Volume 7 Issue 3 Kitchen Drawer Illustrated

FREE TO A GOOD HOME

VOL. 7 ISSUE 3

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TABLE OF CONTENTS STAFF PICKS

3

PLUG IN

5

ENTREPRENEUR FOCUS

6

RESTAURANT REVIEW: SOUTHERN GROUND SOCIAL CLUB PAPARAZZI

9

RED OAK CREEK COVERED BRIDGE

15

HEALTH FOCUS

19

TURN OFF YOUR RADIO: THE NEW ART OF PODCASTING

25

OUTDOORS: WHAT YOU REALLY NEED IN A FISHING BOAT

29

MAY/JUNE CALENDAR

32

MOVIE REVIEW: INTO THE WOODS BIOGRAPHY:LIBERTY MANIAC DAN MCCALL

35

ARTIST PROFILE:CHRISTINA DILL A POSTCARD VIEW OF HISTORIC GRIFFIN READY FOR BEERFEST? SPORTS KITCHEN TABLE:THE LOST ART OF BRINING FREEDMAN’S FINDS FICTION CONTEST 3RD PLACE WINNER: BURNOUT

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STAFF PICKS ASHLEY

Volume 7 Issue 3

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NOW IN OUR 7TH YEAR OF EXISTENCE, KITCHEN DRAWER ILLUSTRATED IS A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE THAT COVERS ALL THINGS LOCAL, INCLUDING BUSINESSES, PEOPLE, ART, FOOD, CAUSES, AND EVENTS. EACH ISSUE INCLUDES A CALENDAR OF EVENTS , LOCAL STORIES, HISTORICAL INFORMATION, PHOTOS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS AND MUCH MORE. (WE TRY TO THROW IN SOME SURPRISES TOO!)

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WE THRIVE ON COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR:

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DON’T FORGET THERE IS EVEN MORE GOOD STUFF ON KITCHENDRAWER.NET OUR COVER WAS CREATED BY FEATURED ARTIST, CHRISTINA DILL. TO READ MORE ABOUT CHRISTINA’S ART SEE PAGE 45 OR VISIT CHRISTINADILL.COM

ENTREPRENEUR FOCUS

AUDIOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS OF ATLANTA DRS. KADYN WILLIAMS, HELENA SOLODAR, AND SHEILA PACK

Doctors Kadyn Williams and Helena Solodar were introduced to one another by mutual college friends in the early 1970s.

The two had common personal and professional interests and became fast friends. Their life paths ran parallel as Dr. Williams earned a Master’s Degree in Audiology from UGA and Dr. Solodar earned a double Master’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the University of South Carolina. They both received their clinical doctoral degrees, Au.D., in Audiology from the University of Florida.

Eventually the two friends decided to launch a business together. In 1981, they formed Occupational Noise Consultants – the first female-owned hearing consultation practice in Georgia. By 1983, they had sold that practice and formed Audiological Consultants of Atlanta, which is still going strong, even though, due to their being undercapitalized and inexperienced, the pundits said “they were a failure waiting to happen.”

“We had a shared vision of what good hearing healthcare could and should be,” Dr. Williams says, describing the professional partnership. “So we just went for it, and we’ve never looked back.”

The goal for Audiological Consultants of Atlanta (ACA) has always been to provide the highest quality services for the identification, assessment, prevention, and treatment of hearing disorders for newborns through geriatric patients. Their vision became reality, and now, after over 30 years, the practice has grown to six locations, staffed by the most dedicated professionals of 11 licensed audiologists, six audiology assistants, and seven frontoffice support staff.

Over the years, Drs. Williams and Solodar have seen many technological advances in their field, which they were often the first to experience, and have faced challenges along the way. But one core conviction keeps them both committed to their profession. “It really boils down to helping people regain the ability to communicate,” says Dr. Williams. “There’s nothing like the feeling of opening the door of communication for somebody. It’s so fundamental to the human experience. It’s wonderful to bring people back into the hearing world so they can engage effectively with friends and family.”

These days, people with hearing loss don’t have to wear the big, clunky hearing aids that were once the only option. Today, there are hearing aids that are totally invisible and many that pair wirelessly with your TV or smartphone.

The average person experiencing hearing loss waits eight to 10 years before seeking treatment, but it shouldn’t be that way, Dr. Williams says. “Unfortunately, the longer one waits to seek help, the more difficult and challenging it becomes to treat,” she says. “It’s really a community issue in that it begins to affect everyone involved. Losing one’s hearing can be devastating, and there’s no reason to put off seeking help.” With all of the technological advances that have been made in recent years, the excuses for putting off treatment are even fewer. “We embrace and adopt new technologies as they emerge, which is crucial to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients.”

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In fact, ACA was the first practice in Georgia to begin fitting patients for the Lyric 100% invisible extended-wear hearing aid, manufactured by Phonak. This one-of-a-kind hearing aid is worn inside the ear for approximately two months at a time and gives patients freedom from changing batteries and from having to insert and remove their hearing aids.

Dr. Solodar is well known for training other audiologists throughout the world in the process of fitting patients for and accurately inserting the devices, and as of press time, she is in Australia training a group of audiologists on the Lyric. “She’s been to France, England, Germany, and all across the US to speak about the Lyric, because of her expertise,” says Dr. Williams. “We are extraordinarily proud of her.”

Lyric is not the right solution for every patient, however, and Dr. Williams stresses the importance of a consultation with an audiologist as opposed to picking up a one-size-fits-all hearing aid from a drug store. “Each patient is unique,” she says.

“We give personalized treatment to every person who walks through our doors based on their hearing loss and their needs, lifestyle, and budget.”

Additionally, ACA does a good deal of community outreach to help raise awareness about hearing loss and how to prevent and treat it. The Griffin office of ACA routinely performs hearing screenings as a community service to local nursing homes and assisted living communities throughout Spalding and surrounding counties.

Dr. Sheila Pack, the on-site audiologist in the Griffin office, feels that such outreach programs help raise awareness about treatment options in the communities that need them most. “Those are the types of things that make us, as a practice, different,” says Dr. Pack.

This year, Dr. Pack celebrates her 25th anniversary as an audiologist and her third year with ACA in Griffin. “I really enjoy working in this office and being a part of the Griffin community. Many of my patients are truly like family. People feel comfortable sharing stories about family situations and bring wonderful treats to the office for fun,” says Dr. Pack.

In addition to her daily services and treatment, Dr. Pack performs newborn hearing screenings for babies born at Spalding Regional Hospital, and she often takes care of the grandparents – or even great-grandparents – of those babies at her office.

It’s another aspect of the small-town practice that she enjoys.

Echoing Dr. Williams, she sums up why she loves what she does. “I like working with people, and I enjoy the people of this community,” Dr. Pack says. “Hearing is just such a fundamental and vital part of life, and to be able to give that back to someone… I’m blessed to be able to help people in that way.” #6$,)&"% t 2140 Peachtree Rd. t 4VJUF t "UMBOUB (" t (404) 351-4114 4"/%: 413*/(4 t 4BOEZ 4QSJOHT $JSDMF t "UMBOUB (" t (404) 256-5194 ."3*&55" t 3PTXFMM 3PBE t 4VJUF t .BSJFUUB (" t (678) 560-0011 %6-65) t 4VHBSMPBG 1LXZ t 4VJUF t %VMVUI (" t (770) 476-3005 3048&-- t .BOTFMM 3PBE 4VJUF # t 3PTXFMM (" t (678) 461-6366 (3*''*/ t 4PVUI UI 4USFFU t (SJGGJO (" t (770) 229-6666

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VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3

IMPACT PERFORMANCE GROUP DON G. KING & LINDA SASSER

Don G. King and Linda Sasser both got their start in the staffing and HR industry as owners of multiple Express Employment Professionals franchises. Don opened his first office in Griffin, with his wife, Emily, in 1990, while Linda and Keven Sasser opened their first Express franchise in Austin, Texas, in 1989.

Both King and Sasser went on to operate successful staffing firms and open additional locations, yet the more time they spent in the staffing industry, the more they identified additional needs they wanted to meet.

For Don, it was the need of many clients for additional back office support. He also had a desire to offer better benefits and job stability to long-term temporary workers, so in 2001 he launched Impact Outsourcing Solutions. What started as a Professional Employer Organization providing payroll, benefits, and risk management services has now evolved into a full-service HR firm, which offers a unique program called Core2. “Core2 allows employers to maintain the recruitment and staffing flexibility they need, but it also allows them to provide their long-term contingent workers with stability and benefits they don’t receive as employees in a traditional staffing environment,” King explains.

Sasser, on the other hand, saw opportunity in leadership, realizing that if she wanted her organization to reach its full potential, she had to develop leaders. “I couldn’t produce my way to the top,” she says. “I had to develop a team who was going to get us there together.” Sasser’s passion for leadership led her to accept an opportunity to steward the John Maxwell corporate leadership brand in Atlanta in 2009, and in 2011 she launched her own leadership development firm, Impacting Leaders.

It didn’t take long for Impacting Leaders to begin serving many clients of Express and Impact Outsourcing, and the companies’ complementing services seemed to be a natural fit. In 2014, the pair formalized their partnership under the Impact Performance Group (iPG) umbrella, which includes Express Employment Professionals, Impact Outsourcing Solutions, Impacting Leaders, and Impact Workforce Technology, a vendor management software provider.

Today, Impact Performance Group employs over 50 local core employees and over 3,000 Core2 and Express associates across Georgia and Texas, and they plan to add an additional 1,000 associates in 2015.The company is on pace for a record sales year.

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KELLI ADAMS BRYANT, PA Kelli Adams Bryant has a passion for helping people. From a very young age, she knew she wanted to have a career that makes a difference in people’s lives. Growing up in Thomaston, Kelli helped care for her grandmother, which helped her to find her purpose as a caregiver. Kelli feels fortunate that she has been able to follow her passion of helping people get well and stay well.

As a practicing Physician Assistant for over 14 years, she’s been able to help countless people at a time when they need it most.

Kelli has recently opened her own practice in Zebulon, and she couldn’t be happier about this next chapter in her life. “I’m really excited about establishing my own practice here. My family lives here. Our children go to school here, and we care about this community. Her new office is located in the Upson Medical Office Building (across from Pike County Schools in Zebulon) and will be open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

The new practice, Kelli says, was just the next logical step in her career. “Over the years I’ve established relationships with patients and their families, and those relationships have grown to a point where a private practice makes the most sense.” Kelli will be serving the community in Pike County with her new family practice, while continuing to offer services in both women’s health and facial aesthetics. Her supervising physician will be John Jenkins, MD, of Upson Family Physicians in Thomaston.

Family Physicians

Kelli earned her associate’s degree in Pre-Pharmacy from Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from University of Georgia, and a Physician Assistant degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Kelli worked previously with Family Medical Center and Renew Gynecology and Wellness Center, both in Griffin.

Kelli’s passion for family practice and her commitment to her community were the driving factors in her decision to open a practice in Pike County, she says. She and her husband, Marty, have two children, Kip and Mason, and they have lived in Zebulon for 10 years. “We feel very much a part of the community of Pike. We love the people here, go to church with the people here, and cheer on our kids with the people here… It only makes sense to keep them healthy and be there for them.”

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SOUTHERN GROUND SOCIAL CLUB

BY LAURIE COCHRANE PHOTOS BY SOUTHERN REEL

A

s soon as we stepped through the bright red door and glanced around the Southern Ground Social Club, I thought, “This is gonna be fun.”

New General Manager Ronny Clark welcomed the KD staff with a special invitation to visit the restaurant outside of operating hours, to sample some of their brand-new menu offerings, as well as some old favorites.

The space is a blast – everywhere you look. It’s like Day of the Dead in the salvage yard – from the sledge hammer railing around the balcony and sawblade border under the crown molding to Kristian Baena’s tattoo-like art with skull motifs and the hammered copper bar with the shots menu stamped on a huge hide on the wall. There’s a table that’s actually a large scale, a lamp made from a fire hydrant, a circular saw blade and a bucket, and a host of other unique and quirky touches.

The restaurant, owned by Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band, benefits Zac’s Camp Southern Ground, a 501(c)(3) project to provide an exceptional summer camp experience to kids – particularly those with learning challenges. And just about everything that isn’t nailed down (and most of what is) is available for purchase, with the proceeds going to benefit Camp Southern Ground.

Chef Josh Butler started us off with a beautifully presented trio of SALSA ROJO, PICO DE GALLO, and w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

GUACAMOLE, topped with cilantro sprouts and served with warm, seasoned chips. The salsa had wonderful flavor and body – Allison (not a salsa lover) pronounced it one of the best salsas she’s ever had! The guacamole was roughly chopped, as it should be, and let the perfectly ripe avocado shine.

Much of the main menu is what you might expect if Meemaw and Abuelita got together in the kitchen.

The perfectly authentic MEXICAN STREET CORN, for example, is finished with the traditional cotija cheese and lime, but accented with the South’s favorite mayo – Duke’s – and dusted with smoked paprika.

And the delicious GEORGIA CUBAN pairs slow-roasted mojo pork with pecan-smoked bacon – along with Gruyere and dill pickles on locally made toasted Cuban bread.

We shared a monster of a SHRIMP QUESADILLA, stuffed with sautéed shrimp, perfectly tender-crisp poblano peppers and Vidalia onion, fried corn and melted 9

cheeses. The crisp tortilla was drizzled with crema and topped with pico. Also starring shrimp is the SIGNATURE SHRIMP & GRITS, which was particularly impressive. It’s hard to get me excited about shrimp and grits because it’s often so ordinary. This, however, was the best I’ve had. It was a surprise favorite of mine and Allison’s.

Another standout for us was the BRISKET CHEESE STEAK with sautéed poblanos, Vidalia onion, and cremini mushrooms and topped with queso on the toasted Cuban bread. The sandwich is packed with brisket and savory chunked vegetables covered with cheese. As Josh put it: “That Brisket Cheese Steak was incredible. So cheesy and melty and just plain delicious.”

The KD staff was completely stuffed before we could scratch the surface of what SGSC has to offer. But there is a theme that runs through the décor, menu, and even the philosophy behind SGSC’s beneficiary,

Camp Southern Ground – a unifying theme of transforming potential into something great. Like, hey, that old radiator would make a cool lamp. Or, we could take that smoked chicken and put guava bbq sauce and pimento cheese on it. Or, that little boy with Asperger syndrome sure can hit a baseball.

SGSC is open Tues–Thurs, 11am–12am; Fri–Sat, 11am–2am. Tuesday is Trivia Nite, and live bands play Wed–Sat. Check out the Southern Ground Social Club Facebook page for the full new menu and updates on events.

MEET CHEF JOSHUA BUTLER

Finally, if a great burger is your idea of a perfect lunch, then you absolutely must try the OMG BURGER – one of SGSC’s classic offerings. Ground beef, pork, AND lamb is infused with their top-secret ingredients and topped with melted white cheddar and chipotle aioli, then served on toasted brioche.

Well named.

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Southern Ground Social Club’s Chef Josh Butler is the charming and enthusiastic talent behind the menu. Self-taught, Chef Josh was Zac Brown’s touring chef before he came off the road to share his playful, yet sophisticated, flavor profiles with a larger audience. His is a “Cinderella story” that started with him working as a dish washer and then as a delivery driver for a Chinese takeout place in Florida called “Wok n’ Roll.” Chef Josh began to realize that he had more to offer the restaurant business and, on a tip, ended up in the Florida governor’s mansion as chef to four successive governors. From there, he worked briefly for Tyler Perry, and then went on tour with Zac. He truly enjoys delighting people with delicious food, beautifully presented. And it shows.

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It’s a br idge that crossed the barr ier of racial pr ejudice, br ings generations together, and transcends r egional divides.

Covered bridges were a common sight in my childhood home of Vermont, but I never gave much thought about their construction, their history, or the people in charge of maintaining them. That would change years later, however, when my career transported me far from home to the wonderfully unique state of Georgia.

Life in Georgia is so different from life in the Vermont burgs of my youth. I’ve enjoyed getting to know this state and its people and culture, but something deep down in my soul longs for an occasional reminder of my roots, such as when I dig into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on a hot summer day or enjoy a slice of Vermont Cabot cheddar cheese (extra sharp). Ah, the flavors of home! Recently I discovered, just a few minutes from my current home, another reminder of my past: Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge in the little town of Imlac, Georgia, almost made me feel as though I’d found a bridge to New England.

I was immediately taken back to my childhood when I first saw the bridge. Did someone travel up to New England and haul the bridge back to Georgia as a souvenir? As I dug into the history of the bridge, I learned that it was almost as though someone had indeed trav-

w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

eled to New England and come back down to Georgia with a bridge. In the 1840s, the designer and builder of Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge traveled to New England to study the many bridges of that region and then brought that influence back to the South.

The story of that builder, Horace King, who was born into slavery in the South in 1807, is just as fascinating as the bridge itself. According to www.exploresouthernhistory.com/redoak, King’s owner, contractor John Godwin, realized that King had a natural intellect for engineering and building bridges. It is believed that Horace King became so good at his craft and his skills were in such high demand that he was able to purchase his freedom from Godwin. Even though King became a free man, it was still difficult for him to travel across state lines to build bridges, but his skills were in such demand that even in the 1840s South some states passed special laws granting him the unheard of—full freedom of access across state lines. His skills were breaking racial barriers as much as they could back in that day. In a way, Horace King was an early civil rights pioneer.

Although King engineered many bridges in his lifetime, Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge near Woodbury is the only one still in operation. It also has the distinction of being Georgia’s longest and oldest covered bridge, with an overall span of 391 feet.

To preserve this valuable piece of history for future generations, Bruce O’Neal, the Water & Sewage

15

Authority Director for Meriwether County and the caretaker of the bridge, has dedicated a lot of his own time and money.

Bruce tells that his great-great-grandfather came to Meriwether County in the 1840s, and his family has been farming in the area ever since. Red Oak Covered Bridge has been in in Meriwether County for about as long as Bruce’s ancestors have been there.

Bruce likes to think that his ancestors met Horace King, but he’ll never know for sure. To him, the bridge is an old friend.

Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge is constructed using a method called Town’s lattice truss. Each piece of the lattice is held in place by the original handmade wooden pegs constructed by Horace King and his crew. According to Bruce, 95 percent of the bridge is original construction; only the roof and a few side panels have been replaced since King built the bridge out of longleaf pine over 150 years ago. The longevity of the bridge is another testament to King’s genius—the wood from longleaf pine trees is super-resistant to rot and pests. The pines were harvested just

pine replacement panels that almost match the missing ones. The newer wood is lighter in color than the original side panels, but he says the years will even that out. Graffiti is an ongoing threat, as vandals either spray-paint the bridge or carve messages into the wood. Bruce said that at one point, the bridge looked almost like a rainbow of colors from all the graffiti, but an unlikely source helped him restore the bridge.

Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge was a filming location for Lawless, a movie about moonshiners of the Prohibition era. So that one of the climactic shootout scenes could be

I was immediately taken back to my childhood when I first saw the bridge. Did someone travel up to New England and haul the bridge back to Georgia as a souvenir?

five to six miles from the bridge site.

Though it has stood for over a century and a half, Bruce notes that the bridge is facing other threats.

The bridge was nearly lost in 1994 during the Flint River Basin flood.

Fast-moving water from the creek covered about three-quarters of the bridge. Many folks who loved the bridge came by to pay their last respects, expecting it to be washed downriver. Horace King’s engineering skills won the day, however, and the bridge survived, although somewhat warped on one side by the water. Even today, the bridge is structurally sound and vehicle traffic is still allowed. A small plaque showing the high water mark was placed inside the bridge near the Meriwether County entrance.

Other threats to the bridge come from vandals. A group of revelers partying on the bridge knocked out several of the original side panels, which washed down the creek and into the Flint River, never to be seen again. Bruce personally handcrafted some 16

filmed on the bridge, the film crew used a special concoction to remove about 98 percent of the graffiti without damaging the wood. (Fun facts: Bruce not only helped the Lawless crew find several filming locations, he held classes for them in old-time moonshine techniques right by the bridge to help ensure the film’s historical accuracy.)

Red Oak Creek Bridge’s ability to bridge the generation gap was evident when a carload of teenagers pulled up while Bruce and I were discussing the bridge. It was great to see them respectfully enjoying the bridge, building friendships, and making memories. Bruce said that in summer, cars line the road as individuals and families enjoy the unique sight of this Georgia covered bridge, perhaps one of the most photographed and filmed bridges in the state.

To preserve and protect Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge for future generations, we must take up the mantle of people like Horace King and Bruce O’Neal and keep their work and legacy alive.

To learn more, visit meriwethercountychamberofcommerce.com or meriwetherhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com. ( 7 7 0) 412 - 0 4 41

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Health Focus

brought to you by:

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Spalding Regional Hospital

IS PROUD TO BE AWARDED:

IN THIS ISSUE: • Stroke: Act F.A.S.T. • Stroke in Women • After a Stroke • Area’s First Primary

Stroke Center

• Upcoming Health Events

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.

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F.A.S.T. IS AN EASY WAY TO REMEMBER THE SUDDEN SIGNS OF STROKE. WHEN YOU CAN SPOT THE SIGNS, YOU’LL KNOW YOU NEED TO CALL 9-1-1 FOR HELP RIGHT AWAY. F.A.S.T. IS:

F

FACE DROOPING

A

ARM WEAKNESS

S

SPEECH DIFFICULTY

Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?

Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Is speech slurred?

Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

T

TIME TO CALL 9-1-1

If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately.

Check the time so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared.

STROKE: Act F.A.S.T. Swimming, biking, and running are just three of the many sports in which the winner has the fastest time. In other sports such as football, basketball, or volleyball, the winners are determined after a set period of time. When it comes to having a stroke, the person who seeks treatment in the fastest time possible can be a winner in the game of life.

That’s because the faster blood flow is restored to the brain, the lower the risk of disability or death.

A stroke, also known as a brain attack, occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or blocked.

When this happens, brain cells in the immediate area start to die because they do not get the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly.

Disabilities that can result from a stroke include paralysis, cognitive deficits, speech and emotional problems, pain, and numbness. Approximately 87 percent of strokes are ischemic, which means they occur when a clot blocks a blood vessel or artery in the brain. The remainder of strokes are hemorrhagic.

These strokes are caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain.

STROKE IN WOMEN There are a few things that women should know about stroke.

More women than men have a stroke each year. Stroke kills twice as many women each year as breast cancer. African-American women have more strokes than Caucasian women, and stroke is the number one cause of death for Hispanic women.

Because stroke affects so many women, it is important to be familiar with all the signs of stroke, including those unique in women, and seek medical help quickly. Women and men experience many of the same symptoms, including sudden onset of:

• • • • •

NUMBNESS IN THE ARM, LEG, OR FACE, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS ON ONE SIDE OF THE BODY. CONFUSION, DIFFICULTY TALKING, OR PROBLEMS UNDERSTANDING SPEECH. TROUBLE SEEING OUT OF ONE OR BOTH EYES. DIFFICULTY WALKING, DIZZINESS, OR LOSS OF BALANCE OR COORDINATION. INTENSE HEADACHE FOR NO KNOWN REASON.

However, there are other telltale signs of a stroke that are unique in women, including the rapid onset of hiccups, nausea, fatigue, chest pain, face and limb pain, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations.

It is important not to wait for symptoms to go away or worsen.

Ischemic strokes can be treated with a clot-busting drug called

20

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tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA. However, for the treatment to be effective, the patient must receive the drug within three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. A study by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke found that some patients receiving t-PA within the three-hour window were at least 30 percent more likely to recover from a stroke after 90 days.

Both women and men share many of the same risk factors for stroke. While a person of any age can have a stroke, risk does increase with age. In fact, the chances of having a stroke double for every 10 years after the age of 55.

The most important risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure, or hypertension. If left untreated, this condition can damage blood vessels throughout the body and in the brain, causing them to narrow and clog more easily, or weaken so they could burst and leak blood into the brain. Other risk factors include a family history of stroke, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, being overweight, and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Women also have some exclusive risk factors that could raise their risk of having a stroke, which include: • •

•

•

•

TAKING BIRTH CONTROL PILLS EXPERIENCING NATURAL CHANGES IN THE BODY DURING PREGNANCY THAT INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE AND PUT STRESS ON THE HEART USING HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY TO RELIEVE SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE BEING POSTMENOPAUSAL AND HAVING A WAIST THAT IS LARGER THAN 35.2’’ AND A TRIGLYCERIDE LEVEL HIGHER THAN 128 MG PER LITER BEING A MIGRAINE HEADACHE SUFFERER

LOWER YOUR RISK Everyone can take an active role in preventing stroke by monitoring their blood pressure, not smoking, getting tested for diabetes, knowing their cholesterol and triglyceride levels, limiting alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight.

For women over the age of 35, taking birth control pills can raise the risk of stroke, especially if you also smoke, have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. However, birth control pills are generally considered to be safe for young, healthy women.

w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

Anticoagulants, such as warfarin, and antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin, may be prescribed to help prevent a stroke in people who are high risk. In other cases, surgery may be recommended to treat or prevent stroke.

Carotid endarterectomy can be performed to remove fatty deposits that clog the carotid artery in the neck.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A STROKE Almost 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year. Approximately two-thirds of them survive and need rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation plays a vital role in helping stroke victims regain their ability to take care of themselves and achieve the best possible quality of life.

In general, stroke can cause up to five different types of disabilities, depending on the area of the brain that is damaged: • • • • •

PARALYSIS OR DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING MOVEMENT SENSORY PROBLEMS TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING OR USING LANGUAGE CHALLENGES WITH THINKING OR MEMORY EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES

Rehabilitation usually begins within a day or two after the stroke. It may start with prompting the patient to change positions often while lying in bed and engaging in range-of-motion exercises to strengthen limbs affected by the stroke. Therapy may then continue in inpatient rehabilitation units (where the patient stays at the facility while undergoing therapy), outpatient units (where patients can spend several hours a day but don’t stay overnight) or home-based rehabilitation (where rehabilitation is done in the patient’s home).

Rehabilitation typically involves three kinds of therapy. Physical therapy is designed to help patients deal with motor and sensory impairments. Physical therapists work with patients to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, gait abnormalities, and sensory problems. They educate survivors on how to regain use of stroke-impaired limbs and teach compensatory strategies to lessen the impact of remaining deficits.

Occupational therapy is geared to helping patients relearn skills necessary for daily living, such as getting dressed, combing hair, preparing meals, or doing housework.

Occupational therapists may go to a patient’s home and suggest ways to make it more safe and accessible. For example, they may recommend installing grab bars in the bathroom or removing rugs that could cause a fall.

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Speech therapy is done to re-educate stroke patients about all aspects relating to speech, including how to speak, understand, read, write, solve problems, and even swallow.

Depending on the extent of the language problem, speech therapists can use pictures or demonstrate how to perform tasks several times, or in a different way, to help the patient communicate.

It is common for patients to become depressed after having a stroke. Signs of depression include sleep disturbances, change in eating patterns, fatigue, irritability, lethargy, weight fluctuations, and social withdrawal. Treating depression can include increased social activity, psychological counseling, or antidepressant medications.

The success of a rehabilitation program depends on patient cooperation and commitment. Although therapy sessions may be scheduled several times a week, it is important to do therapeutic exercises every day.

Because the risk of having a stroke is higher for people who have already had one, following a healthy lifestyle is important. Stroke patients should eat healthy; be as physically active as possible: control conditions that contribute to stroke or recurrent stroke, such as high blood pressure, and follow their doctor’s orders.

UPCOMING HEALTH EVENTS AND CLASSES AT SPALDING REGIONAL FREE LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN: JOINT PAIN MAY 20 | 11:30 a.m. | Spalding Regional Featuring Dr. Antenor Velazco of Orthopaedic Solutions.

Registration is required: 770.467.6136 or online at SpaldingRegional.com/LunchandLearn Classes for moms-to-be, new moms, and the entire family in 2015: All classes are free, but registration is required. For more information on any of the classes below, or to register, call 770.467.6136 or visit us online at

spaldingregional.com/WomensServices nd Third Tuesdays of each month 6:30 pm OB TOURS: First and Third Tuesdays of each month, 6:30 pm

Join us for a tour of our Women’s Services (and receive a free gift for mom with your tour).

PREPARED CHILDBIRTH: July 27 and Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 7:30-9:30 pm

This five-session class is designed for first-time parents and provides an understanding of the process of labor and delivery, options available, and how to prepare for becoming a family.

PREPARED CHILDBIRTH: Weekends

A two-session class meets on Friday, 6:30-8:30 pm and Saturday, 8:30am–12:30 pm.

BREASTFEEDING: May 19 and July 7, 6:30-8:30 pm May 19 and

This class covers the basics of breastfeeding, the best way to feed a baby

INFANT CPR AND SAFETY: May 28 and July 14 6:30–8:30 pm

This class teaches the basics of CPR and first aid for infants, and discusses creating a safe home environment.

SIBLING CLASSES: July 11, 4–5 pm

Targeting 3- to 7-year-olds with help in preparing them to soon be a big brother or big sister.

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SPALDING REGIONAL – THE AREA’S FIRST PRIMARY STROKE CENTER Spalding Regional offers many resources for prevention, treatment, and recovery from stroke. The hospital was first certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission in 2010, the leading accreditor of all health care organizations in the U.S., demonstrating their quality care to significantly improve the outcomes and meet the specialized needs of stroke patients. The hospital has also been awarded the Gold Plus Award three years in a row from the prestigious American Heart/ American Stroke Association.

The hospital’s Emergency Department is always prepared through Specialist on Call services for neurological emergencies, providing immediate evaluation of patients through the assistance of a neurologist available 24/7 via the Internet. This physician may be at another site, but can review all tests as well as see and speak with the patient. Once in recovery, patients will spend time in the hospital’s ICU or Stroke Unit, where the nurses have been specially trained to monitor stroke patients.

Post-stroke rehabilitation is a critical step toward recovery. Spalding Regional provides outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy through the hospital’s Centers for Rehabilitation Services, with three locations for your convenience: Griffin, Barnesville, and Jackson.

Spalding Health’s Sylvan Grove Hospital in Jackson also provides longer-term, in-patient rehabilitation and recovery for patients not quite ready to return home.

To learn more, visit their websites: SpaldingRegional.com SylvanGroveHospital.com ( 7 7 0) 412 - 0 4 41

Specializing in the Spectacular PATIOS WALKWAYS SEASONAL COLOR MAINTENANCE OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIRE PITS IRRIGATION

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TURN OFF YOUR RADIO:

THE NEW ART OF

PODCASTING

By Frank Santiago, host of Battle Geekz Podcast Photos by Colin Murphy Battle Geekz logo by Sylvia Smith

H

ave you ever dreamed of being a radio show host? In years past, you had to be employed by a broadcasting corporation to make that dream a reality. These days, all you need to have your voice heard is a microphone, a computer, the Internet, and interested listeners. Podcasting, sometimes referred to as Internet radio, was born from the popularity of portable listening devices. Just as the rise of blogging gave writers a chance to reach the masses via the Internet, podcasting has done the same for aspiring talk show hosts and DJs. Podcasting has evolved in the last several years from simple audio mp3s on a website to highly marketed popular radio shows that can be downloaded straight to your portable device. Most of the first big podcasts were centered around technology and its advancements. As they caught on, comedians and talk show hosts began creating podcasts as another outlet for their content. News shows, entertainment websites, and even the world’s biggest corporations have taken to the Internet to share audio with their fans. Whatever your interests are, from knitting w w w. k it c he nd r awe r. ne t

25

to relationship advice to sports, there’s a podcast out there for you. Podcasts offer infinite amounts of subject matter on a limitless number of topics.

Despite their growing popularity, many people still don’t know how to access or “get into” podcasts. It starts with an RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication), which allows you to choose the shows you want to listen to and have them automatically download to your mobile device. The first step is to download a podcast application from your app store (iTunes, Google Play, etc.).

From there, the world is at your fingertips. We suggest searching for podcasts on a few topics that interest you and giving them a test run. Listen to a few shows to see what grabs you. Once you’ve found a show you want to follow, it will automatically pop up in your apps for you to play whenever you’d like. Many commuters have replaced radio altogether, and their favorite podcasts have made long drives much more enjoyable.

Want to do more than just listen? If you have a passion for something and you think you could create a great show around your idea, you’ll need to do a few things to get started.

Research the equipment you’ll need. Beginners can start with just a computer and a microphone, but once you really get going you’ll want to upgrade to include things like a mixer and a professional audio microphone for better sound quality. There are dozens of resources online for getting your podcast up and running with relative ease; I also highly recommend the book Podcasting for Dummies.

26

With its podcast store, Apple was a key player in the rise of podcasting. When the first iPhone was released, most people had never heard of podcasts. Thanks to the inclusion of the podcast section on iTunes, people were able to find shows and subscribe to them using apps they were already using, making accessing podcasts even simpler.

A few of our favorite podcasts: For story lovers, check out Welcome to Night Vale, a twice-monthly podcast that showcases the eerie goings-on in a fictional town. History buffs will enjoy Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History, an outside-the-box take on history and how it applies to modern-day events. Pop media lovers and those who embrace the geek culture should download The Morning Stream, a daily variety show hosted by popular podcaster Scott Johnson. If you’re a fan of the column Dear Abby, listen to Dear Sugar, an advice show hosted

by Wild author Cheryl Strayed.

Howard Stern fans will enjoy the edgy Red Bar Radio Show (not for kids’ ears or work hours!).

Video games, comic books, and movies battle it out on Battle Geekz, a review show hosted by Frank Santiago and Matt Smith.

their tune quickly changed.

The corporate world eventually joined the movement, and these days, you can download podcasts produced by celebrity chefs, famous comedians, or NPR. There are interview shows, morning radio talk shows, howto shows. You can learn woodworking or get tips on training your dog. You can hear stories from real people who have lived through incredible events.

You can listen to someone describe what it’s like to swim the English Channel or homeschool a four-year-old. Wherever your passion or curiosity lies, there’s a podcast for that.

Podcasting began as an underground outlet that “real” broadcasters scoffed at in the beginning.

As hosts kept putting great content out there and gaining fans and momentum,

( 7 7 0) 412 - 0 4 41

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What You REALLY Need In a

FISHING BOAT

T

he modern bass boat is an amazing development for those of us who remember sculling a heavy wooden boat with one hand while trying to fish with the other when fishing alone or having to paddle half the time, then swapping places, when fishing with someone else.

Now we sit in comfort, maneuvering the boat easily with a foot-controlled electric motor that leaves our hands free to fish, and there is little noise. We can also glance at our fishfinder and find fish hold-

w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

29

ing cover and structure and even see the fish under the water.

the boat doesn’t sink and my trolling motor works.

When we want to move to another place, the turn of a key, rather than yanking on a rope for what often seemed like hours, gets the gas motor cranked. We zip quickly around the lake and don’t waste fishing time going from one hot spot to another.

I have a 24-volt, 82-pound-thrust MotorGuide trolling motor. With the two batteries, I can easily fish ten hours on Saturday, charge them up overnight, and fish eight more hours on Sunday. The motor is strong enough to hold the boat and even move it against any wind I have ever fished in, as long as the waves are not so high they raise the front of the boat and the trolling motor out of the water.

The boats are stable, allowing us to stand and fish, even right on the edge of the boat. Livewells keep our catch alive and fresh either to release after a little showing off at the ramp or to take home and clean.

An electric bilge pump automatically gets water out of the boat when it rains. No more bailing with tin cans!

But what do you really need for fishing? What you want and what you need may be very different things.

Right now there is a fully rigged out Triton bass boat with a 300 HP Mercury motor that lists for $102,000.

Yes, a fishing boat sells for over one hundred thousand dollars!

The only reason I can see for spending that kind of money on a boat is the same reason you want the penthouse condo—to show off.

But there is no need for a boat that is not even legal in tournaments because of the size of the motor.

For less than half that amount you can get a top-of-the-line bass boat that will meet any fishing need. But $50,000 for a fishing boat is still a ridiculous amount. If you fish a lot of tournaments on big waters it is probably worth it, but what does the typical bass fisherman need?

To me, the most important developments in my fishing lifetime are strong, reliable, electric motors. If I put my boat in for a tournament and it won’t crank, or the electronics won’t work, I can still fish as long as

30

I have a 20-foot-long Skeeter bass boat with a 225 horsepower Yamaha motor. It will go over 70 miles per hour, but I never run that fast unless trying to get in when a thunderstorm hits. It is nice to have the reserve power when needed, and with a motor that big I can cruise at 50 mph at a fairly low RPM and save gas.

But unless you have a big boat, you don’t need a motor that big.

How big should your boat be? If you fish on normal days and don’t want to run for many miles, a 16-foot boat with a 90 HP motor will get you around quickly and be comfortable even on big lakes. A 14- or 15-foot boat is ok most of the time, but bigger lakes can get rough, and these are not as stable as bigger boats. Aluminum boats are lighter and require a smaller motor, and many do a great job.

Livewells are required in tournaments and are nice at all times, but you can get by without fancy ones if you keep your catch or if you let fish go as soon as you catch them.

Onboard battery chargers are fantastic—I just plug one thing in and it charges all three batteries in my boat. For many years I used regular chargers, and they cost a lot less.

I would not be without a good bilge pump with a float switch that turns it on when water gets a few inches deep in the bilge. A bilge pump can save your boat from sinking when it’s tied to a dock if you are staying inside out of a heavy rain.

Brand-new boats are fantastic, but you can get a used boat that is in really good shape for less than half the cost if you are careful.

Just spend the money to take the motor to a good mechanic to be checked—it will save you money in the long run.

The bottom line: get what you need unless you want to spend the money for what you want. Make two lists— one of what you want and one of what you need; then set a budget, stick with it, and start your search!

Read more from Ronnie at http:// fishing-about.com.

I have top-of-the-line Lowrance depthfinders on my boat. With them, I can ride over a brush top in 20 feet of water and see every fish in it. I can find rocks, brush, and other cover and structure up to 100 feet on either side of the boat as I idle along. But these units cost thousands of dollars, and I think I caught just as many fish on a simple unit that cost less than $200!

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MAY Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday 1

DOGS PICTURED ON THIS PAGE ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION contact Dolly Goodpuppy Society, Inc.

2 “The Little Mermaid”

dollygoodpuppy.org or dollygoodpuppy@gmail.com.

riffin uditoriu PM

Most dogs are spayed/neutered and up-to-date on shots.

Schedule an appointment to meet your new buddy in person. Photos by Jessica Cobb

3

4

5

6

Knit-A-Long with Brenda

Cinco De Mayo

ovel perience

10

11 Mother’s Day

Trivia Night oc y s Pi a ebulon PM

Mother’s Day Tea in the Garden esearch ducation arden PM

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esearch ducation

PM

24 “Salute the Troops” Stone Mt. Par

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Kids Day at Great Clips

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Knit-A-Long with Brenda ovel perience

riffin Spalding ha ber of o erce

riffin horal Arts irst aptist hurch of riffin PM

9

M

Wise uys Wings PM

MARTINI

ELLA BELLA Haisten’s Building Work Weekend 15

Karaoke

Sombrero Dash Hill Street ood epot M Container Planting Workshop llis d riffin M

16

Relay for Life iwanis airgrounds PM

McDonough Geranium Festival Mc onough own S uare

M

M

18

Bluegrass in the Garden

12 “Business Killers” Business in a Nutshell

8 “Celtic Blessings”

M

SHERLOCK HOLMES

COPPERPOT 7

Saturday

19

20

Business at the Tee Golf Tournament

Sun ity Peachtree olf ourse

25 Memorial Day

Karaoke

evin s orner

PM

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22

ayette ha ber M

28

27

Lose Weight & Get Fit Class

Mc onough S uare

DARLA

Main Street Players PM

PM

KATRINA 29

30 Griffin Bicycle Club Ride

“Crimes of the Heart”

riffin irst nited Methodist

23 “Dining in the Dark” Gala for Mental Illness

Tea and Talk: Nonprofit Network

HOBART

M

SCAN THIS CODE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS

21

riffin irst nited Methodist

PRECIOUS

M

TO ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS TO THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR VISIT KITCHENDRAWER.NET

JUNE Sunday

Monday 1

Tuesday 2

3

riffin ity Par y

PM

CLAIRE

SIMON 8

Kids Eat Free @ Firehouse Subs

9

Cardio & Evening Knit & Weight Crochet Training Class ovel perience PM

M

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15

16

HIGGINS 22

riffin epart ent of abor M

23

Father’s Day

ayette ha ber

M

MURPHY 28

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he rench Mar et avern

PM

24

Speed Networking

Happy Hour

Salon itness PM

6

Poetry Group Meetup ovel perience PM

D-Day Vintage Day andler ield Museu M

11

12

13

Ladies’ Night Out

Movies in the Art in the Park Park it Par arnesville

Mc onough S uare

PM

PM

PM

18 19 Wine & Food NASCAR Pairing Class Racing Southern Experience

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25

27

rescent echnical vent enter PM

“A Little Princess” Opening

tlanta Motor Speedway

26 Cosmic Bowling

Magnolia anes PM

Braves Country 5K urner ield M

Summer Concert Series Mc onough S uare PM

CARE, Inc. 706-957-8316 or

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KITCHENDRAWER.NET FOR MORE EVENTS!

Saturday

DOGS PICTURED ON THIS PAGE ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION contact

Allan Vigil Ford Golf Classic

COCO

tlanta Motor Speedway

an Street afe Henry ounty PM Perfor ing rts enter

30 Zumba

Thursday Thunder

CLAIRE Networking Luncheon

Friday 5

Mc onough S uare

17

Mobile Vet Center

Flag Day

21

ealer s hoice uto uctions PM

10

riffin irst nit ed Methodist

Thursday 4

Public Auto Auction

Clogging

7

Wednesday

careinc2010@gmail.com

MORGAN

Photos by Mary Alice Alnutt SCAN THIS CODE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS

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WEDDING VENUE

in

MIDDLE GEORGIA

BRIDAL EXPO Sunday, May 17, 2015 • 1-4pm

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D

epending on your vantage point, Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Into the Woods is a breath of fresh air or a crushing disappointment. On the one hand, we have a movie almost entirely composed of talented actors/singers performing the music of Stephen Sondheim, and we haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing such a thing on the big screen since Tim Burton’s 2007 adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. There aren’t enough movie musicals these days, and there certainly aren’t enough Sondheim adaptations. On the other hand, we have a movie that seems strangely uncomfortable with the nature of its source material, sanding off edges and rushing through darker moments in the hopes of delivering something more palatable for general audiences. The stage version of Into the Woods is essentially a rebuttal to Disney fairy tales; the film version feels precariously close to actually being a Disney fairy tale.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with Into the Woods, odds are you know many of its characters. At the beginning, we find several of them making wishes: Cinderella (Anna

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but it easily represents the superior portion of the movie. Marshall’s oversight of the technical elements often leaves something to be desired (the cinematography veers between pointand-shoot blandness and haphazard clumsiness, the choreography is functional at best, and the editing occasionally becomes surprisingly sloppy), but the musically-charged storytelling is playfully engaging enough to overcome those problems. At its best, the movie transcends its director.

Kendrick, Up in the Air) wishes to break free of her wicked stepmother (Christine Baranski, The Good Wife) and attend the king’s forthcoming festival. Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) wishes for some bread to take to her ailing grandmother. Jack (Daniel Huttlestone, Les Misérables) wishes for his beloved cow to give milk. These fairy tale icons are instantly familiar to us, but Into the Woods introduces another: a humble baker (James Corden), who wishes to have a child with his wife (Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow).

A devious witch (Meryl Streep, Sophie’s Choice) knows how badly the baker and his wife desire a child and determines to use that desire to her advantage. The witch places a curse on the couple, declaring that they will never have a child unless they bring her four items: a cow as white as snow, hair as yellow as corn, a cape as red as blood, and a slipper as pure as gold.

So begins a fairy tale-themed treasure hunt, leading the baker and his wife into the path of Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy, Forever), The Big Bad Wolf (Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), a pair of princes (Chris Pine, Star Trek and Billy Magnussen, The East), and many others.

The first half of Into the Woods plays as an entertaining remix of standard fairy tale tropes, with a host of characters crossing paths in a variety of unexpected ways. It’s arguably the less compelling half of the stage version,

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The performances vary in tone, but almost all of them work. Corden and Blunt form the emotional core of the movie, and both do an exceptional job of detailing the ever-present conflict between their fundamental goodness and their willingness to go too far in order to break the witch’s curse. Streep’s penchant for slightly overcooked theatricality fits comfortably with the role of the witch, and her surprisingly terrific vocal performance easily eclipses her ho-hum work in Mamma Mia! Pine is flat-out hilarious as Cinderella’s prince, playing the part in the same way William Shatner might have once upon a time (“Agony,” his duet with Magnussen, is a giddy comic highlight). Sure, a couple of minor characters are a little too hammy (Baranski’s stepmother and Depp’s wolf in particular), but all of the central performances are effective.

Then a giant shows up, and the whole thing falls apart.

Into the Woods gets much darker in its second half, as the show goes beyond merely blending fairy tales and begins wrecking nearly every character’s obligatory happy ending (sometimes quite literally, as the aforementioned giant begins destroying everything in its path). It’s here that the movie starts to get squeamish, toning down the stage production’s violence, sexual content, and savagery until we’re left with something that merely feels like a weirdly downbeat climax. Plus, the second half isn’t actually a “half” at all, as Marshall and screenwriter James Lapine (who wrote the book for the stage version) rush through a lot of big plot developments (more than one crucial reprise

gets snipped from the soundtrack).

Moments that ought to feel emotionally devastating aren’t given enough time to register, and moments that ought to be viscerally shocking are depicted with hesitant bloodlessness. Only the film’s visual palette—which slowly transforms from a lush green to a deep, inky blue— seems willing to embrace darkness.

I understand why Disney felt a need to take this approach. They want to reach a wide audience—an audience that prefers their fairy tales (which were once shockingly savage and raw) through a Disney filter. As in many fairy tales, a bid for fortune has consequences. The darker elements of Into the Woods are so essential to the tale that their loss all but neuters the story’s impact. Some of the show’s more complex ideas—particularly those about the heartbreak of parenting and the danger of wishes—remain intact and ensure that the movie isn’t merely empty calories. Still, this is hardly the almost absurdly complex banquet of ideas (both musical and philosophical) offered by the source material. Perhaps the problem wouldn’t be as pronounced if Marshall’s direction had personality, purpose, or polish.

Given that, it’s tempting to say that Into the Woods probably shouldn’t have been adapted at all. However, to say such a thing would be petty and narrow.

Thanks to the existence of this movie, there are young viewers (and even some not-so-young viewers) discovering the joy of Stephen Sondheim’s music for the first time. Some child out there is experiencing the first chapter of a journey that will eventually lead them through the wonders of Company, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music... and yes, the stage version of Into the Woods. In the spirit of the film version, permit me to quote one of the many memorable musical numbers through a more optimistic lens:

Careful before you say “Listen to me.”

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Li

be

rt

yM BIOGRAPHY an iac

BY RAcHel ScOGGInS Da nM cC al l

Dan McCall is a freedom-loving artist working out of Minnesota.

He’s sued the NSA and DHS and won, created images for the Hunger Games franchise, and sells parody and satirical art on his website, Liberty Maniacs.

When Dan was in art school, he was on track to be a traditional fine arts artist. He quickly got bored and often found himself in the library, reading books about politics, social issues, and philosophy. In college, he pursued political science and philosophy, but he always returned to art.

His first experience with political parody was when a friend convinced him to do some satire and parody cartoons during Jesse Ventura’s years as governor. “I enjoyed it because it melded my two interests: art and politics,” Dan said. During that time, he became interested in print-on-demand Internet

companies as a platform for artistic expression. After completing some original designs, he put them on a website.

By placing his designs on the Internet, Dan realized that he wasn’t the only Libertarian-minded person. He sold bumper stickers, t-shirts, and art on his website and couldn’t believe that people responded. “There are a lot of liberty-minded folks,” he said. “People had similar views to mine, but they were very spread out, all over the world. I couldn’t put things in a corner shop or a gallery of fine art and sell them, but the Internet gives my designs access to all kinds of people.”

His website garnered huge support around the time of the Ron Paul campaign in 2007. “People started responding to some of the imagery I put up there,” he said. Dan claims that was when he started to find his voice and audience in a more meaningful way.

After the information was released by Edward Snowden in 2013, Dan created an NSA parody t-shirt featuring a version of the NSA logo that says “Peeping while you’re sleeping.” He put the shirt on Zazzle, a print company he had partnered with for a while. Almost immediately, he was notified with a copyright infringement claim, meaning the logo had to come down. He eventually found out that the NSA had contacted Zazzle to take down that logo, among others.

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After being contacted by a lawyer who had experience with similar issues, Dan discovered that the NSA had been targeting his logos since 2011. They had contacted Zazzle multiple times to tell them to take certain logos down. These logos were being taken down without notification, and because Dan had so many designs on the site, he hadn’t noticed.

Dan challenged the NSA by claiming they were infringing on his free speech. In February of 2014, they finally retracted, and the settlement allows people to parody the NSA seal. A few months later, Hillary Clinton supporters demanded two online shops take down mugs, shirts, and bumper stickers designed by Dan that parodied their organization’s name. The organization eventually retracted their demand due to the parodies being protected under free speech.

“I’m still ready for more instances like this during the next elections,” Dan said.

Liberty Maniacs has many different popular satirical government logos and designs. One of the most popular is a picture of Sitting Bull with the slogan “Trust the Government” beneath it. Dan’s personal favorite is the NSA shirt that caused him trouble. “The shirt represents the whole saga and standing up to people,” Dan said. “It helps me stay true to my message about freedom and the celebration of freedom.”

Political satire is not all Dan does. He also has been involved in artistic work for the Hunger Games franchise. A friend whose company was doing Internet merchandising for the movie called Dan when the first movie was coming out and told him he’d be perfect for the job. Dan had never read the books before taking the job, but he immediately read and fell in love with them. “It’s such a cool story. In the books, there’s a very human level about liberty, power, and tyranny that I like to deal with,” he said.

In addition to doing some artistic work for the movies, he and his sister, Molly, created a Hunger Games fansite called Panem Propaganda. He made propaganda posters for the Capitol and President Snow that he displayed on the site and even made a

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separate section for the rebels. The site also has a store where fans can buy the Hunger Games-inspired propaganda designs on t-shirts. “The response from the fans was incredible,” Dan said. Some of his propaganda posters from the website will be refigured and used in the second part of Mockingjay.

Dan has also worked with WikiLeaks. The people representing Edward Snowden contacted Dan in 2013 wanting his help. Dan created portraits and illustrations of Snowden that the representatives used on their website and with fundraising for Snowden. “That was a really cool experience; one I will look back on when I’m old and gray,” Dan said. “Having that relationship while I was dealing with the NSA was really remarkable.”

Now, Dan wants to take more control over the production of his projects instead of relying on partners. He wants to make sure that there is an avenue for artistic expression that isn’t influenced by a third party. He also looks forward to the parody, satiric, and comic opportunities that will arise during the upcoming presidential election. Another goal is to open Liberty Maniacs to other artists as a platform for artistic expression. “There are a lot of talented, thoughtful people out there,” Dan said. “They have something to say, and I want to involve them in the website.” But he also wants to make sure he keeps himself balanced as an artist. He will continue to look for contract work and other projects so he doesn’t limit himself just to parody and satire.

“A lot of what I do is frivolous and silly,” Dan said. “I want to make an impact.” By fighting for freedom of speech, and standing up for liberty in all forms, Dan continues striving to do just that.

Check out Dan’s parodies on www.libertymaniacs.com or like Liberty Maniacs on Facebook.To see his Hunger Games propaganda, go to www.panempropaganda.com.

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Ben Johnson & Mario Bonacci #representing at the 3rd district GAGOP convention

Class of ‘76 Honors longtime teacher pat lee

Rock springs christian academy march star students

greenville middle school’s vice principal michael perry jr. stops to feed the locals

hangin with the united bank crew!

Georgia extreme t-ball team

the crowd at smoke on the water

Bone marrow donors and recipients at be the match walk + run at atlantic station

Farewell reception for longtime speech and drama teacher pat lee

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kitchen drawer: what’s in it for you?

as a reader: ---------------------Stay “in-the-know” about your community Uncover a unique piece of history Enjoy beautiful art from local artists Have the opportunity to share talents, interests, stories, and photos

www.KitchenDrawer.net

as an advertiser: ---------------------Reach our eclectic readership of over 30,000 Leave your name in a piece of history.

Benefit from an ad that reaches your audience multiple ways, after the print issue is placed in our online digital issue

www.KitchenDrawer.net/advertise

ARTIST PROFILE CHRISTINA DILL

BY ALLISON SMYLY Kitchen Drawer introduces our readers to this talented illustrator, currently a Peachtree City resident.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AS AN ARTIST. I’ve been enamored with art from a young age. My mom, an artist herself, thought it was important that my siblings and I always had art supplies so we would be ready any time inspiration struck. As a child, I created chalk cities running up and down the driveway, monsters illustrated on the paper bulletins at church, Microsoft Paint masterpieces, and even handmade sculptures for book reports. Art was always my favorite subject in school, and no matter what academic class I was taking, I tried to incorporate some art, even if it was only doodling during lectures.

sharpened my artistic eye; however, the most important thing I learned was that I should always strive to tell a story with every new illustration, whether simple or complex. After all, what is art without a strong narrative?

well as illustrators and artists. Seeing the work that others have created gives me ideas of different ways to approach problems and helps me develop new ideas.

Other artists inspire me to work harder and grow in my craft.

Since my graduation from the Portfolio Center in late 2014, I have been working as a freelance illustrator. I am currently sending out samples of my work to different publications and working on an array of projects, all while striving to improve my artwork and add new tools to my tool belt. I know that my artistic journey is just getting started, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next!

Once I am inspired to illustrate, I begin by doing research to better understand the subject and story of the piece I am planning. Then I create various small sketches, experimenting with different layouts, and try to pin down the message that I want to convey. I narrow those concepts down to the best three and develop those. As I hone the idea of the piece, I whittle the concepts down into one final sketch. Using a computer, I begin working on the chosen illustration in black/white/gray to perfect my lights and shadows before moving to the coloring process. I illustrate my work in Adobe Photoshop with an Intuos pen tablet. Photoshop allows me to use different virtual brushes to acquire the desired effect and has a variety of tools that allow me to add the finishing touches to my illustration.

WHAT DO YOU ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE OR ACHIEVE THROUGH YOUR ART?

After high school, I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Berry College in Rome, Georgia. I discovered digital art at Berry and was amazed at what I could create using the help of a computer. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator quickly became my friends as I drew in them regularly and developed the pen tablet as one of my strongest tools.

After commencement, I enrolled in the illustration program at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, where I expanded upon the technical knowledge I gained from Berry. At the Portfolio Center, I learned many principles of art and

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The artwork I create is a narrative that tells a story through images in an assortment of ways, such as encompassing a book’s plot in a single picture, illustrating an article through a single emotion, or creating an image that shines a light on problems that plague the world. It is important that my work have a deeper meaning and that it could prompt a discussion or provide the viewer with new perspectives on a topic. Ultimately, I’m still trying to discover in what direction I want to take my work and exactly what I want to communicate to the world; however, of one thing I am sure. I want to tell stories and achieve something more than just beautiful art. If my art can help people see the world differently and experience different emotions, then I’ve done my job.

DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS. One of the biggest inspirations that helps motivate me is artwork from others. Art is not limited to illustrations, though; I consider any form of art to be encouraging, including work from writers, musicians, composers, and directors, as

WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK UNIQUE? The biggest difference between my work and the art by many other artists today is the painterly feel that I bring to all my illustrations, though most of my work is digital. I take great pleasure when someone sees my work and thinks that it was traditionally painted or is unsure of my medium. This response tells me that I’ve successfully fooled the eye and gotten past the “digital” look that is so prevalent in artwork these days. While I love having all of the digital tools at my disposal, I don’t want to lose the brushstrokes that give traditional artwork so much character. Another thing that makes my work unique is my use of nontraditional perspectives. I constantly endeavor to visualize new ways I can show the scene or characters besides the obvious, conventional vantage points. I also enjoy using a limited palette so I can focus the eyes of my viewers on areas of the illustration that tell the story or communicate the message.

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TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. I grew up on a farm in south Georgia in a small, two-red-light town. Instead of rows of houses and neighbors, cotton and peanut fields surrounded me. When I wasn’t working on art, I was typically out and about playing with my siblings or spending time with our many pets. Along with my love of art, I have a deep love of animals. My family had many cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and other animals throughout the years. When I enrolled at Berry College, I was actually planning on majoring in veterinary medicine with a minor in art; however, over time I came to realize what I had always really known deep down. Even though I have a deep interest in animals and their well-being, my true calling is in the art world.

Though my focus is art, first and foremost, I still find time to devote to my furry friends.

DESCRIBE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE, OR MOST UNUSUAL, WORKS. It’s really hard to choose which illustration to discuss, as I have personal attachments to all of my work; however, one piece that I really enjoyed working on and learned a lot from is an illustration called “Loss of Innocence” that I created at the Portfolio Center. It was a breakthrough piece for me. It is a wraparound cover I created for the book The Lord of the Flies. The design is one of my darker pieces. When I first began working on the assignment, I was thinking about using a lot of reds or oranges to represent the atrocities in the story, but as I worked through the piece in class, I eventually realized that it didn’t need all of that warm color to illustrate my point. I could better communicate by limiting the red to small portions of the work so that the eye would be drawn to the most important areas, in this case, the blood on a pig skull. Here, I sought to show how darkness had arrived and is beginning to overtake the island. To show this chaos, I left most of the illustration relatively dark, bringing only a bit of light through the trees to illuminate the one innocent child left in the original group of boys, though he too will soon be overtaken by the darkness and destroyed by the island.

SHARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. Right now, I’m focusing on getting my work out there and breaking into the illustration industry. I would enjoy doing some editorial work for articles and different magazine publications, but I would primarily like to work in book publication. I grew up entranced by the illustrations in children’s storybooks and was always drawn to strong covers. I was one to always judge a book by its cover! A good writer would take the time to get a good illustrator, right?

In the future, I hope to create imaginative worlds and characters through the pages of children’s books and create book covers that can encapsulate a book in one image. I hope to steadily move up the ranks of book illustrators and get my work published, and maybe even one day, God willing, get myself a Caldecott Medal.

TO SEE MORE OF CHRISTINA’S WORK, VISIT CHR IS TIN A DIL L . COM .

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A Postcard View of

Historic Griffin

By Drew Todd & Drew Payne

T

ravel has changed quite a bit over the past hundred years. For present-day voyagers, an emphasis on speed and thrift has led to a lack of leisure and comfort—a cheapening of the journey caused by freeways, jumbo jets, and 70 mile-per-hour speed limits. Convenience has become the most important metric for modern travelers willing to sacrifice experience and luxury in its name.

today’s endless stream of travel tweets and selfies. When people leave town, no matter the century, they will almost always send notes home.

Even with these changes, though, a tourist of 1915 would fit right in with his 2015 counterpart in one way: the irresistible urge to let folks back home know you’re on the road and having the time of your life.

Postcards were hugely popular in the early 1900s. Quite a few of these were produced using images of Griffin’s most iconic and important buildings. The city, a popular stop for those traveling up and down US 41 in the 1920s and 1930s, had plenty of people passing through and in need of a postcard. Griffin’s shopkeeps, in their usual enterprising way, were more than happy to address this need, selling thousands of locally sourced postcards, many of which are still around today.

For some reason, mankind has always felt compelled to crow about vacation, devising ways to drop lines for decades. That old standby of yesteryear—the postcard—differs little from

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The postcards printed here were sold in Griffin’s gas stations, convenience stores, and hotels, mostly in the 1920s.

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They provide literal snapshots of the city’s structural past.

Included in these images are buildings that have been lost, those that are currently empty and imperiled, and buildings that have survived the march of time and are still in use today.

Even with these changes,

Couched in these images is an implicit call to action. The need for preservation in Griffin has never been greater, as many buildings in town have reached a veritable tipping point. These postcards provide a reminder of sites that we’ve lost, but also of those that have been retrofitted and made useful for 21st century needs. These are a source of hope for endangered properties like the Griffin Hospital and City Hall—buildings that, given some ingenuity and resources, could be valuable engines of development for the city.

his 2015 counterpart in

though, a tourist of 1915 would fit right in with

one way: the irresistible urge to let folks back home know you’re on the road and having the time of your life.

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May 18, 2015 Canongate at Sun City Peachtree 12:00pm Shotgun

Griffin Chamber of Commerce 6th Annual

For more information visit: www.griffinchamber.com

V

143 North Hill Street PO Box 73 - Griffin, GA 30224 770.228.8200 - www.griffinchamber.com

BeerWineArt.com

DH BF

The Doc Holliday Beer, Wine & Arts Festival is

on its way back for a sixth year on May 30 at the Park at 6th. This year’s festival will include new ticket options, food tastings, and a sidewalk chalk art contest!

On Saturday May 30 from 1-6PM you’ll get the chance to sample over 80 craft beers, seasonal wines, and ciders from all across Georgia, with a few special selections hand-picked from the best breweries and wineries around the country. You even have the opportunity to have your drink poured by the people who make it! That’s right: Red Brick, Three Taverns, Burnt Hickory, Jailhouse, and Creature Comforts brewing companies will all be in attendance, as well as Five Points Berries Winery and more (to be announced). This year, in addition to drinks, you’ll get to pick up some tasty eats from 6th Street Pier and Barnstormers Grill.

KITCHEN DRAWER ILLUSTRATED HOSTS SIXTH ANNUAL BEER FEST

Entry this year is only $10, which includes festival admission and a commemorative

Doc Holliday Beer, Wine & Arts Festival 2015 • beerfest@kitchendrawer.net • 770.412.0441 52

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drinking glass. Tokens will be sold at $1, and each token can be redeemed for a threeounce pour of beer, one-ounce pour of wine, or a sampling of food. VIP ticketholders enjoy all-you-can-drink and eat at a flat rate of $50.

Discounted Early-Bird and VIP Packages are available now at BeerWineArt.com.

Even if you’re not planning on having a drink or grabbing a bite, you’ll still find plenty to do among our local vendors this year. Artists, peddlers, craftsmen, and more will be mixed in among the beer tables to show off their work. Whether you’re looking for the perfect piece of jewelry, a unique wood creation, or just a new favorite t-shirt, there’s sure to be something for everyone. The 2015 Doc Holliday Beer, Wine & Arts Festival is also bringing back the Hootin’ Hollerin’ Mustache contest; so if you’re sporting some handlebars, rocking the Dali, or cultivating your own unique facial hair masterpiece, you’ve got a chance to take home the illustrious Hootin’ Hollerin’ Mustache trophy!

SATURDAYMAY MAY30 30 SATURDAY

Feeling artistic? ‘Stache Studio is hosting our first ever Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest! A $10 entry fee gets you reservation of a 3x3ft sidewalk canvas space and use of assorted chalks. Each sidewalk canvas can be created collaboratively between a group of people or by a single artist.

Festival attendees will vote, and winners will be picked from three age groups. Register to participate in the contest by purchasing the Sidewalk Chalk Contest Entry ticket online at BeerWineArt.com.

Hootin’ Holle rin’ Mustach e Contest Winne r 2014

MAY 30, 2015 • 1-6PM • PARK @ 6TH All proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Camp Southern Ground, the passion project of GRAMMY Award-winning artist Zac Brown. Inspired by his experience as a camp counselor, Zac’s dream is for children of all abilities to have the opportunity to experience the magic of the outdoors. Nestled on over 400 acres of Georgia farmland, Camp Southern Ground, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, will have activities to challenge, educate, and inspire children with diverse abilities, and from all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, and religions.

This year’s Doc Holliday Beer, Wine & Art Festival will be filled to the brim with good food, good fun, good tunes, and more sipping selection than you can shake a stick at! With the new and improved entry packages, there’s no reason not to show up at the biggest craft beer event in the tri-county area. Prepare your mustache, and we’ll see you May 30 at the Doc Holliday Beer, Wine & Arts Festival 2015. Visit BeerWineArt.com for tickets and more info.

Currently in the development stage, Camp Southern Ground is seeking partnerships and funding in order to bring this vision to fruition. Visit CampSouthernGround.org to learn more about how you can help! w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

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Baseball in Atlanta: Big Changes for the Braves By Taylor Gantt

A

fter a tumultuous offseason, the Atlanta Braves organization of last season has been gutted, refitted, and trimmed, both on the field and in the management office. Traditionally, Atlanta was a team that prided itself on stability, rarely making wholesale changes to the structure of the club. But it seems like the disappointments of 2014 finally pushed the organization to rethink its strategy and begin moving the team in a completely new direction.

The dust has settled and the season is currently underway, so let’s take a quick look at some of the notable transactions made throughout the offseason:

SAY HELLO TO...

JOHN HART, GENERAL MANAGER

JUSTIN UPTON, OF

Hart served on the search committee for Atlanta’s new GM, but ended up winning the job himself.

Hart put in some good years with the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians and brings a youth-oriented approach to bolstering the minor league farm system.

JASON HEYWARD, OF

NICK MARKAKIS, OF As a 10-year veteran, Markakis brings a savvy that this youthful Braves team sorely needs. His production numbers have been solid, but not eyepopping. He should bring a reliable bat to the middle of the lineup.

SHELBY MILLER, PITCHER Talented, but unproven, Miller was the centerpiece of the Jason Heyward trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. At age 24, the young hurler has maintained a 3.33 average ERA in his first few seasons, and the team hopes that he can be a long-term starter.

OTHER NOTABLES: Cameron Maybin Jonny Gomes

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SAY GOODBYE TO...

Upton put up monster numbers last season (29 HR, 102 RBI) and was clearly Atlanta’s best offensive talent. But with a big contract looming for the slugger, the team traded Upton to the Padres for a bushel of minor-league prospects, officially signaling the beginning of the rebuilding era.

Despite seeing flashes of the hometown kid’s potential, the Braves dealt away Heyward for Shelby Miller at the tail end of last year. It’s tough to see Heyward go, but I don’t think he ever quite lived up to the lofty expectations set for him.

CRAIG KIMBREL, CLOSER

Perhaps the most shocking move came in the midst of spring training when Atlanta dealt Kimbrel, the best closing pitcher in the game, to the Padres. Although the move did allow the Braves to also ship off Melvin (BJ) Upton (and his mammoth contract), it’s never easy to lose the best player at any given position. Logically, it doesn’t make sense to keep a top-rate closer during a rebuilding season, but not seeing Kimbrel come to the mound at the end of games will be a difficult adjustment.

OTHER NOTABLES: Evan Gattis Ervin Santana

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With all the moving and shaking at an end, I think that it’s absolutely clear that the team is looking toward the future.

By shedding expensive contracts, stockpiling minor league talent, and electing to forgo further long-term commitments, the team is focusing its attention on their move to Cobb County. Although the club has lost several big names, the former structure seemed unsustainable due to the lack of production from many of Atlanta’s high-priced athletes (Dan Uggla, BJ Upton, etc.).

For now, younger and cheaper seems to be the mantra of 2015. Although this season may not bear tangible fruit, the Braves seem to be imploring their fan base to practice patience and allow the team to mature.

it seems like the disappointments of 2014 finally pushed the organization to rethink its strategy and begin moving the team in a completely new direction.

Patience is a beautiful virtue, but when 2017 rolls around and the new stadium is ready, what kind of team will hit the field for the Atlanta Braves? Will the team’s longsuffering strategy pay off? Will the fan base be ready and willing to pack out the new facility, regardless of the on-field product?

I guess we’ll all find out together.

Stats courtesy of baseball-reference.com

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Kitchen Table

with Nina Dempsey of The Chicken House

N

ina Dempsey grew up on a farm in middle Tennessee where her Aunt Lillie “raised her own everything…and the woman could brine!” Back in the day, brine contained mostly salt, water, and a few handy spices. Nina says, “Any respectable farm woman knows not every animal on the place will be tender and juicy—then along comes the brine!

A good brine will carry spices, herbs, and flavors deep into meat, making even a not-so-perfect cut of meat into a divine meal.”

In brining, meat is submerged in liquid, which is then absorbed into the meat by a process known as diffusion. According to Nina, the salt in the brine changes the structure of the protein, resulting in meat that is more moist, tender, and flavorful. She adds that the process does not significantly raise sodium levels—only about ⅛ teaspoon per serving. Unlike salt sprinkled on the surface of meat just before cooking, the salt in a brine penetrates deeper to produce meat that is especially well-seasoned throughout.

Nina explains that a brine is not a marinade: “A marinade may be fine on some occasions, but it will never penetrate or infuse the meat with the flavor intensity that brining will. Why are some

w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

turkeys dry as sawdust while others boast meat that’s firm, juicy, and well-seasoned?

The answer is brining. Soaking a turkey, chicken, or even lean pork in a brine provides it with a plump cushion of seasoned moisture that will sustain it throughout cooking, which translates to moist meat, especially in the breast.”

Try it yourself using the variety of brines, spices, and brining bags available at The Chicken House. Says Nina, “Why did we ever stop brining?

Brines from The Chicken House are all natural, fat free, and gluten free, with no preservatives and nothing artificial. The hustle of today’s world keeps us stretched too thin, but we are bringing the brine back!”

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Roasted Her b-Br ined Chicken 1 whole chicken, butterflied and brined in advance

Applewood Sea Salt (optional)

Fire & Flavor’s Garlic & Herb Brine (concentrate)

Place meat into very large bowl or brining bag. Shake brine in the bag to mix. Add ½ cup brine and ½ cup water; continue adding brine and water equally until loin is fully submerged.

Cover bowl or seal bag. Brine according to package directions, one hour per pound, refrigerating meat while brining.

Remove loin from brine and pat dry.

4 carrots, sliced ¾” thick 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved 1 large onion, quartered ½ tsp kosher salt

Balsamic Sauce 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 3 Tbsp chicken stock 2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat grill to a high heat. Brown loin well on all sides, searing in the brine and natural juices. Double wrap meat in aluminum foil; place on higher rack and close grill for approximately 45 minutes to one hour. Let loin sit for at least 20 minutes before carving and serving. Taste before using any finishing salts; however, if salt is desired, Applewood Sea Salt is recommended. Serve with Smoky Date Brussels Sprouts.

Smoky Date Brussels Sprouts

1 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp oregano, chopped 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped Butterfly chicken by removing the backbone with kitchen scissors. Place chicken into very large bowl or brining bag.

Shake brine in the bag to mix. Add ½ cup brine and ½ cup water; continue adding brine and water equally until chicken is fully submerged. Cover bowl or seal bag. Brine according to package directions, one hour per pound, refrigerating meat while brining. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. After brining, preheat oven to 500º. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry.

Place carrots, potatoes, and onion in a 12” cast-iron skillet or glass baking dish (coat with cooking spray if using glass).

Sprinkle with salt. Lay chicken on top of vegetables, breast side up, tucking wing tips. Combine sauce ingredients and pour over top of chicken. Place skillet or baking dish on middle rack of oven and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400º and continue cooking until meat thermometer registers 165º in the thickest part of the breast, about 20-25 minutes. Let meat rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Lemon & Sweet Tea-Br ined Por k Loin This brine also works well for pork chops, ribs, or a pork butt. It adds moisture and flavor to grilled, smoked, or oven-roasted pork.

1 pork loin (approximately 4 pounds)

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Fire & Flavor Lemon & Sweet Tea Brine (concentrate)

Sweet and tangy, this delicious side dish will make a Brussels sprouts lover out of even the most skeptical vegetable eater.

Serves eight. ½ pound thick-cut bacon or pancetta, diced ½ pound shallots, peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced 2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed, cut in half lengthwise 12 dates, pitted and cut into thin strips 1 cup Smoky Date NOT Ketchup (available at The Chicken House) Sea salt to taste ½ cup shelled pistachios, roasted, salted, and chopped

Preheat oven to 400º. Spray two shallow baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Scatter half the bacon or pancetta and shallots onto each pan. Bake 10 minutes, until the bacon starts to render its fat and the shallots begin to soften and brown around the edges.

Remove from oven and add Brussels sprouts and dates, tossing them with the bacon and shallots so they get coated with the bacon fat. Roast another 20-25 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are crisp on the edges and cooked through.

Remove from oven and drizzle Smoky Date NOT Ketchup over the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt, then toss to combine on the hot baking pans. Place in serving dish and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Serve hot.

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FINDS

Local celeb back with erity Mark Freedman is ven more co ol finds!

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Fiction Contest Winner - 3rd Place

BURN OUT

BY DENISE MADDOX

T

he hallways smelled of Expo markers, stale coffee, and lost dreams. Her footsteps fell softly as she made her way from the last room on the left and down the long expanse of the locker-filled hallway. She placed her briefcase on the floor for a moment, then reached out and ran her fingers along the locks on a row of lockers and thought how many times she had admonished others for doing the same.

That’s when she almost lost it then and there. How had this happened?

She suddenly felt very insignificant…almost as if she moved too suddenly she would vaporize into thin air. Had it really been two years since she’d walked down this same hall—in the opposite direction, of course—to her future? She had walked with such purpose, such certainty. She could almost see her ghost-self, standing there beside her, her new, sensible heels making those sharp staccato sounds as she headed down to the freshly painted room: the last one on the left. A room she had lovingly spent all summer decorating, making sure that everything was just so, not too busy, not too tranquil; no one was going to be sleeping in here after all.

The excitement she’d felt when she reached the door, Starbucks Caramel Latte in one hand and brand-new briefcase in the other, the latter a gift from her stockbroker boyfriend.

She knew it was some designer case, but the name escaped her at the moment; she was never one to care about those things anyway.

What she loved most about it was the smell of the butter-soft leather and the little click whenever she opened or closed it; recalling this made her smile. Her friends were so impressed by the label, but what she found most enchanting was the sound of a latch.

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She wondered if he were here. He often stayed after hours “tidying up for the next day,” although for the life of her she had never understood why. If ever there was a person who needed to find another profession, it was the old curmudgeon she’d done her internship with.

How she had endured the excruciatingly long days listening to him drone on and on about the good old days, she never knew. She’d always ignored his ramblings as she’d lose herself in her plans, knowing that she would never feel the way this sad little man felt. She had more passion in her little finger than he’d probably had his whole career. She was going to make a difference!

He’d told her, warned her actually, with vehemence and fire in his eye, that it wasn’t like “they” painted it to be, at least not anymore, that most of her days would be filled with mindless and tedious tasks that had no real bearing on why she was here. He’d groaned and moaned and complained about the endless meetings, the extra duties, the expectations to be at after-hours events. Did he ever smile, she’d wondered. She’d certainly tried her best to coax one from him during her three months of tedium. How happy she had been on that last day as he’d timidly presented her with a small basket of treasures, to “get her started,” he’d said. How funny that she should end up working in the very same building, just a short walk across the hall. How quick she had been to judge him, she thought now as a hot tear strolled down her cheek; how full of hubris she had been.

For two years, he’d watched her.

She knew he’d been watching.

At times he seemed to be in her corner, his looks urging her on: fight the good fight, they’d said.

Don’t give up, go the distance!

All the clichés someone throws your way when they get that first whiff of defeat. Still, this would take him by surprise. It had taken her by surprise, yet she knew she could not invest any more. She simply did not have it in her. He had been right…what she had been doing each day—the exhausting, brain-numbing, soul-killing, stress-inducing activities—bore no resemblance to the dream that had been in her heart that first day.

She was almost at the end of the hall. She held her fate in the form of a letter in her hand. She had tried to explain as best she could why she could not continue. Would anyone care? Wouldn’t they just replace her with the next fresh-faced, exuberant newbie they could find? Wasn’t she, after all, expendable? Hadn’t they drilled that into her head in so many ways? The lack of trust, the constant observing and checklisting that left her feeling as if she always fell just short of good enough. The wear and tear on morale that made her feel as though she were among the walking wounded. Enough. Finally, finally, it was enough.

And here she was. She turned the heavy brass knob and walked the few steps down to the corner office. There was no one at the ornate mahogany desk; she had planned it that way. Coward, she thought as she gingerly placed the letter of resignation on the huge calendar which sat atop the desk.

She noticed penciled-in dates of football games, staff meetings, and pep rallies. She wavered for just a moment, but a moment only.

She could always return, she told herself. Surely the powers that be would come to their senses, realize the damage they were doing, the sheer insanity of it all…surely.

63

She was startled by the sound of footsteps. Suddenly, there he was.

How had he slipped up on her without her hearing? One look at his face told her he knew. She didn’t know how, but he knew. He didn’t utter a word, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable.

Was there just a hint of an “I told you so” smile? The silence hung between them for what seemed an eternity. Finally, without a sound, she slipped by him, briefly brushing against his arm as she opened the door and slipped quietly out into the hallway that still smelled of Expo markers, stale coffee, and lost dreams, out the front door, down the stairs. She walked with a purpose. She walked into the unknown. She walked hoping that a new dream would fill her heart.

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