Albany Living Magazine - Summer 2018

summer 2018

albany

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

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)

also...

Sharing the Positive Light Yolanda Amadeo wants to make a greater impact helping people.

Adventures of Life Todd and LaDonna Urick learned to follow the things that led them to their calling.

Restoration

Community A Heart for

Grace Harrelson is taking her hobby to new levels and sharing her faith in the process.

Chris and Karen Cohilas’ vision for Albany is one that encompasses hope and endless possibilities.

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

Banking on Southwest Georgia for over a Century

Bringing A Smile To Her Community

Your Hometown Bank

Serving Southwest Georgia since 1903

• 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

At Vanderburg Endodontics we believe in preserving our patient’s teeth and natural oral structures. Visit us and receive care in the most professional, comfortable, and friendly environment in the region. We love to make you smile.

Dr. Vanderburg is one of the most highly trained endodontists in Southwest Georgia.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and continued her studies at the University of Michigan Dental School, where she received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. She then completed General Practice Residency (GPR) training at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York. Later, specific to the field of endodontics, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, where she received a Master of Science degree and Certification in Endodontics.

As a practicing Endodontist in the Washington, D.C. area, Dr. Vanderburg was voted a “Top Endodontist” by Baltimore Magazine. Not only do her patients value her skills as a clinician, but they also enjoy the patient experience provided by her and staff. In her leisure time, Dr. Vanderburg enjoys friends, family, traveling, the arts and classic architecture.

Dr. Vanderburg is a diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics, which is the highest level of certification that can be achieved in the field of endodontics. She is one of the only few Board-Certified endodontists in all of Southwest Georgia.

Come to Vanderburg Endodontics and see why they are considered the premiere endodontic practice of Southwest Georgia.

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1503 W Third Ave Suite B Albany, GA 31707 229.883.5115 vanderburgendo.com

Root canals (tooth pain treatment)| Internal Tooth bleaching |Traumatic Tooth Injury Care

Re-Imagine Your Home From stylish furniture to unique lamps, rugs and accessories, Turner’s has everything you need to decorate your home. Whether you want to re-imagine an entire space or an individual room, Turner’s designers will help create a look you’ll love. www.turnerfurniture.com

1176 US Highway 82 W | 229-432-0766 Mon-Fri 10am-8pm | Sat 10am-6pm

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Supplying all of S.W. Georgia with concrete, stone, brick, block, rock, sand, fill dirt.

Houses built by Chad McDonald and Stacy Greenhill

80 Alb Ph 2

Albany Living Magazine

NEW WOODWORKING DIVISION

Ricky O’Neal Cell: 229-733-9659 Cell: 229-886-3770 Office: 229-317-8051 RONEAL@CONCRETEENTERPRISESLLC.COM

801 Turner Field Road Albany, GA 31705 Phone 229-888-1904

1324 1st Street, NE Moultrie, GA 31768 Phone 229-985-3070

7752 Highway 129 Nashville, GA 31639 Phone 229-686-2031

5620 West Hunt Road Valdosta, GA 31601 Phone 229-245-9977

636 Fussell Road Leesburg, GA 31763 Phone 229-317-8051

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Sharing the Positive Light Even though she is serving her community and keeping us safe with severe weather conditions at times, Yolanda Amadeo believes her true calling is still awaiting her as an extension to this path she is currently on. She wants to make a greater impact helping people.

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Adventures of Life

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Sometimes one thing leads to another in life, and sometimes those things lead you to your calling.

Restoration

Grace Harrelson is taking old, rundown furniture and turning it into fabulous keepsakes, and sharing her faith in the process.

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Dog Days of Southwest Georgia

One thing is certain – if you want to own or to handle a champion pointing dog, you will spend a lot of time here in Southwest Georgia, the pointing dog capital of the country!

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About the Cover

Albany Living magazine

The cover photo is of Chris and Karen Cohilas. See how they balance family and community on page 108. Photo by David Parks Photography.

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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

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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

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Peanut’s Friends

Maria Burley envisioned a network where people who lost pets and people who found pets could communicate.

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The Circle of Life

Linda Harris has a heart that is unmerited, and she is a spring of light and hope in a part of the community where much has been lost.

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Busy Bikers and the Open Road

The Albany club, founded in the late 1970’s, has taken cycling seriously since the beginning.

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A Heart for Community Chris and Karen Cohilas’ vision for Albany is one that encompasses hope and endless possibilities for this small, big town that we all call home.

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The Next Level

After interviewing with top Albany Fire Department staff, fitness trainer Kris Morrill was tapped to institute and manage a Wellness Program for the department.

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Gifted Ones

Jimon Cutliff is raising awareness for autism through his passionate love for his little brother Justin and is making a difference.

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Perfectly Imperfect

Donna Trull has created a life of almost 30 years pursuing art in many forms.

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SOUTHWEST ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURERY, LLC -

Dr. Brad Harris, Board Certified Oral Surgeon

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.

DENTAL EXTRACTION | GENERAL ANESTHESIA | DENTAL IMPLANTS FACIAL TRAUMA | WISDOM TEETH SERVING ALL OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AND BEYOND! 620 Pointe North Blvd. | Albany, GA 31721

229.878.3610

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

In this amazing world of technology and advancement, it can be so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind around us. We can look around us and buy into the comparison trap of not being enough, not having enough, or not doing enough. This headspace can have the power to shift our focus away from what truly matters. At the end of the day, all that really matters is those around us knowing they are loved.

This summer issue is packed full of countless stories of people who choose love, family and community to hold close and share with this beautiful city. You will find passion and substance in reading about Linda Harris who is changing lives of young people at the community center.

Also shared is the emotional path that led Maria Burley to reuniting family pets with their loved ones. The Urick family, Jimon Cutliff, Yolanda Amadeo, the Cohilas family...the list goes on with these hearts and souls that are making a difference in lives and showing those around them how much they care and are loved.

O f f i c e m a n ag e r Julie Braly

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

Chris Mathan

David Parks Photography

Millie Mac Photography

Shae Foy Photography Shannan Blanchard Photography

Life is an amazing adventure and one that can pass by so quickly. As they say, the days are long and the years are short. May we all take these lessons to heart and gently remind ourselves that we ARE enough, we HAVE enough and when we feel that peace, we then have the energy to turn to our family and community and pour out the love on those around us that this world is so hungry for.

As we all continue to walk this path together, hand in hand, we hope you know Albany how much we LOVE each one of you and treasure our friendship. Please continue to show love and support to all of our incredible advertisers who so graciously make this magazine available to you at no charge. Your complimentary copies are available at each business listed on page 184.

Sa l e s Keisha Cory

Wishing you the best memories made this summer and throughout!

View our magazines FREE online at:

www.withyouinmindpublications.com

C ov e r P h oto Chris and Karen Cohilas,

Photo by David Parks Photography

Patti Martin

Landon Spivey

Contributing

Wri te r s Jessica Fellows

June B. Anderson

Kate Deloach

Keisha Cory

Sherri Martin

Like us on Facebook!

From our family to yours,

With You In Mind Publications Sales: (912) 293-5900 Email: landonspivey.wyim@gmail.com 8

albany Living magazine

Albany Living MagazineŠ 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.

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KITCHEN CENTER Custom Built Cabinets Residential & Commercial (229) 883-8687 | www.danddkitchens.org 604 N. Washington St. | Albany, GA 31701

Hometown Living At Its Best

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story by

Keisha Cory

photos by

David Parks Photography

Growing up in Albany, WALB News was a way of life in my childhood home. Whether we were fully engaged watching in the family room or it was the background sound to our coming and going, WALB was our daily source of local news and weather. In the Summer of 1995, while attending a local college and still living at home, I distinctly remember the sound of a new voice resonating through the house on the evening news. It captured my attention and I purposefully looked to discover the face of the voice.

That was when I remember seeing WALB’s brand new Chief Meteorologist Yolanda Amadeo for the first time. This voice became a dependable part of our days throughout the years, and continues on to this day. After moving away for career related reasons for 15 years, I was happy upon my return to Albany to hear this familiar voice filling my home just as it did my parents.

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Dressed in a jogging suit and a ball cap on the first half of a typical day, I recognized Yolanda’s bright smile as she was coming through the doors of the local Wild Flour Cafe. I had been waiting for her arrival and the privilege of getting acquainted with the journalist I’ve only seen on a TV screen. When Yolanda walked in the room, she captured the attention of many who were present. It was obvious to me that a hometown hero was among us. With her service to our community she is greatly admired and loved.

Yolanda’s first job was in broadcasting in Columbus, Georgia at the NBC station. While she was there she was recruited by Red Stone Arsenal, a military base, for a government job in Huntsville, Alabama. Hired as a technical writer Yolanda found the job interesting despite the lack of creativity in her position. Part of her experience at RSA actually allowed her to work on the optical vision of the Apache Helicopter. She was responsible for the manuals the soldiers used in the fields to troubleshoot that helicopter.

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Upon research on the statistics of individuals in Meteorology, I found out that only 8% are women!

And for a female Meteorologist to be African American, that’s less than 2%. With that being said, Yolanda is more than a Chief Meteorologist, she is a natural born leader.

Through this venture, Yolanda realized she wasn’t doing what she really wanted to be doing.

The deeper longing of her heart was becoming louder and leading her to pursue what she’d always wanted to become, a scientist. What stood out to her was that she was surrounded by scientists! I don’t believe in coincidences. In fact, I believe our steps are ordered! I can look back over many seasons of my own personal life and see how my journey was shaped by the influence of people around me. Yolanda expressed many times in our conversation that what kept her from becoming a scientist was her fear of taking math and science. Her major was communications and she minored in journalism/ marketing. Yet, here she is in Alabama, where NASA is, where the University of Alabama is, 18

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and all sorts of logistics companies, and she feels like the clues are revealing her next steps. After a year passed Yolanda realized it was time to make a decision. She picked up the phone and called her friend Janice Huff, Chief Meteorologist at WNBC in New York. She met Janice while working as a news reporter in Columbus. While Yolanda was working for NBC, Janice was also in Columbus working as the first meteorologist for CBS. Yolanda’s deep admiration for Janice prompted a call that would essentially lead her to her destiny. Yolanda asked Janice if she thought she could go back to school and do Meteorology.

Janice said three words that anyone would want to hear a supportive friend say in life altering decisions, “go for it!”

Yolanda began looking into courses that

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were necessary to further her career. Calculus and Physics would be the deciding factor on her moving forward into becoming a Meteorologist. If she did well in those classes she would know what to do. To her surprise, she succeeded in math and science beyond her expectations!

Yolanda then headed to Jackson State in Jackson, Mississippi and enrolled full-time as a student in the Meteorology program. When she finished the program she did a year of research at Berkley. It was after this that Yolanda called the first station she worked for as a reporter, in Columbus, Georgia, to allow her to make a demo

tape to send out for resumes. Since they knew she was a great reporter, they offered her a job to fill-in during other employees’ vacation time. This would allow her to work while searching for a job as a Meteorologist.

Meanwhile, an opportunity opened up for Yolanda as a Campaign Manager for Congressman Bishop for his first campaign. He offered her a job in Washington but she made the decision that she had gone too far in school to not wait for the opportunity in Meteorology. Even though she declined the offer, with the understanding that she didn’t have a job, he kept her on payroll. For

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a few months she looked for a job and in June of 95, a position came available right here in Albany, Georgia, Yolanda became our Chief Meteorologist.

Upon research on the statistics of individuals in Meteorology, I found out that only 8% are women!

And for a female Meteorologist to be African American, that’s less than 2%. With that being said, Yolanda is more than a Chief Meteorologist; she is a natural born leader.

Even though she is serving our community and keeping us safe with severe weather conditions at times, she believes her true calling is still awaiting her as an extension to this path she is currently on. She wants to make a greater impact helping people.

Yolanda is such a positive light in Albany.

Whether it’s a smile or a friendly “how are you” she feels it’s important for everyone to know that someone cares about them. She loves Albany and the people that live here. She is hoping for Albany to flourish and become everything it can be. In the midst of her busy schedule, Yolanda still makes time to visit schools to encourage the youth. Her firm belief is that you must believe in yourself or no one else will. If she were sitting with you today as she was with me over coffee, she would say, “if you have a dream, don’t give up!”  ALM

Yolanda is such a positive light in Albany.

Whether it’s a smile or a friendly “how are you” she feels it’s important for everyone to know that someone cares about them. She loves Albany and the people that live here. She is hoping for Albany to flourish and become everything it can be.

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Magic

Working His on the smallest of patients

Pediatric dentist Dr. Ron Fields found a love for working with children early in his career.

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Pediatric dentist Dr. Ron Fields says, “I became a dentist so I could be a farmer.” The McRae native loved the summers and weekends he spent as a child on his grandparents’ farm in Telfair County, Ga. Dr. Fields, a 2003 graduate, played baseball, football and tennis in high school. After a year of college, he did something that had a profound impact on him – he spent two years as a missionary in England with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

“It was such a wonderful time,” Dr. Fields says of his time in England. “At a time when it would have been easy to focus only on myself, I had the opportunity to focus on helping others.”

Upon returning to the States, Dr. Fields attended South Georgia College (SGC) where he met his future wife, Jessi

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Gray. Jessi was a chemistry major and later earned a Masters of Physician Assistant degree. “Jessi is the brains in our family; she could do anything she wanted.” Currently, she is opting to stay home with their three-year-old son, William.

Dr. Fields has always shown a penchant for leadership. He was a class senator at SGC; later, while attending UGA, he was president of the Pre-Dental Club; and at Valdosta State University (VSU) he founded the Dental Club. He graduated from VSU in 2009 and enrolled in the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), where he earned his Doctorate of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) in 2014. He also completed his pediatric specialty training through MCG where he had the opportunity to train at three of Georgia’s children’s hospitals: Scottish Rite, Egelston and the Children’s Hospital at MCG.

A New Opportunity A business opportunity presented itself when Dr. Samples decided to leave Albany. The two college friends took the opportunity and Southland Children’s Dentistry was born. Dr. Fields began working in the practice in July 2016, and Dr. Sellers joined him the following summer after completing his residency.

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

Dr. Fields met his business partner, Dr. Ken Sellers, at dental school. The two also trained together during their pediatric residencies. Both wanted to return home to South Georgia to practice and so they decided to join forces as they started their career.

A business opportunity presented itself when Dr. Samples decided to leave Albany. The two college friends took the opportunity and Southland Children’s Dentistry was born. Dr. Fields began working in the practice in July 2016, and Dr. Sellers joined him the following summer after completing his residency.

His favorite thing regarding his profession, says Dr. Fields, is “Being able to take a really stressful situation and make it enjoyable – or at least, much less stressful. Sometimes it takes several visits, but our patients come to trust us.” Dr. Fields pointed out that they have adopted and developed techniques to complete fillings without injections, in most cases, which makes procedures much easier for children.

“My dentist and mentor, Dr. Mike Knight, encouraged me to work with kids. As I started shadowing pediatric dentists, I realized I enjoyed it more than anything else I was doing,” says Dr. Fields.

When he isn’t working his magic on small patients, Dr. Fields is hunting, fishing or spending time with Jessi and William. “Jessi and I agree that William is the best decision we’ve ever made.”

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Albany Living Magazine

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Sometimes one thing leads to another in life, and sometimes those things lead you to your calling.

When you first meet LaDonna and Todd Urick, you’re immediately put at ease by her winning smile and his laid-back demeanor. Conversation with them is relaxed and easy and you get to know them quickly. They’re the kind of people you could spend all day just chatting away with and then wonder where the time went. What is more remarkable is how they can maintain their calm dispositions with all they have on their plates!

LaDonna was born and raised in Albany, and Todd was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but moved with his family to Albany when he was five years old. They met at a football game in 1994 at Westover High School where Todd graduated in 1993 and LaDonna in 1996. They married in 1999 and celebrated their 19th anniversary this June. LaDonna and Todd attended Darton College, but Todd later moved to the University of Georgia where he majored in marketing. They have two beautiful daughters, sixteen-year-old Emma and thirteen-year-old Lily, who will be a sophomore and eighth-grader, respectively, at Deerfield this fall.

They have two beautiful daughters, sixteenyear-old Emma and thirteen-year-old Lily, who will be a sophomore and eighth-grader, respectively, at Deerfield this fall.

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Like most families, they love spending as much time together as they can, just hanging out and laughing…A LOT! However, their favorite family time is spent traveling! Their last trip to New York City was the first trip there for the girls and they loved it. The Uricks feel particularly blessed to have been able to travel so much, including a season living abroad as a family. When they’re not journeying to fun and beautiful places, they treasure having down time together. Of course, the girls have their VERY favorite things to do. Emma’s is shopping and Lily’s is working out or vegging with the family watching movies.

As far as their hobbies are concerned, those are busy times, too! They like to take a long vacation at least once a year to a new and exciting city, such as San Francisco to visit family or Los Angeles to visit her brother, Phillip Phillips, during the filming of American Idol. An annual visit to see their extended Eleuthera family is fun, and recently LaDonna and Todd were able to visit Costa Rica on a “just-the-two-of-us” trip. LaDonna loves

Serving the Community In 2008, a new and exciting way to serve the community began at the Urick kitchen counter.

With the marketing knowledge gleaned from owning and operating their small businesses and growing them into something larger, what began as a cottage mission has snowballed into a non-profit called Mission Change!

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The Uricks feel particularly blessed to have been able to travel so much, including a season living abroad as a family. When they’re not journeying to fun and beautiful places, they treasure having down time together. Of course, the girls have their VERY favorite things to do.

Emma’s is shopping and Lily’s is working out or vegging with the family watching movies.

hanging out with family, attending her Barre class at 229 Yoga, and singing and leading worship.

Todd loves the outdoors, being with family, and creating memories through the many facets of his film making, including capturing weddings, local stories of triumph, and special moments with people serving their community. Sounds like a busy family, but “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

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When asked about their business they laugh and say, “Which one?!” They have a couple of businesses and also a non-profit entity. The story of how they became such entrepreneurs begins right after their marriage. They were living in Atlanta and came home to Albany to visit family. A friend of Todd’s family had a lawn maintenance business for sale and LaDonna and Todd mused that it would be a

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The Uricks say that Albany has come together to help make things happen.

They say, too, that it’s been an amazing experience for their family and everyone who has been associated with Mission Change over the years. You may want to know more about Mission Change. If so, please visit their website at www.missionchange.com.

good opportunity for them. They soon moved back to Albany and bought the company. Lawnscapes, Inc., began with a mere fifteen clients, but Todd’s impeccable customer service and marketing strategies saw it bloom into a business of 135 clients within eight years.

LaDonna began working at a local bank about this time as the Human Resources Director and also as head of the Marketing Department, gleaning much from her involvement in the large company that allowed its employees to thrive and showcase the bank’s community offerings. They even won several awards during her season of employment.

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The experience and knowledge gained there would prove useful later in their lives.

While Todd was operating his business, LaDonna bought The Clay Spot, a place for painting pottery, when Lily was about two months old. Emma’s and Lily’s hands and feet were just the right size for marketing The Clay Spot! Itty-bitty hands and itty-bitty feet make for perfectly sized itty-bitty clay figures just right for painting! LaDonna also made hand-painted necklaces to sell in the studio for customers requiring a quick last-minute gift.

In 2008, a new and exciting way to serve the community began at the Urick kitchen counter. With the marketing knowledge gleaned from owning and operating their small businesses and growing them into something larger, what began as a cottage mission has snowballed into a non-profit called Mission Change!

It exists to serve a variety of people with a variety of needs. Early on, the Uricks discovered the particularly pressing need of Easton Blanchard, a little boy who needed a small intestine transplant, and Mission Change was able to provide more than $10,000 for his medical expenses! Those hand-painted necklaces LaDonna made and sold in her studio helped provide funds for that. Word got out and Albany wanted to help. This whet the community’s appetite for serving and helping, and people started asking, “What’s next???”

The Uricks discovered that people just want to help, and ten years later Mission Change has served many people in many ways from providing food, clothing, and housing, to working with the homeless, providing The Village, an after-school place for impoverished children, helping with storm relief, and assisting teachers and students in the school system. They also sponsor Monthly Missions where each month a different need is highlighted and volunteers are contacted to help meet that need in categories such as building with Habitat for Humanity, handing out food at the Food Bank, performing maintenance at a women and children’s shelter, or just hanging out with kids on a fun-filled Saturday. The Uricks say that Albany has

come together to help make things happen. They say, too, that it’s been an amazing experience for their family and everyone who has been associated with Mission Change over the years. You may want to know more about Mission Change. If so, please visit their website at www.missionchange.com.

The website is loaded with information and great pictures as well as their contact information, list of partners, and ways to donate or volunteer. You can read more about Easton Blanchard there, too.

Evidently, the mission and service bug bit pretty hard, because in 2008, Todd sold Lawnscapes, Inc., and in 2009 LaDonna sold The Clay Spot so that they could move their family to a little island in The Bahamas called Eleuthera in order to do mission work for a little over a year. It was sad to sell the businesses they’d had for several years, but they

say it was a God moment when they knew they needed to move. They were headed off for their next adventure, children in tow. They worked voluntarily with Bahamas Methodist Habitat building new homes, providing electricity to families who had never had electricity in their lives, renovated homes that were hit by hurricanes or other natural disasters, and relished every moment of becoming a part of a family that would change the lives of all four of them forever. LaDonna was the Volunteer Coordinator and assisted with the organization’s marketing for teams to join them year-round.

Todd was the Finance Coordinator and the “everything-in-between” man. The girls attended public island school and felt right at home. They enjoyed their time in the islands

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and when their time was up, around 2010 they returned to the states and continued dealing with the growth of Mission Change.

In 2012, Todd began work at First United Methodist Church downtown as their Missions Director. They discovered his film skills and asked him to be in charge of their media which he graciously agreed to do, filming church events and announcements for the worship services. All the while they were continuing the management of growth activities with Mission Change. It was around this time that a couple asked him to film their wedding. Even though Mission Change consumed much of their time, and Todd was forever filming the next video to keep folks updated as to volunteer opportunities, they accepted the challenge and he began filming weddings. Thus, Todd Urick Films was born. Apparently, he provides a quality product because brides sometimes book him early on before planning the rest of their wedding!

The film business grew and Todd’s younger brother, Bret, an English major with expertise in website development and graphics, was brought in and Relative Media & Marketing was formed.

The company presents clients with a full range of services so that if a bit of help is needed in certain areas, like websites, graphic design, branding, digital and social media marketing, and film production, they are poised to help.

With three relatives in business together, how could they NOT name it “Relative Media & Marketing?”

They have a particular zeal for seeing others reach a goal, whether a personal goal or through business or extra-curricular activities. They love to help by promoting people and businesses when they know they treat others well and have something substantial to offer the community.

They are partial to smiles! Whether from their children when they’ve brought home an “A” or have made the cut for a team they tried out

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for, or from businesses growing and owners seeing progress with their clientele. Particularly satisfying are the smiles they receive from recipients of assistance from Mission Change.

The Uricks have learned much from being business owners and running a non-profit. They quote C. G. Jung’s, “You are what you do, not what you say you will do,” as they say that integrity is a major part of their belief system and has played a huge part in their lives from their first business straight through to their current endeavors including Mission Change.

They believe that has been a large part of what has made them successful. There is a Bible passage that addresses this perfectly. It is Jesus’s Parable of the Two Sons in Matthew 21, verses 28-32.

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”

God-given gifts and talents should be used, not stored on a shelf, and the Uricks are busy proving that every day!  ALM

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Restoration

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Stor y by Sherri Martin

Photos by David Parks Photography

Grace Harrelson is taking old, rundown furniture and turning it into fabulous keepsakes, and sharing her faith in the process.

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Sculptors take a block of stone and see a piece of art hidden inside. Potters look at a lump of clay and see a beautiful vase.

Designers hold a piece of fabric and envision a ball gown. These artists take raw material and turn it into a wonderful creation.

Grace Harrelson does not start with a clean slate. Instead, she starts with the discarded, the used, the battered and worn. Yet she still sees beauty; she sees what can be. In doing so, she has created a business that helps spread her faith in a Savior who turns wretches into beautiful lives.

Her hobby turned business actually started on a whim a little over two years ago. “It started out as sort of a stress-relief,” she says.

“I walked into an antique store because I was bored and thought, ‘I bet I could paint that.’ I never thought it would be a business.”

Grace Harrelson does not start with a clean slate.

Instead, she starts with the discarded, the used, the battered and worn. Yet she still sees beauty; she sees what can be. In doing so, she has created a business that helps spread her faith in a Savior who turns wretches into beautiful lives.

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“That” was a table that someone had made using an old door. “I slapped some paint on it and got some sandpaper and distressed it,” Grace explains. From that point, she found that she could look at old pieces of furniture and see how to give them a new look and a new life, one that is up-to-date and more modern. This current look is achieved through paint and finishing techniques, such as chalk paint and distressing, that bring out the design of the piece while covering any flaws.

“Usually as soon as I see a piece, a vision pops in my head for it,” she adds. Her touch with design comes with no training, and no previous interest in interior design. “My mom has always been creative so that helped,” she explains.

After she completed her first piece, she posted it on a “swap and shop” page on Facebook and

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got some attention for it. She created her own page to showcase what she was doing, and before long had 800 followers. She came up with a name for her business, Drab 2 Fab, and bases her whole concept on a Bible verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV. “At first, we were broken and sinful, and Jesus came and made us a new creation,” she explains. “I’m taking this broken, dirty piece of furniture and fixing it up and giving it new life and a new home.”

Her parents, Brent and Hope Harrelson, have been influential in helping her become a business owner at the age of 19. Because she was homeschooled, she says, “I was around my parents a lot, and my dad owns a business. He has helped me figure it out. I also got a good education, and have always been a self-starter. My mom never had to push me; I set my own schedule.”

That schedule now includes taking online courses to learn more about design,

Her favorite furniture style is French Provincial and she has a love for neutrals, but she tries to match her customers’ own styles, and has even begun doing home consultations to try to better get a feel for what people want.

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After she completed her first piece, she posted it on a “swap and shop” page on Facebook and got some attention for it. She created her own page to showcase what she was doing, and before long had 800 followers. She came up with a name for her business, Drab 2 Fab, and bases her whole concept on a Bible verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV.

marketing and owning a business. “I’m all about wanting to learn more. It is more intense than I thought to own a business,” she adds.

Also intense is running a business while going to college full time. Grace is studying at Albany State to become a physical therapy assistant. It would seem she has a heart for restoration. “I love to see people progress in therapy,” she explains. “It’s very rewarding.”

She works on furniture “in between studying times and on weekends.” She finds many of her pieces through more swap and shop social media places and at the Habitat for Humanity Restore shop. Also, family and friends will give her pieces they no longer want or need.

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“My parents’ house is full of my furniture,” she laughs. “They let me turn our house into ‘Drab 2 Fab Inc.’” She has set up a complete staging area in the dining room for her completed pieces, in order to show them off in the best possible way, so her customers can better envision what a certain piece of furniture would look like in their own home. Some of her smaller pieces are also for sale at Livi & Company on Ledo Road.

Her fiancé, Seth Hanniford, helps with any needed repairs, and he and her father are big helps when it comes to moving the furniture pieces. Her whole family, including younger sister Randi, has been very supportive of her venture.

And it would appear that she is building a supportive customer base. “A bunch of stuff I do is custom work. People bring me their pieces, sometimes heirloom pieces,” she says.

“I have a lot of repeat customers.”

Her favorite furniture style is French Provincial and she has a love for neutrals, but she tries to match her customers’ own styles, and has even begun doing home consultations to try to better get a feel for what people want.

She also stresses that restoring a piece of furniture, whether one someone already owns or one they have bought used, usually saves money. “It’s cheaper than buying all new furniture especially if you bring a piece to me,” she says.

Grace shares that Drab 2 Fab has a higher purpose. “I want to make sure I keep Jesus at the top, because my main thing is to share the Gospel,” she says.

“Painting furniture is just a bonus.”  ALM

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Story by Kate Deloach

Photos by Chris Mathan

South Georgia photographer Chris Mathan specializes in bird dogs, field trials and outdoor images.

Visit chrismathansportingdogs.com

Arguably, Southwest Georgia has gone to the dogs. There are more field trial champions (dogs) and world-class dog handlers from this area than any other in the nation.

For the uninitiated, field trials are competitions that showcase a dog’s ability to perform, in the field, the functions for which it was bred.

Field trials exist for pointing breeds, retrievers, spaniels and other breeds. Each type of event

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SHOWN Jamie Daniels. Jamie was the 2017 Dixie Trace Field Trial Association’s (DTFTA) All-age Handler of the Year, and a dog he trains (Dominator’s Rebel Heir, owned by Jim Hamilton) was named DTFTA High Point Dog of the Year. DTFTA is an association consisting of 11 clubs in the Southeastern U.S.

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BELOW Luke Eisenhart. Lee County resident and professional dog handler Luke Eisenhart, originally from Glenville, Penn., has won the Purina Top Field Trial Handler of the Year award seven times. In 2017, a dog he trains (Dunn’s Tried ’N True, owned by Will and Rita Dunn), won the Top Dog of the Year.

“The hardest thing about being a handler is being away from my family so much,” says Luke. Handlers travel all over the region to enter trials and earn points and placements.

And they all spend a couple of months in the summer in Canada or North Dakota training dogs. “The best part is that I love what I do. I started field trialing when I was nine.”

varies according to the breed’s function, but in each case the dogs compete against each other for placements and points toward their championships. There are Open Stakes, in which both professionals and amateurs may compete, and there are Amateur Stakes. Amateurs cannot receive money for training or handling dogs other than their own; they may become millionaires with their own dogs (good luck!), they just cannot 62

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work with someone else’s dogs.

Because of the abundance of bobwhite quail in this region and the wiregrass habitat in which the birds thrive, the pointing dog trials are perhaps the most popular type of dog trials in Southwest Georgia – and what are highlighted here.

The Trial So what does all this pointing dog field trial business look like?

During a trial, also called a stake, two dogs are put on the ground at a time to run for thirty minutes to three hours, depending on the type

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and level of trial. This time period is called a brace. Each dog has a handler who may walk or ride on horseback, again depending on the type of trial, and the handler may opt to have one scout to help out. The dogs run a designated course, pointing coveys of quail, and are judged on various factors, from how many coveys they find, to how well they obey their handler, to whether and how well they “honor” the other dog’s point, to their appearance, steadfastness, etc. There are two judges – one to follow each handler should they become separated.

LEFT Tommy Davis. Many Southwest Georgia handlers have won the National Championship, some multiple times, including area natives Robin Gates, Rick Furney, Fred Rayl and Tommy Davis.

Tommy was inducted into the National Field Trial Hall of Fame last year.

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The judges always ride up front with the handlers generally farther in front, as the dogs cover ground left to right (called hacking). Scouts ride to the sides and back of the judges, helping to keep the dog on course.

In trials on horseback, which are most popular in this region, the handler dismounts to handle the dog and to fire the gun. Scouts are not allowed to handle the dog. Blanks are used in the gun, and birds are not killed. When a covey is flushed, the handler shoots one shot to exhibit that the dog is “steady to wing and shot” (i.e., doesn’t freak out!).

Electronic training collars, though widely used in training, are not allowed on dogs during field trials.

Judges and field trial clubs can Pointing dog field trials are popular in the Southeastern United States for three reasons: the mild climate, the ideal habitat for birds and the abundance of large tracts of land on which to conduct the trials, i.e. plantations. And Southwest Georgia has produced more than its share of National Field Trial Champions too – more than a dozen over the last 40 years.

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approve the use of electronic tracking collars; however, once a handler uses the tracker, his or her dog is eliminated from the competition. (Read: the dog is lost!)

People who come to the field trial to observe make up what is called the gallery. There are often marshals whose job it is to regulate the gallery, to keep everyone on course and to assist the judges as needed.

A Case in Point The first pointing dog field trial came to the United States in 1924, although other types of dog trials date back to 1884. In the pointing dog trials

the following breeds are allowed: Brittany, English setter, German shorthaired pointer, German wirehaired pointer, Gordon setter, Irish setter, pointer, Spinone Italiano, vizsla, Weimaraner and wirehaired pointing griffon. Perhaps because of the intense heat in the Southwest Georgia region, the shorter-haired breeds such as the pointer and German shorthaired pointer are most common. In both amateur and open trials, there are different stakes categorized by the age of the dog or the way the dog handles (hunting close to their handler or farther out).

Pointing dog field trials are popular in the

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Southeastern United States for three reasons: the mild climate, the ideal habitat for birds and the abundance of large tracts of land on which to conduct the trials, i.e. plantations. And Southwest Georgia has produced more than its share of National Field Trial Champions too – more than a dozen over the last 40 years.

Lee County resident and professional dog handler Luke Eisenhart, originally from Glenville, Penn., has won the Purina Top Field Trial Handler of the Year award seven times. In 2017, a dog he trains (Dunn’s Tried ’N True, owned by Will and Rita Dunn), won the Top Dog of the Year. “The hardest thing about being a handler is being away from my family so much,” says Luke. Handlers travel all over the region to enter trials and earn points and placements. And they all spend a couple of months in the summer in Canada or North Dakota training dogs. “The best part is that I love what I do. I started field trialing when I was nine.”

Pro handler Jamie Daniels, of Terrell County, agrees that being away from his family is a major drawback. And it’s hard work, he adds. “Guys will ride in a field trial and think they want to be a handler. They need to know that handlers work their butts off – there are no snow days, and you’re always up early,” Jamie says. “The trial itself is really a break from the regular routine.”

The hard work comes from training a string of dogs. “We don’t make a living from field trial winnings,” says Jamie. “A handler needs eight or nine dogs [with financial support from their owners] to make a living.” Jamie was the 2017 Dixie Trace Field Trial Association’s (DTFTA) All-age Handler of the Year, and a dog he trains (Dominator’s Rebel Heir, owned by Jim Hamilton) was named DTFTA High Point Dog of the Year.

DTFTA is an association consisting of 11clubs in the Southeastern U.S. Also, Lee County native Joe Rentz was named DTFTA’s 2017 Shooting Dog Handler of the Year; and Redland’s Jacked Up, a dog he and his wife, Tricia, own and train won Amateur Dog of the Year.

While pointing dog field trials are still popular in the Southeastern U.S., the numbers are dwindling in other parts of the country. Luke chalks up this phenomenon to costs. “When I was coming along, most dog owners were bluecollar folks,” Luke says. “Now it has gotten so expensive, only wealthy individuals can afford to own competition dogs.” It’s not just the dog they’re paying for, either. The cost of owning and maintaining horses is part of the expense. For this reason, Luke speculates that the future of field trailing will move toward the walking trials.

Many Southwest Georgia handlers have won

BELOW Far right, Robin Gates handles his dog on point. Robin has won the National Championship numerous times.

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the National Championship, some multiple times, including area natives Robin Gates, Rick Furney, Fred Rayl and Tommy Davis. Tommy was inducted into the National Field Trial Hall of Fame last year. The recently named 2018 Purina All-age Handler of the Year, Mark McLean, is a Doerun resident who hails from Lee County. “I grew up in Lee County learning about dog training from George Moreland [of Coney Lake],” says Mark. Mark also trains and handles the 2018 Purina Top Dog of the Year (Touch’s Mega Mike, owned by Eddie Sholar of Lee County and Ted Dennard). Mark speculates that the all-age and shooting dog categories will be merged into one eventually.

There are many other accomplished field trial handlers from this region, both professionals and amateurs; unfortunately, space here is limited.

But one thing is certain – if you want to own or to handle a champion pointing dog, you will spend a lot of time here in Southwest Georgia, the pointing dog capital of the country!  ALM

ABOVE Mark McLean. The recently named 2018 Purina Allage Handler of the Year, Mark McLean, is a Doerun resident who hails from Lee County. “I grew up in Lee County learning about dog training from George Moreland [of Coney Lake],” says Mark. Mark also trains and handles the 2018 Purina Top Dog of the Year (Touch’s Mega Mike, owned by Eddie Sholar of Lee County and Ted Dennard). Mark speculates that the all-age and shooting dog categories will be merged into one eventually.

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d

Down in South Albany, sitting just off South McKinley Street, rests an old, weathered community center that you can tell has had a few makeovers, but it’s nothing anyone in the city has paid a lot of attention to. Beside it is a faded splash park and a swimming pool that not many people in town know about unless they grew up in this particular area. In the summer time, when the cicadas are buzzing, and after school days, there are children of all ages buzzing too, running and laughing, reveling in their youth. The older boys are playing basketball, flirting with the girls every chance they get; the younger children are swimming or playing inside the gym. This is one of the few community centers that is still free to the youth in the city. Often, this

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This is one of the few community centers that is still free to the youth in the city. Often, this is one of the few places where these kids can come to be kids.

Some of them weren’t given an opportunity to have significant role models, so they come here, where they can be kids, and where they have one mother figure, standing just barely taller than the middle schoolers, named Mrs. Linda Harris.

is one of the few places where these kids can come to be kids because so many of them have been born into situations that make them grow up too quickly.

Some of them weren’t given an opportunity to have significant role models, so they come here, where they can be kids, and where they have one mother figure, standing just barely taller than the middle schoolers, named Mrs. Linda Harris.

I had the pleasure of meeting Linda while doing community service work downtown. When my coworker and I arrived at the gym, she greeted us with a grin almost bigger than herself and welcomed us to stay, to meet her children and to help them learn. It was Red Ribbon week, and they wiggled while they listened, but they paid attention under the watchful eye of Linda and her staff. You could feel the love in the room, and I knew we would be back as we have been, many times. I was touched by her energy and her spirit, her love for these kids who we knew

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were the underprivileged youth of Albany. I had to get the word out to the community about the good things going on where many of us rarely venture—on the South side of our city.

Linda Harris is a native of Albany and remembers when this, Carver Gym, was the black gym during times of segregation. She recalls the schools being separated as well and experiencing a lot of name calling, but she brushes it off saying, “That’s just life, and it isn’t going to kill me.” I am well aware that she has too much love in her heart to allow any hatred

Beaming, she tells me that there isn’t a single elementary school in Dougherty County now that doesn’t have a garden that her mentees haven’t had a hand in. She teaches them gardening skills, exercise, healthy living practices, character building, gives them self-worth and shows them passion. If she could bring them all in, I have no doubt she would.

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to penetrate it. Linda was born into a large family of nine sisters and seven brothers, some of whom have since passed on. They were all raised by a dedicated mother and father who did their best to take care of their many children. Her father worked for the city, as she does now, and her mother was a maid. Linda tells me she is married to a wonderful husband and has two boys and two girls and ten grandchildren. She looks at me sideways with a grin when the topic of her age arises, so tread lightly, smile back at her, and move on.

Linda says she began her career with the city in 1988 as a part-time volunteer cheerleading coach, crossing guard, and playground supervisor. Her love of children and providing for people in general has been imbedded within

“We also provide mentoring and counseling. We teach them life skills and give them activities and a place to come where they can be stress free. We give them whatever they need, but first of all, we give them love.� That is the language that Linda speaks most fluently down in South Albany.

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Linda says she began her career with the city in 1988 as a part-time volunteer cheerleading coach, crossing guard, and playground supervisor. Her love of children and providing for people in general has been imbedded within her from birth. She’s been working at Carver for the past ten years and is now a supervisor.

her from birth. She’s been working at Carver for the past ten years and is now a supervisor. She says, “I oversee this facility. We are community oriented; we work with the children. We have a homework program, we teach them basketball, football, and softball skills, and we work with the elderly doing aerobics. Senior citizens help with the gardening. We have people come in and teach them how to cook, especially if they have health issues like diabetes or cancer. A nurse or doctor comes in from the health department to teach them about healthy eating. We get them out to do things.

And it’s going be done right. I am not going to be halfstepping,” she says with a grin.

Beaming, she tells me that there isn’t a single elementary school in Dougherty County now that doesn’t have a garden that her mentees haven’t had a 82

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hand in. She teaches them gardening skills, exercise, healthy living practices, character building, gives them self-worth and shows them passion. If she could bring them all in, I have no doubt she would. When I ask her how any of the participants get to the facility, she tells me that most of the senior citizens have to make their own transportation because the city is unable to provide it due to insurance policies. They do have some access vans for the youth so they can take them to places in the city with parental permission.

However, she says, since the city is on a budget now, they can only get the van if it is a much needed program.

The noise in the gym clamors around us, as the door swings open with a lady standing just inside, fussing about worms. I am perplexed, but I realize after

listening for a moment that she has been working in the garden and killing the worms because they scare her. I chuckle to myself, but Linda explains to her co-worker that the worms are needed. “We shouldn’t kill anything,” she says, “and the worms are a part of the circle of life. Everything is needed for something.” I am touched because this is clearly the perspective she has on these children, who have often been labeled “bad,” “troubled,” or “underprivileged.” She believes in them with her whole heart. I have seen her brushing and combing the hair of a little girl whose father, as the only

caretaker, didn’t know quite how to make it just right. An older girl watched, learning how to make parts in the hair, following the patterns of Linda’s fingers as they delicately brushed and braided the hair into a style that was acceptable to all watching.

She tells me that if their pants need stitching, she sits with them and shows them how to repair the cloth. She calls to a five-year-old, wandering on the playground alone, and directs an older child to stay with her. She tells another to watch his mouth. She teaches and molds their young minds by showing them how to live and play and interact with one

Linda’s reliance on God is big. She tells me she lies awake at night and prays for parents who don’t know where their children are because it pains her. She prays for these babies, and I would be willing to bet that she prays for me and you, too.

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another; how to love, to speak, and to show respect.

She gets that football sized grin again when she tells me that they were just able to start feeding them breakfast and lunch during the summertime a few years back. Walking the streets, she told the little community by word of mouth that they would be able to come eat in the mornings. The breakfast program has grown from a handful to about fortyfive children. The summer lunch bag program also averages about 75 young people. It is obvious that simply providing for these kids makes her heart overflow with joy.

She says, “We also provide mentoring and counseling. We teach them life skills and give them activities and a place to come where they can be stress free. We give them whatever they need, but first of all, we give them love.” That

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is the language that Linda speaks most fluently down in South Albany. A language of love that runs deep in a small section of the community where you wouldn’t expect to find it. A forgiving and accepting love that brings everyone, big and small, black and white, together in a weathered old community center.

Linda speaks of loss as well. Not every story is a good one when you are invested in youth who can’t make their own decisions. She tells of a young man who visited the gym when he was a child. He had moved to another part of the city, and she didn’t realize he was walking several miles to come sit with her daily. One day, he was struck by a car and killed while walking home, and she carries that pain with her still. He had been one of her gifted exceptional students, but that didn’t matter to her. She says that her love for all of her

“We shouldn’t kill anything,” she says, “and the worms are a part of the circle of life. Everything is needed for something.” I am touched because this is clearly the perspective she has on these children, who have often been labeled “bad,” “troubled,” or “underprivileged.” She believes in them with her whole heart.

children is equal yet different.

She also taught the young, autistic youth who was found in a pond not far from the gym in 2017. That was one of the days I had been visiting the gym, and it was somber. Linda talked to the young people realistically about life and death and coping with loss. There is no stone that she leaves unturned in helping these kids to grow into healthy adults.

Another story, not of tragedy, but of struggle, is one she tells of a young girl who had a tumultuous relationship with her grandmother.

She says, “There was one little girl who was so terrible. I watched her and her grandmother go at it. She said her grandma didn’t love her because she had so many kids. Her mother and aunt were in jail, so the grandmother had custody of twelve children in all. I got on to the little girl. She shouldn’t have been talking to her grandma like she was. But I knew there was something else going on, so I made a point to find out. The little girl came back up here one morning because God touched her heart,

and that’s when I found out about her home situation. I asked God for wisdom to work with these children and give them what they need.

The girl eventually ended up with a big sister, who came to me and allowed me to teach her how to be a mother figure for her little sister, so it all worked out.”

Linda’s reliance on God is big. She tells me she lies awake at night and prays for parents who don’t know where their children are because it pains her. She prays for these babies, and I would be willing to bet that she prays for me and you, too. I have often heard it said that in order to give the blessings we have received, we must give them away. Linda Harris is an exemplar of this adage. Her service heart is unmerited, and she is a spring of light and hope in a part of the community where much has been lost. Her doors are always open, if you want to witness the intellectual and emotional prosperity of young people taking place down off South McKinley Street.  ALM

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busy bikers and

the open road Story by Kate DeLoach

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Photos by David Parks Photography

With a tag line like “Nuts on Wheels,” you might dismiss the Pecan City Pedalers (PCP) cycling group as a rolling social club.

You would be wrong. The Albany club, founded in the late 1970s, has taken cycling seriously since the beginning.

“I started riding with the club in 1981,” says Joe Wells, who at the time was with Bob’s Candies. “They had been riding together

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“The casual rider enjoys the group rides, pleasure riding and its social aspect;

however, there are many different levels of riders.”

[ Richard Thompson ]

PCP funds various projects and sponsorships with proceeds generated at an annual bike race, the Nut Roll. It occurs the second Saturday of each September.

Riding out from Chehaw Park, there are 32, 49, 65 and 104-mile ride options. They average about 300 riders – you’ll see racing teams, other area bike club members, whole families and clusters of friends, as well as lone cyclists.

Registration comes with a Nut Roll logo T-shirt, bag of goodies and lunch. For more information, visit the PCP website at www. pecancitypedalers.org/nutroll.

a couple of years before that, I think.” He says a few friends who cycled together decided to open a bike shop on Dawson Road.

From there, they formed a cycling club.

“One of the first paid rides started at Gillionville and Westover [roads] and went to Fort Gaines,” recalls Joe. “There were over 600 riders.” He says they had good participation on their weekly rides, as well, because they were held on Saturday. “All the other bike shops in the region rode on Sunday because the shops had to be open on Saturday. So we drew riders from North Florida, Alabama and North Georgia.”

Richard Thompson, the club’s current president, got involved in the club eight years ago “when I hit 50 and my kids were out of

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college,” says the food processing manager at Southeast Milk. His wife, Sharon, is the event coordinator; the two of them donate a substantial amount of time and energy on the club’s behalf.

Richard sees the club as an umbrella group for cycling and cycling advocacy.

“The casual rider enjoys the group rides, pleasure riding and its social aspect; however, there are many different levels of riders,” he points out. “We also support the race team and mountain biking through Chehaw Cycling.”

PCP funds various projects and sponsorships with proceeds generated at an annual bike race, the Nut Roll. It occurs the second Saturday of each September.

Riding out from Chehaw Park, there are 32, 49, 65 and 104-mile ride options.

They average about 300 riders – you’ll see racing teams, other area bike club

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If you are interested in riding with the group, whether you are a seasoned cyclist or just want to see if riding is for you, PCP encourages you to come out for one of their scheduled rides. Visit their Facebook page (facebook.com/groups/341588915883256/) where rides are posted with the starting location, day and time, as well as route, length/mileage and average speed expected.

members, whole families and clusters of friends, as well as lone cyclists. Registration comes with a Nut Roll logo T-shirt, bag of goodies and lunch. For more information, visit the PCP website at www. pecancitypedalers.org/nutroll.

When speaking of the PCP membership, Richard says, “85% of our riders are over 50. We need to step back one generation and get the kids involved for the future of the sport.” One way the club tackled this goal last summer was by sponsoring an event with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany.

“We bought 10 bikes, along with riding apparel and accessories such as helmets and gloves,” says Rachelle Bitterman, PCP Vice President. “And then club volunteers worked with the kids all summer, teaching them how to ride, going out five to 10 miles.”

Another way PCP is working to get kids on bikes is through the Chehaw Youth Mountain Bike Team, also known as Chehaw Devo (Developmental Ride). This is an Albany-based team with the Georgia High School Cycling League. All Southwest Georgia students in grades 6 through 12 are eligible to participate.

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PCP has played a large part in helping the Albany team by providing manpower and resources to see Chehaw Devo succeed. PCP volunteers built/cleared 11 miles of mountain bike trails at the park, built a barn and concession stand, and continue to expand and maintain the trail. “Chehaw has a BMX track for younger kids, and the neighboring mountain bike trail is a natural progression for them,” Richard says. “This keeps kids on bikes off roads; it’s not as dangerous for them to learn to ride on the park trails.”

Richard is involved in the planning of the expansion of the mountain bike trail from Chehaw

to Cox Landing and to the Convention and Visitors Bureau downtown. When that project is completed, there will be more than 17 miles of continuous mountain biking trails, making Albany a leading destination for enthusiasts in this growing sport.

Richard and Sharon are coaches for the Chehaw Devo team, along with Josh Fix, Head Coach, and Coach Steve Waddell.

Their efforts fall under the umbrella organization, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). The association promotes Interscholastic Mountain Biking

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There is a ride for every type of participant

There is a “no drop” ride, meaning no rider will be dropped behind; the group will pace itself to the slowest rider. Then there is the “bring a friend” ride, meaning you will be left in the dust if you can’t keep up, so best to have a buddy with you. These are often referred to as the B Group and A Group, respectively. There is a ride every Saturday morning, a breakfast ride the third Saturday of each month and evening rides almost daily.

Leagues throughout the United States, with a goal of developing high school mountain biking coast to coast by 2020. For information, visit www.nationalmtb.org.

It’s not all work and no play for this active group.

They are always scheming something fun, and some of these events occur annually: a Picnic Ride in Columbus, a beach ride over a long weekend at St. George Island, a pool party mid-summer preceded by a morning ride, a St. Mark’s Trail ride in Tallahassee, Florida and a Christmas Lights ride through Albany neighborhoods.

Just ask these three veteran PCP members how much fun the club rides can be. They reminisced recently over iced tea and fruit juice at an Albany outdoor café.

“In 2000, my daughter wanted me to ride BRAG [Bike Ride Across Georgia] with her – and you know

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a mother does anything her child wants – so at 55, I started riding,” says Jim Anne Brett. “I went to Cycle World and bought a beach cruiser.” For the uninitiated, BRAG consists of several hundred cyclists riding between 50 and 80 miles a day, six days in a row, as they make their way across different portions of the state each year. “Someone on the ride looked at my cruiser and said, ‘You must be one heck of a woman to ride that.’” Jim Anne graduated to a road bike and went on to serve as the Pecan City Pedalers’ president and Nut Roll organizer for six years.

Lynda Carriveau chimes in, “I said she’d never be back after that BRAG!” Lynda joined PCP in 1987, with two broken collar bones, and began riding the following year. “That was one of three years BRAG came through Albany,” according to Joe. “Back then the town’s cycle club hosted BRAG, so we were very

involved,” says Lynda. Today, it is a non-profit business with staff.

“BRAG is where I would do my Ironman training,” adds Joann Pope, an 81-year old athlete whom Lynda calls her hero. “I would be ready to quit riding up a hill and see Joann, 10 years older than me and still toughing it out, and I’d push on.” This is a big part of what makes PCP so strong almost 40 years later; there is a great deal of camaraderie and mutual respect among its members. Like Jim Anne, Lynda, Joann and Joe have each served as president of the club. It’s a labor of love that gets passed around. “We have some funny stories and lots of good memories,” Joann says.

If you are interested in riding with the group, whether you are a seasoned cyclist or just want to see if riding is for you, PCP encourages you to come out for one of their scheduled rides. Visit their Facebook page (facebook.com/ groups/341588915883256/) where rides are posted with the starting location,

day and time, as well as route, length/ mileage and average speed expected.

There is a “no drop” ride, meaning no rider will be dropped behind; the group will pace itself to the slowest rider. Then there is the “bring a friend” ride, meaning you will be left in the dust if you can’t keep up, so best to have a buddy with you. These are often referred to as the B Group and A Group, respectively. There is a ride every Saturday morning, a breakfast ride the third Saturday of each month and evening rides almost daily.

Club officers are Richard Thompson, President; Rachelle Bitterman, Vice President; Donna Yielding, Secretary; Misty StolleGillam, Secretary; and Sharon Thompson, Event Coordinator.

For more information, contact one of these individuals or visit www. pecancitypedalers.org or the PCP Facebook page cited above.  ALM

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Every Piece Of Jewelry Tells A Story

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Our Name Says It All At Women’s Health Professionals, it’s no coincidence that the first word in our name is

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BUILDING THE FUTURE OF LEE COUNTY FOOTBALL TODAY!

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Story by Jessica Fellows

Photography by David Parks Photography

A Heart For

It is not unusual to see the name Chris Cohilas in print. It’s not hard to find out that he is a former Chief Assistant District Attorney, a partner at the law firm of Watson Spence, chairman of the Dougherty County Board of Commissioners, a founding member of The Lily Pad, a member of Southwest Georgia’s 40 Under 40, a Leadership Georgia graduate, and a recipient of the Young Lawyer Ethics and Professionalism Award, among a myriad of other prestigious accolades and roles. His wife and mother of their four children, Karen, is a former WALB anchor who now owns a State Farm agency, helping citizens overcome financial hardships. But these are mere titles. One is compelled 108

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Home & Family How two people can raise four young children while taking on such considerable tasks in the community is baffling, but they assured me that, while they would love to claim the super-parent role, they have very structured schedules and excellent child care!

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Chris and Karen have an extraordinary love for Albany and an earnest desire to utilize all of its resources to build our city to its full potential.

matter of the heart Why are they so driven to service work? They would humbly claim that it’s a matter of the heart. An innate desire to help another human being when one may not be capable of helping themselves. The Cohilases opened their home to me, and I sat at their kitchen table where I could see that they were barely scraping the surface of the good deeds that they continue to carry out in their daily lives to heal Albany in more ways than one.

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to ask where their integrity comes from. Why are they so driven to service work? They would humbly claim that it’s a matter of the heart. An innate desire to help another human being when one may not be capable of helping themselves. The Cohilases opened their home to me, and I sat at their kitchen table where I could see that they were barely scraping the surface of the good deeds that they continue to carry out in their daily lives to heal Albany in more ways than one.

Hailing from Thomasville, Karen met Chris, a Morrow native, while she was an anchor for WALB and he was working as a local prosecutor. Explaining how he ended up in Albany with a drive for bettering the community, Chris says, “I went to law school with the idea of being a prosecutor. My dad was a firefighter and my brother was a marine. Helping others runs in the family. I interned my third year at a prosecutor’s office. I wanted to go to a community where I could have an impact. I was getting offers for significant

Beauty in ashes Karen describes her personal dedication in saying, “Not only did we fall in love here and fall in love with the community, but this is where our children are from. I want my children to one day be proud to say ‘I am from Albany, Georgia.’

There’s not a quick fix here, but there’s beauty in ashes. There are intelligent, wonderful people, natural resources, and great jobs.

Albany has a lot to offer if you’re willing to look. We’re both business owners. We chose to raise our kids here. It is where we plan to stay.”

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flint river trails Investing time and energy into critical matters within our community is a crucial part of Chris’s regimen, but he is also working with a group who is taking initiative on a Flint River Trails project, which will be a 22 mile stretch of paths, public gardens, and wildlife and river observation along the banks of the Flint River. These trails will increase the use of existing recreational facilities as well as additional amenities.

funds at several Atlanta civil firms at the beginning of my career, and I knew if I didn’t seize the opportunity to work as a prosecutor, I might lose that opportunity. I took a substantial pay cut to come here, but I knew this is where I could make more of an impact. I took a position as an assistant district attorney and met and fell in love with Karen. I’ve always enjoyed public service in one way or another. It’s satisfying. You come from a legal atmosphere like Atlanta—there’s not as much professional courtesy up there. There are a lot of brilliant professionals down here. To have a blend of metro and cosmopolitan life and to be able to hunt, fish, swim…

Albany has a small, big town feel.” Karen adds, “I think we both thought this was a temporary stop, but we met each other, and we like Albany, and our plans changed.” That change of plans included four children: Christopher, 10; Nick, 7; Michael, 4; and Isabella, 3; who most respectfully stop in the kitchen occasionally asking to play outside or to have candy for breakfast. Karen lovingly explains to her youngest that they will discuss candy after lunch and sends her on her way. How two people can raise four young children while taking on such considerable tasks in the community

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Both Karen and Chris were involved in community recovery, not only because they wanted to rebuild Albany but because they found themselves in the direct path of the first tornado.

is baffling, but they assured me that, while they would love to claim the super-parent role, they have very structured schedules and excellent child care! That daunting responsibility was also one reason that Karen made a career change, leaving WALB. She says, “When I was working for Channel 10, I never got home until late. With Chris being an attorney, trying to come home in the evenings was chaotic. He would rush to get the kids from daycare, and they were starving. He’d feed them and get them in the bed, so I’d see them 114

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very little. I went into pharmaceutical sales for six years, but I still needed something more flexible and family friendly, and I knew that it wasn’t my career plan. State Farm recruited me in 2013, and I almost opened an agency then, but it wasn’t quite time. Then the tornadoes hit in 2017, agent Andy Christo was retiring after 40 years, and we were State Farm customers. They took great care of us after our two homes were hit. One we had purchased to renovate got hit too. I couldn’t think of a better way to give back than to help others who had been affected by the storms. But it’s not just storms that impact people; it’s car accidents, it’s life insurance, it’s any life-altering event. So I decided to open the agency here to help people recover, and while there is a time investment in owning your own business, you can raise your kids at the place. They have literally grown up in the business with other agents’ children.”

Karen touches on another subject here that has impacted not only the Cohilases themselves but the entire community: the tornadoes that ripped through our city on two separate occasions in January of 2017. Both Karen and Chris were involved in community recovery, not only because they wanted to rebuild Albany but because they found themselves in the direct path of the first tornado. Karen recalls watching the news and hearing Yolanda Amadeo list neighborhoods and areas as the storm approached when she realized it was coming straight for them. Chris says, “In seconds, we were on our feet in the hallway. I got Christopher; Karen was after Isabella. Then the first tree hit, and the whole house shook. The attic door was like Pacman, flopping open and closed.

The crashing debris sprayed water at Karen’s back, and I’ll never forget her face. I grabbed her and pushed her into Isabella’s room. Our other two boys were in a bunk bed, so we were terrified that they might be crushed. It sounded like bombs were going off. We finally got into the hallway, and I pushed a mattress over Karen and the kids. I thought the top of the roof was going to come off; Karen thought a tree was going to come through the roof. After the storm stopped that night, it looked like Armageddon. We have

an active neighborhood watch, and that was how we communicated with each other. There was no other way. We could hardly walk around, and we certainly couldn’t drive in and out of the area.”

With his family out of imminent danger, Chris immediately sprang into action, realizing that without determination and fast action, Albany could easily be forgotten. Even reiterating the story, I could sense the urgency and compassion about him. “We had 30 thousand homes without power, tremendous damage to infrastructure, no power to the grid, and people were scared. There were 32 square miles of damage from west to east, it was about to be the coldest day in twelve months, people’s food was rotting, and the whole community was really hurting. There were some miscommunications that prevented our getting help from the state and government. I know how to ask for things, and I’m adept enough to understand

when a problem is about to crater. Fortunately, we got the right people engaged. We got the governor to make a declaration, we got those folks here and got them to see the problem. We got GEMA here, and within fifteen minutes, they were dictating a statement declaring this a national disaster. We were also in the middle of a presidential transition.

It was a perfect storm for Albany to be forgotten.

You’re seeing huge problems with elderly people in Malone Towers, and all their food is rotting. I don’t care who you are or what your politics are, they can’t go to the grocery store, that breaks your heart, and you know that you need to get help in here. You can tell when an environment can be created where your community can be forgotten, and they weren’t going to be—that was my goal.

The mayor was an excellent friend and ally during all this, and we worked hard together to make things happen.

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“I went to Washington. It’s hard to explain, but when people know that you will go to Washington and look at them eyeball to eyeball, that makes people listen. FEMA kept saying ‘We’ll get to it.’ I said, ‘We’ve got another tornado coming. If we don’t have help, it’s not going to be for lack of asking because I’m not going to go back and look at my neighbors knowing that I didn’t ask for help because it was politically convenient.’ I was going to make people in Washington feel very uncomfortable.

We had support from Sanford Bishop’s office, and senators were supportive, as well as Mayor Hubbard. It wasn’t me individually that got us on CNN; we asked for people to communicate in a certain way. We used hashtags, and the community created a communication powerhouse. I was on my way to Washington, on the plane, when I got a message from CNN. They wanted me to speak. Members of Samaritan’s Purse had called this the most unreported natural disaster they’d ever seen. Reporting opens up avenues for help—if people don’t know about it, they can’t help. It has a political impact on how federal agencies decide whether an event is presidential or not. Some of the initial meetings with FEMA weren’t how I wanted them to be, and I wanted to change that. So they sent their top team and interim executive director. I couldn’t take it anymore, and I said some strong things that somebody needed to hear. People are walking like zombies, a trailer park exploded, the marine base is partially destroyed.

Something had to be done.” So Chris, with the support of his wife and an aggregate of others, affected change in Albany that might not have occurred given the political timing of the disaster. His passion to fight for what is right in our community is evident in the energy he exudes in just speaking about the events. Karen recalls a tumultuous time after the storm when someone asked how he wanted his hamburger. The answer was “all the way” because, she explains, “Chris is an all-theway kind of guy.” If his heart is invested in a problem, he will do everything in his power to solve it.

Both of the Cohilases name their parents as the most influential people in their lives. Karen says her mother is the strongest person she knows, and her father’s passing without life insurance played a significant role in her opening the State Farm agency. Chris says, “My dad and paternal grandfather were both strong Greek men who believed in working hard and that you define yourself by what you do for a living and how well you take care of your family. Mom and Grandmom also believed in hard work.

Chris adds, “Dad is the smartest person I’ve ever met and did not have a college education. He is a carpenter

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and a firefighter; he worked two jobs, sometimes three. He worked through Clayton County Fire Department when there was a different iteration of leadership based in cronyism and improper employment and promotion policies. He started the Fraternal Order of Clayton County Firefighters to advocate for employees’ rights. They hired the top civil rights lawyer to sue the county over improper promotions policies. My dad was willing to be a named plaintiff when most people were scared.

For years he was targeted and labeled as a rabble rouser by the same people who were involved in a corrupt system, but he retired as the fire chief.”

Chris may try to humbly write off his and his family’s dedication as hard work, but it’s not just work that they put in. Both of the Cohilases have an unprecedented compassion for humanity, which is evident through their service to our community.

In his former role as Chief Assistant District Attorney, heading felony crimes against women and children, he was known for winning cases.

Through that, he had to respond to every child death in the community. He is also a founder of the Lily Pad, an organization that serves victims and families impacted by crimes of sexual assault and child abuse. When I asked him where his passion for supporting women and children came from, he told me, “I was an older brother, and I was always taught as a kid to take care of my brother.

Respect women, respect your mother. I found something uniquely pure about prosecuting cases for crimes against women and children. They’re underreported. The impact of one of those crimes is phenomenal and can be devastating. These people need someone to advocate on their behalf because it’s so easy for them to give up. They are in a position that is unmarred; they’re one hundred percent right, and someone needs to speak up for them. I enjoy it. I bond with and feel responsible for these women and children. It’s tough for them to go through, say, a two-year process with a judge and twelve jurors and a lawyer trained to attack you over something you wouldn’t want to talk about with anyone, much less a room full of strangers.

It’s daunting for anyone. But it’s something that has to be done in order for the people who commit the worst crimes in the world to be sentenced.” Karen adds, “It almost happened organically because he wanted the worst crimes. He volunteered for the job. No one else is speaking for those victims. Not even family members.” Chris elaborates, “Often,

family members work against victims. Mothers in sub-poverty conditions may rely on a male for financial support and don’t have coping skills and have a daughter who is being abused. These women sometimes try to make the children recant their claims in order to maintain financial stability through the man, although he is the abuser. You have to have someone to retain the voice of a child.

You have to have people who aren’t interested in whether this man brings a paycheck home to speak for them. You’ve got to be all-in about a subject like that. You have to bond with the kid. I’ll never forget a four-year-old throwing up in the DA office hallway when we’d just finished practicing her testimony. She had to talk about some disturbing things, and she just threw up.” Karen says the cases really started impacting him when they had children of their own. “It makes it more personal.

It was always personal, but it added anger; it added context. You become a better prosecutor.” I listen in astonishment and can think of nothing to say other than, “How do you stay sane?” Chris’s answer is two-part and says so much in only a few words: “Having a part in fixing it. You go for a long bike ride.”

Investing time and energy into critical matters within our community is a crucial part of Chris’s regimen, but he is also working with a group who is taking initiative on a Flint River Trails project, which will be a 22 mile stretch of paths, public gardens, and wildlife and river observation along the banks of the Flint River. These trails will increase the use of existing recreational facilities as well as additional amenities. He discusses how smart communities have taken flood plain areas that you can’t build on to create cheap infrastructure and economic development, and that’s what they plan to do. He says, “The trails are going to make Albany. We build the trails, we build bridges between people, we help physical and mental health. It creates an environment for interacting with people outside of comfort zones; they hang out, and they’re doing something positive. That actually discourages crime because criminals don’t like to commit crimes in front of other people or in their own neighborhoods. It gives them something to be proud of. You have something that could make poor and economically underdeveloped communities blossom. It’s an important philosophical step for the community.

We choose to see these good things, not because

we’re looking through rose colored glasses, but because we believe in creating a positive environment.”

Chris and Karen have an extraordinary love for Albany and an earnest desire to utilize all of its resources to build our city to its full potential.

Karen describes her personal dedication in saying, “Not only did we fall in love here and fall in love with the community, but this is where our children are from. I want my children to one day be proud to say ‘I am from Albany, Georgia.’ There’s not a quick fix here, but there’s beauty in ashes. There are intelligent, wonderful people, natural resources, and great jobs. Albany has a lot to offer if you’re willing to look. We’re both business owners. We chose to raise our kids here. It is where we plan to stay.”

Their vision for Albany is one that encompasses hope and endless possibilities for this small, big town that we all call home.  ALM

Both of the Cohilases name their parents as the most influential people in their lives. Karen says her mother is the strongest person she knows, and her father’s passing without life insurance played a significant role in her opening the State Farm agency.

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FAITH • DIVERSITY • UNITY

Hope City United is a vibrant non-denominational congregation in the heart of our city.

Planted in January of 2016, we gather every Sunday at 5 p.m. in The State Theatre at 313 Pine Avenue in Albany, Georgia.

We are part of the Hillsong Leadership Network and welcome you to join us for worship!

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Story by Kate Deloach Photos by shae foy photography

Albany Fire Department (AFD) Investigator Sam Harris went down three belt loop holes in six months.

“I had 34.6 percent body fat when we started the fitness program and now it is 26.8 percent,” says the Albany firefighter of 30 years.

“Our people were going down injured on duty,” Sam says. “We [AFD firefighters] were in charge of our own workouts, but it wasn’t really working.”

While the firefighters can, and were encouraged to work out in the on-site gyms during their working hours, few utilized the opportunity. That was last year.

This year is different.

“The Wellness Program is designed to help the firefighters improve in what they do – get their heart rate elevated, have the strength to move bodies around – things they’d do fighting a fire,” says Kris. “Their average body fat when we started was 27.4 percent; four months later, it was 24.9 percent.”

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In 2008, AFD Chief Ron Rowe applied for, and was awarded, an Assistance to Firefighters’ grant through FEMA. It was intended to improve the health and fitness of firefighters.

The money was spent on Bowflex gym equipment for the department’s two fitness rooms. But not all of it was spent.

Fast forward to 2016. Chief Rowe was seeing too many Workers’ Comp claims, time-off due to injury, and a generally unfit department. After interviewing with top AFD staff, fitness trainer Kris Morrill was tapped to institute and manage a Wellness Program for the department. The remainder of the grant funds was used to upgrade gym equipment – new rowing machines, treadmills, ellipticals, etc.

– and an exercise room was added at a third location.

Kris has owned and operated World Camp Fitness, Albany’s first CrossFit

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There are approximately 200 AFD firefighters, full- and part-time, and all of them are part of the Wellness Program. “I feel honored to work with the men and women who protect our community,” says Kris. And the community stands to benefit.

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affiliate, on Dawson Road for 10 years before selling the company to concentrate on wellness programs such as this one with the Albany Fire Department. The Albany native has worked in the fitness industry for over 17 years, and holds many accredited certifications through CrossFit, such as CF Football, Nutrition, Gymnastics, Movement and Mobility. Kris is also a Certified USA Weightlifting Club Coach as well as having obtained other Personal Training credentials through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM-OPT), and other programs.

“The Wellness Program is designed to help the firefighters improve in what they do – get

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their heart rate elevated, have the strength to move bodies around – things they’d do fighting a fire,” says Kris. “Their average body fat when we started was 27.4 percent; four months later, it was 24.9 percent.”

Kris conducts quarterly fitness and health assessments. They look at changes in body fat percentages and body measurements, as well as nutritional behavior and requirements.

The firefighters are allowed two hours on their paid shift to workout. “Physical condition is necessary for a firefighter, in addition to specialized training,” Kris says.

He puts together workouts for the firefighters and posts new ones every third shift. He also uploads videos to the AFD Facebook page, wherein he demonstrates the exercises and techniques. Kris assesses the firefighters’ progress and determines when to move on to new challenges.

“The benefits for me?” Sam asks rhetorically. “Not long ago I fell through a floor in a fire; it is not an uncommon occurrence in a burning building. The next day I played golf! That wouldn’t have happened before. There would have been a Workers’ Comp claim and days off duty.”

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Kris also holds clinics on things such as nutrition. “Nutrition is the key thing to me,” says Interim Chief Sebon Burns (Chief Rowe retired last year). “We are learning about the proper mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat. You might gain weight on this program, but if it is muscle mass, that’s good.”

The firefighters work on a one-day-on, two-daysoff schedule, the 29-year veteran explains. “My question is ‘What are you doing on your days off?’

You have to stay active on your days off,” Sebon says. “For example, you could do weights in the gym on your days on, and do cardio on your off days.”

In January, Kris began a basic nutrition clinic.

It was elementary information for some of the firefighters, says Sam, but others were starting with no knowledge of food and nutrition. In March, the classes incorporated more intensive information, such as how energy is burned and how much it takes to burn calories, etc.

While Kris is coaching in the gym, or even out and about town, you will undoubtedly see Cash, one of his Rottweilers. “Since I was old enough to pick my own dog, I’ve had Rottweilers,” Kris says.

Now he breeds them and has six at home. Cash is a youngster at one-and-a-half, and is training as a registered service dog. “He goes with me everywhere, and most, not all,” Kris jokingly adds, “are happy to see us walk in.”

There are approximately 200 AFD firefighters, full- and part-time, and all of them are part of the Wellness Program. “I feel honored to work with the men and women who protect our community,” says Kris. And the community stands to benefit.

Kris taught Health and Physical Education and coached various team sports at a nearby High School after College. Playing basketball throughout both his High School and Collegiate years, Kris has always had a soft spot for athletics. “I realize that my methods are often viewed as unconventional to much of the fitness community however, the clients that train with me understand the concept behind the program design. The men and women of the Albany Fire department are all professional athletes in my eyes. They must stay at the top of their game to come home safe. And in the end, that’s what we all want... For them to come home safe.”  ALM

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WHAT DO YOU WANT? IT’S NOT COMPLICATED. JUST inspired SHOPPING, DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT. ALBANY MALL HAS IT ALL IN ONE PLACE. Belk, Books-A-Million, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Old Navy, Toys R Us, & Many Sensational Specialty Stores online on facebook + albany-mall.com 2601 Dawson Rd | Mon-Sat 10am-9pm | Sun 1-6pm

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Story by Kate DeLoach

P h o t o s by D av i d Pa r k s P h o t o g r a p hy

ones Jimon Cutliff was just doing what he does all day every day: He was taking care of his family.

In this case, he was planning a party at the Clay Spot in Albany for his little brother’s birthday. “I wanted some of Justin’s friends from Easter Seals to be there,” explains Jimon, “but a lot of the [Easter Seals’] members don’t have the financial means to attend events.” That’s when Jimon hatched the idea of a benefit concert “to fund a field trip for the members once a week for a year.”

He succeeded.

“Not only did I want to raise money, but I wanted to raise awareness of autism,” says Jimon.

“When Justin was diagnosed with autism, my family researched and learned all we could about it. And it is not a disease, in my opinion. These people are special; they’re awesome; they each have a special gift. For Justin, it’s drawing.” He drew the T-shirt design for the event.

“Anyone for Autism” was planned, funded, and executed in a whirlwind of energy and effectiveness, traits Jimon exudes. “I like dealing with a lot of people,” he says. “I don’t like being bored.” From the inception of the idea for a benefit concert to its conclusion was only a few short weeks. Jimon, a native of Albany, had lived away for 12 years, returning a year-and-a-half ago. It was his childhood friends and contacts who helped make his plan come to fruition. “Even some of my friends from up north made donations,” Jimon says. He lived in Virginia, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

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“Anyone for Autism” was planned, funded, and executed in a whirlwind of energy and effectiveness, traits Jimon exudes. “I like dealing with a lot of people,” he says. “I don’t like being bored.” From the inception of the idea for a benefit concert to its conclusion was only a few short weeks. Jimon, a native of Albany, had lived away for 12 years, returning a year-and-a-half ago. It was his childhood friends and contacts who helped make his plan come to fruition.

“Even some of my friends from up north made donations,” Jimon says. He lived in Virginia, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

“I needed a backer,” he says. “Easter Seals couldn’t do it because I was not a 501 (c) 3, nonprofit. So, Mary MartinezAllen with Lily Pad stepped up.”

Donations could be made to Lily Pad, making them tax deductible. Jimon had T-shirts made and a blue carpet laid down to make entering guests feel special. “I am completely indebted to my friend Lindsey Boatright Simmons,” Jimon says. He credits her with being his cheerleader and de facto co-chair of the event. They were

friends helping friends “I needed a backer,” he says. “Easter Seals couldn’t do it because I was not a 501 (c) 3, nonprofit. So, Mary Martinez-Allen with Lily Pad stepped up.” Donations could be made to Lily Pad, making them tax deductible. Jimon had T-shirts made and a blue carpet laid down to make entering guests feel special. “I am completely indebted to my friend Lindsey Boatright Simmons,” Jimon says.

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“Anyone for Autism” was held on April 21. Two popular, local bands played, “Familia Sounds” and “Ninety5.” Between the two 45-minute sets, Jimon raffled off donated items. Approximately 120 people attended the concert. Counting gift certificates, donated items and cash, Jimon raised $3,800. He split the $1,701 in cash evenly among Lily Pad, Easter Seals and ARC. There’s talk of it becoming an annual event. “It has taken on a life of its own,” says Jimon.

at Pretoria Fields mulling over the benefit concert idea when they saw the new brewery’s stage. A lightbulb flashed – a perfect venue – and they talked with Pretoria Fields’ marketing team, who not only offered the space rent-free, but donated $1 from every beer sold that night to the cause.

“Anyone for Autism” was held on April 21. Two popular, local bands played, “Familia Sounds” and “Ninety5.” Between the two 45-minute sets, Jimon raffled off donated items. Approximately 120 people attended the concert. Counting gift certificates, donated items and cash, Jimon raised $3,800. He split the $1,701 in cash evenly among Lily Pad, Easter Seals and ARC. There’s talk of it becoming an annual event. “It has taken on a life of its own,” says Jimon.

“I wanted to make Georgette [his mother] proud,” Jimon says. She passed away in March, prior to the event. He now lives with his brother and grandmother. “I had to go from being selfish to selfless. I’ve had to put my own high-

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maintenance needs on the back burner and look after them. My ‘me-time’ starts when Grandma and Justin are taken care of.” He drives them to the grocery store, on various errands, and to Easter Seals in Lee County. Jimon also has a sister, Rensie Cutliff-Gilbert, who is supportive of her brothers’ activities and needs. She teaches at Merry Acres Elementary School, where she has been a finalist for teacher-of-the-year more than once.

“I’ll be driving in the car and see Justin’s face in the rearview mirror,” Jimon says. “His facial expressions are just like Georgette’s; I just want to pinch his cheeks! And he has the same taste in music she did; he’s an oldies but goodies guy.”

The night of the concert, Justin needed to go home when the music started up. “I knew he would,” says Jimon. “He needed to go to his ‘safe place,’ which is his bedroom with his computers and markers.” Over-stimulation is a common trait among autistic individuals. “There’s not enough information out there about autism. And so many people are ashamed to admit their child might be ‘on the spectrum.’ It’s not a bad thing. Who knows why autism happens? It doesn’t make them any less viable than us.”  ALM

“I wanted to make Georgette [his mother] proud,” Jimon says. She passed away in March, prior to the event. He now lives with his brother and grandmother. “I had to go from being selfish to selfless. I’ve had to put my own highmaintenance needs on the back burner and look after them. My ‘me-time’ starts when Grandma and Justin are taken care of.” He drives them to the grocery store, on various errands, and to Easter Seals in Lee County.

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When Maria Burley lost her cat, Peanut, in 2003, she put up missing-pet posters around the neighborhood and went door-todoor asking if anyone had seen him. “Do you pray?” she would ask neighbors. If they said yes, she’d say, “Can you please pray for my cat, Peanut?” She desperately missed her “baby” and she wanted to do more. She envisioned a network where people who lost pets and people who found pets could communicate. This

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Posts don’t go up until they’ve been approved by one of the 10 administrators. “These people are wonderful,” says Maria. “There wouldn’t be a PeanutsFriends without them!”

She likes to acknowledge these diehards: Beverly McGrath, Anna Ogonji, Flo Reneau, Donna Cleveland, Ruthann Nichols, Tamara Piercey, Mitch Aultman, Teresa Seaton, Sandra Wheeles and Angel Richardson.

was pre-Facebook, and so she enlisted the help of a friend, Abby Slattery, to design a website for her. The site, www.PeanutsFriends.org was born; it has since been made a public group on Facebook.

“As they say, necessity is the mother of invention,” says Maria. “I had a friend develop this website, and then I advertised the website in the newspaper’s classified section under ‘lost pets.’ I also called the number on missing pet posters and told the pet owners to post their pets on the website with their contact information.” Slowly, the site gained momentum.

Around 2010, Maria decided that she needed to be on Facebook. “I didn’t want to do Facebook,” Maria says, “but I realized that it was reuniting a lot of pets with their owners, just through friends posting photos. So I made a public group called PeanutsFriends. org on Facebook.” Maria set the page up whereby pet owners could post their own messages and photos. She says it quickly became emotionally exhausting.

“People were private messaging me about their pets, day and night. At one point my husband and I were at the beach watching a sunset. I missed the whole thing because I was on my phone responding to a lost dog message! He said, ‘This has got to stop.’”

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A couple of years ago, Maria was ready to call it quits; the page had gotten out of control.

It was immensely popular, but not all posts were savory or even about pets. “I posted that at the end of the week I was shutting the page down,” she says. “So many people came forward and said, ‘Please don’t shut it down, I will help you.’”

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Maria took them up on their offer and now has 10 administrators. Posts don’t go up until they’ve been approved by one of them. “These people are wonderful,” says Maria. “There wouldn’t be a PeanutsFriends without them!” She likes to acknowledge these diehards: Beverly McGrath, Anna Ogonji, Flo Reneau, Donna Cleveland,

Maria is a staunch advocate of shelter adoptions over breeder purchases.

Peanut came from a shelter, as did their first cat, Lucky, and dog, Lilly. Maria promotes humane societies and their funding events on her page. However, she prohibits any “for sale� posts or individual advertisements. The lost pet posts are mostly dogs and cats, with the occasional pig or rodent.

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Ruthann Nichols, Tamara Piercey, Mitch Aultman, Teresa Seaton, Sandra Wheeles and Angel Richardson.

“PeanutsFriends has a life of its own now,” says Maria. “If I die tomorrow, it will still go on.

I started it for a selfish reason – to find Peanut.

But it’s not me anymore; it’s not mine.” The Facebook page currently has well over 10,000 members – and that is with selective membership.

Administrators do not approve membership requests from out-of-town folks (to keep the posts relevant) or others who may seem to have questionable motives. PeanutsFriends caters to a 75-mile radius of Albany.

“We always ask for proof of ownership when someone claims that a lost pet is theirs,” Maria says. “There are bad people out there. We ask people about the pet’s markings or for a photo or vet records. I hope we are teaching people to ask more questions. And we ask that owners be patient and answer questions. It is for the safety of their pets.” Peanut never came home; he was a victim of a “bad” person, who trapped and shot him.

Maria was born in Quito, Ecuador, and also lived in Guayaquil. The petite, vivacious beauty came to the U.S. as an exchange student in 1991. She met her future husband, Jason, in Pennsylvania, and they ended up in Albany.

Thirteen years ago, they started a business, Albany Pet Nanny, a pet-sitting service. They concentrate on northwest Albany and Lee County, where they live. It’s a seven-days-a-week, fulltime job, Maria says.

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Just like the website that she learned to maintain herself, Maria taught herself the nuances of pet-sitting. “I teach myself things,” she says. “I am a researcher.”

The PeanutsFriends.org page has become a household name for Facebook users. “[In the beginning] I used to get giddy,” says Maria,

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“when I’d overhear people talking about it.” And the page is responsible for thousands of reunions of people and their pets.

There has been a lot of press around the cat Jay-Z that was lost in Dawson when a Florida family was fleeing Hurricane Irma. The cat and family were reunited three months later, thanks to the PeanutsFriends.org page and many good Samaritans who searched for Jay-Z. Maria says many similar stories exist, such as a dog lost in Lee County and found in South Carolina. And then there was the Albany dog tied to a pole and assumed to be abandoned, taken to Maryland, only to be seen on PeanutsFriends and brought back to Albany.

“Etta is a dog who was found four months after going missing because a caring person took her photo at the animal clinic where she was taken after being hit by a car,” says Maria.

“Someone else saw that photo and remembered her ‘missing’ post. It was time-consuming and hard to look through the posts to find her info.”

Maria encourages people who have lost pets, even a long while ago, to continue to post their photos on the page. You never know when the right person will see it. Also, never assume a scroungy-looking dog or cat is a stray; assume it is someone’s beloved pet that they are desperately looking for. Imagine if it were your lost pet. If it turns out to be a stray, it may find a loving home because of your kindness.

Maria is a staunch advocate of shelter adoptions over breeder purchases. Peanut came from a shelter, as did their first cat, Lucky, and dog, Lilly. Maria promotes humane societies and their funding events on her page. However, she prohibits any “for sale” posts or individual advertisements. The lost pet posts are mostly dogs and cats, with the occasional pig or rodent.

“I don’t have children,” Maria says, “pets are my children. I created the website because I don’t want Peanut to have died for nothing.”  ALM

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Sullivan Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors Vic Sullivan

Branch Manager First Vice President-Investment Officer

Victor Sullivan, CFPÂŽ

Associate Vice President-Investment Officer Financial Advisor

Tiffany Slaughter Client Associate Officer

Susan Gay

Senior Registered Client Associate Assistant Vice President

618 North Westover Boulevard, Albany, GA | 229.338.7875 | www.sullivanfa.com Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC.

CAR 0518-03748

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Let Us Make InsUrance easy!

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It’s aLifestyle Aftco Chaco Columbia Fish Hippie Karlie Kuhl Mountain Khakis OluKai OTBT Southern Marsh

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Your Family’s Destination For Casual, Modern Classic clothing & Accessories

Since 1952

YOUR HOMETOWN PHARMACY! Welcome Kendall Donley (Formerly of Harvey’s Lee Co.) To Our Team.

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100 Tabitha Street | Leesburg, GA | 229-436-6992

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Maybe a

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Monday - Saturday | 11 am - 8 pm 2818 Old Dawson Rd. | Suite 4 Albany, GA 31707

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(229) 420-9700

Photo Restoration & Canvas Prints

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An artisan can be defined as a skilled craft worker that designs and creates things by hand. Donna Trull has created a life of almost 30 years pursuing art in many forms. It all began when she saw someone getting their nails done and she explains she had a sort of “aha� moment that she had found her destiny. This caused her to realize that the beauty school time she had put in was meant for specializing in nails. She spent some time at home raising her sons and then began her career working in a department store called Gayfers as a nail tech. Within a few years she found a place that has been a fit for her the past twelve years, Studio 413.

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Story by Keisha Cory

Photography by Shannan Blanchard

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Whether it’s the polish of the nails, the colorful work of each intricate bead, or the layers of color placed on every canvas, the central theme that ties each design together is color. Donna feels so blessed that her life is not merely black and white and that work doesn’t feel like work.

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One thing Donna emphasizes is that “art takes time.” You can’t sit in a chair and paint peoples’ nails while listening to their stories if you are not a person of patience.

Patience is what is required to create a finished masterpiece, not perfection.

Perfection is never attainable, so in the words of Salvador Dali, “have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.”

As long as I can remember, my mom has sat in Donna’s chair for her routine nail appointments.

Sitting in that seat has created a friendship of sharing many family events, hard days, triumphs, and joys. One thing that struck a chord with me was when Donna explained, “It’s hard to hold someone’s hand for an hour and not get to know who they are.” That’s exactly why she has had clients for such great lengths of time. She has bent a sympathetic ear to those who have lost husbands, children, friends, and pets. When you walk out the door, Donna’s hope is that you

not only leave with beautiful nails but walk out feeling better about yourself than when you arrived. Her clients in return have taken interests in her sons growing up and a support to her family endeavors.

As Donna describes it, “on a whim” she participated in a jewelry making class at Michael’s one weekend. Often times wearing her jewelry to work, her clients would buy it right off of her! She began looking online for unique beads and that’s when she discovered handmade lamp work glass beads. She became

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Over the years nothing has taken more interest than nail design and beads until recently discovering pouring paint. This new craze has literally taken the front seat to all Donna creates.

very intrigued with the process of making her own beads and this is when she set up her very own studio in her garage. With a torch, a kiln, and an air conditioner she began crafting her first glass beads. Another “aha’ moment occurs when she realizes this is what she’s supposed to be doing.

Making the beads became her focus.

Donna discovered an online glass community and began making friends around the world. She set up a shop on Etsy and this demanded that she learn the art of photography, running an online shop, and managing social media platforms to showcase her art.

Glass beads have a history dating back to the Egyptians. 4000 year old beads are still being unearthed today.

It humbles Donna to think that beads she’s created could be with people for hundreds and thousands of years to come. It’s obvious to me that her passion drives her to invest her time in education to support her practice. To appreciate art in this form, it requires an understanding of the heart and soul that goes into the details of every creation. When people inquire how long it takes to make one bead, she explains that although the bead takes 45 minutes to an hour to make, it took 15 years to learn the skill set.

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Her next endeavors are to teach her own classes and offer paint parties. “Life is always changing,” Donna explains, “We’re not the same person we were ten years ago or who we will be ten years from now.”

beads until recently discovering pouring paint.

This new craze has literally taken the front seat to all Donna creates. Layering color after color and pouring it randomly on a canvas to create a beautiful piece of art is what she has learned from YouTube tutorials. Once again her nail clients have been so supportive of her newest hobby by purchasing her paintings. Through several viewing venues around Albany, she began to fill personal orders. Circling to the jewelry making beginning, she can now use these art designs as pendants and many are wearing her beautiful designs.

Donna has cut back her hours at the salon to balance busy salon days and quiet days of art for

self-reflection. Her next endeavors are to teach her own classes and offer paint parties.

“Life is always changing,” Donna explains, “We’re not the same person we were ten years ago or who we will be ten years from now.” Certainly Donna didn’t realize she would be creating art on an international level. She jokingly admitted that she almost failed art in 9th grade while making A’s in every other subject! Yet there are a few special memories that she carries in her heart from childhood. She remembers at three years old watching her great-grandmother for hours as she made stuffed animals and Hometown Living At Its Best

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Glass beads have a history dating back to the Egyptians. 4000 year old beads are still being unearthed today. It humbles Donna to think that beads she’s created could be with people for hundreds and thousands of years to come.

other items. She was so inspired that when she was older she made her very own coloring books, paper dolls, clothes, and board games.

She distinctly remembers a tine in Vacation Bible School where she painted rocks using melted crayons. She remembers thinking, “I bet I could paint a million of these and sell them.”

Whether it’s the polish of the nails, the colorful work of each intricate bead, or the layers of color placed on every canvas, the central theme that ties each design together is color. Donna feels so blessed that her life is not merely black and white and that work doesn’t feel like work. I should also mention she has a very supportive husband whose continuous support has helped her reach all she has accomplished today. She is the very proud mom of three adult sons who are in their own right very successful.

A typical day in the life of this artisan begins around 7 am by getting the studio ready, grabbing a cup of coffee and spending the first few minutes of her day in meditation and prayer. Then she heads to her office to check social media for any existing orders to be placed. By eight she switches to iced coffee and classic rock for motivation to carry out her artistic creativity throughout the day. With a few small breaks to walk the dogs and stretch, Donna usually carries on her work till around five pm when she begins her dinner preparation. On days that she works at the salon, she takes time after dinner to edit photos of her work to post on her Etsy shop and social media outlets. One thing Donna emphasizes is that “art takes time.” You can’t sit in a chair and paint peoples’ nails while listening to their stories if you are not a person of patience.

Patience is what is required to create a finished masterpiece, not perfection. Perfection is never attainable, so in the words of Salvador Dali, “have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.”  ALM

instagram.com/trulldonna 176

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The Finest Collection Of Ladies Apparel & Accessories

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TRUST THE GLASS

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Index of Advertisers Adams Exterminators …………………..................…………………… 90 Albany Air Conditioning & Heating ………………...................…… 148 Albany Area Primary Health Care …………….................…………. 147 Albany Body Works …………………………………………..........…… 133 Albany General Tire ............….................…………………………… 151 Albany Internal Medicine …………………….............………………. 118 Albany Living Magazine ............................................................. 167 Albany Living Magazine Subscription ………..................………… 177 Albany Mall ………………………………………………………......…… 134 Albany Symphony Orchestra ……………………..........………………. 40 Albany Technical College ………………………………….......……… 134 Albany Urology Clinic …………………………………..............……….... 5 Alfa Insurance - Mike Trull Agency …………………….............…… 182 Allergy & Asthma Clinics of GA PC ...............…….. 56, BACK COVER Art Sign Company ……………………………….....…………………….. 41 Austin’s Firegrill ………………………………………...........…………… 70 Berg Eye Group …………………………………………………..........… 149 Bison Valley Lodge ……………………………….......………………… 133 Colony Bank …………………………………………............……………. 86 Concrete Enterprises, LLC ………………….............………………… 2-3 Country Financial …………………………….............………………….. 75 Cousins Catering ………………………………………...............……… 89 Custom Interiors ………………………………….............……………… 23 D & D Kitchen Center …………………………..........……………… 12-13 DJ’s II Car Wash & Quick Lube ……………………….................….. 162 Doublegate Country Club ………………………...........…………….. 135 Dougherty Glass Company ……………….............…………………. 183 Dunn’s Business Services ……………………………...............……. 167 Duren Paint & Body Shop …………………................……………… 161 Elements Coffee Co. ……………....…………............……………….. 146 Farmer’s Insurance - Mercedes Aldridge, Agent …………......….. 183 Fast Copy & Blueprint ............................................................... 166 First Choice Family Chiropractic …….......……..............…..……. 182 First State Bank of Albany ……...……………… INSIDE FRONT COVER Fleming & Riles Insurance ……...............…………………………….. 59 Flint - Ag & Turf Division …………………….................………………. 72 Flint Community Bank ……………………………………............... 10-11 Gatewood’s Flower Shop …………………...................……………... 89 Georgia Southern University …………...................………………….. 71 Griffin Lumber & Hardware ….............………………………………. 136 Harvey Well Drilling ……………………….........…………………… 28-29 Hickory Grove Storage …………………………...............…………… 162 Hinman Pool Supply …………………...............……………………… 180 Hope City United ………………………………….............……………. 120 Hutchins Clenney Rumsey Huckaby, P.C. ……...................……… 161 Ivey’s ……………………………….............……………………………… 165 John Ross Jewelers ……………………….............…………………… 102 JohnAllen Salon ………………………………………...........…………. 183 Kay Fuller Interiors ………………….............…………………………. 181 Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home ………………...............…………….. 183 Knight’s Apparel & Gift ……………………………………..............… 148 Knight’s Appliance & Mattress ………..……............………………. 135 Lancaster Village …………………………………………......…… 179-181 Lee County Touch Down Club ……………….................…………... 105

Livi & Company …………………………………………...…............…. 151 LOGIC4Design .……………………………………………...…………… 182 Longleaf Dental …............……………………………………………… 178 LRA Constructors, Inc. …….............…………………...…………….. 146 Medical Associates of Albany ………................…………………… 150 Mellow Mushroom …………………………………...........…………… 119 Millie Mac Photography ………..............……………………………. 106 Modern Gas ………………………………….....…………...…………….. 54 Mossy Oak Dental, LLC ………………………............………………… 39 Natural Nails Salon ……...................………………………………... 163 Nutrien ……………………………………........…………………………. 136 Oakland Plantation …………………………….............……………….. 58 Oxford Construction Company …………………………..........……… 42 Pellicano Construction ………………..............…………………….. 149 Phoebe ………………………………………………............…………..… 91 Plantation Collision Center …………….................………………… 178 Pro 1 Collision …………………………………………............……….. 161 Rehabilitation Center of South Georgia ….................…………… 107 Renasant Bank ……………………………………………….........…… 150 Rental Depot …….............……………………………………………… 164 Royal Collection ……………...........…………………………………… 180 Rylander Theatre ……………………............………....………………. 121 SafeAire Heating & Cooling …………………..................…………… 88 Sellers Tile ………………………………………………………......……… 55 Shae Foy Photography …...........……………………...……………… 122 SL Sausage Company ……………...............………………………… 164 Smallcakes ………………………………………............……………… 166 Southern Point Staffing …………………………………...............…… 73 Southern Tractor & Outdoors ……….......………………………… 24-25 Southland Children’s Dentistry …………............……………….. 26-27 Southwest Georgia Farm Credit ………………….............………… 123 Southwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, LLC. …........................…. 7 Speed Shop & Truck Accessories …….................………………… 166 Stewbos ………………………………………………….........…………. 104 Sullivan Wealth Management Group …..................……………… 163 Sunbelt Ford Lincoln ……………………………………...........……….. 57 The Cookie Shoppe …………………………........……………………. 123 The Deriso Agency, Inc. …………………………...............…………… 75 The Flower Basket ……............………………………………………… 137 The Kinnebrew Co. .................................................................... 182 The Staffing People ……………..............………………………………… 9 Tomlinson Outdoor Services ……………..............…………………. 147 Turner’s Furniture ……………….......………………................………… 1 U Save It Pharmacy ………………….............………………………… 165 Unique Printing ………………………………...............………………. 163 Vanderburg Endodontics …………...…………… INSIDE BACK COVER WALB News …………………………...........……………………………… 74 Wells Fargo Advisors ………………………..............………………… 163 Westover Animal Hospital …............………………………………… 137 Wild Side Running ……………………...........………………………… 179 Willson Hospice House ………………………...................…………… 91 Wingate by Wyndham ………….................……………………………. 87 Women’s Health Professionals …………….................…………… 103 Wynfield Plantation ……………….........……………………………….. 43

Please thank these sponsors for making this publication possible!

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Banking on Southwest Georgia for over a Century

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At Vanderburg Endodontics we believe in preserving our patient’s teeth and natural oral structures. Visit us and receive care in the most professional, comfortable, and friendly environment in the region. We love to make you smile.

Dr. Vanderburg is one of the most highly trained endodontists in Southwest Georgia.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and continued her studies at the University of Michigan Dental School, where she received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. She then completed General Practice Residency (GPR) training at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York. Later, specific to the field of endodontics, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, where she received a Master of Science degree and Certification in Endodontics.

As a practicing Endodontist in the Washington, D.C. area, Dr. Vanderburg was voted a “Top Endodontist” by Baltimore Magazine. Not only do her patients value her skills as a clinician, but they also enjoy the patient experience provided by her and staff. In her leisure time, Dr. Vanderburg enjoys friends, family, traveling, the arts and classic architecture.

Dr. Vanderburg is a diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics, which is the highest level of certification that can be achieved in the field of endodontics. She is one of the only few Board-Certified endodontists in all of Southwest Georgia.

Come to Vanderburg Endodontics and see why they are considered the premiere endodontic practice of Southwest Georgia.

A

1503 W Third Ave Suite B Albany, GA 31707 229.883.5115 vanderburgendo.com

Root canals (tooth pain treatment)| Internal Tooth bleaching |Traumatic Tooth Injury Care

summer 2018

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

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)

also...

Sharing the Positive Light Yolanda Amadeo wants to make a greater impact helping people.

Adventures of Life Todd and LaDonna Urick learned to follow the things that led them to their calling.

Restoration

Community A Heart for

Grace Harrelson is taking her hobby to new levels and sharing her faith in the process.

Chris and Karen Cohilas’ vision for Albany is one that encompasses hope and endless possibilities.

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