Newnan-Coweta Magazine, May/June 2008

May/June 2008 | $3.95

MAGAZINEA Publication of The Times-Herald

THE

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Established 1995

A publication of The Times-Herald

Publisher

Sam Jones

Editor

Angela McRae

Art Director

Deberah Williams

Contributing Writers

Liz Barnett, Jeff Bishop, Janet Flanigan, Leigh Knight, Holly Jones,

Karen Jordan, Michelle Landrein, Kendall Marchman, Alex McRae,

Elizabeth Richardson, W. Winston Skinner, Martha A. Woodham

Photography

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Newnan-Coweta Magazine is published bi-monthly by The Times-Herald, Inc., 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263.

Subscriptions: Newnan-Coweta Magazine is distributed in home-deliverycopies of The Times-Herald and at businesses and offices throughoutCoweta County. Individual mailed subscriptions are also available for$23.75 in Coweta County, $30.00 outside Coweta County. To subscribe, call770.304.3373.

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Cover styling and photography by DeberahWilliams.

Special FeaturesWeb extras you’ll find only online. Look for the com-puter icon throughout every issue to lead you to thespecial content at newnancowetamagazine.com.

Online Book Club:Join us in the Book Nook and be among the first to discussour latest selection or post your review of a past selection,including the titles below.

Book giveaways

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CONGRATULATIONS KIM SEWELL OF NEWNAN!Kim is the winner of our most recent book give-away, Private Gardens of Georgia.

ON OUR WEBSITEwww.newnancowetamagazine.com

ON OUR COVER

contents

15 COWETA TRAVELS

36 A MAMMOTH ADVENTURE

It’s the world’s longest cave, andMammoth Cave in Kentucky is also oneof North America’s oldest touristattractions. Join the Knight family ofNewnan on their mammoth cavingadventure.

40 A CHILD’S WONDERLAND

The bedrooms Tina Neely hasdesigned for her children are

truly delightful, and nowthis “it girl” of local

decorating

shares some of her latest design ideasthat are sure to spark bedroom envy.

48 SUMMER AMUSEMENTS

Michelle Landrein, a longtime Times-Herald Teen Board member, polls herclassmates about their favorite summeramusement parks.

52 TIME FOR VBS

Almost the minute school lets out,churches all over the county open theirdoors for Vacation Bible School. Find outwhat’s hot in the high-tech world of VBStoday.

64 HISTORIC SENOIA PROJECT

Senoia has been undergoing somethingof a renaissance, and nowhere is the

effort on display more than MainStreet in Senoia.

Restaurants and retail shops are alreadyopen, and a new residentialdevelopment is in the works.

68 A MEMORIAL DAY

CELEBRATION

Senoia will pay tribute to veterans at thetown’s annual Memorial Day Celebrationon May 26.

76 MY FRIEND JIMMY

William F. Starnes is the winner of theSecond Annual Newnan-CowetaMagazine Writing Contest.

80 FILLING THE AIR

WITH SONG

Roy Yancey has been playing theharmonica since age 7, and it was quitenatural that he became a collector of theinstruments as well.

16 A COWETAN IN CHINA

Going to China for the SummerOlympics? You won’t want to missKendall Marchman’s account of theyear he has spent teaching at auniversity in China.

22 MUSH YOU HUSKIES!

Join Janet Flanigan on a GirlfriendGetaway to Jackson Hole, Wyoming,where she and some gal pals wentdogsledding in the Bridger-TetonNational Forest.

28 CZECH THIS OUT

After serving as a host home for Czechexchange student Alena Krejcova a fewyears back, it was time for Liz Barnett ofNewnan and some friends to visit Alenaon her home turf in the Czech Republic.

F eatures

May/June 2008


D epartments60 FAMILY FUN

Twice the size of its predecessor, thenew World of Coca-Cola in Atlantadisplays many never-before-seenartifacts relating to the popular softdrink. Not surprisingly, kids love it.

72 COWETA COOKS

Carol Wieting doesn’t particularly like tocook, but family and friends know thisbusy Surgical ICU Nurse is actuallyquite gifted in the kitchen.

84 MEET A READER

Dr. Phillip Swords reveals a hankeringto live in Wyoming and his favorite localsandwich.

86 SADDLE UP

Elsa Sibley thought she was giving upriding horses to concentrate on herpainting, but this horse lover soonrealized she needed both passions inher life.

92 LOCAL HERITAGE

Dr. John Henry Jordan was Newnan’sfirst black doctor, and the Newnanhouse he called home turns 100 thisyear. Read a tribute from his great-granddaughter.

14

92

68

84

86

36

64

In every issue10 EDITOR’S LETTER

95 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

96 THE BOOKSHELF

98 10 THINGS I’VE LEARNED

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 9

40

>FROM THE EDITOR’S PEN

aving had the pleasure of readingall the entries in this year’s

Newnan-Coweta Magazine WritingContest, I’m a little more word-

obsessed than usual these days. Someof these writers really know how to turn a

phrase, and I love that. It inspires me to thinkabout my own writing, and the words I use, andthe thoughts I hope to convey.

There’s another source of writerlyinspiration I’ve been mulling over here in CowetaCounty, though: the lowly bumper sticker.

My commute home is a 20-25 minutesojourn that typically involves a 5:30-ish backupnear Greison Trail and a pause or two alongLower Fayetteville before I finally break throughthe traffic at Thomas Crossroads and arrivehome. That means I see quite a few bumperstickers in a typical week.

The one I found most intriguing was on awhite van and said simply, “PackagingMatters.” Packaging? What kind of packaging?Did someone say packaging doesn’t matter? Dowe have some packaging inferiority complexgoing on?

I was thinking peanuts-and-bubble-wrappackaging, but a girlfriend suggested thebumper sticker means packaging as in gift-wrap.“Of course it matters, especially to people like

me and you!” she proclaimed. Indeed it does,but I just want to know what that bumper stickermeans.

Politically, may I just say that we are a dullbunch these days? I see a few faded “W”stickers, the occasional “Kerry-Edwards”bumper sticker, and two bright shiny “Obama’08” bumper stickers (spotted downtown, ifthat matters). Maybe it’s just too early in theseason …

One morning, I got behind a car with aCarroll County tag that had an interestingcombination of messages. On top of the backwindow was one of those creepy “COEXIST”bumper stickers sporting a hodgepodge ofreligious symbols indicating that the driverbelieves in everything (or nothing, dependingon how you look at it). It was accompanied bytwo more stickers, one reading “I (Heart)Zombies” and another reading “Go Vegan orDie.”

Another day, I hit paydirt. The cling-stylestickers on the car indicated an artist wasinside, and I grabbed the notebook I keep withme at all times and wrote down the webaddress. If all works out, you’ll be reading abouther work in our November/December issue.

Keep those bumper stickers coming, please.They make the drive a lot more interesting!

Fondly,

Angela McRae, EditorNewnan-Coweta Magazine


HWords that matter

Congratulations to William F. Starnes, winner ofthe Second Annual Newnan-Coweta MagazineWriting Contest. His winning essay, "My FriendJimmy," begins on page 76.Our second place winner was Angie L.Lovell of Newnan for “Bagpipes in TownSquare,“ and third place was Amy Fusterof Grantville for “My Hero, The FifthGrader.“ Their entries can be read onlineat newnancowetamagazine.com.Congratulations to all our winners!

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A Cowetan in China | 16 Mush You Huskies! | 22Czech it out | 28 A Mammoth Adventure | 36


remember tossing and turning the majority of the night before I left for China. I wasleaving to teach English at a university in a “small” suburb in China for one year. My

mind could not take a break, and I wasn’t sure what was motivating it — excitement,anxiousness or fear. It was the first time I would be living in another country.

Once I arrived, I realized it wasn’t like living in another country at all, but anotherworld. Rarely, if ever, is a white, middle-class Southerner in any sort of minority. In China,however, I truly was “the other.” Heads would turn when I walked down the street, peoplewould snicker or shout “Hello!”, and strangers would want me to pose for a picture with theirchild. At first these experiences were uncomfortable, if not frustrating, but as I overcame myculture shock and began to realize the warmth of the people, and the richness of the country’sland and heritage, China evolved into a life-long passion.

Story and photos by Kendall Marchman

Newnan’s Marchman ending year of teaching in China

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 17

Clockwise from top: Beautiful Mt. Tai in Tai'an; apanda in Chengdu; Prayer Garden at the Jade

Buddha Temple in Shanghai.


China has long been a populardestination on the world travel scene.Since the days of the romanticizedSilk Road, tales of the zhong guo(middle kingdom) have sparked theimaginations and wanderlust ofWesterners. China’s history is crowdedwith famous travelers and conquerors– both Asian and European – yet adistinct Chinese identity has survivedthrough all the turmoil. The identityis found not only in the people butalso the land itself resonates it, as if itwere aware of its own beauty anduniqueness. In spite of all this, manyWesterners, especially Americans, havelost their affinity for this oncemysterious land – mostly due toChina’s politically troubled 20thCentury. That is why China andBeijing are putting every resource intothe 2008 Olympic Games in hopes ofrestoring the world’s infatuation withits rich heritage.

Traveling to China is as easy, andinexpensive, as ever. Many airlinesoffer non-stop flights to Beijing,Shanghai and Hong Kong from selectAmerican airports. Perhaps the onlyremaining difficulty is planningwhere to visit. Trying to visit all ofChina in a single trip is all butimpossible. However, China’s cheap,reliable railways and fast-developing

From top:KendallMarchmanposes at asnowy citywall in Xi'anoverlookingclassicChinese-stylebuildings;The GreatWall; andKendall inSanya.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 19

airline industry can ensure that goodtrip planners will be rewarded. Donot let the language barrier be areason to stay home; many Chineseare very happy to have an Englishconversation with an actual American(not to mention a Cowetan). Thatsaid, a simple phrase guide can beinvaluable in train stations, airportsand taxicabs if you don’t speak anyMandarin. Here are a few more traveltips you will need to be aware of:Visas are necessary to enter China,but there are many companies (likeAmerivisa) that can get one quickly.Some immunizations arerecommended, but none is required.Hop in a taxi and take a “crashcourse” in the dangers of being acomplacent pedestrian in Chinabefore walking the streets. And lastly,do not drink the water lest you desirea plague that would make evenMontezuma faint.

China offers something for eachtype of traveler — sightseers, historybuffs, outdoorsmen, gourmands, andof course, shoppers. The Great Wallis arguably the most fantastic human-made site on earth. There are manydifferent areas of the wall to visit,though most tourists see the wall atBadaling, northwest of Beijing.However, I highly recommend

The Gate of HeavenlyPeace sports its famous

portrait of Mao.


getting away from crowds andvisiting the wall at Mutianyu.

I remember gasping unexpectedlythe first time I spied the Wall snakingalong the peaks of the ruggedmountain range. Pictures hardlyserved as preparation for themagnitude of its length, or the beautyof its scenic surroundings. Hikingatop the wall was one of those surreal,yet defining, moments in my life;however, steep climbs and dangerousdescents soon demanded my fullconcentration. After completing myhike, I happened upona toboggan ride backdown the mountain.Zipping down awayfrom the wall andthrough the lush forestis an experience I highlyrecommend. Also, don’tforget to purchase theessential “I Climbed theGreat Wall” t-shirt; Ibought a few just incase.

The majority oftravelers to China windup in Beijing, Shanghai

or Hong Kong, and for good reason;those cities can entertain even themost finicky of tourists for weeks.However, I have found that trueChinese culture is best experiencedaway from those hyper-modernizedcities. Xi’an, in the center of China,is a wonderful city that providestravelers with a modern environmentyet has not lost touch of its authenticChinese culture. Xi’an boasts a richhistory, and one of the onlyremaining city walls in China.

The huge wall surrounds the

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heart of the city and really gives it aunique feel. Within the walls, manyof the buildings showcase thatinstantly recognizable Chinesearchitecture. Xi’an also has a must-see site, the famous TerracottaWarriors. The archaeological marvelcan really jumpstart your interest inChinese history, a fascinating subject.If you like to shop, the city has aMuslim quarter where hundreds ofvendors sell everything from designerhandbags and watches to traditionalChinese mementos. Although theMuslim quarter is one of the cheapestplaces to buy mementos in all ofChina, always bargain! The vendorsexpect it, so they normally raise theirprices, especially for the waiguoren(foreigners).

I have hardly begun to touch onthe limitless travel opportunities inChina. The Gobi desert, completewith two-humped camels and oases,lies to the northwest of Xi’an. InDunhuang, the adventurous travelercan “sandboard” the dunes of theGobi. If beaches and coconut milkare more your style, visit theincredibly relaxed beach town ofSanya on the southern island ofHainan. The scenery and beachesrival other popular beach retreats,and numerous five-star resorts andspas have taken residence.

Whether you desire adventure,relaxation, or just something entirelynew, China will deliver. Personally,this journey continues to be anunforgettable experience that defineswho I am and will become. Whatwill it do for you?

Kendall Marchman will return tothe States in July after a year in China.Someday, he hopes to run into a fellowCowetan on a Chinese street. Kendallwill be starting his Ph.D. in religionsof Asia at the University of Florida inAugust. NCM

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n our house growing up, I used to hear the unusual phrase“Mush you Huskies, Mush!” but it was always used in the context

of cheering on my dad’s college football alma mater, the Universityof Washington Huskies. This past January, the term “Mushing” took

on a whole new meaning when some of my best girlfriends and I wenton an exotic adventure we aren’t likely to ever forget – we went

dogsledding in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest!It all began innocently enough – doesn’t it always? – when we planned a “girls’

trip” to Jackson Hole. The friends hail from Newnan (me), Atlanta (Portia, Rose), Augusta

Story and photos by Janet Flanigan

YouThe Girlfriends’ Getaway to JacksonHole, Wyo. included RoseAlexander, Janet Flanigan ofNewnan, Cathy Pursley, PortiaHendrick and Susan Darby.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 23


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(Susan, Cathy) and Charleston(Mary), and we’ve begun to getprogressively more adventurous inour trips the older we’ve gotten.We’ve done beach trips andmountain getaways for years, like somany women do, and we’ve alwayshad a fantastic time.

In the fall of 2007, we changedthings up with a luxe and relaxingescapade to St. Lucia, British VirginIslands, which caught us snorkeling topeek at octopus, island-hopping onrickety wooden watercraft and wavingto someone at Mick Jagger’s housefrom a speedboat. So the trip toJackson Hole had a lot to live up to... but we knew it would be incrediblefrom the get-go because our creativeartist-friend Portia was the instigator.Her unique perspective openseveryone’s mind to new experiencesand different types of people.

When planning our outdooradventure, we recognized we aren’tbig skiers, so we looked at a websiteoffering other ventures includingsnowmobile trips into Yellowstone(awesome, but 12 hours long),snowshoeing treks (hmmm) anddogsledding (Yes!). We all thoughtthis sounded great and we were onboard.

We were actually picked up atour house by a man named Ron anddriven about 45 minutes to thesouthern edge of Jackson Hole toJackson Hole Iditarod Sled DogTours. Frank Teasley is the 23-yeardogsledding veteran who operatesthis company. He is a six-timeIditarod competitor with a sixthplace finish in 1991. Frank won theLeonhard Seppala HumanitarianAward for the best cared-for dogteam, and it is obvious his staffclearly value and love their 170Alaskan sled dogs as family members.

When you first walk into the


building at Frank’s place, the firstthing you notice is … the smell.Honestly, it’s quite overpowering. Butwhat smells, quite literally, ishundreds of pounds of dog food thatthey keep inside the building toprevent it from freezing. We are nottalking about regular kibble here, butall varieties of ground-up proteinmixtures. Don’t ask.

If you arrive woefullyunderdressed for the cold, or it iseven colder than normal, like our day(26 degrees below zero — yes, youread that correctly!), the staff willmake sure you are properly outfittedto prevent hypothermia and frostbite.Next, you meet the dog teams, eightdogs per team, whiskers coated inicicles, pulling against their traces,howling and playing, ready to go. Aguide will then break you up intogroups of two, assign you to a sled,give you instructions and then —you’re off!

Someone in our group saidriding on the trails was like “beinginside of a snow globe,” which was aperfect description. It was almost anout-of-body experience — the sunwas brilliant against an azure sky; theevergreens were glistening and heavywith snow. All you could hear wasthe dogs panting and the sledrunners shooshing through the snow.

We each had an opportunity toboth ride and drive the sled. At first, Iwas a little nervous about thismushing stuff. Even though the dogsare highly-trained, they still like to runright up on dogs in front of them, so Ihad to constantly slow mine down.

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One time a racing team of dogs cameup suddenly on our left, and I had toimmediately get my team over to theright of the trail so our dogs wouldn’ttangle. It was very exhilarating!

The tours offer full-day trips,complete with meals and a soak inmineral hot springs or a half-daywith a hearty lunch served around alittle campfire (we did the half-day,which was plenty for us). It was trulyan opportunity I would recommendto anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

Jackson Hole is known for itsincredible shopping, and we certainlyprimed the economy a bit, but Idon’t think we bought nearly asmuch as the shopkeepers hoped,considering all that we tried on anddebated. And being the good friendsthat we are, we even talked eachother out of some purchases thatseemed like a good idea at the time

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but wouldn’t have seemed so prudentback home – the saying “that’s whatfriends are for” wasn’t invented fornothin’! We ate some incrediblemeals and ordered in a couple oftimes, and all in all it was a perfecttime spent with great friends.

I know that I am truly blessed inmy life to have such amazing womenthat have been in my life for many,many years. I am fortunate to go onthese wonderful adventures withthem and laugh so hard that mystomach muscles literally hurt for it. Ihave had the greatest of good fortuneto be married to a wonderful manwho not only says “yes, go” butencourages these vacations because heknows how much it means to me andmakes me happy. And I am lucky toshare these adventures with you, somaybe you will be able to becomeinspired to go “mush some huskies”

or some other adventure you neverdreamed of doing. Then write andtell me all about it — we’re waitingto hear your tales! NCM


Cowetan visits her former exchange student in the Czech Republic

it outStory and photos by Liz Barnett

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 29

OCTOBER 17, 2007 – I’m sitting atthe Atlanta airport with my travelcompanions Judy Moore, her daughter KatieHarrison and Sharon Ingram. We are on ourway to the Czech Republic to visit AlenaKrejcova, an exchange student who livedwith my family back in 1994 and attendedEast Coweta High School. Judy and Katiewere especially close to Alena and hadalready visited her in Czech many times. Myfriend Sharon also knew Alena and wasready for our big adventure.

OCTOBER 18, 2007 – Prague! Wemade it! The flight was as smooth as myAmbien-induced dream. My first lesson inEurope is that not everyone speaks English,and apparently many of the Czechs feel a bitof the resentment we presumed they would.My second lesson is, we Americans packway too much “stuff.” When we arrived atour flat (I love referring to this as our “flat”instead of our “apartment”), I realized therewas no “lift” (elevator), just huge concretesteps for us to climb with all that luggage.The ceilings are high, the floors are oldwood, and it is so European yummy I’m inlove already. Katie sleeps. Judy, Sharon and Idecide to explore. Katie knows 50 words ofCzech, we know zero. We explore the areafor a while and decide to get somethingwarm to eat before heading back to our flat.Our first meal in Prague is Goulash becauseit’s the only word on the menu we recognizeother than “Pig Knuckle.” Alena meets us atthe apartment, I mean “flat,” and after kissesand hugs she leads us to the Metro. We aregoing to dinner at an Italian place sheknows. I’ve always wanted to “mind thegap” (watch your step) at the Metro Station.

OCTOBER 19, 2007 – The dollar isweak … bummer. But it does mean less“stuff ” to drag back to the States. Judydrops our cell phone, and people are staringat us as we stand in the street and Sharonputs it back together. Hey, did I just hearsomeone say “Blby Americané”? (“StupidAmericans.”) We are at the Charles Bridge.It is a pedestrian bridge and is decorated by


Georgians traveling in the Czech Republic include, front fromleft, Sharon Ingram of Gay, Judy Moore of Moreland anddaughter Katie Harrison, and Liz Barnett of Newnan with herformer exchange student, Alena Krejcova. At back are somefriends of Alena.

The Charles Bridge is known for its statues, including the one belowdepicting the blinded clockmaker, Master Hanus.

St. VitusCathedral

A view from Prague

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 31

numerous groups of statues. Thebridge winds through two hugegates, one facing Old Town and theother Lesser Town, both in Gothicstyle. Most of the statues at theCharles Bridge have been replacedwith replicas, and the originals arein the National Museum, but you’dnever know it. We meet Alena, Katie

and many of Alena’s friends to go tothe village Alena grew up in andwhere her parents live, Pribram. Wewill be staying a few days, so herewe go again with all our luggage.The little cars we are traveling inlook as if they will drag the ground.In Pribram, Alena’s mother isoutside waiting for us. She speaks

only a few words of English but isdelightful. She ushers us in to atable full of food. She says one ofthe few English words she knows,one I will hear the entire time at herhouse: “Eat!” Later, we attend adinner in our honor with Alena’sfamily and friends. Everyone is sogracious.

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Vetrnik, a glazed roll with fresh cream in the middle, at left, was Liz Barnett’s favorite culinary find on her visit to CzechRepublic. Above, Sharon Ingram and Liz out sightseeing, and at right, a window at St. Vitus Cathedral.


OCTOBER 23, 2007 – We went to thesquare of Pribram today to shop. It was so lovelywalking down cobbled streets in the snow. I do lovesnow! We stopped in an antique store, where I mustadmit I felt faint with delight. I bought some oldmetal spice canisters with the names of the spiceswritten in Czech, and an old wind-up clock to go

with my collection at home. These would bemy favorite “finds” of the trip. I also findbeautiful teacups for my friend Angela. She’lllove them. Alena’s dad takes us out fordinner. Sharon is ecstatic to see French frieson the menu! I have to admit, they tastedelightful.

OCTOBER 24, 2007 – Back to Prague!Judy has purchased many bottles of wine as

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gifts, and her suitcase looks as though it will burst at theseams. “Do you think this suitcase is over 50 pounds?”she asks me. “Absolutely,” I say. She takes out 8 or 10chocolate bars. “What about now?” she asks. “BlbyAmericané,” I say.

OCTOBER 25, 2007 – Katie and Alena decide toditch us, but no matter. Judy, Sharon and I set out toexplore Prague on our own. We start at Prague Castle, agigantic architectural complex which is almost a citywithin a city. Then it’s on to Schwarzenberg Palace, oneof the most perfect expressions of Czech Renaissancestyle in Prague. I was speechless, moved, in awe. Itseemed there was not one inch of Prague that didn’t

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The Jewish Cemetery in Prague

The Astronomical Clock


have some spectacular architecture, someextraordinary view, some rich piece of history.However, in the midst of all this beauty, was it myimagination or could you still feel the remnants ofoppression left from the communist rule?

OCTOBER 26, 2007 – It was snowing and wewere running! We were trying to make it to theAstronomical Clock by the top of the hour so wecould watch the skeletons pop out. The AstronomicalClock was built in 1490 by Master Hanus. It is trulya mechanical marvel. Legend has it Hanus’ eyes weregouged out by the reigning government so he couldnever duplicate the clock for any other country. Wemade it to the clock in time (no pun intended) andmoved on to the Jewish Cemetery. Up until 1787 thecemetery continued to be used to bury the dead ofthe Jewish community. The space became insufficientto hold new tombs. The Jewish religion bansdesecration of tombs, so nothing could be moved.The solution at the time was to stack the coffins ontop of each other, at least 14 layers deep. Inside themuseum were pictures drawn by children of eitherthemselves or their parents being taken away to theconcentration camps. Out of all the splendor, marble,history, and architecture of Prague, it is here I wasmoved the most.

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OCTOBER 28, 2007 –Home!We have had a great trip but are allmissing our families and home. Aswe board the plane in Prague, aflight attendant looks at me andsays “Hey honey, are you ready toget back to good ole Atlanta GA?You look like you could use a nicebig Coca-Cola.” I thought I mightcry, or at the very least lay my headon her shoulder, which was goingto be awkward for everybody. I wasso happy not only to hear Englishbut that good old Southern accent!On the way home, we brieflydiscuss what our next trip mightbe. Maybe Ireland. I could use agood sweater made from sheepabiding in the Irish countryside.When we arrive in Atlanta and gothrough customs, I anxiously awaitthose words I long to hear anytimeI leave my country. The agent looksat me, looks at my passport, andwith a big smile says “Welcomehome.” “It’s good to be here,” Ianswer. NCM

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e had talked it up for four months, three daysand the entire six-hour car ride from Newnan

to Cave City, Ky. In fact, ever since we foundout about my husband’s family reunion in the area,

we spoke of little else. Yet, here I stood frozen,having plunked down money for my husband, me and

our three children, then ages 4, 7, and 15, to take thehistoric tour.

By Leigh Knight | Photos courtesy of Leigh Knight and the National Park Service

Adventure

A

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 37

“Expect to spend two hours inthe cave,” the ranger said. “Toursstart in five minutes.”

Panic hit me. Despite the talk, Ihad been uneasy about visiting acave, even one called MammothCave.

“Two hours in a cave – withkids!” I whispered vehemently to myhusband. “What about pottybreaks?”

“It’s up to you,” he said, which iscode for “Don’t blame me later if thisgoes wrong.”

My children grabbed my handsand pulled excitedly in the directionof the guide. Curiosity got the bestof me and down, down we went.

As we followed our guidethrough an expansive, highway-liketunnel known as Broadway Avenue, Irealized we had chosen wisely. Thiswas no ordinary cave. With 365miles of mapped and surveyedpassages and no end in sight,Mammoth is by far the world’slongest.

The cave wasn’t stuffy as Iimagined. Quite the opposite, infact. The air was fresh, clean and acomfortable 54 degrees year round.So comfortable that early Methodistsettlers used to have church servicesinside.

Time passed quickly as welearned of its amazing history. Thecave is one of the oldest touristattractions in North America, withtours being offered since 1816. Over2,000 years ago, Indians went insidethe dark cave to scrape a whitemineral called gypsum off the wallsand ceilings. One such Indian was“Lost John,” whose visit endedtragically when a five-ton rock felland killed him. Lost John layperfectly preserved in the cave air forhundreds of years until 1935 whentwo cave guides discovered him.


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Where to stay?Lodging at the park includes campsites and the Mammoth Cave Hotel

as well as several nearby bed and breakfasts. The kitschy town of Cave Cityoffers several newer hotels, but none asunique as the Wigwam Village Inn #2,where guests can sleep in (what else?)wigwams. The wigwams are spaciousenough for one and two double beds, withoriginal furnishings dating back to the1930s. The Wigwam Village Inn #2 is thepatented idea of Frank A. Redford. Onlythree of the seven original inns remain.The other two can be found in Arizonaand California.

Jellystone Park Camp Resort, located four miles from Mammoth Cave,offers great campsites and cabins as well, complete with waterslide, pooland miniature golf. When we rode through the gate past Yogi Bear and BooBoo, my daughter exclaimed, “So, this is Yellowstone!”

What to do?You can’t miss Dinosaur World – literally. It’s

marked by a bigger than life Tyrannosaurus Rex that canbe seen from the interstate. This outdoor park has over150 life-size models of dinosaurs on display. For adults itmay seem over the top, but for a four-old-year boy it isawe-inspiring. My husband said our son never let go ofhis hand during their entire visit. For more information,visit www.dinoworld.net or call 270-773-4345.

Guntown Mountain overlooking Cave City bringsto life the old west, with live entertainment, gunfightreenactments, magic shows and more. Notoriousoutlaw Jesse James is said to have dodged the lawamidst the caves and hills of this part of the country.

Just south of Cave City in Bowling Green is theGM Corvette Museum and Assembly Plant wherevisitors can watch workers build their favorite sportscar.

In addition, this area abounds with caves and other fun-filled activities.For more information on these attractions and others, visitwww.cavecity.com.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 39

After being on display for manyyears, Lost John was given a properburial at an undisclosed locationwithin the cave.

We carefully passed by the“Bottomless Pit,” a pit thought to bebottomless by early explorers becausetheir lantern lights were not brightenough to see the bottom. Wetiptoed by the “Giant’s Coffin,” alarge rock shaped like a coffin andthen squeezed through “Fat Man’sMisery,” twists and turns in the rockformed by water, before climbing the138 stairs to daylight.

Once on the surface, after apicnic lunch, we took advantage ofthe 70 miles of scenic trailsoverlooking the Green River Valleythat this national park has to offer.Above ground was beautiful, but thekids were already planning anothertrip below.

I looked at my husband andsaid, “See, and to think, you wereworried!” NCM

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ome folks have it and some folks don’t. Tina Neely is definitely oneblessed with the “it” factor. In this case, “it” is the ability toimagine a beautiful interior space down to minute details and thencarry out her plan to exact specification – while looking fabulousdoing it!

Five years ago, Tina and her husband Matt were rapidlyoutgrowing their Welcome Road farm house. They knew they

needed to add square footage to the historic structure to accommodate

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 41

NNeewwnnaann’’ss ‘‘IItt GGiirrll’’ hhaass ccrreeaatteedd hheerr

By Janet Flanigan | Photos by Bob Fraley

the lifestyle demands of son Jackson and twin daughters Elizabeth and Hannah.“When we first decided to update and remodel, we only had one strict

requirement and that was to save our hardwood floors downstairs. Hope Shirey’sgranddaddy laid those floors 80 years ago and they were staying!” Tina said as if againneeding to emphasize their commitment to keeping the floors. Builder aftercontractor told the Neelys that the home’s footprint with the floors couldn’t be saved,but then they met Richard Crawford of Cornerstone Construction. “He said he coulddo what we asked! So I basically designed everything that I wanted and Richard did


M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 43

the framing and drywall. Then wetook over.”

Tina, Matt and family membersliterally built their home themselves– the wiring, plumbing, insulation,painting – everything. It took a year,but the result is spectacular andexactly to Tina’s liking.

The girls’ bedroom is a candypink fantasyland and in this case theresult is times two. The length of theroom holds all the built-ins the girlsneed and is supremely stylish to boot.Two regular-size bed nooks fit cozilyinto the wall and are flanked by twinbook shelves on either side. Betweenthe beds, a television set sits inside a

cupboard, but one ponders if it isever turned on in this wonderland ofa room.

“The wall is actually a false wallthat can be torn down in the future ifwe need to, in case the girls nolonger want their built-in beds,” Tinaexplained, “but I hope they alwayskeep their room like this.”

Girls of all ages love to stay inthis sweet sanctuary, which all beganas an idea inspired by a painting of awatercolor bunny painted in pastel

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colors by local artist Trish Fountain.“We help out with the youth groupat First Baptist Church, and the teengirls all fuss over who gets to stay inthis room when they come spend thenight with us!” No wonder.

But it’s not all lightness and airupstairs at the Neely home. It can getrough and tumble down the hall inbrother Jackson’s room, which is theenvy of his friends at WesternElementary.

Tina was inspired for Jackson’sroom when her parents gave Jacksona small, classic-looking riding firetruck as a gift several years ago. Shethought the fire truck motif wouldbe perfect for a boy’s room and founda quilt and some other accessories atPottery Barn Kids.

Certainly Jackson’s room isdecorated smartly by any standards,but the eye is immediately drawn toa fireman’s pole that leads from themiddle of his bedroom into a “hideyhole” in the ceiling.

“We wanted to give Jackson aspecial place all his own, so wecreated the secret space in the atticwith the fireman’s pole for him,”Tina explained. A tiny ladder hidden

in the closet leads up to the specialspace decorated in a SpongebobSquarepants theme (adults can usethe attic ladder), complete with asmall tent for sleepovers. Tina saysthe “secret room” has the best view inthe house!

“The firefighters down the street

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have told us they really like Jackson’sroom too,” Tina joked. “They all sawthe room when the paramedics hadto come and check on Jackson whenhe jumped out of the hidey holeinstead of using the pole! (He wasfine). Of course, now we have thestrict rule, use the pole! Nojumping!”

The focus in the Neely home istheir children, and the kids’ roomsare all about fun and love. Theplayroom/art room is a dream spacefor budding Michelangelos or MaryCassatts. Tina used a special paint-by-numbers style pattern to create ahuge, colorful barnyard mural on onewall of the room. She layeredSherwin Williams’ magnetic paintand then chalkboard paint to create amagnetized chalkboard directly on anadjoining wall so the children can

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A firetruck theme prevails in JacksonNeely’s bedroom, right down to thefireman’s pole and “hidey hole” upabove. At right, a family frienddemonstrates how to safely slidedown the pole.


M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 47

create masterpieces when they’reinspired. There are cubbies andcontainers for everything so suppliesare easily accessible when creativitystrikes.

Speaking of inspiration, thechildren really need look no furtherthan their mother for their muse. Sheis an artist in the truest sense.Completely self-taught, she createsbeautiful things simply for thepleasure it gives her. She’s found acreative outlet in her company,BellaChristine, designing customjewelry, handbags and many otherdecorative items and she’s now helpingpeople with home interiors as well.

Maybe it’s time for you, like this“it” girl, to bring the wow factor toyour own home! NCM

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By Times-Herald Teen Board Member Michelle Landrein | Photos courtesy of Six Flags Over Georgia

If you want to find a horde of teenagers when school’sout, the first place you should search is an amusementpark. A redundant reason for this would be thatamusement parks are designed for the purpose of, well,amusement!

Within the different amusement parks in Georgia,both families and teenagers can be spotted. I conductedan informal survey in my English class to discoverwhat theme park was everyone’s favorite, andwhy. Out of 14 participants, 12 voted forSix Flags Over Georgia in Austell,north of Atlanta. Somehow, Ihad a feeling that thiswould be the case.

Since 1967,Six FlagsOver

Georgia has been providing thrills, spills and chills forpeople throughout the South. It’s no wonder they’re sopopular; they are the only Six Flags in the South, withTexas being the next nearest location. Plus, Six FlagsOver Georgia has had over 40 years of time to improve

and make new additions.I received several

enthusiastic responsesat the mere

A TEEN’S TAKE ON

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 49

mention of Six Flags. Stevenblurted, “I love Six Flags because it’sgot everything — water rides, rollercoasters and even season passes!”Several raved about the numerousCoke Zones that are distributedaround the park. It’s true that on ahot July afternoon in Georgia, acool mist raining down on you isextremely refreshing!

And due to the park’s enormity,a new feature is discovered on everyvisit. I wasn’t aware of the fact thatSix Flags hosts its own Laser Taggame center until John and Michaelmentioned this as one of their

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favorite attractions.My Mom has a T-shirt depicting a

frantic hen furiously attempting to escape arollercoaster ride. The giant purple lettersread: Coaster Chicken.

Both my mother and I are, indeed,rollercoaster chickens, and most likelyforever will be. Unlike my mom though,I can handle a few twists, turns and dives.Nauseating loops, flips, or othermovements defying my natural sense ofbalance are a different story though! So,desperate to rid myself of my fright ofroller coasters in general, I turned to myfriends for advice. Unanimously, theiranswer was the Scream Machine, thesimplest of all “adult” roller coasters atSix Flags.

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the Dahlonega Mine Train. Lastsummer was a milestone for mesince I ventured beyond the kiddiecoaster and bravely fastened myselfinto the seemingly perilous ride, theScream Machine. I must admit toothers who are terrified ofattempting to ride a rollercoaster, itis truly worth it to give it a shot onthe Scream Machine. Of coursethere are people whose views are thepolar opposite of mine when itcomes to what I call pure fright.Take my friend Kristin for example.

“Six Flags Over Georgia isdefinitely my favorite amusementpark because of the thrill and rush Iget while riding the roller coasters!Just walking through the front gatesand seeing all the excitement around

me is reason enough,” she said.Besides Six Flags, there are

several other amusement parks thatteenagers enjoy. One of them isStone Mountain, a populardestination for families and tourists.The most popular attraction atStone Mountain is by far the lasershow. This is a must for everyone,especially Georgia newcomers, as Iwas seven years ago, because it’struly spectacular. And if you’relooking for something to do withyour family that’s closer to home,check out Dixie Land Fun Park inFayetteville!

So this weekend or thissummer, instead of staying at home,go and enjoy yourself at yourfavorite amusement park! NCM

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Coweta kids’ Vacation Bible School in 2008By W. Winston Skinner | Photos courtesy of The Times-Herald

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 53

Joanne Underwood works with children to complete a blanket as part of the "Fiesta"-themed Vacation BibleSchool last year at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. The blankets — which featured "Jesus Love Me" InEnglish and Spanish — were donated to Community Welcome House.

MY FIRST MEMORY of Vacation Bible School was at White Oak Associate ReformedPresbyterian on Gordon Road.

That was 44 summers ago. Mom was expecting my twin brothers. In retrospect, I realize mygrandmother, who grew up attending White Oak ARP, saw a way for me to have fun, Mom to getsome much needed rest and White Oak to up its VBS enrollment by one.

A striking memory from that 1964 Bible School is the “TV program” we made. Someone hadcut a “screen” out of a large box. We drew pictures with crayons, and our art was taped into a longstrip that ran between two dowels. It wasn’t a DVD, but it used the technology and creativity ofteachers and VBS pupils of that day and time.


Vacation Bible School began in 1898 when aBaptist lady, a doctor’s wife, started a summeroutreach to children on New York’s East Side. Theidea took off, and soon VBS became a tradition forchildren throughout the United States.

In Coweta County, Vacation Bible Schoolrepresents a major effort for most churches — largeand small. Myra Wells of Oaklawn Baptist Churchhas been involved in VBS training for the WesternBaptist Association for more than a decade.

She got started in 1996 to help Debbie McKoy,who took a leadership role in the association’s VBSemphasis for years. Debbie had a VBS legacy herself.Her mother, Catherine Hill, was a strong believer inVBS as long as I knew her.

Today’s VBS programs are creative and appeal toyoungsters who live in the computer game, electronicentertainment world.

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Laura Farmer,director of children’sprograms atCornerstone UnitedMethodist Church atThomas Crossroads,told me Cornerstoneuses Group literaturefor most of itsprograms. Thissummer, Cornerstone’svolunteers will bemounting Group’sPowerLab VBS, whichwill use science to adda new layer to thesummer tradition.

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expectations these days,” Laurasaid. Children have much moreexposure to books andentertainment, and teachers expectmore — and see that children areready to do more — than in thepast. Laura noted that evenyounger VBS children often havebeen in some kind of preschoolprogram.

David C. Cook has “CosmicCity” this summer, with an outerspace theme. Gospel Light’s VBSoffering is SonWorld, which has atheme park setting. Other themesfor 2008 use the rainforest, thebeach and a treehouse as startingpoints for sharing the gospel withchildren.

I remember some pictures afew years back of Mike Lettaudonning a fedora to be“Indianapolis Jones,” anadventurous character, at a ZionLutheran VBS that bore aresemblance to some popular

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Daniel Ausbun Jr. checks out the 167pounds of pennies gathered by boysduring VBS at First Baptist Church ofMoreland.

Balloons lend a festive note to Vacation Bible School at Emory ChapelUnited Methodist Church.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 57

Harrison Ford films. Then a fewyears later at our church — Mt.Zion Baptist near Alvaton — LoryPendergrast mounted a massive, fun,ocean-themed VBS. The curriculumfeaured some cartoon fish who hadto come from the same family treeas the “Finding Nemo” cast.

Creativity is important. “I reallythink it does help to attract thekids,” Laura Farmer said.

This year’s VBS from Lifeway,the Southern Baptist publicationarm, is Outrigger Island, which hasa Hawaiian flavor. Myrna noted thattoday, Lifeway provides a list ofcrafts which are made from easilypurchased materials and which relateto the theme.

She and I both recalled themany crafts made from egg cartons,toilet paper rolls and paper plates. Itwas popular for awhile there to gluepasta on something and spray paintit gold, and I still wonder how longit took Mrs. Louise Arnall to gatherempty ice cream gallon containersand wallpaper swatches for us to

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make wastepaper baskets at Luthersville Baptist foryouth VBS 35 years ago now.

Most churches hold VBS at night nowadays. “Somany of your mothers in your church work. Motherswork just as much as daddies do,” Myra reflected.“They just don’t have the time to put things togetherthat our mothers did.”

Laura noted that the evening VBS time alsoallows people who do not have children to take part.“It takes quite a few workers,” she said.aring, eaching, eachingC T R

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Fifth graders from VBS at First United Methodist Church of Newnan spend a morning helping Derenda Roweat the Coweta Community Food Pantry. From left are, front, Jay McNight, Seve Gaines, A J Rector, BradyBarnes, Jay Robeson, Alex Hall, Joshua Morse, Joan Exner; middle, Kinsey Adams, Rebecca Barron, EmilyExner, Nora Powell, Arden Jobe; top, Margaret Miller, Tori Loveless, Isabella Plonk, Rowe.

Music is a fun part of Vacation Bible School. These energeticsingers are at First Baptist Church of Newnan.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 59

VBS offers fun, food andcreative crafts, activities and songs.The spiritual truths emphasized atVacation Bible School tend to bethe basics. Laura Farmer saidCornerstone’s VBS is not verysectarian. The enrollment — lastyear’s high attendance was 186 —includes children who attendCornerstone regularly, youngstersfrom the church’s preschoolprogram and children from thearea who do not usually come tochurch there.

“It’s definitely across theboard,” she said.

Myra Wells noted that VBSoffers an opportunity to tellchildren – children who otherwisemight not hear – that Jesus lovesthem. She said statistics indicate asmany as a third of the childrenwho accept Jesus as their Savioreach year do so at Vacation BibleSchool.

Myra said she can’t pinpointall the reasons why so manyyoungsters get to Vacation BibleSchool but don’t attend SundaySchool, worship or other churchactivities regularly. In any case, thecreativity and fun bring childrencloser to the Bible and its messageof love. “The Lord,” Myra said,“works that way.” NCM

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Emma and Audrey Huddlestun enjoypopsicles with their mother, JennyHuddlestun, during Vacation BibleSchool Family Night at First BaptistChurch of Newnan.

“This is the best day of my life,”says my ecstatic 6-year-old son, Carson, downing anotherswig of fizzy Coca-Cola.

As a child who gets soda as a rare treat, he means it.He and his sisters have just made their way through sixdifferent stations dedicated solely to Coca-Cola brands

at the NEW World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. Theyhave sipped, mixed and savored up to 70 differentproducts from around the globe. My daughter foundthat she loved Sprite Ice from India, while my sondecided that there is no better soft drink on Earth

By Leigh Knight | Photos byLeigh Knight and Jeffrey Leo

> FAMILY FUN


M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 61

than Coca-Cola Classic, formulated right here inGeorgia.

The NEW World of Coca-Cola shares a spacewith the Georgia Aquarium on a 20-acre complexnamed Pemberton Place for the pharmacist whoinvented Coca-Cola in Atlanta in 1886. The state-of-the art museum is conveniently located acrossthe street from Centennial Olympic Park, offeringa great venue for the kids to burn off their sugarhigh after their tasty tour.

If you visited the previous World of Coca-Cola at Underground Atlanta, you are in for atreat. The new facility is approximately twice thesize and features more than 1,200 artifacts fromaround the world that have never been displayedto the public before. In fact, only about 50artifacts from the previous museum are showcased.Included in the treasure trove is an originalNorman Rockwell oil painting that was created fora Coca-Cola calendar in 1931 and a collection ofvintage vending machines as well as Coca-Colaprint and outdoor advertisements from across timeand around the world.

Visitors have the opportunity to meet theworld’s most famous polar bear, watch the best ofCoca-Cola advertising throughout the years,embark on the discovery of the secret formula inthe 4-D theater and step into a real bottling line


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WORD TO THE WISE: Theapproximate tour time is only 90minutes. You may want to plananother activity before orafterwards such as a picnic inthe park or a trip to theaquarium. After our visit, wewalked to the CNN Center forlunch. NCM

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to get a behind-the-scenesperspective on the bottlingprocess. Guests are given a specialcommemorative bottle to keep asa souvenir or, if preferred, toconsume.

Be sure to stop by the PopCulture Gallery. The AndyWarhol exhibit is on loan fromPittsburgh’s Warhol Museumthrough May. You’ll also see theunique art of Gerald Byrd (seephoto below) from Carrolltonand, perhaps, gain a few ideas ofwhat to do with those emptysoda cans. NCM

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hen “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns” recently debuted on over 2,000screens across the U.S. and became the number two movie in thenation, raking in tens of millions of dollars, it brought a little sliceof Senoia to the rest of America – but it also brought a piece of thefilm industry’s economic pie to Senoia and Coweta County.

The front of the former Hutchinson Hardware building onMain Street was transformed into a bus stop for the film. Crewsalso filmed on one of the lots owned by Historic DevelopmentVentures, the partnership of Scott Tigchelaar and Paul Lombardi ofRiverWood Studios.

It is that partnership that is the driving force behind anongoing renaissance in the small town. The Historic Senoia Project,begun about two years ago, brings residential and commercial“infill” development to downtown Senoia, blending into the town’sexisting century-old buildings.

The ambitious initiative is basically turning the quaint turn-of-the-century town into a kind of massive period backlot for thestudio, which has brought a large number of major film projects –

By Jeff Bishop | Photos courtesy of The Times-Herald

Residential, commercial developmentcreating buzz in Senoia


and celebrities like Kevin Costner and Kathy Bates – to the areaover the past 20 years.

The idea behind the Historic Senoia Project is to create“shootable” towns for the film and TV industry, Tigchelaarexplained, while allowing people to live and work there between thefilm and TV projects.

When Tigchelaar returned to Senoia several years ago to runRiverWood, an opportunity arose that paved the way for this re-invention of the town. An unfortunate series of events involvingstored paint solvent at the historic McKnight cotton gin left thegin’s owner facing financial ruin, Tigchelaar explained.

“They literally had a clock ticking and a gun to their head,”he said.

Tigchelaar acquired the troubled property and now hisinnovative 11-acre “Gin Property development” is nearingcompletion. It will have factory lofts, live/work urban townhomes,brownstones and single-family homes, all designed to fit the early1900s architecture.

New to Main Street in Senoia areKristie Brooking and Cathy Willis ofYou’re Invited stationery andinvitation shop, far left, and near left,Patricia Wright, owner of the newSteel Magnolias Boutique and Salonin Senoia and her mentor BrendaPugh. The businesses are amongthose in the newly renovatedbuilding, below, that was for manyyears home of Hutchinson Hardware.

At left is Frank Maguire of Maguire's Irish Pub in Senoia, which opened St. Patrick’s Dayto a capacity crowd, below.


The residences will be builtwith back alleys to allow for thearea to be used as a live “backlot,”where film and TV productions cansimulate whatever town they needfor their production.

“We’d be foolish not to lay itout in order to be more conducivefor film projects,” Tigchelaar said.

He explained with thebrownstones, the productioncompanies simply need to park someNew York taxicabs and some fauxsubway entrances to recreate NewYork City – an expensive location toshoot.

“The (subway platform) stairsdon’t go anywhere, but it’ll look likeit,” he said.

The Gin development islocated at the southern end of MainStreet, just across the park from theSenoia Coffee Company. CharlesSykes, owner of the coffee shop,loves the effect the movies arehaving on the town. While “Meetthe Browns” was filming last fall,his business was up 50 percent.Movie crew members arrived indroves, he said, as did the residentswatching the filming.

“I don’t know how it affects theother businesses, but for us, it’sgreat,” Sykes said.

He thinks the movies naturallygenerate interest in the town.

“When word gets out thatthey’re filming here, people willcome to Senoia to see what’s goingon. And then they’ll come back andshop,” he said.

“It adds a little excitement topeople’s lives. It does to mine,anyway.”

While Tigchelaar was able tosecure the McKnight Gin Propertyfor the residential infill, he felt itwasn’t enough to complete thevision he had for Senoia’srevitalization. Tigchelaar pursued

Senoia furniture store owner FrankHollberg and eventually wound upwith 22 lots in downtown Senoia.The former Hollberg properties onMain Street were developed intoSenoia’s first three-story building fora restaurant, bar, country radio

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M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 67

station 92.5 “The Bear,” and a medical clinic.“It has the only elevator in Senoia,” Tigchelaar

said.MaGuire’s Irish Pub occupies the basement, and

is now the only restaurant in Coweta County thatcan legally pour drinks on Sundays. The RedneckGourmet’s second location opened in late March,and the restaurant is getting in on the film theme byfeaturing a surfboard from the classic film“Apocalypse Now.” Paul Lombardi did special effectsfor the film and is the owner of the surfboard.

Other developers are also getting in on the act.The historic Hutchinson Hardware building onSenoia’s Main Street was sold last September to JohnBarrow of Peachtree City and now serves as thehome of the new “Shoppes on Main Street.”

“John did a wonderful job,” said GenevaHewett, owner of Table Talk Home Decor, one ofthe retail shops at the new development. “Everyoneis raving about the building.”

The flurry of activity in Senoia has not gonewithout notice. This winter the Historic SenoiaProject won the Revitalization Award at the SouthMetro Development Outlook conference.

Meanwhile, the Gin Property brownstones,slated to be finished by the end of June, already havea waiting list of 145 people for the 110 homes.Tigchelaar said most of the interested tenants arePeachtree City empty-nesters who are wanting todownscale from 10,000-square-foot homes.

“They are looking for a walking town,” he said.“They love the idea of being 25 miles and 100 yearsfrom Atlanta, which is our motto.” NCM

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mall town doesn’t meansmall time anymore. Askanyone who’s visitedSenoia lately. Especially on

Memorial Day.In recent years, downtown

Senoia has undergone atransformation as new shops,restaurants and commercial buildingshave sprung up, renewing the senseof prosperity and progress locals tookfor granted before Coweta’s cottonboom busted in the late 1960s.

But Senoia’s success doesn’t stopat new commercial, retail and

residential offerings. Even as changebrings new optimism andopportunity, Senoia remains morecommitted than ever to honoring itspast.

This new attitude is reflected inthe city’s Memorial Day celebration,which was revamped two years agoand has quickly become an exampleof how to do a Big Day right.

“When we were planning theevent, we wanted to make sureeverything we did reflected onSenoia’s historic character,” saidSuzanne Helfman, chairman of

Senoia’s Downtown DevelopmentAuthority. “We wanted to give theMemorial Day event an old-time feeland so far, people have been veryhappy with the results. Now it’ssomething people talk about andlook forward to.”

Memorial Day was set aside byCongress years ago to honor allAmerican veterans who died inservice to their country. Senoia’scelebration, while centered onveterans, is also a celebration of smalltown life at its best.

The day-long event opens at 10

By Alex McRae | Photos courtesy of The Times-Herald

a.m. on Monday, May 26, 2008when artists, craftsmen and vendorspack the sidewalks with merchandiseranging from used CDs to brand newhand-crafted sandals.

No matter your age or interestyou’re sure to feel right at home. TheSenoia celebration draws a crowdthat includes everyone from babes-in-arms to senior citizens, and there’s anactivity to suit everyone.

History buffs will enjoy theliving history exhibit or chatting withCivil War and Revolutionary War re-enactors. Auto lovers can drool overthe vintage car display, and kids canchoose from a variety of activitiesthat include face-painting, sand art,pony rides or a turn on the “bigbounce” inflatables.

If they’re lucky, livestock loversmight even spot a few live goats orchickens checking things out.

Official activities kick off at highnoon with brief introductory remarksby local officials and honoreddignitaries.

The highlight of the day is the 2p.m. parade. And the Senoia eventdoesn’t take a back seat to its bigger,brassier counterparts. This year, localWorld War II veterans will serve asthe Grand Marshals, but militaryveterans of all ages and all branchesof service will be honored guests,including the military’s nextgeneration, as represented by theMarine Corps ROTC unit from EastCoweta High School.

“It’s a wonderful way for theentire family to celebrate the greatcontributions of the many veteransfrom our area,” Helfman said. “Weowe them all so much and this is agreat way to say thanks for theirservice and sacrifice.”

The U.S. Army Ground ForcesMarching Band from Ft. McPhersonwill serve up plenty of precision

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 69


M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 71

marching and military music, butdon’t be surprised if you see yourfriends and neighbors strutting theirstuff down Main Street. This paradeis definitely not limited toprofessional marchers.

Local Shrine clubs will be onhand to provide their special brand ofparade fun, and local participants willinclude casual walkers, horsebackriders and even a well-mannered (andwell-leashed) dog or two.

Public safety and militaryvehicles will share the street withhorse-drawn carriages, vintage autos,decorated golf cars and floatsrepresenting dozens of servicegroups, scout organizations andchurches.

After the parade, the Army bandwill present a concert and theentertainment continues with up-and-coming recording artistMarianne Allison.

The day doesn’t end until afterdark, with a huge fireworks displayat the ball fields on Howard Road.

Memorial Day is the officialkickoff to summer. If you’re looking tocelebrate the occasion, you won’t finda better place than Senoia. If you’relucky, you’ll even find a reminder ofjust how sweet small town life can stillbe. And if you haven’t been to Senoiain a while, don’t worry. Even if you’renot a neighbor, you’ll be treated likeone. NCM

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> COWETA COOKS

arol Wieting is probablyrepresentative of many cooks.

Asked to be featured in ourmagazine, she was somewhat stunnednot so much because of her culinarytalent but because she doesn’t reallylike to cook!

“I’m told I’m pretty good at it, butI’d rather spend my time doingsomething else,” she confided with alaugh. “My cooking style is to stock thefreezer for the week with healthy thingsthat my family likes, and then it’s easywhen I get home from work.”

If Carol sees chicken breasts onsale, she’ll purchase 35-40 of them andthen spend the week assembling maincourses to freeze. Then when needed,“I can transfer food to the fridge andbe ready to go!” She also looks forrecipes with fewer yet healthyingredients to cut corners wheneverpossible.

This reluctant chef is probably likea lot of the general population – allpeople don’t necessarily love being intheir kitchens but attempt to feed theirfamilies well out of necessity and love.

Carol and her husband Kevinmoved to Coweta County from theirbeloved home state of Maryland forwork reasons. And while they miss “theOld Line State,” they and their four


THE RELUCTANT CHEF:

C

By Janet Flanigan | Photos byBob Fraley

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 73

children, Nick (18), Carly (14), Zach (11) andElizabeth (8), have become active residents ofCoweta County.

Carol is a member of Walking in Joy BibleStudy and recently contributed 30 recipes to theministry’s cookbook, Cooking in Joy, to support theeffort. Many of the recipes she submitted camefrom Karen Horton, her best friend since nursingschool in Maryland. Karen also now lives here inNewnan, and Carol insisted that Karen reallyshould have been our “Coweta Cook” this month.She says Karen taught her the stocking-the-freezermethod and gave her many of her recipes (sopossibly watch for Karen in a future issue!).

Carol learned how to cook from her motherand grandmother. She says her mother is aneffortless cook who seems to pull meals togetherfrom nothing, even for 9 or 10 people. “Me,when I peel onions, I cry, and I don’t know if it’sthe onion or the idea of cooking!” she said.

Possibly an exaggeration, but for this busySurgical ICU Nurse at Grady Memorial, mother,wife, friend, school volunteer, Bible Study devoteeand woman of many other activities, she’s found asystem that keeps her family happily fed.

Like the generations before her, family meanseverything. Whether she enjoys cooking or not,she shows her love through her meals, by takingthe time to prepare delicious, healthy food for theones she adores.

Note: Copies of the Cooking in Joy cookbookare available for $20. Go to www.walkinginjoy.orgfor details.

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CAROL WIETING’S LASAGNA

This recipe is a Wieting family favorite.

2-1/2 pounds lean ground beef2 medium onions2 heaping tablespoons garlic,chopped20 lasagna noodles1 (23-ounce) can diced tomatoes1 (23-ounce) can crushed tomatoes1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste1 large (16-ounce) bag or 1-2 small(10-ounce) bags frozen choppedspinach ( thaw and drain if neces-sary)1 pound Swiss cheese1 pound shredded mozzarellacheese1 (24-ounce) container small curdcottage cheese

Place ground beef, onions and gar-lic in a large pan and brown on thestove. Add tomatoes, paste andspinach. Allow to simmer 15 min-utes. Cook lasagna noodles 2-3minutes less than package direc-tions (may use oven-ready noodlesif desired). Slice Swiss cheese inapproximately 1-inch by 1/4-inchpieces. Beginning with a layer ofsauce, cover the bottom of a 9 x

13-inch pan. Place 5 lasagna noo-dles on top, overlapping if neces-sary. Layer the cheeses next,placing a tablespoon of cottagecheese every three inches or so.Repeat layers with final layer ofsauce on top. Bake 45 minutes at350 degrees or until heatedthrough. Freezes well. Makes twolasagnas.

THE DIP

That’s what this is called. Carolcredits Carla Sterns, her formerco-worker, with this recipe. Everytime there is a school function,she says she has to bring“The Dip.”

8 ounces cream cheese8 ounces sour cream1 package dry ranch dressing3 Roma tomatoes, chopped1/3 of a 12-ounce jar of jalapenoslices2.25-ounce can sliced black olivesFiesta blend shredded cheeseTortilla chips

Mix cream cheese, sour creamand dressing thoroughly and

spread in a layer on a large platteror casserole. Layer tomatoes,jalapenos and olives evenly overtop. Generously sprinkle cheeseblend over top and serve with tor-tilla chips. (Tostitos Scoops workwell.)

PUMPKIN BREAD

Carol got this recipe from JeanneMolz and claims her kids go wildover it. She loves it because shecan sneak the healthy pumpkin inthere!

4-1/2 cups sugar1-1/2 cups oil6 eggs3 cups (or one large can) pumpkin1/2 cup water3 teaspoons baking soda1-1/2 teaspoons salt3 teaspoons cinnamon3 teaspoons nutmeg5-1/4 cups all purpose flour1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweetchocolate chips (if desired, butmakes it really good!)

Mix all ingredients, adding flourlast and then chocolate chips, ifincorporating. May put in mini-loaf pans or regular loaf tins.Spray loaf tins with non stickspray for easy removal. Makesseveral loaves. Bake at 350degrees for one hour. Freezeswell.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 75

FUDGE ECSTASIES

Pam Polcaro’s cookie recipesays it all.

2 cups (a 12-ounce package)semisweet chocolate pieces2 squares (2 ounces) unsweet-ened chocolate1 tablespoon margarine orbutter2 eggs2/3 cup sugar1/4 cup flour1 teaspoon vanilla1/4 teaspoon baking powder1 cup chopped nuts

In a heavy saucepan, heat halfof the chocolate chips,unsweetened chocolate andmargarine until melted, stirringoccasionally. In a separate mix-ing bowl, mix together eggs,sugar, flour, vanilla and bakingpowder. Mix in melted choco-late mixture until thoroughlycombined. Stir in remainingchocolate chips and nuts. Dropby teaspoons two inches apartonto greased cookie sheets.Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10minutes or until edges are firmand surfaces are dull andcracked. NCM

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he St. Johns were goodpeople, always kind andpatient with me, and totallydedicated to their only child

Jimmy. There was Dr. St. John,“Miss” Virginia (Jimmy’s mother),“Miss” Irene Banks (Jimmy’sgrandmother), Jimmy, and the“help.” The “help” was comprised ofCora Mae (the maid), Mammie (thecook), and Irvin and Nathaniel (the

By William F. Starnes

When I was young, living on Reese Street in

Newnan in the late 1940s, we had doctors and their

families living on both ends of the street. Dr. Jim Arnold

had a son, Jimmy. They lived on the LaGrange Street

end. Dr. J.O. St. John, on the Greenville Street end, also

had a son Jimmy. Both Jimmies were my friends. I lived

in the middle of Reese Street, and I alternated in playing

with the two Jimmies. The alternation cycle was finely

tuned to my acute sense of their parents’ tolerance

threshold. “Go home, William,” I heard more than once.

This is dedicated to the Greenville Street Jimmy –

Dr. St. John’s boy.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 77

yard men). Jimmy called hisgrandmother Nannie and the cookMammie. After many years offriendship I was finally able todistinguish between the two.

The St. Johns had a big, whitetwo-story house with formal gardensand outbuildings. It was a wonderfulplace for little boys to play, and playwe did. It is now the location ofSomething Special, an apt name for

so memorable a home.There are so many wonderful

things I remember about Jimmy andhis family that it is difficult toknow where to begin. His back yardis probably a good place to start.What a great place to play — soft,green grass under a canopy of largepecan trees. We collected largecardboard boxes, like thoserefrigerators were shipped in, and

made things out of them — boats,forts, hotels — limited only by ourimaginations. In warm weather, wewould “camp out” in our cardboardcreation.

Jimmy’s grandmother, “Miss”Irene Banks, was the aunt of WilliamBanks. That made Mr. Banks and hiswife Evelyn Jimmy’s cousins. It wascommon for younger cousins to calltheir much older cousins “Aunt” or


“Uncle,” so Jimmy addressed“Miss” Evelyn as Aunt Evie. Jimmyand I were occasionally carted offto Aunt Evie’s at Bankshaven forquality time “in the country.”Jimmy was probably “dropped off”to give his parents a break. I taggedalong as the fortunate playmateand can’t remember it causing AuntEvie much consternation. We spentmost of our time outside —swimming in the big pool, fishingin the big lake, flying modelairplanes on the big yard.Occasionally we’d go inside for alight lunch and Coca-Cola. Boy,did we have fun!

I’ve described the St. Johns’house as “two-story.” It actuallyhas three stories. There is a large,floored “attic” — with stairs foraccess — above the second floor.Here Dr. St. John set up anelectric train with village on alarge, wooden platform. It washuge to my small eyes, and Jimmyand I spent many pleasant hoursplaying with his train set.Windows in this attic also gave usaccess to the roof. We wouldclimb on the roof armed withcrabapples and throw them at carson Greenville Street. More thanone irate driver screeched to astop, jumped out angrily andsearched for the culprit — whilewe scrunched down behind thecrest of the roof.

Spending so much time at theSt. Johns’ put me in close contactwith the “help.” I got the feeling Iwas merely tolerated because itwas expected. In fact, I got thefeeling Jimmy was merelytolerated because it was expected.I sure didn’t see much affection, asone might have seen in Gone Withthe Wind. On one occasion ofseriously poor judgment, Jimmy

shot Cora Mae in the rear with aBB gun. I always thought herabrupt administration of disciplinebordered on simple assault, and Iwas surprised “Miss” Virginiadidn’t fire her. But, in those days itwas common for the help toparticipate in the household justicesystem. Her message was clear —from that time on we were carefulnever to shoot anyone with a BBgun.

I remember only one occasionwhen “Miss” Virginia really gotmad at me. Jimmy and I wereCub Scouts and must have beenworking on the use-a-hatchetmerit badge. Jimmy had this littlebeginner hatchet, and we choppedeverything in sight. In the kitchenwas an antique biscuit box. Thelarge, wooden box of beautifulheart pine was on legs about threefeet high, with a top that openedup and backwards on hinges.Inside was a big granite or marbleslab for rolling dough, cuttingbiscuits, making pies, etc. I didn’tknow it was antique. It lookedlike a piece of wood, anappropriate object for hatchetpractice. Big mistake! I can stillsee myself looking up into “Miss”Virginia’s bright red face andglaring eyes as she vented her ragebefore sending me home. I alwaysblamed Jimmy for that little lapsein judgment — he stood rightthere watching me chop thatbiscuit box and never said a word.

On another occasion I was abad friend to Jimmy, and it hauntsme to this day. Jimmy had a small,brown dog he loved, Scooter. Oneevening, Scooter ran intoGreenville Street and was run overby a car. Jimmy burst out cryingand begged me to go into thestreet to fetch him, and I refused. I

wasn’t about to run into a busystreet to drag out the carcass of adead dog. Jimmy did it himself,with cars screeching and swervingfrom both directions. Afterwards Iwatched “Miss” Virginia cry, notover the dog but from Jimmy’s closebrush with the damnable cars. Dr.St. John kindly and gently toldJimmy Scooter was gone, and Iwatched Jimmy heave with renewedsobs over the loss of his beloved pet.I felt ashamed for thinking only ofmyself. True friendship is such ahard thing to master.

I’ve mentioned Irvin andNathaniel, the two yard men. Irvinwas older and probably the headyard man. He brought in coal andkept the fires going in thebedrooms during cold weather. Idon’t think Nathaniel worked forthe St. Johns very long, but I shallalways remember him for bailing usout of trouble once. As little boysdo, we had developed a fondnessfor playing with matches. The tall,dry grass behind my house was theperfect place to experiment with the“wonder of the match.” One hot,windy afternoon we had a raginggrass fire spreading fast. Franticwhen we couldn’t stomp it out, weran up Reese Street toward the St.Johns yelling for help. Out of thebig, white house flies Nathaniel,and Jimmy manages to squeak outthat we’ve set my yard on fire.Nathaniel flew down Reese Street,pulling off his jacket as he ran, andquickly beat out the fire with hisjacket. As an adult, I am humbledat the magnanimity of his act.Nathaniel, wherever you are, thankyou for coming to our rescue.

As we approached pubertyJimmy and I built a little den ofiniquity in the attic space above thecoal storage area in an outbuilding.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 79

It had mattresses, boxes for shelvesand electric lights. We stocked itwith the usual items consideredimportant by prepubescent boys —a fair share of “dirty” books withpictures of beautiful women wecould ogle. Dr. St. John began tokeep a closer eye on Jimmy, andme by default. This is the age whenyoung boys can really get introuble, so I appreciated Dr. St.John’s intervention. I especiallyappreciated him not blaming mefor being a bad influence onJimmy. Jimmy acquired well overhalf of those “dirty” books withoutany encouragement from me.

We began to drift apart whenwe started middle school. Jimmywas a year ahead of me, and as wegot older our interests weredifferent. Jimmy was smaller andless athletic than I was, moreinclined toward band andacademic clubs. Yet we alwaysspoke to each other when wepassed in the halls of high school,and that bond of friendship wasalways there — recognized byboth, openly acknowledged byneither.

As time wore on we graduatedfrom high school and went ourseparate ways. Only on rareoccasions did we gather again atthe St. Johns’ house — whenJimmy was married and “Miss”Virginia had a party, when Dr. St.John died of leukemia, whenJimmy and his wife died in a planecrash, and when “Miss” Virginiadied of heartbreak.

Yes, they’re all gone now —that good and kind and wonderfulfamily. I’ll always remember themwith great fondness. What aprivilege it was to know the St.Johns, and to have a friend likeJimmy. NCM

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By Janet Flanigan | Photos byBob Fraley

Roy Yancey, playing the harmonica since age 7

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 81

heharmonica’s thin,

reedy tone andmelodious, train-like

chords are instantlyrecognizable. In fact,

according to TheEncyclopedia of the Harmonica

by Peter Krampert, harmonicasare the most popular instrument inthe world.

Newnan’s Roy Yancey has beencarrying a “harp” around in hispocket since he was just a little boy,around seven years old.

“My father played all his life andhe taught my brother Jim and I howto play the popular tunes of the1940s,” says Roy. The two brothersused to lie in their shared bedroom atnight, figuring out those long,lonesome notes on their ownharmonicas, filling the night air withsongs and dreams.

“We were a musical family,”

Roy recalls. “My brother is themusic director for a church inMemphis, and I was a music major(trumpet) in college at theUniversity of Tennessee and Itaught high school music for acouple of years out of school.”

Now a sales executive, Roy quitplaying the trumpet some time agobut never gave up on his love of theharmonica. He eventually masteredthe difficult “pucker method” inwhich the player puckers themouth to free up only the one notethat he is playing and draw air in

and out of that hole. It requiresquite a bit of practice to be good atpuckering. Roy says the other styleof play is the “tonguing method” inwhich the player uses the tongue toblock holes, then draws the streamof air in and out of the note beingplayed.

About 10 years ago, prior to hisdeath, Roy’s dad gave him his


incredible collection of Hohrnerharmonicas. According to Roy,Hohrner is the gold standard in theindustry, but unfortunately, severalyears ago the company waspurchased by a Japanese interest andthe quality of the instruments hasdeclined while the price for newinstruments has risen.

Roy became concerned aboutthe diminishing quality of theHohrners, but he came up with asolution: he contacted Dick Gardner– the last of The Harmonicats. TheHarmonicats just might be the mostfamous harmonica group ever toperform. In 1947, they cut the #1record in America called “Peg ’O MyHeart” which ultimately sold 25million copies.

The Harmonicats played theworld over until Dick was the only

A harmonicais easy to carry. Take it out of your hip pocket, knock it against yourpalm to shake out the dirt and pocket fuzz and bits of tobacco. Now itis ready to play.”

— John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 83

remaining Harmonicat still living.He decided to retire from touringand has since become “The Man”when it comes to repairing classicharmonicas — if you can persuadehim to look at yours.

He repairs harmonicas for thelikes of performers such as StevieWonder and many otherprofessional musicians, so he is ingreat demand. Roy almost had toaudition, but when he told Dickthat his father’s favorite harmonicasong was one Dick wrote andrecorded himself, Dick actuallyplayed it for Roy over the phoneand he knew he was “in” and hisharps would be repaired.

Several presidents wereharmonica players, including CalvinCoolidge, Theodore Roosevelt andDwight Eisenhower. Ronald Reaganlearned to play “Red River Valley”while he recuperated following theattempt on his life.

Roy plays his harmonica for hischurch, Newnan Presbyterian, and isasked to play for many otherorganizations and venues. But he alsoenjoys playing for playing’s sake.

“I don’t play all the time,” heconfesses. “Just when the moodstrikes.”

To hear a podcast of Roy Yanceyplaying the harmonica, visitnewnancowetamagazine.com and clickon NCM Podcasts. NCM

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Meet a Newnan-Coweta Magazine

READER ...DR. PHILIP SWORDS

Dr. Philip Swords may not have beenborn in Coweta County (he was bornin Birmingham, Ala.) but he movedto Coweta County in the 1970s andwas a student at both East Cowetaand Newnan High School(graduated Newnan). He knew hewanted to be a dentist since he wasyoung, so he majored in biology firston a scholarship to Clayton JuniorCollege and then he studied biologyat Alabama.

Swords has been active in publicservice since high school and whileearning his D.M.D. at the MedicalUniversity of South Carolina(Charleston), where he was votedmost outstanding studentgovernment leader. In addition to hisdental partnership with CowetaDentistry, Swords has found hisearly political experience servedhim well, as he has been adedicated public servant for manyyears. He has been a Newnan CityCouncilman; a Board member forEMC Foundation for Coweta-FayetteTrust; Bank of Coweta Boardmember; and board member atLandmark Christian School amongmany other duties.

He and wife Lorri, married foralmost 15 years, have four children:Connor (13), Annie (11), Emmy Rose(9) and Reeves (7). Philip coacheshis children in football, basketball,soccer and baseball.

It’s a wonder with all of hisextracurricular activities that he hastime for his practice, but Swords isextremely committed to his patientsand his staff. He says one of hisproudest accomplishments wasworking to make sure that the C.E.C.offered the Dental Assistantcurriculum and degree, and he saysfully half of Coweta Dentistry’sdental assistants are graduates ofthe program.


M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 85M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 85

There is a perception among people whoaren’t in the medical field that doctorsdon’t make particularly good patients. Areyou a good patient or the nervous type?I am a good patient, but like so many in

the medical profession I am a

procrastinator with healthcare!

Do you have vivid dreams?Yes, although I don’t have as many as I

used to. But they usually aren’t crazy or

nonsense — they make sense.

If you were given a credit card with nolimit and 24 hours to spend on it, wherewould you go and what would you buy?Hmm, I have to spend it in 24 hours?

That’s hard! Okay, I’d buy a ranch in

Wyoming with horses and cattle (it would

have to be fully-equipped because I

wouldn’t have time to shop for everything).

It would also need to have a nice hot tub

— oh yeah, and a cook to come with it!

What is your idea of bliss?Being out in nature riding bikes with my

family in Moose, Wyo. — just seeing the

bison and mountains everywhere you look.

What is your idea of agony?Rush hour, congested traffic situations.

Your favorite sound?The call of the hawk that lives out at our

house.

Do you have any phobias or funny quirks(that you’d care to share!)?No phobias but I get motion sickness

when I go in circles!

Do you have a favorite meal?I have lots of favorite meals but the

Chicken Club Sandwich from Sprayberry’s

comes to mind.

What was your most difficult class incollege? High school?In college it was Calculus, in high school I

don’t recall one in particular. NCM

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M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 87

ainter Elsa Sibley has twopassions in life — art and

horses. For the past eightyears, she has blended those

enthusiasms as she made a life forherself — shared with horses and dogswho need her — in Coweta County.

A member of an old Atlantafamily, Elsa grew up in Buckhead,with happy memories of riding herpony on her grandfather’s CobbCounty farm. Her late grandfather,John A. Sibley, was a well-respectedAtlanta attorney who advisedgovernors and other civic leaders.During the tumultuous ’60s, he ledthe commission that helped Georgiapeacefully integrate its schools. Buthis heart was in his farm along theChattahoochee River where he kepthorses and cows.

“All of my family rode – cousins,parents, siblings,” Sibley says. “Mygrandfather rode a paint (horse).” She

By Martha A. Woodham | Photos by Bob Fraley

A Woman withtwo PassionsA Woman withtwo Passions P


M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 89

recalls her bay Welsh pony, King Tut, following hergrandfather’s horse on the trek to a riverside pasture “tocount the cows.”

Her teenage years were spent riding and givingneighborhood kids lessons on horseback. In college, herinterest in art blossomed, nourished by a great-aunt whopainted and inspired Sibley to become a portrait painter.She eventually specialized in painting children. Over theyears, Sibley captured dozens of Georgia youngsters inoil and pastel, and her paintings hang in some ofAtlanta’s finest homes. A devoted animal lover, she alsopainted treasured pets, especially horses and dogs.

As Atlanta’s northside developed, jammed withsubdivisions and strip malls, the bucolic Sibley farm onPaper Mill Road was sold. Tract mansions sproutedwhere the Sibley cousins once rode their ponies, so Elsahad to find a new home for her horse and her dogs. Shefound her little spot of heaven on 10 acres on BearCreek Road.

“Bear Creek is a painter’s paradise,” she says. “Idesigned my house to accommodate my studio.” HerSouthern vernacular house overlooking the creek issurrounded by porches, its top floor a studio set abovethe trees to catch the light.

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“I would prefer to live in a tree,” Sibley says with alaugh, explaining why her open, airy home – shared withfour dogs, three of whom are rescues – has 20 sets ofFrench doors.

Sibley’s current horse, Early, an Irish Thoroughbred,lives within walking distance on another farm on BearCreek Road. Sibley doesn’t keep him at her place becausehe would be lonely. Horses are herd animals, needing tobe with their own kind.

Since she bought Early about a year ago, Sibley hasbeen developing her own relationship with the chestnut,who once competed as an eventer. Eventing, a triathlonfor horses, is a true test of a horse and rider’s skills injumping and dressage. But somewhere along the way,Early lost his confidence as the jumps got bigger.Through hours of gentle handling and riding, Sibley hasrebuilt his confidence and trust. Like Sibley’s dogs, Earlyneeded her.

“He was not the jumper people thought he would be.His talents lean more towards dressage,” she says. Dressageis a series of training movements at the walk, trot andcanter. There is no leaving the ground to soar over anobstacle. “That’s fine with me. Now that I am older, itsuits me not to jump. I have a wonderful horse now.”

Early’s unusual name comes from the fact that hecame into Sibley’s life too “early” after she hadexperienced the traumatic deaths of two other belovedhorses. Splash, a flashy chestnut that she brought with herfrom Atlanta, died unexpectedly of colic, leaving a voidthat sent Sibley rushing to replace him. She found St.Seaver, yet another four-legged creature who needed herkind touch.

Seaver was a bay Thoroughbred of illustriousbreeding: His grandsire was Alydar, a race horse who wasmost famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed inall three races of the Triple Crown, a feat not repeatedbefore or since.

“Seaver was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen,”says Sibley. She had gone to look at the horse, knowinghe might need rescuing from an abusive situation. It waslove at first sight, and Sibley had to have him.

The first time she swung a leg over Seaver’s back, hethrew her as soon as she was in the saddle. His abusivepast had left its marks. Her elegant horse with the sweetdemeanor was a bucker. She turned to trainer andOlympic rider Mike Winter, who took Seaver back to thebasics, reteaching him to accept a rider.

With Winter’s help, Sibley was eventually able to rideand show Seaver successfully. But just three years after shebought him, Sibley noticed a slight change in her horse,

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who always whinnied when he sawher. When he stopped eating, sheknew something was dreadfullywrong. Veterinarians discovered alarge, inoperable tumor. Nothingcould be done to save him.

After a heart-broken Sibley saidher goodbyes to Seaver, she vowed nomore horses. “After I lost him, I wasnot going to ride again,” she says. “Iwas just going to paint, my otherpassion.”

Sibley turned to her art forsolace, taking up plein-air paintingwith another Coweta artist, MillieGosche. Plein-air artists paint fromlife, using every sense to absorb theoutdoor scene in front of them.Sibley’s plein-air landscapes are onview at CM Frames and the JeffersonHouse in downtown Newnan.

Today, Sibley laughs about hervow to give up riding. That wasforgotten when fate stepped in,sending her a chestnut horse with awhite blaze who needed someone totrust. He may have been “early,” buthe was just what she needed, too. NCM

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The home of Newnan’s first black doctor turns 100as his great-granddaughter pays tribute

A Great-grandfather’s Legacy

ewnan has always been asecond home for me. Havingspent the good part of most

summers there growing up, I have aspecial fondness for its friendly peopleand warm environment. One of thethings I treasure most about it is animportant part of its past: the legacymy great-grandfather, Dr. John HenryJordan, left behind. The John HenryJordan Homes on West WashingtonStreet are named for him. A mural

downtown depicts his likeness (alongwith other historical figures).

The thing most important tohim, the house he built in ChalkLevel still stands marking its 100thanniversary this year. It is hard forme to believe it has been in myfamily for that long. It was my great-grandfather’s dream house. The sonof slaves could never have imaginedhe would get as far as he did in lifewhen he was growing up in

Hogansville. He decided from ayoung age that he wanted to be adoctor. It’s amazing he had theforesight to come up with the idea.His father, Berry, a sharecropperthought it nothing short of foolish.Although his father was adamantlyagainst it, John could not bedissuaded.

From a young age, he took thenecessary steps to further hiseducation as best he could. After


N

>LOCAL HERITAGE

completing all the schooling possiblein Hogansville, he took classes nearOwensbyville before enrolling atClark College, now Clark AtlantaUniversity, in Atlanta. His patheventually led him to MeharryMedical College in my hometown,Nashville, Tenn.

It was a difficult road for him.While he excelled in the classroom,he bore the added stress of wonderinghow he would be able to pay histuition, not to mention room andboard. His fears of not having enoughmoney were realized when he wasforced to drop out of school in histhird year.

With no support from his family,he persevered, working hard to saveenough to return to school a yearlater. His story was entirely differentfrom that of his role model, Dr.Edward Ramsey, the first black doctorin Troup County. Ramsey alsoattended Clark and later MeharryMedical College from which hegraduated in 1880. However, beingthe son of a well-to-do mulattofarmer, Ramsey had the means toattend medical school without anyfinancial restrictions. John patternedhis career after Ramsey’s. By the timeJohn returned to Meharry, he was sodetermined that he graduated asvaledictorian of his class in 1896.Having a medical degree meant theworld to him, and he hoped to use itto help the black population of hisown hometown. That may have beenhis intent, but the reality was it wasnot meant to be. After working in hishometown for two years, he ended uprelocating to Newnan where therewere more opportunities. Upon hismove, he also achieved anotherlifelong dream: marriage. His bridewas Mollie Emma Ramsey, the olderdaughter of Dr. Edward Ramsey.John and Mollie had two sons, theyounger of whom, my grandfather,

Edward, was the only one whosurvived past infancy.

“I could save all these people,but I couldn’t save my own child,”was what my grandfather recalledJohn painfully saying.

John did a lot to help otherpeople though. He built the firsthospital in Newnan for black

patients, and he started a medicalorganization to teach his patientsabout the importance of properhygiene and preventive healthcare.Perhaps the pinnacle of his careercame when his expertise was soughtafter by a wealthy white family intown. The father was anxious toelicit John’s help after other doctorsin the area remained stumped as tofigure out how to remove a marblelodged in the pharynx of his youngchild. As the story was told to mygrandfather, John had to enter theman’s house from the back of it, theservant’s entrance. He closelyexamined the man’s son, then John,known for his practical approach,lifted the boy up and shook him,

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 93

Dr. John HenryJordan with hiswife, the formerMollie EmmaRamsey, and sonEdward

John’s car suddenlystopped. As he openedthe gas tank to try tofind the source of theproblem, a bystanderstruck a match, thusigniting the gas tankwhich exploded inJohn’s face. His burnswere so severe that hedied two days later. Hewas 42. My grandfather,whose own mother dieda little over a decade later, neverbecame a doctor.

However, all hope was not lost.His son, my father, Harold, did. He

ended up following in the footstepsof his grandfather and great-grandfather before him by alsograduating from Meharry MedicalCollege. He has spent most of hiscareer at Meharry. That is howNashville became my home. Eventhough I no longer live there anddon’t get to spend as much time inNewnan as I’d like, I still treasure thestories I’ve been told of my great-grandfather. My father never tires oftalking about him and his love of

Newnan. Though neither of us knewJohn, we can’t help but love him. Mygreat-grandfather’s story will foreverinspire me. NCM

causing the marble to come out of thechild’s mouth. The father was said tobe so grateful, he told John, “You cancome through the front door the nexttime.”

John decided, probably as soonas my grandfather was born, that hewanted him to become a doctor aswell. He even began training mygrandfather from a young age,teaching him how to perform thatday’s version of anesthesia, drippingether on a cloth draped over thepatient’s face. John’s dream of seeinghis only son follow in his footstepswas dashed one cold September nightin 1912. On his way to a house call,

Karen Jordan is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and a formertelevision and newspaper reporter.She is a cum laude graduate ofWellesley College and has a master’sdegree from Stanford University. Sheis also co-founder of her family’sskincare line, EmmGerri.

Dr. Jordan’s home still stands on PinsonStreet today, a cornerstone (below)marking the year he built the home.


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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Accessible Health Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Advanced Asthetics, P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Animal Medical Clinic of Newnan. . . . . . . . . . . 34Applause Salon & Spa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Archadeck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Artisan Jewelry Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Ashley Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13Baby Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Bank of Coweta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Bennett’s Antiques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Jay S. Berger, M.D., P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Bumper To Bumper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Cardiac Disease Specialists, P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . 35Carriage House Country Antiques & Gifts . . . . 66Center For Allergy & Asthma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Center Stage Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Charles Schwab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Chin Chin Chinese Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Cleland Periodontics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Country Inn & Suites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Coweta-Fayette EMC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Coweta Pool & Fireplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Crescent Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Crossroads Podiatry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Discovery Point Child Development Center. . . 56Downtown Church of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Edible Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Steven E. Fanning, Attorney-at-Law . . . . . . . . . 47Farm Bureau Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39First United Methodist Church of Newnan . . . 59Fresh-N-Fit Cuisine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63FoxHall/Forestar Real Estate Group . . . . . . . . . 11Foxxhollow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Fresh-N-Fit Cuisine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Georgia Stained Glass, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Heritage Quilts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Heritage Retirement Homes of Peachtree. . . . . 4Hills & Dales Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Hollberg's Fine Furniture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67It's A Small World Children's Dentistry . . . . . . . 7Kimble's Events by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Lee-King Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Legacy Too Furniture/Accessories . . . . . . . . . . 35Long Orthodontics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Mae Nunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Main Street Newnan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Massage Envy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54McIntosh Commercial Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Morgan Jewelers/Downtown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Newnan Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Nick's Pizzeria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Newnan Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Outpatient Imaging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Panoply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Parks & Mottola Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Patricia A. Recklett, DVM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Phillips Dental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Piedmont Newnan Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Protran Transmission Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . . 25R.S. Mann Jewelers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Radiation Oncology Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Rocky's Barber Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Roscoe Jenkins Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Scott's Book Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Sentry Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Signature Kitchen & Bath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Simple Treasures Children’s

Boutique & Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Southern Crescent Equine Services . . . . . . . . . 90The Southern Federal Credit Union. . . . . . . . . . 21Stonebridge Early Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . 58Superior Walls of Greater Atlanta. . . . . . . . . . . 90Tanner Health System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45The Times-Herald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Traditions in Tile & Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Uniglobe McIntosh Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34University of West Georgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Vaillancourt's Pest Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Von Salon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Watts Furniture Galleries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62W. Daly Salon Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Wedowee Marine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89West Georiga RV Center, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26West Georgia Sleep Disorders Center . . . . . . . 57Your Chef to Go, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 971-800-Got Junk? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

July/August Advertising DeadlinesContract Ads: May 21, 2008, New Ads: June 6, 2008

Call 770.683.6397 for details and advertising information.M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 95

always wanted. She knows Granny will behorrified, but Tammi can’t help it. Withinthose paperback pages are her excitement,her passion, and her idea of love.

So Tammi starts the RomanceReaders’ Book Club. At first she and Orrare the only members, and she reads thebooks aloud. Soon, she decides Orr is notgetting the same thing from the stories.He hears tales of cowboys and death-defy-ing situations. She hears star-crossedlovers, secret rendezvous and heartbreak.Trying to explain things to Orr just getstoo complicated.

So the club is opened to other mem-bers: her aunt Minna; LaDonna, a girlTammi knows from school; andLaDonna’s cousin Parks. LaDonna is ashy girl who thinks the novels are over-dramatic and offensive. Parks is older,wilder and thinks the books are works ofart. And Minna is her own person. Herdecorating style lends itself to hot pinkand leopard print, but she is alsoGranny’s daughter. And she is realizinghow hard it is for Tammi to live with hergrandmother.

Through the club, Tammi learnsabout love, though not necessarily theway she’d hoped. She learns about friend-ship, and how to love your friends. Shelearns about her family, and how to beloved by them. But most importantly shelearns to love herself — a strange lessonto learn from romance novels, but a greatone to learn from The Romance Readers’Book Club.

A Yellow WatermelonBy Ted M. DunaganJunebug Books, $21.95Reviewed by Holly Jones

Ted Dillon doesn’t understand whyeveryone looks at him so strangely. All hedid was help a few people. What’s strangeabout that?

While playing in the sawmill oneSaturday afternoon — something he’s notsupposed to do — Ted meets a black mannamed Jake. It is Jake’s job to keep thefire going at the sawmill and watch overthe place when the workers aren’t there.He lives in the back room and cooks over

The Romance Readers’ Book ClubBy Julie L. CannonPlume Books, $13Reviewed by Holly Jones

Tammi Lynn Elco wants passion,love and excitement.

The problem is she’s not likely tofind those things in tiny, rural Rigby, Ga.— especially not in a drought. But wateris not what 15-year-old Tammi needs tosustain her life. And when she can’t findwhat she’s looking for in her shelteredworld, she goes looking in other worlds.

Julie L. Cannon’s novel, TheRomance Readers’ Book Club, starts onHalloween 1974. After prayer meeting,Tammi decides she and her Uncle Orrmust go trick-or-treating. “Orr is in hislate 30s, but according to the doctor hismind is stuck at around seven years old.”

Trick-or-treating is sinful accordingto Tammi’s grandmother. Granny is Orr’smother, Tammi’s guardian and anextremely religious person. So Tammi andOrr have never trick-or-treated, and nei-ther knows how. They visit just one houseand instead of candy, end up with a stackof romance novels.

In them, Tammi finds the world she’s

the fire.Jake doesn’t have much to eat, and

Ted discovers his new friend loves scram-bled eggs. So Ted brings Jake some eggs.

Ted later learns, through Jake, aboutPoudlum’s family. They were swindled outof their cow and have no milk. So Tedbuys them milk with his paper routemoney.

And when Poudlum’s family helpTed’s uncle pick his cotton, Ted decides topick in the row beside Poudlum. They arethe youngest in the field, and the slowest,why shouldn’t they keep each other com-pany? Ted certainly doesn’t care ifPoudlum’s skin is black and his is white.

So why is everyone looking at Tedlike he’s crazy?

On the last page of Ted M.Dunagan’s A Yellow Watermelon, the maincharacter Ted Dillon says, “My motherwas standing in the yard at the edge ofthe porch with her big butcher knife fac-ing the ripe melon in front of her. Whenshe cut into it, it made a popping soundlike it just couldn’t wait to burst open.

“When the two halves fell apart, Iwas stunned to see that instead of beingred inside, it was yellow.”

Poudlum tells Ted, “’Dat melon is

THE BOOKSHELF


with various church and civic activities.She is, in other words, ripe for an

affair.A candidate appears in the form of

newcomer-to-town Charlie Cobb, acharming fellow with wit, style, and aplan to steal Anna from her boring,inattentive husband. While CharlieCobb is by no means her husband’ssocial equal, what he lacks in class hemakes up for with exciting daytime dal-liances and nighttime trysts.

Gayden does a great job of show-ing the slow, steady seduction of AnnaDotson in all its passion and glory, fol-lowed by the subsequent horror of thepsychological meltdown of a womanexposed.

Though rumors of adultery don’talways raise eyebrows when discussedtoday, back in the day such rumors wereshocking and shameful. If Gayden’sreaders are slightly sympathetic toAnna’s affair at its outset, they will cer-tainly join her on the emotional freefallthat results from her sin.

But theauthor makessure this fallenwoman doesnot fall alone.Charlie is cer-tainly creditedwith his rolein the affair,and Gaydenalso persuadesthe reader toask whether anegligent hus-band didn’tplay a greatrole in thistragedy.

A sub-plot of thebook involvesAnna’s partic-

ipation in the women’s suffrage move-ment, perhaps the only scenes in thebook that don’t quite ring true. Thatsaid, it is indeed possible that the larg-er woman’s suffrage movement — andpublic perception of it — did playsome role in the outcome of Anna’smurder trial. It gives the reader muchto think about in the judge’s firstbook. NCM

like people — it may be a different color,but it still be a watermelon.’”

To Ted, a watermelon is a watermel-on, just like help is help — it doesn’tmatter what the person looks like.However, it does matter how that personacts towards others. And when Ted dis-covers one of the richest men in town isnot only trying to swindle Poudlum’sfamily out of their land, but he’s bootleg-ging whiskey, Ted decides he’s going tohelp the law, by putting this man inprison.

Through an elaborate scheme, Tedalso helps an innocent man gain freedom,a family secure their home, and helps hismother stop worrying. He doesn’t wantcredit, but he sure wishes folks wouldstop staring like that. He’s just trying tohelp.

Miscarriage of JusticeBy Kip GaydenCenter Street, $22.99Reviewed by Angela McRae

It was “rippedfrom the headlines,” aswe like to say, one ofthose stories that has itall: wealth, greed,deception, a scandalouslove affair, a mystery ortwo … and murder.

And it happenedin 1913.

Miscarriage ofJustice, the debut novelby Nashville circuitcourt judge KipGayden, was inspiredby Nashville newspaperaccounts of the March1913 gunning down ofCharlie Cobb by hisformer lover, AnnaDotson, wife of aprominent doctor andmother of two.

A sweet romance formed at summercamp results in marriage for Dr. and Mrs.Walter Dotson. When children comealong, however, Anna finds her husband’saffection and attention have all but disap-peared. She amuses herself with socialfunctions and shopping, but what she’sdesperately craving is the husband who,when he’s not at work, stays over-busy

You are invited to joinNewnan-Coweta Magazine’s onlinebook discussion group, "The BookNook" led by Liz Barnett.

Each month Barnett reads anew book, and readers are wel-come to post their thoughts aboutit. Some of the selections are best-sellers, while others may be byauthors new to you. Check it out at newnancowetamagazine.com.

Online Book Club

Kid’s Culinary CampKid’s Culinary Camp

Spend a fun filled week tasting new foods,learning the basics of cooking and

eating food prepared by you!

a little bit of yummy, wherever you need it

Three Camp Weeks:

Morning & Afternoon SessionsCampers receive a chef’s hat at graduationand parents can enjoy camper’s creations!

REGISTER EARLY - CLASS SIZE IS LIMITED!

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 8 | 97


Nelda Boren retired as an educator in 2000 after teaching in Coweta County for 32 years. Boren had taught first grade at ElmStreet Elementary and retired as the Elementary Curriculum Director. Since then, she’s stayed busy as the chairman of theFERST Foundation for Childhood Literacy, the director of her Sunday school class at First Baptist Church, and the treasurer ofboth her teaching sorority — Delta Kappa Gamma — and Coweta’s Kiwanis Club. She’s also involved in a book club, aninvestment club and as a volunteer at Elm Street. Boren’s husband, Jerry, is also a retired educator, and together they havethree children and eight grandchildren.

(1) I lived and breathed education for more than 30 years, but now I have learned that I can carry on a conversation withpeople about things other than school. (2) I had dreaded retirement because of the thought of idle time or not being pushed.I have found that there are unlimited ways to serve your family, your church and your community. (3) All those things Iplanned to do when I retired — clean closets, wash windows, unclutter the basement — those things are still there and willprobably be there tomorrow. (4) There are still not enough hours in the day or the week because I really want to do it all. (5)I took courses on time management and stress management, and in retirement I still keep a calendar and have a to-do list.(6) Teaching gets in your blood. I still want to talk to, read to and converse with children. I love to observe parents and teach-ers and the way they relate to their children. (7) I appreciate people who have encouraged me and given me opportunities togrow. I hope they know how much I appreciate them. Also, family is so important and to be cherished. One cannot haveenough true friends. (8) Even when you get old, you can learn something new every day. (9) My husband and I have trav-eled a lot. There are so many interesting places to see in the world. Most people respond to a smile and can communicateeven though they speak a different language. (10) In retirement, I wanted to find at least one television show that I could getaddicted to. I’m still looking. NCM

things I’ve learned ...

As told to Elizabeth Richardsonin Retirement

You onlythink

about uswhen the

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We think about you all the time.For over 50 years, we’ve been working hard to supply yourelectricity at the lowest possible cost, and think of new waysto better serve you. – like our promise that our crews are onthe job within 45 minutes of the report of any outage in our service area. And bringing you the option of purchasing environmentally-friendly power through Green Power EMC;and responding to your requests by now offering natural gasvia our wholly-owned subsidiary, Coweta-Fayette EMCNatural Gas. We also offer products and services throughRelyco®, including residential and business security, as well aslocal monitoring, at very competitive rates. Remember, wekeep your lights burning brightly – and a whole lot more.

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Synovus Securities, Inc., Synovus Trust Company, N.A., and Synovus Insurances Services. The registered broker-dealer offering brokerage products for Synovus is Synovus Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment products and services are not FDIC insured, are not deposits of or obligations of any Synovus Financial Corp. (SFC) bank, are not guaranteed by any SFC bank and involve investment risk, including possible loss of principal amount invested. Your Synovus bank, Synovus Securities and Synovus Insurance are all part of the Synovus Family of Companies.

Documents

Newnan-Coweta Magazine, May/June 2008