Milledgeville Living Fall-Winter 2023

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The ThePremier PremierMilledgeville-Baldwin Milledgeville-Baldwin County County Magazine Magazine

Moving Moving Milledgeville Milledgeville & & Baldwin Baldwin County County Forward Forward

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The Natural Joy and Value of Beautiful Greenspaces Leading the Charge for Early Language and Literacy The The Sandra Sandra Dunagan Dunagan Deal Center 6060 Milledgeville Milledgeville Living Living Magazine Magazine

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Table of Contents

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Health Wellness

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Spring-Summer Fall-Winter 2023 2017

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8 The Natural Joy and Value of Beautiful Greenspaces

24 Moving Milledgeville & Baldwin County Forward Community Volunteers

41 Health & Wellness Guide

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Leading the Charge for Early Language and Literacy The Sandra Dunagan Deal Center

ON THE COVER: Crystal, Jesse and Jax Law Cayla Franzman

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Milledgeville BALDWIN COUNT Y

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PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: Jane Robinson DESIGNERS: Heidi Rizzi Beth Diersen COVER PHOTO: Cayla Franzman

51 Love Where You Live

PHOTOGRAPHY: Cayla Franzman Melissa Pulliam Edward Morrow Georgia College & State University CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rick Franzman Dana Lowe Edward Morrow

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&Shopping

Dining

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ADVERTISING SALES: Maria de Guiseppi Jane Robinson OFFICE MASCOTS: Oliver and Willow MASCOTS EMERITUS: Pooh Panda Tinkerbell Beau If you would like to advertise with us or if you have feature ideas, please contact Jane Robinson wjr@ieservicegroup.com Milledgeville Living Magazine published by Infinite Endeavors Service Group, Inc. P.O. Box 272 Good Hope, GA 30641 770-789-8189

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The Natural Joy and Value of Beautiful Greenspaces

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by Edward Morrow

O

n the campus of Georgia College

& State University, trees congregate like classmates. A crisp breeze whispers.

Leaves rustle. The silent guardians, in the form of deciduous and evergreen species, emanate abundance, and prestige—quite fitting for higher education. Sprawling oaks comfort faculty, staff—and students strolling to class. And as the day progresses, vehicles trail bumperto-bumper along Hancock Street, all under expansive tree canopies serving as organic umbrellas.

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According to Trees of Georgia College, an online campus map, over 1,200 trees call GC&SU home. The staples—oak, elm, pine, maple, and magnolia—all present. Lesser known, nonetheless botanical beauties—Yoshino cherry, redbud, and Chitalpa sprinkle the campus and command attention as well.

The tree diversity, stunning. Unwavering bark textures that stretch upward, resolute like Greek Revival architecture, are offset by the seasonal rebirth of various fall colors. But tree species variety is more than aesthetic appeal. Having a collection of various trees enhances ecosystems.

The City of Milledgeville sports an assortment of enchanting environmental spaces—and while Milledgeville is not recognized yet as a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation—The City’s very own GC&SU has held the

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title as a Tree Campus for 7 years. Founded in 2008, Tree Campus Higher Education aids accredited colleges and universities in growing, managing, and preserving their community forests. Participating higher institutions garner recognition on a national scale, all while electrifying school-spirit among students, faculty, staff, and community members.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, there are a total of 21 collegiate campuses in Georgia that are recognized. In 2022, The Tree Campus Higher Education program recognized a total of 410 campuses. Engaged 25,656 students. Planted 31,739 trees. For annual Tree Campus Higher Education recognition, campuses must meet five standards: the formation of a campus tree advisory committee, a working tree care plan, accounting for annual expenditures, observing Arbor Day, and finally,

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engaging students by developing service-learning programs.

In 1872, the first Arbor Day was celebrated. One hundred years later in 1972, The Arbor Day Foundation was created, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. Learn more about the organization’s dynamic history and programs at www.arborday.org.

So, what’s the big deal about campus trees? Isn’t school strictly about academics? Parents may be more concerned about their child’s academic achievement and overall safety.

Students may have their sights set on earning the right grades to land internships to skyrocket their careers—And let’s not forget, socializing.

Greenspaces—plant life and trees—perform stress-reducing miracles that flirt between the boundaries of science and magic. They supercharge the mind. Energize the body—important for collegiate environments that harbor the ever-increasing pressure to excel. Besides, trees make colleges and universities healthier—more attractive, and when a place is beautiful you spend more time in it. You can waltz the blocks, squaring the streets of Clark, Montgomery, Wilkinson, and Hancock for hours, losing all concept of time amid the wonder of trees 12

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thriving at GC&SU. Take a peek at Trees of Georgia College—along with amazing tree facts—at www.gcsu.edu/about/campus-maps.

Let’s take a trip to the Oconee River Greenway. It’s just a 3-minute drive, 6-minute bike ride, or 22-minute walk away from the College. One turn—then another. Coast down a stomach-dropping hill, then curve into a parking lot seated under the Highway 22 bridge crossing over the Oconee River. The Greenway offers trails and a gorgeous view of the Oconee River. Canoe or Kayak. Fish. Cycle. Open seven days a week, from sunrise to sunset—and did we say free parking. And the trees—many. But different trees. Remember the expansive, open grown trees on higher ground at GC&SU’s domain of higher learning? The lower forested wetland of the Greenway is home to more upright tree species like pillar-esque Tulip poplars, most adapted to moister slopes—distinguished by a distinctive 4-lobed, greenish-yellow leaf; and bark that is light gray and shallowly-furrowed. There are also water-loving sycamores, which are commonly found near bodies of water like rivers and streams. Known for their smoother bark and white upper branches, sycamores have larger, 3 to 5-lobed, leathery leaves.

Journey onto the boardwalk and take in the scores of plant species. Notice the cooler temperature. Feel the calmness of the forest. Listen to the sounds of nature.

According to a National Geographic article entitled “This is Your Brain on Nature” by Florence Williams, there are eyeopening facts about the power of forests and greenspaces. Did you know that living on a block with more trees creates a hike 16

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in metabolic health similar to what one would experience from a $20,000 income boost? Studies also show that individuals residing near greenspaces experienced less disease and ailments.

Both observations may stem from activity. Again, greenspaces get us outside, make us move—which improves our health on a physical, mental, and emotional level. Visit www.orgf.org to learn more about the Greenway.

The work of environmental stewardship, ecological conservation, and forestry education permeates throughout the Southeast through 501(c)3 non-profit Eco-Addendum based in Atlanta. Founded in 2009 by Pandra Williams, Eco-A implanted the importance of native plants, developing programs that taught the importance of plant natives, pollinators, and wildlife through the Birds, Butterflies, and Bees Program.

Williams’ work in propagating led to the founding of a native plant nursery, Beech Hollow Farms, in 2013. Now seated at the helm of Eco-A is Executive Director and Master Naturalist Kathryn Kolb, who works diligently to bring public awareness to the importance of community greenspaces and urban forests. Eco-A curates naturalist walks throughout the Southeast; these year-round walks uncover the fascination of nature, captivating audiences from far and wide. Since 2013, Eco-A has led over 300 walks throughout the Peach State. Under Kolb’s leadership and guidance, she weaves participants through old-growth forests, all while helping them spot and appreciate old growth trees, or indicator species like trillium 18

and wild ginger. With over 30 years of forest experience, she has collaborated with regional environmental groups that include The Wilderness Society, Georgia Forestwatch, Georgia Conservancy, Trees Atlanta, South River Watershed Alliance, and The West Atlanta Watershed Alliance—just to name a few. As a highly sought out environmental restoration expert, she advises municipalities and community groups on raising public awareness on the value of regional forests and natural areas, developing strategies and methods for incorporating green assets and natural infrastructure—trees and forests—into urban environments.

Her teaching is invigorating. Her knowledge—vast, like the forests she treks. “You can read the story of the forest when you know its trees.” says Kolb, as she faithfully leads countless individuals through stewardship walks, generously spreading her knowledge with those eager to learn about the forest. Few people realize it, but the Southeastern US sports one of the richest, and most diverse ecosystems on our planet.

Kolb harnesses a gift that allows her to see patterns in the forest, granting her the ability to easily spot tree and vine species—basically, reading an ecosystem like a book or sheet music. If something doesn’t belong—like a wrong note—she immediately spots it. She flips down her clear rimless glasses to get a closer view, inspecting plant species like a scientist engulfed in a green laboratory. Spearheading eco-restoration

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initiatives and volunteer work sessions, she marches into greenspaces and conquers tree-suffocating vines like kudzu, privet, English ivy, and the attractive—but lethal—lavender, sweet-smelling wisteria. These non-native plants also include other plants and trees introduced from foreign regions. In some instances, they can morph into invasive species—like cancer, multiplying very rapidly; this allows them to shade out or out-compete the species that are native to an area.

By selecting high-value greenspaces within the City of Atlanta, teams carefully remove invasives in order to retain and protect native species—which include trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns, wildflowers, and other plants. So why are native species important? In short, the greater the biodiversity—number of species, the healthier the environment. Kolb explains, “Trees depend on fungi for sustenance. Plants depend on insects and other animals to pollinate their flowers and spread seeds. Insects depend on plants for food and reproduction. Birds depend on insects for food. And mammals, birds, reptiles, and other animals depend on trees and plants for shelter and food.” When native plants are promoted in a region, we are helping restore the ecosystem, keeping the natural food-chain intact.

Eco-A’s Stewardship Program—12 sessions per year—converts Atlanta, “a city in a forest,” into an organic and dynamic outdoor classroom that teaches participants how to identify trees, plants, invasive species, birds, and other animals; how to restore native

Greenspaces, plant life and trees, perform stress reducing miracles that flirt between the boundaries of science and magic

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biodiversity, and how urban forests improve human health.

Participants can also advance, allowing them to educate others, lead volunteers, and collaborate with greenspace stakeholders.

Welcome Eco-A’s latest adventure and environmental education program, Living With Trees, is now in session. This program consists of live events and online presentations that help everyone better understand how to live with trees in their community. Myths about trees shattered. Fears of trees wiped away. Smiles emerge. Common tree misconceptions stretch— but they are cleared: mosses and lichens don’t damage trees; leaning trees are not always bad; and some common trees— even in our yards—can stand for several hundred years. This program, hosted throughout metro Atlanta—is made possible by the Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission. Upcoming walks in the works include the cities of Athens and Macon.

“Education reduces fear, so we provide valuable forest education to empower homeowners.” The goal is to help individuals recognize hazardous trees—so they can develop an action-plan to reduce risk, but also understand perfectly healthy trees—so they don’t have to fork over large sums of money to have them cut down for no reason. Fascinating facts are shared. And the amazing character and diversity among the trees in our literal— backyards—are discovered. Kolb, ever enthusiastic explains, “Most trees tell you they have health problems many years before they fail, we just need to know what signs to look for.”

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that a perfectly healthy tree is on the verge of causing damage, not aware that the very tree they fear is just a baby—still having a century or more left to thrive.

Kolb’s commitment to education also shines through her easy to digest, beautifully illustrated books and field guides that take readers through Metro Atlanta’s trees, native and invasive plant species. To learn more about Eco-A’s work, visit www.ecoaddendum.org.

Visit Georgia College & State University—see how many different tree species you can spot. Save a weekend for a journey along the Oconee River Greenway. Learn more about native plants through Eco-Addendum. Whether it’s a learning institution, park, or environmental program—let’s continue to grow, maintain, and protect our greenspaces—they breathe new life into us, so let’s return the favor. Forests protect us.

Let’s protect them. HMLM Edward Morrow is an ISA Certified Arborist, Tree Risk Assessor, and author. He holds memberships with The American Society of Consulting Arborists and The Outdoor Writer’s Association of America. He enjoys sharing his knowledge of plant health care and urban forestry with property owners, while helping them see the benefits of their trees. His work can be found at www.edwardthearborist.com.

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Community Volunteers

by Rick Franzman

W

hile the face of a community

may be its buildings, institutions and Infrastructure, its soul is the underpinning citizens at work who voluntarily support and weave the binding community fabric. Market forces and government may combine to create institutions, but the practice of service to one another, often anonymously and without compensatory expectation, is the glue holding many communities together.

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Baldwin County is blessed with countless citizens who recognize the value of community service, and actively contribute time and talent to the betterment in their hometown. Actually, they all deserve commendation and recognition.

This story covers three of those individuals in the community who represent all who serve, representing those who have shared their story harboring the hope they may inspire others to begin a community service commitment.

The first individual, Baldwin native Grady Torrance, has built a legacy of community service, during his 90 years, as an example for others. The second, financial analyst Crystal Law, is a seven-year Milledgeville resident who has taken up the mantle of volunteering and works tirelessly for charity and causes that stoke her passion for service. The third is a newcomer, Catholic priest Father Brian Kuhr, newly installed as the Pastor of Sacred Heart Church this past summer. While his job description speaks to volunteerism, he seeks to broaden community service on behalf of the church.

GRADY TORRANCE Perpetually rose-flushed cheeks, twinkling eyes, and a broad smile for everyone captures Baldwin native Grady Torrance’s countenance as he relates stories of his 90 years of life and service in his hometown.

Torrance’s family heritage dates to the Milledgeville founding years and early 19th century when ancestors began farming a plot of land along the Oconee River that became known as Indian Island.

More than a century and a score of years later, Torrance’s parents, C.V. and Elene were imbuing the values of faith, service, patriotism, and hard work born from the farming culture into their five children.

As the volunteer president of the local Farm Bureau, C.V. passed along an early lesson in the significance of service that launched Grady on his path. “My parents were definitely the biggest influence on me,” he recalls. “We were always active, always busy with school, work and helping out.”

He joined 4-H at age 10, and began a lifelong affiliation with the agricultural youth organization including multiple Counselor experiences as well as director positions. “I was always proud at 4-H summer camps to announce we were from Baldwin County,” he noted.

Schooling followed at Georgia Military College, (GMC) where “simple leadership skills and respect for country were taught to us,” he said. After finishing High School, and achiev26

ing the rank of Lieutenant by the end of his freshman year of GMC college, he moved on to the University of Georgia (UGA) and completed his ROTC requirements. He immersed himself in volunteer work at the Baptist Student Union, and as a camp counselor for 4-H organizations throughout North Georgia during the summers.

At one camp in Toccoa, he met his future wife, Frances Willingham, whose mother’s family had Sandersville roots.

She was part of the speaker program at the camp, but they didn’t connect until a year later when they met again on the UGA campus at a Baptist Student Union gathering, and Grady remembered her well.

“I wasn’t that confident with girls, but I got a date on the third try to take her to a square dance, and we were married a year later,” Grady remembers.

A three-year honeymoon followed that sent them to Austria and Germany, compliments of the U.S. Army and Grady’s active-duty service. He mustered out at Fort Moore in Augusta, GA, and Fort Gordon. Torrance retained National Guard Reserve status for 25 years, eventually retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.

He returned to his farming roots with a new position as Assistant County Agent in Dublin, Laurens County GA. During this time, he continued his affiliation with the 4-H program, becoming the Laurens County program Director.

After a decade acquiring experience, and later in Lakeland,

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GA, Grady accepted a position as Senior County Agent in Quitman, GA. Just a month into the job, at the age of 34, he experienced a life altering automobile accident that required a three-month hospital stay with severe spinal injuries, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. When released, he moved his young family, which now included four children, back to Milledgeville to recuperate. While contemplating life in a wheelchair, he determined that the best medicine to cope with his own disability could be found in service to others. “I didn’t want people to look at me as a cripple with no worth,” he recalls. “I wanted to be doing for and helping others.”

Torrance was no longer able to meet the physical demands of farming or agricultural jobs, so he sought new employment.

He had earned a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics during his tenure as assistant county agent. This achievement placed him in the line-up for a vacant, mid-year position as a replacement GMC economics teacher, his alma mater.

Although unable to walk without assistance, Torrance persevered and turned the temporary assignment into a 10-year career at GMC. “I don’t know if I was any good or not,” he laughs, “But, I always enjoyed when my students would come seek me out on reunion weekend and tell me how much they enjoyed my class.”

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While working, he soon returned his attention to community service starting with church. He became a Deacon at both First Baptist Church and later Community Baptist, and led Sunday School classes along with his wife Frances for nearly five decades.

He served on the founding board of John Milledge Academy, then later won election and served as a Baldwin County commissioner for eight years. During his tenure, The Walter Williams Recreation Park and the Cooper Fire Station were built, serving southwest Baldwin. From there, he served a five-year term on the Baldwin Hospital Board and another five-year term with the regional Housing Authority.

He also helped found and fund his family’s Torrance Family

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Endowment Scholarship at GMC, and has served as a member of the Milledgeville Kiwanas for over 40 years serving in numerous outreach programs to Baldwin youth.

Milledgeville native and fellow Kiwanis member, Rick Millians recalls sharing rides to meetings and events as, ‘Tuesdays with Grady.’ Millians says. “I got so much out of that time I spent with him. There was so much wisdom and good spirit passed on to me by Grady. He’s a natural leader and teacher.”

A kidney condition precipitated his retirement from GMC after 10 years, but following a recuperation period over the next year, Georgia State College and University’s (GCSU) Dr. JoAnne Jones offered Torrance a teaching position in the Economics department. He spent another decade preparing young people for their stations in life before fully retiring and committing to his community work.

His lifelong dedication to service and community was recognized in 2019, when GMC his alma mater, awarded him the GMC Service Award, the highest recognition of an alumni or friend of the school for dedication and service to school and community. “It was very flattering and uplifting to be in the same class with a lot of fine people. I couldn’t even think of such a thing,” he remembers upon receiving the call informing him of the honor.

Unfailingly self-effacing when his contributions are enumerated, he prefers to point out that, “Our proudest accomplishment is our children.” He lost his life-long love, Frances last October, but notes, “We were so proud that they all have done so much to give to others. Far more than anything I ever did.”

One of three sons, Andy, a doctor in Augusta, and only daughter, Molly, a retired teacher, living in Milledgeville, each adopted two foreign born children, rescuing them from dire life circumstances. All four grandchildren have thrived as 30

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others? To serve, you only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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members of his family, and tears welled in his eyes behind his thin, gold-frame eyeglasses as he contemplates these precious changed lives.

Eldest son, Tom has picked up the service mantle, in Milledgeville, supporting multiple charitable causes, including the family tradition as a Sunday school teacher at First Methodist. A retired Army Colonel following 30 years of active duty, Tom served two tours of combat duty in Iraq.

Son Steve, also retired military has made a life for himself in Cheyenne, Wyoming, his last active-duty location.

“He got hooked on the cowboy culture,” Torrance laughs, allowing that it is a close enough cousin to the farming lifestyle. “He may be the busiest of all with his work and charities,” he says.

These days Torrance resides at Fellowship Assisted Living, where he is a staff favorite for his warmth, with a positive spirit.

And he still maintains regular contact with a broad array of friends, who have gathered at various diners through the years for conversation and storytelling, a favorite pastime for Torrance. One of those friends, Joe Mobley relates that, “Grady likes to get his Cajun accent going, and then tell a story that keeps everybody laughing the whole time. His best is a poem called, ‘The Night Before Cajun Christmas.’”

There’s probably no available measure to calculate the example and influence Grady Torrance has been through the years, but Milledgeville is definitely a better place for having Grady Torrance as part of the community.

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CRYSTAL LAW Crystal Smith grew up on a farm in the Morgan County, Buckhead community. In short order, two early life lessons were imparted to the young girl by her parents, Benny and Janice, who sustained the now married Crystal Law decades later.

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Namely, that work is valuable and helping your neighbor is priority. Seven years into a career as an Edward Jones financial adviser, living in Milledgeville with husband Jesse and fouryear-old son Jax, Crystal lives out those childhood lessons daily. Work ethic led to the successful start-up of her financial advisor firm in 2018 and has earned her two Chamber of Commerce nominations for Small Business of the Year award.

And prioritizing helping others, she is involved in community outreach activities ranging from pre-school soccer coach to

Rotary Club Board member.

The early upbringing that helped shape and create her will to commitment is remembered as, “No sitting around as kids. (Brother Bobby and sister Molly) We were always busy.”

With over 100 head of cattle to tend, Crystal recalls that, “The chores never stopped, but I always remembered my parents finding time to do for others. They were always helping with holiday food or anything people might need.” She adds, “That was just the example we had. It was ingrained into us.”

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At Morgan County High School (MCHS), Law began volunteering in extracurricular activities including school clubs like Future Business Leaders and the MCHS Art Club.

After high school graduation, she enrolled at Georgia Military College (GMC) in Madison, while her parents converted the working farm into a pine tree farm and acquired an automotive oil and lube shop.

She worked three jobs, around school hours, which included duty at the new family business changing oil, weekend shifts at a local convenience store, and starting a house cleaning business.

After GMC, she earned a Business Administration (BA) degree, attending night classes at GCSU, commuting from Buckhead while also maintaining her full workload.

Her BA degree paved the way for her position at The Bank of Madison where she became involved in the United Way and the Madison Art Guild. She also organized a fishing tournament and bar-b-que dinner, benefiting a friend’s fund raiser, for cancer research in honor of a family member. She described this experience as a seminal moment in her call to serve. “This event had a great impact on me, seeing how my friend was so moved, by the number of people, joining together in her stepfather’s memory,” she says.

A leap from an airplane in a Wonder Woman costume, during a 2015 benefit and fund raiser for Extra Special People

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in Athens, is also a cherished memory of connecting and impacting kids. She’s quick to note that the skydive was great fun and exciting, “But of course, it was in tandem.” she noted.

With savings from a 10-year stint at the bank and proceeds from a house sale, Law sought to open an Edward Jones investment account. After the meeting, her analyst Amy Greenway encouraged her to investigate joining the Edward Jones team.

She traded in the security of the bank position, and leaped into entrepreneurship, first embarking on a rigorous two-year training and apprenticeship program under the mentorship of Milledgeville’s existing Edward Jones’ consultant, Dana Leary.

In just eight months of practice with Leary, Law had met Edward Jones’ standards for a branch office, which debuted in the fall of 2018. She and Jesse were married a month later, and he left a banking career to pursue a service driven firefighting profession. He doubles time at the Cooper fire station in southwest Baldwin County as well as the Wilkinson County station.

Law leaped full throttle into her passion for community service. She began with the local Baldwin chapter of the Jaycees, (no longer active], which was vitally engaged with providing food, clothing and life needs for foster children.

Community engagement quickly evolved to include Rotary Club, Lockerly, Daughters of the American Revolution, The Georgia Capital Museum, Garden Club, Red Cross, Animal Rescue Foundation, Georgia Cancer Care, Life Enrichment Center, Community Educator for Alzheimer related diseases, First Methodist Church, and of course, youth soccer coach.

The busy schedule is managed by time blocking in a little red book she keeps as a calendar.

“I’m a big believer in writing it down in your own hand,” she advises. “It’s a memory exercise, and it helps you to commit to the task.”

Of that commitment, she adds, “I feel God puts people in my path, and I act on that. I don’t know the impact, but I feel drawn to help where there is a need, and that I am called to do something for them.”

Kara Lassiter, President of the MilledgevilleBaldwin Chamber of Commerce shares her thoughts on Law’s community impact, “During her time in Milledgeville, she has made an amazing impact on our community. She is one of the most selfless and genuine people I have met, and we are beyond blessed to have her in our community.”

With a joyous laugh that punctuates her sentences, Law counters that she is the one blessed to be in Milledgeville serving her community.

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FATHER BRIAN KUHR Father Brian Kuhr, the newly appointed Pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church as of July 1, looks to bring fresh new energy and ministry outreach to the venerable Catholic parish, which will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year. Kuhr also brings this energy to the Milledgeville community at large.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, but raised in Alpharetta, GA the 43-year-old cleric was steeped in the Catholic faith at home and in the parishes of All Saints Catholic Church and St. Brigids. “My father taught me what it meant to be a father, and both of my parents showed me how to be generous with my life,” he remembers of his formative years.

However, after high school and on campus at the University of Georgia, “I became complacent in my faith. I stopped growing,” he said. That continued during an early career as a financial analyst at Ford Motor Co. in Detroit. “I wasn’t practicing my faith. In time, I felt an overwhelming emptiness that I needed to fill,” he notes. “But gradually, God put people in my path that led me to volunteering at Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Detroit,” he adds.

That one act of volunteerism began the process of serving God in the community. “At first, I was thinking of a career as a theology teacher, and then maybe a Deacon, but the priesthood was an anxious thought that I feared,” he continued.

Ultimately, after considerable prayer, spiritual counseling and awakening to God’s call, Kuhr returned to Atlanta and the Archdiocese, in 2011, to apply for Seminary. While his family initially expressed surprise, others in his life had sensed his yielding to the call of God. Following two years of theology and philosophy training at the Mundelein Seminary on the campus of the University of Saint Mary’s of The Lake near Chicago, Father Kuhr was assigned to the Pontifical North American College in Rome to complete Seminary and master’s degree studies in Theological Doctrine.

Ordained in 2017, he remained in Rome, for a time, to complete his master’s degree work. Finally, his first parish assignment at St. Joseph’s in Marietta 36

coincided with the pandemic outbreak and the new priest ministered extensively to COVID victims. He recalls, “I was at the Kennesaw hospital emergency room more often than the church.”

He was able to settle into parish work on his next assignment at St. Joseph’s in Athens, beginning in 2021. After two years of seasoning there, came the call came from the Bishop’s office re-assigning him to Milledgeville.

“Excitement,” Kuhr notes of his initial reaction. “You’re always excited to be in God’s call, but I’m very happy to be in this historic town with this historic church,” Father Kuhr adds. He quickly moves to a laundry list of community-based projects that are either already underway, or new ones he is intending to initiate.

Helping Hands is a staple program in the church. The organization serves struggling families needing counseling

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and financial assistance to meet their life needs. Through an interview and screening process, conducted by volunteer counselors, over 600 families annually receive some sort of financial aid or life counsel. The program is mostly funded through donations, but also accepts grants both from private and government sources. Father Kuhr states, “This is one of the most worthwhile and long-standing programs the church has to directly and immediately affect people’s lives, and our mission now is to continue to increase its effectiveness.”

He has also galvanized the Catholic youth ministry local branch, Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) that reaches out to college communities.

FOCUS is a national Catholic evangelical organization, with representatives on over 200 campuses worldwide, which seeks to be a support system for college age students in sustaining and growing their faith. FOCUS team member Christian Long of Troy, Al. says, “Father Bryan gets its. He has been very supportive of our group and has made us a true partner with the church.”

Two important new ministries that Father Kuhr is initiating include a prison ministry and a vulnerable woman’s ministry. Of those projects, he elucidates, “The divine Jesus humbled Himself to serve, nowhere more than among society’s abandoned.”

“We will be reaching out to area prisons for permission to come and just visit, or pray, or bring small necessities,” he describes of the prison mission.

He started a successful vulnerable women ministry in Athens that he plans to replicate in Milledgeville. “We want to help pregnant women who choose life with support after their decision,” he says. “That can be anything from providing life and baby necessities to throwing a baby shower, which we did in Athens,” Father Kuhr jovially states. He has already begun reaching Fall-Winter 2023

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out to other area ministers seeking cooperation in this effort.

Father Kuhr notes that his position in the church affords him the means and methods to pair individuals possessed of the volunteer spirit with ready-made projects for service, regardless of religious affiliation.

He also hopes to capitalize on the upcoming 150th anniversary to elevate awareness of Sacred Heart’s place in the community. Among various public events being planned, the commemorating Mass will take place on June 9, 2024. “The Bishop will celebrate Mass, and we are inviting local leaders to attend, and will host a reception to follow in our Magnolia Hall,” Father Kuhr says. “We are also hoping to organize a Rome Pilgrimage later that year,” he notes with a smile.

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A steadfast committee is at work on creating a comprehensive history of the church that will detail past members and families. Central to that theme, the faithful presence and influence of the church’s most famous parishioner, author Flannery O’Connor, will be well documented.

Also of note, O’Connor ancestors and church founding members, the Treanor and Cline families attended the original dedication Mass celebrated by Savannah Diocese Bishop William H. Cross, on June 20, 1874. So, as Father Kuhr looks back at church history, including its long legacy of service not only to the Catholic faithful, but the broader community as well, he knows he is charged with a new mission to move forward serving God’s children in Milledgeville. HMLM

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

Leading the Charge for Early Language and Literacy

The Sandra Dunagan Deal Center

by Dana Lowe

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n a beautiful home, located on Clarke Street, tucked at the edge of the Georgia College & State University (GCSU) campus, sits The Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy. Named for the former First Lady of Georgia, an alumna of GCSU, the Deal Center was founded in 2017 by the Governor’s office and the state legislature.

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Centrally located in the state, the Deal Center works alongside partners and collaborators to improve reading outcomes for the children of Georgia. Statistics show that children who can’t read by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers.

The Deal Center’s executive director Dr. Lindee Morgan says, “We are a state-wide initiative, and the counties that we work with vary from year to year. In fiscal year 2023, the Deal Center’s community outreach included grant initiatives and collaborations to train, equip, support, and recognize Georgia’s educators in 33 counties. Plus, over $1.8 million was awarded to Georgia communities through state agencies and organizations. We want to ensure all our grant funding impacts Georgia’s children, directly assists families to support their children and assists teachers in educating our children.”

Dr. Morgan continues, “Literacy changes lives, and early language is the foundation of reading. What happens in the first three years of life is critical. Many of our collective impact grants are designed to improve children’s language nutrition (language-rich interactions that facilitate development) and 46

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help families understand the value of talking with their children. It comes down to being mindful, putting away distractions and having facetime with your baby. Babies who are spoken to regularly from birth to age two have a vocabulary that has 300 more words than children who were not spoken to in this manner. Parents are their child’s first teacher.”

The Deal Center utilizes a three-pronged approach and works to provide research, professional learning, and community outreach statewide to put all children on the path to reading success: The Deal Center conducts research as well as support for others in the field to find sustainable and scalable solutions. The Center collects and shares evidence-based research and best practices in early language and literacy development, process improvement and professional development.

Professional learning is provided through research-based professional development for organizations working with children from birth through age eight.

Community engagement is promoted through research and professional development grants for the advancement of early language and literacy.

Locally, the Deal Center is heavily involved with Baldwin County schools. They support the Ferst Readers Program (who provides books and literacy resources for children and families to use at home during the earliest stages of development), a community support grant focused on creating a community coalition to increase early language and literacy access, the Montessori Academy, and SEE-KS professional development (Social Emotional Engagement – Knowledge and Skills). Dr. Morgan explains, “SEE-KS is a curriculum that supports educators and those working with young children to observe and understand their level of engagement in the classroom and to incorporate strategies to promote engagement. We know when children are engaged, they are learning.”

When the Deal Center was founded, former Gov. Nathan Deal proposed the idea of the Center holding an annual Summit to bring 48

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together partners, educators, legislators, and other stakeholders. Held for the seventh year, and the first one since Mrs. Deal passed away, this year’s over 200 people attended the Summit. Dr. Morgan adds, “This was the second year that we held a fundraising dinner, and it raised $18,000.

While the Deal Center is fully funded by the Georgia Legislature, the Center also seeks to receive grants and other partnerships for funding.”

“At this year’s Summit, we offered a Read Aloud station where attendees could record their favorite children’s book. We had 40 different books read aloud at the station. All Deal Center books that are given away have a QR code that matches with the Center’s website, so children can now hear the book read aloud. If the parent is not available to read the book, the child can still hear it read aloud through this initiative,” says Kimberly Scott, director of operations at the Deal Center.

This year’s Summit featured a welcome from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and appearances from former Gov. Deal and several family members,

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along with a number of legislators.

The opening keynote speaker was Malcom Mitchell, a former UGA and NFL football player who is also an author and a champion for reading. Speakers presented topics ranging from supporting childhood development, leveraging state and local partnerships to piloting literacy mentoring programs. A panel discussion on literacy in Georgia and the future needs was held and featured experts from throughout the state.

Dr. Morgan concludes, “Both caregivers and teachers, if provided with the appropriate tools, can influence the course of development for the better. With the recent passage of the Georgia Early Literacy Act (HB 538) and its companion bill (SB 211) which establishes the Council on Literacy, we have catalysts for decreasing the gap between what is known about the science of language and literacy development and the practices used in early childhood across Georgia. These bills create the context to truly impact literacy outcomes in a way that is unprecedented, but the work has just begun. It takes a collective effort to develop and commit to making real change, and the Deal Center is at the heart of that change.” HMLM 50

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Love Where You Live

Milledgeville Main Street

&Shopping

Dining

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

Milledgeville’s very own Coffee Roaster since 2004

114 West Hancock Street Downtown Milledgeville

478-454-BIRD (2473)

Blackbird Coffee’s small-batch roaster delivers the freshest coffees from the world’s best coffee estates.

Their skilled baristas offer insight and knowledge without pretension. All it takes is one visit to Blackbird Coffee to understand how it was named “One of the Greatest Things About Milledgeville”

by Visit Milledgeville or one of Explore Georgia’s “Favorite Coffee Roasters.”

Bollywood Taco fuses Indian and Mexican Cuisine in order to give you the most exciting food in Middle Georgia.

Open for Lunch and Dinner.

All day Happy Hour on Thursdays.

Bolly Brunch served on Weekends.

107 W Hancock St Milledgeville, Georgia 31061 (478) 295-3200

Serving fresh food for lunch, dinner, and late night.

Join us every Friday from 6-9 for acoustic music featuring various local artists.

120 W Hancock St Milledgeville, Ga 31061

478-414-1975

Follow us on facebook to keep up with our upcoming events and specials.

Since 1999, Buffington’s Bollywood Tacos comRestaurant & Bar has bines Indian and Mexibeen a favorite can cuisine exquisitely.

Milledgeville spot to eat Build your own tacos, and enjoy time with order from the delightful family and friends. We menu, enjoy delicious believe in serving real drinks, and experience food made from scratch great customer service and cooked fresh to order. all at Bollywood Tacos.

Pair this with our Don’t miss the ALL DAY friendly customer HAPPY HOUR Thurs- service, and you know it days and Bolly Bruch will always be better weekends!

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Bar, Billiards, Fun and Food 12pm to 2am

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Open Wed-Sat, 12pm-2am New Owners and a New Vibe!

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Step into the ultimate game haven in Milledgeville, GA! Indulge in delicious bites, perfect your shot on our pool tables, or conquer our video games.

Be part of the thrilling Georgia Bulldogs’ action on game days!

Open Wednesday - Saturday 12pm to 2am.

Your entertainment adventure awaits!

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

Please join us for our daily specials!

Daily happy hour 3-6pm

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Delicious food paired with amazing drinks are a great start at Jalisco Mexican Grill.

After years of hard work and dedication, Raquel, also known as Kelly, made her dream come true by opening Jalisco Mexican Grill #1 at Lake Oconee. The restaurant’s name thrives from a state in Mexico where Kelly was born and raised. After four years of operating Jalisco’s at the Lake, Kelly decided to open Jalisco #2 in Milledgeville, Georgia to expand her business and deliver a taste of Jalisco to a larger area.

Breakfast Brunch Lunch 117 W Hancock St Milledgeville, Ga 31061

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The Local Yolkal Cafe is widely known for the fabulous breakfast, brunch and lunch menu including tantalizing options ranging from Eggs Benedict, Breakfast sandwiches, Omelets, Waffles & Pancakes to delicious lunch items Shrimp & Grits, Burgers & Sandwiches, Salads and Daily Specials. Also serving delightful adult beverages to pair with Brunch or Lunch.

Enjoy Your Favorite Mediterranean Cuisine in all of Middle Georgia 138 N Wayne St Milledgeville, Georgia (478) 452-0247

Hot Ramen!

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Enjoy the best Middle Georgia Mediterranean food at Metropolis Cafe.

Metropolis has many Locally Owned, Asian healthy dishes, with a Inspired Restaurant menu of Greek, Mediterwith a Vibrant and Fun ranean & Indian food, Atmosphere. served with refreshing Serving Authentic drinks. Remember to Japanese Ramen, include a side of hummus Delicious Poke and with your meal. Be sure to come in on Thursdays and Sushi Bowls, Boba Milk try the homemade curry Teas and so much more! and naan. Come enjoy our back patio!

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1892 North Columbia St Milledgeville, GA

(478) 452-1960 additional locations in Gray, Sandersville, & Dublin

The PBC is the place where “Good Food and Great Times” come together!

After years of searching for the right combination of food, service, and atmosphere, the Pickle Barrel Café & Sports Pub is the culmination of 20 years of hard work.

If you are looking for a clean friendly atmosphere to bring the family, or just to meet new people, the PBC is the place to be.

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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Pickle Barrel Café

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Metropolis Café

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Index of Advertisers ACS – Air Conditioning Specialist, Inc................ back cover Animal Hospital of Milledgeville.........................................17 ATC Locksmith......................................................................56 Blackbird Coffee.....................................................................53 Bollywood Tacos.....................................................................53 Buffington’s..............................................................................53 Cansino Law Firm LLC.........................................................23 CASA.......................................................................................40 Century Bank & Trust.......................... inside front cover, 31 Copelan Family Dental..........................................................11 Dr. Frank Arnold & Associates...................inside back cover Exchange Bank........................................................................27 Galloway’s Floor Décor..........................................................54 Georgia Dermatology............................................................44 Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion & Gift Shop.................29 Green Acres Pet Crematory..................................................17 Green Street Pool Tavern.......................................................54 Heart of Georgia Animal Care.............................................23 Heritage Tax & Accounting Services LLC...........................13 Jalisco Mexican Grill..............................................................54

Keith McDonald Plumbing................................................27 Keller Williams – Kimi Clements Team...........................19 Lifescapes Photography......................................................40 Metropolis Café...................................................................55 Milledgeville Main Street...................................................57 Miso Hawngry.....................................................................55 Oconee Springs Campground/Edgewater........................29 Optim Health System..........................................................43 Pamlico Pool Company......................................................21 Pickle Barrel Café................................................................56 Sinclair Marina......................................................................3 Skin Care Physicians of Georgia........................................42 Surcheros Mexican Restaurant..........................................19 The Local Yolkal...................................................................55 The Reel Grill.......................................................................56 Tri COGO...............................................................................7 Tri-County EMC.................................................................35 TvisionZ Pressure Washing LLC.......................................56 Williams Funeral Home.....................................................35

To advertise in our next issue call 770-789-8189 or email wjr@ieservicegroup.com

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The ThePremier PremierMilledgeville-Baldwin Milledgeville-Baldwin County County Magazine Magazine

Moving Moving Milledgeville Milledgeville & & Baldwin Baldwin County County Forward Forward

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The Natural Joy and Value of Beautiful Greenspaces Leading the Charge for Early Language and Literacy The The Sandra Sandra Dunagan Dunagan Deal Center 6060 Milledgeville Milledgeville Living Living Magazine Magazine

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