V3 January 2020

NWGA'S PREMIER FEATURE MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2020

Winter Edition 2020

New Way of Drinking J.J. Johnson, owner/operator of Smoothie King, wants to show you the way to wellness.

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Happy birth day,

baby!

Celebrating 150,000 first breaths and counting.

Wow! We've delivered over 150,000 babies at Floyd. And, while this amazing number speaks to our experience, it speaks to your trust as well. It's a special bond with growing families in the communities we serve that's almost 80 years strong. With an expert medical team, a family-centered environment, state-of-the-art care, education and support classes, and the peace of mind from knowing the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is available 24/7 right here, every day brings more reasons to celebrate at the Family Birth Center at Floyd.

floyd.org/baby 2

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It's All In Our Name...

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JANUARY2020 COLUMNS 12

Jim Alred breaks down what it takes to be mentioned among Rome and Floyd County's most revered athletes, and his conclusion is that the process is no walk in the Hall.

FEATURES

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For a look that pairs fashion with function and a product line that addresses everything in between, look no further than Blue Sk y Outfitter .

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Now that the new year has arrived, J.J. Johnson with Smoothie King of Rome wishes to share how his products can be a part of building a brand new you.

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Losing a few extra pounds can be a daunting task for some, and Drs. Amar and Poonam Singh of Harbin Clinic Inter nal Medicine want to let you know the fight can be won if you are not alone.

38

If the time has come to freshen up the flooring in your home, consider Woff ord Wood Flooring, Inc. For these professionals, your satisfaction is a family affair.

THE NEW GRAND PLAN: Grand Magazine has a new home.

Starting with this issue, Grand will now appear quarterly inside the pages of our monthly V 3 Magazine.

GRAND COLUMNS 46

Nina Lov el and family have been busy welcoming a sweet bundle of joy to their ever-growing family, initiating her affinity to the life-changing magic happening around her. Have you experienced life-changing magic?

50

Resident Chaplin for Renaissance Marquis provides this quarter’s issue with wise words that feed the soul.

Corey Pitts (CMP TRAINING) and Tanya Price, story found on pg 31

FEATURES 58

Former Rome City Commissioner, Sue Lee, talks about her contribution to Rome City, which citizens far and wide say is something to be celebrated each and every day.

60

WWII Veteran and former University of Georgia football coach, Doc Ayers, reflects upon his time serving with the U.S. Navy.

54

Stepping inside a medical facility can give you the best idea of how well it works for those people it serves, and this volunteer has seen the light on the path of getting and staying well at Rome Health and Rehab.

62

Mar y Holcomb has a knack for collecting and she hopes to share her happiness with the world.

70

EVENT CALENDAR

68

William ‘Preacher’ Anderson enjoys spending his free time riding the open roads on his 1995 Harley.

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Publisher's Note

E D I TO R I N C H I E F Oliver Robbins, Jr.

"I'll take the shot, coach," squeaked a tiny voice from the huddle. "I want the ball."

There were 14 seconds left on the clock and the Dawgs were down by one. The Eagles were going to be tough; we knew that going in.

Let me back up a bit. It helps to know a little of the back story before hearing how 10 little ballers changed my perception of winning and teamwork, and taught me way more than I could have ever taught them.

I spent six years coaching basketball for the Rome Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority.

The first year, I coached as the assistant to a good friend, Wade Cook. The ages of the kids were seven and eight, and that is about how many points we scored all season long. We were pretty bad, but none of them ever missed a practice. And they fought against other teams as hard as they fought back the tears after losing.

It broke my heart.

I decided to take a team next year if they would come back to me as head coach, and try to improve their record. The bar was pretty low and I was fairly confident that I could live up to the promise I had made.

When the time came to choose teams, I told the director of the league that I was coaching out of the East Central Elementary district. There were only three kids' names left on sheets of paper that had been marked up by coaches taking their players for the year. One was my son, Tre. The other two were his friends, Sam and Gavin, buddies he had convinced to join him and play for his father. Avery Eubanks was a player who agreed to return to my team from the prior year and I asked that he be allowed to play with me again. None of the other coaches raised a ruckus about it, so he was added.

"You can't play with four players," said the director as he shoved ten more sheets with marks all over them in front of me and my assistant, Mitchell Price. Mitchell is a monstrous man that would scare the life out of the average individual, but he is one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of growing up with. The kids called him Coach Dawg.

"How about I just take all of these kids who are left. It seems like they won't have a team to play with this year," I said to the RFPRA employee who looked as if his day had been long and dinner was waiting on him at home.

"That would help me out, because these other guys have full rosters," he added over the sound of coaches talking smack and offering predictions about the lashing they were planning to offer each other's squads.

All but one coach joined in the banter.

Coach Danny, a man who had coached me after being selected to an all-star team about 15 years prior to this night, sat in a corner writing on his roster. He was seasoned and coached the Coosa Eagles, a team we would face in the season. I remembered that he knew the game well.

I wrote the names of my team members on my roster, swallowed hard, shook the humongous hand of my assistant coach and went home to research plays online.

The next week, and over a lunch my wife and I provided at Cicis Pizza, I met with the players and their parents. I told them that I could not promise we would win every game, but I would teach them the basics of the game. I wanted them to be able to play at the next level and part of that process is learning the nuts and bolts of basketball.

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continued to page 11

ReadV3.com: Where you can now find all the print content from this issue, our archives and exclusive ReadV3 digital features.

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OWNER & CEO Ian Griffin MANAGING PARTNER Chris Forino EDITOR IN CHIEF Oliver Robbins, Jr. MAG DESIGN Elizabeth Childers MANAGING EDITOR McKenzie Todd WRITERS Oliver Robbins, Jr., Jim Alred, McKenzie Todd, Ian Griffin, DeMarcus Daniel, Ashlee Bagnell, Cassie LaJeunesse, Nina Lovel EXECUTIVE PHOTOGRAPHER Cameron Flaisch CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Huynh Andy Calvert AD DESIGN Elizabeth Childers Ellie Borromeo PUBLISHER V3 Publications, LLC CONTACT 417 Broad Street Rome Ga, 30161 Office Phone 706.235.0748 v3publications@gmail.com CREATOR Neal Howard V3MAGAZINE.COM

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Continued from page 8 Little did I know, those ten young men were prepared to go to war with me and Coach Dawg. We worked tirelessly running plays, shooting free throws and sliding our feet on defense. Those rascals put together eight wins straight out of a ten-game season. Then, we met Coach Danny and the Eagles.

Now, let's fast forward to the voice in the huddle. It was Joseph Wilson, a wiry lad that had earned the reputation of letting nothing scare him. I had watched him during the season muscle a kid twice his size from underneath the basket, and snag a rebound that ten grown men couldn't wrestle from his tiny grip.

I whipped up a screen play that would free Joseph up at the free throw line.

"I'll be there, coach" he said. "I'm gonna hit that shot. We are gonna win."

Well, the play kind of worked. Joe had to fight through a defender but he caught the ball just beyond the space I had drawn up. It was a long three. He caught the ball, and without hesitation, let go one of the prettiest three-point shots I had ever seen shot by a nine-year-old.

At that moment, I was going over my speech for losing a tough game in my head.

TWEEETTTTT! The whistle sounded just as he let the ball go and fell to the ground.

He had gotten whacked by the defense and he saw it coming. Still, he was determined to get that shot away and toward the basket. The gym all took a collective breath in and held it while the ball was in the air.

Pop! The basketball fell clean through the hoop, touching nothing but nylon before it hit the ground. And just as calm as he had taken the shot that would win us the game, he sank a free throw to put the Eagles on ice.

I remember that day like it was 20 minutes ago. Joe wanted to shoot. He wanted to win. He wanted to be the person with the ball when it mattered the most.

I was the one who was afraid, all season long, of disappointing them because of my past failures.

But Joe taught me that I had to want the ball, I had to want to shoot and I had to not let anything stop me from achieving my goals.

As the ten players knocked me to the ground and piled on in excitement, I also learned that winning is due to the efforts of everyone on your team.

From the parents in the stands who organized bringing Gatorade to each game, to big brothers and sisters who reinforced our practices in neighborhood cul-de-sacs.

Perhaps who taught me the most was Tre, my son. I had never seen the boy so excited about an event. His joy came from the joy of those boys he called brothers. For that moment, the ten became one in victory. It didn't matter who took the shot, the end result was all that mattered to them.

Another thing that never mattered was where we started. Our little patchwork team shocked the league and finished first with a group of kids that were left over after the coaches had their choice of players to fill their rosters. Trophies are nice, and winning is too.

But those ten boys taught me lifelong lessons that stick with me still.

Thank you, Dawgs. You gave an old man purpose and a reason to always stay in the game.

TOGETHER WE CAN BUILD A BETTER US

New YEAR

New YOU

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FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

WITH JIM ALRED 12

V3 MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020 | READV3.COM

Longevity doesn’t always mean greatness.

The previous sentence might cause some people to puzzle, but it holds a strong relevancy to the remainder of this column.

In early October, the Rome-Floyd Sports Hall of Fame announced its inductees for the 2020 class. The list includes Charles Culberson, Charlie Culberson, Charles Smith, Toryan Smith and Jaleel Riaz.

Trying to list the accomplishments of this group would eat up every word of this column, so if you are unfamiliar with these great athletes I recommend you do a bit of research.

One of my jobs at the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority is to help facilitate the Hall of Fame Golf Tournament and the Hall of Fame Banquet. I also interact with the Hall of Fame committee and receive the nominations for those wishing to go into the Hall.

I have no say in who actually enters the Hall. I don’t envy the decision makers, because there are plenty of supertalented athletes and individuals who have contributed to athletics in Rome and Floyd County.

Just for example, I can probably name about four or five collegiate All-Americans, professional athletes, five-time or more high school state champions who aren’t in the hall.

Does that mean the committee is doing a good job?

No. It means this makes the committee’s job of picking the candidates each year difficult. In fact, difficult is a vast understatement for the committee’s decisions.

Back to longevity. Many nominations talk about the 30-plus years of service as a coach, official, athlete, etc.

No doubt, these individuals deserve commendations and platitudes for their service, but what did they accomplish during those 30 years?

I guess the issue at hand is what exactly makes someone Hall of Fame worthy?

Just because a certain person may not fit that description doesn’t mean they aren’t or weren’t a great athlete or coach.

However, in this element you’re competing against the best of all time.

I was all state in track and across country and did well as a collegiate walk-on in those events. There are a handful of distance runners, who have won multiple state titles and had far more collegiate success than I did, that aren’t in the hall. A few of them may make it, but that alone tells me I have little to no chance.

Does it feel bad? A bit, but it doesn’t devalue my achievements. It just means there are others who did or achieved more.

Win a state title in high school - that’s great. There are probably several hundred local athletes who have done that. Earn high school All-America honors - now we’re starting to narrow things down. There aren’t tons of those. However, I can think of at least five that aren’t in the hall yet.

Play a sport collegiately, that’s amazing, but there is a very long list of locals who’ve played college sports.

Earn a conference or all-America honor while playing a college sport; again we’re starting to winnow that field down. At the same time, there are some locals who have earned all-conference or all-American honors that aren’t in the hall yet.

There are locals who played at a high level professionally - and some that still do - who aren’t in the hall yet.

There are many local coaches who have experienced great success, won a lot of games and even captured championships. Sometimes the candidates kind of speak for themselves. Current South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp who starred at Darlington before playing at Georgia and helping Nick Saban win a national championship at LSU was a no-brainer.

There are several other no-brainers walking around out there, too. I’ve been privy to a list of great candidates.

Will all of these candidates get into the hall? I have no clue, but an amazing case can be made for all of them.

When this year’s class was announced a few people took to social media saying they didn’t know who any of the candidates were. My first question in my head not voiced or written was, “Have you been living under a rock?”

The next statement from them usually involved stating how someone else deserved to be in the hall just as much if not more. Here comes the wash. The Hall of Fame allows anyone to nominate a person for induction. A link on www. rpra.com pulls up the form and the process that needs to take place to nominate someone.

Before doing so, take a long look at that person and their resume.

What did they do during or after their career to really stand out? What were their achievements? How do they show that without a shadow of a doubt they deserve to be enshrined with the best of all time in Rome and Floyd County?

One issue I see with nominations is no supporting evidence. Telling that someone played or coached for 30 years is one thing, but make sure to list their achievements, wins and losses, awards, etc. If they’re being nominated for meritorious service, what service did they do? What sets them apart from other people who have contributed to athletics?

Be specific; give exact details and please don’t make anything up. The resume will be checked and double checked long before their name is thrown into the applicant pool.

Another note is that as well versed as the committee is on local athletes, there is always a chance someone truly worthy has slipped through the cracks. That’s another reason why the nomination process is so important.

For those out there seeking to be a part of the Hall, good luck. It is an exclusive group and not easy to gain entry.

I didn’t write this to demean anyone’s accomplishments but instead to try to shine a spotlight on what it takes to have a fighting chance to make the Hall. Maybe a few of you reading this now will end up on that stage receiving your Hall of Fame plaque in 2021 or beyond.

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Set For

ENTURE Blue Sky Outfitter is a one-stop shop for any outdoor gear you may need. New owner, Elizabeth Watkins, shares a sneak peek of the new season's collections and the story of how she became a successful entrepreneur.

Text: Ashlee Bagnell | Photos: Andy Calvert

B

lue Sky Outfitter has been a staple in both Rome and Cartersville for over ten years now.

The outdoor gear shop provides top brands of shoes, outerwear and practically anything one may need to explore beyond the concrete sidewalks of the city.

Elizabeth Watkins bought the business in November of 2018 from Lisa Hamilton. Since then, she has been working to grow the brand of Blue Sky Outfitter so that both Rome and Cartersville have access to all that Blue Sky has to offer.

Watkins takes some time to explain the philosophy behind her plans for Blue Sky, and talk about what we can expect to see in the future.

She began her career in commercial banking and worked in that field for 14 years until her son was in Kindergarten. In an effort to spend more time with him, she decided to start her own business. “I started my online women’s clothing boutique, Spool of Dreams, and that venture grew from online to an office pop up store. Eventually, I opened a brick and mortar, and later a second location.”

Watkins would also later change the name of Spool of Dreams to Everjean. Soon, she found an additional opportunity to expand her current retail store and acquire an already successful outfitter.

“Lisa Hamilton, Blue Sky's former owner, founded Blue Sky in 2005 and she opened the Cartersville location first. The Rome location opened in 2006. There is a funny story connected to the store here in Rome. As a commercial lender, I actually handled the refinancing of Rome's Broad Street location. Eventually, Lisa was

looking to sell Blue Sky. I felt that since I was already in the retail industry, I could take the reins and continue the hard work that had been put into the business, ” recalls Watkins.

“In August 2019, I decided that I would merge Blue Sky Ladies with Blue Sky Outfitter at the Cartersville location. There were actually two different storefronts in Cartersville, and I wanted both the Cartersville and the Rome locations to be consistent in what we offer in store. So, I gave the old Blue Sky Ladies store a light facelift and reopened it as Everjean. Now all of the stores, in both cities, have the same look and feel.

Watkins runs two different types of stores with four different locations, but she does not do it alone. When speaking about her team, it is easy to see her appreciation for her amazing staff.

The general manager for both locations is Taylor Mills. Watkins says of Mills that, “I hired him to be the manager for the Rome location, but I quickly promoted him as the general manager.

T. Mills is a key asset to the business and works closely with me in all capacities; he is my guy perspective.”

Her sister-in-law, Kelly Watkins, manages accounts receivable and accounts payable, and

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Elizabeth Watkins

essentially makes everything in the back-office work and run smoothly. Callie Dodd is the general manager for Everjean and according to Watkins, “she also helps with the buying for Blue Sky. So, she is a key team member and my hope is to have her as my buyer for both businesses.

“We have a great team in Rome,” says Watkins. "Jack Tunnell is the floor manager in Rome, and his niche is in merchandising due to his artistic abilities."

Of the sales staff, Watkins says, “We try to hire kids who are either in high school and transitioning into college, or college kids.”

Karsten Black functions as the web designer and works diligently to ensure that the website is updated and the merchandise is displayed accurately on the page. Due to the nature of the products, having an accurate website is key for Blue Sky Outfitter.

All of the buying for Blue Sky Outfitter is done a year in advance, and Watkins walks us through the process.

“We are guessing when it comes to trends; we are guessing what people will like according to data we collect. Dealers have projections, but it really is a gamble. This is our first season to buy for spring and summer, so this year is very exciting for us. We have worked really hard to put together collections and have them all flow according to what we anticipate our customers will need,” says Watkins.

The goal is to have the collections change with current trends and put together fresh looks with each season. Their goal is to provide excellent customer service at Blue Sky, and by offering a unique selection, the stores will provide a year-round shopping experience.

“By ordering in smaller quantities, we hope to keep from oversaturating our community with the same look,” she explains.

“Spring is around the corner and labels are using bright color palettes. We are excited about the variety of active and athleisure wear we are going to be able to provide for our customers. We are also adding light-weight travel wear options to our inventory and those colors will also be fun. We are looking forward to growing our new hiking shoe line, as well,” adds Watkins.

One thing that Watkins is exploring in 2020 is to assist her customers by renting specialty equipment like kayaks and camping gear. By leasing these items to outdoor enthusiasts, she can offer the temporary use of gear for those who do not want to spend a ton of money on a product they may only use once or twice. And if customers wish to give their new favorite piece of gear a permanent home in their garage, they will not have to look far to find it.

Blue Sky Outfitter hopes to be your provider for all of the best products in outdoor gear available. With Watkins and her team at the helm, the franchise has big plans to improve what they offer to all who wish to explore the great outdoors.

Look for them in both Rome and Cartersville as they continue “Equipping North Georgia for Adventure.”

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Jarrod "J.J." Johnson 22

V3 MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020 | READV3.COM

Smooth Smooth Operator Operator Text: DeMarcus Daniel | Photos: Cameron Flaisch

Meal replacements, post-workout smoothies and more are what this health-centered smoothie shop aims to offer their customers.

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J.J. Johnson, Owner and Operator of Rome’s Smoothie King, found himself lying in bed one night after a high intensity workout, yearning for a peanut-power-plus protein smoothie from Smoothie King.

BUT HE WAS NOW LIVING IN A NEW TOWN and there was no Smoothie King within the city or county lines. He mentioned to his wife that Rome, Ga. needed a Smoothie King, and maybe he should open one himself.

Johnson rolled over and went on to sleep that night. Little did he know, his wife was sending an email to the Smoothie King Corporation.

Jarrod Johnson is from Houston, Texas. If you have seen him around you have likely heard his friends and family call him J.J. or Jay. No one calls him Jarrod and he does not seem to mind the nickname. According to him, the moniker was born from family and those closest to him. Prior to owning and operating Smoothie King, He was an 11-year veteran police officer and was quite content with his job.

“I thought I would retire as a police officer,” he says.

His wife, a pediatrician at the time, was finishing her fellowship in neonatology and was being recruited by Floyd Medical Center, here in Rome. The opportunity presented to his wife meant Johnson would have to resign his position in Houston and relocate with his family.

For a time, Johnson was considering joining the police force here in Rome. He loved police work, and still misses his time on the force, but he said that the Good Lord opened another door for him. That is what made that night’s conversation about a Smoothie King franchise so important to his family's future.

Smoothie King is a national brand that has been around since 1973 and opened its first U.S. juice bar franchise in New Orleans, La. The company's goal was, and still is, to inspire people to live healthy and active lifestyles.

The health-and-community-centered company currently has 1100 stores nationwide and they have grown to offer their products internationally.

Many different cities in Georgia have Smoothie Kings already, but there was not one in Rome or Floyd County. Johnson went online and saw that Rome was a targeted area for a franchise store. He inquired about the process to bring a Smoothie King to his new hometown. When the research was done, he decided that Rome could indeed be a great possibility for the Smoothie King franchise.

“In my mind, I was thinking this is a no-brainer. Everyone knows Smoothie King,” says Johnson. “Market research suggested it would succeed here, so I was beyond ready to do it.”

After handling the financial obligations required, finding a location was the next priority and that was not an easy task. “We almost went to Cartersville because I could not find a satisfactory spot in Rome.”

Things were looking bleak for the possibility of finding a home for the franchise in Floyd County. Then, just as he was going to close the door on the opportunity, Johnson heard that Ward’s Pharmacy had moved from their building on Turner McCall beside Subway and Applebee’s.

“I contacted the landlord of the building and Smoothie King Corporate. Representatives from Smoothie King flew out and approved the spot, and it was a go on the location.”

The process was long and involved. In 2016, after a year and after all of the leg work was done, Rome had a Smoothie King, owned and operated

by Johnson.

“I grew up on Smoothie King, so opening one here felt great. Where I'm from, it was natural to immediately go to Smoothie King after working out. Rome is a very active community and there are plenty for folks who wish to be healthy. Sports and working out is a big part of Rome, which is why I felt we needed a Smoothie King. I wanted to change the perception that a Smoothie King smoothie is just a snack," Johnson says. "I always try to educate people about the differences.

“It was very difficult the first year to roll out our methods and information about what our smoothies are. It seems the only kind of smoothie people were familiar with was a slushie or something from a fast food restaurant. Thankfully, three years later, our sales are up. Guest are coming in after their work outs and getting their favorite post-workout smoothie. Many guests have transitioned from getting a chicken biscuit every morning, to now getting a meal replacement smoothie for breakfast.

It is getting better every day, but there many who are still unaware of the great options Smoothie King has to offer to help with their health and fitness goals. I thought people knew Smoothie King was the premium smoothie brand that desires to be a part of a community's healthy fitness goals. I assumed everyone knew many Smoothie King smoothies can consist of protein, fiber, amino acids, energy boosts, fruit, ice, water, etc. I grew up on Smoothie King smoothies as a kid in Houston.

There are also many locations in Atlanta, and Rome is surrounded by them. So, I figured that people knew Smoothie King smoothies were based on a healthy concept.

“Initially, I had customers coming to the store asking for slushies," Johnson continues. "No one knew what a Smoothie King smoothie was. I was totally surprised that people didn’t know the health benefits of our brand of meal replacement drinks. I started thinking I had opened up the wrong kind of business. So, I decided to go on a full-fledged educational marketing campaign in an effort to educate the market on what Smoothie King was.

That was the biggest surprise and challenge of the first three years.”

Smoothie King smoothies are purposely blended with protein-rich ingredients and vitamins essential to help fuel up, recover from workouts, or to simply maintain a healthy body.

“We are something like a health store and yogurt shop put together,” explains Johnson with a laugh. “I try to use whatever language I can to help people get some type of understanding of what we offer. You can come in and get your spinach, your kale, and your carrots and it still will taste great. Do we have snack items? Yes, we carry protein bars, protein chips, healthy trail mix, protein powders, and a gamut of healthy products.

Kids and adults do like them. We like to say that we are a better alternative to fast food. We’d like to be a part of our community's fitness goals.”

His hopes are that Smoothie King becomes a vital part of your daily routine. The company’s goal is to serve you a "Smoothie with a Purpose."

That is why the menu is set up in a purposeful way. Smoothie King’s menu is separated into four sections. Those sections

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include: Fitness (purposefully blended with protein rich ingredients to help you fuel up or recover faster following workout), Slim (purposefully blended to help you stay on a weight maintenance plan), Wellness (purposefully blended with vitamins and vegetables essential to maintaining a healthy body) and Take A Break (purposefully blended to help you reward yourself or simply enjoy the day).

There is even a kid's section that has special smoothies blended to help them stay healthy with flavors they will love. Every ingredient is listed on the menu board, and every ingredient is individually added to the smoothie.

There are also specialty smoothies. Examples include: Keto smoothies, prenatal smoothies, vegan smoothies, and even high-calorie smoothies for cancer patients having trouble getting the proper nutrients into their system after treatment efforts, or those who just need help gaining weight.

Smoothie King protein powders are diverse and formulated to meet most dietary restrictions. They are also high-quality proteins and their veggies are organic. There is no high fructose corn syrup in their smoothies, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives; they are gluten free, and many have zero grams of added sugar. The fruits and vegetables used in preparing their smoothies have natural sugars that are not able to be extracted during the process.

“I feel like I have opened the minds of people as to what we are," he adds. “I’ve had cancer patients come here to get their meal replacements, pregnant ladies get their prenatal vitamins via our smoothies, and others who just want to start feeling and living better. It makes me feel good to 26

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know that I’m helping people. Customers tell me that we have helped them to lose weight and helped them change their eating habits."

When people visit most run-of-the-mill smoothie shops, their smoothies are likely premixed and give them little to no choice in what they decide to order. The shop makes it the way they make it, with little to no variations to the recipe.

“People thought everything was pre-made and we just pour it like Kool-Aid. But everything here is customizable. So, if you want to come in and switch pineapples for mangoes or whey protein for vegan protein; we can accommodate your needs. People also thought it was all sugar, or that the smoothies all have milk. That’s not the case; our bases are water and ice. And we don't use tap water. All water used in Smoothie King comes through a doublefiltration system. I would say it is the cleanest water in Rome,” Johnson says.

There is a simple yet distinct difference between Smoothie King and a mom-and-pop place making smoothies.

“At Smoothie King Corporate in Dallas, Texas, we have a dedicated research and development team full of food science nutritionists who are constantly testing and introducing new smoothies to help meet the health and fitness goals of our health-conscious guests. As a franchisee, and an avid smoothie drinker, I trust the brand.

“It is my goal to make people understand, we are trying to be a part of your health and fitness journey," Johnson says again in an attempt to drive home the philosophy behind the Smoothie King brand. When you think of healthy snack or a quick meal replacement, we want you to think of Smoothie King. When you leave the gym, we want Smoothie King to be the first choice for your post-workout food item.

"When I look at it from the standpoint of those I’ve helped," he adds, "I know I’ve changed the eating habits of a lot of people who necessarily wouldn’t have known the alternatives to eating unhealthy foods. People used to come in lost; now they come in ordering smoothies and customizing it themselves with added enhancers, switching fruit, changing protein. It's just amazing to see the change.

“The same way you can go get a burger or salad, you can come in and order a nutritious meal replacement smoothie,” he says. “My biggest challenge, at first, was getting people to realize we are not just a sugary treat place. We have a wide array of things that may change your perception of the Smoothie King brand.”

Slowly but surely, people are finding out.

Let Johnson and his staff make you a smoothie with a purpose at Smoothie King located at 832 Turner McCall Blvd., Rome, Ga 30161. For more information, visit www.smoothieking.com.

"When I look at it from the

standpoint of those I’ve helped, I know I’ve changed the eating habits of a lot of people who necessarily wouldn’t have known the alternatives to eating unhealthy foods."

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the Root

OF THE

Matter Text: Oliver Robbins, Jr. | Photos: Cameron Flaisch

Adding the knowledge of a healthcare professional can help you not only to reach your weight-loss goals, but lead a better quality of life.

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Dr. Amar Singh and Dr. Poonam Singh

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arrying extra weight can be a problem that not only drives self-confidence, but the health complications that arise can be far more detrimental to a person's quality of life.

Most people who struggle with managing their weight have no idea that their body's resistance to change may have little to do with their life choices. With years of research and mountains of data, healthcare professionals have found that there is a science to maintaining a healthy weight.

Since every human body presents its own challenges when fighting disease, it is safe to say that seeking the help of a physician can greatly increase the chances of finding a healthy path to weight loss goals.

Harbin Clinic, and their team of physicians, have seen the effects of being overweight when helping their patients formulate a wellness plan. Because having an unhealthy amount of fat inside the body often leads to other health concerns, Drs. Amar and Poonam Singh of Harbin Clinic Singh Internal Medicine have made it their mission to assist Northwest Georgians with weight management and educate their community about the factors that contribute to being overweight.

This husbandand-wife team says the science behind this nationwide epidemic may surprise those who are not in the know, and oftentimes it has nothing to do with occasionally having a burger.

Dr. Amar Singh and Dr. Poonam Singh have both recently earned their Obesity Medicine Board Certifications from the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM).

During the process to obtain certification, physicians undergo rigorous training in weight management and extensive examinations.  There are less than 100 ABOM diplomates practicing in Georgia. ABOM collaborates with the National Board of Medical Examiners

(NBME) to administer the annual credentialing exam. Harbin Clinic is happy to have this service available to their patients, one that could possibly provide a better quality of life and prevent the onset of major health problems later on in life.

Dr. Amar Singh, according to the data collected about obesity, has some information to consider when assessing your weight loss plan.

"Obesity is a chronic disease," he explains. "It has received this designation by the American Medical Association in 2013. Now, obesity is in the same category as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and high cholesterol. So, we have to treat obesity with the same respect.

It is a chronic disease in itself."

Dr. Amar Singh goes on to say that about two thirds of our population is either overweight or suffers from obesity. After 20 years of practicing internal medicine, he and his wife finally understand that they have been treating the problems created by obesity, and they have not properly addressed the root cause of many illnesses their patients suffer from.

"Our goal with this endeavor is to spend the next 20 years taking patients off of the medications we put them on by helping them to eliminate the cause of their health problems," Dr. Amar Singh says. "We do not just want to address the numbers for our patients, like what

their blood pressure is, but we also want to address how they feel. We want to help them to improve their self-esteem, their self-respect and we want them to have the ability to do things they want to do, but are not able to do right now."

Those people who may want to consider seeking the help of Drs. Amar and Poonam Singh are not just those who suffer from severe obesity. Part of controlling the effects of any disease is early detection and there are a few warning signs of excess weight causing harm to the body.

"Obesity is an insidious disease. Sometimes life just happens, and we get very busy in the productive years of life," Dr. Amar Singh explains. "So, people don't realize that symptoms like fatigue, lack of focus, difficulty sleeping and not being able to participate in physical activity can be early warning signs that you are overweight.

With jobs, families and homes to care for, we sometimes don't pay close attention to our health and how we feel.

We eat things that are convenient and we don't get the proper amount of sleep. All of these factors can contribute to having bigger health concerns down the road.

"We also want to help people who have a family history or certain risk factors that are associated with becoming overweight.

They should start at the primary prevention level and we can provide them with the tools they need to succeed in their weight loss journey. We want to stop them from getting to the point of weight becoming a health problem," Dr. Amar Singh explains. "It is also important to note that any plan we prescribe is done so in conjunction with the patient's primary care physician.

"Thinking that we can just eat less and exercise more is an overused, antiquated concept that blames an individual for developing the disease of obesity," he adds. "Current science tells us that obesity is 40 to70 percent caused by

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genetic factors outside of an individual’s control.

85 to 90 percent of people who take the 'eat less and move more' approach quickly regain any lost weight - not due to lack of willpower - but due to body’s ability to protect itself."

This data is why many people they see in their office have been fighting a losing battle with their weight, and they do not know how to combat this problem. However, they can achieve success with the help of science and the care of a knowledgeable physician. "Regardless of whether a person is obese or not, when the body loses weight it fights to regain any lost pounds through both hormonal and metabolic mechanisms," he says. "The human body is very efficient and works hard to provide weight regulation. After weight loss, the body doesn’t accept the new lower weight as normal. It doesn’t reset the weight set point. It doesn’t restore metabolism."

This is why the disease of obesity should be treated by medical professionals, using an individualized approach of evidence-based treatment options shown to be helpful in the long-term plans of patients.

The main thing both Drs. Amar and Poonam Singh want potential patients to know is that the time to take control of your health is now. Because there are so many complications from being overweight, many of us are feeling bad from the extra pounds. It all becomes real to many of their patients when they show them the model of five pounds of fat. The gelatinous model, lumpy and yellow, hits the table in front of them with a loud thud. And when they take it in their hands, they feel the burden of carrying just five pounds of extra tissue.

If these are issues you are facing, you need only to ask for a referral to Harbin Clinic's Singh Internal Medicine. Since they work closely with your primary care physician in creating a plan for you, it is important that all of your medical history is taken into consideration when forming your plan to a healthier life free of the extra baggage that comes with being overweight.

"Every person’s weight loss journey is unique to that individual," says Dr. Amar Singh.

"What works for weight loss will not work for weight maintenance. Each person with the disease of obesity should be treated with the same compassion and respect, like we treat others with chronic illnesses. It is time for a new conversation about the way society thinks about obesity. It is time for a new paradigm.

Only then will the obesity epidemic improve.

"Our mission is to inspire and empower patients to lose weight while taking charge of their health habits. We propose gentler, 34

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"Our goal with this endeavor is to spend the next 20 years taking patients off of the medications we put them on by helping them to eliminate the cause of their health problems." moderate changes because we believe weight loss and maintenance is not a punitive process," Dr. Amar Singh continues. "Eating food is one of the basic human pleasures. If a restrictive diet causes suffering, it is not going to endure.

Desiring certain foods does not mean you lack willpower. It is just a sign of the human condition. Weight loss and maintenance is a restorative process, which should be affirming and encouraging. The American Heart Association and other medical groups have determined that a modest weight-loss, as little as three to five percent, can lead to clinically meaningful improvements in glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as mood and energy level. There is not one right way for everybody. Our team will focus on achieving the best weight for each individual, which is whatever weight a person reaches when they are living the healthiest life they honestly enjoy. In our experience, when you let go of the numbers, people tend to take more pride in their efforts, and that helps them stick with the plan."

So, are you ready to keep up with your children or grandchildren, go on vacation and keep up with the walking or biking tour, pursue fun activities like tennis or dancing, take the stairs without getting short of breath, or be around longer for your significant other and check off your bucket list together?

Harbin Clinic and Drs. Amar and Poonam Singh are ready to empower their patients so that they can live the life they want to live.

They hope to bring more joy and contentment – not just a smaller waist.

Isn’t that what life is all about? Enjoy your health!

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All Aboard From wall to wall, these local artisans hope to give feet at your address a fine place to call home.

Text: DeMarcus Daniel | Photos: Cameron Flaisch

LAMAR WOFFORD BEGAN HIS FLOORING BUSINESS over 30 years ago.

In that time the business became known for their integrity and the great pride they take in the work that they do.

Today, the reputation remains the same even as the business has continued to grow. The company sells as well as installs hardwood flooring, for both residential and commercial consumers.

Wofford Wood Flooring, Inc. also finishes and re-finishes existing wood flooring. Many of their clients have been local, including the YMCA, area physicians' offices, Berry College, and they have worked with the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority as well as many builders in the Rome area.

Their team deals in state-of-the-art flooring, including water proof luxury vinyl plank. Among the variety of products offered are pre-finished engineered hardwood flooring, a pre-finished solid hardwood flooring, and the most popular (based on sales), the unfinished solid hardwood flooring that they finish on site. Since they also specialize in sanding and finishing the hardwood floors, it is fitting that the unfinished variety is the number one seller. Other products sold and installed by Wofford Flooring include glue-down flooring and a product that may be more family friendly, SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) luxury vinyl flooring. SPC is waterproof, slip proof and scratch proof.

One style, click-lock flooring, which is also offered commercially and residentially, is becoming a favorite of their commercial clientele. At the present time, the company does not offer tile or carpet services.

There is a coined phrase for Wofford Wood Flooring, and that phrase is “There’s a Wofford on every job.”

The mantra stems from Lamar Wofford’s sons now running different divisions of the business. Lamar Wofford and Rob

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Wofford are in the refinishing division and Ethan Wofford heads the installation division.

Lamar's wife, Connie Wofford, serves the business as treasurer, secretary, bookkeeper, and more. Just like mothers who often wear many hats, you name it and chances are she does it, other than the installs.

In the sales department is Lamar and Connie's daughter, Aspen Wofford. Not only is she in sales, but she is a product specialist, and according to her father, can drive a forklift as good as any man he knows. Other members of the Wofford Wood Flooring team are Drew Campbell, who works on the finishing team, and Jerald, Jordan and Joseph Robinson who are on the installation team. Another team member, marketing and sales Director Lee Anne Culpepper, has nothing but great words for the family based on her 30 years of experience with Lamar Wofford and his family's business.

“The Wofford Family is a fabulous family who runs their business with integrity and cares immensely about the job they do for their customers.

They are all about client satisfaction and they have a very good reputation because of the attention they pay to these areas,” she says with a smile. “I am an interior designer from Atlanta; Lamar did flooring for my clients in Atlanta for 30 years. When he told me that he would no longer be coming to Atlanta unless he was completing a job for me and one other builder, that was an honor. And it is not that I was big business for him, he just respected me. The other guy, the builder, was big business,” she chuckles.

Lamar had decided to open a flooring shop in Rome because of his success in the area. There are a lot of builders who have shared projects with his company, and Rome has many opportunities for him to grow his business. He and his sons have also given the lofts and businesses on Broad Street their special touches, in addition to other work in the area.

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According to Lamar, it is estimated that their business has doubled since opening the store in August of 2018. They invite the public to visit their store and take a look at options available on the showroom floor. The Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for their new storefront in January of this year, and the new space has officially opened to the public.

The store is open weekly, Monday - Friday and half a day Saturday. They are closed on Sundays so that the family and their team can attend church services.

“I asked why he wouldn’t be coming to Atlanta unless it was for certain customers and that’s when he let me know he was opening the store. I was shocked because my husband and I had just moved here. I let him know that I was interested in working at the store on Mondays and Tuesdays when I’m in town and not working my other jobs. He immediately gave me a job at the store.

"It’s a no-brainer working for them," Culpepper continues,"because I know when I’m going into someone’s house, measuring their space or telling someone that they’re going to get the best job, that I’m telling the truth. I could not say that with confidence if it was not the truth. The

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customer will get a great result, and if there are ever any problems, it will be dealt with promptly. The prices are competitive, and a big difference between us and other companies is the quality and the care put into each installation. Plus, we offer excellent product knowledge here in our showroom. When the job is done, I always hear, 'you were right, everything was superb.'”

Culpepper really loves the Wofford Family and the results she is able to offer her clients. “I have to tell you that I choose to be here, and fortunately, they choose me. I had never met his wife or his daughter, but I knew the boys from work they had done for me. I just think they are all jewels. They are the finest family I have ever met. And working here is not like coming to work at all; it is a pleasure.

Aspen Wofford had a different take.

“Well really, I don’t like it,” she says before sharing a hearty chuckle with Culpepper. “I love it! Working with my brothers is great because we are very close and I love being with them. We have a good time, always. Even when we’re just picking on each other, it is great and a work environment that is so much fun. I think that translates into what we are able to offer our clients. If we are having a great time providing them a

service, then it comes through in the work and craftsmanship.”

Wife and mother, Connie Wofford, spoke of how proud she is of her husband and sons. “I’m very proud of them, and the work that they do. They are hard workers. I’ve kind of been involved with the business all along, but more so since we opened the store. I’m always impressed with the guys’ integrity and the job they do. Their desire is to please the customers as best they can. And a lot of times, they bend over backwards to do so. They will go the extra mile to please our customers. And the boys have been into it since forever.

"Take Rob for example," Connie recalls. "Going back to when he was nine or ten years old, he was involved in the work on weekends with his dad. Once he got to high school, he played sports but still worked every weekend. Now Ethan went to work with Lamar between football and sports activities all through high school.”

“I just don’t think there are that many family-run companies left in the nation, where everyone enjoys their job and one another. And you can tell,” says Culpepper.

Visit the showroom at 1715 Martha Berry Blv. NE Rome, GA

L-R: Drew Campbell, Ethan Wofford, LeAnne Culpepper, Joseph Robbins, Lamar Wofford, Connie Wofford, Aspen Wofford, Rob Wofford, Gerald Robbins, Jordan Robbins

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HOLY ROLLER

This month's Hot Wheels profile features Preacher William Anderson and how he finds Heaven on a Harley.

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Life Changing Magic

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Here and Now with Nina Lovel

Have you ever experienced Life-Changing Magic?

If you read my last column, you’ll know that my sweet little family has been in growth mode; in December we welcomed precious little Edwin Lewis (Winn) Lovel to our world! He arrived healthy, pink, chubby, and beautiful beyond belief, and every moment I’ve spent with him so far has deserved its own glass dome. He brought extra joy to the holidays, and when I look at my 6’4” son holding that tiny bundle of love, my thoughts race over all the life changes his future now holds. The miracle of baby Winn is a wonderful life-changing event, as are all births, marriages, deaths and the other routine hoped-and-planned-for happenings of our days. But today I’m writing beyond these milestones of life; let’s talk about Life-Changing MAGIC. The Cambridge Dictionary defines magic as “a special and exciting quality that makes something seem different from ordinary things.” So, what special and exciting things have the power to change a life?

If you search Google for “life-changing magic,” you’ll see that you can learn to find life-changing magic in tidying up, sports betting, keeping absolutely everything, hanging out, not giving a [flip], making do, validating your own feelings, and even by sharing your data! The phrase was first popularized by Marie Kondo in her 2011 book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and if the number of blogs and spinoffs found on the interweb are any indication, it is indeed life-changing to tidy up with her method.

Your formerly cluttered house will acquire a special and exciting quality that sparks your own personal joy, and it will definitely seem different from ordinary (still cluttered) houses. If you have tried Marie’s method and it changed your life, I’d love to hear about it!

You don’t have to buy a book to experience Life-Changing Magic, though. It can happen any time, in many different ways, and all that’s needed is the awareness to know it when it does. Sometimes

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you can make it happen yourself (as in tidying up), sometimes you just hope it happens, and sometimes you’ll never know how it happened. Life-Changing Magic changes the trajectory of your life for good and forever, and often the lives of your loved ones as well.

Have you experienced Life-Changing Magic? I have, twice. Dig deep. Maybe you had a long-ago conversation with someone who activated your life’s vision. Maybe a mentor inspired you to follow your bliss. Perhaps you took a class in which a spark of curiosity became the guiding light of your career.

Did you apply for a long-shot scholarship that came through and funded an education you would otherwise not have had? Maybe you heard a song that inspired you to pick up a guitar and play the first notes in a lifetime of music that has thrilled you and everyone who heard it. Read on for some of the LifeChanging Magic around us.

The Magic of Commitment

Were it not for the commitment made to me by a sweet childless couple way back when, you would not be reading this. I was the third-born to a mother who had five babies by four different men. Every day I thank God for the parents who adopted and loved me so well. I was born into Life-Changing Magic.

Were it not for the commitment of caring citizens in our area, dozens of men, women and children would have no shelter tonight and no hope tomorrow that they’ll ever work their way out of life’s lowest places. And more commitments are under way, laden with hope for the poorest among us. A small group of volunteers is leading the inaugural “Getting Ahead” workshop, a series of sessions proven to help those born into poverty to build the life-skill resources needed to grow in prosperity. Proof of the Life-Changing Magic in Getting Ahead is found in this story from another town: (A participant) was late to the session and came in begging our forgiveness. She said “I’m sorry I’m late, but I was pulled over for a broken tail light on the way here. Six weeks ago, I would have gone off on the cop and probably wound up in jail. But now that I’ve learned better ways to talk to people, instead of getting mad I was just honest and told him I was on my way to a Getting Ahead meeting. He let me go with a warning; can you believe that?”

Life-Changing Magic happens when committed volunteers help you grow into a better life.

The Magic of Recovery

Two people I dearly love are in their fifth year of sobriety. They are heroes to me. Everyone in recovery is a hero to me. When you’ve been in the grip of addiction and hit your life’s rock bottom and then chosen a sober life, you’ve created your own Life-Changing Magic. When you chose to search yourself completely and ask (and give) forgiveness,

you’ve created your own Life-Changing Magic. With intention, you chose to enter a different world where others who have been where you are come alongside and shepherd you, and you have gained attitudes and built behaviors that not only change your own life, they change the lives of all around you. You will pay it forward by creating Life-Changing Magic for others in the recovery world. You are my heroes.

The Magic of Abundance

Our community has abounded with holiday stories of generosity and love for one another. Churches and community groups fed the hungry, toys were given to tots, kids shopped with cops with money cheerfully given, and shelter residents and the homeless received gifts of warmth. Even the dogs at PAWS were blessed with sleepovers where they got to know prospective families. Prosperity was shared in all the best ways; generosity flourished. Those of us who have abundance gave generously, and those of us who have less abundance also gave generously.

Our neighbors who struggle with life and money were collectively cared for, and I’m hopeful it will always be this way.

I used to observe such outright generosity thinking “maybe someday I’ll have enough to spare so that I, too, will be able to give that plentifully.”

Feel free to call me a slow-learner, but it hasn’t been that long since I realized that I don’t have to have “enough to spare” in order to be generous; all I have to have is enough, period. When you have enough, there is always something to spare.

Now, please don’t think I’m preaching a prosperity gospel; this just happened to coincide. Not long after I got my head straight on generosity, my second Life-Changing Magic happened: I received the gift of abundance. Kind of a reverse-abundance, really; I didn’t win the lottery and no rich uncle died and left me in his will. It was something promised that I had spent twelve years working on and hoping for. It had been denied me seven times, each for a different reason, and I was very close to giving up when I learned that the balance of my student loan debt had, at long last, been forgiven. The sudden unexpected receipt of an abundance of money is Life-Changing Magic, and so is the forgiveness of a debt. I am nothing but grateful.

I hope your life is full and wonderful. I hope that you’ve had as many happy days as sad ones, and that your health is where you can enjoy every day in one way or another. If you’ve never experienced LifeChanging Magic, then my wish is that you will, but it’s really not essential for a life well lived. After all, it’s magic and magic happens in its own good time.

And if you get impatient you can always create your own; just Google it and get yourself some of those books!

Nina loves to hear from you. Please email her at ninalovel@gmail.com with your thoughts about her columns.

Happy New Year from the Family and Staff of Henderson & Sons Funeral Homes and Rome Memorial Park

“Rome’s Locally Owned Funeral Homes” Barry R. Henderson

Joe Paul Henderson (1919-2008)

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Hooray for Seniors!

Where The Heart Is with Renaissance Marquis

7 Practices for Seniors I CHUCKLED WHEN I HEARD HIM SAY IT. Maybe you have heard it, too. “If I’d known I was going to live this long; I would have taken better care of myself.” We smile as we realize the truth of that statement. While we cannot go back and change anything, we can adopt a few practices that can make the days ahead better for each of us. For those who are “Senior” adults here are seven practices that can make a positive difference in your life.

1. Start your day with words of comfort, hope and encouragement.

Words are powerful! A great way to start your day is by reviewing words of hope and encouragement. Some like to begin the day with positive affirmations like: 1. I am blessed.

2. I am feeling wonderful today.

3. My mind is strong and my memory is clear.

4. I am grateful to learn new things today.

5. My age refines me it does not define me.

How you start your day has an effect on how the rest of your day goes.

I encourage you to begin your day with positive and encouraging words!

2. Express Thanks.

Being thankful improves your life in many ways. Begin or end each day by listing three things you are thankful for. A gratitude journal is a great tool to use. Get some type of notebook and write three things you are thankful for each day. In time your attitude of gratitude will begin to make a significant impact on your life and the lives of others.

3. Live in the present.

We can’t truly live in the past but we can learn from the past. Now is what matters. If you live in the past it will hinder you, if you learn from the past it will help you and others.

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experiences with others. Now is the time to make a difference in the life of others. Now is the time to call that friend that's been on your mind. Now is the hour to write your loved one. Now is the only time you are sure of so make the most of this moment... right NOW.

4. Invigorate yourself by moving.

A body in motion tends to stay in motion. If you are able to get up and walk around, do so. Walking is one of the easiest and most effective exercises you can do. It is also fun to walk with a partner. If you have a cane or a walker don't look at them as a limitation; but see them as a tool to allow you to stay in motion. Move more today and see if you don't feel better than you did yesterday.

5. Be original.

you. Serving others allows you to be part of something bigger than yourself.

So look for ways to serve others; you will find opportunities if you look for them. I recently read a Native American proverb that said: “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.” I like that! I believe these seven practices will help me and you to live such a life.

Renaissance Marquis is located at 3126 Cedartown Hwy. SW, Rome.

Visit renaissancemarquis.com or call ahead for an appointment at 706-295-0014.

Mike Ellis serves as the Chaplain at the Renaissance Marquis. For over 30 years he has been involved in serving others as a home missionary, pastor, and chaplain. Contact him to schedule a visit at the Renaissance Marquis or to have him come speak to your group. mellis@renaissancemarquis.com

You are the only YOU there is so be the best YOU you can be; everyone else is already taken. You are an ORIGINAL, one of a kind person and the world NEEDS you to be you. We need your gifts and abilities so don't hide them; use them for the good of others!

6. Respond don't react.

This takes thought but it is well worth the effort. It may be easy to react but it is far better to respond. It seems the older we get the quicker we are to react.

It is so important to be careful with our words because once they are spoken they can only be forgiven; not forgotten. We would all do well to THINK before we speak. Ask yourself if your words are True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind.

Independent Living | Personal Care | Memory Care

7. Serve someone today.

Serving others opens you up to greater joy, more blessings, and feelings of significance. It is sad to grow older and have the mindset that “I am to be served.”

It makes your world way too small. When you serve others you learn you are able to do more than you thought you could do. Serving others energizes 52

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Emily Leffew, Executive Director Ben Baker, Marketing Director

Where YOU RECOVER AFFECTS hOW YOU RECOVER

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GRAND COLUMN

ROME HEALTH AND REHAB

Cheers for Volunteers Where Amazing Things Happen with Rome Health and Rehab Text Sydney Champagne

AS A VOLUNTEER at Rome Health and Rehab, I was provided the opportunity to witness and be a part of the facility on an intimate level. From the exceptional nursing and dietary care to the therapy and activities programs, Rome Health and Rehab encompasses the elements that make an inspiring and skilled nursing facility, creating a positive experience for both patients and family members.

One of the most notable aspects of Rome Health and Rehab is the nursing care, where treatment extends well beyond standard medical needs. In addition to the nurses providing timely and professional medical assistance, the resident care specialists compliment those efforts with special touches of their own, such as the administration of manicures, hair trims and makeup applications to name a few. This special touch further illustrates the unique nature of the facility by placing emphasis on patient wellbeing medically, as well as personally and emotionally.

In addition to the nursing care, the dietary program of the facility is a second stand out. As a volunteer, I sat alongside the patients during numerous meals that were noticeably prepared with individual needs in mind. Each meal featured different foods with little repetition throughout the week, allowing patients to enjoy a diverse and healthy menu. Moreover, family members who came to visit patients at the facility were awarded the same treatment, as they were encouraged to enjoy an equally delicious meal alongside their loved ones.

Accompanying the positive experience from the dietary department, Rome Health and Rehab excels in its activity programs. In an effort to keep patients engaged, entertained and witty, the facility incorporates a myriad of games and events including art projects, music classes and most notably, Bingo! Not only

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does Rome Health and Rehab pull from inside help to create engaging activities, but art volunteers from the Rome community are welcomed to spend time with patients as well, creating even more diversity and outside engagement for the patients.

Finally, assisting the nurses, cooks and activities directors, the therapy department uniquely aids in the synergistic efforts to reestablish health for the Rome Health and Rehab patients. As with any physical therapy program, the physical therapists at Rome Health and Rehab work enthusiastically to bring patients back to their previous state of function, if not better. Beyond that, however, the therapists operated in such a way that allowed each patient to feel optimistically concerning their progressing health as well as educated in how to sustain this new level of wellbeing.

After completing my time as a volunteer, I can firmly say that each department of the facility offers its own unique approach to uplift each patient both physically and emotionally. If you want a chance to feel inspired about your health and that of others, I highly suggest awarding yourself the same opportunity I did and volunteer at the truly inspiring nursing facility that is Rome Health and Rehab.

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 expe-rience 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.

Denise Champagne, Jennifer Haislip-Lynn, Lisa Thomas

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Perpetual Care.

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Sue Lee: Rooted in Rome Senior Profile Photography Jason Huynh

Text Ashlee Bagnell

WHILE SITTING AT SWIFT & FINCH, a coffee shop located in Downtown Rome, it is easy for some to not know the importance of the kind-looking woman sitting in the corner with her coffee. But if given just a moment of your time, she can share with you the massive impact that she alone has had on the City of Rome.

Sue Lee is a native Roman who has spent her life pouring into the city and the Rome City Schools system. She has served two terms as a City Commissioner and has taught and served as a media specialist for the Rome City Schools. These things are just the tip of the iceberg that is the life of Sue Lee. In the late 1930’s, Lee’s father moved his wife and son to Rome when his company was hired to build a water filtration plant. Lee hadn’t been 58

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born yet but according to her, her father’s business required him to move around, but he really wanted to settle down. After her mother told him it was time, they offered him a job in Rome and he stayed. He eventually became the City Manager in the early 1960s and retired in 1979.

Lee grew up surrounded by the inner workings of the city. “I got a pretty close up view of Rome, downtown, water and sewer. When he was

working here, he was over at the City Auditorium. I say all of that to say that I love everything Rome. I have been here most of my life and really love it.”

Lee attended grade school here in Rome and went to Shorter University for her undergraduate degree. After college, she knew she wanted to plug into the community. So, she decided to do that by involving herself in the school system.

“I taught for a while and when they needed a media specialist back in the late 1960’s, I became a librarian. Over the years I’ve had several different jobs, but I have stayed in education,” Lee recalls.

The lifelong educator had an impact on all those she came in contact with in the school system, and some of her former students recognize her most from her exotic animal presentations. Lee was an avid collector of animals of all kinds, and would travel to different schools and classrooms and offer presentations to the students. She wanted them to learn about animals they probably would not see in the rolling hills of Northwest Georgia.

She explains,“when I worked at the Rome City Schools Central Office, I had a number of exotic animals. That was years ago, and I actually built a room in my house I call my zoo room. I would take the animals out to the schools and provide presentations; they loved the animals and they seemed to love me. But any time you take crazy animals out in the public, they are going to love you. To this day, I still have people who approach me and remember me as Ms. Lee with the animals. Now, I probably would not be allowed to own all of the animals that I had back then. The thing is, Georgia is very strict about owning exotic animals, one of the most stringent states in the country. But I had sugar gliders; I raised sugar gliders. I had chinchillas, rabbits and hedgehogs. I’m now basically down to some birds and reptiles.”

These are just a few of the types of animals she kept. She can’t have all of the animals that she once did, but she is still a strong supporter of animal rescue and this passion led to some of the biggest projects she accomplished in her terms as City Commissioner.

Lee’s two terms as City Commissioner led to multiple projects that benefitted Rome and the citizens who call it home.

“I always like to see what is going on in Rome with the politics, but I do feel that I was able to do some very exciting things while I served as a commissioner. We had a SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax) in 2013 and on it were two big things: one of them was the animal shelter and the other one was the tennis center. And I like to tell myself and others that I was quite instrumental in getting that SPLOST passed because I am very passionate about animal rescue and I have been a part of ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) for a long time. I had ideas for a dog park years ago, so I’m really glad that they are finally starting that up,” says Lee. Lee’s influence as a commissioner has changed Rome, some would say for the better. She had intended to run for a third term as commissioner, but due to a broken ankle she could not campaign. However, she is still pleased with the work she accomplished as one of the leaders in this community, and she is proud of the place she has called home.

When asked what her favorite thing about Rome is, Lee says that she loves the E.C.O. Center. She loves being on the river and all of the places along the river. She enjoys Broad Street and she is a strong supporter of Rome Little Theatre.

Her love for Rome is evident in the work she has done throughout her life. Even though she is officially retired, she still spends her free time working towards a better Rome.

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Doctor Dawg Veteran Profile Photography Jason Huynh

Text Ashlee Bagnell

IN 1938, HOWARD “DOC” AYERS JOINED THE U.S. NAVY, where he served for three years and four months. Ayers claims that it is hard to believe it was only three years because he felt as if he had been in the Navy forever. This is probably due to the fact that Ayers’ time in the Navy was spent in the midst of World War II. Most who know the name Doc Ayers, know him as a legendary football coach for the University of Georgia. But Ayers graciously allowed us to tell his story about his time on the USS Card during one of the most devastating wars that this world has ever seen.

Ayers and his wife, Glenda share an apartment at the Renaissance Marquis in Rome, Ga. Ayers has a very charming sense of humor and you would never know that the man is only a few years shy of a 100 years old.

Doc is a nickname, of course, but it came from his childhood.

“My daddy was physician here in Georgia, and I was the black sheep in the family. I ended up coaching football rather than being a doctor,” explains Ayers.

But the name Doc stuck anyway and nicknames now run in the family.

Without a mention of their given names, Ayers’ three children have the nicknames Bucky, Bunny and Buzzy. Bucky, Ayers’ only son, is now a golf coach at Auburn University. Bunny has been a flight attendant with Delta for 30 years and Buzzy provides home health care. He was also given nicknames in the Navy but wouldn’t share them with polite company.

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Ayers was stationed on the Aircraft carrier USS Card for the duration of WWII. “We thought we were the finest ship in the Navy. During the war when Germany surrendered, we thought we were going to get to go home and then all of a sudden they were escorting our ship through the Panama Canal into the Pacific. We stayed there for what seemed like forever but I got to come home safely. So I’ve been very fortunate," says Doc. When asked what his job on the ship was, Ayers smiles and says, “I was in charge of giving everyone on the ship calisthenics; I kept them in shape.

They didn’t like that worth a damn.” The mission of the aircraft carrier was, of course, to transport planes. But the vessel would also locate and torpedo German submarines.

Ayers reiterates that he was very fortunate to come home after the war.

When he did, he went to the University of Georgia and played football.

He later returned to Athens in 1964 and spent 24 years coaching the team under Head Coach Vince Dooley. He then returned to Rome and coached at Cedartown High School, where the stadium was later named (Doc) Ayers Memorial Stadium in commemoration to him.

These days, he keeps himself occupied with friends and family. He has earned the life he lives at Renaissance Marquis. When asked what keeps him busy, he responds, “Well I’ve got that recliner in there and I read a lot. I watch a lot of football.”

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315 Riverside Pkwy NE #160, Rome • 706-528-4183 READV3.COM | JANUARY 2020 V3 MAGAZINE

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Mrs. Holcomb's Opus: A Collection & Work of Art

Full-time teacher, onthe-side real estate agent, part-time dancer and lifetime Roman, Mary Holcomb, has spent her entire existence collecting dolls and other things to help fill her home with happiness. Now, she wants to share them with you.

Text: McKenzie Todd | Photos: Jason Huynh

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Mary and Jim Holcomb

In 1981, Mary Holcomb’s husband, Jim,

told her to find a hobby.

“I think I was just listening to my stereo too loud, as music is my hobby, so I told her, ‘Mary, you just need to go and get a hobby!’

Little did Jim know, his seemingly small push would open up their lives (and future homes) to hundreds of thousands of collectible items, all tastefully displayed for years and years to come.

Jim chuckles when acknowledging his oversight but is accepting of the hobby his wife elected.“That very next weekend, there was a doll show at the old Riverbend Mall here in Rome and she came home and said, ‘I’ve got my hobby, I’ve got my dolls!’”

This husband and wife invited V3 to their beautiful home off of Horseleg Creek Rd. to view their collection, and it definitely did not disappoint.

Upon pulling into the driveway, every guest is greeted by the soft sound of classical music before opening the car door to exit.

That welcoming sound beckons visitors up the concrete steps to their front door. The Holcombs have music piped throughout the entirety of the house, but right now, it serves as a magical entrance to a house that is just as enchanting past the doorbell.

Mary welcomes each and every guest with a smile and a big hug before she begins the grand tour. You see, Mary refers to herself as an “organized hoarder,” because she manages a house full of 11,000-plus dolls, over 1,000 collectible Santa Clauses and Christmas trees of

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all shapes and sizes that remain fully dressed, all year long.

But before you ask why, it is important to note that Mary’s house is not one of the homes you find on A&E’s show “Hoarders,” but rather a beautifully curated masterpiece of museumlike sectors that house some of her family’s most prized possessions.

“I’m a collector. I just love collecting. That is one thing about my personality, is that I love to collect many different things,” says Mary as she dials in on giving us a special tour of each individual room in the house.

Beginning in the den, Mary explains the plethora of Santa’s sensibly lined along the floor to ceiling bookshelf; some are riding in cars, some are sitting in sleighs and others take different modes of transportation.

“My family loves Christmas, so when I started collecting these Santa figures, I decided that we were just going to have Christmas every day!” smiles Mary.

And Christmas everyday is just what she has created in what has to be the happiest house on the block.

Alongside the Santa figurines, Mary also has decorated multiple themed Christmas trees in every room of their home. Some of the themes on each Christmas tree are elements from the State of Georgia, like magnolia blooms and peaches, to the 12 Days of Christmas. There is a tree dedicated to world travel, one to the art of ballet, a Victorian tree, three tiny Christmas sweater trees,

a tree filled with wilderness animals, a nutcracker tree and many more.

“Yeah, I have to be very careful when I walk around at night,” snickers Jim, “because if I break something, I’ll hear about it.”

Mary laughs, “It’s so funny, we do a lot of entertaining, so I am always showing people around the house. Where everyone loves it, most people are afraid to relax. They all call it a museum and they are afraid they will break something. But let me tell you the truth… half the stuff in this house has been broken! I mean, my wise men have their heads glued back on!

That’s what glue is made for.”

According to Mary, there is no one thing she owns that is more important than friends and family they often invite in to share their space.

“It’s just stuff,” she repeats as we move along to the next room in the house.

The Holcombs built their picturesque home in 1993, equipped with plenty of space for them to expand upon their chosen hobbies.

“We made the house plans and designed every aspect of this house for our needs. I mean, it’s basically a non-saleable house… who’s going to buy a house with a doll museum and a huge theater in it?” chuckles Mary.

You heard her right.

Alongside the beautiful rooms of displayed Christmas attire, Mary has a special room dedicated to her most favorite collection, her dolls.

“I outgrew that doll museum about the third year we were living in this house,” explains

Mary, “so, there are just dolls positioned all throughout the house that go with the theme that is in their room. Essentially, the entire house is a doll museum, too.”

Now, one may think that 11,000 dolls is too many to keep track of, but Mary has her dolls carefully catalogued, and she knows where each individual doll is located within her home.

“I’ve been collecting dolls pretty much my whole life. When I was little, my family didn’t have a lot of money, so we only got one doll a year at Christmas. Because of this, I cherished every doll I was gifted and saved them all,” recalls Mary.

What started with Barbie morphed into dolls of all kinds, all of which Mary is sure to point out during her tours of the doll museum.

“I grew up with Barbie. She was born when I was five years old, so I have collected them since then,” says Mary. “I now have all of the Barbie’s ever made (until about ten years ago, when I quit collecting them), along with all of her friends.”

Mary’s strong love for dolls prompted her to form a doll club here in Rome in 1981, so she could share her adoration with others. The doll club has been integral in her success of gaining more and more pieces for her collection throughout the years.

“We had about 32 members in the doll club back in 1981… we have seven now. No one has dropped out, they’ve all simply passed away,” says Mary. “As doll collectors are dying, their kids are not wanting their collections. That is why I go to doll shows, because that is where I

find these dolls that the collectors once owned.”

Mary currently attends four or five doll shows a year, which includes traveling to Huntsville, Ala., Marietta and Fort Oglethorpe.

This is how she has gained some of her favorite dolls, including one particular doll she had been searching out for years.

“In 1981, Mattel made two porcelain ballerina dolls and issued them for $300 each.

Now, I like the hunt and I want a good deal, so I waited before buying them,” explains Mary.

“Around 19 years ago, I found one of them at a doll show. This guy had her and said she was his mothers, so I snagged her there. I looked for the second doll for a very long time. And, don’t get me wrong, I could go on the internet and get this doll for $350, but that is not how I wanted to find her. If I am meant to have this doll, I will find her one day."

Mary continues, “So, one day while visiting a doll show in Marietta, I was digging through a stack of porcelain dolls and just so happened to see a little pink tutu sticking out from the bottom of the pile. I thought for sure she was broken, but when I finally freed her from the stack, she was perfect! I almost had a heart attack; I couldn’t believe I had finally found her!

When I asked the lady how much she wanted for the doll, she told me ten dollars. I was really about to have a heart attack then, and I guess she figured I thought the price was too much, so she sold her to me for eight dollars.”

It is moments like this that make collecting so worth it for Mary, and her hope is to one day

be able to share her collection with the world, or at least the people here in Rome who she loves so much.

Mary has called Rome her home since she was six weeks old.

After graduating from Coosa High School, Mary’s love of her hometown urged her to stay and complete her undergraduate degree at Berry College. She furthered her education by gaining her master’s degree at the University of West Georgia, securing her Specialist’s degree at Jacksonville State University and did other additional work at Georgia State University.

“I started teaching when I was 20 years old at East Rome High School, and I taught there until they closed East Rome,” she explains. “I then transferred over to Rome High School where I taught until 2018.”

Mary currently teaches advanced math at Unity Christian School, totaling to a whopping 46 years of dedicating her life to the children of Rome. But even after 46 years, she is still loving every minute of it. “People always ask me when I’m going to finally retire and I always tell them that as long as my brain is working, I can physically do all of the things needed and the Lord lets me, I will continue to teach.”

Aside from being a teacher, Mary is also a very successful real estate agent and has been for 32 years.

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basketball games. She has been in music videos, on television and more.

“We dance at the Hawks games regularly, we dance at the Braves games, we have danced at Atlanta United games, in New York, in Las Vegas and more. We’ve been in a bunch of music videos and we have filmed for TV before,” smiles Mary. “I love to dance! I have danced for forever; I have danced on the stage at the City Auditorium for 63 years, as well as performing in all of the Junior Service League Follies shows since 1981.”

In true Mary Holcomb style, she hopes to eventually add “museum curator” to her resume as well. “It is my dream and my desire for us to have a fabulous museum in Rome, Georgia,” says Mary.

“I mean, I would donate my entire house to it, all of my Santa’s, all of my nativity scenes, all of my dolls… everything. And I’m not talking about a

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little bitty building on Broad Street; I want a museum on the level of the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.” Mary was given the idea for a museum from Henry DuPont in Delaware. “He’s got a museum of fine collections. My thought is, if he can do it, we can do it,” she says.

“I have already drawn up the plans for the museum I envision.

I want someone who has the finances to build this museum that I have been dreaming of for 40 years, literally. And it is not just for me.

There are people all over who would donate their collections, visit the museum and enjoy the collections of generations past.

“There are so many people who have collections of all types, and I feel like Rome would prosper with a museum of this caliber.

Cartersville has two great museums; Cedartown has a great civic center… Rome needs a fabulous museum to house its many collections, historical artifacts and fabulous artwork from our local artists!”

This woman-on-the-go seems to always get what she wants, and she has given so much of herself to better the lives of others. Betting against her one day opening the doors to a museum that would display Rome's treasures would be a bad idea and heaven knows she deserves a place to see her collection forever serve its purpose: to make the world smile.

Most who know Mary can tell you that she often talks about the great loves in her life. She loves God, she loves her family, she loves her students, she loves to dance, and she loves anyone who can comprehend calculus.

And to know her is to know you will always have a friend, one whose life is like Christmas all year long.

The Dish

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MEDITERRANEAN

bistro

www.getjamwiched.com

www.lascalaromega.com 413 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161

706-238-9000

Hours: Mon - Sat: 6pm - 10pm 400 Block Bar & Lounge: 4pm-1:30am Live music each weekend.

La Scala offers both first-rate service and terrific Italian Cuisine in an upscale casual atmosphere.

50% off cafe menu from 4-6 p.m.

www.schroedersnewdeli.com 406 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161

706-234-4613

Hours: Mon-Thur: 11am-9pm Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm Sun: 11:30am-3pm

Schroeder’s menu includes sandwiches, calzones, soups, salads, potato skins, nachos, wings, and more. And don’t forget our pizza! It’s the best in town... and for a sweet treat, try our Cheesecake Calzone! (Draft and Bottled Beers & Wine also offered) Famous for: Their Roast Beef Relief!

www.hardees.com

1204 Turner McCall Blvd • Rome, GA 30161 2300 Shorter Ave • Rome, GA 30165 3110 Cedartown Hwy • Rome, GA 30161 104 S Tennessee St • Cartersville, GA 30120

We’re known as the place to go for juicy, delicious charbroiled burgers & made from scratch biscuits. Because if you’re gonna eat, you should Eat Like You Mean It!

www.fuddruckers.com/rome 706-233-9960

Hours: Monday: 11am-3pm Tues-Sat: 8am-3pm

706-314-9544

Jamwich - Serving distinctive sandwiches, salads, and soups. Sandwiches built with the finest ingredients: Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, Zelma’s Blue Ribbon Jams and Jellies, fresh sourdough bread, premium Boars Head thick cut bacon and farm-to-table produce.

www.moesoriginalbbq.com/rome 101 West 1st Street Rome, GA 30161

706-622-2977

Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm Fri- Sat: 11am - 2am

Moe’s Original BBQ is a Southern soul food revival where great food is served in an atmosphere that is relaxed, spontaneous, yet civilized….well, sometimes.

www.swheatmarketdeli.com Hours: Mon-Sat: 5am-10pm Sun: 6am-10pm

706.291.2021

595 Riverside Parkway Rome, GA 30161

510 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161

5 E Main St Cartersville, GA 30120

770-607-0067

Hours: Mon and Tue 11-4 Wed and Thur 11-4 Fri and Sat 11-8 Sun 11-3

Casual counter serve offering sandwiches, salads & American comfort food

www.maineonmain.com Hours: Sun -Thu: 11am-9pm Fri - Sat: 11am-10pm

Fuddruckers catering can help you feed just about any size group, anytime, anywhere. Our menu will please the most discerning tastes and meet the high standards you require. We know how to make your event spectacular with the WORLD’S GREATEST CATERING.

24 W Main St Cartersville, GA 30120

770-334-3813

Hours: Mon - Thurs: 11am - 9pm Fri - Sat: 11am - 10pm Sun: 11am - 8pm

At Maine Street Coastal Cuisine, in the heart of historic downtown Cartersville, we pride ourselves on sourcing seafood from sustainable fisheries. Our passion is to provide a restaurant free of artificial flavors and ingredients.

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

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SENIOR LIFESTYLE

HOT WHEELS Free Ridin' Photography Jason Huynh

Text DeMarcus Daniel

WILLIAM ANDERSON GOT THE NICKNAME ‘PREACHER’ at a very young age.

“My Aunt saw me playing with a Bible and I dropped it and picked it up in a hurry. She said then, ‘he’s gonna be a preacher one day,’ and that nickname has stuck with me ever since.”

Anderson has been riding motorcycles since he was 14 years old.

“One day, I was outside playing, and I heard some thunder. I asked my mama what that was as a man and a woman on a motorcycle rode by. My mama said that thunder was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I said, ‘I’m going to get me one of those no matter what it takes.’ I started with a few smaller bikes, but I knew one day I’d have a Harley,” says Anderson.

“I used to go to a motorcycle store every day and look at the HarleyDavidsons,” continues Anderson. “The guy in the store used to ask me about coming every day, about really wanting the bike. He would make sly little jokes about it, but I was determined that I would get one.

“I worked and worked and had saved up some money. One day, I went in the motorcycle store with a pocket full of money and I bought a brandnew Harley-Davidson motorcycle,” Anderson proudly boasts.

Preacher has ridden with thousands of bikers on thousands of highways. He has been on rides as far north as South Dakota and Wyoming, he has been all over Florida, and he has ridden to multiple places in the Southeast.

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1995

HARLEY DAVIDSON

“I’ve been around. I’ve seen a lot of places. I’ve been to some good places and I’ve been to some bad places,” he states. “I just love riding motorcycles.”

Anderson’s current motorcycle is a black 1995 Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage with an Evolution Motor. He has owned this motorcycle for 19 years.

“I told myself I wasn’t buying any other bikes; I was just going to ride the one I had,” Preacher smiles.

While he doesn’t ride like he used to, he still gets out about twice a month and rides 75 miles or more. He also rides in fundraising events when asked.

Preacher has a few words of advice for anyone who wants to get into motorcycle riding.

“Everybody is not a bike rider. Everyone wants to ride because it looks cool and the rider looks good. But it’s really not for everybody. People get hurt (or killed) trying to show out on motorcycles. Showing out and drinking alcohol are the two biggest troubles out there on motorcycles,” he explains.

But Anderson also lets us know it is not all bad either.

“The freedom on the open road on a perfect day is exhilarating. It is meditative. It’s like you can’t be stopped,” he says, “and what I mean by freedom is that everything is perfect. All of your problems go away when you’re on a motorcycle. It makes you think better, not worse.”

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Event Calendar MONDAYS Pool Room Open • 9am - 5pm At Parker Center

Sittercise • 9 - 10am

At Parker Center, Activity room

Silver Sneakers • 9 - 10am

At Parker Center, Banquet room

Dulcimer Lessons • 10 - 11am

Cyber Seniors • 4 - 5pm

At Parker Center, Activity room

Line Dancing Lessons • 6 - 8pm

At Parker Center, Banquet room *$2 per class

WEDNESDAYS Sittercise • 9 - 10am

At Parker Center, Activity room

At Parker Center, Activity room

GA Mountain Music • 10am - 12pm

Gospel Singing • 10:30am - 12:30pm At Parker Center, Banquet room

Senior Activities • 11am - 1pm

Senior Activities • 10am - 2pm

At Gilbreath Center (games, bingo and more)

Pickleball • 10am - 2pm

At Gilbreath Center *$1 to play

At Parker Center, Banquet room

At Fielder Center (exercise, bingo, pot luck lunch)

Bingo • 1 - 2pm

At Parker Center, Banquet room

Line Dancing • 2:30 - 4:30pm

Duplicate Bridge Club • 12:30 - 4pm

At Parker Center, Banquet room

Line Dancing Practice • 2 - 4pm

THURSDAYS

At Parker Center, Activity room

At Parker Center, Banquet room

Line Dancing Lessons • 6 - 8pm

Duplicate Bridge Club • 12:45 - 4pm At Parker Center, Activity room

At Thornton Center *$2 per class

Social Dance Lessons • 6 - 9pm

FRIDAYS

At Parker Center, Banquet room *$5 per class

Sittercise • 9 - 10am

TUESDAYS

Pickleball + Cards • 9:30am - 12pm

Sittercise • 9 - 10am

At Parker Center, Activity room

Silver Sneakers • 9:15 - 10:15am

At Parker Center, Activity room At Gilbreath Center *$1 to play

Line Dancing • 10am - 12pm

At Parker Center, Banquet room *$2 per class

At Parker Center *$2 per class nonmembers, Banquet room

Line Dancing • 1 - 3pm

Line Dancing Lessons • 2 - 4pm

Bridge Club • 1 - 4pm

At Parker Center

At Parker Center, Banquet room *$2 per class At Parker Center

Provided by the RFPRA, this event calendar is consistent month to month.

Visit rfpra.com/active-adults or call 706-234-0383 for more information.

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SUDDENLY SICKLY? Accidents and illnesses don’t wait, and neither should you.

Harbin Clinic Immediate Care provides prompt treatment for minor illnesses and injuries — without an appointment. Or cut down on your wait time by calling or logging in to your Patient Portal to make an appointment up to 48 hours in advance.

HOURS ROME 7:30 AM – 8:00 PM, 7 days a week CARTERSVILLE 7:30 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturdays & Sundays

HARBIN CLINIC IMMEDIATE CARE 72

150 Gentilly Blvd Cartersville, GA 30120 470.490.7140

1825 Martha Berry Blvd Rome, GA 30165 762.235.1470

harbinclinic.com/immediatecare

V3 MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020 | READV3.COM