Our Town Smyrna/Vinings June 2015

F a m i l y l i F e s t y l e N e w s m a g a z i N e

June 2015

Happy Father’s Day

Patients now have somewhere to turn

The future of cancer treatment is here. And it’s only available at WellStar. WellStar is the only health system in metro Atlanta to offer TomoTherapy® and CyberKnife® for the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.

TomoTherapyUnlike conventional systems, which allow radiation to be delivered from only a few directions, TomoTherapy rotates in 360 degrees, meaning that treatments can be delivered continuously to the tumor from every angle. More beam directions give physicians more control in how they plan treatments – and more assurance that the dose will be confined to the tumor.

CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery SystemThe CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System involves no cutting, and for many, can offer a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of tumors. The system is composed of a radiation delivery device, which is mounted on a flexible robotic arm which enables CyberKnife to deliver radiation to tumors anywhere in the body. Its exceptional tracking ability eliminates the need for patients to have stabilizing head frames or limited breathing during treatment.

Tumors have nowhere to hide

For more information, call 770-793-7550 or visit wellstar.org/cancercare.

Free consultations and package specials available by calling: 770-952-1977Gardner Dermatology & Med Spa

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Graphics and DesignTerry Tanner, Tanner Graphics, Inc.

[email protected]

Account ExecutiveSara Young, [email protected]

Feature Photographerl

Contributing Writers

Publishers/Editors Linda Demery & Lori McLinden

Our Town is published and direct mailed monthly to prestigious homes in the

Smyrna/Vinings Area. 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 respon-

sible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space or for the validity of claims

made by advertisers.

Entire contents copyright 2015 by Our Town. Reproduction in whole or in part

is forbidden in any media without prior written permission from the publisher.

Our Town Monthly109 Anderson Street

Suite 109Marietta, GA 30060

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onthlyMFAMILY LIFESTYLE NEWS MAGAZINE

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PAGE 4 For Advertising Information Call 678-337-7844 • www.ourtownmonthly.com Our Town

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6 Calendar of Events

7 Cut From a Different Cookie

8 About the Cover

9 Style Report – Summer Skin Care

10 Our Town Travel – Myanmar

12 June Crossword Puzzle

14 Tech Dad

16 New Infusion Center at WellStar

18 New Age Technology

19 The Kennesaw Writing Project

20 Our Town – School Corner

21 Mommy Moments

22 Celebrating the Powerful Father-Daughter Bond

23 Real Estate in Our Town

25 Our Town’s Pet of the Month

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june calendar of eventsMOVIES AT THE MABLE PRESENTS: EPIC June 12th, 7:30pm, at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre, 5239 Floyd Rd., Mableton, GA 30126. Admission is FREE; Gates open at 7:30pm, movie starts at dusk. Rain or Shine. Bring your own food or purchase from conces-sion stand. June 26th, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR.

MOVIE BY MOONLIGHT AT TAYLOR-BRAWNER PARK: Recurring monthly on the third Saturday through August 15th. Location: Taylor-Brawner Park, 3180 Atlanta Road, Smyrna, Georgia 30080. Enjoy an evening in the park, sitting under the stars, watching a full - length feature film on a 16’ inflatable movie screen at Taylor-Brawner Park. Movie starts near sunset around 8:00 p.m. For additional information, call (678) 631-5541. Movie Dates: Sat., June 20 - “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”, Sat., July 18 - “An-nie”, Sat., Aug. 15 - “Cinderella”.

SMYRNA FRESH PRODUCE MARKET: Saturdays from 8am to noon in the Smyrna First Baptist Church parking lot, 1275 Church Street. Here’s a great market in your backyard! Visit the local farmers market on Saturdays and stock up on all your fresh fruits and veggies at the Fresh Produce Market.

SMYRNA FOOD TRUCK TUESDAYS: Join your neighbors for Smyrna Food Truck Tuesdays each Tuesday through September 29 at Taylor-Brawner Park from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. (3180 Atlanta Road) The City of Smyrna, Georgia Power and Cobb Travel & Tour-ism (Atlanta’s Sweet Spot) have “powered” up to bring you Food Truck Tuesday along with lots of entertainment and fun. Look forward to weekly announcements. Stay tuned to www.Facebook.com/CityofSmyrnaGa for the latest and the weekly lineups, too. This event is the best Food Truck event series around! Enjoy the offerings from a weekly gathering of quality mobile gourmet trucks and a bit of sweet mixed in and music, too. Please follow parking directions and remember to park legally. At/after 5:00 p.m. you may find additional parking at Community Bank of the South on Atlanta Road near the intersection of Atlanta Road and Concord/Spring.

TALENT SHOW AND FISH FRY: “A Fun Affair” on Friday, June 12, 2015 7:00 PM at the South Cobb Community Center, 875 Six Flags Drive, Austell, GA 30168. Tickets to the show are $5.00. The Sisters in Unity are also sponsoring a Fish Fry from 4:00PM until 8:00PM as well as home baked goods for sale. Call 678-245-0276 or 404-441-8302 for more information.

4th ANNUAL ART, BARKS AND PURRS: Cobb County Animal Control Shelter front lawn, 1060 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta, GA 30060. Saturday, June 20th, from 10am to 4pm. Featuring animal related crafts made by local arts and crafts vendors. Free admission. Bring a cat or dog food donation to help the community. Unopened and unexpired foods please. For more information, please visit www.cobbanimalcontrol.org or call 770.499.4136.

SMYRNA BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: August 1st from 6pm – 10pm at the Village Green, 200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna, GA.. The annual happening is tons of fun with fireworks at the end! Celebrate the birth of Smyrna with family and friends. High-energy music, festival foods, birthday festivities, a GIANT birthday cake by McEntyre’s Bakery and a kids entertainment area add to the excitement...be there! Wesley Cook opens up the evening of fun and Banks & Shane brings it home. Don’t miss this huge, huge event!

EMAIL US WITH YOUR EVENTS! [email protected]. Deadline is the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue.


CONGRATULATES

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An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.

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CUT FROM A DIFFERENT COOKIE by Holly and Diana Parks

Welcome to the only time of year it’s permissible for your kids to draw all over themselves with a Sharpie. Neighborhood swim meets have begun, and we all graciously look past the misspelled team names above those tanned little shoulder blades to the intricate grid of events and heats laid out across their forearms. How come their math homework never looked that organized?

The overzealous mom has returned for the fourth summer in a row, the one who screams, “Pull, Pull,” keeping

pace down the length of the pool during her eight-year-old’s halting butterfly

stroke – already two seconds faster than last year un-doubtedly due to his shaved legs. And then there’s the neighbor who shells out money to her swimmer for jumbo PixieStix and

hot pretzels that he inhales ten minutes before his 100-yard

backstroke. If the personalities of parents can differ so wildly, why do we expect our kids to

be as uniform as their swimsuits?

Whether it’s in the pool or at school, every child has his own MO.

The binders of papers and tests waiting for the traditional summer bonfire could easily be separated by each sibling’s organizational system – or lack thereof.

Little Billy emptied his pockets of wadded-up scraps, each one an attempt to record a

night’s homework assignment. His brother Tim, on the other hand, pulled apart the three metal rings of his notebook and gently lifted out his alphabetized and color-coded notes and planner sheets, ensuring that he could re-use the still pristine binder next year. * Note to self – buy Billy short-sleeve shirts for the fall; at least he finally started writing down his homework, even if it was up and down his arm. And don’t forget to hit Office Depot for the accordion folder for Tim.

The differences only grew from there. Billy’s stream-of-conscious style spit out essays in record time, and he was the rare child for whom cramming actually worked. He stored information in his short-term memory bank, where it stayed only until the test was graded. In stark contrast, Tim, the “thinker,” had his own painstaking mental process, staring for hours at the ceiling, but once he set his pen to paper, the information was permanently ingrained both in his mind and on the page. Imposing either style on the other would create unspeakable stress.

….which leads to grades. Some students’ definition of success includes straight A’s and blue ribbons at every swim meet. Other children put forth just as much if not more effort and are thrilled with a C+ and merely reaching the other end of the pool alive. Both are victories, and both are worth celebrating.

Take the summer to assess and possibly adjust your expectations of your children. If your child is a Billy, a don’t-worry-be-happy kind of guy, you may need to frequently remind him to take school and other demands a little more seriously. If, though, your child is a Tim, he needs no more stress than what he puts on himself. It may actually be your job to help him goof off a little. Love them the same, but see them differently. Don’t cookie-cutter your kids.

Diana and Holly Parks are a mother-daughter duo who have co-authored the book I Didn’t See Me Do It.

Visit their website at www.ididntseemedoit.com or go to Amazon to order.


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about the cover

Meet the Coggins family. Trey and Jennifer moved to Smyrna in 2004 following college to begin their ca-reers. After having taught at East Cobb Middle School for the past five years, Trey is excited to be making the move to Kennesaw Mountain High School in the fall to teach economics and government to seniors. Jenni-fer is a partner with the Philadelphia-based law firm of Cozen O’Connor, where she concentrates her practice in civil litigation, including matters pertaining to con-struction defect, premises liability, mass and complex torts, transportation injuries, products liability, and in-surance coverage.

Harrison is four years old and is excited to start Pre-K in the Fall at Oxford Academy. He loves all things boy, including soccer, running, playing outside, and anything involving cars, trucks, planes, and boats. Harrison is a proud and loving big brother to Marshall, who just turned one in May. Marshall is a personable little guy who is starting to get into everything and loves Mickey Mouse. Marshall also attends Oxford Academy.

Trey and Jennifer love calling Smyrna home and rais-ing their children here. They attend church at Smyrna First United Methodist Church, where Jennifer serves as the Coordinator for the MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers) Night group. The family can often be seen around town frequenting Smyrna’s local restaurants, Smyrna Food Truck Tuesdays, and playing in the many public parks the town has to offer. As avid sports fans, the Coggins have season tickets to Mercer University’s football games, Trey’s and Jennifer’s alma mater. Trey and Harrison also love baseball and are excited for the Braves to be moving to Smyrna’s backyard!

Roni Ryan is a natural light photographer specializing in family, children, & babies. She has always been a little picture crazy (some-times to her friends’ dismay!) The birth of her daughters brought this to an entirely new level. Capturing those fleeting moments and milestones became an obsession, eventually leading to her passion for photography. She realized that she not only loved the photos of her own children, but all photos that evoke a true emotion.

After taking several classes, and practicing on lots of friends, she decided to take her hobby to the next level. She officially started Roni Ryan Photography four years ago. Her style is very casual and relaxed. She likes to cap-ture the REAL moments, not just the posed ones. The photos that show family giggles, the love between a parent and child, a serious mood, or even the pouty one, will be the ones that make a family smile in the years to come.

Roni and her husband, Ed, have lived in Smyrna for 16 years. They are the parents of two girls, Brooke, 12 and Emily, 10. While her passion for photography began with documenting her own family memo-ries, Roni feels blessed to be able to document these precious memories for other families. Book your photo session with Roni Ryan and mention Our Town Monthly magazine, to receive a free 8x10 with your next session. www.roniryanphotography.com


STYLE REPORT - Summer Skin Care by Tara HillSummer is officially here, kids are out of school, days are longer and we can finally relax a bit. Why does everything seem a bit easier in the summer? This season is great for vacations, swimming, grilling and be-cause the days are longer we can loosen up a bit on our children’s bed times...the only problem is, how do we enjoy the weather and protect our skin from the harmful effects of the sun? Since we’re talking about it, this is Atlanta, let’s not forget how brutal this humidity is when it comes to keeping your face in place!It always reminds me of when I had to work a Presidential debate, outside, on the Arizona State campus. Now picture this- I am actually doing make-up...outside. It was blazing hot! I was working on the entire U.S. political community, dressed to the nines in suits, ties, hose...and let me just say again, it was so hot you felt as if you may burst into flames at any given minute. It was my job to keep everyone looking calm, COOL and collected. Good luck, right? I didn’t quite realize what I was up against until I started powdering some of the men who were sweating profusely. Do you know what happens when you apply powder to sweat? You create dough...it’s basically flour and water and I was doing this on their faces-AHHH! I was silently dying inside. My only saving grace was that since we were outside, there were no mirrors in front of them...I had to get it together, like-- super-fast. Can you imagine if the “who’s who” of the political world stepped out on T.V. with dough balls sliding down their faces? Yes, I was freaking out and it’s true, at that moment I had no idea what to do. I had never done make-up in that kind of extreme and direct heat. I had to follow one of my #1 rules in life, “fake it, til you make it” and that is just what I did! I stuck a “perma-grin” on my face, dug into my big bag of tricks and got to work. That was, by far, one of the more challenging weeks of my career but I ended up working it out, as I am sure you guessed by the fact that I am still a working make-up artist...I learned so much that week and can now share it with you.Whenever the weather changes we should ALWAYS reevaluate our skin as well as our products.SPF (Sun Protection Factor) - Use at least 30 protection, and don’t forget your lips, scalp and neck. Foundation Primer - Evens out skin texture, mattifies, and creates a base to help your foundation stay longer.Tinted Moisturizer - Chances are your skin has more color in the summer so a lighter coverage foun-dation is best anyway. Tinted moisturizer just evens out skin tones and keeps the skin from looking dry. Tan in a Can - We all know too much sun exposure is not great for any of us, so many product lines make amazing “fake tan” products. It’s all about finding the consistency you prefer to use (spray, lotion,

foam). Also, don’t forget to exfoliate before application.Bronzer - If “fake tan” is not your thing, warm up your make-up in the summer by applying a powder bronzer around the outer perimeter of your face and on the high points...just think, where would the sun hit my face naturally.Waterproof - It is an especially good idea to get mascara and eyeliner in waterproof formulas for summer but many lines have other waterproof product options as well.Creams - Eye shadow and blush come in cream formulas and really work best in the heat. Creams get less “cakey” and tend not to leave the weird separation lines.Blot papers - Instead of powdering away shine and risking “dough balls”, blot papers just lift away the oil and leaves the make-up in place.Lip Pencils - Instead of risking smeared lip color, use a lip liner all over as your color and moisten it with a balm containing SPF.Facial “Freshening” sprays - Relieves dry, irritated skin. Freshens skin and make-up.And when all else fails, remember, “If you can’t tone it, tan it”.Seriously though, I must share one last thing... don’t hold back on summer fun because you don’t feel con-fident in your “summer body”. I just read an amazing article from a lifestyle “plus size blogger” named Jes-sica Kane. She was told “ she was brave to wear a swimsuit on her beach vacation”. Basically, her response was that out of all the REAL things in life that actually take bravery (illness, addiction, violence) wearing a swimsuit in the appropriate place is not even close to bravery...it’s appro-priate and she wasn’t sorry or embarrassed or ashamed! Her quote was, “LIVE life and only worry about what really matters”. AMEN, right!!! Why do we care so much what others think?? Be you, live life and enjoy all that summer has to offer. Every day, no matter what, get up, dress up, show up and never give up!

Please feel free to email me with questions and ideas you may want to see in a column.

[email protected]

www.celebritybeautycoach.com


Years ago when the British pulled out of what they called Burma, the Burmese people changed the name of their country back to its original name, Myanmar. British colonists did not understand the local lan-guage, so they changed the name to something that they could pro-nounce. Growing up, we all referred to this little country east of India as “Burma”.

In 1989 with many government upheav-als, regional turmoil, this little country became Myanmar again. Now, little by little, this sleeping

gem of a nation is opening up to freedom and tourism. It is still “way out there” on the tourism

scale, however it’s colorful history is being unveiled daily.

Invited to visit (even though they haven’t decided if they like journalists yet)…I was granted a visa to visit during the hottest time of the year. What I found when I arrived were temples and more temples- everywhere.

From my arrival in Yangon (Rangoon to us “oldies”) to Mandalay to Bagan, temples were everywhere. The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is the largest gold leaf “stupa” complex in the world and the Mecca of Asian Buddhism. In Mandalay, the once Golden Palace is a now a temple carved completely of teak. Here too is the Kuthodaw Pagoda, where Buddhist scriptures are carved on 729 marble tablets, called the “biggest book” in the world.

Well known Bagan, offers 55 square miles and over 2000 stupas and temples dating from the early 1100’s to visit and explore. Far away Mrauk-Oo is home to another complex of temples and stupas rarely visited by foreigners. The Yadanarpone Pagoda has more than 80,000 Buddhas decorating its walls.

Tour companies have now arrived as well. Several deluxe river cruises go the distance of the country in air-conditioned luxury. Belmond, the deluxe tour operator, now has two 100-passenger riverboats plying the waters of the Irrawaddy River, and there are several other companies that have recently dropped anchor here as well. All make stops along the way to see lovely villages and of course….temples.

Under a repressive government, few foreign firms wanted to invest. Now all the familiar hotel companies are here with modern accommodations, spas, pools and architecture. My favorite was the Novotel Min Yan on Inle Lake. This French company has taken luxury to new levels with huge rooms and villas com-plete with sitting rooms and decks directly on the lake. They also offer daily visits to the nearby fishing villages (built on stilts in the middle of the lake), which is a “must see” in Myanmar.

Lastly, there are the lovely people of Myanmar. The rest of the world has converted to western dress, however in Myanmar, the Lungi, or long cloth skirt, is still worn by men and women alike. The women still imprint white clay tattoos of lotus leaves on their cheeks in ancient tradition to protect them from the sun.

Myanmar is a destination is on the rise, so visit it now, before the rest of the world finds out about this magical destination.

Pam Walker is a Virtuoso travel advisor and can be reached @ [email protected] or www.walkeradventures.com.

THE MAGIC OF MYANMAR (BURMA)by Pam Walker


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june crossword

1 Compass point

4 Bird that brings babies

9 Made higher

14 Less than two

15 Religious text

16 Sister’s daughter

17 Pro

18 Adult insect

19 Blue ___, water bird

20 Cain’s brother

22 Inability to recognize writing

24 Trinitrotoluene

25 Furthest back

27 Choose

29 Turn on the computer, again

32 Flat

35 Brim

36 Three masted

Mediterranean boat

38 Leaven

40 Demonic

42 Blot (2 wds.)

44 Heedless

45 Justifiable

47 Lowest point

49 Key

50 “Jurassic Park”

dinosaurs’ need

52 Untidy

54 Pot’s pal

55 Punching tool

56 Salaam

59 Overshadows

63 Christmas

67 Take away

69 Nuts’ partners

71 Fish

72 Rationalism

73 Music ‘color’

74 Male

75 Foot bottoms

76 Warn

77 One of these

1 Divan

2 Stuck up person

3 “as you __”

4 Winter sport

5 Salad toppings

6 Spoken

7 Fury

8 “money” fort

9 Sad

10 Pastry

11 Fresh

12 Economics abrv.

13 Nick

21 Scientist’s office

23 Promissory note

26 __ hole (hiding place)

28 Grade

29 Contend

30 Author Dickinson

31 Cut of beef

32 Type of missiles

33 National Association for the Advancement of

Colored People

34 Writing

35 Pastor (abbr.)

37 Environmental protection

agency (abbr)

39 Scriptural your

41 What children talk with

43 ½ column

46 Crowns

48 Scull

51 North northwest

53 Wooden sheet

56 Stacked mattresses

57 Brand of sandwich cookie

58 Security

60 Syrian bishop

61 Bun

62 Smoke duct

64 Ca. University

65 What a bank gives

66 Swirl

68 South southeast

70 Fast plane

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32 33 34

35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 43 44

45 46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53

54 55

56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

67 68 69 70 71

72 73 74

75 76 77

www.CrosswordWeaver.com

ACROSS

1 Compass point 4 Bird that brings babies 9 Made higher

14 Less than two 15 Religious text 16 Sister's daughter 17 Pro 18 Adult insect 19 Blue ___, water bird 20 Cainʼs brother 22 Inability to recognize

writing 24 Trinitrotoluene 25 Furthest back 27 Choose 29 Turn on the computer,

again 32 Flat 35 Brim 36 Three masted

Mediterranean boat 38 Leaven 40 Demonic 42 Blot (2 wds.)

44 Heedless 45 Justifiable 47 Lowest point 49 Key 50 "Jurassic Park"

dinosaurs' need 52 Untidy 54 Pot's pal 55 Punching tool 56 Salaam 59 Overshadows 63 Christmas 67 Take away 69 Nuts' partners 71 Fish 72 Rationalism 73 Music 'color' 74 Male 75 Foot bottoms 76 Warn 77 One of these

DOWN

1 Divan 2 Stuck up person

3 "as you __" 4 Winter sport 5 Salad toppings 6 Spoken 7 Fury 8 "money" fort 9 Sad

10 Pastry 11 Fresh 12 Economics abrv. 13 Nick 21 Scientist's office 23 Promissory note 26 __ hole (hiding place) 28 Grade 29 Contend 30 Author Dickinson 31 Cut of beef 32 Type of missiles 33 National Association for

the Advancement of Colored People

34 Writing 35 Pastor (abbr.) 37 Environmental protection

agency (abbr) 39 Scriptural your 41 What children talk with 43 ½ column 46 Crowns 48 Scull 51 North northwest 53 Wooden sheet 56 Stacked mattresses 57 Brand of sandwich

cookie 58 Security 60 Syrian bishop 61 Bun 62 Smoke duct 64 Ca. University 65 What a bank gives 66 Swirl 68 South southeast 70 Fast plane

across down


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I can recall a decade or more ago being told that paper would be a thing of the past in the digital age. While it’s a lofty goal, I don’t think we’re really anywhere close to the promise of the paperless world. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Whether you’re looking at reducing the clutter in your home or at the office, there are a number of technologies these days that can make a substantial dent in your stacks. For this month, I’m going to give you one fast and easy set of steps for getting moving on reducing your paper clutter all while staying organized and able to find what you need quickly.

Step 1 - Create a digital storage location. This can be a cloud-based ser-vice such as Dropbox or a 1TB (terabyte) to 3TB external hard drive that plugs into a computer/laptop USB port. You’ll be using this storage space to hold all the digital files you’ll be creating using a scanner or phone/tablet scan app that I’ll discuss shortly. (This location is also great for storing photos, videos, and other personal items.)

Step 2 - Label one large box SHRED and another large box SCAN. The other “large box” is the trash can, but you don’t have to label that one. You’ll use these boxes to collect your paperwork, making sure to put financial, legal, and other important documents in the SCAN box first. When these items are scanned, you can then move them to the SHRED box.

Step 3 -- Obtain a personal scanner or download a scanner app for your mobile phone or tablet. Personal scanners these days are fast, accurate, and small. Both the ScanSnap iX100 ($200) and the Doxie Go Wi-Fi ($225) are excellent single-page

scanners that I’ve used and can vouch for their quality and reli-ability. An excellent mid-range scanner that can do double-sid-ed scans and has a feeder for up to 50 pages is the ScanSnap iX500 ($400); this is the one I use now and it has kept my office 95% paperless for a few years. The important part is to have a scanner that can scan and save documents as PDFs -- this is due to the ability to use a computer, phone or tablet’s search feature to find what you need quickly based on keywords.

If you’re not wanting to invest in a scanner, consider an app that can convert a photo to a PDF. There are a bunch of free ones, but I recommend (and use when not at home) Genius Scan+ ($6.99 for iOS and Android).

Step 4 - Tackle your paper in stages. The goal is to empty the SCAN box, but you don’t have to do it all at once. I pick one day each week to do my scanning, and I don’t always get it all done in one sitting. But if you can set aside a few hours, you can get it done on a weekend or over a few weeks and then it’s just weekly “maintenance” scanning. The same goes for the SHRED box -- pick one day each week (or twice a month) and shred any documents that contain your address, phone number, and other personal info.

Most scanners (including phone apps) have the ability to configure where scanned images are stored. Set it to a cloud-storage folder or an external hard drive and just get to it. For scanners (including phone apps), you also want to make certain to configure scans to be saved as PDFs. If the option exists to use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to make PDFs keyword searchable, use it. Then, when you need to find the May 2015 water bill, you just search your storage location using a few keywords (May 2015 water) and that PDF should jump out in the results. (Of course, it does help to create a folder structure for storing documents -- Consider two top-level folders called Home and Office and then inside each creating folders such as Utilities, School, and other categories that are relevant to your needs.)

I have a 3TB hard drive that I use to store all my scanned documents as well as my family photos and videos and my music collection. It’s great, but there’s one problem. If something catastrophic were to happen to this hard drive, I’d lose it all. Thankfully, I’ve got the perfect solution for ensuring I never lose any important files EVER, and I’ll share that information with you next month.

James Floyd Kelly is a technology writer from Smyrna, Georgia who also teaches a variety of technology summer camps for kids. He and his wife have two young boys who attend

Whitefield Academy. James’ latest book is Ultimate iPad, published by Pearson. More information on his books and camps can be found at jamesfloydkelly.com

Tech Dad by James Floyd Kelly


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New Infusion Center at WellStarProvides Nurturing Environment for Cancer Care

WellStar Health System opened a new state-of-the-art Outpatient Infusion Center at Kenne-stone Hospital this May, providing patients undergoing chemotherapy with a higher level of comfort, amenities and emotional support during their cancer treatments.

Located on the WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center campus, the infusion center capacity expanded by 25 percent. Twenty motorized, reclining chairs better accommodate patients and help minimize wait times. In the future, the space can expand to accommodate up to 25 patients at a time.

The 6,600 square-foot area is divided into semi-private nursing bays, each with a nurse ded-icated to four patients. Each patient area includes a media cabinet, adjustable lighting and a closet for personal belongings. Also, with the new expanded space, there is room for visitors to accompany patients during their treatment, providing patients with comfort and support.

“The new Outpatient Infusion Center at Kennestone Hospital was designed with the patient in mind,” said Joel Helmke, vice president of oncology services. “We made sure that our pa-tients not only have access to the most advanced treatments and technology,

but there is enough room for family and visitors. Having someone there to hold your hand can provide healing and assures patients they are not alone in their fight against cancer.”

Patients have benefitted from changes, large and small in the new space.

“They have put so much thought into the new center,” said Sherry Reid, a patient undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer who only has two infusion treatments remaining. “I won’t be here much longer, but the improvements have made it so much nicer. There’s a light over the chair with a dimmer and a flat screen TV. The volume comes out of a speaker in the hand-held remote instead of the TV, which makes for a more peaceful environment.

“I would have really benefitted from some of the updates when I first started infusion treat-ments,” she continued. “There are automatic doors, so you don’t have to pull the door open. You don’t have to manually adjust the chairs now because they’re motorized. They really thought of everything when they planned this space for people with cancer.”

The new infusion center is conveniently located in building 340, just steps from the Cancer Center parking deck.

Patient, Sherry Reid at the new

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The other evening I was sitting at the kitchen table when I heard Blessed Assurance coming from a phone followed by my oldest daughter saying, “That was Mom’s cell and I didn’t recognize the caller ID so I forwarded it straight to her voicemail.” My daughter is 8 and it occurred to me that if my 8-year-old self was to have heard this exchange that he would have understood about ten percent of that sentence because that boy’s idea of a phone call was a jangly ring coming from an 10-pound phone that was permanently affixed to the wall whose voicemail was the body holding the receiver.

At that moment I was struck full-force by the incredible leaps in technology that have oc-curred in the last few years, and how I must look like a dinosaur to my children when I talk about my days in the log cabin where indoor plumbing was just something that we had heard of, but never believed it to be true.

I exaggerate, but it certainly appears that way, because I know how I react when I have to call my father at the house because he REFUSES to carry a mobile phone.

“Really Methuselah, you can’t break down and just get one of those new-fangled speaking units so I don’t have to listen to you and Mom arguing over whether or not you have hit the END RECORDING button on your answering machine again?”

“I’m retired, going to pick up the phone is the only exercise I get.”

It has gotten so bad that just a few short years ago I would have never considered letting our children get on the Internet from the archaic machine that was restricted to being in only one place in our house, and now I can barely keep up with all the tablets, smart phones and frog units that can surf the web at ease through the Wi-Fi we have surging through our home.

However, unlike my father, I do not ignore technolo-gy just to burn calories, but it is certainly exhausting trying to keep up with children who can change the settings on your phone and render it so useless that your companies I T guy has to scratch his head and say, “I would love to know how he did this, nobody in our group can figure it out?” True story.

But I think the biggest fear I have is that in making the transfer of both voice and data so unbelievably easy that we are somehow losing the ability to commu-nicate? I was thinking about this while I was texting with my nephew in college, answering emails and listening to my wife talk about her day.

In the middle of it all my 1 1/2-year-old walked up and pointed to me and said, “pad.” I put everything down and exclaimed to my wife that he was finally talking at which she responded, “He wants you to get him the iPad that’s on the shelf behind you.”

New Age Technology by Mark Orler

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Around the campus gazebo at Kennesaw State University, a group of middle school students sit, perched on the hill with composition books and pens, capturing snapshots of campus life in the summer. Nearby, a group of upper elementary stu-dents visit a sculpture garden, go on a nature walk, and compose poetry. Later, these writers join a group of high school stu-dents for a lesson in improvisation, chat with a visiting author at lunch, and share their morning compositions on their camp wiki site. Throughout their week on campus, these students explore the craft of writing through engaging and creative activities at the Youth Writing Academy.

Every summer the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project (KMWP), a National Writing Project (NWP) site since 1994 located on the campus of Kennesaw State University (KSU), hosts the Youth Writing Academy (YWA). The YWA is a series of week-long camps where students from all school levels can practice the craft of writing in a supportive environment. Camp leaders are certified teachers and NWP fellows, well versed in the teaching of writing and its many genres.

The NWP is a network of sites at colleges and universities where teachers from all grade levels and subjects participate in professional development aimed at improving writing in our nation’s schools--envisioning “a future where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learner, and active participant in a digital, interconnected world.” As an NWP site, the KMWP provides professional development for educators through in-

stitutes and workshops as well as opportunities for students through writing contests and the summer YWA.

At the YWA, writing is social, active, experimental, and fun. YWA camp leaders write with their students and coach them through the process of invention and revision. Classrooms be-come writing studios where writers draft and workshop their compositions, building confidence and competence in the pow-er of their pens to craft story, convey ideas, and capture images through words. At the conclusion of their week, our campers come together as a community of writers to share and celebrate: a high school junior reads a personal essay developed from a memoir piece she began at the start of the week, a 7th grader shares the opening scene from a short story he’s been drafting, and an 11-year-old captivates his audience with metaphor and the magic of poetry.

This summer the YWA offers half-day writing camps for upper elementary, middle school, and high school on KSU’s campus for one week: July 13 – 17, 2015. The

YWA meets from 9:00am – 1:00pm, with early drop off at 8:30am and late pick up at 1:30pm. Register online through the KSU Mall at www.kmwp.org [Youth Writing Academy]. Email [email protected] with questions

and visit our site for more information.

The Kennesaw Writing Project


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Our Town’s School CornerCampbell Middle School

CAMPBELL MIDDLE SCHOOL PTSA CELEBRATES SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

Countless hours of research and hard work paid off for some local students at Campbell Mid-dle School. It can be difficult for Special Needs students to participate in school events such as dances, movie nights and other social events. For the first time, in March of this year, the Campbell Middle School PTSA hosted a special celebration just for the 28 special needs stu-dents. The PTSA handed out certificates to acknowledge the hard work and triumphs of each student. Certificates were awarded for the most cooperative, hardest worker and spelling champ to name a few. The students were so excited to receive their awards and have a special event just for them. The celebration ended with pizza, popcorn and a movie. The PTSA will continue to provide at least 1 event for Special Needs students during the year as well as additional support.

CAMPBELL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ADVANCE TO NATIONALS IN

NATIONAL HISTORY DAY COMPETITIONAt the state competition held in Macon in April, Darin Momayezi and Damon Lin came in first place with their presentation, “Iranian Democracy: Mohammad Mossadeq”. Jissela Flores, Giovanni Alfred, Jamal Faqeeri and Rohan Kalvakaavla came in third place with their project: “Osama bin Laden: The Fear Itself ”. Both teams will advance to the national competition in June in Baltimore, Maryland. This is the first time that Campbell Middle School has competed in the National History Day competition. The students, who are under the direction of Ms. Amanda Childress, 7th grade Humanities teacher, are very excited for this opportunity and that their hard work has paid off.


Shasta Kaselak, a former writer for CNN Headline News is a freelancejournalist who writes about her most challenging job yet, motherhood.

You may contact her at [email protected].

Each Primrose School is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose Schools and The Leader in Educational Child Care are trademarks of Primrose School Franchising Company. ©2014 Primrose School Franchising Company. All rights reserved. See primroseschools.com for ‘fact’ source and curriculum detail.

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My daughter is a screamer. She is so loud that our neighbors said they knew it was spring when they heard her screaming outside. I apologized because I was embarrassed and laughed because it was true.

People give me all kinds of theories about why she screams. The one that ruffles my feathers is, “She screams because she has two older broth-ers.” No she doesn’t. Why do people insist on blaming my boys for her bad behavior?

Blame me if you have to blame someone, but not them. I raise my voice too much. My boys

can be loud, but they don’t scream in anger. They climb, run, explore, ask tons of questions, and can

be rough and tumble. They can be gross. As I was writing this, one of my sons opened the living room door

and peed on our patio, instead of walking 15 feet to the bath-room. (I wanted to scream at him, but I didn’t. I gave him a bucket and a brush and made him clean it.) They also irritate her, but mostly they are kind older brothers, little gentle-

men-in-the-making who occasionally pee in inappropriate places.

Comments people make don’t easily offend me. I’ve heard them all. “You sure have your hands full!” “Wow, they are close together.” “Are you going to have anymore?” I believe people are well-meaning.

The only comments that bother me are the ones that make my sons feel like boys are bad and girls are good. The classic one is when people see my children together and say to me, “Two boys then a girl. You finally got your girl!”

I politely say loud enough for my sons to hear, “Yes, I love having a girl, but I love having boys. Boys are awesome!”

Unveiling my true feelings, my daughter’s screaming is disappointing to me. When my sons were toddlers, I observed girls at the park. They all seemed to play neatly in the sand and line up their toys in color-coordinated rows. I thought all girls were like that.

I should have known better because, like my daughter, I was the baby of the family with two older brothers. I understand my daughter and the role she was born into. She feels like the only way to be as big as her brothers is to have a big voice. I felt the same way as a little girl. Yet, her brothers didn’t teach her to scream, just like my brothers didn’t teach me to scream.

We are all born into a position from which we have to navigate, a starting point from which we view the world. We can’t blame others for the path we choose to take from there. I’ve been teaching her about controlling her own behavior and her own tongue. I will not allow her to blame her brothers for her behavior, and I won’t allow other people to blame them either.

Mommy Moments by Shasta Kaselak

DON’T BLAME BOYS


Celebrating the Powerful father-Daughter bonD

by Leisa A. Bailey, Ph.D.“Father, be good to your daughters. Daughters will love

like you do” ~”Daughters,” by John Mayer

Children learn much from both parents and it is indisputable how self-worth is profoundly impacted by the emotional cues felt from parents. Many assert the relationship between moth-ers and daughters is the most important parental relationship. While the relationship is certainly critical, the connection that a daughter has with her father in many ways matters more than the one with her mother. A father has been described as a girl’s “first love”. Even from infancy, girls develop perceptions about men from the men in their daily life – most significantly her father. While until recently under-studied in comparison to other family relationships, the father-daughter relationship is an important dyad within the family system.

Over the last three decades, research has demonstrated that fathers make significant contributions to the development of their children. In fact, research suggests much of child’s behavior pattern…either positive or negative, is more closely associated with temperament and impact of the father than

mother. Specifically, fathers have an enormous influence over a host of important psycho-social outcomes in the life of his daughter. Daughters who report poor communication with their fathers are more likely to be involved with negative peer relationships, have poor early romantic experiences, and tend to make poor or high-risk choices. Fathers have the greater impact on the daughter’s ability to trust, enjoy and relate well to future men in life…well-fathered daughters are usually more self-confident, more self-reliant, and more successful in school and in their careers. The influence that fathers have on their daughters is profound and lasts throughout the lifetime.

A dad or other male caregiver in early life serves as the first model of how a relationship with a man should be. This early relationship with dad shapes the conscious and unconscious perceptions of what can be expected and what is acceptable in a romantic partner. A well-fathered daughter is more likely to have relationships with men that are emotionally intimate and fulfilling; and therefore they have more satisfying and long-lasting marriages.

Fathers count a lot. Men who value the importance of being a father of a daughter should consider these basic suggestions.

• Love her mother. If you can’t love her mother, at least find something to respect and admire in her. A father’s relationship with a child’s mother is a template for what her relationship with a man will be when she grows up.

• Spend regular, quality time with your daughter. Research shows that men tend to spend more time with their sons growing up than they do with their daughters. Resist the common temptation for fathers to pull away from adolescent daughters. They need you then more than ever.

• Celebrate her mind. Research shows that the most successful women have generally had fathers who were interested in their intellect and academics.

• Go to her events. She needs you there as a witness to her talents, her efforts, and her achievements• Tell her she’s pretty. We live in a culture where girls are often insecure about their looks. Genuine

statements of approval are one of the building blocks of self-esteem. However, balance the praise for looks with the acknowledgements of her achievements and abilities.

• Treat all women the way you want your daughter to be treated someday.• Be the kind of man you want your daughter to marry.

Recent research has suggested that the value and impacts of a father on his daughter stretches into adult life. Even when the early relationship has not been the most positive, there can be healing and restoration. By initiating communication with an adult daughter, you can affirm the positive contributions she has made to your life. You can offer support and healing by establishing an atmosphere of unconditional acceptance by being ready to listen and support a daughter of any age. It is never too late to work towards having the relationship you want to have.

Dr. Bailey is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a private practice in Marietta. You can learn more about her by visiting: www.marietta-psychologist.com. You may reach her at (770) 428-6698

[email protected]. Your comments or questions are welcome.


REAL ESTATE in OUR TOWN by Deb Ratchford

WHAT TO KNOW PRIOR TO INSTALLING A FENCE

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Installing a fence is considered one of the better home improvement investments for homeowners to consider. A beautiful fence can add a private and secure atmosphere in which to entertain guests while making the yard an extension of the home’s living space. A fenced space provides a safe place for children and pets to play inside designated boundaries.

If your plans call for fence installation when purchasing your home, you may need a survey to designate the exact perimeter of your property. Lenders no longer require surveys to complete the lending process and you may want to consider ordering a survey of the property prior to closing on your new home. Your Realtor will be able to provide you with a few reputable surveyors from which to choose.

Often, a homeowner’s association may have strict requirements regarding the aesthetics of a com-munity. Homeowners must always confer with the Architectural Review Committee to get approval prior to making exterior improvements of any kind, including fence selection. Some communities approve varied styles and colors while others may require that the homeowners choose from a few approved selections. While this process may seem aggravating, it is designed to protect and maintain the neighborhood’s value.

Backyard pools can be refreshing and in some areas, add value to your home. However, homeowners may find themselves in shock if the proper safety protocols are not followed with regards to own-ership. There are very specific county codes in place with regards to how fencing should surround a swimming pool. It is extremely important to confer with your county to determine exactly where your fence should be placed or homeowners may risk having to destroy or rebuild to maintain county code compliance.

A home’s resale value can be greatly affected by both the neighborhood aesthetics as well as the home itself. If your fence does not match the quality and style of both, your value could be compro-mised. Sometimes, it’s better to not have a fence at all if yours is worn, unappealing or mismatched. Also, buyers may find additional value if the fence styles throughout the neighborhood are consis-tent and beautify the community.


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Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption (APRA) is a non-profit, no-kill shelter dedicated to rescuing and rehabili-tating unloved, unwanted or abused dogs and cats, giving them a second chance at life and placing them in safe, loving forever homes.

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If you would like your pet to be Our Town’s Pet of the Month,please email a photo with

a short bio to: [email protected] indicate for the Smyrna/Vinings issue.

Venus is a sweet, loving , and affec-tionate girl , which is so true to her name! She was rescued a little over 4 years ago. She loves to cuddle, tear the stuffing out of her toys, and lay in front of the fireplace.

pet of the month

Our Town Smyrna/Vinings June 2015

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Transcript of Our Town Smyrna/Vinings June 2015