May/June NCM 2021

Plus: Go Georgia:

Presidential Pathways

Coweta:

A Cycling Destination MAY | JUNE 2021

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Scouts for for

Life L ife THE

FA M I LY

ISSUE

HOME. BUT NOT ALONE.

Living at Wesley Woods of Newnan comes complete with friends.

In these difficult times it is easy to feel isolated, especially if you live alone. Happily, that’s not something our residents have to face. They are literally surrounded by companions and fun. Enjoying everything from movie nights to card games and exercise classes (taking all necessary safety precautions, of course).

Sound appealing? Now is a great time to act.

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To schedule a private, onsite tour, contact Beth Tripp at 770.683.6859. (Virtual tours also available.)

Remember, there are a bunch of friends waiting to say, “Welcome home.”

2280 North Highway 29 | Newnan, GA 30265 wesleywoods.org/newnan | 770.683.6859

Wesley Woods is the only Life Plan Community in the Newnan area – offering independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.

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Since 1872, GBCH&FM has served children and families throughout Georgia to Since 1872, GBCH&FM has served children and families throughout Georgia to Since 1872, GBCH&FM hasgive served children families Georgia provide a safe haven and them a place and to call home.throughout Our residents oftentocome provide a safe haven and give them a place to call home. Our residents often come provide a safe haven and give a place home.

Our residents come to us from places of abuse andthem neglect, but to wecall have the opportunity to often care for to us from places of abuse and neglect, but we have the opportunity to care for to us from places of abuse andvalued neglect, but we have the opportunity to care for them and show them they are and loved. them and show them they are valued and loved. 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 As a member of our team, you can make a life-changing difference for so many in As member of our team, you can a life-changing difference fortoso many in ouracare.

We are always looking formake passionate individuals who want directly our care. We are always looking for passionate individuals who want to directly our care. are always lookingof for passionate individuals who want to directly serve our We residents in a variety positions. serve our residents in a variety of positions. serve our residents in a variety of positions.

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SEPTEMBER 25 The Carrollton Half is back! Race through historic Adamson Square and over the rolling hills of the Carrollton GreenBelt.

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CONTENTS MAY-JUNE 2021 ISSUE

our

features

24 | Scouts for All, Scouts for Life Scouting in Coweta reaches boys and girls from youth to adulthood with lessons that carry on through life. By Jennifer Dziedzic

32

THE FAMILY IS SUE

32 | Coweta County, A Cycling Destination With the LINC trail and bridge in place, along with an ever-expanding community of cyclists, Coweta is fast becoming a destination for bike riding. By Neil Monroe MAY/JUNE 2021 | 11

32

our

features

– continued

30 70 40 | One to Watch Nominated by our readers, our first One to Watch in 2021 is Hunter Flanagan, who invited us along on his first music video shoot. By Sara Moore

46 | Go Georgia!

Day trips and weekend getaways are a short drive away in Presidential Pathways. By Glenda Harris 12 |

WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

40 in this issue

14 | From the Editor 15 | Readers Write 15 | Caption This 16 | Roll Call 18 | Behind the Shot 20 | Book Review 21 | The First to Know 22 | Coweta to Me 23 | Georgia Bucket List

52 | Travel Abroad 56 | Coweta Cooks 64 | Coweta Arts

68 | Coweta Prose & Poetry 70 | Coweta Crafts 72 | Ask A Mom 75 | Nonprofit Spotlight 80 | Blacktop 82 | The Wrap-Up

➤ Cover Photo by Chris Martin

Behind the Shot, page 18.

28

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Community, Like Family, Stronger Than the Storm

F

At our cover photo shoot a day before the tornado, the editor and Sugar the dog enjoy the calm before the storm.

rom the fall of 2005 through the spring of 2006, I spent a fair amount of time at the Gulf Coast working with a housing nonprofit after Hurricane Katrina. The devastation in Biloxi and Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Bayou La Batre in Alabama were unlike anything I’d ever seen.

Ancient trees were uprooted. Pieces of beachfront houses were strewn up and down the shore. For weeks, and then months, people who’d lived through the monster storm worked to restore homes, peace, life and livelihood.

The first time I drove into downtown Newnan after the March 26 tornado police redirected me from Greenville Street and I took side streets to the office. Driving at a snail’s pace dodging piles of limbs and debris on the curb, I was overwhelmed with two thoughts: First, if it’s this bad on the open streets, how much worse things must be over on LaGrange Street. Second, this looks more like the aftermath of Katrina than any tornado.

Far stronger than the EF4 winds that raged here, though, was the spirit of community that followed.

Long before daylight on the morning of the midnight tornado, neighbors were checking on each other, community groups were organizing meals and water distribution, and folks with chainsaws were showing up to help. Within days, calls for supplies were canceled because so much had been donated there was no room to store more. Before directions could be given, Cowetans were directing themselves to repair what had been broken, to heal what had been hurt. The immediate and consistent support was extraordinary, and that’s not just something we noticed. It’s what out-of-towners who’d come to provide assistance told us, too: The depth and breadth of this community’s response was unique.

Of course, when we planned this issue, our Family Issue, we had no idea a tornado would touch down between our deadline and publication. We’ll cover the stories of post-tornado support in our July-August “Best of Coweta” issue. The aftermath of this storm will continue for months as we work to restore homes, peace, life.

In the meantime, we’ll ponder how much this community operates like family. We may not always agree, but we stick together.

When times get tough, we don’t throw up our arms. We lock arms. Try to come between us. It won’t happen. We’re #NewnanStrong.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a fount of wisdom. But perhaps the wisest thing she ever said was this: “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”

Love your community, we might add. We sure do.

Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com 14 |

WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

OUR READERS WRITE

Caption This!

Comments from NewnanCowetaMagazine.com

“

About Faith Farrell’s Coweta to Me column, “The Promise of Pecans,” in our March/April 2021 issue: “Beautifully written by a beautiful soul.”

– Ruth Mitchell “Amazing description of a fairy tale place. When can I come for a visit?”

– Patricia, Minnesota Mitten Wearer “Newnan, you hold on to this one. She has an artist’s heart that embraces all around her.”

– Pam “We miss you, Faith, but loved your article. Can’t wait to pick some pecans with you soon!”

– Tom Tormoen “Minnesota’s loss is Newnan’s gain! Reading Faith Farrell’s luscious description makes me want to wander the town with her.”

– Lauri Svedberg “You’ve a clincher at the end of the story – your own pecan tree in your backyard! Can’t wait to visit again!”

– Chris Rasmussen “This tale is so heartwarming. I remember so many of those same details in my adventures in Newnan and now Senoia. Your story is so beautifully written.”

– Seay Earehart

...

About Jackie Kennedy’s “Tracking Easter in Israel” feature in our March/April 2021 issue: “Loved Jackie’s trip to Israel that was in the latest magazine! A few more worth rereading. Thanks, – Verna Funk

...

“I don’t think this qualifies as social distancing!”

In March, 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 TeResa Cannington Torbert of Cuthbert.

Another caption, from Michelly Furtado, of Griffin, summed up what the photo illustrates in her home country of Portugal: “In Portuguese, we have an expression on hard days that says, ‘We have to swallow the frog with open legs.’” She’s a winner, too!

In May, 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

About Susan Mayer Davis’ NCM January/February 2021 Coweta Kids Care article, “An Ambassador’s Heart to Help,” featuring Northgate High School Senior Abby Collins: “Great story of a young lady wanting to make a difference. Her Biblical understanding of who she is and that God has a plan for her life is healthy for all to see. Thank God for his constant revelation of his love to each of us through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16)”

”

– Buddy Waldron

770.435.7474

Let Us Hear From You...

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

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 15

Our Contributors 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.

Robin Stewart volunteers with the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society and, along with her artist husband, is active in the local arts scene. She loves all animals, is addicted to costume jewelry, and the part of her brain that used to know math is now occupied by useless facts for team trivia purposes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Chuck and Barbara Cleveland of Newnan have been happily married for 44 years and enjoy travel, especially to Italy. Barbara is a retired social worker/counselor who likes photography. Chuck has contributed articles to local publications, including NCM and The Newnan Times-Herald.

ROLL CALL

SAFE & SOCIAL CALL MIRNA TODAY! 770-461-0039

105 Autumn Glen Circle - Fayetteville 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.”

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.

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

The Trusted Source For Taking Care of Your Loved Ones

AzaleaEstates.com

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 17

BEHIND THE SHOT

Campfire Cover

braves the woods Photographer Chris Martin a Magazine. wet to shoot for Newnan-Co

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY Photographed by SANDY HISER

T

o get a Scouts photo for our Family Issue, we needed a Scouting family, and the Conolys, of Newnan, perfectly fit the bill.

Will and Meredith and their children, 12-year-old Griffin and 10-year-old Myra, probably were not aware of how strenuous the job would be when they agreed to serve as our model family.

But they hung in there with us for two

her cove prepares for Myra Conoly

r shoot.

P yrotech nician Be th Neely the coals stoke .

dule by the shoot on sche Charlie Neely kept mallows. rsh ma of ly ss supp providing an endle

NTH Media President Billy Thomasson and Editor Jackie Kenned y sit and chat while everyone else works.

s

BEHIND THE SHOT

is so

much more

Griffin Conoly discovered a toad during a break betw een shot s.

through the shoot, Our constant companion to scratch her belly.

Sugar takes a quick break

hours with most of that time spent hunkered over a hot fire on an already warm afternoon.

In between setups, the kids played by the lake. Griffin found a toad, and Myra perfected her marshmallow toasting skills. Mom and Dad exuded good nature and patience even as we asked them to “look this way, look that way, chin up, tilt head.”

Newnan-Coweta Magazine Publisher Beth Neely built and maintained our campfire, proving her skills are not limited to writing, editing and managing a newspaper and magazine. Professional photographer Chris Martin traipsed through the woods to find the perfect spot for shooting, as our creative director, Sandy Hiser, delegated assignments and shared shot suggestions. NTH Media President Billy Thomasson dropped by to make sure we were all on task – but mostly to provide encouragement. His grandson, Charlie Neely, was the life of the party and an invaluable helper who gathered sticks for the fire and delivered marshmallows to our photo subjects to replace burned and/or devoured ones.

All said and done, our NCM family did our best to illustrate the simple pleasures of spending time together as a family. NCM

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BOOK REVIEW

‘Surviving Savannah’ Reviewed by GLENDA HARRIS

H

istory gives us some amazing stories, often more amazing than any we could make up. Certainly this is true of “Surviving Savannah,” Patti Callahan’s second historical fiction novel, following her critically acclaimed “Becoming Mrs. Lewis,” published in 2018.

The book offers an impressively detailed account of the sinking of the S.S. Pulaski off the coast of North Carolina in 1838. Callahan deftly tells the story of the horrific aftermath of the late night explosion and the amazing survival of almost half of the passengers.

Sailing from Charleston and destined for Baltimore, the steamship was filled with wealthy Savannahians when it was lost to the ocean on June 14, 1838. It is believed that copper boilers exploded, tearing the ship apart.

Interestingly, the Pulaski is often referred to as the “Titanic of the South.” It was built with great pride and advertised as solid and seaworthy. It was hoped the Pulaski would help to restore confidence in seafaring travelers after the steam packet “Home” wrecked on Ocracoke Island in 1837.

The novel primarily follows the Longstreets, inspired by the real family of Gazaway Bugg Lamar, a prominent family and part of the elite Savannah Society; in particular, Augusta Longstreet and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, are key characters.

Read a good book lately?

The sinking of the Pulaski was a huge news event when it occurred and affected almost every person living in Savannah, either directly or indirectly. The Pulaski became a major news story again with the 2018 discovery of the ship’s remains, jewelry, gold coins and cherished keepsakes some 200 feet below the ocean’s surface off the coast of North Carolina.

Alternating the narrative between the time period of the accident and present day, we meet Everly Winthrop, a history professor in Savannah who takes on the job of curating a collection of artifacts found on the ship. The two stories take you from the horror and desperation of a shipwreck to modern-day Savannah as Winthrop works to put together an exhibit that will honor the lost and tell their incredible story.

This book was difficult to put down. There is mystery as in what happened to Lilly Forsyth after she survived the shipwreck.

There is palpable tension and drama reading the accounts of the nightmare of days and nights at sea. And there is an abundance of courage, selflessness and amazing grace, demonstrating the best of humankind amidst the worst of times.

Patti Callahan’s “Surviving Savannah” was published March 9, 2021, by Berkley Books, New York, NY. ★★★★★

Share your favorite new read with Newnan-Coweta Magazine 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.

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW

East Coweta victory

WWII Veteran Jim Farlow takes a day trip to his old ship

Landon Underhill homers twice in East Coweta victory SPORTS • 1B

Trip to the old ship

March 27, 2021

Saturday & Sunday

COMMUNITY • 12A

Heartbreak

ISSUE 129 | NEWNAN, GA | SINCE 1865

INSIDE GUIDE

Opinion ................. 4A Community .... 12-13A Obituaries ........... 14A Sports .............. 1-4B Senior Living ......... 5B Home&Garden .... 7B Faith ................... 8-9B

| $2.00

Tornado rips through Newnan

Tornado aftermath

We were there.

5A, 11A, 15A, 16A, 4B

PHOTOS BY CHRIS MARTIN

NTH STAFF REPORTS news@newnan.com

&

There Back again Adventures in photography

..................... Page 12B WEATHER

SATURDAY º º

79 66

Mostly sunny

SUNDAY

73º 48º

70% chance of storms

MONDAY º º

63 53

30% chance of storms

In our pages and online, you’ll find community news written by local reporters.

A powerful storm that struck shor tly a f ter m idn ig ht is blamed for one death in Coweta, according to local leaders.

A major tornado, reported to

“

rega rd in g the school system will be announced once damage has been assessed.

I n addition to the C owet a County School System, Coweta Ch a r t e r A c a de my, O dy s s e y C h a r t e r S c h o o l , T h e H e r itage School, Trinity Christian

Coweta-Fayette EMC. The post stated that restoration would be a slow process, and there were about 30 broken poles already identified. Debris was making traveling the road dif f icult, and a lot had to be cleared before crews could work

s t or m’s p at h , w a s l a r gely u nd a m a g e d . Howe ve r, b o t h Atk inson Elementar y School and the school system’s transportation facility suffered some damage.

New na n H ig h S chool took the biggest hit.

It’ll never look the same.

”

-NEWNAN FIRE CHIEF STEPHEN BROWN

be an EF 4, struck Newnan just a f ter midnight Fr iday mor ning, causing significant damage to homes in a corridor along Smokey Road, LaGrange Street and East Broad Street.

The National Weather Service declared a tornado emergency for Newnan shortly after midnight.

N ew n a n H i g h S cho ol a nd nearby homes sustained some of the heaviest damage.

Some phone lines remained d ow n Fr i d ay m o r n i n g , a n d Nu l i n k / WOW i nt er net a nd p h o n e s e r v i c e h a d s i g n i f ic a nt out a ge s . Ther e w a s no estimated time for ser vice to resume.

Just af ter 2:30 a.m. Friday, t he C owe t a C ou nt y S cho ol System announced all schools wou ld b e clo s e d Fr id ay due to extensive storm damage in many areas of the county. Offici a l s s a id more i n for m at ion

When the March 26 tornado ripped through Newnan and Coweta County, we were there to keep you informed on safety information, support stations and volunteer opportunities.

Your subscription to The Newnan Times-Herald ensures you stay connected.

Subsribe to The Newnan Times-Heral d today.

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Includes the NTH newspa per mailed to your home or business; PLUS full acc ess onl “ The damage at New nan is School and the University of in some ineareas. ; E-edition extensive,” pag e by Horton said. pag “We’re e); and Wide spread stor m da m age(flip West Georgia Newnan campus Ne wn an-Coweta Magazine prompted the Coweta County just in the beginning stages of were also closed Friday.

3 e t t e Enth s $3System C o w e t a - F a y mo M C School 1.2to5shut•down 6 its assessing it, so we don’t know

mo s $6impact 2.5will0 • 12 months $125 whatnth the long-term be. We are trying to figure out where we are and what we have Senior (65 and older), Milita right now.”

I n ary st atan ementdemVe a i le dter to Same benefits as our sta school system employees Friday an Subscription Rate ndamorning, Horscr ton said school rd sub ipti on system staf f will continue to rate listed above.

3 months $24.75 • 6 mo a s s e s s c ond it ion s a nd work nths $49.50 • 12 months $99 TORNADO 2A E-edition Subscription Ra te Turn page by e. The NTH E-edito WC Limousine & pag Transportation Services n on your comput • • • • • • • • •

reported just after 8 a.m. Friday morning that west Coweta was the hardest hit area including: Smokey Road, Corinth Road, J.D. Walton Road, Charlie B. Johnson Road, Bruce Jackson Road, Andrew Bailey Road and Belk Road.

There were approx i m at ely 1,20 0 without power, according to a Facebook post f rom

schools and facilities Friday.

“Our main concern today is the kids, employees and fami l ie s ,” Sup er i nt endent Ev a n Hor ton said Friday morning.

“We need to make sure everyb o d y ’s O K . We k n o w t h i s thing has impacted the entire community.”

Hor ton sa id Smokey R oad M idd le S chool, wh i le in the

•

as it was• pub Party lish Bus ed in print. (All of the new s – none

Proms Weddings Church Events Wine Tours Casino Trips Graduation Service Sporting Events Airport Shuttle Funeral Service

er looks exactly of the paper!)

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MAY/JUNE 2021 | 21

COWETA TO ME

Like a

Breath of Fresh Air Written by GORDON KILGORE Gordon Kilgore has gone on photo-taking safaris in 169 countries.

D

uring the 1980s, I owned several single-family homes, which I rented. One of the houses was in Hapeville near the airport. The airport made plans to add another runway, so they purchased all the houses along several streets in Hapeville. One of those houses was mine.

The wheels of government turn slowly, so the runway construction did not begin for some years while the houses sat empty.

Each year after I had sold the house to the City of Atlanta, I would get a tax bill that would be followed with a late payment notice. The notices were always tossed in the trash.

After a couple of years went by, I paid a visit to Atlanta City Hall to explain that their records needed to be changed showing the City of Atlanta as the property owner and not me. You would think a personal visit would be sufficient to correct such an obvious mistake. That was not so, and the bills and late notices continued.

Finally, the city brought in bulldozers and leveled the whole area in preparation for runway construction. The City of Atlanta had one final parting shot. I received a notice that my taxes plus huge penalty fees had been accruing for seven years and the City of Atlanta was going to 22 |

WWW.NEWNANCOWETAMAGAZINE.COM

sell the property on the courthouse steps; they even provided a date for the sale.

I wrote a short reply on the notice saying something like, “Go right ahead and be my guest because it is your house.”

That was the final straw with Fulton County. I had to get out.

My wife and I found property in Shoal Creek Forest in Coweta County, built a new house, and moved here in 1998.

Moving to Coweta County from Fulton County was like a breath of fresh air.

The entire construction process involving permits and inspections was smooth and painless.

Soon after moving into our new house, my truck tag was due. I went to the Coweta County Tag Office to make the change of address and get a new tag. Soon after I got back home, I received a call from the tag office saying that I had paid a dollar too much and they were returning the extra dollar. Seems as though I had included a $1 mailing fee when I wrote the check. I told them not to worry, but they insisted on squaring the books.

Would Fulton County ever call over a $1 mistake? No way. In fact, they probably would never have known it occurred.

So, for the past 22 years, I have enjoyed the services and good people in Coweta County. I am here for the long term. NCM

After 32 years as an entrepreneur owning his own businesses and living in Fairburn, Gordon Kilgore retired in 1995 and, three years later, moved to Coweta County with his wife, Margaret.

What is Coweta to You? Whether you’ve lived here all your life or only a year, we want to hear your personal Coweta story.

Email your “Coweta to Me” story to magazine@newnan.com or mail to 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263. We look forward to hearing from you.

GEORGIA BUCKET LIST

What’s on your

Georgia

Bucket List?

H

ave you 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.

Name ___________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________ Contact Email ___________________________________________ Phone Number___________________________________________

The item I’d most like to scratch off my Georgia Bucket List: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Why is this important to you? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

800-912-9701 Visit coggintravels.com and join our mailing list!

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 23

Sibling Scouts Griffin and Myra Conoly roast marshmallows to perfection over a campfire. The children of Will and Meredith Conoly of Newnan, Griffin, 12, is in BSA Troop 47 and Myra, 10, is in Girl Scouts Troop 19394.

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COWETA FEATURE

SCOUTS FOR ALL

Scouts

Life

for

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

Photo by Chris Martin

Senoia Mayor William “Dub” Pearman III says his experience with Scouts BSA, formerly Boys Scouts of America, has been a positive influence throughout his life by ingraining in him early the foundational principles of Scouting.

“It emphasized the core values of helping others, the importance of duty, the honor of integrity and the significance of loyalty,” Pearman says. “Scouting also taught me many practical skills that I still use daily.”

When Pearman received the rank of Eagle Scout, BSA was for young men under the age of 18.

“Even then, there were Explorer troops for older co-ed teens, so I was not surprised when the Boy Scouts expanded to Scouts BSA and included young women,” he says. “Those skills and values are not exclusively beneficial to only half of our youth. I started the Scouting program over 46 years ago, and I’m pleased

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 25

COWETA FEATURE

“Scouting teaches survival skills that everyone should know.”

— Michelle Goembel

to see its positive influences are benefitting a more diverse group of our country’s youth.”

Scouts BSA recently celebrated its 111th anniversary, at the same time welcoming their first female African American Eagle Scout, Kendall Jackson, of Indiana. Scouts BSA offers programs for boys and girls in every age level, including Cub Scouts for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, Boy Scouts for ages 11-17, and Venturing and Sea Scouts for ages 14-21. Eagle Scout is the highest rank achievable in the Scouts BSA program.

Flint River Council Advancement Chair and Eagle Scout Jim McCarthy is the charter representative for Scouting at Cokes Chapel United Methodist Church and father of

two sons who are also Eagle Scouts.

The elder McCarthy says that while working through the Scouting BSA advancement program to earn eight ranks and more than 135 merit badges, Scouts learn life skills they can take into the world to help them become successful. Many activities denoted by merit badges provide Scouts with lifelong hobbies, trades and careers, he adds.

“We have a merit badge for you,” says McCarthy, “whether you want to do camping, hiking, swimming, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing or ziplining, or if you’re into robotics, photography, game design, theatre, animation, crime prevention, fire safety, medicine, music or nuclear science.”

Scouting can be a familial affair,

Photo by Jim McCarthy

BELOW Assistant Scoutmaster Barrett Thompson, in back, takes his troop whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River in Colorado in July 2016. Scouts braving the rapids are, from left, Eagle Scout Dalton Burchett, Life Scout Will Harper and Eagle Scout Cormac McCarthy.

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Photo Courtesy of Casey Green Photography

COWETA FEATURE

ABOVE Den Leader Daniel Hesser helps Nolan Hull fold the flag as fellow scouts in Senoia's Arrow of Lights/Cub Scout Pack 58 look on.

evidenced by the family of Allen and Michelle Goembel whose four sons are all in Scouting. Their second-oldest, Cole, is a 15-year-old Life Scout in Troop 897 and also a member of Venture Crew 120 and the Order of the Arrow.

He’s currently working on his Eagle project plans and credits Scouts with helping him learn valuable skills like leadership, time management, survival skills and cooking.

Third child Ryan is a 12-year-old Tenderfoot Scout in Troop 897 who strives to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps. Ryan says that he enjoys going on camping trips with the troop and looks forward to experiencing adventure.

The youngest, Luke, 9, is a Bear Scout in Cub Scout Pack 897 and has been involved in Scouts since birth. “He’s almost like a mascot for the pack,” says his mom.

Michelle and Allen have been active in Scouting since their oldest son Evan was in second grade. Allen has helped with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and currently is assistant scoutmaster for Troop 897. Michelle has volunteered in a variety of capacities as well, including

serving as Cub Scout Day Camp director.

“Scouting teaches survival skills that everyone should know,” says Michelle. “When we had that big winter storm several years ago and the power was out. I wasn’t worried.

The boys knew how to cook outside, start a fire, and all the other things to keep them safe.”

She praises the adult leaders who pour their heart and soul into helping the Scouts, guiding them, providing opportunities, teaching them, and helping them grow to become leaders.

Girls in Boy Scouts of America Nina Blackwelder is committee chairman for BSA Troop 219, Coweta County's first all-female Scouts BSA troop, which was chartered in February 2019. Tricia Bethel-Sookhoo is the troop’s scoutmaster, and her daughter, Mackenzie Sookhoo, is senior patrol leader. The girls in Troop 219 range in age from 12 to 17.

Blackwelder says her son was in traditional Boy Scouts MAY/JUNE 2021 | 27

Photo by Lara McCarthy

COWETA FEATURE

ABOVE Eagle Scout Jim McCarthy, center, brought up his sons Sean, left, and Cormac in Scouting, and they are both Eagle Scouts, too.

and she used to bring her daughter to his Cub Scout events. Her daughter enjoyed the activities, so eventually, Blackwelder and Bethel-Sookhoo decided to lead an all-girls program. They have grown from a small group of fewer than 10 girls to 25.

“What I enjoy most about the Scouts BSA program is mentoring young adults to become leaders in their community and witnessing their growth,” says Bethel-Sookhoo. “It is one of the few programs where young adults get the opportunity to learn life and survival skills from their peers. I come from a long line of Scouts, so having the legacy be passed on to my son and now my daughter makes me very proud. It’s fun to observe what they’ve learned and see them teach their skills to others.”

Blackwelder says their group has gained a lot of positive support from the community, which has helped fund their troop’s activities and provided a much-needed trailer for excursions and camping trips.

Outstanding Scouts in Coweta Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

They say, “Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout.”

Notable Cowetans who attained the Eagle Scout rank include Senoia Mayor Dub Pearman, Newnan Mayor Pro-Tem George Alexander, and Coweta Cattlemen’s Association President and BSA Flint River Council Commissioner Robert Allen.

These Eagle Scouts help set the bar for the current generation of Scouts, and Coweta County resident Evan Goembel is following in their successful footsteps.

Goembel is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout in Troop 897, sponsored by Cornerstone United Methodist Church, in Newnan. He is president of Venture Crew 120, a co-ed part of BSA for kids aged 14-21, and a member of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society. Last fall, he reached the Order’s highest level, Vigil.

A student at East Coweta High School, Goembel attends classes at Central Eagle Scout Evan Goembel Educational Center while managing dual enrollment at West Georgia Technical College. He works at Yokogawa as part of the Georgia Consortium of Advanced Technical Training (GA CATT), a German-style apprenticeship program. In 2020, the Newnan Chapter of the VFW recognized Goembel as Scout of the Year.

“Scouting is important to me because it allows me to learn things and become exposed to new opportunities,” he says. “Scouting will help me get a job and into schools because Eagle is recognized across the United States. I enjoy participating in Scouts because it is fun and adventurous. I’m doing things that other kids my age don’t get to do. For instance, I got to go to Ely, Minnesota, two years ago and got to camp in the snow, go dog sledding, make something like an igloo, make a snow kitchen, and so much more. Most of the people I know aren’t doing things like that.”

Scout leaders have been known to remind their charges that working toward the coveted Eagle Scout rank is not their destination, but a journey.

Goembel’s journey is one to keep an eye on.

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COWETA FEATURE

“I just love that when you get all the kids together, there are kids from different walks of life, different schools, different family compositions, and they’re all enjoying each other, and I think that’s so important.”

Photo by Sara Moore

– Nina Blackwelder

ABOVE Scouts BSA Troop 219 Committee Member Carrie Knight, center, enjoys taking part in Scout activities with her daughters, Troop 219 members Abbey Knight, left, and Bree Knight. Both girls are troop patrol leaders and Abbey serves as the chaplain's aid.

Regrettably, when the program first started, the ladies received some angry emails about the girls being in the Boy Scout program. But what some don’t understand, says Blackwelder, is that Scouts BSA does not have a co-ed component – and there are no intentions to make BSA a co-ed program.

The girls BSA troop is not competing with Girl Scouts, nor are they attempting to change the traditional Boy Scouts program, according to its leaders, who say that BSA

has simply made their program more accessible to more kids – boys and girls.

“We want a program that’s a quality program for kids in our community,” says Blackwelder. “I just love that when you get all the kids together, there are kids from different walks of life, different schools, different family compositions, and they’re all enjoying each other, and I think that’s so important. All the things that we think of as traditionally boy stuff, our girls are out there doing it and MAY/JUNE 2021 | 29

COWETA FEATURE

RIGHT Daisies and Juniors from Troop 19394 recently masked up to make bamboo cane fishing poles to complete their Go Fish, Georgia badge requirements.

Showing off their work are, from left, Girl Scouts Betsy Hoffman, Madeleine Shah, Myra Conoly, Isabel Blackburn, Abby Barrett, Evelyn Mitchell, Ashlyn Mitchell, Jill Blackburn and Anna Neely.

they’re having a great time.”

Blackwelder’s all-girls, youth-led BSA troop is heavily involved in camping and outdoor programs.

The girls throw hatchets, sharpen axes, build fires and debris shelters, and learn about wilderness first aid. The campouts and day activities allow the kids exposure to try something different and new. Being an adult leader attending these events, she enjoys that the parents benefit from the program as much as the youth.

When COVID-19 hit, Scout meetings became virtual, but as soon as they could bring everyone together, the troop reinstated in-person meetings. It was the only time that some of the kids were leaving the house, but they wore masks, were socially distanced, and held meetings outside to stay safe. They held a summer camp, and because they are an outdoor program, they could navigate the challenges of COVID-19 and still let the girls have fun, socialize and participate in activities.

Girl Scouts The Girl Scouts program seeks to build character, confidence and courage in girls from a young age. It encompasses Daisies for kindergarten through first grade, Brownies for grades 2-3, Juniors for grades 4-5, Cadette 30 |

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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre serves as a magnet for Christian pilgrims throughout the world and across centuries. The holy site attracts thousands daily. Originally a set of abandoned stone quarries, the nondescript Golgotha became the cornerstone of Christianity after Christ's resurrection there.

for grades 6-8, Seniors for grades 9-10, and Ambassadors for grades 11-12.

A troop leader for six years, Jovanca Blackburn leads fifth grade Junior Girl Scouts in Newnan. Her troop enjoys outdoor activities and helping the community, and they participate in everything from art lessons to outdoor life skills. It is girl-led, so whatever the girls want to learn is what they do.

Girl Scouts have a bronze, silver and gold award, with the gold award being equivalent to the Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts. There are multiple types of badges and patches to be earned from completing a wide variety of tasks and projects, ranging from arts and crafts, mechanics, coding, outdoor survival skills, philanthropy and disaster preparedness. One project they completed this spring was tilling and seeding a wildflower garden at a LINC trailhead in the Summerlin subdivision.

Blackburn’s Junior troop is part of a larger troop within the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta that includes Daisies, Brownies and Girl Scouts. During the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown, each age group decided how they wanted to meet. Some groups met virtually and other girls worked independently to earn badges and patches. Some of the projects completed during the pandemic were a coat drive

Photo by Jovanca Blackburn

COWETA FEATURE

Photo by Will Blackburn

ABOVE Girl Scouts in Troop 19394 planted seeds for a flower garden along the LINC trail in March.

for Bridging The Gap, writing cards for nursing home residents and active military, tie-dyeing face masks and making bamboo fishing poles. While they mostly sold Girl Scout cookies online this year, some troops also sold in person or with cookie booths, with girls choosing how they wanted to handle sales. Some scouts are using money they raised from cookie sales to go horseback riding. They’ll also donate a percentage of earnings to organizations close to their hearts, like the Humane Society or Adopt-A-Horse.

“The biggest misconception is that people think Girl Scouts just sell cookies, but they can do anything,” says Blackburn. “They can do outdoor camping in tents and they can do archery and fishing and all of the same things offered in Boy Scouts. Each troop decides what they want to do based on what they’d like to achieve.”

Julie Keller has more than 20 years of experience as a girl scout adult volunteer and currently serves as co-leader of Girl Scout Troop #16372 with 15 scouts in grades 5-7. Leading the troops through the pandemic was challenging, according to Keller.

“As a troop co-leader, I found numerous Facebook groups where Girl Scout leaders from across the United

States shared ideas and events, resources that were not available pre-COVID,” says Keller, noting that to overcome COVID-19 restrictions, her troops focused on outdoor activities and visited local destinations. “The one thing that has impressed me about Girl Scouts is how adaptable they are to change and how they sincerely try to mold the program to meet where the girls are.”

Area Executive for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Jaclyn Robinson comes from a family of Girl Scouts.

Her own mother was her troop leader and now her daughter Kaitlyn is in Girl Scouts where she’s gaining confidence while pushing out of her comfort zone, like when she recently performed a skit in front of others at a Girl Scout event.

“Girl Scouts give the girls that safe space to try new things where they know their sisters are there, they are supported, and that it’s okay,” says Robinson. “It’s okay to try.”

Girl Scouts teaches girls to be leaders and that there’s no limit to what they can learn and how much they can succeed.

That sounds a lot like all youth Scouting programs.

NCM

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 31

COWETA FEATURE

Like to

Bike?

CYCLING IN COWETA KNOWS NO LIMITS Written by NEIL MONROE | Photographed by CHRIS MARTIN

S LEFT Cycling in Coweta has become a popular pastime.

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o, you and your family have faced the challenges of COVID-19 for the past year, cooped up at home, working remotely or going to school virtually.

You’ve searched for an activity that is distanced, abundant, challenging and, most important, fun.

COWETA FEATURE

ABOVE The Tour of Coweta ride in April brought hundreds of cyclists to Coweta County.

For thousands of Cowetans, the answer to their search has been in the garage the entire time: a bicycle.

From leisurely touring the neighborhood to rides on the LINC to competitive mountain biking at Brown’s Mill Park, the art and sport of cycling is staking out a strong foothold as one of the most important recreational activities in the county.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in cycling over the past year, and we’ve worked diligently to keep up with the surge in interest,” says Jim Gay, Coweta’s director of parks and recreation. “We benefit from a solid working partnership between the county and Bike Coweta, which has worked for some time to promote and grow cycling in the county. They are a real asset to the community, helping raise funds, providing

“We see kids, adults, even seniors out riding the trails, and where we would have had a handful of riders a year ago, today the trails are packed.”

– Jim Gay

guidance, and promoting Coweta and their sport.”

The most visible demonstration of this partnership is the success of Brown’s Mill, a 185-acre park with more than six miles of mountain biking trails. The park hosts a summer camp for young mountain bikers and is home to competitive mountain biking teams for youth. The trails were completed last year with a combination of county SPLOST recreation funds and donations generated by Bike Coweta.

“We’re very pleased with the success of Brown’s Mill,” Gay says. “Most recreation departments, ours included, have a focus on traditional team sports, youth sports, all of which are important. But Brown’s Mill is getting more and more people engaged, people who may have been outside of our traditional orbit. We see kids, adults, even seniors out riding the MAY/JUNE 2021 | 33

TOP and ABOVE Cyclists from throughout Georgia participated in the April Tour of Coweta, which featured 25-, 45-, 62- and 100-mile routes.

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COWETA FEATURE

RIGHT Cyclists greet each other after a cycling event.

trails, and where we would have had a handful of riders a year ago, today the trails are packed.”

“We’re cyclists, we love to ride, but at the same time, we want to promote our sport with the good of our community in mind. We know that by promoting and growing cycling in our county, we’re making Coweta more attractive to those seeking a livable, active environment.”

– Chris Doane

Competitive Cycling Teams Ready to Ride With the expanded interest in the park, and cycling in general, the recreation department is leaning on the knowledge of a new staff member with extensive cycling experience. Brent Snodgrass spent seven years helping stage and manage world-class cycling events throughout North America, such as the Tour de Georgia and the Tour de California. With the demands of a young family limiting his desire for travel, he now helps Coweta cycling grow.

A first step last year was the creation of a summer bike camp at Brown’s Mill. The camp sold out, and a second camp is planned for June.

Registration for the camp opened in April.

Snodgrass also works with the competitive mountain bike teams at Brown’s Mill. Two teams were added this year for middle and high school riders, and a new team for elementary school age riders is off to a strong start.

“We had 46 kids sign up for the new team very quickly,” says Snodgrass. “That is very encouraging and sets a strong baseline for the program.”

Bike Coweta Helps Drive Cycling Popularity Long before biking success at Brown’s Mill, Coweta County and its scenic, accessible roads have attracted significant interest from cyclists near and far. Bike Coweta, so instrumental in Brown’s Mill’s success, also has worked to link Coweta to the cycling community throughout Georgia and the nation.

Along with providing a safe and bicycle-friendly community, the group works to encourage cycling tourism to impact the local economy.

“We’re cyclists, we love to ride, but at the same time, we want to promote our sport with the good of our community in mind,” says Chris Doane, a Bike Coweta board member. “We know that by promoting and growing cycling in our county, we’re making Coweta more attractive to those seeking a livable, active environment.”

Bike Coweta has long supported MAY/JUNE 2021 | 35

COWETA FEATURE

ABOVE Proceeds from Tour of Coweta went to Rotary Club of Newnan to fund a variety of community initiatives.

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COWETA FEATURE

ABOVE Cyclists of varying abilities enjoy the Coweta County country ride as as they take part in the Tour of Coweta.

cycling and sponsored races and events in the county. Twenty years ago, the group helped delineate 100 miles of bike routes, a key first step in establishing Coweta within the cycling community.

In April, Bike Coweta sponsored the Tour of Coweta, with 25- and up to 100-mile races, the Rock and Road Festival and the Squirrel Hunter mountain bike races at Brown’s Mill – all on the same weekend.

RIGHT High five!

Doane says the fastest growing segments of cycling in Coweta are the trails at Brown’s Mill, the LINC, which offers safe, steady cycling for all levels of cyclists and, surprisingly, gravel roads.

“There are plenty of gravel roads in Coweta, enough to create a 67-mile ride,” says Doane.

There’s another clear trend in cycling, he adds: a move to safety.

“There’s a gravitation away from cars and roads to paths and outlets that offer more relaxed cycling,” he says.

That is where the newly expanded LINC comes in. A 12-foot wide, paved multi-use path, the LINC now traverses 2.4 miles and includes a bridge across I-85, and the Roller Coaster, a mountain bike path that spurs off the main trail to deliver a challenge for the more adventurous cyclists. An additional 2.4 miles of LINC trails are in the planning stages.

All skill levels of cyclists can utilize the trail, which is also open to skaters, walkers and joggers.

Cycling and its multitude of benefits will be an important part of the county’s culture as we move forward. For all ages and skill levels, cycling remains a key community asset in Coweta, for young and old.

NCM

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 37

COWETA FEATURE

Need

a Bike?

Written by NEIL MONROE

Every big-box megastore has bikes, but if you want one that’s sized and fitted right for you and your family members, you may want to visit one of Coweta’s specialty bike shops: Atlanta Trek in Newnan and Senoia Bikes in Senoia.

Like other consumer products, modern technology is sweeping over the bicycle industry. Need a built-in GPS system to guide you on your 50-mile Saturday morning ride through the back roads of the county?

No problem. How about a Bluetoothconnected, wireless gear system? Or the latest state-of-the-art metallurgy to create an incredibly light, balanced ride?

Or, the increasingly popular E-Bikes, which offer rechargeable electric motors that help take some of the stress away from cycling by making pedaling easier?

Bike options abound, though shops report that supplies of parts and certain cycles can be tight due to the increasing demand created by the growing interest in the sport and material shortages due to the pandemic.

In addition to sales and rentals, both Atlanta Trek and Senoia Bikes host and support regular rides that attract all skill levels and get you out on the road with your new – or old – equipment. NCM

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MAY/JUNE 2021 | 39

One to

Watch in 2021

To Catch A Rising Star

H U NTER FL ANAG AN

Written and Photographed by SARA MOORE

Singer/songwriter/actor Hunter Flanagan is “One to Watch” in Coweta County as a rising star in the entertainment industry.

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Photo by Emily Walker

COWETA FEATURE

One

to Watch in 2021 While Coweta County singer/songwriter Hunter Flanagan is one of several locals nominated as a Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM) “One to Watch in 2021,” Flanagan is the only local nominated by multiple people. Those vouching for Flanagan as a star-in-themaking include Heidi Harris, Pat Lyons and Melissa Bryant. “Our family just started following this young man who makes movies and music and is like a local superstar,” says Bryant. “My teen daughters are crazy about him.”

“One to Watch in 2021” is an NCM initiative to recognize those making headway in their careers or volunteer efforts. We feature Flanagan as our first “One” to watch!

Director Jennifer Cifuentes, left, prepares to video Hunter Flanagan, center, singing to girls on a lake deck, from left, seated: Juliana Cifuentes, Makayla Hambright, Flanagan, Marian Russell and Kara Teehan.

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COWETA FEATURE

W

hen it comes to entertainment, Coweta’s Hunter Flanagan is a triple threat. By the age of 19, he had already made headlines as an actor, singer and songwriter.

Flanagan currently holds the title of Georgia Country Awards 2020 Overall Artist of the Year, an award he also received in 2019, making him both the youngest Overall Artist and the only person to win that award twice. In 2018, he was named Georgia Country Awards Young Country Artist of the Year.

The 19-year-old performs all across Georgia and the Southeast and has opened for major Nashville acts, including Gene Watson, Mark Wills, Rhonda Vincent and Confederate Railroad.

As an actor, he appears in the 2021 family comedy movie, “Lena & Snowball.” Plus, he headlines his first music video, produced last fall by Georgia-based Cifuentes Media for his original song, “The World’s Goin’ to Hell.” The video accompanies Flanagan’s satirical/comedic song about how the younger generation tries to make sense of bad news regarding pandemics, death and hard times.

In the video, the teenagers do what Georgia teens do – they head out to the lake for a party. The fun and funky video has had more than 100,000 streams on Spotify.

We hung out with Flanagan and his friends and family at West Point Lake last fall to catch photos of the action as his music video was being filmed by Jennifer Cifuentes, writer, director and cinematographer for Cifuentes Media. Her daughter, Juliana, is in the video and works as actor and head of costume and wardrobe for Cifuentes Media.

The first day of shooting took place on West Point Lake at Brush Creek Recreation Park in Franklin with a follow-up day at Flanagan’s home outside of Newnan.

MEET ME AT THE LAKE Hunter Flanagan’s friends receive a text from him to meet him at the lake for an End of the World party, and away they go! Surrounding the cell phone are, from left, Alexis Barich, Dino Kalac, Melissa Keith Mathis, Barbara Harris, Donny Sadler and Brittany Canady. Heading to the lake with an inflatable unicorn are, from left, front seat: Wesley Martinez and Juliana Cifuentes.

Backseat: Alyssa Dawson and Marian Russell. On back with unicorn: Nadia Leggett.

COWETA FEATURE

END OF THE WORLD Randy Medlin portrays a maskwearing man carrying an “End of the World” sign. Flanagan spots him and hesitantly ask if he wants to have a drink and join him and his friends at the lake party.

BIKINI GIRL WITH BIRD MASK

When Flanagan sees “Bikini Girl” Makayla Hanbright wearing a bubonic plague bird mask, he convinces her to shed the mask and accompany him to the lake party.

LAKE PARTY

101 WAYS TO THROW HUNTER OFF THE PONTOON

Flanagan plays guitar for his friends at the lake party, from left: Juliana Cifuentes, Donny Sadler, Flanagan, Alexis Barich, Kara Teehan, Wesley Martiniz and Dino Kalac.

Wesley Martinez, left, and Dina Kalac, right, throw Flanagan off the party pontoon. The production crew had to do several

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takes of this shot, and Flanagan was a good sport through the entire ordeal.

TAKING STOCK Director Jennifer Cifuentes shares with Flanagan a few outtakes from the weekend of shooting.

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 45

Adventure awaits along

Presidential Pathways Written by GLENDA HARRIS

P

laces to go, people to see, things to do!

After the past year’s pandemic, we’re all ready to take a trip, explore, discover.

Fortunately, there are many fun destinations in Georgia’s Presidential Pathways tourism region – all just a short drive from Coweta – that are perfect for a quick getaway. From historic mansions, gorgeous gardens, spacious parks and nature trails through woods, mountains and even canyons, there’s something for everyone.

Here are a few of our favorite spots to get you going.

Hills and Dales | LaGrange

Outdoor gardens in the spring

Just minutes off Interstate 85, this 13,000-square-foot, Italian-style mansion is surrounded by meticulously tended gardens that show off their beauty through each of the four seasons. Guided tours of the home and self-guided tours of the gardens and grounds immerse visitors in natural beauty as they learn the history of this Southern treasure.

706.882.3242, info@hillsanddales Annual picnic held in May 46 |

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Photos courtesy of Hills and Dales

Music room inside the home

West Point Lake | Troup County A popular fishing lake throughout the year, West Point Lake is less than an hour south of Newnan. Several public piers make it easy to teach children how to fish for bass, catfish, crappie and bream. There are four campgrounds, some with basketball courts, playgrounds, boat ramps and nature trails. Or stay overnight or the weekend at Highland Pines Resort and Marina. visitlagrange.com/things-to-do/west-point-lake

Photos courtesy of visitlagrange.com

View from Highland Pines Resort

Swimming in West Point Lake Boating and fishing on West Point Lake

F.D. Roosevelt State Park | Pine Mountain At Georgia’s largest state park (with more than 9,000 acres), the topography is diverse with mountains, woodland trails and lakes. The 23-mile Pine Mountain Trail is a favorite among hikers with overlooks that offer panoramic views rarely seen in this part of Georgia. At Dowdell’s Knob, a life-size sculpture of FDR keeps watch. Camping, swimming and horseback riding are available.

Park: 706.663.4858; Stables: 706.628.7463, gastateparks.org/FDRoosevelt F.D.R. Liberty Bell Pool

Hiking in F.D. Roosevelt State Park

Photos courtesy of gastateparks.org

F.D. Roosevelt Statue at Dowdell's Knob

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 47

Callaway Gardens | Pine Mountain This 2,500-acre resort is positioned at the southernmost line of Georgia’s Piedmont region and offers unique plants found nowhere else. A must-see is the Day Butterfly Center where live butterflies fly throughout the glass-enclosed conservatory. Swim at Robin Lake, rent bicycles and hit the paved trail through the Gardens, or go for a hike. Check their website to get updated info on hours and events this spring. The Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard tournament is set for May 28-30.

844.512.3826, callawaygardens.com

Master Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament Day Butterfly Center

The Little White House Historic Site

Photos courtesy of Little White House

Photos courtesy of callawaygardens.com

Tree Top Adventure Zipline

Warm Springs

Warm Springs gained fame and celebrity as the southern getaway of America’s 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The president visited Georgia to find relief from his polio at West Georgia’s warm springs, where he eventually built his Little White House. Walk through the cottage, which remains much the same as it was the day he died there in 1945.

706.655.5870, gastateparks.org/ LittleWhiteHouse

Little White House

Roosevelt's Ford Convertible 48 |

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For the adrenaline seeker, Whitewater Express, a premier outfitter for river rafting and high adventure on the Chattahoochee River, Flight of the Osprey Zipline is where you want to head.

Check out the world’s longest urban whitewater course and also Flight of the Osprey, which ziplines you across the river to Alabama and back, the world’s only zipline that takes you from one state to another. Before or after your adventure, a bevy of uptown Columbus restaurants is sure to satisfy.

706.321.4720, chattahoochee.whitewaterexpress.com

Popular with hikers, backpackers and photographers, this 1,000-acre park is often called the Little Grand Canyon.

The massive and unique rock Canyon Overlook formations and canyons formed from erosion over the years, and the result is extraordinary.

Parking is $5, wear waterproof hiking shoes or boots, and bring bug spray in spring and summer. gastateparks.org/ ProvidenceCanyon

Photos courtesy of gastateparks.org

Urban Whitewater Rafting

Providence Canyon State Park | Lumpkin Photos courtesy of Whitewater Express

Whitewater Express | Columbus

Hiking in Providence Canyon

Jimmy Carter National Park | Plains The 39th president of the United States and former governor of Georgia was born and raised in Plains. Formerly a National Historic Site, it was designated as a National Park in January. Sites include the Plains Depot and Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm.

229.824.4104, nps.gov/jica

Boyhood Farm Tenant House School House MAY/JUNE 2021 | 49

Photos by Jill Stuckey

The Boyhood Farm

SAM Shortline Excursion Train Photos courtesy of SAM Shortline Railroad

Southwest Georgia

SAM Shortline Railroad

SAM Shortline Railroad in Plains, Georgia

A fun way to see the Boyhood Farm of former president Jimmy Carter is to travel from downtown Cordele to his hometown of Plains aboard the SAM Shortline. Kids love train rides, and parents love the opportunity to relax and enjoy the view. 229.276.0755, samshortline.com/tickets

Closer to Home | Coweta County Chattahoochee Bend State Park

Market Days/ Pickin' on the Square

Photo courtesy of gastateparks.org

Coweta County

In northwest Coweta County, Chattahoochee Bend State Park offers almost 3,000 acres for camping, fishing, picnicking, hiking, kayaking and blueberries begging to be picked. Enjoy 12 miles of trails, and look for equestrian trails coming in the future.

770.254.7271, gastateparks.org/ChattahoocheeBend

The Touring Dead

Photo courtesy of Main Street Newnan

Photo by Emily Kimbell

Senoia

In Senoia, “The Walking Dead” continues to pull tourists into town where the TV series has been filmed since 2010. georgiatourcompany.com

Downtown Newnan

In Newnan, summer visitors enjoy Market Days and Pickin’ on the Square at the Courthouse Square every first Saturday. For more Main Street Newnan summer events, visit mainstreetnewnan. com/events. NCM

For more on Presidential Pathways, visit

exploregeorgia.org/region/presidential-pathways.

TAKE BACK YOUR WEEKENDS.

JACK PEEK’S SALES 576 Main St. | Palmetto | 770-463-3156 www.jackpeekssales.com

Starting at

2,999

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ou s l bu a F Florence Why We Love Europe’s Top City Written by Chuck Cleveland | Photographed by Barbara Cleveland

A

ccording to Travel and Leisure Magazine, Florence ranked as Europe’s top city in 2020. That comes as no surprise to my wife Barbara and me.

Michelangelo’s magnificent David, Botticelli’s brilliant paintings at the Uffizi Gallery, and Ghiberti’s glorious East Doors of the Baptistery are among the treasures that have long established Florence as one of the leading art centers of the world. Except during pandemic years, millions of visitors travel annually to Florence to admire these famous works of art.

After seven visits to the city, we have identified more personal reasons we find Florence so wonderful, and they are: the Domed Duomo, the historic hotel, and the fantastic food and friendly Florentines.

ABOVE Barbara and Chuck Cleveland prepare to dine at Le Fonticine.

OPPOSITE PAGE An architectural achievement, Florence’s Duomo dominates Florence’s City Centre.

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The Domed Duomo The focus of Florence is definitely the Duomo (actual name, Santa Maria del Fiori), which physically dominates the City Centre. Filippo Brunelleschi completed its massive cupola in 1436, and his remarkable architectural achievement was to build the largest dome of his time – and still the largest brick dome – without scaffolding. It has been suggested that its immense size was in keeping with Florentine aspiration to be superior in all things. If that were Brunelleschi’s motivation, I’d say he succeeded. The church’s exterior – constructed of white, pink and green marble – is so beautiful that it continually evokes reverence, even among the nonreligious.

One evening while strolling through the piazza between the Duomo and the Baptistery, Barbara and I perceived a peace there that pervaded the surrounding area, and it was a joy to savor. You could sense the Renaissance period established a heritage of greatness that still hovers over the historic district, and nowhere is it more evident than around the Cathedral.

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TRAVEL ABROAD

The Historic Hotel Staying overnight in the City Centre enhanced our appreciation of Florence’s impressive past, so we selected the Helvetia and Bristol, a hotel that perfectly represents the city. The H&B opened in 1894 and has attracted many of Europe’s leading citizens ever since. Its 67 unique rooms and suites provide an elegant ambience and refined charm that transport guests back to the grandeur of a bygone age, and that was exactly what we wanted to experience. Worth noting is that the H&B is only a few blocks from several famous Italian stores.

A five-star hotel, the Helvetia and Bristol employs an exceptional staff, and some of them have become our friends. Once when our arrival was delayed by six hours, Reservations Manager Monica Nardi stayed well past her closing time to ensure we were safe and to embrace us with a hug when we arrived. Head Concierge Alessandro Marchese has always arranged our activities to maximize our visits, but he also takes time from his demanding schedule to share pictures of his wife and teenage daughters.

Travel can sometimes be tedious, and it’s a most peaceful feeling to enjoy a welcoming environment with the H&B family.

The Fantastic Food and Friendly Florentines There are many outstanding restaurants in the City Centre, including Buca Mario, La Giostra and Le Fonticine. We’ve noticed that what they have in common is that each evening meal provides a celebration of Florentine life and outstanding Tuscan cooking. The cuisine at these restaurants is exceptional, but the most lasting memory of our dining adventures didn’t involve grilled meats, pasta or gelato.

Late into a Saturday night when we had finished our meal at Le Fonticine, I suddenly realized my credit card was back at the hotel.

The owner graciously allowed me to go back to the hotel to retrieve payment while Barbara remained at the restaurant. The Florentine friendliness was multiplied by the other couple in the dining room inviting Barbara to join them until my return.

With sensational historical sites, phenomenal food and kind-hearted people, Florence is, indeed, fabulous. On a scale of 1 to 10, we rate it a 12. NCM 54 |

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ABOVE The City Centre is the hub of entertainment, history and reverence in Florence.

TRAVEL ABROAD

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 55

COWETA COOKS

The family that cooks together

stays

together Written by Frances Kidd Photos Courtesy of the Berta Family

What is food?

People write about it, celebrity chefs dish about it, and today’s TV schedule is full of cooking shows.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines food as “any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth.”

That definition may satisfy “food is fuel” people. But food is more than that, according to writer Michael Pollan. In his book, “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,” he says, “The shared meal elevates eating from a mechanical process of fueling the body to a ritual of family and community, from the mere animal biology to an act of culture.”

Coweta County’s Berta family – Susie, Rick, and

ABOVE Rick, Susie and Nick Berta share a family love of preparing food.

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sons Scott and Nick – would agree with Pollan. When talking with any of them about food and cooking, it’s clear how much they enjoy the connections they make with food.

For the Bertas, preparing food is something the whole family enjoys together. Susie was the original inspiration for the family cooking together. She grew up with a mom who was a great cook and parents who entertained a lot.

“My husband and I love to have large holiday groups,” she says. “Rick didn’t grow up cooking, but he learned as a Boy Scout and has always been extremely willing to jump in and help out.”

Their sons grew up in the kitchen and at the table.

“They enjoyed the preparations and the camaraderie around food,” says their mom.

Younger son Nick recalls his mother teaching him how to make gnocchi and her beef roast. “Regardless of why,” he says, “the result was that food and entertaining were woven into the fabric of the family. It is still the events that have stuck with me the most. The community created amongst friends was the purpose.

Food was a vehicle.”

Nick now works as executive chef at the Country Club of The American Club in Hong Kong. In a phone conversation, he relates his experience growing up: “Neither parent was above any chore nor are they too fragile to dare. The kitchen was no exception.”

While Nick always knew he wanted to be an executive chef, Scott didn’t go professional though he often cooks for others and has built a reputation as an expert chef and grillmaster. He says he always helped out with the

COWETA COOKS

Recipe, page 60

ABOVE Perfectly prepared and carved brisket invites hungry diners.

LEFT Rick Berta prepares his popular Little Ricotta Cheese Cookies for family and friends.

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COWETA COOKS

“Regardless of why, the result was that food and entertaining were woven into the fabric of the family.

It is still the events that have stuck with me the most. The community created amongst friends was the purpose. Food was a vehicle.”

– Nick Berta

family cooking, but didn’t realize at the time that he was developing an appreciation of food and cooking.

Scott often cooks for friends and charity events in his community and beyond. In 2020, he and his girlfriend Valerie Noland rallied the family to prepare barbecue for the entire Newnan Fire Department as his contribution to frontline workers.

For the Bertas and many other families, good memories are often tied to food.

Psychologists have even studied food memories and found that “memories involving food are vivid – and they sometimes feel more evocative than other types of memories.”

For example, everytime Rick cooks salmon, he thinks about a trip to Alaska in 2009 with his sons and some friends. He says that salmon evokes recollections of the 58 |

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LEFT Nick Berta practices his culinary skills at The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

ABOVE Nick Berta and his coworkers celebrate a birthday at The American Club in Hong Kong.

time they spent fishing together, the fish they caught and how amazed everyone was at Nick’s skill with a fillet knife. He conjures all those memories – all from a piece of salmon on the grill.

Rick acknowledges that Susie is right about his early culinary skills. For him, he says, “Cooking was an evolutionary thing.”

Nowadays, he’s in charge of making Little Ricotta Cookies, one of the family’s specialties during the Christmas season.

Scott has established his own Little Ricotta Cheese Cookie tradition stemming from holidays in the kitchen with his dad. “I’ve been making cookies with him as long as I could whisk a whisk,” he said, “and now I give them to my friends.”

The Berta family shows how to enjoy – and share – the many dimensions of food, which they believe have social, cultural and symbolic qualities, in addition to being fundamental to our survival.

“The thing I like the most about barbecue is that the time and effort it takes shows time and love to prepare,” Scott says. “There’s so much intent and forethought involved. As I prepare it, I think who’s going to enjoy it.”

Melissa Clark, food writer at the New York Times, agrees: “I talk about food as connection: You cook because you want to eat, but also because you want to share it with people.”

For the Berta family, preparing food together is just as much a connection as gathering at the table to eat.

Doing both together is, well, delicious.

“When I was a new bride, this was one of a limited number of really simple and delicious things I could actually make with confidence. My mother taught me how. The summer after we were married, Rick and I had green bean salad and baked Cornish hens more times than I care to admit. But both dishes have stood the test of time since we can still honestly profess our love for this simple green bean salad, and Cornish hens, and each other.”

– Susie Berta

Susie’s Summer Green Bean Salad (and Baked Cornish Hens)

Butter Salt Pepper 3 cans whole green beans, drained 2 onions, such as Vidalias, sliced into rings

or half-rings 2 ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges ¼ cup vinegar (red wine, apple, salad, your choice) ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Cornish Hens The Cornish hens are falling-off-a-log easy to make: Clean hen’s cavities of all packaged gizzards, and don’t forget to look in both ends. Place on a rack in baking pan. Slather butter all over each hen. Salt liberally. Pepper, too. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Baste halfway through baking, if you like. Ta da!

Green Bean Salad Place beans, onion and tomatoes in a 2-quart bowl.

Make vinaigrette (standard ratio is 3:1 oil to vinegar) by putting vinegar in small bowl, and slowly add olive oil, whisking continuously. Experiment with the tartness by tasting. Don’t be afraid to adjust with more vinegar or oil. There are lots of vinaigrette recipes with mustard and garlic and other things, but this one is super clean and simple.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over bean mixture.

Toss carefully, cover, and refrigerate several hours until cold. Carefully toss a time or two while chilling to thoroughly distribute the dressing, and again just before serving.

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 59

the same spritzing formula for the butts (50/50 mix of Creature Comforts Tropicalia and apple juice) to occasionally spritz the brisket every other hour.

6. I typically don’t even look at the brisket for the first 6 hours.

7. At the 6 to 8 hour mark, pull the brisket from the smoker and wrap in pink butcher paper. Wrap it tight and fold it in over itself 3 to 4 times. Again, YouTube will explain this much better, but wrapping it tight is the trick. This will be the last time you lay eyes on your baby until it’s time to eat.

8. Put the brisket back on the smoker and continue cooking at constant temperature for another 3 to 4 hours.

9. You should begin temp checking at this point. You want to establish one point of entry on the side of the brisket and only temp from this same spot anytime you check it. If you temp check all over, you’ll create holes for juices to leak and dry it out.

“Most people are terrified to cook brisket. It’s earned almost an urban myth status for being impossible to cook. I’ve found that it’s one of the easiest meats to cook. It just takes forever.

I’ve also found that buying briskets from a wholesale club or even a grocery store will not return the consistent results one needs when investing so much time and money into a brisket. Buying only prime brisket from a local butcher or meat seller will always make you a barbecue hero.” – Scott Berta

Brisket by Scott 1. Trim the brisket. Salt and pepper can’t penetrate into the meat through all that fat. I recommend watching a couple videos on YouTube about trimming a brisket. It’s what I did.

2. I save all the trimmings in 8-ounce bags to add into my chuck when I grind my own ground beef. That’s just another bonus of brisket.

3. Rub a very light coating of yellow mustard on the brisket to help the salt and pepper stick to all the meat and sides.

4. Apply an even coat of 50/50 mix of coarse kosher salt and ground pepper, not ground from a hand grinder; the bits of pepper are too big. Just buy good ground pepper.

5. Throw the prepared brisket on the smoker at 225 to 250 degrees and let it cook for 6 to 8 hours. Use 60 |

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10. The stall is a real thing when the brisket starts reaching temps in the high 160s or 170s. It will seem like the meat won’t rise anymore and is stuck; hence the “stall.” You should anticipate this stall and ramp your temperature to the upper 200s to push it past the stall and then bring the temp back down to 225-250 to settle it back in for the rest of the cook.

11. I cook my brisket to 200 to 210 degrees, but there are times when 195 is as far as it needs to go or it will cook to mush. Pick it up (still wrapped in the paper) with a towel and feel it where the point and flat meet. It will have a feel to it that it is tender enough. Unfortunately, this “feel” is only developed over time with practice.

Then, when you cut into them, you see what that feeling translates into. It’s also a personal preference.

12. Rest. You have worked diligently for possibly 24

hours and all you want to know is if your work paid off.

Patience is the truest virtue with a brisket. You have to let it rest for a good hour before opening it up and cutting into it. It’s worth the wait.

13. Slice and enjoy. If you have leftovers, keep them wrapped in fresh butcher paper and then wrap in foil.

The paper seems to keep it from drying out in the fridge. As I slice it for meals, I cut out the large chunks of fat in the point and keep in a zip-tight bag in the fridge. When I completely finish the brisket, I take all the fat and cook it down and strain it for beef tallow, an amazing clean, smoky beef fat that can be used in other recipes.

Meal Tip: One time while smoking beef ribs, I decided to throw on some potatoes for the last 1.5 hours of the cook to see what happened. I covered them in olive oil, sprinkled coarse salt on them and my favorite way to eat potatoes was born. I have done this with Russet and sweet potatoes, and it’s amazing.

More on the Brisket Myth: The brisket myth is easy to break. It just takes time, a standard procedure and patience – lots of patience. With the development of pelletized/automated smokers, it’s never been easier: it’s the definition of “set it and forget it.” But I like to stay connected to the process and only cook with real wood (or stick burning or analog, as it’s called). I have made this process easier on myself with an upgrade to a Cloud-based temperature unit from Fireboard. There are many on the market, but it basically connects to a WiFi signal and then you monitor the different probes through an app and set alarms if the temperature in the smoker goes too high or too low or when the meat reaches a desired temperature. I don’t spend hours walking out to check on it. That’s as close as I will allow myself to be automated. Brisket is a meat that gives back just as much as is put into it.

“I don’t use measurements. I just mix it until it seems right, but I usually buy the poultry herb mix with rosemary, thyme and sage all in one package as it’s much cheaper. If you use all of that in one recipe and mix it with the salt, it will be good.” – Scott Berta

Scott’s Tuscan Chicken

Coarse kosher salt, about 1/8 cup 1 poultry herb mix package with

rosemary, sage and thyme or 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped 1 sprig thyme, finely chopped 3 to 4 leaves of sage, finely chopped 1 whole chicken

Olive oil Mix salt with rosemary, sage and thyme in bowl and allow to meld while prepping the chicken.

Use a knife or shears to cut the backbone out of chicken. Clean out any remaining chicken insides in sink with running water. Pat chicken dry. Rip off any excess fat at the rear of the chicken. Spread a thin coat of olive oil on the skin of the chicken. Evenly sprinkle herb/salt mix over the chicken. (“’Even its armpits,’ as I tell my boys when they want to help. That makes it funny and more engaging for them,” says Scott.)

Lay flat on smoker on indirect heat. Inside of chicken will be facing down. Smoke at 350375 degrees for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until inside reaches 170 degrees.

Enjoy! Use leftovers to make smoked chicken salad.

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COWETA COOKS

“This will be enough for two butts, which can feed 20 people.

One butt is enough for a family and leftovers for a week. You can store leftover rub in an airtight plastic container until next time. We use leftovers for pork tacos, pork quesadillas, sandwiches and more.”

– Scott Berta

Pork Love Rub and Butt Bath for Smoked Butts Pork Love Rub ¾ ½ 6 6 6 5 5 5 3 1 3 3 3 1 ½

cup brown sugar cup garlic powder tablespoons salt tablespoons black pepper tablespoons regular paprika tablespoons smoked paprika tablespoons turbinado sugar tablespoons chili powder tablespoons onion powder tablespoon dry mustard teaspoons celery seed teaspoons ground ginger teaspoons ground cayenne teaspoon white pepper teaspoon cumin

Mix all of these together to make the rub. This makes just over 3 cups, which is enough for 1 to 2 butts. I also use this for ribs, but I remove the cayenne because it makes ribs too spicy. I have substituted coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar for a lighter sweetness.

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Butt Bath 2 8

8

¼

quarts water ounces pickling salt (instead of kosher, so you don’t have to cook to dissolve the salt) ounces molasses (or one bottle if it only comes in 12-ounce size) cup smoked paprika (or a spoonful of the rub above)

1. Mix brine. I use hot water to help dissolve everything and then add ice cubes to cool it faster.

2. Once cooled, either pour it into a cooler with lots of ice and throw the butt(s) in. If only 1 or 2 butts, I will put them in 2.5-gallon freezer bags and fill with brine and put in the fridge so I don’t have to clean a cooler, too. I typically brine the butts for 24 hours before they go on the smoker.

3. Maybe an hour before the butts go on, I pull them out and rub them down with the rub.

4. Throw them on the smoker at 225 to 250 degrees and let them cook until they come to 195 to 200 degrees. This can be anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, depending on the weight of the butt.

5. Occasionally, I will spritz the butts once an hour or every other hour with a 50/50 mix of Creature Comforts Tropicalia and apple juice.

COWETA COOKS “These little gems are legend in our family.

Years of gifting these to our neighbors and friends have proven them so. We even had a short stint selling them commercially but soon discovered we were making zero profit, so we closed it down. Business 101. Now we make them only at Christmas for a very short list of recipients, and Rick is always the one who makes that happen. Here, we share the original secret recipe!” – Susie Berta

Rick & Susie’s Scrumptious

Little Ricotta Cheese Cookiesies 1 pound butter, cut in pieces, softened 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 pound powdered sugar milk In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla and ricotta. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture a bit at a time, mixing after each addition.

Drop dough in tablespoon-size drops on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Ovens differ, so watch the first batch closely for the best baking time.

Remove cookies to cooling rack. (Tip: Keep sheet temps consistent when starting to bake each batch. Have at least 4 cookie sheets available. Let the 2 hot sheets just pulled out of the oven cool while you use the other 2 cool ones to cook the next batch. Repeat.)

To make icing, mix powdered sugar with about 5 tablespoons milk. You may need to adjust thickness by trial and error.

When cookies are completely cool, ice cookie tops. Drip icing on with spoon, or load up a squeeze bottle and apply icing that way.

Store cookies in refrigerator, separated in layers by waxed paper or parchment. Remove and serve in single layers so they don’t stick together when warming up. These cookies will freeze beautifully.

Layer them in containers between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Wrap containers in cling wrap for extra protection in freezer. NCM

“After multiple trips salmon fishing in Alaska, Rick was able to bring home huge coolers of fileted wild salmon for our freezer. Rick and his fellow fishermen always took their day’s catch to a seafood processing plant in Alaska and indicated what portion they wanted processed as fresh filets or smoked filets. If a fisherman had a puny catch, or no fish at all, he could always buy fish at the processing plant. Rick always swore his fish were legit caught by him and he’s sticking to it. He got this recipe from a fishing buddy and then tweaked it to his own liking. It is spectacular.” – Susie Berta

Rick’s Smoked Salmon Dip 1

¼ or ½ 2 3

(4-ounce) package vegetable spread cream cheese pound smoked salmon tablespoons mayonnaise tablespoons chopped red onion Couple splashes of hot sauce Shake or two of Montreal steak seasoning, to taste.

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl. With a fork, shred salmon while mixing with other ingredients until all is mixed and combined well. Refrigerate.

Serve with Wheat Thins or a neutral cracker.

“If we’re going to stand on ceremony, this is my favorite recipe. It’s good. It has three ingredients, four if you want to get fancy and put vanilla in it. It’s practically bulletproof. Monks aspire to this level of simplicity.” – Nick Berta

Condensed Milk Ice Cream 1 1 1

part condensed milk part milk part heavy cream

Combine equal parts of the three ingredients.

Churn.

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COWETA ARTS

“The idea of art therapy is to help the child connect to an activity, an action they can deploy to help them in the future, a coping skill they can take home.”

– Abigail Alvarez

Art Therapy:

Creative Treatment for Children in Crisis Written by ROBIN STEWART

Sometimes art is where you least expect it.

Newnan’s Pathways Center serves the community’s mental health needs with their Hospital Road campus home to the Child and Adolescent Unit. When admitted, kids may live there for one week.

“Pathways Center in Newnan serves children in crisis related to mental health,” says Abigail Alvarez, client events

Volunteers with Newnan Theatre Company share the art of drama with young therapy patients.

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coordinator. “That spans from anxiety to suicidal thoughts.”

Pathways opened July 2019. Alvarez came onboard in May 2020 and helped flesh out their creative program by giving existing arts and crafts time more structure and creating an art therapy program for resident clients. A child’s stay at Pathways is structured and supervised by design.

The road to recovery includes creativity, in some form, every day.

Serving boys and girls from 5 to 17, Pathways provides art instruction that offers them a way to express their feelings.

Behavioral support technicians and activities associates at Pathways view art as a way to reach children on another level.

It becomes a conversation starter. Visual and performing arts introduce children to new forms of expression. And it also does something a bit more powerful.

“The idea of art therapy is to help the child connect to an activity, an action they can deploy to help them in the future,” says Alvarez. She calls art therapy a “coping skill they can take home.” The goal is for children to leave Pathways armed with

COWETA ARTS

“I think it was Pablo Picasso who said, ‘Art washes away the dust in your soul.’ It’s true. It allows you to take a breath and disconnect from worry.

Enjoying the arts helps you turn a corner in your life.”

– Jenny Jones

Jenny Jones, of Corner Arts Gallery, teaches painting classes for children as art therapy.

Their creations are shared here.

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COWETA ARTS

tools to cope with future crises on their own.

Clients participate in many forms of therapeutic creativity. Regular activities include making stress balls out of balloons, crafting dreamcatchers, writing positive self-affirmations on cut-outs representing themselves, and fashioning vision boards using magazine clippings. Alvarez calls the vision board an “expressive exercise” which shows both short- and long-term goals while inviting discussion on actions the child needs to take in order to achieve them.

Kids also make coping kits by decorating boxes to resemble a band aid kit. One side is labeled with an issue, anger for example. The opposite side is labeled with the coping skill or “band aid” for the problem. In the case of anger, “a walk in fresh air” might be the band aid of choice.

Music, instruments and video with dance are among the art therapy options. Journaling, drawing and coloring are also creative outlets for the children.

Pathways also offers structured visual arts time.

They partner with Jenny Jones, artist and owner of Corner Arts Gallery in downtown Newnan, to bring art classes to their clients. Twice a month, Jones teaches a live, masked, socially distanced painting class.

“We just paint,” says Jones. “It’s a nice, quiet time for the children to take their minds off of whatever’s going on in their lives.” Jones says that painting is one way for the children to learn to express themselves. A typical class has from eight to 16 students who, in one hour, create an 8x10 acrylic-on-canvas painting. Jones leads the class and paints with the kids, teaching how to mix

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colors, which paint brushes to use, and different brushstrokes. She has a finished painting on display.

According to Jones, there’s a mix of first-timers and those who have painted. Some follow along; others go freeform, tapping into their personal creativity. Step by step, they receive instruction, and at the end of the session each child has his or her own personal masterpiece.

“It’s fun to watch,” says Jones. “Many do well... I think it was Pablo Picasso who said, ‘Art washes away the dust in your soul.’ It’s true. It allows you to take a breath and disconnect from worry. Enjoying the arts helps you turn a corner in your life.”

The performing arts also have a place in the Pathways art therapy curriculum. Mary Caroline Moore, director of Newnan Theatre Company (NTC), brings volunteers to visit Pathways two or three times a month, delivering a lively dose of performing arts to the residents.

“We were excited about joining Pathways when Abigail (Alvarez) approached us with the idea,” Moore says. COVID-19 put the kibosh on things they might usually do, like singing or speaking loudly. Instead, NTC got creative with an idea volunteer Faith Farrell had seen at other theatre companies. They called it “Play in an Hour.”

To create a play in an hour, kids supply two different nouns, prepositions and so forth. The combination the group likes best becomes the last sentence of the play, or, how the play ends: “That’s how the shark was over the underwear,” for example. Next, the young thespians-to-be go around the room, starting with the standard “Once upon a time,” then adding sentences and

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characters and using props and costumes supplied by NTC to compose a storyline. A quick rehearsal is followed by a performance.

“They seem to enjoy it very much,” says Moore. “It gets crazy, silly, ridiculous, and is lots of fun.”

Most of the children have no previous performing arts experience, but this live version of “Mad Libs” is popular nonetheless. Moore points out how language arts are also part of the creativity as nouns, prepositions and adjectives are defined during the process. Additional benefits include helping youth learn participation skills and how to deal with disappointment, such as not getting a desired role, while gaining a sense of accomplishment when the production wraps, according to Moore.

“It’s a confidence booster and good for the ego for the child to be able to say, ‘I wrote and performed in a play,’” Moore notes. “We hope perhaps we’re expanding their horizons and showing them arts are fun and can be an escape.”

It’s been said that art heals.

The professionals, painters, performers and patients at Pathways agree. NCM

Come see Dr. Akey for Newborn Care, Breast Feeding Support, Developmental Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, Nutritional Counseling, Covid-19 Visits, Sick and Well Checks.

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anytimepediatrics.com MAY/JUNE 2021 | 67

COWETA PROSE & POETRY

Red with Ripe and Green with Rind

By Faith Farrell

Words in Art O

riginally from Minnesota, artist Faith Farrell is a scenic painter for movies.

She spends her free time at Backstreet Arts and she designs sets and Faith Farrell occasionally acts at Newnan Theatre Company. One of her latest writing projects involves penning a play titled “The Lonely Carnie” that features giant puppets. Her prose and poetry often finds its way into her paintings. Visit Farrell and her work on Instagram: @faithfarrellart.

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 Newnan-Coweta Magazine.

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

Tossing the snack/sized pretzel salt over my shoulder for luck – I look out the window of the plane.

Through triple-paned glass, the heat of the sun tattoos a triangley shaped sunburn on my arm – And as I count the dotty dots of silos and play tiddlywinks with the lakes I realize that this is how summer’s beginning of the end always seems to start – On a plane from Georgia.

I thank summer for days that I believed wouldn’t count: for cold melon on hot mornings I thought wouldn’t matter.

Junior high hijinks of watermelon seed predictions – each seed (solemnly sworn to secrecy) stuck to my forehead with their fruit juice glue.

Each seed silently named a lucky, future mate – and as the day went by – seeds started jumping to their salvation – until there was only one.

And like all 7th grade magic – this named seed would reveal to me a future of lazy, eggy mornings, Crosswords and cribbage – Somewhere a champion of Valentines never received.

This roulette game of seeds transformed to more middle school magic; folding paper cubes with answers written on triangle flaps, magic 8 balls and fortune cookies; Hunkered together in the trenches – Ammunition for my future.

The plane starts its descent and the green patchwork of wheat and soy start to dinge out with the dirt and the closer I get the more I can see.

I brush away the pretzel dust and push up my tray – I knock three times on his thigh Knock, knock, knock I wake him Mid-dream and post-drool, he clumsily takes off the headphones.

The air waffles on the tarmac and once again I am home – Back to the place from where I began.

I know tonight as the sun begins its descent we will all sit outside under the pines.

I also know the “OHS” of my accent will return as we eat fish and corn and tomatoes from the garden While we throw in some cheese (because that is what we do).

And as the dishes clink, clink, clink in their clearing – I will be surprisingly speechless when the guest dessert is served Placed half-mooned in front of me; Red with ripe and green with rind.

And as I wipe the fleshy pink juice from my chin, I look past the pines Seeing the seeds’ predictions have finally come true.

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 69

GO FLY a (Newspaper) Kite

COWETA CRAFTS

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY | Photographed by SANDY HISER

Payton’s Place

W

ondering what to do with yesterday’s newspapers?

How about making a kite with the kids this summer?

Not only is this simple craft a cool way to connect with your kids: Repurposing paper helps them learn about recycling, and using sticks from your yard teaches children to make do with what’s available rather than bringing new “stuff” into the home.

Our in-house craft guru, Payton Thompson, and her 2-year-old son, Kye, show us how!

Here's wh

a

of the fin t the back

ished kite

. looks like

Liftoff! Two-year-old Kye Henry gets a huge kick out of flying the newspaper kite he just made (with a little help from his mom).

COWETA CRAFTS

Materials • •

Newspaper 2 straight sticks, one about 3 feet long and one 2 feet long; sticks from your yard are fine

• • • •

Kite string Scissors Glue (craft glue or hot glue) Ribbon

2

1

TOP "Okay, I made a kite," says Kye. "Now, how does this thing work!"

ABOVE Mom Payton Thompson explains to son Kye how to achieve "liftoff" with his new kite.

4

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

3

5

Directions 1. Lay newspaper flat at a 90-degree angle. Place sticks in a cross position and tie together at center with string. Lay sticks in the shape of a diamond on the newspaper.

2. Tie tips of sticks together with string to form a diamond.

3. Fold edges over stick tips and string.

4. Glue edges in place in the diamond shape of a kite.

5. Tie and knot long, thin string at center of kite where the two sticks cross.

Add ribbon to the end of the kite for decoration and stability. NCM

ABOVE After a few failed attempts, Kye finally gets his kite off the ground and into the air (opposite page).

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 71

ASK A MOM @ newnan.com Compiled and Edited by JILL WHITLEY

No matter which side you find yourself on in the Mommy Wars, we can all agree that parenting is the most difficult job on earth.

Whether you’re single or married, working or staying at home, there’s no easy path to raising a happy, healthy child.

Newnan-Coweta Magazine has you covered with a feature tailored just for parents – Ask a Mom at Newnan.com. We have partnered with some amazing Coweta-area moms who are experts in fields ranging from pediatrics and obstetrics to education and psychology, to first responders and regular, everyday moms.

Some are moms-made-superheroes by raising medically fragile children and caring for aging parents as they do. They are all available to answer readers’ questions about parenting, kids and family life in general.

Send your concerns to askamom@newnan. com. It really does take a village, and we are here to be your village with judgment-free, real-life answers.

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

72 |

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Building Resilience Through Love Dear Mom,

After spending months learning at home, my child finally went back to school faceto-face this semester. I thought he would be happy to see his friends and teacher, but he has done nothing but misbehave since I sent him back. He’s never had discipline problems before. How do I help him through this transition?

Sincerely, A Concerned Mom Dear Concerned Mom, A few days ago, my first-grader came home with a long note from her teacher, a hole in her shirt, and a tear-stained face. Between hiccuping sobs, she explained that, in a moment of frustration, she cut the shirt in some kind of dramatic display in the middle of art class. After grounding, then cuddling her – I’m never sure which to do first – I asked her why on Earth she had done that, and the floodgates opened.

School is much different these days, and it seems she’s having trouble coping with change.

Finally, she exhausted her litany of complaints with a gut punch: “The sun was shining through my plexiglass wrong and I couldn’t concentrate on my work.”

Her plexiglass. You know, the clear plastic divider they’ve put between students to minimize the risk of virus transmission? It’s such a COVID-19 problem that I didn’t know where to begin. I needed a lifeline. I sent her to her room so I could frantically phone a friend. My sister picked up on the first ring.

“If you think about it,” she said slowly, “We all have days when the light shines off our plexiglass wrong.”

Coronavirus might be novel to humans, but fear, frustration

ASK A MOM and sadness aren’t.

When my children were small, I read a book that hypothesized that all children melted down for one of four reasons: They’re either hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Right now, Millie is at least three of the four, as am I. We are angry because we’ve lost so much. For Millie, it was the beloved grandfather who slipped away after two weeks on a ventilator. For others, it was losing their home in the March tornado. We've all lost something in the past year, whether moments, memories, or material items that can't be replaced.

We are lonely in isolation. Kids weren’t meant to learn through video screens and plexiglass walls. They need a reassuring back pat or hug from a teacher or their classmates. They need full-contact recess.

They need loud, raucous birthday parties and giggly sleepovers and fort-building playdates – all things that may be off the table until the beginning of 2022.

We are tired because living in constant fear wears us down. In the year since COVID-19 was first detected in the United States, we have learned so much about the virus, and most of the new information speaks to its volatile and unpredictable nature. We, or our loved ones, could get sick at any moment, and there’s no telling how deadly the virus will be until it claims us. Some of us lose the ability to taste but recover quickly. Some will need hospitalization. Some will recover after intubation, and, for others, it’s a death knell. There’s no way to know, so we stay vigilant, and ever-present anxiety leads to the kind of exhaustion that will plague us for years to come.

While so many of today’s parenting challenges are as novel as the Coronavirus itself, some never change.

We’re experiencing the same heartsick hopelessness and helplessness as our grandparents, who sent their children to school to crouch under desks during the Cold War, and our great-grandparents, who were as glad to see the polio vaccine as we are to get the COVID-19 shot.

Parenting is not an exercise for the fearful or faint of heart. As long as there are children, there will be mothers who worry for their safety and fathers who wonder what sort of world they will grow up in.

However, like good manners, hope never goes out of style. The one silver lining to the pandemic is that parents and children have had more time to spend together, and love breeds resilience.

The sun might be shining wrong through our plexiglass, but it’s still shining nevertheless. NCM

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NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: CASA

“Once assigned to a child, advocates are required to meet with the child at least monthly. They learn everything about that child: their physical health, their mental health, their educational and emotional needs.”

– Amanda Camp

LEFT Coweta CASA board members don CASA T-shirts at a Fish Fry fundraiser at Abide Brewery, from left: Monica Blount, Whitney Purinton, Parker Griner, Volita Almon, Monique Johnson and Jennifer Garcia.

Helping Coweta’s Foster Kids

F

or a child, few things can be more traumatic than being taken from home and entering the foster care system due to the abuse, illness or incarceration of a parent.

On average, foster children are in state care for a year and a half; about 5% languish in care for five or more years.

Unfortunately, the system can continue to traumatize children even after they are removed from a dangerous situation: Each new meeting brings the potential for another emotional loss as the child is frequently moved between homes and caseworkers in an underfunded, overworked child welfare system.

Coweta Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a

Written by JILL WHITLEY

MAY/JUNE 2021 | 75

EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE NEWNAN LAGRANGE

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: CASA

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.

Join Us Friday Nights at 7pm Call 706-884-1828 for tickets 136 Main St., LaGrange, GA

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!

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REMEMBER - This is a listening room. There is a “HUSH” policy. If someone starts up a loud conversation you may hear “SHHH” from around the room. Totally normal - don’t get your feelings hurt. People came to hear the music that’s all.

nonprofit organization that focuses on improving the experiences and outcomes for Coweta’s foster kids by providing them with carefully screened, rigorously trained, volunteer advocates.

The program started in Coweta in 2005 and, when Director Amanda Camp took the helm three years ago, expanded to take on two more counties in the Coweta Judicial Circuit –- Heard and Meriwether.

The agency now works with about 30 children in foster care in Heard and Meriwether counties, and about 90 children placed in foster homes by Coweta County Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS).

According to Camp, advocates become experts on each child they serve.

“A CASA is an everyday, regular person who has been carefully screened, trained and supported to be an advocate for a child or a sibling group of children in foster care,” says Camp. “Once assigned to a child, advocates are required to meet with the child at least monthly. They learn everything about that child: their physical health, their mental health, their educational and emotional needs.”

The volunteer has access to all the child’s medical and educational records and background information on other parties involved with the child, such as parents, the child’s current foster parents, and any relatives who might be a good fit for permanent placement. Volunteers learn everything about their assigned child and the case, and they use that information to make recommendations and advocate for resources to meet the child’s needs. They submit the information to the judge in a written report, which includes recommendations about the child’s best interests based on the facts of the case.

The other essential service that a CASA provides a foster child is consistency.

“We stick with a kid from start to finish of a case,” Camp says. “We try to get to them as soon as they enter foster care, and we’re there until they find a safe, permanent home, whether that’s going back to Mom or Dad, being placed permanently with a relative, being adopted or staying in care until they’re 18 and age out of the system. We’re going to stay with that child until they find permanency.”

According to Camp, some kids who come into foster care stay in the same home the entire time.

“There are hardworking, dedicated case workers who stay with a child for years and do an amazing job,” she says. “But unfortunately, the nature of the system is that change is involved. Case workers, whether because there is a shift in workloads, or because they leave the agency, aren’t always able to stay with the child. Foster placements might change due to a number of reasons. Often, when a new

caseworker or family is assigned to the child, the CASA can be a resource to make the transition as smooth as possible. When a placement or caseworker changes, our job is to bridge the gap and ensure that everyone has the information they need.”

Camp acknowledges that CASA work can be emotionally draining. She admits that sometimes volunteers suffer vicarious heartbreak.

“There’s secondary trauma that comes from hearing these stories of child neglect and abuse,” she says. “You absorb the pain and the trauma of those families. It will break your heart. For our staff and volunteers to hold all of that pain, they have to have good boundaries, and they have to work within the role and the rules of the organization.”

Camp leads a staff of three volunteer coordinators.

“A volunteer coordinator is a safe person that a volunteer can vent to, and we try to help them maintain balance,” says Camp. “And my job is to be that person for the staff to make sure they’re supported and maintain good boundaries.”

At this time, Coweta CASA has plenty of volunteer advocates. The program has taken their volunteer training virtual, and recently began their third class of training since the beginning of the pandemic. But Camp encourages even those who don’t have time to take on a case to get involved with the organization.

“Even with the program being around for 15 years, there are many people who don’t know who we are or what we do, possibly because of the confidential nature of our work,” she says, noting that one doesn’t have to undergo training as an advocate to help Coweta’s foster children. “Whether it’s becoming a CASA or a foster parent, serving on our board, providing financial support or just sharing information from our social media pages, we need community support. We rely heavily on grants, but those grants often require a cash match. We have to be able to show that the community supports us and is invested in the work we do.”

For those interested in becoming an advocate, Camp is quick to tout the rewards of CASA work: “No matter what you do, no matter how a case turns out, you’re planting seeds. You’re teaching the child that there are adults who care about them. You’re that role model for them. So no matter what happens, that kid is going to remember that you were kind to them, that you cared about them, that you were genuinely interested in their life and what they had to say. And hopefully all our kids will remember that we cared about them.” NCM

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EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE NEWNAN NEWNAN

Painting by David Boyd, Jr.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO COWETA

Blacktop Photo by Gary Wilson nan, invites summer day trips Chattahoochee Bend State Park, outside of New . and weekend getaways

Photo by Sa

lly Ray

Spring daffod February in Cils showed up in oweta County .

Photos by Laurie M

attingley

e to eat in pped by for a quick bit Strangers recently sto unty resident Laurie Mattingly the yard of Coweta Co the act with her camera. who caught them in

submit your

photos

Email us your photos of life in and around Coweta County and we may choose yours for a future edition of Blacktop!

Photos must be original, high-resolution (300 DPI) digital photos in .jpg format, at least 3”x 5” size.

Photo by Robert Lowrie ren Brother and sister Luke and Lauren Lowrie, childs in track train the walk ie, Lowr Katie of Robert and Sharpsburg.

Please include your name so that we can give you credit for your photo in the magazine!

Email your photos with the subject “Blacktop” to the address below.

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EXPERIENCE DOWNTOWN NEWNAN visit our website for event schedule & business listings

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Photo by Tim Smith

Tim Smith, of Sharpsburg, captured the brilliance of a Japanese maple showing off its gorge ous fall colors.

Photo by Chad McC

racken

ht, takes Camp McCracken, rig Coweta native Sophiey 2021 snow dump in Washington, ar advantage of the Janux, and their children, Henry and Remi Ale D.C. with husband, family lives on Capitol Hill.

Rose. The MAY/JUNE 2021 | 81

THE WRAP-UP/TOBY NIX

Family Guy Family. It’s much easier for me to write about than technology or art, which was my

assignment in the last issue of this magazine. I wasn’t blessed with the ability to draw or paint. Or to understand the 1s and 0s that might make up computer knowledge.

But I was very much blessed with a good family. Anyone who knows my blood family, I think, would agree.

I had a good father. I had a good mother. I have/had good brothers. Though my maternal grandfather passed away the year before I was born, I had good grandparents. I have/had good aunts and uncles.

I married into a good family. Since the mid-’90s, my wife’s family has treated me like I was one of them.

They are from Cambodia, and I've come to love their culture. I’m passionate about the atrocities that were committed against them, which brought them here, as well as the things that still aren’t quite so right over there today.

As my blood family went through a rough year last year, I was humbled to see how my blue family – my brothers and sisters in law enforcement – helped me through the troubling times.

I was very proud to hear my Nix brothers say how impressed they were with how my blue family represented, and represented well.

Blood family, we don’t get to choose. We’re family because that’s the way it happened. Thankfully for me, I was given the best.

My in-laws, I didn’t choose them so much as I chose their pretty family member who, lucky enough for me, had either poor vision or bad taste in men. Either way, I’ll take it. Thankfully, I married into the best.

It doesn’t hurt anything that their food is amazing and they throw the best parties.

My blue family, we chose each other. We could have picked any other profession. We could have picked different guys to get close to. Any number of things could have happened in my life where I’d never have met any of these people.

But we met. We bonded. We laughed together. We got through bad calls together. We chose who would be our mentors, who we’d take under our wing, and who we’d just hang with any chance we got.

Thankfully, I chose the best.

I may be able to spin out semi-coherent sentences for a column about technology or art, but there aren’t enough pages in this magazine for me to talk about my family.

I’m luckier than a lot of people when it comes to that – the family that was assigned to me at birth, the family I married into, and the family I chose for myself.

NCM

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

82 |

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770-369-0665

Debbie O’Neal

Kim Tullos

770-855-2909

470-215-0176

MDC

MDC

678-378-1428

Jennifer Spralding

Jacqui Robertson

Kristy Hardage 770-310-9800

Kerri Thompson 770-324-7296

MDC

Tina Furgala

MDC

Michelle Troiola

MDC

Erin Looney

Sharon Doane

MDC

Joy Brown Barnes

MDC

678-468-0343

MDC

MDC

404-933-4347

Tiffany Byars

MDC

Vicki Dell

MDC

The Hunt Team

MILLION DOLLAR CLUB

MDC

MDC

MDC

MDC

2020

Newnan-Coweta Board of REALTORS®

Stacy Brooks

Alejandra Gonzalez

678-790-3320

404-259-8355

COA

Fayette County Board of REALTORS®

CIRCLE OF ACHIEVEMENT Parrish and Cunningham Team 770-846-8004

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