Home Living in North Georgia

May| June 2015

A legacy in bloom

Smithgall Woodland Garden brings Atlanta Botanical to Gainesville

Moore’s Wealth Management Advisors Recognized for Outstanding Achievement in 2014

Mark Peterson

Chris Moore

Brian Moore

These awards were presented by Gary Reed, President of 3-Mentors, a nationally recognized Field Marketing Organization for Independent Financial Advisors. The awards recognized the advisors for Excellence in Client Development and Satisfaction during 2014.

“We help our clients protect their financial future through a fiduciary standard of care that puts their interests first”

Recently seen in as one of the Financial Leaders of Georgia

“Protecting Your Future”

Scott Moore

210 Washington St. NW, Suite # 106 Gainesville, GA 30501 • 770-535-5000 12600 Deerfield Parkway, Suite # 100 Alpharetta, Georgia 30004 • 678-566-3590

www.MooresWealthManagement.com Investment advice is offered by Horter Investment Management, LLC a Registered Investment Adviser: Insurance and annuity products are sold separately through Moore’s Wealth Management.

Securities transactions for Horter Investment Management clients are placed through Pershing Advisor Solutions, Trust Company of America, Jefferson National Monument Advisor, Fidelity, Security Benefit Life, ED&F Man Capital Markets, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

THE RIGHT THINGS

» award-winning health care, closer to home

FOR THE RIGHT REASONS

N E P O NOW As the newest hospital in Georgia, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Braselton is dedicated to improving the health of our community in all we do. The 100-bed hospital is built upon the programs of excellence NGMC is known for, including: • • •

Emergency Services

Advanced Surgery & Medical Care Heart and Vascular Services

• • •

Orthopedics

Neurosciences

Cancer Treatment

At NGMC Braselton, you’ll find The Heart Center of NGMC, numerous specialty physicians and outpatient services. You can expect our staff members to work tirelessly, ensuring you receive exceptional and compassionate care. The right thing, for the right reason: you.

1400 River Place, Braselton, GA 30517 | www.nghs.com/braselton

What’s Inside

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36 Inside Every Issue 6 40 44

From the Editor

Health 10 Pink Barre in downtown Gainesville takes the skills of

ballet moves and turns them into a structured workout for men and women.

Calendar

Business

Around Town

12 South Hall officially opens a new

On the Cover The land for creating the new Gainesville location of the Atlanta Botanical Garden was a gift from two of Georgia’s most revered and benevolent residents. After years of planning, the gardens are officially open thanks to the hard work of supporters and Charles and Lessie Smithgall.

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May | June 2015

hospital in Braselton, expanding Northeast Georgia Medical Systems.

Arts 24 Gainesville native Nate Currin talks

about his latest album, life in California and how he misses the Chicken City.

Taste 26 Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen puts its own spin on traditional favorites and invents a few new ones, too.

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12 24

30 Get to Know

Recreation

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34 Southern Cycle in Buford custom-builds motorcycles,

Author Jason Peacock left a job in sales to write about finding success, and that’s just what he’s done.

Charity 30 The Humane Society of Northeat Georgia seeks to keep pets in their homes while helping control the population.

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choppers, baggers for all types of gear heads.

Lifestyle 38 Atlanta International Auto Show offered a peek at the newest concept cars and the best of luxury vehicles.

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From the Editor Editor/Designer Michelle Boaen Jameson Advertising Director Charlotte Atkins Advertising Sales Melisa Sizemore HOME Magazine, a division of: The Times Gainesville, GA A Morris Multimedia Inc. property 345 Green St. | Gainesville, GA 30501 | 770-718-3421

www.homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

How sweet is this?!

What a great time to be in North Georgia! From Sautee (pictured) to Sawnee, this is the magical part of the year when everything goes from a dreary chill to lush greens and warm scenes seemingly overnight.

What once were brown fields and bare trees are now in full bloom, bursting with color. This issue of HOME, we check out the sweetness of blossoms filling the justopened Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville. We also travel to Helen for some sugary treats made by a truly endearing couple. And we head to Buford for a look at some super sweet bikes and choppers crafted by the brothers of Southern Cycle.

There are plenty of other sweet stories inside from the lovable fur babies at the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia to the harmonious melodies of local musician, Nate Currin.

Turn to the Calendar section of the magazine to find out about area events taking place. If you have an event, email us at the address below!

So if you’ve survived the pollen and haven’t been washed away by April showers, dive in and enjoy the seasonal change I like to call “sprummer,” or maybe “summing ...”

M

J

ichelle ameson

Michelle Boaen Jameson editor@homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com 6

May | June 2015

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. 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 Morris Multimedia Inc. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Morris Multimedia cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

Manuscripts, artwork, photography, inquiries and submitted materials are welcome.

We’re honored to serve you It’s an honor to be recognized as the nation’s leading hospital for maternity and newborn care.

Look a little closer and you’ll discover that Northside performs more surgeries and diagnoses and treats more breast and gynecologic cancer than any other hospital in Georgia. While people choose Northside for our expertise, they also know us for our exceptional compassionate care.

Visit us online at www.northside.com

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May | June 2015

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home health

Beach body got you down?

Could be time for a little lift Story by Brandee A.Thomas

As summer on the lake approaches, many ladies — and gentleman — can hear the ominous tune from “Jaws” playing louder and louder in their ears as they think about shedding layers and laying out in swimsuits for all the world to see.

If diet and exercise alone haven’t given you the summer-time fine body that you’re after, a consultation with a cosmetic surgeon may give you the results you’re craving.

“Now is the perfect time to get ready for summer,” says Dr. Puya Davoodi, a board certified plastic surgeon with the Aesthetic Center of Gainesville.

“Most people consider the summer season starting with Memorial Day. If you had your procedure done now, depending on the type of surgery, you could potentially be ready way before then.”

If a nip or tuck is on your radar, now is the ideal time for surgery if you want to minimize potential scarring.

“Scarring really depends on the quality of your skin and skin type, but if a scar gets (too much) sun, it can create a really dark line,” Davoodi says.

“So a person with very fair skin can have a thin scar turn into a big dark line because of sun exposure, so that would be very noticeable.

“With all surgeries, we like to stay on the side of caution, so we encourage our patients to limit sun exposure for the first 2-3 months during the initial healing process, but then we also say it’s good to get into the habit of using plenty of sunblock for the first, full year after your procedure. Sun block is especially important when you’re out on the lake.”

If you’ve ever observed your bathing suit-clad body in a mirror and wished for the ability to reposition fat from one area of your body to another, your dream is a very tangible reality with liposuction-aided body contouring.

“With lipo-contouring, you take a person’s own fat and use that to contour a variety of body parts. Most people are familiar with that (procedure to improve) the gluteal region, but you can also use some of that fat if there’s a little breast asymmetry if you don’t want to do full breast implants,” Davoodi says.

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“We use this a lot for breast reconstruction patients to create better symmetry and upper breast fullness.”

Whether it’s liposuction or lipo-contouring, Davoodi warns against patients treating cosmetic surgery as an “abracadabra” body image cure-all or build-abody workshop.

“If someone is largely overweight, I always tell them to try to lose some weight first. We try to give (clients) realistic options, which is why it is so important to come into your consultation with an open mind,” Davoodi says.

“I want to make sure we’re on the same page before we enter the operating room. Sometimes people will bring pictures and point out features they like on others. Pictures are great, but we can’t always recreate what they see because of differing bone structures and body shapes.

“We don’t mind when you bring in pictures, but one of the best resources you have available to you is a consultation with a board certified surgeon to get a realistic idea of what can be done.”

Realistic goals and a stable body weight is especially important when it comes to lipocontouring because an increase in your weight could cause your re-deposited fat to disperse to undesired areas.

Now is also the time to take care of those worrisome spider and varicose veins in your Dr. Puya Davoodi, of Aesthetic legs, says Dr. Michael Lebow.

Center of Gainesville “Varicose veins are the kinda bumpy ones and the spider veins are the blue lines you see in your legs,” says Lebow, a board certified vascular surgeon with of University Surgical Vascular in Gainesville.

“Both are easily treated with different techniques. Both are office based treatments with no real recovery times, but spider veins are best treated in the winter or early spring. To get rid of those, we do a little injection into the vein and sometimes the blood in those clots.

“Because the vein is so close to the surface of the skin, it can get a dark spot for a period of time and then get reabsorbed like a scab. If there is a lot of sun exposure to the area during this time, it can cause the skin to pigment, so it is best to not sunbathe during your recovery.”

Unlike varicose veins, which are largely a cosmetic issue, it can take about a month for spider veins to heal following your procedure.

“If really want to be out on your boat in June and you have spider veins, take care of them now,” Lebow says.

“If you wait until summer time, it’s not good for cosmetic reasons. The procedure would work fine, but it wouldn’t get you the (visual) results you want.”

homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

Whether it’s body contouring, spider viens or just filling out that new swimsuit, now is the time to get cosmetic surgery for summer.

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home health

Tucking it

to the limits Pink Barre uses ballet moves to get its clients in shape Story by Kelsey Williamson Photos by Michelle Boaen Jameson

To the women of Pink Barre Lake Lanier, fitness isn’t just a way to build muscle, lose weight and stay in shape. Barre fitness works out the mind and the body in a way that allows participants to stay focused throughout the day and define long, lean muscles, even in complete hair and makeup.

The group classes are adaptable to people of all fitness levels, including dancers, runners, CrossFitters, weightlifters and even those who have never worked out or have an injury. Each 55-minute class consists of four blocks of exercise that have variations in difficulty for each participant.

“We start with a warm up, arms, planks and pushups,” said studio owner and instructor Amy Hoffman. “Block two is thigh work, block three is Barre Connect and seat work, and then we end with abs, core work, back extensions and cool down.”

Each class, clients know what to expect, and they can work at the highest level or a more moderate level depending on how they feel.

“They can sweat as much or as little as they want to,” Hoffman said.

“We have a lot of clients who come in for a class on their lunch break, and they can do the whole workout without messing up their hair or makeup.”

The versatility of Pink Barre also means that aficionados of other types of fitness can easily fit a barre class into their workout routine if they want a change of pace. Some former “gym rats” have turned to barre classes as their primary workout because of the multiple benefits.

“I had always been a ‘go-to-the-gym’ person, or I would go for a run, but I always found myself getting hurt,” said new instructor Tori Hunt.

“It wasn’t really something I enjoyed doing, but I needed to work out.

I think I took my first barre class in October of last year, and I immediately enjoyed it. It was a really low-impact workout, so I never felt like 10

May | June 2015

I was going to hurt myself, but it was still extremely challenging.”

Although the “barre” is an aspect of ballet, Hoffman, 32, and Hunt, 26, have never had dance experience. Barre fitness is simply a type of group fitness that uses the barre as a tool and incorporates pieces of yoga, pilates and ballet to create a complete work-

out physically and mentally.

“Making it into a fitness aspect, instead of just dancing, I really like that about (barre fitness),” said Amanda Bonilla, a 22-year-old dancer at Brenau University and Pink Barre instructor. “It’s not just going to the gym and lifting weights. It’s the whole mind-body connection. You really have to focus and have awareness of what your body is doing.”

The vocabulary is based on ballet terminology, as are some of the motions, but Hoffman emphasized that one of the biggest benefits of Pink Barre is that anyone can do the workouts. The studio has clients ranging in age from 12 years old to their upper 60s. Some have latent injuries, and others have had knee and hip replacements.

“We’re able to accommodate all levels of fitness,” Hoffman said. “As long as you can stand up, you can do barre. It’s more about finding your focus and not being in the gym.”

The workout was designed by a physical therapist, so the motions HOME Living

In North Georgia

home health

have therapeutic qualities built in. The instructors also focus on alignment to prevent injury and help participants get the best possible workout from the movements.

“With all blocks, the idea is to work every single body muscle to the point of fatigue, and then we go through a stretch block at the end, using all of the heat that you’ve created throughout the exercise to create those long, lean muscles,” Hoffman said.

During the workout, clients are taught to hold the classic barre “tuck” position. This position puts the body in a natural alignment while also working many of the body’s muscle groups. When a new person enters the class, the “tuck” is explained extensively since it is the base for all other movements at the barre. Hunt noted that the position was even difficult for her to grasp for a few classes.

“To engage the tuck, you curl the tailbone under by squeezing the seat, top of thighs and inner thighs and bring the hips up beneath the ribs,” Hoffman said. “What this does is moves the pelvis under and drags the tailbone to right above the arches of your feet, and then you draw your navel back towards the spine. This removes the curve in the lower back and protects it the entire time, so you have this natural alignment.”

In the “tuck,” the legs are in an isometric position with knees bent above the toes. With the navel pulled in towards the spine, bottom squeezed and thighs holding, the participant is engaging most muscles below the waist. When she exhales, the client is contracting the abs naturally in this basic position.

“So if you tuck and exhale, tuck and exhale, you are engaging your abs, your seat, your thighs, every muscle in your lower body,” Hoffman said. “So if you were to hold just that move for 55 minutes straight, you are going to have a toned area no matter what.”

Toward the end of a move or workout, clients will be instructed to “pulse,” in a certain position. This motion is as small as 1 inch, so participants must have focus and awareness of homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

their body’s movements.

“It’s when you’re really standing on your highest heels, moving up an inch, down an inch, and that one I think is one that clients really have to work at,” Hunt said. “An inch is really, really small. So, a lot of times, first-time clients move up 6 inches, down 6 inches.”

Throughout the 55-minute session, however, Hoffman and the other instructors always remind clients to move at their own pace and take breaks if needed. They encourage women not to compare themselves to the others in the room since everyone is at different levels.

“It gives you time to focus on yourself for 55 minutes,” Hunt said. “You don’t have to worry about going to the store or what the kids are doing. You’re here for yourself.”

Hoffman said that women begin to fully adopt this mindset after three to five classes.

The class becomes a personal investment that provides mental and physical benefits as women complete the sequences of exercises.

“I would say the biggest benefit is the mental clarity of thinking about nothing for 55 minutes,” Hoffman said. “When you have just an hour of your day that you make your own, the endorphins and what it creates inside of you is very similar to the feeling that you get at the end of a yoga class - clear and relaxed and capable of taking on anything for the rest of the day.”

The physical benefits are certainly laudable, however, as even the most fit of the participants and instructors have found their bodies chang-

ing after a number of barre classes.

“I’ve lost inches,” Bonilla said.

“People who haven’t seen me in a few months are like ‘Amanda, you look so fit.’ You don’t really notice yourself because you see yourself every day, but for someone to say that to me is like ‘Oh my gosh, wow!’ That’s really nice to hear, and I know it’s because of barre.”

Even participants who have worked out for ages notice differences in their fitness level after beginning barre fitness. Elizabeth Robinson, 38, an instructor-intraining, had always gone to the gym but fell in love with barre because of the way it changed her muscles.

“My muscles are just so much more defined and lengthened,” she said. “I always have to work out my seat, and when I wasn’t doing barre and was doing squats a lot, it builds this huge muscle, and I just ended up with a bigger butt, and I really don’t want that. Barre gives you just a more lean muscle and more defined than just a regular weight training workout.”

The design of the workout also prevents injury and can help those who suffer from different types of pain.

“I’ve had a lot of lower back problems, and this is the only thing I’ve found where I can just continue working out,” Hunt said. “I don’t have to take days off because my back hurts.”

The participants also note that they are more flexible. Hoffman was able to return to her pre-pregnancy figure and start her own business with Pink Barre. Clients also emphasized the sense of camaraderie that they feel when they are working at the barre together.

“When you see friends at the barre, and they’re going through that final eight (count), and they look at each other and smile as they shake, that’s one of the most inspirational moments for me,” Hoffman said.

Pink Barre Lake Lanier offers classes Monday through Saturday throughout the day.

An individual class costs $23, but packages can be purchased through the website. Pink Barre Lake Lanier also hosts fundraising events, group events and more. Visit www.pink-barre. com for more information.

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home business

Hospital ope in a

State-of-the-Art Braselton facility open in South Hall

Employees at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s Braselton campus gather outside. Inset: Anthony Williamson will lead the new hospital.

Story by Jeff Gill, Photos by HOME staff In a journey that has taken nearly a decade to complete, the 100-bed Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton is now open in South Hall County.

“It’s been a long time planning, developing and designing, and now it’s time to become operational,” hospital president Anthony Williamson said just days before the hospital opened. “And I think everybody here is just really looking forward to that opportunity to begin serving the community.”

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Just before opening, staff and doctors were putting final touches on the hospital, including going through dry runs in departments and checking and rechecking equipment.

NGMC Braselton, which is off Ga. 347 near Ga. 211/Old Winder Highway, certainly marks a major expansion of the Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Health System.

For decades, the main hospital has been off Spring Street in Gainesville.

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home business Right: Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton trains its staff with the exercise “day in the life” to test its systems and equipment at the new hospital. Below: Staff members take a break in the atrium area.

“We’ve established a brand over the many years ... of terrific care, compassionate care, strength in our clinical outcomes, but also strength in how we handle families and our personal interactions and the level of customer service we provide,” said Carol Burrell, president and CEO of the health system, in a prepared statement. “And we’re just really excited to be bringing that level of care to the Braselton area. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us. ...

“It took a tremendous amount of vision and community support to make this dream a reality.”

Burrell cited “incredible support” from the Hall County Board of Commissioners “at every juncture, including the backing of our bonds and the tangible benefit this support brings to our entire community.”

The hospital offers a broad range of advanced surgical and medical services, with an emphasis on outpatient surgery as well as emergency services and specialty care in many areas, such as cardiology, oncology, orthopedics and neurosciences.

Overall, Williamson said, “doctors, nurses, clinical staff and community members all participated in the process of designing our beautiful new hospital and creating a health care experience that will be patient- and family-focused.”

The opening kicks off an era of enhanced medical care for South Hall, especially in an area near Braselton and Gwinnett and Barrow counties and not too far from busy Interstate 85.

The county’s emergency services are ready as needed, said Chad Black, deputy chief of Hall County Fire Services.

“It will help us keep medical units in the south end of the county by transporting to (the Braselton) hospital” instead of Gwinnett Medical Center, Northside Hospital-Forsyth or NGMC in Gainesville, he said.

And the highest call volumes are in South Hall.

The opening also marks the end of a long process in hospital development. homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

Many new residents flooding the fast-growing area stretching from Buford to Braselton may not even realize the hospital originally was planned on 52 acres on Ga. 13/Atlanta Highway at what was then Friendship Road (now Ga. 347/Lanier Islands Parkway).

In June 2004, the hospital board restudied the area’s growth and decided to look for a new location on the east side of Interstate 985.

Eventually, officials settled on 119 acres in what was wide-open land off Thompson Mill Road and next to Village at Deaton Creek, a

F ull B loom N ursery Spring Has Sprung!

The greenhouses are full and cool season vegetables, perennials, succulents, roses, evergreens, hydrangeas, Japanese maples, fruits, and trees plus much more are in stock, ready to go and looking beautiful! Plant now while the ground is moist and the air is cool.

Planting Season is Here!

Visit our website at www.fullbloomnursery.com for tips and advice on growing vegetables, herbs, flowers, and much more!

6662 Holly Springs Road • Clermont, GA

770.842.2345

May | June 2015

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booming retirement community in Hoschton.

But the site wouldn’t remain remote, as the Georgia Department of Transportation had plans at the time to build a new Ga. 347 between I-985 and Ga. 211, with six lanes running by the hospital campus.

Logistics aside, the health system had to earn state certification for the new hospital, and it began that process in November 2006.

The Georgia Department of Community Health approved the certificate of need in May 2007, but opposition from Barrow Regional Medical Center would throw the matter into the courts.

Finally, in September 2010, the hospital got the green light to move forward on the project after the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the certificate of need.

To get public input on how the new hospital should look, as well as serve the area, the hospital held about 10 community meetings.

“We also did an online survey, where he had more than 1,000 people submit feedback,” health system spokeswoman Melissa Tymchuk said.

The hospital conducted a “patient experience” process involving different treatment scenarios, such as working with someone in the emergency room or a person afflicted with cancer.

“We had staff, physicians and community members participate, and they gave 40-plus hours of time to that,” Tymchuk said.

The project’s architect, Minneapolis-based HGA, helped move the process along, having done something similar with a previous hospital client.

“We wanted to know things that would make (the hospital) a destination, if you will,” said Kurt Spiering, a principal in the firm. “We just wanted to find out what the community was looking for ... that it might become more than just a health care facility on that site.”

In December 2012, area clergy blessed the property in an unusual groundbreaking ceremony featuring Gov. Nathan Deal and other dignitaries.

Foundation work began on the $114 million project in February 2013.

With the hospital trying to make the building as environmentally friendly as possible, workers began drilling on 150 geothermal wells in an open field in June 2013. The wells are expected to provide heating and cooling for the hospital.

Patients started getting a peek at the new hospital in January, when the attached five-story, 113,000-square-foot Medical Plaza B, which features specialty practices and services, opened.

Officials long had projected the hospital would open by April 1, but it wasn’t a certainty until March 20.

More openings are likely to come as the campus continues to expand, including more patient rooms and services.

Many of the practices that moved to Medical Plaza B came from

A crash cart is hurried to a room inside the Northeast Georgia Medical Center's Braselton campus on March 25 as the hospital staff rehearse situations they will face after opening. Chef Dontaze Armstead prepares sweet potatoes Wednesday afternoon inside the kitchen of the new hospital.

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Accessible Parking Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Hospital

EMERGENCY ENTRANCE

Main Entrance

Medical Plaza B

Visitor Parking

Medical Plaza 1

Visitor Parking

Emergency Parking

Visitor Parking

Visitor Parking LANIER ISLANDS PARKWAY EMERGENCY Hospital Medical Plaza B

Medical Plaza 1

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Parking

nearby Medical Plaza 1, which opened in 2008.

In July, a bridge connecting Medical Plaza 1 to a road circling the hospital campus is expected to be finished.

Plans call for an eventual Medical Plaza 2. The hospital serves as the campus’ A building, with future plans for C and D buildings, officials have said.

Radiation therapy services are expected to start at Medical Plaza 1 by the end of this year.

And the hospital has received a certificate of need from the Department of Community Health for obstetric services.

The certificate requires the hospital to complete work on the new unit by Jan. 2, 2017.

In keeping with that deadline, the hospital will submit plans to the state by September, Tymchuk has said.

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Atlanta Botanical Garden

Smithgall Woodland Legacy

P

urple petals spill down the hillside. White blooms on magnolias and dogwood trees burst through the treetops.

Small red berries peek through green leaves.

A river of phlox spreads down a sloping hill next to a water feature inside the new Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville.

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The Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville, is surrounded on one side with water containing water plants and fish.

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home cover story

The Atlanta Botanical Garden gainesville began in 2001 when Lessie Smithgall and her late husband Charles Smithgall donated 168 acres within the Gainesville city limits to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Congratulations SMITHGALL WOODLAND GARDEN

We are blessed to be home to a project that will be a haven for families to explore the intangibles of nature’s beauty, while enjoying a peaceful respite from their hectic lives. This new attraction is a treasure not only for our community, but also for The State of Georgia. We are proud to salute the efforts of all those who worked so hard to make the dream of this garden a reality.

Senator Butch Miller

Capitol Office: 109 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: 404-656-7454 butch.miller@senate.ga.gov 18

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With each season, visitors to the new Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville, A Smithgall Legacy will find an ever-changing display of color. Though it was only recently constructed, the garden is already highly regarded for its four seasonal botanical collections: hydrangeas in the summer, maples in the fall, witch hazel in the winter and magnolias in spring.

“To me it’s almost like a jewel box,” said Mildred Fockele, vice president of horticulture and director of the Gainesville garden. “There’s something to discover around every curve.”

The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s collection of magnolias and maples are part of a multisite collection recognized by the North American Plant Collections Consortium.

“You apply for a collection to be considered for a national collection and evaluators come in and evaluate depth and breadth of collection, as well as record-keeping, and they decided if you pass muster or not,” Fockele said of the recognition. “… There are 10 institutions across the country that are magnolia collection holders and with maples there are eight gardens, we’re one of them. It’s something to be proud of that we have two nationally recognized collections.”

The garden which is open to the public in May, is located in Gainesville just off Cleveland Highway on Sweet Bay Drive.

Plans for the garden began in 2001 when Lessie Smithgall and her late husband Charles Smithgall, founders of The Times, donated 168 acres to the Atlanta Botanical Garden in perpetuity.

Smithgall, 104, recently sipped a small glass of sherry in her GainesHOME Living

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home cover story

Youngsters will get a thrill viewing the model train garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville. The woodland garden of the new Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville offers visitors a quiet place to sit and read an book or just enjoy nature.

ville home located adjacent to the garden and discussed the garden and her husband’s dream of conservation.

She said she thought it was uncommon to have so many acres of woodland garden within city limits and hoped visitors will appreciate the chance to experience nature so close to home.

Smithgall said the establishment of the garden was very important to her husband.

“It was his dream to have a place where people could come, close to the city, after work,” Smithgall said. “Just to be that close (to the city) and hike. There will be a children’s garden and a small amphitheater that will be developed, but the rest is supposed to be trails.”

“He wanted people to be able to come out there and hike and walk and enjoy the woodlands, as he did as a boy and later on, too. He was hoping people could go out there especially in the summertime, they can go out there after work and hike and have the experience of real woods.”

The couple’s conservation efforts include the Smithgall Woods State Park near Helen.

Mary Pat Matheson, Atlanta Botanical Garden president and CEO, said she couldn’t be happier to finally open the garden to the public.

“We’ve been working on it for such a long time, and the community has waited as patiently as possible,” Matheson said. “So to finally be here and have these wonderful opening celebrations, it couldn’t be a better thing.”

The initial phase of the garden cost some $21 million, funded by

Walters Management Company

Congratulates SM I T HGA LL WO OD L A N D G A R D E N S

on their new opening!

Welcome to

Gainesville.

Serving Over 100,000 Customers in Hall County and the Southeast For Over 40 Years.

J.A. (Jim) Walters • President onlyinamerica@waltersmgmt.com Management & Supervision Services For Financial Companies

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Before entering the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville, visitors will enter the Kay & Douglas Ivesterr Visitor Center. The garden’s 2,000-seat amphitheater is also named in their honor. donations, to build the facilities.

The garden features a visitors center that can be rented for weddings and events; a large outdoor seating area adjacent to a lily pond; a large outdoor fireplace; a 2,000-seat amphitheater with 9 acres of woodland as a backdrop; two half-mile walking trails surrounding the woodlands; and a model train garden. More than 1,272 plant varieties are planted in the woodland, including more than 300 hydrangeas, 150 magnolias and 32 different maple species.

The next phase of the garden will include an enchanted children’s garden. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is currently raising $50 million in fundraising, a portion of which will go to the construction of the children’s garden.

General admission to the garden is $8; annual memberships begin at $69. Members of the Atlanta Botanical Garden can visit both gardens at no extra charge.

The garden will also host concert series this summer featuring acts such as Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell on June 13, The Temptations on July 11 and Scott McCreery on July 17.

“I think they’ll enjoy seeing the garden, seeing the horticultural quality and just coming to the different events we have, whether it’s Wine in the Woodland or just coming up to visit with your family on the weekend and enjoying the train garden,” Fockele said. “I think there’s going to be events all the time that people will enjoy participating in.”

“You know, I think this is going to be a destination for people, rather than just a stop on the way to Florida or Washington D.C. or wherever,” Smithgall said.

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Mildred Pinnell Fockele is vice president of horticulture and director of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville.

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GLADE GARDEN

HOLLY RIDGE TRAIL

SOURWOOD TRAIL

Ivester Amphitheater

MODEL TRAIN GARDEN

Performances of all types and sizes – from major concerts to cooking demonstrations – find their home on a stage surrounded by lush green terraces and named in honor of longtime garden supporters Douglas and Kay Ivester.

STREAM GARDEN

Overlook Garden

Perennials, shrubs and ornamental trees form the back bone of this garden, where seating allows visitors to experience a relaxing moment in the breeze.

OVERLOOK GARDEN

Stream Garden

Taking full advantage of the site’s topography, the wooded hillside features small footbridges that cross a cascading water feature flanked by bulbs, spring wildflowers and summer-blooming hydrangeas.

FOREST POND

Glade Garden

An opening in the woodlands creates a sun-drenched garden room focused on the ever-changing colors and patterns of the landscape.

WOODLAND PROMENADE

Model Train Garden

Explore the natural beauty and tranquility of the new

KAY & DOUGLAS IVESTER VISITOR CENTER Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville.

The initial phase of the 168-acre site, located off Cleveland Highway, offers five acres of display gardens, a model train garden, amphiEVENT LAWN theater and more!

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May 2015 Drive, Gainesville, Georgia 30501 1911| June Sweetbay

Both the young and young at heart are captivated by trains.

When combined with the beauty of the landscape, the imagination goes wild in this special little garden.

IVESTER AMPHITHEATER Woodland Trails

Take a half-mile stroll around the outer edge of the display garden on the Sourwood Trail or take a more strenuous half-mile walk up and along the Holly Ridge Trail, both with beautiful views of the woodland, streams and ridges.

Kay & Douglas Ivester Visitor Center

A contemporary setting welcomes visitors as the gateway to 168 rolling acres of beauty and includes private event rental and classroom space and a gift shop.

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EVENT LAWN

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HOLLY RIDGE TRAIL

MODEL TRAIN GARDEN

SOURWOOD TRAIL

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With a song in his heart Musician Nate Currin gets homesick for Gainesville Story by Kelsey Williamson Photos courtesy Archaic Cannon Records

0After years of hard work, Nate Currin finally made a dream come true when he signed with Atlanta’s Archaic Cannon Records in 2010. The company’s first piece of advice? Get out of town. So, Currin did just that.

Gainesville native Currin spent 2011 in California, living and writing one of his most popular records, “Goodnight California.” However, whenever he’s away, he tends to miss the small town that helped shape his music and personality.

Had he grown up in California, Currin would have been plagued with the mainstream pop and rock of the West Coast.

Instead, he found folk influences in North Georgia that allow him to meld popular music with an Americana style that is completely his own.

“I don’t think the way my style developed would have happened, honestly (if he hadn’t lived in Gainesville),” Currin said. “It’s a night and day difference in the musical landscape. (‘Goodnight California’) has pretty much zero Southern influence to it. Lyrically, there’s hints of home, but stylistically there’s really no influence. I think if I had grown up in that and been removed from this area completely, I don’t think those vibes would have happened at all.”

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Currin cites his influences as anyone “from the Decemberists to Counting Crows to Iron and Wine to Bon Iver,” but he also noted that he got a lot of his musical teachings from local performers involved in the John Jarrard Foundation.

“When I lived here, I was on the board for the John Jarrard Foundation, so I know all of those guys pretty well,” Currin said. “Obviously, songwriting is my passion. Working with Bruce Burch and countless other people down here, the exposure to people like Shawn Mullins really influenced me as a songwriter as well.”

Despite being drawn toward a folk Americana style of music, Currin believes growing up in North Georgia made his musical influences diverse and well-rounded, partly because of the city’s proximity to Athens and Atlanta.

“Being in this area, you’re close enough to Atlanta where you’re getting a little of the mainstream, some pop and rock influence, maybe even some hip-hop,” Currin said. “You’re in the South, so obviously country is huge. I’ve always been drawn toward the more folksy, Americana, Southern but not country kind of music.”

This unique style helped Currin gain national attention.

“Goodnight California” was featured on MTV. “Take it Home” and won Folk Song of the Year.

Currin was named Folk Artist of the Year at the International Music and Entertainment Association awards in 2014. He also checked a couple more items off his “to-do” list by playing in famous venues and working with nationally known artists.

“Last summer I played the Hotel Café in Hollywood,” Currin said. “It’s one of those iconic places and a venue that I’ve been trying to book for probably six years. The place filled up, and that was the highlight for me of the year.”

In December, Currin played a sold-out show at Center Stage Atlanta with Butch Walker. He recalled a moment at the end of the concert when Walker asked him to sing one of Walker’s tracks.

“I played solo, and then he called me out at the end to do a song with him, and I forgot the words, and that was super embarrassing,” Currin said. “I think I laughed about it while I was up there.”

After building audiences and fan bases across the country, Currin returned from California a couple times each year to play concerts in Athens, Atlanta and Dahlonega, and he didn’t return to Gainesville until 2015. Earlier this year, he played a show at Mule Camp Tavern with separated acoustic and full-band sets.

The homecoming was a necessary event in Currin’s career.

“I love the smalltown feel,” Currin said. “I seem to forget it when I’m here, but when I leave, I always miss it. Sometimes, it’s annoying, but I miss the fact that I can walk into any place in downHOME Living

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town Gainesville and people are going to yell my name and say ‘hey.’”

He has visited Dahlonega throughout his career, and noted that it feels like home in a similar way to Gainesville. Many of Currin’s friends visit The Crimson Moon when he plays, and he has a substantial local following.

“It’s always nice to come in and see everyone in there looking at you and smiling,” Currin said.

“It’s like ‘We didn’t come here just for the music, we came here for you. We are friends, you’re a son of this area, and we would support you even if your music sucked.’”

Another of Currin’s favorite things about Dahlonega is the city’s appreciation for original music, something he hopes to bring to Gainesville in the near future. The local music scene has plenty of cover bands, but Currin wants the city to become hungry for original music because he feels it has plenty of talent.

“I would love to see Gainesville open, even if it’s super small and intimate or doubles as a coffee house, a place for original music,” Currin said. “If enough homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

people got behind (original music) as an art, that’s a whole different ballgame. There’s certainly talent here.”

He noted that Brenau University’s Sofa Sessions are a local outlet for original music, and he wants to see more people branch out and find new music that they can enjoy. However, even Currin admits that a cover song is a good idea on occasion.

“I don’t want to do a cover that anyone has heard in the past year,” he said. “I did a cover with a violin of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana last year at the Crimson Moon. I’ve covered Eminem, Elton John, Lorde, just about anyone you can think of. I think maybe a John Legend cover would be interesting.”

When Currin isn’t writing music or travelling to shows in his RV -- his permanent home for the time being -- he is finding new places to eat and sightsee. Some of his favorite local places are 2 Dog Cafe and the Longstreet Cafe. He also loves getting outdoors.

“I love Gainesville’s proximity to so many great locations,” Currin said. “I love the fact that I can

be in Atlanta or in Athens in under an hour, and yet, I can go hike a mountain in 30 to 40 minutes, or be at the lake in 10 minutes.”

One thing, however, stands out about Gainesville more than the rest.

“Also, I love telling people that I’m from the chicken capital of the world,” Currin said.

He is currently working on a new album in Nashville with the band Jars of Clay.

“They’ve been like big brothers, giving me advice and encouragement and helping along the way,” Currin said.

The folk artist is also using a tried-and-true method to raise money for his new album. Crowdfunding has been the primary way he has been able to fund most of his musical endeavors.

“I’ve done one Kickstarter for two albums, and raised a signifi-

cant amount of money,” Currin said. “My goal for the new album is to raise even more and put it out. I’m collaborating with someone larger than me for the first time, so I’m excited to see what they have to contribute.”

Currin also has plans to add more tour dates and is trying to join a larger band or artist on tour once his new album is released. At the end of the day, though, Currin has some bucket list goals.

“At some point, I would love to spend some time in Maine, and just live in a little cabin by the ocean, and chop wood every day, and literally have no responsibilities except to live and write for six months to a year,” he said.

For more information, tour dates and merchandise, visit www. natecurrin.com.

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Nibble, nibble at my house ...

Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen makes Alpine Helen a little sweeter Story by Sandra Warwick Photos by Michelle Boaen Jameson In the charming Alpine village of Helen, Ga., Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen beckons tourist and locals alike with sweet delights.

In the Grimm’s fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel,” the witch lures the children with “Nibble Nibble at my house, who’s that nibbling like a mouse?”

But unlike the wicked witch, David Jones, a chocolatier, and his wife Janet, co-own Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen, and tempt children of all ages into their candy abode for a delicious nibble of homemade handcrafted chocolate and confections galore.

The Joneses opened the doors to the Helen sweet spot in 1973. With setbacks and humble beginnings, the Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen forged ahead, and now boasts two locations. In the 42 years since the doors opened, a lot of things have changed. However, the love of candy prevails.

“Taffy was a big novelty in 1973.” says

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David.

Now the homemade fudges are a hot commodity. And really anything chocolate, according to David.

The main store sits in a charming shop in downtown Helen. The little village resembles a page ripped from a fairy tale.

Janet reveals, “For 10 months the shop went by the name of Das Bonbongeschäft, meaning Candy Shop in German.”

A friend one day observed that Janet and David looked like Hansel and Gretel from the children’s fairy tale. And, voilà, Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen made its tasty debut.

“Our chocolate is not the Hershey’s that you buy off the shelf.” David says with a hint of pride in his voice.

Janet chimes in, “We use premium chocolate. High grade cocoa.”

A steady stream of customers file in on a gray Tuesday morning, eager for a rainy day treat made with the best Gourmet chocolate, and the finest of ingredients. The customers are greeted with scrumptious concoctions,

Southern manners and sweet hospitality.

The cozy aroma of chocolate mingles with the sweet goodies being whipped up in the kitchen.

The coziness wafts through the shop. Employees bustle about carrying trays of beautiful fresh-made concoctions from the kitchen to the storefront displays for sweet-loving palates to choose from. A tray of Granny Smith Apples covered in Hansel and Gretel homemade caramel whipping cream and dipped in luscious milk chocolate makes its way through the store ready to be devoured by customers. A few of the apples also hold a coating of scrumptious nuts.

A tray of homemade caramels drenched in milk chocolate and topped with a sprinkling of sea salt proves to be a delicious sample.

Janet confides that the chocolate caramels are one of her favorites. And she especially likes “how the sea salt sets off the flavor of the caramels.”

The Joneses say the dipped chocolate pretzels are a big seller. It doesn’t matter if you dip

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the crunchy savory pretzels in milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate — the salty-sweet combination wins the title of taste bud pleaser amongst Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen patrons.

When David , a friendly man with a contagious smile, and Janet, a soft-spoken and elegant woman, spin tales and shenanigans of their beloved candy shop, candymaking, family and life, the passion flows like melted chocolate.

On the Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen website, www.hanselandgretelcandykitchen. com, the grandchildren are touted as “quite the candy confectioners-to-be.” One granddaughter’s favorite Hansel and Gretel Treat is the delectable Snapdragons, a caramel-and-almond nugget covered in luscious dark or milk chocolate. The melt in your mouth delicious nugget is commonly known as an Almond Turtle.

In addition to his grandparenting and chocolatier skills, David also channels his inner writer from time to time. In 2004, he was approached to write a delicious candymaking tome for the “Dummies” series of books.

Despite the death of his mother, the task of running a successful business, candymaking, everyday life and working for four editors, David persevered, put pen to paper, and “Candy Making for Dummies” made its debut in April 2005.

David muses that even now, 10 years later, the book still ranks No. 69 in the confections category at certain times of the year on Amazon. The book is sold in major bookstores and on Amazon. Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen also carries the book.

David reveals, “ I still sell about 100 copies or more every year.” Every book is signed by the author himself. And David says when cus-

homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

tomers in the shop want him to “customize” their copy in some way with an antidote, story or whatnot, he gladly complies.

To learn the candymaking process, how to convert candymaking for your kitchen and recipes for mouthwatering treats, a signed “Candy Making for Dummies” is just what the Chocolatier Doctor ordered. If you’re hankering for a slice of homemade, melt-in-your-mouth fudge, a strawberry dipped in succulent milk chocolate, or if your taste buds are piqued for one of the newest additions, Gourmet Chocolate Pears, which Janet describes as sweet, delicious and the “juice just runs down your chin,” plan a tasty getaway to Helen and visit the tastiest store around. Hansel and Gretel

Candy Kitchen is a sweet keeper.

For more information on the delicious candies and confections, ordering info, store hours, the Joneses and other tasty tidbits, visit www.hanselandgretelcandykitchenl.com run

by Diana and Mike, the Joneses’ daughter and son-in-law who handle the website and social media ventures.

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home get to know

Reality Check: Get Ready for a ‘Knuckle Sandwich’

Gainesville author Jason Peacock finds more success in writing Story and photo by Pam Keene Insurance broker Jason Peacock usually has his act together, but on a fall day in 2006, everything seemed to fall apart. At an important new-business presentation in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 31, 2006, the confident executive stood up to make his pitch and nothing happened.

“It was the worst sales call of my life,” said the 43-year-old Gainesville resident. “I stood up to make my presentation and my mind sat back down. My breathing and heart rate skyrocketed and

I had to leave the room. I thought I was having a heart attack.”

On the long drive back to Gainesville, Peacock kept replaying the embarrassing situation in his head. Then he had an idea: “It’s very hard to be in sales and, even though I’ve been in sales since I was 18, I thought about all the sales people just starting out and what could I do to help them be successful. Every time we all put ourselves out there, we face rejection. That makes for a very difficult career.”

Gainesville author Jason Peacock in his kitchen with daughter Kylee. Much of his writing said Peacock, is done sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by his family.

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home get to know

Not being a person to wallow, Peacock took action. He penned his first book, “The New Guy,” to help people who are new to sales or interested in starting a new career, no matter what their age. Using the life lessons from his own career, his distinctive perception and sense of humor, plus the inspiration and wisdom of his pastor father, Peacock published “The New Guy” in 2011. It opened doors to regional and national inspirational and motivational speaking engagements.

“I have a real passion for getting up in front of people and I know I’m gifted at it,” he said. “I taught Sunday School at our church, Lakewood Baptist, for more than 10 years and found out that speaking is my sweet spot. I really get in the zone.”

Peacock’s newest book, “Knuckle Sandwich,” was published in 2014.

With the subtitle, “Knocking Out the Top Ten Enemies of Success,” it’s an engaging read that’s well-organized and captures his conversational style. He shares just enough asides and personal nuggets to make the reader feel as though there’s a two-way conversation going on.

The inspiration for the second book? “I was turning 40 and so many people, including me, see it as a major milestone,” Peacock said. “We all do at least a little introspection about where we’ve been, where we’re going and where we want to go. By this age, most of us are past survival mode and are stable with a career and family, but sometimes it gets too easy. I decided it was time to kick it up a notch, not coast anymore. After all, you can only hang out for so long.”

Hanging out is something else that Peacock and his family make time to do. Their favorite place is going to Litchfield Beach in South Carolina. It gives him, his wife Wendy, and their three teens, Tanner, Cameron and Kylee, a chance for special family time away from the dayto-day in Gainesville.

At home, they frequently gather in the kitchen while preparing for supper. And, the large island in the kitchen provided the stage for Peacock’s writing.

“I wrote both books sitting right here in the kitchen amidst my family with my laptop,” he said.

He worked in phases, often writing a chapter or two in one sitting, which contributes to the book’s conversational style.

Peacock’s attitude and enthusiasm are contagious, whether you’re having a one-on-one conversation, listening to one of his presentations or reading his books.

“Yes, I wrote the book like you’re engaging in a conversation and when people read it, I want them to actually hear my voice, like talking over a cup of coffee,” he said.

For Peacock, it’s like a dose of real life. “It’s just real talk and it’s coming from a place of reality. The first step to overcoming challenges is to identify them; you can’t tackle anything until you know what it is.

‘Knuckle Sandwich’ helps people do that, but it also offers realistic solutions. I want to be their corner man and help my readers come out on the other side of their challenges. There’s just so much more out there and I really want to continue to see what I’m capable of.”

For more information about Jason and his books, visit jasonpeacockinc.com.

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www.magnoliaestates.com homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

May | June 2015

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home charity

Saving our furry friends

Humane Society of Northeast Georgia focuses on the pet population Story by Brandee A. Thomas Photos courtesy HSNEGA

When Bob Barker would turn to the camera at the end of “The Price Is Right” and encourage viewers to spay and neuter their pets, the folks at Humane Society of Northeast Georgia were listening.

Really, really listening.

“On average, we do about 30 to 40 (spay-neuter) surgeries a day,” says Julie Edwards, Humane Society executive director.

“Spaying and neutering is a huge part of our mission. Approximately 300,000 animals are euthanized each year in Georgia. Probably more that aren’t reported. You can’t adopt every animal out of each shelter, but the way you help curb the growth of the animal population is by spaying and neutering animals on the front end, so there are fewer animals in facilities looking for families.”

In the 10 years that the local Humane Society has been offering its low-cost spay and neuter program, it has completed more than 60,000 surgeries, Edwards says.

“We are setup to be a high volume spay and neuter clinic. Our staff has gone through specialized training with the Humane Alliance of North Carolina to help facilitate that. That’s how we keep costs low because the volume is so high,” Edwards explains.

“There’s a whole metric system to scheduling the surgeries so that you can serve the maximum number of pets each day.

“The clinic isn’t just for our animals. Anyone can come to our facility and have their animal spayed or neutered.”

Even though the surgeries are low-cost, they still generate a significant revenue stream for the nonprofit shelter, which is important since they don’t receive any government funding or financial support from the Humane Society of the United States.

The majority of the shelter’s funds are generated through spay and neuter surgeries and the organization’s wellness clinic, which was opened in 2010.

“Some people don’t understand all the resources and low-cost options that we have available,” Edwards says.

Humane Society of Northeast Georgia 845 West Ridge Road, Gainesville www.HSNEGA.org 770-532-6617

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“We would love to be in a community where no healthy animal is euthanized.”

“When we opened the wellness clinic, the economy had crashed and a lot of people were coming to us wanting to surrender their pets.

We realized that if we could make it more affordable for people to keep their pets healthy, we could keep more animals in their homes, which is our ultimate goal.”

The clinic offers a variety of services, including basic vaccinations, heartworm testing,

homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

preventative medications and microchipping.

According to Edwards the majority of the animals they serve at the clinic had never been to a veterinarian.

“We serve a lot of seniors and low-income families. Without the clinic, these animals wouldn’t have otherwise been seen by anyone,” Edwards says.

“Everything we do here is centered on saving lives.”

The scope of “everything” that the Humane Society does would likely surprise many people.

Unlike an “open door” shelter operated by an animal control department, the Humane Society is a selective admission facility with a goal of partnering animals with families.

“We pick and choose to a certain degree.

We do owner surrenders and we also pull animals from other open-door facilities from counties around us to help lessen their load of

intake, so hopefully they don’t have to euthanize as many animals,” Edwards said.

“We also work with other rescues and shelter to spay and neuter their animals. We have a transport program that helps facilitate that.

“We’ve reinstated our behavioral help line (770-532-6617 ext. 243), which you can call if you have an issue with your animal. If we can’t help, we refer the caller on to someone who can. A lot of times, people have behavior issues with their animals and want to surrender them. We like to help keep the pet in their homes.”

For the animals that are surrendered or rescued, one of the challenges to helping them find their “fur-ever” home is the public perception that taking one in is the equivalent of choosing a dented can of green beans from the clearance section of the grocery store. A good deal. Probably OK on the inside, but a risky

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buy all the same and somehow not as good as its breeder-born counterpart.

“There’s a perceptions that shelter animals are damaged goods and a lot of people don’t consider adoption because of that,” Edwards says.

“We have a lot of really good animals that come through our doors. Approximately 30 percent of our animals are purebred.”

One way of getting to know the animals at the shelter better is by being a foster family.

These temporary, loving homes are especially needed for some of the shelter’s more vulnerable animals like mamas with babies too young to be separated for adoption and heartwormpositive animals needing to recover in a calmer environment.

“We’re always in need of homes willing to foster animals,” Edwards says.

“If we don’t have homes, we can’t rescue the animals and that’s unfortunate.”

Foster homes aren’t the only structures impeding the Humane Society’s mission of helping homeless animals — the society’s own building is restricting its cause as well, which is

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why they are launching a capital campaign to renovate the 15-yearold building at 845 West Ridge Road in Gainesville.

“When this building was first built, we were working with animal control, so it was built to be an open-door facility. The former euthanasia room was retroactively refitted to be our spay-neuter suite, but upgrades are still needed there. If we had a proper holding area, we could take in more animals,” Edwards points out.

“We need to renovate and remodel this building in the next year so that it helps forward our current mission as a selective admissions facility.”

A renovated building will also help improve the quality of the community outreach programs that the society offers.

“We are in the process of creating a veterans program, where they will be able to come in and interact with the animals. This would be especially beneficial for some of our animals that need more oneon-one socialization and would be pet therapy for the veterans,” Edwards says.

“We’re also preparing for our first pet CPR class with the American Red Cross. We want to be able to do that at least once a month.”

The group is also working to raise funds to help expand their external offerings.

“We’re not just about pets. We’re also about people. One thing we’re really focusing on going forward is our education programs and community outreach. We haven’t done the job that we could in that area,” Edwards says.

“We have a fulltime educator that goes out and works with children and focuses on a variety of age-appropriate topics. A lot of what children learn about animals filters up. We want to teach them early-on how to be responsible pet owners.

“We also have a pet therapy program where we take a puppy or senior dog to an assisted living facility or nursing home to interact with the residents. We’d really love to have more volunteers for that program — the residents love it.”

From the Mutt Strut 5k and 1 mile run/walk fundraiser in June to pet loss support groups and Humane Education workshops for all, everything the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia does leads back to one goal.

“We would love to be in a community where no healthy animal is euthanized,” Edwards says.

“That’s the gold standard we’re striving for. We want to lead that charge in our community.” homemagazinenorthgeorgia.com

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home recreation

Training wheels not included Buford’s Southern Cycle custom builds bikes for serious enthusiasts Story by Savannah King Photos by Michelle Boaen Jameson From the outside, Southern Cycle looks like any other motorcycle repair shop.

Harley-Davidson merchandise fills the lobby, shiny engine parts glint in the windows and (as may be expected) magazine articles with half-dressed women line the walls.

Two custom cycles greet customers as they walk into the McEver Road shop. One is painted purple and green and is instantly reminiscent of a comic book villain. The other is a glittering red sport bike built with Suzuki parts and a Harley engine.

Sean Culleton, co-owner of Southern Cycle in Buford, has been turning motorcycles into pieces of art for more than 20 years.

As a child in Miami, he and his brother, Zane Culleton, would work on motorcycles in their front yard. His mother often complained about the outlines of spare parts painted on the front lawn. The pair went into business together and started Do you know these motorcycle terms?

Ape Hanger: High handlebars that require riders’ hands to reach above the shoulder Bagger: Comfortable motorcycle with extra storage space Sportster: Line of Harley-Davidson motorcycles Chopper: Extended front wheel

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Opposite page: Sean Culleton shows off “Freakshow,” a bike he and his brother customized from the handle bars and stereo system to the intense clown-themed paint job. Clockwise: Sean talks about his love of motorcycles. His brother, Zane, works on a bike in the shop. “Joker,” a bike Sean built for himself is on display in the showroom. Easy Rider Magazine featured one of their bikes on the January cover.

WT Customs. They bought Southern Cycle, a 40-year-old bike shop, and merged the two businesses.

In addition to standard repairs and maintenance, the shop can turn a bike into just about anything.

“Our thing is once they have an idea, we just kind of roll with it,” Sean Culleton said. “Anything somebody can think of, we can build, or paint or do it.”

People from all walks of life come to Southern Cycle for custom work on their motorcycles.

Some people are looking for simple paint jobs or small embellishments while others want a more elaborate design.

“We’re working on a bike for a guy in Afghanistan right now,” Sean Culleton said. “He wanted a sportster. … But he wanted something to look really, really old but be completely brand new.”

Sean Culleton stands back to admire the nearly completed small motorcycle. He points out the distressed paint and cloth, the repurposed fire extinguisher that is now the gas tank.

When it comes to customizing a bike there are a lot of factors to consider. Budget, time and design are the top three and each play into each other.

Depending on the design a customer likes, the project can cost several thousand dollars. Between labor and

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home recreation

Top left: A bike for a deployed soldier has a few special requests, such as an old fire extinguisher for a gas tank and, top right, a handle from his dad’s old bike. Middle: Small touches, like the skull, are fabricated for customers.

Above: Sean talks about the soldier’s request that his bike “look old.” The bike will be finished for the soldier’s return from deployment.

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waiting for parts to arrive, projects often are time-consuming. They can take longer to complete if the customer has to budget for each part at a time.

Then of course, there’s always safety.

Customers often bring in photos of what they’re looking for in a custom job.

They’ll point out features on other bikes, sometimes multiple bikes, and ask the Culletons to replicate it.

Sean Culleton and the customers decide on everything from style, color and detailed elements before getting down to work.

He said sometimes he has to advise customers against a certain element. Ape hangers — high hand grips — for example, are illegal in some states and generally may not be safe for smaller riders.

“We may have to say, you know, that looks cool but it’s not functional or it’s not safe,” Culleton said. “Then we add our input and come to a happy conclusion. If it’s not safe, we’re not going to do that.”

But Sean Culleton is not one to shy away from a challenge. He said he looks forward to each new custom job because he likes to see how much better he can make it from the last. Culleton lists off a few more of his favorite parts of the job like forming sheet metal, fitting custom stereo systems and bending.

“I enjoy building something out of nothing,” Culleton said. “I enjoy painting. I like it all. Every little aspect is fun.”

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Exceptional Medical Care with a Human Touch Gastroenterology Associates of Gainesville is the largest gastroenterology practice in Northeast Georgia.

Our highly qualified physicians utilize cutting-edge technology to diagnose and treat a wide variety of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.

Many people find discussing concerns related to the digestive tract embarrassing.

Our physicians and staff understand the sensitive nature of digestive problems and are specially trained to handle any questions and concerns.

We ARE the experts.

Main Office 2324 Limestone Overlook Gainesville, GA

Braselton Office 1515 River Place Suite 310, Braselton, GA

Lavonia Office 355 Clear Creek Pkwy., Suite 1007, Lavonia, GA

Habersham Office 638 Historic Hwy 441 N Suite B, Demorest, GA

Dawsonville Office 108 Prominence Court Dawsonville, GA

770-536-8109 • Toll Free 1-877-683-9410 • www.GastroGainesville.com

home lifestyle

Hot cars for

big spenders Atlanta International Auto Show makes young and old alike long for the open road Story by Frank Reddy Photos by Michelle Boaen Jameson

Top: A BMW i8, a Maserati GranTurismo, the new Mercedes Benz AMG GT S. Opposite page from top: a 2005 Ford GT owned by Larry Gilmore of Flowery Branch, a Corvette Z06, a concept Ford Mustang and the new Jeep.

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Dreamers, dealers and auto enthusiasts wandered an expansive show room, breathing in the billowing cloud of new-car smell as they gawked their way through hundreds of factory-fresh sedans, sports cars, SUVs and classics.

Spread throughout more than 400,000 square feet of indoor space, the Georgia World Congress Center’s 33rd annual Atlanta International Auto Show recently lured thousands upon thousands scoping the latest in automotive electronics, rubbernecking the most bizarre of concept cars and spotting the rarest antiques on four wheels.

Digital cameras dangling from their necks, thump-thump-thumping against their chests, attendees moved in packs of two, three and four. Families with kids flocked to the minivans, the tykes shoving each other as they trailed 10 paces behind. Others basked in the glow of aerodynamics, ogling the latest 800-horsepower daydream as it glistened like hard candy on the show room floor.

Shane Greene of Alpharetta was particularly impressed by a white 2015 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible. The elegant $150,000 sports car spun slowly on an elevated turntable. A female security guard seated beside it watched Greene and a horde of others with tired eyes.

“It’s not every day you see one of these,” said Greene, arms akimbo before the 454-horsepower machine. “I think I need one.

Makes me wish my job paid better.”

Other manufacturers on display included Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Acura, Buick, Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Toyota and many more.

Some displays drew bigger crowds than others with concept cars showcasing the HOME Living

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newest technology, while others roped them in with raw, supercharged, piston-pumping allure.

Amongst the exclamations of astonishment — the oohs and aahs of eight-cylinder idolatry — played a distinct soundtrack: thud-thudthudding of a hundred car doors closing, an arrhythmic metronome interrupting the piped-in guitar riffs and bass beats of speakers mounted throughout the World Congress Center.

Car reps dressed to the nines paced their respective stations, answering questions and handing out brochures. The fancier the make of their cars, the swankier their garb.

Peter Tocco, a representative with Infiniti, sported a slick-looking business suit. Having worked these types of car shows all over America for nearly 30 years with the same manufacturer, Tocco’s got all kinds of complimentary stuff to say about Infiniti.

Like: “The high-quality, the low price-point, for what you get when you buy one of our automobiles, it’s just unbeatable.”

Car representatives from 27 other manufacturers made similar claims to curious consumers, touting their product lines with unbridled enthusiasm.

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Haley Sawyer of Atlanta said the reps with Chevrolet had been very helpful. “I came here wanting to learn more about a couple of their cars, and they answered my questions. No pressure. Not like dealing with salesmen at a car lot.”

Josh Smith of Alpharetta came to the show not seeking information so much as a little vicarious living. He sat, smiling, in the driver seat of a cherry red Dodge Viper. “It doesn’t hurt to dream,” he said.

Daryl Hunter of Ellenwood agreed.

“Some nice-looking automobiles,” Hunter said, walking a row of restored classic cars. An aficionado of antique vehicles, Hunter owns a white 1975 Buick LeSabre Convertible. “I’m a big fan of the older cars, myself.”

The dreamers, the dealers and the antique enthusiasts may have had different reasons for attending the annual event, but they each had one thing in common: a gleam in their eyes, mouths agape, in that most basic of human facial expressions denoting brain overload.

“Yeah, sort of feels like you could walk this whole place three or four times and still not see every car,” said Stephen Hudson of Roswell.

“That’s why I come out every year. It’s like having your mind blown over and over again.”

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home calendar

Ongoing

The Pilot Club 5:45 p.m. every fourth Thursday. Elk’s Club, 1547 Riverside Drive, Gainesville.

770-532-2528, jlc814@yahoo.com.

Northeast Georgia History Center Family Days 1-4 p.m. Second Sunday of each month through December. Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St. NE, Gainesville. Free. 770-297-5900, www. negahc.org.

Phoenix Rising Veterans’ Drum Circle 6-8 p.m. every other Wednesday. American Legion Post No. 7, 2343 Riverside Drive, Gainesville. Drums available to borrow. Bring a lawn chair. Free. 770561-7070.

Northeast Georgia History Center Forums 7 p.m. Second Tuesday of each month through December. Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St NE, Gainesville.Theme differs each month.

Admission free for members, $3 for nonmembers. 770-297-5900, www.negahc. org.

Bowen Center for the Arts 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Tuesday through Friday; Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. New shows monthly. Bowen Center for the Arts, 334 Ga. 9 N, Dawsonville. Free. 706-216-2787, info@dawsonarts.org.

Lake Lanier Rowing Club rowing classes Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clarks Bridge Park, 3105 Clarks Bridge Road, Gainesville. $100. www.lakelanierrowing.org, llrc@mindspring.com, 770-287-0077, 770-540-7144.

Toastmasters program, improve communication and leadership skills 6 p.m. Mondays. 611 Spring St., Gainesville. Free. 706-265-6710, 2520.toastmastersclubs.org.

Square dance plus classes 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays. Mulberry Creek Community Center, 4491 J.M.Turk Road, Flowery Branch. Free. 12 years old and older. 770-965-7140.

Library chess club 1-5 p.m. Fridays. Gainesville Library, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. All ages and levels welcome. 770-532-3311, ext. 114.

American Business Women’s Association 6 p.m. fourth Tuesday each month. Recess Southern Gastro-pub, 118 Bradford St. NE, Gainesville. Dinner, speakers, meeting. 770-654-9277, abwallcc.org.

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The Georgia Art League Noon, third Thursday each month. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. Georgiaartleague.org.

Friday sketch Club 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. first Friday of the month. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. $20. 770536-2575, info@qvac.org, www.quinlanartscenter.org.

May

Through June 6 Spring Exhibition Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. Free. 770-536-2575, info@qvac.org, www.quinlanartscenter.org.

Through May Michael Arteaga art exhibit Inman Perk, 102 Washington St. NW, Gainesville.

Free. 678-971-8091.

May 2 The Doobie Brothers 7:30 p.m. . Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. $19.50-$99.50, 800-745-3000, www.vzwamp. com.

May 2 Craven Pottery Festival 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Midway United Methodist Church, 6420 Ga. 52, Gillsville. Free. www.cravenpottery.com.

May 2 Flowery Branch Spring Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown Flowery Branch.

Free. 678-825-4228, festival@troop228.info.

May 2 Light in the Garden 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Atlanta Botanical Garden,

1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. Adults $22.95; children $15.95; children younger than 3 free.

404-876-5859, www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

May 3 Race for Williams 5K Crow’s Lake, Jefferson.Participate in the Walk to help support the effort of the Williams Syndrome Association. $20 Individual, $50 Family of 4.

May 4 Hall County golf tournament 7 a.m. Chattahoochee Golf Course, 301 Tommy Aaron Drive, Gainesville. Per person $100; team of four $400. 770-536-3672, hallcounty.org.

May 7 Comedian Anita Renfroe 6-8 p.m. Four Oaks Manor, 3198 Hamilton Mill Road. Space is limited. Registration is required.

Visit gmc-rsvp.org. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

May 7 Gainesville-Hall County Community Council Quality of Life Award honoring Dr. Henry S. Jennings Jr. Gainesville Civic Center from 6-7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50/person. Proceeds from the event will help serve our families, friends and neighbors who receive nutrition and support from Meals on Wheels and Senior Life Center programs. For more information please contact Phillippa Lewis Moss at 770-503-3340.

May 9 Paint therapy class Noon to 3 p.m. . Helen Arts and Heritage Center, 25 Chattahoochee Strasse, Helen. Free for individuals with disabilities. Helenarts.org, helenartshc@gmail.com.

May 9 Braselton Beach Bash Family friendly festival with live entertainment, face painting, bouncies and more…Plus a “beach” with sand pails provided for play.

May 9 Spring on the Unicoi Trail at Hardman Farm 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hardman Farm, Sautee Nacoochee. Enjoy a ramble through time on the grounds of the Hardman Farm, Georgia’s newest State Historic Site. Explore emerging foliage, flowers, historic landscaping and stories of the families who planted them. Weather permitting. $5.

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May 9 “Jordan Is So Chilly” 4 p.m. Dillard Playhouse, 892 Franklin St., Dillard. $25. 706-894-4204, www.piedmont.edu.

May 8 and 9 Zac Brown Band 7 p.m. . Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. $36.50-$89.50. 800-745-3000, www.vzwamp. com.

May 9 Challenged Child and Friends Rock in Spring concert 7:30 p.m. . Brenau Amphitheatre, 500 Washington St. SE, Gainesville. Lawn seat $25; Table of 6-10 $300-$600. cwilson@challengedchild.org.

May 9-10 Gardens for connoisseurs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. Adults $18.95; children $12.95; children younger than 3 free.

404-876-5859, www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

May 12 Gainesville/Hall County Alliance For Literacy 24th Annual Spelling Bee

7 p.m. Brenau University’s Pearce Auditorium.

Funds raised from this event supports literacy programs in our community May 13 Bette Midler 8 p.m. . Phillips Arena, 1 Phillips Drive, Atlanta. $46-$211. 404-878-3000, www.philipsarena. com.

on your trail map where you see these plants on the mountain. At the end of the trail, turn in your map to receive a Walk Georgia prize. Then you can log your activity at www.walkgeorgia. org .Tours will begin at 9 a.m. and depart every 15 minutes. The last tour will leave the garden at 11 a.m.706-878-1077.

May 16 Movies Under the Stars Dusk, Braselton Park

May 16 National Kids to Parks Day Paddling Trip 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Don Carter State Park, Gainesville. Join us as we paddle up a beautiful section of Lake Lanier and see undeveloped parts of the park seen best from the water. We will be on the lookout for wildlife which can often be spotted on this tranquil portion of the lake. Space is limited. $10-$15 $5 parking. 678450-7726.

May 16 Hike Sawnee Mountain With A Master Gardener Get an active education in native (and invasive) plants as you hike Sawnee Mountain with a Forsyth County Master Gardener as your guide.

Start with a brief plant identification class in the Louise Mashburn Native Plant Garden at the Bettis Tribble Gap trailhead. As you hike, mark

May 16 Rivers Alive Clean Up 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Braselton Community Room at the Municipal Building. Volunteers come together to clean up the roads and rivers from trash and debris Meet at 9am for a briefing then come back by 11:45 for pizza and prizes.

Ywise@braselton.net contact info for Yvette Wise

May 16 Virginia Schenck Quartet 8 p.m. .Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St.,Gainesville. $30. 770-534-2787, info@ theartscouncil.net, www.theartscouncil.net.

Celebrating Over

Years of Service 1983-2014

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Office based treatment Radio-frequency ablation of veins Specialist venous ulcer management Most insurances accepted

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CALL TODAY 770-535-1948 or visit us online for more details.

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May | June 2015

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home calendar May 16 Needtobreathe 7 p.m. . Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. $19.50-$69.50. 800-745-3000, www.vzamp.com.

May 17 North Georgia Chamber Symphony 3 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, 800 S. Enota Drive, Gainesville. $15. 770532-0136, www.fpcga.org.

May 21 Darius Rucker 7 p.m. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. $24.50-$69.50, 800-745-3000, www.vzwamp.com.

May 23 Craftier Beer Festival 11 a.m. Sky Valley Park and Lawn, 995 Sky Valley Way, Sky Valley. Must be 21. VIP $60; General admission $30; Designated driver $15. www.skyvalleyga.com.

May 23-25 Holiday Gorge Floor Hike May 23, 2015 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ; May 24, 2015 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ; May 25, 2015 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Tallulah Gorge State Park. This is a strenuous trek, include hiking down 531 stairs, a river crossing jumping from rock to rock, and climbing boulders along the side of the river to Bridal Veil Falls where you can swim. Total miles is 3.5. No pets; wear appropriate footwear; children must be 10 or older; bring food and water.

Register in advance. $10 a person $5 parking. 706-754-7981.

May 24 Tightrope Lessons 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tallulah Gorge State Park. A .25 mile hike will take us to the site of Karl Wallenda’s 1970 walk across the gorge on a tightrope.

There we will learn about the history of the tight rope walkers at Tallulah Gorge and teach the basics of walking on a slackline. Ages 8 and up. Reservations required, limit 20 spaces. $5 plus $5 parking. 706-754-7981.

May 24 Atlanta Jazz Festival 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Piedmont Park, 1342 Worchester Drive NE, Atlanta.

Free. Atlantafestivals.com.

May 26-June 7 “My Life as a Fairy Tale:The Ugly Duckling” Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. Members $9.25, nonmembers $16.50. 404-873-3391, www.puppet.org.

May 29 Sautee Shootout Golf Tournament 8 a.m. Mossy Creek Golf Course, 7883 Ga. 254, Cleveland. $80, includes breakfast, lunch and beverages. 706-878-3300, www.snca.org.

May 30 Full Moon Paddle 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tallulah Gorge State Park. Enjoy a relaxing paddle around Tallulah lake as the full moon reflects off the water. Space is limited, so register in advance. $15 plus $5 parking. 706-754-7981.

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May 31 “Charlotte’s Web” 6 and 7 p.m. Sterling on the Lake, 7004 Lake Sterling Blvd., Flowery Branch. $5. 770-967-9777, www.sterlingonthelake.com.

June

June 6 Inaugural Georgia Mountains Vintage Affair The event, to be held at the Sautee Nacoochee Center Community Hall, will feature food, wine, a high-end silent auction, and a raffle for special prizes. The Sautee Nacoochee Center is a nonprofit arts and environmental organization; Community Helping Hands Clinic is a charitable agency proving free healthcare to the uninsured in White County. All proceeds from the inaugural event will benefit the founding charities. Tickets for the Georgia Mountains Vintage Affair will go on sale May 6 and are $75 per person.www.GeorgiaMountainsVintageAffair.org.

June 15-19 “Let’s have a Broadway ball” camp Academies of Discovery, 3215 Poplar Springs Road, Gainesville. $170. www.dreamboxtheatre.com.

June 19 The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 8 p.m. Arts Center Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St., Gainesville.

Adult $35, senior $32, student $28. 770-534-2787, www.theartscouncil. net.

MEET OUR HIGHLY QUALIFIED PHYSICIANS...

Clinton E. Branch, Jr. MD, FAAN

Founder of Gainesville Neurology Group in 1979 Boarded in Neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology Boarded in Electroencephalography by the American Board of Electroencephalography & Neurophysiology

Michael S. Baugh, MD

Joined Gainesville Neurology Group in 2002 Boarded in Neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Boarded in Electrodiagnostic medicine by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine

GAINESVILLE NEUROLOGY GROUP, LLC

Daniel L. Cobb, MD

Joined Gainesville Neurology Group in 2008 Dual boarded by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Neurology and Sleep Medicine

If you need a neurologic evaluation, ask your physician for a referral to Gainesville Neurology Group or call our office at 770-534-7885 for information and appointments.

Leading Board Certified Neurologists in Northeast Georgia Since 1979

1240 Jesse Jewell Pkwy., Ste. 400, Gainesville, GA 30501 770-534-1117 • 770-503-7285 (fax) www.gainesvilleneurology.com

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home around town 11th annual Spring Chicken Festival April 25, 2015

The 11th annual Spring Chicken Festival was held Saturday in downtown Gainesville, and despite a little rain in the morning, the event was quite a success. The event is the primary fundraiser for Keep Hall Beautiful and is organized in collaboration with Main Street Gainesville and the city of Gainesville. It included a barbecue chicken cookoff, the “ReHatched” art market offered art pieces for sale made of 80 percent recycled, repurposed or reclaimed materials.

Brenau University May Day Weekend April 10, 2015

Brenau University Women’s College and Brenau Academy alumnae, families and friends converged on the Gainesville historic campus for the annual day of class reunions and the “May Day” celebration for current students. Themed “Forever Gold, Forever Home,” the weekend events included fancy hats and daisy chains for nearly 200 Brenau graduates of all ages who will swap stories, share family photos and show off their new spring fashion.

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Smithgall donation of Rembrandt piece to QVAC April 1, 2015

A day after her 104th birthday, Lessie Smithgall and her family unveiled the largest gift in the Quinlan Visual Arts Center’s history.

Smithgall joined with descendants of Leslie and Edith Quinlan for a private reception in the Edith Quinlan Rankin Conference Room.

The piece, “Rembrandt’s Father in a High Hat” by Rembrandt van Rijn, came from the private collection of Charles and Celestia “Lessie” B. Smithgall, founders of The Times.

2015 Atlanta Symphony Decorators’ Show party April 18, 2015

Entering its 45th year, the 2015 Atlanta Symphony Decorators’ Show House & Gardens is taking place through May 10. Leading interior designers from the Southeast and beyond will grace Château Soleil, a French-style estate off Northside Drive designed by renowned architectural designer William T. Baker. This year is especially exciting with two celebrity designers and television hosts (Vern Yip and Chip Wade), a cadre of students from The Art Institute of Atlanta, and dozens of prominent local and national designers involved.

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The Arts Council 2015 Gala: A Monte Carlo Affair April 18, 2015

The Arts Council transformed its headquarters in Gainesville into the gambling mecca of Monte Carlo with the feel of a James Bond film. The evening featured fun vignettes of well-heeled villains, mega-casino games, live entertainment, delicacies of the liquid and solid kinds and packages for silent and live auction. Several cars were on display from Jim Ellis Porsche and some visitors had the chance to win a new automobile. The money raised will allow the organization to enhance, educate and expand public interest in the arts throughout Northeast Georgia.

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“Fur”the Love of Animals: Fur Ball 2015 March 21, 2015

The community came together recently at the Braselton-Stover House for a successful annual Fur Ball fundraiser which featured Doug Thompson’s Tribute to Elvis and a casino night plus silent auctions. The event raised money for the Jackson County Humane Society.

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Annual Spring Garden Expo April 3-4, 2015

The annual Spring Garden Expo, hosted by the Hall County Master Gardeners drew thousands of visitors.

The event kicked off at the Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center and included garden vendors, yard art, plants, tools and plenty of expert advice.

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