2020 Winter Issue

community magazine 2020 WINTER ISSUE

PUBLISHERS

Meredith & Scott Tredeau 770-788-6795 info@thenewtoncommunity.com

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DIRECTOR OF SALES

Maree Cronan 770-530-7837 sales@thenewtoncommunity.com

FEATURES 6 Witness to Infamy 12 Sacred Ground 16 Voices for the Voiceless

EDITOR

Brian Knapp PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lou Crouch Brian Dean Ronald Manson Michie Turpin

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

SPORTS & RECREATION

22 Walking Miracle 26 A Study in Perseverance

32 A Crucible Unlike Any Other 36 Running With a Purpose

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kari Apted Michelle Floyd Nat Harwell Darrell Huckaby Patty Rasmussen David Roten ILLUSTRATOR

Scott Fuss For subscription information, visit: thenewtoncommunity.com/subscribe/

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ARTS, EDUCATION & INNOVATION 42 Unlocking Dyslexia’s Doors 46 Training to Protect and to Serve

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LIVING

52 Honoring Our Four-Legged Heroes 56 One Child at a Time 60 A Mellower Old Man Winter

The Newton Community Magazine is published quarterly.

All contents are copyrighted by The Newton Community Magazine. Reproduction, in whole or part, without permission is prohibited. The Newton Community Magazine reserves liability in error to a printed correction.

On the Cover

AN ENDURING FIRESIDE CHAT

by DAVID ROTEN

Compared to where we’ve just come from, the road ahead looks a little bleak. We just burned through three major holidays in less than five weeks. The shopping-eatingmeeting-greeting frenzy is finally over. The Christmas lights have been turned off for the last time, the decorations taken down and the Frasier fur from Berry’s Christmas Tree Farm tossed out; and it’s cold outside.

Don’t get me wrong. Beyond all the commercialism, I love the renewed sense of blessing and joy these holidays bring, but seasons come and go—a good thing, too, in a way. Who could keep up with such intensity? Friends and family travel back home and we return to work, albeit begrudgingly. Take comfort: We have next year to look forward to and memories from years past to warm our hearts.

I remember once upon a time when my dad and my Uncle Turner were enjoying their rural north Mississippi version of a

fireside chat. On that cold, dark winter’s night 60 years ago, the glow from the fireplace lit up their faces, their conversation interrupted only by the occasional precision-guided, tobacco-laced spit into the sizzling fire. Flickering flames from the cavernous fireplace cast shadows that magically danced across wooden floors, up bare walls and onto the high ceiling overhead. Big, sturdy chairs rocked slowly, rhythmically back and forth, squeaking and groaning under the load.

Smelling like heaven, the burning wood popped, crackled and wrapped us all comfortably in its blanket. A captivated little boy tried to take it all in, a seemingly ordinary moment that he somehow would never forget.

As I sit here now, gazing long into the fire burning before me, the years melt away.

I close my eyes just for a moment, and I am there once again.

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE Happy New Year, fellow Newtonians!

We hope you all had a wonderful, restful holiday season enjoying time with friends and family. For many of us, each new year comes with new goals and new opportunities, a chance to start anew after the holiday dust settles. We’re all back at work or school feeling refreshed, recharged and resolved to take on what the new year brings us.

New Year’s resolutions often focus on cutting back or doing less of something (less sugar, screen time, caffeine, etc.), which is probably why our resolve often fizzles out. This year, what if we focus on more instead? Give more smiles and hugs.

Have more family dinners and game nights.

Get more fresh air and eat more fresh veggies. Drink more water and take more walks. Love more, laugh more, create more. You get the picture. If we focus on filling our lives with more of the good stuff, there should naturally be less room for the other stuff, right? Here’s to doing more in 2020. Let’s make the most of it!

Each story in this issue speaks to the transformative power of faith, hope and love, and we’re excited to share them with you. We’re also excited to see what the Lord has in store for the coming year.

Whatever changes it may hold, one thing will stay the same: our love for and commitment to our community.

We are grateful for Jennifer Morganthall of JMo To Go, who shared her time and talent once again to bring this beautiful cover to life. We would also like to thank Melanie Sheets and Lowell Chambers for welcoming us into their cozy home nestled in the Porterdale woods.

May God bless and keep each of you.

Scott and Meredith Tredeau

2020 Winter Issue 5

F E AT U R E S

WITNESS TO INFAMY

by PATTY RASMUSSEN

Wayne Shelnutt was aboard the USS California in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, the day Japan dragged the United States into World War II. Now 104 years old, the Newton County resident remembers those events with chilling clarity.

CREW ABANDONING THE DAMAGED USS CALIFORNIA (BB-44) AS BURNING OIL DRIFTS DOWN ON THE SHIP, AT ABOUT 10 AM ON THE MORNING OF 7 DECEMBER 1941.

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Journalist and broadcaster Tom Brokaw coined the term “The Greatest Generation” just over 20 years ago. It was the title of a book he authored about Americans born from 1901 until the late 1920s. These hardy folks weathered not just massive events during their formative years— two World Wars and The Great Depression—but also enormous shifts in cultural and economic norms and technological advances. Think basics, like the radio and telephone.

However, for all the changes they had wrought and the oppressors they fought and defeated, they were not braggarts. This was Brokaw’s premise. Those who belonged to The Greatest Generation simply went about their business. They turned their Victory gardens into the family vegetable garden; scrap drives became scrapyards. They married and had children, built successful businesses, saved, sent their children to college and went on with life. Some communities did not even realize they had heroes in their midst until many years after.

Wayne Shelnutt is one of those heroes. Born in 1915 in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Shelnutt still lives in a modest ranch house on several acres in Newton County with his stepdaughter, Marla Gaehle, and her children, Tere and Jeff. In August, he celebrated his 104th birthday. Shelnutt is among few veterans still living who can say they were present at the start of World War II, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the beginning of the end: the D-Day Invasion. To talk with Shelnutt is to listen to a living time capsule, and though his memories of yesterday’s lunch may be hazy, the events of Dec. 7, 1941 remain as clear as a bell. “You don’t forget something like that,” he said with a light chuckle. Shelnutt was aboard the USS California, which was tied up on Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was a Sunday morning. Sitting on the sofa in his house, 78 years later, Shelnutt describes the events with uncanny and chilling clarity.

“We had just had breakfast,” he said. “The table was set up for a meal. I was captain of the table, the last man there. I was from here to about that door [maybe 10 feet] and someone said, ‘Look at that plane out the window. What’s that sign on it.’ It had a red Japanese ball on it. We wondered where it was going. It was going right toward a seaplane hangar. I stepped outside and watched, and it hit that seaplane hangar and set it on fire. Of course, then planes came from other angles. Bombs dropped. A bomb dropped on the Pennsylvania and set it on fire. A bomb hit our main deck and cleared it out of everything, swept everything out.

Nothing was left. Not a hammer. It was just all gone.”

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WAYNE SHELNUTT, 1942

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Although the attack on Pearl Harbor lasted about one hour, most of the damage was done in the first 11 minutes. Shelnutt describes the atmosphere as one of absolute chaos, confusion and helplessness. In an interview four years ago, he recalled remaining at his battle station and manning a five-inch 51-caliber broadside gun while the rest of the gun crew hurried below deck to retrieve the ammunition. A torpedo bomber hit as they were below and every member of the gun crew was killed. However, the worst damage resulted from a 551-pound bomb being dropped on the ship’s starboard deck. It was devastating. Fifty crew members were killed instantly. All told, 102 sailors died and 62 were wounded on the USS California during the attack.

The survivors made their way off the ship and onto Ford Island.

“We didn’t know where we were going to eat, where we were going to sleep. We didn’t know anything,” Shelnutt said. “Between the Army and the Navy, they set up a tent and they made a mess hall.

The weather was nice, and we all had sleeping bags and blankets.

When things settled down, we picked a place outdoors to sleep.”

He remembers that his belongings were found, unharmed, in a locker behind a bulkhead. “When the bomb hit, everyone else lost everything,” he said, “but all my belongings were still there.” Later on, some anti-aircraft guns were set up at the main gate entrance, and Shelnutt and some of his buddies remained there for six months until the Army took over.

Shelnutt had joined the Navy for a post-Depression job that provided a steady income, three square meals and a place to sleep, but now he was at war. “The group I was with was sent back to the States,” he said. “Most of the boys were assigned to put a new warship into commission: the Alabama. They gave us a 30-day leave, then we reported to headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, and [they] assigned us a ship.” That ship was the USS Gherardi, a destroyer protecting troop transports crossing the Atlantic and on other missions. While he was on the Gherardi, Shelnutt was involved in another historic military action—the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, France, now known as D-Day. This time, his participation was limited to providing covering fire from the Gherardi’s guns. “We fired everything we had,” he said. “We ran out of ammunition and had to go back to [England] for more.”

After D-Day, the Gherardi played its part later that month in the

assault on Cherbourg and protected ships in the south of France during the invasion.

Age and the passage of time played havoc with Shelnutt’s memories, like a neatly sorted photo album which has been dropped, causing the pictures to fall out of place. He remembers a naval cruise to Texas during which he visited his sister; being treated for malaria at a hospital in Norfolk, Virginia; and being transferred off a ship that was going to the South Pole because they learned he had malaria. “I really wanted to go to the South Pole,” he said. “I was the Chief Master-at-Arms and we had sled dogs on the ship, but I was transferred from there to an Air Force base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island.” That move signaled the end of Shelnutt’s naval career. It was 1954, and he had served 20 years.

Shelnutt’s first wife, Blanche, had invested in a four-unit apartment building in California, so he cashed in a $2,000 life insurance policy, bought another little apartment building and settled down in the Redondo Beach area. They lived there for several years, until Blanche’s father needed help running an auto salvage yard in St. Louis. The move did not suit Blanche, who went back to California. Shelnutt stayed on, running the auto salvage business even after the couple separated. While living in St. Louis, Shelnutt met his second wife, Ada. They married in 1970, enjoying a happy life that included vacationing throughout the United States in their van.

“He and mother never had a cross word,” Marla said. “They were interested in the same things. They liked to go to all the state capitals and visit old cemeteries. Quilting was her thing, and he’d go to the quilt shops with her.”

Although he returned to Pearl Harbor during the war, Shelnutt never went back to visit the memorial there. However, he and Ada regularly attended the stateside reunions.

“They went to them for years,” Marla said. “I went to two or three with him. Mother used to make a quilt for every reunion to raffle off to make money for the committee. One year, they went and a fella showed up who had served under Wayne when they were bombed at Pearl Harbor. Mother said when that man showed up Wayne said, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t know you were alive!’”

In the late 1980s, Shelnutt finally retired and he and Ada moved back to his family’s ranch in Oklahoma. A longtime horse lover,

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Shelnutt nursed a couple of Arabian horses back to health and even managed to breed the mare, ending up with a third horse. By the early 1990s, Marla’s daughter, Tere, also a horse lover, had moved to Newton County with several horses in tow. That was all it took for Shelnutt to pull up stakes and move south. “He wanted to be near the horses,” Marla said. In Newton County, life slowed down for Shelnutt and Ada. They spent time with family and friends and were active members of the Order of the Eastern Star, a Masonic organization open to both men and women. Ada passed away in the fall of 2015, at age 95, the same year Shelnutt turned 100.

If you have ever hoped the key to longevity had something to do with eating lots of dark chocolate or drinking red wine, Shelnutt disproves the theory.

“He’s always eaten properly, and he’s always exercised,” Marla said. “He has his barbells, and he lifts weights and has a [resistance] band that he uses for his legs. He always watched what he ate.

He eats his three fruits. He always eats a couple different vegetables and eats some meat but not a lot. He doesn’t eat junk food, ever.

When we fix a sandwich for lunch, he’ll have chips for a sandwich, but he never snacks.”

Shelnutt stays interested and engaged in life, reading both the Atlanta and Covington newspapers each day. He reads Reader’s Digest and National Geographic magazines cover to cover every month. However, true to his Greatest Generation tag, Shelnutt— the Pearl Harbor and D-Day veteran, a witness to so much history—is still the quiet one in the room.

“When friends from the Eastern Star come over, he’ll sit here and enjoy their company,” Marla said. “They might ask some questions and he might try to answer, but he might not. He’s not a talker. He’s not argumentative. He’s happy and has a good outlook on life. He’s content.”

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“A bomb hit our main deck and cleared it out of everything, swept everything out. Nothing was left.

Not a hammer. It was just all gone.”

Pearl Harbor and D-Day Veteran Wayne Shelnutt

2020 Winter Issue 11

F E AT U R E S

SACRED GROUND

by DAVID ROTEN

Frederich L. Johnson for more than a decade has made it his mission to reclaim abandoned cemeteries in Newton County, preserving history with annual cleanups in conjunction with Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.

You might be tempted to think that 80-year-old Frederich L. Johnson has one or more feet in the grave. On one hand, you would be dead wrong. Johnson still drives a pick-up truck, operates a part-time masonry business and takes frequent trips to the beach and mountains with Artie, his wife of 58 years. On the other, you would be correct—quite literally. Johnson’s efforts to reclaim abandoned cemeteries in Newton County have at times landed him with both feet squarely in the middle of a sunken grave.

Showing respect for the dead by taking care of their final resting place is a family value he learned early in life.

“When I was small, we would get on a wagon, ride up to the cemetery and there would be a day of cleaning,” Johnson said.

“Everything would be immaculate, and next year, we would come and do the same thing.”

However, times change and so has the condition of many cemeteries in Newton County. Former county commissioner Monty Laster is an expert on the subject. A personal search for his ancestors that began 20 years ago led to a project of painstakingly mapping out every cemetery he could find. “We’ve recorded about 280 cemeteries to date,” Laster said. Over half of them are considered “abandoned,” meaning they show signs of neglect,

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FREDERICH L. JOHNSON

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F E AT U R E S

“When I was small, we would get on a wagon, ride up to the cemetery and there would be a day of cleaning.

Everything would be immaculate, and next year, we would come and do the same thing.”

Frederich L. Johnson

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vandalism or abuse of some kind. The location of a burial ground has much to do with whether or not it is well-maintained, according to Laster. “If the cemetery is not in a city or a church or a certain community that will look after those cemeteries,” he said, “they’ll start to be neglected.”

Johnson had not given much thought to cemeteries since his childhood days. Then, in January 2008, a friend asked him to haul off some trash from an MLK Service Day project at Graves Chapel Cemetery in Covington. He was struck by what he called the “deplorable” condition of that cemetery, as well as others he would soon visit.

“There are so many that are just abandoned,” Johnson said.

“They just take somebody there and bury them and just forget about them.”

Compelled to act, Johnson began to organize groups to do cemetery cleanups, focusing on those that needed attention the most. He combined forces with Laster for a time, enlisting

the help of the county, as well as local high schools, colleges and anyone else who was willing to participate in a community service project. Now, the Newton County Family Connection works with Johnson to provide those volunteers and the necessary tools through its “Hands On Newton” program. NCFC Executive Director Laura Bertram credits Johnson with keeping the cleanup effort going when others no longer could.

“He has single-handedly kept this up,” she said. “Mr. Fred is out there whether it’s cold or rain or whatever. He just does not stop going.”

Every January, Johnson and his band of volunteers descend on a cemetery judged to be in dire need of attention. Wielding weed eaters, chainsaws, rakes and hoes, they remove brush and trash, taking care not to damage graves and markers. In some cases, the cemetery is so overgrown it is barely visible. Such was the condition of the Gaither’s at Myrtle Creek Farm Slave Cemetery when Johnson and his team made the first of two cleanup efforts there several years ago. “We’ve got trees in there bigger than these chairs—in the middle of graves,” Johnson said. Volunteers utilized shovels, wheelbarrows and sand to fill other graves that had sunken as much as three feet. Only one primitive gravestone had markings that had survived the years, still bearing witness to the one laid to rest beneath it.

If the task of uncovering and cleaning up so many overgrown and dilapidated cemeteries seems daunting, Johnson offers no such evidence. This year, as in years past, he will organize efforts to clean at least one cemetery in conjunction with Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. If there are enough volunteers, he will tackle two.

Each year, Dr. King’s birthday serves as the occasion and impetus for community involvement across America. A federal holiday, it is observed as a day of service by many who have been inspired by King’s legacy: “a day on, not a day off,” as the saying goes. It will be no different for Johnson and the volunteers who will join him on Jan. 20.

Newton County Commission Chairman Marcello Banes plans to be one of those volunteers and cites the benefits of a cleaner and more unified community as the public and public servants work together for a common cause. In the past, members of the Newton County Board of Commissioners, the Newton County Sheriff’s Department, the Covington City Council and the mayor have all participated in cleanup efforts.

“Through the years, elected officials have been a part of it,” Banes said. “We’re excited it’s coming up again soon.”

Johnson remains appreciative of all the help he can get and would not mind at all if someone stepped up to take his place. “I’m 80 years old,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve got more [years] behind

me than I do in front of me.” Nevertheless, the mission to maintain cemeteries that others cannot—or will not—preserve drives him still. This time of year, he spends a fair amount of time walking alone through rundown and overgrown cemeteries, looking for the next one in need. The precarious nature of that activity is not lost on his good-natured wife. “She often tells me, ‘You shouldn’t be going in these cemeteries by yourself. You be done fell in a hole,’” Johnson said, a chuckle trailing his words, “and of course, there are a lot of graves that you can fall in.”

Those interested in volunteering to help clean up a cemetery on Jan. 20 or possibly another day are encouraged to contact Frederich L. Johnson at 404-308-0780 or the office of Newton County Commission Chairman Marcello Banes at 678-625-1225.

2020 Winter Issue 15

F E AT U R E S

VOICES for the Voiceless

by DAVID ROTEN

Having experienced the devastating loss of two special-needs children, the Hopkins family has set out to eliminate the stigma surrounding marijuana and bring to light its potential medical benefits.

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“Marijuana? You’re going to give that to your children?” Kelli Hopkins remembered the reaction she and husband Mike often got from friends and family when they first heard they were pursuing medical marijuana treatment for their special-needs children. “They didn’t hear the ‘medical’ part,” Kelli said. Getting others to look beyond the stigma of marijuana and see its potential benefits has been a learning experience turned crusade for the Hopkins family.

The longtime Covington residents represent just one of the many families in Georgia who have been engaged in a long, uphill battle to make medical marijuana—or cannabis—legal in the state.

In 2014, Gov. Nathan Deal took the first step by signing into law a bill that essentially made medical marijuana legal to possess but, given current federal statutes, made no provision for a legal way to obtain it. With Gov. Brian Kemp’s signing of House Bill 324 on April 17, it appears the remaining legal hurdles preventing qualified medical patients from receiving the controversial drug have been removed.

The new law lays out strict guidelines for the growing and distribution of medical cannabis. Recipients of the medication will have been screened and approved by the Georgia Department of Public Health. Currently, there are more than 9,500 registered medical marijuana patients in the state with qualifying diseases and disorders such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, cancer, seizures and others. Many have found medical marijuana to be the most—and often only—effective treatment for symptoms.

Mike and Kelli had spent much of the previous two decades taking their sick children to doctors’ offices and hospitals, attending medical conferences and seminars, trying experimental drugs and doing everything they could to make their kids better. By 2013, they were running out of options in their search for a medication that would control the debilitating seizures suffered by three of their four children, each born with a severe genetic disease. The years had not been easy for the Hopkins family, but 2014 brought the greatest challenges yet—and the biggest hurt.

Seizures had dominated young Abe’s life almost from the moment he was born until the day he succumbed to the one that took his life at age 6. Just three months later, Mike and Kelli suffered another devastating loss after their firstborn, Mary Elizabeth, began having respiratory issues. “We took her to the ER at Egleston [Children’s Hospital] like we’ve done for 21 years,” Kelli said. “They were giving her a blood transfusion, and her heart just gave out.”

Fearing that another seizure like the one that had taken Abe could overcome Michala, the grief-stricken family walked through the only open door it could see. Just two weeks after Mary Elizabeth’s death, Mike, Kelli, Michala and Marlee Anne packed up their belongings and moved to Colorado, where they felt they had the best chance of getting help for Michala. That help came in the form of Haleigh’s Hope.

Many of their Georgia friends whose children had similar health issues had already taken up residence in Colorado, where marijuana is legal and where patients taking a substance called Haleigh’s Hope were seeing encouraging results. Botanist Jason Cranford had created a specially formulated medical cannabis oil, or CBD, naming it in honor of Haleigh Cox, of Macon—the first patient to receive it. After beginning treatment, Haleigh’s condition improved dramatically. Her family’s fight for accessibility to the drug became the rallying cry for a growing effort to legalize medical marijuana in Georgia. Haleigh’s Hope continues to live up to its name as other families, including the Hopkins, have seen remarkable improvements in their loved ones after using it.

“On Dec. 1, [2014], Michala took her first dose of Hailey’s Hope,” Kelli said. “She hugged us for the first time in 17 years.”

Michala had experienced 461 seizures in the two months prior to starting the medical marijuana and just 42 in the two months immediately following. Since then, the frequency of seizures, as well as their duration and intensity, has lessened even more. “She goes weeks at a time now without a seizure,” Kelli said. “We never saw that before. We never saw a seizure-free day.”

The Hopkins have managed to wean Michala completely off of mostly ineffective seizure pharmaceuticals that made her irritable and aggressive. Now that she takes only Hailey’s Hope, she sleeps much better, can feed herself and shows more personality, which includes having a “wild, adventurous side,” according to sister Marlee Anne. “She loves living life on the edge,” she said with obvious pride and affection. “When it’s a boring day, she can’t let that happen.” Stories told of pilfered cupcakes and a manned, swinging chandelier offer convincing evidence.

Though the laws necessary to make medical marijuana legal in Georgia have been passed, they remain ineffectual until HB 324 is actually implemented by a board of commissioners that has yet to be appointed. Although the Hopkins returned to Georgia because Michala’s medication required only a minimal amount of THC, there are some families who remain “medical marijuana refugees” in “cannabis-friendly” states and others who wait in Georgia, still with no legal access.

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“We knew that Abe and Mary Elizabeth wouldn’t want us to live our days grieving and being sad.

As we do things, either apart or as a family, we do it remembering them.”

Medical Marijuana Advocate Mike Hopkins

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It could be several months or more before the rollout of the HB 324 is complete and the first crop of medical marijuana is grown, processed and placed into the hands of Georgia patients. For those like the Hopkins, the wait can be excruciating and heartbreaking as they watch their children suffer and sometimes die from unabated seizure episodes. Mike lauded as champions state lawmakers like Allen Peake, Micah Gravley and others who have fought to bring medical marijuana within reach, as well as the families who have stepped up to advocate for it. “It’s going to need more champions to help us complete it,” he said.

While Mike and Kelli downplay their role, their actions speak for themselves. As a family— three of them in wheelchairs—they used to go to the state capital to testify and give legislators a visual reminder of what was at stake. They continue to be medical marijuana advocates, taking speaking engagements and doing what they can to help make available to others what they have been able to obtain for Michala through Hailey’s Hope. Marlee Anne, their only child born without a genetic disease, is now 17 years old. She has helped to raise over $60,000 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta through UGA Miracle and, not surprisingly, has dreams

of a career working in medicine or with foster children. For her, the good has far outweighed any bad her family has endured.

“The thing I’m going to remember most when I’m old is not the struggles but every single time I got to see my siblings smile,” she said, “or all the people in our lives who worked hard so I could have those moments with them.” Though it was difficult for her to leave friends and make the temporary move to Colorado, she has no regrets. “It was definitely worth it to be waking up every morning seeing the smile on Michala’s face or getting to hug her every morning—knowing that we didn’t use to have that before [Hailey’s Hope]—and just the consistency of how God showed me love through all three of my siblings.”

The Hopkins have a special family saying now that seeks to capture the unique character of each of their departed children. Etched in stone on a couple of benches in Chimney Park and indelibly written on their hearts, it reads: “For the Love of Abe and the Joy of Mary Elizabeth.” Mike explained the rationale behind the words. “We knew that Abe and Mary Elizabeth wouldn’t want us to live our days grieving and being sad,” he said. “As we do things, either apart or as a family, we do it remembering them.”

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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

Miracle Walking

by KARI APTED

After suffering multiple strokes and the associated effects across the last two decades, Barbara Douglas stands as a testament to unshakable faith, vital medical care and candid self-assessment.

Barbara Douglas was relaxing at home, reading her Bible and listening to music. “Trust me,” the chorus of the gospel song repeated, and the devout Christian meditated on her faith as she waited for her son to call. She knew he needed a ride to work that day. When the house phone rang, she was unable to answer it. She simply could not lift her arm to pick up the receiver. Douglas was terrified to find herself paralyzed from the neck down.

“I was not in pain,” the Covington resident said, “but I wasn’t able to move anything but my eyes.” Panicked, she began to pray: “Lord, if it is your will for me to live, please let me be able to dial 911.” Miraculously, she mustered the ability to press the buttons

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on her telephone and connect with emergency services. However, when the dispatcher answered, Douglas was unable to speak.

“I couldn’t move or talk,” she said, “but my spirit was able to pray.”

Naturally, Douglas prayed, and an ambulance arrived soon after.

It was not long before she learned that she had suffered what would be the first of many strokes.

Stroke, which affects blood flow to and through the brain, is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability. A stroke happens when a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, or when a weak blood vessel ruptures. This causes death of brain tissue from a lack of oxygen. The symptoms

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associated with stroke vary according to which part of the brain is affected. Since her first stroke in 1998 at the age of 51, Douglas has experienced several transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs, often called “mini-strokes.” In most cases, her first sign was being unable to move or speak—or both. Other common warning signs of stroke are included in the acronym BE FAST: • Balance: Watch for sudden loss of balance or dizziness.

• Eyes: Check for vision loss or double vision.

• Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?

Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?

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

• Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or difficult to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

• Time to call 911: If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time, so you will know when the first symptoms appeared.

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ERICA WALKER, BN, RN, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR STROKE AND CV SERVICES WITH DEBRA COOPER, MD, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN.

“I’m not a good person to tell others how to avoid stroke, because we still don’t know what caused mine, but the most important thing is prayer.

With God’s help, there is another side to life after stroke.”

Barbara Douglas According to the American Stroke Association, 80 percent of strokes are preventable. However, a specific cause for Douglas’ repeated strokes was never found. She has a history of high blood pressure but has kept it in check through medication and a healthy lifestyle.

“I was already doing everything they told me to do to prevent a stroke, and I still do these things,” she said. “I exercise, I drink a lot

ERICA WALKER, BN, RN, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR STROKE AND CV SERVICES WITH HIRSHAM GOREISCH, MD, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN.

ALTEPLASE, THE CLOT-BUSTING DRUG

of water, [and] I cook almost every meal at home. When you eat out a lot, you don’t know what’s in the food. Everything has some sodium, but restaurant food has a lot of it, so I prefer cooking and knowing what I’m eating.”

In June, Douglas and her husband, Ronald, had recently returned from a trip to Japan. She was relaxing at home after dinner when she began to feel that her blood pressure was rising.

“I can feel it when it goes high, and I can feel when it goes low,” she said. Alarmed at the high reading, she soon felt the all-toofamiliar inability to move. Her husband called for an ambulance to Piedmont Newton Hospital. Erica Walker, a registered nurse who serves as the hospital’s stroke and cardiovascular coordinator, was working in the emergency room that day. She verified that Douglas was experiencing another stroke and administered life-saving tissue plasminogen activator.

“This was the first time that blood clots were involved,” Douglas said. “I’d never had clots before. They gave me the clot-busting drug, and within 30 minutes, I was able to speak again.” Just three months later, on her September birthday, Douglas suffered a stroke that presented differently from the others. “This time, I had been

feeling an odd pulsing feeling on the right side of my head for a few weeks. I had told my doctor that something felt off, but they couldn’t find anything. When I woke up on my birthday, the pulsing sensation was stronger. It wasn’t exactly pain, but it was uncomfortable,” she said. She stumbled from dizziness when she tried to get out of bed and needed her husband’s help to walk the few steps to the bathroom. Unsure of what was happening, Ronald drove his wife to Piedmont Newton’s ER. Although she retained her ability to speak, it was clear she had suffered another TIA. She remained in the hospital for four days.

“I am a walking miracle,” Douglas said while weighing her medical history. “Nobody but Jesus. I am so thankful for the staff at Piedmont Newton. I have had great experiences with everyone there, from the nurses to the doctors to the nutritionists, but I give all the credit to God for giving them the knowledge to treat me.”

Now 73, the mother of three, grandmother of six and great-grandmother to two suffers some lasting effects from her strokes. However, she emphasizes that there is life after this kind of health crisis.

“I want people to know that they can come through it, by the grace of the good Lord,” Douglas said. “I can’t walk as far as I used to, but I can still walk. I recently started driving again. I limit myself to how far I drive, but I’m grateful to be able to drive.”

Housework and errands take longer than before, and she struggles with loud noises. Tasks that require a lot of concentration are mentally fatiguing, and Douglas must write down details to remember them. Occasionally, her speech will slur, and she is plagued by random issues with balance. However, she works hard to maintain an active lifestyle.

“I’m able to work part-time as a recordkeeper at Kumon tutoring center in Conyers,” Douglas said. “They’ve been flexible with me, and I enjoy continuing to work when I feel up to it. I’m not a good person to tell others how to avoid stroke, because we still don’t know what caused mine, but the most important thing is prayer.

With God’s help, there is another side to life after stroke.”

2020 Winter Issue 25

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

26 The Newton

NO MOUNTAIN

by MICHELLE FLOYD

TOO HIGH Dawn Wells overcame a life-threatening eating disorder to open a fitness studio, where the former Marine passes on what she has learned about physical and mental health.

Dawn Wells understands the desire to strive for perfection better than most, as it motivates her to work hard to improve herself and others. “I’m still human,” she said. “I’m that average person.” Those who know Wells best view her as nothing less than extraordinary.

After teaching corporate fitness classes around the state for several years, she opened her own studio—Dawn Wells Fitness— in 2016. The Covington resident and her team offer classes, meal planning, personal training, custom wellness programs and blood type-based nutrition plans at the studio and online.

“We service all levels of experience, including those who have never exercised or those who are just getting into it,” said Wells, whose time in the Marines in the early 1990s was followed by her service in the Army Reserve. “I wanted to give back to my community and saw a need for [a fitness studio] here.”

Wells admits she was surprised by how much misinformation exists about health and fitness, and she aims to show others how to exercise effectively and take care of their bodies. She also wants her students to focus on their mental health—an issue with which she

has personal experience. Wells suffers from bulimia, a life-threatening eating disorder in which overeating is often accompanied by purging, which can include self-induced vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise and abuse of laxatives, weight-loss supplements and diuretics.

“I’m bulimic and have struggled for more than 25 years with weight and body image,” Wells said. “I’m very open when it comes to having an eating disorder.”

Wells knew she was harming her body but did not realize she was bulimic until she was diagnosed with the disorder at a Veterans Affairs hospital. “It was just part of my lifestyle,” she said. “I didn’t identify it as such.” Now that she has completed treatment for bulimia, Wells remains focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, physically and mentally. She has designs on fulfilling a longtime goal of entering a body building competition in 2020. “Until you deal with mental issues, you will not have as much success with your health as you would,” Wells said. “Your body will tell you. You have to be authentic with yourself and be honest with behaviors.”

2020 Winter Issue 27

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

“Until you deal with mental issues, you will not have as much success with your health as you would. Your body will tell you. You have to be authentic with yourself and be honest with behaviors.”

Fitness Instructor Dawn Wells Wells concedes that she uses some of her past military experience in her boot camps, but she also implements modern fitness into her courses to make them more user-friendly and effective for students. She customizes programs for groups and individuals, avoiding the one-size-fits-all trap into which some instructors fall.

“We teach form and strength and make sure you do things properly; it needs to be more of a lifestyle than working to get weight off quickly,” Wells said, adding that she and her team hold their clients accountable and even text them to provide encouragement and motivation. “Dawn Wells Fitness is not Dawn Wells. It’s the community, our whole reason for existing.”

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A mother of three and grandmother to one, Wells has earned certification from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America as a group fitness instructor and from SCW as a personal trainer and nutritional coach. She has also been licensed in multiple Zumba platforms. Wells’ fitness journey has taken her further than she ever thought possible, and it continues to evolve. She recently founded Angel Eyes Fitness & Nutrition, a Covington-based program for the visually impaired that provides instruction around metro Atlanta and online. Featuring belly dancing, boxing and Pilates, it grew out of her teaching Zumba at a state convention and a meeting with the National Federation for the Blind. Uber rides have been made available through a special grant, and Wells hopes to expand her online presence with more virtual classes and interactive programs in the coming years.

“I saw a need for it and took it on,” Wells said. “It’s definitely a blessing.”

For more information about and Angel Eyes Fitness & Nutrition, visit dawnwellsfitness.com and angeleyesfitnessandnutrition.com.

WHATCHA COOKIN?

by ALLEN BURRIS

Many of us eat tomatoes regularly, but do we know the journey that this simple food took to reach our plates? It was first cultivated in South and Central America and later taken to Europe. It was grown strictly for ornamental purposes, as many believed it was poisonous. However, it began to gain favor with the poor in Italy, especially once it got slapped onto a flat piece of bread topped with cheese. When European immigrants came to America, they brought their tomato recipes with them. In 1897, Joseph Campbell helped it gain popularity with his newly condensed tomato soup.

The tomato had finally found a home here in the United States. after traveling around the world to get here. “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

(Proverbs 16:9 NIV) I am at a place in my life that I am happy and content. However, I’ve experienced a lot of pain and rejection in my journey. Every experience, both good and bad, has played a role in shaping my life. Like the tomato, it feels like I’ve gone around the world just to find my place. I had my plans, but thankfully God, established my steps instead. May you, too, be like the tomato.

So, now you know Whatcha Cookin’.

CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP RECIPE/DIRECTIONS

Two 14.5 oz. cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes 32 oz. tomato juice One large onion 2-3 tsp. fresh minced garlic One cup heavy whipping cream ½ stick sweet unsalted butter 5 oz. fresh grated Parmesan cheese 12-15 leaves of fresh basil (If you wish, you can use extra leaves to garnish) Sea salt & ground white pepper (or black pepper) for taste Slice the onion and heat ¼ stick of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until caramelized. Add the minced garlic just before the onions are done.

Place onion, garlic, tomatoes and basil in blender, then puree.

Add to a large pot along with the tomato juice, cream and remaining butter and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.

As the soup begins to bubble, reduce heat to simmer and add 3 oz. of cheese. Add slowly and stir constantly to avoid clumping.

Once the cheese is melted and blended, the soup is done. Cup the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining cheese and fresh basil.

2020 Winter Issue 29

S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N

A Crucible

by BRIAN KNAPP

Unlike Any Other Former Eastside High School wrestler Cody Durden pushed all his chips to the center of the table and bet on himself in the cutthroat world of mixed martial arts.

When Cody Durden arrived at his crossroads, he paused, looked both ways and chose the path of most resistance—his steps through depressing lows and exhilarating highs numbered by blood, sweat and tears. The 28-year-old married father of two now finds himself on the precipice of realizing a dream only a select few thought possible.

Durden owns a 9-2 record in mixed martial arts, a physically and mentally demanding sport that melds together various disciplines of hand-to-hand combat, from traditional wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo to karate, taekwondo and muay Thai.

Though it was once saddled by the “human cockfighting” stigma, MMA has undergone various changes to its structure and rules across the last 25 years in an attempt to make it more palatable for mainstream audiences. Those efforts have largely succeeded.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship in March 2019 struck a five-year broadcasting rights deal with ESPN worth a reported $750 million. Home to more than 500 prizefighters, the UFC now stages 40-plus events annually all across the globe in a bid to stay

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2020 Winter Issue 33

S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N

“I’m a very smart guy. If I wanted to go to college and be a lawyer, I could have. Would I enjoy it?

Probably not. The money would be great, but money isn’t everything.”

Cody Durden

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ahead of competitors like Bellator MMA, the Professional Fighters League and Singapore-based One Championship. Durden, who competes at 135 pounds, wants a piece of the action.

“I hope to one day make it into the UFC or a bigger-paying promotion to do this full-time to support my family and help out people the best I can,” he said. “I want to give back one day.

Fighting is just a vehicle to get me where I’m going. One day, I’ll open up a gym and teach my skills to young kids to ensure they aren’t bullied and help them live a healthier lifestyle.”

Durden holds down a day job as a construction worker and trains as many as six days a week at an American Top Team affiliate in Lawrenceville. There, he hones his skills alongside accomplished fighters like current Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima and UFC veteran Dhiego Lima.

“I had a buddy I worked with tell me about the Lima brothers,” Durden said, “and he suggested if I wanted to be something in the sport I should go and check them out.”

His pursuits require extraordinary discipline and determination, creating a grind for which the weak-minded and faint-hearted need not apply. Durden has suffered a variety of injuries, including two torn ACLs, fractured ribs and numerous lacerations requiring stitches. He has broken both of his hands twice. Nevertheless, he rises daily at 4:30 a.m., works a typical 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. shift and then heads to the gym for an intense two- to three-hour training session. Durden’s commitment has not gone unnoticed.

His manager has already been contacted by Bellator matchmakers and spoken to the UFC about Durden appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series—an annual eight- to 10-week competition during which prospective fighters face one another for a chance to secure a UFC contract. Currently on a five-fight winning streak, Durden captured the Valor Fighting Challenge bantamweight championship with a second-round technical knockout of Dre Miley on Nov. 1 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

“My coaches and I are weighing the good and the bad,” he said.

“Then we will make a decision on what’s next.”

Eastside High School served as Durden’s springboard to MMA.

A 2009 graduate, he wrestled under former coach Michael Smith-Foot and helped lead the Eagles to two state championships.

As an individual, he compiled a remarkable 121-31 record, won four area championships, two sectional titles and advanced to the state final as a senior. Despite the fact that he had to close the book on his wrestling career—he was offered a scholarship to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York—due to the arrival of his son, he had unknowingly put the foundation in place for a career in combat sports. A chance invite from longtime friend and mixed martial artist Travis Knight changed everything.

“He invited me to his gym in Conyers,” Durden said. “They had wrestling mats there. I showed up and got my tail kicked every day but fell in love with the sport, so I started fighting in 2014 after two years of training.”

Durden won his first four fights, then suffered back-to-back defeats to Jared Scoggins and Ryan Hollis on July 22, 2017 and March 24, 2018. The lessons he learned in those setbacks remain with him to this day, as evidenced by the fact that he has not lost since.

“I learned to be patient, tactical, and learned to control my emotions,” Durden said. “Fighting isn’t about being angry and hurting the guy. It’s about being smart and getting the win.”

Though his passion for MMA burns as brightly today as it did when he first set foot in a gym, Durden concedes there are moments of doubt and quiet self-examination during which he questions the choices he has made. “The thought crosses my mind more than you could imagine, especially after a fight when I don’t have a fight lined up on the horizon,” he said. “I’m a very smart guy. If I wanted to go to college and be a lawyer, I could have.

Would I enjoy it? Probably not. The money would be great, but money isn’t everything.” Durden speaks from experience. He left a possible six-figure opportunity on the table when he decided to pursue MMA. “I knew all along what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to be the best fighter on the planet, so I quit my job, found a job that was more lenient and started training more. Was it all worth it?

Hell, yes.”

2020 Winter Issue 35

S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N

RUNNING WITH A PURPOSE

by KARI APTED

As the Covington YMCA’s primary fundraiser for the WHY IT MATTERS campaign, the Cheerios Challenge road race started with less than 50 participants nearly two decades ago and now averages 1,300 registrations annually.

The Covington Y Cheerios Challenge brings the community together every spring to fuel body, mind and soul. Most local residents have heard of the annual road race but many do not realize the story behind the event—or how much it impacts the youth of Newton County.

It was named after the popular breakfast cereal manufactured by local supporter General Mills. For nearly two decades, the Y Cheerios Challenge has attracted participants from all walks of life and all fitness levels. From serious runners looking to break their personal record to families wanting to enjoy some time outdoors together, Covington YMCA Executive Director Louly Hay-Kapp pointed to the inclusive nature of the race.

“The races have no time limit, so it’s OK to go fast or slow,” she said. “Strollers are welcome. You can run, walk or shuffle over the finish line—whatever it takes to finish.”

The Y Cheerios Challenge is the Covington YMCA’s largest fundraiser for the WHY IT MATTERS annual campaign, which funds YMCA scholarships for children. It is the mission of the YMCA to never turn away anyone due to financial hardship. Registration fees, vendor fees and other funds raised through the annual event make Y programs such as day camp and swimming lessons available to all children, regardless of their ability to pay.

“It’s a day of celebrating family, health and wellness while giving back to the community,” Hay-Kapp said. “It’s a culmination of efforts, where volunteers, law enforcement officers, businesses and citizens come together to support a great cause.”

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2020 Winter Issue 37

S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N

“It’s a day of celebrating family, health and wellness while giving back to the community. It’s a culmination of efforts, where volunteers, law enforcement officers, businesses and citizens come together to support a great cause.”

Covington YMCA Executive Director Louly Hay-Kapp

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While the race began with just 45 kids running one mile, it now averages around 1,300 annual registrations. Many local runners consider the Challenge a can’t-miss priority every year. Covington resident and retired music teacher Will Schmidt has only missed one run since the event began.

“Last year was the first year I missed, but I still registered,” Schmidt said. “In spring 2018, I tripped over a coat hanger—of all things—while running near the intersection of Floyd and Dearing streets. About a week later, my knee gave out completely, and it took a year to fully recover.”

The 67-year-old running enthusiast has since returned to running 100 miles each month and looks forward to the 2020 Y Cheerios Challenge. “Guys in my age group consistently make good times,” Schmidt said. “I can finish a 5K in about 30 minutes and a 10K in just over an hour.” In addition to maintaining his own best times, Schmidt enjoys the community aspect of being a Y Cheerios Challenge participant. “The YMCA excels at helping others,” he said. “Running in the Challenge is a way of giving back while doing something I enjoy.”

When Cynthia Eagan moved to Covington in 2000, the YMCA was one of the first places she visited. “The Y has been a central part of my life since I was 5 years old,” she said. “I grew up at the Y.

I learned how to swim at the Y. Everywhere I’ve lived, the YMCA has always been my anchor, my base.” Eagan began volunteering at the Covington Y and worked with Hay-Kapp to launch the first Challenge in 2001. She enjoys building connections between individuals and organizations.

“We were seeking corporate supporters for the event, and Louly and I made a presentation at General Mills,” she said. The food manufacturer has been a consistent supporter ever since. Eagan marvels at how much the Challenge has grown since its humble beginnings. “We started out with a few kids running along Newton Drive in front of the Y,” she said. “Now we’ve moved to Legion Field and have over a thousand participants.”

Eagan’s own involvement with the YMCA has grown, as well.

She and her husband have volunteered as Y coaches in a variety of sports, including basketball, soccer and cheerleading. The Eagans take turns serving on the Covington Y’s board, and her healthfocused lifestyle has led her to also serve on the boards at Piedmont Newton Hospital and Newton Trails.

“It’s my goal to have a race on the trail someday, if we can work out the logistics,” she said. “I love to give back to the community.

Although I could just give monetarily, I prefer to be there. I’m fortunate to have the time to volunteer.”

Even if they cannot run on race day, Eagan’s family of six registers every year.

“We want to support the WHY IT MATTERS annual campaign financially—and we all want that T-shirt,” Eagan said with a laugh.

“I am passionate about the Y, and I love how the Y Cheerios Challenge brings the community together.”

GREER ALLEN, MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATE AND KACIE BROWN, MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR

The 19th annual Cheerios Challenge will be held on April 18 and offers several levels of competition.

Participants may choose to run a 15K, 10K, 5K or one-mile fun run, while children age 5 and under can run in the 50-yard Tot Trot. Early registration ends on April 10, and all registered participants receive a T-shirt. Visit www.ycheerioschallenge.com for more information on registering as a runner or vendor.

A R T S , E D U C AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N

UNLOCKING DYSLEXIA’S

by NAT HARWELL

DOORS A sixth-grade social studies teacher at Indian Creek Middle School, Rob Gourlay overcame one of the most frustrating impediments to education anyone can meet.

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2020 Winter Issue 43

A R T S , E D U C AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N

It is not unusual for a line of students to form outside his classroom at the beginning of each school day at Indian Creek Middle School. The incoming sixth graders are initially a bit startled to see older students on their hall and at the doorway to their homeroom.

“I tell them,” Rob Gourlay said, “those are my students from last year and the year before who come by to start their day with a hug and a ‘have a nice day’ and to tell me something—any one thing—that I might not know, so don’t worry, I’ll be seeing many of you doing the very same thing next year, too.”

The sixth-grade social studies teacher, co-chair of the school’s social studies department and assistant softball and soccer coach chuckled as he relayed the vignette. Then he continued.

“The deal is, I never know what any of the kids will say to me,” Gourlay said, “but they have to say at least one thing to me in order to get the hug.”

It can be refreshing to find a teacher who, in this litigious day and age, relates to students so well and gives of himself so freely, a teacher who knows the importance of such a simple act as giving out a hug while engaging students in providing evidence that they learned something new over the course of a day. It is also startling to learn that one reason Gourlay keeps encouraging students to explore the wonder of learning as a lifelong journey is because of his own experience overcoming one of the most frustrating impediments to education anyone can meet: the learning disability known as dyslexia.

“A lot of folks are misguided about everything dyslexia entails,” the effervescent Gourlay said. “It’s not just a situation where letters are reversed and words are jumbled. For me, as I read, words would simply drop out or be missing in a sentence, and when I in turn would write a report, I’d have to proofread it over and over, as words I thought I had put on paper would simply not be there.”

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Frustration was a nearly constant companion for Gourlay as he was growing up and trying to read voraciously, for he loved history and anything related to social studies. He grew up in the Gwinnett County public schools back in the 1990s, when there was a stigma attached to anyone classified as “special education” and everyone labeled with the term “learning disability” was thought to have something wrong with them.

“The best decision ever that my parents made,” Gourlay said, “was to enroll me in a private school. At Stone Mountain Christian School in 1993, I was diagnosed with dyslexia and began a four-year program which entailed one-on-one therapy. I was so obsessed not to let this disability hold me back that I was able to complete the four-year program in just two years.”

Gourlay first appeared at Indian Creek as a paraprofessional in 1999 and now celebrates 20 years at the middle school. He completed his undergraduate degree program at Mercer University in 2002 and has been teaching social studies for 16 years, in addition to helping coach basketball, softball, soccer and robotics along the way. He earned his master’s degree in curriculum instruction and assessment in 2005, and he added his specialist’s degree in 2013. One might wonder what comes next for Gourlay.

“Well, I’m two courses and a dissertation away from my doctorate,” he said, “and I’ll be happy to go to any school that will have me, as I really, really would like to get that Ed.D certification.”

Gourlay explained that he has always been driven to further himself though education and to never stop learning. His infectious enthusiasm spreads today, as it has since he joined the faculty at Indian Creek, not only through the students at the school but beyond. He is currently serving a two-year term in the inaugural class on the newly formed Teacher Council of the Carlos Museum at Emory University. Field trips to that incredible facility serve to fascinate students of all ages, adults included.

“I’ve never hidden my dyslexia and my learning disability from my students,” Gourlay said. “In my opinion, if you hide it, it seems that you’re buying into the notion that there’s something wrong with you, and I want my students to understand that we are all unique, that we all have obstacles of some sort to overcome in life and that you cannot just stop and feel sorry for yourself.”

In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of Gourlay’s social studies instruction is his fully informing the students on how dyslexia has affected him. He actively solicits their participation

in double-checking what he writes on the board or to find any mistakes on paperwork he may have inadvertently made.

“I tell them from time to time that I know within a few minutes of awakening each morning if it’s going to be a great day for me or if it’s going to be a somewhat challenging day,” Gourlay said, “and I find that by being honest with them and working together, it encourages them to learn as much as they can in their own individual ways.”

While Indian Creek has become his home away from home, Gourlay is married to Lee Ann—herself a teacher at Middle Ridge Elementary School—and a father of two boys, 14-year-old Brett and 11-year-old Sam. His youngest son has the dubious distinction of being one of his father’s students.

“Well, that’s a study in progress,” Gourlay said with a laugh any parent can understand, “but as with all of my students, I have him ask the questions they might not ask other teachers, too.”

Gourlay feels that the struggle with dyslexia has helped make him a better teacher, as he can relate better to kids who have problems in school. He still faces the ongoing struggle and triple-checks his own work, which helps his students realize the importance of checking their own. The effectiveness of his approach is easy to see. One needs only to look at the kids lining up for a hug at the start of each school day as proof.

“It’s not just a situation where letters are reversed and words are jumbled.

For me, as I read, words would simply drop out or be missing in a sentence, and when I in turn would write a report, I’d have to proofread it over and over, as words I thought I had put on paper would simply not be there.”

Indian Creek Middle School Social Studies Teacher Rob Gourlay 2020 Winter Issue 45

A R T S , E D U C AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N

OFFICERS TAYLOR WEBB, QUANTAVIS GARCIA AND KATIE STOLTZ

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TRAINING TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE

by MICHELLE FLOYD

The nationally accredited Georgia Piedmont Technical College Law Enforcement Academy features a 17-week course designed to turn out better-prepared police officers. Roughly 500 students have come through the program since its inception in 2009.

Taylor Webb credits a police academy in Covington with saving his life—literally. Webb, who currently works for the Henry County Police Department, attended Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s Law Enforcement Academy in 2010. Some nine years later, he was involved in a life-threatening SWAT situation.

“Some of the training they offer is why I’m still alive right now,” said Webb, who was shot in the chest and hip during a standoff, his body still housing one of the bullets. “Everything I learned there I’ve used.”

Webb, a Conyers native, returned to work following the April 2019 incident but continues physical therapy and personal training in a bid to regain some of the strength he lost in the shooting.

When he signed up for the program after being in the construction business for a few years, he admits he had no idea the depths to

which the instruction would go. The 17-week course trains students in physical tasks, educates them about laws and situations they may encounter in the line of duty, introduces them to members of law enforcement and the court system and exposes them to serious scenarios and images they might observe in the field.

“You have to know what you’re doing,” said Webb, who conceded that law enforcement jobs are stressful. “You can’t just call your sergeant when you run into something on the road. You have to understand what you can and can’t do and be able to think for yourself.”

The academy was the first and remains the only law enforcement academy in Georgia to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Upon completion of the program, graduates receive their Georgia Peace Officer 2020 Winter Issue 47

A R T S , E D U C AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N

“This is a job you have to want to do.

It’s not a career for everybody. It’s a very fulfilling career, but you have to have a passion and want to do this job.”

Georgia Piedmont Technical College Law Enforcement Academy Director Maj. Harry McCann

Standards and Training POST certification, along with 42 college credits toward a criminal justice degree.

“My hope when we started [in 2009] was to help raise standards in law enforcement in the state of Georgia, to go to higher training standards and turn out a better-prepared police officer,” said Maj. Harry McCann, director of the academy and a law enforcement officer since 1993. “This is a job you have to want to do. It’s not a career for everybody. It’s a very fulfilling career, but you have to have a passion and want to do this job.”

Roughly 500 students have come through the program since inception, from Newton, Walton, Rockdale and Morgan counties all the way to Warner Robins and cities in North Georgia.

“When you’re in it, it sucks,” said Katie Stoltz, who currently works road patrol for the Conyers Police Department, “but when you’re out of it, you’re grateful for the opportunity you got. When you get done, you will be incredibly proud of what you did there.”

Aside from getting access to people and resources around the state that help law enforcement officers do their jobs, Stoltz revealed that she learned how to put personal feelings aside to attack any situation and also to have positive self-talks, which help affect the rest of the work day.

“Everything has a point—there’s a reason behind it,” Stoltz said.

“You might not know it [during the class], but one day, you will.”

GPTC LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY INSTRUCTOR GENE MCKINNEY TEACHES THE FALL 2019 CLASS

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Quantavis Garcia, a detective for the Conyers Police Department, cited the program’s willingness to teach students how to properly handle everyday situations, like conducting search warrants. He also likes that it puts prospective officers in scenarios on which they are critiqued to help them improve once they are in the field. He believes that limiting the class size to around 20 students, not all of whom make it out of the program, aids in forming a close-knit group while they pursue their goals. “[Being in law enforcement] has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I can’t remember wanting to be anything else,” Garcia said. “Don’t do it for the money; do it because it’s a God-given gift to you.”

Qualified candidates in the Georgia Piedmont Technical College Law Enforcement Academy are eligible for both the HOPE Scholarship and Pell grants.

“The purpose of the Law Enforcement Academy is twofold, but it follows the same mission as the rest of our college,” said Jana Wiggins, executive director of marketing and communications at GPTC. “First, we want to give aspiring officers the training and tools they need to be effective in a very difficult, high-pressure job in public safety. Second, we want to provide highly trained and skilled candidates for the many law enforcement agencies and departments in our region and state.

“For us, it’s about preparing the workforce and meeting the needs of employers,” she added, “and I think the fact that the vast majority of our program cadets every semester have jobs waiting for them immediately upon graduation shows that we are doing just that.”

CITY OF CONYERS POLICE OFFICER QUANTAVIS GARCIA

For more information on the Law Enforcement Academy at Georgia Piedmont Technical College, visit gptc.edu/LEA.

50 The Newton

LIVING

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H O N O R I N G

O U R

FOUR-LEGGED

HEROES

by KARI APTED

Porterdale hosts the country’s only known annual K-9 memorial event, helping police jurisdictions from across the world grieve for and pay homage to the service dogs they have lost.

The small mill town of Porterdale on the surface seems an unlikely place to host the country’s only known annual K-9 memorial event. However, it does not take long for people to realize that the tiny community boasts a giant heart, making it the ideal location to honor canine heroes from around the world.

It all started in 2009, when Porterdale Police Chief Jason Cripps and his wife, Holly, organized a motorcycle fundraiser to buy bulletproof vests for their law enforcement officers. We Ride to Provide was initially established as a 501c3 nonprofit to allow people to make tax-deductible donations to help equip the Porterdale Police Department. Through the years, it has evolved into a global outreach program focused on police dogs and their needs.

WRTP now works to connect law enforcement officers with good police dog candidates. In addition, the charity helps officers obtain the necessary K-9 training for their animals and provides first-aid training and medical kits to service dogs throughout America and around the world. These emergency kits include bandages, electrolyte solutions and other first-aid supplies for dogs. Since 2011, Holly has packed and shipped over 3,000 K-9 first-aid kits.

“We have 130 kits in Puerto Rico and have shipped kits to over 10 countries,” she said, “including Scotland, Switzerland, Brazil and Germany.”

While the Cripps are proud of the number of K-9s they have been able to help, the annual memorial service holds the dearest place in Holly’s heart. She attributes her passion for the event to a special golden retriever named Beau. When the Cripps were searching for Porterdale’s first-ever police dog, a friend told them about Beau, a 5-year-old obese diamond in the rough.

“He was supposed to weigh 65 pounds, but he weighed 100,” Holly said. “His fur was so matted [that] we had to shave him.”

The Cripps knew there was something genuinely special about Beau. The couple helped Beau regain his fitness and enrolled him in a K-9 training program. He soon became an outstanding drug-searching dog and could easily pinpoint which lockers held illegal substances during drug sweeps at schools. Beau also showed amazing skill in finding missing persons. The big, golden dog quickly made himself at home with the Cripps family, moving from his luxurious outdoor kennel into the house as soon as he could.

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LIVING

“He ended up taking over my guest room—he made that king-sized bed his. He was such a gentleman and so kind with my grandchildren,” Holly said. “He was afraid of thunderstorms, though. I always had to hold him tight during storms.”

The Cripps’ personal experience with their first K-9 gave them a whole new appreciation for service animals. “One day,” Holly said, “I saw Beau sitting in the front of the patrol car and I thought, ‘When he dies, no one will know he’s been here if I don’t do something.’” The K-9 memorial service was born from the Cripps’ need to make sure Beau was never forgotten, but it now helps police jurisdictions around the world grieve for and memorialize their dogs.

“You’d often hear these old police chiefs saying, ‘It’s just a dog,’ but nobody says that anymore,” Holly said. “I often envision that the day Beau was born God placed a halo over his head and vowed to use him to make life better for police dogs around the world.”

The next WRTP K-9 Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Porter Memorial Gymnasium. The public is invited to attend. During the service, the Cripps will call out one-by-one the names of all the K-9s who reached their “End of Watch”—a term Holly prefers to death—in 2019. Each K-9 handler will be presented with a custom memorial box and memorial flag. Dog “mommies”

will be recognized for the vital role they played in caring for their animals while they were off duty. “K-9s usually live with their handler and their family, and dog moms are often the ones who get the K-9s ready for work,” Holly said. The night before the ceremony, Grace Baptist Church will host a dinner for the service participants and event volunteers. It has become a tradition and serves as an ice-breaker for K-9 handlers to meet others who have lost their cherished animals.

“For many officers, it’s their first chance to grieve with those who truly understand what they are going through,” Holly said. “The dinner helps them know that they are not alone.”

WRTP welcomes donations of any size to help accomplish the mission of saluting, caring for and memorializing these remarkable dogs. Holly’s policy is to never say no to police dogs, whether it relates to a request for a first-aid kit or a blue-light escort to their final resting place at their End of Watch—even if it means paying out of pocket for these expenses herself.

“There’s something extraordinary about K-9s,” Holly said.

“Actually, I think there’s got to be a bigger word than ‘extraordinary’ to describe them. They’re so full of loyalty, passion and kindness.

There is too much good in these dogs to ignore them. If I look into those big, brown eyes—they’re usually brown—and know there is a need, how can I look away?”

“One day I saw Beau sitting in the front of the patrol car and I thought, ‘When he dies, no one will know he’s been here if I don’t do something.’”

BEAU

54 The Newton

Holly Cripps, wife of Porterdale Chief of Police Jason Cripps

Dec. 28, 2016 marked the End of Watch for the Cripps’ beloved golden retriever, Beau. Though their hearts were broken, the Cripps knew it was time to let the elderly hero rest in peace. His flagdraped body was given a blue light escort from the veterinary clinic to the crematorium, his ashes memorialized in an urn and later worked into two glass sculptures. Holly continues to feel Beau’s spirit in everything she does to help other K-9s. One night after Beau passed away, a thunderstorm rolled in. Unable to sleep and accustomed to holding Beau during rainstorms, she found herself missing him terribly. She picked up his urn, took it back to her bed and held it close to her chest.

“It may sound crazy,” Holly said, “but that night, I swear I heard him bark.”

HOW TO HELP • Donate funds to purchase a K-9 first-aid kit. Each kit costs $110, which includes shipping and refreshing the kit’s supplies throughout the dog’s lifetime.

• Purchase a Memorial Sponsorship. The $125 pays for one handler’s memorial shirt, a K-9 custom memorial box, a K-9 custom memorial flag, adding the fallen K-9’s name to the WRTP memorial trailer, the flower presented to the dog mommy and the catered dinner for the handler and their family or department members the night before the event.

• Host a Facebook Fundraiser on your birthday and choose WRTP as the recipient. These donations help to pay for the incidental costs of running the charity, such as packing materials, printer ink and countless other expenses. The organization’s Facebook page is www.facebook.com/WRTPK9.

2020 Winter Issue 55

LIVING

by KARI APTED

Ellen King and other Alcovy CASA representatives have made it a priority to provide the softest landing possible for abused and neglected children taken into foster care by the Department of Family and Children’s Services.

When Ellen King retired from the Newton County Health Department, she promised herself she would continue giving back to the community she loved. As a health department nurse, she frequently went on home visits as part of the Zero to Three program.

The experience helped her transition easily to visiting children in their homes as an Alcovy CASA advocate.

CASA stands for “Court Appointed Special Advocate” and is a national association that provides a voice for abused or neglected children taken into foster care by the Department of Family and Children’s Services. Alcovy CASA represents children who have

56 The Newton

entered the system in Newton and Walton counties. As the name indicates, volunteer advocates work with the courts, parents, teachers and other professionals to ensure the best possible outcome for children in foster care.

“Most of the families are very receptive to CASA help. After all, I’m the child’s advocate,” King said. “I make recommendations to the court on their behalf. I’m not the person who implements things; I just try to get everyone’s point of view and then work toward the outcome they would like to see.”

Becoming a CASA volunteer can be a vehicle to help foster children and teenagers without taking the plunge into full foster parenthood. Advocates must be at least 21 years old, complete 40 hours of training and commit to the program for at least one year—the length of most court cases. On average, a CASA advocate will spend six to eight hours each month volunteering.

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When asked about the emotional investment of being a CASA advocate, King called the work stressful but fulfilling.

“If you want to help kids, this is a good way to do it,” King said.

“It has its joys and its sorrows. Like so much of life, you have to go through the tough times to get to the good parts. I often end up falling in love with the families I help.”

Alcovy CASA Executive Director Lindsay Dycus emphasizes that King’s 10 years of CASA service has had a profoundly positive impact on the community.

“As the director, knowing when Ellen accepts a case, I know with zero doubt that the child will be blessed by knowing Ellen and the careful way she gets to know that child,” she said. “She has a wonderful way with children, young and old, and they are comforted by her presence, her kind and honest words and her gentle and quirky spirit. What does a child need more in their life than comfort when they are facing foster care?”

Dycus sees a quiet and patient grace in King.

“I have watched as Ellen walked into a stress-filled courthouse, and the kids she was advocating for ran to hug her,” she said. “I have watched Ellen comfort saddened children when foster care became too much. Ellen has read books, played games, held hands, taken

walks with, listened intently [and] dried tears but most importantly has been a reckoning force for the best interest of a child.”

King and Dycus strongly encourage others to join their mission of helping the most vulnerable members of the community.

Children with a CASA advocate spend less time in foster care than kids who go without, experience fewer transitions between homes and are more likely to be placed with their siblings under the roof of a responsible family member.

“Something is happening with the kids in our community lately.

There has been a real onslaught of kids going into foster care,” King said. “I recently received an email asking volunteers to take on another case if they can. All kids need a CASA; all kids should have one.”

Dycus agrees with those sentiments.

“More children in our community need more people like Ellen to step up and stand in the gap for them,” she said. “Dozens of Newton County foster care children still need a CASA advocate.

Please consider [contacting us] to learn how you can volunteer to forever change a child’s story.”

For more information about Alcovy CASA, including how to volunteer, visit alcovycasa.org.

“If you want to help kids, this is a good way to do it. It has its joys and its sorrows. Like so much of life, you have to go through the tough times to get to the good parts. I often end up falling in love with the families I help.”

Alcovy CASA Advocate Ellen King

58 The Newton

LIVING

COVINGTON SQUARE, COURTESY OF RONALD MANSON

OXFORD COLLEGE, COURTESY OF RONALD MANSON

60 The Newton

TURNER LAKE, COURTESY OF RONALD MANSON

by DARRELL HUCKABY

A MELLOWER

OLD MAN WINTER The cold season in the North Georgia Piedmont seems to have grown less harsh over the years, largely leaving behind a time when flapless ears froze, pipes burst and Guy Sharpe’s Siberian Express sent temperatures into a nosedive. Some of us miss those days.

Return with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryear—before global warming and central heat—when Old Man Winter was the toughest dude around.

To begin with, let’s face reality. Winter just ain’t what it once was in the North Georgia Piedmont. I don’t pretend to be a scientist and cannot explain nor do I fully understand the Greenhouse Effect, the diminishing ozone layer or the relationship between cow flatulence and the climate. I do know this. It just isn’t as cold as it used to be.

Winters were tough when I was a little boy. I’m not going to talk about how I walked four miles through the snow to get to school every day. It hardly ever snowed in Porterdale, and when it did, they closed school so we could stay home and play outside.

However, I did walk to school, as did almost every other child in our little mill village. It didn’t hurt us any, as it was maybe a half-mile, not four. Still, that was one cold half-mile in wintertime.

The worst part of the walk to school was crossing the bridge over the Yellow River. I know why they have those signs that read “Bridges ice before roadways.” It was cold as a well digger’s bottom going across that bridge in January and February. I still remember bundling up in my coat and hat. Remember those old leather caps that were lined with fur? They had flaps that you could pull down over your ears. We pulled them down, too, because if you didn’t,

your ears would feel like ice cubes and somebody would sit behind you and thump them all morning. There were kids at Porterdale school who derived great pleasure from thumping frozen ears.

I’d start out every winter with a pair of gloves. The first one was always gone after about two days. That wasn’t so bad because I could carry my books with one hand and put the other in my coat pocket. By the second week of winter, both gloves were long gone, which meant that by the time I got to school, my hands were as red and frozen as my ears when I couldn’t find my cap.

Getting to school wasn’t the only hardship created by the harsh winters of my childhood. Bedtime created an entirely different set of problems. Our house didn’t have central heat. We had one little gas space heater in the living room that tried to heat that room and the kitchen, but we turned it off at night. When it was time to turn in, my mama would tuck me under a pile of quilts so heavy that turning over was next to impossible.

Sometimes, it would be so cold that you’d resort to sleeping in a toboggan, or “sock hat,” as we called it. The problem with the sock hat was that the darn thing made you itch so much that you couldn’t stand to wear it. Other times, it was so cold in the bedroom that the windows frosted completely over and a thin layer of ice formed on the inside.

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Heaven help you if you needed to get up and go to the bathroom during the night. It was outside on the back porch, which was an improvement over when it was outside in the backyard.

You don’t know cold if you haven’t crawled out from under a nest of four or five quilts and walked barefoot over a wooden floor to an outdoor toilet.

I remember when we’d get a real cold snap and the temperature hovered around zero for a few days. That created real problems because most of the houses were built on brick pillars, about four feet off the ground, and were not underpinned. The cold air whipping under the houses caused the pipes to freeze and we’d be without water until the temperatures began to rise. When they did, there was a good chance that pipes would burst.

When our water pipes burst and water flooded our kitchen, my daddy cussed first, then called Oscar Harold Jackson, the town plumber. Oscar Harold drew a lot of overtime when the temperature got near zero. To try and avoid frozen pipes when Guy Sharpe, Atlanta’s weatherman, predicted that the Siberian Express—a cold front coming straight down from Canada—was on its way, we’d wrap our pipes with newspaper and duct tape, catch up buckets of water and leave the faucet in the sink dripping. It usually didn’t matter.

I don’t know how often those cold snaps came, but I do remember the Yellow River freezing solid a few times. Having chapped lips and a wind-burned face in winter was as common as stumped toes and bee stings in the summer. I’ve it made now, though. Our floors are carpeted, I can keep the thermostat on a reasonably warm temperature at night and I don’t have to go outside to use the bathroom unless I want to. I’ve never had a frozen pipe in my house, but I’ve only lived in it for 35 years.

I’m not sure they make those little leather caps anymore.

Be it global warming, changing lifestyles or whatever, winter isn’t nearly as bad as it used to be. Most people are probably glad, but I kind of miss the cold weather; and when David Chandley tells me the Siberian Express is headed our way, I’m going to leave my pipes dripping just for old time’s sake.

“Heaven help you if you needed to get up and go to the bathroom during the night. It was outside on the back porch, which was an improvement over when it was outside in the backyard. You don’t know cold if you haven’t crawled out from under a nest of four or five quilts and walked barefoot over a wooden floor to an outdoor toilet.”

Darrell Huckaby

62 The Newton

JANUARY IS RADON ACTION MONTH: TIME TO TEST YOUR HOME According to data from the University of Georgia Radon Education Program, homes in Newton County have a 24 percent chance of having an elevated level of radon.

This can happen in any kind of home with any type of construction, including slab, crawlspace or basement.

Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that can be harmful after extended exposure to high levels. As the gas migrates up through the soil, it can enter a building and concentrate indoors. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers and the second-leading cause overall, behind tobacco smoke. Luckily, testing for radon is easy, and exposure to radon is preventable.

Winter is the best time to test for radon, because the heat is on and your home acts like a vacuum, sucking up gases from the ground under your home. If your home has an elevated level of radon, the test will be more likely to indicate that than when testing at other times of the year. Test kits are available at www.UGAradon.org. Kits purchased online cost $15 and include the kit, shipping, lab analysis and results.

Through January, Georgians can get $5 off the cost of a test kit by using the promo code NRAM2020.

If the radon level in your home is elevated, you can install a radon reduction system. A radon reduction or radon mitigation system reduces high levels of indoor radon to acceptable levels. The most commonly used system is a vent pipe system and fan that pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside.

Another source of radon exposure is from private drinking water wells. If you are unsure whether radon is in your well water, have the water tested. To get a water testing kit, call 1-800-ASK-UGA1.

To learn more about radon visit www.UGAradon.org or contact the Newton County Extension Office at 770-784-2010 or visit the office inside the Newton County Administration Building at 1113 Usher Street in Covington.

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RESOURCES

“Sometimes the messes we live with aren’t the ones we made.

But life is like that, messy, and everyone needs help sometimes.”

H. D. Knightley

FOOD RESOURCES Covington First UMC Food Pantry Only 770-786-7305 2160 Church Street Covington, GA 30014

Mon. & Wed. 2 – 4 p.m., Third Sat. of month 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Serves Newton County residents.

Bring I.D. First Sat. of month, mobile food pantry at 10 a.m.

Willing Helpers 678-342-3434 8111 Brown Bridge Road Covington, GA 30014

Thur. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The ministry operates on a $10.00 donation. Please bring some form of I.D. in order to record your visit.

Anyone is welcome to use this ministry.

Repairers of the Breach 770-787-7250 5120 Old Brown Bridge Road Covington, GA 30014 Mon. – Fri. 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Bring photo I.D.

Salvation Army 770-786-2107 5193 Washington Street Covington, GA 30014

Tue. – Thur. 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Bring I.D.

Potter’s House 678-212-0319 1120 Crowell Road Covington, GA 30014 Sat. 9 – 11:30 a.m. & Wed. by appointment only

Community Food Pantry 770-784-0037 7129 Turner Lake Drive Covington, GA 30014 Wed. & Fri. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Bring photo I.D.

Red Oak UMC 770-787-0404 15105 Hwy 36 Covington, GA 30014 Wed. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Harvest Baptist Church 770-787-7275 2075 Highway 212 Covington, GA 30016 Mon. 8:30 – 11:00 a.m..

First & third Mon., 5 – 7 p.m.

Belmont Baptist Church 770-786-8676 x5 3275 Iris Drive Conyers, GA 30013 Mon. 9 – 11:30 a.m.

Bring I.D.

Monastery of the Holy Spirit 770-483-8705 2625 Hwy 212 Conyers, GA 30094 Tue. 8 – 10 a.m.

Bring I.D.

CLOTHING AND RESALE Habitat for Humanity Conyers/Rockdale ReStore 770-785-7675 1117 West Avenue Conyers, GA 30012 Cinderella Shop 770-784-7330 2145 Pace Street Suite B Covington, GA 30014

Women’s gently worn and clean clothing and accessories

Reach Thrift Store 678-712-6590 3236 Hwy 278 Covington, GA 30014 Resale shop

GoodWill 770-788-2298 3173 US-278 Covington, GA 30014

Clothing and household resale items

Repairers of the Breach 770-787-7250 5120 Old Brown Bridge Road Covington, GA 30014 Clothing, books, household resale items

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HOUSING ASSITANCE The Garden of Gethsemane Homeless Shelter 770-787-8519 7133 Turner Lake Circle Covington, GA 30014 Housing for homeless men, women and children

Covington Housing Authority 770-786-7739 x1 5160 Alcovy Road Covington, GA 30014 Income-based housing Mon. – Thur. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fri. 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Covington Square Apartments 770-786-3227 2101 Washington Street Covington, GA 30014 Affordable housing Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Harris Town Park 678-625-3235 2135 Reynolds Street Covington, GA 30014

Affordable housing Mon., Wed., Fri. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Habitat for Humanity 770-784-9665 Housing to qualified families

Action Ministries 888-206-7372

Housing for homeless individuals, families and veterans

FaithWorks 770-784-1884 7129 Turner Lake Road Covington, GA 30014

St. Vincent de Paul Society 770-761-3731 2621 Lost Valley Ct Conyers, GA 30013

Salvation Army 770-786-2107 5193 Washington Street, Covington, GA 30014

ADDICTION, PREVENTION AND RECOVERY

Rent Assistance Wed. & Fri. 9 – 11 a.m.

Rent Assistance

Repairers of the Breach 770-787-7250 5120 Old Brown Bridge Road Covington, GA 30014 Rent Assistance

HomeSafe Georgia www.homesafegeorgia.com

A federally funded, state operated mortgage assistance program that helps homeowners avoid foreclosure

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FaithWorks 770-784-1884 7129 Turner Lake Road Covington, GA 30014 Utilities

Salvation Army 770-786-2107 5193 Washington Street Covington, GA 30014 Utilities, prescriptions

Repairers of the Breach 770-787-7250 5120 Old Brown Bridge Road Covington, GA 30014 Utilities

Snapping Shoals EMC Operation RoundUp 770-786-3484 14750 Brown Bridge Road Covington, GA 30016 Medical bills

Medical/dental, prescriptions, rent, utilities, legal fees, burials

Rockdale House for Women 770-483-0213 In house recovery for women

Gran Recovery 678-209-2770 215 Kirkland Road Covington, GA 30016

Drug-Free Coalition 770-786-0807

Alliance Recovery Center 770-922-4482 3430 GA-20 Conyers, GA 30013

GA Smoke Free Quit Line 877-270-7867

ASSISTED LIVING

Drug abuse prevention

Help to stop smoking

Hearts for Families 770-972-3664

Underage drinking prevention

Alcoholics Anonymous 404-525-3178 Find a local meeting

Celebrate Recovery at Eastridge Community Church 770-786-2048 863 GA-142 Covington, GA 30014

For people of all ages (6 months and up) The program covers a limitless number of issues. Celebrate Recovery is for anyone who is struggling with a hurt, habit, or hang-up.

Every Thur. 7 – 9 p.m.

Damascus Road Recovery 770-787-1975

In-house recovery residence for men

Narcotics Anonymous 800-477-6291 Find a local meeting

First Step House Rockdale 770-785-7002 In-house recovery

Rockdale House for Men 770-483-4984

Merryvale Assisted Living 770-786-4688 11980 GA Hgwy 142 Oxford, GA 30054 Mon. – Sun. 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Riverside Healthcare Center 770-787-0211 5100 West Street Covington, GA 30014 Mon. – Fri. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Benton House 770-788-6660 7155 S. Dearing Road Covington, GA 30014

SPECIAL NEEDS Miracle League of Newton County 770-786-4373 x17 City Pond Park 13501 City Pond Road Covington, GA 30014

Fully-accessible baseball field and playground for those with special needs

Chimney Park 678-625-1235 7116 Floyd Street Covington, GA 30014

Outdoor sanctuary especially attractive to families with children with special needs

Special Olympics 770-786-3802

Provide sports training and competitions for over 500 Newton County children with developmental or mental disabilities

Special Needs Advocate for Parents of Georgia, LLC 770-285-4524 8134 Geiger Street, Suite 12 Covington, GA 30014

Mon. – Fri. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Garden of Social Circle 770-464-4211 621 N. Cherokee Road Social Circle, GA 30025 All hours

Remington House 678-509-3904 1504 Renaissance Drive Conyers, GA 30012 Mon. – Sat. 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Morningside of Conyers 770-922-1654 1352 Wellbrook Circle Conyers, GA 30012

In-house recovery for men

2020 Winter Issue 65