V3 March 2017

NWGA'S PREMIER FEATURE MAGAZINE / MARCH 2017

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Features

March2017 Columns 10

14

Falcons fans can look forward to 2019 after the disappointing loss this year, because J. BRYANT STEELE says that Atlanta can expect enough Super Bowl cash to feed our families for years to come.

JIM ALRED has some words of encouragement for fans of Atlanta sports teams, and encourages us to keep that sweet, sweet spirit.

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THREE LOCAL RUNNERS are traveling to the Boston Marathon this spring, and their paths to the race are paved with inspiration.

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THE ROME FLOYD CHAMBER has set their sights on new goals, while celebrating their updated look.

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What is old has become new, and HARDY REALTY has the keys to your new home Between the Rivers.

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Using a community-centered philosophy and the latest technology, the VARGO ORTHODONTICS staff is perfecting the business of smiles.

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Downtown is being attacked by a group with knitting needles as their weapons of choice. Bring the kids, because the ROME KNITTERATI is on the prowl.

“My position as The Harbor life enrichment coordinator is a calling of mine. In this position, I have the opportunity to organize many activities that take the residents back to a happier time in their lives. Gardening in the beautiful outdoors is one of the residents' favorite activities.

Each Spring at The Harbor, we begin planting our vegetable garden in our greenhouse. The residents enjoy helping me turn the soil and watching the plants grow from a seed into a delicious vegetable. Nothing tastes better than a fresh tomato sandwich grown from plants in our own back yard. This is our favorite time of year as we do a wide variety of gardening in our ground garden, our raised garden beds, and our hydroponic gardens."

- David Duke Life Enrichment Coordinator

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P u b l i s h e r ' s n o t e

OWNER & CEO Ian Griffin EDITORIAL MANAGER Oliver Robbins MAG ART & DESIGN Ellie Borromeo Ian Griffin OWNER AND CEO

So, it’s been a month since the Super Bowl and I still haven’t shaken it. Had it happened any other way it wouldn’t have been easy to swallow, but it would have been better than setting a record for the largest lead ever surrendered in a Super Bowl. Like many of you, I have been a Falcons fan since birth and raised to understand that the team I loved was in many ways the NFL’s whipping boy.

Even at 28-3 I didn’t think it was out of reach…but man did things look good!

It was all downhill from that point forward, and while the opportunity to ice the game with three hand-offs and a field goal was traded in for three pass attempts that knocked us out of field goal range will be questioned for eternity, I am still proud to be a Falcon. I can’t wrap my head around that sequence, but I also haven’t been offered a coaching position. However, I’m trying to believe they had a reason.

When we punted it back to Tom Brady and the Patriots my only hope was that the Birds could stop the two-point conversion after they inevitably scored a touchdown. They didn’t and overtime was just a formality. The greatest comeback/collapse was complete and fans of Atlanta sports teams were left with a hole in their hearts where the Vince Lombardi Trophy should have resided.

Every time I’ve discussed it with anyone since it’s been like ripping off a Band-Aid. The same sickening feeling of having two hands on the trophy only to relinquish it will always sting the true fans. That’s the blessing and curse of caring about a team that much…it really hurts when they lose and you can’t lose in a worse way than our Atlanta Falcons did.

How they recover and respond from this loss will determine if this franchise is forever doomed to be the team that always falls short or the champions they deserve to be. The talent is there, the investment from ownership, youth, leadership and all the intangibles needed to win it all are in place. But, mentally how do you bounce back from blowing that lead?

If used properly for motivation, this time next year, we could be watching Matt Ryan and his teammates riding down one Peachtree Street or another, hoisting the NFL’s top-prize above their heads in celebration of the team’s first Super Bowl win. If they feel sorry for themselves, it could be a quick trip back to the mediocrity we’re all so used to.

Time will tell, but if there is one-thing this loss reaffirmed for me, it’s that a fan is a fan through thick and thin. That was by far the most devastating loss of the many I’ve endured rooting for the Dirty Birds over the years, but the Band-Aid is off for good. Scars and all, I’m still, and always will be, proud to be a Falcon.

Ian Griffin, Owner

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WRITERS J. Bryant Steele, Oliver Robbins, Erin deMesquita, Holly Lynch Tripp Durden, Greg Howard, Lauren Jones-Hillman, Jim Alred, Emory Chaffin, Laura Green

EXECUTIVE PHOTOGRAPHER Cameron Flaisch CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Caleb Timmerman Ellie Borromeo AD SALES + CLIENT RELATIONS Chris Forino AD DESIGN Laura Allshouse Ellie Borromeo PUBLISHER V3 Publications, LLC CONTACT One West Fourth Avenue Rome, Ga. 30161 Office Phone 706.235.0748 v3publications@gmail.com CREATOR Neal Howard

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v3 magazine 9

Cents & Sensibility with J. Bryant Steele

Bowl of Lucky Charms THANK GOODNESS I’m no longer skimming past headlines about the Super Bowl. And I’m not even talking about the embarrassing second half played by the Atlanta Falcons in Houston. What an embarrassment.

No, I‘m talking about my fatigue from the media blitz starting six weeks before kickoff,

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without even turning on a TV. I would pick up the morning papers from my doorstep and wonder, “How are they going to out-hype this hyperbole when The Second Coming actually gets here?” I kept thinking, “It’s just another football game. The world will go on, with its flashes and its famine.”

And then there was all the post-game analysis,

which can be distilled to this: Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan called stupid plays in the second half that led to the Falcons losing a historic lead. The very day after that Super Blotch on his resume, Shanahan became set for life, financially, when he was hired as head coach of the San Francisco football team. That would be like me being sued for libel, then being hired as managing editor of The New York Times. (Aside: I’ve never been sued for libel, and the NYT has my resume.)

Granted, some of the pre-game reporting was about the economic benefits of hosting the Super Bowl. Houston, this year’s host city, was projected to reap $500 million in revenue, but those benefits are temporary, and, frankly, illusionary. (Don’t you ever wonder why it’s always a nice, round number?)

Let me tell you how those projections usually work: A consulting firm or the business school at a major university, in concert with the National Football League (objectivity be damned!), calculates some relatively hard numbers, like hotel revenue from projected visitor numbers, and soft numbers, like what restaurants or taxi drivers might receive in tip money. But on the front end, taxpayers wind up paying millions to build flavor-of-the-month stadiums to attract the Super Bowl or other marquee events, and, if they come up with the right gimmick, get a little walking-around money. But afterward, those taxpayers still have to pony up to put their kids through school or their parents in hospice.

Along those lines, Atlanta will host the 2019 Super Bowl, in brand-spanking-new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, slated to replace the perfectly fine Georgia Dome this summer. (If you’re inclined to contribute, just drive down to Atlanta for a weekend this summer, stay in a hotel rather than with friends, dine out five or six times, and you’ve done your part via a higher bar tab than you’ve ever paid in your life.)

A good dozen or more Georgia mucky-mucks were in Houston prior to this year’s Super Bowl in order to glean insight on how to host the 2019 event, just as they were in San Francisco last year.

Somebody paid for that, and it wasn’t the muckymucks.

But here’s what most got my goat in all the pre-game hype: A story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Falcons’ running back Devonta Freeman, in explaining his attempt to renegotiate his $676,000 per annum contract, in which he said, “I’ve got a family to feed.”

Excuse me, Mr. Freeman, but just how large is your family? Chattooga County? Say that you want to be paid like a premier running back (which you are). Say that you want to make the world a better place with a multi-million-dollar contract. Say you chose a profession with a short shelf life, and you need to get the bucks while you can. Hell, even say that you want the jewelry, the cars and the babes.

Just don’t say you can’t feed your family on $676,000 a year. I’ve heard better rationale from streetwalkers.

Hey, the Super Bowl is a grand excuse for a party, and I hope all of you had fun and weren’t horribly hungover (from booze or the outcome or both) the next morning. Just remember why the deities came up with football in the first place: To briefly amuse themselves in the bleak chasm between the World Series and Opening Day. Baseball, after all, is the sport that the gods themselves follow.

BizBits

This year has already marked some notable celebrity deaths: First, Carrie Fisher, mainly remembered as Princess Leia of Star Wars and memorized by generations of adolescent males in her skimpy, metallic bikini. She went on to become a best-selling author. Next went Mary Tyler Moore, the only woman who ever looked good in those ‘80s business pantsuits, which was too bad because she had fabulous legs. After her acting ca reer, she became a highly successful television producer. I saw her once in an off-Broadway play called “Sweet Sue.”

The saddest obituary news to me, though, was that of Butch Trucks, founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. His drumming, you could argue, did as much to as much to define the merger of Southern blues and rock as Duane Allman’s guitar riffs or Gregg Allman’s whiskey-toned vocals.

The best night out in these parts, at any time of the year, in my opinion, is this month’s annual Pot Luck o’ the Irish, sponsored by the Loch and Hills Celtic Association of Rome. Good food, and great music at a reasonable price. You get corned beef and cabbage, Irish potatoes and soda bread.

You are asked to bring a side dish, salad or dessert; and the cost is just $10—$5 for those 12 and under.

Entertainment is provided by the Ceilidh Celtic Ensemble and the Drake School of Rome Irish Dancers. This year’s event will take place March 18 at 6 p.m. at Heritage Hall. Reservations are required (706-324-6317 or sambaltzer12@gmail.com).

If you’re not Irish, well, bless your heart, but you can still enjoy good food, music and dance.

J. Bryant Steele has won awards for business reporting, feature writing and opinion columns, and is based in Rome. *The views expressed in this column are those of the writer, and do not represent the opinions of V3 Magazine.

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Great is Thy Faithfulness

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For the Love of the Game with Jim Alred LOOK AWAY. TURN THE PAGE. Whatever you do, do not read this column.

Instead, search for something happy and maybe shiny. Find something that will make you smile and feel good inside. Unless you enjoy wallowing in misery and reliving past failures, stop reading now.

If you’re still reading, don’t blame me. I warned you.

This story begins on a cold winter day in January in 1981. I sat with rapt attention watching the Atlanta Falcons take a lead over the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.

The best team Atlanta had fielded to that point, carried a 24-10 lead into the fourth quarter. I then watched in abject horror as the Cowboys scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to Atlanta’s field goal, giving Dallas the 30-27 win.

I pouted. I screamed. I yelled and I’m sure I cried. My father patted me on the back and turned me to face him. He then uttered the harshest and truest words I’ve ever hard.

“Son. If you’re going to be an Atlanta sports fan, you better be ready to be disappointed.”

The day after the most recent version of the Falcons blowing a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, I recounted this story.

As can be expected Atlanta sports fans protested.

“Prove me wrong,” I responded.

Crickets.

I smiled a smug smile and then thought for a

moment. My dad wasn’t wrong, and I’ve learned time and time again to take a step back and try to check my emotions at the door when an Atlanta sports team plays important games.

Perhaps I’m looking at this all wrong.

What if Lonnie Smith scored that run in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series? What if Jeff Reardon didn’t serve up those pitches the Blue Jays hitters turned into base hits and runs in the 1992 World Series? What if the 1993 Braves reached the World Series instead of falling flat against the Phillies in the NLCS? If all of these or even one of these events transpired, then when the Braves knocked off the Cleveland Indians in the 1995 World Series the celebration wouldn’t have been as sweet.

Yes, Atlanta and its fans would have celebrated, but that series and those games wouldn’t be as cherished if the Braves already owned a couple of World Series Trophies.

And let’s not even get started on the 1996 World Series debacle against the Yankees.

What if Atlanta had held off the Cowboys rally in the 1981 playoffs or held off the 49ers rally in the 2012 NFC Championships game? What if the Falcon’s pass defense remained strong, and John Elway didn’t hit those big passes in the 1998 Super Bowl? What if a few weeks ago the Falcons closed the deal, held onto the lead and handed the city its first Super Bowl Championship?

When an Atlanta sports team reaches a championship, we are subjected to columns from far away sportswriters reminding us Atlanta has little to no championship pedigree. They are right. Atlanta isn’t Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, St. Louis, et al.

But what we Atlanta fans are is faithful. Do we cheer the Falcons, Braves and Hawks any less?

Maybe, but there we were glued to a television watching this years Super Bowl meltdown.

A friend on Facebook posted a smiling photo while decked out in Falcon’s gear moments before kickoff. In the photo, she wore a huge smile and wrote underneath how she loved football.

Sometime in the fourth quarter she posted another photo. She appeared to be lying on the floor, wearing a desperate expression. This time she wrote she hated football.

I’m pretty sure every Atlanta fan in the free world felt something similar.

The point my dad failed to reinforce to me more than three decades ago is that yes, as Atlanta sports fans we may be in for suffering and misery. But there is a flip side. When the Braves broke through and won, it was beyond cathartic.

The Braves, the Hawks and the Falcons may never be dominant franchises, but they will compete and they will one day break through.

And I’ll say to my children or my children’s children a modified version of what I heard as a young boy.

“If you’re going to be an Atlanta sports fan, you’re going to have some big disappointments. But when they win, it’s going to be amazing.” *The views expressed in this column are those of the writer, and do not represent the opinions of V3 Magazine.

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v3 magazine 17

Shipping OFf to

Boston As long as there is a will, there is a way to reach your pot of gold.

TEXT JIM ALRED

T

PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERON FLAISCH

hree Roman runners will join the thousands converging on Boston on April 17 to tackle the storied Boston Marathon and the 26.2 mile course.

And while the daunting race the trio faces will be full of ups and downs, it pales in comparison to the journey they have each travelled to get there.

For Keith Long, Justin Strickland and Jay Stephenson, Boston serves as a celebration and another signpost along a journey.

For those who knew Keith Long a few years ago, the idea of that version running, much less running a marathon seems not just improbable but impossible.

“I was overweight. I had high blood pressure.

My health wasn’t very good. At my heaviest, I was around 270 pounds,” he says. “I knew I needed to do something, but I was always saying I’ll do it tomorrow.”

For Long, who works in Downtown Atlanta, tomorrow came after he noticed his reflection as he walked to his car.

“I passed several windows on the way to where I was parked, and I saw my reflection,” he says.

“I didn’t like what I saw and even worse I was out of breath just walking to my car.”

Soon after, Long watched the documentary “Forks over Knives” with his wife Mary Ann and the two decided to change their eating habits.

“The main thing for me is to be healthy, so I can be around for my son, Thomas. I want to make sure I can be there to help take care of him,” he says. “The way my health was going meant I probably wasn’t going to be around.”

Long started walking on his lunch break and began to see the pounds slide off.

“I walked for several weeks and then I started trying to run some. I probably ran about an eighth of a mile before I had to stop and walk again, but it got me going.”

Long graduated from walking two miles to running a mile and then walking a mile to running two miles and finally running his whole route at lunch.

Long’s wife encouraged him to run the Harbin Clinic Leprechaun-a-thon and he turned in a solid 22-minute effort for the 3.1-mile race. The pair ran the Berry Half Marathon the next year and thoughts of a full marathon entered Long’s head.

“Mary Ann has family from Boston, so we began talking about how it would be neat if I could run the Boston Marathon. Then we looked into it and realized I had to qualify for the race.”

v3 magazine 19

Jay Stephenson

Some marathons, like Boston and New York, get so many applicants that runners must finish a marathon in a certain time based on their age to be able to qualify to run the event.

Long, who was 43 then, looked up the qualifying times on the internet and realized he would have to run a marathon in under 3 hours and 15 minutes to qualify.

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Justin Strickland

“Mary Ann saw the time and thought it was unrealistic. I saw the time and thought to myself I could do that,” he says.

Long tackled the Chickamauga Marathon and then made a serious attempt at the qualifying time at the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon in Savannah the next spring. Luck wasn’t on his side. The notoriously flat and fast Savannah course turned

Keith Long

into an oven as the temperature soared into the upper 70’s and the heat index reached into the high 80’s causing the run to be shortened.

The next attempt came at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Going into the race, Long felt he needed to run a 3:12 to ensure he qualified for Boston.

“At about mile 20, I realized I had a good shot at it,” he says. “About mile 23 or 24 my hamstrings

started to cramp a bit so I slowed down. I didn’t want to chance something happening and not getting my qualifying time.”

Long crossed the finish line with a 3:03 good for second place in his age group and a solid 12 minutes under the Boston qualifying time.

“I was relieved to get it, but I looked at the time and thought I should have been able to break three (hours),” he says. “I think Mary Ann was more excited than I was. She was probably relieved that I qualified so she wouldn’t have to hear me complaining about it.”

up and started seeing an improvement in my (running) performances almost instantly.”

“The pain I had felt while running was gone.

I guess I hadn’t realized how much pain I was in. It was like I had a new set of legs,” he says.

With his legs pain-free, Strickland began seeing his times drop and the thoughts of running Boston began creeping in.

Strickland continued to work, finding that he enjoyed long runs so much that he began volunteering to help pace groups through the marathon. The training and the pacing helped but his pacing was far slower than the 3:15 he needed to qualify for Boston.

Strickland focused his efforts to qualify at the Run Hard Marathon in Columba, S.C. “The weather was nice and the course was downhill so there were a lot of people there trying to earn their Boston qualifying time,” he says.

Strickland crossed the finish line in 3:13, placing 12th in the race and earning the time necessary to reach Boston. But for him, the Boston qualifying led to something different.

Strickland entered the Lake Martin 50 miler on a lark.

“I don’t know what it is, but I just love running those really long runs,” he says.

Strickland did so well at Lake Martin, he placed 3rd for his age group, and he followed that up by running in the Pinhoti 100 miler.

“It’s funny. I never seem to be able to appreciate anything in the moment. Every time I do something I look at it and then I think to myself that I can do better next time,” he says.

He finished Pinhoti in just a tad over 27 hours earning him a chance to qualify for the infamous

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JUST GUNNING FOR PEACHTREE A few years ago, Justin Strickland managed to get a Peachtree number from one of his friends.

Strickland ran the race and enjoyed it, but didn’t like being stuck in the massive throng of people in the back of the pack.

The aim to run a better time to earn a spot near the front of the pack at Peachtree led to longer runs and even a marathon or two, but Strickland found running left him with sever pain in his legs.

“I had some of the bulging varicose veins in my legs, but I figured it was just part of life and more of a cosmetic thing,” Strickland says. “I was having some bad pain in my legs, but I thought it was from the running.”

Strickland visited the Harbin Clinic Vein Center and learned he had venous insufficiency from Dr. John Kirkland.

Venous insufficiency is a condition in which the flow of blood through the veins is impaired.

Dr. Kirkland performed procedures on both of Strickland’s legs.

“The surgery was painless and the recovery time was manageable,” Strickland says. “I healed

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v3 magazine 21

BOSTON

Western States 100 in Squaw Valley, California.

So, roughly two months after Strickland tackles Boston, he’ll be doing almost four times the distance over mountains and trails in California.

AIMING If you’re a runner in Rome, odds are you’re familiar with Stephenson. Stephenson, a threetime All-American while at Berry College, former coach of Shorter’s cross country and track and field teams, and now co-owner of GoGo Running and the Shoe Box can be found running and helping runners on a daily basis.

Stephenson has run in and won races all across the country, including the Grand Rapids Marathon, the course he used to qualify for Boston. But Stephenson’s relationship with the marathon has been rocky over the years.

“I’ve only run three marathons. I ran one when I was 16 years old and had never run more than nine miles. I ran the Rocket City Marathon (in Huntsville, Alabama) but had to drop out at Mile 23, and I ran the Grand Rapids Marathon,” he says.

For Stephenson, running hasn’t been as easy the past few years. Age has caught up with him, but a different approach to training has him aiming for new things.

“Honestly, my running is probably the best it’s been in almost 10 years,” he says. “I’ve been doing a lot of extra things to stay healthy and cut down some on my mileage.”

Incorporating high-tech gadgets like an antigravity treadmill and using an EllipitiGo which is a strange combination of cycling, elliptical training and running has allowed him to hone his fitness while lessening the overall impact on his body.

While others may be focusing solely on the marathon as Boston approaches, Stephenson took time to run the mile at a few recent indoor track meets.

22 v3 magazine

I walked for several weeks and then I started trying to run some. I probably ran about an eighth of a mile before I had to stop and walk again, but it got me going.

“A friend of mine texted me asking me if I was crazy, because I ran a couple of indoor miles,” he says. “Just because I’m running a marathon, doesn’t mean I’m only a marathoner now.”

As for Boston, it figures in Stephenson’s plan.

In fact, it might be better to say it figures in his five-year plan.

“I don’t have a ton of expectations for Boston.

I’d like to run about the same time or faster than I did at Grand Rapids. I really just want to go and get the feel for the race and start preparing,” he says.

The overall plan centers on Stephenson preparing for a certain event at Boston. Stephenson is 36 years old. Five years from now, he will be 40 and eligible to compete as a Master’s runner. Master’s runners are age 40 and older and the category is easier than his current age group, which features professional and world-class level runners.

“I haven’t checked to see what the Masters run. My thought is that four or five years is a long ways away. I just want to kind of learn and feel my way,” he says. “I want to do what I can now to learn and then try to be competitive as a Master’s runner.”

While it might be amusing to some to hear Stephenson talking about being competitive after winning a marathon and turning a 4:26 indoor mile, as a former All-American Stephenson’s level of competitive is a bit different than the average runner.

“I’m just going to go up and come back as quick as possible. I think it’s big, but I’m not making a big deal out of it,” Strickland says.

Stephenson will most likely try to learn as much of the lay of the land as possible.

Long and his wife plan on spending extra time in Boston with family. Long even managed to score his wife a spot in a 5K that same weekend in Boston.

Having had several months to process reaching his goal, Long has a different take than the one he did moments after finishing the Myrtle Beach Marathon.

“It’s kind of hard to explain to someone else the feeling of relief that you have when you accomplish a goal you didn’t necessarily think you were going to be able to do,” Long says. “I think all of this will really sink in when we get up to Boson and just take it all in.”

None of the trio talks much about their Boston goals, but each has set their sights on something on the horizon.

“I don’t know. I hear so much about Ironman competitions. Maybe I’ll get a bike and start training for one of those,” Long says. Long pauses a moment after saying this, tilts his head and scratches his chin. “Or maybe I’ll see if I can run sub 2:45. That would be a great goal.”

Strickland plans to enjoy Boston, but is thinking of California.

“I’m going to have fun at Boston, but I’m really looking forward to Western States,” Strickland says.

Asking the men to reflect on their journeys brings a similar result.

“I wore a size 44 pants and weighed 270 pounds. I remember running an eighth of a mile and feeling like I was almost dying - thinking to myself, what the Hell am I doing,” Long says. “I never would have thought I’d be getting ready to run Boston. And there is no way I could have done any of this without my wife. She’s been behind me every step of the way.”

“I really just wanted to get a better time for Peachtree,” Strickland says. “I don’t really think much about where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. I’m sure one day I’ll sit back and reminisce.”

“Everyone tells me running Boston is no joke,” Stephenson says. “I don’t want to get too excited and go out too fast and have a bad experience.”

All three started from different places. They will celebrate, they will run Boston, and then they will attack other goals and challenges.

They’ve all accomplished so much, but they all have plenty of miles, plans and goals left ahead of them.

celebrate

CREATING FLAVORS TO

(706) 234 2244 • www.theseasonevents.com v3 magazine 23

Brand New Approach Using a community-driven philosophy as a guiding light, the Rome Floyd Chamber has updated their appearance as they drive us into the future.

TEXT OLIVER ROBBINS PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERON FLAISCH AND CALEB TIMMERMAN

THINGS ARE LOOKING GREAT in the City of Seven Hills nowadays. Broad Street is alive with activity and our children have great places to learn and prepare for their futures. Walking trails and rivers are dotted with locals and out-oftowners who all want to experience the natural beauty and clean air of our countryside. And if you are quiet, you can almost hear the roar of the crowd as one of Rome’s top-notch sports teams leads the city to victory.

Many of the exciting elements Rome and Floyd County enjoy are the result of a concentrated effort spearheaded by our local Chamber of Commerce. This group of business leaders and professionals are the well spring of all the opportunities to live, work and play in this bustling corner of the state.

Jan Ferguson, one of five owners of Ford, Gittings and Kane Jewelers, offers a look inside a recent rebrand effort through the eyes of a business and board member of the Chamber. “Ford, Gittings and Kane has been a Chamber member since 1958, and when a company is

In looking at our logo one may see bridges. We continue to build bridges, develop transformational leadership and connect people to promote business with a unified economic development approach.

Rebrand Committee: Leanne Cook, John Quinlivan, Jan Ferguson, Bill Fortenberry

Al Hodge

a member of the Chamber the employees are as well. So, when I came to work here in 1973, I was able to attend Chamber functions and see what was happening with Rome and Floyd County’s small business community, industry and educational opportunities.” Ferguson recalls. “Being a member of the Chamber has been one of the most important things we have done as a small business. We know what industries are coming to town, when new things are happening like our new tennis center, and we have an advocate who will speak on our behalf when new legislation is being considered that effects small business.

And we are lucky to have a very strong Chamber of Commerce.”

Ferguson, as a board member, was able to be a part of the rebrand process and was also instrumental in choosing the firm that assisted in this undertaking. Formerly known as the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, this dedicated group of community leaders had one goal in mind, and that was to give a new look to the Chamber without losing the history that has made Rome and Floyd County an ideal place to live and start a family. “I was very privileged to come in and listen and be a sounding board during the rebrand process. I served as a voice of the past to ensure that, as a longtime member of the local business community, we were able to preserve all of the things we love and represent in our community.

Once I was able to see some of the reasons we needed to rebrand, I was excited to help form the new look and have a hand in preparing the future for business in our area.”

One of the things Ferguson mentions is the use of the words “Greater Rome”. To the home team, this is an inclusive term representing all of

Floyd County and not just the population inside the city limits. However, for outsiders the name can sometimes be viewed as boastful. Anyone who has spent time here knows that our community embodies humility and could write the book on Southern hospitality.

“Since we are local business owners, we also had another request. We wanted the firm who assisted in the rebrand to be local,” she adds.

Al Hodge, a Chamber of Commerce professional who has served as president and CEO of our local organization for nearly 20 years, recognized the need to revitalize the image Rome and Floyd County has in the state, the nation and even the world. Through his travels around the globe, he has worked with international business prospects and collected data to find the formula for what makes a community attractive to new and existing business leaders. “A Chamber is effective if it is a catalyst for positive change in a community.

That is where our members come in. They set good policy and make an overall difference in our approach to building a thriving environment for our citizens. So, it was imperative that we form a committee comprised of our members and board to see us through the rebrand process,” Hodge explains.

It is important to know how the Chamber’s role in the community works. If you can picture a bicycle wheel, you have a center that attaches to the fork. From the center, spokes extend out to many different points along the rim and attach, giving the entire wheel strength. The Chamber is our center and they reach out to multiple areas of focus in our community and bond them together. Using education, recreation and a healthy business environment, our community becomes strong and new industry is more encouraged to ride along on our journey.

“When we think about prosperity, we work to help everyone who shares our community to improve. Part of our interest is driven by jobs, good jobs that pay well,” he says, “and to have that you need employers. We focus on facilitating start-up business, assisting existing businesses to grow and recruitment of new industry to our area. To do this, we work with city and county governments to ensure growth in all aspects of our community.”

Part of the recent advancement in our region is due to the Rome-Floyd 20/20 strategic plan.

Now in phase three, evidence of this plan can be seen all around our area. A large example of the plan in motion is Rome and Floyd County being home to our minor league baseball team, the Rome Braves.

“The Rome-Floyd 20/20 process elicits ideas, vision and dreams, criticisms and praise. We review this plan every five years and chart our v3 magazine 25

INTRODUCING the 2017 TOYOTA 86

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Floyd County adding new growth all around. As you look through the arched doorway, you see a diamond, a shining symbol of a city on a hill.

John Winthrop stated in 1630, ‘We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.’ He wrote that for the community to work, ‘we must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality,’ adding, ‘always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body.’

In our logo you see threads coming together.

Threads representing our fabric, the unique individuals representing a common goal, the same vision…to cultivate our community to make it fertile for additional growth, producing jobs and harvesting opportunity for all of Rome and Floyd County citizens. In these threads you see

Brief snapshot of the V3 branding process

progress or improve our approach. The plan officially started in 1998 and our rebrand is part of this plan,” says Hodge.

Through polling, town halls and just listening to the members of the Chamber, the decision was made to give our Chamber a fresh face to match the forward-thinking philosophy.

Jeanne Krueger, director of membership for the Rome Floyd Chamber, shares some of the thought that has gone into the logo and name change for the Chamber.

“I love the new way we are able to tell our story.

We have had a huge amount of positive response from the new logo design. Ellie Borromeo and Ian Griffin with V3 Magazine did a wonderful job of leading us through this process and arriving at the finish with a product we all envisioned,” Krueger says. “In our new logo, you can see the three rivers and the seven hills, but you can also sense the people of our community coming together. Our educational systems, our medical industry and our overall business community works together creating the fabric that is Rome and Floyd County.

“We wanted to tell that story to the people of Rome and Floyd County, but we wanted it to translate to others nationally and globally as well.

The logo has that appeal, because it is modern

and contemporary, but it doesn’t neglect all of the things that are a part of our rich history.”

Krueger goes on to say that they still use the Clocktower in many of their photos and recruitment materials because it is such a large part of our identity. However, the ability to appeal to outside industry is easier using a logo that portrays the continuity of our people. “We are now able to tell a broader story about who we are and why this is an environment that is centered on the people who make it all work,” she adds.

As we transition into all the new things on the horizon in Rome and Floyd County, it helps to know we have capable professionals at the helm, guiding our fair corner of the state to greatness.

And for those outside of our borders, we welcome you along for the ride. Opportunity awaits.

We at V3 are honored to be a part of this new and exciting chapter for the Chamber. We found it fitting to leave you with a few words from the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Rome Floyd Chamber, John Quinlivan, as the new changes were rolled out for all to see.

“The new logo for the Chamber symbolizes the confluence of our three rivers and seven hills.

Embedded in the logo are an “R” and an “F”, representing the coming together of Rome and opportunity awaits.

opportunity awaits

the fabric of community and we respectfully honor, at a glimpse, the experienced hands of Dr. Paul Ferguson, Mr. Frank Barron and Mr. John Bennett and others who have stitched so beautifully the threads of leadership for Rome and Floyd County.

In looking at our logo one may see bridges. We continue to build bridges, develop transformational leadership and connect people to promote business with a unified economic development approach. Bridges connect us to our vibrant downtown, a gathering place where conversations spark smiles, laughter and innovative ideas and solutions. This is where we are treated to the Rome Little Theatre performances and beautiful music from the South’s oldest symphony, the Rome Symphony Orchestra and local bands honing their talent at our favorite night spots.

The bridges take us over the river to our sporting venues where we play tennis, walk the greenways, kayak the river ways and hit it out of the park at a Rome Braves Game.

So, what may look simple at first glance tells a rich story of past and future coming together, from analog to digital with diversity, industry and service with total clarity and focus on our beautiful metro city on a hill.” v3 magazine 27

Keys to History The historic properties beneath our Clocktower are getting a facelift, and folks are lining up to live downtown. text EMORY CHAFFIN photos CAMERON FLASICH

F

or many years some of the old homes surrounding the clock tower in Downtown Rome were filled with various small businesses and private law practices. A handful of these homes are now being renovated to accommodate the current trend for downtown living Between the Rivers.

Roughly two years ago Richard Franklin and his father purchased seven of these properties, beginning with the rusty red house on the corner of East First Street and Fifth Avenue, as well as the homes up Fifth Avenue to East Second Street beneath the Clocktower. Since the Franklins purchased the properties, they have remodeled and repainted

several of them from commercial space to residential housing. The transformation of these attractive old homes is a great example of the revival of Downtown Rome living.

Hardy Realty’s Property Management Team manages all of the properties for the Franklins. Speaking with Carol Hatch, who oversees property management for Hardy Realty, you get the impression that these homes are typically scooped up as soon as they become available. “There is a high demand for living on or near Broad Street,” Hatch says.

“Oftentimes these places are not even listed for one day before we have someone filling out an application to rent.”

30 | HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE

HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE | 31

Touring one of the newly remodeled homes on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 2nd Street, it is easy to see why they are so coveted. The view from the porch offers breathtaking vistas of Downtown Rome and beyond, and of course the Clocktower itself looms above on the crest of hill.

Hardy’s Property Management team makes it easy for investors or property owners to generate income from rentals while enjoying the ease of not having to deal with leases, payments or maintenance requests. They also manage commercial buildings including office, warehouse and retail spaces.

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Dr. Vargo

smile love to see you

Booking a consultation with this office is more fun than being a kid in a candy store.

TEXT LAUREN JONES-HILLMAN

34 v3 magazine

PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERON FLAISCH

IT

used to be a bottling factory, but now when you walk in, a contemporary and clean waiting area greets you almost as warmly as the staff. Along with cool art and office dĂŠcor, you pass a miniature candy shop, a small movie theatre and an arcade, all on your way to the orthodontic chair.

Joseph Vargo at Vargo Orthodontics and his staff are in the business of manufacturing amazing smiles, not just in Floyd County, but all over the world. Dr. Vargo’s approach to his work, the quality of care his patients receive and his use of state-of-the-art technology have earned him a reputation as one of the most sought after practices in the area and beyond.

Dr. Vargo, who is originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, fostered a passion for education from a young age, and for a long time he wanted to be a teacher.

But when he was in second grade, he was involved in a serious bus accident that knocked out his teeth, causing him to need seven years of orthodontic treatment. Though his first love

was in education and teaching, he decided he could incorporate that skillset within another career journey.

“I started talking to some different health professionals and decided orthodontics was my path. I wouldn’t have thought at the time that such a serious trauma and all those years in a chair would inspire me to do it, but then I started thinking, you know, how I liked the way this made me feel. I liked the way I felt when I was going to the orthodontist.”

After earning his doctorate in Dental Medicine in 1992 and his Master’s in Orthodontics in 1996, he worked in Atlanta as an orthodontist, sometimes travelling between eight different offices in the metro area. But having visited Rome at the suggestion of a friend, he knew this was the

place where he wanted to start his own practice.

So, he opened his practice in Rome, originally on East Sixth Avenue, and began his local legacy of manufacturing incredible smiles.

Like all things in the medical world, the practice of orthodontics has improved with the passage of time and the development of new technologies. With so many different options available today, Dr. Vargo says each method is based on the patient’s needs and the desired end result.

“We really try to pair the technology with the patient,” he explains. “It can be anything from Invisalign Teen to traditional Invisalign. There are different types of braces, but to me, they’re part of the tools for the artistry. Engineering a fantastic smile and bite takes a lot of experience.

We’ll use different auxiliaries to help us get to that end point.”

Headgears are a thing of the past, and so are dental impressions made from a dry-wall like, chalky glob. Digital scanning makes these methods obsolete, and since Vargo Orthodontics is the only practice in Rome that offers 3D imaging, the scans that used to take over an hour to process and complete are now ready in less than five minutes.

Dr. Vargo lets his patients chew gum, too (as long as it’s sugar free), and says it can actually aid in the treatment.

“We’re looking at ways to tell the patient what they can do instead of, ‘you can’t do this, can’t chew that, and you can’t eat this.’ As a teenager, you get told ‘no’ so much. Why not give kids and adults something positive, some great, motivational way to help them get the result they want?”

But speaking of teens and adults, Dr. Vargo emphasizes that the circa 1970 philosophy of taking your child to the orthodontist when they are a teen with permanent teeth is just as old fashioned as metal headgear strapped to your face. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends an initial screening at age 7, because that’s when kids hit their first craniofacial growth spurt.

Why not give kids and adults something positive, some great, motivational way to help them get the result they want?

v3 magazine 35

“That’s been proven for over 50 years for boys and girls, across the board,” he says, adding that the radiograph and exam of the 7-year-olds can help them forecast orthodontics treatment for the child. “We’re able to accomplish some pretty phenomenal foundational things that you can’t do with a teenager. There are some that come in who have really severe bites and we educate the parents as to what’s going on, and we come up with a customized plan.”

Dr. Vargo says his team continues to monitor the child’s progress and growth throughout the years, and it will make their time in braces less taxing.

“It’s unfortunate, for the ones we don’t see until their teenage years, that we’re having to introduce them to the oral surgeons and they have to go through expensive and uncomfortable procedures we could have avoided.”

And Dr. Vargo’s method of getting kids in early seems to be quite effective.

“We’ve been really successful with tracking our impaction rate,” he says. “Impaction is when a tooth gets stuck, and probably the average is 30 percent impactions for most practices, but we’re in the five percent range. We’ve tracked it for 20 years. When we perform early treatment and we diagnose something early, the chance of impaction goes down drastically.”

The newer technologies used at his office are just a puzzle piece that makes up the bigger picture of the success of his patients. The other pieces that comprise the portrait are his patients themselves and his dedicated and knowledgeable staff. All of this combined achieves organic, word-of-mouth marketing, because he doesn’t do paid advertising.

“Our best advertisement is the referrals from patients,” he says. “We have patients who travel out of state and out of the country to see us. Our farthest patient right now is from Switzerland.”

“Our ladies here at the office are skilled,” he adds of his staff. “We have people who have been here for 16 years. The state requires a cer-

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36 v3 magazine

tain level of training, and we surpass that. It’s an office standard for us. We keep up with the technology changes. The first time we learned how to scan, we traveled to Dallas, Texas. It’s a big investment, but what it ultimately comes down to is the level of patient care is second to none.”

Because of the positivity that came from his own years of visiting the orthodontist for treatments, Dr. Vargo’s goal is to make trips to his office a very cool experience. For seven years, his office was located on East Sixth Street. But now he’s located in the Double Cola bottling plant on Glenn Milner and East Second Avenue.

Vargo renovated it, but kept the old school feel to honor the building’s history.

“When I went to the orthodontist growing up… the excitement at that time was Highlights Magazine and a fish tank,” he recalls, adding his office design was inspired by wanting to cater to both parents and kids. Hence, the calm, cool waiting area for mom and dad and the theater, arcade and candy bar for kids.

“The essence of what we have here is really to make people feel welcome. Building relationships starts from the moment someone calls our office and the moment they walk in the door. It’s important for them to feel welcome.”

Dr. Vargo is also in the business of giving back to the community that he feels has embraced him so completely. He and his staff are always looking for ways to contribute to the well-being of Rome and Floyd County.

“We’re the practice you’ll see at an event, rolling up our sleeves helping,” he says. “We would rather be the workers behind the scenes instead of carrying a banner saying, ‘Look at us!’

For me it’s important philanthropically to give back to the community.”

He wants his patients to feel the joy of giving back as well. Vargo says he was inspired to come up with the Partners in Education Program when many Floyd County teachers lost their jobs a few years ago because of education cuts.

“I never would have thought in my lifetime that I would have seen teachers coming out of school not being able to get a job,” he says.

“Because my heart is centered around education, any child that comes in and is a new patient, they can designate a $50 tithe to their school program of choice.”

To date, the Vargo Partners in Education Program is in nearly 30 area schools and the practice has donated more than $15,000.

“This is a way for us to help, but it’s also a vehicle for kids to be a part of giving back,” he says. “We just provided a vehicle for kids to be philanthropic. We have some who want to give it to their dance program, some who want to give it to their football program. Whatever inspires them works for us.”

Another cool feature that enhances both his patients’ educational and orthodontics experiences is the Vargo Valet service. This program was inspired by single or working parents with several kids who were stretched thin when it came to taking a child to their appointment.

With the Vargo Valet service, a Vargo staff member goes to the child’s school, picks them up and takes them to their office visit and then once the child is done, the staff member takes them back to school. The whole process lasts no longer than an hour and a half.

That way, the child doesn’t miss a whole or half day of school and parents don’t have to miss work. The child still gets the treatment they need, and Dr. Vargo then follows up with the parent via phone and email to catch them up on his findings from the appointment. So, the parent stays completely in the loop.

“Being a single parent myself, I know it’s hard to make ends meet, especially if you don’t have anyone else to rely on,” he says. “With our transportation program, kids get to their appointment, and they get their school excuse.

A lot of educators and administrators have endorsed us and this program because it helps improve education. The less time a child is out of the classroom, the better they’re going to do.”

All of these facets - treatment based on quality, use of cutting-edge technology, a genuine care for patients, a fun office experience and programs that enhance education - fit together to create the Vargo Orthodontics experience. Dr. Vargo’s goal is to manufacture the most incredible smile and bite for his patients, and he says that seeing patients hold their heads up high, smile and laugh with confidence is priceless.

“I love working with the kids and even adults, helping them to achieve their goals and feel better about themselves,” he says. “You can’t measure self-esteem but you can see a huge difference when you help a child or adult who maybe didn’t feel so great about themselves gain self-confidence. That’s where it starts.”

For more information or to make an appointment visit Vargo Orthodontics online at vargosmile.com or call the office at 706-290-0011. v3 magazine 37

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42 v3 magazine

bombs Over Broad Street

This group of local artists are tearing through our community, leaving nothing but pretty things in their wake.

TEXT EMORY CHAFFIN

I

PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERON FLAISCH

f you’ve found one of the Rome Knitterati’s yarn bombs downtown you’re probably wondering where it came from. You may also be wondering what exactly this mysterious organization is, leaving their fuzzy messages all over town. Their work can be seen in the form of the beautiful holiday adornments to the Broad St. Bicycles, or found in one of their yarn bombs clinging to a bench or tree.

The Rome Knitterati’s own Melissa Rutledge, a founding member of the underground art group, decided it was time to let Romans know just what they were all about. Their self-stated mission is to raise awareness of the yarn arts, and add beauty to public places and objects that would normally go unnoticed by most. They are a self-funded, grassroots community of knitters and crochetier alike. The Rome Knitterati currently consist of nine active members, and have engaged in several different installations since their inception; you may even have found one of their handmade can Koozies at Rome Beer Fest.

Most recently they placed handmade scarves, gloves and hats in places frequented by Rome’s homeless; a heartwarming, and hopefully hand warming, initiative undertaken out of pocket by their members.

But where did these mysterious yarn magicians come from, you may ask?

The organization came to life in 2015 after Rutledge completed a mural in conjunction with the Rome Makervillage. After discussing more possible ways to beautify downtown, with Tricia Steel of Makervillage, “yarnbombing” was settled upon and the Rome Knitterati was born.

Taking inspiration from another group’s work Rutledge had observed while living in Atlanta, they executed their first yarnbombing in July 2015. Why settle on yarn arts though?

It’s not a very obvious choice for community beautification projects.

Rutledge says, “Back in the early 2000s, there was a craft renaissance. There were all these crafters, makers, festivals, and websites that got huge during that period, like Etsy, Craftster, CRAFT Magazine, Indie Craft Experience in Atlanta, and the Renegade Craft Fairs across the country. We saw the resurgence of Martha Stewart with the younger generation of DIYers.”

This popularity explosion among the craft world is bringing handmade objects back to the spotlight. TV shows like “Knitty Gritty” and “Stitch ‘n Bitch” are turning the yarn arts from something grandmas would do in their spare time to an edgy and fun way to create useful art.

Since first coming together Rome Knitterati has left the Broad St. Bicycles covered in their handiwork. They’ve also been seen at the Chiaha v3 magazine 43

to be donated to charity, as the tree wraps are roughly the size of a lap blanket.

Rome Knitterati members Shannon Wade, Peggy Casillas and husband Tom are out early braving the cold of a January morning hard at work, attaching the first of many new pieces to adorn Broad Street, a bike wheel at the intersection of Broad Street and 2nd Avenue, and Rutledge arrived shortly thereafter.

Trying to avoid the downtown traffic and frigid winds as they work their way up the 200

Harvest Fair plying their trade, and left Christmas ornaments downtown around Black Friday to help encourage Romans to look local for their Christmas shopping.

They have also engaged in charity projects, like knitting lap blankets for chemotherapy patients, through the Caner Navigators organization.

“We had the idea of charitable projects on our list, and one of our members, Shanon Wade, brought it up at a meeting last summer. Most of our members know someone who has been touched by cancer and I'm a recent uterine cancer survivor myself, so Cancer Navigators immediately came to mind.

We contacted their organization and discovered they needed lap-sized blankets to keep patients warm during chemo treatments. Over the course of about two months, we knit and crocheted seven blankets. Blankets of any size are time-consuming projects, so we were very happy to get this many made in the timeframe. We are currently working on a similar project for dialysis patients at Harbin Clinic and plan to have ongoing charity projects throughout the year,” says Rutledge.

So, what kind of people make up the group of magnanimous yarn masters?

“Rome Knitterati is comprised of a small group of talented women in a wide range of ages and professions. We have members who work in the medical field, at a local college, and with assisted living programs, as well as a farmer, a teacher, stay-at-home moms, and a graphic designer,” she says.

She provides some insight as to how much time these projects require, stating a bicycle wheel can take anywhere from two hours up to five depending on the intricacy, and the Cancer Navigator blankets can take even longer. The answer to how they find time is more of a why than a how.

44 v3 magazine

She includes this explanation for the motives behind all the hard work, “All our time spent is worth it when we can provide comfort to a chemo patient, when someone stops to take a photo of our installation, or when someone is excited to find one of our scavenger hunt items.

We love what we do and we are happy to help our community.”

Even as the group’s origins are being discussed the Rome Knitterati have another installation in the works, their largest to date even.

They think that the usually bleak and depressing winter months could use a little injection of warm and fuzzy feelings. “We felt the timeframe of February and March would be a great time for them. It will help brighten up downtown during the dark winter months, celebrate Arbor Day, and provide a colorful background for local events like the Ginger Pride Parade,” Rutledge explains.

When the installation comes down it’s slated

We have members who work in the medical field, at a local college, and with assisted living programs, as well as a farmer, a teacher, stay-at-home moms, and a graphic designer block of Broad Street, it became a family affair as more joined the party. Everybody pitches in as the party rolls up the street from tree to tree, leaving their beautiful bombs behind. One is left curious where they find the patterns and inspiration for all the tree wraps, 19 in total being installed.

Peggy Casillas claims credit for the tree wraps, having been inspired by an installation she had seen in Iowa City. As for the patterns themselves, they draw from the internet and day to day travels to create the beautiful designs, and then bring them to life in true, living and vibrant color.

The wraps range from 13 inches around, all the way up to a jaw-dropping 79 inches. When asked how long it takes to knit a 79 inch tree wrap Rutledge states it had taken two days of feverish work in her down time to get it pulled together; the smaller wraps could be done is a little as five hours. She also says it was tough to size the wraps because of all the stretch in the yarn, but each and every one seemed to hug its tree as if it had grown there. The wraps are flying up as they move along. With everyone weaving and poking their way up the seams, it all ties together. The wrap count reaches four trees by 10:30 a.m. Asking Tom if he is a volunteer or if he was coerced at needle-point, he says he is happy to offer his services; even if he is putting some of the wraps on sideways as Peggy quickly points out.

This latest effort is, in part, an attempt to garner new interest and expose the people of Rome to the yarn arts. They hope to see more community involvement both in the group and in the efforts to beautify Downtown Rome. By 11 a.m. the whole of the 200 block is wrapped up, literally, and the group is trucking on towards a warm meal at the end of their yarnbombing.

People are beginning to slow down as they pass by and take in what’s happening. One driver even stops to pay a compliment to the art and the artists making it happen.

The hardworking group attack the trees for a while simply because it was just too much fun to leave. They bandy jokes about almost as fast as they wield the knitting needles they held. It is easy to see that these folks truly enjoy what they are doing, and probably even more so sharing that joy with the whole of the community.

Finally, taking their leave, the jovial troupe of guerilla artists, stomachs growling and fingers frozen, make their way back up the street to find some lunch and bring frigid digits back to life. Despite the cold wind and all the work being done, everyone has a smile plastered on their face in admiration of the new downtown decorations all along the way.

Coosa Valley Home Health Care, an Amedisys company, is in the business of helping our patients maintain and improve their quality of life-at home. Home is the place where family, friends and familiar surroundings make patients feel most comfortable - and recover faster.

With more than two decades of experience in the health care industry, we understand the importance of delivering high-quality services to patients in their homes. Choose Coosa Valley for all your home care needs.

If you’d like to learn more about the Rome Knitterati, make a donation, or keep up with what they’re doing around town, they have a dedicated Facebook Community page by the same name.

Otherwise keep your eyes peeled for a yarn bomb at a location near you. v3 magazine 45

LISTEN

LOCAL

Health comes from within! Find out why so many families have found Lieberman Family Chiropractic to be their pot of gold!

Lieberman

Family Chiropractic www.RomeChiropractic.com • 421 Broad St. Rome GA • 706.232.WELL (9355)

WLAQ 1410 AM: Weekday Mornings

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46 v3 magazine

Lunchtime Weekday Specialty Programs from 12-noon - 1:00 p.m.:

Monday - Motown Monday with Elizabeth Davis Tuesday - Fab Tuesday with Stu McFab Wednesday - Northwest Georgia Music Hour with Mullins Thursday - Thursday Theme Park with Matt D Friday - Blues Cafe with Randy Davis and Matt D Listen: 95.7 FM, www.theridge957.com

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Make it a meal worth remembering. Where to eat in Northwest Georgia.

Make it a meal worth remembering. Where to eat in Northwest Georgia.

Make it a meal worth remembering. Where to eat in Northwest Georgia. v3 magazine 47 Make it a meal worth remembering. Where to eat in Northwest Georgia.

SATURDAY APRIL 22 10 AM TO 5 PM at KINGSTON DOWNS $95 includes admission to the races, parking, fully catered buffet, live music by Atomic Boogie, top shelf open bar, full service air-conditioned bathrooms and much more!

Call 706.235.0748 to buy tickets

Visit v3magazine.com for info

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48 v3 magazine