community magazine 2022 SUMMER 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
2022 Summer Issue 3
PUBLISHERS
Meredith & Scott Tredeau 678-852-2715 info@thenewtoncommunity.com DIRECTOR OF SALES
Maree Cronan 770-530-7837 sales@thenewtoncommunity.com
FEATURE 8 Living History
EDITOR
Brian Knapp PHOTOGRAPHERS
Brian Dean Michie Turpin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
HEALTH & WELLNESS
SPORTS & RECREATION
16 Hot Seat 22 Warm Embrace
28 Fast Lane 32 Crazy About Cornhole
Kari Apted John Babylon Michelle Floyd Bobby Hamby David Roten Taticasejuana Stevens Ryan Wyatt 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 Music to Our Ears 44 A Better Tomorrow
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LIVING 52 A City Reborn 56 Forged in the Fire
On the Cover
AN ENDURING SEASON by BRIAN KNAPP
Summer holds a special place in almost everyone’s heart, from unforgettable family vacations and momentous senior trips to blockbuster movie premieres, backyard cookouts and relaxing days on the water, perhaps kayaking down an out-of-the-way stretch of river, a lateafternoon sun beginning its descent behind the trees at the close of another 90-degree day. Most of my childhood memories are set on Cherry Valley Drive, the grounds on which I stomped with my best friends— Ben DeLoach, Ryan King, Matt and Mark Edge, Jake Gilbert, Sam Cox and many others—and a few ancillary characters with four legs, most notably Booger the Chow and Duke the Black Labrador. Our lives revolved around the seasons, and during the summer, much of our existence was wrapped up in baseball. Most of our games unfolded in the cul-de-sac directly in front of Ben’s house. Jake developed this brilliant technique by which he would cut the ends off of those long, yellow wiffle
ball bats you can still find at Wal-Mart, load them up with small empty medicine bottles he had filled with water and seal them shut with duct tape. We used tennis balls instead of real baseballs, for obvious reasons. Sometimes, an errant line drive would find its way into Mr. Bohannon’s azalea bushes that were situated down the third-base line. He was none too pleased when he spotted us digging one of our tennis balls out of those bushes. I saw a meme not too long ago that brought me back to those summers: “At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside to play together for the last time, and none of you knew it.” Few truths have ever hit me harder. I just turned 44 and have fallen out of touch with most of my childhood friends. Way back when, I promised those guys to write a book about our adventures one day. If time ever slows down, maybe I’ll make good on my word and bring the Cherry Valley Gods back to life again.
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
We love to-do lists. Well, not the lists themselves but checking things off of them. Have you ever added something to your list that has already been done just so you could check it off? We certainly have. Lately, it seems like the to-do lists just grow bigger every day as we desperately try to get them under control. There is so much to keep track of, stuff to do, things to buy and appointments to make; and that’s just the stuff on the list. Then there are the friends with whom we need to catch up, the pile of books on the nightstand and the shows about which everyone raves (we’ll probably never get around to watching them). We find ourselves thinking about all the things we should be doing, instead of what we’re actually doing at the moment. Now that it’s summer and the kids are home during the day, it’s even harder to stay focused on the present with all the competing priorities. Let’s face it. Before we know it, they’ll be heading off to college. The present is really the only moment we have for certain, so this summer, we’re trying our best to soak up every last one of these precious times with our kids. When our youngest asks at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, “Do you guys want to play Monopoly?” We say, “Yes. Yes, we do.” We can’t freeze time, but we can try to memorize the way their faces look smooshed in goggles or the way they laugh when they play together. When the kids ask for five more minutes of whatever it is, let’s say yes. Doing the dishes and responding to emails can wait. May the Lord bless and keep you. Scott and Meredith Tredeau
2022 Summer Issue 5
F E AT U R E
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LIVING HISTORY Avis Williams has a long family heritage in the Oxford community, where her ancestors established roots centuries ago. She now works to help establish The Twin Memorials, two permanent structures on the Oxford College and Emory University campuses honoring the slaves whose labor helped build them. by KARI APTED A question was posed by an enthusiastic parent as The Rev. Dr. Avis Williams walked onto the Oxford College campus on a sunny Saturday in May. “Is it really you?” the parent asked. “It depends,” Williams replied, curiously. “On the banner,” he said, pointing to a nearby lamppost. “It looks like you.” Williams looked up, surprised to see her own face, rendered on tall banners lining the path for graduation day, smiling back at her. “I told him, ‘Yes, sir. That’s me.’ But I was so surprised to see that,” Williams said. “I wasn’t expecting them to do that.” The 2022 commencement speaker was amused by the interaction, but she was also humbled by it. Though she holds four degrees from Emory—an associates from Oxford and a bachelor’s in chemistry, along with a master’s in divinity and a doctorate in ministry from the Candler School of Theology— and carries an extensive resume filled with community service, she always remembers where her life began. “They named me Avis Williams when I was born, and that’s how I still introduce myself,” she said. “I use my ‘reverend’ and ‘doctor’ titles in professional settings when I need to, but I don’t get hung up on titles. It’s what’s on the inside that matters.”
(L TO R) AVIS, COUSIN RHONDA, COUSIN VINCENT (DEC.) AND BROTHER ALLISON
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F E AT U R E (L TO R) COUSIN VINCENT (DEC.), AVIS WITH HER GRANDMOTHER MISS B (DEC.) AND COUSIN RHONDA
AVIS AT BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH, COVINGTON
(L TO R) RHONDA, MRS. UPSHAW (DEC.) AND AVIS
(L TO R) MISS B (DEC.), AVIS AND HER MOTHER EMOGENE (DEC.)
Williams grew up in the historic Sandhill Community on Walnut Street in Covington. Raised by her grandparents, Joe and Maggie Mae Williams, she was taught from an early age to revere God and pursue education. “My grandmother is the big hero of my life,” Williams said. “She worked as a custodian for white people in Covington, and she walked wherever she worked. She constantly encouraged me to do all that I could to be the best that I could be and to learn as much as I could. She taught me to stay active and stay involved. She said no matter what to trust God [and] believe God.”
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(L TO R) AVIS AND JOHNNY FREEMAN, JR.
Faith was an integral part of Williams’ upbringing. She was baptized at age 13 at the historic Bethlehem Baptist Church in Covington, and her great-great-great grandfather, Rev. Toney Baker, was the church’s first pastor, serving from 1850–96. Williams eventually followed in his footsteps, as she was ordained in May 2004 after earning a Certificate of Theology from the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center. Now, Williams’ ministry has evolved into a more hands-on endeavor. “My calling is not to a four-walls kind of church,” she said. “My work is in the field. I’m here when someone needs a hand held
Twin Memorials:
A Message Conveyed by KARI APTED Emory University is actively planning to erect permanent memorials on its Atlanta and Oxford campuses dedicated to honoring the enslaved people and their descendants who lived and worked at both locations. The Rev. Dr. Avis Williams has been deeply involved in helping the project come to fruition. As a direct descendent of enslaved persons who built the Oxford campus, her input is both personal and vital to the monuments’ design. “Rev. Dr. Avis Williams has been and will continue to be an integral part of Emory’s Twin Memorials project,” Oxford College Dean Doug Hicks said. “She has been instrumental in bringing together other members of this community whose voices are critical to the process of naming our history and moving forward. Dr. Williams’ collaborative leadership skills, commitment to community-building and tireless work for social and racial justice are invaluable to Oxford and Emory as we strive to build on our values of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Williams has hosted several community engagement sessions, beginning with the Task Force for Untold Stories and culminating with the Twin Memorials Working Group. Their collaborations have included Emory students and faculty, administrative and hourly staff, alumni, descendants and members of the Oxford and Atlanta communities. “I showed examples of monuments around the world, just to give people an idea of the possibilities for ours,” Williams said. “Dean Hicks and Professor Gregory Ellison went to several universities to see how others have done it. We talked about what message the memorials should convey.” Emory partnered with Brocade—a firm with experience in creating a supportive, appropriate space for discussions about slavery and race—and Baskervill, a design firm that specializes in creating museums and university memorials. Architects will take the information gathered at the community sessions and design something that represents the collaborative concepts.
“The Twin Memorials has been a very moving effort,” Williams said. “Some people assume that it’s just going to be a statue, but we envision so much more. I want it to be interactive, educational, futuristic, welcoming and accessible, a dedicated green space—not tucked away on the back 40—but located where, if you’re a student, you’re going to see it.” Williams has an answer for those who say that this type of monument focuses too much on the past and not enough on the present and future. “We don’t want to be stuck in history, but our history shouldn’t just be part of the curriculum,” she said. “Many people don’t know that all of Druid Hills—where Emory’s Atlanta campus is [located]—was once plantations, or that a jar of Newton County soil sits in the slave museum in Montgomery, Alabama, in memory of 1889 lynching victim Van Malone. The memorial needs to be embedded so that people who come here know that this was built on the backs of slaves.”
2022 Summer Issue 11
F E AT U R E (L TO R) DR. HOYT OLIVER (DEC.), AVIS AND DR. JUDY GREER
(L TO R) UNCLE WILLIE (DEC.), AUNT ERNESTINE (DEC.) AND AVIS
AVIS AT BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH, COVINGTON
while they’re dying, or has a car accident, or needs some food. They call me. I might not be the answer, but I’m often the door that opens to find someone to help them.” Williams’ grandmother also taught her the value of natural medicine, making teas from herbs and berries to keep the family healthy. She still believes in a holistic approach to good health, connecting recently to a local Muscogee/Creek Native American group. “They invited me to a stomp dance ceremony where they prayed and danced around the fire. They have this beautiful connection to the earth,” she said. Williams credits the late Dr. Hoyt Oliver for teaching her about environmental theology, a term that describes physical and spiritual worldviews and responsibilities. “I’m a semi-environmentalist,” Williams said. “God gave us this earth, but we should be good stewards of it.” Williams’ list of accomplishments showcases her commitment to making this world better for current and future generations. In addition to her current role as Bethlehem’s pastor of community transformation, she operated a tutorial and mentoring program at Bethlehem, in collaboration with Oxford and Morehouse colleges; taught a reading and comprehension class for adult learners pursuing their GED; founded and pastored
Immanuel Progressive Baptist Church, a church for all peoples that concentrated on health disparities in the African American community and assisted prisoners who had been wrongly accused; served on the Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful Committee, organizing church members to volunteer on community cleanup days; partnered with a local hospice to minister to those with end-of-life diagnoses; served for over 11 years as a pastor of community transformation at Lake Oconee Community Church, organizing a community garden and enrichment programs for students; owned an environmental, health and safety consulting business; served on the Oxford City Council and chaired the Committee on Race, organizing the city’s first ever Black History program; and spoke at the Emory Symposium on Slavery, working to help create scholarship opportunities for descendants of Oxford’s enslaved population. In addition, Williams hosts the Hour of Power Bible Study, a weekly conference call where dozens gather for uplifting and inspirational studies, and serves as the community liaison for the Putnam County Charter School System, board chair for Oconee Valley Healthcare and executive director of LifeSource—an organization that provides food from the Augusta Food Bank to citizens of the greater Putnam County community.
“I honor God in everything. He presents these open-door opportunities, and when I give back, God flips it, and whatever it is that I need, He takes care of it.” Avis Williams
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Williams also stays actively involved with local law enforcement agencies. Along with serving as chaplain with the Newton County Sheriff’s Department, she graduated from the Covington Citizens Police Academy and is a member of the Police Who Care board of directors. After doing a few ride-alongs with law enforcement officers at night, Williams was stunned by what she witnessed. “It was one of the most transformative experiences of my life,” she said. “I didn’t believe the things that were happening in our community or the amount of drugs out there.” Moreover, Williams attended a national conference on community equity and justice with Covington Police Chief Stacey Cotton. The two remain in touch over community affairs. When praised for her dedication to community service, Williams simply sees it as doing what needs to be done. “I’m not one who brags about stuff,” she said. “I honor God in everything. He presents these open-door opportunities, and when I give back, God flips it, and whatever it is that I need, He takes care of it.” One of her current give-back projects resides particularly close to her heart. In 2011, Williams organized the Sandhill-Tex Alley Community Reunion. Held every other year, this gathering of two historic African American communities off Washington Street averages between 500 and 1,000 attendees. It is always held on the same Saturday as the CPD’s Fuzz Run, which will be Sept. 10 in 2022. “Because of the pandemic, we’re going to have three tents in different spaces, instead of one big tent, to help people spread out,” Williams said. “We’re also going to have someone come out to cook and serve us this year.” Attendees pay a small fee to help keep costs down. The celebration includes a memorial ceremony to honor those who have passed since the last reunion. Williams is also busy organizing a summer program that encourages teenagers to pursue a college education. Partnering with Oxford College and Albany State University, the Summer Bridge Program allows 30 rising 10th and 11th graders to experience life on campus for a week. “They live on campus, go on field trips, do community service projects, and at the end, we bring the parents in so that the parents who haven’t been to college can see what it’s like,” Williams said. “These are the kind of doors we have to open so that kids will have the ability to earn enough to live. The way you do that is to learn as much as you can.” Although she did not spend much of her childhood with her mother, Emogene, Williams was grateful to be her live-in caregiver during her later years. Williams secretly honored her mother when she gave the commencement speech at Oxford. “I have this T-shirt with my mother’s picture on it,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if I should wear it, but I thought, ‘Nobody’s going to see it under my robes,’ so when I gave my speech, I had my mother right there near my heart. I wondered what my mother and my grandmother were thinking. Were they proud of me?”
In her speech, Williams encouraged the graduates to always acknowledge the parents, mentors and others whose support brought them to their achievements. In a similar way, she hopes the Twin Memorials monument will bring honor to the enslaved people—many unnamed—whose labor helped build Oxford College. “They couldn’t go to college, but I did. I want the memorials to be a place of sanctity, a space where we can think about how to build a better world so our young people know who they are and really be seen for who they are,” she said. “That’s the beauty of this rainbow called humanity. That’s God.” 2022 Summer Issue 13
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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
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H T SEAT Former University of Georgia running back Kregg Lumpkin traded in his helmet for a hose in what some considered a surprising career switch. The married father of four now spends his days training new recruits for Newton County Fire Services. by KARI APTED Kregg Lumpkin rushed for 1,700 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns across his injury-plagued four-year career as a running back at the University of Georgia and signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He went on to spend parts of three seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants. Some might look at Lumpkin’s time on the gridiron—as a senior at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, he was rated as the No. 2 tailback recruit in the country behind future Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush—and assume that was his peak. However, Lumpkin believes his current role as trainer for Newton County Fire Services better suits his childhood goals. “I would tell my mom and dad that I wanted to be a firefighter,” he said. “I loved watching the firetrucks riding big and loud. I wanted to be a part of that.”
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Lumpkin joined the Clayton County Fire Department in 2016 and fulfilled his dream of becoming a firefighter. He later relocated to Newton County Fire Services and became a trainer in 2019. The leap from running back to firefighter was a natural transition for him. “To me, in a lot of ways, football is similar to firefighting,” Lumpkin said. “We have to wear special gear, use equipment [and] we’re always doing training. We’re also very vocal in the community, whether it’s reading to kids in the schools or hosting community events.” Like professional sports, firefighter training requires a high degree of physical aptitude. Upper-body strength is required to quickly climb extended ladders and help people out of burning buildings. Physical stamina is necessary to carry weighty hoses, a 30-pound self-contained breathing apparatus and other equipment necessary to do the job. Firefighters must also learn how to maneuver while wearing multi-layered, heavy protective
“I would tell my mom and dad that I wanted to be a firefighter. I loved watching the firetrucks riding big and loud. I wanted to be a part of that.” Kregg Lumpkin
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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
clothing designed to withstand temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Mental preparation is equally as important as physical conditioning in first-responder training. Drills teach recruits how to think clearly, critically and quickly under extremely stressful conditions. Lumpkin’s workday includes a multitude of organizational tasks. “I get in and check emails and make sure everything planned is still on track,” he said. “I open up the facility and make sure everyone has the documentation they need. Then I ride around and make sure that everyone is where they need to be that day.” Lumpkin admits to being a stickler for punctuality and expects trainees to be on time for the day’s scheduled activities, which could be anything from fire truck driving simulation to putting out fires at the training facility’s two-story Class A burn building. Live fire training represents an opportunity to get hands-on firefighting experience within a controlled environment. However, since every fire call has its own unique challenges, Lumpkin invites Newton County residents to consider donating condemned houses or abandoned buildings to the fire department instead of demolishing them.
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“A lot of training can’t be replicated to a certain extent,” he said. “If we get an acquired structure where someone wants to donate their property or house, we can make it more like a real house fire for more accurate hands-on training. It helps them learn real-world situations they’ll face on the job.” This desire for real-time training also echoes the type of instruction Lumpkin experienced while playing professional football. He feels that his experiences there made him a better firefighter trainer. “I have the mentality that the way you train is how you’re going to play,” Lumpkin said. “People don’t see football practices that happen Monday through Friday. They only see how you perform on game day. People don’t realize how much goes behind being prepared to show up and do your job well. There’s just so much that happens behind the scenes to show up at a fire and do the job well.” Newton County Fire Services encourages people who meet the physical, educational and licensing requirements outlined on its website to apply for open firefighter positions. Lumpkin advises applicants to understand that emergency medical training is the first required step in becoming a firefighter in Newton County.
“That’s because the majority of calls we get, about 85 to 90%, are EMS calls—not fire calls,” he said. “Other fire departments do it differently because the requirements are different. Like in DeKalb County or in Atlanta, they have a large population and see a fire every day of the week. Smaller areas like ours don’t have as many. You have to be prepared to respond as passionately to EMS calls as you are about fire calls.” Those interested in providing an acquired structure for firefighter training can contact Lumpkin at 678-625-5025. He will take care of the documents and permits required to legally burn the building for training purposes.
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
“They focused on the fame of being a follower, not the responsibility that authentic leadership required. Their focus was misguided, selfish and superficially prideful.” Ryan Wyatt
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GRACE & TRUTH
Hold the Door, Can You? Jesus modeled an attitude of servanthood for His followers and set a standard we often fail to meet. A servant’s heart requires a willingness to put the needs of others ahead of our own. by RYAN WYATT Growth is happening in Newton County at a furious pace. Just a few looks around town makes that reality impossible to deny, as new retail, restaurants, grocery stores and housing opportunities dot the landscape. Almost without fail, there will be a grand opening for each of these establishments for the public on the outside, allowing us to experience the exciting new things offered on the inside. To make the openings more personal, an employee of the newly minted endeavor will graciously stand at the entrance to open doors for the first-time guests. Why? It’s obvious the businesses are open because of the clever marketing of bright signage, social media footprints and the always-popular roadside Sky Dancer. However, there’s something personal about the door holder. The door holder represents the attitude of servanthood. No matter how spectacular the marketing may be, the power of servanthood is an unmatched element for public interest because it speaks a universal language. Can a grand opening be grand if there’s no personal touch? I don’t think so. The Bible beautifully illustrates the heart of God in servanthood through a challenge Jesus made to a couple of His closest disciples. In Mark 10, while Jesus was traveling, He discussed the future events of His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus continues to teach the disciples about His divine purpose of servanthood, which would be a billboard of His mission of changing the culture back to heaven’s standards. While on the road, Jesus exemplifies the servanthood model, but those with
Him missed the lesson by a long shot. A community of unity is connected by common threads, not a corporate ladder. As Jesus detailed His future reality, there arose confusion and dissent among His followers over which of them would be the most important in the work of ministry. They focused on the fame of being a follower, not the responsibility that authentic leadership required. Their focus was misguided, selfish and superficially prideful. At this moment, Scripture says, “Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, ‘You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servants, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be a servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’” Having a servant’s heart and taking the backseat to another is a powerful language everyone understands because it is a longing every heart holds—one that breaks down hurt and divisions. Throughout the Scriptures, the theme of servanthood was the conduit for saving grace, one to another. Holding doors calms the frenzy and opens hearts in a grand way. It’s heaven’s story and our challenge. Ryan Wyatt is the lead pastor of Church 213. For information, visit church213.com. 2022 Summer Issue 21
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
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WA R M E M B R A C E The Spirit of Covington project sought to not only organize the city’s resources to tackle the homeless situation but to focus and unleash the power of charity and generosity of churches, faith-based organizations and civic-minded citizens. by JOHN BABYLON Imagine being cut off from society. No home. No food. No job. No reliable means of communication, completely unplugged from the technology that dominates American life today. Consider not having the ability to prove your identity or that you had even been born. With no ID, there can be no job. With no job, there can be no home address. With no home address, there can be no ID. The cycle can be downright vicious. Now imagine this sad state of affairs becoming constant, day in and
day out, each date on the calendar a monotonous copy of the last. Hope fades a little more with every sunset, and the belief that one can find a better life fades with it. Those who experience such hardships can feel so disconnected that they wonder if others even know they exist. Now imagine feeling as though someone actually saw you for the first time in what seemed like forever, your beating against an invisible glass partition having finally drawn their attention. They no longer pause to examine you, only to politely pass by like they might an animal exhibit at the zoo. They no longer view you as an annoyance they could just shoo away. They no longer walk out of their way to avoid you on the street. No, for the first time in a long time, someone saw you and felt compassion. What would that mean to you? That was the question the New Hope Project’s Sandy Bohanon, Grace United Methodist Church’s Rod Tuggle and Willing Helpers Medical Clinic Director Jennifer Philips were determined to answer. In the summer of 2021, they brought the city of Covington together to begin to address the needs of the growing homeless community in Newton County. Dubbed “The Spirit of Covington,” the project sought to not only organize the city’s resources to tackle the situation but to focus and unleash the power of charity and generosity of churches, faith-based organizations and civic-minded citizens.
“Everybody is somebody.” Sandy Bohanon
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ROD TUGGLE
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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
Their vision finally came to fruition on Jan. 10 at Grace United Methodist Church, taking the form of a warming shelter for the homeless. From the humble beginnings of one lonely wanderer the first night, the project grew every night thereafter until the center was at capacity. It remained there until it closed on March 31. The shelter served homeless people as young as 21 and as old as 74, providing a hot meal, warm blankets, clothing, backpacks, toiletries and more. Perhaps most importantly, it offered a safe place to sleep—something too often taken for granted. The connections that were made were invaluable, moments in time in which the forgotten residents of Newton County were no longer invisible. “Everybody is somebody,” Bohanon said. Results were life-changing. While some can become chronically homeless due to any number of factors, others are simply trying to keep their heads above water during a difficult time.
They do not seek handouts; they want a hand up. The Spirit of Covington managed to connect some people to jobs, vehicles and even to trips back home. They helped others secure birth certificates, safety lights and locks for their bicycles, valid IDs and more. Yet the need still exists. According to Bohanon, many of the homeless people she encountered said that “the hardest thing for us is that we have to watch you go home.” While it may be tempting to ignore such issues, doing so does not make them go away. What can be done? “When there’s a need,” Tuggle said, “someone has to step up.” Philips, meanwhile, marveled at the “well of support” that sprang forth from so many different places: the New Life Praise Center, Eastridge Church, Solid Rock Baptist Church, Grace United Methodist Church, Repairers of the Brach, The Salvation Army, The Potter’s House Church and many others. The essentials are varied and vital, from mental health counselors and good socks to commercial laundry for bed linens. Even as churches and leaders across the community rise to meet the needs of the less fortunate, the call to action goes out. See someone in their need, whether they are homeless or not. As Tuggle said, maybe someday we can find a way to “get past right and wrong and do what is needed.”
SANDY BOHANON
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hopeofnewton.org
S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N
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“It was amazing to be around all those top athletes and cheer them on. Being immersed with people from all over the world was a big, intense, global experience.” Elija Godwin
FAST LANE After recovering from a near-fatal injury that took part of his left lung, 22-year-old Elija Godwin competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and helped Team USA capture a bronze medal. As the University of Georgia student prepares to graduate in 2023, he continues to train for life’s next big event. by KARI APTED Elija Godwin has always been fast. He was only 5 years old when his mom, Ginger Luby, began to realize exactly how fast. “Elija was playing football on a little league team in Rockdale [County]. When they realized he had speed, they’d just give him the ball and let him run to the endzone,” Luby said with a laugh. Godwin continued to play running back through middle and high school. He had just one role. “My job was simply to run away from everybody,” he said, “so that became my forte. I was known as that speedy running back.” Godwin wanted to play as many sports as possible. He initially participated in track as a conditioning sport during football’s offseason, but a coach noticed his speed and invited him to join a track club. His speed resulted in his becoming Newton High School’s first student-athlete to win a national championship, and he zoomed to the top position on Georgia’s
list of best high school runners. Godwin soon launched into the national spotlight. In 10th grade, he was invited to The Prefontaine Classic at the University of Oregon—an event ranked at the top of all annual track and field meets in the United States. Athletes must be ranked in the Top 50 in the world in their respective events to even receive an invitation. When Godwin first started competing at the national level, his favorite perk was all the travel. “Being flown out to Oregon is one of my favorite memories. That was my first time getting on a flight without my mom— actually, that might’ve been my first flight ever,” he said. “Now that travel has become the norm, I love how track and field is a gateway to networking and building relationships. I get to meet so many people, and it’s opening doors that are establishing me in my career field.” 2022 Summer Issue 29
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After high school, Godwin received a full scholarship to the University of Georgia. He competed with the school’s track team and improved his already-impressive running times. As his freshman year drew to a close in May 2019, a freak accident put his life and career in jeopardy. While doing a backwards sprinting drill, the young runner accidentally fell onto a javelin that was planted into the ground. It impaled his chest, narrowly missing his heart but leaving him with a punctured and collapsed left lung. Emergency medical workers had to grind off part of the javelin before they could transport him to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. Through it all, Godwin remained focused. “I started coughing up blood, and I wondered if I was going to make it,” he said. “I just prayed and put it in God’s hands.” Doctors removed the javelin, but Godwin lost part of his left lung. The resulting lower oxygen capacity presented a huge challenge in a sport that requires maximum lung function. His mother was a source of strength for Godwin as he began physical therapy. “It was hard because there was nothing I could do but just be there,” Luby said. “He couldn’t walk up stairs or do much until he could breathe again.”
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Godwin returned to UGA in the fall, caught up on missed exams and built back his physical endurance. By January 2020, he was competing again in various college events and pursuing new personal bests. The decision to delay the 2020 Tokyo Olympics a year due to the coronavirus pandemic was something of a mixed blessing, as it gave Godwin more time to train for the U.S. Olympic Trials. In June 2021, Godwin qualified for the final of the USA Men’s Olympic Trials 400-meter race and the 4x400 meter relay. He and his family were elated to learn that he made Team USA and would be part of the contingent that was headed to Tokyo. “Only God,” Luby said. “I can only call it a miracle.” Luby and other family members gathered to watch Godwin’s events on TV and were thrilled when Team USA won a bronze medal in the 4x400 mixed relay. In Tokyo, the pandemic made for a different Olympic experience than usual. Athletes were only allowed to be at the opening or closing ceremony—not both. Some missed both ceremonies entirely due to time restrictions. Godwin was grateful to be there for the closing ceremony.
“They were serious strict about how much time we spent there. It was stressful traveling that far during that time—very chaotic,” he said. “We had Covid testing every single day. One person from Team USA tested positive the day before his competition and missed it. Seeing people go through that was tough.” Godwin also expressed frustration with seeing the Tokyo skyline from the Olympic Village and not being able to travel there. “We couldn’t leave the Olympic Village to explore,” he said. “They brought some cultural things into the village so we could experience them, but over this body of water, we could see a big bridge and bright city lights, and I wanted to go see all that.” Even so, Godwin felt that the quality of the experience boiled
down to how each individual decided to view it. “It was amazing to be around all those top athletes and cheer them on. Being immersed with people from all over the world was a big, intense, global experience. Plus, just being able to accomplish this? The Olympics? That’s your Super Bowl; that’s your NBA Finals.” Since returning from Tokyo, Godwin has competed in different SEC and national-level competitions and recently had the opportunity to attend a White House celebration for Team USA. Godwin expects to graduate in 2023 with a degree in human development and family studies. “I want to be able to counsel people, like post-professional athletes or younger kids,” he said. “I want to touch other people’s lives, especially people who come from backgrounds like mine.” A bronze medal in Tokyo was not the end of Godwin’s Olympic dreams, either. He has his sights set on Paris in 2024. “I’m definitely young enough and fit enough to try for 2024,” Godwin said. “I’m definitely going to go for it again.”
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CRAZY
ABOUT
As the popular lawn game spreads its tentacles far and wide, it draws in players of various ages, backgrounds and skill levels through its raw simplicity and the family-friendly competition it fosters. Some have managed to turn it into a successful business venture. by BRIAN KNAPP David Searle thought it was just a carefree way to pass time at backyard barbecues, family reunions and church homecomings. He never could have known where the journey would lead him the first time he tossed a one-pound beanbag at a stationary target situated some 30 feet away. The roots of cornhole can be traced back to the late 19th century, but it did not show up in its current form until sometime in the 1980s. It evolved and grew in popularity over the ensuing decades, slowly adding terms like “blocker,” “hammer,” “hanger,” “hooker” and “jumper” to America’s already expansive competitive lexicon. Searle first encountered the popular lawn game at a family function. It was simple enough. Players took turns throwing 16-ounce fabric beanbags at a raised platform with a six-inch hole at its far end. A bag in the hole scored three points, while a bag that landed and remained on the board netted one. Play continued until a team or player reached or exceeded a total score of 21. Searle’s attention was soon drawn elsewhere.
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“I saw cornhole on ESPN,” he said. “They talked about it and said that anyone who wanted to play needed to find a local director, so I looked up directors, found one and started my journey to become a professional cornhole player.” Searle eventually linked arms with the American Cornhole League, a national organization based in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He entered himself in tournaments, learned the lay of the land and started to reap the rewards of hours of practice and friendly competition. Each ACL season breaks down into local, regional, conference, state and open tournaments. The world championships take place every August at ACL headquarters. Searle competes in roughly 60 events each season, his travels having taken him everywhere from Las Vegas to Ventura, California, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. A single event can pay him as much as $1,000. The 35-year-old Searle—a married father of two who spends his days working for the inventory control management team at Becton Dickinson, the fourth-largest medical supply company
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on the planet—has finished as high as 83rd in the world in singles and as high as 54th in doubles. Jared Rutberg, a Newton County small business owner who flew Blackhawk helicopters for the United States Army, teams with Searle on occasion. “I started playing competitively at the encouragement of a veteran’s support group,” Rutberg said. “Since I got pretty beat up in the Army, my body no longer allows me to do a lot of the activities I used to enjoy. Cornhole gives me an outlet where I can compete, challenge myself and make new friends. “David keeps it fun at local events,” he added. “Whenever I get to play with him, he coaches me well. I need it. He has spent lots of time giving me feedback on a game or a particular shot, and a newer player like me really needs and appreciates that.”
Another of Searle’s friends, Scott Costley, has turned cornhole into a lucrative business venture, albeit through other means. After he was introduced to the game, he was struck by an enterprising thought. “Being a woodworker, I woke up the next morning, went to Home Depot, got the materials, built my own set and started playing almost daily,” Costley said. “The first set I built turned out pretty decent, so a couple of buddies started asking me to build them sets. It quickly turned into a board-building hobby, as well.” Once Costley perfected the process, he and his girlfriend, Misty Cook, started directing local tournaments, which in turn led to the opportunity to build boards—he prefers to craft them out of high-quality Baltic birch—for leagues all over the
(L TO R) JARED RUTBERG AND DAVID SEARLE
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(L TO R) SCOTT COSTLEY AND MISTY COOK
Southeast. Costley’s Custom Cornhole was born. Graphic designs made by a professional printer provide the finishing touch and often add a collectible component to the boards. They have now built thousands of sets, each one requiring 45 minutes to an hour to complete. The company has filled orders from as far away as Washington. “I have overseas inquiries occasionally,” Costley said. “It’s just not feasible to have them shipped due to the extremely high shipping costs.” Costley and Cook organize weekly tournaments through the Southern Cornhole Group at Pocket Billiards and the Five O’Clock Sports Bar and Grill in Covington, providing their community with competitive outlets and avenues through which to build relationships. “When you mix playing a game you love with developing great friendships, it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Costley, a 1998 graduate of Newton High School. “Those players you see weekly become a part of your family.” For information on the American Cornhole League, visit iplaycornhole.com. Details on Costley’s Custom Cornhole can be found via the company’s Facebook page at facebook.com/scottcos22.
“When you mix playing a game you love with developing great friendships, it’s a win-win for everyone. Those players you see weekly become a part of your family.” Scott Costley
A R T S , E D U C AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N
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MUSIC TO OUR EARS The Covington-Conyers Choral Guild has touted itself as the east metro’s best-kept secret since 1984. Nearly devastated by a two-year pause during COVID-19, the internationally performing choral group now works to rebuild itself to its pre-pandemic status. by KARI APTED Roger Waters found himself commemorating the anniversary of the end of World War II in a unique way in May 2011: standing on the shore of the American cemetery in Normandy, France, singing by invitation with a large group of talented friends from the Covington and Conyers area. Though the Covington-Conyers Choral Guild has a local name, it has performed across the United States and Europe. When asked to recall his favorite performance memory, Waters, the group’s musical director and conductor, has a difficult time naming just one beyond Normandy. “April 18, 2004 [at] a concert on stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and a September 1999 concert at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center,” he said, before mentioning the group’s international concert tours in England and Italy. “The CCCG has, with acclaim, represented Covington and Conyers on the national and international stage.” The CCCG had humble beginnings. The guild started when a group of singers from several Covington churches came together in 1982 to perform the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah. The concert was a rousing success, and the group began to grow. With the addition of a small orchestra and local soloists from Newton and Rockdale counties, the
community chorus’ original steering committee developed into a board of directors. It soon became incorporated by the State of Georgia and gained 501(3)(c) status from the IRS as a non-profit organization. In addition to singing in cathedrals in Italy and Barcelona, Spain, the guild has performed throughout the eastern United States, from Savannah and Nashville, Tennessee, to Charleston, South Carolina, and Biloxi, Mississippi. For several years, the CCCG provided the musical component of candlelight Christmas gatherings at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
“The CCCG has, with acclaim, represented Covington and Conyers on the national and international stage.’” Roger Waters 2022 Summer Issue 39
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Waters has an extensive background in music, with a master’s degree from Georgia State University. His musical experience includes work with university choirs and glee clubs, but his current focus remains on making the CCCG the best it can be. The Covington-Conyers Choral Guild desires to encourage a love for the arts by exposing audiences of all ages to a variety of music, from classical to pop. Although Waters believes the ability to sing well can be a gift, he also sees it as a skill that must be developed through proper training. “In a choral setting, singers have to be trained,” Waters said. “Singers in the CCCG receive weekly training in the production of artistic choral sound.” Singers practice for over two hours each week during the fall and spring seasons. Guild membership is open to singers who are high school age and older in all four voice parts: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. There is not an audition requirement, but members pay a fee to join. In addition to practicing and performing, guild members may go on retreats. Many simply
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enjoy the mental health benefits they receive from their musical pursuits. “Singing is definitely therapeutic,” Waters said. “The art of music is used extensively in medical and mental/psychological therapy. It allows the singer and the listener to focus on an artistic activity that brings entertainment and satisfaction— therapy—from a performer to a listening audience.” On behalf of the CCCG board, Waters encourages the community to help its choral performance organization rebuild from the coronavirus pandemic by purchasing tickets to Covington-Conyers Choral Guild shows. “We lost two entire seasons of performances and almost had to fold due to the lack of income from ticket sales,” Waters said. “However, due to the tenacity of our board of directors and Chairman Steve Traylor, we have worked our way back to almost where we were in the winter of 2020. The CCCG is for sure Covington’s and Conyers’ unintentional best-kept secret. We hope for increased attendance at our con-
certs that provide quality choral performances, nationally and internationally.” Supporting the guild through ticket sales also helps the group give back to the community. Each year, the CCCG offers two scholarships to Rockdale and Newton graduates pursuing careers in music. The CCCG Music Scholarship awards $1,000 to a graduating senior seeking a degree in voice-related music. The recipient is chosen based on academic and artistic achievement, financial need, teacher recommendations and a live audition. Meanwhile, the CCCG Joni B. Jones Memorial Scholarship awards $1,000 to a senior pursuing a degree in music education. It has the same requirements as the music scholarship, but applicants must submit an essay instead of performing a live audition. Those interested in supporting the CovingtonConyers Choral Guild can visit choralguild.org.
ART SPEAKS by MARGARET WARFIELD - ARTIST Art reaches almost every aspect of our lives, every day. Many artists are known for the paintings or sculptures in our homes or in the local art galleries. However, these creators may also be known for their involvement in our communities, as well. Our reach goes beyond the walls: Creative people instill pride, creative energy and a unique perspective in the world, and they also volunteer, mentor and partner with local businesses and the movie industry.
Alissa Muscaullo creates portraits for bereaved pet owners in partnership with an online pet retailer. Ann Wildmon partners with Scoops, designing their signage for new locations, and she has also created artwork for three movie sets. WildArt also partners with other local businesses while hosting tours for schools that teach students about the arts. Margaret Warfield is partnering with Artists 2 Africa to support, inspire and supply art supplies for young artists in Ghana, West Africa. The reach of artists goes even further, as we participate in fundraisers, paint murals, host special events, and make costumes, all while lending our thoughts to help others see and appreciate the beauty of the world. Wildart 404-455-1594 thewildart.com 1105 Washington St. Covington, GA 30014
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Enrich Their Lives This Summer Reading, writing and arithmetic still matter. Getting back to basics at a time when many children lose touch with what they have learned can give them a head start ahead of a new school year. by TATICASEJUANA BOBO STEVENS Students often use their summer break as a time to put away everything they have learned until a return to school requires them to revisit it in the fall. That’s a mistaken approach. Learning endures. Let’s discuss some options for learning over the next two-plus months. I want to highlight three basic learning styles that could be incorporated in daily basic activities with children of all ages. Reading is the cornerstone for education. This skill is not only enhanced by reading challenging books but by comprehending what you have read. Encourage your children to read books on or above their grade level for at least 30 minutes per day. After they have read, ask them some questions. Who’s the author of the book? Who were some of the characters? What was the plot? Would they recommend others read it? Reading broadens your imagination. Your children will decide what piques their interest. This foundation allows them to cultivate their love for reading. Next, incorporate 30 minutes of writing sometime during the day. Think about the written applications we must complete as adults. Without a strong foundation of writing, we’d grapple with completing the task. This will improve your children’s writing skills and leave them better prepared once they matriculate into higher academia. Have your child write five complete sentences in the morning and detail what they’d like to do that day, or have them explain how their day unfolded by having
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them complete the assignment before bedtime. Be sure to assist them with correct punctuation. Lastly, do some arithmetic. If you poll a class of 100 students and ask how many of them love math, you may get 10% to raise their hands. However, if you change the question and ask how many of them love earning money, you are almost guaranteed to get 100 hands in the air. I suggest intermittently providing basic math problems throughout the day. Embrace learning at the level of their excitement. Later, incorporate a discussion on money. Financial literacy is vital for our children to learn as early as possible. Take the summer to introduce these projects and enrich their lives. 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.
“Students often use their summer break as a time to put away everything they have learned until a return to school requires them to revisit it in the fall. That’s a mistaken approach.”
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A BETTER TOMORROW Former Newton College and Career Academy students Esther Adewumi and Jennah Waters in 2018 brought the Environmental Pollution Pandemic Club and accompanying app to life in an effort to curb waste, increase accountability and improve the health of their part of the world. by MICHELLE FLOYD A project started by two high schoolers continues to progress even after their graduation. Newton College and Career Academy students Esther Adewumi and Jennah Waters in 2018 breathed life into what was then known as the Environmental Pollution Pandemic (EPP) Club and app. Their aim? To allow high school students to track the progress of their recycling efforts and have points converted into volunteer hours that they may need on transcripts for college, scholarships and jobs, all while helping maintain a cleaner environment. “We as students needed it, and the community needed it,” said Adewumi, who also attended Alcovy High School. “It’s sad to see litter everywhere.” On the free platform, students can create an account and upload photos of recycled products like paper, aluminum and glass. The app tracks how much material was collected, and an algorithm calculates the data into community service hours. Adewumi and Waters, with the help of some likeminded classmates and school staff members, worked on the project until their graduation in 2021. They held meetings, conducted studies, collected data, built the app and afforded a group of trial students the opportunity to use it.
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Although the onset of the historic coronavirus pandemic in 2020 changed their course, it did not stop them from moving forward. Neither did the girls’ graduation. Adewumi continues on with the project, now called the Environmental Protection Program, and seeks funding for it by meeting with current NCCA students via Zoom while she attends Mercer University in Macon. “I not only wanted to leave an impact on my community, but I wanted to be part of a project that not only worked but thrived during a global pandemic,” current NCCA student Tatom Curtis said. “I hope that this project will flourish more than ever before. To think it started with two students, has made its way through a pandemic and now has a fully formed officer team, I have no doubt that it will have a successful future. The message it represents truly does matter.” The team continues to recruit students, hold cleanups, organize meetings and develop the app. “I really wanted to continue the project because it’s a very important issue,” Adewumi said. “Even though there are a lot of obstacles, I want to get it done and didn’t want to give up on it. Hopefully, one day, it won’t just be for the career academy. It will be for all students in Newton County.”
“It’s sad to see litter everywhere.” Esther Adewumi
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Adewumi acknowledged the potential for the project to go even further. It has already been awarded a grant from Snapping Shoals EMC. Meanwhile, Waters, who is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in history and comparative literature at Oglethorpe University, was recognized by the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. She received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a scout can earn. To be eligible for the award, girls are required to work a minimum of 80 hours thoroughly investigating an issue that inspires them, building a team to address the issue and educating others to join in supporting their cause. In March, Waters, of local Girl Scout Troop 10545,
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was publicly recognized at The Battery at Truist Park, along with more than 100 fellow Girl Scout Gold awardees from across Atlanta. She was the only scout from Newton County. “Their projects are built for sustainability, so they will continue long past their direct involvement,” said Kathy Neely, service unit director for Newton County Girl Scouts. “Girl Scouts who earn their Gold Award have met standards of excellence that will develop them as our leaders of tomorrow.” Adewumi continues to apply for awards to help build out the app, all while seeking other funding and support to expand the program. The Snapping Shoals grant, which was sponsored by Datha Curtis, the library media specialist at NCCA, went
toward purchasing supplies to promote the EPP club and helping spread the message of recycling. “I hope that the club can eventually partner with the community to make recycling and sustainability a way of life in Newton County,” Curtis said. “I enjoy seeing the students’ passion for recycling that extends beyond a classroom assignment. It has become something that I hope will sustain itself for many years to come.” For more information, visit eppstem.com. Those interested in partnering with the team can connect via email at eppstem@gmail.com.
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2022 Summer Issue 51
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CHRIS BLAND
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A Cit y Reborn
Porterdale not long ago appeared to be a community on the brink, but the tireless efforts of those who cherish the old mill town most have brought it back to life through decades of hands-on determination and innovative thinking. by DAVID ROTEN It was not the town Kay Piper remembered. “The three mills were empty,” she said. “There was no business. Downtown Porterdale was completely boarded up.” Residential areas were even worse. “The condition of the rental properties was just deplorable,” she said, citing the unfortunate results created by negligent absentee landlords. “There was raw sewage coming out from underneath some of the houses.” Signs of a steady, decades-long urban decline were everywhere. The town in which Piper grew up back in the 1960s had been the Bibb Manufacturing Company’s model textile village and was built around the Porterdale mills. The textile conglomerate provided rental houses for its employees, as well as other amenities, including a drugstore, grocery store, hospital, medical and dental facilities, hair salons, ball fields and parks, a gym and schools. It was a close-knit community where “everybody knew everybody else.” For Piper, it had been an idyllic place to spend a carefree childhood. However, by the early 1960s, the United States textile industry was rapidly changing in a way that would soon leave Porterdale struggling to survive. With the advent of synthetics and an increasingly competitive international market, the Porterdale mills, once the county’s biggest employers and the world’s largest producers of twine, had shuttered their doors for the last time roughly a decade later.
Lofty Start After spending over 30 years with various accounting firms in Atlanta, Piper returned to Porterdale with her husband, Tim, in 1989. Longtime residents shared her concern over the town’s depressed condition, Piper recalled: “They would see me out somewhere and say, ‘Isn’t there anything we can do to save Porterdale?’” Piper began researching what other former textile mill villages had done in the wake of their own mill closings. “A lot of former mills had been redeveloped into residential lofts,”
“They would see me at the post office or out somewhere and say, ‘Isn’t there anything we can do to save Porterdale?’” Kay Piper 2022 Summer Issue 53
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she said, “and I thought, ‘What a great idea for the Porterdale Mill there on the river.’” Piper set out to share the vision of a mill-to-loft apartments renovation with the community, utilizing what she called “Old-Fashioned Town Meetings.” The monthly gatherings were also a place to promote “Let’s Sweep It Clean!”—Piper’s ambitious plan to revitalize Porterdale. When repeated efforts to obtain help from the city government to promote the idea proved fruitless, others answered the call. Porterdale Baptist Church opened its doors to make room for the first meeting and the unveiling of the “Let’s Sweep It Clean!” initiative. Various groups and individuals began to offer assistance as Piper’s plan gained traction through a focused
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“Clean It Up Saturday” program. The county also provided a large dumpster and made the landfill available free of charge so that people who might not have the means to remove bulk trash from their property could do so. Citizens with pickup trucks volunteered to transport the refuse, while church groups and members of the real estate community took paint donated by Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful and applied it to houses in need of a makeover. “Things began to happen,” said Piper, who credited the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for helping the community organize brainstorming charrettes. “Things began to look better.”
Winds of Change Piper had taken early retirement from her accounting career to care for her ailing mother. After her mother’s death, she transitioned to a new vocation in real estate and, three years later, started her own company: The Magnolia Reality Group. Since then, Piper has leveraged her knack for selling houses into a boon for revitalization. “Eight years ago, I sold my first Porterdale house,” she said. “As of this moment, I have sold 55 of these historic homes that have been gutted to the bare studs and remodeled with all highend finishes.” In 2003, Piper hosted Porterdale’s first reunion and spoke to the group about her revitalization plan and her ideas for redeveloping the Porterdale Mill. “Hundreds of people came that Saturday,” she said. “It was just the impetus that was needed.” Atlanta developer Walter Davis ultimately purchased the mill, and after a multimillion-dollar renovation, the Porterdale Mill Lofts opened in 2006. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the repurposed mill offers residents a unique blend of old and new. If the closing of the mill years prior had signaled the end of Porterdale as it was, then its reopening was a sure sign of new life and a gigantic step toward revitalization, according to Mayor Arline Chapman. “Walter Davis taking the mill that was an absolute pile of bricks and turning it into the Porterdale Mill Lofts—that was the turning point,” she said. Chapman, now in her third term as mayor, shares the same lofty goals for Porterdale as Piper. As a city councilperson and then as mayor, she has been instrumental in furthering the “renaissance” of Porterdale. “I’m just a woman that came here, fell in love with this city and has been dedicated to seeing the changes,” she said. Early on, Chapman engaged the municipal court judge in an effort to strengthen city building codes, forcing slumlords to clean up their act or sell off their properties. Later, she worked with city council members, Piper chief among them, to save and repurpose the historic Porter Memorial Gymnasium after it was decimated by fire in 2005. Chapman also led the way in redesigning the Yellow River Park. However, Chapman describes City Manager Frank Etheridge as “the person making Porterdale what it is today.” He celebrated the rejuvenation of homes in the city while acknowledging the need for more commerce. “The retail side has been a lot slower,” Etheridge said, referencing several unoccupied commercial buildings in the downtown historic district, as well as sparse retail establishments dotting the remainder of Porterdale. Even so, the lagging business sector should improve in the next two to three years as two ambitious commercial/residential development projects—one in Cedar Shoals, the other in the Oaks Golf community—reach completion. Chapman makes it a point to credit those who have strived to revitalize the city. No one has worked harder than Piper. “She has been dedicated through thick and thin and always had hope that Porterdale would pull itself up again,” Chapman said, “and she was right. It did.”
FINANCIAL PLANNING DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT by MARK S. REAGAN - FINANCIAL ADVISOR It is never too early to begin thinking about your Open Enrollment options at work. Decisions regarding your workplace benefits are critical in accomplishing your long-term financial goals. How you structure these benefits can influence items like your tax efficiency related to your income, retirement savings goals, and your appropriate emergency fund amount. At Open Enrollment, start to review all the benefits decisions that you will need to make as soon as you can. Health insurance coverage will likely be your biggest decision. Study the specifics related to each plan option. If your plan enables you to contribute to a Health Savings Account, this will typically be the most financially rewarding option. Due to their long-term tax advantages, combined with flexibility in the use of the account balance over time, these accounts can be a powerful tool in preparing for retirement. This is also a great time to review your overall budget to determine if you can increase your contribution to your workplace retirement plan. If you have life insurance through your employer, this may be a good time to research other standalone policies (as you would lose your workplace coverage with a job change). Given our current low unemployment environment, if your current position does not offer these types of benefits, it may be time to look for a new position that does. Your long-term financial future is dependent upon it.
770-658-9440 mark@reaganfinancialplanning.com reaganfinancialplanning.com 170 Bostwick Road Oxford, GA 30054
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Forged Fire in the
Jobe Addison Allgood owned and operated the last-known blacksmith shop in Covington until his death in 1967. The memories that were made there remain ingrained in those who knew him best, including the grandson who idolized him. by BOBBY HAMBY
Jobe Addison Allgood was a blacksmith, a husband and a father—and he was my grandfather. He owned and operated the last true blacksmith and wheelwright shop in Covington. He did it all, from shoeing horses to sharpening iron, repairing plows and building and repairing wagons and wagon wheels. He was born in Jersey on Aug. 25, 1895, the fifth of seven children. His father was a farmer and a blacksmith, and as Jobe grew up, he learned all aspects of farm life, from planting and harvesting to building and repairing farm equipment. His father also taught him and his brother the skills of a blacksmith and wheelwright. My grandfather met the love of his life and married Martha Melvina Lawhorn in August 1914. They had three children, including Lizzie May, my mother. Sometime before 1917, they moved to Porterdale, where he worked at the cotton mill for
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the Bibb Manufacturing Company. They relocated to Covington in the 1920s, and Jobe worked for a blacksmith on Hunter Avenue. Between 1895 and 1919, there were as many as four blacksmiths in business on that short street. Jobe opened his first blacksmith shop around 1927 at the corner of Hunter Avenue and Stallings Street, two blocks from The Square. It was across from the old historic jail. Seven or eight years later, the shop was relocated about 100 feet or so up Hunter Avenue to a building that once housed a blacksmith in the 1800s. By that time, Jobe’s was the only blacksmith shop in town. They dismantled his old facility and used the materials to enlarge his new location. That shop was next door to Meadows Dry Cleaners, where the new judicial building now stands. I spent a great deal of my youth in that shop, and I tell everyone that 90% of all I know was learned there. Jobe—
(R TO L) JOBE ALLGOOD AND PONDER LAWHORN
JOBE ADDISON ALLGOOD 1914
we called him Pa—was a kind man who was admired and respected by all who knew him. Friends and customers fondly called him Mr. Joe. Looking through his old ledgers from the 1950s and 1960s, it reads like a veritable Who’s Who of Newton County. These were the people who shaped this community into a great place to live. People often asked Pa why he chose not to charge more for the services he performed. “They have to feed their family, too,” he answered. That was one of many do-the-right-thing lessons I learned from him. A man named Lewis Wright worked in the shop until the day my grandfather died. He was always working on something, and as he struck the red-hot metal with his hammer, you could hear the ring of the anvil all the way to The Square. On one particular day that I will never forget, Lewis was shoeing a mule. I stood in the doorway to the shop, and my grandfather 2022 Summer Issue 57
LIVING JOBE ALLGOOD AND SON WALTER WHEN HE WORKED FOR MR. ANDERSON
“People often asked Pa why he chose not to charge more for the services he performed. ‘They have to feed their family, too,’ he answered. That was one of many do-the-rightthing lessons I learned from him.” Bobby Hamby
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walked up to talk to Lewis. All at once, the mule turned his head, reached over and bit Pa on his shoulder. My grandfather drew back and hit the mule right between the eyes. It staggered a bit and fell to its knees. Lewis fell over backwards. I stood there with my mouth agape, not sure of what I had just witnessed. My grandfather was in his 60s at the time and knocked a mule senseless. I can only imagine how strong he must have been in his younger years. Lewis started laughing, and I followed suit. The mule slowly returned to an upright position, and Pa mumbled something as he retreated back into the shop. Lewis lived in a small room in the back of the blacksmith shop. That was the one place I was forbidden to go, although I did have a glance a time or two when the door was open. It had one small
JOBE ALLGOOD’S BLACKSMITH SHOP ON HUNTER AVE
window, a bed, a table and a chair. Lewis’ brother, Henry, was a tattoo man in the circus. He had tattoos all over his body. When the circus was not on the road, he stayed with Lewis at the shop. How they stayed together in that tiny room remains a mystery. Henry often received postcards from circus buddies, and his best friend was Emmett Kelly, the world-famous clown. Kelly sent a card every week or two. I had no idea who he was until I saw “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Henry put the postcards on the wall at the shop. It was covered with them, and I am sure they were still there when the building was demolished. I was the luckiest kid in town to have had J.A. Allgood as my grandfather. Whenever I hear the ring of an anvil, it takes me back to those days at the shop. I cherish them. They were some of the best times of my life.
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
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by BRIAN KNAPP The nearly 2,500 miles that separate East Palo Alto, California, from Newton County were not enough to deter Tamara Wright from packing up her belongings, setting out for a better life and pursuing a decades-old dream. The 54-year-old mother of two visited Georgia in the early 2000s while working for a major medical company with clinics in the state, found the area to her liking and started the process of purchasing land and building a house. Wright eventually relocated to the Atlanta area in 2006. However, she took perhaps the most important and ambitious step in her transition on Feb. 21, 2020, when she opened the doors to the Onyx Bookstore Café in Covington. In this exclusive interview with The Newton Community Magazine, Wright details her journey from the West Coast to the Deep South, addresses the challenges associated with owning a small business and touches on her other areas of interest:
What specifically do you like about this area? The small-town atmosphere and being just outside of Atlanta but feeling like it’s miles away. I like knowing your neighbors and people in the community. I can go to the grocery store and know the workers by name or see people I know while I’m out running errands. How did you end up as an owner of a bookstore? This was a dream I had for over 30 years. I did a lot of research on the cost of operating a bookstore café and spoke with other independent bookstore owners. I was fortunate to have financial help from my mother before she passed in 2017. I found the location just from driving around and contacting developers for cost. My location is close to my home, and it was within my budget. I began building my catalog and hired a contractor to give it the look. I was going for an extension of my home, so I made a list of what I needed to do and tackled it one by one until it was done.
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What are some of the challenges you face in the small-business world? Being that I opened right before the COVID-19 shutdown was the biggest challenge, along with Amazon. People have become accustomed to quick access and not wanting to wait. Also, being the only brickand-mortar bookstore was daunting. Many people are still discovering that I’m here. Are you an avid reader? Yes, I love historical books, dystopia books and biographies. My favorite book is “The Wake of the Wind,” by J. California Cooper. It takes place during emancipation and follows a woman and how she and her family built a legacy during a time when it was forbidden. Cooper had a way of writing that was folklore but reality, and she wrote in the dialect of the time period. What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy gardening. I’m growing cilantro seeds and bell peppers. I’ve tried several times to get them to stay alive. I’m determined to make it stick this time (laughs). I also like home-improvement projects.
“I like knowing your neighbors and people in the community. I can go to the grocery store and know the workers by name or see people I know while I’m out running errands.” Tamara Wright
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