2022 Fall Issue

community magazine 2022 FALL ISSUE

Ninety percent of people think it is important to talk about end-of-life wishes with their loved ones, but only 27 percent have done so.

Hi mom, I need to talk with you. I’m a little nervous to bring this up, but after watching you take care of dad before he died, I realized I don’t know what YOUR wishes are when it comes to end-of-life care.

Have you talked with your loved ones?

Having a conversation about end-of-life wishes prior to a medical crisis can help those you love make informed and thoughtful decisions based on what you value most.

Longleaf Hospice and Palliative Care is a locallyowned and operated with offices located Covington, Atlanta & Roswell, offering end-of-life care to those with life limiting illnesses in the communities we serve. Our mission is to provide our patients and their families with compassionate care that enables them to embrace the end of life with dignity, courage and peace. This all starts with a conversation. Longleaf provides an array of care options including palliative care, which is not hospice care and does not replace the patient’s primary treatment. Instead, we become

an extension of the physician’s office in order to provide the continuum of care tailored to the individual patients’ needs.

We believe this is life’s most important journey.

We consider it an honor to be able to travel this road with you and provide you and your loved ones with the support needed to be able to enjoy time together versus being consumed with the symptoms of an illness. This should be a time for families to be families.

If we can help start these conversations, call us today. It’s never too early to make your wishes known.

1160 Monticello Street, Suite 200 Covington, GA 30014 770-939-9179 www.longleafhospice.com

PUBLISHERS

Meredith & Scott Tredeau 678-852-2715 info@thenewtoncommunity.com DIRECTOR OF SALES

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

FEATURE 8 Enduring Justice

EDITOR

Brian Knapp PHOTOGRAPHERS

Michie Turpin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HEALTH & WELLNESS

SPORTS & RECREATION

16 Incidental Medicine 22 An Alliance of Hope

28 From Hoops to Hooves 32 The Competitor and the Advocate

Kari Apted John Babylon Michelle Floyd Nat Harwell Avril Occilien-Similien David Roten Brenda Sears Brandon Stanley Taticasejuana Stevens ILLUSTRATOR

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

ARTS, EDUCATION & INNOVATION 38 Passing the Baton 44 Creative Juices

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LIVING 52 Planting Seeds 56 The Simple Life 62 What’s Cooking: Chiles Rellenos

On the Cover

THE PERFECT PATH IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD

by BRIAN KNAPP

We are always moving forward, whether we think of it that way or not. Such is the nature of time. Looking back over my own life, there were countless twists and turns, mountains and valleys, forks in the road and moments where I zigged when I should have zagged, but God was always moving me in the same general direction. Towards adolescence, towards graduation, towards a career, towards a wife, towards children and, ultimately, towards salvation. The tracks we follow are never straight, but we are all headed to an intersection where we either decide to follow Jesus or not.

We are confronted daily by a chaotic society, where we are told right is wrong, up is down, hot is cold and evil is good.

Those of us raising kids realize that parenting only increases the degree of difficulty. Not only are you trying to navigate your own path as a believer, but you are doing everything you can to help keep them on the straight and narrow.

Whenever the struggle becomes too

much for me, I fall back on the sovereignty of an all-knowing, all-seeing God. John MacArthur once said, “No one acts apart from the sovereign plan of God. Every choice, every act, every decision made by every human in the world, including the most evil, heinous behavior against the truth and against the Lord, God overrules and fits into His plan for His own ends and His own glory. There’s not one rebellious molecule in the universe that operates independently of His purpose.”

As a believer, I find comfort in knowing that Almighty God laid down my tracks before He formed me in the womb, having already accounted for all my imperfections and the complications associated with existing in a sinful, fallen world. I follow them to the best of my limited ability (some days are better than others) with a trust that no matter what happens—good, bad or indifferent—a perfect God knew what He was doing when He put them there.

Digital edition now available Sign up to receive the free digital edition of The NEWTON Community Magazine via email.

The digital edition includes an assortment of stories– new and old–plus fun tips and tidbits.

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

It’s our favorite time of year. It’s hard to be patient as we await its arrival, anticipating the sweater weather, college football and pumpkin lattes we know are coming. It’s even harder to be patient when we don’t know what’s coming, isn’t it? When we’re unsure how something might turn out, wonder if we’re on the right path or feel like we’ve lost our way altogether, it’s especially difficult to wait, enjoy the ride and trust the process. You know why?

We’re not trusting God. When we choose to trust God, we can experience the peace of knowing He is in control. We may not understand the way God does things, but His Word assures us that His way is best and the only way to truly live a joyful and purposeful life. During times of uncertainty, impatience or doubt, let’s remind each other that God oversees everything. If He is leading us, calling us to do something, He will orchestrate it. We can live boldly and confidently, not because everything always works out but because we know that when we love and trust God, He is able to turn everything into something good. He can conduct every note of our lives into a beautiful symphony.

We hope you enjoy this issue and the stories of lives that God has impacted.

God is the hero and author of all stories, and we’re all His greatest masterpiece.

May the Lord bless and keep you.

Scott and Meredith Tredeau

2022 Fall Issue 5

F E AT U R E

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ENDURING JUSTICE Horace Johnson was the first black attorney to practice in Newton County and the first black judge appointed to the Superior Court in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit. Two years after his sudden death, his wife shares memories about their life together and her gratitude for the community that remembers him so fondly.

by KARI APTED Walking by the Judge Horace J. Johnson Judicial Center in downtown Covington, a new resident may wonder what accomplishments merited having the courthouse named for someone. However, one does not have to search long before finding a great story about the distinguished leader.

You might hear about Johnson’s childhood in Newton County’s historic Sandhill Community and how he attended Ficquett Elementary School while it was being integrated.

Someone could point out his numerous community and professional awards. Multiple people would inform you that he was the first black judge to serve on the Superior Court in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit. A person in his inner circle might mention the adoption case he wrapped up the hot summer night before COVID-19 stole his last breath. Talk to his sons, James and Bryant, and you will hear about a father who made sure they never lacked for anything. If you ask his wife, Michelle Bryant-Johnson, you will learn how deeply and how well he loved everyone.

“People loved Horace,” she said. “So many people tell me how much they felt his love and how much they still miss his presence now. He loved being a mentor to our boys; he loved his mom and sister, his nephews and nieces, his friends.”

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Johnson deeply adored his wife, too, falling in love with her the very day they met. A mutual friend introduced them at a Christmas party, and the rest—as they say—is history.

“I was home for the holidays. I’d finished my graduate work and was moving to California after Christmas. Horace took up all my time at that party, and he called me every day after it.

(L TO R) HORACE JOHNSON, JR. WITH SISTER YVETTE JOHNSON

(L TO R) HORACE JOHNSON, JR. WITH SISTER YVETTE JOHNSON AND MOTHER LOTTIE B. JOHNSON

(L TO R) SISTER YVETTE JOHNSON, FATHER HORACE JOHNSON, SR. AND HORACE JOHNSON, JR.

(L TO R) HORACE JOHNSON, JR. ESCORTS SISTER YVETTE JOHNSON AT HER WEDDING

I was supposed to call him but didn’t, so he had to call and ask why I hadn’t,” Bryant-Johnson said with a laugh. “Then he came to visit me in California the following February. I moved back to Georgia, and we got married in 1988.”

Bryant-Johnson loved city life in Atlanta when the couple married and never imagined living in a small town. However, her husband’s heart remained in Covington, and he had always wanted to serve on the bench in Newton County. When BryantJohnson told her family and friends they were relocating to Covington, they were surprised. “My family was like, ‘What?

You’re going to live where?’” Bryant-Johnson said. She had even tried to postpone the inevitable. “He was ready for a family.

We were living in a two-bedroom townhouse, and I told him my babies were royalty and would need a nursery, thinking it would help him wait a little. No, he built a house right away.”

Over time, Bryant-Johnson came to cherish Covington herself.

“It’s really a special place. It takes a village, and we have a village here.”

It was there for the young family as Johnson began building his legacy in the county’s legal community. The Johnson boys attended the same Newton County schools as their father. By then, Ficquett was a theme school with a waiting list.

Always community-minded, the entire Johnson family has long been involved with the Arts Association in Newton County.

In fact, Johnson served as one of its original board members.

“Horace had a beautiful voice. He sang in the choir at church and in the arts association’s productions,” Bryant-Johnson said.

She still has the Harry Potter book set the association gave them when James was born.

Johnson was an attorney in private practice for 20 years. In 2002, Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes appointed him as the first black judge to serve on the Alcovy Judicial Circuit. During his tenure, Johnson created the Parental Accountability Court, which helps parents become consistent with child support payments. He also initiated a Veterans Treatment Court that diverts eligible veteran defendants to a specialized criminal court. The program continues to help veterans with felony charges and mental illness or substance dependency connect to mental and physical health professionals. Johnson was part of many distinguished organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Covington, Leadership Georgia and the Washington Street Community Center. He was a founding board member of Newton Mentoring Inc. and was on the first advisory board for the Newton County Boys & Girls Club. He received numerous accolades, from Leadership Georgia’s Frederick B. Kerr Service Award to the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce’s R.O. Arnold Award.

While her husband climbed the judicial ladder, Bryant-Johnson built her career in the pharmaceutical industry. She was also an instructor at Georgia State University and worked for the NCAA. Their oldest son, James, went on to graduate from William & Mary and now works as a vice president and wealth advisor at Truist Wealth. Their second son, Bryant, lives in Boston and is pursuing a master’s degree at MIT while working for Meta.

2022 Fall Issue 9

F E AT U R E (L TO R) HORACE JAMES JOHNSON, III, MICHELLE BRYANT-JOHNSON, AND BRYANT JOHNSON

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‘As Human as Possible’

by KARI APTED After Judge Horace J. Johnson tragically died from COVID-19 in July 2020, Oxford College decided to rename Language Hall in honor of one of the school’s most distinguished graduates. On Oct. 8, 2021, Horace J. Johnson Jr. Hall was dedicated. At a ceremony to mark the occasion, Emory University unveiled a portrait it had commissioned from Ross Rossin, a world-renowned artist in Atlanta. The work was positioned beside the poem “Among Us,” written in Johnson’s honor by Oxford faculty member Dr. Tameka Cage Conley.

Rossin’s photo-realistic oil painting depicts the judge as many remember him: smiling while dressed in businesscasual khaki slacks and a navy-blue button-up shirt. He sits casually in a plush chair, holding a tablet, with his cell phone lying ready on the table beside him. The late judge’s wife, Michelle Bryant-Johnson, revealed the portrait was based on a photo taken during Johnson’s 60th birthday party.

“We chose that picture because we wanted one that expressed his personality,” she said. “In other portraits, he had his robes on; they were more formal. We wanted his personality to shine, and you might not necessarily see that side of him in a formal picture. We wanted students to see that you can be comfortable just being who you are.”

Rossin agreed that the portrait should be less institutional and more engaging.

“The family came to my studio, and we had a long conversation,” he said.

“I listened carefully, and they shared a

wide variety of photographs. It was a good representation of his personality.

We wanted to make the portrait as human as possible.”

Rossin specializes in creating art that captures the human spirit down to the tiniest detail. Four of his hyper-realist portraits hang in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, including those of poet Maya Angelou and Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron. Rossin also created the nine-foot bronze statue of Aaron on display at Truist Field.

Born in Bulgaria, Rossin began painting at the age of 6. He attended the prestigious National High School of Fine Arts, which required him to move to the city of Sofia and live there on his own at the age of 14. Upon graduation, he studied painting

at the National Academy of Arts. He graduated cum laude with a Master of Art degree. After living in Japan and traveling around the world painting portraits, he relocated to Atlanta. Rossin’s interest in portraying the human face and figure reflects a lifelong passion.

“My first recollections are flipping through books of the great masters, the faces of Rembrandt, Leonardo and Michelangelo,” he said. “I had a fascination with these masters. Today, the passion is still the same.” Rossin feels a weight of responsibility in capturing a moment that will last forever. “Art isn’t temporary. My work will be here for centuries,” he said. “It means a great deal to me that [Johnson’s] sons and wife were happy about it.”

ARTIST, ROSS ROSSIN

2022 Fall Issue 11

F E AT U R E

Everything was going well for the high-achieving family until the coronavirus pandemic struck. Johnson died suddenly from COVID-19 on July 1, 2020. His death blindsided his family, as his illness had not seemed severe. Although he had experienced some gastrointestinal issues, he never ran the high fever that was common with the virus.

“Horace was tested on a Thursday, got his positive result on Monday and passed away on Wednesday. We didn’t even get a chance to go to the hospital,” Bryant-Johnson said. “We were completely caught by surprise.”

Bryant-Johnson felt her Covington “village” surrounding them the most at this tragic time, as condolences, prayers and support flooded in. After Johnson’s death, Newton County government officials renamed the Judicial Center in his memory. Oxford University renamed a building in his memory, too, changing Language Hall to Johnson Hall. Johnson’s lifelong friend, Dr. Avis Williams, still misses his perpetual smile and positive presence.

“I like to say he was a lawyer’s lawyer, a friend’s friend and a brother’s brother.”

Michelle Bryant-Johnson

12 The Newton Community Magazine

“Horace and I were three weeks apart in age and grew up in the same neighborhood, the historic Sandhill community in Covington. He was born on Nov. 17, and I was born on Dec. 11.

His dad, my mother and her siblings also knew each other their whole lives,” Williams said. “My mother and her late twin sister went to Morris Brown College, and Horace went to [what was then known as] Clark College. Horace and I were in the band together. He finished high school a year before me, in 1975, at age 16. I finished a year later in 1976. I followed Horace to Oxford College, then to ‘big’ Emory [University].”

In addition to growing up together, the two notable leaders shared a common mission.

“Horace and I talked quite often about our community and the need to give back through service leadership,” Williams said.

“When reflecting on how important friendship is, he said that the value of true friendship grows as the years go by.”

Johnson’s mother, Lottie B. Johnson, is 92 years old and still resides in Covington. Bryant-Johnson considers her mother-inlaw a legend in her own right. “When people asked her, ‘You’re Horace’s mom?’ she would reply, ‘No. Horace is my son,’” she said. Johnson’s mother graduated from Tuskegee University and became a home economist. He credited his parents for teaching him the value of parental involvement in a child’s education. In a 2019 interview with The Daily Report, Johnson said his mother was, “a tiger mom before the phrase existed” and did not hesitate to intervene if something threatened his academic progress.

Johnson’s legacy will continue to bless others in the decades to come. Oxford College established an endowment for needbased scholarships in his name, and the NCAA created the Judge Horace J. Johnson Young Artists grant. The University of Georgia’s School of Law established the Judge Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Lecture on Race, Law and Policy. This memorial lecture series provides the UGA community with lectures from thought leaders at the intersection of these concepts.

Bryant-Johnson reiterated that she, her sons and the extended family are grateful for the outpouring of support they received from Covington leaders and residents in the two years since her husband died. They are also appreciative of all the ways the community has chosen to honor and remember him.

“It’s a devastating loss, but we are grateful for the time and kindness we’ve been shown,” Bryant-Johnson said. “Horace died doing what he loved. I like to say he was a lawyer’s lawyer, a friend’s friend and a brother’s brother. Everybody felt like they were his best friend. Even people he disagreed with called him friend. He was passionate about his work and the things he believed in. We certainly love and miss him, but we’ve turned the corner on our depression. Now, his memory brings joy and peace.”

2022 Fall Issue 13

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

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INCIDENTAL MEDICINE Dr. Lynette Jattan-Cunningham did not always plan to be a physician.

However, a strong lifetime of faith put her on a path to becoming one of the most beloved pediatricians in the Covington-Conyers area.

by KARI APTED Dr. Lynette Jattan-Cunningham almost died when she was 17.

Roughly five decades later, she still bears a scar near her eyebrow that reminds her of her battle with tetanus as a teenager living on the island of Trinidad. Tetanus causes extreme muscle spasms, which Jattan-Cunningham describes as leaving her “stiff as a board.” When her father was trying to help her out of bed one day, she fell and struck her head, causing the scar.

“Back then, they treated tetanus in a dark room,” she said.

“There were 16 tetanus patients in that one hospital room, and I’m the only one who survived. I got it from picking at a scab with my father’s pocket knife.”

After many weeks passed with his daughter in the hospital, Jattan-Cunningham’s father decided to take her home. He patiently taught her how to walk again, and she eventually recovered fully.

Always an excellent student with a deep love of learning, she found herself bored with life on the island. Her parents owned a grocery store, and as the oldest girl of nine children, she was tasked with helping to care for her younger siblings.

“I was fed up being at home at the time,” she said. “All I was thinking was that I wanted to be somebody. I had a friend from school who was going to college in Canada. I talked to her and decided I wanted to do that, too. I’m not sure how it happened, but I talked to her on a Wednesday, and by Saturday, I had a plane ticket to Canada.”

When Jattan-Cunningham arrived at Concordia University, she was only eligible to take evening courses. Unfortunately, to keep her student visa, she was required to take daytime classes. As a result, she took typing and shorthand during the day to meet the visa requirements. She easily earned her first degree in biochemistry and started thinking and praying about what to do with it.

“I really went just because I wanted a degree,” she said. “Then when I got it, I realized I didn’t want to work in a lab. Medicine was one of the paths I could take next, so I did.”

Jattan-Cunningham returned to the islands, this time to Jamaica to attend the University of the West Indies. After completing her medical degree, she worked for a few years in Trinidad. Always eager for a new adventure, she moved to England to practice as a dermatologist. She returned home after one year.

2022 Fall Issue 17

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

“When I went back to Trinidad, I didn’t realize that being a dermatologist there mostly meant taking care of elderly people’s foot sores. Dealing with old feet all day made me realize I wanted to go into pediatrics instead,” she said with a laugh.

Jattan-Cunningham completed her pediatric residency at Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 1995, she joined Conyers Pediatrics and worked with Dr. Nora Patonay at the Wellbrook Circle location. Later, Jattan-Cunningham moved to the Brown Bridge Road facility in Covington, all while helping to raise some of her nieces and nephews. The deeply committed Christian remained single until the children graduated from high school.

“I was so busy with my career and helping raise my siblings’ children that I didn’t have time for a relationship,” she said.

After they were all in college, she joined a faith-based dating site and soon met her future husband, Ralph Cunningham. “He’s a family man, and that was important to me. When I met his family, I knew he was the one.”

The couple married when she was 49 years old. They later adopted Jattan-Cunningham’s great-niece, Katherine, and the doctor found herself balancing parenthood and a full-time career again.

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Being in practice for 27 years allowed Jattan-Cunningham to provide care for multiple generations in the same families. When the practice announced her retirement on Facebook in June, the comments were filled with people wishing her well but also expressing sadness over her departure. Parents and patients came in droves to a reception held to celebrate her service to the community.

“Dr. Jattan was our pediatrician for many years and she had such good rapport with my daughters, even from an early age,” former Newton County resident Kathy Hutchins said. “What stood out most about her is that she always let the child have a voice about what was going on with their health, and that is such an important skill to have in life. My kids were convinced that Dr. J could fix anything, and I think it’s because she always took the time to listen.”

Jattan-Cunningham’s decision to become a pediatrician was serendipitous for her patients and herself.

“My kids were convinced that Dr. J could fix anything, and I think it’s because she always took the time to listen.”

Kathy Hutchins

“My favorite thing about working with kids was being able to advise them to do the right thing, to encourage them to follow good rules,” she said. “They will listen to the doctor when they won’t listen to the parents. I encourage them to follow God, pray and be grateful.”

As with all her life decisions, Jattan-Cunningham spent time in prayer and consideration before retiring. Never one to sit still, within weeks she had started a four-year theology program and plans to continue working with the children at her church.

Jattan-Cunningham does not believe kids have changed that much since she started practicing; the same cannot be said for parents. When asked what message she would like to leave with her beloved patients, she did not hesitate to respond.

“We need to help these kids today,” she said. “We need to teach them that we are nothing without God, and serving Him is the most important thing.”

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

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GRACE & TRUTH

The Greatest Question Ever Asked Christians surrender to the truth that we cannot be good enough, brave enough or strong enough to work our way into Heaven.

Only Jesus can rescue man from his sins.

by BRANDON STANLEY The greatest question that could ever be asked is found in Luke 18, where the rich, young politician asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” In Matthew’s account, he adds, “Teacher, what good things shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”

Isn’t this the question of every human heart? Which path to God is the right one? Have I been good enough to get to heaven? The world offers many ways for humans to get to God. Christianity says it’s not a matter of man striving to get to God but the central truth that He comes to us with open arms.

Ultimately, Jesus responds to the young man by saying, “Come follow Me.” He calls him to faith. He calls him to turn away from all other ways and stop striving to get to heaven by his own merit. Jesus identifies Himself as better. He is better because we cannot save ourselves or forgive our own sins. We cannot be good enough, brave enough or strong enough. He is better because He is good enough. He is Lord, Savior and our Redeemer. We cannot qualify ourselves and work our way to heaven. We must surrender to the One who can rescue us from our sins.

As a pastor and believer, one of the most wonderful experiences in the world is watching someone follow Jesus. It is a joy to watch the Gospel ignite someone’s mind and heart. The realization that they cannot save themselves and that Jesus has saved them from a life of striving to a free life of following Him.

A joyful life is one lived at peace with God. The rich, young politician was reluctant to admit he needed Jesus. He thought he was qualified through his own good works. This young man walked away in sadness and unbelief. His possessions were his stumbling block to making Jesus first in his life.

My prayer is that as you read this devotion today, you would hear the call of Jesus to follow Him. Just as the disciples heard Jesus say to them, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” I pray that you will hear this same clear call to love and follow Jesus. I pray that you will not walk away grieved but run to Him in faith and repentance.

Brandon Stanley is the senior pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church in Social Circle. For information, visit www.thecrossroadsfamily.com.

“As a pastor and believer, one of the most wonderful experiences in the world is watching someone follow Jesus.”

Brandon Stanley 2022 Fall Issue 21

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

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AN ALLIANCE of HOPE The Newton-Rockdale Suicide Prevention Coalition addresses a hypersensitive subject with committed teamwork, cross-community networking and honest messaging. Those behind its efforts strive for a future untouched by self-inflicted death.

by MICHELLE FLOYD Suicide ranks as the third-leading cause of death among people, ages 10 to 34, with someone committing the act approximately every 11 minutes in the United States. Such startling statistics motivate Jennifer Wilds to fight for the lives of her fellow man.

“It can impact anyone,” said Wilds, who chairs the NewtonRockdale Suicide Prevention Coalition. “Suicide is not specific to one population.”

The coalition brings together a group of individuals and organizations that point their communities toward having zero suicide deaths. Partners hold events in support of one another, fundraise, conduct training and address the subject at churches and schools, sharing information about suicide and the efforts of their organizations with the public.

“We know that this work is comprehensive and overlaps the [efforts] of some of our partners,” said Wilds, who represents View Point Health—which aligns itself with the coalition— as a program manager in intensive and prevention services in Newton, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties. “Crisis response, domestic violence, child abuse, parenting and families are all very interconnected. We support their missions, and they support us.”

Wilds’ involvement with the coalition dates back to January 2014. However, suicide had impacted her through the loss of a cousin in 2012 and did so again through the death of another cousin in 2016. The subject hits close to home.

22 The Newton Community Magazine

“They were both middle-aged men, both successful,” Wilds said. “They both had opportunities ahead of them, and that made me learn about different people who are at high risk. That became part of my healing journey. If I can help one person at an event, it makes it all worthwhile.”

The coalition operates on state, federal and private grants through View Point Health, individual donations and monies brought in from fundraisers. It provides assistance and resources for individuals and families, along with interconnectedness to those who may need help. Mental health issues impact the entire spectrum of society, not just first responders, veterans and adolescents.

“It touches everybody,” said Amira Abdulhafid, program director over suicide prevention at GUIDE, Inc., one of the organizations that has linked arms with the coalition. “It doesn’t discriminate.”

Anyone who contacts the coalition will be put in touch with local resources, depending on factors like age, need and insurance. Volunteers are not therapists, so Wilds suggests that those who desire immediate help connect with the Georgia Crisis and Access line by dialing 988, at which point they can then speak to trained behavioral health professionals or procure a mobile response team. Dialing 911 remains an option, as well, especially in cases involving a weapon or medications.

“We do have law enforcement officers who are trained in mental health,” Wilds said. “Some go through 40-hour training in Rockdale and Newton counties.”

“It can impact anyone.

Suicide is not specific to one population.”

Jennifer Wilds

(L TO R) AMIRA ABDULHAFID AND JENNIFER WILDS

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

Students can assist with school events through the youth action teams at the Drug Free Coalition, creating and handing out flyers or simply talking to classmates about suicide prevention messaging.

“It’s peer-run and peer-driven—peers talking to peers and talking about the issues in our community,” said Wilds, who holds degrees in psychology and elementary education from the University of Denver. “It’s so much better hearing from them than from me, [someone] who isn’t in school with them every day.”

According to the 2020 Georgia Student Health Survey 2.0, 6.5% of Newton County middle school students and 7.1% of high school students attempted suicide at least once in the previous 12 months. The Georgia National Violent Death Reporting System showed that 15% of the state’s youth suicides in 2019 resulted from poisoning; opiates were found present in 1% of the suicide deaths, while 13% were unknown or untested. There were 67 youth suicides in Georgia between January and November 2021.

“I would love to see our young people feel supported and for them to be able to get the strength and opportunities they need to grow and fulfill their destiny,” Wilds said. “I would like

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everybody to have hope for their own futures and be able to put themselves out there when somebody is hurting.”

Volunteers, funding and supplies are always in demand. Wilds and Abdulhafid also want to link various groups in Newton, Rockdale and Gwinnett communities to the coalition to ensure most everyone has a possible anchor point, from those in the construction industry to students, retailers, healthcare workers and members of the LGBTQIA+ and deaf/hard of hearing communities, just to name a few.

“It’s important that the community comes together,” Abdulhafid said. “If we work together for the same goal, we can have a broader reach. It can just take asking people if they’re OK to change their life trajectory.”

For information on the Newton-Rockdale Suicide Prevention Coalition and GUIDE, Inc., visit www.zerosuicidecommunities.com or www.guideinc.org.

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

FROM

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HOOPS TO

HOOVES

Erin Flynn Mobley once roamed the courts and filled the box scores as a basketball star at Newton High School, but once she completed a successful collegiate career on the hardwood, she turned her lifelong passion for horses into a fulfilling vocation.

by DAVID ROTEN “You either have the bug or you don’t.” Erin Flynn Mobley was bitten by the horse bug at age 4 and has not been the same since. “Horses are my life,” she said. The statement is not just a romantic notion. It is also an acknowledgement of the blood, sweat and tears that go into being a professional rider, horse trainer and farm manager.

Mobley—founder of Divine Sport Horses—shares her 10-acre Mansfield farm with husband Josh, 7-year-old daughter Olivia and 14 horses. Her mother, who helps care for the horses when needed, also lives onsite in what was once a dairy parlor.

Josh seldom rides but pitches in with mowing when he is not working as a supervisor with Walton County EMS. Olivia has been riding “since she could sit up” and assists her mother with farm chores if she is not riding her pony, Twinkle Toes.

The family dog watches over the proceedings. “Everest goes wherever Everest pleases,” Mobley said.

Mobley’s love for horses began as a child when she was introduced to them by her mother and aunt, who were themselves horse riders and breeders. Though her love affair with horses began early on, she took a 10-year hiatus to play basketball, starring as a point guard with Newton High School in the

(L TO R) HEIDI PRICE, SEQUENCE, ERIN FLYNN MOBLEY AND JOSH MOBLEY

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“Horses are my life.”

Erin Flynn Mobley

late 1990s. Mobley was recruited by several Division I schools before settling on Augusta State University, where she started as a freshman. However, the lure of a bigger city precipitated a transfer to Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. There, she led her team to the national tournament in each of her three seasons and once set a school record by knocking down seven three-pointers in a single game.

Once the final buzzer sounded and signaled the end of her basketball career, it did not take Mobley long to figure out what she would do next.

“As soon as I was done,” she said, “I was like, ‘OK, horses— got to get back into the horses.’”

She did so with great verve.

Today, some 15 years later, Mobley rides herd over a business that involves training horses and riders, as well as breeding and selling horses. A century-old, renovated barn and three-board fences dividing multiple paddocks are obvious signs of a seven-year-long and running “work in progress.” Mobley has taken what she learned as the acting captain on the basketball

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court and applied it to her business, especially as it relates to horse and rider. She pushed back on the idea that horse riding, unlike basketball, is an individual sport.

“You and your horse are a team,” she said. “It’s a partnership for sure.” She stressed the importance of knowing your team and being able to communicate well with them as a trainer.

“It’s like, ‘How do I train this horse and this rider the way that they will go best and the way the horse will understand and the way the rider will understand?’”

If there is one aspect of the business Mobley likes better than training others to ride, it is riding herself. However, for her, it is about more than just getting back in the saddle.

“Let’s be clear,” she said, slipping confidently into coaching mode. “I’m a competitor, right? You practice to play basketball games. You train to compete at horse shows. Is training fun? Yes, but the end goal is the competition. It’s too much work and it’s too hard if you can’t compete.”

Mobley, an admitted adrenaline junkie, grew up competing in an equestrian discipline called hunter-jumper, but it was not quite the fit for her. “I needed a little bit more excitement,” she said. She found it in the sport of eventing. An Olympic sport, three-day eventing, as it is sometimes called, is often referred to as “the triathlon of riding” because it is made up of three components: dressage, cross-country and stadium jumping.

(L TO R) ERIN FLYNN MOBLEY AND EMMA SHAUGHNESSY RIDING SALEM

“Dressage is basically ballet in a little white box with a horse and rider,” Mobley said. “Cross-country is endurance and strength and guts and heart. Stadium jumping is, ‘Can you show jump clean (no rails knocked down) after you’ve galloped across the country the day before?’”

Over the years, Mobley’s competitive spirit, skill and love for the sport have served her well, as she has enjoyed an impressive measure of success. Before turning professional, she was named Intermediate Amateur Rider of the Year by the United States Eventing Association in 2012. She has bred and trained more than a few horses and sometimes buys thoroughbreds “off the track,” potentially saving them from being shipped to overseas slaughterhouses. She has also trained some thoroughbreds to high levels of competition and re-homed others according to their abilities.

Mobley concedes that striving to be the best in such a competitive sport as eventing, especially with limited resources, can be a grind. Is it worth it?

“Oh, yeah,” she said. For Mobley, there are always goals to pursue, even if they turn out to be unattainable in the end.

“You always have hopes and dreams—this horse might be the Olympic horse—but they’re pretty far-fetched dreams.”

Royal Ruckus is Mobley’s all-time favorite horse and a thoroughbred. She calls him Shorty. “He was a little guy, 15-hands,” she said, “tiny but mighty.” When it came to practicing as opposed to competing, Shorty and Mobley were on the same page. “My dad always called me a gamer, and Shorty was a little bit that way,” she said. “Like at home, yeah, he’d go through the movements and the motions. When we got to the show, it was like a whole other level. We were both gamers.”

The basketball player-turned-equestrian revealed a mindset that can make even seemingly unreachable dreams come true: “Yeah, you practice and you prepare, but when you get in the primetime, you’re like, ‘OK, this is it. This is our Olympics.’”

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

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the

competitor advocate And the

Jake Branan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth.

It has not stopped the Eastside High School graduate from pursuing his dreams and living his life to the fullest.

by AVRIL OCCILIEN-SIMILIEN

Jake Branan is a kind, intelligent, sensitive, compassionate and tenacious 18-year-old who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth due to complications during pregnancy. He uses a wheelchair for mobility and does not have full use of his right arm, but those physical limitations have not stopped him from living his life to the fullest. In fact, his disabilities have fueled his drive to succeed at everything he sets out to accomplish.

His mother, Debbie, believes his competitive “I can do anything” spirit was paramount to his overcoming the many obstacles he has faced.

“It is also this tenacity that has allowed him to perform so well academically and graduate with honors from Eastside High School,” she said before listing the many accolades he had earned, from the Hope, Zell Miller and Georgia Commitment scholarships to the Georgia Outstanding Achievement Award.

With that academic excellence as his backdrop, Branan recently started his freshman year as a journalism major at the University of Georgia. He plans to focus on sports writing and reporting.

“My dream career,” he said, “is to work for one of the large sports networks such as ESPN or [the] NFL Network or Fox Sports.”

Branan’s resolute approach shines through in his love of sports. He grew up playing baseball in the Miracle League and was invited to compete in the Special Olympics.

“I love sports,” he said. “Sports is my thing. I started out with a love for baseball, football and, most recently, soccer.

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Now that I am older, 95% of what I do during my free time is watching sports and trying my best to analyze the plays, so I can stay as engaged as much as I possibly can. I’m also involved with different sports analysis groups and keep up with sports blogs to stay connected to people with the same sports craze.”

His journey to college has not been without its struggles.

“Along with helping Jake navigate the stigma of a disability, the social isolation and the heartbreaking invisibility, I have made it my mission in life to get this child to where he is today,”

“I’ve been proving people wrong my whole life, and I want others with disabilities to know they can prove others wrong, as well.”

Jake Branan (L TO R) CHRIS BRANAN, JAKE BRANAN AND DEBBIE BRANAN

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his mother said. “I have had to fight for everything he needs. It has been a constant battle to get the necessary resources through the major systems, whether educational, environmental access or healthcare.”

In anticipation of college living expenses, Branan’s parents applied for the NOW/Comp waiver through the state of Georgia when he was in ninth grade. The Medicaid waiver provides money that may be used to pay for services for a person with intellectual, developmental or physical disabilities. These services can occur in the person’s home or community. It has been four years, and the Branans still have not received the funds for which they have been approved. Thankfully, State Sen. Brian Strickland has been an enormous help in navigating some procedural hurdles. Strickland was also instrumental in helping the family secure a two-bedroom apartment in graduate housing for Branan. Currently, he only lacks funding for a full-time personal care assistant. To temporarily meet the costs of the PCA until funding is secured through the NOW/Comp waiver, Branan’s mother has established a GoFundMe account.

Due to their personal struggles with receiving necessary resources, the Branans want to teach others how to advocate for children with disabilities.

“We aren’t rich, but I consider us middle-class with some connections in the community,” his mother said. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for those with less financial resources

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or knowledge of how the system should work. This is why I am so passionate about ensuring others know that there is a way for them to get their child with disabilities the services and resources they need.”

“They need to be relentless and courageous in advocating for their child,” she added. “My proudest accomplishment is sending a perfectly capable 18-year-old to college who is ready and able to advocate for himself.”

Branan’s father, Chris, always encouraged him to buck whatever boundaries were being placed on him.

“I’ve been telling Jake all his life to be the best at what he can do and show everyone that a wheelchair does not prevent you from doing whatever you set your mind to,” he said. “Prove them wrong.”

That message drives Branan’s advocacy for others.

“I see the struggles that other individuals with disabilities go through,” he said. “I want to demonstrate that things and life can be different and better. I’ve been proving people wrong my whole life, and I want others with disabilities to know they can prove others wrong, as well.”

His ultimate message for all who will listen: “I’m human. Get to know me. You would be surprised at how much I can do and how much you would learn.”

Those interested in helping to support the Branans with the costs of a personal care assistant can visit www.gofundme.com/f/full-time-caregiver-forcollege-campus-living.

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

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PASSING THE BATON

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D. Alan Fowler’s drive for excellence in music turned the Eastside High School band program into the envy of countless others. Having turned over the reins to one of his proteges following the 2021–22 school year, he now charts his course into a new frontier with the Georgia Music Educators Association.

by NAT HARWELL One fine spring afternoon in 1996, I found myself seated in the conference room at what was then the Eastside Transitional School. Ed Elmore—the school’s first principal and the man who built a family feel into the charter faculty that persists to this day—had summoned me to be part of a committee to interview a candidate for the director of bands position.

A youthful, genuinely enthusiastic gentleman was being interviewed. He was a University of Georgia graduate, a stellar sousaphone player in the Redcoat Marching Band, carried a master’s degree in conduction from Ball State University, had married a flag corps member of the Redcoats and at the time served as the assistant band director at nearby Salem High School. His knowledge of music and education was spot-on, and he answered all the tricky questions the committee could muster with aplomb. After an hour or so, Elmore asked if there were any other questions. The young man unexpectedly spoke out.

“If I may ask, I have a question for Mr. Harwell,” he said, much to my astonishment. “I’m wondering if you remember teaching my seventh grade Sunday School class at the Riverdale Methodist Church when you worked for Delta.”

So it was that I rekindled my friendship with a young man who would for the next 26 years fashion The Pride of Eastside marching band into a highly regarded ensemble. His name: D. Alan Fowler, husband to Susan and father to Katie Beth and Grace.

Fowler was hired for the 1996–97 school year, the last before Eastside had its first graduating class of seniors as a high school.

For more than two decades, he built the fledgling program to a 2022 Fall Issue 39

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point where the football marching band fielded 140 members.

When Alcovy High School opened due to reapportionment, it took a significant number of Eastside students with it. Fowler put his shoulder to the grindstone and continued to build the program back to full strength. Along the way, he proved to be much more than just a guy waving a baton.

The late T.K. Adams founded the Newton County Community Band in 1993, eventually enlisted Fowler’s assistance and passed the torch to him in 2014. It continues to flourish under Fowler’s direction. Beyond that, Fowler reached out to band directors at all county middle and high schools, fostering cooperation which led to selected musicians from all schools being featured in concerts and special events on The Square in downtown Covington. All the while, he kept producing musicians with great prowess at Eastside.

The marching band and his small- and large-group ensembles won statewide notice with superior ratings in contests too numerous to list. Eastside musicians were regularly found in honor bands, all-state bands and Governor’s Honors programs.

Fowler’s outreach stretched into other realms of community service, as well. He brought TubaChristmas—a holiday event showcasing tuba and euphonium players in Christmas concerts across the nation—to Newton County. In a pre-pandemic year at the Porter Memorial Gymnasium, it was my pleasure to sit

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“I will never forget the day in 2007 when our son took the stage at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music for his senior trombone recital. The door opened, and in walked Fowler. He had driven all the way from Covington—more than 500 miles—for the event.”

Nat Harwell

beside Eastside graduate and tubist Elijah Clark when 50 musicians participated. When Fowler retired from Eastside following the 2021–22 school year, Clark was named as his successor. So it was that the man who wrote the Eastside Alma Mater passed the baton to one of his proteges.

Because of Fowler’s influence and the success of his students, his name was bandied about at the highest levels of Georgia music makers. The Georgia Music Educators Association—the umbrella organization that oversees all in-service conferences every January, all-state chorus and all-state band auditions and convocations each March, statewide elementary honor chorus, sixth-grade chorus and so much more—took interest.

It was impossible not to witness Fowler’s effect most everywhere the GMEA turned. Back in the early 2000s, his Eastside trombone choir was featured in concert performances at Georgia Music Educators Association meetings, and when all-state band festivities were being hosted in Savannah, there was one legendary outing during which band directors went out on a chartered fishing boat for a “Band Directors Challenge” to see who could land the biggest fish. Fowler caught the biggest fish and named him Harvey in honor of Harvey Phillips—a tuba player and instructor at the University of Indiana who founded TubaChristmas.

GMEA Executive Director Cecil Wilder had been considering retirement for some time, and an email to all members in February announced the forthcoming vacancy. Almost immediately, emails began pouring into Fowler urging him to apply for the position. Band directors across the state knew of the many Eastside graduates who marched in major university bands right out of high school. In fact, six of them celebrated on Jan. 20 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the Georgia Bulldogs defeated Alabama to win their first college football national championship since 1980. Five more Eastside graduates joined the Redcoats for the 2022–23 season.

Beyond that, there is this caveat: Fowler has personally attended senior music recitals for former members of The Pride of Eastside marching band with regularity long after his responsibility to them ended. I will never forget the day in 2007 when our son took the stage at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music for his senior trombone recital. The door opened, and in walked Fowler. He had driven all the way from Covington—more than 500 miles—for the event.

Fowler now takes his enthusiasm and his drive for excellence in music to a whole new level as executive director of the Georgia Music Educators Association, which boasts 2,800 members as one of the largest such organizations in the country. As he leaves the Eastside program in Clark’s capable hands, I am reminded of lyrics from the late Dan Fogelberg, who placed a tribute to his father in a song titled “The Leader of the Band.” It feels fitting to ascribe this to Alan Fowler: “... his blood runs through my instrument, and his song is in my soul. My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man; I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band.”

ART SPEAKS

by MARGARET WARFIELD - ARTIST Using mud to create vessels is one of the oldest forms of art making. In the beginning, the items were strictly utilitarian. Through experimenting with fire, man learned to harden his created forms, and later glazes beautified the vessels.

Decorating the earthenware defined separate cultures. It gave each maker an avenue for cultural expression and creativity. What began as a necessity lead to a distinctive art-making category.

STEPHEN JOHNSON

Kaolin is the term used to describe potter’s clay. The clay pieces are hand built or thrown on a potter’s wheel. The potter holds the ball of clay firmly and guides it while the wheel and clay turn. It takes a great deal of skill to become an expert at wheel throwing. Once the artist is satisfied with their design, the piece is fired and glazed and placed in a kiln, with temperatures up to 2,264° Fahrenheit.

Wildart’s potter, Stephen Johnson, excels in this medium. He uses clay that is dug and processed in Lizella, GA, from a family of six generations of potters. Stephen’s work includes bowls, mugs, lamps, and telephone amplifiers.

Wildart 404-455-1594 thewildart.com 1105 Washington St. Covington, GA 30014

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

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E D U C AT I O N C O R N E R

Open Minds, Open Lines As we all adjust to a post-2020 reality, parents must engage teachers and mentors in order to maximize and enhance what their children are learning in the classroom.

by TATICASEJUANA BOBO STEVENS How did your summer reading go?

Hopefully, your scholars read at least one or two books during their break.

Whether we hit our milestones or not, it’s all behind us now. Time to press the reset button and leverage the fresh start into conquering the 2022–23 school year.

Did you know it takes 21 days or less to form a new habit? We’ve begun our dynamic unconventional routine of learning since school started. If you’re comfortable with the path your child is on, I encourage you to persevere with what works best for you. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

If you observe that your child lacks focus, enthusiasm, commitment or consistency, let’s recalibrate.

I implore you to remain engaged with your child’s teachers and mentors. Communication is vital and the key to building successful long-term relationships. Be optimistic while keeping an open mind about learning. Approach every problem with an innovative spirit and the belief that the answer lies ahead. We oftentimes become so discouraged with not immediately arriving at the correct response, when we actually should focus on researching a deeper dive in order to find the optimal solution.

Parents, we’re our children’s first and loudest advocates. Each parent should know their child’s strengths and weaknesses.

We must be fully committed in creating a path forward to success. It may call for us to reach out to their teachers and learn the current methodology to re-educate our children in order to fully comprehend an assignment. We may have to invest in

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a tutor. No matter what, we must encourage our children to speak up if they’re unsure how to solve a problem. It doesn’t help to get further behind in the learning process by staying silent and not fully grasping the content. It only hurts the student. I don’t believe anyone goes into education with the intent to damage a child. However, you can’t change or solve anything you’re not willing to acknowledge exists.

Teachers and schools are more effective when families are involved. It has everything to do with collaboration. United we stand, divided we fall. Let’s make this a team effort through effective communication and hard work as we create robust future leaders for our community.

Taticasejuana Bobo Stevens is a Ph.D. candidate and holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration. She is the CEO and founder of Stebeaux’s Educational Enterprises, LLC, where she teaches early childhood literacy from Pre-K to eighth grade.

“We oftentimes become so discouraged with not immediately arriving at the correct response when we actually should focus on researching a deeper dive in order to find the optimal solution.”

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

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Creative Juices Shant’e and Kevin Ragin have brought their love for theater and time-honored cuisine to Porterdale, bolstering Newton County’s entertainment options in the process.

by MICHELLE FLOYD

Shant’e Ragin could not imagine her life any other way than on the stage.

“I’ve been in theater my whole life,” said Ragin, a Chicago native who has lived in Georgia since she was 18. “There was never a time I can remember not being in a show or writing a show.”

She started talking at an early age and began acting in Easter and other Christian plays at church. “They would give me parts before I could talk. My grandmother said that I had my first speech at a church play,” said Ragin, who was directing the choir by the time she was 6. “This is something that has been going on my whole life.” She went on to act in school plays and earned a degree in communications and cultural studies.

After moving to Georgia, Ragin met her husband, Kevin, a veteran from Pittsburgh who cooked and provided comic relief for the family. The Ragins have now founded a company that offers them the best of both worlds, opening the Dramatic Arts

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Production Community Theater, Drama Club and Educational Resource Center in downtown Porterdale. The venue specializes in dinner theater shows.

“We like to eat while we’re doing what we’re doing,” Ragin said. “We didn’t know it was a thing, so we thought, ‘While we’re doing the show, why don’t we serve dinner, too?’”

The couple started by writing scenarios for marriage retreats and church products, then opened the theater at Morgan Plaza in Covington in 2008. Performances there ran until they neared their move to Porterdale in October 2021. The Ragins also wrote a history tour for the city of Porterdale before relocating to their newly renovated location. They started out in their own theater company hosting children’s shows like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” for their kids: Marshonna Gunn-Ragin, 24, Jada Ragin, 23, and MI’Angel Ragin, 19.

(L TO R) BILL PACER, SHAMAR GUNN, BRADLEY JOHNSTON, LADONNA PACER AND SHANT’E RAGIN (SEATED)

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“We like to eat while we’re doing what we’re doing. We didn’t know it was a thing, so we thought, ‘While we’re doing the show, why don’t we serve dinner, too?”

Shant’e Ragin

“They have all been in shows in one way or another,” said Ragin, who has lived with her family in Newton County since 2008 and in Porterdale since 2018.

Past productions at the theater include “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Scrooge - A Christmas Story” and various murder mystery and comedy acts, plus 1940s-style gangster shows the Ragins have written, produced, directed and starred in themselves, alongside other local and professional actors. Ragin concedes they are known for classics and mysteries, but she does not want their theater to be pigeonholed and plans to offer more variety using different playwrights and actors.

“The whole family can come out as a unit with all ages and have a really good night out,” said LaDonna Pacer, who, along with husband Bill, has acted in several DAP productions when not performing in other professional shows around the country. “It’s a relaxing atmosphere. This is where we like to come back to. It’s entertainment for Porterdale that they didn’t have.”

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Eventually, the venue could feature dinner shows every weekend and perhaps even four nights a week or more. For now, it offers shows a couple of times a month and remains open for dinner even when productions are not scheduled.

“Porterdale has become a center for creativity,” Porterdale Mayor Arline Chapman said. “Shant’e and Kevin Ragin have brought their outstanding creative theatrical talents to the mix—quality fun and creative dinner theater right here in Newton County.”

The Ragins—with Kevin’s recipes and his wife’s help in the kitchen—offer mainly soul food, like chicken, pork chops, Salisbury steak, collards, macaroni and cheese and cornbread, among other favorites at shows and during regular operations Thursdays through Sundays. “We started off with burgers, hot dogs and salads,” Ragin said. “Kevin has been the cook of the family his whole life. We work together and cook some pretty good meals.” They ultimately made the decision to expand their menu, and it has been well received. “It’s incredible food;

it’s fabulous,” Pacer said. “I even come there to eat when I’m not working.” The atmosphere created by the Ragins has also become a selling point, according to Bill Pacer: “They feel like family.”

The theater has partnered with schools in the past for classic shows and anti-bullying efforts, and Ragin hopes to do so again soon: “We want to be known as a thing to do in town.”

For more information, visit www.dinnerclubshow.com or call 404-777-4349. The location, which has been used in the Netflix show “Sweet Magnolias,” is available for event rental for a variety of functions, including professional theater and film acting classes.

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50 The Newton Community Magazine

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2022 Fall Issue 51

LIVING (L TO R) SANDY MEADOR, SHERRI HUTCHISON, DAVID KUHNS, TARITA KUHNS, DESSIE PULLIAM, HOLLY HAYES, ANGIE DAY AND SALLY HAWKINS

“So many people are receptive to prayer, even if they might not ever set foot inside a church.”

Holly Hayes

52 The Newton Community Magazine

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PLANTING SEEDS Visitors to The Square on Mondays around lunchtime will notice a white and purple tent advertising ‘Free Prayer.’ Awaken His Church, the brainchild of Holly Hayes and Tarita Kuhns, started during the coronavirus pandemic. Two years later, the movement now grows throughout the state.

by KARI APTED The Bible teems with stories of ordinary women who did extraordinary things. These wives, mothers and daughters continue to inspire women to follow in their footsteps. Several such women can be found on The Square in downtown Covington on Mondays, clad in purple T-shirts, inviting others to pray with them beneath the purple tent emblazoned with their name: Awaken His Church.

AHC started small in spring 2017, when friends Holly Hayes and Tarita Kuhns met for Bible study and prayer. Driven by a desire for true revival, the pair felt the church as a whole had fallen into a state of complacency.

“It’s like the church was lulled to sleep,” Hayes said. “We knew that revival had to start with the body of Christ first. We felt a burden to take His message outside the walls of the church building.” Kuhns agreed: “I felt like the Bride of Christ was sick and needed reviving.” They based their mission on Joel 2, which they summed up in four words: fast, pray, mourn and weep.

Kuhns’ initial vision was for local churches to join together in unity. She contacted hundreds of local congregations, hoping to find one that would open its doors to the new prayer ministry.

“I didn’t see this as a time to come pray for Aunt Susie’s uncle’s brother’s cat,” Kuhns said with a laugh. “I wanted us to gather in a holy time and cry out to God in unity.”

Kuhns was disappointed to find a lukewarm response until she reached out to Larry Cheek, of the Stone Mountain Baptist Association. With his help, Kuhns found 12 churches willing to partner with her. “All we asked was for them to allow us to use their facility,” she said. “We didn’t want to put anything else on their plate. We just needed a place to gather and pray.”

Milstead Baptist Church in Conyers opened its doors to the women, and they met there on Mondays. Soon, Hayes and Kuhns felt led to take their prayers out onto the streets of Conyers and Covington.

“It was way—way—outside our comfort zones to walk around, asking strangers on the street if they needed prayer,” Hayes said. They were joined by another friend, Sally Hawkins, whose boldness was an inspiration. “One day while Sally was prayer walking, a copperhead snake bit her toe. Sally beat it to death with her flip flop,” Kuhns said. Miraculously, a doctor came riding down the road on a bicycle at just that moment and stopped to assist her.

Hawkins encouraged the ladies to prayer walk with her in some of the area’s more challenging neighborhoods. Miraculous events began to happen as the women reached beyond their personal comfort zones. One of Kuhns’ first prayer walk 2022 Fall Issue 53

LIVING

encounters happened at a drug house in Milstead. She felt apprehensive about knocking on the door, but a man came outside and sat with her on the porch.

“He had a heartbreaking story,” Kuhns said. “His daughter had died of a seizure, and his wife committed suicide. In his grief, he stepped out in front of an 18-wheeler to end his own life. He said that as he was picking his intestines up off the ground, he told God he would serve Him if he let him live.

Over time, he’d withdrawn from God. We prayed for his faith to be restored.”

Another time, an angry man pulled a gun on the women.

Undeterred, they continued to the next house. A young woman answered the door and poured out her heart, asking for prayer and direction. A cult had been actively recruiting her, but before

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the prayer team left, she called the cult recruiters and told them not to return because she had accepted Jesus.

The group chose The Square as their gathering place when COVID-19 restricted them from praying door-to-door or meeting inside a building. On Sept. 1, 2020, Hayes and Kuhns fasted and prayed on The Square from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It was a Monday, and the group has not missed a Monday since.

The first day went so well that they showed up every day that September. Daily prayer sessions continued through October.

Hayes described what happened those first two months.

“We would approach people on benches and ask if they needed prayer,” she said. “So many people are receptive to prayer, even if they might not ever set foot inside a church.

That might’ve been their one opportunity to hear the Gospel

THE IMPORTANCE OF TAX-FREE INCOME DURING RETIREMENT

by MARK S. REAGAN - FINANCIAL ADVISOR

and have someone minister to them.” The process follows the same model today, but Hayes and Kuhns find that more people approach them directly. “They often say they aren’t sure how they ended up there,” Kuhns said. “They’ll say they saw our sign and just had to turn around and talk to us. People will come up weeping and pour out their stories even though we’re complete strangers.”

Awaken His Church has seen hundreds of people become Christians and many others return to the tent to share how their prayers were answered. AHC always has a paper scroll available for people to write down prayer requests. To date, the group has filled three, 200-foot-long scrolls. Larry Rodriguez was on The Square with his wife one Monday when Hayes approached them.

“I’d been going through a lot in my life, and we were in a long season of trying to bring ourselves back up,” Rodriguez said. His struggles included bone cancer, COVID-19, losing his mother and losing his job after his cancer diagnosis. “When Holly asked me if she could pray with us, I said, ‘I don’t know why not.’ I told them I was a believer but asked them to pray for my health.” After the prayer, Hayes gave him a pamphlet bearing the name of the church she attended. Rodriguez was stunned. “My son goes to that church—Michael Rodriguez,” he said. Hayes’ jaw dropped as she realized their connection.

“I know Michael,” she said. “I’ve already been praying for you for two weeks.”

Kuhns’ desire to connect with the local church body has been realized. AHC has volunteers from numerous congregations and now has weekly prayer tents in Athens and Madison. Other groups are using the free prayer tent model in Griffin, Monroe and Thomaston.

“The tent has been the catalyst, and God keeps opening more connections and opportunities,” Kuhns said. “He obviously has a plan. We’re just going with the flow to see what He’s doing next.”

For information on Awaken His Church, visit www.awakenhischurch.wixsite.com/awaken.

Unlike most of your retirement accounts such as 403b & 401k plans, pensions, and Social Security benefits, which will all be taxed as ordinary income during retirement, tax-free account distributions will provide greater flexibility related to your overall withdrawal strategy and income tax exposure during these Golden Years. So how do you create this tax-free “bucket” of funds?

It is relatively simple with the use of specific types of investment accounts.

The simplest account to use to create a source of tax-free income during retirement is an individual Roth IRA. Depending upon your age, and provided you have earned income for the year, you can fund this account with up to $7,000 (for 2022). The account, and subsequent contributions, will grow tax-free and provide withdrawal flexibility during retirement since the Roth status does not expose the balance to the IRS required minimum distributions associated with your tax-deferred assets. Health Savings Accounts are also another great vehicle for increasing your tax-free “bucket” of funds available to use for your retirement expenses.

Even capital gain taxes associated with regular investment account withdrawals can be eliminated if you can hold your overall income under a specific threshold for the tax year. This tactic can be aided by taking specific distributions needed to meet your budget from your other tax-free accounts.

Tax-free income sources are one of the most important aspects of retirement planning, so make sure to educate yourself on how best to utilize and maximize these potential assets.

770-658-9440 mark@reaganfinancialplanning.com reaganfinancialplanning.com 170 Bostwick Road Oxford, GA 30054

2022 Fall Issue 55

LIVING

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The Simple Life Homesteaders John and Laurie Hines have freed themselves from some of the cares and concerns associated with a plug-and-play world that seems to grow more chaotic by the day, choosing instead to walk down a more serene, self-sufficient path.

by JOHN BABYLON Supply shortages are a real problem for many Americans today.

It seems as though every time one goes into a store, at least one entire section of shelves sits empty. Everyone has an opinion as to where fault lies and what could be done differently, but those kinds of widespread, far-reaching issues require cooperation on a variety of fronts in order for us to arrive at effective solutions. Naturally, this subject involves divisive matters.

Perhaps we should be asking ourselves other questions: Is this going to get worse? What can I do about it in my own life right now?

John and Laurie Hines carry little personal worry about whether or not the situation will deteriorate because of what they decided to do about it a long time ago. For Laurie, who grew up in Atlanta, homesteading was an alien thought when they first started out. However, the appeal of being self-sufficient and getting away from chemicals, hormones and pesticides was too strong to not try. Through personal research, trial and error and good old-fashioned determination, John and Laurie have made their homestead work for them.

This is not to say the Hineses did not experience difficulties.

Sloping ground was conquered by building terraces and using containers and raised beds. Trees were cleared to make room for more garden space. Fences had to be constructed to keep the wild animals at bay. One of John’s favorite T-shirts features his personal motto: “Grow Food; Build Stuff; Repeat.”

“You have to be resourceful,” John said. “Learn to scavenge for what you need, never let anything go to waste and don’t forget to build relationships. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need to get started.”

The rewards have been well worth the effort. Laurie loves the idea of being able to “pick your dinner,” and from her standpoint, everything “just tastes better” when fresh. Laurie admits she “can’t imagine giving it up”—it being the responsibility to shape her land and make it productive for her and her family. As she put it, fresh air, peace and daily exercise combine to serve as their “drug of choice.” Laurie enjoys the balance between man and nature, with man being subject to what nature produces in its seasons and man cultivating nature to supply him with what he needs.

“You have to be resourceful. Learn to scavenge for what you need, never let anything go to waste and don’t forget to build relationships.”

John Hines

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2022 Fall Issue 57

LIVING

The biggest myth John and Laurie dispelled? None of it just happened. It takes careful planning—that falls to Laurie—and discipline to see it through. Raising chickens was the gateway, they both said. You can feed the chickens from the garden and use the chicken manure for fertilizer. Chickens produce meat and eggs, and the remains go toward enriching the garden. Laurie admitted that a lot of people see raising chickens as “gross” and often ask her how she can stomach killing an animal. She just shrugs and answers bluntly: All animals humans eat have to die. In her case, she knows the animal was treated well, died quickly and that nothing went to waste. They use the feet for dog treats, the blood and feathers for fertilizer and the bones and guts for broth.

John and Laurie do not live completely off the grid. They still enjoy hot showers and electricity. They have air conditioning and a traditional home. They neither adhere to primitive living nor operate with a paranoid distrust of society. They are motivated by the peace of mind that comes from knowing they can and do support themselves and can pass on this knowledge to the coming generations.

To those interested in giving homesteading a go, John and Laurie both advised to “start small.” Practice doing a few things right, then expand into new areas.

58 The Newton Community Magazine

“Know your agricultural zone,” Laurie said. “You have to know what grows in your area and when it’s growing season, and once you get it right, go big or don’t bother. Don’t waste time growing things that produce just a little. Grow enough to feed you and your family, to care for your animals and to trade with others for what you want.”

In a plug-and-play generation where people have grown accustomed to an on-demand style of living, the Hineses have taken another path. “I think I was born 50 years too late,” Laurie said. However, upon witnessing the satisfaction they take in their homestead and understanding the rewards associated with it, perhaps their simple life remains more timeless than we realize.

2022 Fall Issue 59

LIVING

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W H AT ’ S C O O K I N G

Chiles Rellenos

by BRENDA SEARS

A passion for cooking was handed down to me through the generations, from my grandparents to my mother and father, then from my parents to me. To share it with my husband and my own children has been one of life’s great joys. I actually didn’t start “cooking” until I was in college. Because I wasn’t at home much, I learned by making lots of phone calls to my mom. I did more baking when I was growing up, especially my dad’s favorite dessert: pineapple upside down cake. Chiles Rellenos ranks as one of my favorite dishes. Every time I’ve made it, I’ve done so with my mom, which makes it all the more special. Now, we extend the recipe from our kitchen to yours: Ingredients · 1 pound of ground beef · 1 large potato (diced) · 1 tomato (diced) · ½ of a medium onion (diced) · 2 garlic cloves (diced) · 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) · 1 teaspoon of pepper (or to taste) · 12 poblano peppers · 1 pound of queso fresco cut to ¼ inches thick, by 3 inches long · 10 eggs (separate egg whites, yolks and do not throw either away) · Oil · Flour Directions 1. Wash the poblano peppers well, turn the skillet on high heat.

Once the peppers are clean, roast them on each side until they have a little char on them. Once roasted, place them in a plastic bag and let them sweat for approximately 10 minutes.

Take them out of the bag and remove the skin from all around the pepper. Gently cut one side open and remove all the seeds.

2. Cook the ground beef and drain. Return to the same pot, add the diced potatoes and cover for five minutes. Mix a couple of times in those five minutes. Once the potatoes are done, add

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the tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Once that is all mixed together and tomatoes and onions are cooked, cover and remove from heat.

3. Open each pepper, stuff with the ground beef and a piece of cheese and place on a baking sheet. Once they are all stuffed, sprinkle with flour on the outside of each pepper and place back on baking sheet.

4. Using your mixer, mix the 10 egg whites until they are stiff (approximately five minutes). Once they are stiff, add the egg yolks and mix well.

5. Heat a deep skillet with oil. Just enough to cover more than half of the pepper. Once the oil is hot, keep it at medium high heat.

6. Grab your stuffed pepper, which is sprinkled with flour, and dip in your egg mixture so the pepper is covered in it. Place in the hot oil and cook. Once the bottom starts turning brown, carefully turn over so all sides are cooked evenly. When it is done, place on a paper towel. Repeat this step until all peppers are done.

7. You may serve it with rice and beans.

“I actually didn’t start “cooking” until I was in college. I learned by making lots of phone calls to my mom.”

Brenda Sears