WGL April-May 2012

West Georgia

Li V ing April/May 2012

Life . Art . Music . People

Rhubarb Jones: Voice of the South

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with these festive dishes, p. 44

Grab a front-row seat to the opening of Carrollton’s amphitheater, page 10 See how the West Georgia wine association plans to grow an industry, page 56 Hop aboard the history express, next stop: Villa Rica, page 20 See what’s in store for you at this year’s Hydrangea Festival in Douglasville, page 14

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Newnan • 37 Calumet Pkwy Blvd F • Ste. 201 • 770.683.4050 Bremen • 306 B. Laurel Street • 770.537.2323 Hiram • 5604 Wendy Bagwell Pkwy Bldg 900 Unit 913 • Poplar Pointe Profess. Ctr.

From the Editor

West Georgia

Li V ing Volume 2 . Issue 4 . April/May 2012

www.westgaliving.com Publisher Leonard Woolsey leonard@westgaliving.com

Editor Amy K. Lavender-Buice amy@westgaliving.com

Advertising David Bragg david@times-georgian.com Melissa Wilson melissa@times-georgian.com

Photographer Ricky Stilley ricky@westgaliving.com

Contributors Ken Denney Gary Tilt Shelly Murphy Gail Woody

Dear Readers:

Gardens and Festival Market. Whether you attend all the events, or just a few, you’re bound to see some breathtaking flora. See pictures of what you can expect at the event on page 14.

Well, it’s official, the poor excuse we had for a winter is over and spring is in full swing! There are so many events and goings-on in our community this season, we hardly knew which way to turn, so we hope you like the articles we could bring you on the wide variety of activity happening in our counties right now.

This issue, we also continue our series on the history of the railroad as it made its way across west Georgia. Find out how Villa Rica moved its town to be closer to the railroad on page 20. Of course, as spring arrives, everyone’s mind turns to the growing season. Well, the West Georgia Vineyard and Winery Association has a lot to think about as they try to bring west Georgia into the wine-producing industry. Learn more about their efforts on page 66.

In Carrollton, last month, the Ag Center hosted the Empty Bowls event, coordinated by local artists and other volunteers to benefit the Carroll County Soup Kitchen.

Check out what all the buzz was about on page 60.

Coming up soon, the Carrollton Amphitheater will open, welcoming guests during its inaugural celebration of Mayfest. See what you can expect from the new venue this summer on page 10.

In Douglasville, don’t miss the annual Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival. Each year, the city of Douglasville decks itself out in beautiful hydrangea blooms in honor of the event.

Visitors can get tickets for a Daytime Garden tour, a Moonlight and Magnolias tour, or get in free to the Butterfly Garden and the Master Gardener Nature Trail, as well as the Display

On the cover is the effervescent Rhubarb Jones, a person known from Fort Payne, Ala., to Athens, Ga. We sat down with Rhubarb to catch up on what he’s been doing since he left radio and what he’s got planned for the future, page 32.

Sincerely,

Amy K. Lavender-Buice

To advertise in West Georgia Living, call 770-834-6631.

Submissions, photography and ideas may be submitted to Amy K. Lavender-Buice c/o The Times-Georgian, 901 Hays Mill Rd., Carrollton, GA 30117.

Leonard Woolsey

Melissa Wilson

Ricky Stilley

David Bragg

West Georgia Living is a publication of the Times-Georgian. West Georgia Living is published bi-monthly.

Direct mail subscriptions to West Georgia Living are available for $24 a year.

Copyright 2012 by the Times-Georgian

4

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

Submissions will not be returned unless requested and accompanied with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

West Georgia Living reserves the right to edit any submission.

Contents

60

32

56

20

Features

10 Photos and Cover Art by Ricky Stilley.

32 Rhubarb Jones: Find out what the former

47

radio personality has been up to since his career landed him in the classroom.

50 Sons of Alice: Find out what inspired two

brothers to create a band and then help soldiers and their families simply by singing a song.

56 Let it Grow: Learn about the journey the Winery 10 Carrollton Amphitheater: The area buzzes

and Vineyard Association of West Georgia is on to to revitalize an industry.

with excitement over the new events venue.

Departments Life

Hydrangea Festival Empty Bowls

14 60

Garden

Feature Flower: Clematis All About Green Beans

26 28

6

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

Art

Poetry: Raven’e Crowder Bethany DeWitt Artist’s Corner: Jesse Duke

68 68 66

Food

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

44

People

Take 5: Tano Phommasith

42

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Pub Notes From Publisher Leonard Woolsey

Y

Y

es, you are holding 72 pages of the best of living in west Georgia.

This issue marks yet another highwater mark for you, the reader, and the community, who is celebrated inside these pages. What began as an idea around a small table is now a full-fledged magazine covering the dynamic communities on the western side of Atlanta. Finally, a place where Carroll, Haralson and Douglas County can call home.

Doing most anything well is not all that special. Doing it repeatedly, however, is the challenge.

Sitting down together when we first hatched this idea was fun. Everything was new, the possibilities endless. But with success came reality, and we began to get a little nervous.

“How many great stories are out there to tell,” we wondered to ourselves?

Well, a year or so later, we find ourselves having to make decisions on what stories to publish or hold for future issues.

Turns out writing a magazine about our communities is like picking at a string on a sweater – it just keeps coming. West Georgia is full of brilliant characters, beautiful images and wonderful people who are eager to share with their neighbors.

We can’t thank everyone enough for the

support and help they’ve provided as we continue to find ourselves in this everevolving journey. From those we meet at a local grocery store who share ideas for a future story to the many advertisers who felt these stories were important to tell and supported each issue – this is, without a doubt, a team effort.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Amy Lavender-Buice for her editorial leader-

ship on this venture. Her vision, combined with the artistry of Ricky Stilley’s photography and Ken Denny’s gentle words, make this publication a symphony of talent.

So, yes, your eyes are not deceiving you – West Georgia Living continues to grow.

And with our most heartfelt respect, thank you for inviting us into your lives and your homes.

Content Notes “The article by Ken Denney on page 52 of the February/March 2012 issue of West Georgia Living was very interesting, but [...] who are the three ladies in the picture?”

– Scott Williams, Villa Rica Sorry about that, Scott. We also apologize to the rest of our readers for this omission, as well as Pat Lawler, pictured from left, Vanessa Bonner and Robbin Nowlin, who are holding a picture of Troy Allen, a volunteer firefighter killed in the Waco, Ga., explosion in 1971. wgl 8

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

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PRESENTING ANOTHER

DISTINCTION

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Welcome to the show! s You’ve watched it rise from a razed building, now see what’s next

Life

F

Story by

F

or the past several months, people in Carrollton have been watching something new and interesting rise up over Adamson Square. What might at first be mistaken for a schooner with sideways sails is actually an all-new Amphitheater - and by the time you read this, it will be only a few weeks before the city’s newest entertainment venue makes its very literal stage debut.

Ken Denney Photos by Ricky Stilley

The Amphitheater will be the star attraction for the 27th Annual Mayfest Arts and Crafts festival and will play host to a series of live performances, music and dance, all of which will be free to the public.

But that’s only the beginning. Throughout the rest of the year, until the Taste of Carrollton event in the fall, the city will be using the Amphitheater to entertain those who come downtown for the specialty shops and restaurants. These events will include a series of summertime outdoor movies, all with a family-friendly themes that kids can enjoy, along with their 80s-nostalgic parents.

J

essica Reynolds, director of the Main Street Program for Carrollton, says the Amphitheater has been a goal of city planners for several years; “a piece of the puzzle that they’ve been excited about.”

“The intent is for it to be a community facility so that people can enjoy it,” said Reynolds. “We don’t want it to be something where we are charging for all these events … that’s not what this is.

This is something that we want to provide familyfriendly activities and events for the community.”

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West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

The project, paid for by SPLOST funds, features low, circular seats facing a stage, behind which is a room to control a light and sound system.

Overhead and attached to mast-like columns are stretched white canopies to provide shade from

Carrollton Main Street Director Jessica Reynolds and Times-Georgian Publisher Leonard Woolsey take in the scenery at the new Carrollton Amphitheater.

the sun and perhaps light rain showers. It fills the space once occupied by the Skinner building.

While the entertainment program for Mayfest is still being developed, Reynolds says the city is already planning events beyond the arts festival.

“We foresee there being five different concerts in our series throughout the year, and our series will run from May to September, doing one each month,” she said. “We’re looking at a Christian concert, then something Country – just a variety, so that it’s something different each time.”

A

lso planned during the season is a series of films that will be shown on Thursday nights between June 21 and July 26. All the films are familyoriented and designed to appeal to children – and for parents who grew up in the 1980s.

According to Reynolds, the films will include “Lilo and Stitch,” “The Lion King,” “Back to the Future,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Jaws,” and “The Goonies.” There will be no admission fee, and the shows will start each evening around 8:30 p.m., or “dark enough so the sun is not an issue,” said Reynolds.

While the city has its own plans for the Amphitheater, the facility can be used by anyone for non-profit purposes. That means community groups can use the facility for plays or musicals, but would have to pay a nominal fee to the city to cover such costs as electricity.

C

ity Manager Casey Coleman said that policies for using the facility are still being worked out, but the primary goal is for the stage to be an entertainment venue and not necessarily for other purposes, such as political rallies or similar uses.

“I don’t want it to be limited to this type of performance, or that type of performance,” said Reynolds. “I’m really hoping the community will embrace it as its own and use it as a resource in the community.”

Those who do use the venue will find that it comes equipped with everything needed for a quality entertainment event.

“There is a sound system; there will be a projector system, lighting. Anything that you can imagine, like a typical stage would have,” Reynolds says.

Much of the equipment will be portable, since the stage is open to the elements. The city will provide this equipment, as well as someone to operate the light and sound system from a control booth.

For the comfort of the audience, there will be restrooms and possibly vending machines. The area around the Amphitheater is being cleared for what will eventually be “a big, green park space on the other side, with tables.”

“It’s a great investment in the downtown and a great resource for everybody.

We’re very fortunate in my opinion to have it,” said Reynolds. “It’s really going to be something that everybody can enjoy.” wgl April/May 2012

West Georgia Living

11

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Life Photos by Gary Tilt

T

T

Welcome spring at Douglasville’s annual

Hydrangea Festival

he Fifth Annual Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival will be held June 2 and 3, giving people in Douglasville the opportunity to both show off their blooms and see how their fellow citizens have used this showy, yet inexpensive plant to decorate their homes and gardens.

The theme for this year’s event is the “Royals” and will feature the varieties Royal Majestic Series, Queen of Pearls, Princess Lace and Midnight Duchess, according to event co-founders Jeri Farmer and Susanne Hudson. The event, named in honor of Penny McHenry, founder of the American Hydrangea Society, will feature both free events and those which will require the purchase of tickets.

Free Events:

• A Standard Flower Show in which participants will compete for top awards.

• A Festival/Artist Market, featuring paintings, iron and glass work, jewelry, antiques – and even plants - for sale.

• Display Gardens, to be presented at the Cultural Arts Center • Complementary Gardens, including the Butterfly Garden located at the Cultural Arts Center and the Nature Trail located behind the courthouse on Hospital Drive.

Paid events:

• A Daytime Garden Tour of the city’s most beautiful gardens, some of which have been featured in Southern Living and other publications; $25 per person to visit all gardens, or $10 for a single garden.

• Moonlight and Magnolias, an evening tour of gardens not seen during the Daytime Tour and a progressive dinner; $50 per person. Tickets are limited and proceeds benefit the Douglas County Museum of History and Art. • A Celebrity Guest Speaker – Former UGA Athletic Director Vince Dooley, an avid gardener for whom the Dooley Hydrangea is named; $10 per person.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the Down14

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

town Welcome Center, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; at the Douglas County Museum of History and Art, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; or online at pennymchenryhydrangeafestival.com.

Shuttles will be provided for downtown tours, but visitors must drive to gardens that are out of the downtown area. Directions will be included with ticket purchase. wgl

Life

A Thing of Beauty

These pink ladies hold their heads high next to some garden tools in Susanne Hudson’s garden, which showcases more than 200 hydrangeas.

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Life

Tracy and Don Coleman have created a beautiful family retreat, at right, with a central fireplace, hammock and lots of greenery.

Susan Thompson’s garden features hydrangeas as well as plenty of French influence, shown below, highlighted by her use of boxwoods and statuary.

16

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

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IF YOU CALL CARROLLTON HOME, YOU ALREADY KNOW A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT GOING WEST. You were born “West,” with UWG practically in your back yard. You know it’s more than a map direction. While ever yone else is just discovering what it means to Go West, you’re living it. And you’re ready to make your mark at UWG. With 106 mind-opening majors, more than 150 student organizations, and countless research and internship oppor tunities, the possibilities are endless.

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pring Tourof homes May 5, 1 PM - 6 PM

Visit, explore, and be inspired.

Tour some of the finest and most unique houses in Douglasville as city residents open up their homes for tours and interior décor showcasing.

Shuttles will be provided from downtown Douglasville for tours.

Tickets are on sale for $15 and may be purchased at the Douglasville Welcome Center or online at www.downtowndouglasville.org.

All proceeds will help support the Downtown Development Authority’s downtown revitalization efforts. For more information, call 770-947-5920.

Spring Market

Douglasville Main Street

Main Street Spring Market May 5, 11 AM - 4 PM | O’Neal Plaza Local vendors selling art, crafts and antiques will fill O’Neal Plaza in downtown Douglasville at Main Street’s Spring Market. Expect a day of food, fun, and great deals. You’ll find one-of-a-kind items, and are sure to be entertained by Douglasville’s Got Talent performances during the market. The market is free and open to the public to attend.

Call 678-715-6092 for more information or to apply to become a quality market vendor. Booth spaces are available for $50 each.

Douglasville’s Got Talent Competition May 5, 1 PM - 3 PM | O’Neal Plaza Showcase your talent or come see fascinating acts at the Douglasville’s Got Talent competition. From vocalists, dancers and musicians, to comedians, poets and magicians—talents of all kinds are invited to participate. The competition is divided into youth and adult categories. Trophies will be awarded to first, second and third place winners.

Registration fee for an individual or a two-person act is $25. Fee for groups of three or more is $40.

Registration deadline is April 20. To participate or for more information, call 678-715-2039.

An Amtrak train rolls through present-day Villa Rica.

Life Story by Ken Denney Photos by Ricky Stilley

If the train won’t come to you ...

You can always relocate an entire town Editor’s note: The following is the second in a series on the history of the railroad in west Georgia and its impact on our towns.

E

very morning at 8:38 a.m., the Crescent rolls out of the Amtrak train station on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, leaving the rising sun in her wake to begin her 12-hour journey to New Orleans. About one minute of that time is spent passing through the West Georgia railroad town of Villa Rica.

The Crescent makes no stop in Villa Rica. Neither do the freight trains that shuttle along the Norfolk Southern line that passes through the heart of town. The only depots in the area have the words “food” or “office” or “home” in front of their names. Nowadays, the tracks along Main Street are an obstacle for motorists; the rumble and screech of passing rail cars are only background noises.

It’s funny to think that once the railroad was so important that the ances20

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

tors of today’s Villa Ricans literally moved themselves to catch a train.

H

istorians say the town that we know as Villa Rica is really a fusion of two different settlements that existed long before the railroad came to the area in 1882. One was Hixtown, located on what is today the Dallas Highway – about where Tanner Medical Center/ Villa Rica is located. The other was Chevestown – a tiny settlement situated about a mile south of that location.

Hixtown was named for William Hix, who ran a tavern and general store in the area; Chevestown was a tract of land owned by a man named Allison Cheves. Both men lived when the area was a wild, untamed frontier gold town.

Before 1826, the area belonged to Creek Indians, who left after Chief William McIntosh ceded the land to Georgia. The few European-descended settlers who had shared the land with the Creeks were then quickly joined

Life by new settlers looking for new farm lands.

Gold was known to be in the area before that, but historians at the Pine Mountain Gold Museum, located near Villa Rica at Stockmar Park, say that fact was known only to a few until 1829 – whereupon dozens of commercial mining operations began popping up in the area, bringing in hordes of miners, some from as far as Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.

B

y 1832, Hixtown had some 2,000 people – fully 60 percent of the population of the new county of Carroll. It was a frontier town, with a frontier mentality, and the only law was enforced by vigilantes. Historian Mary Talley Anderson writes that John B. Wick built a second tavern (it’s still there), and that these, as well as other more improvised drinking establishments, contended with stores put up by a few merchants to help the miners spend their money. There were many alcohol-fueled disputes, which the men settled themselves with “fists, teeth and feet,” according to Anderson.

More potent weapons – like a pistol – met with social disapprobation.

Eventually, this frontier atmosphere dissipated.

Many of the wildcat miners left the area for the gold country around Dahlonega, which had opened up after the forced eviction of the Cherokee. The mines that remained offered steady work, and farmers and merchants alike prospered from the area’s agricultural produce.

Historian James C. Bonner writes that over the next three decades – through the Civil War – the area around Hixtown and Chevestown had more people than the county seat of Carrollton.

But a railroad was one thing the area did not have. In the early part of the 19th Century, railroads had helped many small towns in Georgia develop, being a fast and economical means of getting local produce to larger markets, and for obtaining goods and products to build and expand these towns. And, of course, railroads brought in tourists, investors and business people, along with even more settlers to the area.

Prominent investors had been talking about running a railroad through West Georgia for some years, but the project had run into numerous and complex difficulties until 1881, when the new Georgia Pacific Railroad became a reality. That’s

when folks living in towns like Austell, Douglasville and other points west began working behind the scenes to have the new railroad run through these towns.

W

hen the people of Hixtown realized they were going to be bypassed by the new railroad, they resurrected some of that old frontier spirit and decided to take matters into their own hands. They literally gave life to the old adage about Mohamed and the Mountain.

That’s right. In 1882, many of the buildings of Hixtown were taken off their foundations and put on log rollers, then hitched to horses and physically dragged to the railroad’s right of way, which was near the area named Chevestown.

Historian Doug Mabry says that everything that could be moved was moved during this exodus – including the graves of some of the area’s most prominent families, like the Candlers, who “did not want to be left out in the sticks.”

The new city was given a new name – Villa Rica – to appeal to all the new businesses and people that the railroad was expected to attract.

Life The new city was laid out in grid pattern, with the railroad running right through the middle of town. For the next few decades, the railroad was literally at the center of things, even as the town of Villa Rica weathered many economic changes.

By the mid 1920s, gold mining had disappeared as the cost of extracting the mineral cancelled out its value. In its place came cotton farming. City historians say that in an average season, 10,000 bales of cotton were purchased in Villa Rica and then shipped by rail around the world. The town supported three cotton gins, three hosiery mills, cotton warehouses and a cotton oil mill. The town prospered as its town square became a sales point for these products. But even this was not to last.

E

nter the boll weevil, devastating the cotton market on which most of west Georgia had depended, and that brought new economic realities. When World War II came, those men and women who did not enlist left the area for industrial jobs that sprang up to support the war effort. After the war, the country began building better roads, including an Interstate Highway system, which meant that more and more goods could be shipped by truck. And it also meant that people who had relied on the train for transportation now had a more direct means of

getting from place to place. The warehouses and businesses in Villa Rica that once depended on the railroads began to close and reopen as different types of stores – if at all. Villa Rica itself began to be defined less by the vintage buildings of downtown and more by the cluster of stores and fast-food restaurants at its nearest point to Interstate 20. Just as the town literally moved itself in the 1880s, Villa Rica has moved to meet the transportation reality of the 21st Century – but this time it has left its old buildings behind.

H

owever, there is an aggressive effort to preserve these historic houses and buildings, thanks to its Main Street program. Its officials have developed a plan to revitalize the downtown area through public events, building renovation, and recruiting new business into the area.

With their efforts, Villa Rica is quickly becoming a town with restaurants and specialty shops behind the façades of buildings that date back to an earlier era. And as Amtrak’s Crescent rumbles through town on its daily trips to and from New Orleans, the passengers can look out their windows and see a blending of the past with the present, with hints that the future bodes well. wgl

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The Hart Locker is a consignment boutique that offers name brand fashions and accessories at prices everyone can afford. Why spend hundreds of dollars on things you can get for a fraction of the cost. Gently used, yes, but the same brands and clothes we all love!

With the economy taking a downward spiral everyone is looking for ways to save money on every-day living.

Opening a business is something I have always wanted to do and what better one to open than one that saves you money on the things that you might ordinarily do without in times of financial hardship.

I, Alicia Baker Hart, was born and raised in Roopville GA and as the oldest of 3 siblings I remember my mom shopping at second hand stores for our clothes. I am a mom of 3 children and know how fast kids grow. As an avid shopper of consignment stores myself, I have always felt that most consignment stores are cluttered, unorganized and impersonal. I got the idea to open a Boutique Style Consignment Shop that’s clean, organized, and fun. I wanted to create an inviting environment to shop in where shoppers can take their time in finding things they love. Clothing is something we all need and have to buy and that’s why I only offer the best in-style, name brand clothing around. I strive to make sure my customers feel a sense of comfort and belonging while they shop. It’s my goal to make sure they are happy and leave my store feeling satisfied with their purchase and have a great time finding the items they are looking for. I think that customer service is what builds a business and that is my number one priority.

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THE HAVEN AT SLATER MILL

Garden Story by Shelly Murphy Photos by Ricky Stilley

Clematis: A great addition to any garden

B

looming clematis is a beautiful and spectacular perennial for any garden.

Most are woody deciduous vines, and a few are fragrant. The twining plant produces showy flowers 2 to 10 inches in diameter in many colors and a variety of seasons.

B

Though native to Japan and China, clematis means “vine” in Greek. Although I’ve heard several pronunciations, experts prefer CLEMuh-tis: CLEM (like the tiny metropolis between Carrollton and Whitesburg); uh (rhymes with duh); and tis (as in kiss).

These attractive plants are found worldwide and, depending on the variety, are hardy in Zones 4 26

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

through 11. Despite numerous cultivars, there are basically three groups, which determines bloom and pruning times.

Groups

The first group includes the early spring bloomers like Armand (Clematis Armandii), a vigorous and attractive evergreen vine. This category has smaller white flowers and blooms early on “old” wood (shoots that formed the previous year).

Little pruning is necessary, other than to shape or remove dead wood.

the most popular. It includes Jackmani (profuse purple blooms); Henri (white); Ramona (lavender-blue); Nelly Moser (pale mauve with reddish stripes); The President (deep blue); and Comtesse de Bouchard (rose). Most flower on old wood, but some also flower on “new” wood (shoots that emerge that year). Those in this group require more pruning.

Groups

Clematis in the second group includes early and midseason bloomers that may also have repeat blooms. This large-flowered variety is

The third group blooms in late summer and fall. The most common here is Sweet Autumn (Clematis paniculata), with clusters of small white fragrant flowers in fall. Though this cultivar is not invasive, there may soon be several to share with friends. Since this group tolerates intense heat and warm nights, they are

Garden best for the South. Lyndy Broder, Georgia’s expert member of the International Clematis Society, recommends integrefolia, or bushy varieties with numerous smaller blue flowers and a longer bloom period for our Zones 7 through 8. Her top 10 list for extended bloom are: C ‘Arabella’ (integrifolia); C ‘Baltyk’ (early large); C ‘Betty Corning’ (viticella); C. ‘Blue Boy’ (integrifolia); C. ‘Duchess of Albany’ (texensis); C. ‘Etoile Violette’ (viticella); C. Henryi (early large); C. ‘Princess Diana’ (texensis); C. “Triternata Rubromarginata’ (viticella); and C. ‘Venosa Violacea’ (viticella).

They bloom only on new wood, so cut stems back to 8 to 12 inches in late winter.

If you are uncertain what variety a clematis is, leave two or three stems 2 feet long and cut the rest back to 12 inches. Watch it for a year to see if it blooms on old or new wood (or both) and then prune accordingly.

Getting Started

Although clematis can be grown from seed, there’s no guarantee it will resemble the parent. They are best propagated from divisions or cuttings in early summer, or by layering in early spring. For best results, buy healthy 2-year-old plants. Clematis is best planted in the fall here, but may be hard to find then. Those planted in spring will do well, too, but require more care initially. While common large-flowered varieties can be found locally, plant catalogs and specialty nurseries offer a larger selection.

Getting Started

Some clematis are shrubs, but most are twining vines 8 to 15 feet tall.

This means they’ll need a structure to grow on, such as obelisks, arbors or trellises. They can also climb up trees and ramble over bushes, fences and mailboxes. When planted alone or in containers, they should be staked and the stems tied for support. Clematis climbs by twisting around a support, so it must be small in diameter. For something larger, like a mailbox, wrap heavy twine or chicken wire around the post.

Help it Grow

Clematis requires 5 to 6 hours of sunlight per day, though some varieties will bloom in partial shade. It’s important to keep roots cool and moist, so an eastern exposure is best. Shade the roots by adding 2 or 3 inches of mulch, being careful to keep it away from the stems. Or plant a low-growing perennial or ground cover underneath.

Help it Grow

Begin fertilizing in spring and repeat monthly until fall with organic fertilizer labeled for flowering plants. Or use one tablespoon per square foot of 8-8-8, 6-12-6, or 5-10-5 in late March and repeat every six weeks during the growing season. The soil pH should be slightly alkaline, so add lime only when necessary.

Unfortunately, clematis may be affected by insects and diseases. They may wilt, causing the stems to collapse and the plant to turn black. Remove the diseased stem below the wilted section and the plant will usually recover.

Treat powdery mildew on leaves with a fungicide. For mites, aphids, whiteflies and scales use insecticidal soap, horticultural oil or an insecticide. For slugs, handpick, set out a saucer of beer, or spread diatomaceous

earth around the roots. Cut out portions damaged by clematis borer.

In the Garden

Clematis combined with other plants will complement each other. It’s probably best not to use clematis alone as a focal point in our hot humid climate, because after it blooms, some of the foliage is naturally going to turn brown and be unsightly for a time. This doesn’t mean it has died, so don’t yank the whole plant out or cut it back. Interspersing it with other shrubs and vines will help hide this ugly foliage.

In the Garden

To plant them, prepare holes 18 inches wide and deep in soil amended with organic matter or use a rich soil mix. Don’t plant too deeply here, since roots can rot in heavy clay. Plant in well-drained soil with the crown (where the roots join the stem) just above ground. Cut the shoots back to 12 inches. If a pot support is already in place, leave it for protection the first year. Fill the hole with soil and firm gently around the roots. Water well to remove any air pockets. Water deeply at least once a week in periods of insufficient rainfall.

Clematis can be slow getting established, so be patient. The rewards are worth the wait!

(Shelly Murphy is a Carroll County Master Gardener and UGA Extension Volunteer.)

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Garden Story by

You don’t know beans?...

Gail Woody Photos by Ricky Stilley

L

L

... Then, learn from the experts

et’s talk green beans. Green beans are tender, warm-season vegetables that rank second only to the tomato in popularity in home gardens. Since there is no limit to what one can do with tomatoes, we sometimes forget that there is a variety of ways to grow green beans, too. Green beans are one of those wonderful direct seeding vegetables.

Direct seeding is easier, faster, uses less resources (water, propagation supplies, time, energy), and creates healthier plants. Why put yourself through the pain of nurturing a seedling in a growing rack when you could just plant it outside with much less effort?

Location, Location ...

L

The garden site location is very important. When possible, locate the garden in full sunlight near the house, on good soil, and near a water supply.

Being close to your garden will help you notice insect, disease and weed problems.

When looking for a garden site, keep in mind that the exact soil type is less important than factors such as high fertility, good internal drainage, ease of tilling, good moisture-holding capacity and deep topsoil. The size of your garden and the suitability of certain types of vegetables to your area will limit the crops you choose.

The next step will be the soil testing. A soil test will inform you of the residual fertilizer in your soil and the amount of fertilizer you should add to your soil. A soil test also determines the pH of your soil, which is the basis for liming recommendations. Beans like a moderately rich soil with a slightly acidic pH of about 6.0 to 6.2. For more information on soil testing, 28

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

call the Carroll County Ag Center on Newnan Road in Carrollton at 770836-8546.

We think of raised beds for tomatoes but forget that you do not need an acre to grow green beans. Raised beds can be constructed from old lumber, rocks or landscape timbers. In addition, you can walk around the raised bed to harvest your beans to avoid soil compaction. Adding additional fertilizer to your beans during the growing season is easier than ever in a raised bed.

Planting

P

The common garden bean can be both string-less and come in colors other than green. Everyone recognizes the green bean as one of the most frequently prepared vegetables. Hot, cold, even raw, string beans are versatile in the kitchen and very prolific growing plants in the garden. The most important point about growing green beans is not to plant them too early. They will rot in cool, damp soil. They prefer a loose, moist soil.

Plant after all danger of frost is past. Bush beans can be planted in either rows or blocks, with 4 to 6 inches between each seed. Plant the seeds 1 to 2 inches deep and be sure to water the soil immediately and regularly, until it sprouts.

Plant seeds of all varieties 1 inch deep. Plant seeds of bush beans 2 to 4 inches apart in rows at least 18 to 24 inches apart. Plant seeds of pole beans 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart; or in hills (four to six seeds per hill) 30 inches apart, with 30 inches between rows. Seeds of most varieties tend to crack and germinate poorly if the soil’s moisture content is too high. For this reason, never soak bean seed before planting.

Instead, water just after planting or plant right before a heavy rain. Beans have shallow roots and frequent shallow cultivation and hoeing are necessary to control small weeds and grasses.

Because bean plants have weak root systems, deep, close cultivation injures the plant roots, delays harvest and reduces yields.

Harvest when the pods are firm, crisp and fully elongated, but before the seed within the pod has developed significantly. Pick beans after the dew is off the plants and they are thoroughly dry.

Picking beans from wet plants can spread bean bacterial blight, a disease that seriously damages the plants.

Pole beans will need some type of support to grow on. Be sure the trellis, teepee, or fence is in place before you seed. Pole beans may need some initial help in climbing. You can coax the vines around your trellis, until they are able to twine themselves. Keep the bean plants well watered. Mulch helps keep their shallow roots moist. Long producing pole beans will benefit from a feeding or a side dressing of compost or manure about half way through their growing season.

Fresh pole beans and bush beans can be stored, unwashed in plastic bags in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not wash them before storing. Wet beans will develop black spots and decay quickly. Wash beans just before preparation. Be careful not to break the stems or branches, which are brittle on most bean varieties. The bean plant continues to form new flowers and produces more beans if pods are continually removed before the seeds mature.

Beans, like most vegetables, have some problems. Bean mosaic diseases causes plants to turn a yellowish green and produce few or no pods.

The leaves on infected plants are a mottled yellow and are usually irregularly shaped. The only satisfactory control for these diseases is to use mosaic-resistant bean varieties. Bacterial blight is best controlled by planting disease-free seed.

If you see a small yellow furry pest on your plants, these are larvae of the Mexican bean beetle. The adult resembles a large ladybug. The larvae do the most damage. They are generally not a serious problem, but they occasionally reach damaging numbers.

Of the many beans I’ve planted over the years, most of them emerged and thrived. However, like most gardeners, I have failed at least once at everything. It is that one year of success that keeps you planting year after year.

Harvesting

H

Because the flowers on beans are largely selfpollinated, bean varieties usually do not cross.

These crosses show up only when seed is saved from cross-pollinated flowers. In any event, you should harvest fresh beans before they become tough and stingy. If you can see the bulge of a developing bean through the green pod, the bean is over-matured and should be shelled (except pole beans). At this stage, the pod is too tough to eat.

Planting garden beans in two-week intervals helps to eliminate having all the beans ready for harvest at the same time.

Companion Plants

C

Now that I have talked you into planting beans, go ahead and plant a few radishes too. Radishes love growing under the partial shade of green beans.

One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make is trying to grow radishes in direct sun. Radishes grow very fast – if you are looking for instant gratification, this is the plant to grow. In addition, if you let some go to flower, lots of new beneficial insects will come to your garden. In milder climates, they will bloom through the winter.

Never plant beans under corn because neither crop can reach its maximum potential. Weed control becomes difficult and cornstalks offer weak sup-

port when the beans are maturing. Also, arden remember that beans are one of the crops that need to be planted in a different location each year due to being subject to diseases that may carry over in the soil that might re-infect the following bean crop.

G

When making your purchase, just remember the following. Bush Beans stand erect without support.

They yield well and require the least amount of work. Green “bush” beans were formerly called “string beans” because fiber developed along the seams of the pods. Plant breeders have reduced these fibers through selection and green beans are now referred to as “snap beans.” Pole Beans climb supports and are easily harvested. Always obtain new seeds each year to avoid seed-borne diseases.

(Gail Woody is a Carroll County Master Gardener and Extension Volunteer as well as a certified arborist.)

Bush Bean Variety Sampling

Blue Lake 274 (58 days to harvest; plump, tender pods; slow-developing seeds; resistant to bean mosaic) Bush Kentucky Wonder (57 days; long, flattened pods) Derby (57 days; 1990 AAS winner; slim, tender, prolific; excellent pods)

Pole Bean Variety Sampling

Blue Lake (65 days to harvest; oval, straight, stringless, juicy and tender pods; resistant to bean mosaic) Kentucky Blue (65 days; AAS Winner; round; 7 inch pods) Kentucky Wonder (65 days; fine flavor, 9-inch pods in clusters)

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April/May 2012

Rhubarb

People

Voice of one Generation, Mentor to the Next “You

gotta get up, you gotta get up, you gotta get

up in the morning!” came the familiar voice on the radio. At 6:30

a.m. every morning, that was my cue to get up and get myself to school. In fact, for the better part of two decades – my entire childhood – I woke up every morning listening to Rhubarb Jones on the radio.

He was a familiar voice and a familiar face. Not only was his voice a mainstay on our favorite radio station, Rhubarb was also at every local event anyone bothered to go to. A barbecue at Snellville’s Briscoe Park?

He was there. Stone Mountain Park’s Yellow Daisy Festival? Yep, you could count on Rhubarb to be there representing the radio station. But, somehow, he really just seemed to be hanging out with friends. My family and I honestly felt like we could say, “Yeah, I know Rhubarb!”

Rhubarb has that effect on people. As soon as you start talking with him, it’s like you’ve known this person your whole life. He’s genuinely kind, warm and interested in what you have to say. He instantly puts you at ease with his caring attitude. It’s these very traits, paired with his larger-thanlife personality, that enables him to bring people together: on the radio, at a fundraiser, or in the classroom.

Story by Amy K. Lavender-Buice Photos by Ricky Stilley

Rhubarb passed the test and started school in Jacksonville that fall. He wanted to get his career in radio started, so he went to all the stations around Anniston, but they said he didn’t have enough experience.

“Then, I went to Piedmont and they asked me if I could start Sunday, so I worked Sunday’s for a few months. Randy Owen [of Country music group Alabama] heard me my first day on the radio because I got to play a cut from his family’s gospel album.”

Later on, Rhubarb got the opportunity to work for two days a week in Bremen for Thad Brown, so he transferred to the University of West Georgia so he could work weekends in Bremen. As luck would have it, the station’s morning announcer quit, and there was Rhubarb’s opportunity.

“He gave me the full-time morning show,” Rhubarb recalls. However, radio wasn’t just a job for Rhubarb. It was his life, his dream.

“I just knew, always knew in my heart of hearts that’s what I wanted to do.

I don’t know if it was easy to do, but I listened to a lot of radio and picked

Born Warren Jones, he’s known all over the northern half of the state simply as “Rhubarb,” but how is it so many know this fun-loving, animated person from our very own Tallapoosa?

How

a legacy began

Rhubarb got his start in radio in 1971 while he was a student at Jacksonville State University.

“I went to see a guy I knew and I was listening to on the radio station in Cedartown. He told me I needed to get a license. He said ‘Here’s the book. Study the book. Pass the test.”

Rhubarb’s collection of memorabilia includes awards, plaques and autographed guitars.

April/May 2012

West Georgia Living

33

People and chose from the styles of DJs who had a profound affect on me.”

Once

in a lifetime

Of course, being a well-known radio disc jockey has its perks, like meeting other famous people.

“What flattered me was a phone call I got from [Former Georgia Governor] Zell Miller’s office.

They said, ‘Zell wants you to emcee an event at the Georgia World Congress Center, and there’s going to be some people down there you probably want to meet.’ I said, ‘OK. I’ll do it.’”

But Rhubarb never expected to be one of the famous people others wanted to meet. He was excited to meet rumored guests Micky Mantle and Hank Aaron, never expecting they would even know who he was.

“One of the governor’s aides came and got me and took me to the front of the line, and I got within earshot of where I could hear, and Micky looks over at Hank and says ‘Here comes my hero!’ I said ‘Excuse me, guys, that’s my line to y’all!’”

During dinner, Rhubarb was sat between Aaron and Mantle and listened to the two swap stories through the night. Needless to say, few people can boast meeting one baseball legend, let alone two in one night.

“They were my all-time baseball heroes,” Rhubarb says, “and I guess I would have never gotten to meet them if I hadn’t been in radio.”

But Rhubarb says the real perks for him were the ones that allowed him to help other people.

“Radio afforded me to meet a lot of wonderful people and do some pretty good things for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and St. Jude’s Hospital, and I got blessed for it.”

34

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

Rhubarb recalls making the journey to St. Jude’s to tour the hospital and coming away with one thought in his head: “How can I help?”

He started by going back to his roots, his friends … a few of them just happened to be famous.

His first recruit? Lead singer of Alabama, Randy Owens.

“I said to him, ‘Randy, what if they had a bronze statue of you in Fort Payne, Ala., and it never mentioned the No. 1 songs you wrote, your band, or what a great citizen you are of this community? What if, instead, it said that this man helped put an end to catastrophic childhood illnesses.’ He said, ‘How can I do that?’ I said, ‘Fly to St. Jude’s hospital in Memphis and let Danny Thomas show you the hospital.’ Randy flew up there, and he was on board right then.”

Over time, Rhubarb helped create Country Cares to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the Rhubarb Jones Celebrity Golf Tournament to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Of course, Rhubarb says, it was hard work, but it was worth every bead of sweat.

“I remember a little 2-year-old girl who came

out to our Leukemia event many years ago, and I saw her a year ago with her own family, and she’s cured. She’s been in remission all this time,” Rhubarb says in awe. “That’s why it was worth it. Standing in the parking lots in the heat all those years, it was worth every minute of it.”

“Where I

come from”

Rhubarb says he’s a caring person, but he says he has to give credit where credit is due.

“Seeing those children in that hospital really tears your heart out, but I think I learned my sensitivity to other human beings on the streets of Tallapoosa,” he says. “Neighbors help neighbors out here. I knew when I graduated college I would eventually come back here.”

Rhubarb says coming from the tight-knit community of Tallapoosa “had everything to do with” his ability to make his listeners feel like family. He says he’s never forgotten the town where he grew up: the sights, the sounds, the smells, but especially the people.

“What I love about moving back out here is it’s like I never left.”

People Like most youngsters, when Rhubarb graduated high school, he wanted to go out and conquer the world. He moved from city to city, changing universities in the process, looking for his big break in Atlanta. Then it came.

“February 15, 1985, was my first day on the job at Y106 FM. Had to be there at 5:30 a.m.,” Rhubarb recalls. “I woke up at 1 a.m. and stayed up all night I was so excited.”

The young man from little ol’ west Georgia had hit it big and was loving every minute of it. However, something kept him from straying too far from home.

nounced that Rhubarb was no longer going to be a part of the station.

“They called us all in and fired 13 out of 15 announcers,” Rhubarb recalls.

“I could have gone back into radio, but I honored my contract. I try to instill in my daughters that when you put your name on the dotted line, you honor that.”

Rhubarb says he feels he left on a high note, which is easily confirmed by the flood of supportive phone calls and e-mails he received upon his departure, not to mention the public disbelief swarming around the city.

“It was a good ride, but I’m loving teaching.”

“I’ve had opportunities to go to other stations: Detroit, New York City, Memphis, Houston,” he admits, “but I just love Georgia. When I had the opportunity to buy this house [in Tallapoosa] in 2006, I didn’t even ask the price. There’s just something about falling asleep on the street you grew up on.”

Though the house that holds so many memories for him no longer sits on Stone Street – now Rhubarb Lane – Rhubarb says the connection remains … in the sound of the train and the smiles of the people.

“There’s just something about this place. Kenny Chesney’s song ‘Where I come from’ really says it. As goofy as that may sound,” he laughs. “It’s part of who I am. I can go into the grocery store at 7:30 a.m. and no one cares if I’ve showered and shaved yet. Everybody knows everybody here.

I think it’s a very friendly place. For the last 35 years, I’ve lived two miles from a Home Depot or a Walmart. In Cobb County, I could get a pizza at 2 a.m., but I think that’s not really a cultural advantage.”

The

Rhubarb had already been preparing for the next stage of his career. He had, in fact, already received his teaching degree and had planned on going into the field when his contract was up. Of course, with teaching came a whole new set of experiences.

“Teaching has afforded me the ability to pass along what I was able to do.

I try to instill in my students a strong work ethic, because they’re going to need it when they get out in the world. I want my students to learn that the world has high expectations, and you need to live up to them.”

Of course, teaching has taught the master of radio a few things as well.

“This generation of college students is going to be the on-demand generation. They’re not a must-see-TV generation. They want to see it right now.

The Pandora Radio generation isn’t going to wait around to hear their favorite song on the radio. They’re going to go and punch it in. Text has taken the place of e-mail. Facebook is the new town square.”

next step

On Feb. 29, 2008, Y106 FM shocked its entire audience when it an-

Pick It

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People new generation. Since he’s such a people person, the transition from radio booth to classroom wasn’t a difficult one.

But all in all, he says he tries to keep an open mind and be ready for whatever life throws at him.

“Radio was about people. I got into it for people. It’s all about the listener,” Rhubarb says. “So is teaching. Do I miss [radio]? No, not really, because it’s somebody else’s turn to do it.”

“When my eyes open up every day, seven days a week, I say ‘Lord, this is your day. Show me my path, and I’ll try not to mess it up.’ You never know what’ s around the corner. Right now, I’m trying to be the best college teacher I can be. I try to be accessible to my students. I’m here to serve the students.”

Down

the

Road

You may think teaching is the final frontier for Rhubarb, the last stop before retirement. However, Rhubarb isn’t really the retiring type.

“Ultimately, I want to get a PhD and write books.”

And he’s well on his way with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and lots of newspaper writing experience under his belt. For the past four years, Rhubarb has been a staple of The Tallapoosa Journal’s opinion page as a columnist.

“People talk more about my newspaper columns than they do anything I ever did on the radio,” Rhubarb admits.

And he tries to instill that love of life and love of service in his students.

Teaching them that every day is a gift and challenging them to ask themselves, ‘What can I do on this day that’s going to make a difference?’

No matter what is next for Rhubarb, we can count on one thing: whatever he’ll be doing, he’ll be doing it in Tallapoosa. The city where he learned his love of people.

“The difference in Tallapoosa and other places I’ve lived is … it’s like a Timex watch. No matter what you throw at it, it keeps on going. These people are resilient, and there’s a lot of potential for growth here. I know I tend to romanticize growing up here, but I’ve talked to my chums [about how I portray the city], and they say, ‘Well, yeah, that’s kinda how it was!’

It really is a special place for all of us.” wgl

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Reflections

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Rhubarb

By Doug Vinson

R

hubarb was the living, percolating cup of coffee for thousands of weary, workworn commuters for years as he held court over the early morning hour radio slot from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. He was a reference point we could all count on to help keep us going and get us through the day. He made people feel like we were part of a family.

He was himself – just plain ole Rhubarb – and that’s exactly the way we liked it when we all eagerly tuned in to hear his down-home voice each day on the radio.

Rhubarb and I were regular e-mail pen pals for years. We traded tales, poignant moments, random thoughts, heartfelt concerns, common causes and an occasional insight or two about life. It was a lifeline for me and a safety valve for my sanity, as well as an outlet for my offbeat sense of humor.

He’s done it all on radio – and he has won it all on radio during his 30 plus years on the air – entertaining, enlightening and informing people on everything from WCW wrasslin’ to his Mamanier’s biscuits. He was and is much more than a mega media personality. He is a genuine, caring person who you feel like you have known all your life the first time you meet him. Rhubarb takes a genuine interest in every person he comes into contact with. His Robin Williams, ADD, rapid-fire winsome wit and wisdom win you over when you are around him. He understand’s Alan Jackson’s “The little man” and Merle Haggard’s ‘The working man.” He articulates our hopes and fears and, above all, he makes us laugh at ourselves.

Now, he is pursuing his second love: teaching. At Kennesaw State University, he is having a major impact by dispensing knowledge and molding the minds of the impressionable young scholars who sit in his classes. He continues to share and care about many community projects and activities that he has championed and promoted throughout the years.

He has embraced his native Tallapoosa, and like Dorothy he feels there is “no place like home.” He has raised more than $3. 5 million for leukemia with the annual Rhubarb Jones Celebrity Golf Tournament. He is involved in everything from the Shriners to promoting the

annual New Year’s Eve Possum Drop in Tallapoosa. He is a devoted father who delights in shepherding and spoiling his two daughters, Presley and Callie.

I am one of the thousands who rose early in the morning and delighted in listening to him and Dallas McCabe spin records as well as yarns for all of his loyal listeners on ”the Eagle Y106.7” as we commuters traversed the swirl of Atlanta traffic.

Rhubarb makes you feel like you are listening to a neighbor on your front porch. A lot of people try to develop that approach in the radio business, but it was something Rhubarb didn’t have to develop because that’s just the way he Doug Vinson teaches journalism courses is – open, honest, caring, humorous and all too at the University of West Georgia and is the advisor for the student newspaper, The West human.

Georgian. He has taught at six universities As the State Farm commercial says “like a and has more than 20 years experience in good neighbor” … he was there for us. There journalism and public relations. for us when we needed to laugh, ponder a point, or just enjoy a shared moment or two over the airways.

Rhubarb “never gets above his raisin’” and that helped to keep the rest of us listeners grounded. He has true empathy for the common trials and troubles that so easily beset us, and by sharing his homespun humor he provided a balm to soothe our frazzled, cell-phone dominated lives.

Yes, he is one of kind. The last of a vanishing breed, a radio Icon… but more than that …to the ARCHITECTURE•ENGINEERING•PLANNING thousands of anonymous radio listeners who followed him for years, he is simply our familiar friend, advocate and funny bone.

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REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF WEST GEORGIA FAMILY LAW DIVORCE CUSTODY & VISITATION CHILD SUPPORT ADOPTION SPOUSAL SUPPORT

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Douglas County Office: 8424 Adair Street • Douglasville, Ga 30134

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When facing a diagnosis of cancer, seconds turn to hours. The anxiety, many say, is the worst part.

Waiting for the answer, for the phone to ring, for the doctor to utter those dreaded words — “you have cancer” — is terrifying.

Then the answer comes, and it only leads to more questions.

You have cancer. Now what?

You realize that life is going to change, but to what extent? And how are you going to beat this thing?

Now that you have your diagnosis, how long before you have your treatment options?

J. Richard Bland, MD, director of oncology operations and clinical management for Tanner Health System, prepares to administer radiation therapy at Tanner’s Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center.

At Tanner, it’s three days.

After a diagnosis of cancer, the team at Tanner Cancer Care can turn that anxiety into action in three days’ time, giving you the treatment options and information you need to make informed decisions about your care.

As soon as Tanner Cancer Care receives a physician’s referral, an oncology specialist sets to work determining what steps to take next in beginning a patient’s treatment. A patient navigator—who will serve as the patient’s single point of contact throughout treatment for questions, scheduling and more—will begin setting up additional appointments and diagnostic tests that may be necessary, and three days later, regardless of holidays or weekends, answers are ready.

“Time is life,” said J. Richard Bland, MD, a board-certified radiation oncologist with Tanner Radiation Oncology and medical director of Tanner’s Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center.

“The scariest part is the wait. At Tanner, we’re able to give people answers and options quickly.

“We have the technology and expertise to rival any cancer treatment provider. But more than that, we have the power to provide peace of mind as well.”

Tanner’s cancer services include: Chemotherapy External beam radiation therapy High dose rate brachytherapy Image-guided radiation therapy Intensity modulated radiation therapy MammoSite RTS™ Prostate seed implant Radiation therapy Stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy Superficial radiation therapy Surgery Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy Varian Trilogy with RapidArc™ radiotherapy Along with all this advanced technology, Tanner also offers holistic services and support. Tanner has a patient navigator program and an approach to care that includes nutrition, behavioral health services, spiritual care and more.

To learn more about Tanner Cancer Care, its technology and services, visit www.tannercancercare.org. To find a cancer specialist on Tanner’s medical staff, call 770.214.CARE. Advertisement

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Most people would never guess I cook at home every night, unless I’m working late. My family are my biggest fans, and it is important for me and my family to thank God for his blessing.

I’ve always wanted to have dinner with the Travel Channel TV host Andrew Zimmern of “Bizarre Foods.”

Best book I’ve read this year “Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions” by Guy Kawasaki.

Favorite music on my iPod: “Moves like Jagger” by Maroon 5.

Early in life I learned that my parents lost everything they worked hard for when the communists took over Laos. The house they built, the land they bought and their biggest loss of all was our freedom. One thing that no one could take away from them were their kids: seven of them, from 2 years old to 9 years old.

They kept us together and away from harm and brought us to the land of freedom. Thank you, One and Inh Phommasith!

The best job I ever had as a kid was selling leis to the tourists in the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, and using the money to buy food for my family when I was 8 years old.

My life would not be complete if it were not for my family, friends and my passion for food.

My wife, Cristi, always tells me that “there isn’t anything you can’t do as long as someone loves you.”

Near the top of my ‘bucket list’ is winning the Seafood Challenge Competition held by the American Culinary Federation and bringing home the Governor’s Cup to Carrollton!

42

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

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Food

LOCO FAJITAS Ingredients: Shrimp Steak Chicken Mexican Sausage (Chorizo) Bell peppers Onions Tomato Shredded cheese Cheese dip

Cut meat and vegetables into similar sized strips.

On the Side: Rice Refried beans Lettuce Tomato Guacamole Sour cream Pico de gallo Flour tortillas

On a separate plate, arrange warmed refried beans, cooked rice (cook according to instructions on the box), shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.

44

West Georgia Living

First, sauté the meat in a skillet or on a flat-top grill until nearly done, then add vegetables and cook until meat is done and vegetables are soft.

Place meat and vegetables in a warm dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Warm flour tortillas in the microwave or steamer and you are ready to assemble your Loco Fajitas!

April/May 2012

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April/May 2012

West Georgia Living

45

Food MEXICAN CALAMARI Ingredients: Lettuce Chipotle sauce Fried jalapeño Fresh calamari Frying batter Frying oil Place shredded lettuce on plate for garnish. Place bowl of chipotle sauce in center.

Chop fresh calamari into bite-size pieces, batter and fry them until golden brown. If using a deep fryer, carefully follow instructions regarding oil level and temperature.

Place calamari and fried jalapeño on bed of shredded lettuce and enjoy!

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Food

MOCK FRIED ICE CREAM Recipe by Julie Weaver Ingredients: Stacy’s Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips, crushed 2 cartons of vanilla ice cream (any brand) 1 jar of red cherries Honey Reddi-wip Place pita chips in a food processor and chop until ground into small pieces.

Take softened ice cream and scoop out a ball as big as you want and roll it in the chips. Immediately place balls in the freezer and leave them there until you are ready to serve them. Otherwise, they will melt.

When you are ready to serve, drizzle honey over the ice cream balls. Garnish with Reddi-wip and cherries. You can also add nuts or any other favorite toping.

Enjoy!

Treat the family or impress your guests with this fun take on fried ice cream!

April/May 2012

West Georgia Living

47

Shop, Dine, Discover 115 Rome Street Carrollton Georgia 30117 (770) 832-6091

Plates on the Square & Uncorked Carrollton’s Most Unique & Inspiring Dining Experience Plates on the Square & Uncorked opened April of 2008 with the hopes of contributing to the ongoing revitalization of Adamson Square. Despite the recession, the Square has continued to blossom, and we are thankful for the role Plates has been able to play in that growth along with many other businesses and the support of the city government, the Main Street program, and the citizens of Carroll County.

I opened Plates with my partners Keith Rabideau and Chef Wes Denney as well as my wife, Marla. We poured great effort into restoring our building on the corner of Adamson Square and Bradley Street and designing a menu to bring Wes’ brand of creative genius to West Georgia. Along with our customers, we have explored a great variety of foods over the last four years.

Today, our menu and our restaurant are built on not just our ideas but the tastes of the community. We are thus grateful to all our customers for making Plates the bustling restaurant it has become.

If you have not visited us yet, we welcome you to come eat with us in the casual fine dining room of Plates or the casual bar of Uncorked. We are confident that just about everyone can find a great meal on our diverse menu. Thanks to all our customers for four great years!

-Brad Wilkes Owner, Plates on the Square & Uncorked

It’s a Party at the Pea! Dressing and Accessorizing the women of Carrollton for 25 years!

Fashion is the Passion at Sweet Pea’s Boutique!

Sweet Pea’s is Carrollton’s one stop shop for ladies clothing, accessories, shoes and gifts. Located in Westover Square on Maple Street; Sidra McWhorter and all “The Peas” have been dressing and accessorizing women all over West Georgia for over 25 years!

We offer a wide variety of lines including Brighton accessories, TOMS shoes, We Wood watches, Charleston Shoe co., Ganz, Yellowbox, and Sorreilli jewelry. We pride ourselves on giving each customer the personal attention and customer service that rivals all others. We offer services such as free alterations, free gift-wrapping, and free delivery! We also provide a wish list registry to help that special someone in your life pick out the perfect gift.

A major aspect of the charm of Sweet Pea’s Boutique is their events! We have at least one event per month to create a fun and inviting atmosphere that makes everyone want to come in and have a blast! Whether it is an event to support the local Women’s shelter or a Christmas open house, it is ALWAYS a Party at The Pea! So please come and experience the power of fashion and join us for for some FUN. Sweet Pea’s is located at 941 Maple Street, Carrollton, Ga, or you can reach us by phone: 770-836-8864 or find us on Facebook at Sweet Pea’s Boutique in the group section.

- Sidra McWhorter Owner, Sweet Pea’s Boutique

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Music Story by Ken Denney Photos by Ricky Stilley

Sons of Alice band members Adam Powell, from left, and Alex Burley get ready to lay some tracks in their studio.

Sons of Alice A different kind of tribute band

M

en and women in the armed forces and who are deployed overseas have enough on their minds without having to worry about the mundane problems of civilian life back home: getting the car fixed, house payments, that sort of thing. So when family life starts affecting military service, these soldiers have to rely on people and groups in the States who are ready to help.

One organization providing such help is Operation Homefront – and here in West Georgia, a couple of musicians have found a unique way to raise funds that will help Operation Homefront solve soldiers’ problems so they can concentrate on their job.

Alex Burley and Adam Powell are half brothers, and together they form the band “Sons of Alice.” The name of the group comes from their mother, and in honor of their fathers, both of whom were in military service, they have turned one of their crowd-pleasing songs into an instrument of good for soldiers overseas.

50

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

The song, “They Believed,” is available for download on iTunes and CDBaby.com; it tells the story of men who heeded the call of military service over the generations, some of whom provided the ultimate sacrifice on the field of battle. All profits from the sale of the song will be donated to Operation Homefront, a Texas-based organization that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors.

The brothers also produced a video for their song, which can be seen on YouTube.

“I originally wrote the song about 20 years ago, thinking about past family members who had fought for whatever cause at the time,” said Powell.

The song proved to be a crowd favorite; so much so that after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he updated the song to include the new challenges that fighting men would face in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was Burley who came up with the idea of using the song to raise funds to help those soldiers, an inspiration that came directly from his work as a building contractor at Fort McPherson. One day, he was working at an officer’s home when an aide cautioned Burley not to disturb him.

“I asked, ‘is everything alright,’ and he said, ‘no (the officer) has to call a family and tell them they’ve lost their son. He’s having a rough day.”

T

he video of “They Believed” opens with a dedication to “all of those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom,” then dissolves into a montage of photographs of soldiers, including those who fought for their cause during the Civil War: They believed in the freedom of men They took a stand to defend that freedom Like the thunder rolls, in the face of the wind They’re calling out to me, to make a stand Oh, for what you believe in The photos include shots of their fathers, as well as friends who have served overseas.

“The video is just for promotion,” said Burley. “Right now the download costs 99 cents; but we’re trying to get it raised to $1.29, because that’s what it should be.”

That’s because iTunes takes a percentage of every sale, and Burley and Powell are trying to maximize the amount of money that will be turned over to Operation Homefront.

The brothers have set a goal of 100,000 downloads, which would generate thousands of dollars for the organization. “But if this continues to do well, we’ll just roll with it,” said Powell. “It’s a good

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Alex Burley makes adjustments to a song on the sound board in his studio.

Music charity to be involved with, so our goal is to hit [the 100,000 mark] and just keep going.”

“We’ve had a good response,” he added. “We haven’t been able to track everything as of yet, we’re waiting on iTunes, but when we perform now, we play that song out live and we talk about it every time we play and try to generate support.”

P

owell is a singer-songwriter; Burley is a musician and recording specialist. “Sons of Alice” has one recorded eponymous album, created in the custom-built studio that Burley has near his home in Waco. The studio itself is complete with a soundproof recording and drum studio, and an extensive array of equipment for mixing songs and creating videos.

Both men had long been interested in music, but did not decide to form their own group until last July, after Powell moved back to west Georgia after an extended stint in the “corporate world” in North Carolina.

even Smyrna and Atlanta. They recently opened for a concert by the Kurt Thomas Band. And although the brothers’ album contains original music, the group likes to play cover versions of other songs when they are out performing live.

“When Alex and I started talking, we were just both at the point where (our) kids were grown, and then we had the idea ‘lets do music; that’s what we love,’” said Powell.

And while “They Believed” has a strong Country influence, Powell, who sings it, confesses he doesn’t have “a real twangy voice.” The brothers say their main inspiration comes from the singer-songwriters of the 1970s, such as James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, and especially the Eagles.

The brothers have been very successful, playing at venues ranging from Hiram to Villa Rica, and

The brothers have found a good reception for their fund-raising effort from the audiences and the owners of the music venues at which they perform.

“Regardless of your political view, we support people who fight so that we can do what we do - and you do can what you do,” said Powell.

“There’s a lot of different opinions on war and politics, but our goal is not that. It’s something we believe in.” wgl

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Music

“They Believed�

My great-grandfather was a fightin’ man Rode with the South, he made a stand He fought for the things, that he believed in.  My grandfather after him Heard the call from Uncle Sam He flew a plane over Germany, in the big war.  They believed in the freedom of men They took a stand to defend that freedom Like the thunder rolls, in the face of the wind.

They’re calling out to me, to make a stand Oh, for what you believe in.  My daddy heard that familiar call He volunteered for Vietnam He left his home and family

by

Adam Powell:

To defend his fellow men.  I remember asking him About the things he’d done and where he’d been.

He bowed his head, and closed his eyes And this is what he said:  Son you have the right, to live your life Because the men who came before you, fought and died And as he spoke these words, the tears fell from his eyes.  They believed in the freedom of men They took a stand to defend that freedom Like the thunder rolls, in the face of the wind They’re calling out to me, to make a stand

of West Georgia

Oh, for what you believe in. Â Bridge: Now everything is changing, in this land that we all love.

We’ve got enemies within and on every side As the freedoms we hold dear, begin to slowly disappear We’ve got to fight! To keep the dream alive. (lead guitar)  They believed in the freedom of men They took a stand to defend that freedom Like the thunder rolls, in the face of the wind They’re calling out to me, they’re calling out to me!

To make a stand, oh, for what you believe in.

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Life Story by Ken Denney Photos by Ricky Stilley

Jerry Culver and his dog, Norton, check on his vines during a Vineyard and Winery Association of West Georgia hands-on workshop.

Revival of the Vineyards How one group is bringing area farmers together to foster economic rebirth

I

n 1888, some 200 families arrived in their new world of Haralson County, where a developer had invited them to do what they had done in the Old World: plant and grow grapes – and make wine. They did well. Over time, these families from Hungary established large vineyards and communities they called Budapest, Tokaj and Nyitra. They built a school and a church.

In time, other Europeans arrived and embarked on the same venture, and vineyards flourished across west Georgia; thousands of acres of them.

Wines that were made here attracted national attention and tourists flocked to see where it was made, bringing their money with them.

However, the wine wouldn’t flow forever. The Prohibition Movement had been gaining power in Georgia over the decades, and as the century 56

West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

turned, county after county voted to go dry. By 1907 – 12 years ahead of the rest of the nation – Prohibition had been enforced statewide. The Haralson wineries shut down, and the west Georgia wine industry withered away. And that’s the way it’s been for over a century.

Now, however, a forward-thinking group of west Georgians is at work to restore the elegant art of winemaking, literally planting the vines they believe will yield an economic revival, while putting the region on the map as the nation’s newest wine producing capital.

From the Ground Up

An average acre of established vineyards can produce 4,000 bottles of wine. Each bottle can be sold at a $6 dollar profit – meaning a net profit to the vintner of $24,000 per acre. That’s enough temptation to perhaps get

you thinking about clearing off some land and becoming a Napa Valley-style millionaire. But Doug Mabry wants you to know there’s a lot to learn.

Mabry is CEO of the Vineyard and Winery Association of West Georgia. Their mission is to teach themselves all they can about winemaking over the next three years, which is about how long it takes to get vineyards established. For the past year, several members of the group have had vines in the ground and are well on their way to producing west Georgia’s first wine harvest. It is hoped that when the grapes are ready, the region will have established a winery cooperative, a place that will turn harvested grapes into wine ready for the tables of restaurants and homes across the nation.

But these will not be chardonnays and merlots with an exotic European background. These wines will be blended from what Mabry calls “American heritage grapes” – fruit which, unlike that of France, has a long history of growing at this latitude and in the same type of Georgia soil as those grapes planted by the Hungarians and others back in the 1880s. In fact, some of the grapes may be the literal descendants of those same varieties that flourished more than a century ago.

“I started to overlay the old colony maps over present-day maps, then went out to the old sites,” says Mabry. He took samples of grapes growing in the wild and sent them to the University of California at Davis, where researchers used DNA testing to identify the varieties.

“I knew that the French varieties that people are

used to drinking – chardonnays and merlots – won’t grow here,” said Mabry. “We had to look at what would grow.”

While there are many “heritage grapes” that may take to the west Georgia climate, the Association has been concentrating on two types of red-wine grapes, the Norton and the Texas Black Spanish, or Lenoir, and two white-wine grapes, the Blanc Du Bois and Villard Blanc. All have proven to be hardy enough to tolerate the sun, soil and weather common to west Georgia. More importantly, they are more resistant to Pierce’s Disease, a bacteria spread by leafhopping insects and which, in this climate, makes it almost impossible to grow the grape varieties most people associate with European wine.

This is not a disadvantage, Mabry says. The “American heritage grapes” have been producing medal-winning wine in other states, and he has no doubt it will do so in Georgia. And not just in the mountains – but in all of Georgia’s 159 counties, creating a new agricultural industry as sustainable as soybeans. West Georgia’s cooperative winery will, Mabry says, “blow open” the wine industry across the state.

What the Association is striving to do, then, is to create a winemaking industry unique to this region, based on varieties that produce prizewinning wines, and to lead the way in a statewide revival of an agricultural sector, which has been dormant since Prohibition.

tive can expect to get started. He sounds like an expert – but that’s the result of attending Association meetings. He hasn’t given up his signmaking company, and his 100-vine vineyard is only a foray into what he hopes will eventually become a supplemental retirement income.

Laying Down Roots

“We want to make sure we’re doing it right,” he says. “If you make a mistake, you want to be sure it is on a small scale.”

Tim Billingsley is an Association member, and his vineyard near Center Point road is representative of how most members of the new coopera-

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Life Buying the grapes is the easiest, cheapest part of the process, Billingsley says; they are only $4 to $6 each. But after that, the process of growing a vineyard becomes progressively more expensive and labor intensive – literally from the ground up.

Billingsley began by picking a sloping field for his vines. The slope is necessary because it promotes the movement of air, which will keep the grapes dry and mildew free. He next had to take soil samples and have them analyzed so experts could tell him how to treat his soil; treatments he then had to purchase and spread across the field.

“The key part of growing vines is, if you don’t treat your soil in advance, then four or five, six years down the road those vines aren’t going to do well.”

Billingsley next had to install an irrigation system, which involved drilling a well on his property then setting up tanks, leech lines and a timing system to keep different zones moist.

Following the instruction Billingsley has received from the Association, he plans to soon cut back his vines. This seems counterproductive, but it is necessary to create a large, firm stem that eventually will produce large, lush bunches of grapes. It will also provide Billingsley with cuttings he can root until next year, when he will

Association member Tim Billingsly expand his operation.

between Atlanta and Birmingham.”

Billingsley is mostly growing Norton grapes, which produces a dry, red wine. It is a grape unique to America and won awards throughout the 19th Century, but which went out of production after Prohibition. The vine has made a comeback after an old vine was rediscovered 47 years ago in Missouri.

Culver has about 1,500 vines in the ground, and he is in the process of putting in another 1,500 vines in a separate field at his home in the Hulett community, near Sandhill. When he finishes, he will have about six acres covered with a mixture of Norton, Lenoir (Black Spanish) and Blanc Du Bois vines.

Getting Established

Like Norton, the Lenoir produces a red wine suitable for blending with other varieties. Mabry says it is being grown widely across Texas, another state experiencing a revival of its old wine industry, which Mabry says is worth well over $1 billion. The Blanc Du Bois variety is a hybrid

Jerry Culver is the person all the Association members aspire to be. The retired IRS investigator has not only the largest vineyard among the membership, it’s about to get larger. Culver and Mabry joke that Culver is the “biggest grower

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Life white grape developed by the University of Florida. Together, Mabry says, both varieties are producing award-winning wines among discriminating critics between Los Angeles and New York.

Culver’s fields have been an “experimental station” for other Association members, who have gained practical experience in helping him establish his crop. What few mistakes have been made by these early growers have also become learning experiences for the group.

“One of the biggest problems I had was keeping the grass cut out here,” says Culver. “The grass is in competition with the vines for the water and that’s the purpose of keeping the grass cut short along the rows.”

Growers like Billingsley and Culver will also have to spread nets on their vines to protect their grapes from birds and deer, but nothing can protect them from the vicissitudes of weather, particularly hail – which could wipe out their entire investment in a few minutes.

But that is a risk all farmers take, and ultimately it is a risk that every member of the Association who chooses to grow grapes for the wine cooperative will face. They may be hobbyists for the most part now, but the purpose of the group is to enter an agricultural endeavor that, if successful, will prove far more profitable than many others.

Looking Forward

No one is more excited about the prospects than Mabry, who – as point man for the Association – receives constant validation for his optimism: from state Ag officials who are enthusiastic about a new economic sector; researchers and wine experts happy about new wines on the market; to other counties, states and countries eager to develop new markets.

Mabry expects that, like Texas, Georgia can soon top the billion-dollar mark in the revival of its wine industry. And west Georgia will be leading the state.

If he is right, then in a few years the industry that once flourished across the region will return. There will be large-scale and small-scale vineyards, each linked to a Cooperative that will provide exotic blends of wines, made from hardy, heritage varieties of grapes grown in the same soil as the wines of a century ago. All the side industries that revolve around winemaking will flourish once again – and tourists will again flock here to be pampered at new hotels and sip exotic wines in new restaurants.

Once, immigrant winemakers came to west Georgia to find new lives and create an industry for a region that had none. Today, those who hope to revive that industry are planting their vines, learning all they can, and investing in the future. wgl

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Artist Randy Ayers hands Elaine Shivers artwork by Pam Uglum during Empty Bowls.

Empty Bowls, Full Hearts A local fundraiser puts its own spin on a national effort to end hunger

A

line at least 100 people long snakes around long tables laden with handmade bowls. Friends and neighbors pass each other to and from the kitchen or display tables and stop for a quick greeting.

Children dance in front of a stage as folk singers belt out familiar tunes.

The wonderful aroma of various soups fills the space. This event has the atmosphere of a dinner on the grounds at a local church, only multiplied a few hundred times.

However, all the festivity, fun and fellowship isn’t really all that surprising when you realize why the 1,000 or so people all gather here each year.

They’re here to support their community; they’re here to lend a hand; they’re here to help end hunger.

Every year for the past eight years, west Georgia residents have gathered at the Carroll County Agriculture Center to raise money for the Carroll County Soup Kitchen at the annual Empty Bowls event. If you’re thinking 60

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to yourself: “Empty Bowls, that sounds familiar.” It should. Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group.

The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger and food insecurity.

The organization encourages communities around the world to take the Empty Bowls concept and make it their own. Locals Carol Boyd and Helen Helwig did just that. Eight years ago, the duo decided to create a Carrollton Empty Bowls event, getting local artists involved.

“I had visited my sister in Texas one summer, and she told me about a potters’ group there that organized an Empty Bowls event. I thought it sounded like a fun idea,” said Boyd. “So when I got back, I got in touch with the ceramics people in the area that I knew and described the idea to them.

Skip Veljkov and his daughter, Jada, survey the variety of bowls on display at Empty Bowls.

A

t about the same time, Helwig had moved to Carrollton from Phoenix, Ariz., where she had been involved with Empty Bowls for many years. She was hoping to find a similar such event in her new hometown.

“She also had a lot of ideas about how to piggy back other activities onto the basic bowls-and-soup model,” Boyd said. “So our event grew from my original fairly small idea to include community workshops, a silent auction, and all the other cool attractions you saw [Feb. 26].”

Today, it has evolved into an ever-growing affair that now includes several churches, University of West Georgia art students, area children, area entertainers, and volunteers from all walks of life.

“It’s grown so much beyond what we anticipated,” said Helwig.

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The Inner Harbour West African Drummers play for the scores of visitors to the Empty Bowls fundraiser on Feb. 26.

Five years ago, they added music to the event. This year, attendees heard the musical stylings of Le Piano a Bretelles, Mimi Gentry and the Lowell Opry House Band, the Carrollton High School Show Choir and the Inner Harbour West African Drummers. Raffle prizes were also recently added.

This year’s prizes came from Ozier Products, SCRAP Bin, and Underground Books.

“We had 70 bowls left over after the event last year,” Helwig says. “So we sold them at the Farmers Market and other places throughout the year and had other events to raise money, which helped pay for month-to-month needs at the soup kitchen.”

T

ogether, all the volunteers involved have worked to provide the Carroll County Soup Kitchen with some much-needed supplies.

“We try to identify major needs,” said Helwig. “Like a walk-in freezer and other needs a commercial kitchen has, such as a dishwasher.

We’ve also helped them purchase a van for deliveries to shut-ins.”

Last year, Empty Bowls raised $24,000 for the soup kitchen at the annual event, as well as another $5,000 in interim sales. This year the group pulled in another $23,000, not including future “piggy back” events.

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West Georgia Living

April/May 2012

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Local children clap their hands to the music coming from the stage courtesy of Le Piano a Bretelles during the Empty Bowls fundraiser.

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he money raised by Empty Bowls and donated from other sources helps the soup kitchen serve up its more than 5,700 lunches and 1,500 take-home bags each month. Open every Monday and Thursday for lunch and the last full week of the month, it takes $6,000 per month to keep the kitchen in supplies and to cover operating expenses.

Although the Empty Bowls event has already surpassed their expectations, volunteers plan to continue growing, expanding and innovating in an effort to further help the Soup Kitchen.

“Next year, I think we’re going to open it up to new mediums,” Helwig said. “After all, bowls can be made out of so many things: mosaic, wood, even paper mache´!”

Helwig and Boyd both say that they are amazed and thrilled at the support the event receives from the public each and every year, from donations to volunteers.

“We have a very generous community,” Boyd said.

For more information on the Carroll County Soup Kitchen, located at 345 Beulah Church Rd., Carrollton, call 770-214-5055. wgl

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Artist’s Corner Interview by Amy K. Lavender-Buice Photos by Ricky Stilley

Jesse Duke Restaurant Manager, Part-time Artist How did you get started in wood carving?

Three years ago, my grandparents had an oak tree that fell down in their back yard. They had it cut up, and I asked them if I could have a couple pieces. I went to Home Depot and bought some chisels and went from there.

Did you study art in college?

I went to the University of West Georgia for art for three years, but I quit to [help with the family business of running Sunnyside Cafe]. I’ve been here since the beginning. I was one of the first two cooks. I’m here all the time and then I go home and work on my carvings or paint. It’s really a release for me. I just started painting last year for Mecca Fest. I was always an illustrator growing up. I wanted to be a comic book artist 66

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April/May 2012

and do portraits. Then the wood carving was an accident, but I liked it a lot. With painting, I liked barn wood so much, that just kind of happened, too.

Where does your wood come from?

My fiancee, Whitney Hall, helps me build the signs I do. All the wood came from the Old Hickory Level round barn, which Hurricane Opal knocked down. Her family’s allowed us to salvage it and clean it up. It’s what I used to make the sign in the Moonshadow Music Hall here at Sunnyside.

Had you ever sculpted before starting on wood?

No, I never even worked with clay in school. It’s kind of like drawing, but backwards. You start with an organism and work your way in. You’re finding something within the wood instead of creating something from nothing. Wood is definitely my favorite medium.

How did you come up with your genre: Contemporary Folk-Art? One of the themes I got into for Mecca Fest was aliens and UFOs and anything bazaar but in an old Southern setting. I like the idea that this has been going on for a long time. Every culture has a word for UFO. I like the idea of using contemporary ideas in old ways with slow wood carvings.

Do you find any challenges in your art?

For the past couple of years, it has been finding time to do it. Running a family business has been a lot more work than we thought it would be. The hardest thing is balancing everything, but I get to do paintings for the restaurant and that has kind of helped keep it alive.

Do you have a favorite piece?

The fish (pictured opposite) will be because it’s been such a big part of my life for so long. I’ve been working on it for 2 1/2 years. It’s a com-

missioned piece, a replica of the biggest largemouth bass caught in the world. It was caught in South Georgia in the 1930s and still holds the world record. And the owls [that sit in the restaurant] – it was my first piece.

What kind of reaction do you want people to have to your art?

I like to make conversation pieces. I like the idea of people looking at my paintings and actually discussing what they actually mean.

I like leaving an ambiguity in my paintings leaving people asking “Is it extraterrestrial? Is it angelic?” I like to play on the religious and the scientific but honor them all.

Ultimately, I like to make people talk and wonder how it’s done and maybe even inspire them to pick up chisels and paintbrushes themselves.

I like the idea of everyone doing art, even if they think they aren’t any good at it. I think everybody has their own style, and I think that’s important.

What are your long-term goals?

To be a full-time artist. I have grand dreams. I want to build robots out of old tractor equipment that we find in old barns. I want to take down barns before they’re destroyed and salvage the wood. I would like to just do art, wherever that leads.

My friends make short films, my brother’s a musician. I know all these people who are so talented in different ways, and I’ve always had this grand dream of us all working in all these different mediums and spreading something.

An art movement?

That would be great!

April/May 2012

West Georgia Living

67

Today, I Met a Woman

Art

By Bethany DeWitt

Today, I met a woman.

A woman who knows what it is like to have her entire life stripped away Like the bark of a tree when lightning strikes.

A woman who knows what it is like to plunge from the mountain top of life Straight down to the valley of desolation because of one mistaken step.

A woman who knows what it is like to be looked down upon, To be treated like the filth of the earth.

A woman who knows what it is like to feel hungry, empty— The hunger becoming a part of her, a never ending ache deepening into her core, Yet not a morsel can be found.

A woman who knows what it is like to thirst for days on end, And to wonder if her parched throat will ever find relief.

A woman who knows what it is like to depend on the kindness and generosity of others,

Only to find that it is in short supply.

A woman who knows what it is like to be alone, To not have felt a loving touch or heard and encouraging word since the day That condemned her to a life of nomadic wandering.

A woman whom society pushes aside with disgust, Her cries for help forgotten among the expanding list of “more important” problems.

Yes, today, I met a woman.

A woman whose dreams still know no limits Despite the reality of the falling sky above her.

A woman who perseveres through it all, Viewing her misfortune as an opportunity to gain understanding.

A woman whose strength is stronger than any forged façade of security That was built by man’s hands, for she has witnessed it crumbling.

A woman who goes to sleep in a different place each night,

Are We Living Right?

By Raven’e Crowder

Young boy, young girl Are you stuck and confused in this crazy world?

A little motivation from me, shall put all bad things to ease.

So I’ll start off with the fellas, because I have a lot for my ladies.

Parents and small ones wait your turn, because I also have some things for you to learn.

Boys, Boys, Boys...How may I define you?

The latest generation is growing up to be so rude!

Didn’t your mothers teach you manners or were your dads ONLY preaching football Or does it just not matter, do you not care at all Treat us females with respect, cause that’s the right thing to do Stop blaming people for neglect that you once before went through.

Is it a crime right now to be book smart? Or are the streets all that matters Because your REPUTATION is to be hard.

Is it all about your swat, TRUES, POLO, & GRIFFEYS? Too bad you won’t even get credit when in the next few years you’re still stuck in this city.

Put your x-box aside, will it kill your pride?

You can play 2K12 but can’t even MLA format WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE & WHY! Why, Why, Why must it take a poem to call you out?

My only advice to y’all is to watch & pay attention closely because what you put in is ALL you’ll get out.

Ladies, are y’all so busy trying to fight? That you can’t even recognize that your grades aren’t right Or are you too stuck in love that you text him all day and in class you fail your test and there’s NOTHING you can say?

And so much for respect, we take our parents for granted We have a selfish mind set we should get it when we demand it.

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April/May 2012

Yet has the confidence that tomorrow will hold new blessings.

A woman with a heart of gold that captures any soul willing to see her, Filling their hearts with words of wisdom.

Today, I met more than a woman, I met a survivor.

A fighter, a dreamer—a kind, intelligent individual—possessing a light within.

This light shines through the shroud of bleak circumstances striving to cover her With a thick layer of misery—succeeding only in making her stronger.

Her smile remains, her laugh easily spills out— loud, and clear, and hearty.

And though her wings may be broken, one day she will fly again.

Now isn’t that something can’t even clean our rooms “Hey there’s a party at Z-6” oh that just changes our WHOLE mood.

My advice to us from a FEMALE’S stance; leave the excess make up alone, you’ll have a better chance.

And in my eyes you’re not lame if your skirt reaches your knees, You just look more respectful as if you actually HAVE hopes and dreams.

Stop searching for that guy, you’re watching

time pass you by, Focus more on your goals your only limit is the sky.

Parents I’m young and I know we make it hard but you can try admitting when wrong don’t you think that’s a start We all don’t want freedom just a little bit of love, a good job a good morning and from time to time a hug.

And what’s wrong with the kids, the infants, the babies They spend more time observing than actually playing They catch on to what we do; your kids are watching you It may be hard to believe but I’m telling the truth.

Teach ABS’s and 123’s It’s not a hard thing to do, you guys are killing me gah-lee.

And in my final stanza I think that I should tell ya’ That we are all the same, there’s no such thing as He’s cool or she’s lame.

We need to go to church, even learn how to work Instead of practicing in the mirror how to beef it up and twerk.

If we all came together from the races to the sexes It wouldn’t even matter who drove a hoopty or a Lexus.

Who wore Levis or Faded Glory, Lordy, Lordy Lordy, we got it all twisted up...

I just admitted it; WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

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Arts & Events A Night of Comedy and Cuisine

Sewell Mill, located at 126 Hamilton Ave., Bremen, presents A Night of Comedy and Cuisine at 7 p.m. April 21. Come enjoy a night of stand-up comedy performed by local residents and “imports” from Atlanta as well as some wonderful Italian cuisine. Tickets cost $18 and are limited, so reserve yours by calling 770-537-1772. Note: This show is R rated. Attendees under 17 years old require the presence of a parent or guardian.

Home and Garden Show

Don’t miss Bremen’s first Home and Garden Show, hosted by Sewell Mill, located at 126 Hamilton Ave., Bremen, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 14, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 15. $4 at the door gets you in to see speakers, workshops and displays. Bring your Spring Fever to the Home and Garden Show to learn all about sprucing up your home and garden as we enjoy the return of warm weather!

For more information, visit www.thesewellmill. org or call 770-537-1772.

Spring Concert Series

Carroll County Community Chorus presents a spring concert series: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Charles Allen, begins his 14th year as Conductor for CCCC. Betty Sue Smith, a Professor of Piano at UWG, will accompany the Chorus on piano. The concert program includes all genres of Church music, including Gregorian Chants, Sacred Harp, Gospel, Spirituals, and Familiar Hymn arrangements. Songs include the Beethoven “Hallelujah,” Brahms “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place,” “Precious Lord Take My Hand,” “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “It is Well With My Soul.”

Expect a bit of audience participation as well.

Concerts are Friday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 21, at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center’s Danny Mabry Theatre. Tickets are $10.

Arts Gala

The Carroll County Cultural Arts Alliance Board of Directors Invites You To the 31st Annual Arts Gala Thursday, May 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the home of Meghan and Swede Sullivan 320 E. Club Dr. Carrollton, Ga. Admission is 2012-2013 membership in the Arts Alliance, Co-chaired by Mrs. Michelle Morgan and Mrs. Meghan Fleck Sullivan. The Arts Alliance Board is an advisory board of Carrollton Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department. A Silent

auction of artist repurposed chairs will be available with proceeds from the auction to benefit SCRAP Bin and the Cultural Arts Children’s Theatre, Dance, Creative Writing, and Visual Art programs. Attire is Dressy Casual 770-838-1083 www.cprcad.org

Art and Music Showcase

The Georgia Kiwanis Art and Music Showcase will be held on Saturday, April 28, at the CarrollThe Greater Carrollton Area... Whatever you’re looking for, look here first. ton Cultural Art Center. The showcase begins at the mystery comedy musical Curtains for ages we forget how many great things there are to see, do and experience in our own hometown. Before you spend your 3 p.m. and features art and music showcaseSometimes win13 through Saturday, 12, a.m. and time and money somewhere else, why not 19, look here first? You might beMay surprised by some at of the10 treasures in your own backyard! ners from Kiwanis Clubs throughout the state.

Monday, May 14, at 6 p.m. at the Carrollton Explore the shops, restaurants and galleries of Carroll County historic downtown districts. Turn a few pages at Horton’s Books This is a one-day competition and students will in Carrollton, the oldest bookstore inArts the stateCenter (and the county’s Dine at one of our many restaurants, serving Cultural inoldest thebusiness).

Theatre Rehearsal up an eclectic mix of mouth-watering cuisines. Attend or host a tournament at our award-winning recreation facilities. See a be competing for $15,000 in college scholarcall back audition is scheduled forat your choice of show or exhibit atRoom. the Carrollton (A Cultural Arts Center, Townsend Center or Copeland Hall. Shoot a hole-in-one several championship quality15 golf courses.

Swim off the largest sand beach inAll the GA State Park System at John Tanner State ships sponsored by the Georgia Kiwanis District May at 6 p.m. as needed.) actors should Park. Camp, picnic, hike or explore on horseback at McIntosh Reserve Park. Hold your business meeting, wedding or family Foundation. Free Admission. Call 770-838-reunion here. Cheer come toorsing songof West (approximately our homeprepared teams or learn a thing two at thea University Georgia or West Georgia Technical College.

1083 for more information.

16 bars) a cappella or with accompaniment. $50groups and The Carrollton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is your complete local resource for planning and hosting individual visitorsparticipation in the Greater Carrollton Area. at 770-214-9746 or visit us online atis www.visitcarrollton.com and feeContact forusall cast members due at on Facebook. Come by the Log Cabin Visitor Center at 102 North Lakeshore Drive in Carrollton. first rehearsal. Fee includes a cast T-shirt. ReStanton Lanier Concert hearsals are Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays Pianist-composer Stanton Lanier will present a beginning Monday, May 21 from 6 to 10 p.m. concert at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center (Closed Memorial Day and only select soloists on Friday, May 4 in the Danny Mabry Theatre. will be scheduled to rehearse May 29 and May Tickets are $10 for all seats. The show will be30 to allow Teen Improv participation.) Producgin following the opening reception for gallery tion dates are Aug. 2 through Aug. 4. Tickets exhibitions featuring The Atlanta Artist Center in the Roush Gallery and local artist Brian Mack $10. Kathy Waldrop, Director. Support for this program is provided by Carroll EMC, Target and in the Galleria. Patrons can meet the artists, the Community Foundation of West Georgia. enjoy catered refreshments and attend a concert,

all in one evening! For ticket purchase call 770838-1083.

Teen Improv Workshop

Teen Theatre Improv Workshop Tuesday, May 28-June 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. Instructor: Tommy The Allen Gospel Group Futch from “Laughing Matters” comedy troupe.

The Allen Gospel Group will perform on Fee is $25 per participant. Performance and stage at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center on reception on Friday, June 3, at 7 p.m. in the Saturday, May 12, at 7 p,m. Tickets are $10 Carrollton Cultural Arts Center Theatre. Perforand may be purchased at the Art Center or by mance is Free and open to the public. In addition phone at 770-838-1083. The Allen Project is the participants will have the opportunity to perform “brain child” of the Allen Brothers, Pastor T.A. at various civic locations such as Assisted LivAllen, Min. Al Allen and Bro. Harold Allen as a dedication to the memory of their father, the late ing Facilities throughout the day on Friday. For Deacon Harold Allen. Their goal is to work with a list of Friday activities please contact staff.

Funding for this program is provided by the Carexperienced singers and musicians to produce a rollton Kiwanis Club. ministry of music and to promote excellence in praise and worship. The Allen Project began on Dec. 18, 2011, at Just End Time Revival MinisOld Time County Fair tries, Inc. Carrollton, Ga., under the leadership The Old Time County Fair at Little Tallapoosa of Pastor T.A. Allen, Min. Al Allen, Bro. Harold Park, 1930 Highway 113, Carrollton, will be Allen, and Deacon Horace Geter. Also particifrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 21 and noon to pating in this project are Joshua Green, Jeffery 5 p.m. on April 22. Fair highlights will include Allen, Pete Johnson, Marco Mason, and Pastor agricultural demonstrations, hot air balloon, Charles West. sheriff’s office K-9 demonstrations, farm exhib its, woodworking, Master Gardeners, wildflowers, quilters and blue ribbon contests for pies, Teen Theatre cakes, jams and jellies.

Carrollton Teen Theatre will hold Auditions for April/May 2012

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Spinach & Apple Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette INGREDIENTS:

Candied Pecans *1 cup whole pecans *¼ cup packed brown sugar *1 teaspoon canola oil *¼ teaspoon salt *1 pinch cayenne pepper

Raspberry Vinaigrette *2 garlic cloves, minced *1 medium shallot, minced *1 cup extra virgin olive oil *½ cup raspberry vinegar *¼ cup chopped fresh parsley *1 tablespoon Dijon mustard *4 teaspoons sugar *2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce *¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Delic ious Your Idea Neig hbor s From hood Ingle s!

Spinach & Apple Salad *1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice *1 large Pink Lady apple *1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach leaves *12 grape tomatoes, each cut in half *3 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: Prepare Candied Pecans: In large nonstick skillet, combine all ingredients and cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer pecan mixture to rimmed baking pan to cool completely.

STEP 2: Meanwhile, prepare Raspberry Vinaigrette: In medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

STEP 3: Prepare Spinach & Apple Salad: Place lemon juice in large bowl. Core and cut apples into ¼-inch-thick slices and add to lemon juice; toss to prevent browning. Add spinach, tomatoes, cheese and ½ cup dressing; toss to combine.

Serve salad topped with candied pecans.