Cherokee Life Sep-Oct 2018

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Travel & Pets

Published by The Cherokee Tribune September/October 2018

How to keep your fur family safe and happy

Also inside:

Non-profit fights Animal overpopulation Adopt a fur baby | Football fanatics CHLF SEPT-OCT 2018 1 1

8/20/2018 4:43:26 PM

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We Welcome

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8/21/2018 9:23:27 AM

3 OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE COMEBACK SPORTS MEDICINE FOR GROWING ATHLETES 9 Sports Medicine Doctors and Surgeons 25+ Locations 40+ Sports Physical Therapists 50+ Certified Athletic Trainers 40+ High Schools and Club Sports Affiliations

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8/18/2018 5:27:17 PM

4 WHAT’S INSIDE 8

ANIMAL RESCUE Where and how to adopt pets in Cherokee County

10 TRAVEL WITH PETS

Best options for furry family members when you’re away 13 DO THE RIGHT THING

Georgia Animal Project fights dog and cat overpopulation

September-October, 2018 Volume 13, Issue 5

18 FOOTBALL FANATICS

Local college football fans renew traditions to support teams 24

26

RIVERFEST Annual festival will celebrate fall on the Etowah NEW HAUNTS Paranoia adds escape room to its scary lineup

CHEROKEE PERSPECTIVE

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NEWS & NOTEWORTHY

PUBLISHER

Lee B. Garrett ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Wade Stephens

V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING

Travis W. Knight

V.P. OF CONTENT

J.K. Murphy

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR

IN EVERY ISSUE 4

EXECUTIVE

Gary Tanner

ON THE COVER: Donna Steiner of Sit and Stay Pet Sitting walks dogs she is caring for.

29 HIGHLIGHTS 31 SCENE 34 REFLECTIONS

CONTRIBUTORS

Shannon Ballew, Carla Barnes, Thomas Hartwell, Rebecca Johnston, Juan Rodriguez, Margaret Waage PHOTOGRAPHY

Thomas Hartwell, Juan Rodriguez, Gary Tanner, Margaret Waage LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Jennifer Hall, Beth Poirier

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS BRUMBY CHAIR COMPANY CANTON THEATRE CANTON TIRE AND WHEEL CHEROKEE BREAST CARE CHEROKEE COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL CHEROKEE COUNTY FARM BUREAU CHEROKEE MARKET CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA CITY OF CANTON DARBY FUNERAL HOME FROSTY FROG CREAMERY & CAFÉ FUNK HERITAGE CENTER HORIZON AT LAUREL CANYON MEDICAL ASSOCIATES OF NORTH GEORGIA MID CITY PHARMACY NORTHSIDE CHEROKEE ORTHOPEDICS & SPORTS MEDICINE

32 31 10 11 10 30 16 3 13 26 22 26 23 20 12 21

NORTHSIDE HEART 17 NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL - CHEROKEE 36 PEACH PASS 35 PERIMETER NORTH FAMILY MEDICINE 19 PINNACLE ORTHOPAEDICS 2 PLASTIC SURGERY CENTER OF THE SOUTH 28 PRO HEALTH & FITNESS 12 PROVINO’S 22 REINHARDT UNIVERSITY 28 REMAX TOWN & COUNTRY 5 SALON SPA VENESSA 16 SERVICE LEAGUE OF CHEROKEE 33 SOLEIL LAUREL CANYON 7 SUPERIOR PLUMBING 29 TOWNE LAKE PRIMARY CARE FAMILY MEDICINE 27 VIANA CLEANING SERVICES 32 WOODSTOCK FUNERAL HOME 30

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Becky Opitz, Ginny Hrushka, Kya Brannan, Krysten Bush, Jill Abbott GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Tona Deaton, Lee Field, Erin Barkwell, Beth Poirier CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Dave Gossett

INFORMATION Cherokee Life is published six times a year by The Cherokee Tribune and distributed to more than 20,000 homes and businesses.

To subscribe, email circulation@cherokeelifemagazine.com or call 770-795-5001.

For advertising opportunities, contact Travis Knight at 770-428-9411, ext. 510.

Send letters to the editor, article pitches and any other content queries to Gary Tanner at gtanner@cherokeelifemagazine.com

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8/21/2018 12:27:15 PM

5 CHEROKEE PERSPECTIVE

Change as inevitable as the seasons By: Rebecca Johnston

Life moves at the speed of sound these days. Think about the changes we have seen in just the last decades. Our computers and devices are now securely established as our windows on the world. We find out what our friends and neighbors are doing through social media. We don’t have to go to stores to buy the things we need, we just order them online. We take all our photos with our phones, our cars practically drive themselves.

In the words of Benjamin Disraeli, change is inevitable, change is constant.

Without change, life and living become stagnant. We must change to survive, to grow, to evolve.

And yet there is a comfort to tradition, and while change is as inevitable as the changing seasons, tradition brings a certain sense of happiness and well-being that change never does. That is just human nature.

While spring is a time for new beginnings, fall is the time of year when traditions feel like a warm blanket against a chilly night. Football games, homecoming celebrations, hay rides and pumpkin carvings, fall festivals and fairs all herald the season.

When I attended Cherokee High School way back in another century in another millennium everyone in the county went to the same school.

Coming back together after a summer where it was hard to stay in touch was exciting and even a little scary. The great thing, though, was that it felt as if we knew everyone in the county, from Oak Grove to Free Home, from Ball Ground to Hickory Flat. We all came into the melting pot that was our high school back then.

As school kicked off, so did football, and with it one of the most cherished traditions of all.

I was a cheerleader at Cherokee way back in the day. We almost never won a game. My senior year we did not win a single one. Still, the whole community poured out to support the Warriors as they took the field.

I especially loved homecoming, when the crowd was even larger and the cheerleaders got to wear those big Chrysanthemum corsages with our names in glitter down the red and white ribbon streamers. I still remember the spicy smell of those flowers, the rapidly cooling air coming up off the Etowah River with a shivery chill, the feeling of pride when we sang our alma mater and our team came surging out.

The afternoon before the big game would be the parade through downtown Canton. The floats took weeks to make, chicken wire stuffed with paper, imaginative designs from every club and activity the school had to offer. That night we would have a big bonfire behind the courthouse. We would hoot and holler and sing our battle songs while we danced around the fire as its flames reached ever higher in the night air.

Then later that weekend there was the dance. Those who weren’t on the court didn’t dress in fancy evening wear. We wore nice skirts and sweater sets or jackets to the homecoming dance, adorned by the ubiquitous corsage. In those days, believe it or not, girls were not allowed to wear pants to school at all at Cherokee. Money seemed so much tighter back then too. Maybe that was just in my family, but my mother liked to make sure that my homecoming outfit could be worn to church and even school after the festivities were over.

Much has changed in Cherokee County, but much has remained the same. Sports still bring out the crowds. Pride still swells in the night air as teams around the county at six high schools come running onto the field. Our schools bring our communities together.

Events like the Service League of Cherokee County’s Riverfest Arts and Crafts Festival and the Cherokee County Fair at the American Legion fair grounds in Canton provide annual traditions of fun for a good cause. Halloween and fall festivals give us one last chance to celebrate the season.

Fall is about change, the changing leaves, the shorter days, the drawing closer to the end of the year. It is about celebrating our traditions as well. Looking back at the year and at our lives, taking stock of what we have, counting up our blessings and giving thanks.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | CHEROKEE LIFE

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6 NEWS & NOTEWORTHY Woodstock’s new city mural unveiled Canton artist AnnaLysa Kimball was selected to paint Woodstock’s towering mural on the Mill Street-facing wall of a century-old pharmacy and spent two years gathering input from the community and painting the mural, which features the faces, pets and vehicles of a handful of lucky passersby. This summer the completed work was celebrated with a ribbon cutting and ceremony full of fanfare.

Kimball said the mural’s purpose is to be interactive and to tell the story of Woodstock through its history. The artwork features panels from different times in the city’s history and includes elements connecting those panels – in one time crossover, a young girl helps another up to her panel by a rope.

Local historian Juanita Hughes, whose help Kimball counted on, wound up depicted in the mural, standing on the sidewalk looking up at the rest of the painting.

Sips and sounds come to Holly Springs The Coffee Vineyard owner Cheryl Vann has plans to make Holly Springs as much an entertainment destination as the cities that surround it.

The wine and coffee bar at 2800 Holly Springs Parkway regularly has live music, with special events including weekly OTP Jazz Jams on Thursdays and monthly wine glass painting sessions. The owner is now hosting music festivals at the town’s Historic Train Depot located at 164 Hickory Road.

The next festival, in observance of Labor Day, is Sept. 1 from 1-7 p.m. and is free to attend.

Vann said that she works to bring fun things to do to the town where she owns her business and spends most of her time.

“I am here in Holly Springs in my coffee shop more than I am at home. This is my home. I wanted to see more activity happening in Holly Springs,” she said.

The first music festival Vann held was for the Fourth of July this year and saw about 250 people, she said. She hopes that the Labor Day festival has at least as high a turnout, and has goals to have another festival around the holidays closer to the end of the year, continuing to gather the community around good music.

“I want events here in Holly Springs, events that will foster community. I love music fests. We have a lot of local musicians that are fantastic,” she said. “This will be a place that’s really about community. Come out, have some food, drinks, dance, sing and get to know your neighbors.”

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CHEROKEE LIFE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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Couple closing in on 50 marathons in 50 states A Hickory Flat couple will soon celebrate a milestone they’ve been working toward for nearly a decade: they hope to be among those who have run marathons in all 50 states.

Capt. Ken Locke, court services commander at the county courthouse, and his wife, Amanda Locke, have run marathons in 47 states. The three states remaining are Delaware, South Dakota and Hawaii.

Some races have been in support of loved ones — the runners participated in the New York City Marathon with Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in honor of Amanda Locke’s stepfather, who died of leukemia.

“That entire race to me was emotional,” she said, adding later that she often talks to her stepfather when she runs.

This year marks a return from a hiatus in 2017. After their last marathon, an eight-lap course in Indiana July 21, the runners decided to train for a strong finish. The couple hopes to have their next marathon this fall, around October, the next by the end of the year and finish with Hawaii in January.

“We’ll have a vacation (in Hawaii,)” Ken Locke said.

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8/18/2018 5:34:30 PM

8 A cat lounges inside a room at the Cherokee County Animal Shelter where potential adopters can interact with available felines.

Humane Society pet adoption events are held year round for people to meet adoptable dogs and cats.

Cherokee offers many pet adoption options By: Juan Rodriguez

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CHEROKEE LIFE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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9 When you’re looking for a new furry friend, pet stores and breeders aren’t the only option. While you may have your eye set on a specific breed, your local animal shelter or Humane Society may be home to your new best friend.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 6.5 million pets enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Although these numbers have been declining, it is still an issue in America.

According to the Georgia SPOT (Stopping Pet Overpopulation Together) Society, in 2016, Cherokee County impounded 3,702 cats and dogs, 1,655 of which were killed. The ASPCA also reports that each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized.

Cherokee County Animal Shelter works to lower these numbers by making sure the animals that come in get the attention and services they need to be healthy and adopted quickly. It is an open admission facility that offers adoption seven hours a day, five days a week. The intake facility, where animals are first brought in, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the animal shelter, where the pets are held for adoptions, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

People can come in any time the shelter is open not only to look around and adopt, but Cherokee locals can also look for and reclaim their lost pets.

“We adopt out so we either reclaim them to their owners if the owners come to find them, send them to a rescue group, local rescue groups in Georgia that can help or we adopt out,” said shelter Manager Lori Kekel, who has been on staff for seven years and volunteered for four years before that.

Once the animals are brought to the shelter, Cherokee County animal shelter houses the pet in their intake facility for three days to see if their family comes. They are behaviorally and medically assessed and they see if they will be available for adoption. After the three-day period they are taken to the animal shelter where the pet is vaccinated, spayed or neutered, microchipped, dewormed, and treated against fleas and ticks.

Once the process is over, they are put up for adoption until they are adopted. Luckily, the animals don’t have long stays because the shelter works so hard to get the animals adopted as quickly as possible.

If the animal is not adoptable for some reason like a small dog with really bad teeth that can’t be fixed, or when they get an animal that they can’t take care of, like a turtle or some other type of amphibian or reptile, they work with some of the many local animal rescue groups to help them take care of the animal.

Shelter personnel have adopted out some farm animals before, such as horses and pigs though it’s rare. They are currently building a barn next to the intake center to deal with these animals since they do get stray farm animals on occasion.

When people come in to adopt an animal, the process is simple. The shelter doesn’t have registration forms, all they do is get the person or family with a staff member, who are all adoption counselors, and they walk them through and try to match them with the right pet for the person’s home. The person tells the staff what they’re looking for, whether it’s a particular breed or lifestyle, and the staff matches them with the animals since they are familiar with all the animals that are in their care. They give the person time to get acquainted with the potential pet in one of the many indoor and outdoor areas available at the shelter, and then when they have decided to adopt the CCAS gets the owner-tobe’s information. It’s an approximately 15-minute process that requires the person’s driver’s license and the adoption fee, as well as contact information to put in the microchip so that the animal is registered to them. Since they do everything onsite, like as spay or neuter and vaccines, the pets that are on the adoption floor have everything taken

care of and ready to go. The person can come in and walk out with their new pet the same day. The shelter also offers to take the animal back if it doesn’t work out between the pet and the owner. If it’s within the 30-day trial period there is no surrender fee but if it is after 30 days, there is a $25 fee.

Another local organization that works to find animals a home is the Cherokee County Humane Society. They hold weekend adoptions every Saturday at PetSmart 92 from 10:30 to 4:30, Petco 41 in Acworth from 11-4 and PetSmart in Kennesaw on Sundays from 11-4.

The Humane Society is not a shelter, they are a self-funded organization that works with local shelters, many of which are from outside of the metro Atlanta due to the lack of foot traffic in those areas. They find the pets foster homes to house them in between the weekend adoptions.

“While in the foster homes, the animals are vetted, spayed or neutered and microchipped so they are good to go on adoption day,” says the adoption manager Ottis Moore. “The medical information for each pet is available at the adoption site so people can see for themselves.”

According to Moore, most of the money the society makes comes from their thrift store in Acworth. They also make money from fundraisers and donations, with the biggest fundraiser being their annual silent auction, which will be on October 6.

Last year they adopted out 1,750 cats and dogs, majority of which were cats.

You can check out the cats and dogs up for adoption by these two organizations and at https://www.cchumanesociety.org and http://www.cherokeega-animals.org

Visitors look at dogs available for adoption at the Cherokee County Animal Shelter.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | CHEROKEE LIFE

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10 Classes:

We have several classes and workshops going on this coming year. Please check our website for more information.

Gallery Shows: Cherokee Photography Club Show Stairwell Showcase

Digital Photography by Kim Bates Teen & Adult Drawing by John Horne

Artistry in Wood Exhibit

Watercolor Classes by Gary Curtis

by Etowah River Woodburners

Oil & Acrylic Painting by Linda Maphet

September 7-27

Potter’s Wheel & Fun Handbuilding

by Barbara Murphy

Reception Friday, September 7 @ 6-8 pm

Weaving by Jane Wimmer

Georgia Clay Council Exhibit

Oil Painting from Photographs

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October 6 - 27 Receptions Friday, October 5 @ 6-8pm

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Cherokee Arts Center Members’

Workshops:

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by Dylan Pierce

November 2 - December 19 Reception: Friday, November 2 @ 6-8PM

A Firm Foundation In Watercolor by

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To sign up for classes call 770-704-6244 or e-mail info@cherokeearts.org. Include name and phone number.

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Travel: To take pets or not...an important choice

By: Juan Rodriguez Traveling as a pet owner

Traveling to go on vacation can be a good time to enjoy yourself and relax, but it may not always be the best idea to take your pet with you.

As traveling with pets has become a growing trend, more than double in the past 10 years, and with more and more hotels being accommodating to pets, it can be hard to make the right choice with your pet.

According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association for 2015 to 2016, 37 percent of dog owners are taking their pets with them on vacation.

Ten years ago, only 19 percent of owners had their pets tag along.

Many owners may want to bring along their little friends but it can be hard on the pet. When considering taking your pet with you, think about how long the trip is and if your will be traveling by plane or car. Owners know their pets better than anyone. If you know that your pet won’t enjoy the trip, it is best to leave them at home or with a sitter. Make sure that the place you are staying at will be able to accommodate your pet and that you’ll be able to spend ample time with them, there’s no need to take your pet with you to just leave them stuck in the room the whole time.

Even though your pet will be happy to be spending time with you, long trips in general can cause a lot of stress on your pet, especially cats, and it can also be dangerous. If you have decided to take your pet with you, make sure you have everything you need to keep your pet safe and comfortable. When riding by car, make sure your pet is in a safe and secure carrier in the back seat. Keeping them in a carrier will ensure their safety in case anything happens and will allow you to drive without distractions. During the trip make sure to stop multiple times so the pet can walk around and get water. Bringing supplies to make them comfortable, like their bed or blanket is also a way to help ease the stress of the trip.

Air travel can extremely stressful for your pet and is considered risky, especially for dogs with flat faces such as pugs and bulldogs, who are susceptible to oxygen deprivation and heat strokes. Before anything, make sure to do research on the pet-related restrictions or requirements set by airlines and the country or state you are going to and if the pet will be allowed to fly in the cabin. If traveling out of the country, make sure your pet is up to date on their vaccines, have all their paperwork necessary and comply with the rules different countries have. Although pets can fly in the cargo hold of a plane, The Humane Society strongly discourages owners to do so and advise that they only fly in the cabin. Data from the United States Department of Transportation show that in 2017 there were 40 reported animal incidents during air transportation. Of the 40 incidents, 24 were deaths, 15 were injuries and one loss.

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11 If you have decided to leave your pet, it’s important to look at the options available and chose the best one for your pet. Hiring a pet sitter to come to your house and take care of your pet eliminates the stress caused to them from being in a strange environment. Your pet will be able to stay home and maintain their regular routine without disruption and won’t have to be transported from and to a kennel. They also won’t be exposed to other animals they don’t know, which can cause them to get sick. The one-on-one attention will also help your pet feel more relaxed.

Hiring a pet sitter can also help the owner by providing services such as watering plants, bringing in the mail and serving as a house sitter as well. Donna Steiner, owner of Sit and Stay Pet Sitting in Canton, offers these services to her clients all over Cherokee County.

“We’re full service, we do either home visits or have the pet stay with us,” said Steiner. “Rather than taking them to a boarding facility were they’re caged, we go to the client’s house and depending on the client’s needs we can go 1-4 times a day, all day or all day and night.”

A pet sitter can provide can provide more of a sense of security to both your pet and your home. They can also handle taking your dog to the veterinarian or grooming appointments. It can also be cost effective if the owner has multiple dogs or cats and may be the only option for those that have unconventional pets such as a horse or pig. Cherokee resident Bob Kovacs owns eight dogs, as well as a miniature horse, two pigs, and four chickens. For him, having a sitter is the best option.

“Boarding that many dogs would be ridiculously expensive- at $20-30/ dog, it doesn’t make financial sense to board them, said Kovacs. “Having them at home also eliminates the need to get them all to the boarding facility prior to leaving and having to pick them all up when we get back.

Linda Standard, owner of A Tail Away pet hotel plays fetch with a couple of her guests.

It’s also better for the dogs, in my opinion, for them to be in a familiar environment when we’re gone.”

There are also possible downsides to hiring a sitter. Your pet can get lonely if there isn’t someone that’s always home and there is always the risk that the sitter doesn’t show up to feed or walk your pet like they are supposed to. That’s why it is important to do your research on different pet sitters in the area, get references for the sitter you have chosen and check their reviews. You also want to make sure that the sitter is well trained, has experience and insured and bonded. If possible, have the sitter visit the house while you’re still home so that your pets can get familiar with them.

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8/18/2018 5:45:37 PM

12 Leaving your pet at a kennel can give you the peace of mind that your pet won’t get lonely since they’ll be surrounded by other pets and people. You will also know that they will be supervised for an extended period of time, sometimes even all day and night. While at kennel owners can also see what their pet is up to, whether it’s by a live video or pictures and videos taken by the worker.

Linda Standard, owner of A Tail Away, provides Cherokee locals a place to house their dogs while they are away. She houses the dog at her home in Canton, allowing her to keep an eye on them day and night.

Standard also makes sure to take the dogs out 5 times a day, plays classical music for them while they’re in their room, gives them

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medicine if needed, and takes pics and video so the owners can see how their pups are doing.

Even though your pet may be taken care of by a professional kennels can have their negatives. While being surrounded by other animals helps your pet feel less lonely, it can also raise the risk of your pet getting sick.

If your pet is something other than a cat or a dog, it can be difficult to find somewhere that will house them. It can still be stressful for them to be in a strange environment so make sure you take their bed and a blanket or a toy that will make them feel more at home.

The Humane Society recommends that when looking for a kennel, to do a background check, make sure they have room for your pet and can address your pet’s special needs. They also ask that you personally checkout the kennel to make sure it’s clean and see if you feel comfortable leaving your pet there.

“I would have a run a criminal background before I would let somebody watch one of my ‘babies’,” said Kim Anderson Harper, a Cherokee local. “Before I trusted Riverstone I took a tour, I got several references, and sat down with several employees and did a mini interview. I know it sounds a little much but if it came down to it I wouldn’t go on a vacation if I didn’t feel like my animals would be in a safe, loving environment.”

No matter what choice you make, it’s important that it is the best option for your pet. It may be hard to leave them behind but if you do your research and find a place or person that will give your pet the love and care they need, then you can relax knowing they are in good hands.

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CHEROKEE LIFE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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13 Ga. Animal Project fights animal overpopulation By: Gary Tanner

Cindy Foster retired from Kennesaw State University in August, with plans to start working more at her side gig, which has helped make a dent in the number of homeless, unwanted dogs and cats in Cherokee County and beyond.

In 2006, Foster started the non-profit Georgia Animal Project, with the idea that offering low-cost spay and neutering could reduce the number of homeless animals.

She had worked as director of the Cherokee County Animal Shelter and knew the extent of the problem.

All The Georgia Animal Project does at its clinic is spay and neuter of dogs and cats, and does this at cost.

Working from Day 1 with Bo Pollard, who is the clinic’s day-to-day manager, Foster and her staff started out with sterilizations in the hundreds in the early years. By 2011, the total was 1,500 Pollard said and last year it was 5,500.

Now, a dozen years and tens of thousands of sterilization surgeries later the office at 310 Gilmer Ferry Road in downtown Ball Ground is busy with appointments four to five days a week.

“I’m a believer in we can do this all day every day, but when we change people’s hearts and minds about getting their animals spayed and neutered, that’s real progress,” Foster said. “We would like to not have to be here someday.”

The clinic is open to anyone, but was designed to help those who could not afford to have their pets spayed or neutered otherwise. Prices range from $55 for a male cat, to $105 for a large female dog. Full price at some vet clinics could be four times higher, or more, Foster said. And, if people have trouble paying the Georgia Animal Project’s rates, staff will work to get the client subsidized service.

Pollard, who also serves as the clinic’s data analyst, said that admissions into the Cherokee County Animal Shelter

have been going down.

Foster said there’s no direct proof that the work they and other groups are doing is responsible for the decline. But, they believe they are contributing to that trend and making a positive impact.

“We are here to end euthanasia,” Foster said, by cutting the number of homeless animals. From her previous work at the animal shelter, she knows that adopting out every homeless dog or cat is impossible.

“When you take in 500 cats in the summer and adopt out 26, what are you going to do?,” she said. “We can’t shelter our way out of the problem.”

The only way is to make spaying and neutering as important in society as quitting smoking became to reduce that problem, she said.

The Georgia Animal Project is supported by donations, grants and income from the events business - The Corner District - that leases the top floor of their building and former warehouse out back.

To schedule an appointment, call 770-704-7297.

You can also reach the Georgia Animal Project by email at info@theanimalproject.org.

The group’s website is www.theanimalproject.org.

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14 Shop local, eat local, seek local Season changes bring opportunity in the kitchen By: Thomas Hartwell | thartwell@cherokeetribune.com As seasons change, so too does the peak produce, and seeking out the freshest available ingredients through local channels can make all the difference in flavor in this fall’s meals – so say the experts.

“Georgia can grow way more than people know. Yeah, we know we grow corn or peaches, but look at these specialty tomatoes or look at these peas or look at this bitter melon or look at this eggplant. We grow a lot of stuff that’s grown in a lot of different places that people might never expect,” said Eric Velji, founder of Forerunner Foods.

In an interview earlier this year, Velji told Cherokee Life that even though his company recently moved its office just over the county line into Kennesaw, it made its home in Woodstock at its beginning and continues to serve as the connection between communities, restaurants and farmers in the area. Forerunner Foods does work with some large distributors, but also aims to promote and help sustain small, local farmers through partnerships with local restaurants, he said.

“Cherokee County is our main hub – downtown Woodstock, Holly Springs, a little bit through Canton, Hickory Flat, Crabapple and all those areas are our main hubs,” Velji said. “What’s nice about our model is that we specialize in local produce, we work with local farmers, we work with seasonal items, which everybody really enjoys, but we also go to the markets and work with large distributors to bring in things like avocados from Mexico and limes from California, because other restaurants need those things as well. We run it as a concierge service, so we don’t keep a lot of inventory – if you need something, we’ll go get it for you.”

Ideally, he said, Forerunner Foods was built for the farm-to-table restaurant – places like Freight and Rootstock and Vine. He said the company works with those restaurants to connect what’s in season, with what is going on their plates, and that’s where the local farmers come in.

Velji said sourcing local produce and changing with the seasons has several benefits for consumers, farmers and the local economy as a whole, but Georgia hasn’t caught on as strongly as some places because

the logistical infrastructure hasn’t been established. Forerunner is trying to create that delivery infrastructure, he said. For example, Velji said the company might consult with a restaurant and tell them about a farmer who grows “really great cherry tomatoes,” and in turn, that farmer might get a guaranteed order of 20 pounds of those tomatoes “x” number of times per year.

“To me, it just makes sense. It’s easy marketing for us to say, ‘This is local, we want to help our brothers and sisters in the local economy,’ but it’s also just better,” Velji said. “It’s coming out of the ground where you are. It’s perfectly in season when you’re eating it. It’s not being trucked a long way. It’s not being stored for a long time – it just tastes better.”

He added that, in his opinion, the largest factor for quality of produce is the amount of time between harvesting and plating.

Velji also cautioned produce shoppers to be wary of grocery store promises of where certain fruits came from or whether a vegetable is organic, as some of those labels can be misleading. For example, he said, while “certified organic” produce is generally a better option, it can still mean that that corn or carrot or squash is a month removed from the plant, since it may still have been trucked cross-country. He also said that price is not as large a barrier to local farmers market shopping as some rumors may suggest, since local produce eliminates the need for long shipping routes and exorbitant trucking costs.

Eric Velji, founder of Forerunner Foods, delivers next-day to restaurants around the state.

The company functions as what Velji calls the “necessary infrastructure” for developing a connection between local farmers, restaurants and communities.

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15 The best guide through the season is to head to your local farmers market and ask some questions, he said.

“They’re only going to grow what’s in season because they can. They’re not going to be these large guys growing in greenhouses, they’re not going to be the guys that would have warehouses full of sweet potatoes from last year. You’re only going to see what grows right now,” Velji said. “You’re going to get a better idea of what’s truly seasonal from the farmers market by talking to farmer and seeing what’s out there than you are going to the Publix and talking to the guy that stocks the shelves there.”

Velji said he encourages locals to “do their homework, educate themselves and find good sources.”

As far as personal fall favorites, he said he has a few suggestions as temperatures begin to cool.

Velji’s fall produce picks • Okra: According to Velji, if you’re growing this southern staple in your backyard, you might not be able to find the time to harvest it all. He said it grows plentiful, comes into peak season in the late summer and it’s typically pretty easy to tell if it’s ready to come off the plant. Velji’s “perfect” time to pick is when the okra reaches about 4 inches. He warned to look out for black spots and ensure the vegetable is firm, but not too tough.

• Collard/leafy greens: “As it cools back down,” collard and leafy greens, another staple of the South, come into season, Velji said. He said collards are hardy and aren’t hard to pick. “You usually don’t get bad collard greens,” he said. While bugs on your food might be a nonstarter for some, on this produce, it’s not necessarily a bad sign, Velji said. “Bugs will eat the good stuff,” he said. One word of caution, though: take out the stems before you cook them to avoid a tough, mealy texture.

• Apples: There are a large variety of apple choices as the fruit comes into season in fall. Velji said the handful of apple orchards growing in north Georgia produce a large variety through the season. His tips for choosing the right apple include avoiding soft spots and bug holes and talking to the farmers to find out which varieties were most recently harvested.

“They’ll tell you things like, ‘OK, the granny smiths were just picked. The gold delicious are on the tail end and might be better for a cider,” he said.

• Squashes: Zucchini and squash are a fall vegetable great for use on the grill, roasted or in a medley. Velji said zucchini is usually better eaten closer to summer, while varieties like acorn and butternut squash are more in season as the weather cools. “You want them to be firm, bright-colored, with no soft spots,” he said, and you’ll want to watch the season. If a squash is being sold in January, remind yourself how far removed from the plant it might be.

• Edible pumpkins: Velji said edible punpkins are a less common but pleasantly surprising pick for veggie-lovers. He said their flavor is similar to squash but tends to be “earthier and sweeter.” The pumpkins can reach around 12 pounds, and they may be a little harder to find, he said. Velji encouraged locals to do some research on which pumpkins can be used for which dishes – especially when comparing savory and sweet – but said the versatile vegetable can lend a “nice enhancement” to a fall dish.

He said it’s hard to find them at the grocery store right now, but local farmers will likely have them.

Farmers markets in Cherokee County • Canton Farmers Market: Every Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. until Oct. 27 at Cannon Park, 130 East Main Street downtown.

• Woodstock’s Farm. Fresh. Market: Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – noon until Dec. 29 on Market Street between Fowler Street and Oak Streetdowntown.

• Waleska Farmers Market: Every Thursday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. until Nov. 1 at Heritage Fellowship Baptist Church, 3615 Reinhardt College Parkway.

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Todd Webster is the executive chef at Rootstock and Vine restaurant just off Main Street in downtown Woodstock. He shared with Cherokee Life earlier this year a do-it-yourself recipe for a refreshing fall salad, featuring honeycrisp apples, spiced pumpkin seeds and French feta cheese. He said the secret to good food is good food and encouraged home-cookers to experiment with their tastes, while realizing that less is very often more.

Webster suggested using as many locally farmed ingredients as possible and used minimal measurements in this recipe suggestion, instead saying to rely on personal preference and tastes.

Ingredients: • Honeycrisp apples • Red onion (pickled) • Champagne vinegar • Olive oil • Apple cider vinegar • French feta (Webster recommends Valbreso French feta) • Salt and pepper • Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) • Various spices (cumin, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, allspice) • Farmed arugula (farmed is preferred, but store-bought will do) • Sugar

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How to pickle red onion • Mix 4 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 cups sugar and 1 tablespoon of salt in a pan and heat until sugar and salt dissolves into the mixture.

• Pour over sliced red onion in a container with a lid (jar, Tupperware, etc.) and let steep for about an hour before using the onions.

Webster said not to fear making too many of the pickled onions, as they’ll have a long shelf life and theyre great in salads and for garnishes, as well as a delicious addition to a variety of dishes.

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17 How to season pumpkin seeds (or any kind of nuts) • Put the seeds (1 pound in this suggestion) into a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and then immediately strain the seeds.

• Repeat the process two more times.

• Put seeds into a mixing bowl and mix together with half a cup of sugar and half a tablespoon of olive oil.

• Let steep 5 minutes.

• Lay seeds out flat on non-stick baking pan. Make sure the seeds are in one layer, not overlapping.

• Put the pan in the oven at about 195-200 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes.

• At 30 minutes, begin checking periodically if texture of the seeds is correct. To check, periodically take one seed out at a time, let it cool and test for the “crunch” you prefer.

• Once you’ve achieved the desired texture, take them out and toss in the spice mix you prefer. Toss while the seeds are still hot.

Tip: Before baking the seeds, have the spice mix ready.

• Recommended spice mix by Webster: A mix of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, chipotle powder, a little nutmeg, a hint of allspice, salt and pepper.

How to prepare Honeycrisp Apple salad • Shave skin-on honeycrisp apples into thin slices with enough fruit on each slice to still give a “crunch.”

• Mix apples, pickled red onions and spiced pumpkin seeds together.

• Trim the ends off the arugula and tear (don’t cut) the leaves before mixing in with other ingredients. Tearing releases the arugula’s flavor better.

• Crumble feta over top of the ingredients and fold in.

• Mix champagne vinegar and olive oil to make a dressing. The ratio should be 60 percent oil and 40 percent vinegar.

• Dress with champagne oil and vinegar dressing and toss until salad is lightly coated.

• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Webster said also not to fear making too many spiced seeds. The seeds “keep well,” and they serve as a great snack or addition to a variety of dishes. He also said the same spicing process works for virtually any nut or seed you’d like to spice.

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18 Dusting off football fanaticism for another season

Tennessee fan M ike McGowan an d Cherokee Coun Brian Hightowe ty Superintende r meet up at a Te nt of Schools nnessee-Georgia staff for the local game. McGowan school district. is chief of

By: Rebecca Johnston

Its college football season and fans have taken up traditions built up over lifetimes of supporting their favorite teams. Cherokee Life writer Rebecca Johnston caught up with local fans set to spend the new season following their favorite teams with that old familiar fervor.

Cheering on UGA a family affair

The love of University of Georgia football is a special connection that binds the Saxon family through generations. For decades Frank Saxon of Canton has set the red and black standard for UGA fans in Cherokee County. A dyed in the wool UGA supporter who was once named Bulldog Fan of the Year, Frank passed that love down to his four children.

Brothers Randy, Lance, and Kent Saxon, as well as sister Amy Saxon Belcher, along with their families who make up the Saxon clan, know what it means to cheer on their team.

“We were brought up in a house where Georgia football was just what we did on fall Saturdays”, Randy Saxon, a local real estate appraiser says. “Dad was a fan.

I think his Dad attended UGA in the ‘30s. We have been fans as long as I can remember.”

Sister Amy, who now lives in Birmingham, Alabama, says she has been a fan since birth. “Was there another option?” she asks with a laugh.

“From what I’ve gathered from Dad in his letters, as a kid his Uncle Harvey would take he and his brother Bug over to Athens for the games and they would just sit on the grassy bank to watch games. He obviously enjoyed it so much that he shared those times with us,” she said.

When asked how the family shows support, Amy has a long list. “Hmm, let me count the ways, I’m pretty sure that the majority of Dad and Lance’s casual attire is mostly red and black, a 1929 A-model dedicated as UGA’s ride, monetary donations to the school, season ticket holders, joined the Bulldog motor coach club and traveled to all away games and then picked up other sports to support like gymnastics and baseball,” she ticks off.

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Randy agrees, saying the family shows support by sporting too many shirts, hats and anything else UGA. And then there is the Bulldog Buggy, the 1929 Ford A Model Truck, known as UGA’s Ride, painted Red and Black that has been driven in many homecoming parades at the university. Randy says it has carried two college presidents, athletic directors, head coaches Vince Dooley and Mark Richt and a few UGAs. The UGA cheerleaders once used it in a photo shoot.

Brother Lance even has a room to watch the games dedicated to everything UGA here family and friends gather when they cant make it to a game. But the family has made it to plenty of games over the years.

Randy fondly remembers attending games such as the Georgia-Florida game, an annual rivalry played in Jacksonville.

“I remember the Georgia-Florida game in 1983 where Georgia won 44-0. We sat on the top row of the stadium and could have handed the blimp pilot a sandwich, it seemed so high up. After the game, we lost my little brother Kent.

Searched for him everywhere and found him coming out of the UGA dressing room. He had sneaked in to see Herschel,” Randy said Before family patriarch Frank had a stroke he would organize trips for the local Bulldog fans. He set up the charter bus rides from Canton to Athens for game days. “I rode on that a few times, it was an unbelievable experience. He also set up a convoy of RVs to go from game to game during the season. Many of the RVs would caravan from one destination to the next, stopping along the way to camp at various places,” Randy remembers.

The clan’s mother Doris Saxon died several years ago, but before her death she enjoyed the camaraderie that surrounded the games.

“There are so many great times that we have all shared with Mom and Dad. Mom never went to the games but when they bought the RV she said it was a saving grace she could go to the games without having to go to the game. Being the social butterfly she enjoyed meeting everyone in the Bulldog RV club and readying the tailgate for all the guests,” Amy said.

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19 Left: UGA fan Frank Saxon, seated, with daughter Amy Saxon Belcher and son Lance Saxon attend the 2017 Georgia vs. South Carolina game in Athens, the first time Frank got to attend a game following a stroke.

Below: Amy Saxon Belcher with Hairy Dawg between the hedges at a UGA game in the 1980s.

Amy’s dad, Frank Saxon is a lifelong Georgia fan and Amy has attended games for most of her life.

Randy agrees. “During the David Greene/ David Pollack years the play-ers would walk through the motor home club parking area. My Mom loved those two and would always offer them a meal when they passed by.”

Lance said he is proud of the fact that he and his father have been to almost every bowl game up until this year’s Rose Bowl when Frank was unable to attend due to his health. But they were both in New Orleans for the 1980 Championship Game and that remains a favorite memory.

For Amy one of the things that really mean a lot was a recent visit she made with her father between the hedges.

“Probably one of the best [memories] was this last season taking Dad over to Athens with Lance after his stroke. Certainly, many things changed for him mentally and physically, but once he got to Athens and in the stadium, not in his seats, but a great view from the upper deck, he watched and followed the game just as intently as if nothing was any different,” she said.

Randy is pleased the next generation of Saxons is ready to carry on the family tradition.

“I remember taking Taylor to the UGA/ LSU game a few years ago. At the gate, we were offered $500 each for our tickets. I looked at her and she said, ‘Heck no!! We are going in to see the game!’ I knew I had succeeded in raising the next generation right,” he said.

Amy says that the bond that her family enjoys through their love of Georgia football is what is most rewarding for her.

“No matter where we all are …we all are watching the game and the group text message with most of us starts,” she said.

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20 Georgia Tech fan a die-hard Ramblin’ Wreck

In a world filled with change Canton native and attorney Bill Fincher has attended Georgia Tech football games for almost six decades, remaining faithful to the Yellow Jackets through good times and bad.

“In 1959 cars drove around Canton and Atlanta with huge fins. My father, who had attended Georgia Tech for one chemistry class, loaded his family into just such a vehicle and off we went on a ‘Fincher Adventure’ that has continued some 59 years. At least the Georgia Tech ticket office says we have held season tickets that long. That was my first Georgia Tech football game,” Fincher remembers. “Georgia Tech was in the SEC then and there was no Atlanta Falcons, no Atlanta Braves, and no Hawks. Tech football was the most exciting thing around.”

Although he did not attend Georgia Tech, Fincher still cheered for the team during his own college days.

“When I attended Mercer University we had no football team, so even through college I adopted Georgia Tech. Many Georgia State and Kennesaw students did the same before there was a football team at either school,” he said.

Even after marrying the daughter of a University of Georgia professor things did not change.

“Years ago I met the love of my life, the former Deanie May from Athens, Georgia. It took some time but eventually she switched sides and seems to be more of a Georgia Tech fanatic than I am”, he said.

About 35 years ago Fincher, along with now retired State Court of Appeals Judge Marion Pope and his brother Bobby Pope, began hosting an annual Traditional Rivalry Celebration that continues today.

“We recruited some great folks in the Canton area and then expanded it to friends around the state. To tell the truth it has gotten a bit out of hand, but we still love being one of the minor hosts and are proud to see Tom and Jonathan Pope leading the organization of this annual event,” Fincher said. “It began as just a tailgate with food cooked at home and brought to the game. But over the years it has evolved into an annual celebration with most of the food is catered. A large group of persons who root for either Georgia or Georgia Tech chip in to defray

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the costs. Always our goal is to invite everyone we can and suggest that if they have friends coming with them to include them in the crowd. Many lifelong friendships have been made hosting this event and acquaintances have been buoyed this annual gathering.”

One of his favorite times was with a famous columnist.

“One of the most fun Traditional Rivalry Celebrations included a visit from Lewis Grizzard. We were holding the gathering in Athens that year and Lewis was speaking to a group of insurance agents next door. Dennis Conway caught Lewis in the hallway and convinced him he needed to come by our gathering and tell us a joke. Lewis presented us the story of Hopalong Ginsburg which later appeared on one of his tapes.”

For almost 60 years Canton native Bill Fincher, left, has attended Georgia Tech games. Here, Bill, along with son Jake and wife Deanie May Fincher, hang out here at a game in the 1980s with Buzz the Yellow Jacket, team mascot.

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21 Fincher would not be caught dead missing a game.

“We never miss a home game. We left early one game when a Tech graduate, the daughter of Patti and Joe Skelton got married. And we missed part of a game when my niece Dyanna got married. The only game I missed entirely and Deanie attended without me was when a close family friend died and the family asked me to deliver a eulogy at the funeral. I hope when I die the funeral can be arranged so as not to conflict with a Georgia or a Georgia Tech football game,” he said. “A story is told about a Tech fan who went to the top of the East stands at halftime of an important game and took his hat off for about five minutes. His friends were concerned about what would have caused him to do such a thing.

He said, ‘well my wife passed away Thursday and the funeral procession was passing by today and I thought taking my hat off was the least I could do.”

Pulling for Georgia Tech wasn’t always pulling for the underdog.

“Since we are now always the underdog we embrace the role. Georgia fans don’t forget - we sneaked a win in Athens in 2014 on Nov. 29 beating Georgia 30 to 24. And then again in 2016 beating Georgia 28 to 27 Lookout Dog Fans we are coming to Sanford Stadium again this year. We gotta keep this rivalry alive,” Fincher said.

Fincher remembers such exciting times as sharing the National Championship in 1990 and winning the Orange Bowl in 2014. Beating Clemson for the ACC Championship in Tampa is another big one, 2009 Raymond James Stadium Georgia Tech 39, Clemson 34.

The Finchers have attended bowl games at the Orange Bowl the Citrus Bowl, the Gator Bowl the Music City Bowl, the Peach Bowl and something that used to be called the All American Bowl.

The couple has a piece of memorabilia in every room.

“Some people have a shrine in their home or a man cave for football paraphernalia. My friend Wally Cloud has a building called the ‘Outhouse’ where he has a shrine to his Georgia Tech fandom. Wally graduated from Georgia Tech and he has been my closest traveling ally in attending games. We have been to Notre Dame, The Orange Bowl, Virginia, North Carolina and too many others to name…. Originally I traveled with his brother Sammy, then Wally and I became

friends and we continue to try and travel to games each year. The best shrine to Georgia Tech football I know of in the Canton area is the one at Jonny McDaniel and Janina’s house. They have a basement dedicated to football and Tech fans from all over the state meet there to enjoy away games on the television,” Fincher said.

“Our tailgate crowd has changed over the years and presently we seem to have Joe and Patti Skelton, Don and Ginny Towers, our son Jacob Fincher, Gary and Ann Atkins and Wally and Clarice Cloud. We are often joined there by Mike and Carolyn Hitt, and Mike and Cathy Price. Sometimes John and Hester Davis join in with their family and Tom Harper and the Nix boys Ricky and his son Spencer are great fans who visit when they can,” he says of tailgating through the years.

The die-hard Yellow Jacket says that “the most rewarding thing about being a Tech fan is making new friends and watching the children of friends of ours attend and graduate from Georgia Tech.”

Deanie and Bill Fincher never miss a home game to cheer on their team, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

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School district leader bleeds UT orange

Being married to a University of Georgia graduate and living in an area where UGA and Georgia Tech fans dominate does not stop Canton resident Mike McGowan from bleeding UT orange for his team, the University of Tennessee Volunteers.

McGowan, now chief of staff for the Cherokee County School District, grew up in Tennessee and attended UT before heading to Georgia to complete his education and start his career as a sports editor for the Cherokee Ledger News and later hiring on as public information officer for the schools.

Nowadays he enjoys sharing his love of the Vols with his three sons, Jake, 19, John, 17 and Will, 10, and showing his support as often as he can. It isnt unusual to see him sporting a Tennessee hat or shirt in the familiar orange of the school colors.

“I never miss a game either in person or on television. I have all types of Tennessee paraphernalia in my office and at my house and am constantly following recruiting and developments as it relates to the football program,” McGowan says of his commitment.

The UT fan points out that while the football team hasnt had much success the past decade, from 1998 through the late 2000s, UT was a perennial Top 10 team.

“It was fun to watch them be so competitive nationally. I have attended the SEC Championship five times and the biggest highlight is that they won the National Championship against Florida State in 1998. The Hail Mary victory against UGA in 2016 is also a huge highlight,” he reminisces. “In my younger days, I believed that the hat I was wearing was going to have a positive effect on the outcome of the game.”

Mike McGowan, a die-hard Tennessee fan, left, is married to Carrie McGowan, a graduate of the University of Georgia.

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23 As a student in the late ‘80s and early’90s McGowan said he saw many players at UT who would later play in the NFL. “Road trips during school were always fun. Traveling to away games at Notre Dame and to bowl games like the Sugar Bowl were two of my favorite trips,” he said.

Although he still attends some games, he doesn’t travel to see the team as often as he once did.

“While I averaged attending four or five games a year for about 20 years, I have dialed it back to one or two a year most recently, which may be reflective of the team’s most recent struggles. I have taken my boys to several bowl games in the Southeast,” he said.

McGowan and his family gather at his home in Canton to watch the games nowadays.

“I do gather the family and watch as many games as possible down in our basement, which is where all of my souvenirs are hidden,” he said. “I have some replica helmets, a piece of the artificial turf from Neyland Stadium from when it was converted back to natural grass and several autographed photos. Peyton Manning was kind enough to autograph several items for me.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Tennessee fan is that the fan base is extremely loyal and dedicated no matter the success of the season, he said.

“I still enjoy taking my three boys to at least one game a year. My wife, Carrie, went to UGA so we typically attend the UGA verses UT game,” he said.

Carrie, who is supervisor of Strategic Planning, Community Relations and Publications for the Cherokee school district, said it hasn’t been too difficult living with a UT fan.

“The Smoky Mountains have been my second home since birth, so adopting the Vols as a step-team hasn’t been too painful for this UGA girl. Actually, I’d say it’s been more painful for Mike in recent years,” she says with a smile.

McGowan said he looks forward to seeing if the new coach, Jeremy Pruitt, will have success turning things around for the program in the near future.

Hopefully he will be singing more than one chorus of “Rocky Top” this season.

University of Tennessee fan Mike McGowan attends a home game in Knoxville with sons Jake, left, and Will, center.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | CHEROKEE LIFE

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Local artists help paint Riverfest a success By: Rebecca Johnston Canton Artists Fred and Laura Ellis of Something Southern Pottery are looking forward to returning as exhibitors to this year’s Riverfest Arts and Crafts Festival Sept. 29-30, which will feature about 200 artists, craftspeople and participants.

The 34th year for the popular festival presented by the Service League of Cherokee County, this is the second year for the event to be held at Etowah Park in Canton and is expected to draw upward of 25,000 visitors.

Something Southern Pottery, known throughout the Southeast for its exceptional high quality pottery and a familiar exhibitor at numerous top festivals is returning after a number of years to the festival.

“We are glad to be back. We love the park and we love and support the arts in Cherokee County,” Fred Ellis said. “We are also pleased that this event supports the community.”

All proceeds from the festival directly benefit the children in need of Cherokee County.

The craftsmanship and artistic ability of the Ellises is well-known for pure southern pottery. Fred’s wheel-thrown functional pottery and Laura’s artistic embellishment and glaze consistently thrill pottery admirers with their attention to high quality and detail.

A sampling of the numerous other local exhibitors expected this year include That’s So Sashley artist Ashley McGreevy of Canton, Carlee Candles/Vegan Natural Soap by Henri Broomall of Canton, Ring of Fire Forge by Linda Holmes-Rubin of Canton and Georgia Pine Woodworks

by Ben and Courtney McMichen of Woodstock.

Visitors to the festival should be on the lookout for Aralyn’s Boulangerie Cupcakes by Aralyn and Sarah Russell of Canton, Ross Berry Farm and Apiaries with Jeannie and Terry Ross of Canton, and Nelly’s Attic with Jan Rice of Canton, among many other local and regional

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artists and exhibitors that make Riverfest a unique and exceptional festival.

Riverfest is a juried show, featuring original, creative, handmade work from artisans all over the region. Additionally, the event showcases entertainment throughout the weekend - live music and dancing - as well as a fun-filled children’s area where children of all ages can participate in a number of rides and activities.

Select recipes from The League’s latest cookbook, “Gatherings & Traditions,” will be offered to festival patrons for tasting, and cookbooks will be available for purchase.

The Service League of Cherokee County is one of the oldest service organizations in Cherokee County, with a membership of 100 women who work year-round, collectively volunteering more than 10,000 hours per year to raise funds for needy children throughout Cherokee County, the league said in a release.

Money raised during Riverfest, and other events sponsored by the League, provide needy families with day-to-day necessities such as food, clothing, dental care, eyeglasses, medical care, rental and utilities assistance, scholarships and much more. To learn more about the work and legacy of the Service League, visit www.serviceleague.net.

Admission to Riverfest for adults and children 11 and older is a $5 donation. The event will take place rain or shine at the new location along the banks of the Etowah River and conveniently located at Exit 19 off Interstate 575. Free parking and shuttle services are available.

Festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30.

CHEROKEE LIFE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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New location along the banks of the Etowah River and conveniently located at Exit 19 off Interstate 575

Sat., Sept. 29 • 10a.m. - 6p.m.

Sun., Sept. 30 • 10a.m. - 5p.m.

Admission: $5 donation for adults and children 11 and older Free parking and shuttle services are available

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8/18/2018 10:57:12 PM

26 Remembering

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Sat., 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.

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Mon., Closed

General Admission Adults 18 and Up, $7 Seniors Over 65, $6.50 Active Duty Military, Free Children Ages 4 –17, $5 Children Under 4, Free

7300 Reinhardt Circle Waleska, GA 30183 Reinhardt.edu/funkheritage heritagecenter@reinhardt.edu 770-720-5970 26 CHEROKEE LIFE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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By Shannon Ballew Paranoia Haunted House in Canton has a new creepy attraction this fall in addition to their seasonal haunts.

An escape room, popular for groups of people, involves piecing together clues and solving puzzles to escape a locked room within a time limit. The Paranoia escape room adds an extra sense of urgency as guests navigate the headquarters of a serial killer, said owner Dave Leikam.

“You’re going to have to find your way out of this serial killer’s office. It’s where he conducts his business and scopes out all his victims. You’ll have to escape before he shows back up,” he said.

The escape room will be housed in a mobile office on the haunted house property and consist of three linked rooms. Leikam said it should open with the haunt’s October attractions.

Leikam has been in the haunting business for more than two decades, with a long career at a haunted house in Smyrna before taking a break. He returned to scaring people with an event at his own house more than eight years ago.

“I did a home haunt one year and it filled up the subdivision with people wanting to visit. I did it out of my basement and in my backyard, and it was a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed scaring people.”

Paranoia started in Roswell and was there four years before opening at the current location on Marietta Highway where they have been the last four years.

Last year they purchased the facility, giving a permanent home to the monsters there.

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October is naturally the busiest season for a haunted house, and at Paranoia 15,000-18,000 people visit every year in the days leading up to and including Halloween. The fall season includes two main attractions in the 25,000 square foot building and the new escape room. At the end of the haunted house portion, there will also be a creepy carnival outside with games.

In December, the haunt returns with a Christmas-themed attraction, including characters such as the Grinch, Krampus and evil elves.

“Our Holiday of Horror, that’s become a favorite for a lot of people as well,” Leikam said. “It’s a really scary experience.”

Leikam said he and his staff work year-round to create new experiences for attendees.

“We basically rebuild it from the ground up every year. We change the theme, we change the storyline of the haunt and go from there,” he said.

For more information, visit www.paranoiahaunt.com.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | CHEROKEE LIFE

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2018 HOMECOMING, OCT. 5-6

It is very important that you examine this proof carefully for typographical and other errors!

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es.com 905-6114

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Around Acworth • Around Canton • Around Woodstock September 2018 Issue

From left, Bryce Alexander and Jacob Peterson of Paranoia Haunted House. The Halloween season attraction brings in more than 15,000 people annually.

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Once you sign this proof and return it to us, or if this proof is not returned by the date indicated, Aroundabout Local Media assumes that your ad is correct and will bear no liability for any errors. Your ad will be printed as shown and you agree you will be responsible for payment. Ad cannot be reproduced in another publication without permission.

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At Paranoia Haunted House, visitors can wander dark passages and run from zombies, ghouls and monsters.

verify that phone number and website are correct.

ease initial)CHLF SEPT-OCT 2018 28

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8/21/2018 8:58:02 AM

29 HIGHLIGHTS: EVENTS HAPPENING IN CHEROKEE COUNTY SEPTEMBER 7 and OCTOBER 5

CANTON FIRST FRIDAY Downtown is decked out and lit up for live music, great food and more. Socialize, visit the shops and the Canton Theatre.

SEPTEMBER 7

THE GINA CLOWES PROJECT

With a stamp from Bluegrass Today as “absurdly talented,” Clowes’ brings her banjo virtuosity to Reinhardt University’s Falany Performing Arts Center, 7300 Reinhardt College Parkway for a show at 7:30 p.m.

For more information call the box office at 770-720-9167 or email boxoffice@reinhardt.edu

SEPTEMBER 14-23

AN AGATHA CHRISTIE MYSTERY

At the Canton Theatre, 171 E. Main St., Agatha Christies “Then There Were None” is an English mystery presented by the Cherokee Theatre Company. Tickets are available by calling the Cherokee Theatre Box Office at 770-591-0282. Tickets are $15 for seniors and students and $18 for adults.

SEPTEMBER 14-23

A PICASSCO COMEDY

“Picasso at the Lapin Agile” is an intellectual comedy by Steve Martin, featuring the characters of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, who meet at a bar called the Lapin Agile (French: Nimble Rabbit) in Montmartre, Paris. It is set on October 8, 1904, and both men are on the verge of disclosing amazing ideas. Rated PG-13, shows are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Elm Street Cultural Arts Village, 111 Elm St., Woodstock.

For more information, email info@elmstreetarts.org or call 678-494-4251.

SEPTEMBER 15

HALL OF FAMERS, THE DRIFTERS

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members The Drifters will perform at Reinhardt University’s Falany Performing Arts Center, 7300 Reinhardt College Parkway for a show at 3 p.m. They were the first musical group to include string instruments into R&B with “There Goes My Baby.” They were the first musical group to sell 2 million records with their pop classic, “Up On The Roof.” Tickets are $40 and $45.

For more information call the box office at 770-720-9167 or email boxoffice@reinhardt.edu SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | CHEROKEE LIFE

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8/21/2018 9:41:56 AM

30 Membership is a great value....

SEPTEMBER 15

SAM REIDER AND THE HUMAN HANDS

Here are some great reasons to be a Farm Bureau Member...

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A Lantern Series concert of the Elm Street Cultural Arts Center, re-serve a table and enjoy and evening of jazz and bluegrass from Sam Reider and the Human Hands, an ensemble from Brooklyn, N.Y. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on the event green, 111 Elm St., Woodstock.

For more information, email info@elmstreetarts.org or call 678-494-4251

$500 Ford Bonus Cash • $750 Lincoln Bonus Cash Choice Hotels • Wyndham Hotels • Farm Bureau Bank Case IH Incentive Discount • Life Line Screenings Identity Theft Consultation & Restoration Service Car Rental Program (Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz, National) Grasshopper Mower Discount • Delta Dental ClearValue Hearing • Agelity Prescription Drug Program TelaDoc • Jiffy Lube • Grainger MHI Medicare Supplement Plans • Theme Park Discounts Air Med Care Network Member Only Rates

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Member Services Full line of Quality Insurance Products Free Annual Insurance Review Legislative Representation • Ag News and Information See details of programs and services at

A NOVEL IDEA

Come meet authors Regina Bradley, Boondock Kollage: Stories from the Hip Hop South; Kathy Florence, Jaybird’s Song; Ray Atkins, Set List; Deborah Mantella, My Sweet Vidalia; Janet Chapman, Madam May: A Tale of Madams, Morphine, Moonshine, and Murder; Maryann Hopper, Don’t Let the Flies In. The coffee shop has sandwiches, wraps, and salads, plus muffins and cookies for sale. This event is free and open to the public. BYOB. Door prizes! From 7-9 p.m. at East Main Café, 210 E. Main St., Canton.

www.gfb.org

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101 Woodland Way, Suite 1B Canton, GA 30114 770-479-1481, ext. 0 www.ccfarmbureau.org

OCTOBER 12-21

CRUISE SHIP COMEDY

“Are We All On Board?” by Steve Miller and presented by Broadway Bound Productions at the Canton Theatre, 171 E. Main St., and is a cruise ship comedy and world premiere. For tickets and information go to www. broadwayboundproductionsinc.com or call 770-720-2698. Tickets are $15 for seniors and students and $18 for adults.

For more information about shows or show times, call the box office at 770-704-0755.

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A loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another. Mix in two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-sobright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan, and an intoxicated chaperone – and you have the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight.

For more information, email info@elmstreetarts.org or call 678-494-4251.

8/21/2018 9:00:26 AM

31 SOCIAL SCENE Chamber Classic golf tournament 1. Chase Bullock of Waste Management was closest to the pin 2. First place team was Dave Andrews, Tony Kimbrough, Keith Ascenzo, Ryder Leary of the G. Cecil Pruett Community Center Family YMCA 3. Shane Jones, A.T. Martin Home Inspections had the longest drive 4. Second place team was Greg Elder, Steve Divine, Mark Moore (Not pictured: Chris Leggett) playing for Northside Hospital 5. Third place team from A.T. Martin was Jason Clauss, Shane Jones, Brant Gillespie, Anthony Martin

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Master Gardeners tomato contest 6. From left, Ed Stumbler for Randy and Pat Putnam tied for best red, Joshua Fuder best cherry and best overall tomato. Mike Lloyd best yellow and Walter and Mary Ellen Roos tied for best red. Among the judges were Kathleen Wilson, Don McMillian and Charles McMillian 2

THE CANTON THEATRE

IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN CANTON Agatha Chrisie’s “Then There Were None” Sept. 7 to 23 3

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“Stone Cold” Band Sept. 29 “Are We All On Board?” a Comedy Oct. 12 to 21 171 East Main Street | Canton, GA 30114

FOR MORE INFORMATION

770.704.0755

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | CHEROKEE LIFE

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8/18/2018 10:38:55 PM

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Rotary Club of Canton Awards 7. Then President-elect Keith Mahoney presented the Jean Harris Service Above Self Award to Kristi Estes, an occupational therapist, for her work with children.

8. Peter Gleichman presented the Lamar Haley Community Service Award to fellow Rotarian Greg Elder of MUST Ministries.

9. Greg Elder and Todd Hayes 10. Glynn Smith, his wife Anna Marie Smith and their granddaughter Iona Alatar.

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CHEROKEE LIFE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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8/18/2018 10:37:13 PM

33 SOCIAL SCENE Rotary Club of Cherokee County 11. From left Lunches for Learning in Honduras Schools Executive Director Phil Dodson, Club President Mike Dietzel, Immediate Past President Bob Stone and 2017 Rotarian of the Year Michael Johnson.

Thanking first responders 12. Jessica McCoy, who was injured in an ATV accident stopped by the Ball Ground fire station with her son to thank Cherokee County firefighters who helped her. 13. Fitness trainer Ogie Shaw teaches resistance training to Buster Cushing, as from left, Shane Burr, Becky Babcock and Lynn Epps watch. 14. Lynn Epps passed the office of president of the Rotary Club of Canton to Keith Mahoney recently.

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Saturday, Sept. 29

10am - 6pm & Sunday, Sept. 30

10am - 5pm $5 Donation at the Gate • Free for children 10 years and under • Free parking and shuttle services All proceeds benefit Cherokee County children in need.

Etowah River Park 600 Brown Industrial Pkwy

No coolers, bicycles, skateboards, or alcoholic beverages allowed on site

Learn more at www.serviceleague.net SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | CHEROKEE LIFE

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8/21/2018 9:02:28 AM

34 REFLECTIONS

Letting go of summer By: Carla Barnes

Doesnt it seem like school just let out?

Of course not even a day out of school my daughter was pining to be back in school, and here we are at the beginning, again. I never suffered from this malady when I was in middle school. My brother, Bill, and I lived for summer, and we had far less exciting activities planned in comparison to the same age contemporaries of today.

After last year’s camp schedule being a complete dud for our 13-year-old, we made up for it this year, thanks to better planning and some scholarship funds from my father. From St. Simons to an all-girl band camp to a teen baking camp, my daughter has been everywhere these past weeks, and all of us over the age of 40 have been a little jealous.

I want to go ninja camp, my brother announced to our parents at our weekly Tuesday night dinner. The dinner that usually only includes our original family unit is still comprised of our childhood antics, now performed by middle-aged adults (although no less funny), and are designed to entertain and remind them of what a great job they did raising us.

I liked Bill’s idea of a camp that would increase his skills as a butt kicker.

My inner nerd would enjoy a week of studying the works of Charles Dickens, or what about a girls-only Phat camp where all things fabulous are celebrated. I feel certain they serve lemon drop martinis at the latter.

Today as adults we have substituted all this summer fun I suppose to our rabid obsession with following football, or fútbol, whichever you prefer, or for our search for the perfect monogrammed T-shirt and local microbrew.

It was much simpler back then playing with the neighborhood kids, earning some extra allowance money by ironing clothes for my mom, making over my bedroom with a new wall color, and of course vacationing in St. Augustine, Florida.

I fit right in with this lifestyle of beginning each day on the porch under the ceiling fans stretched out on a chaise lounge with my stack of reading materials. I finished two and half books while I was on vacation this year. One I won’t reference at all, because it was truly terrible, and went promptly back to the thrift store. Book number two, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”, by Stephen King, was a keeper. I will never forget reading “Carrie” on the way to vacation in the backseat of our blue Suburban. Oh the days when I could read in the car without feeling queasy.

My brother holds the record on the number of books he has read by King, and always picks up the latest release before the trip. And while I cannot claim to be the ultimate fan, I do think I have seen every movie that has been made. And, they are still scary, as my husband will attest as he always finds me watching them through the slits of my fingers.

But this book, was not scary at all, but one that gives a glimpse behind the curtain of who King is, and those dark corners of our lives where all stories are born, and to me this is the most meaningful story capturing those elements we can all relate to and understand pain, laughter, bad decisions, victory, passion, love, and where we come from.

“I think the best stories always end up being about people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven”, he shares.

How funny that we spend the better part of life moving from one event to another. I hang on to them as trophies on the horizon things to look forward to. We all do it.

King shares he always envisioned putting an impressive writing desk in the middle of a room when he made it big. You see he spent most of his early years, writing in cramped quarters often right in the path of life which centered around his wife and children. Later, when he did get that desk, he decided it belonged in the corner.

Life isn’t a support system for art. Its the other way around.

May we all write our story this year with life at its center.

We still make the pilgrimage every year, and this year was no different with the exception that we were in a new development along the beach, that my husband, Doug, and I affectionately call Del Boca Vista in honor of watching the TV show, “Seinfeld”, for many years.

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CHEROKEE LIFE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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The Northwest Corridor Express Lanes are opening on I-75 and I-575. So put a Peach Pass in your vehicle. And the next time you need to get to that important game, or work or anywhere, just ride the Express Lanes and get there faster.

Visit PeachPass.com or call 1-855-PCH-PASS (724-7277) for details.

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