V3 March 2023

WALKING ON SUNSHINE WALKING ON SUNSHINE

It's never too early for parents to start making plans for summer camps and Northwest Georgia offers a wide variety to choose from.

live wonderfully

This is what life is supposed to feel like. When you aren’t held back. When you have a health partner that doesn’t just treat part of you – they care for all of you. That’s why more people prefer Atrium Health, with the most complete care that lets you get back to the moments that matter. That’s what it’s like to live fully.

MARCH 2023 FEATURES

It’s more fun to grow up when you have the right tools on hand. Nina Lovel has chosen her favorites with Mickey Mouse looking over her shoulder. 14

Christi Malec, deputy chief of the Marietta Fire Department, found help and healing at Harbin Clinic, and it all started with a colonoscopy screening.

The Lucynt Table at Renaissance Marquis provides entertainment while also promoting activity, physical and mental.

16

V3 Remembers John Schulz—John the Plant Man—who made his hometown a better place through beautiful landscaping and a writing style that was pithy, poignant, and best of all, hilarious.

The Canoe House continues its growth on Broad Street by adding Six-0-Eight Events to its arsenal of offerings.

Local Camp Offerings provide an opportunity for growth and learning for kids to enjoy over summer break.

Publisher's Note

My oldest son turns 16 in May and is the second child to whom I have had the pleasure of bestowing all my driving knowledge. He is just shy of seven years younger than his sister, so it’s been a minute since I’ve had a student driver behind the wheel, but as we have practiced more and more that experience has come back to me, and while you are teaching them it really hits home just how much multi-tasking is involved in operating a motor vehicle.

What so quickly becomes second nature to experienced drivers is sensory overload to new drivers and more and more young people are intimidated to the point of not securing their licenses until well after their 16th birthday. It’s a disconnect I don’t understand, because 27 years ago that license was mine and every other friend of mine’s passport to freedom. I studied harder for my driver's

OWNER & CEO Ian Griffin

Alred, Ian Griffin, Karli Land, Nina Lovel, Paul Moses PHOTOGRAPHERS

Calvert, Ivan Felipe

The Braves Play Here

Supporting Our Community Together

At

National Community Bank, Local Bank. Local Decisions.® is more than just our slogan, it’s a way of life. We pride ourselves in our experienced staff of familiar local Bankers, Commercial Relationship Managers and Mortgage Lenders that collectively bring over 340 years of banking experience to serve you and understand our community better than anyone else.

We are proud to offer a full range of business and personal banking products and services that are designed for your specific needs:

Mouseketools for Grownups

Organization goes out the door as his little arms windmill cartoon-like, pulling everything out as fast as he can. I sit right down on the floor with him. We put the batteries back in the fire engine that doesn’t have a battery cover, play a lively game of Hungry Hungry Hippo, turn some wrenches on the tool kit and re-stack the dominoes and start the domino train. In thirty seconds, the train has neatly laid out the dominoes in a line, and in a millionth of a second, he’s tipped them all over. He laughs and we do this again. And again.

To watch this toddler at play is to witness the miracle of a growing mind. I marvel and I cannot get enough. While not the main attraction, there’s usually something playing on TV. Until he was old enough to notice, it was Jazz 24, but once he learned to look at the screen, we switched over to Cocomelon. I love Cocomelon. With lovely simple graphics and simple songs, it has a calming effect not only on the toddler but on his NiNiBird

too. As he grew into Buzz Lightyear and Paw Patrol, I was just glad that he hadn’t latched on to Blippi. Blippi is a high-energy character who is educational; loads of children love him, but he’s just not for me. Specifically, he makes me want to claw my way up the wall.

We often settle on “Mickey (“Mick-a”) Mouse Clubhouse”. It has a happy middle-energy vibe that fosters critical thinking and has vintage cred too. Each episode finds Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy having to solve a problem for which they summon the magic known as Mouseketools. Need to stop a windmill? Use the Mouseketool blocks to build a wall against the wind. Need to make a picnic blanket larger? Widen it with the Mystery Mouseketool shapes.

Last Saturday, as we were flinging our way through the toy baskets, I saw it happen in slow motion. Baby Bear fetched a long purple silicone fidget noodle that had been lurking in a basket for weeks and tied a knot right in the middle of it. His pride in accomplishing the knot was quickly wrapped in regret; he begged me to get the knot out.

If you’ve ever tried to untie a tight knot in the middle of a stretchy, squishy silicone fidget noodle (please say you haven’t; that would be weird), you’ll know I was crazy to try. Even the patience of a loving grandmother could not get that knot to loosen. A tone of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse-problem-urgency was pending until… epiphany! Time to summon the Mouseketools! Chanting “Meeska-Mooska, Mickey-Mouse,” into the kitchen we marched, to fetch the most indispensable Mouseketool in the world: a hemostat.

If you don’t have a hemostat in your house, there are things you just can’t do. I embraced hemostats decades ago, liberating unused ones from disposable hospital trays before they were tossed, but you can get some on Amazon. Put them all around the house wherever you keep your reading glasses; you won’t believe the time you’ll save on random things (details below!)

Sadly though, the hemostat Mouseketool held no sway over the noodle knot. Nope-not even the most versatile NiNiBird Mouseketool could get a grip on that slippery thing. Still, I embraced the

Here and Now with Nina Lovel

A precious three-year-old boy struts into my kitchen like he owns the place (he does) and goes straight to his well-organized stack of toys.

teaching moment, explaining to my little buddy that this is NiNiBird’s Best Mouseketool and that the next time we need to fix something, he’ll know where it is. I guarantee he’ll get it out the next time he comes over to play.

If there’s a toddler and a silicone fidget noodle in your life, just be okay with having some knots around.

Now, I’m excited about teaching my little one all the household Things that Make Life Easier, but because that will take some years, please let me practice by telling you about them first!

Household Mouseketools (aka Things that Make Life Easier)

Headlamp

I got my first headlamp several years ago in preparation for a night-paddle on a river with known shoals. I had night-paddled before and loved the thrill of hearing rushing water ahead. As I approached the shoal, I was amazed that the ambient starlight was sufficient to illuminate the best path to take over the rocks! Although starlight and adrenaline got us down the river that night, my inner safety freak decided that it would be prudent to have more predictable light next time. So, before the next night paddle, I purchased a headlamp.

Looking as goofy as you know I did, I proclaimed to be the best-prepared night paddler. Even though the stars were providing their usual

gift of light, I took smart and switched on my fancy headlamp at the first sound of troubled water. So, you know how all those teensy flies swarm around a porch light in the summer? Well, somehow they get to the middle of the river and swam around headlamps too. Who knew? Panicked, I groped through the fog of flies flitting in front of my face and managed to get that fancy headlamp turned off in what seemed like minutes but was probably just a second. Then came the payback: my eyes didn’t re-adapt to the starlight in time to see my way over the rocks. Somehow, I managed not to flip, but Lesson. Learned.

I brought the headlamp home, where it has thrived in less life-threatening situations. It’s accompanied me on countless closet-searches, garage-cleanings, drain-fixings, and nighttimegarden-waterings. I still look goofy but since I live alone, who’s going to complain? While writing this, I googled to see if headlamp was one or two words and wound-up ordering two more of them. They’ve taken up residence in the garage and the closet, next to the reading glasses and hemostats.

Five Gallon Zip-top Bags

I ordered these by mistake a few years ago and don’t see how I ever lived without them. Environmentalist that I am, I must admit that zip-top bags are my guilty pleasure. They help me organize my ADHD life; nearly everything I own lives close to or inside a zip-top bag. But the five-gallon ones…. Ohhhhh! These darlings can contain things that you never knew needed to be contained. Extra socks and small possessions you’re ready to get out from under your nose but not gone completely? Five-gallon zip-top to the garage. Moving? Washcloths, toiletries, junk drawer contents. Traveling? Roll up clean clothes in one and pack another for dirties. I made a book cover out of one. There’s no end to what this Household Mouseketool can do!

Pipe Cleaners

Go to the craft store right now and buy some in all colors and styles (yes, they come in styles). They make great twisty ties for large bags, and you’ll enjoy saying "yes" late at night when your granddaughter needs some for school tomorrow. There’s nothing like multicolor pipe cleaners late at night to make you the coolest mom/dad/ auntie/grand in town! I gift my friends with little bunches of them, and guess what? They’ll even clean out little things like pipes. Go get you some right now!

Hammer, Nail File, Duct Tape

These are so essential I shouldn’t have to mention them but just in case, I will. Since college, I’ve known that there’s nothing you can’t fix with

a hammer, a nail file, and some duct tape. But a hemostat will speed things up.

One more word on the Hemostat

I haven’t noticed my hands getting any weaker, but I promise you, containers are more securely wrapped than ever before. Take Muscle Milk. With a (barely) perforated outer seal and a stubborn inner foil cap, you burn up more calories opening a bottle of it than you get from drinking it up. I took a bottle of Muscle Milk to work and (see this coming) I now have a hemostat in my desk.

Also, little prescription eye drops. They must think that strong and nimble youthful hands will be opening those bottles, but since only grownups need to use them, what’s up with that? These bottles make Muscle Milk look like preschool. It actually takes more than a hemostat to get them open; my paring knife has to get involved. Focus group, anyone?

And Finally, Jar Grips

Back in my ageist days, when I organized health fairs for grownups, I would order jar grips to give away, reasoning that our logo would be seen daily by the treasured owners of elderly arthritic hands. I was not wrong: now that I boast elderly arthritic hands of my own, I have a dandy collection of them and see those logos every day. And they’re not just for us grownups, either; my younger friends borrow them from me all the time. Liberate those olives, doggone it!

I don’t gripe about things that change as I grow up because change happens and if you’re not growing older, you’re dead. Instead, I take a stepback perspective. If something has changed, I step back and compare it to other things. So what if I can’t easily open a jar anymore? Remember that happy little three-year-old Micka-Mouse fan in my life? His precious widdle dimpled hands can’t open a jar either! Truism: jar-opening deficiencies thrive at both ends of life. Stop whining. And should you find yourself organizing a health fair for grownups, consider giving away hemostats; we already have a drawer full of jar grips!

Update just before going to press:

Nina Lovel reports that the knot in the middle of the slippery purple silicone noodle was successfully untied in less than two minutes by her co-worker Regina. Clearly, undoing that knot required the self-confidence of Regina instead of the patience of a NiNiBird: another example of bringing the right tool to the job!

Case in point: Christi Malec. If anyone is an example of responsible selfawareness and a healthy lifestyle, it’s her. Yet she wound up with colon cancer. Fortunately for her, Harbin Clinic was there for her throughout this challenge—healing, helping, encouraging, and guiding her all the way. Her story is a reminder of the vital importance and life-saving power of receiving a colonoscopy.

LIVING A LIFE THAT COUNTS

Christi Malec is the deputy chief of the Marietta Fire Department, and she is wellknown as a disciplined, health-conscious individual in her community. She is a wife, mother of two, a grandmother, and an avid tennis player. And she works out with CrossFit. Of her job, Malec says, “It’s been an amazing career. Every day we come to work knowing we get to help people here in the City of Marietta.”

“My husband and I started using Harbin Clinic three or four years ago,” Malec says. When she turned fifty, her doctor handed her a referral to get a colonoscopy. Malec thought to herself, “I don’t need that. I’m okay; there’s no reason I need to do that.” So, she put that physician’s referral in her purse and carried it around for two years before she considered scheduling her appointment. The morning she finally went in for her procedure, Malec saw a brochure on a table that talked about how important it was to get a colonoscopy if you’re in your fifties. “I still joked about it,” Malec says. “Boy, now I wish I hadn’t done that.” Keeping the atmosphere light that day, the Harbin Clinic doctor said, “We’re going to make sure you look as healthy on the inside as you are on the outside.” Malec grinned at the comment as she fell asleep for the procedure.

AN UNWELCOME SURPRISE

Malec woke up to bad news. Her colonoscopy revealed that a cancerous tumor had breached two of the four walls of her colon, classifying it as stage two cancer. Malec and her husband were stunned at the astonishing diagnosis. To them, it made no sense because she had for so long been the picture of health.

Describing her surprise, she says, “I had not had a cold in three years. I’ve never had COVID to my knowledge. I had not had a sign or a symptom that told me I had cancer. My husband and I couldn’t believe anything could be wrong, and yet I had probably been walking around with a cancerous tumor for five to seven years. So, I probably had cancer in my late forties and didn’t know it.”

As is often the case with a devastating diagnosis, at first Malec suffered from confusion and disillusionment. “I was at the top of my career,” Malec says. “I had been here over twenty-four years. I had worked so hard—I was now a year and a half from retirement, and I found out I had cancer.” She wondered if she was going to make it.

THE IDEA THAT THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM COLON CANCER ARE INACTIVE, GENERALLY UNHEALTHY PEOPLE IS A FALSE ASSUMPTION.

A GAME PLAN

Harbin Clinic moved quickly on Malec’s behalf. On a Monday, Malec had her colonoscopy. By Wednesday, Harbin Clinic General Surgeon Dr. John Simmons had Malec in his office and had scheduled surgery to remove the tumor the following Tuesday. Malec’s surgery was a clockwork success and, fortunately, she did not need any follow-up chemotherapy or radiation.

Malec’s speedy recovery was a testament to both the skill of Harbin Clinic’s medical team and Malec’s stamina and excellent physical health. Two weeks after her surgery, she was working out and playing tennis again. She says, “I had very little pain.” The day she went back to the Fire Department, she sat in her office wondering, “Did this really happen?”

“I am the biggest proponent of colonoscopies now,” says Malec, “I’m telling everyone, ‘Get your colonoscopy!’ But also, I want people to hear about the quality of care I received from Harbin Clinic.” Christi Malec’s story is an amazing one, but her story begins with a routine

and yet life-saving screening. Her story could have had a very different ending. “I was here to welcome my first grandbaby into the world last summer because I finally got my colonoscopy.”

Harbin Clinic encourages its patients who are 45 years of age or older to schedule a colonoscopy as soon as possible. Malec’s cancer journey had a happy ending despite the fact she put her colonoscopy off for two years, but there’s certainly no guarantee that others will be quite so lucky.

“All it took was getting a colonoscopy,” Malec says. “It’s so easy. It saved my life. And now I get to live the second half of my life—which means enjoying my family, looking back on an amazing career, and most importantly, seeing my grandbaby grow up. And I thank God for that every day.”

To learn more visit harbinclinic.com/ bottomline.

At Stonebridge Golf Club, Launchbox features covered bays with state-of-the-art technology to help perfect your golf game. By utilizing Top Tracer shot tracking, as seen on the PGA Tour, Launchbox provides instant feedback on every shot with results sent directly to your phone!

Launchbox offers a variety of games that players of all skill levels can enjoy. You can kick back and have a fun time playing “Go Fish” or play 18 holes on famous golf courses including Pebble Beach. No matter which game you choose, Launchbox is sure to take your golf experience to the next level.

Bring your group out to enjoy bays that are designed for comfort with outdoor furniture, televisions, music and wonderful food and beverage services. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, Launchbox is built for everyone to enjoy at an affordable price (as low as $5 per person).

romestonebridge.com/launchbox

Planting and Writing a Beautiful World

Landscape designer and wordsmith John Schulz made gardens come to life in countless private and public spaces and made colorful characters come alive on the written page.

Text: Paul Moses | Photos: Andy Calvert

John Schulz was perhaps best known in Northwest Georgia as a botanical artist of sorts, that is, a creator of landscapes. But he did not grow up wanting to be a gardener; he came to this field by an unexpected route: photography. In the early 1970s, when he was teaching potential dropouts at Eddy Junior High School in Columbus, Georgia, he took up photography as something to teach his students. He wound up falling in love with it himself. His pictures caught the attention of a man who hired Schulz to take photos of his wife’s African violets for a book. Though unsure about the project, Schulz went and took the pictures. He was captivated, and from then on, he was hooked on photography. So, his initial interest in gardening was not in planting and designing, but in the beauty of flowers, the aesthetics of plants.

Schulz designed and built a greenhouse at the school where he worked, and it was there he began to teach himself how to grow things. In 1975, with the help and encouragement of some friends, Schulz moved to Rome, Georgia, and opened a greenhouse. Running that business is how he met many of the people around town who became his customers. This began a seat-of-hispants effort to teach himself how to do beautiful

garden design. Through trial and error, he became a master at it.

Over time, Schulz expanded his gardening work to more private homes, public spaces, and even took on corporate accounts (like the area McDonald’s). Eventually, he had a landscaping crew working under him.

Pulling weeds, writing words

Though widely known as John the Plant Man, Schulz could just as justifiably be called John the Book Man. Dekie Hicks, Schulz’s widow, met him in the spring of 2007. She recalls, “We met at a meeting of RAW [Rome Area Writers]. He was there looking for an editor, and I said I would edit his book for him.” That book turned out to be Schulz’s first novel, Requiem for a Redneck, which was published in 2009. Over the next 10 years, Schulz came out with three other books: the sequel Redemption for a Redneck, an autobiographical work called Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days, and a volume on gardening called The Basics of Pruning Originally, it was Schulz’s intention to make his Redneck books into a trilogy, but as Hicks puts it, “He couldn’t find the perfect redneck crime. Requiem is a tragicomedy, and Redemption is a love story, and he wanted a mystery, like a crime/ caper, but it never worked out.”

Hicks published all of Schulz’s books through her company Wheredepony Press, which provides editing services, book formatting and design, and assistance with dealing with printers for people who want to self-publish. She says, “This business grew out of John’s search to self-publish Requiem. Back then, he was doing a lot of research on selfpublishing and came to the conclusion that he wanted to try it. So, when he met me, we decided to try it together. It was sort of a lucky thing.”

He had a magic touch when it came to living things.

Schulz was an active member of the Northwest Georgia writing community, working for years with Rome Area Writers, and participating in local and regional writers’ conferences and workshops. He loved words—the well-turned phrase—and he was a great encouragement and inspiration to many of his fellow authors. Schulz’s personal writing style was both funny and touching, often surprising. It was quiet, unassuming, and unfussy. Like Mark Twain, his stories often ended with a humorous twist the reader did not see coming. Jason Lowrey, former president of RAW, says, “John was the sort of writer and storyteller who made it all seem so easy. He had a great sense of timing and pacing with his writing, because he could keep everyone engaged with a story right up until the final humorous, wry, or poignant moment.”

A writer’s life

Though Schulz was 63 years old when his first novel was published, he had always been involved in the world of the written word. Hicks says, “John has always written little vignettes, told stories, and he loved to read.” She goes on to explain, “Really, it started years ago, when he went off to live with some rednecks after he had

some problems. He got divorced and went to live with the rednecks.” Back in the 1970s, Schulz had opened a greenhouse in Coosa and met people who wound up being prototypes for characters in his later novels. “John always had a respect for redneck people,” Hicks says. “He never really made fun of them, and he always differentiated between rednecks and white trash. To John, rednecks had a bit more pride and savvy in how to keep themselves up, and they didn’t mind working hard. He saw rednecks as people who were unwilling to adjust to the greater society out in the world, with all the weird quirks and rules. John liked that rednecks knew how to do things, fix stuff. They may not be fancy, but they’re selfsufficient, neat and clean. They’re craftsmen who work and pay their bills, but when it comes to stepping up in the world they are perplexed.”

One of the great strengths of Schulz’s fiction was the believability of his characters. A reader familiar with the tri-state region of Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama would immediately recognize Schulz’s creations as the types of people they saw every day. They had the sound and feel of the rural South. As Lowrey puts it: “What I admired—and envied—most about John’s writing was his ability to capture and depict character

through dialog. He had a gift for taking the way someone talked and putting it on the page in a way that made it sound completely authentic. It’s a difficult skill in writing, and John was an expert at it. The way he wrote characters’ voices made them come alive on the page.”

Also, there was an intentional merging of fact and fiction in Schulz’s work. If, for instance, he wrote a supposedly autobiographical piece about an event in his childhood, there was no point in cornering him about the veracity of the tale. To him, that didn’t matter. He was a storyteller, not a historian or a biographer. “John followed the old

adage about never letting the truth get in the way of a good story,” Lowrey says, “and I don't think we’ll ever know how much of his writing was based on fact, how much was fiction, and how the two were blended together. And I don’t mind at all. John used his writing to express himself, find happiness in this world, and give people a good story. How much of it was true, or wasn’t, is irrelevant. But I’ll always remember walking up to him after a Rome Area Writers meeting and asking, “Did that actually happen?” and his only response was a smirk and a shrug. It was a good story, and that’s all that mattered.”

Change and challenge

Schulz was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010. At that time, he and Dekie Hicks were engaged and planning their wedding. Hicks says, “He did one round of radiation, and then we got married.” After a reprieve, cancer returned in 2012. That was a time of change and challenge for several other reasons as well. Hicks says, “That’s when his son J.R. got married, his brother Billy passed away—of course, his mother had a really hard time with that. Then John wound up having major surgery in September of that year.” Sadly, that medical procedure cost him his vocal cords, and it was five months later before he received a voice prosthesis.

Describing Schulz’s attitude through all of that, Hicks says, “John was a good patient. He didn’t complain. He did whatever he had to do. But he went through a lot. After he got his voice prosthesis, he began major chemo and radiation at the same time.” During this, he drove back and forth to Emory early in the morning for the first radiation treatment of the day. Tuesdays were chemo days, and that’s when Hicks would drive him.

After receiving a five-year all-clear from his doctors, Schulz was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. Hicks says, “That was pretty aggressive, and then it came up in his lungs and in his brain.” Ultimately, Schulz passed away on April 20, 2022, at the age of 76.

One way Schulz dealt with his initial round of treatments was to write the book Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days. Hicks describes this work as “sort of a selfhelp book. Its subtitle is Facing Cancer Treatments with Humor and Optimism, and it’s a nice explanation of how he dealt with everything. It helps people know what to expect when going through treatment.” She goes on to say, “The book is interspersed with recipes; I did a lot of experimental cooking to feed him. And I wrote the last chapter to help the patients’ caregivers to know what to keep in mind.”

By nature, John Schulz was an ironic humorist, his wit was dry and unexpected. He had an uncanny ability to take awkward, unpleasant circumstances and write about them in a way that made his readers laugh. “I’m convinced the world is a better place because John Schulz was in it,” Jason Lowrey says. “I miss him, his writing, and his sense of humor. If writing is one way to attain some level of secular immortality, John’s achieved it. He deserves it.”

For more information about John Schulz’s literary works go to wheredeponypress. com and johntheplantman.com

The Canoe House and its wide variety of offerings from fashion to fly-fishing are now joined by Six-0-Eight Events Venue, offering a beautiful space for your next special occasion.

A Room A View with

Text: Ian Griffin | Photos: Andy Calvert

WHEN V3 LAST VISITED WITH BRANDON WILLIAMS AND ASHLEY FRICKS AT THE CANOE HOUSE, it was December of 2020, a year we all remember too well and not that fondly.

They had adapted and not only survived the shutdown, but also found a way to thrive and emerge even stronger. That perseverance paid off and once the new normal arrived, many of the changes made to serve their customers carried over, including the vibe and overall customer experience The Canoe House always delivered.

Fast forward to 2022-23, after years of sharing space with another business while housing their

retail and outdoor offerings in the back of 608 Broad Street, the space in the front of the building was vacated and a decision had to be made on how to best fill that void.

“To be honest, we always wanted to have the retail space up front,” says Williams. “We wanted to see Broad Street and be seen by those on Broad Street. Now people can walk or drive by and get a look at what we do and who we are.”

“We weren’t really sure what we were going to do with the space in the back, but shortly after we moved a group approached us about hosting a March Madness party and it worked so well, we just kind of rolled with it.”

And so, Six-0-Eight Events Venue was born. The space fits the aesthetic of the shop, with exposed brick walls and concrete floors, offering up to 75 people a great vibe for just about any event. From prom dinners to SEC Championship parties, they have already had a wide variety of themes. The room can be booked for 4 (half day) or 8 hours (full day), those include an hour before and after the event for set up and break down.

“We already have a ton of events on the calendar, so the response has been great,” says Williams.

With the event space added to its arsenal of offerings, The Canoe House has cemented itself as a Downtown Rome staple whose services extend far beyond the boundaries of its brickand-mortar location. One of the latest editions to those services is kayak rentals for those looking to experience Rome’s waterways.

Change is one thing we can all count on in life, for better or worse, but there is reason to celebrate when that change offers the opportunity to make a good thing even better.

“One of the things I enjoy most about what we have built here is that it’s more than just a shopping experience,” says Williams. “We get to know our clients and the products we sell them are more often than not being purchased with a particular experience in mind. Whether that is fly-fishing, camping, or paddling. We are really excited to add the kayak rentals so that those who don’t own a boat of their own can get out and enjoy the water.”

This mission hit the water in March with six boats in the rental fleet, dropping off at Grizzard Park and picking up at Heritage Park, but there are plans for more exclusive and secluded trips on the horizon, so that will be something to keep an eye on for those looking to get out on the water in Rome and Floyd County.

While their adventurous clients can find all sorts of products they need, many of which are made locally, to engage in all of the outdoor activities Canoe House offers, the variety available to customers is intentional and hard to deny when perusing their selection. Prints, koozies, everyday men’s and women’s fashion, and the outdoorfriendly brands they carry line the walls and hangers throughout the store.

“We try to work with local vendors whenever we can, while still carrying tried and true brands that people know and love, but can’t find at the big box stores,” says Williams. “Ashley does a fantastic job keeping things fresh when it comes to women’s clothing and that inventory is constantly changing so there is always something new to see when our customers drop by the store.”

The Canoe House has embraced change in many ways, but they have done so while keeping their customer-centric vision very much the same. Whether you’ve booked an event, rented a kayak, or purchased a shirt or some new camping gear, they want you to leave satisfied and looking forward to your next visit.

“On a weekly basis, we will have a few local people walk through the door who have never been to the shop before,” says Williams. “We enjoy getting to know them, and I have to say I believe that’s what sets us apart. When people come in, we know about their annual camping or fishing trip. Those relationships allow us to better serve our customers and we strive to make sure they leave here feeling good about their purchase.”

GIVE AN ART Experience

i

Birthday Paint Parties

Art Class Abstract Workshop

Pet Portrait Workshop

5 TIPS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

1. You don’t need to drastically change your nutrition overnight, instead use small steps. Use low-fat options, drink diet soda, etc.

2. Calories in. Calories out. Barring any medical issues if you burn more calories than you take in you WILL lose weight.

3. Find your Basal Metabolic Rate. This is the number of calories your body burns day to day. Any physical activity will burn more calories. BMR calculators are free online.

4. Track your calories for at least a couple weeks. Many of us don’t know how many calories are in the foods we eat. Luckily there are free apps to make tracking them easy.

5. Low calorie, dense foods. Foods that make us feel full but don’t contain many calories. These will help you eat fewer calories while staving off hunger.

Levi Munyon - Functional Trainer, CPT, TRX, RFT

LET

With over three decades of service in northwest Georgia, the experienced staff at Logical Systems takes pride in the quality and performance of the systems that we design, implement, and support.

From school systems to correctional facilities, Logical Systems provides the trusted connection between users and what they need most - information.

Summer Fun Just Around The Corner

Whether you love the chill of winter or are on the edge of your seat excited about spring, the reality is summer is just around the corner. As students are preparing for the lazy days of summer break, parents are already looking for opportunities for kids to be active, both physically and mentally.

Text: Karli Land | Photos Provided By: Bartow History Museum, YMCA Grizzard Park, LakePoint, Darlington

AND STORIES OF BEING OUTSIDE ON A BICYCLE, EXPLORING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND PLANNING LONG DAYS WITH FRIENDS ARE LIKELY TO SURFACE. Many of us also have great camp experiences that shaped us and helped us move into the next phase of development before returning to school a whole year older and wiser. Perhaps my favorite was the Summer Reading Program at my local library. I would spend an entire week reading new books, listening to tales at storytime, creating hodgepodge crafts, and eating snacks. I believe it was during that time that I grew a love for words which catapulted me into writing later in life. It was only one week of my summer but one that directly impacted me in a way that changed the trajectory of my path. I am a huge advocate for summer camps that provide an environment in which a child can blossom and grow through their experiences.

Here we present you with some great local summer camp options that promote growth, learning, and development while entertaining the kids.

Bartow History Museum

The Bartow History Museum has a unique offering for ages 6-9. “I feel like our camps are unique because we are taking broad topics and connecting them back to local history,” said Tori Cline, BHM Educator. “We want our camps to be informative, but fun and something that kids are interested in.”

These camps are onsite and run from 9 amnoon, Monday through Friday. Each camp is $115 per camper and registration includes entry into the museum, all crafts and activities, snacks, and a BHM camp t-shirt.

This year they are offering three camps:

Mysteries of History, June 5 – 9

This camp will focus on famous historical mysteries like the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, the Bermuda Triangle, the Sphinx, etc. Campers will spend the week exploring/solving the mysteries through crafts and activities.

Camposaurus Rex, June 19 – 23

If the name doesn’t give it away, this camp will focus on the prehistoric past of Bartow County! Campers will learn all about dinosaurs, fossils, and paleontology. We’re even working with our sister museum, Tellus Science Museum, for a possible collaboration with one of their Dino experts. Throughout the week, campers will be working to create their very own Jurassic Park “Dino”rama to show off to their parents at the end of camp!

Folklore & Fantasy Camp, July 10 – 14

This camp will introduce campers to the world of famous folklore, fantasy, and fairytales. They will get the chance to learn about the historic and pop culture aspects of franchises like Grimm’s Fairytales, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars & more!

Anyone looking to register should visit the camps page on the Bartow History Museum website www.bartowhistorymuseum.org/events/ category/camps/list/ If anyone should have any questions about camps, they can contact Jordan Duncan, Program Manager, directly at info@ bartowhistorymuseum.org

Ask nearly any adult about their memories of childhood summer breaks,

YMCA Grizzard Park

The YMCA is offering a full eight weeks of camp beginning on May 30 and ending on July 28th, with the exception of the week of July fourth. This camp has much to offer kids ages six through 12. With a camp counselor for every ten campers, students are provided close interaction with a positive role model who has been trained to promote their four core values; caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Campers will participate in small group activities where they will work on projects together. They are also assigned long-term projects and large group activities. During

these eight weeks, campers can partake in many activities that might already be of interest to them or something they want to try with the hopes of stretching outside of their normal likes and adopting a love for something new. Some of these activities include:

Ropes Course

Hiking Trail

Rock Wall

Arts and Crafts

STEM Activities

Daily Reading

Sports/Games

Swimming

Peddle Karts/Bikes

Weekly Special Events

Field Trip Fridays

Community Service

YMCA members can register for $125/week. The non-members' rate is $150/per week.

Registration can be completed online through their website, www.ymcarome.org/programs/yday-camp/. Campers can be dropped off between 7:30a – 9:00a and picked up between 4:00p5:30p, making this a great camp opportunity for working parents.

LakePoint

LakePoint Sports is well-known for its connection to the sports community and serves athletes in more than 30 sports year-round. Their camp offering, Camp LakePoint, is designed for ages five through 14 and hosts many options that campers can enjoy. “Camp LakePoint is the perfect summer experience for kids of all ages and interests,” said Erika Wyant. “With a wide range of activities and themes, there is sure to be something for everyone. Each week, campers will get sports instruction, themed arts and crafts projects, science experiments, water activity time, and so much more!”

Camp LakePoint offers seven weeks of all-day fun. This year, their themes include Spring into Summer, LakePoint Ninjas, The Great Outdoors, Hometown Favorite, Robots and Rockets, Candyland, and Lost Cities Found. Each of these camps runs from 8a-5p Monday through Friday. Be sure to also check out their focused camps if you are looking to develop specific sports skills.

Rugby Camp: Utilizing games and activities our expert coaches from Atlanta Youth Rugby will teach newcomers to the sport the fundamentals of rugby including footwork, passing, receiving, support, and defense.

Futsal Camp: Provides you with the same training methods used in Brazil in order to improve the players, allowing them to reach the next level. Players will be divided into groups according to age and skill level and drills will emphasize shooting, passing, and dribbling, as well as 1v1 moves while maintaining a fast pace.

Running Camp: Sessions during each day of the three-day camp include teaching the fundamentals of both cross-country and track & field, and of course, a workout.

Basketball Camp: Designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced youth players. Coaches will lead the players through drills and aim to teach every player new techniques so they can improve their skills and grow their knowledge of the game.

Soccer Camp: Introduction to soccer with skill-based games for all ages 4-10 in a fun, playerfriendly environment with a focus on improving individual skills. Skills focused on will include dribbling, shooting, ball control, and passing and receiving.

“Hosting a variety of weekly themes makes it easy for campers to experience different activities for different interests,” said Wyant. “Whether it's basketball, Futsal, running, soccer, or rugby, LakePoint Sports has the perfect programming to promote an active, technology-free summer full of fun!”

Be sure to check out their camp webpage, lakepointsports.com/camps/.

Darlington

Darlington School offers 15 camp options for its students and community that not only educate and challenge campers but promotes confidence building, caring friendships, and more. Campers increase their capacity for learning, problemsolving, and self-awareness as they participate in sports activities, explore nature, and delve into the world of science.

Camps are offered from May 30th through July 28th and many of the camps offer full-day and half-day options. Here’s a look at what they have to offer.

Football Camp: Boys entering grades K-8 are invited to tackle the fundamentals and learn how to make football a snap. Beyond the fundamentals, campers also learn to be team players, build a strong work ethic, maintain a positive attitude, become self-motivated, and develop leadership skills.

Girl’s Basketball Camp: A great opportunity for girls in grades K-8 to work on the fundamentals of dribbling, passing, and shooting while learning proper positioning for defensive play, the importance of player positioning on the basketball court, and the breakdown of guard and post play offensively and defensively.

Boy’s Basketball Camp: Boys entering grades K-8 are invited to hone their basketball skills and drive home fundamental skills—

shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, and defending.

Cheer Camp: Girls ages 4-12 are invited to jump into the fun of cheerleading this summer! Learn tons of new cheers, perform ageappropriate stunts, improve technique, and build your repertoire of moves and formations.

Wrestling Camp: Boys entering grades 3-8 are invited to learn the basics of wrestling, from takedowns to pinning combinations.

Maker’s Challenge Camp: Two concurrent camp sessions are offered during the week. Engineering Challenges will be focused mainly on building robots and computer programming with the Lego Spark and other systems, while Maker Creations will involve creative activities related to physical science, coding, mechanical engineering, design, and art.

All-Sports Training: Campers will be exposed to many of the sports offered at

Darlington School as they are coached by our very own staff and Upper School students. Participants will be grouped by age or ability to ensure maximum learning and skill development.

Scholar Quest: Students entering grades 3-5 are invited to stretch their minds through a variety of fun, hands-on activities. Scholar Quest will focus on math in the morning and writing/ grammar in the afternoon with a fun field trip on Friday! Each day will be jam-packed full of active learning.

Nature Nuts: Designed for students entering grades 3-7, Nature Nuts provides a unique opportunity for young people to explore ecosystems, discover lab science, and create natural artwork!

Delightascope: Designed specifically for the unique needs and interests of children ages 3-7. Delightascope combines age-appropriate academics and activities to create a fun, stimulating environment.

Camp Darlington: This is a two-session summer camp experience for ages 6-13. Campers will explore the campus through a variety of activities like canoeing, swimming, fishing, crafts, games, and more!

Musical Theater Camp: Open to boys and girls entering grades 3-8 who want to explore their creative side. Campers will spend the day singing, dancing, creating, and having a blast. The week will conclude with a rousing performance of "Seussical KIDS," in which participants will get to portray some of their favorite characters from popular Dr. Seuss books.

Anyone interested in learning more about Darlington Camps or registering your campers, be sure to visit their website, www.darlingtonschool. org/summer.

These days, there are many great care options available for those living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. Introducing The Lucynt Table, an interactive system that is revolutionizing the way we care for the memory-impaired.

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY, RENAISSANCE MARQUIS RETIREMENT VILLAGE HAS FOUND A WAY TO ENTERTAIN PATIENTS THAT IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL TO THOSE WITH MEMORY LOSS. Early last year, they purchased a Lucynt Interactive System and have seen tremendous strides in patient interaction ever since.

Lucynt is an interactive projection system that tracks body movement and gestures using state-of-the-art technology. It functions like a projector, either by being projected onto a table where patients can activate and control it using simple hand movements, or it can be projected onto the floor which allows patients to fully emerge into the games using their entire body.

One advocate is Cyndi L. Brannon, Director of Sales and Marketing. Brannon has seen a big change in participation since the purchase of the system early last year. “All and all, it is a great way to keep residents moving and participating,” said Brannon. “It promotes interaction among the residents and also with the caregivers.”

Lucynt has designed a plethora of games that focus on human interaction with technology and are meant to promote

Interactive Play Provides Stimulation For Memory Care

Residents

Where The Heart Is with Renaissance Marquis

exercise that is therapeutic and fun. These games are broken down into stages that help caregivers know where to begin with residents so that their time is most beneficial to the stage of dementia they are in. There are three stages of dementia: early, middle, and late.

Early-Stage Games

Encouraging both inductive and deductive reasoning, these cognitive games are designed to provoke thought and promote social interaction for those suffering from mild to moderate dementia.

Text Karli Land| Photos Ivan Felipe

Middle-Stage Games

Focusing on cognitive object play, these games promote physical activity, social interaction, and feelings of accomplishment during the extended moderate stage. They are also wonderful for intergenerational play!

Late-Stage Games

Drawing people in with engaging videos and soothing music, the slightest movement brings out bursts of color, sending objects fluttering, and engaging the normally distant in a multisensory experience.

While lots of research has gone into the making of these games, we asked Brannon which games seem to be a favorite among residents. And while we know there are many to choose from, she was able to tell us a little about ones that get plenty of airtime around Renaissance Marquis.

Wack-A-Mouse

Pick a colored mouse and move quickly to outscore opponents, or just play for the health of it. A great way to enhance motor skills, quick reasoning, and break down the walls of apathy.

Fish Frenzy

Put on your diving gear and venture through the sea. It’s an exceptionally fun way to encourage social interaction, physical activity, and a whole lot of smiles.

Cute Babies

With the touch of a hand, adorable babies warm hearts and fill the room with smiles. The relaxing environment created through music therapy breaks through apathy and stimulates physical activity.

Jelly Jumpers

These squishy varmints need to be controlled before they overrun the galaxy. Fun music and cute characters spur physical activity, all while promoting cognitive spatial reasoning.

Skeeterz

Put an end to these pesky mosquitoes with a good smack. It’s a fun way to keep

active, improve eye-hand coordination, and stimulate conversation.

The folks at Renaissance have had a blast watching residents get excited about this new opportunity. “The table helps them keep moving, it is great for them physically and it exercises hand-eye coordination,” says Brannon. “It also allows for creativity.” While the Lucynt Table, sometimes referred to as the “magic table” is taking off in memory care communities everywhere, the residents at Renaissance truly feel it is a blessing as it provides an engaging way to stimulate the brain.

RENAISSANCE MARQUIS GRAND COLUMN

bistro

THE DISH

MEDITERRANEAN

bistro

www.lascalaromega.com 413 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161 706-238-9000

Hours: Mon - Sat: 6pm - 10pm 400 Block Bar & Lounge: 4pm-1:30am Live music each weekend.

La Scala offers both first-rate service and terrific Italian Cuisine in an upscale casual atmosphere. 50% off cafe menu from 4-6 p.m.

www.schroedersnewdeli.com

406 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161 706-234-4613

Hours: Mon-Thur: 11am-9pm Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm Sun: 11:30am-3pm

Schroeder’s menu includes sandwiches, calzones, soups, salads, potato skins, nachos, wings, and more. And don’t forget our pizza! It’s the best in town... and for a sweet treat, try our Cheesecake Calzone! (Draft and Bottled Beers & Wine also offered) Famous for: Their Roast Beef Relief!

www.mellowmushroom.com 28 S Wall St Cartersville, GA 30120 470-227-7049

Hours: Sun-Wed: 11am - 9pm Thursday: 11am - 9:30pm Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Funky, art-filled chain pizzeria featuring craft beer, calzones & creative stone-baked pizzas.

www.moesoriginalbbq.com/rome 101 West 1st Street Rome, GA 30161 706-622-2977

Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm Fri- Sat: 11am - 2am

Moe’s Original BBQ is a Southern soul food revival where great food is served in an atmosphere that is relaxed, spontaneous, yet civilized….well, sometimes. www.hardees.com

GA 30161 2300 Shorter Ave • Rome, GA 30165

3110 Cedartown Hwy • Rome, GA 30161 104 S Tennessee St • Cartersville, GA 30120 706.291.2021

Hours: Mon-Sat: 5am-10pm Sun: 6am-10pm

We’re known as the place to go for juicy, delicious charbroiled burgers & made from scratch biscuits. Because if you’re gonna eat, you should Eat Like You Mean It!

www.swheatmarketdeli.com

5 E Main St Cartersville, GA 30120 770-607-0067

Hours: Mon - Sun: 11am-3pm

Casual counter serve offering sandwiches, salads & American comfort food

www.elzaraperome.com

429 Broad St Rome, GA 30161 706-295-5330

Hours: Mon - Thu: 11am-9:30pm Fri - Sat: 11am-10:30pm Sunday: 11am-4pm

Colorful, casual outpost serving Mexican street tacos & fajitas, plus beers & tequila drinks. Join us every Sunday for Brunch from 11-4pm.

www.maineonmain.com 24 W Main St Cartersville, GA 30120 770-334-3813

Hours: Mon - Thurs: 11am - 9pm Fri - Sat: 11am - 10pm Sun: 11am - 8pm

At Maine Street Coastal Cuisine, in the heart of historic downtown Cartersville, we pride ourselves on sourcing seafood from sustainable fisheries. Our passion is to provide a restaurant free of artificial flavors and ingredients.

Caring Completely

People for people.

For 150 years, Harbin Clinic caregivers have dedicated their lives to healing others. We believe it's important to honor our past, remember how far we've come and celebrate our progress. We also believe in moving forward in pursuit of excellence for healthcare in Northwest Georgia. At Harbin Clinic, we have always been - and will continue to be - people caring completely for people.