2021 Winter Issue

community magazine 2021 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 Never Forgotten 10 Mission Moldova 14 Chain Breakers

EDITOR

Brian Knapp PHOTOGRAPHERS

Brian Dean Kimberly Lane Michie Turpin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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38

HEALTH & WELLNESS

SPORTS & RECREATION

22 Easing a Difficult Transition 32 A Hunger to Feed Others

38 Brick by Brick 42 Axe On, Axe Off

Justin Adams Kari Apted Kim Coady Michelle Floyd Nat Harwell David Roten Gabriel Stovall Terri Webster ILLUSTRATOR

Scott Fuss

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ARTS, EDUCATION & INNOVATION 48 Lighting Paths 56 Drama Club

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62

LIVING

62 Stitch Perfect 68 Coasting Into Retirement

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

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLÉ

WITH MARSHMALLOW FLUFF, TOASTED MARSHMALLOWS & CARAMEL INGREDIENTS ½ cup softened butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1¼ cup AP flour ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cinnamon 2 baked sweet potatoes (peeled pureed in food processor) cup buttermilk

FOR GARNISH marshmallow fluff mini marshmallows caramel graham crackers

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven on convection 275.

2. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer with paddle attachment.

3. Add eggs one at a time.

4. Add vanilla, sweet potato and buttermilk.

5. Sift flour and add baking soda, powder, spices and salt. Slowly add this flour mixture till incorporated.

6. Fill half of the small (4 oz) mason jars with mixture.

7. Bake 25 mins.

8. When ready, warm marshmallow fluff in a pan so it is easy to scoop onto the soufflé. Top with marshmallows. Gently heat marshmallows with a torch to a golden brown (do not let them burn). Add caramel and graham crackers.

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

Happy New Year, y’all!

We are so happy, dear readers, to share this—the ninth issue—of The Newton Community Magazine with you. From beginning to end, there are stories of redeeming grace, selfless love and joyful service. We hope that in them you may find encouragement, inspiration or whatever else you may need to hear today.

We know that the past year has been challenging, and we pray that the coming year brings our community more joy than sorrow, more hope than fear, more victory than defeat. None of us knows for sure what lies ahead, but we do know with certainty that God gives us a new beginning every day. Let us resolve to make each day the beginning of a new year and enjoy its blessings one day at a time.

Here’s to a healthy and happy 2021 for us all.

May God bless and keep you.

Scott and Meredith Tredeau

We would like to say a special thank you to City Pharmacy and Burge Club Executive Chef Andrew Featherstone, Burge Club Sous Chef Penny Kennedy-Good and City Pharmacy Pastry Chef Vanessa Pillay for sharing their time and talents to bring this issue’s beautiful cover to life.

2021 Winter Issue 5

F E AT U R E S

NEVER FORGOTTEN The tragic death of former Covington assistant police chief and Newton County school board representative Almond Turner in 2019 left a lasting void in the community he faithfully served for decades, but for those who were closest to him, his indelible legacy endures through the countless lives he touched.

by GABRIEL STOVALL A year to the day after Almond Turner’s death, it felt no less surreal for those closest to him. No less heartbreaking. No less like an awful nightmare from which one tries to wake. That was how Turner’s son, Dwahn, described the day that he and others gathered around his father’s final resting place to pay tribute to a life that had been inexplicably snuffed out by a family member’s gunfire 365 days earlier in Meridian, Mississippi.

“It just still doesn’t seem real,” Dwahn said. “It doesn’t feel like we should even be here.”

Perhaps that was because there are still so many unanswered questions surrounding Turner’s death. News outlets reported

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that Christopher Denson—Turner’s nephew—left a birthday party on the night of Nov. 23, 2019, retrieved an AK-47 from his vehicle and returned to fire some six shots, striking and fatally wounding the former Covington assistant police chief in the head and chest.

Typically in such cases, more information begins to trickle down to the victim’s family after a few weeks or months pass: details like motive, a plea or a trial date and word on possible punishment. All of it helps to provide a semblance of closure.

A year later, however, the Turners had experienced no such relief.

“It’s been tough on all of us,” Dwahn said, “and we’re still trying to make sense of why it even happened. We don’t have any answers, and the COVID-19 pandemic stuff has really slowed that process down in Mississippi. We’re still reeling because we don’t have any idea what happened or what took place to even trigger such an event.”

Dwahn revealed there was some speculation about Denson’s mental health, that perhaps he had some schizophrenic tendencies that might explain his deadly outburst. While it remains something of a mystery, the situation could have gotten much worse had Denson’s brother not wrestled the gun away from him.

“I’m not sure that my dad was really the target,” Dwahn said.

The impact of Turner’s death extends far beyond his immediate family. His absence from the Covington Police Department, the Newton County School Board and the community as a whole has only highlighted his importance and strengthened his legacy.

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F E AT U R E S

“His presence is still being felt, and honestly, that’s why it hurts like it does,” said Covington Police Chief Stacey Cotton. “It’s what everybody knows about Almond. It’s the humanity that came out of him, the smile, the positive mental attitude he had about everything. He was always a glass-half-full guy, and no matter what the situation was and no matter what was coming against him, he was always positive. Not only is that mindset contagious, it’s also rare.”

Cotton first met Turner in high school. However, he was granted his first real glimpse of his larger-than-life persona when he, not Turner, was promoted to assistant chief.

“He took me to get my polygraph test when I first came on [with the police department],” Cotton said. “When I’d gotten promoted, some folks had some hurt feelings. Even Almond came to me and said he was sort of hurt that he didn’t get [the job] but that he’d do everything he could to help me be successful, and he never left me. When I became police chief, he was the first person [to whom] I turned to promote. His loyalty and willingness to put emotion aside was astounding.”

Cotton depended on Turner to help him bridge generational and ethnic gaps—something that proved beneficial, given the nationwide tensions between police departments and people of color.

“We were obviously born in two different generations and in two different races,” Cotton said. “I was born in 1965 in the height of the Civil Rights movement, but everything I knew about it was

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taught to me in school. Almond lived it, and he could sit there and talk to me personally about his struggles and he could put it on a level to where you could understand it, causing you to recognize the plight of the African American community that many didn’t know. I use those things every day now in my personal and professional life.”

Turner was not always straight-faced and serious. Newton County School Board representative Shakila Henderson-Baker appreciated his softer and lighter sides.

“He was the best man at my wedding. We played golf together.

We talked. We shared. Now, when life hits me, I do feel lost, like I don’t have anywhere to go. You can’t give the trust you have for your father to anyone, and that generates a sadness that I still feel.”

Dwahn Turner

“I knew Mr. Turner and his family since I was a little girl.

We lived seven houses down from them, so I grew up knowing that family,” she said. “He was a mentor to me, and I saw him through many roles, but one thing I loved about him is that he was a comedian. He always loved to make people laugh. He’s somebody that you couldn’t tell sometimes whether he was being serious or not. He’d tell you something, let you think about it and then come back and say, ‘I’m just messing with you.’”

Henderson-Baker recalled a story Turner often relayed about his wife, Anita, and their first date. Turner had issued a challenge to himself for the benefit of his future bride, claiming he could put an entire apple in his mouth. When he tried to do so, Henderson-Baker remembered what happened through his own words: “The doggone apple got stuck.”

“We were all at a conference eating dinner together when he told this story, and his wife was just sitting there eating her salad, not flinching, and said, ‘He’s not kidding,’” HendersonBaker said. “He told us the apple had to be cut out of his mouth, and after Mr. Turner finished telling the story, his wife followed up and said, ‘And I still married him.’”

Henderson-Baker also admired how Turner’s rugged exterior— the kind typically associated with a career law enforcement professional—did not prevent him from being in touch with his emotions.

“He was a big crybaby,” she said, choking back a sob with a laugh. “That’s something I didn’t always know. One time, during one of our Teacher of the Year celebrations, we had a guy who was from Louisiana, and he talked about Hurricane Katrina and growing up in the New Orleans area, the crime and violence and how he lost some friends along the way. It was really impactful. I was crying, and Almond leaned over to me and asked, ‘Are you crying?’ Next thing I know, he reaches out a hanky because he had tears rolling down his eyes.”

Drawing back the curtain and revealing a little more about their friendship, Cotton concedes that he and Turner often took turns pulling the emotions out of each other.

“We’d often choke each other up,” he said. “One time at an event, I started talking about our department, and whenever that happens, I’d get a little emotional; and when I started to cry, he’d start to cry. The joke around the department was that we were ‘The Crying Chiefs.’ People would say, ‘Y’all two can’t talk without getting choked up.’”

Cotton and Henderson-Baker feel an immense void, professionally and personally, because of Turner’s absence. Even after his retirement, Turner still made his presence known. Cotton admits it will always be difficult knowing his co-worker, friend and trusted confidant will never walk through the door of his office again. Henderson-Baker can still hear Turner’s voice of reason as she goes about her work, but she concedes it will never compare to his actual company. Dwahn feels a different kind of emptiness. In his father’s stead, he felt an immediate need to

assume the mantle of leadership in his family. That has proven exceedingly difficult without the man on whom he leaned for direction. Such shoes are impossible to fill.

“When life stuff happens, Dad was the one I went to talk to,” Dwahn said. “He was the best man at my wedding. We played golf together. We talked. We shared. Now, when life hits me, I do feel lost, like I don’t have anywhere to go. You can’t give the trust you have for your father to anyone, and that generates a sadness that I still feel.”

Dwahn also draws on his father’s commitment to faith as an example. Turner made certain his family attended church regularly to study God’s word and to gain an understanding of the importance of prayer. It anchors Dwahn today, inspires him to try to carry out his father’s legacy and led to the establishment of the Almond James Turner Foundation. During the 2020–21 school year, it will provide three scholarships to local students— one each to Newton, Eastside and Alcovy high schools.

“We want to continue the legacy of protection and service for community concerns,” Dwahn said. “We want to do it in his name.”

The foundation will be just one of many ways the people who knew Turner best ensure he will be remembered by those to whom he dedicated his life.

“I think if you’re reading his story and you know him well, I can’t tell you anything anyone else doesn’t already know,” Cotton said, “but for those who didn’t know him, all I can say is I’m sorry. I feel sorry for the people who didn’t get to know Almond Turner, because if you knew him, you’d have no other choice but to love him.”

For more information on the Almond James Turner Foundation, visit AJTFoundation.org.

2021 Winter Issue 9

F E AT U R E S

10 The Newton

Kelly and Christy Layson uprooted their family, streamlined their possessions and pursued their faith more than 5,000 miles from home. Their efforts to share the Gospel had gone mostly according to plan until the events of a fateful November day in 2019 changed everything in an instant.

by DAVID ROTEN Kelly Layson in a few words summarized not only his personal mission statement but that of his wife, Christy, and their children, 10-year-old Mary and 16-year-old Michael: “Together as a family, we serve the Lord and the people of Moldova. This is what we do.”

Kelly and Christy always had a heart for missions, having gone on numerous short-term trips throughout their marriage.

After a visit to Haiti in 2013, they began to sense that God was calling them to the mission field full-time. The call was not so much a voice they heard as it was a need they saw, first in the eyes of the Haitians and later in the Moldovans.

“They were missing something, wanting something,” Kelly said when asked about his experience in Haiti. “They were looking for somebody to give them hope, to tell them the

Good News.” That realization gave rise to empathy and a growing compassion. “It could have been us looking for this hope,” he said. “Maybe the Lord put us here to tell them about Jesus.” However, after dangerous local conditions effectively closed the door to Haiti, they turned their attention elsewhere.

Someone suggested they consider Moldova. “We had never even heard of it,” Christy said. Their interest piqued when they were told it was “the Haiti of Europe”—a reference to the extreme poverty that plagues both countries. The Laysons decided to travel to Moldova as missionaries. However, it was more of a “vision trip” for them, and their eyes were opened as they saw God working out timely details and revealing various ministry opportunities. “The Lord laid out everything,” Kelly said. “It was really, really special.”

“The Moldovans will give you the shirt off their backs to help you, but they don’t have a shirt to give you.”

Kelly Layson 2021 Winter Issue 11

F E AT U R E S

Christy and Kelly realized something in their world had shifted the moment they arrived back in the States, as their plane touched down just after midnight in Washington, D.C. “We landed and both of us looked at each other with cold chills, and we said, ‘We’re not supposed to be here. This is not home for us right now,’” Kelly said. The Laysons continued to pray for confirmation of the call and regularly held family talks around a table, where the kids actively participated in the decisionmaking process. Eventually, a consensus was reached. “Nobody had negative reasons for why we shouldn’t move to Moldova,” Christy said. “There were only positives.”

After being accepted by Operation Mobilization, a Christian missionary organization based in Tyrone, the Laysons immediately began efforts to raise money for their mission to Moldova.

Kelly and Christy left longstanding jobs and sold their house and cars. In just five months, they were fully funded. Michael and Mary, 10 and 4 years old at the time, made sacrifices of their own, as they left behind friends and possessions. For their flight to Moldova, each of them was allowed just one suitcase in which to carry their personal belongings: clothes, toys and books.

“They made some difficult choices,” Kelly said.

Upon arriving in the former Soviet republic, the Laysons joined a well-established OM ministry team and began the process of adjusting to a new culture and learning the national language: Romanian. “They also have Moldovan, which is not really a language, but it’s their made-up language, so they speak

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Russian, Romanian and Moldovan, all in one sentence,” Christy said with a laugh. The Laysons made an instant and enduring connection with the village of Panasesti and its pastor, Petru Castravet, whom Kelly credits with being an invaluable mentor.

“You knew this was a man of God and that he was a believer in the Lord Almighty,” he said. The capital city of Chisinau is home to an estimated one million people, while another 1.5 million populate the roughly 1,600 villages scattered throughout the rest of the country—a total area one-third the size of Georgia. It is perhaps the poorest nation in Europe.

Despite the lack of resources, the Laysons found the native people to be generous and hospitable to a fault.

“The Moldovans will give you the shirt off their backs to help you,” Kelly said, “but they don’t have a shirt to give you.”

The effects of poverty in Moldova are both ubiquitous and profound. Many parents leave their families in order to find jobs in other countries such as Italy or Russia. Typically, Christy indicated, the father is the first to go, and, initially, he sends money back home for support. Often, after a little while, the money stops coming and the father is never heard from again.

Then the mother may leave and, likewise, never return. The heartbreaking outcome? Children abandoned and left to survive on their own.

“The youngest I knew was a 9-year-old girl who was taking care of her little sister and a toddler,” Christy said. “This is common in the village.”

Sex trafficking of young Moldovan girls is also widespread.

Many are lured away from home by the promise of a legitimate job in the city that would enable them to help provide vital food and firewood for their families through the harsh winter.

The girls are then often taken out of the country under false pretenses and sold into the human trafficking industry. Other Moldovan girls become trapped in a life of prostitution with seemingly no way out. Christy vividly remembers a 15-year-old who shared her story at one of OM’s Vulnerable Girls camps.

For two years, she had worked to pay for monthly medicine her younger brother needed to survive.

“Her mom would sell her for about $2.50,” Christy said.

“She told us she feels it’s only right that she does this. She doesn’t want to be the reason her brother dies.”

Into these lives and situations, the Laysons and the OM ministry team have brought help and hope through a variety of ministries. Kelly’s job in financial development entailed generating funds through Moldovan donors for projects providing food, firewood, children’s programs, day and elderly centers, camp ministries and more. As often as possible, the Laysons went as a family into the villages to feed the needy and share the Gospel as “the hands and feet of Jesus.” Though they had experienced challenges and difficulties during their time in Moldova, they no longer felt like strangers in a foreign land.

Even young Mary considered Moldova, not America, her home.

Then life changed again, quickly and dramatically, on Nov. 10, 2019. Christy, still recuperating from surgery two weeks earlier, awoke that morning to the sound of her kids’ voices.

They were filled with trepidation: “Mom, there’s something wrong with Dad.” Concern grew.

“I was acting weird,” Kelly said. He could speak, but his words carried frightening incoherence. “He just started talking about crazy stuff,” Christy said. When Kelly noticed he could not feel his right hand, his wife knew it was time to call for help. He had suffered a stroke. Over the next two weeks, Kelly was wheeled in and out of several antiquated hospitals, all ill-equipped to correctly diagnose or treat him.

“Moldova is like America was 40 or 50 years ago,” Christy said. “The national hospitals are really bad.”

Convinced that Kelly’s best chance for effective treatment would be found back in the States, Christy worked to get him released from the hospital and approved to fly. After a couple of extra cash payments required by the doctor and a call to the American embassy, Kelly was on a 13-hour flight to Atlanta.

He was then rushed to Piedmont Rockdale Hospital in Conyers.

“By this time, 15 days had passed,” he said. “[The doctors] were really in disbelief at what had happened.”

After about a week in the hospital, Kelly was released to his parents, and several days later, Christy and the kids flew home, the family together again. Kelly spent three months undergoing

speech and physical therapy. Today, a little more than a year after returning from Moldova, he continues to slowly improve from the lingering effects of the stroke and faithfully waits to see where God leads next.

“Our heart would be to go back to Moldova,” Kelly said, “but we know this is not really possible right now.” He admits the difficulties they face are real. “There are some things you can’t deny,” Kelly said while fighting back tears. “It’s because of God—and some days I don’t understand—but no matter what has happened, I’m still alive.” He was quick to recount how God continues to bless and provide for his family. “The Lord took care of us, so there’s something else,” he said. “We’re not finished.”

Through it all, the Laysons remain committed to the call.

Kelly, who recently suffered a second albeit less-severe stroke, wears a bracelet that reads as follows: “Watch me live my life.”

Christy explained the meaning behind the words. “Whether we’re here or in Moldova, we want people to see Jesus in us,” she said. “We want to live our lives so that they want to know what’s different about us so that we can tell them about Jesus and He can save them just like He saved us.”

2021 Winter Issue 13

Chain reaker S B

F E AT U R E S

Atlanta Redemption Ink harnesses the talents of area tattoo artists to summon hope, recovery and transformation for sex trafficking survivors, former gang members and those in the midst of self-harm and addiction recovery.

by DAVID ROTEN

It was Nikki’s own personal brand of ink therapy. Tattoos covered her arms and legs, neck and shoulders, all of them chosen for their significant meaning related to people or events in her life. However, this one was different. Chosen for her, it was a constant reminder of a shameful past she desperately wanted to forget.

It was also a dangerous tagalong companion that, if seen and recognized, could betray her into the hands of those who would enslave her again. Branded on her leg by a gang member, this tattoo penetrated much further than skin deep.

“At the time I was like, ‘Oh, this is kind of cool’ or whatever, but I didn’t realize the symbolism in it. When you get branded by a gang member or a trafficker, their symbol that they put on you means that they own you,” she said, pointing out that victims of human trafficking often get caught in the middle while traffickers fight over “ownership” rights. “They can abuse you, beat you, sell you for a different fee and things like that.”

Like many others who end up on the streets as victims of commercial sexual exploitation, Nikki’s life had been punctuated with abuse. The physical abuse she suffered at 6 months old was only the beginning. “My cousin molested me when I was 5,” she said, “and I internalized that as being my fault.” The emotional and sexual abuse continued until age 10. At age 13, she was raped. “By the time I was 19 years old, I was sold for the first time by my best friend’s mom,” she said.

“I never really understood what all that meant.”

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2021 Winter Issue 15

F E AT U R E S

JESSICA LAMB

“I was seeing survivors faced with old scars, tattoos forced on them by traffickers labeling them as property, old gang tattoos from a life they were no longer a part of.

It grieved my heart to see people bound by these.”

Atlanta Redemption Ink Founder Jessica Lamb

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In the years that followed, a marriage to her longtime boyfriend produced two children but little bliss. Abused by her husband and dogged by her addictions—she had been drinking since age 11 and smoking marijuana since she was 13—her marriage broke up and she lost custody of her two kids. “I really didn’t have any self-worth,” she said. “I really had lost that as a child, so I just really didn’t know the person God had created.”

After another abusive relationship ended, she would eventually meet those who would traffic her in Atlanta.

Nikki had been praying for weeks for God to save her from a life consumed with abuse and addiction. She had been trafficked for about six months when God answered her prayer for deliverance. “I escaped by way of jail,” she said.

Eight months later, Nikki was released and began her journey toward healing and restoration at a residential recovery program in Atlanta for adult female survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation. Yet, almost two years into sobriety and recovery from abuse, she felt ashamed and scared, still held captive by an image she could not leave behind.

Freedom Fighter Jessica Lamb, now a wife and mother, was trafficked as a teenager before escaping that environment in 2003. Over the last several years, Lamb has been actively involved in a number of volunteer organizations that help trafficking survivors and those struggling with drug addictions.

“I saw programs doing incredible work but felt there was a piece missing,” she said. “I was seeing survivors faced with old scars, tattoos forced on them by traffickers labeling them as property, old gang tattoos from a life they were no longer a part of. It grieved my heart to see people bound by these.”

In 2017, Lamb established Atlanta Redemption Ink to help other survivors experience the same freedom she had found through tattoo removal and cover-up.

“We advocate for those who are hurting,” she said. “We speak to their true identity, not what a circumstance labeled them as but what God says about them.” Tattoo cover-ups serve not only to dim the pain of a dark past but also to ignite hope for a brighter future. “Often,” Lamb said, “they choose covers that reflect their healing journey.”

Much healing can occur when survivors can reclaim their voices. Even advocates can make the mistake of trying to speak for victims by trying to educate others on what they themselves have not experienced. Lamb wants to ensure survivors have an opportunity to be heard.

“When we encourage them to not be silenced and share their story,” she said, “it’s a symbol to others that healing is possible and tangible.”

Through scholarships and by establishing connections with reputable shops and artists, Lamb and ARI have helped nearly 300 survivors throughout the Southeast and beyond find healing from trafficking and gang-related tattoos, as well as scars from self-harm and drug addiction. Trauma-informed counseling is provided when needed. Atlanta Redemption Ink also makes referrals to other non-profit organizations for help with therapy, educational opportunities, job readiness and safe houses. ARI receives referrals from various law enforcement agencies, anti-trafficking organizations, county drug courts and mental health advocates. The organization also trains law enforcement and communities on the identification of trafficking tattoos and topics related to mental health and human trafficking awareness.

Survivors can apply for assistance on ARI’s website at atlantaredemptionink.com. Applicants will then be contacted by the Atlanta Redemption Ink Care Team, which can assess their needs and provide the appropriate service or referral. If they are approved for a cover-up, Lamb meets them at the tattoo shop to support them through the process.

Unexpected Peace Nikki was one of the first to go through the program at Atlanta Redemption Ink. As she walked through the door at Iron Clad Ink to get her cover-up, she met Lamb and tattoo artist Jesse Rollins for the first time. A symbol of the secure hope found in Hebrews 6:19, an anchor was the tattoo chosen to forever cover the emblem of shame from the past. As Lamb sat by Nikki’s side, Rollins skillfully applied ink to skin.

“I felt this peace wash over me,” Nikki said. “When I got done with my tattoo and left the shop, I was just in tears because it healed a part of my life that I just wasn’t expecting.”

2021 Winter Issue 17

F E AT U R E S JESSE ROLLINS

Fighting Fires, Stigmas Rollins, who owns and operates Iron Clad Ink, also works as a City of Covington firefighter. Personal experience rests at the heart of why his shop donates time and materials to provide cover-ups for survivors who are referred by Lamb. “It was just kind of a fit,” said Rollins, whose mother left her abusive alcoholic husband before he was born. “Coming from that background, it’s on my heart to help women any way I can. When Jessica approached me and asked if I’d be interested, I really didn’t have to think about it.”

Shop manager and artist Justin Haug admits he “eats, sleeps and breathes tattooing” and experiences a sense of humility whenever he gets the opportunity to do a cover-up for a survivor. “I feel honored to be able to help somebody cover up something that they didn’t want in the first place and to replace it with something that makes them feel beautiful,” he said.

Self-harm scars are perhaps the most demanding cover-ups for Iron Clad Ink artists, both professionally and emotionally. One survivor who walked into Rollins’ shop was especially memorable for the extent of her abuse and the number of scars. “I quit counting at 128 individual scars from her wrist to her elbow,” Rollins said. “They continued up her biceps, but I couldn’t see that far.” It took hours of tedious work over “guttered” skin late into the night, but the covering was completed. Rollins recalls her words of gratitude to this day: “If I could shed tears, I’d be bawling.”

“It turns out she was a self-harmer because, from the age of 5 to 15, she was sexually abused by her father,” Rollins said.

“She hadn’t cried since she was 6 years old.”

JUSTIN HAUG

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Though tattoos still bear a degree of stigma in certain areas, attitudes toward them have moderated significantly from what they were just a few years ago. “I grew up in a pretty strict Christian home, and tattoos were taboo,” Rollins said. “[It was assumed] if you had a tattoo you most likely had been in a biker gang or you’d been to prison or you just didn’t care about yourself. That’s changed.”

Public perception of tattoo shops as havens for drugs, vulgarity and violence has also begun to change. “In opening this place, I was trying to get away from that and create a place where anybody would feel welcome and safe,” Rollins said. “It’s not uncommon for me to be tattooing mom and/or dad and the kids are in here hooked to our wi-fi watching movies or playing games.” In fact, the family-friendly Iron Clad Ink was the first tattoo shop in Georgia to be designated as a “Safe Place” for at-risk kids.

Lamb remains eternally thankful for all the shops that partner with Atlanta Redemption Ink. Cupid Slave Tattoo Shop’s Kayla Tyndall emerged as another valued ally in Newton County. She takes female clients who may not feel comfortable with the all-male staff at Iron Clad Ink. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Atlanta Redemption Ink depends entirely on donations and volunteers to fulfill its mission to bring healing and hope to survivors through tattoo cover-ups. Lamb realizes that some may still be skeptical. “They may think, ‘Oh, it’s just another tattoo,’” she said, “but it’s so much more than that.”

From Victim to Advocate Nikki has gone from being a victim to advocating for those who have followed in her unfortunate footsteps. Both Lamb and Nikki are now involved with multiple non-profit organizations that help those seeking healing and restoration from abuse. Both women have experienced what it is like to see others transformed through something as simple but profound as a tattoo.

“It’s one of the most beautiful experiences you will ever have,” Nikki said, “to be in someone else’s pain and watch them heal from it, because we didn’t want these things to happen to us.

Even if it’s self-harm, that’s not really what you wanted, but it’s what you experienced; and to have it covered up where you’re not re-living it with a visual every single day and to have something [that draws] beauty from ashes is just the most God-given, glorious experience you will ever have in your life.

It’s just amazing, and I am so grateful.”

ARI Newton County Partners

For more information on Atlanta Redemption Ink, visit AtlantaRedemptionInk.com or call 678-926-9946.

Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people under the age of 18 (up to 21 years of age in some communities) in need of immediate help and safety. As a collaborative community prevention initiative, Safe Place designates businesses and organizations as Safe Place locations, making help readily available to youth in communities across the country. Safe Place locations include: libraries, YMCAs, fire stations, public buses, various businesses, and social service facilities.

Designated Safe Place locations display the Safe Place sign, the universal symbol of youth safety.

KAYLA TYNDALL

2021 Winter Issue 19

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

22 The Newton

Easing

by KARI APTED

a D i f f i c u l t Tr a n s i t i o n

Mary Roach never envisioned herself being a hospice volunteer, but the death of her father in 2017 set in motion a series of events that forever altered the life of the longtime teacher, coach and administrator.

Mary Roach was unfamiliar with hospice care until her family needed it, but when she discovered what it involved, she considered it a Godsend.

“My dad, Jim Roach—we call him ‘Pop’—passed away in 2017. He was 90 years old, a classic World War II Navy veteran, my rock. He and I were peanut butter and jelly,” Roach said.

“He had congestive heart failure and COPD but was strong enough to handle living by himself.”

Pop’s caregiver called Roach one day to report that her father was not doing well and was refusing to seek treatment. Roach convinced her dad he needed medical care and hurried into

Atlanta to be with him at Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital. Roach and her three siblings, Cecilia, Dan and Mike, took turns staying with Pop. While his physical therapist was there one Monday, his hospital gown fell open. They were alarmed to see the right side of his chest red and swollen, and he was soon being rushed to the Cardiac Care Unit. It only took a few days in the CCU for doctors to realize nothing could be done to improve Pop’s condition. His care team recommended sending him home with hospice care.

“I really didn’t know much about hospice,” Roach said. “Pam DeMatteo [a community liaison] from Longleaf [Hospice in Covington] was there, and she told me it was free. I said, ‘What do you mean it’s free? Nothing is free in this world.’ She explained everything, and we signed the paperwork that day.”

As Roach worried about needing help over the weekend, DeMatteo reassured her that Longleaf was available 24 hours a day.

“I’d never heard of an organization like that,” Roach said.

“They gave me a phone number, and I couldn’t believe I could just call at 3 a.m. if I needed somebody to talk to. Our hospice nurse was named Stacy, and she was incredible. I asked her so many questions. She was so kind and loving. Anything we needed or wanted, she was there.”

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

Pop remained active at home through the weekend. “That Sunday,” Roach said, “he cooked his own food, wrote checks and paid bills. That was Pop, getting everything in order.” By Sunday evening, Pop was in bed. “I kept asking Stacy how long he had left,” Roach said. “It was [impressive] how she knew the timeline.”

On Wednesday, Stacy suggested contacting the family to say their goodbyes. “My niece, the oldest grandchild, arrived 25 minutes before he passed away. It was uncanny how Stacy knew exactly how long he had. It was almost down to the minute,” Roach said.

“Something I will never forget about his care from Longleaf and St. Joseph’s was how everyone treated him with dignity and respect. No one ever treated him like just another old person.”

Following Pop’s death, Roach stayed in touch with Catherine Vaughn, his social worker at Longleaf. After a few months, Vaughn asked Roach if she ever considered volunteering at Longleaf.

Roach laughed as she replied: “I love hospice, but no, I don’t think that’s for me.” Vaughn persisted, knowing that Roach’s 26 years as a teacher, coach and assistant principal with the Newton County School System made her a strong candidate to work with kids at Camp Kate—a free monthly bereavement program Longleaf hosts to help children work through grief following a loved one’s death. Roach agreed to try. Although she enjoyed the day-long experience, she asked Loy Turner, Longleaf ’s community outreach and volunteer coordinator, about opportunities that involved interaction with the patients.

“I’ve always had this thing for elderly people,” Roach said.

“I just love hanging out with them and hearing their stories.”

When she found out about Longleaf ’s home visitation program, she signed up. “They treated me like an employee, not a volunteer. I was impressed with that,” Roach said. “I went through training, a background check, got a name badge—all of that.”

Roach admits she felt nervous as she drove to her first visit. She had been paired with a senior citizen named Fred. “I don’t pray a lot, but I do ask for help,” Roach said. “When I walked into that house, I asked my Pop to help me out. Then I saw Fred, and my jaw

24 The Newton

dropped. I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’ He was my dad reincarnated.” Fred was wearing the same kind of plaid shirt and khaki pants, the same type of tennis shoes and the same black leather belt Pop always wore. He even had the matching walker beside him.

“I reached out my hand and said, ‘Hi, my name is Mary.’

He looked me up and down and asked where my name tag was.

I had forgotten my badge. I ran out to the car and got it, then asked if we could start over again,” Roach said. “What was supposed to be a 15-minute visit lasted over an hour. I started out sitting across the room but kept moving my chair closer.

It was uncanny how much he was like Pop.” Fred was almost 90 years old. Like Pop, he had served in the Navy during World War II. He had also been a clown for the Shriners, lived in a nudist colony for a while and served as a

“I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give is to be fully present with another person, fully engaged, not worried about anything else.

If I can do that for one person, that is a wonderful thing.”

Longleaf Hospice volunteer Mary Roach

hospice volunteer, proudly showing Roach his certificate from 1972. He shared Pop’s sarcastic sense of humor.

“What really got me is what happened when I left,” Roach said. “I went to shake his hand, and he moved my arm back and forth like a saw. He said, ‘Know what we say in the mountains? We say, it’s good to saw ya,’ which is exactly what my dad used to do when I left.”

Roach could not stop crying once she returned to her car.

“I was bawling like a baby,” she said. “I called Loy and told her that Fred was my dad reincarnated, that she had hit a grand slam matching us up. I knew I was in 100 percent and coming every time.” Roach and Fred enjoyed 52 days together, talking, playing checkers or just watching Animal Planet during their twice-weekly visits. “We had such a good time,” she said. “His daughters told me that he asked every day if I was coming, and he got so excited on the days I visited. I got so close to him.

I couldn’t help it.” Roach felt honored when Fred’s family asked her to speak at his funeral. “I didn’t really plan to be a hospice volunteer,” she said, “but things just aligned.”

Roach has continued to volunteer with Longleaf after Fred’s death.

“Everybody wants to be heard, and I just listen,” Roach said.

“I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give is to be fully present with another person, fully engaged, not worried about anything else. If I can do that for one person, that is a wonderful thing.”

For more information on Longleaf Hospice in Covington, visit LongleafHospice.com or call 770-939-9179.

Founded in 2009, locally owned Longleaf Hospice has offices in Atlanta and Covington and offers end-oflife care to those with life-limiting illnesses.

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

GRACE & TRUTH

A Uniting Force

The mercy and love we were shown when Jesus went to the cross and shed his blood for our sins supersede all boundaries. They can bring together people from all walks, change lives, alter futures and build communities in which everyone thrives.

by JUSTIN ADAMS Stop what you’re doing and take a few minutes to answer these questions. What if someone was nice to you, encouraged you or believed in you? Would that have changed your day, your career, your life?

Oftentimes, one moment of kindness, one encouraging word or one person believing in you can alter your future. We have an incredible power to motivate and inspire, a prodigious potential to build a community in which everyone thrives. How do we do it? How do we alter the courses of those around us?

The answer is simple: grace. It changes lives. Showing forgiveness is grace. Providing motivation is grace. Believing in someone is grace.

Grace is more than just a religious term used by Christians.

Grace is decent humanity caring for its neighbors. Decent humanity has been hidden for too long. Division, anger and isolation have overshadowed decent humanity and grace.

I believe it’s time for grace to make a comeback. I believe it’s time for grace to be at the forefront of this community’s need to come together. Stop focusing on things we do not agree on, things like political differences and cultural separations. Instead, allow grace to unite us.

26 The Newton

We all agree on kindness, goodness and politeness. These are all subcategories of grace. When you show kindness, goodness or politeness, you are giving grace.

I’m a product and a direct result of grace. Someone was graceful towards me, which allowed me to become who I am today. A local church and local pastor simply invited me to worship services and changed my life. The moment I realized Jesus Christ loved me so much that He died on the cross for my sins was the moment I experienced grace in its ultimate form.

Who I am today is a direct result of the life-changing encounter I had with grace through Jesus Christ. Since then, one of my greatest goals has been to show others the same grace that was shown to me.

I challenge you to show grace. Our community needs more of it. Our neighbors need to see it. Our children need to experience it. Lives can be changed by it. Help someone become a product of grace.

Justin Adams is the pastor of New Life Praise Center in Covington. Visit NewLifePraiseCenter.net or call 770-815-3601 to learn more.

“Stop focusing on things we do not agree on, things like political differences and cultural separations.

Instead, allow grace to unite us.”

New Life Praise Center Pastor Justin Adams

2021 Winter Issue 27

ADVERTORIAL

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Hippocrates

A PLACE ‘WHERE FRIENDS MEET’

by KARI APTED

City Pharmacy brings the delight of fine dining to downtown Covington through the distinctive vision of owner Tedo Stone, general manager Candice Dean and executive chef Andrew Featherstone.

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You may initially find City Pharmacy’s name perplexing, but the restaurant’s fare proves solidly coherent. Longtime residents of Newton County remember that the building originally housed a drug store and lunch counter under the same name. It became known as the place “where friends meet”—a tagline owner Tedo Stone still uses today.

The City Pharmacy building at the corner of Church and Floyd streets in downtown Covington has been owned by the Stone family for decades and has housed several different businesses. Expertly renovated, it now brings the delight of fine dining to The Square. Whitewashed brick, tin ceiling tiles, exposed ductwork and the original black-and-white tile floor contribute to the welcoming, urban-farmhouse vibe.

Executive chef Andrew Featherstone prepares everything fresh in-house, applying over 35 years of kitchen expertise to his craft.

His cuisine honors southern culinary traditions while reimagining the classics.

Patrons can settle in at a table or belly up to the bar, where bar manager Chelsea Garrett or a friendly bartender will fill your glass with a seasonal signature cocktail; or try one of the classics from the drink menu, perhaps the vodka gimlet sparked with lemongrass oil. A wide selection of wine and beer is also available. During Snack Hour, dive into a generous bowl of peel-and-eat shrimp or indulge in fresh oysters on the half shell.

The Early Bird Charcuterie Board is a gorgeously displayed collection of meats, cheeses, Doux South pickles and honeycomb served with crispy flatbread.

If you opt for the CP Happy Burger, be sure to request extra napkins to help contain the melty goodness. Two Wagyu beef patties are layered with caramelized onions, American cheese, house ketchup and mustard. As the menu transitions from Snack Hour to dinner service, ask for the chef ’s Wagyu burger topped with crispy bacon and Maytag blue cheese. Go fullsouth at dinner with the Pecan Fried Chicken, featuring pecan-crusted chicken breasts served atop a cream cheese potato puree, or try the House Smoked Pork Tenderloin with a bourbon-cherry glaze and vanilla sweet potato puree.

Visit frequently to enjoy Featherstone’s creative daily specials.

These beautifully presented plates are expertly prepared and often feature fresh seafood such as black grouper, moonfish or mussels. City Pharmacy is an ideal place to try unique ingredients— such as bison or duck confit—not likely to be found on any other Covington menu.

City Pharmacy is located at 1105 Church Street, and reservations are recommended. Arrive Tuesday through Sunday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. for snacks and cocktails, or come after 5 p.m. for dinner service. The restaurant closes nightly at 9 p.m. and is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit CityPharmacyCov.com or call 470-441-5092.

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

A H u nge r to

feed thers

Brenda Sears, her husband and her three children have turned their love for cooking into their own community outreach program involving Mansfield Elementary School, the Garden of Gethsemane Shelter and anyone else fortunate enough to fall within their circle of influence.

by MICHELLE FLOYD Food serves as far more than a basic energy source for Brenda Sears and her family.

“My husband and I love to cook,” the Texas native said, “so if we have anybody who is sick around us, we will cook them dinner and take it over to them. We feed people when we know they are in need.”

Because she was raised in a Hispanic household, Sears cooks many traditional Mexican dishes, like chicken and steak fajitas.

Her husband Lee, who was raised in Georgia, prepares more homestyle meals, like broccoli casserole and macaroni and cheese.

“We just make a meal and take it to their house, and we make sure we make enough so they will have enough for a while or

32 The Newton

some to share,” Sears said, pointing out that having food stocked in the freezer or refrigerator can make life easier when people are ill at home or traveling back and forth to doctor’s visits.

The Sears family has on occasion taken its cooking on the road, visiting the Garden of Gethsemane Shelter in Covington to cook for residents.

“We serve and fellowship with the people who are in the homeless shelter,” Sears said. “We will load up the grill on our truck and just grill out for them. They would come talk to us and hang out while we were grilling, and once the food was ready, we would serve them and eat with them and fellowship with them.”

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

“My mom has always told me that when you cook, you cook with love, and that makes the food taste better.”

Brenda Sears

34 The Newton

She admits she comes by the desire to cook for her family and others naturally. Her father loved to grill, and her stayat-home mother also knows how to run a kitchen.

“She made fresh food all the time, even the flour and corn tortillas,” Sears said. “It’s always been about food in my family.

My mom has always told me that when you cook, you cook with love, and that makes the food taste better.”

A mother herself, Sears relishes the opportunity to pass on the proud tradition of cooking to her own family. Many of the recipes from which she cooks today were passed down from her mother, and she continues the tradition by allowing her kids—

Hollie, 13, Hannah, 11, and Simon Luke, 5—to assist her in the kitchen. “My 5-year-old even helps me,” said Sears, who recently taught her son how to cut celery. “He said, ‘I want to help you.’” During home school in the spring, Hollie was assigned to make food, take pictures of the meals and write about them for one of her classes. Hannah enjoys baking sweets.

“She helps me in the kitchen,” Sears said, “especially if it’s something she wants.”

Over the past few years, Sears has also enlisted her children to help feed students at Mansfield Elementary School. She started what became known as the PB&J Project, which packs bags of food for underprivileged kids identified by the school’s counseling department or administration.

Once or twice a month, 20 students are sent home with a bag of food that includes juice, peanut butter and sometimes bread, along with snacks like Goldfish, crackers, apple sauce, tuna pouches, cereal and other nonperishable items.

“We want to keep it easy to where the kids don’t have to completely cook something or get burned, so we try to keep it to microwavable soups or mac and cheese,” she said. “We do a lot of ready-to-eat items to where they don’t have to turn on the stove.”

Sears borrowed the idea from a Bible study group in Fort Hood, Texas, where her husband was once stationed as a member of the United States Army. With the help of donations from family and friends, Sears collects a majority of the items she needs to stuff the bags. She and her family then spend several hours packing the bags for the children before delivering them. The school in turn distributes the bags in order to keep those involved in the program anonymous to anyone outside of school administrators.

“The PB&J Project has been meeting students’ nutritional needs over the weekend for several years. Their generosity ensures children do not have to go without meals,” said Mansfield Elementary School counselor Ashley Burt. “I just do not have words for how important that is. We are eternally grateful for this program.”

RECETA DE TOSTADAS! Tostados are a Sears family favorite. A tostada is a crispy, flat corn tortilla layered with all kinds of different toppings. For a quick and easy weeknight meal, pile the tostadas with these or any of your own favorite toppings and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS (Serves Four)

8 tostada shells* ½ cup of refried beans 1 lb. of cooked ground beef or other meat of your choice 1 cup of shredded lettuce ½ cup of tomatoes ½ cup of onions ½ cup of shredded cheese of your choice 2 slices of avocado per tostada * You can fry corn tortillas yourself or buy premade packaged tostadas, usually found in the tortilla section of the grocery store.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spread store-bought tostados on baking sheet and heat at 350°F for 4-5 minutes.

2. Cook ground beef (seasoned with salt and pepper or garlic salt to taste) until done. Remove grease.

3. Heat refried beans until warmed through.

4. Assemble the tostadas: a. Spread thin layer of refried beans over tostada shell. b. Top with spoonful of ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes or salsa, onions, cheese and avocado.

For more information on the PB&J Project, contact Brenda Sears at bafsears@gmail.com.

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

38 The Newton

BRICK BY BRICK

Tommy Hailey spent a quarter of a century building the Newton County Recreation Commission into one of the country’s most respected institutions, showing thousands just how far a little imagination could carry them.

by NAT HARWELL

I have a chipped tooth. Right up front, top left. It stands as a permanent reminder of a routine ground ball hit to me as I played second base as a slow-footed 11-year-old on Robinson Field in my hometown of Greensboro. Today, Robinson Field serves as a parking lot for the Greensboro Police Department, but back in 1962, it was the only little league baseball field in town. As one might expect, the infield was basically dirt, peppered with rocks that stubbornly resisted any smoothing a mesh drag might attempt. Yes, it was a routine grounder. I never even had to move. At the last second, it ricocheted off one of those rocks, took a hop and struck me in the upper lip. There went the tooth—and the ball. The runner was safe on an E4.

Such was the state of baseball fields in Greene County when

I grew up there in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s.

Much has changed since. Today, the Greene County Recreation Department sports state-of-the-art fields and facilities. A great deal of the credit for that renaissance can be attributed to a man who built the Newton County Recreation Commission into what became, in the late 1990s and well into the 21st century, the apple of America’s eye.

Along with his two brothers, Tommy Hailey was raised by his grandmother and stepmother after his mother died when he was just 5 years old. Tom Aiken, a fine retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Marines, took him under his wing and helped fashion him into a vessel of influence. There were others who shaped Hailey along the way, legendary Newton High School 2021 Winter Issue 39

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

basketball coach Ron Bradley and former New York Yankees farmhand Billy Carl “B.C.” Crowell chief among them. Crowell ran an open gym in Porterdale.

“He’d open the gym in the morning, tell us to have fun and behave ourselves and come back to lock it up in the evenings,” Hailey said. “We played every kind of game and had the best time kids could have back in that day.”

Hailey, a 1971 graduate of Newton High School, played baseball—not basketball—under Bradley and was later instrumental in getting the Ronald M. Bradley Gymnasium at Turner Lake Park named for him. An exceptional multi-sport athlete, he went on to a stellar slow-pitch softball career, playing all across the nation before ultimately being enshrined in the United States Specialty Sports Association Hall of Fame. Hailey earned a degree from Gordon College in Barnesville, and in 1985, Truett McConnell University knocked on his door in its search for a coach who could recruit and build. Hailey built the baseball and soccer fields there in Cleveland and coached for years, but one fateful telephone call not only changed his life but made the world better for all slow-footed second basemen in Newton County.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”

Greek proverb

40 The Newton

A Visionary Comes Home An old Greek proverb reads as follows: “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.” Hailey is not yet an old man. He still moves with an easy grace and carriage that defines an athlete of any age. However, an incredible 30-plus years ago, the same B.C. Crowell who had run the open gym in Porterdale called and asked Hailey to come home. Newton County needed a world-class recreation commission, and Crowell knew he had the right man for the job. So it was that the Hailey legacy—the planting of those trees—began in Covington when he heeded Crowell’s call on July 3, 1989.

“Well, wait a minute,” Hailey said assertively, “I could not have done anything without the support of the community and some outstanding individual leadership from some others. I had the full support of then-Covington City Manager Frank Turner and Covington Mayor Bill Dobbs. Mayor Dobbs came to me and said he had seen a Dixie Boys World Series and wanted Covington to host one. He gave me a green light to do what needed to be done; and along the way, we had outstanding support from the recreation board, which included men such as Al Cook, Luther Baker, Johnny Presley and Danny Stone. Other mayors with whom I worked, Allene Burton and Sam Ramsey, were also onboard, as were county commission chairmen Roy Varner, Aaron Varner and Davis Morgan.”

From 1989 through 2013, Hailey labored at transforming Newton County into what became a shining beacon in the world of recreation across the United States. In fact, more Dixie Boys World Series have now been held at City Pond Park than at any other venue in the nation. Newton County hosted teams from across the Sun Belt in 1993, 1997, 2002, 2008 and 2012.

Visitors were given first-class accommodations, fed as if they were royalty and hosted by families who made them feel at home. Recreation department directors from across the country came to see and learn from Hailey. He joined the board of directors for Dixie Boys Baseball back in 2004, and in 2012, he was named director of 14-year-old World Series tournaments for the Alabama-based organization. His contributions drew attention from far and wide, and in 2016, Hailey was enshrined in the Dixie Boys Baseball Hall of Fame.

Reflecting on the years of work it took to renovate City Pond Park and build the revolutionary Turner Lake Park complex,

Hailey also pointed to the park that was built and named for Georgia state representative and friend Denny Dobbs. In addition, he was quick to affirm his appreciation for the efforts of former City of Covington public works directors Sam Walton, Steve Horton and Billy Bouchillon and local businessman Gary Moseley, along with those put forth by the aforementioned Morgan, former City of Covington Planning Director Randy Vinson and Tifton-based turf whisperer T. Mac Wilder— the three men responsible for planning and grading the softball fields and park at Turner Lake.

“If you’re going to host tournaments, which brought in literally millions of dollars to the county over the years, you can’t have rainouts,” Hailey said. “The work Davis, Randy and Mac put in with planning, drainage and grading was amazing.”

Hailey, 67, remains most grateful to those with whom he worked closest, including top lieutenants Dwayne Mask and Ricky Vaughn and Dixie Boys Baseball Commissioner Sandy Jones.

“We had truly amazing, hard-working staff members throughout the years,” he said. “They really got it done, day after day, year after year.”

With Holly—his wife of 48 years—at his side, Hailey has begun to settle into retirement, having hung up his spikes as Greene County recreation director after his decades of service to nearby Newton. Even as he continues to mourn the loss of his son, T.J., to a March 26, 2003 car accident that claimed his life at the age of 22, his 8-year-old daughter, Sophie, keeps him on his toes.

“After T.J.’s death, Sophie has been a wonderful blessing to us all,” Hailey said. “They both love music and sports. It’s amazing the characteristics, traits and, yes, even stubbornness that she inherited from T.J.” Because of the tireless efforts of a man who planted trees in whose shade he will never sit, the generations to come in Greensboro, Covington and many of their surrounding areas will rarely have to worry about the kind of bad hop that took part of a slow-footed second baseman’s tooth into the abyss some 60 years ago.

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

42 The Newton

AXE ON , AXE OFF

by BRIAN KNAPP

No longer exclusive to lumberjack competitions and mountain fairs, the axe throwing craze touched down in Covington with the October opening of Axe Town—a unique venue that offers patrons another welcomed entertainment outlet on The Square.

The muffled thwacks of steel meeting wood greet visitors as they stroll along Church Street on The Square, the sun squeezing out its final minutes of daylight before setting on the mid-autumn horizon. Those distinct sounds interrupt the everyday hustle and bustle, informing anyone within earshot that the axe throwing craze has come to downtown Covington.

Axe Town—the brainchild of Jennifer and Danny Hartman and their business partners, Josh and Amber Foster—provides Square goers with a most unique entertainment option and a departure from the norm. On any given Friday or Saturday night, a line of axe throwers leaks out the front door and onto the sidewalk, yet another sign that a specialty sport once reserved for lumberjack competitions and mountain fairs has indeed reached the masses.

Into this setting walked newlyweds Matthew and Emmy Bradford, who fall somewhere between novice and expert on the axe throwing spectrum. Married in September, the couple discovered a date-night activity they may not have considered otherwise during a weekend trip to the North Georgia mountains a few years ago.

“It was up in the mountains in the bottom of a store,” Matthew said through a thick auburn beard. “They had an axe throwing place down there. I think we first went on a whim.

We just saw a sign and said, ‘We’re going to do this. That looks like fun.’ What better thing can you do out and about on a trip to the mountains than throw axes?”

One session was enough. They were hooked. The experience was affordable, accessible and inherently enjoyable. Soon, the high school sweethearts noticed the axe throwing businesses that had sprung up closer to home—in Monroe, in Athens and now in Covington.

“It’s a level playing field,” Emmy said. “Anybody can go in and throw, and once you get your toss down, it’s so much fun, because it’s just about the competition at that point. You know in bowling that somebody’s going to roll it in the gutter every single time. Axe throwing is so much different. I thought it would be more difficult.”

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

“Anybody can go in and throw, and once you get your toss down, it’s so much fun, because it’s just about the competition at that point.”

Emmy Bradford

At least in their social circles, axe throwing has started to replace the more traditional night-on-the-town entertainment options.

“Half the people I know at work have been,” Matthew said.

“With date nights and double-date nights, I think it’s catching on. It’s different than the worn-out bowling or shooting pool somewhere. You don’t have to be strong or big or fast or good.

Well, you’ve got to be good, but you don’t have to be strong or fast or anything like that. Anybody can do it.”

None of this surprises Hartman, who made a collaborative decision with her business partners to create Axe Town when she opened the Social Goat Tavern restaurant in the adjoining building.

“We did some research, and axe throwing seems to be the new thing if you look on your social media sites,” she said. “A lot of our friends were going to Athens and other places to do this.

We just thought it would be something fun to bring here, and it seems to be a new trend.”

44 The Newton

Construction began on Axe Town in July, and it opened for business in October. Those who visit Axe Town to throw are required to watch a short safety presentation. They are then assigned to a personal coach who teaches them the basics and remains with them for the duration of their stay. Once everyone gets up to speed, the competition begins.

“First, we’ll just teach you how to land the ax to the wood,” Hartman said. “Once you get that down, we start playing a few games. There’s a point system, kind of like darts on the target, where the closer you get to the bullseye, the higher the score. One of our most popular games is just like 21. If you bust, you have to go back [in the scoring].”

Axe Town opens its lanes to a variety of ages, starting with children as young as 10 and continuing up through senior citizens. Axe throwing, it seems, holds its appeal from one generation to the next.

“We’ve had some elderly people that have come in, and they’ve had a blast,” Hartman said. “I think it reminds them of their old days. I guess that’s what they used to do out [in the] backyard, or so they’ve said. One of them was like, ‘I used to do this with my grandpa.’ So, they love it.

“The main thing I want people to understand is that it doesn’t matter how physically fit you are,” she added. “It’s a place to hang out with your friends. It’s like a date night but a different atmosphere than just going to dinner [on The Square]. You can do something else now.”

For more information on Axe Town, visit Axe-Town.com or call 470-444-1351. Current hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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

Lighting Paths

Newton Mentoring Inc. was founded more than a decade ago and carries on the legacy and vision of the late Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. by providing individual support for at-risk children enrolled in the Newton County School System.

by TERRI WEBSTER Newton Mentoring Inc.—a grassroots organization developed more than a decade ago to provide individual support for at-risk children in the Newton County School System— exists today because of one man’s vision to meet the needs of his community.

Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr., who died in July at the age of 61, understood the value in providing consistent guidance for local youth, and his memory lives on through the program he helped create. Brought to life on Jan. 22, 2008, Newton Mentoring currently deploys 53 mentors to serve 88 students throughout the county.

One of those mentors, Lorenzo White, a minister at Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers, experienced the need firsthand and through his own involvement with children, especially those from single-mother homes.

“I’d grown up without a father, so I knew what they were going through,” said White, who linked arms with the program two years ago. “I want to see these kids be successful in life.

Sometimes, I get real touched by these kids.”

48 The Newton

One of White’s pupils, a sixth-grader, has made a lasting impact on him. “When I first got him, he was wild and wooly,” White said. “He wouldn’t talk to anyone. He’d throw that hoodie on and turn sideways from me. I wanted to give up, but God didn’t give up on me, so I couldn’t give up on him.” Soon, he discovered the student was a gifted artist and encouraged him to pursue and hone his talent. By the end of sixth grade, the situation began to improve. “I kept showing up,” White said.

“His grades went from Ds and Fs to Bs and As. He really amazed me. By seventh grade, he continued to improve, and at the end of eighth grade, he had done a complete turnaround.”

Meanwhile, Margaret Moore has been involved as a mentor for roughly six years, working primarily with elementary-aged children.

She also has a personal experience with a student that stands out.

“She was an angry child, and we had a rough time in the beginning,” Moore said. “After time, she settled down, and we became buddies. I just kept showing up.” At the end-of-year celebration, the student appeared in a video and credited Moore with helping to address her anger issues. “I was so touched,” Moore said.

(L TO R) LORENZO WHITE, KATHY SUBER, MARGARET MOORE

“Show me a successful individual, and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living, if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way—a mentor.”

Denzel Washington

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

Other mentors tell similar stories about life-changing experiences. Kathy Suber joined the program after she saw the impact it had on her son during the time he was involved there.

“Having someone outside the house to instill in him life things and education helped so much,” Suber said. Attending an end-of-year celebration prompted her to act. “I saw the connections mentors had with the kids,” she said, “and I thought, ‘I want to do that.’”

Suber’s first student was a girl in third grade. They met once a week at her school, where they had lunch together and then moved to the library to either talk about life or focus on her studies. “You develop a relationship that’s almost family-like,” she said. The student has since advanced to fifth grade, and Suber hopes to maintain their relationship through the end of high school and beyond. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are not currently able to meet in person. “We’re Zooming now,” Suber said, “and she will randomly FaceTime me, so we talk that way, too.”

While still fairly new to the Newton County area, Carol Rivera was approached by her minister’s wife at church. She asked Rivera if she would be interested in becoming a mentor.

As a retired social worker, she missed the connections she once had with children and the work associated with them. Rivera took a third-grader under her wing. “The little girl just walked up and hugged my legs,” she said. “It’s such a joy. She adds a lot to my life. I looked forward to that hour every week. I had a new purpose and hope she’s getting as much from it as I am.”

Newton Mentoring’s vision involves changing the community one child at a time.

Its mission? To build and strengthen the character and competence of children, which will improve their ability to excel during their school years and beyond. Research shows that an evidence-based mentoring program can be a primary tool in providing youth with the skills necessary for success, not only in the classroom but in life. Any school-aged children currently enrolled in the Newton County School System are eligible for the program. They can be referred by a parent, family member, friend, youth leader or pastor. A parent must sign a consent form that allows his or her child to participate in the program while also giving a mentor access to academic records.

A non-profit program that operates on contributions, private donations and grants, Newton Mentoring falls under the oversight of its board of directors: Newton Federal Bank President Greg Proffitt, Walgreens pharmacist Todd Nolan, Newton County Board of Education District 3 representative Shakila

50 The Newton

Henderson-Baker, Clements Middle School Assistant Principal Nicolas Jones and Newton Mentoring Program Coordinator Ruth Banks. Still, much of the credit for the program’s success goes to those on the front lines.

“This program could not exist without its mentors,” said Banks, who also cited the under-the-radar efforts of a number of volunteers, including former executive director Margaret Washington, Laura Bertram, Carol Falconer, Deborah Nolley and Mardie Milmoyl.

In most cases, requirements limiting mentors from meeting with their student once a week can be waived without liability.

Many have developed relationships with families, and with approval, they can meet their student during the summer months or attend a game, have dinner or see a movie. Some mentors start to counsel students as early as second grade and remain with them until they complete high school.

Banks conducts all training for those interested in becoming mentors. They must be at least 18 years old, undergo a twohour in-person training class and pass a criminal background check. Mentors are afforded preferences when it comes to working with high school, middle school or elementary school students. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, current training has been postponed until 2021.

For more information on Newton Mentoring Inc., visit NewtonMentoring.org, find them on Facebook or call 678-381-7948.

ADVERTORIAL

You have probably seen The Rivers Ranch—the big blue barn with the copper roof in front of the heart-shaped pond—driving down Highway 42, from Locust Grove to Jackson. What you may not have known is that The Rivers Ranch is a special events venue that was built by Amanda K. Rivers in 2017.

As the only child of John and Alice Rivers, she grew up on the 300-acre cattle farm that is now known as The Rivers Ranch Inc. As an adult, Amanda moved away but found herself back

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2021 Winter Issue 53

ADVERTORIAL

in Jackson, raising cattle and maintaining the farm when her father died in 2006. Alice admits it was a mixed blessing, as she lost her husband but welcomed her daughter back home.

Amanda had eight more years with her mother before she died in 2014. In 2016, engagement ring on hand, Amanda started looking for the perfect venue for her wedding. Her disappointment was increasing when she realized she had the ideal setting right out her back door. The event barn was built, and The Rivers Ranch was born. Amanda not only created the dream venue for her special day but a space for others to come and experience a small part of the life and love she grew up knowing.

With a 6,300-square-foot, climate-controlled modern rustic barn, The Rivers Ranch can help you turn any dream into a reality. Weddings, socials, reunions, business meetings, corporate events or parties are available to host there. Planning an event during football season? Not to worry, the ranch has you covered with a TV on the back porch, so you will not miss a single play. The Rivers Ranch also hosts community events like Christmas at the Ranch, yoga, ballroom dancing and paint parties.

For more information, visit TheRiversRanch.com or call 770-775-1622.

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

“They’re really community-focused.

It’s not just about making money.”

Pam Hull

OLIVIA HULL, OLIVE FLORES, PAUL KNOWLES, ABBY KNOWLES & TEO FLORES

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Drama Club More than two decades into its existence, Social Circle Theater’s doors remain open to a wide variety of age groups, interests and abilities as it continues to serve as a quiet but invaluable small-town pillar.

by MICHELLE FLOYD When Pam Hull saw her 11-year-old daughter express an interest in theater, she knew she had to jump on the opportunity to stoke the fire.

“We had gone to a couple of plays, and she was really showing interest in musical theater,” Hull said. “She wasn’t very interested in sports. In general, I think [theater] is a good exercise in teamwork and working together.”

A Covington resident at the time, Hull asked around and discovered one of her friends had a child who had aged out of the Social Circle Theater programs. The parent spoke highly of the experience, so Hull decided to contact the theater to flesh out more details.

“I said we would give it a try, and she immediately loved it,” said Hull, whose daughter Olivia, now 16, has remained involved with the Social Circle Theater ever since. Olivia has performed in a number of plays, including “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast” and even the locally created “The Stories from the Well” about legends of Social Circle.

“My whole life, I’ve always been very involved in movies and liked acting,” said Olivia, a homeschool student in Good Hope. “I don’t know why. I just always have.”

After portraying one of the Royal Cardsmen in “Alice in Wonderland” and a munchkin in “The Wizard of Oz,” Olivia hopes to enjoy many more performances in the not-too-distant future. She has now joined Well Diggers, a cast made up of more experienced and generally older students at Social Circle Theater.

“I would like to stay [at the theater] as long as possible,” Olivia said, pointing out that some fellow cast members have been involved for more than a decade, “and once I age out, I would love to come back to be an assistant director or a volunteer.”

Well Diggers also offers its members the opportunity to mentor the younger theater students—Rising Stars—and venture into the community to perform at special events and in nursing homes.

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“They’re really community-focused,” Pam said. “It’s not just about making money.”

The programs at Social Circle Theater generally start for kids between the ages of 4 and 7 and can last until college. Performers typically spend a few hours each week for several months preparing for a play that will be open to family, friends and the general public. They can sing, dance or act, or they can assist with more of the backstage production work.

“We are very family value-oriented and community-minded,” theater manager Tera Duval Barton said. “We hope they leave [the program] with a sense of value and a sense of accomplishment.”

Social Circle Theater was established by Bob and Mabel Standridge in 2000. Its participants represent a mix of public school, private school and homeschool students. In addition to catering to residents in Social Circle and greater Walton County, the theater also draws families from Newton, Rockdale, Morgan, Gwinnett and Oconee counties.

“I like knowing that if I have a bad day at school or something and then go to theater, I can just be someone else there,” said Paul Knowles, a 13-year-old homeschool student. He became involved with Social Circle Theater after joining his 11-year-old sister Abby in performances at Mansfield Baptist Church. Abby, who hopes to appear in a “Frozen” play at some point, admits she enjoys making new friends at the theater while having her brother nearby for support. Paul and Abby’s mother, Elizabeth, appreciates the affordability of the program as a mother of three children, two of whom are involved there.

“It gives them something new to do,” she said. “They get a chance to get out of the house and be with new people.”

Social Circle Theater also features SCT Dance for all ages and skill levels, along with a Special Hearts program for special-needs students, providing activities and a respite for those families.

Rachel Harris enrolled her daughter Kylie, now 24, in Special Hearts to provide her with access to more social connections.

ABBY KNOWLES, OLIVE FLORES & OLIVIA HULL

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“Special Hearts offers true acceptance and quality activities for individuals of all abilities. Their programs are varied to appeal to all interests, so Kylie is never bored,” Rachel said.

“The organizers and volunteers are incredible and true friends to Kylie. We are thankful for the directors at Social Circle Theater and their commitment to serve and offer programming to all of the community.”

Kylie finds joy in many of the activities, including bingo, painting, holiday parties, cooking and sewing with life skills classes and theater productions.

“I like spending time with other people and doing all different activities,” she said. “Everyone is really nice, and the activities are a lot of fun.”

Social Circle Theater welcomes donations. Many of its spring and summer programs were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Opportunities exist to sponsor individual students, along with tiered sponsorship throughout each season.

“We’re always taking donations,” said Social Circle Theater Creative Director Rachel Wells. “It would help us accommodate more students and plan for more events in the future.”

For more information on Social Circle Theater, visit SocialCircleTheater.com, call 770-464-2269 or find them on Facebook and Instagram.

KYLIE HARRIS & RACHEL WELLS

COADY’S CORNER

A Seat at the Table Pockets of our communities remain illiterate despite access to education that was once reserved for a select few. How do we alleviate this problem? Science-based training methods hold the key.

by DR. KIM COADY Our students deserve the best opportunities available. With all we have learned about science-based reading, the information is there for the taking. We do not have to keep offering the same instruction over and over again when it does not work for every individual. The best gifts we can give our students are teachers who specialize in teaching students of all ages to read effectively.

If our schools ensured that our teachers were trained in sciencebased training methods and became specialists in reading, we could reach more students and identify problems early on.

Knowing how to assess and deliver appropriate instruction would change the trajectory of many students’ lives.

Effective literacy instruction should not be available only to those with the resources to pay for it. Effective reading instruction should be available to all citizens. When we consider the gaps in education, the gaps in economic mobility and quality of life, we must consider the literacy level of our community and find those who will step up to aid in giving all citizens the chance to read effectively.

Who should have the chance to learn to read effectively? Is this one of those opportunities that should only be provided to those who can afford it? What happens if you fail to learn to read the one way in which schools teach it? Are you just out of luck? These are some of the questions with which we are faced as a community if we want to provide individuals with a seat at the table.

When you consider the history of reading, it was once reserved for a few. Through the years, even though it has been a privilege offered to more people, there are still many individuals who are illiterate in our own community. Where can someone in our community go for help in learning to read? As a community, is it possible for us to join together to provide this opportunity to people who have a desire to become better readers?

Dr. Kim Coady is the former principal at East Newton Elementary School. She earned her bachelor’s, master’s and specialist’s degrees in early childhood education from Georgia College and State University and her PhD in Teaching and Learning: Language and Literacy at Georgia State University.

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.”

Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan 2021 Winter Issue 59

LIVING

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by TERRI WEBSTER

Porterdale-based weaver and quilter Candace Hassen draws inspiration for her unique designs in nature, paintings and other artistic mediums.

Brilliant color defines her world.

Professional weaver and quilter Candace Hassen considers it the foundation for every quilt she designs, and she credits the approach to her 35 years of weaving experience. Color provides the bridge between the two disciplines.

Hassen was born in Chicago and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, when she was 11. She began quilting as a teenager but set it aside to pursue weaving, an artform in its own right.

Hassen relocated to Georgia at age 19, and after living in Atlanta

for a few years, she enrolled at Georgia State University to study art. Her initial plans were to learn to draw, but she landed in the weaving department, where she became more familiar with the discipline and even learned to dye her own yarn.

“As a kid, I did all kinds of needlework, knitting, crochet, embroidery and quilting,” Hassen said, “so I think it was natural I ended up as a weaver.”

While still in school, she began working for Montagne Handwoven—a company that crafts custom rugs by hand, mostly for interior design clients. However, the business eventually moved to North Carolina, taking Hassen’s livelihood with it. As a result, she started weaving her own blankets, scarves and tableware and began selling them at area art festivals. In fact, Hassen was part of the Arts Festival of Atlanta “at least nine or 10 times.”

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the Georgia Quilt Project stirred her to return to quilting. The project provided two handmade quilts to each country that participated in the Games, with one going to the flagbearer and the other going to the head of the nation’s Olympic committee.

As a result of those efforts, 398 quilts were donated. With a background that included a bachelor’s degree in art, it was not long before Hassen discovered a passion for creating her own quilt designs.

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LIVING

“Working with color relationships is my favorite thing,” she said. “I enjoy studying motifs from other cultures and art forms to get ideas for my work.”

Hassen finds inspiration for her unique designs in nature, paintings and other artistic mediums, including vintage quilts and various textiles.

“I prefer making quilts that contain many fabrics because I believe this gives the viewer a much more interesting and pleasing quilt to look at,” she said.

After moving from Atlanta to Newborn, Hassen settled in Porterdale, where she has lived for the past 10 years. She soon discovered a community she never knew existed. When Hassen first started quilting in the 1970s, the idea of quilt guilds had not yet gained a foothold. “Now,” she said, “they are everywhere.” The guilds have provided Hassen with an avenue through which to make new friends. “I would go to guild meetings, and we would have guest speakers.” Much to her surprise, an interest in teaching and public speaking grew out

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“Working with color relationships is my favorite thing. I enjoy studying motifs from other cultures and art forms to get ideas for my work.”

Candace Hassen

of those meetings. Creative juices began to flow. Hassen developed her own educational program, which has taken her to quilt guilds all over the country.

The basis of her program involves teaching and encouraging other guild members to find inspiration outside of looking at other quilts.

Hassen nudges them toward examining textiles—especially those from different cultures—and other art forms, like paintings, pottery and architecture. Nature often spurs the imagination, too. When Hassen speaks, she displays her own quilts, shares the inspiration behind them and reveals how she developed each design. Every quilt she creates has its own story.

Hassen’s journey has had its own set of obstacles. In 2006, she was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor that grows on the cranial nerve that connects the ear to the brain. While a subsequent surgery resulted in some facial paralysis, she continues to speak, teach and visit with quilt guilds throughout the United States. Some of Hassen’s quilts were featured in McCall’s Quilting Magazine, and she has won numerous awards at local shows and fairs.

Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hassen was involved with a program in Porterdale that met twice a month. She taught classes at one meeting, and attendees gathered for the sole purpose of community at the next, all while working on their own projects. The group hopes to resume meeting in the near future. For Hassen, it goes beyond designing and making quilts. She desires to help motivate others to piece together masterpieces of their own and to “see the world around them with fresh eyes.”

For more information on Hassen, visit her website at QuiltDesignsByCandace.com, email her at candacequilter@hotmail.com or find her on Instagram and Pinterest under Quilts by Candace.

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THINKING

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Sherri and Clyde Hutchison discovered the inspiration for the Backyard Safari Company during what they thought were routine strolls with their grandchildren. Spawned by an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit, their products are now found in kitchens and retail outlets across the United States and Canada.

by MICHELLE FLOYD You never know where your imagination may take you during a stroll through the backyard with your grandchildren. About a decade ago, Sherri and Clyde Hutchison had plans to retire from a chocolate factory—Graffiti Zoo—they owned in Conyers. God had other ideas.

“After a year or two,” Sherri said, “we thought we should be doing something.”

Having lived in Covington with her husband Clyde for roughly 20 years, she often played with her grandchildren in butterfly gardens and did some planting with recycled egg cartons.

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“So, my mind works [like this]: ‘Could I do this as a product and sell it?’” Sherri said.

Turns out, she could. Ten years later, the Hutchisons have grown Backyard Safari Company at least tenfold, their products spread all over the United States and Canada through wholesale and retail sales.

“It’s a fun, fun company,” said Sherri, who admits the previous experience at Graffiti Zoo has served them well in their current endeavors. “Some may have never grown anything; and people who thought they had brown thumbs actually have green thumbs, and it inspires them to grow an even bigger garden.”

Backyard Safari started with the Sunny-Side Up Gardens, a gardening set for kids that includes seeds, starter soil, identification stakes, instructions, a journal and a pencil—all in a 100 percent recycled fiber egg-carton planter. Sherri won an Atlanta Icon Award in 2012 as a result of her work with the kits.

“You just don’t know how [having a garden] affects their lives later on,” she said. “We sell to a lot of schools and kids who may have never planted before. We have a large presence presence in the Northeast, so they may just have their kit in the window or on a patio.”

(L TO R) CLYDE HUTCHISON, SHERRI HUTCHISON, PEGGY HODGES, NINA HUTCHISON, NANCY CROWDER, CATHY ALLEN, LORI BURNEY, WENDY JOHNSTON

Backyard Safari now boasts 15 different types of egg-carton gardens for children and adults, as well as 12 spice mixes and multiple dinner kits, nut seasoning packs and grilling tins.

“We’re always coming up with new products,” Sherri said.

“We’re unafraid to create a product and bring it to market.

We are very much into nature and simple things, and that has influenced our products.”

The Backyard Safari Company’s food line remains all-natural, gluten-free and uses no additives—“not even an anti-clumping agent,” according to Clyde. “I like fooling with spices,” he continued. “I’m what you might call an ‘adder.’ Every time we have a meal, I add something to it to add more flavor. Most of the time, it’s good.”

When asked about the motivation behind the company, Sherri pointed to the ability to entertain guests and make cooking at home simpler. They want customers to spend more time with their families and less time preparing meals in the kitchen. In addition to the gardening kits that allow customers to grow flowers and vegetables in their own homes, Backyard Safari’s food line includes Dinner Tonight Seasonings that enhance kitchen staples like burgers, chilis and fajitas.

Their gardening kits can be found at Target, Tractor Supply and Harry & David, along with various grocery stores and botanical gardens. Locally, their kits and food items are available at Striplings General Store in Bogart, Farmview Market in Madison and the Bread and Butter Bakery and Café in Covington.

The Backyard Safari Company expects to be featured on ABC’s Good Morning America for a third time in the spring.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sherri believes “God took over” and transitioned the company’s customer base to more corporate orders. Companies were ordering gardens as gifts for their employees and customers who were quarantined during the crisis.

“It’s been an amazing journey for us,” Sherri said, “and we are so grateful.”

For more information on the Backyard Safari Company, visit BackYardSafarico.com or find it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“I’m what you might call an ‘adder.’

Every time we have a meal, I add something to it to add more flavor.

Most of the time, it’s good.”

Backyard Safari Company Co-Owner Clyde Hutchison 2021 Winter Issue 67

LIVING

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OASTIN C G

by KARI APTED

INTO RETIREMENT

When Dave McMichael followed his father into the construction industry, he could not have known the impact their company would have on the amusement park industry. Even as McMichael’s Construction Company begins the process of shuttering its doors, its fingerprints can be found all across Six Flags Over Georgia.

Filled with anticipation—and perhaps an ounce of dread—you climb into the rollercoaster car. As the chest harness locks into place, your pulse rises and your palms sweat. Hands locked tightly onto the bars, you smile as the coaster glides out of the station and clicks onto the first incline. The jarring sound of metal clinking fills your ears as you inch ever higher, fear rising as you peer over the side and see the ground dropping far away.

Suspense peaks as the coaster pauses at its pinnacle. The seconds tick as gravity slowly tugs. Suddenly, in one fell swoop, you fall back to earth at neck-breaking speed as a scream involuntarily explodes from your throat. Rattling, racing, rising and diving, a minute flies by, and before you know it, you are gliding back into the station, exhilarated, relieved and ready to ride again.

It seems likely that at no point in those breathtaking 90 seconds did you think about what went into building the ride. You trusted the park’s safety standards and simply enjoyed your day, jumping from coaster to coaster well into the night. However, if you did give it a thought, you would undoubtedly find it reassuring to learn about the complexity of rollercoaster construction.

When Dave McMichael followed his father’s footsteps into the construction industry, he could not have known the impact his work would have on Georgia’s amusement park industry. If you have visited Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, you have likely enjoyed several of the

structures his company helped to create. J.D. McMichael founded McMichael’s Construction Company in 1950, building homes and apartments in the Lithonia area. When Dave took the helm in 1983, he shifted the focus to commercial construction.

In the years since, the company has operated as a commercial general contractor in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas.

MCM has built and renovated churches, assisted living facilities, restaurants, grocery stores and a variety of other businesses. At the company’s height, it had 22 employees and successfully completed projects totaling $28 million in just one year. In 1990, McMichael accepted his first contract with Six Flags Over Georgia to replace an aging log flume ride. That project went well, and shortly after, the company was invited back to help construct the Ninja rollercoaster.

“We enjoyed quite a good run at Six Flags from 1990 to 2016,” McMichael said. “They were a very good client, and we tried really hard to keep them happy and satisfied. They were very good people.”

From working on the legendary Ninja, Goliath, Batman and Superman rollercoasters to renovating the classic Dahlonega Mine Train, McMichael’s company was a major contributor to over a dozen major attractions at the Georgia theme park.

While it played a vital role in each ride’s safety and stability, McMichael does not want people to assume that he personally designed each coaster. Special steel erector contractors were in charge of building the coasters’ signature hills, loops and turns.

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LIVING

“Our work was foundational,” he said. “We did the land clearing and grading, and we built the ride foundations. We also built the stations park guests use to embark and exit the rides.”

What sounds like basic construction work actually requires a high level of precision.

“We made auger cast concrete piles, where you drill down into the earth anywhere from 30 to 60 feet, then fill the hole with rebar and concrete,” McMichael said. “Each pile comes up into a pile cap, and every pile had to be at the right location on the planet and set at the right rotation.”

Each ride’s foundation was constructed using a global positioning system that provided the exact coordinates for every support column.

“It was rare to have even three columns in a straight line,” McMichael said. “Every piling had to be set by northern and easterly coordinates.”

MCM also played a major role in constructing Six Flags’ Hurricane Harbor water attraction. Completed on a design build basis, the company contributed to several water slides and the wave pool. It also built four buildings, two of them pump houses that required 11 building permits alone. MCM’s success at Hurricane Harbor led to work at Six Flags White Water in Marietta. The company helped construct the Typhoon Twister, Tornado and other water slides. McMichael credits MCM’s values when reflecting on its long partnership with Six Flags and other major clients.

“We focus on the work, making sure all work is done the way we’d be proud of it, with minimum callbacks,” he said.

McMichael also gives credit to his family for their support, as each of them worked for the business at different times through the years.

“My family all worked in the business … and enjoyed the notoriety that we were known for our work there [at Six Flags],” he said. “I’ve been so blessed by my family. My wife Peb and I have been married for 46 years. Our son David is a cowboy in Montana and our daughter Danna is a math teacher and coach at Locust Grove High School. Our grand-girl McKay is a student at the University of Georgia, and our other grand-girl Logan is in ninth grade and plays softball at Locust Grove High.”

After 70 years in business, McMichael’s Construction Company decided to close its doors. McMichael indicated it was the right time to retire.

“At present, I’m selling off pieces of equipment, tools and materials, and we’ll soon have our entire office property at 90 Almon Road [in Covington] for sale,” he said. “It has over 11 acres of land and borders I-20.”

After spending decades creating attractions to draw visitors to Atlanta, Dave and Peb McMichael plan to spend their retirement years traveling cross-country.

“We want to visit all the major sites American is known for, including the Grand Canyon,” he said. “We also want to see the Canadian border and visit our son in Montana.”

“Our work was foundational. We did the land clearing and grading, and we built the ride foundations. We also built the stations park guests use to embark and exit the rides.”

Dave McMichael

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