NCM September/October 2024

& Boyd Shapiro

if you do, we hope that you will contact your local experts. Our attorneys handle cases in courts throughout Georgia.

West Georgia Wellness

Publishers C. Clayton Neely

Elizabeth C. Neely

Editor Jackie Kennedy

Creative Directors

Sandy Hiser, Sonya Studt

Graphic Designer Erin Scott

Contributing Writers Tamra Anne Bolles

Blue Cole

Joan Doggrell

Jennifer London

Gail McGlothin

Caroline Nicholson

Photography

Ken Benson

Tamra Anne Bolles

Robert Brewer

Jackie Kennedy

April McGlothin-Eller

Beth Neely

Bob Shapiro

Advertising Manager Misha Benson

Multimedia Sales Specialist Caroline Nelson

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

Newnan-Coweta Magazine is distributed in home-delivery copies of The Newnan Times-Herald and at businesses and offices throughout Coweta County @newnancowetamag @newnancowetamagazine

Jonathan

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 cover features on Shapiro, page 38, and David Boyd Jr., page 28. See Behind the Shot on page 16.

Art and artists everywhere, man!

Every other year, Newnan-Coweta Magazine publishes its Arts Issue, and this go-round, we’ve hit the jackpot in terms of showcasing some of the area’s best art – and artists – with our readers, starting with the cover.

As David Boyd Jr. works on a portrait of himself with Bob Shapiro, Shapiro captures the process in a photograph. Two artists, the painter and the photographer, share our cover, à la Norman Rockwell, and we’re ecstatic at how it turned out: It’s a work of art.

Shapiro’s is a name well known throughout Coweta County. Put just about any passel of people together here and ask who’s had their photograph taken by Bob Shapiro, and you’re bound to see hands go up. He’s taken first photos of newborns, school pictures of countless elementary students, wedding pictures, senior portraits, news photographs, you name it.

How does that old Johnny Cash song go? “I’ve been everywhere, man?”

Well, Bob’s photographed everyone, man.

And David Boyd? Maybe he’s painted everything, man.

Around Newnan, it's a sure bet. If Cash can boast of being in “Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,” Boyd can claim with confidence that he’s painted “Madison, Oakhill, College Street, Court Square.” If it’s true what Rockwell said – “Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative.” –Boyd may never suffer fatigue.

Along with the painter and the photographer, we feature in this issue a wildlife artist and mapmaker, Jonathan Parker, and his wife Sandy, whose paintings and floral arrangements bring joy.

We introduce you to the area’s best actors, as voted by our readers in this year’s Best of Coweta awards. Local actors Allison Yost, Joe Arnotti, Maria Aparis and Emily Kimbell take local performing arts to professional heights not achieved in every small town, proving again how fortunate Cowetans are as an artminded community.

Even our routine “Coweta Cooks” feature takes on an artistic flair as writer Gail McGlothin and her photographer daughter April McGlothin-Eller show us how baking can be another means to an artistic end.

Plus, because we consider writing to be its own artform, we encourage you to read our regular contributors, Faith Farrell and Toby Nix, whose columns paint pictures worth, well, a thousand words.

Whatever your plans are for autumn, we hope you’ll notice and appreciate the art in everyone and everything, everywhere, man.

Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com

Newnan-Coweta Magazine Advertising Manager Misha Benson, left, and Editor Jackie Kennedy try out the photo background before welcoming guests to the 2024 Best of Coweta reception.

Photo by Beth Neely

Justin P. Fernicola, MD

Justin P. Fernicola, MD, graduated from University of Georgia in Athens with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and went on to earn his medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, GA. Dr. Fernicola completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Rutgers Health Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ. During football season, he served as the team orthopaedic physician for multiple high schools in the Monmouth County, NJ school district.

Before joining the Hughston Clinic, Dr. Fernicola completed the Montefiore Medical Center Adult Reconstruction Fellowship in Bronx, NY, where he received specialty training in hip and knee arthroplasty. Edgar Dollar II, DO | Justin Fernicola, MD | David Gloystein, MD | Gil Gomez, DO | Douglas Pahl, MD | Gianni Ricci, DO

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.

Blue Cole is a writer and ne’erdo-well who lives in Sharpsburg with his wife, children and other wee creatures.

Joan Doggrell is retired from two professions: college English instructor and technical writer. She lives in Newnan with her husband and two hairy dogs.

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.

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.

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.

Tamra Anne Bolles is enamored with Bigfoot and has written for “Georgia Backroads,” “Animal Wellness Magazine” and “Chicken Soup For The Soul.” Her cat, Phoebe, is her writing partner.

Meet the Judges for our holiday contest

Newnan-Coweta Magazine holds its seventh annual Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest on September 20.

Judging this year’s contest are local artists Bob Shapiro, David Boyd Jr. and Bonne Boyd Bedingfield. Shapiro and Boyd are both featured in this issue, and Bedingfield was featured in our November/December 2020 issue. Shapiro has been a local photographer for five decades while siblings Boyd and Bedingfield also have made careers with their art, Boyd as a painter and Bedingfield as a cake artist.

This year’s categories include Traditional Cookies and Decorated Cookies. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each category with one first place winner named Grand Prize Champion. Winners

and their recipes will be featured in our November-December Holiday Issue.

Entrants must submit six to 12 cookies with the recipe and the entrant’s name, phone number and email address, plus the category they are entering: Traditional or Decorated.

All entries must be brought to Newnan-Coweta Magazine offices at 16 Jefferson Street in Newnan on Thursday, Sept. 19, between 2 and 5 p.m. or on Friday, Sept. 20, between 9 a.m. and noon.

The independent panel of celebrity judges will make their decisions based on cookie taste and appearance. Winners will be contacted the week after Sept. 20 and awarded a holiday gift basket packed with prizes from our generous local business sponsors.

NCM

Our Readers Write:

Congratulations!

Congratulations to all of you! You all deserve it! The Newnan Times-Herald continues to have exceptional local news coverage. Wayne and I enjoy reading and checking out what's happening in our town. Congratulations on winning the General Excellence Award. That is a blessing from God.

Congratulations for winning so many Newnan-Coweta Magazine Awards. I love the magazine. All of you put your heart and soul into creating the magazine. I always look forward to receiving each issue.

Congratulations on winning the Advertising Awards. Once again, everyone uses their creative talents to create the best looking ads for the newspaper and magazine. You are the best graphic designers.

Everyone must celebrate! God continues to bless the newspaper and magazine.

– Wayne and Debby Dye, Newnan

Thank you for your kind and thoughtful article in the July/August 2024 edition of Newnan-Coweta Magazine. Congratulations to all on another excellent magazine!

– Pat McKee, Newnan

Us Hear From You...

thoughts, ideas and suggestions to

Bob Shapiro

David Boyd Jr.

Bonne Boyd Bedingfield

‘Cloud Cuckoo Land’

Reviewed by GLENDA HARRIS

The title is curious, and “Cloud Cuckoo Land” is a hefty 622 pages, spanning a millennium as well as reaching into the future.

Suffice to say, there’s a lot going on in this book by the author of “All the Light We Cannot See,” which won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Prefacing the story, the highly acclaimed author Anthony Doerr describes this novel primarily as “a book about our planet – in itself a vast library.” He pays homage to all readers and stories, saying “here’s to the worlds that books build in our minds.”

With multiple timelines from ancient Greece to present day, Doerr introduces a disparate group of characters across time and place. The points of view are each unique. It would be near impossible to summarize plot lines. Perhaps it’s better to highlight the fascinating characters. To name a few specific settings and characters:

• An ancient Grecian philosopher is involved in the story of a man turned into a donkey, a fish and a crow.

• A 13-year-old orphan in medieval Constantinople tries to save her sickly older sister and finds a stash of archaic papyrus.

• A man learns Greek while held captive during the Korean War.

• An idealistic teenager with Sensory Processing Disorder wants to save the environment by any means necessary.

• Konstance, a young girl, dreamer and outsider (as are all the characters) is aboard an intergenerational spaceship traveling 4,806,280 miles an hour toward a star system.

It’s a 5-star novel for its imagination, compassion and its offering of hope for the future of our planet. It’s not a quick or breezy read but one which will impact readers and stay with them.

Konstance herself, reading from a time-worn book, seems to wrap up this book’s review: “And the tale I have to tell is so ludicrous, so incredible, that you’ll never believe a word of it, and yet it’s true.”

“Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr, published in 2021 by Scribner; 622 pages; ★★★★★

‘The Winemaker’s Wife’

Reviewed by GLENDA HARRIS

“

The Winemaker’s Wife” is another pageturner from the author of “The Room on Rue Amelie” as Kristin Harmel adds to the ever-popular genre of World War II fiction.

The story is based on details from Resistance activities in Champagne, France during the War and reveals fascinating facts about this region and the role played by champagne houses, in particular, the champagne house called Maison Chauveau.

The story unfolds from two perspectives.

In Champagne, France in 1940, Ines Chaveau is a young woman newly married to Michel, a winemaker. Knowing little about the business of marketing and distributing wine, she endeavors to learn the family business and do her part. When the Germans invade, everything changes and Ines faces struggles and the unknown on several fronts.

In New York in 2019, Liv Kent is a young woman reeling from a painful betrayal, is filled with self-doubt, and sees an uncertain future. Her grandmother Edith, who lives in Paris, appears on Liv’s doorstep unannounced and informs her they are going to Paris. This most compelling story sheds light on how a family survives not only their own heartbreak and unpredictable future but also the invasion of the Nazis in their own town.

Readers will not be disappointed with this historical fiction novel featuring strong but vulnerable female characters who find themselves facing new and frightening situations. The twists and turns will delight those who love the unexpected.

“The Winemaker's Wife” by Kristin Harmel, published in 2020 by Gallery Books, New York, NY.; 432 pages; ★★★★★

Never Miss a Magazine!

“Self Portrait with Bob” by David Boyd Jr.

Coweta icons on the cover

Written and Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY

It’s not everyday we have the opportunity to picture a true Coweta icon on the cover, much less two. In this issue, we do just that.

David Boyd Jr. and Bob Shapiro each has made a name for himself in and beyond Coweta County, Boyd as a painter and Shapiro as a photographer. Their creativity is endless, their devotion to their craft, matchless. Their art: spectacular.

A cover to convey these attributes had to be special. Buddies standing shoulder to shoulder just wouldn’t do.

A suggestion from my sister-in-law, a painter herself, formed the foundation for our idea, and Boyd built on it: With

Norman Rockwell’s famous “Triple Self Portrait” in mind, we’d mix it up some by adding the photographer to the portrait. Voila, Boyd and Shapiro. It wasn’t the first time Boyd has been at the other end of Shapiro’s lens. A photographer here for five decades, he took Boyd’s first formal baby portrait.

“I was wearing my grandfather’s christening gown, and years later we recreated that photo with my son,” Boyd recalls. Shapiro took those photos, too. Fast forward a few years, and the photographer and painter are big fans of each other’s work.

“I think he’s magnificent,” Shapiro says of the painter. “He’s as gifted as anybody I know and has really blossomed into his own.”

“He was always the highwater mark for photography around here,” Boyd says of Shapiro. “If you were going to take photos, you had to use Bob.”

Plus, Boyd continues, addressing Shapiro during the photoshoot, “Back in the day, you drove a pretty cool car, too. So photography, cool car, cool job.”

Cool guys, these two! NCM

Bob Shapiro, right, works to set up the cover shot as David Boyd Jr. prepares to paint their portrait.

RIGHT

The same as Norman Rockwell surrounded his self portrait with favorite items, David Boyd spread a few around as well, including a preferred book on painting, a pair of his favorite portraits, and a rooster that’s been his muse for many years.

Bob Shapiro confers with NCM Creative Director Sonya Studt on composition of the cover photo.

A Clean Canvas

My mother has recently informed me that I used to paint the walls, and I’m not talking roller and pole painting but full-blown finger paints and crayons, going gangbusters while ignoring the brand new easel standing in the corner.

Evidently, my instinct to create was innate.

Many folks claim they aren’t artists because they can’t draw. Art isn’t defined by this. Everyday, we make artful choices, carbonating the flat visuals around us into fizz and flair. From gardening, clothes, cake decorating, selecting a favorite coffee mug to picking the color of our car, we make creative choices.

In my mid-20s, I often took the bus to work. One fateful day, I noticed posters announcing that a store was having a “Buy one, Get one free” sale on automotive spray paint. I grabbed the cord for the bus to stop and in a fevered fog, zombie-like, arrived at the beacon of canned colors calling my name. Hauling my bags of rainbow magic, I hoped I had a plan.

My roommate came home to see a prism paint haze hovering in the air as I was anointing my car. There was a long silence, then, “Your dad is gonna kill you.” The nosy neighbor across the street pretended to vacuum her rug, pushing the vac over the same patch of carpet in front of the picture window while inspecting my pop-up art performance. Her undercover spy vacuuming wasn’t as sneaky as she believed.

This car had two magical powers: 1. I was pretty sure I didn’t have to worry about theft. 2. It was a blessing/curse because basically anyone could track me at any time driving my wacky wagon. Thankfully, I had no stalkers. While fueling up on a road trip, 400 miles from home, an unknown couple cornered me exclaiming, “We know where you live!” Charming, yet creepy. It wasn’t just my car I had to funkify. I spray painted polka dots all over the kitchen of my first apartment. I painted my shoes with zebra stripes. I plastered my walls with a collage of (and I admit this with deep shame) Scott Baio. When I ran out of wall space, I glued photos on the window shades, allowing him to visit me in multiples at night. When friends spent the night, I transformed our house into the Farrell Hotel, complete with homemade room service menus and comment cards. I still owe an apology to my brother, whom I made dress up as a bellhop.

We surround ourselves with personal versions of beauty and meaning. We strive to overcome all the stresses and sorrows that land in our lap with small offerings of art, whether flaunting a favorite hat, hanging new curtains or buying flowers for no reason.

Art doesn’t need to be framed nor expensive, hanging in a museum or validated by critics. Daily, we express ourselves artfully through seemingly simple choices. We may not have the Mona Lisa hanging above our couch, but we can still have her smile.

My dad obviously didn’t kill me, but I’m pretty sure I stunned him into a months-long silent treatment. To be frank, he had ample warning early on when I was 3 and painted those walls.

Minnesota made yet Newnan Strong, Faith Farrell is involved with Newnan Theatre Company and Backstreet Arts. Her artwork can be viewed at faithfarrellart.com.

My mom recently shared that S.O.S. steel wool pads removed the paint from our walls, paving space for new designs. Sometimes stuck, we must try to scrub in order to conjure forth a clean canvas. NCM

Bigfoot, are you there?

NORTH GEORGIA MUSEUM TRIES TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

Written and Photographed by TAMRA ANNE BOLLES

Is Bigfoot out there?

I wondered that very thing while walking through Expedition Bigfoot: The Sasquatch Museum in Cherry Log, above five miles from downtown Blue Ridge in North Georgia.

David and Malinda Bakara, both field researchers, opened their museum in 2016. On display are several Bigfoot reports, some from within Georgia, along with missing persons clippings, which provide information to

educate the public on past and present investigations. If you’ve noticed the enormous Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, statue when traveling south on Highway 515 from Blue Ridge towards Ellijay, you’ve spotted the museum. It’s a 4,000-square-foot complex with collected items, full size displays, a mini research vehicle, and a map of Bigfoot sightings in Florida and Georgia.

Picking up a copy of Sasquatch Field Guide from the gift shop, I roamed the museum interior to become acquainted with how everything was organized.

Expedition Bigfoot: The Sasquatch Museum is located in Cherry Log, off Highway 515, near Blue Ridge. Bigfoot encounters are documented inside with replicas presenting what the creature should look like.

“We put a lot of effort into building all the displays,” says David. “There’s not one that is more important than the other.”

Among the items featured is the 2007 Josh Gates Yeti footprint, which made the visit that much more intriguing since I remembered the circumstances surrounding how and where Gates found that footprint on the Nepal Expedition, which was broadcast on TV.

David described the personalities of several researchers he’s worked with and said they all share the same commonsense research values that he holds dear, mainly, that they don’t simply focus on finding evidence of Bigfoot.

“The most important characteristic we share is to speak the truth and follow the evidence, no matter where it leads,” says David, sharing that he’s been interested in Bigfoot since he was 12. His wife didn’t share his intrigue until she joined him on a Sasquatch hunting adventure.

“Malinda went on a reporting investigation with me, and after listening and talking to the people who were giving their accounts, she became very invested in the process,” says David.

The Bakaras agree that items that qualify to be showcased in the museum include “sturdy pieces of evidence” like footprint casts, hair samples, audio/video recordings and photos.

One of the biggest surprises the couple has encountered since opening their museum eight years ago is the staggering number of unreported claims of Bigfoot encounters in the Blue Ridge area.

“When we first opened, Malinda and I noted the number of people lined up to tell of their encounters,” David recalls. “It was as if they were just waiting for someone to tell their story to, someone that would believe them.”

The museum tour is self-guided, but questions are encouraged by those who facilitate visits. While most visitors are from the Southeast, a casual flip through the museum guest book reveals visitors from Hawaii, New England, Washington State and the Midwest. Many comments left by visitors support the entertainment value of the museum for anyone planning a unique family afternoon.

Looking at the faces of those touring with me, some expressions seemed perhaps a little fearful, especially given the number of exhibits, some of which could be described as ghoulish. Certainly, the unknown can be scary, especially when it’s portrayed to be between 8 and 13 feet tall or taller.

Displays include a one-page history detailing circumstances surrounding the find, along with props, often casts of footprints, and sometimes Sasquatch sketches with distinguishing features.

In the guide from the museum’s gift shop, written by Dr. Jeff Meldrum, who studies fossils and living primates along with early hominins, I read that he was motivated to travel the world in search of Sasquatch after finding a line of 15-inch footprints in southeastern Washington.

Did I consider myself a Bigfoot believer after touring the museum?

President Teddy Roosevelt’s exhibit gave me pause for further reflection. It displays a passage in his 1892 book, “Wilderness Hunter,” that relays the story of a trapper named Bauman who supposedly had a Bigfoot encounter. And seeing Yates’ Yeti footprint in person after watching the television show was exciting.

As they say, “The truth is out there.”

But what left me with the greatest impression were the moments I spent listening to David while standing with him in his investigation office. The newspaper clippings, Bigfoot sketches, pictures of hair samples including those of different species, some that are identified as unknown and attributed to Bigfoot: All provide room for further speculation.

David spoke about firsthand accounts from people he’s met, some from military backgrounds and police officers he’s interviewed involving missing persons cases. I could feel the hairs standing on end realizing the volume of stories that he has collected. It became more real while listening and learning from David, glancing sideto-side at what surrounded us, wondering to myself, “What is out there, or for that matter, who?”

Personally, I’m not convinced yet that Bigfoot exists, and hopefully while traveling Georgia’s country backroads, my confirmation will never materialize.

But those who run Expedition Bigfoot do believe in the existence of Sasquatch, either from personal experience or testimony and exhibit.

Whether you’re a skeptic or not, you’ll enjoy what’s presented at this unique attraction, billed as the world’s largest museum dedicated solely to Bigfoot. Visit expeditionbigfoot.com. If you’ve had a Bigfoot encounter you’d like to report, write the Bakaras at expeditionbigfootblueridge@gmail.com or call them at 706.946.2601. NCM

Museum owner David Bakara discusses years of research he has collected for the museum.

Television producer and explorer/researcher Josh Gates donated to the Bigfoot Museum a cast of a footprint (believed to be of a Sasquatch) he discovered in the Himalayas.

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.

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Newnan Junior Service League: Going strong for almost 100 years

Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON

Nonprofit organizations constitute the foundation of communities all over the world, enriching lives and specializing in the unique needs of their distinct region. Coweta County boasts dozens of thriving nonprofits dedicated to bettering the community through various projects.

For nearly a century, the Newnan Junior Service League (NJSL) has been serving not only the residents of Coweta County but also other nonprofits in Coweta.

In 1926, NJSL was founded with the mission of enhancing and uplifting the community. Today, its 70 members include women from Newnan and surrounding cities. With a variety of different backgrounds and careers, the women of NJSL combine their experience and passions in order to positively impact the region, according to NJSL President Sara Powell.

Among the various ways NJSL serves Coweta is its grant program, its largest annual initiative. The grant recipient becomes the beneficiary of monies raised via multiple fundraising events throughout the year. When choosing its annual grant recipient, NJSL searches for

nonprofits that have a specific project in need of funding.

For instance, the group’s 2023-2024 grant recipient, Coweta Samaritan Clinic, is raising money to purchase a dental X-ray unit to better assist their patients. The NJSL chose the clinic as the annual grant recipient in order to fund this goal, says Powell.

In order to raise funds for the annual grants, NJSL hosts two major fundraising events. In February, their Big Event: Mardi Gras Casino Night takes place at the Newnan Centre and features an array of classic casino games complete with funny money to spend, delicious food and drinks, and a silent auction.

Each April, the service league organizes Legends of the League Charity Golf Tournament. Through participation in this tournament, community members are able to support NJSL and Coweta County through friendly competition.

With monies raised through these events, the Newnan Junior Service League is able to make a large donation to its chosen grant recipient while also supporting its own scholarship program.

Members of the Newnan Junior Service League are all smiles at their December Dinner last winter.

Photo by Kayla Duffey Photography

by

Newnan Junior Service League’s 40th Annual Can-A-Thon raised almost $57,000 for the Coweta Community Food Bank. The check was presented to representatives from One Roof Outreach at the group’s December Dinner. From left are NJSL Can-A-Thon chairs Taylor Weikle, Liz Blackburn and Madison Mantle, Gina Watkiss of The Heritage School, One Roof Director Ann Kerlin, Michelle Zackery of One Roof, NJSL Treasurer Erin Whitlock and NJSL 2023 President Jenna Sherman.

Photos

Kayla Duffey

Photography

Mardi Gras Casino Night attendees Judge James and Virginia Dalton enjoyed the big event at the Newnan Center in February.

Newnan Junior Service League held its 11th annual Clay Shoot Fundraiser at Blalock Lakes in October with proceeds supporting their annual Christmas in Newnan project and scholarship. Members are, from left, Marissa Smith, Sara Powell, Rachel Gladfelter and Hannah Eure.

by Kayla Duffey Photography

Each spring, NJSL awards scholarships to local girls graduating from high school with plans to attend college the coming fall. In 2024, NJSL awarded 10 scholarships to young ladies from the county’s three largest high schools: East Coweta High, Newnan High School and Northgate.

In the fall, NJSL holds its annual Can-a-Thon and Sporting Clay Shoot event. The service league partners with Coweta County School System to collect cans and non-perishable items, which are donated to the Coweta Community Food Pantry. Along with the in-school donations, NJSL sets up other donation locations in downtown Newnan and at Thomas Crossroads to maximize contributions.

Every October at Blalock Lakes in Newnan, NJSL supporters gather to participate in the Sporting Clay Shoot. Proceeds from this event support their Christmas in Newnan program, which provides essentials, toys, meals and clothing to children in the Coweta County Foster Care System each December.

On top of these impactful initiatives and events, members of Newnan Junior Service League participate in placement hours where they volunteer with other local nonprofits individually or as a group.

Powell says she values the extensive reach of the organization and its grant recipient program, which enables NJSL to spread their impact across multiple organizations.

“I think we’re constantly touching lives and improving our community through our volunteer hours and events,” she says.

From scholarships to grants to philanthropic events and fundraisers, events of the Newnan Junior Service League prove their members’ dedication to giving back to the community and bettering the lives of all who live in Coweta County.

For those interested in getting involved or helping with a fundraiser, visit njslserves.org. NCM

The NJSL Leadership Team celebrated Mardi Gras Casino Night at the Newnan Center in February with proceeds benefiting Coweta Samaritan Clinic and NJSL scholarships. Leadership Team members are, from left, Casey Phillips, Sara Powell, Katie Mons, Randi Greene, Katie Barnes, Erin Whitlock, Jenna Sherman, Anne Marie Strickland and Erin Dalton.

Photo

Obayana

David Boyd Jr., at work in his studio, was named Best Visual Artist, and his Boyd Gallery was named Best Art Gallery/ Studio, in Newnan-Coweta Magazine's 2024 Best of Coweta Readers' Choice Awards contest. Here, Boyd puts the finishing touches on his painting, "Daybreak on Madison."

by Jackie Kennedy

David Boyd Jr.: A passion for painting

Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON | Paintings by DAVID BOYD JR.

The Boyd name has long been a part of the fabric of the Coweta County community.

The family story, as it is entwined with Newnan, begins with Herbert and Rosalyn McKoy who, at the end of World War II, bought the building that’s now home to Boyd Gallery, just off the square on East Washington Street. As their children grew up, the couple passed the building on to their daughter Rosalyn and her husband David Boyd Sr.

With the building in their care, the pair ran a printing business, the Print Shoppe, and David Sr. produced political cartoons that ran in The Newnan Times-Herald and about 200 other newspapers for almost half a century. The political cartoonist eventually gained national fame with his Redneck illustrations for Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might Be a Redneck If...” books.

It was surrounded by this boundless passion for art that David Boyd Jr. grew up. At his father’s side at the Print Shoppe, the younger Boyd developed a deep appreciation for art and its creation, a seed that would continue to grow and bloom throughout his life.

As a student at The Heritage School, David Jr. says he was always known as “the guy that could draw.” Despite having the undeniable feeling that he was meant to be an artist – “to create,” as he puts it – he struggled to find a niche within the art world.

Photo

He dabbled in architecture for a short time before realizing it didn’t speak to him. Then he tried graphic design but didn’t feel a spark with that medium, either. Eventually, David Jr. recalls, he gravitated toward illustration, comforted by its familiarity, and yet that did not fit quite right either, certainly not the way it did for his father.

David Jr. graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 1995 and continued on his journey to find the right medium. Not long after graduation from SCAD, he was offered a position as a high school art teacher at his alma mater, The Heritage School. What

originally was set to be a short-term stint, filling in for an art teacher out on medical leave, turned into a fulfilling 19-year career.

In the middle of this career, after sharing the beauty of art and its techniques with hundreds of students, the teacher had what he describes as a moment of clarity: He needed to pursue art for himself.

Encouraged by longtime friend and fellow Heritage graduate Millie Gosch, he decided in 2006 to attend her one-day master class on plein-air painting, the art of painting on location.

“It was one day that changed my life forever,” recalls

“Westward”

David Jr., noting that watching his friend start and finish a painting on location in half an hour was inspiring to him, especially since he was interested in being outdoors and painting what he saw when traveling.

Having found his niche, the artist jumped in with fervor and hasn’t looked back. Between painting on location during family vacations and painting from pictures he takes on those vacations, painting has become his “personal diary” and a travelogue of the places he’s been, he says.

A decade after his discovery of plein-air painting, his life would undergo another monumental change, one that would bring him full circle. The old Print Shoppe building had long since faded into a fond childhood memory for Boyd after his parents decided to close their business and rent out the space in 1995. In the following two decades, the building was passed between renters as the Boyds focused on other endeavors.

David Jr. continued exploring the world of plein-air painting while his sisters found their own unique art

niches. His youngest sister, Bonne Boyd Bedingfield, creates intricate edible art in the form of cakes through her business, Beautifully Baked by Bonne. Their sister Rosalyn Moore Johnson designs fabrics and textiles for children’s clothes.

About seven years ago, the architect who was

“First Light”

“Harvest”

“It was one day that changed my life forever.”

– David Boyd Jr.

David Boyd Jr. paints on location in Carabelle, Fla., in 2016.

Photo courtesy of David Boyd Jr.

“Sunrise on Spring”

renting the old Print Shoppe building left, leaving a shell that beckoned to the Boyd family, especially David Jr. As the family considered the future of the building, he began toying with the idea of opening his own gallery in the basement.

Ultimately, it was his mother who encouraged him to utilize the upstairs of the building to showcase his talent to the very community that nurtured it.

“And the rest is history,” he says with a smile.

In 2017, David Jr. opened the gallery, ripe with family legacy and memories. While a haven for art within the community, the gallery/studio also serves to inspire its owner’s specific brand of creative genius. David Jr. says he’s always been most comfortable and inspired when working alone, and that solitude he needs is readily available within the gallery walls.

Like many others, he faced more than the usual share of solitude during Covid, a period of time during which he started sketching faces.

“I used an app called Sktchy, now called Museum,” says the artist. “It’s kinda like Instagram used to be, chronological, but it has people posting selfies and pictures of themselves for artists to use as reference. When you post, you post the painting you did with the picture that inspired it. It’s a great community. Now that life has gotten busier again, I don’t do the faces as much as a practice but look forward to incorporating it into what I do regularly.”

“Art is my life. If I’m not looking at it, I’m reading about it, putting on shows or teaching it.”

– David Boyd Jr.

“The Commute”

At Boyd Gallery, David Jr. brings the beauty of art to his hometown and showcases an array of wildly talented local artists, one of the most recent being his old friend Millie Gosch.

“I can’t say enough about the great influence on art in the Newnan-Coweta area David has had,” says Gosch. “His energy to gather artists – whether in the field to paint, host an event or have a show at Boyd Gallery – has played a big part in my career. It’s a privilege to know David and to be represented by the Boyd Gallery.”

After a lifetime dedicated to his passion, David Boyd Jr. admits: “Art is my life. If I’m not looking at it, I’m reading about it, putting on shows or teaching it.”

With this level of dedication, it’s no surprise that David Boyd Jr. and his gallery won two first place

spots in this year’s Newnan-Coweta Magazine Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards. For his talent with a paintbrush, he was voted top Visual Artist. Thanks to his skill as a businessman and commitment to supporting other artists and their craft, his Boyd Gallery took first place as Best Art Gallery/Studio, an honor won each of the six years the contest has been held.

Casey and Melissa Smith, owners of Redneck Gourmet in downtown Newnan, speak highly of both David Jr. and Sr. and the impact each has had in the region.

“Like his father, David Jr. is a fixture in downtown Newnan,” says Casey. “David Sr., or Boyd as we called him, was one of the founding members of Redneck Gourmet. Not only did he design the first logo, but he was certainly our most loyal customer and our biggest fan.”

TOP “Head Sketch #1”

ABOVE “Head Sketch #2” RIGHT “Head Sketch #3”

Many years ago, David Jr. took over as Redneck’s logo artist and helped the Smiths take the Redneck Gourmet brand to another level, according to Casey, who adds, “David Jr.’s amazing talent is on display at his gallery. It’s in the Boyd blood to be kind, hospitable and embrace downtown Newnan as home. On any given day, you’ll find him and his family walking the sidewalks, supporting the downtown merchants.”

When discussing the overflowing love and encouragement he receives from local supporters and readers who vote in Best of Coweta, David Jr. sums it up like this: “I inherited some big shoes to fill with my dad’s legacy, and it’s nice to know that the community thinks of you. It’s very fulfilling and satisfying.”

With his invaluable contributions to Coweta County, including his artistry, teaching and entrepreneurship, there is no question that David Boyd Jr. has expanded the Boyd legacy – and helped positively shape his community for years to come. NCM

David Jr. and Julie Boyd and their children, David and Aila, often find themselves in spots that wind up as subjects of a David Boyd Jr. painting.

Bob Shapiro: A life behind the camera

Written by BLUE COLE | Photographed by BOB SHAPIRO

Light. Color. Composition. Sodium sulfite. These are all technical components of a photograph, but an artist doesn’t focus on this. The photographer sees a moment, they position it, and they shoot it, catching the light and freezing the 1/10 second on paper, absorbing color and pausing time.

Long time Newnan resident Bob Shapiro is one such artist. For almost 50 years, he has documented the passage of time in Coweta County, which is blessed with locations filled with natural beauty, gracefully aging homes, and community growth marking the passage of time.

Shapiro got his start with a camera while in the U.S. Air Force where he learned to take and develop pictures. After the service, he moved to Atlanta and picked up jobs in a camera store selling equipment and supplies; he soon started shooting real estate and crime scene photos.

He arrived in Newnan as a staff photographer with The Newnan TimesHerald in 1973, working in the darkroom and shooting news photos.

“I always thought my darkroom skills got me the job at The TimesHerald,” Shapiro says.

In 1976, a two-door green MGB-GT that wouldn’t start led to a ride home, a second date, and his marriage to Georgia Carter. They married in 1978 and raised two sons.

In May of 1980, Bob bought a photography studio on Jefferson Street, a few blocks off the square in Newnan. He worked for over four decades in Coweta County, taking countless portraits as part of the community art and social scene.

“We had wonderful north light windows in my shooting room at the studio,” says Bob, who became known for his portraits. Over the years, he’s photographed numerous clients as preschoolers, then high school seniors, and ended up as their wedding photographer.

Bob Shapiro is known throughout Coweta County for his impressive and awe-inspiring photography.

Photo courtesy of Bob Shapiro

“William Banks, a Portrait”

“Flamingos in Florida”

“What makes a photograph art is a piece that speaks to you, that conveys a feeling, that speaks to you in more than a visual way.”

– Bob Shapiro

After leaving The Newnan Times-Herald, Shapiro took on multiple commercial clients in Newnan, capturing the march of progress, including the growth of Yokogawa and expansion of Bonnell, among others.

“I really liked the commercial work I did,” he says. Shapiro’s experience blends his outlook. He likes shooting scenic views, he made a living from taking portraits, and he always carries a camera.

“Art is in the eye of the beholder,” says Bob. “A well composed photo might not be art, while a poor one could be. As a retired portrait photographer, I always looked for simplicity in my work. In the studio, we never used a background that would detract from our subject. My favorite portraits over the years have always been window lit with simple but exceptional light and suitable for all ages.”

Bob Shapiro and his cameras bridged two eras in photography. In the first era, photography was much more than point and shoot, which most of today’s cameras are made to do.

Photography, then, was not only F-stop, film speed and focal length; a photographer was dependent on the skills of those in the darkroom, where negative images were bathed in chemicals and transferred as positive images.

“In film, you needed to get everything on that negative,” Bob recalls. “Then it was up to the lab to print it to your liking.”

A photographer had a chance to be an artist twiceover if they had skills in the darkroom.

The growth of digital cameras and computer software at the turn of the century provided new tools for the artist.

“Digital is a much different matter,” says the photographer. “I have total control of the finished image. Expertise in Photoshop allows you to make that image mirror the idea you had in your head. With film, I shared the finished product with my lab. With digital, it is all me.”

Prior to their retirement in 2023, the Shapiros purchased the former Powers Crossroads festival grounds in western Coweta County. Since then, they have cleared brush and freed the area from years of overgrowth that followed the last festival there in 2012. When the project is finished, the restoration photos might be memorialized in a photo book, according to Bob.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and a photographer is no different.

“What makes a photograph art, is a piece that speaks to you, that conveys a feeling, that speaks to you in more than a visual way,” says Bob Shapiro.

NCM “Sisters”

“Emily's Senior Portrait”

Photography

asArt

By BLUE COLE

Photography is the art of pausing time to capture a moment that would otherwise be forgotten. There is a connection with a street corner or a storefront. The curves on a green ‘73 MG, or the color of a dress.

The captured moment gives us a link not just to the past but to our own experiences.

A picture of the old OTASCO building in downtown Newnan may spark memories from Christmas or a birthday long past. We remember the details, the feeling, the item, but what we may not notice is the expression of pride on a father’s face in the background or the items on a table off to the side.

Old photos are memorable for their backgrounds and the people, what they are wearing, the momentary facial expressions. Writers try to bring the past forward – or the future closer. Photography can do this either/both as an inspiration or a reminder.

As art, photography is as varied as the subjects it captures. From breathing vistas to moments of triumph and tragedy, photography allows us to share time, people and places. Sometimes the art is grainy and rushed; other times, it’s a long exposure to capture the details our eyes can’t process the first time around. An artist’s eye can recognize it a moment before it passes.

NCM

“Storm Clouds at the Courthouse” by Bob Shapiro

Artful mapping and fantastic florals Jonathan & Sandy Parker:

Written by JENNIFER LONDON | Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY

Newnan residents Sandy and Jonathan Parker, both 65, came to discover their artistic success later in life.

For her 50th birthday, Jonathan gave Sandy En Plein Air painting lessons with Millie Gosch. Sandy recalls their son was active in sports when she started taking painting lessons.

“He gave me those lessons and saw me loving it and was very supportive of the whole thing,” Sandy recalls. “It was a busy time, and it was a big deal to take that time for myself.”

A self-taught floral designer and naturally creative, Sandy had a business in Atlanta from 1990 to 1996 designing corporate gifts and amenities.

“You don't know if you can do something until you have an opportunity to try it, and the flower arranging came naturally to me –and so did the painting.”

Today, Sandy plans and organizes parties for family and friends. She still paints on commission and keeps a current project set up on an easel in their home. Says her husband: “She can take entertainment, art, creativity, and encapsulate all of that.”

Sandy and Jonathan Parker enjoy an afternoon on their porch with their pooch, Olive.

Seeing his wife embracing Plein Air inspired Jonathan to pursue his own creative endeavors, which resulted in his large map designs that can be viewed locally at the Nixon Centre, at the state capitol building and in government buildings in county seats throughout Georgia.

“One of the joys of doing maps has been the path it's put me on to meet interesting people who I would not have met otherwise,” says Jonathan. “I realize if Sandy hadn’t started her art journey, I wouldn’t have.”

While in high school in 1973, a bicycle accident left Jonathan with a broken neck, which ended any contact sports but opened the door to taking art classes. The trajectory of his life changed as he developed a different perspective. Getting this early exposure to art stuck with him, even though he majored in forest engineering in college and has worked in that field since 1981.

Fast forward to a visit with the Parkers’ son Grayson, who was studying forest resources in college. Cartography was no longer taught in school since everything had gone digital. Gone were the days of going to look at a property, collecting data, and then creating the map.

“They don’t go out on the property,” says Jonathan. “They rely on these tools while they’ve never visited the site, and that’s what bothered me. They missed the adventure of being a forester.”

It was then that his inspiration was clear.

“Take a property that you’re familiar with, map it, and then animate the margins,” he imagined. “Do a compass rose of scale [a diagram of compass points drawn on a map and subdivided clockwise from 0 to 360 degrees with 0 indicating true north] artfully. Then do the legend and the titles, and then animate it with flora and fauna, something that’s meaningful and tells a story about the property that the owners wouldn’t see.”

A couple of weeks later, Sandy was at Rolling Meadows Farm, in northeast Georgia, helping a family assemble wedding flowers. While talking with owner Betsy Candler, Sandy mentioned Jonathan’s vision, and the Candlers jumped at the opportunity.

Coweta County's Big Oak Plantation Map, private collection

When a local event calls for flowers, Sandy Parker answers that call with her stunning floral arrangements.

Photo courtesy Sandy and Jonathan Parker

Photo courtesy Sandy and Jonathan Parker

Parker created his first large map and a beautiful legacy for the Candler family.

Mapping another location for a homeowner, Jonathan discovered a noted Indian trail on original maps the State of Georgia had made during the Land Lottery in the early 1800s.

“I kept using historical maps and surveys that showed an Indian trail,” Jonathan recalls. “As I did more maps of people’s farms, I kept running across references to Indian

trails and I thought, ‘Someone ought to map the Indian trails.’”

After a friend suggested he use watercolors to highlight the maps, he gravitated to them, Jonathan recalls. The more research he put into the maps, the more he felt it was an injustice to create a map of that point in history and use modern supplies.

“I use the same watercolors that John Audobon used,” he says. “We try to keep it traditional. The paper is from a French paper mill built in the 1400s.”

On one map he’s made, he used dirt from the area he was mapping.

Fascinated with area trails of Native Americans, Jonathan set out to map them, beginning at a historical marker proclaiming “Noted Indian Trail” on a lonely stretch of a Meriwether County highway.

Richardson Homeplace, Jasper County, MS, private collection

The Spring Horse Farm, Coweta County, private collection

Jonathan Parker points to a specific path along West Georgia Indian trails, which he has artistically mapped.

Photo courtesy Sandy and Jonathan Parker

Photo courtesy Sandy and Jonathan Parker

“I mapped an area where the sign said the Oakfuskee Trail crossed the Flint River and named it Crossing,” says Jonathan. “That map led to mapping the Indian Trails of West Georgia, and I called that map Upper Paths, which led to Arrival, a map of the Creek Nation villages to where the trails went.”

The map titles, says that artist, are somewhat metaphorical: “Crossing to something new, Upper Paths – finding my way – and Arrival; the story speaks for itself: my artistic cartographic journey.”

While commission work for private landowners got him started, Jonathan feels that mapping the lost trails of Native Americans has a broader scope and purpose.

“These maps are more universal, and it's more to educate, protect and preserve these secrets that I’m uncovering as I do my research and put them together in a meaningful piece,” he says. “Now I’ve got something to share with a bigger audience, and it’s things I think are important.”

Through art, Jonathan says he and Sandy both have had their eyes opened to whole new worlds.

“The whole experience of art makes you so much more aware of your environment,” he says. “It taught us to be more visual and appreciative of things we would otherwise

Sandy Parker's artistic floral arrangements are natural gifts of beauty.

There's always artwork on the easel at Sandy’s home, including this piece featuring a nest with eggs.

When she hears of the death of a loved one, Sandy Parker jumps into action, baking cookies and arranging flowers to share with the bereaved.

Photos

courtesy Sandy and Jonathan Parker

Lights, Camera, Action!

NEWNAN-COWETA MAGAZINE READERS CHOOSE AREA’S BEST ACTORS

Written by JOAN DOGGRELL | Photos courtesy of NEWNAN THEATRE COMPANY

Readers of Newnan-Coweta Magazine and The Newnan Times-Herald recently voted for their favorite local actors in the magazine’s sixth Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards. Not only are these top vote-getters exceptional actors;

they are delightful people. While theater is a beloved hobby for two of these winners, who also have full time jobs, acting and the arts are central to the lives of the other two. We extend congratulations to all.

Emily Kimbell pours on the drama as Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

“I was shocked to learn that I had won first place.”

Allison Yost: First Place

Allison Yost got her acting start in East Coweta High School and the Superintendent’s Theater Arts Resource (S.T.A.R.) program, held each year at the Donald Nixon Centre for the Performing Arts with Coweta County School System students involved in classes that culminate with a big production. Yost played leading roles that included Sandy in “Grease,” Wendy in “Peter Pan” and Catherine in “Pippin.”

In college, her focus was on her studies, and Yost didn’t return to theater until after graduation. All her subsequent acting experience has been with Newnan Theatre Company (NTC). Two of her major roles there were as Maria in “Dracula” and Janet in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

- Allison Yost

Her favorite part of all time, says Yost, was as a character she calls Homeless Man Number Two in “Annie,” a part she played twice.

With the ability to play comedic parts as well, she has portrayed Felicity for the past 10 years in “Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s ‘A Christmas Carol.’”

Acting is an avocation for Yost, who is a nurse practitioner as well as the mother of twin boys. She credits her acting success to the support of her husband and her mother, who takes care of her 2-year-olds while she works and rehearses at NTC.

“I was shocked to learn that I had won first place,” Yost said of her Best of Coweta award. “Newnan Theatre Company has so many talented performers.”

Dedicated actor Allison Yost portrays Felicity (who’s playing Pawn, a butler) in Newnan Theatre Company’s production of “The Farndale Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery.”

Again portraying Felicity, Allison Yost’s character portrays Mrs. Allsopp in “They Came from Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in Time for the Townswomen’s Guild’s Coffee Morning.”

Best of Coweta’s top-voted actor, Allison Yost, plays Felicity (who’s playing Gentlewoman here) in NTC’s “The Farndale Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Production of MacBeth.”

Joe Arnotti: Second Place

Joe Arnotti credits the Magnet School for the Performing Arts in Cobb County for jump starting his professional career. The training he received there in singing, dancing and acting led to many performance experiences while he was still in high school, such as singing backup for Clay Aiken and dancing with Chita Rivera.

After graduation, he won a role in “The Sound of Music” and toured the country with the National Theatre. On returning to Atlanta, he produced shows in Marietta at the Strand, an old movie theater beautifully refurbished by Coca-Cola. This led him to theme park entertaining at Six Flags Over Georgia, Georgia Aquarium and Stone Mountain Park, where he was immersed in all aspects of theater production, including singing, dancing and writing shows.

Next, Arnotti worked in Atlanta’s professional theaters, performing in “Mamma Mia,” “Aida,” “Pippin” and “The

Wizard of Oz.” He toured the country performing in Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn,” a show featuring tap dancing, his favorite dance style.

Arnotti moved to Newnan in 2020 and discovered Newnan Theatre Company, where he has enjoyed a variety of roles. The latest was in “The Wedding Singer.” His most recent endeavor has been with fellow actor Emily Kimbell to produce the Amethyst Tour, a variety show and fundraiser for NTC.

Arnotti loves Newnan and has become deeply involved with the arts community here. He is chair of the Newnan Cultural Arts Commission, which produces Jazz in the Park and has brought several cultural events to the Wadsworth Center. The Commission recently joined with Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation to bring Sean Dietrich to Newnan, and Arnotti had the pleasure of introducing the humorist to the audience at Wadsworth.

“Newnan wants art,” says Arnotti, who’s proud of his efforts in broadening local cultural opportunities.

A loveable Joe Arnotti plays Dennis in Monty Python's “Spamalot."

Joe Arnotti portrays Sir Galahad in Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

Maria Aparis: Tied for Third Place

Maria Aparis has been captivated by theater since she was 4 years old and won her first role when she was 7 in a play called “Son of the Unicorn.”

She booked her first commercial at age 12, which put her on the road to many professional opportunities in the Los Angeles area.

When she was older, Aparis moved to New York to study under the legendary Wynn Handman. According to his obituary, Handman was “one of this city’s most revered acting teachers for over 65 years.”

In New York, Aparis performed in serious plays. She studied playwrights and their styles and studied character development in depth. Then she moved back to Los Angeles where she started a business called Spa on Location. For 14 years, she drove a specially fitted recreational vehicle to sets and locations, providing the cast with massages, hair styling, makeup, manicures and pedicures.

After COVID-19, she and her husband moved to this area and Maria discovered Newnan Theatre Company, where she performed with the Improv Troupe and won roles in “Calendar Girls,” “Spamalot” and “Always a Bridesmaid.”

Now she teaches in the Newnan Theatre Company Conservatory, a full-year program for aspiring career actors that focuses on the fundamentals of character development and scene study. She also works for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), providing holistic programs for children who have survived trafficking.

She continues to audition for TV and film and has just booked a role in “Reasonable Doubt,” on Hulu, as a guest star.

“I love every minute of what I do,” says Aparis. “I will be an actor forever.”

Emily Kimbell: Tied for Third Place

Emily Kimbell sings for joy, and her singing brings joy to all privileged to hear her.

Although a classically trained soprano, Kimbell says her favorite genre is musical theater. She got her start in music and drama at Trinity Christian School, and her subsequent experience has been mainly with Newnan Theatre Company, though she has performed with The Henry Players and the Southside Theatre Guild as well.

Kimbell has played leading roles in a bevy of productions, including “Spamalot,” “The Last Five Years,” “9 to 5: The Musical,” “The Sound of Music,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Noises Off,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Addams Family,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “Cabaret.”

The show she enjoyed most, however, was “Evil Dead: The Musical.”

“The cast had so much fun every night,” says Kimbell. “We'd go home covered in fake blood. We still have cast reunions, and it has been seven years since the show.”

“The Sound of Music” was a favorite of hers as well.

“Working with the kids in the show was a fabulous experience,” she says. “Now they’ve gone on to graduate high school, joined choruses and performed in other productions. I love seeing them grow in their talent, and we always greet each other with a smile and hug.”

Kimbell’s accomplishments go beyond theater. She works as director of communications at The Heritage School, where she also teaches ninth grade English. Before that she was director of Newnan-Coweta Historical Society. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Georgia State University. NCM

Maria Aparis gleefully portrays the plague villager in Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

Emily Kimbell stuns as Doralee in “9 to 5, The Musical.”

LEFT

Maria Aparis plays Jessie in “Calendar Girls.”

September 11, 2001 WE REMEMBER

Carriage House Antiques

Country Antiques, Gifts, Collectibles 7412 E. Highway 16, Senoia 770-599-6321 | carriagehousesenoia.com

City of Hope 600 Celebrate Life Parkway, Newnan 833-282-2285 cancercenter.com

Coweta Charter School K-8 Tuition-Free School 6675 East Highway 16, Senoia cowetacharter.org

Coweta Cities & County Employees Federal Credit Union 43 Jefferson Parkway, Newnan 770-253-2273 ccefcu.org

Hillcrest Chapel 1 Bullsboro Drive, Newnan 770-253-4723 hillcrestchapelcares.com

Law Of ce of Michael West 36 South Court Square Ste. 300 Newnan 404-913-1529 lawof ceofmichaelwest.com

Litz Tire & Automotive 3855 Lower Fayetteville Rd., Newnan 770-683-3500

Southern Crescent Women’s Healthcare Locations in Newnan, Fayetteville & Stockbridge 770-991-2200 scwhobgyn.com

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church 3 Village Road, Newnan 770-253-1888 smmcatholic.org

Town and Country Restaurant 8B Franklin Rd., Newnan 770-251-8070 townandcountrynewnan.com

Coweta County Board of Commissioners 22 East Broad Street Newnan 770-254-2601 coweta.ga.us

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Coweta-Newnan Of ce 1201 Lower Fayetteville Road, Newnan Linda Huff-Managing Broker 770-254-8333 bhhsgeorgia.com/coweta-county-of ce

DTH Expeditors

5158 Kennedy Rd. Suite H, Forest Park 770-253-7630 dthx.net

Odyssey Charter School 14 St. John Circle Newnan odysseycharterschool.net

The Salvation Army Newnan Service Center 670 Jefferson St., Newnan 770-251-8181 | facebook.com/TSANewnan

White Oak Golden K Kiwanis Newnan whiteoakgoldenk.org

Wesley Woods of Newnan 2280 Highway 29, Newnan 770-683-6833 wesleywoods.org

Knead Art?

Written by GAIL MCGLOTHIN

Photographed by APRIL MCGLOTHIN-ELLER

Creating art projects and crafts is messy on my hands, but nothing gets them quite as messy as when I’m working with dough.

By the time I get through kneading and the dough is rising, flour is all over me, the counter and the floor. If I’ve scratched my nose, it’s also coated with flour.

I started working with dough when I lived in Denver. Yeast rises twice as fast at high altitudes, so making bread, sweet rolls and yeast rolls was as easy and fast as making biscuits and cornbread –all staples in a Southern diet.

With rapid rise yeast on the market, yeastraised dough is still convenient.

Dough is a versatile medium for dinner – and for art projects. If the sculpture is not pleasing, scoop it all up and start over.

Same thing for the final baked product. If it looks bad, slice that bread up, slather it with butter, and your creation is still a winner.

Each of the following recipes are perfect for shaping and molding as described. Extra dough from the Twists can be made into a simple sweet bread your kids and grandkids will love.

Bake and make art, all at once!

Focaccia

1 package active dry yeast

4½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons salt

1 cup hot water

1 cup hot milk

¹⁄ 3 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine yeast, 2 cups flour and salt. Add hot water, hot milk and olive oil. Beat about 2 minutes until well combined. Add remaining flour ½ cup at a time until soft dough forms. The dough will be a little sticky and oily. Drizzle more olive oil over the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled.

Oil an 11x17-inch baking pan (a smaller pan will result in a thicker focaccia). Turn dough out onto the pan and use your hands to pull and push dough to fit the pan. Brush with olive oil. Decorate with slices of small red and yellow pepper, vertical slices of red onion, capers, green onion with the green top cut long ways, parsley leaves and stems, and black olives. Focaccia can be decorated any way your imagination leads you.

Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Serve at room temperature.

The origins of Focaccia date back to ancient Greece.

However, regularly decorating

Focaccia started within the last quarter century. Envision a blank canvas, and gather vegetables that can be turned into a flower or any other embellishment. Design and bake. What a fun addition to any dinner or party table!

Focaccia

Jam/Nutella Twists

(Recipe makes 3)

1½ cups warm milk

½ cup butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons salt

½ cup sugar

2 packages yeast

½ cup lukewarm water

2 eggs, beaten

About 9 cups flour

About ½ cup each spreadable jam and Nutella for filling

Pour milk over butter, salt and sugar. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and let stand until it bubbles. Add yeast and beaten eggs to the cooled milk mixture. Gradually add flour, beating it thoroughly. Add enough flour to make it an easily handled dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turn over to grease each side, cover and let rise for about 1½ hours, until doubled in size. Punch down, cut into 6 portions, and let rest.

For each Twist, place a piece of parchment paper on counter and 1 portion of dough on the paper. Roll into a 12-inch circle, cutting away excess. (I use a dinner plate as a pattern.) Spread with Nutella.

Roll out a second portion of dough the same size on a separate piece of parchment paper. Gently place it on top of the Nutella-topped piece. Using your fingers, knead the edges together. Push a small glass into the center. With a sharp knife, cut from glass to edge all the way around, making 12 equal wedges. Gently lift each wedge, twist twice and place onto paper. Lift paper onto a pizza pan or other baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Repeat with raspberry jam, thinned with a little water. When doubled, brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes or until done. Repeat with the second Twist. After taking Twists out of the oven, brush with butter, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, or make a glaze of confectioner’s sugar and milk and drizzle over each Twist.

While the Twists are rising, make a third Twist or squeeze the last two portions together to make another dish: Knead ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup very soft butter, and ½ cup raisins into the dough. Shape into a ball and place in a buttered pie plate. Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until done.

Jam/Nutella Twists

Challah

1 cup lukewarm water

2 packages active dry yeast

¼ teaspoon sugar

4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 large egg white

¼ cup canola oil

Place water in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over water along with ¼ teaspoon sugar, stirring to dissolve. Let stand a few minutes until yeast bubbles.

In a large bowl, stir to combine flour, sugar and salt. Beat together eggs, yolk and oil. Pour into center of flour and mix together to form dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is soft and smooth. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn to oil both sides, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1½ to 2 hours. Turn dough back onto a floured surface. Divide dough into 3 pieces; shape each into a rope 16 to 20 inches long. Squeeze the top of the three ropes together. Braid the 3 ropes by braiding the right rope over the center rope and then the left rope over the new center rope. Repeat until the end of the ropes. Keep the knots tight. Move to a greased or parchment paper-lined baking pan. Turn the top knot and the bottom pieces under the challah. Cover and let rise about 1 hour until doubled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush it over the challah, being sure to get into the cracks. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden brown. NCM

No matter how it’s served, Challah makes an artistic impression.

Challah is also an ancient bread, traditionally served on Friday nights in Jewish homes. Challah is an easy dough to handle so creative cooks have braided and shaped it into just about any shape you can imagine. Challah leftovers make wonderful French toast and bread pudding, or just toast and jam.

Challah

Exceptional Veterinary Care

A Team Who Roots for You!

770-400-0146

815 Weldon Road

Palmetto, Georgia 30268

sweetwatervet.com

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Pegasus is a red-tailed hawk who was taken to the University of Georgia and then SweetWater Veterinary Hospital for not putting weight on his right leg. The rest of his exam was normal other than swelling around the middle of the right leg and the bird was not putting weight down on this leg. To assess for the underlying cause, x-rays were taken under sedation. Multiple images were taken while Pegasus was asleep and it was found that he had fractured his right tibiotarsal bone. A splint was placed on the leg while Pegasus was still sleeping to align the bone fragments and provide stability. It was discussed how treatment options included surgery or to continue with weekly splint changes and medical management for Pegasus. Ultimately, the second option was elected.

Pegasus continued to come in on a regular basis for splint changes and repeated x-rays to track the healing process. He was managed at home with pain medications, physical therapy, and limited exercise/rest. After 4 weeks of splinting the leg, Pegasus was cleared for bandage removal and slowly increasing his exercise and space at home. Months later, Pegasus continues to do extremely well!

At SweetWater, we often work with licensed falconers, rehabbers, and zoos that have birds of prey like Pegasus the red-tailed hawk. We cannot treat wildlife unless it is through a licensed rehabilitator. If you have questions about injured wildlife, please visit the GA Dept. of Natural Resources website.

CELEBRATING Coweta’s Best

Written by JACKIE KENNEDY

Photographed by KEN BENSON, JACKIE KENNEDY and BETH NEELY

Winners of Newnan-Coweta Magazine’s 2024 Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards were celebrated at a reception held in their honor on July 25 at Wesley Woods of Newnan.

The annual Best of Coweta reception welcomed about 75 guests representing first place winners in the contest, which showcases Coweta County's top businesses and service providers.

Wesley Woods, first place winner in the Assisted Living Facility category, graciously hosted the event.

First place winners took home Best of Coweta drinking bottles packed with treats.

The kitchen staff at Wesley Woods went all out to serve a spectacular spread of heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Guests at the reception enjoy food, conversation and smiling for the camera.

From left, Charlie Karvelas, Joey Karvelas and Alan Ringel pose for their winner photo honoring Karvelas Pizza Company for top spots for Best Pizza and Best Wings.

Michael and Sherry Litzenberger celebrate Litz Tire & Automotive’s first place win for Best Auto Repair.

The Ortiz family made it a night out at the Best of Coweta reception to celebrate Joshua’s win for Best Personal Trainer. With him are his wife Ki and their daughters Cataleya and Mariana.

Life of the South, winner for Best Catering, got in on the fun by pulling a prank on their boss, Nathan Metts, back and hidden by our Best of Coweta medallion. Staff members with him are, from left, Sean Seyler, Diana Noe, Jen Martin and Ashley Luke.

Staff members of Wesley Woods took a moment from hosting the event to pose for a photo to commemorate their win for Best Assisted Living Facility, from left: Lauri Ann Brooks, Teresa Ledbetter, Beth Tripp, Michael Barry, Lori Dechart and Terry Barcroft.

Read us & Win!

Congratulations to winners whose names were drawn after voting in our 2024 Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards!

Remember when next year’s Best of Coweta contest comes around in March: Vote for your favorite businesses and services by filling out a ballot in Newnan-Coweta Magazine or The Newnan Times-Herald, and your name automatically goes into the pot for drawing. Each year, ten readers/voters are selected at random. This year’s winners received a $50 gift card.

Thanks, as always, to our gift card sponsor, Coweta-Fayette EMC, for making these prizes possible.

And thank you to our NCM readers for making Best of Coweta a fun competition that boosts recognition of our local businesses.

Gift card winners are pictured here. Along with them, other winners include Zeke Horsley, Amy Ferrell and Tershel Batchelor. NCM

Tracey Spain of Moreland

Jessica Ware, left, of Whitesburg and Virginia Trent Finnegan of Newnan

John Gick of Newnan

Heather Berens of Newnan

Sarah Newman of Douglasville

Laura Palmer of Newnan BEST

Hughston Clinic

Jack C. Hughston, MD, an acclaimed pioneer in the field of sports medicine, established the Hughston Clinic in 1949. Now, more than 75 years later, the practice continues to grow with clinics in multiple states, orthopaedic trauma centers in major hospitals, surgical centers, rehabilitation centers, Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital, and more than 90 board-certified, specialty-trained physicians.

Hughston is a nationally and internationally recognized center of excellence for research, education, and training and for our quality treatment of musculoskeletal injury and disease. Hughston pairs an orthopaedic-specialized team of healthcare professionals to include boardcertified, fellowship-trained surgeons with business leadership that guides the clinic toward its goal of providing exceptional patient care.

At Hughston Clinic, we deliver superior patient-centered medicine, while also enjoying the many advantages of being part of a

Edgar Dollar II, DO

Non-Surgical Sports Medicine

Justin Fernicola, MD

Total Joint Replacement

multi-specialty orthopaedic group. We are physician-owned, which means we are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our patients, the health of our communities, and the future of medicine.

What makes Hughston different?

Our integrated system of research, education, and treatment is patient-focused, which makes all the difference in providing quality healthcare. Hughston Clinic is a multi-specialty orthopaedic practice with Centers of Excellence in spine, upper and lower extremities, trauma, and total joint replacement. We base our award-winning patient care on a platform of specialty-trained physicians and specialized healthcare professionals who work together on one common goal – our patients. Hughston’s vertical integrated practice pairs outstanding facilities with state-of-the-art technology to create a strong infrastructure. Coupled with corporate support, our clinics maximize efficiency, streamline cost, and provide affordable healthcare without sacrificing quality.

David Gloystein, MD Orthopaedic Spine

Gil Gomez, DO Orthopaedic Spine

Douglas Pahl, MD

Orthopaedic Spine

Gianni Ricci, DO Foot and Ankle

Not the End

Written and Photographed by ROBERT BREWER

Robert Brewer moved from Pittsburgh, Penn., to Newnan to work with Delta. He writes to express himself. He says that, with this particular poem, he had to put his emotions in print to prove to himself he was still worthy after his marriage ended.

Share Your Prose

There’s a small house at the bottom of the hill Where I have learned to swallow that evil pill. The pain is now great and time moves slow, This is where I am in order to grow,

For this is the place I drop my tearsIt carries on and feels like years.

Even if it’s a very short time, Your heart knows it’s been treated unkind. You continue through life like nothing is wrong. The heart is sometimes troubled for it cannot sing its song.

As you sit on the porch in the early morning you hear the birds in the early start, Those tears come heavy from that broken heart.

Please remember, my friend, for this is not the end! Look to the right and you will find a beautiful sight, Two beautiful trees that blossom through the night So as you turn your head and dry those tears, You wash away all those fears.

It’s the beauty and love that’s in those flowers That will stop the tears of those heavy showers.

And don’t forget those others in your life that keep you afloat both day and night-

For your sister who listens to you cry, Remember she will not let you die.

For those friends at work who like to jokeThey will lift you up even when you soak.

For those friends who care that are on the jobThey lift you up when you sob.

And please don’t forget that sweet woman on the phone, She cares about you also, Even though she’s unknown. She constantly reminds you You are more than just a thrown out toy.

Remember she also brings you joy.

And let’s not forget the house where you are givingYou put smiles on their faces And remind them their life is worth living. You walk around and hand out platesRemember the time you had a date?

Remember those who text and call on the phoneThey constantly remind you that you are not alone.

And please remember the love from aboveHe finds you more precious than a mourning dove.

NCM

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

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

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.

Blacktop

Greta says, “Ears up!” Josie Exner’s husband calls her his donkey. Josie says the pup probably can pick up WSB with those ears.

Lacey takes it easy in a field of daisies. She’s half West Highland white and half miniature schnauzer, so her pet parents call her a “Wauzer.”

Photo by Lamar Nestlehutt

An osprey takes flight at West Point Lake in Troup County.

Photo by Ron Schuck

Two Canadian geese protect their goslings at a lake behind Central Newnan Library at 85 Literary Lane.

Photo by Josie Exner

Photo by Mike Exner

Photo by Ledy Esquinazi

A closeup of this door knob on the Senoia Buggy Museum in downtown Senoia is enchanting.

The resident who shot this photo of the old Coweta County Courthouse lives in Moreland and loves visiting downtown Newnan.

A

2 024 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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.

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

SUMMER SPRING

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

AUTUMN

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

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 by Laurie Mattingly

fall sunset paints the sky.

Photo by Amanda Keene

The Guggenheim, y’all

Inever really understood art. I made the clay ashtrays in school that every kid from my generation made. I’ve still got something I made from clay on one of the shelves in our living room. I don’t know what it is, which I guess makes it abstract.

Other than that, I’ve never fancied myself as any kind of artist. I can’t draw anything. My wife and kids can take a pencil and a piece of paper and draw whatever you tell them to. It’s a gift they have that I’m jealous of. My eyes just don’t see how to get from a blank sheet of paper to what they create.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that maybe I am an artist. I was always comparing myself to a definition of art I held that took the world’s definition of art – the Mona Lisa, the Michelangelo. I can’t compete with that.

But when you take into account all the art the South offers the world, I think I can hang in there with the best of them.

Southern art is in our yards. It may be a rusted-out truck bed that was converted to a flower bed. Or an old toilet-turned-flowerpot. I have neither of these, but I’ve seen my fair share of displays over the years.

I don’t know for certain that I’ve ever seen a pink flamingo in the wild. I could possibly be convinced that no such bird exists. But it doesn’t stop the aspiring Southern artist from scattering pink flamingos over his front lawn.

And don’t get me started on the culinary arts of the South. In the South, we don’t just cook; we create. Our barbecue pits are like studios. Every rib or brisket serves as the canvas to the pit master artist wielding his paint brush filled with family secrets and salt.

If you don’t think food can be art, you’ve never seen the beauty of a perfectly golden cornbread or stood around the proper low country boil.

I don’t have enough space to get started on the music. From the blues of the Delta, to the bluegrass of the Appalachian, from Southern rock to country grammar, it’s like we don’t give the rest of the country a chance to compete.

We have line dancing, we have clogging. There’s a reason everyone moves to the South, and it ain’t the humidity.

The next time you’re on the road and see a “See Rock City” sign painted on the side of a barn, think back to the simpler times of your childhood. You may be seeing it from the driver’s seat now, but there was a time in your life when you saw it from the back seat, as a child going on a trip.

The next time someone tells you the South isn’t the hub of artistic genius, invite them over to your house and give them a peek into our steep culture of art that is second to none.

I may not be able to draw a convincing stick figure, but my brisket sure does have some pretty smoke rings on it. NCM

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

POWERFUL POWERFUL PARTNER PARTNER

Coweta-Fayette EMC employees are members, parents, and volunteers just like you. Our employees are dedicated to providing your homes and businesses with safe, reliable power while never forgetting their reason why.

POWERFUL POWERFUL PARTNER PARTNER

CFEMC does more than keep the lights on. We give you the power to plug into your family, friends and neighbors.

Coweta-Fayette EMC employees are members, parents, and volunteers just like you. Our employees are dedicated to providing your homes and businesses with safe, reliable power while never forgetting th why.

CFEMC does more than keep the lights on. We give you the p into your family, friends and neighbors.

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