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OCTOBER 2018

Experience

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RIVERSIDE PHARMACY

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Personalized care at the oldest pharmacy in Hall County.

BILLINGSLEY HOME

5 BEST BARBECUE JOINTS

A renovated Louisiana plantation-style home brings the Southern charm. Hall County’s finest smoked pork, ribs, chicken and even hamburgers.

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CALENDAR

Cheryl Smith works to bring the world to Georgia’s wine country. A place where grieving parents can find solace.

Remembering the legacy this entrepreneur left behind. Photos and recaps of some of the biggest happenings. Plan your weekends around your favorite events.

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DIRECTOR OF CONTENT Shannon Casas FEATURES EDITOR Nick Bowman GENERAL MANAGER Norman Baggs ADVERTISING SALES Leah Nelson, Director of Revenue Bernadette Mastracchio Jenna Wellborn Megan Lewis Trent Sexton Debra Cates

CREATIVE SERVICES Kerri Ivie, Manager Chelsea Sunshine, Ad Design Indigo Whatley, Ad Design

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43 Manuscripts, artwork, photography, inquiries and submitted materials are welcome. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Metro Market Media Inc. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Metro Market Media cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. HOME: Living in North Georgia reserves the right to refuse advertisements for any reason. Acceptance of advertising does not mean or imply the services or product is endorsed or recommended by HOME: Living in North Georgia.

PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Rogers Austin Steele CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JK Devine Pamela A. Keene Amber Tyner Layne Saliba Michael Lancaster Jeff Gill HOME MAGAZINE, A DIVISION OF The Times Gainesville, GA A Metro Market Media Inc. property 345 Green St. | Gainesville, GA 30501 | 770-532-1234

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BUSINESS

RIVERSIDE PHARMACY PRIDES ITSELF ON FAMILY FEEL, DEEP ROOTS IN GAINESVILLE A pharmacist counts pills.

For more than 64 years, people across Gainesville and Northeast Georgia have relied on Riverside Pharmacy for its personal service, welcoming attitude and expert knowledge.

Elisha Whelchel counts out pills at Riverside Pharmacy.

By Pamela A. Keene For HOME Magazine Founded Jan. 6, 1954, by long-time Gainesville residents Joanne Adams and Charlie Johnson, in many ways Riverside has stayed the same. In others, it’s changed and weathered the challenges of remaining a neighborhood independent pharmacy in a world of national chains. It opened next to Green’s Grocery on Riverside Drive, where it was located for its first 50 years; in 2004, the business moved to its current store at 935 Green St., across from City Park. “We are proud of our family atmosphere here and our long relationship with Gainesville and Northeast Georgia,” said current owner Scottie Barton, 44, who began his work there in 1992 as a delivery guy. These days, he’s in charge. “It’s really like a family here,” he said. “We know our customers by name. Someone once said we’re like the ‘Cheers’ of pharmacies. We’re the oldest independent pharmacy in Hall County.” About 25 years ago, pharmacist Wayne Gee took over ownership of Riverside Pharmacy. He had been working there since 1964. He became Barton’s mentor, urging him to go to pharmacy school as a nontraditional student. Barton and his wife, Kelley, had just married in 2002. Four years later, he graduated from

Wayne Gee, a pharmacist at Riverside Pharmacy, began working there in 1964, became owner about 25 years ago and then sold the business to Scottie Barton several years ago. Photos by Scott Rogers.

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Wayne Gee, left, is a pharmacist and former owner of Riverside Pharmacy in Gainesville. He mentored Scottie Barton, who owns the business now.

Mercer University’s School of Pharmacy in Atlanta. “Wayne has truly been my mentor all these years, and when he wanted to retire several years ago, he sold Riverside Pharmacy to me,” Barton said. “He still works here about 20 hours a week. I guess you could say that our history covers three generations of Gainesville natives. The 4,000-square-foot space comprises the pharmacy and a retail gift shop. Retail items include personalized monogramming for shirts, wallets, bags and purses, and a broad selection of $1 greeting cards. Riverside Pharmacy also operates

a gift shop at Lanier Village. Its 21 staff include four pharmacists, eight pharmacy technicians, three delivery staff, plus retail staff. Riverside Pharmacy offers a number of services, including free delivery, individual bubblepack prescription refills and vaccinations. It is a compounding pharmacy, which means it can prepare prescriptions customized for individual patient needs. Community partnerships with several area nonprofits provide community outreach. It works with the Partnership for Gynecological Cancer

Support, Good News at Noon shelter, and area assisted living facilities. Donations are also made to the sports programs at area high schools. “You’ve got to give back,” Barton said. “We try to do community outreach when we can. God put us here to serve.” Family is important to Barton. He and his wife, a teacher at Lula Elementary School, have five children. They live in Lula. Riverside Pharmacy has its own Facebook page, plus an Instagram presence. It also has an app: myGNP, and uses texts and emails to keep in touch with clients. October 2018 | HOME | 9

“You’re not just a Riverside Pharmacy at number here,” Barton said. 935 Green St. in Gainesville was “Come in and give us a founded Jan. 6, 1954. try, and after you’ve been here a couple of times, we’ll know you. And with us, there are no long waits to get your prescriptions filled; we usually get people in and out in about 5 to 10 minutes. We have a great staff here. And we are really grateful for our clients — our faithful followers.” Riverside Pharmacy is open 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Riverside Pharmacy is For more information about Riverside part of Good Neighbor Pharmacy, a national Pharmacy, visit www.callriversidepharmacy.com wholesale network of more than 4,500 independent pharmacies across the country. or call 770-532-6253.

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HOME & GARDEN

SOUTHERN COMFORT BILLINGSLEY FAMILY RENOVATES PLANTATION-STYLE HOME By Amber Tyner Sara and Jacob Billingsley hadn’t gotten far in their search for a new home when one “just fell into” their lap. “We weren’t really looking for a house,” Sara, 36, said. “We just signed up to get emails when stuff met our criteria.” After looking at one of those emails, the couple immediately fell in love with a replica of a Louisiana plantation house, a 12 | HOME | October 2018

style that is often two stories with a veranda on the second. They said they put an offer in the first day they viewed the 5,600-square-foot home in Gainesville. “You could see the potential it had,” Jacob, also 36, said. They soon became the second owners of the house, which was built in 1976 and has five bedrooms and 4.5 baths. The Billingsleys were looking

for something with a bigger yard for their children, which is why they initially wanted to move. “In addition to the yard, we were looking for maybe a little bit more privacy,” Jacob said. “This house definitely offered that. Plus, with three young boys, we needed more space.” The family purchased the home and the 2.5 acres it sits on in April 2017 but made a few renovations before officially

The kitchen in the Billingsleys’ home was swapped with the dining room, which is now off to the left, allowing the kitchen to flow directly into the living room, where dog, Thatch, relaxes on a sofa. Photos by Scott Rogers.

“It had great bones,” Sara said. “It just needed to be updated. Pretty much we’ve touched every room, every surface in this house.”

moving in February. “It had great bones,” Sara said. “It just needed to be updated. Pretty much we’ve touched every room, every surface in this house.” A wide staircase now leads to the second-story wrap-around porch and front door. “It looks completely different than what it looked like,” Jacob said. Inside, many of the features keep with the traditional look, such as floral wallpaper in many rooms and the use of tile in the kitchen and bathroom. With the help of Lori Carter, architectural designer, the couple made some changes like switching the kitchen and dining room.

“We flipped it just because today, people like the open concept, and when the house was built that’s not what people wanted.” Now, their kitchen flows straight into the living room. “We need an area where we can all be,” Jacob said. They also personalized the kitchen, adding an island as well as a custom wooden hood over a range from France. “The company is Lacanche,” Sara said of the range. “One side is gas (and) one side is electric. They have a lot of different color options and different configurations for the oven and different sizes. They have a ton of models.”

The master bathroom was expanded and features a clawfoot tub and hexagonal tile. All of the bathrooms in the home were refinished. The kitchen features a farmhouse sink, something Sara Billingsley had wanted since college. Sara and Jacob Billingsley added an island to their kitchen where they can talk with their children while cooking. The kitchen also features a custom hood over of the range.

October 2018 | HOME | 13

TOP: The Billingsleys had a wide staircase added to the front of their Lousiana-style plantation home. It featured a spiral staircase to the side when they purchased the home in Gainesville. MIDDLE: A spacious wraparound deck on the second story offers views of the backyard and Lake Knickerbocker. BOTTOM: Floral wallpaper is used in many of the rooms, including this dark blue floral print, which contrasts with the white board and batten below. A picture hanging on the wall was a wedding gift to her parents.

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The couple also added a new laundry room and pantry and refinished all the bathrooms. “All the windows and doors were replaced,” Jacob added. “(And) all the lighting.” But while renovating, Sara said she wanted to maintain the feel of the home. “When we were renovating it, we wanted to respect the bones of the house and the Southern roots of the home when we were decorating.” She described her decor as “Southern, comfortable and warm.” “I want the stuff that I put in our house to have meaning,” she said. “My grandmother is a huge influence on my design. She had wonderful taste. I always think about what memory something sparks for me, whether it’s with my grandparents or something we’ve done or something that our family likes to do. “I think it helps give people, when they walk in your house, a feeling of who you are, and it makes them feel comfortable.” She incorporates memories throughout the three-story house, like a plate from her grandmother’s wedding in the dining room and even beds in the guestroom that were originally from her grandparents’ beach house. “I just changed the color,” she said about the two twin beds. “I hated them when we were little, but I love them now.” And while they have a few more projects left, such as screening in their back porch and adding a garage, the couple is happy with the home they created. “I think it’s exceeded our expectations — the quality of living out here,” Sara said. “This is just a really great house to grow into.”

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TASTE OF HOME

5 BEST BARBECUE

JOINTS IN HALL COUNTY OR, AT LEAST, OUR FIVE FAVORITES Pork butts sit in the smoker at Smoke House Barbecue in Oakwood.

Rae Vaughan slices bananas for banana pudding. Photos by Nick Bowman.

Don’t let Chicken City fool you, the good people of Gainesville & Hall County know their way around some barbecue. 16 | HOME | October 2018

By Nick Bowman Dry rubs, sweet sauces, dripping ribs, hot chicken with smoked and crispy skin wrapping juicy dark meat and all the pork butt anybody could handle — here are a few of the best locally owned shops (in no particular order) to grab a solid plate of barbecue in the county.

Smoke House BBQ This beloved Oakwood shop is a women-owned and women-operated shop — a rare find in the sweaty, smokey work that is barbecue. Rae Vaughan and her mother, Wayne Vaughan, own Smoke House BBQ, and Rae runs the restaurant with her team starting at 11 a.m. six days a week.

The shop smokes all of its meat overnight for about 12 hours and specializes in classic Southern pork barbecue, but the team throws just about anything over the hickory. “Georgia really doesn’t have what you call Georgia-style barbecue,” Rae said. “We’re kind of a melting pot because we pull from the Carolinas, the Kansas area, from Alabama, so we kind of get a little bit of everything.” Smoke House’s meat is dry-rubbed, smoked and served with sauce on the side. And like the meat itself, the sauce comes from all over. The restaurant serves a Kansas-style sweet, a “sweet heat,” Carolina vinegar and an Alabama white sauce. If you’re looking to try something a little different, go for the beef shoulder. It’s braised right in the smoker for a beef flavor that is more Southern than Texan. “Think of it as a Sunday pot roast that’s smoked,”Vaughan said. For the first-timer in the shop (if any of you actually exist), she recommends you grab a pork plate, a cup of Brunswick stew and some macaroni and cheese. You might also try some banana pudding. Smoke House BBQ is still settling into its new digs on Atlanta Highway.

Coming up on its fifth year, Sherry’s Bait and Barbecue remains the most recent arrival to Hall County’s barbecue scene. It’s owned by Terry and Sherry Richards. The restaurant is named for Terry’s three loves: his wife, fishing and barbecue. The shop covers the usual regional styles but has a few curveballs: It smokes a brisket over hickory, combining the Texas cut of choice with Southern smoke (classic brisket is smoked over oak), and the Richards smoke a tritip cut of beef in a central California style. Sherry’s Bait and Barbecue shines with its ribs, which are smoked overnight, wrapped in foil and served falling off the bone. But the restaurant has an off-menu item that is one of Terry’s favorites: competition-style ribs. If you call ahead, you can get a rack smoked to order. Unlike regular ribs, competition-style ribs hold onto more of their juices and tug at the bone, making them a little less tender but a more meaty rib. If you’ve never been to the shop, Terry recommends you try the classic plate: a pulled pork sandwich, slaw and beans (both made inhouse). If you’re a barbecue snob, give the threemeat plate a shot to see how the pork, beef and chicken stack up together.

Sherry’s Bait and Barbecue

Johnny’s BBQ

Past the Dawsonville Highway bridge over Lake Lanier as you leave Gainesville sits a barbecue place that — as the name suggests — is the fisherman’s one-stop shop before a day on the lake.

Johnny’s BBQ has been fogging up Cleveland Highway with its mighty hickory smoke for more than 25 years. Pork and chicken run the show at this roadside staple north of Gainesville, from classic Southern pulled pork drizzled with the restaurant’s original barbecue sauce to downright healthy (relatively speaking) rotisserie chicken wings. But though Tharpe and Judy Ward are smoking pork, they’re not smoking butts or shoulders. Instead, they opt for whole hams — 25 pound legs that have a whiter meat and plenty of flavor.

Sherry, left, and Terry Richards opened Sherry’s Bait and Barbecue almost five years ago.

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“Once we pull it, pick and chop it, it’s really lean. You won’t find any fat in it,”Tharpe said, waving to the black, fiery-hot box holding the hams. “These will smoke all day and then we’ll put on six to 12 tonight.” Johnny’s chicken is put through a rotisserie smoker, and it’s one of the few barbecue places around that serves up both white and dark meat. Most shops avoid white meat because, while it’s moist right out of the smoker, you might be able to patch drywall with it after it’s sat for a while. But not at Johnny’s, where chicken is served by the half or the quarter, dark or white meat. If you’ve never stopped by at the Wards’ restaurant, Tharpe recommends the pork plate with Brunswick stew, slaw and beans.

Moonie’s Texas Barbecue If you’re looking for barbecue straight out of central Texas, Moonie’s in Flowery Branch or Gainesville is the place to go. Owned by Jason and Brooke Martin, the shops on Atlanta Highway in South Hall and John Morrow Parkway in Gainesville rely on Jason’s Austin roots (and a whole lot of white oak) to sling the meanest brisket in the county. By rubbing their brisket with salt and pepper, wrapping it in butcher paper and smoking it through the night over white oak, Moonie’s turns one of the toughest cuts of cow into a dripping, juicy, salty, tender slab of barbecue. The couple and their crew rely on white oak for a mild smoke that lets the beef do the talking on the plate. “Hickory and mesquite are more of a bitter wood — you can get a lot more smoke flavor, where oak is kind of a medium-to-mild wood where you taste more of the meat instead of the smoke,” Jason told The Times after

Tharpe Ward’s rotisserie smoked chicken wings have been a staple of Johnny’s Barbecue.

the opening of his Gainesville location in 2017. The brisket at Moonie’s comes two ways thanks to the cut itself. Brisket has a lower, leaner portion that makes up the majority of the cut and an upper cap that is fattier and, when it comes out of the smoker, juicy to the point of falling apart. Creamed corn, mac ‘n cheese, brisket chili (and don’t go looking for beans, because there are no beans in chili), and Brunswick stew round out the menu as premium sides. And, being in the South, Moonie’s serves pulled pork, chicken and sausage — all smoked over the same white oak.

The Hickory Pig

Rustic? Ramshackle? A little random? Phil Beaubien’s restaurant, The Hickory Pig is all of the above.

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You’ve never met anyone like Phil Beaubien, proprietor of The Hickory Pig. In his 70s, Phil is about as likely to drop and show you his push-up regimen (he’s in top shape and doesn’t go to the doctor, don’t you know) as take your order. If you ask for a business card, he’ll stamp you out a piece of cardboard, slice it into a rough rectangle with some scissors and hand it over. His roadside shack has been a favorite of the Atlanta magazine writer looking for an out-of-the-way, eclectic barbecue joint.

And with a roadside shop in the mysterious place between rustic and ramshackle, The Hickory Pig fits the bill. Phil has been written up in Southern Living, Atlanta Magazine and Garden and Gun. “It’s a little dumpy looking place, a little, tiny place, but somehow I’ve survived,” he said. For the past 30 years, Phil has been smoking pork, ribs and burgers around the back of his shack on Thompson Bridge Road. Pork you can get all week long, Phil said, but you’ll have to stop by over the weekend to catch some of his ribs. And then there is The Hickory Pig hamburger. When you think of burgers, the smoker is likely not the first cooking method to come to mind. But hear Phil out. At $4 a pop, fresh-ground beef is smoked over the same hickory that handles the pork. The patty is laid on a hot bun with ketchup, mustard, pickles and nothing else. It’s a presentation Phil said he picked up from one Truett Cathy, of whom you have probably heard. If you’re not up for a burger but want to give something a shot at the The Hickory Pig, Phil recommends a sandwich and a Brunswick stew.

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Weekend Mountain Getaways

LEFT: Mac Cavanaugh carries Butters, his adult male Burmese python. MIDDLE: Summer Colston writes the dayâ€™s sides and specials out front of the Clayton Cafe RIGHT: View of Downtown Clayton Photos by Nick Bowman.

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A SLICE OF THE GOOD LIFE IN CLAYTON By Nick Bowman Sipping a beer, leaning back from the sharp, clean table at Fortify Pi, the pizza place along Clayton’s main drag, a thought occurs: Who needs Atlanta? Hall County first belonged to North Georgia and to the hills before it felt the gravity of The Sprawl and became Atlanta’s Pluto — floating around out on the outer rim, nobody sure whether the county or at least its southern parts should be part of the metro area. Not to be too unkind to The ATL, which has radiated the healing light of economic prosperity into North Georgia. The towns, wineries, restaurants and institutions of the mountains can thank Atlanta and its deep pockets for sparing them from the doldrums along the rest of the rural Appalachians. But we’re not here to talk economics; we’re here to talk about the glories of Clayton, a town of 2,200 tucked between North Carolina and Tennessee about an hour’s drive north of Gainesville following Cornelia Highway. As the leaves turn and the heat abates, Clayton is not to be missed for the Gainesville family looking to get into the mountains. But budget a weekend for this trip — you can’t eat, shop and walk your way through this town in a day without putting your life in danger. And now that you know how to get there and how much time you’ll need, let’s dig in. Clayton’s downtown blooms from the intersection of Main and Savannah streets, forming an old-town strip dotted with restaurants, antique shops, boutiques and the goliath retail operation that is the series of Reeves stores, which act as the community’s traditional general store selling everything from scented candles to farm seed — putting up a mighty fight against the big-box stores that have sprung up on the way into town. Main Street is where the action is on restaurants, bookended by Clayton Pharmacy in the south and Rumor Hazit, a seafood place with a funny name, in the north. Between them are Fortify Kitchen and Bar and Fortify Pi — the two restaurants that kicked off the culinary revival in downtown Clayton and which led the charge on Rabun County’s designation in 2015 as the farm-to-table capital of Georgia — Clark’s on Main, The Farm House (a doughnut and furniture shop, a combination that is as beautiful as it is nonsensical), the Clayton Cafe, The Wicked Pig, Universal Joint and probably some others. October 2018 | HOME | 21

Walking among them up and down Main Street, one is struck by another thought: Clayton is cool. It can be a rare feeling in the smallish towns of North Georgia and the pioneer chic they often wear. Towns often feel quaint, traditional, historic, fun, relaxing, educational — but cool? It’s a rare bird to find flitting among the trees in this forest. Clayton is cool. A Saturday spent in Clayton in early September started at The Farm House, the aforementioned dougnut-and-decor store, to kill some time before the restaurants along Main Street opened for lunch at 11 a.m.

Walking among them up and down Main Street, one is struck by another thought: Clayton is cool.

met while working at the Lake Rabun Hotel. Allred the chef and Nolan the manager have created a pair of restaurants whose roots have spread throughout downtown Clayton, carrying the nutrients of fine dining that have fortified Main Street. Fortify Pi was a clean, cool space full of sharp design and good smells. Instead of those little lousy flower glasses, diners will find upcycled chemistry beakers holding the ’mums as decoration for their table tops. For those who have spent any time overseas and have returned to find American pizza just good enough most of the time, sort of, Fortify Pi is the place for you. Pizza recipes like main street margherita, the bianca and the pesto aren’t just greasy cultural appropriation, but are true to classic combinations found overseas. (Full disclosure: This reporter lived in Vicenza, Italy, for two years and traveled back-and-forth for another four.) The crust was crunchy, charred in places, and perfect. The beer was cold and from nearby (and not too pricey, but not cheap, either), and the servers speedy. Fortify Pi, like all of Clayton, is a North Georgia pizza shop that is not to be missed. Lunch could have been had at Clark’s on Main, which is a sports bar sporting a brandnew rooftop bar (it’s very, very new. Unfinished drywall still lines the stairwell to the top of the restaurant) offering a panoramic view of downtown. Rumor Hazit was serving up fish, and barbecue was still smoking at The Wicked Pig. Bread and cheese was up for grabs at Fromage and Other Fine Foods, and the Clayton Cafe was whipping up some mean poppy seed chicken that day, according to server Summer Colston, who was busy scribbling the specials on a chalkboard

From the street, it’s not quite clear what the business nestled next to Clark’s is all about, but then one spots that holy word: doughnuts. The little fellas popping from the fryer behind the counter at the long, narrow shop will be a small surprise for Gainesville residents accustomed to wolfing down Danny’s — but don’t demur because of the size. The doughnuts come out hot and fried to a crispy shell that feels like biting into a doughnut-shaped creme brulee. They’re worth it, in other words. Stop in and see manager James Cash, who said the store is settling into the new space downtown after opening about six months ago. While you’re in, check out the decor and the furniture, which is also for sale in a couple of other spots around town. This Saturday in Clayton could have started with breakfast at the Clayton Cafe or the Rusty Bike, a big-bellied American Fortify Pi is serving wood-fired brick oven diner on the roadside coming into town, pizza in downtown Clayton rather than in downtown, or with coffee at White Birch Provisions — take the weekend, folks, it can’t be done in a day. Doughnut business settled, the doors of Fortify Pi were now open. This pizza shop is the second venture of Jack Nolan and Jamie Allred, who first opened Fortify Kitchen and Bar before launching the Fortify Pi next door. They

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on the sidewalk. Clayton deserves a weekend, in other words. Lunch finished, pavement was pounded up and down Main and Savannah streets. While a coach bus packing tourists pulled up and parked on a side street of downtown, the sidewalks weren’t choked with out-of-towners. There were even a few local characters to be found that Saturday, including one Mac Cavanaugh, who was toting his several-feet-long Burmese python around his neck and shoulders at the Main and Savannah streets intersection. It’s just a thing he does, Cavanaugh said with some nonchalance, taking his large constrictors around town to get some sun. There are other people worth knowing in Clayton: Barbara Hilson, wife of Noble Wine Cellars owner and winemaker Jabe Hilson. Barbara runs the family’s tasting room in downtown Clayton, talking guests through the wines and vines of the area. Her family’s vineyards produce big-bodied reds (give the chambourcin a shot if you’re in the area), and partners with several North Georgia businesses to fill up the tasting room. Then there’s Vickie Prater, who runs Prater Collectibles on Main Street. From the outside, the store looks like any other antique shop — shelves pushed up against windows and knick-knacks piled up near the front. But inside, most of the retail floor is dedicated to vintage postcards — a passion of the Prater family, who have used the brick-and-mortar store and a hearty eBay presence to keep the pastime alive. And Prater has it all, postcards from every state, many countries and from just about every town in Georgia. Gainesville postcards were found after just a couple of minutes’ worth of picking, and prices range from a buck to fivefigures (if you can believe it) depending on the rarity of the card. And it’s not just the people who are worth meeting. Clayton is nestled underneath Black Rock Mountain, a ridgeline heaving over the valley that’s part of a 1,700-acre state park to the north of Clayton. This might excite some more than others: The drive up to the state park that looks out over Clayton is wonderful. Dips and turns spread over a

steep climb can make for huge fun in a sporty car or a motorcycle — or a different kind of fun for the mean dad who gets a chuckle out of queasy kids. And with the drive over, the lookout at the state park waits for you. Make sure you pack a five dollar bill to cover parking or you’ll get a dirty look from the gate guard. The gruff treatment is worth it, however, as the views on a hot, hazy September day were difficult to overstate, but will be beyond belief as the leaves begin to turn this fall. Put Black Rock Mountain on your list. From the top of Black Rock Mountain, the Saturday in Clayton came to an end. It could have included a poking around of the Georgia Mountain Market, a trip to Tiger Mountain Vineyards or Stonewall Creek Vineyards just south of Clayton, or a nightcap at Universal Joint. In other words, it’s worth a weekend. Check out the hotels around Clayton or flip through the endless cottages, cabins and homes available on websites like AirBnb. Maybe the next time you’re thinking about a trip to Atlanta, head for the hills instead.

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A PIECE OF HEAVEN IN BLAIRSVILLE By Layne Saliba The car ride to Blairsville isn’t a very long one. Just over an hour away from the heart of downtown Gainesville, it’s the perfect daytrip for you and your family. Just hop on U.S. 129 and head north until you hit the mountains of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The winding roads and stops along the way are beautiful, so take it slow and enjoy the view and color of the leaves as they change. Also, take it slow because there are cyclists around every turn. The first stop you’ll want to make is at Vogel State Park. It’s about 10 miles before you get to downtown Blairsville and has everything you and the kids could ask for. Now, you could spend all day here and be perfectly happy with the camping, swimming, paddle boards and boats, hiking and putt-putt. But there’s so much more to see, so don’t wrap up after a few holes of mini-golf. With 17 miles of hiking trails, some of which lead to beautiful waterfalls, Vogel State Park is the place to be if you love the outdoors. It’s open daily 7 a.m to 10 p.m and costs $5 for parking. If you can pull the family away after a few hours at the park, you’ll have to refuel. That’s where The Griddle Cafe & Deli comes in. A 15-minute drive from Vogel, this joint is tucked in the corner of an unassuming strip of stores up on a hill at 19C Cobalt St. You’ll have to pass through downtown to get to it, but don’t worry, The view from Neels Gap outside of Blairsville on Sept. 8. Photos by Austin Steele.

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you’ll be going back there later. It’s reminiscent of the ’50s diner with red-andwhite striped tables, retro bar stools and a busy atmosphere. Breakfast is served all day, and The Griddle Cafe is known for pancakes as big as your plate. “Everybody likes the big portions,” said Karen Brendle, owner of the restaurant. You can get a single pancake for $3 or a stack of three for $5.25. Add two eggs, cooked any way you want, for $1.25 more. “They’re just great pancakes,” said William Mercer, a Blairsville resident who was at the restaurant with his wife, Cindy. “A lot better than the other places in town, that’s for sure.” “His mom is the best cook I’ve ever known,” Cindy chimed in. “So if he thinks a place has good food, it has good food, because he’s got high standards.” If you already had your breakfast before hitting the road, the bacon cheeseburger plate is the way to go. It’s an 8-ounce, ground chuck patty topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion, served with a pickle spear and tater tots, or substitute that for soup, salad or chili. The bacon on this burger is crisp, the cheese melted. The thickness of the burger is just right and fits the dense bun. The juicy patty is seasoned with salt and pepper, and for $8.25, the package beats most of the other boutique burgers in the price range. You’ll probably need to walk that off, so

Steve Odom, owner of Odom Springs Vineyards, checks on his grapes in Blairsville on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018.

heading to the Blairsville town square should be your next stop. You’ll find plenty of local shops to pass the time. One of the more unusual shops is The Shabby Peacock. You could spend all day with the clothing alone, but there are plenty of knick-knacks to check out, too. Need a wind chime? How about a tiara? The Peacock has you covered. Over at Blue Ridge Mountain Outfitters is everything you need to stock up for your next hike: jackets, shirts, packs and other gear. The staff knows what they’re talking about and can help you with any questions, even if you’re just browsing. That may not be your thing, and that’s OK because lucky for you, Blairsville has the Blue Ridge Cotton Co., too. A lot of what they offer are T-shirts and sweatshirts along with other gifts. Britt & Capri Women’s Boutique

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is another place to stop. Think Dress Up, but in Blairsville. Now it’s decision time: Take a 10-minute drive west to one of Blairsville’s wineries, Odom Springs Vineyards, or stay where you are on the town square and relax with coffee and dessert before heading home. If you’re the wine-drinking type, Odom Springs is where you’ll want to head. Keep an eye out for the sign or you’ll miss the long, gravel driveway that leads to the winery and its iron arch. The peaceful vineyard centers around a pond with a gazebo and pavilion on the bank. The porch on the back of the winery has tables and chairs for you to enjoy a taste of any of their wines for $1. Odom Springs grows its grapes on-site and makes the wine on-site, too. Their most popular wine is Homemade Sin. It’s a blended red wine of chambourcin and vidal. It’s sweetened and has hints of cherry and strawberries. You can take home a bottle for $19.95. “We started off in 2007 and planted 125 vines just to see if we could grow grapes,” said Steve Odom, co-owner of Odom Springs. “A couple years later we decided we could, and we expanded from there. Now we have about 8.5 acres, which is about 6,000 to 7,000 vines.” Truffles are available at Michaelee’s Italian Life Caffe.

Patrons enjoy Cabin Coffe Co.

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That may be a great spot to take your significant other or a group of friends, but if you’re with your family and you have small children, there are plenty of other options, too. And if you just finished shopping at the town square, you won’t even have to pack them up in the car. If the fall air is crisp and cool, Cabin Coffee Co. is there to warm you up. It’s one of the first things you see when you pull onto the town square, and when you walk in, it’s thrumming with locals. “I love it just because it’s a cool atmosphere,” said Madison Rich, a Brenau University student who grew up in Blairsville. “You can do homework or you can chill. It’s a good place to meet up with people, and it has a hometown feel. I really like their cold-brew coffee with hazelnut flavoring.” Their beans are roasted on site with a small, 2-pound roaster, ensuring the freshest bean-tocup product you’ll find anywhere nearby. They have all of your typical caffeine conveyors like lattes and cappuccinos, but they also have the Bellringer for those who need a wake-up call. It’s a cup of regular coffee with two shots of espresso. And if hot chocolate is more your thing, try out the Texas Turtle, made with dark Ghirardelli chocolate, caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream. If you can handle it, and want to treat the family before making that hour drive back home, The Cellar at Michaelee’s Italian Life Caffe is the place to go. It’s dimly lit, creating the perfect atmosphere to wrap up your day. On top of the main dishes served at the restaurant, Michaelee’s has become known for its rich desserts. In the dessert case, you’ll see the limoncello mascarpone cake, salted caramel cheesecake, chocolate kahlua toffee mousse cake and others. “We’ve always been known for our desserts,” said Mike Collins, co-owner of Michaelee’s. On the other side of the room, they have fresh fudge and truffles, too. And you can’t miss the gelato they have delivered from Milan, Italy, coming in flavors like dark chocolate, peanut butter cup, pistachio and Italian cherry, to name a few. Grab a piece of cake or cup of gelato to go and enjoy it on the winding roads as the sun sets on the mountains and you head back to Gainesville and real life.

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Bike Town USA owner Tom Hughes, right, stands with his son, Trent Hughes, at the Chicopee Woods Mountain Bike Trails. Photos by Nick Bowman.

GET RIGHT INTO THE FALL COLOR WITH

MOUNTAIN BIKING 28 | HOME | October 2018

RECREATION

FALL IS HERE. YOU CAN SMELL IT IN THE COOLING AIR. THE HUMIDITY HAS BECOME A LITTLE LESS LIKE SOUP. THERE’S AN INVITING CRISPNESS TO THE MORNING BREEZE PULLING US AWAY FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER, OUTSIDE, BACK INTO THE SUNSHINE. Nearly every mountain town is gearing up for the fall festivals for which our region is famous. People travel for miles to come marvel at our beautiful North Georgia mountains. At this time of year, Hogpen Gap Michael can feel a bit like Interstate 85 Lancaster at rush hour, only people are pushing their noses against the windshields of their slow-moving cars to peer at Mother Nature’s autumnal color. For anybody who has ridden a bicycle on our local trail systems, fall is Christmas, July Fourth, Labor Day and every other holiday rolled into one. Trail riders don’t want to merely marvel at the beauty of the landscape, we want to dive into it, wrap ourselves in the cooling embrace of the endless forest trails that are hidden from the gaze of motorists on scenic drives. It’s there, in all it’s flowing glory, right on our doorstep, and it’s pretty much free for all of us to use. Here in the Southeast, we are blessed with the perfect climate for trail riding. Our summers may be hot, but our fall is long, our winters mild and our spring comes quickly to shake off any stubborn arctic grip. Our trails are rarely closed. Summer forest fires are few. Snow closures are almost unheard of; when the trails are closed because of excessive rain, they are back open quickly, usually within a day. But now, now is the perfect time to ride. So where to start? Where are these wonderful trails? Well, the best place to start isn’t in the forest, it’s at your local bike shop. This is where you’ll find your best source of local information, not just on where to ride, but when and how, and oftentimes you’ll find someone to ride with, too. We have three wonderful bike shops in Gainesville: Biketown USA on Dawsonville Highway, Wrenched Bicycles on Broad Street and

Habersham Bicycles on Limestone Parkway. Any one of these shops is also a great place to start if you are nervous about getting out on the trails alone. Most bike shops organize rides where they introduce customers to the local trails. For example, Biketown USA has shop rides on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Chicopee Woods. Meet in the parking lot at the trailhead at 5:30 p.m. They are no-drop rides, meaning no one gets left behind. Wrenched Bicycles has regular group rides on Saturday mornings and Thursday nights, also riding out at Chicopee Woods. These rides are a great way for a newbie to get involved. It’s also a bonus to ride with a bike shop as there’s free info and advice on tap, and there’s usually a mechanic in the pack should anything break or need adjusting. And, talking of taps, Wrenched has a craft brew bar in the shop, too, to sate that after-ride thirst. Also, check out and join your local Southern Off Road Bicycle Association chapter. They are a locally based advocacy organization made up of local riders who build, maintain and advocate for our trails. You can even join a work party and find out how trails are built and maintained (a great way to meet other bike enthusiasts). Before you go into the woods there are a few essential pieces you must have: • A mountain/trail bike: If you have one, get it serviced before you ride. It’s better to find out what’s wrong in the shop than out on the trail. • A helmet: It’s not an option, it’s a must. It will protect your head if you fall and if you come across lowhanging branches. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but it has to be on your head. Don’t go ride without it. October 2018 | HOME | 29

• Plan on getting a flat. It may or may not happen, but plan for it anyway. Talk to your local bike shop about what you need depending on whether you have tubes in your tires or not. Every rider should carry a multitool with a 4 and 5 mil hex key, tire levers, a spare tube (the size is on the wall of your tire) and a pump or compressed air cartridge. • A chain link or power link, just in case your chain snaps: These little wonders cost a couple of bucks, but they’re worth their weight in gold should your chain give out miles from the trailhead. • Water, plenty of water: Even in the depths of winter, dehydration is an issue. It’s thirsty work pushing a bike up a hill. • A couple of power bars or PB&J sandwiches. You don’t want to run out of steam before you’ve stopped having fun. Optional extras are: • Padded bike shorts, although anyone who has suffered chafing will tell you they are essential. • Gloves, to reduce calluses and blisters. • Backpack with bladder to carry water with less hassle. Again, talk to your local bike shop; they really do have all the answers to your questions. However, you won’t know what you need until you get out there and give it a go. But where to ride, I hear you say. Well, we really are spoiled for choice when it comes to trail access in and around Gainesville. There is something for every skill level and every temperament all within easy reach. Some trails like the Chicopee Woods trail system and the University of North Georgia trail system are right on our doorstep, just off of Interstate 985 on Elachee Drive. Others such as Bull and Jake mountains or Yonah Preserve are a short 35-minute drive.

Pat Lennon talks with fellow cyclists at the Chicopee Woods Mountain Bike Trails during a group ride through the trail system.

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Yonah is a fantastic place for beginners to find their legs. It’s a multi-use (not just bikes), natural surface trail. There are over 7.5 miles of multidirectional trails to go at with another 20plus miles coming soon. Just half an hour away are Bull and Jake Mountain, located at the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Here you’ll find more than 50 miles of epic riding. There really is something for everyone here: red clay single-track, loose rocks, stream crossings and some harsh, when-does-itend climbing. The trail system also includes an International Mountain Bicycling Association “Epic” route that covers a good chunk of the whole trail system, which will test even the most advanced rider. Just down the road to our south, in Winder, is the Fort Yargo Mountain Bike trail system. It offers a good combination of flowing trails, tight twisty climbs and some epic descents. This place offers plenty of features to challenge the intermediate cross-country mountain bike rider. It also offers up some truly splendid scenery and lake views. To our north, just beyond Yonah, there is Unicoi State Park, where the trails offer steep, long climbs and fast descents with a few technical features. This is a great intermediate trail system with sweeping views and lush green fields. We haven’t even mentioned all the gravel paths that are opening up or what’s available further afield in Cherokee, the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Get out there, enjoy and let me know about your adventures.

CYCLING TRAILHEADS • Chicopee Woods MTB Trails Elachee Drive, Gainesville • UNG Trail System between Old Oakwood Road and Tumbling Creek Road, Gainesville • Bull and Jake Mountain Off Jones Creek Road, Lumpkin County • Yonah Preserve Trails Albert Reid Road, White County • Fort Yargo State Park 210 S Broad St., Winder • Unicoi State Park & Lodge Ga. 356, Helen CYCLING ORGANIZATIONS • Northeast Georgia SORBA: www.negasorba.org • North Georgia Mountain Bike Association: northgeorgiamountainbikeassociation.org • The Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association: sabacycling.com/bicycling

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CHERYL SMITH, TELLING THE STORY OF GEORGIA WINE By Nick Bowman For almost 30 years, Cheryl Smith has worked to bring the world to North Georgia wineries. If you found your way into a Dahlonega tasting room, coasted down a wine highway or got a good tip on your next trip to some far-flung winery in the mountains, send a thank-you to Smith, who has been getting the word out about Georgia wine since the long-gone days of travel agents and cheap airfare. In December, the ebullient advocate for Georgia wine will hit her 30th year with the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development — a career spanning five governors that has seen the Northeast Georgia wine industry (second in its tourism draw only to the formidable Lake Lanier) grow from two wineries to the dozens dotting the hills today.

Smith has been a frequent face at Georgia Wine Producers, the statewide organization of winemakers where she’s a board member. “All of us in the industry have devoted our lives and our fortunes to making Georgia wine a draw for all those seeking a bit of Georgia culture,” said Sharon Paul, owner of Three Sisters Vineyards near Dahlonega. “It never ceases to amaze me when people say ‘I had no idea that there was a Georgia wine country.’” Talking with Home magazine in September on the Gainesville square, Smith spoke of her career as senior tourism project manager for Northeast Georgia and the wineries that make the region home. Smith said each winery in the state is unique, but bringing the world to the region’s wineries, wasn’t Smith’s first career. Born in Atlanta, Smith got her start in the working world as a wandering nurse with her husband, Pete Smith, who now works as a news photographer for Channel 11. “We moved around a lot just kind of figuring out what we wanted to do in life,” Smith said of the early days. Nursing wasn’t to be, however, as the quicksmiling Smith found that caring for the sick was work that didn’t suit her. Looking for something new, she landed at Lake Lanier Islands’ former Pineisle Resort — a line of work she found she preferred. That revelation led the Smiths to South Carolina. “I went to Clemson University. I was (already) a nurse, but I got my degree in parks recreation and tourism management at Clemson,” she said. “That’s kind of how I got into it.” Her degree got her in the door at the growing tourism division of the Department of Economic Development in 1988, when the winemakers in Northeast Georgia were at Chateau Elan, Habersham Winery and Vineyards and in country backyards.

Photo by Scott Rogers

October 2018 | HOME | 33

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But since the founding fathers of North Georgia’s industry got their start — the late Don Panoz at Chateau Elan and Tom Slick at Habersham Winery — wine in the Peach State has grown up and developed a compelling story for Smith to tell the world. The root of Georgia wine has always been in the state’s native muscadine, the species of grape cultivated in North America since the 1500s, but has today branched into a wide and very scientific array of varieties and hybrids of American and European grapes. “In the north part of the state, you can grow French hybrids and American varietals. In the south part of the state, it’s all muscadine,” Smith said. But even the humble muscadine has grown up with Georgia wineries, where an increasing depth of expertise is figuring out how to add some complexity to the American classic. “The thing is, muscadine now is not like years ago where you maybe had a grandmother or grandfather making muscadine wine and it was super sweet,” Smith said. Chateau Elan winemaker Simone Bergese has especially embraced the muscadine and almost exclusively uses the grape on its grounds, pumping out vintages of “Muscadry” whites, roses and reds. Chateau Elan is “experimenting and doing so many different things” to bring muscadine out of your grandparents’ backyard patch and into the big leagues of winemaking, Smith said. To the north, winemakers are trying their hands at non-native styles of grapes. Smith said she’s a particular fan of Three Sisters’ Fat Boy Red — a blend of cynthiana-norton wine grapes, cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon — and one of the winery’s best sellers. Fat Boy was a creation of Sharon Paul’s husband, Doug Paul, who launched the winery with his wife in 1999. “This is one husky wine,” Doug Paul told The Times in 2010, when the Fat Boy brand was starting to make its mark. “Fat Boy embodies everything we love in a big, chewy, massive wine.” As the wine industry has branched into evermore-complex territory, the tools at its disposal have grown as well. Created to work with farmers and the agriculture industry, the University of Georgia Extension now employs a full-time viticulturist, Cain Hickey, whose job includes research into new varieties of grapes that might one day take root in Georgia soil.

“They plant experimental plots at various vineyards, and he works with a lot of vineyards to see what’s going to grow, what’s going to grow well, what’s going to be disease-resistant,” Smith said. “It’s been really important for the industry to have him in the state.” Life changed forever for prospective North Georgia winemakers in the early 1980s, when the Georgia General Assembly voted to allow farm wineries in the Peach State. Smith “saw very early on the importance” of agritourism and wineries in the region, said Habersham Winery manager Emily DeFoor, who called Smith a major cheerleader for the industry both with the public and with state lawmakers regulating the industry. “For us, it is our lifeblood,” DeFoor said of tourism business for small wineries. “Clearly we have a good local market and we sell in the grocery stores and things like that. But it truly is the lifeblood — now, a tremendous amount of those visitors and tourists come from the metro Atlanta market, but we get Florida and the surrounding states. “But it really makes us tick.” As with breweries, which are often started in renovated industrial space that otherwise would be underused or vacant (see Gainesville’s Left Nut Brewing Co.), wineries beautify the places where they exist. “The one thing I love about it is vineyards keep the region aesthetically beautiful, scenic,” Smith said. “It’s beautiful, and then you get the experience of going to the tasting room and meeting either the vineyard owner or the manager; they help educate you, and you learn things about the wine. It’s an educational experience and not just an experience.” Between the law change, economic growth in Atlanta and a growing American appetite for craft beverages, Georgia’s wine industry has grown from just two wineries in Northeast Georgia in 1988 to more than 25 in 2018. Fueling all of this growth are the tourists and wine enthusiasts who read a story, see an ad or hear from a friend about Georgia wine. “Cheryl has been a staunch advocate for Georgia wine and Georgia Grown as long as I’ve known her,” said Sharon Paul. “She somehow magically appears at all big events involving wine. I don’t know what she drives, but she logs a lot of miles!”

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CHARITY

Photo courtesy Rock Goodbye Angel

GRIEVING TOGETHER ROCK GOODBYE ANGEL PROVIDES OUTLET FOR THOSE WHO’VE LOST INFANTS By J.K. Devine When Angela Ewers gave birth to her first daughter, it was supposed to be a joyous moment. It wasn’t. Emily was stillborn at 24 weeks. The average pregnancy is 40 weeks. Ewers went through all of the emotions of losing a child. The question “why?” kept popping up, leading her to even more questions. “I had a crisis of faith, and I didn’t know what I believed,” Ewers said. Compounding her grief was the lack of support for those who lost a child in stillbirth or miscarriage. “There was no internet,” Ewers said of that time years ago. “There was no online chat. There was no Facebook.” Years later after two miscarriages and the births of her daughter, Lainie, and her son, George-Henry, Ewers found a way to express her feelings. “I wrote a song called Rock Goodbye Angel,” she said, adding she performed it at church on Mother’s Day. “My pastor said ‘That’s a ministry; that’s not a song.’” Women of the church agreed.

Birth of a nonprofit Five months later, Ewers held the first candlelight vigil for herself and other parents who lost children from miscarriages, stillbirths and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. During the October ceremony, Ewers found her purpose. 36 | HOME | October 2018

“It was an ‘Aha’ moment,” she said. “I thought ‘I’ve said my heavenly children’s names out loud and … I’m OK to do this. I’m talking like they existed.’ It was very surreal. My pain and my purpose collided, and I’ve never looked back.” Two months later, in December 2010, Ewers founded Rock Goodbye Angel. The nonprofit agency offers a support network, grief education and pastoral counseling to parents grieving pregnancy and early infant loss. In January 2011, RGA held its first support groups. RGA offers support groups in Hall and Gwinnett counties. The Gainesville one meets at 6 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at RGA’s headquarters in the North Georgia Community Foundation Center off Oak Street. The other meets at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Sundays of the month at McKendree United Methodist Church off Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road in Lawrenceville. Between six and 12 people attend the support groups weekly. Along with the support groups, RGA provides several services including: • A hospital companion to help parents deal with the loss. All companions have experienced a similar loss and are trained by Ewers, who has a master’s degree in pastoral counseling. The companion must be invited by the family; the hospital cannot contact RGA because of HIPPA rules. •Arrange photography session for parents and their child or children • Provide memory boxes filled with footprint

molds, blankets, Bibles, journals, keychains, pins and stuffed lambs • Events on Mother’s and Father’s days specifically for bereaved parents • An annual candlelight memorial service Oct. 15, which is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. • The Pink and Blue Dash 5K run and walk, which is nonprofit’s only fundraiser. “All of our services are offered free of charge,” Ewers said, explaining the money raised helps the organization to operate.

Creating more support communities The nonprofit’s newest resource is a selfproduced video designed to help bereaved parents start support groups in their own communities. “We’ve had calls from all over the country and military bases and even prisons” asking about services and support groups,” Ewers said. “Now we can supply them the tool to do it.” Set for release in late October, the seven-week video series starts with the explanation of one phase of grief followed by a testimonial. Then questions are posed to spark discussion. “If we know what those emotions are … we can come to terms with it and cope with it,” Ewers said. The Gainesville mother said it took her a long time to come to terms with her own grief, especially when her child Lainie was born. “She was the tangible reminder of what I lost,” she said, admitting to experiencing some postpartum issues. “And I grieved so long alone.” Ewers said she didn’t want others to suffer as she did. “I don’t want them to be lost as long as I was,” she said. “There is not need to feel so dark and lonely.”

Ministry’s mission in progress In February 2016, TJ and Tiffany Pethel of Commerce lost their twin boys, Logan and Landon. The couple reached out to Ewers about a month later for individual counseling after Tiffany suggested they go. “If not for Tiffany, I would not have gone on my own,”TJ said, admitting the trip was worth it. “For me, the most

helpful part was when Tiffany was sharing with Angela. It was relief because I didn’t have to bear the burden of being strong for both of us. I could deal with my own grief.” TJ also described the help as a marriage-saver. “Even though two people are going through the same thing, they grieve separately,” he said. “I would encourage people to go to learn about the grief from someone who has been through it.” Tiffany agreed the couples counseling helped, but knew she needed a little more. “I had not experienced a death in my family,” she said. “I didn’t know what grief was or how to process anything I felt.” So, Tiffany attended the support group religiously and found others to whom she could relate. “It was the one place I felt normal,”Tiffany said, adding the friendships she made there helped her cope with the bad days. “You wake up in the morning and (the loss) just takes your breath away. And I could call those people and say this is how I feel today. How did you deal with it?” It is those same people who helped the Pethels handle their feelings of both happiness and anxiety when they learned earlier this year they were expecting a daughter. “I don’t think I would have felt comfortable about trying again. That’s unimaginable with the pain and grief,”TJ said. But the bonds he and his wife formed with other RGA parents made the transition easier. Now the couple is looking forward to welcoming their “rainbow baby,” Emersyn Raye, to the world in November. However, they already have the title of parents because of their twins. Ewers and all of her board members share that common bond.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Annual Candlelight Remembrance When: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 Where: Longwood Park, 20 Pearl Nix Parkway, Gainesville Free event

RGA Pink and Blue Dash When: 8 a.m. Nov. 3 Where: Riverside Military Academy, 2001 Riverside Drive, Gainesville $30 for 5K run or walk; $15 for fun run; $30 for phantom runner rgapinkandblue@gmail.com

Rock Goodbye Angel Inc. • Location: 615 Oak St., Suite G, Gainesville • Mailing address: P.O. Box 7000, Gainesville, GA, 30504 470-252-9884 • rockgoodbyeangel.us /rockgoodbyeangel @rockgoodbyeangel October 2018 | HOME | 37

‘HE WAS SUCH A VISIONARY’ DON PANOZ REMEMBERED FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, INCLUDING WORK WITH ROAD ATLANTA, CHATEAU ELAN AND ELAN PHARMACEUTICALS By Jeff Gill After a short battle with pancreatic cancer, the man who invented the nicotine patch smoked his last cigarette early Tuesday, Sept. 11, and died surrounded by family. “Possibly most widely celebrated for saving sports car racing in North America or inventing the dermatological patch, ironically ... for those that knew him and his smoking habits,” Don Panoz “was a man known for questioning the norm,” states a press release from Hoschton-based sports car maker Panoz. “If someone told him ‘no,’ he told them ‘yes.’” Panoz, the colorful entrepreneur who founded Chateau Elan and owned a variety of motorsports and pharmaceutical businesses, was 83. “What he brought to the whole area was remarkable,” said Kit Dunlap, president and CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce. “His reach was just so far. He was such a visionary, but he could make it come true. It was just amazing what he did.” Panoz’s career began in 1961 when he cofounded Milan Pharmaceuticals in West Virginia. “When Panoz believed current technologies weren’t being challenged enough, the family moved to Ireland and built Elan Corporation, to continue the research and work in pharmaceuticals,” according to the Panoz press release. Returning to the U.S. in 1980, Panoz established Elan Pharmaceutical Research Corp. in Gainesville, before venturing into the winery, golf and resort industries. He founded Chateau Elan off Old Winder Highway/Ga. 211 and Interstate 85 in Braselton, selling it earlier this year to a Connecticut firm. 38 | HOME | October 2018

Don Panoz, pharmaceutical tycoon and sports car maker, died Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Panoz invented the nicotine patch, opened Chateau Elan Winery and Resort and helped revive Road Atlanta in his time in South Hall County and metro Atlanta. File photo by Nick Bowman.

He held similar investments in other parts of the world, including Australia and Scotland. Panoz, with the help of friend Gene Sarazen, set up the Sarazen World Open, an unofficial stop on the PGA Tour held at Chateau Elan in Georgia from 1994 to 1998. “In the 1990s, Panoz, bitten by the Le Mans racing bug, went into business with son Dan,

believing that racing was the best way to market Panoz vehicles and build the brand,” according to the company. In 1996, Panoz bought Road Atlanta, which is off Winder Highway/Ga. 53 in Braselton in South Hall. He sold the track in 2012. Most recently, Panoz was the chairman and founder of Green4U Technologies, a Braseltonbased motorsports and electric vehicle company. Panoz LLC is part of Green4U. In 2013, he became the 29th inductee into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, and in 2014 received the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s Bob Russo Heritage Award, according to the Panoz website. In 2015, Don Panoz received the La Bella Macchina Award at Concorso Italiano in recognition of his contributions to the automotive and motorsports industries. “From the military, to the pharmaceutical industry; from the winery, golf and resort industry through to automotive, motorsports and manufacturing, Panoz has left an imprint of advancing technologies and producing outcomes

no one would have thought possible,” states the press release. “In addition to all the career, business and work achievements, Panoz was a family man, a comedian, an inspiration, a philanthropist, an innovator, a visionary and most importantly a wonderfully entertaining human to be around.” Tributes poured in from others, as well. “He was leader in the development of Braselton,” Mayor Bill Orr said. “He never shied away from a challenge. Chateau Elan is a good example of that. It was developed initially on a napkin. “Even up until the moment of him passing away, he was still throwing ideas out there.” Geoff Lee, president and general manager of Road Atlanta, said Panoz’s death “is a big personal loss for everybody, but it’s an even bigger loss to the motorsports world, where he really was an influencer — more than most people know.” Road Atlanta “was on hard times, and Don came in with vision, energy, finances, structure and enthusiasm that was unparalleled,” Lee said. “He did for Road Atlanta what few could have done.”

The Chapel in the Woods More than any building at Eagle Ranch, the Chapel in the Woods speaks to the essence of who we are – not only to the children who now live here, but for the thousands who will one day call the Ranch home. The realization of a dream for a chapel was made possible through the generosity of Don and Nancy Panoz, in honor of their parents. The Chapel in the Woods was formally dedicated on May 16, 1993. Since then, the chapel has served as an important place of rest and reflection for the children and families we serve and a gathering place for our Ranch community to experience and honor Christ. For Eagle Ranch, the Chapel in the Woods is our symbol of God’s goodness and provision. In gratitude for the faithful support of Don & Nancy Panoz and family to our mission.

October 2018 | HOME | 39

Don Panoz 1935-2018 â€œIt is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind.â€? Old Irish Proverb

www.chateauelan.com

“The measure of a man is in the legacy he leaves behind.” We are deeply saddened by the news of Don’s passing . Chateau Elan Winery & Resort would not exist without his vision & our thoughts and prayers are with the Panoz family at this time

DON PANOZ 1935-2018 Chateau Elan Winery & Resort • Chateau Elan Real Estate Elan Pharmacuetical Panoz Motorsports Petite Lemans • American Lemans Series Sarazen World Open & much more.

with sympathy, Tony & Teresa Funari FUNARI

REALTY

6323 Grand Hickory Drive, 100G Braselton, GA 30517

WWW.FUNARIREALTY.COM

AROUND TOWN ICF DRAGON BOAT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Lake Lanier Olympic Park was host to athletes from across the world in this competitive dragon boat racing competition. The event began with opening ceremonies Sept. 12 and ended Sept. 16 with a win for Team USA.

BOOMERSHINE GATHERING Guests at an event Sept. 6 at Walter Boomershineâ€™s home learned about Frankie and Andyâ€™s Place in Winder and got to meet some of the dogs who live there. The organization houses senior dogs, who visits with children, people at adult day centers and senior adults. At the property, dogs live in cabins, sleep on couches and eat homemade meals.

42 | HOME | October 2018

TASTE OF HISTORY

The Northeast Georgia History Center held its 12th annual Taste of History program Sept. 13 at the First Baptist Church of Gainesville. The event celebrated Hall County’s bicentennieal and included information about “Cherokees, Churches, Choo-choos, Chickens and Churns.”

October 2018 | HOME | 43

POWER OF THE PURSE

The 11th annual Power of the Purse event, put on by WomenSource, included a fashion show featuring women who serve the community. Funds from the event, held Sept. 11 at the Chattahoochee Country Club in Gainesville, help the nonprofit host educational programming to empower women and girls.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 8 8-9

Quinlan Art Classes Art project. 4-6 p.m. $150-175. Mosaics. 1-3 p.m. $150-175. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. UNG Fall Jazz Concert Mon. 7:30-9 p.m. University of North Georgia, Dahlonega campus, 82 College Circle, Dahlonega. Tues. 7:30-9 p.m. University of North Georgia, Gainesville campus, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood. connie.esford@ung.edu. Free.

20 20-21

Quinlan Art Classes Mommy and Me Card Making with Dawn Davis 1-3 p.m. $20-45. Pan Pastel: A Truly New Art Medium 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $125. Wood Burning Basics with Jason Smith, Noon to 3 p.m. $60-85. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula.lindner@quinlanartscenter.org. Gold Rush Days Sat. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Dahlonega, GA. dahlonegajaycees.com/gold-rush-days.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Drawing class. 1-2 p.m. $150-175. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org.

From Pastel to Pan Pastel 2-4 p.m. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. $150-175.

Elachee Science Nights at Recess Purchase food and drinks then join discussions. 6:30-8 p.m. Recess Southern Gastro-Pub, 118 Bradford St. NE, Gainesville. 770-535-1976, elachee@elachee.org. Free.

Mother Son Halloween Dance Party 6-8:30 p.m. Gainesville Civic Center, 830 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-531-2680, parkandrec@gainesville.org. $25-60.

Brenau Galleries: Yoga in the Galleries 5:30-6:30 p.m. Brenau University, Simmons Visual Arts Center, Sellars Gallery, 200 Blvd., Gainesville. 770-534-6263, alauricella@brenau.edu. Free.

Portraiture: An Innovative Approach 2-4 p.m. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. $150-175.

9 & 15 10 10-13

Guitar Classic: Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.” 7:30-9 p.m. University of North Georgia, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Gainesville. connie.esford@ung.edu. Free. Quinlan Art Classes Beginners Acrylic 6-8 p.m. $120-145. Handing Building Basics 6-8:30 p.m. $150-175. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. $120-145. Motul Petit Le Mans 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 10, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 11, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 12 and 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Oct. 13. Road Atlanta, 5300 Winder Highway, Braselton. 800-849-7223, info@roadatlanta.com. $50-525.

26-28

Braselton Antique & Artisan Festival Fri. 12 p.m.-7 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Braelton, GA. 706-824-7204

Adult Halloween 8 p.m. Downtown Gainesville Square, 115 Bradford St. S, Gainesville. aimee@downtowndrafts.net. Free.

Painting Barns, Barrels and Bushels 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. $255.

Trick or Treat on the Trail Candy, petting zoo, bounce houses, games and face painting. 3-5 p.m. Midtown Greenway, 682 Grove St., Gainesville. 770-531-2680, jbutler@gainesville.org. Free.

Quinlan Art Classes Beginner Wheel Class 6-8:30 p.m. $150-175. Learn How to Knit 6:30-8:30 p.m. $60-80. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org.

Adult Watercolor Painting Workshop: Fall Blooms 9 a.m. to noon. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. 404-888-4763, wcannon@atlantabg.org. $49-54.

Autumn Day Sunset Oil painting class. 9-11:30 a.m. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. $160-185.

Georgia Apple Festival Hours vary. Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. Ellijay, GA. georgiaapplefestival.org

11/1

Gesture and Feeling – Painting Studies of the Figure 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. $425.

Alla Prima Oil with Sara Oakley Alla Prima Oil with Sara Oakley 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. $125-150. Card Making with Dawn Davis 1-3 p.m. $20-45. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula.lindner@quinlanartscenter.org.

11/211/4

Mosaic Glass Slippers 1-4 p.m. Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3 and noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 4. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. $420.

Farm Animal Fun Day 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hardman Farm Historic Site, 143 Ga. 17, Sautee Nacoochee. 706-878-1077, hardmanfarm.park@dnr.ga.gov.

11/3

Children’s Class: Creating Art with Leaves 10-11 a.m. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. 404-888-4763, wcannon@atlantabg.org. $24-29.

Alcohol Ink Classes and Acrylic Pouring 9-11:30 a.m. and noon to 2:30 p.m. $50-70. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org.

11/3

Suwanee Wine Fest Noon to 4:30 p.m. Town Center Park, 330 Town Center Ave., Suwanee. www.facebook.com/suwaneewinefest. $49-99.

11/3

Monthly Multi-Use Trail Improvement Day 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jake Mountain Parking Lot, Chattahoochee National Forest, Nimblewill Church Road, Dahlonega. 404-316-7956, georgiacrowes22@bellsouth.net. Free.

11/3

The Nutcracker Ballet Mini-Camp 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Brenau University Fitness Center/ GSB Studios, 800 Brenau Lane NE, Gainesville. 770-532-4241, gbcinfo@gainesvilleballet.org. $30.

11 12-14 12 13-14

Quinlan Art Classes Beginners Drawing 6-8 p.m. $120-145. Painting “Painterly” 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. $450. Painting Techniques for the Beginning Painter 9-10 a.m. $120-145. Painting the Portrait in Oil 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. $420. Studio Painting for Intermediate and Advanced 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $120-145. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, paula@qvac.org. UNG Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band 7:30-9 p.m. Riverside Military Academy, 2001 Riverside Drive, Gainesville. connie.esford@ung.edu. Free. Mule Camp Market Fri & Sat 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sun 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Downtown Gainesville. gainesvillejaycees.org/about/projects/mule-camp.

19-20 26-27

Historic Homer Haunted Walking Tour 6:30 p.m. Banks County Historic Courthouse, 106 Yonah-Homer Road, Homer. 706-654-1088, tabormccoy@rocketmail.com. $10.

“Alive! Festival” Artist market, live music, food, giveaways and family fun zone. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Town Center Park, 330 Town Center Ave., Suwanee. 700-806-7492, www.ProjectGreenUSA.org. Free.

October 2018 | HOME | 45

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