OUR TOWN DEKALB (AUGUST 2022)

4 Sounds of Tucker: Local Musicians Keep the Beat of the City 10 Food for Thought: Combating Inflation the German Way 14 NETWorks Plans ‘Big Leap’ into a New, Larger Facility OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022 1

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IN THIS ISSUE

4 Sounds of Tucker: Local Musicians Keep the Beat of the City 6 First Christian Church Expands Music Program 7 Wellness In-Sight: It Doesn’t Take Much 8 Age Friendly Tucker: Pray, Play, Participate 9 Common Sen$e: A House Divided 10 Food for Thought: Combating Inflation the German Way 11 Back Talk: Healthy Mom, Happy Mom – Healthy, Happy Baby 13 Tucker Rotary Receives $25,000 ARP Allocation for Community Relief 13 Habitat for Humanity DeKalb Receives Black Women Impact Grant 14 Zoomer Zone: Decoding Gen Z-Speak 18 NETWorks Plans ‘Big Leap’ into a New, Larger Facility

Latawsha Little-Hill Steven R Ashby 4500 Hugh Howell Road Suite 600 Heritage Place Tucker, GA 30084 770.493.4924 www.gwaplaw.com

ON THE COVER: Tucker "Mortgage Guy" Art Wood (center) with Dial Up on stage at 37 Main in Buford.

Call for free consultation OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022 3

The Sounds of Tucker:

Local Musicians Keep the

Beat

of the

City L. A. DISON

F

rom intimate performances in a local bar to full-out concerts on Main Street, Tucker’s music scene is as diverse as the musicians who create it.

While the city’s many scheduled events draw artists from across Atlanta and the Southeast, Tucker is home to a wide variety of musical talents. “Tucker is full of fantastic, professional musicians,” said Micah Cadwell, a jazz guitarist who has lived in Tucker for the past fourteen years. “It seems like everyone I work with lives here, or at least nearby.”

The revitalization of Main Street and the establishment of city festivals like Tucker Day and Taste of Tucker have all created opportunities for these local musicians.

“I have been playing at the Tucker Day festival for the past three years,” continued Cadwell, “and it is such a treat to get to play for your community and spend time with your friends and neighbors at the same time.”

This year, the city added “First Friday Concert Series” to its TKR Summer of Fun events. (The concerts are held in the Church Street Greenspace, at 6:30 p.m. the first Friday in May, June, August and September.) The city also has discussed adding an entertainment district in downtown that would allow more outdoor dining as well as create an open container district for alcohol consumption, enhancing the attraction for live music. Still, many musicians feel more effort is needed to create a vibrant music scene that would entice fans from across metro Atlanta to Tucker.

“Before we can ask good bands to play here, we have to have quality places known for live music that will invest in their production and paying bands what they are worth,” commented Art Wood, owner of The Art Wood Mortgage Team and lead singer and guitarist for 90s cover band Dial Up. For this article, we are spotlighting four Tucker musicians, but there are many more worth some attention. You can catch a lot of Tucker artists daily at 6:00 p.m. on Radio Tucker, on “Georgia Homegrown;” every Saturday at 5:00 p.m., hear new music on "Local Time," featuring local unsigned bands from Tucker and metro Atlanta. Follow Tucker bars and restaurants on Facebook and watch for scheduled performances by local talent. Tucker Main Street festivals, like Tucker Day, Taste of Tucker and the Tucker Chili Cook-Off, also often spotlight local artists.

4 OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022

Dial Up at the 2021 Taste of Tucker.

Micah Cadwell Guitarist Cadwell started playing in middle school, and by high school, was regularly performing in a band. He has performed professionally around the Southeast since 2001, and lived in Tucker since 2008. While primarily a jazz guitarist, he also plays folk, classic country, Americana, Western swing, and modern Appalachian music. In 2007, he began teaching guitar six days a week in his home studio, and recently produced two roots gospel records for a Belgian singer/songwriter.

“Music has taken me all over the world and has provided me with so many unique experiences and incredible memories,” Cadwell says of his life as a musician.

Cadwell plays every Thursday in Buckhead at Pricci and every Saturday in Roswell at Micah Cadwell with bassist Chris RiggenVin 25. He also has a monthly residency at bach at Roswell’s Vin 25. the Distillery of Modern Art in Chamblee, and hosts a jam session at High Card Brewing in downtown Tucker on the second Saturday of each month. Follow him on Instagram or listen to Micah Cadwell Music on YouTube.

Elizabeth Grimes Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Grimes has played piano since age 7. Her first paying gig was in high school, when she was booked to play dinner music nightly at Lee’s Chicken Restaurant. “This is where I learned the importance of building a large repertoire and connecting with an audience,” she said about her first shows.

She has performed professionally ever since. She spent four years in the Army,

where she was cast in The Soldier Show, a high-level production variety show that tours the country and is put on by soldiers for soldiers. When she left the Army, she moved to New York City to continue her career as a performer and working musician, playing at a variety of events, accompanying vocalists, sitting in with jazz ensembles for gallery openings, or contributing to theatre projects. She also took a job as a rehearsal pianist with The New Jersey Ballet. In 2016, she moved to Tucker, and performs as part of the MARTA Artbound LIVE Program, which places musicians across the metro Atlanta area and in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to Elizabeth Grimes in the perform during commuting hours. Grimes also works Midtown station as part of as the rehearsal pianist for The Atlanta Ballet Company MARTA’s Artbound LIVE and The Northeast Atlanta Ballet, and as the music program. Photo @jayo. director for Lawrenceville Road United Methodist Church in Tucker.

Grimes has a broad repertoire as a pianist and vocalist, ranging from classical to jazz, including all decades of pop music, and her original compositions cross genres of pop, folk, and country. You can listen to Grimes’s album Silk in the Sky and her EP Hard Times (with Steph Hughes as the folk duo Quill) on Spotify and YouTube.

Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok (@elizabethgrimesmusic) to find where to hear her live.

David Young Drummer Young has lived in Tucker since 1981. In addition to his percussion skills, Young has also mastered acoustic guitar, harmonica, harp, and the mandolin. Music and performing is in his genes; his father was a Big Band drummer in the forties before giving it up to become a Lutheran minister.

Born in Hickory, North Carolina, Young fell in love with the drums at an early age; he often listened to his father playing and began copying the cadences on his toy drums. He played in the school band, and then enrolled in Appalachian State University with a plan to major in music. After a year, he felt the call The Amazing Mongooses on the outdoor stage at Tucker Brewing Company. of the road, and dropped out of college to tour nationally with performers as diverse as Chubby Checker and The Swimming Pool Qs. He then went back to school to complete his music degree at Berklee College of Music, followed by a Master’s in Education from Georgia State University and an Ed.S. in school counseling from University of Georgia. While working as a school counselor in Gwinnett County schools, he formed his band The Amazing Mongooses, with his son, bassist Mike Young, and guitarist Chris Iconis, playing covers of British groups, including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, as well as blues and original songs. Retired now from his “day job,” Young can devote all his time to his music. The Amazing Mongooses has released three albums, and play local festivals like Tucker Day and Taste of Tucker, and local venues like Shorty’s, Moonshadows and Tucker Brewing Company. Follow them on Facebook @amazingmongooses, or listen on Spotify, ReverbNation.com or YouTube.

Art Wood Wood is known to many as “Tucker’s Mortgage Guy,” and the monthly financial columnist for Our Town DeKalb. But when he’s not helping clients secure their dream home, he’s guitarist and lead vocal for 90s cover band Dial Up. “My dream

job was singing for a hair metal band,” said Wood. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have the range or the hair to pull that off.” Born and raised in Tucker (and a graduate of Tucker High School), he developed his vocal talent in church choir – which led to being fired from his first band for “singing too well.” He formed his first band in 2001, then about three years ago, formed Dial Up with friends Jason Green (guitar), Matthew Sones (keyboard and guitar), and fellow Tuckerites Jared Sarubbi (drums) and David Snow (bass). All the band members have day jobs but while music is their hobby, they still perform six to ten times a year. They play regularly at Smiths Olde Bar, as well as local festivals and private parties, especially around the Tucker-Lilburn area. You can check out their music and schedule on dialup.band or Facebook @dialupmusic.

OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022 5

Edmondson directing a rehearsal of the Tucker Community Singers.

First Christian Church Expands Music Program OUR TOWN DEKALB STAFF

F

OurTownDeKalb.com 6 OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022

irst Christian Church of Atlanta has expanded its music program with the addition of a minister of music and outreach. Ann Edmondson, who has worked part-time at the church since 2019 as the minister of music, has now moved to full-time to develop a full range of programs that will serve church members and the community.

Edmondson founded Tucker Community Singers in 2017. Her plan is to add two new musical programs per year, beginning with Tucker Community Orchestra, for former musicians and those looking for a place to play, and Tucker Young Festival Singers, for grades 1-8. The Orchestra is still being formed, but the Festival Singers have already started meeting weekly for rehearsals, where they are learning a variety of music including xylophone, handbells, drumming, musical theater, and chorus. She also will continue to direct the musical and creative aspects of the church’s worship services.

Born and raised in South Korea, Edmondson moved with her parents and two sisters to Atlanta in 1986. She earned a B.S. in music and Bible from Point University, and an MRL (Master of Religious Leadership) in worship and music from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She has taught music and chorus for twenty-four years in Georgia, most recently from 2007 to 2022 at Woodward Academy. She is married to Tom Edmondson, senior pastor of First Christian, and they have two sons and two grandchildren.

“I want to provide musical opportunities for both young children and adults to learn, practice, and perform,” said Edmondson about her new position. “I hope to inspire, heal, lead others through music, and to be an ambassador to the Tucker community and beyond.”

First Christian Church of Atlanta is located in Tucker at 4532 Lavista Road.

Tucker Young Festival Singers meets on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.; Tucker Community Singers meets Tuesdays (starting September 13) from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. No audition or fee is required to join either group; walk-ins are welcome. Tucker Community Orchestra is actively recruiting members, with plans to begin weekly meetings in the fall. For more information, go to firstchristianatlanta.org or tuckercommunitychoir.wordpress.com, or email ann.edmondson@ firstchristianatlanta.org.

Wellness In-Sight: It Doesn’t Take Much CINDY E. FARRAR

F

or some time now, I have been contemplating and observing how we interact with each other. What tends to stand out of late is the terseness in communication, the increase of impatience and overwhelming lack of empathy and compassion. When the awareness of this pattern of behavior begins to weigh heavily, unexpected occurrences in surprising places momentarily and pleasantly break the trend and allow for refocusing.

One morning, a couple of weeks ago, was one such occurrence and, in all places, a local fast-food restaurant. That day I had gotten a late start leaving my house to get going to my office in time to be ready for my first massage client. Already pressed for time, I needed to run by a store to restock an office item we were out of, my gas tank was dangerously low, and my stomach was empty.

Wanting to tend first to my body’s need, I pulled into the restaurant and found the drive-thru lines wrapped around the building. So, I put on my mask and dashed inside. Breathing a sigh of relief to find no one else in line, I walked up to the counter. I was greeted with a calm presence and a welcoming smile by a young woman we’ll call “A.” As I placed the order, I fumbled with my phone to find the rewards app. A, clearly picking up on my somewhat harried demeanor, asked, “How is your morning going?” Realizing just how distracted I was being, and not my usual intentionally engaging self, I paused, and responded with a grin, “It’s going ok. Thank you for asking.” A replied, “You’re welcome!” Then, almost inaudibly, she quietly added, “It doesn’t take much.”

As her quiet words landed, I was certain A wasn’t being snarky. Rather, she was acknowledging just how easy it really is to be present and kind to one another. As I left, I couldn’t help but smile, finding the pressure of my time demands lifting. My next stops, the gas station then the store, seemed to go remarkably quickly. I made it to my office with time to spare, allowing time to practice Tai Chi Qi Gong, and be grounded and present for the arrival of my client.

That simple phrase, “It doesn’t take much,” has obviously stayed with me over the past weeks. Just in case I forgot, I was given a reminder last week during a discussion with a new business acquaintance. We were sharing experiences we’ve had in our respective professions working directly with people, and commenting on how, especially now more than ever, we need compassion and kindness. Out of the blue, she casually says, “It doesn’t take much.” I chuckled inside and felt my heart warm at the affirmation.

It can be easy to get distracted by our life needs and obligations. And even easier to feel the heaviness of the world as we witness civility being forgotten and humanity intentionally ignored. However, opportunities abound to make a difference. In the words of Desmond Tutu, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” It doesn’t take much.

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.

OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022 7

Age Friendly Tucker: Pray, Play, Participate LOIS RICCI

W

hen members of Tucker Civic Association (TCA) Lifelong Community Committee began the Age Friendly Project, they used eight domains as a guide to maximizing livability in the city for all ages: housing, transportation, outdoor spaces and building, community support and health services, civic participation and employment, social participation, communication and information, and respect and social inclusion.

Places of worship are all about inclusion and participation. They provide valuable contributions to the community, including socialization for all ages, community services, community volunteering, and other benefits that positively improve communities both directly and indirectly. They are places for people to come together and to feel supported. Whether the places of worship are standing buildings, old community structures, or even old store fronts, the activities that happen inside depend on how well the place is working for the people who use it.

The activities and services offered at places of worship are varied and numerous.

Although skepticism of religion has emerged, most people feel positive about the role places of worship play in the community. A nationwide study shows that 75% of those interviewed believe that the presence of a place of worship is very or somewhat positive. A majority of every key demographic group studied believes that churches have a positive influence in their communities.

Tucker is home to seventy-seven places of worship that cover all denominations, each one offering what their members need. There is sharing and caring, and social inclusion and participation. All the churches offer various and diverse social resources, including men’s clubs, women’s groups, teen activities, volunteerism, and family functions.

There are places of worship which offer child day care and preschools, including First Baptist of Tucker, Tucker First United Methodist, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, St. Bede’s Episcopal, and Rehoboth Baptist. In addition to the many choirs and choruses, First Christian Church of Atlanta hosts Tucker Young Festival Singers and the adult Tucker Community Singers; it also currently is recruiting for Tucker Community Orchestra.

NETWorks Cooperative Ministry is supported by twenty churches to address the food and financial needs of vulnerable residents in the Northlake-Embry HillsTucker community. In the colder season, First United Methodist operates a cold

8 OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022

weather shelter there.

Places of worship have historically served as anchors in the community, providing the backbone for a healthy community. Their presence is definitely felt in Tucker.

DR. LOIS RICCI is a longtime resident of Tucker, where she chairs the Tucker Civic Association Lifelong Community Committee. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at Kennesaw 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), co-facilitator for the Rosalyn Carter CareNet, and on the board of the Atlanta Regional Commission Advisory Committee on Aging. Contact Dr. Ricci at loisricci@bellsouth.net.

Common Sen$e: A House Divided ART WOOD

A

few years ago, I attended a “Divorce This House” training and received my RCS-D designation (divorce real estate specialist).

Having never been through a divorce personally, my eyes were opened wide by all the horror stories of divorce, and how things went horribly wrong.

For most people, when divorce happens, it happens once, maybe twice in their life, so they aren’t divorce experts. They are rookies and don’t know all the right questions to ask.

They lean a lot on their attorney or mediator to guide them, but often those folks don’t ask the correct questions either.

Let’s start with a typical divorce scenario. A husband and wife have owned their house for several years but are now getting divorced. The divorce decree says the wife gets the house but has to refinance within twelve months to remove the husband’s name from the mortgage, and she has to pull out cash to “buy out” the husband’s portion of equity. Sounds cut and dry, right? Well, not this time.

You see, the wife was a stay-at-home mom and had not worked in years while she was raising the kids. The alimony and child support she is now receiving isn’t enough to qualify for a mortgage, and now she must go get a job, but even that isn’t enough to qualify for the home on her own. Through no fault of her own, the wife is now in contempt of the decree because she can’t live up to the terms. The ex-husband is furious because his name is still on the mortgage, and he can’t get his portion of equity out.

All this frustration could have been avoided had their lawyer or mediator had them first speak to a mortgage professional. If they had come to me early in the process, the divorce decree would have looked differently. It would have either forced the couple to sell the house, or at the very least given the wife more time to refinance, but with a finite period to force her to sell the house if he cannot refinance in that period.

So, it’s the same scenario as above but in this one, the wife was indeed able to refinance after a few months, but she starts having a ton of problems with the house.

The roof is leaking, the HVAC has gone out, and suddenly, she is getting water in the basement. At this point, the ex-husband has gotten his money out of the house, but the wife has $40,000 worth of repairs that need to be completed for the house to be livable. All of this could have been avoided and negotiated had the couple paid an inspector $400 to inspect the property and all the deferred maintenance would have been laid out on the table during the mediation process.

A divorce decree is pretty much set in stone and for it to be changed, all parties must bear the expense of going back to court to get the agreement amended. My suggestion for anyone going through a divorce is to consult not only an attorney or mediator, but all the other professionals that can help. My short list is mortgage professional, real estate agent, home inspector, appraiser, financial planner, CPA, and insurance specialist. Spending some quality time with these folks before finalizing your divorce will ensure that your financial part of the divorce decree will be accurate and executable, so you can concentrate on the next chapter of your life.

ART WOOD (NMLS #118234) is the branch manager of The Art Wood Mortgage Team of Goldwater Bank, located at 2341 Main Street in downtown Tucker. “Tucker’s Mortgage Guy” for sixteen 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: Combating Inflation the German Way DOUG REYNICS

I

have been a serious Lidl fan for some time. I like the quirky nature of some of their buys of the week. I love their fresh flower selection; we buy fresh flowers from Lidl weekly.

They have excellent pricing, and, most of the time, their products are super fresh. The Lidl brand of frozen pizzas is restaurant-quality for less than $5. (Our favorite is the cherry tomato arugula.) The bakery at Lidl is in-house with up to fortyfive European-inspired breads, pastries, and desserts. They also have a bread slicer for on-demand slicing of the bread you're buying.

Aldi and Lidl both offer lower prices, unique items not found at typical stores, and the ability to save real money week-to-week. A knock on both that I read on social media pages is that they don’t carry everything you’d shop for in one trip. I thought I would break down the top ten food items for you to see how much you can save just for these items.

Item

Aldi/Lidl

Big Box

Difference

Butter (pound)

$2.40

$4.00

$1.60

Cream cheese (block )

$1.50

$2.80

$1.30

Eggs (dozen)

$2.59

$4.15

$1.56

Flour

$2.15

$3.00

$0.85

Half and half (carton)

$1.99

$2.50

$0.51

Milk (gallon)

$2.00

$4.00

$2.00

Orange juice (carton)

$2.65

$4.50

$1.85

Pasta sauce (28 oz jar)

$1.40

$1.79

$0.39

Sour cream (16 oz tub)

$1.45

$2.15

$0.70

Sugar (5 lb)

$2.40

$3.00

$0.60

The savings on these ten items adds up to about $11.36. Every little bit helps in this tight food economy!

A little back story on Aldi and Lidl. Both chains are based in Germany, and are known for their high-quality, private label items. Both have similar policies on shopping bags, asking customers to bring their own or purchase then at the store, and to bag their own groceries. Both have spread all over Europe and now the world.

These two supermarket chains have many similarities but also a lot of differences.

Lidl stores are larger than Aldi stores, sometimes twice the square footage.

Lidl’s extra space allows them to stock as much as twice the amount of products, compared to Aldi’s. Lidl also considers themselves an international grocery store, and offers many products popular in other countries, like cured meats from Spain and German chocolate. Lidl sells more name brands, too, which Aldi is notoriously averse to.

There are also only about 100 Lidl stores in the U.S., compared to 2,000 Aldi locations nationwide. Tucker is fortunate to have an Aldi in Northlake, and two Lidl locations, each about fifteen minutes away – one in Snellville on U.S. 78 and one in North Druid Hills. Take a trip to each of them to compare pricing but also to experience some international shopping!

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 almost 2,300 airport rides!) If you have a food story or question you would like to see him write about (or if you need a ride!), email him at dougthedriver1@gmail.com or call him at 770.842.4261.

SMOKE RISE BAPTIST CHURCH, TUCKER GA

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10 OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022

Back Talk: Healthy Mom, Happy Mom – Healthy, Happy Baby KARL SCHWARTZ, D.C.

M

any new patients that come in the office ask me, “When is the best time to start chiropractic care?” A great time for women to begin chiropractic care is when they become pregnant.

Embryology (the study of human development) is absolutely fascinating.

Our bodies are composed of trillions of cells, organized into organ systems, which work together to run our bodies.

What controls and coordinates all functions in our bodies? Like the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer that executes instructions through its electronic circuitry, the brain controls and coordinates all the functions in our bodies. So, doesn’t it make sense that, when a mother is planning a pregnancy, she would want to make sure that her body is functioning at its best so her baby is born as healthy as possible? By making sure Mom’s nervous system is working as close to 100% as possible, we remove interference and improve nerve communication between the mother and developing fetus. The end result is a happier, heathier baby - Mom’s #1 goal!

What do you think is the first system that develops in a fetus? It is the nervous system. The primitive streak is the first sign of development of the nervous system, which grows and differentiates into the notochord, which is the origin of the brain and ultimately the spinal cord. This can be visualized in week three of fetal development. Since the most important system develops this early in the process, the earlier Mom starts chiropractic care, the better it is for the baby. If we had to choose the ideal time to start Mom with chiropractic care, it would be three months before conception. It takes approximately ninety days for bones, muscles, and nerves to heal and regenerate. The best-case scenario at conception is to make sure Mom’s nervous system is interference-free and functioning at optimum levels.

Pregnancy, labor, and delivery can be a hugely emotional time for a mother, but from a physical point of view, massive physical changes take place in a mother’s body to prepare her for labor and delivery. Relaxin, a hormone which induces muscular relaxation, is released into the body, making her spine more supple and loose at the expense of stability. Having Mom’s spine in proper alignment allows for maximal stability, allowing her to feel better, ultimately function better, and have a better labor and delivery.

If you are a woman contemplating getting pregnant, or already somewhere along in your pregnancy, do your baby and yourself a favor - get to the chiropractor and have your spine adjusted. It will improve your pregnancy, labor, and delivery and set the foundation for a healthier baby!

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.

OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022 11

IF YOU’VE BEEN INJURED,

LOOK NO FURTHER. We’re small enough to provide personalized care and attention to our clients…

Attorney Anita M. Lamar Owner, Managing Attorney

12 OUR TOWN DEKALB | August 2022

…but large and experienced enough to fight aggressively for our clients to achieve the settlement they need and deserve.

Tucker Rotary Receives $25k ARP Allocation for Community Relief OUR TOWN DEKALB STAFF DeKalb County has approved a $25,000 Super District 7 American Rescue Plan (ARP) appropriation of funding from Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson for the Rotary Club of Tucker. The funds will be used for mortgage and rent assistance and the purchase and distribution of school supplies, (l to r) David Fisher, executive director, NETWorks; for eligible residents of the Tucker- DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-JohnNorthlake-Embry Hills community son; Jim Rodeghiero, special events coordinator, and Kirk still dealing with the financial Fordham, director of community services, Rotary Club of impact from COVID. The Rotary Tucker.

Club will partner with NETWorks Cooperative Ministry to handle applicant registration and distribution of housing funds and school supplies.

“We have a long history working with NETWorks to address the food and financial needs of our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Kirk Fordham, Rotary Club of Tucker director of community services. “We chose to work with NETWorks to help distribute these funds because of their history with Rotary, but also because of their proven expertise as the agency chosen by the City of Tucker to administer federal CARES Act and ARP funding.”

Cochran-Johnson presented the check during the club’s July #ThirdThursday social event, hosted at Smoke Rise Country Club on Thursday, July 21. “I am extremely proud of the work the Rotary Club of Tucker does in the community,” said the DeKalb commissioner. “I count it a privilege to have the ability to help them further their mission of providing rental assistance, diminishing food insecurities and providing educational supplies to those who have a need.”

Habitat for Humanity DeKalb Receives $250k Black Women Impact Grant OUR TOWN DEKALB STAFF Habitat for Humanity DeKalb and Executive Director Sharon Steele were awarded a $250,000 Black Women Impact grant as part of the Goldman Sachs Group One Million Black Women initiative. Habitat DeKalb was one of only fifty organizations selected from over eight hundred applicants, based on their established efforts to deliver innovative and transformative solutions to narrow opportunity gaps faced by Black women. Habitat DeKalb will receive the funds over a two-year period, with $125,000 paid each year.

“We are so thankful for Goldman Sachs Group and their belief in our mission,” said Steele. “We look forward to building on this partnership to improve the lives of Black women everywhere.”

Launched in partnership with Black women-led organizations like DeKalb

Habitat, the One Million Black Women initiative is the largest commitment of its kind in size and scope to drive investment in housing, healthcare, access to capital, education, job creation and workforce advancement, digital connectivity, and financial health to narrow the dual gender and race gap faced by Black women. The fifty Black women-led and Black women-serving nonprofits received grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 over two years.

Steele said the grant will do much to further her organization’s mission. “With this grant, we will have access to unrestricted, multi-year funding to scale as we build and rehabilitate homes in Georgia’s DeKalb County and create equitable, livable, and resilient communities for excluded and marginalized groups.

Habitat for Humanity DeKalb is headquartered in downtown Tucker, sharing a building with another non-profit, NETWorks Cooperative Ministry.

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Zoomer Zone: Decoding Gen Z-Speak EMMA DISON BRANTLEY

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ave you ever been in the middle of a conversation and the other person says something you really don’t understand, or it seems out of context? I've even had to look up certain phrases in an attempt to understand a conversation. Whether it’s an in-person conversation or over text, Gen Z has adopted many phrases and acronyms in their everyday communication. Many of these terms are quite different in meaning from how the older generation uses them.

Cap refers to something unbelievable, or fake. For example, if someone told you they were able to speed run Mario Kart and finish in four hours, you would say “that’s cap,” or “you’re capping,” meaning you don’t believe they did it. Another example is, you tell your friend, “I got 70% off at Zara, no cap,’ meaning the deal was real.

Periodt is a variant of "period,"used mostly in text and chat to signal the end of a discussion or to emphasize a point, similarly to when people exclaim, "Amen!" If your friend just told you they broke up with their cheating boyfriend, you would write "You're too good for him. Periodt!"

IYKYK is an acronym that people will usually post with a picture, with a hashtag, or sometimes over text. It stands for “If you know, you know,” meaning not everyone will understand what I’m talking about, but if you’ve been through it or seen it, you know what I’m talking about. I think of this like an inside joke, but it commonly refers to either something only girls understand, or something only boys understand.

Living rent-free doesn’t refer to someone living rent-free in your house, but rather something like a video, song, or picture that sticks with your memory, and you just can’t get it out. (Think “earworm.”) I know Taylor Swift is living rent-free in my head. “Living rent-free” can also have negative connotations, meaning someone could live rent-free in your head because you’re just so fed up with them, and what they did continuously upsets you. As a Gen Z citizen myself, I haven't heard anyone use this phrase in a sarcastic way, but if you have, think of it as your fan base constantly ‘awe-ing’ over you.

If you aren’t the main character of your life, then who is? I’ve always heard the term “main character energy” on the internet and thought it meant an extrovert, or spontaneous person. With Gen Z, it means setting goals and bettering yourself; you shouldn’t evolve for other people, you should evolve for yourself.

In L & W, rather than “L” meaning losers, Gen Z has changed the letter to mean

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“taking an L,” or losing. Losing a soccer game would mean that the team “took the L.” On the other hand, if you won your soccer game, that means your team “took the W,” or the win. These letters can be used in any context where there is a good or bad outcome. These letters are usually used in a light manner, like when someone spills coffee on their homework, that’s an L, or if you find you have a free dozen donuts from Krispy Kreme, that's a W. These are only a few phrases I’ve heard around the internet and if you haven’t heard any of them, try using them in the next conversation you have. Boomers should ask their kids or grandkids if they use them. too. Either way, I try to keep my parents up to date with the newest Gen Z lingo and I hope you can, too.

EMMA DISON BRANTLEY is a third-year student at the University of Cincinnati, where she is pursuing a degree in information technology on the game development and simulation track. When she is not gaming online, she spends time with her parents trying to help them not be so boomer.

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NETWorks Plans ‘Big Leap’ into a New, Larger Facility OUR TOWN DEKALB STAFF

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ETWorks Cooperative Ministry has launched “The Big Leap” capital campaign to expand its facilities and better serve the community. The non-profit organization’s current 2,000 square-foot facility in downtown Tucker has reached its limit in both size and suitability; its new site will provide 6,500 square-feet of office and warehouse space and increase its service capacity by up to 40%.

NETWorks is a consortium of twenty churches, and provides food, housing, and utility assistance to qualified residents of its service area. The organization also provides counseling to its clients to help them find long-term solutions to poverty. Since 2014, the organization has assisted over 31,000 individuals with 868,160 pounds of food and $2.2 million of financial assistance Artist’s rendering of the new NETWorks pantry area. (including $1.7 million in CARES and ARPA funds).

In 2020, community need spiked and so did the work of NETWorks. It distributed 64% more food (almost 200,000 meals), doubled the number of times it helped a neighbor (over 23,000 instances), and provided 438% more financial assistance (more than $160,000) to qualified clients facing eviction. The City of Tucker selected NETWorks as the agency to administer federal CARES Act and ARPA funding.

“The need in our community continues to grow and our ability to meet that need is being limited by the space we are currently in,” said David Fisher, NETWorks executive director. “A larger space will help broaden and deepen the impact NETWorks has in the lives of our neighbors. We will better meet short-term hardship and improve our ability to help people escape poverty for good.”

NETWorks is looking to raise $750,000 to cover construction costs needed to remodel the new space, as well as cover new shelving, equipment, technology upgrades, and furnishings. Additionally, the Big Leap includes more staff and expenses for expanded and new programs allowed by the larger space. The funds will resolve NETWorks’ current space limitations and position it to meet demand for the next ten years.

The new building will allow room to expand food choices and quantities. Larger walk-in refrigeration units will accommodate more fresh and frozen product storage and delivery. Additionally, the increased space can accommodate staff growth, provide offices to ensure client privacy, and allow for new training and enrichment programs. Those programs include a grocery-store style pantry that allows visitors to shop for themselves.

“The new pantry design provides choice and control in a situation that usually doesn’t offer those features, honoring the innate dignity of our clients,” added Fisher.

NETWorks hopes to move into its new offices before the end of 2022.

For more information on The Big Leap Expansion Campaign, visit networkscoop.org/thebigleap

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participate!

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