2020 NCM Nov/Dec by The Times-Herald

Beautifully Baked

Bonne Bedingfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amazing Cake Art

Salute to Veterans

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Christmas Cookie Contest Winners

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Our Services: • Comprehensive Obstetrical Care • High Risk OB • Certified Nurse Midwifery • Comprehensive Gynecological Care • In Office Procedures including Mona Lisa Touch® • Minimally Invasive Surgery • Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair

President

Vice President

Publishers

William W. Thomasson Marianne C. Thomasson C. Clayton Neely and

Elizabeth C. Neely

Editor

Jackie Kennedy

Creative Directors

Production Director

Contributing Writers

Sandy Hiser, Sonya Studt Debby Dye Susan Mayer Davis

Frances Kidd

Neil Monroe

Jeffrey Ward

Jill Whitley

Debby Dye

Photography

Chris Martin

Sara Moore

Advertising Manager

Bonnie Pratt

Multimedia Sales Specialists

Misha Benson Jill Whitley

Newnan-Coweta Magazine 2020 Advisory Board Julie Brown, Carol Chancey, Blue Cole, John Daviston, Carol Glover, Marc Guy, Rochelle Jabaley, Bernard Knox, Neil Monroe, Brigette Smiley, Casey Smith and Cathy Wright

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION call 770.253.1576 or email advertise@newnan.com

Newnan-Coweta Magazine is published bi-monthly by The Newnan Times-Herald, Inc., 16 Jefferson Street, Newnan, GA 30263.

Our Doctors: W. Darrell Martin , MD, FACOG Elizabeth W. Killebrew, MD, FACOG Crystal Slade, MD, FACOG Benita Bonser, MD, FACOG Michlene Broadney, MD, FACOG Edwin Bello, MD, FACOG

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Your Generosity Makes The Season Brighter In Our Community.

Caring Customers, a program of the Newnan Utilities Foundation, supports nonprofit organizations in Coweta County. Through our residential and commercial monthly statements, Newnan Utilities customers have the opportunity to donate monthly to the communities we serve. Non-customers may also donate online or by mail. NewnanUtilities.org/Caring Thanks to your generous donations, Caring Customers awarded grants to these deserving organizations in 2020: • B.Y.R.D. Behavioral Health byrdhouse.org

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• Children’s Connect Newnan Children’s Museum childrenconnectmuseum.com

• ELEVATE Coweta Students elevatecowetastudents.org

• CORRAL facebook.com/corraltrc

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• Coweta FORCE cowetaforce.org

• Newnan-Coweta Humane Society nchsrescue.org

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020 ISSUE

28 28 | Newnan-Coweta Magazine Turns 25 We look back on a quarter century of publishing with a timeline detailing significant stages. By Neil Monroe

34 | NCM Q&A Former NCM editor Angela McRae and art director Deberah Williams remember eight years with the magazine. By Jackie Kennedy

14 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

Mixed Media Sculpture created by Payton Thompson

38 | Serving Those Who Served Us A variety of local organizations serve the Coweta County military veterans who served their country. By Jeffrey Ward

42 | Salute to Veterans With help from our sponsors and readers, we recognize area veterans. By Stacie Williams

We are here for you! 64 50 | Amazing Edible Art Bonne Boyd Bedingfield’s edible art makes for cake masterpieces. By Frances Kidd

58 | One (Christmas) House at a Time The Jacksons celebrate the holidays, one house at a time – plus Christmas dinner recipes from Alan Jackson and his family. By Jackie Kennedy

64 | Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Newnan-Coweta Magazine announces this year’s cookie contest winners and shares their recipes. By Jackie Kennedy

➤ Cover Photo by Chris Martin

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS Our Doctors George Ballantyne, MD Michael Cushing, MD Michael Gruber, MD David Heinsch, MD Chad Kessler, MD Jayson McMath, MD Trevor Turner, MD David Love, MD Clark Walker, MD

Our Physician Assistants Darron Baham, PA-C Dianna Bureau, PA-C Beth Fleming, PA-C Jared Shafer, PA-C Rusty Smith, PA-C

At Georgia Bone and Joint, we are open and are here to serve you and your family for all your immediate orthopedic needs. • Our Georgia Bone and Joint Surgery Center (ASC) is the only Coweta County ambulatory surgical center providing same-day total joint replacement procedures for patients. • Our Georgia Bone & Joint Physical Therapy is not only the largest practice in our area but our physical therapists’ have direct lines of communication with our Georgia Bone & Joint orthopedists while offering one-on-one therapy protocol to our patients providing the highest quality of care. • Our Georgia Bone & Joint’s Orthobiologics Center provides regenerative medicine options for our patients. • In addition, we have our Georgia Bone and Joint AfterHours Clinic to help our services fit your schedule.

Your safety is our top priority. We follow CDC infection-

prevention guidelines to keep you safe by rigorous cleaning and disinfecting of our clinics, ambulatory surgery center, physical therapy and MRI department. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Georgia Bone and Joint is offering telemedicine virtual medical visits so you can see a provider from the privacy and safety of your own home or office.

NEWNAN

PEACHTREE CITY

1755 Hwy. 34 E. Suite 2200 Newnan, GA 30265 (770) 502-2175

4000 Shakerag Hill Suite 100 Peachtree City, GA 30269 (770) 626-5340

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Just Getting Started

Photo by Debby Dye

If a dog's life measures one dog year to seven human years, I'm convinced a magazine's life can be measured one magazine year to two human years. Celebrating our 25th anniversary with this issue, Newnan-Coweta Magazine would be 50 if it was a human. Stay with me. Gene and Janice Lambert gave birth to Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM) in 1995. The new parents introduced their infant publication to the community, rocked it through its baby years, and set it on a firm foundation for success. When the magazine was 2 years old, the Lamberts sold it to Deb Knowles, who raised NCM through its childhood. It was during her guardianship that the community magazine became recognized as a spirited youngster eager to share stories of Coweta people and places. By the time Chad and Monica Watkins adopted NCM in 2002, the magazine was almost 7, which would make it 14, according to our math. The Watkinses raised NCM through its tumultuous teens, giving it keys to the car, so to speak, as they turned it into a full-color publication and increased distribution to 10,000 copies. In 2005, The Newnan Times-Herald purchased NCM, which at the time was 10 years old, about to be 21. Times-Herald President Billy Thomasson and Vice-President Marianne Thomasson ushered the magazine into adulthood by providing a stable home under the NTH roof where a dedicated team of writers, designers and photographers already lived. As the magazine matured, the page count increased and depth of coverage expanded. Through the past 15 years under NTH Media, the magazine survived its young adult years and navigated its way to maturity as we all do, with good days and bad, hits and misses, great issues and not-as-great issues. Along the way, we've won numerous state and national awards. At the ripe age of 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which, of course, is 50 given our magazine math â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NCM can look back on its journey from infancy to childhood, teens to adulthood, growing pains to maturity. And we do that in this issue. A 25th anniversary only comes around once, and in the magazine industry, it doesn't happen often. In these pages, we take the unique opportunity to chronicle our own history, just as we've captured Coweta County's for the past quarter century. Even though we're 25, we feel like we're just getting started. No matter our age, we're energetic with the enthusiasm and expertise it takes to keep our content fresh, our design appealing and our future positive. Thanks to our publishers and editors, writers and designers, sales specialists, advertisers and readers along the way, Newnan-Coweta Magazine has grown up to become a respected member of the community. We hope we've made our parents proud.

Editor Jackie Kennedy prepares to greet guests to NCM's 25th anniversary reception (for more, see page 88). 16 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com

Caption This! “Met a morphosis.”

Then...

and Now... In September, we asked our Newnan-Coweta Magazine readers and Facebook friends to caption this photo. We received numerous entries with the winning caption, above, submitted by Marla Phillips Chambless, of Dawson. In November, we’ll post another photo for readers to caption. Winners receive an NCM 25th Anniversary T-shirt. Visit newnancowetamagazine.com or follow us on Facebook to submit your caption.

Congratulations on 25 years to Newnan-Coweta Magazine! 770-251-7100 www.KAMEB.com 2795 Highway 34 East • Newnan, Georgia 30265 Winners of 7 of the 10 largest auto accident settlements and verdicts in Coweta County history. *As reported by CaseMetrix, LLC, an independent database of settlements and verdicts.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 17

Our Contributors

ROLL CALL

Sara Moore’s warm and welcoming nature influences her photography by putting her subjects at ease. She enjoys living the quiet country life while residing in Newnan with her husband, horses, dogs, chickens and ducks.

Neil Monroe is a retired corporate communicator whose career included positions with The Southern Company, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola Enterprises. His roots are in community journalism, having worked 10 years with local newspapers in the South Metro area. He and his wife, Rayleen, live in Sharpsburg where they enjoy tennis, golf and grandchildren.

Jill Whitley works in sales and marketing at The Newnan Times-Herald and wants to be a writer when she grows up. She lives in Coweta County with her incredibly patient husband and two kind-hearted, hilarious children.

Frances Kidd is a Newnan native who spent most of her adult years working as a nonprofit and marketing consultant. An avid traveler, if she’s not in Georgia, you can find her out in the country in Italy, except during pandemics, when she’s home like the rest of us.

Susan Mayer Davis lives with husband Larry and golden retriever Mariah. What she enjoys most about writing for NCM is meeting great people when she researches articles and then sharing their stories. “It’s fun,” she says, “but it’s also a privilege.”

Chris Martin has photographed Major League Baseball, NCAA football, bull riding, air shows, space launches and international swim meets featuring Michael Phelps. He shoots action sports for The Heritage School in Newnan and for The Newnan Times-Herald.

18 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

Jeffrey Ward is a native San Franciscan, Vietnam vet and University of Washington communications grad with a 50-year career in aviation. He’s been married 47 years, has two adult children and six grandchildren, and is a foodie and Facebook junkie.

Let Us Hear From You... Send thoughts, ideas and suggestions to magazine@newnan.com

OUR READERS WRITE Dear Editor,

Thanks for having us as Master Gardener guest columnists in Newnan-Coweta Magazine for 2020. Your magazine did a great job of including information about our county projects and excerpts from this year’s Master Gardener Extension Volunteer (MGEV) Garden Calendar. The MGEVs will have a 2021 Garden Calendar featuring MGEV Gardens in Coweta. We hope your readers support this fundraising project and purchase our calendars now on sale at the Coweta County Extension Office.

Say Hello to Your holiday Hair

MGEVs Pat Farmer, Deberah Williams and Dale Senko

Dear Editor,

Well! I started going through the (September-October 2020) magazine and loved your letter! I really appreciated your fun and heartfelt comments. I kept turning the pages and learned about talented and interesting people, most that I did not know personally. Having lived here forever, I am still surprised that I don’t know everyone. I kept turning the delightful pages and came upon Walter Worm. It was my surprise to find kind words about The Young Artist Program. Thank you for collecting another great batch of normal stories for our community. Bette HIckman Dear Editor,

Thank you so much to you, The Newnan Times-Herald and all of the local merchants for the spectacular grand prize (in the 2020 Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest, see page 64). Y’all have gone above and beyond with your generosity with the prize packages. I love baking and trying different decorating ideas for cookies whether it is Easter, fall festival, Christmas or any other excuse I can find to make cookies. I am so glad Newnan-Coweta Magazine holds this contest each year as it gives me another reason to have fun making cookies in my kitchen. Thank you, Erika Leifker Dear Editor,

Both Jeffrey Ward and Sara Moore have mentioned – proudly I might add – that you are celebrating your 25th year of publication. I just wanted to send along our good wishes for your future and our congratulations for all the stellar past work you have accomplished. As a side note, we have two copies of past issues of NewnanCoweta Magazine in our library for visitors to peruse. The magazine is a lovely resource for all people and things Coweta. Enjoy your well-deserved celebration, Maureen Schuyler Senoia Area Historical Society Museum Director

14 JEFFERSON STREET NEWNAN, GA 30263 DOW NTOW N

NEWNAN

770.301.8797 @JAMESMALONEBEAUTY JAMESMALONE.COM

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 19

An altogether magical time. Lights sparkling on the downtown square. Concerts and carols. The aroma of freshly baked treats in the air. A warm cup of cocoa in your hands. The perfect gift found in a unique shop. A wave and heartfelt seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greetings from a neighbor - or a stranger - passing by on the sidewalk. Raising a glass of good cheer with friends. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tis the season to celebrate Christmas in Carrollton.

Check out our calendar of Christmas concerts, events a n d m o r e at c a r r o l lt o n g a .c o m

BANKING

United Bank’s Sullivan Road Location Delivers New Customer Experience

nited Bank is pleased to expand its footprint in the Newnan market with a new branch located at the intersection of Highway 34 East and Sullivan Road. With the addition of the Sullivan Road branch, the Bank is now in a unique position to serve members of the Newnan community on both sides of Interstate 85.

Members of the Newnan community want a more personal approach to banking and United Bank is ready to meet those demands. We know our customers by name, and they know we’re here for them.

Visit United Bank’s Sullivan Road branch team to learn more.

As banking continues to evolve and technology plays an even bigger role in everyday transactions, bank branches must also adapt to ensure customer experiences continue to exceed expectations. The new location delivers the Bank’s signature hightouch service with a modern look and feel designed to make customer transactions even more efficient. accessunited.com • (770) 567–7211

BEHIND THE SHOT

Creating Our Anniversary Cover

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY Photographed by SARA MOORE

he cover of this issue was imagined before COVID-19 interrupted our anniversary year. Because Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM) was turning 25 in September, we planned to observe our anniversary in various ways throughout 2020. But due to the pandemic, most of our big plans bit the dust.

Martin, left, has Creative Directors Sandy Hiser, center, and Sonya Studt review his photos.

A year ago, we conceived the idea of a cake on the cover to celebrate our history. Since we’d already planned to feature Bonne Boyd Bedingfield’s cake art, it only seemed natural to have her create an edible masterpiece for our cover. Using artwork by NCM Creative Director Sonya Studt as her guide, Bedingfield made a magazine cake so lifelike we didn’t know whether to eat it or read it.

Photo by Sara Moore

While our initial plan was to host a blowout party, coronavirus concerns dictated a more intimate event. Thanks to our gracious sponsor, Newnan Utilities, the Newnan-Coweta Magazine 25th Anniversary Reception Honoring Coweta’s Top 25 Influencers was a success in late September.

Chris Mar tin shoots as Editor Jackie Kennedy directs.

22 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

Capturing our cover art was the mission of photographer Chris Martin. With Bedingfield and her amazing magazine cake as the subjects, Martin’s job should have been easy, but a nonstop, all-day rain threw a kink in the works as it threatened to undo the fondant magazine cover. With Bedingfield poised to remedy ailments brought on by the monsoon, her cake soldiered through to make not only a fabulous dessert at the event but also a memorable cover for our anniversary. NCM

COWETA QUOTES

I wrapped my Christmas presents early this year, but I used the wrong paper. See, the paper I used said ‘Happy Birthday’ on it. I didn’t want to waste it,

so I just wrote ‘Jesus’ on it.

DEMETRI MARTIN

American comedian/actor/musician

I love the big fresh starts, the clean slates like birthdays and new years, but I also really like the idea that we can get up every morning and start over. KRISTIN ARMSTRONG

runner and Olympic gold medalist

Every year, I think you earn the right to eat cake on your birthday. BRET HART

professional wrestler/actor

The way I see it, you should live everyday

like it’s your birthday. PARIS HILTON

Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It’s all about the memories.

media personality

BUDDY VALASTRO

American baker and reality TV personality

Repetitiveness and discipline are the secrets of cake decorating. The art comes from the meticulous technique, the way it does for a dancer. RON BEN-ISRAEL

Israeli-American pastry chef

Thank You Coweta for Voting Us #1!

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BOOK REVIEW

‘The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street’

Reviewed by SHANNON GAVIN JOHNSON

s a historian, I have long wished to be able to speak to ghosts, to hear what they have to say about their own history rather than simply reading it from documents or conjuring it from artifacts. It would be fascinating to sit down with, say, Abigail Adams, and ask what it was really like to be so involved in the American Revolution. While Melanie Trenholm, the complex heroine of Karen White’s series, “On Tradd Street,” cannot have a conversation with Revolutionary War-era ghosts, she does have a special gift, or as she may prefer to call it – a curse – that allows her to communicate with spirits. In the series’ sixth installment, “The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street,” Melanie and her extended family are preparing their eighteenth century home for a festive Christmas dinner to raise funds for her daughter’s school. An ongoing archaeological dig in her yard, though, is dampening holiday spirits – and sending unwanted spirits into Melanie’s world. When an old adversary hears that valuable artifacts have been discovered in the dig, it becomes apparent that the dig site is hiding more than historical artifacts. There may be a treasure that is very real. Melanie, her husband Jack, and her newly found sister Jayne embark on an investigation to uncover a carefully crafted puzzle designed to keep the valuable treasure sent to the Marquis de Lafayette out of the hands of loyalist sympathizers. Other family members and friends help piece together the signs. Just as their family of the past did not always know if a brother or father was Tory or Patriot, not all of those involved with the investigation are trustworthy. As clues are discovered, and the spirits offer vague guidance, Melanie must allow her family to help locate the treasure and solve the mystery before the adversary forces them out of their historic home. 24 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

Full of history and details of the American Revolution, including an unknown spy ring led by a woman, White’s tale is an entertaining and well-paced story of the town of Charleston. Her characters are expertly written, though not entirely likeable. Melanie is the mother of twin toddlers, stepmother to a high schooler, and wife of a best-selling author and respected real estate agent. Yet, many of her “problems” would not be problems if she would simply grow up a bit. Her immaturity puts great strain on relationships, especially her marriage. The long list of characters can be cumbersome and prevents getting to know any of them well other than Melanie. Character flaws are easily overcome by the incredible atmospheric writing, though. Whether describing something banal or something truly supernatural, the author has a great talent for bringing the reader near to see, hear and feel the world in which Melanie lives. Even when I became frustrated with a character, the author’s style pulled me into the world of the Tradd Street house. Although this novel starts out a bit contrived and convoluted, the romance, mystery and drama is pleasantly enjoyable and doesn’t require having read previous books in the series. This installment wraps up nicely, all while setting up for a future mystery. Between the buildup for the next mystery and the cliffhanger ending, book seven of this series should be great. “The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street” by Karen White was released in October 2019 by Berkley Books, New York City; 384 pages. ★★★★ Executive Director of the Troup County Historical Society, Shannon Gavin Johnson earned her history degree from Samford University and a master’s in library science from the University of Alabama. NCM

Read a good book lately? Share your favorite new read with NewnanCoweta Magazine by writing a book review for possible publication in an upcoming issue. Keep your review at 350-450 words and please include the author’s name, page count and date of publication. Send your review with your contact information to magazine@newnan.com or mail to Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson Street, Newnan, GA. 30263.

Let Us Know!

Who in Coweta County are you watching grow to success?

Who is making their mark in their chosen field, making a name for themselves in the community, or making the way easier for others?

One to

Watch in 2021

In 2021, we plan to salute the up-and-comers in our communities. And we need your help to do that. If you know a businessperson who’s climbing the ladder quickly, or a first responder who’s saved the day, let us know. If you’re acquainted with an artist who inspires or a public speaker who empowers, let us know. Most of all, we want to learn what Coweta’s younger adults are doing to build their business, their reputation, their community. Let us know by nominating One to Watch. Fill out the form here and drop it by our office or mail to NCM Editor, Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263. Or email your nomination to jackie@newnan.com. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 10. We will consider all those nominated and present the winners in an upcoming issue. Let us know who you’re watching!

Name of One to Watch nominee:________________________________________________________________________________________ What makes this person a rising star in Coweta County? Be as detailed as possible. Use another sheet of paper, if necessary.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of person nominating One to Watch: ________________________________________________________________________________ Your contact information: Phone ______________________________ Email ______________________________________________________

Handmade in the U.S.A.

Historic Downtown Newnan 14 N. COURT SQUARE

NEWNAN, GA 30263

770-253-2720

COWETA TO ME

Written by CHERYL COGGIN GLISSON Photos Courtesy of Cheryl Coggin Glisson

“You may have tangible wealth untold, Caskets of jewels, and coffers of gold. Richer than I, you can never be – I had a (grand)mother who read to me.” – Strickland Gillian

Photos courtesy of Cheryl Coggin Glisson

Donie’s Gift

Beatrice Hines Phillips was known as “Donie” to her granddaughter, Cheryl Coggin Glisson, to whom she bestowed a lifelong love for reading.

ot every gift comes wrapped in shiny paper tied with holiday ribbon. The summer I turned 9, my grandmother Donie took me on a trip around the world. It wasn’t her best gift. That was yet to come. My grandmother was a curious woman. She was curious about nature. And geography. And especially about whatever lay beyond her north Coweta farm’s fields and fence lines. When she started drawing her Social Security check, she joined the Book of the Month Club (BOMC), a mail-order book club that offered subscribers a new book each month. Anticipation would grow until she opened the mailbox and found the familiar BOMC box. She rarely made it past the front porch swing with her latest selection. Sometimes it was a book with Norman Rockwell illustrations. Other times it was a geography book with bold, color photographs of Hawaii, Africa or China. Once it was John James Audubon’s “The Birds of America,” filled with pastel renditions of familiar and rare species. And, every once in a while, it was a novel. When she unwrapped “Around the World in Eighty Days” by Jules Verne in the summer of 1956, she began 26 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

reading the adventure story to my brother and me, a chapter a day. I would sit on one side, Stan on the other, as she read aloud. For 37 days that summer, we were transported from the Coweta farmhouse to London, Egypt, Calcutta, Hong Kong and San Francisco as Phileas Fogg and his servant Passepartout raced around the globe. Donie was born to read, but sitting down with a book was an unaffordable luxury in rural Georgia during the first half of the twentieth century. She told us that by the age of 5, she was standing on a stool baking biscuits for the family. She was an experienced cook and housekeeper by the time she married my grandfather and crossed the threshold from farmer’s daughter to farmer’s wife. For 40 years she did her duty. She served three meals a day, fed the chickens, milked the cows and swept the dirt yard clean with a brush broom. She raised a garden, shelled the peas and beans, and canned the vegetables. She took care of her husband, her children, her mother and any other relatives who visited the farm for a meal, a day, or an indefinite stay. Though her life was demanding, she didn’t complain. Nor did she apologize when, late in life, she gave herself the gift of books and the time to read them.

COWETA TO ME

Recently, as I was preparing for my book club, I ran across a copy of “The Best Loved Poems of the American People.” I picked it up and smiled. That book had been the source of endless entertainment to Stan and me. We’d settle in the shade on hot summer days and I would read aloud the poems. Their words ignited our imaginations: “The boy stood on the burning deck whence all but him had fled.” “Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.” “Fifteen men on a Dead Man’s Chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.” “It looked extremely rocky for the Mudville nine that day.” “Young Charlotte lived by a mountain side in a wild and lonely spot.” As our family recently sat around the dinner table laughing, talking and catching up, my niece said something about “telling a good story.” It triggered a memory that bubbled up and out. “I’ll tell you a story,” I said haltingly. “There’s one that I know.” “Of a horse I once owned, down in New Mexico,” Stan automatically responded. “Swift as an eagle, black as a crow,” I countered. “The star on his forehead was as white as the snow,” he said, grinning. The poem was “Plantonio, The Pride of the Plains,” and our beginning-to-end recitation after 60 years surprised us. Amazed the children. Mystified the grandchildren. “Best Loved Poems” was a gift. It was inscribed: With love to Cheryl from Donie. December 24, 1957. I was 10 years old. What grandmother would give her 10-year-old grandchild a 670-page book of poetry? The one who joined the Book of the Month Club with her Social Security check. The one who spent a summer reading “Around the World in Eighty Days” to a 9-year-old and 7-year-old. The one who gave me far more than “The Best Loved Poems of the American People.” She gave me the world, one book at a time – Beatrice Hines Phillips. Reader and grandmother extraordinaire. NCM

Cheryl Coggin Glisson is a reader, photographer, family historian and storyteller whose Coweta County roots are six generations deep. A retired public relations executive, she co-authored “Celebrate Retirement, the Freedom and the Frustration” and published “Memaw’s Kitchen,” a collection of family recipes and stories. She grew up on McCollum Road and now lives with her husband in Madras. She wrote and gave “Donie’s Gift” to family members a few years ago.

What is Coweta to You?

Beatrice Hines "Donie" Phillips

Whether you’ve lived here all your life or only a year, we want to hear your personal Coweta story. Keep your word count at 350-450 words, please. Email your “Coweta to Me” story to magazine@ newnan.com or mail to 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sharing Your Stories Since 1995 Written by NEIL MONROE 28 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

n todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hypersonic media environment of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, our understanding of the world is driven by a thirst for content rapidly produced and disseminated as quickly as possible. Yet for 25 years now, Coweta County residents have benefitted from a longcherished staple of communication: a wellwritten, graphically excellent magazine that's produced and distributed locally.

NEWNAN-COWETA MAGAZINE THROUGH THE YEARS SEPTEMBER 1995

FEBRUARY 1996

Gene and Janice Lambert publish the first issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM). The subscription-based, monthly publication is printed in black and white on newsprint inside and features a color cover. Departments include “Poetry Corner,” “Coweta Cupboard” and “Paws & Claws.”

While the magazine was sold via subscription, issues for the next year or so feature the word “Priceless” on the cover. Local photographer Bob Shapiro takes most of the cover photos during the Lamberts’ helm as publishers.

JULY 1996 The Olympics took center stage in Atlanta — and on the cover of NCM.

An advertisement from Community Now, a communications technology business, asked and answered the question: “Why would my organization want a website?”

MARCH 1998 After a two-and-a-half year run, the Lamberts sell NCM to Deb Knowles who serves as owner/editor for the next four years. The publication moves from subscription-base to a free magazine available for pickup at more than 120 locations throughout Coweta County, the same distribution model NCM uses today. “Coweta Cooks” is introduced as a routine feature.

JULY 1997

JUNE 1998 The inside remains black and white but shifts from newsprint to slick pages. Carl Miller takes the cover photo of Coweta Cycling Club members gearing up for the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia.

1999 The magazine moves from publishing monthly to bi-monthly and is again sold by subscription. “When they were free, they were gone in under a week,” Deb Knowles said.

SUMMER 2001 The magazine becomes a quarterly publication with the “Summer 2001” issue.

SPRING 2002 Deb Knowles edits her last issue and introduces the new owners, Chad and Monica Watkins of Newnan.

MAY-JUNE 2002 Owners of Design Communications LLC, the Watkinses return the magazine to a bi-monthly publication distributed free to readers who pick them up at distribution points throughout Coweta County. The magazine moves to full color for the first time and circulation increases to 10,000. New departments include “Healthy Living” and “At Last the Past.”

MAY-JUNE 2004 The Keith Brooking Children’s Foundation is featured.

FEBRUARY 2005 The Newnan Times-Herald (NTH) purchases Newnan-Coweta Magazine, bringing it under the umbrella of their 140-year-old newspaper business with a staff of writers and designers charged with producing the publication.

MAY-JUNE 2005

The Newnan Times-Herald publishes its first issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine with NTH employee Angela Webster McRae as editor. It was not her introduction to the magazine; she had written articles as a freelancer for its first owners. New departments include “In Bloom” and “Community Profile.”

Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM) launched in 1995 as the brainchild of Gene and Janice Lambert, who patterned the original content after an Alabama magazine, Lake Martin Living. The monthly publication was printed in black and white with a color cover. Popular features included “Poetry Corner” and “Coweta Cupboard.” The Lamberts ran their magazine for about two and a half years before selling it in 1998 to Deb Knowles, a former public relations officer for the City of Mobile. She nurtured the magazine for the next four years. During her leadership, the publication moved from free distribution to paid circulation and created a platform for an entity that has become an enduring asset for Coweta, its cities and communities. Her venture was not without obstacles, according to Knowles, who penned in her last column that she was “not the shrewdest publisher to ever fall off the delivery truck.” She summed up the challenge of making a community magazine successful – and what she thought it would take to overcome the heavy odds of failure: “Despite how dismal the financial picture was, I just couldn’t admit defeat. This community needs a magazine. It’s just that the magazine needs a staff to make it work.” In 2002, Chad and Monica Watkins, owners of Design Communications LLC, bought the magazine from Knowles. They returned NCM to a free distribution model, increased the press run to 10,000 copies, and moved printing to a modern web press. This created enhanced graphic flexibility and enabled the magazine to become a full-color publication. New features included regular stories on healthy living, local entertainment and real estate. The couple sold the magazine to The Newnan Times-Herald in 2005. At the time, the newspaper had been operating a TV news station, News Channel 9, for several years, but when the local cable company was purchased, the new provider pulled the channel. “We needed something to take its place, and we were glad to get the magazine, which gave us the opportunity to put more emphasis in print journalism, our specialty,” says Billy Thomasson, owner and president of The Newnan Times-Herald, Newnan-Coweta Magazine and NTH Media. Moving under the umbrella of the then-140-year-old newspaper ushered in a new dimension for the magazine by providing a ready-made staff of award-winning designers and writers with a commitment to community journalism, just what Knowles had surmised was necessary for the magazine to succeed. Angela Webster McRae was named editor of NCM and served in that capacity from 2005 to 2013. She had written for the magazine in its infancy and had been a fan throughout its first 10 years with deep appreciation for its local roots. In her first letter from the editor, she described Knowles as the magazine’s “caretaker,” stating that the magazine itself “had always seemed to be owned by Coweta County.” (For more on McRae’s editorship, see page 34.) Today, Newnan-Coweta Magazine endures as a local institution, an integral part of the fabric of Coweta County, its cities and communities. Its current editor, Jackie Kennedy, believes the magazine’s future is secure.

THEN AND NOW THEN: February-March 2001

NOW: March-April 2019

ne of the cool things about having a famous political cartoonist’s studio not far from the magazine office is that when we’re in need, it’s a short hike to beg for help. Through the years, David Boyd has heard our pleas and come to our rescue by creating several covers for Newnan-Coweta Magazine. In 2001, he captured local leaders in caricature to promote the Coweta Press Club’s Coweta Capers. Most recently, when we remembered Lewis Grizzard in our March-April 2019 issue at the 25th anniversary of his death, Boyd created the perfect cover art to honor his friend. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 31

MARCH-APRIL 2008

NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2007

With the magazine’s first “Wedding Issue,” McRae introduces routine themed issues of NCM.

Newnan-Coweta Magazine’s masthead is updated.

JULY-AUGUST 2012

MAY-JUNE 2013

Newnan City Councilwoman Cynthia Jenkins graces the cover.

After eight years as editor, McRae produces her final issue.

JULY- AUGUST 2013 Debby Dye is named production director for the magazine while Sandy Hiser and Sonya Studt become its creative directors. This team continues to produce the magazine in 2020.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2014 This issue recounts Coweta’s history as it relates to the mysterious and mystical with a cover feature on Mayhayley Lancaster, the self-described “Oracle of the Ages” who led Coweta law enforcement to the remains of a man murdered by John Wallace.

SEPTEMBEROCTOBER 2013 Will Blair produces his first issue as editor. The magazine undergoes a redesign, complete with a new masthead and new departments including “Roll Call,” “Coweta Finds” and “Pen & Ink.” The cover shifts from slick to a matte finish. Blair leads the magazine for two and a half years.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 2016 MARCH-APRIL 2016

The cover feature sheds light on Coweta’s past as it relates to moonshine and mayhem.

Katie Anderson is named editor and introduces new departments, “Top 5 Trends” and “Loving Local.”

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 MARCH-APRIL 2018 Jackie Kennedy’s first issue as editor has a “Green” theme with future issues also based on themes. New departments include “Coweta to Me,” “Coweta Garden” and “Nonprofit Spotlight.”

SEPTEMBER 2020 Newnan Coweta-Magazine celebrates its 25th anniversary with a reception and birthday cake! (See page 88 for details.)

Debbie Brady’s first issue as editor is published. She leads the magazine for a year.

JULY-AUGUST 2019 Newnan-Coweta Magazine announces the winners of its first Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Contest.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 To kick off its 25th anniversary year, the magazine undergoes a redesign and introduces new departments, including “Coweta Kids Care,” “Coweta Quotes” and “#NCM Style.” Also added is a recurring feature, “The NCM Q&A,” a one-on-one interview with a powerful and purpose-filled Cowetan. Toby Nix pens his first recurring column for the magazine.

“One of our goals going forward is to increase community involvement, strengthen our features, and generate and use more ideas from the public,” says Kennedy, who has served as editor for three years. A key example of that community focus is the Best of Coweta Reader’s Choice contest, which invites NCM readers to vote for their favorite local businesses, services and products and reveals the winners in the July-August “Best of Coweta” issue. The campaign began in 2019 and was even more successful this year. The 2020 Best of Coweta competition was only for local Coweta businesses – no chain stores, no big box retailers – and included 46 categories. Also important to Kennedy is sharing the talents of as many Cowetans as possible by inviting them to participate in NCM, which welcomes book reviews, “Coweta to Me” columns and “Blacktop” photos from those hoping to see their writing and/or photography in print. “This year, we added a new department, ‘Coweta Prose and Poetry,’ inviting readers to share their creative writing,” adds Kennedy. “And we ask readers to nominate young people for our ‘Coweta Kids Care’ column, which honors kids who help others. We try to have reader interaction with each issue, like this one, which features our annual Christmas cookie contest. And, of course, we always welcome story ideas for features.” Also this year, Newnan-Coweta Magazine revamped its website, newnancowetamagazine.com, and ramped up its Facebook presence. Published every other month, NCM relies on about 15 freelance writers and photographers who take assignments and run with them, according to Kennedy. At the magazine’s downtown Newnan office, NTH employees who work to produce the magazine include Creative Directors Sandy Hiser and Sonya Studt, Production Director Debby Dye, Multimedia Sales Specialists Misha Benson and Jill Whitley, Advertising Manager Bonnie Pratt, Publishers Clay and Beth Neely, and Kennedy. “At the heart of our effort is a group of talented Coweta-based writers and photographers who create outstanding content that is masterfully put to page with inspired design by our creative directors,” says Kennedy. “Each issue is a group effort with creative ideas that come from ad reps and smart business ideas that come from our design team. The whole group’s devotion to making this magazine the best it can be never ceases to amaze me.” The economic slowdown brought on by COVID-19 last spring walloped Newnan-Coweta Magazine, according to its editor. “The May-June issue was much smaller than usual, but we continued to print, and our next issue, July-August, came in at 100 pages,” says Kennedy. In 2021, NCM readers can expect continued quality content and a few new items, including a contest to recognize Coweta’s up-and-comers (see page 25). “We look forward to sharing with our readers the people and programs that make Coweta County such a great place to live and work,” Kennedy concludes. “It’s what Newnan-Coweta Magazine has been doing for a quarter of a century, and we hope to be here another 25 years to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2045.” NCM

THEN AND NOW THEN: September 1996

NOW: November-December 2020

here are rarely new ideas, just new twists on old ones. We were reminded of that not long ago when, shortly after asking Bonne Boyd Bedingfield to create a cake for NCM’s 25th anniversary, we came across a 1996 issue featuring cake on the cover to celebrate the magazine’s first birthday. We’re not sure who baked that one, but we’re pretty confident Bonne’s fed more folks.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 33

THE NCM Q&A

Documenting Community McRAE and WILLIAMS RECALL NCM TENURE Interviewed by JACKIE KENNEDY

Angela Webster McRae

Deberah Williams

s Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM) observes its 25th anniversary, we visit with the editor and designer who put the magazine together for the first eight years of its 15-year ownership under The Newnan Times-Herald (NTH).

Angela Webster McRae was named editor shortly after NTH bought the magazine in 2005. She had worked at the newspaper for years and was serving as the Close-Up editor when given the opportunity to take the helm of NCM. Deberah Williams was working part-time for NTH designing ads and logos when the newspaper purchased the magazine. With a background in layout and design, she asked for the job of art director and got it. McRae led the magazine with Williams at her side from 2005 to 2013, producing the bi-monthly publication that was – and continues to be – mailed with the newspaper to NTH subscribers and placed throughout Coweta County for the community to enjoy. Here, they share memories from their tenure with the magazine.

“I’d never done a magazine but felt confident that I could. I had a lot of support.” – Angela Webster McRae 34 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

THE NCM Q&A

NCM: Were you familiar with Newnan-Coweta Magazine before serving as its editor? McRae: Yes, I had written for its first owners, Gene and Janice Lambert, and I wrote a piece for it when Deb Knowles was editor. She was sort of an icon in my eyes. She had a feel for making it all about the community. I looked to her as an example because I remembered how the magazine under her leadership was so beloved. I think we owe Deb her due for really making it must-read material for people. She was “hyperlocal” before we even used that term. NCM: Why did The Newnan Times-Herald purchase a magazine? McRae: I think they thought there was going to be more competition from that sort of thing and through being the local news source, they could be the ones offering a magazine to the community. They had graphic designers and a whole network of reporters. The thought was that if there was going to be a Newnan-Coweta Magazine, we were the ones to do it. NCM: What was your goal with the magazine? McRae: My initial goal was to do something that the newspaper and the community would be proud of. I’d never done a magazine but felt confident that I could. I had a lot of support. Williams: We felt like what the people of Coweta needed were feel-good stories about local people, and that’s what we tried to do. It didn’t matter who you were, if you had a good story, Angela would try to get it. We made everything about Coweta. I remember somebody had submitted photos for covers and I liked a beach photo. It was the most gorgeous thing, and I put it on a sample cover and printed it out and showed Angela. She looked at it and said, “As far as I know, we’ve never had a beach in Coweta County.” NCM: What do you remember about putting out your first issue of NCM? Williams: That first issue was really kind of hard because we’d never done anything like that. We worked sometimes into the night on that first one. There was a learning curve. I knew what had to be done to get it together because I’d worked for years in a direct-mail company that did ads and mailers and sold books that we then produced. But this involved a lot more photos and things and was something we really had to work ourselves into. McRae: Deberah and I got to go to Kentucky and tour the plant at Publishers Press. They were our printer. Suddenly, I knew this wasn’t just a magical object that appeared in my mailbox. It was fun to see how it was done and to see the possibilities. NCM: Tell us about others who helped produce the magazine while you were here. McRae: Some of the reporters worked on the magazine, and we had freelancers, which was good because they knew different things than the newsroom, so we got more perspectives. I felt like I got lucky when people like Martha Woodham wanted to write. She was legendary from her time at the AJC. For her to ask to write a column for Newnan-Coweta Magazine, I

Angela McRae recalls favorite issues featuring, from top: Lucille Grady Reynolds, owner of Mother’s Kitchen; Stan Topol, an Atlanta interior designer who moved to Newnan; and fox hunting with horses and hounds on the cover.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 35

THE NCM Q&A

was just floored and so honored we were worthy of her talent. Katherine McCall is now a nationally known artist. She was a watercolor artist who wrote a garden piece every issue and provided artwork to go with it. She had a beautiful flowery way of writing that I thought was just superb for a small town magazine. Bob Fraley did photography for us. People thought the magazine covers were so pretty they would leave them out on their coffee table or put them in gift baskets for company. I was very proud of Bob’s work. Williams: Yes, Bob was such a nice person. You didn’t really have to tell him what you wanted; he seemed to know. He had a real sixth sense about it. He talked to his subjects a lot and they felt at home with him, so he was able to get the best shot. He made our jobs easier. NCM: What were some of your favorite articles that ran while you were editor? McRae: Some of the people we featured that come to mind are the unheralded heroes, like Lucille Grady Reynolds, the owner of Mother’s Kitchen. Someone I’d never heard of was Stan Topol, a big-name interior designer from Atlanta who’d moved to Newnan. Janet Flanagan did a big piece on him. And I’m not a horse person, but I loved reading about the hunts and the running of the hounds. Someone at the newspaper years ago said that Coweta was just magical and had so many special gifted people. I felt like The Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine had a While editor, Angela McRae introduced the concept of doing themed issues, which included those devoted to art, like a 2007 issue featuring fiber art, below, and gardening, like the May-June 2012 edition at left.

never-ending supply of interesting people to pull from. Williams: There were so many people I felt like I knew after Angela did a story on them. They didn’t know me, but I felt like I knew them because their story had been in my care. NCM: What were some of the favorite subjects that you covered? McRae: I loved home features, garden features and I liked themed issues, which are fun for readers. Advertisers also like the magazine; it was such a great vehicle for them. Pretty Christmas issues were really popular with people, and there are so many nice homes and gardens in Coweta, I think people never tired of that. NCM: What was your toughest deadline? Williams: For me, It was definitely that first one. We didn’t start as early as we learned to do later on. That one was so hard because we’d never done it before, and like I said, there was a big learning curve. After we did that one, it seemed easier going forward. McRae: About the time I got engaged, The Times-Herald decided the magazine was going to do Coweta Living once a year. As I recall, that was 180 pages and was done in addition to the magazine. And that was all the summer before I was about to get married in 2006. That was the hardest shuffling of deadlines I ever had with so much going on. It was hectic, but it got done. NCM: That’s right. You married a coworker, Alex McRae, while you both were working for the newspaper and you became his editor when you took over the magazine. McRae: Yes, Alex wrote features for the magazine. He kind of brushes it aside, but he’s really a great writer and a lovely person. It was only natural that he would be one of the magazine writers, and it was kind of convenient having a writer you’re married to. NCM: What was your biggest challenge as editor? McRae: The biggest challenge was keeping all the plates spinning in the air. You have to think so far ahead, keeping up with who’s got what due when and trying to keep it fresh. I’m sure every editor has their theory on this, but we had some people who had been featured and wanted to be featured again. I felt like you should only have one big feature in your life, that Coweta had too many people to be repetitive. We didn’t want to become elitist. I felt like we tried very hard to cover different segments of society. NCM: What was your biggest challenge as the designer?

36 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

THE NCM Q&A

Williams: I think it was to make the vision come alive for each issue. We knew what we were going to do months ahead. Angela would talk about it and maybe show me things she had, and then I would try to make that story come alive. Sometimes I think I did better than others.

With Appreciation To

NCM: It’s like life. Some days are better than others. What are you each up to now?

Three Rivers

McRae: I’m a freelance writer and editor. I edit fiction for a small publisher in North Carolina, edit nonfiction for private clients, and continue to write books on my own. I’ve written some cookbooks and released my first novel last year. I’m about to finish the second and start the third. Learning how a magazine was produced helped me by teaching me about deadlines and how to corral objects into a whole. I feel that made my transition pretty easy. Williams: I still do book layout and design and have done that for local writers, including Angela. I’ve written two cookbooks and am working on a gardening book now, probably a journal with some how-tos. NCM: In closing? Williams: I was proud that we focused on Coweta County and the citizens here. It was a nice run. I really enjoyed working for the magazine, and I’m glad it’s still there. I think the county needs the magazine. It’s a good place to show off and show out. McRae: It was satisfying to have people recognize your work and appreciate it. We won some nice awards back then, but the nicest compliment to me was when the average Joe said they had it out on their coffee table. I thought that spoke well on not just the publication but on the community. I thought that was just key – to make people proud of Coweta County. I think a magazine reflects its subjects. It mirrors Coweta County and its growth, so much to see, new folks, and always new writers. Some people wrote their first piece in Newnan-Coweta Magazine, and that was always fun because you were launching somebody, and I’m sure you’re doing that, too. Their deal is the same as yours – to spotlight Coweta County, and that’s a win for everybody. With so many publications going out of business, I think it’s a testament to the community that they’ve kept this one going all this time. I certainly wish it well and everybody who works with it. NCM

Division of Family and Children Services

Coweta County EMA/911 Accountability Courts

the Chamber

Newnan-Coweta

for their service and teamwork to sustain quality of life for the people of Coweta County throughout 2020. Please remember them as you plan your year-end gift giving. Courtesy of KRB Communications NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 37

en-hut, fall in line. If you’re hoping to interact with or help area veterans this Veterans Day or holiday season, we’ve compiled a list to get you started.

Serving Those Who Served Us Written by JEFFREY WARD Photos Courtesy of The Newnan-Times Herald

Locally, Coweta Veterans Club, at 130 Veterans Club Road off Highway 29 North in Newnan, serves as the clearinghouse for veterans’ activities. Coweta Veterans Club is home base for Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2667, American Legion Post 57, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Quilts of Valor workshops. Events and activities of these groups are geared to benefit veterans, the community or both, according to volunteer Verna Funk, who says Coweta Veterans Club and its members are eager to serve the community – and one another. With a packed calendar for veterans, Funk and fellow volunteer Janet Alford help coordinate events and activities important to veterans. For Funk, who grew up in Long Island, serving veterans is close to her heart as she has both a son and brother on active duty. Plus, she says, “The tragedy of 9/11 really fired me up.” Under the auspices of the Coweta Veterans Club, Funk has since modeled and taught local Boy Scouts about patriotism, served as a day camp director, taught how to properly handle the U.S. flag and conducted Newnan community tours for young people. For more than a decade, she has spearheaded the 9/11 Memory Walk and Candlelight Vigil in Newnan. A Gold Star wife who lost her husband in Vietnam, Alford describes herself as the “go-to person” for the local Veterans of Foreign Wars group. A former school secretary in Virginia, she relocated to Coweta County 10 years ago. Along with volunteering with area food banks and outreach ministries, she helps coordinate activities and events for the VFW Auxiliary. To join the auxiliary, she says, a prospective member must be a direct family member of a veteran who has served in a foreign war zone. For military veterans seeking community, volunteerism outlets or help with services, our list of Coweta's Veterans Organizations is a good place to start.

RIGHT A veteran salutes during a POW/MIA Day observance in Newnan in September.

Coweta’s

Veterans

Organizations Coweta Veterans Club For information on their numerous events and activities, visit their website at cowetavets.org or call 770.251.6949. Due to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, some events are subject to change, so it’s a good idea to contact the Club before making plans.

VFW Post 2667 and VFW Auxiliary This extremely active VFW post takes part in dozens of events and activities each year. Post Commander Jeffrey Bouchard states their mission: “We support veterans throughout the community by participating visibly in events, activities and fundraising that benefits both citizens and veterans alike.” The VFW promotes patriotism, provides medical assistance, holds “Patriot’s Pens” youth essay contests, recognizes and supports first responders, visits veterans in VA assisted living facilities, supports Meals on Wheels and mentors Boy and Girl Scouts. For more, visit VFW 2667 on Facebook or vfw2667.org.

Quilts of Valor Foundation The dedicated volunteers of this patriotic foundation create quilts to honor and comfort veterans impacted by war. They meet the last Saturday of each month at the Coweta Veterans Club. For more, visit qovf.org. Coweta Area Motorcyclists The VFW and Legion Riders participate in many patriotic activities and also meet at Coweta Veterans Club. For more, call 678.577.0547 or visit Coweta Area Motorcyclists on Facebook. – continued on page 40

– continued from page 39

American Legion Post 57/Auxiliary The American Legion also holds a vast array of events and activities throughout the year. “First and foremost, we are all about honoring and remembering the veterans who have served and are currently serving,” says Post Commander Veda Brooks, noting that their primary functions include celebrating Memorial Day and Veterans Day and holding POW/MIA remembrance ceremonies. In addition, they sponsor the annual poppy drive, send greeting cards and cookies to deployed soldiers, donate coffee supplies to the Newnan VA clinic, place flags on veterans’ graves, host bingo tournaments, support and recognize first responders and participate in the Veterans Day parade. For more, visit Legion Post 57 on Facebook or legion57.org. Disabled American Veterans These veterans meet at the Coweta Veterans Club. For official business, the closest DAV office is the Veterans Regional Office at 1700 Clairmont Road in Decatur. Call 404.529.5956 or visit dav.org. Department of Veterans Services Located in the Coweta County Administration Building at 22 East Broad Street in Newnan, this department assists veterans with enrolling in the Veterans Administration and helps veterans cut through red tape to resolve issues important to them. Call 770.254.7260 or visit veterans.georgia.gov/ locations/newnan. Senoia Bomber Girls A 501(c)3 nonprofit, the Senoia Bomber Girls support troops and veterans through fundraising, packing and sending care packages to deployed military, and volunteering in the community. Contact them at BomberGirlsLRCSenoia@gmail.com. NCM

LEFT Verna Funk's heart for veterans is evident in her volunteerism.

BELOW Members of American Legion Post 57 attend the 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in Newnan, from left, Commander Veda Brooks, Dennis Angel, John Lager and Terry Mathers. RIGHT A POW-MIA Day was held Newnan in September to remember prisoners of war and those missing in action.

2020 Salute to

VETERANS A

long with our readers and page sponsors, Newnan-Coweta Magazine and The Newnan Times-Herald salute our outstanding and valiant Coweta military veterans. On these pages, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll recognize some familiar faces, and you may discover new neighbors who served our country well. Our hope is for a Happy Veterans Day to all. Compiled by STACIE WILLIAMS

MARINE

A EAN W

Billy Alford

William E. Alford

Saluted by: Friends

Saluted by: Janet Alford & Family

. ARMY U.S

Kenneth David Benson

Jeffrey M. Bouchard

Debra A. Bouchard

. ARMY U.S

Harold Barnett Saluted by: The Family

. ARMY U.S

S. U.

. ARMY U.S

Saluted by: The Family

S. U.

MARINE

Saluted by: The Family

VI Nicholas J. Bouchard Saluted by: The Family

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ome things have always gone together: salt and pepper, sugar and cream, Maureen Schuyler and the Senoia Area Historical Society Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the museum has had only one director: Schuyler. The personification of a volunteer spirit, she has worked for the past decade to build the museum to what it is today. She defines her driving motivation: “I have a sign in my office that reads, ‘A goal without a plan is just a wish.’ I love that saying, and I guess you could say that’s the inspiration for what we have done in the past and will do in the future.” The wish was born decades ago when locals dreamed of a place to showcase Senoia’s colorful history. With the purchase of the historic Carmichael house at 6 Couch Street, the wish grew. The ancestral home was in great disrepair but was rescued, restored and modified to become Senoia’s historical museum, which opened its doors to the public in July 2010. Schuyler lists the most important milestones in each year of the museum’s existence: 2010: The doors open. 2011: Farmers and Merchants Bank teller

windows are acquired. 2012: A research library is established.

RIGHT At the Senoia Area Historical Society Museum’s memorabilia display on local military veterans, Director Maureen Schuyler displays a photo of Sgt. Eddy Couch, a soldier from Senoia who gave his life in Vietnam.

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Senoia Area Historical Society Museum

2013: The museum’s website is created.

2014: Archive files for Senoia families are created. 2015: A “Welcome to Senoia” video is produced.

2016: An access ramp for visitors with disabilities is constructed. 2017: The museum hosts a semester of the University of West Georgia’s Intro to Museum Studies. 2018: The museum’s interior is redesigned to create a better visitor experience. 2019: The front porch is renovated to original historical standards. 2020: The museum is honored with a historical marker.

Also in 2020, the museum’s walkway to history was paved

with more than 300 engraved memorial bricks, and there are plans for more. Schuyler expresses pride in the museum’s military legacy exhibit. What began in 2011 as a tribute to Sgt. Eddy Couch, who gave his life in Vietnam, has grown into a memorabilia display for Senoia veterans. The display covers the back wall of the main exhibition room. For Schuyler, each item displayed at the museum has meaning. “When a resident donates something to the museum, it usually comes because it is unwanted, but when we receive it, we put it on display and share it,” she says. “Once we do that, we’re also sharing the story, sharing the people, and sharing the history — all in that one item.” NCM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 49

Bonne Boyd Bedingfield

Cake Art

takes to New Heights

Written by FRANCES KIDD | Photos Courtesy of BONNE BOYD BEDINGFIELD 50 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

“A party without cake is really just a meeting.”

— Julia Child

BELOW Bedingfield's Santa cake evokes emotions of the season.

”

LEFT Bonne Boyd Bedingfield's deer head cake, mounted on a wall, is a trophy that would make any hunter proud.

ABOVE Bedingfield's Beetlejuice cake is a hit at the 2019 Fall Art Walk in Newnan.

ewnan native Bonne Boyd Bedingfield recalls her childhood growing up in a house filled with art – and artists.

“When my brother, sister and I were kids, we were always drawing while the other kids were playing outside or with their toys,” she recalls. “From as far back as I can remember, I knew I would be an artist.” It stands to reason. She’s the daughter of David Boyd Sr., a local artist whose political cartoons were featured in 200 publications for nearly 50 years; now, Boyd Sr. paints celebrity caricature portraits. Her mother Rosalyn has expressed her artistic gifts through dancing and playing piano. Her brother, David Jr., is renowned in the region for his landscapes and her sister, Rosalyn Moore McKoon, is also a painter. Bonne paints, too, and she might have figured she would follow in that family tradition. She admits she never expected her choice of medium would be cake. Bonne received her bachelor of arts in fine arts from Wesleyan College in 2003 with a concentration in oil painting. After graduation, she started her career as a working artist at Art Works Carrollton and in her own gallery shows. A growing family diverted her from her oil painting specialty but didn’t lessen her artistic nature. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 51

COWETA FEATURE

Bonne Boyd Bedingfield's cake creations include, clockwise from top left, Ray Charles, a Georgia Bulldog, Alabama's Elephant mascot, and an armadillo.

52 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

COWETA FEATURE Missing a creative outlet, Bonne started making cakes for friends. When her niece asked her to make a “Finding Nemo” cake, she agreed to try, intrigued by the challenge to make a cake that required carving and threedimensional art. In fact, says Bonne, “I surprised myself by agreeing, because the one class I didn’t want to take in art school was sculpture.” Like many great self-taught artists, her first attempts were by trial and error. “I loved the challenge of it,” she recalls. If something doesn’t work the first time, she finds a way to solve it. Since that first Nemo cake in 2007, she’s crafted more than 200 sculpted cakes and too many wedding and groom’s cakes to count. Her business, Beautifully Baked by Bonne, is booming despite COVID-19. Like many other local businesses, Bonne’s came to a “screeching halt” when the pandemic hit last spring, she says, but in the long run, she didn’t lose much because most events simply shifted to late summer. Cake art combines research skills and art skills, according to Bonne who says planning includes extensive research about her subject and the development of a blueprint. With her meticulous plan, she uses clay tools to sculpt the figures from solid chocolate and modeling chocolate. Then she puts the pieces together to construct the cake. Bonne has spent up to 150 hours on some of her cakes, like one of her favorites, the installation of a full-size deer head mounted on a wall. Though she gave herself three weeks to create a cake sculpture of Ray Charles’ face, she surprised herself when she was able to capture his likeness in only four hours. It took many more hours to complete the cake. The cake artist accomplishes all this primarily working at her dining room table, bringing images to life with her imagination, tools and materials. And for any who might think a cake is just a cake, the Santa she sculpted for Christmas 2019 almost seems to reflect the emotions of the season on his face. Bonne’s work has been featured in “Martha Stewart Weddings” as well as other print and online media outlets. Although she doesn’t work in a studio or gallery, she’s not alone, due to connecting with other bakers on social media. They swap ideas and tips and sometimes provide inspiration to each other. Last December, Bonne appeared on the TV program, “Food Network Challenge,” where she and three other contestants competed to build a cake replica of the iconic leg lamp from “A Christmas Story.” Bonne knew what a challenge the competition would

be. She had unsuccessfully attempted the leg lamp before and says it’s been her only cake fail; she completed it, but it didn’t hold up through the delivery. On the show, although she had a strong start in Round One, she didn’t come home with the prize although she did receive kudos and encouragement from the judges. She describes her first time on the national stage as “surreal, but so much fun… I’d do it again in a minute.” Bonne doesn’t always consult with her family on cake art, but in the fall of 2019 she was having trouble with her sculpture of the character Beetlejuice from the film of the same name. “I consult with Dad occasionally, but this time was special because it’s the first time he’d stepped into my world,” she says. “Those cakes scare me to death,” says Boyd Sr. “I think about spending all that time to do what she does, and to do it as well as she does, and then you eat it up and it’s gone. And other than that, when she loads up that stuff – and sometimes she’s spent a week on it and there are several folks who have spent a lot of money – and it’s more than a pain to deliver. She has to have a team to move them in and out where they go.” The Beetlejuice cake wound up being a chocolate masterpiece served at the family’s Boyd Gallery in downtown Newnan at a reception during the September 2019 Fall Art Walk. Despite beginning as a painter like her dad and siblings, Bonne says she’s not looking to return to working in oil. “I have no regrets,” she says. “My work is equally, if not more, gratifying than painting. I love the challenge of it. You know you’re on Bedingfield's possum cake is a the right path when you dead ringer for the marsupial. can’t get enough of the work and wake up every day excited about creating something new.” The artist loves her creations so much that she keeps a gallery of cake head models in her basement where they are stored in large plastic containers. Bonne and her husband, Jason, have three children, Evelyn Claire, 14; Ada, 9; and John, 7. Each has shown an early interest in art and stands ready to carry on the family tradition. NCM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 53

ASK A MOM @ newnan.com

No matter which side you find yourself on in the Mommy Wars, we can all agree that parenting is the most difficult job on earth. Whether you’re single or married, working or staying at home, there’s no easy path to raising a happy, healthy child. Newnan-Coweta Magazine has you covered with a feature tailored just for parents – Ask a Mom at Newnan.com. We have partnered with some amazing Coweta-area moms who are experts in fields ranging from pediatrics and obstetrics to education and psychology, to first responders and regular, everyday moms. Some are moms-madesuperheroes by raising medically fragile children and caring for aging parents as they do. They are all available to answer readers’ questions about parenting, kids and family life in general. Send your concerns to askamom@newnan.com. It really does take a village, and we are here to be your village with judgment-free, real-life answers.

This issue's Ask a Mom expert: Jill Whitley is a former courtappointed child advocate for Coweta CASA and has navigated widowhood, single parenting and blending a family. She lives in Coweta County with her incredibly patient husband and two kind-hearted, hilarious children.

Hope for a Happy Holiday Compiled and Edited by JILL WHITLEY

Dear Mom,

The holidays are coming up, and normally we have both sets of extended family fly in from out of state and we make a big deal out of both Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is plenty of family, presents and food, and the parties are loud and joyful. This year, my husband has lost his airline job due to COVID-19, and even if we could fly everyone in, our families are too nervous to get on a plane. In addition, money is now tight. While I think my children will handle the small holiday graciously, how do I make it special for them in such a rough time? Sincerely, A Mom Struggling to Find her Holiday Cheer Jill Whitley: First, I would like to tell you how sorry I am that COVID-19 has affected your family so drastically. This disease hasn’t just stolen lives but livelihoods. It’s separated families in ways major, minor and irreversible. While it’s my deepest wish that, by Thanksgiving, we will have turned a corner and our prevention efforts will have stopped the spread, I can’t promise that, and we may have to face the real possibility that everyone’s holidays will look substantially different than last year. Let’s start by discussing how to keep the season bright despite the absence of family and other loved ones. While you’ve mentioned that your family members normally fly, would it be possible for them to drive to visit this year? If they could keep stops to a minimum and wear masks, it could still be possible to travel reasonably safely. If not, it’s time to embrace the beauty of videoconferencing. My sisterin-law recently married her fiance across the country and, of course,

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we couldn’t attend. However, a tech-savvy relative offered to broadcast the entire wedding dinner on Zoom. We planned our own dinner for the same time, baked a cake, and were able to toast the newly married couple as if they were in the same room with us. Of course it wasn’t the same as being there, but it eased the separation anxiety on such an important day. Maybe you could cyber-coordinate a family celebration while each of you are in your own homes? As for presents, you haven’t said how old your children are, but kids are never too young or old to learn that the magic of Christmas is about giving, not receiving. When I was a single parent, there were Christmases that were financially more difficult than I’m proud to admit. Without the help of my family, there might not have been much under the tree for my son. Be gently honest with your children starting now. Don’t scare them: kids need to know that their parents are doing their best to keep them safe and secure. But let them know that some years are leaner than others, and this year, their stack of presents might be a little smaller. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been good, and it doesn’t mean they are loved any less. It simply means that money is a finite resource in most households, and this year’s budget doesn’t allow for as many gifts. With Dad out of work, what the family budget does allow for is time. Piling in the car with snacks and hot cocoa to drive around and marvel at light displays, walking around the squares in Newnan and Senoia to enjoy the festive decorations, and volunteering to pack holiday meal or snack boxes as a family for nonprofits like Bridging the Gap or Backpack Buddies are all free festivities your family can enjoy. And they all come with a sense of Christmas wonder that can’t be purchased for any price. If you need help providing Christmas dinner or presents for your children, there are a number of nonprofit organizations in Coweta that will gladly help, and I wholeheartedly urge you to take that assistance without a bit of regret or shyness. We’ve all been in rough spots, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. With just a little optimism and creativity, it’s entirely possible your kids might look back on these nights as the most silent, yet cozy and calm, of their young lives. A time when, while not all was bright, Mom and Dad found a way for the family to spend it all together, in love and heavenly peace. NCM

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 55

COWETA PROSE & POETRY

NCM Readers Share Their Poetry Window Seat Submitted Photo

By Connie Peacock

Connie Peacock lives in south Coweta County with her husband on a small farm with their goats, chickens, guineas, dogs and cats.

High above the clouds I saw I saw fists raised Black Lives Matter I saw men, and women Praying I saw dogs frolicking And babies Playing High above the clouds I saw

Possibility

By Connie Peacock Imagine opportunity and vision Some sit, never looking beyond their corner Never seeing the vast expanse of possibility

Lion’s Tooth* by Nancy Anyanonu

Photo by Debby Dye

In the spring, after winter’s brutal winds, when the ground begins to warm. Silent life from below, slowly peeks through the newly softened earth. The peeking through lasts but a fraction of time before full buds, perfectly poised atop young willow like legs, begin to spill over with only a hint of the beauty to come. Through the early morning dew and the first light of day, simple yet brilliant lion teeth Blooms emerge. Recent quiet meadows burst forth, exploding into golden carpets dancing in the breeze. Soon, short lived grandeur turns to fairy tale white tufts that, tooth by tooth, fly free as tiny butterflies crossing countryside, over streams and bridges, into a world beyond. A life, quickly, but magnificently lived. Begun and finished with wondrous glory, this bloom, the lion’s tooth, considered by gardeners, a lowly weed, will find yet another meadow to share its brief but beautiful life. *Dandelions 56 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

Nancy Anyanonu, of Newnan, enjoys freelance writing and learning about local history.

COWETA PROSE & POETRY

A Child’s Dreamworld

See Me

At the hour of sleep, at the time of needed unconsciousness from the world of play, and the mundane, this little one’s tangible being slips, slips, slips into the unknown.

Do not look past me For I could be you. I'm the one with a broken heart…touch my hand. I cannot feed my children...offer me bread. I have received a call that has brought me to my knees... help me up. So please look into my eyes — do not look past For you may be my hope and future as life passes.

By Rosemary Coakley

What are the magical visions lurking in the mind of a child when in that world between sleep and dream? Are you ever watchful when a child’s lids finally close and you are privy to see the dreams come with each movement of the eye? Behind its cloak?

By Patricia Barrow

Can you imagine the wondrous happenings behind this veil?

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

Is it the most beautiful paradise of peaceful places and trails of adventure? Or is it a deep engulfing pit of horror and despair? A place of fear and things lurking in the deep, desperately reaching out for this one’s thoughts and body? Can you see? Can you be? Are you defenseless to your own thoughts? When the body and the mind, at last exhausted from the deep, finally stray back to the waking, look deep into the eyes of this child and convey your feelings of tenderness,

A beach lover and foodie, Patricia Barrow lives, writes and volunteers in Newnan.

and those of – MOM!

Share Your Prose

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

Are you a closet poet? Or a creator of short fiction?

Newnan's Rosemary Coakley was inspired to write this poem after caring for her grandson.

Share your best work with us and we may publish it in an upcoming issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine. Submit your work along with your name, address, email address and daytime phone number to magazine@newnan.com or mail or drop your submission by our office at Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson Street, Newnan 30263.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 57

COWETA COOKS

One House at a

s ) a m t s i r h C (

Time

The Jackson Family’s Progressive Dinner Written by JACKIE KENNEDY | Photography Courtesy of CAROL GLOVER and CATHY WRIGHT

Members of the Jackson family sing Christmas carols at the 2006 edition of their annual progressive dinner.

At the 2013 Christmas Eve dinner, the Jackson family stayed put at Mama Ruth’s house where her kids all grew up. Alan ordered Varsity for the whole gang, from left: Denise and Alan Jackson, Tiffany Dawson, Carol Glover and Pat and Connie Davis. The guitar was played by Adam Wright who led the family in their annual Christmas carol singalong.

58 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

COWETA COOKS

Daddy Gene and Mama Ruth Jackson cherished spending Christmas with their kids.

ince 1974, the family of Newnan’s Gene and Ruth Jackson have trekked from family house to family house to celebrate Christmas with food and song.

The annual Jackson family progressive dinner has evolved through the years, especially since the deaths of the family’s patriarch and matriarch, Daddy Gene and Mama Ruth. And country music superstar Alan hasn’t attended many since his children were born near Nashville more than two decades ago. But his sisters keep the family Christmas tradition alive. “Carol and I stole the idea from a Sunday School class we were attending at First Baptist at that time, and we thought it might work for our families,” says Cathy Wright. “We proposed the idea to the rest of the family, and they went along with it. At that time, everyone was still living in Newnan, so there were lots of houses to put on the schedule. The progression from house to house gave us all a chance to see everyone’s Christmas decorations and anything else they wanted to show off.” The night’s schedule has remained basically the same through the decades: Dinner begins at 4:30 or 5 p.m. at a home designated for appetizers, which usually includes pigs in a blanket, sausage balls, chips and dips, cheeses and fruits. From there, the caravan moves to the next home for salads. Next, the families head to a third home for the main course of soups and sandwiches with Honeybaked ham, pimiento cheese, potato soup, vegetable soup or chili. Each year, one stop is set aside for singing Christmas carols from the Jackson Family Christmas Notebooks, songbooks that Cathy put together with the family’s favorite yuletide tunes. “This is at Cathy and Lamar’s house since that’s where the piano is,” says Carol. “Lamar’s dad, W. L. Wright, used to join us there to play the songs for us. Everyone got a chance to select a favorite from the notebook, and the break in eating allowed us to digest some of the food already consumed so

we might be able to hold the desserts at Mama’s house.” In the past, the families landed last at Daddy Gene and Mama Ruth’s house — where sisters Diane Dawson, Cathy, Carol and Connie Davis and their baby brother Alan grew up. Dessert there usually included Mama Ruth’s coconut cake and chocolate pound cake, Connie’s turtle cheesecake and Cathy’s pecan pie. After dessert, the whole clan gathered in the living room to open presents. “When we were all married with young families, Daddy would sneak some money into our stockings at every house,” Carol recalls. “It was so sweet.” Even after Alan and his wife Denise moved to Nashville, they continued to visit for the family dinner until they had children of their own and opted to stay home on Christmas Eve. Cathy admits that her brother and other menfolk in the family were never as enthusiastic as the women about the annual moving-about-town meal. “Some of the guys fuss about it,” she says. “Alan calls it ‘The Depressive Dinner’ and says he’s glad he doesn’t have to be a part of it anymore.” Instead, he and Denise and their girls would always come down a week before Christmas for a family visit at Mama Ruth’s. Some years, even though their baby brother was not at the progressive dinner in person, he was in spirit, according to Cathy who recalls the year 1993 when Alan sent five black limousines to chauffeur each family from home to home. “You can’t imagine what a stir that created,” Cathy recalls. “We literally had a parade of cars. We were driving around Court Square and the police stopped us. I guess it either looked like someone died or we were the mafia. Alan just had the most fun doing that.” Ten years later, in 2013, he and Denise came down for the EDITOR’S NOTE: progressive dinner, and Alan had I met Carol Glover and The Varsity deliver the meal to Cathy Wright during my first Mama Ruth’s house, according stint with Newnan-Coweta Magazine as a freelance to Carol. writer from 2002 to 2005. “Alan had ordered Varsity In 2003, I visited with the and arranged for all of us to stay sisters and their sweet mother, just at Mama’s house that night Mama Ruth Jackson, at her because it was getting difficult home while crafting a story for her to get in and out of cars about the family’s annual Christmas dinner for NCM’s and houses so many times,” says holiday issue that year. Carol. “There were a few times Seventeen years later, the after that we tried to keep it at Jackson family’s tradition continues.

COWETA COOKS

“There have been times when we’ve thought about changing it, making the night simpler, but all our kids protest. It’s all they’ve ever known. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it.” — Cathy Wright

one house, for her sake, even though she always loved the progressive dinner most of all.” For four decades, the holiday dinner was held on Christmas Eve, but in recent years it was moved to Dec. 22 or 23 to accommodate another family tradition. “About 25 years ago, Banks and I and Cathy and Lamar became involved with singing at an 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service at Central Baptist, which meant we had to leave the dinner early to be at church at 9:30 for rehearsal,” says Carol. “The rest of the family members got frustrated with us because we kept rushing the progression so we could get to church on time.” While the entire family once lived in Newnan, as it expanded over the years with new children and grandchildren, several family members moved away, which means a different crew shows up for dinner each year. Connie and her husband Pat now live in TOP LEFT Mama Ruth and Alan Jackson enjoy a quiet moment in her dining room during the 2013 Varsity night. TOP RIGHT Occasionally, Alan’s eggnog makes an appearance at the holiday dinner. Enjoying the beverage in 2014 at the home of Banks and Carol Glover are, from left, Julie and Lloyd Roberts, Jim Dawson, Banks and Carol, Cathy Wright, Mama Ruth Jackson and, seated, Diane Dawson.

West Virginia, and their sons are in New York and New Mexico. Sister Diane and her husband Jim Dawson live in Heard County with a daughter and granddaughter. Her older son and his daughters are in California; her younger son lives in Newnan with another granddaughter. Carol and Banks’ children and grands still live in Newnan, while Cathy and Lamar’s sons and grandkids live in Tennessee. “So the dinner has dwindled some to just those of us still living in Newnan,” says Carol. “It’s a special treat when those living out of state can fly in and join us.” Nowadays, the annual moving meal begins with appetizers at the home of Julie Roberts, Carol’s daughter, and her husband Lloyd. Next is the home of Philip Frank, Carol’s son, and his wife Candace for salads or more appetizers. The main course is usually at Carol’s house, and then it’s off for desserts and singing at Cathy’s, where the Wright family piano remains central to the family tradition. As the family’s 46th progressive dinner approaches, Cathy ponders its future. “There have been times when we’ve thought about changing it, making the night simpler, but all our kids protest,” she concludes. “It’s all they’ve ever known. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it. We’ll continue this tradition to honor Mama Ruth and Daddy Gene. It was important to them.”

s a m t Chris s e p i c e R with the

COWETA COOKS The Jackson family shares favorite dishes from their annual progressive holiday dinner. While some of these are straight from the kitchens of Mama Ruth and her daughters, others are from Alan Jackson’s 1994 cookbook, “Who Says You Can’t Cook it All?” The cookbook is available for purchase at Coweta County Visitor’s Center inside the historic Courthouse on Newnan Court Square.

Jacksons

Mama Ruth’s “Watch Out” Cheese Wafers 3

sticks margarine, room temperature

ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated, room temperature

2½ cups self-rising flour 1 teaspoon red pepper (“We think Mama used more than this because sometimes your mouth is on fire,” says her daughter Cathy Wright) Mix margarine and cheese; gradually add flour and pepper. Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

Sweet Potato Soufflé Potato Cheese Soup

large sweet potatoes

1½ cups sugar

⅓

cup chopped celery

⅓

cup chopped onion

2 eggs

tablespoons butter

cups potatoes, pared

1⅓ stick margarine, separated

and diced

teaspoon vanilla

cups chicken broth

cup chopped pecans

cups milk

Peel and cut up sweet potatoes. Cover with

cup light brown sugar, separated teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons salt

water and cook until tender. Beat cooked

Dash paprika

potatoes. Add granulated sugar, ¼ cup light

teaspoon pepper

brown sugar, eggs, salt, 1 stick margarine and

cups sharp cheddar cheese,

vanilla. Mix well. Pour mixture into sprayed

shredded

Croutons or bacon bits for garnish

In large saucepan, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Add

casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees until set in pan, approximately 30-40 minutes. For topping, mix ¼ cup light brown sugar, ⅓

potatoes and broth. Simmer until potatoes are tender; stir in milk and

stick margarine and pecans. Sprinkle on top of

seasonings; heat through. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Garnish.

casserole. Brown for 10 minutes.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 61

COWETA COOKS

Alan’s Eggnog 1

1¼ cups sugar, separated

Heavenly Hash 1

pint heavy whipping cream

3-ounce package lime-flavored gelatin

12 large marshmallows or 45-50 miniature marshmallows 1½ cups boiled water

eggs, separated

cup Bourbon whiskey (Alan prefers

Jack Daniels.) ⅓

cup light rum

quart whole milk

3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

cup crushed pineapple

cup pineapple juice

In another bowl, whip egg whites and ½ cup

cup mayonnaise

sugar until stiff. In another bowl, whip egg

cup pecans, chopped

yolks until creamy with ½ cup sugar. Add

Whip cream until stiff. Add ¼ cup sugar.

Dissolve gelatin and marshmallows in hot water. Blend remaining ingredients except pecans in blender and blend well. Add nuts to gelatin mixture. Put into a serving bowl. Refrigerate overnight if possible.

liquor to whipped yolks. Stir in milk. Mix all ingredients together. Pour or chill. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired. Enjoy!

Cathy’s Christmas Eve Chili (Serves 6. Triple the recipe to serve approximately 20.) ¾

pound lean ground beef, ground chuck or sirloin

cup water

3-4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

tablespoons minced dried onions (or 1 chopped

fresh onion) ¼

cup chopped bell pepper

can diced tomatoes (or can of tomato soup)

can tomato paste

can red kidney beans

3-4 teaspoons chili powder 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2

teaspoons sugar

Begin by browning ground beef in a large saucepan with water, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and minced dried onions. Add bell pepper. After browning, add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well. Turn heat down to simmer, then add red kidney beans. Stir in chili powder. Add vinegar and sugar. Mix well. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve in bowls with small soup crackers. Or, for a winter supper, serve over hot cornbread and mashed potatoes. NCM

Share Your Community Cookbook

Has your church, school or civic group produced a cookbook as a fundraiser in recent years? If so, we’d love to share your recipes with our readers. Send information about your group and cookbook to magazine@newnan.com, call 770.253.1576, or drop by our office at 16

Jefferson Street in Newnan. Be sure to include a contact name and daytime telephone number, email address, and brief info about your organization, cookbook, and what project(s) benefit from your cookbook sales. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing your recipes.

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For a special night out with delectable fare and fabulous cocktails, check out 714. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 63

Bake

Best

Your

READERS SHARE RECIPES TO KICKSTART YOUR CHRISTMAS

Written and Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY

ewnan-Coweta Magazine’s third annual Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest kicked the holidays off in September with judges meeting at our office to taste and rank cookies baked by our readers.

The Grand Prize for Best Christmas Cookie went to Erika Leifker, of Newnan, who won first place in the Decorated Cookie category for her Sugar Cookies. The first place winner in the Traditional Cookie category went to Carol Grizzard, of LaGrange, for her Double Drizzle Pecan Cookies. These top winners, along with second and third place winners in each category, won gift baskets filled with gift cards, T-shirts and other prizes donated from our gracious sponsors, which included local restaurants, shops and other businesses. Judging this year’s contest were Martha White and Linda Arnall, editor and associate editor of “A Taste of Georgia” cookbook. Published in 1977 by the Newnan Junior Service League, the wildly popular cookbook is in its 20th printing and has sold more than 300,000 copies. In the pages that follow, we share recipes for our winning cookies. Maybe baking them will become a holiday tradition at your home.

OUR SPONSORS Newnan-Coweta Magazine thanks the following sponsoring merchants who donated prizes for our Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest

• Leaf & Bean t • Arthur Murphey Floris • Let Them Eat Toffee • Blue Moon Boutique • Meat ‘n’ Greet • Cakes by Debbie • Miss Pearl • Corner Arts Gallery • Morgan Jewelers e Center • Coweta County Welcom • Newnan Mercantile • David Boyd Jr. • Pat McKee mpany • Dragonfly Running Co ont Newnan chen Supply • Piedm • Downtown Olive & Kit Fitness Center • Ellie Mack Boutique • Redneck Gourmet • Finley’s Boutique • Rock Salt Milk Bar t • Goldens on the Square • The Red Letter Merchan s ne • Junction La • Toby Nix r Family Entertainment Cente

Cookie contest judges Martha White, left, and Linda Arnall prepare to taste and rank Christmas cookies.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 65

Grand Prize Winner

1st Place Decorated SUGAR COOKIES

submitted by Erika Leifker, Newnan

Sugar Cookies 1 1 1 1½ 1 1 2½

cup butter cup powdered sugar egg, beaten teaspoons maple extract teaspoon vanilla teaspoon salt cups flour, sifted

Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, maple extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Chill dough until firm. Roll to ¼-inch thickness on well-floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies should not brown. Frost and decorate when cool. Recipe yields 40 cookies.

JUDGE’S COMMENTS Arnall: “I appreciate the creativity, taste and appeal of these cookies that really followed the Christmas theme.” White: “The appearance is lovely. Whoever decorated these did a beautiful job. When I decorate cookies, they don’t turn out nearly this well.”

“I really love making these and seeing people smile and enjoy them.”

1st Place Traditional

DOUBLE DRIZZLE PECAN COOKIES submitted by Carol Grizzard, LaGrange

“These are very easy to make and they’re addictive. Once you start eating them, you can’t quit.”

Double Drizzle Pecan Cookies ½

1 2 ¼ 1½ 1 1½ 1¼

cup butter, softened egg cups all-purpose flour teaspoon salt cups brown sugar, packed teaspoon vanilla teaspoons baking powder cups toasted pecans, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in pecans. Place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheet; flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool two minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle with Caramel Glaze and Chocolate Drizzle.

Caramel Glaze ½ ¼ ½

cup brown sugar cup heavy whipping cream cup powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, bring brown sugar and cream to a boil. Remove from heat; whisk in powdered sugar. Immediately drizzle over cookies.

Chocolate Drizzle

1 1

square (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate tablespoon butter

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set.

JUDGE’S COMMENTS Arnall: “These are pretty, chewy and sweet. Obviously a lot of work went into them, and the two glazes are very good.” White: “These are very pretty and appealing. They’re not too sweet but just an excellent, chewy cookie.”

2nd Place Traditional DELICIOUS COOKIES

submitted by Elise Farnham, Grantville

Delicious Cookies 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1

cup butter cup avocado or canola oil cup brown sugar cup white sugar egg teaspoons vanilla cups flour teaspoon salt teaspoon baking soda teaspoon cream of tartar cup oatmeal cup crispy rice cereal cup mini-chocolate chips

Blend together butter, oil, brown and white sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, soda and cream of tartar; add to other ingredients. Fold in oatmeal, cereal and chocolate chips. Dough should be firm; add a little flour if necessary. Drop on a slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Arnall: “These are nice and crisp and crunchy. I like the combination of Rice Krispies and oats, and they’re probably healthier than most cookies.” White: “It’s a kid-friendly cookie.”

“This recipe will make about 100 cookies. It’s a family favorite handed down by my mother, Leona Baalmann, who called them Delicious Cookies.”

2nd Place Decorated SUSAN’S RED VELVET MACARONS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING submitted by Susan West, Newnan

“This is one of our family favorites because it reminds us of Christmastime. It was one of my grandmother’s recipes and I’ve tweaked it through the years by doing things like adding the white chocolate to make it my own.”

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Arnall: “This is a clever use of red velvet with great curb appeal. Anybody who likes red velvet will have a fit over these.” White: “They are very sweet, pretty and Christmassy.” — See Recipe on page 70

— Continued from page 69

Susan's Red Velvet Macarons with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing Macarons 1 cup almond flour ¾ cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 2 large egg whites ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon red food coloring Filling (recipe below) Pecans, optional Pour almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a food processor and blend for one minute. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until white and foamy. Increase speed to high and continue to beat egg whites while gradually adding granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat egg whites until thick, shiny and soft peaks form. Mix in red food coloring at high speed. Fold dry ingredients into egg whites in two steps, until batter resembling wet sand forms. Gently scoop filling into a piping bag and snip ¼-inch of the end off. Flip cookie sheet upside down and place mat/parchment paper on top. Either pipe onto a special macaron mat orLilia drawTrahan, one-inch round circles and place Newnan under parchment paper. Pipe at a 90-degree angle. Remove paper circles under mat prior to baking. When piping is complete, tap baking sheet on counter 10 times to gently release any air bubbles. At this point, sprinkle chopped pecans on top, if desired. Allow to rest for 20 minutes until a film has formed over the batter. You should be able to touch without the batter coming off. Bake macarons at 300 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Filling 8 ¼ 1 4 ¼

ounces cream cheese, room temperature cup softened butter teaspoon vanilla flavoring cups powdered sugar cup white chocolate chips, melted

With hand mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter with vanilla flavoring. Mix in powdered sugar. When all ingredients are mixed well, add melted white chocolate. Filling is best when refrigerated briefly prior to piping the macarons.

3rd Place Decorated VERY VANILLA MACARONS WITH A WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BUTTERCREAM submitted by Lilia Trahan, Newnan

White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream. Brush filled macarons with Simple Syrup, and then sprinkled with colored sprinkles. Keep macarons refrigerated until ready to eat. These are better after 24 hours and are good to eat within 3 to 5 days.

White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream

Very Vanilla Macarons with a White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream Macarons *Since macaron ingredients need to be exact for success, they must be weighed in grams. 100 grams 57 grams 60 grams 26 grams

powdered sugar (1 ½ cups) almond flour (⅔ cup) egg whites (2 large eggs) fine granulated sugar (3 tablespoons) 2.5 grams vanilla extract (½ teaspoon) White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream (recipe below) Simply Syrup (recipe below) Colored sprinkles Using a food scale, measure all ingredients as accurately as possible. Sift powdered sugar and almond flour as fine as possible. Whip egg whites until foamy. Slowly add fine granulated sugar. Add vanilla and whip until completely stiff peaks are glossy. At this point, turn the mixing bowl upside down over your head to check for stiff peaks. Add about 1/3 of powdered sugar and almond flour mixture at a time to egg white mixture and fold together. After all flour has been combined, press and spread batter against the side of bowl. Pull more batter from bottom of bowl and stir once. Repeat 1 to 4 times. When batter falls thick and slowly from spatula, it is done. This is called the “macaronage.” Place macaron batter into a pastry bag with a plain tip. Pipe 1- to 1¼-inch rounds onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Gently tap sheet pan three times. Let macs set for 15 to 30 minutes or until outsides have dried; the batter should not stick to your fingers. Bake at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes, turning the baking sheet after the first 6 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from parchment. Fill with

½ cup butter, softened 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 3 ounces good quality white chocolate (not chips), chopped, melted and cooled to room temperature 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ -1 cup crushed soft peppermint candies Mix first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl about 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add crushed peppermint and beat until fully combined. Put in a pastry bag with a star tip. Pipe buttercream filling onto macaron shells to make mac sandwiches.

Simple Syrup ¼ ½

cup water cup sugar

Bring water and sugar to a boil until sugar dissolves. Let cool. Brush over tops of macaron shells with a pastry brush.

“I’ve been interested in baking for over a year. Last year, I learned about macarons and during quarantine, I took a class on making macarons online and have been making them ever since. You really have to have a lot of patience to make them.” JUDGES’ COMMENTS Arnall: “These are very sweet and easy to pick up and eat at a party.” White: “A lot of effort was put into these. They are very sweet and must be time-consuming to make.”

3rd Place Traditional

PECAN PIE COOKIES

submitted by Vince Iacovelli, Newnan

Pecan Pie Cookies ¼ ½ 3 ¾ 2 1 1 ¾ 1 1

cup butter cup powdered sugar tablespoons light corn syrup cup finely chopped pecans cups all-purpose flour teaspoon baking powder cup brown sugar, packed cup butter, softened egg teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt ¼ cup butter in saucepan. Stir in powdered sugar and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often, and stir in pecans until well combined. Refrigerate mixture 30 minutes to chill. Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside. Beat brown sugar, ¾ cup melted butter, egg and vanilla extract in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes or until mixture is creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well-mixed. Pinch off about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Press dough into bottom of ungreased cupcake pan cup and use your thumb to press dough into a small pie crust shape with ¼-inch walls up the side of the cupcake cup. Repeat with remaining dough. Fill each crust with 1 teaspoon of prepared pecan filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 13 minutes or until cookie shells are lightly browned. Watch closely after 10 minutes. Let cookies cool in cupcake pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to finish cooling.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Arnall: “This is an easy way to eat pecan pie. You could serve this with a scoop of ice cream and turn it into a lovely dessert.” Arnall: “These are unique. The eye appeal would make anyone want to try it. It’s simply a good cookie.”

“I use a little more flour than the recipe calls for, which makes for a stickier dough that rises a little more. I wanted to be a better home cook, so I went to culinary school and graduated three years ago.”

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Open Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm $20 per adult • $15 per child (ages 6-12) Children ages 5 and under are Free

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130 Gordon Commercial Drive • LaGrange, GA (one hour southwest of Atlanta) 706-885-0363

Southerners have always been known as great storytellers. So, when you combine this treasured art form with a dose of folklore, small town secrets, and things that go bump in the night, you know you’re in for a treat. This is what you get on Troup County Historical Society’s Strange LaGrange walking tour. Led by the gregarious Southern spirit guide and docent Lewis Powell, it’s a combination haunt jaunt, history lesson and an overall great way to get to know the city, up close and personal. Tours are Friday nights at 7:00pm at Legacy Museum on Main at 136 Main Street, LaGrange, GA. Tours walk rain or shine (unless the weather is dangerous) so bring an umbrella and wear comfortable walking shoes.

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Through the past 25 years, Newnan-Coweta Magazine has worked to capture the spirit of Christmas for the cover of our holiday issues. The magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolution from its first holiday issue in 1995 to the current edition can be traced through our Christmas covers. From our family here at The Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine to yours this holiday season, we wish you peace and good health, joy and a grateful heart. 78 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

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COWETA GARDEN

Gifts that Keep on Giving Written by DALE SENKO, COWETA COUNTY MGEV Photos Courtesy of Coweta County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers

The Christmas cactus typically bursts with blooms during the holiday season.

80 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

COWETA GARDEN

How to Care for

Gifted Plants ost people love a Christmas gift that keeps on giving.

Every year, I look forward to a Christmas gift from a gardening friend who has given me potted amaryllis plants for a number of years. Even though I know the gift is an amaryllis, the surprise comes after Christmas when it blooms. It could be one of many colors, sizes and bloom counts. By Valentine’s Day, there’s a spectacular blooming plant in my living room. When spring arrives, I replant the bulb in my garden where her other gifts reside. A year later, my gift reblooms – and every year after. Gifted plants often evoke happy memories of holidays past and the people we cherish. Coweta County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers have their share of holiday plant memories. Forty-three years later, C.R. Phillips remembers his son’s first Christmas: “He was a September baby, so for his first Christmas we bought a Colorado spruce and had it in a big plastic tub all decorated with ornaments and lights. I read the instructions, and in order to plant it in central Indiana where we lived at the time, I had to go out in the freezing cold and dig a three-by-three-foot hole and cover it with a tarp in preparation for planting. The last time we drove past our old house, that tree was 40 feet tall.” Sonjia Lambeck’s grandmother grew and passed along a Christmas cactus that bloomed profusely every year from mid-November through December and sometimes into January. “I don’t remember when she received the first plant, but whenever she repotted it, she just used regular farm soil, so good potting soil plus organic compost should work,” says Lambeck. “She kept it indoors in an east-facing window during the fall and winter and moved it outside to a northwest-facing partially covered porch after frost danger – and moved it back inside before the next frost. She watered when the topsoil appeared dry, but didn’t soak it. I remember it in her home from when I was in primary school until I

Without proper care, gifted plants can die before Christmas dinner. The UGA publication, “Care of Holiday and Gift Plants,” lists holiday gift plants for any holiday along with tips on their care. Here are some excerpts:

Poinsettia: The colorful bracts of poinsettias may stay bright for months if you care for them properly. Bright, indirect light and frequent watering are essential. Don’t allow the plants to wilt, but watering too often can damage roots.

Forced spring bulbs: Spring comes early by forcing bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths. Expose these bulbs to chilling temperatures in a cooler or refrigerator for several weeks, and then place in a warm location for the flowers to develop. To get the most color and greatest longevity, buy plants when the flower buds first show color. To slow down flower development and make the blooms last longer, keep plants cool.

Chrysanthemums: Decorate indoors and out for Thanksgiving and Christmas with mums. Two types are sold at retail outlets: pot mums and garden mums. Garden mums are generally available in the fall and can be planted outdoors as they are hardy through the winter. They are perennials that will flower each year. Pot mums are greenhouse varieties that are killed by frost. Buy them when flower buds show full color. A temperature of 60-70 degrees indoors will prolong peak bloom.

Holiday cactus: Three related plant species look like Christmas cacti. The three types bloom at different times of the year and can be found in bloom at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. All three require bright sunlight and moderate moisture levels. Southfacing windows are excellent places for holiday cacti. After six weeks of holiday blooming, remove spent flowers and apply a houseplant fertilizer. Stem pieces of three segments or more are easily propagated.

➤ The UGA Publication “Care of Holiday and Gift Plants” can be downloaded for free at extension uga.edu/publications/details.html. Contact Coweta County Extension with your gardening questions at 770.254.2620 or coweta.extension @uga.edu.

COWETA GARDEN

Nov - Dec Gardening Tips From Coweta MGEVs’ 2020 Calendar

Contact your county Extension office for soil test bags. University of Georgia soil tests usually take seven to 10 workdays.

•

Work lime into your soil based on pH results from soil test; it takes several months to adjust the soil once lime is applied.

•

Start a compost pile with fall leaves.

•

Start planning next year’s garden.

•

Continue to plant new shrubs and trees. Find local or catalog sources for native plants.

Photo by Nancy Coates

NOVEMBER •

DECEMBER •

Water newly planted trees and shrubs during cold weather.

•

Do Christmas shopping for gardenloving friends and families. Consider gifts like garden tools, gloves, birdhouses, books on native plants and garden calendars.

•

Resist the temptation to prune shrubs and trees now.

•

Replenish mulch around your plants.

•

Harvest vegetables planted in the fall.

•

Keep bird feeders filled and clean throughout the winter.

•

Review notes from the summer to plan for next year’s garden. Order catalogs and review online.

This pothos plant grew from cuttings from Nancy Coates's original plant.

was in my fourth year of college, so it can be a long-lived plant.” Nancy Coates tells a story for those who think they don’t have a green thumb. “In the summer of 1981, I moved to a basement apartment in Alexandria, Va., and purchased a small pothos plant, a common houseplant with solid green leaves,” says Coates. “It survived a year in the apartment’s minimal light, then it moved with me multiple times to multiple states for the next 15 years. I started propagating this plant and giving the new plants to coworkers. I have donated plants each year to a charitable organization in Newnan where they were given as door prizes at their events. After several prunings, I discarded the plant I purchased in 1981; however, the plant I have today – and every plant I’ve propagated and given as a gift – comes from it.” Ros Johnson decorates with paperwhite (narcissus) and amaryllis bulbs to make centerpieces for the holiday.

“They rebloom successfully for many years.

Photo by Dale Senko

An amaryllis blooming at Christmas time is a true treasure.” — Rusty Sharp

This Amaryllis grows in the garden of Dale Senko where it blooms with her roses.

“Paperwhites force very quickly, so for Christmas gifts, I start forcing a week before Thanksgiving,” says Johnson. “Amaryllis are slower, so around Halloween or a week before usually works best.” Rusty Sharp has given and received amaryllis bulbs. “I love to plant them, watch them grow, enjoy the blooms and then replant them in my yard,” he says. “They rebloom successfully for many years. An amaryllis blooming at Christmas time is a true treasure.” According to Deberah Williams, the easiest plant gifts to care for are Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus.

“These plants don’t take all that much care, can be ignored

until really dry, and can suffer from too much care, especially

from overwatering,” says Williams. “They will grow outside in

the summer, grow well inside, and will sprout roots by putting a stem in only water. It’s the perfect house plant.”

This holiday season, you can try your hand at starting plants

for gifts by following instructions. Or, when you see those

conical shaped rosemary bushes, miniature pine trees or other

festive potted plants lining the shelves of local stores, buy one for yourself or as a gift and make a happy memory. NCM

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www.charlieswrecker.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 83

COWETA KIDS CARE

Young Men are

Empowered for Life Written and Photographed by SUSAN MAYER DAVIS

wo high school football players are representative of more than 200 teens active in Empowered 4 Life (E4L), an organization that helps youth become mentally, physically and spiritually strong. Part of the way they do that is by volunteering with nonprofits devoted to helping others. Steven Carter, 17, son of Altomeise and Marvin Smith, plays linebacker on Newnan High School’s football team. Committed to playing football for the Naval Academy, he credits E4L with helping him navigate life and football. Aaron Fenimore, 15, is a sophomore at East Coweta High School where he plays center on the football team. The son of Jill and Aaron Fenimore, he says E4L makes him a better person: “It helps me strengthen my connection with God and live a more accomplished life through education and dedication.” The local E4L program for boys is run by Derrick Teagle, whose wife Teresa leads a similar program for teen girls. Empowered 4 Life members and their parents have daily access via separate portals in the phone app, GroupMe, where they can reach out to E4L leaders. “They talk about what’s going on that day – a test, big game, problem at home – and the parents do the same,” says Derrick. “That way, we get the whole picture and can offer advice and encouragement. If students need help applying for a scholarship or finding a job, E4L mentors help them.”

Know a Kid Know a Kid Who Who Cares? Cares?

Steven Carter, left, and Aaron Fenimore are friends through Empowered 4 Life.

Every Thursday, there’s an E4L Zoom meeting, and quarterly seminars target difficult topics like teen suicide and the opioid crisis. Stressing the importance of giving back to their communities, E4L encourages members to participate in Giving Tuesday each November. Throughout the year, they volunteer with Make a Wish, Bridging the Gap and other charities. Fenimore and Carter take part in these opportunities to give back, most recently volunteering with Bridging the Gap to organize fundraisers and distribute food. At school, the two young men seek out students in need of support or encouragement and offer to talk with them. They invite fellow students to E4L seminars, including a recent series, Connecting the Dots, which focused on improving race relations between the community and local law enforcement. NCM

Help Newnan-Coweta Magazine give a shout-out to children and teens in Coweta County who demonstrate their care for others through volunteer work or charitable giving. Nominate a child age 5 to 18 who has put forth time and effort to help someone outside his or her own family. Send a 50100 word nomination to magazine@newnan.com and be sure to include the child’s name, age, parents’ name(s) and contact information as well as your own phone number and/or email address. We look forward to sharing the impact caring kids have in our communities.

84 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

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ALL ROADS LEAD TO COWETA

Blacktop

Photo by Sally Ray

behold. Christmas at home in Coweta County is a joy to

Photo by Sally Ray Sally Ray’s pet pooch dreams of a stocking stuffed with treats.

This rustic brid

ge invites bike

Photo by Phili p Sciame

riders and hi in Chattahoockehers to enjoy nature at Cochra n Mill Park e Hills.

submit your

photos

Email us your photos of life in and around Coweta County and we may choose yours for a future edition of Blacktop! Photos must be original, high-resolution (300 DPI) digital photos in .jpg format, at least 3”x 5” size.

el ol Lee Shank Photo by Car

sight during vides a cheerygrapher. ro p n ri Tu in photo owers A field of sulenflnt times, according to the turbu

Please include your name so that we can give you credit for your photo in the magazine! Email your photos with the subject “Blacktop” to the address below.

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n is a n w n Ne w o t Down mith Photo by Terri S ss of a sn ptured the stillne ca ith Sm i rr Te nt Sharpsburg reside in Sharpsburg.

ow y day

N E OP

! S S E SIN U B FOR

Phot

o by Laurie M One of Santa’s attingly re in de er made a quic to Coweta last k po st summer. He’s ba -quarantine vi awaiting a Dec ck at the North Pole nowsi, t . 24 flight.

Photo by Ron Maciejewski When Ron Maciejewski noticed this pot on his deck last spring, he thought it an appropriate subject considering current trials and tribulations. “I called it ‘Hope,’” says the Newnan resident.

Check out our website for a list of businesses! www.mainstreetnewnan.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 87

CLOSER LOOK

Honoring Coweta’s

Top 25 Influencers

ewnan-Coweta Magazine invited a special group of folks to help celebrate our 25th anniversary in September — Coweta’s Top 25 Influencers. Hosted at the Newnan Utilities cabin and sponsored by our friends at Newnan Utilities, the event brought together our creative team with Coweta’s creative leaders to share ideas and make memories.

Photography by CHRIS MARTIN, SARA MOORE and DEBBY DYE

10.

11.

12.

Our creative team gathers before the cake is served, from left, front: Junior Editors Charlie and Anna Neely. Back: Freelancers Emily Kimbell and Sue Davis, Publisher Clay Neely, Freelancers Jennifer Dziedzic and Jenny Enderlin, Creative Director Sonya Studt, Sales Specialist Jill Whitley, Production Manager Debby Dye, Creative Director Sandy Hiser, Publisher Beth Neely, Columnist Toby Nix, Sales Specialist Misha Benson, Editor Jackie Kennedy, Advertising Manager Bonnie Pratt and Freelancers Sara Moore, Marty Hohmann and Jeffrey Ward.

Our anniversary cake was created by Bonne Boyd Bedingfield (For more on her cake art, see page 50).

Coweta Influencer Bob Coggin autographs our sign-in poster.

Pastor Debra Harris signs in as one of Coweta's Top Influencers.

Even with a steady rain during the entire event, outdoor dining remains comfortable.

Newnan-Coweta Magazine freelance writer Jeffrey Ward makes an entrance.

From left, Columnist Toby Nix, Influencer John Daviston and Sales Specialist Misha Benson talk shop.

From left, Carl and Jill McKnight visit with Theresa and Sheriff Lenn Wood before dinner.

Production Manager Debby Dye, left, looks on as Sales Specialist Jill Whitley, center, welcomes Meals on Wheels President Cynthia Bennett with an elbow bump.

Influencers, NCM staff and freelancers flock to take photos of the cake before it's devoured, from left: Lenn Wood, Debra Harris, Debby Dye, Lynn Smith, Renae Carl and Sara Moore.

10. State Representative Lynn Smith, left, receives her Top Coweta Influencer certificate and gift from NCM Publisher Clay Neely. 11. Attendees get acquainted before the festivities, from left, Influencers Cynthia Jenkins and Marie Swope, Editor Jackie Kennedy, freelance photographer Sara Moore, Sales Specialist Jill Whitley and Influencer Steve Swope. 12. Influencer John Daviston, left, is recognized by Publishers Clay and Beth Neely.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 89

THE WRAP-UP/TOBY NIX

‘OK, Boomer’ I

don’t mind the term “boomer.” I know it gets passed around as an insult, but I think it captures me fairly well. I’ve never been called a boomer – that I know of – but I fit most of the criteria: I’m old. I’m grumpy. And I have no interest whatsoever in any whippersnappers not named Nix being on my lawn. I don’t mind loud music, so long as it’s Waylon Jennings. I’m not sure if that gets me any kind of points with the younger crowd. Probably not. But if they ever listen to “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” I think they’ll see I’m pretty dang hip. With that being said, I think my wife just out-boomered me the other day, which is kind of ironic when you factor in that she doesn’t look much older than she was in our wedding photos taken more than a couple of decades ago. Father Time has not been as kind to me. My social media feed contains a lot of pictures of my wife’s garden and stories about her love of gardening. Not long ago, a friend sent me a message asking for our address so she could send my wife some seeds. A few days after the seeds arrived and were buried in soil, my wife said she was going to send my friend a thank you note. I asked if she was friends with the seed sharer on social media, assuming she was going to send the message that way. She replied, “No, I’m going to write her a letter and send it in the mail. People like to get letters in the mail.” She asked me if I knew where the stamps were. We’ve been in our house for more than five years now, and I think we brought the book of stamps with us from the old house. That’s how often we need a stamp. I don’t even know if the red flag on our mailbox actually moves. I did find the stamps on the dresser in the vicinity of our checkbook, another once-upon-a-time necessity that has gone by the wayside. My wife may have scored herself some boomer points with the handwritten letter, but I think she’s right. People do like getting letters in the mail. I do. I keep every card I receive, even the ones that didn’t come with money in them. I started several years ago. I would land a bunch of birthday cards from a group of ladies I worked out with, and I could never throw anything they gave me away. So I kept all the cards. Then it grew to where I just never threw any card away. And this year, after losing my parents and oldest brother, I’m more than happy I have a drawer full of cards, especially the ones from them. Some of the ones from my parents have my father’s actual handwriting, though I know in order for him to sign one, my mother would have had to take the card and a pen to his chair and stand there while he signed it. I think my father’s signature on a card is a lot like a signed Mickey Mantle ball — a lot more are in existence than just the ones he actually signed. The only difference is you can easily spot the ones Ma signed for him, no certificate of authenticity required. She couldn’t write that sloppy if she signed them with her off hand. No matter who signed which cards, I’m glad I have them all. And I’ll be hoping to get some more this Christmas. Even ones that don’t have money in them. NCM Southern-born and Southern-bred, Toby Nix is a local writer who works in law enforcement.

90 | WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

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