NCM July/August 2021

WINNERS INSIDE!

# Once-in-a-Lifetime Tornado Brings out the Best in Cowetans

Plus:

ONE TO WATCH: Nick Ramey

Summer Recipes

HOME. BUT NOT ALONE.

Living here comes complete with friends.

It’s not a secret. If you live alone, being retired can mean fewer personal connections, even a feeling of isolation. Happily, our residents avoid that. They are surrounded by companions and fun. Enjoying everything from movie nights to card games, exercise classes to gardening. Wouldn’t you like to be in the middle of it all?

To schedule a tour, contact Beth Tripp at 770.683.6859.

Remember, there are a bunch of friends waiting to say, “WELCOME HOME.”

Thank you to all of our clients for voting us

Expertise You need. Compassion they deserve.

Expertise You need.

Expertise You need.

Expertise You need. Compassion they deserve.

Ask your neighbors about us!

Ask your neighbors about us!

Ask your neighbors about us!

2789 US-29, Moreland, GA 30259, just a 20 minute drive from Lake Redwine. www.morelandanimalhospital.com

involves personalized supervision by our doctor and sta

involves personalized supervision by our doctor and sta

involves personalized supervision by our doctor and sta

supervision by our doctor and sta

INTERNAL MEDICINE VACCINATIONS

INTERNAL MEDICINE VACCINATIONS

INTERNAL MEDICINE VACCINATIONS

NUTRITION COUNSELING

NUTRITION COUNSELING

INTERNAL MEDICINE VACCINATIONS

NUTRITION COUNSELING

GENERAL SURGERY

GENERAL SURGERY

NUTRITION COUNSELING

GENERAL SURGERY

PREVENTIVE HEALTH

PREVENTIVE HEALTH

GENERAL SURGERY

PREVENTIVE HEALTH

Ask your neighbors about us!

2789 US-29, Moreland, GA 30259, just a 20 minute drive from Lake Redwine. www.morelandanimalhospital.com

2789 US-29, Moreland, GA 30259, just a 20 minute drive from Lake Redwine. www.morelandanimalhospital.com

2789 US-29, Moreland, GA 30259, just a 20 minute drive from Lake Redwine. www.morelandanimalhospital.com

ACUPUNCTURE

ACUPUNCTURE

PREVENTIVE HEALTH

ACUPUNCTURE

COLD LASER & MAGNA WAVE

COLD LASER & MAGNA WAVE

ACUPUNCTURE

COLD LASER & MAGNA WAVE

COLD LASER & MAGNA WAVE

COME JOIN OUR TEAM

COME JOIN OUR TEAM

COME JOIN OUR TEAM

Since 1872, GBCH&FM has served children and families throughout Georgia to provide a safe haven and give them a place to call home. Our residents often come to us from places of abuse and neglect, but we have the opportunity to care for them and show them they are valued and loved.

Since 1872, GBCH&FM has served children and families throughout Georgia to provide a safe haven and give them a place to call home. Our residents often come to us from places of abuse and neglect, but we have the opportunity to care for them and show them they are valued and loved.

Since 1872, GBCH&FM has served children and families throughout Georgia to provide a safe haven and give them a place to call home. Our residents often come to us from places of abuse and neglect, but we have the opportunity to care for them and show them they are valued and loved.

As a member of our team, you can make a life-changing difference for so many in our care. We are always looking for passionate individuals who want to directly serve our residents in a variety of positions.

As a member of our team, you can make a life-changing difference for so many in our care. We are always looking for passionate individuals who want to directly serve our residents in a variety of positions.

As a member of our team, you can make a life-changing difference for so many in our care. We are always looking for passionate individuals who want to directly serve our residents in a variety of positions.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Supervise residents and manage behaviors through service and safety plans

Supervise residents and manage behaviors through service and safety plans

Qualifications

Qualifications

Qualifications

Benefits (for full time)

Benefits (for full time)

Benefits (for full time)

Supervise residents and manage behaviors through service and safety plans

Favorable background results and reference checks

Favorable background results and reference checks

Favorable background results and reference checks

Health and Dental Insurance

Health and Dental Insurance

Documentation

Documentation

Staff development and training

Documentation

Staff development and training

Staff development and training

Associate's Degree or higher in a Behavioral or Social Services field, or 2 years of experience (paid or volunteer)

Associate's Degree or higher in a Behavioral or Social Services field, or 2 years of experience (paid or volunteer)

Associate's Degree or higher in a Behavioral or Social Services field, or 2 years of experience (paid or volunteer)

Health and Dental Insurance

Paid leave accrual

Paid leave accrual

Paid leave accrual

403(b) retirement plan

403(b) retirement plan

403(b) retirement plan

Scholarship program And many more!

Scholarship program And many more!

Scholarship program

And many more!

To learn more about our employment opportunities, contact us or apply today!

To learn more about our employment opportunities, contact us or apply today!

To learn more about our employment opportunities, contact us or apply today!

www.GeorgiaChildren.org/Careers

www.GeorgiaChildren.org/Careers

www.GeorgiaChildren.org/Careers

SEPTEMBER 25 SEPTEMBER 25

The Carrollton Half is back! Race through historic Adamson Square and over the rolling hills of the Carrollton GreenBelt.

Individual or relay team registration includes a T-shirt, finisher’s medal and free food and drink tickets.

SEPTEMBER 25 SEPTEMBER 25

SEPTEMBER 25 SEPTEMBER 25

SEPTEMBER 25 SEPTEMBER 25

Sign up today at runcarrollton.com

The Carrollton Half is back! Race through historic Adamson Square and over the rolling hills of the Carrollton GreenBelt.

The Carrollton Half is back! Race through historic Adamson Square and over the rolling hills of the Carrollton GreenBelt.

The Carrollton Half is back! Race through historic Adamson Square and over the rolling hills of the Carrollton GreenBelt.

Individual or relay team registration includes a T-shirt, finisher’s medal and free food and drink tickets.

Individual or relay team registration includes a T-shirt, finisher’s medal and free food and drink tickets.

Individual or relay team registration includes a T-shirt, finisher’s medal and free food and drink tickets.

Sign up today at runcarrollton.com

Sign up today at runcarrollton.com

Sign up today at runcarrollton.com

presenting sponsor

presenting sponsor

presenting sponsor

presenting sponsor

President William W. Thomasson

Vice President Marianne C. Thomasson

Publishers C. Clayton Neely

Elizabeth C. Neely

Editor Jackie Kennedy

Creative Directors Sandy Hiser, Sonya Studt

Production Director Debby Dye

Contributing Writers Jenny Enderlin

Susan Mayer Davis

Jennifer Dziedzic

Glenda Harris

Megan Hunnicutt

Frances Kidd

Neil Monroe

Payton Thompson

Jill Whitley

Photography Misha Benson

Debby Dye

Sandy Hiser

Chris Martin

Sara Moore

Jill Whitley

Multimedia Sales Specialists

Misha Benson

Jill Whitley

Photo by Chris Martin

Best of Coweta, Best of Cowetans

Whew, what a magazine.

We have to admit, this one was a doozy to put together. It has more pages than usual and more ads than ever, and we’re proud of that. It came at a cost, though. We’ve worked our tails off and could use a vacation!

This is the third year we’ve held our Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice contest. Since 2019, our July-August issue has been slated as “Best of Coweta” – and we’ll keep it that way for the foreseeable future.

But that’s the thing. There’s something about foreseeable futures. Since March, folks in Newnan know all too well that what we might perceive as our future can change overnight – just like it did from the evening of March 25 to the morning of March 26 after an EF-4 tornado ripped through town. In an instant, our landscape was dramatically altered.

More than likely, you’ve heard or read a lot about it already. Or maybe you lived it. If you’ve driven down LaGrange Street since March, you’ve seen it. The devastation was deep and wide, intense. Dramatic.

And so was the aftermath – the community’s response to the storm. It, too, has been deep and wide, intense. Dramatic. And it continues.

Before the sun came up on March 26, Cowetans were out in full force putting this community back together. And that effort has remained steady and strong. #NewnanStrong.

Sure. Everybody thinks their hometown is the best. But since the tornado, we’ve heard it from others. People who work in affected areas after natural disasters have told us that what they experienced here was unique. The way we came together to address our tragedy was swift with large numbers involved and little concern for self. Individuals went out in search of small needs to fill, and groups organized to meet the big needs. The response of Cowetans who poured out in droves to help their neighbors was immediate, it was for all the right reasons, and it was recognized as something special by those who came from outside our county lines to lend a hand.

And that’s what this issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine is about. It’s not only our annual shoutout to winners of our Best of Coweta contest. It’s also a salute to Newnan and to all of Coweta whose residents came together to mend our community, to help one another, to not just talk about love – but to do love.

We won’t lie. Getting this issue to press was a pickle. With 81 Best of Coweta categories, it meant making a lot of visits and phone calls to award our winners and get their photos. With a plethora of storm stories, it took a stable of freelance writers to tell them. Add the fact that we, too, were thrown off balance after the tornado and, well, you get the picture.

It’s been a task, but it’s one we’re honored to do. We are truly grateful to live and work among the Best of Coweta, and we are thankful for how this community always comes together in time of need to reveal the best of Cowetans.

Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com

On Sunday, May 2, Newnan-Coweta Magazine staffers gathered at The Fred Amphitheater in Peachtree City for the #NewnanStrong Tornado Relief Benefit Concert featuring musicians, including Coweta's own Doug Kees, a first-place winner in our Best of Coweta contest (see page 32). After the concert, Kees dropped by our table to visit. From left are Faith Farrell, Sandy Hiser, Jackie Kennedy, Kees, Misha Benson and Jill Whitley.

Photo by Debby Dye

In May, 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 Martin Pate of Newnan

In July, 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.

@newnancowetamag

770.435.7474

“Does this pond make me look fat?”

Our Contributors

Jenny Enderlin graduated cum laude from Florida State University with an English degree. She enjoys volunteering with the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, Coweta County Democrat Party, One Roof and Backstreet Community Arts.

Jennifer Dziedzic lives in Newnan with her husband, the most extraordinary untrained chef she knows, and her amazingly artistic daughter. Jennifer loves being a freelance writer, uses a pen name sometimes, and is in the process of publishing children’s books while her daughter is still young enough to enjoy them.

Debby Dye and her husband Wayne reside in Newnan where they enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. Debby loves walking downtown and admiring the beautiful homes. With her passion for photography inspired by her father, Debby captures personalities through portrait and family photography.

Neil Monroe is a retired corporate communicator whose career included jobs with Southern Company, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola Enterprises. His roots are in community journalism. He and his wife, Rayleen, live in Sharpsburg where they enjoy tennis, golf and grandchildren.

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.

Sandy Hiser counts herself fortunate to live and work in downtown Newnan. Passionate about helping animals, she serves on the board of directors for Newnan-Coweta Humane Society. She admits her rescue dog Lucille may have a few issues, “but she’s the perfect dog for me,” says Sandy.

Payton Thompson is the mother of a baby boy who keeps her busy 24/7. She loves her family and her job as receptionist at The Newnan Times-Herald and, when she’s not occupied with all of these, she enjoys crafting.

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.

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 kindhearted, hilarious children.

Frances Kidd is a Newnan native who spent most of her adult years working as a nonprofit and marketing consultant. Although she’s an avid traveler, she never lost her Southern accent. If she’s not in Georgia, you can find her out in the country in Italy.

READERS WRITE

Dear Editor,

Your magazine (May/June 2021) arrived yesterday and it really is stunning. Chuck Cleveland’s narrative and his wife Barbara’s photos of Florence made for a layout that was truly captivating. There’s no way a person browsing could not be drawn in and enjoy the whole article.

When I first walked through the front door of Azalea Estates, I knew I was home. It felt so good and right. Life is as full for me here as it was prior to moving here. The staff is warm and loving. They quickly drew me into the Azalea Estate Family, showing me the genuine care and concern they have for all of us here at AE. Everyday is interesting (even in these COVID times) with a variety of games, entertainment, and creative activities. It’s a wonderful place to be and I’m grateful beyond measure to be here enjoying these sunset years of my life.

- Claire Formwalt since 2016

Sheram

Sincerely, Kathy

About Gordon Kilgore’s “Like a Breath of Fresh Air” feature in our May/June 2021 issue:

Strange things happen in Fulton County. I’m glad I moved to Coweta.

Love Newnan and its people!

Alejandro Glomba

Let Us Hear From You...

Send thoughts, ideas and suggestions to magazine@newnan.com.

Glenda Harris lives in Senoia with her husband and their Boykin spaniel, Buddy. A freelance writer and book review columnist, she worked many years as a medical editor and is creator of The Book Vault, a large online book club.

Megan Hunnicutt lives in downtown Newnan where she writes picture books and middle grade and young adult books. She draws on her weird and wonderful experiences to inspire her stories, poems and poetry.

Misha Benson is a Newnan resident and multimedia sales specialist with NTH Media. Reading and abstract painting are her favorite pastimes, and she loves fried green tomatoes.

The Red Chair

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY

By February, we’d already had our cover shot planned for this issue. It’s our third annual Best of Coweta edition so, as in years past, we would take a photo of one, maybe two, of our outstanding local business owners and/or their products.

After the March 26 tornado struck Coweta County, we knew we had to rethink the entire issue, including the cover. One of our first ideas –and the one we kept returning to –involved a red chair.

You see, Knox Furniture is one of the 84 first-place winners in our Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice contest. Our readers voted them Best Furniture Store. It’s a fitting tribute for store owner Mark Knox who grew up in the family business that started here in 1955. When he was a kid attending Atkinson Elementary School, he would walk to the furniture store every day when school was out. Today, his wife Danette and daughter Sara carry on the Knox family tradition by working with him at the furniture store.

Along with being a Best of Coweta

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

Mark Knox poses patiently in his red chair as NCM Creative Director Sandy Hiser and Photographer Chris Martin work to get the shot.

Photos by Chris Martin

Whether waving at passersby, brushing his hair between shots, or rejoicing when the photoshoot was done, Mark Knox was the man of the hour.

winner, Knox Furniture was one of several local businesses slammed by the March tornado. The monster storm ripped off a roof, dumped water in a showroom and left piles of debris scattered all around the store. Months after the storm, the Knoxes are still dealing with it and estimate it will be at least a year before life returns to normal at their Greenville Street location across from the Coweta County Justice Center. Until then, they’ll be doing business out of their warehouse on 701 Corinth Road and at a temporary location at 18 Savannah Street.

The Knox family and business has had to deal with a lot of moving parts since late March. But don’t expect them to complain. It’s not their style. After what the tornado put them through, they’ve put everything in perspective. They’re taking everything in stride.

And that’s what made Mark Knox the perfect person to put in a red chair – a chair from his award-winning store, no less – in front of a tornado-ravaged home for our cover.

How best do we depict in one photo our Best of Coweta winners, a once-in-a-lifetime tornado, and the Best of Cowetans who maintained their composure to address the community’s great need post-storm?

With a tornado victim putting the storm behind him and, with a smile, looking to the future head-on.

Thank you, Mark Knox. Godspeed. NCM

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

Owner of the East Broad Street tornado- damaged home on our cover, LaVann Landrum, right, chats with fellow tornado victims, from left, Mark Knox and Connor and Sara Knox Rund.

Spring football

GHSA allows 10 football practices to prepare for the upcoming season

Buttery Snickerdoodles

Easy and tasty gluten-free Buttery Snickerdoodles FOOD

FEMA denies individual assistance for tornado victims

BY JOE ADGIE AND SARAH FAY CAMPBELL news@newnan.com

The Newnan City Council has formally requested that FEMA reconsider its decision to deny “individual assistance” for those impacted by the March 26 tornado.

The council unanimously approved the appeal request at its meeting Tuesday.

Mayor Keith Brady said the appeal process for individual assistance will be a data-based process, to “make sure we have collected every bit of information from the people impacted by the storm.”

Over the weekend, FEMA announced that the impact to households in Coweta County was “not of such severity and magnitude to war-

rant individual assistance,” according to David Bibo, FEMA’s associate administrator of response and recovery.

In an interview Saturday, Brady said he was “extremely disappointed” by FEMA’s denial and the lack of clarity regarding what exactly the threshold is for individual assistance from FEMA.

“The word ‘disappointed’ is an understatement. Anyone who has been through these neighborhoods and seen these homes can’t come away with the conclusion that there was not enough damage to warrant individual assistance,” Brady said.

The benchmark for public assistance for FEMA was approxi -

BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com

As Georgia's economy continues to recover, there is an all-time high number of jobs posted on the Georgia Department of Labor's EmployGeorgia.com , and local companies are heavily promoting their open positions. However, a high number of Georgians continue to receive unemployment, and thousands of initial unemployment claims

continue to be filed weekly. The initial unemployment claims can be confusing, because they're not all necessarily from people who just lost their jobs.

"These are not people who are suddenly unemployed," said Kersha Cartwright, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Labor.

Many of the initial claims are from people who have been unem-

We were there.

In the weeks that followed the March tornado, The Newnan Times-Herald kept you updated on everything from cleanup efforts to emergency funding related to the storm. In the meantime, we continued to report on everyday issues that matter to us all, whether that was covering City Council meetings or celebrating #NewnanStrong.

BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com

#ServeCoweta is held every year in the spring (and in the fall), but this year, it is different – and needed more than ever.

The twice-yearly volunteer event coordinated by RiverLife will begin Saturday – and run for the foreseeable future –as volunteers continue to help those impacted by

the March 26 tornado. The first big push will be May 15, when volunteers will gather at Smokey Road Middle School to be given assignments and fan out through the impacted areas. Then, work will continue every Saturday for the foreseeable future, and during the week, if that's what works better for volunteers.

Those wishing to vol-

unteer should pre-register at ServeCoweta. com and can check in at Smokey Road any time from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 15 to get their assignments.

Those needing help can also fill out a form at ServeCoweta.com . People needing help who don't have internet access or who need help filling out the form can call RiverLife at 678-

796-8840 or visit local nonprofits to get help filling out the form. May 15 is going to be a big push for heavy equipment to come out and help clear out yards. Hopes are also to do some roof tarping. "Some of the tarps have come loose," said Melanie Reeves of RiverLife. "We are trying to make sure everybody really is covered and dry. Eventu-

ally, that will turn into a construction and rebuild opportunity." Reeves said she's hoping that people will show up next Saturday with skid steers, tractors, loaders and other equipment that can help move large trees and limbs. Trailers and trucks will also be needed, and large chippers would be useful.

State reinstating unemployment work search in next few months; may end federal supplement

Haveyou ever walked the rim of Providence Canyon or hiked to the top of Stone Mountain? Jet-skied at Lake Lanier or taken the ferry to Cumberland Island? Watched penguins waddle at Georgia Aquarium or run the Fourth of July Peachtree Road Race?

Maybe you haven’t scratched these things off your bucket list. We want to help!

Let Newnan-Coweta Magazine know what’s tops on your Georgia Bucket List, and your dream may become reality. We invite you to submit your top bucket list wish that’s doable in Georgia. We’ll pick five and make them happen in the coming year.

So, tell us what’s tops on your to-do list. It doesn’t have to be tied to visiting a Georgia tourist attraction. Maybe there’s a restaurant you’ve heard about but never tried. Or maybe there’s a certain someone you’ve longed to meet in person but never had the opportunity to do so.

Let us know what bucket list item you haven’t been able to mark off your list and why it’s

important to you. If we choose your entry, we’ll make it happen and share that story with NCM readers in an upcoming issue.

Submit your entry online at newnancowetamagazine.com, or fill out the form here and mail to Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson Street, Newnan, GA 30263, or drop it by our office at the same address.

Romantic Dinner in Santorini, Greece The American Song on the Columia River The Douro River Valley, Home of Port Wine

Pick-up Sticks, but No Pecans

Written by FAITH FARRELL

Ishould have known better. I should have known that what was about to happen was gonna be a doo-wop of a doozie. I’m apt to get migraines before a storm, and Thursday morning’s migraine was a whopper, an EF-4 of a headache. Mother Nature was about to pack a punch and my headache was just a hint. I should have known. Mother Nature doesn’t lie.

Recently, I wrote in this magazine about my pecan trees (“The Promise of Pecans,” March-April 2021). Now, I write their obituary.

How does one look back at a life whose history is hidden in its rings?

My partner Joe and I awoke to sirens and phone alerts that Friday morning. In a daze, we donned our shoes, grabbed flashlights and phones and ran outside into the shockingly still, shockingly electrified air. Running under the deck, we hunkered down in the four-foot, troll-hole crawlspace where spider web streamers decorated the red clay floor like a backwards birthday cake.

It is the noise that stays with me.

This noise has no name. It’s a roar that tries to steal your soul through your nostrils as you try to breathe it back in, an orchestra of the unknown hitting your house, slapping it silly. Twisty, poppy, turny sounds. Ears popping and brain turning off to mask you from your fermenting fear.

And then, sudden silence.

In a tar-black night, it was a game of midnight Marco Polo as we heard neighbors calling out to each other. “Are you alright?” “Do you need help?”

I crawled out into the unknown, trying to comprehend where I was in the dim glow of the flashlight. Whose backyard was this? Where were my beloved 100-plus-year-old pecan trees? Why was there a tree coming out of the shed? Shingles on a screen door, a screened door on a tree, a tree on a car? Nothing was making sense. I was Dorothy without her Oz.

Daylight would soon break and though it brought broken hearts and busted homes, it couldn’t burst the fierce fight this town is known for. Don’t mess with #NewnanStrong, for when you tango with Mother Nature, you might swirl off the dance floor and into the ring.

Our house had been spattered by a Big Bensized blender of grass and bark, bits and leaves. We lost a tree in the front yard and have a hole in the roof, which has recently led to half a kitchen. Our shed was crushed and our fence was a giant game of pick-up sticks. And of course, we lost the pecan trees.

Teetering on a seesaw of grief/gratitude, I realize their bark was better than their bite. Their falling was a final farewell of friendship. How do you thank trees for saving your life? For falling the way they did?

“Timber! You fall left, and I’ll fall right. That’s our gal who loves us so.”

In their Jenga tornado topple, they chose their final resting spot with precision and grace. I am grateful for their gravity.

I think of all the trees around this county that fell just so, spurring damage but sparing lives. Blown down but not blown away, this community showed up. An outpouring of friends, neighbors and strangers passed out BBQ, bringing me to tears as a parade of four-wheelers stacked with supplies chugged to the beat of the chain-saw cha-cha.

No longer will I send out Christmas gifts of homegrown pecans. No longer will their tree canopies provide cool relief. I try to count their rings from their giant root balls but get lost in a dizzy spiral knowing I will no longer scavenge for nuts. I look up, scanning a sky polka-dotted with blue tarps and bent trees snapped like matchsticks. I shade my eyes from this unfamiliar sun – learning a landscape is not what you see but, like a magic trick, it’s also in what you don’t see.

I fill a mason jar with some of the leftover pecan wood chips. It’s a homespun urn of honor for my very old friends who tumbled just so, heaving their final hurrah in a perfectly placed, thunderous thud, sacrificing their story for mine.

Mother Nature may swirl and twirl and ravage her robes like a mysterious gypsy in the night. She may topple our trees, yank out our yards and hurl our houses. She may huff and puff, but she can not blow us down for we are #NewnanStrong.

I am not Dorothy. I do not need ruby slippers to remind me where home is. It is here where our strength is so strong it became a hashtag. It is the place where pecan trees selflessly sacrificed their strength and story – to show the world that thunder had finally met its match. NCM

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

Following the tornado, Faith Farrell created art using debris from the storm. Here, she displays her artwork at the #NewnanStrong storm relief event in May.

Kevin Can, and So Can Cindi

Local teacher pens children’s books

Written by SUSAN MAYER DAVIS | Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY

reading, according to Reichman, who began writing children's books a couple of years ago. Her first, “Kevin Can,” aims to help struggling readers realize they can overcome obstacles. The second book in the series, “Kevin is a Smart Cookie,” features a “believe and achieve” theme.

Reichman also has released the first book in her “Cindi” series: “Cindi The Teenie Chiweenie.” The second installment, “Cindi’s Christmas Kitten Surprise,” comes out this fall.

In the classroom, the elementary school teacher assigned writing exercises that allowed students to write about a topic of interest to them. She celebrated their expression of ideas and called them “authors.”

Reichman's passion for reading rubbed off on student Grace Morgan, daughter of Josh and Hope Morgan.

People define “family” in a variety of ways. Children,s author Beverley Reichman, of Newnan, has one grown son but says she feels like a mother to hundreds of children.

A retired teacher with the Coweta County School System for almost two decades, Reichman shared her love of reading with hundreds of students, including those at Thomas Crossroads Elementary. Also a published author, she encouraged her students to pursue learning, literature and living life to its fullest.

“I thought of each student as part of my family,” she says. “I loved seeing them as they grew older and began families of their own.”

Through her classroom career, the teacher discovered much about how the mind of an early learner works and how targeted intervention may prevent years of frustration later in life. It all hinges on the love of

“She always tells me ‘You can do it ’ when she helps with my reading, and I like working with her because she makes reading fun and easy to understand,” says Grace. “She loves to read, and it makes me want to read.”

According to Reichman, early literacy begins with children naturally emulating their environment.

“Setting aside time daily to read aloud to your child clearly benefits their cognitive, language, vocabulary and social-emotional development, but it also lets them experience you as a reading role model,” she says, advising parents to establish a routine story time. “That ’ s also essential for stimulating your child ’ s imagination and curiosity, expanding their understanding of the world around them, and cultivating a love of reading.” NCM

Beverley Reichman displays children's books she has written.

#NewnanStrong WE

#NewnanStrong

In the Eye T

he phrase ‘in the eye of the storm” refers to “the center of a tumultuous situation” and alludes to the center of a storm.

In the midnight hour of March 26, Newnan and Coweta County found itself at the center of a most tumultuous situation as an EF-4 tornado plowed through. Originating in Heard County, it crossed into Coweta just before midnight and barrelled up Smokey Road. On Timberland Drive, it destroyed several homes with one family taking shelter in a bathtub as their house was blown to pieces around them.

The tornado reached 170 miles per hour as it entered west Newnan. Homes were destroyed, including four on Arlington Court where one house lost every interior and exterior wall, but a sports car remained parked at what had been the carport. After traveling 39 miles in 53 minutes, the mile-wide beast of a storm finally dissipated above Peachtree City.

In the storm’s wake, Newnan’s landscape was dotted with blue tarps protecting homes from rain until roofers could make the rounds. More than 1,700 houses were impacted with 70 completely destroyed and 120 with major damage.

The phrase “in the eye of the beholder” is often connected with “beauty,” as in “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but it basically points out that we each have our own opinion.

Following the tornado, Newnan residents showed up en masse to love on each other. Whether that love was exhibited by a brawny man cutting limbs with a chainsaw or a church lady bringing lemonade and cookies, it was a thing of beauty demonstrated over and over again for days, then weeks, and still months since the storm.

Nature is a miraculous entity. A storm with such power that it can conjure the destruction we’ve seen here is nothing short of amazing.

But in our eyes, what we’ve beheld has been an even bigger miracle –our community coming together, once again, #NewnanStrong

– Jackie Kennedy, NCM Editor

LEFT / PREVIOUS PAGES

Also featured on the cover, the 105 East Broad Street home of Chuck and LaVann Landrum took a beating from the March tornado. Like so many of their Newnan neighbors also impacted by the storm, they plan to restore the historic home, which was built in 1905.

Photos by Chris Martin

#NewnanStrong WE ARE

Emergency Response to an EF- 4

Written by NEIL MONROE

For most of March 25, Michael Terrell and Nic Burgess went about their day normally – working and paying attention to the development of severe storms throughout Mississippi and Alabama. This special attention was routine for Terrell, director of Coweta County’s Emergency Management Agency, and for Burgess, emergency management coordinator. In springtime in the South, potentially major storms routinely come and go. By 7 p.m., Terrell and Burgess agreed the main threat seemed to have passed. Things were calm, so they went home.

They didn’t stay there for long.

LEFT Scenes like this played out all across Newnan and Coweta County following the tornado as friends rushed in to help their neighbors restore order.

Photo by Chris Martin

#NewnanStrong WE ARE

“At about 10 p.m., we did not like the alignment of storms that were approaching,” Terrell recalls. “We began texting with local police, fire and sheriff’s department officials, and we reactivated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).”

Those steps set in motion a massive, coordinated effort to prepare for the potential for a major weather event. Newnan Fire Department, Coweta Fire Rescue, Newnan Police, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol were poised to respond. Utility companies, including Coweta-Fayette EMC, Newnan Utilities and Georgia Power, along with Nulink/WOW internet, initiated emergency plans and began moving equipment and crews into position.

“By 10:30 p.m., we had maybe four people in the EOC. It didn’t take long for it to fill up,” says

Terrell. “Everyone was communicating, with their people in the field, with their leadership, and with each other.”

The storm traveled on the ground in Alabama, paused, then reformed over Franklin. Calls from the public began coming in just after midnight. The tornado was over Newnan and Coweta in full force.

Devastation in the wake

“We train for emergency situations every month and everyone was very well-versed in our approach to a major storm,” says Burgess. “With our sirens, with electronic notifications, with the warnings from TV, people took cover. Thankfully.”

Photo by Sara Moore

Most people in the affected area had a warning time of between seven and 12 minutes, according to Burgess. People took appropriate cover, and no one was directly injured by the storm.

After the storm passed, the challenge of response began, and an unprecedented period of cooperation, support and dedication to the safety of the public began as well.

The 911 system received more than 800 calls within the first hours of the emergency. Off-duty dispatchers started coming in, and police, fire and sheriff’s personnel were deployed across the damaged area. Utility crews began assessing damage. Calls were recorded and managed on paper because the EOC’s computer-aided dispatch system was inoperable due to the power outage.

“Every available first responder was already combing homes, cars and any damaged area, helping people find shelter, protecting areas around downed power lines, and just helping in any way possible,” Terrell recalls. “As much as we train in every area of response, there’s no real playbook for this. It’s just dedicated, experienced people doing their job, making minute-by-minute decisions, and helping in any way possible.”

Cooperation

“At first, this one didn’t scare us much,” says Newnan Fire Chief Stephen Brown. “But we very

quickly saw the potential. It didn’t take long for us to call in everyone, and most just came in on their own.”

Other departments responded as well, with help from Chattahoochee Hills, Fairburn, and Palmetto departments arriving soon after the tornado hit.

“It was tough for our people, for the police, for everyone responding to the crisis. It was door-todoor, dark, no power anywhere, making our way on foot through the damage,” Brown recalls. “Nothing can fully prepare you for that. There’s a tremendous spirit of cooperation in a situation like this. Every department and every individual worked together as hard as they could. In the end, we got the job done.”

State officials aid early recovery efforts

When Newnan Mayor Keith Brady arrived at Ground Zero after working his way through the debris at his home, he saw people walking away from damaged houses. Some carried clothes in bags. For all, their lives had been changed.

“I saw our people doing amazing work, but I also knew that we were at the cusp of a tremendous effort to recover,” Brady says. “We are so thankful for the help we received that night and beyond, from nearby cities, from the state. Everyone who was asked responded.”

Terrell says a surprising resource came in the form of hundreds of officers from state agencies who

ABOVE

On LaGrange Street, a townhouse/ apartment complex was still in disrepair in June with a single bed in an upstairs room where only pieces of one wall remained.

– Newnan Fire Chief Stephen Brown

“It was door-to-door, dark, no power anywhere, making our way on foot through the damage. Nothing can fully prepare you for that.”

Photo by Sara Moore

#NewnanStrong WE ARE

arrived to help in the early morning hours after the tornado. Chris Stallings, director of Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security, arrived on the scene barely two hours after the storm struck and stayed onsite for more than 24 hours as he coordinated efforts with the state Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources, and the state patrol.

“Whatever we needed, he made it happen,” says Terrell. “The help has been invaluable.”

Power restoration

The tornado left more than 12,000 local residents without power, including 6,500 Newnan Utilities customers, more than half of their total customer base, and some 6,000 members provided power by Coweta-Fayette Electric Membership Corporation (EMC). While the storm’s widespread devastation slowed restoration of power, it did not hinder utility response to the storm.

Both utilities have mutual aid agreements with city-owned utilities and EMCs. Within hours, crews from throughout the state were in place beginning the painstaking process of restoring power. Hundreds of broken or downed power poles were replaced, lines were rerouted where necessary, and electricity was restored to most customers who could receive power within 24 hours.

Power was restored to all customers within five days.

Long-term recovery helped by community spirit

The recovery from this massive tornado will continue for weeks, months, maybe years. But that recovery is built on the amazing response of first responders, state officials, and utility companies in the first hours of the crisis.

Going forward, the strength of the Coweta County and Newnan community will help those who were most affected recover. This response, Coweta Sheriff Lenn Wood says, is what makes the community special and united.

“Many people worked many hours that first week, trying to get our community back as whole as possible, as quickly as possible,” says Wood. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but Coweta County has the right spirit to show the world how we come together when neighbors need help. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this community.” NCM

Disaster Response Before Sunrise

Written by FRANCES KIDD

It may sound like relief assistance magically appeared the morning of March 26, but there’s a lot more to the story.

True, volunteers showed up in huge numbers. Behind the scenes, though, an emergency response infrastructure is in place both in governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations with years of experience in disaster relief.

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) provides aid to governments and, sometimes, to individuals and families. While FEMA approved aid for local governments for the cleanup effort, they denied aid for individuals, and Newnan City Council appealed that decision.

The Georgia Emergency Management Administration (GEMA) is the state's

RIGHT

Volunteers with Blue Alpha, a local company that makes tactical belts, were boots on the ground leading cleanup efforts the day of the tornado and for days after.

preparedness, response and recovery agency. After Governor Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency on March 26, GEMA deployed state assistance to Coweta.

Locally, there’s the Coweta County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) which was on the job before and after the tornado. Coweta's cities work closely with CEMA in emergency situations. Newnan Assistant City Manager Hasco Craver said the City has an organic relationship with the County and they work together to adapt hazard mitigation plans that are frequently updated.

After the storm, it was "all hands on deck" as each city office played a role in the aftermath of the tornado, according to Craver, who says the City kept residents up to date through social media.

Many nonprofit organizations also are at the ready for disaster response. Kevin Burgess is the construction lead for Inspiritus Disaster Relief, an agency with a full-time disaster response team that operates in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee to provide food and care following storms. Based in Atlanta, Inspiritus’ CEO immediately authorized its team to head to Newnan after the tornado. Home Depot sent volunteers to aid their efforts.

“We partnered with at least eight different organizations, including local government, churches and aid groups," says Kevin Burgess. NCM

Trent Hastings and Rex

OPPOSITE PAGE

Roofs throughout the county were damaged or even ripped away by the tornado. Thanks to workers like these, blue tarps that dotted the landscape eventually began to decrease as roofs were repaired or replaced.

Relief from the Storm

AN OUTSTANDING OUTPOUR OF SUPPORT

Written by FRANCES KIDD

The first sound on the morning of March 26 in Newnan was not the usual songbirds in trees outside the windows. It was the loud buzz of chainsaws.

Even before the sun came up, volunteer chainsaw operators arrived to begin tornado damage cleanup.

“I was at work, the night shift,” says Greg Girtman, a lead aircraft mechanic at Delta. “People started asking me, ‘Don’t you live down that way?’”

After Girtman texted his brother and a friend to check on them, he went home from work, changed clothes and headed out to help.

“The sheriff had put out a call for anybody with a chainsaw to come to Newnan High School,” he recalls. Local law enforcement was monitoring traffic into the hardest-hit areas, and Girtman couldn’t get close to his destination. An officer told him there was too much debris on the streets to go any farther.

In some areas, as far as the eye could see, trees were down and houses walloped in several areas in Newnan after an EF-4 tornado with 170 mile-per-hour winds raged through.

For most residents of the affected areas and those who showed up to help, it was something previously seen only on television news. Homes were crushed by trees, some well over 100

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Father and son Lee, right, and Luke Ayers at Hope Global Initiative are working to reach immediate family needs in the Chalk Level community following the tornado.

Photo by Chris Martin

years old, and roofs and facades were ripped off houses.

Tornadoes are not unusual in the Southeast, but this one was stronger than most and hit parts of the heavily residential center of Newnan as well as areas in the county.

Girtman is just one example of Coweta’s civilian early responders. Before long, teams were forming in people’s yards. At that early point, no official structure was in place and there were no questions asked. Folks simply started doing what was needed. Those too young to wield a chainsaw joined others who dragged limbs away and picked up pieces of tin and other debris.

Newnan and Coweta County law enforcement, as well as officers from the Georgia Department of Transportation, were instrumental in keeping traffic out of the areas where downed trees and wires spread across the streets. They remained in their posts for close to two weeks, keeping residents and helpers safe.

Over the next few days, more and more of the community turned out to help.

Restaurants and caterers brought food for the volunteers and homeowners who, at first, wandered around in shock. Chick-fil-A, the Blue-Eyed Daisy from Serenbe, and local catering companies drove through the streets handing out meals. Boy Scout troops and church groups distributed sack lunches. Local food trucks from The Mad Mexican, Heirloom Bakery and Mi Lumpia Long Time set up at various locations to keep everyone fed.

During the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, several church groups put together and distributed Easter baskets to children whose parents were too caught up in calling

contractors or making living arrangements to worry over an treat-filled basket.

Melanie Reeves, executive director at RiverLife in Newnan, ended up in the thick of things.

RiverLife’s mission is to connect local volunteers with people in need of home repair. But this was their first time getting involved in disaster relief.

“We always work collaboratively,” says Reeves. “When this happened, we immediately started trying to figure out the best way RiverLife could help.”

Her efforts connected her with Keep Newnan Beautiful, which connected her with Coweta County resources and, finally, to Katie Westbrook from Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), responsible for organizing the volunteer effort.

“The county had just opened a call center/ information line and our group was put to work answering phones,” says Reeves.

The volunteer group at the call center grew, moving quickly to develop a system that matched people who needed help with the right volunteers. In the first two days following the storm, approximately 1,200 volunteers showed up to help, according to Reeves.

There seemed to be no stopping the community response.

Local churches established the Community Tornado Relief group. The Coweta Community Foundation joined with others to set up the “HOPE Has No Deductible” Grant Program to provide funds to individuals to help with downpayments for new homes and autoinsurance deductibles. Along with their usual work, Bridging the Gap served as a clearinghouse for donations and volunteer

“Our community really looked after each other. When the GEMA workers left, one person told us that in 15 years and 12 different disasters, she had never seen the outpouring of support she’d seen here.”

– Melanie Reeves

groups. And a donation center was set up at the Coweta Fairgrounds to distribute items; they even provided transportation for those who had no way to get there.

Hope Global Initiative, with a six-year history of helping residents of the Chalk Level Community, moved into disaster relief mode in order to directly help their area. Their own office was impacted, along with multiple homes in the neighborhood. Members of some Atlanta sports teams pitched in. The Atlanta Falcons showed up as well as the Atlanta Braves. Braves pitcher and Newnan native Will Smith organized his teammates to auction autographed items to raise money for the relief effort.

Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of Newnan and its employees donated more than $55,000 toward tornado relief efforts.

Kids in an area not affected by the tornado sold lemonade and baked goods to raise money for families who were affected. There was simply no stopping this community. Individuals and people with organizations from outside Newnan and Coweta County also responded.

The American Red Cross helped find

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Businesses, including The Mad Mexican, set up at Ground Zero to deliver water and meals to emergency responders who worked the storm's aftermath.

housing for those displaced by storm damage. Inspiritus, whose mission is to help people go from “surviving to thriving,” arrived with their seasoned disaster-response team. They were joined by Samaritan’s Purse, from North Carolina, who began deploying volunteer teams on March 27 to Newnan and other Georgia and Alabama cities impacted by the storms. Duracell, in LaGrange, made a large donation of batteries and power banks.

Local churches and organizations responded by providing operating bases for these groups who brought their well-honed disaster response experience. To name all the groups who assisted would be next to impossible. To describe the gratitude with which they were met by a hurting community would take too many words.

Little happens these days without social media involvement. Newnan and Coweta County governments kept their websites and social media pages updated, and new pages sprung up with a host of different types of resource information. A Facebook page vitally important to those hit by the storm, Newnan Tornado Lost and Found helped reunite dogs, cats and other pets with their owners.

“Our community really looked after each other,” says Reeves. “When the GEMA workers left, one person told us that in 15 years and 12 different disasters, she had never seen the outpouring of support she’d seen here.” NCM

Photo by Chris Martin

Emotional Shelter from the Storm

Written by JILL WHITLEY

hen an EF-4 tornado touched down in the early hours of March 26, it did more than shatter windows and lift trees from the ground. As Newnan residents cowered in hallways and crouched in their basements, the rotating, high-powered winds ripped away not only siding and roofing. It also robbed residents of their sense of safety and wellbeing.

In the days that followed, therapists Jennifer Glover Yaeger, Anna Nance and Coweta County Schools Mental Health Specialist Ruth Scott rushed to Ground Zero to provide tornado victims with immediate trauma therapy. Their observations about this traumatic time in Newnan’s history are heartbreaking and inspiring, expected and surprising. As NCM caught up with them in the weeks after the storm, they discussed the intense loss they witnessed, the processes and methods for treating acute psychological trauma, and what lies ahead for both the affected victims and the local mental health community.

As soon as the winds settled and the sun rose, Scott pulled together a team of school psychologists, counselors and social workers to comfort students affected by the storm and to educate teachers, support staff and bus drivers about how children respond to traumatic events.

“The main approach to dealing with this kind of disaster is walking a student, or any victim, through their story,” says Scott. “It doesn’t require fullblown psychotherapy. In the moments following a disaster, what’s important is allowing people to talk through what happened, where they were, what they were thinking, what they were feeling, just that simple process of debriefing that has shown to prevent larger mental health issues down the road.”

Nance concurred. “Basically, people needed to have their stories heard and to have someone validate the shock they were in,” she says.

“You could see glazed eyes, you could see that

people were a little bit dissociated, because the brain will literally shut parts of itself down to protect you after a traumatic event,” says Yaeger. “The first step is to get someone stabilized in their body, before you can get them to cognitively work through something like this. They may still experience and express emotion, they may still cry, but in reality, there’s still a

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Trauma Defining

disconnect. So the first thing we try to do is get them to feel safe in their bodies.”

Scott, Yaeger and Nance, along with psychologist Tom Freeman, made themselves available to provide trauma intervention at Central Baptist Church for a week after the storm, but their efforts to comfort and heal took some time.

Trauma is defined as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, assault or natural disaster. This intense response can include feelings of shock, denial, grief and physical symptoms like an elevated heart rate, headaches or nausea. Here’s what our team of local therapists wants you to know about trauma in light of the tornado:

It’s okay not to be okay: “The people I specifically talked to were people who were not used to receiving help. They had been the givers, and it was so hard for them to find themselves needing assistance or charity in any way. That was a huge trend. There was so much discomfort over being in that situation. We just have to reassure them that they’ve poured into our community, and it’s okay for us to pour back into you.”

Focus on grounding and control: “Most of what I’ve seen in the kids is a lack of motivation and overwhelming feelings of helplessness, so a lot of what I’m doing is normalizing that, and listening to their stories, but then I’m trying to help them discover good coping skills, like, what can we do to get you motivated? What is one thing you can control? These high school kids are thinking about graduation and moving out. And they’re good questions, and they’re big ones, but they can’t control the answers. We have to help them find one thing they can control. That kind of pulls them back to right here, right now.”

Connection Matters

It’s not a competition: “There’s always someone who has it better and someone who has it worse. None of it matters. Your experience is valid. Your feelings are valid. What matters is your story and helping you deal with it in the healthiest way possible.”

“Trauma loses its power when you share it with someone. That help may come from talking to a friend or a pastor, going to a support group or reaching out online. It doesn’t have to be a professional counselor, but I would encourage people to talk about it to normalize that trauma.”

– Anna Nance, Prism Therapy

– Jennifer Glover Yaeger, Sea Glass Therapy

– Anna Nance

– Ruth Scott, Coweta County Public Schools

“We didn’t see as many people reaching out for help in the immediate time period after the storm as we knew needed help, and I think that’s just because they were so focused on their immediate physical needs,” says Nance.

Yaeger agrees. “Nobody, in the days after, was really ready to dig in and do in-depth trauma work. It was: ‘Where am I going to stay? What am I going to do?’ People were in robot mode trying to take care of their very basic needs.“

Scott found more success with a different approach. She recalls: “We originally set up at Central Baptist, and not a lot of people showed up for that, so I found that, when I volunteered on a Saturday at the Methodist Church off of Robinson Street, people were just driving through for aid, and I would just step up to the driver’s side and ask ‘How are you doing? How are your kids doing?’ And I would give out a worksheet on common trauma responses and some advice on how to help your kids through it. I felt like that was a lot more effective than just sitting somewhere and waiting for people to show up.”

Once they realized that victims needed to get their immediate needs met before attending to their emotional state, the therapists made a plan to provide ongoing treatment as people emerged from the initial dissociation of the trauma and began to get resettled. The validation of people’s emotions and experiences, both by their individual support systems and the mental health community, will become increasingly important in the weeks and months to come, according to the therapists.

The team cautions that validation of the event is only the first step of trauma treatment – and that Cowetans will suffer the emotional

effects of the storm long after homes and businesses are rebuilt.

Yaeger lived in Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. “It took about seven years for all of the mental health facilities in the area to become overwhelmed with people coming in, saying, ‘I lost everything,’ she recalls. “So what will happen is, as people start to stabilize with their basic needs, we’ll see a little bit of an influx, but to be perfectly honest, the floodgates won’t really open for a long time. When people talk about this being a marathon and not a sprint in regards to rebuilding homes, I think the emotional fallout, much the same way, is years down the road.”

Scott worries about the distress to children not just from the tornado but from the pandemic and the resulting isolation they experienced.

Nance said, simply, “The grief continues. Some of these people will be out of their homes for months or even years. This feeling of displacement and vulnerability is going to linger. We’ll continue to deal with this as a community for some time.”

The trio is encouraged by the outpouring of support in the initial wake of the storm, and they hope the community’s generosity will extend not just to the victims’ physical needs but their emotional ones as well.

Nance says the way the Coweta community came together after the tornado promoted healing from the start.

“It was kind of like a balm,” she says. “Things had just been so raw and painful for the past year or so because of the pandemic. I’d say there’s been a lot of healing in that. I hope that desire to help and support continues as time goes on, because this is not going away. I think we’re going to need it for a while.” NCM

The rotating, high-powered winds ripped away not only siding and roofing. It also robbed residents of their sense of safety and wellbeing.

Licensed Insured

“It was like a train and then I just heard car alarms going off and things swirling around upstairs. We were just holding hands and praying to keep us and our baby safe.”

– Allison Ziegler

The Tornado Hits Hollis Heights

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

Allison and Kurt Ziegler live at Hollis Heights with their two sons, Nolan Lake, 3, and Levi, 10 months old. On the night of the tornado, when their cell phone alarms sounded, they rushed to the basement with Levi. Nolan Lake was spending the night with Allison’s mother two blocks away.

For a moment, everything became still and warm, and then Kurt noticed that the radar was no longer working on his phone.

“That’s when, all of a sudden, he started to feel the pressure, so he slammed the door shut and ran and jumped in the room with us,” says Allison. “It was like a train and then I just heard car alarms going off and things swirling around upstairs. We were just holding hands and praying to keep us and our baby safe.”

The terror lasted for about a minute, and then there was complete quiet other than car alarms, according to Allison, who called her mother and then her best friend, Rebecca Snider, a Newnan High math teacher who lives around the corner on Waverly Circle.

“She had been laying in bed and two trees had fallen on the house and thrown a dresser on her,” Ziegler recalls. “She was saying, ‘I’m crawling over a tree right now to get out of my house.’”

At their own house, upstairs windows were blown out and water was pouring in the sunroom. From their back deck, the couple viewed a treeline that was forever changed. “I saw nothing but sky, and just the occasional toothpick of a tree sticking up,” says Allison. “It was insane. It was frightening because it was so dark and it was so quiet, and we knew we couldn’t do anything.”

By 1:30 on the still-dark morning of the tornado, the Zieglers were already hearing chainsaws. Around 2 a.m. Tyler Wilson, owner of R.C.H. Construction, texted Allison to say he was in their neighborhood. Within minutes, he and his crew were at their door checking on the family.

As dawn approached, cleanup began.

“I was lucky, I had family members that could watch our kids so that my husband and I could focus on packing up the house. It was just a million things you had to do,” Ziegler recalls.

Support came in from people all over Newnan. Allison was flabbergasted by the number of people who showed up in her neighborhood the morning after the storm.

“The neighborhood was just covered with people, with chainsaws, with food, with water,” she says. “People would just walk up and start cleaning things up, and they would be done and walk away. You didn’t even know who they were. They were amazing.”

The Zieglers and others in their neighborhood soon noticed that not only were people displaced when their homes were damaged or destroyed; the wildlife in those neighborhoods also were confused and minus homes. Allison encouraged those affected by the storms to put out bird feeders and make birdhouses out of damaged materials.

“All of these birds were trying to build their nests in the giant piles of debris, and then the giant piles were getting picked up, and they were losing their nests again,” she says. “It’s not just rebuilding our homes we were concerned about.” NCM

Photo by Sandy Hiser

So Much Goodwill

WHEN ‘THANK YOU’ SEEMS INADEQUATE

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

As the March tornado barreled toward Newnan, Angie Copeland’s family was at home on Valley Stream Lane. Her son Aaron was there with his wife Caitlin, their daughter Addie, and his siblings Anna, Alex and Alyssa.

“Everybody was in the house, and I was at work,” says Copeland.

After hearing the sirens, she raced toward home and was on North Court Square when the tornado hit. The sky was glowing a bright green, the wind was whipping, and debris flew through the air. The winds pushed her car across the street, and Copeland thought it was going to flip over. The moment was terror-filled, but within a minute, all was quiet.

Copeland tried driving again, but the power was out and debris was scattered across the streets. Unable to access the LaGrange Street bridge, she made several attempts to get home via side streets but turned around when she encountered downed power lines. With nowhere else to go, she drove to her parents’ house.

Minutes after the tornado, everyone in Copeland’s neighborhood had to evacuate their homes due to a gas leak. Her family found their way to the top of the street and to the home of a neighbor, Investigator Lee McGuffey with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. “I owe that man a debt of gratitude because he took care of my kids when I couldn’t be there to do it myself,” says Copeland.

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Leaving their home due to a gas leak in the neighborhood, members of the Copeland family tenderly trekked through the dark of the night and storm debris to find safety at the home of Coweta County Sheriff’s Investigator Lee McGuffey.

OPPOSITE PAGE

Goodwill and kind gestures were as abundant as downed trees and damaged homes.

She knows she did everything possible to get to her kids that night. “But it’s still gonna be a long time before I can forgive myself for not being there when they needed me,” says Copeland.

A community pitches in

“The Sunday after it happened, we had probably 15 people in our yard and six chainsaws,” Copeland says. “We were able to clear out everything in the yard, as far as trees and debris.”

McGuffey recalls: “A couple of the first organizations and groups that came into our

Photo by Caitlin Rutledge

neighborhood were a group from SonRise Baptist Church and a group of homeschool moms and kids. All of these moms, dads and kids jumped out of their cars and started grabbing limbs that myself and a friend were cutting and they dragged them to the street. Before I knew it, I had guys with chainsaws everywhere and people asking, ‘Where do you need us?’ This was all the morning after.”

Point University, located in West Point, sent a busload of soccer players, accompanied by their head coach Mark Wozniak, who assisted with cleanup, according to McGuffey.

“As they got my debris done, I started sending them to other neighbors in need of help,” he recalls.

As progress was being made, other groups such as Foundation Christian Church, Saint Smyrna Baptist Church, Unity Baptist Church, Bridging the Gap and Salvation Army, along with individual citizens, came through with much-needed supplies, generator fuel, food and water for the homeowners and volunteer workers. The disaster brought out the best in people, the sheriff’s investigator believes.

“Strangers were freely giving of themselves to other strangers,” he says. “New friendships were made. It made me proud to serve such a community as this. Yes, I definitely am a believer in Newnan Strong!”

So is Copeland.

When ‘Thank you’ isn’t enough

“You’re just standing there looking at everything and you don’t know where to start,” she says, recalling the shock of discovering the extent of the storm’s impact. “The last thing in the world you are thinking about is drinking water or eating food, but every twenty minutes, there was a golf cart or a four-wheeler with a trailer coming through the neighborhoods with supplies.”

Weeks after the tornado, Copeland continues to stand amazed at the incredible volume of support for and from Cowetans.

“I don’t think anybody expected the outpouring of support, for the number of people to stop what they were doing and come help,” she says. “It’s being taken care of so quickly – there’s so much goodwill. So many people are willing to help.”

Copeland expresses gratitude for the help of many, including the Selah Schoolers homeschool families, Coweta Community Church, Sisters for Society and Eagle’s Nest Christian Home Educators’ Association.

“The things that weren’t destroyed can be replaced, and life can’t,” says Copeland. “‘Thank you’ is just so stinking inadequate because these people were helping us keep our heads above water. I don’t know who most of them were, but it was like the hands and feet of Jesus.” NCM

Photo by Chris Martin

Saving Grace

Written by JENNY ENDERLIN

ommy, you’re squishing me!” your older daughter squeals. The sound of a runaway roller coaster is shaking the house at incredible decibels. You put yourself between the tornado and your babies (at a time like this, your children naturally become your babies again), crouched behind you in the corner. You hope the wadded towels in front of their faces are enough to protect them should glass shoot through the room. You say a prayer and wish your husband was there to comfort you, yet you also feel relieved that he is not in danger at the moment – this won’t-it-ever-end moment. Eventually it is quiet again.

The house seems to be standing, so maybe it was not that bad after all. But how did this puddle of pollen water get shoved underneath the door? What are your neighbors, only identifiable in the dark by

ABOVE Sisters Lainey, left, and Bethany Enderlin find a quiet spot in their yard to dig through their Easter basket treasures provided by a local church.

RIGHT Lainey and Bethany Enderlin celebrate Easter.

Photo by Sandy Hiser

their flashlights, discussing outside? You join them, but it’s impossible to see anything. They shine lights. You see the trees in their yard, the trees in the road, the trees on the cars.

The beautiful giant tree that your children swing from every day is entirely uprooted and lying between the house and the garage. You realize how it could have fallen — and bend over clutching your stomach. Your neighbor puts a hand on your back, reminding you that you and your children are, indeed, safe.

After sneaking upstairs in the attempt to locate a beloved blankie, your children come outside demanding to know why their room is wet and the curtains are knocked down — and what has happened to their tree? You yell “Get away!” because there are power lines entangled in the limbs. You tuck them back in your bed. They struggle to understand.

The next morning you see the full results: trees and utility poles encircle your property, homes are opened like dollhouses, power lines are draped everywhere, and wet pieces of insulation adorn the remaining trees like sad Christmas decorations.

Your husband returns home from his work trip, parking several blocks away and weaving his way through the chaos to get home. You embrace, then immediately begin tag-teaming.

“Do we know which power lines are still live?”

“Quick, ask those city employees if the water is safe to drink!”

“I’m still on hold with insurance – do you have enough battery to call the contractor back?”

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

What? Oh, right. Meals. In all the craziness, you forgot about eating. You realize the food in the fridge is probably bad – and that you can’t get the car out of the garage to go to the store.

“Would you like a sandwich?” calls out a voice. Volunteers are walking the streets offering assistance of every kind. Your first inclination is to say no, but this is the week you learn to say, “Yes. Yes, I do need help.”

You are thankful to those passing out food,

thankful to the neighbor with a generator who loans you freezer space, thankful to the strangers who offer to clear your driveway, thankful to your teacher’s son and his friends who help remove the glass and dirt plastered on your kids’ bedroom wall. It eases the burden as you sort things out and try to attend to your children, alert for signs of trauma.

They seem OK. In fact, they seem all too eager for Easter. Perhaps they feel it will be a return to normalcy. You try to explain.

“Sweetheart, things are going to be different this year.”

The truth is that you do not yet know where you’ll be sleeping during the holiday, whether electricity will be restored in time to cook a meal, or how to assemble baskets given the impossible logistics.

Throughout the entire experience, you have not cried. But then your child’s teacher calls, explaining that someone has made Easter baskets, and would you like them delivered?

Knowing that your children will have baskets moves you to tears. Your children are ecstatic to receive them. In that moment, they are oblivious to their surroundings.

Everywhere around you is loss and destruction – but also caring hearts. You are grateful to live in Newnan, where even in the midst of a natural disaster, your community makes you feel at home. NCM

The next morning you see the full results: trees and utility poles encircle your property, homes are opened like dollhouses, power lines are draped everywhere, and wet pieces of insulation adorn the remaining trees like sad Christmas decorations.

Photo by Debby Dye

LEFT

For young Bethany Enderlin, the felled pecan tree in her yard became a new place to play.

Photo by Sandy Hiser

A Prom Like No Other

Written by MEGAN HUNNICUTT

It was a perfect Georgia evening, especially for a prom. Warm outside, the air was thick with the fragrance of honeysuckle. On a night like this, no one would imagine the dangerous tornado that struck Newnan a few weeks earlier – a storm that damaged Newnan High School (NHS) and threatened to cancel its prom.

The sky over the Newnan Centre was clear and pink, and a massive balloon arch swayed in the breeze as colorful lights flashed in rhythm with the music. Chick-fil-A and The Creperie food trucks were lined up inviting all to enjoy. The red carpet was out for Newnan High seniors. After a year of seemingly endless struggle, students and teachers were eager to rejoice and have fun.

Students stepped out in their finest. Jateriaz Robertson and Dalina Garcia waited on the red carpet with their friends Santia Tigner and Jayln Clayton. Garcia’s eyelashes flashed with red gems that matched her long-fitted red gown. She had recently moved to New York but was happy to be back in Newnan and have a moment to celebrate with her friends.

Emily Anaya, who was wearing a silver sequin gown, watched her friends dancing on the grass. “The tornado hit everyone hard,” she said. “But Puckett’s really pulling everything together for everybody.”

The principal of Newnan High School, Chase Puckett, seemed to be everywhere at once on prom night. “Everything he does is for these kids,” said Lisa Colomb, who has worked with the NHS principal for 11 years. “He works tirelessly for the kids. We had just gotten everyone back on campus, it had been maybe two weeks, and then the tornado hit. All we can do is be thankful that no one was hurt.”

Nyterius Petty and Melody Malone were matching in red. Her dress came from The Perfect Dress Atlanta and his suit, embroidered with roses, came from Southlake Mall. They had plans for dinner at Texas Roadhouse after the prom and then planned to move on to the after-parties.

OPPOSITE PAGE

Vice Principal Randy Robbins stood in the middle of a large group of excited students.

“We found ourselves in a very difficult situation,”

Grounds at the Newnan Centre made the perfect setting for a prom Newnan High students won't soon forget.

ABOVE

Melody Malone and Nyterius Petty celebrate prom at The Newnan Centre.

Photo by Megan Hunnicutt

he said. “We were supposed to be at the Delta Flight Museum, and due to COVID constraints, they had to cancel, and so our community came together. The Newnan Centre is a beautiful venue that we use for a lot of events, but we have never done anything like prom here. This keeps everybody close to home. Kyle Kahn, a local designer, helped put everything together for us.”

Robbins paused to speak to students, some of whom had suffered from the storm with their homes damaged or destroyed. Some had not been sure they’d make it to prom at all. Buying a new dress or renting a tux had moved low on their list of priorities after losing homes and belongings in the storm.

Robbins praised the work of local volunteers who put out a plea for donated prom dresses and funds to rent tuxedos.

“The kids could go to Blue Fern and get dresses or vouchers to redeem for a tuxedo,” he said. “We took one of our football players. He redeemed his coupon, and we were able to take him and get him fitted for a tux. He’d never worn a tux before. He came from another school a couple of years ago, and he told us in the car after getting his tux, he said, ‘Newnan is always gonna be my place. Y’all have always treated me so well.’”

Seeing students and their families taken care of through the community tragedy has been refreshing for Robbins.

“I think it makes everybody realize there are people out there who love them,” he said.

Students danced on the lawn as the sun set and the stars came out over a much-needed night of joy. NCM

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Photo by Rebecca Leftwich

#NewnanStrong

Through the Dark of Night

The staff of The Newnan Times-Herald worked from long before sunrise to long after sunset, March 26 in order to get its weekend edition out on time. Since electricity and internet service were out at the office in downtown Newnan, that meant moving operations to the home of NTH publishers Clay and Beth Neely, where staffers put together one of the newspaper's most important issues.

LEFT

Wearing #NewnanStrong

Youngsters Myra Conoly, left, and Charlie Neely made bracelets they sold at the May 8 #NewnanStrong event in downtown Newnan to support storm recovery efforts. Myra is the daughter of Will and Meredith Conoly, and Charlie is the son of Clay and Beth Neely, all of Newnan.

The Prom Must Go On

With 1,700 homes in and around Newnan impacted by the tornado, Coweta County's Women's Council of Realtors knew there was a need to help Newnan High School students. On the heels of a pandemic year that made school strange already, the tornado threatened to ruin prom, too. With the Realtors leading the way, more than 2,000 prom dresses were donated. On the day of the giveaway, April 21, boys were given vouchers for free tuxedo rentals and girls were outfitted in their

dresses.

Photo by Chris Martin

Photo by Beth Neely

dream

Photo by Beth Neely

Clay Neely looks on as paginator Emily Lasher designs the front page of the March 27 issue of The Newnan Times-Herald.

ABOVE

Sorting prom dress donations in April were, from left, Lori Duncan, Brooke Emory, Adriane Bomar and Zoe Powell.

Photo by Jill Whitley

Signs of Strength

In the days that followed the EF-4 tornado, signs of strength and hope started popping up all across Newnan and Coweta County. Whether it was an American flag planted in a front yard as a sign of resilience – or phrases created with spray paint to share a heartfelt message – the signs of strength were abundant.

LEFT

At his storm-struck home at Hollis Heights, Scott Berta's sign proclaimed a sentiment for which the community has come to be known by: Newnan Strong.

Photo by Rebecca Leftwich

Photos by Sandy Hiser

ABOVE and RIGHT

A flag in a front yard in the Hollis Heights neighborhood flies proudly despite the massive damage surrounding it. One spray-painted sign evoked Dorothy's red slippers from "The Wizard of Oz," reminding residents there really is no place like home, tornado or not.

#NewnanStrong WE ARE

The community turned out in droves for #NewnanStrong to support tornado victims.

Heading Back to Normal

After a year of relatively few downtown events due to the COVID19 pandemic, Cowetans were looking forward to the Spring Art Walk set for March 26 in downtown Newnan. The early morning tornado that day canceled the event.

In an effort to raise funds for the Chalk Level neighborhood, hit hard by the storm, local insurance agent Nathan Brain planned an event to take the place of the canceled Art Walk and called it #NewnanStrong, the same moniker he used three years ago to rally the community together in response to a Nazi group and Antifa protestors' visit to Newnan.

Just as Newnan residents pulled together to put a positive face on what might have been a negative experience in 2018, they came together on May 8 to show positivity once again. Block after block in downtown Newnan, artists gave demonstrations and showed their wares, musicians played and sang, and residents thankful to see their community come together again swelled downtown streets to support those impacted by the storm.

While it was estimated that some 1,500 local volunteers helped with cleanup and other efforts in the days just after the tornado, there's no way to count the manhours residents have put in since then to continue caring for this community. From kids making bracelets, to lady realtors gathering prom dresses, to benefit concerts and community events, we've come together to prove #NewnanStrong NCM

Photo by Chris Martin

#NewnanStrong WE ARE

Gerardo Bautista, left, and Mauricio Gomes work as a team to take down trees.

ABOVE

Gerardo Bautista sways in the sky as he works to remove limbs from a tornado-toppled oak tree at a home on Waverly Circle.

LEFT The limb cut from the tree above falls to the ground.

Men in Trees

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY Photographed by SANDY HISER

In recent weeks, men in trees have been a common sight throughout Coweta County.

At the Waverly Circle home of Sandy Hiser, tree removal following the March tornado took place in mid-May with Avalon Tree Services in charge. While Avalon Superintendent Mauricio Gomes worked with his feet on the ground, tree climber Gerardo Bautista sometimes seemed to be swinging from the branches as he located, cut and removed limbs.

Bautista’s first experience with tree removal came from working as a ranch hand in Mexico, where he helped cut down trees as necessary at the ranch. Making his living as a tree climber for the past four years, he’s learned the tricks of the trade.

“When he worked as a ranch hand, they didn’t use proper roping and all the equipment we use now, so he’s getting used to how to do things properly and safely,” says Gomes.

As a climber in charge of clearing downed trees from property damaged during storms, Bautista says he can remove about five oaks in one day. Depending on their location and how the trees fall, he can remove 12 to 20 smaller trees, like pines, in a day.

A horse trainer by trade, Bautista enjoys the process of tree removal, which involves climbing, swinging, balancing, cutting and watching large limbs fall to the ground.

“It’s peaceful because I get up there and do what I have to do,” he says. “I don’t have to deal with all the groundwork. Plus, there’s the adrenaline.”

After climbing trees for so long, does he still get that rush?

“Every cut,” he concludes. NCM

A tattoo of a tree on Gerardo Bautista’s forearm features his mother’s maiden name and father’s last name.

After a day of trimming trees, Gerardo Bautista prepares to head home with a few nicks on his face.

ThankYou!

Coweta Community Foundation

More than six weeks after the March 26 tornado, the response to support the storm’s victims in Newnan and Coweta County remains immense. The Coweta Community Foundation is proud to be a part of these charitable efforts. The CCF’s volunteers and staff are working with local partners to ensure that these generous donations go to support our local citizens and the local agencies who are working towards recovery. The CCF board of directors continue to acknowledge those who have donated up to this point in our community’s recovery efforts.

Individuals and organizations, both within our community and throughout our state and nation, still seek to help local Coweta citizens as they recover from this disaster. Local volunteers, churches and charitable agencies are working hard to carry out the needed response. This ongoing support has allowed the foundation to already direct $150,000 to affected residents for insurance deductible support and rent assistance, and nearly $100,000 towards supporting local 501-c-3’s for tornado response and recovery.

Once again, we thank donors for not only their financial generosity, but the generosity of spirit with which they continue to support our community.

Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church

Emon Abtahi

Darrell Adams

David Adams

Gregg & Jackie Aikin

Larry & Carol Alford

Ro Allen

Candice Amlani Ben & Linda Amoson

Sarah Anderson

Sylvia & Bill Anderson

Donna Anthony

Steve Antonoff

Al Arevalo

ARKE, Inc.

Sandi Arnold

Jonne R. Artz

The Asher Family

Heike Ashley

Sarah Atkinson

Judy Aycock

Robin B.

Rachel Bagley

Bagwell & Associates, PC

Elizabeth Bara

Gray & Cindy Barbour

Emma Anne

Barchanowicz

Alexandra Barnard

Chris Barnett

Mark &

Donna Barnett

Chip & Margaret Barron

Hugh & Debra Bass

Steve & Jolene Bean

Ashley Beavers

Becker's

School Supplies

Eric C. Becker

Devin & Lakena Belcher

Rick Bell

Danielle Benefield

Timothy Ryan Bennett

Alasdair & Denise Best

Kitty & Bill Bina

LaVett Y. Birdsong

Roger Bius

Randy Blackmon

Kathy Blake

Linda D. Blankenship

Block Steel Corporation

The Boardman Family

Marilyn Boeldt

BOGEYB

Chris Bomar

Tamara Bourne Team

Wanda B. Branham

Susan

Jackson Brantley

Lori Brasington

Alexis Breneman

Rusty & Janet Bridges

Bobby & Laurie Brooks

C.J. Brown

Greg M. Brown

Lela Brown

Rita & David Brown

Tyler B. Brown

Eleanor Brownfield

Allie Browning

Rebecca Brubaker

Lauren Bryant

David W. Bucy

Julie Bunn

Kara Burgess

Joel Burk

Burn 85 South Members

Scott A. Burrell

Kathleen Buster

David & Natalie Butcher

Dorian C.

Mike & Carol Caldwell

Ben DeArmond

Callaway

Sandra Campbell

Ross Cannon

Randy Cardoza

David Carley

Jennifer Carman

Carol Carter

Eddie E. Carter

Andrew Cartwright

Mike & Nancy Caselli

Xuan Z. Casson

Victoria Caudle

Billy & Kaye Causey

Bobbie Chance

George & Kathleen Cheek

Childress Dental Center - Hogansville (Meredith Gardner)

Childress Dental Center - LaGrange

Christine Chou

Anne & Mike Chrzanowski

Kevin & Lynn Clark

William Lewis Clark

Karen Hammond

Cleveland

Dixi Cloud

Charles Coffin

Catherine Collins

Claudia Collins

The Collum Family

Charlie & Judy Colston

Anna Compton

Heather Conlin

Ruth Connell

Taylor B. Constable

Peyton Cooper

Richard Cortez

Tanya Counter

Coweta County

Democratic Party

Ken Craig

Sandra J. Cropsey

Cathy Crosby

Patricia Cross

Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet, LLP

Susan Hale

Crutchfield

John Culbreath

Jack M. Curtis

Leslie Cushman

Tim Danaher

Mary Danko

Cherami

Dannreuther

George Darden

Becky Davis

Carla Davis

Ellen Davis

Scott Davis

The Deiterman Family

Delta Homecare

Connor Demos

Anastasia Denisova

Rebecca Diallo

Anna & Ally

Dickinson and Delaney Lanier

Cindy Divido

Anthony Doan

Carol Dobbs

Lise Donnelly

Madison Doughty

Dragonfly Running Company

Megan Dugan

Denise

Berretta Dukes

DUZY PLLC

Shirley Eckelmann

Rod J. Edwards

Art Eidson

Elana Eisenberg

Naomi Elliott

Rochelle Elliott

Melissa W. Ellis

Teri Emond

Marie Endres

Jenn Enloe & Matt Kilcoyne

Evelyn Eunson

Benton & Kate Davis Evans

King Evans

Anthony D. Eversley

Gary F. Ewing

George Fann

Barbara Fasolino

Logan

Blake Feldman

Feller Construction

Julia Felter

Orla Fennell

Anne Marie Fenton

Austin Fleming

Carol J. Foster

Linda Frazier

Gwen S. Frazier Friend

Friends of Denise Croft

Karla Frierson

Denise Frigo

Rachel Fuller

Matt & Jennifer Gaddis

Lynne & Tony Galioto

Norma J. Gallow

Angie Gant

John Gardner

Dru Garland

Nita Garnier

Bridget Gary

GEICO Newnan

Ashley Luna Gent

Georgia District Church of Nazarene

Georgia Power Club of Hearts

Georgia Power Company - Area Management

Georgia Professional Standards Commission

P&L Bridgeport, LP

Dominium Foundation

F.P. Worthen Foundation Jo & Mitt Farmer

The Dolores M. Finley Charitable Foundation Trust

Foundation

C. Woody Waters III

The Tyler Foundation

Pamela & Neville Isdell Joseph Jackson

One to Watch in 2021

Nick Ramey combines his work as a video and media producer with his love for community to give back through Gig Bag.

Gig Bag and Giving Back

NICK RAMEY IS ONE TO WATCH

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC | Photographed by SANDY HISER

Nick Ramey, 35, is the executive producer and CEO of Gig Bag Media and a proud resident of Newnan. He and his family moved here in 1998 and, after graduating from Georgia State University in 2007, he went to work in media.

In the first five years of his career, Ramey won two Emmy awards for his work with 11 Alive News in Atlanta. After winning his second Emmy, he served as a commercial producer with Atlanta & Company for WXIA and later with Bluwave Productions.

“After college, I started working for 11 Alive News and did that for eight years or so, working 2 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through Saturday, which was exhausting,” says Ramey. “But I enjoyed it –to be a part of the news world covering breaking news and the Icepocalypse [of January 2014].”

Due to his long commute and lack of sleep, Ramey transferred to the commercial production department and started making commercials, something he never thought he would do but enjoyed a lot.

In 2016, Ramey opened his own production company, first as a drone business, and he made it his full-time business in 2018 as Gig Bag Media.

Nick Ramey

“We can do everything from animation to drone work.”

One to Watch in 2021

Tanner Low, of Raymond James Financial Advisors, nominated Nick Ramey as One to Watch in 2021. “When it comes to a citizen who is involved in the community, is heavily involved in growing local business, and is well known amongst charitable circles, I think Nick Ramey is an outstanding nominee,” Low says.

One to Watch in 2021 is an NCM initiative to recognize those making headway in their careers or volunteer efforts. We’re proud to feature Nick Ramey as One to Watch.

– Tanner Low

RIGHT TOP Nick Ramey works on a Gig Bag assignment for one of his local clients, Newnan Utilities.

RIGHT

The onscreen image Ramey works with depicts timber collected since the March tornado. In the righthand corner is one of Ramey's two Emmys.

“Nick’s passion really lies in serving Newnan and Coweta County.”

“Gig Bag does a lot of different things,” says Ramey. “We do mainly any type of video and media production, and that can be from commercials for television and broadcast to social media videos to training videos. We can do everything from animation to drone work. It’s been a fun journey to go from making commercials for smaller companies to moving up and seeing how some of these larger Fortune 500 companies work.”

To keep their finger on the pulse, Gig Bag Media does ample research following trends online, according to Ramey, who says a lot of his work involves chatting with customers to get a feel for their needs by asking questions like: Where does your traffic come from? How are you getting your client base? Where do we need to skew our writing and shooting style to fit?

“Because we’re gonna do it differently for TV versus social media,” he explains.

Ramey’s mom, Kim Ramey, founded and runs the nonprofit Backstreet Community Arts in Newnan. Nick says he’s learned from his mom that running nonprofits is complicated, and he tries to help out when and where he can.

“It is hard to get funding, and video stuff is expensive, but you need video stuff to help get more funding, so it’s this vicious circle,” says Nick. “We always try to help out, volunteer our time and services as much as we can, or at least severely cut costs as much as we can. That’s our way of helping give back to the community in a way that not a lot of people can. We are

always excited to help do that.”

Nick’s mom is partial, of course, but she can’t help but appreciate her son’s work, especially since Gig Bag Media has helped her nonprofit, too.

“At the height of the pandemic, Backstreet Arts’ indoor studio was closed to the public, and we were desperately trying to figure out a way to stay in touch with our community,” says Kim. “Gig Bag Media jumped in and helped create a YouTube channel and set up an area in the studio to film with an overhead view so our participants could see our face and our hands. Nick’s easy going personality eased our fears.”

Tanner Low also has worked with Nick on various projects. The first was a project dubbed “Charities in the Spotlight” to bring awareness to all charities in the NewnanCoweta County area.

“I approached Nick, primarily as I had heard wonderful things about Gig Bag Media,” says Low. “He is one of those highly energetic people who always seems to put other people before himself. The initial video highlighted Backstreet Community Arts and arrangements were made to develop videos for Coweta Force, Elevate Coweta Students, and Southwest Christian Care.” With Nick’s help, Southwest Christian Care was able to host their annual gala in a virtual format.

“Nick’s passion really lies in serving Newnan and Coweta County,” Low adds.

Locally, Ramey has produced commercials and media services for Newnan Utilities, Georgia Bone and Joint, Newnan Cougars Football, The Nixon Centre and other businesses in the Coweta area. He also has done work for Amazon, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Atlanta United.

On being chosen as One to Watch in 2021, Nick Ramey says, “It is an honor, and it’s also very cool.” NCM

Photo by Beth Neely

Kim Ramey exudes pride in her son's work.

Our Readers Pick Their Favorite Products and Services

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY

Photographed by MISHA BENSON, JILL WHITLEY, DEBBY DYE and JACKIE KENNEDY

They say the third time’s a charm, and for Newnan-Coweta Magazine’s 2021 Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice contest, the old axiom proves true.

Our third annual Best of Coweta contest invited magazine readers to vote in March and April for their favorite products and services in Coweta County. With participation almost tripling since last year, a total of 3,150 ballots were cast with more than 166,000 votes tallied, proving our readers appreciate this opportunity to show their support for local businesses.

While our contest debuted in 2019 with 42 categories and increased to 46 categories last year, we expanded Best of Coweta to 81 categories this year. Because three of those categories had ties for first place, we awarded 84 Best of Coweta decals to winning businesses, organizations and individuals.

Several businesses won multiple honors, including Meat ’N’ Greet and Emily’s Skincare & Spa, which each won three first place wins. For the third year in a row, Meat ’N’ Greet took top honors for Best Cocktail, Best Burger and Best Restaurant. Emily’s Skincare & Spa won first place for Best Day Spa, Best Med Spa and Best Massage Therapist.

Businesses and organizations that earned two first place wins include Lichty Brothers Homes for Best Home Builder and Best Home Remodeling/Renovation; Cakes by Debbie for Best Dessert and Best Local Bakery; and LINC for Best Outdoor Recreation and Best Local Hiking/ Walking/Biking Trail.

As always, we encourage our readers to shop local in Coweta County. And we express deep gratitude to Coweta-Fayette EMC for sponsoring our contest each year since its inception.

The following pages feature photos of first place winners, listings of second and third place winners, and “thank you” ads from several of our winning businesses.

FOOD & DRINK

Best Breakfast

Christy’s Café

27 Jackson Street, Newnan • 770.683.7512

facebook.com/Christy.baucom27

Owner Christy Crosier serves breakfast to customer Lenny Rutman.

Second Redneck Gourmet, Newnan

Third Town & Country Restaurant, Newnan

Best Wings

HJ Wings & Things

31 Market Square Road 101, Newnan • 770.253.1087 homeofthescorchers.com/newnan

Penny Munford, owner of HJ Wings & Things, serves some of the area’s tastiest wings.

Second Karvelas Pizza Co., Newnan

Third CC's Wings & Things, Newnan

Best Cocktail Meat ’N’ Greet

11 Jefferson Street, Newnan • 770.683.4664 meatngreetnewnan.com

Meat ‘N’ Greet is known for its spectacular cocktails, like this tasty mojito.

Second 714, Newnan Third The Cellar, Newnan

Best Dessert Cakes by Debbie

12 Greenville Street, Newnan • 678.673.6707 cakesbydebbiega.com

Debbie Barronton’s desserts run the gamut at Cakes by Debbie.

Second Rock Salt Milk Bar, Newnan

Third Heirloom Bakeshop, Sharpsburg

Best Burger Meat ’N’ Greet

11 Jefferson Street, Newnan • 770.683.4664 meatngreetnewnan.com

Burger creations at Meat ‘N’ Greet are fresh and fun, like The Gaucho shown here.

Second Redneck Gourmet, Newnan Third 714, Newnan

Best Pizza Karvelas Pizza

7 LaGrange Street, Newnan • 678.633.5620 karvelaspizzaco.com

Welcoming diners to Karvelas Pizza are, from left, Charlie Karvelas, Al Karvelas, Ailee Lopez, Chaevis Tumlin and Brennen De Graaf.

Second Fabiano's, Newnan

Third Partners II Pizza, Newnan

9 East Court Square, Newnan 770.251.4300 • goldensonthesquare.com

Marilyn Brown, Maridee Wise and Marceil Ousley welcome guests to Goldens.

Second Shirley's Country Kitchen, Newnan

Third Fried Tomato Buffet, Newnan

FOOD & DRINK

Best Steak Knife and Stone

30 Perry Street, Newnan • 770.683.2524

facebook.com/foodfromfire

A steak dinner served at Knife and Stone is a Newnan favorite.

Second The Cellar, Newnan Third 714, Newnan

Best BBQ The Oink Joint

9 East Washington Street, Newnan • 770.755.7999 theoinkjointnewnan.com

Owner Matt Crawford serves up awesome barbecue at The Oink Joint.

Second Dunc's BBQ, Newnan Third Sprayberry's, Newnan

Best Italian Food Mama Lucia's Restaurant

236 Newnan Crossing Bypass, Newnan • 770.253.2501 mama-lucias.net

Katy Salomone and Leonard Guillaume serve authentic Italian favorites.

Second Frank's Family Restaurant, Palmetto Third Fabiano's, Newnan

Best Mexican Food Los Abuelos Mexican Grill

125 Newnan Crossing Bypass, Newnan • 770.683.1334 losabuelosmexgrill.com

For the second year in a row, Los Abuelos Mexican Grill was voted Coweta's favorite restaurant for Mexican food.

Second La Fiesta Restaurant, Newnan

Third Chylaca's Mexican Restaurant & Grill, Newnan

FOOD & DRINK

Best Asian Food Garlic Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar

16 North Court Square, Newnan • 770.683.7515

facebook.com/garlic-thai-and-sushi-bar

Owner Malatee "Tee" Maethalong invites guests to Garlic Thai.

Second Dynasty, Newnan

Third Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse, Newnan

Best Local Bakery Cakes by Debbie

9 East Court Square, Newnan • 770.251.4300 goldensonthesquare.com

Debbie Barronton serves petit fours at her Newnan bakery.

Second Heirloom Bakeshop, Sharpsburg

Third Bolton's Bakery, Newnan

Best Date Night Spot The Cellar

20 Jefferson Street, Newnan • 770.683.6328 thecellarnewnan.com

The Cellar is a hot spot for date nights in Coweta County.

Second 714, Newnan

Third Knife and Stone, Newnan

Best Overall Restaurant Meat ’N’ Greet

11 Jefferson Street, Newnan • 770.683.4664 meatngreetnewnan.com

Jessica Connelly and Stacey Delissio keep operations running smoothly at Meat 'N' Greet.

Second Knife and Stone, Newnan

Third The Cellar, Newnan

SHOPPING

Best Antique/Vintage Store Rockin’ B Antiques

2025 Sharpsburg McCullum Road, Newnan 770.253.8730 • rockinbantiques.com

More than 50 dealers sell their wares at Rockin’ B Antiques.

Second The Red Letter Merchant, Newnan

Third Southern Charm of Newnan, Newnan

Best Jewelry Store Morgan Jewelers

14 North Court Square, Newnan • 770.253.2720 morganjewelersnewnan.com

From left, Bridget Kee, Mari Pulido, Jeff Morgan, Amy Harrelson and Taylor Collins share their jewelry expertise with Coweta customers.

Second Morgan's, Newnan

Third Hubbell Jewelry Design, Newnan

Best Apparel Store Fashion Ten and Trends (formerly Kendra’s)

12 North Court Square, Newnan • 770.683.4316 facebook.com/kendrasnewnan

Formerly Kendra’s, Fashion Ten and Trends in downtown Newnan specializes in women’s clothing, shoes and jewelry.

Second Blue Moon Boutique, Newnan

Third Ellie Mack Boutique, Newnan

Best Boutique/Gift Shop Gillyweeds

21 West Court Square, Newnan • 770.683.9200 shopgillyweeds.com

Valerie Dumas offerss a plethora of unique gift items and art at Gillyweeds.

Second Newnan Mercantile, Newnan

Third Ellie Mack Boutique, Newnan

7 West Washington Street, Newnan • 770.755.7142 facebook.com/theredlettermerchant

Tony Caro’s shop is a favorite for browsing and buying in downtown Newnan.

Second reNew Thrift Store, Newnan Third One Roof Thrift Store, Newnan

13 Greenville Street, Newnan • 678.633.5933 newnanmercantile.com

Owner Rachel Kuehl runs Coweta’s favorite home decor store.

Second The Farmhouse, Newnan

Third Wildwood Trader, Newnan

75 Greenville Street, Newnan • 770.253.4040 knoxfurn.com

Sara Knox Rund and her father, Mark Knox, lead operations at Knox Home Furnishings.

Second Wildwood Trader, Newnan

Third Newnan Mercantile, Newnan

81 Oaklawn Circle, Newnan • 770.251.3040 cowetagreenhouses.com • morgansmarket.com

From left, Loretta Cash, Joel Harris, Owner Tommy Morgan and Mark Taylor welcome all green thumbs.

Second Southern Roots Nursery, Newnan

Third Breaking Ground Nursery, Newnan

Best Local Band Kris Youmans Band

Newnan, Georgia • krisyoumansband.org

The Kris Youmans Band performs throughout the state.

Second Leonard Washington Trio, Newnan

Third SawDust, Newnan

Best Local Musician Doug Kees

48 Spring Street, Newnan • 770.252.7900 musicologynewnan.com • dougkees.com

For more than 30 years, Doug Kees has performed locally and shared his music knowledge with hundreds of students.

Second Alan Jackson, Newnan Corbette Jackson, Newnan

Third Melody Kiser, Newnan

Photo by Susan Gardner

ENTERTAINMENT

Best Live Music Venue The Alamo

19 West Court Square, Newnan • 770.683.2526

thealamonewnan.com

The Alamo was voted Coweta’s favorite spot for live music.

Second The Cellar, Newnan

Third Brickhouse Grille & Tavern, Newnan

Best Art Gallery Boyd Gallery

14 East Washington Street, Newnan 678.361.8909 • theboydgallery.com

David Boyd Jr. showcases his and others’ art at Boyd Gallery.

Second Corner Arts Gallery, Newnan

Third Fine Lines Art & Framing, Newnan

Best Special Event/Wedding Venue The Venue at Murphy Lane

525 Murphy Road, Newnan • 770.262.8241

thevenueatmurphylane.com

Weddings and other events become dreams come true at the Venue at Murphy Lane.

Second Lillian Gardens, Newnan

Third Newnan Historic Train Depot, Newnan

Best Bar/Pub RPM Full Service

15 Jackson Street, Newnan • 770-683-1414

rpmnewnan.com

Owner Joe Rizzo, center, poses with RPM servers, from left, Ally Peters, Maddi Teribury, Scarlet Towe and Annie Patterson.

Second 714, Newnan

The Alamo, Newnan

Third Meat 'N' Greet, Newnan

Best Kids' Entertainment/Activity

Junction Lanes

141 Newnan Station Drive, Newnan • 770-683.2695 junctionlanes.com

Junction Lanes offers bowling, bumper cars, arcade games, climbing walls and more.

Second The Carnegie, Newnan Third ChildrenConnect, Newnan

Best Kids' Playground/Park Carl Miller Park

74 Sewell Road, Newnan • 770.683.5516 newnanutilities.org

Swings, slides and monkey bars beckon kids to play at Carl Miller Park.

Second Kids' Castle Park, Newnan Third First Avenue Park, Newnan

The Venue at Murphy Lane is located on a gorgeous country estate with a gated entrance, a long winding driveway, rolling hills, wide-open fields, tranquil ponds, well-maintained lawns and immaculate landscaping. You will find a beautiful barn complete with a covered outdoor patio area with wrought-iron chandeliers, bistro lighting and patio furniture, a climate-controlled barn with a grand crystal chandelier, 8-ft wooden farm tables and 60" round tables with cross back chairs, a pristine Bridal Lounge with a hair and makeup counter, a Groom's Room, comfortable bathrooms and spacious catering kitchen. Other amenities include: variety of ceremony sites, golf cart shuttle service, on-site accommodations, 5-star service, venue decor and more!

Contact us today to schedule a tour!

Thank you for voting us #1

ENTERTAINMENT/SERVICES

Best Outdoor Recreation LINC

Newnan, Georgia • friendsoflinc.org

Winding through Newnan, the LINC linear park offers retreat into nature.

Second Chattahoochee Bend State Park, Newnan

Third Brown's Mill Battlefield, Newnan

Best Local Hiking/ Walking/Biking Trail LINC

Newnan, Georgia • friendsoflinc.org

Whether walking or cycling, you’re bound to have fun on the LINC.

Second Chattahoochee Bend State Park, Newnan

Third Brown's Mill Battlefield, Newnan

Best Local Event Taste of Newnan

Downtown Newnan • 770.253.8283 mainstreetnewnan.com

Visitors from all around enjoy the variety of food and drink dished up at Taste of Newnan.

Second Market Days on the Square, Newnan

Third Main Street Art Walk, Newnan

Best Landscaping/Lawn Service

Earthscape Designs/EDI

2236 Highway 34 East, Newnan • 770.463.0608

earthscape-designs.com

Earthscape Designs Inc. (EDI) specializes in the design and installation of outdoor living spaces.

Second On Point Lawn Care, Senoia

Third Adamson Lawns & Landscaping, Senoia

Best Home Repair/Handyman Service His

Handyman

218 Lakewood Drive, Newnan • 678.552.0915 hishandyman.net

No job is too small – or too large – for His Handyman.

Best Home Repair/Handyman Service Owens Construction

18 Rollingwood Trail, Sharpsburg • 770.880.9096 facebook.com/Owensconstruction

From left, Matt Durrough, Owner Adam Owens with daughter Willow, and Woody Abney form the team at Owens Construction.

Second Firehouse Painting, Moreland Third Handyman Carl, Newnan MKG Creations LLC, Newnan

Best Interior Design Service Blue

5 Greenville Street, Newnan 678.633.0080 • bluefernmerchant.com

Interior Designers Lori Duncan, left, and Heather Wall create unique living spaces.

Second Greenhouse Interiors, Newnan Swoon Designs, Newnan

Third Panoply, Newnan

Photo courtesy of Lori Duncan

Best HVAC Service Progressive Heating & Air

9 Tower Place, Newnan • 770.253.2665 • progressiveac.com

From left, Mike Kessler, Owner Greg Wallace, Samantha Brazie and Delaney Janes work to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.

Second Headley Heating & Air, Newnan

Third Scotty's Heating & A/C, Turin

Best Carpet Cleaning Service Matthews Cleaning Service

166 Jefferson Street, Suite B, Newnan • 770.251.2380 matthewscleaningservice.com

Owners Erin and Mike Haynes, with their children Connor and Avery, celebrate Matthews Cleaning Service’s first place win.

Second Champion Cleaning Systems, Sharpsburg

Pure Dry Carpet Care, Sharpsburg

Third Beck Janitorial, Newnan

Best Home Builder Lichty Brothers Homes

22 Hillwood Circle, Newnan lichtybrothers.com • 770.254.1313

Newnan-Coweta Magazine readers voted Lichty Brothers Homes the best home builder in Coweta County.

Second Thompson Homes Construction, Newnan

Third Henry Cole Construction, Newnan Jeff Lindsey Communities, Senoia RL Ward General Contractors, Newnan

Best Home Remodeling/Renovation Lichty Brothers Homes

22 Hillwood Circle, Newnan • 770.254.1313 • lichtybrothers.com

For home remodeling and renovation, Lichty Brothers Homes is a sure bet.

Second Owens Construction, Sharpsburg Third Hero Roofing, Newnan

Best Roofing Service

Eagle

20 Tower Way, Suite 12, Newnan • 770.254.8999 eaglewatchroofing.com

From left, Justin West, Dallas Bennett and Michael Lenning take roof work to new heights with Eagle Watch Roofing.

Second Hero Roofing, Newnan

Third Tru-Top Roofing, Newnan

Best Pest Control Service

Batter Up Pest Control

90 Valley North Drive, Newnan • 770.683.5853

Luke Large runs the family business with help from his kids, Ava and Lawson.

Second Precision Pest, Newnan

Third Rider Pest Control, Newnan

Estimator- Melissa Gamboa, Estimator- Kalie Tweed, Parts Manager- Nicole Henderson, Front Office Manager- Shannon Arrington

Gary Bianconi, Aaron Bruce, Devon Arrington, Rusty Ivey, Ricky Hightower, Randall Housell, Scott Sorrells and Ryan Moon. Not pictured is Marcus Brittain

Owner- Brian Trevena

Best Tire Shop Buck’s Tire

160 Temple Avenue, Newnan • 770.683.8473 buckstires.com

Customer service is the key to success at Buck’s Tire, according to Owner Buck Floyd.

Second Binion Tire Pros, Newnan

Third Westside Tire, Newnan

Best Real Estate Agent

Joy Barnes

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

1201 Lower Fayetteville Road, Suite 100, Newnan 770.254.8333 • joybarnes.bhhsgeorgia.com

Coweta County native Joy Barnes knows real estate.

Second Charles Davis, Keller Williams, Newnan

Randa Herring, Josey, Young & Brady Realty, Newnan

Third Tom Barron, Lindsey's Inc., Newnan

Best Auto Repair

157 Temple Avenue, Newnan • 770.251.5199 manningandson.com

For auto repairs, visit the pros at Manning & Son, from left: Render Freeman, Louis McLeroy, Owner Michael Manning, Chyna Hearn, Ryan Patterson and Lee Johnson.

Second Duncan Automotive, Newnan

Litz Tire & Automotive, Newnan

Third Driven Import Auto Care, Newnan

Best Auto Detailing

Herring & Sons Car Wash

16 Jackson Street, Newnan • 770.683.3726

A downtown Newnan staple for years, Herring & Sons is known for washing cars sparkly clean.

Second Autowasche, Newnan

Third Temple Avenue Detail Shop, Newnan

25 Herring Road, Newnan • 770.254.0117 • ccgeorgia.com

Brother and sister team John Hanna and Jennifer Hanna are tops at putting together the perfect party or event.

Second G2 Beverage Catering, Newnan

Third Elegant Expressions Catering, Newnan

The Oink Joint, Newnan

Best Bicycle Shop Atlanta Trek Newnan

9 West Broad Street, Newnan • 770.683.1046 atlantatrek.com

From left, Mark Born, Ian Buchanan, Jeff Long and Jeff Poquette stand ready to answer all questions related to bicycles.

Second Senoia Bicycle, Senoia

Best Accountant Janice Pidgeon

JP Enterprises Tax Service

109 Preswick Park Drive, Newnan • 770.253.2518 • jpenterprisestax.com

Janice Pidgeon specializes in accounting, payroll, tax prep and bookkeeping.

Second Laurie Bartlett, Bartlett & Barnett, Newnan Third Tim Higgins, Higgins & Smith, Newnan

Best Attorney Walter W. Arnall

75 Jackson Street, Suite 500, Newnan • 770.683.9252 arnalllaw.com

Walter W. Arnall specializes in real estate law.

Second H. Parnell Odom, Wood, Odom & Edge, Newnan John Cunningham, Thompson, Wallin & Cunningham, Newnan Third Stemberger & Cummins, Newnan

Experienced childcare professionals committed to providing quality care to the children in our community.

Best Financial Advisor Parks Avery

Avery & Pope Wealth Management

36 South Court Square, 2nd Floor, Newnan 770.683.6603 • averyandpope.com

Parks Avery, of Avery & Pope Wealth Management, was voted Coweta's top financial advisor.

Second Ashley Stapleton, Edward Jones, Newnan

Third Brett Moore, Shepard Financial Services, Newnan

Best Pet Groomer U Dirty Dog

77C Millard Farmer Industrial Boulevard, Suite 103, Newnan • 678.671.8695 • udirtydog.com

Your dog won’t be dirty after a visit to U Dirty Dog, thanks to, from left, bathers Sierra Potter and Jessica Ware and groomers Carol Cochran, Lucia Beltre, Angel LeMay and Jamie Cochran.

Second Doggy Style Grooming, Newnan

Third Happy Tails Pet Salon, Sharpsburg

Best Pet Boarding

The Dog House Pet Resort

22 Jefferson Place, Newnan • 770.253.7234 doghousekennel.com

Employees Shari McCallister, left, and Cora Ford enjoy playtime with Dexter, the Golden Retriever, at The Dog House Pet Resort.

Second Family Friend Animal Hospital & Pet Lodge, Newnan

Third Kayla Brooke's Bark 'n Board, Moreland Serenity Dog Retreat, Newnan

Best Veterinary Hospital/Clinic

2789 Highway 29 South, Moreland • 770.755.6633 morelandanimalhospital.com

Dr. Nicole Andrews welcomes pets – and their people – to Moreland Animal Hospital.

Second Dogwood Veterinary Hospital, Newnan

Third Crossroads Animal Hospital, Newnan

BEAUTY & FITNESS

Best Day Spa

Emily’s Skin Care & Spa

35 Jackson Street, Newnan • 770.262.6233

emilysskincarespa.com

Emily Mitchell owns and operates Emily’s Skin Care & Spa in downtown Newnan.

Second Plumyumi Day Spa, Senoia Third B. Young Beauty Studio + Spa, Newnan

Best Fitness Center

Piedmont Newnan Fitness Center

26 West Court Square, Newnan • 770.254.3550

piedmont.org/locations/fitness-centers/newnan-fitness

Manager Colleen Alrutz oversees operations at Piedmont Newnan Fitness Center.

Second CrossFit Higher Ground, Newnan NRG Fitness Center, Newnan

Third TowerPlace Fitness, Newnan

Best Hair Salon

The Hair Society of Newnan

5 LaGrange Street, Newnan • 770.683.4937

facebook.com/Hair-Society-of-Newnan

From left, Katie Hudson, Sara Dewberry, Ashley Anderson and Brooke Coots welcome clients.

Second Twinology, Newnan Third Headlines, Newnan

BEAUTY & FITNESS

Best Nail Salon

Glamorous Nails & Spa

1690 Highway 34 E, Suite L, Newnan • 770.755.6407 facebook.com/Glamorous-Nails

Jay and Lynn Vo make a habit of giving back to their community.

Second Cozy Nails & Spa, Newnan

Third Waterscape Nails & Spa, Sharpsburg

Best Lash Salon

Kat Eyes

Lash, Brow & Hair Studio

6 East Washington Street, Suite C, Newnan 770.252-3033 • kateyes.com

Kat Eyes Owner Katrina Brown works on brows for client Angel Joiner.

Second B. Young Beauty Studio + Spa, Newnan

Third Cozy Nails & Spa, Newnan

Best Barber Shop The Barber’s House of Handsome

285 Temple Avenue, Suite D, Newnan 678.552.9111 • facebook.com/teamhoh

From left, Amanda, Nickie, Kim and Lauren welcome clients.

Second Barbers on the Boulevard, Newnan

Third The Barber Shop of Newnan, Newnan

Best Tattoo/Piercing Parlor

Cornerstone Tattoo Gallery

48 Main Street, Senoia • 770.599.6782 cornerstonetattoos.com

From left, tattoo artists (and sidekick) include Mitchell Champagne, Chris House, Owner Cody Whitfield, Smalls and Raylan.

Second 3rd Eye Tattoo, Newnan

Third Stay True Tattoos, Sharpsburg

Dr. Stan Smith Piedmont

2401 Newnan Crossing Boulevard E, Suite 200, Newnan 770.400.7700 • doctors.piedmont.org

Piedmont physician Dr. Stan Smith was voted Coweta's best general practitioner.

Second Dr. James Smith, Piedmont, Newnan Dr. Sean Miles, Miles Family Medicine, Newnan

Third Dr. Andrew McDonald, Piedmont, Newnan Dr. Karen Hacker, Piedmont, Newnan

Best Pediatrician

Dr. J. Edwyn Carter Piedmont

189 Jefferson Parkway, Newnan • 770.304.2220 • doctors.piedmont.org

Newnan-Coweta Magazine readers voted Dr. J. Edwyn Carter tops in children’s healthcare.

Second Dr. Jasmina Rice, Piedmont, Newnan

Third Dr. Jill Dickerson, Vibrant Kids Pediatrics, Newnan

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Best Women's Health Dr. Heide Moeling Piedmont

775 Poplar Road, Suite 120, Newnan • 770.400.4510 • doctors.piedmont.org

For women’s health in Coweta County, NCM readers chose Dr. Heide Moeling as top pick.

Second Dr. Kristie Dyson, Southern Crescent Women's HealthCare, Newnan

Third Dr. Heather Turner, Piedmont, Newnan

Best OB/GYN Dr. Kristie Dyson

Southern Crescent Women’s HealthCare

775 Poplar Road, Suite 210, Newnan • 770.991.2200 • scwhobgyn.com

Dr. Kristie Dyson puts women at ease when providing care at Southern Crescent Women’s HealthCare.

Second Dr. Heide Moeling, Piedmont, Newnan

Third Dr. Heather Turner, Piedmont, Newnan

Best General Dentistry Coweta Dentistry

56 Jefferson Street, 15 Ruth Drive, and 203 Millard Farmer Industrial Blvd., Newnan 770.253.2802 • cowetadentistry.com

From left, Danyale Woods, Nidhi Patel, Bryan Halstead and Bethany Wilson promote happy smiles at Coweta Dentistry.

Second Moynahan & Stamps, Newnan

Third Yancey Dental, Newnan

Best Orthodontist

Cranford Orthodontics

91 Jefferson Parkway, Newnan • 770.251.4444 cranfordbraces.com

Newnan-Coweta Magazine readers put Dr. Alexander D. Cranford at the top of the list for orthodontics work.

Second Dr. Joseph Morris, Newnan

Third McCoy Orthodontics, Newnan

From left, Kasi Callaway, Camille Handley and Dr. Sean Carr invite you to entrust your vision needs to Carr Eye Care.

Second Jeffries Eye Care, Newnan Third Coweta Eye Care, Newnan

Best Orthopedic Services Georgia Bone & Joint

1755 Highway 34 East, Suite 2200, Newnan 770.502.2175 • georgiaboneandjoint.org

For orthopedics needs, Georgia Bone & Joint comes in at the top for NCM readers.

Second Resurgens Orthopedics, Newnan Third Piedmont/Ortho Atlanta, Newnan

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Best Dermatology Services Avail Dermatology

710 Newnan Crossing Bypass, Newnan • 770.251.5111 availdermatology.com

Visit Avail Dermatology for an array of dermatologic services.

Second Skin Cancer Specialists, Newnan

Third Newnan Dermatology, Newnan

Best Chiropractic Services Advanced Chiropractic

2 Lee Street, Suite C, Newnan • 770.253.5040 newnanwellness.com

From left, Amy Tatom, Dr. Jason Bailey and Megan Keeley welcome patients to Advanced Chiropractic.

Second Dynamic Spine Center, Newnan

Third Elliott Chiropractic Clinic, Newnan

Best Massage Therapist

35 Jackson Street, Newnan • 770.262.6233 emilysskincarespa.com

Maggie Hudler is a massage therapist at Emily’s Skincare & Spa.

Second Joy Massage, Newnan

Third Nature & Nurture Massage and Wellness, Newnan

Best Pharmacy

40 Hospital Road, Newnan • 770.253.1121 leegoodrum.com

Owners Alison and Casey Tarpley promote good health and excel in customer service at Lee-Goodrum Pharmacy.

Second Lee-King Pharmacy, Newnan

Third Thompson’s Pharmacy, Newnan

DRAWING WINNERS

Congratulations to our Readers!

Ten Newnan-Coweta Magazine readers received $25 gift cards in thanks for casting ballots in our third annual Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice contest. Winners not shown include Gabrielle Roux of Princeton, New Jersey, and Nicole Travers and Craig Humphrey of Newnan.

Celebrating their win of a $25 gift card for participating in our Best of Coweta contest are, from left, Rosemary McDaniel, Rhonda Adams and Kristen Cameron, all of Newnan.

to support local businesses

votes

David Harris, left, of Newnan and Meghan Norris of Hogansville are proud

by casting

for Best of Coweta. Jason Williamson and Amy Henson, both of Newnan, display their gift card prizes.

Quick & Easy

Summer Meals

Written by Glenda Harris

Summers in Georgia are hot and humid, and beating the heat is a well-honed skill in the South.

While we’re cooling off at the lake, beach or neighborhood pool, we’re working up an appetite.

Instead of fast food or pizza delivery, why not prepare ahead of time and take along a picnic? At home for lunch or dinner, try one of these light and tasty summer salad recipes. Just add protein, maybe the Five-Spice Beef Kabobs, and fruit to make it a meal.

The Five-Spice Beef Kabobs can be cooked outside on a grill or inside on the stove top. The short cooking time makes it a cinch even when you’re grilling outdoors on a warm summer evening.

Our summer salad recipes are served cold, have quick prep times, and work perfectly as either lunch, a light dinner or as a side dish.

Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Style

Ingredients for marinade:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2  tablespoons lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4  teaspoon pepper

2  teaspoons paprika

2  teaspoons oregano, dried, or

1 tablespoon fresh

Ingredients for chicken and veggies:

2 red peppers, sliced thick

1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges

8-10 whole garlic cloves

1 pound baby mixed red or yellow potatoes, quartered

1/4 cup Kalamata olives

4 chicken breasts, boneless

1/4 cup feta cheese

2 whole lemons cut in half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place sliced veggies on large sheet pan. Place chicken in and around the vegetables.

Pour marinade all over veggies and rub onto the chicken. Arrange mixture evenly, and sprinkle feta cheese all over. Nestle sliced lemons around sheet pan.

Place in oven and roast for 30-35 minutes or until veggies are slightly brown and chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Recipe, page 60

Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Style

Mediterranean Chopped Salad Pitas

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tomato, diced

1 small cucumber, diced

1/2 small red onion, diced

3/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

3/4 cup feta crumbles

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Combine olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in large bowl by whisking together. Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and stir until everything is mixed well. Spoon chopped salad mixture into warm pita bread and enjoy.

Caprese Macaroni Salad

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing mix

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese pearls

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package instructions; drain and rinse with cold water. Cool completely.

For dressing, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, dressing mix, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. In large bowl, combine tomatoes and mozzarella with macaroni. Add dressing and gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. When serving, top with basil and Parmesan.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad Pitas

Five-Spice Beef Kabobs

1 pound flank steak

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

2/3 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup diced cucumbers

1 teaspoon minced mint

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Thinly slice flank steak across grain into 1-inch-wide strips.

In medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey and Chinese five-spice powder. Add sliced steak and toss to combine.

Thread steak onto wooden or metal skewers. (If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to using them.)

Cook kabobs over medium-high heat on a grill or stovetop grill pan, flipping once, for about 5 minutes or until they reach desired doneness.

While kabobs cook, combine yogurt, cucumbers, mint and lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Serve the beef kabobs with yogurt sauce for dipping.

Avocado Chicken Salad

2 medium cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped

2 ripe avocados, pitted and diced

1/2 cup corn, roasted, canned or frozen

1/4 cup red or green onion, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro (or parsley

or dill), minced

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

In large bowl, combine chicken, avocado, corn, onion and cilantro.

Drizzle with lime or lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently until all ingredients are combined.

Note: You may want to add chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, crumbled bacon and/or black beans. NCM

Five-Spice Beef Kabobs

Avocado Chicken Salad

Three reviews for Young Adult readers

Reviews by CAROLINE NICHOLSON

Picking books to read has become a lot easier in the age of social media. TikTok videos sometimes provide surprisingly good recommendations. By following the Goodreads accounts of readers with similar sensibilities, avid fans can narrow down what books they would like to read.

With all that said, not much beats browsing the shelves and picking books out the old-fashioned way. No matter the manner that you find your book recommendations, the cover is something you can use to guide you. Look for covers that speak to your sensibilities and aesthetic style. When picking out books, read what you intuitively gravitate towards. After all, life is too short to read a book that you’re not interested in.

Here are three of my Best Young Adult Books of All Time, in no particular order:

“I’ll Give You the Sun”

by Jandy Nelson Dial Press, 2014

Noah and Jude are twins and as close as it gets. So what happens in the span of a couple of years to change everything? Noah, the quirky artist who had always come up with portrait and painting ideas in his head, is no longer drawing. Jude, the boy-crazy rebel who wore scandalous clothes and went to parties all the time, now wears baggy clothes and is on a strict boy boycott. When a handsome stranger and mysterious mentor come into Jude’s life, the story of what happened begins to unravel, and Noah and Jude’s paths come together once more after much time and distance apart. “I’ll Give You the Sun” is a story saturated in beautiful metaphors and lyrical writing that explores love, loss and rebirth from a teenage perspective.

“Salt to the Sea”

by Ruta Sepetys Penguin Books, 2016

Read a good book lately?

Share your favorite new read with NCM by writing a book review for possible publication in an upcoming issue. Keep your review at 200-300 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 St., Newnan, GA 30263.

A Lithuanian nursing student, a Prussian soldier with a huge secret, a young and pregnant Polish girl, and a German deckhand with a distorted sense of reality all cross paths on their journey to board the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner ferrying refugees away from the encroaching Red Army amid World War II. Their different journeys allow insightful perspectives on the horrors of the Second World War. When their paths lead them aboard the German cruise ship, along with 10,000 other refugees, they are ready for the journey to safety. But an accident only nine hours into the trip makes safety seem impossible. “Salt to the Sea” is well-researched and sheds light on a tragedy that history has forgotten.

“North of Beautiful”

by Justina Chen

Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009

What does it mean to be beautiful? Well, Terra is sure that whatever beautiful is, it doesn’t involve her. Everyone in her life has told her over and over again that she can never be beautiful and that she just needs to stop trying. It isn’t until she meets Jacob, who is also self-conscious, that she starts to reconsider everything her life has been up to that point. On a trip to Japan, everything starts to change for the teenagers. Jacob is going to visit the orphanage where he once lived, and Terra is happy to be away from home, exploring a world she didn’t realize existed. This physical journey lends itself to an emotional journey for them. Maybe beauty is different than what the world told them it was. “North of Beautiful” is a coming of age story done in the best way.

About our Reviewer

Caroline Nicholson studies French at the University of West Georgia. Since she was a young girl, she has loved disappearing behind a book and falling into fictional worlds. It started with the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine and has been evolving ever since. After she graduates with her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in English to become a college English and creative writing professor. In time, she hopes to publish her own young-adult novel.

Supplies

• Heavy paper

• Scissors

• Glue (be careful with the kids if you use hot glue)

• Cardboard

• Newspaper

Payton’s Place

Need an easy afternoon project to do with your kids that will result in a fun decoration to hang on their bedroom door?

Payton’s Purple Paper Sunflower does the trick. Follow these simple instructions from The Newnan Times-Herald Customer Service Representative Payton Thompson.

Pick a Paper Flower

Instructions and Photography by PAYTON THOMPSON

Directions

1. Cut paper into eight-and-a-half inch squares; cut a circle out of the cardboard.

2. Roll paper squares into a cone shape and glue at the bottom to hold shape.

3. Glue the small ends of each cone to the circle cardboard piece, starting with an X shape.

4. Continue to layer and stack until the flower looks full.

5. Cut another circle of cardboard to use as the center of the flower. Use newspaper to “stuff” it and cover it with paper of your choice.

6. Glue center piece to flower and, voila, you’re done! NCM

Photo by Debby Dye

Photo by Jill Whitley

Kerry and

Tree Wisdom

By Phyllis Graham

The wind, the mightThe buffering by living treesPutting out their branches to protect Life and Limb.

Some, though, limbs attached to trunks, Crashed through roofs, upended sidewalks, Smashed cars.

Miracles abound, though, as we take in the Tornado tortured terrainBut all those thousands of wise old treesgoneLeaves me breathless, Birds homeless, An ache in every cell.

We have lost a profound sense of place, A connection to the lifeline-

Please Oh Great and Wondrous spirit, Divine LoveBless us, our community, As we pick up our soggy sails, And push forward, Immersed in the sea of life.

Share Your Prose

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

Share your best work with us and we may publish it in an upcoming issue of NewnanCoweta Magazine.

Submit your work along with your name, address, email address and daytime phone number to magazine@newnan.com or mail or drop by our office at Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson St., Newnan 30263.

BIBLICAL HISTORY CENTER Join us this Fall for a full calendar of events!

Come and experience the Ancient Biblical World through our Archeological Replica Garden, Biblical Life Artifacts, and Biblical Meal!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook to learn more about the fun events we have happening! Family Day, Family Movie Night, the state’s first Olive Festival, and more!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

$20 per adult • $15 per child (ages 6-12) Children ages 5 and under are Free

BiblicalHistoryCenter.com

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.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO COWETA

Purple irises brighten any day.

Photo by Sally Ray

The East Coweta High School Class of 2021 celebrates graduation on May 28. Go Indians!

Photo by Angela Tinsley

Photo by Laurie Mattingly

ON THE SQUARE

Double rainbows in Newnan promise hope.

Photo by Tiffany Dawson

Little Marian dons rainboots to pick daffodils in her Welcome community.

Blessed to Bless

Whenever possible, I try to end this magazine with something that keeps with its overall theme. When I asked what this issue was going to be about, I was told it would include stories about how the community responded to the March category EF-4 tornado that ravaged parts of the county.

I responded, “OK, so I’m writing about Blue Alpha, Ace Beer Growlers and Southside Safe and Vault?” The answer I got was, “Looks like it.”

There are two main takeaways that stuck out to me from the recent hit to our community. Number one is how no pictures or videos could come close to doing justice to the damage sustained in the storm.

I was out the night it happened until early the next morning. I was among many who went door to door checking for anyone trapped or injured. Then I was out again Saturday morning helping clear debris.

I did see some amazing videos which captured the destruction, but to see it with my own eyes, it was hard to believe there was not an immense loss of life.

The second takeaway from the ordeal is how there are no words to describe seeing the community spring into action immediately following the storm.

I mention the three businesses above because I’m friends with the guys who run them. They never cease to amaze me with the good deeds they do day in and day out for our community. But in this case, they were just three of many. When I woke up after a few hours’ sleep that next day, my phone was full of messages from friends asking where they could help.

By the time I got to the neighborhood we were helping that Saturday morning, the streets were filled with volunteers. Teams of ten or more people would head off in a direction and just work until they ran out of houses, daylight hours or chainsaw fuel. This went on for days, if not weeks.

I saw a post online where someone said companies who were coming in from other areas to help couldn’t find any business because the community had already done, or was in the process of doing, so much. It was online, so who knows if it was true. But if there was ever a community it could happen in, it would be ours.

Recently, this magazine’s co-publisher, Clay Neely, and I were doing a podcast with the Blue Alpha guys and the subject of the cleanup came up. Jesse Frei made the statement: “You’re given opportunities to serve in your life. God puts them in your path. You don’t have a lot of time to react, though. If you can condition yourself to react quickly to opportunities to serve, you will do more to bless the lives of others.”

He laughed as he said it but concluded with: “If you want to be blessed, go bless others.”

It was only a 30-second statement taken from an hour-long podcast, but I think it summed up our community pretty well. We are blessed – because we bless others when the need presents itself.

I’m very blessed to be a very small part of a large, loving community. NCM

Southern-born and Southern-bred, Toby Nix is a local writer who works in law enforcement.

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