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Columbus Veteran Fights a New Battle:

Bladder Cancer Retired army veteran, former teacher, husband, father and Columbus resident Danny Ginter doesn’t worry about much. He likes to crack jokes and teach fourth graders about the Revolutionary War. But in May 2019, he noticed something unusual: blood in his urine. Danny knew better than to ignore it. A quick trip to his local doctor led to a urologist appointment, where a biopsy revealed concerning signs. Danny recalled the urologist saying, “I don’t like what I see,” and recommended he visit a specialist.

Danny drove just north of Columbus to Cancer Treatment Centers of America® in Newnan to meet Dr. Scott Shelfo, medical director of urology, urologic oncologist and Genitourinary Cancer Center team member. Dr. Shelfo performed a second biopsy and reviewed the results with Danny: Stage I, high grade bladder carcinoma. Cancer. “So what do I do?” Danny asked, and Dr. Shelfo assured him he had treatment options. His best choices were a total bladder removal, or immunotherapy. Dr. Shelfo advised immunotherapy.

The treatment used for Danny’s cancer was also the firstever immunotherapy to be approved by the FDA in 1990. The medicine is a weakened version of the tuberculosis vaccine that is injected into the bladder. It is “the oldest and still the best treatment for high grade bladder carcinoma,” Dr. Shelfo explained. “It stimulates the body’s immune system to fight the cancer. It is often successful in decreasing recurrences and progression.”

After the first immunotherapy injection, Danny had to wait a few hours before urinating so the medicine could do its job.

He also had to rotate laying on his back, stomach, and sides every 15 minutes. “I felt like a rotisserie chicken,” Danny recalled with a laugh. He could go home for the process, as long as he followed instructions and bleached his toilet after every bathroom visit to disinfect the weakened bacteria in the liquid. This became Danny’s “norm” for two years—he grew so accustomed to the procedure that during his appointments, he jokingly instructed his nurses on the correct process.

In the meantime, COVID-19 spread across the nation.

Danny left his job as a substitute teacher out of concern for his health but found new hobbies. He picked up woodworking and became a member of and vocal advocate for the Disabled American Veterans Charity. His body responded well to the immunotherapy. Surveillance scans showed positive results, and Dr. Shelfo eventually pushed out follow-up visits to every few weeks, then monthly, and now every six months. Danny’s next appointment is set for December, and if scans show no evidence of disease, he hopes he will only have to come back once a year.

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Nowadays, Danny is head usher of his church and serves on its property committee, cutting grass on the nearly two-football-fields-large property.

Reflecting on his cancer journey, he is thankful for care close to home, and even more thankful for the compassionate care team and skilled physician who experienced the journey with him. “I believe they will go to the ends of the earth to find out what they can do to help you.”

Prostate Cancer: Facts, Figures & Risk Factors

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among American men.

The American Cancer Society estimates almost 270,000 cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2022. However, if caught early, it is also one of the most treatable malignancies—more than 3 million American men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer are still living.

Common risk factors for prostate cancer: SMOKING: Cigarette smoking is the single greatest risk factor for bladder cancer.

GENDER: Men are at higher risk than women of getting bladder cancer.

AGE: Generally, bladder cancer affects the elderly—the average age at diagnosis is 73.

RACE: Bladder cancer is twice as common among White and Black Americans compared to other races.

FAMILY HISTORY: A history of bladder cancer in the family will increase likelihood of developing the disease.

If you experience abnormal health signs or other unusual symptoms that cause you any concern, visit an expert physician as soon as possible.

Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

Genitourinary Cancer Care at Cancer Treatment Centers of America®, Atlanta

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), Atlanta, genitourinary cancer care involves a wide range of technologies and evidence-based therapies to treat men and women diagnosed with cancers of the urinary tract and male reproductive system, as well as many other rare

and common cancers, including bladder, kidney, prostate and testicular cancers. Featured here is just a sample size of the full multidisciplinary team that works together to deliver quality care with a patient-centered approach at CTCA® Atlanta.

MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST

UROLOGIC ONCOLOGISTS

• Degree: Albany Medical College • Residency: General Surgery and Urology, Yale University of Medicine • Fellowship: Urologic Oncology, University of Miami School of Medicine • Board Certification: Urologic Oncology • Serves as Medical Director of Urology

Farhang Rabbani, MD, FRCSC

• Degree: University of British Columbia • Residency: Urology, University of British Columbia • Fellowship: Urologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center • Board Certification: Urology

RADIATION ONCOLOGIST

INTERVENTIONAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGISTS

Lily Shakibnia, MD, MSc, DABR, FRCPC

• Degree: McGill University; The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine • Residency: Radiation Oncology, McGill University • Board Certifications: Diplomate, American Board of Radiology • Serves as Chief of Radiation Oncology

Henry Krebs, MD

• Degree: Texas A&M University College of Medicine • Residency: The University of Texas Health Science Center • Fellowship: Angiography and Interventional Radiology, Emory University Hospital • Board Certifications: Diagnostic Radiology; Vascular and Interventional Radiology

Expert cancer care is only one call away. If you are interested in learning more about CTCA Atlanta’s comprehensive and compassionate cancer care or have other questions about the hospital, call 833-282-2285 or visit cancercenter.com/atlanta. ADV. OCTOBER 2022

Scott Shelfo, MD, FACS

Bamidele A. Adesunloye, MD, MS, FACP • Degree: University of Ilorin • Residency: Internal Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine • Fellowship: Medical Oncology and Hematology, National Cancer Institute/ National Institutes of Health • Board Certifications: Medical Oncology; Hematology

Charles Fulp, MD

• Degree: University of North Carolina • Residency: University of North Carolina Hospitals • Board Certifications: Diagnostic Radiology

Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Atlanta

Columbus and the Valley

600 Celebrate Life Pkwy. • Newnan, GA • 833.282.2285 CancerCenter.com/Atlanta

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From the Editor’s Desk

J

ust like everyone else, we have been locked down trying to keep Covid19 at bay in our lives. This, our city magazine, continues to tell the stories of the people and places of our bend in the Chattahoochee River. Valley Parent continues to be an excellent textbook for rearing healthy, well-adjusted children and we’ve managed to run our business while keeping our office space sometimes closed and sometimes buttoned down to protect us, our employees and our customers. It has been pretty exciting to keep our magazine business vibrant and keep us engaged in the exciting process of watching new buildings, new and upgraded streets and roads and exciting retail come online around our city and region.

Last weekend, Jill took off for Destin with several carloads of her girlfriends for a girls’ beach trip. The husbands, who became my friends by association with their wives who have been in Jill’s closest cadre of friends for the whole of her lifetime, have never taken a single guy trip when our wives headed off for one of their epic beach trips. This time was different. The girls left last weekend, and one of the husbands and I grabbed our masks, jumped into my car and spent two days and two nights at the Beau Rivage, an MGM Grand casino property in Biloxi, Mississippi. We ate well, drank a little, spent quite a few consecutive hours at gaming tables and had an all-around great time.

I don’t think I realized just how much I needed to get away somewhere and just blow it out for a couple of days. When I dusted off my MGM Player’s Card and presented my member number to the reservation clerk on the phone, I was pretty shocked that she not only comped my guestroom for two nights, but also all the food and drinks I wanted. I honestly thought I’d be burning a credit card for the full cost of my fun and games for the weekend, and I’ll admit that the prospects of a free gambling weekend were beginning to sound like a whole lot of fun.

Since I’ve taken my little radical sabbatical gambling trip, a quick flip through this issue of Columbus and the Valley has fueled my fire to secure high-quality recreational ideas right here from the comfort of my chair using this copy of my hometown magazine as a good place to start the planning process. There are day trips, weekend junkets and all manner of retail therapy that can begin right here.

I hope you’ll take some time to enjoy this issue of our publication and let your local merchants know that it is important to you to support local businesses and industry.

Recreation and good times are important to have present in our lives. Good times help keep us centered when challenges arrive, and we have to work hard to keep things on an even keel. Playing hard is just as important for keeping our work/life balance in order. Remember that the next time you’re due a party!

EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS Mike Venable and Jill Tigner

mike@columbusandthevalley.com jill@columbusandthevalley.com

ADVERTISING SALES Kathleen Mitchell

kathleen@columbusandthevalley.com

Margie Richardson

margie@columbusandthevalley.com

Julie Jernigan, Sales Assistant

salesassistant@columbusandthevalley.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sixty Two Graphic Studio CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brett Buckner Marquette McKnight Janet Burden Mike Owen Cyndy Cerbin Scott Phillips Pat Daniel Jill Tigner PHOTOGRAPHY Ritchie White Photography ______________________ P.O. Box 229 214A 10th Street Columbus, GA 31902 706-324-6214 • fax 706-324-6216 ______________________ COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAGAZINE is published bimonthly for $18 per year by Chicken Dinner News, Inc., dba COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAG­A­ZINE, P. O. Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902. The cov­er and contents are fully protected and may not be re­pro­duced in whole or in part without the writ­ten con­sent of COLUMBUS AND THE VAL­LEY MAG­AZ ­ INE. We are not responsible for loss of unsolicited inquiries, manuscripts, pho­to­graphs, or other materials. They will not be returned un­less accompanied by re­turn post­age. Editorial con­tri­bu­tions and let­ters should be addressed to CO­LUM­BUS AND THE VALLEY MAG­A­ZINE, Post Office Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902.

Copyright © 2022 by Chicken Dinner News, Inc. trad­ing as CO­LUM­BUS AND THE VALLEY MAG­A­ZINE. Postmaster: Please send address corrections to: Post Office Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902.

Mike Venable Editor

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Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 VOLUME 31 | NO. 5

what’s inside...

FEATURES 9 Five Under 40

39 Crush

Meet this year’s group of young movers and shakers and an update on previous honorees.

The magic of wine barrels

41 The Columbus Stocking Strangler William Rawlings’ book chronicles the case of the serial killer that terrorized Columbus.

26 Don Your Denim

Columbus Hospice event raises funds for those who need their services.

28 ‘The world will be watching’ RushSouth Whitewater Park hosts ICF World Cup Canoe Freestyle Championships.

37 Neighbors Gather in Lakebottom

MidTown Mingle marks 11 years.

DEPARTMENTS 55 The Cine Files 59 Valley Scenes 64 Dining Guide 67 Calendar 68 —30— 6

49 So Long, Summer; Hello Season of Giving

Hope Harbour’s Celebration of Hope Luncheon supports victims of domestic violence.

53 Sue Marie and Bill Turner Servant Leadership Gala Pastoral Institute honors health care community.

56 Lego Chicago

Local engineer takes his hobby to the next level.

AND THE VALLE Y

EXTRAS

27 HOMETOWN BUSINESS

On th e

Go? Read the V Columb us a alley on Yo Everyw nd here ur M Devic obile es

ON THE COVER This year’s 5 Under 40: (L-R) Katie Bishop, Jacob Greer, Chelsea Arrington, Lauren Isom and Becca Zajac at Eighteen85 Rooftop Bar + Kitchen at Hotel Indigo.

by Ritchie White Photography

Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

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Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

Five Under 40

BY CYNDY CERBIN PHOTOS BY RITCHIE WHITE

Five Under 40 Young Leaders: (Back row, L-R) Katie Bishop, Jacob Greer, Lauren Isom, Chelsea Arrington, Becca Zajac

T

his may be our favorite time of year at Columbus and the Valley—when we get to showcase individuals who are brightening the Valley’s horizon.

This year’s Five Under 40 selectees craft projects and words, inspire teens and retirees and connect us all to each other. They are young, enthusiastic and determined to make our cities the very best they can be.

Five Under 40, in partnership with the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals, salutes these young professionals not only for excellence in their careers, but also for their commitment to improving the community.

We’ve changed the format of the article this year to hear their stories in their own words. Responses to our questions have been edited for length and clarity. After reading about them, we think you, too, will be confident that our community’s leadership is in good hands.

OCTOBER 2022

Columbus and the Valley

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Congratulations to our Rising Star

Cameron Saunders

We are so very proud of you and your accomplishments!

Mom and Dad

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Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

CHELSEA ARRINGTON Tell us about your job and why you chose this career field.

I always wanted to be an attorney, but the doors came open for this opportunity at Aflac. Also, after I graduated from Auburn with a degree in entrepreneurial and family business, I started my first business, Majestic Cupcakes. And then later, I started another business called Generational Changers, which is a nonprofit organization to help millennials identify their purpose in life and get involved in the community. And a few years later, I started my third business, Business with Purpose Consulting and Marketing, to help small business owners get started and inspire them to be the best they can be.

Has your life taken the course you expected it to take?

I know things don’t always go as planned in life. When I had the idea to go to law school, I took the test and everything, but during that time my father passed, and there was just a lot going on. So, I had to go back to the table and reconsider some things, and it led me down the business path. That gave me the opportunity to expand myself in the business arena and help others in business while helping myself. I’ve become more passionate and feel I’ve found my God-given purpose in life with what I do now.

You were selected as one of our Five Under 40 because you’ve shown a commitment to the Chattahoochee Valley. Tell us about the activities in the community.

I am the president of the Columbus Urban League Young Professionals, where we help serve the underserved in our community.

I sit on the board of United Way Emerging Leaders, which is geared toward the young leaders within our community. And I host three community-wide events including the Easter Extravaganza, an opportunity OCTOBER 2022

for the community to come out, bond as a family and get to know one another. I’ve also hosted—this will be our fifth year—the backto-school bash, where we give out free school supplies. We also host a toy giveaway. Last year was probably our biggest toy giveaway in the Chattahoochee Valley, and we’ve helped thousands of families in our area.

What are you most optimistic about in our community?

One thing I’ve seen that the community is doing right is diversity. I believe we’re bringing all races together for the betterment of our community. You can definitely see the growth over time from where we were to where we are today.

What would you like to see happen that isn’t happening?

AGE 29

HOMETOWN Phenix City

OCCUPATION Benefits Consultant, Aflac

EDUCATION Central High School, Auburn University

FAMILY Fiancé Shaquille Brown; mom Geneva Arrington

Our youth definitely need us. They need good role models to stay out of trouble and to bring out the greatness in them. Sometimes I feel like we just don’t have the people in place to speak to these youth. I think one solution is meeting them where they are with people they can relate to. It’s going to take all of us, Columbus and the Valley

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not just one or two people, to help bring this community of youth together.

When you talk about the Chattahoochee Valley to people who don’t live here, what do you tell them?

I tell them it’s a great place. I’ve been here all my life, so you know, if I saw that it wasn’t a great place, I probably would have been gone by now. But I love the Chattahoochee Valley. I think we have so much to offer here: Different activities, entertainment and shopping local. We have great things here now and even more to come.

As you look to the future, what are some of your personal and professional goals?

One of my professional goals would be to go back to what I originally had planned and become an attorney specializing in family law. I really have a passion for it.

It would give me the opportunity to serve

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my community on a greater level. And I really want to be the voice the people need. On a personal level, I just want to continue to grow. I feel like there’s still so much more inside of me that needs to be unlocked. I still have more ideas, dreams and businesses that I want to pursue in life that I have yet to tap into.

What are three qualities that got you where you are today?

I would say one is my integrity. I think it’s a great foundation for being a leader. Also, the way I communicate with people. One thing about me is I don’t care what background a person came from, and I don’t look down on other people. I will speak to someone I may not even know the same way I’ll speak to my family members. And the third one would probably be my passion, my drive and my purpose. I’m a person who would just give, give, give, because I just have that heart and that desire to be a blessing to the people in our community.

Columbus and the Valley

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I would say one of my greatest achievements would probably be just graduating from high school and college.

It was very challenging for me in high school when my dad died. I was a daddy’s girl, and I took it pretty hard. But I was able to graduate from both college and high school, and then stepped out on faith to start my business. Those will be my greatest achievements at the moment, until one day when I can say I’ve graduated from law school.

What do you do for fun?

Oh, my gosh. Nothing much at the moment because I’m always busy, you know, just attending to my business and working all the time and doing things in the community. But my fiancé and I have been taking a few trips. If I had the time, I’d like to be relaxing on the beach, feet in the sand.

OCTOBER 2022

KATIE BISHOP Tell us about your job and why you chose this career field.

I think the reason the marketing and public relations world spoke to me is not only the connection to people, but I’m a really analytical person. I think trying to define who the customer is and what makes them buy something really spoke to me. And that’s really what we do at Yalla. On a daily basis, we’re behind our computers, strategizing and analyzing. And the majority of work is in the digital space, managing someone’s social media presence and producing the content to go on those social media channels. We produce about six events a year.

Has your life taken the course you expected it to take?

Probably not. As a young female, I never really envisioned myself being an entrepreneur or a business owner. It’s just not something I grew up seeing females do.

I wasn’t around entrepreneurs a lot. I was around employees and people who worked at companies, as teachers and as nurses. Postcollege and getting into the corporate world, I saw myself more as an independent worker who wanted to create her own schedule and have more control over her own life.

You were selected as one of our Five Under 40 because you’ve shown a commitment to the Chattahoochee Valley. Tell us about the activities in the community.

When I moved back here, I thought it wouldn’t be forever. I decided instead of complaining, I’d put pressure on myself to make this the place I want it to be. So, I started to get involved. I’m on the boards of Young Professionals and the Giving Kitchen. I serve on the Better Work Steering Committee working to make sure people have equal access to employment, which addresses another big passion of mine, recidivism. I live in the Historic District and serve on the OCTOBER 2022

Board of Historical Architecture and Review, because I really care about not only historical preservation, but restoration and making sure that we’re treating historical properties with the respect that they deserve.

What are you most optimistic about in our community?

When people think about Columbus, the one thing they know is that the right people are at the table. People who care enough and can donate the funds to help make a change.

For me, I’m most excited and optimistic about seeing change in our poverty rate. I feel like there are a lot of key players in the right places now to help make that happen. And that gets me most excited because of everything it impacts—education, affordable housing. I see a light at the end of the tunnel that sometime in the next five to 10 years we’re going to see some key changes happening in the community.

AGE 32

HOMETOWN Columbus

OCCUPATION Co-Founder and Chief Buzz Ambassador, Yalla PR

EDUCATION Columbus High School, University of Alabama

FAMILY Partner Joseph Berger, parents Richard and Dorris Bishop

What would you like to see happen that isn’t happening?

There aren’t enough young people living here. I think of Columbus as a settle-down town. A lot of people move here 10 or 15 years Columbus and the Valley

13

post-graduation. They’ve gotten married, had a couple of kids and they want to move home so their parents can help them raise those children. I think that’s great, but I would love to also see people moving here that are single, wanting to date, wanting fun entertainment at night.

It’s just that lively component I don’t think we have yet.

When you talk about the Chattahoochee Valley to people who don’t live here, what do you tell them?

I tell them Columbus is a big enough city with a small city vibe. That we’re similar to small pockets you would find in Atlanta, like a Virginia Highlands.

You’re going to know people, such as your local bartender and the person selling you produce at the farmer’s market. But you also get a lot of the amenities of a bigger city. Also, the outdoor lifestyle here is untouched. There are not many other

cities where you can pop out from having a beer or a cocktail and go sit riverside and watch rafters come through at sunset.

You just can’t make that up.

am who I am. Not many filters. I know I’m taking a gamble on people either liking that or hating it, but I think most people appreciate authenticity.

As you look to the future, what are some of your personal and professional goals?

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My professional goal is to entice young people to move here. We want to be a company that hires young people right out of college and give them a fun, flexible, modern place to work that allows them to thrive. And then personally, I just hope to always be a happy, active person.

I want to be the person who travels till the day they die. All over the world. I always want to be experiencing different cultures and expanding my mind. And I want to have a lot of dogs.

What are three qualities that got you where you are today?

I’m driven, confident and authentic. I

I think my greatest achievement is the team we’ve built at Yalla. It’s not about being able to pay other employees, but to be able to lead them to succeed.

What do you do for fun?

Fly fishing is one of my most favorite pastimes. I Iove to cook and hosting is one of my love languages. I like to make super-elaborate recipes from Bon Appetit magazine. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s the process I love. And travel is important to me because it is the way that I can continuously expand my mind. It allows me to understand people better. It’s just so good for the brain, the body and the heart.

Congratulations to

KATIE BISHOP

and all the 2022 Five Under 40 and Rising Stars on winning these great honors!

from Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson 14

Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

JACOB GREER Tell us about your job and why you chose this career field.

I chose this career field as a remodeling contractor/repairman because I always enjoyed working with my hands, and I’ve always demonstrated a knack for that skill set. The truck I had in high school was kind of a project for me, and I always helped my stepdad. He was an electronics tech who installed sound systems and security systems and whatnot, so I’d help him with that from time to time. My grandfather was an engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers, and I would help him on his farm. And I worked various construction jobs during the summer in high school.

Has your life taken the course you expected it to take?

From birth? Nope. I enjoyed building things, designing things, structures and whatnot and different types of systems. I was in the engineering magnet program in high school and did well, but in college, I was a rambunctious young man with wild oats to sow. So, I gave this a try, and things picked up much quicker than I thought they would.

I expected to be an engineer, but this is where I landed.

You were selected as one of our Five Under 40 because you’ve shown a commitment to the Chattahoochee Valley. Tell us about the activities in the community.

Three years ago, we decided to start doing a fall festival to raise money and give families something fun to do. Each year we pick a different beneficiary. The first year was the Warrior Outreach program and the second year was the Boys and Girls Club. And we’ve sponsored fundraisers for different nonprofit organizations. We sponsored a fundraiser for Anne Elizabeth Shepherd Home and Twin Cedars and sold hot dogs and soft drinks to benefit the Cancer Society’s Relay for OCTOBER 2022

Life. We also started redoing neighborhood entrance signs pro bono. I noticed the signs in my neighborhood were looking kind of raggedy. And with me doing this kind of work, what kind of man would I be if I didn’t use my resources to better our environment?

It’s good for the community. It helps beautify our areas and helps people take pride in their neighborhood.

What are you most optimistic about in our community?

I’m optimistic that the people my age will start to step up and take leadership positions.

That’s what I’m trying to do. Lead by example.

Sometimes somebody needs to see somebody do something to get inspired themselves. I’m optimistic about my children’s future living here in Columbus.

AGE 34

HOMETOWN Columbus

OCCUPATION Remodeling Contractor

EDUCATION Northside High School, attended Auburn University

FAMILY Wife Jessica; son Rowan, 3; daughter due on Halloween

What would you like to see happen that isn’t happening?

I’d like to see more family-oriented things pop up. At the moment, there’s only Launch Trampoline Park, Stars and Strikes, stuff like that. I’d like to see other things to do with your kids, like a Top Golf or something like Columbus and the Valley

15

that. Something family-friendly, where you can make a day of it. Let’s see more family entertainment type things.

When you talk about the Chattahoochee Valley to people who don’t live here, what do you tell them?

I tell them it’s the biggest little place to live. You know, it has a small, hometown feel where you can go somewhere every day and see somebody you know, but at the same time, you can go to the same place and see other people you don’t know.

Living in a real small town doesn’t appeal to me and living in the heart of Atlanta or somewhere like that would be too much for me. I like the vibe Columbus gives off in that respect.

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As you look to the future, what are some of your personal and professional goals?

I would like to become a community leader more so than I am now. I have toyed with the idea of running for local public office. I would like to get our youth more involved in beneficial things. Once we did a little workshop for the youth to teach them beneficial skills like how to change your oil, how to use basic tools, stuff like that. So, I’d like to get some kind of youth program going, to teach simple life skills, and prepare underprivileged kids for a career.

What are three qualities that got you where you are today?

My work ethic is one. My parents raised me to be an honest guy, and I’m loyal to

Columbus and the Valley

my employees. I try to make everybody feel important, and that they’ve got a place. In the construction industry, you get guys that have made mistakes, guys that have tripped and fallen. But let’s face it, I’ve made probably a lot of those same mistakes, so I like to give second chances.

What do you do for fun?

Deep sea fishing. If I could retire, I’d become a charter boat captain. I love going to River Dragons games. I don’t even know the rules to hockey; I just go for the action. And I like to do things with my family. I’m definitely not a textbook dad, but I try to be a good dad. I’m a gruff contractor dude raising my son to be a man and a gentleman, too. When my little girl comes along? I’ll figure that out as I go.

OCTOBER 2022

LAUREN ISOM Tell us about your job and why you chose this career field.

Well, I’m a financial planner, and I work with my dad. He’s my business partner at Griner-Isom. He’s been in business for 44 years now. I started out working with him when I was home from college on summer breaks. I was really scared that I was going into the business for the wrong reasons, that I was just doing it because my dad did it and it might be easy for us to work together. But I really enjoy it. It’s like a ministry to me. I feel like I’m helping people in our community, making them feel good about the decisions they’re making.

Has your life taken the course you expected it to take?

I would say so. It’s kind of evolved that way.

In college, I didn’t really know where I would end up, but I never really had a different path I thought I would be on. Growing up, my family instilled in us to give back to the community, and I feel like my job kind of does the same thing.

You were selected as one of our Five Under 40 because you’ve shown a commitment to the Chattahoochee Valley. Tell us about the activities in the community.

Tennis has always been a huge part of my life, so I like to give back to that. I’ve been past president and on the board of the Columbus Regional Tennis Association. And now, because of that, I’m on the Sports Council board, which is really interesting, because now I see the benefit of different sports activities bringing people to Columbus, bringing in revenue and having a big economic impact.

I’m not on Mercy Med’s board, but I help with their gala and was able to get them a big grant through New York Life. I also serve on Berry College’s Planned Giving Council. And I go to Washington DC once a year to lobby with our lawmakers and educate the staffers OCTOBER 2022

on issues that are important to our business and our clients.

AGE 39

What are you most optimistic about in our community?

HOMETOWN

They’re taking rundown sections of town and trying to make them better with new businesses and restaurants that can actually turn around and thrive. And they’re trying to bring more people to Columbus.

OCCUPATION

What would you like to see happen that isn’t happening?

A lot of times we have to leave Columbus to go shop for things we need. Even though Columbus is a good size city, I feel like it’s not really given the credit it should get from stores and other businesses. I also hate seeing all these empty buildings. A lot of businesses are leaving or people are working remote.

You know, it’s kind of sad to see the shell of buildings and no people inside.

Columbus

Financial Planner, Griner-Isom Financial Strategies

EDUCATION Brookstone School, Berry College

FAMILY Husband Bo, daughter Lucy, 7; son Landry, 6

When you talk about the Chattahoochee Valley to people who don’t live here, what do you tell them?

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Columbus is not huge, but it’s bigger than it seems. I think it’s great for raising a family. And we have some really unique things about our city like the whitewater rafting downtown. People outside of Columbus have heard about it, and it’s

pretty cool to say, “That’s where I live.”

As you look to the future, what are some of your personal and professional goals?

I like to go to annual meetings so that

I’m staying on top of things, to make sure that I am advising clients the correct way.

And I want to grow my business. I’m going to need to hire another partner; my dad’s not going to be my partner forever.

What are three qualities that got you where you are today?

The drive to give back and help others.

Also, I’m not a quitter. If I start something, I like to finish it. And I’m pretty good at organizing and compartmentalizing.

There are so many different things going on personally, or with work or volunteering. You know, when you work hard, you work hard and when you play hard, you play hard, and try not to get them confused.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Personally, it would be getting married and having children. Until you go through that, you don’t really understand the joy it brings you. In my business, I strive to do better every year. But it’s hard; it’s kind of a moving target.

What do you do for fun?

Well, obviously, I play tennis. I don’t get to play as often as I used to, but I still enjoy playing once or twice a week. And now that the children are older, I can take them to do things, like to Callaway Gardens to play on the inflatables in the water and things like that. It makes me happy that I can do things with them.

Perfect Size.

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Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

BECCA ZAJAC Tell us about your job and why you chose this career field.

My background is in international sporting events. When I first came to Columbus, I worked at Uptown Columbus, Inc. doing event planning, but I also got into economic development. I really started to think about public spaces and how people use space and how we can design it better. The idea with the Dragonfly Trail is connectivity, connecting people to places and connecting people to each other. With a connected trail, you can explore areas that you may not normally explore.

Has your life taken the course you expected it to take?

After I moved here—from Houston, a really massive city—I remember one time crying on the phone to my mom, saying I just don’t think this is the place for me.

My favorite store wasn’t here. Nobody did brunch. I couldn’t find a good smoothie bar or yoga studio. If you would have asked me seven years ago if I planned to stay here forever, I would have said no way. But I think what keeps me here and why I feel like Columbus is a home to me as much as my actual hometown, is that Columbus has a way of putting its arms around you and making you feel like part of the community. The opportunity for out-of-towners to succeed in shaping this community is unique.

You were selected as one of our Five Under 40 because you’ve shown a commitment to the Chattahoochee Valley. Tell us about the activities in the community.

I think probably my biggest contribution to the community outside of my work is as the chair of Vibrant and Connected places, which is part of Columbus 2025.

We’re interested in creating spaces, events, activities and a vibe that is attractive to somebody who’s eight years old or 80 years OCTOBER 2022

old. Downtown has an incredible vibe going on, and we want to continue to build and contribute to what they’re doing, but we’re also interested in bringing life to other parts of our community that have been under resourced through public art, through cultural activities, through connectivity, like a trail system.

What are you most optimistic about in our community?

My partner’s high school and college friends are moving back to town to raise their families here. I feel like that sort of brings validity to the work all of us are doing.

Also, we have organizations that are really digging their feet into improving education, improving infrastructure, actually paying attention to all areas of our community, not just Uptown. We’ve done a lot of the hard work, which is creating the infrastructure, creating the bones. We’ve got a really solid city. We just need people to know about it.

AGE 32

HOMETOWN Livonia, Michigan Moved to Columbus in 2015

OCCUPATION Executive Director, Dragonfly Trails

EDUCATION Ladywood High School (Livonia, Michigan), Whittenburg University (Springfield, Ohio)

FAMILY Partner Miles Greathouse

What would you like to see happen that isn’t happening?

One of the things we’re not doing as a Columbus and the Valley

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community is showcasing the amenities we have. We’ve invested almost a billion dollars along the RiverWalk. We have the trail system, Whitewater, zip lining, we have a mountain bike park. From a cultural arts standpoint, we have the Bo Bartlett Center and the Columbus Museum. We have all these amenities that should make us one of the most desirable cities to visit or to live in similar to a Greenville or an Asheville, but we really haven’t done the best job of telling our story. Also, our City departments are seriously understaffed and underpaid. In other cities, they have people that work on trails under their planning department.

They have departments dedicated to trees.

We have to have nonprofits like Trees Columbus and Dragonfly Trails to do those things. We brag about our public/ private partnerships and we’re lucky to have such a philanthropic community, but the reality is private organizations or nonprofits shouldn’t be subsidizing basic services. But the City can’t provide it

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because of the tax freeze and some other things.

As you look to the future, what are some of your personal and professional goals?

Professionally, I want to grow Dragonfly Trails to be more regional. We want to connect south to Fort Benning and west to Phenix City and north to Harris County.

Personally, I want to continue to make a difference in the community I live in.

What are three qualities that got you where you are today?

I’m a people person and I do a pretty good job of creating and maintaining relationships. I think I’m hardworking.

I am definitely a procrastinator, but I always get the job done. Frankly, I probably take on too many things, but I am so passionate about this community.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Columbus and the Valley

I’m a triathlete, and I’ve qualified for the Ironman World Championship in October. That’s something I’m super proud of. And I’m proud of the work the Dragonfly Trail organization is doing. I truly believe we are improving the quality of life for everybody in our community.

When I worked at Uptown, I felt like I only served people who had a car and could afford to go out to eat and shop. But the trail system and the public art along the trail gives people a little bit of hope that work is being done in neighborhoods that so desperately need it. People need to see investment in their neighborhood.

They need to see something that’s bright and happy and hopeful in their lives.

What do you do for fun?

Running and biking are two of my favorite hobbies. And we have two dogs, Boulder and Woodford, who are like our kids. Every other weekend we take trips to ride our bikes and take the dogs on pup-cations.

OCTOBER 2022

CELEBRATING 15 YEARS of Five Under 40 Young Leaders

2013

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Shauna Young Jason Branch Crystal Pendleton Shahid Joseph Brannon Daniel Stone

Chris Blackshear Walker Garrett Crystal Trawick Travis Wade Lakerri Mack

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Amy Adams Billy Blanchard Travis Chambers Maria Kent Joshua Lane

Reynolds Bickerstaff Wesley Ker-Fox Josh McKoon Anne Brown Teddy Reese

Jay Alexander Helena Haro Coates Brantley Boyd Ford William Taylor Tyler Townsend

Jeff Beck Amy Bryan Jason Gamache Janell Lewis Theresa Robertson

Colby Cardin Amy Shepherd Giglio Dr. Griff Gordy Nick Stutzman Chris Woodruff

Katherine Cannella Raveeta Addison Justin Krieg Erica Chesnutt Cameron Bean

Nate Klein Will Burgin Nicole DeVries Michelle Griffin Sean Knox

Sally Baker Norman Hardman Tyson Begly Sherricka Day Gina Hall

Lesley Dudley Chris Gray Neely Ker-Fox Jason McKenzie Jonathan Perkins

Brooke Devlin Kristen Fraser Isiah Harper Demetrius McBride Cassie Myers

W 2020

Brittany Haines Christine Hull Mercedes Parham Derik Roberts Natalia Temesgen OCTOBER 2022

2021

Libba Dillon Jessica Ferriter Michelle Folta Sherpri Giles Cortney Wilson

2022

Chelsea Arrington Katie Bishop Jacob Greer Lauren Isom Becca Zajac Columbus and the Valley

e began our annual recognition of Five Under 40 in 2008 as a way to shine a light on emerging leaders in our community. Through the years it’s become one of the features we look forward to most. On this 15th anniversary, we decided to check back in with a few of these leaders to find out where they are now and what they’re doing. The following are answers to some questions we posed to a few of our Five Under 40 alumni.

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Maria Sandri Kent

2008 • AGE 53 CURRENTLY OF COLUMBUS

What is your current job and how has it changed since being chosen one of our Five Under 40?

My professional life today is nothing I would have imagined when I was a 5U40.

I left a long-term corporate career [TSYS] to start my own business. I now own and run a flagship store for Winnie Couture, a high-end bridal boutique based in Beverly Hills. Running your own business is a lot of work, of course, but it’s been a lot of fun bringing both cutting-edge wedding gown designs and top-quality traditional designs to the Columbus region. A young woman will always remember her wedding gown, and playing a role in such a happy time is pure joy for me.

How have you seen the Chattahoochee Valley change?

I love seeing how downtown is maturing and becoming such a vital part of our community. It’s brought new life to a corridor that was largely dormant in years past, and it illustrates a culture in

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Columbus of coming together to create things that make the town better for all of us. It’s equally encouraging to see that vitality spread to other parts of Uptown and Midtown. While the community still has serious challenges with crime and poverty, the resurgence of downtown as the true heart of the city is a tremendous success story we should celebrate.

What advice do you have for young people who want to make a positive impact on our community?

Think deeply about our community’s opportunities and challenges. We need tomorrow’s leaders to focus on improving the appearance of the area and expanding redevelopment. But equal focus must be given to improving the wellbeing of those who live here.

Helena Coates

2009 • AGE 48 CURRENTLY OF COLUMBUS

What is your current job and how has it changed since being chosen one of our Five Under 40?

Columbus and the Valley

I’m thrilled to say I’ve started my own company. I have invested in four boutique fitness gyms in Alabama called Rumble!

With this venture, I’m putting my two passions together—running a thriving business and physical fitness—to achieve my long-term dreams. First gym should open by late 2022. I’m utilizing the same skills (marketing, HR, finance, strategy) learned in owning a small company previously and amping up the team of employees. Once all gyms are outfitted and live, we’ll have more than 50 employees.

How have you seen the Chattahoochee Valley change?

Since I was named one of CVM’s Five Under 40, I’ve seen a lot of incredible community leaders and businesspeople retire. Lucky for Columbus, this retiring generation has mentored an excellent group to take their place. And great ideas, exchanges and partnerships will continue to happen because of it. Uptown continues to thrive (I remain active on that board) with the growth of mixed-use projects, hotels (I keep pinching myself that hotels is a plural noun!), rental units and winning the bid for the World Championships in

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kayaking. We need to continue to have our eye on the future and support community growth and development.

What advice do you have for young people who want to make a positive impact on our community?

Get involved! This is your community and your home. We need your talents and brain share on how to make this a better place. Find your passion and raise your hand. Columbus is a great place to live, raise a family, grow professionally and a wonderful place to call home. Together, we make it even better. But we need everyone.

Christopher Woodruff

2010 • AGE 43 CURRENTLY OF COLUMBUS

What is your current job and how has it changed since being chosen one of our Five Under 40?

I’m founder and CEO of The Cotton Companies, Inc., a real estate development firm established in 2016. At The Cotton Companies, our purpose is to bring life to communities. Whether it’s restoring and giving a new future to existing structures through thoughtful adaptive reuse or casting an exciting vision for long-time dormant, urban spaces, the objective is always the same: Create compelling environments where people simply love to be.

Prior to creating The Cotton Companies, I worked as a Project Manager for W.C. Bradley Co. Real Estate. My role since that time has transformed significantly—from working for a real estate company to running your own company and building a project portfolio with multiple developments/ projects across the Columbus and Atlanta market.

How have you seen the Chattahoochee Valley change?

The Chattahoochee Valley has changed dramatically in the 10+ years since I was awarded 5 Under 40… The downtown landscape boasts major real estate developments, whitewater rafting, vibrant nightlife and thriving workforce. We are now the second largest city in Georgia.

Columbus State University has a major presence downtown and Mercer Medical University has built a satellite 4-year doctoral program in downtown as well.

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This community has seen a major change in a myriad of ways over the last decade. If we continue on this trajectory and speed, we will be one of the most desirable small cities to live in the southeast.

What advice do you have for young people who want to make a positive impact on our community?

Mahatma Gandhi said, “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.

As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

Don’t wait. Start now. Find likeminded individuals and partner to effectuate positive change. Don’t stand by in complacency—or worse, complain. This is your community. Be proud of it and work to make it better in whatever way you feel that you can. Be the change you wish to see in Columbus!

Nate Klein

2011 • AGE 37 CURRENTLY OF WATKINS, IOWA

What is your current job and how has it changed since being chosen one of our Five Under 40?

I currently serve as the vice president for student success at my alma mater, Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Aflac both in Columbus and then in Columbia, South Carolina, yet as I noted during my interview now over 10 years ago with Columbus and the Valley, my intent was to follow my passion, not just my pension, which led me back to the classroom and eventually serving our students and University in this role. The teams I support provide support to students in all of their outside of the classroom life including athletics, residence life, diversity, career services, engagement and leadership development.

How have you seen the Chattahoochee Valley change?

I have visited the Valley several times Columbus and the Valley

since I left in 2013 including visiting friends and for the NAIA College Softball World Series in 2021. It has been fun to stay in touch to hear about the whitewater project coming to fruition, the national appeal for sports/recreation, the ongoing service with the organizations I loved being a part of, the growth of the Young Professionals organization we started, and the food, of course, including my obligatory visit to Dinglewood Pharmacy for a scramble dog every time we are back.

What advice do you have for young people who want to make a positive impact on our community?

All too often people wait for greatness.

Instead of waiting to be asked to serve, find your passion, raise your hand and go full in to making a positive change in your community. Remember, there are times we have to say no to really good opportunities in order to say yes to diving deep to make a profound difference in the world.

Crystal Pendleton Shahid

2012 • AGE 43 CURRENTLY OF COLUMBUS

What is your current job and how has it changed since being chosen one of our Five Under 40?

I currently serve as the market president for Truist Bank where I have responsibility for commercial lending and community engagement across the region. What I was doing when I was chosen for Five Under 40 [Synovus] has prepared me for today’s challenges and opportunities.

How have you seen the Chattahoochee Valley change?

Our community has grown in so many ways. We still have the connectivity of the Columbus I grew up in, but we’ve become the place where everyone wants to live. I love to see the growth of small businesses while we maintain our traditional roots.

What advice do you have for young people who want to make a positive impact on our community?

Get engaged in the community. Whether that’s through an organization like the Chamber, the Junior League or Urban League, you have a voice that’s necessary for our community to grow. C 23

Rising STARS

Cameron Saunders 32 OCCUPATION: Attorney, Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford, P.C. EDUCATION: Brookstone School, University of Georgia, Mercer University FAMILY: Parents Ben and Suzanne Saunders

Ashley Schley 30

OCCUPATION: Director of Annual Giving, Columbus State University EDUCATION: Hardaway High School, Brenau University, Columbus State University FAMILY: Husband Frank Schley IV COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Columbus State University Staff Council, Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals, Women's Initiative for Learning and Discovery (W.I.L.D.), Paws Humane

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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Port Columbus, Grace Presbyterian, Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals, Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, Columbus State University Athletic Fund, Muscogee County Library Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Young Lawyer Division, Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, Southeastern Fellows Institute, Columbus Inn of Court, Columbus Young Lawyer Division, Columbus Bar Association, Pro Bono Atlanta Legal Aid, Wills Clinics

Columbus and the Valley

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Keith Sims 28

Erica Walker 34

EDUCATION: Columbus High School, LaGrange College, Mercer University

EDUCATION: Hardaway High School, Columbus State University, Brenau University

FAMILY: Wife Anna, daughter Evelyn, 3, son Nichols, 7 months

FAMILY: Daughter Laila, 8

OCCUPATION: Farm Manager, MercyMed of Columbus; co-founder, Sims Grown garden consulting business

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The Food Mill Board, MercyMed, Columbus Adult Soccer Association

OCCUPATION: Foundation Associate, Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The Church of Columbus, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley, American Red Cross

Crystal Farley 29

OCCUPATION: Chief of Staff to City Manager, Columbus Consolidated Government EDUCATION: Hardaway High School, Troy University FAMILY: Fiancé Jeremy Ackles, daughter Zoey, 8, son Miles, 5 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The Church of Columbus, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley, American Red Cross

OCTOBER 2022

Columbus and the Valley

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Don Your

Denim COLUMBUS HOSPICE EVENT RAISES FUNDS FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEIR SERVICES

BY JANET BURDEN

B

ack on the fundraising circuit after two long years is the popular Denim and Diamonds Concert hosted

by Columbus Hospice.

Performers Chris Janson and special guest Tracy Lawrence will entertain with crowd-pleasing hits that link the gap between country music’s past and future. According to organizer Terri Roberts, “The concert is a fun, laidback event and you’ll see attendees decked out in cowboy hats, boots and lots of denim.”

All proceeds benefit Columbus Hospice as they care for those in our area who need hospice services.

Columbus Hospice accepts eligible patients regardless of their ability to pay, and generous donations allow trained medical staff and volunteers to focus on the care, comfort and quality of life of patients.

In addition to purchasing tickets, attendees may participate in a virtual silent auction at the concert. This new addition to the concert will feature a chance to bid on about 20 items including two autographed guitars signed by the acts, a Yeti cooler, purses and a Denim and Diamonds table for 2023. C 26

Chris Janson

Tracy Lawrence

Columbus Hospice Denim & Diamonds Concert DATE: Sept. 30 WHERE: Columbus Civic Center, 400 4th Street, Columbus WHEN: Gates open at 7 p.m.

Concert scheduled for 8 p.m.

COST: $52.50 TICKETS: They’re selling fast so check availability at the Columbus Civic Center box office or Ticketmaster.com.

Columbus and the Valley

ATTIRE: It’s called Denim and Diamonds, y’all, so be as creative as you like! If you’re chilly by nature, consider bringing a sweater or light jacket.

GOAL: $150,000 CAN’T ATTEND? Contribute via ColumbusHospice.com For more information, contact Terri Roberts at 706.243.0044.

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Columbus and the Valley

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‘The world will be watching’ RushSouth Whitewater Park to host ICF World Cup Canoe Freestyle followed by 2023 World Championships

BY BRETT BUCKNER

W

hen 100 of the world’s greatest freestyle kayakers descend upon the RushSouth Whitewater Park in October for the 2022 World Cup Canoe Freestyle competition, a few will have a home field advantage.

Among them will be 19-year-old Mason Hargrove.

Mason is one of roughly a dozen elite paddlers from the Chattahoochee Valley who will be participating in the World Cup. He spends almost every day training and battling the volatile, man-made waves of the mighty Chattahoochee River where the competition will be held.

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About

“Every minute I’ve got is spent on the river,” said Mason, who’s from Phenix City. “It’s where all my time is spent, and it’s where most of my friends are. It’s all about the river for me.”

Mason discovered kayaking when he was 12 years old in order to spend time with his father, Matt Hargrove, 43, an engineer who teaches kayaking part time. Mason took naturally to freestyle after watching a YouTube video from Ottawa, Canada. A year later, he won the U.S. nationals freestyle in the under 14 category.

“Like an artist paints a picture, it’s my time to be creative,” he said. “It’s why freestyle is what I love. There’s just so much you can do. Everyone has their own style, and it’s cool to see how so many people can do the same trick in so many different ways.

“You can turn the river into your own playground.”

Mason isn’t alone out there. His mother, Melissa, coaches kayaking and is the local coordinator for Team River Runner, a nonprofit organization that teaches Veterans and their families paddle sports. But it’s his little sister, Makinley Kate, who is the real competition.

“For me, that’s the real rivalry,” Mason said, laughing. “But she’s coming for me, and she’s going to be one to watch out for.”

Mason and Makinley Kate recently competed in the ICF Kayak Freestyle World Championships in Nottingham, England, where Mason placed 10th in the senior men’s and Makinley Kate, 14, placed 3rd in the junior women’s division.

Both will be competing in the World Cup in October.

“Being in my hometown makes it super special,” Mason said.

“I’m so excited to have all my friends come down and see my

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Canoe Freestyle Canoe freestyle is a whitewater discipline and competitions take place on stationary river features.

These can be breaking, or partially breaking standing waves, holes and stoppers typically formed at the bottom of small drops or weirs where the water flows back on itself, or eddy lines on the boundary of slow-moving water at the river edge and faster water. In International Canoe Federation (ICF) events, athletes have a set time to perform as many different moves as possible, scoring additional points for style.

Finals are judged on three 45-second runs.

Canoe freestyle is a constantly evolving discipline, with new tricks being developed to complement and improve on existing moves. These moves fall into three categories: Entry moves, basic moves and bonuses, and are like those performed in freestyle

hometown, to see that this is where I train and it’s because of this river that I’ve gotten to be where I am today.”

The process of bringing the World Cup to the Chattahoochee Valley began a decade ago with the restoration of the Chattahoochee River by removing two dams and adding whitewater features. Since then, the Chattahoochee Valley’s reputation as a whitewater center has grown steadily, becoming a destination for both novice and serious kayakers.

The next step was presenting a bid to host the actual world

Columbus and the Valley

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snowboarding, surfing and skating.

Spins, flips and turns are accompanied with names “Roundhouse,” “Donkey Flip” and “The McNasty.”

Canoe freestyle is contested by four types of boats: kayak (K), canoe decked (C), open canoe (OC)x and squirt.

In kayaking, competitors are seated with their legs out in front using a double-bladed paddle. This is in contrast to the single-bladed paddle used in a kneeling position in canoe decked.

Open canoes also use the single-bladed paddle in a kneeling position but are slightly larger boats with no spray-deck to enclose the cockpit.

Squirt boats have no restrictions, but a greater emphasis is placed on smooth control and graceful moves. Points are awarded for each different rotation during a 60-second choreographed routine and bonus points can be gained for how deep and how long the boat can be kept under water during a mystery move.

The first canoe freestyle world championships sanctioned by the ICF was held in 2007 on the Ottawa River in Canada, and the first world cup series began the following year. These events take place biannually on alternate years.

Information provided by the International Canoe Federation

cup. Based in Switzerland, the ICF is the governing body for canoe and kayak competitions and has an extensive application process for hosting competitions. Leaders from both Columbus and Phenix City formed a 33-member Host Committee which submitted its final application in January 2020.

Because of COVID, the ICF postponed several competitions and delayed its decision for almost nine months. Finally, in June of 2021, the ICF announced its

Can be found at: Barnes & Noble Columbus Museum Dinglewood Pharmacy Durham’s Pharmacy Durham’s Pharmacy Galleria Judy Bug Books Marriott Midtown Medical Center Gift Shop Pierce Crossing Convenience Store Piggly Wiggly River Road Pharmacy Whitewater Express OCTOBER 2022

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selection, awarding the World Cup to the Chattahoochee Valley.

“For the ICF, we emphasized the unique environment with the ability for competitors, judges and officials to literally walk from the water to restaurants, hotels and shopping,” said Ed Wolverton, president and CEO of Uptown Columbus, who was also a member of the committee. “We also presented a regional approach that incorporated Phenix City. As many ICF events take place in man-made water parks or remote mountains, we were able to show a unique and compelling urban and walkable location.”

And, of course, there’s the Chattahoochee River itself.

“We’ve got world class waves,” said Dan Gilbert, president of Whitewater Express and host committee member. “We’ve got waves that are bigger than anywhere in the Southeast. Paddlers travel all over the world for the best waves—the Nile, Ontario, Canada—and they’ll come to Columbus, Georgia. Plus, we’ve got great weather, even for training in the winter because the water’s not too cold, compared to other places.

“Our waves are known around the world.”

For Mason Hargrove, the Chattahoochee offers endless possibilities both in and out of the water, and that’s what makes it great.

“It’s a dynamic and accessible river,” he said. “Not many rivers are located in the middle of town. So just to be able to live in the suburbs, be 10 minutes from the waves, and then be within walking distance of a bunch of great restaurants.

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“Having a river that runs year-round … it’s helped me progress quicker.”

Being awarded host site is two-pronged. In addition to the 2022 World Cup in October, the area is also hosting the 2023 ICF Kayak Freestyle World Championships next summer, which is expected to bring upwards of 300 competitors.

“This gives the athletes the chance to train during the world cup,” Gilbert said, “so that they aren’t brand new to the course for the championships.”

Columbus has hosted the national championships twice before.

“It went off so well the first time that the ICF said they wanted to come back, which is almost unheard of,” Gilbert said. “We were ecstatic and beyond our expectations, and now we’re hosting the world championships, so the world will be watching.”

The competitions alone cost about $580,000. This led to the Host Committee creating the RushSouth Outdoor Festival, which will be held during both the World Cup and World Championships The 2022 festival will focus on local bands and activities. For 2023, there are plans to produce a “major, music festival that will feature nationally known performers,” Wolverton said.

“All told, this raised our overall budget to a little over $1 million,” he said. “The Host Committee is raising money from various businesses and foundations and expects to cover all expenses.”

This will be an Olympic-level event with the committee providing a first-class environment for athletes, officials

Columbus and the Valley

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The two qualifying World Cup competitions will be hosted at the RushSouth Whitewater Park. The first round will be October 3-5.

The second round will be October 7-9.

The World Championship will be held June 27 through July 1, 2023. and spectators. This includes judging and coaching platforms, comfortable spectator seating, scoring systems that competitors and spectators can see, cameras for streaming and television production, judges from across the globe and lodging for various officials.

All the competitions will be free to attend. For those wishing to attend the 2023 RushSouth Outdoor Festival along with the competitions, tickets will be available for access to two stages during the two-day festival.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau is estimating a total economic impact of $9.2 million for the region.

“Hosting this prestigious competition will further grow Columbus’ reputation as an outdoor recreation center,” Wolverton said. “We are hoping to parlay the ICF competitions into becoming a rotating host for future national and

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international competitions.”

That is true for the Phenix City side of the river as well because this is a joint-sponsored event.

“Financial implications are yet to be fully understood,” said Shaun Culligan, economic development manager for Phenix City, who also served on the committee. “However, what we do know is that where there are people from all over the world competing, there are additional benefits that are very tough to financially quantify.”

For instance, there are expectations for television coverage, social media posts from influencers and location notoriety from all around the globe.

“These benefits don’t often get calculated into the equation,” Culligan said. “However, we are a kayaker’s haven, and we expect these competitions will only make this watering hole we call the Chattahoochee ever more popular outside of the competitions.”

And unlike slaloming, freestyle kayaking is a great spectator sport.

“Freestyle is incredible to watch,” Gilbert said. “It’s sort of like watching snowboarding. Riders will come down and perform a variety of tricks. They’ve got a certain amount of time, and riders get points for the tricks they do. Plus, they can watch scores in real time.

“Freestyle is not in the Olympics yet … but I think it’s just a matter of time.” C

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RushSouth Outdoor Festival Featured performers: FRIDAY, OCT. 7

SATURDAY, OCT. 8

Abbey Road Live (The Beatles Tribute) _____________

Lloyd Buchanan Relative Sound Jake Carroll Skyler Saufley The Shelby Brothers _____________

7 - 10 p.m.

Woodruff Park

Noon - 7:30 p.m.

Woodruff Park For more information, visit www.RushSouth.com

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Neighbors Gather in Lakebottom Howard Reiney's painting will be auctioned at the Mingle.

MIDTOWN MINGLE MARKS 11 YEARS

BY JANET BURDEN

W

hat could be better than mingling with family, friends and neighbors in the heart of Midtown as the sun sets on an autumn evening? Doing so with complimentary beer and wine, delicious Country’s BBQ and the Rhythm and Blues-y strains of the Chattahoochee Pine Beatles Band, that’s what!

Aflac and TSYS-Global Payments are among the many Columbus businesses that support MidTown, Inc.’s mission to sustain and enhance

Midtown neighborhoods and businesses through education and advocacy. According to organizer Bitsy Dedwylder, “The organization’s sole fundraising event, MidTown Mingle proceeds cover operational expenses for a variety of initiatives and projects that target community, conservation and diversity.”

This is the first year that the event recognizes the contributions of an individual

The 11th Annual MidTown Mingle Date: Oct. 13 Where: Lakebottom Park bordering Cherokee Avenue, Columbus. Parking will be available around the park, on adjacent streets and at the lower end of the Piggly Wiggly on 13th Street, where guests can ride courtesy shuttles to-and-from the event site.

When: 6-10 p.m.

Cost: $65 per ticket through Oct. 3/$80 per ticket Oct. 4-12.

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Tickets: Purchase tickets and check sponsorship availability at MidTownColumbusGA.org Attire: Casual

Goal: $115,000

CAN’T ATTEND? Mail donations to 1236 Wildwood Ave., Columbus, GA 31906 Use the “Donate” tab at MidTownColumbusGA.org For more information, contact Sara Carver at Sara@midtowncolumbusga.org or 706.494.1663.

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whose efforts have led to the organization’s overwhelming success. The 2022 honoree is Virginia Peebles, a founding member of MidTown, Inc. On the board of directors since its establishment in 2005, Peebles has served as board of directors chair for two years.

As in previous years, guests will have the opportunity to bid on an original piece of art created especially for the event by Midtown resident, Howard Reiney. C

At the 2021 Mingle: (L-R), Lowry and Ann Reid, Madden and Sally Hatcher and Maudie and Bill Huff

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CRUSH

BY PAT DANIEL

The Magic of Wine Barrels M

any things can affect the taste of wine—our favorite beverage—but one of the biggest is either taken for granted or overlooked entirely. Fermenting, aging and finishing a beverage in a wooden barrel greatly affects the beverage’s taste and final cost. This issue, we’re taking a look at the magic of wine barrels.

The ancient world, the Greeks stored and shipped wine in small amphorae—skinny, long-necked clay jugs. They did a good job of serving wine, but were rather fragile for travel. To minimize the expected breakage when shipped, they were often buried in sand within the ship’s hold. This method was how wine was transported around the Mediterranean through the Roman era, until they met and conquered the Gauls in what

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is now modern-day France. Watertight, wooden barrels were in use by 350 B.C. by the Celts, and the Gauls had been using such barrels, secured with metal hoops, to transport beer. Sturdier than the clay jugs, the barrels could be stacked, rolled aboard ships and most importantly, didn’t break when transported on a bumpy wagon ride over land. At first, wine traveled with the conquering troops as they moved further inland. After the conquered areas became established with vines of their own, wine was taken in barrels back to Rome where people were thirsty for new tastes.

Barrels were originally made from locally available wood, which was fine for transporting grain, but over time, winemakers and wine drinkers realized that wines stored and transported in barrels had a smoother taste. Barreling then began to evolve past shipping practicality into being part of the winemaking process.

Producers have come to favor three different species of oak from specific parts of the world. Winemakers in Chianti traditionally utilized Slavonian oak from modern-day Croatia. This same “mellow” species of oak is cultivated in the Limousin 39

Forest in southern France, near Cognac. A different, slightly bolder style of oak is found in four other French forests, named Tronçais, Allier, Nevers and Voges. Finally, American White Oak is harvested in areas including Minnesota, Missouri, Western Illinois, California, Wisconsin, Virginia and Northern Iowa, and is often used for Spanish wines.

Isn’t oak, well, oak? No, the differences have to do with the properties of the wood itself. One aspect is that oak contains a compound called Lignin, which when burned or charred during the barrel-making process becomes vanillin, the compound giving vanilla its flavor. The various species of oak have tighter or coarser grains, which affect how much vanillin gets imparted to the wine. French oak is less dense, more tightly grained and imparts savory flavors to the wine like cedar and tobacco. American Oak is denser and imparts more vanillin to the wines. As a result, the flavors of vanilla, coconut

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and sweet spices are more prominent. The winemaker and barrel-maker, called a “cooper,” work together to create a “barrel program” employing various techniques to shape the taste of the finished product in the glass.

Wine students learn to recognize oak in wine through a simple exercise you can practice, too. Fill a 4-ounce glass with water and put a drop or two of vanilla extract in it. This gives an idea of what oak tastes like in a wine. However, it’s much more fun to compare the finished products in their different wine styles.

A white wine’s price can indicate whether or not it has been barreled.

If French oak barrels cost the winery around $1,000 each, a $6 Chardonnay is probably not going to be barreled. Enjoy its more basic flavors of apple and pear.

A more expensive unoaked Chardonnay might feature “unoaked” on the label, or it might be famous for not seeing oak, like Chablis in France. Besides cost, oak adds vanilla, toast and caramel flavors to Chardonnay, imitating other French styles like Mersault. Most Sauvignon Blanc is unoaked, but the late Robert Mondavi coined the term “Fumé Blanc” for Sauvignon Blancs he aged in oak and a few California wineries still use that term. Further, white Bordeaux blends, predominantly Sauvignon Blanc, may or may not utilize oak, which adds a meringue component to their lemoncitrus flavors.

Most red wines of quality are aged in oak, and some Old-World wines must be aged to earn certain quality designations, like Crianza or Gran Reserva. Bolder wine grapes, like Cabernet or Merlot, usually see time in oak, and if not, “Unoaked” is often listed as a feature on the label. Even a relatively inexpensive wine gains some nice caramel and vanilla tones which embellish its basic character.

While both have cherry-like flavors, compare a Crianza-level Rioja from Spain (American Oak) with a typical Chianti (1-2 years in much more neutral oak) and notice the differences.

We wish you well in your “studies” as you examine 2,000+ years of barrel evolution. The homework involves tasting wine, so can that be a bad thing?

And it certainly results in fewer splinters than in tasting the oak barrels! C OCTOBER 2022

The Columbus Stocking Strangler William Rawlings’ book chronicles the case of the serial killer that terrorized Columbus.

BY MIKE OWEN

O

ver seven terrible months spanning late 1977 and early 1978, Columbus was in the cruel grip of a serial rapist-killer who preyed on women, all between the ages of 59 and 89 and all living in the same area of the city.

The seven women were all savagely beaten and raped before being killed and left with their bodies exposed, but their faces covered. All were strangled to death, most often with their own stockings.

That last detail would lead to the killer, Carlton Michael Gary, known to this day, posthumously, as the Columbus Stocking Strangler.

Gary was arrested on May 5, 1984, and the next day indicted on charges of rape, robbery and murder in three of the seven killings in which he was the suspect. It would be more than two years, on August 26, 1986, when Gary would be convicted of all three killings. The jury was out for one hour that day. On the next day, after three hours of deliberations, that same jury recommended that he be executed.

Then it would take more than 30 years of appeals—up and down the appellate ladder, three times to the Supreme Court of the United States—before the state of Georgia would carry out his sentence. On March 15, 2018, having spent almost half

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Carlton Gary was arrested at a Holiday Inn in Albany, Georgia on May 3, 1984 and returned to Columbus that same evening. This is his initial mugshot. (The date of 4-30-84 is in error.) Public domain, courtesy of Julia Slater

his life on death row at the state prison in Jackson, Georgia, Carlton Gary died from a lethal injection.

Born in Columbus in September of 1950, Gary died at the age of 67, but not before becoming one of Georgia’s most notorious serial killers. He terrorized his hometown and did lasting damage to race (and other) relations in the community. It is damage that many say has never, and may never, completely heal.

Innumerable words have been written about the Stocking Strangler in newspapers, magazines, blogs and at least three books.

Now there are four books.

Mercer University Press is publishing what is the most, if not the only, journalistically legitimate historical account of the crimes, the investigation, the trial, the appeals and ultimately, the execution. The author is Dr. William Rawlings, a physician-turned“The most challenging author from Sandersville, Georgia. It’s titled, simply, The Columbus Stocking Strangler, thing about it was and the book looks at all aspects of the long taking an extremely and tangled legal saga dispassionately, and most importantly, without an agenda. complicated story and The book is a good and easy read in spite turning it into a tale that of the amount of legal twists and turns in its long, winding path. readers will understand Rawlings has written 12 books in his 20 and appreciate.” years of writing. Six are fiction and six non- DR. WILLIAM RAWLINGS fiction. Most deal with crime, but none Columbus and the Valley

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have demanded the level of research and discernment that the Strangler book required, Rawlings said.

“The most challenging thing about it was taking an extremely complicated story and turning it into a tale that readers will understand and appreciate,” Rawlings said in an interview. “This was basically Ph.D. dissertation-type research, and I actually kind of like doing that. I like digging out and finding the facts and telling the story. But it was far and away the most complicated thing I’ve ever done.”

One aspect that made the research so daunting was the sheer volume that such a drawn-out case produces. “(The stranglings) happened back in 1977-78, but (Gary) was a serial killer, and his first murder probably was in about 1970, and he was executed in 2018, and there was something happening everywhere in between,” Rawlings said. “So you’ve got nearly a half-century of a fascinating tale. In writing the book, I had to review somewhere between 15-20 thousand pages of transcripts and records.”

One of the main characters in the book is Bill Smith, a retired Superior Court judge and the former district attorney who served as the principal prosecutor in the case. Smith, who’s as familiar as anyone with the scope of the case, and has at times considered writing his own book about it, is impressed not only with the end result of Rawlings’ work, but by the relative speed with which he accomplished it.

“I thought he did an incredible job of taking a tremendous amount of material, condensing it and putting it in a readable form,” Smith said.

“He took less than a year to write it. He had roughly 12,000 pages of police reports and transcripts with a lot of legal terminology. He’s not a lawyer, but he was able to absorb that and was able to express it in a way that lay people can understand it. He was able to consolidate all that and do it in such a limited

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Based primarily on the eyewitness description by Gertrude Miller, one of the victims who survived the Strangler’s attack, law enforcement circulated this drawing of the serial rapist and murderer. Public domain

OCTOBER 2022

period of time, and make it interesting.”

Rawlings said, from start to finish, he managed to complete the book in only about 10 months, but he had some unlikely (and no doubt unwelcome) help. Those months were spent under Covid lockdown.

“I didn’t have anything else to do except stare at the walls, so I thought I might as well work on the book,” Rawlings said. “It took me 10 months to finish the book, but I was working probably 12 hours a day.”

The book itself starts with a look far back into Columbus’ history.

William J. Smith was the district attorney in charge of prosecuting Carlton Gary’s murder case. He later served as a Superior Court judge. Courtesy Judge William Smith

August F. “Bud” Siemon was Carlton Gary’s lead attorney from August 1984 through his conviction and initial appeals of Gary’s case. Courtesy Judge William Smith

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The book’s first chapter, “A Settlement on the Frontier,” is a brief history of Columbus that begins in the 1820s and ends in the 1970s, just before the killings began.

The chapter focuses on racial problems the city had through its history, including the mistreatment of Creek Indians, Ku Klux Klan activity and other incidents, including the murder of Dr. Thomas H. Brewer, a Black physician and civil rights pioneer.

The chapter is important for the book’s credibility. It paints an unattractive but accurate portrait of parts of the city’s history. But it’s important to remember that it’s a portrait that could be painted of just about any Southern city and a great many American cities in any other region in that era.

It concludes: “Whites accused Blacks of crimes; Blacks were certain that their race alone made them objects of police harassment. These attitudes would become a major issue during the reign of terror caused by the Stocking Strangler.”

The book is divided into three sections: Part I: The Murders, which takes readers through the time of the stranglings and other crimes attributed to Gary, such as burglaries and robberies in the Wynnton area at the time.

The section details each of the seven murders at times in uncomfortable, but necessary and not at all gratuitous, detail, such as the killer leaving the victims exposed; but their faces were usually covered.

It also gives the reader a good feel for what the people of Columbus were going through as these women were being picked

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Dr. William Rawlings

off one by one. It tells the story of the hard work and frustrations of the police as they were unable to stop the terrible string of murders.

Retired Judge Smith recalled his own experiences as a native of Columbus, acutely aware of how the episode was affecting his hometown.

“There was a lot of fear, a lot of distrust,” Smith recalled.

“We had family members turning in other family members as suspects. Women who were of the victims’ age were moving in with each other. Some just moved out of town altogether or moved in with relatives.”

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That rampant fear and uncertainty would have a profound impact on Smith’s own family. At the time, Smith and his family were living in Overlook, not far from several of the crime scenes.

And his widowed mother lived just across the street.

On the day the third Strangler victim, Florence Scheible, was found not very far from their homes, Smith told his mother to pack a bag and spend some time with him. Smith said his mother reacted as you might expect a Southern woman of a certain era to react. She said she didn’t want “to be a bother” and that she wasn’t afraid.

“I told her, ‘Well, you might not be afraid, but I am,’ ” Smith said. “I said, ‘I’m getting up at night and just looking across the street at your house. I can’t sleep.’ So she came over and stayed with us, figuring it would just be a few nights.”

She would stay two years, Smith said, long after the stranglings had ceased.

“Even though the crimes stopped in April, there was no way of knowing that it was over,” Smith said. “He committed seven murders and a bunch of other break-ins, and there was no reason to think that they were going to stop. They did stop, but there was still fear, uncertainty, especially in the age group that the women were in.

“He did leave a note on the last one, at the last house, saying, ‘This is my last one. You can go back to normal living now.’ ” The city would never go back to any so-called normal, Smith said.

“I don’t think we’ll ever be the same again,” Smith said. “We

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Following his arrest in Albany, Georgia on the May 3, 1984, Carlton Gary (L) is escorted into Columbus police headquarters by Mike Sellers. Courtesy Mike Sellers

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as a town grew up during that time. Before, we didn’t worry then much about locking our doors at night, but I’m afraid it changed us, and we’ll never go back.”

The second section of the book, Part II: The Suspect, introduces Carlton Gary to the reader. We meet the charismatic career criminal who fooled so many people, even while being arrested, convicted and incarcerated through much of his life.

The second half of the section covers the long and intricate legal maneuverings of the trial, on both sides of the aisle. As Smith said, Rawlings does an excellent job of boiling down thousands of pages of complicated legalese into a readable narrative.

The section ends with Gary’s conviction and death sentence.

The final Section, Part III: 32 Years, takes the reader through the long and winding road of appeals, up and down the appellate ladder.

Rawlings does a good job of walking the reader through the maze of appeals, arguments, court rulings, new evidence and other events of those 32 years between conviction and execution.

At one point, Gary was only a few hours away from being executed, but survived.

He was scheduled to die at Jackson on Dec. 16, 2009 in the early evening. A delegation from Columbus included Police Chief Ricky Boren, who had been a detective when Gary was arrested, Bill Smith and others, were in a car on the way to Jackson when they received a call telling them they might as well turn around.

The Georgia Supreme Court had issued a stay of execution just hours before the event. A group of reporters and photographers

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from the Ledger-Enquirer “He did leave a note were following the group on the last one, at the and were surprised when last house, saying, they pulled off the road and turned around.

‘This is my last one.

Rawlings ends the book You can go back to with a brief, single-page essay that summarizes his normal living now.’ ” thoughts on Gary’s guilt.

(See page 68 for his and others’ opinions on that subject.) But the story of The Columbus Stocking Strangler himself ends in the previous chapter titled “An Order and The End.” That chapter, Rawlings’ account of the final act in the saga of Carlton Michael Gary, ends with newspaper coverage of the killer’s death at the hands of the state.

“Tim Chitwood, the Ledger-Enquirer reporter who had followed the Strangler case for several years and who was present for the execution, observed, ‘For those who believe that Gary is innocent—that his arrest, conviction and execution resulted from racism, conspiracies and cover-ups—the Stocking Strangler saga doesn’t end with his last breath before a silent congregation in a cinderblock building. But it does end for the law enforcement officers who spent their career hunting him down.’ In a touch of irony, and with a nod to Gary’s victims, Chitwood also observed, ‘The last thing the prison doctors did, after confirming Gary was dead, was leave his face covered with a sheet.’ ” C

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So Long, Summer;

HELLO SEASON OF GIVING

BY JANET BURDEN

K

icking off the Chattahoochee Valley’s season of giving is Hope Harbour’s Celebration of Hope Luncheon to support victims of domestic violence and their children.

Community sponsors are hosting this year’s speaker Velera Wilson, author, consultant and CEO of Positive Identity, LLC, whose topic will be “Shifting from Self-Doubt to Undeniable Confidence.” Wilson

Celebration of Hope Luncheon DATE: September 29

Speaker, Velera Wilson

WHERE: Bibb Mill Event Center, 3715 1st Ave. Columbus WHEN: Doors open at 11 a.m.

Meal served at 11:30. Program begins at 11:45.

COST: $40 per ticket. $320 for a table of eight TICKETS: Available at HopeHarbour.org ATTIRE: Business casual GOAL: $50,000

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understands domestic violence and how victims often feel as if they’re inadequate.

Speaking from her own experience with assault, she’ll discuss building both women’s and men’s confidence. She is the author of You’re Absolutely Worth It in which she explores how releasing selfdoubt leads to accepting and embracing confidence. Wilson’s message offers an inspiring discussion of confidence, hope and possibility.

Summing up Hope Harbour’s mission, organizer Lindsey Reis said, “This event is for everyone—it’s a casual setting where all are welcome. We want to educate the community on domestic violence and the services that Hope Harbour offers, as well as to thank the community for all that they do for us.” C Note: Hope Harbour asks that you “Help us clean up domestic violence” by also donating new towels and washcloths at the luncheon.

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HOMETOWN BUSINESS

On the Cutting Edge of Technology With more than 40 years of combined specialty surgical experience, Dr. Lee Allen and Dr. Mark Zwickey have made West Georgia Oral and Facial Surgery the maxillofacial surgery and rejuvenation one-stopshop. “Maxillofacial is a big word,” said Dr. Allen, “which means our dental training includes advanced oral and facial techniques that make us unique providers.”

To provide the best possible treatments for their patients means being constantly updated and informed about the technological changes within the industry and being willing to implement those changes within their practice.

“When it comes to technology and the dentistry profession, it is important for our practice to keep up with the latest trends and advances,” Dr. Zwickey said. “Advances in technology help to assist in proper patient care as well as more precise treatment methods, which in return can create a successful outcome and better recovery.”

West Georgia Oral and Facial Surgery is a licensed facility that can provide different types of anesthesia in its offices for every patient whether they want local or IV sedation.

“We cater to that, and can make their procedure seamless,” Dr. Allen said.

“As far as procedures themselves, we specialize in implants and have the 3-D treatment technology to perform single or multiple tooth replacement care for routine, or urgent cases in our office. We also specialize in cosmetic techniques like Botox and fillers,” Dr. Allen said.

Another aspect that sets them apart is a team approach. “We concentrate on surgery,” he said, “but work with a patient’s general dentist to do comprehensive planning using CONE Beam imagery software. Advances in bone grafting, plus implant placement innovations are exciting, too, and help improve the success rate long term.

“One of the things we pride ourselves on is that our staff excels at providing compassionate care and making a visit for an anxious patient as easy as possible,” Dr. Allen said. “We have highly trained long-term employees, who understand anxiety and emphasize that we are here to provide state-of-the-art surgery in a compassionate environment.”

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Dr. Lee Allen

West Georgia Oral and Facial Surgery 3640 Confetti Blush Dr. • Columbus westgaoralsurgery.com 706.596.1757

Dr. Mark Zwickey

Dr. Allen completed training at Louisiana State Medical Center and moved to Columbus three years ago after practicing for 20 years in West Virginia. “Dr. Zwickey has been here 14 years,” he said, “and patients appreciate that we live locally with our families.”

He concluded, “We find that a lot of people put off dental surgery due to apprehension, and in those cases, seeing their amazement when they wake up from sedation and their surgery is already done is very rewarding.”

The emergence of COVID-19 has been a disruptive force to life and business around the world. That includes patients of West Georgia Oral and Facial Surgery, but Dr. Allen and Zwickey and their staff are prepared to meet the challenge.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress in our patients and staff, but our office has been committed to patient care and safety,” Dr. Zwickey said. “We have increased our usage of PPE to our staff and patients, as well as practicing extra disinfectant measures around our lobby, front office and patient rooms where consultations and procedures take place.”

Extra precautions don’t end there.

“We have also implemented air purification filters throughout the office,” Dr. Allen said. “We want to ensure that our patients feel at ease and safe from the time they enter our office and throughout their entire treatment process.”

Dentistry is a profession that is as challenging as it is rewarding. But for both Dr. Allen and Dr. Zwickey, it’s the patients who make the effort worthwhile.

“Dentistry can be a challenging profession,” Dr. Allen said. “Each patient has their own concerns and challenges that they bring to our practice. There is also the constant change in techniques and procedures that are constantly keeping us on our toes. We are constantly learning to make sure we are offering the utmost care to our patients.”

“Despite the challenges that come along with the dentistry industry, it is extremely rewarding to see how our care can change a person’s life and confidence,” added Dr. Zwickey. “Whether we help a patient with pain, help to restore their smile, or provide cosmetic procedures they desire, seeing a happy and satisfied patient makes every day worth any challenge that comes our way.”

For more information about West Georgia Oral and Facial Surgery's services, call 706.596.1757 or visit WestGaOralSurgery.com. ADV.

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OCTOBER 2022

HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY

BY JANET BURDEN

Honored A

fter a two-year hiatus, the energy is almost palpable as Columbus prepares to celebrate and recognize the servant leadership demonstrated by frontline health care workers at this year’s Sue Marie and Bill Turner Servant Leadership Gala. Emceed by Dr. Jimmy Elder, pastor of First Baptist Church and member of the Pastoral Institute Board of Trustees, the program will feature a film tribute and remarks from hospital and community leaders, including Mayor Skip Henderson.

Since its founding in 1974 by Bill Turner and other community leaders, the Pastoral Institute’s resolve to promote selfless management and relational mental health services led to Columbus being dubbed “Servant Leadership City.” Since then, and through Sue Marie and Bill Turner’s leadership and generosity, the Pastoral Institute’s mission has been to promote and support the community’s mental health needs. Never before tested to the

The Pastoral Institute named its Gala for servant leaders Bill and Sue Marie Turner

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extent witnessed since the pandemic’s onset, Pastoral Institute clinicians provided nearly 20,000 hours of mental health services, including individual and group therapy, diagnostic testing, training and Employee Assistance Program support to local organizations. That’s why this year’s gala, first held in 2012 to honor the Turners’ tireless work, recognizes frontline health care workers collectively rather than one of the many area couples exhibiting servant leadership principles as in the past.

“We also work with our community’s most vulnerable population in homeless and transitional shelters to help them heal from past trauma and addictions,” Pastoral Institute’s Director of Advancement and Philanthropy Mary Johnson said. “When you donate, purchase a ticket, volunteer or work behind the scenes to make these events happen, you are changing lives.” C Note: The Pastoral Institute encourages gifts be made in tribute of frontline healthcare workers who have personally touched community members’ lives. Provide the name and mailing address of the person(s) or organization honored to ensure acknowledgment of donation.

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Sue Marie & Bill Turner Servant Leadership Gala Date: Oct. 6 Where: Columbus Convention and Trade Center, 801 Front Ave. Columbus When: 6 p.m.

Cost: $150 per ticket Tickets: Visit online ticketing site PastoralInstitute.org/gala or call Stephanie Arambula, 706.649.6507 ext. 1204 Attire: Business casual and scrubs are equally welcome as this year’s event takes a casual turn to accommodate the work shifts and unpredictable schedules of healthcare honorees.

Goal: $275,000 Please observe community/CDC COVID recommendations at the time of the event.

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Can’t attend?

Mail donations to Mary Johnson, Pastoral Institute, 2022 15th Ave., Columbus, GA 31901 Contribute online at PastoralInstitute.org/ get-involved/donate For more information, contact Mary Johnson at mjohnson@pastoralinstitute.org or 706.649.6507 ext. 1210.

OCTOBER 2022

BY SCOTT PHILLIPS

THE I listen to movie podcasts and read film journalism mostly to find great films that have flown under my radar. One of the primary purposes of this column is to brief you periodically on worthwhile releases that may be right at your fingertips, but you don’t even know it. Here is a quick rundown of some of my favorite films of 2022 and where you can find them on home video: After Yang: I wrote about this lovely sci-fi character drama shortly after I saw it at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. It resonates just as strongly with me six months later. It’s tale of love, memory and loss is simultaneously heart breaking and life affirming.

(After Yang is playing on Showtime and is available through most digital rental services and physical media.)

The Black Phone: This film generates serious 1980s Stephen King vibes and features a great performance by Ethan Hawke as a serial child kidnapper nicknamed The Grabber by the local kids.

It’s a crime procedural crossed with the supernatural with plenty of scares and (surprisingly) laughs. If you like the occasional creepy thriller, this is one of the must-see films of 2022. (The Black Phone is available on most digital rental platforms.)

Everything Everywhere All at Once: This inventive indie action film took cinephiles by storm, becoming boutique production company A24’s biggest box office hit ever. Asian action legend Michelle Yeoh plays an anonymous work-a-day owner of a laundromat who learns that her alter-ego from a parallel Earth may need her help to save the universe. Sound crazy? It is in the most enjoyable ways imaginable. EEAAO became a pop culture phenomenon in some circles. If you haven’t climbed on board this action juggernaut, now is the time. (EEAAO is available on most digital rental platforms and physical media.)

The Outfit: Actor’s actor Mark Rylance plays Leonard, a suit maker trained on Saville Row in London. He refers to himself as a “cutter,” not a tailor, because he hand-makes the suits rather than simply functioning as a seamstress. His shop is in Chicago and serves as a meeting place for all manner of mobsters. Leonard silently works as corrupt politicians and criminals cut deals and plan betrayals all within his earshot. As those plans begin to take a turn that may affect Leonard himself, will he take action against the rich and powerful? The Outfit is a brilliant film that could easily be a satisfying stage play. It unfolds in a single night at a single location. The screenplay is wound as tightly as the Swiss pocket watch Leonard might carry. Go in knowing as little as possible, and you’ll be knocked out by the power of a solid screenplay and a talented group of performers. (The Outfit is available on most digital rental platforms and physical media.)

Watcher: Julia (skillfully played by Maika Monroe) is an actress who’s moved to Bucharest to advance her husband’s employment opportunities. He is from Eastern Europe, speaks the language and is familiar with local customs. Left on her own while her husband is working, Julia feels increasingly isolated. As the days pass, she becomes convinced she is being followed, watched, by someone.

When she learns of a local serial killer who’s murdering young women, she fears she’s his next victim. Watcher is an excellent thriller and an examination of the ways in which women are so often marginalized by the men around them. (Watcher is available on most digital rental platforms.) C Scott Phillips is a Columbus resident and member of the Atlanta Film Critics Circle. His reviews and other work can be found at mscottphillips.com

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Lego Chicago

BY JILL TIGNER PHOTOS BY RITCHIE WHITE

E

ngineer Kirk Ticknor has been building with Legos since he was a young child and many of the projects were large scale like an aircraft carrier, castle and an imaginary city with operating subways and trains. But none has come close to the scale model of downtown Chicago he built in a dedicated room in the Green Island Hills home he shares with his wife, Cindy. Here are Kirk’s answers to our questions about his unusual hobby:

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Why Chicago?

How long did it take to build?

The project was started around January 2010. It is now very near completion after building during the course of six winters between 2010 and now.

Chicago is laid out in a square grid, and Legos are mostly square.

Chicago is chock full of great architecture and tall buildings. The tallest building in Columbus is the Aflac Tower and Chicago has more than 600 buildings that are taller than it.

The majority of the tallest buildings in Chicago are in a relatively small area. My model contains 165 of the tallest 200 buildings in the city.

How many bricks did you use?

I’m guessing, approximately 500 pounds of Legos. I saw an estimate on the Internet that there are approximately 300 pieces in a pound. So if we go with that measurement, we would have 150,000 pieces in that model. I use a lot of smaller pieces, so it would not surprise me if the actual number of pieces was at least double that number.

Is this your own design?

Yes. All of the buildings were original creations that were built to scale (plus or minus approximately 5 percent).

The scale is roughly 1/714—a building that is 714 feet tall in reality is 1 foot high in this model. Every building and geographical feature including elevations within this footprint has been built to match the real thing within that scale. I used diagrams and data from SkyscraperPage, Emporis and Google Earth plugging dimensions from those databases into a spreadsheet that converted distances to tell me how high and how wide in Lego bricks each building should be built.

What's next?

This coming winter I would like to finish the model and build a display case, and then find a children’s museum or public space that would like to put it on display so lots of people can enjoy it. I might even take it to a Lego convention when I retire. As far as I know, no one has ever attempted to build a model like this, so I’m sure Lego fans would love to see it. C OCTOBER 2022

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Valley Scenes

Columbus and the Valley will publish as many photos as quality and space permit. Black and white or color photos may be used. Please identify all subjects with a brief description of the event and the date. Mail them to: CVM, P.O. Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902. Email them to: ContactUs@ColumbusAndTheValley.com, Columbus and the Valley assumes no responsibility for care and return of photographs submitted.

Much Ado About Something...

Everything IS Beautiful

In the last issue, I promised to give you more details about the Alma Thomas exhibit at the Columbus Museum and some exciting news about the museum’s renovation. This is the last exhibit the Museum will have before having a temporary closing for some dramatic renovation plans that will transform both the building and the grounds. Part of the Reimagining The Columbus Museum capital campaign, Museum Director Marianne Richter said, “… the ‘reimagined’ Columbus Museum will be more welcoming and interactive, a true cultural gathering place.” The renovations include a new and expansive Children’s Gallery and Garden, redesigned History Galleries that tell the stories of all the people of the Chattahoochee Valley, as well as restorations to the historic Bradley Olmstead Garden, integrating it with greenways and bike trails with the Dragonfly Trails. Kathleen Amos and Elizabeth Ogie co-chaired the fundraising campaign with honorary co-chairs Thornton Jordan and Betty Corn.

But before they do the renovations, you must see the Alma Thomas exhibition! The artist’s artistic journey took her from her home in Columbus to international recognition (1891-1978) and this exhibition is a comprehensive overview of her extraordinary

BY MARQUETTE MCRAE MCKNIGHT

career with more than 150 objects, including her rarely seen marionettes and well-known abstract drawings. Plus there’s another local angle … with an additional “Alma’s Art” in the Pound Gallery. Three FABArts artists, Sietske Johnson, Cindy Fretwell McLain and Ronnie Hadley Wharton led hundreds of MCSD students this summer in learning about and making art in the Alma Thomas style. “Everything is Beautiful” runs through September 25, so as soon as you read this, GO!

Struttin' the Boards

The Springer Theatre Academy had a busy summer with lots of students from the entire region where the senior Academy students mounted a full production of Dragons Love Tacos – a real hit with the kiddos. Congratulations to Quinn Leak who received the academy’s Legacy Award—a really cool kid with a kind heart.

Strong, Smart and Bold

It’s not only the mission of Girls Inc. to inspire girls to be “strong, smart and bold,” it’s also a way of life for their board and their new executive director, Gail Burgos. Who better to

Kinetic Credit Union wrapped up a month of giving by donating items to local agencies including Valley Rescue Mission, Orchard View, Children’s Miracle Network, Sara Spano Clothing Bank, Neighbor Works, Russell County Sheriff's Department, Muscogee County School District Hygiene Repository and Girls, Inc. Kinetic team members present donations to Girls, Inc.: (L-R) Rica DePass, Angelina Brown, J. J. Seman, Wanda Rutledge, Karen Lomax, Arletta Craw, Isabelle McKissic and Breanna Lovejoy.

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lead the long-time organization than a woman who is already strong, smart and bold? A long-time supporter and former board member, Gail was honored and welcomed at a reception this summer by board members and community supporters including Susan Berry, Ben Godsden, Pino Wells, Angela Drakeford, Kari Joyner, Amy Nurnberg, Sabrina Latham, Teresa Wright, Tashia Stephens, Lynn Hall-Green, Sherpri Giles, Amy Hudock, Shannon Reynolds, Ashley Woitena, Kia Chambers, Shantina Lovejoy, Amie Guinn, Tiffany McBride,

Carmen Buckner, Sherricka Day, Ronda Tranter, Patrea Dowless, Latisha Stephens Archibald and Kathryn McCamy. How grateful we are in this community to have such incredible servant leaders like Gail influencing and impacting the lives of our girls.

RiverCenter fêtes Marquee Society

RiverCenter for the Performing Arts invited Marquee Society Members to an annual appreciation dinner at the Powerhouse

(above) RiverCenter Executive Director Norman Easterbrook welcomed Marquee Society members the appreciation dinner held at the Powerhouse. (left) Wade and Adrianne Wallace Ashok and Mary Kumar

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Columbus Technical College partnered with Enrichment Services for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Child Development Center on the CTC campus.

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recently. Society Members including Bill and Becky Rumer, Matt and Kara Barkley, Mim Hallock, John and Angela Sims, Spencer Garrard, Tom and Jackie Titus and Roderick and Stephanie Hunter shared cocktails overlooking the picturesque views of the Chattahoochee River. John and Sally Martin, Margo Easterbrook, Gardiner Garrard and Edwin and Pam Page enjoyed music provided by Ina Petkova-Apostolova and Ruslan Apostolov. RiverCenter Executive Director Norm Easterbrook welcomed the guests, thanking them for their generous support of RiverCenter allowing it to bring worldclass artists, educational opportunities and national Broadway tours to the Chattahoochee Valley.

Bonnie Lads and Lassies

It was a long time in the making … but worth the wait.

The Covid pandemic derailed a lot of things and certainly travel, but by golly, we are making up for it now! That was certainly true for the St. Thomas Episcopal Choir and their pilgrimage to sing in a choir residency at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. The trip was supposed to happen in 2021, but like most good things … it was worth the wait.

Thirty-three folks made the trip with most of them members of the choir, and we loved having former choir members who live elsewhere join including Jim and Kristie Sholtis from Abingdon, Virginia, Cristian Cantu and Erik Nazarenko from Austin, Texas and Jennifer and Mike Canfield from Auburn.

I loved being surrounded in the music by fellow choristers,

Piedmont Columbus Regional named Damekia Anthony with the Columbus Police Department’s 911 communications team the organization’s First Friday Hero for the month of August. Anthony answered a 911 call from a family who unexpectedly had to deliver their baby at home. As the baby was coming, the umbilical cord got wrapped around her neck. Anthony, a certified Emergency Medical Dispatcher, walked the family through the steps of dislodging the umbilical cord and Columbus’ newest resident was delivered safely.

Can be found at: Barnes & Noble Columbus Museum Dinglewood Pharmacy Durham’s Pharmacy Durham’s Pharmacy Galleria Judy Bug Books Marriott Midtown Medical Center Gift Shop Pierce Crossing Convenience Store Piggly Wiggly River Road Pharmacy Whitewater Express OCTOBER 2022

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Karen and David Lewis, Michelle Folta, April Jacobs, Debbie Anderson, Payne Newsome, Elizabeth Hostetter, Isiah Harper, MaryAnn Rahm, Kevin Waldrup, Chris Barbee, Karen Lord and Addie and Chris Walton. We also loved having our choir friends with us including Bobsie Swift, Ena Hunt, Zach Folta, Roger, Erin, Maddie and Hugh Redden, with Erin’s mom Mary Hubert.

Singing with a group of people you know well and love is a most special experience.

This was the choir’s third residency—2008 in Wells, England and 2018 in Norwich, England. Residency is different from a choir going to sing at a venue or church. In a residency, you are the resident choir at that cathedral, singing an Evensong every day and two or three services on Sunday, while filling in for their regular choir, which is usually on break during the summer months.

The residency gives you a much more intimate and close relationship with the church and its people. Husband Rick McKnight, our choirmaster, had chosen a repertoire of all American composers— most all of them still living, and a few who wrote the pieces specifically for us to sing.

It was glorious in every way. Singing in the quire—yes, spelled with a q—in an 800-plus-year-old cathedral is most definitely a spiritual experience. Singing the music and the words that thousands have sung before you in the sanctity of a beautiful space. Letting the notes float up into the arched ceiling and having them seemingly disappear as they reach the heavens. The elegance of hearing the readings in those ever so lovely Irish accents. Feeling the music—word painting, as Rick calls it—listening to the beautiful rolling rrrrrrs, the articulated vowels, the crescendos, the hush of the sotto voce, the ritardando, the eloquent words and phrases that impart such spiritual feelings of passion, agony, thankfulness, despair and understanding … trying to sing with our hearts and our spirits while being nearly overcome with the emotion of it all, made it an on-themountaintop experience.

Dublin and the countryside of the day trips were beautiful and surprisingly, the restaurants were marvelous. The people of Ireland—those who served us drinks 62

St. Thomas Episcopal Choir made a pilgrimage to Dublin, Ireland to sing in a choir residency at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

and food, drove us, taught us, preached to us, accompanied and helped us in so many ways—were charming and gracious. I hope we extend the same grace to people who visit America.

Singing and traveling with a group of people you love is a grand experience. Using a phrase from one of our hymns, we “knit our friendship up” while making a most joyful noise.

Our summer experience got even better as we tacked on extra travel with the Sholtises on a bonus weeklong side trip to Scotland. With the whirlwind of singing, we were ready for some relaxation … and oh, did we get that and more in Scotland. Long on my bucket list of places to go, Scotland was a magical experience. Again, the accents—I’m a sucker for that Scottish brogue—were delightful and I loved simply listening to the Scots talk.

The scenery was beyond spectacular and even the language they use to describe it is dramatic. Deep glens, glittering lochs, grassy moorlands, fertile straths, rolling lowlands, sheer-drop cliffs, broad estuaries and all of these set off by a sky that Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

almost defies description. Surely the daily temperatures figured in with our falling in love with Scotland. Most days, the high was in the low 70s, and it was a chilly 54 degrees the day we left—oh so lovely especially when we knew it was in the high 90s back home!

One of the most exciting parts of the trip was being able to attend the Highland Games in Inverness. Seeing and hearing dozens of bagpipers in full kilt regalia, watching the young girls kick and prance in the classical highland dances and then trying to figure out the mechanics and rules of “tossing the caber,” “throwing the hammer” and “weight for height” was an experience we’ll never forget. Especially when Kristi talked her way into one of the competitors letting her throw the hammer!

He didn’t actually let her throw it, but just circling around her head with the 16-pound metal ball on the end of a 4-foot pole was very impressive!

You’re right in thinking this may be a wee bit like a travelog. Thanks for letting me relive the experience by writing about it. C

CSU President Dr. Chris Markwood holds the 2021-22 Peach Belt Conference Commissioner’s Cup. This is the seventh time the Cougars have won this award, setting a new conference record.

Marquette McRae McKnight is the owner of Media, Marketing. and More! Inc, a full service public relations firm. She may be reached call her at 706-660-9702 or via e-mail at marquette@mediamarketingandmore.com.

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business needs. From technology, to digital and offset printing, to promotional products and fulfillment – we’re committed to ensuring we provide products and services that are relevant and specifically designed to drive customer loyalty, retention and growth. We’re conveniently located in Columbus, so stop by and let’s discuss your next marketing campaign.

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OCTOBER 2022

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Dining Guide

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To have your restaurant featured here call 706.324.6214

Columbus and the Valley

OCTOBER 2022

Ad Directory The Bakeshop

The sister shop to Fountain City Coffee located in Banks Food Hall. Serving up made from scratch baked goods daily in the heart of Columbus.

M-F 7AM-7PM, Sa-Su 8AM-7PM • 1007 Broadway • 706.494.6659

Big Mama Vietnam Kitchen

Big Mama’s is proud to serve you fresh, homemade food made with local ingredients that you are sure to love. Our specialty involves healthy cuisine with plenty of fresh vegetables and a variety of flavorful spices.

Tu-F 11AM-3PM, 5PM-9PM, Sa-Su 11AM-9PM 5300 Sidney Simons Blvd., Unit #14 • BigMamaVietnamKitchen.com

Country’s Barbecue

Real Barbecue Slow Cooked Over Hickory and Oak. Casual dress, takeout, catering, kids’ menu. Su-Sa 11AM-10PM Mercury Dr., 706.563.7604 Broadway/14th St., 706.596.8910 • Veterans Pkwy., 706.660.1415

Don Chucho’s

Dine on enchiladas, burritos, fajitas and Spanish rice everyday at Don Chucho’s. We specialize in serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Come taste the best margaritas in town.

Lunch Tu-F 11AM-1:45PM, Dinner Tu-Sa 4:30PM-8PM, Su 11AM-2PM. Closed Monday. 5770 Milgen Rd. • 706.561.3040

Mellow Mushroom

The combination of a great menu, hand-tossed dough, fresh ingredients and friendly service makes the Mellow Mushroom a must when you have a taste for pizza. Bring your group for a family-friendly dinner or join your friends in our comfortable neighborhood bar.

M-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-9PM. 6100 Veterans Pkwy. • 706.322.4602

Ruth Ann’s Restaurant

A Columbus tradition for families, friends and great food. Ruth Ann’s offers authentic Southern style lunches, and breakfast is served all day.

W-Su 6:30AM-2PM • 940 Veterans Pkwy. • 706.221.2154.

Place your next take-out order at ruthannsrestaurant.com.

Uptown Vietnam Cuisine

Uptown Vietnam Cuisine offers authentic, traditional Vietnamese dishes that are both delicious and healthy, featuring fresh ingredients and a variety of flavorful spices. Dine-in, carry-out and party trays are available, as well as a 10 percent military discount.

M-F 10:30AM-3PM & 5-9PM, Sa 11AM-9PM • Closed Sunday.

1250 Broadway • 706.576.9922

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar

Traditional Japanese cuisine with hibachi grill tops and fresh sushi. Come and try our flavorful and fresh ingredients.

Su-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM • 1808 Manchester Expy • 706.642.0888 Dine in or order online at wasabijapanesecolumbus.kwickmenu.com.

To have your restaurant featured here call 706.324.6214 OCTOBER 2022

Columbus and the Valley

A-Com 34 Aflac 5, 18 Bakeshop/Fountain City Coffee 64 BEAM 66 Big Mama Vietnam Kitchen 64 Bishop Family 8 Brookstone School 8 Cancer Treatment Centers of America 2 Civil War Naval Museum 22 Coldwell Banker Melissa Thomas 61 Columbus & Valley vendors 31, 61 Columbus Body Works 45 Columbus Botanical Garden 30 Columbus Hospice 43 Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson 14 Columbus Museum 45 Columbus State Univ.

12 Columbus Tape and Video 34 Columbus Technical College 35 Communicorp 63 Community Foundation 8 CORTA 10 Country’s BBQ 64 Covenant Woods 50 Daniel Appliance 47 Dinglewood Pharmacy 47 Don Chucho’s 6 Dragonfly Trails 14 Eufaula Fest 33 Griner-Isom Financial Strategies 6 Gogue Performing Arts Center IF GPB 67 House of Heroes 38 Hudson Pendleton Financial Group 34 Kinetic Credit Union 34 Malone Office 40 McMullen Funeral Home & Crematory 48 Mellow Mushroom 64 Mercy Med 20 MidTown Mingle 32 Pastoral Institute 60 Phenix City 33 Phenix City NAACP 22 Ritchie White Photography 66 RiverCenter for the Performing Arts 51 Rivertown Pediatrics 54 Robinson Grimes CPA 42 Ruth Ann’s Family Restaurant 64 Saunders Family 10 Silvan Guitars 20 St. Francis Emory Healthcare 70 Schomburg’s Jewelers 46 Shred-a-way 32 Skin Cancer Specialists 31 Springer Opera House 67 State Farm/Bob English 50 Striffler-Hamby Mortuary 7 Synovus 27 Townsend Wealth Management 1 Triangle Wholesalers 33 Troy University 10 Two Men and a Truck 44 Uptown Vietnamese Cuisine 64 Uptown Wine and Spirits 40 Valley Fir & Redwood 45 Valley Rescue 44 Wade Companies 42 Wasabi 64 WC Bradley Co. Real Estate 69 Wedding Gallery 36, 51 West Georgia Eye 54 West Ga. Oral and Facial Surgery 32, 52 Whispering Hills 38 Yalla PR 16 65

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What's Happening?

SEPTEMBER

September 23

September 15 & 16

Join other women landowners at Women Owning Woodlands and discover more about the basics of how to take care of your family forestland. This workshop will help you network with other landowners, plan for future generations, learn about local resources and discuss basic land management concepts. This workshop will be held at the Historic Tuckabatchee Masonic Lodge in Crawford from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Registration is $15. Call 334298-6845 for more information.

The Columbus Botanical Garden hosts “Gala in the Garden” with special guest horticulturist and author, Brie Arthur, author of the Foodscape Revolution and Growing with Grains. Also featured will be chef and lifestyle expert Ivy Odum. The night will be filled with delectable southern fare served alongside craft cocktails and hand selected wines, as well as talented musicians to make for a truly one-of-a-kind event. Visit ColumbusBotanicalGarden.org for more information.

September 17 The Columbus Symphony Orchestra presents Myths, Legends and Folk Tunes. Music by Mussorgsky-Ravel and Stravinsky will be featured in this concert of pieces inspired by non-musical things: paintings and drawings, ancient fairy tales and legends and beloved folk tunes. For more information and tickets visit CSOGA.org.

OCTOBER 2022

OCTOBER October 6 House of Heroes presents Bids and Bubbly, 6 to 9 p.m, featuring dinner at the Country Club of Columbus and an auction of sporting events, vacations and other packages. All funds raised will benefit military veterans.

Visit HouseofHeroescvc.org to purchase tickets or become a sponsor.

October 15 PAWS Humane Society presents the sixth annual Barks and Blues Music Festival featuring live entertainment by five local and regional bands, food trucks, adult beverages and arts and crafts vendors. Visit PawsHumane.org/ bark-blues-festival.

October 21 - November 6 The Springer Opera House presents Little Shop of Horrors.

Feed your craving for musical hilarity with this delicious sci-fi smash about the world’s most ravenous plant. Seymour Krelborn, a timid young florist, stumbles upon a rare breed of plant he names “Audrey II,” after his charming coworker crush.

The plant is a rude, R&B-singing carnivore that promises Seymour fame and fortune as long as he keeps feeding it … blood. Over time, though, Seymour discovers

Columbus and the Valley

Audrey II’s out-the-galaxy origins and its plan for global domination. A devilishly delectable Broadway and Hollywood smash musical. Visit SpringerOperaHouse.org for tickets and show times.

NOVEMBER November 5 Steeplechase returns to Callaway Gardens showcasing magnificent champion thoroughbred horses as they charge through their stunning woodland setting.

Enjoy the foxhound parade, savor a picnic on the infield or and soak in the festive hunt club atmosphere. Proceeds benefit the Springer Opera House, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, Historic Columbus, Callaway Gardens, the Columbus Museum and the Columbus Symphony. For more information and tickets, visit SteeplechaseCallaway.com.

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by Mike Owen

DID HE DO IT?

L

ittle gray area exists when it comes to the question of Carlton Gary’s guilt or innocence. And where certain people stand on that question is usually not a surprise.

Those who worked to arrest and prosecute Gary are thoroughly convinced of his guilt. Those who either worked on his defense or are related to him are just as convinced of his innocence, or at least that he got a raw deal at the hands of the state.

For his part, author William Rawlings, whose book is featured in this magazine (see page 41), said perceptions of Gary are often influenced by their pre-existing biases.

“Is this articulate Black man who says he is innocent really innocent and a victim of racism, or is he in fact guilty as hell and just trying to con his way out of it, like he has everything else in his life?” Rawlings said. “It becomes something of a Rorschach Test. What you see and what you believe is colored by your preexisting biases.”

But did Gary do it?

“Absolutely. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind,” Rawlings said. “I think anyone who objectively and conscientiously looks at the available data, the available evidence, there is absolutely no doubt that he was the perpetrator of these horrific crimes.”

Bill Smith, a retired Superior Court judge, was the district attorney in charge of prosecuting Gary. He is just as adamant.

“Oh yes. Absolutely. I’ve never lost a single night’s sleep over it,” Smith said. “I was a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office for 18 years, seven as an assistant and 11 as a district attorney, and of all the cases I had—and I had a number of death penalty cases, and other very, very serious cases—this was the strongest case of evidence that I ever presented to a jury.”

Ricky Boren retired two years ago as Columbus chief of police after 49 years with the city’s police department. He had been a young detective at the time of Gary’s arrest and was with Det. Mike Sellers when they went to Albany, Georgia, to pick up Gary and drive him back to Columbus.

Boren said he has no doubt that Gary was the Stocking Strangler.

“I am totally confident,” Boren said. “You had to have been there, to have been with him and looked him in the eyes.”

In addition to the physical evidence linking Gary to the crimes, Boren said Gary knew things about the crimes that only the killer could know.

“The night we took him on a ride-around, he took us straight 68

to the crime scenes, straight to them, and pointed out the houses.

And some of the things he told us, they were things that he couldn’t have known. It was him, no doubt.

Opinions vary, of course.

August “Bud” Siemon of Atlanta served as Gary’s primary defense attorney for the vast majority of the case. He argued repeatedly during the trial and appeals that the state’s denial of resources for Gary’s defense was in effect a denial of his right to a fair trial. That opinion hasn’t changed.

“He got railroaded by the authorities in Columbus,” Siemon said. “There’s no doubt about it. They gave him absolutely no money to defend himself.”

Asked whether he thought Gary was guilty, Siemon said: “I think that the process that determined his guilt was a gross violation of his due process and his general constitutional rights.

That’s how we determine people’s guilt in this country. We give them a fair trial, and he wasn’t given a fair trial.”

Immediately following the conviction, Bruce Harvey, another of Gary’s attorneys, was of the same opinion.

“I am not surprised (by the conviction). Given the lack of resources the defense had, it was impossible to prepare an adequate defense or challenge evidence presented by the prosecution,” Harvey said. “There is very little real evidence to convict him of the crimes of murder.”

Attorney Gary Parker, who also worked on Gary’s defense early in the case, has often called his conviction a “legal lynching.”

During Gary’s trial, his mother, Carolyn Lucille Davis, was adamant about her son’s innocence.

“I’m his mother, I know that, and I am prejudiced, but I believe he is one of the finest young men God ever put breath in,” she told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. “A person can be accused of a lot of things, but that’s not saying you’re guilty. I just hope people realize that.”

So, did he do it? In actual fact? We will never know.

In a strictly legal sense? Yes, he did it.

But either way, the question became moot at 10:33 p.m., March 15, 2018. C Mike Owen was born and raised in Atlanta and came to Columbus in 1986 to work for the Ledger-Enquirer, which he did for 31 years, until his retirement. He intends to grow old, die and be buried here, hopefully no time soon.

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