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Issue No.
July 15 - August 4 VOLUME 5
12
Mead in Boston: What's the Buzz? If you haven’t been to the Magginnis family’s Buzzery restaurant in Boston yet, then make the trip. It’s an incredibly unique concept. Yeah, you can get a pizza almost anywhere, but nothing like this. They have honey-infused dough from mead. MEAD, you ask? Indeed. It’s all about the bees. Owners Jerry and Bev Magginnis’s daughter Cana married into a family of Boston beekeepers and the honey is what started it all. “They served mead [at the wedding] from a family friend and it was pretty astounding,” said Jerry. “I asked if it was possible to get his recipe. He was gracious enough to share it and I immediately started playing with it.” The Buzzery was to be more than just a glass of mead, or honey wine, as it tastes. People might have come to try it, but what would make them stay a while? More importantly, they asked, would it allow them to move permanently to Boston from Columbus, Ohio, for family’s sake? “I thought, how do you distribute mead?” Jerry went on. “I have a marketing background. What if I start a business where the primary draw factor was the mead and then pair it up with something classy? Their son Andy had been in the restaurant business for 10 years and their other son David was the creative, Bev added. Apparently they had what they needed right there. “I learned enough to put together a business plan.” Jerry said. “I wanted to be near the primary source and bought a large farm next to the kids,” Jerry said. The trick with the mead is in the honey, but likewise the fruit. These bees are given to blossoms of fruit plants of all different kinds, by mead variety. And in a crucial stage of the mead fermentation process, local, fresh fruit goes in to finish, giving flavor and color. It’s very important to the family that the fruit is local, too.
On the day to day, Bev handles the prep and pizza dough and sauce recipes; Jerry, of course, is the mead aficionado; Andy handles the food and restaurant management {and he’s perfect for it with all of his experience}; Dave is the artist {you’ll notice his designs inside the restaurant and on the labels}; and Cana and the in-laws bring the honey: it’s in the mead, dough, and sauce {and it’s for sale in the restaurant by the jar}. The operation consists of the family and four employees—including wait staff to whom they pay more than server minimum wage so everyone makes a decent living. For a pizza place serving up Viking brew {it’s what comes to mind right?} in small town South Georgia, the Magginnis family is doing exceedingly well. They opened in August 2015 and have doubled their sales goals. The banker is happy—Jerry said, cautiously, but happily. But one thing Jerry cannot hide his excitement over is their new license to expand the mead operation in the back of the restaurant. They will be able to bottle and distribute the mead soon. Customers especially love the blueberry mead {this one included], and they also offer red raspberry, black raspberry, peach, cherry, blackberry and strawberry flavors. The pizza? Out of this world. The Buzzery: FB: @thebuzzery -OR thebuzzery.weebly.com.
M-F 11:30a-2p and 5-9p; Sat. 11:30a-9:30p and Sun. 11:30a-2p.
- Denise P., with reporting by Jennifer W.
Townies Chill at New Froyo Bar The South is notorious for its summer heat, just step outside at two in the afternoon and see for yourself. Luckily, Thomasville just got a sweet, new dessert shop to combat the sun’s unforgiving rays. Over in the Creative District of Downtown ( Jackson Street), Fuzzy Goat has a new neighbor: The Mix. With over 90+ toppings, 10 flavors that vary weekly and a fantastical range of frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato and 8 flavors of Dippin’ Dots, The Mix is Downtown’s new hotspot for all ages.
those glorious spheres of ice cream, for a mere $3.99 a pack. Scott says The Mix is the only place you can find them because of their freezer, which is capable of keeping the -25 degree temperature for prime Dippin’ Dots. This, along with their one-of-a-kind toppings bar, gives The Mix its competitive edge.
“We were excited about the growth we saw in Downtown Thomasville and wanted to be a part of the community,” says owners Summer and Scott Clark.
The Mix also has its own truck. An ingenious, mobile frozen yogurt machine that delivers sweet goodness to all manner of places: schools, theme parks, and corporate events. There are special discounts for schools and a fixed price on each cup when the truck serves at events. But if you go to the store, it’s only 53 cents per ounce (which means a whole lotta frozen yogurt for only a few bucks).
The Mix isn’t unique to Thomasville. The Clarks have owned and operated the original store near Valdosta State University for five years, catering to local college students and residents alike. After some time, they felt like it was time to open up a second location. “Our Valdosta store has a different vibe to it. It has a lot of the same elements you’ll see and the set-up is the same. It’s colorful. You’ll see the exact same toppings bar,” mentions Summer. That toppings bar, which can be seen randomly changing colors and giving off a hip vibe of its own, features more toppings than any other store in the South. Furthermore, it has some local toppings from Blackberry Patch made here in Thomasville and honey made from Fargo, just outside Valdosta.
“We’ve had so much support and we’ve made so many good friends already with other merchants in this area and the ladies in the downtown office,” says Summer. “They’re the key to it.” You can stop by The Mix on 221 West Jackson Street: MondayThursday 11a-10p, Friday-Saturday 11a-11p, and Sunday 1p-5p Facebook: The Mix - Thomasville Instagram: @themix_ thomasville
- Catharine F.
It’s also the only place in Thomasville that you’ll find Dippin’ Dots,
FREE July 15 - August 4 VOLUME 5
Farm to Table Delight! White Chocolate Cupcakes It can be a dilemma selecting a cake flavor to please a crowd, but these luscious, almost creamy cupcakes are perfect for celebrations and partner well with a variety of fillings and toppings.
White Chocolate Cupcakes F F F F F F F F F
10 ounces white chocolate, chopped 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup buttermilk 5 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
As you know, my dogs are the light of my life. They’re always happy to see me when I come home, and they never want me to leave. I always refer to my dachshund, Nora, as my best friend, and she’s wonderful at lifting my spirits when I’m sad, lazy, sick, too full, hungry, annoyed or perplexed. She has all of the qualities of a wonderful companion. I can pick her up and carry her around; we share the same taste in snacks {well, except for the “treats” out of the cat box—gross} and both love a good nap; she’s hilarious, cute and fashionable and honestly, she’s my doggy doppelgänger. Understandably, I try to share my love of dogs every opportunity I get. I am a walking, talking and breathing Sarah McLachlan sad, homeless dog poster. I follow every animal shelter and rescue in a 300-mile radius. I openly try to entice people to adopt animals
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting F 7 ounces white chocolate, chopped F 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature F 1 cup butter, at room temperature F 5 cups powdered sugar Place chopped white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until white chocolate is melted and smooth, keeping a close eye to stop microwaving before white chocolate scorches. In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter. Sift in powdered sugar in three batches, beating in between each batch to combine. Beat in warm, melted white chocolate. Adjust consistency with spoonfuls of powdered sugar or milk. - Kelly S.
Another of my friends adopted this very sweet lab mix named Zuzu. {Where do they even come up with these names?} Zuzu, now renamed Maizy, is goofy, a little uncoordinated and every bit as sweet as any lab that you could think of.
I am proud to announce that three {THREE!} of my friends recently adopted dogs. I can’t say if any of my one million shares and screenshots of homeless pets have anything to do with it, but I’ll just say that it did to make myself feel better. Two of my friends, a couple, adopted a Chihuahua mix who was originally named Pepsi. He does not resemble any sort of cola beverage, but he’s very laid back which doesn’t describe any Pepsi I know. They renamed him Oscar.
Then, there’s Bailey. Bailey is one of those cute, sweet pit-mixes that probably gets a bad rap just because of her distant relation to a pit bull somewhere down the line. Since, I am so excited about all of these new dog friends, I suggested that our friend bring Bailey over to my house so that we could eat dinner and the dogs could get acquainted.
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Nothing says southern lifestyle like the Remington-adorned products from Thomasville’s new store over on Madison, SouthLife Supply Co. Once you enter this wooden, rustic shop, you’ll find there is pretty much something for everyone, even your four-legged friends.
What’s more, everything sold at SouthLife is uniquely created and curated by Heather and her husband, Kelly {the only exceptions being the honey and candy displayed at their vintage bar complete with an antique cash register from Stafford’s}. Furthermore, the majority of the leather products are also personally designed and made by Kelly in his Maker’s Corner of the shop, a place where customers can watch as he creates bags, belts and custom pieces from scratch. Heather says that this piece of the store is important to her husband because Kelly enjoys doing the custom pieces for customers. “It’s interesting to people,” she says, talking about the Maker’s Corner. “I think that speaks a lot about the uniqueness of the store.” Heather and Kelly didn’t start off in the wholesale business. Before they ventured into the trade, Heather was a pharmaceutical sales rep and Kelly worked as a nurse. But that all changed once Kelly came up with this jewelry idea about six years ago and then they started AmericasMart five years ago, one of the world’s largest wholesale trade centers located in Atlanta. Starting as Lizzy J’s and SouthLife, they eventually combined the two and created SoutLife Supply Co. and evolved from just a jewelry brand to a lifestyle brand with over three hundred unique items. They have traveled with their brand all over the U.S., from Atlanta to Philadelphia, Denver to Dallas. Their products can be seen in 3,000 stores nationwide and 25 representatives that go out and sell their wares in the Southeast every day. You can find their products in 70 Bass Pro Shops and at four locations with the Grand Ole Opry. Also, SouthLife has held a license agreement with Remington so that they were able to procure enough shells to cater to their massive production needs. But all big things have small beginnings. The first bullet shells used in SouthLife’s jewelry actually came from local skeet shooting places as Heather and Kelly also focused on recycling: “That’s another big, key piece of our business is the recycling part. We started out as a green product.” Now, the Abbotts and their business continue to thrive in the Thomasville community, bringing quality products to the Creative District of downtown all while, Heather says, "staying in their lane." Facebook: @southlifesupplyco Instagram: @southlifesupply Website: southlifesupplyco.com - Catharine F.
every opportunity I get, so that Nora and Rigby can build up their doggy posse in hopes that one day Nora’s birthday party will be filled with dogs in birthday hats sipping chicken broth out of teacups. {It’s a glorious vision, isn’t it?}
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{Finally!} Hits Downtown
“We really want to be a lifestyle brand,” says owner Heather Abbott. “So we have anything from shirts to hats to coozies to shot glasses.”
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two dozen-capacity muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place chopped white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until white chocolate is melted and smooth. {Watch carefully and shorten microwaving intervals if necessary to prevent scorching; alternatively, the white chocolate can be melted using a double boiler.} Into a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small mixing bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Drop butter into the flour mixture in large spoonfuls; pour in the buttermilk mixture. Beat the mixture just until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides with a spatula. Gently beat in warm, melted white chocolate. Give the batter a last stir with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are evenly combined. Scoop batter into prepared tin, filling each cupcake liner a generous 3/4 full. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until golden brown at the edges and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, top with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and enjoy.
Trill in the ‘Ville
SouthLife Supply
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obviously has a weird idea of playing. She also peed on one of my area rugs {only about a gallon or two}, broke a candle by knocking over a table and tried to snuggle with {maul} my 16-year-old cat. After about half an hour of this calamity, I breathlessly suggested, “Maybe Bailey needs to go home,” as I mopped up urine and swept up glass. A good time was had by all {and by “all” I mean Bailey}. So, we have to work on some things before we build up this dog posse, and maybe I need to invest in some plastic tea cups and/or muzzles before our next big shindig.
It was a Disaster {yep, with a capital D.} Bailey was very excited by Rigby and Nora’s small size, so she tried to stomp on them. She
t h a n k s
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- Denise P.
t h e s e :
Our Clients Are Our Friends branding / logo design / graphic design photography / video
113 E. Jackson St
Clay Byars
designer - creator - owner byarsclay@gmail.com 229 977-4615 tri-bstudio.com
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Downtown Thomasville
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Phone 229-226-3911 www.keysouth.com
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July 15 - August 4 VOLUME 5
July 15 - August 4 VOLUME 5
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Dance Card July 15-17 & 22-24 TOSAC presents Elf, Jr.
Our Staff Publisher +
Editor in Chief Jennifer Westfield
Social Media Dara Barwick Denise Purvis
Columnists
J. David Bray, Jr. Sarah Esra Denise Purvis Kelly Samek
Contributing Writers
Claydoh Byars June Dollar Catharine Fennell Benjamin Gardner Annie Jones Denise Purvis Callie Sewell Jennifer Westfield
TOSAC Storefront Theater, 117 S. Broad St. Fri.: 8p; Sat: 2p & 8p; Sun: 2p, $15 Adults & $12 Kids Based on the beloved holiday film, this hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to find his true identity. For more info or to purchase tickets visit www.tosac.com.
July 16 TCA July VIP Painting Class TCA Studio 209, 209 Remington Ave. 10a-noon, $50pp Paint a perfect picture of your pet with Hillery Richards in fine oil paints on an archival canvas! Register online at www.thomasvillearts.org.
July 20 & 27, August 3 Mastering Portraits at The Accidental Gallery The Accidental Gallery, 1304 Old Monticello Rd. 10a-noon, $15 per class {drop ins} Create portraits of humans and animals using pencils, charcoal and pastels. Or bring photos of subjects you want to capture. There will also be at least one class with a live model. To register or for more information call 816-309-5131 or email sandi.shaw444@gmail.com.
July 21 TCA Whet Your Palette Studio 209, 209 Remington Ave. 6-8p, $25 pp Join Hillery Richards for July’s Whet Your Palette! Paint a beautiful chickadee using an oil brush technique with abstract colors! Register online at www.thomasvillearts.org.
July 24 Metcalfe Heritage Day
Advertising Design Katie Reeves
Metcalfe Community Center, Corner of Broad and Reynolds St., Metcalfe, 2-4:30p, free. Hosted by Commercial Bank, Metcalfe Heritage Society and Metcalfe Community Association – Enjoy picnic fare {hotdogs, watermelon, finger foods and lemonade}.
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July 27
Clay Byars
Distribution Trent Tucker
Georgia Press Association
The Thomasville Townie publishes the first and third Friday of every month. To advertise, suggest article ideas or contact staff members, please email yourtownie@gmail.com.
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Educator Open House Thomas County Museum of History, 725 N. Dawson St., 2-5p Co-hosted by Museum of History, Landmarks and Jack Hadley Black History Museum. Open to all teachers. Come to learn about heritage education opportunities {field trips, outreach and more} at each organization. More information available at www.thomascountyhistory.org.
July 30 10th Annual Back to School Blitz Thomasville High School Gym, 315 S. Hansell St., 9-11a, free Sponsored by Thomas County Family Connections in partnership with the Thomas County School System and Thomasville City School System. This community-wide event offers free, basic school supplies, free health screenings, valuable informational displays, and much more.
Issue No.
12
FACEBOOK.COM/THOMASVILLE.TOWNIE
Calling all fiber artists You Know you wanna Yarn bomb a tree... Yarn bombing is coming back this fall and TCA is on the hunt for fiber artists! Furry and Feathered is a fiber art competition that celebrates wildlife and will take place during this year's Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival. It is the first project within TCA’s newest public art initiative, Art in the Open, which intends to promote public art and stimulate economic growth in the new Creative District. Powered by Hurst Boiler and in partnership with TCA, City of Thomasville, Fuzzy Goat and Lowe’s, Art in the Open: Furry & Feathered will leverage the arts to promote the West Jackson Street corridor by sponsoring a wildlife yarn bomb. This isn’t TCA’s or the community’s first yarn bomb. Five years ago, TCA tackled this public art trend and it was a great success. So much so, that the team has been waiting for the right time to bring a yarn bomb back to Thomasville.
I read so many advanced reader copies in June; those recommendations are fun, but never really helpful, so I’m sticking to the four books currently available at The Bookshelf or our local library.
townie crossword returns next issue!
With the combination of supportive partners, the growing Creative District, and the 21st anniversary of PWAF, this November seemed like the perfect fit. Expect to see “furry and feathered” woodland creatures in the trees on West Jackson Street this fall! To bring this public art project to life, TCA is looking for fiber artists that will compete in teams {up to three people per team} and solo artists. Each team will create a fiber art sleeve for a West Jackson Street tree trunk, and then will addembellishmentsofwildlifeanimalsthatare felted, knitted and created with any other form of fiber art. Cash prizes of $1500 {best of show}, $750 1st place, and $500 2nd place will be awarded to winners, and the project will stay up through December 12th. To sign up or receive more information, head to Fuzzy Goat or thomasvillearts.org.
How to Ruin Everything by George Watsky. I read this collection of essays based on the recommendation of Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. His blurb made me pick this one up, and I’m so glad I did. The first essay, “Tusk,” reads like a literary short story, but instead, it’s true, which somehow makes the entire collection even more wonderful. George Watsky is a spoken-word poet and artist, and you can tell; he knows exactly what to do with words, and the result is a series of essays I absolutely adored. Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Book clubbers will enjoy this new novel by Indian-American novelist Chitra Divakaruni. I discovered the book in Modern Mrs. Darcy’s summer reading guide, and although it wasn’t my favorite, the themes and characters will prompt thought and discussion in a book club setting. Spanning three generations, the novel tells the universal story of mothers and daughters, but Divakurni chooses to focus on three Indian women, and each questions her culture and upbringing with nuance. The result is bittersweet. All Stories Are Love Stories by Elizabeth Percer. This new novel received mixed reviews from my own book club, and although I think the book is far from perfect, I’d recommend it, particularly for readers seeking something to read post-tragedy. {I happened to read my copy after the Orlando shootings.} A devastating earthquake has devoured the city of San Francisco, and Elizabeth Percer follows her characters as they try to find each other. Percer is a poet, so occasionally, I got a bit bogged down in the language, but the scenes describing the city are beautiful. If you’re planning a trip to San Francisco, this is especially worth the read. It’s Okay to Laugh {Crying Is Cool, Too} by Nora McIrney Purmort. Within three months, Nora Purmort had miscarried a baby and lost her husband and her father to cancer. Her memoir chronicles the year that followed, and although the premise is heartbreaking, Purmort writes with humor and grit; her essays are thought provoking and somehow hilarious. I’ve recommended this one to so many of my friends, and if you can, I think you should read it, too. - Annie Butterworth Jones Co-Owner + Managing PartnerThe Bookshelf
- Callie S.
Historical Society, Landmarks & Jack Hadley to host open house for educators The Thomas County Historical Society, Thomasville Landmarks, and the Jack Hadley Black History Museum invite local educators to attend an Open House at the Thomas County Museum of History on Wednesday, July 27 from 2p to 5p. This new collaboration allows local educators to interact with all three institutions and explore opportunities for field trips, outreach programs and more. This free program is a wonderful opportunity for educators to network with each other and to explore the educational opportunities available in our community. Teachers will have the opportunity to tour the Museum and speak with representatives from each organization regarding their individual and joint educational offerings for the 2016-2017 school year. Admission is free and open to all teachers. For more information, please visit www.thomascountyhistory. org or contact the Museum of History at 229-226-7664. The Thomas County Historical Society provides educational support and programming to local teachers in addition to ongoing youth programming yearround. Youth and adult visitors to the Historical Society can visit both the Thomas County Museum of History and the Lapham-Patterson House. Together, these sites encompass a wealth of offerings from the rich narrative of Thomas County, intriguing students to get hands-on with history and learn more. Educational offerings range from onsite field trips to primary source based in-class outreach programs and travel trunk rentals. To reserve a field trip or arrange an outreach program, contact Amelia Gallo: amelia@thomascountyhistory.org, or visit www.thomascountyhistory.org. - Anne McCudden, Thomas County Historical Society
August 4 Thomas County Alzheimer’s Support Group Thomas County Public Library, 201 N. Madison St., Noon-1p Open to all caregivers and families suffering from Alzheimer's and memory loss related disease. This support group is designed to bring together similarly situated families and caregivers, who have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia, to share their experiences and advice. Lunch will be provided by the Law Offices of Dale S. Davidson. Hopewell In-Home Senior Care will be providing free respite care. Space is limited- to RSVP, call 229-226-8183.
When it comes to your business or event, the right creative choices can help you stand out from the crowd. Be brave.
Phone 229.403.1741 | ktcreative@me.com www.ktcreative.net
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