gathering places

>>what's HAPPENING? The Art Initiative: Local Art at the Peachtree City Library

"Ifind art all around me,” says local artist Honey Corbin. “It is there in everything we live with and see every day–from a broken down barn, the fabric in furniture, architecture, to the exquisite beauty of nature.” Honey’s passion for art led her to join forces with former Peachtree City resident and librarian Rebecca Watts to start the Art Initiative in 2016. Their goal was to provide area artists with a place to show their work as well as create a space where the community could view it. The Peachtree City Library seemed to be the perfect venue for such a venture. The two women decided they would take advantage of the spacious, updated library’s expanse of walls by hanging grids and searching for unique and interesting art from area artists to cover them. “I remember going to The Southern Hands Artist Studio Tour and finding artists’ studios hidden away all over the two counties,” says Honey. “It was amazing the artists we discovered.” Seven years later the Art Initiative has only grown in reach and stature. Rebecca has moved to North Carolina, but Honey continues the work with local artists organizations and constantly scours regional art events in search of new artists to bring to the library. The Art Initiative partners with three area artists' associations—Fayette Society of Fine Art, NewnanCoweta Art Association, and Peachtree City Photography Club. These organizations each have a permanent display space in the library where they display six twomonth shows a year. The Art Initiative provides artists with a tutorial and guidelines on the correct way to hang and display their art. Honey says it is a good learning experience for the artist. “We organized the initiative, got the grids, got the funding, and explained to the groups what the objectives were,” says Honey. “After that the groups monitor and set up their own show.” The Art Initiative hangs curated shows for invited artists in a separate display area. Past Featured Artists have included local artists David Boyd, Jr., motherdaughter artists Sherry Cook and Katie Turner, and Martin Pate. The Featured Artist program is not limited to local art and continues to spread its net. Shows planned for the rest of the year are: •Sept-Oct — Nationally recognized art quilters show sanctioned by Studio Art Quilters •Nov-Dec — Denis Barry, internationally known abstract creations artist •Jan-Feb —Three equine artists: Ulla Strickland, Julie Nestor, and Len Jagoda Prior to the pandemic, Art Initiative hosted artist receptions on "Art Sunday" as a celebration of local art for each new exhibit—a practice Honey hopes they can revive soon. “Our library is more than books,” says Honey. “It’s for everyone—writers, artists, kids, and adults. It’s the cultural center for Peachtree City!”

Local Author Kevin Bryant: The Intrigue of NFL Espionage

Local author Kevin Bryant moved here from Germany six years ago with his family and a partially written book. Thanks in part to the pandemic and quarantine, his book, Spies on the Sidelines: The High-Stakes World of NFL Espionage, made its debut this past July 13, and this published author is on the go with podcasts, book signings, and talks.

Spies on the Sidelines details the collection techniques that NFL teams utilize to gather information on their opponents in order to gain a game-day advantage, as well as the countermeasures used to defend against these. The book spans the entire history of the league and contains anecdotes from every NFL team. Topics include spying on practices, stealing paperwork and signals, debriefing personnel that switch teams, listening devices, headset tampering, elicitation, Spygate, Deflategate, and more. “All teams care about is winning,” says Kevin. “Whatever it takes is really the theme of the book, and the practice is pervasive throughout the NFL.” Kevin Bryant has the credentials and the expertise to delve into this world of espionage. He is an Army veteran with over twenty years of experience safeguarding and gathering information for the Department of Defense, including thirteen years as a Special Agent during which he conducted national security investigations and instructed federal agents in training. “I decided to write the book,” says Kevin, “because I wanted to answer a question: How much spying goes on in the NFL? No one really knew the answer to this so I set out to make it my goal to answer that question. It’s really crazy. Collecting on opponents goes on 365 days a year. I cover the permissible techniques to the controversial to the illicit—the techniques that violate NFL rules and bylaws. It’s football’s answer to corporate espionage, and it goes on to this day. Getting your team wins and into the playoffs is a good incentive for breaking the rules.” Kevin says his biggest challenge in the book writing process was getting published. He realized early on that getting an agent was key to that. Once published, comes promoting. From now through Super Bowl 2023, Kevin sees his job as marketing the book with radio and television live appearances, dozens of podcasts, and book signings. Two of his promotional stops will be appearances at the Peachtree City Library as well as BookLove in Senoia. “I’m real happy about the reception Spies on the Sidelines has received from podcast hosts and the media at large,” says Kevin. “The subject is intriguing—football with the world of espionage.” For book event details, follow Kevin Bryant on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn or visit his website at spiesonthesidelines.com.

Author Talks at the Library

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 6pm The War Nurse by Tracey Enerson Wood From the USA Today bestselling author of The Engineer’s Wife comes a vibrant and compelling historical fiction novel based on the true stories of the American nurses who served in World War I. Despite its setting in 1918, The War Nurse is urgent and timely in its celebrations of healthcare workers who fought bravely and steadfastly against an indiscriminate enemy: a pandemic

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, 1pm Tell It True by John Pruitt Loosely based on the murder of Lemuel Penn by Ku Klux Klansmen in 1964, a story John Pruitt covered as a freshman reporter, Tell It True is Pruitt's first novel. "There were many momentous stories I covered during my career," says Pruitt, "but none equaled the magnitude of the struggles for racial equality in the South." Pruitt eventually rose to top anchor at WSB-TV in Atlanta.

Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, 11am Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn Based on true events, Jennifer Coburn‘s Cradles of the Reich was inspired by the largely untold stories of the Lebensborn program, Himmler’s state- supported housing for young women whose sole purpose was to give birth to pure blooded Aryan children to be raised by SS families as future leaders of the new Nazi Germany.

WELCOME TO THE NEW J.C. BOOTH MIDDLE SCHOOL

Monica Lacourly, School Resource Officer, and Kim Learnard, Mayor. Deb Troutman, Principal and Randy Hough, school board member.

Middle schoolers in Peachtree City did something on the first day of the 2022-23 school year that they had not done in over 40 years—they walked into a brand new J.C. Booth Middle School. The new Booth is located on 37 acres on the eastern border of Peachtree City at the end of Stagecoach Lane. Fayette County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jonathan S. Patterson says that the new school will provide a fresh and spacious learning environment, replacing the current building that is over 40 years old and lacks the space to accommodate the more than 1,100 students who attend the school. Led by Principal Deb Troutman, the new J.C. Booth is 180,654 square feet and has a core infrastructure and classroom capacity to accommodate up to 1,400 students. It features wide hallways for ease of movement between classes, and has 57 regular classrooms and 18 science labs, along with an art room, band room, orchestra room, drama room, two technology labs, a family and consumer science lab, and a business lab. All totaled, there are 89 instructional units in the building. There is a media center, cafeteria, and large commons area for students to interact, as well as a gym that seats 1,290 persons.

Center of Innovation Moves to Renovated Booth Campus

After more than 40 years, the former J.C. Booth is no longer a middle school—but students will continue to walk through its doors. The campus has taken on a new role that allows it to remain a viable and integral player in the community and Fayette County Public Schools. After a multi-million dollar renovation, the 1979-built school has been converted into a center for career and technical education. The former Booth is now FCPS’s Center of Innovation (COI). The COI will offer high school students throughout Fayette County an opportunity to take dual enrollment courses in math, science, English, and social studies right here in the heart of Peachtree City. Offered in conjunction with Clayton State University and Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC), dual enrollment allows all qualified high school students to take college courses for college credit during the school day. FCPS also will offer career/tech opportunities in allied health and film production at COI. College-level allied health course offerings include phlebotomy, EMR, and EMT. The film production program, a collaboration among FCPS, SCTC, and the Georgia Film Academy, is the first of its kind. It should also be noted that Clayton State University’s Fayette campus will launch a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree with classes starting in the former Booth campus in Spring of 2023. The renovation of the Booth Middle School campus began this past school year while middle school students were still attending. Total cost for the renovation, including new roofing, flooring, lighting, paint, an updated kitchen, furniture, safety and security features, architectural and engineering fees, and the energy management system, totals $13.5 million. In a letter to the community, Mayor Kim Learnard says, “A college center like the COI converges the strength of our school system, higher education, and the community. Over time, these partnerships have the potential to grow the crucial connections among business, government, and education to embrace 21st century technologies, advance graduates into local jobs, and promote lifelong learning throughout the communities.”

Drake Field. Photo by Dan Nelson.

MANY SPACES

FOR GATHERING PLACES

Since its earliest days, Peachtree City has been a town with a strong sense of community. Those first residents gathered frequently, particularly at parks, tennis courts, and ballfields. Today, the demographics of Peachtree City have slightly changed. Over 35,000 strong, residents include second and third generation Peachtree City families, singles, couples, and retired folks—and the gathering places available to them have multiplied exponentially. So whether you gather to watch the sunset, drink a cold beer after a hard day’s work, or just relax, you will find numerous places in Peachtree City to gather and enjoy your community.

■ Drake Field Drake Field has always been a focal point in the heart of town mainly because of its view—the waters of our centerpiece lake, Lake Peachtree. On any given day, runners and walkers follow the .25-mile lighted, natural path that surrounds the field, defining its edges and containing its space, like a huge backyard. Its large, central grassy area can be the site of kids running and playing, families picnicking, or fun-loving crowds gathering to explore tents filled with handmade arts and crafts. Ample shaded seating areas and swings at the shoreline entice residents while teens throw their hammock straps around tree branches to peacefully enjoy the lake views. Drake Field’s open-air, gazebo style picnic pavilion made of stacked stone and wood sits directly in front of the park’s lake access and serves as a stage for town events. Hundreds of residents gather at Drake Field to enjoy community gatherings, including Night Market, Peachtree City Hometown Holiday, and the July 4th Celebration. Lake views, spaciousness, a defined space, and place in Peachtree City to gather and relax— what more could you ask?

■ Line Creek Brewing Co. The four local guys who founded Line Creek Brewing Co—Brian Messer, Matt Ramsey, Paul Costick, and Paul Schwinne—wanted a place

Line Creek Brewing Co., Market Day. Photos by Dan Nelson.

where they could brew a world class local beer, but as much as that, they wanted to build a place that would be a hub of community activity. Named for the nature area in its backyard and the creek that runs prominently through it, Line Creek Brewing Company is a Peachtree City gathering place. “Everyone comes here,” says Scott Prince, who grew up in town and is now Tap Room Manager. “We have a family-oriented atmosphere. Our clientele is spread pretty evenly across the generations with maybe a little emphasis on the Gen Xers and Millennials.” To go along with their handcrafted brewery beers, customers can bring in food or order from local delivery or the scheduled food trucks that line the brewery’s parking lot. There are also special food events, game nights, acoustic Happy Hours on Fridays, and local market days with vendors selling everything from food products to crystals to clothing. Line Creek Brewing Co is open Monday-Thursday, 4-9pm; FridaySaturday, 12-10pm; and Sunday, 12:30-7pm. You can find more

Above: Gathering at Lake Peachtree, Battery Way. Photo by Dan Nelson.

Peachtree City bagpiper, Walter Chandler, at Battery Way. Photo by Dan Nelson. information at linecreekbrewing.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

■ Battery Way at Sunset In the early days of Peachtree City, they called themselves the Sunset Club—an unorganized Lakeside neighborhood few who would drive their golf carts to Battery Way Park on the east side of Lake Peachtree to watch the sunset on a weekend night. Over the years, as the community grew and word of the sunset view spread, Battery Way has become a traditional place to gather as the sun goes down. Who goes? Everyone. Families with strollers and toddlers, teenagers loaded onto carts, lone bikers and walkers, groups of friends and out-of-town guests—all make their way to Battery Park. While waiting for those last rays of light, you can enjoy a picnic at a lakeside picnic table. Little ones can play in the tot lot. There is outdoor exercise equipment for those who need to get in that last bit of activity. Boaters paddle their canoe, kayak, or other non-gasoline powered boats from the lake, while swimmers bob in their tubes in the roped off swimming area. If you are lucky, Walter Chandler, the Peachtree City bagpiper may be standing at the edge of the water playing his pipes as the sun fades into the horizon.