From the first water supply in Newnan from Bolton Spring in 1893, to the first flicker of electricity that lit a downtown Newnan street corner, Newnan Utilities has been committed to delivering the services that enhance the quality of life throughout Coweta County.
Publishers C. Clayton Neely
Elizabeth C. Neely
Editor Jackie Kennedy
Creative Director Sonya Studt
Graphic Designers Emily Hernandez, Erin Scott
Contributing Writers Cheryl Coggin Glisson
Frances Kidd
Jennifer London
Gail McGlothin
Caroline Nicholson
Contributing Photographers Jackie Kennedy
April McGlothin-Eller
Sara Moore
Bob Shapiro
Advertising Manager Misha Benson
Multimedia Sales Specialist
Caroline Nelson
At Georgia Bone & Joint, our sports medicine doctors take a team approach in helping you return to your favorite sports and activities. Our sports medicine doctors are trained in the treatment and care of sports-related injuries and conditions, such as torn ligaments (ACL & MCL), torn cartilage (meniscus), joint instability, muscle weakness, sprains, and fractures. With this advanced training, our physicians have the experience and expertise to assess, diagnose, and treat your sports medicine injur y individually to your needs.
➤ Cover Photo by Bob Shapiro. See Behind the Shot on page 14 and the cover feature on page 40.
Our Best Gifts
The holiday season seems the most appropriate time to think about gifts and giving, so in this, our Holiday Issue, we do just that.
Jennifer London, who’s written for this magazine for seven years and is certainly a gift to us, interviewed five local families who shared memories about their favorite gifts received and/or given, on page 40. In large part, she found that the closer a gift relates to a family’s history and heritage, the more dear it becomes over the years, whether it’s a gift received and shelved in our memory, or a present we gave that required extra energy and effort to surprise our loved ones.
The best gift I’ve gotten in recent years was from my son Ben. I found it last year, about six months after he died in December 2022. I was sorting through some drawers, when a vaguely familiar book cover caught my eye. It was the handsome black cover of a blank book, one of those with bare pages except for lines on which you write your own story.
As I opened it, in the back of my brain the wheels were turning, telling me it belonged to one of my boys. They wrote stories, started journals and drew pictures in numerous books like this as they were growing up. On the first page of this old book newly discovered, I rightaway recognized Ben's handwriting. And then I read – drank in, devoured, absorbed – the words he wrote 24 years ago.
“Whoever gets this, I love you. God bless you. I started this book when I was twelve.”
I sat on the floor and sobbed.
When I gathered myself, I read the handful of journal entries Ben made in December 2000. He wrote about playing computer games with his buddies, exempting finals, and helping me decorate the church with poinsettias.
Remembering the discovery of that journal, a treasured gift from my son, I tremble.
That’s what the best gifts do for us. They make us smile and shake our heads in awe as we remember. They run a surge of energy through our soul. The best ones give us goosebumps.
This issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine focuses largely on giving. Along with five families and their gifting memories, we feature our annual Christmas Cookie Contest on page 54, sponsored by local businesses that joyfully donate valuable prizes for our winners’ gift baskets each year. On page 20, we spotlight Meals on Wheels of Coweta, whose volunteers deliver meals to shut-ins around the county, demonstrating a generosity that lifts spirits – and probably prolongs lives. We salute local veterans for their selfless gift of service and sacrifice to our country, see page 24.
It is the kindness demonstrated in the act of giving that we remember and cherish. The way the gift makes us feel weighs more than the token itself.
It’s the kindness, shown or spoken – or written in a childhood diary – that we savor in years to come.
Hoping your holidays are filled with gifts that generate goosebump memories,
Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com
Ben and Jackie visited Chesapeake Bay in 1999, when he was 11.
Caroline Nicholson loves disappearing behind a book and falling into fictional worlds. She’s working toward her Master of Arts in English at the University of West Georgia and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in creative writing to become a college English and creative writing professor.
Jennifer London lives in Newnan with her daughter. The two use their travels as inspiration for stories they create with Jennifer writing and her daughter illustrating. Jennifer believes that everyone has a story to tell, and she loves being a freelance writer and meeting new people.
Cheryl Coggin Glisson is a memory keeper who enjoys documenting life’s unguarded moments. A retired PR executive, she co-authored “Celebrate Retirement, the Freedom and the Frustration” and published “MeMaw's Kitchen,” a 200-page collection of family recipes and stories.
Bob Shapiro has taken photos in Newnan since moving here in 1973. He and his wife Georgia raised two sons and now enjoy retirement, which includes clearing Powers Crossroads property from overgrown brush and occasionally bringing out the old camera bag for photoshoots.
Sara Moore's warm and welcoming nature influences her photography. She lives the quiet country life in Newnan on a farm with horses, dogs, chickens and ducks.
The Rev. April McGlothinEller is the director of Church and Community Engagement at Wellroot Family Services, a ministry of the United Methodist Church. In her free time, she fancies herself a musician, artist and photographer.
Gail McGlothin is a nonprofit consultant and grant writer. When she’s not searching for starfish on the Oregon coast, kayaking, reading or playing board games with her grandchildren, she helps voters get government-issued picture IDs.
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.
Our Readers Write:
Regarding our recent Arts Issue:
It was a pleasure to read every page of your current (Sept.-Oct. 2024) issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine. I especially enjoyed the pieces on (David Jr.) Boyd and (Bob) Shapiro, two iconic art figures in Newnan. Boyd’s journey from a SCAD grad to plein-air painter after a transformative one-day masterclass is full of twists and turns that recalls the wandering nature of self-discovery to find one's niche. Coupling Boyd and Shapiro in the same issue would have been unremarkable except that their lives crossed paths multiple times as if by inyeon, a Korean concept for affinity or fate. Shapiro’s five decades of experience as a photographer were rich and varied. Whether in the darkroom or in the digital realm of Photoshop, Shapiro was adept at creating art out of his photographic subjects.
– Chan Suto, Peachtree City
Excellent magazine I got in today’s newspaper. I’m so proud of Sandy and Jonathan Parker and David Boyd and Bob Shapiro. I’m lucky to know these talented friends.
– Katie Brady, Newnan
A friend shared the September-October 2024 issue with me. The issue is not encumbered with ads, which is great. The balance is people oriented and, for me, the Arts Issue is a bonus. I write mostly poetry. Truly, “Art and artists everywhere, man!” But I thought Hank Snow was the writer of that one.
I wonder a couple things as a father and grandfather. My daughter has written some poetry and my granddaughter (12) recently sent a couple canvas paintings to a friend in Ocala, Fla., who “had” to have the one he picked, and he sent my daughter some money to sponsor said granddaughter to art classes. How might my daughter or our granddaughter present for an interview or to be recognized although they live in Smyrna? You could add Smyrna to “everywhere.”
Sincerely,
From the Editor:
– Randy Goss, Gay, Ga.
Dear Randy, thank you for your note. We thoroughly enjoy creating our Arts Issue every other year. And yes, we called it “the Johnny Cash song” when referencing “I’ve Been Everywhere” because he sang it. Hank Snow sang it, too, but neither one of them wrote it! That distinction goes to an Australian songwriter, Geoff Mack, who wrote the song
in 1959. Lucky Starr was the first to record the song and used the names of Australian towns in their 1962 recording. The same year, Hank Snow recorded his version in the U.S. with names of American towns.
Whew, all that history aside, I wish we could feature your daughter and/or granddaughter, but we try to focus our coverage on Coweta residents or people with tight Coweta ties. Move here, and you’ve got a deal! In the meantime, I’m going to share your information with an editor friend at an Atlanta magazine. Here’s rooting for you,
– Jackie Kennedy, NCM Editor
Regarding “Touring ‘Murder in Coweta County’” from our March-April 2023 issue:
I was taken by this true story. I lived in Midland City, Ala. (Dothan), and on a trip to Atlanta I stopped, visited the courthouse and the Lamar Potts gravesite and had very heartfelt feelings while visiting. True stories do this to a person.
Some faces simply beg to be on the cover of a magazine. Case in point: the 2-year-old face of Kaius Laboy, this issue's cover model.
I met Kaius on a visit to his family’s Newnan home in October to photograph them for our story on gift giving, page 40. I’d been on the lookout for a toddler to feature on the cover of this year’s Holiday Issue, and after meeting this bundle of energy with a glowing smile, it was obvious he was the one.
Thankfully, his lovely mom, Alexa Laboy, said yes when we asked!
To shoot the cover, we enlisted Bob Shapiro, a local rock star when it comes to photographing children.
A face made for magazines
Written and Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY
But before the photoshoot could begin, we had to have the right backdrop. We gathered empty boxes of all shapes and sizes, did some early Christmas shopping to get wrapping paper and whatnot, and asked our receptionist, Payton Thompson, if she’d like to get some early practice on her holiday wrapping. She spent most of one autumn morning wrapping boxes for our photo backdrop.
On the day of the shoot, Bob and his wife Georgia showed up early to assess the situation and set up lights. Then the Laboy family arrived with little Kaius in tow.
As anyone who’s simultaneously wrestled with a camera’s settings and a kid’s emotions to capture a happy photo knows, that combination can lead to disappointment and frustration. Children two and younger are peculiar little humans, just as likely to grin until their cheeks hurt as to rip forth with a howling cry because someone looked at them sideways.
But the angels of Christmas smiled on us that day. Kaius must have been well-fed and rested, because he took cues like a champ. And Bob caught his sweet smiles and twinkling eyes like a champ himself.
NCM
Bob shares big hugs with Kaius, right, and his cousin Khaleb Shaikh.
It took Kaius a minute to get used to the idea of posing for a photoshoot.
Bob Shapiro shows Kaius a few of his photos.
December
Iwent back and decided to reread “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. This all-time classic of a novel deals with many issues, such as dementia, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. A psychologist would have a field day with the protagonist, Willie Loman.
Willie, now 60 with cognitive issues, has been a salesman his entire life and frankly has little to show for it. Willie is married to a kind and caring wife and they have two children, but he mostly defines himself with his production as a salesman.
His intentions for his two sons are good, but he fills them with delusions of their abilities and the world which ultimately hurts them.
Deeper down, the story is really about identity in a capitalist country, like the United States, and a sense of impact that we leave on the world and our family.
These characters are beautifully written and still identifiable almost 75 years since the novel was written. This is a quick and easy read, though it is a little heavy.
Read a good book lately?
‘Death of a Salesman’
Reviewed by JESS BARRON
This book is one of my favorites. It is written as a play with stage directions throughout. The novel is full of flashbacks and hallucinations, so the stage directions make scenes and segues easier to understand.
One of the takeaways is that a person’s job and financial earnings should not completely define them. That is a dangerous way to live, and there is more to life.
That’s something I can remember as a salesman myself.
“Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, published 1949, 112 pages; ★★★★★
Jess Barron is vice president and associate broker with Lindsey’s Inc. Realtors in Newnan. He’s a member of the Million Dollar Club and serves in leadership positions with Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, The Heritage School Board of Trustees, Foundation of Wesley Woods, Housing Authority of Newnan and Newnan Urban Redevelopment Agency.
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.
Shake it up
Sometimes you just gotta shake things up. Holding tightly onto holiday traditions, most folks fondly fantasize about their favorites: fruitcakes, cookies and gingerbread house construction zones.
I think of Pop Rocks.
But sometimes it’s good to rattle our rigid traditions.
When I was in middle school, Pop Rocks became the rage. If you could find it, this candy of the future promised instant astronaut and cool kid status. My neighbor had tried some while visiting Space Mountain at Disney World. Describing it in detail at the bus stop, she explained how the candy would sizzle and dance in your mouth. I instantly became obsessed, but I was too young to drive or hitchhike to Florida. But then, a Christmas miracle occurred: Our parents surprised us with a holiday trip to SeaWorld and Disney World in Orlando! Plopped into this palm tree paradise – an orange juice territory of sun and fun – my quest had begun, all while sweating in winter.
On Christmas Day, we woke up to the gift of music and fish as we went to SeaWorld. I patiently sat in the bleachers as I watched Johnny Cash and June Carter sing about jail, love and a boy named Sue. Behind them, Shamu the whale soared a salt water splash to their songs. My dad took photos of it all, including one of my brother as a pirate with a live parrot on his shoulder and one of a petting zoo creature trying to eat the shirt I was wearing.
This holiday seemed never ending. Although the anticipation for securing Pop Rocks was at an all time high, I loved every moment of our Christmas without cookies and carols.
Finally, it was Disney World Day! It wasn’t the promises of princesses – but of Pop Rocks –that propelled me. First, we rode the Flying Dumbos, and then in a scene from a B horror movie, we rode the Teacups (a tilt-a-whirl but “Disneyfied”) when, amidst our laughs, I saw blood coming from my mom’s mouth, flying blood due to the speed and spins, and my brother and I were scared. My dad was oblivious on the sidelines, snapping photos to capture the horror he couldn’t quite see. My mom was laughing, unaware she was bleeding. The ride stopped and she saw the fear on our faces and the blood on her hands, and she hushed us up because it was no big deal; she'd just bit her tongue. Centrifugal force was making mountains out of molehills.
Next on the list? Space Mountain! Thankfully, I was just tall enough to ride. It was all I hoped for and more: light speed soaring in the dark, flying in the future of what could be.
And finally, glowing like a million stars in the galaxy, I saw the display of Pop Rocks, the candy that exploded in your mouth – literally, the Big Bang of confectionary wonders.
I put those sugary pebbles of the unknown under my tongue, fueling my future to explode into a cosmos where finally I could be one of the cool kids at school.
My magical candy crackled and popped in my ears, only later in life to be drowned out by the sounds of my family cheering on joy while Johnny Cash sang under a palmed parasol, holiday joy captured in a colored snapshot where everyday was Christmas – the year we shook it up. NCM
Minnesota made yet Newnan Strong, Faith Farrell is involved with Newnan Theatre Company and Backstreet Arts. Her artwork can be viewed at faithfarrellart.com.
The Women's Specialists of Fayette comprise a healthcare team that understands that women have special healthcare needs throughout their lives.
Our specialists are trained in the field of women's medicine which includes obstetrical and gynecological services such as pregnancy care, family planning needs and counseling, annual examinations, and minor office surgical procedures.
In addition, specialized care is available in areas such as high risk pregnancy and gynecological/ urogynecological surgery.
William T. Cook, M.D. Marlo Carter, M.D. Matthew Ralsten, M.D.
Nicole E. Quinn, M.D. Nykia Burke-Bray, M.D.
Meals on Wheels of Coweta
DELIVERING FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP
Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON
Photographed by BOB SHAPIRO
Within our community, behind closed doors and shut blinds, some Coweta residents struggle to survive day-to-day. These people – grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunts and other elderly members of society – are sick, injured or simply unable to properly look after themselves. Some are separated from loved ones and have no one to care for them.
Among the challenges for this population are grocery shopping and food preparation. One option is to move into a nursing home or assisted living facility, but many prefer to hold onto their independence as long as possible.
Meals on Wheels of Coweta helps these seniors do just that – maintain their independence at home – by providing meals.
Since its creation in 1974, Meals on Wheels America has established over 5,000 community-based programs across the country, ensuring that seniors have access to nutritious meals. Nationally, Meals on Wheels prepares and delivers more than 251 million meals annually.
But what they provide is much more than meals. Often, food deliveries are the only socialization seniors receive during the week. Delivery drivers keep a watchful eye on their clients and frequently connect them with other nonprofits to help meet more needs.
Meals on Wheels of Coweta volunteers pack meals for distribution to homes of senior citizens in need of assistance.
Locally, Meals on Wheels of Coweta began in 1981 as part of the Newnan Coweta Council on Aging. In 2010, the program began operating as its own agency, buying meals from a local hospital and serving around 40 people. Today, the nonprofit delivers more than 62,000 meals each year to approximately 250 seniors.
According to Executive Director Lizabeth Andrew, Meals on Wheels clients choose either a five-meal or seven-meal per week plan. All five or seven frozen meals are delivered by Meals on Wheels employees or volunteers on one day, allowing clients to simply place the frozen meals in a freezer to pull out when needed. Meal deliveries are made every weekday in order to cover all clients.
Over the past decade, the local Meals on Wheels has relocated three times for expansion in order to meet the growing demand. From a rented space on Hospital Road, they moved to a warehouse shared with Bridging the Gap, and then to a building on Savannah Street. During this time, the nonprofit only missed one day of service,
Meals on Wheels volunteer Holly Moulder prepares to travel to a client’s home to deliver meals.
ABOVE A different batch of volunteers shows up daily to assist with operations at Meals on Wheels of Coweta. Here, the Tuesday group includes, from left, front: Barbara McReady, Holly Moulder, Carla Long, Diane Lotycezeski, Lorraine Hopkins, Lisa and Ken Hearn and Larry Small. Back: Mark Grazzaffi, Roz Elliott, Steve Higley and Harris Pruitt.
and that was due to road closures from the March 2021 tornado.
In October 2021, Meals on Wheels moved into its current location in the Shenandoah Industrial Park. The building is equipped with a commercial-grade kitchen where their professional chef, Hannah Eure, prepares hundreds of meals weekly, according to Andrew.
“The food she prepares is divided into microwavable food trays, sealed and frozen until delivery,” says Andrew. “A team of volunteers gathers weekly to handle the food separation, print expiration labels, and organize meals in our large freezers.”
Another group of volunteers spreads out across the county in their cars and trucks to deliver the meals, visit with senior clients, and ensure their well being from week to week.
Sarah, who has been receiving meals from Meals on Wheels for seven years, had four children, all now deceased, leaving her with little support.
“I don’t know what I would do without Meals on Wheels,” she says. “I just love them, and I thank God for them every day.”
Sue, a Vietnam veteran, faced a financial crisis after the death of her husband and was searching for help any way she could get it. She discovered Meals on Wheels and has been receiving their meals for three years.
“They are giving us so much,” says Sue. “They are helping so many people.”
Sue is right.
Since their founding, Meals on Wheels of Coweta has prepared and distributed hundreds of thousands of meals to Cowetans in need and continues to provide more each year.
As Meals on Wheels continues to expand in order to meet the growing need, they're in constant need of donations and volunteers. To get involved, visit mealsonwheelscoweta.org. NCM
Meals on Wheels of Coweta leaders invite area residents to serve as volunteers at the local nonprofit that helps make sure senior citizens are well fed. From left are Meals on Wheels President Cynthia Bennett, Executive Director Lizabeth Andrew and Vice President Dennis Nash.
Lorraine Hopkins packs a roasted chicken dinner.
HONORING FALLEN SOLDIERS Wreaths across Coweta
Written by CHERYL COGGIN GLISSON and JACKIE KENNEDY
Photographed by CHERYL COGGIN GLISSON
The Newnan DAR chapter sponsors Wreaths Across America each December. Members on hand last year to place wreaths at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan include, from left, Scarlett Gibson, Tammy Hyder, Claudia Johnson, Gail Sawyer, Beth Widener and Fay Dressler.
For the past three Novembers, Cheryl Coggin Glisson has placed a wreath at the grave of her father, a World War II veteran, to celebrate his life and honor his service. This year, she’ll do it again, along with other members of the General Daniel Newnan Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
The DAR serves as the local sponsor of Wreaths Across America Day, set this year for Dec. 14. The national organization, Wreaths Across America, estimates that more than 3 million volunteers across the nation will place wreaths on the headstones of veterans this December.
Wreaths Across America states its mission is to: “Remember, Honor, Teach. Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom.”
According to the national organization, 717 loads of wreaths were delivered throughout the country last year by hundreds of volunteer professional truck drivers. At Arlington National Cemetery alone, Wreaths Across America delivered over 259,000 wreaths placed on veteran graves by more than 35,000 volunteers.
Locally, the Newnan Chapter of DAR plans to place 1,062 wreaths at Oak Hill Cemetery in December to honor the lives and service of veterans buried there.
“Each wreath is $17 and DAR members will be reaching out to veteran families, civic groups and businesses all year to make sure every veteran’s life and service is honored,” says Glisson. “It's a very meaningful and visual morning as
Parsons, patrol leader for TrailLife USA Troop GA 1828, assists his son, 3-year-old Anthony Parsons, laying a wreath on a veteran’s grave in Oak Hill Cemetery last December as his 5-year-old daughter Gracie looks on. “Our kids were there because my wife Michelle and I believe in showing our kids ways in which we can remember and honor those who have served their country, which we love,” says Richard. “Our two older boys, not pictured, are the trail-men in the troop. Events like these are for the whole family and open up great conversations.” Troop 1828 meets at Newnan First Baptist Church.
Remembering a Champ on the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
Written by CHERYL COGGIN GLISSON
to be on a ship headed home to the United States.
December marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the biggest battle of World War II.
My dad, Champ Coggin, was part of Combat Command R in Patton’s Third Army, Fourth Armored Division, which fought in the Battle of the Bulge from Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 25, 1945.
Dad left Coweta County a boy and returned two years, three months and 17 days later as a man at age 22.
He and many others in Oak Hill Cemetery were among the 500,000 American soldiers who engaged in that brutal six-week battle in Belgium's Ardennes Forest. They faced freezing rain, mud, thick fog, deep snow drifts, hostile terrain and the coldest European winter in 50 years as they responded to Hitler’s surprise attack. They rescued the 101st Airborne Division
Photos courtesy of CHERYL COGGIN GLISSON
In 1945, Champ Coggin was happy
(Photo restoration by Instagram@ snapbackintimes)
Richard
LEFT
Roy and Carol Yates, a member of VFW Post 2667, salute a veteran's grave after laying a wreath at an Oak Hill Cemetery grave during the Wreaths Across America event last year. A Navy nurse, Carol was mobilized in 1991 to serve in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm. Her deployment to Bahrain represented the first time since the Vietnam era that reservists were called up.
young and old, families, retired service members and patriotic citizens say each veteran’s name aloud, thank him or her for their service to our country, and lay a wreath upon the grave.”
Membership to DAR is open to any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. Currently, 76 women are part of the local organization, which logged 6,072 hours of community service last year.
Photo courtesy of Janet Alford
ABOVE
On December 16, 2023, DAR Regent Tammy Hyder, in red at center, welcomed more than 200 volunteers assembled in Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan to place wreaths on the graves of 1,020 veterans who gave their lives for freedom. The local event, sponsored by the DAR's General Daniel Newnan Chapter, was one of 4,225 similar events across the nation showing a united front of gratitude and respect for fallen veterans.
Along with placing wreaths on veterans’ graves in December, the group annually provides lesson plans and pocket versions of the U.S. Constitution to teachers and 4th graders; presents patriotic packets and flags to new citizens at a reception following their naturalization ceremony; sponsors the American History Essay Contest for students in grades 5-8; and routinely sends cards, ships care packages and provides refreshments at the VA clinic in Atlanta.
Last year, the local DAR placed more than 15,000 American flags throughout the community, more than any other DAR chapter in the Southeast, and retired approximately 800 worn flags from local businesses and individuals.
For more information on this year’s Wreaths Across America event, contact co-chairs Tammy Hyder at tammyhyder@gmail.com or Pat McBurnett at pmcburnett@gmail.com. NCM
in the Belgian town of Bastogne – and broke the back of the Nazi war machine. British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill said: “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an everfamous American victory.”
Those young men were heroes in every sense of the word. Their fight to protect our freedom should never be forgotten.
My dad rarely spoke about his service in World War II.
This year his great-grandson Clark Coggin graduated from Northgate High School and is the same age Daddy was when Pearl Harbor was bombed.
I’m reminded of the famous quote from General George Patton during a pep talk with his troops: “Your grandson will ask you someday, ‘What did you do in the war, Granddaddy?’ You can tell the little bastard, ‘Son, your grandaddy fought with the Third United States Army and an old bitch named General George Patton.’”
Daddy died in 2011. I honor his memory each year by participating in Wreaths Across America and placing a wreath on his grave at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan.
Daddy’s funeral was conducted by Central Baptist Church pastor Joel Richardson. In front of Daddy’s flagdraped coffin, Richardson talked about my father’s service with Patton’s Third Army. He was just a cook, but the pastor’s description of the chaos of feeding a tired and hungry army as it moved across Europe has never left me. From that day, I had a new understanding and appreciation of his war service – and a realization that every job was both dangerous and critical to victory.
Champ Coggin was a 17-year-old Coweta farm boy when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He enlisted to serve his country, attended basic training in Hattiesburg, Miss., and cooking school in Tullahoma, Tenn., then shipped out to England, homesick and seasick the entire voyage.
Champ Coggin lived the rest of his life at home in Coweta County.
continued from page 27
I do want his grandsons to know he served under Gen. George Patton in the Battle of the Bulge. But most of all, I want them to know that despite experiencing the war’s unspeakable carnage, he was a kind and compassionate human being.
Serving under Gen. Patton was not easy. Patton was a crude, ruthless and brilliant military man, simultaneously loved and hated by his troops. He knew how to get the most from every soldier, and he knew it took more than guns and airplanes to win a war. Fuel, whether food to keep the men fighting or gasoline to keep the tanks moving, was crucial. When his army moved faster than his supply lines, Patton expected his men to secure both food and gasoline by whatever means necessary. Every day, kitchens were set up, torn down and transported under fire, frequently into villages still in enemy hands.
In some of the smaller villages, local women were rounded up to help in the kitchens. One was a German woman who had 10 children. At the end of the day, Champ Coggin would send leftover scraps of food home with her to feed her starving children. She was grateful for this unexpected kindness in the midst of war.
To express her gratitude, she thanked my father with the only thing of value she had. It was her Mother’s Cross, the medal given to her by Hitler for bearing 10 children.
Champ declined her gift.
Combat Command R packed up and moved out. Many miles and battles beyond, my father found the gift he’d refused. The German mother of 10 had hidden her most prized possession in his gear. NCM
Those young men were heroes in every sense of the word. Their fight to protect our freedom should never be forgotten.
Champ Coggin served his country as part of “The Greatest Generation.”
Under somber skies last December, more than 200 volunteers met at Newnan’s Oak Hill Cemetery and placed 1,020 wreaths on the graves of veterans buried there. Part of Wreaths Across America, the program was attended by young children, old soldiers and their families.
Street Artist
Das Fuerst
Art on the Wall
Written by FRANCES KIDD | Photographed by SARA MOORE
Todd Das Fuerst poses with one of his recent street art offerings, completed last summer on Temple Avenue.
The origin of the word “graffiti” is from the Italian “graffiato,” meaning “scratched.” Also sometimes referred to as “scribbling,” it’s an art form practiced since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
Merriam Webster’s definition may be what most think of when they hear the word “graffiti.” It’s defined as “usually unauthorized writing or drawing on a public surface.”
Kelly Wall, an academic curriculum developer, acquired an interest in the history of graffiti while studying new and emergent literacies at the University of Michigan. From her research, Wall developed a TED Talk on the subject. She says that, historically,
graffiti has been connected to deliberate rebellion and provocativeness and challenged the established boundaries of public properties, which is why graffiti writers often worked underground, taking new names and/or alternate identities.
Today, however, graffiti appears in galleries and, according to Wall, it “straddles the line between outside and inside the mainstream.”
To a certain extent, street art is connected to graffiti. It’s regarded today as one of the largest art movements due to its huge popularity and its continuing growth as an art form. Primarily seen in urban areas, it can be found on exterior walls of buildings, highway overpasses and bridges, among other public spaces.
Fascinated by graffiti
When you see the Instagram handle @das.bk on formerly blank walls around the Newnan-Coweta area, it means graffiti writer and street artist Todd Das Fuerst has been in town.
Fuerst was attending Newnan High School when he and another student approached the family-run Abraham’s Gold Guns & Pawn Shop on Temple Avenue and asked if they could use the bare wall on
the west side of their store as a canvas.
“When we were in high school, it was about finding a safe space where they’d let us do art,” says Fuerst, whose painting partner used the artist name REHK. Fuerst and REHK began painting at Abraham’s shop after REHK returned from a visit to California with graffiti art magazines and drawings of graffiti-style lettering in sketch books. They were both fascinated by the art and the culture.
ABOVE When your canvas is exponentially larger than you are, it takes multiple days to complete a painting. Here, work on a mural at Abraham’s Pawn Shop on Temple Avenue takes shape progressively, from A to D.
A B C D
“I know where he started from, and he’s all self-taught and really talented.”
- REHK
Woman with Daisies
He comes back to Newnan to visit family, and occassionally he tries out new ideas on “his” wall on Temple Avenue.
Old Man
Abraham told the boys it was OK to work there with the understanding they would never do anything controversial. Though they typically didn’t show him details in advance, the store owner says he felt comfortable because they always asked permission before painting, showing a respect for both him and their art.
With a third member of their group, Christopher Gallati, the boys had sleepovers at REHK’s mom’s house where they painted and repainted the inside garage wall. Everyone, especially REHK’s mother, was thrilled when they found their canvas on Temple Avenue.
Hidden art galleries
Today, REHK is a successful attorney and art admirer.
“Ten-plus years ago, I tried spray painting for the first time in a while,” he recalls. “I found my index finger kept getting tired. I hadn’t realized as a kid all the strength I had built up in my index finger to be able to press a spray paint cap for hours.”
He admires how his friend Das Fuerst has taken his graffiti art to such a high level.
“I know where he started from, and he’s all self-taught and really talented,” says REHK. “I’m always so impressed by him.”
Gallati, now a successful surgeon in Tennessee, remembers when City of Newnan police showed up while they were painting on the wall under the LaGrange Street railroad bridge: “The officers were perplexed to see two skinny white kids painting under a bridge. When they looked at our sketches and concluded we weren’t involved in a gang, they let us go.”
Fuerst remembers four squad cars pulling up and the disappointment of not being able to finish the artwork they’d started under the bridge.
“Obscure places are the most fun to paint,” he says. “They are like hidden art galleries.”
The three pals practiced their artwork and familiarized themselves with the unwritten rules and etiquette of graffiti. Then they ventured into Atlanta to Civic Yard, an old yard at the Civic Center exit. In the language of this culture, any place where graffiti can be painted is called a “yard.”
Going to Civic Yard every Saturday became a ritual. They would prepare a sketch and load up on spray paint under the raised eyebrows of cashiers watching young kids buying dozens of cans of spray paint. They would spend hours painting – sometimes an entire day. Knowing their work would likely get painted over by another graffiti artist, they took pictures of their process and of the finished product.
Training for an artful life
After high school, the three friends went their separate ways. Fuerst joined the military and spent 15 months in Afghanistan. During his last year in the service, he applied to the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He was accepted and, with the aid of G.I. Bill benefits, he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with emphasis on 3D animation and special effects.
After graduation, Fuerst worked on VFX projects at HBO and Netflix. After seven years in New York, he moved to Atlanta, working fulltime as a graffiti writer and street artist. He comes back to Newnan to visit family, and occasionally he tries out new ideas on “his” wall on Temple Avenue.
Graffiti writers and street artists have a culture and courtesy code of their own.
“When you paint with somebody, it’s like a handshake,” Fuerst says. “If you paint in an abandoned warehouse, an empty wall is fine. If you go over someone’s artwork, you have to do something bigger and better, but be prepared for retaliation. If you paint in public places, you have to expect to get covered up.”
Fuerst has two different styles. As he puts it, “Graffiti is its own art form, sometimes also called style writing, and is completely different from street murals which tell a story, though sometimes the two merge together.”
Art at home
Fuerst still works in the visual effects profession, but his street art is popping up in more and more places. Some of his most recent artwork can be found at Newnan High School, on Temple Avenue and at West Peachtree Street in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Midtown Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving Atlanta’s most walkable neighborhood, recently opened what they call the Southeast’s Largest Outdoor Art Gallery. The installation features more than 200 works from professional and amateur artists displayed on light pole banners along Peachtree Street and other thoroughfares. A call for entries in early 2024 elicited
hundreds of submissions, and Fuerst’s work was selected for display in the juried competition.
After learning about the reconstruction of Newnan High School (NHS) in the wake of the 2021 tornado, Fuerst contacted the school about contributing artwork to his alma mater, where he worked with Allison Rogers, who teaches English literature there. Fuerst painted a mural on the retaining wall facing the football practice ground. It features the words “Proving Grounds” superimposed over the words “Newnan High.”
“He’s just a joy to be around,” Rogers says of Fuerst. “And having the opportunity to work with him was wonderful. He’s helped us tie in the school’s past with all the new things.”
Rogers said his “Proving Ground” piece was a big hit at the end-of-year event recognizing the senior class.
“Some of the kids who aren’t involved in athletics saw it for the first time, and all the kids had a great
A Newnan High School graduate himself, Das Fuerst was honored to paint a mural for the renovated school.
“He’s just a joy to be around.”
- Allison Rogers
reaction,” she says. “We wanted to instill in the students that here’s a kid with so much talent, and he’s giving back to the school that he’s so proud of. It’s a great opportunity to be able to share that with the kids.”
Fuerst says adding his touch to the new NHS was a high point in his work as an artist.
“My aim is to contribute professional artwork that enhances the NHS Cougar brand to feel elevated and top-tier, as well as bolstering school pride and Newnan High Cougar legacy,” he says. “I’m excited about their future. In many ways we are all on our own proving
grounds in life. I’m very grateful to the NHS staff and leadership for allowing me to make this contribution.”
Rogers indicated that she hopes NHS will be able to get Fuerst more involved with art programs at the school.
Fuerst still comes back home to paint, so you never know when you might catch a glimpse of the street artist developing new material or refining existing art on his Temple Avenue canvas.
“I feel comfortable in Newnan,” he says. “It’s why I keep coming back. I call it home, and it connects me with how I got here today.” NCM
GIl Gomez, DO
ADVENT SEASON
SUN
DEC 7
DEC 8
DEC 10
DEC 15
DEC 24
TRADITIONAL WORSHIP
8:30AM & 11:00AM | Sanctuary
HISTORIC CHURCH TOUR
5:00 PM | Tickets with History Center
O HOLY NIGHT
3:00 & 6:00 PM | Sanctuary
WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS GALA
5:30 PM | Parish Hall
MEDITATIONS AT THE NATIVITY
8:30 & 11:00 AM | Sanctuary
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, 11:00 PM | Sanctuary
NEWNAN FIRST UNITED METHODIST
33 Greenville Street | 770.253.7400 | hello@newnanfumc.org
A board-eligible orthopaedic surgeon, Gil Gomez, DO is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and AO Spine North America. He specializes in orthopaedic spinal surgery with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, cervical trauma, and the newest techniques in complex spine surgery. He has interests in research in various topics to include bone graft substitutes for cervical discectomy and fusion with recent work “Clinical and radiographic outcomes using third-generation bioactive glass as a bone graft substitute for multi-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a retrospective case series study,” published in the June 2021 issue of the Journal of Spine Surgery. He is passionate about his patients with the goal of finding the best nonoperative or surgical options to obtain the most durable solution for an improved quality of life.
Dollar II, DO | Justin Fernicola, MD | Gil Gomez, DO | Douglas Pahl, MD | Gianni Ricci, DO
The Giving Season
LOCAL FAMILIES RECALL FAVORITE GIFTS FROM HOLIDAYS PAST
Written by JENNIFER LONDON |
new pair of matching Christmas pajamas, a special gift the family receives each year.
Whatever your holiday celebration looks like, it’s bound to have one thing in common with most others: the joy of giving – and receiving – gifts.
Following the lead of three wise kings who traveled to ancient Israel, generations since the birth of Jesus have observed Christmas by exchanging gifts. Likewise, Jewish celebrants of Hanukkah also give presents during the holiday season, as do various cultures
throughout the world, including Hindus who observe Diwali in November.
In Coweta County, families of all shapes and sizes slow down a little this time of year to recall their heritage, to spend quality time with their families, and to express their affection by exchanging gifts.
Here, a few families share memories about the favorite presents they’ve given, or received, at holidays past.
Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY
Reuben, Madeline, McKenna and Tameka Lee look forward to donning a
The Lee Family
A family that gives together
Tameka and Reuben Lee, owners of TRL Upscale Transportation, moved to Newnan just one year ago with daughters McKenna and Madeline. The busy family cherishes the time they spend with family during the holidays more than anything.
“Reuben’s family is in Mississippi and for the longest they were coming every Christmas, but it’s been every other Christmas since we had the girls,” Tameka says. “The girls like that because I have a smaller family and Reuben has a large family. When I grew up, it was just me and my mom, so I love the fact that the girls get to spend time with family and cousins. It just warms my heart.”
Sentimental traditions abound with the Lees.
“The girls have an opportunity to choose an ornament, like a special glass ornament; that’s a special gift we all receive each year,” says Tameka. “My husband and I have some sports-themed ornaments because I’m a Falcons fan and he’s a Steelers fan.”
The family typically visits Macy’s or Hobby Lobby because of their large selection of holiday decor and ornaments, according to Tameka.
As for the best gifts that are given, the Lee family makes sure those go to families in need.
The family makes a habit of “adopting” a family in need, whether that’s through a local program or if it’s a family they’ve heard about who’s fallen on hard times.
“One year, a young lady I worked with was in a bad accident right before Christmas,” Tameka recalls. “We bought Christmas gifts for her and her four children, with McKenna and Madeline picking out all of the gifts for the children.”
For the Lees, sharing in this way puts the deepest meaning to the season.
As for the best gifts that are given, the Lee family makes sure those go to families in need.
LEFT McKenna, left, and little sister Madeline look forward not only to getting presents each year – but to picking out and giving gifts to children of families in need.
BELOW Parents Reuben and Tameka Lee find it important to instill a spirit of generosity in their daughters, McKenna, left, and Madeline.
The Laboy Family
Puerto Rican traditions promise a sweet taste of Christmas
In 2022, Luis and Becky Laboy moved to Newnan from New York City, bringing along Puerto Rican traditions that they love to share with those around them while also incorporating American Christmas customs.
The Laboys put up a Christmas tree, add a manger and wrap presents to put underneath. They believe in Jesus, and they highlight their Puerto Rican traditions so that their children and their children’s children will carry them on.
On January 6, Three Kings Day or Epiphany, the Laboys give their children gifts.
“In our tradition, we get shoe boxes and we ask our children or grandchildren to go out in the field or wherever there may be grass,” says Becky. “They take grass and put it in the box, and they’ll put that underneath their beds on January 5, waiting for the three Magi to come and bring them their gifts.”
The boxed grass represents grass to feed camels that the three kings ride, according to Becky, who says children wake up the next morning on January 6 with presents under their beds where the grass was.
On Christmas day, the Laboys host a breakfast, but their big feast is on Christmas Eve.
“We celebrate more on Christmas Eve because that was the eve of Jesus being born,” says Becky, explaining that’s when most Puerto Rican families hold their big family parties.
Traditional Puerto Rican food and drinks are favorite gifts the Laboys share with friends and family. A week or two before Christmas, the family gets together to make pasteles, which are similar to tamales but wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. The pasteles are often given to family members and friends.
Luis Laboy helps his wife Becky pour coquito into a decorative bottle for holiday gift giving.
Another homemade gift that Becky loves to hand out every year to friends and coworkers is a Puerto Rican drink called coquito.
“Coquito is a rum punch made with coconut milk, coconut cream, Carnation milk and other things,” she says. “My recipe also has brandy and white Puerto Rican rum. I’ll put it in a pretty bottle and most of the time add a pretty bow or a label.”
She also makes arroz con dulce, a rice pudding made with coconut milk that's often gifted with the coquito.
Sharing their culture with others keeps the traditions alive and also spreads cultural appreciation, according to Becky.
“It is part of our culture,” she says. “I give it to my friends to show my love and gratitude.”
Traditional Puerto Rican food and drinks are favorite gifts the Laboys share with friends and family.
Becky and Luis Laboy cherish Christmas, especially when it comes to giving gifts to their grandchildren, Kaius and Khaleb.
The whole family gets in on a game of Dominoes at Christmastime. Competing for the family championship are, clockwise from front center, Kaius Laboy, Marisol Patel, Khaleb Shaikh, Imran Shaikh, Becky and Luis Laboy, and Alexa Laboy.
The Archer Family
Remembering the gifts that keep on giving
Drew and Lindsey Archer moved to Newnan in 2019 with their twins Celia and Joel, 10, and daughter Audrey, 8. The close knit family could be called the Archer Troupe as they are all performers and singers.
The couple worked around the country performing theater before starting their family. Now, Lindsey co-owns Steppin’ Out Performing Arts, in downtown Newnan, where the children also perform. Both Drew and Lindsey perform in local theater productions.
The Archer family members all agree that the best surprise Christmas gift that showed up at their front door one extremely cold and wintry evening was a cat they adopted and named Artoo. It was their first Christmas in
Newnan, and they were coming home from a recital when they spotted the cat outside, as if waiting for them.
“I picked her up, opened the door, put her inside, closed the door, and said, ‘Explore,’” recalls Joel. After searching for the feline’s owner and getting no responses, Lindsey bought a litter box, and the rest is history.
Audrey says the favorite gift she’s ever received was a karaoke machine. Since the Archers are all gifted musical theater performers, they all get a kick out of Audrey’s gift and join with her to sing songs from musicals like “Annie” and “Frozen” or Christmas hymns and jolly songs at the holidays.
As for handmade gifts, Celia is the expert.
“I like to make Christmas cards for people because I like to do crafts, and it’s fun to make Christmas cards,” she says. “I put ‘Happy Christmas’ on the front, and then I write something nice about them and draw a picture. On the next page, I might put something tiny or draw another picture.”
She delivers her handcrafted cards to neighbors, friends at the dance studio, and her teachers. She says her secret ingredient to amazing Christmas cards is glitter.
“I like to make Christmas cards for people because I like to do crafts, and it's fun to make Christmas cards.”
-Celia Archer
Audrey Archer, center, reads from the devotional as her older siblings, twins Joel and Celia, place Christmas ornaments on the Jesse Tree.
While celebrating the holidays, Lindsey says her family uses a devotional book by Ann Voskamp that features a Jesse Tree.
“The book opens up to this big cardboard tree, and every day you open a new ornament and put it on the tree,” she says.
“We’re Christians, and the devotional points to the birth of Jesus. On days leading up to Christmas, there are ornaments that go along with the story, and then on Christmas, it’s a star.”
The Archers enjoy finding the deeper meaning in the Christmas season, according to Lindsey, who says one of the greatest gifts is simply spending time together as a family.
The Archer parents look forward each year to watching their children unwrap and open Christmas gifts, from left, front: Audrey and Joel. Back: Drew, Lindsey and Celia.
From left, Celia, Audrey and Joel Archer sing with lyrical assistance from Audrey’s karaoke machine, her favorite Christmas gift – and one she shares with her family who loves it, too.
The Konidala Family
Combining tradition and modernity for Diwali
Bargavi Chinthagumpallu and her husband Praveen Konidala live in Newnan with their 11-year-old daughter Asana Konidala. They are Hindu and, as wife Bargavi says, “All of our festivals are around the sun and the moon directions, so anything that we celebrate from July until January is all about the darkness and removing the darkness.”
Their most important holiday is Diwali, also called the Festival of Lights, which falls anywhere from the end of October to the end of November, with dates based on the Indian calendar.
A special Diwali gift that Bargavi remembers and treasures was from her grandfather who gave her a bicycle when she scored good grades on her 10th grade exams. She recalls how she'd long been hoping for a bicycle that she could ride to school.
According to Bargavi, Hindu gifts have traditionally either been practical or given with the idea that they will
increase in value. If parents are wealthy, they might buy their children 22k gold jewelry.
“Because of more western influence since globalization started in India in the 1990s, I see toy shops everywhere in India,” says Bargavi. “It’s changing a lot.”
As for her daughter, the special Diwali gift Asana receives each year is a new Salwar suit, a custom-tailored dress she looks forward to getting.
“I get Asana traditional clothes for our traditional festivals,” says her mom. “It’s not like what she wears every day, but when we go to our place of worship or when we celebrate the festivals at home, that's one mandatory thing –that she has to wear the traditional clothes.”
For Diwali, Bargavi begins planning months in advance, ordering fabrics from India and having them custom stitched and shipped here. The colors and patterns are a surprise until Asana receives the gift.
“I like Diwali because it lets us share our culture,” says Asana.
Asana was born in America, so Bargavi and Praveen balance between sharing their traditions and also giving her toys that would be on her wishlist during Christmastime. That way, she can have experiences like her friends here, according to her parents.
Asana says her favorite gift so far has been her hoverboard.
As for her daughter, the special Diwali gift Asana receives each year is a new Salwar suit, a custom-tailored dress she looks forward to getting.
LEFT As mom Bargavi, center, assists daughter Asana with her necklace, dad Praveen helps mom with her hair clip.
BELOW The Konidala family, from left, Bargavi, Asana and Praveen.
The Konidala family includes, from left, daughter Asana, mom Bargavi and dad Praveen.
The Moreland Family
The transformative power of thoughtful giving
Newnan Loft residents Kenyan and Darien Moreland have been married almost two years and are the proud parents of Love, a rescue cat, and a bearded dragon named Mattea. They both work at Serenbe, he in landscaping, while she’s an esthetician at the Serenbe spa.
A thoughtful and dedicated gift giver, Darien says there are a few things that she deeply believes in. One is being able to rewrite narratives that may have ended badly – or igniting certain things that may have been dormant in people for a long time – with gifts.
One of the best gift-giving experiences she’s had was with her mom.
“We’re all from Louisiana,” says Darien. “When my mom was younger, her house burned in a fire; they lost everything. She used to tell this story about the toys she had, especially
an E.T. toy, this little cassette tape with a book, and a little doll with a lavender dress. She used to tell us that story over and over again.”
Five years ago, on Christmas day, Darien presented her mom with a special present.
“She opens it and sees the doll and starts crying,” Darien says, recalling how she spent four months searching online before locating the special doll on Ebay. “My mom displays the doll in her room, and she’s never told the story again. Somehow, the story about the house burning in the fire has never been repeated because of this one thing that was redeemed later in her life. I love the reality that a gift is with the person in mind and can heal something they may have felt they lost forever.”
Acts of service are Darien’s love language, so gifts for her husband tend to be deeply meaningful.
One year, she researched his dream car and took him to Xtreme Xperience to drive a Lamborghini Huracan.
“I wanted him to be excited obviously, but it was because there’s always something in him that lights up when he talks about this thing,” says Darien. “I wanted him to have one moment that the childhood kid was redeemed and he got to drive a fast car around the track.”
“The holidays are supposed to represent love no matter what you celebrate.”
-Darien Moreland
Darien Moreland holds Love, the rescue cat, while her husband Kenyan, carries Mattea, the couple's bearded dragon. These animals the pair gifted to each other continue to be the gift that keeps on giving.
When he recalls the experience, Kenyan smiles and says, “I was actually pretty excited. Early on, I wasn’t the most expressive person because there was still a lot to unpack within myself. I almost couldn’t believe it in a way because I never experienced somebody being that thoughtful to me, for somebody to take the initiative to listen to me without me having to prompt them to listen. It healed something in my heart.”
The holidays are supposed to represent love no matter what you celebrate, according to Darien, particularly the love you have for family, community and connections.
“You would hope that you can love somebody so well that they remember it,” she says. “Life is hard, so to have somebody care about you enough to really think about you is wonderful.”
Darien says the best gift Kenyan gives her are his “thoughtful gestures and paying attention to the things that help without me having to say a word.”
Darien, left, and Kenyan Moreland enjoy exchanging gifts that speak to the love they share, whether that’s a ring, an exciting experience or simply a kind gesture.
Getting a grip on Holiday Stress
Written by FRANCES KIDD
As of Nov. 1, there are 27 days until Thanksgiving and 54 days until Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah. Did you just break out in a cold sweat? Does the thought of family members sitting around a holiday table raise your anxiety level?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, don't worry. You're not alone.
Worry and tension
A poll conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) in November 2023, showed that nearly half of U.S. adults describe their stress levels during the holiday season between November and January as moderate, while about 41% said their stress increases during this time compared with other seasons. While stress appears to be common toward the year’s end, almost half of the participants said the stress of the holidays interferes with their ability to enjoy them;
a third said the holidays feel like a competition due to expectation levels.
The World Health Organization defines stress as: a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall well being.
A lot of things can trigger stress during this time of year. Some people experience grief more acutely this time of year, particularly if they've lost loved ones during
the year. Others worry about conflict among family and friends. For some, there’s worry about money, about spending too much or too little and fear they won’t buy the perfect gifts. Stress can also come from schedules that get overcrowded as the holidays approach. It’s a hard time to say no to friends and family.
Also, according to the APA, people who celebrate traditionally Jewish or other non-Christian religious holidays have additional sources of stress during these months because the larger holiday season doesn’t reflect their culture, religion or traditions.
Data from the APA shows that stress has increased about 10% since 2023. Lingering issues from the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflicts, inflation and other social concerns may weigh on the collective consciousness of many Americans. For some, holidays are the last straw.
Putting
people first
Reverend David Jones II, pastor at Newnan Presbyterian Church, knows something about issues that arise during the holidays, including the potential for conflict.
“It’s the realization that we need each other, and whatever connections we have are worth keeping,” he says. “We have the desire to be together, even when it’s not as easy as we want it to be. We may have to meet in the middle.”
Rev. Jones recommends listening to a song by Dar Williams called “The Christians and the Pagans,” which includes the lyrics, “So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table, Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able.”
Jones recognizes increased feelings of grief during the holidays, and his church holds a service, The Longest Night, around the winter solstice for people to honor their lost loved ones.
Tom Jennings, a counselor with a local mental health facility, recommends making people more important than anything else during the holidays. Along with eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep, he suggests reducing the amount of time spent on screens.
“We’ve lost our ability to talk about so many things,” Jennings says, providing specific ideas to help with communication: “Ask yourself, ‘Could I be wrong, and they’re right?’ And whenever anyone raises their voice, lower yours.”
For years, Helen Berry and her daughter Vanessa Coleman, both from Newnan, have organized large family holiday gatherings. The folks around the table are multi-generational and multi-racial, and the number of people would be daunting to some.
“Our house is one of those houses where everyone’s welcome, as long as you’re respectful,” she says, and she’s not kidding. Their extended family includes a large group
of friends, and even some ex-in-laws are invited to celebrate together.
Berry, who enjoys doing much of the cooking, and Coleman have taken to heart that the holidays are about people.
Remember:
Take a few things off your list.
Keep yourself healthy.
Be realistic about how much you can do.
“If you’re family, you’re family,” she says.“You have to realize you can’t control situations. You can only control yourself.”
Tips to ease stress
There are ways to change up your thinking and behavior to ease holiday stress.
First, there’s an app for that. Calm Health is on a mission to support people on every step of their mental health journey. This digital mental health app offers advice on dealing with manifestations of stress such as sleeplessness, burnout and feeling overwhelmed.
Connecting with people, including counselors and ministers, can also help. There are many online resources from trusted places like the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University. Locally, community churches and nonprofit organizations offer counseling and activities designed to help people de-stress.
Those feeling stress should choose what helps them the most. Here are some ideas:
• For those who feel like they’re being run ragged, take a few things off your to-do list. If you’re facing a long list, take advice from Santa and check it twice. Maybe you’ll see some things you can take off.
• Keep yourself healthy by continuing routines like workouts and filling in some time between large meals by eating healthy foods. If you have a close friend who has similar stress concerns, get together and talk about your issues and potential solutions over a glass of eggnog.
• Be realistic about how much you can do. It’s time to forget about trying to be perfect and enjoy the folks you’re fortunate to share the holidays with.
Holidays are meant to be fun, enjoyable times with friends and family. While there may be some snipping about too many casseroles or not enough desserts on the table, in the final accounting, it’s about spending time with those most important to you.
Taking time to strengthen relationships, even during the hectic holidays, is good for the soul. NCM
Celebrate the Season of Giving with a Meaningful Gift
This holiday season, the Coweta Community Foundation (CCF) invites you to make a difference by giving a gift that truly matters. For “those who have everything,” consider a donation in their name to support a cause close to their heart. Whether it’s enhancing education, rescuing animals, or providing food for a family in need, your gift can honor your loved ones while making a lasting impact on the community. Explore CCF’s Giving Guide and discover how you can give back in a meaningful way and support local initiatives. Visit cowetafoundation. org/giving.
On the lookout for a Cooks Columnist!
Are you a cooking fanatic, food photographer and budding freelance writer looking for a side gig?
If so, Newnan-Coweta Magazine might be your calling!
For the past three years, food writer Gail McGlothin and her photographer daughter, April McGlothin-Eller, have contributed food pages for our magazine. Gail’s cooking know-how and writing skill, coupled with April’s dynamic food photography, graced our pages each issue – and have been exceedingly popular with our readers. Alas, time goes by and folks move on, and Gail and April have decided to hang up their spatula and camera in order to tend to other bucket list endeavors.
That leaves Newnan-Coweta Magazine in need of a cooks columnist and food photographer. If you’re a pro in the kitchen, adept at writing and have a photographer’s eye for food, give us a shout – we’d love to chat with you about this exciting freelance opportunity.
Email jackie@newnan.com or magazine@newnan.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Coweta Community Foundation board members, from left, Tonya Whitlock, Doug Kolbenschlag and Cynthia Bennett, along with CEO Kristin Webb, encourage gifts to the Foundation during this season of giving.
Photo courtesy of CCF
Bake Your Best
Christmas Cookie Contest Celebrity Judges Wows
Written
and Photographed
by JACKIE KENNEDY
From left, judges and longtime friends Bob Shapiro, Bonne Boyd Bedingfield and David Boyd Jr. prepare to depart their judging gig with extra cookies and gifts in tow.
Thank You to all our sponsors!
• Arthur Murphey Florist
• Baker Bag Company
• Blue Cole
• Bold Soul Originals
• Corner Arts Gallery
• David Boyd
• Doug Kees
• Eagle Watch Roofing
• Ellie Mack Boutique
• Georgia Fall Renaissance Festival
• Leaf & Bean
• Lee-Goodrum Pharmacy
• Life of the South
• Morgan Jewelers
• Morgan’s Market/Coweta Greenhouses
• Newnan Book Company
• Pink Flamingo Kids
• The Cake House
• The Grove
• Treasures Lost & Found
• Whimzical Cafe
Multiple tabletops were spread with fresh-baked cookies when celebrity judges showed up in September to judge the seventh annual Newnan-Coweta Magazine Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest.
Honing down the 17 entries to determine first, second and third place winners in two categories, Traditional and Decorated, was quite the challenge. But local artists who judged this year's contest –Bob Shapiro, photographer; Bonne Boyd Bedingfield, cake sculptor; and David Boyd Jr., painter – were up to the task.
All admitted a deep appreciation for cookies, regardless of the time of year, and dug into the many batches of home baked goodness, taking notes as they munched, and gently arguing over the merits of texture, crunch and use of fruit products.
In the end, the judges agreed on the top three winners in each category and proclaimed Brittany
Thompson’s Red Velvet Macarons with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing as this year's Grand Prize winner.
The Grand Prize gift basket, stuffed with generous donations from local merchants and individuals (see sidebar), contained items valued at a total of $600.
For the first time in the history of the cookie contest,
Honing down the 17 entries to determine first, second and third place winners in two categories was quite the challenge.
The Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine named a Staff Pick. Kathy Brown’s Oatmeal Lace Cookies tickled the taste buds of publishers, reporters, ad reps and designers who agreed it deserved some love. So, Brown was presented with a special gift
basket as well.
Several of this year’s winners said they’re already thinking about next year’s contest and trying to determine which recipe they’ll submit in September. Keep an eye open for details on the 2025 contest, which will be judged by local musicians.
From left, celebrity judges and local artists Bob Shapiro, Bonne Boyd Bedingfield and David Boyd Jr. do their best to avoid a sugar high as they taste and judge cookies entered in the annual Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest.
Red Velvet Macarons with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup almond flour
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon red food color
Filling, recipe below
Pour almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a food processor and blend for 1 minute. In separate bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until white and foamy. Increase speed to high and continue to beat egg whites while gradually adding granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time. Beat egg whites until thick, shiny and soft peaks form. Mix in red food coloring at high speed. Fold dry ingredients into egg whites in two steps, until batter looks like wet sand.
Gently scoop mixture into a piping bag and snip off about ¼-inch of the end. Flip cookie sheet upside down and place mat/parchment paper on top. You can either pipe onto a special macaron mat or draw 1-inch round circles and place under parchment paper. You will need to pipe at a 90-degree angle. Remove paper circles from under mat prior to baking. When piping is complete, tap baking sheet on counter 10 times to gently release any air bubbles. Allow to rest for 20 minutes until a film has formed over the batter; you should be able to touch batter without it sticking to your fingers. Bake at 300 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. When cool, add filling to complete cookies.
Prize WinnerGrand
1st Place Traditional
RED VELVET MACARONS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING
Submitted by Brittany Thompson, Newnan
Judge’s Comments:
Bonne: “This is a well-balanced cookie, and they’re not easy to make. You couldn’t pay me to make these!”
Bob: “This is our grand prize winner because it simply beat all the rest of them.”
David: “It was everything I wanted it to be and then some.”
Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
4 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup white chocolate chips, melted
In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter; mix well with hand mixer, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix powdered sugar into cream cheese mixture. When all ingredients are mixed well, add white chocolate chips. Icing is best refrigerated prior to piping macarons.
Match up the size of your macarons and pipe a small amount of icing onto one macaron shell; place another shell on top of icing to complete macaron.
– Abigail Alvarez
Brittany Thompson of Newnan
Red Velvet Macarons with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing Grand Prize
In mixing bowl, cream butter, eggs, sugars, molasses and vanilla bean paste. In separate bowl, stir to combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture until well combined.
Roll dough to ⅜-inch thickness on lightly-floured counter. Cut out desired cookie shapes and place them on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven and let sit 5 minutes before placing on baking rack to finish cooling.
When cookies are completely cooled, decorate with Royal Icing and desired edible decorations. If giving as a gift, be sure to allow icing to dry completely before packaging.
1725 GINGERBREAD 1st Place Decorated
Submitted by Birdie Black, Senoia
Judge’s Comments:
Bonne: “I appreciate the person who took the time to make these. They are very well done.”
Bob: “They have a great texture.”
David: “I’d eat about a million of these.”
Royal Icing
6 tablespoons meringue powder
1 cup warm water
⅓ cup vanilla corn syrup
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
½ tablespoon cake batter emulsion
½ tablespoon marshmallow emulsion
2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
Food coloring gel and edible decorations (I mix food color with extract to hand paint details.)
In mixing bowl, whisk together meringue powder and water until mixture is frothy, resembling the appearance of soap suds. Add corn syrup, vanilla extract and emulsions to mixture; beat on high until egg whites are at stiff-peak form. Gradually add powdered sugar. Icing will be thick. Start with a thick mixture and thin down consistency with small amounts of warm water until you get the consistency you need for outlining, piping or flooding.
2nd Place Traditional
CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
Submitted by Rutledge Center Cooking Club, Newnan
The Rutledge Center Cooking Club won second place in the Traditional Cookie category. Their bakers include, from left, front: Sarah Whitney and Rutledge Director of Support Staff and Cooking Club Advisor Lorna Kitchens. Back: Malik Welch, Aaron Fountain and Happi Cryer.
Judge’s Comments:
Rutledge Center client Bonnie Boyd is another contest winner from the center’s Cooking Club.
Bonne: “These are very well-balanced. I love that they’re not too sweet.”
Bob: “It’s a nice and chocolatey and crinkly cookie.”
David: “I like a little sugar on the bottom of my cookie.”
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
In medium bowl, combine cocoa, sugars and oil. Beat eggs in, one at a time, and stir in vanilla. Slowly stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture. When combined, cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes.
Using a cookie scoop and your hands, roll 1¼-inch cookie dough balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar and place them on prepared cookie sheet with about 2½ inches between cookie dough balls. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Let cookies cool 2 minutes before removing them to cookiecooling racks.
Sugar Cookies
2 cups salted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch Icings, recipes below
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix at low speed until flour is completely incorporated and dough comes together. You will know it's done when the dough pulls away from edge of bowl and it clumps together on the paddle.
Roll to desired thickness between parchment paper and cut into desire shapes. Remove excess dough. Freeze cut out shapes for 10 minutes. Transfer to room temperature pans.
Bake on ungreased baking sheets with parchment paper or mesh non-stick baking mats. Bake for 9 minutes, then rotate pans and bake an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Every oven is different, so watch carefully. Leave on pan to cool.
When cooled, decorate with Royal Icing and Stiff Royal Icing, recipes below. Start by adding a No. 1 or No. 2 tip to pastry bag. Fill pastry bag with Royal Icing to pipe outline of each cookie. Then start flooding from the center of the cookie until the entire area is covered. Use a toothpick or cocktail stick to spread icing in small circles until it fills the cookie. Gently tap the cookie to help the icing spread evenly and bring air bubbles to the surface. You can pop bubbles with the toothpick, too.
When cookies are completely dry, pipe a poinsettia on each cookie. Start with filing a pastry bag with Stiff Royal Icing. Use a leaf tip to pipe 6 poinsettia leaves on the cookies and go back with a second layer of 4 poinsettia leaves. Using a clean Wilton 352 tip, I fill a small pastry bag with green Stiff Royal Icing and add a few small leaves to the side. Finally, pipe a small amount of yellow Stiff Royal Icing and put a few dots of icing on the center of each flower.
2nd Place Decorated
SUGAR COOKIES
Submitted by Susan West, Newnan
Judge’s Comments:
Bonne: “This cookie has a classic, very pretty design.”
Bob: “Lovely consistency.”
David: “This one has a good balance of icing to cookie.”
Royal Icing
4 tablespoons meringue powder
2 tablespoons clear vanilla extract
¾ cup warm or room temperature water
2 pounds powdered sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
Place meringue powder in mixing bowl. Add vanilla extract to warm water; pour into mixing bowl with meringue powder. Using a hand-held whisk, whisk mixture 1 to 2 minutes until foamy.
Add powdered sugar and turn mixer on low speed with paddle attachment. Mix, watching to make sure all ingredients are
Continued on next page
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MACADEMIA NUT COOKIE 3rd Place Traditional
Submitted by Karon Illobre, Franklin
Judge’s Comments:
Bonne: “This cookie screams traditional to me! It has all the components of what a traditional cookie should be.”
Bob: “This is the perfect chocolate cookie.”
David: “This cookie would go well with a little espresso.”
Continued from previous page
incorporated. Add corn syrup and mix 15 to 30 seconds on low until incorporated. When mixture reaches a thick, honey-like consistency, turn mixer to medium and mix 3 to 5 minutes; set a timer to remind yourself because overmixing causes icing not to fully dry on cookies. Typically, icing is ready at the 4-minute mark. Mix until there's a thick consistency and icing starts to pull away from the sides and stick to paddle. From this recipe, you will color the icing and mix in more water in smaller blows to get icing to desired consistencies.
Double Chocolate Macademia Nut
Cookie
½ stick butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain, all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa
1 (12-ounce) package milk chocolate chips
1½ cups Macadamia nuts, chopped
Mix butter and sugars until smooth; add egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa; stir. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Chill dough for 30 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.
Stiff Royal Icing
2 pounds powdered sugar
6 tablespoons meringue powder ¼ tablespoon salt
¾ cup very warm water
2 tablespoons clear vanilla ¼ cup light corn syrup
Place powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt, water and vanilla in mixing bowl, and give a quick hand stir with whisk. Turn mixer on low and mix 10 to 15 seconds to incorporate; scrape down. Turn mixer to medium and mix 3 minutes; scrape down. Add corn syrup and mix on medium for 1 minute. From this thick consistency, you will color icing and mix in more water in smaller blows to get icing to desired consistencies.
Nana's Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies
¾ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, sugar and egg until well mixed. Stir in light corn syrup and cocoa. In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Slowly add dry mixture to shortening mixture until well mixed and forms a dough. Chill for 1 hour or overnight in an airtight container.
Roll out dough and use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Makes about 2 dozen medium size cookies.
Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Icing coloring of your choice
Sprinkles and other decorating items
Mix frosting ingredients together, starting with 2 tablespoons of milk and adding more if needed for consistency. Mix in icing coloring, ice the cookies and decorate as desired. If frosting gets too hard before all cookies are iced, put it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.
3rd Place Decorated
NANA’S CHOCOLATE CUT-OUT COOKIES
Submitted by Brianne Grubbs, Meansville
Judge’s Comments:
Bonne: “I love that they’re not overly fancy-pantsy. They’re just really good homemade cookies.”
Bob: “I love Christmas tree cookies.”
David: “They have a nostalgic appeal.”
Staff Pick
OATMEAL LACE COOKIES FROM AUNTIE JANET SOLDATI
Submitted by Kathy Brown, Newnan
The Newnan Times-Herald Staff Comments:
Will Thomas: “Where have these cookies been all my life?”
Clay Neely: “These are amazing. They’re my favorite. Don’t you have any more???”
Jackie Kennedy: “They’re my favorite, too. I’m going to beg Kathy Brown to make us another batch.”
Oatmeal Lace
Cookies from Auntie Janet Soldati
1 egg, beaten
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, uncooked (not quick or instant)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon vanilla
Mix together all ingredients. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil, bright side up. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto foil; I use the smallest cookie scoop, not quite full. (If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for 20 minutes; mixture should be the consistency of peanut butter.)
There will only be about 6 cookies per baking sheet because, as they bake, they spread out and are very thin. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes; edges should be golden brown. Slide aluminum foil with cookies off the cookie sheet and let cool for 5 minutes. Peel off foil and store cookies in an airtight container. Makes 3 dozen.
HOLIDAY APPETIZERS AND COCKTAILS
MakeSeasonthe Bright
Written by GAIL MCGLOTHIN
Photographed by APRIL MCGLOTHIN-ELLER
Crispy, crunchy appetizers go well with smooth cocktails for a holiday party of 30, a family Christmas feast for 12, or to open a cozy dinner for two.
Pairing appetizers with cocktails is fun and totally a matter of taste buds.
In the cocktail world, a plethora of guidelines can help you bring out the best flavors of both your cocktail and your appetizer.
Some say, “What grows together, goes together.”
Can you imagine Mexican food like Tex Mex Wontons without its partner Margarita? Be careful about the heat of your dish as liquor makes it even hotter.
An herbal cocktail like AG Gin brings out the dill topping on the Cucumber with Salmon appetizers. My trial-and-error tastebuds method has granted a resounding “Yes!” to the Garlic Martinis paired with Spinach Crisps.
Flavors that complement each other is another way to enjoy the pairing. The tart flavor of lemon and caper butter with the sweet meat of halibut makes a daiquiri the perfect friend. It will bring Caribbean breezes to a cold, rainy winter day.
Your taste buds are the best judge of what pairs well with appetizers, salads, main entrees, and dessert.
Bring on the holidays!
Cranberry Margaritas
1 lime Kosher salt
1 cup tequila
1½ cups cranberry juice cocktail
½ cup orange juice
½ cup lime juice
For 4 margaritas, run a slice of lime around the rim of each glass and dip into kosher salt; let dry while making the cocktail.
Mix tequila, cranberry juice cocktail, orange and lime juices together in a pitcher. Pour into prepared margarita glasses.
Tex-Mex Wrappers
½ pound ground beef
¼ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped green peppers
½ (15-ounce) can refried beans
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon ketchup or salsa
1½ teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
4 dozen wonton skins
Brown beef, onions and peppers. Drain; stir in beans, cheese, ketchup or salsa, chili powder and cumin. Mix well. Roll 1 teaspoon of mixture in each wonton wrapper; seal with water. Fry in deep, hot fat about 1 minute per side. Serve warm with salsa.
Cranberry Margaritas and Tex-Mex Wrappers
AG Gin
2 ounces botanical gin (like Hendrick’s)
½ ounce elderflower liqueur
2½ ounces ginger beer
In a highball glass, stir together gin and elderflower liqueur. Add ice to glass. Top off with ginger beer. Garnish with a slice of candied ginger.
Cucumbers with Smoked Salmon
1 large cucumber
1 (4-ounce) package smoked salmon
1 cup full fat sour cream
Fresh dill sprigs
Score the cucumber on all sides with a fork. Slice into ¼-inch rounds. Divide smoked salmon among the slices. Dab the top of each salmon with sour cream, then top the sour cream with a sprig of dill and refrigerate until time to serve.
AG Gin and Cucumbers with Smoked Salmon
Garlic Martinis
4 large olives
4 ounces blue cheese
1 ounce dry vermouth
2 cloves garlic
4 ounces gin or vodka Ice
Chill 2 martini glasses in advance. Stuff 4 large olives with blue cheese and attach to skewers.
Rinse each chilled glass with ½ ounce dry vermouth. Discard vermouth.
Smash garlic with the side of a knife to release the flavor. Add garlic and gin or vodka to a shaker full of ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour into chilled glasses and add two skewered olives to each martini.
Spinach Crisps
8 sheets phyllo dough
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1½ tablespoons fresh dill
2 eggs
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw phyllo dough and cover with a damp paper towel. Saute onion and green onions in olive oil until tender. Pour thawed spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add sauteed onion and green onions plus parsley, dill, eggs and cheese. Mix well with a spoon. Lay one sheet of dough on a cutting board. Cut into 5 equal strips. Place 1 tablespoon of spinach mixture at the end of each strip. Wet the sides of the dough strips, then fold over until the strip ends. Close with a damp swipe. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature. NCM
Garlic Martini
Spinach Crisps
More Popular than Santa Claus
Written by BOB COMEANS
They told me I was more popular than Santa Claus, and that was saying something because they had three Santa Clauses.
I am an artist, a caricature artist. Have been since the ninth grade, just never knew it until years later. Since then, I’ve drawn thousands of pictures of kids, teens, adults, the elderly, babies, pets and everyone in-between.
I’ve drawn none more important than in the last few years, when I’ve worked twice a month at the local children’s hospital – drawing kids who were patients.
I started out in the lobby by the cafeteria. Kids would be brought down to me, and I would draw their portrait. I’d sometimes have 30 kids lined up on the bench outside the Starbucks.
The volunteer coordinator asked if I’d be willing to go to patient rooms to see the kids who couldn't get out for one reason or another. I visited rooms for the next three years.
It isn’t easy.
When I started, I’d have to sit in the parking garage and give myself a pep talk for what I was about to do.
“It’s about the kids,” I’d tell myself. “You can do this.”
Then I'd head up and start drawing. I’d visit kids who had received organ transplants, were on dialysis treatments, in pediatric intensive care, or long term cancer patients. Kids with no hair and kids whose hospital rooms looked like their bedrooms at home. Kids recovering from accidents, babies in a parent’s arms, and children who looked like nothing could ever be wrong with them.
I’ve drawn them while I wore gloves, a gown and mask. I’ve drawn in rooms where parents were distraught, discussing bankruptcy, or dealing with insurance problems. You never knew what was going on behind that door you just knocked on.
I learned quickly how to share conversations with them. What questions to ask, or not ask. When to respect their privacy, and when to dive right in with them.
You see, I’ve been where they are.
I never told anyone my story. I never told anyone my son had received two kidney transplants in this same hospital. I never told anyone that he’d sat in the same dialysis treatment chair that they were sitting in. I never told anyone they were in the same room where my son spent two weeks recovering from a medical procedure. Or that my wife’s donated kidney was carried through the tunnel connecting the two hospitals.
On Christmas Day, the hospital has three Santa Clauses come in and pass out presents for every child who is in the hospital. They distribute hundreds of toys and try to make the day special for everyone.
The volunteer coordinator took me aside that first Christmas season and told me, “You know what, I think you’re more popular than Santa Claus‚ and we’ve got three of them.”
I just smiled, said thanks, and kept drawing.
Support your local children’s hospital.
Bob Comeans is an artist and writer married to an Irish German redhead. He has two sons who think he’s old and a terrier mix who gets separation anxiety whenever he leaves the room. Family and shared experiences bring his art and writing to life.
We recognize that you have a choice when it comes to selecting an ENT physician for yourself or your family. We are committed to delivering the highest quality health care and to improving our patients' quality of life. Our goal is to provide you with comprehensive and compassionate, state-ofthe-art medical and surgical ear, nose, throat and allergy care.
Adult and Pediatric Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy
Allergy testing and immunotherapy • Chronic ear infections and hearing loss • Pediatric otolaryngology • Hypoglossal nerve stimulator implantation • Sinus disorders and in-office procedures including balloon sinus dilation and stereotactic surgery • Thyroid and parathyroid surgery
to A Spring Day in December
Written by MARK BAXTER
“The
whole world is a series of miracles,
but we're so used to them we call them ordinary things.”
– Hans Christian Anderson
I had a text from my son Sean. He had caught a nice couple of bass. One was his first five-pounder in Florida. It got me inspired to go fishing. It was a beautiful day in Georgia with the temperature in the 70s.
I went to a pond that I have permission to fish down the road a piece from my house. It’s a four-acre pond with access all the way around. One side is open, the other wooded. After a lot of rain, the pond had especially nice access via the woods. Pretty much all the leaves were off the trees.
I was making casts with Gary Yamamoto Senko worms. There was not much going on. I got one hit by a dock. I decided to move to the backside of the pond, the wooded side, where there was a pass in the woods. On that side I got one fish and had three more on by a downed tree.
On my way back, I noticed there, just up the hillside from the path, was a yellow dandelion with a six-inch stem sticking up in the fall leaves a half-foot above the forest floor. It was bright yellow and out of place this time of year. It had a beautiful, hard-to-describe look in the all-brown leaves and pine needles.
Nonetheless, there it was, proudly and radiantly yellow, weaving its way through all the tan and brown and dusty orange. I enjoyed it from many angles, taking my time to walk around and see it from each vantage point.
And then I picked it and brought it home. I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoyed seeing it on the forest floor. It was out of place on my kitchen countertop. But on the forest floor, it was a glorious thing.
Mark Douglas Baxter was born in Amityville, New York, and spent most of his life in the New York area providing plumbing services to homeowners and developers. Mark has a passion for the outdoors and all of God’s glorious creations. His writings include his memories, reflections and revelries in the beauty of all that is divine, from raccoons to sunsets to babies.
Historic Downtown Newnan 14 N. Court Square Newnan, GA 30263 770-253-2720
KILLED IN ACTION
Along with our readers and page sponsors, Newnan-Coweta Magazine and The Newnan Times-Herald salute our outstanding and valiant Coweta military veterans. On these pages, you’ll recognize some familiar faces, and you may discover new neighbors who served our country well. Our hope is for a Happy Veterans Day to all.
Capt. Edward R. Aanstoos
Saluted by: Your loving son Erich
Billy Alford Never forgotten
Erich K. Aanstoos Saluted by: Your loving wife Kathleen
Billy Alford Saluted by: Alford, Holmes & Schmidt families
Ayaz N. Ali Saluted by: 9/11 Candlelight Vigil Committee
Charles “Chaz” Chambers Saluted by: Mom, Justin, Jasper & Ally
Laura Long Saluted by: Benton House of Newnan
Rodger
Sgt Dalton Moye Saluted by: Denise Moye Presley
Spc. M. Garrett Moye Saluted by: Denise Moye Presley
Angela Coe Vinson ank you from hero to hero
Darryl Ware Saluted by: Family & friends
McGuire Warren Saluted by: Benton House of Newnan
Sgt. Henry Neal Wilkerson Saluted by: Daughter Evelyn W. Searcy
Sgt. Marcus Edward Whitlock Sr. Saluted by: Family
Orville Edwin Williams Jr. Saluted by: Williams, Lovelady & Nelson families
Carol Yates Saluted by: Yates & Prout families
Hector Luis Tirado III Saluted by: Friends of Aunt Samantha
Hector Luis Tirado II Saluted by: 9/11 Candlelight Vigil Committee
Fred H. Wagner Saluted by: Fred Wagner Jr.
Sgt George Sidney Warren Saluted by: Daughter Cheryl Toney
Eddie C. Williford Saluted by: Wife Helen, daughters Donna & Paula
J.T. Williams Saluted by: Family
•
Blacktop
The photographer says Taz played the part of “the best Santa ever spreading holiday cheer to everyone” last Christmas.
Rain threatened to spoil the fun at Newnan’s Spring Art Walk last March, but local shops, pretty lights, and happy people made for an excellent evening out, after all.
Gimli seems to ask “When is Santa Claus coming?”
Newnan native Schawann McGee lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., with her husband. “We’re an Air Force family and have served for 20 years now and still going,” she says. “We just wanted to share our daily view with our hometown.”
A lone tree stands stark against the Franklin,
Photo by Beverly Ferguson
Photo by Schawann McGee
Photo by Sally Ray
N.C., snow.
Photo by Laurie Mattingly
Photo by Terri Smith
by Laurie Mattingly A holiday horse pulls an Amish wagon in Upstate New York.
Teddy and Kash patiently wait for Santa at their Newnan home.
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 3x5 inches in size. 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. magazine@newnan.com
024 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
March 02 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
March 22 - Spring Art Walk, 5-9pm
April 06 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
April 14-20 - Downtown Newnan Restaurant Week
April 20 - Bike Coweta’s Rock & Road Festival
May 04 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
June 01 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
June 13 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm
June 21 - Summer Wined-Up, 5-9pm
July 04 - July 4th Parade, 9am
July 06 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
July 11 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm
Aug 03 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
Aug 08 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm
Aug 30-Sept 2 - Labor Day Sidewalk Sale
Aug 31 - Sunrise on the Square 5K
Sept 07 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
Sept 20 - Fall Art Walk, 5-9pm
Oct 04 - Oktoberfest, 5-10pm
Oct 05 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
Oct 19 - Spirits & Spice Festival, 2-7pm
Oct 31 - Munchkin Masquerade, 10am-12pm
SUMMER SPRING AUTUMN WINTER
Nov 02 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
Nov 22 - Holiday Sip & See, 5-9pm
Nov 29 - Plaid Friday
Nov 29 - Santa on the Square, 6-8pm
Nov 30 - Small Business Saturday
Dec 07 - Market Day, 10am-2pm
Photo
Missing who I hope to see again
Every year when I get the word that the holiday issue is next, I automatically know that I’ll be writing about Christmas. It’s the only holiday I ever cared about. I’ve written about Christmas many times and don’t know what’s left to say. As I thought about how to get one more column out of an exhausted topic, I realized that Christmas may be a nostalgic memory of a childhood that’s been gone for a while now.
The Christmas of my childhood was filled with family and food, gifts and good times. When I started in public safety in 2009, my presence at family festivities was at the mercy of my shift’s schedule. I don’t remember how many family gatherings I missed over the years, but I know I hated to miss any. The last several years has seen family members pass away. Those faces and voices that were present at all family functions were no longer there – my father making hilariously terrible dad jokes; my mom in front of a half-empty plate saying with glee, “We waited on you,” whenever a family member arrived late.
I say “arrived late” as if there was ever a start time to a Nix party. Nix parties begin when the first person arrives and end when the last person leaves. The eating commences when the food is done, regardless of who is or is not present.
My son has been in public safety for a few years, so now his party attendance is at the mercy of his work shift. I don’t remember how many he’s missed, but I hate it when he’s not there.
As I write this, I wonder if maybe I’ve been remembering things wrong. Was Christmas really as great as my memory has led me to believe my entire life?
I’m going to lean toward the answer being yes.
Though some faces are no longer at the party, there is still a party. And the party is still filled with family and food, gifts and good times.
Anytime someone’s work schedule doesn’t allow them to attend, we just have another party on their next available off day.
More importantly, the last few months have found me trying to find the faith I once had. And while it may not matter what day Jesus was born on, Christmas is the day His birth is celebrated.
This year, I’m going to remember the “reason for the season” and be thankful for the memories I have. Not everyone is lucky enough to have so many wonderful memories.
I don’t deserve the family I was given. I don’t deserve the friends I am fortunate to call mine. I’ve been blessed in this life.
It’s high time I remember that.
Maybe, when my time on this planet is done, and if I play my cards right, I will be blessed to share eternity with all those faces I’ve missed these past few years. NCM
Southern-born and Southern-bred, Toby Nix is a local writer who works in law enforcement.
Ready to serve.
Thankful to be serving you.
For more than 77 years, Coweta-Fayette EMC has been lighting the way for our local communities.
As an electric cooperative, we’re powered by those we serve. We are thankful to have the opportunity to be more than just your power provider, but to be community partner as well - giving back to our neighbors and friends.
Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives. Whether it’s powering the lights at your little league game or giving back through Operation Round Up, we’re here and ready whenever you need us.
