Volume 2 Issue 1 Kitchen Drawer Illustrated

FREE TO A GOOD HOME

We’re Listening

MAR/APR ‘10

C I N O R C Griffin, Ga.

www.croniccars.com

Come Meet Our Friendly Sales Staff and Drive a 2010 Buick LaCrosse, Equipped with

Take a Look at Me Now

From left to right (back row): Tom Swygert, Jeff Ford, Brandon Rosier, Gayron Goen, Chad Davis, Travis Young From left to right (front row): Ritchie Lewis, Tony House, James Mills, Anne Woodie, Annando Jones, Troy Rimes

2515 N. EXPRESSWAY (NEXT TO GRIFFIN SKATE INN) • GRIFFIN, GA • (770) 227-4271

Christine Bell, http://cmbdesign.net Cristin Bowman, www.laughingfig.com Courtney Kuhlman, www.courtneykuhlman.com John Powell Nicole Scibetta, nicole@libertytech.net Bobby Wheaton, bobbywheaton@comcast.net

Nan Jolly Moore, njm1216@comcast.net Kevin Liles, http://kdlphoto.com Ashley Nichols, www.myspace.com/ flashy_photography Andrew Odom, (Cover Photo) http://www.anotherkindofdrew.com Katie Snyder, http://www.katiesnyderphotography.com

Edward Bullard Amanda Cera, amandaocera@yahoo.com Taylor Gantt, theganttinator@gmail.com Ronnie Garrison, http://fishing.about.com Morganne Mann Rachel Scoggins Allison Smyly

Jenni Tatum, Publisher Ben Johnson, Marketing Laurie Cochrane, Editor Carrie Jones, Art Director Brittany Duncan, Manager Julie Ward, Sales

Plug into Kitchen Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Your Friendly Neighborhood Pharmacies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Entrepreneur Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Charity’s Closet – A Place to Hang Your Hopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Spring Means Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Kitchen Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Meet Your Neighbor – Dr. Cox and Nurse Jenny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Bridges & Plots In Your Backyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Movie Review: The Tesla Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 March/April Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Children’s Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fun and Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Artist ProFIle: Walker Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Recollections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Sports: The GrifFIn High Bears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Paparazzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Kindling – Part II – Quickening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Freedman’s Finds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Business Card Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Healthier.

116 N. Hill St. Downtown Griffin (770) 233-8315 www.kitchendrawer.net

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The movement rolls on...

Ben Johnson and I, along with the rest of the Kitchen Drawer staff, extend our heartfelt thanks for your outstanding support of our first year of plugging in to Spalding, Pike, and Lamar counties. We are working hard to repay your loyalty. In the past year, Kitchen Drawer has grown in popularity and has distinguished itself as a professionally rendered publication with collaborative design and thoughtful writing that readers are applauding. We’ve promoted hundreds of local businesses and shared with you the work of dozens of talented local artists, photographers, and writers. Still, as we transition into our second year, we continue to evolve.

First of all, we took a month off to regroup and shift our production schedule to a January/February through November/December format that is better aligned with the seasons. Also, PLUG IN to Kitchen Drawer notice our simpler look, beginning with Dust off that essay, short fiction, or diatribe. Scan your child’s this issue. In response to your feedback, refrigerator masterpiece. Turn in your everyday hero. Clue us in we will be featuring more photography of on local places to go and things to see. We want to highlight local people and businesses. We will also your event, your triumph, your memory. Here’s how to plug in: highlight more of the vintage photos and PHONE: Tip us off at 770.412.0441 articles on community involvement that POST: Tell us what you really think on our Facebook page – you’ve been asking for.

Kitchen Drawer Illustrated At Kitchen Drawer…“We’re listening.”

Jenni Tatum and Ben Johnson Publishers

Kitchen Drawer 120 East Taylor Street | Griffin, GA 30223

770.412.0441

PURCHASE: Invest in a custom-designed ad for your local clientele, or just a scan of your business card!

DESIGN: Lend your design talent to one of our articles – boost that portfolio!

TAP: Grab your laptop and rap out your story or article or be one of our reporters!

SNAP: Become one of our distinguished photographers-at-large SEND: Drop everything in stuff@kitchendrawer.net

Tilney Avenue soapbox Race RECAP Sponsored by Kitchen Drawer

By all accounts the Third Annual Tilney Avenue Soapbox Race was a huge success, with three victorious winners, many other close contenders and over $1,200 raised for the Georgia Transplant Foundation, not to mention a whole lot of fun. Our third-place winner Erik Pasto was a first-time racer and Griffin High School student who completed his racer as his senior project on aerodynamics. Erik didn’t cut any corners by purchasing a soapbox kit; instead he purchased a broken go-cart frame put in 15 hours of hard work completely redesigning the frame into an aerodynamic futuristic soapbox car. Not to go unmentioned are Erik’s grandfathers who worked side-by-side with him for most of the project and were there to cheer him on to win third place. Erik has already received a grade of 100% on the written part of his senior project, and things certainly look promising for his final grade in May. It looks like Erik is well on his way to becoming an engineering major at Georgia Tech. When asked if he would participate in the Tilney Avenue Soapbox Race again, Erik said, “Absolutely.”

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(770) 412-0441

www.bbqandblues.org

B a r ne s v i l le’s 6 t h A n nua l

BBQ+Blues april 23-24, 2010 Schedule of eventS:

Check out our website for Friday Community Cook-off contest and Backyard categories which are open to the public!

thurSday, april 22rd 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. United Bank Business After Hours 6:00 p.m. - Golf Cart Decorating Contest Turn In 9:00 p.m. - Cook Teams will be placed into cook area

BBQ Stage Free Concert Featuring: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.- Veronika Jackson & Doc Dixon 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.- Melflames

friday night, april 23th - Family Fun Night 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Kids’ Park - $10.00 wristbands 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Cruise In

Saturday night, april 24th Blues Concert at Ritz Park Amphitheater Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Admission: $10.00

BBQ Stage Free Concert Featuring: 5:30 p.m. Southwind 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Mark Henson Band 8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Master Blasters Saturday, april 24th 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Kids’ Park Open 12:00 p.m. - People's Choice BBQ Tasting (located on the First National Bank front lawn)

6:30 p.m. - 7:40 p.m. - Sammy Blue 7:50 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - The Buckeye Band 9:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.

- Presentation of Georgia Music Legend Award - Presentation of the Dewaine T. Bell Scholarship 9:20 p.m. - 10:45 p.m. Nick Moss and the Flip Tops

AP

us ot h rs k e im , to ue

nick Moss and the flip tops Saturday, 9:20 p.m.

2009 Blues Entertainer of the Year

Cramer & Peavy A t t o r n e y s

a t

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M-F 9:30–6 | Sat. 9–1 125 South Sixth Street | Griffin (770) 227-9185

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FREE CONSULTATION AUTO ACCIDENTS · PERSONAL INJURY · WORKERS’ COMP · INSURANCE CLAIMS

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405 N. EXPRESSWAY – BESIDE GRIFFIN TECH

www.cramerpeavy.com

Clothesline

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Huge Selection of Frames Original Prints & Etchings Oil & Watercolor Paintings Custom Matte Design Shadow Boxes Name Plates & Engraving

We have your Prom Dress too!

200 NEW DRESSES IN STOCK! 1521 North Expressway Griffin, GA 30223 770.233.3202 Consign your prom dress now!

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(770) 412-0441

You’re too young to retire but

NOT TOO YOUNG TO PLAN. Make sure your retirement savings stay hard at work for you. Call me today.

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Teresa S Grubbs, Agent 426 South Hill Street Griffin, GA 30224 Bus: 770-227-2512 teresa@teresagrubbs.com

USMC Veteran

Locally Owned Since 1978

Mention this ad and get 10% off all work $100 or more

statefarm.com® State Farm Insurance Companies Home Offices: Bloomington, Illinois

P046034

07/05

Hobbs Pharmacy & Gifts Corner of College & 8th Mon.-Fri. 9:00-6:30 Sat. 9:00-3:00 (770) 228-2788

“What are you

Caroline Moore, granddaughter of Crissie Adair, Hobbs Associate, working on a display in the children’s area.

looking at...

I’ll have this display finished tomorrow”

Everyone is working hard to get the new merchandise and new displays just right... but you don’t have to wait... come in now and enjoy the new look and great new companies. *Fabulous new Jewelry Company Beaucoup Designs - register for one of their beautiful necklaces with initial and charm $36.00 value to be given away on March 31st. www.kitchendrawer.net

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by Rachel Scoggins

I

n a time of escalating healthcare costs and sharply discounted prescription drugs by big-box pharmacies, Griffin is a small town with an unusual wealth of independent pharmacies.

These independent pharmacies are unique – instead of cutthroat competition, they collaborate on a daily basis. This makes for better customer service to their patrons, and a friendlier atmosphere in town. Independent pharmacies in Griffin include David’s Drug & Surgical Shop, Claxton-Cole, U Save It, Hobbs, Bowen’s, Hospital Discount Drugs, Wynne’s, and Henry Professional Pharmacy.

Each of these pharmacies has a unique niche.

David Clements, owner of David’s Drug and Surgical Shop, claims his niche is durable medical equipment. This includes equipment sale and rental, such as lift chairs, wheelchairs, in-home oxygen, hospital beds, and shower chairs. “There were not a lot of dealers when I bought this store,” Clements stated, “and there was a big need for it. People come to the store from Fayetteville, Barnesville, Jackson, Zebulon, and Jonesboro.” David’s works with people who have just come out of the hospital and orders equipment to take to their home. The store also stocks diabetic shoes, support hose, back braces, and mastectomy supplies. They have two women trained to fit women with mastectomy equipment. David’s also does ear piercing.

The store keeps up all equipment through their service department; if something goes wrong, they go out and fix it. For example, they check their in-home oxygen machines every couple of months.

Clements does much of the service and all oxygen checks personally. “A lot of the work is out in the field,” he claims.

David’s also repairs equipment. If they have an electric or regular wheelchair that needs repairs – no matter where the customer got it – they will repair it. They also order parts for wheelchairs.

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Photography by Kevin Liles | kdlphoto.com

Meet the pharmacists

Kim Potter, who co-owns Claxton-Cole Pharmacy with her husband Artie, is one of two female co-owners of independent pharmacies in Griffin (the other being from Hobbs). She prides herself on the pharmacy’s short wait time on filled prescriptions – about 10 minutes. Adequate staffing allows Claxton-Cole to provide this service for their patrons; they run like an assembly line.

“I feel like we have a reputation built on speed,” Potter explains.

There are ten people working at Claxton-Cole, and everyone can work in every position.

Claxton-Cole also offers gifts. Their specialty, and what Potter thinks is their niche, is UGA merchandise. They sell just about everything UGA-themed, from Tiffany-style lamps to oscillating fans to hand lotion. They also carry other varieties of gifts and greeting cards.

The pharmacy is about to enlarge their home healthcare area with aids to assist the elderly. They will carry orthopedic braces, support hose, walkers, and wheelchairs, and the store is remodeling to accommodate this growing need. “We wanted to provide better customer service for our patrons,” Potter said. “If you haven’t been by in awhile, you should check us out.” Within six months the changes to the pharmacy should be complete.

“We stand by customer service,” Potter said. “Some people would rather have the customer service, be in and out quickly, be treated well, and pay a little extra. And if you have insurance, you pay the same no matter where you go.”

The owner of U Save It Pharmacy, formerly Strickland’s, is from Albany, Georgia, but the three main pharmacists are Griffin natives – Nick Bland, Darryl Reynolds, and former owner Jim Strickland. U Save It’s goal is to take care of people’s needs in a low-cost, efficient manner. They have a 10–15 minute wait time for most prescriptions, and a good, experienced staff. They also

(770) 412-0441

“... independent pharmacies cooperate daily.

Sometimes they drive to other independent pharmacies to buy products they need.”

carry household items such as cleaning supplies, soaps, shampoos, shower gels, kitchen utensils, paper towels, toilet paper, and bleach. Most of the items are around a dollar. U Save It also does some compounding, or making customized medications. According to Bland, when a big drug company does not manufacture a specific drug, the pharmacy can make it up. For example, “A lady has dry skin and she gets an uncommon strength of lactic acid ointment, then the pharmacy has to weigh out the lactic acid and ointment, then mix it,” Bland explains. “If something isn’t mainstream, but it’s needed, we’ll do it. Like a child who needs a liquid antibiotic – we will put it in a liquid form.”

U Save It is fast and friendly. “We will greet you with a smile and know you by your name the second time,” Bland states. “We treat people like they want to be treated and pride ourselves on customer service.”

Other independent pharmacies with niches include Hobbs, Wynn’s, and Bowen’s. Hobbs Pharmacy, in addition to being a pharmacy, is also a gift shop. They are a Vera Bradley retailer, and sell fashion accessories, invitations, and have bridal and baby registries. They also deliver within the Griffin City Limits. Wynn’s Pharmacy specializes in compounding and is accredited for diabetes education. They also carry some durable medical equipment, such as lift chairs, and mastectomy supplies. Bowen’s Pharmacy offers compounding, diabetes supplies, and durable medical equipment.

They also have a gift shop with home décor, crystal, purses, and jewelry.

Cooperation The independent pharmacies in Griffin brag on their daily cooperation. Clements claims that he and Drew Miller (owner of Wynn’s Pharmacy) often refer people to each other. “If Drew has someone who needs equipment,” Clements said, “he refers them to me. I refer customers to Drew if they have unique prescriptions that he can fill through compounding. If he can’t do it, I’ll refer l Full Service them to U Save It.” According to Clements, Pharmacy if a customer brings in an unusual l Compounding l Diabetes prescription, David’s Shop will not simply Education say that they do not carry it; they will call lMastectomy other drugstores – independents first, then Products l Diabetic chains – to find the prescriptions and Supplies will not send the customer away without finding the drug.

www.kitchendrawer.net

Potter says that the independent pharmacies cooperate daily.

Sometimes they drive to other independent pharmacies to buy products they need. They loan medicines and products to the other pharmacies as customers need them. If someone requires a drug they don’t have, they will call other independents who will loan it to them – the independents help each other out.

Bland worked in Athens before working in Griffin, and there he said one or two pharmacies would help out and others would not, so the cooperation was not as widespread. “It’s unique to Griffin,” Bland says, “which is rare in this day and age. Most people are cutthroat.” He said that the pharmacies work together with a hotline, such as when somebody’s doing a fraudulent prescription and everyone is aware of it. “It helps me out because I’m young and not as seasoned and here by myself a lot,” Bland says, “and if someone calls me it makes life a little easier for me.”

Mail order prescriptions are the biggest competitor for the independent pharmacies. Most of them cannot compete because of the prices. Three months of mail order prescriptions can cost the same as one month of a prescription at a pharmacy. Clements, Potter, and Bland all say that they have had customers asking questions about mail order or needing a few days’ supply because the mail order prescription had not arrived yet. Chains do not pose such a threat, because most of the pharmacies try to meet chain prices as closely as they can.

“The problem with independent drugstores,” Clements says, “is that they are not surviving and they’re being bought out by Rite Aid, CVS, and places like that. If the independents fill the niches, they will stay in business. Most of us want to get the customer what they need, even if we have to refer them to a competitor,” Clements says. “That attitude pays off in the long run. The spirit of cooperation – doing it all for the customer.”

Wynn’s Pharmacy

Ready to serve you...We realize your time is valuable

566 S. 8th Griffin (770) 227-9432 m - F 9A-6P SAT 9A-2P

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Children’s Boutique Handmade Clothing Classic Portrait Clothing Elegant Pearl Jewelry Shoes Gift Certificates

Tree Removal Stump Grinding Trimming Land Clearing Bucket Truck Service 770-228-0760 Griffin, Georgia

v Now Taking Orders for Easter

114 S. 6th St. Griffin, GA

678-409-9812

Roger Dempsey Master Colorist/Owner 10 Market Street Barnesville, GA 30204

770-358-5667

By Appointment Only Tues.-Fri. 10 to 6 - Sat. 9 to 3 8

(770) 412-0441

(left to right): Dwayne Singleton, Singleton & Singleton; Lynn Griffin and Jeff Hatch, Jeffrey’s Bottle Shoppe; Ron Johnson, Johnson Enterprises; Bobby Adams, Racquethause (not pictured)

Kitchen Drawer’s Entrepreneur Focus features a group of local business owners who offer their talents, products, and services to enrich their communities. We hope the stories of their struggles and triumphs while building their businesses serve to encourage and inspire those who may be considering taking on the risks, challenges, and joys of entrepreneurship.

Jeffrey’s Bottle Shoppe, in its fourth year, represents the joint vision of Jeff Hatch, a former Mercedes salesman at RBM of Atlanta, and Lynn Griffin, a Griffin native, who still also works for Delta Airlines.

Jeffrey’s is the perfect place to shop for impromptu entertaining. In minutes, patrons can be on their way with a couple of bottles of fine wine, premium beers, delicious Stonewall Kitchen® tapenades and spreads, dainty crackers, and wine accessories that can’t be found elsewhere in town – “cork” candles, jeweled stoppers, a variety of aerators, and the like. Lynn will also compose charming wine-themed gift baskets to order. “When I couldn’t find a cocktail napkin in town that I liked, I decided to order my own,” says Lynn.

Noting that people often hesitate to drop in at a liquor store after dark, Jeffrey’s Bottle Shoppe was designed to quickly put minds at ease. The combination of Jeff’s architectural planning and Lynn’s interior design strikes the perfect balance between elegance and coziness where none of the negative liquor store stereotypes apply. There are no narrow, dingy aisles between towering, dark shelves crammed with bottles; they have designed the store for full visibility throughout. There is no shadowy parking lot; patrons pull right up to the well-lighted window. Jeffrey’s doesn’t sell lottery tickets, and they don’t cash paychecks; Jeffrey’s customers are enthusiasts, like the owners, who often pause to discuss their latest discovery of a new vintage or brewery, or an innovative blend of spirits. Jeff and Lynn are eager to share these recommendations and to learn of new possibilities from their clientele.

“People will come in here with a name written on a napkin of a wine they enjoyed at a restaurant, and they’ll ask us if we can get it,” says Lynn. “So we’ll order some and put it on the shelf. If it catches on, we’ll carry it.” Jeffrey’s is a true neighborhood store, both for customers who know precisely what they want and for those who would welcome some guidance. When Lynn learns of our penchant for complex Cabernets, she quietly removes a bottle of Root: 1™ from the wrought iron wine rack: “This one is really nice; it’s from Chile, and it’s only $12.99.” Customers don’t pay extra for the excellent service and exceptional atmosphere at Jeffrey’s – they’re known for having some of the best prices in town.

Jeff and Lynn wish to thank their loyal customers for their years of loyal patronage that has established Jeffrey’s Bottle Shoppe as the neighborhood shop that’s right around the corner.

1012 Memorial Drive (Rte. 16E) |

770.233.1868

| Mon-Thurs 9-9; Fri-Sat 9-11

Bobby Adams began working at Racquethause when he was 16 years old, cleaning up after school. Eventually he started working behind the counter, then helping clients with their workouts, and finally handling managerial duties. He became partners with owner Wyndell Bush, and later bought the whole operation.

Bobby’s favorite part of the job? The people. Bobby loves a success story – helping a client meet her weight-loss goals or helping to rehabilitate an injury. “I’ll see someone who has to be assisted to come in here, and after a while they’re walking out on their own.

That kind of thing drives me.”

Like Bobby, much of the staff has worked at Racquethause since high school. “We are very family-oriented and Christian-based. We try to run a fair, honest operation for both our clients and our staff. I try to look at everything from an employee’s standpoint because I was there.”

Currently, Bobby is gearing up to take the gym in the direction of a new fitness philosophy – functional workouts. Basically, the aim of functional workouts is to make you fit for more than just looking good in a swimsuit. Many have noted the irony of the bulky bodybuilder throwing out his back while throwing out the trash. Traditional workouts don’t include the many variables at play in the everyday motions of lifting a child out of a car seat or swinging a golf club. Functional workouts strengthen the back and teach the body to balance itself while supporting weight, all in a group setting under the watchful eye of a trainer who ensures the workout is safe, while providing motivation.

Bobby has also added wildly popular Latin dance-based “Zumba!” classes. If you have a daughter in high school, you’ve heard of it.

Bobby is always looking for ways to take Racquethause to a higher level. “It’s the only job I’ve ever had,” Bobby says. “And if you love what you do, you never have to work another day.”

1447 N. Expressway, Griffin, GA 30223 |

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770.228.5736

| www.racquethausefitnessclub.com

(770) 412-0441

I am Ron Johnson, owner of Ron Johnson Enterprises, Inc. I have lived in the Pike County area all my life. I live with my two sons, Lane (12) and Dylan (7) in Williamson, Georgia.

One morning my mother was taking me to school and we got stuck behind a large trash truck. I told her that when I grew up I wanted to be the trash man. So essentially, I am living out my childhood dream.

I own a roll-off container company that has been in operation since 1995. We rent the large 20- and 30-square-yard containers that are used for hauling debris from construction, remodel, clean-up, and demolition sites, as well as for hauling such loads as trees or concrete. Our containers are 23'x7'. We offer same-day service if called in by noon.

I started in 1995 with one roll-off truck and 25 containers. Since then, I have been blessed to expand the business to 7 trucks and over 300 roll-off containers. Our industry is rapidly changing due to going “green.” We are proud to say “We Do RECYCLE” and are always looking for innovative ways to make this process easier for our consumers.

The success of Johnson Enterprises has been based solely on the commitment and dedication of my employees and customers throughout the last 15 years. Thank you to everyone in Spalding County and surrounding areas. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to make our customers happy.

Please call us for all of your roll-off container needs!

Ron Johnson Enterprises, Inc. | 1320 Carver Road, Griffin Georgia 30224 |

770-412-6528

Dwayne Singleton grew up in Covington, Georgia, while his wife, Leah, grew up in Concord, Georgia. Leah comes from a family of attorneys, so the decision to go into law came naturally. Dwayne, on the other hand, first pursued a career in medicine, but after an internship in a hospital burn unit, Dwayne discovered that his strengths lie elsewhere than in his stomach. He then interned with a law firm in Carroll County and fell in love with law.

Leah told Dwayne that if he’d wait one more year, she’d join him in law school, so the couple attended Mercer Law School together in Macon while living in Thomaston. After graduation, Leah and Dwayne moved to Atlanta to pursue their careers – Leah at Troutman Sanders and Dwayne in private practice at Bell-Singleton LLC with Griffin Bell III, the grandson of the former Attorney General under President Jimmy Carter. They bought a house in downtown Decatur, and all was well for two years. Until baby Layne came along – and she changed everything.

Suddenly, this lifestyle was no longer what Dwayne and Leah wanted. “We had these big-city jobs and a house with no yard. It wasn’t how we were raised,” says Dwayne. So the couple sat down with a map and plotted a triangle where their family members lived. Griffin sat in the middle of that triangle, so the Singletons decided to make Griffin their family’s home.

Leah began working part time for Singleton & Singleton LLC, then worked from home before Layne entered school. Now that baby Layne is almost six years old, Leah has gone back to corporate transactional law, while Dwayne sticks with the civil and criminal law practice that he loves, although he admits, “My favorite time of day is still car pool.”

This is Singleton & Singleton’s fifth year of practicing criminal and civil law in Griffin. “The community accepted us right away and it’s been so wonderful for us,” says Dwayne. “Our firm is about doing whatever our clients need us to do, whether it be handling personal injury, medical malpractice, D.U.I., or criminal law, along with divorces and other civil cases. If there’s an area where we can’t help them, we’ll find someone who can. We want people to feel like they have a family lawyer who can handle all of their legal needs.”

For more information on Singleton & Singleton’s services and credentials, please visit their websites below. For legal questions, please email them at singletonandsingleton@hotmail.com.

1115 Zebulon Rd., Griffin, GA 30224 |

www.kitchendrawer.net

770.227.5300

| singletonandsingleton.com; griffindui.com; avvo.com

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by Morganne Mann

W

hen you picture a thrift store, what do you see? Racks and racks of old clothes with high prices? Well, Charity’s Closet is giving thrift stores a new name, starting now. Full of brand-name clothes, low prices and smiling faces, Charity’s Closet is sure to please!

Charity’s Closet is not run by someone named Charity, but by Scotti Statham, Volunteer Coordinator for Christian Ministries Hospice. The store’s slogan, “Creating hope with clutter” sheds some light on the reason for the name. Charity’s Closet is a non-profit business, and all of the money that this little thrift store makes goes to help fund indigent hospice patients in the Christian Ministries Hospice.

Though finding volunteers for the hospice may sound simple enough, it wasn’t. Scotti saw that it was hard for people to work with dying, grief, and pain. She and her boss Stephanie Freeman then came up with the idea of a thrift store where people could volunteer in a more comfortable setting while still supporting the hospice. Once they found a building sure to get lots of walk-in traffic, they had to start the long task of finding things to sell. Being that Charity’s Closet would operate by donations only, it was hard to figure out where they would start. However, people soon began coming in, asking if they could donate to them. “Everything we have now has been done strictly by the good hearts of the people in this community.” Scotti says.

Charity’s Closet offers a wide variety of gently used clothing. Even though some think of thrift stores as strictly clothing stores, that is not the case with Charity’s Closet.

Though they do offer clothes—everything from blue jeans to formals—they also carry shoes, furniture, games, toys, and a wide selection of books. Their selection of clothing includes very nice children’s clothing as well as adults’.

Charity’s Closet is open only from Monday through Friday, but they take donations any day of the week, any time of the week. After all, without the donations and generosity of others, there would be no Charity’s Closet.

Volunteers are the other key to success for Charity’s Closet.

When someone volunteers for Charity’s Closet, they are volunteering for Christian Ministries Hospice as well.

Though the store can always use volunteers, people can also volunteer by answering the phone at the Carver Road in-house hospice; by sitting and fellowshipping with patients at any of the facilities, which also include Victorian Manor on College Street and another facility in Riverdale; or even by helping out the families of the patients. There is no required age for volunteers; all help is welcome!

If you are interested in volunteering, please call Charity’s Closet at (770) 467-0232 or simply pay a visit and maybe do a little shopping at 130 Solomon Street in Griffin.

Charity’s Closet is not wasteful. Though Scotti accepts almost everything that is donated to her store, there are times that she cannot use what is donated. When that is the case, the items are donated to places such as the Saint George Episcopal Church soup kitchen that will give the clothes to the needy or to the First Baptist Church that has a clothes closet for the same purpose. If Charity’s Closet cannot use it, they will donate it to someone who can. Charity’s Closet is all about blessing everyone they touch.

12

(770) 412-0441

Boarding & Grooming All it took was a tube of caulk and half an afternoon. Now, I’m saving $212 a year by sealing a few cracks. What can you do? Find out how the little changes add up at TogetherWeSave.com.

www.southernriversenergy.com

Hey Kids!

Save the Date • Saturday, April 17

Piggy Bank Day 2010 Be a part of the fun & join Penelope Pig’s Savings Club.

Bring your cash & coin to receive a special give-a-way with your deposit!

Goodies, games & prizes galore!

Whether a short visit or an extended stay, our four-legged friends will always have a place to hang their collar.

Bring in this ad and get a FREE gift with first groom.

We Now Carry: Blackwood Premium Nutrition pet food

(770) 228-9009 1550 A. Flynt Street Griffin, GA 30223 doggiedosbysuzan@bellsouth.net Email once for monthly specials

© 2010 UnitedBank • Member FDIC • Equal Housing Lender

doggiedos.net

• Long-term care • Assistance with daily activities • Meal preparation • Light housekeeping • Skilled nursing • Wound care • Home IV therapy

Monogramming Shower Gifts Custom Children’s Clothing High-End Consignment Boutique Come see us in the Walmart Shopping Center Griffin, GA

770-229-4665

Photography by Stansberry Photography www.cindystansberryphotography.com 14

de (770) 412-0441

Spring Means Fishing

by Ronnie Garrison

In the spring a young man’s fancy

lightly turns to thoughts of … fishing!

Not to mangle Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous quote too much, but when I was a young man fishing definitely occupied most of my thoughts. In fact, it still does.

There is something almost magical about watching a cork bobbing on the surface of the water, anticipating the thrill when it disappears and you hook whatever finny critter fell for your bait. If you don’t believe in magic, just take some kids fishing and watch their faces.

Fishing can be different things to different folks. My mom loved fishing just for fishing’s sake. She could be happy sitting for hours hoping for a bite. My dad thought fishing was only worthwhile to put something in the frying pan. I take after my mom.

If you love to fish, have you ever tried to figure out why? One time, when I was about 12 years old, I was fishing at one of my uncle’s ponds. He was not a fisherman but kept a stocked pond for friends and relatives. I was happily casting a Heddon Sonic, trying to hook a bass, when he walked over to me.

“Why do you like to fish?” Uncle J.D. asked. I responded that I liked to feel the fish pulling on my line.

He pointed and said “tie your line to that Billy goat — he will pull harder than any fish you are going to hook.”

Since then I have often wondered why I like fishing and have asked the same of many people. Most respond with something about the fight, the food, or the challenge of outsmarting a fish.

Think about that one. You are trying to outsmart a fish, an animal with a very rudimentary brain that cannot reason; it just reacts.

I never played sports and don’t like games; I am just not competitive in anything but fishing. That is strange; fishing is supposed to be a contemplative activity where you enjoy the quiet and calm of nature, and I love that, too. But I also love fishing bass tournaments, trying to catch more and bigger bass than others in the tournament.

design by Cristin Bowman www.kitchendrawer.net

One reason I think I am competitive in bass fishing is the fact that I’m not really competing with other people; I’m competing with the fish. In a bass tournament it makes no difference what others do, if you catch more fish, you win. So the conflict is between you and the bass, trying to figure out what they are doing and how to make them bite your bait.

Sitting by a pond watching a cork is great and one of the best things about fishing, but blasting down a lake first thing in the morning in a bass boat is special, too. There is nothing else that feels like running 60 miles per hour on a calm lake. The boat almost feels like it is floating, not connected to anything on earth.

I guess it is as close to flying as I will ever get.

Besides that feeling, one of my best memories is of my mother and me putting a trotline across a cove at Clark’s Hill, then building a fire on the bank and casting out chicken liver for bait with our rods and reels, waiting on a catfish to bite. I was in college at that time and we talked as adults, one of the first times I remember being treated as an adult by her.

Memories are one of the reasons many people fish. Fishing trips provide the best memories for many folks about their youth. If you went fishing with your parents, think back. Can you remember any of the trips and the special feeling you had? There is an old saying that God doesn’t count time spent fishing against you.

Fishermen often live longer because they have an escape from the hassle of everyday living and learn to relax and enjoy life, accepting whatever happens without going crazy.

When kids go fishing with parents they learn many things, and kids who fished growing up seem to be happier and stay out of trouble. But that is true of any activity that parents and kids enjoy together. Fishing just enables them to talk without too much distraction.

If you have a child, it makes no difference how old they are, take them fishing and make some memories.

You can read more of Ronnie Garrison’s articles at http://fishing.about.com. About.com is a part of the New York Times Company.

15

MARTIAL ARTS & TUMBLING Children’s & Adult Programs

Children’s Martial Arts – Training may begin as young as 4 years of age. American style karate is the basis of the program, but curriculum from American Top Team, The Pit, and Michael Chat (XMA) is incorporated into the program. The program teaches the physical aspects of martial arts, but it also emphasizes the mental benefits or the “Black Belt Values.” These include respect, focus, self-discipline, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, confidence and positive attitude. These values, when combined with the physical skills taught at Championship Martial Arts, help develop some very important life skills. These life skills include leadership skills, teamwork, selfconfidence, self-control, balance and coordination, bully prevention techniques, stranger awareness, study skills, and goal setting.

Adult Program – The adult program includes a mixture of martial arts styles. It uses an American style karate as its basis, but also incorporates curriculum from American Top Team, The Pit, and Michael Chat. However, the adult program stresses how to stay safe on the street. It uses real life situations in the training in order to better prepare the student for any dangerous or threatening situation.

Children’s After School Program – We offer after school programs in both martial arts and tumbling. Students will be able to focus on either martial arts or tumbling, but all children will have exposure to both programs. The primary reason for this is that the emphasis of our program is on establishing the above listed Black Belt Values in all our students, whether they are taking martial arts or tumbling.

The After School program provides FREE transportation from many Elementary and Middle Schools in Spalding and Pike County to our studio in Griffin every school day.

Tumbling – Tumbling classes are offered in the evenings. Cheerleading classes planned.

The tumbling area includes a 30 foot Tumble Tramp (30 foot X 5 foot trampoline) ending in a 20 foot X 12 foot foam pit and a 14 foot X 7 foot trampoline as well as numerous tumbling aids and a Spring Floor. Tumbling classes are offered for different age groups and NEW LOCATION! experience levels. Space is also available for renting out by cheerleading teams.

STATE OF THE ART HUGE 11,000 SQ. FT. FACILITY

Call for information or to schedule an Introductory Class

210 East Solomon Street, Griffin, GA

l

(770) 228-6159

We’ll help make 2010

Your Year For Health

Griffin & Thomaston Open 7 Days a Week • No Appointment Needed • Most Insurance Accepted 16

(770) 412-0441

Come see our new crop of gifts

Hours:

M-f: 7:30AM-6:00PM Sat: 8aM-6PM Sun: 12noon-5PM

126 W. College St. • griffin (770) 233-0902

K.D. ad ?

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Spring Purses Count y Line

Fab S t uf f Sprin g 2010

315 W. Solomon Street, Suite A (770) 233-0065 www.kitchendrawer.net

17

Panko-Crusted Butterflied Shrimp

.

1 lb large (26-30 shrimp/lb), “easy-peel” shrimp ½ package (approx) Tempura batter mix (Golden Dipt is good)

Wassup

Don’t Skimp on

WASABI!!

THE SHRIMP

2

Wasabi Tartar Sauce Make ahead, as much as 24 hours 1 cup good-quality mayonnaise ¾ cup Wasabi sauce (I prefer American brand)

1 Tbsp (or to taste) Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning 1 tsp dried dill weed ¼ tsp garlic powder 3-4 oz sweet pickle relish Juice of ½ large or whole average-sized lemon

(I recommend Sushi Chef brand)

Canola oil (enough to fill

large stock pot or deep-fryer to 3")

Thaw shrimp in bowl of cold water.

Combine Tempura batter mix and beer in small bowl.

for our readers JAM ES B LACK

3-4 oz non-lite beer Panko ( Japanese) bread crumbs, as needed

Whisk until smooth. Add additional beer or batter mix to achieve batter thickness that will cling slightly to whisk. Allow to sit at room temperature while peeling/butterflying shrimp.

Batter will thicken slightly while sitting.

Peel shrimp, including tail. Butterfly shrimp, using a sharp paring knife by cutting across the back of the shrimp until the sides will remain open by themselves. Clean any remaining vein, rinse and place in bowl with paper towels or clean cloth. Dab with a paper towel to remove any excess water.

Pour Panko crumbs to cover the bottom of a bowl. Place several (6-8) shrimp in Tempura batter, making sure to fully coat butterflied shrimp. Using tongs, remove shrimp individually into bowl with Panko. Sprinkle additional Panko to fully coat the shrimp.

Place coated shrimp on cooling rack or waxed paper, allowing to dry for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil to 325 degrees and add 6-8 shrimp at a time, cook until just golden. Do not overcook, or shrimp will be tough.

Serve with Wasabi Tartar Sauce

Makes four servings. Total cooking time: 1-1/2 hr.

WE DELIVER! Serving Spalding, Pike & Lamar

Blend all ingredients in bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Griffin Dwarf House

1000 W. Taylor St. • Griffin, Ga. (770) 227-0716 18

(770) 412-0441

meet

your

neighbor.

Dr. Cox & Nurse Jenny patients over the years, although her compassionate nature sometimes makes it difficult for her to separate herself from the patients’ personal and health problems. Her empathy for patients is evident in her face and voice as she talks about patients’ illnesses. Not content with caring for others during office hours, Mrs. Jenny visits nursing homes in her limited spare time. “I never had time for hobbies,” she recalls. It is clear that caring for others became both her vocation and her avocation.

Dr. Joel Cox and nurse Jenny Everhart have been faithfully serving the women of Griffin and surrounding areas at Griffin OB/GYN for 33 years as a team. Quite the Southern gentleman and lady, both are unfailingly polite and cordial. He is jovial but businesslike; she is softspoken and impeccably neat. They provide true hometown care. “We know the people,” Dr. Cox says. “We know them from church, around town.”

Dr. Cox fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a doctor by graduating from the Medical College of Georgia in 1950. As an intern, he rotated through many different specialties, including surgery and orthopedics, but he always preferred obstetrics and gynecology. After training at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, he moved to Griffin and opened Griffin OB/GYN in 1959. Jenny Everhart decided she wanted to become a nurse as a teenager, and accomplished that goal by graduating from Griffin Vocational-Technical School as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1974.

As a boy, Dr. Cox and his family lived in Manchester, Georgia. Dr. Cox chose Griffin for his practice partly because his family had moved here, but he adds, “I always liked Griffin.” Dr. Arthur Krepps came to work at Griffin OB/GYN in 1964, followed

by Dr. Valdon Smith who joined the practice in 1969.

Dr. Joel Cox and Nurse Jenny Everhart

performs surgery. Although they work fewer hours, Dr. Cox and Mrs. Jenny still provide the same standard of professional, personalized care.

Dr. Cox and Mrs. Jenny are both modest about their accomplishments of helping Griffin OB/GYN has blossomed into a thriving tens of thousands of women overcome medical practice, with six doctors on staff and many various health problems, including nurses. There have been tremendous advancements performing many surgeries over the in technology over the years. According to Dr. Cox, years, and bringing thousands of new one of the most helpful to doctors in his branch of lives into the world. To them it’s all in medicine has been ultrasound technology that a day’s work, and an enjoyable day’s allows doctors to use imaging of the fetus to work at that. “We’ve enjoyed doing diagnose problems prenatally. Dr. Cox estimates what we do, haven’t we?” Dr. Cox asks that, in his half-century of practicing medicine, Jenny with a grin. Mrs. Jenny’s answering he and Dr. Krepps have delivered more than smile and nod confirms that she, too, finds her occupation rewarding. Dr. Cox 38,000 babies. says contentedly, “We’ve never minded At one time, Dr. Cox and Mrs. Jenny saw about coming to work.” They made the 40 patients a day, for a total of 200 per week. decision early on not to let their opinions Dr. Cox recalls informing one patient that she had about patients’ lifestyle choices interfere just delivered twins, a boy and a girl. “Are they with the treatment they provide. “We’re identical?” she asked. With a chuckle, Dr. Cox here to treat, not to judge,” says Dr. Cox. remembers telling her, “Well, not exactly.”

The accomplishment of which Dr. Cox The duo has scaled back their hours somewhat, now is most proud is helping women live working two days a week and seeing about healthy, independent lives. Mrs. Jenny 10 patients per day. Because of some personal health is most pleased with the relationships challenges, Dr. Cox no longer delivers babies or she and Dr. Cox have had with the www.kitchendrawer.net

When Dr. Cox hired Jenny Everhart in 1976, he told her, “We’re the same age; we’ll have to retire together.” It looks as though they may do just that, although there seems to be some good-natured disagreement over the subject of retirement. When asked about retiring, Dr. Cox says he hadn’t thought about it, but he says of Mrs. Jenny, with a twinkle in his eye and mock severity in his voice, “She says she’s going to quit on her next birthday.” He then adds reluctantly, “I reckon I’ll retire when she retires.” Dr. Cox says he is not joking. He and Mrs. Jenny have truly become a team over the years.

When Dr. Cox does choose to retire, he would like to spend more time on one of his favorite hobbies.

“I like to cook,” says Dr. Cox cheerfully. “Not desserts, though.” Mrs. Jenny says with a smile, “I tell him he ought to open a restaurant. He’s a good cook.” Mrs. Jenny’s retirement plans? “I’d like to learn to quilt,” she answers. Health challenges have made it difficult for Dr. Cox to participate in two of his other favorite hobbies, golfing and target shooting, but a golfing trip to Scotland with his grandson ranks as one of his favorite memories.

Perhaps time with family will factor into Dr. Cox’s and Mrs. Jenny’s retirement plans. Dr. Cox remarried after his first wife passed away. He has a son who lives in Prattville, Alabama and works for the Environmental Protection Agency; his grandson works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Miami, Florida. Mrs. Jenny has one daughter who lives in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

In Dr. Cox, Griffin has a treasure with over 50 years of experience as a doctor; in Mrs. Jenny, a gem with over 33 years of nursing experience. Both have quietly and tirelessly worked to provide compassionate, professional care to the women of Griffin. Best of all, they genuinely love what they do. Says Dr. Cox: “It has been a good trip, I’ll tell you that.”

Designed by Courtney Kuhlman, www.courtneykuhlman.com | Photography by Nan Jolly Moore.

by Allison Smyly

19

BRIDGES AND PLOTS

C

F fe o C th S

IN YOUR BACKYARD

STORY BY RACHEL SCOGGINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW ODOM

T e K in to o

J h 1 th b d r

The economy has caused many families to cut back on vacation travel. Plane fares and gas money just do not factor into many budgets. That, however, does not mean that a family has to sit at home, bored. The Griffin area offers several interesting locations worth planning a day trip. Everyone knows about Indian Springs, High Falls, and Dauset Trails, but there are other interesting and historic places just around the corner.

COVERED BRIDGES

The Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge is located just below Thomaston on Allen Road. Standing 96 feet long with a town lattice design, this bridge was built in 1892 by W. Alford and Dr. J. Herring. It was rebuilt in 1997 and is also known as the Hootenville Bridge. To get there, take Hwy. 19 south to Allen Road.

The Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge is not open to traffic.

However, you can walk along its length, study the design structure, and feel like you stepped into another time. Adjacent to the bridge is a grassy area with a picnic table and a beautiful view of the creek. The area is big enough to play Frisbee, lounge with a good book, or sunbathe. The banks lead to rocks along the creek, perfect for sitting and relaxing.

The bridge on the road offers a view of the downstream creek and rocks. The entire place is virtually silent, due to the infrequent traffic on the road. The bridge is perfect for a family picnic or an inexpensive date.

20

The Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge was built in the 1840s by freed slave Horace King. King also built other covered bridges around the area, but this is the only one still standing.

The bridge is 391 feet long, but only 115 feet of that is unsupported bridge, making the Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge the longest and oldest wooden covered bridge in Georgia. It is also built with the town lattice design and is also known as the Imlac Bridge. To get there, take Hwy. 18 south, turn right onto Flat Shoals Road, then take a left onto Covered Bridge Road.

The Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge is open to traffic. The car picks up every slat and vibration, making for an interesting driving experience through the bridge. Walk along the bridge to study the design and get a closer look at the wooden pegs and two parallel driving slats spanning the floor. One side of the bridge is a dirt road, the other paved. Paths down the bank lead to rocks and flat areas to sit by the creek and enjoy the scenery. The bridge is in the National Register of Historic Places and has a historical marker at one end.

(770) 412-0441

H G w th s w th tu O w

DESIGNED BY ROSE GROSS

The surrounding counties offer two original covered bridges built in the 1800s. Georgia has over 10 original covered bridges still standing, all within a day’s driving distance of Griffin, but two are in your own backyard.

P B le s g a S m

E a to

S S

CEMETERIES For an educational and historical experience that doesn’t require an entrance fee, visit Stonewall Cemetery. Located on the western edge of downtown Griffin on Taylor Street/Hwy 16 W, this Confederate cemetery is home to several hundred Confederates and one Union soldier. The soldiers buried there are casualties from the battles of Atlanta and Jonesboro in the Civil War and from the hospital at old Synodical College.

D

S M

The cemetery is adjacent to a War Memorial Park, the first memorial having been erected in 1909. Monuments pay respect to the Revolutionary, Civil, Vietnam, and Korean Wars, as well as both World Wars. There is also a flame of freedom burning in the middle of the circular walkway lined with benches. The small park is conducive to quiet reflection, unlike the usually tourist-beleaguered war memorials in D.C. or other major cities.

Just across the street is Griffin’s largest cemetery, Oak Hill. Filled with ornate headstones, statuary, and mausoleums, some of the oldest graves date back to the 1850s with beautiful, ornate headstones. One notable plot is one from the 1800s, the Jonathan P. Milner lot, where Milner and his five wives and five infants are buried. All wives and infants died in childbirth. It’s a perfect opportunity for a family discussion about how far we’ve come in preserving health and life, and a sobering reminder of the way of life of so many families that came before us.

Hidden away off Highway 92 between Griffin and Fayetteville is a “Forgotten Graveyard” from the late 1800s. At first glance, it appears to be just a stretch of woods. But upon closer look, weathered gravestones can be seen scattered among the foliage. Some gravestones are broken, some are worn by the elements, and some seem untouched by time. Step over the briars and slip past low-hanging branches to walk among the multiple family plots. Husbands, wives, and children are all buried there, along with at least one Civil War veteran. To get there, all you have to do is turn onto Lowery Road off Hwy. 92, just over the Fayette County line, then right onto Old 92 Hwy. Road, and drive past the pasture to the thick woods where the graves will be visible on the right.

.

r

e

c

DESIGNED BY ROSE GROSS

e

Providence Cemetery, established 1862, is near the Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge. Continue going along Allen Road until it dead ends onto Hwy. 80, then turn left. After a few miles, the sign will be visible, but almost hidden by the trees surrounding the entrance. Providence Cemetery is a mixture of past and present, with graves ranging in date from the early 1800s to the 2000s. Many of the graves are old family plots from the 1800s, some restored, some barely legible from wear.

Soldiers from the Civil War, World War II, and Korea are all buried there; don’t miss the plot of a Revolutionary War soldier who died in the early 1800s.

Everyone is trying to save money these days, but that doesn’t have to mean staying at home. There are plenty of things to do around this area if one just knows where to look. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it!

21

ong-time friends and Griffin residents Joey Pruitt and David Prothro have been working on a Hollywood-quality motion picture right in their own back yards. The pair shared an interest in music and met at Record Heaven in downtown Griffin in the late 1980s. Since that time, Joey has formed the business Pruitt Digital, which specializes partly in web design, illustration, and animation. The remainder of Joey’s business consists of visual and special effects for major motion picture studios such as Lionsgate®.

Joey’s fascination with technology and eccentric American inventor Nikola Tesla inspired The Tesla Device, his first full-length motion picture. Tesla is largely credited with the development of commercial electric power systems and wireless communication using radio waves; however, he was known to have also conceived of several strange devices and ideas that caused many of his colleagues to ostracize him. The United States military is said to have seized many of Tesla’s drawings and documentation that outline countless devices and gadgets. The Tesla Device imagines what might happen if one of Tesla’s unknown projects were misused – with catastrophic results.

The story focuses on Tommy, a college student who returns to his hometown following the death of his mother and learns that his inheritance includes the home that previously belonged to his great-grandfather. While sifting through family heirlooms and exploring the house, Tommy discovers an unusual device in the basement, which turns out to be one of the secret inventions of the renowned Nikola Tesla. According to Joey, the device ultimately is a “giant magnifying glass” which serves to exacerbate the problems that Tommy is already experiencing. The story takes off when a foreboding old man named Faraday shows up unexpectedly at Tommy’s doorstep with the ominous ultimatum that Tommy turn over the device or face terrifying consequences.

Armed with their script, Joey and Dave contacted a movie marketing agent in Tennessee and pitched their film idea.

Their plans were well received and it was suggested that a movie trailer should be produced for the annual “American Film Market” which was to take place in California in November 2009. The market is an opportunity for movie producers to showcase their ideas to distributors from around the world. Joey and Dave had only a few months to meet the deadline to complete their movie trailer, but Dave says he has ‘never been the type to have the word “no” in his vocabulary.’ The determination was made that Joey would direct, edit, and create the visual effects for the film. Dave would serve as assistant director, and he got to work producing concept art and storyboards for the film.

22

Movie Review written by Edward Bullard

Casting the film turned into quite an adventure. The casting call was posted online and acting talent from across the United States descended upon the Main Street Players Theater for the chance to participate in the film.

More than 20 actors and actresses tried out for the various roles in the film. Dave and Joey described a scene similar to the opening rounds of American Idol – where the auditions ranged from comically bad to very good.

Hoping to find the ideal characters for the roles created in Joey’s mind, a second audition was held shortly after the first. Joey was shocked when his wife indicated that they needed to speed up the auditions because more than 100 people were waiting in a line that stretched down North Hill Street. The lead role of Tommy was secured by Andrew McClure from Atlanta. Other actors include Whitney Sullins from Rome, Georgia; accomplished actor Frank Warlick as Faraday; Michael Tarver of Statesboro; Justin Patterson; and Brad Champion of Jacksonville.

Hollywood movie producers have long used the backdrop of our hometown for such films as Driving Miss Daisy and the more recent production, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius.

Capitalizing on the abundant old and new scenery around downtown Griffin, Joey’s script was intentionally written to feature well-known local buildings and historic sites.

The green Victorian house featured in the film is actually Joey Pruitt’s home on South Hill Street. Joey laughed recalling that he told his wife they could not paint the home until after the film was completed because the house was supposed to look old.

Many well-known people assisted with the film. Ed Lima, who worked on the “Doom 3” video game, handled music and audio. Director of photography Bill Schweikert has numerous television and film credits. Toby Sells, known for his work on such films as Zombieland, handled Faraday’s makeup.

In order to meet the budget Joey and Dave constructed set pieces that include a large tunnel and a cage-like contraption used in conjunction with the actual device.

Interestingly, Joey chose not to show the actual Tesla Device in the movie trailer. He deemed the mystery surrounding the device to add to the intrigue. The most important thing to Joey is that his vision does not turn into a stereotypical, cheesy science fiction film. In Joey’s words, he would “much rather have a low-budget film and a good story than a bad high-budget film.” Joey continues to fine-tune the script as he searches for investors.

The trailer is available for viewing at www.tesladevicemovie.com, along with several interviews of the cast and crew. Joey Pruitt can also be contacted at Pruitt Digital in Griffin.

(770) 412-0441

Design by Christine Bell, www.cmbdesign.net | Photography by Katie Snyder Photography, www.katiesnyderphotography.com/

L

e c i v e D a l s e T The

UGA GRIFFIN CAMPUS

From food to fuel to animal cloning, careers in agriculture account for one out of every seven jobs. Students graduate from the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences ready and able to tackle careers in agriculture and environmental protection on a regional, national and international level.

Bachelor’s degrees

•AGRIBUSINESS •BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE •ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE SCIENCE

Design by Christine Bell, www.cmbdesign.net | Photography by Katie Snyder Photography, www.katiesnyderphotography.com/

•FOOD INDUSTRY MARKETING & ADMINISTRATION

(770) 412- 4400 www.griffin.uga.edu

www.kitchendrawer.net

23

March 2010 Sunday

Monday 1

Tuesday

Wednesday

2

Thursday 4

Friday

Saturday

5

Artisans’ Guild of Griffin Meeting Safehouse Coffee

Community Awards Banquet Barnesville Civic Center

8:00 PM

7:00 PM

6

Sol Junky Concert Elmo & Buster’s Zebulon

Liberty Technology Intro to Mac Class

9:00 PM

2:00 PM

Main Street Players – “Who’s There” Premier Stage Production Call for ticket info

7

9

Opening Reception of Student Art Exhibit Fayette Art Center 2:00 PM

10

11

City Commission Workshop Meeting Griffin City Courtroom

LEAF Commitee Meeting Griffin Welcome Center

6:00 PM

2:00 PM

770-229-6136

14

15

16

Recreation Hall of Fame Banquet Butts County Recreation Department 6:30 PM

12 Pork ‘N’ Butts Board of Festival Directors’ Meeting Exchange Club Fairgrounds Griffin Welcome Center Jackson 3:30 PM

Business After Hours Eyesore Inc. & Dream Affairs Catering

19

Coffee Tea & Read The Barnesville Depot

Spring

22331

8:00 PM

Butts Theatre

High School Musical Play

25

26

30

27

Business After Hours Pike County Chamber Board of Reflections Photography Main Street Advisory Directors’ Meeting Lamar Chamber Board Meeting Thomaston 5:00 PM Griffin Welcome Center 3:30 PM 8:15 AM STAR Student Banquet Griffin Welcome Center 7:00 PM

29

20

“Alice in Wonderland Jr.” Play

Camelot Theatre

28

E

6:00 PM

24

Artisans’ Guild of Griffin Meeting Safehouse Coffee

2:00 PM

11:00 AM

Annual Tour de Pike Pike County Kiwanis Club

5:00 PM

21

Doggie Do’s/Humane Society Griffin

9:00 AM

Liberty Technology Intro to iLife Class

4:00 PM

4

Business 2 Business Connection Pike County Mr. Appliance (Concord)

18

Millie the Dog Reading Next Chapter Bookstore

13 Pet Adoption

Campus Visit Day Gordon College

18

Pet Adoption Doggie Do’s/Humane Society Griffin 11:00 AM

The Armed Man | Griffin Ballet

31

Ca

25

Artisans’ Guild of Griffin Meeting Safehouse Coffee

Lewis & Clark Circus Butts County Recreational Park

8:00 PM

5:00 PM

Gr

24

(770) 412-0441

April 2010

y

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday 2

3

ogy ss

Good Friday Chamber Closed

Liberty Technology Intro to Mac Class 2:00 PM

Bluebirds Bluegrass Festival Dauset Trails

Smoke on the Water Festival Bickley’s Lake

n ane

e

Saturday

4

6

Easter Sunday

7

Artisans’ Guild of Griffin Meeting Safehouse Coffee

LEAF Commitee Meeting Griffin Welcome Center

8:00 PM

2:00 PM

13

14

Business 2 Business Connection Pike County New England Financial

6:00 PM

16

Liberty Technology Intro to iLife Class

Artisans’ Guild of Griffin Meeting Safehouse Coffee

Stepping Stones Brew & Que Lance Tolands Hanger 1st Annual Cancer Warriors Benefit Concert

3:30 PM

15

1:00 PM

10

Board of Directors’ Meeting Griffin Welcome Center

Blood Drive UGA Griffin Campus

Club

Day e

8

17

Campus Visit Day Gordon College

6:00 PM

Piggy Bank Day United Bank 9:00 AM

Annual Plant Sale Research Garden Ellis Road 5:00 PM

8:00 PM

High School Musical Play

20 Leadership

18

Pike Graduation Papa Willie’s

n ane

6:00 PM

Camelot Theatre

Business After Hours Edward Jones Amy Dunham

21

Administrative Professionals’ Day Butts Chamber Luncheon Central GA EMC 12:00 PM

5:00 PM

22Canadian Tenors Griffin Area Concert Association

23

5:00 PM

Business After Hours United Bank Lamar Chamber

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Movie in the Park Butts County Recreational Department May Fling

Barnesville BBQ & Blues

5:00 PM

Spring Break | Spalding, Pike, Lamar County Schools

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Artisans’ Guild of Griffin Meeting Safehouse Coffee 8:00 PM

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Main Street Advisory Choir/Band Concert Board Meeting Gordon College Griffin Welcome Center 8:15 AM

7:30 PM

Griffin City Park

www.kitchendrawer.net

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Tanner Hall, Age

Oscar Andrews, Age 9

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Laura Grace Brasfeild, Age 9

Carson Brown, Age 8

Spring. Spring is good. Spring is grand. Spring is like entering a whole new land.

Flowers grow and birds sing. And that’s why we call it Spring. ~LAURA GRACE BRASFEILD 26

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1. What Dr. Cox Doesn’t Cook 2. Mill Towne Gourmet’s Fare 3. United Bank’s Pig 5. Ranger India Pale Ale Hops 7. First Griffin Movie Theater 8. Wynn’s Pharmacy Specialty 11. Moon Goddess 12. Catfish Bait 14. Doggie Do’s Premium Pet Food 16. Walker Davis’ Alma Mater

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Artist Profile

Walker Davis Walker Davis is a native of Griffin who has always had a strong affinity for all things artistic. After graduating high school, Walker went to study art at SCAD in Savannah, but could stay for only one term, due to a lack of funds. He then transferred and recently graduated from Gordon College with a two-year associate’s degree in art.

Walker works primarily in oil paints and graphite. Much of Walker’s past work has been inspired by elements of popular culture.

He’s created images of iconic Hollywood stars, vintage images, film scenes, and bright, retro compositions. His past body of work blends fantasy and reality. He has enjoyed this style because he was interested in exploring how elements of culture can move us and ultimately bring us together as people.

It’s been about taking an element from the past or cherished literature and recreating it on canvas or paper. He also has enjoyed this style because it has helped viewers reconnect with happy memories or simply made them smile by viewing vibrant snapshots of both life and literature. He is now, however, attempting to expand his artistic endeavors by experimenting in other styles.

Walker plans to continue his education to get a degree in art education as a secondary plan. His primary goal is to have a career involving illustration, fine art, sequential art, design, or theatre.

Contact Walker at 770.584.2689 or email wjmdavis@aol.com.

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Designed by John Powell

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aaa Recently Launched in Georgia aaa Distributed Locally by Dender Distributing Company. Please Drink Responsibly.

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Proudly supporting local schools and sports programs

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he Griffin Bears accomplished this feat, only to have their single slip come unfortunately deep in the playoffs. After decimating nearly every opponent they faced in their run to the playoffs, a hard-fought loss to Sandy Creek in the state Final Four was all that came between the Bears and their chance to claim the top spot in Georgia high school football.

Most people would have a hard time swallowing defeat after riding a wave of 13 straight victories, but the man at the helm for Griffin High knows how to keep his spirits up and his eyes forward. I talked with Head Coach Steve Devoursney about this past season and his expectations for the future. “It was still a great year,” he said. “We were once again region champs, we broke our school record for overall scoring, and reached the Final Four for the second year running.” Such a laundry list of accomplishments seems almost routine for this team of perennial contenders. When asked about Griffin High’s culture of winning, Coach Devoursney noted that “expectations do tend to build over the years.”

He also remarked that without the ability to recruit players, as college teams are able to do, the talent level of a team can ebb and flow from year to year.

j

Taylor Gantt design by John Powell

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If you were to take a poll of all the high school football coaches in Georgia, and ask them how they would feel about going an entire season with only one loss, most would feel pretty confident about their chances at a title. . .

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Surprisingly enough, GHS has never won a state title outright, finishing their seasons with the title just out of reach. Regardless, the ability and skill of the players graduating from Griffin High are no secret to the rest of the country. Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma State are just a few of the schools Coach Devoursney named, with the ease of a man who is used to such national attention, that have a vested interest in recruiting players from this year’s team. As we wrapped up our discussion, I asked what next year holds for the Bears.

“We lost some good players last year,” he said in a gravelly tone, “but we still have five seniors on both offense and defense, a strong nucleus to build the rest of our team around. All we have to do now is work hard and get back to where we were this year.” This resolve seems almost ironclad; returning to prominence year after year is a familiar routine for this man and his outstanding football program.

In a sport where success can be as fleeting as the wind, Griffin High stands out as a team that puts out a successful product every year. Many people deserve credit – the players, the coach, and the many fans that fill Griffin Memorial stadium. As the team once again strives for that ever-elusive championship to cement their legacy in the minds of the state, the folks at GHS can rest assured that their community recognizes them for the true champions they are, trophy or not.

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KINDLING | Part 2

Quickening

by AMANDA CERA

My life is evenly divisible by two; there is before Joe and after, before Becka and now. I haven’t always understood how the fragments of my life fit together, but now it’s becoming clearer. Lives, like the tides, ebb and flow, like lava, burn and cool. They contract and expand at uneven intervals of loss and love, contentment and sacrifice. And if you’ve lived life the way it’s supposed to be lived, you cannot escape devastation or exhilaration, stumbles and triumphs. And in the end, all you can hope for is that the sting of the devastation only reminds you of the sweetness of the exhilaration.

Resident author Amanda Cera plays with point of view once again in her new series. Part I, “Splinters,” told from Becka’s standpoint, was published in Kitchen Drawer Vol. 1; No. 5. Catch up at www.kitchendrawer.net.

D e s i g n by J ohn Powe l l 40

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met him at the dry cleaner while getting my dress hemmed for the prom. Joe worked part time to pay for college, helping Mr. Hodge with the pressing and Mrs. Hodge with pinning items for alteration because she had arthritis and couldn’t manage the straight pins. I was nervous standing up on the platform, while Joe talked and pinned. He babbled aimlessly, flitting from one subject to the next like a bee from clover to clover.

He talked about the next lunar eclipse and how Diana was the moon goddess. He got so excited explaining the relationship between Greek and Roman mythology that he jabbed a pin into his index finger. I watched as the blood welled and then trickled down his finger and onto his palm.

I didn’t notice his panic until the first drops fell to the floor and he hadn’t moved, the pin still stuck deep into the meat of his finger. He was frozen with fear, and I just reacted.

I squatted beside him, yanked out the pin and used the hem of my satin dress as a bandage before squeezing his finger and lifting it higher than his heart, along with my dress.

Mrs. Hodge chose that moment to check his pinning progress, and all she saw was my dress up and Joe on his knees. We were both promptly kicked out of the shop. Joe asked me to see a movie with him that Saturday; then we were inseparable. He needed me, and that was enough.

Before Joe, there was nothing, just a vast expanse of kinetic potential, but nothing more than zero, indivisible and undefined. I had vague notions of what I might want out of life. My only certainty was motherhood. I wanted to hold my child and look down and see my chin, my husband’s eyes. That was the only vision of clarity I could pull from the fog of uncertainty that stretched out in front of me.

But when I saw Joe, his gaze had gravity, a force that tugged and twisted the clay of my hopes into wants and desires.

He was a storm, a whirlwind of energy and words, a force like no other in nature, and I wanted to be in the center of his hurricane, the eye of his storm. I loved him the minute I saw him, and I never stopped.

I’ll admit my dreams have changed over the years. Some I’ve given up freely; others died swiftly and painfully and changed me forever. But we are all damaged in some way or another. We are all bruised souls, seeking solace. Some of us are simply better equipped to handle the trauma.

Joe was always quirky; it was part of what made him Joe. Odd things affected him. If it rained three days in a row, his mood dampened and his normal effervescence sputtered.

Each winter ladybugs appeared in number to hibernate in our downstairs bathroom window; each spring, Joe spent days carrying them one by one to the safety of the woodpile in the back yard. He wore his brown slippers only in the living room and his black slippers only in the bedroom. He often became obsessed with subjects. Once he decided he was going to build a solar powered vehicle for commercial marketing, was going to revolutionize the auto industry.

It wasn’t until I tried to use my debit card to pay for gas that I realized he’d spent every dime of money we had.

That was about two years into our marriage. I handled the finances from there on.

Even with his flaws, Joe was an amazing man. His mind was so agile and beautiful that when he told you about the connections he’d made between the symbolism in Flannery O’Conner’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” and the State of the Union address, you believed him without question.

His thoughts were viscous, laden with meaning beyond your capacity, but he explained things so innocently, so excitedly, that you accepted them because they must be true if he so ardently believed them. Joe was hope personified; joy made of flesh and blood, walking amongst mortals, and I was his wife; I held hope in my arms each night. I made love to joy in my wedding bed, and I dreamed of giving birth to his legacy. I would be the chosen of hope, the bearer of his child, but all things come at a price.

In nature, there must be balance. The scale of good and bad must be equal; Joe’s blessing of genius had to be counter-balanced, had to have ballast. He paid his debt with sadness. I helped him through. It was my half of the bill. But all of the quirky Joe-isms of my life had not prepared me for the night the balance finally came due.

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I knew he wasn’t himself; he’d been melancholy for a few days, but we’d been married for four years and the showers of April were always a struggle for him. Once the first brilliant greens of life pushed themselves out from barren tree limbs and up through sterile soil, the fog always lifted.

I was waiting and watching for the first signs he was coming back around this particular spring because I had a surprise for him, but I didn’t want to give him the news while he was struggling with his sadness, his “bad thoughts” as he called it. Each morning I’d get up early hoping to see leaf buds sprouting or green blades poking up through the brown Bermuda thatch of the front yard sod. I was eager for renewal and rebirth. I was happy, so filled with joy and gratitude.

Change comes when you least expect it. It waits for your vigilance to waiver, for you to settle into your happiness, wrap yourself in a blanket of contentment. Then it comes for you, to test your resolve and either strengthen or break you. Joe was into year four of his doctorate and was teaching undergrad classes on Shakespearean tragedies.

I worked at the middle school as a sixth-grade science teacher, but had taken a sick day. I was already in bed when Joe arrived home.

I remember hearing the deadbolt unlock, his keys hit the kitchen table. He kicked off his shoes because I recall the thud as one bounced against the wall in the hallway.

I listened as he unbuckled his belt and absently let his pants fall to the ground walking out of them and continuing toward me. Quickly, I slipped out of my gown. I giggled.

I thought this night would be like so many other nights.

When the sadness overwhelmed him, Joe would come to me, naked and sobbing, crawl in bed and make love to me until, exhausted, he fell asleep with the full weight of his unconscious body pressing against me. I used to relish these nights, as horribly selfish as that sounds. I was the only person who ever existed who had accepted his sadness into me, who he trusted to hold him and love him through it. His emotion was so raw on those nights that I felt it seep from his skin into mine. Those nights affirmed my place in his world. I was his center, the calm eye of his emotional storm.

Back in college, I took a meteorology class. We learned about the intricate dance between high- and low-pressure centers that ultimately culminates in a storm, the clashing of two opposing forces. During extremely severe storms, the pressure gradient is so powerful it can cause the center to collapse inward, and the eye all but disappears while the hurricane rages. As I breathed in Joe’s need that night, I was thinking of hurricanes, of high- and low-pressure centers, of eye walls and collapse.

Thunder shook the darkness and rattled the windows, as I slept, peaceful and safe in the certainty of Joe’s need.

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Whether it was the absence of his body on mine or the cold air sweeping in from the open bedroom window, I wasn’t sure exactly what woke me in the silence between thunder claps – but panic surged through me before I even knew there was a reason. In those few seconds when you know everything in your life has just shifted but you don’t know exactly how, your mind grasps at anything familiar, ordinary. I remembered how I’d giggled. And instinctively, I knew I’d never giggle just that way again.

Naked, I followed the sounds of his sobs out into our back yard. He sat on the ground, his bare back pressed against the bark of a pine tree; his head hung as he cried into his palms. There was just enough moonlight for me to see dark fluid rushing down the left side of his body and seeping through the creases between his fingers. It had to be blood; there was nothing else it could be.

“Joe!” I screamed, and with what appeared a colossal effort he raised his face to meet mine. His hands fell into his lap, just before he crumpled to the ground. Don’t let him be dead was all I could pray as I ran inside to call for help.

Before Joe, there was only me grasping to find a place where I belonged, where I was indispensible, irreplaceable.

I held Joe’s hand as paramedics installed IV lines and asked pointless and incomprehensible questions. Where his left eye had been, there was blood-soaked gauze. I whispered in his ear that it would be okay and stroked the matted hair from his forehead. My womb spasmed – one contraction after another. I saw the paramedic as she saw the dark fluid trickle down my legs. She leaned toward me, but I closed my eyes and shook my head. New tears sprung to my eyes from some hidden well in my heart, some place forever fractured and irrevocably broken. Joe was my love.

His love in return was all the blessing I had a right to ask for.

I tell you this not for pity, but an offer of explanation, so you can perhaps see me in a kinder light than Becka does.

When my sister died and then Robbie killed himself, I wasn’t prepared to care for a child. I had long ago sealed off that part of my soul because it was a chasm, a black void that threatened to pull me down inside it forever.

And if I gave in to that welcoming blackness, who would take care of Joe? It is no wonder they loved each other so. Their souls were equally damaged; their minds equally splintered, and just like Joe, Becka is a storm, an untamable force of nature searching for clarity, a calm center. Perhaps I misjudged things way back in that other time, back when I thought God meted out only finite blessings. My Becka is broken. What my Joe taught me was how to love a broken soul.

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GRIFFIN

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   

     

     

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