community magazine 2024 WINTER ISSUE
PUBLISHERS
Meredith & Scott Tredeau 678-852-2715 info@thenewtoncommunity.com SALES
Heather Bowman 404-583-2179 bowmanh23@aol.com
FEATURE
Maree Taylor 770-530-7837 sales@thenewtoncommunity.com
8 ‘He’s Perfect’
EDITORS
Kari Apted Brian Knapp PHOTOGRAPHER
Michie Turpin
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
HEALTH & WELLNESS 18 Trust Fall 24 Vessels of Healing
SPORTS & RECREATION 32 Primal Progress 36 In Memoriam: Nat Harwell
D.J. Dycus Michelle Floyd Josh Franklin David Roten 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 42 Cinematic Release 48 Role Player
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LIVING
54 Guest Relations 58 Picking Up the Pieces
On the Cover
LESSONS FROM THE TURTLE by SCOTT TREDEAU
Just a month ago, I found myself wondering why I had grown depressed to the point of giving up. I mean, I was doing everything right. My days were more than busy doing good things—Godly things—or so I thought. Does God want me to be so busy that I get angry with my wife when she asks me to help redo our son’s bedroom? Couldn’t she tell how busy I was already? How selfish of her to make me put one more thing on my to-do list… It was time to do some soul searching, so I went for a drive. It was a beautiful morning on a back road near Newborn. I was enjoying the cool air, the blue sky, the changing colors of the leaves and the crunch of gravel under my tires when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a turtle. While I had seen plenty of turtles before, I decided to pull over and take a few pictures. As I pulled away, a thought came to mind. I need to be like the turtle. I need
to slow down and seek wise council for my steps, not just focus on rushing around and getting everything done as efficiently as possible. I also need to remind myself that there’s never reason to fear. Why? Because I have a shell of protection around me. God is with me wherever I go. Since that day, I have cut all the unnecessary things out of my life, and let me tell you, there was a lot to cut. What do I do with all this free time? I’m still busy, but my days are much more manageable and far less stressful now. I take my time and spread my to-do list out across the space in the day when all those unnecessary things used to tie me in knots. I was almost robbed of the chance to roll some paint on my son’s bedroom wall while my wife handled the trim. That’s the power of choosing great things over good things.
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PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
Hello, I’m Wyatt Tredeau. As an aspiring publisher, I’m writing this for my parents (Scott and Meredith, who I’m sure you’re probably aware of if you’re reading this). I have a little challenge for you. Think about a problem you had today and how you handled it. Are you happy with the way you handled it, or do you think you could have handled it better? For example, let’s say you were on your way to work this morning and decided you were craving coffee. You were wearing that perfect, spectacular, crisp white T-shirt you bought from the Kohl’s clearance section last Friday to match your spotless Levi’s jeans. When you got to the coffee shop, you ordered yourself the traditional hot coffee with half-andhalf and two or three packs of sugar, and you even decided to get a smiley face design drawn on the top to match your mood. When you strapped into your driver’s seat, you realized you were late for work and started rushing as fast as your Toyota Corolla could go. You were going so fast, in fact, that when you went to take your first sip of that tasty liquid gold, a Niagara Falls of coffee spilled right down the middle of your new shirt. I can see the look of terror and disgust that would have been on your face right then, and honestly, I can’t blame you. I imagine you might have yelled, stomped your feet or possibly even started to fill up that big ol’ tank of tears hidden behind your eyes as you thought to yourself, “Why me?” Would your ruined shirt have ruined your whole day? I hope not. Hopefully, you thought to yourself, “Oh well, it’s nothing a little OxiClean can’t handle,” and continued on your way. Try to think about these two options next time an anger-inducing problem comes upon you. Thank you, Wyatt Tredeau
2024 Winter Issue 5
F E AT U R E
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Read stories by David Roten.
‘HE’S PERFECT’ When their infant son was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy, Joel and Tiffany Smith found themselves at the beginning of a difficult and painful journey. However, through their faith in a sovereign God and a selfless love for each other, burden has been transformed into blessing and tragedy into triumph. by DAVID ROTEN
After Joel and Tiffany Smith learned their first child was to be a boy, Joel envisioned soon having his own little hunting and fishing buddy, and when Hayden arrived weighing over eight pounds and stretching 21 inches long on Feb. 20, 2004, there seemed no reason to doubt his wish would come true. “The pregnancy, the birth—everything—was just typical. He was developing normally,” Tiffany said. Less than 24 hours after Hayden’s four-month vaccinations, something had changed. “His arms would kind of jerk out, usually when he was eating.” Hayden’s pediatrician, Dr. Lisa Miller, twice sent the family to Egleston Children’s Hospital where, each time, the diagnosis of Moro reflex—a normal, healthy startle reflex in infants—was made. When the spasms became more frequent, Miller sent them back to the hospital armed with a strong message. “We told them we weren’t leaving until they did an EEG,” Tiffany said. The brain scan revealed a new diagnosis. “They saw what was the typical pattern of Infantile Spasms.” Infantile Spasms, a rare form of epilepsy in babies, can often lead to other types of seizures, as well as severe developmental problems. “I remember coming home and researching it on the computer, and everything was horrific,” Tiffany said. “There were no good outcomes.” Doctors immediately prescribed an eight-week-long regimen of daily steroid injections. By the third week, Hayden’s blood pressure had skyrocketed, leaving him with possible kidney damage and on the verge of a stroke. The steroids were abruptly
stopped, causing a dangerous drop in blood pressure. It was 10 days before Hayden was stable enough to be released from the hospital. It took six months of BP medications and Lasix to get his blood pressure regulated. “The spasms had, by then, all but stopped,” Joel said. When another five months went by with no seizures, the Smiths were hopeful they were gone for good. They were not. “We were at a family Christmas gathering at my mother’s house when we saw the first one,” Tiffany said tearfully. “That was super hard.” Doctors advised the Smiths to expect Hayden’s IS to follow the normal pattern of transitioning, at some point, to another type of seizure disorder. “They just didn’t know what,” Joel said, “so we waited and went to the neurologist every six months.” The next three years represented a time of adjustment, as well as growth, with Joel and Tiffany welcoming their second son, Luke, to the family. Although accepting Hayden’s diagnosis had been difficult in the beginning, they were grateful he was doing as well as he was. “Doctors had said there’s an 85 to 90% chance he’ll never crawl, walk or talk. Well, here we are at 4 years old, [and] he’s walking, he’s playing, he’s talking—not like a normal 4-year-old, but he’s doing those things,” Joel said. “We just felt so blessed,” Tiffany added. Then, suddenly, the drop seizures started. Drop seizures, also called atonic seizures, cause a sudden and acute loss of muscle strength. “They were the most horrific thing I had ever seen,” Tiffany said. Joel explained: “He could be laughing, playing, and it’s like someone just kicked him in the back, and with all 2024 Winter Issue 9
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his force, he would just faceplant.” Hayden suffered scrapes and bruises, busted lips and even concussions from the falls. “That’s when he started wearing a helmet,” Tiffany said. Around the same time, Hayden’s neurologist ordered another EEG to see if a new drug they were trying had produced any changes. There was a change but not the one for which the Smiths were hoping. A phone call from the neurologist confirmed what Tiffany already suspected from personal research. Hayden’s IS had progressed to Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. “Infantile Spasms was horrific,” she said. “Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome was even more.” LGS is a severe form of medicationresistant epilepsy characterized by multiple seizure types and delayed or worsening cognitive development. Behavioral problems, including autism, are also common with the disorder. Tiffany vividly remembers Joel’s reaction when she broke the news of the LGS diagnosis to him. “He was at peace with it,” she said. “I think the first thing that he said was, ‘He’s perfect. He’s just what God wants him to be.’” Looking back to that defining moment, Joel explained how he could make such a
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statement of faith in the face of seeming tragedy. “At that point, it’s the hand that we’ve been dealt,” he said. “This is the life that God has given us. What do you do but live it?” Still, the prognosis for Hayden was not encouraging. “Everything Tiffany had read [about LGS] was just talking about a regression almost to a vegetative state,” Joel said, “so we’re thinking that’s the road we’re about to go down.” Hayden’s drop seizures were relentless. “On a good day, he would have eight or 10; on a bad day, he might have 30 to 40,” Joel said. For his protection, Hayden had to be strapped in a wheelchair, helmet on, “almost non-stop.” When two months of trying yet another drug yielded no results, Hayden’s neurologist suggested he be evaluated for brain surgery. A corpus callosotomy would interrupt the seizure path in the brain and, hopefully, reduce the number of seizures. However, there were serious risks. “We’re deciding whether to go through with the surgery and try to give him a better quality of life but with the possibility of him being paralyzed [and] never speaking again,” Joel said, choking back tears. “After a lot of prayer, we decided, ‘Yeah, we’re going to do this.’”
Brotherly Love by BRIAN KNAPP Luke Smith strikes an imposing figure from 60 feet, six inches away. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior spent his breakout 2023 campaign with the Social Circle High School baseball team establishing himself as one of the premier pitchers in the state, as he helped lead the Redskins to a 25–10 record and a spot in the Elite Eight. Smith compiled an 8–1 record across 14 appearances and posted a miniscule 1.35 earned run average, with 87 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched. Opposing hitters batted just .152 against him. He enters his final season at Social Circle as the unquestioned ace, having already committed to Gordon State College in Barnesville. Every time he goes to the mound, Smith does so knowing his biggest fan—older brother Hayden, 19—will be seated in the right rear passenger seat of his parents’ white 2017 Toyota Sienna, which rests in the parking space nearest Burks Field along the right field line. Hayden suffers from Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a severe form of medication-resistant epilepsy characterized by multiple seizure types and delayed or worsening cognitive development. The condition has done nothing to shake the unbreakable bond only siblings know. “I’ve grown up with him my whole life,” Luke said. “He’s taught me a whole lot of stuff that only he could. It’s taught me not to take anything for granted. I love him more than anything. He’s one of my best friends. He can’t really talk to me, but I talk to him. He’s always smiling, always happy. He loves making people laugh.”
Mental and physical struggles are synonymous with baseball, as anyone who has ever played the sport understands. Smith can draw on a unique source of motivation whenever the going gets tough. “A lot of times if I’m on the mound and I need to calm down or anything,” he said, “all I do is look up there at the car and know he’s watching.” Smith admits he allows his mind to wander on occasion to an alternate universe where Hayden, fully healthy and free of LGS, could suit up and take the field with him. “It would have been awesome,” Smith said. “It would have been special, for sure. I did get to play with him when he played in the Miracle League. I was out there helping him a little bit. He loved it. He likes to act
like he’s playing golf. We’ll drop a baseball on the ground, and he’ll get a baseball bat and swing at it off the ground.” When Smith was in fifth grade, he nominated Hayden as “Relative of the Year” for a school assignment. In it he wrote, “He helps me to be patient with other people and not get upset very easily. He also helps me enjoy every moment and be grateful for everything. My brother helps me understand how all people are created differently.” Now 17 and approaching his high school graduation day, Smith has learned to make the most of his opportunities. “It’s a special situation, but we enjoy it,” he said. “It’s made me think more about cherishing the time we do have together.”
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What the Smiths believe to be a case of divine intervention came in the form of a shingles patch the size of a nickel. The otherwise innocuous spot had appeared on the neck of Tiffany’s mother about a week earlier, after she had spent the previous day with Hayden. On the morning of the scheduled operation, the Smiths were on their way to the hospital when a pre-op question concerning exposure to shingles stopped the them in their tracks. “The hospital called and said, ‘Turn around. We can’t do the surgery,’” Joel said. “We were actually devastated because we had prepared ourselves for this.” The surgery, re-scheduled for three weeks later, would never happen. “Literally the day Hayden was supposed to have the surgery, he had zero drop seizures—the next day, like one or two. Over the next several days, they dwindled to nothing, and that was it,” Joel said. “We know that was God’s hand.” In the coming years, Hayden would go on to attend special needs classes in public school, starting at age 5 and ending at age 13, when seizures became too intense and frequent. True to form, the seizures have often transitioned from one type to another. Nowadays, Hayden experiences tonic-clonic, or grand mal, seizures—a type characterized by a brief loss of consciousness and convulsions. Four different medications help to limit their frequency, and family members stand by to help prevent injuries from falls when they do occur. “He’s always within arm’s reach if he’s not sitting down,” Joel said.
No cause has ever been found for the initial onset of Hayden’s spasms, although the Smiths strongly suspect his four-month vaccinations triggered them. Still, they are “not anti-vaxxers,” believing Hayden’s case to be an exception. “I’m vaccinated,” Joel said. “Tiffany is. Luke is.” Although Hayden has regressed in many ways since the onset of LGS—he can no longer count or recognize colors or letters, and he is extremely limited verbally—the Smiths focus on the positives. “Doctors are amazed at where Hayden is today, 19 years old and still walking [and] playing,” Joel said. “He can feed himself,” Luke added. “He can throw a fishing line with the best of them,” Joel said. “He loves the beach, kicking the sand and making everyone laugh,” Tiffany said before describing her firstborn as “happy and affectionate.” One of Hayden’s favorite activities involves getting in the car and meeting his dad for lunch. Almost every day, Tiffany packs a picnic basket before she and Hayden pick up Joel at work. The three of them then find a restful place to park, and the fun begins. Joel describes the scene: “He’s in the backseat behind us, and I turn around and say, ‘Hayden, you ready for lunch?’ He sits up and gets big—and it’s just a picnic basket that we’ve had for 20 years—and I lift it open, and he looks in there like it’s Christmas... every... single... day, like it’s the best thing ever. It’s hilarious.” Then there are the many nights, after a “hard” seizure, when Hayden does not sleep at all. Positioned side by side by side on the recliner/loveseat, Joel and Tiffany take turns catnapping while Hayden alternates between his bowling video game and watching the Outdoor Channel and PBS cartoons. Somehow, the Smiths always seem to meet the challenges of the next day, whatever they may be. “Our faith is all that gets us through,” Tiffany said. It has been so since the beginning, when God provided a praying pastor and a caring church, and it has continued to this day through supportive family and friends. “There are difficult days, but it’s not a burden,” Joel said. “It sounds strange to say, but it’s been a blessing. I firmly believe it’s made Luke a very gentle and kind person.” Joel and Tiffany wondered aloud that young Luke, now 17, has taken on so much in caring for his older brother. A senior at Social Circle High School, he downplayed any sacrifice on his part: “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” Now nearly two decades into their journey with Hayden, the Smiths continue to cling to their faith. “Just to know God’s always in control, it’s just His plan. When you can realize that and accept it, it makes life so much easier,” Joel said. Tiffany agreed. “There’s a saying [that] ‘You can’t always choose the path you’re given, but you can choose how you walk it,’” she said, “and I think there’s a lot of truth to that.”
“This is the life that God has given us. What do you do but live it?” Joel Smith
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2024 Winter Issue 13
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
Read stories by Kari Apted.
TRUST FALL
Moniqueka Rucker experienced every parent’s worst nightmare: the death of a child. Learning how to navigate life without her firstborn son was devastating, but Rucker was determined not to let bitterness take root. Her desire to make beauty from ashes has led to multiple outreach opportunities where she shares her son’s story as a cautionary tale. by KARI APTED
Moniqueka Rucker spoke through tears. “It’s completely heartbreaking to lose a child,” she said. “Really, it is devastating.” Such a loss during the holiday season adds a painful poignancy, one that repeats annually as the whole world adorns itself in festivity that contradicts your truth. Rucker has loved Christmas since she was a child. She made sure her kids were immersed in holiday magic every December, continuing even as they grew up and moved on to their own homes and careers. For Christmas 2020, Rucker claims she felt an urge in her spirit to do a family photo session. Those images of everyone together, wearing matching holiday pajamas and laughing, are some of her most cherished possessions. “I had no idea it would be the last Christmas we were all together, but God knew,” she said. On Christmas Eve 2021, Rucker heard that her 30-year-old son, Benny Hood, had not returned home after going out to pay some bills. It was not like him to not respond to calls or texts. It would be one agonizing Christmas and two full days before she found out what happened to him. At the time, Hood was living with his girlfriend in what Rucker describes as an extremely toxic union. “She would engage in criminal activity while Benny was working two jobs. She was involved in fights and was physically abusive, but there was nothing we could do to pull him away
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2024 Winter Issue 19
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
from that situation,” Rucker said, her voice filled with lament. In one instance, when the couple had gotten into a particularly violent argument, Rucker begged her son to leave. “I warned him that something bad would happen to him. I told him, ‘I’m your mother, not your friend. I can’t tell you what you want to hear, but when God shows you how people are, you can’t slap Him in the face and still do whatever you want.’” Hood had a young daughter from a previous relationship who lived with her mother out of state. He missed her terribly and showered that fatherly love on his girlfriend’s daughter, whom he treated as his own. After paying his bills that Christmas Eve, Hood went to Walmart to get toys for the little girl. Rucker will never know what drove Hood to shoplift that night, whether it was a lack of money after paying his bills or pressure from his girlfriend. “He got confronted by the cops. I’m assuming he was afraid to go to jail, but he pulled out a gun,” Rucker said. “It was so beyond his character to do that, but the police shot him, and he died.” Learning the details of her son’s death added a new layer of pain and confusion to Rucker’s grief. “Benny was raised in a culture of law enforcement. I’ve worked in law enforcement and for a prosecution office since he was 5 years old. My husband is a police officer, so when we heard it, we were like, ‘What? Are you sure?’” Rucker admits she was in a very dark place during the following days and months. “I remember pacing the floor at the funeral home, just sitting there staring at the casket,” she said. “My husband couldn’t say anything. When I saw Benny’s face, he looked at rest. I knew he’d entered that place of rest. He was no longer hurting in any way.” Rucker’s faith was her anchor as she learned to live without her firstborn son. Unable to eat, she lost 30 pounds and had to take anxiety medication, but over time, healing began. “I began to tell the Lord that I accept His will,” she said. “I realized that God had lost His son first, that Mary had lost her son, too. He said, ‘I will give you beauty for your ashes. I make everything beautiful in its time.’” She relied on that encouraging thought as some people blamed her for her son’s death. “There was so much rejection and blame.” Although it is normal for parents to feel guilt and question how they could have parented differently, it stings when others point fingers of accusation. “For a while, I let those accusations penetrate me,” said Rucker, who has a master’s degree in Christian counseling, “but I learned that I did what I could do as a mother. My husband did all he could do. Everyone who loved Benny did all they could do.” Gratitude was also a major part of Rucker finding a place of peace. “I told God, ‘Thank you for 30 years with my son.’ I thanked Him that I loved Benny with every fiber of my being and accepted him for who he was. I realized that sometimes, in our pain, we have to learn how to say thank you because the pain isn’t permanent. I asked the Lord to help me spread hope and encouragement.”
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Rucker has seen that prayer answered through various speaking engagements where she shares her story. One of her first events was with ChickTime, a nonprofit in Conyers that serves teenagers aging out of the foster care system. Rucker reminded them that what happens to us is not who we must become. She also goes to elementary schools to talk to kids about listening to their parents. “I tell them that whether they like it or not,” Rucker said, “choices have consequences.” She has also met many other parents who have lost children. Her message to them is to appreciate the time they did have with their children as a gift and trust that God can bring something beautiful out of their loss. Rucker was diagnosed with breast cancer in May. She has received a great deal of support through long days of chemotherapy and radiation. “God has a plan for us, and I’ve had so many people loving on me,” she said. “I’m usually the giver and have been receiving so much; it’s overwhelming.” Rucker believes God spoke to her spirit during the ordeal: “‘Moniqueka, now I can trust you with trouble.’” She finds comfort in those words. “I’ll always miss my son,” she said. “I may never have closure, but I am thankful that God can trust me with trouble.”
TOP: BENNY HOOD, MIDDLE: BERNARD HOOD, ALBERT RUCKER JR. BOTTOM: ALISON RUCKER
“I realized that sometimes, in our pain, we have to learn how to say thank you because the pain isn’t permanent.” Moniqueka Rucker
2024 Winter Issue 21
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” John C. Maxwell
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Read more from Grace & Truth.
GRACE & TRUTH
On the Importance of Mentorship
When Christ followers live out the teachings of God’s Word and model them accurately, the lives of those around them can be transformed. by JOSH FRANKLIN
I’m deeply grateful for the impactful men of faith who have directly shaped my life. Guided by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, they prioritized spiritual values and left a profound influence on me. Despite the option for leisurely Sunday lake days, they chose to prioritize church. Instead of being tightfisted, they showed generosity to those in need. Rather than focusing on gaining personal material possessions, they remained dedicated to serving the less fortunate as the hands and feet of Jesus. Living out the teachings of God’s Word, their accurate modeling and teaching transformed the lives of those around them. I recently learned that having a mentor is a significant need for someone in leadership. Jesus exemplified mentorship, particularly with the disciples, as evidenced by 11 out of the 12 enduring horrific deaths for Him. This speaks volumes about Jesus and His deep care for others. Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to the book of Titus, particularly Chapter 2. I don’t know about you, but I consistently seek guidance from Scripture and wise individuals. Listen to what Titus 2:1 says: “You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.” There is the accuracy part.
Then, in Verse 2, it reads, “Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.” Moving on to Verses 6–8, it says, “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” If this does not serve as a clear call for mentorship, I don’t know what does. Whether you’re well into your Christian walk, leading others down a Christ-like path or just starting out, it’s crucial to have people of great faith speaking into your life. Evaluate who occupies your time to ensure they contribute to a life modeled after Christ. As you grow, share your experiences openly to help others along their journey. Josh Franklin is the executive pastor of Solid Rock Baptist Church in Social Circle. For information, visit www.solidrockchurchsc.com.
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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
“A horse’s pelvic motion mimics our gait pattern, so riding gives our body biofeedback on what a normal walking pattern feels like.” Lauren Norman
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Read stories by Kari Apted.
V E S S E L S O F H E A L I N G
Restoration happens one hoofprint at a time at Norman Farms in Jersey. There, physical therapist Lauren Norman and her small group of horses have been the key to many children with special needs finding renewed health and zest for life. by KARI APTED
Logan and Lauren Norman had one simple prayer when they bought their sprawling acreage in 2013: “God, please allow us to bless others with our farm.” Little did they know their prayer would be answered through their daughter, Elizabeth. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 1, she was the catalyst for the Normans creating a hippotherapy haven where dozens of children and young adults have found healing. The word “hippotherapy” brings to mind large grey waterbeasts from Africa, but the term refers to using horses as a tool for various physical, occupational and speech therapy processes. It comes from combining two Greek words: hippos (horse) and therapeia (curing, healing, service done to the sick). According to the American Hippotherapy Association, “… Professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes.” Hippotherapy is used as one part of an overall plan of care provided by professional therapists. Norman has loved horses her entire life. “I started riding at age 7,” she said. “I had two horses while I was growing up—one of them that I got when I was 10 is still out there on the farm. I went to the University of Georgia for undergrad and did athletic training, sports medicine and ortho. Then I went on to the University of Alabama in Birmingham to their physical therapy school.” Norman knew she did not want to work in pediatrics, so she concentrated on orthopedic therapy during the early years of her career. After Elizabeth was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the toddler used a walker to get around. “I just started putting her on our horses,” said Norman, eager to help her child. Her friend and fellow physical therapist, Lynda Reagan, encouraged her to do so. “There wasn’t much access to hippotherapy in this area,
or even pediatric physical therapy then,” she added. Norman began learning all she could about the process. The AHA states that horses provide a unique form of neuromotor stimulation. Because the average horse takes approximately 100 steps a minute, a five-minute ride on a walking horse provides 500 neuromotor inputs to the rider’s body. These stimulate key neuromotor systems that support body functions. Therefore, equine movement can result in complex motor learning. “A horse’s pelvic motion mimics our gait pattern, so riding gives our body biofeedback on what a normal walking pattern feels like,” Norman said. “Gait pattern is a big deal. While you’re on a horse, you’re getting pelvic motion side-to-side and front-to-back and rotation that helps your trunk stabilize. Arms and legs can only function well off a stable base. You have to have a stable trunk to reach overhead, hold a gallon of milk or lift things from the ground.”
(L TO R) RAMSEY, RYLEE CLEMENS AND LAUREN NORMAN
2024 Winter Issue 25
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S (L TO R) JIMMY MELVIN, JAYLEN JOHNSON AND LAUREN NORMAN
Norman believes that learning the feeling of a normal walking pattern represented a major step forward for Elizabeth. “She zoomed from using a walker to using nothing,” she said. “In fact, her first steps without the walker happened in the pasture, walking towards a horse.” Hippotherapy can be highly beneficial to patients who use a wheelchair. “Being in a wheelchair means being pushed through life, in a sense,” Norman said. “It’s kind of like watching a rollercoaster on TV instead of actually riding it. Being on a horse provides the motions—the vestibular input and visual flow—that show the patient what walking through life actually feels like.” Vestibular or ear-related balance issues are common in vision-impaired people. Norman currently has two patients who are completely blind. “Your vision and vestibular systems work together to help you balance,” she said. “Hippotherapy provides sensory input that helps fill the gaps the vestibular system needs to understand where the body is in space. This results in stronger balance, which helps decrease the risk of falls and injuries.” Norman has helped patients with various health conditions, including traumatic brain injuries, autism and Down syndrome. One current patient is in renal failure; hippotherapy helps him build his endurance. She carries a full load of 20 patients at all times, as does the farm’s other physical therapist, Carley Eshleman. The third member of their team, Brynn DeLong, provides horsemanship and riding lessons for siblings and others who want to ride but do not have special treatment needs.
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Norman and Eshleman match their patients with the farm’s therapy horses based on their size and physical needs. “When a kid presents with low muscle tone, we want a horse with a really big walk to wake up their muscles,” Norman said. “If we have a child with impulsive issues who tries to wiggle off the horse, we pick a low and slow horse. Our Arabians are spunky and turn quickly; some of our kids love them. They’re also narrower and more comfortable for smaller kids to ride.” The farm also has a miniature horse that measures only three feet tall. He provides an option for young children who are intimidated by the larger animals. Norman encourages the kids to brush him or lead him around to overcome their fears. Norman would one day like to grow their business to offer occupational and speech hippotherapy services, which are different from their current physical therapy services. “I’d also like to provide more therapeutic riding,” she said, “but we just don’t have the bandwidth now with three young kids.” The family is also in the process of adopting two children from Columbia. Norman finds it amusing that her life has turned out much differently than she had planned. “I never imagined all of this. I didn’t want to own my own business or do hippotherapy,” she said with a smile. Now, she describes it all as a huge blessing. “It’s so fulfilling to have all of these families on our farm every day.” To learn more about Norman Farms, visit them online at www.normanfarmsllc.com.
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S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N
Read stories by Kari Apted.
PRIMAL PROGRESS A true outdoor adventurist and an expert in primitive camping, Jeannine Marchesseau embraces a simpler way of enjoying nature and its bounties. She can also claim the title of awardwinning muzzleloader, knife thrower and archer. At 78, she still enjoys climbing into deer stands with her traditional equipment to hunt wild game with ethical and historical accuracy. by KARI APTED
When I turned off the curving country road onto Jeannine Marchesseau’s driveway, a huge brown owl swooped down over my windshield and glided silently into the woods. He was an unexpected preview of the home before me, one owned by a diminutive, kind woman with a life devoted to the outdoors. An award-winning hunter, Marchesseau’s trophies fill her home. At least half a dozen deer heads line the living room walls. A mounted coyote sits where an end table would go, frozen in time across from a small mountain lion posed mid-stride. Marchesseau’s warm and welcoming persona was rooted in Louisiana, where she was the youngest of three children who played on the banks of the Tangipahoa River. Always trying to outdo her older brothers, Cary and Lonnie, Marchesseau learned to hunt and water ski at a young age. “My brothers would tell me I couldn’t do this or that, but I said, ‘Watch me prove you wrong,’” Marchesseau said. Later, during her teenage years, she became a competitive swimmer and taught others how to swim and water ski. “For my graduation gifts, I got a rifle scope and a sewing machine,” she said with a laugh. “Daddy kept asking me what I was going to do after school, and I didn’t know. He said, ‘I’ve watched you teach people how to swim and water ski. Why don’t you become a P.E. teacher?’ So that’s what I did. I taught physical education for over 30 years.” Marchesseau remains physically fit, moving with the apparent ease of someone half her age, and maintains her determined spirit. She credits her father for getting her into muzzleloading, a sport that involves firing antique and reproduction guns. Muzzleloader firearms require the user to load the projectile and propellant into the forward
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end of the gun’s barrel. Because it is a primitive weapon, users need a stronger skill set than people who shoot modern firearms for sport today. Marchesseau’s father offered to teach her all he knew about muzzleloading. “Daddy invited me to go to a shooting match where we shot at a double-bladed axe stood up in wood, to split the ball on the axe,” she said. “Daddy couldn’t do it. I tried it, and I did it.” He bought her a 45-caliber Hawken rifle, and they competed together throughout Louisiana and Mississippi for years. Marchesseau’s face lights up when she talks about her late husband, Larry. Their interests in historic firearms led them to meet at the National Muzzle Rifle Championship in Friendship, Indiana. Their connection was immediate, and for a while, they
managed a long-distance relationship between Louisiana and Georgia, where he lived. “We would meet up in Florida to date,” Marchesseau said. “We were soulmates. He asked when I was going to finally move up here and marry him, so I moved to Georgia in 1985, and we married in 1986.” Larry offered his new bride a choice. “He said, ‘I can give you a diamond ring or a custom-built muzzleloader.’ Since my first marriage ended in divorce, I said, ‘I was married before with a diamond and it didn’t work, so let’s try the muzzleloader.’” The Marchesseaus enjoyed over 20 adventure-filled years together. “He got me into whitewater kayaking through the Georgia State ‘Touch the Earth’ program,” Jeannine said. “We were both 2024 Winter Issue 33
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advanced scuba divers. We went on one trip to the Baja Peninsula, where we paddled in the Sea of Cortez and lived out of our kayaks for two weeks. We baked bread on the beach.” The couple spent a lot of time primitive camping, an activity in which Marchesseau still partakes today. “Now I do pre-1840 camping,” she said. “Everything you bring with you has to be dated back to pre1840. The only exception is a cooler, but it has to be covered up. We compete in skills during our rendezvous, like knife throwing, tomahawk throwing and fire starting with flint and steel.” When indoors, Marchesseau has always enjoyed sewing. She made nearly all of her primitive clothing, including a white leather dress embellished with tiny seashells. She showed me her handcrafted wool capote, or long jacket, which she designed with a collar and cuffs made from thick fox fur. There have been trials along the way, none more significant than the sad summer day in 2009 when Larry was killed instantly in a car accident near their Newton County home. He was 67. “I tried to hunt,” she said, “but I just cried up there in the deer stand.” Eventually, Marchesseau found her groove again and met her goal of dropping a buck with a flint arrow. She became the first woman to have her picture in Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia Magazine. Marchesseau’s brothers claim their sister is “going backwards” in her hunting quests, as she sets goals for herself using ever
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“I keep saying, ‘Maybe one more year.’ I take it one year at a time.” Jeannine Marchesseau
more primitive weaponry. She disagrees. After her successful flint arrow hunt, she is now trying out a primitive bow with a cane arrow and obsidian stone tip. She showed me these arrows, each a beautiful work of art. I lifted one to the light and marveled at the obsidian’s clear and smoky swirls and how the light sparkled on its razor-sharp edges. Its hollow cane shaft was remarkably light, bound to the gemlike tip with tiny strips of deer sinew. I wondered which of my ancestors had kept their family fed with arrows like these. When we talked, Marchesseau had just returned from a rendezvous in North Carolina and will attend another one early next year. She describes her love of outdoor adventures as an addiction. “I keep saying, ‘Maybe one more year,’” she said. “I take it one year at a time.” I stepped out of Marchesseau’s house feeling full, like I had spent a couple of hours with an old friend instead of a new acquaintance. The golden afternoon sunlight dappled through the forest canopy above, and the only sound in the world was my feet crunching through the autumn leaves, exactly as it must have been on this very land hundreds of years ago.
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Read stories by Nat Harwell.
IN MEMORIAM
N AT H A RW E L L (APRIL 18, 1951-NOV. 11, 2023) by BRIAN KNAPP Men much wiser than me told us long ago that time was a thief. I’m not sure I agree. Seated at my desk on Nov. 11, I received the news that Nat Harwell had died at the age of 72. Almost two months later, I continue to struggle to envision a world without him in it. I met Nat in 1990 when he chaperoned my seventh-grade trip to Washington, D.C. His gregarious personality caught me off-guard initially, as I remember him poking fun at me and two of my friends when we got lost in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. However, I have always been drawn to history and Nat, at his heart, was a historian. I did not see him again until years later, but when I accepted my first job at The Covington News in 1998, he was one of the first people I visited. I know good storytellers when I meet them, and Nat struck me as a good storyteller. I asked him if I could interest him in writing a weekly column for me, and he agreed, perhaps out of pity for the wide-eyed 20-year-old standing in front of him who did not yet know his rear end from a hole in the ground. It remains the smartest professional decision I’ve ever made. Nat’s wit and wisdom lit up the pages of The Covington News for the better part of the next decade and drew us closer together as friends. We stayed connected, even after I left the newspaper in 2006. He offered counsel and support when my wife brought our two boys, Gehrig and Gibson, into the world and made sure I knew he was always there if we needed him. When I helped Scott Tredeau start The Newton Community Magazine in 2018, Nat was my first call. Once again, he agreed to join me on one of my adventures.
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Writing is a labor of love for all of us, you see, but he never once turned down an assignment. Even after Nat moved to Statesboro, he often made the 90-minute drive back to Covington to interview a subject. I so admire that kind of commitment, dedication and loyalty. Despite our differences in age—almost 30 years—Nat and I shared so much in common, from our love for sports and a voracious appetite for local Mexican cuisine to struggles with depression and our devotion to the Christian faith as flawed men pursuing a flawless Savior. He was a lot of things to a lot of people. A son. A brother. A husband. A father. A grandfather. A teacher. A coach. A born-again believer. To me, he was a close friend and confidant, someone I knew I could always count on. Those kind of people are exceedingly rare. About six weeks before his death, I was lucky enough to meet with Nat and his wife of nearly 50 years, Louise, at El Charro in Covington. It was another reminder that he and I far outkicked our coverage with the angelic women we were blessed to marry. Louise was always the sweet to his salty. None of us knew then that it would be our last time together. Perhaps it was better that way. I can understand how some people might view time as a thief, but it has been my experience that it gives us as much as it takes away. You always want one more phone call, one more text, one more game to attend, one more lunch date that lasts a little longer than it should. Time afforded me some three decades to get to know Nat Harwell. How could I ever complain about that and the richness it brought to my life? Godspeed, Nat. I’ll see you in eternity.
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2024 Winter Issue 39
A R T S , E D U C AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N
“I believe in hope, human possibility and imagination.” Bob Mackey
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C I N E M AT I C R E L E A S E Bob Mackey found stories to be an attractive means of escape as a child. Now a storyteller himself, he provides others with that same avenue through writing, producing and directing movies and television series. by D.J. DYCUS
Keep your eyes on Bob Mackey. He has already come a long way and still looks like someone who’s going places. There’s no telling where exactly, but Mackey seems to be one of those people who has a knack for success. It’s the result of more than talent and much more than luck. Mackey’s achievements can be traced to hard work, tenacity, self-confidence and smart decision making. At the ripe old age of 40, he has an astounding list of accomplishments to which he can point, but when you sit down to speak with him, it becomes clear that he believes he is just getting started. He has a calm, confident outlook. “I don’t look at 40 as 40 but as half of 80,” Mackey said with a laugh. He wonders about reaching the end of his abilities, not in an arrogant, prideful manner, but with an honest curiosity that inspires. Mackey was raised in tough conditions—poverty and family instability—which had a profound impact on his life. To assist kids in circumstances like those into which he was born, he worked as a juvenile probation officer for the Department of Juvenile Justice from 2005 to 2010. Eventually, Mackey returned to his childhood passion: stories. As a kid, he enjoyed going to the movies and recalls listening to the tales his grandfather used to tell. Mackey’s face radiates with joy when talking about storytelling. “It’s been around me my entire life,” he said. “Where I’m from, people spoke through stories. Even if it’s a simple message, a story draws people in,
and this is even more true of movies that offer cinematic spectacle.” Mackey points to the idea that “movies paint a picture. They are a series of pictures, composed together, that tell a story.” Just as his grandfather passed along wisdom from his past, Mackey wants to join the older generations and pay it forward in his own way. As a boy in difficult circumstances, stories were a means of escape for Mackey. “I saw myself on stage,” he said. “It all came back to movies like ‘The Five Heartbeats’ (a 1991 musical drama directed by Robert Townsend) or Ray Charles—people escaping their environments, settings similar to the one in which I was raised.” Stories were a source of hope and gave him something to work towards—the belief in a brighter tomorrow. To pursue his interest in telling stories, Mackey purchased a movie camera to learn the skills involved in cinemaphotography. He had sent off scripts before but never heard back from those established in the industry. Mackey ultimately decided to produce his own movie from the script he had written and financed it with his own funds. He had to be judicious due to a limited amount of money, but he decided to invest in a highly talented camera operator so he could learn the craft himself. Since that time—only a few years ago— Mackey has written, produced and directed a television series set in Forsyth County called “Oscarville: Below the Surface.” The show includes two cast members from Newton County. 2024 Winter Issue 43
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Oscarville was a community that lived west of Gainesville on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in the late 1800s. In 1912, however, 1,100 black residents were forced off the land and out of the county. In 1956, Buford Dam was completed and Lake Sidney Lanier began to fill, submerging the remains of the Oscarville community. This story is a part of Georgia’s past, but Mackey was intentional to not have it turn into a “black versus white thing.” He wanted to generate interest in Georgia’s history and to get people talking, and he managed to do so by producing a captivating story of mystery and excitement. The “Oscarville” series sparked a great deal of intrigue among Georgia educators and beyond. Mackey joined with community members to create an educational seminar based on his show, which he has hosted throughout the year. The most recent extended project written and produced by Mackey is “Di Mattina,” a series about a mafia family. He wanted to reverse the roles of the typical stories about the mafia to which the public has grown accustomed. As the godfather,
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Jimmy Mattina is about to retire and turns the family business over to his granddaughter. “I was interested in exploring the loyalty of the granddaughter for her grandfather and in his belief in the potential of the next generation,” Mackey said. “I wanted to tell a story about family.” In addition to these scripted shows, Mackey’s production company, Heartland Media and Films, has several reality TV programs: a real estate show called “The Blind Deal: Atlanta” and a show highlighting black chefs from nontraditional backgrounds and pathways called “The Urban Chefs of Atlanta.” Mackey’s upbringing made him tenacious, which came from a place of necessity. It was a matter of survival. Through movies and television, however, he has transformed those challenges into stories of hope. Mackey is fully aware that real life does not play out like the narratives on the screen. “Every story doesn’t begin with a ‘once upon a time,’ nor does it end with a ‘happily ever after,’” he said, “but life is what you make of it.”
2024 Winter Issue 45
ADVERTORIAL
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Read about more local businesses.
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT
Skin in the Game
Nurse and ‘melanin expert’ Karma Fouch made it her mission to help people achieve the best complexion possible. She combined years of medical experience and her passion for skin care into Skindigo, a luxurious setting where common procedures like hair removal become a spa-like experience. by MICHELLE FLOYD
One local nurse has a goal: to ensure patients never feel like they are visiting a typical doctor’s office when they enter her facility. Karma Fouch, owner of Skindigo, disguises clinical skincare treatment as a luxury experience at her facility on U.S. 278 in Covington. “You walk in and want to pop off your shoes and curl up somewhere,” said Fouch, who once worked as a registered ICU and ER nurse before moving into management at Piedmont Rockdale Hospital. “I’m excited to bring this to Covington. It did not have anything like us in existence in town. It’s not super expensive or pretentious and gives you an experience unique to Covington.” Once inside the warm setting, clients can receive multiple skincare services, including chemical peels, facials, dermaplaning and microneedling, along with skin tag and hair removals. Skindigo also offers massages and other esthetician services. “I wanted to integrate my experience in leadership, science and protocol but put it into a more nurturing environment where people come when they are having a good day, not a
“You walk in and want to pop off your shoes and curl up somewhere.” Karma Fouch
bad day,” said Fouch, who has lived in Newton County with her husband, Robert, since 2007. “Everybody can do a facial, but what is the experience?” Skindigo, which opened in 2019, offers services for women and men, as well as teens. Private parties and special training sessions are also available for booking. “She’s a great nurse in her esthetician life—to know the body just helps,” said Michele Arbet, of Lawrenceville, who worked with Fouch as a nurse and now visits her once a month for various treatments. “She’s got me to a point where I can walk around with no makeup, or if I do, it’s very light makeup, where I used to have full coverage.” In the past, Fouch has set up a community health fair where she provided skin education, skin care assessments and valuable insurance advice. She has also donated her time and services at a local homeless shelter to offer spa days for residents. Fouch hopes to expand those services in the future to extend them throughout the metro Atlanta area. “We plan to have many more events,” said Fouch, whose facility also houses a boutique and wine and coffee bar. “We want to partner with the community.” For information on Skindigo, visit www.skindigo.co or call 470-441-5553. 2024 Winter Issue 47
A R T S , E D U C AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N
Read stories by Michelle Floyd.
ROLE PLAYER
Jeremy Skidmore has kept busy honing his theatrical and musical talents since adolescence. The actor, singer and musician credits God and his family for helping him pursue his creative endeavors, and he delights in teaching new generations how to follow in his footsteps. by MICHELLE FLOYD
Only in the theater world can you be Shrek, Sweeney Todd, the Mad Hatter and Lord Pinkleton from “Cinderella” over the course of your lifetime. Thespian and musician Jeremy Skidmore has played many roles over the years in theater productions around the east metro Atlanta area. He has performed in Newton, Rockdale and Morgan counties, at Stone Mountain Park and at the Legacy Theatre near Atlanta. “I really didn’t get into drama until high school, when a friend told me to be in a musical. It wasn’t the best quality, but I had a blast,” said Skidmore, who grew up in Gray and later graduated from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. That play was “The Robber Bridegroom.” Later, he performed in roles from “Titanic,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Cinderella” and “Newsies.” His performances through the years occurred in both educational and professional settings. Skidmore recalls that one of his favorite professional roles was playing the part of Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast” at the Legacy Theatre in Tyrone. However, he admits playing Shrek at the Madison Community Theater alongside his wife, MaryKatherine, who starred as Fiona while pregnant with one of their kids, was one of his all-time favorite and most memorable roles.
“I really didn’t get into drama until high school, when a friend told me to be in a musical. It wasn’t the best quality, but I had a blast.” Jeremy Skidmore
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“It was right in my range, and I enjoyed the vastness of the character,” said Skidmore, who prefers to play more comedic roles in productions. He also has a preference for shows that tell good stories. “I was pleasantly surprised to play Uncle Max in ‘The Sound of Music.’ It was a role I never thought how fun the character could be.” After studying music education and vocal performance in college, he continued his education in professional theater skills by joining the Actors, Models & Talent for Christ program. He heard it advertised one day on The Fish Atlanta radio station. He was soon offered his first professional role in 2015. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to act professionally and know the business side of it,” said Skidmore, who credits his family for helping him establish himself with the organization.
“I attended training conferences and got set up with a headshot. They told me how to build a professional resume, how to look and how to go to auditions.” In addition to learning lines and performing as various characters, Skidmore has incorporated special skills such as speaking with British and Southern accents. He has honored his musical training by playing guitar and piano in some of his roles and has performed trumpet sounds with his mouth and conducted musical ensembles. He has also provided private vocal coach lessons and performed in theater, film and educational positions. Beyond his theatrical pursuits, Skidmore is an experienced music teacher. He first expanded into teaching during a mission trip to Ghana, where he learned music in their local language and then had to teach it. During the course of his career, he has taught 2024 Winter Issue 49
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students at various school levels and positions in Newton, Morgan and Putnam counties. He has been nominated twice as a Top 5 “Teacher of the Year” and placed as a finalist. Outside of theater and teaching, Skidmore enjoys serving on the praise and worship team at Eastridge Church. He has grown up singing and acting in church productions since he was a young child and previously was a minister of music at Westview Baptist Church in Milledgeville. “He’s got a strong voice and has kept it up over the years,” said Scott England, an associate pastor and the creative arts pastor at Eastridge. “I can always count on him to know the harmonies and fine harmonies, but what I love most about him is that he’s authentic, has a good attitude and is always willing to serve.” England notes that although Skidmore comes from a theatrical background and has a stage voice, he has proven disciplined enough not to be showy or distract from highlighting Christ in their worship music. “There’s always an element of performance,” said England, who has worked with Skidmore for nearly 10 years, “but there’s also an element to get yourself out of the way so you can just see Jesus.”
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TOP: JEREMY AND MARY-KATHERINE SKIDMORE BOTTOM: EMMA KATELYN, RAGAN AND JACOB SKIDMORE
ADVERTORIAL
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BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT
A Sandwich Beyond Russ Denson brings years of restaurant franchisee and management experience to the Covington Jimmy John’s location. He invites anyone and everyone to experience the store’s revamped offerings. by MICHELLE FLOYD
Covington residents continue to enjoy freaky fast subs from Jimmy John’s, as the restaurant specializes in favorites like the Big John with Jimmy Peppers and a side of Jimmy Chips or a Club Lulu with Kickin’ Ranch and a whole pickle. “I go there once or twice a week at least,” said Becky Gregg, who works at Peachtree Lighting near the U.S. 278 location. “I’ve been going there since they opened. It’s a convenient location for me, but I love their bread and just their sandwiches— period.” Sometimes, Gregg has her sub sandwich delivered at work, while at others, she orders it for pickup through the drive-thru line. She considers the No. 1—The Pepe Little John with Jimmy Peppers and barbecue Jimmy Chips—her favorite combo. “I like going there,” Gregg said. “The people there are always very friendly.” Russ Denson took over the Covington location in March 2022 after having owned the Milledgeville franchise since July 2019. The Gray resident started out in the restaurant business working at Chick-fil-A but did not want to move out west to become a restaurant owner. After a stint in the insurance business, he helped open the Milledgeville store with some friends and eventually became owner.
“I’ve been going there since they opened. It’s a convenient location for me, but I love their bread and just their sandwiches—period.” Customer, Becky Gregg
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“If I knew Covid was coming, I probably wouldn’t have done it,” said Denson, who grew up in Macon and later lived in Atlanta for 10 years, “but we made it work.” After his Milledgeville store became profitable, he began looking for another location and heard about the possibility of Covington being for sale. Even though he had only visited the city a handful of times, he felt it would be the best next spot for him. “It’s a great location, and we love Covington; it’s a lot of fun,” said Denson, who splits his time between the two stores, visiting each of them two or three times a week, depending on what’s happening at a given location. “For me, it’s hard to run a successful business if you’re not there to put your personal stamp on it and show customers and staff that you care.”
Denson boasts that most of his staff are local to Covington and Conyers. Some of the newest menu items are chicken wraps (one of Denson’s favorites) and chicken subs. Aside from go-to items like the Beach Club and Jimmy Cubano, meat-and-bread-only Plain Slims and a variety of sides and desserts are available. Denson calls his current general manager, Phaidatu Adam, or P.A., “phenomenal.” The Africa native has been in the United States for 18 years, having spent 15 of them working at Jimmy John’s. “She runs the store better than I’ve ever seen any Jimmy John’s run,” Denson said. “She is a blessing. I can’t tell you how lucky I am to have her.” 3283 Hwy 278 NE Covington, GA 30014 678-712-6981 2024 Winter Issue 53
LIVING
Read stories by Brian Knapp.
Guest Relations
Ron Carter shares a passion for his hometown with many of the 700,000-plus visitors who make Newton County a chosen destination on an annual basis. The Covington Welcome Center coordinator plays a pivotal role in the area retaining its Hollywood of the South designation. by BRIAN KNAPP
Ron Carter rolls out the red carpet with a warm smile, a hearty handshake and a genuine adoration for his hometown. More than 700,000 guests descend upon downtown Covington annually, and for many of them, Carter provides their first impression of the small southern community in which he was raised. The Covington Welcome Center coordinator greets visitors with infectious positive energy, a treasure trove of information and wealth of insider knowledge. “A first impression is the most important thing you can ever do for anyone,” Carter said. “You get one time to do it. That’s it. They have to know they are the most important person that ever walked into the center. We’re so happy that they’re here.” Tourism has become a booming business and economic generator for Covington and Newton County over the course of the past three-plus decades, much of it attributable to the television and film industry. “A Man Called Peter” put the area on the map when it premiered in April 1955, but everything changed with a pair of television series in the 1970s and 1980s: “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “In the Heat of the Night.” Downtown Covington, with its picturesque Square, iconic clock tower and surrounding antebellum-era architecture, has been a preferred destination for location scouts ever since. Community leaders like Tamara Richardson, Dick James and Clara Deemer
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“He pours his heart and soul into his job.” Ken Malcom had the foresight to capitalize on the opportunity, as they identified needs, made necessary connections with movers and shakers and created the welcome center through the Newton County Chamber of Commerce. Carter credits Deemer’s efforts, in particular, for luring producers and directors to the area. “Clara’s the one who really instigated film tourism for us,” he said. “We were actually the first camera-ready community in Georgia. Because of her contacts with the state, we’re basically the first phone call that they’re going to make when they’re looking for locations.” Carter was hired on a part-time basis in 2002 and was later promoted to regional visitor information center director. He was named coordinator in 2020, when the center transferred funding from the chamber of commerce and was placed under the auspices of the City of Covington. It was an ideal fit. “He pours his heart and soul into his job,” said Ken Malcom, community development director for the city. “I’ve never met anyone as dedicated to the mission of an organization as Ron. He cares so deeply for people in general, and it shows anytime a new guest walks through our door.” Funding for the center— open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.—comes entirely through a local hotel/motel sales tax largely shouldered by tourists and film crews.
“Spending here from visitors is just amazing,” Carter said. “No tax dollars go to us from residents, but we end up saving every property owner in Newton County over $200 a year in property taxes. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you think of all the property owners in our county, it adds up very quickly. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, actual visitor spending in 2022 topped $115 million just here in Newton County.” 2024 Winter Issue 55
LIVING
More than 170 movies and television shows have now been filmed in Newton County. They include “Friday the 13th Part VI,” “Prisoners,” “Remember the Titans,” “The Walking Dead” and “Sweet Magnolias.” Celebrity sightings have become commonplace around the community, from the late Carroll O’Connor and Patrick Swayze to Will Ferrell, Denzel Washington and Dolly Parton. People from all over the globe have made Newton County a vacation destination. “I’ve actually had to look countries up that I’d never heard of before,” Carter said, “so I’m getting a geography lesson, as well as just enjoying my job.” In September 2009, the game changed yet again. “The Vampire Diaries”—a television series based on the L.J. Smith book—premiered on The CW, featured 171 episodes across eight seasons and spawned two spinoffs: “The Originals” and “Legacies.” Set in the fictional Mystic Falls, Virginia, it introduced an entirely new audience to Covington and reshaped The Square, where businesses like Mystic Falls Tours
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and Mystic Grill continue to thrive. Fans of the original show, which starred Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev, are a driving force behind the area’s latest tourism boon. “We will easily top 100,000 guests coming into the welcome center this calendar year,” Carter said. “Of those 100,000 people, I would say conservatively 75 to 80% are ‘Vampire Diaries’ fans.” With memorabilia from “The Vampire Diaries” as a centerpiece, the Covington Welcome Center opened a film-and-television museum in April 2021. Some of the pieces on display include the car Somerhalder drove on “The Vampire Diaries,” a General Lee stunt car door from “The Dukes of Hazzard, the Welcome to Sparta sign from “In the Heat of the Night,” various screen-used props and countless autographed movie posters. It serves as a shrine of sorts to all Covington and Newton County has experienced in its emergence as Hollywood of the South. At the center of it all sits Carter, a 1984 graduate of Newton County High School who adores his hometown and relishes the opportunity to share it with whomever walks through the door. Through him and others like him, tourists develop a love of their own for the community. “One of the best things for us is that visitors, on a daily basis, many times a day actually, come in, and one of the first things out of their mouths is, ‘Everyone here is so nice,’” Carter said. “When you have people from all over the world, that’s just an amazing thing to see.” Every day brings a renewed vigor for the job. “It’s just so amazing to drive around The Square, even at night, and see so many people walking around with their Scoops ice cream or just sitting at the park enjoying the beauty that we have here. That’s one thing that I try to tell people, residents and visitors alike. We’re very fortunate. We have everything you could ever imagine.”
2024 Winter Issue 57
LIVING
Read stories by Brian Knapp.
PICKING UP THE PIECES John Bryant was bitten by the collector’s bug as a child, when his mother’s post-World War II-era figurines and the glimmer of precious metal caught his wandering eye. Decades later, his own collection spans upwards of 50,000 items. by BRIAN KNAPP
Five booths, one right next to the other, at the Antiques & Stuff mall in Covington provide some insight into the organized chaos that has come to define John Bryant as a real-life American picker. Rare coins, baseball cards, advertising signs, pocket knives, fishing rods, classic toys and various tools are all part of a complicated hodgepodge with the simplest of roots. The married 74-year-old father of three estimates he has north of 50,000 items in his personal collection. It can all be traced to his mother, a few of her Occupied Japan figurines and one particular $5 gold piece that caught his eye when he was 4 years old. “Many of the figures were made to look like a colonial woman or a colonial man,” Bryant said. “Sometimes, it was two figures on one base or even three or four, but usually, it was a single figure, and it would be a man or a woman or a child or a dog, a bench with a dog beside it, just anything you can imagine that was like a mini sculpture. It was all porcelain or ceramic. After World War II, Japan, like Germany and Italy, was closely scrutinized as to everything they did. “Part of that was to have everything that was made in Japan had to be stamped or designated ‘Occupied Japan’ because Japan was, in fact, occupied by the United States and Allied Forces as kind of overseers,” he added. “During that period, six or seven years there up through 1952, everything coming out of Japan for resale had to be labeled ‘Occupied’ to designate the fact that they were still occupied.”
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A Lawrenceville native, Bryant grew up in Cave Spring, a small town of roughly 1,000 people situated 17 miles southwest of Rome. The only son—he had four sisters—of Frank and Lucy Bryant, he took notice of the lengths his mother took to preserve the items she collected. It made an impression on him at a young age. “My mom didn’t have a big collection,” Bryant said. “She might have had a couple dozen pieces, but it stuck with me because of the respect she showed it—respect being that she didn’t just leave it sitting out for the kids to play with. She kept it in cabinets or whatever. I guess that’s how I got my first appreciation of something collectible.” Today, the Occupied Japan figures and the $5 gold piece remain at the center of Bryant’s own collection. His mother, a schoolteacher, had him earn the valuable coin by learning to spell “encyclopedia” at the age of 4, then left it to him upon her death. “She had saved it all those years. I was 48 when I got it,” Bryant said. “It looked like new the day I looked at it and wanted it, and it looks like new today.” Such memories carry no price tag. They are nods to a bygone era and a much simpler time. While he buys, sells and collects a little bit of everything, Corvettes hold a special place in his heart. He recalls a high school friend who had a black 1967 Fastback Corvette with a 427-cubic-inch engine. “It was a big deal to see who was going to be his riding partner on Saturday night, cruising all the
“I can spin a yarn about as good as anybody.” John Bryant 2024 Winter Issue 59
LIVING
drive-ins and the burger joints,” Bryant said. “It was a beautiful car and it ran like a rocket, and he took care of it.” He was hooked for life. “It went from there to loving anything to do with Corvettes,” Bryant said. “I couldn’t tell you how many T-shirts I have. I don’t know. I don’t even know where they all are now. I’ve given a lot of them away to my kids.” Bryant’s love affair with one of the Chevrolet fleet’s crown jewels now takes the form of an extensive collection of model Corvettes. “I have the plastic models that you build yourself and also have die-cast,” he said. “I have anything from the small ones the size of Hot Wheels up to some that are 1:6 scale. Like somebody who loves to play golf, they buy all the latest golf equipment, or somebody who loves the Georgia Bulldogs, they get season tickets and they wear sweatshirts and all that. It was the same thing with me, except it happened to be Corvette.” Work and the desire to be closer to his ailing father brought Bryant to Newton County in 2001. A steady job kept him in the area, even in the wake of his father’s death three days after the 9/11 attacks. Bryant retired from Sonoco in Conyers after having spent nearly half a century in the packaging and manufacturing industries. When not assisting his wife with the care of his in-laws in Alabama, he can be found at auctions, yard sales or meandering through the aisles at Antiques & Stuff, maintaining old friendships or creating new ones.
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“I can spin a yarn about as good as anybody,” he said. “I love talking to people that like to not just listen but interact and talk back. I love talking to people here in the store, especially about the older things. I usually come down at two or three o’clock in the afternoon and stay either until closing or close to it. I try to help out as much as I can. Even though I’m older, I’m still a pretty good-sized guy, so if the ladies can’t handle the heavy pieces of furniture… that kind of thing. That’s one reason I hang out. The other reason is I just like hanging out down here.”
LIVING
“I consider Caldo de Res to be the ultimate Mexican comfort food.” Ruthie Gomez
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Read what else is cooking.
W H AT ’ S CO O K I N G
Ruthie’s Caldo de Res by RUTHIE GOMEZ
I consider Caldo de Res to be the ultimate Mexican comfort food. When I was a child, our extended family lived in Mexico. We only got to see them once or twice a year during school breaks and missed them terribly between visits. We would travel to Mexico every holiday season, and when we walked into my grandparents’ house, this is the meal that was waiting on us. It is still a family favorite. If I hear that someone is making Caldo de Res, I’m cancelling all my plans and showing up for dinner. It’s the kind of food that brings people together, and each person can customize his or her bowl with the listed condiments.
INGREDIENTS • 3–4 pounds of beef shank, with bone • 3 ears of fresh corn, shucked and cut into 2–3 pieces • 1 medium onion, diced • 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced • 2 carrots, chopped into large pieces • 2 chayote squash, peeled and chopped in large pieces • 2 zucchini, chopped into medium cubes • 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped in medium pieces • 1 cube “Caldo de Res” flavor bouillon • Salt to taste • 2 chipotle chilis (from a can) CONDIMENTS (SERVED ON THE SIDE) • Fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped in small pieces • Cilantro, finely chopped • Raw onion, diced
RICARDO AND CHANA GOMEZ
DIRECTIONS 1. Place the beef in a large stock pot and cover with approximately 4 to 6 cups of water, so that the water is about one inch above the meat. Bring to a boil and boil for about 40 minutes. Do not be alarmed by the foamy substance that’s released. Simply skim it off and discard. 2. Keeping the beef in the pot, add the carrots, corn, onion, and garlic. Stir in the “Caldo de Res” bouillon cube and the chipotle peppers. 3. Return to a boil, cover, and simmer at a low boil for about 35–40 min. One way to see if the potatoes are ready to add is by feeling if the carrots are close to being tender. If they are, add the potatoes, chayote and zucchini. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes. After the potatoes are tender, it is ready to serve. 4. Ladle into large bowls, and serve alongside the condiments. 2024 Winter Issue 63