MM Feb/March 13

macon Cooking Inside the Real Italian Fickling House

Celebrating the Good Life

Jagger, Cash, Sting & more

magazine

Brides, Blossoms &Rock n’ Roll

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

$3.50

Award-winning storyteller and comedian Kelly Swanson

Laughing & Dancing Your Heart Out A Day of Women’s Wellness

Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Vineville United Methodist Church 2045 Vineville Ave, Macon GA

$10 registration fee includes lunch, dancing and a gift!

Women often put themselves last and don’t see the importance in taking care of themselves. Coliseum Health System is offering a way for middle Georgia women to reconnect with themselves; to take a day to laugh, discuss their health, refresh their minds, dance, and lighten their hearts.

Bring your friends and delight yourself in a day all about you. Come ready to be entertained, motivated, laugh, and dance. Kelly Swanson, an award-winning storyteller and comedian, will have you in stitches as she shares her take on life during her one-woman comedy show. Guests can also expect to hear from a physician panel discussing topics specific to women’s health and learn a few new dance steps along the way.

Reservations for this event will need to be made in advance by calling 478-746-4646. The cost is $10 per person and includes lunch and door prizes.

ColiseumHealthSystem.com

About the Speaker, Kelly Swanson: Kelly has a passion for making people laugh – often using her own life as material. She’ll make you laugh yourself silly, and just when you least expect it, she’ll bring a tear to your eye.

Whether you’re reading her latest book Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale,? watching her DVD, listening to one of her CDs, reading another one of her quirky and truth-filled articles and blogs, or seeing her live - Kelly is often the very thing you need to help you get from where you are stuck to where you want to be - laughing the whole way. www.KellySwanson.net

Our clients appreciate flexible solutions, from managing payments to financing growth.

What can we do for your business?

Brandon Mercer Senior Vice President Commercial Banking 478.796.6479

stateBT.com Member FDIC

We love print.

The aroma of ink.

The texture of the paper.

The feel of it in our hands.

It’s not just our job; it’s our passion.

It’s why we do what we do.

We love print.

800.622.0676 www.panaprint.com 7979 NE Industrial Blvd Macon, Georgia 31297

Saving money will give you something to smile about.

Sign up with SCANA Energy and save $75.

With SCANA Energy, it’s easy to save money.

Just sign up online or give us a call today to get your $75 in savings. Visit SCANAENERGY.COM/GEORGIA1 or call 1-877-722-6244 and SAVE $75 with promo code GEORGIA1.

scanaenergy.com/georgia1 1-877-722-6244

Offer in the form of $5 credit per bill for the first 15 bills, for a total of $75, available for new residential accounts, subject to credit requirements. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Terms and conditions apply. Visit scanaenergy.com/georgia1 for details.

Community

Customer Service

Watch on

/scanaenergy

/scanaenergy

/scanaenergyga

macon Celebrating the Good Life

magazine

2208 Ingleside Ave. Macon, GA 31204 478-746-7779 • 478-743-4608 fax ESTABLISHED JUNE 1986 maconmag@maconmagazine.com www.maconmagazine.com PUBLISHERS/EDITORS

James and Jodi Palmer ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

MERCERMedicine Feel better. Live better.

Cardiovascular Care Advanced. Specialized.

Mercer Medicine cardiologists are recognized for their expertise and advancements in the research, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disorders and diseases.

Mercer Medicine cardiologists provide a full range of comprehensive outpatient and inpatient cardiovascular care—from prevention and early detection, to advanced therapies and interventional procedures.

Mercer Medicine cardiologists don’t just teach medicine.

They practice it.

Jalal K. Ghali, MD

Chief, Division of Cardiology Professor of Cardiology Associate Chair for Research

Ahmed I. Shah, MD

Director, Cardiology Services Assistant Professor of Cardiology

707 Pine Street Macon, Georgia 31201 (478) 301-5800

Carla Douthit Dodd Michelle Lisenby ART DIRECTOR

Brandi Thomas Vorhees PHOTOGRAPHY

Danny Gilleland Steve Schroeder SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER

Beth Wilson MULTI-MEDIA MANAGER

Susannah Maddux

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jusak Yang Bernhard Debbie Blankenship Jonathan Dye Cindy Hill Susannah Maddux Jeff Manley Lisa Pritchard Mayfield Matt Miller Jennifer Myer Tiffany Davis Olson James Palmer Jodi Palmer

John C. Hawkins, MD Associate Professor of Cardiology

657 Hemlock Street Suite 200 (2nd Floor) Macon, Georgia 31201 (478) 301-2109

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL Macon Magazine (ISSN No. 1090-3267) (Issue No. XXVII, No. 2) is published bimonthly at Macon Magazine Inc., 2208 Ingleside Ave., Macon, GA 31204-2032. Periodicals postage (USPS No. 020965) paid at Macon, GA. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited by law. The publishers are not responsible for the comments of authors or for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or drawings. Subscription price is $16 for one year, $22 for two years and $30 for three years in the United States. To subscribe, send check, money order or credit card information to Macon Magazine, 2208 Ingleside Ave., Macon, GA 31204-2032 or subscribe online at www.maconmagazine.com. All letters sent to Macon Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as such are subject to Macon Magazine’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO MACON MAGAZINE AT 2208 INGLESIDE AVE., MACON, GA

PRINTING: Panaprint • Macon, Ga.

4 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

6 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

22

cover art by steve schroeder Kelly Widden and Blake Thomas married September 29, 2012 at CrossPoint Church.

Reception photo taken at Southern Bridal Farms

features

82

Adam Ragusea Kirk West and James Brown

22 30 33 34

Rock of Ages

37

Ovations

54 65

Cherry Blossom Festival

Photographer Kirk West captures music’s masters.

Rock on

Chuck Leavell keeps rolling with the Stones.

Petsperts

Let our animal experts answer your questions.

DIY

A new feature that let’s you do it yourself.

In this issue learn how to get the perfect blowout.

Sixteen pages of the arts and more, featuring Fired Works, artist Charles Ladson and Late Night with Leonard Bernstein.

Gearing up to be pretty in pink.

Plan the perfect wedding A special wedding section: 70 Furry friends in your wedding.

72 How to pick the perfect cake.

74 The Dos and Don’ts of “I do.”

22

contents I

february/march 2013

contents

30 Sallie Smith and Brett Hart married September 8, 2012 at the home of Leon and Carol Hart I Photo by Neal carpenter

style & living 60 Living among the Cherry Blossoms The Fickling House gets a makeover

66 Personal Style

Wedding Trends 2013

food & dining 79 That’s Italian

Grandma Rose and her recipes

82 Men Who Cook 86 Dining Guide

88 Last Bite

also inside 10 12 19 36

Editorial Faces Bits & Pieces Historic Macon

Leaving a job? Should you leave your retirement plan assets behind?

Need help deciding what to do with the assets in your retirement plan from a former employer? During these challenging economic times, it’s more important than ever to find the right strategy for you and your goals.

Call today, and together we can explore all of the options for your retirement savings.

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Advisors 1425 Bass Road Tel: 478-471-1111 • 800-788-1112 Fax: 478-471-0722 www.wellsfargoadvisors.com

Investment and Insurance Products:  NOT FDIC Insured  NO Bank Guarantee  MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2012 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. 1012-02066 [79470-v3 ]A1419

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 9

editorial

10,000 SIGNATURES!

On Jan. 30, 2012, Macon Magazine’s 2011 Five Under 40 Young Leaders set out to get 10,000 voices to stand up for the city we love. They urged Macon residents to be the change we want to see and help stop the negative conversation about our community. We are proud to note that Heather Bowman-Cutway, Wes Griffith, Josh Rogers, Pilar Wilder and Julia Wood met and surpassed their goal: More than 10,000 men, women, children (and dogs) signed the i love macon pledge! And, they couldn’t have done it without your signatures and support and the support of all the other Macon Magazine young leaders. Thank you for spreading the love! And thank you, especially, Susannah Maddux for the expert management and coordination of the campaign. We hope you will continue the positive conversation about our city, and as always, celebrate the good life in Macon, Georgia!

10 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 11

faces

2

1

1. Mike Ketterbaugh, Financial Advisor, and Ken Haynie, Branch Manager, of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC present a $2,000 con-

tribution for the Macon Rescue Mission to Rescue Mission Director Jeff Nicklas (center) from Wells Fargo Foundation. “We are honored to be a part of this outstanding organization,” said Haynie. 2. President Bill Underwood welcomes a packed house to “A Grand Mercer Christmas” with the McDuffie Center for Strings and Mercer Singers performing a holiday program as it was filmed

by GPB to be shown nationwide in December 2013.

1 2

1

4

3

The Historic Macon Patrons Party also played to a full house as the guests enjoyed a lovely evening in a newly renovated loft in downtown Macon. Guests included 1. Heather Moore and Meaghan Slonaker 2. Ashley and Ryan Griffin and Alex and Eleta Morrison 3. Ed and Lenore Sell and Mike Dyer 4. Leigh Glenn, Amber Lawson, Chris Moore and Christi Horne

FACES

We want to see your face! Submit your Faces photos by e-mail to us at maconmag@maconmagazine.com!

12 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

1

2

1. Jamey and Heather Jones, visited

New York City in November with daughters Hannah and Ashland.

Along with the Empire State Building and the 9/11 Memorial, the family also watched the Macy’s Day Parade.

2. Newly engaged couple Bowen Reichert and Matt Shoemaker were surprised by the Streetline drum line at their first engagement party over the holidays at Carey Pickard’s house.

m

See more Faces at www.maconmagazine.com

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 13

faces

GeOrGia’S Super LawyerS MartiN SNOw Five members of Martin Snow were recognized by the peer review publication “Super Lawyers” in 2013, which selects only the top 5 percent of lawyers based on peer recognition, ethical standards and achievement in their field.

GeOrGia Super LawyerS: John Edwards: personal injury Defense: Medical Malpractice Rusty Gunn: personal injury Defense: General John McGoldrick: Business Litigation

GeOrGia riSiNG StarS: Jenny Martin Stansfield: Business Litigation

Julia Wood and Natalia Dayton use their creativity to decorate Christmas cookies at a special Cookie Party at the home of Susannah and Tripp Maddux.

Violinist Bobby McDuffie, acoustician David Greenberg, and architects Gene Dunwody, Jr., and Joshua Younger stand in Bobby’s new office at the new College Street location for Mercer’s McDuffie Center for Strings. The building, the old Beall’s Restaurant, is set to open its doors in August.

Stuart Walker: Business/Corporate Law

Martin

Snow, llp Downtown Macon/Main Office 240 Third Street p 478.749.1700

attorneys at law North Macon 4008 Vineville Avenue p 478.749.1700

www.MartinSnow.com 14 l MACON MAGAZINE

John-Wesley Villas resident Orlean Rower is pictured at the John-Wesley Villas Christmas Party with her daughter Murray Todd and her husband David as well as her granddaughter Joanna Griffin, her husband Adam and their two sons.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

1

2

3 1. The Redding family gathered at the Big O Ranch outside of Macon for the filming of “CBS This Morning’s” tribute piece commemorating the 45th anniversary of the release of “(Sittin on) The Dock of the Bay.” The feature aired on Jan. 8. Left to right are Dexter Redding, Luther Rodgers Redding, Demetria Redding, Zelma Redding, Karla Redding-Andrews, Taylor Rogers (“CBS This Morning” producer) and Otis Redding III. 2. Celebrating the engagement of Bowen Reichert and Matt Shoemaker are, left to right, Canaan Marshall, Bowen, Susannah Maddux and Merritt Jones. 3. “The Girlies,” Linda G Cannon, Leslie Mullis, Lynne Stone and Ana Smith, at Bonefish Grill celebrating Lynne’s January birthday.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 15

faces 1. Amanda and Boone Smith, along with Katrin Haskell enjoy the Hay House Patrons Party. 2. Patrick Hamilton,

far left, Jake Adams, Lauren Parris, Leah Parris, Kailey Rhoades and Matt Hlavaty after their “A Christmas Carol” performance with Theatre Macon at the Hay House Christmas Gala. 3. Matthew Attaway, Susan, Kay Powell and Lindsay Attaway enjoying the fifth annual New Year’s Eve BIG Bash to benefit The Arc of Macon at Terminal Station.

1

2

16 l MACON MAGAZINE

3

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

1

Taking your Macon Magazine while on vacation is becoming a common habit for our readers, and we like it!

1. While visiting Tadg O’Mahoney’s native County Cork, Ireland, Kristie, Tim, Pauline and Tadg O’Mahoney share a copy Macon Magazine. 2. Dick and Rusty George spent Christmas and New Years Eve on a culture and education tour of Cuba. They’re seen here in Plaza de San Francisco in Old Havana taking a carriage ride, with the Cuban flag in the background

2

1

9

7

2

5

0

1

9

7

2

5

0

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 InQuicker MidState HalfPg 2012

MACON MAGAZINE I 17

Facesin medicine

ADVERTISEMENT

new

Pictured left to right is Ajay Srivastava, MD, and Nnamdi K. Nwaohiri, MD.

Mercer Medicine

657 He mlo ck S t re e t , S u it e 200 | M a c on, G A 3 1 2 0 1 | (4 7 8 ) 3 0 1 -2 1 0 9

What is the latest project that Mercer Medicine nephrologists are doing to improve health care for dialysis patients in Central Georgia?

Ajay Srivastava, MD, and Nnamdi K. Nwaohiri, MD, are nephrologists with Mercer Medicine, the multi-specialty physician practice and clinical component of the Mercer University School of Medicine.

The project that both Dr. Srivastava and Dr. Nwaohiri are most excited about is a collaborative effort between the Mercer University School of Medicine and the Piedmont Transplant Institute of Atlanta to open a satellite transplant clinic in Macon. The clinic, which will initially focus on kidney transplants, is scheduled to open in April 2013 and operate out of the Mercer Medicine Internal Medicine Clinic at 707 Pine Street.

Who would benefit from these advancements?

With the best kidney transplant survival rates in the state of Georgia and among the country—for both the transplanted organ and patient—the accessibility of a Piedmont Transplant satellite clinic in Macon could literally be a lifesaver for both dialysis patients and those nearing dialysis in the Central Georgia community.

With this satellite clinic, patients can have their transplant evaluations performed here in Macon. Although the actual transplant would be performed in Atlanta, the pre- and posttransplant evaluations and follow-up could be completed within affordable driving distance to patients’ homes.

18 l MACON MAGAZINE

Also through this collaboration, the School of Medicine has the opportunity to create landmark training fellowships in both Infectious Disease and Nephrology that will expand subspecialty training for medical residents and elevate the caliber of physicians Mercer graduates into Georgia communities.

Why are these advancements important to Macon and the Central Georgia community?

According to Dr. Srivastava, Chief of the Nephrology Division for the School of Medicine, the combination of tough economic conditions and little or no insurance coverage doesn’t leave many options for patients needing treatment for kidney or renal diseases. “Therefore, it is not uncommon for patients to drive an hour or longer to Macon to receive that much needed specialized care provided by specialists with Mercer Medicine. That’s why it’s important that we as practicing physicians and teachers of medicine make advanced and innovative health care accessible to all those in need,” he explains.

Where can patients get more information?

For more information about Mercer Medicine, its physicians, and the new transplant clinic, please call (478) 301-2528.

Mercer Medicine currently employs more than 80 full-time physicians, nurse clinicians, and support staff at clinic locations in downtown Macon.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

bits & pieces / BUSINESS BRIEFS

Murphey Named New Director

Cox Communications has selected Lynn Murphey to serve as the executive field director for the Middle Georgia market. Murphey, who was in Macon Magazine’s first group of Five Under Forty young leaders in 2001, will oversee day-to-day operations for Cox and work with local and regional Cox leaders. She will also serve as a liaison for employees, customers, key community leaders and the communities Cox serves in the greater Macon/Warner Robins areas.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to expand my role with Cox and assume additional operational responsibilities,” said Murphey.

Prior to accepting this new role, Murphey served as the vice president of public affairs for Cox’s Florida/Georgia region. She helped introduce several of Middle Georgia’s best practices to the region including a volunteer program that allows Cox employees to take time off to volunteer and provides grants to local charities where employees serve. She has also served as Cox’s local lead for the expanded pilot program for Connect 2 Compete in Middle Georgia, a broadband adoption program that’s helping low-income families get connected to the Internet.

Murphey is a graduate of Mercer University and an active supporter of the community. She is a United States Air Force Community Liaison for Robins Air Force Base, a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Macon and Leadership Warner Robins, and a Gov. Sonny Perdue appointee to the Georgia Commission on Women.

She has served on the board of directors for the Warner Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce as well as the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. She is actively involved with the Macon Rotary Club, the Knight Foundation’s community advisory committee, the Georgia Cable Association, and various other community and civic organizations.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

A . L, 

N L  F S M, GA 

MACON MAGAZINE I 19

how

bits & pieces

SWEET it is!

Valentine’s Day is a lovely holiday. Or better still, it is THE lovey holiday: a time to celebrate that most important other person in your life. For many of us, that means flowers, a box of chocolates and, perhaps, a nice dinner.

But there are people who have Valentine’s traditions they repeat every year.

For example:

Betsy Jones’ family gets their Valentine’s Day off to an early start.

“Our family exchanges Valentine’s Day cards in the morning,” she said. “Mom has always made a wonderful Valentine’s morning feast with pink grits, strawberry slices and heart shaped toast. Last year, instead of heart-shaped toast she did cinnamon sugar toast. This meal is served on her Pink Willow china that depicts a love story. The pink plates are accompanied with personalized placemats, large tea cups filled with coffee and little cupids sitting around.”

BJ and Gene Dunwody have certainly made it a day to remember. Eight years ago they were engaged on Valentine’s Day. A year later, they were married on the special day, and one year after that BJ found out she was pregnant on Valentine’s Day. While that all sounds very romantic, BJ had a logical reason for choosing Valentine’s as her wedding day.

“The reason we got married on Valentine’s Day is so Gene wouldn’t forget our anniversary,” she said, “and it wouldn’t conflict with the ACC (basketball) tournament!”

BJ and Gene Dunwody with all their children at their Valentine’s Day wedding.

Some traditions are simple: “We simply love laughing together,” Steve Bell said of him and his wife, Laura.

“Whether we stay in with our two children or go out with friends, we require laughter on Valentine’s Day.” AND SOME ARE SIMPLY SWEET:

Susannah Maddux makes a chocolate chess pie for her husband, Tripp, each Valentine’s Day.

“In our early dating days, he said he was nervous. He didn’t have much of an appetite for sweets, but I knew that if we were going to last that wasn’t going to work for my sweets-loving nature,” she said.

“So, when he had my stepdad’s chocolate chess pie, it was the first time I had seen him eat dessert. And he seemed to quite enjoy it (as I sighed with relief )! On our first Valentine’s Day, I made him that pie. And I will make it for the ninth time this year.

Want to start a sweet tradition of your own?

Here’s Maddux’s pie recipe.

Chuck’s Chocolate Chess Pie 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/3 cup cocoa 1 1/4 cups melted butter 4 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup evaporated milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 9-inch unbaked pie shells

Combine sugar, cocoa and melted butter. Mix well. Add eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla.

Mix well. Pour mixture into 2 pie shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 min or until middle is set.

m

Do you have a Valentine’s tradition? Will you start a new one this year? Share with us on social media with #VDayMaconMag.

GET THE SPIRITS Riverside Cemetery’s popular spirit stroll will make another ghostly appearance, this time in March. From March 15-24 you can enjoy a one-hour guided tour featuring actors dressed in period costumes who will bring to life the stories of individuals who are buried in the cemetery. The tours cost $10. For more information, go to riversidecemeteryconservancy.org or call 478-742-5328.

20 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

bits & pieces

The Leadership Macon class of 2013 has been announced. The class includes:

Nicole Abdou, Tubman Museum Ernesto Aguirre, El Sombrero Catherin Aplin, Cherry Blossom Matthews Barnett, Mass Mutual Kevin Barrere, Bibb County Commissioners Shana Burton, Virginia College Lisa Castro-Poveda, BB&T Dudley “Benjie� Christie, Medical Center of Central Georgia Matthew Cloutier, Robins Federal Credit Union Ashley Deadwyler, Mercer University Law School Frank Dixon, PeaceKeepers Laronda Eason, Macon Housing Authority/The Buck Melton Center Bob Easter, Sell & Melton, LLC Tanya Edge, Cumulus Radio Latanya Foster, Mercer University Upward Bound James Freeman, Attorney Cortez Garrett, Media Displays Marketing Group Jennifer Haskins, Jen Haskins Law Susan Headley, Macon Occupational Medicine Chris Howard, Cox Communications Tim Hughes, Jani-King of Macon Thomas Huyck, James-Bates-Brannan-Groover, LLP Christopher Jackson, Lighthouse & Co., LLC Stephanie Jones, City of Macon Amber Jones, NewsCentral WGXA Erica Kemp, Armstrong World Industries Mark Lees, Georgia Power Freddie Pooler, Macon Police Department Audrey Purcell, The Medical Center of Central Georgia Tim Regan-Porter, Center for Collaborative Journalism, Mercer University Bill Reynolds, Stratford Academy Quinn Rolfes, Capital City Bank Amy Rowley, Cox Media/Cox Communications Terry Schwindler, Macon Economic Development Commission Shamani-Jeffrey Shikwambi, Middle Georgia State College Andrew Silver, Mercer University Spencer Strickland, State Bank and Trust Company Sarah Tabor, Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce Charles Timmons, Cox Business Kathy Tolbert, Medcen Foundation Justin Towers, Bibb Distributing Stuart Walker, Martin Snow, LLP Lisa Wicker, Twin Cedars Youth & Family Services, Inc. Matt Widner, Widner and Associates FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 21

Rock by matt miller

Photography by kirk west

of ages

Photos capture history of rock, blues and country music stars

Tom Waits. Oct. 19, 1978. Park West, Chicago. “I had gotten to know Tom a bit and shot him repeatedly for several years … He was truly an actor who sang, rather than a singer who posed.”

Sometimes life goes by so fast; there isn’t time for reflection.

Or so it seemed to photographer Kirk West when he recalled his years as a hustling young photographer in the clubs and concert halls of 1970s and ‘80s Chicago. “You know, when you’re shooting, and you’re freelancing, you shoot everything that you have the opportunity to,” the bearded, tattooed and gregarious photographer said. “And, if you go out and shoot the (Rolling) Stones, and you know you can only sell three pictures, you pick out the best three, and then you put the rest away.”

Thirty years and a half-dozen moves later, West is revisiting his past and cataloging the hundreds of thousands of mostly unseen photographic negatives in the attic of his Macon home. The photos captured artists such as Mick Jagger, Bob Marley, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Etta James and B.B. King, among many others, at the height of their creative powers.

Bob Marley. Nov. 13, 1979. The Uptown Theatre, Chicago. “It’s the only time I shot marley. I had seen him twice before and knew the shot I was waiting for and when it came I was ready … a very heavy rasta night, for sure.”

Waylon Jennings. Aug. 29, 1980. Poplar Creek Amphitheater, Hoffman Estates, Ill. “Ladies love outlaws, and Waylon was the best outlaw there was.”

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 23

Etta James. June, 9, 1985. Grant Park, Chicago. “Etta was the sexiest 300-pound woman I ever saw.”

Johnny Paycheck and Merle Haggard. Oct. 31, 1980. Countryside Opry, Chicago. “Bourbon, coke and a little bit of smoke, these ol’ boys were rode hard and put up wet.”

24 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

“I spent two full years upstairs in my office scanning negatives and reliving my life,” West said, chuckling at the enormity of the task. “I have lived long enough so that the people that I had access and intimacy with are icons. These are unseen pictures of icons, so that’s pretty cool. I’ve had a great time.”

As West’s vast collection is painstakingly unpacked, scanned and catalogued with the help of Getty Images, the music world is coming to the realization that the catalogue -- which covers Chicago’s blues, rock and country music scenes at a time of cultural flux and upheaval from 1968 to the early ‘90s -- represents some of the finest work in the history of music photography. West’s sharp black and white prints were recently featured on CNN’s photo blog, and requests have flowed in from authors and editors around the world looking to use West’s images in books and magazines.

In addition to well-received gallery shows in New York and Chicago, West is looking forward to the collection’s Macon debut at Macon Arts Alliance. The exhibit begins March 1. “We think it’s going to be one of our premier exhibits this year,” Macon Arts Alliance Director of Communications Jonathan Dye said. “Kirk has worked with so many legendary musicians, and he has been at places where history was made.”

The future looks brighter when you plan for it.

HOOKED BY THE BLUES

Born and raised in the tiny town of Nevada, Iowa, in the 1950s and ‘60s, West’s sole connection to the artists he would someday photograph were Chicago blues and rock radio stations that broadcast the sounds of Paul Butterfield and Junior Walker out across the prairie. “I was enthralled by the music,” West said. “The blues hooked me good.”

A budding interest in photography began when his grandmother bought him a camera, which he used to take photos of hot rods. “I was a little gear head growing up,” West said. But when the young photographer moved to Chicago after graduating from high school, music took over as a primary subject. “It was 1968, and (stuff) was

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

DAY & ENNIS, LLC

FEE-ONLY FINANCIAL PLANNING

www.dayandennis.com (478) 474-7480

MACON MAGAZINE I 25

26 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

breaking out all over,” West said with a smile. “San Francisco was too far, but Chicago was an eight-hour drive from where I grew up, so I settled there and dug in with both feet.”

Almost immediately, West was getting work as a photographer and developing a shooting style that put musicians at ease. “It’s a matter of being ... appropriate,” he said, explaining a professional style that granted him unprecedented access to legendary musicians at the moment they let their guard down. “I learned a lot about that by dealing with the blues cats,” West said. “Access was easier. You’d find yourself in the basement of a blues joint and Muddy Waters is sitting right there.

“Basically, it’s just knowing when to pull the camera out. Always have it with you, and know when to put it to your face.”

It is this social ease -- as much as his skills as a photographer and film processor -- that sets West’s work apart. Whether it was capturing road-weary singers Johnny Paycheck and Merle Haggard sharing a drink and smoke after a set, or leaning in as Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins share a joke before taking the stage, West’s photos are intimate, casual, and honest.

Amazingly, West’s gift for teasing out the intensely personal in his subjects often carries over to his shots of musicians on stage, as seen in an ethereal close up of Tom Waits’ head wreathed in smoke as he delivers in a gravelly vocal or in an equally arresting photo of falsetto crooner Slim Whitman sharing a moment of serene harmony onstage with his son.

Uniquely C urious D

iscovery is one of education’s greatest experiences, and in science class many of our students experience the joy of discovery. In 2011, Stratford opened its new science center which is equipped with stateof-the-art labs, prep rooms, Smartboard technology, an 80-seat, fully-wired lecture hall and meeting and classroom space. The science center is middle Georgia’s newest and most advanced facility. With technology and science careers being the foundation for our society’s economic future, Stratford is preparing its students for later success.

Exploring a curiosity for learning and discovery in the most state-of-the-art facilities, is another way we are ...

Uniquely Stratford.

Stratford academy 6010 Peake Road, Macon, Georgia 31220 • (478) 477-8073 • www.stratford.org

The Who. Dec. 8, 1979. International Amphitheater, Chicago. “Boys will be boys.”

June Carter Cash. April, 1, 1984. George Jones’ house, east Texas. “A most gracious woman, gentle, kind and very easy to photograph. A pleasure.”

Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Feb. 18, 1982. Madison, Wisc.

“Three-fourths of the ‘Million-Dollar Quartet,’ on tour as ‘The Survivors’ (Elvis, the fourth member of the quartet, was already dead). Jerry Lee just laid one on ‘em.”

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 27

MOVING TO MACON

Mick Jagger. Nov. 24, 1981. Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Ill. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones!”

After marrying his wife and fellow blues lover, Kirsten, in 1991, West felt the need for a change, and the couple decided to move to Macon to buy the Big House -- the former home of the Allman Brothers -- in 1993. The photographer first saw the original Allman Brothers Band at a club in Chicago in 1970 and soon after traveled with friends to the Atlanta Pop Festival in Byron in the summer of 1970 to see the band again. “It was my first venture South, and I made countless trips since,” West said.

In the late 1980s, West was on a short tour with the Allman Brothers Band photographing them for their record company, and within days he was surprised when he was asked to be an assistant tour manager. “They had hired a freelance tour manager who really didn’t know how to contend with them,” West said. By the next tour months later, the old manager was gone, and the photographer was an assistant tour manager. “I said, ‘I don’t know anything about tour managing,’” West said, “and they

said, ‘no, but you know how to talk with people.’ ”

After turning the Big House into an informal museum and favorite hang out for former band members and groupies on pilgrimage, West and his wife were ready for their next move, this time to a beautiful arts-and-crafts cottage across town.

“Nine months out of the year, when we pull into the neighborhood, I feel like I’m entering Rivendale,” West said with a chuckle, referring to a verdant and dramatic setting in author J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series. Although this is the first house West has owned without a dark room since leaving Iowa, the veteran photographer is as engaged as ever in his field, but this time with an eye toward his legacy.

“I always knew that photography would be an endgame,” he said, pausing a slideshow of his photos cycling on his Mac. “It turns out that these photos are remarkable, classic-era stuff that no one has seen. I put them away for 25 years, and now I’ve come back to it.” M

Mena!

Mena is a smiling, sweet girl who weighs about 25-30 pounds. Mena is a beautiful blend who is petite, submissive, and people and dog friendly. She has a very loving personality and would make a great addition to any family.

Mena is with the All About Animals Rescue group. For more information call Janet Battcher at 478-394-0282 or go the the CARES Homeless Pet Club Facebook page at www.facebook.com/careshomelesspetclub All About Animals Rescue is one of the members of CARES Homeless Pet Club. Through CARES Mena is sponsored by Ahn’s Tae Kwon Do until she is adopted.

28 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Kirk West’s photography exhibit at Macon Arts Alliance’s gallery, 486 First St., begins with an opening First Friday reception March 1 from 5-8 p.m. The show will be on display through the end of the month.

Iggy Pop and The Stooges. Nov. 17, 1979. Park West, Chicago. “I wanna be your dog.”

The Police. Nov. 8, 1979. The Aragon, Chicago. “I spent two days photographing The Police on their second U.S. tour … in-store autograph sessions, radio appearances and this dealio, roller skating with radio station contest winners. What a hoot! And Sting in a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt! What a long strange trip it’s been.”

hotplatesgroup.com

Create Your Own Stir-Fry

Opening soon.

496 Second Street | Macon, Ga. 31201 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 29

Rockon by matt miller

Photography by danny gilleland

Since moving from his Alabama home to Macon in 1969 to work at Capricorn Records, pianist Chuck Leavell has been a force on the American Music scene. He’s been an integral member of the Allman Brothers Band, The Rolling Stones and Sea Level, his influential jazz/rock fusion band. He’s had high-profile associations with Eric Clapton, George Harrison and John Mayer. And through it all Leavell has revolutionized the role of the piano in Rock and Roll.

But he’s so much more. Leavell is an environmental activist, tree farmer and author. He and his wife, Rose Lane, actively manage Charlane Plantation, their tree farm in Dry Branch. He regularly contributes articles to his website Mother Nature News. He’s the author of a number of well-received books, including his most recent “Growing a Better America.” He also regularly works with state and local

30 l MACON MAGAZINE

2012 WAS A YEAR TO REMEMBER FOR CHUCK LEAVELL

(and that’s saying something)

governments in favor of policies that conserve natural resources and protect the environment. And he was recently named one of the 100 most influential Georgians

by Georgia Trend magazine.

Matt Miller caught up with him in Dry Branch, following his successful world tour with the Rolling Stones, celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Matt Miller: You won a lifetime achievement Grammy with the Allman Brothers Band this year, among many other accolades. This has been a great year for you.

Chuck Leavell: It has indeed been an extraordinary year … back in February of 2012 when things started kicking off with the Grammy, which was wonderful to stand with my old pals Gregg, Jaimoe, Butch and the rest of the guys, and it’s very special to be recognized for the work that

we did back in the day and to know that that music is holding up after all this time.

Just after that, I received an award from the U.S. Forest Service.

MM: You were named an honorary forest ranger, right?

CL: Yes. Chief (Tom) Tidwell (head of the U.S. Forest Service) came down to Atlanta for the ceremony. To me, what was really exciting about that was to see all those wonderful people, close to 200 in uniform, who work so hard for the Forest Service.

That was really impressive, something I’ll never forget.

MM: In addition to your own record, “Back to the Woods,” that came out this year, you also had a chance to work with John Mayer.

CL: I was lucky to work on John Mayer’s latest album, “Born and Raised.” He was

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

a special guest with us on some Stones shows. I suggested him to the guys. I said I’ve been working with this guy; he’s amazing, really getting more popular in the states, and I was really grateful that they jumped on that and had him on board. But anyway, doing his record was really a special thing.

I guess it was May when “Back to the Woods” (Leavell’s most recent album celebrating blues piano influences) came out. It’s done better than any record I’ve had out so far. It was a fun project to do. It was very special to celebrate these wonderful blues piano players who deserve more attention.

MM: There are still more musical highlights from 2012, right?

CL: Well, my band played at the New Orleans Jazz festival for five or six thousand people, which was great.

At around that time, I got an e-mail from Mick Jagger asking if I could make some rehearsals in New York. It had been five years since the band had worked together, and I was like, ‘It’s about time!’

The rehearsals went really well. Everybody was in great shape, and at the end of it, I said ‘Mick, this is all good and fun, but can you tell me the purpose of this exercise?’

And he said, ‘well, we’re thinking about doing some shows before the year is out, and I’ll let you know soon.’ So the next thing we did was record two new songs, “Doom and Gloom” and “One More Shot,” and we had a meeting around August during that recording process, and decided to pull the trigger, announcing the 2012 tour, and we went to Paris for rehearsals on October first. We then did two unannounced shows in Paris, and one was at a club that seats about 600, and those are always special to do. And that would have been the first time in five years that the band played in public, so it was very special.

From Paris we went to London, to Wembley arena. We did two shows at the O2 Arena in London, and they were wildly successful. It was special because (the Stones) were back in their hometown, and incidentally, that was the last place we had performed together back in ‘07. So, it was kind of like we picked up where we left off.

MM: And 2012 was your 30th year with the band, right?

CL: Yes, it was my 30th year with the Stones, and their 50th anniversary as a group.

One other milestone: I turned 60 in 2012. I played the jazz festival that I told you about two days before the birthday,

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

and we had a party there in New Orleans at a wonderful restaurant called Arnauds.

We rented the whole upstairs, and had all the band members, friends and family. So when you put that all together along with the Stones’ New York shows, including 12/12/12 benefit for Hurricane Sandy victims -- I was honored to be involved with that – and, wow, all of that made for one heck of year.

MM: And we haven’t even gotten to your writing, your book and your environment activism, notably through your Mother Nature Network website.

CL: I’m so glad you mentioned that because that is the other big story of 2012 – the merger of Mother Nature Network with Discovery (Communications). We

merged with Treehugger.com and Planet Green, which are two websites run by Discovery, and that will certainly double our visitations. We are in the process of integrating those sites; it will probably take four to six months, but we’re really excited about that.

MM: How did your environmental interest come about?

CL: Well, I’m a child of the ‘60s, of course, with the cultural revolution that went on during those times; environmentalism was part of it. (But) it wasn’t until I met my wife’s family (who) has been connected to the land for generations – tending cattle, other livestock, and also tending forest lands (that) it really struck me.

One of the most important things in MACON MAGAZINE I 31

our lives is looking after our land and being good stewards of our land, and that’s what led to my interest in forestry.

In 1981, we inherited some land from her grandmother, and it became our responsibility to carry on this stewardship.

So we began to plant trees and actively manage the land for forestry. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became.

That’s what led to the advocacy and the writing of the books and so on.

MM: We’ve been talking about this past year, but can you bring us up to the present?

CL: Well, we finished the run with the Stones. And everyone was very happy and healthy, and the shows were totally successful. And so the band is now contemplating doing more shows this year. It’s not confirmed yet, there will be some more meetings this month, and proposals are on the table, I do know that. I certainly hope they do. I would love to be a part of it and continue what I think were the beginnings of some great shows.

I’m also contemplating my next move.

I enjoyed recording the blues album so much that I may stick in the roots music area. I’m also hoping to work more with John Mayer; he’s recovering from a throat ailment, but I’m confident he’ll make a full recovery very soon. He’s a great guy and an incredible artist.

MM: Do you have any books or other writing in the works?

CL: I’m thinking about what the next book will be. “Growing a Better America” was an important thing for me to do. I feel so strongly that we need to address these issues that get put on the shelf, especially with our do-nothing Congress. You know, the environment was barely mentioned during the campaign, and I’m hoping now after the inauguration, that hopefully we will address these issues once again. And that was the theme of the book: We’re putting an awful lot of pressure on our lands and natural resources, and we really need to wake up and pursue clean, green energy and conserve more.

MM: Well, after that answer, I have to ask: Would you accept a federal cabinet position?

CL: (Laughs) Well, if something came up along those lines, and I thought I could make a difference, I would consider it. But, hey, I’m still rocking and rolling right now. M

32 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

PETSPERTS

Answering questions about your four-footed family member EDITOR’S NOTE: Gateway Macon’s “Macon Mogul Challenge” offered to help finance the location of a business in Macon’s downtown. TailsSpin, a pet store with locations in Savannah, won the challenge with the best business plan, according to the judges. Macon Magazine is happy to provide a forum for the store’s owners, Jusak Yang Bernhard and Jeff Manley, who have offered to answer readers’ questions about pet ownership and care. Send your questions to maconmag@maconmagazine.com or post them on the Macon Magazine Facebook page. In their first column, they have answered questions they often get at their stores.

What is the best food for a new puppy?

Unless you have a Great Dane puppy, it is important that you feed your dog puppy food. Puppy food contains more fat and protein to maintain proper growth.

Knowing the ingredients is important. A lot is being written about dog food containing cheap fillers such as corn, wheat, soy and by-products. Recent research shows that many dogs are allergic to these fillers. Some of the symptoms to watch with allergies are feet licking, excessive scratching, dry skin, change in skin color, watery eyes and stained tears. We always suggest our customers check out www.dogfoodadvisor. com and www.seebeyondthebag.com websites for quality ratings and ingredient information. Feeding quality food does not need to break the bank, either. Speak to your local stores to find affordable food that fits your budget. Quality food means less feeding and healthier pets.

Is there a proven method for house training a new dog or puppy?

Routine is the operative word here.

Establishing a routine is important. This should cover feeding, walking, playing and exercising. Check out the website www. humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/ housetraining_puppies.html. Housetraining takes time, but proper training will give you a lifetime of unconditional love from your pet. Confinement or crating will help eliminate some of your frustration and may be something to consider, too. This video helps you understand what to do: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNCKbj4dQI. Are there any indestructible dog toys? My dog destroys everything he plays with.

Our most requested items, by far, from our customers is for indestructible toys. The bad news is that there is no such thing. Dogs are descendants of wolves; instinctively, they want to kill those annoying squeakers and un-fluff a toy. There are toys to consider …

Kong-type of toys, filled with peanut butter and frozen, are always favorites and keep dogs entertained. Antlers will give your puppy or dog hours and hours of chewing

time, with no smell or splinters to worry about while cleaning the plaque on your dog’s teeth. Supporting local vendors, we are also great fans of Savannah’s Fluff and Tuff toys, www.fluffandtuff.com.

How much exercise is necessary for a puppy?

Establishing an exercising and socializing schedule is important in your puppy’s growth. Regular walks should be included in your daily routine. Hey, this way, you can get some exercising as well. Cesar Millan, the National Geographic’s dog trainer guru, always believes an hour a day, away from home, is necessary. Here in Macon, we have a great dog park on the corner of Chestnut and Adams streets. You can use the smalldog area for your puppy to socialize with other dogs. The philosophy is that the more exposure your puppy has with other dogs, the better he’ll be later. This is also a good way to network and socialize with other dog owners in town. Most importantly, know that tired dogs are good dogs. M

TailsSpin staff, left to right, Joey Betancourt, Britt Hallmark, Daniel Polk, with owners Jeff Manley and Jusak Yang Bernhard.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 33

by susannah maddux

Photography by danny gilleland

HOW TO:

We ask the pros to show us how to “Do It Yourself.”

D

I

Get the Perfect Blowout

Y

Nichole Mitchell is the owner and stylist at Signature Salon on Forsyth Road and the soon-to-open Signature Blowout & Beauty Bar in a brand new location. Here are her expert tips for creating the blowout at home. But, we also realize that in the end, you may just want to let the experts do the work.

12

YOU CAN’T HAVE THE PERFECT FINISH WITHOUT AN EQUALLY PERFECT START. Shampoo with volume shampoo and conditioner. While damp, apply root lifting foam at roots and rub thermal/styling spray through ends.

DRY YOUR HAIR ONLY 80 PERCENT. No need for a brush.

Focus on drying roots in opposite direction you want them to lay. Try flipping your head over while drying your hair if your hair is longer.

34

GET A SMOOTH ENDING. Use a round brush to smooth out your freshly blown hair, and blow dry the remaining 20 percent. Hit the cool setting on your blow dryer once the hair is dry to “set” the look.

34 l MACON MAGAZINE

GO CURLED OR STRAIGHT. Always use a heat protecting spray before using any hot tool. For voluminous curls, let the curls cool before running fingers or a brush through; this will help the style last longer. For a straight look, do not use your flat iron too close to the root (unless you have curly hair). Doing so will flatten the volume you have just created with the blow dryer.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

NICHOLE IS A FAN OF ENJOY AND KENRA PRODUCTS. She uses: > Enjoy Volume Shampoo

and Conditioner

5

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

> Kenra Root Lifting Foam

> Enjoy Thermal/Styling Spray Tease for volume in the crown, and set with spray.

> Kenra Hot Spray > Kenra Super Hold 25

MACON MAGAZINE I 35

by jennifer mayer

Historic Macon SHOWHOUSE IN APRIL In addition to the loft project, Historic Macon is gearing up for its biennial Decorators’ Showhouse, which will take place in April and showcases a beautiful historic home and the talents of area decorators. The home, located at 1120 Georgia Ave., will be open for daily tours April 18-28. Historic Macon will host the pre-construction Hard Hat Party on Feb. 7 at the showhouse. This event gives attendees the chance to view the home before renovation and decorating.

LOFTY GOALS Historic Macon Foundation’s first downtown loft project is under way. Thanks to the support of The 1772 Foundation, The E.J. Grassmann Trust and the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Historic Macon has completed fundraising to meet the challenge from the Peyton Anderson Foundation to establish a $500,000 revolving fund for downtown Macon.

Historic Macon’s preservation committee identified a derelict building at 551 Cherry St. as the first property for this fund.

The building is in a prime location. It’s between Cherry Street Hookah and the Rookery. Its back wall adjoins Downtown Grill, a well-known dining spot that faces Mulberry Street Lane. Loft residents will be in walking distance from Macon’s restaurants, nightlife, museums, entertainment and health care.

Historic Macon now owns the building and is currently reviewing architectural proposals for the 3,600-square-foot loft project.

Construction will begin in the next few months to convert the building into three to four residential lofts and one commercial storefront, all to be sold to owner-occupants. Historic Macon’s hope is to establish a core of homeowners in downtown Macon and to entice private developers to produce owner-occupied housing for the long-term stability of downtown revitalization.

36 l MACON MAGAZINE

The Top Hat Gala, the preview party for the showhouse, will be held on April 17, the evening before the home opens for daily tours. Guests will see the beautiful work of the decorators and enjoy an evening of food, drink and fun. A catered dinner and an open bar will be included. The Top Hat Gala will take place at the Woodruff House while the showhouse is open for viewing.

A trolley will run between the two locations throughout the evening.

Be sure to read the Historic Macon update in the April/May issue of Macon Magazine, which will include more information about the home at 1120 Georgia Ave. For more details about Decorators’ Showhouse events, as well as sponsorship and ticketing information, visit www. historicmacon.org or call (478) 742-5084.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF MACON MAGAZINE

FEB/MARCH 2013

Macon Arts Alliance P.O. Box 972 486 First Street Macon, Georgia 31202 (478) 743-6940 MaconArtsAlliance.org

Lighting the fire of imagination

by JAN BEELAND Executive Director of Macon Arts Alliance

The world is changing rapidly. Modern life is driven by technology, but behind all new technology is imagination. The ability to dream Andrea Williford, President up the things that don’t yet exist is at the heart Jan Beeland, President Elect of innovation. A quote on one of the ceramic plaques made by Malena Bisanti-Wall hanging Janice Ross, Secretary in The Gallery sums it up well: “‘Nothing happens Pat Muse, Treasurer unless first a dream’ - Sandburg” Jim Bodell, Past President At Macon Arts Alliance, we realize the role Tori DeGraw Jennings, Special Events Chair the arts play in our modern world. Anyone can buy a few tubes of paint and some brushes, Kelvin Akles but it is an artist who has the imagination to Lauren Benedict see the beautiful image those tools can create.

Barbara Boyer Musical notes are just ink on paper until the Craig Burkhalter Macon Symphony Orchestra turns them into Brenda Cooper a memorable performance. The arts have the Betsy Fitzgerald power to make the impossible seem possible.

Steven Fulbright Young people who experience the arts grow Terrie Heard up to have the imagination required to be an Sam Macfie innovator.

Tamara Patterson

As Macon Arts Alliance begins its 29th year, Anslie Perkel we must also be innovators in how we approach Russell C. Poss Ruth Solomon and achieve our mission. The Arts Alliance Sherry Tift was founded in 1984 to foster the arts and Kay Veal maintain the community calendar. Less

Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

Board of Directors 2012-13

Staff Jan Beeland Executive Director Jonathan Dye Director of Communications Vivian Hallmark Gallery Staff Jim McClendon Director of Development Heatherly Wakefield Director of Fine Art Cover art by Geoff Pickett

MACON MAGAZINE

than a year ago, Macon Arts Alliance launched Ovations365.com and transformed the way we engage our audiences. On February 1, 2013, we launched an updated mobile website, which can be accessed on any mobile device by visiting Ovations365.com. The transformation of Macon Arts Alliance continues in 2013.

While our First Friday opening receptions at The Gallery are always a treat, our Director of Fine Art, Heatherly Wakefield, has raised the bar with this year’s schedule of events. We’re also expanding Fired Works, our signature

ceramics exhibit and sale, which takes place every April in Central City Park. This year we will showcase 70 Georgia and regional artists under the dome of the Round Building. We’ve added clay workshops for teachers and a “Pickin’ and Pottery” event on the last Friday of the exhibit.

Arts education is always a priority for Macon Arts Alliance. We recently began a partnership with Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation to offer monthly workshops on arts and humanities topics. These programs are provided through generous support from the Elam Alexander Trust. The goal is to inspire and educate the community in hopes to light the fire of imagination in community members young and old.

To learn more about Macon Arts Alliance, please visit MaconArtsAlliance.org. For a complete list of upcoming events and workshops, visit Ovations365.com.

OVATIONS

ATTRACTIONS & DESTINATIONS The Big House: Allman Brothers Band Museum Thursday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission $3 - $7. (478) 741-5551.

TheBigHouseMuseum.org.

2321 Vineville Ave. Gift shop.

Middle Georgia Art Association Gallery Tuesday – Friday, Noon – 5 p.m.

Saturday, Noon – 3 p.m.

(478) 744-9557.

MiddleGeorgiaArt.org.

2330 Ingleside Ave. Gallery.

Cannonball House Weekdays, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Saturdays, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Admission $2-$6. (478) 745-5982.

CannonballHouse.org.

856 Mulberry St. Gift shop.

Monroe Arts Alliance Gallery Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Free admission. (478) 994-8668.

MonroeArts.blogspot.com.

54 N Jackson St., Forsyth. Gallery.

Federated Garden Clubs of Macon Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

(478) 742-0921.

AdmissionFGCMacon.org.

730 College St. Georgia Children’s Museum Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Admission $4. (478) 755-9539.

GeorgiaChildrensMuseum.com.

370 Cherry St. Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. $3.50 - $8. (478) 752-1585.

GSHF.org. 301 Cherry St. Gift shop.

Golden Bough Bookstore Tuesday–Saturday, Noon-7 p.m.

Free admission. (478) 744-2446.

371 Cotton Ave. GoldenBough.com.

Store.

The Gallery at Macon Arts Alliance Weekdays, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Saturdays, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Free admission. (478) 743-6940.

MaconArts.org. 486 First St. Gallery.

OVATIONS

Ocmulgee National Monument Daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission.

(478) 752-8257. NPS.gov/Ocmu.

1207 Emery Hwy. Gift shop.

Riverside Cemetery RiversideCemerteryConservancy.org.

Open all the time. (478) 742-5328.

1301 Riverside Dr. Sidney Lanier Cottage Thursday–Saturday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. $2 - $5. (478) 743-3851.

HistoricMacon.org.

935 High St. Gift shop.

Tubman African American Museum Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(478) 743-8544.

TubmanMuseum.com.

340 Walnut St. Gift shop.

O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

Hay House Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Sunday, 1- 4 p.m. $4 -$8.

(478) 742-8155. HayHouse.org.

934 Georgia Ave. Gift shop.

Museum of Arts & Sciences Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m. $4 - $8.

Free for students and Bibb County residents the last Friday of each month, 5- 8 p.m. (478) 477-3232.

MASMacon.com.

4182 Forsyth Rd. Gift shop.

MACON MAGAZINE

Tesa DuPre

Allyh McDonald

Todd Runkle

Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

A Regional Ceramics Exhibition and Sale April 13-21, 2013 in the Round Building at Central City Park $5 with unlimited return visits, Free with Student ID The 8th Annual Fired Works Regional Ceramics Exhibition and Sale will be held April 13-21, 2013 in the Historic Round Building in Central City Park in Macon.

The 2013 exhibit will feature 70 Georgia and Southeastern artists.

Fired Works began as a local pottery show and has grown to become the largest exhibit of functional and sculptural pottery in the state of Georgia. This year’s nine-day exhibit and sale will include special events such as Clay Workshops for Kids & Teens, Clay in the Classroom, Cocktails and Clay, Pickin’ & Pottery, artist talks and more. A Special Preview Party will be held Friday, April 12 with live music, food, and an exclusive chance to purchase work before the exhibit opens to the public.

MACON MAGAZINE

New to this year’s schedule is Clay in the Classroom, a workshop in which ceramic artists and pottery experts help teachers explore new ways to integrate clay into their curriculum. It’s great for homeschool parents too. Another new event this year is “Pickin’ and Pottery,” a fun and exciting Bluegrass Concert to be held on Friday, April 19 in Central City Park. There’s something for everyone at the 8th Annual Fired Works.

Fired Works is a program of the Macon Arts Alliance, whose mission is to create an environment where arts and culture thrive and central Georgia is recognized as an unparalleled cultural destination. This exhibit supports the artists and artisans that make Georgia and central Georgia a fun and creative place to live and visit.

Fired Works Preview Party April 12, 2013, 6-9 p.m.

Tickets $40 Featuring more than 6000 pieces of pottery for sale, Fired Works is the largest exhibit of functional and sculptural pottery in Georgia. For those eager to get their hands on the best pieces by these 70 artists, the Preview Party is a chance to beat the crowds and find the absolute best ceramics for sale. The Fired Works Preview Party features live music, food, and fun.

Enjoy this special chance to meet and mingle with many of the artists in the show.

OVATIONS

Erik Haagensen

Malena Bisanti-Wall

Barry Gregg

O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

OVATIONS

MACON MAGAZINE

North Carolina artist Frank Vickery to unveil new work at Fired Works

by JONATHAN DYE

Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

Frank Vickery loves clay. He enjoys working in the mud. Though entrenched in the long history of the field, he is highly engaged in contemporary developments.

His work ranges from traditional forms to avant-garde sculpture. In April, he will be the featured regional artist at the 8th Annual Fired Works Ceramics Exhibit and Sale.

Vickery graduated from Winthrop University in South Carolina with an art education degree, but he did not immediately enter the classroom. Instead, he returned to undergraduate study earning a BFA before accepting a position teaching art. As a middle school teacher, he affirmed his love for education, but he also realized his deep appreciation for clay. After four years on the job, he returned to school to pursue his MFA in ceramics from Western Carolina University in North Carolina.

His academic training is important to understanding his work, which draws on many influences. These include Don Reitz and Peter Boulkos, who Vickery calls, “Forefathers of the American Ceramics Movement.” He is heavily influenced by Shadow May, a contemporary sculptor in Chattanooga, Tenn., who values uninhibited risk taking and intuitive decision making.

Vickery respects what he calls “avant-garde” work, but he is a scholar of the traditional forms of pottery too.

He believes that one must understand the properties of the medium before stepping in the world of experimentation.

“Look at Picasso’s work,” he continued. “He didn’t start off with abstraction. He started off doing realism.”

MACON MAGAZINE

According to Vickery, once an artist understands the history and the properties of their medium, they must begin push its bounds. In ceramics, this means exploring new forms and different glazes. Vickery believes he is at such a point in his career. He’s also in the perfect place.

Frank teaches pottery, but he is also learning. He adopts techniques but then changes and adapts them as he moves forward. Alex Matisse, who was a featured artist at Fired Works in 2012, is one of his influences. Matisse recently exhibited at the Bascom where Vickery works as the ceramics program coordinator, a position that keeps him focused on his mud.

“It’s all I have to think about,” he said.

“I did my thesis here. I can’t say enough good things.”

His job keeps him immersed in pottery. The position affords him the opportunity to perfect technique through instructing others. He tries to gain knowledge from everyone he encounters, and he feels his work is as much a testament to his practice as it is to those around him.

“I’ve worked with some of the best artists in ceramics,“ he recalled. “You could say that my work is a reflection of the people I have worked with... not that my work is as good as theirs... but it’s influenced by them.”

He is currently making pieces exclusively for Macon.

“I’m making very large pieces for Fired Works,” explained Vickery. “Five to six Greek and Roman-inspired pieces and five to six modern, avant-garde pieces.”

See Frank Vickery’s new work on display April 13-21 at Fired Works in the Round Building at Central City Park. Daily tickets are $5. Get a special preview of Fired Works on Friday, April 13 at the Fired Works Preview Party from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $40 each.

Learn more about Fired Works at FiredWorksMacon.com

OVATIONS

* Denotes an artist new to Fired Works this year. ** Denotes an artist who has returned after a year (or more) of not participating.

OVATIONS

Sponsored by:

Trio

PROJECT

saturday March 9

concert 7:30

pm |

The Grand Opera House pre-concert chat 6:30 pm

YouTube sensation PROJECT Trio. A musical experience you will not want to miss!

TICKETS: 478-301-5300 | www.maconsymphony.com

O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

FIRED WORKS 2013 PARTICIPATING ARTISTS Marlin Adams, Thomaston, GA * Lauren Bausch, Centerville, GA Ginger Birdsey, Atlanta, GA * Malena Bisanti-Wall, Marietta, GA Jeff Bishoff, Farmington, GA Shelia Bradley, Bishop, GA Lori Buff, Atlanta, GA Lynne Burke, Hartwell, GA Meg Campbell, Macon, GA Kathy and Jerry Chappelle, Watkinsville, GA Triny Cline, Waleska, GA Boyce Covert, Carrollton, GA Cameron Covert, Carrollton, GA Ann and McDonald Crosby, Rutledge, TN * Michael DeBerry, Tucker, GA Robert Detamore, Barnesville, GA * Tesa DuPre, Rome, GA Marise Fransolino, Roswell, GA Gwen Fryar, Atlanta, GA Juana Gnecco, Athens, GA* Jen Graff, Athens, GA ** Barry Gregg, Decatur, GA Erik Haagensen, Decatur, GA Matt Henderson, Clarkesville, GA* Sam Hendley, Americus, GA * Walter Hobbs, Valdosta, GA * Sheryl Holstein, Ellijay, GA Roger Jamison, Juliette, GA Will Langford, Danielsville, GA * Ezra Lavinsky, Atlanta, GA * John Lin, Americus, GA * Bob Marable, High Shoals, GA Yukiko Marable, High Shoals, GA Pat McCaffrey, Winterville, GA Diane Mead, Macon, GA Coni and Mark Merritt, Macon, GA Allyh McDonald, Athens, GA* David Morgan, Danielsville, GA Mariella Owens, Mableton, GA Margaret Patterson, Atlanta, GA Jim Peckham, Tifton, GA Don Penny, Hahira, GA Geoff Pickett, Farmington, GA Anne Rafferty, Marietta, GA Brenda Rehrig, Canton, GA Adrina Richard, Atlanta, GA John Roberts, Decatur, GA Todd Runkle, Atlanta, GA * Lora Rust, Atlanta, GA Jim Sandefur, Lizella, GA Michael Schmidt, Valdosta, GA Luba Sharapan, Decatur, GA * Pat Shields and Janice Hall, Danielsville, GA * Carolyn Simmons, Homer, GA DeWitt Smith, Watkinsville, GA Michele P. Smith, Doraville, GA Vernon Smith, Decatur, GA Curtis Stewardson, Milledgeville, GA Eric Strange, Tucker, GA Hilda Tidwell, Macon, GA ** Shelby West, Adairsville, GA Alice Woodruff, Wakinsville, GA Keaton Wynn, Plains, GA Mike Yarnold, Decatur, GA And more…

MACON MAGAZINE

Clay in the Classroom (New this Year!)

Sat. April 13, 2 to 3 p.m.

Free, reservations required.

Learning about pottery doesn’t have to be exclusive to art teachers. Integrating the arts into the classroom can be a way to teach a wide range of subjects. To help facilitate interdisciplinary learning, Fired Works presents Clay in the Classroom. These workshops include handson training with professional artists that can be used in the classroom. Perfect for homeschoolers too! Learn the basics of pottery and begin to create a knowledge base about ceramics that can be utilized in the classroom.

Workshops last one hour, and class sizes are limited.

Reservations are required. Signup at FiredWorksMacon. com or call (478) 743-6940 today! Clay Workshops are free thanks to generous support from the Elam Alexander Trust and Lizella Clay Company.

Clay Workshops For Children (5-12) Sat., April 13 and April 20, 10 to 11 a.m. & 11 a.m. to Noon Free, reservations required.

If you’ve ever wondered what will get a child to stop playing video games and go outside, we’re here to help.

Children will love getting their hands dirty on a beautiful afternoon in Central City Park. Fired Works offers Clay Workshops for Children on Saturdays during Fired Works.

Professional ceramic artists will work with children ages 5-12 teaching them simple pottery techniques. Children will be able to create their own, original works of art to take home. Workshops last one hour, and class sizes are limited to 20 students. Reservations are required. Signup at FiredWorksMacon.com or call (478) 743-6940 today!

Clay Workshops are free thanks to generous support from the Elam Alexander Trust and Lizella Clay company.

Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

Clay Workshops For Teens (13-18) Sat., April 13 and April 20, 1 to 3 p.m.

Free, reservations required.

Teenagers always seemed to have their heads buried in tiny screens. Whether they are texting their friends or spending all their time playing Angry Birds, it’s no secret they need a break from technology. Now your teenager can get back to basics with one of our Clay Workshops for Teens at Fired Works. Students will get to play in the mud under the supervision of professional ceramic artists who will teach them pottery-making techniques. Each student will be able to make at least one original work of art to keep. Workshops last one hour, and class sizes are limited to 20 students. Reservations are required. Signup at FiredWorksMacon.com or call (478) 743-6940 today!

Clay Workshops are free thanks to generous support from the Elam Alexander Trust and Lizella Clay company.

MACON MAGAZINE

“Cocktails and Clay” Workshops Wed. April 17, 6 – 7:30 p.m. & 7:30 – 9 p.m. $30 (Adults, 21 & up only) You don’t have to know anything about making pottery to enjoy a Cocktails and Clay Workshop at Fired Works.

These are just meant to be a good time with friends.

Enjoy playing in the mud while having a drink on us. It’s a perfect date night for young couples or a group of friends who are looking for something a little different. Groups of 10 will work with our three professional ceramic artists on easy-to-learn projects. Workshops begin and 6 p.m. and 7:30 pm, on Wednesday, April 17.Tickets are $30 and include drinks, materials, and finished piece. Purchase tickets at FiredWorksMacon.com or call (478) 743-6940.

Space is limited, so sign up early!

Pickin’ and Pottery Friday, April 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. $15, includes unlimited return visits all weekend.

Enjoy a Friday night filled with the wonderful sounds of Bluegrass while browsing through Fired Works. This new event will feature live music, food, drinks, and more.

Check FiredWorksMacon.com for upcoming details.

OVATIONS

Fired Works Schedule of Events A Regional Ceramics Exhibition and Sale Historic Round Building in Central City Park www.firedworksmacon.com APRIL 12 Preview Party 6-9 p.m., $40 per person APRIL 13 Fired Works opens to the public Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits) Kids Clay Workshops (12 and under) 10 am. to 11 a.m.

11 a.m. to Noon Free entry for kids and parents Clay Workshop for Teens (13 and up) 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Free entry for teens and parents Clay Workshops for Teachers 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Free for teachers APRIL 14 Hours: Noon to 4 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits) Artist Talk 2–3 p.m., Free APRIL 15 Hours: 11 to 6 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits) APRIL 16 Hours: 11 to 6 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits) APRIL 17 Hours: 11 to 6 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits) Cocktails and Clay Workshops 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tickets: $30 (limited space available) APRIL 18 Hours: 11 to 6 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits) APRIL 19 Hours: 11 to 6 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits) Pickin’ & Pottery 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tickets: $15 (unlimited return visits)

Kids Clay Workshops (12 and under) 10 am. to 11 a.m.

11 a.m. to Noon Free entry for kids and parents Clay Workshop for Teens (13 and up) 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Free entry for teens and parents APRIL 21

Hours: Noon to 4 p.m.

Tickets: $5 OVATIONS

O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

APRIL 20 Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets: $5 (unlimited return visits)

MACON MAGAZINE

by cindy hill

Photography by cindy hill

Southern exposure

Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

Rising artist makes Macon home again An unmistakable palette of Southern hues, light, architecture and sky leaves no doubt of the geographic origins of artist Charles Ladson. A rising star in the art world, his work hangs in galleries in Asheville and Atlanta and in the homes and spaces of what he calls with trademark understatement, a “small but excited” audience of collectors. While his world is expanding artistically, the Macon native has chosen to make this city his home again.

As he added layers to a new piece in the Ridge Avenue home/studio he lovingly restored with his own two hands, he spoke about his life and his work, infusing his easy energy, shy earnestness and unintentional charm into dreamlike paintings of scenes worthy of Lewis Carroll’s looking glass.

“My work is largely figurative – spaces, people, objects, creatures you can recognize,” he said. “Pattern and design grow out of gobbeldy-gook. The paintings ramble along in all directions never knowing where they are going and then they arrive. People see what they want to see and everybody brings his own story to the table.”

Ladson’s undergraduate training at the School of Visual Arts and a Master’s of Fine Art degree from the Lamar Dodd School at the University of Georgia honed his skill and passion for art that began during his childhood in Macon.

MACON MAGAZINE

“As a child, like everybody else, I liked drawing,” he said. “My grandfather was interested in painting. He was always painting at his house. And mom was an art major at college, so there were lots of art history books around the house.”

He showed natural talent almost immediately. But that nearly ended his career before it began. “I didn’t like the attention I was getting, so I quit drawing for a long time,” he said. “In high school I started drawing again in the attic of my parents’ house. I have been painting ever since - for 17 years except for two years when I was rebuilding this house.”

And, like it or not, he and his work is gaining more and more attention.

“I was introduced to the contemporary paintings of Charles Ladson years ago through an exhibition of his work at Wesleyan College. He already had quite a following of local supporters at that time, of course,” said Susan Welsh, who is an artist as well as executive director of Macon’s Museum of Arts and Sciences. “Now, Charles is highly regarded in the Southeast for his extraordinary work, by his contemporaries, gallery owners, museum curators and art patrons. We are thrilled to partner with Charles this year in a number of exciting events.”

Despite not knowing anyone who was a professional artist, he decided to make it a career. The grandson of longtime Macon

arts supporter Betty Sweet Simmons said his family supported his choice without question.

“My parents just figured I’d do whatever it took to get by. They never discouraged me.

Sometimes I wish they had!”

Ladson was in Athens and found, after graduation, that his life was in transition. “I had just graduated and the few friends I had left town. I had friends and family in Macon so I moved back to regroup.”

He was pleased to discover that he wanted to stay. “I rather enjoy the peaceful pace of life here. You can really focus on what you’re doing – there aren’t as many distractions as there are in bigger cities.”

He was surprised to discover a thriving arts community in his hometown. “I notice around town a camaraderie in the arts, for sure, but I just don’t get out that much. But when I do I love to get out and see what other people are working on. Get a taste of what others are producing.”

Part of why he doesn’t get out much is the increasing demand for his work. “Painting is different,” he said compared to other art forms. “You make it and sell it one time. You must convince someone to pay a lot of money for a painting. I don’t have time to sit and relish what successes I have. It’s hard work. I put my head down and keep working. I take the little successes where I get them but I’ve got to keep making work to make a living.”

OVATIONS

Charles Ladson’s work and that of other emerging artists will be featured in an exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Sciences that opens April 14.

“It has been fascinating to watch Charles select artists to participate in the group exhibition. Mostly painters, they represent four states and are producing incredible work. We can’t wait to introduce these emerging artists to Central Georgia,” said museum executive director Susan Welsh.

OVATIONS

O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

Ladson and all of the emerging artists will participate in a special cocktail reception to benefit the museum on April 18, Welsh said.

“This will be a great party and a wonderful opportunity for art appreciators to enjoy gallery talks with these artists. In addition to those large commitments, Charles also will serve as our judge for the museum’s annual Protégé high school art competition, leading two workshop experiences with the selected student artists,” Welsh said.

Ladson’s work is currently exhibited at The Blue Spiral in Asheville, N.C., and TEW Galleries in Atlanta. Examples of his work are at CharlesLadson.com.

MACON MAGAZINE

Late night with Leonard Performance captures one of America’s greatest musicians

Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

by matt miller “He was a night owl,” Jamie Bernstein said of her famous father, Leonard. “He could never shut his motor off … so much of his most creative times happened in the middle of the night.”

As Jamie Bernstein - an accomplished narrator, writer and radio host - explained, these bursts of midnight-oil-fueled musical inspiration could just as easily draw her dad to the piano at an after-hours party as it would to his home studio. But the results were always brilliant and singularly Bernstein. “He would be the last one at a party still playing the piano at four o’clock in the morning, coming up with these ideas,” she said.

This proclivity lies at the heart of “Late Night with Leonard Bernstein,” an intimate portrait of Leonard Bernstein that will play in Macon on March 8 at Wesleyan College.

The show aims to recreate for a concert audience the moments of inspiration, humor, beauty and experimentation that friends and family came to expect from the legendary musician, conductor and composer in those magical predawn hours.

The show, which opened in 2011 with a well received run at Lincoln Center and continued at Copland House, an intimate venue in Westchester County, N.Y., (about an hour north of New York City), incorporates familiar Bernstein favorites with rarities and celebrated tunes in their unfamiliar original contexts.

In addition, the performance - which features vocalist Amy Burton, pianists John Musto and Michael Boriskin, along with spoken interludes by Jamie Bernstein - incorporates diverse works by some of Bernstein’s favorite composers and artists, including Aaron Copland, Schubert, Noel Coward and Chopin, as well as rare video and audio clips that capture Bernstein in his many creative moods.

“He really was such a larger-than-life figure,” said Boriskin, pianist and Copland House artistic and executive director. “ ‘Late Night with Leonard Bernstein’ is a really creative and enchanting program that gives us a more personal, private view of

Bernstein with his daughter Jamie & son Alex courtesy of the Bernstein estate.

Bernstein, who was, after all, not only one of America’s greatest musicians, but also an extraordinarily public and theatrical figure.”

The original idea for the performance came about when the New York City Opera presented a revival of Bernstein’s 1983 dramatic opera, “A Quiet Place.” “George Steel (general manager and artistic director of New York City Opera) arranged for ‘A Quiet Place’ to be done,” Jamie Bernstein said. “And then he created all of these events around the opera, and ‘Late Night...’ was one of them.” From there, the fourperson show played for packed houses in the New York area, and the cast is currently set to take the “Late Night with Leonard Bernstein” on the road.

“There was interest throughout the country, with various presenters, as in Macon,” Boriskin said.

“We’re really excited to bring this intimate celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s life and music to Porter Auditorium,” Rosemary Spiegel of the Macon Concert Association, which is sponsoring the

concert, said. “This will really be a special concert and a unique event for Macon.”

For Jamie Bernstein, “Late Night with Leonard Bernstein” is a unique opportunity to share a glimpse of her famous father outside of the concert halls, opera houses and lecterns where he was so at home.

“This is just the way he was, coming up with zany late-night ideas,” she said. “I love telling stories about my father. He was such a character, and my family was all such fans of his music, and we just enjoyed his presence. It’s great to share this with the world.”

“Late Night with Leonard Bernstein,” featuring the original cast, will be performed Friday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Wesleyan College’s Porter Auditorium.

It is sponsored by the Macon Concert Association. For more information, call 478-301-5470.

Leonard Bernstein, who died in 1990, was a composer, conductor, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States to receive worldwide acclaim. According to The New York Times, he was “one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history.” His accomplishments include being the long-time music director of the New York Philharmonic and conducting concerts with most of the world’s leading orchestras. He may be best known for his music for “West Side Story,” as well as “Candide,” “Wonderful Town” and “On the Town.”

MACON MAGAZINE

OVATIONS

HOT TICKETS Macon Arts Alliance is proud to present Ovations arts, culture and community event highlights.

For complete event listings or to submit an event, visit Ovations365.com. Individual members of the Macon Arts Alliance receive a free subscription to Macon Magazine, so join today!

FEBRUARY “The Dixie Swim Club” presented by The Backlot Players The Rose Theatre, Forsyth, February 8-17, Thurs.–Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., $15 per person, $12 for students, seniors and active military, Box office is open from 4-7 p.m.

Monday - Wednesday the week of the show, and 2 hours prior to show opening on show dates, Call (478) 994-0443 for ticket info.

Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships.

World Renowned Violinist Robert McDuffie in concert at Fickling Hall Mercer University, February 9, 7:30 p.m., $25 adults, Free for students and with Mercer ID. Visit music.mercer.edu for more information.

Graffe Quartet presented by Macon Concert Association Burdon Parlor, Wesleyan College, February 11 at 7:30 p.m., $25 individual concert, adult $25; student $25 or Season series of 4 concerts $80, Tickets available at Ovations365.com.

The Graffe String Quartet, won numerous prizes at internation music competitions, including twice winning the Leos Janacek Foundation Prize.

8th Annual Macon Film Festival presented by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, February 14-17, Venues include: Cox Capitol Theatre, The Douglass Theatre and the 567 Center for Renewal. $100 All Access Pass, $50 Screening Pass, $10 Day Pass, $15 Special Screening Single Ticket (limited number available), Visit MaconFilmFestival.com for more info.

Victorian Valentine Children’s Tea at the Hay House February 16, 2-4 p.m. $20 per guest. Reservations are required.

Children ages 5-12 with adult companions are invited to enjoy a seated, three-course high tea in the elegant Music Room of Hay House. Includes an explanation of table etiquette, a brief tour of the Hay House galleries, and a special party favor.

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Saturday, February 23, 2013.

The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame will enshrine Buck Belue, Skip Caray, Horace Grant, J.B. Hawkins, Davis Love III, Heather Stepp McCormick, and Reggie Wilkes as the newest members of the Hall of Fame. Visit gshf.org for more information.

MARCH “Hay Day: The Ladies of Hay House” Hay House, March 2 at 10 a.m.

Free, (478) 742-8155 Hay Day is a free educational event for the

whole family. Enjoy a day of free admission with self-guided tours, special exhibits, musical performances, and fun activities for children. This year’s theme will focus on the legacy of the ladies of Hay House, from Anne Clark Tracy to Muade Hay. First Friday Gallery Stroll in Downtown Macon The Gallery at Macon Arts Alliance, The 567 Center for Renewal, and the Contemporary Arts Exchange. March 2 beginning at 5 p.m. Visit Ovations365.com for a complete list of events.

“The Vagina Monologues” Warner Robins Little Theatre, March 7-9 at 8 p.m., $10 per person, All proceeds benefit HODAC and The V-Day Foundation.

A poignant and hilarious tour of the last frontier, the ultimate forbidden zone, The Vagina Monolougues is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. In this stunning phenomenon that has swept the nation, Eve Ensler gives us real women’s stories of intimacy, vulnerability, and sexual self-discovery.

“Bluegrass Ballet” presented by the Middle Georgia Youth Ballet, Douglass Theatre, March 9, 7:30 p.m., $10, All seats general admission.

Call (478) 742-2000 for more info.

“Bluegrass Ballet” is an original ballet by Alice Sheridan performed by members of the

FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENTS

Music and the Arts at Vineville UMC offers a series of monthly arts events — musical, literary, visual, sacred and secular.

Upcoming events include: Concert organist Wilma Jenson on Feb. 24, Pianist Giuseppi Lupis on March 3, Celtic Duo Dana Lyn Fiddle and Kyle Sanna on April 21, and Broadway in

OVATIONS

May on May 5. All shows Sundays at 4 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

“Animal Farm” The Grand Opera House, February 27, GrandKids performance at 10 a.m., Regular performance at 7:30 p.m., $28 per person, $11 for students and $25 for groups of 10 or more; $10 per person for Grankids morning performance.

A cautionary tale that remains relevant to this day and this nation, The National Players’ production of Orwell’s novel will inspire audiences to dig deeply into the story to reveal the mirror buried within.

“Suessical” The Grand Opera House, Saturday, March 16 at 2:30 p.m., March 18 GrandKids show at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Tickets start at $11.

“Oh, the thinks you can think” when Dr. Seuss’s best-loved stories collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper! Adapted from the Broadway version, this adaptation especially for young audiences features thirteen actors and enhanced production values.

For a complete list of events for kids and families, visit Ovations365.com.

O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

18th Annual Father/Daughter Dance presented by the Museum Guild, Museum of Arts and Sciences, February 8 from 7-9 p.m., Members: Father & daughter $30, two or more daughters $35; Non-members: Father & daughter $40, two or more daughters $45.

MACON MAGAZINE

Middle Georgia Youth Ballet. Members will also dance in 2 other new and original ballets, “Carnival of Animals” by B.J. Hilbun and “The Red Shoes,” by guest choreographer, Karen Burns. Featuring a guest musical performance by “Suite 20 Bluegrass” a local ensemble.

The 31st Annual International Cherry Blossom Festival March 15-24, 2013.

Enjoy gracious Southern hospitality and celebrate the magnificent beauty of 300,000 flowering Yoshino cherry trees in Macon, the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World.” Visit CherryBlossom.com for more information.

Saint Patty’s Party in Mercer Village Saturday, March 16, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Mercer Village on Montpelier Avenue across from Mercer University.

Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with a full day of festivities in Mercer Village! Food and drink specials abound with activities for the entire family. Wear your green and take part in the celebration at five restaurants and multiple retailers. Watch for details on MercerVillage. com. For more information, call the College Hill Alliance at (478) 301-2008.

First Friday Gallery Stroll in Downtown Macon The Gallery at Macon Arts Alliance, The 567 Center for Renewal, and the Contemporary Arts Exchange. April 5 beginning at 5 p.m.

Visit Ovations365.com for a complete list of events.

APRIL The Russian National Ballet performs “Cinderella” The Grand Opera House, April 3, 7:30 p.m., Tickets start at $22. VIP tickets include meet

Decorators’ Showhouse Tours presented by Historic Macon.

Tour Times Mondays–Thursdays (April 18 & 22–25) - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fridays & Saturdays (April 19–20 & 26–27) 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays (April 21 & 28) 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Historic Macon Foundation is excited to present its biennial Decorators’ Showhouse in the heart of Macon’s InTown Historic District at 1120 Georgia Ave. This historic beauty will feature decorators from around the Southeast

Hello Yellow Kickoff

Entertainment

February 16, 11 AM Forsyth, Dairy Queen

Fashion Show Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m

and greet with Cinderella following the performance. Call (478) 301-5751 for more information.

The Russian National Ballet Theatre returns with its world touring production of “Cinderella”. The ballet will delight audiences of all ages as premier professional dancers from around the world bring to life this timeless classic featuring the humorous antics of the ugly stepsisters and the magical elegance of Cinderella at the ball. Performed by the esteemed Russian National Ballet to the much-loved musical score by Sergei Prokofiev.

March 7, 6:30 PM Tickets: $20

5K/Fun Run

March 9, 8AM Registration Fee $25

“My Three Angels” Warner Robins Little Theatre April 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28 (mat.), May 2, 3, 4. All showtimes 8 p.m. evening, 2:30 p.m. matinee, $15 general admission, $12 military or student with ID, seniors.. Call (478) 929-4579 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for reservations beginning April 15.

Auditions: March 11 & 12 Based on the French play “La Cuisine Des Anges”, the production examines long-standing convictions of what is right and what is wrong.

The setting is French Guiana, a region where on Christmas day the temperature has graciously dropped to 104 degrees.

“An American Choral Tapestry” The Grand Opera House April 28, 7:30 p.m., $38.50 Call (478) 301-5751 for more information.

The Choral Society of Middle Georgia and choirs of Mercer University join forces with the Macon Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ward Stare to present the monumental choral-orchestral work, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 For a complete list of arts, cultural and community events, visit Ovations365.com.

March 9-10 10AM-6PM

Arts and Crafts Fair FaithFest March 9-10 Downtown Forsyth

Concert on the Square Kid’s Corner March 8, 7 PM Downtown Forsyth FREE Admission

and will be open for tours April 18–28, 2013.

Get a preview at the Decorators’ Showhouse Top Hat Gala presented by Historic Macon.

April 17 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., $75

March 9, 7PM FBC Forsyth

March 9-10 Downtown Forsyth

For a full listing of events, please visit www.forsythiafestival.com or call 478-994-9239.

The Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank our festival sponsor:

MACON MAGAZINE

OVATIONS

low-cost dates “Thy Kingdom Come” A play by Winsphere Jones The Douglass Theatre, February 8-9, 7:30 p.m., $15 advance, $20 at the door.

“Thy Kingdom Comes” is a story of redemption and how the rise to power can ultimately be the undoing of those looking to create their own destiny. A king rose to power that would rule all the others in the Americas. It is time for King Edward II to name the heir to his throne and tradition dictates that the heir has to be the oldest son. Unfortunately the best choice is Alexander because he is good leader. Alexander’s brother Victor is soon tempted by evil and tries to overthrow his father in order to become the king, but finds that he has been chosen for an even more hideous task.

Honeymoon at Graveside Manor (A Ghostly Farce) Warner Robins Little Theatre February 15, 16; 21, 22, 23, 24 (mat.); 28, Mar. 1, 2. All showtimes 8 p.m. evening, 2:30 p.m. matinee, $15 general admission, $12 military or student with ID, seniors.

Call (478) 929-4579 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for reservations beginning February 11.

Marian Thorncraft is looking forward to her honeymoon with her new hubby, Tyler. She pictures someplace romantic, secluded and cozy. No sooner have her feet touched the ground after being carried over the threshold than she discovers her love nest is really a one-time mortuary!

Legends of Motown featuring Horizon The Grand Opera House February 22, 7:30 p.m., Tickets start at $22, Straight out of Detroit comes Horizon, the stars of Legends of Motown.

This trio is authentic, energetic, precise, harmonic, witty, and well choreographed, bringing Motown back with class and poise. Dressed in classic Motown style, Rick Ingram, Prentiss “Smoke” Jones, and Earl Vinson entertain in this live music and dance performance.

“Holy Motors” Film Screening presented by Macon Film Guild Douglass Theatre, March 10, Showings at 2 pm, 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm – Discussion after 4:30 show, $5 per person

“ Leos Carax. Paris, from dawn to dusk, a few hours in the life of Monsieur Oscar, a shadowy character who journeys from one life to the next. “An electrifying, confounding, what-the-helljust-happened exercise in unbounded imagination, unapologetic theatricality, bravura acting and head-over-heels movie-love.” – Washington Post Full Moon Euphoria Historic Riverside Cemetery, April 25, 7-11 p.m., Fee is $25; couples pay $40 (revenues benefit cemetery preservation) A once-a-year-only opportunity to compose unique and evocative photos by moonlight at historic Riverside Cemetery.

Experiment with long and multiple exposures to create awesome special effects. Try “painting” with light using flashlights to illuminate subject matter.

Models and props provided. Or bring your own. Novice, amateur and professional photographers alike are welcomed!

For a complete list of arts, cultural and community events, visit Ovations365. com.

Ovations365.com

OVATIONS

MACON MAGAZINE

All members receive:

M eMbership has its r ewards

• 10% discount off purchases at The Gallery • Invitations to all opening receptions at The Gallery • Annual recognition in Ovations magazine and at maconartsalliance.org • Subscription to the weekly Ovations email blast • Invitation to annual Cultural Awards Student/Teacher Individual • Subscription to Macon Magazine

Bronze Sponsor

• Subscription to Macon Magazine • Special sponsor recognition at all events, in Ovations magazine and at maconartsalliance.org • 4 tickets to Taste of the Arts • 4 tickets to the Fired Works preview party • 10 daily tickets to Fired Works

Silver Sponsor

• Subscription to Macon Magazine • Special sponsor recognition at all events, in Ovations magazine and at maconartsalliance.org • 8 tickets to Taste of the Arts • 8 tickets to the Fired Works preview party • 20 daily tickets to Fired Works

Family • Subscription to Macon Magazine Donor • Subscription to Macon Magazine • 2 daily tickets to Fired Works

Gold Sponsor

Supporter • Subscription to Macon Magazine • 2 daily tickets to Fired Works

• Subscription to Macon Magazine • Special sponsor recognition at all events, in Ovations magazine and at maconartsalliance.org • 10 tickets to Taste of the Arts • 12 tickets to the Fired Works preview party • 30 daily tickets to Fired Works

Patron • Subscription to Macon Magazine • 4 daily tickets to Fired Works

Mark your calendar: Join or renew online at:

www.maconartsalliance.org 486 First Street • Historic Downtown Macon • (478) 743-6940

• Monthly opening receptions at The Gallery, First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m.

• Fired Works, April • Taste of the Arts, August • Cultural Awards, October

5

Please cut along dotted line above and return with payment to: Macon Arts Alliance, P.O. Box 972, Macon, GA 31202-0972.

Name _______________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing address _____________________________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________________State ___________________ Zip _________________ Email address _______________________________________ Phone number _____________________________ I wish to support Macon Arts Alliance at the following membership level: ____ Student/Teacher ($15) ____ Donor ($150) ____ Bronze Sponsor ($1,250) ____ Individual ($40)

____ Supporter ($300)

____ Silver Sponsor ($2,500)

____ Family ($75)

____ Patron ($750)

____ Gold Sponsor ($5,000+)

c Enclosed is my check # _______ MACON MAGAZINE

c Please contact me to bill my credit card for one-time payment in full, quarterly or monthly payments.

OVATIONS

DRAMA WORTH SHARING

All new episodes.

SEASON 3 AIRS SUNDAYS 9 PM

CHANNEL 29 MACON FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 53

by debbie blankenship

The

Pinkest Party ANNUAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL BEGINS MARCH 15 It’s nearly time for Macon to fling open its doors to the world and usher in spring. That’s what the Cherry Blossom Festival does each year, drawing visitors from all over the world with a 10-day event that has been called the pinkest party on Earth.

“It’s put Macon, Georgia, on the map,” said Jake Ferro, who took over as festival president and CEO in October. “The festival has been a monumental event that has had, and will continue to have, rippling effects that will be felt throughout Middle Georgia and the state.

The Festival officially kicks off March 15. And, as always, it’s hoped the more than 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees dotting Macon’s landscape will join the party.

“It’s all about the trees,” Ferro said. “We talk about several events and activities, but it’s really about the trees. People come to Macon in the spring to see the blossoms.

“I’m asking everyone to pray for good weather and good timing on the cherry blossoms. It’s a fabulous time of the year. It’s colorful, it’s springtime.

The cherry blossoms add so much to it.”

While the festival stars may be the trees, there are also more than 70 events.

“There is something for just about everybody,” Ferro said. “It’s a family friendly, 10-day period that covers all ages and demographics.”

The opening weekend will feature the Cherry Blossom Gala, a formal evening of dancing, drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Another highlight of opening weekend is Tunes and Balloons at Middle Georgia State College featuring hot air balloons, food and activities for the kids.

54 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 55

A Different Twist

Specialty Wines & Gifts

Join our Wine Club!

• Monthly Wine Tastings, 3rd Tuesday of the month, 6-8 pm • Join us at “Vindulge” our monthly wine education class We also have Riedel wine glasses available for purchase!

3090 Vineville Ave 478.745.7735

“This year’s festival will have some of the same events we’ve had in the past but a little different twist to a couple of things,” Ferro said.

This includes the Bed Race on March 16, which features local groups racing beds through downtown.

“This year we’re adding … a category called the ‘Wild and Wacky’ so people who want to make a bed or build a bed that is shaped like a hotdog or whatever, something goofy, they can do it,” Ferro said.

The parade on March 17 will be at 3:30 p.m., instead of the usual 3 p.m.

“It’s Saint Patrick’s Day, so we’re trying to incorporate a little bit of St. Patrick’s celebration into it as well as international flavor by utilizing some groups and various entries into the parade that will make it more international,” Ferro said.

Central City Park also will come to life opening weekend with amusement rides, concerts, vendors and other fair-like activities.

“We’ve got a bunch of wonderful activities out at Central City Park,” Ferro said. “The famed tiger show is coming back … that is exciting. Everybody loves the tigers.”

The first weekend also marks a number of VIP events in which dignitaries from other countries and Georgia are on hand to kick things off and enjoy some Southern hospitality. Invitations have been extended to Macon’s sister cities in Taiwan, France, Russia, Japan and Ghana, as well as the festival’s legacy nations of Japan, Taiwan and England. Ferro said France is this year’s featured nation.

Ovations365.com

Weekday Highlights

56 l MACON MAGAZINE

As Cherry Blossom moves into the week, Third Street Park will be back with ice cream, carriage rides and music. The concerts also continue nightly at Central City Park.

Other weekday highlights include an author’s luncheon, a fashion Show and Broadway in Bloom, a cabaret-style dinner at the Armory Ballroom.

The final weekend of Cherry Blossom will mean the return of the street party and the food fair, which is being fine-tuned a bit for 2013.

“In the past, it’s been called the International Food Fair,” Ferro said.

“This year we’re trying something a little FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

differently. We’re going to use the food-truck craze that is going around the country so it will be the Food-Truck Frenzy.”

The Street Party will also differ slightly with one main stage. But Ferro said there will be multiple performers representing a range of music.

The festival also includes a number of sanctioned events. One of the largest is the Mulberry Street Arts & Craft Festival, which happens on March 23-24, and features unique vendors from around the country.

“(Middle Georgia Art Association) does a fabulous job with that,” Ferro said. “They are a great partner.”

Some of the other bigger sanctioned events include a 5K race and golf tournament.

The festival also is working to line up a performance of students from China and an interactive kids show, as well as a return of a 3D chalk art event that was new in 2012.

“The bulk of the events throughout the 10 days … are free,” Ferro said.

Cherry Blossom will close out with the Grand Finale at Wesleyan College where, as in years past, there will be music, kids activities and fireworks.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Cherry Blossom Festival President and CEO Jake Ferro with the festival staff.

Upcoming Events The planning for Cherry Blossom began months ago and includes several events leading up to opening day.

“We kicked off the year with the ball drop,” Ferro said of the New Year’s Eve event.

“It was a great way to kick off the festival. As we turn the corner from that great activity,

we’ve got ourselves a lot of work to do, a lot of loose ends to pull together to lead up to a fabulous 10-day event.”

There are several events lined up in February as Cherry Blossom draws closer.

The festival will unveil its official artwork on Feb. 6 with a painting done by local artist Sterling Everett. Everett also designed a plate and mug for the festival while Mark Ballard

MACON MAGAZINE I 57

designed this year’s Cherry Blossom pin.

February also will feature a Poodle Adoption Day on Feb. 16 at Acme Paint & Decorating Center on Riverside Drive.

The event will offer decorated, wooden poodles that can be “adopted.”

“They are all different,” Ferro said of the poodles up for adoption.

The unofficial kickoff to Cherry Blossom happens on Feb. 23 with the “Think Pink” event at Acme. This annual event features car painting, food and festival items for sale.

The planning for all of the events happens with Ferro and a core staff of six.

“There’s a tremendous amount of dedication, hard work that is put out by the Cherry Blossom team, here at the office, volunteers and sponsors, dedicated sponsors in fact, year in and year out,” Ferro said. “I can’t say enough about them.

They are really the nuts and bolts behind everything happening.”

This effort includes work by the board, which is headed by United Way president and CEO George McCanless, and festival chairwoman Cyndey Busbee, who is assistant vice president of communications and business

February 1 through September 1, 2013

Close your eyes and listen to the… melodies that begin each new day rhythms that fill cities and countryside sounds that lull us to sleep every night

Experience the sounds and songs of life and investigate the origins of music!

Special thanks to our sponsors: W.L. Amos Foundation

Discover The World—Explore The Universe

58 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

development at the Medical Center of Central Georgia.

The festival started in 1982 as a small event to celebrate the beauty of the Yoshino cherry trees that William A. Fickling Sr. began propagating in Macon and giving to his friends and family. The trees and their beauty can be seen all over the city in the spring.

“It all started with one tree Mr. Fickling saw in his backyard,” Ferro said.

Festival founder and Fickling friend Carolyn Crayton saw the potential in the beautiful trees and came up with the idea of a festival. It has grown into an international celebration with an estimated economic impact of $10 to $15 million, Ferro said.

Tour companies have already been calling the Cherry Blossom headquarters to finalize plans for this year’s visit.

“The festival is more than lots of fair activities at Central City Park and free ice cream – those are all great,” Ferro said. “They are wonderful activities and events, but the whole 10-day period … is to enhance the quality of life, community fellowship and civic pride for all Macon area residents.” M

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Do you need a financial tune-up?

We can help put you on track for pursuing your financial goals.

Stocks • Bonds • Mutual Funds • IRAs • Retirement Plans Money Market Funds • Annuities • UITs • Manged Money CDs • Cash Management • Financial Planning 300 Mulberry Street, Suite 101 Macon, Georgia 31201 (478) 746-6262 (800) 735-1522 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated Member SIPC and NYSE | www.stifel.com

MACON MAGAZINE I 59

Living among the

Photography by danny gilleland

Cherry Blossoms

The Fickling house gets a makeover When Kerri Hatcher and Bill Fickling married just over a year ago, Bill had somewhat turned his grandfather’s famous home into a bachelor pad.

The dining room had become a game room for him and his son who recently graduated from college, “and the kitchen table had become Bill’s desk,” said Kerri. “I love to cook and told him if he wanted a wonderful meal, I at least needed a place to serve it.”

And so the renovation, or perhaps it is more of a reclamation, began.

The Ficklings offered to let Macon Magazine photograph their home in honor of the Cherry Blossom Festival since it was Bill’s grandfather who started the Macon cherry tree proliferation, and it is their home that all the tourists and tour buses stop to see in March during their cherry blossom excursions.

Built in 1949, the front of the home with its traditional white columns looks beautiful among the hundreds for cherry trees that surround it.

Kerri added new countertops and new colors to the kitchen as well as new Viking appliances to fuel her cooking skills.

60 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

A painting of William Fickling hangs prominently over the couch in the den that remains just as it was when the elder Fickling and his wife lived there.

The dining room, too, retains much of its historic flavor with the original dining table. It had been stored for a time when Bill was not entertaining before he remarried. The same is true with the chandelier that had been used for years and is now back in working order to finish the room.

Even when it’s not cherry blossom season, the Ficklings display the famous blossoms as part of the decor in the dining room and in wallpaper in a downstairs guest bath.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

The rich wood and judge’s paneling in the front entry add to the traditional, elegant feel of the home.

MACON MAGAZINE I 61

Kerri changed the living room dramatically with an animal theme, large flat-screen TV and lots of comfortable furniture where her 6-year-old daughter can play and have friends over.

62 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

The den with dark wood, leather chairs and Asian rugs is inviting and definitely a masculine room where Bill, according to his wife, sometimes escapes to relax.

Holy Week and Easter Services Monday- Wednesday Easter Services March 25 -27 30 minute service at Noon.

Maundy Thursday Communion Service March 28 at 6 PM

Good Friday Service March 29 30 minute service at Noon.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Sunday, March 31

Sunrise Service on Coleman Hill Rev. Tommy Perkins, preaching 9:00 in the Sanctuary Rev. Ben Gosden, preaching 11:00 in the Sanctuary Rev. Tommy Mason, preaching

MACON MAGAZINE I 63

For one of the most important occasions of your life, say, “I do” to the architectural surroundings of the historic Wesleyan College campus. The perfect combination of 1920s Georgian-style buildings updated with modern facilities to ensure your event goes exactly as planned. If you’re considering an outside ceremony, Wesleyan’s beautiful 200-acre wooded campus is rich with century-old trees and year round blossoms.

WesleyanCollegeFacilities.com

(478) 757-5233

Photo taken by Zack Robinson Photography

64 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Plan the Perfect Wedding >> fashion FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

>> venues

>> manners and more!

MACON MAGAZINE I 65

2012 PERSONAL STYLE |by tiffany davis olson

HOLIDAY GUIDE

What you’ll wear to your wedding Every year brings a new batch of bridal trends.

Some of these looks stay in our minds forever – like Princess Diana’s huge puffy sleeves and long train, or Jacqueline Kennedy’s off the shoulder wedding dress. What does 2013 have in store for us in the wedding world? Here is a glimpse into some of the trends you’ll be seeing.

Wedding

Ombre Ombre is a trend that has been happening in both the fashion world and the wedding world. Brides here are still very Southern and traditional, but dress material is starting to fade from white, to ivory, to champagne. This is a new twist on wedding gowns that can give your dress a bit of dimension. Ombre might also be seen on other details throughout the wedding, such as linens and other reception décor.

2013

Lace Lace is one of the most traditional wedding choices, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Many of the wedding dresses in your family’s history probably featured lace. Kate Middleton and Grace Kelly are two popular lace-wearing brides. Now there are even more ways to wear this traditional look, including ombre lace, lace back cutouts, and lace “tattoos.” (A lace “tattoo” is just a term for when a lace appliqué is on a tulle type material, typically on the neckline or sleeves, giving the illusion that the appliqués stand alone.)

TRENDS

Peplum dresses This is another trend that has bled over from the fashion world into the wedding world. A wedding dress peplum often doesn’t go all the way around as an everyday dress does. Sometimes there will only be a peplum portion on each side.

Photography by Scarlett & Stephen Photography.

66 l MACON MAGAZINE

Sheer overlay dresses Tulle is something that has been around for a while when it comes to weddings. The sheer overlay is a fairly new look, though, that offers a very romantic feeling. In the case of full ball gowns, you can get the look without the heaviness of typical ball-gown material. In some cases, you can have a sheer overlay with a slightly different color than the underlying color. Some dresses now even have

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

“Of course every bride has their own style and vintage weddings are still very popular, however I am seeing the weddings go from vintage rustic to vintage elegant with the ombre design almost showcasing a “watercolor” feel by using different shades of their selected color palette.”

– Wedding Planner Kelly Watkins, Kelly Watkins Weddings.

a sheer overlay that starts at the neckline and goes all the way down, overlying a strapless or spaghetti strap look. This is great for a bride that wants more coverage, but still gets the illusion of a strapless or spaghetti strap dress.

Shoe Emphasis Only recently have wedding shoes moved to the top of a bride’s list. A classic white satin pump used to be the only way to go. Now brides are putting more of their personality in their shoe choice than ever before. Some brides use the shoes as their hidden pop of color. Brides are now also picking a shoe that is the same color as the bridesmaid dresses to tie it all together.

Wedges and cowboy boots are becoming more popular at outdoor weddings. For the more classic bride, white shoes are still a great way to go, but they probably have some sort of embellishment such as a romantic bow or rhinestones.

Sparkly metallic heels are also a popular choice.

Chevron, gingham and quatrefoil details These prints are showing up everywhere from invitations to table décor. Having a print that carries throughout the entire wedding is a popular new trend - all the way from the first shower invite to the last favor handed out at the reception’s grand exit. Gingham is great for spring and summer weddings, and chevron and quatrefoil can be used year round.

New Colors Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Biel both recently wore blush wedding dresses. It is becoming more common for bridesmaids to wear white, (although still fairly rare in Georgia). Pops of color are becoming more prevalent, such as with a great belt sash or a pretty floral hairpiece that might tie in other colors from the wedding.

Wedding planner Kelly Watkins said, “Overall, I am finding that my brides are still very classic and romantic. They want their wedding to reflect a soft and elegant feel that adds interest and charm by using hues of subtle colors such as, champagnes, charcoal grey’s and lighter shades of blues, greens and pinks.” M

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Anabell Dickson married David Robinson, September 22, 2012 at the Brickyard, Macon. Photography

by Steve Schroeder.

MACON MAGAZINE I 67

Laura Lee Strawn married Jordan Dean on November 3, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church in Macon.

Tips for the Bride: One wedding photographer noted that dresses that are completely full ball gowns limit how many poses you can do. So, no matter how you are standing, you look about the same – and it can limit options of where to put your hands.

When you are trying on dresses, envision yourself on the big day. Try to do a few of the poses you would like to do in pictures. Do you want to look romantic? Regal? Timeless?

68 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Modern Wedding Guest Etiquette: • It is no longer taboo to come to a wedding with no gift. In fact, it is easier on the newlyweds if they aren’t asking friends and family to shuffle car loads of gifts home while they are on their honeymoon.

Send a gift before or after the wedding. Online registries will now even postpone deliveries while the couple is on the honeymoon. Plus, the couple won’t have to worry about cards getting mixed up on the gifts during the transport from reception to home. (Nothing is worse than sending Aunt Sue a thank you for the fondue set, when she actually gave you the crock pot.)

• Do not congratulate a couple on their engagement on Facebook until they have time to spread the news personally to the people they want to tell. Be mindful about posting photos from the wedding, depending on how well you know the couple. In both of these cases, if you see someone who is close to the couple do so, it is probably OK to go ahead.

Follow the directions for the RSVP, and do so in a timely manner. For example, if there is an enclosed RSVP card, do not assume that a text or email will suffice. Send in the card.

Anabell Dickson Robinson and David Robinson. Photography by Steve Schroeder.

FORSYTH LANDING: 4524 FORSYTH ROAD MACON, GEORGIA • 478 4716688 LIKE US!

Free People | Vera Bradley | BCBGeneration | cinda b Kavu | Lilly Pulitzer | Joe's Jeans | & MORE

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 2012

MACON MAGAZINE I 69

Furry friends in your wedding?

As newly engaged couples gear up to plan their perfect wedding day, they may want to consider incorporating an unlikely member of the family into their wedding – the fourlegged friend. Picture a dapper Fido, dressed in a miniature tux trotting down the aisle as the ring bearer‌ the image is nothing short of adorable. But, there are a few things to keep in mind before making this a reality, according to Heidi Ganahl, CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow, a national pet care franchise:

70 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Personality Matters: It is important to consider your pet’s personality when making the decision to incorporate him into your wedding. If you have a free-spirited animal, he may resist walking down the aisle in a manner that you’d prefer. Assign someone to walk with him to avoid any mishaps. To prevent an overly hyper dog at your wedding, take him to Camp Bow Wow where he can run, play and exert lots of energy during the days leading up to the wedding. If your pet is nervous around strangers, limit his role and have him leave after the ceremony. If you have a friendly dog, allow him to stay for the reception.

Training Day: Take your pup to the location of your wedding weeks in advance, so that he becomes well acquainted with the area. Allow him to practice walking down the aisle and reward him with a treat afterward. This will provide Fido with an incentive to do so with ease on your big day.

No Dogs Allowed: Unfortunately, very few religious and indoor venues will allow dogs on location other than service animals.

Be sure to check in advance that pets are allowed on the premises. If you are open to an outdoor wedding, including your pet may be an easier option.

Give a Heads Up: Be cautious of guests with pet allergies, as a dog could make the experience of attending your wedding unpleasant. Warn your family and friends in advance that your dog will be in attendance.

Feed Me: Have dog food and a bowl of fresh water handy at the reception to ensure that Fido is well fed. Make sure your pet doesn’t sample human food, as this could lead to health complications. M

Doggy Chaperone: Don’t leave your pet unattended. Designate someone as the dog’s sitter or hire a Home Buddies Professional to take on the responsibility of walking and caring for your pet during the wedding.

Safety First: If you decide to dress up your pup, make sure that his costume does not constrict his breathing or movement in any way. A decorative leash is a great option for pets participating in weddings, as this is something that your pet is probably already accustomed to.

4535 Forsyth Road (478) 477-7452 Richard Cortes, Graduate Gemologist Joel Corres, Graduate Gemologist Tues.- Sat. 9:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 71

“Let Them Eat Cake!”

Making the right decision for an all-important dessert

To prevent disappointment on your special day, here are a few warnings as you contemplate ordering your cake: Think twice about ordering a “novelty” wedding cake that is too unusual. They can be fun and quirky, but remember, you will have to look at those pictures for the rest of your life.

If you’re planning to make your own wedding cake, good for you! But remember that the week of your wedding can be a very stressful time, and you may end up wishing you weren’t in the kitchen for several days trying to create the cake of your dreams.

72 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

by lisa pritchard mayfield

Most couples opt to display the cake throughout the entire reception, and the size of the standard wedding cake means it will be a focal point of the room.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you select this all-important dessert.

First, give yourself adequate time to choose a wedding cake. A general rule of thumb is to select your baker and order the cake between three and six months before the wedding.

Once a bride knows her wedding color palette and the venue, it’s a good idea to get the cake designed and ordered before the “crunch period,” which is usually the last two months before the wedding.

Begin your wedding cake search online and in bridal magazines. Print or tear out photos of wedding cakes you like, and bring preferred photos with you when visiting the baker.

Choose a reputable baker; consider the cakes you’ve enjoyed at weddings you’ve attended in the same area. Ask friends for the names of bakers they’ve used and ask other local friends for recommendations. It’s a good idea to choose a baker not too far from your reception location to decrease the chance of any damage to the cake in transit.

Calculate how many guests you’ll be

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

having; this dictates the size of cake you’ll need, and affects how much the cake will cost.

Generally, if you add up the number of guests you’ll invite, assume everyone will come and you’ll need enough to feed each person. Plan for three tiers of cake for between 50 and 100 guests, for instance. Add another tier, or larger tiers, for every additional 50 guests after 100.

If you’re planning to keep the top tier of your wedding cake for an anniversary, remember that this tier should not be included in your serving count.

Make sure you love how the cake tastes.

Schedule a meeting with each baker on your list, and ask each baker to show you examples of cakes that she has made in the past so you can see what she offers. Arrange for a cake tasting before the cake is ordered, and invite your fiancé to come along for the tasting so you can each agree on flavors you like. If you’re having an outdoor reception or getting married during hot summer months, ask the baker to give you samples of frosting that will hold up in the heat

and won’t melt. A good baker should be able to offer both basic flavors (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) and some more unusual: red velvet, lemon, etc. Keep in mind that a good baker can make vanilla taste amazing. Most bakers can also vary the flavors of the tiers, if you’d like to offer your guests some variety.

Choose the baker who best suits your budget and makes cakes that are both attractive and delicious. Give the baker photos of your flowers and swatches of fabric that match your table linens and the colors of your wedding palette.

Before confirming your order, ensure the baker knows when and where to deliver the cake, giving specific information about the reception venue and cake set-up window. Once you’ve made a final choice of the design and flavor of the cake you want, ask the baker for a written agreement confirming the style and price of the cake you’ve agreed on. Remember, most bakers will require a deposit at the time the order is placed. M

MACON MAGAZINE I 73

Wedding Etiquette

by lisa pritchard mayfield

T he Do ’s a n d D on ’ ts of “ I D o”

A Few Rules for the Guests: Don’t assume that the couple knows you’re coming to their wedding. You must send back your reply card before the “Reply By” date.

If you have declined an invitation, you are not expected to send a gift.

If you arrive at the church during the procession, you should wait until the bride has gone down the aisle before entering. And don’t peek through the doors to watch because you’ll be in her photos.

If you are late for the ceremony, you should walk down an outside aisle, not the center aisle, and find a seat quickly and quietly.

If you are of a different faith, you are not required to participate in the rituals, but if you want to, that’s fine.

If your children have been invited to the wedding and are present, please see to it that they are properly behaved. Nothing ruins a wedding like unruly children.

All wedding guests must buy the couple a gift, and the gift should be something they both can use.

74 l MACON MAGAZINE

As one of the biggest and most potentially stressful events of your life, getting engaged and subsequently planning a wedding brings with it an onslaught of questions. As times change and weddings evolve, traditional rules of etiquette have followed suit, sometimes only adding to the confusion.

To gain perspective, first understand that etiquette is, above all, about treating people with courtesy and making them feel comfortable. When an etiquette question arises as you plan your special day, consider the feelings of those who will be affected.

Some of the most common wedding etiquette dilemmas involve the family, the invitations, gift-giving, attire and money.

Avoid an invitation fiasco: If an invited guest is married, engaged or living with a significant other, that partner must be included in the invitation. A single invitation addressed to both individuals should be sent to spouses or couples who live together, while separate invitations should be sent to each member of an engaged or long-term couple who don’t live together. Inviting single guests with a date is a thoughtful gesture, but is not required.

To invite or not invite children is a huge question among brides, and is a situation that can quickly get ugly. Make your decision and stick with it – then inform your guests through carefully addressed invitations. Children over 18 who are invited to the wedding should receive their own invitations, regardless of whether or not they live with their parents. If you don’t send them an invitation, it’s clear they’re not invited. Children under 18 who are invited to the wedding should have their name included on the invitation. If you’re still worried that some guests may add write-ins on their reply card, print the names of those invited on the reply card as well.

Gift-giving and gift-getting: Yes, everyone likes to get gifts, and weddings are a perfect occasion for gift-giving.

Friends and loved ones customarily honor the commitment of the newly engaged by

showering them with gifts. As the happy couple, just remember to always feel privileged – not entitled. A few wedding gift pointers: DO NOT print registry information on the invitation.

DO publicize your registry information by word of mouth only.

DO NOT explicitly request cash gifts; your close friends or family members can inform guests of your preferences if asked.

DO return all gifts – even shower and engagement gifts – if the wedding is called off.

DO respond to each gift with a personal hand-written thank you note within two weeks of receiving the gift, or within two weeks of returning from your honeymoon.

Cash Bar or Not? Yes, weddings are expensive. Yes, couples should be on the lookout for budget-saving tips. But never, under any circumstances, should you ever consider hosting a cash bar at your reception. Think about it: You would never ask anyone to pay for a cocktail in your own home. People at your reception are still your guests, even if the event is not held in your home. That said, if a full bar is not within your budget, consider a soft bar (champagne, beer and wine are offered).

Appropriate apparel: Guests should dress appropriately for the occasion. Unless the wedding is on the beach, the proper wedding attire should be followed: Men should wear jackets and ties and women should wear dresses. And it’s very bad form to wear white unless you happen to be the bride walking down the aisle.

At no time is etiquette more necessary than at a wedding. Because of all the people involved, it’s best to follow the proper protocol so toes don’t get stepped on and people don’t get hurt. M WEDDING ETIQUETTE AND RULES COURTESY OF EMILY POST AND MARTHA STEWART.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 75

Special Wedding Venues

Sidney Lanier Cottage A Charming Historic Venue for your Special Event

Weddings • Receptions • Showers Full Catering Kitchen • Formal Garden

Best value in town!

935 High Street • Macon, Georgia 31201 www.historicmacon.org/event-rental (478) 743-3851

The Library Ballroom

The Brownstone

Available for: Weddings and Receptions Engagement Parties Rehearsal Dinners

Weekend Bridal Packages Call for details: 957-7728

Library Ballroom: 652 Mulberry Street Downtown Macon 76 l MACON MAGAZINE

The Brownstone: 564 Mulberry Street Downtown Macon FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Special Wedding Venues

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 77

Special Wedding Venues

78 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

That’s It alian!

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD | by lisa pritchard mayfield

Growing up in a household where my second-generation Italian mother cooked homemade delicacies wouldn’t have been too unusual in some parts of the country, but in the Atlanta of my childhood, not too many people knew true Italian food. But I did. For example, I didn’t taste a restaurant pizza until high school, and I thought everyone’s pasta sauce came in quart Ball Mason jars endlessly emerging from the basement cellar.

All this expertise in true Italian cooking came from my Grandma Rose Mattia (her maiden name was Mascia), my mother’s mother, who hailed from San Marco, Italy, a hilly olive-growing region not far from Naples. Both Rose and her husband, Mike, came from this same village, their families having known one another for generations. Paisanos, they call them. And while many remain in Italy to this day, a number of Mascias and Mattias emigrated to Chicago during the waning days of World War I. Born in 1907, young Rose sailed with her parents, two sisters and brother to America and settled with many other Italians in the Windy City.

Rose, the eldest of the girls, wasn’t born cooking, but learned by her mother’s side to make basics like bread when she was just 10 years old. She was thrown into the task full-time as a teenager when her mother, Cristina, suffered a stroke and couldn’t keep house any longer. When her mother died shortly thereafter, Rose took over in the kitchen.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

Photography by danny gilleland

GRANDMA ROSE AND HER RECIPES LIVE ON

“No one taught me to cook,” Rose, now 105, said. “But my mother died young. She was only 48, and I was 20. I had to learn.”

Rose’s father, Pietro Mascia, was no stranger to the kitchen, and taught her most of the basics. “We didn’t have recipes, but I was interested, and I paid attention,” Rose said.

Rose cooked for the whole family every day. One of her favorites from those days, the late 1920s, was pizza. “When we made pizza, we made the dough, stretched it out in a pan, and laid slices of tomatoes and slices of mozzarella on top,” she said. “It was wonderful.” Rose also learned to make cavatelli (homemade pasta) by hand, eggplant casserole and other family favorites. “By the time I married, at age 25 in 1933, I could cook just about anything.”

Fast forward through the decades, and my Grandma Rose raised and cooked for her own three children, then shared her talents with her six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. We’ve all grown accustomed to being at her side as she cans homegrown tomatoes, grinds and stuffs her own Italian sausage, rolls homemade pasta by hand, punches the bread dough, stuffs the cannolis and grows her own vegetables. Her talents in the kitchen have always seemed endless, and culinary questions are always directed to her, to this day.

We’ve all cherished the family dinners and special occasions gathered around her table, groaning under the weight of the Italian feasts.

MACON MAGAZINE I 79

PASTA FAGIOLI SOUP

1 clove pressed garlic 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes with juice 2 ribs celery, sliced 2 tablespoons oil Chopped parsley to taste Salt and pepper 2 cans rinsed great northern beans 1/2 pound cooked tubettini pasta, or tiny elbows Brown pressed garlic and onion in oil; add tomatoes with juice, celery, salt and pepper, parsley and 3 cups water (more if you like it soupier). Simmer ½ hour. Add beans; heat through. Add cooked pasta and serve.

EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

R

Rose Mattia

ose had moved to Atlanta in the 1980s (to be near my family) when her husband of more than 50 years grew ill. A few years later Grandpa Mike passed away, but Grandma stayed in her apartment until she reached 100 years of age, and my parents insisted she move in with them. She no longer had her own kitchen, but maintained her assistance in my mother’s kitchen. Five years ago, we were privileged to host Grandma Rose’s 100th birthday celebration here in Macon, and it was a gathering of the masses. The matriarch of our large Italian family, news of Rose’s birthday celebration reached family from Arizona to Canada, from Minnesota to Chicago. They came from far and wide, dozens of our “paisanos,” to congratulate her on her longevity and vibrancy.

In celebration of that special occasion, I sent out a request to all these cousins and aunts, uncles and grandchildren for their favorite family recipes. I wanted to make a cookbook, featuring Grandma Rose’s specialties – many never before written down. I wanted to know how to make her bread, her pasta, her cannolis. And so did everyone else. The recipes poured in, along with little stories about their creators – Grandma’s brother Domenick had been known for his sautéed escarole, a recipe never before written down. The recipe for storied Italian beef sandwiches from Aunt Tina was finally in our hands. It was glorious. In all, about 26 family members contributed nearly 300 recipes for our book, which we had printed and bound along with several photos of Grandma Rose in the kitchen over the years. We printed enough to distribute to everyone who came to the 100th birthday celebration, and extras to give to all our own children when they grew up and began cooking themselves. My copy is always within arm’s reach in the kitchen, the food-stained go-to cookbook for all things wonderfully delicious and wonderfully Italian.

We recently celebrated the 105th birthday of my Grandma Rose. Of course, we celebrated with countless homemade Italian delicacies, as was her fondest wish.

Though they are priceless, I’ll share a few of our favorite recipes with Middle Georgia today. Macon is a long way from San Marco, Italy, but maybe feasting on some of these recipes can bring us all a little closer. M 80 l MACON MAGAZINE

2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick 2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon salt 2 hard-boiled eggs 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup parmesan cheese Tomato sauce (see below) Vegetable oil Beat 2 eggs with milk, salt and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Dip slices of eggplant into egg mixture and fry in vegetable oil on stovetop until golden brown. Layer eggplant with tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella.

Pour sauce over top layer and sprinkle with additional shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Tomato Sauce: 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, pureed About 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon oregano Fry onion in oil slowly for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and water, then remaining ingredients. Cook all ingredients together in covered saucepan for about 30 minutes.

m

Find more authentic Italian recipes at www.maconmagazine.com

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

HOMEMADE PASTA

This is the traditional homemade pasta recipe Rose has been making all her life.

She has served it in a bowl with warm wine, with tomato sauce and with just melted butter and parmesan for her youngest fans.

2 eggs 3/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cups all-purpose flour or seminola Mix together flour, salt and yeast in large glass bowl and make a well in center.

Gradually mix in surrounding flour mixture until all dry ingredients are incorporated.

Add more water or flour in center as necessary to create correct consistency. Mix with hands until dough isn’t sticky.

Transfer dough, once proper consistency is achieved, to a wooden board and knead with flour until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Divide dough in half; knead into two balls and place under inverted bowl to rest about 30 to 40 minutes.

Roll out each piece of dough on floured wooden board, wrapping dough around rolling pin to stretch and apply pressure.

Continue until dough is about 1/8 inch thick.

When dough is correct thickness, flour top of dough’s surface and slice across in 1 1/4 inch strips. Stack them on top of each other, flour sides. Cut crosswise into 1/4inch pieces. Use fingers to roll strips into tiny rolled pacaronis. Let dry on floured cloth in single layer. Once dry, macaroni may be frozen in zip-top bags or boiled briefly (as with all fresh pasta) for use.

RANATELLI

MEATBALLS

3/4 pound ground beef 1/4 pound ground pork 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons grated romano cheese 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 3 tablespoons parsley 1-2 eggs

(Ricotta Turnovers) This dessert is an original recipe created by Rose Mattia many, many years ago. It is one of her favorite desserts and a family favorite, too.

Mix all ingredients together with fork. Shape into balls about two inches in diameter. Brown in frying pan and add to pasta sauce to finish cooking.

PIZZA

Dough: 1 package active dry yeast 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons oil

Dough: About 4 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup shortening 3 egg yolks About 1 cup water Mix above ingredients as for piecrust, kneading until smooth. Let rest 1/2 hour, then roll thin and cut into circles using 3-inch to 4-inch biscuit cutter.

Sauce: 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon romano cheese 1 tablespoon oregano

Filling: 2 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese, drained 3 cups cooked white rice 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup sugar 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Toppings: 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Italian sausage cut into disks Combine flour and salt. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water, and add it to the flour mixture along with oil.

Mix thoroughly. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 ½ hours). Divide dough into two pieces: roll out to fit 15-inch pans. Crimp edges; brush with oil.

Spread sauce over dough and top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella per pizza. Top with Italian sausage. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Mix all ingredients together.

Place about 2 tablespoons filling on each round, then fold over and seal edges using the tines of a fork.

Brush tops with mixture of egg yolk diluted with 1 tablespoon milk.

Prick with fork to allow steam to escape during baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Let us create your perfect dessert or dinner for your bridal party...

Order a Market City cake or your choice of menu items!

Tues.-Thurs.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

502 Cherry St. • (478) 257-6612

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 81

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD | by susannah maddux

Photography by danny gilleland

MEN WHO COOK LAUREN’S BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

Yield: a large starter salad for 4-6 people

Adam Ragusea Adam Ragusea and his wife Lauren recently moved from Boston to Macon, where they are happy to own their first house. Adam’s love for cooking is quickly making his house a home. Adam is Morning Edition host and site director for Georgia Public Broadcasting, Macon. He says, “Cooking is an interesting journey in my life.” And, he is quick to share the truth that he wants to undo the “kitchen bitch” who always feels the need to somehow compete in the kitchen.

His cooking focus is not one of competition, but rather a desire to create and make “inexpensive food that I like.”

“My dough is what I’ve really been working on,” he said as he kneaded his pizza dough well to avoid bubbles and placed it on a cornmeal dusted wooden peel. The perfect pizza dough has been a goal for this man who cooks. When he’s not on air, he particularly loves having house-made pizza and friends there to taste.

He shared Lauren’s favorite salad recipe that’s heavy on the Brussels Sprouts (yes, Brussels Sprouts). It is the perfect side for the perfect White Pizza.

And the best ending for such a pairing? Adam’s Broiler Chocolate Chip Cookies. Get ready to enjoy!

82 l MACON MAGAZINE

INGREDIENTS 1 pound Brussels sprouts (standard bag) 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped nuts (cashews and hazelnuts work well) 3/4 cup very thinly sliced shallots (1 or 2, depending on the size) Parmesan or pecorino cheese (Lauren prefers Pecorino Romano) For the dressing: 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable, canola, etc) 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt A few grinds of pepper DIRECTIONS With a sharp knife, slice the sprouts horizontally as thinly as possible. Start at the top, and only go down about two thirds toward the stem. Discard the remaining one third (it has too much tough core). Slice the shallots as thinly as you can into half-moons. Mix the sprouts, shallots and nuts together, trying to break apart the leaves of the sprouts.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together until emulsified (I like to shake them in a mason jar).

Dress the salad right before serving. This recipe probably gives you a lot more dressing than you need, but be aggressive; the sprout leaves are thick and need a lot of dressing.

Distribute the salad onto plates, and then use a vegetable peeler to shave some cheese on top of each.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

FLATBREAD-STYLE WHITE PIZZA

Yield: 2 oblong pizzas, about 16 x 10 inches (will serve 4-6 people)

For the dough: 1 1/4 cups warm water 1 packet active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 1/2 to 2 cups bread flour Additional flour and cornmeal for dusting For the white sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 finely grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese A few grinds of pepper For the toppings: 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (standard block), grated Olive oil for brushing A couple sticks of rosemary, picked Pinch of dried red chili flakes Additional finely grated pecorino or Parmesan for dusting

Southern Gardener, llc Landscape Architecture and Lawn Care Firm

UGA Landscape Architecture Graduate www.southerngardener.org

478.335.4612

DIRECTIONS Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a mixing bowl, and let bloom (begin to foam).

Make sure the water is lukewarm and not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Mix in all other ingredients, but go easy on the bread flour (you can always add, but you can never take away). Knead until the dough comes together, and add additional flour until it is only slightly sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. The best way to tell if it’s done is to stretch a chunk out as thinly as possible; if you can see light through it without the dough tearing, you’re finished.

Divide the dough in half, and roll each into a ball. Wrap the two balls individually in plastic wrap, and let rise in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 days (it gets much better as it ages).

Take the dough out of the refrigerator to warm up for about an hour before you want to bake.

Position your pizza stone on the bottom oven rack. Pre-heat oven to maximum temperature.

Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat, and sauté the garlic until it just barely starts to brown. Add the cream, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook the cream until it reduces down to a thick, saucy consistency (about 5 minutes). Take off the heat, stir in the cheese and the pepper.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 83

Flour a rolling pin and your work surface heavily. Roll out the first dough ball into a thin oblong shape, about 16 x 10 inches, or as big as will fit on your pizza stone and peel (you have a pizza peel, right? They are available everywhere from Target to Amazon).

Lightly dust your pizza peel with cornmeal and place the dough on top. Brush the outer edge with olive oil; an approximately 1-inch band all the way around.

Spoon a thin layer of the white sauce onto the dough, using the back of a spoon to get it very thin and even. Leave at least 1/2 inch uncovered around the edge. (This recipe probably gives you a bit more sauce than you need for two pizzas.) Sprinkle half (4 ounces) of the grated mozzarella evenly all over the sauce.

Give the pizza a shimmy shake to make sure it’s not bonded to the peel. Transfer the pizza from the peel to the stone and bake for about 8 minutes, or until the bottom is brown and crispy, and the cheese is starting to brown.

Once the pizza is out of the oven, scatter it with rosemary leaves, red pepper flakes, and some additional grated Parmesan or pecorino.

BROILER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Yield: 16 large cookies

INGREDIENTS 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons kosher salt (yes, this is more than usual) 3/4 cup (stick and a half) unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon molasses (Don’t measure it! Just eyeball it out of the bottle!)

1 tablespoon vanilla 1 whole egg 1 egg yoke 1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Guittard) DIRECTIONS Melt the butter in the microwave. Add it to a mixing bowl with the sugar, molasses, egg and egg yoke, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix until smooth. Add the four in a few installments, mix until smooth after each. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. With your hands, roll the dough into smooth balls about the size of golf balls (you should get about 16). Distribute the balls evenly across the pans. Flatten each ball into something like a small hockey puck, smoothing the top and edges to get a perfectly round shape.

Heat broiler to full. One pan at a time, broil the cookies on an upper shelf until their tops are just golden. Turn the broiler off, set the oven to bake on 325 F, and let it sit for a few minutes to reach an even temperature. Bake the cookies 15-20 minutes (rotating the pans!!) until they’ve spread, opening a network of fissures in the smooth surface, and are golden.

m

Alex Morrison Alex, executive director of the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority, and his wife Eleta have a division of labor in the kitchen. He makes the main. She makes the sides. He especially likes the contrast of a quick, easy salad with his more complex ribs. And, they aren’t afraid of bold flavor punctuated by deep and spicy additions to recipes.

The New Year sparked a push to cook more, eat healthier and add more variation in the kitchen.

Their cooking plan now includes a Meatless Monday and Tasty Tuesday. And they’ve even created a hashtag on social media outlets to chronicle their journey.

One of their favorite meals is spinach salad and Green Egg smoked ribs.

Learn more about Men Who Cook including how Adam discovered, by mistake, the way to make his cookies look as good as they taste. And Alex shares the real secrets to his rib smoking. See both men in their own kitchens, featured in our new Macon Magazine Mini videos at maconmagazine.com and on our Facebook page. Share your own stories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag: #MenWhoCook.

84 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

“This steakhouse staple is a wonderful addition to any meal,” said Alex about the spinach salad. “Spinach is a quality, palatepleasing, vitamin-rich food and this salad comes with bacon. It’s a crowd-pleaser, to be sure.”

SPINACH SALAD

Start with a salad bowl filled with spinach, approximately four to five ounces and add chopped onion, diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and chopped hardboiled eggs, all to taste.

WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

In a pan, cook 4 strips of bacon until crispy and fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon and chop into bits and add to spinach bowl. Pour the bacon fat into a safe dish and wipe the pan. Return 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pan and heat over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of Balsamic or red wine vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon of honey and whisk until all elements are combined.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to cover the salad elements in the dressing. Serve immediately.

RIBS

“For longer smokes, I like two different types of wood for smoke flavor - a fruit wood and heartier wood,” Alex said.

The ribs may take five hours or more to smoke and Alex suggests you use your fingers to tell if the meat is done.

“No need for a thermometer.” For those unsure of how ribs should feel to the touch when they are done, Jack Waiboer, a champion cook from South Carolina likes the toothpick method. “You poke a toothpick into the meat between the bones. When it slides in with little or no resistance you have a done rack of ribs. It’s best to test various parts of the rack to be sure you have them done to your liking. With a little practice you can better judge the doneness of your ribs.”

Alex’s somewhat loose recipe (this may not be a recipe for someone cooking ribs for the first time) gives the cook space to experiment on ingredients and amounts.

Statement of Ownership: 1. Publication title: Macon Magazine; 2. Publication number: 0020-965; 3. Filing date: Oct. 1, 2012 4. Issue Frequency: Six times per year; 5. Number of issues published annually: six; 6. Annual subscription price: $16.00; 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication (not printer): 2208 Ingleside Ave., Macon, GA, 31204-2032, contact person: Jodi Palmer, telephone: 478-746-7779; 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher (not printer): same as above; 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor and managing editor: publisher, James Addison Palmer II, 2208 Ingleside Ave., Macon, GA, 31204-2032; editor, Jodi Regina Palmer, 2208 Ingleside Ave., Macon, GA, 31204-2032; 2208 Ingleside Ave., Macon, GA, 31204-2032; 10. Owner: James and Jodi Palmer, address same as above; 11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None; 12. Tax status: Has not changed during preceding 12 months; 13. Publication title: Macon Magazine; 14. Issue date for circulation data below: June/July 2012; 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: (a) Total number of copies (net press run) Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 9250; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 7500; (b1) Paid outside-county mailed subscriptions state on PS form 3541 (include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies and exchange copies) Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 1610; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 1382; (b2) Mailed in-county paid subscriptions stated on form 3541(include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies) Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 2704; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 2011; (b3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other non-USPS paid distribution, Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 1221; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 1242; (b4) Average number of copies of paid distribution by other classes through USPS: 0; Number of copies of paid distribution by other classes though USPS of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 11 (c) Total paid distribution, Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 5535; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 4,646; (d1) Free or nominal rate distribution by mail (samples, complimentary and other free) outside county as stated on form 3541: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 90; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 36; (d2) Free or nominal rate in-county copies as stated on form 3541: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 157; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 110; (d3) Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes through the USPS: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 82; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 64; (d4) Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail (carriers and other means) Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 2440; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 1510; (e) Total free distribution: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 2769; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 1720; (f) Total distribution: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 8304; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 6366; (g) Copies not distributed: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 946; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 1134; (h) Total: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 9250; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 7500; (i) Percent paid circulation: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 66.65%; number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: 72.98%; 16. Publication of statement of ownership will be printed in the Feb./March 2013 issue of this publication. 17. I certify that all information on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalties). (Signed) Jodi Palmer, editor. M

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

1. SLATHER - Cover ribs with spicy mustard, not Dijon, Worcestershire and Maker’s Mark bourbon.

Marinate overnight.

2. RUB - with turbinado sugar to coat.

3. MOP - Place ribs in the smoker and baste with a blend of Maker’s Mark and Worcestershire every hour as they cook.

“Falling off the bone is not a real virtue,” he said about ribs that are cooked well. “If you’re getting that, you’ve either braised it, broiled it or roasted it.” M

DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY BY: MIDGEORGIA SALES COMPANY

MACON MAGAZINE I 85

DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS 1842 Inn.................................................................................77 Amanda Jane.........................................................................68 Antibellum Trail.......................................................Ovations Armory..................................................................................78 Arts on 5th .............................................................. Ovations Back Burner...........................................................................87 Barnes Exterminating..........................................................83 Bodega Interiors ..................................................................13 Cakes by Lisa.........................................................................83 Carlyle Place..........................................................................11 Casserole Shop......................................................................75 Central Georgia Technical College....................................57 Coliseum Health Systems.................................................IFC College Hill ...............................................................Ovations Community Foundation......................................................56 Connie Wiliford....................................................................19 Conn Realty.............................................................................4 Cortes Jewelers......................................................................71 Day & Ennis..........................................................................25 Downtown Grill................................................................... 87 Fickling and Company........................................................14 Fountain Car Wash..............................................................32 Forsythia Festival......................................................Ovations Friends of the Trail...................................................Ovations Georgia Military College.......................................................5 Georgia Power.......................................................................13 Ginger Stir-Fry & Grill........................................................29 Giuseppi’s ............................................................................ 87 Goodwill ...............................................................................64 GPB........................................................................................53 Grits Cafe...............................................................................87 Hart’s Petuary....................................................................... 27 Haven.................................................................................... 73 Hay House ............................................................................78 Healy-Point ..........................................................................77 Ingleside Village Pizza.........................................................87 Invisible Fence .....................................................................56 John-Wesley Villas ............................................................... 9 Junior League of Macon .........................................Ovations Karats and Keepsakes ..........................................................69 Lake Tobesofkee .......................................................Ovations Library Ballroom & The Brownstone................................76 Macon Little Theatre................................................Ovations Macon Tent Rentals..............................................................64 Macon Symphony Orchestra..................................Ovations Marco.....................................................................................87 Market City Cafe .................................................................81 Martin Snow, LLP ................................................................14 Medical Center...................................................BC, 6, 17, 57 Mercer Medicine ............................................................ 4, 18 Mid Georgia Sales ................................................................85 Middle Georgia State College..........................................IBC Moore’s Furniture.................................................................58 Mount de Sales .....................................................................59 Mulberry United Methodist ...............................................63 Museum of Arts & Sciences ...............................................58 NewTown Macon.....................................................Ovations NuWay Weiners ................................................................. 32 Ocmulgee National Monument..............................Ovations Off the Vine.......................................................................... 56 Panaprint.................................................................................2 PeachMac...............................................................................28 Howard Perofsky, MD.........................................................21 Rescue Dog ...........................................................................28 Riverside Cemetery..............................................................63 Robins Federal Credit Union..............................................11 Scana Energy ..........................................................................3 Sidney Lanier Cottage..........................................................76 Signature Dentistry .............................................................19 Smaha Orthodontics ...........................................................35 Southern Gardener ..............................................................83 Spa Medical ..........................................................................70 State Bank ...............................................................................1 Steve Schroeder.....................................................................75 Stifel Nicolaus & Co.............................................................59 Stratford Academy................................................................27 Tailspin...................................................................................15 Theatre Macon..........................................................Ovations Tybee Island..........................................................................21 Vein Specialists.....................................................................16 Wells Fargo Advisors .............................................................9 Wesleyan College..................................................................64 Yellow House Antiques........................................................64 Zaxby’s ................................................................................. 87

86 l MACON MAGAZINE

dining guide

AMERICAN

The Back Burner Restaurant This charming restaurant offers off-street parking and small rooms for a warm and cozy atmosphere, but it also has a private party room that will accommodate up to 40 people for lunch or dinner and 65 people for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. In addition to the regular menu, chef Christian Losito will prepare special orders while the restaurant specializes in unique dishes such as Chilean sea bass, venison, fresh farm-raised rabbit, veal chop and osso bucco Milanese. A small yet diverse wine list and a full bar are available. Open for lunch on Mondays during the holiday season. Regularly open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday/ Reservations preferred; major credit cards accepted.

2242 Ingleside Ave. 746-3336.

Bearfoot Tavern A sports bar with an extensive menu that goes beyond your typical bar food, with dishes such as Thai Chicken Nachos with bean sprouts, turkey burgers and braised beef tacos. There are also eight beers on tap and 25 bottled beers. Each booth has its own television so you can watch the game of your choice. Hours are Monday-Thursday 4-10 p.m., Friday 4-10:30 p.m., Saturday noon-10:30 p.m. and Sunday noon-10 p.m. It’s also open for overtime and extra innings so there’s no chance of missing your team’s win. 401 Cherry St. 744-4645. The adjoining Wine Cellar is also available to rent for birthdays, graduations, office parties, etc. Call 744-0123 to book the Wine Cellar. www.hotplatesrestaurantgroup.com

Downtown Grill The exposed brick and atmosphere of this 1890 building create the charming ambience of an old English steakhouse. Serving prime Angus beef, fresh fish and homemade desserts as well as nightly specials, we are dedicated to providing the ultimate downtown dining experience.

We also offer a full selection of scotches, cognacs and aperitifs as well as an extensive wine list. Cigar aficionados are welcome — bring your own or choose from our oak humidor. Plan your holiday event in our banquet room, which is available for private parties of up to 50 guests.

Serving dinner Monday through Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. We’re in the lane between Mulberry and Cherry and Second and Third streets.

562 Mulberry St. Lane. 742-5999. Reservations are recommended but not required. www.macondowntowngrill.com

Grits Cafe The popular restaurant has re-opened . For more information visit the website, www.gritscafe.com. 17 West Johnson St., “on the square” in Forsyth.

Market City Cafe Croissants, cakes and desserts baked fresh daily. Superb lunch and dinner specials, pasta, loaded salads, homemade soups, pizza and award-winning desserts. Unique breakfast menu including gourmet coffees and teas. Dinner now being served on Fridays and Saturdays featuring daily seafood and steak entrees. Full bar, excellent wine cellar.

Now featuring a new, expanded menu with more choices than ever and a Sunday brunch that begins at 11 a.m. Meeting space available and the restaurant can be reserved for private parties. Full catering services on or off site. Wireless Internet. Open Tuesday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; Friday, Saturday, 7 a.m.- 9 pm. Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Monday. 478-2576612, 502 Cherry St.

Nu-Way Weiners Locally owned and family-operated, Nu-Way Weiners restaurants have been serving their famous red hot dogs, hamburgers and other great foods since 1916. As the nation’s second-oldest hot dog restaurant, Nu-Way and has brought widespread acclaim recognition to Macon, having been featured in high profile publications such as The New York Times, Gourmet, Southern Living, and Money Magazine. It has also been profiled on NBC’s “The Today Show” and on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). There are 10 Nu-Way locations in Macon, Warner Robins and Fort Valley. The original restaurant is located at 428 Cotton Ave., downtown Macon. Nu-Way caters. Call us for your next event: 478-7436593 www.nu-wayweiners.com

Tic Toc Room

for your engagement of up to 200-plus people, the Tic Toc Room will help meet your dining, catering and entertaining needs. Open MondaySaturday at 5 p.m. Dress is business casual; reservations recommended.

408 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 744-0123.

Zaxby’s Chicken fingers (using pure chicken breasts) and Buffalo wings. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Visa and MasterCard accepted. No reservations accepted. Macon locations: 3960 Northside Drive, 474-1141; 4686 Presidential Parkway, 405-0080; 910 Riverside Drive, 750-1199. Warner Robins locations: 401 N. Davis Drive, 922-1000; 2931 Watson Blvd., 7781417. Perry: 1425 Sam Nunn Blvd., 987-1020.

ITALIAN Marco

The choice for fine Italian dining. You will find an authentic Italian experience, from the menu in Italian and English to the dining-room decor. The Mediterranean village atmosphere is complete with warmtoned stucco walls and Italian hand-painted dishes. Menu suggestion: Begin with an Apulian-style crab cake served over a red bell pepper sauce with sweet garlic and rosemary followed by a delicious entrée of whole branzino baked in rock salt, cleaned tableside and served with sautéed asparagus and mashed potatoes, and end with a homemade gelato. Many new menu items. Private room available for rehearsal dinners and other special events; check www.marcomacon.com for special events. Open for lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, for dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 4581 Forsyth Road. 405-5660.

MEXICAN

Margaritas at Mercer Village Located in The Lofts at Mercer Village just minutes from the downtown/ hospital and Vineville areas, Macon newest Mexican restaurant features standard Mexican favorites plus local favorites such as village spicy chipotle or jalapeño chicken dinner, the house special and Bradfordito’s favorite. Full bar with large selection of Mexican bottled beers as well as 24 beers on tap. Draft beers range from Bud Light to Dos Equis Amber/ Lager to Left Hand Sawtooth Ale and Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. A small variety of wines are available and Valerie’s special recipe Sangria. Outdoor/sidewalk seating available. Nine TVs tuned to your favorite sporting event or show. Family friendly with a kids’ menu and activities to keep the kids entertained such as sidewalk chalk (weather permitting), coloring books, etc. Large groups can be accommodated.

Delivery and catering are available and the restaurant is available for private parties. Open daily from 11 a.m. (noon on Sundays) until at least 9 p.m. 1602 Montpelier Ave., Suite 106. 254-7707. For catering or delivery, call 501-2594 or 318-5302. All major credit cards are accepted.

PIZZA

Giuseppi’s Pizza & Pasta Our pizzas start with our homemade hand-tossed dough, ladle on our special sauce, add a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheeses then add your choice of toppings. Try Giuseppi’s signature dish, Weggies — homemade pizza dough with fresh ingredients folded in and baked. We also serve subs, wings, salads, pastas, wraps and bolis (calzones). We also have an extensive catering menu for pick-up or delivery. Excellent beer selection in our full-service bar. We deliver our full menu. Free Dough Ties with first delivery. Lowest delivery fee in Macon. Open seven days a week, Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

120 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd, Macon. 477-7400. Join us on Facebook -Giuseppi’s Pizza and Pasta Macon

Ingleside Village Pizza Hand-tossed, New York-style pizza with fresh toppings and homemade dough. Best selection of imported beers in Macon. Celebrating 20 years of serving Macon’s best pizza. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday; and 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Credit cards accepted. Ingleside Village, corner of Ingleside and Corbin avenues. 750-8488. 1635 Montpelier Ave. 743-4113.

Elegant casual dining in the heart of historic downtown Macon featuring modern Southern fare with an expansive martini menu and a wine list that spotlights more than 200 premium selections. Whether you are seeking a quiet dinner for two, cocktails with friends or a private venue FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

The Best in Fine Dining.

GRITS CAFÉ

IS OPEN! Now taking advance reservations for all party sizes

Monday — KIDS EAT for $1.50!

Tuesday

Trivia

Each round winner gets order of Beignets, Dough Ties or beer pitcher!

Winning team receives 2-topping large pizza, 10 wings AND beer pitcher!

“YOU CALL IT WEDNESDAY” 6-10 p.m.

Wednesday nights

Dine In • Carry Out • Delivery Get any 1-topping large pizza for the time you order!

Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11:00 am-2:00 pm Dinner: Tuesday-Thursday 5:30 - 9:00 pm Friday & Saturday 5:30 - 10:00 pm

17 West Johnson St., Forsyth “On the Square”

An order at 6:03 p.m. is a $6.03* pizza! *Taxes & delivery fee not included

(478) 477-7400 | giuseppispizza.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MACON MAGAZINE I 87

lastbite

Emi Dodd was born in Japan. She lives in Macon with her husband Roger and their two children. She loves to cook and wanted to share two of her favorite Japanese recipes with Macon Magazine readers in honor of the Cherry Blossom Festival. “I chose two recipes which are very typical Japanese dishes and with familiar tastes to Americans,” Emi said. “Both pork and chicken recipes serve two to three and can be served over rice. The leftovers can be used for sandwiches.”

GINGER PORK “BUTA NO SHOUGAYAKI” 4 to 6 pieces thin sliced pork loin 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon Sake (you can substitute to dry wine or dry sherry) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons mirin (rice wine) Salt and pepper to taste 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil

TERIYAKI CHICKEN 4 chicken thighs (skin-on, boneless preferred) 1 teaspoon sugar (honey can be used also) 2 tablespoons sake 2 tablespoons mirin (rice wine) 4 tablespoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons cooking oil 1. Warm oil in a large frying pan over high heat.

1. Tenderize pork with a mallet to soften, and sprinkle salt and pepper.

2. Place chicken in the pan skin side down and brown both sides well.

2. Combine ginger, sugar, sake, soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl.

3. Put sake, mirin, soy sauce and sugar in the pan, and cook down until sauce is thick and shiny.

(Teri means shiny and yaki means cooking in Japanese) Flip the chicken so the sauce covers both sides.

3. Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over high heat.

4. Pan-sauté pork on both sides about 5 minutes. Wipe off all liquid from the pan.

5. Put sauce mixture into the pan and cook down until sauce thickens.

4. Serve over rice with steamed vegetables (optional).

6. Serve over rice with steamed vegetables (optional).

88 l MACON MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE COLLEGE THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA

mga.edu +

MACON • COCHRAN • WARNER ROBINS • EASTMAN • DUBLIN !

100 95 75

25 5 0

100 95 75

25 5 0