Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 13 A
Taking care of your primary asset
How High Is Up Revisited
Most exercise programs that you see
being hawked on the local news channel
or promoted on the internet are designed
to get the most out of an individual.
While that concept is laudable and can
be backed up by science, there is
a disclaimer that needs to be inter
jected as we round the bend of our
50th birthday and start the second
half of the journey.
This caveat is particularly rele
vant if you have avoided the gym
for several decades. At some
point in any exercise program you
need to face the reality that there
is only so much you can do. To
continually push yourself to your
limits may be, in the long run. not
the goal you should be setting for
yourself.
Step Back for a Moment
It's rare that a person starting a workout
regimen will include, as one of their ini
tial parameters, the decision of how much
they ultimately want to accomplish. That
individual is more concerned with the
type of exercise program to engage in, the
gym choice and where they can put it on
their schedule. I didn’t start my strength
training back at the turn of the millenni
um with any concept of what my eventual
goals were. It helped that I had decided
to become a personal trainer. Analyzing
each exercise became the focus, deter
mining which ones suited my evolving
assessment of what constituted a quality
‘Ultimate Best' platform.
Work in Progress
For three years straight I worked on and
designed my fitness protocol. I had set
up in the garage with a squat rack, incline
bench and a full range of dumbbells and
barbells.
Over that time I refined, adjusted and
improved a workout strategy, evolving
into what I teach today.
I consistently lifted weights twice a
week, trained in Tae Kwon Do twice a
week and ran regularly. At the beginning
of 2004 I joined the local YMCA. By
that time, I had developed my level of
challenge to a point which required me to
reevaluate certain aspects of my training.
Two Fundamentals
After joining the Y, I made two fateful
decisions.
First, I committed to only lifting once
a week. The research had confirmed
that if you are not looking to increase the
results, as long as your intensity is main
tained, you can stay in the same fitness
range with less frequent sessions. Sec
ondly. the judgment was made to not lift
any weight higher that my present level.
In essence, I was establishing what I
would eventually call a ‘maintenance
plan’.
My levels of strength were sufficient
for whatever I had envisioned for the
future. ‘How high was up,’ for me, had
been set. At some point, if I had con
tinually pushed myself to do just a little
bit more each time, my chances for
rick
almand
injury would have mounted. My survival
instincts were kicking in.
Concrete Verification
Getting certified through two nation
ally recognized organizations helped me
understand the nuts and bolts of personal
training as I studied the funda
mentals, from muscle groups to
neurological patterns to evalua
tion methods. As important as
this book learning was, the ‘on
the ground’ education derived
from training individuals served
an even more influential pur
pose. Seeing up close and per
sonal, on a regular basis, people
in their 50s and beyond, coming
back to the gym after decades,
trying to regain their physical
confidence, taught me critical
lessons. First, compared to what
they had felt walking into the gym for
that very first time, the results each per
son was able to achieve were substantial.
They could now take the stairs with little
or no effort, walk for an hour or more
with negligible fatigue and enjoy their
favorite past time, be it golf or gardening,
tennis or jogging.
Bottom line: their level of physical
ability had improved to a point where
they were appreciating life again. Anoth
er revelation that was so priceless was I
recognized that individuals had limits.
A certain weight was good but to go
past that level of challenge was asking
for trouble. My ‘a ha’ moment was the
understanding that those boundaries I
had set for myself in 2004 would now be
incorporated into my blueprint for edu
cating the senior population.
Bottom Line
Starting and maintaining a fitness pro
gram is imperative. Those of you who
have been reading my column for any
length of time know this is what I teach
(and preach).
Once you begin feeling the improve
ments, the excitement over your decision
will grow. While the final ‘setting of the
bar’ is a personal preference, the caution
I interject is to not swing too far in the
other direction and get caught up in exer
cising for exercising’s sake. Read your
body.
While you may have learned that you
can accomplish more than you thought,
don’t let your ego get in the way. And if
you were athletic in your earlier years but
have not worked out in the past decade or
so, it is highly unlikely you will approach
the heights you had achieved in the past.
Remember, getting fit is a means to an
end. not the end itself.
You still have a long way to go in this
‘marathon of life.’
Good luck and good health!
Rick Almand trains out of Anytime
Fitness (Winder and Auburn locations)
or at your home. He can be contacted at
404-312-9206 (or) Rick@ UltimateBest.
net. His websites are www. UltimateBest.
net and BabyBoomersSurvivalGuide.net.
Unusual find at Braselton Antique Mall
A unique find is not unusual at an antique
shop but there is a piece of the decor which
is only one of six known in the world at the
Braselton Antique Mall.
Retired employees of the Mosler Safe
Company have documented that the Can
nonball Safe located in the old bank portion
of the store is rare. These employees were
recording and proving the existence of
each safe of this model type with plans to
publish a book.
The Braselton Brothers built, after sev
eral small stores, the existing building in
1904.
This proved to be a lucrative time for the
business because after only seven years in
business they added a two-story portion
to the building and included a basement,
according to Robbie Bettis. The next year,
1911 they added a bank.
They must have been doing well, accord
ing to Mosler employees, because they
bought the best that money could buy. The
Cannonball Safe has a three-stage cylinder
and requires work to open it. It weighs
almost 7,000 pounds and no acetylene
torch can cut through it.
Most of the old safes were melted down
for the war effort during WWII. But the
Braselton Brothers business was constantly
in use during WWI and WWII. Braselton
was a rural community with a lot of busi
ness and the safe survived.
Mosler is a safe company that started in
1887. Many banks, post offices, business
centers and residences had a Mosler safe
during the 19th and 20th centuries, accord
ing to Bettis.
“They were an American icon since com
panies, governments and individuals all
across the globe looked to Mosler for ways
of protecting their valuables,” she said.
Mosler made safes for Fort Knox. They
made doors for Oakridge National Labo
ratory where nuclear missiles were made.
“Mosler was admired for being stronger
than the atomic bomb,” said Bettis.
Several safes and vaults were installed
in Hiroshima’s Mitsui Bank prior to WWII
and survived the nuclear attack. At one
time, 80 percent of all banks had Mosler
safes.
The Mosler family controlled the busi
ness until they sold out to American Stan
dard Companies in 1967 which ended in
bankruptcy in 2001.
Visitors are welcomed to see the attrac
tions of the old Braselton Bros. Store
including the old safe, the unique clothing
displays, wooden ladders, bank cage, acet
ylene gas light fixtures and more.
The Braselton Antique Mall is open
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from
10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Wednesdays from
10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturdays from 10
a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from 12-5 p.m.
The location is 9924 Davis St, Ste 1, Bra
selton, GA 30517.
Kudzu and change
In my early travels outside of the
South, I was astounded to discover that
people had never heard of kudzu. After
all, Southerners have been battling to
gain the upper hand of the rapidly grow
ing plant since the 1800s.
With my first book, I guest
ed on a show in Los Angeles
hosted by the likeable, legend
ary Dick Clark. “Ronda,” he
began, “What is it about South
ern women that we love so.” He
put his hand against his heart
and closed his eyes, swoon
ing. “They just melt my heart.
What makes Southern women
different?”
“Well, kudzu and Southern
women have a lot in common.”
I replied. His brow burrowed.
“What is kudzu?” he asked.
There on national television was the
first time I learned that there were actu
ally people who didn’t know about the
power that the bright green vine with big
leaves holds over us. It took me aback
for a second but I tried to quickly recov
er and explain to Mr. Clark that it is an
insidious plant that covers over a million
acres of Southern soil, having been intro
duced here by the Japanese. Southern
farmers were paid eight dollars an acre
by the government to plant it for erosion
problems. That was neither the first or
last time that the government has tried to
choke the South.
“So,” I continued after the explanation.
“Southern women and kudzu have a lot
in common: Both are practically inde
structible, thrive in Southern soil and
both refuse to be controlled by man.” It
got a big laugh from Dick Clark and his
dimpled co-host Mario Lopez who, at
the time, was engaged to a former Miss
Louisiana.
In truth, I have rarely found kudzu to
be a laughing matter. I spend much of the
summer trying to outrun it. In a matter of
weeks — it grows a foot a day — it can
cover trees, the bridge that spans the creek
and, worst of all, our driveway. I thought
I pretty much disliked kudzu until I read
an article where a young science student
at the University of Georgia has found a
way to destroy kudzu and win the land
back from the embattled South. Everyone
is bragging on him and a patent is in the
works. You would think I’d be happy but
my heart sank. Life without kudzu? Life
without thinking about it every
day during the spring and summer
and smiling in December when I
realize that kudzu entanglement is
not a problem I have in the winter.
Freezing water lines, yes, but not
kudzu.
It boils down to this: I don’t
like change. Especially when the
change rips out from under me
the things that I’ve known since
childhood. I already had to give up
mud pies, butter churning, clothes
line and floral funeral wreaths that
hung on someone’s front door to
notify the community that a family mem
ber was dead. That used to be a topic of
conversation. “Why’s a wreath on the
Holliman place? Who died?”
I even miss corded phones because
they kept me tethered to a small area and
caused me to really focus on the con
versation rather than talking while I’m
pumping gas, planting flowers or walking
into the grocery store.
Recently, our bank drastically rede
signed its monthly statements - not an
improvement in my eyes - and I’ve con
sidered changing banks over it. If there’s
going to be change, it might as well be
for something I like such as luggage with
wheels which I was all for since I was the
one toting my bags.
But the end of kudzu? No more
telephone poles and abandoned shacks
covered in it and creating what really
amounts to works of art? I’m not ready
for that.
I’d rather be strangled alive with it
than say good-byes to one of the South’s
mightiest foes because it has come to feel
like an old, reliable friend who is simply
contrary and set in his ways.
Just like me.
Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of
the What Southern Women Know trilogy.
Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for
her free weekly newsletter.
Mangum to speak at Braselton
Woman’s Club meeting Oct. 5
Jackson County sheriff Janis Mangum
will speak at the Braselton Woman’s
Club meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 5.
The group meets at noon at the Country
Inn & Suites at 925 Hwy. 124, Braselton.
Dessert will be served.
For more information, contact Jo at
706-654-9266.
ABOUT MANGUM
Janis Mangum has been in law enforce
ment for 30 years, with 27 years at the
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. She
was elected as sheriff in August 2012
and started her term on January 1. 2013.
and is the only female sheriff currently
serving.
Prior to becoming sheriff, she was an
investigator for 19 years, specializing in
crimes against children and tracking and
monitoring sex offenders.
She received a resolution in 2014 from
Georgia Representatives Tommy Benton
and Regina Quick for being the first
Republican elected female sheriff in the
State of Georgia.
She also received a resolution in 2016
from Georgia Representative Keisha
Waites for being the only female sheriff
in Georgia and only the second female
elected in the history of Georgia. She
was also recognized for her work on the
Domestic Violence Task Force, The Tree
House Child Advocacy Center and the
Sex Offender Registry Task Force and for
her service to the State of Georgia.
She is currently the second vice pres
ident of the Georgia Sheriff’s Youth
Homes.
Zombie Run is set for Saturday, Oct. 29
Plans have been
unveiled for the second
annual “Zombie 5K Run”
throughout downtown
Braselton on Saturday,
Oct. 29.
The call for runners to
register includes an online
registration form.
Running awards will be
presented in eight age cat
egories as well as to the
best dressed Zombie.
“The running course
will be littered with Zom
bies, and the best way to
avoid them is to outrun
them,” said downtown
director Amy Pinnell. “So
run and see if they are real
and how you will fare,”
The $30 entry fee
includes a T-shirt if paid
by Oct. 21.
Online registration is
available at www.runsig-
nup.com/BraseltonZom-
bie5kRun.
For more information,
call 706-684-0369.
Southern Circuit Tour coming to Winder
The Southern Circuit
Tour of Independent Film
makers Fall 2016 Tour
is coming to Winder in
October and November.
On Sunday, Oct. 16. at 4
p.m. “Shu-De! (Let’s Go)”
will be presented at the
Winder Cultural Arts Cen
ter Colleen O. Williams
Theater, 105 East Athens
Street, Winder. “Hotel
Dallas” will be presented
at 7 p.m. on Nov. 18.
For more information
call 678-425-6836 or visit
the website windercultu-
alarts.com.
La Hacienda Commerce
173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd.
706-335-7458
La Hacienda Braselton
5391 Highway 53
706-654-0070
The Original Mexican Restaurant! Not affiliated with any other restaurant.
74 N Broad St
Winder, GA 30680-1902
Phone (770)867-3171
CITY OF AUBURN
AD VALOREM TAX RATE
FOR THE PORTION OF THE CITY
WITHIN BARROW COUNTY
Auburn-The City of Auburn anticipates that
Property tax levies for the Barrow County portion
of the City for the 2016 tax year will be set at
4.931 mills. The City of Auburn, per O.C.G.A. §
48-5-32, will hold a Public Hearing on October
6, 2016 at 6:00PM. The meetings will be held at
the Auburn Council Chambers located at 1361
Fourth Avenue, Auburn, Georgia. The City will
set the millage rate on October 6, 2016 at 6:00PM
at the Auburn Council Chambers located at 1361
Fourth Avenue, Auburn, GA. The five-year tax
and levy history will be published no less than 14
days prior to the adoption.