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Table of Contents

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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Neighbors Helping Neighbors to Meet Community Needs

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Moving Baldwin County Forward New Baldwin County Administrative Services Building Serving the Community

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Home Services Guide 41

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A Tale of Travels and Discovery

Capturing Georgia’s Train Depots

41

Summer Recreation and Camps Guide

Cover Photo – Melissa Pulliam, Lifescapes Photography

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Milledgeville BALDWIN COUNT Y

L I V I N G

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Milledgeville Out Front Kaitlyn Teague Selected for the Dove Self-Esteem Project

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: Jane Robinson DESIGNERS: Heidi Rizzi Beth Diersen COVER PHOTO: Melissa Pulliam – Lifescapes Photography

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Baldwin County Commission burpee.com/GardenCast Chuck Cheeves Rick Franzman Melissa Pulliam - Lifescapes Photography Heidi Rizzi Joelle Teague Unsplash.com (Heather Barnes, Stella de Smith, Humprey Muleba, Nadine Primeau)

Garden Inspiration

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rick Franzman Dana Lowe ADVERTISING SALES: Jane Robinson OFFICE MASCOTS: Oliver and Willow MASCOTS EMERITUS: Pooh Panda Tinkerbell Beau

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If you would like to advertise with us or if you have feature ideas, please contact Jane Robinson wjr@ieservicegroup.com Milledgeville Living Magazine published by Infinite Endeavors Publishing Company, Inc. P.O. Box 272 Good Hope, GA 30641 770-789-8189

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to the Management Team at The Cottages

The Cottages at Woodland Terrace, an independent living and assisted living community in Milledgeville, has recently added two local people to its management team. Deborah “Lynn” Futch has joined Cottage Resources, LLC, as Executive Director, and Shannon Bentley is the Sales Manager for this senior-living community.

Lynn Futch is a 1992 graduate of Georgia College and State University and has overall management responsibilities for both independent and assisted living at The Cottages. She has worked in the health care industry in Milledgeville for over 25 years, most recently serving as Admissions and Outreach Director at Chaplinwood Health & Rehabili tation for 19 years. Prior to that Futch was employed by Oconee Regional Medical Center in the Discharge Planning and Case Management Department. Lynn also founded and led a community health care coalition group for Baldwin County, and has served as an ambassador for the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber

of Commerce.

“I am very happy to have joined The Cottages. It is truly a pleasure to be able to get to know and serve the residents of this community,” said Futch. “I am looking forward to building new relationships as we move forward together. The Cottages really feels like home for me.”

Shannon Bentley graduated from Georgia College and State University in 1996 with a degree in Psychology. She will be the liaison between The Cottages and the Milledgeville area, including related businesses, government agencies, civic organizations and church groups. Bentley’s background includes working in education, as well as child and family development. She most recently served as Group Sales Manager for the Milledgeville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and recently became an ambassador for the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce.

“I am excited about this new venture and being part of such an amazing team,” said Bentley. “I look forward to building strong relationships within the community and creating awareness for the wonderful living environment we have for our residents at The Cottages.”

The Cottages at Woodland Terrace opened in 2004 as a gated community with one-level patio homes for all-inclusive independent living. Last year The Cottages opened a new Assisted Living residence with 33 one-and-two-bedroom suites for seniors who need help with routine daily activities. Assisted Living residents enjoy such amenities as three delicious meals a day, housekeeping and laundry services, transportation to medical appointments and a variety of daily activities.

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Neighbors Helping Neighbors to Meet Community Needs

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

by Dana Lowe The late Fred Rogers (of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood) once said that when he was a child and saw scary things in the news, his mother would say, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

When COVID-19 hit the United States in the spring of 2020, Baldwin County didn’t have a shortage of helpers providing food for its citizens. With kids learning remotely, workers losing jobs or having their hours cut and people spending more time at home, the demand for food was high, and the Chard Wray Food Pantry (CWFP) and Collins P. Lee Community Center were there to lend a hand. While many local churches have food pantries due to the pandemic, two of the largest efforts are the CWFP and Lee Community Center.

Pam Garrett, a board member at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Milledgeville, is currently the manager at the CWFP, located on the Central State Hospital campus.

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Garrett says when the pandemic first hit, she was surprised at the demand for the pantry.

“We actually had a decline in the number of families with children who were coming in, which surprised me. The Baldwin County School District had stepped in, providing food for families with children five days a week. Our pantry saw an increase in the older population, however. So many of these people had part-time jobs that were eliminated by COVID and they needed some extra help,” she adds.

Emily Youngblood, who handles the statistics and reporting for CWFP, says they helped 2,246 families in 2020 and 500 of those were families with children.

CWFP made some process changes during COVID to help keep everyone safe. Volunteers now wear masks and offer curbside pick up for their clients.

Volunteers assemble donation bags that include canned meats, vegetables, bread, and 12

Milledgeville Living Magazine

“Regardless of what’s going on in the world, people have to eat, and I feel we are meeting a need for Baldwin County citizens.”

– Tommy French

Spring-Summer Spring-Summer 2021 2021

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the occasional fresh fruit, if available. Garrett says, “We get to know our clients and are sensitive to their housing situation. If someone is homeless, we make sure they have items with pop tops that can be eaten without reheating or cooking.”

Garrett adds everyone is screened based on their needs. “Parents must provide proof of the number of children in the home getting assistance (WIC vouchers, Medicaid cards, etc.) and paperwork is required each time a client comes to get food, which is limited to monthly.

Clients must also be a Baldwin County resident and have proof of residency through a driver’s license, photo ID, or a piece of mail with a Baldwin address will also suffice.”

CWFP purchases food from the Middle Georgia Food Bank in Macon and receives donations from residents and many churches. According to Garrett, the pantry always needs cereal, peanut butter, jelly, canned meats and vegetables, and staples like macaroni and cheese and rice. She urges donors to check expiration dates on donated items. Donations can also be taken curbside.

The pantry is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 am - noon.

The Collins P. Lee Community Center, 237 Harrisburg Road in Milledgeville, doesn’t have a food pantry, but they serve as a food distribution location and provide volunteers for a tractor trailer truck from the Middle Georgia Food Bank. (This partnership is funded through grants and donations secured by the Middle Georgia Food Bank).

Tommy French, a former Baldwin County Commissioner who served for eight years, is actively involved in these efforts

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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at the Collins P. Lee Center. French says, “About two years ago, the Middle Georgia Food Bank reached out to us to us because they needed distribution locations to bring the food truck to Baldwin County. The Collins P. Lee Community Center was an ideal location because that area is considered a ‘food desert,’ with no grocery store close by. When I was a county commissioner, I represented this district, and it has the highest unemployment rate in the county. Through surveys and needs assessments, it was determined that the Harrisburg area of the county would greatly benefit from the food truck. We typically serve an average of 300-500 families each month with the food truck.”

French says their food distribution experienced an uptick with COVID-19, and their 40 volunteers had to rearrange how they handled the distribution process. Volunteers now wear masks, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department assists with organizing the pick-up line. “The food truck comes on the third Wednesday of each month and typically it arrives between 9-10 a.m. In about 45 minutes to an hour, the truck is

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

unloaded, food has been packaged into distribution bags and is ready to give away,” adds French.

The Middle Georgia Food Bank sends different items each month on the truck, and French says items range from fresh vegetables, pastries, juice, and sometimes frozen meat.

Each client receives a bag (called an allotment) weighing between 30-50 lbs. Each car is given two allotments, and volunteers place it in the trunk for the clients, so the pick-up is contactless. The Baldwin County Senior Center van also picks up allotments for their clients and delivers to their homes.

French says, “The Middle Georgia Food Bank does require the client complete a form that captures how many people are in the home and the household income. These statistics are used for their grants, and in reporting to the Food Bank’s partners. “ He concludes, “Regardless of what’s going on in the world, people have to eat, and I feel we are meeting a need for Baldwin County citizens.”

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MOVING BALDWIN COUNTY FORWARD:

New Baldwin County Administrative Services Building Serving the Community

by Rick Franzman

S

ince Baldwin County’s government offices settled into the County Courthouse on the corner of Wilkinson and Hancock Streets in 1996, Milledgeville has

travelled in an uneven, yet consistently forward direction, on the path toward sustained economic progress.

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Baldwin County growth has experienced challenges, over the years, with the loss of major players of the local area industrial base, the dissolution of the Central State Hospital, now serving as newly redesigned business and economic development sites, and finally the welcomed transitions to the progressive, comprehensive medical center, now Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin.

Today, the county sits poised for a consequential step forward as the third decade of this century unfolds, and multiple economic development projects take shape across the county while a blossoming real estate market continues to emerge. Interwoven with free market development comes inevitable increased demand for Georgia’s constitutionally mandated public services. Baldwin’s County Commissioners have sought to address this factor in a very demonstrative manner with the completion of the new County Government Administration Services building located at 1601 N. Columbia St., intended to signal growth, and change for the county.

Dedicated on September 25, 2019, the gleaming two-story, 44,000 square foot structure of stacked stone and brushed brick was designed to be a visually pleasing neighbor, anchoring the southern stretch of Milledgeville’s primary commercial district. Architect firm Court-Watkins of Loganville, Ga. and General Contractor John W. Spratlin of Monroe, Ga. erected the facility at a total cost of just over $13.2 million that included the building,

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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land acquisition and interiors. The new building financed through a Special Local Option Sales Tax referendum that passed in 2017.

As a vision by government planners to match private growth with public services percolated, District Four Commissioner, Henry Craig, affirmed the foresight, “If a community is not growing, it is dying.” The catalyst for action was hatched from a relatively modest inquiry to find an alternative venue for early voting in the 2016 election cycle. According to Assistant County Manager Dawn Hudson, that inquiry originated with retired former employee Elizabeth Rogers, “She asked the Commissioners to try and find space for early voting because of Courthouse security and downtown traffic and parking congestion.”

At that same time, another physical need within county services was identified. The Water Department was not housed with the other services in the courthouse, instead occupying a stand-alone small structure on Heritage Way. “It was in great need of repairs and was just about falling down around them,” Hudson said. Once those two specific needs converged, the concept to create an overall separate facility for county offices began to take hold and fulfill the larger vision.

Creaking from over-crowding after more than two decades of sharing Courthouse space with the County Judicial branch, the departments were straining to maintain efficiency. Hudson recounted, “Things had become more makeshift and unsettled over the years. Things like records

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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being stored on different floors were causing delays, and traffic and parking were more difficult every day.”

Commissioner Craig echoed that sentiment noting, “A continually increasing demand for the efficient dissemination of services such as health care, emergency services, road repair, internet development, and much more all reflect a community with need for improved county services.”

The combination of these factors resulted in the Board of Commissioners, which consisted of Craig, Emily Davis of District One, Tommy French (currently Kendrick Butts) of District Two, Sammy Hall of District Three, and John Westmoreland of District Five successfully shepherding the SPLOST initiative passage.

The search for a site concluded at the property on N. Columbia which, Craig commented, “Provided for the spaciousness that could allow for growth in the future.”

A generous portion of the 13-acre site’s northern boundary can support any number of future development projects. Commissioner Craig expresses a preference for greenspace, “The idea of a destination parkland and even an exercise venue for people to visit within an urban area of the county would be a desirable use of property.” He adds, “We envision this site being at least a two-generation working facility. For that to happen, planned expansion had to be part of the original design.”

On the upper floor, accessed by elevator as well as a marble stepped stairwell that dominates the open atrium entrance area, is the meeting room for the Commissioners’ public, bi-monthly assemblies, and the Commissioners’ staff offices.

That staff is comprised of County Manager Carlos Tobar, with three years-service in the position and specialized expertise in transportation and environmental fields.

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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Assistant County Manager Hudson with an Accounting background and degree from Georgia College, Chief Building Officer Steve Owens, County Engineer Brian Wood, and Legal Counsel David McRee. The 2nd floor also contains a west facing conference room with capacity for several dozen attendees featuring a glass wall that allows an expansive view of the property’s frontage and abutting road beyond. Considerable space adjacent to these rooms stands ready for conversion to offices, assembly rooms, or storage in coming years.

On the ground floor, the centered staircase is surrounded by the County Department offices. Water Department and Tax Assessor on the south end, and Tax Commissioner, Department of Motor Vehicles, GIS Services, Voter Registration, and the early voting space located in the building’s northern side. Like the upper floor, additional unused space lies beyond the offices to accommodate expansion.

In addition to the generous allowance for building space and land expansion, updated technology has been incorporated within each department’s offices, most notably a building-wide closed-circuit television system that serves multiple functions as computers, presentation boards, inter-office communication, and countywide and community news updates.

Also, at the vanguard of newly incorporated technologies is the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) satellite mapping program that produces overhead visuals of land parcels delineating specific site features to aid in determining land value and suitability for intended use. GIS Analyst Cat Cronland, a recent Georgia College graduate cites an example, “A satellite overlay map can search for fire hydrants, water pipes, sewer access, or any other number of features that would help determine a land parcel’s capacity and value.”

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

Tax Commissioner Cathy Settle, whose office staff frequently interacts with the public, also endorses the new surroundings, “It’s amazing, really. We have seven windows now to handle our 45,000 yearly vehicle registrations and is far more efficient for us than it was at the courthouse,” she notes. “We have tripled our office space here, and it gives us plenty of room for storage for both our tax records and the records for 22,000land parcels in the county.”

Adjacent to Settle’s Tax offices are the Voter Registration offices headed by Chief Registrar Randy Morrow. Most significantly under the purview of this department is the very specifically designed early voting area that was the original thrust for the building’s development. A two-sectioned, all glass enclosure provides transparent monitoring of voting procedures and ballot tabulation. Segregated from the business offices, the early voting rooms have a separate north entrance and parking lot that allows voters privacy and security.

Assistant Tax Assessor Chuck Cheeves, a nine-year veteran, echoes Settle’s enthusiasm of the improved office working conditions. “It’s like night and day as far as the difference this building has made in our ability to operate. We used to be in a bullpen in our old space that made distractions quite common. Now, with individual office spaces and meeting rooms, we function much better,” Cheeves said.

The Water Department, headed by Jason Kidd that serves over 10,000 of the county’s residents has been the most significant beneficiary of the new environs, escaping their previously dilapidated facility on Heritage Rd. The new Baldwin County Services building is aesthetically pleasing, easily accessible, and includes updated and efficient workspaces for re-energized workers to better serve the residents. With this service quality, it’s evident Baldwin county’s 45,000 citizens will reap dividends on this SPLOST investment for years to come.

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A Tale of Travels and Discovery:

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

Capturing Georgia’s Train Depots

by Rick Franzman

W

hen Milledgeville native Chuck Cheeves set out two-and-a-half years ago on a quest to find and photograph every known railroad train depot building in the state of Georgia, by his own admission, he did so uncertain of his purpose, unaware of his inspiration, and devoid of a plan.

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“I was flying by the seat of my pants and not thinking much about research,” the 26-year veteran of the Baldwin County Tax Assessor’s office remembers. “It was just hop in the car and go,” he added.

But sometimes a project defines its own purpose by its very existence, provides its own inspiration in the process of the journey, and compels a plan of action to materialize. And, so it was with Cheeves’ mission to traverse the state in search of every standing train depot.

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

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An accidental internet click, one evening in the early fall of 2018, that happened to land on a listing of the 270 known train depots in Georgia sparked Cheeves’ curiosity. And when two long-time friends, ‘Rockin’ Robin Spence and Kim Hornsby agreed to be part time companions on road trips to visit these depots that were dubbed ‘rambles’, Cheeves was set to go. Even though he conceded, “if I had really sat down and thought at all about what it would take to do it, I may never have gotten started.”

So, with no more plan than a printed list off the internet, Cheeves embarked on a mission to personally photograph each of those 270 Georgia train depots.

Ultimately, that number turned into 230 after he learned that 47 on the original list had been destroyed by fire or other means, and he discovered another seven that were not on the list.

The journey began modestly enough by ‘just getting in the car’ and visiting the two remaining Baldwin County depots. The first, in downtown Milledgeville that once served the city’s passenger and supply needs is now owned by Georgia College and has been converted to a recreational gym and workout facility to serve the college student population.

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Milledgeville Living Magazine

The second, and more well-known, is the Central State Hospital (CSH) train depot erected in 1891 that provided decades of transport to the hospital. Cheeves describes the unique architectural features noting, “it has a bell cast metal roof that is steeply slanted in the Victorian tradition. The barge board facing under the front roof line is very elaborate, and ornate corbels underneath the facing finish it off.”

The CSH depot is currently under renovation and preparation to serve as the future home for the Old Capital Museum with Dr. Amy Wright supervising and serving as the Old Capital Heritage Center executive director.

Next, Cheeves discovered, down the road in Gray, that the town’s train depot had been relocated away from the rail line and established across the street. It also had been re-purposed for community use, a recurring theme for these quaint but formidable structures that had survived the rail era.

“The train depot was once the lifeblood of many small communities,” Cheeves notes. “Rail provided more than just the means of transportation, but connection to the broader world, and the depot was the hub for that connection.”

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“I’ve seen depot buildings renovated for all sorts of uses like City Halls, Police Stations, Chamber of Commerce buildings, and the one in Plains served as Jimmy Carter’s first campaign headquarters,” he said. These recurring discoveries began to fuel inspiration for Cheeves to linger stay on the train depot trail and led to more extensive trip scheduling to maximize results supporting his rambles.

Milledgeville’s central location in the state proved a huge travel advantage, as Cheeves was able to embark on the overwhelming majority of his site visits in single day excursions while driving his faithful Scion XB dubbed the ‘SparkleWagon.’ Cheeves decorated it with an over-sized smiling sun sticker to act as a cheerful greeting when he entered new towns.

“But then I got carried away and covered the whole car with my messages of positivity to reinforce folks.” he said.

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With the well adorned ‘Sparkle-Wagon’ announcing his arrival, Cheeves recounts, “An average day was usually four or five sites, and my record was 11 in one day.” He never stayed in a hotel but was able to stay overnight as a friend’s guest on several occasions allowing him to access the furthest reaches of Georgia’s four extreme corners over two-day rambles. Having viewed it all, Cheeves refers to his favorite Georgia landscape the southwest flatlands, “I loved driving along the open cornfields, cotton fields, and peanut farms,” he remembers. “I would either just listen to the sound of the road, or sometimes on Sundays listen to a sermon with the fields as backdrop.”

After more than a year of settling into a routine and making significant headway on the depot list, the Coronavirus pandemic struck. This interrupted Cheeves’ progress and forced him to re-program the mission. “I gave a lot of thought to how to continue the project safely,” he noted. The first thing that changed was the companionship model. “It wasn’t practical anymore to travel with Robin or Kim because so many facilities and amenities had closed,” he said. Bagged lunches became the norm, and gas stations were prized finds. But with fewer people on the roads or moving about the towns, his travel pace increased considerably.

“I wasn’t engaging people at that time, so it was much easier to get around,” he said.

Through it all, rich experiences continuously emerged. In Evans County’s tiny township of Belleville, Cheeves found a bronze plaque affixed to the depot commemorating the 1970’s Country hit by Tom T. Hall, “God Came Through Belleville, Georgia.”

Then, there was a stumble and nasty fall in Union City that resulted in six weeks spent in a walking boot, and another trip that required scaling an eight-foot fence to capture the cherished depot photo. Yet another was the discovery of a depot in the middle of a Jenkins county farm that had been acquired by a local resident, George Gunn.

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“Mr. Gunn preserved the depot in period decor down to the telegraph stations, ticket windows and mail boxes,” Cheeves marveled.

But his final ramble in the fall of 2020 proved the most poignant of all. Almost as a premonition of the entire project, Cheeves had spotted a photo of the Surrency depot hanging in the town hall some years earlier while passing through toward St. Simons. The mental note clicked on his last ramble heading home through the same tiny town. After several inquiries, he found it was another privately owned artifact comfortably residing on a family farm well outside of town. When Cheeves arrived to ask permission for viewing the depot and photo-

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graphing it, he was welcomed in the home for lunch followed by a half-hour visitation of the depot. “I would have missed that one if I hadn’t remembered that earlier visit and had those folks helping me,” Cheeves recalls. “The warm, wonderful people that I met all over the state made the whole thing worthwhile,” he emphasized.

As Surrency disappeared in the rear-view mirror, Cheeves began reflecting on the two-year long adventure and couldn’t help but contemplating the trip’s legacy. While he had been posting pictures to social media sites, he wondered if there was more to chronicle of the trip. Outside of some local media attention and stirring some interest among like-minded memorabilia enthusiasts, it was very much his own personal journey. His thoughts have run to creating a website or possibly a photographic account in book form. But those ideas remain in the realm of ‘perhaps’ for the time being.

Ultimately, the project that began without purpose, inspiration, or a plan and ended as its own reward and needs no more contemplation than to have had the experience and finished the job. HMLM

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‘Leading with a Trojan’s Spirit and a Servant’s Heart’

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Make some memories

Georgia Power is the largest nongovernment provider of recreation facilities in the state. If you are in Georgia, chances are you’re not very far from a Georgia Power lake or park. Our lakes and parks offer boating, fishing, swimming, picturesque scenery, hiking trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds. In addition, Georgia Power leases about 30,000 acres for use as wildlife management areas operated by the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Come on out and enjoy our great outdoors!

Visit georgiapower.com/lakes to learn more.

Lakes Oconee and Sinclair ©2018 Georgia Power Company. All rights reserved.

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Connect With Your Target Market

109 S. Spring Rd., Eatonton, GA 31024 706 485 8423

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Summer Hours (May - September) Mon/Wed/Thurs: 7 AM - 9 PM • Fri/Sat: 7 AM - 10 PM • Sun: 8 AM - 6 PM Winter Hours (October - April) Mon/Tues Closed • Wed/Thurs/Fri: 9 AM - 4PM • Sat: 9 AM - 5 PM • Sun: 9 AM - 1 PM Closed on Tuesdays Year Around

We take cash and credit cards, with online reservations at Oconeespringspark.com

Contact Us at 770.789.8189

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Milledgeville Out Front:

Kaitlyn Teague Selected for the Dove Self-Esteem Project M

any children and adolescents today struggle with body image and how they are perceived by their peers. Milledgeville teenager, Kaitlyn Teague, was featured as part of the Dove Self-Esteem Project, a national campaign to offer students healthy skills and habits to reach their full potential.

Intelligent, awesome, and amazing are the words Kaitlyn Teague’s mother uses to describe her. However, Teague didn’t recognize these traits within her because she experienced being bullied for several years. “It happened 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade and then there were a couple of people in sixth grade.

Sixth grade was the easiest year as far as bullying because I only had a couple people say things to me,” she recalled.

Teague notes she was bullied due to her weight, “I wasn’t your typical third grader. I was always bigger and taller than almost everyone, including the boys.”

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Teague is a life-long Milledgeville resident. She attended St. Stephen’s Day School from age two through pre-kindergarten, Sinclair Christian Academy for kindergarten through second grade, Blandy Elementary (now Midway Hills Primary) for third and fourth grades, and after redistricting moved to Midway Hills Academy to complete fifth grade. Teague is currently completing eighth grade at Oak Hill Middle School (OHMS) and plans to attend Baldwin High School (BHS) as a freshman in the fall.

Teague’s family members, Joelle (mother), Glen (father) and younger sister, Lainey share a close relationship. Glen has a special friendship and parental bond with his daughter and affectionately refers to her as ‘Big Brain.’ Joelle’s focus is more the disciplinarian. However, she also understands how to support and comfort her daughter. And Lainey is Teague’s best friend and sometimes rival as is typical with siblings.

Teague’s mother affirms, “It takes a village to raise a child.”

She notes Teague is extremely grateful to everyone who plays or has played an active role in her life. She strives to pay it forward by acting as a role model for her younger cousins and hasn’t met a baby she doesn’t like.

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Third grade was an especially tough year for Teague. It marked her first year in public school as she transitioned from a class size of nine to twenty-three students. And as a new student she didn’t know anyone in her class.

“We thought the year was going well,” states Teague’s mother, “However, we found out that our daughter was try-

ing to protect us.” In February of 2016, Teague’s mother received a call from an after-school teacher to report Teague had been disrespectful. This was out of character for Teague, and the teacher recognized that something was awry. In talking with Teague, her parents discovered that some of the girls in her class were name calling, coughing in her face, and Teague was feeling lonely and unworthy.

Pam Gooch, Teague’s third grade teacher, acknowledges Teague as a positive, strong willed, student that sets a goal for herself and completes it. Gooch recalls that it was challenging for Teague to make friends, during this time, and would often eat lunch with her.

When Teague cried, Gooch assured her things would get better.

Even during her struggles, Teague allowed her character to show through. One of her fondest third grade memories was when she chose a particular male student to partner with for a school project.

The young male seemed to consistently get in trouble at school.

When asked about this decision, Teague explained, “I felt, maybe I could be a positive influence on him.” She treated him as she wanted to be treated. Third grade eventually turned around for Teague as she was tested and accepted into the school’s gifted program.

The Dove Self-Esteem Project At Dove, we believe no young person should be held back from reaching their full potential.

However, low body confidence and anxieties over appearance keep young people from being their best selves, affecting their health, friendships, and even performance at school.

For more than 15 years, we’ve been helping parents, mentors, teachers, and youth leaders deliver self-esteem education that’s reached more than 60 million young people so far. By 2030, we’re aiming to have helped ¼ billion build their positive body image.

Our Mission: Helping young people overcome body image issues and fulfill their potential by building positive body confidence and self-esteem

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Teague started to find her voice (literally) and believe in herself at a deeper level. As a young child, Teague possessed a fondness for music and during these trying times, she was able to channel that same musical interest into band and chorus. These activities helped to build her self-confidence as performances place her in front audiences on several occasions. Further building her self-esteem, Teague also competed in activities through the gifted program.

Regina Ridley, Teague’s fourth and fifth grade gifted program teacher, facilitated several competitions in which Teague participated. In Destination Imagination, students worked in teams to solve STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) challenges. During the 2016-2017 school year, Teague participated in a scientific challenge; during 2017-2018 she was the only female team member, of seven, that competed in an engineering challenge. For both school years the teams placed third at the state level.

Teague also participated in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team which won regional first place for two years. Team members read ten books of literary excellence and were asked

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questions in a competitive game format.

For the annual Oconee RESA technology fair, Teague also competed in both school terms. The first year she partnered with another student in creating a mobile app to provide healthy snack recipes for kids. The second year, Teague competed individually and designed a website to potentially allow volunteers to sign up for work in local nursing homes. Both years, Teague placed in the regional competitions and moved on to state.

Ridley describes Teague as one of those students you will always remember.

“Bright, witty, and so mature for her age.

Empathetic and courageous, and a selfstarter, with deep intrinsic motivation.

Words cannot describe how proud I am of her and how much I enjoyed teaching her,” explains Ridley. She also believes Teague taught her in many ways. “Kaitlyn taught me perseverance, especially when faced with tasks that appeared to be impossible. She taught me what it is truly like to be courageous.”

Despite her accomplishments, Teague would often look at herself in the mirror

and stare at herself—wanting to change things. “Society portrays a certain image of body positivity of what females and male are supposed to look like,” she said. “I had to remind myself that what others are saying doesn’t affect me.”

Teague’s sixth and seventh grade teacher, Susan Curtis, joys a special bond with her. Curtis sees Teague as a bright, assertive, and respected student—who knows who she is. “Kaitlyn steers students to view her as a leader. She doesn’t sugar coat things—she tells it like it really is,” explains Curtis. “Kaitlyn has developed a good set of friends with like interests.”

Even after her participation in the Dove Self-Esteem project, Teague had no idea the impact her story could have. It was when another teenager reached out to Teague after viewing the ‘Amazing Me’ virtual field trip, that Teague realized talking about her pain could help someone else. She was humbled by the experience and stated, “I had no idea others suffered just like I did.” The two teenagers have formed a friendship.

Teague, now 14, views herself physically and emotionally.

“There are times when I still worry about how I look to others...but more times than not, I am the kind of person who knows who I am. My confidence has come with time and I am learning to love myself,” explains Teague. Teague proudly states. “I am made by God, the way he intended me to be. I am good enough and no words that are said affect how I am and how I feel about myself.”

Teague’s newfound confidence has continued to translate across her young life. As an eighth grader, she was selected as one of five 2020 REACH Scholars. The REACH scholarship provides $10,000 towards college and that amount doubles if the student attends a participating school in Georgia. Students are required to maintain grades, attendance, and behavior throughout their high school career. Teague has also participated in the Young Leaders Focus group as the only middle school student, named Student of the Month for the character trait of Responsible. And she won 1st place in the school level Tech fair advancing her to region placement along with par-

ticipating in the Student Advisory Panel to the superintendent while maintaining honor roll grades. Her improved self-esteem allowed her to become an important member of the OHMS track team, something she has never done before.

Teague would like to share this message with others, “See yourself in the light you want to see yourself. Don’t let someone else determine how you feel about yourself. When you see bullying happen, intervene in the situation. Ask the questions, how would you feel if someone was saying this to you? If the situation is getting bad, find someone you can ask for help.

You shouldn’t have to go through those things alone. Focus on positive things about yourself.”

After high school, she wants to continue helping others by pursuing a degree in Biomedical Science.

She plans to attend college at the University of Georgia. HMLM Spring-Summer 2021

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Gardening Inspiration Three Fresh Trends

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H

ome gardening offers plentiful benefits that support

mental and physical health, and many people have decided to begin or expand their gardens during the pandemic.

Whether you’re a new gardener looking to learn or a seasoned green thumb who has been growing plants for years, you may want inspiration for the upcoming growing season.

to Inspire Your Garden

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Following expert-recommended top trends can help set you up for success and make your garden the envy of the neighborhood.

The Burpee GardenCast trends for 2021 include:

Immunity Garden Health is top of mind for people across the country. An abundant garden full of vibrant vegetables like winter squash, radishes and tomatoes can help you commit to a nutrient-rich diet that strengthens your immune system.

A vegetable’s color reflects the different phytonutrients and antioxidants inside, according to the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.

Growing a rainbow of vegetables allows you to create multi-hued meals with health and disease-fighting benefits.

“Planting an Immunity Garden right in your own backyard will do a world of good,” says Moore. “It offers unlimited access to nutrientdense vegetables that help support your overall health and well-being.

Tomatoes are a great example: they are rich in vitamin C, which plays a vital role in a healthy immune system.”

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World Herb Garden

Garden of Joy Gardening helps you reduce stress, move your body and enjoy the outdoors. The psychological benefits of caring for plants can support the mental health of people at any age. That’s why individuals as well as families are planting gardens of joy, with blooms that are as pleasant as the process of gardening itself.

The garden of joy is a flower bed full of bright “faces”, including pansies and violas, that are sure to inspire many smiles of pure happiness. Every time you tend to these happy blooms you will feel a little lift in your day, plus it brightens your outdoor landscape in a cheerful way.

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Experiencing international flavors in food is an important part of traveling and with so many people pausing vacation plans, the associated explorational eating has paused as well.

Your palate is ready for something new and you can experience a world of flavors from your own backyard when you grow a world herb garden - no passport needed.

Herbs like lemongrass, dill and cilantro are easy to grow and offer bright flavors to enhance your favorite recipes, no matter the cuisine. Whether you use them fresh, dry or in custom blends, you’ll have a bounty of flavor at your fingertips to complement meats, vegetables, pasta and more.

“We want to inspire all gardeners in 2021, which is why we launched the GardenCast,” says Burpee Owner George Ball.

“Through these trends, we’re providing inspiration and creative ideas paired with techniques and product tips to give gardeners of all levels the tools they need to grow with confidence this season.” HMLM The 2021 Burpee GardenCast forecast, found at ww.burpee.com/ GardenCast, is an inspirational resource based on industry trends and cultural insights, combining expertise from Burpee horticulturalists, registered dietitian, and lifestyle expert.

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Index of Advertisers ACS - Air Conditioning Specialist, Inc.......... Back cover, 28 Animal Hospital of Milledgeville.........................................21 ATC Locksmith......................................................................29 Atrium Health Navicent..........................................................7 Cansino Law Firm LLC.........................................................25 CASA.......................................................................................31 Century Bank & Trust.......................... Inside front cover, 15 Charcool Heating & Cooling................................................29 Coldwell Banker SSK - Kimi Clements...............................28 Dr. Frank Arnold & Associates...................Inside back cover Eatonton Health & Rehabilitation........................................17 Exchange Bank........................................................................21 Galloway’s Floor Décor..........................................................30 Georgia Dermatology............................................................25 Georgia Power Company......................................................44 Heart of Georgia Animal Care.............................................13 Ivey’s Tire Company...............................................................17

Jerry Huellemeier - Burns Gore Realty...............................30 John Milledge Academy........................................................43 Lake Sinclair Storage..............................................................30 Lawman Pressure Washing...................................................29 Lee & Turner, PC....................................................................39 Lifescapes Photography.........................................................31 Milledgeville Main Street......................................................44 Oconee Springs Park..............................................................45 Pamlico Pool Company.........................................................42 Serenity Physical Therapy & Wellness.................................23 Sinclair Marina.........................................................................3 Skin Care Physicians of Georgia.............................................7 The Brick..................................................................................35 The Cottages.......................................................................... 8-9 Tri-County EMC....................................................................17 Williams Funeral Home........................................................35

To advertise in our next issue call 770-789-8189 or email wjr@ieservicegroup.com

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