Effingham April May 2015

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EMERGENCY CARE SHOULDN’T TAKE FOREVER Shorter Wait. Great Care.

So how long is too long to wait to be seen by a physician in an emergency room? At Effingham Health System, we know that waiting can add insult to your minor injury or illness.

When you arrive in our ER, you can expect a member of our specialized care team to provide you with an immediate medical screening exam. From there, we always work to get you in, out and on your way to where you need to be quickly and safely.

Slow and steady may win some races but when it comes to your emergency room experience, we know that faster (and friendly) is better.

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Effingham Health System 459 Hwy 119 S. Springfield, GA 31329 912.754.6451

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Kathryn Vandenhouten is a freelance writer who enjoys meeting new and interesting people. She earned her English degree at Georgia Southern University, and caught the travel bug while studying abroad in Costa Rica, where she received a minor in Spanish. After college, she worked briefly in Yellowstone National Park, where she enjoyed hiking and photographing the scenery and the wildlife.

Lea Allen

Katrice Williams

is a married mother of two: Nio-14 and Mya-12. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree and consistently maintained a great literary acumen and a big interest in writing. She moved to the Atlanta Metropolitan Area to pursue business career endeavors. A few years later, her husband, Tony, received a job offer in our local area, and the family eventually moved to our area. After spending a fulfilling amount of time as an at-home mom, she decided to pursue an area of personal attraction—writing. In her spare time, Katrice enjoys the 3F’s: family, food, and fun!! She’s also fond of occasionally writing a bit of good poetry.

Lane Gallegos

Shannon Robinson

is a free-spirited freelancer that collects hobbies and has a story for every conversation. She joins our publication in an effort to further develop her ninja writing techniques.

DiAnna Jenkins

Natalie McAlister is a life long Effingham resident. She has a great love of photography. Taking photos of family and friends sparked Natalie’s desire to become a professional photographer.

Sine the, her passion has grown to child and newborn photography. She is a wife and mother of two. She volunteers her time weekly to a local food bank. Natie is also a Avon representative Shane Lasseter

04 April/May 2015 | Effingham Magazine

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in this issue

April/May 2015

features

08 14 18 22 24 26

Kim Odom Helping Save A Life

Emma Blue ECHS Tennis Spotlight

Jake Anderson ECHS Pole Vault Spotlight

Craig Smith SEHS Track Spotlight

Makayla Brant SEHS Volleyball and Soccer Spotlight

GLOW Ministries Celebrating The Prom

departments

07

Publisher’s Page

specials

29

Let’s Do Business

33

Home and Garden

06 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

Full Speed Ahead!

Julie Hales owner/publisher julie@idpmagazines.com Lane Gallegos graphic designer lane@idpmagazines.com Lea Allen administrative assistant/circulation lea@idpmagazines.com DiAnna Jenkins account executive dianna@idpmagazines.com Shane Lasseter account executive shane@idpmagazines.com

Effingham Magazine is proudly produced by:

108 International Drive P.O. Box 1742 Rincon, GA 3126 (912) 826-2760

LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER Write to us and tell us what you think. Effingham Magazine welcomes all letters to the publisher.

Please send all letters via email to Julie Hales at julie@idpmagazines.com, or mail letters to P.O. Box 1742, Rincon, GA 31326. Letters to the publisher must have a phone number and name of contact. Phone numbers will not be published.

Spring has sprung, And we are full speed ahead!

This is a time when all of our creative juices start flowing. The days are longer, the sun is brighter, the birds are singing….. even my staff is singing.

March marked the nine year anniversary of Independence Day Publishing, Inc. It doesn’t seem real to me. Some days, it feels just like yesterday when I started this journey. Other days, I feel like I have been doing it for 100 years!

This company has awarded me some pretty cool things over the last nine years. It has given me the opportunity to reunite with old friends, make new friends, be a part of an awesome community….and learn about the best of the best of Effingham County.

As many of you know, IDP didn’t stop with Effingham Magazine. Shortly after, two other publications followed. The birth of Pooler Magazine and Richmond Hill Magazine were next. Then, five years ago, we launched a magazine in Beaufort, South Carolina, Julie Hales, PUBLISHER Beaufort Lifestyle.

I was asked many times…”Where do you go from here?”

Well, that is a question I can finally answer….5 years later. Last month, we launched a brand new magazine, Chatham Isles Living. We are so excited!

The new magazine covers Whitemarsh, Oatland, Talahi, Wilmington and Tybee islands. Having grown up in Effingham and lived here all my life, I have traveled those islands for years. There are some pretty cool characters that live there…and we hope to find each and every one of them on the pages of our newest publication.

I would like to thank my wonderful staff for helping me get this new magazine on the shelves…you guys are amazing. Your creativity, your talent, your loyalty….IDP is where it is today because of you….Lane Leopard, Lea Allen, DiAnna Jenkins, Shane Lasseter and Peg Beekman!

So, where do I go from here? Who knows? Only one thing is for sure, it is full speed ahead!

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Effingham Magazine welcomes story ideas from our readers. If you have a story idea, or photo essay you would like to share, please submit ideas and material by emailing Julie Hales at julie@ idpmagazines.com Stories or ideas for stories must be submitted by email. Only feature stories and photo essays about people, places or things in Effingham.

ABOUT THE COVER Meet Kim Odum and the Hart Family. It’s amazing how one night can change lives. Read about this 911 Dispatcher in Effingham County and how she helped a frantic mother save the life of her infant son.

CIRCULATION: Effingham Magazine is publlished bi-monthly (six issues a year), printing 10,000 copies and distributed to over 180 locations.

Reproduction in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Kim Odom:

HELPING SAVE A LIFE

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story by leslie chavez

ust ten minutes of one night in November was an eternity to Tara Hart, as she realized her infant son, Camden, wasn’t breathing.

He and his twin brother had just arrived home from the hospital three days prior after a two month stay in the NICU at Memorial Hospital.

They were born three months early and had already gone through so much. So, here Tara was, three days later after a joyful experience now desperately calling 911 for help. She had thought they had been through the worst already. The emergency dispatcher, Kim Odom, was calm and professional when she answered the call, despite the fear of what could happen, and was able to guide a mother to saving the life of her tiny baby. That night, Kim became a hero to the Hart’s, and to the entire county of Effingham.

Tara recalls the shock she felt and how she did everything that Kim directed her to do. “I was trying to answer the questions she was asking and do exactly what she was telling me to do, but I kept dropping the phone because I was shaking profusely. All I could think was ‘we haven’t come this far just to lose him; I can’t lose him.’ It kept feeling like an eternity and I kept turning him over to knock some wind into him with my hand, and turning him back over to perform CPR. At one point, Kim told me to get a suction bulb and suction his mouth and nose to make sure nothing was obstructing his airways. Every so often, he would take big breaths, and I would think he was beginning to breathe normally, but then his body would just go limp once again. I thought I had lost him.”

Prior to leaving the NICU after their two month stay, doctors required the Hart’s to take a mandatory CPR class. Tara recalls sitting in the class thinking to herself she would most likely never have to use her new knowledge. Little did she know, just three days later, she would encounter this instance. She fully believes if she had not taken the course, she would not have been able to do exactly what Kim was advising her to do.

Kim recalls that night with a shudder. “Around 7:00 pm, I received a call from a woman telling me her baby wasn’t breathing. She was a little hysterical, and immediately told me he was premature, and was on oxy-

photos by natalie mcalister gen. So, I immediately asked her if she knew CPR. She said she didn’t know it, so I told her to place the baby on a flat, hard surface. Since the baby was premature, I knew the compressions couldn’t be as aggressive as a regular infant. I was nervous and my mind was racing because I knew the baby was tiny and so fragile. I was basically trying to direct her through CPR without hurting the baby, but I know that babies are resilient, and that kept me calm. I told her to remove his nasal cannula from his nose, giving him two tiny breaths through his nose and mouth, and to begin compressions on his chest. Kim then laughs slightly to herself as she recalls: “I found myself doing compressions on my wrist while she was counting them out to me.”

During the time Tara was doing compressions, Kim also had to dispatch out Fire, EMS and the Police Department to the Hart home because the other three dispatchers were busy with other calls. Normally, another dispatcher would take care of those calls, but Kim had to multi-task to ensure the speediest arrival of help to the Hart’s. “It was very intense. Tara kept saying Camden’s name over and over, and finally I heard her say the he was breathing, and could hear his pulse. I immediately heard him screaming and crying, and that made me cry! It all happened so fast, but later on, I found out we had been on the phone for ten minutes.

Ten minutes that felt like hours, but we got the baby to breathe!”

Tara expressed “It really took forever, but finally, I’m not sure how or why, but he came back. I was just thanking God over and over. To this day, people will say that I saved my son’s life, but I know it wasn’t me.

God was in my kitchen that night standing next to me and brought my son back to me. I truly believe that with all my heart. He used Kim’s knowledge, and my hands to do the work, but it was Him, not me.”

Tara’s husband, Michael returned home just as Camden started breathing again. He recalls walking in to complete bedlam. “Tara was crying, and Camden was screaming and I had no idea what was happening.

When I walked in, she thought I was a first responder, but realized it was me, and through tears, told me what had just happened. I felt like a bystander because I

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Magazine.com | April/May 2015 09

wanted to help but didn’t know what to do. I remember running in the front yard to wave down EMS, and all of our neighbors started coming over to help. All I could think was thank God he was still breathing, and praying he wouldn’t have any brain damage. It took us forever to get into the ambulance because we were so flustered that we thought we were forgetting everything.

But, we were finally able to get to the hospital, and at that point, Camden was breathing well, and his vitals were great.”

After Tara and Michael arrived at the hospital, Tara asked one of the EMS responders if he could call the dispatcher that helped her so she could thank her personally. Kim says “We don’t normally get call backs from the people that we help, so we never know what happens after the calls most of the time. When

10 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

she called to thank me, I was still wondering if he was going to be okay. Later, I reached out to some mutual friends, and found out that he was doing perfectly fine” she says through tears, exuberating relief. “I have been doing this job for eight years, and he was probably the youngest child I have dealt with.

I have dealt with newborns, but because Camden was three months premature, he is probably the youngest save I have had. It was very humbling to know he was okay.”

This past February, the Effingham County Fire Department held an awards banquet at the Effingham Career Academy. Kim recalls not wanting to go, but says she is so glad she did. The Hart’s, along with Camden and his twin brother, and their grandparents were there to present Kim’s award for her outstanding achievement. “We don’t normally interact with the people that we come across or help everyday at work.

Meeting them was reassuring and very humbling because it reminded me that there are good things that come out of my job. We put up with a lot of stuff. This experience reassured me that everything isn’t always bad. I had been haunted by the death of my neighbor’s child, but this award came around the same time of year that he died. Children calls are never easy. Going back on all the bad calls, this one surely made up for it because it gives me something to reflect upon; it gives me hope.”

Kim not only works as a 911 operator, but also serves the community as a volunteer firefighter.

“Doing both really helps me to help more people. Being out with the fire trucks helps me do a better job as a dispatcher. We can’t stop, even for one minute, we just have to keep moving. It is constant” Later, it was determined that the reason Camden stopped breathing was his oxygen machine was not working properly, unbeknownst to Tara or Michael. However, they still are extremely thankful that the situation ended like it did. Throughout this entire process, they have met so many gracious people, and refuse to dwell on that night. “We just have to keep looking forward,”Michael says, “and not look back. God is in control, and we have such a great support system. Camden is doing so well and he is interested in everything. We don’t want to miss a single moment with either of our boys.”

Those horrifying ten minutes will forever be engraved in their minds, but rest assured, Kim Odom will always be a hero in the minds of the Hart’s.

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Effingham County High School TENNIS SPOTLIGHT

EMMA BLUE photos by natalie mcalister

14 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

H

igh school tennis tends to be one of those sports that just doesn’t get a lot of attention in local media, but it’s not by design. Far from it.

Spring is by far the busiest sports season of the year in prep circles, and with baseball, track, soccer and golf also going on across the Coastal Empire, and note that list doesn’t even include spring football, tennis often takes a backseat as overwhelmed print, TV and internet reporters chase the more popular sports – and each other.

But that lack of a wider audience doesn’t seem to bother Effingham County High School senior Emma Blue, the only child of Lee and Aimee Blue.

A native of Orlando, Emma has played since she was 6, thanks to a neighbor, old family friend and mentor she calls “Coach Tom.” He “got me interested in tennis when he offered to teach me and a couple of my friends how to play,” Emma said.

A dozen years later, Emma’s good enough at her sport to be the Rebels’ No. 1 singles player and play No. 1 doubles last season, when the Lady Rebels made it to the first round of the state Class AAAAA tournament. But while Emma said she would love to play college tennis, that’s about all she shares on the sport apart from eventually thanking those who’ve helped her along the way. But that’s okay, because Emma has got far more than tennis on her mind.

You learn that when you ask her about classwork. Then, the words begin to flow.

“My favorite subjects in school include English, literature, Spanish and French.” Emma said. What’s more, Emma lists no fewer than five favorite teachers – Mrs. Rhonda Habersham, Mrs. Elodie Lockhart, Mrs. Donna Holder, Mrs. Michelle Drayton and Mrs. Jessica Stephenson.

And her academic goals? They’re lofty. “To graduate with honors and continue on into a four-year university,” said Emma, who has already been accepted into the University of Georgia and has plans to join the school’s honor program and eventually attend graduate school.

Words flow more when you ask Emma to list those who’ve supported her during a tennis journey that started on the courts when she was a kid in Florida and continues to this day as the No. 1 singles player at Effingham County High School. For Emma, it starts with her father.

“I would like to thank my dad, who pushed me and encouraged me to practice by taking me out to the courts even when I didn’t want to go sometimes,” Emma said.

“And I would like to thank my mom who came to my games and even tried practicing with me, despite the one incident where she fell and nearly broke her arm.”

Emma also wants to thank Coach Tom, who, it turns out, is Tom Grafton.

“I would like to thank Coach Tom Grafton and his wife, Mrs. Betty, who got me interested in tennis and pushed me to continue the sport throughout my childhood,” Emma said. And there’s more. “I would also like to thank Coach O and Coach Martin who pushed me to do my best and have good sportsmanship even when opponents didn’t.”

And, there’s the aforementioned Mrs. Donna Holder, who “asks me every day in art class how the tennis team is doing,” Emma said, and then there are friends, Sophie Usher – “who played tennis with me since the unspeakable middle school years,” and Maya Lackey, “who is always eager to practice tennis with me or go for a run in sun or rain.”

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Magazine.com | April/May 2015 17

F Effingham County High School POLE VAULT SPOTLIGHT

JAKE ANDERSON photos by natalie mcalister

18 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

or a guy who’s only a high school senior, Jake Anderson has been some places.

He was born in Chesapeake, Va. to Greg and Sheryl Anderson, and, as a member of a military family – Greg was a Navy pilot -- has lived in five different states.

Lucky for Effingham County, the Andersons now call Springfield home, and Jake, a senior at Effingham County High School, is turning heads and opening eyes as one of the top pole vaulters in Georgia. He recently cleared 13-feet, 3 inches at the Ware County Swamp Relays, which not only set a meet record and established a new personal best for Jake, but also put him at No. 4 in Georgia so far this season.

And Jake, 17, intends on going higher before it’s all said and done. He’s cleared 14 feet in practice, and wants to end his senior year with a bang – bang as in state title and then going on to practice his craft in college.

“So far this year I have set two meet records but have my sights set on much bigger goals,” Jake said. “I am training and practicing at the highest level I can to become the state champion this year, break our school record and as the next step, put on a college uniform and compete at the next level.”

Not too shabby for a kid who didn’t even start pole vaulting until his junior year in high school, but did it well enough his rookie campaign to win 3-AAAAA by vaulting 12 feet even.

Jake went on to place fifth at state in 2014. How’s that for a first impression? For Jake, the sport had made an impression on him from the outset.

“I always thought pole vaulting was unique and different, and that you had to be a little crazy to do it,” Jake said.

“But it intrigued me, so I asked (ECHS track coach) Mike Ward when he was going to take the mats out.’

As Jake recalls it, Ward said he’d take them out the next day. “He said ‘I’m glad you brought that up because now that I think about it, you’d be a good vaulter.’ After that moment I started practicing, won my first meet and then I was hooked.”

And he’s obviously stayed hooked, maybe as much by dreams of being the best as by the thrill of clearing such lofty heights with only the help of a pole. There’s also a spiritual side of it.

“At this point in the season, the want, better recognized as the hunger, of being the best you can be or at the top inspires me and keeps me running

at full throttle,” Jake said. “To prepare for a meet or a jump, I try to focus on finding my kokoro – that’s my mind and my heart – and concentrating on visualizing what needs to be done until it is perfect and then I try to execute it.”

But Jake’s more than just a kid who pole vaults. He’s dead serious about academics, as well. “I intend to excel in academics at the high school and college level,” Jake said.

His favorite classes are Advanced Placement Calculus and Advanced Placement Microeconomics. “They involve having a problem, finding all the causes, and solving them for a true, real answer,” Jake said. “They are logical courses that integrate life issues into certain concepts.” In fact, Jake’s favorite teacher is Mrs. Moore, who teaches Microeconomics.

There are others he wants to credit, too, from personal coach Charlie Polhamus “for teaching me everything I know and being a coach that not only understands pole vaulting, but life and its challenges and how you should attack them as well,” to Ward, the ECHS track coach who convinced Jake to give vaulting a go.

“My track coach Michael Ward is the most supportive, caring coach I have ever had. He truly cares about me and my success, but more importantly, my failures,” Jake said. “He also has a weird, kind of twisted way to make you smile or lift your mood up from where-ever it is so that you can actually benefit from your mistakes and press on without looking back.”

And then there’s Mom and Dad. “They have worked very hard with me and for me throughout this whole endeavor,” Jake said. “They’ve pressed on through multiple pole breaks and failures because of their faith in my ability as their son and the competitive spirit that they both have. Without them, I would not have accomplished what I have so far. They keep my mind sharp and my sites focused on the right target.”

And, speaking of targets, it might surprise you to learn where Jake hopes to be in 2025. If you guessed the military, you’d be right. “Ten years from now, I want to be in the military as a Navy Seal fulfilling my duty as an American and serving the country.”

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www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 21

South Effingham High School TRACK SPOTLIGHT

CRAIG SMITH

S

photos by natalie mcalister

outh Effingham High School senior Craig Smith didn’t start running to compete. He started running to get somewhere, to make the trek from Point A to Point B and back again. ”When I was younger, I didn’t now running was a sport,” he said. “I thought it was a mode of transportation. I didn’t have rides and one of my friends lived six miles away, so I always ran to his house.”

And then Craig got to high school and heard about this thing called track. The rest, as they say, is history.

“I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe you actually do this as a sport, for awards,” he said. And Craig was hooked. All that running he’d done because his feet were his best way of getting anywhere was starting to pay off – and still is.

Last fall, Craig was his team’s top boys’ cross country and distance runner. At various times since starting high school, he’s been a mainstay on the track team in the 400-, 4x400 relay, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter races. And if you take a look at the South Effingham High School track team team records page at www. athletic.net, Craig’s all over it.

He’s currently fourth on the all-time list for his time of 55 seconds in the 400, and Craig is tied for third in the 400-meter relay split after having turned in a 53-second lap earlier this year.

In the 800, his time of 2:08 is second fastest in school history.

He’s got the fourth-fastest time in school history in the 1,600 -- a 4:52, which is moving. So is Craig’s time of 11:25 in the 2-mile run, which is the best in SEHS history, by more than a minute and some change.

“No one likes running the two miles competitively,” Craig recalled. “But I just like to run, so I said, ‘I’ll do it.’”

It can make for a hectic meet schedule, but that’s how Craig likes it. He works out at home and at school.

“For me, it’s two different workouts,” Craig said. “At home, it’s running miles. At school, it’s speed work, mid distance stuff. Right now, I’ll run 12 400s and try to get each one in under a minute and 15 seconds. You get two minutes rest between each one and then, boom, right back out there.”

There’s a goal at the end of all this work, a plan to own the school record book whenever and wherever he can, and at the same time do the best he can in the upcoming Region 3-AAAAA meet and hopefully advance to the state meet.

It’s a possibility this year, because Craig has already shown he’s among the top runners in the region in both the 800 and 1,600.

But it’s down to this year, because Craig is running out of chances and he knows it. He graduates in May, and then, unless he’s picked up by a college – and he’s made the honor roll – it’s off to the military.

“If no colleges pick me up for track, then I’ll go straight into the Air Force,” Which was kind of already the plan anyway, it turns out, because Craig thinks that’s serving one’s country is important.

So, he’s an ensign in Naval JROTC at SEHS, and said the program has helped him learn leadership and he helped the NJROTC drill team finish first in the 1,600 at the Area 12 drill competition.

But it runs deeper than that. Craig’s late father, Craig Steven Smith, served in the military. So did his late grandfather. And so does Craig’s brother Andrew, who is currently serving in the Air

22 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

Force in South Korea.

“In my family, all the men go in the military,” Craig said, while also noting that he’s now “the last male in my family, so that doesn’t give me much room for mistakes. I try to be the best I can be.”

NJROTC will help Crag earn rank faster. He can start as an E3 and that means more money as he pursues a job in the Air Force as a pararescue specialist.

And then, probably college on the GI bill, though Craig’s also planning on taking college courses while he’s in the Air Force, all to get where he’s going. And that destination may surprise you, because Craig’s ultimate goal? It’s to be an actor.

“No one I know has ever done it,” Craig said.

He lists as his favorite actors Adam Sandler and Will Smith, and his favorite movie as “I am Legend.”

Someday, maybe Craig will be listed as someone else’s favorite actor. If he does, and wins an Oscar, then there will be people to thank. He’s already got some he wants to mention – from his mom, Maria Hines, “because she’s helped me as an athlete by pushing me toward being the best I can be.” – to his brother, who’s also pushed Craig to do the best he can “because I’m extremely competitive. I just hate losing.”

There are mentors, from former SEHS track coach Craig Owens, who’s helped Craig get better at his craft, to coach Jeff Faith and SEHS track coach Laura Soles.

“She’s the one who has been with me the past four years, and she’s really motherly towards me. It’s like I’ve got a step mom, and she’s even taken care of me sometimes, whether it’s making sure I’m at a meet, just helping me out, or training me as an athlete,” Craig said.

And there’s Melvin, who was “pretty much my Godfather because I didn’t see my real dad that often since he was in the military and bouncing around the world. He’s the one who guided me to running. He’d tell me to go out and run miles. It’s got me to where I am.”

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | February/March 2015 23

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South Effingham High School VOLLEYBALL AND SOCCER SPOTLIGHT

MAKAYLA BRANT photos by natalie mcalister

24 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

ith games, practices, school, homework and a part time job, it’s a wonder there are enough hours in the day for South Effingham High School senior Makayla Brant.

But the two-sport standout in two distinctly different sports makes do quite well with the time allotted. An All-Region 3-AAAAA volleyball player in 2014, Makayla also has a soccer MVP under her belt, along with plenty of other accolades in both sports.

If that makes for a busy schedule for after-school and weekends, when Makayla does get time off, she spends it wisely by enjoying it.

“I love going to the beach, movies, shopping and spending time with my family and friend,” she said. “And, I attend church at Savannah Christian Church-Effingham Campus.”

It’s a way of life that works for Makayla, the daughter of Joel and Suzanne Chumley and older sister to Makenna, a fourth-grader at Marlow Elementary. And it started early on for the athletic, photogenic teen.

“I have played soccer for 13 years. I started when I was 4 years old,” Makayla said. “I have always just understood the concept of the game very well.”

She’s played both offense and defense over here career, which includes three seasons for South Effingham Middle and four at South Effingham High, “but I like playing striker the best because I love having the opportunity to score goals.”

If soccer is about footwork, volleyball is a test in eye-hand coordination. And while both sports require athleticism, Makayla was encouraged early on to give volleyball a try by her father, who “thought I would enjoy volleyball and that I would be good at it because of my height,” she said.

“It was also a sport I could try that would allow me to still play soccer. He played intramural volleyball at Armstrong State College and loved it,” Makayla

added. “I tried out in 6th grade and made the team and never looked back. I really have enjoyed playing and over the years and have become good – I think.

It is very different than soccer; one is concentrated on hands and the other on feet.”

And there are added benefits to being an athlete, as well.

“I like sports because I like being part of a team,” Makayla said. “I like that it keeps me on a schedule and keeps me involved.

I have to stay physically fit. And I think I have done well in sports.”

Like all who realize it takes more than talent and desire to excel on playing fields, Makayla knows she has those she can rely on, those she wants to thank publicly for their support over the seasons and the years.

“I would like to thank God for giving me the ability to do well. I want to thank my parents and sister for believing in me, supporting me and always being my biggest fans.”

There are coaches to give credit to, too, and Makyala names several –Sherri Pittman, Amy Duke, Kendrick Thompson, Jennifer Hall, Karen Powell, Scott Kessler, Mike Osborne and Keith Miller.

And that’s far from all there is to tell about Makayla, who liked going to new places, listens to country music, calls pink her favorite color and has the nickname “Mak-Daddy.” She’s also participated in gymnastics and dance and is admittedly obsessed with the movie “Hocus Pocus.”

“I probably watch it at least once a week,” Makayla said.

“Weird, I know.”

A decade from now, Makayla might still be watching the movie once a week. Or she might not.

She’s already planning to go to school at Savannah Tech for a four-year degree in dental hygiene, and Makayla sees herself in 2025 a happily married mom with kids and a career as a dental hygienist.

Given what Makayla’s already accomplished, she’ll no doubt have plenty to tell her kids, and her patients, when that time comes.

GLOW MINISTRIES CELEBRATES 5 YEARS OF THE GLOW PROM

T

A Special from Wendy Turner, Glow Ministries

his year our Glow Prom celebrates its 5th year. Two years ago, we were blessed by Rincon Church of God to allow us to come and use their life center, since our event has grown with each passing year. Glow has a relationship with two local ministries, Our Father’s House, led by Vicki and Shaw Wilkerson and a group from Rincon Christian Church called Shining Stars. Our Father’s House invites those with special challenges and they hold events during the year. This ministry is based out of Guyton Christian Church.

Shining Stars also reaches out to local families with special challenges.

So, it was an easy fit for us to have a prom and invite in both groups and anyone else in our community that is interested in attending and or serving alongside of Glow! We have a full blown prom with all the fun, food, lights, music DJ, white tents, candles, photography and more! These kids love everything about our prom and look forward to it all year!

We schedule hair and makeup appointments for the girls the morning of the prom. They come in and we just love all over them doing their hair and applying their makeup. We serve them

26 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

breakfast and juice! We paint their nails as well, including fingers and toes!

If someone cannot afford a nice dress to make them feel special, we provide them whatever they need. We even supply the matching jewelry if needed. You know the great preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “Share the gospel, when necessary, use words!” I can testify that this is one event where no words are necessary!

There is so much love poured into it that everyone that walks in the door knows they are witnessing something so special, so sacred, so sweet! It just makes your whole heart smile!

We, at Glow Ministries, believe in giving our best, our best dresses, our best jewelry, our best design, our best food, we give them the best of us! We dance with them. We push their wheelchairs, we sway it back and forth, we clap for them, Tears fill my eyes as I see my husband asking a young lady to dance that shyly tells him she does not know how. He takes her by the hand leads her to the dance floor, she slips her shoes off as he tells her to stand on the top of his feet because that is how he taught his little girls to dance. They go sashaying across the floor.

Did I mention this young lady is 48 years old on the outside, but

inside she is about 11 years young! So yes, by the time the song ended, I was bawling! It is one of the sweetest memories have when I am tired and ask myself why we do what we do!

Or maybe my memory of a young man who makes his mom rent him a tux and bring him to the prom. But then tells his mom, “you cannot come, in I am old enough to go by myself.”

So she drops him off not knowing what to expect, as this was his first prom. I happened to be at the door later when she arrived to pick him up, early, so she could get a peek at the festivities.

She was shocked when she saw her son dancing his heart out while the crowd had formed a complete circle around him clapping as he danced smiling with glee! With tears flowing, she told me that she didn’t even know he could dance, I said, “you are kidding, he has been going like this all night.” he had secretly been practicing for months in his room preparing for the prom because he was so excited about it! So I walked over to this young man, took him by the hand and looked at his mama and said, “you did not know your son could dance, so I suppose you have never danced with him?” She shook her head no. I told her he had been asking me to dance all night and I knew she would not want to miss this special opportunity to dance with her son! Mother and son slow danced cheek to cheek for the very first time. That is a sweet memory for me indeed!

While our beauticians are busy getting our girls ready, we have other volunteers getting the building decked out complete with lights, sounds, tables decked out in black cloth tablecloths with pink silk runners and huge crystal centerpieces with candles!

This year, in celebration of our 5th year anniversary, we are pulling out all the stops with white tents being brought in and all silver and crystal dishes complete with a huge castle cake!

Yes, you guessed, our theme is A dream is a wish your heart makes! From cinderalla!

We have our own professional DJ Rex, known in these parts as Josh Austin from Ephesus Church! He has always made time to host our event with all his DJ charm and he gets everybody dancing.

One year, we were able to hire a limo to give all the kids a ride to the prom! There is nothing we at Glow Ministries will not do to make these wonderful kids feel special and loved!

Natalie Mcalister has taken pictures every year for this event and gives us a great discount so that everyone can afford a package!

Our prom this year is on April 18th at 630 at Rincon Church of God. We are expecting 100 kids this year along with their families. This is very much a family event and everyone enjoys themselves. We hit the dance floor with wheelchairs, crutches, oxygen tanks, it does not matter because on this magical night these kids are enjoying the Prom….. something they never thought they would get to do, because they don’t fit in or they have a disability.

When we are all together, all that is left behind and we just love on them and serve them. And, in the words of my friend Shaw Wilkerson, “Because we are all the same through our Father’s eyes, and in my father’s house, there is room for everyone!

In heaven there is no more disability no more wheelchairs!”

Glow funds the entire prom. If you are interested in helping financially or serving, you can call Wendy Turner at 663-5806.

Checks can be mailed to Glow Ministries, P.O. Box 2573, Rincon, GA 31326

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 27

21

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28 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

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Let’s Do Business...

IN EFFINGHAM

Hometown Quality and Strong Commitment To Satisfaction

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n a world where everything from huge corporations, to banks, to retailers seem to grow larger by the minute, Chris and Cindy Sparry did the same. They founded Auto Glass Service, LLC 15 years ago with a business philosophy that may best be summed up in short bursts of words.

Bigger isn’t always better.

Quality service and workmanship are better.

If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you.

They have ran with the plan ever since.

“Since we began, we have never strived to be the biggest glass repair and replacement shop in the Savannah area, but to be available when our customers need us,“ Chris Sparry said. “Service and quality are what we pride ourselves on. We are not a national chain windshield replacement shop with revolving door customers. We are a customer-friendly, small-town, small business that has survived for 15 years while other national glass shops have come and gone.”

And then there’s this, the part of the Sparry business plan that comes in all caps with three exclamation points behind it: “WE SERVICE CLIENTS WHERE WE LIVE!!!”

The emphasis is there for a reason.

“That has been the key to our success,” Sparry said. “Not only do we believe in the products and services that we sell, most of the people we service are or will become friends and longtime acquaintances, friends who have come to trust us with

their second-largest purchase, their car.”

Now at the halfway point of a second-decade of installing glass in the Savannah area, “Auto Glass Service still maintains the same level of unparalleled service and a strong commitment to satisfaction by maintaining close contact with our family of clients and not sacrificing a quality, safe windshield installation under any circumstances,” he added.

And it’s a family business in the strictest sense of the word.

Chis is in charge of installations, overseeing employees, quality control, inventory and those duties which might best be described as general managerial, all while continuing to install glass and run a mobile truck.

Cindy is in charge of customer service, answering emails, scheduling jobs, ordering parts and handles all of the general office duties.

Together, they offer FREE -- there’s that all caps again -- mobile service: “Our mobile service trucks bring the glass to you and install the glass at your home or work place, offering you convenience and no wasted time,” Chis says. He also noted all new glass installations are covered by warranty against leaks and poor workmanship, while teachers, students and Gulfstream employees are eligi-

30 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

ble for discounts.

Should you need to a new windshield, Auto Glass Service offers a 24-hour online quote and schedule service online at AutoGlassServiceco.com. Auto Glass Service is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays by appointment. All major credit cards are accepted, too.

For more information, call Chris at 912508-3259 or Cindy at 912-508-3009.

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Magazine.com | April/May 2015 31

COMING SOON TO EFFINGHAM

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32 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

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Home & Garden

COLDWELL BANKER INTERCOASTAL REALTY

INTRODUCES NEW BROKER

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oldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty in Rincon has had some exciting new changes in the new year. One of those changes has been the addition of a new broker.

Carmen Cribbs has joined the team at Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty, and took over as the Broker in January of this year.

Definitely not new to the industry, nor Effingham County, Carmen brings 27 years of real estate experience with her to the Coldwell Banker team.

Carmen, a life-long resident of Effingham County, got licensed in 1988 and has been selling real estate in Effingham and surrounding areas ever since.

First working for a Century 21 franchise in Pooler, Carmen wanted to be home…home to the county where she was raised, and still lived. She moved her license to ERA Adams/Pevey in Rincon where she was an agent for the next 10 years.

With an entrepreneurial spirit, Carmen opened her own real estate company in 2002, Southern Homes and Land Realty in Guyton, Georgia. “Opening Southern Homes and Land was the next step for me. It was what I wanted to do to grow in my field.

The economy was good and I had the best team….we were like a big happy family,” stated Carmen.

And family is the key. That word, family, was the deciding factor in closing SH&L. “I worked all the time. With two daughters at home, I felt like I never got to spend the time with them that I

34 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

wanted to. So, I decided to pack it up and go home to be with my girls,” she adds.

Taking a short hiatus from work, real estate was constantly calling Carmen back. And, she quickly gave in. She was the Broker for Heidt Burns Realty for a period of time and with Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners. Now, back in Rincon with Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realtors, she has found her home again.

Brandi Talton, owner of Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty, is pleased to have Carmen as her broker. “Carmen is a delight to work with. She is easy going, extremely knowledgeable, and backs all of our agents 100%. Her work ethic and loyalty to our office is immeasurable. We are very fortunate to have her leading our team,” states Brandi.

“Working with Brandi and the team at Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty is like being back home, and back with my family.

Some of the agents I work with now are the same agents I have worked with for years. We are family,” states Carmen.

Carmen Cribbs is a professional. She brings years of experience to the table. She makes sure her team knows that she has an open door policy and welcomes any of them in if they need her help.

If you are thinking of a career in real estate, give Carmen a call.

She will be happy to welcome you to the team at Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty….and make you a part of the family.

FOUNDATION PROBLEMS? If you’ve noticed signs of foundation problems, such as interior or exterior cracks, doors and windows that are hard to open, or sagging floors, you are probably dealing with a foundation problem caused either by changing soil conditions around or under your home, or excess moisture in the crawl space. Unfortunately, these problems don’t get better with time – they only get worse!

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and home refinancing.

Effingham County’s Oldest Mortgage Company…

Jane Hughes, owner of International Mortgage, says, “It CAll FoR DETAIlS oN THE $8000 TAx CRED is no secret that the mortgage CAll FoR DETAIlS oN THE $8000 TAx CREDIT • 100% Packages industry has been changing CAllFinancing FoR DETAIlS oN THE $8000 TAx CREDIT • 100% Financing Packages • 100% Financing Packages drastically over the last several • First Time Buyer Programs • First Time Buyer Programs 100% Buyer Financing Packages • First• Time Programs years. We are not exempt from • Debt Consolidation • First Time Buyer Programs • Debt Consolidation • Debt Consolidation this trend. It has•been unfortu• Construction Loans • Debt Consolidation 100% Financing Packages • Construction Loans nate to see all the changes, but • Purchases • Construction Loans Construction Loans • Purchases we stay on top, making we Buyer • Firstsure Time Programs ••100% Financing Packages • Purchases • Refinances • Refinances • Refinances know all the latest programs to • Purchases • VA Loans • Debt Consolidation • VA Loans • First Time Buyer Programs • VA Loans fully help our clients.”

• Free Consultations Jane • Free• Free Consultations • Refinances Consultations Jane PRE JaneHughes Hughes International•Mortgage • Home Improvement Loans Construction• Debt LoansConsolidation • Home PRESIDENT • Home Improvement Loans PRESIDENT Improvement Loans offers all the standard loans, VA Loans Loans (912) 826-5386 • Fax: (912) 82 826-5386 • Fax: (912)826-455 826-455 Purchases ••Construction such as FHA, VA,• USDA (for (912)(912) 826-5386 •McCall Fax: (912) • Rincon, G 55055505 McCall RoadRoad • Rincon, GA 5505 McCall Road • Rincon, GA •Purchases Free Consultations rural development) and a host Serving Effingham County, surrounding areas & al Serving Effingham County, surrounding areas & all of Georg Jane Hughes • Refinances • Serving Effingham County, surrounding areas & all of Georg of conventional loan options.

PRESIDENT • Home Improvement Loans This is also a great time to • VA Loans • Refinances refinance your existing mort• of Free Consultations • VA Loans gage and save lots money.

• First Time Buyer Programs - 100% USDA Jane Hughes Homeowners should consider PRESIDENT • FHA, VA & Conventional • Construction LoansGA • Purchases 5505 McCall Road • Rincon, • Home Improvement Loans • Free Consultations Jane Hughes Hughes refinancing if they would like Jane Refinances • Free County, Consultations • Home Improvement Loans PRESIDENT Serving Effingham surrounding areas & all of Georgia to reduce their term and lower PRESIDENT • •Home Improvement Loans their payments.

(912) 826-5386 • Fax: (912) 826-4556 Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee#5748 You can expect prompt, 5505 McCall Road • Rincon, GA hughes@internationalmortgage.com courteous and knowledgeable McCall • Rincon, GA County, surrounding areas Road & Road all of••Georgia 55055505 McCall Road Rincon, GA service from Jane Serving HughesEffingham at 5505 McCall Rincon, GA Serving Effingham County, surrounding areas & all of Georgia International Mortgage. Give Residentialsurrounding Mortgage Licensee#5748areas & all of Georgia Serving Effingham EffinghamGeorgia County, Serving County, surrounding areas & all of Georgia her a call.

GRMA#26250 NMLS# 158359 (Novella J. Hughes)

CAll FoR DETAIlS oN THE $8000 TAx CREDIT

Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee#5748 Georgia Residential Mort

Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee#5748

(912) 826-5386 • Fax: (912) 826-4556

(912) 826-5386 • Fax: (912) 826-4556 (912) 826-5386 • Fax: (912) 826-4556 GRMA#26250

GeorgiaResidential Residential Mortgage Licensee#5748 NMLS# 158273 (International Mortgage Co.,Mortgage Inc.) Licensee#5748 Georgia

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 35

W

hat is aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is a type of alternative medicine that uses the natural oils extracted from flowers and plants to enhance psychological and physical well-being. Studies have shown that aromatherapy promotes wellness. These essential oils used for aromatherapy are known as God’s natural medicine and have been used by humans for over 5,000 years.

A great way to use this technique at home is as an air

Dr. Leslie Baylis Chavez leslie@whisperingwatersacademy.com • Whole Body Alternative Health Care • Clinical Aromatherapy • Vitamins & Minerals • Raindrop & VitaFlex Technique • PhytoBella Paraben-Free Makeup • Auditory Integration Training • Coaching & Consulting • Education & Community Classes

freshener. Fill a glass bowl with boiling water and add 1-9 drops of the desired essential oil. In a few moments, the area will be filled with the wonderful scent.

If vacuuming, take two cotton balls and add a few drops of oil to then and drop them into the vacuum bag to fill your home with the scent. You can also put 1-2 drops on a cold light bulb, when you turn on your light, it will heat the oil and add a nice fragrance to your room.

For more ideas on aromatherapy contact Whispering Waters Academy in Rincon.

800 Towne Park Drive, Suite 400, Rincon, Georgia 31326

912.295.2163 whisperingwatersacademy.com

Contact us today, and let us help you find your next home!

201 STERLING DR.

6 LAKEVIEW DR.

112 SWEETWATER CIR.

CT TRA

CON DER

ION

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CO

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NEW

4B/4.5 Ba 3200 SqFt $319,900 Call Toni

3B/2Ba 1264 SqFt $139,000 Call Toni

5B/4Ba 3159 SqFt $349,900 Call Toni

102 AUTUMN DR.

323 PURPLE PLUM

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3B/2.5Ba 2790 SqFt $329,900 Call Amy or Susan

1.46 acre lagoon lot $65,000 Call Susan

4B/3.5Ba 4654 SqFt $449,900 Call Susan

Platinum Properties (912) 826-2151 www.platinumpropertieshomes.com 5719 Hwy 21 S., Rincon, GA Toni Bresnan (912)596-3678

Susan Jones (912)660-2917

Amy Shuman (912)441-6551

36 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

G

nann’s Fix-It Shop in Springfield, has been in business over 50 years. Originally founded by Bowers Gnann Jr in 1964 it is still running strong today. As a small town repair shop in those days, Gnann’s Fix-It Shop fixed small appliances such as electric irons, lamps and toasters. Now, our society is faster paced and people don’t repair these items, they just buy new ones.

Gnann’s has changed with the times and now specializes in the service and sales of power machinery and lawn equipment such as lawn mowers, chain saws, tillers and ATV’s.

Although this small, family-oriented business has grown considerably from its humble roots, the core values of sales and service have not shifted in the least. Gnann’s Fix-It is now owned and operated by Clarence and Charlie Gnann, two of the sons of founder Bowers Gnann. Both Clarence and Charlie grew up working in the store and both know the business from the ground up.

The company has grown considerably in its 51 years. They now have over 10 employees. This enables the brothers to run a smooth operation and give the best service possible to all their loyal and new clients. It is the oldest and most complete establishment of its kind in the area.

They are more than simply a repair shop. They are certified dealers of well-known and reliable brand names such as Snapper, Stihl, Exmark, Billy Goat, Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Tecumseh, and more. And if you are looking for less work and more play, Gnann’s Fix-It also offers a full line of Arctic Cat ATVs, for adults and children. Financing options are available for qualified buyers.

Sales and service is what Gnann’s is all about. You’ll find the most courteous and experiences staff to assist you. “You’re going to find knowledgeable people to deal with,” said Clarence. “We will help you with your problem and walk you through whatever

you might need.”

Gnann’s Fix-It stands behind all of their equipment 100% and are always available to answer any power equipment questions you may have, even if you did not purchase it from them. Gnann’s offers full service on most equipment, and has a well-trained staff of friendly and knowledgeable mechanics and sales personnel.

If you prefer to repair your equipment yourself, Gnann’s can also help with that. Their parts department is stocked with a wide variety of various parts for all types of lawn equipment, and if they don’t have it in stock, chances are they can get it within a short amount of time.

“People assume that the big chain stores are cheaper than us, but not necessarily,” said Clarence. “We can be very competitive if people just give us a chance. We handle our own warranty work.

Shopping with is guarantees great products and quality service with no need for searching for repair work.”

If friendly, reliable, and honest service is what you are looking for, Gnann’s Fix-It Shop is the way to go. Whether you need new equipment, need old equipment repaired, or are just seeking the expertise of qualified and responsible mechanics, Gnann’s Fix-It can help satisfy all of your lawn and garden and ATV needs.

Gnann’s Fix-It SHop 1015 South Laurel St, Springfield 912-754-3745 www.gnannsfixitshop.com

“LOCAL BUSINESSES REINVEST IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY 60% MORE THAN CHAINS.”

$

14995

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95 129 16995

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GNANN’S FIX-IT SHOP (912) 754-3745 • gnannsfixitshop.com

This is the time to take charge of our own future and support locally-owned businesses.

Join your friends and neighbors by logging on to www.independentwestand.org, take the pledge and find independently owned businesses near you.

www.independentwestand.org

www.facebook.com/IndependentWeStand twitter.com/IndWeStand *Civic Economics - 2007 San Francisco Report on Retail Diversity

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 37

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our home is everything. It is your place of rest, comfort and tranquility. Does your home reflect that for you and your family?

It may be time to go to your local furniture store for the “wow” factor your home needs.

All furniture stores are not the same, and you will find that out when you walk into the Badcock Home Furniture and More in Rincon. The moment you walk in the door you are greeted by the friendly and knowledgeable staff.

No matter what size your room is, there is always room to keep it stylish.

Just like fashion trends, the same holds true for home décor and furniture. Badcock Furniture strives in keeping up with the ever changing styles and keeping things fresh. You will find rustic, contemporary, traditional and everything in between.

Since Jeremy Nease purchased the Badcock Furniture store in Rincon from Corporate almost four years ago, they have remained in the top 50 of the country’s 350 stores. “This is due largely in part to our loyal customers. It is all possible because of the support from the community,” stated Jeremy.

Jeremy is the owner and operator of this local franchise. Including himself, Jeremy has a fantastic team of sales associates, delivery and warehouse employees. His ‘right-hand’ and store manager is Bobby Heath brings over 25 years’ experience with Badcock Furniture.

As a successful team, they know the importance of customer service, “it is top priority.” They create a comfortable atmosphere for the customer. This is evident when you walk in the door. The store is brighter and has a more spacious display. You receive a sincere smile and a welcoming greeting. Nease wants people to know, “We are not pushy and every customer is special to us.”

Bobby adds, “When you walk in the door, you are not a number.

You become part of our family.”

Badcock Furniture has been in business since 1904 in Mulberry, Florida. Today, there are over 300 Badcock & more stores in eight states: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. There are approximately 75 corporate stores and 240 Dealer-owned stores.

Consider Badcock Furniture your one stop- shop for your home. There is no need to travel to different stores to get what you need to fill your home. Badcock offers customers a full range of quality furniture, bedding, appliances, electronics, gun safes, accessories, floor coverings and even lawn equipment. Consisting of name brands such as La-Z-Boy, Simmons, Ashley, Cattnapper and Southern Motion. They also offer iComfort mattresses.

Badcock has had an amazing success in their flooring department. They came in number four in the whole corporation, a 35% improvement from last year. “None of that would have been possible without the customers, and we appreciate that so much,” Jeremy states. They plan on continuing to grow the flooring department to meet even more needs and demands.

38 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

Badcock’s flooring department has carpet, vinyl and laminate available. A new vinyl floor they carry is the Fiber Floor by Tarkett. This new beautiful and practical flooring is designed with woven fiberglass, foam and tough resilient wear layers; much thicker than traditional vinyl flooring.

The flooring installer is a local Effingham resident, William Johnson. You can be sure he will take care of you from the free estimate to the professional installment. We want our customers to know that all of our flooring is 100% American Made!

Be sure to stop in and ask about their new “no credit refused” program. So, now is the best time to purchase. The in-store 12 month 0% financing options can be used for not only your furniture but also your flooring and installation.

Jeremy wants people to know they listen to what Effingham’s residents want, and are now Effingham’s only furniture store open on Sundays. They are open from 1-5 Sunday, and 10 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday.

“I would like to thank the residents of Effingham County for all their support. Without you, we would not be where we are today,” says Jeremy.

Stop by and visit Jeremy and his team, they would love to thank you personally for all your support. “When you visit my team in Rincon, I promise we’ll treat you right.” Jeremy adds, “We always take care of any problems that may occur. I tell customers that if they have any problems, call me. If they are happy, tell everyone.

Badcock Home Furniture and More 321A Columbia Ave, Rincon 912-826-4500

Make a house...

feel like a home!

ONYX Collection R

321A Columbia Avenue • RINCON •(912) 826-4500 on Hwy 21 across from Alibi’s Sports Bar & Grill

Locally owned and operated by Jeremy Nease

NEW HOURS: MONDAY–SATURDAY 10AM–6PM • SUNDAY 1PM–5PM

W

indow treatments can make or break your décor. Have your window treatments seen better days? It’s time to try Budget Blinds. Budget Blinds is a custom window coverings franchise that offers convenient shop-at-home service for window coverings and home décor accessories.

Budget Blinds has been in business since 1992 and have been in the Coastal Empire area for almost ten years. The local Budget Blinds has been owned by Nancy Beskar since 2012. Beskar has recently expanded to include the greater Coastal Empire area.

The service area covered by this franchise is Pooler, Rincon, Bloomingdale, Guyton, Statesboro, Midtown Savannah and Westside Savannah.

Nancy Beskar has been part of the Budget Blinds family since 2011, working with franchise owners across North America.

Nancy was inspired by the quality of products, the best-in-the-industry warranty and the high level of satisfaction rated by Budget Blinds customers.

Budget Blinds offers convenient in-home and in-office consultations for their customers. You will love working with their style consultants. They will bring samples, swatches and styles to you, so you can see how they will look in your home or office and help you find the best product for your budget.

They guarantee their measurements and offer professional installation to ensure you have a hassle free experience. From the time the order is placed, the products can be delivered and installed in as little as three weeks. Shutters and specialty products can take up to eight weeks.

Interior and exterior products are offered for both residential and commercial uses. If it goes on or around the window or door, Budget Blinds of the Coastal Empire will likely have what you

need from blinds, shutters, shades, drapery, window film and more. There are even some new wonderful exterior products that are great add-ons for porches, pool area and garages.

In addition to the manufacturer’s warranty, Budget Blinds offers a best-in-the-industry “no questions asked warranty” on select products. If that product should ever become inoperable, damaged or unsightly due to non-manufacturing reasons, Budget Blinds will replace that product at no cost to the customer.

Budget Blinds is a locally owned and operated business offering their customers the best selection and pricing for window coverings. They take pride in their products and services. Contact Budget Blinds of the Coastal Empire for any of your window covering needs.

Budget Blinds of the Coastal Empire 912-436-6806 www.budgetblinds.com/coastalempire

what’s your style iD? Wood shutters & iD custom bedding

Multi-colored semi-custom panels

Introducing Inspired Drapes, a Budget Blinds exclusive.

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The20% Bestoff inselected Customwindow Windowcoverings Coverings: * Blinds, Shutters, Shades, Drapery 15% off our new Inspired Drapesand linemore!

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Contact your local Style Consultant today at 000-000-0000.

www.budgetblinds.com/coastalempire

*Offer good on selected Signature Series® soft window treatments and Inspired Drapes® sold exclusively through Budget Blinds®. Drapery hardware and installation not included. At participating franchises only. Valid at time of initial estimate. Not valid with any other offers, discounts or coupons. Some restrictions may apply. Ask for details. Offer available for a limited time only. ©2015 Budget Blinds, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated. Budget Blinds and Inspired Drapes are registered trademarks of Budget Blinds, Inc. and a Home Franchise Concepts brand. Franchise opportunities available.

40 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

BudgetBlinds.com

T

here’s no better way to brighten up your home’s interior that to add an original piece of art and beautiful custom framing that you can treasure for years to come. Nestled behind International Mortgage, you will find the energetic, dynamic sister duo of Beth Pye and Mary Jane Callaway, owners and operators of The Cottage.

The Cottage is a unique business that offers custom framing and matting, as well as items created by local artisans and authors.

Did you know that when you frame a special piece of art or memorabilia you can actually help preserve it and keep it in beautiful condition for future generations? It’s true. Conservation framing is a way to protect your art. There are many elements that can discolor, fade or even deteriorate artwork and memorabilia.

Such as pollution, light, heat, humidity, insects and bad cleaning practices. Caring for your art properly becomes important not only for your prosperity and enjoyment, but for future generations as well. That’s why framing is so important.

Those precious memories and treasures that may be tucked away in a closet or drawer can be turned into beautiful shadow boxes and proudly displayed. Whether it is a family heirloom, one of a kind piece of artwork, that collection of fishing lures, military medals, Girl Scout Badges, or baseball cards that have been collecting dust can now be preserved forever in an artistic protective manner. “Art should evoke an emotional response in its owner, and it is those feelings and memories you are preserving when you invest in custom framing,” says Mary Jane.

Custom framing allows you to create a framing design to enhance any piece of artwork to compliment your home or office.

There are thousands of mat colors and frame selections to choose from. Don’t be overwhelmed with all the selections, Beth and Mary Jane are knowledgeable and here to help you achieve the

look you want. “I find it exciting to enhance art or precious memories while preserving them with conservation framing, “says Beth.

Framing is not the only service that is available. Hand lettering/calligraphy, photo restoration, digital photo to art, creative matting, conservation framing, awards, canvas stretching, and shadow boxes are a few of the other available services.

Beth and Mary Jane can help you keep your treasures looking their best for years to come. Stop by the store today, not only to see the wide selection of mats and frames, but to also see other items they carry by local artisans and authors.

If It’s Worth Framing.. Frame It To Last

Helping You Protect and Display The Things That Matters Most

912.826.5553 www.cottageofcustomframing.com 104 International Drive • Rincon, GA • MON-FRI 10-6 • SATURDAY 10-2 www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 41

W

hat do you think of when you hear the phrase “All About The Light”? Your reaction can vary depending on your perspective or the manner in which you hear the phrase delivered. To some All About The Light might be unique lighting for your home, or custom lights for your car or maybe a beautiful Christmas decoration. To others, the phrase could refer to a moment of clarity, the solution to an unanswered question or new understanding of a situation, “That was when I saw the light and realized I needed to do something.”

This is the concept that partners and friends Jeff Brantley and Scott Grafton were thinking when they decided to open a combination store front business, All About The Light and 5 Star Tactical. They are located off of Highway 21 in Rincon in the McCall Plaza.

There are several unique aspects to this diverse business; selling LED lighting and tactical gear while conducting gun training and teaching safety. You are probably wondering how these are even related. Simply stated, it’s All About The Light.

One part of this store has to do with lighting, using LED lights.

Here you will find lighting solutions for your home, car, motorcycle or boat with all the latest products in LED lights. Jeff has been in this business since 2012 and his largest clients are the many local manufacturing industries who often require unique, custom LED lighting solutions. He is frequently asked by plant engineers to produce solutions for difficult lighting needs that can only be safely accomplished through the creative use of low-voltage LED lighting. These solutions usually involve crafting something that isn’t currently manufactured and has to be custom fabricated to meet the specific lighting need.

This creative concept extends to providing the same ideas to residential homes. Items that are very popular with home owners include adding accent lights under or above the kitchen cabinets.

These lights can be set for up to a million vibrant colors and are often utilized in the custom cabinet market.

Do you have any great lighting ideas for your home? Is your home ready to shine? Stop by or call Jeff and let him help you bring your ideas to life.

Another side of this remarkable business is 5 Star Tactical.

Specializing in Gun Gear, Tactical Gear and Personal Defense Products, 5 Star Tactical has a large inventory including Holsters and Survival Knives, Pepper Spray and Stun Guns, Camo Netting and Binoculars, Fire Starters, Shooting Gear and more.

Gun shops often don’t carry a lot of holsters or other tactical gear, so 5 Star Tactical is able to support the local firearms market with their strong focus on shooting gear and accessories. Popular items include range bags, eye and ear protection and spotting scopes.

Once you have all the necessary gear for shooting safety and survival, don’t forget about training! Scott Grafton is an NRA Certified and USCCA Certified Firearms Instructor, and operates Grafton Guns Training Classroom in the store. The motto of Scott’s company, Grafton Guns LLC, is “Got Guns? Get Training!” and this slogan accurately describes the mission of Grafton Guns.

Any tool can be dangerous when used in an unsafe manner and guns are certainly no exception. Training is required to learn to drive a car safely and we ought to train to be safe with a firearm also. Gun ownership rates across the country are higher now than ever before and most gun owners find that professional training improves their safety, confidence and capability with a gun.

If you bought a gun to keep your family safe, does that make you safe with a gun?

Without proper training the answer could be, NO! Scott offers many classes teaching concealed carry, gun safety,

42 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

personal and home defense. Each class is taught personally by Scott Grafton, a NRA and USCCA certified instructor. He keeps his classes small so he can spend more individual time with students as needed, both in the classroom and on the range.

One of Scott’s classes is a non-shooting course; NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim. In this class you will study the psychology of criminal predators, increase your awareness level and improve your general security. You will learn to be safer in your home, car and while traveling.

Scott’s most popular course is the 3-Hour Pistol Basics class.

You will learn the different types of pistols, how they operate and which type is best for you. You will also learn universal rules of gun safety, loading and unloading, proper grip and stance and clearing malfunctions. This course not only has you learn in a classroom, but you will also receive live fire exercise at The Range.

Another very exciting class is the USCCA’s Concealed Carry. The United States Concealed Carry Association has packed this 5-hour course with information critical to those who carry a firearm, like learning how your body will react during violent encounters, learning the often subtle differences between legitimate defensive gun use and illegal gun use, scenarios which help you learn the difference, and how to talk to the Police following legal defensive gun use. This is the most comprehensive course of its type offered anywhere in the country. This is an advanced course, and it is highly recommended that students have strong gun handling skills, or attend 3-Hour Pistol Basics or NRA’s Basic Pistol prior to attending this course.

Have you considered how you would protect your home and family? What you would do if someone broke into your home?

Would you react correctly? These are questions that everyone thinks about at one time or another, but may be unsure of how to properly execute.

Contact All About The Light / 5 Star Tactical today. Jeff and Scott can help!

6014 Hwy 21 South / McCall Plaza Rincon, GA 31326

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 43

COLDWELL BANKER INTERCOASTAL REALTY

AGENT OF THE YEAR SUE ANDERSON

W

ith over 30 years in the industry, Sue Anderson has earned both local and national recognition as one of the top Real Estate agents in her field. And once again, has been awarded Agent of the Year at Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty for 2014.

Currently, Sue ranks #1 in the state with total units’ and #2 in selling units among all Coldwell Banker agents in the state of Georgia. Just recently she received notification from REAL Trends, a real estate consulting and Communications Company considered being a leading source of real estate news and trends, that she will be recognized in the next issue of The Thousand and the 2015 Americas Best Real Estate Agents. Each year, The Wall Street Journal and REAL Trends, partner together to compile a distinguished ranking of leading sales professionals and teams within the United States (The Thousand). REAL Trends started Americas Best in 2013, which ranks the top agents in the United States by state and major metropolitan areas.

Sue’s 2014 numbers that were submitted for residential sales were 112 closed transaction sides with a sales volume of $20,658,584. This is an accomplishment that very few agents can claim. “She’s an amazing Realtor and person” says Carmen Cribbs, Broker for Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty. “She is one of the most modest and kind people that you will ever meet. She is committed to her customers and clients and wants to provide the highest quality of service to them, and does it all without an assistant or team. I am so very proud to be associated with her.”

Sue contributes her years of success and longevity to integrity, old fashioned hard work and strong negotiating skills. She will tell you that selling real estate is more than just getting listings and buyers; it is about helping people find their dream home and making it a smooth and pleasant transaction. Her career in real estate centers on providing quality service to her clients.

Specializing in Southeast Georgia, Sue markets both resale and new construction. Sue’s clients remain loyal with referrals being a big part of her business. She also has a passion for decorating,

44 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

which enables her to assist sellers with getting their homes in “show condition” for buyers.

Sue has a daughter, Danielle, who is in her second year of medical school at Medical College of Georgia. In Sue’s downtime, she enjoys going to estate sales, and spending time at her home away from home, St. Simons Island.

If you are looking for an agent, and want one of the best, Call Sue Anderson. Her detail to professionalism and her commitment to service is sure to make Sue the agent you are looking for.

Congratulations COLDWELL BANKER INTERCOASTAL REALTY’S

AGENT OF THE YEAR

Sue Anderson

COLDWELL BANKER INTERCOASTAL REALTY’S

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

COLDWELL BANKER INTERCOASTAL REALTY’S

TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Karen Miller

Sherry Murphy

COLDWELL BANKER INTERCOASTAL REALTY’S

MILLION DOLLAR CLUB AWARD WINNERS

SUE ANDERSON

DEE BANKSTON

CYNTHIA PARKER

ERV BORDNER

CINDY PRESNELL

JAMES DASHER

JIM PRESNELL

BONNIE KING

JUDY QUINNEY

SHERRY MURPHY

KIM STALNAKER

Office Staff Available 7 Days A Week 5805 Hwy 21 S. • Rincon, GA 31326 912-826-0927 • 877-826-0926

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated

A portion of all Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty proceeds are donated to local charities. www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 45

A

re you in the need for a TV? Maybe for a child’s room or for the new “man-cave”. Or how about a replacement weed eater or another type of tool and you just don’t want the high cost that goes with buying new.

Should you go without? The answer is No. Head over to Quick Cash Pawn in McCall Plaza.

Quick Cash Pawn gets updated inventory every day. If you need items for your home and just don’t have the “extra” funds; buy previously owned and saved. Every item brought in, is tested and checked out to be in working order. If you are looking for electronics, don’t hesitate or delay on stopping by, they sell quickly.

Pawn shops can be found in nearly every town, big or small.

But, it does not mean that every pawn shop is the same. Quick Cash Pawn has friendly, knowledgeable employees available to help. They are a shop with great value and service. Owner Eva Underwood is proud to offer her customers an honest and trustworthy establishment. Eva states, “We are a family oriented, community based business.”

This is not your typical pawn shop! They are a retail store and a loan store. Quick Cash Pawn makes collateral loans on used merchandise. As a way of saying thank you, they offer half off interest on loans to first responders, law enforcement and active military.

Longtime employee, Teresa Witt says, “I would love for people to think about us and take away the stigma of a pawn shop. We are so much more than ‘just a pawn shop.’ Most people think pawn shops are dirty. We get complimented daily on our store.”

You are sure to find what you are looking for at Quick Cash Pawn, whether it is for yourself or a gift for someone else. They provide a wide range of inventory from DVDs to TVs, electronics to power washers, old coins to musical instruments, jewelry to firearms. And not everything is pre-owned; there are a lot of new

items as well.

Stop by and see for yourself all that Quick Cash Pawn has to offer. You won’t be disappointed.

912-826-1872 www.quickcashteam.com

Your Fair and Friendly Pawn Shop Large Selection of New and Used Inventory

Come See For Yourself 912-826-1872 www.quickcashteam.com McCall Plaza, Hwy 21 at McCall Road • Rincon, GA Monday-Friday 9AM-6PM, Saturday 10AM-5PM

46 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

• Jewelry Sales & Expert Repairs • Musical Instruments • Electronics • Fire Arms • Power Tools

A

s fashions change and trends come and go, your furniture has remained an integral part of your home.

Furnishings have changed over the years, and picking out the right furniture can sometimes be a task. Not everyone is an interior designer, so finding the right “fit” for your home may be a challenge to some. But, at Wiley’s Home Center, that burden is taken off your shoulders.

When you walk in the door at Wiley’s, you immediately see a vast display of furnishings, set in a “room” atmosphere, giving you a perfect picture of how your “room” should look.

There is no second guessing what pieces should be placed together. Wiley’s has done that for you. Walking in the door, you will see living rooms tastefully put together with perfect matching accessories. You will see bedrooms put together with perfect accenting pieces. Dining tables and matching china cabinets, all tastefully decorated will give you a vision of how it will look in your home.

Twenty eight years ago, Wiley Thomas embarked on his dream... the dream to open a quality furniture store in Effingham County. This dream became a reality in 1987 when Wiley’s Home Center opened its doors in Rincon. Now, twenty eight years later, it is still a successful family owned and operated business.

Owned by him and his daughter, Detra Thomas, Wiley’s takes great pride in their business. Their customer service is second to none. You are always greeted with a friendly smile. Their experienced salespeople will cater to you and help you with whatever your needs may be. It is this impeccable customer service that sets Wiley’s apart from others and is a huge part of their continued success. Detra says, “We’re just trying to offer you the right kind of furniture, at the right price, the right way.”

Wiley’s carries over 150 brands of furniture, appliances, bed-

ding and floor coverings. Popular brands such as Flexsteel, Hooker, Bassett, Vaughn Bassett, Liberty, Riverside, Serta, Whirlpool, GE and Frigidaire make up their impressive inventory. The store has over 35,000 square-feet of display and warehouse area.

“We often hear customers say there is not a store like this anywhere in the area that carries the quality of furniture for the price.

Along with furniture priced from the medium to high category,” Detra adds, “Our goal is to provide excellent customer service and same day delivery.”

Wiley’s is a popular place to buy appliances. The store actually has onsite technicians. “A lot of people buy appliances from us because of them,” said Detra.

Wiley’s offers immediate delivery, 12-month no-interest financing with approved credit, and in-store financing with approved credit, and superior service after the sale.

Wiley’s is located on the north end of Rincon, just over the viaduct. It may take a few minutes longer to get to, but it is definitely worth the time.

So, if you are looking for quality furniture at a reputable store, look no further. Wiley’s Home Center is the expert at “Helping to Make Your House a Home.”

Wiley’s Home Center 1202 N. Columbia Ave Rincon 912-826-2931 Wileyshomecenter.com

HOME CENTER

Family owned & operated since 1987 912-826-2932 www.wileyshomecenter.org Hwy 21 North, Rincon (Just South Of The Effingham YMCA)

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 47

T

his magnificent executive home was built with elegance and quality in the Autumn Woods community in Rincon. You enter the home through a two-story foyer with wood floors. The beautiful great room is grand in size with the vaulted ceiling and wood flooring.

This beauty of 4,318 square feet has so much to offer with four bedrooms, three full baths, 2 half baths and a bonus room, which could also be used as a fifth bedroom. If you need relaxation or just a place to entertain, you will do so in the all-weather entertainment room with wet-bar over-looking the amazing daily-changing lagoon. If outdoors is where you prefer to visit with your guests, you can do so on the 1.4 acre lot and enjoy the fire pit in the backyard.

325 PURPLE PLUM DR., RINCON, GA

Contact Carole Hogge with Re/Max 1st Choice Realty for your private tour today at 912-826-1000.

Carole Hogge Re/Max 1st Choice Realty (912) 826-1000 (912) 713-7136

www.carolehogge.remax-georgia.com

Tailored Security Solutions...

With YOU in Mind

FREE

SECURITY SYSTEM

Offer valid with approved credit - proof of home ownership - monitored agreement required

844-GOL-SAFE (844-465-7233)

5847 Hwy. 21 So., Rincon • www.GOLSecurity.com

48 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

T

here’s no substitute for having peace of mind that your home and loved ones are protected. GOL Security can get you connected with one touch of a button on your smart phone or any mobile device providing complete control over your home or business with one single powerful app powered by alarm.com.

GOL Security is a locally owned and operated family run business. Together Brian and Jody have over 15 years’ experience in the industry. After many years of working in leadership on the corporate side and moving often, Brian and Jody decided to settle in Effingham and open GOL Security named after their three children, Gavin, Olivia, and Luke.

GOL Security is an autho-

rized dealer of leading security services, Vector Security. They are committed to providing their customers with the latest most advanced technology the industry has to offer. From the consultation and design, to installation, monitoring and service they integrate the products to provide convenient, quality security solutions for you.

And that’s not all, they provide a lifetime warranty on all service and replacement of all devices including battery replacement and never charge a trip fee. All VIP customers receive one free move with all systems and up to 20 % off home owners insurance.

If you are ready to protect what matters most, your family and home or business, call GOL Security and let them customize your security solution.

I

s a home renovation or addition something you are considering? Have you outgrown your current living space or does it just need a makeover? Has your “Honey Do” list gotten out of control? If so, Martin Construction can help.

Jesse Martin, owner of Martin Construction, has over thirty years of experience in renovations, remodeling, additions, repairs, design, and construction of homes. He takes pride in the fact that he owns and operates a local business that is honest, reliable, and fair. Martin Construction is also dedicated to providing their customers quality workmanship each and every time.

If you are considering remodeling your out-of-date kitchen, adding a peaceful sunroom or a much needed garage to your home, or even converting your attic space into a bonus room or family game room, then Martin Construction is the business you are looking for. “No job is too small or large for us,” says Jesse Martin.

Pride in their superior customer service is something else they are extremely proud of. “My customers like the fact that they deal directly with me,” he says. “We are a hands-on business that stays on the job until it is completed,” he adds. Martin Construction does the designing, quoting, as well as the labor and construction from start to finish. If you are looking for a company to do a turnkey job, then this is the company for you. Any project you are considering will be a stress free one with the aid of Martin Construction.

Many times customers need a company that can be flexible with scheduling. Jesse Martin will gladly work with you and meet your scheduling needs. Convenience is very important to the customer, and Martin Construction will go out of their way to guarantee complete customer satisfaction.

Martin Construction is not only limited to renovations and

additions. They also perform preventative maintenance, and a large variety of home repairs. “Some people don’t realize that you have to maintain your home,” Jesse says. “You cannot ignore it, because when you do, expensive problems arise that if caught early could have been prevented or have been less costly.”

Martin Construction is qualified and ready to tackle whatever project you have in mind for your home. Whether it is an addition, a renovation or remodel, or just a repair, give them a call and let them handle the rest. You will be glad you called.

Martin Construction 912-429-5488 Jcmjr1959@aol.com

Quality Workmanship...

The First Time!

MARTIN C O N S T R U C T I O N

Before

Kitchen & Bath Renovations • Remodeling • Additions • Decks / Fences / Driveways • Repairs • Preventative Maintenance •

Jesse Martin (912) 429-5488

After

jcmjr1959@aol.com • fax: (912) 295-5396

HONEST

RELIABLE www.Effingham

FA I R

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 49

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n extraordinary lifestyle begins with this spectacular home, located on more than 100 acres of beautiful countryside in Rincon. Waiting serenely at the end of a grand drive, this enormous, 6400 square foot colonial style home will greet all who arrive with a gracious Southern welcome.

When you enter this beauty, you enter into the home’s immense foyer with a two-story cathedral ceiling. A stunning mural graces the wall below the stairs that leads to the homes’ second level. The 2nd floor landing creates a dramatic view of the Great room below, a wall of windows of every shape and size floods the enormous and beautiful room with brilliant natural light.

You will absolutely fall in love with the wide open spaces and spectacular views offered by the incredible windows and open architecture of the home. This home boasts 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths and two bonus rooms.

The huge gourmet kitchen is a chef’s delight. An abundance of

cabinets wrap the kitchen in soothing honey tones. A broad island encourages guests to keep the cook company, and offers a wonderful place for a quick afternoon snack.

The home’s true splendor isn’t its incredible interior – it’s the world of luxury and possibility of the more than 100 acres of estate that surrounds it! Spend an absolutely private afternoon in the pool or host a party on the expansive pool deck. You can also entertain in the pool house which offers a full length bar, kitchen, and full bath.

No estate of this size would be complete without a commercial style gym, tanning room, stables, tack house and let’s not forget an enormous workshop. To see for yourself the many amenities and features this home has to offer call Joseph Williams of Keller Williams Realty or Kathy Mills of ERA Southeast Coastal Real Estate to schedule your personal tour. And, if you can’t wait for that appointment, check out the video tour on line at http://fusion. realtourvision.com/57947.

6 8 5 R A LPH RAH N ROA D, R INCO N

Joseph F. Williams Keller Williams Realty Westside 110 Pipemakers Circle #108 Pooler, GA 31322 Office: 912-748-4600 Cell: 912-659-0913 www.thecoastalhomesource.com

50 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

Kathy Mills ERA Southeast Coastal Real Estate 5857 Hwy 21 South Rincon, GA 31326 Office: 912-826-2550 Cell: 912-660-7488 kathymills40@comcast.net

S

pring has finally arrived and area homeowners are looking forward to a beautiful green and lush lawn that the warmer days bring with it. If your yard is in a poor state, new sod for your lawn may be the answer for you. You may be considering selling your home, or you may just desire a lovelier landscape. No matter what the issue is, Greenblade Turf & Sod can help you spruce up your residence and give your property great curb appeal.

Greenblade Turf & Sod, owned and operated by Michael and Tara Hart, is located in Guyton. The Hart’s are dedicated to providing residential and commercial customers in Southeast Georgia with top-quality sod. Greenblade may not be the largest supplier of sod in the region, but they produce some of the best grasses on their 350 pristine acres. Quality is and will continue to be their number one concern.

Falsely assumed by many, all grass is not created equally. There is a glaring difference in the sod offered by other companies and Greenblade. The difference is evident in the approach meticulously taken by Greenblade in growing, harvesting and transporting premium grass that’s prime for installation.

They make sure that each pallet of sod is always fresh for the customer, so that is why they dig to order. “We never allow sod to sit on a pallet longer than 24 hours,” says Tara Hart. This is why they request a 24 to 36 hour notice to prepare and cut sod for delivery or pickup. In the spring and summer months, sometimes a 5 to 7 day notice is necessary.

Greenblade offers delivery of sod to residential or commercial customers. One pallet of sod covers 500 square feet of land. Customers also have the option of placing their order and picking it up themselves, whether it’s one pallet or a thousand!

Several varieties of superior grasses are available to the customer; Zoysia, Bermuda, Palmetto, and Centipede. “Centipede

grass is by far the most popular grass we deliver,” says Tara. This grass grows best in full sun and needs very little fertilizer or water. Palmetto St. Augustine Grass is another variety that would produce a beautiful lawn. It has a thick blade and creates a lush-looking lawn when properly maintained.

It is important to give a newly sodded lawn immediate and constant attention. Once sod has been installed, it must be kept wet for a week to two weeks in order for the grass to take root. This means it should be watered for three to four hours each day. Do not let the sod dry out. An organic fertilizer, such as Milorganite, will help the grass grow and thrive and is highly recommended by Greenblade Turf & Sod. If you are looking to spruce up your lawn this spring, then Michael and Tara Hart would be more than happy to help you with this task. Let Greenblade Turf & Sod provide superior sod to help showcase your property. Call the office Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to place any orders for sod. All sod is available year round, but, during the busy spring and summer months, be sure to call plenty of time in advance to be put on the delivery schedule. And rest assured, you will always receive unsurpassed service and helpful knowledge to match the quality of their sod.

“Our grass is legal... but we SMOKE the competition!”

Grading • Sod Sales • Sod Installation • Irrigation

Please Call Today For A Free Est

imate!

(912) 728-TURF(8873)

www.greenbladeturfandsod.com

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 51

Are You Ready To Move?

SELL YOUR HOME WITH CONFIDENCE Julie Hales

(912) 657-4120 julie@triplepowersales.com

DiAnna Jenkins

(912) 308-7408 dianna@triplepowersales.com

Licensed in Georgia and South Carolina

TriplePowerSales.com

912.826.0927

Your Real Estate Team... Working For

W

hen you sell your home, you want to be confident in the Realtor you choose. You want someone with experience. Someone with proper training in representing sellers. Someone committed to customer service.

A local Rincon Realtor has recently been awarded with the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation, the premier seller agency designation in the country; Carrel Donnell with Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty. Carrel is a full time professional who has been licensed in the State of Georgia since 1983.

The SRS is conferred by the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers (CRB) and is an official credential of the National Association of Realtors. Carrel is now part of an elite group of real estate professionals. All agents with this designation were required to successfully complete a comprehensive

You!

Minutes From Gulfstream

course in seller representation, pass a comprehensive exam and subscribe to the Realtor Code of Ethics.

With years of experience to offer, Carrel is committed to customer satisfaction, and always returns a call.

52 April/May 2015 | www.Effingham Magazine.Com

4 Bedroom, 2 Bath Home with Bonus Room, Spacious Open Floor Plan, Privacy Fenced Yard.

Carrel Donnell Coldwell Banker Intercoastal Realty 5805 Hwy 21 S • Rincon, GA 31326 Office 912-826-0927 • Cell 912-663-3416 www.SouthGaHomesForSale.com

M

ORTGAGES You don’t buy a house on a whim, and you shouldn’t pick your mortgage provider on a whim either. As a not-for-profit institution, GeoVista exist to provide the lowest possible rates and guidance when you need it the most.

With local decision making, low rates and on-site guidance, Geo Vista allows you to spend less time worrying about financial details and more time working out your home details.

GeoVista offers competitive rates with a wide range of options and terms. Their clients receive free pre-qualification to increase their buying power.

They give their clients personalized service through every step of the mortgage process. Their streamlined process enables them to make sure their closings happen on time.

BANKING Becoming a member at GeoVista Credit Union is actually more like joining an extended family. That’s because GeoVista is a not-for-profit community institution that can only thrive when all of their members do. In a nutshell, they exist for you, so that your needs and voice can be heard. In a world flooded with large, corporate banking institutions where customers are really just a number. Isn’t that refreshing?

“Our Credit Union offers lower fees and lower rates,” said Wanda Howell, Manager at GeoVista’s Rincon branch. “A credit union is owned by its members. Gains from fees and rates go back to the members,” she added. Banks are owned by stockholders who reap the benefits.

GeoVista specializes in products and services for the individual.

It does not offer business banking. You will find the same kinds of

services offered by a bank including many checking and savings programs, auto loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, personal loans, Visa cards and more, but with much more reasonable terms.

There is a variety of free checking products. Student’s accounts for customers ages 13 to 23 and Senior accounts for customers age 50 and over, offer special features suited to their unique needs.

GeoVista also offers online banking, online bill paying, mobile banking and e-statements. They are geared to provide service and convenience for their customers.

Auto loans, including features such as Automotive Premium Value Protection, are offered. APVP gives car buyers the option of adding a quality extended warrany at considerable savings and financing it in the loan.

Another option is Guaranteed Auto Protection Plus. GAPP covers the difference between the actual cash value of your vehicle and the loan balance if the vehicle is totaled in an accident.

GeoVista has a variety of savings accounts that pay competitive interest rates with convenient features like direct deposit and payroll deduction to make saving even easier. There are several choices in Certificates of Deposit.

There are also several Visa credit card choices featuring conventional and secured cards. Secured cards offer customers the opportunity to obtain a Visa card by depositing cash into an account to cover purchases…..a great way to establish or rebuild credit.

If you live, work, worship or attend school in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham or Liberty counties, we’d love to extend an invitation to join our family! Joining is that simple and once you’re in, you’re a member for life!

www.Effingham

Magazine.com | April/May 2015 53

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OPEN 24/7 Now Accepting Silver Sneaker Members!

Full Gym featuring free weights, machines, cardio equipment and more!

Personal Trainer and Exercise Classes Available Over 7,500 sq feet of workout space

(912) 826-5008 250 Chimney Road, Rincon, GA 31326