V3 September 2021

NWGA'S PREMIER FEATURE MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021

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Chances are, the birth of your baby will be a happy, healthy experience. Still, peace of mind is priceless, and it’s good to know that Floyd stands ready 24/7 with the advanced care necessary should your baby need intensive care following birth. As the area’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, our expert team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists provides high tech care with a compassionate touch for the tiniest newborns.

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SEPTEMBER2021 COLUMNS 10

Tammy Barron explores the difference between living a life of success or one of significance.

FEATURES 14

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Hardy Home’s latest installment is one of Rome’s Mid-Century Modern treasures that has been lovingly renovated in a manner that respects the home’s architectural integrity.

V3 MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

FEATURES 20

Harbin Clinic celebrates a tradition of excellence in healthcare that finds its roots in a country doctor’s desire to serve his fellow man.

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Eddie Bruce, owner of Cartersville’s RocknShop, offers fans of classic rock a way to enjoy their favorite music in the manner they like best: on vinyl records!

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Stonebridge Golf Club’s newest attraction allows players of all skill levels to experience golf in a new way with the Launchbox.

GRAND COLUMNS 42

Have you ever had a nearby house go up for sale and felt that creeping uneasiness that the replacement neighbors might be bad? Nina Lovel has: two houses at a time, two times.

FEATURES 48

The residents of Renaissance Marquis enjoy fully updated and renovated apartments that make a wonderful place to live feel even more like home.

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Publisher's Note After a year that dragged on for what seemed like forever, 2021 sure is roaring by. The fact that it’s already September and the promise of cooler weather and the holiday season is just around the corner is hard to wrap my head around. School has been back in O W N E R & C E O Ian Griffin session for over a month and football season is well underway. Those things never seem to sneak up on me, but this year they did.

Somehow my youngest is already in kindergarten, my oldest son is a freshman in high school and my daughter is on the verge of graduating from college. While there is a ton of uncertainty and debate in the air, it has been nice to see them return to something of a more normal school environment, illusion or not.

My youngest son started Pre-K last year, so my promise of awesome playgrounds, field trips and all the things I loved about school fell flat as he sat in the same room with a mask on all day. I never thought in a million years kids that young would be able to abide by all the rules and restrictions the pandemic required for kids to go to school, but he and his classmates all handled it well.

His Pre-K teachers did everything they could to keep the kids engaged and make it fun for them, but there is already an excitement I’ve never seen from him this year that brings me a lot of joy. It’s hard to make friends when social distancing and this column isn’t an argument for a careless return to normalcy, I am just happy to hear my child talk about the friends he is making this year and how much fun he is having on the playground or in the library. Those things simply didn’t exist for him last year. It may not last long the way things are going, and he is too young for a vaccine, but I’m torn because it is so refreshing to see him enjoying school.

My oldest son is now a member of the Sound of the Seven Hills. That’s the Rome High School Marching Band, for those not in the know. It’s another extracurricular activity that is enjoying a return to a regular practice and performance schedule. He is getting an extra dose of hard work after slogging through virtual learning and restricted in-person classes and while I get a few more complaints out of my 14-year-old than my youngest, he seems to be enjoying his experience so far this year as well.

My daughter had her college experience completely interrupted in 2020, ending up back in Rome for much longer than I’m sure she wanted to be here, but is now back in class and working in Charleston, South Carolina. Visiting her and seeing her thrive in that environment makes me smile just thinking about it. And I’m happy to be doing all the things I loved to do before the pandemic as well.

It stinks to think that could change in any way, but if there is one thing we learned from the year prior, it’s to enjoy the moment. So even if it’s an illusion, I’m allowing myself to do so.

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OWNER & CEO Ian Griffin MANAGING PARTNER Chris Forino CREATIVE DIRECTOR Elizabeth Childers WRITERS Jim Alred, Tammy Barron, DeMarcus Daniel, Ian Griffin, Nina Lovel, Paul Moses PHOTOGRAPHERS Andy Calvert AD DESIGN Elizabeth Childers PUBLISHER V3 Publications, LLC CONTACT 417 Broad Street Rome Ga, 30161 Office Phone 706.235.0748 hello@v3collective.com CREATOR Neal Howard

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The weather was perfect for a backyard party.

WE GATHERED WITH FRIENDS over good food and wine, which is always the case since our host is a very skilled chef and never fails to impress us all. They had family in from Argentina, and my parents were visiting from Utah: the gathering had a cheerful note that seemed to evaporate all the years we’d spent apart—respectively. Everyone embraced each other; laughing and telling stories.

The faces gathered around the table were from Argentina, Chicago, Georgia, Utah, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala; the stories told in perfect Spanglish, and the joy explained simply in a subtle acknowledgment that “you are amongst your people.” It was on this afternoon that I learned of the true nature of my friend, Mateo. He told us the story of his journey to the United States, and it rocked me to the core. I have thought of his story many times over and wonder if we all have the potential to rise to the call when we are needed. Are some men and women made of thicker mettle than the rest?

In 1994, Mateo was just 17 when he decided to leave Playitas, Guatemala. This was his chance to escape fate. Days spent split between school and working in the fields, life in his rural village offered very little in the way change and progress, and Mateo feared he would be stuck unchanging for all his 10

V3 MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

life. The trip to America would be exciting and the adventure all his. Stories of his father and brothers’ crossings whispered muted cautionary tales to his seventeen-year-old ears, all he could think was “This is my only chance.”

He packed only what he could carry in a backpack: five sets of clothes and good pair of hiking shoes.

Wearing his lucky baseball cap, he kissed his mother goodbye and left on foot. Mateo walked for five hours to get to the nearest city, where he boarded a bus to the Mexican border. Mateo had a tourist visa which allowed passage as far as Mexico City.

In addition to his backpack, hidden within four secret pockets sewn into the waistline and cuffs of his pants, he carried a divided $3,000 U.S. dollars.

His life savings, an investment for a chance to live a life of his choosing.

In 1994, a smuggled trip to the U.S. cost $6,000.00 U.S. These days it is nearly double that amount.

The expectation of payment: half is paid-up-front to “The Guides” and the remaining half paid-in-full when one reached their American destination has remained the norm for decades. “After Mexico City, everything changed. I was nervous; because my visa expired and here-on I knew I was breaking the law.

Now I was at the mercy of the ‘Federales,” recalls Mateo. The federales, a slang term for the Mexican federal police have been known for corruption and routine shake downs of migrants. Mateo would

become well acquainted with these “checkpoints” in which everyone was filed off the bus and required to pay cash or face immediate imprisonment and deportation.

In Senora, Mexico, Mateo and a handful of other people waited for five days in a holding house.

More migrants would arrive each day to rest in the dilapidated home. It was filthy. Dirt and cement floors were strewn with sleeping bodies. There was no power, and no food. There was a feeling of restlessness as everyone anticipated the arrival of the “Coyote,” the guide paid to safely usher them safely through the desert and across the American border.

The crossing is dangerous; dozens lose their lives every year. Hungry bellies and the looming threats of the desert landscape and immigration lookouts had everyone on edge.

Each migrant was examined closely when the coyote arrived. Shoes and gear checked for appropriateness—replacements given if necessary.

Everyone was supplied with one gallon jug of water, eight cans of Vienna sausages, and a sleeve of crackers.

These were their only provisions for the journey to America. Three days and three nights they walked: braving the cold nights and suffering hot days at a brisk pace. Thirty people, young and old, followed the coyote moving quickly and quietly to avoid detection from patrolling immigration agents.

The Moments that Make Us opened doors

By Tammy Barron

It was the third night, and the group was out of food. Those without water carried their empty water jugs tied to their packs. The coyote was pushing the group forward at a faster pace to get them through the last four hours of night to the truck that waited for them on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. The coyote pressed harder, but an old man who was traveling with two teenage daughters could go no further.

The old man, who the group knew only as Carlos, had been the mayor of a small town about three hours from Mateo’s village. Carlos decided to emigrate to America after the death of his wife, but there in the cold desert night his fate and the fate of his daughters hung in the balance. The coyote would wait for no one. The risk was too great for the whole group. He demanded the old man be left behind; his daughters horror struck at the prospect of being abandoned in the wilderness. Mateo refused.

“I looked at this man, I thought ‘It could be me.’” He would not leave the man behind. Hoisting Carlos over his back, Mateo carried the old man for four hours across the Arizona desert.

Straining with the extra weight, Mateo and the two girls were last to arrive to the truck. Carlos and his daughters shimmied into the front seat while the rest of the immigrants lay exhausted in the bed of the wood slatted pickup truck. Twenty-nine were packed in tight. The driver turned to Mateo and mournfully explained there was no room for him. The old man

and his daughters grew hysterical demanding Mateo be given a spot, “You can’t leave him!” They cried and pulled their hair. With passengers refusing to ride without Mateo, the Coyote risked losing a large sum of money. People were shifted and layered on top of one another, and with another attempt Mateo fit snugly in the truck. Apart from his neighbors’ body odor, all he could think about was being reunited with his father and siblings after six long years apart.

Last month, I was watching a video of a powerful speech by Tim Tebow, a professional American athlete, author, and motivational speaker, in which he talked about famed photojournalist Kevin Carter and his iconic photograph The Vulture and the Little Girl. The picture was first published in 1993, giving the world a brutal image of the horrific living conditions of Southern Sudan, and African country devastated by civil war, floods, drought, and famine. The photograph is heartbreakingly powerful. An emaciated child collapsed on her way to a nearby feeding center is stalked by a nearby waiting vulture. The image is haunting and was published by newspapers world-wide. A barrage of questions ensued; pointed at Carter regarding the child’s fate and extended to the photographer’s ethics. Questions turned to accusations. “The man adjusting his lens to take the right frame of her suffering might as well be a predator, another vulture in the scene.” (Florida Times.1993). In 1994, Carter

won the Pulitzer Prize for his photograph and three months later committed suicide.

In Tebow’s speech he calls for the differentiation of a life that is successful versus a life that is significant.

He clarifies a successful life is full of personal achievement, accomplishments that speak of yourself, whereas a significant life pulls the focus toward your relationship with and service of others. Carter had achieved one of the greatest honors for his work as a photojournalist; however, this success paled in comparison to the knowledge that his life was without significance. The now famous photograph will forever memorialize his inaction, his lack of agency to help and protect the suffering child.

A few months later—on the other side of the world—on that cold Arizona night when Mateo tied Carlos’ fate to his own, he chose a life of significance.

Who knows if chance would have left him in the desert, the taillights of the truck vanishing into the darkness just as Mateo’s hope for a bright future dimmed? They made it. They all made it together.

May we all consider in what ways we can choose a life of significance, a life dedicated to others in love, understanding, and service.

*The views expressed in this column are those of the writer, and do not represent the opinions of V3 Magazine READV3.COM | SEPTEMBER 2021 V3 MAGAZINE

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Maintaining that Mid-Century Modern Mystique Sixty-five years after its construction, this stylish home has lost none of its timeless charm, thanks to one couple’s determination to protect its original design during a cosmetic renovation. photos KELLY MOORE text PAUL MOSES

W

hen it was built in 1956, this Shorter Heights home was considered a minor scandal in the neighborhood. It was frowned on as an eccentric intrusion into the staid, traditional architecture of the surrounding homes. Now, however, more than six decades later, it is a head-turner, a popular stand-out on its street.

As a classic example of Mid-century modern design, the home was sure to move quickly when its previous owners decided to sell last year. Fortunately for Chris and her husband (last name withheld for privacy), they had the opportunity to snatch the property up before it hit the market. After purchase, they set out on an ambitious cosmetic renovation. The result is a home that shows respect for the graceful elegance of its original architecture. “This house had great bones,” Chris says, “so all we really did was give it a facelift.”

Making the most of curb appeal

“It took my breath away the first time we drove up to the house,” Chris says. “The previous owners did such a beautiful job with the landscaping.” The one-anda-half-acre wooded lot backs up to Horseleg Creek, making it a very desirable location in Rome, Georgia.

16 | HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE

One of the fine points of this home is its front façade. Wide two-story windows showcase custom made entrance doors that feature a stunning sunburst design. This sleek bespoke look alerts visitors to the fact that this place is something special, and it pays homage to the home’s 1950s styling.

These doors are the handiwork of craftsman Aaron Saxton of West Virginia’s History Never Repeats LLC. “My husband found the company and we loved their work, so

we ordered the doors from them,” Chris says. “Mr. Saxton drove all the way to Rome and installed them himself.” History Never Repeats prides itself on creating entrance doors that raise visitors’ expectations for what they will find inside the home. As the company’s website says: “A custom door should be a work of art, unique in itself and precisely made for a setting. And it should last.”

HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE | 17

Beyond the starburst doors

Entering the 4,500-square-foot home, visitors are met with another classic characteristic that defines MCM architecture: an impressive open staircase with gleaming polished wood railings. Though the stairs look brand new, Chris points out they were original to the house and went untouched during the recent renovations. She jokes, “When I first saw it, the staircase reminded me of the Brady Bunch.”

Just inside the home’s entryway hangs a sculptural light fixture that mimics the starburst pattern on the entry doors. This makes a spectacular display at night when it shines out above the doors through the soaring wall of windows.

Speaking of large windows, they are a repeated feature throughout the home, constantly drawing the eye to the outdoors. Chris says, “Everywhere you go you’re looking outside.”

18 | HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE

Room by room

In the kitchen, the couple gave the cabinets a new coat of paint and replaced the hardware, with updated countertops and backsplash.

The existing pine floor was still in good shape, much to their delight.

The five bedrooms got fresh coats of paint and a general sprucingup. Each of the four bathrooms received fresh tilework, updated light fixtures, and new vanities. Chris also took the opportunity to use her love of wallpaper to add character to each space. “We’ve never had a house with so many bathrooms,” she says, “so I thought I would have fun with wallpaper.” The patterns she chose are creative designs, some bold, others subtle, that tie everything else in the bathrooms together. The master bath’s design makes for a standout space in this home, with its calming spa-like feel.

The large living room is enough to make guests never want to leave. The carpet was replaced with porcelain tile, giving the room a clean, cheerful look. The large windows flood the room with light, and the beamed ceiling gives the space a substantial feel.

In an unusual move, the previous owners took the living room’s fireplace mantle with them when they vacated the property, as the item had a great deal of sentimental value to them. The new owners were agreeable to this, but it did leave them with a dilemma. They found a solution in a friend who crafted a new mantle for them, made from a 100-year-old repurposed beam of ambrosia maple.

HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE | 19

THe snowball effect

When Chris and her husband first bought their home, they had no intention of doing a stemto-stern aesthetic overhaul. Originally, they just wanted to replace the carpet and update some of the hard surfaces. “We started with the floors, and then it just snowballed,” Chris says. New floors made other aspects look a bit worn, so they kept going, painting, hanging wallpaper, on and on. They loved the design style of their home, the layout and flow of the rooms, so there was no need to adjust the home’s footprint. “Everything we did was cosmetic,” Chris says, “nothing structural.” She adds, “We wanted to honor the original style but freshen it up, modernize it.” Murphy Construction began the renovations in November of 2020 and completed the project in July of this year.

The couple and their two dogs (a big dog and a little dog; the little dog is the boss) moved in right in the middle of the process, in February.

It was a challenge, but one they enjoyed.

Across the country, many MCM homes have fallen victim to the wrecking ball or to the disfiguring consequences of ill-conceived, botched renovations. In these days of the knockit-down-and-build-something-new attitude, it’s refreshing to see a couple who has the integrity and foresight to do all they can to preserve such an architectural gem for future generations to enjoy.

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V3 MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

HARBIN CLINIC Values Withstanding the Test of Time

Text: Paul Moses Photos: Cameron Flaisch & Provided by Harbin Clinic

For 150 years of caring for Northwest Georgia, Harbin Clinic finds its strength in its physician-led organizational structure and the continuing pursuit of excellence in patient-first healthcare.

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FROM PRISONER OF WAR TO COUNTRY DOCTOR

Wylie Reeder Harbin received his medical degree in 1858 from the Medical College of South Carolina. After serving in the Civil War, Wylie Harbin made the long trek back to his home in South Carolina on foot, nearly 350 miles.

Like many Americans during the postwar years, Wylie Harbin had to create a new life for himself. In 1871 he and his Wylie Harbin wife, Mary, moved their three children (Thomas, Robert, and Nina) to rural Northwest Georgia. Dr. Wylie Harbin hung up his shingle in Gordon County, near Calhoun, and began seeing patients. There, he and Mary had another son, William, and settled into the busy life of a country doctor. The establishment of this medical practice 150 years ago marks the beginning of a longstanding commitment to patient care under the Harbin name in the region.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY THAT IS A TIME-TESTED COMBINATION, a synergistic relationship that benefits

both patients and the institutions that meet those patients’ medical needs.

Harbin Clinic’s vision is “to become the preeminent medical provider in the region and to extend our role as a respected leader in the community.” That would certainly not be an attainable goal for some startup operation, but Harbin Clinic is no such fly-by-night organization. It is the continuation of a hard-won legacy and a long tradition of quality healthcare that has deep roots in Northwest Georgia, roots that stretch all the way back to the aftermath of the Civil War.

1871

1925

Dr. Wylie Reeder Harbin established the first Harbin practice in Gordon County.

1911 Harbin brothers established the first nursing school in the area.

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Over time, Harbin Clinic evolved to meet the needs of the community in Northwest Georgia and surrounding areas. Fast forward to today, where Dr. Robert Harbin Dr. William Harbin Harbin Clinic serves as the largest privately-owned, physician-led multispecialty healthcare organization in Georgia with more than 250 providers, 21 locations, 40+ specialties and growing.

Before there was a Harbin Clinic, there was Harbin Hospital. Harbin Hospital was established in 1908 by two of Wylie Harbin’s sons, Dr. Robert

Harbin doctors were one of the first doctor groups to recommend physical therapy for patients recovering from orthopedic surgery.

1925 Harbin Hospital had the first x-ray machine and was one of the first hospitals in the country to offer radiation treatment for cancer patients.

Maxwell Harbin and Dr. William Pickens Harbin. This hospital was a modest two-story brick building at 110 Third Avenue in Rome, across the street from First Presbyterian Church. The original hospital consisted of only twelve beds. “Those were horse and buggy days,” says ophthalmologist Dr. Bob Harbin, a fourth-generation doctor currently seeing patients at the Harbin Clinic Eye Center. “From the very beginning, the guiding principle of all Harbin practices Harbin Hospital, 1920 was focused on providing quality healthcare to meet the needs of our patients. My father used to tell me that his dad and uncle built that hospital because they recognized the need for a safe and professional environment to receive care. They were tired of operating on kitchen tables.”

The region’s medical needs soon demanded more space, so in 1917 a new four-story hospital was built next door to the original building, which was then converted into housing for nurses. This new hospital had more than triple the old one’s capacity, providing forty beds, and was built to modern fire-prevention standards. Still, demand grew quickly, so the hospital was renovated, raising it to a seven-story building in 1920.

After World War II, the United States government began issuing grants to assist county hospitals caring for veterans, and this funding allowed the local Floyd County hospital to expand. In 1948, the decision was made to convert the Harbin Hospital into an outpatient facility. The 40-year-old building was extensively renovated to accommodate the new operations, which provided a unit of doctors and all medical facilities under one roof.

The Harbin Clinic was born.

Harbin Clinic established a unique organizational model, which allowed for the business of medicine to be managed by a centralized administrative team. Physicians and their teams had the freedom to focus solely on their patients’ needs without having to deal with the daily logistics of running a business. They could be doctors, not administrators and accountants, and they could prioritize their efforts on caring for patients. To this day, Harbin Clinic continues to operate as a privately-owned, physician-led and professionally managed healthcare organization.

ELBOW ROOM NEEDED

The clinic’s unique physician-run structure began drawing interest from other medical institutions as Harbin Clinic’s reputation for excellent healthcare spread. One North Carolina medical consultant, Horace Cotton, after studying Harbin Clinic’s business practices, declared it a “strange animal” (but it was an animal that impressed him, and he subsequently used the clinic as an example to his other clients). The clinic started to face challenges associated with its own growth and success; by the early 1960s, it began to feel hemmed-in. Parking in the center of Rome was an increasing headache, and the building’s single elevator needed replacing. Emotional sentiment for the beautiful old building aside, Harbin Clinic needed elbow room.

Harbin Clinic Founders

1948 After WWII, Harbin began specializing their medical care.

The hospital converted to an outpatient facility, and the Harbin Clinic was born.

Late 1920s Dr. Will Harbin was the first doctor to advance childbirth practices and performed the first c-section in Floyd County. Harbin Hospital performed the first blood matching & blood transfusion in Floyd County.

1970s & 80s Harbin began to build what would become NWGA’s most comprehensive cardiovascular program.

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Harbin Hospital School of Nursing, 1918 Harbin Clinic 1825 Building, 1969

Harbin Clinic purchased a plot of land from Berry School for $150,000 at the corner of Martha Berry Highway and Redmond Road, now the location of the clinic’s flagship campus at 1825 Martha Berry Boulevard. After the purchase of additional tracts of land bordering this site, the clinic’s new property consisted of approximately eight acres. That sounded like a lot of land then, but it would eventually prove inadequate for future expansion.

The architectural firm of Toombs, Amisano, and Wells of Atlanta was hired to design the new building, and the J.P. Roberts & Sons Construction

Company of Rome was given the contract to build it. In July 1969, the building was completed, and Harbin Clinic moved in.

At the time of the move, the new facility was owned equally by fifteen shareholders, all doctors, only four of whom shared the last name Harbin.

That is an important point, in that a persistent misunderstanding exists in Northwest Georgia that the Harbin family “owns” Harbin Clinic. However, that is only partially true, and it misses the bigger picture. The clinic’s ownership structure includes a physician partnership track that allows each physician owner to hold one equal share. Today, more than 130 physician partners equally own the organization, with more than 1,350 healthcare professionals and support staff working together to fulfill the clinic’s mission.

The enduring success of Harbin Clinic is the result of the vision, dedication, and hard work of a wide range of medical professionals.

CARRYING ON A FAMILY TRADITION

Since his residency, Dr. Bob Harbin has worked for Harbin Clinic for his whole career. “When I started, I was the youngest doctor here,” he says with a wry smile, “and now I’m the second oldest.” When asked why he’s still working at the age of 72, he answers, “I just enjoy what I do. I have great

Dr. Bob Harbin

1994

1973

Harbin opened a building dedicated completely to heart care: The Harbin Clinic Heart Center Rome.

Harbin established the first heart program in Northwest Georgia.

1986 Harbin doctors performed the region’s first open-heart surgery and first balloon angioplasty.

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Dr. Sara Harbin Pickett (left)

partners I really love working with, and I’m glad I still have good enough health to be a contributing member of society.”

After having performed more than 26,000 cataract operations, Dr. Bob Harbin knows what it means for a doctor to gain the trust and gratitude of his patients, but he credits the current management for the continued success of the clinic. “We’ve been blessed with good leadership,” he says. “Our current President of the Board of Directors, Dr. Ken Davis, has business skills you don’t commonly find in a doctor. In my opinion, his vision and leadership are essential reasons why Harbin Clinic has been able to grow into what it is today.”

A fifth-generation Harbin physician, Dr. Sara Harbin Pickett serves in pediatrics in Adairsville. She is passionate about the benefits of Harbin Clinic being physician-led. “We want to create an environment where physicians feel heard and respected,” she explains. “Our daily encounters with patients allow us to understand the needs of our local communities. We keep patient care at the forefront and make decisions in their best interest.”

Reviewing his forty-plus years as a Harbin Clinic urologist, Dr. Peter Gilbert, now retired, lauds the history of the clinic as something that should be cherished by the community. “It’s a remarkable story of dedication, honest values, excellence, and quality of practice,” he says. “Harbin has always been committed to bringing expert doctors to the region so that our neighbors can stay close to home and receive quality care.” Dr. Gilbert’s mother was Mary Harbin, who married Dr. Warren Gilbert, one of Harbin’s original founders. He stresses that the clinic’s strength comes from the quality of its training. “The original Harbin doctors trained with some of the best medical professionals in the country,” he says. “Harbin Clinic continues to hire doctors from highly respected institutions such as Emory, Vanderbilt, and the University of Michigan, which continues to increase the level of care throughout the region.”

Dr. Frank Harbin, the clinic’s first clinical psychologist, points out that growing up as a Harbin in Rome had its own set of challenges. When asked

about career expectations while growing up, he says, “In our family, there was never any direct pressure to become a doctor, but it was always in the air.” Dr. Frank Harbin chose to pursue a career in psychology, and he played an instrumental role in introducing mental health to Harbin’s list of specialties. “Mental health is critical to complete care,” he explains. “So many present-day illnesses and diseases are Dr. Frank Harbin related to anxiety, depression or some other mental illness. I work alongside our primary care physicians and their patients to ensure we approach their care from all angles.” When asked about the clinic’s legacy, Dr. Frank Harbin got serious about the clinic’s standing in the community. “Our reputation has sustained itself,” he says. “Fortunately, we’ve kept quality healthcare going for a long time. Staying connected to your community is a powerful thing, and I believe people associate Harbin Clinic with quality care.”

FORGING A PATH TO THE FUTURE

It’s been a long road from the humble days of Wylie Reeder Harbin’s country doctor’s office to the thriving institution Harbin Clinic has become today.

Medical knowledge, advanced treatments and innovative technology have exploded in the ensuing years, but certain steadfast, time-tested principles remain in place. Harbin Clinic’s goals are significant ones, and they continue in their pursuit by putting patients’ needs first, empowering their physicians with the authority to lead, caring for the community in a socially responsible way, and providing top-notch care.

So, the story of Harbin Clinic continues, each new chapter being written by yet another generation of compassionate, caring healthcare workers.

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2008 Harbin established roots in Cartersville to house specialties and diagnostic services. Today, it continues to grow and include more specialties: primary care, a GI Lab & the Heart Center.

2021 Harbin Clinic opens a new Heart Center in Calhoun.

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CARING COMPLETELY FOR NWGA FOR

150 YEARS

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V3 MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

Vinyl Revival

The

Text: Paul Moses | Photos: Andy Calvert

The success of Eddie Bruce’s RocknShop record store proves that those who foretold the demise of vinyl records spoke way too soon.

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Anyone interested in time travel SHOULD VISIT ROCKNSHOP IN CARTERSVILLE,

Georgia; that will take them back a few decades.

Eddie Bruce, the store’s owner, has created a place of escape for fans of classic rock. Vinyl records, once relegated by many to history’s ash heap, have now made a roaring comeback and Bruce has capitalized on that surging trend. The steady stream of customers through the door at RocknShop serves as proof. “This place is a destination,” he says. “It’s an experience.”

A store is born

Eddie Bruce does not look like a man who spent 37 years in IT (though he did, 25 of those years at Shaw Industries); he looks just like what he is, a dealer in classic rock. He has a gray goatee, combed-back hair, and a penchant for vintagelooking T-shirts. It’s decidedly not a corporate look, and that’s just fine with him. Bruce has a cheerful, laid-back demeanor that lets customers know they’re in a place where they can relax and browse.

For Eddie Bruce, entering the vinyl record business was a happy accident of sorts. It came 28

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about from Bruce’s lifelong habit of collecting this and that. “I’ve always been a collector of different things,” he says, “baseball cards, sports cards.”

When a friend of his decided to close his sports card store, Bruce bought his inventory and started selling at baseball card shows. That went well, until the rise of eBay squeezed the profit out of the venture. Despite this disappointment, Bruce found that he had a liking for buying and selling, so he looked for new opportunities.

One day Bruce made a fateful purchase: a record player. That set into motion a series of events which would eventually culminate in the founding of RocknShop. He started frequenting antique malls, buying old records to play, and so the collecting began.

When Bruce first rented space at an antique mall/home décor store called Copperwood Company, vinyl records were almost an afterthought. He says, “We had a wall covered in framed concert posters, and we had one crate of records sitting on the floor.” The business was supposed to be about the posters, but the records proved popular, so Bruce began buying vinyl

collections from people, sometimes as many as 6,000 or 8,000 records at a time. In the three years he spent selling at Copperwood, customers kept buying so many records that his business moved from one wall to a booth, then to a double booth, then to a room of its own. Eventually, it became clear that continued growth would require a move elsewhere. “We had a good following on Facebook,” Bruce says, “so when we opened our first storefront, obviously that really helped.”

After moving to his own brick-and-mortar store, Bruce kept an eye on another spot he really wanted to rent. There was a store on Cartersville’s downtown square which stood between Ross Diner and Ate Track Bar & Grill. As soon as the space became available for rent in the fall of 2020, Bruce pounced. RocknShop moved and reopened on the square in the first week of January 2021.

Since then, open six days a week (closed Sundays), the business has experienced steady growth. “It’s been unbelievable,” Bruce says. “All the businesses down here have good relationships with each other. Foot traffic is great. On Saturdays there’s a constant flow all day.”

Classic rock for a contemporary crowd When asked to describe his average customer, Bruce says, “When we first opened, I would have guessed we would attract people 40-65; you know, people who grew up with classic rock.

But I have teenagers every week! They come in by the dozen buying records!” He’s found many regular customers among teens and twentysomethings who share a deep appreciation for listening to classic rock on vinyl. At first, Bruce thought maybe it was just a fluke, but the trend has continued week after week. He says, “I know a sixteen-year-old who got her first paycheck from her fast-food restaurant job and came in here and bought Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut and the Beatles’ Abbey Road.” Vinyl records have tapped into a whole new generation.

What’s old is new again

There is a great deal of nostalgia involved in the resurgence of vinyl records. Fans of classic rock (young, old, and in-between) seem to enjoy the

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experience of handling a tangible copy of the music they love. It is a sort of connection to the bands they revere. “People love holding that album in their hands,” Bruce says. “They want that physical copy, the album cover, especially the ones they can open up and read the liner notes, the lyrics.” He adds, “And they want that full, rich sound that vinyl gives them.”

Music publishers have responded to that strong desire by producing new copies of records by iconic bands. “Now they’re reissuing all the old stuff,” Bruce says. “You can buy brand new vinyl copies of classic rock. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, the Eagles’ Hotel California, and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.”

Currently, Bruce has two primary distributors for new records, but the used ones just seem to come to him of their own accord. “I used to go out and look for used records, but now people bring me whole crates of them.”

Every week he gets phone calls from people who have vinyl records by the hundreds that they want to sell. “Just a couple of weeks ago,” he says, “a man brought in 500 records. He didn’t want to part with them, but he needed the money.” After such purchases, Bruce thoroughly cleans every record and inspects them for scratches and damage. If a record looks suspicious, he puts it on the turntable to make sure it still plays without problems. Of course, he can’t take everything everyone brings in. “Sometimes I have to tell people we’re not looking for Dean Martin,” he says, laughing. “We’re looking for that classic rock era, Boston, the Eagles, just classic rock.”

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What’s in store

As for records, RocknShop’s top selling band right now is Pink Floyd. “People love their whole catalogue,” Bruce says, “The Wall, The Dark Side of the Moon, so many great records.” Reflecting on Pink Floyd’s popularity among classic rock fans, Bruce explains, “There’s just something about David Gilmour playing those long guitar riffs. You can’t really beat that.” The Eagles also sell well at the shop, as does Fleetwood Mac. Also, some newer artists have proven popular, such as Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. Bruce is quick to add, “And if we don’t have it, we’re happy to order it.”

RocknShop is constantly introducing new items to their inventory to draw customers’ interest. Bruce says, “This is ever evolving. We’re adding all the time.” Besides vinyl, they sell concert posters, turntables, band T-shirts, various 96ROCK products, RocknShop-branded T-shirts as well as Turtle’s Records & Tapes and Z93 T-shirts. They even sell rock-n-roll socks and underwear, as well as other kinds of apparel.

There are also a few quirky surprises in the store. For instance, Bluetooth speakers integrated into retro suitcases. These handmade suitcase boomboxes are the work of Sonic Suitcases of Fairhope, Alabama. The charm of these one-of-a-kind pieces make customers turn their heads and smile.

Another special eye-catcher in the store is a large display of framed caricatures of famous rock icons, all created by Dalton-based artist Noah Stokes. Each portrait is a spot-on likeness (hilariously exaggerated) of great names in classic rock, such as Stevie Nicks, the Eagles, and many others.

A bucktoothed Freddie Mercury of Queen fame is a standout cartoon masterpiece. A perusal of Stokes’ excellent and eccentric work, alone, is worth a trip to RocknShop.

“The focus for me is always vinyl records,” says Bruce, “but I want people to come in and say 'Oh, socks!' or 'Hey, I love that poster!' That’s why we sell things like retro key fobs and drink coasters, whatever. We try to have a little bit of everything.”

Rockin’ into the future

When asked about his hopes and plans for his store, Eddie Bruce quotes the rock band Timbuk 3: “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.” Sales are up, foot traffic is steadily increasing, and the public is discovering the store.

“This year has been phenomenal,” Bruce says. “We’ve already (in August) passed last year’s net sales.” Even through 2020, when so many businesses went belly-up, Bruce’s sales grew by 20%. However, he’s quick to point out that sales are not the most important thing to him, but they are, of course, very important. No sales, no store. He goes on to say, “We want to grow this brand. I want people to hear the name RocknShop and know exactly where we are and what we are.”

RocknShop is moving into the future with a purpose. They’ve bumped up their advertising by doing radio spots, and this year they will be featured on the Cartersville football game jumbotron. “We’ll be plastered up there this year,” Bruce says. “I want us to grow, maintain this building, and help continue the revival of vinyl.”

As for Eddie Bruce himself, he wants the store to be his retirement job.

He says, “Maybe someday I can sit in here with my feet propped up, listening to Tom Petty or the Eagles, while my grandson runs the register.”

When CDs first hit the market, many people predicted they would be the death knell for vinyl, but as Bruce points out: “They thought CDs were indestructible, but they found out that wasn’t true.” And if the growing success of RocknShop is any indication, classic rock on vinyl has not only returned, but it intends to stay. Apparently, many fans of classic rock don’t feel the same emotional connection to other ways of playing their music.

They want their vinyl. Bruce gives a mischievous smile and says, “No one has ever asked to see my Mp3 collection.”

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Raising THE

Par

Whether you are a brand-new player or a serious golfer, the Launchbox, powered

by Toptracer, offers a new way to play that is seriously fun.

Text: DeMarcus Daniel Photos: Andy Calvert

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Whether you are looking to fine-tune your golf swing OR ARE SEARCHING FOR A FUN NEW ACTIVITY to try with a group of friends, the newly opened Launchbox at Stonebridge Golf Club is the answer.

Located along the sweeping vistas of Stonebridge’s driving range, the Launchbox offers virtual and statistical golf that makes playing fun for anyone, regardless of skill level. The different varieties of point-based games available allow for healthy competition among a group looking for a fun new activity, and the virtual courses will transport a player to some of the most popular locations around the world.

Stonebridge Golf Club’s General Manager, Patrick Kirn says the new addition is “an opportunity to introduce new people to golf, while using technology to make golf so much more fun.”

Launchbox is powered by top tracer technology, the same technology used on professional PGA tours. This allows players to track their shots and view the trajectory of the ball in real time. “If you’re watching the US Open and you see the shots tracked, that’s the top tracer technology,” explains Kirn.

“As you hit your shot, Launchbox tells you your distance, your flight, and 36

V3 MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

Patrick Kirn how much the ball carries. It’s really an awesome feature that the pros get that you wouldn’t normally have access to when hitting balls on the range,” he continues.

While the technology may sound similar to another popular golf game, TopGolf, Kirn points out some of the key advantages of Launchbox.

“The biggest difference is that all of the statistics from the game are being tracked and can be sent directly to your phone,” he says. “Games like Top Golf will use chipped balls, where Launchbox tracks your entire shot, giving you more information on how to improve your game. You

can also virtually play famous courses like Pebble Beach and St. Andrews, all without leaving town.”

A Launchbox bay holds 5 people comfortably, although there are no restrictions to how many people play per booth. “It’s guaranteed to be fun for most everyone, not just avid golfers,” says Kirn. “You get to play a game in a social, fun atmosphere, and you don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy yourself and your group. Now if you need to turn the atmosphere up a little bit, you can have competitive events. Your co-players can see the number achieved and of course, try to achieve or exceed it.”

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The Launchbox’s affordability and ease of use can be appealing to a seasoned player who wants to supplement their time on the golf course, or to inexperienced players, with rental fees running $24 an hour per bay. This low risk, low pressure environment allows players to hone their skills or enjoy a fun outing with friends without the same expectations as playing a traditional golf course. “If you’re a new golfer playing the course and people are watching you, it can become intimidating, or if people are having to wait on you, that can lower your comfort level,” Kirn says.

Stonebridge Golf Club is currently gearing up for the Fall Celebration at Launchbox, which will run from September 27th to October 31st. Each of the five weeks will be sponsored by a different local company and will feature themed play on each night. League play will be on Monday and Sunday nights, Scrambles on Tuesday nights, Charity events on Wednesdays and Saturdays with 25% of revenue from Launchbox going towards select charities. Family Fun nights will be on Thursdays where kids 15 under eat and play for free after 5pm, and Friday nights will be Member Match Play Championships. Each week, Stonebridge will be giving out prizes including club memberships, gift cards to local restaurants, and gift cards to Stonebridge.

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V3 MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

Launchbox can be both a chance to try your hand at a new activity and a learning opportunity to strengthen your golf game. From either end of the golf skills spectrum, a fun time is guaranteed.

For more information on the Launchbox or the Fall Celebration, please visit www.romestonebridge. com/launchbox-fall-celebration

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Is Now:

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GRAND COLUMN

NINA LOVEL

Of Neighbors, Bad to Great

Here and Now with Nina Lovel

Have you ever had good neighbors who moved away, AND YOU GOT THAT CREEPING UNEASINESS that the replacement neighbors might be Bad? That happened to me this summer, as two of the five houses on my street went up for sale at the same time, for the second time. Forty percent of the neighborhood up for grabs? That’s a double whammy of creeping unease.

I live in a tiny, secluded neighborhood that is one street and five houses big. In two of the houses live long-time residents with ancestral ties to the land; we became fast friends early on and have enjoyed years of happy visits on our twinkle-lighted patios and porches. They’ve fed my cats when I traveled, and they call me to 42

V3 MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

shelter at their house if storms are on the way. To you, my Best Friend Neighbors: I love you!

The two other houses used to be rentals with an absentee landlord. I was so happy in my home that it didn’t bother me when tenants came and went, until the Bad Neighbors came.

Now, your idea of a Bad Neighbor may differ from mine, and I won’t judge you if you don’t judge me, okay? May we agree that one example is a family with a young boy who circles the perimeter of their yard, incessantly, day and night, on a very loud dirt bike?

Not only did that poor bored kid destroy all the grass on his yardsized route; he wore a ditch in the dirt that gave the house a sort of ramshackle castle-with-a-muddy-moat look. Thankfully, they weren’t there long, replaced by a quiet older couple who would get the grass cut every few months whether it needed it or not.

Maybe they were trying to grow the moat grass back. At least they didn’t have a dirt bike.

The tenants in the other rental house were quiet and stayed to themselves (do you see a trend in my Good Neighbors theory?)

And not only did they keep their grass cut, they cut mine too. Not for free of course, but they were reasonable and did a good job; it worked out.

NINA LOVEL

Suddenly one day they were gone; I know not why. This void quickly filled with Bad Neighbors of a stripe that I would never wish for you, my friends. They made the kid on the dirt bike look like Beaver Cleaver. This crew nearly broke me down; they trashed the place! Junk piled up on the side porch until boxes and broken toys projected over the railing; the door on that side was hopelessly blocked. Ever-growing stacks of tires ascended by the dilapidated garage until you couldn’t tell whether it was the tires or the garage keeping things quasi-vertical.

Old cars congregated under a tree in the front yard and never left. And the trash, the TRASH! This house was in the city, so it came with the green and yellow-lidded recycling and trash bins, and the larger bin for yard waste that, trust me, never saw a limb from that yard. These bins took up permanent residence in the street.

Not *on* the street, as in on the curb; I mean IN the street: I had to drive around them to get home. And you know that City rule that says to keep your carts parked by your house except on pickup days? Well, they didn’t know it. They just hauled their trash out to the street and then piled extra bags next to them. In the street. I promise y’all, I tried to live and let live as long as I could, but I finally had to tattle to the City.

Now before you call me some kind of obsessive trash-watching Mrs. Kravitz, I just got tired of dodging the trash every time I came home. My Kravitzness finally paid off after I sent pictures of the mess to the property manager and he convinced the absentee landlord to put both rentals up for sale.

The Junkelsons had to move out, and the sweet little quiet couple did too. I did feel bad for them, but the couple landed well and I hope the others did too. Those houses needed new owners that cared about them.

Talk about uneasy creeping...what if the houses were bought by another slum landlord and my life turned into Bad Neighbors Groundhog Day? Thankfully, that didn’t happen. One of them sold to a reclusive little man who kept to himself and cut his grass, and he even put some twinkle-lights in the window, a nod to my twinkle-porch Best Friend Neighbors and me.

The other house was bought by an investor who spent two years fixing it up into the cutest little place. Right when it was ready to sell, the reclusive little man decided to move to Colorado, and all of a sudden, forty percent of the neighborhood was up for sale again.

The market is different this time though. People are buying houses because they really want to live in them. A few days after the sign came down on the corner house, a family moved in. I saw little kids and a dog. When the mom gave me a big wave one day I pulled in and we met, exchanged phone numbers, and shared our stories. Dreams had come true all around: they were a young couple with two littles, and this was the first home they had owned.

They moved from another town so I asked “Why Rome?” It was the combination of Rome being an attractive town, the house being just what they wanted, and they could get it.

They love their huge yard surrounded by woods. Deer visit every morning. They have a little pen of chickens, and they cut

GRAND COLUMN

their grass way before it needs it. They have parents and friends over, they cook out, and they explore the area. They’ve put up twinkle-lights. They say this is their forever-home. Talk about the Great Neighbor Jackpot!

Next, my new neighbor joined me in wondering who bought the other house; I found myself mentoring a new Mrs. Kravitz Junior! We shared the suspense of speculation, hoping it would at least be somebody nice. MKJ was diligent. She texted me every time she saw activity next door. The For Sale sign came down; she texted me. The Water Department guy pulled into the driveway; she texted me. Finally, one evening she told me a truck had pulled up on my side of the house. Yesss-yaayyy! The truck had a trailer, and there was a couple around my age negotiating some furniture into the front door. Maybe another quiet older couple? (Not that I’m older, but you know.)

I went outside to call my kitties in for feeding time, and the trailer man looked up, pointed, and said “He’s coming up the street!”

WOW…these were cat people! Among my New Neighbor anxieties had been what if someone moves in with a big loud dog or a passel of outdoor cats that would upset the neighborhood cat-equilibrium.

My three little beasts (who live outdoors because they came to me from the outdoors) are spayed, neutered and immunized, and while they stay close to the porch for feeding time, they *are* cats and they mosey off the reservation. Were the yard-cat applecart to be upset, my herd would be hissing, marking and fighting like it’s 2099.

Turned out, this was Mom and Dad helping their newlywed son and wife move in, to...the first home they’d ever owned. And they came all the way from Texas! Again, I asked “Why Rome?” and got “loved the city, loved the house, it was affordable, and we could get it!” Their beloved kitties live indoors, so all is well on the savannah for now.

Remember how the little reclusive man had put twinkle lights in the window? Well he left them behind, and they’ve never gone out.

These precious young’uns have done more to that house and yard in a month than the little man did in six years, AND she’s already brought me the best focaccia bread I’ve ever had. (Wait-I’m supposed to be bringing YOU gifts of food... time to step up my game...)

My Bad Neighbors were part of my journey; they taught me how to know the Good Ones and be grateful for the Great Ones. I wish them safety and sound shelter.

To all of my sweet proud young first-time-homeowner Great New Neighbors, WELCOME! Gentle readers, lest you think I’ve withheld their names out of respect for their privacy, this is not the case. I’m simply being selfish, doing everything possible to keep my Great New Neighbors right on the street where we live. Don’t be thinking you can recruit them away; I’ll fight you like a cat if you try.

Fair warning: stay away from happy little Twinkle Street!

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It’s All In Our Name...

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TWO YEARS IN A ROW

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GRAND COLUMN

RENAISSANCE MARQUIS

The Good Life is getting better FOR THE RESIDENTS of Rome’s Renaissance Marquis, the relaxed lifestyle and homelike atmosphere they enjoy every day is getting even better. This premier retirement village is undergoing an extended period of renovations of its private living spaces.

Steady progress is being made; so far, more than a quarter of the rooms have been done.

Austin Post, Director of Sales and Marketing, says, “We want the best for our residents. That not only means the great care they receive, but also a beautiful apartment to call home that’s thoughtfully designed with their needs in mind.”

Revamped from floor to ceiling

The renovations of the apartments are extensive. The kitchens, for instance, are overhauls: granite countertops and all new appliances. The bathrooms are complete remodels as well, with walk-in showers (with textured safety floors and shower seats), new vanities, light fixtures, and door handles. The living rooms get luxury vinyl trim flooring. “The LVT flooring gives 48

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Where The Heart Is with Renaissance Marquis

Text Paul Moses | Photos Andy Calvert

RENAISSANCE MARQUIS

GRAND COLUMN

a more home-like feel with the look of hardwood floors," says Post. "Carpeting is being provided in some apartments as an alternative. Again, with the residents in mind, we’re using low pile carpeting since it’s easier to navigate for anyone using assistive devices such as a walker or wheelchair,” he adds. The bedrooms have new paint, ceiling fans (with remote controls, no cord-pulling), new light fixtures, and new blinds on the windows.

A satisfied customer

Nell Willis, a recent arrival to Renaissance Marquis, is the very picture of a happy resident. She has an upbeat attitude and is optimistic about her future in her newly renovated one-bedroom apartment. She smiles, adding, “My cat Cleo is nice enough to let me live in her apartment.”

Willis appreciates that she was able to furnish her own space, making the transition to a new life easier. “My own things make it feel like home,” she says. Her lovely curio cabinet filled with her mother’s

“Oh, I love everything about my new place,” Nell Willis says. “The lighting, the flooring. The low counters are wonderful.”

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porcelain Avon Miss Albee figurines is a special comfort to her, and she enjoys sitting on her own couch to watch her Georgia Bulldogs on TV. “Oh, I love everything about my new place,” Willis says. “The lighting, the flooring. The low counters are wonderful.”

When asked if she cooks in her beautiful kitchen, Willis says with a mischievous wink, “Our kitchen staff are too good of cooks for me to hurt their feelings by fending for myself.”

Taking the time to do the job right

The residents of Renaissance Marquis value their privacy and the familiarity of their daily routines. With this in mind, the ongoing renovations are being done in a way that does not disrupt their lives. No one is asked to relocate to another space while their rooms are being worked on.

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RENAISSANCE MARQUIS

GRAND COLUMN

“We only renovate an apartment when it becomes vacant,” Post says. “If someone requests a renovation, we will move them to another room while that is done, but we would never force the issue.” Post foresees all the units completed within the next two years. “I know that may sound like a long haul,” he says, “but we have a commitment to not inconveniencing our residents in any way during this process.”

Independent Living | Personal Care | Memory Care

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