Okefenokee Living - Winter 2023

PRIME COMMUNITY BUILDERS

ACTION PACT GIVES NEW MEANING TO DOING GOOD BUSINESS

We

Which Turn Local Lives Around.

A vacant grocery store is an unusual choice for corporate offices. But Bryan Singleton isn’t the usual CEO. He saw its downtown location as ideally accessible to the people who depended on the non-profit he runs, Action Pact. Luckily, he could depend on his banker, Bruce Tison, to see his vision. The new headquarters has helped spark renewed interest in attracting businesses back to the center of town. We always say community banking isn’t just crunching numbers, but making an impact where it counts. Our vision of community draws customers like Action Pact who picture what we can do together.

Learn more at: PrimeSouth.com

Helped Action Pact Turn A Grocery Store Into Offices

L to R: Bruce Tison, Waycross Market President, PrimeSouth Bank and Bryan Singleton, Executive Director, Action Pact.

Cherokee Heights featured

Section. Photo by Allen Allnoch, AHA! Photography.

PHOTO BY WILLETT PHOTOGRAPHY

The rehearsal dinner at the wedding of Jade Jones and Carson Clark.

PECAN OIL

WITH CONFIDENCE

We Welcome Allen Allnoch — New Managing Editor of Okefenokee Living Magazine

This is our sixth year publishing Okefenokee Living Magazine and the interest in both advertising and readership is growing. For that, we are very thankful and proud.

This year, we added a new creative talent to our team when we welcomed Allen Allnoch as a photographer, writer, and proof reader. He added so much so quickly that earlier this year we named him Managing Editor of Okefenokee Living. He also serves as a project coordinator with Showcase Publications assisting in many ways on our other publications as well.

Allen has become a fixture in the community and the region after moving back to his hometown in 2021. He is a participant in “Leadership Waycross” and was even elected recently to the Waycross-Ware Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Much of his talent is on display in this issue and we couldn’t be more proud to welcome him back home and to Okefenokee Living Magazine group of supporters, readers, and friends.

You’ll find between theses pages some very interesting stories about people, organizations, and the culture of the region. It also includes two beautiful weddings and a stunning home in the iconic Cherokee Heights neighborhood. In Art & Culture readers might be surprised to find that the multi-talented Dot Sasser is still painting at 93 years old. Also, that the music inspired by Gram Parsons still thrives in the region. And much more!

Of course, we are ever grateful for the advertisers who choose to promote their businesses in Okefenokee Living Magazine. They are the economic engine of the communities that make up the Okefenokee region. We hope you will let them know you saw them in Okefenokee Living!

As we end one year and start another, we wish you continued joy and happiness in everything you do.

Jan Hediger Lindsey Bacon Wayne Morgan Alvin Plexico Jenna Jones

the subscription form in the magazine.

We were thrilled to be asked to judge the Clinch County Chamber’s 2nd Annual “Battle of the Boards,” a charcuterie board contest in Homerville. We love participating at events in the region and meeting more and more of our readers and advertisers. (John Riddle, Lisa Conner, president, and Debbie Barber, director, of the Clinch County Chamber of Commerce, Connie Riddle)

John & Connie Riddle

Allen Allnoch, Managing Editor, OL Magazine, at the state capitol with Leadership Waycross

ThE of Waycross YMCA

The distance between home and Waycross is about 10 miles as the crow flies, and Eddie Vergara, 48, of Blackshear drives it most days.

In 2018, Eddie accepted a position as the new director of rehabilitation at Waycross Memorial Satilla Hospital. He and his wife, Gretchen, 36, didn’t quite know what to expect when they relocated to south Georgia from Florence, S.C., with their three young children.

The weather, they recall, was July hot. And they didn’t know a single soul.

“When we first moved here, Waycross and Blackshear just felt like typical small towns,” he says.

One of the first things the couple wanted to accomplish was to get their son, Aiden, now 14, involved in competitive swim, and their son Carter, now 10, kicking it on the soccer field. Gratefully, the Y o ered both sports, as well as childcare for their then-infant daughter, Lilly, so Eddie and Gretchen could work out there, too.

“We immediately felt connected with others in the community,” he says. “It all worked out.”

Story by Sherri L. McLendon

Photography by Allen Allnoch / AHA! Photography

The Vergaras found the community they didn’t know they were missing. Soon, Eddie joined the YMCA board of directors. Today, when the hospital brings in new hires, Eddie directs them to the Y as a place to get connected.

“It’s been a ‘God thing’ to bring us here; we’ve been blessed for sure,” says Vergara. “It’s been really good for our family.”

Four years later, that sense of belonging has grown.

“We feel like this is home,” he says. “We’re a part of the community now. We’re connected.”

A DISTINCTIVE SOUTH GEORGIA FLAVOR

The Childers YMCA of Waycross answers the mandate to “meet the unmet needs of the community.” Its wide-ranging programs and services positively impacts families, individuals and communities throughout Ware, Pierce, Clinch, Brantley, and Bacon counties.

Like a good home-grown tomato, the flavor of those o erings is distinctively south Georgia.

“The Y organization does not tell us

THE

YMCA of Waycross

Above, Immediate Right and Far Right: Gretchen and Eddie Vargara are active Y members along with their children, Aiden, Carter (light blue jersey) and Lilly (not pictured).

what to do or what to o er,” says Rusty Hall, director of the YMCA of Waycross. “We see where and how we can help in this community.”

The 126-year-old institution was founded in 1896, making it one of the oldest YMCAs in Georgia. Today’s YMCA opened on Plant Avenue in 1968. By 1971, the YMCA’s business operations had moved into the new building from a previous location, and the YMCA purchased the landmark Ware Hotel.

For the next 25 years, itinerant railway workers passing through Waycross would seek lodging at the Ware. Sold to the YMCA by Mr. L.B. Harrell, the local Coca–Cola franchisee, the

hotel served railroad workers and crews.

Behemoth freight trains stopped at the depot in downtown Waycross. Railroad men who were “riding the road” would hop o the train, then hoof it the short distance from the depot to a good night’s rest at the Ware Hotel.

“We turned the beds over every eight hours,” says Larry Paulk, a YMCA board member who has served since 1971.

Railway workers would sleep for those eight hours and get right back on a train.

Ware Hotel income supported the Y until it closed in 1987.

THE ORIGINAL ‘MR. YMCA’

The Y’s namesake, former director Ben Childers, relocated with his wife, Ann, and their two children to Waycross from Kentucky. From 1961 to 1992, the couple devoted themselves to the Waycross YMCA.

“Ben was Mr. YMCA, no doubt about it,” says Paulk, who remembers Childers as “a good Christian man.”

Childers was brilliant at building partnerships with the regional business community and the Seaboard Coastline Railroad, which was

Left: Longtime Executive Director Ben Childers (in white jacket at far right) was among leaders present at a 1966 groundbreaking ceremony for the current building.

Right: Teachers Jeannie Blackburn and Virginia Childers led one of the Y’s many kindergarten classes in the 1970s and ’80s.

YMCA of Waycross

Family Lines Rails, then to CSX Transportation, which moved most of its local operations – and its workers – to other rail hubs in other areas of the country.

headquartered in Waycross. The Y’s annual fundraiser and banquet was legendary.

“The railroad would turn all its donations into cash and coins, then roll it in in a wheelbarrow,” recalls Paulk. “They’d dump it on the floor, and we had to pick it up.”

In those days, almost everyone employed by the railroad joined the YMCA or gave a contribution.

In 1969, Childers encouraged Paulk to join the YMCA when he relocated to Waycross from Valdosta. As a Hi-Y advisor to a group of high school senior boys, it was a decision that would change his life.

A mutual friend who worked at the bank had introduced him to his co-workers. Among these were the lovely Linda Murphee, who happened to be a Tri-Hi-Y counselor to a vivacious group of girls. As a result, the two would become better acquainted.

“The counselors would get together, and that’s how I got to know her,” he says. “Our first date was a church revival.”

The two YMCA volunteers were married in 1970.

In January 1971, Paulk joined the YMCA board to help “keep the books.” He served as president from 1990-92, and today, more than 50 years later, he is the Y’s longest-serving board member.

THE END OF AN ERA

Ben Childers retired in 1992, at which time the building was re-named in his honor. Ann also retired, having served as the Y’s executive assistant.

“They were both just delightful, wonderful people who loved the Y,” says Linda Booker, another longtime board member.

A mutual family friend, Gus Karle, introduced Booker to Childers. A Waycross YMCA member since 1980, the 30-something professional agreed to serve on the board in 1982.

In those days, the Seaboard Coastline Railroad partnered strongly with the Y, filling half the seats on the 50-member board and encouraging its employees to utilize the non-profit’s community-based resources. The other half of the chairs were filled by community leaders.

Very few were women, Booker recalls. Today, that’s di erent.

By the mid-1980s, a series of railroad mergers would change the makeup of the region. Seaboard Coastline sold to

“Once the railroad was out of there, we struggled financially, and fundraising was hard,” says Booker. “For a long time there, we just got by.”

In January 2000, the board’s size decreased from 56 to 32, then later to 16. Today, the streamlined board has 13 active, working members. Its quality programs for children and families are designed to be highly relevant and meet the needs of the community today.

One of those programs is Camp Reveille, which connects the best of the Y’s past with its present. The camp opened in 1976 and continues today. Each year, the organization sponsors approximately 100 deserving students who are recommended by school administrators. Every group camps for one week at Laura S. Walker State Park at no cost to the family.

Undaunted by the lack of air conditioning, campers experience each day as an adventure. One night, they go to a movie. The next day, to the beach or a theme park.

“Camp Reveille is a joy,” says Booker, who served as the Y’s president in 1999. “Each kid feels like a ‘star’ by the end of camp.”

THE NEWEST MR. YMCA’

Under Hall’s direction, the Waycross YMCA has grown significantly.

Above and Left: Athletic competition has always been an important component of YMCA programming. Today’s Y includes a thriving soccer program at a complex next to the former Ware County Junior High School.

“Rusty is Mr. YMCA of the future,” says Paulk.

For Hall, there seems no challenge too big or job too small. He became director of the Waycross YMCA in January 2014, after managing branches in Augusta-Evans and Warner Robins. Back then, he and his wife, Traci, were struggling with the amount of drive time it took for their five children’s activities.

“When we were in Augusta, everything was so spread out, we weren’t getting home until about 9:30 at night, and there was not much family time. We were running from one place to the next,” he recalls.

The family moved at the start of baseball season. Hall remembers how relieved he felt when he realized that all four ball fields were in the same location.

“Waycross made it possible for us to slow down and focus on the family,” he says.

People from across the region benefit from the Waycross Y’s programs, classes, and facilities. As a Christian organization, it welcomes families and individuals into its community of support.

Opportunities abound for young people to compete, including strong swim and soccer programs.

The YMCA pool opens at 5 a.m. to accommodate the Ware County High School Swim Team. The indoor heated pool is 6.5 feet deep from one end to the next, perfect for competition

swimming. It’s a benefit few locations in the area can o er. In fact, other high school and middle school swim teams also use it when the weather is cold.

The Y’s competition swim team functions as a feeder program into local middle and high school swim teams hosted at the Y.

“We’re sending competitors to state qualifiers all the time,” says Hall. The team competes in cities like Tampa, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn., and at events hosted at universities like Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Auburn.

“We have a strong swim program, o ering swimming 5 days a week, every week of the year,” he says.

Gators in Training starts at age 4.

Since the mid-1980s, every second grader within the Ware County school system receives a week of swimming lessons. Private and group lessons and aquafit classes are also o ered.

The Y’s Youth Soccer program continues to grow at a rapid rate. Because the number of participants has exceeded the capacity of the main campus, the Y partners with the local school system to use its fields. It’s a win-win for the community.

Also, the YMCA has responded to the present needs of single and working parents by developing high quality preschool and afterschool programs, summer day camps, and more.

“The Y can be the best part of a child’s life,” Paulk says.

The childcare locations are open from 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Children can be

on site for up to 10 hours each day.

Existing programs are licensed and quality rated by the Georgia Department of Early Childcare and Learning, and the programming in a new facility – a building purchased from Satilla Memorial Hospital – will also undergo a rigorous quality rating process.

Attendees receive healthy meals and snacks, center times with education and curriculum enrichment, STEM reading, and recreational time. Similarly, the summer program runs all day from May through August.

PARTNERSHIP MAKES IT POSSIBLE

Partnerships are a big deal to the Waycross Y, Hall says: “The YMCA is not the building. It’s not about the facilities. It’s about us working together to meet the unmet needs of the community.”

Adds Vergara, “Bigger facilities in bigger towns are not as connected to the community as we are. Rusty does a great job of extending the Y beyond the walls into the community.”

For many, the Waycross YMCA is at the center of their community, faith and life.

“I put my heart and soul into whatever I’m doing, and the Y is my heart and soul.” says Booker. “It is my blessing to be able to serve.”

Learn more about the YMCA of Waycross at ymcawaycross.com. OL

Immediate

Far Left and Middle: Board members Larry Paulk and Linda Booker have served the Waycross Y in various capacities for many years.

Left: Rusty Hall has been the Waycross YMCA’s director since 2014.

Dr. William Clark III

Profiling a Life of Civic Volunteerism

Just a “simple, country eyeball doctor” is how he often describes himself, but a closer look at Dr. William Clark III reveals more to the casual eye. Renowned throughout southeast-Georgia, the Waycross-based ophthalmologist is known as much for his civic contributions as he is for his groundbreaking work in the medical field. His is a ledger listing more than 50 professional medical a liations, three dozen community service entries, and 30-plus awards for civic, leadership, and professional accomplishments.

Story by JOHN DUPONT

Photo by JOY SUMNER PHOTOGRAPHY

His is a body of work that, at its core, is built upon a passion for people and life itself. Expounding upon nearly any subject under the sun, the doctor’s favorite topics include people, civics, and the Okefenokee Swamp Park.

“I really value friends and relationships,” he says. “I have learned so much from people who are not rich and famous and have learned how to listen carefully and to ask good questions.”

The son of Susan Lott Clark and the late Dr. William “Bill” Clark, Jr. was born in Atlanta but raised in Ware County, where he gained an appreciation for things both ordinary and extraordinary. “Young Dr. Clark” still lists his father as being foremost among his heroes.

“My father was a natural leader and so was my mother; so I got a double dose,” he notes. “Dad was active in the Rotary Club and the Boys Scouts, though he was never a Boy Scout himself. My mother came back here to her hometown where she did a lot of things in the 1950s and ’60s that women were not naturally encouraged to do.”

Continuing, he adds, “My dad was the youngest of six children, born in a farmhouse west of Tallahassee. He got an associates degree and joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, but they told him he was too smart to be a pilot and they needed him to be a navigator. He later became a prisoner of war in a Russian camp for three and a half months. He and some others escaped by bribing the guards, then

they made their way to Paris. Like most WWII vets, though, Dad didn’t readily talk about the hardships stories, just the stu he would chuckle about.”

After graduating from Waycross High School in 1971, William Clark III received an undergraduate degree from Davidson College (NC) before earning his Medical Doctor at the Medical College of Georgia. Next came an internship in Norfolk, Virginia, followed by residency at the University of Miami (FL) and a fellowship at Emory Eye Institute in Atlanta. He returned home to Waycross in 1984, where he still practices at the Clark Eye Clinic on Isabella Street.

Award winning on many fronts, Dr. Clark has been accorded an American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award 14 times; this, in addition to several medical advocacy awards. In 2017, he completed his 20,000th eye surgical case at Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross. Subsequently, Suite 3 where he operates was named in his honor.

“I’m really inspired by the biblical passage, ‘To whom much is given, much is required’ (Luke 12:48),” he says. “Being able to practice ophthalmology for nearly 40 years — the rewards have been eternal. Some of my greatest moments still come when I go to the o ce and see my patients and my o ce team. Some patients are brand new with complicated problems that nobody else seems to take the time to delve into. My long-time patients are consistently appreciative and a rming about how happy they are to be able to see better.”

Bedside mannerisms extend beyond the o ce wall, too. Gus Darden, who served with the doctor on the Okefenokee Heritage Center Board, remembers the Clark family’s involvement in a Waycross Area Community Theater production of “The King and I” several years ago.

“The Clarks were very helpful with

Above: Dr. Clark III poses alongside the likeness of Dr. Clark, Jr. He still practices in the same o ce where his father practiced in downtown Waycross.

that production,” recalls Darden. “One night we were rehearsing when a local teacher who was in the play was getting down o the stage. He somehow slipped and fell, and hurt his head. William said, ‘Let me take a look at that. I think we can fix this.’ Luckily, William ran the man to his nearby o ce and stitched him up.”

A practitioner of faith as well as medicine, Dr. Clark served for more than two decades on the administrative board of First United Methodist Church in Waycross. That post is among the 38 civic responsibilities he has undertaken since returning to Waycross 38 years ago.

“Growing up, I knew three things for sure,” he says. “I would never come back to Waycross, I would never become an MD, and I would most certainly not be an ophthalmologist because then I would be known as ‘the son of Dr. Clark, the ophthalmologist.” So I tell people to be careful of what you say you won’t do, but I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Civic ventures include having served as Waycross-Ware Chamber of Commerce Board President and Acting Executive Director. Currently he serves as Waycross Convention and Visitors Bureau Authority Chairman as well as Waycross-Ware County Development Authority Chairman. Several other civic hats he has worn have also tilted toward economic development causes.

Top: Dr. Clark with Kim Bednarek, Executive Director of the Okefenokee Swamp Park. Clark has served as President and Chairman of the park’s Board of Trustees since 2010.

Bottom: Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Dr. William Clark, Georgia Chamber of Commerce CEO Chris Clark, and Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson.

‘Growing up, I knew three things for sure. I would never come back to Waycross, I would never become an MD, and I would most certainly not be an ophthalmologist.’

“Fostering economic development in the area, growing existing industries, and attracting new industries is a mission I’m very passionate about,” he says.

Beginning in 1997, Dr. Clark served as a program chair and trustee with Leadership Georgia. A decade later, he was tapped for the Georgia Supreme Court Task Force on Mental Health and Criminal Justice. Those endeavors have expanded his medical network beyond traditional medicinal a liations such as the Medical Association of Georgia, of which he is a past president.

“It’s been very humbling to learn the needs of patients and to participate in public health and policy debates that shape medicine across our country,” he shares. “Working with Leadership Georgia was a great opportunity as a physician leader to work together with leaders from other fields. It increased

my awareness of problems and resources we can use to solve those problems.

“You kind of become a tribal elder and again, it’s just a humbling thing for this country, eyeball surgeon.”

Few topics tickle the doctor’s fancy as does the Okefenokee Swamp, though. Since 2006 he has served on the Okefenokee Swamp Park Association (OSPA) Board of Trustees, and as President and Chairman since 2010. His passion for the Land of the Trembling Earth itself has been a lifetime obsession.

“My blood runs a little bit darker because of the tannic waters of the Okefenokee,” he says with a laugh. “Growing up, one of my favorite things was learning that my parents’ friends would visit because it meant we would

visit the Swamp Park and that meant I would get to be in the front seat of the boat. That sense of adventure has never left me.”

Clark speaks enthusiastically of Okefenokee history, from the swamp’s formation to the harvesting of timber by the Hebard Company in the early 20th Century, to Dr. Wilbur Ha ord’s push for non-profit status to use the park as an educational resource. More contemporary developments include a partnership with the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife and the hiring of new executive director Kim Bednarek. Clark says the OSPA board is now crafting plans to apply for consideration by the U.S. Department of Interior to place the Okefenokee Swamp on the list of World Heritage Sites.

“If it happens, it’s going to be a gamechanger for economic development,” he says. “Our whole region

Above: Clark in his home o ce shows o his eclectic interests including his love for the Braves, cigars, Christmas decorations, and music.

Photo by Joy Sumner Photography

would have the opportunity to have people come down here to see this incredible watershed and how unspoiled it is, to see how incredible Mother Nature is if you just don’t mess with her. We’ll need more hotel rooms and restaurants, and we want to be prepared for that because when the dog catches the bus, you’ve got to decide what to do with all the luggage underneath. So, we’re collaborating right now with others who know what it takes to be considered for nomination.”

Bednarek says, “Dr. Clark’s love for the Okefenokee Swamp, sheer exuberance to provide fun and educational visitor experiences, and his genuine commitment to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge’s recognition as a World Heritage Site are irresistible. He is a true champion of positive economic development opportunities in the Okefenokee that are consistent with the OSP’s vision to promote a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act together to conserve nature for its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives. I am fortunate to work alongside him as a colleague and friend with a shared purpose to conserve, protect, and celebrate the people, land, and water of the Okefenokee.”

National pursuits aside, this father of three daughters and grandfather twice over insists that his favorite endeavors have included serving as PTA President at both Williams Heights Elementary School and Waycross Middle School; this, along with supporting local education through bond referendum and SPLOST e orts. Now he is working to revitalize Boy Scout Troop 304, which through the years has produced more than 100 Eagle Scouts, including the man himself.

“Many troops from this area have folded their charters and dissolved,” he notes. “We want to create a foundation that ensures there will be a troop, and to recruit some young fathers of boys

10 and 11 years old. We also want to establish a Cub Scout program.”

When stepping back from his labors, the sports fan and music enthusiast has indulged in following the Atlanta Braves and Jacksonville Jaguars. “I somehow recharge my spiritual batteries in the midst of the energy of an exciting sports event and also in live music venues,” he says.

Striped shirts and bow ties are other trademarks for this man of many talents who is likewise renowned locally for adorning his dwelling in Cherokee Heights as part of a December rite of passage. “Christmas lights are my real art form,” he reveals. “And the lights can never be the same from one year to the next.”

Inasmuch as he is known for his public labors, Dr. Clark challenges the

next generation to follow the path of civic volunteerism, underscoring its shared rewards from a learned perspective.

“Take advantage of opportunities to climb onto someone else’s shoulders and see the world the way they see it,” he says. “Then start figuring out what you can do from that vantage point to make the world a better place for all of us. There are amazing things happening here in southeast Georgia. This isn’t the only place, but this is the place I’m in and I’ll take it.” OL

His passion for the Land of the Trembling Earth has been a lifetime obsession.

Top: Dr. Clark on the porch of his home that is transformed at Christmas into a holiday wonderland when it is adorned with lights and decorations that people travel from all over the region to see. It has even been featured in Jacksonville’s Florida Times-Union.

i n R e a l E s t a t e

T h i s i s M i s t i M a r t i n . Y o u m a y r e c o g n i z e h e r a s t h e f a c e t h a t i n t r o d u c e d 3 l e t t e r s t o o u r p a r t o f s o u t h e a s t G e o r g i a a n d h a s b e e n a n e X p l o s i v e f o r c e i n t h e r e a l e s t a t e i n d u s t r y e v e r s i n c e . C o m i n g f r o m a b o u t i q u e b r o k e r a g e , M i s t i k n e w t h e r e h a d t o b e a m o r e e f f i c i e n t w a y f o r a g e n t s , c l i e n t s & c u s t o m e r s t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e i n d u s t r y . S h e f o u n d h e r s o l u t i o n w i t h e X p R e a l t y S h e j u m p e d a t t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e a p a r t o f a g l o b a l o n l i n e b r o k e r a g e t h a t ' s p o w e r e d b y t o p a g e n t s a n d c u t t i n g e d g e t e c h n o l o g y S h e h a s b u i l t a t h r i v i n g t e a m , e s t a b l i s h e d a n e X p a n s i v e n e t w o r k a n d s t i l l m a n a g e s t o m a k e e v e r y t r a n s a c t i o n p e r s o n a l a n d e X p e d i t i o u s . M r s . M a r t i n s t a t e s , " T h i s b r o k e r a g e i s a g e n t c e n t r i c , o f f e r i n g c o m p e t i t i v e c o m m i s s i o n s p l i t s , r e s i d u a l i n c o m e , i n s u r a n c e a n d a n i m p r e s s i v e r e f e r r a l n e t w o r k t h a t s p a n s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y . T h i s i s a n o n c o m p e t i t i v e b r o k e r a g e - a r e f r e s h i n g s h i f t i n r e a l e s t a t e " A c c o r d i n g t o M r s . M a r t i n , “ e X p R e a l t y i s c h a n g i n g h o w a g e n t s c o n d u c t b u s i n e s s i n a p o s i t i v e w a y . W h e t h e r y o u ' r e a n a g e n t w i t h o r w i t h o u t a t e a m o r y o u ' r e c o n s i d e r i n g a c a r e e r i n r e a l e s t a t e , e X p R e a l t y o f f e r s e v e r y a g e n t t h e u n i q u e o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e c o m e a s h a r e h o l d e r i n t h e i r o w n c o m p a n y . ” N o w i s t h e t i m e t o j o i n t h e w o r l d ' s f a s t e s t - g r o w i n g , c l o u d - b a s e d b r o k e r a g e . M r s . M a r t i n i s c o m m i t t e d t o h e l p i n g y o u p a v e y o u r r o a d t o s u c c e s s ! (912) 281-2607 | mistimartin.exprealty.com

I t r u l y b e l i e v e i n t h e p o w e r o f r e l a t i o n s h i p s . H a v i n g a s t r o n g s u p p o r t g r o u p i n a n y i n d u s t r y i s k e y f o r s u c c e s s . T h a t ' s w h y I c h o s e e X p .

Article written by : Kelly Bradley

THE

THE WAYCROSS AREA COMMUNITY THEATER CELEBRATES 50 AND COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS

Show years GOES ON

Story by ALLEN ALLNOCH Photo by Allen Allnoch / AHA! Photography

Much has changed IN THE

50-YEAR HISTORY OF THE WAYCROSS

AREA COMMUNITY THEATER.

Following a nomadic early existence, WACT was able to acquire a permanent home – and then almost lost it, thanks to a natural disaster. Many names and faces, too many to count, have come and gone through the years. But as the old saying goes, the show must go on, and for WACT, it certainly has.

WACT presented its first production, “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” in December 1972 at Center High School (now home to the Ware County Board of Education). The group is celebrating its golden anniversary with four

special productions in the 2022-23 season.

Since that debut, WACT has presented more than 1,000 performances and given people of all ages – a literal cast of thousands – the opportunity to participate in live community theater.

“When auditions are announced, anybody can come,” says Roger Johnson, the longtime president of WACT’s board of directors. “We try every season to have a show that involves kids and adults.”

WACT owes much to the vision and leadership of John and Nancy Campbell, who moved to Waycross from Albert Lea, Minnesota in 1971. John

Above: The 2012 Chicago cast included Krystal Winn and Lindsey Hickox.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WACT

Right: George Fesperman, Rhonda Woods and John Youmans study their lines for “Little Shop of Horrors.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF WACT

Right: The Campbells’ daughter, Catriona, “slept on the floor a lot as a little kid.”

was a physician by trade, but he and Nancy had long been involved in community theater in Minnesota. Once they were settled in Waycross, they sought out like-minded drama enthusiasts in the area.

“I think when they came here, they were like, ‘Well, that’s something we need,’” says the Campbells’ daughter, Catriona. “And they just found the right people at the right time, people who said, ‘You know, we were thinking the same thing. Let’s do it as a community.’”

Many of those early participants have passed on, including the Campbells, Bill and Jill Westhead, Burr and Pat Miller, John and Bobbie Walthour, Blanche and Ken Brumbeloe, and musical director Edmund Pedrick. Other early volunteers include current Waycross residents Boykin Clark and Hugh and Rosie Williams.

Catriona Campbell recalls her

parents doing whatever was needed, from directing to acting to creating costumes and sets.

“I slept on the floor a lot as a little kid,” she says. “I remember Mom and Dad at times being like, ‘This bloody show, it’s so much work.’ They would put so much into it, they would almost be ready for it to be over; then, when that happened, it was bittersweet.”

For years the WACT performed at various auditoriums throughout the area. In 1986 the group found its first real home when it purchased the historic Ritz from the Georgia Theater Company.

The building originally opened in 1913 as the Grand Theater and, after an extensive remodeling, re-opened as The Ritz in 1935. WACT productions continued there until 1997, when a catastrophic rainstorm caved in the roof and wiped out the balcony.

By then the group had acquired a

neighboring property, the Academy of the Arts building two doors down. Though seating was limited, WACT used it as a temporary venue until sufficient repairs could be made on The Ritz.

WACT stages have featured an impressive array of talent over the years. Some went on to careers in the arts. Rhonda Woods McHargue, for example, performed on cruise ships and later portrayed Molly Brown at the Molly Brown Dinner Theater in Hannibal, Missouri, where she now owns a dance studio.

The late John Youmans has several films to his credit and wrote “Psycho the Musical,” a parody of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller that was first performed at The Ritz in 1992 and later developed a cult following in California.

‘WHAT THE THEATER DOES FOR THE KIDS IS AMAZING TO ME. THEY DON’T HAVE MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IF WE’RE NOT THERE TO GIVE IT TO THEM.’

– MARLA HOWELL, BOARD MEMBER

Above: John and Nancy Campbell were integral to the early success of WACT.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WACT

Above: A Raisin in the Sun (2010), Sitting: Kenyetta Williams, Mamie Jackson, Assata Haki; Standing: Melodye Bolden, Brock Gilliard, Stanley Sinkfield, Eric Redmond, Uriah Scott, Anthony Scott. PHOTO COURTESY OF WACT

PHOTO BY COLIN CAMPBELL

WACT HAS PRESENTED MORE THAN 1,000 PERFORMANCES AND GIVEN PEOPLE OF ALL AGES –A LITERAL CAST OF THOUSANDS – THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN LIVE COMMUNITY THEATER.

Above: The Addams Family (2018), Kneeling: Maddison Brummett, Ellie Deener, Rhianna Herrin, Hannah Hayes, Mallan Gill, Sara Williams; Standing: Niki Spivey, Ethan Mitchell, Alex Weekley, Sarah Braswell, Benjamin Strait, Allyssa Barber, Allen Hamilton, Addison Watley (Cousin It), Jaela Rogers, Brock Gilliard, Cole Hendley, Tom Strait, Collin Hendley, Megan Hendley.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WACT

Left: The WACT board includes President Roger Johnson, Marla Howell, Kayla Dixon and Vice President Stanley Sinkfield. Not pictured: Secretary Mamie Jackson, Treasurer Pam Fields, Artistic Director Niki Spivey, Ambi Bess, Jenny Varnadore, Kathy Cox, Rhonda Gatewood, Taylor Hereford, Cole Henley, Carmen Barber, and David White.

PHOTO BY ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

Above: Ossie Davis, with WACT President Roger Johnson, director Barbara Gri n, and board member Rosie Williams, was the honored guest at the 2002 production of “Purlie Victorious.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF WACT

P formances

“John started out as a young child and he was so, so talented,” Johnson remembers. “He could play any character. No matter what you put him on stage to do, he could do it.”

WACT has performed dozens of classics from Broadway and other stages. Each has been special, but one that particularly stood out was “Purlie Victorious” in February 2002.

The award-winning 1961 play by that name was written by Ossie Davis, a Clinch County native who became a renowned actor, director, and social activist. A 1970 musical adaptation opened on Broadway in 1970. Davis attended the premiere of WACT’s rendition, which was followed by a reception in his honor.

“He was so gracious,” volunteer Ruth Yermovsky told the Waycross Journal-Herald. “He signed so many autographs at intermission.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of community theaters like WACT. “They do everything,” Johnson says. “Not only the actors, but musicians, directors, artists, sound and lighting technicians, costume designers, hair and makeup artists, set builders.”

Board member Marla Howell got involved with WACT in 2017 to support her teenage daughter, Stevie. “What the theater does for the kids and what’s available for the children is amazing to me,” Howell says. “They don’t have many other opportunities if we’re not there to give it to them.”

Johnson agrees, saying WACT’s encouragement to young people is “one of the most important reasons that I give my time.”

Johnson says WACT volunteers aren’t unique to Ware County – some have come from Baxley, Homerville and even as far away as Valdosta. “It’s amazing how much talent we have locally and in surrounding counties,” he notes.

Howell adds, “I feel like we’re in a building stage, where new faces are coming in [as volunteers], and people who have never even been to the theater are coming and enjoying it.”

Indeed, when someone passes through the Ritz doors, they’ll be welcomed with open arms, whether they’re a volunteer or a spectator. And the price of admission – only $15 per ticket – won’t break the budget.

It’s the people, of course, who truly make WACT special. But just as special, Catriona Campbell says, is what WACT does to people.

“What has stuck with me,” she says, “is that so many people are like, ‘I’ve always wanted to be on stage, but I’m so afraid of the learning the lines,’ or, ‘I’m shy,’ or whatever, and it was always so transformative for people like that – they did learn the lines and they stood tall and proud.”

Community theater, Campbell

Oklahoma: March 2-4, 9-11 – 7:30 pm; March 5 & 12, 2:30 pm

The Hallelujah Girls: May 4-6, 11-13 – 7:30 pm; May 7, 2:30 pm

continues, is “a life-changing opportunity for people to feel wanted, needed and belonged to. It allows people from all walks of life, of skin color, of religious background, to work together in bringing something they love to fruition. It still makes me cry.” OL

Paranormal Playhouse

Three “ghost hunter” groups have visited the Ritz and confirmed supernatural activity. “They all say there are some entities and spirits there,” Roger Johnson says. “I was here by myself one time and heard the faucet turn on in one of the restrooms. I went and turned it o , then left immediately.”

Marla Howell also had a spooky experience while alone in the theater one morning. Downstairs retrieving paint supplies, she heard footsteps on the stage above her. “I’ll be right up,” she shouted, only to find an empty auditorium and the doors still locked.

The unseen audience is rumored to have a favorite production: “The Dearly Departed.”

Photo by Allen Allnoch / AHA! Photography

ONE OF US. FIGHTING FOR US.

Iam humbled by the confidence of the voters of House District 178 to once again be chosen to represent my home in the Georgia Legislature. When the General Assembly convenes on January 9, 2023, a new biennial of the Georgia General Assembly begins and with it many changes under the gold dome.

Most notably, after thirteen years at the helm of the Georgia House of Representatives, Speaker David Ralston (R- Blue Ridge) announced that he would not seek another term as speaker. Speaker Ralston was a steady hand at the wheel helping to guide our state during changing times. He was a fierce advocate for rural Georgia. He took every opportunity to travel across our great state to work with members who represent rural Georgia looking for solutions to address the challenges. Georgia is a better state because of his servant leadership and his vision to move our state forward. Although reelected to serve Georgia’s 7th House District, Speaker Ralston passed away on November 16, 2022. His legacy will resonate for generations to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As provided by the Georgia State Constitution, Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones

(R-Milton) becomes the 74th Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives for the remainder of the term, which ends in January.

On Monday after the 2022 general election, the republican caucus met in Atlanta to elect leadership positions for the upcoming session.

At the top of the list was to elect a Speaker of the House. After nominating speeches and candidate speeches, all duly elected Representatives nominated Majority Leader Jon Burns (R-Newington) to serve as the next speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Leader Burns is a small businessman who understands the importance of keeping Georgia the number one state to do business and delivering opportunities for rural Georgia to thrive. His nomination as speaker will be considered by and voted on by the one hundred eightymember body in January to o cially become speaker the 75th speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives.

When the forty-day session begins in January, the one constitutionally bound duty of the General assembly is to pass a balanced budget. Over the last decade, that challenge has been on the shoulders of Representative Terry

Capitol Address: 501-E Coverdell Legislative O ce Bldg. Atlanta, GA 30334 / 404.656.0178

England (R- Auburn).

His tenure spanned two governors and numerous unpredicted storms. His steady, conservative fiscal leadership has been a huge impact on the General Assembly’s ability to accomplish yearly goals. Chairman England will retire in January paving the way for a new chairman to take the fiscal helm of our state. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is likely that Speaker Jones will announce a chairman with the intent to be appointed, to give such chairman the ability to engage in our state’s fiscal conservation as the 2022 amended budget is prepared and in preparation of the 2023 budget.

Because of steady fiscal conservative budgeting and record revenue, I anticipate that the Georgia General Assembly, working with Governor Kemp will work to return another billion dollars to you, the Georgia taxpayer. During the 2022 session, the General Assembly passed HB 1302 provided for a one-time tax credit for taxpayers who filed tax returns for both the 2020 and 2021 taxable years.

As Georgia moves to capture Electric Vehicle (EV) market share in both manufacturing and battery production, there are several infrastructure issues that will need to be addressed

District Address: P.O. Box 178 • Screven, GA 31560

legislatively. Both EV manufacturing facilities EV battery production facilities projects have been announced. A joint House and Senate study committee was appointed earlier this year, has held a series of meetings across Georgia this summer and fall to look for ways to help the EV industry move forward in Georgia. One such issue that has to be addressed is the governance of charging stations. Although legislation was introduced last session, numerous issues remained to be addressed and the legislation failed to win approval of the House and Senate.

It is an honor for me to represent my home in the Georgia General Assembly. Thank you for the opportunity to be your voice in Atlanta fighting for our values and our way of life.

If I may ever be of service to you, please don’t hesitate to reach out either by phone at 404-651-7737 or by email at steve.meeks@house.ga.gov.

AL WEDDINGS

In "Real Weddings," you'll enjoy insight into how two special couples planned their weddings as they share their love stories, reasons, and sentiments behind their choices and advice for bridesto-be. Their family traditions, heirlooms, and history shows the foundation they have as they begin their own journeys together.

Congratulations and best wishes to them both!

Editor MEGAN PIPER WHITE

BY JULIETA

Section

Photo on this page by

Tera Blount and Dalton Thrams

STORY BY MEGAN PIPER WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BY JU LIETA

LOVE WITHOUT BOUNDS

oth from the Waycross area, Dalton and Tera have roots that run deep locally. They grew up near each other and with mutual friends, but it wasn’t until after college that they connected. Tera shares, “Our paths crossed before a University of Georgia game in Athens. A few weeks later, UGA was playing Auburn, and we ran into each other again. From then on, we never lost touch.”

Their relationship grew beautifully and led to an engagement. Planning their wedding ceremony included a unique family tradition – an elopement! Her mother and father eloped to Maui, Hawaii more than 25 years ago, and in 2017, Tera’s sister, Timary, and her husband, Trey, eloped to Palm Springs, California. Her sister’s 13-person wedding day was memorable and intimate, allowing them to focus on each other, and Tera knew from that experience that she wanted that same feeling for her own wedding. Coincidentally, she and Dalton had 13 guests for their intimate wedding as well. After tirelessly researching elopement locations from Lake Como in Europe to Napa Valley on the West Coast, Tera happened upon Instagram pictures online of the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Seeing the opportunities at The Cape Hotel there, the decision was instantly made. The panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean with El Arco on Lover’s Beach were the perfect backdrop, and it was exactly what they envisioned for their wedding ceremony and intimate elopement.

Although the couple wanted a smaller, destination wedding, Dalton and Tera still wanted to celebrate their marriage with all of their family and friends. Their hometown celebration in Waycross, Georgia was the perfect way to tie everyone they love into their special day. “All of our people came to celebrate with us,” shares Tera, of their reception at Terminus 201 with

“OUR PATHS CROSSED BEFORE A UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA GAME IN ATHENS. A FEW WEEKS LATER, UGA WAS PLAYING AUBURN, AND WE RAN INTO EACH OTHER AGAIN. FROM THEN ON, WE NEVER LOST TOUCH.”

more than 100 guests. Harp Home and Events helped them plan the perfect event with their design, florals and local vendors ranging from Jimbo’s Catering based in Homerville to Crawford’s Jewelers (of course!) to the Soul Shine Band out of Wrightsville, Georgia. Everyone came together with the finishing touches to seal the deal on a wedding celebration back home.

Tera and her sister have started a new family tradition, being from a family of jewelers, by adding a diamond on the inside of the groom’s ring. Tera elaborates on the idea: “My sister’s husband was adamant that he did not want to be surprised with any flashy wedding band on his wedding day. My sister had an ingenious idea to have Crawford’s add a bezelset diamond on the inside of his wedding band. She didn’t tell him anything about it, and when the minister presented the rings, the sun hit the diamond in his band just right, and he immediately started laughing. It is one of his favorite stories to tell. We wanted to make this a family tradition, so I surprised Dalton with a diamond on the inside of his band too! I engraved the word ‘Forever’ inside, and the diamond takes the place of the ‘O’ because whenever I tell him I love him, he always asks ‘Forever?’ and I reply ‘Forever.’”

When asked about her favorite part of the wedding day, Tera shared that the best moment of the wedding day was walking down the aisle and seeing Dalton turn around. The

Wedding

Date: June 13, 2022

Venue & Caterer: The Cape Hotel in Cabo San Lucas

Bridal Gown: Sarah Seven from Love Boutique in Jax Beach

Family Heirlooms: Baguette Diamond Bracelet

Jewely: Crawford’s Jewelers

Local Reception

Date: June 25, 2022

Venue: Terminus 201 in the Waycross Depot

Caterer: Jimbo’s Catering from Homerville, GA

Event Planner & Florist: Harp Home & Events

emotion he was showing was everything she could have dreamed of and hoped for overall. Everyone was emotional, and it made the day more special knowing every single person at the ceremony was important to them and invested in their future. She loved a quote from the ceremony by Minister Diego: “Dalton & Tera, you have chosen to exchange your wedding vows this day. And as we stand between two di erent oceans that merge together right here in Los Cabos, the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, your two individual souls will be gathered together in just one.” From a destination elopement to a hometown celebration, what a love to share, rooted in family traditions and a special future ahead. OL

Jade Jones and Carson Clark

STORY BY JENNA JONES PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLETT PHOTOGRAPHY

SWEET SURPRISES

great wedding is nothing without a great love story - and the Clarks had both. Jade and Carson were introduced by mutual friends in Saint Simons Island back in the summer of 2019. Despite their personalities (and heights) being drastically di erent, the future Clarks had one big thing in common: they were smitten from the start. Carson’s laid back attitude perfectly complemented Jade’s outgoing personality. This came in handy for working out di erences, like when Carson (a Georgia Tech grad) discovered Jade’s alma mater was University of Georgia. Despite this setback, these two were engaged two years later.

Jade and Carson wanted to tie the knot in a place that was special to both: Amelia Island, Florida. Friends, family, and loved ones traveled from near and far to celebrate this Southeastern couple at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The festivities began with a rehearsal dinner thrown by the Clark family at Walker’s Landing. The next morning saw a relaxing Bridal Brunch at Jimmy and Laurie Jones’s stunning home, featuring a yoga session led by a friend. Then came the ocean-front outdoor ceremony, followed by a Flash Foods convenience store themed after party - a fun nod to the Jones family’s company founded over 50 years ago.

There were sentimental moments scattered throughout the ceremony. Jade and Carson’s late grandmothers were displayed on photo charms

dangling from the bride’s bouquet.  Jade’s sister, Jenna Jones, served as maid of honor and also sang Jade’s favorite song, previously recorded and accompanied by her aunt, Sherri Godwin, on the piano. Kristen and Kara Clark, Carson’s sisters, were also in the bridal party and wonderful at corralling the seven flower girls and two ring bearers (children of best friends and cousins). Tying it all together was the Jones family’s favorite preacher and long-time friend, Brother Bill Young, who served as the o ciant.

The reception included awe-inspiring florals, lighting and seating designed by Brian Worley Productions. No reception is complete without a great band - and the Clarks had two! First, The Royals performed classic hits and fun choreography that filled up the dancefloor. Then came an amazing surprise performance by Old Dominion, a chart-topping country band with eight number one singles on the Country charts, over a billion on-demand streams, and several Platinum and Gold single certifications. Not to mention, they’re currently nominated for CMA Album of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year.

According to Jade, “Dad (Patrick Jones) pulled o an epic surprise. We don’t know how he and Nicki from Collins Korman Events were able to hide it, but they did so flawlessly! Carson and I thank you both from the bottom of our hearts for this experience! The song One Man Band will forever bring tears to my eyes.”

Other details included a live painting by the talented Elaine Burge and a 1962 Corvette convertible as the getaway car. The night wrapped up with an interactive Flash Foods themed after-party. Some of the highlights included a prosecco-filled gas pump, slushie machines, lottery tickets, Krystal burgers, chips, candy, boiled peanuts, and even attendants wearing the classic red vests with embroidered lightning bolts!

When discussing the team of people who helped bring the big day together, Jade says, “We’re thankful beyond words for everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. This group made the day-of so fun and enjoyable for us. I cannot express how much all their e ort means to me and our families!”

It’s worth mentioning that the wedding planner, hair stylist and makeup artist are all originally from the Waycross/ Blackshear area!

For Jade and Carson, the most special part of the wedding weekend was all of their friends and family members gathering in the same place to celebrate together.

Jade said it best, “Carson and I both knew we would never experience an event like this with everyone we love again in our lifetime, so we went out of our way to soak in every moment.” OL

Home & Garden

Featuring an iconic home in the heart of the Cherokee Heights neighborhood in Waycross

PHOTO OF JOHN & CAROLINE LOTT’S HOME TAKEN BY ALLEN ALLNOCH, AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

Story and Photography by ALLEN ALLNOCH

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS you notice about John and Caroline Lott’s Waycross home is how attractive the front yard is. The lawn is lush, tall pines o er lots of shade, and hydrangea shrubs abound. If the hydrangeas are in bloom, as they often are, it’s downright eye-popping. When the Lotts bought the home from long-time owner Harriette Wainwright Higginson, they soon learned they had acquired a minor tourist attraction of sorts.

“She was known for her yard,” Caroline says of Higginson. “People will pull over on the street, hop out of the car, go cut a hydrangea, and jump back in the car. We look at each other like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”

John, a Waycross native, and Caroline were living in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in 2017 when they learned the home was on the market. John was working as a sales rep for Simmons Bedding Company and was ready to move back home to join his family’s business, Lott’s Furniture.

As Caroline recalls, “We were having brunch when a friend from Waycross, Leslie Cochran, who was visiting her sister in Mount Pleasant, walked by. She stopped and told us that Harriette was selling that house and that we needed to buy it. Days later, we went to see it.”

Page: John and Caroline Lott’s home in the Cherokee Heights neighborhood

This Page, Top: John and Caroline Lott relax in the family room with Trout, their Boykin spaniel.

Above: Harriett Wainwright was known for her yard full of stunning hydrangeas. “I really don’t do anything to them, other than fertilize once a year,” Caroline Lott says. “They’re hearty plants.”

Opposite

The lawn is lush, tall pines o er lots of shade, and hydrangea shrubs abound. If the hydrangeas are in bloom, as they often are, it’s downright eye-popping.

“I recently hosted a baby shower and Mark’s mother, Dot, was over, and she said, ‘I met my in-laws in this house.’

We walked through it and she was pointing out things she remembered.”

Above: The spacious family room, at the front of the house, allows lots of natural light. The co ee table was the first piece of furniture John and Caroline bought as a couple. The sofa and the art above it are from Lott’s Furniture.

Top Left and Right: The billiards room is located behind the family room and looks out onto a large patio and a covered porch. The map of Cherokee Heights was a gift from former neighbors Philip and Tracy Saussy.

Above and Right: The dining room is situated between the kitchen and the family and billiards rooms. The contrasting wallpaper and drapes give the room color and depth. The heirloom photos of the children are by Pierce County photographer Brittany Jury. Caroline and John’s wedding invitations are displayed in mirrored frames.

With their infant son, Tripp, in tow, the Lotts moved into the Cherokee Heights home in October 2017. Their daughter, Mary Evelyn, was born a little over a year later, in February 2019. The neighborhood, with its low-key vibe and friendly neighbors, has been the ideal location to raise a family.

“It’s been a great five years,” John says. “The neighborhood has a lot of character. We have awesome neighbors and we’ve had a lot of precious times with the kids.”

Some of those neighbors, it turned out, had a connection

to the home. Annie and John Gibson originally owned the house, which was built in 1954-1955. The Gibsons’ grandson Mark now lives across the street and is friends with the Lotts.

“They all talk about this house, because they knew it so well,” Caroline says. “I recently hosted a baby shower and Mark’s mother, Dot, was over, and she said, ‘I met my in-laws in this house.’ We walked through it and she was pointing out things she remembered.”

Another neighborhood couple, Philip and Tracy Saussy,

Home & Garden

LOTT HOME

Below

Center,

sold their house and showed up at the Lotts one day with a relic that had been in their home: A map of Cherokee Heights bearing the name of Daniel Lott, one of the founders of Waycross and John’s great-great-great grandfather.

“They had bought it at a yard sale,” Caroline says. “They said, ‘We think y’all should have this.’” The piece now hangs on a wall in their billiards room.

Other décor with sentimental value includes John and Caroline’s wedding invitations and photos of her maternal grandparents on their wedding day. A range of contemporary art by painters Teil Duncan, Windy O’Connor and Danielle Cather Cohen adorns walls throughout the home.

On This Page: The children’s rooms are located on one side of the house and are separated by a bathroom.

and Top Right: Tripp’s room includes a print of ducks that was originally displayed in the home of Margaret Lott, John’s grandmother.

Bottom

Left and Right: Mary Evelyn’s room has softer tones and includes artwork by Teil Duncan.

A range of contemporary art by painters Teil Duncan, Windy O’Connor and Danielle Cather Cohen adorns walls throughout the home.

The Lotts have made a few updates along the way, including the addition of a hall bathroom and a kitchen update with a new sink, countertops and an island. Outside, they replaced a carport with a garage, installed a patio, and removed a driveway to create more backyard space for the children to play in.

There was one thing they made sure to preserve, however: Those well-known hydrangeas.

“We didn’t get rid of any,” Caroline says. “If we moved any, we replanted them.”

That decision surely is endorsed by neighborhood admirers.

OL

Top: The kitchen was one of the spaces that was updated and now features new appliances, sink, and countertops. The island was added and the cabinets were painted.

Bottom: The Lotts added a two-car garage to replace an existing carport. They also added a brick patio next to the covered porch and removed a semi-circular driveway in the back of the house to create more of a backyard play space for Tripp and Mary Evelyn.

The Lotts added this hall bathroom near the kitchen. “I absolutely love the wallpaper and artwork in there,” Caroline says.

TIPS FOR DESIGN

THE USE OF TEXTURE IN SPACES

Story by LINDSEY BACON, INTERIOR DESIGNER, LOTT’S FURNITURE lbacon@lottsfurniture.com /

(912)

Left: A mix of textures – including mahogany and mango woods; brass and gold metals; rattan, wool, linen, and cotton fibers; and marble, agate, and mother of pearl stones – creates a warm and cozy aesthetic. The lamp has a dimpled texture that adds a masculine, yet modern, appeal.

Moving on to wood tones, there are many choices of wood species that can create a smooth or rugged surface. Whether in bedroom suites, occasional tables, dining sets, or flooring, wood can warm up a space for a casual appearance, or cool it down for a serene and calming aesthetic.

Accents: Rugs and Lighting

Now that we have our furniture, let’s discuss accents. Rugs can create a beautiful sense of texture with the softness of wool, the silkiness of polyester and polypropylene, or the coarseness of natural fibers. Rugs can go just about anywhere in a home – o ce, living room, outdoor patio, bedroom, and entryway.

Most wouldn’t think of this, but lighting can also have texture that can enhance a space. Metals, ceramics, and stone can add so much character through chandeliers and lamps. Choosing the wrong light fixture for your space can throw the whole aesthetic o . Instead of being warm and cozy, it could end up being cold and uninviting.

Wall Art and Accessories

When creating a space, most people think of the whole aesthetic that they want, starting with color and style. One thing they don’t think of is texture. However, textures bring a space to life. They allow spaces to become warm, inviting, cozy, and, if you’re not careful, cold. It all depends on what you want for your overall aesthetic.

As an interior designer, I often hear clients say that they want to update their spaces and create a fresher look. Whether it is a living space, bedroom, o ce, or outdoor area, a fresher look can be fully achieved with di erent textures. Here are some tips on how to use textures to successfully create a renewed space for your home.

The Basics: Furniture

When starting a new design process, you want to think about materials. Do you want your sofa to feel buttery-soft, like leather, or would you prefer it more like silk in a fabric? Or maybe you would prefer a material that feels like wool? Either way, you have to choose something that is going to feel great against the skin while also achieving that “cozy” aesthetic.

You can pretty much use anything nowadays to hang on the wall or use as an accessory. A basket, African bowls, paintings, photographs, and mirrors are all great for complementing a bare wall. Each of these has di erent textures that can pull a design together in a fashionable way. Vases, books, trays, plants, etc., can add texture and character to any space as well. These accessories can be atop a table, bookcase, or console.

In conclusion, texture plays a huge part in how our homes “feel.” Figure out what aesthetic you want your home to have and find textures that help you achieve that aesthetic. Always remember, the presence of texture can make or break our homes. I hope this helps you better understand the importance of textures and helps you achieve the aesthetic of your dreams. OL

283-6350 / Instagram @lindseybacon_designer

Photography by ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

Above: Textures in rugs only enhance the “feel” of your room. Jute, sisal, and other natural fibers are performance materials that can be used for indoor/outdoor and pets or children. Wool, polyester, cotton, and polypropylene, are all great for that luxurious aesthetic.

Above: Bringing in textures like leather, performance grade polyester, and polypropylene add softness to a space against a hard cypress wood and ceramic décor.

DIGESTIVE HEALTH: Pecan oil helps promotes colon health and regulate bowel movements.

BONE AND TOOTH HEALTH: Pecans are rich in phosphorus, which is one of the most plentiful minerals in the body. Phosphorus, along with calcium and magnesium, help promote healthy bones and teeth.

SKIN HEALTH AND REPAIR: Pecans contain zinc and vitamins A and E, which play an important role in maintaining healthy skin. The zinc helps keep skin healthy, while the vitamins help give you a clear complexion. Pecan oil also helps from premature aging.

PREVENTING IRON DEFICIENCY: Pecans are high in iron which can help prevent conditions such as anemia.

BLOOD PRESSURE REGULATION: The high magnesium levels in pecans help to lower blood pressure, plus pecans also have good anti-inflammatory properties.

CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH:  Pecans are a rich source of fiber, which reduces the risk of  heart disease. Monounsaturated fats, are also found in pecans and pecan oil. These are excellent for the health of coronary arteries and for the prevention of strokes.

IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT: Pecans contain manganese, which is a very powerful antioxidant and is great for enhancing your immune system.

G ANASPECA N COMPANY

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NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Those of us in the Okefenokee region agree with Francis Harper that “there is no other place in the world like the Okefenokee.” Now, there is an organized campaign to seek World Heritage Site status so that finally, the world will know too.

“There’s no other place in the world like the Okefenokee” ~ FRANCIS HARPER WE WANT THE

PHOTO BY BILL RHODES

PHOTOS COURTESY OF USFWS

Okefenokee World Heritage Bid

- GEOFFREY L. HASKETT, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ASSOCIATION

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Okefenokee NWR), the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the Eastern United States, spans over 400,000 acres across the Georgia and Florida state lines and is known globally for its pristine wetlands and vast diversity of flora and fauna. Designated a National Natural Landmark and one of the Seven Wonders of Georgia, it boasts a wetland footprint in size and function very similar to what it would have been before European contact. The modern name Okefenokee was derived from a much older Muscogee (Creek) Nation word, Owaquaphenoga. Although this word probably means "shaking water in a low place" in the Muscogee language, it has come down to us today to mean "The Land of the Trembling Earth." In 1937, recognizing its valuable scientific, educational and recreational importance, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Okefenokee Refuge. Later, in 1974, ensuring the continued protection of this unique ecosystem, the refuge’s interior lands were designated a National Wilderness Area and in 1986, the Okefenokee Refuge was designated a Wetland of International Importance.

In June 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in conjunction with Okefenokee Swamp Park, Inc. (OSP), launched a public/private partnership to provide project management and financial resources to support Okefenokee’s bid for World Heritage Site status. The Okefenokee NWR was identified as a potential World Heritage Site in 1982 and, then in 2007, was

placed on the United States Tentative List where it has remained. Only one site may be nominated by the U.S. each year and it is the highest honor in the world for sites of cultural and ecological importance. Obtaining this status would not alter the ownership or management of the Okefenokee NWR in any way, nor would it impose any new rules or regulations.

“If inscribed, Okefenokee NWR would be the first site entirely managed by the National Wildlife Refuge System and the first natural site of its kind to be recognized as a World Heritage Site.”

- OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MANAGER, MICHAEL LUSK, OF THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

A World Heritage Site designation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and

“The

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is one of the crown jewels of the National Wildlife Refuge system. Unique ecologically and visited by people from all over the world, recognition as a World Heritage site is well justified and long overdue.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF USFWS

Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is defined as a natural or man-made site recognized as being of “outstanding universal value” and if successful, this listing would enhance e orts to conserve the Okefenokee NWR and its vast ecological resources for years to come.

The process for being named to the World Heritage List, managed by UNESCO, is widely acknowledged to result in:

• Increased global visibility

• Growth in sustainable tourism and ensuing economic benefits for the region

• Increased capacity to protect and enhance wildlife and its habitat

• Ensured integrity of the ecological system

“The Okefenokee is more than ready for its chance at World Heritage status – it’s like no place else on Earth.”

– ELISE BENNETT, FLORIDA DIRECTOR AND ATTORNEY FOR THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

In September 2022, 33 national, state, and local organizations signed a letter asking the Secretary of the Interior to formally authorize the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge’s bid for World Heritage Site listing. Approval from the Interior Department would kick o a yearslong nomination process that would include documenting Okefenokee’s “outstanding universal value”.

Being nominated and eventually chosen as a World Heritage Site would solidify recognition of Okefenokee’s global significance and bring immense economic and conservation benefits to the Southeast. However, the process involves a three-to-four-year timeline with an estimated

cost of $500,000. The majority of the expenses will be used to produce materials for review by the UNESCO committee that determines World Heritage awards.

“This is an opportunity to unite the communities of the Okefenokee and involve people in a meaningful way by supporting this collective e ort to bring universal recognition to one of the world’s great natural wonders, the Okefenokee.”

- KIM BEDNAREK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OKEFENOKEE SWAMP PARK

The Okefenokee Swamp Park and the National Wildlife Refuge are partnering to raise the $500,000 needed. To date, almost $100,000 has been raised through generous gifts from individuals, businesses, and partner organizations. We invite you to join the Okefenokee World Heritage Journey with a financial gift and/or consider o ering “in-kind” support by volunteering your time and e ort in various ways. Contributions may be made through our website: okefenokeeworldheritage.org. Your generosity will help us tell the world that there really is “no other place on earth like the Okefenokee.”

Okefenokeeworldheritage.org

Help us tell the world that there is “no other place on earth like the Okefenokee”

For more information and to contribute to the Okefenokee World Heritage Journey

Visit: Okefenokeewordheritage.org/GetInvolved or contact Kim Bednarek at kim.bednarek@okeswamp.org

PHOTO BY GENE BEDNAREK

PHOTO BY BILL RHODES

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PROFILES

By ALLEN ALLNOCH

Story

Hannah Grant

PHOTO BY NATE CASON, CASON VISUAL PRODUCTIONS

Thrift stores provide a valuable service by o ering low prices on all manner of used items. What those stores don’t typically provide, however, is brand-new goods. And where apparel is concerned, Hannah Grant says there’s nothing like an unworn garment with the tag still on it. Her non-profit mobile boutique, The Hanger, fills that gap by providing new apparel, shoes, and accessories to underprivileged middle and high school students in Brantley, Pierce, and Ware Counties.

“There’s just something gratifying about popping o the tag of a boutique outfit like the rest of your peers,” says Grant, a mother of two who lives in Hoboken. “We wanted The Hanger to be a resource that operates completely di erently than anything we had ever seen. Thrift shops require money and transportation. We knew that we needed to find a way to bring the clothing to the students and make sure they were able to pick out items that fit their style and their figure. And no place that we had ever heard of specifically provided brand new clothes still with the tags on.”

Grant says the idea first began to form in 2021 after she heard about a local high school student in need of clothing. While collecting donations for the student, she began picking up additional items that weren’t necessarily a “need” but

that she thought would help build confidence in a teenage girl struggling to fit in.

Later that year, Grant’s fifth-grade daughter, Kayden, asked to purchase clothing items as Christmas gifts for a classmate who wore repetitive, ill-fitting outfits to school. That’s when she decided it was time to launch The Hanger. “What started as a Facebook post on my personal page quickly gained traction, and The Hanger was o cially formed in December of 2021,” she says.

Grant secured 501c3 status, rounded up some partners, and began fundraising. By March 2022, she and her team were able to purchase and renovate an 8.5-foot by 14-foot cargo trailer – complete with lights, air conditioning and a dressing room – to serve as the mobile boutique. Local boutique partners quickly filled the trailer with donated items, many from sale racks and past seasons, in a large variety of styles and sizes ranging from XS to 4XL.

The items are distributed free of charge via a unique “shopping” experience for each recipient. It starts when 6th through 12th-grade students in Ware, Pierce, and Brantley County are nominated by school sta for “The Hanger’s Dress for Success Scholarship.” Quarterly visits are scheduled for each participating school and the mobile boutique sets up in the parking lot. Students enter the unit one at a time during school hours, select their items, and leave unmarked shopping bags in a counselor’s o ce for pickup at the end of the school day.

The whole process is discrete and provides each student with at least a week’s worth of clothing and a pair of shoes, plus socks, undergarments, toiletries, mascara, and lip gloss. The Hanger served its first school in March 2022 and within six months had successfully provided those kinds of items to more than 150 students.

“The privacy of the students we serve is top priority,”

PTHE HANGER

LEFT AND BELOW: The Hanger’s souped-up mobile boutique houses an extensive selection of apparel and accessories, which it brings to middle and high school students in three counties.

PHOTOS BY NATE CASON, CASON VISUAL PRODUCTIONS

Hannah and her daughter, Kayden, both have the vision and selfless spirit that were instrumental in making The Hanger a reality.

PHOTO BY PROPER PINES PHOTOGRAPHY

Grant says. “We work diligently to ensure their shopping experience remains anonymous among their peers. But if those walls could talk about some of the struggles these young girls have faced and the joy that feeling pretty has brought, it would bring tears to your eyes.”

Without breaking confidentiality, Grant o ers a sampling of comments she has received from middle and high schoolage girls: “I have never had anything with a tag on it.” … “These might be the best fitting jeans I have ever tried on. Literally they aren’t too tight or too big.” … “This is the best day ever; I will never forget it.”

With an e ective process in place for helping students dress for success, Grant now envisions a mentorship program that will go even deeper in developing local youth. “We absolutely love providing students with the ability to dress for success; however, that is only surface-level impact,” she notes. “We want to o er support, direction, motivation, advice, and education to build leaders.”

Grant has a heart for investing in other people’s lives, a trait that extends to her full-time job as a community liaison for GHC Hospice. She came to that position after a decade in banking, which she “thought would be my lifelong career,” she says. After both of her parents were diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, she began re-evaluating her career goals.

“Giving back and serving others is my passion and what I feel called to do,” she says. “I am blessed to have the opportunity to help families find the care and support they deserve when needed most.”

Grant is also active in the Brantley County community as a co-owner, gym manager, and kids coach at Invictus Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Hoboken. Jiu Jitsu has been a hobby for four years, and she’s a big advocate for women and children learning to defend themselves and “seeing the confidence this sport brings.”

With Grant in their corner, local girls are being impacted in a positive way. (As are boys – male students are eligible for provisions from The Hanger as well.)

“The Hanger is undoubtably making a di erence in the confidence of teenagers in our community,” she says. “The best part for me is allowing my daughter to be such a big part of the operation. She is able to not only witness but participate in making a di erence in the lives of others. However, the success we have seen goes far beyond just me and my daughter. We have the best board of directors [secretary Paige Taylor, treasurer Emily Hadaway, and board member Allie Dixon], amazing boutique partners, and local business support that keep us afloat.”

That local support includes attendees of The Hanger’s semiannual Fundraiser Fashion Shows, in which local students showcase the chic apparel available to recipients. The Spring 2022 edition was a sellout event and the Fall show, which was held in November at the Waycross City Auditorium, was a rousing success as well. The Hanger's fundraising goals include acquiring a truck capable of hauling the mobile unit, which would eliminate the need for volunteers to tow it to each school outreach event.

The Hanger has achieved a considerable amount of success in a relatively short time. And it’s just getting started. Quite literally, this is an organization on the move.

“It has been awesome,” Grant says, “to see this vision come to life.”

OL

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Hangar is a completely volunteer-based organization, and 100 percent of donated funds benefi t students the organization serves. For details on becoming a business sponsor, visit thehanger912.com or email thehanger912@gmail.com

ABOVE: Hannah Grant is flanked by board members Allie Dixon, treasurer Emily Hadaway, and secretary Paige Taylor.

PHOTO BY PROPER PINES PHOTOGRAPHY

ABOVE: The Hangar’s Spring 2022 Fashion Show featured Ella Jones and other local students showcasing apparel available to recipients.

PHOTO BY PROPER PINES PHOTOGRAPHY

PROFILES

MANOR’S COPPAGE CHRISTMAS TREES

Story By ALLEN ALLNOCH

FROM FARM to Family Room

There’s something innately charming about a visit to a Christmas tree farm. The shared experience of walking the rows … the selection, cutting and loading of a tree … the enjoyment of its fresh scent – it’s all part of a meaningful holiday ritual for those who value real over artificial.

“I really enjoy growing a high-quality tree,” says Dan Coppage, who owns Coppage Christmas Trees in Manor with his wife, Cindy. “Showing a child that real Christmas trees can be grown in Georgia, and are available for them to choose and cut, is a large part of the satisfaction of growing trees.”

Dan and Cindy, both Ware County natives, have been growing and selling Christmas trees since 2013. Their time on the land goes back much further to 1989, when they moved from Jesup to live on the Inman farm that was part of Cindy’s family. They’re now retired from their original vocations – Cindy as a 30-year schoolteacher and Dan from a career in timber procurement and forest land management.

“Growing Christmas trees was a natural o shoot of my career,” says Dan, a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Forest Resources. “Growing trees for a small farm is not a fulltime job, but it does require attention almost every week of the year.”

Manor’s Coppage Christmas Trees Offers a Rich Holiday Experience for Area Families

Blake, Kayla, Lilly and Mackey Crumbley search for the perfect Christmas tree at Dan and Cindy Coppage’s farm. Photo by Joy Sumner Photography

Dan oversees about 1,500 trees made up of three varieties: Murray Cypress (the most popular), Carolina Sapphires, and Fraser Firs from North Carolina. He says they sell about 350 each season, with Cindy leading the sales e ort and a few local teenagers on hand to help during the busiest periods.

Dan’s duties include replanting trees each January, fertilizing, spraying to keep several varieties of fungus at bay, mowing a lot of grass, and shaping the trees twice a year.

That last part is extremely important – “they don’t grow that way naturally,” Dan says of the familiar triangular profile that graces so many living rooms.

There’s also the challenge posed by too much moisture in the soil. “Christmas trees like very well-drained soil, which is hard to come by in Manor,” Dan says.

The payo for the care and feeding of all those trees comes when families show up in late autumn, each looking for just the right one for their home.

“Cindy enjoys visiting with the families who come to cut their own Christmas tree,” Dan says. “Seeing her former students that she taught in the second grade, now with children of their own, come out to enjoy the experience together is a high point of our selling year.”

Coppage Christmas Trees opens for business the weekend before Thanksgiving and continues sales until inventory is depleted for the year. The Coppages encourage area residents to follow the growing season and stay informed about important dates on their Facebook page, which can be found at facebook.com/ coppagechristmastrees.

“You can cut your own tree or we will cut and load it if you aren’t comfortable doing it yourself,” Dan says.

Even if you choose the latter option, don’t worry – it won’t diminish the Christmas tree farm experience one bit.

LEFT: Dan, Cindy and Miss Priss stand among the trees – some 1,500 in all –that make Coppage Christmas Trees a cherished holiday experience.

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BARBER RENSHAW

ABOVE: Cindy examines a mature Murray Cypress, one of three species the Coppages sell.

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BARBER RENSHAW

ABOVE: Pint-sized pair: Bette Coppage, Dan and Cindy’s granddaughter, poses with a seedling that will be someone’s Christmas tree years from now.

PHOTO BY COURTNEY BARBER RENSHAW

“CINDY ENJOYS VISITING WITH THE FAMILIES WHO COME TO CUT THEIR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE.”

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PROFILES

KELVIN LEE

Story by ALVIN PLEXICO NAVY OFFICE OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH

NORFOLK, Va. –

Master Chief Petty O cer Kelvin Lee, a native of Alma, Georgia, serves as the command master chief for Airborne Command and Control Squadron 120 supporting the E-2D carrier airborne early warning aircraft, known as the Hawkeye.

Lee joined the Navy 25 years ago.

“I was looking for other opportunities,” said Lee. "I wanted to explore options that were available in the military."

Growing up in Alma, Lee attended Bacon County High School and graduated in 1997.

“I want to o er a shoutout to my mom, Linda, and her husband, Jimmy,” said Lee. “I'd like to say hello to my aunt, Rosemary, and also my uncle, Booker, and his wife, Laura.”

Today, Lee relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Alma to succeed in the military.

“Hard work pays off,” said Lee. "When you work hard, people notice. Always be willing to work for what you want, and you'll appreciate it more. My grandfather taught me that and I never forgot it."

These lessons have helped Lee while serving with the Navy.

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of its first flight, which occurred August 3, 2007. Known as the Navy’s “digital quarterback,” the Hawkeye gives the warfighter expanded battlespace awareness. The Hawkeye’s command and control capability makes it a multi-mission platform through its

MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER

Kelvin Lee

ability to coordinate concurrent missions such as airborne strike, land force support, rescue operations and support for drug interdiction operations. The Hawkeye is one of the aircraft launched from an aircraft carrier.

Navy aircraft carriers are designed for a 50-year service life. When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack fighter jets, helicopters

and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea. With more than 5,000 sailors serving aboard, the aircraft carrier is a self-contained mobile airport.

Serving in the Navy means Lee is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on strengthening alliances, modernizing capabilities, increasing capacities and maintaining military readiness in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“We need a strong Navy to protect our families back at home supporting us while we serve them,” said Lee.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet tra c carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy o cials continue to emphasize the importance of accelerating America’s advantage at sea.

Lee and the sailors he serves with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

“My proudest accomplishment is making master chief,” said Lee. "Going from E-1 to E-9 is a pretty good feat.”

As Lee and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

“Serving in the Navy means we can give back to those who paved a way for us today,” added Lee. "Serving is more than just another way of life. It takes a strong person who is willing to make the sacrifices to complete the mission." OL

Photo coutesy of the U.S. NAVY

ALMA NATIVE SERVES AS SENIOR ENLISTED LEADER WITH U.S. NAVY HAWKEYE AIRCRAFT

Story By ALLEN ALLNOCH

STEVEN GREEN

No. 1 Nurse

Coastal Pines Student Is a SkillsUSA National Champion and a Compassionate Care Giver

PROFILES

STEVEN GREEN

Steven Green chose nursing as a profession for all the right reasons.

“It is a good career path and I love helping people,” says Green, an LPN student at the Waycross campus of Coastal Pines Technical College. “It’s a way to help people who can’t help themselves.”

Green didn’t foresee, however, that he would become a national champion for his nursing skills. That’s exactly what happened in June 2022, when he won the Nurse Assisting contest at the SkillsUSA National Championships. He qualified for that event by winning the SkillsUSA State Championships in March.

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit association that serves middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. This year both the state and national competitions were held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

“I never envisioned I would win either one of the competitions,” says Green, a 2012 graduate of Nashville’s Berrien High School who began his studies at Coastal Pines in August of 2020. “I didn’t realize I won gold until they asked me to step onto the gold winner podium. At that point I felt unstoppable. On the way out, we walked down a long hallway and at every turn there were people with pompoms cheering us on. It was an experience like no other.”

The nursing competitions were comprised of proctored exams and skills demonstrations. When Green heard his

name called as the winner, he says he “froze for a moment. I was truly shocked. I had never won anything in my life. It was a haze when I walked backstage, then onto the stage.”

Then reality set in. “Of course, I was proud because I won,” he continues. “But then I got nervous again, because I knew I had to compete at the national competition. When I got to the hotel for nationals, I was blown away by the number of competitors who were there. The nerves rushed over me once again. But after I finished competing, the nerves were gone.”

Green calls that experience “a life-changing trip,” but more than anything, he values the support of his family. His wife of eight years, Ashley, is also a Coastal Pines nursing student, and the couple have two sons, ages 9 and 5, and a daughter, 4.

“My wife and children are the reason I push myself as hard as I do,” Green says. “They are my biggest cheerleaders. I remember calling my wife [after the national championship

ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

win] and hearing how proud of me she was.”

Ashley actually got involved in SkillsUSA before Steven did, at the invitation of CPTC Nurse Aide Instructor Karen Wade. Steven says he “kind of weaseled my way in there after that,” and he credits Wade with preparing them both for competition. When the couple qualified for the SkillsUSA State Championships, he was convinced Ashley would place higher than him.

“We’re playfully competitive with each other,” she says “We always have fun with our grades, how we’re doing in the lab, everything. And we were actually very surprised he beat me.”

The celebration of Green’s victory didn’t end in Atlanta. A month after he returned to Waycross, Coastal Pines designated Wednesday, July 20 as “Steven Green Day.” Students, faculty, and sta were encouraged to wear – what else? –green in honor of Steven and his success.

As Green recalls,” Miss Lindy [Cisco, CPTC Student Activities Coordinator] reached out and asked if I would be on campus, because they were going to have a Steven Green

day. I was so excited to have a whole day dedicated to my success. I can’t express the joy that I felt.”

Wherever he ends up working, Green clearly has the skills to succeed in his profession. Just as important, he has the compassion that sets great nurses apart from merely competent ones.

“I love helping people,” he says. “I take care of anyone in need. I enjoy talking to patients and giving them an outlet for whatever is on their mind. I like to make them feel comfortable and relaxed while being cared for. I have noticed in my short time in this field that people want to be heard.”

Green is quick to credit Coastal Pines for preparing him for a career in nursing.

“My journey at CPTC has been amazing,” he says. “I could not have imagined a better school. They have an awesome LPN program. It has its di cult subjects, but it is very well-structured and the instructors are there whenever you need them. I have had so much fun in this program and I have made lifelong friends.”

Green will complete the Coastal Pines LPN program in December. Next up after that: Pursuing further education as an RN and a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist).

“While I am working toward that goal,” he says, “I would love to do agency nursing or travel nursing. I want to work in an ER, OR, and ICU. I look forward to getting the experience and knowledge to provide care for as many people as possible.” OL

TOP LEFT: Steven gets a high-five from SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis after winning the Nurse Assisting national championship competition. PHOTO BY LINDY CISCO

TOP RIGHT: CPTC Nurse Instructor Karen Wade was instrumental in Steven’s SkillsUSA preparation. PHOTO BY ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

LEFT: Amanda Morris, Coastal Pines Executive Vice President and Vice President of Academic A airs, and Lindy Cisco, Student Activities Coordinator, recognized their star nursing student during Steven Green Day on July 20, 2022. PHOTO BY NATE CASON

Story By JOHN DUPONT

PROFILES TRACE CARTER

PLAYING IT AS IT LIES

grew up around them and the game. I had played football, basketball, and baseball. But golf was special.”

Despite having never played nine holes – not even in practice – Carter finished second in the first tournament he ever played, in 2015. Since then his game has developed exponentially. He finished second and third overall the past two years at the Okefenokee Invitational and helped lead Ware County High to a region title and top-five state finish as a freshman. At press time, he was ranked fifth in his age group in the state on the Junior Golf Scoreboard.

WARE COUNTY HIGH STUDENT TRACE CARTER HAS A FIRM GRIP ON GOLF AND LIFE

Barely two years into his high school career, Trace Carter is already among the best golfers his age in the United States. A top performer for Ware County High School and the reigning club champion at Okefenokee Country Club, Carter is also highly ranked by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). Last spring, he added another coveted entry to his resume, finishing as the Boys’ 14-15 runner-up at the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

“Honestly, I was not really that nervous at first,” says Carter, now 16. “I’ve been on that stage before and played against those guys, so we really just had fun. Then when we got on the greens I just felt numb. I couldn’t really take it in, but after I got home it kind of sank in.”

Golf runs deep in Carter’s family. His dad and mom each played on state championship golf teams at Pierce County High School. It was his late grandfather, Royce Carter, though, who instilled a love of the game.

The teen explains, “When I was 7, my grandpa bought me a 7-iron at a pawn shop. He played golf with his buddies, Donnie Harris and DeDe Thomas, and I

“From the day Trace was born he has shown determination and independence,” says his mother, Lauren. “He was fascinated with watching adults do things. He strived daily to do anything and everything those around him could do, and would not stop until he could. Instead of learning to ride a [conventional bicycle], he learned to ride a dirt bike at 4. No matter what it was, if he wanted to do it, he would figure it out and he wanted to figure it out on his own.”

Summer of 2021 was particularly busy for the golfing phenom. The Drive, Chip & Putt competition began with more than 10,000 young hopefuls and included three qualifying stops in Florida for Carter: Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, TPC Sawgrass, and the Bears Club. Then came the national finals in Augusta on the Sunday before

Trace poses with 2020 Masters Champion Dustin Johnson in front of the Augusta National clubhouse.

PHOTO BY CHRIS TROTMAN

the start of the 2022 Masters. Carter took six swings: two drives, two chips, and two putts. At the end of the day he was the national runner-up in his age group.

“Trace’s success has been everything to me,” says his father and swing coach, Rhett. “I’m one who has always liked to compete, but nothing has compared to just watching him. He and Lauren travel during the summer and they have been home fewer than 10 days each of the last two years. We love this stu and we’re in it 100 percent.”

AJGA success will likely predict where Carter plays collegiately, and he will be eligible to receive scholarship o ers beginning next June. With a chief desire to play in the Southeastern Conference, he has a wish list that includes Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. Sporting a handicap of +2.6 –meaning, in lay terms, he’s capable of consistently posting under-par scores – he figures to have plenty of suitors.

“Georgia and Florida are where the best competition is, so I just kind of want to stay in this area,” Carter says. “The guys that are flying to tournaments are coming from places like California to play here.”

Perhaps the best is yet to come for Carter, who is not yet halfway through his prep career.

“Chipping and putting have always been my strength,” he notes. “Right now I’m working hard to improve my long irons. I actually started hitting a fade. I’d been hitting a draw and it was either too long or too short. Now I can better control where the ball is going.”

Carter’s mother describes him as “one who loves Jesus Christ, his family, and golf.” He says he dreams of raising a family of his own and becoming successful in business. His first professional aim, though, is golf, which he explains in borrowing a line from golfing great Bobby Jones: “You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball as it lies.”

Pausing, Carter adds: “In that way, it’s a lot like life.” OL

BELOW: Trace reacts after a chip as two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson watches during the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National in April.

PHOTO BY CHARLES LABERGE

TOP RIGHT: Trace practices for the Drive, Chip & Putt competition.

PHOTO BY HUNTER MARTIN

BOTTOM RIGHT: Trace with his father, Rhett, sisters Coast and Sofie (front), and mother, Lauren.

PHOTO BY HUNTER MARTIN

Federally Insured by NCUA

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SPACEX

A Jellyfish in the Sky

Kyle Morgan is new to the photography world. He’s only been at it for a little over a year. But, his dad, well known nature photographer Wayne Morgan, has been at it for a while. After Wayne gave Kyle an old camera of his he has really made a name for himself with one of his photos on the cover of St. Marys Magazine and this Spring, another in People Magazine

This “Jellyfish Cloud” photo was taken around 5:30 a.m. o the shore of Jekyll Island in May, 2022. The photo is of a SpaceX launch of a rocket carrying 53 internet satellites into space. According to Kyle,

‘jellyfish

the rocket was traveling upwards of 20,000 kilometers per hour at the stage when he took this photo.

“I do a lot of astrophotography. I’m always shooting the Milky Way. My wife actually sent me the information about the launch and at the last minute I took o to my favorite spot on Jekyll Island to capture it,” Kyle explained. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

He posted the photo on Facebook which got a lot of attention online. Soon afterwards, People Magazine contacted him about using it.

He wasn’t sure how the photo

would turn out at first – he had only photographed a couple of rocket launches before this one. “The weather turned out great and the trajectory of the rocket was perfect to my location,” he was quoted as saying in People.

In October, Wayne and Kyle traveled to South Dakota for Kyle to “shoot some night time photography in the big open skies” Wayne said. Wayne intended to photograph more wildlife — something he’s known for already.

Looks like the Morgans have another photographer in the family.

Compiled by JOHN RIDDLE

Photo by KYLE MORGAN

PHOTOGRAPHER KYLE MORGAN’S PHOTO OF A “JELLYFISH CLOUD” FROM A SPACEX ROCKET LAUNCH

ABOVE: “Photo including the first booster drop that landed on the shortfall of gravitas with Jupiter under the

cloud.’” – KYLE MORGAN’S CAPTION ON FACEBOOK.

ARTSv CULTURE

Dot Sasser

Story by JAN HEDIGER Photography by ALLEN ALLNOCH, AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

Dot Sasser, 93, is a true lady of today’s South, talented and accomplished, gracious yet plucky, living life to the fullest while embodying the gentility and traditions of the past.

It is no secret that Southern women are special. Possessing a unique combination of irresistible charm tempered with an indefatigable spirit and steely determination, they confidently live their life with style and grace. Add a deep devotion to family and a profound pride for tradition and history and you have described Dot Sasser. Within minutes of meeting her, it’s very clear that you are in the presence of a remarkably special lady. Dot has a timeless beauty that belies her 93 years and she glows with a lively abundance of humor, charisma, and intelligence.

Born in Athens, Georgia, Dot was 12 when her father, a watchmaker, moved their family to Waycross. Before she could read or write, Dot was copying astonishingly exact illustrations from her story books. The multitalented Dot’s

Right: In 2020 Dot’s daughter-in-law surprised her with a hard-bound book of her paintings, drawings and sculpture.

Dot Sasser

creative flair spans a varied array of gifts. An accomplished dancer, she began studying ballet, tap, and acrobatics as a toddler.

She went on to prominently headline as a star soloist and principal dancer in many stage productions and shows. With her mother’s encouragement, a teenage Dot opened The Dorothiann Dance Studio. She remained a hopeful artist, but around that same time, she withdrew from art class while attending college in Valdosta to study dance with local teacher Marie Crockett. “Mama said that I needed to concentrate on dance and I guess that was all she wrote about that,” Dot says wistfully.

Dot married her high school sweetheart, Robert “Bob” Sasser, in 1947. By 1956, her family had grown to include two sons, Chip and Richard. After a decade of teaching, Dot closed her dance school. So that she could help with her husband’s burgeoning real estate development and brokerage businesses, Dot acquired

The quintessential Grande Dame, Dot is a magnetic mix of warmth, wit, and determination.

Above: “The Red Balloon” is Dot’s favorite. She painted it from a photo taken on a trip to New Orleans, depicting a man looking up at balloons.

a real estate license and began writing ads for the company. During the 1980s and ’90s, Dot was the assistant manager of The Mall of Waycross.

“Bob asked me if I could help. I didn’t know beans about managing a mall, but I did it. I handled merchant’s meetings, special events and was the ad director. I think I did a pretty good job, too,” she says with a laugh.

While her family was her primary focus, Dot still found time to pursue other passions. She was a Brownie leader, Cotillion member, Daughters of the American Revolution member, and president of the Art Guild. As a member of the Green Garden Club and Azalea Garden Club, Dot turned her hand to flower arranging, entering flower shows and winning numerous first place ribbons.

Noticing an advertisement for a beginner’s art class, Dot immediately enrolled. Working primarily with acrylics, she learned the basic skills of drawing, painting, and composition, but felt she really hadn’t found her niche artistically. At the suggestion of a friend, Dot tried pastels and immediately knew she’d found her calling.

Determined to master pastel techniques, Dot steadily

grew more confident as an artist. On a whim, she entered her first exhibition, a juried art show featuring a judge from the University of Georgia art department. To her amazement, Dot took first place and was tremendously flattered when the UGA judge asked to purchase her work.

Once again, testimony that there is very little she can’t do and or won’t try, Dot joined a musical group, the Waycross Fun Time Band. Comprised of local ladies in festive red, white and blue costumes, the band entertained with instruments that included a washtub bass, tambourines, scrub boards, rolling pins, dust brooms, spoons, bells and piano. Dot played the cowbell and has very fond memories of performances at convalescent homes, senior centers, hospitals, parades and community events. At 65, Dot decided it was time to put on her dancing shoes again and return to her first

‘She’s feisty. When Miss Dot gets a whim, she does not quit.’

Top: Dot still works in her studio every day.

Dot Sasser

love. Along with her grandchildren, she performed at the Carey Dresser Annual Recital.

Largely self-taught, she has continued to show her artwork, sometimes selling pieces, but most of her beautiful pictures hang on the walls of her home. Dot’s pastels run the gamut from nature-inspired subjects to botanicals, still life and landscapes. Inspiration often comes from scenes from her life, her experiences and surroundings. Using photos of her subject as a visual guide, she starts with pencil sketches and then adds layers of vivid color, depth and detail.

Her favorite picture, “The Red Balloon,” is one she painted from a photo taken on a trip to New Orleans, depicting a man looking up at balloons. Sharing a common thread of vibrant, striking color palettes, her drawings are lifelike, yet suggest a quaint, dreamy quality.

Admiring the work of Grandma Moses, Dot describes her personal style as “really a colorist more than anything.” Having produced a diverse and wide body of work, she says still life compositions remain her favorite. In 2020 Dot’s daughter-in-law surprised her with a hard-bound book of her paintings, drawings and sculpture; it is a brilliant compilation and history of her artistic journey. Dot still works in her studio every day using traditional pastels, but lately she’s also begun experimenting with the relatively newer PanPastels, which allow the artist to apply a greater concentration of pigment, detail and painterly e ect to their pictures. “I’m still getting the hang of them,” she says.

Today, Dot and her beloved dogs, Minnie and Max, live surrounded by cherished family mementoes and pictures.

Leigh Murray, her “General Manager,” as Dot a ectionately calls her, comes in daily.

“She’s feisty,” Leigh says with a laugh. “When Miss Dot gets a whim, she does not quit. My favorite story is when she headed out with her purse, got into her car and backed out of the garage. I stopped her in the driveway, asking where she was going. She told me to hurry up and get in because she had things to do. I asked Miss Dot if she still had a driver’s license. She took a second, then asked me if I had one. When I said yes, she said, ‘That’ll do – if you’re coming with me, let’s go!’ We set o , but I drove.”

Regardless of her many accomplishments and successes, Dot is most proud of her family. Maintaining the philosophy that laughter and a sense of humor is essential, she also a rms that “you can’t fix stupid.” The quintessential Grande Dame, Dot is a magnetic mix of warmth, wit, and determination. A true lady of today’s South, Dot is talented and accomplished, gracious yet plucky, living life to the fullest while embodying the gentility and traditions of the past.

Asked how she might like to be remembered, Dot answers, “As a fun-loving artist” who laughed a lot and had a great sense of humor. She is definitely that and way, way more.

The multitalented Dot’s creative flair spans a varied array of gifts.

Above: Dot was a leader of the Waycross Fun Time Band, which entertained at convalescent homes, senior centers, hospitals, parades and community events.

Above: At 65, Dot put on her dancing shoes again and returned to her first love. Along with her grandchildren, Hobie and Ben, she performed at the Carey Dresser Annual Recital. Photos courtesy of Dot Sasser.

ARTSv CULTURE

WHERE

THE

Hickory Wind Hickory Wind Hickory Wind

Blows

GRAM PARSONS INSPIRED A BLEND OF COUNTRY AND ROCK MUSIC THAT LIVES ON IN HIS CHILDHOOD HOMETOWN OF WAYCROSS

Dave Gri n has a vivid memory of the day he discovered Gram Parsons. It was in July 1973 and he was 19, working as a delivery driver for a building supply company. He was on a lunch break in his truck, which he had parked at the St. Simons Island waterfront while he thumbed through an entertainment magazine. Here’s how the Waycross native described the moment in “Tails of the Weak,” a collection of blog posts and newspaper columns he published in 2018:

BY SHERRY DEAL PHOTOGRAPHY

“I began reading a review of an album called, simply, GP. … The reviewer stated, ‘Much of the music on GP is reminiscent of the country music played on radio stations in Waycross, Georgia, where Gram grew up as a child.’ Have mercy!

Story by ALLEN ALLNOCH

Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Romano performs at the 2015 Gram Parsons Guitar Pull and Tribute Festival at the Okefenokee Fairgrounds.

PHOTO

“I headed back to Waycross and Billy Ray’s trailer with the news. From that day forward, our lives were transformed. Sleepy little ol’ Waycross was home to a bona fide musician.”

Billy Ray was Billy Ray Herrin, a lifelong friend of Dave’s and a fellow budding musician. Gram, the newly discovered celebrity in Dave’s eyes, was the country-rock music pioneer who had played with the Byrds, helped form the Flying Burrito Brothers, and just released the first of two groundbreaking (albeit largely ignored at the time) solo albums.

Just two months after Gri n’s discovery in coastal Georgia, Parsons tragically died at age 26 in Joshua Tree, California. Herrin and Griffin have worked tirelessly over the years to keep Parsons’ legacy alive in Southeast Georgia – Herrin as a music historian and music store owner, and Gri n as founder of the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull and Tribute Festival, held every fall at the Okefenokee Fairgrounds.

Parsons spent most of his final years in Southern California, where he blended honky-tonk country, rockand-roll and other influences into a style that he called “Cosmic American Music.” That vision surely took its seed from the swampy environs of Ware County, and its spirit is alive in an eclectic community of musicians around Southeast Georgia today.

THE KING COMES CALLING Gram Parsons grew up in Waycross as Ingram Cecil Connor III, son of Cecil “Coon Dog” Connor and Avis Snively Connor. Coon Dog managed a factory that supplied boxes for Snively Groves, the Florida citrus empire he had married into. The Connors lived on Suwanee Drive in Waycross’s Cherokee Heights neighborhood, where young Ingram and his sister, “Little Avis,” would perform “concerts” on the front stoop for their friends.

Gram’s love of the stage was born when he saw Elvis Presley play the Waycross City Auditorium on

February 22, 1956. Herrin, whose Waycross store, Hickory Wind Music, is named after one of Parsons’ bestknown songs, described the event in the 2004 documentary film “Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel.”

“Here was his first really rock-nroll influence,” Herrin told filmmaker Gandulf Hennig. “They say that it changed his life to the point [that] the next day he was a di erent kid.”

After Parsons died, Herrin began diligently researching Gram and his Waycross upbringing. Long considered an authority on Parsons’ early life, Herrin was one of the sources

Rolling Stone writer Ben Fong-Torres called on when writing his 1991 biography “Hickory Wind: The Life and Times of Gram Parsons.”

Sadly, part of the story was the suicide of Coon Dog Connor, who took his life in December 1958. His widow moved back to Florida, where she married a man named Bob Parsons, and Bob adopted the children, which is how Ingram Cecil Connor III became

Sean Clark and Connor Gri n form Waycross’s Pine Box Dwellers. Connor’s father, Dave (pictured below), is also a working musician, as well as a music promoter, author and podcast host.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FESTIVUS MEDIA

INSET PHOTO BY ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

Gram Parsons.

Gram traveled the world, but he never forgot his roots. The song “Hickory Wind” opens with a reference to South Carolina – where “there are many tall pines” – but Herrin contends that the sweet-yet-mournful ballad was actually inspired by the tree-lined avenues of Gram’s childhood hometown.

It's a hard way to find out / That trouble is real / In a faraway city / With a faraway feel

But it makes me feel better / Each time it begins / Callin’ me home / Hickory wind

“You can see it on Seminole Trail,” Herrin says. “I took Ben [Fong-Torres] down the road; he saw it. I’ve taken Bob Buchanan [Parsons’ co-writer on ‘Hickory Wind’]. Everybody I’ve ever taken down that road who’s familiar with Gram and ‘Hickory Wind,’ they know exactly what I’m saying.”

THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER

Like Herrin, Gri n has spent his life around music. The pair were part of a local outfit, Sweetbriar, in the 1970s, and they later co-wrote songs for legendary music publisher Bill Lowery. Gri n is still a gigging musician, and he and fellow Waycross singer-songwriter Sean Clark host a podcast, “Something in the Water,” on which they discuss music, songwriting and life in general with musicians and other creative types.

Clark and percussionist Connor Gri n (Dave’s son) record and perform as the Pine Box Dwellers, an acoustic act with a sound Clark describes as “swampadelic.” Gri n and Clark named their

podcast after a song Clark wrote. It explores the idea that something in these parts fosters the making of good music.

“When that cold black water finds its way ’cross through your veins,” Clark sings, “It just might seal your fate.”

It’s a valid notion, Dave Gri n says. “When music comes from a place, there’s generally a river or a body of water close by. I mean, we’re sitting right here on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp, and I think there’s something primitive that comes out of that. It’s worming around inside you, and somehow it comes out.”

Adds Connor Gri n, “Gram Parsons, Tom Petty, all these people we idolize came from in or around [the Southeast]. Elvis passed through here. Just all these di erent elements

Swampy Sounds Swampy Sounds

Swampy Sounds 5 Rootsy Names to Know

The Pine Box Dwellers

This Waycross-based rootsrock band draws on a wide range of influences that form a sound they describe as “a mix of rust, whiskey, train smoke, ghosts and forsakenness.” pineboxdwellers.com

Uncle Dave Griffin Waycross native plays locally and regionally as a solo artist, as well as with his Waycross Stagecoach, a “traveling musical roadshow” that pays tribute to various rock and country acts. safeathomeproductions.com/ uncle-dave-gri n-bio

The Page Brothers Band Brothers Dakota and Travis Page of Adel front this outfit that has cultivated a soulful, bluesy sound all of its own. facebook.com/ thepagebrothersband

Flintlock Annie Vocalists DeAnna Verneau and Daniel Parrish and their Albany-based band feature a “grungy Americana sound mixed with soulful undertones.” flintlockannie.com

Elizabeth Cook

This colorful Pierce County High graduate has fashioned a versatile persona in Nashville: Recording artist, radio host on Sirius-XM’s “Outlaw Country,” and TV fishing show host on the Circle network. elizabeth-cook.com

Waycross native Billy Ray Herrin is a well-known authority on Parsons, and his Hickory Wind Music store contains an excellent collection of Americana music memorabilia.

PHOTO BY ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

coming together.”

In 1998, Dave decided to honor Parsons by hosting a small gathering of local musicians in his back yard. By 2001 the event was known as the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull; it drew some 250 attendees that year and Gri n realized it was time for a bigger venue. Since 2002, the annual Gram Parsons Guitar Pull and Tribute Festival has drawn GP fans and music aficionados from around the world to the Okefenokee Fairgrounds.

Headliners have included Jon Corneal and Ian Dunlop (bandmates of Parsons in the 1960s-era International Submarine Band), Bernie Leadon (Flying Burrito Brothers, the Eagles), Larry Murray (a Waycross native who’s a Southern California folk music legend in his own right), Leon Russell, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. In 2011 the event birthed a spin-o , the Swamptown Getdown and Arts Festival; it’s held every spring, also at the fairgrounds.

“It’s all from the heart,” Dave Gri n says. “The backbone of these music festivals, especially the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull, are the supporting acts –they’re big Gram fans, and they come to play on the stage in his hometown.”

Clark’s band is a regular performer at the festivals, as are numerous other local and regional acts that fit the “Americana” or “Roots Music” category. (See sidebar for more acts with Southeast Georgia ties.)

“I tell people all the time, if you’re ever going to come to Waycross, [festival weekends] are the times I would suggest coming,” Clark says. “You go to some festivals and it just seems real put-on. It’s not that at all here. I’ve never been to another festival like it.”

An Alabama couple, Paul Campbell and Lorene Flanders, have been regular attenders of the GPGP Festival for the past decade. They may have captured its spirit best when they told Gri n, “It’s the least pretentious music festival you’ve ever been to.”

“Least pretentious” might describe

Parsons’ music, too. From the country-tinged sound to the heartfelt lyrics to his aching, sometimes cracked, vocals, it’s an art form that cuts straight to the heart. It has inspired legions of musicians around the world, including right here where it all began, on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp. OL

Gram Parsons Guitar Pull and Tribute Festival

Swamptown Getdown Music and Arts Festival safeathomeproductions.com

Something in the Water Podcast facebook.com/ somethinginthewaterpodcast

Okefenokee Heritage Center

Gram Parsons Exhibit okefenokeeheritagecenter.org/ gram-parsons

Ian Dunlop, a contemporary of Gram Parsons, appeared at the 2019 and 2022 editions of the festival that pays tribute to his late friend. The annual fall gathering spawned a second, more eclectic event in the spring, the Swamptown Getdown. | PHOTO BY BILL DAVIS

Heritage Center GP Exhibit: Gram Parsons is featured in a detailed exhibit at Waycross’s Okefenokee Heritage Center. | PHOTO BY ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

INTEGRITY AESTHETIC SERVICES

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INTEGRITY

Alison Alderin - Nurse

Morton, Beverly Graham

Nurse Practitioner, and David Rios - Physician Assistant. (not pictured, Ultrena Grant - Nurse Practitioner)

Zirkle

Fifteen years ago, I was leaving to go take pictures early one morning when my neighbor flagged me down. Je had been in a horrible wreck many years before; much of his body had scars and he was in a wheelchair. Just about every time I saw him, he would be sitting on his porch drinking beer (maybe to kill the pain).

and asked him where it was located. He told me, and I had my doubts, but I thought it was worth the 12 miles from our house to go see. I was always looking for places and things to take pictures of (and still do).

Story and Photography by WAYNE MORGAN

I pulled over to see what he wanted and he asked me if I had ever been to Zirkle. I had never heard of it. He told me to look on the wall of his trailer. It was a painting of a steel dam with trees on both sides. I told him

When I got to Zirkle, I could not believe that I had lived this close all of my life and never been to, or even heard of, this place. It was an old steel dam with the Little Satilla River running through it and trees on both sides – just like the painting he had on his wall.

That was in 2007, and I have tried

it was pretty

THE TOWN HASN’T EXISTED FOR ALMOST A CENTURY, BUT THE BEAUTY OF THIS PIERCE COUNTY SPOT IS TIMELESS

ARTSv CULTURE

my best to find out anything about the place that I could. About 500 people lived there in the early 1900s. The dam was installed in 1918 and there was a post o ce, horse stalls, a cemetery, a commissary, and a sawmill, and they had their own money system. Actor Ossie Davis mentioned in his autobiography that he had lived there as a child and some bad people with hoods came in and tried to scare them o .

Not much is there anymore except the old dam and a few bricks where maybe a well once was. I have made the 12-mile trip to Zirkle so many

times I have lost count. About a year ago, I got a call from a man who was in Waycross. He wanted to meet me and have me show him Zirkle. He was from near Maryland and working on a construction job nearby. His name was Whit Zirkle and he was a descendant of Lewis Zirkle, who originally started the town.

I have had two di erent people give me coins, and I even decided to use Zirkle in the title of one of my books. I wanted to do a book on places I have been to take pictures; instead of going A-Z, I turned it around and called it

“Zirkle To Alaska.” To me, the place has so much mystery, and recently some more has been added to the place. A man in his 20s was found dead on the road leading into Zirkle and the law has been asking for help locating his killer or information leading to it.

On a recent evening, I once again made the trip to my favorite and most photographed place in my 20 years of photography. My neighbor passed away several years ago, but I will always be in his debt for flagging me down that day and showing me his painting on the wall.

OL

Wayne Morgan is a Brantley County artist whose photographs are owned by the likes of President Jimmy Carter and Governor Sonny Perdue. His stunning stills of local river and swamp life capture the spirit of the Satilla and Okefenokee. View more of his work at waynemorganartistry.com.

“When I got to Zirkle, I could not believe that I had lived this close all of my life and never been to, or even heard of, this place. It was an old steel dam with the Little Satilla River running through it and trees on both sides.”

OKEFENOKEE

Photos by Sara Beth Wade (roadtripsandrollercoasters.com)

RED RIVER ESTATE

An oak-lined drive leads to a beautiful modern take on the traditional ranch-style home. The retreat and event center's main house can accommodate up to 18 guests comfortably. With over 5,000 square feet of spacious luxury, there's plenty of room for retreats, large families, or wedding parties.

WHERE: Waynesville, Georgia INFO: redriverestate.com / Social: @redriverestate

SWAMPFEST 2023

Featuring the Swingin’ Medallions

WHEN: March 31 - April 1, 2023 WHERE: Downtown Waycross 2023 MISS SWAMPFEST

WHEN: January 21, 2023 WHERE: C.C. McCray City Auditorium

INFO: swampfestwayx.com / (912-283-3742)

GEORGIA BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL

WHEN: Friday & Saturday, June 3 & 4, 2023

WHERE: Downtown Alma, Georgia

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL

WHEN: Saturday, June 3, 2023

Registration Opens at 6:30am

5K start: 8am - 1 Mile: after 5K

INFO: georgiablueberryfestival.org

Social: @georgiablueberryfestival

Photo by Allen Allnoch / AHA! Photography

A CLOSER WALK WITH PATSY CLINE

HOSPICE SATILLA SILVER BOWL GALA

The Tenth Annual Silver Bowl Gala was held on November 10, 2022, at the Historic Blackshear Depot. Guests were entertained by Pinder and Snow and enjoyed cuisine from Heavenly Delights by Gina. Florals were prepared by Blackshear Flower & Gift Shop. To learn more about Hospice Satilla and their services visit hospicesatilla.com.

COASTAL PINES TECHNICAL COLLEGE GOLF TOURNAMENT

Congratulations to the winners of our John P. Pike Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament! Much appreciation to the teams coming out to play and support the CPTC Foundation. The event raised over $28,000 this year during the tournament that goes directly to student scholarships! And as a consolation prize to the golfers, the Neuromuscular Massage Therapy students were available for 10-minute massage sessions prior to tee off.

Lawerence Melton, Roger Chancey, Michael Hickox, Lonnie Roberts, Chad Herron

Brandy Wenger, Ellie Fearington, Pinkie Johnson, Aaliyah Sandiford, Dene’ Young, Tammy Hailey, Lolita Weiner

Blake James, Je Bors, Lonnie Roberts, Bert Etheredge, Jason Rubenbauer

Bryant Wiggins, Lonnie Roberts

DANCING WITH THE SOUTHERN STARS

Dancing with the Southern Stars was held on August 6, 2022 at Ware County Middle School. The event raised a total of $153,382.39, with the proceeds split between Magnolia House Shelter for Abused Persons and Satilla Advocacy Services. Teams raised money through sponsorships, ad sales and other fundraising activities. Presenting Sponsor was Waycross Bank and Trust, Corporate Sponsors were Walker-Jones Automotive Superstore and Satilla Septic, and Entertainer of the Night Sponsor was Greater Valdosta United Way.

Georgia State Representative James Burche and his wife, Misty, were unable to participate due to a death in the family. (Photography by Shu erly Perfect Portraiture & Gallery)

(Left of group) Michelle Girtman, Executive Director Magnolia House, Lori McNease, (Right of group) Clay Thomas, and Tess Aldridge, Executive Director Satilla Advocacy Services

Judges: Brandy Pitts, Shane Edmisten, Chief of Police, Douglas, GA, Kristie King Foreman and Derek Jones

Entertainment: Cora Jane Tyre

Dancers Kristen Steedley and Brian Chapman

Dancers Stephanie and Mike Bell

Dancers Felicia and Ansel Fulmore

Emcees: Clay Thomas and Lori McNease

Judges Choice Winners: 1st Place - Taylor Hundley, Seth Hullander

Judges Choice Winners: 2nd Place - Katie Lratzer, Seth Starling

Judges Choice Winners: 3rd Place - Charlie & Jessica Moore

Judges Choice Winners: 4th Place - Mandy Beverly, Matt Boatright

Judges Choice Winners: 5th Place - Quincy Burgess Walker, James Cox Entertainer

TASTE OF THE CHAMBER

The Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Taste of the Chamber on November 17, 2022 at C.C. McCray City Auditorium. The event showcases members’ culinary skills and presentations with a endees casting their votes after enjoying the various appetizers, entrees, drinks and desserts.

More than 250 people packed the auditorium and saw these local businesses honored for their work:

Best Decorated Table: The Fresh Fig

Best Drink: The Social Grounds

Best Cocktail Drink: Wiley’s Top Shelf

Best Dessert: Delicious Duo

Best Entrée: Zel’s Catering

Taste of the Chamber Champion: Memorial Satilla Health

Additionally, two service awards were presented:

• Jake Fleming Award for Outstanding Customer Service: Chris Kovacs, CEO, Memorial Satilla Health

• A Great Place to Work: Southside Christian School

The inaugural Tee Up Fore Business Golf Classic, hosted by the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce, was held on Friday, October 7, 2022, at The Lakes Golf Course at Laura S. Walker. The winning team was sponsored by Hog-N-Bones: Blake James, Bailey James, Hardt Strickland and Bobby Buie.

Rotary Club of Waycross: Bert Smith, Don James, Randy Yonz, David Morton

White Star Supply: Brandon Young, Rew Rozier, Jared Lynn, Phillip Pope

Swampfest: Zach Taylor, Devon Rios, Clinton Banks, LeeVon Payne

Pierce Timber Company: Josh Cave, Chad Jones, Bubba Corbitt, Trey Thompson

On: Kobe Manders, David Barefield, Seth Starling, Brian Barefield

Lott’s Furniture: John Lott, Shannon Fleming, Garrison Meeks, Bradley Coplin

On: Bob Fitzhugh, Chad Starling, Greg O’Brian, Thad Harkleroad

Rotary Club of Waycross: Philip Suess, Bryant Wiggins, Wayne Bashlor, Delos Sharpton

First Place Team - Sponsored by Hog-N-Bones: Blake James, Bailey James, Hardt Strickland, Bobby Buie

Enterprise Fleet Management: Art Avant, Doug Wright, Jean Bordes, Roy Hart

Waycross Bank & Trust: Trey Shields, Dylan Lake, Kyle Larisey, Derek Taylor

CLINCH COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS

Twelve teams participated in the Chamber’s 2nd annual charcuterie board contest, Ba le of the Boards, held on September 15, 2022, at The Depot in

downtown Homerville. The teams did an incredible job with creating unique boards and foods that represented the area.

Best of the Boards & People’s Choice Winner – Sideline Sisters: Ginger Handrix, Aniston Hendrix, Amelia Rowell, Emily Corbitt

Most Creative Winner - Grinch Gang: Kim Sutton, Jessica McMillan, Jessica Tucker, Carrington Sutton

Taste of Clinch Winner – All About Clinch: Wanda Bacon, Denise Brown, Dolly Lee

Best Theme Winner – Bunch of Hocus Pocus: Janet Touchton, Betsy Davis, Kellile Dixon, Breanna Baxley

Index OF ADVERTISERS

AHA! Photography

American Eye Care Center

Baptist Village Personal Care Home Better Hometown Blackshear Bone & Joint Institute of Southeast Georgia Centurion Spine & Pain Center

Coastal Pines Technical College

Crawford Jewelers Dairy Queen

Dental Care Associates

ESPN Radio Farmers & Builders Ace Home Center

Ganas Pecan

Georgia Dermatology

Georgia’s Own Credit Union Gooey’s Pizza Homerville Jewelers Integrity Health & Wellness J. Smith Lanier

Joy Sumner Photography Little Avriett Lott’s Furniture Merry Avriett Misti Martin-EXP Realty Okefenoke REMC Okefenokee Country Club Okefenokee Swamp Park Pierce Timber Company Primesouth Bank

ReJoyce Wellness Remax Cobblestone Renue Plastic Surgery

Representative Steven Meeks Southeast Georgia Health System

Southern Background Services

The Avriett House

The Clark Eye Clinic

Tim’s Home Medical Vitality Health & Wellness Walker Jones Automotive Waycross Bank & Trust Waycross Convention & Visitors Bureau White Star Supply

allenallnoch.com americaneyecarecenters.com baptistvillage.com betterhometownblackshear.com bjisg.com centurionspine.com coastalpines.edu crawfordjewelers.com dairyqueen.com dentistwaycrossga.com

gapecan.com gaderm.com georgiasown.org gooeyspizza.com homervillejewelers.com integrityhealthga.com

joysumnerphotography.com avrietthouse.com lottsfurniture.com avrietthouse.com mistimartin.exprealty.com oremc.com okefenokeecountryclub.com okeswamp.org piercetimbercompany.com primesouth.com rejoycewellness.com remax.com renuemd.com sghs.com southernbackgrounds.com avrietthouse.com

timshomemedical.com vitalityhealthwell.com walkerjones.com wbt.com waycrosstourism.com whitestarsupply.com

Fireworks during Swampfest in downtown Waycross

Photo by ALLEN ALLNOCH - AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

Hope for Cancer Patients

Fewer Treatments. More Tomorrows.

Fighting cancer makes you treasure each new day. When you turn to the Southeast Georgia Health System Cancer Care Center, you can greet the day with hope, knowing that our highly skilled oncologists offer an advanced nonsurgical outpatient treatment effective for even hard-to-treat cancers. Our CyberKnife® M6™ with MLC technology uses advanced imaging to deliver extremely precise radiation in one to five sessions, with most treatments lasting 15 minutes or less.