Fall 2015

HGTV reality show, “Saving America” |

Kickin’ Cancer of Southwest Georgia | Never Give Up

FALL 2015

$ 3.95

www.thomasvillemagazine.com

The First & Finest

Volume 12, Issue 3

we Until meet againJack

Thomasville Dental Center Alan G Sanders, D.M.D

Family Care • Sedation • Implants

Protecting Teeth

on and off the field

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015 4

He spent his life giving back to the community he loved.

• OWNER & FOUNDER Jack Kelly March 15, 1931 - July 8, 2015 • PUBLISHER, EDITOR- IN-CHIEF Christy S. Layfield | crlayfield@gmail.com • ADVERTISING MANAGER Christy S. Layfield • CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chuck Bowen | Didi Hoffman | Jennifer Morgan | Andrew Sawyer | Randy Rhea | Stepahanie Rice | Jennifer Taylor | Brewer Turley | Teresa Williams • CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jennifer Taylor | Jennifer Ward | Teresa Williams | • LAYOUT & DESIGN Cynthia Henry

Thomasville Magazine is published quarterly by Thomasville Magazine, Inc. (Jack Kelly) All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Subscription rates in the U.S. are $15.00 annually.

Please send address changes along with mailing label from past issue to: Thomasville Magazine, P.O.Box 1855, Thomasville, GA 31799-1855 or email us at subscriptions@ thomasvillemagazine.com.

I’d tell my husband, “I’m running to Mr. Jack’s really quick!” Translation: I’d be gone at least one or two hours.

I remember my first meeting at his house, as he sat typing on his typewriter. I got a huge smile on my face and thought, “That’s not something you see every day.”

As lucky as we are to have the technology we do today, Mr. Jack was truly a breath of fresh air. Although I thought I could teach him all the “new” ways, I always left learning something from him instead. That is just one of many things I learned to love and appreciate about Mr. Jack throughout our time together.

He taught me more than any book or school ever could, for which I will forever be grateful. His love for God, family, Thomasville, and the magazine just radiated off of him. You couldn’t help but want to be a part of it. The more time we spent together, the more excited we would get about the future of the magazine. We had so many plans and shared goals alike.

As much as I will miss him, as I know many will, I look forward to the future, continuing the magazine for him and working toward the goals we had. I consider myself so lucky to have known him and truly blessed to have been able to have called Mr. Jack my friend.

I want to send a huge “thank you” to all our advertisers, past and present, and to our readers, for whom this magazine would not be possible without. I also want to thank everyone who plays a part in pulling each issue together: our wonderful writers and the ever-so-talented graphic designer Cynthia Henry, who brings the vision to life each quarter.

Thomasville Magazine was a labor of love for Mr. Jack, as it will be for us as well. In his very first publisher’s note, he wrote about why he started the magazine. He wrote he did it “out of genuine affection for Thomasville and Thomas County, its heritage and its people.”

As a Thomasville native born and raised here I share that same affection. This is why I will forever dedicate each and every issue now and in the future to our dear owner and founder Jack Kelly, for without whom this publication would not exist. It is his conviction and love for people and his community that I share, that will drive me to continue his work for what I can only hope will be many years to come.

With Love, Christy Layfield

34

44

40

Vol. 12 No. 3 Fall 2015

10

Aquatic Aerobics Building Strong Bonds

48

Any Questions?

Lara Goes to P.T.A.

8

Never Give Up Sadie Parrish

50

Lives WIthout Limits

In Every Issue 22

Hey, Put Another Log on the Fire

28

A Vision Of Design and Care

34 Dedication

Jack Kelly 40 HGTV

Saving America

6

Education

38

Food & Fitness

52

Landscaping

58

Calendar of Events

64 Ledger 44

We Are Here For You Kickin Cancer - Southwest Georgia

COVER

Jack’s typewriter and hat rest on the brick streets in downtown Thomasville. All of which he loved.

Photograph was taken by Jennifer Taylor.

www.thomasvillemagazine.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thomasville-Magazine

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

10

5

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

WRITTEN JENNIFER TAYLOR WRITTEN BYBY JENNIFER MORGAN

6

Daddy scribbled a daily quote on his prison chalkboard to inspire the inmates.

Anne Frank’s words “…in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart,” is one of his favorites. I believe this quote also defines my father’s attitude on life.

My father, Bob Ward, of Cairo, Georgia and presently Attapulgus, worked as an academic teacher at Apalachee Correctional Institute (ACI) for twenty years. His last year before retirement, he and the ACI staff graduated 104 GED students. Throughout his career, daddy spoke highly and positively of his inmates. “This kid is amazing.

He could have accomplished so much on the outside.”

Or “This 59-year-old man is determined to learn to read.

I am inspired every day by his persistence.” He conveyed an entirely different light to my idea of prison life. Daddy refused to read inmate records to learn what act landed them in prison. That way he perceived everyone as folks who had made mistakes, and all remained on equal footing in his classroom.

“I’m making a difference with these guys,” he’d tell me.

“Some of them never learned to read. You should see their confidence soar at the end of the class. If they’d had the education, their stories could have ended differently.” Of course, it wasn’t all daisies, but my father chose to glean the optimistic.

Daddy’s home brims with magazine, newspaper, and book excerpts he once passed out to specific inmates, and now sends to me. No surprise then, that with my announcement of a grandbaby, he decided to create a personal library for her. He combs local libraries and Goodwill stores for discarded books during his days of retirement. He delivers anything I ask for-- boxes of books at a time. The last time we visited, I rode away with five boxes!

Daddy delights most in showing me each treasure.

Flipping through books, he marks pages with thin, white strips of paper. We may kill two hours at a setting, or three days with distractions wading through one box. In my impatience, I appreciated the book boxes but didn’t have time to study each book. I remained quiet thinking how I

really should be putting the rice on for dinner but he was having such fun. Joy shone in his eyes and I gave pause to listen. He’d spent hours in the Goodwill stores squatting and bending, actual months collecting the perfect books.

I relaxed and figured we’d order pizza. And do you know what? Each box is better than the last!

Growing up between Cairo and Thomasville, I remember the Book-Mobile found its way to Pine Park in the summers. The highlight of the week, my siblings and I felt special climbing onboard the bus to choose miscellaneous books like shiny new prizes wrapped in bound covers. Stranded out in the country with three young children, mama must have found great relief year round at Cairo’s local library, not only in the summers.

Twenty-five years later I’d landed in Amish country Wisconsin, population 5,000. The town owned one stoplight. I knew no one. My husband toiled long hours and my six-month old baby and I lingered indoors, trapped under feet of snow in one of the harshest winters Wisconsin had ever seen. We found great solace in that local library-friendly faces, warmth. It was the library that introduced me to 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, Nevada’s nonprofit public charity, and a program of the 1,000 Books Foundation. With hundreds of libraries participating nation wide, the program encourages reading to newborns, infants and toddlers. By reading just one book a night, a parent will

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015 7

reach 365 books in a year, topping 1,000 books long before kindergarten.

We are on our fourth round of the program (presently over 3,000 books). My toddler isn’t only speaking in full sentences but also in Spanglish, as half of the books read to her are in Spanish. I will continue tallying until her first day of kindergarten from mere curiosity to see how many books she will reach.

To whom do I owe the credit? My father’s extraordinary

addition of the library to the baby’s room? My mother instilling library love in the first place? Or the library’s brilliant 1,000 books program to boost me on? Maybe to every librarian who works tirelessly and quietly each and every day?

John F. Kennedy said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” I’m certain this sentence spent many days on the chalkboard of my father’s classroom. And can be found at a local library by you!

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015 8

Let PELLICANO Manage Your Next Healthcare Project ALBANY (CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS) 415 PINE AVENUE, SUITE 200 ALBANY, GA 31701 PHONE (229) 883-6000 ATLANTA 990 HAMMOND DRIVE, NE BUILDING ONE, SUITE 970 ATLANTA, GA 30328 PHONE (770) 542-2400 SAN ANTONIO 17803 LA CANTERA PARKWAY SAN ANTONIO, TX 78257 PHONE (210) 877-6272 MACON 3985 ARKWRIGHT ROAD SUITE 107 MACON, GA 31210 PHONE (478) 254-2772

PELLICANO C O N S T R U C T I O N

www.pellicanoconstruction.com

Harrington Park Health & Rehabilitation ~ Augusta, GA

WRITTEN BY CHUCK BOWEN

ARE YOU LONGING FOR A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP? Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015 9

Dr. Robin Wise has helped many people in this area

BENEFITS OF SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT:

stop snoring and get be er sleep by switching to a

• Lower Risk of Heart A ack, High Blood Pressure and Stroke • Less Daytime Sleepiness • Improved Marital Relations • More Energy • Improved Memory • Improved Sense of Well-Being • Less Headaches

simple oral device without CPAP that is a proven treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea. If you’re ready to say goodbye to the masks, tubing and bulky CPAP equipment, call [229] 226-8481 today for a complimentary consultation. We’re ready to help!

Veneers and Crowns | Zoom® Whitening | Sedation Dentistry | Dental Implants Cosmetic Dentures | Endodontics | Sleep Apnea Treatment

428 Remington Avenue • Thomasville, GA 31792 • [229]226-8481 www.SouthGeorgiaSmiles.com

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Aqua Fit participant Cheryl Clemons prepares to return a serve during a water volleyball game.

10

aquatic exercise Building Strong Bonds WRITTEN BY TERESA WILLIAMS

A shared need for specialized exercise brought them together, but it is the bonds of friendship and fellowship that have made them a family.

Meet the instructors and participants of Thomasville YMCA’s aquatic exercise (water aerobics) program. Each has a different reason for coming, but all have a united reason for staying: the family connection shared by everyone involved.

“When we are in the pool, we are able to be 16 again for an hour,” participant Fran Evans said. “I sincerely look forward to these classes because I am able to visit with my Y family. We love and support one another and this makes me feel confident and good about myself.”

Aqua Fit instructor Lucretia Roddenbery agrees classes build strong bonds through fun exercise with similarly motivated individuals.

“People attending my class are all different yet most are seeking the same thing: better health and friends,” she said. “The atmosphere is always very happy and friendly. The catalyst is the water! It makes us feel 20 pounds lighter and 20 years younger.”

Aquatic exercise classes at Thomasville YMCA began in 1980 and, though many exercise fads have come and gone, this program has become a staple of the Y’s schedule. Classes offered include: Aqua Fit, Aqua Boot Camp, and Deep Fit. Participants do not have to be able to swim to participate in the Aqua classes but must be able to swim to take Deep Fit. “Aquatic classes began because a lot of people can’t do the land classes,” Kim Smith, director of fitness and wellness, said. “Water is better on the joints, and it is easier to exercise in the water if a person has injuries.”

A large number of participants began classes because their doctors recommended aquatic exercises. Physical ailments include: hip replacements, knee issues, arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain, cardiac issues, the need to lose weight, etc. “Many participants have medical conditions that medication does not help with,” participant Geraldine Roberson said. “Participation in water exercises can be the answer or help needed because water allows us to move joints and muscles that have not been used for a long period of time.”

Roberson’s doctor recommended water exercises to help her rheumatoid arthritis.

She first started at the Valdosta YMCA,

All instructors do their best to learn about their participants’ health issues and help them with moves for the best individual workout.

Aqua Fit instructor Karen Bickel is a registered nurse and uses her career field knowledge to help her participants.

“I can give individual advice,” she said. “We can have a diversified class and still keep them motivated. One of the biggest fears for the elderly is falling. Many of my class participants have gained strength, balance, and flexibility.”

Bickel understands the need for aquatic fitness classes: she was once bedridden with a back injury and also diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Her doctor suggested she get into water aerobics or aquatic classes, and participation in such classes helped her regain her mobility. When she realized there were no evening classes, she was granted permission to start one. At first she volunteered, but later got certified. “It’s so beneficial to me and also beneficial to have others that can do this class after work who didn’t have the opportunity before,” she said.

Instructors motivate each member to do their best, something many participants truly appreciate. “Because of health issues I can’t do much on the ground, but I can do it in the pool,” Deep Fit participant Warren Field said. “It’s the only thing I can really do without pain. My instructor (Liz Hood) doesn’t give me much of a break. Being a former coach, I need somebody to be grinding me. It’s strenuous but not overwhelming. Our instructor does a great job of

Evening Aqua Fit participants Trudy Tester and Doris Zimmerman enjoy an exercise done by partnering up.

Deep Fit participant Warren Field enjoys his instructor’s teaching style and says the water allows him to do exercises he can’t do on land.

strength, mobility, and balance in a compromised body.

In the water your body works opposite of the property of gravity so you have less body weight, thus less pain. The water is in constant motion so you work on balance 100 percent of the time. It also reduces osteoporosis. The water provides resistance dependent on speed of movement, lever length, and external equipment. It also provides body massage, reducing inflammation.”

Haberkorn’s participants have reported the ability to climb stairs without getting out of breath, increased knee flexibility post operation, and decrease in back pain.

keeping us motivated. We’re important to her. Every time I finish my class I always feel great. There’s an overall good feeling when I get out of the water.”

Rosetta Haywood came to the Y for rehab but stayed for the water aerobics classes. “I would watch the ladies and it seemed as if they were having so much fun, so I decided to try it,” she said.

Haberkorn said people return to the aquatic classes because they both benefit from them and have fun. “Each instructor has different techniques and partisans tend to seek a class where they feel comfortable,” she said. “But

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

but her medicine prevents her from being in the sun for extended periods of time. Since the Valdosta pool is outdoors, she commutes to Thomasville’s indoor one at the Everett-Milton location. “Being able to participate in these classes gives hope for the future,” she said. “All of the medicine I was taking wasn’t relieving the pains.

They were only leaving me in a zombie like state of mind.

Physically, these classes are the best medicine for arthritis; socially, I’m interacting with other people on a daily basis; and, emotionally, these classes take one’s mind off his/ her physical ailments. And, the exercises have allowed the doctors to decrease the amounts of medication taken daily.”

Evans has osteoarthritis and asthma, and said “exercise is crucial for my well-being.”

“The aquatic class enables me to retain and even increase my range of motion, muscle strength, balance and flexibility,” she said. “Because of the cardio component, I believe the class has helped me lower my blood pressure and cholesterol. The class also helps me maintain a healthy weight.”

Susan Haberkorn, a YMCA Board of Directors member and water aerobics instructor, said, “almost every participant has at least one issue” and aquatic exercise “is an excellent way to keep a body healthy.”

“It is low impact, eliminates gravity, has more resistance for strengthening and calorie use, and decreases blood pressure and heart rate,” she explained. “It improves

11

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Deep Fit instructor Liz Hood (left) leads morning class participants Lee Mitchell, Cile Todd and Bonnie McMillan in an exercise.

mostly, they believe it helps them. I have one who drives an hour because it helps her ankle.”

But, aquatic exercise classes at Thomasville YMCA are more than opportunities to improve the body’s physical condition: participants have indicated spiritual, mental, and emotional wellness in addition to improved physical abilities.

Betty Banks started classes a few months ago after a fellow 12 church member told her about them. “This class helps me physically and emotionally,” she said. “Physically, I have gained more strength in my body. Emotionally, I am more relaxed with less stress. My health is better because my blood pressure is lower.”

Participant Pat Truitt got involved with water aerobics because “a friend told me it was fun.” She enjoys the fellowship and playing water volleyball. “I feel better, less depressed, and have defined muscles,” Truitt said of the class’s positive impact on her.

Marguerite Page got involved two years ago. She said aquatic exercise “helps me to lose weight and to feel better” and “also gives me peace of mind.”

Doris Zimmerman, who moved to the area a few months ago, thought the water classes would be a good place to meet people. “It’s a good way to ‘de-stress,’” she said.

These emotional and mental improvements are largely due to the fact each group/class is like a family. “There are no distinctions,” Evans said. “We do not look at age, sex, race, religion or where we were born as ways to separate us from one another. In class, we are all class members who care about each other. I feel that each of my fellow aquatic class members is a friend. I may not see them outside of class, but I feel certain that, should I really need them, they would be there for me. Just knowing that there are classmates who are looking forward to seeing me keeps my resolve up to get to class.”

Participant Carrie Franklin loves the family atmosphere of her class. “To be able to participate with this group of people means a lot,” Franklin said. “You know everybody by name or their faces. We laugh and talk

with each other. We have fun playing volleyball. This group is just like another family to me. I enjoy every day I come.”

Cheryl Armbruster got involved in aquatic classes after her doctor recommended the exercise following a hip replacement. But, she’s stayed because of the connection she’s formed with her Aqua Fit class. “Being part of this class makes you feel loved,” she said. “A lot of us don’t have husbands or anyone at home. This class and group make each of us feel special.”

Roberson said her carpool group has grown closer through the class.“The ladies and I that carpool together have become much closer,” she said. “We knew each other in the community but the bond of true friendship was not there like it is now.”

Bickel said her class is “like my family.” “There’s not a day I haven’t wanted to come and be of service to someone,” she said.

There are no strangers in any of the water aerobics classes, even if a person is new. “We introduce new people and introduce ourselves,” Aqua Fit/Boot Camp instructor Lillian Reddick said. “We welcome new people, and instantly make them feel welcome.” And, when people don’t come to class they are missed. “You miss people when they aren’t here,” Aqua Fit participant Janice Stewart said. “You ask, ‘where’s so-and-so?’”

If no one knows, they check to make sure members who’ve missed classes are OK. And, when tragedy or illness strikes, classmates join together to be there for the member going through the tough time by praying together, sending cards, attending funerals, bringing food, and etc.

“When my mother passed I got a lot of support from my classes,” Reddick said. “They brought food, flowers, money, hugs, and prayers. And, when I see someone sad, I pull them aside and talk with them.”

Examples continue. Field said his instructor was in a “bah humbug” mood one Christmas, so the class got a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, arranged a visit from Santa, and went all out to make their instructor feel special. Bickel had knee surgeries and her class members each designated a day to bring a meal to her house so she didn’t have to cook.

“In times of need we have each other’s prayers,” participant Kathy Moore said.

Participant Elizabeth Elzy appreciates the support and fellowship of her classmates. “We all seem to be like family and we support each other with our joy, sadness, pain, or whatever,” she said. “I love all of them.”

Franklin said classmates encourage each other to not give up, to keep coming to classes, because everyone cares about each other. “It means a lot to me when you have someone to

Orthopedic treatment for athletes and their biggest fans.

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015 13

ARCHBOLD ORTHOPEDIC GROUP ORTHOPEDIC SOLUTIONS FOR ADULT AND PEDIATRIC PATIENTS • Repair or joint replacement for hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles • Trauma/Fracture/Sprain/Arthritis care • Treatment for meniscus, ACL and PCL tears • Back pain management • Worker’s Comp Injuries Elizabeth Dulaney-Cripe, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

The compassion you deserve.

Most insurances accepted including Medicare and Medicaid.

2621 E. Pinetree Blvd, Thomasville, GA • 229.584.4100 • www.archbold.org/aog Archbold Medical Center •

@ArchboldMedical •

The care you need.

ArchboldMedical

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Evening Aqua Fit instructor Karen Bickel demonstrates a move to her class.

come to you and ask you how you are doing or how was your weekend,” she said. “That makes you feel good inside.”

Classes also “adopt” people. “When a young, pregnant woman moved to town, she joined our class,” Roddenbery said. “It took only a few classes for us to ‘adopt’ her and her unborn child. We threw her a baby shower and she credits our ‘family’ with getting her through her first year here.”

Smith said aquatic exercise classes have a social aspect that “is amazing.” “The people in your classes become part of your family,” she said. “The classes do more than build 14 muscles, they also build relationships.”

Banks said her class is a wonderful social activity. “I get a chance to make new friends, share ideals, and we support and encourage each other,” she said.

Class members share stories, prayers, recipes, and advice on various aspects of life. “We all exchange what is happening with our families and in our lives,” Deep Fit participant Doris Davies said. “There are a variety of personalities in class, but we find things in common.

Once, three of us had children getting married and we all exchanged info to help each other.”

Field said class participation has helped him develop his social skills.

“My wife’s real pleased,” he said. “It’s worth its weight in gold to me. I’ve developed good relationships and want to continue that. I’ve definitely made some friendships and enjoy every one of the people I swim with. We talk about everything under the sun. There’s a lot of encouragement. We motivate each other, and it’s nice to know that someone’s looking out for you.”

Evening Aqua Fit participants Lillian Reddick (also a water aerobics instructor), Cheryl Armbruster, and Janice Stewart keep up with their instructor.

Some even regularly meet up outside of class to do social activities such as go for breakfast or to the movies.

Haberkorn’s class has holiday celebrations in the pool for the Fourth of July and New Year, as well as summer and winter luncheons. Bickel’s group has a Christmas party (held at the neighborhood clubhouse of one of the members), and everyone brings food and exchanges gifts.

“When a couple in our class got married, the entire class was invited to their wedding,” Evans recalled. “Several of the class members went and we had a really nice time sharing in their big day.”

Also, Evans and her husband now volunteer with a fellow classmate, who dresses up as Santa and visits area nursing homes each Christmas. “These friendships and the love and support they cause mean so much to me,” she said.

Roddenbery said her class members care about her, too.

“They are very interested in my family and my life, and offer support and advice,” she said. “I have formed lasting friendships with those in my class. We are a family! One of them even does my taxes now!”

Participants also credit the program’s longevity and success to the instructors. “She teaches with a good personality, which explains the whole class,” participant Trudy Tester said of the evening Aqua Fit class taught by Bickel.

Participant Cheryl Clemons, who said classes have made her “more mobile and more energetic,” believes having a group that gets along and has fun is important.

Haberkorn, who has a background in rehabilitation and aquatic therapy, began teaching Aqua Fit in 2004 when the Y needed an instructor (she is now a certified instructor through the Aquatic Exercise Association). She said it is possible to have fun while exercising.

“We laugh a lot, they tease,” she said of her class. “If you can’t have fun, then who wants to exercise?”

Reddick enjoys interacting with her class members. She also began teaching on a voluntary basis, but is now certified. “Each group is different and each person is different,” she said. “My classes are fun, fun, fun! I talk, I laugh, I cut up with them, I dance, and I play music. I also work with each person to make sure they know how to do the move. I enjoy watching them get better each and every day.”

Sometimes, funny accidents happen, but everyone takes these in stride. “One time the strap of my swimwear broke, so I pulled it off because I had my sports bra and gym shorts underneath,” Reddick said.

“I just kept on teaching and everyone got a kick out of it!”

Banks said her instructors

“A ba nk is a co lle c t i on o f it s custo mers.”

— STEPHEN H. CHENEY I CEO

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

“are people with warm spirits.” “They are very creative in the pool and surely give us a good workout,” she said.

Judy Connell participates in a number of classes with different instructors. She said all instructors have their own teaching style, but are all excellent. “They make the class enjoyable and fun with how and what they teach, the music used, and their personalities,” she said.

“Aquatic classes are invigorating and the fellowship with the other participants is great. The instructors are awesome and focus on keeping everyone involved.”

And, it doesn’t hurt to have a dedicated lifeguard staff on hand, either. “The lifeguards do such a great job,” Evans said. “They interact with us, watch over us, and sometimes even do classes (when not on duty) with us.”

The family that splashes together stays together, and many instructors and participants have years of shared pool time. Aqua Fit participant Amanda Hicks is a prime example: she’s been with Bickel’s class since it began approximately 22 years ago and has earned the affectionate nickname, “Momma.” “If you don’t feel like coming you come anyway,” Hicks said. “When you get home you feel so good and you’re glad you came.”

Participant Judith Moore said a church friend brought her to the Y about 17 years ago. “I loved it and still do,” she said. “You’ll never find a better bunch…anywhere.

I’ve met a number of fine people who enhance my life.”

Aquatic exercise participants encourage people who’ve never experienced a lesson to give classes a shot, whether the individual is looking for new friends or just wants a good workout.

“It’s fun,” Deep Fit participant Cile Todd said. “There’s a nice, diversified group of people. I’ve made a lot of friends here. It’s a good way to start your day.”

Hicks said water aerobics are good for everybody. “It’s good physically, mentally, and emotionally,” she said.

“Our teacher does not expect anything out of us that we couldn’t do.”

Connell said it’s a positive group activity everyone can enjoy. “If you enjoy being in a group, like the water, and want to have a great time with others, while at the same time improve your physical and mental well-being, then you should seriously consider a water aerobics class,” she said.

Evans encouraged everyone to try a class because it’s a place to belong and a place to shine. “For anyone who has health issues, isolation issues or loneliness, depression, anxiety or just moved into our area, the Y classes provide an instant group to belong to,” Evans said. “In the aquatic classes, each person exercises according to their own abilities and comfort level. We put on a bathing suit and that is our ‘uniform.’ Smiles are universal and there are plenty of those to go around.”

The strong bonds formed and friendships made keep Page coming back each week. And, she thinks others could feel the same if they try a class. “Please come,” she encouraged. “It will change your life!” *For more information, visit Thomasville YMCA’s website at www.ymca-thomasville.org.

Thomasville National Bank’s success lies in our community of customers, in their character, in their loyal response.

They value trust: the handshake agreement.

They are proud of Thomasville: its families, traditions, and prosperity.

As we celebrate our 20th year of success we want to thank you.

We are Thomasville.

301 NORTH BROAD STREET TNBANK.COM

I

I

229.226.3300

MEMBER FDIC

15

WE FINANCE MORE LAND THAN ANY OTHER LENDER. AND THERE’S A REASON WHY. Farmers and land owners know. They know

there’s only one lender in southwest Georgia that operates strictly for the benefit of its customers—Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. We distribute our profits to our borrowers, who are our owners. Over the past 20 years, our patronage program has lowered the average cost of borrowing—your interest rate—by about 1 percent annually.

Returning our profits is how we invest in agriculture, and the rural communities we serve.

So, if you’re considering purchasing land, give us a call or drop by our office in downtown Thomasville. FOR YOUR FARM. FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE. FOR YOUR AGRIBUSINESS.

Al Nicholson

NMLS 1009267

Relationship Manager

ANicholson@SWGAFarmCredit.com > 229.254.8421 137 East Jackson Street, Thomasville > SWGAFarmCredit.com * Normal credit and underwriting requirements apply. New customers incur cost of one time stock purchase. Patronage distributions are at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Never Give Up 18

Parrish proves power of positive attitude and perseverance WRITTEN BY TERESA WILLIAMS

Disability is just a word to Sadie Parrish. Mobility is her daily goal. Never give up is her motto. She greets each day and obstacle with determination and a smile.

“Sadie inspires me every day with her positive attitude and determination,” mother Valerie Parrish said. “She is the perfect example of ‘NEVER GIVE UP.’” Sadie, the daughter of Jason and Valerie Parrish of Meigs, has Arthrogryposis, a rare muscle disorder that causes muscles to be fibrous and contractures of the joints around those muscles, her mother explained. She was born with her legs bent backwards, and her muscles do not expand and contract normally.

“The doctors never gave much hope to her ever walking, because of the muscle weakness, with any type of braces or walker,” Valerie said. “So, to still be walking at this stage is a miracle and shows her determination.”

This past July, Sadie, then 10, traveled to California and participated in the National Miss Amazing Pageant.

The nonprofit Miss Amazing Inc. both encourages and celebrates the abilities and ambitions of girls and women with disabilities.

Though she didn’t win the official crown, Sadie received a crown and trophy for being a National Miss Amazing Princess. She also won things more important: friends and fun experiences.

Sadie Parrish along with other Miss Amazing Queens and special olympic cheerleaders attend the US Special Olympics Basketball team at the University of Southern California to help cheer them on.

“The best things about California were

making new friends

and hanging out with them at the pool, going to the World Special Olympics opening ceremonies, and cheering on the USA basketball team at two basketball games,” she said. “I won’t ever forget my new friends!”

Sadie Parrish, Georgia Miss Amazing Pre-Teen

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015 19

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Valerie Parrish found information about Miss Amazing online and asked Sadie if she wanted to participate.

“I wanted to participate to make new friends and let other people get to know about me,” Sadie said.

The first things that made Valerie Parrish take notice of Miss Amazing was the entry Sadie with her new friend Skylar Payton fee (donate five cans of food to a local food bank) and how the pageant encouraged girls with disabilities.

“They really encourage young ladies with disabilities to 20 focus on their strengths,” she said. “I wanted Sadie to meet other young ladies she can relate to and have something in common with. We also want her to know that, win or lose, she can have fun!”

Sadie’s first pageant was the Georgia Miss Amazing in Macon last May. She won in the Pre-Teen division and advanced to national competition. She was able to go thanks to donations.

“We are so blessed to have such wonderful family, friends, business sponsors and community support to give our family this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Valerie Parrish said. “It’s an experience we will treasure forever!”

Miss Amazing gave Sadie a chance to show others what she can do, and she said these experiences have helped her “not be afraid to sing and speak in front of people.”

“I enjoy making new friends and getting to dress up,” she said of her interest in pageants. “It makes me happy to make new friends.”

Valerie Parrish said there are many everyday life things others take for granted that Sadie needs help with, from big to small.

Mobility is “one of the biggest” daily hurdles, Valerie explained. Sadie uses a walker as much as possible, but also needs a wheelchair for outside the home activities and long distances. She needs help with daily actions such as getting in and out of a vehicle.

Sadie’s endured casts, braces, surgery, and lots of therapy.

But, the young lady has never let any of it stop her.

“The two things that stand out most about Sadie is that she does not complain or feel sorry for herself, and she is very grateful to everyone who helps her,” Valerie Parrish said. “I can’t tell you the number of times she has said,

‘Thank you for helping me…I love you’ to someone who has done something for her.”

Her daughter has “a big heart,” “loves people,” and “makes friends easily,” Valerie said.

“Her smile brightens my day and she keeps me focused on what is really important in life when I get upset or worry,” she said “I think people are inspired by her enthusiasm for life and her outgoing personality. They say she is always happy with a smile on her face!”

Sadie’s accomplishments are not restricted to the Miss Amazing pageant. She’s an A/B Honor Roll student (she attends fifth grade in the Thomas County Schools system), and has won ribbons and medals for horseback riding and the Special Olympics.

“I try to do my best and participate in as many activities as I can,” she said. Valerie Parrish says the family is “extremely proud” of Sadie. “No matter what the future holds, we just try to encourage her to focus on what she can do, not what she can’t do,” she said. “We try to provide her with every opportunity to participate in activities that she will enjoy. Sadie tries very hard and that’s all we ever ask of her: to just do her best.”

Valerie said her daughter’s favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

“We know that God has a special plan for her life and that He is using Sadie to spread a little bit of hope and a lot of sunshine to this world,” she said.

Sadie, now 11, said she enjoys making people happy and is strong in her faith. She encouraged others to go to church and learn about God. She also offered advice to others who have hurdles to overcome in order to accomplish their goals.

“First of all, pray,” Sadie said. “Then try your best to do what you want to do and your dreams might come true.”

Savannah Court of Camilla

is a Personal Care Home nestled on a beautiful setting offering gracious hospitality in a comfortable and elegant atmosphere including:

PCH Permit No.009065

Retirement PCH Community

Savannah Court of Camilla 161 East Broad Street, Camilla, GA 31730

229-336-0869

www.SavannahCourtCamilla.com Signature Community of Senior Living Management Corporation

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

• 24-hour access to trained friendly associates • Restaurant-style dining program • Linen and housekeeping services • Fun and meaningful activities • Scheduled transportation • Day Service and Respite available • Spacious porches • Assistance with medication and personalized resident service plans • Specialized services for those with Alzheimer’s disease or related memory impairment • Also offering Independent Living - 2 bedroom/2 bath and 1 bedroom/1 bath

21

Hey,

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

put another log on the fire WRITTEN BY RANDY RHEA

Many of you have known A. Heywood (Hey) Mason, II, longer than I. Those who know Hey are the better for it. Hey’s story is inexorably tied to the story of Susina Plantation, and that story begins in 1822 when Edward Blackshear moved to the area from then Pulaski County, Georgia. Edward passed in 1829, willing his accumulated lands to his two sons and three daughters. His oldest son, James Joseph Blackshear, hired John Wind to design a monumental Greek revival house at Cedar Grove Plantation.

In 1843, before the house was finished, James succumbed to a cotton press accident. His wife Harriet, at age 26, became 22 both master and mistress of Cedar Grove. Tragedy would strike again when her daughter Emily Goodwin died “In the Moon’ of her youth”. Nevertheless, Harriet became a prominent planter in her own right, producing large rice and sweet potato crops. In 1860 with the assistance of 161 slaves on 4814 acres, she produced the county’s record cotton crop of 235 bales.

Meanwhile, a young James S. Mason, Hey’s great grandfather, immigrated with his parents from Lancaster, England, to Philadelphia. About two years later, in 1832,

The James S. Mason & Co building at 138-140 Front Street in Philadelphia was constructed in 1851 and occupied

by James S. Mason & Co until 1919.

The building was demolished in 1973.

Mason annually produced ten-million boxes, each filled with shoe blacking.

By permission the Library Company of Philadelphia.

James founded a company to manufacturer shoe blacking and ink pigments. His blacking was basically tallow and lamp black. It was the first major shoe-polish company in the world. In the mid-nineteenth century, both James S Mason & Co and Cedar Grove Plantation flourished. But that would soon change.

Cedar Grove flourished for only two generations, and then came the Civil War. Harriet Blackshear passed in 1863. On July 6, 1865, merely three months after Generals Lee and Grant shook hands, Harriet’s daughter, Anne Elizabeth, married Capt. Henry Sapp and they lived at Cedar Grove. Hard times fell on the South, and at one time, the Bank of Scotland held a mortgage on Cedar Grove. In 1887, during the peak of the resort era in Thomasville, the noted New York physician, Dr. John T. Metcalfe, purchased Cedar Grove and renamed it Susina Plantation. Susina is Italian for plum. Dr. Metcalfe did not live at Susina, but rather used it as a hunting lodge.

An original 1874 oil painting of Dr. Metcalfe now hangs at Susina.

Meanwhile, up in Philadelphia, James S. Mason had two sons and four daughters. Ultimately, Richard remained in Philadelphia and ran the business, while A. Heywood Mason, Hey’s grandfather, became a regular winter visitor to Thomasville. He had first visited here in 1880, driving a four-in-hand coach with his wife Anna and six-week old son, James S. Mason, II. In 1891, he purchased Susina, eventually accumulating 7400 acres by adding contiguous tracts. Before he purchased Susina, his family initially stayed at the Mitchell House, where Anna had a daughter they named Eleanor. Year’s later, when buying a hat at Neel’s, Eleanor asked that the purchase be put on account. A new sales girl asked if she were known at the store, to which Eleanor replied, “Known? I was born over in that corner.” A. Heywood’s daughter could afford the hat. A. Heywood was a millionaire twice over.

n

A. Heywood Mason and his bride Anna married in the late 1870s. Soon thereafter they began traveling to Thomasville.

n

n The hunters may change, but the guide is a prominent feature of many Mason photos of the period. It’s no wonder he proudly holds the turkey call.

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

A. Heywood’s son, James S. Mason, II, the boy who first arrived in Thomasville in a carriage at age 6-weeks, married Rosalie Wilson, lived full-time at Susina, and managed the property. “He spent his life at Susina attempting to make it productive, raising cattle and pigs, and training horses and dogs.

He saved Susina for the next generation through two world wars and the depression.

During these trying times, Rosalie actualized the apparent myth of gracious living with her coffee pot and her friendliness.”

James and Rosalie had four children. Rosalie (Rodie) married Robb White III. They settled the remote island of Tortola and later lived on Susina land south of Meridian road. Robb moved to California and became an author and screenwriter of note. Mary Ann (Pace or n A. Heywood Mason added the side porches to Susina which complemented Pacey) settled with her husband Otis (Hawk) Wind’s original design, adding both functionality and horizontal balance. We must Hawkins of Jackson, Florida, on Rosemary, forgive the faddish and temporary Adirondack embellishments. a portion of Susina that A. Heywood had purchased years earlier from the Hayes family to increase To comprehend what that meant in 1890, the US Federal Susina. James (Jimmy) S. Mason III, was the author of budget was 384 million. If all the families at the Mitchell Oh, Susina which told his story of growing up at Susina.

House were as wealthy, they could have floated the Federal He tried several occupations, and finally settled as the budget. proprietor of Mason Antiques in Thomasville.

Heywood and friends “sort of camped out” at Susina The motivation for this article is the last of James and during the winters. There were many freed slaves living at Susina and some were well-trained servants. It was camping Rosalie’s children, A. Heywood Mason, II, born in the summer of 1925. Hey grew up on Susina while his father in style. There was always a house party when the Masons managed it. Hey graduated from Darlington School in were at home. A. Heywood passed in 1911 and his wife Rome, Georgia. It was then a boy’s preparatory school but Anna spent her time gardening and bettering the life of is now coeducational. The summer of his senior year in the Negroes. She had a school built for them near Susina on property owned by Arthur Bryant.

Anna passed away at Susina in 1931.

A. Heywood and Anna Mason had two children. Eleanor married Henry (Harry) E. Butler of New Jersey. They lived at a large estate called Sheep’s Run on the Shrewsbury River. Harry was rumored to have almost single handedly saved Smith Barney during the crash of 1929. He was an avid sportsman and regatta fan. Harry, Eleanor, their five children, and a tutor came to Susina during quail season, which livened up the social scene. They added improvements to Susina, and stayed at the Cottage near the big house. Harry was a founding member of the GeorgiaFlorida Field Trial Club.

23

Hey’s dad, James S. Mason, II, and mother Rosalie Wilson, were master and mistress of Susina from 1931 to 1951

n

Nanny Bitha (Bike) Jones holds baby Hey c. 1925.

n

Hey (left) strolls with his older brother Jimmy at Susina c. 1936.

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

n

1942, Hey met Edith (Edie) King while on spotting duty at Birdsong Plantation, which was an official spotting site for enemy aircraft that might approach from the gulf. He was quite impressed with Edie’s beauty, poise and New Orleans social connections, but felt she was out of his league. Hey was dating a girl in Atlanta at the time.

In late 1943, while at the University of North Carolina, Hey was drafted and sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for 6 months basic training. He was then sent to Fort Meade, 24 Maryland, for shipment to Italy. He eventually ended up spending the rainy winter of 1944 and 1945 with the 88th Infantry Division in the wet trenches of the Northern Apennine Mountains. In the cold and sloppy trenches, his feet never dried. Hey was taken to a hospital in Naples to be treated for trench foot, and his boots were cut from his feet. After he recovered, and after the Axis were defeated in Europe, he was to be sent to the Pacific. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs eliminated that need. His brother Jimmy was also serving in Italy. Their sister Pacey, supporting the effort in France, hitched a B17 ride, and the three visited

together in Naples for a couple of hours.

In October 1945, Hey was given an emergency leave to return home to visit his ailing father. After 22 months of service away, he arrived at Susina in the evening and visited briefly with his father. James passed before the next dawn.

Hey had exchanged a few letters with Edie during the war.

But still considering himself in a lower league than her, Hey continued to visit his girlfriend in Atlanta. One evening while on leave at Susina, Sonny Stoddard insisted they both visit the two “girls” at Mistletoe Plantation just down Meridian road. Edie’s warm welcome of him now home from the war surprised and encouraged Hey. Edie’s parents approved of him. Late one evening at Mistletoe, while visiting Edie and the Kings, Roswell King said, “Sally, I’m tired. I bet these kids would excuse us if we retired”. Sally King replied, “Yes, and Hey, put another log on the fire”.

Hey and Edie were no longer teenagers, and a deepening relationship developed. Hey returned to Camp Lee, Virginia, to complete his commitment and they wrote each other daily. He visited Edie during his Christmas leave, and discharged in February 1946.

They married at Mistletoe in June 1946 and lived in an apartment in Tallahassee where Hey worked at King Motors.

Hey’s mother passed in 1951, and the land at

Hey and Edie King married June, 1946, at Mistletoe Planation, her father’s place on Meridian road at the Florida border.

n

Hey while stationed at Camp Shelby, Mississippi c. 1943

n

n

King’s Cottage in its heyday

at Susina. It’s appropriate. Beginning with his grandfather, and ending with Hey, the Masons were exemplary stewards of Susina for 90 years.

Thank the Thomas County Historical Society for history and images, Hey Mason and June White for family picture albums, Claudia Mason for glass slides from the 1890s, and Hey for a copy of his love letter “Mercy, did I say that” written to Edie after her death in 2010.

Hey and Edie enjoy the porch of the pool house, which once was the porch of King’s cottage (2008).

Hey’s admiration of Edie continues to this day.

n

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

Susina was divided among the four children. Hey acquired the interest of his siblings in the big house, and he and Edie began their stewardship of the house and surrounding land. They conducted renovations in 1951 and 1967, but the layout and exterior remained unchanged. Edie’s father, Roswell King sold Mistletoe, and he and Sally moved into Kings Cottage at Susina. After many earlier Mason increases, the cottage was a five thousand square-foot ranch. With the help of Landmarks and Rosalie (Rodie) White, Hey and Edie had the big house at Susina listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Hey and Edie had four children: Edith (Little Edie), Sharon (Sherry), Roswell (Bruzz), and Claudia. Hey operated a large commercial chicken and egg business called Cackle Farms, and a feed store in Cairo. Laying hens that were no longer productive (spent) were sold to the Campbell Soup Company. Both Hey and Edie were active and revered community members of Thomasville and Cairo. They hosted many guests and events at Susina.

A favorite family story about Edie begins just after a beloved family servant had just died. In mourning, Edie was neither in the best of spirits or as well dressed as was typical. Faye Dunaway, who wanted to study an archetypal southern lady in preparation for her role in Hurry Sundown, was brought to Susina to see Edie. Being ever gracious, Edie reluctantly saw Faye, who secretly recorded their conversation. After Faye left, her daughters asked, “Mom, do you know who that was?”, to which Edie replied, “Yes, Kay Donahue”.

In 1980, Hey and Edie sold Susina and 115 acres to Ann Marie Walker who began a bed and breakfast. The Masons moved across Meridian road and built a new home where they lived for years. Later, they moved to Thomasville and then to Lloyd, Florida, on property where their daughter Sherry operates the Painted Pony, an equestrian center where the animal loving traditions of the Masons still prosper.

The Mason stewardship of the big house at Susina was a rare accomplishment. Marilynn and I visited many historic properties in Georgia before acquiring Susina.

Many homes were in communities time had left behind, many were beyond repair, and many were renovated to the point they lost their sense of time and place. Like his grandfather and father before, Hey’s stewardship of Susina was thoughtful and sensitive. Maintenance, and modernizations necessary for comfort occurred without compromising the treasure it is.

On April 17, 2014, the 41st graduating class of Brookwood School, family, friends, teachers, and administrators gathered to dedicate Mason Green for the key role Hey and Edie played in founding the school. In classic Hey style, he humbly accepted the honor while attempting to transfer the credit to the other Brookwood founders.

Hey currently lives in the home he and Edie built at the Painted Pony, and helps Sherry with her equestrian facility.

This summer the Masons celebrated Hey’s 90th birthday

25

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

WRITTEN BY T. SANFORD GIEMZA PHOTOS BY JENNIFER TAYLOR

28

{

When Plantation Manor was purchased in Oct, 2014 new owners, Bryan Cook and Barry Ray had much more in mind than just changing the name. They had a vision. A vision of what could be for those residents with Alzheimer’s and other memory care disorders.

}

Back in 2010 the owner duo pair began planning for a new way of approaching memory disorders in their long term care facilities, beginning with intensive research and site visits of other organizations that cared for these types of seniors. Based on their findings, Cook and Ray came up with a design concept and a care plan that would help transform resident’s quality of life.

Their new ‘approach’ for their memory care facilities began with a facility in Rome, Georgia. The design concept along with top notch resident driven care paid off. Staff and families starting seeing positive changes in residents. Cook and Ray would apply this concept to all their memory care units.

Legacy Senior Services, Cook and Ray’s company, already had 14 long term senior care facilities along the East Coast including a facility in Moultrie, Legacy Village at Park Regency, when Plantation Manors owner died 2013. “Mr. Cook had family that once called Thomasville home. He already knew and loved Thomas County. It seemed like a natural progression that when Plantation Manor came on the market, Legacy Senior Services would acquire it” said Christy Cooke, Executive Director.

Along with re-branding of the new name,

Legacy Village at Plantation Manor

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

came the thoughtful approach to design for the memory care unit, called The Harbor, and resident driven care for residents of The Harbor called A Purposeful Day. The Harbor common areas feature mid-century 1950’s style furniture along with paint colors specifically chosen to calm the mind.

The design takes residents back to a particular place or time all directed toward transforming the resident. It features a Town Theater where residents can gather to watch their favorite movie

from long ago, a juke box, a butterfly garden in a secure outdoor 29 space accessible 24 hours a day, top of the line technology and individualized care.

“A Purposeful day at The Harbor utilizes therapies specifically geared toward individuals with Alzheimer’s or other memory care disorders. “Reminiscence Therapy, Trusted Voice Therapy, Time and Place Therapy, SimpleC and Music Therapy are integral parts of each resident’s day” said Jessica Anderson, Life Enrichment Coordinator.

One therapy called The SimpleC Companion is a technology driven nonmedication focused therapy individualized to each senior.

SimpleC promotes independence, engages memory and supports positive living of seniors of every level of cognition. This multi-media companion helps remind and stimulate seniors throughout their daily activities. It also allows families, friends and caregivers to be a part of the care team with recorded messages, favorite music choices, photos and more.

“The Residents are starting to interact more and families are noticing an increased quality of life of their family members living here.” said Anderson. Cooke agreed saying “These were changes were made to improve the quality of life for seniors and their families. We care about these residents. We want to give them the best care possible and make this their home. They become family to us. My grandmother lives in The Harbor, this is her home.”

PANAPRINT AD GOES HERE

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015 32

Three times a charm Thomasville Georgia’s Third Annual Covey Film Festival line up looks to be the best ever.

WRITTEN BY DIDI HOFFMAN

Award winning films, outstanding speakers and workshops, plus a visit from one ‘sizzling’ fireman gives charm a new definition. Covey’s Masked Quail Ball highlights the week of October 8th – 17th at different venues throughout town. All proceeds benefit The Thomasville Community Resource Center (TCRC) which provides afterschool academic and enrichment to over 350 local students.

Independent films are shown at Toronto, Sundance, Tribeca and other film festivals, to woo distribution companies to purchase and then bring the films to the mainstream audience. Covey Ambassadors Jane Fonda and Frank Hall Green attended many of the festivals on the lookout for world class films to be screened in Thomasville. When they saw films that followed the Covey theme, Nature, Community and Caring, they called Sharon Maxwell Ferguson, Chair of the festival and Board President of the TCRC. Her committee, along with Lisa Billups, Executive Director of the TCRC and Didi Hoffman, reviewed the films and then the thankless task of receiving permission to screen them was taken on by Denice Jarrett. Permission is not easily granted, a festival has to be vetted and prove itself worthy in the distributor’s eyes. Happily, Denice received permission for all Covey top choices.

Two important movies, Virunga and Wolfpack, were at the top of the list and are not to be missed. Both won major festival awards and Wolfpack happed to be produced by Louise Ingalls Sturges, niece of Thomasville’s Kathy Vignos and TCRC board member. Covey did not select Wolfpack because of the relationship.Wolfpack was selected because it

is a compelling story in line with the theme of Community and Caring.

Another important movie at this year’s festival is The Good Lie, starring Reese Witherspoon. This story is about the Lost Boys of Sudan who were brought to America to start a new life after fleeing on foot for years between South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. One of the Lost Boys,

Inspirational speaker ‘Lost Boy’ Jacob Atem

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

Jacob Atem, a PhD candidate at the University of Florida and TED talk speaker, will discuss his journey and answer questions after the film. His story is inspirational.

At eight years old, Jacob and 20,000 boys walked thousands of miles, through lion and crocodile country, eating mud to stave off thirst and hunger, while fleeing armed rebels who killed their families and were out to kill them. Over half of the boys died on the journey to anywhere to find safety. Found in a refugee camp in Kenya, Jacob Atem was sent to Michigan to begin a new life. Along with speaking to the audience about The Good Lie during the festival, Jacob will also visit students of the TCRC during the day to tell his story and inspire many children locally. Mary Williams, who spoke at last year’s festival helped found The Lost Boys chapter in Atlanta.

For animals lovers, The Wound and the Gift offers a beautiful documentary about who saves whom when animals are rescued. Carol Jones, of Miss Kitty’s Feline Sanctuary, will speak after the movie in honor of these animals and to discuss the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and how it changed animal rescue around the United States and more specifically, in Southwest Georgia.

Sizzle comes to Covey when actor Nico Evers-Swindell, Prince William in William & Kate, Prince Kenneth in Grimm and now the “hot” fireman on Alka Seltzer’s TV commercials –joins the Covey Film Festival to sign autographs and pose for pictures October 17th.

Nico lives in Los Angles with his wife, Thomasville native, actress Megan Ferguson, and was a lawyer in New Zealand when the acting bug hit him. In a recent interview, Nico explained he knew he wanted to be an actor when “I first made people laugh, the feeling was infectious, uncovering a truth together, making a discovery, creating a bond. That’s the pull.”

A young working actor, Nico is seen in many productions, but not yet a household name. His road to success in the film industry is one of very hard work and determination, not for the faint hearted. “Never give up” says Nico to would be actors “trust your instincts and ignore the stage directions.”

Two working actors in a family create some special memories and Nico’s fondest is “working with my wife Megan on a pilot for television. Seeing her work and feeling so proud.” He also talks about a scene he filmed in Times Square for Manhattan Love Story. Nico remembers the time vividly, “That was special because I started acting in New York City.”

Fundraising centerpiece for Covey Film Festival is its signature Masked Quail Ball Gala, sponsored by Southwest Georgia Farm Credit and chaired by Lauren Fielding and co-chair Martha Reynolds. Featured highlights include the Covey Stars under the Stars Cocktail reception on the bricks, leading up to the Ballroom in the Broad Street Exchange Building for dinner and dancing. Terri VismaleMorris is producing outstanding A-list Auction filled with incredible industry packages and items never seen before!

Both silent and live will fill the room for the TCRC benefit.

33

The Covey Masked Quail Ball celebrates the Red Hills Region and the Children of the TCRC. There are many more movies and events on the Covey schedule. Full descriptions and trailers can be found on their website www.coveyfilmfestival.com. Covey also joins forces with Thomasville Landmarks, The Thomas County Museum of History, Tall Timbers Research Station and Miss Kitty’s Feline Sanctuary for some very special movie events which are close to the heart of Thomasville, Georgia.

Passes to the October 8 - 17th festival and tickets to the Gala and other events are available online at www. coveyfilmfestival.com.

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

arty ow p lly thr d Heeth e K is n der a & Jan Jack ackie Pon - c.1960 for J Varnedoe

Times-Enterprise - Office - c.1956

Emily Je rger, Jac k Kelly & Powell W Esther right Low ery Saffo Jerger C rd ollection

34

Jack caug ht so - c.19 me F 60 ish

Rotary Club Banquet

ial with rg Offic e b e n u 6 Club - L - c.196 Rotary k Kelly c a J & tt Will Wa

Rotary Club - Jack Kelly & Jack King, Jr. c.1968

Rotary Club Banquet elly

kK

Birthda

yP

.1974 arty- c

Ed

d

an

c Ja

to

Jack Kelly

Hi Jack, “I am glad you got to see me today”, to which he would immediately respond by saying, “Stepped in what?” That greeting was just one of many which was shared between Jack Kelly and his legion of friends. If he thought a particular quip would irritate or agitate you he would embellish it a little each time he met you until he thought up a new one.

Jack was my friend the day I arrived in town and for the 52 years in between then and now the bond of friendship was strong.

Jack had a keen, incisive mind and through the years was a great resource that I tapped into due to the compatibility of my profession to his. I could call Jack any time day or night and he never was too busy to talk. His intellect

Often when Jack would have a story for me to write, we’d meet downtown at one of the coffee shops (had to have a free outdoor table) to discuss the story. We’d start talking and within minutes, a friend or two of his would come over and start talking. Soon our table would be surrounded by more of Jack’s friends. We rarely finished our coffee talks and had to finalize the story by phone. Never saw

a man with so many friends.

Great man. ~Bob Taylor

y

Photos:Thomas County Historical Society & Museum of History

and perception of whatever was going on in the community, state and nation were phenomenal.

Jack loved life and looked forward to the next day as if it were the day that would light up his life.

His unquestioned love was to his family, friends, church and work and I am not sure but I think all of those ranked number one in his mind. His commitment and compassion to every endeavor in which he pledged his support was an amazement to everyone who knew him.

He lived we lifehave to theof fullest and the in all memories his involvement aspects of his timedream on thisandearth is aalllegacy of the American we can be proud he came our way.

I am sure when his Lord called his number he looked up and said, “Stepped in what”? ~Lloyd Eckberg

I first met Jack when I was 15 years old and worked with my dad at Service Electric on Broad St. He and my dad were great friends, they liked to cut up, and share good old times together.

But, in 1983 I went in business for myself with the encouragement of four great men, my dad Earl Dollar, Bob Ausley, Elijah Hill and Jack Kelly. Ever since that time Mr. Jack and been a big part of my life, my business career and has been one of the biggest inspirations and supporters.

Jack was a great man of faith and not only was he that, but he was part of the First Baptist Choir when I joined over 17 years ago and had the best, and deepest bass voice I had ever heard. I remember times when he was serious in choir and I remember times when our minister of music, Rick Jordan, would lose control because Jack decided to take over with his wit and jokes, because he thought what he had to contribute was more important than the songs we had to learn in choir.

Over the past years since Jack started the “Thomasville Magazine” he would always visit our store, come in my office or sit on the front stool and carry on a conversation with my wife Jan or one of our employees. Those times were great, he was a great man, and those times are times I will always remember. Until we meet again. ~Bobby Dollar

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

er

edicated

35

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015 36

The first time I met Jack Kelly I had no idea that was his name.

I’d been working at Thomasville Times-Enterprise for a few years and was taking photos at one of the “town hall” meetings it held to educate the public about important issues affecting the community.

During a lapse in activity, I noticed an elderly gentleman near me who seemed to be interested in what was happening. I thought he’d be a good person to approach, so I did. I don’t remember the specifics, but we talked for a few minutes. Then, he told me his name.

I’d heard the name “Jack Kelly” around the office as members of the old guard discussed past years of newsroom life. But, I’d never met him or seen a photo of his face. Needless to say, I felt kinda foolish.

He also asked my name and, when I told him, his face lit up. He told me how much he enjoyed my articles. It made me smile, and reminded me that if even one person is moved or helped by something I write, then I’ve done my job.

For years, Mr. Kelly was interested in me writing for his magazine.

For years, I worked for the competition. Even after I didn’t, I resisted. He didn’t give up, and sometimes it seemed to me he’d enlisted the community’s help in convincing me I should give him a shot. Even people in my doctor’s office would tell me how Mr. Kelly wanted me to write for him!

I don’t remember how it exactly happened, but a couple of years ago he contacted me directly and asked me to write a story he was really excited to cover. I thought about it, I sought advice about it, and decided to do it. Well, you would have thought I was the most

important person in the world. He introduced me to the people, made sure I was comfortable, and let me know how excited he was I had agreed to write the story.

The experience was a positive one, I enjoyed it, and I agreed to write future articles when I had time.

The last meeting I had with Mr. Kelly was at his house because he was sick. He still had the excitement about everything, but he seemed tired and frustrated that his body wouldn’t let him do what he wanted to anymore.

Though I didn’t see him again, I tried to keep updated on how he was doing whenever the magazine contacted me, and when I heard he’d passed, I wasn’t surprised. I was sad for all the people who knew and loved him, but I also felt a sense of relief for him. He was no longer trapped in a body that wouldn’t cooperate; he was free.

But, I think it is what Mr. Kelly did during his life and who he was as a person that will ensure he continues to live in the hearts of the people who knew him and the community he loved.

The first thing I learned about Mr. Kelly the day I met him was he could talk your ear off about anything because he was interested in everything.

The second, and far more important, thing I learned about Mr. Kelly from first-hand experience was this: he might have been diminutive in stature, but he was larger than life in heart.

And that’s how I think he should behad a remembered: as the guy who always twinkle in his eye, an idea on his mind, and warmth in his heart.

~Teresa Williams I met Jack though a mutual friend while he was in the planning stages for the Thomasville Magazine. When he offered me the opportunity to write feature stories, I jumped at the chance. Not only was I excited to fulfill my love of writing, my instincts told me he was an honest, ethical, intelligent man who truly cared about his community. In all the years I knew him, he never proved me wrong. I witnessed Jack’s professionalism each

time with with him. Heandrespected person heas came Iinwas contact he treatedeacheveryone an equal. I will always remember his visits with my family. They were Army Awards Jack Kelly & Jack Shivilly c. 1961

True community people feel a sense of purpose to give back to the community that raised them. Jack was one of those. He spent his life giving back

to the community he loved.

-Tom Everett

unscheduled short visits, but they were enough to let us know that we were in his thoughts and prayers. Jack was a true asset to this community. I hope his memory and his work will continue to live on. ~Sandi Olson

wonderful magazine for Thomasville.

Jack created a ~Diane Parker-The Gift Shop

Janis and Jack

After meeting an individual for the first time, Mark Twain commented, “He made himself an old friend with me at once.” I wish I had been literate enough to have made that succinct remark after first meeting Jack Kelly.

Why would the splendid remark by the remarkable Mr. Twain have been applicable? The reason is simplistic to a fault: Jack was easy to like! I had known him only a few years, but he conveyed a blithe spirit totally devoid of guile.

It would be difficult to conjure any compliment regarding this stalwart gentleman without speaking pure and utter truth. To me, he regarded

life and living not as a burden but as a celebration, and the opportunity to encourage, to brighten, and to attack all chores as a delightful challenge.

We’ll miss you, Jack! ~Chuck Bowen

37

Jack

with

his s

ons

Joh

n an

d Ro

b

Jack and I laughed a lot working on articles and ads for Thomasville Magazine. He always smiled and had a kind word to say, a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step.

He loved his family and the community he served so well. Jack made his mark on life.

He made a difference, and he will be missed.

Mr. Jack was always a joy to be around. He was very encouraging to me as a new business owner and said to never give up on your dreams. I respected him, along with his drive to keep moving forward. His faith in the Lord was evident in his life and I feel priviledged to

~ Kimberly Mitchell Jack gave me the opportunity to be a part of something he

have known him.

truly believed in - The community of Thomasville.

~ Patricia Williams Southern Heritage Fine Furniture

I am blessed to have worked with him, become his friend and be part of the Thomasville Magazine family! ~Cynthia Henry

Jack Kelly was one of the best friends I have ever had. He always had a story that was full of knowledge, wisdom, and laughter. I learned so much from Jack working with him and as a friend. Jack will always be with us and never fogotten Thank you Jack!

Rotary Club

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

When I moved back home to Thomasville and opened my business (Kathy’s Shoes) Mr. Jack Kelly was one of the first people to come into my store and welcome me back as a retailer to Downtown Thomasville. That was the beginning of a wonderful business relationship and a great friendship. He had a way of always making you feel like you were the most important person that he had talked to that day. Mr. Jack was always smiling and always had a joke (or 2) to make you laugh. He was a joy to work with and his visits to Kathy’s will be greatly missed. He was my dear friend and I know that he is singing with the angels in heaven, but I sure do miss him here!

See you again Mr. Jack. ~ Kathy Morphy

~Jay Fielding

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE RICE

38

TAILGATING

S

Doing it up ‘Healthy’ Right

chool is back in session, those summer tans have all but faded away, and everyone is dreaming of those crisp days where fall is in the air. College kids are settling in and children leaving school with homework daily. A light jacket is needed, a ball is being thrown, and the stands are going crazy. It’s football season again!

I grew up a huge football fan. I may be a Georgia girl now, but I am a Denver Broncos fan at heart. But, I never really understood the whole tailgating concept until I went to college. Tailgating isn’t just an event…it’s a ceremony in the South. People gather from all over the place, rivalries eating at joining tables, and opposing fans bantering at each other.

And where there are a lot of people gathering, that usually means there is a lot of food and beverages involved!

We have all done our fair share of tailgating, consuming every dip, chip, wing and cookie in sight. Not to mention the endless Red Solo Cups being passed around. And we wonder why everyone gains weight before and during the holidays, only to have to work their booties off—literally— once the New Year’s resolutions roll around. Maybe we are focusing on the holidays too much, blaming them for our recent weight gain and lack of exercise. But bad habits don’t just start once the holidays hit. Most likely we had been tiptoeing around them for a couple months, but they

just become full fledge when November comes around.

Maybe we need to reassess these tailgating ceremonies that we so willingly take part in! Most people think that eating well during the week and exercising occasionally allows them to throw it away for a day of football debauchery. Don’t get me wrong, I love tailgating, sometimes it’s even more fun than the game itself! But don’t let the tailgating add inches to your waist! Get a jump-start on keeping that awesome figure you worked so hard to get during swimsuit season and make it through the holidays without continuing bad habits.

So how do we enjoy our football season, tailgate like royalty, and not bust through the seams? Here are some important things to remember: • Eat breakfast before you go • Hydrate! Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water • Drink water between every alcoholic drink or simply back off the alcohol • Stay away from the sodas • Bring your own snacks • Serve a vegetable, meat and cheese plate • Eat the burger and/or hot dog with no bun • Don’t go back for seconds • Grill your food instead of frying

are some great recipes to get you started.

• Bring your own Tupperware to make portioning easy • Walk around, don’t stand next to the food table and talk

Buffalo Lime Chicken From: plainchicken.com

• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or tenders • 1 cup Frank’s hot sauce or wing sauce • 1/4 cup lime juice • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1/4 teaspoon salt Whisk together hot sauce, lime juice, garlic, oil and salt. Pour over chicken and marinate a few hours to overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and sauté or grill until done.

Cinnamon Bacon Backyard Sweet Potatoes From: paleomg.com

• 2 long, skinny sweet potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch) • 4 pieces of bacon, diced • ½-1 teaspoon cinnamon • Sprinkle of salt • 2 large pieces of aluminum foil Turn on your grill and lay out a large piece of aluminum.

Sprinkle a couple pieces of bacon on the foil. This will help the sweet potatoes from sticking. Place sweet potatoes on top and spread out evenly (it’s fine if they overlap, it doesn’t have to be perfect…they will all cook).

Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt, and add the rest of your bacon on top. Slightly curl up the sides of the foil, place a smaller piece of foil on top, and then lock in all the sides around the foil. Place on top rack of grill and let cook for about 25-30 minutes or until they are cooked completely through and soft.

Stephanie Rice: BS Exercise Science | ACSM CPT (American College of Sports Medicine) | ACE Weight Management Specialist (American Council on Exercise) | Personal Trainer at Live Young Studio | Owner of My Trainers Meals

Freshman year?

START HERE PARENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:

Your 9th-12th grader can now earn college credit while still in high school for FREE! Help them MOVE ON WHEN READY and earn high school and college credit at the same time!

Learn more by visiting:

www.southernregional.edu/high-school-students

A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia Equal Opportunity Institution

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

You will be thanking yourself in the long run for sticking with your healthy goals and enjoying the social aspect of tailgating instead of the eating contests. Here

39

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

WRITTEN BY TERESA WILLIAMS

40

The title of the show may be “Saving America,” but the mission of the local effort behind a recent reality television filming in Thomasville was preserving history and promoting the city.

The home of Brandon and Ashley Godwin was chosen to be featured on the pilot episode of HGTV reality show, “Saving America.”

“We wanted HGTV to come to Thomasville because we knew that national exposure for Thomasville would be a great thing,” Sherri Nix, marketing and communications manager for Thomasville Main Street and Visitors Center, said. “We know Thomasville is a wonderful place to live and work and we wanted to share that!”

In January, Main Street was contacted by Herb Ankrom, the executive producer of TackleBox Films, who had been hired by HGTV to produce the pilot show. A married couple (Rachelle and Brian Lazarro), who moved to a small hometown and restored a 1800s house on the town’s main street, travel to small towns in their Airstream to help others renovate their homes.

“Herb had done some research on the Internet and found Thomasville and thought it would be a good place

to film the pilot,” Nix explained.

Photos of downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods, as well as historic homes in the area, were requested and submitted. Names of local architects and contractors were also provided to Ankrom.

To be selected, the renovation had to be able to be completed within the time frame set aside for filming, the owners had to have financing and contractors, and the house had to be located in or close to the downtown area, Nix explained.

“I called everyone I could think of trying to find a house that would match, but we were down to 48 hours before the deadline and still didn’t have a house,” she said.

Then, she got a call from Brandon Godwin. Brandon works for Charles Olson, an architect who was on the list given to Ankrom and contacted by Nix when looking for the perfect house.

“He told me about their house and it seemed to fit perfectly with what HGTV was looking for,” Nix said. “I called Herb and told him I thought we’d found the perfect couple and home. Herb and Brandon talked and it turns out they were perfect.”

The Godwin home, located at 222 E. Monroe St. and one block from Thomasville’s Big Oak tree, was originally built around 1885. Though he doesn’t know much about the house’s history, Brandon Godwin Brandon and Ashley Godwin

about it and expressed his wish that the project be “a team effort.”

Filming took place during February and March. Owners of TackleBox Films visited Thomasville when filming began, and learned about the Main Street program and its investment in downtown.

“They were so excited Thomasville was chosen for the pilot because it is the epitome of what the show is all about,” Nix said.

There is TV and there is reality, Godwin said, and “reality TV” is entertainment, not an absolute truth. He said the HGTV crew did a good job where it worked and on projects it did during the filming, but much more work went on behind the scenes by others involved than was shown on television, or could be put in one episode.

“It was our town’s help, and great subcontractors and

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

noted there was an early addition in the Victorian era “that transformed the old shotgun style vernacular of the house into what is considered a Queen Anne cottage.”

“Location, location, location,” Godwin said of one of the main reasons he and his wife wanted the house. “And, it just made good investment sense. Plus, we love historic homes and their character.

We wouldn’t want a newer house unless we could custom build it.

You can get such a better deal on an existing house, and if you hire a good architect, you can have the best of both worlds: modern efficiency and historic character/charm that you cannot buy now days.”

Brandon is an architect; Ashley is a high school teacher who also has a love of interior design. A large majority of work had already been done on their house, but Brandon decided to apply because he thought it would be fun to showcase his architectural work on network TV, and the couple didn’t want Thomasville to miss the opportunity.

“We were honestly nervous at first when they told us they wanted us and our house to be featured...and surprised,” Godwin said. “We were 70 percent complete when they came.”

He didn’t want his vision to be lost or Thomasville’s preservation efforts overlooked; however, once the couple talked with the show’s people, Godwin said he felt better

41

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

vendors that really made the show a success,” he said. “Everyone busted their tail to get it done on a tight rope.”

Nix agrees, and said both the TV crew was “great” about supporting local businesses and Thomasville was “great” to them in return.

“Many people and businesses jumped in to help any way they could,” she said. “Whether it was their time, upgrades to products the Godwins already were going to use or items to ‘stage’ the house for the final reveal, everyone just stepped up to the plate.”

Godwin said the “fantastic local support” was even noted by the HGTV crew. “It was a win-win for everyone,” he said. “The town was able to show how great our downtown and historic districts/preservation efforts are and how we pull together for a common cause. The local vendors were able to get some marketing on a larger and regional level that they perhaps would not have had the chance to if 42 HGTV had not come to town.”

One local business that put in a lot of behind the scenes work for the episode was Stony Creek Landscaping & Irrigation. Matt Dukes, director of operations, said Stony Creek was contacted about participation in the project after show officials viewed some of the company’s work online.

Dukes and five crew members “handled all the landscaping, irrigation, and night lighting of the home’s yard.”

Landscaping included planting trees and shrubs; irrigation work featured installing a lawn and bed sprinkler system; and, night lighting was added “all around the premises to highlight/spotlight the landscaping and actual home,” Dukes explained. He invited others to drive by the Godwin residence and let Stony Creek know what they think.

“As a company, we believe community involvement is key and what better way to get involved than a project like this one,” he said. “It was a rewarding experience to see the end project come together and to be a part of making our home, Thomasville, a more beautiful and enhanced place to live.”

HGTV projects done included picking out some final paints, tile, and a major porch repair, Godwin said. The couple had to stay away from the house while these items were done.

“They brought some of their own upgrades, which were a treat,” he said. “It was a pleasant surprise to see some of the projects we left them to be completed in a creative way.

So, again, it was a team effort to finish up the house and it turned out great.”

One of Godwin’s favorite areas of renovation done during the HGTV portion of the project is the guest bathroom. One of the show’s hosts “had a creative idea”

to take some of his artwork (Godwin sells and shows his artwork around the country) and had custom wallpaper made from it, he said.

“That was flattering and it turned out great,” Godwin said.

“It was cool to permanently have something of my own hanging...as I rarely keep my own art around. The art work was of a bobwhite quail that Thomasville is so famous for, so it just made perfect sense to do that.”

Godwin said he was “very involved” behind the scenes, both for his architecture experience and as the contractor on record. For example, the brick work and retaining wall meant finding and getting approval from the local historic preservation committee for the antique bricks, working with city engineers to obtain permits for the wall, and coordinating the subcontractors.

Though he wishes more of this had been seen in the episode because he thinks it “could have inspired more people to tackle a historic renovation,” he understands why it wasn’t.

“HGTV does not tackle every little detail, and that’s the downside with these shows, especially for historic home renovations because they take so long,” Godwin said. “The film crew was not able to get to every space and every detail.”

Though not everyone’s hard work was seen on television, Godwin thanks all involved “for being positive, optimistic, and a team player.”

“I will always remember who stepped up and I will always speak highly of those people and their businesses,” he said.

“I would also say thank you for loving Thomasville, as this was really a stage to show the world that we have it together here and our town is very successful because of daily efforts that we all make.”

Nothing is perfect, but Godwin said “the positives far outweigh the few negatives” from the experience. Though he wouldn’t mind if his art and architecture work had gotten more exposure, Godwin said it all was really about Thomasville “and our collaborative vision and passion for historic preservation.”

“It was great for the town and that’s really all that matters in the end,” he said.

Nix said Main Street has received phone calls and information requests from people who’ve specifically stated they heard about Thomasville from watching the show.

Main Street held a community viewing party of the episode at the Thomasville Municipal Auditorium. The crew couldn’t attend, but a Skype session was held prior to

another small town; we want to be a destination and our historic preservation efforts are key to that.”

One way this can happen, he continued, is to get more young residents involved in preservation efforts. Anyone can tackle a renovation project like the Godwin home, Brandon said, even if some hired professional help is needed along the way.

“Go buy an older home, renovate it properly, and enjoy a piece of history that will never be able to be recreated,” he said. “Keep them safe, protect them, and enjoy them.”

Savannah Heart Pine- Wood Flooring Scruggs Concrete Brick and Block - Block, mortar materials South Georgia Brick Co. – Antique Brick Stones Home Center - Construction materials Stony Creek Landscaping and Irrigation Smallcakes Cupcakery Terry Conger- Electrician Thomasville Glass and Exteriors (Travis Williams) - Window repair, Storm Windows, Shower Glass doors Thomasville National Bank Tim Mercer- Finish Carpentry Toscoga Marketplace – Furniture and Accessories to stage the home for final reveal Trolly’s Designer Fabrics – Drapes to stage the home for final reveal Water Lily Showroom/Triple J Plumbing – Fixtures and Plumbing Materials

Family

Thank you

All Phase Construction (Scott Hockenbury) Tile, Sheetrock, Framing, Roof, Paint Avenues Lighting, (Jacksonville) City of Thomasville David and Darlene Cook Countertops and More (Tim Law) Granite and Ogee Edging Ed Dyess, Brick Mason Flowers Foods Gabby’s Rustic Design - Porch Swing Gina Shumake Grassroots Coffee Hands on Thomas County HGTV Melanie and Brian Jackson Mark Vonier - Foundation Work, House Leveling Mike Brumbly- Plumbing Owens Propane Parkers Heat & Cool- HVAC

Wayne and Pam Langston Bobby and Gloria Vann Virginia Montieth

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

businesses and organizations

the viewing so they could explain the collaborative project to the audience.

“So many people and businesses had helped during the renovation, it seemed fitting that we would all get together to watch as a community,” Nix said. “The production was top notch and they represented Thomasville perfectly!”

Godwin said historic structures and downtown are a big part of what makes Thomasville unique, and preservation must remain a top priority.

“We cannot lose our heritage,” he said. “Once we do, there is no going back. We don’t want to become just

43

As seen on...

V T G H & FOX

229.228.4617

stonycreekonline.com

wfore areyouhere

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

WRITTEN BY TERESA WILLIAMS

Cancer, in all its forms, is a disease affecting more people each year and one local organization wants area patients and survivors to know they

k

are not alone.

ickin’ Cancer of Southwest Georgia is an One item the store provides that meets this mission is organization begun by Debbie Beeson and other the “sunshine box.” Though it can be purchased for volunteers who felt a calling to help support anyone, the box can be a form of positive encouragement local residents fighting the disease. First formed in 2011, for cancer patients. the group has undergone a recent reorganization and is “You can come in and pick out items from the store to put in the box, or you can call and tell us a little about 44 preparing to reintroduce itself to the community.

“Our mission is to increase awareness and raise funds for the person and we can put something together for them,” projects and programs related to all types of cancer,” board Kennedy said. “We have products that are practical to use member Darby Hewett said. “We are striving to make this and we have other gift items that are just for encouraging.” community more aware of our existence.”

Kennedy has “a passion for helping others that have been The two most important things Kickin’ Cancer members diagnosed with cancer” because survivors often struggle want the public to know is “we are here for you” and all with the same issues, regardless of what type of cancer they funds they raise stay local to help support community had/have, she said, and having a support system can be cancer patients. invaluable to their recovery process.

“Everything we do stays local,” founding member Kim “Missy and I are honored to be a part of Kickin’ Smith said. “That is the reason Kickin’ Cancer was formed, Cancer and look forward to helping grow this amazing so that local monies raised could stay local to help people in foundation,” she said. our community. Everybody has been affected by cancer in Deb Bennett is a past supporter and agreed to join the some way. Everybody has a story.” board in April of this year. She’s an 11-year breast cancer Many of the volunteers involved in Kickin’ Cancer have survivor. personal experience with the disease.

Other ways the organization aids local cancer patients is Gerriann Kennedy, co-owner of business Flourish of through bill payments for necessary daily services, groceries, Thomasville, 35, is a four-year breast cancer survivor who and other items not covered by insurance. has been involved with Kickin’ Cancer in the past. She’s Bennett wants the community to know Kickin’ Cancer is now a board member, along with her co-owner, Melissa here to support patients and their families with “the things (Missy) Taylor.

“Since our store is based on my cancer is important to the community because journey, it is a natural fit for us,” Kennedy it helps those who have had cancer with the little things that no said of Flourish’s involvement in Kickin’ one thinks about,” she said. “For example, we help local cancer Cancer’s work. “We not only provide products specifically for those going through patients with gas money for trips to and from chemo or doctors’ cancer treatment, but for people in all walks appointments, with motel rooms, with wigs, with compression of life. We like to encourage everyone: garments, and many other things.” our mission is practical, affordable, encouragement.”

Kickin’ Cancer

d

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015 45 Cancer Survivors having fun at the Kickin Cancer Calendar Shoot.

that usually fall through the cracks.”

“A lot of organizations help with the large expenses, but very few help with the little, everyday items,” she explained.

“I am thankful that there is an organization like this in Thomasville.”

One way the organization is planning its relaunch to the public is through the release of the new Kickin’ Cancer calendar, which will be unveiled in September.

There have been three Kickin’ Cancer calendars; it is planned by the board and other organization supporters.

There is a different theme each year, and the calendar features men, women and children – any cancer survivors who want to participate.

“Ideas are discussed, decided on and then the board and other supporters do the footwork to get the sponsors and photographer, etc.,” Bennett said. “There are a lot of businesses that support and help with the calendar. This year, we started planning the calendar in April, pictures

were taken in June, and the unveiling will be in September, so it’s a very quick process.”

Kennedy says the subject may be serious, but the group tries to make the process fun.

“I wish people could see all the fun we have when we get together to do these photoshoots,” she said. “I hope that’s what people see in our pictures...survivors who are having fun, enjoying life.

Flourish is proud to be one of the great stores included in the calendar and I will be in it, among many other phenomenal survivors.”

This year’s calendar unveiling will be Sept. 24 from 5-7 p.m. at the

Various cancer survivors celebrating years of survivorship.

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

All Saints Episcopal Church Parish Hall, located at 443 S. Hansel St. in Thomasville.

“At our last calendar unveiling, one of the models came to it,” founding member Karen Maxwell recalled. “She put on makeup and got out of the house, just for that. Her daughter prodded her to do it, but she said it made a huge difference in her outlook.”

Calendars and pink T-shirts (to be worn during October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month) will be available for purchase during the event. Afterwards, calendars may be purchased at Flourish and other Thomasville businesses.

The calendar is the group’s biggest fundraiser, so far, Hewett said, but the reorganization this year includes plans to introduce more fundraisers to support Kickin’ Cancer’s mission. It also is currently working on being awarded 501 (c)(3) nonprofit status.

For more information about Kickin’ Cancer of Southwest Georgia or its calendar, or to make a donation, stop by Flourish in Thomasville, located at 14004 U.S. 19 S., Suite 112. Or, visit the organization’s Facebook page, www. facebook.com/kickincancerofsouthwestgeorgia.

“It is always such a great feeling to know that you have helped someone that is going through such a life-changing experience,” Hewett said. “To make that person’s life easier 46 is what we would like to help make happen.”

(Top) Flourish of Thomasville co-owner Missy Taylor putting together one of the sunshine boxes. (Below) Example of one of the sunshine boxes.

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

47

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

WRITTEN BY CHUCK BOWEN

Any Questions?

Lari Goes to P.T.A.

48

It’s So Special, that rare beauty –identical to her sisters– Tucked Behind her eyes, TheN Escaping to the constant smiles That fill and purify the cosmos– Offering proof of a wondrous God. The final four years of the sixties were close to a time of perfection for our family. After successfully auditioning for a staff announcer’s job at Columbus’s Channel 9, we made the move to the western boundary of our big state.

Our three girls were not yet teenagers, Syd was enjoying one of those rare

“fulltime mama” periods, and I relished every minute of my varied duties at WTVM. The only “minus” that could have been applicable to our little group at that time was the fact that our two boys had not yet “come a-callin’.”

It should be mentioned, however, that even in the best of times there are modern-day scourges that never relent. Few would argue that near the top of that heinous list would have to be that destroyer of after-dinner tranquility: P.T.A. During those rare years when I was not employed in the “schoolhouse business,” my wife and I practiced alternation: one assisted with homework while the other attended; we switched duties the following month.

On the occasion of note, second-grade Lari insisted

“Handles what?”

“Making us members.”

“Couldn’t you handle it?”

“Sure, but she sends the money to school by you.”

“I didn’t take it.”

“Then Leslie or Lisa did.”

“Why didn’t I take it? I have a purse.”

“It was only fifty cents each. Be quiet, Sugar.”

“We’ll now accept nominations for president.”

“Meeting adjourned.”

“Thank goodness!”

“I’ll come with you next time, okay, Daddy!”

49

“The secretary will read the minutes.”

“Daddy, I can read minutes. When the big hand is on–” Sh-h-h, this is a different kind of minutes.”

“We’ll have to appoint a committee.”

“What’s a committee?”

I couldn’t resist. “It’s like a group of people starting out to make a horse and ending up with a giraffe,” I whispered. I expected a giggle and all I got was a puzzled look.

“Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Can you wait?”

“Maybe.”

“Minutes approved as read.”

“What does that mean, daddy?”

“That’s the same as saying, ‘I agree’.”

“Why didn’t they say, ‘I agree’?”

“I’ll explain later,” I said with a sigh of regret that it had to be my turn.

“Daddy, I’ve got to go to the bathroom.”

“The meeting is almost over, Sugar.”

“We can’t afford such a large expenditure.”

“What’s a ‘spenditure?”

“Spending money.”

“Like Mommie?”

“Sort of.”

“All our members–” “Are you a member, Daddy?”

“I guess. Mommie handles that.”

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

she had absolutely no assignments. So while her sisters remained home at scholarly tasks, it was agreed that she would join me in the trek to the school auditorium.

We were barely on time and the proceedings were being called to order as we found two of the few remaining seats—luckily on the back row.

We had just settled in when--, “Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom!”

“But we just left home.”

“What’s a nominations?”

“Sort of like an appointment.”

“You wanna be president, Daddy?”

“I certainly do not!”

“Couldn’t you handle it?”

“That’s not the point.”

“I’ll nominations you.”

“You mean ‘nominate’.”

“Want me to?”

“No! Come on. I’ll take you to the bathroom.”

“I don’t have to go now.”

Insuring People and Business Since 1868 J. Smith Lanier & Co. has provided exceptional value, absolute integrity, and excellence since 1868. As one of the largest privately-held insurance brokerage firms in the United States, we will analyze, evaluate, prepare and administer plans specific to your needs.

Trust all your insurance needs to our professionals.

Call 229-228-0114 today!

327 N. Broad St. • Thomasville, GA 31792 • www.jsmithlanier.com

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

WRITTEN BY BREWER TURLEY

50

Lives Without Limits’ Fifth Annual Auction and Banquet will be held Friday, Oct. 16, at the Exchange Club Fairgrounds.

The organization assists local individuals living with disabilities by providing outdoor recreation and specialized medical equipment at little to no cost.

Since its formation in 2013, Lives Without Limits has raised more than $80,000 for the sake of enhancing the lives of those with medical and mobility issues.

“We provide hope for an improved quality of life,” Co-founder Billie Jo Beverly said. “We do this by sponsoring outdoor events and providing specialized medical equipment.”

Beverly co-founded Lives Without Limits with Beverly Hawkins, whose husband Jerry suffered a

All the things that make a house a home make us far more than a store.

HAS-0018_4.875x7.375.indd 1

8/11/15 10:34 AM

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

cerebral hemorrhage, and Gina Shumake, whose late husband As for for the banquet, previous events have attracted Allen suffered from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). upwards of 600 participants to the cause, a number Beverly Jerry Hawkins was an avid hunter prior to his hemorrhage, says she hopes will continue to increase. “We invite the which left him with many physical challenges. He was told he community to unite with us in support of those who have would never hold a shotgun again. However, through lots of experienced the struggle of living with a disability,’ Beverly work with Billie Jo Beverly, he was back on the hunting trail said. with his trusty lab, Roxy.

“We hope everyone there will be inspired and enjoy meeting Beverly said she has been amazed at the generosity of the the individuals who have benefitted from Lives Without group’s supporters, and the impact their funding has had in Limits.” the Red Hills Region. Lives Without Limits has assisted in Admission to the banquet, which begins at 6 p.m., will be building several wheelchair ramps, purchased specialized art $40 per person, $75 per couple. Table sponsorships are also still supplies for a visually impaired local artist, and completely available. For more information, contact Lives Without Limits remodeled a bathroom for an individual with a spinal cord at 229-236-5965. injury.

A wheelchair-accessible deer stand and boat have been built, and dozens of volunteers have been put in place for individuals who long for the outdoor experience that an illness or injury had once made impossible. Last year, a man of 60, confined to a wheelchair, harvested his first deer thanks to Lives Without Limits.

On May 16, more than $800 was raised at a Book Sale and Lemonade Stand in front of Grassroots Coffee in Downtown Thomasville. Beverly’s son, Haven, came up with the idea as a way to raise money for Lives Without Limits and for two cancer foundations, CURE Hearth and Soul is a gathering place reminiscent and Kicking Cancer. of the home where you can relax and refresh More than 1000 books were collected, while discovering beautiful things for then sorted by Lives Without Limits yourself or that special someone.

Board Member Mandy Zahniser, her huband Chad and daughter Aisling.

Open 8am - 6pm | Mon - Fri Nathan and Megan Rich provided a 10am - 6pm | Sat 12pm - 5pm | Sun lemonade stand that had previously been staffed by their young daughter Ava. Eddie and Gail Raper provided a bookstand and Woodleaf and Plantation Manor donated the lemonade and Jerry and Marta Turner lent additional book cases to the effort.

Other volunteers in this project included Scott and Julie Carson and their son Jack; Charlie and Jennifer Ward and their children Charles and Isabella; David and Carrie Barrentine and their children Kenny, Andy and Cody.

“Because of the support we received, 1410 Market Street Tallahassee, FL we would like to get even more members hear thandsoul.com of the community involved and make 850.894.SOUL this an annual event, with proceeds going to local non-profits in the Red Hills Region,” Beverly said.

51

WRITTEN BY ANDREW SAWYER

Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent

|

UGA Cooperative Extension – Thomas County

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Renovating Older Pecan Orchards Since I’ve been County Agent here in Thomas County, I have learned much about pecan production. Pecans are the third agricultural commodity in Thomas County with almost 3,000 acres in production. One question that I receive often is, “Can an old, abandoned pecan orchard be brought back into production?” The answer is yes.

However, like everything else, it will require some work and some money.

The first thing I always tell ask interested in renovating an orchard is “Do you plan to irrigate it?” If the answer is no, then do not read any further!! UGA Extension Pecan Horticulturalist Dr. Lenny Wells says, “You must have 52 water to grow pecans consistently and make them profitable whether you are in the New Mexico desert or the Georgia Coastal Plain.”

Dr. Wells generally recommends drip irrigation for orchard renovations. The system is relatively easy to install and the most water efficient. People often ask if the

trenching required in installation will harm the trees. No, it will not. The benefit of the water you will be applying far outweighs any negative effect from a small amount of root pruning that occurs.

The irrigation system will need the capacity to supply 3,600-4,000 gallons per acre per day within 12 hours during the peak demand period of mid-August through midSeptember. Dr. Wells says it is best to irrigate from a ground well rather than a pond or lake. The trash sucked through the pump easily clogs a drip system. A four inch well with a 5 to 7.5 horse power pump should supply up to 25 acres in most areas of South Georgia. However, you may have to be split into 2 irrigation zones. Larger orchards will require a larger well.

Most old, abandoned orchards in Georgia have some mix of ‘Stuart’ and ‘Schley’, along with seedlings, ‘Success’, ‘Moneymaker’, ‘Pabst’, ‘Frotscher’, and ‘Delmas’ among others. Dr. Wells says ‘Stuart’ remains very profitable with

Large nut size is everything in the pecan market at the moment. Seedlings with large nut size can be left for later removal. If a tree (seedling or variety) has a large nut (55 nuts/lb or less) that fills and produces relatively consistently, it can be left in production and the nuts blended with the rest.

You may also need to do some pruning of lower limbs to open up sunlight, allow equipment to pass, and stop limbs from blocking your spray pattern. Dr. Wells says do not go overboard with the fertilizer during the first year of rehab.

The trees have already determined what size crop to make an attempt at producing. No amount of fertilizer will put more nuts the first year. Many of these older orchards, even though they may have been out of production for many years, have adequate levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and even Zinc (Zn). This is because there is an enormous amount of nutrient cycling in pecan orchards.

Therefore, perform a soil test before making these applications. Add lime as recommended by soil sample.

Apply only a moderate (50-75 lbs N/acre) amount of nitrogen (N) the first year in April. If the trees happen to hit a big crop the year you start working the orchard, you can add more N later in the season. A little bit of N this year will do a lot for the trees next year if it’s been a while since they received any N. Finally, the trees will respond quickly to a good spray program, including fungicide, insecticides, and foliar Zn. Some orchards will require more work than others but, in most cases you can have the trees in the orchard back in full production within three years, mostly by providing water, sunlight, and a little fertilizer.

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

the current export market. The profitability of ‘Schley’ is not as good as years ago. A well-managed Schley can produce around 60 nuts/lb with 60% kernel; however, nut size is small to generate season-long export market prices.

Many old orchards are mixed and have no definite pattern. You can harvest them all together and have them sized out into large nut and small nut lots in order to get the best possible price. The remaining varieties on this list will usually not bring the prices desired by most commercial pecan growers. The long term plan in this situation is to remove these poor performing varieties and replace them with better ones.

Many older orchards are over-crowded in some places and have a number of missing trees (skips) in others. The skips are an easy fix and allow you to re-plant newer and better varieties in the orchard. ‘Creek’ is one of the better varieties for inter-planting because it is precocious and produces well in competition. However, you must fruit thin ‘Creek’ as a mature tree or the resulting poor quality in the “on” year makes them almost worthless. ‘Zinner’ would also be a good option since its nut size is about the same as ‘Stuart’.

‘Sumner’, ‘Ellis’, and ‘Excel’ are good options as well.

If you have some over-crowded areas and need to thin trees out, remove the worst varieties first. Of those listed above, I would remove the ‘Delmas’, followed by ‘Frotscher’ and ‘Pabst’, ‘Moneymaker’, then ‘Success’. This can all be done over a number of years as the newly planted trees come into production. Go ahead and remove seedlings with small nut size as well. Replace all the skips with new trees as you open them up.

53

54 Thomasville ThomasvilleMagazine Magazine/FALL / FALL2015 2015

Thomasville Magazine //FALL FALL 2015 2015

229.236.GOAT D o w n to w n T h o m a s v il le

fuzzygoatyarns.com

55

56 Thomasville ThomasvilleMagazine Magazine/FALL / FALL2015 2015

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

57

Listed events are subject to change; please verify event dates and times prior to scheduling activities.

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Visit www.thomasvillega.com for the current Thomasville area calendar of events.

58

Call 229-228-7977 or toll free at 1-866-577-3600, with questions, comments, or submissions. Stop in the Thomasville Visitors Center (144 East Jackson Street, Thomasville, GA 31799) for the most up to the minute information.

SEPTEMBER September 4, 2015 First Friday: The Benders 7:30-9:30pm, Downtown Thomasville at the corner of W. Jackson St. and Stevens St. in “The Bottom” - The Benders Band play a wide range of cover songs and original music spanning rock, pop, soul, funk, and blues. The concert is FREE! Participating shops and restaurants will stay open late. Look for special pricing and deals all over downtown! Bring your lawn chair or blanket and spend a fun evening in Downtown Thomasville. A special thank you to Trinity Anglican Church for their continued hospitality by allowing concerts and many other downtown events to use their beautiful facilities and grounds! Info: Main Street Office, 229-227-7020, visit@thomasville.org September 5, 2015

Visitors Center Closed All day, 144 East Jackson Street, Thomasville, GA 31792- The Visitors Center will be closed. Info: 229-228-7977, visit@thomasville.org September 5, 2015 Lighthouse Children’s Home Gospel Sing 7:30pm, Thomasville Municipal Auditorium, 144 East Jackson Street, Thomasville, GA 31792- Featuring live gospel music. For ticket information, call the Gospel Music Hotline at 850-562-6060 September 5, 2015 Learn to Knit with Pat Campbell – 2 part class Noon-2:00pm, Fuzzy Goat, 223 W. Jackson St., Thomasville, GA - Jumpstart your knitting hobby and learn all of the basics in our two week class. You will get started on knitting your first scarf (which can be seamed to be an infinity scarf and/or doubled to be a cowl). 2 part class dates 9/5/15 & 9/12/15 Info: Cadence Kidwell 229-236-4628 heyfuzzy@fuzzygoatyarns.com September 11-30, 2015 FLAUNT 2015 Rock On! Various times and locations- FLAUNT: 2015 Rock On! Returns to the Creative District this fall. This year’s theme will pay homage to rock and roll icons of the 1970s. More information coming soon. More information: 229-226-0588 September 12, 2015 Stars and Stripes 6K Patriot Walk/Run 8:30am, Myrtlewood Plantation, 3121 Lower Cairo Road, Thomasville, GA- Walk or run through the picturesque Myrtlewood Plantation as you wind along the lakeside, up and down the hills and through the tree lined country roads. There will be awards, prizes, refreshments, and fun for all! The event is paid for by the support of community businesses and organizations in support of the Senior Chief David “Blake” McLendon Scholarship Fund a component fund of the Community Foundation of South Georgia, a 501c3 tax deductible organization. Registration applications will be available at many locations throughout the county or you may register on line at runningintheusa. com. Cost will be $15 if paid by 7/1, $20 if paid from 7/2 to 8/1 and $25 for those who pay after 8/1. Info: Mary-Ann McLendon, 221-226-6064, marymac@rose.net September 12, 2015

Learn to Knit with Pat Campbell – 2 part class Noon-2:00pm, Fuzzy Goat, 223 W. Jackson St., Thomasville, GA - Jumpstart your knitting hobby and learn all of the basics in our two week class. You will get started on knitting your first scarf (which can be seamed to be an infinity scarf and/or doubled to be a cowl). Info: Cadence Kidwell 229-236-4628 heyfuzzy@fuzzygoatyarns.com September 17, 2015

Business After Hours at CCH Construction 5:00-7:00pm, CCH Construction, 117 Commerce Park Drive, Thomasville, GA 31757- Join the Chamber of Commerce for an evening of networking at CCH Construction. Info: 229-226-9600 September 26, 2015

Dinner on the Bricks for the Vashti Center 6:00-10:00pm , Downtown Thomasville on West Jackson St between Madison St and Stevens St., Thomasville,

Thomsville Thomsville -Thomas -Thomas CountyCounty Visitors Visitors CenterCenter Historic Historic Thomasville, Thomasville, Georgia Georgia

September 30, 2015

United Way Kick Off Noon, The Plaza, Thomasville, GA- This year’s kick-off will be a “touchdown” for football fans! Join us for a luncheon and speech with former Atlanta Falcons head coach, Dan Reeves! Reservations are required for this greatly anticipated event.

Sponsorships are available, and begin at $200. Info: Rebecca Cannady, 229-228-0560, uniteway@rose.net

OCTOBER October 1, 2015

Vision Dinner for Open Door Adoption 6:30-9:30pm, Glen Arven Country Club- The Open Future Endowment Vision Dinner casts a vision of adoption for Georgia’s orphans and children around the world. The dinner features author/speaker Bob Goff (“Love Does”) as well as special music from local musicians. An Open Door Adoption Agency, Inc. was started in 1987, and has placed more than 2,100 children in loving Christian homes. With the Open Future Endowment, donors are able to make a change for orphans by sponsoring the Agency’s most humanitarian programs. Info: Lauren Fielding, 229-200-6684, lfielding@ opendooradoption.org October 1-3, 2015

Great Southern Music Festival: Fall Festival All Day, Pickers Paradise Park, 2217 Maddox Road, Ochlocknee, GA 31773- Featuring Midnight Rain, Clancey Ferguson Band, Wacca Mountain Boys, The Kenny Hill Band, Blue and Lonesome, and more to be announced soon! Details coming soon. Info: Pat Tillman, 229-221-5467 October 1, 2015

TEF Presents: Metropolitan Opera Rising Stars 7:30pm, Thomasville Center for the Arts, 600 East Washington Street, Thomasville, GA 31792- “Metropolitan Opera Rising Stars” features four outstanding artists (soprano, mezzo, tenor, and baritone) from the Met’s young artist program who will open the season with a magical evening of arias and ensembles by the opera’s greatest composers. www.

TEFConcerts.com Info: 226-7404, tef@rose.net October 2, 2015 First Friday: The New 76ers 7:30-9:30pm, Downtown Thomasville at the corner of Remington Ave and Broad St. - The New 76ers are an acoustic folk trio whose sound comes from a collective respect for acoustic and electric music. The concert is FREE! Participating shops and restaurants will stay open late. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and spend a fun evening in Downtown Thomasville. www.acoustichappiness.com Info: Main Street Office, 229-227-7020, visit@thomasville.org October 2, 2015

One Book Thomas County: Flash Mob + Launch

7:15pm, Downtown Thomasville at the corner of Remington Ave. and Broad St., Thomasville, GA – Join us downtown for First Friday and the launch of One Book 2015. We’ll be kicking things off with a flash mob before the First Friday Concert at the corner of Remington Ave. and Broad St. Audience participation is encouraged! Then head to The Bookshelf for your swag bag when you purchase your copy of Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project. Info: Boo Ivey, 229-228-7767, iveys@rose.net October 2, 2015

First Friday: The New 76ers

7:30-9:30pm, Downtown Thomasville at the corner of Remington Ave and Broad St. - The New 76ers are an acoustic folk trio whose sound comes from a collective respect for acoustic and electric music. The concert is FREE! Participating shops and restaurants will stay open late. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and spend a fun evening in Downtown Thomasville. www.acoustichappiness.com Info: Main Street Office, 229-227-7020, visit@thomasville.org

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

GA - Dinner on the Bricks is the ultimate dinner party on the street in Thomasville. Gather a table of friends or co workers and support The Vashti Center! Tables of 8 are only $300 ($37.50 per person or $75 per couple). Table and white linen tablecloth and chairs provided. You are encouraged to get creative with your table décor and let your appetite decide whether you decide to bring your own dinner or hire a caterer. Creativity is the key! Costumes are welcome.

Awards in various categories will be presented to the winners. Table sales begins August 3 Info: Susan O’Neal 229226-4634 susano@vashti.org encourage you to get creative with the table decor and let your appetites decide whether you bring your own dinner or hire a caterer. Creativity is key! Costumes are welcome! Awards in various categories will be presented to winners! Tables of eight are just $300 each ($37.50/person or $75/ couple. very affordable fundraiser), with all proceeds going toward The Vashti Center’s Recreation Building renovation.Tables of eight are just $300 each ($37.50/ person or $75/ couple. very affordable fundraiser), with all proceeds going toward The Vashti Center’s Recreation Building renovation.Tables of eight are just $300 each ($37.50/person or $75/ couple. very affordable fundraiser), with all proceeds going toward The Vashti Center’s Recreation Building renovation.

59

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

October 3, 2015 Semi-Annual Downtown Thomasville Sidewalk Sale 10:00am-5:00pm, Downtown Thomasville – Participating downtown merchants will have great items available at a discounted rate on the sidewalks outside their store. Come see all the Downtown Thomasville has to offer! Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/downtownthomasville or visit our website at www.downtownthomasville.com.

Info: Laura Beggs 229-227-7020 laurab@thomasville.org

60

October 8, 2015 Business After Hours 5:00-7:00pm, Hopewell In-Home Senior Care, 808 Gordon Avenue, Thomasville, GA 31792- Join the Chamber of Commerce for an evening of networking at Hopewell In-Home Senior Care. Info: 229-226-9600 October 8-17, 2015 Covey Film Festival Various times and locations throughout Thomasville - The Covey Film Festival honors Children and Families and benefits the Thomasville Community Resource Center. We are excited to host this event at different venues around Thomasville and Tallahassee. We want to thank the Thomasville Center for the Arts, Thomasville University and Florida State University for all of their support! www.coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net October 8, 2015 Covey Film Festival Screening: Ida (Feature) and Little Africa (Short Film) 7:00pm, All Saints Episcopal Church, 443 S. Hansell St. Thomasville, GA – Ida is a Polish film won many international awards. It addresses the theme of religious identity through the experience of a young Catholic novitiate who, before taking her vows is instructed by her mother superior to visit a distant aunt. Little Africa addresses the issue of racial identity. After the screenings, Father Paul Hancock will offer a discussion with the audience after the film to discuss the contrasting meanings of racial and religious identity. www.coveyfilmfestival.com Event Free with CFF pass or $10 at the door. Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net October 9, 2015 Covey Film Festival Screening: Wolfpack 7:00pm, Thomas University, Flowers Auditorium, 1501 Millpond Rd, Thomasville, GA - Winner of this year’s Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize, this film is a documentary of the unusual upbringing of a group of brothers in New York City. Event Free with CFF pass or $10 at the door. www.coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net October 10, 2015 Covey Film Festival Screening: Drop Box 1:00pm, Thomas County Public Library, 201 N Madison St, Thomasville, GA - This documentary looks at the work of Pastor Lee Jong-rak and his heroic efforts to embrace and protect his community’s most vulnerable children.

By installing a drop box outside his home, Pastor Lee provides a safe haven to babies who would otherwise be abandoned on the streets to die. Event Free with CFF pass or $10 at the door. www.coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net October 10, 2015 Covey Film Festival Reception and Screening: The Wound and the Gift 6:30pm Reception, 7:00pm Movie and Discussion with Carol Jones, Thomas University, Flowers Auditorium 1501 Millpond Rd, Thomasville, GA - The Wound and the Gift explores the major transformation in our relationship with animals through the “Rescue” movement. Event Free with CFF pass or $10 at the door. www.coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net October 12, 2015 Covey Film Festival Screening: The Retrieval 7:00pm, Thomas University, Flowers Auditorium, 1501 Millpond Rd, Thomasville, GA - The Retrieval (1864) follows Will, a fatherless 13 year-old boy, who survives by working with a white bounty hunter gang who sends him to earn the trust of runaway slaves and wanted freedmen in order to lure them back to the South. The Retrieval serves as an insight into the little-told story of the grey area between slavery and emancipation, and the horrific moral dilemma that comes with being forced to betray your fellow man. Event Free with CFF pass or $10 at the door. www. coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net October 13, 2015 Covey Film Festival:

The History of the Film Industry in Thomasville, GA 16255 10:00am, Thomas County Museum of History, 725 N. Dawson St., Thomasville, GA - Margie Compton, Film Archivist at the University of Georgia Libraries’ Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, will be screening unique films preserved by the archives. Three early 28m home movies from the Pebble Hill Plantation Film Collection will be shown along with a selection of short 1950’s films and a television program made by Florida’s famous

Thomsville-Thomas County Visitors Center Historic Thomasville, Georgia sportsman, Dave Newell. $10pp at the door or online at www.coveyfilmfestival.com. Info: Amelia Gallo, 229-2267664, history@rose.net

October 14, 2015 Covey Film Festival Short Film Program 1:00pm, Thomas University, Flowers Auditorium, 1501 Millpond Rd, Thomasville, GA - Enjoy a wide selection of short films focused on our Covey Film Festival theme: Nature, Community & Caring – A listing will be available soon.

Running time for the event approximately 90 minutes. Thank you to the students of FSU College of Motion Picture Arts and Covey Advisor Paul Cohen for this special line up of films. Event Free with CFF pass or $10 at the door. www. coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net October 14, 2015

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

October 13, 2015

Covey Film Festival Screening:

The Good Lie and Discussion with Q & A led by “Lost Boy” Jacob Atem 6:30pm, Thomas University, Flowers Auditorium, 1501 Millpond Rd, Thomasville, GA - They were known simply as “The Lost Boys.” Orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Thirteen years later, the now young adults are given the opportunity to leave the camp and resettle in America. Upon arriving in Kansas, they are met by Carrie Davis (Witherspoon), an employment agency counselor who has been enlisted to help find them jobs—no easy task, when things like straws, light switches and telephones are brand new to them. Event Free with CFF pass or $20 at the door for movie and reception. www.coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net

Covey Film Festival: Who Owns the Water?

TBA, Tall Timbers, 13093 Henry Beadel Dr, Tallahassee, FL - Event Free with CFF pass or $10 at the door. www. coveyfilmfestival.com Info: Lisa Billups, 229-226-5846, tcrca@rose.net

61

H a m pt on I n n o f T h o ma s vi ll e

Wells Fargo Advisors is proud to support Thomasville Magazine Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. Financial Advisors 124 N. Broad St. Thomasville, GA 31792 229-228-9536 • 800-234-9536 www.wellsfargoadvisors.com

Investment and Insurance Products:  NOT FDIC Insured  NO Bank Guarantee  MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2009 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. 1210-2822[74129-v2]

925368

Thomasville Magazine / FALL 2015

Allen & Allen

64

William Rogers Dean, Sr Aug 25, 1929 - April 25, 2015

Sharon Louise Hamm Jan 22, 1942 - May 7, 2015

James Slappey Oct 1, 1931 - May 24, 2015

Leslie Oehm Aug 12, 1941 - June 5, 2015

Tiffany Ansley Feb 21, 1990 - April 24, 2015

Ralph Flemming Jr Jan 12, 1951 - May 15, 2015

Helen Knight Aug 14, 1963 - May 24, 2015

Jack Edward Rosch Dec 28, 1923 - June 7, 2015

Tammy Lynn O’Donley Dec 9, 1962 - April 27, 2015

Delores Griffin July 22, 1947 - May 16, 2015

Sheila Croy Aug 8, 1948 - May 24, 2015

Vance Vinson March 9, 1926 - June 6, 2015

James Burns Jan 20, 1963 - April 29, 2015

Carrie Humphreys Dec 19, 1918 - May 16, 2015

Patricia Ann Hartshorne July 27, 1935 - May 26, 2015

Sonja Guy Nov 14, 1942 - June 9, 2015

Archie Jett June 30, 1952 - April 29, 2015

Lea Harvell June 21, 1936 - May 17, 2015

Eunice Hazel Willis May 30, 1917 - May 27, 2015

Mary Joyce Warren May 7, 1936 - June 11, 2015

Russell Hiles Taylor, Jr. July 3, 1942 - May 1, 2015

Sandra Phillips Sept 15, 1936 - May 20, 2015

Haskell Dekle Sept 17, 1925 - May 31, 2015

William Comer Jan 30, 1926 - June 11, 2015

Linda Louise Cannon Aug 12, 1951 - May 2, 2015

Percival Conway Andrews, Jr Nov 9, 1923 - May 21, 2015

Richard Garces March 4, 1939 - May 31, 2015

Wesley Benton Nov 20, 1932 - June 13, 2015

Mary Bernice NeSmith Oct 19, 1923 - June 1, 2015

Betty Mercer Aug 15, 1941 - June 13, 2015

James Clifton, Sr Nov 26, 1928 - June 4, 2015

Dana Stanley May 25, 1965 - June 5, 2015

William Clinebell Feb 18, 1930 - June 5, 2015

James Pettigrew, Jr Aug 14, 1946 - June 15, 2015

Lois Redding July 13, 1935 - June 7, 2015

Shirley Strozier June 2, 1920 - June 15, 2015

Glenda Scheese July 30, 1943 - May 4, 2015 Ruby Helen Barrett June 24, 1931 - May 6, 2015 Daisy Taylor Mar 2, 1941 - May 7, 2015 Justin Rouse Nov 30, 1983 - May 9, 2015

Frank Yauch Dec 3, 1927 - May 21, 2015 Donnie Russell Ellis Oct 13, 1933 - May 21, 2015 Maxwell Smith Jr Nov 26, 1957 - May 23, 2015

A Listing of Local Deaths in Our Community.

Provided by Allen & Allen Funeral Home & Whiddon-Shiver Funeral Home

Joseph Wesley Nettles April 7, 1951 - June 7, 2105

James Mark Coram Sept 13, 1956 - Aug 8, 2015

Joann Yeomans Jan 2, 1936 - June 20, 2015

James Robert Murphy Dec 23, 1942 - June 13, 2015

Billie Merle Sellars Eidson Nov 17, 1932 - Aug 15, 2015

Sylvia Wilson May 21, 1942 - June 23, 2015

Robert Blair Showalter Dec 2, 1933 - June 14, 2015

Jean Mason March 12, 1928 - June 25, 2015

Loyce Iola Tompkins Goff March 20, 1939 - June 14, 2015

Linda Setliff May 24, 1942 - June 28, 2015

Kay Lorraine Harmon Hart Dec 6, 1944 - June 15, 2015

Marcus Pearce Nov 25, 1950 - June 27, 2015

Leemond Harold Bales May 12, 1927 - June 25, 2015

Beverly Jean Clark May 15, 1961 - June 30, 2015

John David Kelly March 15, 1931 - July 8, 2015

Thomas Pyle Feb 23, 1951 - June 30, 2015

Mildred E. Gilbert Funderek Oct 4, 1924 - July 12, 2015

Whiddon-Shiver

Dallas Jonah Beltran Oct 14, 2013 - July 22, 2015

Evelyn Yawn Nov 8, 1930 - April 28, 2015

Delmus Rudolph Lawhorn Aug 10, 1932 - Aug 10, 1932

Jerry Reese Massey May 29, 1942 - May 1, 2015

Homer George Jan 27, 1927 - July 25, 2015

Elster Bevins Jan 26, 1933 - May 5, 2015

Elizabeth Frances White Jan 16, 1934 - July 24, 2015

Julia Ella Higgins Lester July 14, 1934 - May 8, 2015

Brian Keith Woody Dec 16, 1964 - July 26, 2015

Robert Earl Phillips March 21, 1938 - May 14, 2015

John Allen Likins July 11, 1930 - July 31, 2015

Carol Elizabath Geckle Dapp Feb 25, 1936 - May 31, 2015

Arthur David Burns March 27, 1950 - Aug 3, 2015

Thomasville Magazine /FALL 2015

William Payne March 20, 1950 - June 15, 2015

65

LIST OF ADVERTISERS

Al Dixon........................................................................page 56 Allen and Allen Funeral Home.........................................page 64 Ameris Bank..................................................................page 57 Archbold Medical Center...............................................page 13 Astro.............................................................................page 16 Best Western/Holiday Inn Express..................................page 53 Big Oak Tree Rug Gallery...............................................page 55 BloughTech...................................................................page 47 Bobby Dollar...................................................................page 8 Camellia Gardens Nursing Home...................................page 63 Chophouse on the Bricks..............................................page 56 CNS TV.....................................................................back cover Commercial Bank...............................inside back cover Country Oaks................................................................page 43 Downtown Thomasville..................................................page 54 Farm Bureau.................................................................page 33 Farm Credit Southwest Georgia ....................................page 17 Flowers Nissan..............................................................page 27 Flourish.........................................................................page 46 Fuzzy Goat....................................................................page 55 Hampton Inn.................................................................page 61 Hearth & Soul................................................................page 51 Hugh Produce...............................................................page 31 J. Smith Lanier & Co......................................................page 49

Kathy’s..........................................................................page 55 Kres Jewelers................................................................page 56 Livi & Company.............................................................page 57 Legacy Village at Plantation Manor..................................page 30 Panaprint ......................................................................page 30 Pelicanno Construction....................................................page 8 Robin Wise.....................................................................page 9 Savannah Court of Camilla.............................................page 21 Singletary Tire Service ...................................................page 66 Southern Heritage.........................................................page 21 Southern Regional Technical College..............................page 39 State Farm ...................................................................page 26 Stony Creek..................................................................page 43 Taste of Thomasville.......................................................page 56 Taylor Benefit Resource.................................................page 61 The Gift Shop................................................................page 62 The New Image.............................................................page 55 The Plaza Restaurant & Lounge .....................................page 55 Thomas County Federal...................................................page 3 Thomasville Dental Center.................................inside front cover Thomasville National Bank..............................................page 15 Thomasville Physical Therapy ........................................page 25 Wells Fargo...................................................................page 61 Whiddon-Shiver Funeral Home.......................................page 65

SAME GREAT PEOPLE, SAME GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, NEW NAME!

401 N. MADISON ST. THOMASVILLE GA 31792

229.226.2842

Here is where we honor a man who knew how to leave a lasting impression.

Jack Kelly was more than a valued friend of our bank, he was a cherished friend of the Thomasville community. Here is where he spent a lifetime making impressions on the printed page. However, his most memorable impressions will be forever on our hearts. bankcb.com

Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast.

When we say “fast Internet,” we mean FAST. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Visit cns-internet.com or call 229-227-7001 today!