2021 Summer Issue

community magazine 2021 SUMMER 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 Forever Young 10 Upward Bound 14 To Have and to Hold

EDITOR

Brian Knapp PHOTOGRAPHERS

Brian Dean Michie Turpin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

SPORTS & RECREATION

22 Survival Guide 30 Infection in the Crosshairs

36 Talent for the Game 40 An Unbreakable Will

Kari Apted Chris Bridges Shelton Brown Michelle Floyd Nat Harwell Patty Rasmussen Terri Webster ILLUSTRATOR

Scott Fuss 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.

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ARTS, EDUCATION & INNOVATION 46 Threads of Compassion 50 Brushstrokes of Genius

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LIVING

58 Treasure Hunt 62 All Strings Attached 68 Always a Coach on the Field

On the Cover

ALL ROADS LEAD SOMEWHERE

by BRIAN KNAPP

Some of you have already taken that hours-long ride to your preferred vacation destination, while the rest of us patiently await our turn. My wife and I have learned to cherish those rides. My sons are 14 and 12 now, and time has started to get away from us. We know that with each passing day, we move one step closer to having an empty and much quieter backseat. There are some days where I deal with the reality quite well, and there are others where I feel like I shudder with each tick of the clock. One of my favorite movies of all-time, “No Country for Old Men,” also happens to contain one of my favorite lines of all-time: “You can’t stop what’s coming.”

None of us can stop the inexorable passage of time, and it seems to only speed by faster as we grow older. I can remember holding my firstborn at Rockdale Medical Center on a Wednesday night in 2006. Now, he is preparing

for his first year of high school and will soon be behind the wheel of a car.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 tells us, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” All time has godly purpose, whether we recognize it or not.

The coronavirus pandemic, if nothing else, taught me to live my life day by day. I try not to look backward because those days are gone, and I try not to look forward because those days are not promised to me. As we set out on our family pilgrimages this summer—Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has become our oasis—remember to count each moment as a gift from above. One day, this ride, like all others, will come to an end.

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

We love summertime. Well, not the summertime climate. We could do without the heat and humidity. However, we do love the laid-back, carefree vibe that settles over our family when the kids are out of school. We were watching a show on TV the other night, discussing whether or not to stay up and watch another episode, when someone asked, “What time is it?”

Scott replied: “Summer.” I think that was the same night I had ice cream for dinner.

The long, lazy days of summer give us a chance to stop and catch our breath and do some of the things we normally fail to make time for in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Summer opens the door for more game nights and water balloon fights, road trips and picnics, white water rapids and lazy rivers. Whatever floats your boat, we hope you find some time to do more of it this summer; or just kick back, be a little lazy and maybe even a little crazy.

Go on, have some ice cream for dinner.

We are grateful to this issue’s contributors—those willing to share their stories and the writers and photographers who helped tell them—and to our advertisers, readers, and cheerleaders. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you.

May God bless and keep you.

Scott and Meredith Tredeau

We would like to say a special thank you to David Foy for allowing the use of his Mustang to help bring the 2021 summer cover to life.

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F E AT U R E S

FOREVER YOUNG Kathleen Hooper celebrated the 101st birthday of her remarkable life on March 17. The middle child born to Elbert and Mamie Capes, she has outlived 10 siblings, married twice, reveled in motherhood, nurtured grandchildren, held great-grandchildren, attended an Atlanta premiere for “Gone with the Wind” and witnessed 19 United States presidencies.

by KARI APTED Kathleen Capes Hooper turned 101 years old on March 17—or so the story goes. She might actually be a whole year older. Born at home to Elbert and Mamie Capes on the family’s sprawling Newton County dairy farm, there was no official documentation of her arrival. As was customary at the time, the attending midwife simply wrote the date in the family’s Bible. Hooper’s older sister insisted she was 5 years old when Kathleen was born and that the midwife recorded the wrong year. If so, that would make Hooper 102.

Regardless of her numerical age, Hooper has lived through an entire century of history. Woodrow Wilson was President and World War I was still a fresh memory when she was born in 1920. The average income was just over $2,000 per year. It cost two cents to mail a letter, and gasoline was 33 cents per gallon.

However, the cost of gas did not matter so much, because at the time, no one in the little Oak Hill community even owned a gas-powered vehicle.

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Hooper has outlived 10 siblings—five brothers and four sisters—with her last remaining sister Sara having died on Mother’s Day at the age of 94. Hooper was a middle child, and as was often the case in that era, she had two additional siblings that died before she knew them. One died from pneumonia as an infant, and an older brother died of appendicitis at age 18 before Hooper was born. Kathleen and her siblings caught the bus each day to Livingston School, which housed all grades, from elementary through high school, in one building. Before and after school, each Capes child had to milk three cows and do a variety of other chores on the farm. Some of the children ended up leaving school to work, but Hooper decided she wanted to graduate.

“My daddy wouldn’t let any of us girls date,” Hooper said.

“He said that [we] could start after high school. Well, none of my older sisters would defy daddy and date anyway. Then my prom came around and he wasn’t going to let me go, but I said I was going to go anyhow—and I did.”

When it was time to buy her senior ring, her father agreed to pay the $12 for it, but only after he made her pick a huge basket of turnip greens. Since they always had a big garden, Hooper never remembers a time that food felt scarce. However, that was not true for many people in the 1930s.

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One of her most vivid memories happened on Dec. 15, 1939.

Her soon-to-be husband, Bill Hooper, had a relative in California who sent them tickets to attend the premiere of “Gone with the Wind” at Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta. “Clark Gable, Margaret Mitchell and Vivien Leigh were there,” Kathleen said. “It was the first time I ever saw a woman smoking a cigarette on a stick like they did in the movies.” She also chuckled as she remembered Bill’s old Ford breaking down on the way home at 3 a.m. I-20 was still a dirt road at the time, and Bill owned the only car in the Oak Hill community. High school sweethearts, Bill and Kathleen married in 1940. Later, she would learn how to drive in her very own pink Mercury.

During World War II, Kathleen recalls the mill manufacturing rope, tires and other materials for the Army. Her brother Hulon fought in Europe and came home with frostbitten toes. After the war, the Hoopers built a brick house on the family’s land. Kathleen still lives there to this day. She became a mother at the age of 37, later in life than most women at the time.

“There was this one time my friend came to visit,” Hooper said. “She was nibbling on a biscuit my mother made like she was trying to make it last. She finally told me that she hadn’t had any food in two days and was nibbling so we wouldn’t know how hungry she was.”

Although Hooper has mostly happy memories of growing up on the dairy farm located on Oak Hill Road, it was hard work being a farmer’s daughter.

“I once dumped a boyfriend when I found out his family owned a dairy in Wisconsin,” she said with a laugh. “I’d had enough of that.”

Hooper recalls basketball being her favorite subject in school, and she frequently got in trouble for talking too much. She found French to be her most difficult subject. “I never could get that stuff,” she said, “but the teacher passed me anyway—probably to get rid of me.” Hooper’s skills on the basketball court earned her a spot on the county’s first girls’ basketball team and drew the attention of Porterdale’s mayor. “On the day I graduated, he said he’d hire me to come work at the mill for 25 cents an hour so I could play on the company’s basketball team,” she said.

“That’s how I started working at Bibb Manufacturing Company.”

Hooper performed payroll and secretarial work at the mill, which employed 3,000 people at the time. She remembers buying $1 bonds to build the Porterdale Gym and had the honor of playing in the first basketball game held there.

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“My son Lawson didn’t walk until he was 14 months old because I never put him down,” she said with a smile. “I was so happy to finally have him. I spoiled him rotten.”

Kathleen has since been blessed with her daughter-in-law Joanne, two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. After 40 years of marriage, Bill died from kidney failure. Hooper remarried several years later and spent some time living in Lake Tahoe, California, with her second husband, Al Grimes. After 10 years together, they decided to part ways, and Hooper returned to her Newton County home. They remained friends until Grimes’ death.

“Al called me every Sunday from the retirement home,” she said. “He always said that divorcing me was the biggest mistake of his life.”

Hooper’s independent spirit and welcoming personality make her seem many years younger than the calendar says. Until the coronavirus pandemic hit, Hooper went somewhere every single day. She has traveled extensively and spent untold hours doing ceramics and socializing at the Newton County Senior Center at Turner Lake Park. Hooper is the oldest member in attendance

at Bethany Presbyterian Church on Sundays, and until her mid-80s, she volunteered every week at the First Presbyterian Church’s food bank. When macular degeneration rendered her unable to drive, she still found ways to get out of the house most days.

“I’d call a friend and say, ‘I’m lonely,’ and they’d come pick me up.” she said. “My pick-up line at the senior center was always, ‘Do you drive?’”

Hooper enjoys shopping and eating at her favorite restaurants, Wendy’s and Cracker Barrel. She cannot go anywhere in Covington without seeing people she knows. She also loves growing flowers and planted new blooms this spring. Amazingly, Hooper does not take any medication for chronic health conditions.

“Do you know, I’ve never even had a headache?” she said.

“Every afternoon I get weary, and I think, ‘Maybe I’ll go get me a Tylenol,’ but then I forget to go get it.”

Hooper sees staying active and having a good time as her main keys to longevity. Her parents and most of her siblings lived into their 80s and 90s, so she credits the role genetics played in gifting her with a long life. That, and maintaining a good sense of humor.

“Just have fun doing what you like to do,” she said, “and stay positive.”

“Do you know, I’ve never even had a headache? Every afternoon I get weary, and I think, ‘Maybe I’ll go get me a Tylenol,’ but then I forget to go get it.”

Kathleen Hooper

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F E AT U R E S

“I think I have an adrenaline shortage. I need a lot of it to feel normal. When I’m up on the steeple, I love what I’m doing.”

Fred Franklin

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UPWARD BOUND Fred Franklin turned his love of climbing and a talent for trades into a 25-year career as a steeplejack, having started his business in response to the Summer Olympics in 1996.

by PATTY RASMUSSEN When Fred Franklin left home to make his way in the world, he tried to find a profession that combined his love of scaling tall trees, freeclimbing hard-to-grasp mountain faces and rappelling down rocky cliffs with being a jack-of-all-trades-type craftsman—equally at home with scraping and painting as he was with metal fabrication or tilework. He found what he was looking for in his work as a steeplejack over the past 25 years.

Franklin is one of the rare steeplejacks who climbs using ropes and harnesses to secure himself. He does not use scaffolds or cranes on his jobs.

“I think I have an adrenaline shortage,” Franklin says.

“I need a lot of it to feel normal. When I’m up on the steeple, I love what I’m doing.”

Some history: A steeplejack is a craftsman who climbs high buildings, towers and steeples to provide maintenance, repair or restoration. As one might expect, steeplejacking was an itinerant profession— the man went where the work was. With the advent of machinery and technology, it became a dying vocation.

Thankfully, outliers like Franklin exist. He started his business in 1996 in response to the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

“Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta found out that their steeple was going to be on international TV because the Episcopal church across the street had a camera shot [of the marathon route],” he said. “It looked terrible.”

Franklin at the time was working for a company called High Climbers, which contracted with the CNN Center. He used to wash windows, clean various items, like the original TBS satellite that hung in the CNN atrium, and hang safety nets for others doing repair work. When he got the Second Ponce gig, he left High Climbers.

“Second Ponce wanted me to prep, paint and repair the metal on the steeple,” Franklin said. “I needed to reinforce the rotted-out support for the cross. Not much had been done before I went up there to take care of these items.”

Franklin had just two months to get the steeple in shape, but he finished the project with time to spare. The customer—and steeplejack—were definitely satisfied.

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F E AT U R E S

“I repainted it recently about three years ago and hardly had to do any prep work,” he said. “It took a quarter of the time because the job was done properly the first time. I was pretty proud of that.”

After Franklin completed the initial Second Ponce job, he realized he had found a niche. Because he only used ropes to climb, he did not have to rent scaffolding or cranes. As a result, his project bids were substantially lower than those from other contractors. It also meant he did not have to rush projects.

“I don’t have to return equipment, so I’m in no hurry,” he said. “I can take my time with the paint job or the caulk job and let it cure.”

He started Franklin Restoration, got his own insurance and since then has worked on some of the most recognizable roofs and steeples in downtown Atlanta, Covington and cities throughout Georgia and the Southeast. His biggest job, in scope and possibly in name recognition, was Big Bethel A.M.E. Church in downtown Atlanta. Located on Auburn Avenue, Big Bethel is most famous for its neon cross and “Jesus Saves” sign, which is visible from the downtown connector that slices through the heart of the city.

“I re-did all the cornices and the steeple,” he said. “Unfortunately, they replaced them with fiberglass, which I wasn’t too happy about. I re-did the slate on the main roof and all the turrets.”

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Today, one of the 110-year-old Big Bethel steeples sits in front of Franklin’s house, shaded by tall trees. Franklin took down the iconic “Jesus Saves” sign, using it as a pattern to make a new one out of aluminum. Then he had to make a cowling for the neon cross on top, which was far from “square” because it was built so long ago.

“I had to take the whole cross down,” he said. “We put the new slate on, [and] the cowling came down over the slate.

I had to make the new thing fit on a totally non-square platform. I made the base for it, fabricated it on the steeple so it would be the exact right size, then took it down and mounted the new steeple to that. I already had the hole drilled so that when we put the new one up, it sat right on it and we put the bolts on it. There is no manual.”

Locally, Franklin worked on Covington First United Methodist Church on Conyers Street, prepping and repainting the exquisite pre-Civil War Greek revival church—no easy task, with its full facade portico and six intricate Corinthian columns.

He also re-did the slate roof on the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in Madison. The Center is located in a restored 1895 Romanesque Revival former school building.

Climbing came naturally to Franklin. “I loved climbing trees as a kid and started rappelling with the Boy Scouts when I was 12,” he said. “Later on, I discovered recreational tree climbing.

An arborist in Atlanta started a group, and I was just really good

at it.” Climbing a steeple requires a slightly different skillset— a lot of knot-tying, strength and some self-control. “I climb up [the steeple] from the inside, going as high as I can, then I drill a hole and push a rope out,” Franklin said. “I feed [the rope] down, then tie it off inside. I climb up that rope from the outside and basically lasso the steeple. I throw a rope around it, then tie a slipknot. Then I get a pole, and I can push it up the steeple and slip the knot and choke it down and climb up and use the other end of the rope to go up until I get to the top.

You really have to focus. Fear and panic will get you hurt.”

He sets up his work space by wrapping ropes around the steeple a couple more times, laying down carpet pads and sometimes rigging ladders as a type of gin pole—a supported pole used to lift heavy loads. Franklin admits the work requires concentration.

“When I climb, I’m in a different kind of zone,” he said. “The best way to describe it is ‘meditation.’ You totally focus on what you’re doing. The funny thing is, when I come down on the ground from climbing, I’m super clumsy.”

On the hottest summer days, it might seem like steeplejacking would be the worst job in the world. That has never been the case for Franklin, who seems to find thrills in every aspect of his work.

“You get acclimated to it,” he said. “It’s very rare that there isn’t a little breeze going, and it’s usually cooler up there than it is on the ground. I just pretend I’m sailing.”

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F E AT U R E S

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD T.K. and Louise Adams married at a small church in Waycross in 1959, then relocated to Newton County days later to start their teaching careers together. They have spent more than six decades impacting the community through their commitment to education, their love of music and their tireless devotion to one another.

by TERRI WEBSTER Two teenagers in Waycross formed a special friendship and became high school sweethearts in the 1950s. Unbeknownst to them, their relationship would continue to develop and flourish over the course of more than six decades.

Timothy K. Adams, known as T.K., and Louise Bennett could never have imagined where their lives and careers would take them after their high school graduation. T.K. became a college student at Morris Brown College, while Louise attended Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) in Atlanta. While on Christmas break from college, T.K. was with Louise at her grandmother’s house, and one morning, he took the leap and proposed. He put a ring on her finger at the breakfast table. She, of course, said “Yes!” A few months later, they finished college with degrees in education and a wedding to plan. Their small-town church had never had a bride and groom get married in its sanctuary. T.K. and Louise were the first.

The community came together to make sure their wedding was special, and on Aug. 14, 1959, Louise met T.K. at the alter wearing a wedding dress she had made herself. Four days later,

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they moved to Covington, where they had landed teaching jobs with the Newton County School System. T.K. taught high school band, while Louise taught fourth grade. He was 24 years old, his wife two years younger, when they embarked on the first of their many adventures together.

Before their big move, the Adamses enjoyed a one-night honeymoon on Jekyll Island. While walking on the beach there, they ran into a band director from Clark College.

Husband and wife can still recall the advice T.K. was given in regards to his new job as a band director: “Tim, don’t be a band director. Be a teacher. Take care of those kids.” On Aug. 21, 1959, the young couple hit the ground running only one week after they married. The seasoned teacher’s words on the beach stuck with them, and from day one, they made it their mission as teachers.

Two years later, on Aug. 22, 1961, son Timothy Adams Jr. was born, deepening their bond with each other. With a new baby and busy careers, it would have been easy for the Adamses to neglect each other, but they set their priorities early on in

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their journey. While they continued to pour into the lives of their students and build strong relationships with staff and school administrators, they took the time to get away together whenever the opportunity presented itself. When asked about some of the strongest assets of their relationship and how they juggled their marriage and careers, Louise knew right where to go with her answer.

“You’ve got to trust each other and share ideas,” she said.

“We discuss everything. You need to communicate if you’re going to live together. We respected each other’s careers, and we were always present when the other had a ceremony or special occasion. If you see one of us out somewhere, you’ll see both of us.”

Their relationship left a lasting impact on their son.

“My parents always laughed together, with and at each other,” Timothy said. “They always spoke respectfully to each other, even in disagreements.”

Their careers naturally became intertwined with their personal relationship, so they sought ways to make time for each other and their son away from work. They celebrated birthdays and anniversaries at the Ritz Carlton and often rented a cabin at Little Ocmulgee State Park. T.K. enjoyed golfing, so he bought his wife a set of golf clubs and taught her how to play so that they could hit the links together. Louise remembers a promise her husband made: “It’ll snow in July before you ever beat me in golf.”

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F E AT U R E S

As the years ticked by, the Adamses rarely slowed down. They poured themselves into their students and the community while raising their son.

“My parents taught me how to navigate the world at an early age,” Timothy said. “They understood what my journey would be as a young black man, so they were there for me and still are.

As a student, my parents were always supportive. If I did something wrong in school, they supported the punishment.

If I was treated unfairly, my mother was there to straighten it out, especially when schools first integrated. I got no special treatment at school or at home because my parents taught in the school system.”

Their commitment to students and the professionalism they displayed among their peers made them pillars of the community.

T.K. and Louise always reveled in their students’ successes.

However, they did more than just teach and go home at the end of the day. They stretched their influence outside the classroom, supporting former students as they graduated and went on to college. The Adamses served on numerous committees and joined local organizations. While their busy lives seemed to get busier over the years, their marriage remained a top priority.

Such dedication spilled over into their son’s life, as well. When school was out during the summer, the family traveled abroad.

They visited Europe on multiple occasions, including Rome, Paris and London. They always returned refreshed and inspired to accept the challenges of yet another new school year.

In 1993, T.K. founded the Newton County Community Band while Louise—having enjoyed a long run as principal at Ficquett Elementary School—started a successful after-school tutoring program at the Washington Street Community Center.

They began their careers on the exact same day in 1959 and retired together in 1995. The Adamses were inducted into the Newton County School System Educator Hall of Fame in 2017.

They remained committed to the community in retirement, and the impact of their involvement has not been lost on the lives they have touched the most.

“We still have former students who call and check on us,” Louise said, “especially last year during the pandemic.”

Though health issues have slowed the Adamses in recent years, they are active members at Grace United Methodist Church in Covington, where Louise still sings in the choir.

When asked about God being the ultimate foundation of their marriage, Louise placed her hand over her heart, smiled and nodded. She had no words. Her husband, seated next to her with a gentle smile on his face, nodded in agreement. Music remains a significant part of their lives, as their son carries on their legacy as the chair of the percussion department at the University of Georgia in Athens.

More than six decades have passed since two high school sweethearts committed themselves to one another at a small church in Waycross. Endearing and enduring, the union of T.K. and Louise Adams has stood the test of time.

“My parents always laughed together, with and at each other. They always spoke respectfully to each other, even in disagreements.”

Timothy Adams Jr.

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

Survival

Guide Domestic violence had such a hold on Kathy Suber that she contemplated suicide in her early 20s. Today, she works to end the stigma often attached to those who have endured abusive relationships.

by KARI APTED I locked the bathroom door and sat down on the edge of the tub, listening to the usual quietness. For months, I’d been hoarding the prescription pills that my doctor had prescribed for the unexplainable stomach bleeding. They were on the bathroom counter in a plastic bag, mixed with pills that were either old or taken from my parents’ medicine cabinet. Next to the bag of pills laid the Smith & Wesson my daddy had given me for protection against home invasion. Funny how the threat was living inside my home, but I was thinking of using the Smith & Wesson on myself.

She was only in her early 20s, but domestic violence had already broken Kathy Suber to the point of despair. She knew suicide was not the answer, but nothing else felt like an escape route, either. Leaving her pain-ridden life seemed the best way out. Even if she could swallow the shame enough to talk about what was happening, who would believe her? He was her college sweetheart; he was never violent while they were dating; and he was always so nice around everyone else.

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I walked around my home on eggshells because I was afraid to wake the angry giant. He would physically push me around.

He would choke me. He would violate me, then hold our son in his arms, blocking the door to keep me from leaving. He told me that I was nothing. He told me that nobody would want me with a son. He told me that I could not make it without him.

Unfortunately, for years, I believed every word.

Like many in her generation, Suber was raised with the mindset that what happens at home, stays at home. It was not anybody’s business what happened behind closed doors.

Suber now works to end that shame-fueled silence. She intends to make domestic violence education everyone’s business. Suber launched Place to Prosper in 2019 as a way to help other victims of domestic violence leave their abusive situations and enjoy healthy, independent lives. Her 501(c)(3) nonprofit currently provides an interactive podcast and a workshop to educate and empower people living in perilous situations. Suber dreams of

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

“My desire is to educate those in the community about what domestic violence does to people and to also save the lives of those who have experienced that trauma.”

Kathy Suber

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opening a shelter for residents in Newton, Walton, Rockdale and Henry counties who need a safe place to go. “My desire,” Suber said, “is to educate those in the community about what domestic violence does to people and to also save the lives of those who have experienced that trauma.”

My son Contrareus is the reason I chose to live. His light, his life, is what caused me to walk out of that bathroom. I remembered a time when I’d been sitting by my window, crying, watching him play outside. All of a sudden, he turned toward me and ran toward the apartment. I wiped my eyes because I didn’t want him to see my pain. He burst through the front door and ran into my arms with a full hug. “Mommy,” he said, “it’s going to be alright.” With that Godsent memory, I stood up and decided to live for him.

Suber worried that leaving her abuser would not be easy.

In fact, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence states that leaving an abuser is often the most dangerous time.

Masters of manipulation, abusers often threaten to escalate violence if their partners attempt to leave. Some make grand promises to change but never follow through.

When I decided that enough was enough, he tried to convince me to stay. All of a sudden, he became this “nice” person, saying over and over again that he wanted his family. Some part of me was smart enough to know that I could not and would not continue to stay in that marriage, because I knew that the next time, I might not stop myself from hurting him or myself. Then, the only thing important to me—my son—would have suffered.

Fortunately for Suber, she did not have to create an escape plan to leave in secret, as many victims do. “I simply told him one day that I wanted a divorce and didn’t want to be with him anymore,” she said. “He didn’t respond physically or anything.” Suber advises those who know someone in an abusive relationship to let them know they are there for them—to listen and to help when they are

ready to act. “You can’t force someone to leave a situation,” she said.

“You have to understand that the victim is truly afraid. She thinks, ‘If I leave, he’ll find me and hurt me.’ Don’t be afraid to let them know that you suspect something’s wrong. They need to know that you know and [that] you’re there to help when they’re ready to go.”

Suber remains grateful that her son was never the recipient of abuse, and he has no memories of the strife that defined his first three years of life. Suber admits those trying years forged a special relationship with Contrareus, whom she refers to as her “first heartbeat.”

“We are best friends to this day,” she said. “We bonded all those years it was just me and him.” When Contrareus was 15, Suber gave birth to her “second heartbeat,” son Joshua Stepherson.

Being a mother of two boys and an advocate for children in foster care was fulfilling, but Suber continued to struggle with her self-image. “I engaged in relationship after relationship seeking someone to love me,” she said. “I was looking for love in all the wrong places. I still had not learned to love myself, nor did I know my worth.” Over time, Suber began to realize that the situation had to change, for her sake and for her children’s.

“I finally figured out that my pain, my fear, my lack of belief in myself, my thoughts of feeling like I deserved all the bad that had happened to me was not what was meant for me,” she said. “I had to get myself together and begin to walk in what I call my truth.”

It took a while for Suber to be ready to try marriage again— 23 years, to be exact. “I never even got close to remarrying,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t want none of that.” However, she credits God for having other plans. While attending a college alumni event, she reconnected with an old friend, Jimmie Suber.

“We started to talk that night and never stopped,” she said. The couple began traveling between her home in South Carolina and his in Georgia to see each other on the weekends. She credited him with helping her release the weight of the past. He encouraged her to talk openly about her experiences with domestic violence so that others would realize they are not alone.

“We got married in December 2011,” Kathy said, “and that’s when I moved to Covington. He makes me absolutely happy.”

Suber’s podcast, “An Evening of Conversation, Transparency and Truth About Domestic Violence,” can be heard at anchor.fm/placetoprosper and on all other podcast platforms. If you would like to be a confidential guest, please email placetoprosper19@ yahoo.com. Suber welcomes the community to join her in her goal of providing shelter and supportive programs to domestic violence survivors. “My biggest thing right now is getting a building for the shelter,” she said. “I have a building in mind but need the funds to get it going.” Visit PlaceToProsper.org to make a tax-deductible donation or text “Stop DV” to 470-802-8850.

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

GRACE & TRUTH

Spiritual Growth When we consider the purpose of the fruit we bear as believers, we better understand the scope of God’s greatness. It exists to nourish others and ultimately to lead them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

by SHELTON BROWN Our annual trips to my maternal grandmother’s hometown when I was a child meant someone noticed I had grown from year to year. When no one made the comment during my senior year, I was a little disappointed. I knew I had grown, but no one seemed to notice. How was it that not one of her siblings made mention of the growth I had experienced in the last year? When we returned, I asked my grandmother why no one noticed I had grown. “Now that you’re grown,” she said, “you continue to grow for you. Others may not see it.” I had looked forward to them commenting on my growth every year, and now, I was supposed to simply be content with growing and no one acknowledging it?

Psalms 1 lends itself to this life lesson. We are first confronted with the reality that God has indeed endowed us with free will.

The psalmist gives an illustration of the choices we make and the consequences of those choices. He reminds us that “birds of feather, flock together.” If our goal is growth, we should watch the company we keep. We should be wary of those who are bitter, judgmental, complacent and sinful. He suggests that when we do not watch our surroundings, we drift from growing and prospering to sitting and complaining. We will not realize we have stopped progressing because the people around us will have also stopped.

“We grow in God through reading, learning and living His word.”

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church Senior Pastor Shelton Brown

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Pondering involves focused thinking on a particular subject.

One of the words we use in its place: meditating. Paul reminded the Philippians to make sure their focus was on the things of God, not on the negative. There has always been and will always be enough negativity in the world to depress anyone. That depression could lead to a lack of progress and a state of perpetual complaining. If we want to avoid the pitfalls of regression, we have to meditate on the Word of God. We grow in God through reading, learning and living His word.

Fruit is the product of our pondering. The psalmist is careful to remind us that, as individuals, our fruit is unique: “We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that shall bring forth its fruit in its season.” Wow! How awesome is it to consider that we were created to produce fruit? When we consider the purpose of fruit, we better understand the scope of God’s greatness. Fruit does not benefit the tree on which it is grown. It is seen and consumed by others so that they can grow. As believers, our fruit will be used

by God to draw people unto Him. What is your fruit?

Finally, the psalmist gives us a confidence that surpasses human understanding. He says the Lord knows the way of the righteous. This is further confirmation that God is the author and finisher of our faith. Have you ever considered the fact that God knows where you are and where He is taking you?

The psalmist clearly does, and He ends Psalms by reminding the believer of the contrast in the steps and path of the believer and the non-believer. We need not worry or fret because God knows where we are and where He will take us. “Oh my, look at how much you’ve grown.” That’s what I tell myself now.

Shelton Brown is the senior pastor at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Covington. Visit MacedoniaCovington.org to learn more.

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

INFECTION CR

IN THE

SSHAIRS

Piedmont Newton Hospital deploys a pathogen-reducing UVC robot in an ever-evolving battle, adding another layer of safety for staff and patients in a world forever changed by the coronavirus pandemic.

by MICHELLE FLOYD In a changed world where cleanliness can play an even more pivotal role in the struggle between life and death, Piedmont Newton Hospital strives to be as sanitary as possible. The facility in late spring 2020 added the Tru-D system—a pathogen-reducing UVC robot—in a bid to buoy its efforts.

Originally, two machines were used to disinfect masks and other personal protective equipment during the shortage that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. After Jan. 1, the hospital decided to use the machines to disinfect ICU rooms at the hospital.

“We have already identified that we have low infection rates at the hospital, and we already go above and beyond what is required with the chemicals we use for cleaning the hospital,” said Steve Knowles, an infection preventionist at Piedmont Newton. “We decided to focus on higher-risk areas where we might have infections.”

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The Tru-D device, which generates UVC light energy that modifies the DNA or RNA structure of an infectious cell, remains the only portable UVC disinfection system on the market with patented Sensor360® technology.

“You get UV rays from the sun that kills things, too,” Knowles said. “This is a higher dose that you might get from the sun, like a tanning bed.”

Sensors calculate the precise dose of UVC energy needed to disinfect a room while compensating for space variables such as size, shape, surface reflectivity and contents.

“We already have a 15-step cleaning process we use for cleaning rooms that is used throughout all Piedmont facilities,” said Kevin Richards, the environmental services manager at Piedmont Newton. “This is that extra step in the process to make sure we’re getting those things that can cause infections, especially in critical areas.”

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

“It has been exciting to know we have this available. I know it’s something new, but my staff has really taken it on and taken hold of it. We view it as extra steps to make sure patients are safe.”

Piedmont Newton Environmental Services Manager Kevin Richards

The robot springs into action once a patient is discharged from an ICU room. One staff member strips the room of items like bed sheets and pillows and cleans the area as normal protocols require. Another trained staff member then uses the robot to disinfect the room—it usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes—before the next patient is brought in.

“It doesn’t disinfect dirty, like blood on a table, so the environment has to be cleaned first,” Knowles said. “Everything gets the same level of cleaning. This is just another layer that ensures the safety for our patients.”

Knowles indicated that the process only delays patients being placed in a room by five minutes or less. The robot is operated by a remote control outside the room and features an application that tracks infection control data while simultaneously uploading the information to the hospital’s web portal. The robot can disinfect a room from one position, eliminating the need to shift it to multiple places in the room, although sometimes furniture is moved to make sure it can reach every area in a given space. Once the cycle is complete, the robot

(L TO R) STEVE KNOWLES, KEVIN RICHARDS AND PRETAVIOUS JONES

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notifies the operator via audio and/or text message that the process has finished. It can then be moved to the next room.

There are safety measures in place to prevent the process from being interrupted by somebody entering the room, as direct UV light exposure can be harmful to humans. The robot can be shut off remotely if there are any issues.

In addition to killing deadly pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, the process also helps eliminate methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), clostridioides difficile (C. diff) and vancomycinresistant enterococcus (VRE). Knowles explained that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data regarding COVID-19 suggests the spreading of those germs occurs more from direct contact with individuals and not the environment.

“Hospitals that provide an extra level of care by disinfecting rooms with the Tru-D system are taking a proactive step in ensuring patients and staff have a clean and germ-free environment,” Tru-D SmartUVC President Chuck Dunn said. “It takes the guesswork out of previous protocols and ensures confidence in clinicians and patients alike.”

Currently, Piedmont Newton Hospital uses the Tru-D robots to clean ICU and stepdown ICU rooms. Eventually, based on need, budget, staffing and training, they could be used to disinfect other rooms in the hospital, like operating room suites or standard patient rooms.

“It has been exciting to know we have this available,” Richards said. “I know it’s something new, but my staff has really taken it on and taken hold of it. We view it as extra steps to make sure patients are safe.”

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

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Talent for the Game

Amman Dewberry has every intention of becoming the first baseball player out of Peachtree Academy to reach the NCAA Division I level, and a stellar junior season with the Panthers moved him one step closer to his goal.

by BRIAN KNAPP Moments of sheer brilliance naturally draw attention to Amman Dewberry and away from everyone else. Case in point: the three shutout innings the soon-to-be Peachtree Academy senior pitched against Social Circle on March 27. Dewberry struck out eight of the 12 batters he faced in a 5–3 loss to the Redskins— a team rich in young talent that would advance to the Sweet 16 in the Georgia High School Association Class A State Tournament a little more than a month later. He threw 61 pitches, 39 of them for strikes, as his bullwhip of a left arm pierced the 83-degree air with one mesmerizing offering after another.

Out of the 24 players who saw action at Burke Field that day, Dewberry stood out as an anomaly.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound southpaw appears poised to breach new frontiers and wants nothing more than to bring the Peachtree Academy baseball program along for the ride. The Panthers have never produced a player who moved on to play at the Division I level in college, and Dewberry has already drawn interest from Kennesaw State and Georgia State universities.

He plans to keep his options open, with visions of the Red and Black dancing in his head.

“I want to go to the University of Georgia,” Dewberry said.

“I’ve been to their showcases and camps, and we’ve sent a couple of emails, me and my coach. That’s my dream school, but anything at the next level will be amazing and a dream come true. It would be a really big deal. I would be honored [to be the first Peachtree player at the Division I level]. I’ve been at Peachtree my whole life, so that would be really cool to put my school—a school that I’ve dedicated all my life to—on the map.”

Peachtree Academy head coach Kevin Boeckmen understands the value in the exposure a player of Dewberry’s caliber brings to the table for a small school. It can have long-term ramifications.

“It is always a plus when you can say you had a player go play Division l baseball,” he said. “We have had several players go on to play in college but not at the D-l level, so if Amman were able to accomplish that goal, it would be a big boost for our program.”

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“I’ve been at Peachtree my whole life, so that would be really cool to put my school—a school that I’ve dedicated all my life to—on the map.”

Amman Dewberry

Dewberry remembers feeling the need to push himself as a teenager. He started at the varsity level as an eighth-grader at Peachtree in 2018, as the Panthers won their second consecutive state championship. The experience lit a fire under him.

“I think I was about 14 when I started to get really serious about college and thinking, ‘You can go to college for free off of this,’” Dewberry said. “That was ridiculous to me, so I thought, ‘Let me put some work into this.’ That’s where I started working out, lifting weights [and] hitting baseballs every single night.”

Three years later, the fruits of his labor are evident. Dewberry led the Panthers to a 15–9 record and a spot in the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools I-AA State Tournament semifinals during his 2021 campaign. Armed with a fastball that approaches 90 miles per hour, a traditional 12-to-6 curveball and a change-up, he compiled a stellar 3.12 earned run average on the mound, striking out 75 batters in just

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34 innings of work. At the plate, he hit .373 and paced the team with 17 runs batted in. Dewberry’s intangibles separate him further from the pack.

“Amman is a humble leader who does not put himself above the team,” Boeckman said. “He brings a quiet confidence. He has all the tools, and he is a fun and caring teammate.”

Perfect Game USA—arguably the nation’s premier organization for showcasing and scouting high school-age baseball talent—rates Dewberry as the No. 130 player in the entire state of Georgia and ranks him in the Top 500 nationally. He was named to the PG Preseason Underclassmen All-America Team in 2021 and has spent the last three summers playing travel baseball with FCA Warriors in Loganville. Like most others in his position, Dewberry can envision someday sharing the field with Mike Trout, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Mookie Betts.

“I want to go to the big leagues,” he said. “I want to make a career out of this. It’s been my dream for a very long time.”

Time will tell whether or not Dewberry can turn his dream into a reality. Outside the lines, he remains committed to his studies and points to the work ethic that was long ago instilled in him by his parents, father Rod, a pastor, mother Kerry, a nurse practitioner. Dewberry believes in putting a safety net in place, just in case baseball does not work out.

“I’m really into business and finance,” he said. “My dad got me into trading stocks very early in my life, so I think I’m pretty savvy when it comes to business. I want to study finance in college. I think a business background would help me fall back on that for Plan B.” Beyond the classroom, Dewberry can focus on sharpening his already-prodigious skills ahead of what promises to be an eventful senior year—a year in which he hopes to return Peachtree Academy to the promised land.

“I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot and I’m really happy about my career,” he said, “but you can always do more. You can always do better.”

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

AN UNBREAKABLE WILL Chip Madren won his battle with Stage 4 brain cancer as a teenager, and despite the lifelong effects of the disease, the 24-year-old channels his passion for the outdoors into his duties as a range safety officer for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

by CHRIS BRIDGES Referring to someone as “inspiring” can get a bit cliché at times, but in the case of Chip Madren, it feels like an understatement.

The 24-year-old carries such a zest for life and a love for the outdoors that he does not let anything—including a years-long battle with cancer—get between him and his passions. Following a lengthy and frightening struggle to stay alive, Madren’s incredible story provides encouragement to anyone familiar with it.

Madren uses a wheelchair for balance—one of the lingering effects of his fight with cancer. He has since rebounded to become a major part of shooting ranges associated with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Madren can also be found at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, where he offers his advice on shooting and enjoys the outdoors to the fullest.

Fight of His Life Before Aug. 17, 2010—the day he was diagnosed—Madren was a typical teenager who played football, basketball and baseball. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing. Madren loved being on the water and could often be found on a wakeboard or water skis. One day while on the lake, he lost consciousness while wakeboarding, leaving his brother to jump in and save him. Madren did not remember much about the incident the following day, but his family wondered about the cause. His mother Leah recalls thinking something was amiss.

“We thought about a million other things,” she said. “He was a grumpy 13-year-old boy. I thought he was just being a typical

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teenager. That’s what we blamed it on. No one thinks their kid has brain cancer.”

A student at the Saint Francis School in Dunwoody at the time, Madren went from attending class one morning to fighting for his life in the hospital the next. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer. The official name? Medulloblastoma.

Madren refers to it in simpler terms as “the really bad kind.”

The cancer had already spread to his spine, resulting in his being days or perhaps even hours from being paralyzed permanently.

Surgeons had to cut his cerebellum in two pieces. He could not speak for 10 months. He could not swallow. Everything had to be re-learned. Madren could not hold up his head or even blink his eyes. His mother taught him to squeeze one hand for “yes” and the other for “no.”

“It was truly every parent’s worst nightmare,” Leah said.

“His brain was still working, but he could not communicate.”

Aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments followed and left Madren with even more obstacles to clear. Leah and her husband Ken kept hope alive and maintained belief in their son’s spirit. He was never alone in his battle.

“For 18 months, we just hoped he would not die,” Leah said. “Chip had a strong will. We are all so proud of him.

He was a great kid before this, and he is a great young man now. When he first got sick, we were told that children take clues from their parents. If we are optimistic and upbeat, then he would follow.”

“Shooting, hunting, fishing and boats are all things I love. I try to stay active, and I’m always trying to do things outside.’”

Chip Madren

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

Road to Recovery The next four years were all about helping Madren resume life. He had to re-learn how to walk and eat. In fact, he was tube-fed for years. Learning to eat again was a painful ordeal, not only for Madren but for his mother. Therapy included his being force fed until he vomited. There were numerous visits to specialists across the country to assist Madren in regaining his balance. Initially, there was a 95% chance that the cancer would return. Ten years later, there is now a 95% chance that it will not.

Throughout all the difficult times, Madren maintained his love for the outdoors. “Shooting, hunting, fishing and boats are all things I love,” he said. “I try to stay active and I’m always trying to do things outside.” Madren remains an avid hunter and recently took a trip to Wyoming. He also took part in a program called “Hunt of a Lifetime.” Georgia DNR Commissioner Mark Williams saw the show and reached out

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to Madren, which led to a meeting that also included thenGeorgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. He always dreamed of being a game warden, and when Williams offered to assist him in his professional pursuits, Madren responded. His mother still recalls the words that followed.

“Chip said he wanted a job,” Leah said. “I was thinking, ‘oh, my gosh,’ but Commissioner Williams went to work to make it happen.”

On the Job Now a range safety officer, Madren works two to three days a week helping shooters at DNR ranges. His co-workers are admittedly humbled by his efforts.

“He is truly an inspiration,” said Georgia DNR Hunter Development Program Manager Jennifer Pittman. “He shines a light on everyone he meets. He is a wealth of information.

Being such a big-time hunter and shooter, he brings a vast knowledge that he shares. He really enjoys helping people, and he gives our customers a quality experience.”

Madren offers invaluable insight into how ranges should be built to accommodate everyone.

“I don’t know what we would do without him,” Pittman said. “I enjoy every minute I get to spend with him. At times when I am pushing him in the wheelchair, it helps show me what areas we need to improve at our ranges. We are pushing to go beyond what the Americans with Disabilities Act requires.”

Leah admits her son’s experience opened her eyes to how little federal funding is put toward childhood cancer research and treatment.

“People need to know what kids in Chip’s situation go through,” she said. “We live a different lifestyle than other people. Chip lives with us and always will, yet he is such a fighter and so full optimism.”

The family is currently in the process of moving to the area so Madren can be closer to his job.

“I see myself working at the range for a long while,” he said. “I enjoy being part of the DNR.”

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

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Threads of Compassion Students Esther Adewumi and Julia Kolt founded the Crochet for a Cause Club at Newton College and Career Academy. Together, with the help of sponsor Kemily Pattillo, they have turned their love of needlework into a vehicle for assisting others nationwide.

by KARI APTED One could say that 2021 high school graduates Esther Adewumi and Julia Kolt are hooked on helping others. From the time they met in middle school, the Alcovy High School and Newton College and Career Academy students found a common bond in their love of needlework, specifically crochet.

Derived from the Old French word for “hook,” crochet is a process that uses a special type of hook to interlock yarn or thread into various textiles. Different types of stitches are used, along with a pattern, to create a hat, blanket, scarf or other useful item. Although crochet is known for the end product, experienced needleworkers can vouch for other benefits gained from the hobby.

“It sounds silly, but the social aspect of it is what I love the most,” Adewumi said. “Everyone works on their projects together and talks.” Kolt agreed. “I love the community aspect of crocheting together,” she said. “We just crochet and talk.”

The interpersonal aspect of crocheting was one of the factors that led Adewumi and Kolt to create the Crochet for a Cause Club at NCCA. To get started, they needed a teacher to help facilitate the program. Enter Kemily Pattillo, whom the girls describe as a “crochet genius.” Pattillo was thrilled to help launch the club.

“We have a program at our school called Entrepreneurial Business Incubator. This program supports students in running their own businesses and provides an opportunity for the students to showcase their products during lunches a few times a year,” Pattillo said. “Esther had a booth with some of her

crocheted items. I bought a crochet flower from her and mentioned that I love to crochet. Later, she and Julia came to me with the idea of starting the club. I loved the idea and agreed right away.”

The group has met for two years to crochet, socialize and teach students and faculty their craft. However, their most impressive accomplishment is donating more than 100 handmade hats, scarves and quilt squares to multiple nonprofit organizations nationwide. They have a goal of doubling that number during the 2021-22 school year. Recipients of Crochet for a Cause items include: • Project Chemo Crochet: Accepts 9x9-inch crocheted squares that are used to make quilts for people undergoing cancer treatment in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

• The Red Scarf Project: Provides red scarves to foster children as they age out of the system and move on to college.

• Operation Gratitude: Welcomes gifts of handmade hats and scarves to include in the care packages they ship to deployed military personnel worldwide.

• Project Linus: Collects blankets at chapters located in all 50 states. Blankets are distributed to children in need, including the seriously ill, children of deployed soldiers and kids living in shelters or foster care.

• Hat Not Hate: Distributes handmade blue hats to elementary students during National Bullying Prevention Month each October, empowering kids to stand up to bullying.

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“It sounds silly, but the social aspect of it is what I love the most.

Everyone works on their projects together and talks.”

Esther Adewumi

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During the coronavirus pandemic, Crochet for a Cause switched to student-hosted virtual meetings, with everyone working on their projects independently at home. Pattillo has found that the club members love learning this hands-on skill.

“This year especially, at the end of the day, everyone was beyond ready to get off the screen and do something with their hands,” Pattillo said. Adewumi, Kolt and Pattillo love learning new stitches and patterns and credit YouTube videos for much of their instruction. “YouTube is a good way to learn how to crochet,” Pattillo said, “but it really depends on your learning style. Other people would benefit from joining a group like ours to receive hands-on teaching.”

The women enjoy making a variety of projects, but all three prefer crocheting one item the most: hats. “Making hats is one of my biggest flexes,” Kolt said with a laugh. “I crochet in the dark a lot, too. It’s really calming and therapeutic.”

While club members will continue to do the majority of their crocheting on their own time, the club looks forward to

returning to in-person weekly meetings soon. However, it will be under new student leadership, as Adewumi and Kolt head off to college. Adewumi will be attending Mercer University while Kolt moves to Claremont, California, to attend Harvey Mudd College. Both women plan to remain involved with the club as much as possible and will continue to donate their work to the nonprofits the group supports. Pattillo will remain the club’s sponsor and invites the community to get involved.

“We would love for the community to donate hats or scarves they’ve made or received, and we’re happy to accept yarn and hook donations,” she said. “We are also available if someone wants to reach out about a need, for example if a chemo unit or homeless shelter needs hats or scarves.”

Interested donors can reach Pattillo by email at pattillo.kemily@newton.k12.ga.us (Subject: Crochet) or leave a voicemail at NCCA by calling 678-625-6769.

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BRUSHSTROKES OF GENIUS Tamara Haase once doubted whether or not she could make a living as an artist. Jaw-dropping murals she painted in Mansfield and at the Covington Visitors Center now draw rave reviews.

by CHRIS BRIDGES Tamara Haase traces her love of art back to her childhood.

While she did not exactly envision one day making a living through her craft, the early passion was certainly there. “It was always something I found that I was good at as a child,” Haase said. “I was the student in class where people would look at what I was doing and say, ‘Wow! That looks really good.’”

Inspired by those early classroom compliments, she soon began taking art classes from a neighbor a couple of times each week.

“These classes weren’t just arts and crafts,” she said. “They had a big impact on my talent. My teacher was very serious. Three of us who took lessons went on to art school.”

Raised in Gwinnett County, Haase attended school in various places because her family’s home was constantly rezoned into a

new district. When she was 16, she moved to Social Circle.

Haase graduated from high school in 1988. Today, she is married with two children, ages 18 and 13. After living in Washington for several years, Haase moved back to Georgia in 1998. She briefly owned a frame shop near The Square in downtown Covington and realized she had the itch to do more.

Haase now owns and operates Georgia Brushstrokes, and her artwork has drawn positive reviews from those with whom she has worked. Her artistic drive guided her to painting larger murals, including one for the new Covington Welcome Center.

The display highlights scenes and images from hit television series and movies that were shot in and around Newton County.

Characters that were portrayed by Carroll O’Conner and Howard

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Rollins on “In the Heat of the Night” are featured prominently, along with the General Lee from “The Dukes of Hazzard”—a show that maintains its popularity decades after it went off the air.

The mural also re-creates an airplane that landed on The Square during the filming of “Cannonball Run II,” and a sign that welcomes visitors to Mystic Falls, Virginia, pays tribute to “The Vampire Diaries.” Haase also included the vintage home after which Tara in “Gone with the Wind” was patterned, along with the City Pharmacy building. “I thought visitors would be interested in knowing that it dates back to the 1940s,” she said.

A mule-drawn trolly enhances the historic feel. It took Haase approximately two weeks to complete the painting. “The response has been good so far,” she said. “People seemed to be pleased with it.

Visitors seem to be eager to have their picture taken in front of it.”

The first outdoor mural that Haase drew was in Mansfield.

She completed it five years ago.

“That one got my career started as an artist,” she said. “Even though I had been to art school and had a degree in painting, I was not doing anything which would pay the bills. I would paint portraits here and there.”

Haase revealed she was approached about giving private lessons while giving a presentation at an area garden club. That conversation eventually led to talk about painting a mural in Mansfield.

“I was desperate to help my family financially and didn’t feel I was trained to do anything else,” Haase said. “I prayed very hard about what I needed to do with the talent I had been blessed with and how I could help my family. My advice to everyone is to be sure and pray to get on the right track.”

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“I really wish everyone could have the encouragement I did. At times, I wondered if being an artist would ever work for me.”

Tamara Haase

In the past two years, Haase created Georgia Brushstrokes.

Outside of painting larger murals, Haase decorates windows for area businesses with themes ranging from Christmas to Valentine’s Day to Easter. After learning about the art of window painting—she said she had no idea what type of paint to use or even how her artwork would turn out when she started—Haase can now be seen painting windows for local shops.

“It actually beats being in a studio,” she said. “I like talking with people. As they walk by, many times people will strike up a conversation.”

Haase admits she feels fortunate to be doing something in a field she has always enjoyed. She hopes she can inspire other young people who are interested in art, whether through painting, drawing or other aspects of the craft.

“I really wish everyone could have the encouragement I did,” Haase said. “At times, I wondered if being an artist would ever work for me.”

For more information, contact Tamara Haase at 678-591-6994 or Tamara@GeorgiaBrushstrokes.com.

2021 Summer Issue 53

ADVERTORIAL

“It is our mission to supply quality products that are functional and beautiful, yet are also green and sustainable building materials that will transcend the test of time. Our knowledgeable associates are trained to provide a unique approach to meeting your needs.”

Brad & Darlene Poynter

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C E L E BR ATI NG

50 YEARS IN B U S I N E S S

Stone Sales and Service was founded in Indianapolis in 1949 under the leadership and vision of Paul S. Poynter Sr. His dedication to customer service and desire to provide superior natural stone products to the building industry were his true passions. In 1971, Paul, his wife Jeanette and their sons moved to Conyers and established Fieldstone Center Inc., providing custom fabricated stone, as well as turnkey installation.

When Paul retired in 1988, his son Brad J. Poynter and daughter-in-law Darlene purchased Fieldstone Center Inc. Together, we continue to operate Fieldstone Center with the same level of commitment to customer service that was established by Paul S. Poynter Sr. In 1991, we purchased our own stone quarry operations in Tennessee and named it Stone Sales and Service Inc. in honor of Brad’s father. The wholesale

quarries in Tennessee supply flagstone, Fieldstone and other building centers nationwide.

Our daughter Lauren Poynter joined us in 2006 to provide product knowledge in outside sales. In 2008, we completed construction on our new 24,000-square-foot retail stone design center in Covington, where we offer computer-assisted fabrication, water and stone recycling, state-of-the-art natural thin veneer fabrication and a showroom like no other in the Atlanta area.

Contact Fieldstone Center by phone for all your stone and masonry needs at 770-385-7708, find us online at FieldstoneCenter.com or visit us at 10575 Old Atlanta Hwy., Covington GA, 30014.

Business Marketing provided by SCB Video TV Marketing 2021 Summer Issue 57

LIVING

TREASURE

HUNT Lifelong Newton County resident Joseph Malcom’s passion for vintage bottles has kept him in the dirt for decades and allowed him to keep alive a tradition passed down to him by his father.

by CHRIS BRIDGES Joseph Malcom gets his love of bottle collecting honestly.

The hobby was passed down to the lifelong Newton County resident by his father. Malcom continued the tradition and even took it to new heights after his father’s death in 1980.

He believes he owns the largest Coca-Cola bottle collection in the state, and those who have seen it would be hard-pressed to dispute the claim.

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“My dad was a digger,” Malcom said. “He loved going to old dumps with a shovel and pick. I remember he took me to a dump site in Social Circle and said we were going to dig for treasure.” That father-son interaction remains entrenched in his memory. “On that trip, we started finding old bottles, and it just got in my blood,” Malcom said. “I view it as finding treasure in the ground. My father and I would go to different locations, and we always seemed to find a new treasure.”

Malcom met other bottle collecting enthusiasts along the way. “We just enjoy talking about what we find and then what we might sell, buy or trade,” he said. For the 60-year-old, the actual digging process has always been the fun part of the hobby, although it also results in the most work. Malcom goes to local libraries to research where old trash sites were and then plans his next dig accordingly.

Vintage soda bottles comprise the largest part of his collection. He has an extensive assortment of bottles going back to 1900. During his treasure digs, Malcom has also unearthed vintage medicine bottles, as well as poison and ink bottles. They often feature cork tops. The soda pop bottles are significant in the collector

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world. Malcom revealed that he has approximately 600 different brands of soda bottles in his collection.

“There were just so many of them manufactured back then,” he said. “Most cities in Georgia had their own bottling company.

Many sodas were made for a while [and] then discontinued.

Most of the brands on the bottles have not been produced for decades.”

Some of his prized items include those made in the old Covington Bottle Works.

“Most of those are from Mansfield,” Malcom said. “I found an old bottle dump there and found some beauties.”

Going back more than a decade, Malcom said mom-andpop operations would open up to compete with Coca-Cola.

Oftentimes, they did not stay in business long, but even in the year or so they were open, there were various brands made and distributed locally. Malcom said collector shows are held throughout the state, but he conceded that at this point in his journey, he typically does not uncover anything he does not already have in his collection. He does not offer many items for sale, but if a fellow collector lacks a particular item and if Malcom has duplicates of a given bottle, he will consider selling.

“I am really not much into selling,” Malcom said. “I will trade for something I might need.”

During his experience collecting, Malcom began finding bottles from the Covington Hutchinson Bottling Company, which was in business from 1888-90. “No one really knew they existed until I starting finding those bottles,” he said. “They competed with Coca-Cola like many others back then. Coke was developed around 1886 and initially was sold to pharmacies. That approach didn’t work very well, however.” Malcom estimates that the most popular timeframe for soda pop bottling in the state was from 1910-15. “After that, everyone knew about Coca-Cola,” he said. “It had a distinct taste and was promoted as having a ‘fizz that burned your nose.’”

Some of the rarer items in his collection come from the Wells Bottling Works, which was based in Mansfield. The company was in business from 1906-09.

Even today after decades of collecting, Malcom still goes on digs every week. He recently had cataract surgery but looks forward to going on another dig as soon as his eyes heal. When preparing for a dig, Malcom admits the work can be “intense” due to the amount of physical effort it requires. For each dig, Malcom takes an extensive list of equipment, including two probes, leather gloves, bug spray, clippers, saws, a machete, a pick and two sizes of shovels.

“You also need to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty,” he said.

He uses the machete to combat the kudzu, which was often planted at old bottle dump sites. Even when multiple collectors go on a dig, each will take their own equipment. Finding vintage bottles intact can be a challenge. Malcom said many companies would destroy the bottles before burying them in an attempt to keep other companies from reusing them. During a recent dig in Washington, Malcom said 99% of the bottles found were broken.

While hunting for bottles, Malcom has discovered various forms of pottery, which he does sell. During a dig in Monroe, he found a round object he thought was a World War II shell casing. He has also found vintage food containers and old metal signs, mostly from gas stations. The signs often have heavy rust due to being in the ground for decades.

“The key is always to be careful when you are digging,” Malcom said. “You usually find the bottles around four feet deep.”

Even with many years of collecting behind him, Malcom does not plan to stop anytime soon.

“You are always searching for that one bottle you don’t have,” he said. “It keeps you going.”

“You are always searching for that one bottle you don’t have. It keeps you going.”

Joseph Malcom

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All Strings Attached Out of Wayne Kitchens’ longstanding adoration for the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers sprang the idea to preserve some of its rich history by creating a one-of-a-kind instrument from repurposed lumber.

by TERRI WEBSTER Soothing sounds of gentle bells floated through his open bedroom window on warm summer nights. They could be heard from two miles down the road. Throughout his childhood, this was reality for Wayne Kitchens, who grew up near the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers. It was as if the bells called to him somehow, forming the connection he still senses as an adult. He could never have imagined how this seemingly small link to a beautiful place that rests quietly off Highway 138 would grow stronger throughout his youth and into adulthood.

When Kitchens began his career as a meter reader with Snapping Shoals EMC, the monastery was one of his regular customers. His job required him to visit on a regular basis.

Later, when he moved to the engineering department, he handled most of the orders regarding the electrical power needs at the monastery. It required more in-depth visits to the monastery, where he often worked with the on-site electrician: Father Matthew Torpey. It afforded Kitchens more opportunities to see parts of the monastery that were not open to the public.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MONASTERY ARCHIVE

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“I have always loved guitars, but I don’t play very well. I just love to make noise on them. I thought it would be great to have a guitar made from a piece of history.”

Wayne Kitchens

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A few years ago, Kitchens answered a service call at the monastery. He met with Father Torpey to discuss an issue the monastery had with powering an old barn on the property.

He heard about plans to renovate the barn, along with other new construction projects. Planners intended to turn the old barn into a museum. Kitchens discovered a little more about the history of the old structure, deepening his connections with the monastery. His interest was piqued further when he learned more about the worn structure.

“This barn, I was told, was the first building constructed by the monks when they first came to Rockdale County from Kentucky in 1944,” Kitchens said. “The monks slept in the top of the barn while the cows occupied the bottom stables.”

While addressing the power needs of the barn during renovations, Kitchens saw workers tearing out old beams and other lumber to make room for the new construction. As the old wood was discarded, Kitchens realized a part of history was being thrown away.

“It was a shame to see it all just thrown into the dumpster during the remodeling,” he said, “so I thought it would be a good idea to make something beautiful out of it.”

Kitchens worked alongside Keith Adams at Snapping Shoals at the time and knew that Adams built guitars on the side. Soon, he developed the idea of using some of the old lumber from the barn to build a custom guitar. It was a unique way to preserve history. “I have always loved guitars,” Kitchens said, “but I don’t play very well. I just love to make noise on them. I thought it would be great to have a guitar made from a piece of history.”

When the guitar was completed, Kitchens did not just hang it on a wall in his home. It was far more than a simple keepsake or showpiece. “No, it is an instrument that plays really well,” he said. “Keith did an excellent job building it.” Kitchens and Adams took the guitar to the monastery to show it to a few of the people who were in charge at the time. When Adams played it for them, their first response was to offer to buy it. Kitchens informed them it was not for sale but conceded that he believed it would someday make its way back to the monastery.

From fond boyhood memories of the sounds of bells ringing down the road to seeing a custom-made guitar built from repurposed lumber, Kitchens’ bond with the Monastery of the Holy Spirit remains as strong as ever.

“I’ve had a connection with the monastery all my life,” he said. “I think of Father Matthew since he was the one I knew best. I also think of some of the other places I worked at around the monastery. It is really a beautiful and interesting place.”

(L TO R) KEITH ADAMS AND WAYNE KITCHENS

2021 Summer Issue 65

ADVERTORIAL

Flavor Rush Town Square Olive Oil provides a change of pace for downtown Covington, affording shoppers the opportunity to spice up their at-home menus with a wide variety of ingredients.

by MICHELLE FLOYD

When you live in Covington all your life, The Square inherently becomes a part of it. Ask Cindy Mask, who opened Town Square Olive Oil with her husband in May 2015.

“I grew up when Harper’s 5 & Dime and the Strand Theater were the go-to places on The Square,” Mask said. “Covington is home, and watching it grow and flourish means so much.”

Mask became part of that history when she retired from a corporate healthcare job and turned her attention toward Town Square Olive Oil. They put down roots in the building Harper’s once called home.

“I wanted to build on the success of the tourism in Covington,” she said, pointing to the booming film industry in town. “I love to cook, especially cooking with olive oil and good quality products.”

Owning a store helps her expand on her love for cooking and share her finds with the community and beyond, from locals who also have lived in town their entire lives to those visiting from around the world to see locations where shows like “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Vampire Diaries” were filmed.

The Masks had visited other olive oil and cooking stores around the country and thought something similar would be a good fit for The Square. It was still growing at the time, piggybacking on the success of television shows and movies that were shot in town and attracted fans from all over the world on a daily basis.

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“It’s blown me away, the loyalty from customers, and friendships that we have made over the years. I’ve made some of my best friends recently,” Mask said. “I’m from Covington and it’s my hometown, so I love reconnecting with people who I haven’t seen in many years and also meeting new ones.”

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has limited some of their business, Mask credits faithful customers for the shop’s success, along with visitors who continue to flock to Covington for tours of buildings and houses made famous through their use on screen.

“It’s such an exciting addition to The Square,” longtime customer Barbara Morgan said. “It’s a destination. It’s fun, a form of entertainment, and it’s healthy and creative.” Morgan and fellow customer Sallie Paschal buy combinations of olive oils and vinegars to make salad dressings, as well as other recipes at home. “Cindy has a wonderful assortment of items there,” Paschal said. “It’s wonderful to have something like this so close.

It’s a pleasure to shop there.”

The shop boasts more than 65 varieties of infused olive oils and vinegars from around the world. Customers can sample flavors from Spain to Australia.

“It’s great to see the excitement in somebody’s eyes to try them for the first time,” Mask said. “You can make something you never could have imagined. You can create some amazing dishes, and the flavors can’t compare.”

In addition to its namesake, the shop sells a variety of wines, spices, teas and coffees, gourmet foods, meats and cheeses and accessories.

“Cindy and her staff have so many ways to combine items,” Morgan said, “and it’s exciting to add to our menu.”

For more information on Town Square Olive Oil, visit TownSquareOliveOil.com.

“It’s such an exciting addition to The Square. It’s a destination.

It’s fun, a form of entertainment, and it’s healthy and creative.”

Barbara Morgan

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ALWAYS A COACH ON THE FIELD Jay Cawthon quarterbacked Newton High School to the state quarterfinals and continued his playing career at the University of West Georgia before exchanging his helmet for a headset.

After nearly a quarter century as an assistant, he takes the reins of the football program at Eastside High School.

by NAT HARWELL News broke in the spring that Eastside High School hired a new head football coach. This old man got really excited when the announcement was made introducing Jay Cawthon to lead the Eagles. Not only is Jay a local product and not only does Eastside maintain the family feel by promoting from within, but once upon a time, it was my privilege to coach him when he played for me at Sharp Middle School. So far as my research back to the start of my own coaching career in 1973 could determine, Jay is the only player of mine to be named a head football coach of a public school in the state of Georgia.

Yes, this old retiree is quite proud of Jay’s achievements and thrilled to share a few snapshots of this very special player who was always like having a coach on the field, even when he was just a kid.

Let me get the professional basics out of the way. After graduating from West Georgia College and State University, Jay began his career as a quarterbacks coach at Wheeler High in Marietta in 1997.

He also served as pitching coach for the baseball team, working with the legendary David McDonald for five years. Jay then linked arms with football coach Rick Hurst for three years at Central Gwinnett

High School in Lawrenceville and helped build that program before returning home to Newton County when Hurst was hired to head the Eastside program in 2005. When Hurst departed, Jay remained at EHS as offensive coordinator with coach Troy Hoff, where together they presided over the Eagles’ flight toward becoming one of the most highly regarded programs in the state.

So it is that after paying his dues for some 24 years, Jay now has the opportunity to continue the proud Eastside legacy as the head football coach. Now, let’s take a look back at how it all started. Jay came along before the current trend toward travel baseball, travel soccer, travel gymnastics and travel-just-aboutanything teams began. He came up in the Newton County Recreation Commission, which, in the late 1970s and on into the 1980s and 1990s was exceptionally competitive. His dad, Alvin Jerome Cawthon—whom I always referred to as “Big J”— coached Jay’s baseball and basketball teams and always had him play up an age group so that he was actually having to compete with kids who were older. It prepared him ahead of schedule, with the nuances great players gain from experience.

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By the time this tall but somewhat skinny kid showed up at Sharp Middle School when I was coaching football and boys’ basketball, he had matured into a seasoned player whose knowledge on the field and on the court belied his tender age.

He was as polished a quarterback for an eighth grader as I’ve ever coached, and his skills as a point guard in basketball were, frankly, astonishing. I actually have the VHS tape gathering dust somewhere of our 1985 football season, when Jay made a living throwing “flood pass right” to a tight end named Dexter Leach.

If Jay threw it to Dexter 100 times, Dexter caught it 100 times.

They were that close. Bringing the relationship full circle, Jay will coach Dexter’s son at Eastside in 2021.

Good as he was as a quarterback, when Jay got on the basketball court, he was simply magical to watch. Ball fakes, up fakes, pinpoint passes, jump shots, drives to the hoop, free throws that were automatic—the boy was phenomenal. This was back in the days before the three-point shot was added to the game. “There were some incredibly talented athletes here at the time I was growing up,” Jay told me. “Cousins Middle School had my good friend Tim Hyers, along with football players like Spencer Rakestraw and Stanley Flemister. We all

really went after each other.” Indeed, Hyers—a baseball star who once scored 46 points in a high school basketball game—made it to the major leagues with the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers and Florida Marlins and currently serves as the hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox. I recall one fantastic day coaching Sharp in the old, round Cousins gym when Tim and Jay matched each other shot for shot, and we managed to pull out the win. When that class arrived at what was then Newton County Comprehensive High School, I couldn’t wait to see Tim and Jay together on the same basketball team. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The Newton coaching philosophy at that time forced players to choose a sport which did not bleed over into another sport’s season, and although basketball was Jay’s favorite at the time, he chose football and baseball. He played for coach Sam Marra at Newton, and the Rams reached the state quarterfinals with him at quarterback. Jay earned a scholarship to Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina, where he played for two years, then transferred to West Georgia. It was there that Jay quarterbacked the Braves down to Statesboro for the first night game in Georgia Southern University’s new Paulson Stadium; and it was there that he beat his old coach’s alma mater.

“Yes sir, that was a great night,” Jay said with a smile.

“We had T-shirts made up at West Georgia emblazoned with ‘The night the lights went out in Statesboro!’ I had no way to know it at the time, but that night would play a big part in

“There were some incredibly talented athletes here at the time I was growing up. We all really went after each other.”

Jay Cawthon

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my future. I threw two touchdown passes that night as we beat Southern 15–14, and the guy who caught both TDs was Chad Walker. When I finished my degree, Chad was on the coaching staff at Wheeler High. They needed a quarterback coach. He told the head man about me, and that’s how my career got kicked off.”

These days find Jay and his wife Jennifer—a teacher at Mansfield Elementary School—raising son Cole, a rising senior tight end, along with 11-year-old daughter Graycen and 6-year-old son Jax. Graycen plays travel volleyball, and Jax plays travel baseball, so the Cawthon lifestyle remains a busy one. As football season nears, Jay has some serious time-balancing to do.

“Well, we are so very happy to be here,” he said. “We have a great group of kids, we have a solid staff of coaches [and] we’re putting the players first and continuing the family feel that has been an integral part of Eastside High from the beginning.”

There’s no doubt in my mind that Jay Cawthon will do a great job guiding the Eagles on the gridiron. I will be watching from afar to see if, perchance, he pulls out the old “flood right pass” from time to time.