Statesboro Magazine January/February 2016

January February 2016

Priceless

Tastes Like

Sunshine Bulloch Satsumas

Dr. Jean Bartels

Is Standing Tall

Hendley Properties Big City Ideas

Small Town Comfort

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H

FROM THE EDITOR Established March 1, 2000

Jenny Starling Foss

Hello 2016! Happy New Year everyone! The best thing about a new year is the new beginning it brings. There’s excitement in getting a clean slate of 365 days we all get to fill with new ideas, new milestones, new friends, and new adventures.

A new milestone at Georgia Southern University we can all celebrate is the appointment of Dr. Jean Bartels as the first female president in the University’s 110-year history. Dr. Bartels, University administrator, nursing educator, and community leader, brings great experience and leadership to the University’s top spot. Popular Statesboro Magazine contributor Loretta Brandon has captured Dr. Bartels’ passion for education in her story beginning on page 17.

In this issue we also take a look at new developments downtown. Longtime real estate developer Hendley Properties has moved from a focus on student housing to a focus on renovating and constructing housing for professionals and families in downtown Statesboro.

Owners Ray and Laura Hendley, and Property Manager Bryan Davis take us on a tour of renovated and newly constructed housing already filled with tenants, and new properties being developed for future residents in downtown Statesboro.

Bulloch County native Joe Franklin is bringing the flavor of sunshine to us in a citrus fruit new to the area – Satsumas. He’s already produced 12,000 pounds in the first season.

We take a look at the history of the fruit in the U.S. and Franklin’s future plans for having under cultivation 30 acres of orange groves on the family farm.

Seni and Janetta Alabi-Isama have opened a new restaurant on South Main Street 441 Public Kitchen & Bar. A confessed food-lover, Seni thinks Midtown Statesboro is the perfect spot for great food with a local influence. The 441 Bar is becoming THE place to meet friends and features the largest selection of wine and spirits in the area. At 441, the former owner of South & Vine gets a new chance to impress us with good food and great hospitality.

We’re showcasing Statesboro’s most successful women first thing this year in our Women in Business section. Also, don’t miss our New Year’s tips for keeping active or for beginning a new plan for healthy living in “Let’s Get Going!” on page 38.

A New Year brings new beginnings. We hope you enjoy reading about these. We also hope this year brings you peace and much happiness.

Editor

Joe McGlamery Publisher

Reagan Daly General Manager

Hunter McCumber Art Director

Erica Sellers Advertising & Marketing Director

Frank Fortune Scott Bryant Contributing Photographers Statesboro Magazine is proudly produced by:

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE E-MAIL: esellers@StatesboroMagazine.com FOR EDITORIAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL: editor@StatesboroMagazine.com MAILING ADDRESS: PHYSICAL ADDRESS: P. O. Box 1084 16 Simmons Statesboro, GA Shopping Center 30459 Statesboro, GA 30458 p: 912.489.2181 f: 912.489.8613

January February 2016

Best,

Priceless

Jenny Foss, Editor Tastes Like SU NS

HIN E Bulloch Sats umas

BridalIsDr.Resour Jean Bart ce Guide els Standing Tall

Vote Now for the 2016 Fabulist!

There’s still time to get in your picks for this year’s most FABULOUS people, places, and things in Statesboro. Don’t miss your chance to weigh in on our reader’s choice contest.

Winners will be announced in the March/April 2016 issue of Statesboro Magazine. Go to www.statesboromagazine.com to be counted!

4 • Statesboro Magazine

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Featured Columnists Loretta Brandon Loretta Brandon moved to Statesboro in 2005 to be closer to family.

A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, she was raised in a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Erie and wrote a book, Lightkeeper’s Legacy, about that experience. She has worked in higher education for over twentyfive years, has a background in marketing, and recently retired as an instructor from Georgia Southern University’s Department of Writing & Linguistics.

STATESBORO CVB Heidi Jeffers is the Executive Director of the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has been with the CVB for five years promoting Statesboro as great place for visitors and tourist alike. She has over 25 years of economic development experience in logistics, industrial, retail, commercial and tourism development.

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From Eagle Nation is a column brought to you by Georgia Southern University, where we cherish our place in the larger Statesboro community. In each issue, we hope to bring interesting and informative stories to the readers of Statesboro Magazine.

Doy Cave is the Marketing Content Manager in the Office of Marketing and Communications at the University, and resides with his family in Statesboro.

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Bill Perry grew up in Live Oak, Florida, a small town just south of Valdosta, GA. After graduating from Stetson University, he earned three degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2004, he retired as pastor of First Baptist Church of Statesboro after serving that congregation for 22 years. He and his wife, Margaret, registrar of Statesboro High School before her retirement in 2005, have two daughters, five grandsons, and one granddaughter. Bill has been very much involved in community life in Statesboro. He is an avid reader and has been a runner since 1973.

THE VIEW FROM HERE Ric Mandes, a popular essayist, retired after 27 years as Director of Public Relations and Development for Georgia Southern. His memories about growing up and living in South Georgia inspire his writings. He’s a published author and former newspaper columnist for the AJC.

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Contents

About the Cover Satsumas are a variety of Mandarin orange grown by Joe Franklin at Franklin Farms on Highway 301 South. Bulloch County’s newest crop is already served for lunch at local schools. Taylor Edge, a student at Nevils Elementary, the daughter of Sean and Melissa Edge, is delighted to sample a taste of sunshine. Captured in one of Joe’s trees by award winning photographer Frank Fortune.

January February 2016

Priceless

Tastes Like SUN SHIN E

Bulloch Satsumas

Dr. Jean Bartels

Is Standing Tall

HENDLEY

PROPERTIES

BIG CITY IDEAS

SMALL TOWN COMFORT

SIDE PORCH Hendley Properties Big City Ideas with Small Town Comfort Written by Jenny Starling Foss Photography by Frank Fortune ����������������������������������������������������������

12

FROM HERE TO THERE Jean Bartels is STANDING TALL Photography by Frank Fortune & Scott Bryant/Statesboro Herald ����

17

THE CULTURE A New Name, A New Face Written by Jenny Starling Foss Artwork by Perkins + Will Landscape Architecture ����������������������������

IN EVERY ISSUE

12

From the Editor ���������������������������������������������������������

4

Calendar of Events ����������������������������������������������������

8

News & Notes �������������������������������������������������������

10

Look Around ����������������������������������������������������������

62

Transitions ��������������������������������������������������������������

66

The Taste of Bulloch County Sunshine Written by Jenny Starling Foss Photography by Scott Bryant/Statesboro Herald ������������������������������

Circulation

34

SECOND HELPINGS Real Food, Real Life Written by Jenny Starling Foss Photography by Frank Fortune ����������������������������������������������������������

28

SPECIAL SECTIONS

20 Let’s Get Going! ����������������������������������������������������������������������������38 Real Estate ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 50

Women in Business �����������������������������������������������������������������������

Partners in Progress ����������������������������������������������������������������������� Statesboro Magazine is published bi-monthly (six issues a year) at a $ 20.00 annual subscription rate by Statesboro Publishing Company, Inc. Standard postage paid at Statesboro, GA. To subscribe, email Statesboro Magazine General Manager, Reagan Daly at rdaly@StatesboroMagazine.com or call 912.489.2181. The cover and contents of Statesboro Magazine are fully protected by copyright laws of the United States and may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Statesboro Magazine. We are not responsible for loss of unsolicited inquiries, manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials. Such materials will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. Address letters and editorial contributions to Statesboro Magazine, P.O. Box 1084, Statesboro, GA 30459. Copyright © 2016 by Statesboro Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

28

52

FEATURED COLUMNISTS Visit Statesboro!

57

True Blue

59

The Spiritual Pathway

61

The View from Here

65

Written by Heidi Jeffers ��������������������������������������������������������������������� Written by Doy Cave �������������������������������������������������������������������������

Written by Rev. Dr. H. William Perry ��������������������������������������������������� Written by Ric Mandes ����������������������������������������������������������������������

January/February 2016 • 7

Calendar

January Sunday

monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday 1

Saturday 2

Happy New Year!

3

10

4

5

6

Teen Game Night

First Day of

Jaycee’s Night Out

5 PM

Spring Semester

6:30 PM

Statesboro Regional

Bulloch County

Paulson Stadium

Library

Schools

11

12

13

Georgia Southern

Homeschool Writing

Adult Coloring Class

Behold Here Cometh

Club

6 PM

the Dreamer!

3 PM

Statesboro Regional

7:30 PM

Statesboro Regional

Library

Whitaker Black Box

Spring Semester Begins

7

14

8

15

Library

17

18

19

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

9

16

Averitt Center

20

21

22

23

The Spring 2016

GS Dept of Music

GS Dept of Music

Rockin Out

Boro Browse

Didge Evolution

Student Chamber

Alzheimer’s Benefit

11 AM – 2 PM

7:30 PM

7:30 PM

7 PM

Russell Union

Carter Recital Hall

Carter Recital Hall

Georgia Southern PAC

24

25

31 Dream Girls Dir. Mical Whitaker 2 PM @ EKT Averitt Center

8 • Statesboro Magazine

26

27

28

29

Teen Music Night

Speak up for

Dream Girls

5 PM

Education

Dir. Mical Whitaker

Statesboro Regional

6 PM

Jan. 29 & 30 @ EKT

Library

Statesboro High

7:30 PM

School

Averitt Center

30

Calendar

February Sunday

monday 1

Tuesday 2

Wednesday 3

Thursday 4

Friday 5

Saturday 6

SBCPRD Spring

Miss Georgia

Sports Program

Southern Pageant

Registration

7 PM

Feb. 3 – 5

Georgia Southern

Honey Bowen

PAC

Building

7

8

9

11

12

Teen Movie Night

10

Benefit Concert

Tale of Two Cities

5 PM

Feb. 12 @ 7PM

National Company

Statesboro Regional

Trinity Episcopal

7:30 PM

Library

13

Emma Kelly Theater Averitt Center

14

15 17

16 18

17 19

18

19

20

Winter Break

4th Annual Chocolate

Feb. 15 – 19

Run 5K

Bulloch County

Starts @ 8:30 AM

Schools

GS RAC Pavilion

Presidents’ Day

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

Teen Music Night

South Pacific

South Pacific

5 PM

Averitt STARS

Averitt STARS

Statesboro Regional

Feb. 25 – 26

2:00 PM @ EKT

Library

7:30 PM @ EKT

Averitt Center

Averitt Center

28

29

Statesboro Magazine

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Send your listing to StatesboroMasterCalendar@StatesboroMagazine.com

January/February 2016 • 9

News & Notes

Sponsored by:

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The Johnson Firm, P.C. Attorneys & Counselors

Y O U H AV E A C H O I C E Attorney Francys Johnson

www.francysjohnson.com | 912.225.1600 | 51 East Main Street

Doing Justice, Loving Mercy, Walking Humbly.

— Micah 6:8

Shown presenting the check for $1,535.00 to Boys & Girls Club Director Mike Jones (L) are (L-R) Statesboro Magazine General Manager Reagan Daly, Editor Jenny Foss, Publisher Joe McGlamery, Sales & Marketing Director Erica Sellers, and Art Director Hunter McCumber, surrounded by members of the Boys & Girls Club.

Statesboro Magazine Presents Check to Boys & Girls Club The Boys & Girls Club of Bulloch County was recently chosen by Statesboro Magazine readers to be the recipient of a donation through the Gifting & Giving holiday 2015 edition of the magazine. Readers were asked to vote for an area non-profit as the benefactor of a percentage of ad sales from the November/December 2015 issue. After the on-line voting was tabulated, The Boys & Girls Club was the winner of the Gifting & Giving contest and received a donation of $1,535.00 from the magazine.

Ogeechee Tech and Tormenta FC/Clubhouse Sign MOU Ogeechee Technical College, the South Georgia Tormenta soccer franchise of the Premier Development League, and the Clubhouse Family Entertainment Center, recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to allow Ogeechee Tech students to work as interns with Tormenta FC and The Clubhouse. Students from OTC’s Accounting, Business Administrative Technology, Business Management, Culinary Arts, Hotel/Restaurant/Tourism Management, and Marketing Management programs will have the opportunity to work with the new soccer franchise, Tormenta FC, and The Clubhouse to help accomplish their educational goals, according to the MOU. “We constantly look for partnerships with organizations which can provide valuable practicum experiences for our students,” said Cartee. “Classroom lectures, on-campus labs, and in-field practicums combine to deliver excellent educational Tormenta FC and Clubhouse owner, Dr. Darin Van Tassell, and OTC President, Dr. Dawn Cartee, formalized the agreement at a signing opportunities which have a positive impact on the available ceremony on the Ogeechee Technical College campus. workforce.”

Some of the areas in which students may participate are game-day management, event coordination, advertising, food and beverage operations, and accounting and financial support. Students interested in any of the programs of study mentioned may visit www.ogeecheetech.edu to learn more. To learn more about Tormenta FC or the Clubhouse, go to www.tormentafc.com or www.theclubhousestatesboro.com.

10 • Statesboro Magazine

Botanic Garden’s Science Education Program Receives Grant to Help Teachers

GS Conference Service Receives One-Stop Shop Certification

The Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern University has received a three-year grant from the Institute of Museum of Library Services’ Museums for America program to help regional educators teach science more effectively. The grant, totaling more than $110,000, supports the ASTERS (Adventures in Science, Teaching, Exploration and Resourceful Stewardship) program.

In development since 2009, the program uses movement and hands-on outdoor activities to engage teachers and students with the content and skills they will need to solve scientific challenges. The project will help to build on a successful partnership between the Botanic Garden, the University’s biology department, the College of Education and area schools.

Teachers interested in participating in the ASTERS program should contact Kathy Tucker, education coordinator for the Garden, at 912-871-1149.

Georgia Southern University’s Conference Services Department has received One-Stop Shop Certification through the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors International (ACCED-I). One-Stop Shop Certification recognizes collegiate operations that deliver one contact, one contract and one bill to meeting planners.

This streamlining of conferencing and events coordination is intended to more closely match the practices of convention facilities and finer hotels.

Conference Services at Georgia Southern University is the premier destination for camps and conferences in Southeast Georgia with venues and resources to suit events of all sizes and types. Conference Services Director, Amy Taylor, and her staff have the experience and the capability to turn event visions into realities. A streamlined planning process combined with Southern hospitality and exceptional service ensure that every event with Conference Services is a memorable one.

For more information on Conference Services at Georgia Southern, or to submit a reservation request, please visit www.meetatsouthern.com.

5th Annual Servpro Golf Tournament Raises over $5700 for C.A.F.E Community Assistance in Fire Emergencies

Publisher McGlamery Receives 40 Year Service Commendation

Servpro of Statesboro, a fire and water cleanup & restoration company, along with community volunteers, recently raised $5,750.00 at a golf tournament fundraiser organized to benefit the Community Assistance in Fire Emergencies, or C.A.F.E. unit. The C.A.F.E. unit is a special response vehicle that provides assistance to fire victims and firefighters in Bulloch County. A donated RV motor coach, the C.A.F.E. unit is painted to match a fire engine, follows the engine to the scene of a fire, and provides victims with clothes, blankets and other supplies. It relies entirely on community donations and volunteers for support. Those wishing to learn more may do so by emailing statesborofire@statesboroga.gov or by calling 912-764-3473.

Joe McGlamery, regional vice president of Morris Newspaper Corporation, president of the Statesboro Herald, and publisher of Statesboro Magazine, was recently recognized for 40 years of “Sincere and Devoted Service” to the company by Charles H. Morris, founder of Morris Multimedia, Inc., (L-R) Joe McGlamery receives parent company for the service award plaque from Charles H. Morris. publications.

McGlamery owned a regional shopping publication in the Statesboro area during the early 1970s and joined in working with Morris on July 14, 1975. As regional vice president of Morris Newspaper Corporation, McGlamery supervises newspaper and shopper operations in six Georgia cities including Savannah’s Connect and Pennysaver publications, the Effingham Herald, Effingham Living Magazine, the Statesboro Herald, Statesboro Magazine, Weddings by Statesboro Magazine, MOMents magazine, Statesboro Connect, Statesboro Area Pennysaver, and Statesboro Area Real Estate Today.

McGlamery has served as the publisher of Statesboro Magazine since Morris Newspaper Corporation acquired the publication in 2006.

January/February 2016 • 11

Big City Ideas, Small Town Comfort

12 • Statesboro Magazine

Big City Ideas, Small Town Comfort

Hendley Properties Big City Ideas Small Town Comfort

T

Written by Jenny Foss

There’s a new look to downtown streets thanks to the investment of Ray Hendley of Hendley Properties in re-developing homes and apartments in the austere areas of some neighborhoods. A long-time developer of student and family housing on the south side of town, Hendley and his team which includes wife Laura, daughters Ginny Hendley Rushing and Holly Hendley Wolfe, and Property Manager Bryan Davis, are working to offer something new and affordable in downtown living space.

In doing so, they hope the new residents will increase foot traffic and spur economic development in the area.

Studies show that to grow new businesses in slower commercial areas, you can create the demand for more services by building housing first. The more residents in the area demanding those services, the more businesses will relocate to the area to supply the demand.

So far Hendley’s big city idea is working. His redevelopment of housing on the streets surrounding South Main Street has helped in the commercial redevelopment campaign, “Blue Mile,” spearheaded by the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority (DSDA), The Chamber of Commerce, and Georgia Southern University. Several new businesses have already opened on South Main with some revitalizing existing buildings for reuse. For example, the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau remodeled and repurposed the old Shoney’s Restaurant into a new regional visitor’s center.

Hendley has been housing University students and Statesboro residents for almost 50 years through his company, Hendley Properties. One of his early developments near Statesboro High School was the Lester Road Condominiums complex, townhouses with shared amenities like a swimming pool for residents, which he sold to individual home owners. He developed the condos along the lines of Hilton Head Island, SC, type housing.

January/February 2016 • 13

Big City Ideas, Small Town Comfort In 1978, he developed Greenbriar subdivision with multifamily dwellings and duplexes in new neighborhoods located mostly on the south side of town off of Fair Road. By the early 1980s, he had spread out with more townhouses and single level cottage-type construction in Hawthorne I & II and Sagebrush. All these condominiums and apartments also had upscale amenities like swimming pools and volleyball courts to attract students and young professionals.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Hendley developed the Olde Towne subdivision and Greenbriar Trail with over 100 single family homes, bringing his real estate offerings to from 400-500 units for sale, rent or lease.

By the 2000s student housing was becoming a saturated marketplace with many new large student housing complexes locating near the University. Even with the increase in student housing competition, the properties that Hendley owned remained good investments continuing to be identified by students as premium housing.

Hendley stated, “People always think I am the one who has done all this. It’s because of the association with the name Hendley Properties. But, I have a great team that works well together in making our company what it is.”

Property Manager Bryan Davis explained, “We saw an opportunity to diversify into more housing for families and professionals. People always call us about family homes.”

Hendley and Davis were enthusiastic about renovating downtown properties for many reasons, two of which were: They would be saving some older established neighborhoods from blight and they would be rescuing tenants from poor housing conditions offered by absentee landlords or owners who were no longer able to maintain or upgrade existing properties.

Hendley started with Magnolia Village, a property of 12 units located near the Statesboro Regional Library. He and his team totally renovated the existing apartments giving the inside new flooring and interior fixtures and appliances, while giving the outside a craftsman feel with new roofing, painting, and landscaping.

Realtor Nick Propps approached Hendley Properties about land located behind the Midtown Plaza on South Main. The Village at Midtown was developed as a community of 650 sq/ ft one bedroom units with stainless steel appliances, washer/ dryer, walk-in closet, and private back patio. A $2 million project from the ground up, the Village was rented almost before construction was completed.

The Hendley’s have since added 70-80 properties downtown around the Main Street area: The Village at Midtown, Magnolia Village, the Fountain at Mulberry, Walnut Grove, and The Manor. Each development has a distinct look with architectural features and attractive amenities that define the communities. At the Fountain at Mulberry, there is a large fountain as the focal point of landscaping and decorative street lamps, walkways, and curbed parking for residents. The fountain not only adds to the aesthetics, it also saved a large area for green space downtown.

14 • Statesboro Magazine

BUSINESS BENEFITS P.O. Box 877 | Statesbor W WORKERS COMP 912.764.9602 | fax 912 H HOME & AUTO B B

B Hendley Properties also participates as a sponsor in the Homes for Heroes Project. Abandoned or condemned homes are being purchased and renovated by the DSDA to be sold at cost to firefighters and police officers in the same neighborhoods in which Hendley is creating housing for families and professionals. The project redevelops older properties preserving the integrity of the neighborhoods, while obtaining housing for public safety personnel who will provide a stabilizing factor for the areas in which they live.

“There are a lot of moving parts to the developments,” Davis stated. “We have Maxwell-Reddick draw up the plans, we enlist the builders, Jamey Cartee and John Lamar do all of our new properties, while Hendley Properties does all the remodeling of existing buildings.”

Hendley is currently working on housing developments on land stretching from the corner of Bulloch Street (Number 18) to South Walnut Street. That property when finished will have a two-story apartment house, a one level house, and four single bedroom dwellings with a common driveway entrance. They’re working on a development at West Inman and South College as well.

“We analyze spots as they come available,” stated Davis. “We want our projects to have a good EDR report – nothing subsidized. We always say, ‘Can the property take care of itself?’” There are also incentives to be considered through the City of Statesboro and the DSDA for private investment in these non-revenue producing areas.

One of the existing historical buildings Hendley saved was the Kelly house on South College Street. It was the home of Emma Kelly and her family – where all ten children were raised. Hendley was able to purchase it and totally remodel it into ten separate apartments, which are all filled.

“We know if we can bring a large professional crowd downtown, then the rest will follow,” said Davis. “As long as there is opportunity for growth and we have the appropriate things in place that we need to work with, we will continue to invest in downtown Statesboro.” S

B W H

BUSINESS P.O. Box 877 | Statesboro, GA 30459 BENEFITS 912.764.9602 | fax 912.764.2695 WORKERS COMP HOME & AUTO ®

1100 Brampton Ave877 | Statesboro, GA 30458 | 912.764.9602 | fax 912.764.2695 P.O. Box | Statesboro, GA 30459

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16 • Statesboro Magazine

Standing Tall Bartels at GoDaddy Bowl – Scott Bryant/Statesboro Herald

As a nursing educator, a University administrator, a community leader, Jean Bartels is

Standing Tall

I

In July, 2015, Georgia Southern University named a 16-year veteran of both faculty and administration as interim president of the university. Today, Dr. Jean Bartels stands tall as the first woman president in Georgia Southern’s 110-year history, not only because she’s a woman, but because her education, her experience, and her passion for learning make her perfect for the job.

She is the voice and face of Georgia Southern, and has taken that job description to

Written by Loretta Brandon

heart. From doing all of her own tweeting, to being presented with the first game ball, to being baptized in Eagle Creek (a nurse should know better, she says!), her story is a good one.

The Nursing Educator In February 1999, Jean Bartels left snowcovered Milwaukee and arrived in warm, sunny South Georgia for an interview to become chair of the nursing department at

Georgia Southern University. Although she readily admits that the good weather was great, she accepted the position for much more than the weather.

“I fell in love with the faculty, a really good faculty that understood nursing education,” she said. “They were already making good progress when I got here.” When Bartels saw that Em Olivia Bevis, who was considered the “mother” of nursing curriculum in the United States, was the founder January/February 2016 • 17

Standing Tall

The Nurse Bartels, a native of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, credits her love of education, and particularly nursing, to two people who played a major role in her life: her father, a WWII medic and an emergency medical technician; and her grandmother, a single parent and a teacher in a one-roomed school.

“My grandmother was part of women’s liberation before the movement began,” said Bartels. “She was a really good educator who would sit with me to help solve academic problems.”

After three years of working in Milwaukee’s Columbia Hospital in the morning, going to classes, working in the hospital for the rest of the day, and working there on alternate weekends, she earned her nursing diploma from the hospital in 1970.

“That’s how most nurses got their edu18 • Statesboro Magazine

Bartels in Eagle Creek – Georgia Southern Athletics

of the Georgia Southern School of Nursing, she knew it was the place she wanted to be.

Today, she is very pleased she made that decision sixteen years ago. In her fruitful career she has made Georgia Southern a premier, nationally recognized site for nursing education. Along with development of a long-awaited new nursing building in 2005, Bartels worked to make the nursing curriculum increasingly evidence-driven, leading to a high-quality program that admits only the brightest and most committed students.

Prior to coming to Georgia Southern, Bartels served two rotations as a board member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). While at Georgia Southern, she became secretary, then president-elect, and finally president of the AACN from 2004-2006. During her tenure as AACN president, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) became the terminal degree for nursing, and she was able to gain this permanent credential program for Georgia Southern in just two years.

It’s testimony to her versatility that Bartels was asked to serve, in turn, as interim Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences (CHSS) for a year, then interim provost for a year, then named Dean of CHSS. Finally, in 2012, Bartels was named Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, a “nuts and bolts” job focusing on assessment of student learning and student learning outcomes, and a job for which she was eminently well-prepared.

cation in those days,” she explained. One week after graduation she went to work in the hospital’s intensive care unit—a newer phenomenon at the time—and stayed there until she married Terry Bartels, a locomotive engineer working on freight trains in the Chicago area. She was happy being married, and she and Terry had a son and a daughter, but she dreamed about going back to school.

Bartels finally took the big step of going back in 1977 for a bachelor’s of science in nursing, a degree offered at Alverno Col-

lege in Milwaukee. An all-women’s college, Alverno’s program was ability-based, outcome-focused, and its mission was to advance women’s voices. Not only was it a great school, it offered child care—a necessity for Bartels—for only 35 cent an hour.

“Alverno focused on developing abilities in communication, problem-solving, analysis, valuing, social interaction, effective citizenship, global perspective, and aesthetic engagement,” said Bartels. “The performance-based assessment made a dramatic difference in my education.”

After graduation she moved on to a master’s of science in nursing at Marquette University, but continued to work as a teaching assistant at Alverno. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Wisconsin, and eventually became chair of the nursing department at Alverno.

“There is no doubt that Alverno College’s teaching made me passionate about education and what good education looks like,” said Bartels. “I want to get students to think differently about their learning.”

How did she end up at Georgia Southern in 1999? Eventually, Alverno College offered her the position of provost, but she didn’t want the job. When she looked around at nursing programs, she knew Georgia Southern was a place she could develop assessment opportunities based on the Alverno example, so she came to Statesboro.

The Community Leader Ever since they arrived in Statesboro, Jean and Terry Bartels have been active and invested members of the community. For Jean, the organization that matters most is the Ogeechee Area Hospice. She has been a board member for most of her time in Statesboro, and served as board president 2002-2006, 2009-2010, and 2010-2013.

“The Ogeechee Area Hospice is dear to my heart and an outstanding community gift,” she said. “I was president through the campaign to build the inpatient facility. It is solely the property of the community, and the community supports it. I’m not on the board now, but when my responsibilities change, I plan to return.”

Jean has been installed in the Statesboro Rotary Club. Along with Terry, she supports the Averitt Center for the Arts and the Georgia Southern Botanic Garden, an organization that matters a great deal to Terry.

“Within the first week after he retired in 2001, Terry became a volunteer, and he works there every Wednesday,” she said. “It’s another community treasure, and great people work there. We’ve placed a swing dedicated to my parents at the Garden.”

The Wife and Mom The person who has made some of Jean’s accomplishments possible—her husband Terry—gets high praise from Georgia Southern’s interim president.

“He grounds me,” Bartels says, “and he brings me down to earth.

He’s been my champion, whether it’s at home doing child care or traveling. He has always been a very nurturing father and a wonderful husband.” This year the couple has had fun traveling to Georgia Southern’s away games, something they seldom did when she was provost.

When Bartels retires—and it will be in Statesboro—she says you’ll find her at the Botanic Garden, with a picnic basket, reading a book, or maybe involved in the Statesboro Regional Library’s literacy work. And you may also find her behind the counter at Pladd Dot Music, the downtown business owned by her daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Ashlee Mitchell. She and Terry will undoubtedly travel to see their son, Justin, who lives in Chicago, and his wife Jeanne, and their grandchildren.

“We’ll travel, and we’ll take family vacations as we always have,” says Bartels, “but Statesboro will be our home.” S January/February 2016 • 19

Women in Business

P

Power today is all about engagement. In order to achieve meaningful impact, women business leaders must connect with a diverse array of stakeholders to build community around a shared vision. The new rules of engagement demand that women leverage their influence across multiple spheres, forge unconventional partnerships and turn ideas into action. How are the most successful women business leaders redefining pathways to power—in their businesses, communities and in the social causes they champion.

We found five broad and interrelated realms of influence common among women leaders of today, characteristics of leadership these women share, whether in the professional realm, corporate office, educational institution, or as an entrepreneur.

1. Meaning, or finding your strengths and putting them to work in the service of an inspiring purpose.

2. Managing energy, or knowing where your energy comes from, where it goes, and what you can do to manage it.

3. Positive framing, or adopting a more constructive way to view your world, expand your horizons, and gain the resilience to move ahead even when bad things happen.

4. Connecting, or identifying who can help you grow, building stronger relationships, and increasing your sense of belonging.

5. Engaging, or finding your voice, becoming self-reliant and confident by accepting opportunities and the inherent risks they bring, and collaborating with others on plans of action.

Our Women in Business have mastered the art of engagement and as a result have flourished in their respective professions, while also raising families, and volunteering to make the Statesboro area a great place to live.

20 • Statesboro Magazine

Martha hall

The Hall Law Group, P.C. 5 Oak Street | Statesboro, GA 30458 2036 Highway 21 South | Springfield, GA 31329 912.764.6757 | www.hlg-pc.com

I USUALLY BEGIN MY DAY BY: listening to a devotional by Joyce Meyer. God’s Word always inspires me to have a positive attitude and to make every effort to extend kindness to others.

I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT: my work. I am so blessed to have a career that I love. I fight for families every day and I work diligently to protect Statesboro’s children from the conflict of divorce.

TO ME, REAL POWER COMES FROM: belief in God. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

MY FAVORITE SHOES ARE: any kind of cowboy boots! I love them.

MY FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIUM IS: Facebook.

REAL LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT: being willing to work side by side with those you lead. My staff knows I am willing to do whatever it takes to best serve the client ethically and assist the folks I work with to do the same.

WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: A lawyer! Ever since the third grade I have known what I wanted to be. I am so grateful to my elementary school teachers who planted the seed and encouraged me.

WHO INSPIRES YOU?: My dad. He was the greatest man I have ever known. He is and was my hero.

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST: Time with my family. I am so fortunate to live close to my children, grandchildren, mother and siblings. Spending time with them is my “happy place.”

Proud graduate of Georgia Southern University!

I USUALLY BEGIN MY DAY BY: meditation, coffee and making a list.

I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT: my customers, cleanliness and details.

TO ME, REAL POWER COMES FROM: my personal faith walk.

I LIKE TO FOCUS ON: customer service, cleanliness and details

MY FAVORITE SHOES ARE: comfortable ones with non-slip soles… I am always on the go!

I AM INSPIRED BY: first and foremost, Jesus. In business I am inspired by Steve Jobs, Princess Diana and Oprah Winfrey

THE QUALITY I MOST ADMIRE IN A WOMAN: is integrity! Consistent honesty, high ethical standards and strong moral principles are inspiring signs of great character.

REAL LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT: leading by example, demanding results and showing appreciation.

Kim AdAms, Owner

67 Antique Mall & Bay South Restaurant 6700 GA Hwy 67 & 6789 GA Hwy 67 912.839.2167 & 912.839.FOOD (3663) www.67antiquemall.com www.baysouthrestaurant.com

MY BIGGEST STRESS RELIEVER IS: riding horses and being at the farm. I’ve learned so much about trust, patience and problem solving from riding. Plus, there’s just something about fresh country air, and a night sky filled with stars that is just so relaxing.

I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT: growing, learning and helping local businesses & organizations grow. It is so incredibly satisfying to talk with a client that has found success from the marketing we do for them, or has gotten new customers as a result of a website we built for them.

THE FIRST THING I WOULD TELL MY 20-YEAR-OLD-SELF IS: slow down, and listen to your parents. You are going to achieve the goals that mean the most to you, but the road to get there is not going to be what you expect. Embrace the change, and learn from it.

TO ME, REAL POWER COMES FROM: helping others attain their goals. I feel accomplished when a client tells me the marketing we have implemented has helped their business or organization attain their goals.

The ability to help our community businesses succeed is a powerful thing.

MY HOT TIP OF THE DAY IS:

Sharon PerSinger, PreSident UP Market Media, Inc. 36 Courtland St. Suite A | Statesboro, GA 30458 (912) 690-3653 | http://upmarketmarketing.com

22 • Statesboro Magazine

make sure customers can find your business information online, and make sure it’s correct. Google gets about 3billion search queries per day. If your business is not online, you’re missing customers.

REAL LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT: developing a clear vision, setting clear expectations, encouraging, helping, listening, and embracing change. And most of all, making sure the job gets done.

I USUALLY BEGIN MY DAY BY: acknowledging God in prayer, because Christianity has always played an essential role in my home. From an early age, witnessing my mother’s quiet prayer time each morning has taught me to always start my day with a daily devotion of prayer and supplication to God.

I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT: SERVING OTHERS. As an employee of Ogeechee Technical College, my job is to make a difference in my leadership role and I try to exhibit positive skills in valuing the team that I serve with. At the College, I take great pride in managing the finances ensuring that we maintain budgetary constraints and compliance with our fiscal controls. My goal is to maintain accurate records that reflects all expenses are properly allocated, expensed and recorded. I am also passionate with my church activities while serving with stewardship in various roles as a member of Second Saint John Missionary Baptist Church of Statesboro, GA.

TO ME, REAL POWER COMES FROM: the source of one’s strength. My strong family background rooted in God has taught me that ultimate power to serve comes from God.

REAL LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT: to me this means, putting the interests of others at the center of your decisions and exemplifying qualities on a personal and professional level. A servant leader does not believe that being the leader makes him/her better than others. The Bible tells us that we should treat others as we would want to be treated. Therefore, I believe that we all should strive “to lead by example” and learn from others. Growing up in a loving and large family of eighteen (beloved father/mother, twelve brothers and three sisters including my twin sister) a servitude attitude played a major factor in my life.

WHAT IS THE QUALITY YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A WOMAN? : kindness with a sense of confidence to know her worthiness and to embrace her own power.

MY BIGGEST STRESS RELIEVER IS: spending time with my husband, Darrell, and enjoying activities with family and friends. I also enjoy quiet walks on the beach.

EyvonnE Callaway Hart

Vice President for Administration Ogeechee Technical College One Joseph E. Kennedy Blvd. | Statesboro, GA 912-681-5500 | www.ogeecheetech.edu

I USUALLY BEGIN MY DAY BY: pouring the largest cup of coffee possible and corralling my two teens like a drill sergeant to make sure we get out of the door on time.

MY BIGGEST STRESS RELIEVER IS: being outdoors and enjoying nature. Every day, I try to spend a few minutes taking in the sunrise or sunset. I have come to count on this daily reassurance of God’s power and presence no matter what may be going on in my life.

I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT: being an alumni of Georgia Southern University! As Director of Conference Services for the University, I get the opportunity to both show off our beautiful campus to visitors and potential clients and remind alumni why they fell in love with Georgia Southern.

TO ME, REAL POWER COMES FROM: knowing that ultimately, I am NOT in power. I believe very strongly in the power of prayer; I don’t know where I would be today without a praying mother!

AMY TAYLOR

Assistant Director of Conference Services Auxiliary Services, Georgia Southern University 97 Georgia Ave. Bldg. 465 | P.O. Box 8135 (30460)

Statesboro, GA 30458 912.478.2263 | www.meetatsouthern.com

I LIKE TO FOCUS ON: the positive in every situation or circumstance. I have learned that recognizing the positive first and then focusing on areas of improvement leads to the best possible outcome.

REAL LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT: recognizing others’ strengths and empowering them to use those strengths. Every member of our Conference Services staff brings a unique skill set to the table, and our team would not function without the strengths of each and every one of them!

January/February 2016 • 23

Candler Internal Medicine 106 Briarwood Rd. | Statesboro, GA 30458 (Behind St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, corner of Hwy 67 & Veteran’s Pkwy) 912.871.5000 | www.internalmedicinestatesboro.com

Rani Reddy, M.D. WHO WE ARE:

We are an Internal Medicine office that strives to make our patients healthier & happier. Disease prevention is our main strategy.

OUR TOOLS OF THE TRADE ARE:

Compassion, care, concern, encouragement, patience & perseverance.

Our Mission is:

To contribute to the health & well-being of the Statesboro residents who have put their trust in us and provide the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice. We strive to offer a one-stop health maintenance and treatment facility.

WHAT WE DO:

Yvonne Donaldson, MSN, FNP-C

Candler Internal Medicine provides a full range of primary care services for adults including preventative care and yearly physicals. Our medical services include the care and treatment of Men & Women’s Health, School Physicals, Diabetes Management, Hypertension Care, Cholesterol Checks & Management, Thyroid Disorders, Abdominal Disorders, Neurological Disorders, Joint Injections, Flu Vaccines, In-Office Lab Test Services & Weight Loss Management.

A TYPICAL WORKDAY FOR US:

Begins with a quick staff meeting to plan the day. We then take care of our patients all day until the last ones leave. We now have four providers in our practice which enables us to see all of our patients in a timely manner and give them all the individualized attention that they deserve.

WE STAY INVOLVED IN THE STATESBORO COMMUNITY BY:

Tristia Knight, MSN, FNP-C

Working with students. We volunteer with precepting health care students including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pre-med students and medical students. We also participate in charity medical work in health fairs throughout Georgia.

OUR WORDS OF WISDOM:

Learn to manage your stress. Maneuver around obstacles and continue to push forward. Your health & well-being depends on it!

Best Business Advice:

Trust yourself and persevere!

Natasha Yocco, NP

ERA HiRscH REAl EstAtE tEAm Pat Hirsch, Broker/Owner 408 South Zetterower Avenue | Statesboro, Ga. 912.764.6774 | erastatesborohomes.com

Agents, Left to Right: Renee Kalloniatis 912-682-1827 | Mandy Lane 912-687-2831 | Pat Hirsch 912-690-0924 Cris Emberton 912-313-8960 | Stephanie Kennedy 912-222-8216 | Holly Brannen 912-481-7511 | Vada Hunter 912-601-2881

I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT: my business and my customers.

TO ME, REAL POWER COMES FROM: God.

THE MOST INNOVATIVE THING I’VE EVER DONE IS: buy my partners out in the downturn of the Real Estate Business.

I LIKE TO FOCUS ON: training my team and delivering good customer service.

MY HOT TIP OF THE DAY: Be honest and treat people the way you would like to be treated.

MY FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIUM IS: YouTube and Facebook.

REAL LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT: being an example and doing what you expect others to do.

WHAT IS THE QUALITY YOU ADMIRE MOST IN A WOMAN?: Confidence with modesty.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Monthly lunch meetings featuring guest speakers who provide professional development and community education opportunities; quarterly networking opportunities.

SCHOLARSHIP: Each year, PWS awards $2,500 in scholarships to two deserving young women seeking to further their education at Ogeechee Technical College, East Georgia College and/or Georgia Southern University.

MEMBER HONORS:

2015-16 Board Members pictured

P rofessional Women of statesboro Year Founded: 1989 | PO Box 246 | Statesboro GA 30459 pwofstatesboro@gmail.com www.facebook.com/ProfessionalWomenOfStatesboro.com

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Professional Women of Statesboro (PWS) recognizes members’ achievements in the community, builds a strong network of professional contacts and continues growth through education. PWS has approximately fifty members, including entrepreneurs, financial and insurance professionals, attorneys, education professionals and small business owners.

PWS members have been recognized for their professional accomplishments and service to the community through participation in programs / organizations like Leadership Bulloch, Leadership Southeast Georgia, Lynda Brannen Williamson Foundation Leadership Academy, Exchange Club, Statesboro Jaycees, Rotary, Statesboro Service League as well as other civic groups. Many have been appointed to the Board of Directors for the StatesboroBulloch Chamber of Commerce and as officers of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division. In addition, several have been named “20 Under 40” by the Statesboro Herald and “Forty Under 40” by Georgia Southern University.

I USUALLY BEGIN MY DAY BY: getting up and going to the gym, followed by taking the kids to school.

MY BIGGEST STRESS RELIEVER IS: spending time working out - it could be the treadmill, weights or the punching bag.

I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT: helping others, whether it’s my clients, an organization, family, or friends.

THE FIRST THING I WOULD TELL MY 20-YEAR-OLD-SELF IS: you have what it takes. Work hard and keep pushing and you’ll get where you want to go.

THE MOST INNOVATIVE THINGS I’VE EVER DONE IS: start my own business from scratch. It’s taken a lot of work, but it’s something I’m proud of.

MY FAVORITE SHOES ARE: a toss-up - my tall brown boots or my black Tory Burch flats.

MY FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIUM IS: Twitter!

26 • Statesboro Magazine

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StatesboroMagazine.com January/February 2016 • 27

A New Name, A New Face

A New Name, A New Face

A

After months of planning, the Garden of the Coastal Plain at Georgia Southern University has a new name, the Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern University, and with it, a dynamic new plan for growth. The Botanic Garden’s new vision will enhance the visitor experience and educational opportunities through additional gardens, and will attract patrons from across the state and region.

“We needed a name and a brand that sets us apart from other gardens, tells everyone where we are, and will grow as we do,” says Lisa Laun, president of the Garden’s Board of Advisors.

Garden leadership worked with design firm Perkins + Will and community members to conceptualize a master plan for new

28 • Statesboro Magazine

gardens, which includes a labyrinth, a new multilevel children’s garden, accessible trails, an orchard and paths that climb through meadows and wander through wetland gardens.

The Garden’s showpiece will be a tower, loosely inspired by the native Coastal Plain pitcher plant, which visitors may climb via a spiral staircase to reach viewing balconies along the way and an expansive view of the Garden at the top. Built into every aspect of the plan are educational opportunities.

“We’ve already started measuring,” says Robert Randolph, the Garden’s associate director. “This plan won’t be sitting on a shelf.

We’ve begun solving problems like visibility, parking and a beautiful, safe and easy to find entrance.”

The additions to the Garden will take place at the current location, 1505 Bland Avenue. The new entrance will be constructed to have greater visual impact and easier accessibility for visitors. It features an undulating boundary wall with a park-like grass covered entry way and a parking garden for guests.

Other new aspects include circular spaces or garden rooms featuring a Council Ring designed to provide a garden meeting space; a labyrinth or garden maze; and a showcase garden with open windows within a viewing wall.

Space between the Garden’s allee and Fair Road will feature a Magnolia Allee Rise to serve as a focal point for photographs and a sound barrier to traffic on the roadway.

“In addition to local folks who have become part of the Garden family, we’re attracting people from Savannah and travelers from the I-95 corridor,” added Carolyn Altman, director of the Garden. “They are all impressed with what the Garden offers, and we want them to go home and tell everyone that the Garden is a must-see destination.

The Garden will use the special story already here to create a magical place for the future.”

The Garden’s special story also includes educating children and teachers. The Botanic Garden was the recent recipient of a Museums for America grant to be used to help regional educators teach science more effectively. A special curriculum was developed for teachers by Kathy Tucker, Garden education -coordinator and grant writer.

Teachers and students will be engaging in hands-on activities within the Garden to enhance the skills needed for solving scientific challenges.Part of the Botanic Garden’s master plan includes improvement to the children’s area.

A Children’s Learning Garden will be located near the Oak Grove One Room Schoolhouse, and is designed to encourage exploration by gardeners of all ages with special attention to accessibility. The Children’s Learning Garden will be surrounded by an orchard and will be adjacent to the Garden’s nursery, where specimen plants are nurtured year-round.

Other features include a bog and wetland garden, a canopy walk, meadow, hillside hollow and garden, plus new pathways allowing visitors to explore even more of the Garden.

Aspire! the fundraising plan for the project, has already begun.

“It’s going to take all of us to make this happen,” said Altman. “This is our chance to do something really special that will last a long time.” S Editor’s note: For more information on the Botanic Garden’s expansion plans or to become a donor, please email Carolyn Altman at caltman@georgiasouthern.edu. For information concerning the Museums of America grant for teachers email Kathy Tucker at ktucker@georgiasouthern.edu. Both Altman and Tucker may be reached by phone at the Garden, 912-478-1149.

A fr ican Her itag e S er i e s JANUARY 2016

FROM THE COLLECTION OF C.L. MOREHEAD, JR.

The Art of Africa January 15 – March 12, 2016 Gallery

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Dreamgirls January 29 – 30, 7:30 p.m.

January 16, 2016 7:30 p.m.

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January 31 2:00 p.m.

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Going Global

T

The American marketplace for almost everything is huge. We are the country of consumerism, so it is interesting to learn that more than 96% of the world’s customers live outside of the United States, a fact that many companies take advantage of through global enterprise. Companies that choose to do business outside the U.S. in the markets of other countries are able to take advantage of many opportunities: • Extending the sales life of existing products by finding new markets • Reducing dependence on markets that are already developed or saturated • Bridging domestic seasonal or fluctuating markets • Improving their potential for expansion and growth To lure industries doing business on the world stage to the Statesboro area, the Bulloch County Development Authority (BCDA) has chosen to brand the initiative, Advantage Bulloch!, which promises “Global Routes” and “Global Reach” to potential clients. Bulloch County’s location in proximity to the Port of Savannah provides attractive access to shipping routes for international companies.

Home to three institutions of higher learning, Bulloch also provides a trained and ready workforce. An abundance of natural resources means lower supply costs for manufacturers locating here.

Through working partnerships with companies like Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity, the BCDA is able to market our area to a larger client base through the Georgia Resource Center in Midtown Atlanta. The GRC provides industrial prospects with a virtual picture of everything a community like Statesboro has to offer to domestic and global firms, in addition to Georgia Power Company providing a whole power grid of services for larger corporations.

Our community already supports many companies who trade internationally. From the manufacturer of highaccuracy positive displacement flow-metering devices for pipelines to the manufacturer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment like lawn mowers and snow blowers; from the nation’s only single source architectural glass fabricator to North America’s largest manufacturer of commercial and residential roofing, companies already know that there are advantages to operating in Bulloch County: great logistics, a trained labor force, and low manufacturing costs, all that is needed to maximize their marketplace.

30 • Statesboro Magazine

POWERING OUR COMMUNITIES Statesboro - Bulloch County is our home too.

That’s why we’ve partnered with local chambers, development authorities and elected officials across the state to stimulate growth and invest in the future of our communities. And why, for almost 90 years, we’ve helped bring jobs and investment to the state – more than 121,000 jobs and $24 billion capital investment over the past decade alone.

S E L E C T G E O R G I Asm

ECONDEVGA@SOUTHERNCO.COM I SELECTGEORGIA.COM ©2015 Georgia Power Company. All rights reserved.

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Putting Power in Ever y Home January/February 2016 • 31

Showcasing Our Community to the World

BULLOCH COUNTY Proud to announce

joining our industrial partners: briggs & stratton • great dane trailers • brodie international • viracon sesolinc • walmart distribution • braswell’s • the sack company • m-d plastics • gaf

ure

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w w w. b r o d i e i n t l . c o m | 9 1 2 . 4 8 9 . 0 2 0 0 32 • Statesboro Magazine

Coming in the March/April Edition of Statesboro Magazine Call 912.489.2181 to reserve your space.

www.bulloch.k12.ga.us 912.212.8500 January/February 2016 • 33

The Taste of Bulloch County Sunshine

The Taste of Bulloch County Sunshine

Written by Jenny Foss

34 • Statesboro Magazine

O

On a fishing trip to Louisiana in 2009, Bulloch County native Joe Franklin spied a road-side fruit stand with small oranges that looked similar to tangerines.

He bought a bag and, after eating one, was immediately impressed with how easy they were to peel and the sweetness and juiciness of the orange. After arriving back home, Franklin researched the citrus fruit and found it was a variety of mandarin orange known as Satsuma.

Not happy with the taste of commercially available fruit in general, Franklin started to form an idea about raising Satsumas on his own farm. The retired owner of Franklin’s Restaurant, a home-style favorite locale for over 50 years, had purchased 97 acres from

The Taste of Bulloch County Sunshine

the estate of former State Senator Joe Kennedy off of U.S. Highway 301 South. By the time spring arrived in 2010, Franklin had an order placed with Star Nursery of Belle Chasse, Louisiana, for 200 “Brown Select” Satsuma trees. He immediately placed 15 acres of the Franklin Farm into cultivating an orchard of oranges.

While researching satsumas, Franklin found that the fruit grew very well in Alabama and Louisiana, generally in the higher subtropical zones of the U.S. It is believed the Satsuma arrived in the U.S. in 1878 when the wife of the U.S. Minister to Japan, General Van Valkenberg, was presented trees as a gift. Between 1908 and 1911 over one million trees were imported from Japan and

planted throughout the Gulf Coast states.

Due to a combination of disease and devastating freezes, thousands of acres of the Satsuma were eradicated from the Gulf Coast region by the 1930s.

Today, producers in the Gulf Coast states from Alabama to Texas are rediscovering the sweet fruit and have new orchards under production. In 2013, Franklin added another 800 Satsuma trees.

Franklin Farms grows two main varieties of Satsumas: “Owari” and “Brown Select.”

In addition, Franklin now has three greenhouses in which he cultivates seedlings and tries out other varieties of citrus fruits. He even has a blooming mango tree.

It takes a Satsuma tree three to five years

to produce a marketable fruit. This is Franklin’s first year of producing the fruit in large quantity. Friends and family help him with harvesting, washing, and packing the oranges into 20 lb. boxes or 5 lb. bags. The harvest season runs from October to December.

Franklin’s last harvest this year was on December 4th. The fruit can be stored two to three weeks under refrigeration. Not many of Franklin’s oranges were stored for any length of time. Over one ton was delivered to the Bulloch County School System for the lunch program. Oranges were also sold at L&D Produce, the Main Street Farmers Market, and Anderson’s General Store.

Franklin produced six tons total this year.

After the fruit is harvested, Franklin January/February 2016 • 35

The Taste of Bulloch County Sunshine

spends the rest of the year tending the trees, cutting grass in the orchard, applying fertilizer and pruning. In April, the trees will blossom again and Franklin will call local bee keeper Bobby Colson to bring his apiary to the orchard to pollenate the trees.

Colson says the orange blossom honey from Franklin’s trees is some of the best he’s

36 • Statesboro Magazine

ever had.

In the future, Franklin hopes to continue growing Satsumas, with a plan to have 30 acres total under cultivation. He wants to one day see his Satsumas in the produce section of grocery stores. For right now, he’s planning on planting another ten acres of Satsumas on a field adjacent to Hwy 301

in the spring of 2016. He’ll also be building a fruit stand nearby to market his home grown Satsumas and to attract the attention of passersby. Soon, those looking for the flavor of sunshine and honey bees, in locally grown and harvested, sweet, juicy Satsumas will be able to find them right here – on the side of the road at Franklin’s. S

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CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT 214 Savannah Avenue | Statesboro, GA 912.764.5609 | www.drdeal.net January/February 2016 • 37

Let’s Get Moving!

Perhaps it’s the perception of starting out with a clean slate or maybe it’s because you can usually get a better deal on a gym membership—for a whole slew of different reasons, the beginning of a New Year is easily the most popular time for setting weight loss and fitness goals, and improving your overall health.

Lucky for us, Statesboro has facilities for all fitness levels with dieticians and personal trainers to help you become the new you. If you need nutritional guidance, there are specialty stores and medical weight loss programs available to help you manage your dietary intake.

If you prefer the social aspects of getting fit, or if you really want to feel good while

improving your health, you may enjoy supporting one of the local 5K Benefit Runs.

If you’d rather get your workout by playing, there are many ways to enjoy both the outdoor and indoor recreation facilities in our area. Georgia Southern now has two new venues open to the public for improving your game. The GS Golf Course and the Shooting Sports Education Center on campus offer the finest in accommodations fit for training champions. For the hunting and fishing enthusiast, TC Outdoors provides all the supplies needed for a successful trip back to nature.

Don’t forget to check with your doctor

before starting any new strenuous exercise programs. Also, don’t forget a trip to the dentist for an annual cleaning and check-up. Did you know the American Dental Association says “The mouth is the gateway into your body’s overall health, taking care of your teeth and gums isn’t just about preventing cavities or bad breath?” A visit to Southern Family Dental will take care of your oral health and keep your smile bright for the New Year.

Ready to get started on the right track?

Check-out the many ways to stay active and healthy and find the best fit for you that will keep you moving forward this year.

Pink Power 5K Run Lace up your pink running shoes and put on your pink tutu for the StatesboroBulloch County Breast Cancer Foundation’s annual Pink Power 5K Run. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 16th at the Georgia Southern RAC. Last year $15,000 was raised in support of resources for patients and families impacted by breast cancer who through the foundation are offered educational outreach, financial assistance, patient counseling, and professional medical services supporting breast health. To keep abreast of plans for the Pink Power 5K Run visit www.statesboropinkpower. org or call 912.764-PINK. 38 • Statesboro Magazine

Georgia Southern Golf Course at University Park

Located on a pristine 167-acre tract of land six miles south of the Georgia Southern campus in one of Statesboro’s most attractive residential communities is an 18-hole championship golf course which opened in 2013. The course features 6,900 yards of greens and includes five sets of tees at each hole to accommodate every skill level.

The course is open to the public for a weekday rate of $28 and a weekend rate of $31 per day. Annual passes are available for $1,250.00, with special rates for military, faculty, staff, and seniors. An 8,000 sq./ft. clubhouse with multi-purpose meeting room, café, and golf shop provides a great spot for resting and refreshments after the game. The Par 72 course also features a complete practice facility. To take a look at each green, take a virtual tour at http://recreation.georgiasouthern.edu/golf .

Southern Family Dental Group Another way the right foods can help you in your overall health plan is in protecting your teeth and gums.

Routine brushing, flossing and rinsing your mouth will keep it in good health, but knowing some of the right foods to eat to help protect your teeth, gives you an even greater arsenal for fighting bacteria. You should still limit sugary sweets and harsh acidic foods in your diet, but there are also some foods that are good for your gums: • Apples – Chewing an apple can help remove plaque that clings to teeth and gums • Milk – Drinking milk (or eating cheese or yogurt) can neutralize acids in the mouth • Leafy Greens – They’re fiber packed and excellent at keeping plaque away • Raw Onion – Bad breath is an enemy, but onions have an antimicrobial ingredient that kills bacteria!

To make sure your mouth stays clean and healthy, make an appointment today at Southern Family Dental. Drs. Walden, Griffin, and Strub share the goal of providing your family with the highest level of general and cosmetic dentistry possible. Everything for preventative, restorative, cosmetic, and pediatric dentistry is offered. From root canals to whitening and veneers, the dentists on staff have the experience and knowledge to deliver the best treatments available.

Southern Family Dental Group doesn’t stop with treatment, the dentists and staff members also educate patients about keeping teeth clean, healthy and strong. New patients are welcome. For on-line registration visit them at www. southernfamilydentalgroup.com or call for an appointment 912-764-6861.

They’ll give you something to smile about!

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912.764.6861

January/February 2016 • 39

TC Outdoors

If outdoor adventure is your idea of a work-out, TC Outdoors offers all of the supplies necessary to make sure you are prepared to bring home a trophy on your next hunting or fishing trip. Specializing in firearms, TC Outdoors has the largest selection of guns and ammo, and is the only Benelli dealer in the area. They have a qualified gunsmith on staff for firearm restoration and repair. TC Outdoors also offers camouflage clothing, camping supplies, knives, fishing tackle, rods and reels, boat paddles and live bait. TC Outdoors carries all of the safety gear, gun cleaning kits, and tactical gear to ensure a safe experience in the wild. Deer season ends on January 10th for most of Georgia, but it’s open season on squirrel, bobcat, fox, opossum, raccoon, rabbit, and quail through February 29th. Turkey season is March 26th – May 15th. Plan an outdoor adventure for you, your family, or friends with everything you’ll need from TC Outdoors. To get packing visit www.tc-outdoors.com or call 912-489-3474.

MEDI Weightloss® Clinic The One That Works!® That’s because Medi-Weightloss® isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. The life changing weight loss program is offered by Dr. James Hiller of Southern OB/GYN Specialists here in Statesboro. A personal evaluation of each patient is key to the success of the Medi Weightloss Clinic. Through the support and encouragement of trained physicians, along with the 5 Keys to success, patients can learn how to positively change their lifestyle by achieving long-term weight loss. To begin your journey to a healthier you call the Clinic at 912-681-6334 or visit www.mediweightlossclinics. com.

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40 • Statesboro Magazine

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180 Fitness Turn Your Life Around! That’s how the professionals at 180 Fitness motivate clients to reach their greatest potential. The 17,000 sq./ft. facility has the space to provide a wide range of fitness opportunities. The main floor offers more than 35 pieces of Cybex and Bodymasters equipment, circuits, an abs zone, and cardio equipment. A Cardiovascular Deck with treadmills, cross trainers, bikes, Stairmasters, and Cardiovision. Classes like BodyFlow, BodyPump, RPMs, Power Yoga, Zumba, and Kick & Core provide a wide variety of fitness connections. 180 Fitness provides additional services that make a trip to the gym something to look forward to – free childcare, a tanning bed, and steam sauna for members to enjoy after a heavy workout. Corporate wellness programs are available, and personal trainers for those who are on a solo mission to improve overall fitness.

To begin turning your life around visit www.oneeightyfitness.com or call 912871-6622 for a free tour or trial workout.

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4 College Plaza | Statesboro, GA

912.871.6622

OneEightyFitness.com

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GET OUTDOORS & GET ACTIVE! We’re here for all your hunting & fishing needs!

1242 Northside Drive East | Statesboro, GA Next to the Tile Center

912.489.3474 | www.tc-outdoors.com Mon-Fri: 8 am - 6 pm | Sat: 7 am - 5 pm

The Chocolate Run 5K

Statesboro’s Sweetest Fundraiser.

This annual event is in its fourth year of benefitting the Open Hearts Community Mission and will be held on Saturday, February 20th at Georgia Southern’s RAC. Runners can register early on or before February 13th for $25 or leave it to the last minute and register for $30 on race day. There’s a 1K Fun Run for beginners for $10 per person. T-shirts are provided for early registrants and race day runners as supplies last. For more information or to register for the race go to www.thesweetestrace.com.

January/February 2016 • 41

Real Food, Real Life

Real Food, 42 • Statesboro Magazine

Real Food, Real Life

Real Life Written by Jenny Foss

January/February 2016 • 43

I

Real Food, Real Life

“It’s been a journey through food.”

That’s how local restauranteur Seni AlibiIsama describes the quest he has undertaken to open his own restaurant on South Main Street in Statesboro. From New York to Atlanta to Statesboro, each step of the way brought him closer to his dream. 441 Public Kitchen & Bar opened for business on June 10, 2015, to fulfill Seni’s life-long passion for great food.

“I’ve been cooking since I was seven or eight-years-old,” said Seni. “My mom is from Trinidad and Dad traveled for business all over the world. It was mostly Mom and my two brothers growing up.”

He attended grade school in New York in a household where every meal was prepared from scratch. “It was a treat to get to eat at McDonald’s,” he said.

“I remember standing on a step-stool picking crab, peeling shrimp, and boning chicken,” he said, “while Mom and Grandma cooked.” Seni’s house was known by the neighborhood kids as the place to hang around at mealtime.

“Because we had a family of boys, our friends would hang-out at the house and they’d get fed, too. Those guys would come up from the basement and Mom would just keep cooking pancakes until everyone had their fill. It was like keystone cops coming out of a car – when are these guys gonna stop coming?” he said.

The knowledge of food he gained at the knees of his mother and grandmother, plus living in New York City, an area first in food and drink, ignited Seni’s passion for great tasting food with authentic flavor.

He attended middle school and high school in Atlanta, graduating from Cedar Grove High in 1997. He met wife, Janetta in a tenth grade French class. “She wasn’t very nice to me to begin with,” he said. But both came to Statesboro to attend Georgia Southern University, married, and like many others, chose to stay in Statesboro once they graduated in 2001.

Janetta became a Special Education teacher and currently works at William James Middle School. Successful in the field of education, she has been Teacher of the Year and recognized as television station WTOC’s Top Teacher.

44 • Statesboro Magazine

Seni majored in English and history and but tragically caught fire and was destroyed worked for Viracon for a few years. He left on August 14, 2014.

“I learned very young, life isn’t always Viracon to open a computer store on East Main Street. “I taught myself computers,” about what’s fair,” Seni shared. “It will chalhe said. “How to build and repair them. I lenge you relentlessly. How you react to the did operating systems, etc. It was a good challenges is the true sign of your character.”

Seni’s reaction was to find another locabusiness. I was very busy all the time, but I got tired of sitting in front of a computer tion in the downtown area where he could reopen. It took about a year, but by June screen.”

The real impetus for opening the restau- of 2015 he was ready to open 441 Public rant was frustration over the choices in food Kitchen & Bar at Midtown.

The eclectic menu at 441 illustrates Seni’s in the area.

“I like more of a variety and more ‘guts’ approach to the culinary arts. “We cover local favorites like shrimp put into the preparation & grits, catfish, and fried and taste of food,” he said.

I learned very young, life green tomatoes,” he said.

Plus, Seni has always been isn’t always about what’s “But, we put something inspired by food as a catafair,” Seni shared. “It will exciting in every dish. We lyst for life. “I really have a challenge you relentlessly. prepare our own sauces, profound love for food and How you react to the chalbake our own bread, and what it does for people,” lenges is the true sign of we use local food as much he said. “Food is the center your character. as we possibly can in preof good times. People celparing our menu.” ebrate with food. Providing The kitchen at 441 is a behind the scenes that celebratory experience is very satisfying and rewarding to me.” look at what makes the restaurant above the Seni started by cooking what he knows. ordinary. It consists of three separate rooms: “If I don’t know – I start playing around the grill and stove-top section, closest to the with it,” he said. “It becomes less difficult main dining room, where the chef prepares the entrees; the adjacent “prep” kitchen once you gain a level of competence.”

He opened South and Vine Public House where sauces, salads, and ingredients are at the corner of South Main and Vine prepared for the chef; then the bakery where Streets downtown in January of 2013. The all the bread, rolls, and buns are freshly successful restaurant was open for two years, baked each day. The kitchen area is so large,

Seni acquired the building next door to accommodate the expanse.

The latest in restaurant equipment is on hand to assist in perfect preparation of the food. “We don’t have food sitting under a warming light,” said Seni. “We have a thermal circulator that cooks things within ten degrees of accuracy indefinitely. It will not go beyond 125 degrees. At higher temperatures the proteins in meat will breakdown over time,” he said. “Our method tenderizes the meat without adding chemicals.”

This allows Seni to offer a very large and, yet, tender steak. “We have what we call ‘steak for two,’ where we can offer a 32 – 48 ounce Porterhouse cooked to order that is the most tender steak in town,” he said. “It really is an experience in dining.”

441 also prepares all its own condiments including catsup and mayonnaise, along with flavorful sauces like chimichurri and curries. They grind their own hamburger meat. Plus offer a Fresh Catch of the Day and, “We have the best gumbo anyone can experience,” Seni said.

Seni prefers to use all local products. His ingredients come from Hunter Cattle Company, Prosser Seafood, Grassroots Farms, Walker Farms, Honeydew Farms, and H.L. Franklin Honey among others. “I sought these people out for vendors,” he said.

But, food is not the only part of the dining experience at 441, there is one of the area’s most extensively stocked bars as well.

“I didn’t have a beer until I was 30,” Seni said. “It just wasn’t my thing. But, in developing the restaurant, I like to know everything. I did a bar program and a wine list. We started with classic techniques and from that you can see the evolution to our approach to bartending.

“We don’t carry a lot of well brands or domestic beers. We want people to try something new and different. We prepare exciting cocktails and have an extensive selection of craft beers. We want our beverages to create an expectation for the food to come,” he said.

“I want to see food and food service pushed to a higher level. More care, more thought, more choices in the food we’re given and what we choose,” Seni said. “I crave new food experiences. We always try to put out the best version of that dish every time we serve it.” S

Who will make the list?

Coming in the March/April edition of Statesboro Magazine

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SOCCE Ben Freakley New General Manager Scouts Talent & Develops Pros When team owner and president Darin Van Tassell unveiled the Tormenta FC team colors and logo announcing the winner of a contest among fans naming the new soccer franchise, he also announced the new general manager.

Georgia Southern alumni and veteran soccer coach Ben Freakley joined the Premier Development League franchise as the latest in a world class leadership team being formed

by Van Tassell to run the program.

A graduate of Georgia Southern, Freakley not only coached soccer, he also played on the Eagles’ squad. He also coached at the College of Charleston, Erskine College, and VMI. He is married to the former Melissa Cox, who played women’s soccer for Georgia Southern.

While serving as a Georgia Southern coach, Freakley also ran his own youth soccer camp. He holds a USSF ‘A’ license from the United States Soccer Federation and holds Masters Degrees in both sports management and sports psychology.

During the press conference announcing his hire Freakley stated, “I’m looking forward to working with Darin and so many people in the community to make Tormenta FC something we can all be very proud of. My number one job with this organization is going to be to bring in the most talented players we can for 10-12 weeks each summer.

They’re going to understand that they have a responsibility to the community beyond winning games. Everyone who spoke today has talked about how great Statesboro and

Bulloch County is. I want our players to know that and to represent that as they compete.”

“Amazing is so hard to find,” said Van Tassell. “The soccer world is filled with many types of people. There are good coaches, administrators, teachers, and motivators.

But there are precious few who are amazing in all areas, which puts Ben Freakley in a class by himself. I have watched him up close and personal for the past five years.

Intelligence and passion follow Ben everywhere he goes.

Because he is also a graduate and former NCAA coach at Georgia Southern University, Ben is the epitome of the kind of person I want at the helm of our franchise at Tormenta FC. Great things await.”

The Van Tassells and partner Jeremy Aven are owners of the Storm Soccer Academy and the Tormenta FC franchise. Van Tassell and wife Netra Van Tassell are also owners of The Clubhouse in Statesboro.

SEASON TICKETS | MERCHANDISE | TEAM UPDATES | WWW.TORMENTAFC.COM

ER 2016 Borja Pérez Tormenta FC Soccer Franchise Hires International Head Coach “Pros Start Here!” That’s the message on the flip side of the Tormenta FC team scarf and the challenge for new head coach Borja Pérez who assumes the position January 1, 2016. Fans and officials sporting team colors of gray and magenta packed the Savannah Chamber of Commerce during the regional press conference announcing Pérez’s hire in December 2015.

Pérez of Bilboa, Spain was chosen from a competitive field of candidates because of his impressive experience in coaching and developing players for European soccer.

His appointment showcases the internationalism of globalized soccer and says a lot about the potential reach of the Statesboro based soccer program.

Team owner and President Darin Van Tassell stated, “Anytime you do something for an inaugural season, you want to make a bit of a splash. I had more than 40 coaches from around the world apply. We targeted (Borja Pérez) early.”

An accomplished Spanish soccer coach and trainer since 2003, Borja Pérez is the most recent soccer professional to join the Tormenta FC team. General Manager Ben Freakley, instrumental in hiring Pérez, assumed his role with the new franchise in October. Pérez will be the first head coach of the Premier Development League team franchise.

His leaves behind a position as Soccer Coach for the S.D. Basurto (U19) team and also as Head Fitness Coach at the Sestao River Club, both in Bilboa.

On hiring Pérez for the top spot Freakley stated, “Spain has been at the cutting edge of player development, tactical innovation and winning at Champions League, Euro’s and World Cup competitions for the last several years. Our initiative in appointing Borja Pérez is to infuse what he knows and has learned in his time as a professional coach to benefit Tormenta FC.” Pérez and Freakley will be conducting player try-outs beginning on January 9th, at The Clubhouse in Statesboro, with the first game of the season slated for May 21st, at Georgia Southern’s Eagle Field at the Erk Russell Athletic Park. Area fans can find season tickets, team merchandise, and a schedule of games (soon to come) at www.tormentafc.com.

SEASON TICKETS | MERCHANDISE | TEAM UPDATES | WWW.TORMENTAFC.COM

Your Success Is

...quality of life

912.764.5468 | www.STATESBOROGA.gov 48 • Statesboro Magazine

|

Our Goal

The City of Statesboro uses an innovative approach to doing business! We partner with private, public, and non-profit entities to recruit, retain, and expand local business with programs such as Right Start and the GSU Entrepreneurial Zone FabLab, and by redeveloping areas with Tax Allocation Districts (TAD) funds. Statesboro is a place your business can call home!

...amenities

...opportunity

50 EAST MAIN STREET | STATESBORO, GA 30458 January/February 2016 • 49

As your realtor, I am passionate about helping you find the right home to fit your family’s needs. I’m here to build lasting relationships and create a pleasant experience from start to finish. Just as I have helped over 30 families with buying or selling in 2015, give me the opportunity to serve you and I’ll treat you like family!

- Ashley Padgett,

“Opening the door for you!”

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HOME

W For Agents

Welcome Home

For Brokers

Whether you are looking to rent, buy or sell your home, Statesboro Magazine’s directory of local real estate agents and brokers connects you with professionals who can help meet your needs. Because the real estate market is unique, it’s important to choose a real estate agent or broker with local expertise to guide you through the process of renting, buying or selling your next home.

Our directory helps you find real estate professionals who specialize in buying, selling, or relocation of residential and commercial properties. Work with a local agent or real estate broker to get the most knowledgeable and expert assistance in real estate buying and selling services.

JAKE FUTCH

912-531-2580 | 912-764-5485 www.statesbororealty.com

TANNER REALTY

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We Put Bulloch First

Gay Dailey – Vice President of Operations | Gary Johnson – President | Wes Simmons – Vice President

121

912-623-2500

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STATESBORO ADVANCES IN THE AMERICA’S BEST COMMUNITIES COMPETITION Statesboro Competes for America’s Best Community – Semi Finalist to be named January 13!

Come cheer for the Blue Mile and join us to learn if Statesboro will continue in its quest Mile” to be named America’s The “Blue serves as Best Community and claim thriving campus of Georgia $3 million in prize earnings at noon on January 13 at the Mical Whitaker Black Box Theater on West Main Street!

In 2014, Frontier Communications, DISH Network, CoBank, and the Weather Channel launched the America’s Best Communities competition, a $10 million prize competition to stimulate growth and revitalization in communities across Frontier’s 27 state footprint. With almost 400 applications submitted from across the nation, Statesboro was selected as the only Georgia City, and a top fifty quarter finalist

in April. Fifteen communities will be named as semi-finalists on January 13 and invited to the 2016 summit to present their proposals for a chance to be awarded $100,000 with the opportunity to continue to competeimportant for the $3 link million grand an between prize and selected as America’s Southern University.

Best Community!

Local partners in this effort, including the City of Statesboro, the Averitt Center for the Arts, the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority, Georgia Southern University’s City Campus, the South Main Street Revitalization Committee, and the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce utilized the America’s Best Community competition $50,000 quarter final winnings to develop a Master Redevelopment Strategy for the redesign of the South Main Street corridor between GSU’s Sweetheart Circle and historic downtown Statesboro, the Blue Mile.

The “Blue Mile” serves as an important link between Statesboro’s historic downtown and the thriving campus of Georgia Southern University. The need to revitalize South Main Street has been recognized as a perennial challenge at the Community Leadership Conference. Shown is a concept for the redesign of South Main Street as developed by EMC Engineering and DER Architects for the Blue Mile Master Redevelopment Plan.

The Winning Combo City of Statesboro

The South Main Revitalization Committee (The Blue Mile) Downtown’s Tax Allocation District (TAD) DSDA First Friday Events Main Street Farmers Market

Statesboro’s historic downtown and the Downtown Development Incentives

Sea Island Bank Low Interest Loan Program Averitt Centers for the Arts GSU City Campus & Fabrication Laboratory Downtown Business Owners & Investors

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Accepting the award are Statesboro team members Tim Chapman – Executive Director of The Averitt Center for the Arts, Mandi Cody – Director of Planning & Development for City of Statesboro, Andi Wilson – BIG (The Business Innovation Group) Administrative Coordinator for Georgia Southern University City Campus, and Allen Muldrew – Director of Main Street Statesboro.

Explore the world through Statesboro Magazine’s Eyes.

Romance & Rehabilitation: When Two Loves Collide Contact Willingway for a FREE copy of these books!

“First Family of Recovery”– Lifetime Achievement Win, Evolution of Addiction Treatment Awards - Winter 2015 Call Sarah Dasher (912.489.7277) or email sdasher@willingway.com and mention the name and issue date of this publication to get the FREE books!

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CHECK OUT ALL OF THE GREAT EVENTS THAT CLASS HAS TO OFFER AT BIT.LY/GSUCLASS January/February 2016 • 55

GO ahead When you open or expand your business, give yourself a 113-year advantage. That’s how long we’ve been lending to business owners and operators–longer than any other financial institution in the area. Chances are good that we know something that can help you.

In an ever-increasing competitive climate, we don’t just want you to get by. We want you to be wildly successful. If you are banking with someone else, now is the time for a second opinion. Call us. We will answer the phone.

(Busy people know how important that is.)

Locations across Georgia. Go online and choose a branch or a banker you want to work with.

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Visit Statesboro! s Heidi Jeffers

Scott Bryant/Statesboro Herald

Frank Fortune

announced in December that Tyson Summers has formally accepted an offer to become Georgia Southern’s head football coach. Summers has ties to Statesboro from his time with the Eagles as safeties coach at Georgia Southern in 2006, a year after serving as a graduate assistant for Georgia in 2005. He has a coaching career that spanned almost 15 years and seven schools. A native of Tifton, Georgia, Summers comes back home from Colorado State, where he served as the Rams’ defensive coordinator and safeties coach in 2015.

Exciting News in Sports Tourism!

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Since 2011, the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau has branded tourism efforts with the theme Visit Statesboro!

Concentrated efforts to market Statesboro as a tourism destination have resulted in increased numbers of visitors and travelers over the past four years. Each year the amount of hotel rooms rented in Bulloch County has increased over the year before.

When analyzing the increase, much can be attributed to Sports Tourism marketing. Sports Tourism has become one of the largest market segments of people visiting

Statesboro with a great economic impact on the area. The announcement of a Premier Development League soccer franchise –Tormenta FC – locating in Statesboro is the biggest announcement to affect future tourism numbers since football returned to Georgia Southern.

Tyson Summers Hired as New Head Football Coach at Georgia Southern Georgia Southern Interim President Jean Bartels, Ph.D., R.N., Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein and the Board of Regents

Borja Pérez Named Head Coach of Tormenta FC Soccer Team Tormenta FC has appointed Borja Pérez as its first head coach. The Statesboro based soccer expansion franchise was announced as the Premier Development League’s newest member in August of this year. The team will begin its inaugural season in May 2016.

Pérez begins his new role on January 1, 2016. As head coach, Borja Pérez will join the leadership team of Darin Van Tassell, Tormenta FC’s owner and president, and General Manager Ben Freakley as they prepare for their inaugural season. Pérez will also work closely with the local Storm Soccer Academy – which exists under the umbrella of Tormenta FC – under the guidance of Tormenta’s Owner and General Partner, Jeremy Aven. Pérez comes to Georgia from a storied coaching career in Europe, where he currently serves as the Head Technical Coach for the S.D. Basurto soccer club – as well as the head fitness coach for the Sestao River Club -- both located in Bilbao, Spain.

Georgia Southern Wins First Bowl Game Ever!

In what was dubbed, “the Battle of the Birds,” Georgia Southern (9-4 season) won the first bowl game in school history in the first year it was eligible to go to the postseason. In the GoDaddy Bowl, that has been played annually in Ladd Peeples Stadium in Mobile, AL, since 1999, the Eagles were matched with a Mid-American Conference team, the Bowling Green State University (Ohio) Falcons. The Eagles prevailed thanks to their trademark running game. They had 452 yards rushing to top their nationbest season average of 355.6 yards. Bowling Green (10-4) led 27-23 at halftime, but Georgia Southern scored the final 35 points, flying over the Falcons 58-27.

January/February 2016 • 57

True Blue GS s Doy Cave

The Positive Power of Negative Thinking

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It’s no secret that America is obsessed with positive thinking. You can visit the self-help section of your local bookstore to see stacks of bestsellers teaching that a positive mental attitude is the key to losing weight, starting a business or living your wildest dreams.

However, Karen Naufel, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Georgia Southern University, says the latest psychological research suggests that this optimism may be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to achieving goals.

“When people form any type of goal, they tend to be optimistic in both the likelihood it takes to accomplish it and the time it takes to accomplish it,” she said. “But they usually take a lot longer than they think they will, and it usually takes a lot more resources than they anticipate. And this can result in either goal abandonment: they just don’t do it anymore, or just a delayed process in pursuing the goal: they get tired of doing it.”

To make goals that stick, Naufel says it’s important to focus on the obstacles — employ a little negative thinking.

Get Realistic There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big, but a goal has to be attainable. And in order to reach an attainable goal, we first have to “unpack” it.

Unpacking a goal essentially means accounting for every detail required to achieve it. For instance, if your goal was to lose weight, you would have to account for each step it would take to accomplish that goal, including: getting rid of the junk food in your house, buying healthy food, buying a treadmill or a gym membership, buying running shoes or workout clothing.

“When you break down every step a person has to do, you have more reasonable estimates and you’re better prepared,” said Naufel. “It’s a little work upfront, but it’ll pay off in the long run, and you’ll have a more realistic expectation for how long it’s

going to take.”

Embrace the Obstacles The school of positive thinking teaches that if you sincerely expect that you will achieve your goals and dreams, then this high expectation is enough to spur your action to make those dreams a reality.

However, Naufel says that with the visualization technique of “mental contrasting,” high expectation is only the beginning. In order to successfully reach your goals, you also have to embrace the obstacles.

Like positive thinking, mental contrasting asks you to think about the desired outcome of your goal. Instead of leaving you there, however, the technique then asks you to “contrast” that goal with the presentday obstacles that would keep you from it.

By walking through this process, research shows that people have a clearer picture of what it will take to achieve their goals and are more successful as a result.

“They have higher motivation, higher drive, higher emotions, and feel energized in pursuing the goal,” said Naufel. “They do all of that when they contrast their desire state with the present-day obstacles.”

State Your Intentions Acting on our intentions is one of the most difficult parts of achieving goals, but Naufel says the simple practice of “implementation intentions” can dramatically improve our success.

Implementation intentions ask us to make a specific plan as to when, where and how we will accomplish a goal. The practice also asks us to think of situations or actions that we can associate with our goal as a reminder to perform our goal-directed behavior.

So, instead of simply saying, “I want to save more money this year,” implementation intentions say, “When I get my paycheck, I will deposit 10 percent into my savings account.” Instead of saying, “I’d like to make an A in my psychology class,” im-

plementation intentions say, “When I finish my classes on Monday and Wednesday, I will go to the library and study psychology for two hours.”

“They’re really practical and easy to do,” said Naufel. “They’re really simple, but they seem to have a big effect.”

Embracing the power of “negative thinking” doesn’t mean you can’t dream big this New Year. It just means that the inner pessimist in you will stay on the lookout for the speed bumps, detours and potholes on your road to success.

“People don’t like to think about those details, but that’s actually one of the really important parts of accomplishing any goal,” said Naufel. “Thinking about and anticipating those obstacles can be quite helpful.”

January/February 2016 • 59

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60 • Statesboro Magazine

The Spiritual Pathway s Rev. Dr. H. William Perry

Encourage One Another

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I was going through an old box of my books when I discovered a Look Magazine dated January 16, 1962. As I thumbed through the issue I found an interesting feature on predictions of what life would be like when the year 2000 rolled around.

Here we are 16 years into the new century, and I am fascinated by how many of the predictions by authorities of 1962 did not, and have not, come true.

One prediction was that we would witness the disappearance of hunger, malnutrition, and diseases. How wrong! World

hunger is massive! AIDS, cancer, and heart diseases are still rampant! But we are making progress (polio is almost extinct!)

Other predictions were that asbestos cement would become the most popular construction material, men would walk on Mars by 1985, cars would glide over cushions of air instead of rolling on tires, and that most families would own jet-powered sedans capable of flying up to 500 milesper-hour and they would be so simple to fly that any grandmother who could drive a car would be able to fly these jet sedans. It was

also predicted that by 2000 all babies would be assigned their own telephone numbers at birth, and those numbers would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Most of those predictions are as farfetched in 2016 as they were in 1962. Look proved that when it comes to predicting the future even the world’s great authorities are anything but experts.

However, I will dare to make a prediction that I feel confident about: whether the year is 2016 or 2116, we will continue to need the encouragement and support of each other.

In his autobiography, The Son of the Ragman, Kirk Douglas wrote of how difficult it was for his father to show warmth or support, or to give words of encouragement. One evening Kirk had a major role in a school play. He knew his mother would be there but he seriously doubted his father would attend. To his surprise, about halfway through the play he saw his father standing in the back of the auditorium. After the play was over he wanted his dad to come up and congratulate him, but it didn’t happen. Instead he asked his young son if he’d like to stop and get an ice cream cone. As Kirk Douglas reflected back over his awards in his acting career he prized that 5-cent ice cream cone more than his Oscar. That small act by the most important male in his life meant that much to the young boy. We will always need the praise and encouragement of the significant ones in our lives.

A few years ago I spent a morning in Muir Woods, a National Park within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge near San Francisco. In the park is a grove of coastal redwood trees.

Unlike the giant sequoia redwoods, the coastal redwoods don’t have deep roots. For these thousand-year-old trees to stand each tree’s roots must intertwine with the roots of the trees around it. Otherwise they would not be able to withstand the powerful winds of coastal California. Those gigantic trees literally hold each other up. It’s kind of like that with us, too. I talk with people most every day who are going through the heavy winds of difficulty. They tell me they would not be able to keep going if it were not for the support of those who stand alongside of them. That’s true for me, too, plus the support of the One who lives within me.

January/February 2016 • 61

LOOK AROUND Downtown Statesboro Christmas Celebration Friday, December 4, 2015 Chili Town Cook-off Arts & Crafts Vendors Golf Cart Parade Visit from Santa

62 • Statesboro Magazine

LOOK AROUND Sylvania Visitors Center October 28, 2015 Chris Carr, Georgia Commissioner of Economic Development Visited the Nation’s Longest Standing Visitor Information Center Located In Sylvania, Georgia, to Announce the Economic Impact of Tourism for the State of Georgia In 2014 Tourism Brought: 411,000 jobs $3 Billion in Taxes 14 Million Travelers through Visitors Centers $57.1 Billion in Revenue

January/February 2016 • 63

The View From Here s Ric Mandes

Sandcastles

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He had always loved the beach. He had grown up on the island, had played on the dunes, had sat watching the sun slip gently into the ocean with the tide and the breeze creating a symphony all its own.

Later he had moved away, occasionally returning to this coastal cache of land and water that held so many memories for him: as a child, chasing the seagulls; as a teenager, learning to ride a skiff, catching the winds and flying across the wake of the waves; the

night of his high school senior prom, with everyone going to the island’s casino and dancing until morning. The night watchman just smiled and blinked his flashlight signing to keep it as quiet as possible.

Now as he stood looking at the sun, the sand, and the sea, he wanted to shout hello to it all again. He wanted to say, “Remember me? I’m the skinny kid who always stayed blistered!” He took off his shoes and socks and began walking. The ocean’s roar

was the same. The breeze was the same. All that was missing was happiness.

This was canvas on which an artist had sketched a child with sandcastles. Now the artist with deft strokes imposes a figure with different tones walking slowly through the castles toward the sunset.

Life had been both good and bad. He had moved far from the sea: had done well for himself; had retired with a fine professional record and reputation. But in his later years, the castles had dissolved into the crystal beach floor.

Visiting the coast had helped. The ocean’s roar matched his own in its final watery leap thrusting memories at him aided by the breeze filled with voices of the past: his family’s, friend’s, and…others.

Others!

They had come a long way. The battle was not over. His health had been bad. He had worked hard to get it all back together. But it was combat in solo. No one could help.

He had to do it on his own.

And being on his own, so much had been lost. Not particularly because he wanted it that way. His obsession of getting through the dark tunnel to the other side had done it.

No pity. Just nothing. Isolation.

And now, he walks the beach with the hours of the tide and the breeze carrying his yesterdays back and forth.

There is nothing worse than an uncharted course. There is nothing more tragic than a human lost. There is nothing more aching than no identity. There is nothing emptier than no dimension.

The sun was gone. Just a touch of its glow lighted his face. He walked to the edge of the water feeling its cool uncontrolled caressed flow across his feet. He stood for a long time.

“I’ve been watching you trying to decide whether you were a captain of total privacy reliving old days, or just feeling sorry for yourself,” she laughed.

He turned.

She was in jeans and a white button down blouse that highlighted her tan. She was sitting in a small beach chair. Larry Gatlin’s “Easy on the Eye” floated from her tape recorder. She was sipping from a small silver cup.

He walked toward her...she smiled.

“I’m happy to meet you,” he said.

January/February 2016 • 65

TRANSITIONS

“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” - Richard Bach, (Illusions) Mrs. Thelma Jane Adams

10.19.15

Mrs. Mary Alice Martin Harn

10.16.15

Mr. Carl. R. Oarsons

10.15.15

Mr. Paul Benjamin “Ben” Adams

10.24.15

Mr. James William Harvey

09.12.15

Ms. Susan Amanda “Susie” Oglesby

10.19.15

Mr. David Akins

10.27.15

Mrs. Janice “Jan” Barnard Haygood

10.11.15

Mrs. Mary Hines Owens

10.14.15

Mrs.. Sandra Brannen Aldrich

10.09.15

Mr. Robert Ray Hendrix

09.03.15

Mrs. Carol “Jenny” Iler Pagan

10.28.15

Mr. Jimmy Lanier Bazemore

10.24.15

Mrs. Rebecca Hendrix

09.05.15

Mrs. Tressie Knight Patrick

09.25.15

Mrs. Quillene Garrison Bowen

09.11.15

Mrs. Ruby Melba Barnes Hendrix

09.12.15

Mrs. Mary Simmons Pennington

10.05.15

Dr. Haywood E. Boyd

10.04.15

Mr. Willie James Hendrix

10.03.15

Ms. Dianne L. Pomeroy

09.19.15

Pastor Lucille Jones Bradley

10.15.15

Mrs. Mary Lou Collins Hendrix

10.11.15

Mrs. Dianne Morgan Poteat

09.22.15

Mr. Charles Edward “Ed” Bragg

10.12.15

Mr. Stephen A. Holmes

09.06.15

Mr. Charles Arthur Radelet

09.13.15

Mr. Roy “Sonny Boy” Brunson

10.15.15

Mr. Harold Wayne “Rock” Howell

09.09.15

Mr. Randy Rawls

10.17.15

Mrs. Peggy Nesbitt Cannady

09.27.15

Mrs. Madalene R. Howell

10.05.15

Mr. Kenneth Joe Ray

09.23.15

Mr. John T. Catto

10.12.15

Mr. James Mitchell “Mitch” Huff

09.19.15

Miss Lillian Aliza Reeves

09.07.15

Mr. Raymond Classens

09.18.15

Mrs. Nancy Jean Hardage Huffman

10.11.15

Mr. Paul Ovid Revels, Jr.

09.11.15

Mrs. Louise Tilley Cleland

09.30.15

Mrs. Gloria Swanson Mock James

09.20.15

Mrs. Shirley Ann Gulledge Richardson

10.05.15

Mr. Joseph Wynton “Joe” Collins

10.07.15

Master Cody Johnson

10.17.15

Mrs. Marilyn Jones Riggs

10.03.15

Mrs. Ann M. Conti

09.01.15

Mr. John Daniel “J.D.” Johnson, Jr.

09.13.15

Mrs. Milburn Trapnell Rimes

09.15.15

Mr. Aldric “Al” Franklin Cox

10.02.15

Deacon George Johnson, Jr.

09.28.15

Mr. Walter Lamar Rushing

09.09.15

Mrs. Versie Sapp Anderson Cribbs

10.05.15

Mr. Charles E. Jones

08.28.15

Mrs. Alice Faye Coursey Schiavo

10.07.15

Mr. Troy Lamar Crowe

10.19.15

Mr. Walter Herbert “Herb” Jones

10.27.15

Mrs. Mary H. Sharp

09.14.15

Mr. Mary Ellen McCullough Culp

09.25.15

Mrs. Josie Cowart Joyner

10.09.15

Mr. Harley Frank Shurling, Sr.

09.05.15

Mr. Fredrick Harold “Fred” Curlin, Sr.

10.11.15

Mr. Jimmmy G. Kitchens

09.06.15

Mrs. Virginia Elizabeth Smith

09.26.15

Mr. William Bradnock “Bill” David

09.05.15

Mr. David Knight, Jr.

09.08.15

Mrs. Mary Bennett Giles Smith

10.04.15

Mr. Douglas M. Davis

09.18.15

Mr. John Hart Krickel

10.22.15

Mr. Charles Everette Snowden

09.03.15

Mr. Dennis Lee Davis

10.18.15

Mrs.. Ruby Jane Lee

10.15.15

Mr. Roland Starling

09.10.15

Mr. James Beecher “Mac” DeLoach

10.26.15

Mrs. Minnie Jones Lee

10.30.15

Mrs. Virginia Kicklighter Starling

10.31.15

Mr. Frank DeLoach, Jr.

10.03.15

Mayor Al Lewis

10.18.15

Minister Josephine Sweet

10.24.15

Mr. Thomas Dickerson

09.16.15

Mrs. Janet Kuhnhein Linville

10.25.15

Ms. Sally Ann Tollerton Thompson

09.19.15

Mr. Alvin Edward Donaldson

10.31.15

Mr. Doy Love, Jr.

09.17.15

Mr. Harmon Thrift

10.30.15

Mr. Lendward Fail

10.13.15

Mrs. Frances Virginia McGlamery Lowe

09.29.15

Mr. Larry Thomas Torrance

09.23.15

Mr. Edward “Billy” L. Fanning

09.12.15

Mrs. Deborah Mason McCray

09.30.15

Mr. Jack Webb

09.16.15

Mrs. Patricia Adams Fordham

10.17.15

Mr. Samuel DeWitt “Whitey” McCullough

09.22.15

Mr. William Bowie Wells

09.28.15

Mrs. Geraldine “Jerri” Oglesby Froggatt

10.09.15

Mrs. Gladys K. McDonald

10.20.15

Mr. Robert Lee Wells

10.11.15

Mr. Warren Daniel “Dan” Gary, Jr.

10.20.15

Ms. Cissy Olliff Mercer

09.15.15

Mr. Dale Eugene Wilkinson

09.18.15

Mrs. Barbara “Betsy” Price Green

09.20.15

Mr. Mark Edward Mercer

11.07.11

Mrs. Mary Lee Williams

09.07.15

Mrs. Ina Marie Martin Hagin

09.13.15

Mrs. Shirley Sasser Miller

09.08.15

Deacon Robert “R.L.” Williams

09.07.15

Mrs. Ethel Mae Johnson Hall

09.02.15

Mrs. Moena Johnson Mullis

09.27.15

Mrs. Helen Ruth Stewart Williams

10.21.15

Mrs. Ella B. Hall

10.26.15

Mr. Joe Williams

10.22.15

66 • Statesboro Magazine

You’ll Click With Citizens Bank.

Simple Banking, Your Way.

The Mobile Way

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Statesboro

425 Commerce Dr. Statesboro, GA 30461 (912) 871-2971 www.cbots.com

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132 S. Harris St. Sandersville, GA 31082 (478) 552-5116 818 S. Harris St. (478) 552-6121 www.cbots.com

Here is a great place to call home.

There’s something different about the way everyone cares for one another in our community, and you’ll find it’s the same way at Sea Island Bank.

Turn to us for the financial products and services you need. Because here is a great place to be your friend, your neighbor and your bank.

912.489.8661 seaislandbank.com Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast.