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COVER ART BY
20 GET DOWNTOWN
Katie Bacon
Downtown Albany offers variety for residents and visitors
4 ROOTS RUN DEEP The works of Albany native and artist Katie Bacon
6 SISTERHOOD OF CHAMPIONS Albany's most exclusive club
14 HOMETOWN HERO Spotlight on Albany's gridiron warrior
24 COOKING UP SUCCESS Savory success for Albany chefs
30 A PIECE OF CAKE Poet Laureate Kathryn Stripling Byer
32 LOCAL HOT SPOTS Five favorites that woo locals
Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, Publisher & Owner 225 West Broad Avenue, Albany, Georgia 31701 229-434-8700 | albanyga.com
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36 CULTIVATING CHANGE
50 SOUTHERN STYLE ROYALTY
Agriculture in the New South
English style comes to Southwest Georgia
42 POP OF COLOR AND CULTURE
54 CONSERVING AMERICA'S QUAIL COUNTRY
The power of public art in Southwest Georgia
Hunting preserves bridge the modern South with its historic past
46 SOUTHBOUND QUIZ Test your knowledge of big stars from small
Bรกrbara Rivera Holmes, CEO, Editor in Chief Mary Bickerstaff & Donna Gray, Ad Sales MADlab Marketing, Marketing Agency
R O OT S RU N D E E P Artist Katie Bacon THE WORK OF ALBANY NATIVE AND ARTIST KATIE BACON, FEATURED ON THE COVER OF THIS MAGAZINE, HIGHLIGHTS THE BEAUTY AND BRILLIANCE OF DOWNTOWN ALBANY AND THE FLINT RIVER.
PHOTO BY ALLIE MONDAY
Roots run deep in Albany for Katie Bacon, who has been making and exhibiting art since childhood. After being selected as a Westover Comprehensive High School student to participate in the Governor's Honors Art Program, she went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from the University of Georgia. For nearly a decade, she has made her home in New York City, where she works as a visual artist with solo and group exhibitions throughout the city and also in her native Georgia. Additionally, she has become a successful makeup artist with more than ten years of experience in film, TV, editorial, commercial and bridal makeup with highprofile corporations and brands such as NBC, Discovery, Broadway, Pinterest, L'Oreal, Covergirl, Chanel, Tiffany & CO., Sports Illustrated, Essence and People.
Prints of Katie Bacon's Albany scene are available for purchase at the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce. Call 229-434-8700 for details.
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Katie keeps a regular painting practice and enjoys depicting personal stories and scenes that reflect her Southern upbringing, giving them life through oils, acrylics and mixed media presentations. Social Graces, an exhibition of her work presented by the Albany Museum of Art, depicted social media culture with journalistic imagery taken on an iPhone combined with acrylic paint. These paintings captured the spirit of Instagram, combined with her emotional response to living in NYC from her perspective as a Southerner. Living in NYC and her work in both painting and makeup have helped Katie to expand, explore and live a meaningfully creative life. ∞
ALBANY
GREEN ENERGY
4 4 ALICE COACHMAN
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST HIGH JUMP 1948
LEA HENRY
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST US WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM 1984
Writte n by JI M H EN D R I C K S Ph oto s by TO D D STO N E AN D BY CO U R T ESY O F T H E AL I C E COAC H M AN F O U N DAT I O N, TH R O N AT EESK A H ER I TAG E C E N T ER I N AL B AN Y, T H E L EA H E N RY FAM I LY.
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THE SISTERHOOD OF CHAMPionS Albany natives Alice Coachman and Lea Henry are members of Albany's most exclusive club – women Olympic gold medalists. lice Coachman won for her record-setting high jump in 1948. In 1984, Lea Henry won hers with the U.S. women's basketball team. It's an Olympic sisterhood with many common threads. Each desired to excel at a young age. Parents and mentors taught, encouraged, and inspired them to focus, work hard, and chase their dreams.
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After reaching the apex of her sport, each used her experience and prestige as an Olympic champion to positively influence future generations. "Something about being an Olympian excites people," said Henry, who today is the Dougherty County School System's athletic director. "I think that will always be a major part of my identity. It's one of those accomplishments in life that is significant to people. It's always part of the discussion." That was especially true for Coachman, who shattered the race barrier on an international scale by becoming the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
ALICE COACHMAN, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN TO WIN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL.
She so dominated her field in the years leading to the '48 Games that it's possible she would have been a three-time medalist had the 1940 and 1944 Games not been canceled because of World War II. "It speaks for itself when you're both No. 1 and the first," said Coachman's son, Richmond Davis, of Akron, Ohio, said.
ALICE COACHMAN, CENTER, WINS THE GOLD FOR THE UNITED STATES IN THE 1948 OLYMPICS.
It certainly ensured the spotlight was on Coachman, who was inducted into numerous halls of fame when she attended events. "I went to a number of those," said Davis, who was his mother's agent. "There were a lot of different athletes. They were very accomplished, but when you're first worldwide at what you're doing, it's a little tough to beat that." As a young girl, Coachman wanted to be famous like child actress Shirley Temple. Through her Olympic championship,
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she realized fame a different way—meeting President Henry Truman and music legend Count Basie; parades in Georgia; a street, school, and park named for her in Albany. She also was the first African American to get an international product endorsement deal. Her image appeared with Olympian Jesse Owens on Coca-Cola billboards in 1952. "THAT AD ACTUALLY PROPELLED A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TO WANT TO BE IN THE OLYMPICS," DAVIS SAID. "IT SHOWED THAT THERE WERE POSSIBILITIES TO DO OTHER THINGS. THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE." Henry's role model was her father, W.T. Henry, who played college hoops before becoming a longtime coach and athletic director. "When you think about basketball, I was born into it," she said. "I set my goals high. When I was in high school, I was sitting with my dad, and the Olympics were on. I said, 'I want to play in the Olympics one day.' He said, 'Well, you can, if you set your goals to do that and work hard. But you've just got to remember there are a lot of other girls your age who want to do the same thing, so it depends on how hard you work." Coachman, whose legendary barefoot training on South Georgia dirt roads led her to the world's biggest athletics stage, found a role model closer to home as she got older. "Her mother was her role model because she was so wise and had survived so much," Davis said. Coachman's mother "was the foundation of the family and the person who talked her dad into allowing her to attend Tuskegee [University]."
COACHMAN WAS THE WINNER OF 23 PERSONAL U.S. NATIONAL TITLES
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Selecting the right educational institution was critical to their success of both Coachman and Henry.
THE 1984 UNITED STATES WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM, WHO TOOK HOME THE GOLD IN THAT YEAR'S OLYMPIC GAMES.
"I MADE A GREAT, GREAT CHOICE ON PLAYING FOR PAT SUMMITT AT TENNESSEE," HENRY SAID OF HER COLLEGE AND OLYMPICS COACH. "WE CAN WORK HARD AND DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE HELP. "I surrounded myself with someone who could really help me. Pat understood my dreams and my goals, and she could help me accomplish those." At Tuskegee, Davis said, Coachman "had a lot of support so she could learn a lot of different things. She had a good foundation and a lot of good people around her at the institute to help her grow, develop, and learn." "The track team traveled a lot," he said. "She got a chance to see things the average Albany girl her age just did not see." A desire to give back to the community was felt deeply by both women. Coachman, who earned her degree at then Albany LEA HENRY, 1984 OLYMPIC State College, went into GOLD MEDALIST, U.S. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL. education and worked with Job Corps. Henry went into college coaching, returning to Albany nine years ago to coach at then Darton State College. Davis said he's often heard of his mother's influence. He cited a reunion at Carver High School in Atlanta where, years before, Coachman had coached the track and field team from last place to second place.
HENRY, RIGHT, WITH HER UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEEE COACH PAT SUMMIT, ANOTHER OF THE SPORT'S LEGENDS.
"They sent me this wonderful letter about how much they really appreciated what she had done for them because what they learned during that time period helped them be better coaches, teachers and parents after they graduated
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TODAY, HENRY IS THE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR FOR THE DOUGHERTY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM. SHE STILL COACHES BASKETBALL. from high school," said Davis, who was his mother's agent. "Their performance in athletics had compelled them to go forward and do other things. "These are the kinds of things I would hear all the time when I'd take her to different events." ABOVE: 1984 US WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM CARRYING COACH PAT SUMMIT AFTER GOLD MEDAL WINNING GAME. BELOW: HENRY AND HUSBAND GREG MANNING WITH STUDENTS FROM THEIR L&G CAMP FOR CHAMPS
In 1985, as a way of giving back to the community, Henry and husband Greg Manning started L&G Camp for Champs. "When you take on the responsibility to coach, you take on the responsibility to make a positive difference in a young person's life," Henry said. "SPORTS IS THE AVENUE YOU HAVE TO TEACH THAT YOUNG PERSON ALL THE VALUES YOU NEED IN LIFE." Asked what he wants his mother's legacy to be, Davis replied "Kindness to others. And work hard, never give up, no matter what the odds are against you." Henry says she wants to be remembered as someone who "just wanted to make a positive difference, someone who worked hard to help others." ∞
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RICARDO LOCKETTE W R IT T E N BY CA RLTO N F L ETC H ER PHOTO S BY TO D D STO N E
When Ricardo Lockette helps out another kid living in poverty, speaks to a crowd of hero-worshiping middle schoolers, lends a hand to a homeless family with nowhere left to turn or provides a way out for a woman who has been the victim of domestic violence, most people just assume that he's one of those good guys who's decided to give back to others after enjoying a successful – but shortened – professional sports career. The cynical among us might even snidely mention the words "tax write-off."
But they're all wrong.
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No, Albany-born and raised Ricardo Lockette is helping the people in his hometown and other communities as a way of paying off a debt. It's one he incurred on November 1, 2014, when a vicious hit abruptly ended his NFL career and almost ended his life. As Lockette lay on the turf at Safeco Field, an eerie silence enveloping one of the noisiest stadiums in professional sports, he offered up a prayer that set the stage for the rest of his life. "I'm laying there on the ground, praying, and I said, 'If I get out of this alive, God, if you give me the opportunity to make it off this field alive, I'm going to spend my life trying to bring about positive change to everyone I come in contact with,'" Lockette said during a recent extended conversation. "It turns out my neck was broken, detached. But after the medical people loaded me on a stretcher, the feeling started to come back in my extremities. I remember they'd taped my hands together in the middle of my chest, but I somehow managed to work one hand loose and give my teammates an 'L' sign for love, for family. When I did that, man, that place exploded." The memory of the love shown for this gridiron warrior notwithstanding, Lockette knew his football career was over as he was carted off that field. But as he found the inner strength to gradually recover, this young man – who deemed himself a failure – who'd deemed himself a failure because he didn't make the Olympic team and ended up sleeping in his car on the streets of Atlanta briefly before getting an opportunity to play football at then Fort Valley State College, an opportunity that he turned into three Super Bowl appearances, has kept his part of the bargain he made with God. Through his Lockette Foundation, he's changed many lives for the better. And he has grand plans for a middle school academy that could change the fortunes of entire generations of young people. And it all started in Albany, where he and his family lived with his paternal grandfather, Judge Willie Lockette, at the Lockette homeplace on Colquitt Avenue. That's where the legacy of Ricardo Lockette – football star, humanitarian and loving father – was forged.
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The Albany Chamber's interview with Ricardo Lockette: What was it like for you growing up in Albany; what do you remember about those early years?
My family grew up in my grandparents' house, and it was a house of love. It was the place where I learned about things like marriage, relationships, about hard work. A lot of the work that I do now through my foundation is based on the things I learned there. Back then, people were held to certain standards. Now, I find people live their life based on a skewed logic rather than the morals I learned in that home.
Did the man that you've become – and not just the pro athlete, but the man who gives back to his community – get its start there?
Oh, absolutely 1,000 percent. Who I am today is because of my family and the way they raised me in Albany. People tell me, 'Man, you played in three Super Bowls, I expected you to be different.' But I am a product of my family's legacy. It's like my granddad going to the courthouse, my grandmom doing her job as a city manager, my dad working as a probation officer. I had my job to do, too. If I dropped a pass or missed a tackle, I felt I was letting my family down. Most guys who are star athletes figure out that they're different at an early age. Was there a certain age that you knew you were destined to play in the NFL?
I didn't know I had any kind of special athletic skills until I was at Monroe (Comprehensive) High School. I showed up one day at a track meet, and the coach told me they needed someone to run a leg of the 4x4 (relay). A guy didn't show up. I had on sneakers and shorts, but once I got on that track I knew I couldn't let anyone else beat me. That's when it dawned on me that, 'Hey, I might have some speed.' I ended up being the MVP in the region that year and was MVP of the state tournament next year. I was supposed to go to Auburn (University), but I decided to try out for the Olympic team. My parents said they'd finance me for that year, but I ended up finishing 13th in qualifying and only the top three in each event made the team. I was devastated. For the first time in my life I felt like a failure. I slept in my car for a couple of days because I didn't want to face anyone. I'd guess that was about the low point of your life to that point.
Yeah, I wasn't sure what I could do, but Coach Donald Pittman at Fort Valley got in touch with me and told me I had football eligibility left. He said he wanted me to come play. I had to borrow gas money to get from Atlanta to Fort Valley, but when I got there, I went to work. I've always felt to be successful at something, you have to be almost obsessed. I drove myself to the extreme and ended
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up getting an invitation to the (NFL) combine. There was an agent, Zeke Sandhu, who got in touch with me and told me he believed I had the talent to play at the next level. He was one of three people who believed in me. At the combine, I ended up running the fastest 40 (yard dash) there, a 4.37 (seconds). The guy who was just behind me at the combine, you might have heard of him ... Julio Jones. But you weren't drafted, right?
No, and that was kind of devastating, because right after the draft there was a lockout. So I was in limbo. I went back to Albany and worked with NYSP (National Youth Sports Program) at Albany State University. All the kids were saying things like, 'I thought you were gonna play football.' That hurt, but I couldn't let them see that I had any doubt. I'd get with them and work on our own secret handshake, and I told them that when they saw me do that in the NFL, I would be talking to them. The lockout ended, and I got calls from all 32 teams (as a free agent), but Seattle sent me a hand-written letter, and that's why I chose to go there. I was on their practice squad when San Francisco heard about me and made me an offer. I ended up being there with the 49ers for my first Super Bowl. I signed with Seattle the next season, and we ended up winning the Super Bowl over Denver, lost on that 1-yard line play the next year -- I ended up in a shell after that game; I didn't want to be around people because that's all they wanted to talk about. It was like dealing with a death. The following year is when I got hurt. How devastating was it to know that, even after you recovered, you'd never play football again?
Man, the hardest thing for me was trying to put on a strong front for my daughter. I'd always been her warrior, and I didn't want her to see me vulnerable like that. When she came to the hospital to see me, I put on a smile and deflected the pain I was going through. So you made a pact with God – which I think a lot of people do when they're in a tough situation. But you've kept your word. Do you feel like God allowed you to get through your injury because of the promise you made?
I'll always believe that. But I also believe that the foundation that my family gave me when I was young is the other thing. I always feel that family legacy. You've already done so much for young people and others in this community and others. What are your plans for the future?
with officials with the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, and others in the community, to create a multimillion-dollar Junior Achievement Financial Literacy Academy. It will be a special school that will teach middle school students about the realities of life in the adult business world. I want kids to know that there aren't many of them who will be rap stars or musicians or pro athletes. Through Junior Achievement, I want to help create a curriculum that will teach kids about finance, about the things they need for careers that will allow them to be professionals of a different kind. We'll show them that making a choice, say in cars, for a Mercedes over a more practical car can leave them with no money for food, utilities, necessities. We want to show them how to work toward the Mercedeses and the finer things in life and that there are unlimited ways to use their skills to achieve these things. So, you literally want to change the face of your community and this region?
Absolutely, and I believe it will happen. See, I don't feel like I 'owe' this community anything. But I have the time, opportunity and resources, and if I didn't use them to make the community better, I feel like I'd be letting my family down. And I'd be letting God down. I'm here doing this because I believe this is now my purpose in life. We're going to get this done, and I'm going to do my part. ∞
Man, that's what I'm so excited about. I am working
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T H E F LI N T
get downtown D owntown i s quickly b e c om ing a hub o f ente rt a inment , s hopping, a nd d i n i ng for Al b any and S outhwe s t G e org ia. W it h it s mix o f cha rm a nd h i s tory, downtown o ffe r s many t hings to do for date ni ght s, family gathe r ings, or a ca sual me e t ing o f fr iend s .
DRINK
Pre tor ia Field s Ta s t ing Ro om 120 P ine Ave. Home-grown grain is the star ingredient for the craft beers at Pretoria Fields Brewery. A mix of refinished old wood and brick, with modern splashes of lighting and steel, provide the perfect setting for tasters to enjoy the refreshing favorites including Flowing Well (gose), Shoalie (IPA), Skywater (golden ale), Walkers Station (stout) and Farmhouse Berry (fruited gose). Pretoria Fields holds regular community events, such as pop-up farmer's markets, Albany Symphony Orchestra ensemble nights and local entertainment.
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SHOP
Bandit & the Bab e 249 P ine Ave., S te. 100 “Eccentric. Nonconformist. Natural. Original.” Bandit & the Babe was created for the woman who has modern bohème style. The local shop's selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories has been thoughtfully curated with locally-made items and those from around the world. VIP styling sessions are offered for help in selecting outfits that reflect personal and original style.
B A NDIT & T H E BABE
EAT�
BE ENTERTAINED
The F lint | 112 P ine Ave. If you are looking for fine dining with a bit of local history, look no further than The Flint. A sister restaurant to the Albany Fish Co., The Flint takes the freshest of seafood and serves it up as Southern cuisine fused with a modern touch. A wide variety of menu selections from sandwiches, salads, appetizers, entrees, and desserts will provide a delicious dish for every palate.
LEARN�
Alb any Municip al Auditor ium 301 P ine Ave. At the heart of entertainment in Albany lies the Albany Municipal Auditorium, whose stage has seen the likes of Albany native Ray Charles and so many others. It is home to cultural organizations including the Albany Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Theater South. The 1915 historic landmark has seen a recent surge of pop-culture entertainment that includes the Charlie Daniels Band, 38 Special and Jamey Johnson. Visit flintriverentertainmentcomplex.com to browse upcoming events and ticket information. ∞
Alb any C iv il R i ght s In s t itute 326 W. Whit ney Ave . In 1961 Albany joined the Civil Rights Movement with the formation of a desegregation and voter’s rights coalition. The rich history of this movement has been documented and preserved at the Albany Civil Rights Institute that includes the Old Mt. Zion Church - site of the first mass gathering – and more than 12,000 square feet of historical artifacts that aid in learning about the Southwest Georgia civil rights struggle.
AL BANY MUNICIPA L AUDI TO RI UM
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Photography by Todd Stone
SUCCESS
COOKING UP 24 ALBANY | 2020
Written by Wendy Bellacomo
In Albany, women who found success as young adults in the more traditional professional world are now, in midlife, cooking up second careers. Get to know three amazing ladies with varied backgrounds and specialties who are enjoying newly-found success in the culinary world.
laura piovesana
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hrough her popular cooking classes, Laura Piovesana, affectionately known as “Chef Laura,” has brought the taste of authentic Italian cooking to Southwest Georgia. During the last three years, she has taught hundreds of area residents how to expertly roll gnocchi, hand toss a homemade pizza with finesse and concoct the perfect meatball. And she does it all with warmth, enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye. “My cooking classes are really an immersion into the Italian culture right here in Albany,” she said. “We don’t just cook; I share stories about life in Italy, people ask questions, and we have a lot of fun!” A native of Conegliano, Italy, Piovesana learned to cook as many children do – by helping her mother and grandmother in the kitchen. When her husband’s education led the couple to Galveston, Texas, Laura left behind a career in marketing with The Walt Disney Company. Once stateside, she began entertaining new friends by preparing authentic Italian meals for them. Soon, her friends were asking for cooking lessons, and her business, The Italian Wooden Spoon, was born. In 2016, Piovesana found herself relocating again when her husband’s career as a physician brought them to Albany. Circumstances aligned and, by the end of the year, she was teaching cooking classes at the Pool Brothers’ showroom off U.S. Hwy. 82.
“Things took off really quickly, and classes started selling out,” she recalled. “I felt welcome here in Albany from the very beginning.” Piovesana also embraced the community, donating her cooking services to silent auctions and fundraisers, and also teaching healthy eating classes at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. “My cooking is a way that I can give back,” she said, “and that’s very important to me.” In 2018, Piovesana began importing many of the gourmet sauces,olive oils and condiments which she now sells at Pool Brothers. Piovesana has expanded her cooking classes with locations in Tifton at the Conger LP Gas showroom and in Thomasville at Bobby Dollar’s Appliance Consultant, introducing even more people to the way of cooking that she knows and loves. For Piovesana, that means using fresh, local ingredients as much as possible. “While many Americans think of Italian food as heavy and rich, they are actually thinking of ItalianAmerican dishes,” she said. “In Italy, we cook much more simply. We visit the market, see what seasonal produce is available, and then decide what to cook. If you start with the best ingredients, you will end up with a great meal. You don’t have to be a master chef.”
To see a schedule of Chef Laura’s cooking classes, visit her website, italianwoodenspoon.com.
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quinetta hall
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ots of people enjoy cooking. Some even have a passion for it. For Quinetta Hall, it is even more serious than that. For her, it is a calling. While she had grown up baking by her grandmother’s side and always prepared goodies during the holidays, Hall never really considered her culinary skills marketable. That changed in 2013 when a friend, James Henderson, who is a former powerlifting champion turned motivational Christian speaker, ordered three cakes from her for his family reunion. Hall recalled his words with a smile. “He told me, ‘I have been around the world from Finland to Germany to Amsterdam, and I have never tasted anything so truly delightful. You are a millionaire and don’t even know it.’ ” At the time, Hall was working as a contractor at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, and really liked her job. A career as a baker was not anything she was seriously considering, but her friend kept urging her to take the next steps in that direction.
turned a spare room in her home into a cottage bakery. “I did well selling baked goods from my home,” Hall said, “but after about two years I heard a voice saying ‘Your time is up here.’" She found a commercial space that she liked in the Merry Acres Shopping Center, but her determination was tested as she began renovating the shop. She suffered a devastating house fire and lost everything, a setback that might have derailed another but only made Hell stronger. She opened her storefront, Q’s Cakes, in 2016. In addition to her delectable baked goods, Hall offers healthy lunch options and cake decorating classes. Now, Hall said she feels like she is where she is meant to be. “I started with one box of cake flour, and now I have my own bakery. I’ve even had the opportunity to bake a red velvet caramel birthday cake for Paula Deen, who said it was the most incredible cake she’d ever tasted. What a compliment!” Hall said. “I am so glad that I stepped out in faith and just kept going one step at a time. It’s been an incredibly rewarding adventure.”
Somewhat prophetically, Henderson told Hall that she was not going to be at her job for much longer. “You may as well go ahead and take some ServSafe classes,” he said. So she did. When she was laid off from her position at the base, Hall already had a plan of sorts. After passing the necessary certifications, inspections, and licensing, she
Visit Q’s Cakes at 1406 Dawson Road Albany
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laura lynn carter
w
hen I was 40, if someone had told me that in the next 10 years I would become a cookbook author and a television host, I would have told them that they were crazy,” Lara Lyn Carter said with a smile. “But here I am.” It all started when Carter was working at WALB News Channel 10, a local television station. The staff was challenged to come up with a locally produced show. Her idea, “Savor the Good Life,” featured food, entertainment and lifestyle content from Southwest Georgia. Carter jumped right in when she was unexpectedly tapped to host the program, which included cooking segments. “Nobody else wanted to do it,” she said with a laugh. “I always say that I got started in television by accident.” And a happy accident it was. Her next venture was a Georgia Public Broadcasting series, “A Thyme for Sharing,” which garnered her an Emmy award in 2016. Carter’s busy lifestyle, combined with a pregnancy at the age of 43, began to take a toll on her health, however. Weight gain and other health concerns led her to seek answers through nutrition, experimenting with recipes as her whole family adopted a clean eating lifestyle. “I cut out gluten and refined sugar, and, by the end of the first week, I could tell a big difference,” Carter recalled. Soon, she had dropped 50 pounds and regained her health.
Wanting to share what she had learned with others, she compiled her revised recipes into a cookbook, “Skinny Southern,” which reinvents classic Southern dishes with clean, healthy ingredients. Released in 2019, “Skinny Southern” hit No. 2 on Amazon’s top new releases list, with the first edition selling out in 12 days. Carter is now working on a new cookbook, “Skinny Southern Baking.” Carter’s career as a selftaught chef, an author and a television personality has led to opportunities that she never dreamed of, including a book tour through the United States and Canada, personal appearances at internationally-known food and wine festivals, and conversations with a national network about a potential new series. Brimming with enthusiasm and full of ideas, Carter is looking toward the future but is also conscious of the good fortune that has already come her way. “I’ve had a great time with this,” she said. “And while I certainly hope that it doesn’t end tomorrow, I can honestly say that if it did, it’s been an amazing ride.” ∞
To catch up with Lara Lyn Carter’s latest ventures, visit her web site at laralyncarter.com.
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A piece of Cake By Kathryn Stripling Byer
When the young woman called from Charlotte to interview me for her radio program asked, “What is a Laureate, anyway?”
as she stands in the heart of her kitchen, the sun sliding into the cornfields, another June day disappearing, another night kindling
I heard my voice hem and haw like a bad line of poetry. I thought I heard all of the Old North State holding its breath while I struggled
its Milky Way stars, and at long last I know how to answer that question. A Laureate
to say something clever, but all I could think of was “lariat.” Then in a moment of quiet desperation, I thought of Laurette,
lassoes the Milky Way, word after luminous word of it, holding it out in her hands
who lives just down the road from my childhood home, hands busy sculpting the icing on each side of her Milky Way cakes
like a piece of Laurette’s chocolate cake, saying,
Try this! Believe me,
You'll like the way poetry tastes!
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ATHRYN STRIPLING BYER Camilla native Kathryn Stripling Byer was the author of nine books of poetry and her works were featured in various periodicals over her career. Byer, who first found her voice amid the fields of the family farm, was North Carolina's fifth poet laureate, a position she held from 2005-2009.
Reprinted with permission.
PA RT O F YO U R H O M E . PA RT O F YO U R L I F E . S E L L E R S T I L E .CO M
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T H E B R E A D HOU S E
local hotspots Whe t he r you 're a n Al b a ny re s ide nt, v i s i tor or i n town on bu s ine s s, make sure you s top b y one o f t he s e sure- to - impre s s l o c al ho t sp o t s. Kayak Attack Adventure
22 9-66 9- 1 25 9 | kayakal b anyge org ia. c om Leverages two of Southwest Georgia's natural resources to provide a full day of outdoor fun. Adventurers will enjoy a kayak or canoe ride down the Flint River, Kinchafoonee Creek or the Muckalee Creek . Explore caves, relax near waterfalls, take a dive into a blue hole and more!
Race2E scap e | 2 51 0 A rchwo o d D r ive
rac e2 e s c ap e.ne t | 2 2 9 -2 9 9 -8 8 4 8 Southwest Georgia's premier escape room. Enjoy this live-action game where participants are placed in a story-themed room and given 60 minutes to search for hidden clues, solve puzzles and work together to escape before time runs out. Race2Escape is perfect for friends and family, teams and coworkers, gamers and adventurers, travelers and tourists!
SUNDAY MORNING SERVICES 8:30 • 9 • 11 2200 Dawson Road • (229) 436-6336 • pmumc.net
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HUGHEY & NEUMAN R E A L
E S T A T E
E G G S U P G R I LL E ggs Up G r ill | 281 8 O ld D aws on Ro ad
e ggsup gr ill .c om | 2 2 9 - 4 9 6 - 1 5 07 Where your favorite breakfast items are cooked up all day long! This local spot is a favorite for gathering friends and family, as well as casual business meetings. Everything is made fresh daily, and there's something for every food preference. Don't forget to order a grilled blueberry muffin on the side!
The B read Hou s e | 5 20 N. Je f fe r s on S t.
theb re a dhou s e. c om | 2 2 9 - 888- 9 7 75 Where charm and grace merge with some of the South's most delectable culinary offerings that are allnatural and locally-sourced. The two-story restaurant also houses shopping where one can buy everything from local honey, bread and cookies, to the latest in bohemian clothing style from Vardo boutique. With every Bread House purchase, customers help the residents of GraceWay, a women's drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.
The Catch | 2332 Wh i sp e r ing P ine s R d .
catch .s tewb o s . c om | 2 2 9 - 4 4 6 - 2 2 3 5 Brings fresh seafood of the Gulf to their kitchen, where it is cooked to perfection and served at your table. This casual fine-dining spot offers a dish for everyone. Seafood lovers will enjoy shrimp, scallops, crab cakes or fish while land-lovers will savor filet mignon, pork tenderloin, chicken marsala, and more. Ask about the specials! ∞
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I VAT I N G C H A N G T L E CU
AGRICULTURE IN T HE
New South WRITTEN BY CARLTON FLETCHER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD STONE
They call it the laid-back South,
the land that time forgot, that little part of America rich in tradition but slow to change. And while history offers plenty of evidence to support such a legacy, there's a new South filtering out in all directions from Atlanta, a South that is setting the pace for technological, agricultural and cultural advances that belie the region's longstanding reluctance to change. Some of the changes that are altering the mindset forged by decades of tradition over transition in the region are being led by innovators in Albany and Southwest Georgia, an area at times discarded by those "not from around here" as one of those throwback regions unwilling to tread that sometimes treacherous ground along the cutting edge. But things are different in this deep new South.
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F
ive years from now, what we're doing is going to be oversaturated; everybody's going to want to get on board," said Harris Morgan, the "gentleman farmer" who is the face of Albany-based Pretoria Fields Collective's innovative hemp operation, which includes not just cultivation of the plant but processing for other growers in the region. "We did our homework; we knew that there was a lot of interest in growing hemp as a viable alternative crop. When the (Georgia) legislature passed the bill (House Bill 213) that made hemp legal in Georgia, we were prepared,� he said. “We're familiar with the impact CBD oil has had on health care in the country, and we're aware of the potential of hemp-based products. Of course, growing hemp means nothing if there's not somewhere to process the oil from the plants. We're getting our processing facility ready for operation."
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ecades ago, growing citrus was the almost exclusive domain of Florida and parts of California. But a shift in weather patterns and development of the hardy Trifoliate Rubidoux root stock of Mandarin satsuma oranges helped create a "belt" that runs from Savannah on Georgia's East Coast at a diagonal to Southwest Georgia's Bainbridge, south to around Monticello, Fla., and includes most of South Georgia, including Albany. In that region, the so-called Zone A, the hot summers and just enough cold in the wintertime proved ideal for the breed of citrus that Dougherty County County grower Dennis Wright calls "a lot easier to peel and sweeter, better-tasting than name-brand fruit (Halos and Cuties) grown in California." Talking with Wright for a length of time offers an impressive tactical and historic accounting of the relatively new crop that he thinks is set to have a significant impact on farming in the state. Wright grows 35 acres of satsumas, plans to add 25 more acres in 2020 and 125 more in 2021. And at 174 trees to an acre, that's an impressive 32,190 trees, each of which must be "touched pretty much every week,� he said. "We started looking into citrus mainly for diversity to go with our pecans and row crops (cotton and corn, primarily)," Wright said. "We did our research, talked with the industry leaders, and decided the satsumas gave us another potential money crop. A greening disease and real estate
encroachment has all but wiped out the citrus crop in Florida, and the satsumas that were grafted onto the rootstock that can survive low temperatures down to 15 degrees were perfect for our region. "We planted our trees in May and won't start harvesting fruit until the fourth or fifth year. That's how long it takes the trees to mature. And while we feel that satsumas have the potential to be a good crop for us and for our region, there is a lot of work that goes into the first couple of years and some significant costs,� he explained. “There's the cost of the land, and it has to be the right kind of land. Satsumas don't like wet feet, so you have to find higher and drier land. And you need a microjet irrigation system and wind machines to protect against cold weather. Plus, the trees must be sprayed, fertilized, and pruned monthly." Wright knows his sales pitch includes a significant amount of caution. "There are all those costs, plus extensive labor," he said. "You have to put your hands on every single tree, especially during the first two years, to promote proper growth. Then, at harvest, you've got to clip the fruit -- you can't pull it off the tree, it will tear the peel -- box it and truck it to the packing shed. Still, we feel it will be worth all the work. We're still doing our homework, but we think this could be a good crop for us."
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M
eanwhile, in southeast Dougherty County, a massive solar field began harnessing the power of the sun when NextEra Energy's solar array in the former Pecan City area off Moultrie Road went online. The 1,300-acre site includes 440,908 solar panels – arranged in 5,232 neat rows – that will have the capacity to supply 120 megawatts of energy to preselected Georgia Power customers. The solar field, according to project manager Stephen Land, is part of Georgia Power's 177-megawatt renewable energy initiative that was announced in 2018. "Solar power is getting a lot of traction in the state of Georgia," Land said as he showed guests around the site. "The (Georgia) Public Service Commission has mandated that Georgia Power procure 2 gigawatts (of renewable energy) between now and 2024. This field, and others being constructed in nearby Mitchell and Brooks counties, is part of that mandate. "While this is newer technology in some parts of the state,” he said, “with Georgia's weather and what is sure to eventually become more manageable pricing, you'll see this become a very competitive process throughout the state." Construction manager Mike McAuliffe said getting the solar panels in place for maximum use of the sun as it tracks across the sky ran up a $145 million tab on a project that NextEra officials said would have a $300 million total price tag. Land, who praised the work of the and the AlbanyDougherty Payroll Development Authority in helping push through approval of the project, said it will pay off handsomely for the county. "The tax treatment for agricultural land like this will bring in $10 million - $10.5 million over the (30-year) life of the contract with Georgia Power," he said. "And there will be no strain at all on the local infrastructure." As for the day-to-day operation of this unusual-for-Georgia "crop" planted on farmland? Artney Stewart, who made his way to Southwest Georgia via Jamaica to the Bronx to Canada, will be the lone NextEra employee charged with monitoring the massive system. One more giant step toward modernization in a region now in the process of completely destroying that myth of the slow South. ∞
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The future relies on
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Pop ofColor and Culture A
rtists and community leaders have learned how to join hands in working together toward the revitalization of their communities by harnessing the power of art murals. These colorful expressions, often seen on downtown brick exteriors, roadside barns, and even farmland silos, have been contributors to fostering community engagement, refurbishing buildings, and stimulating local economies. Here, a sampling of a few Southwest Georgia murals that are road-trip worthy. Grab a friend, pack some snacks, and hit the road. Don’t forget to post a few fun selfies and use the hashtag #SWGAmurals.
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COLQUITT Above: The Spirit of the Farmer: 164 E. Main Street Canadian artist Charlie Johnson depicts a South Georgia farmer inspecting his crop of peanuts. The mural wraps around all four sides of the 100-foot tall, fully functional silo with images of cotton, corn and peanuts. Bottom right: Depot Scene N. Cuthbert Street
CU THBERT Above and left: The Magnolia Alley: 74 Peachtree Street Dedicated in March 2019, the mural was a joint effort between the city of Cuthbert and Andrew College to revitalize downtown. Artist Christ Johnson captured the spirit of Cuthbert history and culture.
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PHOTO BY MELISSA JUNE
BAINBRIDGE Above: Mad Rose: 402 N. West Street In 2019, artist Ridge Harper brought proprietor, Allison Cantley's dreams of an angel wing mural to life in vivid color. The mural instantly became a destination for stunning photographs.
SHELLMAN Left and next page, bottom right: Silos: Corner of Payne Street and Railroad Street. Featuring the image of Shellman native and songwriter Boudleaux Bryant, artist Chris Johnson captures the agriculture, art, and culture of Shellman in his silo murals. The series of art, painted between 2017 and 2018, has fostered engagement within the community.
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ALBANY Above: Bread House: 520 North Jefferson Street. Artist Mark Dennard captured the strength and beauty of the Albany community before the storms of 2017. Bottom: Broad Ave. Underpass: Near the intersection of North Broadway Street and East Broad Avenue in downtown Albany. The street wall was revitalized with this work of art by Cameron Malphrus. Created to inspire a gateway of beauty into East Albany, the “Bridge the Community” mural was completed in 2015. ∞
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southbound quiz
Arts & Culture S outh G e org ia i s home to s ome o f the
bi gge s t s tar s from s mall town s! Te s t your Art s & E nte rta inment knowle dge w ith thi s e dit ion o f the S outhb ound Qui z.
1)
What s mall S outhwe s t G e org ia town i s the birthplace o f ac t re s s Jo anna Mo ore, mothe r o f Tatum O’Neal? a. Ame r icu s b. Sylve s te r c. Quit man d. Moul t r ie
O dd L i fe o f T imothy 2) G"The re en," s tarr ing Jenni fe r
G arne r, wa s filme d in the s e two ne i ghb or ing cit ie s: a. Alb any and D aws on b. Syve s te r and T i fton c. Le e sburg and Smithv ille d. Parrott and Sa s s e r
r in the Rye" author JD 5) "Catche Salinge r wa s s tat ione d at an Army a ir b a s e lo cate d in thi s town . a. Alb any b. T i fton c. Warne r Robin s d. Ba inbr idge
i s the 6) What birthplace o f
North Carolina Po e t Laureate Kathryn S t r ipling Bye r? a. C ordele b. Alb any c. Camilla d. Warw ick
ney Hou s ton i s t ie d to thi s s mall S outhwe s t 3) Whit G e org ia town through he r grandfathe r, N itchola s D r inkard. a. Blakely b. Quit man c. E di s on d. New ton
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Academy Award-w inning ac t re s s M ir iam Hopkin s ha ile d from thi s S outh G e org ia city. a. Ba inbr idge b. Thoma sv ille c. T i fton d. Alb any Answers: 1. a, 2. a, 3. a, 4. a, 5. d, 6. c, 7. b, 8. d, 9. c, 10. d, 11. b, 12. b
4)
9)
Author and c ome dian Lew i s G r i zzard wa s b orn in what S outh G e org ia military town? a. Alb any b. Warne r Robin s c. Fort Benning d. Valdo s ta
Monk K idd, author o f "The 10) SSue e c re t L i fe o f Be e s," wa s b orn in thi s town. a. D aws on b. Smithv ille c. New ton d. Sylve s te r
s city wa s home to Jim 7) Thi Fowle r, animal ac t iv i s t
11)
and ho s t o f the telev i s ion s how "Animal K ingdom:" a. Thoma sv ille b. Alb any c. Le e sburg d. Pelham
G ravy, G e org ia’s 8) Swamp o fficial folk-li fe play, ha s b e en p e rforming in thi s qua int town s ince 1992. a. E di s on b. Moul t r ie c. Ame r icu s d. C ol quitt
Jo elle Carte r, s tar o f the FX s e r ie s "Ju s t i fie d," wa s b orn in thi s city. a. Alb any b. Thoma sv ille c. A s hburn d. Le e sburg John “C ornbread” Ande r s on, 12) an Ame r ican folk art i s t known for hi s p a int ings o f animal s w ith large r eye s, i s from thi s S outh G e org ia town. a. C olumbu s b. Lumpkin c. R ichland d. D aws on
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Albany Area Primary Health Care Patient Services: Family Medicine Internal Medicine Women’s Health Pediatrics Dentistry Podiatry Behavioral Health Vision Care Pharmacy Services
AAPHC Is Now Accepting New Patients Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC) is one of the region’s largest physician groups, and the largest Community Health Center, in Southwest Georgia. With more than 70 health care providers, our AAPHC medical team proudly cares for our family, friends and neighbors across nine Georgia counties. Feeling ill? We’ll see you today! 229-888-6559 www.AAPHC.org
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Written by Wendy Bellacomo
SOU THERN ST YLE ROYALT Y Lady Melissa Percy When Lady Melissa Percy, known to friends as Missy, first visited Southwest Georgia from her home in northeast England, she surprisingly felt right at home.
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At first glance,
the two locations don’t appear to have much in common, but Percy felt an ease and familiarity with the outdoor lifestyle and friendly people. She now spends November through February — quail season – at her long-time boyfriend’s hunting preserve, Mercer Mill, located just outside Albany. Here she enjoys a lifestyle that is not all that different from the way she spent much of her time as a child. Percy grew up hunting, shooting, and fishing in the English countryside. Her father, the 12th Duke of Northumberland, moved his wife and four children into the ancestral family home, Alnwick Castle, when she was a child. Occupied by the Percy family since the 1300s, Alnwick Castle would be familiar to movie and television fans as a location for numerous productions, including two Harry Potter movies, the TV drama Downton Abbey, and the Oscar-nominated film Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett. Growing up in a castle was “really pretty amazing,” Percy said. Her parents, each rated as one of the best shots in England, raised their children to appreciate the sport as well. “I have two brothers and a sister, and my parents never differentiated between the boys and the girls.”
Some of her favorite family memories involve hunting, an activity that the whole family enjoyed together. “It was such quality time of laughing, telling stories and having lovely, long lunches with lots of dogs running about,” she remembers with a smile. She turned to these memories a few years ago when, after seeing her marriage dissolve, burning out as a pro-tennis-player-turnedcoach and trying a stint with a
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catering company, she was searching for direction in the next chapter of her life. “I remembered how my mom, my sister, and I never really had proper clothes for outdoor activities. We usually just wore smaller sized men’s clothing, but it never fit properly.”
The result was her company, Mistamina, a line of clothing designed to fill that need.
Originally launched in the United Kingdom and now available in the United States, the capsule collection features a classic hunting sweater with feminine styling touches such as a slightly fitted waist and longer length. The sweater, or “jumper,” as it is called by the Brits, is available in seven colors with complimentary shoulder and elbow shooting patches. As an ode to the canine companions that are so special in Percy’s life, each color is named after a family dog. Her favorites are pink for casual wear and olive green for hunting. The sweaters are available online and retail for $150. Planned additions to the line include a bomber jacket and leather shooting bag.
have ever met. I feel like we have so much in common,” she said. “Southwest Georgia is a truly special place, and this is a truly special way of life.” ∞
Percy makes use of her sweaters often during the winter months she spends at Mercer Mill, often grabbing one on her way out the door for a chilly morning walk around the property with her black Lab, Uni. She finds her time in Southwest Georgia allows her to slow down and savor the slower-paced lifestyle. “I’m an active person and find it hard to relax, but when I come here, I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted. The Spanish moss, the oak trees, the water — it is all so beautiful here. And the people here are some of the kindest, most generous and most welcoming people I
To find out more about Melissa Percy and her Mistamina clothing line, visit mistamina.com or follow @mistaminaofficial.on Instagram.
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Conserving America's
Quail Country
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PRESERVING A WAY OF LIFE Estimates vary, but economic developers all agree that the preserves that bridge present-day Southwest Georgia with elements of its historic past have an annual multimilliondollar impact on the region.
Written by Carlton Fletcher Photography by Kalia Bruner
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I
t's the area's designation as "the quail capital of the world" that ties the bounty of the land to a way of life that has survived the modernization and urbanization of a fast-paced society hell-bent on leaving all vestiges of its past behind. These "plantations" are hunting preserves, large areas of land where animals are hunted in a controlled way for sport. That concept is anathema on the dozens of preserves where many industrialists and titans of industry come to get away from a world moving at light speed toward some new digital reality. These havens are sought as a throwback to the days that hunters supplied their families' sustenance by matching wits with species always threatened by man's urge to tame and leave his imprint of concrete and steel on ever more wilderness that long lay untainted.
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A little more than five decades ago, quail hunting was indeed a sport of kings. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), 135,000 hunters roamed the woods of the state, bagging some 4 million quail. Before the turn of the century, in 1998, those numbers had fallen precipitously, to 42,000 hunters harvesting 900,000 quail. That alarming trend, left to continue unabated, was finally addressed by the DNR and the Georgia Legislature in 1999 with the Bobwhite Quail Initiative. And, ever so slowly, with conservation groups joining the battle, the trend finally started reversing itself in the latter part of the 2000s. "The good news is that the quail population is now on the rise," Albany businessman Jason Wiggins, who with best bud and country music sensation Luke Bryan (a native son of Lee County) own Whispering Pines in neighboring Worth County, said of past threats to the indigenous bobwhite population. "So many people– on plantations and with conservation groups – started doing something about that trend, and the results are starting to show. Plantations (hunting preserves) like ours are part of a group working to improve quail habitat and to increase the birds' food supply. The trend has definitely been an increase in the population over the past few years." The quail population is among the essential elements of modern plantation life, which is more nature preserve than anything, and that fact is one of the drivers of the efforts of the conservation science that is conducted at the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway in nearby Baker County and the Tall Timbers Research Station Foundation in Leon County, Fla. Both facilities were once hunting preserves owned by industrialists: The Jones Center, rising from the Ichuaway Plantation owned by Coca-Cola magnate Robert Woodruff in the 1920s and Tall Timbers, evolving from a hunting paradise owned by New Yorker Edward Beadel and, later, his nephew Henry Beadel. That family's purchase of the land outside Tallahassee, Fla., that would expand into Tall Timbers was made a century before, in 1826. These outdoorsmen, wanting to be assured that the land they loved so well continued to teem with the wildlife with which they shared a bond, decreed in their wills that the land be reverted to wildlife and forest management areas where the science of conservation research and restoration might preserve what the world was rapidly losing.
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"Our dogs are vital to commercial hunts, and we have somewhere between 175180 on site," said Benjie Deloach, general manager of Southern Woods Plantation in Worth County, said. "We have hunters who come in from all over the country and some international guests, so we sometimes schedule several hunts with groups of 18 all at the same time. "To give them that experience that they come here for, we have to have some of the best-trained dogs,” he said. “That's a very important part of what we do here." Allen Ingram, owner of the 1,300-acre Piney Creek Plantation in Terrell County, said that hunters who come to the Southwest Georgia woods to hunt quail are looking for a way of life, an experience very different from their everyday existence. "It's all — the woods, the dogs, the lodge, the land, the people — a lifestyle," Ingram said. "We've built a reputation for having good, hard-flying birds, and we give the people who come here that experience they're looking for. At Piney Creek, we have a saying we live by: 'We'd rather have quality over quantity.' "I've spent all my free time in the outdoors, had an old bird dog ever since I was old enough to pet one. I know what this lifestyle is like,” he said. “That's what we want to give everyone who comes to Piney Creek."
Hunters and their prey — the bobwhite quail — are essential elements of an outing, and the hunting lodge offers a rustic reminder of times past ... with modern conveniences. Bird dogs —Springer, Brittany and Cocker spaniels; English setters and pointers; German shorthair and wirehair pointers — are the third element of the hunt, as essential as the guns used to bag the birds as they explode from underbrush into the sweet Georgia air. 58 ALBANY | 2020
Some say the lifestyle that Ingram speaks of is anachronistic, fading remnants of a bygone era. Try telling that to the thousands who make their way to Southwest Georgia every fall, hoping to get in touch with that tiny bit of primitive self that each possesses. Civilization may be at their fingertips, in the cellphones and electronic devices to which most feel permanently attached. But when it's them, a good hunting dog and a covey of quail flushed from the brush and into the air, they're transported in a way nothing else will ever rival. ∞
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Free Chapel ~ Gainesville, GA
ALBANY | ATHENS | ATLANTA | MACON www.pellicanoconstruction.com