Albany Living Magazine - Winter 2018 by With You In Mind Publications

winter 2018

albany

Helping You Breathe Easier Are you one of the 24 million Americans with allergy symptoms?

also... Service and Love

If your answer is yes, the specialists at Allergy and Asthma Clinics of Georgia can help you identify what is causing your symptoms and recommend a treatment plan to significantly improve your quality of life.

A l l e r g y a n d a s t h m a c l i n i c s o f g e o r g i a , P. C . 229.438.7100 105 Spanish Court ALbany (inside grand island)

When Ms. Peggy tells you she loves you, she means it, even if she just met you.

Be Happy Travis Goodson continues to inspire people and spread positivity through our community and is confident in his effort to change the world.

Hollyanne and Dillon Craft are learning that when you step out in faith, you grow as you go.

Once in a Blue Moon

Lorie Farkas Van Linden shows us how history and life experiences leave indelible marks.

H o m e t o w n L i v i n g at i t s B e s t

Making It Easy For You For Over A Century

All Your Gifts Under One Tree.

Serving Southwest Georgia since 1903

Your Hometown Bank • Checking Accounts • Savings Accounts • Certificates of Deposit

• Loans • Online Banking • Mobile Deposit

2101 North Slappey Boulevard Albany, Georgia 31707 www.fsbanks.com | (229) 888-0774

First State Bank of Albany A Division of First State Bank of Blakely

Merry Christmas POTTER MOTOR COMPANY 1502 E OGLETHORPE BLVD, ALBANY, GA 31705 | (229) 435-6153 | WWW.POTTERMOTOR.COM

Be Our Guest

The dinner table is a special place to gather family and friends. From traditional or casual to coastal and rustic styles, Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has a variety of dining room furniture that is sure to impress any guest. Whether you are looking for an entire dining set or unique seating to update an existing table, Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designers are here to help you personalize your dining space.

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albany 48

contents 12

Be Happy

Hollyanne and Dillon Craft are learning that when you step out in faith and begin to follow your passions, you grow as you go.

True Success

As a coach, Damien Gary is aiming to develop men that are ready for their future beyond the walls of the school and stadium.

Master Craftsman

Today, the quiet, humble master craftsman is sought-after near and far for his exceptional skills with new construction as well as reclaimed wood masterpieces.

Once in a Blue Moon

Lorie Farkas Van Linden shows us how history and life experiences leave indelible marks in a life.

About the Cover

The cover photo is of Albany Police Department Officer Travis Goodson. Be sure to check out the talent he is using for good on page 88. Photo by David Parks Photography.

Craig & Renee Pierce

Craig and Renee Pierce both envisioned a small intimate wedding with their close family and friends. The ceremony was everything they imagined and extremely personal to them.

Albany Living magazine

Visit our website for helpful evaluation tools like this scorecard or call today for an appointment. www.albanyurologyclinic.com (229) 883-1503

DO YOU LEAK? OVERACTIVE BLADDER (OAB) As many as 46 million Americans 40 years of age or older reported symptoms of OAB, including an uncontrollable frequent and sudden urgency to urinate that sometimes leads to leakage and accidental wetting. Take this quiz to see if you are among the 1 in 3 adults living with OAB. I have sudden urges to urinate that make me rush to the bathroom. NEVER SOMETIMES OFTEN I have urges to urinate that end in urine leakage. NEVER SOMETIMES OFTEN

DR. CARL HANCOCK

DR. SCOTT WENDLAND

When I leave my house, I plan my activities around the nearest bathroom. NEVER SOMETIMES OFTEN If you answered “sometimes” or “often” to one or more of the questions, you may be experiencing symptoms of OAB. Having an ongoing and honest talk with one of our health care providers is one of the most important steps you can take. Call our office for an appointment.

DR. MICHAEL DAUGHERTY DR. MICHAEL MONAHAN

(229) 883-1503

ALBANY

UROLOGY & C

S u r g e ry C e n t e r

MISSY EAST, NP-C

STEVEN SNIPES, PA-C

Serving Albany and Dougherty County for Over 40 Years

2400 OSLER COURT • ALBANY, GEORGIA • WWW.ALBANYUROLOGYCLINIC.COM

160

Saving Lives One Day at a Time

Frederick Williams lives by his motto passionately to continue to “make this community better.”

130 88

Serving the Community Travis Goodson continues to inspire people and spread positivity through our community and is confident in his effort to change the world.

102

Service and Love

When Ms. Peggy tells you she loves you, she means it, even if she just met you.

118

Passion for Community

Charlie Peeler believes he was selected as U.S. Attorney because he is doing this job for the right reason, namely to make as big an impact as quickly as possible. And he wants to do this because Albany is a community he loves.

130

Hand in Hand

The Marine Corps Logistics Base has a qualified liaison in their spouses’ organization, setting the tone for blending and harmonizing with the community.

144

Hearing Clearly

The Lorbers are a close-knit clan with an abundance of love for each otherspouses, kids, grandkids, the four-legged members, and their community too.

Albany Living Magazine

174

Near in Nature

Chehaw has a rich history, a unique setting, a skilled and diverse staff, strong city support, an outstanding support organization and a new vision for the future. This vision will encompass the principles on which Chehaw was founded… conservation, education and preservation.

102

ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, MY LOVING FAMILY AND WONDERFUL STAFF “WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY, HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR, 2019.”

RESTORE YOUR SMILE IN A DAY! We Welcome New Patients From All Over Southwest Georgia And North Florida To Our Practice. You Do Not Need A Referral To Be A New Patient.

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229.878.3610

Dr. Brad Harris, Board Certified Oral Surgeon

southwestoralandfacialsurgery.com

From the Publisher

albany P u b l i s h e r With You In Mind Publications E x e c u t i v e E d i to r s Jay and Patti Martin Landon and Mandi Spivey C r e at i v e | D e s i g n Mandi Spivey Stacey Nichols O f f i c e m a n ag e r Laura McCullough

As we are festively planning our holiday schedules through this magical time of year, I have found myself stopping to savor so many moments this season. Hot chocolate nights with delicious marshmallows stuck to our lips, late night family snuggles with a good movie on the couch, finding the perfect tree to decorate and the laughter from the kids while helping dig out the ornaments and string the lights. My heart overflows with gratitude for our family. We have watched a niece blossom this year as she grows into the most adorable little toddler, as we also welcomed a new little nephew who made his beautiful entrance this Fall. All around us, we are surrounded by loved ones. This issue seems to weave a similar theme of how family has impacted so many of these incredible people you will read about in their stories. Family shapes who we are, who we become and who we teach our children to be. Coach Damien Gary, Ms. Peggy Bryant, Bishop Frederick Williams, and so many more share their stories of where they came from that brought them to where they are today. Perhaps the most fascinating realization of all is that family is created through more than one circumstance. Family and love is a choice, whether born into or chosen. As we move into a new year, I hope we all remember to count our blessings, as often as we remember, for the little moments...the ones we will look back on through the years. It’s those that remain imprinted on our hearts that carry us through the seasons of life. We are so grateful for you and the love you all pour out onto our families through readers, encouraging emails and ideas all sent our way. We hope you will join us in extending gratitude to each advertiser that is listed on page 192 which make this publication possible to the community at no charge. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and the HAPPIEST NEW YEAR full of love and memories!

View our magazines FREE online at:

www.withyouinmindpublications.com

A s s i s ta n t

Ma n ag e r s June Dixon

Nikki Burkhalter P h otog r ap h e r s Ant Hill Photography David Parks Photography

Eric S. Love Millie Mac Photography Shae Foy Photography Shannan Blanchard Photography C ov e r P h oto Officer Travis Goodson, Photo by David Parks Photography Sa l e s Keisha Cory

Patti Martin Landon Spivey

Contributing

Wri te r s Chehaw.org

Jessica Fellows June B. Anderson Karen Cohilas Kate DeLoach Keisha Cory Rachel Price

Like us on Facebook!

From our family to yours,

Sales: (912) 293-5900 Email: landonspivey.wyim@gmail.com

albany Living magazine

Albany Living Magazine© is published semi-annually by With You in Mind Publications. www.withyouinmindpublications.com P.O. Box 55 • Glennville, GA 30427 (912) 654-3045 All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written authorization from the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein. Advertising is subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.

Kay Fuller

INTERIORS

New Owner - Melissa Hill

2 3 51 L AKE PARK DR , ALBAN Y, GA 31707 | (2 29) 888-0752

Mortgage Banker stacey@flint.bank (229) 903-3348 NMLS# 166418

“Serving you through the mortgage process so you can focus on finding the perfect home!” It’s how you’d rather bank.

Finding the perfect home can be a difficult process, but your mortgage doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be.

albany living magazine

Story by Keisha Cory

Photos by David Parks Photography

Hometown Living At Its Best

albany living magazine

Beautiful words inspire beautiful lives. In fact, my phone is filled with snapshots taken from Pinterest and Instagram just like these. Inspiration awakens spaces in our heart that lead us to living out meaningful purpose. Recently, while I was planning a party and searching for ideas, I came across a photo of a beautiful balloon arch. It was filled with such beautiful color and made the focal point of the party really stand out. I began searching for a balloon artist. While showing my ideas to a friend and asking for direction and if she knew anyone that could do this, she opens her phone

and says, “Have you seen this cute couple called The Happy Too? They do a little bit of everything!” I peeked into their creative space on Instagram and saw what appeared to be a new developing local business. I saw some birthday stuff and some design work, but the name interested me. Since I’ve been back home the past couple of years, I’ve been excited to see the growth that’s taken place. I believe businesses are rising up and flourishing. I like knowing what’s going on here and what local businesses I should support. I love this

Hometown Living At Its Best

albany living magazine

The couple started their own business in 2017 after realizing the help they offered to make friends’ wedding invitations turned into a service. They had created a niche among friends and family for designing invitation graphics for parties and weddings. Somewhere along the adventure, they made a balloon arch!

opportunity to write for Albany Living and highlighting the good here in our city. So, more than wanting to get a party set up, I wanted to get to know these people who lived right here in our town. I couldn’t wait, so I messaged them directly and asked about meeting for coffee. One thing I love about our city is that we have this rare opportunity to be the “answer” in the way of creative business. My husband loves Shark Tank! We watch recorded episodes on Sunday nights after church to wind down before bed. Show after show, we see businesses emerge that become an answer to a need. It is a beautiful picture of the joy and hope of new ideas being launched into a world that awaits their distinct thumbprint. I’d love to introduce you to Dillon and Hollyanne Craft, owners of THE HAPPY TOO. The name itself came about from the happiness they found in their own wedding. They wanted others to feel the same happiness they experienced during that special time in their lives. The motivation behind

Hometown Living At Its Best

albany living magazine

their mindset became “your happiness is our happiness too”…that personal desire became their mission. The couple started their own business in 2017 after realizing the help they offered to make friends’ wedding invitations turned into a service. They had created a niche among friends and family for designing invitation graphics for parties and weddings. Somewhere along the adventure, they made a balloon arch! Dillon was born and raised in Albany and graduated from Lee County High School. One year after graduation, he and Hollyanne got married. They attended Georgia Southwestern together, Hollyanne for early childhood education and Dillon for marketing. Dillon now works for MSA. Outside of his fulltime hours, he follows his passion to creatively design anything from coffee mugs to wedding invitations, and even

Since the day we met up at Elements Coffee for an interview, their business has grown quickly. To have a greater reach in design, they have added a broader umbrella name, Craft Co. They will focus more on general graphic design and events and THE HAPPY TOO will be a collective line of invitations by Craft Co.

Hometown Living At Its Best

Dillon was born and raised in Albany and graduated from Lee County High School. One year after graduation, he and Hollyanne got married. They attended Georgia Southwestern together, Hollyanne for early childhood education and Dillon for marketing. Dillon now works for MSA. Outside of his full-time hours, he follows his passion to creatively design anything from coffee mugs to wedding invitations, and even business branding. Most of these items can be found in their Etsy shop.

business branding. Most of these items can be found in their Etsy shop. So, you may be asking like I did, “If you are working a full-time job in another field, how did this all come about?” Dillon explained…when the need arose at his church for someone to manage media, he began teaching himself how to design PowerPoint slides for messages. Then Dillon grew into designing sermon series graphics, church logos, event images, and crafting his artwork into branding. We all know that digital branding is a big business these days. What if Dillon had decided that someone else could pick up that responsibility? He could

albany living magazine

have said, “I don’t have the talent to do that,” but instead he discovered it. He took time to find out how to meet a need in serving. It unlocked a hidden passion within. I believe with all my heart, serving fills the longing for purpose. I guess it reveals the principle that it’s greater to give than receive. Once you’ve made someone happy, all of a sudden, you’ve experience the greater. So the Crafts’ motto, “Your happy makes us happy, too” creates value for both themselves and the client. I’ve heard this saying that has stuck with me, “What you focus on expands.” When I think about the time I used to spend on Pinterest designing

boards, I can see now how my life, whether in fashion, diet, or decor, has shaped according to those things I focused on. Recently, Dillon and Hollyanne celebrated their daughter, DeLanieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, first birthday. Instead of DeLanie receiving gifts, the couple created a T-shirt that they encouraged people to purchase to raise funds for Cure Child Cancer. Since the day we met up at Elements Coffee for an interview, their business has grown quickly. To have a greater reach in design, they have added a broader umbrella name, Craft Co. They will focus more on general graphic design and events and THE HAPPY TOO will be a collective line of invitations by Craft Co. I love that the path to being creative has no limitations. When you step out in faith and begin to follow your passions, you grow as you go. After all, caterpillars look nothing like butterflies, do they? You can follow Dillon and Hollyanne Craft on Instagram @thehappytoo or at https:// linktr.ee/thehappytoo. ď &#x2022; ALM

Hometown Living At Its Best

Albany Living Magazine

Custom Built Cabinets Residential & Commercial

D&D

KITCHEN CENTER

(229) 883-8687 www.danddkitchens.org 604 N. Washington St. | Albany, GA 31701

Hometown Living At Its Best

“We love Southland Children’s Dentistry! Dr. Fields and Dr. Sellers, as well as their staff, are always welcoming and try to make my children, as well as myself, feel special. Everyone at Southland goes the extra mile to truly make every visit a great experience for Jilian, Kyler and Jaelyn. They have TV’s above every dental chair to help kids relax while having their teeth cleaned or getting other work done. The doctors and staff are never mean to the children who come to their office. While my kids love going to the dentist, I’ve seen other children come into the office nervous and leave with a smile on their face. Dr. Fields and Dr. Sellers truly love the work they do and it shines through in how they treat their patients. As a parent, my children are the most important thing in my life and trusting others with their care is something I do not take lightly. I trust Southland Children’s Dentistry with caring for my kids and recommend them to anyone with children.”

- Jill Hanna 2301 Lullwater Rd, Albany, GA 31707 | (229) 439-8896 |www.southlandkids.com

a future as bright as their smile Hometown Living At Its Best

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As a coach, Damien Gary is aiming to develop men that are ready for their future beyond the walls of the school and stadium. Story by Karen Cohilas Photos by David Parks Photography

Damien Garyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office in the Dougherty High Field House is unpretentious, to say the least. Walking in, you may not realize the 37-year-old Head Football Coach, at one time, played at his hometown school, The University of Georgia. There are no trophies touting his glory days at UGA. There are no plaques on the wall to alert you to his being the alltime leading punt returner for yardage and all time number of returns in a career. Those are records that still stand to this day, 17 years after he earned them. Records that are older than some of the members of the football team Gary now coaches.

albany living magazine

Hometown Living At Its Best

“I was just a little young boy in Athens, dreaming about that. Looking back and thinking, ‘you really did that’ is still kind of surreal.” Surreal because as a young boy, he watched the high school team practice near his home, and wanted to be like those players. “Just to kind of put it in perspective, my old high school was across the street from the projects. I grew up on the front row. I would be standing on the fence watching football practice knowing that’s what I want to do. “ His first big break was when he was still in elementary school. A recreation league coach spotted young Damien throwing the ball with some friends when he was only seven years old. He carried Gary home that day and asked his mom to allow him to play football. That’s the day football became more than a dream.

albany living magazine

So what would a successful coaching venture produce for Gary? Wins on the field, obviously. But he is confident those will come. For now, success looks like being a trusted mentor, friend and advocate.

Hometown Living At Its Best

“I want to produce productive citizens. I want these guys to go to college, to the military. I want them to see something beyond Albany. That’s my goal. There’s nothing wrong with Dougherty County, but there’s more to life. I want them to see more than that.”

“The rest was history. That season we were 0-6,” Gary says with a childlike grin on his face. “0-6 and it was the best fun we ever had. The best fun we ever had, and after that year, we went undefeated for the next five years of Pop Warner.” That first losing season has a striking similarity with Gary’s first season at Dougherty High. On the day Coach Gary spoke with us, he was coming off the team’s sixth loss for the season, without a single win. But Gary didn’t exactly plan to win the State Championship in year one. “It’s a process. Have we gotten better each week? Yes we have. Do we still have a long way to go? Absolutely we do. We have a lot of young guys, so I think our future is really bright. It’s our job as coaches to continue to develop them, teach them, mold them and get them going in the right direction. I’m confident that we’ll do that.” But a win for Gary doesn’t just produce football players who win on the field. “I want to produce productive citizens. I want these guys to go to college, to the military. I want them to see something beyond Albany. That’s my goal. There’s nothing wrong with Dougherty County, but there’s more to life. I want them to see more than that.” But many of his players haven’t seen more than Albany. Many of them face obstacles that seem too big to overcome. Gary says those are nothing more than excuses, and his goal is to take them away. He said, “Oh, you don’t have a father, or you live with your grandmother? Guess what? I did too, and look where I am. I didn’t make excuses so I’m not going to allow you to make excuses. It’s unfortunate that sometimes we have to go through what we have to go through, but that’s not a crutch and we’re not going to use it as a crutch. “They are now starting to see that we have a lot of similarities. I didn’t come from much. I grew

albany living magazine

Hometown Living At Its Best

up in a single parent household. I wasn’t always the biggest, the fastest, the strongest. There are a ton of people that I played with in high school that were way more talented than me. I was just one of the ones that stayed the course and didn’t let the streets get me. I kept my grades up. I did all the little things that I needed to do and I didn’t get caught up in all the crazy stuff and it worked out for me. Even when I went to Georgia, I wasn’t the fastest, I wasn’t the strongest, but I continued to work and I found my niche.” And that niche may not be football. For some of Gary’s players, not only has their final season of high school football come to an end, so has their football career. But as a coach, Gary is aiming to develop men that are ready for their future beyond the walls of the school and stadium. “There’s life after football. I try to be as honest as possible. We want to play forever. November 2nd would be some of the guys’ last football game ever. Not just high school, but ever. What’s Plan B? What’s the next step? Let’s start getting that in order. If you get a chance to play football, that’s just a bonus, but let’s not bank on that.” So what would a successful coaching venture produce for Gary? Wins on the field, obviously. But he is confident those will come. For now, success looks like being a trusted mentor, friend and advocate. “There are some very intelligent kids walking these hallways. They know that I care about them. That’s the biggest thing. They’ve got to know that you care about

albany living magazine

Gary believes they are not just trying to build a team, but build a program where they are developing kids. From their attitudes, to the way they handle themselves in the building, to the way they approach practice. He can see that they are starting to figure out the things they’ve been trying to tell them.

Hometown Living At Its Best

albany living magazine

them. Some of them probably don’t get told “I love you” a lot, or probably don’t have people in their corner that they know care about them and I’m going to be that person that they know coach G has their back.” Gary says that’s the type of experience he had as a high school player, an experience that got him to star status at The University of Georgia and has lead him into his coaching role now. “It was my head coach Steve Brooks. He is intense. He will stare a hole through you. But you knew that he loved you. He would run through a wall for you. He was such a motivator. You could accomplish anything. You could feel like you’d given 100%, but he would demand just that little bit more, and I think that’s one of the things that I’ve taken in my coaching philosophy, is to kind of demand more. He said to push your comfort zone back. I’ll never forget that. Always push your comfort zone back and do more than what is expected. To this day we talk probably at least once a month. I would do anything for him.” And anything for his players. “I’m in it. I absolutely love what I’m doing. I love where I am. I love being able to rebuild and kind of put my hand print on things. It’s a process and we are taking steps in the right direction. Some are big steps, some are small steps. We’re not just trying to build a team, but build a program where we’re developing kids. From their attitudes, to the way they handle themselves in the building, to the way they approach practice, I can see that they are starting to figure out the things we’ve been trying to tell them.”  ALM

Hometown Living At Its Best

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Albany Living Magazine

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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albany living magazine

Story by kate deloach

Today, the quiet, humble master craftsman is sought-after near and far for his exceptional skills with new construction as well as reclaimed wood masterpieces.

Photos by David Parks Photography

Ricky O’Neal has spent his entire life honoring his craft – woodworking. And it has paid off. Today, the quiet, humble master craftsman is sought-after near and far for his exceptional skills with new construction as well as reclaimed wood masterpieces. “I knew he was well known for what he does,” says Gayle Ambrose, office manager at Concrete Enterprises in Lee County, “but I had no idea how widespread his awesome reputation was!” The concrete company, owned

Hometown Living At Its Best

by country music icon Luke Bryan and friend Jason Wiggins, recently wooed Ricky from his 14-year position at ACMI in Albany. Concrete Enterprises is adding a Woodworking Division and Ricky will head it up. “I like to take a hunk of wood and turn it into something,” says Ricky. And the Albany native has been doing just that since junior high school. When he was 12 or 13 years old, he went to work for his brother-in-law at Yenni and Son Woodworking in Lee County. After high school, he began building houses with his late brother Buck O’Neal, who he says

albany living magazine

“taught me a lot.” He got married to “his wonderful wife” at the age of 19 and at the age of 23, Ricky started his own cabinet shop, O’Neal Custom Woodworks. Years later, still moonlighting in woodworking, Ricky worked as a building inspector with the City of Albany, “for the benefits and days off.” His wife is the former Deanna Akins of Lee County. Deanna works with USPS in Albany. The couple has two children: Tish Wiggins, who is married to Jason’s brother Nick, is a primary school teacher in Lee County; and Cade O’Neal is a college student

While Ricky is adept with any piece of lumber, and can make new furniture of the highest artistry, he prefers working with reclaimed wood. “We buy wood from old houses being torn down,” says Ricky. “We clean it, dry it and stack it.”

Hometown Living At Its Best

He likes working with heart pine, pecky cypress and sinkers cypress –river-recovered cypress logs that were once floated down the river and sank. Ricky says they get most of these logs from Florida where the recovery laws aren’t as strict as they are in Georgia. A popular item is fireplace mantels made from recovered grist mill beams from the river.

albany living magazine

at ASU studying computer science. Tish and Nick have a son, Drake (10), who is clearly his grandfather’s pride and joy. Ricky doesn’t miss Drake’s baseball games if he can help it. Ricky left the city 14 years ago and went to work with ACMI in Albany. The company makes primarily moldings, cabinetry and unfinished and prefinished woodworks. With ACMI, Ricky traveled to Miami, Atlanta and other locales crafting things such as library ceilings, doors, bookcases, kitchen cabinets and furniture. He installed several sections of millwork at the Cloister in Sea Island, including the Ralph Lauren store ceilings and entrances, along with other rooms such as the

Hometown Living At Its Best

“We make mirrors, doors, stove vent hoods, tables, mantels,” Ricky says. “Anything of wood, we can make it.” He also paints and distresses many of his creations. “At Concrete Enterprises, we do custom work; we design what the customer wants.”

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Ricky left ACMI in February and joined the team at Concrete Enterprises at 636 Fussell Road in Leesburg. Ricky is the Master Craftsman in charge of the company’s woodworking division. A large workshop is under construction on the property and is slated to be operational in winter 2019. The company also has locations in Albany, Moultrie, Valdosta and Nashville, Georgia.

library ceilings and bookcases. Photos, please. “I never take photos of my finished work,” Ricky confesses. Ricky left ACMI in February and joined the team at Concrete Enterprises at 636 Fussell Road in Leesburg. Ricky is the Master Craftsman in charge of the company’s woodworking division. A large workshop is under construction on the property and is slated to be operational in winter 2019. The company also has locations in Albany, Moultrie, Valdosta and Nashville, Georgia. While Ricky is adept with any piece of lumber, and can make new furniture of the highest artistry, he prefers working with reclaimed wood. “We buy wood from old houses being torn down,” says Ricky. “We clean it, dry it and stack it.” He likes working with heart pine, pecky cypress and sinkers cypress –river-recovered cypress logs that were once floated down the river and sank. Ricky says they get most of these logs from Florida where the recovery laws aren’t as strict as they are in Georgia. A popular item is fireplace mantels made from recovered grist mill beams from the river. “We make mirrors, doors, stove vent hoods, tables, mantels,” Ricky says. “Anything of wood, we can make it.” He also paints and distresses many of his creations. “At Concrete Enterprises, we do custom work; we design what the customer wants.” While Ricky took classes at Albany High School in the mechanical program, it is of little help with today’s wood milling equipment. “Today, it takes a college degree to run the equipment, the technology is so high,” Ricky explains of the CNC woodworking machinery. “The equipment is all computerized. Fortunately, most of the stuff we do has to be customized and hand-cut using band saws and routers and such.” The very things Ricky is masterful with. Ricky says he used to go camping, to the beach or out on the pontoon boat. But nowadays he is too busy. “I’d be at the beach, not enjoying it because I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to do this, and this.’ There’s nothing I’d rather do than what I do for a living.” Now, that’s a lucky guy.  ALM Hometown Living At Its Best

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Lorie Farkas Van Linden shows us how history and life experiences leave indelible marks in a life. When I went to Lorie Farkas Van Linden’s house, known as Blue Moon Cottage, for our appointment, I was met at the door by a lovely lady with the most beautiful large, dark eyes, and pleasant smile. We were immediately comfortable with each other as we entered her lovely living room. She offered me iced tea as we sat and began to talk. Such a gracious hostess. I giggle a bit when she tells me that somewhere along the way she picked up an endearing nickname, Lala. I listened intently as she answered my questions and sat enthralled as she talked about growing up in a formal household where her parents doted on each other. Lorie’s face beamed as she described her mother as a former New York model who lacked culinary prowess and her father’s creative abilities in the kitchen. Apparently, opposites do attract! He so loved his wife that he would serve the meal and, before taking his seat, would stand beside her cutting her meat into bite-sized pieces before taking his seat and allowing the meal to continue. This is not something Lorie’s mother required, but something her husband insisted upon as a selfless act of love. He denied her nothing, well, maybe a couple of things… one of which was a llama! Understandable.

It’s been three years now, and Lorie has come to the point in her life where she can feel again. She can breathe again. She can live again, and she wants to share her journey, hoping that maybe she can help people who find themselves in situations similar to hers, perhaps with no words of their own; so she has written a book aptly titled, “Blue Moon Soliloquy – A Workbook for Those Who Grieve.” When she began the book, it was just going to be her story, but as she wrote, she realized that it was becoming a sort of workbook for her readers.

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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this practice. There is such warmth and a sense of family and belonging when one sits down to a lovely meal with those they love, and for Lorie to perform this act weekly is indeed an act of love, kindness, and dedication. In fact, one of Lorie’s favorite sayings is an old French proverb that says, “The torch of love is lit in the kitchen.” Lorie’s ancestry is quite well known in Albany.

“The torch of love is lit in the kitchen.”

Lorie’s ancestry is quite well known in Albany. Not everyone can say that their grandchildren are sixth-generation residents here, especially with the current trend toward mobility.

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Not everyone can say that their grandchildren are sixth-generation residents here, especially with the current trend toward mobility. Her greatgrandfather, Samuel Farkas, immigrated from Hungary to Georgia just after the Civil War. He arrived at the tender age of 18 with 50 cents in his pocket. In less than 10 years he had begun making a name for himself and his newfound mule-trading

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business in Albany, which eventually amassed him a fortune. He bought property from time to time and, at his death in 1914, was collecting rent from over 400 tenants and owned much of the farmland in Dougherty County. Samuel’s story here begins with his uncle, Herman Farkas, who owned a general merchandise business in Albany. Herman had returned to Hungary for a visit and encouraged Samuel to come to America. Samuel agreed and upon his arrival, took a job as a clerk in a general store, but he became enthralled with mules. Whenever he could buy them cheap, he did and took great care of them, selling them at a profit. He kept them in a lot behind the store where he worked and would go out to check on them from time to time. His employer finally gave him an ultimatum: “Either you’ve got to quit fooling with those mules all the time, or quit working here.” Samuel chose the latter and entered

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However, the most special place in her heart seems to be the place that was filled by the love of her life, Bill Van Linden, her husband for almost 24 years. the mule-trading business full-time, establishing it first on Washington Street in 1872, then at a large stable he built on the corner of Broad Avenue and Jackson Street, which became the location of the headquarters for the largest mule business in southwest Georgia. In addition to his mules, he also sold buggies, buggy robes, harnesses, wagons, whips, and farm implements to Dougherty County and the surrounding area. P. T. Barnum would have nothing on Samuel Farkas. While attending a performance at a travelling circus, the lion proved not so tame when, instead of allowing his tamer to rest his head in the beast’s mouth for show, he clamped down on his master’s head! The ringmaster yelled for anyone who had brought a gun to shoot the lion, but Sam Farkas jumped up and entered the lion’s cage, jabbed his gold-handled walking stick into the lion’s throat so his jaws could be pried open, and released the lion tamer. The story ended up in national newspapers. Samuel Farkas wasn’t only a hero to Albanians, but also sometimes to strangers. Lorie’s dark eyes smile as she focuses on telling the Farkas saga. It is obvious that the stories she has heard through the decades are indelibly etched into her memory and bring her great joy. Her family’s work ethic and desire to produce for the community has evidently been passed down to her as the conversation turns to her own life. She was born right here at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and attended Albany High School and the University of Miami, where she majored in psychology and minored in art. She says she’s “only had two careers,” but what wonderful accomplishments came during those years! Lorie first worked with C&S Bank, now Bank of America, as the Director of Marketing, handling more than 900 accounts throughout Southwest Georgia. Next, she was with the Water, Gas & Light (WG&L) division of the City of Albany for 29 years, where she was Assistant General Manager and also their Director of Marketing and Customer Relations. At one time, she was the

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Marketing Manager for the City of Albany. Her accomplishments at these positions are many and include, but are certainly not limited to, brainstorming with local, state, and national government officials, and local people and businesses in order to design innovative plans and bring them into existence relating to her positions at the bank, the city, and the WG&L Commission. Lorie created the mission statement for the WG&L Commission and devised marketing objectives

and strategies using a variety of resources; developed and implemented conservation and weatherization programs; and was their spokesperson with the media. Especially important to her was the ability to direct special events and programs for the City of Albany and the WG&L Commission, including the annual Albany Christmas Parade, HOPE program, Endowment Program for Turner Job Corps and Albany Technical College. On top of all this, Lorie also performed regular administrative duties related to statistical, research, and data at the WG&L Commission. Her list of accomplishments continued, but I wondered if Lorie had any hobbies, and she does. Interior decorating is a favorite past-time, just for herself and her friends and family, using something she enjoys as a labor of love to serve others. She enjoys beading, which is the art of sewing beads onto fabric to create things of beauty. Like many of us, she enjoys reading, writing, and traveling. Lorie adds that she considers it odd that her number one hobby now is gardening, since she’s never been an outdoors person. I asked Lorie what she’s zealous about. She quickly answers that it’s creating a sense of family and making memories. In fact, she adds that she is known as “The Memory Maker.” One thing that fits right into her desire for helping families to make memories is the annual Albany Christmas Parade, held the first Saturday of each December. There is a special gleam that comes to her eyes when she talks about

I asked Lorie what she’s zealous about. She quickly answers that it’s creating a sense of family and making memories. In fact, she adds that she is known as “The Memory Maker.”

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The book includes the love letter to her “Beautiful Boy,” as well as explanations of different stages she went through, including shock and grief. Lorie speaks of different seasons of the year, different holidays, traditions, and much more. She includes blank pages at the end of many of the chapters for people to write their own feelings and how they are handling them. Lorie’s book can be purchased on Amazon.

serving as the director of the annual Christmas parade in Albany. That’s understandable when you realize that she started the Christmas parade in 1990! It’s sort of her “baby.” Of course, that would hold a special place in her heart. However, the most special place in her heart seems to be the place that was filled by the love of her life, Bill Van Linden, her husband for almost 24 years. Theirs was a fairy tale story but, unfortunately, they did not live happily ever after. Bill passed away after a month-long illness and hospitalization. An illness they both thought he would recover from relative quickly…at home… with his wife as his nurse. Instead, on the night of Saturday, October 31, 2015, Lorie’s sister brought her home in a fog, not the kind you fight to drive through, but the kind you fight to live through. She was numb and in shock that the man she loved was gone. Just…gone. Without warning. That night, after she went to bed, she composed a love letter to him and recited it over and over in her head so that she would remember it, but finally arose to write it down for fear of forgetting some part of it. She speaks of getting through the following weeks just drifting through and not really living, appreciative now of every kind thought, word, and deed but unaware of most of them at the time. The shock wouldn’t let her feel. October had been her favorite month, and Saturday had been their special day, just theirs all day. Now there was a stain on both, but hopefully, that would fade.

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At his funeral, her sister read a eulogy and then, at Lorie’s request because she hadn’t the strength to do it herself, read the love letter that Lorie had written to her “Beautiful Boy” the night of his death, entitled “A Love Letter to My Very Own Man-in-the-Moon.” In it she explained that she and Bill had met on a blind date the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, 1990. Just a few weeks later, on New Year’s Eve, he led her by the hand to his kitchen table where he gave her a letter that read: “I ask someone to marry me once in a Blue Moon, will you? P.S. Tonight is an actual ‘Blue Moon.’” He explained that a “Blue Moon” is a rare phenomenon when two full moons occur in one month, and he went on to say that this special night was a “Blue Moon.” They married one year later on December 31, 1991, at 9:00 p.m. It also was a Tuesday. Precision was a particularly outstanding trait of Bill’s. She once asked his help on something and he said, “I have two more minutes of ice cream to eat and then I can help you.” Precision. Something that could be counted on in Bill. It’s been three years now, and Lorie has come to the point in her life where she can feel again. She can breathe again. She can live again, and she wants to share her journey, hoping that maybe she can help people who find themselves in situations similar to hers, perhaps with no words of their own; so she has written a book aptly titled, “Blue Moon Soliloquy – A Workbook for Those Who Grieve.” When she began the book, it was just going to be her story, but as she wrote, she realized that it was becoming a sort of workbook for her readers. The book includes the love letter to her “Beautiful Boy,” as well as explanations of different stages she went through, including shock and grief. Lorie speaks of different seasons of the year, different holidays,

traditions, and much more. She includes blank pages at the end of many of the chapters for people to write their own feelings and how they are handling them. Lorie’s book can be purchased on Amazon. God uses a myriad of situations to help a myriad of people as we walk through our lives. Could it be that He could use something you have experienced? For some people, that could be often; for others, it only happens once in a blue moon.  ALM

Lorie has many stories of meals together, served on real plates and never disposables, at the dining room table and not in front of the television, of meals with many friends and relatives, and although her parents are gone now, of meals that she still provides every Sunday for family and friends “just to start their next week off right.” There are many of us, including myself, who could take a cue from this practice. There is such warmth and a sense of family and belonging when one sits down to a lovely meal with those they love, and for Lorie to perform this act weekly is indeed an act of love, kindness, and dedication.

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Travis Goodson is a busy guy. His job as a police officer with the Albany Police Department (APD) is one of many hats he wears. “Yes, I am a police officer,” he says, “but it is not who I am; it is what I do.” He is also in the U.S. Army National Guard as an infantry officer (read: at the front). He has worked in law enforcement all his adult life, starting as a correctional officer at Lee State Prison. However, it is how Travis approaches his job – and everything else in life – that keeps him so busy. He exudes positive energy and infuses his every encounter with it. Oh, and he says matter-of-factly, “I am going to change the world.” Travis was raised mostly overseas, the son of a career Navy sailor who retired in

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Albany a decade ago, when Travis was 17. Homeschooled, he graduated high school at 16 and went on to attend three colleges: University of Maryland, Central Texas College and Liberty University, from which he graduated at 19 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and behavioral neuroscience. He is now enrolled in a master’s program at Liberty University in neuropsychology. He is working on the degree online; however, he says his clinicals will be onsite at the university in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is married to Caitlin, and they have a twoyear-old daughter, Mila. Travis had been with the APD about a year when he was assigned as a neighborhood resource officer in the McIntosh Homes area,

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a CME, he says, explaining the acronym as “crime, murder and execution.” In short, it is a rough neighborhood. “I think the authorities realized I have the ability to see problems from a managerial position,” Travis says. His tactic was to meet every person in the jurisdiction. “I met with hundreds of businesspersons. There were many issues that needed to be addressed, especially racism. These families truly have a different frame of mind. The kids think they are never going to be anything. We have to change that.” To that end, Travis started taking his guitar on his APD beat. “One day a lady was having a rough day and was crying, so I played her a song. Someone videotaped it, and it went viral.” He started playing his guitar for the kids, playing basketball with them, and helping them with their homework. A couple of years later, Travis was transferred to a downtown beat, taking his guitar along. A videotape of him playing and singing with a guy on a bench went viral, also. Several local news outlets covered the “singing cop,” and Travis found himself getting a lot of attention. (Google Travis Goodson to view these videos and news clips.) “I am picking up where Martin Luther King left off,” Travis asserts. “I know that statement will offend some people. But think how different this world could be if we just love one another.” With that premise, he started the Hug-a-Cop, Change-the-World campaign. It started in Homerun Foods on Dawson Road. “I walked into the store and said to the employees, ‘I am going to change the world, ladies, and I need your help. Will you help me?’ And I gave them each a hug. And I kept doing this around town, and everyone answered ‘yes.’” His Hug-a-Cop initiative landed him on Fox and Friends last April.

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“I am picking up where Martin Luther King left off,” Travis asserts. “I know that statement will offend some people. But think how different this world could be if we just love one another.” With that premise, he started the Hug-a-Cop, Change-the-World campaign. It started in Homerun Foods on Dawson Road.

Hometown Living At Its Best

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“Hug-a-Cop, Change-the-World campaign has gained incredible traction,” Travis says. “People would just give me money, and I bought things that the kids needed and gave it to them.”

“Hug-a-Cop, Change-the-World campaign has gained incredible traction,” Travis says. “People would just give me money, and I bought things that the kids needed and gave it to them.” He spread the love not only throughout the neighborhood. Once he bought pizza for the entire police department to boost morale. His initiative to improve local conditions and to spread positivity won Travis the Albany Area Jefferson Award, an honor that recognizes selfless public service to the community. Travis spends a lot of his time speaking at area high schools. For instance, he has lectured on social change at Deerfield-Windsor School. In July, he was speaking at Dougherty Comprehensive High School and asked the students what they thought was wrong with their school. They responded with “it

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When this story goes to press, Travis will be serving a one-year tour in Afghanistan. The Albany community will miss the singing cop, no doubt. His dream is that the Hug-a-Cop, Change-theWorld initiative will continue to inspire people and spread positivity while he’s away.

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is seen as a bad school.” They wanted to improve its reputation. The kids, along with their new mentor, decided to undertake a community service project. They contacted government officials and arranged to clean up an East Albany neighborhood. “In the July heat, sixty kids spent all day painting houses, picking up trash, and cleaning up yards,” says Travis. “The kids are setting up a civic group at the school and developing new projects. Patrick Williams [16] is the president; I am so proud of him. He has really taken on an advocate role.” Most of Travis’ conversations with others seem to spawn new projects. For instance, when he was talking with friend Jay Sharpe, the latter said he sees a lot of mothers come through the [U-Save-It] pharmacy who need baby car seats. Light bulb flash. “We decided to give mothers and fathers in need car seats,” Travis declares. So he organized a fundraiser, Keep Safe 5k, for September 1 in the 100 block of Pine Avenue in downtown Albany. He partnered with the Albany Exchange Club and Wild Side Running shop. The initial goal was $10,000, which was quickly doubled due to participation. He also organized a seminar to educate the recipients of the car seats on their proper and safe use. Is it any surprise that Travis was nominated for, and won, “Hero of the Month” by Police Magazine? It was a competition conducted via social media and Travis took the top votes for July.

“We decided to give mothers and fathers in need car seats,” Travis declares. So he organized a fundraiser, Keep Safe 5k, for September 1 in the 100 block of Pine Avenue in downtown Albany. He partnered with the Albany Exchange Club and Wild Side Running shop. The initial goal was $10,000, which was quickly doubled due to participation.

And Travis is no stranger to social media. He uploads videos weekly and articles daily to The Good Life People Facebook page. His friend John Tomlinson [of TMG Studios] suggested he host a radio show. “We were talking and saying we’re sick of all the negativity. There are so many amazing things that go on that nobody sees. So John said, ‘You’re on social media anyway, you can do this.’ And now I host a radio show and write articles. We’re taking control of the media.” Another Facebook presence Travis keeps is for his band, If Not Us. He wrote, recorded and helped to produce a CD, “Let’s Talk,” at TMG Studios in Albany. He likes to spread positivity through his music, which he describes as “soul-pop.” His music deals with “diversity, racism, culture, and where we need to be.” When this story goes to press, Travis will be serving a one-year tour in Afghanistan. The Albany community will miss the singing cop, no doubt. His dream is that the Hug-a-Cop, Change-the-World initiative will continue to inspire people and spread positivity while he’s away. And when he returns, who knows what great ideas he’ll run with next!  ALM

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Dr. Jinné Richards grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her mother was a special ed teacher and her father was a dentist. She loved working with her father in the summers and after school. “I always wanted to be a doctor,” she says. “But I knew dentistry wasn’t for me.” A self-described science nerd, Dr. Richards majored in biology at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas and went on to Boston University’s School of Medicine. “Growing up, I was the one there with a bandage when someone got scratched,” she jokes. “I just always wanted to help people. I knew I would go into medicine; there was never a back-up plan in case I didn’t get into med school.” That turned out to be a non-issue. In 2011, Dr. Richards earned a dual degree at Boston: a Doctorate of Medicine and a Master of Public Health. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in 2014. From there, Albany Internal Medicine hired her on full-time. Dr. Richards says patient education is the best part of her work. “I love educating my patients,” she says. “And I am very procedure oriented. Rather than refer my patients to specialists, I first try to see if I can perform the procedure myself and save them a step. I like to take care of things myself.” Dr. Richards is a primary care physician and specializes in women’s health. “I had a lot of gynecological training, and I really liked it,” she adds.

From a young age, Jinné Richards knew she belonged in medicine.

When Dr. Richards is not working you can find her at the gym with her fiancé, Quentavian Reaves, a social studies teacher at Albany Middle School. “We’re definitely gym rats,” she says. Family members introduced the couple three years ago. Dr. Richards’ father is deceased and her mother still lives in St. Croix. She has family in this area, and Quentavian is from Sandersville. “We’d be married by now, by a justice,” she jokes, “but my mother is pushing for a church wedding.” And aside from the gym? “I rush home to see my dogs!” Dr. Richards has a three-year-old American Bulldog, Lola, and nine-month-old Bulldog mix, Leonidas. “I loved him the first time I saw him, but then he had to go back to the vet – he had Parvo.” The puppy survived and brings daily joy to his “momma.” Dr. Richards says she lost her 17-year-old Chihuahua, Achilles, and had to fill the void. “I’m kind of a Greek mythology nerd,” she adds, referring to her dogs’ names. “I work so much that Lola had rickets for a while,” Dr. Richards says. “I would go home at lunchtime to let her out to get some sunlight.” Rickets is a disease caused by lack of vitamin D, which can be remedied with sunlight. In addition to working out and playing with her dogs, Dr. Richards plays the piano. “Not as much as I used to,” she laments. “And it needs tuning. Who does that around here?” So, if you’re a piano tuner – or a prospective new patient – give her a call! She is currently taking new patients.

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Our number one priority in building this hospital is to ensure that our community has a choice when it comes to accessing the local, excellent healthcare you deserve. Area

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Story by Jessica Fellows Photos by David Parks Photography

Addiction. Alcoholism. Two names for the same disease and two words that no one wants any part of…not in their own lives, not in their families, and not with their friends. So many people don’t understand the malady, so they keep mum. They don’t discuss the dangers of it, the inevitable travesties, the lives lost. It’s a terrifying, elusive illness that few have found a solution for, so we tend not to speak of it except in whispers. There do exist, however, a handful of people who are willing to devote their lives to helping others escape the grips of addiction, which is no easy task, for it is a lifelong disease that never goes away; when active, it is terminal. I met several of these altruistic people in the beginning of my own journey to recovery—one in particular, Ms. Peggy Bryant, who has helped countless women, including myself, in our fight for reclaiming our lives from drug and alcohol dependence. Ms. Peggy, and others like her, taught us that carrying the message of recovery is one of the most crucial aspects of staying sober.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ms. Peggy,â&#x20AC;? as she is affectionately deemed by most who know her, is a recovered alcoholic of 33 years. This means that she has not taken any mindaltering substance, including pain medication after two knee replacements, in over three decades. She understands and teaches that any form of drug or alcohol could lead her back down the path of addiction, and like many of us living in recovery, she maintains sobriety on a daily basis. One way she does this is through service work. She is the

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program manager at a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sober living house in Albany called Private Residence, or PR for short. PR houses about 15 girls at one time, and Ms. Peggy sees to it that they keep the house in order, acquire employment in a timely manner, maintain cordial relationships among one another, and above all, re-establish their footing in society after having often burned their professional, social, and/or family lives to the ground. Ms. Peggy is a woman of great strength and patience who is full

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whenever I need to get God on three-way, I know Ms. Peggy will be there to help me. She intuitively knows how to act and react to the difficulties of life without drugs or alcohol despite her living disease; she has taught countless women how to begin to gain that intuition and, more importantly, how to pass it on to others.â&#x20AC;?

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“Get honest with yourself. Depend on God. Listen and take suggestions.” of love for those who, sometimes, have lost the ability to love. She may often be caught “barking” orders or “wagging” a crooked, arthritic finger at one of the girls in the house, but they know, no matter how stern she may come across, she absolutely has their best interest in mind. Rules are often toe-marks that some of the women have never batted an eye at, so Ms. Peggy ensures that they learn how to live following an everyday regimen. For some addicts, this is not the norm and can be a difficult adjustment. Peggy believes that living life on life’s terms and learning a structured way of life is one of the first stepping stones to recovery. Some of the veteran women who have been through PR will tell you the same. Ms. Peggy’s own story begins in Randolph County, Georgia in 1948, where she was born the oldest of eight and raised by her mother and stepfather. At 16, after having enough of an abusive stepfather, she convinced her mother to let her move to New York, where she would get a live-in job as a maid; the other family would pay for her ticket to get there…she told her mama she would be able to send a lot of money back home. The story was true for the most part. She had been trying, unsuccessfully, for a while to get away from her stepfather, but she knew coercing

her mother with a promise of money was a fail-safe for getting up to the Empire State. “That was in 1963,” she says. “I stayed on that job for about 30 days in Long Island with a doctor and his wife and three children. But one of the little boys called me a nigger and spat on me, so I knocked him down the steps. They begged me to stay, but I wouldn’t.” Ms. Peggy needed somewhere to go. Prior to leaving Cuthbert, she had met a man named Vandy, who had gone back to New York to live. He had told her to call him if she was ever there, so at this point, she did. With a chuckle, she tells me, “So I called him. I went to stay with him and got a job the next day. But it took me nine more years to get my own apartment.” Vandy would eventually become the father of her six children, only three of whom are still living. Like any alcoholic, Ms. Peggy’s drinking began (around this time) as a social past-time in New York. We who have the disease never know we have it until we drink. It does something different to our physical and mental states than it does to most people. Some call it an allergy because it affects us so egregiously. We begin drinking to have a good time like anyone else, but the good time eventually turns on us. Drinking slowly becomes a requirement rather than a recreation. We begin to drink more than others, hiding it as best we can, and maybe, eventually, we begin to drink during hours of the day when no one else does. We might begin to drink around the clock. We carry gum and breath mints and possibly wear sunglasses on rough days, or else we just don’t go out. Some of us hold it together

When asked what she would tell someone who is suffering now, Ms. Peggy says, “Get honest with yourself. Depend on God. Listen and take suggestions. For me, I have to believe and trust in God. God is spiritual. I learned that in 1986 because that’s when I started to meet people who had been through the same things as me. I knew there was a God, but I didn’t believe that He would do what people said He would do. Those people taught me how to build a relationship with Him. Today, I couldn’t be where I am without Him, and that’s what I suggest to the ladies here…that they need a power greater than themselves on this journey of recovery.”

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well, carrying out careers, raising children, and maintaining financially, although difficultly; others of us fall apart at the seams and lose everything we own before we can find help to stop—if we don’t die. Ms. Peggy describes her drinking as increasing gradually during her stay in New York. In 1972, she brought her children to Georgia because she didn’t feel like the city was any place to raise them. By 1974, her daughter was born. She says, “My drinking was getting worse. In 1976, Vandy came from New York and took the children back because my alcoholism had gotten out of hand. When they left, it got even worse. In 1977, I went back to

New York and fought for my kids at the height of my drinking. I was able to get them because they were old enough to tell the judge they wanted to be with me. Four were in New York and two were in Boston. I manipulated the situation and got the ones back from Boston, so all my children came back to Georgia with me.” Ms. Peggy knew she had to make a change, but what she realizes now is that no human or earthly power alone could have relieved her addiction. Like many, she tried religion. She says, “I stopped drinking for a year and started going to church, but I didn’t depend on God unless I needed something. I got a job at Bob’s Candy and a nice apartment in East Albany. A friend called

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and said, ‘Let’s go to a party,’ so I went. The third weekend, I gave in and took one drink, and I started all over again. I got even worse. I lost my job and my oldest son left and went to my mama’s. I couldn’t find my second son, and when I eventually did, I learned that his dad had sent him a ticket and he had gone to New York. The other three boys came afterward asking to be taken to the bus station. Someone warned me not to let my daughter go, but I did, and I never saw her again, just like they said. (Our relationship only started eight years ago.) I also went to jail for shoplifting and alcohol. My sentence was a year; I stayed for four months. When I got out of jail, I drank again in 1982.” “In 1984, I went back to New York. My children had called to tell me to come home because their father wasn’t doing well. I was going to go straighten him out and save my children. I got a job, but I don’t know how because I had the shakes so bad. I was always on time, though, because I didn’t want the manager to ask me why I was late. The odor of alcohol on my breath would’ve knocked him down. One day, something came over me. I ran upstairs, told him I was sick and an She takes women under her wing, and she visits the jail on Blalock to speak to the women behind bars about her own experience, in hopes that even one of them will see that long-term recovery is real and the cycle of addiction can be broken. Of her time at PR, she says, “At PR, I help guide the ladies back to getting their lives together, live on life’s terms, cope with problems, get jobs, and build their relationships back with families and children. First of all, they have to take care of themselves. I mentor them while they do that.” 108

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alcoholic, and I cried. It wasn’t me; it was God. From June to January, I was in treatment. Looking back, everyone I needed was in the right place. These people took care of me and told me how to live. I began surrounding myself with people in recovery, and I met a lady who hired me into a treatment center in Manhattan in 1988. I was three years sober at the time. I came back to Georgia in 1992 because I said I was going to open a halfway house, but there was too much paperwork, so I got a job in detox.” From that time on, Ms. Peggy has been a faithful servant in detoxes, treatment centers, and halfway houses in Albany, devoting her life to helping sick and suffering addicts and alcoholics. She has been at Touchstone, when it was on Jefferson; Graceway, an all-women’s recovery home; and Hilltop in Baconton. In 2013, she landed at Private Residence as a volunteer and went full-time in 2015. She takes women under her wing, and she visits the jail on Blalock to speak to the women behind bars about her own experience, in hopes that even one of them will see that long-term recovery is real and the cycle of addiction can be broken. Of her time at PR, she says, “At PR, I help guide the ladies back to getting their lives together, live on life’s terms, cope with problems, get jobs, and build their relationships back with families and children. First of all, they have to take care of themselves. I mentor them while they do that.” When I ask about her formal background, Ms. Peggy replied, “I took classes in New York within the facilities and a few down here, but I have no degree on paper—my degree comes from God.” Knowing anything about the difficulty of working with those who have this disease is knowing that it is a grievous job. It requires watching people suffer, fail, and even die. Ms. Peggy doesn’t offer too much on the ‘whys’ of her commitment; she simply says, “It’s not about the money. It’s about helping others get their lives together. If it was about the money, I would go back to school for computers. I love what I do. The rewards are seeing ladies get their lives together. The disease is deadly, and I believe they need someone who has been through the same thing, who understands their thoughts and their feelings. I think doing what I do, keeps me going.” When asked what she would tell someone who is suffering now, Ms. Peggy says, “Get honest with yourself. Depend on God. Listen and take suggestions. For me, I

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have to believe and trust in God. God is spiritual. I learned that in 1986 because that’s when I started to meet people who had been through the same things as me. I knew there was a God, but I didn’t believe that He would do what people said He would do. Those people taught me how to build a relationship with Him. Today, I couldn’t be where I am without Him, and that’s what I suggest to the ladies here…that they need a power greater than themselves on this journey of recovery.” Knowing that she is still an alcoholic, she says, “I know I can’t take a drink today, I have been around 33 years without a drink, and I know that a drink will kill me. But I have to have an open mind, listen to others, and see that one drink will take me back right where I left off. I attempted to quit a lot of times on my own, but I needed other people and a higher power to get where I am today. If I take a drink today, I’m dead; I truly believe that.” One thing about Ms. Peggy that everyone who knows her recognizes is the tremendous amount of humility she carries around. When I first asked her to share her story, she gave me a firm, “No.” I knew it was because she cares nothing for accolades. Later, she told me she would pray about it, and eventually, she said God led her to agree because it might help someone. That’s all she lives for—helping others. She feels she is repaying those who were there when she was in the same predicament, not understanding her disease and not knowing how to begin to recover from it. Whenever I need to get God on three-way, I know Ms. Peggy will be there to help me. She intuitively knows how to act and react to the difficulties of life without drugs or alcohol despite her living disease; she has taught countless women how to begin to gain that intuition and, more importantly, how to pass it on to others. Amy Pate, living in recovery for over a year under Ms. Peggy’s tutelage, says, “Ms. Peggy did what many tried to do. She broke down my walls and built me back up. But, she would say she didn’t do anything; she was just a vessel for God. I will forever be grateful for this woman. I arrived at PR broken in more ways than one, and she saw right through me and helped me get to the place in life I thought I would never reach. Acceptance was my problem, and she showed me, in her walk, how to find the solution.” Jodie Hanson lived at PR for eight months and has been recovered for over three years. She says, “Ms. Peggy

taught me that recovery is more than putting down the drink or drug. It’s a complete lifestyle change. She taught me to trust blind faith, to trust that God has brought me this far, and that He isn’t going to leave me hanging. That distancing myself from others isn’t selfish, it is survival. To me, she’s the Matriarch of my recovery family. I don’t know if I could have made it this far without her. During my PR days, she got me through some seriously hard days in the beginning. When she tells you she loves you, she means it, even if she just met you. She’s given her life to help people find recovery just like someone did for her, and to me, that’s the ultimate definition of selflessness. She knows when to give you a dose of tough love, but her shoulder is always there if you need it to cry on.” Kathryn Newcomb, who guided my own early sobriety and who has over three years in recovery herself, says, “One of the most profound things I can say about Ms. Peggy is that when she smiles, I see the face of God. It offers me security, comfort, and unconditional love that I have never experienced. What she radiates, what she stands for to everyone who knows her in our community…there are no words. If I could tell someone about the greatest servant leader I know, whether at a personal level, in recovery, or family, it would be her. With Ms. Peggy, it’s always about service and love.” These women allowed me to use their names because they want the citizens of Albany to know that there is a solution right here for alcoholism and addiction. Not discussing the horrors of it, keeping the disease in the dark, and maintaining the taboo, is killing people. Ms. Peggy, and others like her, taught us that carrying the message of recovery is one of the most crucial aspects of staying sober. She also taught us that a higher power of our own understanding is the crux. We believe in following the Matriarch’s feet because she has succeeded for 33 years. If we do what she does, we might get what she’s got; if we are successful as she has been, we might just help a few people escape the grips of despair, just like we were helped in the beginning.  ALM

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Story by Rachel Price Photos by David Parks Photography

United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Charles “Charlie” Peeler, is the top ranking federal law enforcement official for Albany, Valdosta, Columbus, Macon, and Athens. In 1999, he received his J.D., cum laude, from The University of Georgia School of Law. Prior to this, he received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1995, also from The University of Georgia. At first, Mr. Peeler wanted to be a doctor. After interning in a hospital, he quickly learned that was not his calling. Since then, he has pursued a career in law. “Law has always been a passion,” says Mr. Peeler. “I have always liked Science and that is why I chose that as my major. After I decided I didn’t want to go to medical school, I continued with that path of study. I always had it in the back of my mind that I was interested in law.” After graduating, Mr. Peeler spent his first five years working in Atlanta for King & Spalding, an international law firm headquartered in Georgia. He and his family moved to Albany in 2004 where he was a founding partner for a general litigation firm, Flynn Peeler & Phillips. Mr. Peeler was nominated to be U.S. Attorney by President Donald Trump and took his oath of office on November 21, 2017.

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“I was really enjoying private practice, but a couple of years ago I got the ‘itch’ to do something in public service. I wasn’t exactly sure what that was going to be, but this opportunity presented itself. I knew immediately this was something I wanted to do. As the U.S. Attorney, I am responsible for enforcing the federal laws in our district. It is an opportunity to make a huge impact in a large area of the state.” His primary focus is to do what he can alongside his office to reduce violent crime across our district. “The Middle District of Georgia has some wonderful cities like Albany. Unfortunately, the Middle District of Georgia is not immune from the rise in violent crimes that has plagued so many cities across our nation,” says Mr. Peeler. Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime, is designed to curb crime by forming partnerships between Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement to identify, target, arrest, and prosecute the most violent individuals. Since Mr. Peeler took office, homicide is down 10% in the city of Albany. He feels this decline is attributable to the partnership that has been formed between his

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Since Mr. Peeler took office, homicide is down 10% in the city of Albany. He feels this decline is attributable to the partnership that has been formed between his office and Chief Michael Persley (Albany Police Department), District Attorney Greg Edwards (Dougherty Judicial Circuit), Chief Jackie Battle (Dougherty County Police Department) and Sherriff Kevin Sproul (Dougherty County Sheriff).

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office and Chief Michael Persley (Albany Police Department), District Attorney Greg Edwards (Dougherty Judicial Circuit), Chief Jackie Battle (Dougherty County Police Department) and Sherriff Kevin Sproul (Dougherty County Sheriff). Together, they work to identify the “bad actors.” The agencies figure out how they can arrest and prosecute dangerous criminals, with the goal of getting them out of the neighborhoods they are disrupting, for as long as possible. This doesn’t come without challenges. “The challenge is being able to prosecute as quickly as possible,” says Mr. Peeler. “The courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials are extremely busy.” The agencies focus on how to best collectively allocate resources to

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Mr. Peeler takes his job very seriously, especially being appointed for this position by The President of the United States. For the next four years, Mr. Peeler’s primary focus is what needs to be done to best serve the Middle District of Georgia. He aims to do all he can, alongside his office and other officials, to make Southwest Georgia safer and better.

concentrate on the most violent people in the most violent neighborhoods. Mr. Peeler believes once they are removed from a neighborhood or apartment complex, the entire dynamic shifts. Another focus for Mr. Peeler is how the U.S. Attorney’s Office can make a difference in turning the tide of overdose deaths. “Georgia is currently 11th in the Nation in overdose deaths, which is an unacceptably high number,” Mr. Peeler tells me. “Most of those deaths are concentrated in Atlanta and North Georgia, but there is a rising trend all over, including

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in our district.” It starts with the over prescription of opioids when they are not medically necessary. As prescription opioids become harder to obtain, addicts turn to street opiates like heroin. “Our office is focused on a two front war: We prosecute medical professionals who over-prescribe opioids without a legitimate medical need and drug dealers who sell opioids on the streets,” Mr. Peeler explains. “We are going to identify and prosecute these people. There are a lot of great doctors out there who do a tremendous amount of good. We target the few bad actors running pill mills.”

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It is his love for Albany and Southwest Georgia that fuels Mr. Peeler’s passion. “I love Albany,” he tells me. “I feel it is a wonderful place to live, to work, to visit, and to raise a family. It’s got so many great things to offer.” What he enjoys most about his job is the platform he has been given to do his part to let tax-payers know that their Federal Government is working for them, that they are active, and that they are doing the kinds of things that he, as a tax-payer, would want to know about. Things like fighting violent crime, trying to reduce the number of overdose deaths in Georgia, and ending government fraud. “We’re here, we’re active, and I think it’s important for the good guys and the bad guys to know that,” he says. Mr. Peeler takes his job very seriously, especially

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being appointed for this position by The President of the United States. For the next four years, Mr. Peeler’s primary focus is what needs to be done to best serve the Middle District of Georgia. He aims to do all he can, alongside his office and other officials, to make Southwest Georgia safer and better. He believes he was selected as U.S. Attorney because he is doing this job for the right reason, namely to make as big an impact as quickly as possible. And he wants to do this because Albany is a community he loves. “The people are outstanding and the leadership in law enforcement and in the business community are great. I think that it is important for everybody to do their part to let people know that Southwest Georgia is a great place.”  ALM

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Hand in Hand

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The Marine Corps Logistics Base has a qualified liaison in their spousesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; organization, setting the tone for blending and harmonizing with the community.

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Erin Hotalen is the president and Kelly Garcia is the vicepresident and because it has lain dormant for a short time, they are working feverishly to build it into a thing of beauty not only for their fellow officers’ spouses but also for the entire Albany area.

Their excitement was palpable as they talked about something they are both zealous about: The Officers’ Spouses’ Club (OSC) of the Marine Corps Logistics Base. Erin Hotalen is the president and Kelly Garcia is the vice-president and because it has lain dormant for a short time, they are working feverishly to build it into a thing of beauty not only for their fellow officers’ spouses but also for the entire Albany area.

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Erin was born and raised in Ohio and attended Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Georgia. She has been married to Captain Jason Hotalen since 2008, and they have four children. While Erin’s younger son and daughter are not quite school age yet, she homeschools her two older boys, who are into sports and piano. (These two were doing their work at a table not far from where I was sitting and I found it extremely hard not to just get up and nudge their precious little cheeks!) The Hotalens are active in sports and in their church. Born and raised in Texas, Kelly attended Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. She has been married to Captain Andy Garcia since 2006. They have one preschool-age son and one daughter in kindergarten, and a dog. Topping the list of interests for the Garcias are sports, hiking, and church. Kelly is a photographer and says that some of the other spouses in the organization also have small businesses.

The OSC is all about community service and building camaraderie among the service people and their families. Once a month they perform some sort of community service such as attending a local function to help promote it in the area.

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OSC currently has 30-ish members. Their monthly business meetings are held at a different location each month. There are eleven board seats and the membership dues are $20 a year. They do a fun event once a month, and they are hoping to start a quarterly newsletter. Erin and Kelly want to personally invite all officers’ spouses to be a part of this club. Spouses of retired officers are also encouraged to join as they believe this could be a wonderful opportunity to learn from them and to also give them opportunities to use their God-given gifts and talents to serve the community. We chatted briefly about life on the move as opposed to “staying put.” It can be a bit hard to carve out your niche in a new community when you know you’re probably moving on to the next assignment in a few short years, maybe as little as a year and a half. It is especially difficult in small-town America where everybody knows everybody and probably went to school with them. It can be trying to attend a function where you find yourself sitting at a table where you’re the only one who didn’t go to Jane’s wedding and Jim’s funeral. If you’re from several states away that can be an awfully lonely feeling. No pity parties with these two, though! Their aim is to pump as much life and fun into the OSC as they can! I really enjoyed listening to them explain the different events they have been involved with so far and the ones they are planning for the future. The OSC is all about community service and building camaraderie among the service people and their families. Once a month they perform some sort of community service such as attending a local function to help promote it in the area. One of their most recent outings was to the Albany Symphony. They feel that it is important sometimes for them to simply attend area functions and events to help get the word out that they are worthy endeavors. Their belief is that the community should support each other in the various events that take place in the Albany area. They have participated as volunteers at such functions as races at Chehaw Park and also their

Indian Festival. They help distribute bottles of water and assist in registration and the like…anything they can do to help ease the load for the workers and participants. Once a month they provide what is known as “Dinner at the Barracks,” where the single personnel reside. This is a home-cooked meal that brings a little down-home comfort to them as they are sometimes limited as to what foods are available to them. A sandwich here and there and a burger now and then is enjoyable, but a delicious home-cooked meal can bring real satisfaction. The compliments flow when the meal is done. This past Christmas season proved to provide some

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Once a month they provide what is known as “Dinner at the Barracks,” where the single personnel reside. This is a home-cooked meal that brings a little down-home comfort to them as they are sometimes limited as to what foods are available to them. A sandwich here and there and a burger now and then is enjoyable, but a delicious homecooked meal can bring real satisfaction. The compliments flow when the meal is done.

unexpected enjoyment not only for the club members, but also for area nursing homes when the OSC went caroling there for the first time! It turned out to be one of their favorite events of the year and they say they will definitely do it again next Christmas. The residents were delighted and some even followed along behind them, singing as they strolled! Another enjoyable event that OSC participated in was “Empty Bowls,” sponsored by the Albany Area Arts Council and SOWEGA Council on Aging. Tickets were $20 and the public enjoyed soup from area restaurants served in bowls handcrafted by local artists. This past January, Bunco Night proved to be fun for the base, so much so that they have already planned to do it again next year. When I asked what Bunco Night was, I was told it’s just a time to get together and play the dice game Bunco. Sounds simple enough! They said it was a great time to mingle and get to know each other and also served as a fundraiser in preparation for their big event: the annual auction! The auction is held annually sometime within the first quarter of the year, depending

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on when a venue is available and when schedules least conflict so that planning can come together. It is made successful by many factors but especially because of the wonderful items donated for auction. They have a silent auction, to which a hundred items were donated this year, and then there is the live auction where big-ticket items are auctioned off. This can be anything from a Yeti cooler to a week’s vacation at a beach condo! They accept monetary gifts and donations as well as in-kind donations. If you have something you think would qualify as a nice item to donate for the next auction, you may want to consider contacting Erin or Kelly on the club’s website at http://usmcoscalbanyga.webs.com One of the fun aspects of the auction is that each year there’s a different theme. This year was Mardi Gras. A ticket is needed to enter and this includes a catered dinner. Dress is according to the theme. This year was dressy/ cocktail attire and for some that included a Mardi Gras mask! This year’s auction raised approximately $14,000. This is used for scholarships for the military families/spouses and Department of Defense graduates and for community grants. One of the donations they are seeking for the next auction is a venue. Paying for a venue diminishes the amount of money they can raise for scholarships and grants. If you have a venue you think may be suitable and would like to donate its use for the night next year, please contact Erin and Kelly at the website. A point of interest to the public is the fact

This year’s auction raised approximately $14,000. This is used for scholarships for the military families/spouses and Department of Defense graduates and for community grants.

A point of interest to the public is the fact that the Civil Air Patrol was given $2,372 from the 2015 auction for new search and rescue equipment that ended up being used when the tornado hit in January, 2017, so you see that this auction is a very worthy project. One year a grant was given for a Habitat for Humanity house for a widowed veteran’s spouse. Grants are available for non-profit organizations. Please see the website for requirements.

that the Civil Air Patrol was given $2,372 from the 2015 auction for new search and rescue equipment that ended up being used when the tornado hit in January, 2017, so you see that this auction is a very worthy project. One year a grant was given for a Habitat for Humanity house for a widowed veteran’s spouse. Grants are available for non-profit organizations. Please see the website for requirements. The OSC welcomes your thoughts on other suggestions for area events they may help with or functions they could attend to help spread the word about that organization. Contact Erin or Kelly at the website. I am not from a military family, so I know I’m not eligible to benefit from this great organization, but if I were I would certainly not waste any time getting to know this group of people and getting involved with what’s going on in their world! God has really blessed the Albany area by allowing this group to form and “carry on!” This is a private organization. It is not part of the Department of Defense or any of its components, and it has no governmental status. This private organization primarily benefits service members and their families.  ALM

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Story by Kate DeLoach Photos by David Parks Photography Hometown Living At Its Best

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In the early ’80s, Doug and Nancy moved their family to Albany, where Doug worked for an ENT practice for 13 years. In 1996, they opened their own practice, Albany Audiology, in downtown Albany. While Doug goes about the business of helping patients hear better, Nancy is administrator for the office, handling whatever needs to be done. All three of their boys have worked in the business, and Mike and Josh still do. The couple says they feel extremely blessed to have their children work with them. “Growing up as I did,” says Nancy, “I never thought I’d have all this – a man I adore, three awesome sons and daughters-inlaw and seven grandchildren.”

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Doug Lorber’s father moved his family from Montclair, New Jersey, to Israel as a commitment to their Jewish faith. It was just after the Six-Day War, in 1967. Doug was 11, the youngest of five boys. His father and mother, a pharmacist and nurse, respectively, retired their positions and made their home in Herzelia with the intention of it being a permanent move. That wasn’t to be their fate, however, and just before the Yom Kippur War, in 1973, they returned to the States and settled in Richmond, Virginia. Doug graduated from Mary Washington College with a bachelor’s degree in audiology and theater. He went on to earn a master’s in education and audiology from the University of Virginia. While completing his internship in Richmond, Doug met Nancy Elkins, his future wife, who was working for a law firm. Nancy’s neighbor – a handsome, young audiologist – came calling one day, and she

figured he was looking for her sister Sandra, who was living with her. She was mistaken. Doug and Nancy began dating, and 10 months later (after several rejections), Nancy agreed to marry him. The couple raised three sons together, Mike, Todd and Josh. Nancy grew up with her sister Dianne in a Methodist orphanage in Richmond. At 17, the girls met their birth mother, who passed away shortly thereafter. They found out that their mother had sent them letters, which they had never received. Nancy also found out her mother’s surname was Steinberger … she was Jewish. “I finally knew who I was,” Nancy says. She accepted her new faith with Doug easily, and the couple has been active in the synagogue throughout their marriage. In the early ’80s, Doug and Nancy moved their family to Albany, where Doug worked for an ENT practice for 13 years. In 1996, they

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opened their own practice, Albany Audiology, in downtown Albany. While Doug goes about the business of helping patients hear better, Nancy is administrator for the office, handling whatever needs to be done. All three of their boys have worked in the business, and Mike and Josh still do. The couple says they feel extremely blessed to have their children work with them. “Growing up as I did,” says Nancy, “I never thought I’d have all this – a man I adore, three awesome sons and daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.” “It’s very different starting up a business today than when we did,” Doug says. He credits his four older brothers, Charles, David, Jeffrey and Sam on being such great examples. “I have to give Reba Stewart credit,” Nancy adds. “She worked at SunTrust Bank; we went in without any money, and she took a chance on us. We will be forever grateful.” Twelve years ago,

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they moved the practice to their current location at 1502 Third Avenue. It’s the “perfect location,” they concur. In 1996, they opened an office in Americus as well. “Without our patients, supporting physicians and this community,” says Nancy, “we’d have never made it. We are so grateful to them.” “The whole community has been behind us,” Doug adds. Nancy says she loves the seniors who come in. “They have so much wisdom and stories to tell.” She says she loves watching Doug work with his patients and how they react when they can hear. “I like the kids,” Doug says. “It is wonderful to see a kid hear for the first time.” He was offered a job once as a pediatric audiologist in Tennessee, but didn’t want to leave the area and declined it. Doug and Nancy are both involved in Temple B’Nai Israel, a Reform congregation in Albany.

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Doug and Nancy are both involved in Temple Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nai Israel, a Reform congregation in Albany. Doug served a long tenure on the board of directors until recently, and Nancy is in the Sisterhood. They are also involved in numerous community organizations, including Nancy being president of Women in Network. Doug, a 30-year Kiwanian, was awarded the covetous George Hixson Fellowship.

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Doug served a long tenure on the board of directors until recently, and Nancy is in the Sisterhood. They are also involved in numerous community organizations, including Nancy being president of Women in Network. Doug, a 30-year Kiwanian, was awarded the covetous George Hixson Fellowship. Remember that double major in undergrad school? Doug regularly puts his acting talent to use in community theater. He and Nancy had to postpone their honeymoon because he was in a show, they joke. Doug is on the board of directors of Theatre Albany and has performed in 63 plays. He prefers comedies and says his favorite shows were “Talley’s Folly” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” The success of “Talley’s Folly” sent the show and cast to Atlanta. “I guess I like playing old Jewish men,” Doug laughs. He had a small part in the movie “Fled,” produced in 1996 in Atlanta. He spent two days in Atlanta for the filming and

made $60 a day. It still airs on Showtime, he says, and when he pulls it up on the Internet, his face is actually in the scene on screen! Talk about kismet. Doug has also coached Little League for 16 years with his sons, and assist-coaches with his son Todd for his grandson. And if all these activities weren’t enough, Doug went back to college and earned his doctorate at age 50. He completed the coursework online at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. His brother, David, who lives in Arizona, robed him at the graduation ceremony, a very special moment. He gives Nancy credit for nudging him in that direction. “It’s like the quote in that Jack Nicholson movie [“As Good as It Gets”],” says Doug. “‘You make me want to be a better man.’ That’s what Nancy does.” Doug and Nancy embrace the Dougherty-Lee community. They live in Leesburg. “We are proud of the changes in both communities,” Nancy says. “So many people talk negatively about this

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Doug has also coached Little League for 16 years with his sons, and assist-coaches with his son Todd for his grandson. And if all these activities weren’t enough, Doug went back to college and earned his doctorate at age 50. He completed the coursework online at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. His brother, David, who lives in Arizona, robed him at the graduation ceremony, a very special moment. He gives Nancy credit for nudging him in that direction. “It’s like the quote in that Jack Nicholson movie [“As Good as It Gets”],” says Doug. “‘You make me want to be a better man.’ That’s what Nancy does.”

area. But it is growing and it is good for business. We love it here.” She also says she feels blessed that her three children have settled down here with their families. Mike is Albany Audiology’s office manager. He and his wife, Emily, have one daughter, Maddie. Todd used to work for the business but now owns Southpaw Remodeling. He and his wife, Christie, have two boys, Gordon and Garrison. Josh works in the business and soon will be licensed as a hearing aid dispenser. He and his wife, Theresa, own Kayak Attack Adventures downtown and the Snack Shack at Chehaw. They have four children, Savannah, Elijah, Noah and Thea. Doug and Nancy have other “children” as well: Thor, Teddy and Lady, two Chihuahuas and a Rat Terrier. “We always had big dogs,” says Doug, “and when the last one died we said we’d never get another one. It is too painful when they die.” Well, Josh’s family has Chihuahuas, and there was a litter, and they were so cute…. The rat terrier they inherited from Doug’s mother; the little pups keep her a young 14. The main take-away from time spent with the Lorbers is that they are a closeknit clan with an abundance of love for each other – spouses, kids, grandkids, the four-legged members – and their community too.  ALM

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story by

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photos by

David Parks Photography

Albany native Frederick Williams began his career at McGregor Golf in 1980. His father worked there and got him a lucrative position, which he worked diligently for 11 years. “In 1991, the call of the ministry was impressed upon me,” states (now) Bishop Williams. “My wife said, ‘You find your God,’ and she supported the family while I did.” Felicia Jones works in a home health care business, and the couple has six children. “She worked three jobs to let me pursue my goals – a grocery cashier, a retail job and she attended classes at Meadows College.” Bishop Williams quit McGregor Golf and took non-profit seminars at Clark Atlanta University. In 1992, three months after leaving McGregor, he started an interdenominational church in a small

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building on Baldwin Street in Albany that thenMayor Paul Keenan rented to him. He had nine church members. The following year, Bishop Williams bought a building on 8th Street and, in 1995, purchased a structure at 529 10th Avenue, where his church, Gethsemane Worship Center, still sits. In 2002, he built a large sanctuary behind the original building (now used for offices) at 1730 N. Madison Street. “The Center is interdenominational,” says Bishop Williams. “We serve whoever wants to come; we are made up of people of all religions.” He was raised in the Missionary Baptist Church, and says that of the 1,530 parishioners that have joined over the years, approximately 50 percent have been Baptists and the rest a mixture of denominations.

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Bishop Williams’ commitment to Albany has earned him numerous awards and kudos for his leadership roles with volunteer organizations: He received the Outstanding Georgia Citizen award in 2000 by then-Secretary of State Cathy Cox; he was a 2001 graduate of Leadership Albany; he is a member of NAACP and was an honoree for Excellence in Community in 1998; he received the Trailblazer Award from The 100 Black Men of Albany, Inc., in 2010; and he won the Citizen-of-the-Year award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., ETA Omicron Chapter, in 2012.

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“We [the Center] have sprung other pastors,” says Bishop Williams. “At this point, 102 are ministers and 14 have gone on to be pastors. They received a call from God.” The Center offers an Aspiring Ministers class that takes two years to complete; graduates may be called to their own church at that point, or go on to enroll in a theology school to become a pastor. “My motto has always been ‘make this community better,’” says Bishop Williams. “Early on, I was called to a church in Atlanta, but I

wanted to stay here. I am committed to this community.” Bishop Williams’ commitment to Albany has earned him numerous awards and kudos for his leadership roles with volunteer organizations: He received the Outstanding Georgia Citizen award in 2000 by then-Secretary of State Cathy Cox; he was a 2001 graduate of Leadership Albany; he is a member of NAACP and was an honoree for Excellence in Community in 1998; he received the Trailblazer Award from The 100 Black Men of Albany, Inc., in 2010; and he won the Citizen-of-the-Year award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., ETA Omicron Chapter, in 2012. In 2007, Bishop Williams enrolled in North Carolina College of Theology and two years later received the degree of doctor of theology. In 2016, he was formally consecrated to the Sacred Office of the Bishopric. In 2009, the unthinkable happened. “I was leaving a rally at 12:01 a.m. and got a call from the Police Department. My sister had been stabbed to death in her house. A young man forced his way into her house.” A motive was unclear; however, Bishop Williams says the perpetrator had suffered violence in his family. “We [the family] did not want him to get the death penalty; otherwise, he wouldn’t have the possibility of finding Christ. He got life without parole.” Ramifications followed the young man’s family, as well – death threats forced them to move from the area. Bishop Williams’ sister was 58 years old when she died. “I was the baby of seven kids,” he says, “and my sister was like a second mother to me. I was devastated. I had just taken her Christmas shopping. You never think that would happen to your family.” The next month, Bishop Williams brought community leaders together at

In 2007, Bishop Williams enrolled in North Carolina College of Theology and two years later received the degree of doctor of theology. In 2016, he was formally consecrated to the Sacred Office of the Bishopric.

Albany State University to ask, “What can we do?” He named the group Stop the Violence. “The group met Tuesdays at noon and was an avenue for everyone to talk to law enforcement without intimidation. Participants included law enforcement, lawyers, judges, elected officials, leaders in the spiritual and educational communities, and all agencies dealing with any kind of abuse.” The group spawned the “Fall Festival,” which occurs annually in lieu of traditional Halloween activities on October 31. Today, nine years later, the event brings 5,000-to-10,000 people to downtown Albany. There are more than 40 vendors who give out candy. “Stop the Violence has saved lives,” says Bishop Williams. “It has gotten people to turn their lives around. We are involved in elementary, middle and high schools offering mentoring programs.” Bishop Williams has been recognized for the

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In addition to the many boards of directors and committees he serves on in the community, Bishop Williams says, “I wear six hats every day when I get up: 1.) I am chair and CEO of this ministry; 2.) I’m state Bishop for Kingdom Connections Fellowship International; 3.) I am presiding Bishop of the Divine Covenant Fellowship in the USA and Africa; 4.) I’m chairman of Stop the Violence; 5.) I am chairman of the Albany-Dougherty Board of Elections; and 6.) I am CEO of G&W Store and His and Her Accessories.” His daughter runs the stores. In addition, Bishop Williams has travelled extensively to Haiti, Africa, Jamaica and Belize spreading the Gospel in mission work.

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“Stop the Violence has saved lives,” says Bishop Williams. “It has gotten people to turn their lives around. We are involved in elementary, middle and high schools offering mentoring programs.”

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positive work Stop the Violence has done in a multitude of ways: He has received eight Mayoral Proclamations, a Congressional Honor by Rep. Sanford Bishop, Albany’s STRIDE Award, and more. He sees his long list of public recognition as falling into two eras, before 2009 and after. He says, “Before 2009, I was recognized primarily for church growth, youth initiatives and volunteerism; after 2009, I have been

recognized for the work of Stop the Violence. It has truly saved lives.” Bishop Williams says, “The most meaningful award I have received is the Liberty Bell Award.” It is awarded to one individual a year by the Dougherty Circuit Bar Association. He was honored in 2014. Stop the Violence is still a viable, active group meeting twice a month. “We organized to deal with the inner man of man,” says Bishop Williams. “I didn’t think it would be such a movement.” In addition to the many boards of directors and committees he serves on in the community, Bishop Williams says, “I wear six hats every day when I get up: 1.) I am chair and CEO of this ministry; 2.) I’m state Bishop for Kingdom Connections Fellowship International; 3.) I am presiding Bishop of the Divine Covenant Fellowship in the USA and Africa; 4.) I’m chairman of Stop the Violence; 5.) I am chairman of the Albany-Dougherty Board of Elections; and 6.) I am CEO of G&W Store and His and Her Accessories.” His daughter runs the stores. In addition, Bishop Williams has travelled extensively to Haiti, Africa, Jamaica and Belize spreading the Gospel in mission work. So what’s next? “Make the community come first, give back,” Bishop Williams says. “I’ve been approached about running for mayor. ‘We need this type of government,’ they say. No, I want to retire in a few years, travel, set up other organizations. I don’t want to be too old to enjoy retirement. I want to enjoy my four grandchildren – and I hope there’s more!” Slowing down doesn’t seem like it’s in his genes. Stay tuned.  ALM

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We are excited to welcome Dr. Jake Evans & Dr. Scotty Blanchard to our practice.

Dr. Jake Evans is the newest doctor at Dental Partners of Southwest Georgia. Jake was raised in Fitzgerald, GA before attending the University of Georgia and the Dental College of Georgia in Augusta. Jake knew that he wanted to be a dentist from an early age. He always dreamed of working in healthcare and realized that he had a strong desire to work closely with people and his hands. While in Fitzgerald, Jake had an opportunity to work at a dental office as well as a dental lab and fell in love with dentistry. It has been his passion ever since. We are very excited to have Dr. Evans as a part of the Dental Partners family and the wonderful community here in Albany.

Dr. Blanchard was born and raised in Sylvester, GA. From an early age, he knew he wanted to devote his life to improving the lives of others through dentistry. He attended Valdosta State University where he graduated Cum Laude with his Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Dr. Blanchard received his dental training at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry where he graduated in 2017. After graduation, he was thrilled to move back to South Georgia to begin private practice. Dr. Blanchard practiced dentistry in Waycross, Georgia before moving back to Southwest Georgia to begin practice with Dental Partners of Southwest Georgia.

Dr. Evans will be practicing at Dental Parters’ brand new facility at 1725 Dawson Road in Albany. This beautiful and modern office will provide a convenient new location for our Dental Partners patients as well as those who desire to become a part of the Dental Partners family. Now that’s something to smile about!

Dr. Blanchard has a deep passion for cultivating rewarding relationships with each of his patients; “It is an honor to have the opportunity to improve and enrich the lives of each and every one of my patients through dentistry and my sole purpose as a clinician is to provide the absolute best care possible at all times.”

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60 YEARS OF SERVICE

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story courtesy of chehaw

photos by eric s. love

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Park Hours: 8:00am - 7:00 pm Zoo Hours: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

With over 700 acres of pristine, conservation land and a zoo dedicated to education, Chehaw is a unique attraction for South Georgia. Chehaw continues to be devoted to the three areas it was founded on: conservation, preservation and education. From the Zoo to the endless recreational opportunities, Chehaw has an activity for every visitor. Come see what natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground has to offer you.

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Chehaw is driven by its mission of inspiring people to connect with nature and encouraging conservation action through positive recreational and educational experiences. The Park, founded close to eight decades ago, has expanded to an 800 acre campus and includes a Zoo that houses hundreds of animals in naturalistic exhibits and annually hosts over 100,000 visitors.

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Every First Friday of Each Month Cubs Programs are specifically targeted for children ages 3 and 4. Join us in the Zoo with your little one from 9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Cubs Programs are free with Zoo admission, and as always, free for members. These programs are specially tailored to fit the interests and attention span of children ages 3 and 4. Each program includes a hands-on animal experience, a craft, and an animal related story.

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First developed as Chehaw State Park in 1937, the property consisted of 586 acres donated to the state of Georgia by private landowners in Dougherty and Lee Counties. It is enclosed on two sides by a large, clear water bayou formed by the conjoining of the Kinchafoonee and Muckalee Creeks. The property has expanded to nearly 800 acres and consists of moss-covered cypress swamps, hardwood forests, and a well-maintained wiregrass habitat. The park

was named after the Chiha, or Chehaw, a tribe of Creek Indians who lived throughout the property and befriended white settlers. Artifacts such as arrowheads, spearheads, tomahawks, hoes, drill, scrapers, clay pipes and stone celts were commonly found during original park development. Variations in artifact design show the land was used by distinctly different tribes over several hundreds of years.

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Chehaw has a world of opportunity waiting for you! Volunteers play an integral role in providing an exciting and educational experience for visitors to the Park. Whether you wish to share your passion for wildlife conservation with the public, assist with special events, or help out in a more behind-the-scenes capacity, we are sure to find the perfect niche to utilize your talents and time to enhance our guest experience. Now is the perfect time to join the Chehaw team. If you are interested in joining the program, please e-mail your contact information to the volunteer coordinator.

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For more information visit:

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Index of Advertisers

Adams Exterminators ………………...........................…………….. 100 Albany Air Conditioning & Heating Co., Inc. ………….....………….. 74 Albany Area Primary Health Care ……………………………........... 156 Albany Body Works ………………..............................…………….. 169 Albany General Tire …………………..............................………….. 173 Albany Internal Medicine ….......................………………………….. 98 Albany Living Magazine …........................…………………... 128, 189 Albany Mall …………………..........................................………….. 172 Albany Symphony Orchestra …………..................………………….. 87 Albany Technical College ….....................………………………….. 154 Albany Urology Clinic ……………………................................……….. 5 Allergy and Asthma Clinics of Georgia, P.C. ……….. 117, Back Cover Ameris Bank ………………….........................................………….. 170 Ant Hill Photography ……………….............................…………….. 116 Art Sign Company, Inc. ………………...........................…………….. 60 Austin’s Firegrill …………….....................................……………….. 45 Berg Eye Group ……………....................................……………….. 172 Bison Valley Lodge ……...............................……………………….. 153 BJ’s Buffet & Drive Thru …...........................……………………….. 171 Colony Bank ...........................................…………………………….. 56 Concrete Enterprises, LLC ………………….....................………….. 2-3 Custom Interiors …....................................………………………….. 57 D & D Kitchen Center ……………………….......................…….. 22-23 Dental Partners of Southwest Georgia …………………….……….. 170 DJ’s II Car Wash & Quick Lube …………..............………………….. 156 Doublegate Country Club …………….....................……………….. 158 Dougherty Glass Company …...................………………………….. 190 Dunn’s Business Services ………………......................…………….. 99 Duren Paint & Body LLC …….......................……………………….. 157 Eagle Point Professional Building ………………........…………….. 127 Eggs Up Grill ………………........................................…………….. 155 Elements Coffee Co. ………............................…………………….. 143 Farmers Insurance-The Aldridge Agency………............………….. 191 Fast Copy & Blueprint ……………………...................................... 188 First State Bank of Albany ….................………….. Inside Front Cover First State Bank of Leesburg ……………................……………….. 143 Fleming & Riles …......................................………………………….. 42 Flint Community Bank ………………………......................…….. 10-11 Georgia Southern University …...................………………………….. 77 Griffin Lumber & Hardware ……………………..................……….. 142 Harvey Drilling ……………….................................…………….. 28-29 Hinman Pool Supply ….............................………………………….. 187 HopeCity United ….……....................................…………………….. 97 Hutchins Clenney Rumsey Huckaby, P.C. ..……........…………….. 168 Ivey’s ……....................................................……………………….. 169 J Denton Hardie, DMD ………………………............................…….. 75 John Ross Jewelers …………..............................………………….. 125 Kay Fuller Interiors ………………..................................................... 9 Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home ………...............…………………….. 190 Knight’s Apparel ……………..................................……………….. 159 Knight’s Appliances & Mattress …………………...........………….. 158 Lancaster Village ……………..........................……………….. 186-187 Lee County Medical Center …………………..................………….. 101 Lee Power Equipment ……………..........................……………….. 155

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Leesburg Air …………….........................................……………….. 140 Live Naturally ………….............................…………..........……….. 190 Livi & Company ....................................…………………………….. 129 Logic4Design ……….......................................…………………….. 190 Longleaf Dental …………...................................………………….. 168 LRA Constructors, Inc. ………….........................………………….. 140 Medical Associates of Albany ……………………..............……….. 189 Mellow Mushroom .................................…………………………….. 61 Millie Mac Photography …………………….......................……….. 126 Mossy Oak Dental, LLC ………..........................…………………….. 44 MSA …………….................................................……………….. 40-41 Oakland Plantation ……................................……………………….. 85 Oxford Construction Company …………………...............………….. 58 Pellicano Construction ………………........................…………….. 129 Phoebe ………………..................................................…………….. 73 Plantation Collision Center ……..................……………………….. 185 Potter Motor Company …………………………...….. Inside Back Cover Pregnancy Resource Center ………………………...................…….. 46 Pro 1 Collision …………....................................................…...... 157 Pro 1 Sportswear, Inc …...........................………………………….. 141 Railway Freight Furniture ……………………........................……….. 59 Red Roof Inn ………………........................................…………….. 112 Renasant Bank …....................................………………………….. 153 Rental Depot …........................................………………………….. 171 Royal Collection ...................................…………………………….. 139 SafeAire Heating & Cooling ……………...................……………….. 84 Sellers …...................................................………………………….. 43 Shae Foy Photography ……………………….........................…….. 113 SL Sausage Company ………..........................…………………….. 188 Smallcakes …..........................................………………………….. 159 Southern Tractor & Outdoors ………………............…………….. 26-27 Southland Children’s Dentistry ………………………........…….. 24-25 Southwest Georgia Periodontics …...................………….....…….. 86 Southwest Georgia Farm Credit ……………...........……………….. 141 Southwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, LLC ……..............……….. 7 State Farm-Karen Cohilas ……………....................……………….. 142 State Farm-Will Worn ...........................…………………………….. 173 Stewbos …………….................................................……………….. 96 Sunbelt Ford Lincoln …..............................………………………….. 72 The Cookie Shoppe ……………..............................……………….. 191 The Flower Basket …………………................................………….. 185 The Kinnebrew Company ….........................……………………….. 191 The Maze ……….............................................…………………….. 191 The Parlor Salon …………………..................................………….. 139 The Staffing People ……………................................……………….. 76 Turner’s Furniture …….....................................……………………….. 1 U Save It Pharmacy ……………..............................……………….. 154 WALB News ……………..........................................……………….. 114 Watson Spence …...................................………………………….. 138 Wells Fargo Advisors ……….....…………….......................……….. 138 Westover Animal Hospital ………....................…………………….. 157 Wild Side Running …………...............................………………….. 187 Women’s Health Professionals ……………………............……….. 115 Wynfield Plantation …...............................………………………….. 47

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A l l e r g y a n d a s t h m a c l i n i c s o f g e o r g i a , P. C . 229.438.7100 105 Spanish Court ALbany (inside grand island)

When Ms. Peggy tells you she loves you, she means it, even if she just met you.

Be Happy Travis Goodson continues to inspire people and spread positivity through our community and is confident in his effort to change the world.

Hollyanne and Dillon Craft are learning that when you step out in faith, you grow as you go.

Once in a Blue Moon

Lorie Farkas Van Linden shows us how history and life experiences leave indelible marks.

H o m e t o w n L i v i n g at i t s B e s t