Statesboro Magazine - November/December 2021

November December 2021 Priceless

Ramona Holloway Lawrence

BUILDING DREAMS

At Holiday Pizza EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY!

SMAG Cover

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! WITH VIRGINIA ANNE & BILL WATERS

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WE LIVE HERE

from the editor

ESTABLISHED MARCH 1, 2000

T

he holiday season is always a wonderful time of year to gather with family and friends celebrating traditions and creating new memories. Our holiday issue showcases many ways for you and your family to get into the holiday spirit whether it’s entertaining friends at home, seeing the Nutcracker ballet, visiting TMT Farms Christmas Extravaganza, or Brooklet’s annual lighting of the Christmas Tree.

We think there’s comfort and joy in being home for the holidays.

One holiday home that captures the spirit of Christmas is the residence of Bulloch County natives Virginia Anne and Bill Waters. A tour of the Waters’ home features festive frills showcasing family heirlooms, collected art treasures, fine tableware, extravagant handmade accessories and so much attention to detail! It is a showcase like no other, confirming the Waters’ reputation for being Statesboro’s most gracious hosts.

We’re also shining a light on one of Statesboro’s most accomplished citizens, Dr. Ramona Holloway Lawrence, grant writer, researcher, educator, marketer, yoga instructor, and champion of women!

Dr. Holloway shares her insight on challenging broken systems and removing the barriers that impede success on multiple levels.

Her story inspires us to be better at asking “What can I do?”

We thought our annual Holiday Issue would be a great time to visit with Dia & Nikkos Kalloniatis of Holiday Pizza, “Where every day is a holiday!” That’s the motto created by the founder, husband and father, Kostas Kalloniatis. Food and extraordinary hospitality run in the family. So what better time to share a story of great Greek and Italian food and wonderful family tradition?

If you’re looking for the perfect gift, check out our annual Gift Guide featuring a showcase of local treasures, where you’ll find just the right thing!

If you’re looking for a year-end tax deduction, visit our Giving Guide for suggestions on great ways to benefit local non-profits, while saving money.

For us “home for the holidays” also means supporting our friends and neighbors by enjoying all of our great local restaurants, shopping in local boutiques and visiting local entertainment venues throughout the holidays.

Jenny Starling Foss Editor

Joe McGlamery Publisher

Hunter McCumber Senior Creative Director

Mindy Boyette Advertising & Marketing Director

Frank Fortune Contributing Photographer Statesboro Magazine is proudly produced by:

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE E-MAIL: mboyette@StatesboroMagazine.com FOR EDITORIAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL: editor@StatesboroMagazine.com MAILING ADDRESS: PHYSICAL ADDRESS: P. O. BOX 1084 One Herald Square, Statesboro, GA 30459 Statesboro, GA 30458 p: 912.489.2181 f: 912.489.8613

November December 2021 Priceless

Ramona Holloway Lawrence

BUILDING DREAMS

At Holiday Pizza

There’s no place like home for the holidays! Our cover showcases a couple of familiar Christmas characters in celebration of the holiday season. And there’s no better place to be than Statesboro this time of year. We R FO ME HO S! MA ST have wonderful traditions like RI CH WATERS BILL & ANNE NIA WITH VIRGI the TMT Christmas Extravaganza and the Nutcracker ballet performed live at the Averitt Center. Or how about the annual downtown Christmas celebration? Being with family and sharing these traditions always makes the season bright! Make it your Christmas wish this year to be home for the holidays! Santa and his elf captured by award winning photographer Frank Fortune. #TheFortuneImage.

EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY!

SMAG Cover

Have a Blessed Holiday Season!

Jenny Foss, Editor “Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays, ‘Cause no matter how far away you roam, If you want to be happy in a million ways, For the holidays, You can’t beat home, sweet home.”

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November/December 2021

ABOUT THE COVER

Annu Giving al Gu and An ide nu Gif t Gu al ide

Ric a M ndes iR c a M ndes, a o p a lup r essayist, retired after 27 e y ars as Director of b uP il c e R a l tions and Develom p ent o f re G orgia o S tu e h rn. iH s memories about growing pu and il ving in o S tu h e G orgia inspire ih s rw itings. e H s’ ab up il shed auto h r and o f rmer newsa p e p r colm u nist o f r the .CJA

Carolyn Altman a C roln y tlA man is the Director of the o B tanic a G rden at e G orgia o S tu e h rn n U iversity. e hS o h sdl e d grees rf om o C rnell n U iversity, o P rtland tS ate n U iversity, and the n U iversity of Nebraska and a h sb up il she,d rp odc u ed, and taugth creative o w rk of all o f rms, inclidu ng a d nce, if m l , and rw iting. e hS spends as much time as o p ssible outside, and a h s backa p cked the a P cific rC est, telemarks- ik ed the Northe w st, ihw te a w ter a p e ld d the Northeast, cyce l d ruE ope, and bike raced througo h tu the o S tu .h e hT se adventures rp ovide opo p rtunities to e l arn o l cal a lp nts and o h we p ope l il ve among them. e H r son, o C b l y a P rker, and a d g u th er-in-a l wo J rdan iM e l r, are FASU musicians o hw o j in a C roln y on iw o lfd e w r exe p id tions in the o R ckies and river trips through the g O eechee cyrp ess.

Adison a M rsh o B rn and raised in tS atesboro, idA son a M rsh o l ves the town and the e p ope l e h re. e hT a d g u th er of ilE ott & rhC isty a M rsh, o hw make it a o p int to be active members of their community, idA son also believes in being as involved as o p ssible in the things she e f els are important. sA a n uj ior at tS atesboro iH gh and a member of the 2021 class of Youth e L adership o luB ch, she o h e p s to ofe f r a teenager’s o p int of view on the topics covered in enizagMorbstS in e h r colm u n, .ek Ta hserFA

Lazar rB own g O e l sby a L zar rB own g O e l sby is the owner of o H ney a C tering and a C éf and Dolan’s QB both o l cated in iM e l n and o H ney Too o l cated in tS atesboro. a L zar attended g O eechee Technical o C e l ge e hw re she earned a iluC nary rA ts e d gree. n I 2012 a L zar o f o l e w d a il e f o l ng rd eam and opened o H ney a C tering and a C .éf e hS enjosy cooking o S tu e h rn o f od iw th an adventurous twist! a L zar is n k own o f re h ra f mous cheesecakes of ihw ch she a h s over 100 a lf vors. a L zar recently started the o H ney o lB g to share e h r recipes and stories.

rF ank o F rtune Frank is the national award winning freelance photographer who holds the distinction of shooting 20 years’ worth of covers for Statesboro Magazine.

He retired from Georgia Southern after having been responsible for capturing the University’s history on film and video for 30 years. Throughout his career Frank’s enjoyed all aspects of photography, including sports, still-ife, landscape, and architecture. He and his wife, Mandy, are the proud parents of teens, Jack and Cate.

R v. Dr. H. e iW liam e P rry iB l e P rry grew pu in iL ve a O ,k o lF rida, a small town suj t south of Valo d sta, .A G tfA er grada u ting rf om tS etson n U iversity, e h earned three e d grees rf om the o S tu e h rn a B tp ist e hT ological e S minary. n I 2004, e h retired as a p stor of iF rst a B tp ist ruhC ch of tS atesboro after serving that congregation o f r 22 e y ars. e H and ih s iw e f ,a M rgaret, registrar of tS atesboro iH gh c S o h ol before e h r retirement in 2005, a h ve two a d g u th ers, if ve grandsons, and one granda d g u th er. iB l a h s been very much involved in community il e f in tS atesboro. e H a w s an avid reader and a h s been a runner since 19.37

November/December 2021

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WE LIVE HERE

table of contents

THE CULTURE Home for the Holidays!

With Virginia Anne & Bill Waters Written by Jenny Starling Foss Photography by Frank Fortune

16

Ramona Holloway Lawrence Knocking Down Barriers & Building Dreams Written by Jenny Starling Foss Photos Supplied by Ramona Lawrence

22

Holiday Pizza Where Every Day is a Holiday!

Written by Jenny Starling Foss Photography by Frank Fortune

32

SPECIAL SECTIONS The Annual Giving Guide Charities & Non-Profits

39

The Annual Gift Guide Shop, Dine & Entertain Locally!

43

FEATURED COLUMNISTS A Fresh Take Written by Adison Marsh

Buzz Worthy Bites Written by Lazar Brown Oglesby

Garden Variety Written by Carolyn Altman

The Spiritual Pathway Written by Rev. Dr. H. William Perry

The View from Here

60 62

Written by Ric Mandes

IN EVERY ISSUE From the Editor Contributors

4 6 8 12 64

News & Notes Calendar of Events Transitions 6 statesboromagazine.com

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November/December 2021

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the calendar

FRIDAYS STATESBORO MAIN STREET MARKET2GO TUESDAYS @ MIDNIGH t

Order the season’s freshest local fruits, vegetables and homemade baked goods, preserves, jams, jellies, candies and relishes. You’ll also find locally sourced meat, seafood, spices, dairy and eggs. Home and garden items, honey and locally grown flower bouquets.

Shop online Friday – Tuesday at midnight @ https:// statesboromarket2go.locallygrown.net/. Pick-up on Thursday afternoons at the Statesboro Visitors Center, 222 South Main Street or in Sylvania at the Victory Garden General Store, 124 West Telephone Street.

EVERY SATURDAY STATESBORO MAIN STREET FARMERS MARKET THROUGH NOVEMBER 20 9:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. CHARLIE OLLIFF SQUARE | DOWNTOWN STATESBORO

The perfect place to get the best locally grown and produced food.

The Farmers Market features the freshest locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables, along with fresh bakery goods, organically produced meats, eggs, dairy items, such as cheese, and other savory edibles. The Market provides the area’s best organic goods with a heaping side of fun, music, food demonstrations, arts and crafts, friendly neighbors, and so much more!

NOVEMBER 23 SHOPPING BY LANTERN LIGHT STATESBORO MAIN STREET FARMERS MARKET 6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. FREE FAMILY FUN! CHARLIE OLLIFF SQUARE DOWNTOWN STATESBORO

NOVEMBER 5 - 6

THE COLLECTIVE FACE: MASTER CLASS MARIA CALLAS PERFORMS BY TERRENCE MCNALLY NOVEMBER 5 – 8:00 P.M. NOVEMBER 6 - 3:00 P.M. & 8:00 P.M. $25/PERSON - $20/MEMBERS/MILITARY/FIRST RESPONDERS/CITY & COUNTY EMPLOYEES $10/STUDENTS EMMA KELLY THEATER AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Opera diva Maria Callas is teaching a master class in front of an audience: Us! She’s glamorous, commanding, larger than life—and drop-dead funny. She glories in her own career, dabbles in opera dish, and flat-out seduces the audience. There are plenty of laughs going on! She enters her memories, and we learn about Callas’ affair with Aristotle Onassis; an abortion she was forced to have; her first elderly husband whom she left; her early days as an ugly duckling; the fierce hatred of her rivals; and the unforgiving press that savaged her at first. Callas brings the class to a close by acknowledging the sacrifices we must make in the name of art. Winner of the 1996 Tony Award for Best Play. www.averittcenterforthearts.org.

NOVEMBER 5 OGEECHEE AREA HOSPICE 14TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY CHICKEN DINNER 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. | $10.00/PLATE 200 DONEHOO STREET | STATESBORO

Friends of Ogeechee Area Hospice invite you to the fourteenth annual community celebration barbecue. Ogeechee Area Hospice has been here for over 25 years with dedicated service to Bulloch and nine surrounding counties.

All proceeds benefit Ogeechee Area Hospice, your community founded, community supported, non-profit hospice. For more Information on tickets please contact: Trish Tootle @ 912-4862100 or P. Todd Hutchens @ 912-764-1744. Your donation is tax deductible. Plate includes 1/2 chicken, green beans, corn on the cob, bread and dessert.

Shopping by Lantern Light, a fund-raising event held annually on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to benefit the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market and the Market2Go. In the spirit of the market, a wide range of vendors sell their locally or regionally produced food and craft items. The emphasis is on produce, prepared food, and decorative items that shoppers will want to buy for Thanksgiving and the holidays. Help fund the Market! www.statesborofarmersmarket.com

DECEMBER 3

NOVEMBER 6

F1RST FRIDAY EVENT – CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY CELEBRATION 5:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. FREE FAMILY FUN! DOWNTOWN STATESBORO

STATESBORO SERVICE LEAGUE’S ANNUAL ATTIC SALE 7:00 A.M. $5/PERSON ENTRY FEE KIWANIS BUILDING KIWANIS OGEECHEE FAIRGROUNDS

Santa arrives each year to light the Christmas tree and lead the golf cart parade through downtown! Bring the whole family for the annual Chili Cook-Off, live entertainment, craft booths, food vendors, holiday shopping, and more! You’ll be able to find gifts for everyone on your list: clothing, pottery, antiques, furniture, preserves, prepared food and décor items! www.statesborodowntown.org.

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Join the ladies of Statesboro Service League for their Annual Fundraising Event, The Attic Sale. Proceeds fund community projects, scholarships and children’s camps. Online auction November 1-3. Visit their Facebook page for updates!

Statesboro Service League.

2021 November & December

NOVEMBER 11

BRIDGET CONN EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION 5:30 P.M. MAIN GALLERY AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Bridget Conn earned a BFA in Studio Art from Tulane University in 2000, and an MFA from the University of Georgia in 2003, concentrating in Photography, Mixed Media, and Installation. As a part-time professor throughout much of the 2000s, she was also active in the Stillmoreroots Group, an artist collective based in east Georgia. Bridget is an Assistant Professor of Art at the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University in Savannah. She teaches multiple forms of photography, including experimental darkroom processes that are the basis for her current body of work. www.averittcenterforthearts.org

NOVEMBER 18 – 21

“

S END US YOUR EVENTS! EMAIL THEM TO EDITOR@ STATESBORO MAGAZINE.COM

NUTCRACKER BALLET STATESBORO YOUTH BALLET NOVEMBER 18 – 20 - 7:00 P.M. NOVEMBER 21 - 3:00 P.M. $25/PERSON - $23/MEMBERS/MILITARY/FIRST RESPONDERS/CITY & COUNTY EMPLOYEES $15/STUDENTS EMMA KELLY THEATER AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Join Clara as she battles the mice, travels through the Land of Sweets and across the Lemonade Sea, and is entertained by the most unlikely of hoststhe Sugarplum Fairy. Delighting the Statesboro community for over a decade, The Nutcracker has become one of the most anticipated events of the holiday season. The magic of one of the most beloved holiday classics comes to life onstage this November!

Get your tickets now! www.averittcenterforthearts.org.

NOVEMBER 20

NOVEMBER 12

PAINT-N-PARTY 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. $35/PERSON ROXIE REMLEY CENTER FOR FINE ARTS AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

No experience necessary! Just come and have fun with friends and your favorite beverage! (21+ years old to consume alcohol). Price includes a 16 x 20 canvas and art supplies that you will use to create your very own masterpiece. Don’t wait, sign up today! Our instructor Lori Ward will guide you through the steps to paint your version of the painting-of-the-month. Call us at 912-212-2787 to register. www.averittcenterforthearts.org.

14TH ANNUAL 5K TURKEY TROT 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. 5K RUN - $30/PERSON 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. 5K TEAM RUN - $25/PERSON 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. FUN RUN - $15/PERSON 5K VIRTUAL RUN - $30/PERSON TEAM VIRTUAL RUN - $25/PERSON FUN RUN VIRTUAL - $15/PERSON COURTHOUSE SQUARE DOWNTOWN STATESBORO

The Statesboro Turkey Trot 5K is a major fundraising event for the Bulloch County Foundation for Public Education. The event is held annually in downtown Statesboro on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Events like this coupled with year-round giving opportunities raise funds for innovative grant projects for Bulloch County students and teachers, and it provides funding for the school system’s Reach Georgia, Teacher of the Year, and Star Student/Teacher programs. Register online at -https://runsignup.com/ Race/GA/Statesboro/14THANNUALTURKEYTROT.

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DECEMBER 4

BROTHERHOOD DOOBIE BROTHERS TRIBUTE BAND LIVE! 7:30 P.M. $30/PERSON - $28/MEMBERS/MILITARY/FIRST RESPONDERS/CITY & COUNTY EMPLOYEES EMMA KELLY THEATER AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Introducing BROTHERHOOD, a Doobie Brothers Tribute Band!

An eight piece band of veteran musicians who were brought together by a love of the Doobies! Honoring the original group, including two drummers and a percussionist, two guitars, bass, and keyboards, and all the vocal harmonies that made the Doobies incredible sound. The band includes: Drew Jacobs on guitars and vocals, Jim Wojenski on lead guitars, John Broderick on bass guitar and vocals, Chris Godfrey on percussion and vocals, Mike Cotsman on keyboards and vocals, Hal Eisenberg on drums and vocals, Michael Whitlow on drums, and Charity Hitchcock on vocals. www.averittcenterforthearts.org.

NOVEMBER 25 – DECEMBER 27

TMT FARMS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS EXTRAVAGANZA! DRIVE-THROUGH ONLY FREE FAMILY FUN! DUSK UNTIL MIDNIGHT 6710 OLD RIVER ROAD NORTH STATESBORO – BULLOCH COUNTY

Admission is free, however, we accept non-perishable food items, new unwrapped toys and cash donations. We will also accept pet food, and supplies, to help out area rescues! The food, and toys, will be distributed to needy families throughout Bulloch and surrounding counties. The monetary contributions are used to purchase gift cards for needy families. We also help families that need a hand up during other times of the year. Please help us help others! TOGETHER WE CAN HELP!!

DECEMBER 1

BROOKLET’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING 6:00 P.M. FREE FAMILY FUN! GAZEBO IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLET

Local choral and ensemble groups showcase their musical talents celebrating the holiday season! The Christmas Tree Lighting is held the Wednesday following Thanksgiving each year. In the event of bad weather the event will be held on Friday, December 3, 2021.

DECEMBER 2 – 4

ALL FIRED UP! HOLIDAY EXHIBITION & SALE DECEMBER 2 – 2:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. DECEMBER 3 – 10:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M. DECEMBER 4 – 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. PUBLIC INVITED! ROXIE REMLEY FINE ARTS CENTER AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Shop for local one-of-a-kind gifts! Ceramics, fine arts, and jewelry.

Local artists and GSU students will come together to display their one of kind pieces for a sale just in time for the holidays! www. averittcenterforthearts.org.

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November/December 2021

DECEMBER 8

STATESBORO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA CLASSICAL MASTERPIECES 7:30 P.M. $10/PUBLIC $8/STUDENTS

The Statesboro Chamber Orchestra presents an evening of Classical masterpieces filled with the noble grandeur of British royalty, the sensual melodies of Italian opera, and the Teutonic pathos of Beethoven. Featured repertoire will include Handel’s Water Music, the slow movement from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, and the Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana. www.averittcenterforthearts.org.

DECEMBER 11 – 12 ONE SERIES: HOLIDAY DECEMBER 11 – 7:30 P.M. DECEMBER 12 – 3:00 P.M. $25/PERSON - $23/MEMBERS/MILITARY/FIRST RESPONDERS/CITY & COUNTY EMPLOYEES $15/STUDENTS EMMA KELLY THEATER AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Enjoy a cornucopia of religious and secular music presented by the stars of the series. Nine artists from the past three seasons have been invited for a command performance featuring one or two of their favorites. From the November 2018 opening episode with vocalist Vivian Summers to the most recent evening (September 24) with master pianist Wemberly Ponder, ONE has been a successful, often sold-out series of interviews and performances by local seasoned artists. Come out on December 11th and 12th and see them at their holiday best! www.averittcenterforthearts.org. S

N NE R WI

Thank you Statesboro for Voting us WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A Fabulous Real Estate Season Company!

HAPPYMost & HEALTHY Holiday

S T A T E S B O R O M A G A Z I N E

2021

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A

HAPPY & HEALTHY Holiday Season

Everett Kennedy

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A WISHING YOU AND YOU YOUR FAMILY WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A WISHING AND YOURAFAMILY A YOU WISHING AND YOUR FAMILY A

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Bulloch County Virtual Learning Teacher Wins $5K Wal-Mart Selects Student’s TikTok Video Nomination in National Contest

A Bulloch County Schools virtual teacher was one of 100 teachers from across the United States to win a $5,000 gift card from Walmart through a positive contest for students on TikTok. Tiffany Todd, a veteran educator with the school district, who has taught in the Bulloch County Virtual Learning program for the last two years, was surprised by the honor. Alexis “Kyla” Bell, one of her tenth-grade students, nominated her.

Bell entered the #MyTeacherWinsTikTok contest by uploading a video about Todd. She has been a student in Todd’s Community Service class, an elective offering for gifted students, in addition to Todd’s honors World History and psychology classes. Bell shared brief details about Todd’s teaching abilities and community efforts, along with information that Todd had shared publicly about her life-threatening battle with COVID-19 last year.

“Mrs. T is just an all-around amazing teacher,” said Bell in the video. “She treats her students like family.” Bell has been part of Todd’s virtual classroom family for two years.

“When I watched the video with my husband for the first time, I became overwhelmed with emotions because her (Kyla) words echoed a new purpose of life that I was given and confirmation that teachers, whether face to face or virtual, were succeeding,” said Todd. “We were, and still are, going beyond measures we never thought were possible to reach and teach during a time when the odds seemed insurmountable.”

See the video in the News section of the Bulloch County Schools website’s homepage www.bullochcountyschools.edu or at https://bit.ly/3oKPuzL.

Kacee Cox Promoted to Mortgage Lender at Queensborough Queensborough National Bank and Trust announces the addition of a local mortgage lender.

Kacee Cox has been promoted to the position of mortgage lender and is based in the Statesboro branch.

Cox has 20 years of banking experience and has been with Queensborough since 2012.

“Queensborough is committed to helping our communities flourish and grow,” said John Mabery, senior vice president of the Queensborough Mortgage Department. “We’re pleased to serve the needs of our communities with a local mortgage lender who understands the market and the needs of families.”

Throughout her banking career, Cox has been involved in all aspects of lending. She is a 2017 graduate of CBA of Georgia’s consumer lending school and a 2016 graduate of Leadership Bulloch.

She has served on several committees for the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce and several local non-profit organizations. Most recently she is enjoying her role as the Lead Moderator for the Statesboro Freecycle.org group. www.qnbtrust.bank.

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Caroline Nelson Named President of Bulloch First Caroline Nelson has been named president of Bulloch First bank, following the announcement that William E. (Wes) Simmons, Jr. will resign to accept an executive position with Horizon Home Builders of Savannah.

Nelson has served as vice president of Commercial Lending for Bulloch First since joining the bank in January 2020.

“We are fortunate to have Caroline assume the leadership role at Bulloch First and have tremendous confidence in her.

She has demonstrated the ability to be an effective loan producer and leader because of her professionalism, expertise, and commitment to customers. We are excited about the future of Bulloch First under her leadership,” said Milton Gray, president and CEO of The Citizens Bank of Swainsboro, the parent company of Bulloch First.

Simmons has been with the bank since the office opened in 2015, serving as president since January 2020, and making significant contributions to the growth with assets exceeding $87 million.

He will continue to be actively involved with the bank as a member of the Bulloch First Advisory Board of Directors and a shareholder.

Nelson is a 2005 graduate of University of Georgia and is currently attending Georgia Banking School. Nelson is a Board member for the Homebuilders Association of Statesboro, a Board member for the Coastal Area District Development Authority and is a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church.

She is married to Davidson Nelson; they have two children, Scout Nelson age 5, and Thomas Nelson age 3. www.bullochfirst.com

Tandoor & Tap Celebrates One Year Anniversary Tandoor & Tap, a restaurant featuring East Indian cuisine located at 40 East Main Street, recently celebrated its one year anniversary with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting and lunch buffet. Showcasing a menu which celebrates a rich heritage of distinctive flavors, Tandoor & Tap takes guests on a cultural journey through its inspired menu and the restaurant’s unique ambience.

A year ago this past August, owner A.J. Jetwani opened Tandoor & Tap in the transformed location of the former 40 East Restaurant. During renovations, Jetwani added a bar and extended deck at the back of the restaurant. He hired local bartender Garrett Riggleman to manage the popular sleek bar area and hired local entertainers for nightly performances on the deck. Earning Tandoor & Tap the distinction of being chosen Statesboro Magazine’s Most Fabulous New Business of 2021. To review the menu visit www.tandoorandtap.com.

Industrial Systems & Robotics Training Campus to Locate in Industrial Park through Joint Plan

Georgia Southern Celebrates ‘40 Under 40’ Class of 2021 The Georgia Southern University Alumni Association “40 Under 40” Class of 2021 was recognized at a ceremony on Friday, Sept. 24, at the J.W. Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District.

The annual honor recognizes young alumni who have made significant strides in business, leadership, community, educational or philanthropic endeavors.

The “40 Under 40” honorees were chosen by a selection committee that reviewed each individual’s professional expertise, achievements, dedication to charitable and community initiatives and their commitment to Georgia Southern.

“Each year, we recognize the best and brightest among us, and each year we are continually impressed with the excellence of each class,” stated Alumni Association President Alton Standifer (‘12 ‘14). “This year is no exception. Among our honorees tonight, we have medical professionals, engineers and scientists, pastors, political staff and everything in between. Their careers have led them to New York, to Washington, D.C., to California, all over Georgia and in Statesboro. Georgia Southern alumni occupy some of the highest positions in state government, in industries and businesses, in education and healthcare and more. We’re known for getting things done.

For rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. For making a difference. Thank you all for all you do, and for representing our alma mater with distinction.”

Those honorees representing Statesboro and surrounding communities include: Meredith Avery, Catherine S. Findley, Mark Fuller, Samantha LaRue Grovenstein, Lauren O. Patterson, Tia Richardson, and Will Thigpen.

The event culminated at the District Live Music Hall on the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music Performance Stage where guests were surrounded by guitars and memorabilia from the world-renowned Gretsch Collection that tells the history of the company and its founders.

For the full list of “40 Under 40” Class of 2021 honorees and to learn more about the program, visit here. www.alumni.georgiasouthern.edu.

The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners, Ogeechee Technical College, and the Development Authority of Bulloch County recently announced a proposal to build a 36,000-square-foot Georgia Industrial Systems and Industrial Robotics Training Campus on land to be given by the Development Authority not far from the OTC main campus.

Suggested as potentially resembling the Alabama Robotic Technology Park in Tanner, Alabama, the facility would be the first of its kind in Georgia. It would triple Ogeechee Tech’s available space for training in robotics, industrial systems, and related skillsets, and allow for expansion of training relationships with employers, such as those the college already has with the world’s largest manufacturing robotics maker, FANUC, and the largest online retailer, Amazon.

The individual development authorities of Bulloch, Evans and Screven counties were represented at Tuesday’s announcement because those three counties constitute Ogeechee Technical College’s official service area.

The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners unanimously hired Goodwyn Mills Cawood, the architecture and engineering firm that designed the Alabama Robotic Technology Park, to design the facility here for a base fee of $54,472. Couch said that could potentially increase to about $70,000 if the county government adds some optional services.

Beyond the design, Bulloch County intends to use its staff’s experience in applying for and administering grants to obtain federal money for the construction and manage the project. The exact acreage that the Development Authority of Bulloch County will be providing isn’t specific at this time, but the site will be located in the existing Gateway Industrial Park fronting U.S. Highway 301 in the area from just south of the current East Georgia State College campus to the corner of A.J. Riggs Road.

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WE LIVE HERE

The Most

INFLUENTIAL

Women

Profiles of Success

news & notes

East Georgia Medical & Surgical Associates and Cedar Surgical Associates Welcomes Tyler Cowart, M.D., Board-Certified Surgeon East Georgia Medical & Surgical Associates and Cedar Surgical Associates are pleased to welcome Tyler Cowart, M.D., general and colorectal surgeon. Dr. Cowart, board-certified surgeon by the American Board of Surgery, is a new member of the medical staff at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. He joined the medical group and hospital in late August.

Dr. Cowart earned his medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Savannah, Georgia. He completed a residency in general surgery at Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, and went on to complete a Fellowship in colorectal surgery at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, Florida.

He is fellowship trained in the management of cancer of the colon, rectum, and anus. Dr. Cowart is also trained in the surgical management of diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, complex anorectal disease, endoscopic interventions, and pelvic floor disorders.

Dr. Cowart is a member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ASCRS).

In addition to colorectal surgery, Dr. Cowart is board certified in general surgery and performs many operations involving the upper and lower GI system, gallbladder, appendix, hernia, skin and soft tissues, and a variety of other procedures.

Dr. Cowart and his wife have two children, ages 8 and 6, and they reside in Brooklet. Born and raised in southeast Georgia, he is very happy to plant his roots here in Bulloch County.

Besides enjoying time with his family, Dr. Cowart plays the guitar, banjo and dulcimer, and is an avid outdoorsman - backpacking, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and boating.

Dr. Cowart is currently accepting new patients at Cedar Surgical Associates, located at 1497 Fair Road, Suite 200, in Statesboro. For more information, or to request an appointment with Dr. Cowart, call (912) 871-7100, or visit www.EastGeorgiaMedSurgAssociates.com. S

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Mindy Boyette | 1 Herald Square | Statesboro, Georgia 30458 209.419.6022 | mboyette@statesboromagazine.com

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THE CULTURE

home for the holidays

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

With Virginia Anne & Bill Waters

M

any Statesboro friends know that a gathering at the home of Virginia Anne and Bill Waters is always a very special treat for the attendees. The Waters entertain in an elegant and charming Southern way that gives a nod to history and the arts, including the art of fine dining. The food always honors the special occasion. While the history lies in the length of time both Franklin’s and Waters’ families have been settled in Bulloch County.

Virginia Anne is the daughter of Paul G. and Anne Youmans Franklin, Jr., and Bill’s parents were Ottis and Bertha Mae Waters from Excelsior, Georgia, which was once in Bulloch, but now is a part of Candler County.

“My grandparents, Paul and Annie Moore Franklin bought lot numbers 315 and 317 on Savannah Avenue in 1917,” shared Virginia Anne. “They built a guest house in 1922, behind where the main house was to be built on lot 317, but the stock market crashed in 1929, and they never built the main house.”

Both Virginia Anne’s grandfather Paul G. Franklin, and her father, Paul G. Franklin, Jr., were pharmacists, owners of Franklin Drug Company, once located on North Main Street. After retiring, her father built a little cabin on the 16 statesboromagazine.com

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property that was not visible from the Avenue. He named his retreat, the Hideaway. A name which Virginia Anne and Bill still use today.

The Hideaway includes an extension added onto the small cottage by Virginia Anne when she decided to make the home her primary residence. The addition has unique features such as no right angles and a two-story wall of glass windows in the living room that makes guests feel as if they’re sitting under the magnolia trees outside. The added space was designed with entertaining in mind, including an open floor plan between the kitchen, dining and living rooms. Bedrooms are located both downstairs and upstairs, with the ‘retreat’ part now serving as both a catering kitchen and family den.

“The first colored Christmas lights were on Granddaddy’s house at 317!” said Virginia Anne. “Of course, they came from the drug store, so decorating for Christmas is in my genes. I still loved colored lights and we put up over 30 strands outside and on the large camellia bushes.”

Entering into the home, guests experience a sensory overload when greeted by a well cultivated Santa collection in the foyer and stationed along the steps of the staircase leading upstairs. A collection that grows each year with new additions representing souvenirs from trips or special occasions.

Virginia Anne also inherited a love for holiday entertaining from her maternal side of the family.

“Totsie, my maternal grandmother, loved to decorate and entertain at Christmas.

Her name was Ellene Adams Youmans. She and Big Daddy, K.S. Youmans, began buying sterling Christmas tree ornaments years ago,” said Virginia Anne. “My mother continued doing this. There are over 300 ornaments in the collection and most of them are crosses and angels. Mother started collecting the annually released Reed & Barton silver crosses in 1971, and we have all of them to date. I especially love having a tree that is dedicated to the true meaning of Christmas!”

Virginia Anne, very talented at needlework, design, and crafting, has added a dozen cross-stitched Victorian angels and the complete Holy family scene with donkeys, camels, cattle, shepherds, wise men, Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child. The skirt on the “silver” tree features a crèche in felt adorned with sequins and hand beading.

The Christmas china Virginia Anne uses on the main dining room table and the additional table in the catering kitchen, belonged to Totsie and was hand-painted by artists in the mountains of Georgia. The pattern is Blue Ridge.

“Big Daddy gave it away in his hardware stores in Metter, Reidsville, and Lyons,” said Virginia Anne. “If you spent so much money, you got so many plates. I love it because each plate is different depending on the lady who painted it. I love to entertain family and friends during the holidays. My two favorite parties are luncheons and afternoon seated dessert parties with tea and coffee.”

The napkin rings feature Old Saint Nick and were hand made by Virginia Anne during the COVID pandemic. Other touches include collections of special items she has acquired over the years.

“One of my favorite Christmas decorations are the German carousels. These carousels contain all the Manger scene and they turn by the heat produced when the candles are lit,” stated Virginia Anne. “My brother, Paul G. Franklin, III, studied at the University of Cologne and gave me my first carousel when he lived in Germany. I look forward to unpacking these every year. Paul was the Senior Buyer with Lockheed when he died in 1988. He spoke fluent French and German and negotiated huge contracts both here and in Europe. There are two skirts on the piano which I made during COVID using the old timey needlework called candle wicking. It is really just tons of French knots made with thread used for candle wicks!”

Adorning the grand piano skirts, located adjacent to the dining room, are hand crocheted angels and some made from antique lady’s handkerchiefs. The angels are crocheted and then lovingly starched.

“My first of this heirloom collection was given to me by Mary Sue Lovell Hodges,” said Virginia Anne. “I have found the others at antique stores.” Virginia Anne is also making new ones with vintage handkerchiefs that she has found on excursions.

Virginia Anne started a new tradition during the pandemic, meant to keep her hands busy. She made over forty Christmas stockings for family and dear friends, including one for herself, one for Bill, one for Spot (the cat), and an extra one for the unexpected visitor who might appear on Christmas Eve. “Each stocking takes between 20 to 35 hours depending on the detail,” said November/December 2021

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home for the holidays

Virginia Anne. “Most all involved beading, sewing, and intricate cutting. I have also done five Christmas tree skirts!”

The big Christmas tree at the head of the head table takes about three days to “put up” and just as many to take down and re-pack. Virginia Anne has collected tree ornaments since she was eight.

“Momma and Daddy have patiently stopped at many, many Christmas shops during the years and Bill still gets to do that today,” she said. “In fact, we bought about 15 ornaments on our recent Western adventure. The question I’m always asked is ‘How many ornaments are on the tree?’ And my answer is A LOT, a WHOLE Lot. I truly don’t know. I’ve tried counting several times but I always get side tracked on where the ornament came from or who gave it to me, etc.

The tree is 15 feet tall and our friend, Raymond Cone and I put every ornament on it each year.

Bill laughs and says it is incredible that I know the story behind each ornament, but can never

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remember where I put my glasses or my phone!”

Another favorite tree is a small antique feather Christmas tree containing real candles in metal holders and ornaments made from clothes pins.

“All of these ornaments were handmade and I’ve found them in antique stores and craft fairs here and abroad,” said Virginia Anne.

Another precious part of the Water’s holiday house is her collection of Annalee dolls.

“I have collected those dolls for the past 15 years or so. They are adorable and I just can’t resist them. Each little face is hand painted and their expressions are priceless! They started as a cottage industry in New Hampshire in the thirties. So they complement the overall vintage feel of our holiday décor.”

The Waters have friends over often for Sunday dinner, ladies luncheons, teas, and Historical Society meetings. Both are active in the Bulloch County Historical Society. Virginia Anne serves as Director, and Bill is in charge of membership and historical markers.

“It really keeps us in the holiday spirit when we are able to share our Christmas treasures with our friends and family,” said Virginia Anne. “There is no better feeling than enjoying the hospitality and fellowship! We get the greatest joy out of opening our home not only during the holidays, but throughout the year!” S

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Read the Owner’s Manual and the product warning labels before operation. Avoid excessive speeds and never engage in stunt optional accessories. ©2020or Yamaha MotorROHVA Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved • YamahaMotorsports.com riding. Always avoid paved surfaces and never ride on public roads. And be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; it is illegal and dangerous. Models shown with optional accessories. ©2020 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved • YamahaMotorsports.com

May the holiday season bring happiness and joy to you and your loved ones

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THE CULTURE

knocking down barriers and building dreams

Knocking Down Barriers

& Building Dreams WRITTEN BY JENNY STARLING FOSS

D

r. Ramona Lawrence, a community engaged researcher, Assistant Professor of Community Health Behavior in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern, and Principal Investigator on a $9.7 million grant for Sickle Cell Anemia research, is dedicated to her science objectives. She noticed that children with sickle cell disease often fell through the cracks of medicine when transitioning from their pediatricians to adult doctors.

Young adults are notorious for using Urgent Care for all their needs, so a record of treatments does not bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood for those born with the incurable disease. This breach formed the basis for her research grant application, which she won and now administers with co-investigator Dr. Ify Osunkwo, professor of Pediatrics at Atrium Health in Charlotte, N.C. The grant is used in research of patients with sickle cell disease in 14 communities in seven states in the U.S., from N.Y. to Miami, Florida. They are testing to see which works best in helping adolescents with sickle cell transition to adult healthcare, a peer mentor or education alone.

Administrating a grant of that size means weekly meetings, flying to research communities, making reports weekly, monthly, every six months, and annually. Assessing data and community outreach. In some areas engaging the community in providing mentors or patients to help with making the processes better. All this while continuing to teach and mentor students at the University.

And that’s just her day job.

She is also a representative for Arbonne, a company which focuses on products for healthy skincare and nutrition; a 200-hour yoga instructor; and president of her own company, Ramona Lawrence, LLC, which seeks to empower women for the next level to come in business.

“Women were left out of the last three industrial revolutions,” said Lawrence. “My goal is to make sure they’re all prepared for the next one, which I believe will be digital. Business is moving online and I want women to have the skills and tools to be prepared to succeed in the next economic era.”

Lawrence makes it her business to challenge systems that keep women from reaching their potential.

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“I call my company Automation & Productivity. In my courses everything is done online,” said Lawrence. “I incorporate five days of free online challenges for my clients, to show them how to navigate the digital world, then they can choose to take online courses to help them succeed.”

All of Lawrence’s Automation & Productivity company work is done online and on the phone, clients register for courses online as part of their training. A genius concept which enables students to learn as they go.

Learning is something that comes naturally to Lawrence. She grew up in Bulloch County, in the Leefield/Stilson area. She is the daughter of former Statesboro Police Chief J.R. Holloway. Her mother, Annette, was a teacher.

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“I graduated from Southeast Bulloch, where I was a member of the band and other organizations,” said Lawrence. “Basically, I was an academic.”

She went on to graduate from Georgia Southern University.

“I majored in Biology, but I knew that I’d rather deal with people than fish,” said Lawrence. “So I changed my major to Exercise Science. I could study just the human body and still be eligible for medical school.”

Exercise Science got her approved for a 600-hour internship in hematology at the Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta College), where she ran tests on blood. Something that interested her greatly since she’d know all her life that she had Sickle Cell Disease, inherited from her parents who were both carriers of the gene, but not affected.

“Sickle Cell Disease affects over 100,000 people in the U.S., 90% of whom are African American,” she said. “It also affects Asians and Central Americans.”

Known to appear in countries where malaria is prevalent, Sickle Cell Disease is thought to be linked. It seems that people with Sickle Cell

have an immunity to malaria not found in other populations. Even though Sickle Cell comes with many dangerous effects of its own. In Sickle Cell, there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Instead of being round, the red blood cells are sickle shaped and can clog arteries and cut-off oxygen supply to organs.

While doing her undergraduate and master’s work at Georgia Southern, Lawrence also worked for Pineland Mental Health. After graduating, she taught middle school science for three years. While working on her PhD, she did research on the testing of athletes for Sickle Cell in the NCAA. When she completed her PhD, she became Wellness Director for Georgia Southern.

“My goal wasn’t to be a professor at all,” said Lawrence.

But, she was asked to teach a class as adjunct, then eventually transitioned to professor. Where she has been able to address the barriers to complete healthcare that so many young people face.

“If you ask me my greatest success, academically, I’d have to say the grant, of course,” said Lawrence. “But my family is right up there. To remember how young I was when I married George. To be blessed with my children, Geonna and Geordan, to be a Mom and not have lost myself. To be able to have my job and my other work.”

Across everything she masters, Lawrence’s goal is doing her part to challenge broken systems, whether in healthcare, business, exercise science or nutrition, by doing her very best.

“It’s a common thread in everything I do,” she said. “With the community, it’s sickle cell.

With Automation & Productivity, it’s empowering women. With the body and mind, it’s yoga. I examine everything for the barriers.

I always ask myself when I find an obstacle, ‘Now what can I do to put a dent in that?’”

She keeps healthy by watching her health, doing yoga, watching her diet, and using Arbonne products for beauty and nutrition.

She keeps all her endeavors organized with her own system, Automation & Productivity.

And, in the sphere of public health, Lawrence has put a dent in the way adolescents with Sickle Cell are treated by bringing together the communities of pediatrics, adult medicine, healthcare and community organizations to help create that bridge young people with sickle cell so desperately need.

“I feel like I get to treat communities,” said Lawrence. “I love what I do because I’ve been given a unique perspective. I am a patient and a researcher. I can make a difference here.

Which means I can be a voice at the table where others aren’t able to sit.” S November/December 2021

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November/December 2021

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THE CULTURE

where every day’s a holiday

WRITTEN BY JENNY STARLING FOSS PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANK FORTUNE

Where Every Day’s

a Holiday 32 statesboromagazine.com

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y!

A

damantia Despina (Dia) Belonitis Kalloniatis remembers her father taking her to work with him at the palace in Athens of King Pavlos of Greece, when she was a little girl. Her father, Yiannis Belonitis, was Master Chef to the king, skilled at preparing and presenting the very best food Greece had to offer. That’s where her own love of food and cooking started, at the end of her father’s apron strings in the family kitchen, in a home not far from the palace. Her culinary skills are interwoven with the love she has for her family, and are the basis for the hospitality she shows to friends and fans of her family’s longtime Statesboro restaurant – Holiday Pizza.

“I have such a vivid memory of my father cooking this one meal when I was a girl,” said Dia. “He made this beautiful fish with the head and covered it in his own mayonnaise with slices of carrot for scales and olives for eyes. It was a masterpiece, made with a large local fish served on a big platter, enough for the whole family!”

According to Dia you could often find Belonitis at the stove cooking for family, friends; he would often feed the entire neighborhood from his own kitchen. She grew up with two sisters and a brother.

On August 27, 1967, she married Kostantios Kalloniatis, following political upheaval that spring which gave power in Greece to a conservative dictator, Georgios Papandreou. Within two years, Kosta emigrated to the U.S. sponsored by an uncle in Massachusetts. He worked as an ice cream vendor in New York City, and as a painting contractor, before opening his first restaurant, Holiday Pizza, in Auburn, Mass., in 1974.

“I was 25 when we started in Massachusetts,” said Dia. “My son, Nikko, was born in Greece in 1969, he was already school age, but Johnny, was only one. Both boys were raised in the restaurant. I didn’t have anyone to keep Johnny, so he stayed with me in the back off the restaurant until I knew someone I could trust to keep him.”

Like Dia, the boys learned the skill of great cooking at the knee of their parents, alongside them in the kitchen, at home and at the family restaurant.

Another restaurant opened along the way in South Deerfield, Mass., still in operation as Holiday Pizza, today.

In the early 1990s, Kosta suffered a heart attack and had triple bypass surgery. He sold the restaurant and thought of returning to Greece for a rest with Dia. However, soon after his recovery, son Nikkos, now a student at Georgia Southern, encouraged him to open a restaurant in Statesboro.

“I told Dad there weren’t that many pizza places and no Greek places,” said Nikkos. “He came down and started the restaurant in 1991 in one small section of where we are now. It started with take-out and grew and grew.”

“He used to love this place so much,” said Dia. “He was good to everyone!

The kids, me, the people. He was very happy here.”

Tragedy struck the family when Kosta died from heart disease in 2009.

“It is the greatest challenge we have ever faced,” said Dia. Together she and her sons, Nikkos (Nick) and Yianni (Johnny) continued the family tradition of great food and great hospitality. Building the business into one of Statesboro’s most popular family restaurants in the area.

“People used to ask Kosta, ‘Why you call it Holiday Pizza?’” said Dia. “He said, ‘Because here, every day’s a holiday!”

The Kalloniatis’ keep the tradition going by serving only the very best meats and vegetables. Their menu features both Greek and Italian specialties, with many of Dia’s own special recipes included. All of the breads are baked fresh daily, along with hand-made pizza dough. Dia also makes her special secret recipe Greek dressing to accompany salads, grinders and Greek dishes, along with a homemade marinara for the Italian specialties. The recipes are known only to Dia and Nick.

“I stir and taste, add a little something, and stir and taste, until I get it just right,” she said. “Nobody knows Dia’s secret recipe for Greek dressing except for me and Nick.”

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THE CULTURE

where every day’s a holiday

You can enjoy Dia’s specials and her amazing Greek dressing in the dining room, for take-out, delivery or pick-up curbside. They are currently serving an Italian menu full of long-time favorites including pizzas, calzones, grinders, pastas (eggplant parmesan, lasagna, manicotti, ziti) and Stromboli’s.

Greek specialties include Gyro’s, Spanakopita, Hellenic Chicken and Greek Shrimp. Greek and Italian salads are available, too, plus other tasty sides and appetizers.

Nikko’s favorite dish is Hellenic Chicken. “I think it’s the spinach and feta combined with the garlic that makes it so good,” he said.

Dia had a hard time deciding. “I like them all!” she said.

“I guess I have to choose the Greek Shrimp. I love the Greek dressing. People just love it so much! They tell me they crave it.”

Continuing the family tradition of hospitality, Dia makes specialty dishes for patrons upon request. And her own recipes, such as, stuffed grape leaves, and baklava, for special occasions.

“Our greatest reward has been becoming a part of this community and getting to know our customers,” said Dia. “They have been very friendly and supportive for all these years.”

The family maintains a home still in Athens. Dia just returned from an extended holiday abroad visiting her sisters and other family members. She was able to get into the kitchen with them once again creating the recipes her father originated for King Pavlos all those years ago.

“Mama is a very good cook and an amazing teacher,” said Nikkos. “She has taught us everything we know, and we hope to be as great as she and our grandfather one day!” S Center Left: Grandfather Yiannis Belonitis.

Bottom Left: Father Kostantios Kalloniatis Right: Dia and her son, Nick Kalloniatis.

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November/December 2021

Holiday Pizza is open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., dine-in, delivery, or take-out. Located at 406 Fair Road, Suite 10. 912-764-7669.

Where every day is a Holiday!

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NEW YEAR. NEW LIST. NOMINATE

VOTE

DEBUT

November 5 November 26, 2021

December 6, 2021 – Janurary 10, 2022

March/April 2022 Issue

WISHING YOU A Warmest Wishes from

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Bulloch and Screven Counties only family owned and operated Funeral Home & Crematory.

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1101 Brampton Avenue M A R K E T D I S T R I C T | S TAT E S B O R O November/December 2021

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the giving guide

WE LIVE HERE

Giving Guide Y

ou’ll find that the more you give, the more you receive in peace, love and understanding throughout the year. The year-end holidays are a time of reflection that inspire many people to reach out to those who are in need.

One way to help is by volunteering with one of Bulloch County’s many non-profits. These organizations exist to support the elderly and infirmed, to raise money for medical research, and to provide shelter for those who need it most.

Keep your giving spirit going year round by contributing to one of these worthy organizations. To qualify for a tax deduction in the current calendar year, make your contributions by December 31st.

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THE NAACP PO BOX 1323 STATESBORO, GA 30459 BULLOCHNAACP@GMAIL.COM 912.682.4917

When founded in 1909, the vision of the NAACP was to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there was no racial hatred or racial discrimination.

In 1965, when the Bulloch County NAACP was chartered that same vision continued.

Today, along with more than 2 million activists across the country we still work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

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THE TEAL HOUSE

WORKING FOR A PURPOSE

AVERITT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

209 SOUTH COLLEGE ST STATESBORO, GA 30458 912.489.6060 SRSAC.ORG

5505 MCCALL RD RINCON, GA 31326 912.712.6911 WORKINGFORAPURPOSE.ORG

33 EAST MAIN ST STATESBORO, GA 30458 912.212.2787 AVERITTCENTER.ORG

Statesboro Regional Sexual Assault Center, Inc. or SRSAC provides emotional support and advocacy for individuals who have been sexually assaulted. SRSAC is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization, designated by the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit and law enforcement agencies to serve Bulloch, Jenkins, Screven, and Effingham Counties. SRSAC is part of the Statesboro area’s Sexual Assault Response Team which includes law enforcement, the prosecutor, the advocate, and the Forensic Nurse Examiners. Education, Awareness, and Prevention services are also provided.

Donations can also be made to our building at 209 S College St. We accept anything and everything but are mainly looking for new or gently used clothing for our victims.

“We strive to ensure that no victim of sexual assault goes unheard in a community that understands the impact of sexual violence on its members.”

Working For A Purpose Foundation is a 501 C3 nonprofit organization assisting and supporting single-parent families in our community.

The organization was founded in March of 2020 by Monica Hester. As her life ventured into the world of single parenthood, it opened her eyes to see a great need in the community. A need to address the many mothers and fathers who struggle daily with raising children on their own.

Through this vision, Monica noticed one thing we all hear daily, “it takes a village” when raising children. A village to provide clothing, food, safety, shelter & a good foundation to which some may not have consistent access.

Our mission is to operate as a non profit in the local community giving aid, assistance, hope and love to our neighbors.

Become a Platinum Partner Partners are individuals or companies who offer a consistent monthly donation.

This ongoing support could change the trajectory of an individual’s circumstances.

Without regular donors, our work would not be possible.

Thank you for your generous commitment.

The mission of the Averitt Center for the Arts is to provide quality arts opportunities for Statesboro, Bulloch County and surrounding areas as well as to serve as the centerpiece for a vibrant, historic downtown Statesboro. The purpose of the Averitt Center for the Arts is to make available a broad range of experiences in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, heritage arts, and general arts education for the citizens of Statesboro, Bulloch County and surrounding areas, regardless of their socio-economic, cultural, racial, physical or religious differences.

The arts play a significant role in the social and economic health of our community.

Designated as a core academic subject, the arts are central to youth development.

Investing in the arts has long been recognized as a key to community revitalization, attracting both patrons and businesses to communities with thriving artistic and cultural centers.

The Averitt Center for the Arts is a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization and receives financial support from a variety of sources. But the most important contributions are from individual donors like you.

November/December 2021

CHOICES OF THE HEART, PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER 425 EAST GRADY ST STATESBORO, GA 30458 912.764.4303 CHOICESOFTHEHEART.ORG

Choices of the Heart Pregnancy Resource Center is a non-profit resource center for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. We serve Bulloch County and the surrounding areas, and we are a safe place for all. Choices of the Heart exists for the sole purpose of supporting all women who are pregnant or think they may be pregnant, no matter their age, race, circumstances, religion, marital status, or financial situation. We share the love of Jesus with those experiencing a pregnancy-related crisis by providing abortion alternatives and a network of care before and after the pregnancy.

All of our services are free, which include pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, resources, education, options counseling, and postabortion counseling.

Being a non-profit, we depend highly on our community’s support. Financial gifts are utilized for the clinical operations of our facility so that women in need don’t have to worry about paying for our services. Material donations in the form of diapers, wipes, baby clothing, and hygiene products make it possible for us to keep our baby boutique fully stocked and able to serve the many needs of the community.

This Holiday Season, wont you join us in sharing the love of Jesus and protecting the unborn?

150 Williams Rd., Ste. A, Statesboro, GA 30461 912.212.8530 foundationBCPE@bullochschools.org www.bullochschools.org/foundation The Bulloch County Foundation for Public Education (Foundation) provides a way for individuals, businesses, industries and civic organizations to make charitable investments in local public education. The Foundation awards $20,000 in grants annually to teachers who provide innovative academic experiences and resources for children. It sponsors Bulloch County’s participation in the state’s REACH Georgia Scholarship Program, and is currently making college possible for 31 academically promising local students. It is the sustaining financial partner for the STAR Student/STAR Teacher program for all high schools in Bulloch County. And it annually awards the Bulloch County Teacher of the Year a $1,000 grant. Consider making a donation to the Foundation or support its major community fundraiser, the Statesboro 5K Turkey Trot held each year on150 the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

WILLIAMS ROAD, SUITE A

BULLOCH COUNTY FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION

STATESBORO, GEORGIA 30458 912.212.8500 BULLOCHSCHOOLS.ORG

The Bulloch County Foundation for Public Education was created in 2006 by local leaders and the Bulloch County Board of Education to provide a way for the community to further invest in public education and provide local funding for innovative projects. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees which meets monthly to manage its body of work that includes the following: • Innovation Grants • Charitable Giving • College Scholarships • STAR Student/Teacher • Teacher of the Year Program

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB 1 LEE HILL DR STATESBORO, GA 30458 912.764.9696 BGCBULLOCH.ORG

For 20 years, the BGC has been dedicated to providing quality afterschool and summer care to local youth.

The mission of this innovative mentoring program is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as caring & productive citizens. With a focus on social & academic development, the BGC has tackled the challenges of COVID-19 and remained a safe space for local children to learn and grow. The Boys & Girls Club is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization governed by a local Board of Directors.

Club 52 Giving Society This elite group is composed of generous supporters who have made an annual, cumulative gift of $1,200 or more each year. Club 52 recognizes the generosity of those who have made significant investment during an annual period. Each member of Club 52 pledges to donate $1200 per fiscal year via one time donation or monthly drafts.

Club 52 gifts make a tremendous impact on the youth we serve. These funds enable us to provide partial and full scholarships to youth that otherwise could not afford to attend.

November/December 2021

OGEECHEE AREA HOSPICE 200 DONEHOO ST STATESBORO, GA 30458 912.764.8441 OAHOSPICE.ORG

Ogeechee Area Hospice is a not-for-profit corporation operating in the best interest of our Community. Ogeechee Area Hospice was the first hospice to serve Bulloch, Evans, Candler, Jenkins, Screven, Tattnall and the nearest part of Emanuel, Bryan and Effingham counties.

We continue to be the only not-for-profit hospice in our area. Ogeechee Area Hospice exists for the sole purpose of providing expert comfort and bereavement support to persons affected by life threatening illness and/or grief.

We carry out this important mission by caring for anyone in our service area who is hospice eligible, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay or insurance status.

Holiday needs: Being a non-profit we depend highly on our communities support.

Monetary gifts are utilized for the clinical operations of our agency, to help fund of our bereavement and volunteer program. Your investment will also go to help maintain our beautiful state-of-the-art Inpatient Center. Your support could make a difference in so many people’s lives. S

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h o l i d ay Gift Guide 2

0

2

1

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WE LIVE HERE

holiday gift guide

THE WAREHOUSE 8550 US HWY 301 South www.WarehouseBoro.com 912.681.4465

The Warehouse is a locally owned and operated business that has maintained an excellent reputation for over 30 years. We have 35,000 square feet of flooring, furniture, unique home accessories, and designer fabric. Anything you need to decorate your home can be found here. Come see us today for the perfect gift this holiday season.

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November/December 2021

STATESBORO MAGAZINE 1 Herald Square Statesboro, GA 30458.

912.489.2181 statesboromagazine.com

Statesboro Magazine highlights the People, Places and “Things You Want to Know” in the Greater Statesboro Area.

Our purpose is to promote our quality of life, create business for participating advertisers, and open the door for dynamic Economic Development. Feature articles depict life and doing business through local stories that showcase Statesboro, Claxton, Metter, and Sylvania.

One year- $22 | Two years- $35

L.A. WATERS FURNITURE & MATTRESS CENTER L.A. Waters Mall Store 300 Lovett Road | Statesboro, GA 30458 912.764.5431 L.A. Waters Downtown Store 8 West Main Street | Statesboro, GA 30458 912.764.6576 For over 80 years, L. A. Waters Furniture and Mattress Center in Statesboro has combined the greatest looks in home furnishings with the best in customer service to become the destination of choice for generations of wise furniture shoppers in the Georgia-Carolina area!

All weather porch rocking chair in a stylish smoky grey.

Hooker Furniture Living Room Recliner Farm House Style 3 Door Console with Dark Stain Top.

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WE LIVE HERE

holiday gift guide

BERNARD JEWELERS

912.764.5379 | bernardsjewelers.com 23999 US Highway 80 E | Statesboro, Georgia 30461 From engagements, weddings and anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and special events... Since 1970 .... Bernard’s Jewelers has been your source for fine jewelry and heirloom gifts. When the moment really matters let Bernard’s Jewelers help you with your holiday shopping.

Travel Case for Jewelry Interlocking Marriage Symbol Ring Necklace Halo Earrings Studs Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands

STATESBORO SWEETS

912.690.0410 | 912.225.9944 107 E Parrish St C, Statesboro, GA 30458 Statesboro Sweets your source for all your holiday desserts. To order, call the bakery at 912.690.0410

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November/December 2021

MARY KAY®

BY HALEY HILL BRANNEN www.marykay.com/haleyhill8 | 912.425.9403

Introducing a curated collection of 12 beloved Mary Kay® products and samples, including skin care, self-care and color, all in one brilliant box. This is the perfect gift for every beauty-lover on your holiday list

LUCY’S ON MAIN

39 W Main St, | Statesboro, GA 30458 912.243.9290 From Louis Vuitton and Coach to American Eagle and Old Navy Lucy’s on Main is your local boutique to shop for that perfect outfit for the holidays or gifts for loved ones. High End Consignments, Close Outs and New Gift Items.

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WE LIVE HERE

holiday gift guide

LORI GRICE PHOTOGRAPHY Christmas is the perfect time to commission Lori Grice to create the legacy family portrait you have always dreamed of. Lori is offering a limited number of portrait experience commissions, which include one 30-inch canvas portrait, for only $2,350. Gift Certificates available. Contact Lori Grice at info@lorigrice.com, call 912-764-7274 or visit Lori’s gallery at 34 East Main Street in Downtown Statesboro.

TANDOOR & TAP

40 E Main St | Statesboro, GA 30458 912.259.1212 Gift Cards from Tandoor & Tap make the best Stocking Stuffers and Christmas Gifts. Stop by 40 E Main St, Statesboro to complete your Holiday Shopping.

BROW BABY SALON & BROW BAR

DOLAN’S BBQ & HONEY, TOO

450 Savannah Ave, Statesboro, GA 30458 912.681.1919

Dolan’s Barbeque Sauce. In flavors Seven Oaks Mustard, Sisters White, Grapevine Road Red. They are $7.50 each or three for $20.00. Available at Dolan’s BBQ & Honey, Too

Look perfect for the holidays also the perfect last-minute gift. Purchase your BrowBaby gift certificates and have them emailed to the recipient directly. Go to browbaby.biz, hit the schedule now button, go to the menu and click on store! $20 Cards for the perfect eyebrow waxing or threading!

Honey cheesecakes. Known for their light, fluffy consistency and slightly sweeter flavor, all cheesecakes begin with our classic vanilla flavor and are developed into one-of-a-kind flavors. Our cheesecakes are made in small batches by family only. The recipe contains only 6 ingredients with no fillers or preservatives. Visit our website to view our delicious flavors and call to order!

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UNIVERSITY STORE gsustore.com 91 Georgia Ave Statesboro, GA 30458

GUS Pillow Pet ($19.99) It’s a pillow. It’s a pet. It’s GUS the Eagle, either way, you put it. This unique 18” plush is the perfect addition to any bed, couch.

GS Ornaments (Starting at $14.99) Add a bit of Eagle Nation spirit you’re your holiday tree with our assortment of Georgia Southern ornaments.

Ornaments range from wooden, custom-designed ceramic, and more.

GUS Bobble Head ($32.99) Who doesn’t love GUS, everyone’s favorite Eagle mascot? Get this classic GUS Bobble Head for your home.

Julia Gash Home of the Eagles Puzzle ($18.99) This exclusive Julia Gash collection puzzle features everything you know and love about Georgia Southern University. From Sweetheart Circle to Freedom and more, any Eagle fan will enjoy this collectible.

Strutting GUS Eagle Dart Board ($86.99) This professional-grade, cork-lined 18” dartboard is a wonderful addition to any Eagle fan’s home. It has an aluminum frame, metal grid, hanging hook and comes with six brass tipped darts in 3 different colors.

GS Pet Bandana ($14.99) Give your favorite furry Eagle fan that classic True Blue look during the holidays. Get this cotton shirting pet bandana with a silk-screened Georgia Southern athletic logo graphic.

Traditionally tied or with a collar run through the opening. Available in Small (22”) or Large (30”).brilliant box. This is the perfect gift for every beauty-lover on your holiday list.

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SERVING AS AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR FINANCIAL JOURNEY JENNY DALEY Investment Advisor Representative Consolidated Planning, Inc. 104 West Ogeechee Street Sylvania, GA 30467 843.514.2938 jdaley@cplanning.com

I help families create financial balance through strategic organization.

Specializing in: Personal & Business Planning Estate & Business Succession Planning Asset Transfer Retirement Plans & Planning Life & Disability Insurance College Planning Long Term Care IRA's

Scan this QR Code with your smartphone camera to schedule an introductory meeting to learn more.

Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS).

OSJ: 6115 Park South Drive Suite 200 Charlotte, NC 28210; 704.552.8507. Securities products offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Consolidated Planning is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. 2021-128775 EXP 10/23

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“For us, doing business with Renasant Bank is HOMETOWN BANKING,” Roy & Deborah Thompson of TMT Farms.

Statesboro, GA 173 Northside Drive East | 912.489.9500 | 335 South Main Street | 912.764.8900 www.renasantbank.com 50 statesboromagazine.com

November/December 2021

Official Sponsor of Georgia Southern Athletics

NMLS ID: 402669

eir name $40 gift in th a h ars, it w m e r over 40 ye o Honor th F . ty ie c o S torical joined h County His l Society has a to the Bulloc c ri to is H and ounty rving histor y e the Bulloch C s re p in d ste ia. people intere County, Georg h c like-minded llo u B f o eciall y that heritage, esp

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ver regular me to help disco ty ie Invitations to c o S e d by th ple, ons sponsore County’s peo h c llo u B and publicati f o ry ate the histo . and dissemin , and culture institutions ip in the A membersh ociety Historical S ty n u o C h c Bullo d programs an supports the . of the society publications

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mbling throu tter, a copy of Ra iety’s newsle c o S l a c ri to ounty His ns, the Bulloch C s, publicatio g n ti e e m f o ces grams. mailings, noti tickets to pro d te n u o c is d and

Bulloch County Historical Society Memberships: Corporate $250 // Individual $40 // Couple $50 www.bullochhistory.com / 315 Savannah Ave, 30458

WE LIVE HERE

a fresh take

Traditions WRITTEN BY ADISON MARSH

F

or as long as I can remember, my family had held and/or attended a seemingly innumerable number of Christmas parties.

We’d see the close family from one side, then the extended family from the other side, then the extended family from the first side, etc., etc. Half the time it’d be the exact same people at multiple parties. It always really felt like we saw those people enough in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas to make up for not having seen them since Easter. We’d sit and chat with cousins and great aunts and uncles about the usual things: school, college sports, the weather, who we knew who’d graduated or gotten married or had a baby.

When my grandparents passed last summer, it seemed like those previously endless parties and reunions all but ceased to exist when the season rolled around. It was understandable, with COVID raging on and everybody busier than ever. It made sense to not have them, and it almost definitely would have been hard to go despite the circumstances.

The oddest part for me, I think, wasn’t the absence of the parties, it was knowing that we weren’t going to go to the Christmas Eve church service together and have lunch on Christmas day. That was a running tradition. Dad would make a pork loin or steak or something and Mom or Annalee would make sides and my grandma would make something delicious, whatever it was. We’d unwrap all our presents before they 52 statesboromagazine.com

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got there, and they almost inevitably would show up and bring more and we’d get to unwrap those too. Then after lunch we’d set everything up: put batteries in toys, try on clothes, etc. The thought of not continuing that tradition that had existed my entire life was a bit jarring.

But life goes on and we make new traditions. This past year my parents, sister, and I spent Christmas in Asheville, North Carolina, hopping around to the Biltmore Estate (which is absolutely massive), and downtown for shopping and food. It snowed, too! Like, really snowed. It started out as little flakes here and there and spiraled into big white clouds falling from the sky while we were sitting at a restaurant inside our hotel eating supper.

You could really tell then who were seasoned Asheville-vacationers and who were just there for the holiday because my mom, sister, and I (along with some other families with much smaller children), sprung up and left my dad at the table to run outside and play in the snow. He joined us eventually and after some very expertly thrown snowballs, a shoddily made snowman, and a nice chat with a family from South Carolina, we all trekked back inside freezing cold and happy to get some of the jaw-droppingly good hot chocolate they serve at the Grove Park Inn. In the time we were there we probably played near-about a hundred games of spades sitting in the greatroom of the Inn and drank a shameful number of glasses of the aforementioned hot chocolate. We laughed while we slipped around and fell on the ice that had been snow the night before as we tried desperately to get to an unlocked door after we’d wandered too far around the side of the building. We unwrapped gifts on Christmas morning in our hotel room.

And that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it? No, not the gifts. Not the parties or trees (even though we decorate two). It’s not about going to see the Christmas light display or going to the Chili Cook-off at F1rst Friday or seeing Santa at the mall or listening to Mariah Carey and Michael Buble.

It’s about family. Spending time together that you don’t normally have.

Doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company and playing card games that will inevitably start fights. Remembering the traditions we’ve always had, and making new ones to continue on. S

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buzz worthy bites

Christmas Gift!

WRITTEN BY LAZAR BROWN OGLESBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DILLON & CAROLINE FIELDS

H

olidays are steeped in traditions created from years of rituals passed down by generations. Traditions provide the comfort of familiar repetition. As a creature of habit, I crave the comfortable patterns created by years of doing things a certain way. Some traditions are planned and fretted over while others are serendipitous and unspoken. The latter traditions are my favorite, becoming second nature by accident and are woven into the pattern of life. Traditions passed down through a loving family are treasured gifts.

I think Ferrol Sams described effortlessly the importance of rituals and their careful passage from one generation to the next in his book Christmas Gift! His sweet tale of boyhood Christmases in South Georgia during the Great Depression will tug at your heart strings. During a time when resources were less than plentiful, Sams’ friends and family exclaimed “Christmas Gift!” with such delight that the recipient of the greeting felt like an actual tangible gift had been given to them. At times I wonder if we have it all wrong. There is nothing wrong with a material gift, but we often forget the powerful result of enthusiastically loving our neighbor with good tidings of great joy.

As most activities in the life of a chef revolve around food, Christmas traditions are no different.

One of my most treasured traditions is Christmas Day dinner at Mama’s and Daddy’s. My mother goes to great lengths to make this meal special. The table is set with china and silver, pieces belonging to her mother and grandmother are used on the sideboard, and fresh greenery cut from the yard and surrounding fields adorns the dining table and mantelpiece. The menu changes from year to year but Mother always makes sure to include my favorite dish, a hot fruit dish with a buttery sherry sauce.

The rest of the family could pass on this dish, but it’s my favorite! We usually have some type of beef or seafood as the main dish and appropriate sides to accompany.

For dessert we have an assortment of bite-sized sweets and coffee. I don’t know why, but coffee always smells and tastes better at home. The following recipes are what a typical Christmas Day

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COUSIN DAVE’S POTATO CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS:

30 oz. bag Frozen Shredded Hashbrowns 10.5 oz. can Cream of Chicken 16 oz. Sour Cream 2 c. Sharp Cheddar ½ c. Green Onion (chopped) Season Salt and Pepper to taste TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

1 stick Butter 4 c. Corn Flakes PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Place mixture in a greased 9” x 13” dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread corn flake topping (below) evenly across the top of casserole. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm.

TOPPING:

Melt butter and mix with corn flakes.

COFFEE RUBBED BEEF TENDERLOIN INGREDIENTS:

1 Beef Tenderloin (trimmed and tied) 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil ½ c. Coffee Grounds ½ c. Seasoned Salt ¼ c. Black Pepper 2 Tbsp. Granulated Garlic PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 400°. Place the beef tenderloin in a roasting pan and rub with olive oil. Place the coffee and spices in a bowl and mix well.

Coat beef with the coffee and spice mixture. Bake at 400° for 25 - 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer when inserted registers 130°. Once beef reaches 130° remove from oven and tent with tinfoil. Allow beef to rest for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

HOT SHERRIED FRUIT INGREDIENTS:

1 Large Can Each: Pear Halves, Peach Halves, Apricot Halves, and Pineapple Rings 1 jar Red Spiced Apple Rings 10 - 12 Maraschino Cherries 1 stick Butter ½ c. Cooking Sherry ½ c. Fruit Juice ½ c. Sugar 2 Tbsp. Flour PREPARATION:

Open and drain all fruit. Reserve the juice. Arrange the fruit in a large flat casserole dish placing the apple rings on top. Cook butter, sherry, fruit juice, sugar, and flour in a saucepan until thick. Pour over fruit and let stand overnight. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. This can be served as a side dish or even dessert. I love it so much I have used the leftovers in my morning oatmeal!

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BROCCOLI WITH TOMATO RITZ SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

4 heads Fresh Broccoli Salt PREPARATION:

Clean and trim broccoli. Place in a pan with water covering the bottom.

Sprinkle broccoli with salt. Bring water to a boil and cook until broccoli is tender. Transfer from pan to serving dish. Let cool 10 minutes and top with tomato ritz sauce.

TOMATO RITZ SAUCE:

2 c. Dukes Mayonnaise 2 Tbsp. Chili Sauce 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire 1 Tomato (peeled, seeded, and diced) 3 Tbsp. Green Onion Salt and Pepper to Taste PREPARATION:

Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to serve. Its best to make this sauce a day in advance so the flavors can marry.

meal at the Brown’s looks like. I made sure to include the hot sherried fruit. The recipe calls for spiced apple rings. These cinnamon spiced gems are hard to come by. I found them on Amazon 56 statesboromagazine.com

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for $60.00 a jar!! We did find a few jars at a small local grocery, so now my Christmas Day table will be complete. Just remember if gifts or ingredients are scarce this year you can always start a new tradition. I am joyfully exclaiming “Christmas Gift!” from my family to yours. S

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garden variety

Brassicas like cabbage and kale make great winter ornamentals.

Why Plant in Fall?

Pansies add color to a garden and delight to a salad.

WRITTEN BY CAROLYN ALTMAN

T

Typically, new gardeners are born in spring, shovel in hand, eager to transform. Gardeners with a little more soil under their nails know, however, that autumn is an excellent time to plant, and that there is a wide range of plant material that can brighten the landscape for the coming winter, add beauty and value to one’s property, and even feed the family.

There are many advantages to fall planting, some for people and some for plants. It’s nicer to work outside in a soft flannel shirt than to be fighting off gnats and mosquitoes. Gardening requires endurance, and the likelihood of completing a project is greater if heat stroke isn’t involved. There is also great shopping, since plant sellers know that in general, fall is a more merciful time for plants in the South.

Plants work hard to survive our summer heat. In cooler months, they can slow down a little. Cooler weather means a decrease in the demand for water, 58 statesboromagazine.com

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which means less work for you. Molds and insects are less of an issue in the colder months, and if we are lucky, we will have a few cold weeks that will set pest populations back. In the shortening daylight of fall and winter, plants shift energy from branches and leaves to root production.

Treasures planted in the fall will be more established and able to cope once temperatures begin to climb, since they will have had that much more time to spread roots.

There’s a sweet spot of time when the soil is still warm and the truly cold days are not yet here. According to the tables of the National Gardening Association and the experience of the Botanic Garden staff, it will be December before Statesboro experiences temperatures in the 30s.

That means there is a good month or more to get plants in the ground so they can take advantage of the warm soil before they settle in for the winter.

Trees and shrubs do extremely well when planted in the fall. As long as one remembers to water them, they spend the winter rooting in and gaining strength so they can send forth leaves and flowers in spring.

There are many edibles that can color your garden and fill your belly during the winter. Curves of foot-long red, yellow, and green leaves of rainbow chard provide interest and color, and it only takes a leaf or two to make a nice salad. Kale shapes and colors abound, and the young leaves are tasty when steamed with garlic. Broccoli can be a pretty spectacular specimen flower, which sweetens up with a little cold or frost. Pansies can fill both a garden and a salad bowl with edible color. Many herbs, including rosemary, parsley, and mint grow just fine through a Bulloch County winter, and add flavor and interest to all sorts of dishes.

Root vegetables do well in winter, and are particularly gratifying to grow. After all, it is a wondrous thing for child or adult to pull on some ordinary looking greens and end up with a deep red beet. Easter egg radishes in gold, pink, and red are a quick and easy crop that can be planted throughout the winter. A freshly pulled carrot tastes rich and sweet. Winemakers speak of terroir, the unique combination of minerals and nutrients that give fruits grown in a certain soil their unique flavors. After spending time underground in your garden, winter root vegetables will offer flavor unmatched by anything packed in grocery plastic.

Fall can also be a good time to plant spring blooming bulbs. Before you get too excited, do know that some bulbs like tulips and hyacinth require long periods of cold that our southern climate does not offer. But other bulbs do well, including various types of daffodils, hardy amaryllis (Hippeostrum X johnsonii), and ornamental allium (onions), and snowdrops (Leucojum sp.), prolific white bells with a green dot on each dainty petal, as if painted by fairies. If you are a risk taker, you can plant caladium and hope they will not rot over the winter; in fact, before you plant any bulbs in the south, make sure your soil drains well. At the Garden, we used to pull caladium up every year and replant in the spring, but they have spread so successfully that we now leave them in the ground and are thrilled to see them emerge every year.

Summer flowers are bright eye candy, but the rich colors and textures of the cooler months offer serious pleasure.

So don your jeans and your flannel, and enjoy the bright, leaf-scented days of fall. S

Find an extensive list of fall plants, their features, and cultivation requirements at http://tiny.cc/plantsale.

Many will be available Botanic Garden’s Fall Plant Sale, November 6th and 7th.

GeorgiaSouthern.edu/garden

Trees, like this Japanese maple, do well when planted in fall.

November/December 2021

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the spiritual pathway

Drifting with the Tide WRITTEN BY DR. H. WILLIAM PERRY

I

must have been 7 or 8 when I first went to the beach. We left Live Oak on the early morning of July 4th and drove the 100 miles to Jacksonville Beach. I can still remember the sense of awe I felt when we drove to the top of a small hill and I could see miles and miles of ocean water ahead.

“Look at what God has made,” I said.

Daddy parked our car on the beach where scores and scores of cars were already parked.

We took a blanket and towels to a vacant spot where we could claim our place for the day.

Then my sisters and I ran out into the water and I experienced the wonderful waves. I walked on out into deeper water and I had my first experience of the day with fear. A big wave swept in, lifted me up, then covered me and carried me quickly toward the shore. Wow! I had no control over the swiftly moving water. But what relief I felt when I suddenly was only ankle deep, and the water was calm again. When I could finally see, I found my family a few yards up the beach. I stayed in the shallow water after that.

Mama got our lunch from the car and spread it on the blanket. We sat around eating and enjoying each other and the beauty of God’s creation. After a while I decided to go back into the ocean, promising my Daddy I wouldn’t go deep. It was fun, and I thoroughly enjoying 60 statesboromagazine.com

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myself, riding on my inner tube, feeling the waves pushing me around.

Then I felt that I’d better go back to where the rest of my family was. But I couldn’t find them. Then I couldn’t find our car.

“Oh no!” I said. “They’ve left me!” I panicked. They were nowhere to be found! I was headed up toward the Life Guard’s stand when I looked way on up the beach, and there was my family. I ran up to them, holding back the tears. “Why did y’all move up the beach?!” I asked.

“We didn’t,” Daddy said. “Yes, you did!” I replied. “You moved way up toward the pier from where we had been!”

Then Daddy explained what had happened. There is a current in the water that caused me to drift, and during the time I was in the water, I had drifted a hundred yards or more. I had no idea it was happening. It’s just the normal movement of the ocean water, and it caused me to drift and drift.

During the decades since that beach trip I have discovered that the normal currents of life can cause us to drift along, unaware that it’s happening. There are those who have been very careful about their eating habits, staying slim for years, and then without realizing it, they change their habits and gain more and more weight. It was not their intention; they just drifted into it.

Through the decades I have watched active Church members who rarely missed a worship service or Bible study or church activity. Suddenly they missed a Sunday. Then a couple of weeks later they missed another, then another. After a while they missed more than they attended. That was not their intention; they just slipped into inactivity. Drifted away. It happens more than we realize.

Be careful about your drifting. It can cause you to move farther and farther from where you want to be and from where God wants you to be. S

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Psalm 37:23

O

n Friday, October 1st of this year, I received an email from Statesboro Magazine columnist and dear friend, Rev. Dr. H. William “Bill” Perry Jr., apologizing for a slight delay in sending his column (on the previous page) to me. He said he’d been getting over a bout of double pneumonia. I responded that he needn’t worry about the deadline, to take as much time as he needed, and not to worry about it.

“Please take care of you!” I said. “Don’t worry about the column. You are in my prayers.”

“I’m much better,” he said. “I’ll have it to you by Sunday or Monday.”

And he did. The column arrived in my inbox as promised. And, Dr. Perry was “much better.” All was right with my world. Until about two weeks later when I heard that he was back in the hospital, not doing very well.

Take the number of times Bill Perry has prayed and multiply that by the Godly populations of Statesboro, Twin City, Hawkinsville, Pelham, north Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and every stop in between, and you’ll have an inkling of the number of prayers that were lifted up on his behalf during his brief illness. Those of us who prayed for his recovery didn’t receive the outcome that we had hoped for; sadly he passed away on October 21st, but Dr. Perry would be the first to say, not our will, but God’s will be done.

He was called by God to preach the Gospel early in life. He attended and graduated from both Stetson University and Southern Seminary. He married the love of his life, Margaret, on June 26, 1964. They became the proud parents of Jon Bill, who preceded his parents in death, and two lovely daughters: Laura and Gayla.

The beloved pastor and long-time resident of Statesboro, served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church for over 20 years, baptizing, marrying and burying generations of our citizens. He loved our town as he loved his congregation, serving on the boards of the American Heart Association, the Boys & Girls Club, Ogeechee Area Hospice and the Bulloch Memorial Hospital Foundations’ Grant Committee, just to name a few. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Statesboro, chosen by both Statesboro Rotary Club’s as Citizen of the Year in 2005. For his commitment to the community and his dedication to serving others, he was honored as Humanitarian of the Year at the 2009 Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Awards banquet.

Dr. Perry has been a contributor to Statesboro Magazine for 22 years. Through his column, The Spiritual Pathway, he has touched thousands of readers with his innate wit, his talent for story-telling and his ability to spread the message of the Gospel, by making it relatable to the common man. We will miss his calm demeanor, his faithful commitment, and his great sense of humor. Thank-you, Dr. Perry, for being our spiritual guide and friend for so many years. S Jenny Starling Foss, Editor November/December 2021

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WRITTEN BY RIC MANDES

A

nd there is a vivid detailed signal. John Glenn’s capsule bobbing about the waters of the Atlantic.

It was just a little past two in the afternoon of a bitter cold February Thursday. As I stepped from my car at the Statesboro Airport, I could see the turbo Jet banking for its landing. Smooth, is the only way I can describe the jet taxing to the Airport Inn. It looked a few minutes as the pilot spoke to the local crew of needed data. With these preliminaries cared for, the steps unfolded smoothly with the Colonel John Glenn jogged down the steps. With brisk cadence the Colonel walked directly toward me.

“And you must be Richard or is it Rick?”

To which I replied, “Yes Sir Colonel.”

His smile was quicken and relaxed, he returned, “John! Call me John.”

What a personal person.

During the drive into Statesboro, he asked several clear questions about Georgia Southern College. He was warming up for his opening remarks later at the Hanner Field House to an overflow of Eagle students.

Allow me to share the kind of individual he was. “You have family, Rick?”

“Yes, married with three children.”

“I would enjoy meeting them. Do we have time?”

You can imagine the look on my wife’s face when the Colonel greeted her. And he spent time with my children Rich, Deanne and Mark. Sat down instantly on the den floor and engaged all three in easy questions. He wave with warmth as we headed to the Field House for a “mic” check, later followed by a dinner for the Colonel to break bread with several students aspiring for military flying. We walked across the street to Hanner for a packed house of students, faculty, and special invitees from the community.

The overwhelming interest was having him recall what it was like leaving the earth’s powerful 62 statesboromagazine.com

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nn | Photo Co ator John Gle Former Astron

Posters Series: Colonel John Glenn Rides “Side Kick”

urtesy of NASA

the view from here

aut and U.S. Sen

WE LIVE HERE

gravity for his three loops around the globe in 1962.

He was down to earth (no pun intended).

This was followed by a reception by President and Mrs. John Edison in their home. Around eleven the last of the guests had left. Remaining were the Colonel, myself, and the Edisons. As we moved to leave, I looked at John for a note of remembering what I shared at least three times during the day.

“John as we leave tonight I want you to offer to drive the Colonel back to the Holiday Inn. My old Ford is ugly when it comes to cold weather, “You do understand John, right?” He nodded for sure.

And there were the Colonel and yours truly moving to my yellow Ford. I was going to mention what we were in for, but thought better of it, hoping my yellow monster would be kind.

Behave? Not on your life.

It gave the Colonel plenty as we jerked on to the highway. Dying once at a red light. Then with a final half mile to go, the Colonel laughed and said, “Don’t push it. We have plenty of time.”

What a man! I wondered if the Colonel had to say, “Give it a little more throttle” to Houston as he circled the globe in ‘62? As we came to rest at the Inn, the Colonel reached out his hand and said, “Ric that was a testy drive. I’ll be going up next year again. Why don’t you ride with me? You would enjoy it.”

I watched him disappear into the night.

The Colonel. Erect but pleasant as we walked across campus, modest under the looks of our students.

“Just give it a little gas Rick,” he had added. I would like to know if as this man broke the cloak of gravity he had to say, “Mission Control, I need a little more fuel.”

While he was making Columbia history...

The next morning I stuck my head in the President’s office. He was full of glee, “But I told Perrin as we turned out the lights, Ric asked me to do something, but for the life of me, I could not remember!”

It was when I walked to the car this morning, you had suggested I drive the Colonel back to the motel or something in that order.” I smiled at my wonderful President and replied, “John, it slipped my mind too.”

Remember, this is my man, Edison, who spoke fluent German and taught Chaucer every other summer at Oxford. S

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Mrs. Opal Alicia Mansir 09.02.21

Mr. Ralph Newton Schuman, Jr. 08.24.21

Mrs. Sandra Porter Martin 10.06.21

Mr. Harold L. Sheffield 08.12.21

Mr. Johnny Thomas “J.T.” Martin, Jr. 09.06.21

Mrs. Diana Lynn Simmons 10.04.21

Mr. James Christopher “Chris” Matheson 09.19.21

Mr. Bobby Smith 09.15.21

Mrs. Kathy Mathis 08.24.21 Mr. Christopher Michael McElveen 09.24.21 Mrs. Patsy Hagan Metts 08.11.21 Mrs. Laura H. Mikell 07.21.21 Mr. Carroll Bruce Miller 08.30.21 Mrs. Jean S. Millhorn 07.22.21 Mr. Leroy Mincey, Sr. 10.03.21 Mr. Anthony Kent Mitchell 09.23.21 Mr. Darrell Leverne Mixon 07.30.21 Mr. Thomas Floyd Mock 09.29.21 Mrs. Shirley Jean Morris 08.15.21 Mrs. Minnie Elizabeth Nelson 08.18.21 Mrs. Dorothy Dickerson Newsome 09.29.21 Mrs. Ruby Mae Nordgren 08.27.21 Mrs. Gwendolyn Williams Olliff 08.01.21 Mr. Jerome C. Parrish 08.14.21 Mr. Lester Parrish 08.07.21 Mr. Dalton W. Partain, Jr. 09.15.21 Mr. Leo Thomas “Tom” Paul 08.29.21 Mr. Allen D. “Dave” Pilz 08.28.21 Mr. James Alfred Powell 08.19.21 Mrs. Willie Lee Powell 09.27.21 Mr. Ronald Franklin Pratt 07.19.21

FU L L - S E RV I C E F I R M W I T H OV E R 1 0 0 Y EA RS O F CO M B I N E D ACCOU N T I NG EX P E R I E NC E

Mrs. Burnette Stevens Smith 09.16.21 Mr. Franklin Smith, Jr. 08.07.21 Rev. Dr. Loren William Snyder, II 08.03.21 Mr. Christopher Richard “Chris” Stills 09.17.21 Mr. Johnny Richard Stills 10.03.21 Mr. Michael Kenny Stone 09.17.21 Mr. Steven Dorman Surles 09.11.21 Mrs. Agnes Grace Silva Tebeau 09.22.21 Mr. Jesse Row Thomas, Jr. 08.08.21 Mrs. Carol Jean Hogan Trapnell 08.27.21 Mr. Ronald Franklin Vickery 09.16.21

Happy Holidays

LANIER, DEAL & PROCTOR C E RT I F I E D

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RUSS LANIER, CPA | RICHARD DEAL, CPA | KAY PROCTOR, CPA BLAKE BLOSER, CPA | TIFFANY JENKINS, CPA | RICK DEAL, CPA 201 SOUTH ZETTEROWER AVE | STATESBORO, GEORGIA

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Mrs. Deborah Louise Wallace 09.17.21 Mrs. Bonnie Leonard White 08.03.21 Mr. Bobby Gene Wilkerson 09.13.21 Mrs. Isabell Myers Wilkerson 09.06.21 Mr. David Kenneth Wilkes 08.30.21 Mr. Donald Wayne “D.W.” Williams 09.10.21 Mr. Myron Williams 07.29.21

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Mr. Willie Earl Williams 09.25.21 Mr. Hugh Williamson 10.03.21 Mr. Ronald Wilson “Buddy” Wise 09.05.21 Ms. Donna Sue Woodcock 09.27.21 Mrs. Dorothy Leona Zetterower 10.04.21

Mr. Rufus James Roberts, Sr. 07.30.21 Dr. Camille Françoise Rogers 09.25.21 Mrs. Anna Maude Hildreth Rossi 08.13.21 Mrs. Rose Martin Rushing 07.31.21 Mrs. Jo Mitchell Rykard 09.18.21

November/December 2021

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Merry & Bright MAKE THE SEASON

Now Scheduling Appointments for Winter Break!

Jarrett H. Walden, D.M.D. | Kathryn W. Mentzer, D.M.D. | Thomas E. Marhsall, D.M.D. | Colin T. Strub, D.D.S.

SouthernFamilyDentalGroup.com 108 Gentilly Road, Statesboro | 912.764.6861

Scott Fouch, PA | Karen Anderson, NP | Ian Munger, DO | Sreevalli Dega, MD Jack Bailey, BSN-RN | Jean Bailey, NP | Henry Brower, NP | Dwight Brown, PA-C

MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS

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BE SAFE & BRIGHT!

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OPEN WHEN YOU NEED US MOST!

Statesboro Urgent Care offers in-person, walk-in clinic services with minimal wait times and efficient healthcare services. Offering competitive rates and fees, and accepting most insurance policies

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November/December 2021

Warmest Wishes FROM CITIZENS BANK OF THE SOUTH www.cbots.com https://www.facebook.com/citizensbankofthesouthstatesboro/ https://www.instagram.com/citizensbankstatesboro/

425 Commerce Drive Statesboro, Georgia 30461 912.871.2971

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Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous new year.

We count it a privilege to have so many valued relationships in our community. Thank you for putting your trust in us as we look forward together.

Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.

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