Builders found climbing Mount Kilimanjaro tougher than expected
David C. Moody has a new appreciation for the power of Mother Nature and the human body and mind.
A year ago, Mr. Moody, director of Lithonia’s CD Moody Construction Company, decided to take on the grueling physical challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. A week ago, he completed his mountain challenge, although he fell just short of his ultimate goal of reaching the top.
Moody started climbing in mid-January and posted on Facebook on January 24 that he had completed the toughest eight-day physical, mental, spiritual and emotional challenge of his life. “I’m exhausted,” he expressed in his post.
“Every day was tough. On the sixth day, at 15,380 feet and seven hours later as I was preparing to summit, my blood oxygen level dropped to 67. They decided I couldn’t summit and went to sleep. We had to descend to 12,300 feet,” Moody said in a Facebook post, adding: He said he shed a few tears.
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The end of summer won’t be the same without the Decatur Book Festival
The Decatur Book Festival has been a staple of the metro Atlanta literary scene for nearly 15 years, hosting events across Decatur for readings, meet-ups, writing workshops, book sales, and countless other book-related events. Thousands of people gather at the venue. With the cancellation of the 2023 festival, that tradition has come to an end.
But Decatur Book Festival organizers promise the cancellation is temporary, with plans to bring back the traditional end-of-summer event in 2024.
“Our goal is to create a sustainable and thriving organization that will continue to provide the best literature to our community for years to come,” the message reads in part. “We appreciate your support and understanding during this time and look forward to coming back stronger than ever.”
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Pickleball is going strong in DeKalb
If “pickleball” seems to be popping up more often in conversations, there’s a reason for that. Because it has become a national sensation.
Pickleball, a combination of table tennis, badminton, and tennis, is often cited by the media and various organizations as America’s fastest growing sport. According to pickleheads.com, there are 36.5 million pickleball players in the United States, and the sport has experienced a 158 percent growth rate over the past three years.
Jill Moore, vice president of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta group, said the sport’s explosive growth has occurred over the past three to four years.
“We have added outdoor courts to many of our Metro Atlanta YMCAs, as well as hosting clinics, private lessons and special events for youth, teens and adults of all ages,” she said. More than 2,000 members play pickleball at the Y, he added, and the metro Atlanta branch attracts players ranging in age from 6 to 93 each week.
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Apex Museum founder receives Presidential Award
When Dan Moore Sr. was young, the idea of becoming a driving force in founding an African American museum never crossed his mind.
A Philadelphia native who calls Atlanta home, he wonders why the city that produced leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Benjamin Mays doesn’t have a museum dedicated to black accomplishments. Until today, he became a photographer and filmmaker. he went to work.
The APEX Museum is currently celebrating its 45th anniversary, and Moore, its founder and president, will reportedly receive a lifetime achievement award from President Joe Biden at an event in October, according to museum officials. ing.
“To be honest, I was surprised,” Moore, 83, of Stone Mountain, said of the honor.
The APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum focuses on African American history and culture and describes itself as a metro Atlanta museum dedicated solely to the rich untold stories of the African American diaspora. It is described as “the only museum”.
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New center with senior program dependent on lottery
DeKalb County’s newest senior and community center is using a lottery system to fill 200 spots in its senior program, which includes free meals and transportation.
As of mid-August, approximately 57 seniors age 60 and older have been selected, interviewed, and paid the $125 annual fee required to become members of the East Central DeKalb Community and Senior Center. submitted documents.
“It’s not a fast-paced process,” DeKalb County Human Services Director Damon Scott said of what it takes to earn membership in the senior program.
Officials said the lottery system was adopted for the first time in DeKalb County as the fairest and most equitable way to ensure that a wide range of people interested in membership have a chance at one of the senior program slots. It is said that
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New garden clubbers receive a ribbon
Six months ago, Stonecrest Garden Club didn’t exist. We are currently participating in a flower show for the first time and some of our members have returned with award ribbons.
At the Redbud District National Garden Club Standard Flower Show held at the Callanwald Fine Arts Center on September 20, four Stonecrest Club members were awarded ribbon awards for the quality of their horticultural entries to the show. I did.
The event was something of a coming out party for the Stonecrest Garden Club, which formed over the summer.
Stonecrest Garden Club (SGC) member Debra Fleming won three awards, including the Best Collection ribbon for her five ferns. Fleming, who loves ferns, explained that the shade garden is where only ferns can grow.
SGC member Millicent Maxwell’s chaste lilac tree trunk in full bloom was named the winner. Maxwell also entered the contest with a fern and won first place. Felicia Mayfield, also a member of the club, received the third place award for her small rose.
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Clarkston woman reaches summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
Fawn Gordon has one less item on her bucket list.
On October 8, she successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest free-standing peak.
“I couldn’t hold back my tears,” Gordon said of reaching the summit after eight days of trekking. “When I got to the top, all the emotions came flooding back…”
The 60-year-old Clarkston resident gathered with several friends and family members at her mother’s home in Stone Mountain on Oct. 21 to share her story. Wearing her gray Uhuru Peak T-shirt, she detailed her eight days spent in the mountains of Tanzania in weather with occasional heavy rain and fierce winds.
“It was more dangerous…it was challenging,” said Gordon, who had been preparing for the trek since January but had been dreaming of it for 15 years. “It was the most difficult challenge of my life, but also the most exhilarating.”
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The purpose of life is not a mystery
Elizabeth Kofud is not one to worry about her longevity or purpose in life. Bringing joy to others is reason enough for the 98-year-old to make the most of every day.
“If you do something positive for someone during the day, that’s why you’re still here,” Kofud said.
A resident of Park Springs, a senior community at Stone Mountain, Kofud runs a community puzzle program and was recently awarded the LeadingAge Georgia Positive Aging Award.
“At 98 years old, she continues to tour the Park Springs Life Plan community, creating opportunities to engage with her neighbors every day,” a press release from Park Springs said. “Always curious and active, Ms. Kofud uses her talents and her interests to enrich the community.”
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A new food pantry focused on dignity
Officials behind a new food pantry in Decatur say allowing people in need to buy their own groceries is more dignified than giving them a pre-selected box of groceries.
Jamaal Ellis, commander of the Salvation Army Atlanta Peachcrest, said the organization’s new food pantry at 3500 Shellydale Lane operates on the premise that dignity is an essential part of helping people get back on their feet. he said.
“The dignity of our clients is important,” Ellis said, adding that clients focus on “anything we can do to increase how they feel about their confidence and self-esteem.”
Ellis said the new pantry is a larger, reconfigured space compared to the organization’s previous pantry. The old pantry was so small and cramped that only one person could fit inside at a time. Customers can now enter the pantry, which is open Monday through Thursday, use a shopping cart to pick up the items they want and “check out” with a staff member.
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