24 minute read
SOUTHBOUND QUIZ
The Albany State University Marching Rams
Photo courtesy of Reginald Christian
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The Albany State University Marching Rams Show Band has long been recognized as one of the best Historically Black College and University performing bands in the nation by all who have seen them. The band provides unbeatable energy and enthusiasm as they perform their high-stepping shows in parades and shows. Appearances include the Honda All-Star Battle of the Bands in Atlanta amd the Tournament of the Roses Parade in California.
The ASU Marching Rams Show Band is under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Trimmins and is comprised of students from across the country. Every fall, members of the band assemble for the first time as Dr. Trimmins coordinates their marching and playing routines. The valuable training prepares them for performances during football season and functions during the semester.
For more information about the Marching Rams Show Band, contact Dr. Kenneth Trimmins at (229) 430-3659 or Kenneth.trimmins@asurams.edu.
southbound quiz Made in Albany
Albany is home to innovators and manufacturers making products enjoyed by millions of people around the world.Test your knowledge of #MadeInAlbanyGA products in this edition of the Southbound Quiz!
1) What specialty product is manufactured by Angelini Pharma to relieve pain and accelerate healing by using therapeutic heat technology? a. ThermaCare Heat Wraps b. Sunbeam Heating Pad c. iReliey Digital TENS Unit d. Solanpas Pain Relief Patch
2) Since 1927, this Georgia-based company has supplied lumber across the world and now has more than 300 locations worldwide, including Albany. a. Weyerhaeuser Co. b. Canfo Corp. c. Georgia-Pacific d. RSG Forest Products
3) From interior designer to potter, this artisan business has created more than 4,000 visually stunning, one-of-a-kind pottery pieces including vases, dinnerware, serving sets and more – sought after by lifestyle celebrities and home stylists. a. Bent Tree Pottery b. Custom Interiors c. The Pottery Group d. Custom Pottery Inc. 4) These baked snacks produced by Mars Wrigley Confectionary are bite-size pretzels or tortillas jam packed with cheese-filled deliciousness and are loved by snack eaters across the globe. a. Doritos b. Combos c. Siete Chips d. Fritos
5) Owned and operated by a group of farmers, physicians and pharmacists, this organization supplies farm-to-table foods, grainto-glass beers and seed-toscience hemp products to Albany and beyond. a. Georgia Beer Co. b. Molson Coors c. Sweetwater BrewingCo. d. Pretoria Fields Collective
6) Toilet paper took center stage in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic when panicked consumers threatened a global shortage of the everyday essential. This manufacturer doubled down to ramp up its production of Charmin. a. Kimberly-Clark Corp. b. Georgia-Pacific c. Procter & Gamble d. Oasis
7) Sitting atop a former air force base, this brewery employs 600 people that brew up to 10 million barrels of beer a year including Miller Lite, Coors Light and Redd’s Apple Ale. a. Pretoria Fields Collective b. Molson Coors c. Albany Beverage Co. d. Omaha Brewing Co.
8) What started as a small mail-order business in 1948 grew into an international supplier of South Georgia pecans. Can you name this manufacturer that calls the “Pecan Capital of the World" home?
a. Albany Pecan Co. b. South Georgia Pecan c. Sunnyland Farms d. Flint River Nuts 9) Powering water vessels for government, commercial, search and rescue, and recreational use, this Albany-based manufacturer supplies diesel outboard engines that lower fuel costs by consuming 25-42 percent less fuel than equivalent gasoline outboards. a. General Motors b. OXE Marine c. Yamaha d. Nissan
10) This manufacturer calls Albany home and employs more than 160 in its production of aircrafts since 1970. a. Thrush Aircraft b. Ayres Co. c. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. d. Aircraft Manufacturing Design
BUILD LOCAL #ShopABY
For the region's most comprehensive list of local, visit the Albany Area Chamber's online member directory at AlbanyGa.com. 42 THE RAY | 2022
SHOPPING LOCAL IS BIG BUSINESS.
It strengthens our economy, it invests in our future, it often means better services from people you know. For every $100 spent at a local business, $84 recirculates within our Albany Area economy. We know the importance of shopping local, but don’t take our word for it! Listen to your fellow community members to #ShopABY.
TERRY HO
SETH BRASHER (RIGHT)
"I love to shop! Friends ask me all the time, ‘Where did you get that?’ I love being able to tell them about our local unique boutiques and shops. Not to mention the great restaurants, specialty stores, and services you can find right here in our city. It also makes a difference to me to nurture and support our local economy. We contribute to making our city more beautiful when we shop local."
KEISHA CORY
(SECOND FROM LEFT)
KIM RUSSELL
Visit the Albany Area Chamber's online member directory
MMATTHEW SHOEMAKER CAUGHT
MORE THAN FISH FROM A SOUTH FLORIDA SALTWATER CATWALK HE FREQUENTED AS A CHILD WITH HIS FATHER AND BROTHER. HE CAUGHT A LIFELONG DREAM THAT NIBBLED AT HIM INCESSANTLY FOR DECADES.
Shoemaker fully realized that dream in early 2021. He left his job to devote all his time to Fishoey Lures, his one-man business that specializes in unique, highquality bass lures. It started with the love for fishing he developed while casting alongside his dad. “It was the times I spent with my father,” Shoemaker said. “He enjoyed it and I enjoyed being with him. That’s a big part of it. It’s amazing how much you remember those times as an adult. I can almost remember when each fish was caught. “That’s what’s so nice about fishing in general. It’s being outside, on or close to the water. You can do it by yourself in solitude and relaxation. Or you can take a family member or friend with you and share the experience. Even if you don’t catch a fish, it’s still not a bad day fishing. You ask a fisherman and he’ll say, ‘We didn’t catch anything, but we had a good time.’ ”
IN 2006, HIS DREAM REELED HIM IN A LITTLE MORE. HE “UNOFFICIALLY” BEGAN FISHOEY LURES, A MASHUP OF “FISH” AND HIS NICKNAME, “SHOEY,” AS A SIDE BUSINESS.
The young Shoemaker began creating his own designs for lures. “I had a sketchbook full of lure ideas,” he said. “It’s the one thing I wanted to do ever since I was a kid.” Some of his many designs finally made it from lined paper to fishing lines, and in 2011 he got his first patent, for his Dogger Worm. A decade later, he resigned from digital printing company Matrix Department in Lee County to pursue his lure business full time. And it's not a bad bet: Anglers in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, spend more than $1.3 billion annually on fishing in Georgia, with an economic impact of more than $2.1 billion. “It was a big step,” Shoemaker said. “Having the weekly paycheck was definitely a nice thing. But it was something I always wanted to do, and, in the back of my mind, I would always regret it if I didn’t at least try.” His company now boasts dozens of versions of his 12-inch Dogger Worms, 7-inch Dogger Pups, Hitchhiker Craws and Outlaw Craws. Brandon Classon, owner of local metal fabrication company BSR, is a competition bass fisherman who spends 25-30 weekends a year on the water. He's a fan of Shoemaker’s lures and uses his craws. “They stand on their own,” he said. “It’s got long legs and it’s got more action on the legs. You flip it in the hydrilla or anything like that, it goes through there, but you’ve got a lot of action on the tails.” Classon participates in major tournaments, including Major League Fishing, American Bass Anglers, and the Toyota
ISeries, and in weekend tournaments. He met Shoemaker when he brought his boats and trucks to Matrix for design wraps. “He was making baits and he brought it up one day. I said let me try some of them,” Classon said. He has evaluated Shoemaker’s lures and has provided him with feedback that has helped Shoemaker improve his designs. “He’s got it down now where it’s good bait,” Classon said. “Matthew cares about his products. He wants feedback, bad or good. “That’s what I like about Matthew. He’s unique himself, a good guy to deal with. If you want a different color or something, he’ll do his best to make it happen. He’s just an all-around super guy.” Shoemaker, who changed his focus from saltwater to freshwater when his family moved to Georgia in 1985, said he designs his lures “backwards.” “I start with what I want the action to be and what I want it to do, and then I go from there,” he said. “My lures are unique. No one else has them. That’s what I try to shoot for — different, unique lures that have a certain action. “The Dogger Worm was designed because no one carried a big ribbon-tailed worm with a little mouse tail on the end of it for action. You could get ribbon-tail
Originally, Shoemaker manufactured his products on a small scale out of his home. Tackle Warehouse, an online company in California, was his primary customer. He eventually contracted with a Georgia manufacturer to produce his 12- and 7-inch Dogger Worms. Shoemaker has been making his craws by hand but expected that to change soon.
When he left Matrix, Shoemaker started MCAREM Manufacturing (an acronym of his and his siblings’ initials) to manufacture all his products. He ordered machinery that would enable him to inject plastic into cold molds and produce 50-85 baits every 60-90 seconds, depending on the lure design. The equipment, delayed by pandemic supply chain issues, finally arrived in January 2022.
Taking over his manufacturing, he knows, means even longer workdays. “It’s a one-man band for right now,” he observed. “I don’t go out (fishing) as much as I’d like to because I’m so busy.”
The pandemic also expanded and rekindled interest in outdoors activities. “The demand for fishing just spiked,” Shoemaker said. “There also was a shortage from overseas to provide people with lures and such.”
Shoemaker has his own supply chain issues with which to deal. “Material costs have gone up,” he said. “Shipping right now—I get my bags made overseas—is outrageous. Costs have gone up for everything. In that sense, it’s a different model than in 2019.”
Like many business owners, Shoemaker wants to reach young demographics, especially those 12-18 years old who are deciding which brands they will use for years to come.
“Somebody’ll tell you that when they were 16 years old, they threw a watermelon red flake and they caught an 8-pound bass and, lo and behold, 30 years later there’s a watermelon red flake worm of that style in their box,” Shoemaker observed, noting he is “old school” on colors, but delves into newer colors, too.
Social media is a major part of his marketing. He also has two tractor-trailer rigs — one that travels Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and a second one that regularly goes to Ohio — with partial trailer wrap promoting his Fishoey brand.
“I’m always looking to grow in the South and all over,” he said. “I sell mainly in the United States online, Texas, California. Sometimes in places I wouldn’t expect.” Shoemaker says he is fortunate that a lot of anglers support him by displaying his logo on their boats. He also gets good support from local stores. He expects to eventually advertise on TV and radio. His lures are available for purchase on his website, www. fishoeylures.com, and he gains exposure by his lures’ inclusion in subscription boxes.
“What you really need,” he quipped, “is for a fisherman to say, ‘Don’t tell anybody, but I caught it on a Fishoey lure.’ That spreads it faster than anything.”
Classon agreed. “Sometimes you’ve got to hide your secret baits,” he said with a chuckle.
Many industries have waxed and waned over the years, but Shoemaker believes he is plugged into one that is constant. “The great thing is fishing’s universal,” he said. “Whether you’re 4 years old or 90, if you can hold a rod, you can go fishing. It can be a bamboo pole with a line and worm, or you can go all out.”
AND SHOEMAKER IS DOING EXACTLY THAT, GOING “ALL OUT” TO MAKE HIS LIFELONG DREAM COME TRUE.
LEARN MORE ABOUT FISHOEY LURES AT FISHOEYLURES.COM AND ON FACEBOOK
ANGLERS IN GEORGIA generate $1.3 billion in retail sales, with a $2.1 billion ripple effect each year. Fishing in Georgia is responsible for 15,644 jobs. Source: Georgia DNR
Learn more about fishing in Georgia at georgiawildlife.com.
happy Campers chehaw makes
With the arrival of COVID-19 in early 2020, the whole world learned to rethink everything – including how to vacation. Americans wasted no time in finding a solution to airplane travel and resort getaways – camping! According to the 2021 Annual North American Camping Report, more than 70 percent of North Americans changed their camping habits; RV ownership increased; first-time campers increased to five times greater than in 2019; and all campers are showing increasing optimism for camping in the future.
For Southwest Georgia camping enthusiasts, the most beautiful campground is in their own backyard at Albany's Chehaw Park. Campers will delight in 800 acres of beautiful, relaxing campgrounds surrounded by the tall pines of Southwest Georgia. Choose from 40 RV sites with full hookup options, a comfort station with laundry, dump station and a group shelter, or 18 tent sites with electric hookups and unlimited primitive camp sites. While on site, enjoy trails, golf disk, the zoo and other nature-based offerings available at Chehaw. Cabins with air conditioning are also available. Call (229) 430-5275 to book your site or cabin. Visit Chehaw.org to learn more. Current Rates
RV Full Hookup $28/per day RV Regular Hookup $20/per day Tent Camping $15/tent Standard Cabin $35/day Deluxe Cabin $75/day Reservation Fee $15 Pet Fee for Cabins $25/per pet * rates current at press time
south georgia Restaurant Restaurant Road Trip Road Trip
If there’s one thing we know in Southwest Georgia, it’s good food and excellent hospitality. From classic Southern dishes to more contemporary and creative food fusions – a culinary escape awaits you in town and nearby!
Albany OSTERIA
629 N. Westover Blvd.
Osteria is the most recent addition to the Stewbos family of restaurants and features authentic Italian food created by Albany-based Chef Laura Bernardi Piovesana. Favorite dishes include artisan pizzas, small bites, pastas made from scratch and entrees from land and sea with cocktail, wine and dessert selections for every palate.
Albany
ALBANY FISH CO.
1921 Dawson Road
The finest fish in Albany is found at the Albany Fish Co. - where all seafood needs are met. Patrons have the option of buying fresh, steamed, fried or grilled selections. Take your catch home or sit down and enjoy a delicious fresh seafood meal at the quaint eat-in dining space.
Bainbridge
THE AMERICAN
112 E. Broughton St.
As American as apple pie, this restaurant is in the square of historic downtown. Their focus is simple – food made from scratch daily using fresh ingredients while eliminating as much of the process and preservatives as possible.
Thomasville
LIAM'S
113 E. Jackson St.
Liam’s is passionate about food – and they prove it! From their classically-trained chef to using the freshest ingredients possible, they know “you are what you eat” and strive to entice your palate and spark your enthusiasm for a seasonal food experience.
Tifton
THE LOCAL
401 Love Ave.
New Southern cuisine and handcrafted cocktails are made from local purveyors at The Local. They use fresh ingredients for food with great flavor and soul that pays homage to the area they are proud to call home.
Americus
GYRO CITY MEDITERRANEAN GRILL
116 W. Lamar St.
Gyro City is a taste of the Mediterranean right here in Southwest Georgia! Lamb Burger, Falafel Wrap, Mediterranean Platter – this little eatery packs a big Greek punch. Set in the heart of downtown Americus, this is the perfect lunch stop after a morning of shopping.
Authentically albany
Q&A with Lisa Arnold
Although not originally from Albany, Lisa Arnold called Albany home for 20 years before moving to Louisiana. It was while living here that Arnold got her start in the film industry. With more than two decades of experience in the industry now, Arnold is well known for her work in family friendly and faith-driven films such as One Nation Under God, Caged No More, Beautifully Broken and God's Not Dead. That, too, got its start right here in Albany. Arnold worked on the set of the first Kendrick Brothers film,
Flywheel, written and produced in Albany.
formerly of albany, arnold resides in New Orleans
How did you first get your start in the film industry?
Initially, I was involved in theater, and then moved to TV, and then film work started picking up in the mid-90s in Atlanta. I was driving back and forth to be a part of that. At first, I thought I was not going to like it at all because everything that I had done prior to that had been live and film is slow and tedious, but I ended up falling in love with everything about film. So much so that I moved from on camera to behind the camera. Because I had experience producing and directing, I started helping out with other people’s projects however I could, just so I could learn more about it. Then I started writing scripts, and so by I think 10 years later, I was doing everything. I was writing, directing, and producing original content.
tell us about your involvement with those first two projects of Albany's Kendrick Brothers, alex and stephen? How did that involvement influence you as a filmmaker?
The first one was one of my favorites of all time to work on. It was called Flywheel. We had $20,000, which we used to buy the camera. No one was paid. We all just showed up on set, a very minimal crew. It was do whatever you could to get this movie made. It was such a God thing, and a vision of Alex’s. That sacrifice that just doing whatever it takes taught me the mentality of filmmaking. You have to be the make-it-happen person. If you really feel led to make a story, you have to see it all the way through. I definitely learned that temperament from Alex and Stephen.
I love the fact that it was my first film experience where everybody was just all hands on deck. It’s very different once you get into bigger budgets and you have hundreds of people on set and everybody’s just doing one job. It’s a very different experience, but to this day, I still like to keep my crew not too large because I think everybody brings so many gifts to the job. As the director, particularly, I want to allow those people to be a part of the creative process and bring what they can. I feel like set experiences are very collaborative.
Was 'Flywheel' your first time being involved in a faith-based film?
I had done one smaller one that had faith elements, but it was not at that level. Faith-based films, you have to give the Kendrick Brothers credit for that in so many ways. There were a couple other brother teams that were doing things like that but there wasn’t a lot of content for faith-based films. They really drove that and are still driving it today with the content that they’re making. I think every one of their stories is impactful and powerful. It’s enlightening. It takes your faith to another level. It shows you how to walk through these different journeys, so their role is huge. The fact that Albany, Georgia, has been the backdrop of that is huge.
After that involvement with those two projects, what led you to keep making faith-driven and family-friendly content? Why was it so important to you to continue creating films like that?
You have to go back to when I was on camera, and I was getting projects that I really didn’t want to be a part of. I didn’t like the scripts. I didn’t feel like they were content that I’d want to share with my entire family. I just felt like I wanted to have a greater purpose to my projects than just tell a story, and so that really led me to start writing and creating my own content, which I did. My first screenplay was turned into a film in, I think, around ’09, and then from there I’ve done several.
How was the transition from being on camera to being the one behind the camera?
I really found that I liked participating in more than just one aspect of it. When you come in as an actor, you have to be all about that part and making that role come to life. But that’s it, other than helping each of the other actors do their best and being in the moment with them. When you get behind the camera, from the words that they speak, to what they’re going to wear, to how you’re going to color it to set the mood, to getting involved in the score − I love being a part of every one of those aspects. It’s not just about what I’m seeing through the camera, it is about all of those levels and all of those elements.
Can you talk about your current projects and life in Louisiana now?
It’s really interesting because we live in Louisiana but I have not filmed in Louisiana for two years. I’ve been in other places; Tennessee mostly recently. I just did my first musical film, which was so great to do. It was fun to incorporate all the loves that I have − the dance, the music elements, the choreography. All of that was so much fun for me, and we’ll be doing a sequel hopefully shortly on that.
I have really stayed in the faith and family genre ever since I left, and I want to stay in that. I do have some female-based stories that are more female driven. I do a lot of coming-of-age stories. I love working with kids. I love working with teenagers. I am always drawn to that coming-of-age story and how we become who we are, that journey. I love telling that through film. I do like action films, and so I’ve got a kid action film coming up. I want to keep growing Learn more about Lisa Arnold at checkthegateproductions.com.
as a filmmaker, but I also want to be true to the stories that I like to tell. I’ll always look for the faith elements. I’ll always look through the blinder of “Can the whole family watch this?” and “Is this a story that can really go beyond the screen and touch lives and change lives?”
What do you miss most about Albany?
The food, no doubt. We miss our Pearly’s, we miss our House of China, we miss our Gargano’s pizza, all those things. We want to visit, so we can go eat. Our friends and family, too, obviously, but food!
What do you remember most about your time in Albany?
Your 20s are figuring life out and finding yourself and then your 30s are stepping into who you’re really meant to be, and I spent those years in Albany. I have to tell you how important it was to have such great friends. With my husband being from there, we had instant friends that he had grown up with and that were so welcoming of me. I had dearest girlfriends. One of my dearest friends is still there and I miss her every day. Our first church was Porterfield (United Memorial Methodist Church), and we were so welcomed there. We got really involved, and I did the children’s choir there for years. Theatre Albany was another extension of a family for me. I loved spending time there. My husband’s parents were there, too, at the time. We were surrounded by great family and friends, and I’ll always be grateful for that. Our kids had such a wonderful upbringing there, and they really loved Georgia so much. We talk about coming back a lot. We really do. It’s always something that we play around with and talk about, and I think if God opened those doors, we definitely would look at that. Georgia has such beautiful people, and particularly Albany.
I was already involved in filmmaking before the Kendrick Brothers came. But I don’t know that God would have revealed or shown me that 'this is a journey for you, too,' had I not had that experience and, honestly, had some doors shut for me, so that I would learn to walk through doors on my own. When I first got started, I didn't know of many females that were doing any of the things that I was doing early, particularly for faith-based films. I had to create opportunities, and God just allowed it and blessed it. I’m so grateful to do what I do.
I love everything about it.
Morethan700studentsareheadingintopostsecondaryinstitutions,themilitary ortheworkforceafterearningtheirhighschooldiplomasthisspringandsummer. IntheDoughertyCountySchoolSystem,we’rededicatedtobuildingthenext generationofleaderswhoarefocusedontoday’sproblemswhileworking towardstomorrow’ssolutions.
