mathematical and technical subjects in local youth, and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Schools and organizations that would like to partner with E3 can send inquiries to e3techacademy@gmail.com.

More information at https://e3legorobotics.wordpress.com/.

One Man’s Opinion: It’s NEVER Too Late

By Bill Crane

Thankfully, it is now more than a dozen years in the rear view that I realized a series of poor choices that I was making related to alcohol. Then in the front end of middle age, I was interacting more with beer and booze like an aging frat boy than a father and businessman. The results of some of those bad decisions got my attention in a significant way, and I made some not-insignificant mid-life, mid-course corrections. In almost every way and every day, my life and world are better for the clarity that came from that sobriety.

As I surveyed the damage some of my choices in those years had caused, I researched and looked to the experts and followed the steps that had helped millions recover their lives and get back fully on a better path. This included a few readings of what is referred to in Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery support organizations as “The Big Book.” The most helpful and illuminating chapters for me, which still ring true today, surround the simple fact that it is never too late to begin making good decisions, nor is it too late to begin/attempt to make amends and apologize to those who you hurt with your earlier bad choices.

I began my own personal apology tour with my first born child, who was very gracious in accepting my offerings and me taking responsibility for some hurtful words and actions which caused her pain. Then to other family, close friends, and more than I might care to admit prior broken relationships, in which my thinking fueled by alcohol, had been a major contributing factor to those relationships failing. And in all but one case, as I took responsibility for the majority of damage

Military Appreciation Month: Five Ways to Show Your Support

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

U.S. military service members are ready to be called upon at any time to protect the country, and May, which is Military Appreciation Month, is the perfect opportunity to express gratitude for their sacrifice.

Military Appreciation Month was initially recognized by a U.S. Senate resolution in 1999. Although the entire month is designated to honor past and present military members and their families, several holidays are sprinkled throughout the month that honor service members: Loyalty Day, VE Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Mother’s Day, Armed Forces Day, and Memorial Day.

“This year, in particular, many more service members are overseas supporting NATO due to the war in Ukraine,” says Christopher Plamp, United Service Organizations (USO) senior vice president of Operations, Programs, and Entertainment and an Air Force veteran. “These deployments should be a reminder to all Americans of the importance of expressing our gratitude to the men and women in the military who sacrifice so much for us.”

leading to my divorce, and a series of other failed relationships and broken friendships, the amends were accepted, and in most cases those relationships began to heal or rebound, or in a few circumstances rekindle.

My father and I have had a difficult relationship since my own adolescence. I won’t go into the particulars, other than to say over the span of decades there has been a lot more head-butting than hugging. When we lost Shirl (a family pet name for Mom), coming up on two years ago, I recommitted to building a stronger bond with Dad, and though there have been bumps along the way, we both made this a focus, and the results have made those efforts worthwhile. It’s never too late. Dad is now 85, and until just over two months ago, he was living independently.

An ill-timed medical complication and fall, overlaid with the AT&T Mobility service outage, with Dad having an AT&T Mobile phone, resulted in a lengthy hospitalization, two significant surgeries, and having survived that, a long period of recovery and convalescence, under the dutiful and watchful care of my sister, Tanya, a skilled Nurse Practitioner, with our father now living with her family for the near to mid-term. Giving her some relief, I spent half a dozen overnights in that ICU with Dad, and since his return “home,” either a Saturday or Sunday each weekend, from mid-morning to early evening, tending to his needs, assisting with his medications and nutrition, etc.

These more extended visits with Dad, when I know he is convalescing, frustrated, and somewhat humbled by the dependence he is now experiencing versus eight decades of independence, have allowed him to open up, share, and even make inquiries of me that have not come since prior to my college years. This past Sunday, he asked about my current five-year life plan. Dad knows that I am a “planner,” but the last time he made a query like this one, I was 21 and just out of college. I had an answer, and I was pleased to see and hear his positive reaction, particularly given the apparent lack of interest for the interim two generations.

Amends come in all shapes and sizes. Both parties simply need to want to make them. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity with Dad, though I wish for him it was under more auspicious circumstances. Make and take the time for the people and family who matter to you. It is always easy to postpone difficult conversations until later. As my own mortality comes more recently into view, later may not always be there. Though as long as you wake up on the “right side” of the dirt, and you open your eyes under a clear blue sky...it’s never too late.

Bill Crane owns the full-service communications firm CSI Crane. More information at www.CSICrane.com

impact,” says Plamp. “The simple act of thanks can show military members that their work is valued and appreciated.”

2. Send a Care Package. Sending care packages with snacks and hygiene products lets service members know that the American people are thinking of them, even from thousands of miles away. The USO Care Package program simplifies sending military care packages, which can be complicated. You can support this program by making a monetary donation to the USO. Another option is to check out the USO Wishbook, where you can select from a catalog a symbolic gift, such as a USO Care Package, to be sent to service members. In 2022, the USO delivered 200,000 of these care packages globally.

With its long history of keeping America’s military service members connected to family, home, and country, the USO is providing five ideas for how to honor and support service members and their families.

1. Say “Thank You.” The simplest way to support service members is to thank them for their service. According to the Blue Star Families 2022 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, only one-third of active-duty families feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian community. You can send service members a message of support and encouragement through the USO’s website. “Acknowledging the immense challenges of military life can have a positive

3. Support Military Spouses. Deployments are challenging for military spouses. Aside from being separated from their loved ones, military spouses must also shoulder household responsibilities alone. For military families with children, this can be even more difficult. Offer to cook a family dinner or pick up groceries. Even simply asking how they are doing can make a difference.

4. Volunteer. Many challenging but rewarding volunteer opportunities are available to serve the men and women in uniform, including with the USO, where you will see the impact of your support firsthand. Many USO locations need volunteers who can facilitate programs and events and help ensure the military community has the resources and support they need to carry out their missions.

5. Donate. Show your support through the annual USO T-shirt campaign, which raises funds for the USO’s mobile and center operations, programs, and entertainment, transition services, and more. The campaign also builds awareness and understanding of military families. To learn more, visit https://www. uso.org/tshirt.

“From simple words of gratitude to hands-on volunteering, there are many ways to let service members who selflessly put their lives on the line every day know we value their service,” says Plamp. (StatePoint)

Gwinnett County Breaks Ground: Beaver Ruin

Wetland Park

By Our Town Gwinnett

Staff

County officials broke ground on the new Beaver Ruin Wetland Park in unincorporated Duluth last month. The project promotes sustainability and is a collaborative effort between Gwinnett Water Resources and Gwinnett Parks and Recreation.

Approaching an anticipated June completion, the first phase of this project has focused on restoring wetlands to preserve our local ecosystems. Over the last two years, efforts included stabilizing stream banks, enhancing habitats, removing invasive species, and introducing native vegetation. As one of the largest wetland areas of its kind in Gwinnett, stormwater from 4.5 square miles collects here, capturing runoff from Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Beaver Ruin Road, Buford Highway, and Old Norcross Road. The wetlands then naturally clean and filter the water before it returns to Sweetwater Creek and the Yellow River.

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Hendrickson emphasized how these sustainable efforts will enhance the community. “Projects like this hold immense potential for improving the quality of life for our residents,” said

Making a Difference: Celebrating the Resilience of Military Children

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

Life in the U.S. Armed Forces can be challenging, especially for the youngest members of the nation’s military community: the 1.6 million children of service members. These brave young souls – from constant change and uncertainty to being uprooted every few years and finding their place in a new school with each new location to their service member parent deploying suddenly for months, or even years, at a time – face realities of military life that can take a toll.

“Military children go through many experiences that most children don’t go through,” said military spouse and mother Jessica McLaughlin. “Having to leave their friends and everything they know to move across the world presents a different set of challenges.”

Hendrickson. “The Beaver Ruin Wetland Park will serve as a catalyst for positive change, fostering sustainability and supporting our environment and communities today and for future generations.”

Beaver Ruin Wetland Park will provide recreational and educational opportunities. Spanning eighty-six acres of land, the park will include a variety of community spaces, including a state-of-the-art wildlife observation tower, an open play lawn, a covered picnic area, a restroom building, a 41-space parking lot and a playground equipped with swings, nature-inspired play elements, and climbers. The playground’s design repurposes an existing detention basin, enhancing opportunities for unstructured adventure play for children.

“Residents in District 1 will soon enjoy expanded access to leisure activities at Beaver Ruin Wetland Park to enhance their physical and mental well-being,” said District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden. “I’m proud that our county’s leadership continues to prioritize people with an ongoing commitment to providing quality services such as parks and the protection of wetlands.”

A 12-foot-wide concrete loop trail boardwalk will seamlessly integrate with the surrounding neighborhood. Additionally, the park will serve as a hub for environmental awareness with interactive exhibits and interpretive panels.

“Our goal is to achieve platinum-level certification from the Sustainable Sites Initiative, putting Beaver Ruin Wetland Park on course to set a new standard in environmental stewardship,” said Tina Fleming, director of the Department of Community Services. “If successful, it would be the first of its kind in Gwinnett County and among a select few nationwide to attain this prestigious certification post-construction.”

Gwinnett County is using $5 million from the 2017 SPLOST program to support the development of the park, $1.3 million from the Recreation Fund for the playground, $4 million for the boardwalk, and $4.5 million from the Watershed Improvement Program for the wetland restoration. Officials expect the new park to open in late 2025.

Beyond special events that took place in April, military families can find yearround support and entertainment at many of the over 250 USO locations around the globe. These centers, a home-away-from-home, foster a strong sense of community. Here, military kids are surrounded by a supportive network and other military children who understand the unique challenges they face. Programs such as arts and crafts, game nights, cooking classes, and scavenger hunts are designed to offer a little fun so that they can even briefly forget the stress of life as a military child.

This past April, the Month of the Military Child, the United Service Organizations (USO) raised awareness about the specific challenges these so-called “military brats” face and celebrated them to thank and support them for their invaluable role.

Pet Perch: It is All in the Drills

By Terie Hansen

Sit/down/sit drills firm up your dog’s sit and down commands. When you tell your dog to sit or down that is what your pet should do, and he or she should hold that command until told to do otherwise.

Oftentimes when owners give their dog the sit command the dog sits for a little bit and then either pops up or lays down. Follow through and have your dog do what you told him or her to do, not what your pet feels like doing. Allowing your dog to ignore your command gives your pet the go ahead to not listen to you at other times.

Let’s say you tell your dog to come to you, but in the past you’ve allowed your dog to do what he or she feels like doing instead of listening to you; then in that moment that’s exactly what your pet will do. Follow through to get what you asked for.

By age 9, Victoria Hegedusich has lived in California, Maine, and Japan, and she’ll most likely move four or five more times before she graduates high school, as military families, on average, move every 2.5 years. Hegedusich and her family are frequent visitors at the USO Yokosuka Center in Japan, where they make use of the free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, snacks, books, and games, as well as take part in events and programs geared specifically to families and children.

“The USO is really fun,” Hegedusich said, who has especially loved any events and programs that involve science. “I like coming here to do the activities.”

Military children are resilient, and thanks to programming just for them, they can feel grounded and appreciated wherever they are. (StatePoint)

More information at https://www.uso.org.

Here are some reasons why dogs don’t listen to their owners:

1. They weren’t taught the command in the first place! ***Your dog does not speak English! You cannot ask your dog to do something that you have not taught them.

2. The command was not taught properly and/or long enough. ***It takes a lot of patterning over weeks of time. Thousands of consistent repetitions for your dog to grasp a concept fully.

3. They weren’t consistently made to follow through and do the command. *** You give the dog a command and for one of the above reasons he or she doesn’t do it, and you don’t follow through to make it happen.

4. You haven’t maintained what you taught your dog. ***Even if you taught it and your dog knew the command(s) very well at one point, if you don’t use it enough your dog will lose it. Use the commands that you have taught your dog daily. Work them into your daily routine. It’s simple at that point. Use them when you’re making your breakfast or grabbing your coffee, before you go in or out of doors, at feeding time, before getting in the car, while watching TV, eating dinner, or inviting guests into your home.

These are all great times to insert a sit, down, or place command. Throw in some recalls while you’re walking your dog or playing in the yard. It’s all in the drills. Drills engage your dog and maintain a high level of performance, which makes your pet much more enjoyable to live with.

Terie Hansen is the Owner or Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care More information at www.gooddogcoaching.com

Family Promise of Gwinnett

from page 10

with serving families in motels. Love’s church had a ministry that partnered with a Presbyterian church in Atlanta that offered breakfast to homeless people on Sundays. Love began serving there while she waited for God to reveal what her next steps should be.

After she lost her job, Love served as a volunteer case manager at the Norcross Cooperative Ministry. There she learned how to communicate with and advocate for those in need.

“God put it on my heart to serve and empower the homeless in my community,” she said. “I didn’t know exactly how it would all play out and come to fruition, but I trusted in His plans for me.”

More than a year passed when Must Ministries asked Love to introduce a summer lunch program in Gwinnett County for children with nutritional needs. Success with volunteers and distribution in this non-profit work opened the door to Family Promise of Gwinnett (FPG). In 2011 Love helped open up their Salt Light Center in a Lawrenceville church. The center was an emergency shelter for single women and women with children.

In 2014 Love left FPG after the birth of her son and was able to work from home with another company. During this hiatus, Love became a single mom. This life-altering experience has helped her understand and relate to the fears, anxieties, and issues that single moms face. Love understands the pressures of working, parenting, paying bills, and trying to balance all these feats in life.

In 2019 a door opened for Love that changed the course of her life again. Family Promise of Gwinnett approached her with a new offer to become their Executive Director. Love would oversee a program that consisted of a system of churches that offered rotational shelters for local families with children under eighteen years of age. These churches transformed a few of their Sunday School classrooms into bedrooms for the families free of charge, with FPG providing the beds and allowing the church the opportunity to act out their faith in love, providing hospitality, community, and safe shelter.

“Our goal was to keep families together during their struggles,” Love said, “allowing them shelter and food for thirty to ninety days at a time.”

Love began to realize that her accounting skills were a true gift from God that allowed her to help these people with more than basic necessities. Through FPG she was able to help them secure employment and learn budgeting skills to encourage self-sufficiency. She conducted an evaluation every thirty days to create plans for helping them move forward and find more permanent housing and other resources.

Unfortunately, the program was brought to a halt when Covid came onto the scene, and everyone quarantined.

“We found our program ‘homeless’ in a sense,” Love said. “We had nowhere to place these families.”

Thankfully, in 2022 the program found a new home, now called Promise Haven, when a local Episcopal church offered shelter through a house on their property at an extremely discounted rate. Families who meet eligibility requirements are allowed to stay at Promise Haven in the evenings and use the FPG Day Center during the day as needed. The Day Center provides families with access to a mailing address, counseling services, case management, and a place to go when Promise Haven is closed during the day. FPG also offers two transitional houses

for families that graduate from Promise Haven.

FPG has been going strong, living out their mission of transforming lives and strengthening families through financial resources and familial resources such as cooking and parenting sessions. There are seven Family Promise affiliates in metro Atlanta and Athens, and each one operates independently to address the underlying causes of homelessness.

As their website states, “Together we are ending homelessness – one family at a time.”

More information at https://familypromisegwinnett.org/.

Ryan’s Remarks

Continued from page 7

discipline, focus, and commitment. So, if we follow this TIME acronym, we can take control of our time, invest in ourselves, manage our tasks, and eliminate distractions. Time is our most precious commodity, so we must use it wisely and make the most of every moment!

I hope this article helps you in all parts of life. Here is to a great May 2024. And as always, thank you for continuing with me on the journey of my town, your town, OUR TOWN!