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MAGAZINE A Times-Herald Publication
Deborah & Michael Simmons
March/April 2013 | $3.95
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Even better women’s care. Close to home.
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Still Close to Home, Convenient, State-of-the-art he artt
Radiation Oncology Services (ROS), a leader in radiation therapy in the metropolitan Atlanta area since 1975, continues in its mission to provide quality care to all patients in need of radiation therapy. For over 20 years, our Newnan center specializes in combining compassionate care with individualized treatment plans for all our patients. Our treatment programs are designed in keeping with national standards. Under the medical direction of Diana Santiago, M.D., ROS-Newnan patients and their families can count on our expertise in all aspects of radiation therapy. We are proud to continue to serve Newnan and surrounding areas‌ today and in the future!
Our services include: 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
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Around the corner. Right where you need us.
MAGAZINE Established 1995 A Times-Herald Publication President Vice President Publisher Editor
Newnan Main Financial Center 295 Bullsboro Drive, (770) 253-5017
Art Director Contributing Writers
Jefferson Street Financial Center 26 Jefferson Street, (770) 252-5267
William W. Thomasson Marianne C. Thomasson Sam Jones Angela McRae Deberah Williams Amelia Adams, Tina Neely Brown, Nichole Golden, Holly Jones, Katherine McCall, Alex McRae, Cathy Lee Phillips,
Thomas Crossroads Financial Center 190 Glenda Trace, (770) 304-7840
W. Winston Skinner, Martha A. Woodham Photography Circulation Director
B A N K I N G
I N S U R A N C E
I N V E S T M E N T S
Sales and Marketing Director Advertising Manager
BB&T. Member FDIC. Only deposit products are FDIC insured. ©2010 BB&T. BBT.com
On Our Cover
Advertising Consultants
Bob Fraley, Jeffrey Leo Naomi Jackson Colleen D. Mitchell Lamar Truitt Doug Cantrell, Kevin Dickinson, Mandy Inman, Candy Johnson, Norma Kelley
Advertising Design
Debby Dye, Graphics Manager Sandy Hiser, Sonya Studt
Controller
Diana Shellabarger
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, call 770.683.6397 or e-mail colleen@newnan.com. Newnan-Coweta Magazine is published bi-monthly by The Newnan Times-Herald, Inc., 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263. Subscriptions: Newnan-Coweta Magazine is distributed in homedelivery copies of The Newnan Times-Herald and at businesses and offices throughout Coweta County. Individual mailed subscriptions are also available for $23.75 in Coweta County, $30.00 outside Coweta County. To subscribe, call 770.304.3373. Submissions: We welcome submissions. Query letters and published clips may be addressed to the Editor, Newnan-Coweta Magazine at P.O. Box 1052, Newnan, Georgia 30264. On the Web: www.newnancowetamag.com © 2013 by The Newnan Times-Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
This farm house near Moreland has been painstakingly restored by Deborah and Michael Simmons. — Photo by Bob Fraley
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Shahram Rezaiamiri, Jose Mathew, and Scott Linacre, are men on a mission — one that provides the highest quality patient care to those suffering complex issues of the spine and brain. Shahram Rezaiamiri, MD FACS has practiced at South Atlanta Neurosurgery for nearly 12 years. As a board certified Neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive procedures, he is well known for his treatments of Cervical Spinal Cord Compression and Laser/ Lumbar Spine Disc Procedures. He remains one of the preeminent neurosurgeons in the Atlanta area, particularly within the Southern Crescent community; offices in Stockbridge, Fayetteville, and Riverdale. Dr. Rezaiamiri holds the distinction of being selected as Lifestyles’ “Top Doc” for five years in a row. He also won the Patients’ Choice Award for four consecutive years. The annual award – based on more than 800,000 patient reviews nationwide – goes only to fewer than six percent of doctors.
Dr. Rezaiamiri holds the distinction of being selected as a Lifestyles’ “Top Doc” for five years in a row. Dr. Rezaiamiri also won the Patients’ Choice Award for five consecutive years. The annual award – based on more than 800,000 patient reviews nationwide – goes only to fewer than six percent of doctors.
Jose Mathew, D.O. MPH is native of Dublin, Georgia and graduate of University of Georgia. He has spent years learning the latest in science and research relating to modern techniques for treating patients with pain-causing disorders. Additionally, he completed a fellowship in interventional spine and musculoskeletal medicine where he was trained extensively in the use of fluoroscopically as well as ultrasound guided interventions. Board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, he specializes in nonsurgical methods of restoring function to patients with total body pain including: joint, back and spine. Scott Linacre, PA-C, MMSc, is a board certified Physician Assistant who has worked with AllSpine since 2009. An honors graduate from Emory University’s Physician Assistant program, he also attended Emory for his undergraduate degree.
AllSpine Surgery Center is an 11,000+ square foot, state-of-the-art facility equipped with two operating rooms, top-of-the-line sterile processing unit, private recovery room and an incredible staff dedicated to latest minimally invasive spine surgery treatments and interventional spine and pain management techniques.
Minimally Invasive Cervical and Spine Procedures Appointments: 770-997-0600 Office Locations: Stockbridge, Fayetteville, and Riverdale Coming Soon to Newnan Hospital Affiliations: Piedmont Hospital, Piedmont Henry, and Southern Regional Medical Center Nominated 5 Years in a Row in Patients Choice Award.
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Table of of Contents Table Contents
Departments
Features
14 2013 Photo Contest
42 Tina’s Tips
72
This nursery was designed with a neutral palette to welcome a new baby into soft, soothing surroundings.
Enjoy the winning photographs from our 2013 Newnan-Coweta Magazine Photo Contest!
22 A House with a
64 Saddle Up
Mysterious Past
Horse trainer Cynthia Metzger says she has her dream job teaching what she calls “cowgirl dressage.”
A once-dilapidated farm house is now a showplace thanks to the restoration efforts of Michael and Deborah Simmons.
68 Coweta Cooks
30 Closet Hollywood
A former homeplace evokes memories of a fine Russian Red Cabbage recipe.
This Delta mechanic’s a real girly-girl and has an out-of-thisworld closet to prove it.
72 Thoughtful Gardener
36 A Bedroom fit for a
Plant cheerful pansies to brighten the landscape while adding form and texture, even in the midst of winter.
Superhero Conor Goltermann’s bedroom redo has him surrounded by some of his favorite superheroes.
48 Home Sweet Movie Set Some Coweta homeowners describe what it’s like when your home becomes a movie set.
76 Local Heritage The Male Academy Museum is Coweta County’s oldest museum and is a primer for the county’s history.
64
In Every Issue
54 Learning to Talk Turkey
12 Editor’s Letter
Scott Barnett of Newnan is among the local hunting enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the start of wild turkey hunting season.
80 The Bookshelf 81 Index of Advertisers
60 Born to Help
82 I Am Coweta
Retired probation officer Bill Larkey is a firm believer in the possibility of changed lives.
36
10 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
68
42
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From the Editor
Thoughts of Home SOMETIMES, I DO THINGS BACKWARDS. Any woman who’s ever bought the shoes first and then the outfit knows what I’m talking about. I was in a craft store last fall when I came across the loveliest blue and brown ribbons. I had decided that would be my color palette for Christmas 2012, so I purchased a stack of the ribbons and lots of gold wrapping paper. My gifts would look gorgeous under the blue and brown Christmas tree I would decorate to accent my new blue and brown furniture. The only fly in the ointment was, I didn’t technically have the new blue and brown furniture yet. I had in mind—have in mind, I should say—the perfect leather sofa with either a loveseat or two chairs in a tasteful blue and brown print, perhaps a nice ikat design. Now I’ve seen lots of things that would do, but nothing that seemed absolutely perfect. I’m pretty sure one local furniture store was about to turn out the lights and flip the “Closed” sign in place the next time they saw me coming. Store owners must just love indecisive customers! Two days before Thanksgiving, though, I surrendered my fantasy of having new furniture in place
within the next 48 hours, and I marked that off my to-do list for 2012. Naturally, I’ve continued to look at decorating magazines and catalogs, but so far the only thing that’s caught my eye is a rather impractical (and ridiculous) $6,000 rose-shaped velvet chair that is for sale somewhere in Italy. Not quite sure how my husband would feel about that. Still, it seems to me that furnishing a home shouldn’t be a mad dash but a pleasant acquiring, so in a rare bit of restraint I have chilled about having to have the perfect new furnishings right this minute. When I find what I’m supposed to have, I will know it. This is a time of year when many of us turn our thoughts homeward, and while I’m mulling over what I want my new living room to look like, I’ve enjoyed reading about the Coweta homes featured in this issue. From an amazingly restored farm house (page 22), to an over-the-top closet (page 30), a little boy’s dream bedroom (page 36) and an elegant nursery (page 42), it’s clear that Coweta homeowners have no end of inspiration when it comes to decorating and furnishing their homes. Lucky them!
Warmly,
Angela McRae, Editor angela@newnan.com
P.S. And congratulations to our book giveaway winners from last issue! Nancy Carson won Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart; Nellie Fisher won Sweet Auburn Desserts by Sonya Jones; and Noel Harvey won My Beverly Hills Kitchen by Alex Hitz. We hope you enjoy your new cookbooks!
12 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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EAR, NOSE & THROAT ! 9 9 9 March/April 2013 13
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2013 Newnan-Coweta Magazine
Photo Contest First Place Winner Two White terns, Gygis alba rothschildi, flying above my head on Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean Gordon Kilgore Sharpsburg, Ga. First Place winner Gordon Kilgore says, “I was on Eastern Island, a part of the Midway Atoll about 2,000 miles NW of Hawaii. I had been on my stomach crawling up within a couple of feet of an adult Laysan albatross with its chick. These birds nest on the ground and have no fear of humans. Apparently in the process I had encroached on the nest of a pair of white terns which also nest on the ground. The terns were hovering just a few feet above my head when I took the picture with a Nikon D3s and a 20 mm lens.”
Judges’ Comments: “Absolutely amazing! It’s hard to believe that this is NOT a painting. To capture these birds in flight so clearly is a feat within itself, but to frame them within a background of a beautiful majestic sky is a once in a lifetime experience. Wow!!!” “The sky is as beautiful as the birds. Birds are a priceless, once in a lifetime shot. Unbelievable.”
14 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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March/April 2013 15
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Second Place Winner Autumn Delight Brenda Creasy Newnan, Ga. “The picture was taken in late October 2012, at
Judges’ Comments:
Lake Junaluska in western North Carolina,” says
“Colors are exquisite. Fall is my favorite time of year and
Second Place winner Brenda Creasy. “We were
I ‘felt’ the season when I saw the photo. Loved the water,
staying at the conference center that is located on
bridge and composition of entire photo.” “Great job of
the lake. I took the picture as we were leaving for
capturing this beautiful fall scene! The colors are
a day of sightseeing. The early morning light and
wonderful, very soothing. This shot made me ask the
slightly foggy conditions made it a good photo op
question ‘Where is this place?’ I want to experience it in
for me.”
person.”
16 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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Judges’ Comments: “Beautiful shot of a local landmark. Well composed at a great time of day. I’d hang it on my wall.” “Crisp color, bright red pops, tree frames the photo, love the reflection in the water.”
Third Place Winner Reflections and Shadows James Bible Newnan, Ga.
“It was a perfect fall day with a dramatic sky,” says Third Place winner James Bible. “The subject was historic Starrs Mill (in Fayetteville) and was the last series of shots taken that day, around 4 p.m. if I remember correctly.”
March/April 2013 17
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Honorable Mention Kisses Cody Black Newnan, Ga.
Honorable Mention Grand Canyon in Yellowstone National Park Kelly Smith Newnan, Ga.
Honorable Mention Morning on Saint Simons Island Doug Waldron Newnan, Ga.
18 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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Honorable Mention Coweta Sunrise Andrew Kee Newnan, Ga.
Honorable Mention Framing Utah Emma Bush Newnan, Ga.
Honorable Mention Hm-hm Good Sally Ray Newnan, Ga.
March/April 2013 19
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Honorable Mention Busy Buzzin’ Bee Lindsey Dull Sharpsburg, Ga.
Honorable Mention “Don’t take my picture” Edna Millar Newnan, Ga.
Special thanks to our judges for this year’s photo contest, Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine photographer Bob Fraley, Newnan Times-Herald IT Coordinator Jonathan Melville, and awardwinning author Cathy Lee Phillips. On March 1, all of the 2013 photo contest entries will be displayed in the front lobby area of The Newnan TimesHerald. Everyone is invited to see all of these amazing entries during regular office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., through March 15. 20 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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A House with a
Mysterious Past Written by MARTHA A. WOODHAM Photographed by BOB FRALEY
Today the Simmons home near Moreland is fully restored, but the photograph at right shows the house was in quite a dilapidated state when Michael and Deborah Simmons first tackled the project.
A SMALL, THREE-LINE AD in the real estate section of a newspaper 14 years ago led Michael and Deborah Simmons from Alpharetta to a dilapidated farm house in Coweta County with a mysterious past. The mystery began with the ad. Real estate agent Ed Moor was surprised when the Simmonses called. The 1850s house hadn’t been listed yet, he said. But there it was, in black and white: a house and 10 acres near Moreland for $85,000, so Moor showed it to the couple. “You had to be real careful when we came to look at it,” recalls Deborah. “The porch had holes in the floor, and the chimney had fallen in the kitchen.” There was no electricity, no insulation, no indoor plumbing. Although the previous owner had installed a toilet in the closet, it drained out into the yard. The March/April 2013 23
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Deborah and Michael Simmons moved from Alpharetta to Coweta County 14 years ago, and they have since restored a shotgun style farm house near Moreland. At left is a corner of their kitchen, and below is the entrance hall looking toward the front door of the house.
24 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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Today, the lovingly restored three-bedroom, shotgunstyle house is the result of the couple’s ability to see beyond the obvious. five fireplaces were small, made for burning coal, but the previous owners had used wood, so they had smoked, streaking the plaster walls with soot. The outside of the house hadn’t been painted in 80 years. “We’d thought about buying an old house while we rented in Alpharetta,� Michael says. The couple wanted land for their horses, and the price was right. But the house needed so much work—rewiring, plumbing, new siding, a new roof. Deborah
overheard another couple who were also touring the house when the wife hissed at her husband, “Don’t you do this to me!� Still, the bones of the house—with tongue-and-groove pine paneling and oak floors— were good. Michael, who was in construction and had studied architecture, saw possibilities. He just didn’t know it would take him five years—and living in a tiny camper in the back yard for months on end—to restore the
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Her kitchen and the rest of the home may be a showplace today, but when Deborah Simmons first walked through the home near Moreland with another couple looking to buy, she heard the wife hiss to the husband, “Don’t you do this to me!”
old farm house to a grandeur it never quite had before. Today, the lovingly restored three-bedroom, shotgun-style house is the result of the couple’s ability to see beyond the obvious. Michael removed and meticulously reglazed every window—which had 16 panes each. He added two side porches accessible by French doors and expanded the back of 26 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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the house by 10 feet to add a walkin closet and two bathrooms. He remounted some of the original doors as pocket doors and transformed a closet into a powder room with “the world’s tiniest sink,” says Deborah. Michael, who today has a construction company called Sheltering Oak, devoted himself to the restoration project for five years, driving back and forth from north Atlanta where Deborah worked as a mortgage consultant or staying in the camper. “It was the only way we could afford to do it,” he says, laughing as he recalled how he painstakingly made corbels by hand to match those around the doors and windows and then discovered a millwork store that had “millions” of the decorative mouldings for sale. “Now you can buy them!” As the couple worked on the house, visitors dropped by— curious neighbors and members of the family that had once lived there—and the Simmonses slowly pieced together some of the mysterious history of the place, originally a 96-acre farm. The house, built by one of two brothers (the other brother’s house just down the road still stands), had been surrounded by outbuildings, barns and sheds, mostly rotted away by the time the Simmonses bought it in 1998. The building the couple converted into a horse barn had been an old cotton gin, and Michael points out the double walls of the “potato house,” where neighboring farmers brought their sweet potatoes to be cured. Their names are still visible where a record of their harvests had been penciled on the walls.
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The couple learned that their house was once home to an elderly woman people called “the witch of Moreland” because she wandered the local roads alone at night.
Michael and Deborah Simmons have enjoyed hearing tales of their home’s mysterious past. 28 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
Other tales revealed the rich history of a Coweta family. During the Great Depression in the 1920s, the government foreclosed on the farm, which once had a mica mine. The old house caught fire when a child threw gasoline in a fireplace. And a great-grandson
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informed the couple that the vegetable garden they put in behind the old smoke house had been the location of the family outhouse. Today the fertile spot is a rose garden. The couple learned that their house was once home to an elderly woman people called “the witch of Moreland� because she wandered the local roads alone at night. And the house had been touched by tragedy: a young son was accidentally killed by another child playing with a gun in the front room of the house, in a corner that the Simmonses think may be haunted by a ghost that their three dogs and 10 cats can see. “The dogs and cats go in that corner and go crazy,� says Deborah. Maybe it was the ghost, she adds, who during the remodeling, interfered with their measurements so that boards ended up one inch too short or two inches too long. Ghost or no ghost, the restoration was a success. Oftentimes people familiar with the house recall Michael’s changes as original. “We tried to do all of the restoration and addition so it looked like an original part of the house,� he says. “But we’ve been here so long now that we’re starting to need to redo stuff.� NCM
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Closet Hollywood Written by CATHY LEE PHILLIPS Photographed by BOB FRALEY
“Everybody collects something. Maybe stamps or baseball cards kept in a box. I collect fashion accessories and display them as art to enjoy and to wear.” — Sharon Robinson 30 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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SHE IS A GIRLY-GIRL. Her favorite color is pink. Shoes? She has over 250 pair. Scarves? More than 100 of all styles and colors. Her closet is larger than her master bedroom. And she is a Delta Mechanic licensed to service planes from nose to tail! Sharon Murphy Robinson sounds like a walking contradiction. A girly mechanic? Actually, she is multi-talented, creative, and acknowledges her good fortune. A love of clothing and fashion accessories that began at childhood did not stop when she wore a Delta uniform and wielded pliers and screwdrivers. When her job no longer required wearing a uniform, Sharon came to work in designer clothes, stilettos and matching earrings. She was careful to protect her outfits, but did wear black nail polish when working in greasy areas!
Fashion accessories abound in the upstairs closet of Sharon Robinson’s home in Newnan.
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Sharon Robinson’s elaborate upstairs closet is a place where she likes to relax and plan both her wardrobe and her life.
Where else could you store perhaps the largest collection of artful accessories in Coweta County, including purses, shoes, scarves, belts and jewelry?
32 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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Her ability to categorize and arrange allows Sharon to locate her black nail polish— and everything else she owns—in a flash. To achieve this, she built a dream closet that occupies the entire top level of her home. It is larger than her master bedroom. It has to be! Where else could you store perhaps the largest collection of artful accessories in Coweta County, including purses, shoes, scarves, belts and jewelry? And multi-colored sunglasses? Her goals are to quickly locate a particular item, remain organized and display items as a form of art. Absolutely no clutter is allowed.
Sharon’s favorite place is secluded and accessible only by climbing what she affectionately terms “The Stairway to Heaven.� At the top of the steps you enter a magical world of wide-brimmed hats sitting atop tall candle holders, belts neatly folded inside deep drawers, shoes of every imaginable style standing on shelves, and abundant accouterments grouped by color. Her grandchildren call the area “Mimi Mart� but Sharon simply refers to it as her “Happy Place.� It is a soothing space, with a cream ceiling, gray walls and allblack furnishings. After a long day, it is a refuge where Sharon relaxes while quietly sipping a glass of
She scours shops and yard sales seeking unusual articles to spark her creativity and inspire a new way to exhibit her collection. Consider this: Have you ever used cup hooks to hang ultra-high-heels on your wall? Sharon has. This unique wall art looks very natural in her mega-closet.
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Sharon Robinson
Bags of every color and size dangle on hangers inside a large closet. Her 100 bottles of perfume (her favorite fragrance is Katy Perry) and eye-catching atomizers are strategically placed around the room.
34 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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wine. More than a mere closet, this is where Sharon plans both her wardrobe and her life. It all began with a shiny pair of hot pink stilettos she purchased three years ago. This launched a love of shoes and she estimates that she buys one pair per week. Most are five- and six-inch heels because “I wear heels almost exclusively, at least 90 percent of the time.” Yes, there are shoes she has never worn … yet. If she likes a style and color, she buys the shoes, knowing that eventually she will locate jeans or a dress that will create the perfect ensemble. Shoes are not her only accessory. Boots hang from a specially-purposed curtain rod. Bags of every color and size dangle on hangers inside a large closet. Her 100 bottles of perfume (her favorite fragrance is Katy
Perry) and eye-catching atomizers are strategically placed around the room. Over 1,000 vibrant bracelets and bangles are grouped according to color on wooden three-tiered jewelry holders. Rings are organized inside elegant boxes or rest on the fingers of plastic hands used as displays in nail salons. Earrings, over 400 pair, are tucked inside clear plastic hanging pockets. Some 100 scarves and 30 coats hang creatively around Sharon’s closet and house. Multi-colored sunglasses are arranged on a merchandising frame a store was selling recently. When Sharon asked about the price, the store manager happily gave it to her. They reasoned that Sharon already paid for the item many times over because of the number of shoes she purchased from the store. Sharon’s two daughters are too
busy raising children to visit the closet themselves. However, her oldest grandchild, Summer, has inherited the girly-girl genetics. She enjoys exploring the nooks and crannies of the second-floor closet. She and her friends have played dress-up with Sharon’s blessing, as long as they put each item back in its proper location. Now that Summer is growing fast, dress-up is no longer a game. Summer and her grandmother wear the same shoe size, so Summer’s interest in the grand collection is becoming more personal. Meanwhile, several empty shelves are waiting to be filled. Local economic officials will be pleased that Sharon does 75 percent of her shopping right here in Newnan. Like Cinderella, Sharon believes that the right shoe can change your life! NCM
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Conor Goltermann
36 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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A Bedroom fit for a
Written by NICHOLE GOLDEN Photographed by BOB FRALEY
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Conor Goltermann’s superhero-themed bedroom features some action heroes that once belonged to his dad Chris.
IN AN INSTANT Conor Goltermann can do a quick change—turning from boy to hero crime fighter by entering his very own Superman phone booth. The phone booth also doubles as Conor’s closet and is just one feature of an amazing bedroom redo by his mother, Kim, and aunt, Tracy Walker. For Conor’s fifth birthday last summer, Kim Goltermann decided to redecorate Conor’s room in a superhero/comic book theme. “I want my room to look like Captain America,” Conor would say. The whole plan started when Conor’s dad, Chris, brought out his old action figures and comic books. “Conor started getting more and more interested in it,” said Kim. Vintage metal posters of heroes including Captain America, 38 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Green Lantern and Silver Surfer adorn the walls as well as massive Superhero sticker figures. The stickers were purchased online through Macy’s and come in four or five pieces to be precisely lined up. The Goltermanns discovered the metal artwork at Myrtle Beach.
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Conor Goltermann enjoys playing in his new room with sister Mary Ellen.
Kim found a lot of decorating ideas online including the night skyline mural with Batman signal beacon light overhead. Tracy painted the mural on top of the already existing bold blue color of Conor’s room for a great contrast. The closet door became the phone booth painted in red with white lines. Kim said the closet door was a group effort to make sure the lines were perfectly straight. The letters of Conor’s name are decoupaged with comic paper and hang above his window. “Those are Chris’ old papers,� said Kim. The sentimental or valuable comics were off limits, and only “freebies� were used. A mixture of
YO OU AL A R RE EAD DY KNO OW A LI L TT TLE LE SOM OMET MET ETHI HIING H G ABO B UT U GOI OING G WE ES ST. T. Yo You ou kkn now ow it’ ts m mo ore re tha han a ma map di d re rec cttio on. n. Go oiing g West We st is ab abou out ut c ch ha allle en ng gin ng your your yo urse selff, ffo olllo oll ow wing in ng yyo ou urr dre ream ea am mss,, and ms d ac a chi chi hie evvin ng yo your ur go oa alss. It It’s ’s abo out ut exxp plo lorriin ng g allll kin ind dss of po possssib billititie es and an nd ma makkiing ng th he e mo osst of of eve veryy opp ppo orrtu rtu tun niity ty. The be Th esstt pa arrt? ? Yo ou u can an Go W We esstt rig ght ht her ere in n New ewn na an n.. Exxp plo ore e an un u nde derg rgrra adu duat ate d at ate de egr gree e in N Nu urssin urs ng or or Ea arrlyy Ch hiild dho h o od d Ed du u uca ca atitio on n. Take Ta ke you our ca our care r e err to the th he n ne exxtt levvel el by ea e rn nin ng yyo ourr mas aste er’ r’s in r’s in Busi Bu siness ne essss or Ed Educat uc cat atio on n.. Or be begi gin a n gi ne ew in ntte elllle ec ctu t al al ad dvve en ntu ure e with wi th day ay an nd d eve ven niing g cor ore c cllas asse s s le ead adin ng to o anyy of th he 97 97 miin nddopen op enin enin ng p prrog ogra gra am mss offfffer ered er ed e d on ou our C Ca arrrro olllt lltlton to on n ca am mpu pus. s. s. Once On ce you ou Go W We e
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Conor Goltermann told his parents another reason he likes his new superhero-themed bedroom is because the superheroes will protect him at night.
Elmer’s glue and water was used for the decoupage. A foam-on-canvas Captain America logo on the door
40 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
welcomes visitors, and even the toy bins in the bookshelves feature emblems representing various heroes. The bins and
cubbies offer an organized space for Conor to keep books and toys. Kim learned a lot about comic book heroes along the way,
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including which heroes could appear together on what walls. The entire process of redecorating took about three weeks as both sisters have fulltime jobs. “We really thought it was going to take about a week,” she said. She advised other parents to “be realistic” about the time involved in such projects. The Goltermanns were also able to do the room with very few expenses other than new comic art bed linens, the metal posters and the wall stickers. The black paint for the city skyline and red paint for the phone booth were all leftover quarts from other home projects. “Look around and see what you have,” said Kim. If you are doing a sports room, search for your own team memorabilia. For an under-thesea theme, look for shells or photos to turn into artwork. Pieces of leftover felt or fabric from other projects can always have a new use. Also search online for both inspiration and deals for items you will need, suggested Kim. The idea for the Batman skyline came from Pinterest. Grown-ups and children visiting the family all have a positive reaction to Conor’s new room—ranging from “We love his room” to “Can I move in?” After photos were placed on Facebook, all received rave reviews. But most of all the room’s owner loves his new space. When his family showed the completed room to Conor for the first time, his excitement was evident. “He gave us two thumbs up,” said Kim. NCM
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Tina’s Tips
Baby Graham Avery Mullis was welcomed home to a beautiful toile-paneled nursery designed by mom Judy. 42 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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And Baby Makes Three Written by TINA NEELY BROWN Photographed by JUDY WOODS MULLIS & KAREN KESSINGER
SHE REMEMBERED HEARING from her friends, “You won’t understand it until it happens to you” and “It’s the greatest love you’ll ever experience,” yet Judy Woods Mullis never really knew what they truly meant until baby Graham was born. What a way to turn a house upside down and fill it with joy, adding a baby to the family! When my friend Judy found out she was pregnant, she was ecstatic. She couldn’t wait to start decorating the nursery. Now most of us excited mommies-to-be can’t wait to find out if it’s a boy or a girl, but not Judy. She wanted it to
be a surprise. Not knowing the sex of the baby automatically meant she had to make the nursery gender neutral—and that was her jumping-off point. For her, it was very important—even from the beginning—to make the room as
peaceful as possible. She wanted the baby to have a calm environment for sleep and play, and that influenced the nursery colors she chose. Always loving the feel of an all-white room, and remembering seeing a white and tan room in a magazine, she made her choice, and the pairing of the colors looks so serene. As soon as she picked out the colors, she started thinking of what she wanted to put in the room. Judy said it may sound a little “hokey,” but she believes that when people make things, they leave a bit of their “energy” in the item they’ve made. By filling the baby’s nursery March/April 2013 43
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Now most of us excited mommiesto-be can’t wait to find out if it’s a boy or a girl, but not Judy. She wanted it to be a surprise.
Scott Mullis helps son Graham check out the lighting in the nursery. 44 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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A dear friend of the family built the train in Graham Mullis’ nursery.
with items that friends and family made, he would always feel that love surrounding him by those who love him the most. The changing table was made by her father-in-law. From cutting down the tree to sawing the lumber and putting on the final coat of paint, he literally built it completely from scratch. All Judy
did was give him the dimensions and select the hardware, and he did the rest. The fabric panels are one of her favorite features of the room. Judy came up with the idea because she was concerned about the noise level in the nursery. Since they have a small house and the baby’s room sits right next to
the living room, she knew sound might be a concern while he was sleeping, so the padded fabric panels were a perfect solution. She picked up some discounted toile fabric, foam batting, a few pieces of plywood, and white trim to match the trim around the door. After cutting the plywood to the desired size, they
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Judy Mullis, at left, planned a neutral palette for her baby’s nursery because she didn’t know the sex of the baby until son Graham was born.
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The glider rocker and wooden train were built by a dear Amish friend of the family. added a couple of layers of batting, then topped it all with the toile fabric and stapled it securely to the back. Panels were then hung on the walls and trimmed out with matching white trim. She said they put them together in just a couple of hours and couldn’t be happier with the results. For the draping over the crib, Judy purchased a mounting rod online and re-purposed a few white sheets. Using sheer sheets and running the rod through the already-sewn seams, she didn’t even have to sew anything
together; it was her easiest and most favorite kind of project. What a beautiful statement the sheers make—fit for a prince or a princess, and for sure providing lots of fun later when the baby is bigger and tries to swing on them! The glider rocker and wooden train were built by a dear Amish friend of the family. The dresser belonged to Judy’s husband when he was a baby. Her handy fatherin-law painted it the same color as the changing table, and re-fit it with matching hardware.
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Last but not least—not handmade but nonetheless filled with love— was a beautiful crib given to her by her mother and a lovely “Bless this Child� frame to top it all off. With the nursery all set, beautiful and waiting on the new arrival, Baby Graham Avery Mullis was born. A perfect baby boy had a perfect little nursery filled with love just for him. Graham has surely proven to Judy, as all children prove to their mothers, that the kind of love a mother has for her children is the greatest love she’ll ever experience. As Judy so sweetly said, “For the first time in my life, I truly understand what it feels like to wear my heart on the outside of my body.� What a blessing, when baby makes three! NCM
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Home Sweet
Movie Set Written by W. WINSTON SKINNER Photographs courtesy of THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD
BOB AND GEORGIA SHAPIRO and Paul and Susan Conlan are next-door neighbors—their homes separated only by the lower end of Wesley Street. The two houses on College Street just west of downtown Newnan are a part of American movie history. The interior of the Shapiro home was used for interiors in the award-winning 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes. The Conlan dwelling was the residence of the Bedford family, the central characters in the acclaimed television series I’ll Fly Away and the TV 48 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
movie that brought the Civil Rights era saga to its conclusion. At 46 College St., a few houses down from the Conlans’, the front porch was used for a scene in Decoration Day with James Garner and Judith Ivey. Movie magic has played some strange tricks with Coweta homes. In Fried Green Tomatoes, viewers saw the exterior of the Threadgoode home—a lovely, sprawling Victorian that continues to be the home of Sue McDaniel in Senoia. Once the door opened and the family headed inside, however,
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Scenes for the movie Fried Green Tomatoes were shot at the McDaniel home in Senoia, above. Clockwise from left opposite, the Shapiro home in Newnan at 34 College St. was used for interiors in Fried Green Tomatoes; the porch of the Buckley home at 46 College St. was used in Decoration Day starring James Garner; another scene at the McDaniel home during filming of Fried Green Tomatoes; and James Garner in a scene from Decoration Day.
In Fried Green Tomatoes, viewers saw the exterior of the Threadgoode home—a lovely, sprawling Victorian that continues to be the home of Sue McDaniel in Senoia. Once the door opened and the family headed inside, however, viewers were seeing the entryway of the Shapiro home. viewers were seeing the entryway of the Shapiro home. McDaniel has many memories of the film project. “They were there about six weeks, getting ready for the movie. They had to cover the street with dirt and take down the power lines,” she remembered. “They were only shooting for three days.” Interiors could not be filmed
at the McDaniel home because the stairwell turns, and the moviemakers wanted a straight rail for Idgie Threadgoode to slide down. Idgie did crawl out McDaniel’s third floor attic for one scene. McDaniel recalled cast member Chris O’Donnell as “a fine young man.” He asked her to help him find a place for his parents to
stay in Senoia during the filming, and she did. A ballgame and a wedding were held on McDaniel’s lawn for the film. A treehouse—and a garden—were put in place. “I told them you can’t plant a garden in the shade. It won’t grow,” McDaniel remembered. The film staff were insistent, however, and McDaniel even March/April 2013 49
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One of the most acclaimed television shows filmed in Coweta County was I’ll Fly Away, which featured the Conlan home at 38 College St. in Newnan. Clockwise from top left: Sam Waterston (district attorney Forrest Bedford) and his TV family discover a burning cross; Waterston takes a break in filming; Waterston and the child actors prepare for filming; and actress Regina Taylor films a scene as the aging housekeeper Lily Harper for the series conclusion.
The Conlan dwelling was the residence of the Bedford family, the central characters in the acclaimed television series I’ll Fly Away and the TV movie that brought the Civil Rights era saga to its conclusion. connected them with Warren Bailey, who lived in the country and sold them corn stalks. McDaniel provided plastic jugs to transport the plants—“enough for several rows of corn”—from Bailey’s farm to her yard. 50 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
“They set out tomatoes. They set out green bean plants that had green beans hanging on them. They just planted it under the pecan trees,” she recalled. When the filming was done, McDaniel asked that the garden be
left. The corn matured, and the McDaniels also ate tomatoes and beans from the patch. The McDaniels slept in their home during the filming. They had window air conditioner units, which the film crew removed each
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At 46 College St., a few houses down from the Conlans’, the front porch was used for a scene in Decoration Day with James Garner and Judith Ivey.
Judith Ivey and James Garner starred in Decoration Day, which included scenes filmed on the porch at 46 College St. in Newnan.
morning and put back in place at the end of filming each day. Georgia Shapiro said the upstairs bedrooms in her home are much like they were when Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed there. “All of the trim in the house
that they brought the people from North Carolina to hand grain is just like it was in the movie,” she said. Joy Adair’s home in Senoia was used for Pet Sematary II some 20 years ago—long before
EE
the Adairs moved in. “If you look at ‘Pet Sematary II,’ you can definitely tell it’s the house,” she said. Cindy Divido’s house is located across Johnson Street from the Adairs’ home. Scenes
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James Garner in Decoration Day
Homes in the movies
There are lots of places around Coweta County that could give someone an “aha” moment because of its role in a television show or movie. What follows is an incomplete list of local homes that have been featured in movies or on TV. If you know of another one, please e-mail the information to news@newnan.com. Among the local homes that have been stars themselves are:
In Senoia: • McDaniel home, corner of Bridge and Travis streets, the Threadgoode home, exterior, Fried Green Tomatoes. • Merrick home, 163 Seavy St., featured in several productions. • Adair home, 319 Johnson St., Pet Sematary II. • Divido home, 275 Johnson St., The War, scenes cut from final version. • Smith home, 141 Bridge St., Mama Flora’s Family. • The Veranda, 252 Seavy St., Broken Bridges.
In Newnan: • Shapiro home, 34 College St., Fried Green Tomatoes, interiors. • Conlan home, 38 College St., I’ll Fly Away. • Buckley home, 46 College St., porch, Decoration Day.
Other places: • The Christopher farm and home, Christopher Road, Sharpsburg, Gordy. • Wynn’s Pond, a fishing retreat at the Coweta-Fayette border, Sweet Home Alabama. • Seay home, Smokey Road, Flash. • Home on Gordon Road, no longer standing, Desperate for Love.
—By W. Winston Skinner
52 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
The film crews left Coweta homeowners with good feelings. filmed there for The War wound up on the proverbial cutting room floor. “They rented it for about three months,” Divido recalled. The War was filmed while the Dividos were in “the renovation process,” she said, and portions of the house were used for filming while restoration work continued elsewhere. “They did a lot of set up in the middle of the night. You would drive up the hill, and it looked like it was daylight,” she recalled. Divido deemed as “interesting” having a movie filmed at her home. She confessed she is not, however, a movie buff and that friends shared Dances With Wolves on video so she would know who Kevin Costner was when he came to film scenes at her home. The film crews left Coweta homeowners with good feelings. “They
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Open House March ,
Scenes for Pet Sematary II film at a historic home in Senoia.
fixed everything back like it was supposed to be,” McDaniel said. Divido remembered with delight going by her house and seeing the porch painted in beautiful colors. When she came by next, the crew had repainted it white and even made it look weathered. After a quick talk with the film company, the bright colors were reapplied. Divido described all the movie people she encountered as “very professional.” McDaniel has particularly fond memories of John Avnet, who directed Fried Green Tomatoes. When he returned to Georgia for other projects, “he would come to see us,” she said. “They were just wonderful people—all of them.” NCM
State-of-the-art rehabilitation center Please plan on attending the open house celebration for
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5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Take a tour of “Town Square Rehab” where you will find unparalleled rehabilitation therapy programs in therapeutic settings that mimic real-life environments. Experience occupational therapy in the grocery store setting, physical therapy in the gym with the OmniVRTM and speechlanguage pathology in our private speech suite. See first hand, the beautiful decor throughout the center in the private rooms with private baths, beautiful fine dining area, luxurious spa and comfortable living room spaces.
770.400.8000 450 Newnan Lakes Blvd. Newnan, GA 30263 ansleyparkhealth.org Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served
“Returning patients back into their communities” March/April 2013 53
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Learning to Talk Turkey Written by ALEX MCRAE Photographed by BOB FRALEY
Even when the calls are perfect, a hunt can be ruined with a single wrong move.
A SELLOUT CROWD of 49,586 avid fans is expected to pack Turner Field on April 1 as the Atlanta Braves celebrate Opening Day of the 2013 Major League Baseball season. But a lesser publicized spring bash on March 23 will be no less exciting—or eagerly anticipated—for the 50,000 Georgians who will descend on the state’s fields and forests for opening day of wild turkey season.
Local hunting enthusiast Scott Barnett of Newnan is excited about the March 23 opening of wild turkey hunting season in Georgia. Shown at left is one of his turkey calls. 54 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
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Scott Barnett
Duplicating those sounds isn’t easy but hunters are aided by an array of commercial and handmade calls that come in more shapes and sizes than Bubba Gump had recipes for shrimp. Newnan’s Scott Barnett will definitely be among the camoclad crowd hoping to find a fat gobbler. “I hunted deer for years before I tried turkey,” says Barnett. “But once I did, I loved it. I can’t wait to go.” Barnett was raised in East Newnan and was pulling fish from local ponds as soon as he was big enough to hold a cane pole. In 1972, at age 12, he took 56 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
his first deer. He quickly became a threat to the local quail and dove populations, too, but it was not until 1989 that Barnett attempted turkey hunting. He admits there was a steep learning curve. “It’s totally different from deer,” he says. “Mostly because you have to communicate with the animal you’re hunting. It can get interesting. And fun.”
A female bird’s chirps, yelps and purrs can indicate anything from contentment to distress. The lady birds also utter certain cries designed solely to let big gobblers know they are approaching the hottest hen on the roost. Duplicating those sounds isn’t easy but hunters are aided by an array of commercial and handmade calls that come in more shapes and sizes than Bubba Gump had
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recipes for shrimp. Learning to talk turkey isn’t easy. Barnett still remembers his first few vocabulary lessons. “I basically walked around the house making turkey calls,” he says. “It almost drove my wife crazy.” Barnett’s wife, Liz, and daughters, Cydney and Alley, survived. Barnett eventually became fluent in fowl language. “Listening to the birds while you’re out in the woods is the best way to learn,” Barnett says. “You’ll eventually pick it up. Once you do, the main thing to remember is not to call too much. You can run a bird off that way.” Even when the calls are perfect, a hunt can be ruined with a single wrong move. Turkeys have excellent eyesight and run from anything that looks out of place. Serious turkey hunters aren’t ready for business until everything from boots to caps to skin to shotguns is covered with camouflage markings. Then it’s just a matter of sitting very still. Sometimes, for a very long time. But even while seated on the drop-down cushions attached to most turkey hunting vests, imitating a statue is no cinch. Barnett found out the hard way when a big gobbler was headed his way and he had to scratch an itch that wouldn’t wait any more. “I moved and that turkey took off,” he says. “It happens.” Hunters have favorite spots they return to year after year, but are always on the lookout for new hunting habitats with good visibility, convenient access and an adequate supply of turkey
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Turkey hunters are never discouraged when they come home empty handed. They expect to spend several days in the woods just to fill the state’s three bird limit before the season ends on May 15.
Scott Barnett of Newnan can be out calling birds at daybreak and back in his office before lunch calling clients of Barnett & Cheeves Building Materials, which he co-owns with Phil Cheeves.
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treats like acorns. But even if he finds the ideal spot, Barnett will move if the birds are clucking elsewhere. “I’ve walked over a mile to set up on a bird,” he says. “Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s all part of it.” Barnett now has the turkey routine refined to the point that he can be out calling birds at daybreak and back in the office before lunch. Turkey hunters are never discouraged when they come home empty handed. They expect to spend several days in the woods just to fill the state’s three bird limit before the season ends on May 15. But then, turkey hunters don’t measure a day’s success by the size of a buck’s rack or the number of birds bulging from a game bag. They have a different set of expectations. A seasoned turkey hunter will tell you there’s nothing better than sitting back and watching the show as a big gobbler fluffs up his feathers, fans his tail and struts around showing off the gorgeous green, gold, copper and bronze feathers for which the wild birds are famous. “Even the best hunter isn’t successful every time out,” Barnett says. “But you know what? It doesn’t matter. When you’re out there and the rising sun is coming through the trees and it glints off those beautiful iridescent colors? That’s when you know there’s a God. That’s what it’s all about.” NCM
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At a recent family pizza night are Bill Larkey of Newnan, center, with son Will Larkey and daughter Wimberley Larkey.
Bill Larkey:
Born to Help Written by CATHY LEE PHILLIPS Photographed by BOB FRALEY
WHILE STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY at Georgia Southern University, Bill Larkey’s class took a field trip to a Georgia state prison. As the bus drove away, Bill glanced over his shoulder and said to himself, “I will NEVER work in a place like that.” Wrong! Bill had no idea the enormous role the Georgia Department of Corrections would play in his life. 60 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
With a B.A. in Psychology and a Master’s in Counseling, he accepted a job as a counselor at Georgia State Prison in Reidsville in 1972. While there, Bill overheard someone say, “These inmates are all alike and they won’t change.” “That’s convenient,” Bill says. “With that thinking there’s no challenge to consider what causes people to behave the way they do. Except
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Bill Larkey enjoys spending time with family and friends. Here, a recent pizza night at Fabiano’s in Newnan included, from left, Penny Williams, Hal (Spud) Williams, daughter-in-law Lauren Larkey, granddaughter Caroline Larkey, son Will Larkey, daughter Wimberley Larkey, grandson Ben Larkey, Bill Larkey, Harold McCoy, Devin Thompson and Shelia Massey.
for the grace of God, any of us could be there or in any other unhealthy situation. I have faults, failures, and issues, and have needed help myself.” Hearing this statement challenged Bill to learn the stories behind those in his care to determine how to enable change in their lives. This standard has guided his work throughout his life. Moving to Coweta County in 1977, Bill served several positions with corrections including working as a probation officer. Bill tried to help each probationer understand why they made bad decisions and encourage them to make better ones. Today, men and women once under Bill’s supervision are glad to see him. Glad to see a probation officer? You bet! One former probationer acknowledges Bill’s impact on his life. “I got into trouble with drugs,” he says. “Bill was my probation officer over 30 years
Wimberly and Ben Larkey, above, share a laugh with Bill Larkey. Below, Caroline Larkey visits with Shelia Massey.
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My personal and professional lives converged and taught me to use my past as a way to get involved and change lives.� — Bill Larkey
ago and is my friend today. He never treated me as a criminal or concentrated on my crime. He treated me as a real person. That is why I am alive and clean today.� In 1989 Bill became Chief
Probation Officer of the Griffin Circuit. With a state grant, he oversaw development of the Griffin Recovery Intervention Probation Program (GRIPP), a rigorous drug and alcohol program utilizing his law
enforcement and counseling background. Bill sees GRIPP as the forerunner of today’s Day Reporting Centers that offer intensive outpatient counseling, treatment and personal services. The original GRIPP site is now a Griffin Day Reporting Center. Earlier in Bill’s career, his personal life began to collapse. He was drinking too much. He realized this, but didn’t seek help. When he was 37, his wife, Claudia, died after a battle with cancer and in his grief, Bill’s drinking increased. He knew he was using his wife’s death as an excuse to drink, but he was far too involved to stop. He needed help. Today, Bill is a recovering alcoholic and has been sober for 9 years.
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Is he embarrassed by this truth? No. “My imperfection has helped others because I understand the problem personally,” he says. “My personal and professional lives converged and taught me to use my past as a way to get involved and change lives. God saved me from disaster—not to save my hide, but to prepare me to do His work.” Bill will never give up on a person. Making mistakes is part of life. He believes in giving a youth or adult every opportunity to straighten out, but the person must make the most of the chance. Bill Larkey did that with his own life and has a passion for offering a second chance to others.
Now officially retired from Corrections, Bill is a Drug and Alcohol Counselor at SonRise Baptist Church in Newnan. He is very committed to the Celebrate Recovery program at SonRise. This international program originated at the Saddleback Church pastored by Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life. Celebrate Recovery is not limited to those with drug and alcohol problems. Everyone is welcome because every individual has experienced pain—anger, divorce, depression, addiction, hurts or any habit impeding personal growth and happiness. Celebrate Recovery is Christcentered, but one does not have to be a Christian to
attend. All are welcome each Thursday night. Dinner (no charge) is at 6 p.m. A large group meets at 6:30 and smaller groups meet at 7:30. Childcare is provided. Despite a busy “retirement” schedule, Bill looks forward to Mondays when he enjoys Pizza Night with family and friends. He is the proud father of a son, Will, daughter-in-law, Lauren, and daughter, Wimberley. He is the even prouder grandfather of 20month-old Caroline and 4-yearold Ben. When Bill Larkey reflects on his life, one word comes to mind: Grateful! He is grateful for his faith, career, family and even his imperfections. All enable him to help others. NCM
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Saddle Up
Cynthia Metzger’s
Cowgirl Dressage Written by MARTHA A. WOODHAM Photographed by BOB FRALEY
CYNTHIA METZGER WILL ADMIT she’s one lucky lady. Her job is her passion. She’s a horse trainer who teaches what she calls “cowgirl dressage.” “I’m so lucky because it’s my job, and I’m getting paid to do this,” she says. “When I get up in the morning, I think, ‘Oh, darn, I have to go out and play with the horses today.’ It’s paradise here.” “Here” is the 14-acre horse farm near Sharpsburg that Metzger shares with her husband, Brian, nine Morgan horses, two Pomeranians and one black cat named Snuggles. Metzger grew up with horses in Oregon, literally riding before she was born. Her family had a 30-stall boarding operation, and Metzger’s mom rode when she was pregnant with Cynthia. Metzger’s first mount was the “classic ornery pony that would always buck me off.” Then a pinto named Sissy came into her life and taught her to ride. The two racked up dozens of 4-H 64 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
awards and blue ribbons at horse shows on the West Coast. At her family’s barn, Cynthia and her adored Sissy had a lifetime relationship, teaching many children and adults to ride, until the pinto passed away at more than 30 years of age. When Metzger was 14, she discovered Morgans, a breed of horses known for their intelligence, good looks, athleticism and horse sense. The breed is uniquely American, with all Morgans descending from a stallion called Figure foaled in 1789 in New England. Figure later became known by the name of his owner, Justin Morgan. Morgans played a large role during the Civil War, primarily on the Union side, but one of the best known, Little Sorrel, carried Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. “Morgans are the Labrador retriever of the horse world,” says Metzger. “They like to be with people as much as they like to be with other horses.”
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Morgans are the Labrador retriever of the horse world. They like to be with people as much as they like to be with other horses.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Cynthia Metzger
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Cynthia Metzger and her husband Brian, an Air Force Reserve pilot who flies with ExpressJet Airlines, are recent transplants to Coweta County, moving here from Dallas, Ga.
66 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
Metzger has trained horses and riders to national championships in English and Western styles of riding in Morgan competitions on both the East and West Coasts, but she enjoys working with all kinds of horses. Finding the right job for the horse is paramount to her. Not all horses are built for roping cows or jumping or reining, or even like it. Like people, some horses are better at one kind of sport than another. “I train the horse to be in the discipline it wants to be in,” she says. Letting them choose what they want to be makes a safer, happier horse, she says. Metzger will admit she wasn’t always that horse savvy. But then she discovered a horse trainer named Pat Parelli, whose training methods were developed after his observations of horse behavior. “I always thought horses were stupid, but they are smart,” says Metzger, pointing out that horses are prey animals with enemies in the wild that often want to have them for dinner. “When horses think something like a snake is threatening them, they think they are going to die and they run until they are out of range.” This behavior, a survivor mentality, explains why horses spook at strange objects and run away when they are afraid, she says. Part of the job of riders and trainers is to desensitize the animals to scary objects and situations, thus gaining a horse’s trust and confidence. Horses also are very playful and enjoy interacting with people. Following Parelli’s methods of playing games with horses to teach them, Metzger has an area beside her barn that is like a playground for horses with all sorts of obstacles designed to help them overcome fears. “Horses have to feel safe and comfortable,” she says. “As you play
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with your horse, you come to understand them better. These games teach you to be a better partner to your horse, and he looks to you as his leader.” After Metzger incorporated the Parelli exercises into her training schedule, her horses blossomed and were happier to see her each day. She was no longer “the dope on the end of a rope” to her horses, she says with a laugh. Metzger also found a mentor in trainer Eitan Beth-Halachmy of California, who combines traditional western and classical horsemanship. Following BethHalachmy, Metzger uses the classical training techniques of dressage to develop lightness and balance in her horses, even when she is riding Western. She
thinks of it as “ballet on horseback,” and it inspired the name of her training business, Cowgirl Dressage, Vaquera Morgans. Cynthia and Brian, an Air Force Reserve pilot who flies with ExpressJet Airlines, are recent transplants to Coweta County, moving here from Dallas, Ga. Brian grew up in Peachtree City and says his contact with horses was limited until he met Cynthia. “I never thought I would own horses,” he says. “I’m usually doing farm work, but I ride when I am done.” Learn more about Cowgirl Dressage with Parelli Natural Horsemanship and Cynthia Metzger on Facebook. NCM
Horse trainer Cynthia Metzger, at top, says her job is her passion, and she feels very lucky to get paid to do what she loves. In the photo above, she uses a training tool called “the car wash” to get the horse to trust the rider.
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Coweta Cooks This photo shows Amelia Adams’ former home in Monroe as photographed by its current owner, David Cannon.
The Cot Written by AMELIA ADAMS Photographed by BOB FRALEY
WHILE WALKING IN ENGLAND’S COTSWOLDS, my companion and I spotted a small, thatch-roofed cottage, one illustrated in fairytales from my childhood story books. A small sign defined it as “The Cot.” Exactly three years later, that fabled cottage’s design became my home. Built during the height of the Depression in 1929 as a honeymoon cottage, this
68 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
charming home for Daniel Selman Pollock and his wife Florence was built on Monroe’s newly developing Walton Street. In my youth, I loved the home as it was the dwelling of the beautiful sisters, Flonnie, Connie and Elizabeth. Its steep roof, tiny leaded glass window and tall, braced chimney gave it unique appeal. When my family decided to move to town from our cabin in
the country in 1991, the home at 321 was for sale. Our contractor deemed it “sound as a dollar”; however, I was reluctant as the kitchen was a victim of cheap cabinets and dark paneling. All the other rooms were delightful, although painted an uninviting green. Miraculously, the cabin sold; and we were able to purchase the home and renovate it. Scott Millians, marvelous magician
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and owner of a custom cabinet company, came and walked around the house with his legal pad while examining its architectural features. What he drew as my new kitchen required a thorough gutting, as we women are wont to do, but gave me exactly what I wanted: an open, galley kitchen to accommodate my men’s cooking classes and a small den that would enable me to visit with my family while I cooked. I also engaged a talented blacksmith who forged braces for the massive front door, candelabra for the large fireplace’s mantle, and a rolling island that lived in the dining room but found its way to food preparation during cooking classes. The house was lightened by cream walls and colorful wallpapers provided by my interior designer sister-inlaw, Minerva Winslow. The next 20 years were a love affair with the house and yard, which I re-designed slowly with the aid of landscape designers Jane Bath and Diana Hester. White crepe myrtle lined the driveway; boxwoods, ironically moved from Newnan, remained the front foundation plantings with large oakleaf hydrangeas anchoring the back. Peonies, roses, lilies, hosta and iris from friends and catalogs rounded out beds. In winter, fires blazed in the living room. Uncovered during remodeling was the open side porch, which was returned to its original state with aid from Pollock photos. In summer, the Hunter fan kept us cool as we spent many evenings on the
For all those years, once a month “the men” came on Thursday evenings. We cooked our way through cuisines of varied cultures, always returning to their favorite, the Russian meal.
Russian Red Cabbage
porch sometimes lasting through dinner there. For all those years, once a month “the men” came on Thursday evenings. We cooked our way through cuisines of varied cultures, always returning to their favorite, the Russian meal. Perhaps it was the flavored vodkas I prepared to be
enjoyed with caviar from various locales or the favored beef stroganoff as an entrée that edged them toward this favorite. However, it was the red cabbage which they adored that found its way to our last meal together as a class.
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1 heaping tablespoon of sugar Dash of fresh nutmeg 1 tablespoon caraway seed 1 teaspoon each of celery and dill seeds 1 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper
Russian Red Cabbage
2 cloves minced garlic 1 medium head of red cabbage, thinly shredded 2 tablespoons each of red wine, red wine vinegar, stock
1 tablespoon each of butter and oil 1 large purple onion, finely diced
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Heat the butter and oil and sautĂŠ the onion until limp. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Toss in the cabbage and make sure it is adequately covered with the oil. SautĂŠ several minutes more. Add liquids and seasonings and mix well. Cover and cook 10 minutes more. Take off the lid and cook until very little liquid is left in the bottom of the skillet. When cooled and chilled, it makes a good salad as well.
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But the house was not without its sorrows. A marriage ended there as well as my father’s life as he died holding my hand by that warm fireplace just before a Thanksgiving. As my mother’s life ebbed away, I returned to my cottage each evening; it restored me to greet her happily in the days that remained. In shallow years afterward, I realized the house had given me all she could; she had nothing else to give. Now, another family loves her as I do. As well, after a 70-year dearth, the cottage has welcomed another baby girl. Each time I left my Walton Street home, except the last, I would announce to “The Cot,” “Goodbye, house; I’ll be home
soon.” That February Friday as I drove my packed car to a new life in Newnan, I cried all the way to Conyers as I had left behind a comforting friend, all
brick and mortar of her. But like all fairytales, I can reveal three years later the familiar denouement: “And she lived happily ever after.” NCM
March/April 2013 71
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T he T houghtful
Gardener
Pansies and violas are a perfect solution for tall plants with unattractive or leggy stems like roses. Planted underneath, they soften the base of the plant and add a whisper of color.
72 Newnanâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Coweta Magazine
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Pansies
Johnny jump ups Written and photographed by
KATHERINE MCCALL
THEIR CHEERFUL FACES BRIGHTEN many fall and spring days with sweeping varieties of color and size. They can be depended upon to add form and texture even in the midst of winter here in Coweta County. And, they’re easy. It is the humble pansy that leads such a diverse and full life. The plant has many monikers including viola, Johnny-jump-up, love-inidleness, heart’s ease, three faces under a hood and peeping tom. The Romans called it flos jovis or jove’s flower. The Italians named it fammola or little flame, and the English jump-up-and-kiss-me-quick, herb trinity and cuddle-me-to-you. The myriad names given to this little charmer are due mostly to its association with love and romance. Even the derivation from the French pensee, the French word for thought, means your love will be thinking of you.
The myriad names given to this little charmer are due mostly to its association with love and romance. March/April 2013 73
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Pansies are notoriously used as mass plantings for color in the fall and spring which are very effective and can be lovely. The pansy, violet and the smaller viola are all from the genus Viola and family Violaceae. The violet is a woodland plant but the pansy and viola are the wellknown bedding plants we purchase in flats in the fall and spring. Although all are thought to be derived from the wild European Viola tricolor, we will focus on the pansy and viola. The showy little flower we know today is the result of many years of diligent breeding by British gardeners in the 1800s. Wild heartsease is thought to be the progenitor of the popular pansies we grow today. The original small plants were bred to 74 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
achieve the larger distinctive five petaled and five sepaled bloom. A short lesson in plant morphology is in order here, for it is the pansy’s unique structure that makes it special. The colored part of the bloom is the petal. In the pansy, the petals are round and separate; the viola petal is more oval. The bottom petal is unique in that it ends in a spur which gives it a cupped appearance. The spur contains glands which produce the nectar. All of the petals together form the corolla. Sepals are the small green leaf-like structures at the base of the petals. The sepals together form the calyx which protects the
corolla while it is still a bud. The stem of the pansy is curved, thus giving the pansy and viola a nodding appearance. Also distinctive is the beard and the darkened center, or face, of some cultivars. The pansy has been alluded to and referenced throughout literature and the arts for many years. Shakespeare ascribes to the pansy as the love potion cleverly used by Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and pansies are mentioned specifically by Ophelia in Hamlet. It abounds in poetry by Hawthorne, Shelley, Wordsworth, and in paintings by Redouté, van Gogh and O’Keefe. More modern
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references would be Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the singing pansies in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Although all members of the genus Viola are perennials, unfortunately today most pansies are treated as annuals and consequently are pulled from their spot the moment they become gangly. But if given a chance, many will come back. Elizabeth Lawrence in A Southern Garden states, “Johnny jump-ups, Viola tricolor, once planted, seed themselves thereafter. On my records the earliest date for bloom is the fourth of February. By June they begin to bloom out, and even before that they get leggy. They will tolerate considerable shade and the meanest conditions.”
Pansies are notoriously used as mass plantings for color in the fall and spring which are very effective and can be lovely. But they are also appealing for small beds or containers to create interesting combinations with other cool season annuals and perennials. Jeremy Smearman from Planters Landscape in Atlanta offers advice and inspiration in Georgia Gardeners. He states, “We group small pots together and anchor them with a permanent planting, such as evergreen boxwood, hemlock, or ligustrum in a large container. The effect is that the sum is greater than its parts—a massed grouping gives a more dramatic effect than individual pots.” He goes on to recommend for
winter red mustard, Russian red kale, and hardy ferns for height, then mixing in Cheiranthus, wallflower and violas. These mixed plantings can be done in September and will last until early June. Another beautiful fall and spring companion planting is pansies, violas and cabbages underplanted with spring flowering bulbs in the fall. Pansies and violas are a perfect solution for tall plants with unattractive or leggy stems like roses. Planted underneath, they soften the base of the plant and add a whisper of color. Whether you call them Johnny jump ups, violas, heart’s ease, or love-in-idleness, they can provide endless enjoyment for most of the fall and spring. NCM
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Local Heritage
Newnan’s Male Academy Museum is the oldest museum in the county, and the building dates to 1830. At right is a portrait of Charles Leavell Moses, who bought the former church building and turned it into the Newnan Male Seminary.
Male Academy Museum offers look into county’s history Written by W. WINSTON SKINNER Photographed by BOB FRALEY
THE MALE ACADEMY MUSEUM is Coweta County’s oldest museum and is a primer for the county’s history. The museum, located in a historic school building tucked in the College-Temple neighborhood near Newnan’s downtown, has an extensive permanent collection that touches on virtually every aspect of local history. There also are visiting exhibits periodically. Several years ago, there was a display of paintings by Lamar Dodd, and the current temporary exhibit is about writer Lewis Grizzard, who grew up in Moreland. Judge Byron Mathews accumulated an impressive collection of Civil War era weaponry that is part of the permanent collection. Mathews’ guns, swords and cannonballs are still in the museum— 76 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
waiting patiently behind the panels of the Grizzard exhibit for future visitors. The front hallway offers display cases filled with arrowheads and other treasures from the era when the Creek Indians roamed what is now Coweta County. The pioneer era is represented by a collection of furniture brought by Dr. Ira Ellis Smith and his wife, Ellen Peniston Smith, who left Petersburg, Va. in 1828 to make their home in newly opened Indian lands. Near the Smith display is a large painting of the Calhoun home, a stately residence that stood on property where the Coweta County Justice Center is today. A key and cup which belonged to the doctor who lived in the home are displayed, along with photographs of his housekeeper, Nellie Calhoun, and
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her great-granddaughter, entertainer Lena Horne. Also nearby is a display on cotton, the financial bedrock of Coweta County for decades. Among the items is a spinning wheel made in the county in 1840. A small trunk contains clothing that youngsters visiting the museum can try on. The trunk has also been used for atmosphere during Spirit Strolls at Halloween. Tom Redwine, who frequently mans the museum, put two large Mylar balloons in the bottom of the trunk. After telling a story in the darkened room about a little girl who is said to haunt the museum, he had someone pull the upper section of the trunk—which sent the shimmering balloons toward the ceiling. Redwine likes to point out wooden blocks remaining from “paving” around the courthouse. The blocks were in place from 1911 to 1933. The wood was coated with “creosote and oil,” Redwine said. “You can still smell the creosote.” The back room of the museum includes vintage school desks and report cards and other items dating back to the 1890s. One of the pieces is from McClelland Academy, a school of black Newnanites operated by Presbyterians from northern states. The museum also has displays relating to Gov. Ellis Arnall and Gov. W. Y. Atkinson, novelist Erskine Caldwell, sculptor Carol P. Harless, musician Charles Wadsworth and Margaret Anne Barnes, the author of Murder in Coweta County. Caricatures by Newnan cartoonist David Boyd cover one wall. Newnan’s Methodists built a meetinghouse on Wesley Street in
Displays at the Male Academy Museum include this one featuring artifacts from the Calhoun home in Newnan, a stately residence that once stood where the Coweta County Justice Center is today. March/April 2013 77
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An antique crazy quilt decorates a display of furnishings from the museum’s Smith collection of items.
A modern interpretation of a Creek Indian style basket is on display at the Male Academy Museum, along with a display about cotton, the county’s financial bedrock for decades.
1830. By the mid-1870s, the congregation had grown and built a new church at Jackson Street and Madison Street. Charles Leavell Moses bought the 1830 church building and moved it to Temple Avenue— roughly where the fountain is located in the city park today. The old meetinghouse was moved to a 78 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
tract designated as “the academy lot” on old maps. Moses retrofitted the church building and founded the Newnan Male Seminary there, opening the school for boys in 1885. Three years later it closed, as the city school system began providing schooling for local residents. The Male Seminary was moved
to a nearby lot on College Street. Used as a duplex, the structure was for sale in the mid-1970s. Local historian Georgia Shapiro remembered taking a close look at the duplex. “I thought it was interesting because it clearly was not originally a residence,” she said. She soon ran across a historic photograph of the Male Seminary in The Newnan Times-Herald Centennial Magazine. “I counted the windows, and I counted the pieces of weatherboarding from the windows down,” she remembered. The numbers matched. “It was a Eureka moment.” Shapiro was able to find more information that indicated the duplex was indeed the old school, a fact confirmed by Moses’ daughter. The school was moved to its current site in 1978 and leased to the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society for use as a museum. One room in the museum has a portrait of Moses as its centerpiece—along with an original desk from the short time the Male Seminary was open. The historical society is busily preparing the McRitchie-Hollis Museum for opening, and also operates the History Center in the former Atlanta and West Point Railroad depot. Once the McRitchie-Hollis Museum opens, the Male Academy will probably close for a brief time. The plan is to “update all of the exhibits and bring them up to museum national standards,” Redwine said. For more information, call the Male Academy Museum at 770251-0207 or visit newnancowetahistorical society.com. NCM
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T he Bookshelf
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie By Ayana Mathis Knopf, $24.95 Reviewed by Holly Jones Philadelphia, Jubilee, Cassie, Six, Bell, Floyd, Ruthie, Ella, Franklin, Sala, Alice and Billups—they are the names of the chapters in Ayana Mathis’s first novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. Each chapter is about a different child—or children in some cases—and is set chronologically in a time period from 1925 to 1980. Each child has a unique personality, a distinctive story, his or her own obstacles to face, and yet each narrative reflects back on the life of one person, the book’s main character, Hattie Shepherd. Hattie does not have her own chapter, but as the mother of each of the children except Sala (who is Hattie’s granddaughter), Hattie’s life is revealed. In some cases the tale is told from Hattie’s point of view because the children in that particular chapter are too young to have their own voices. The first chapter, for example, is entitled “Philadelphia and Jubilee” and is set in 1925 when Hattie is 17 years old. Twins Philadelphia and Jubilee are Hattie’s first two children with her 80 Newnan–Coweta Magazine
husband August and are only seven months old when the story begins. In this chapter Hattie has hope. She has escaped the Jim Crow laws of Georgia and moved to Philadelphia with her mother and sisters. And even if her pregnancy wasn’t planned, she is married to August—who is training to be an electrician—and they are temporarily renting a house until Hattie can save up enough money to buy one. Hattie has hope for her future and for her children. Hattie’s hope vanishes by the end of the chapter, when both Philadelphia and Jubilee succumb to pneumonia. Hattie’s pain is reflected in the stories of each of her other children. Her fear of losing more of her family strips her of motherly affection; but it does not prevent her kids from growing up to become outwardly successful. Alice is married to a doctor and lives in a large house with servants and caterers. Floyd is a successful musician, Franklin serves in the military, and Six is a renowned minister. And yet, through their individual accounts, Hattie’s children struggle with loneliness, guilt, religious demons, homosexuality, abandonment, addictions and paranoia. Through these struggles, readers see Hattie’s life. But it is through her children’s trials that Hattie learns to overcome her own grief, realizes the true meaning of love, and begins to find her hope again.
My Bookstore Edited by Ronald Rice Black Dog & Leventhal, $23.95 Reviewed by Holly Jones Think about your favorite bookstore. If you are an avid reader—that’s
a fair assumption if you’re reading this—you have one. You can walk in the place and tell instantly if your favorite author has written something new. Your hangout might be a used bookstore, and you just have to stop by weekly (or daily) to make sure that first edition you’ve been searching for hasn’t magically appeared. Or your place might have that special chair, way in the back, away from the crowds and with just the right light and cushions to be your perfect reading spot. Some of you are laughing. But some are nodding, because you know it’s true. Don’t worry, you are not alone. Those same authors whose work you enjoy reading in your favorite stores have their own places to frequent. The difference is, they are writing about theirs. In My Bookstore, 84 authors have come together to write a tribute to either a beloved bookstore or the one that helped them get their big break—maybe both. Jeanne Birdsall proclaims, “Every writer needs her own personal bookstore. When our struggles with sentences make us lonely and cranky, where better to spread the gloom than a place dedicated to the product we may or may not ever finish, especially if we keep leaving the house when we should be working?” Rick Bragg likes his shop because “There are no cats here and I am so grateful for this I could just bust.” Writers like Fannie Flagg, John Grisham, Brian Selznick, Nancy Shaw and Nancy Thayer explain why book shops are crucial to readers, and why “their” shop is the best. For those of you who could recite the inventory of your own particular book-haunt, visiting these authors’ favorites might be an interesting journey. The closest store on the list is the
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Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Ga., where David Fulmer says “books for every brain, thousands of them, new and used and in-between” may be found. Others’ shops are in California; New York; Massachusetts; Oxford, Miss.; and Fairhope, Ala., to name a few. But whether you remain fiercely loyal to your neighborhood store, or you choose to visit places like Fiction Addiction in Greenville, S.C. or That Bookstore in Blytheville, Ark., just take the time to visit a bookstore. As Rick Atkinson says, “If you love words, it’s the place to be.”
A Case for Solomon By Tal McThenia and Margaret Dunbar Cutright Free Press, $26.99 Reviewed by W. Winston Skinner A Case for Solomon is the ultimate “little lost boy” story. In 1912, four-yearold Bobby Dunbar, son of Percy and Lessie Dunbar, a middle class couple from Opelousas, La., disappeared while on a family outing. It was a time when Southern families often lost children, but for the Dunbars, “… they did not have their son’s body. In fact, in its absence, they had just the opposite: Bobby could be alive; he could be anywhere.”
Eight months after Bobby disappeared, officials stopped William C. Walters, an itinerant tinkerer, who had with him a boy about the age of the missing child and bearing at least a superficial resemblance to the Dunbars’ son. The child initially seemed not to recognize Percy and Lessie, but he soon was in their home—welcomed back to Opelousas with a parade and community celebration. Walters maintained his innocence. He stated he had been traveling with Bruce Anderson, the son of Julia Anderson, a single woman who had cared for his parents in North Carolina. When Anderson was asked to identify Bruce, she initially was presented with a room of boys that did not include him. When she did see the boy, she recognized him, but the story that Anderson did not know her child would be repeated. Walters was convicted of kidnapping Bobby but successfully appealed the conviction. He moved on, as did Julia Anderson. The boy designated Bobby Dunbar—for the most part— blended into life in his family and in Opelousas. A Case for Solomon is reminiscent of Shadow Chasers, Carolyn Deloach’s excellent book about the Woolfolk murders near Macon in 1887. In both the Woolfolk and Dunbar cases, seemingly unconnected political factors had an impact. Both books also detailed the role of journalists—those sincerely seeking to tell the truth, those deliberately twisting it and those creating stories from pure imagination. DNA eventually proved Bobby Dunbar was not the son of the Opelousas couple. He nonetheless had a happy and fulfilling life. Julia Anderson, befriended by folk who believed she was treated wrongly, became a beloved community caregiver. The Dunbars’ marriage collapsed, perhaps in part because of tensions over the sure knowledge on some level that “Bobby” was not the boy who disappeared. Solomon offers a fascinating snapshot of a major news story a century ago and a look at the very essence of identity—of what it means to be who you are. NCM
Index of Advertisers AllSpine Laser and Surgery Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Amazon Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Ansley Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Bank of North Georgia . . . . . . . . . 84 BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Cellar Chophouse & Bar . . . . 67 Charter Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Clearwater Academy . . . . . . . . . . 71 Closets by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 The Cosmetic Laser and Skin Care Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Coweta Community Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Coweta Medical Center. . . . . . . . 62 Emory Clark-Holder Clinic . . . . . . . . 6 ENT of Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Farm Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fine Lines Art & Framing . . . . . . . . 39 Foot Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Georgia Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 GMC Junior College . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Happy Tails Pet Salon. . . . . . . . . . . 57 Heritage of Peachtree City. . . . . . 46 The Heritage School. . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Hollberg’s Fine Furniture . . . . . . . . 25 Kids 4 Kompany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Lee-King and Lee-Goodrum Pharmacies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Lindsey’s Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 MainStreet Newnan . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Marketplace at LaGrange Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Massage Envy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 The Newnan-Coweta Historical . . . Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 The Newnan Times-Herald . . . . . . 79 NuLink Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Oak Mountain Academy . . . . . . . 41 Pain Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Peachtree Transcription Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Piedmont Newnan Hospital . . . . . . 2 Plum Southern Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Power’s Pavilion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Radiation Oncology Services . . . . . 3 Regina’s Headstone & Monument Cleaning . . . . . . . . 57 Relyco Security Resources/EMC. . 83 Savannah Court of Newnan . . . . 59 Southern Crescent Equine Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 StoneBridge Early Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 UGA—Griffin Campus . . . . . . . . . . 45 Towne Club, Peachtree City. . . . . 75 Uniglobe Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 University of West Georgia . . . . . . 39 Wesley Woods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 West Georgia Health . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
May/June 2013 Ad Deadlines Published: May 3, 2013; Contract Ads: March 27, 2013; New Ads: April 5, 2013. Call 770.683.6397 for details and advertising information.
March/April 2013 81
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I Am Coweta
Christi Estes
Written by NICHOLE GOLDEN Photographed by BOB FRALEY
Christi Estes, a Newnan native, continues to make Coweta her home while making the homes of others beautiful. Christi is married to her high school sweetheart, Rob Estes, and they have two children, Robert, 13, and Sara Ashley, 11. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Interior Design, Estes has also passed the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualification), a global national standard for interior designers.
What do you love most about interior designing? The feeling of satisfaction and joy that I receive when I have helped to create spaces for my clients that they will love and enjoy for many years. What room makeovers offer homeowners the best bang for the buck? Two rooms you can transform on a limited budget are the powder room and bedroom. In a powder room, bold wall color always creates huge impact for a small price. Add a unique light fixture, decorative wall mirror and accessories like monogrammed hand towels and decorative trash bins and the room is transformed. Bedrooms can also be updated on a limited budget. By changing bedding, wall color and artwork you can take a room from dull to fabulous. Any hot design trends or colors for 2013? Popular colors will continue to be vibrant peacock blue and other shades of blue as well as pops of green, gold and bold orange. Neutrals ranging from cool, steely gray to sandy beige will also be popular. Light and airy neutral interiors and upholstery accented by bold pops of color and pattern used on throw pillows, table lamps, area rugs and other accessories will also be popular. Steer clear of highly patterned or floral upholstery except on small pieces like ottomans. Several other trends include geometric patterns, ceramic gourd lamps, soft brass (yes, you heard me right!) metals, and one of my favorites, grasscloth wall covering! If a homeowner is interested in updating a look, where do you suggest they start? By determining what design style and colors they are drawn to. This can be done by looking through shelter magazines like Traditional Home, House Beautiful, Veranda, etc. Go through these magazines and pull out pages of interiors they find appealing. This exercise will likely allow them to determine what kind of look they desire.
Any small room changes that can add interest? Seasonal changes are always fun. These can include changing out throw pillows from linens to velvets or from light airy colors to warm, rich colors. You can also easily add interest to a room by adding diffused lighting. This can be done with a new light fixture like a shaded pendant or a fabulous ceramic lamp. Lastly, paint is another relatively inexpensive way to change a room.
Any good online resources for readers? There are so many out there now! A few include Houzz.com, housebeautiful.com and traditionalhome.com. Pinterest can also be a great source. I always look to many sources. This gives me ideas to begin the process, not copy the look. For a great space, you must be sure to make it your own. A designer can help you do this, just make sure she or he listens, remains flexible and has the desire to help you create a design that is a reflection of your own personal style. What do you and your family enjoy doing in Coweta? We love Coweta and find that the variety of activities available keeps us very busy! We are involved in our church, Newnan First United Methodist, as well as our neighborhood events. We are also very supportive of downtown businesses and the historical aspects of the City of Homes. Eating at the many great area restaurants is also a favorite pastime. NCM
82 Newnanâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Coweta Magazine
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Same faces. Same experience. New name. Bank of Coweta is now Bank of North Georgia. Bank of Coweta and Bank of North Georgia have been serving the Atlanta market together for years DV GLYLVLRQV RI 6\QRYXV %DQN $QG QRZ ZH¡UH H[FLWHG WR MRLQ IRUFHV DV RQH XQLWHG WHDP Âł OHYHUDJLQJ RXU FRPELQHG VWUHQJWKV WR PDNH \RXU EDQNLQJ H[SHULHQFH HYHQ PRUH VXFFHVVIXO :LWK EUDQFKHV LQ FRXQWLHV %DQN RI 1RUWK *HRUJLD LV KHUH WR SURYLGH H[FHSWLRQDO Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO SURGXFWV DQG VHUYLFHV DFURVV WKH PHWUR DUHD $QG ZKLOH WKH QDPH FKDQJHV DOO WKH WKLQJV \RX ORYH DERXW %DQN RI &RZHWD ZLOO UHPDLQ WKH VDPH Welcome to Bank of North Georgia. Jefferson Street 110 Jefferson Street Newnan, GA 30263 770.253.1340
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Thomas Crossroads 3130 Highway 34 East Newnan, Ga 30265 770.254.7722