Grace & Grain l Little Grand Canyon l PCOM
Grace & Grain
Abbey Pitts said she began Grace and
Grain in 2019, and she makes handmade wooden kitchen goods. She currently
makes cooking spoons, slotted spoons and spatulas power carved by hand, and all of her creations are available for purchase through Dustmade Studio.
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Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon Nothing beats a day trip on a beautiful sunny day, when you can take a break from the day-to-day grind and set out to explore and enjoy life while taking in the beautiful scenery. We visit Georgia’s Providence Canyon
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PCOM: Class of 2024 Receive White Coats
Fifty-nine students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) class of 2024 recently received their white coats in a virtual ceremony. PCOM South Georgia’s White Coat Ceremony marks a major milestone in the students' medical education. It's a rite of passage and a tradition that signifies the transition from student to clinician.
Page: 24
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Looking ahead to a much brighter Year in 2021
Wow, what a year 2020 was! First, I want to say thank you to our readers and our advertisers for your patience and continued support. Due Heath Dorminey to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were Owner/Publisher forced to take a hiatus for much of 2020. However, we are back with big plans for the future of our magazine! Some of you may not realize, but Moultrie Magazine was the first, and currently longest-running, local magazine. We started over 15 years ago and we are 100% locally owned and operated! We want to express our sincere gratitude for hanging in with us all of these years! I recently took a trip to Pine Mountain, Georgia with my family. We had a great time and if you have never been to this area I highly recommend it. We rented a cabin and couldn’t have asked for better weather or to have a better time. We headed out for a hike one morning, intending for it to last about an hour. It turned into an over four-hour hike! But it was so much fun and great to be outdoors in the beautiful countryside that we have in this part of Georgia. It was a much-needed break from the craziness of 2020! We are planning some new updates to Moultrie Magazine! These updates include a new YouTube channel that will come later this year. We hope to use this channel to bring Moultrie Magazine alive! Be sure to stay tuned for more information on that. Like you, we at Moultrie Magazine are thankful for a new year and we are optimistic and hopeful for a great and successful 2021. Thanks again for all of your patience and support for Moultrie Magazine!
Heath Dorminey
Winter 2021
Published locally by:
Davenport Publications Moultrie, Georgia
Owned and operated by Heath Dorminey
Volume 15 Winter 2021
Publisher/Art Director Heath Dorminey Editor Alissa Klenk
Contributors John Oxford Alissa Klenk Rachael Maria
Advertising 229-798-2245
moultriemagazine@gmail.com
Subscriptions $12 for 1 year $20 for 2 years
Send check to: Moultrie Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 2962 Moultrie, Georgia 31776
Correspondence
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Disclaimer:
Any ideas or opinions expressed in the content of Moultrie Magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher. All claims, materials and photos furnished or advertisments used are, to the publisher’s knowledge, true and correct. Hence, liability for errors or omissions cannot and will not be assumed by the publisher or owner. © 2021 Davenport Publications. All rights reserved.
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Story by: John Oxford
Photography by: Rachael Maria Photography
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A
bbey Pitts said she began Grace and Grain in 2019, and she makes handmade wooden
kitchen goods. She currently makes cooking
spoons, slotted spoons and spatulas power carved by
hand, and all of her creations are available for purchase through Dustmade Studio.
Holding down a few jobs after graduating from college,
Pitts said she was feeling like she was being called to work
where she created something with her hands. She was be-
tween two mediums when she read John 15:5, where Jesus said that He is the vine and we are the branches connected to Him.
“Reading about the branch led me to working with
wood,” Pitts said. “Like a branch is rooted in a tree, we are the branches rooted in the Lord.”
Pitts said she is self-taught in carving wood with power
tools, but her dad helped provide her the tools to use for
Abbey Pitts
carving. She also watched videos online of other power carvers to help develop her style and allow her to learn more about power carving.
Unlike hand carvers who use a knife as their primary
tool, Pitts said she uses a wide array of power tools.
Those power tools are the difference between calling yourself a hand carver or a power carver.
“I use a rotary tool while others use a knife,” Pitts said. A spatula is available for $32, a cooking spoon is avail-
able for $33, a slotted spoon is $42 and coffee sticks are
available for $24, Pitts said. All items are available to pur-
chase at Dustmade Studio or on the Dustmade Web site.
Each item is sold individually in the store, but Pitts said
they can also be ordered together as a set. The items
make great anniversary gifts, especially for those celebrat-
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ing their fifth anniversary which has wood as its gift, and
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, Pitts said it gave
they are also great as housewarming and wedding gifts. The
her an opportunity at one time to do a little extra carving.
nut being the most popular wood.
comed a baby, so her time is once again filled between
items are made of walnut, maple or cherry wood, with wal-
She took a step back from the store briefly and also wel-
“Reading about the branch led me to working with wood,” Pitts said. “Like a branch is rooted in a tree, we are the branches rooted in the Lord.” Pitts said she will make custom orders, but items ordered
as a set will have items already made and in stock shipped
first. If the item requested is not in stock, she will make it as
quickly as possible to complete the order.
Winter 2021
being a wife and mother and carving for Grace and Grain. Pitts said her primary focus for Grace and Grain is in
kitchen tools, but she would like to expand into the home décor space. While making the kitchen tools, she has also
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worked on her own to make some décor items as well. She is also looking to expand the kitchen tools to include salad forks.
All of the items for Grace and Grain will remain at Dust-
made Studio for the foreseeable future, Pitts said. It has
been a great place for her to have begun her business, and she plans to remain there until she may be led in another
direction.
“I am happy there,” Pitts said, “and I will stay there un-
less I feel called to do something else.”
All items are available to view and purchase at Dustmade
Studio, located 120 S. Main St., and online at the Dust-
made Studio Web site at www.dustmade.com/grace. n
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Come see us at one of our south Georgia locations!
South Georgia Day Trips
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Distance from Moultrie: 1 hour and 50 minutes
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othing beats a day trip on a beautiful sunny
N
end at the visitor center. Depending upon your fitness level
to-day grind and set out to explore and enjoy
moderate Canyon Loop trail, which takes approximately 2
mately 98 miles northwest of Moultrie, near the town of
afraid to get muddy. Allow extra time to explore and take
contains over 1,000 acres of potential adventure with its
If you’re a member of the Georgia Canyon Climbers Club,
day, when you can take a break from the day-
life while taking in the beautiful scenery. Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon, also known as one of the state’s “Seven Wonders”, is the perfect destination. Located approxi-
Lumpkin in Stewart County, Providence Canyon State Park
sixteen canyons that make up the Providence Canyon site.
The park is dog-friendly (on a leash), so feel free to bring
your furry friends on your adventure. Just pay $5 parking and you’re good to go!
The best way to see the colorful landscape is to take a
hike on one of the two trails in the park that both begin and
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and available time, you can either take the 2.5 mile easy-tohours, or the extremely rugged and difficult 7 mile loop Backcounty Trail, which takes at least 6 hours.
Make sure to pack comfortable shoes that you aren’t
photos capturing the beauty and memories in the making. Providence Canyon is one of the participating parks. Be
sure to Tag #GaStateParks and/or #CanyonClimbersClub on social media.
Along the trails, you will see overlook views from the rim
of the canyon. There is a stark contrast between the green
pine forests at the top to the orange muddy canyon floor at
Winter 2021
the bottom. At the base of the canyon, there is an array of tree species such as weeping willows, sweet gums, maples,
tupelo, and blackjack oaks. There are over 150 varieties of
the growing canyon. Records from 1861 show that there were 37 slaves who were members of the church.
You will find it hard to believe that you’re still in Georgia
wildflowers in the area and if you visit during July and Au-
because, while the surroundings may remind you of the
in this region. You may see wildlife such as deer, foxes, and
different. Typically, canyon landscapes are due to the natu-
gust you may see the rare Plumleaf Azalea that only grows
various birds including woodpeckers, turkeys, and owls. The views are picturesque and breathtaking.
The trails pass through old homesteads with remnants of
times past, such as rusted-out antique automobiles left be-
Southwestern United States, its geological history is much
ral sculpting caused by the water pressure and movement of
rivers, but Providence Canyon was formed as a result of soil erosion due to poor farming practices in the 1800s.
No efforts were taken to avoid soil erosion after native
hind by settlers. This area was settled and populated prior
forests were cleared to make way for farm land. By the
stones dating to the early 1800s. The white wooden Provi-
what are massive gullies and gorges today, some reaching
to the Civil War and so you will see a cemetery with gravedence Methodist Church building that stands today was
built in 1859, although the original church was a log build-
ing built in 1832 that had to be moved due to the danger of
Winter 2021
1850s, three-to-five feet trenches had begun forming into up to 150-feet depths. Over time, this would expose sediments deposited somewhere between 59 and 74 million
years ago when this area was beneath ancient seas and near
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coastal beaches.
ley formation forms the orange-colored canyon floor com-
Providence Canyon, all of which you can take in during
deposits from the Cretaceous period, about 70 to 74 million
There are four major geologic formations which make up
your trip. These include Baker Hill, Clayton, Providence, and Ripley—each showing deposits from older and older
posed of clay and bedded sand which is rich with fossils and years ago.
By the 1940s, farmers had to keep a close eye on every lit-
time periods the deeper they go and exposing a vast array
tle ditch because it could quickly turn into a gully. Some
more.
like water.� Losing animals and farm equipment over the
of colors ranging from white, pink, red, orange, purple and The entrance road to the park and the Interpretive Cen-
ter are located on top of Baker Hill, which is formed from deposits dating back 59 to 62 million years ago during the
Paleogene period. The reddish sand from the Clayton for-
mation is from the same period, but dates back to 63 to 65 million years ago, and is visible in the top part of the
farmers even stated that “the soil melted like sugar and ran canyon rim was not uncommon and if it fell over the rim, it stayed there because retrieving it was extremely difficult.
The land that is now considered Providence Canyon State Park was set aside in 1971 in order to preserve the unique landscape.
While the clay content and vegetation growth on the
canyon walls. At 119-feet thick, Providence makes up most
canyon floor makes it more resistant to vertical erosion,
riod, about 67 to 70 million years ago. And finally, the Rip-
the force of groundwater. Lateral erosion continues, which
of the canyon walls with deposits from the Cretaceous pe-
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changes are still happening due to surface water runoff and
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is evident in the crumbling and receding rim of the canyon as the gorges continue to grow wider and pinnacles gradually diminish and disappear after heavy rains. For your
safety, because of ongoing erosion and constant changes to the land, it’s important to use caution on trails and not go beyond fences or overlooks.
If you’re interested in geology, nature, and learning more
about the history, check with the visitor center and museum
for more information about geology and astronomy pro-
grams.
The park offers two picnic shelters, three pioneer camp-
sites, and six backcountry campsites. There are additional
camping and cabin options available just nine miles away at
Florence Marina State Park. All can be reserved by visiting
gastateparks.org. n
Winter 2021
Hours Park
September 15–April 14: 7 a.m.–6 p.m. April 15–September 14: 7 a.m.–9 p.m.
Visitor Center 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fees & Passes $5 parking.
Park 229-838-6202 Reservations 800-864-7275
Address
8930 Canyon Road Lumpkin, GA 31815 Stewart County
ww.gastateparks.org
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Winter 2021
F
ifty-nine students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) class of 2024 recently received
their white coats in a virtual ceremony. PCOM
South Georgia’s White Coat Ceremony marks a major
milestone in the students' medical education. It's a rite of passage and a tradition that signifies the
always do our best, and last but not least, holding ourselves to a standard of practice and ethics beyond reproach.”
Evelyn Faith White (DO '24), an Albany native and Abra-
ham Baldwin Agricultural College graduate, said she feels a sense of gratitude and achievement for making it this far in the journey to becoming a physician.
"I am filled with an attitude of excite-
transition from student to clinician..
ment and adventure, because as a student
The first-year students were addressed
of the medical profession I am just at the
by H. William Craver, III, DO ‘87,
beginning of gaining experience, sharpen-
FACOS, Dean and Chief Academic Offi-
ing my skills and learning the information
cer of PCOM South Georgia.
that will enable me to be an excellent
“Until recent times, awarding this coat
happened upon completion of medical
school training and the beginning of in-
Evelyn Faith White (DO '24)
ternship. Today, many medical schools, including PCOM, have embraced the idea that you are
symbolizes my hopes, dreams, and the
struggle it took to get to this point in my medical education. It reminds me that when we work hard to acquire knowledge, expertise and under-
physicians from day one. Though your
standing it is never wasted.”
path remains long and your learning im-
Macy Rowan (DO '24), a Valdosta na-
mense, you have reached the first mile-
tive, said the ceremonial receiving of her
stone toward the end goal to become a
white coat gave her excitement and grati-
healer, a physician.”
tude.
He continued, “What is often forgotten,
but I wish you to remember today, is that
physician,” White said. “The white coat
this white coat is not just an acknowledg- Macy Rowan (DO '24)
”Receiving my white coat immediately
ment that you have joined this honorable group, but that
gave me the excitement of knowing I’d made it to medical
ing responsibilities of being a physician. Lifelong learning,
ahead,” she said. “I am thankful for the support of my fam-
you are willing to accept the significant, deep and life last-
respect to those entrusted to our care, often at the expense of times with our families and personal desires, striving to
Winter 2021
school while also reminding me of the long journey that lies ily, friends, and mentors, and I am humbled to carry the responsibility of wearing a white coat and becoming a
25
physician. My white coat reminds me of my mission to
serve the communities of South Georgia both now and in the future, and I am grateful to be here at PCOM South Georgia!�
During their first few weeks at PCOM South Georgia,
students in the class were tasked with writing a class mission statement which follows below.
We, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia Class of 2024, promise:
l To attain the skills necessary to be successful osteopathic physicians and affirm that we will be life-long learners.
l To be voices of reason within a global community, demonstrate
adaptability within an ever-evolving medical landscape and display perseverance against all adversities.
l To practice medicine as a collaborative effort that requires estab-
About PCOM South Georgia
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing
PCOM South Georgia, an additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, which offers a full, four-year medical
program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sci-
ences degree. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit institution
which trains professionals in the health and behavioral sci-
ences fields. Joining PCOM Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, PCOM South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the South
Georgia region. The medical campus, which welcomed its
inaugural class of medical students in August 2019, has received accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College
Accreditation. For more information, visit pcom.edu/southgeorgia or call 229-668-3110.
lishing interprofessional relationships with fellow healthcare professionals to strive toward health equity.
To advocate for the medically underserved and provide exceptional care to all patients regardless of background, gender, race or other determinants of health.
l To uphold the tenets of osteopathic philosophy by caring for our body, mind and spirit, and promote these principles to our patients,
friends, families and communities.
l Finally, we promise to embody the core values of respect, empathy,
integrity, compassion, professionalism and cultural humility in thought,
word and deed.
We are grateful for our family, friends, faculty, staff and mentors who
continue to support us throughout our journey. n
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Winter 2021