2014-2015 Coweta Living

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Business & Entertainment 2014-15 Guide to NeWNAN-CoWetA CouNty

NEWNAN UTILITIES’ CARL MILLER PARK

Forecast: Shady A recent shading project makes Kids’ Castle Playground more comfortable for kids and parents.

Scan for a slide show of Carl Miller Park

• New splash pad

• Walking/jogging trail

• Free and open to the public

• Kids’ Castle Playground

• Picnic tables

• Preschool and elementary playgrounds

• Pavilions for groups of up to 150 people

• Year-round family fun

74 Sewell Road off of Highway 29 South April-October: 8 am to 9 pm daily | November-March: 8 am to 7 pm daily Wahoo Customer Service Center Now Open 70 Sewell Road Newnan, GA 30263 770-683-5516 NewnanUtilities.org

2 Coweta Living 2014-15

To better serve our customers, Newnan Utilities opened the Wahoo Customer Service Center. The Center is located at: 315 Millard Farmer Industrial Boulevard (Highway 34 Bypass) Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm • Closed for lunch 1 pm to 2 pm

setting a

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1 saturday

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014

NEWNAN, GA • COWETA COUNTY'S NEWS SOURCE • ISSUE 88 • 1 SECTION, 14 PAGES • 50 CENTS

TODAY’S POLLEN

TREES HIGH GRASS HIGH NONE - LOW WEEDS FRIDAY’S COUNT: 147

Cotton Pickin’ Fair today, Sunday in nearby Gay

Local high school baseball teams open state playoffs — page 6

— page 11

Patel named Teacher of the Year

By CELIA SHORTT celia@newnan.com

Ruth Hill Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Ami Patel was a n nounced as Coweta County School System’s 2014 Teacher of the Year at Thursday’s recognition ceremony.

“It is very humbling to know I work in a school system with so many good teachers,” said Patel after receiving the award at the ceremonies held at the school system’s Centre for Per-

forming and Visual Arts. “I’m just one of many who do what I do.”

Ruth Hill Principal Dr. Aaron Corley said Patel is “one of the most dedicated and caring teachers I have ever encountered, and I am proud to have her at Ruth Hill.”

Corley added he would be proud to have Patel as his own child’s teacher, too.

“Educators allow dreams to come true,” said Patel. “They (students) are our future, and we can help them achieve the

dreams they always wanted.”

“To your students, you are always a hero,” she said.

Patel said her father was her hero. She told the story of how he came to America by himself more than 25 years ago. When he arrived, he made his way in a strange and new place, and worked hard to bring his family to him and to make a life for his family.

She remembered how he brought the family to America with few resources, but he still worked to provide them

“with opportunities for success.” In addition, she and her family members all prospered through the American educational system.

Patel said she brings those experiences and commitments to her classroom and students, and views teachers similarly as heroes to their students.

Patel was one of three finalists chosen from the Coweta school system’s 31 individual

TEACHER, page 3

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Ami Patel, of Ruth Hill Elementary School, is announced as the 2014 Coweta County Teacher of the Year by Coweta school board member Harry Mullins on Thursday.

DEVELOPMENTAUTHORITY

PUBLIC SAFETY LUNCHEON

Wright: ‘We’re committed to quality job growth in our community’

1 saturday

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014

NEWNAN, GA • COWETA COUNTY'S NEWS SOURCE • ISSUE 88 • 1 SECTION, 14 PAGES • 50 CENTS

TODAY’S POLLEN

By CLAY NEELY

expand, Wright feels that the development authority ultimately sees more economic growth from existing comCoweta County fared better than panies working on expansions rather than new companies. many communities during the “The Bonnell expansion was most recent recession, accordan amazing announcement for ing to Greg Wright, president our community,” Wright said. of the Coweta County DevelopAment publicAtion “W hen they were faci ng a Authority. of the newnAn times-herAld Wr i g ht emph a si z e d t he period of uncertainty regardimportance of courting the ing their future, they deterright industries for the region mined a way to set themselves during his talk at Friday’s meetup for success for the future. ing of the Coweta Rotary Club, Their ability to add jobs has held at the Newnan Country been a wonderful addition to Wright Club. our community.”

“While we get our share of The recent announcebusinesses whose average hourly rate ment from Niagara Bottling LLC of a is around $17 dollars per-hour, those planned location in Shenandoah Indus-

TREES HIGH GRASS HIGH NONE - LOW WEEDS FRIDAY’S COUNT: 147

clay@newnan.com

Pictured in front, Coweta County Crime Suppression Unit Sgt. Jeff Bugg, Deputy Adam Montgomery, Deputy Troy Foles; back, Coweta County Judge Joseph Wyant and Deputy Brandon Thrower.

Coweta’s public safety community unites for food and fellowship

By WES MAYER

Cotton Pickin’ Fair today, Sunday in nearby Gay

Local high school baseball teams open state playoffs — page 6

— page 11

By CELIA SHORTT forming and Visual Arts. “I’m dreams they always wanted.” “with opportunities for succelia@newnan.com just one of many who do what “To your students, you are cess.” In addition, she and her I do.” always a hero,” she said. family members all prospered Ruth Hill Principal Dr. Aaron Patel said her father was her through the American educaRuth Hill Elementary School Corley said Patel is “one of hero. She told the story of how tional system. fifth-grade teacher Ami Patel the most dedicated and caring he came to America by himself Patel said she brings those was a n nounced as Coweta teachers I have ever encoun- more than 25 years ago. When County School System’s 2014 tered, and I am proud to have he arrived, he made his way in experiences and commitments to her classroom and students, Teacher of the Year at Thurs- her at Ruth Hill.” a strange and new place, and and views teachers similarly as day’s recognition ceremony.

Corley added he would be worked hard to bring his fam“It is very humbling to know proud to have Patel as his own ily to him and to make a life for heroes to their students.

Patel was one of three finalI work in a school system with child’s teacher, too. his family. so many good teachers,” said “Educators allow dreams to She remembered how he ists chosen from the Coweta Patel after receiving the award come true,” said Patel. “They brought the family to Amer- school system’s 31 individual Ami Patel, of Ruth Hill Elementary School, is announced as the 2014 at the ceremonies held at the (students) are our future, and ica with few resources, but he Coweta County Teacher of the Year by Coweta school board member school system’s Centre for Per- we can help them achieve the still worked to provide them TEACHER, page 3 Harry Mullins on Thursday.

By W. WINSTON SKINNER

Michelle Huffstickler, the city’s new recreation director, recommended at the council meeting this past MonGrantville has been busy improving day that the city purchase security its recreation areas – and now addi- cameras for both parks. In an April 23 memo, Huffstickler wrote: “With the addition of the splash park and the public restrooms on Griffin Street, security cameras will be needed to has a community building and a picmonitor park activity, deter vandalnic area. The public library, ball fields ism and add security to the parks.” and a historic log cabin are nearby.

She estimated cost for security At the Griffin Street Park, longtime cameras at both parks at $5,810. The Grantville Recreation Board mem- council did not take action on the bers Mary Elder and Ruby Hines issue, but set a meeting of the streets spent some time on a recent morning. and public works committee to examCoweta residents Both are proud of the handicapped ine the security issue. accessible water fountains, the fence at the street and restrooms at the SECURITY, page 3 community center.

Wright: ‘We’re committed to quality job growth in our community’

Pictured in front, Coweta County Crime Suppression Unit Sgt. Jeff Bugg, Deputy Adam Montgomery, Deputy Troy Foles; back, Coweta County Judge Joseph Wyant and Deputy Brandon Thrower.

winston@newnan.com

Coweta’s public safety community unites for food and fellowship

By WES MAYER Luncheon at the Coweta County cal services, the court system and wesley@newnan.com Fairgrounds on Friday. more. The meal was provided by The annual event was organized Newnan Utilities and Warden Bill by the Newnan-Coweta Public An estimated 300 to 400 employ- Safety Committee members, and McKenzie and Lt. Larry Smith with ees of Coweta County’s numer- the luncheon was free and open the Coweta County Prison, and a ous city and county public safety to all divisions of public safety – long table covered in every kind of departments gathered for the 16th including law enforcement, fire LUNCHEON, page 5 annual Public Safety Appreciation departments, emergency medi-

Grantville: Improved parks need added security

By W. WINSTON SKINNER Michelle Huffstickler, the city’s new winston@newnan.com recreation director, recommended at the council meeting this past MonGrantville has been busy improving day that the city purchase security its recreation areas – and now addi- cameras for both parks. In an April 23 memo, Huffstickler wrote: “With tional security is needed. the addition of the splash park and the The city is near completion on its public restrooms on Griffin Street, splash park on Post Street, which also security cameras will be needed to has a community building and a picmonitor park activity, deter vandalnic area. The public library, ball fields ism and add security to the parks.” and a historic log cabin are nearby.

She estimated cost for security At the Griffin Street Park, longtime cameras at both parks at $5,810. The Grantville Recreation Board mem- council did not take action on the bers Mary Elder and Ruby Hines issue, but set a meeting of the streets spent some time on a recent morning. and public works committee to examBoth are proud of the handicapped ine the security issue. accessible water fountains, the fence at the street and restrooms at the SECURITY, page 3 community center.

Bull riding, barrel racing event to benefit bull rider

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL Christian Bulls & Barrels. IXL Cowboy hadn’t been ridden before, he said. screws in his face, and his teeth were sarah@newnan.com Church is an outreach program of Ben“When he fell off, he was 10 feet in seriously damaged. They were pushed ton Baptist Church in Benton, Ala. front of me." up into his g ums, and the impact The event will be May 9 and 10 at 7:30 “He was literally lifeless,” Dutra said. crushed his sinus cavity.

Local bull rider Cody Brook sustained p.m. Admission will be $12 for adults “That was the first big hit he’s taken.

In addition to the bull riding and barserious injuries to his face in early and $6 for kids 7 to 12. Kids 6 and under That was scary,” he said. rel racing, “We’ll probably have some March at a rodeo in Troy, Ala. will be admitted free.

Dutra said when he ran to Brook he sheep out there for the kids,” Dutra said.

Next weekend, a benefit bull ridBrook was riding a bull when “they told him he was going to be going to the There will be both men’s and woming and barrel racing event, Bucking head butted each other,” said his step- hospital with him. “He said, ‘No, send en’s bull riding, and there will be a firefor Brook, will be held at the Coweta dad, Luis Dutra. Dutra “f lanks” the Momma. You just keep bucking bulls.’”

County Fairgrounds. Proceeds from bulls, tying on the flank strap before “He’s something else,” said Dutra. He works show at the end of the night.

For more information, contact Dutra the event will help pay Brook’s medi- they are ridden, so he was nearby when said when he told Brook about that later, at 404-597-3690 or Jimmy Boswell at cal bills. the accident happened. Brook happened his son didn’t remember saying that.

Brook now has a metal plate and 334-525-0436.

Bucking for Brook is organized by IXL to be riding one of Dutra’s bulls and it

INSIDE Obituaries .......................3 Religion............................. 8 Community Forum ....... A Comics ........................... 11 Sports .............................6 Classifieds ..................... 13

SATURDAY

76° | 51° Sunny

SUNDAY

83° | 56° Pleasantly warm with sunshine

MONDAY

86° | 58° Sunny

Local bull rider Cody Brook was injured in a bull riding accident in early March. A benefit rodeo will be held next weekend to help pay his medical bills.

TUESDAY

85° | 57° Sunny

Rainfall (in inches)

Yesterday (as of 7 p.m.) 0.00 Monthly total 6.49 Year-to-date 13.65

Local bull rider Cody Brook sustained serious injuries to his face in early March at a rodeo in Troy, Ala. Next weekend, a benefit bull riding and barrel racing event, Bucking for Brook, will be held at the Coweta County Fairgrounds. Proceeds from the event will help pay Brook’s medical bills.

Bucking for Brook is organized by IXL

Christian Bulls & Barrels. IXL Cowboy Church is an outreach program of Benton Baptist Church in Benton, Ala. The event will be May 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. Admission will be $12 for adults and $6 for kids 7 to 12. Kids 6 and under will be admitted free.

Brook was riding a bull when “they head butted each other,” said his stepdad, Luis Dutra. Dutra “f lanks” the bulls, tying on the flank strap before they are ridden, so he was nearby when the accident happened. Brook happened to be riding one of Dutra’s bulls and it

Cottages to Condos

INSIDE Obituaries .......................3 Religion............................. 8 Community Forum ....... A Comics ........................... 11 Sports .............................6 Classifieds ..................... 13

Business & Entertainment

SATURDAY

76° | 51° Sunny

MONDAY

86° | 58°

Patriotic Pledge

Pleasantly warm with sunshine

Sunny

TUESDAY

(in inches)

Sunny

Yesterday (as of 7 p.m.) 0.00 Monthly total 6.49 Year-to-date 13.65

85° | 57°

to preserve Coweta history

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SATURDAY

76° | 51° Sunny

SUNDAY

83° | 56° Pleasantly warm with sunshine

MONDAY

86° | 58° Sunny

Local bull rider Cody Brook was injured in a bull riding accident in early March. A benefit rodeo will be held next weekend to help pay his medical bills.

TUESDAY

85° | 57° Sunny

Rainfall (in inches)

Yesterday (as of 7 p.m.) 0.00 Monthly total 6.49 Year-to-date 13.65

Print and Digital Editions

Local bull rider Cody Brook was injured in a bull riding accident in early March. A benefit rodeo will be held next weekend to help pay his medical bills.

NeWNAN-CoWetA CouNty Rainfall

SUNDAY

83° | 56°

Bull riding, barrel racing event to benefit bull rider

INSIDE

the Best of Both Worlds 2014-15 Guide to

By W. WINSTON SKINNER Michelle Huffstickler, the city’s new winston@newnan.com recreation director, recommended at the council meeting this past MonGrantville has been busy improving day that the city purchase security its recreation areas – and now addi- cameras for both parks. In an April 23 memo, Huffstickler wrote: “With tional security is needed. the addition of the splash park and the The city is near completion on its public restrooms on Griffin Street, splash park on Post Street, which also security cameras will be needed to has a community building and a picmonitor park activity, deter vandalnic area. The public library, ball fields ism and add security to the parks.” and a historic log cabin are nearby.

She estimated cost for security At the Griffin Street Park, longtime cameras at both parks at $5,810. The Grantville Recreation Board mem- council did not take action on the bers Mary Elder and Ruby Hines issue, but set a meeting of the streets spent some time on a recent morning. and public works committee to examBoth are proud of the handicapped ine the security issue. accessible water fountains, the fence at the street and restrooms at the SECURITY, page 3 community center.

Coweta’s public safety community unites for food and fellowship

By WES MAYER Luncheon at the Coweta County cal services, the court system and wesley@newnan.com Fairgrounds on Friday. more. The meal was provided by The annual event was organized Newnan Utilities and Warden Bill by the Newnan-Coweta Public An estimated 300 to 400 employ- Safety Committee members, and McKenzie and Lt. Larry Smith with ees of Coweta County’s numer- the luncheon was free and open the Coweta County Prison, and a ous city and county public safety to all divisions of public safety – long table covered in every kind of departments gathered for the 16th including law enforcement, fire LUNCHEON, page 5 annual Public Safety Appreciation departments, emergency medi-

Obituaries .......................3 Religion............................. 8 Community Forum ....... A Comics ........................... 11 Sports .............................6 Classifieds ..................... 13

hadn’t been ridden before, he said. screws in his face, and his teeth were “When he fell off, he was 10 feet in seriously damaged. They were pushed front of me." up home into his to g ums, and the impact Coweta “He was literally lifeless,” Dutra said. crushed his sinus cavity.

“That was the first big hit he’s taken.

In addition to the bull riding and barThat was scary,” he said. rel racing, “We’ll probably have some Dutra said when he ran to Brook he sheep out there for the kids,” Dutra said. told him he was going to be going to the There will be both men’s and womhospital with him. “He said, ‘No, send en’s bull riding, and there will be a fireMomma. You just keep bucking bulls.’”

“He’s something else,” said Dutra. He works show at the end of the night.

For more information, contact Dutra said when he told Brook about that later, at 404-597-3690 or Jimmy Boswell at his son didn’t remember saying that.

Brook now has a metal plate and 334-525-0436.

Grantville: Improved parks need added security

From left, Captain Bryan Minix, Captain Chuck Loftin, Assistant Chief Alan Smith and Assistant Chief Scott Harmon with the Coweta County Fire Department, and Neal Mangum with Coweta County EMS.

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL Christian Bulls & Barrels. IXL Cowboy hadn’t been ridden before, he said. screws in his face, and his teeth were sarah@newnan.com Church is an outreach program of Ben“When he fell off, he was 10 feet in seriously damaged. They were pushed ton Baptist Church in Benton, Ala. front of me." up into his g ums, and the impact The event will be May 9 and 10 at 7:30 “He was literally lifeless,” Dutra said. crushed his sinus cavity.

Local bull rider Cody Brook sustained p.m. Admission will be $12 for adults “That was the first big hit he’s taken.

In addition to the bull riding and barserious injuries to his face in early and $6 for kids 7 to 12. Kids 6 and under That was scary,” he said. rel racing, “We’ll probably have some March at a rodeo in Troy, Ala. will be admitted free.

Dutra said when he ran to Brook he sheep out there for the kids,” Dutra said.

Next weekend, a benefit bull ridBrook was riding a bull when “they told him he was going to be going to the There will be both men’s and woming and barrel racing event, Bucking head butted each other,” said his step- hospital with him. “He said, ‘No, send en’s bull riding, and there will be a firefor Brook, will be held at the Coweta dad, Luis Dutra. Dutra “f lanks” the Momma. You just keep bucking bulls.’”

County Fairgrounds. Proceeds from bulls, tying on the flank strap before “He’s something else,” said Dutra. He works show at the end of the night.

For more information, contact Dutra the event will help pay Brook’s medi- they are ridden, so he was nearby when said when he told Brook about that later, at 404-597-3690 or Jimmy Boswell at cal bills. the accident happened. Brook happened his son didn’t remember saying that.

Brook now has a metal plate and 334-525-0436.

Bucking for Brook is organized by IXL to be riding one of Dutra’s bulls and it

Housing choices from historic to high end

sarah@newnan.com

aren’t the projects we want to work,” trial Park is one of the many promising Wright said. “We’re committed to projects that are on the horizon for quality job growth in our community.” the development authority. Wright was While the Coweta County Development Authority helps recruit new busiWRIGHT, page 3 nesses and helps existing companies

By CLAY NEELY expand, Wright feels that the developclay@newnan.com ment authority ultimately sees more economic growth from existing comCoweta County fared better than panies working on expansions rather than new companies. many communities during the “The Bonnell expansion was most recent recession, accordan amazing announcement for ing to Greg Wright, president our community,” Wright said. of the Coweta County Develop“W hen they were faci ng a ment Authority.

Wr i g ht emph a si z e d t he period of uncertainty regardimportance of courting the ing their future, they deterright industries for the region mined a way to set themselves during his talk at Friday’s meetup for success for the future. ing of the Coweta Rotary Club, Their ability to add jobs has held at the Newnan Country been a wonderful addition to Wright Club. our community.”

“While we get our share of The recent announcebusinesses whose average hourly rate ment from Niagara Bottling LLC of a is around $17 dollars per-hour, those planned location in Shenandoah Indusaren’t the projects we want to work,” trial Park is one of the many promising Wright said. “We’re committed to projects that are on the horizon for quality job growth in our community.” the development authority. Wright was While the Coweta County Development Authority helps recruit new busiWRIGHT, page 3 nesses and helps existing companies

From left, Captain Bryan Minix, Captain Chuck Loftin, Assistant Chief Alan Smith and Assistant Chief Scott Harmon with the Coweta County Fire Department, and Neal Mangum with Coweta County EMS.

Activities Abound

Coweta attorney Bull riding, barrel racing event to benefit bull rider & filmmaker gets

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL

By CLAY NEELY expand, Wright feels that the developclay@newnan.com ment authority ultimately sees more economic growth from existing comCoweta County fared better than panies working on expansions rather than new companies. many communities during the “The Bonnell expansion was most recent recession, accordan amazing announcement for ing to Greg Wright, president our community,” Wright said. of the Coweta County Develop“W hen they were faci ng a ment Authority.

Wr i g ht emph a si z e d t he period of uncertainty regardimportance of courting the ing their future, they deterright industries for the region mined a way to set themselves during his talk at Friday’s meetup for success for the future. ing of the Coweta Rotary Club, Their ability to add jobs has held at the Newnan Country been a wonderful addition to Wright Club. our community.”

“While we get our share of The recent announcebusinesses whose average hourly rate ment from Niagara Bottling LLC of a is around $17 dollars per-hour, those planned location in Shenandoah Indus-

Pictured in front, Coweta County Crime Suppression Unit Sgt. Jeff Bugg, Deputy Adam Montgomery, Deputy Troy Foles; back, Coweta County Judge Joseph Wyant and Deputy Brandon Thrower.

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NEWNAN, GA • COWETA COUNTY'S NEWS SOURCE • ISSUE 88 • 1 SECTION, 14 PAGES • 50 CENTS

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TREES HIGH GRASS HIGH NONE - LOW WEEDS FRIDAY’S COUNT: 147

Patel named Teacher of the Year

Grantville: Improved parks need added security

tional security is needed.

Updated county and The city is near completion on its citysplash information park on Post Street, which also

Luncheon at the Coweta County cal services, the court system and Fairgrounds on Friday. more. The meal was provided by The annual event was organized Newnan Utilities and Warden Bill by the Newnan-Coweta Public An estimated 300 to 400 employ- Safety Committee members, and McKenzie and Lt. Larry Smith with ees of Coweta County’s numer- the luncheon was free and open the Coweta County Prison, and a ous city and county public safety to all divisions of public safety – long table covered in every kind of departments gathered for the 16th including law enforcement, fire LUNCHEON, page 5 annual Public Safety Appreciation departments, emergency medi-

wesley@newnan.com

— page 11

DEVELOPMENTAUTHORITY

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From left, Captain Bryan Minix, Captain Chuck Loftin, Assistant Chief Alan Smith and Assistant Chief Scott Harmon with the Coweta County Fire Department, and Neal Mangum with Coweta County EMS.

— page 6

forming and Visual Arts. “I’m dreams they always wanted.” “with opportunities for sucjust one of many who do what “To your students, you are cess.” In addition, she and her I do.” always a hero,” she said. family members all prospered Ruth Hill Principal Dr. Aaron Patel said her father was her through the American educaRuth Hill Elementary School Corley said Patel is “one of hero. She told the story of how tional system. fifth-grade teacher Ami Patel the most dedicated and caring he came to America by himself Patel said she brings those was a n nounced as Coweta teachers I have ever encoun- more than 25 years ago. When County School System’s 2014 tered, and I am proud to have he arrived, he made his way in experiences and commitments to her classroom and students, Teacher of the Year at Thurs- her at Ruth Hill.” a strange and new place, and and views teachers similarly as day’s recognition ceremony.

Corley added he would be worked hard to bring his fam“It is very humbling to know proud to have Patel as his own ily to him and to make a life for heroes to their students.

Patel was one of three finalI work in a school system with child’s teacher, too. his family. so many good teachers,” said “Educators allow dreams to She remembered how he ists chosen from the Coweta Patel after receiving the award come true,” said Patel. “They brought the family to Amer- school system’s 31 individual Ami Patel, of Ruth Hill Elementary School, is announced as the 2014 at the ceremonies held at the (students) are our future, and ica with few resources, but he Coweta County Teacher of the Year by Coweta school board member school system’s Centre for Per- we can help them achieve the still worked to provide them TEACHER, page 3 Harry Mullins on Thursday.

By CELIA SHORTT celia@newnan.com

aren’t the projects we want to work,” trial Park is one of the many promising Wright said. “We’re committed to projects that are on the horizon for quality job growth in our community.” the development authority. Wright was While the Coweta County Development Authority helps recruit new busiWRIGHT, page 3 nesses and helps existing companies

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Cotton Pickin’ Fair today, Sunday in nearby Gay

Local high school baseball teams open state playoffs

Patel named Teacher of the Year

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2014-15 Guide to Newnan - Coweta County

Table of

CONTENTS

16

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY 16 | When it comes to housing, Coweta has

48 | Commercial growth on the rise, with an eye

20 | Coweta’s historic residences among

51 | From barbecue to burgers to locally roasted coffee, you’ll find it in Coweta

28 | Farming: The life in Coweta

53 | Business-friendly environment helps Coweta industry grow and thrive

something for everyone county’s treasures

34 | God’s Country: Coweta offers wide variety of golf course living

38 | Airfield makes Senoia neighborhood unique 41 | Wide variety of retailers offers wares in Coweta

44 | Great deals, fun, and even thrills abound at yard sales, flea markets

14 Coweta Living 2014-15

on the future

56 | Visitors center welcomes folks from around the world 58 | Hitting Coweta’s antiquing trail

61 | Coweta figures prominently in movies, television

64 | Utility companies part of Coweta community

HEALTH & FITNESS 68 | Coweta considered ‘medical mecca’ 74 | Outside Newnan, Coweta home to horse country

79 | Senior Friends group meets monthly, sponsors seasonal trips 80 | Sporting clays provide a shot at friendly competition

85

83 | Coweta offers recreation for all seasons 84 | Coweta area parks offer plenty of opportunity to get out, enjoy nature

85 | Coweta offers recreation for all seasons

COMMUNITY 88 | Cowetans enjoy vibrant arts scene 92 | Entertainment options growing in Coweta 95 | Clubs contribute to Coweta community 98 | In Coweta, history taken seriously

88

102 | Churches reach out – and offer a haven – to Cowetans

105 | From ‘Walking Dead’ to train depots, museums welcoming tourists

EDUCATION 108 | Private and homeschool options available in Coweta

110 | Four-year college coming to Newnan through hospital redevelopment project 111 | New WGTC Coweta campus thriving 112 | Charter school options available in Coweta

114 | Coweta libraries offer electronic info, programs, partnership – books, too

114 COUNTY/CITIES 121 | Newnan offers a vibrant atmosphere for everyone

123 | City of Newnan numbers to know

116 | Coweta County School System offers a myriad

124 | Small towns offer Mayberry ambience to residents

118 | Coweta County School System adds

126 | Coweta County services run gamut, from auto tags to voter registration

119 | Coweta School System 2014-15 contact list

129 | Coweta County numbers to know

of opportunities STEM initiatives

Coweta Living 2014-15 15

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

W

When it comes to housing, Coweta has something for everyone

16 Coweta Living 2014-15

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

New home construction stalled during the recession, but it has begun again in Coweta, and more homes are needed to meet the demand, according to local real estate professionals.

From historic homes to swim and tennis communities, from

A mixture of historically inspired homes, brownstones, and live/work townhomes are planned for the Historic Senoia Project, shown here. The development has been home to two Southern Living Idea Houses.

downtown lofts to luxury apartments and cabins in the woods, Coweta County has something for everyone.

There are townhouses and even some “brownstones,” and three new senior living developments were approved in spring 2014.

The housing options are as diverse as the county itself.

Newnan is famous for being the “City of Homes,” with large antebellum and Victorian homes in the areas around downtown, and plenty more houses from the early to mid-20th Century.

But Newnan is not the only place with a range of beautiful old homes. All Coweta’s small towns have some, too.

If subdivisions and cul-de-sacs are your preference, the choices are seemingly endless. There are older developments

WRITTEN BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

Coweta Living 2014-15 17

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

There’s an endless variety of housing options in Coweta, including historic homes, new construction homes, contemporary homes in established neighborhoods, and different types of apartments. This new development is in Senoia.

from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s, as well as newer ones that were developed just before the housing crash of 2008. And even more are on the way. Many older subdivisions don’t have amenities, covenants, or homeowners associations, while newer ones feature swimming pools, tennis courts, lakes, playgrounds and nature trails.

And there is still plenty of open land in Coweta to build your own home.

The variety isn’t just in the types of homes. “We have all price ranges – everything from $50,000 to a million-and-a-half on the market right now,” said Chip Barron, co-owner of Lindsey’s Realty in Newnan and an active member of the Newnan-Coweta Board of Realtors.

Barron has been in the real estate business since 1977.

“Whatever price range you are in, there is something to suit that,” Barron said. “We have more contemporary homes, and more traditional homes that are more traditional inside, and some that are just wide open inside,” Barron said. “It meets everybody’s taste, which I think is a great thing.”

Construction has picked up in the past few years. At first, builders were taking on lots that had sat vacant in existing subdivisions. “Now, lots are getting a little scarcer,” Barron said.

18 Coweta Living 2014-15

In 2013, Coweta County issued 285 building permits for new houses – the most since 2007. The city of Newnan issued 263 permits.

There is definitely a need for more houses in Coweta. “We have been a little low on inventory for two, three, four years now,” Barron said.

The county continues to grow, albeit much more slowly than in the early 2000s. In 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the county’s population at 133,180. That number is up from 127,317 in the 2010 Census.

Prices have risen, and between April 2013 and April 2014, they were up 10 percent in Coweta. “That is a pretty big increase,” Barron said.

Homes on acreage have appeared to lag behind when it comes to the housing rebound, according to Barron, but things have picked up.

Coweta has a “good many” homes on larger tracts of land.

Historic homes in Newnan had also been slow to move for a while, but “they are starting to sell,” Barron said.

In Senoia, there are luxury, multi-story “brownstones” right in downtown, built with the idea of serving as movie backdrops for the

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area’s budding film industry. There are new homes that look like they could be 100 years old, as well as a mix of old and new homes throughout the city.

Grantville also has a collection of historic homes located within its National Register district and the small town boasts several newer subdivisions.

In Newnan, there are a few loft apartments above downtown shops, as well as the Newnan Lofts, located in the old Newnan Cotton Mill. There have been new apartment complexes built in the past few years, and there is a range of older apartments, both large complexes and smaller units.

Powell Senior Village, a “continuing care retirement community,” received Coweta County approval in spring 2014 for property off Hwy. 34 East and Hollz Parkway. It will feature independent living for those 55 and over, in both single-family homes and attached dwellings, as well as assisted living, skilled nursing and hospice.

Two other “55 and better” independent living communities were also approved for north Coweta, one at the Arbor Springs development and one at Lake Redwine – two of the county’s most upscale subdivisions. These new developments will consist of mid-sized houses on smaller lots.

There are a few cluster-style developments in the area, as well as townhomes that function more like condos, with all the yard work and exterior maintenance provided through the HOA. There are still plenty of affordable homes under $100,000, and even some under $50,000. However, “there is getting to be fewer and fewer of the cheaper ones,” Barron said. Investors bought up many of them when prices were low.

“So we’re seeing less of the inexpensive homes and more of the expensive homes coming on the market,” Barron said. “But I think there is something out there for everybody. There is no question about it.

“It is sort of like the weather. If you don’t like what is on the market today, just wait a few days and something will come up, something will change,” Barron said. “I believe there is a buyer for every house and a house for every buyer.” CL 20 Coweta Living 2014-15

C

Coweta’s historic residences among county’s treasures

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Cindy Divido stands in front of one of her homes on Johnson Street in Senoia, which she uses as a location for her husband's accounting business.

But to owners, they are home It is no secret that Coweta County is

Each one has its own story to tell, and

itself has a history dating back to before

covered with many old and beautiful

with the help of the families who now

and during the Civil War, and one home

homes.

own, live and are attached to them, the

in particular literally stands at the top of

histories of these homes live on.

the city’s list of antebellum homes.

All these homes are standing pieces of history that give locals an idea of

A large number of historic homes

Buena Vista, which means “beautiful

what living here more than 150 years

still stand in the county, especially in

view,” was built on the highest point in

ago might have looked and felt like.

Newnan, the “City of Homes.” Newnan

Newnan in the 1830s and later enlarged.

WRITTEN BY WES MAYER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY WES MAYER

Coweta Living 2014-15 21

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Mike and Leah Sumner, top, stand in front of their home at 87 LaGrange St. in Newnan, named Buena Vista. It is situated on top of the highest point in the city. The Sumners have tried to maintain the original style and feel of the home both inside and out.

Located at 87 LaGrange St., the home is now owned by Mike and Leah Sumner, who bought the home in 1990 and raised their three sons there. Throughout its time, the home has only been owned by a few families, but it really became a landmark in history because of one visitor it had during the Civil War – Confederate Army General Joe Wheeler.

The Sumners are very attached to their home, and they maintain a close connection with its history. Mike and Leah know all about the former owners of the home, and they have made every effort to keep the home looking the same as it did when it was built, even though the home has gone through some changes over the years.

Before Buena Vista received its name, it was a single-story, Westernstyle cottage owned by Edward Malcolm Storey, a teacher at Newnan’s Male Academy, Leah Sumner said. The cottage was much smaller than the home now, and it only had a few small rooms with a small attic space above.

When Storey died in 1850, the home was purchased by his brotherin-law, Hugh Buchanan, who had a career as a principal, a lawyer, a judge, a soldier, an officer, a state senator and a U.S. congressman.

The Buchanans are also responsible for adding the two-story, 22 Coweta Living 2014-15

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We try to share it, but we definitely live in it.”

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columned front section to the home, which was called a “two-by-two” or “twoover-two.” On the lower floor it had a men’s parlor and a ladies parlor, and above were two bedrooms.

It was during the time the Buchanans lived in the home that General Wheeler came to visit. During Union General Sherman’s fiery campaign through Georgia, it became Wheeler’s job to defend the railroads southwest of Atlanta from destruction, and Wheeler chose Buena Vista as his staff headquarters.

While Buena Vista was the highest point in Newnan, and much of the surrounding area could be seen from it, Wheeler actually had a habit of

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staying in homes with women whose husbands were away at war, according to Mike Sumner. Hugh Buchanan was fighting for the Confederacy in Virginia at the time, and Mrs. Buchanan was home alone.

During his time staying at Buena Vista, there is a story of the Buchanans’ son, Edward, tiptoeing downstairs to meet Wheeler, and when he did, he

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Coweta Living 2014-15 23

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Bob and Georgia Shapiro stand in front of their home at 34 College St.

found Wheeler lying asleep over maps in the men’s parlor. Wheeler later led his troops to victory against Union General Edward M. McCook at the Battle of Brown’s Mill.

After Edward passed away in 1936, the home was purchased by the Glovers, who restored the home and added a kitchen. And, in 1990, the Sumners purchased the property.

Throughout their time living at the home, the Sumners have made some more additions, but all these were made in a way that didn’t affect the overall look of the home. They added a larger living space in the back with a back porch, but neither of these can be seen from the home’s front. Inside, the Sumners had builders repeat the same style of doors, molding and windows to keep the newer parts of the home from looking too modern.

“We were pretty careful to preserve the home,” Leah Sumner said. “We really tried to carry on the same look 24 Coweta Living 2014-15

and feel.”

The Sumners are fond of their home’s unique features, including the great columns on the facade that were built by the R.D. Cole Company in the 1850s, the shutters on the windows, which were the first movable shutters in Newnan, and the bell pull in the men’s parlor, which would allow the men to buzz whoever was in the kitchen.

They have had numerous groups visit their home for tours and photos, and the home has been featured in guided and driving tours of Newnan through the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society.

“It’s been a great house,” Mike Sumner said, “and it’s very lived in. But we tell everyone it’s not a museum.”

“We try to share it,” Leah added, “but we definitely live in it.”

Another historic home in Newnan that earned its fame in more recent years is Bob and Georgia Shapiro’s home at 34 College St. The home was purchased

by Georgia more than 40 years ago,

and she and her husband, whom she married 36 years ago, have spent their time restoring the home to look just like it did when it was built in the mid- 1800s.

Georgia Shapiro said the land where the home now sits was first purchased

by George Scott in 1830 for only $150.

The land was purchased because Scott believed it would be along the “Old Road to the McIntosh Reserve,” which was never built. Although she isn’t certain when exactly the home was built, she is guessing it was around 1835, when 35 acres was sold to Newnan attorney Ebenezer McKinley.

The home went through a number of owners as Newnan grew, and during the Civil War, it functioned as a boarding home, Shapiro said. In 1870, the home moved into the Arnold family’s hands, and in 1883 it was purchased by the Arnalls, Henry and Sally – grandparents of Ellis Arnall, who became the governor of Georgia in 1943.

Shapiro purchased the home in 1973

Georgia Shapiro holds a photo of herself taken when she first bought the home in 1973.

but the woodwork and some wallpapers and draperies remain.

During the Shapiros’ time living in the College Street home, they added

the idea, and I love the history.”

“There’s not enough I can say,” she added. “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”

more space to the back, but she said

Historic homes are not only found in

they made it so the additional space

Newnan, though. The city of Senoia in

could be removed without affecting the

eastern Coweta is also full of history and

original structure. During the 1980s

beautiful homes.

and ‘90s, many groups – usually bus

Cindy and Brett Divido own two

tours out of Atlanta or groups through

historic homes in Senoia – one as a

the historical society in Newnan – would

business and one as a home where they

come in to tour the home, but Shapiro

raised their five children. Both homes,

said there are not as many groups

which are on 275 and 328 Johnson St.,

touring these days.

were built around the 1850s, Cindy

“I have just what I love,” Shapiro said,

Divido said, and when the Dividos

“just what I always wanted. I love the

moved in around 1993, they worked to

style of furniture and the comfort. I love

restore and save both homes.

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after always wanting to live in an old home, she said. When she moved to Newnan, most of the historic homes here were not being renovated. They were either being torn down or painted white, but she wanted to restore her home.

“I look at the pictures now, and it was uninhabitable,” she said. “And I didn’t realize the bigger it was, the longer it would take to redo.”

Shapiro said her home inspired her to begin researching other historic homes in Newnan, and she began to regularly write articles about them for The Newnan Times-Herald. She said she had a lot of people tell her that it influenced them into learning about and realizing how old their own homes were. Georgia, the mother of two sons, married Bob Shapiro in 1978.

In 1991, the interior of the home became famous as part of the set for the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes.” To turn the interior into Idgie Threadgoode’s turn-of-the century home, a crew worked to hand-grain the woodwork, and paint, wallpaper and furnish the home. While the Shapiro home served as the interior, a home in Senoia was used to portray the exterior. After filming ended, the Shapiro home was returned mostly to how it looked before,

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Cindy Divido and her husband, Brett, own two homes on Johnson Street in Senoia. The home they live in, top, is at 328 Johnson St., and was built in the 1850s. The home Mr. Divido uses as an office space is on 275 Johnson St.

Cindy Divido stands on the front porch of the home she and her family live in at 328 Johnson St.

“The character is unlike any home,” Divido said, “and we don’t regret purchasing either one. It is difficult with the upkeep, though, and you have to be dedicated.

There are things that you fix which always need to be repaired again. But you just fall in love with the home.”

The home at 275 Johnson St., which is around 2,200 square feet, now operates as a home-based office for Mr. Divido’s accounting firm. Although the Dividos do not regularly live in the home, Cindy Divido said her mother visits Senoia seasonally and lives there for many months out of the year.

Their other home on 328 Johnson St., where the Dividos live, is around 4,300 square feet. The Federal-style home was built in the 1850s and has two stories, six fireplaces, 12-and-a-half-foot ceilings and large 25-by-18 bedrooms. The home also has a hidden room behind a bookshelf. Since moving in, the family built a separate game room behind the home, but no additions were made to the actual structure.

When the family bought the home, a small red barn was also on the property, and the family worked to restore it as well.

In 1904, Allen H. Jones, the owner of Starr’s Mill at that time, owned the home, Divido said. Every morning, he would walk across the street and turn on the 26 Coweta Living 2014-15

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generator, which received its power from the mill and gave electricity to Senoia.

Every night, he would return from the mill and shut off the generator, making Senoia go completely dark.

Divido, who used to serve on the board of the Senoia Area Historical Society, said the two homes have been featured a number of times in Senoia’s Candlelight

Restore

Tour and the Progressive Dinner, which involves a group moving through three to five homes and having each course of the meal in a different home. While they’ve taken a break from those events, the home is still a part of Senoia’s driving tour.

Of course, these are just a few of the numerous historic and beautiful homes in Coweta County. While not all homeowners still open their doors to everyone, visitors and locals are still welcome to view these homes from the road. For many more details on events and programs with historic homes, those interested may visit the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society’s and Senoia Area Historical Society’s websites or stop by the Coweta County Convention and Visitors Bureau

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Ned and Jane Chambless walk through their own private garden they keep behind their home. They grow corn, blackberries and blueberries, figs and apples, and many more fruits and vegetables.

F

Farming: The life in Coweta

Although it can be considered part of metro-Atlanta, Coweta County is not what most people would consider “suburban.”

With nearly 450 square miles of land, and Newnan being the county’s largest city, it comes as no surprise that many Coweta residents live the farmer’s life – raising livestock and growing fruits and vegetables in the wide, open spaces.

For some, the farming lifestyle has been in the family for generations. Ned and Jane Chambless have both lived in Coweta County all their lives – more than 70 years. The two have been married for 45 years, and most of those

years have been spent on their farm on Neely Road in Sharpsburg, which is only a fourth of a mile away from where Jane grew up and five miles from where Ned was raised.

“We are Coweta County natives for sure,” Jane Chambless said, “and we have always lived in the rural areas.”

On their farm, which is about 225 acres of pastures, hay fields and woods, Ned Chambless now tends a herd of more than 60 cattle and calves.

Most of his time is spent cycling the cows through the multiple pastures and cutting, raking and baling the hay for the cows to eat.

“That’s my golf,” he said. “Most

WRITTEN BY WES MAYER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY WES MAYER

28 Coweta Living 2014-15

“

and figs to tomatoes and corn.

“It’s nice to just be able to go out and pick an apple, wash it and eat it,” Jane Chambless said.

While the two have lived on their farm, the area has grown around them.

The intersection of Highway 16 East and Highway 54 is one of the busiest in the county, and now many drivers use Neely Road to bypass the traffic. So, unfortunately, the road is not as quiet as it used to be. They actually used to have a horse and buggy they could ride in up and down Neely Road, but no more, according to Ned Chambless.

Fortunately, the area isn’t so busy that it makes their farm unpeaceful.

“I’m just an outdoors person,” Ned Chambless said, “especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon. I get a lot of enjoyment out of it, and we are fortunate to have it.”

Rob and Lucille Matthews, on the other hand, got into the farming life a little differently.

That’s my golf. Most people play golf when they’re retired, and I have my cows.”

— Ned Chambless

The two grew up in Illinois, where Rob worked as a lineman for the electric company, but over time, they decided to move somewhere a little more warm.

After doing some research, the couple discovered Coweta County, and they bought a home on Bruce Jackson Road in 1980.

When the couple first moved to Coweta, they operated a major franchise cleaning service for carpets, furniture and more.

Rob Matthews said when they first started, their customers were so happy with the service, which was fairly new to Coweta, that they would offer to take the Matthews out to lunch afterwards. The cleaning service has since been split between the Matthews’ two sons.

In 1990, the couple purchased 450 acres on nearby JD Walton Road, and, in 1994, they finally moved into their new farm where they live today. They later sold 180 acres to their new neighbors, but they still have many acres of open land, fescue, bermudagrass and hay pastures, 20 beef cattle, chickens, a muscadine and scuppernong grove, and a large variety of fruits and vegetables growing in their two gardens. Much like the Chamblesses, though, the Matthews mostly grow the produce for their own fresh food and as gifts, but they recently sold 20 of their cattle.

When she has the time, Lucille enjoys canning vegetables like tomatoes and beets, and she also makes jams, jellies and even wines from their muscadine grove, all for gifts, she said. Rob also recently took up the art of woodturning, and their home is filled with many bowls and goblets.

However, most of the Matthews’ time is spent cutting, spreading, raking and baling hay, taking care of the animals and gardens, and doing maintenance around the property. Both Lucille and Rob enjoy working outdoors and on the hay fields, although Lucille said she prefers if Rob does the baling.

The Matthews say their home is great for their grandchildren, who enjoy camping, building forts and riding Coweta Living 2014-15 29

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

people play golf when they’re retired, and I have my cows.”

Jane Chambless’ father and grandfather both had farms with cows, peaches and cotton, she said, and Ned’s uncle also farmed with cows.

In 1974, the couple purchased their home on Neely Road, and the land they own connects to Jane’s father’s property, which goes back all the way to Highway 16. In 2005, Jane retired as a school counselor. She spent her career at Western Elementary, East Coweta Middle School and Arnall Middle School.

In 2006, after 37 years of working in the insurance business, Ned retired as well.

Jane and Ned Chambless raised three children on their farm and now they regularly get visits from their nine grandchildren, who enjoy riding around the property on four-wheelers and tractors. They also have their own garden behind their home where they grow all sorts of fruits and vegetables, from apples

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY around in the woods and fields on their four-wheelers and bikes. There are also two five-acre ponds on the property, and the Matthews built a cabin next to one of them for camping and overnight stays.

Most of all, the Matthews love when they get to relax, look outside and enjoy what they have – except whenever they do this, they often see something else they need to work on.

“It’s fun staying busy and occupied every day,” Lucille said.

“Yes, we have long honey-do lists,” Rob added. “We always have something to do. There is never such a thing as a ‘typical day on a farm.’”

Not all farms in Coweta County are hundreds of acres in size, though.

While their farm is not nearly as large as those of the Matthews or Chamblesses, Scott and Nicole Tyson make up for it with heart. Their farm, 180-Degree Farm on Emory Phillips Road, is only around 15 acres, according to Scott Tyson, but last year, they 30 Coweta Living 2014-15

Rob and Lucille Matthews stand with the tractor they use to cut, rake and bale the hay they grow on their 270-acre land.

donated around 24,500 pounds of organically grown food to the Coweta County community. Since 2010, they have grown and donated more than 48,000 pounds.

The Tysons originally purchased their

land to build a new home and small farm in 2006, but shortly after buying the property, their son was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. Fortunately, the cancer became non-progressive, but through research, the Tysons learned the cancer

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

came about through pesticides in the food he was eating.

So the family decided to turn their new property into an organic farm, and soon they began donating the food throughout the community, especially to others diagnosed with cancer. Tyson said they now partner with the Cancer Treatment Centers of America hospital in Newnan, and every Wednesday, they gather 300 to 400 pounds of food to donate to patients at the center. They also donate to a number of churches and food banks in Coweta.

At the farm, the Tysons grow every type of fruit, vegetable and herb imaginable – anything that is in season at the time. On the farm they have chickens, ducks, geese, turkey and sheep, and they also sell unique duck and goose eggs, as well as pasteurized turkey and lamb meat.

The Tysons do not consider 180-Degree Farm organic, per se, but

Scott and Nicole Tyson stand in front of the pond their 180-Degree Farm is centered around.

they are certified naturally grown.

“It’s a little beyond organic,” Tyson

The Tysons do not use any pesticides, they said. Instead, they rely on their

said. “We invest heavily in the soil and

plants being healthy, with their leaves

only use organic fertilizers. Our biggest

having a high sugar content – a high

form of pest control is a healthy plant.”

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY The Tysons also raise livestock on their farm, including sheep, ducks, chickens, geese and turkeys. Scott Tyson places all his younger fowl in broiler pens for grazing. He said he can just sit and watch them sometimes, and each animal has its own personality. The Tysons grow all their food naturally and donate it to the community. So far, they have donated more than 48,000 pounds of food to places like the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

grasshoppers from digesting the leaves.

Having animals on the farm, especially the geese and ducks, also keeps the pest load down.

Their fertilizers are all natural as well, Tyson said. They rely on the 32 Coweta Living 2014-15

natural fertility cycle that the plants and animals provide over time, and they regularly rotate the animals so the fields where they graze continue to stay healthy. For instance, when the sheep are moved, the chickens will go

into the pen where the sheep were – the chickens then help spread the sheep’s feces into the soil by scratching with their feet. This helps the grass grow and gives the sheep a better meal the next time around, according to Tyson.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Tyson said when they first bought the property, there were only spots of unhealthy grass – in their first year, they donated 550 pounds, and so far this year, they’ve donated 8,900 pounds.

To protect their animals, the Tysons have livestock guard dogs, Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherd breeds. They also have electric fences, but ducks will occasionally escape and coyotes can be a problem.

The farm is completely volunteer operated, and nobody gets paid, Tyson said. The farm is funded through Community Supported Agriculture, where people invest in a harvest and then get to select a group for the food to be donated to.

Tyson said this program is great for expanding their farm’s reach in the community.

The Tysons also spend time talking in the community and at schools and churches about food nutrition. A few Alternative Spring Break groups – an organization where college students spend their break giving back to communities – from the University of Florida and University of Georgia have also visited and helped out on 180-Degree Farm, Tyson said, and that was as great of an experience for him as it was for the groups.

“Community support is just invaluable to us,” Tyson said. “It’s always the next generation up that you put your hopes on.”

The Tysons also accept donations at any time, and 180-Degree Farm is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., when the Tysons sell their fruits, vegetables, eggs and more to the local community. CL

Coweta Living 2014-15 33

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

G

Coweta County is home to six public and private golf courses that offer each golfer a unique experience. Making a shot at Canongate on White Oak course is Philip Sakowitz.

God’s Country: Coweta offers wide variety of golf course living

Homes viewed from the Summer Grove golf course.

If you’re looking for a good round of golf, Coweta County is certainly the right place.

Very few communities are as fortunate as Coweta to have access to a variety of diverse golf courses within such a small radius. Regardless of your skill level or income, you don’t need to look far in order to find a golf course that’s right for you.

Coweta County boasts six golf courses – each one showcasing its own unique designs and challenges. As many golfers can attest, such a high concentration of quality courses in a small area is far from commonplace.

Joe Guerra is the president and CEO of the Coweta-based Sequoia Golf and currently oversees

WRITTEN BY CLAY NEELY | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

34 Coweta Living 2014-15

scratch player while being fun to play for the novice. Decades later, it is still highly regarded by members and guests alike and remains one of Canongate’s most popular courses.

In 1999, architects Rocky Roquemore and Jeff Burton created an additional 18 holes, producing the 36hole facility that features four distinct nines that “integrate seamlessly into the surrounding natural area.”

Along with being the flagship Canongate golf course, the club offers its members swimming, tennis, and dining amenities.

In 1986, White Oak Golf Club opened as an 18-hole championship golf course, again with Roquemore serving as the central architect.

Additional nines were added in 1987 and 1990, bringing the course to the total 36-hole facility that players enjoy today.

White Oak offers its members two very distinct layouts. The Old Course features a very traditional layout while the Seminole Course, with its more modern layout, provides an enjoyable round for golfers of all skill levels.

Spread over 250 acres of rolling hills, SummerGrove Golf Club was recently opened to the public after being private for many years. The course was designed by Joe Jemsek and Jeff Burton and was originally opened in 1999.

As a native of Pennsylvania, SummerGrove’s general manager, Mike Haddick, readily attests to the quality and value the golf courses of Coweta County provide.

“Growing up near Pittsburgh, I don’t think many people down here understand how lucky they are to have a community as unique as this,” Haddick said. “When you see what kind of courses that are available for the cost, it’s pretty amazing. The golf courses that we have down here cost about a third of what you would pay in many other areas of the country. I think people in this area are luckier

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

more than 50 private clubs, resorts and daily-fee facilities across the United States, including Canongate I and Canongate on White Oak Golf Club in Coweta County.

“Georgia is arguably the most important golf state in the country,” Guerra said. “We have multiple, prestigious tournaments – there are so many steep traditions associated with the game of golf that go back over one hundred years. Participation rates are virtually higher than in any other state in the country.”

Guerra believes Georgia has benefited tremendously from its association with golf – citing the game as a driver for a variety of things that go far beyond the lifestyle.

“It’s a huge driver of economic activity in the community. If you go to real estate agencies, they actively promote golf communities. They leverage the benefits associated with the lifestyle to real estate, which means that people who are looking for a place to live, they’re going to live in a community that has the amenities associated with that lifestyle,” Guerra said. “There is no better example I can think of than Coweta County.

It’s steeped full of quality courses, top-notch designers and thousands of golfers.”

“As a community, we’re very fortunate,” he said. “I’ve operated and worked in this industry for over 30 years and could have lived anywhere in the country, but chose to make my home in Newnan. I think we’re very fortunate to have such deep and rich golf in our community and that differentiates us in a very positive way.”

Canongate I Golf Club, located in Sharpsburg, was the first of the Canongate golf courses. It originally opened in 1965 with 18 holes designed by world-renowned architects Dick Wilson and Joe Lee. Like most good courses, Canongate I was designed to be a test for the

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY HItting practice balls at Canongate on White Oak course is Craig Holas.

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Coweta Club at Arbor Springs 300 Arbor Springs Parkway Newnan

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Canongate 1 924 Shaw Road Sharpsburg

White Oak Golf Course 141 Clubview Drive 36 Coweta Living 2014-15 Newnan

than they think.”

Summer Grove offers an 18-hole, par 72 golf course that wanders through native dogwoods and pine trees, preserved wetlands, and wildlife habitats. With five sets of tees, Summer Grove can be played at a distance that matches the player’s game – appealing to a wide range of skill levels.

Coweta Club in Arbor Springs Plantation is another popular destination for golfers, touting its course by design as being unlike most golf course experiences.

Situated on 180 picturesque acres north of Newnan, Coweta Club came under new ownership in the fall of 2007 and has embarked on a program to enhance the course.

Renovations have been conducted under the guidance of Billy Fuller, former superintendent at Augusta National.

The result is a course that aims to offer a fair and interesting challenge to golfers at every level. Coweta Club features five sets of golf tees, playing to a strong 7,056 yards "from the tips" but also offering multiple levels of challenge, including a friendly layout of less than 5,000 yards from the forward tees. A spacious practice green and all-weather golf driving range are located close to the waterfalls.

Designed to take its character from the dramatic terrain and natural surroundings, Coweta Club prides itself on providing “magnificent vistas in a serene setting along with play that is at once both challenging and rewarding.”

The Coweta Club accommodates up to 350 guests for special events and is home to the Coweta Grill in the club's 15,000-square-foot clubhouse. The bar, lounge, dining room and verandas overlook the golf course and the facility aims to be “an ideal place for casual or formal lunches, dinners and great cocktails.”

Formed in 1919, Newnan Country Club on U.S.29 north of Newnan is Coweta’s first golf course and has been a mainstay of the local golfing community for nearly a century.

Designed by Denis Griffiths, ASGCA, is Newnan Country Club’s 18-hole regulation course. From the longest tees it offers 6,966 yards of golf for a par of 72.

“Newnan Country Club is a hidden secret,” said Chris Knobloch, general manager and head golf professional at Newnan Country Club. “We have the traditions of legacies of generation after generation being part of Newnan Country Club. By having a small town club, we offer that to our community.

“For us, having multiple sets of tees for abilities is an advantage. From the kids in the junior program to the Kirby Invitational, the oldest invitational in Georgia, the great champions have played here.”

Since opening, the club has been the center of many social and golfing activities for the Newnan and Coweta community.

It has furnished the setting for many wedding receptions and various kinds of entertainment. Newnan Country Club also serves as the meeting site for several local civic clubs.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

“We’re a little different in that we provide a different kind of atmosphere, especially in the social setting,” Knobloch said. “Through the years, listening to the older members, we’re one of the few places where our members come and eat. It’s where we became that tight-knit community.”

Consistently ranked among the top public courses in Georgia, Orchard Hills Golf Club south of Newnan off I-85 and Highway 16 East is a public course that touts a beautiful 27-hole championship layout featuring bentgrass greens and bermuda fairways. Orchard Hills claims to be “a challenging and pleasurable experience for golfers of all capabilities.”

Golf Digest recently awarded Orchard Hills with a four star rating in its recent publication of “Places to Play.” This rating is defined as "outstanding, plan your next vacation around it."

The locally owned and managed golf course provides a driving range and putting green along with a fully equipped pro shop and full-service restaurant. Their tournament pavillion seats up to 250 and has hosted multiple corporate and charity events.

Dano Korytoski, head professional for Orchard Hills Golf Club, shared Haddick’s views on the availability of first-class golf in the area.

“We have so many amazing courses in our backyard,” Korytoski said. “It’s also very unique to have a variety of open courses that don’t require membership to play.”

The course is open seven days a week, provides golf instruction by PGA professionals and prides itself as “Southern hospitality with a Scottish links flavor.”

“There’s no question we have a surplus of great courses down here,” he said. “There’s no question about the cost for the quality.”

So, in his opinion, just why are there so many high quality golf courses in just one county?

“That’s an easy one,” Korytoski said. “This is God’s country. It’s perfect for golf courses and raising babies.”

CL

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A

Photo courtesy of Gloria Hahn Tinsley

Jerry Tinsley lands his Piper J-3 Cub at his family’s airfield near Senoia around 1977. The Big T Airport community grew around the landing strip.

Airfield makes Senoia neighborhood unique

In the early 1960s, before Big T

Roy purchased the peach orchard from

Airport was a gleam in “Uncle Roy”

the Daniels, and his gleam brightened

Tinsley’s eye, it existed as a beautiful

toward the dream of a private,

Wayne – who later died in a tragic plane

peach orchard.

community neighborhood/airstrip.

crash, Uncle Roy began developing

Jerry Tinsley soon constructed a

the land. They labored for months,

Located on Highway 16 just outside

anywhere.”

A short time later, with the help of son

the Senoia city limits, it was owned

“T” hangar and enjoyed flying his

extending the runway to its current

by the Daniels family. Uncle Roy had

Piper J-3 Cub whenever he had a spare

2,200-foot length. In the meantime,

a small “make-do” airstrip on his

minute from piloting an aircraft for

Jerry and wife Karen raised two

adjoining property and a “T” hangar –

Delta Air Lines. Childhood friend Allen

children, Lee and Geoff, near the end of

tall posts in the ground with an “I” beam

Thompson, a private pilot, said, “The

the runway.

across the front, allowing his younger

landing strip was barely long enough

Allen shares a confidential tidbit:

brother, Jerry, to fly his Piper J-3 Cub

for take-off and landing, so I worried

“Jerry started instructing 13-year-old

in and out. After Jerry returned from

about Jerry, but he was a confident

son Geoff how to fly the Cub, and had

the military in the early ‘70s, Uncle

daredevil, able to maneuver an airplane

me fly with him several times to assure

WRITTEN BY GLORIA HAHN TINSLEY

38 Coweta Living 2014-15

Falcon Field in Peachtree City, lots were purchased and hangars evolved with apartments built within. Former Eastern pilot and aerobatic pilot Bob Abernathy and wife Rita moved in, and we enjoyed many a private air show featuring his antics. A few years later, Uncle Roy cleared lots on the opposite side of the grass runway and Tinsley Way was created off Highway 16.

An eclectic group owns hangars at Big T. New owners Hugh and Ashley Bearden (and their two kids) own a home in Coweta County but recently bought a hangar in which to store his Piper J-3 Cub. When not flying, Hugh is busy manufacturing custom trailers for tailgating events, and his business, like his airplane, is soaring.

Currently, there are a total of 23 hangars, most containing homes/ apartments within. One of the largest is owned by homeowners association president Steve Jenkins, a bachelor

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and an AirTran pilot. There since 2003, Steve proudly hangars the Zivko Edge 540 airplane belonging to “Little Mark” Nowosielski, who owns a lot at Big T but lives elsewhere. Mark soloed his first airplane on his 16th birthday, and is a 36-year-old bachelor and Southwest Airlines pilot who has gained notoriety with his aerobatic flying prowess.

In 2012, Mark performed with the US Aerobatics team comprised of eight pilots in the World Aerobatics competition in Hungary, which is the Olympics of the aerobatic arena. They impressively ranked third. Continuing to amaze Big T friends and the public, Mark won first place in the coveted US National Advanced Championship in Sherman, Texas, a year later.

“Little Mark” also performs formation aerobatics with good friend and Southwest pilot “Big Mark” Sorenson, a Big T resident. Their Flying Tiger Yaks dazzle onlookers as they perform

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he knew what he was doing. When I told him Geoff was good to go, Jerry allowed him to fly solo from the airstrip long before it was ‘legal’ to do so.”

Sixteen is the Federal Aviation Administration approved age for teens to fly solo, but Jerry feigned ignorance and was thrilled that his son was following in his footsteps.

By 1986, Uncle Roy’s beloved nephew Bill Tinsley encouraged him to sell the first lot at “Big T” (“T” for Tinsley) to him. Bill had recently obtained his private pilot’s license. Newly single, Bill had planned to build a hangar with an upstairs apartment for himself and his son Alex. Soon thereafter, “Yours Truly” entered the picture, and marriage a year later led to construction of a separate house for yours, mine, but no “ours,” a stone’s throw from the hangar.

As word spread in the aviation community about the new airstrip budding only three nautical miles from

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

dueling formats, synchronized cross points and other skills maneuvers all over the southeastern United States.

A humble young man, “Little Mark” said: “Big Mark introduced me to the most amazing group of aviation enthusiasts who reside at Big T. Steve (Jenkins) offered to keep my Pitts in his hangar. Jim Crunkelton took me under his wing and helps me maintain my plane, becoming a mentor. Even though aerobatics is known as an individual sport, I would never have been able to get to this point without the relentless help of family and friends.”

Another interesting facet of Big T is that it is located only 1.2 miles from Raleigh Studios, where AMC hit TV show “The Walking Dead” is filmed.

The only “walkers” you will find at the airstrip, however, are Butch and Frances Walker. Butch is a retired military man, Eastern pilot and, most recently, a FedEx pilot. Their full-time residence is elsewhere, but they enjoy entertaining family/friends/grandkids at their hangar, which houses a small apartment. An airplane enthusiast, Butch started flying at age 14 when his father, a farmer with his own agricultural dusting/spraying business, instructed him. The flying “bug” bit and has been with him ever since.

Charlie Tagart, a Navy brat, knew as a young boy that he wanted to be a pilot.

“I fell in love with flying when I went with my dad, who was taking flying lessons under the old GI Bill after retiring from the Army,” he said.

Charlie went on to work as an Avionics Tech before being selected for an Army Commissioning Program, and flight training followed. His flying career began with Frontier Airlines, followed

by Northwest, and his current pilot position with Delta. ”The merger with Delta got me looking around the Atlanta area,” Tagart said. “When I discovered Big T. I never imagined I would be able to live at an airpark, and am really enjoying it.”

Big T’s most senior and beloved resident is “Mr. Ed” Perkins, a retired instrument mechanic from Northwest Airlines. Still youthful at age 88, he no longer flies, but enjoys tinkering with antique cars and driving his ’57 Chevy, as well as an old Army jeep.

Uncle Roy’s dream from the ‘60s continues to flourish, as new generations of pilots fulfill their life’s passion. He, Wayne, Jerry, and Bill Tinsley have departed us for that big airstrip in the sky, but the Tinsleys’ legacy lives on at Big T. CL

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W

Ashley Park, an upscale outdoor shopping venue in Newan, offers fountains and statuary as well as a wide range of eclectic shopping options.

Wide variety of retailers offer wares in Coweta

On this recent shopping outing, it is almost officially summer time in Coweta County.

The winter 2014 ice has melted, the sun is shining, and all the warm weather is making us want to get out and see what is going on in the local towns and cities.

All over Coweta County, local stores are propping open their doors to invite customers in to take a look at what they have to offer.

We have shops that range from upscale boutiques to large department stores to mom-and-pop stores, and each store provides its own atmosphere that

makes each store different from the last.

In the way of boutiques Newnan’s Ashley Park has a handful from which to choose: there is Lizard Thicket for women, and JoS. A. Bank for men. Each of these stores provides a higher level of customer service than is expected for the price and product that is provided.

Other specialty shops set up in the boutique style are Motherhood Maternity and Charming Charlie. Both of these stores have several locations across the state, but their set-up in Coweta county is, well, charming.

Charming Charlie is organized by a color blocking system that is easy to

sort through. Also, given that not many shops give access to maternity clothing, Motherhood Maternity allows pregnant women to be able to go shopping for pretty clothing instead of shopping online.

For department stores, we have Dillard’s, Target, Belk, JC Penney, Walmart and many more. If you are looking for something general, these stores are the standard go-to for many customers. Some of these stores are designing their buildings to become more upscale and customer-friendly.

Belk and Dillard’s both have several check-out locations so that customers

WRITTEN BY BRITTNY BYROM | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

Coweta Living 2014-15 41

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Fresh produce – displayed for sale on the Court Square in Newnan – always attracts shoppers.

Main Street Newnan has added First Friday events in downtown.

On first Fridays April to December, shops are encouraged to stay open from 5-9 p.m.

Ten East Washington “WHERE EATING

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McDonough, Attina’s is an example of a

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joy of music to everyone who walks in.

Mom-and-pop stores are what many

Corner Arts Gallery Studio Gift Shop

Newnan’s Court Square or go down

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Senoia’s downtown area has blossomed in recent years with boutiques, restaurants and other new stores joining longtime businesses.

different art classes that are always fun to try.

Some of the best shopping can be done during town-wide fairs and events.

Main Street Newnan has added First Friday events in downtown. On first Fridays April to December, shops are

encouraged to stay open from 5-9 p.m.

During this time, customers get to enjoy outside entertainment and special sales.

If you miss the First Friday shopping, come back on Saturday for Market Day. There are more than 60 vendors who bring their crafts to sell at booths

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Many of these stores have been here for years, while others are brand new to the area. Regardless of how long the retailer has been around, there is always something new to see. CL

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

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Georgia Yarbrough fans granddaughter Karen Williams with one of the many new items at the M&Z Mart at the Franklin Road Flea Market.

Great deals, fun, and even thrills abound at yard sales, flea markets

Coweta County has a wide, evergrowing selection of retail shopping destinations.

But sometimes you want the thrill of the hunt. And a crazy bargain.

There’s nothing like arriving at a yard sale or a flea market and finding a good deal on something you need, or finding that certain item you’ve been wanting for years and years and never thought you’d get.

“It’s fun, because of the thrill of the

hunt,” said Emily High Massengill.

She has been “yard sale-ing” for years and can remember the price she paid for almost everything, from the art on her walls to the toys she bought for her daughter to the dozens of board games in her closet.

“I am addicted to buying board games,” she said.

An array of framed pictures decorates her parents’ dining room.

All the frames came from yard sales.

“Why would you go spend 10 bucks on something when you can get it for 25 cents, and it’s perfectly fine?”

Massengill asked.

These days, she looks for older kids’ toys, like the ones she had when she was a child.

Kathy Landers is another yard sale junkie. On the Fridays she doesn’t have to work, she and her mom go to yard sales. On Saturdays, she and her husband, Doug, “get up early and ‘do the

WRITTEN BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL

44 Coweta Living 2014-15

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Bob Macon and Samuel White check out some of the wares at the Franklin Road Flea Market on a Sunday afternoon.

Coweta Living 2014-15 45

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY "I like junk," says flea market shop owner Jenelle Darrington. "Once you get into it, it is hard to quit." There are several shop owners at the Franklin Road Flea Market, and most have been into junk for many years. Pictured are, left to right, Robert Garris, who started when he was 16, Kathy Laster, Rudy Osley, Darrington and Clyde Caudell.

circuit.’ We either find a yard sale or go to flea markets.”

Landers is currently looking for vintage glassware and furniture, clothing, “and such.” She resells many of the items on eBay, her Facebook page and on local Facebook sale sites.

“I don’t buy anything I have to work on, other than furniture,” she said.

If you want to be successful shopping at yard sales, you can’t sleep in on Saturday morning.

Instead, you want to hit as many sales as possible during the “golden hour.”

“Usually, it’s 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturdays,” Massengill said. “That’s when everything is fresh and new.”

To maximize sales in the golden hour, Massengill will make a map. She’ll check out the yard sale advertisements in The Newnan Times-Herald and a few other places, and then plan her route.

Sometimes, she’ll copy and enlarge the map that runs in the Times-Herald and 46 Coweta Living 2014-15

plot out all the sales she hopes to hit.

Other times, she’ll plug everything into MapQuest, and “it automatically does a route.”

Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and get a “two for one” – that’s discovering a yard sale you didn’t know about close to the one you are going to.

The golden hour tends to come earlier, around 7 a.m., for yard sales that begin on a Friday.

If it’s Saturday, Massengill usually doesn’t bother with going to a sale that started on Friday. Because, by then, everything is picked over.

When shopping at yard sales, don’t be afraid to haggle. “I always have to say less, just to see if they’ll say yes or no,” she said. “You can negotiate.”

With all the great deals, it’s easy to go a little wild, so Massengill makes sure to always set a budget – and to stick to it.

If you’re planning on organizing a

yard sale, Landers has a few suggestions on what not to do.

“Never, ever say ‘you should have been here this morning, yesterday or last week. We had lots more stuff.’ That means what you have now is picked over … I leave immediately.”

“Never count your money or talk about how much you have made when you have customers,” Landers said. And the number one rule: “Never say all prices are firm. Always negotiate.”

Another thing veteran yard-salers don’t like is chit-chat. Help your customers when they have questions, but, for the most part, leave them alone and let them shop.

If getting up early on a day that’s made for sleeping in isn’t your style, flea markets are another option.

The Franklin Road Flea Market, located on Franklin Highway just off Temple Avenue, is open every Saturday and Sunday.

Conditions are a lot more laid back at the flea market, with no worries about the golden hour. But it’s still preferred to get there early. Some vendors will pack up and go home by the afternoon.

Of course, many of those vendors spend their Friday mornings at yard sales – doing a little shopping in order to stock their booths or shops.

Dewayne Staley is there every weekend, and has been for the past seven years. He’s disabled, and the flea market is a “good way for me to kind of support my income.”

He also enjoys it. “I love it out there,” he said.

Saturday is the best day at the flea market. Some vendors get there as early as 7:30 a.m., while others don’t arrive until 10, Staley said.

— Emily High Massengill

Karen Williams likes shopping at the flea market. “There are really good deals. We can afford to shop here on our budget,” she said.

A lot of people don’t even know the flea market exists, said Christina Trickey of M&Z Mart. Her booth sells new items but at flea market prices.

Some flea market vendors have permanent shops on the back row.

Rudy Osley is retired. His shop is a way to pay bills. It’s also something to do and to look forward to. “I’ve been fooling with stuff all my life,” he said. “I used to sell at auctions or peddle stuff.”

He gets items at yard sales sometimes, but can stock his shop for a long, long time with the things he’s bought over the years. “I have a lot of stuff at home,” he said.

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The flea market opened in 1982, and Jenelle Darrington’s husband was there.

She wasn’t far behind.

“I like junk,” Darrington said. “Once you get into it, it’s hard to quit.”

For many years, the ultimate time for yard sale and flea market enthusiasts in Coweta – and surrounding counties – has been Labor Day weekend.

Hwy. 34 – from Temple Avenue all the way to the Powers’ Festival grounds – has been lined with flea markets and yard sales, all taking advantage of crowds flocking to the former Powers’ Festival held for more than 40 years.

It’s also been a good time for residents in the general vicinity to organize yard sales. CL

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

“

It’s fun, because of the thrill of the hunt.”

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

C

The opening of Nissan of Newnan marked another significant commerical addition for 2014.

Commercial growth on the rise, with an eye on the future

New and existing businesses have chosen to call Coweta County home for a reason.

With restaurants, health care options and retail stores continuing to spring up across the area, many are attributing Coweta County’s “business friendly” approach as one of the key reasons for this growth.

“Experienced economic development professionals know that solid economic growth that is steady, gradual and always improving is the more desired goal,” said Candace Boothby, president and CEO of the Newnan-Coweta

Chamber of Commerce. “It doesn’t fall on the peaks and valleys of blockbuster announcements.”

Citing the outstanding success in recent years, Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southeastern Regional in Newnan has made a significant and long-reaching impact on the community.

“By looking across the bypass we can see the construction of a major hotel under way as an example,” Boothby said. “That simply would not have been built without CTCA’s presence.”

Another notable development near Newnan Crossing Bypass was the

June 2014 announcement that Gander Mountain, a hunting and outdoor store, would soon be opening a retail store right off the bypass near JC Penney.

“The Gander Mountain project, which includes the location of a 51,000-squarefoot retail location along the bypass, has initiated site preparation and will begin construction in the near future,” Newnan Business Development Director Hasco W. Craver IV told the Coweta County Development Authority.

The presence of good health care and education is of critical importance to both businesses and individuals.

WRITTEN BY CLAY NEELY | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO AND CLAY NEELY

48 Coweta Living 2014-15

Because Coweta has continued to grow in both sectors, it has helped in recruiting new companies and has encouraged existing companies to stay and grow.

Expansion of CTCA’s facilities, the groundbreaking of HealthSouth and the opening Piedmont Healthcare Cancer Wellness are all testimonials to the confidence that Coweta County is becoming a premier destination for health care.

“This is the type of growth that is desirable, bringing a higher caliber of citizenry and job development,” Boothby said. “Today’s reality is that, health care, great education, public safety and convenience reside in communities

— Candace Boothby

like ours.”

The Thomas Crossroads area around the intersection of Highways 34 East and 154 experienced the spark of development with a new Verizon Wireless store locating in the old Blockbuster building while a Pep Boys was built in spring 2014 on an outparcel near Tractor Supply. A U-Haul rental facility and retail store along Highway 34 are also in the mix.

The recent spark of restaurant openings in downtown Newnan such as Rednexican, Meat ‘N’ Greet, Garlic Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar, and the Leaf & Bean are drawing more activity to the Court Square district.

Future plans of transforming

alleyways into outdoor dining spots was addressed in the city’s early 2014 Liveable Centers Initiative study along with concepts for the future of the old Caldwell Tanks facility at East Broad Street and Salbide Avenue in downtown Newnan and the vacant former PAPP Clinic location on Cavender Street.

The old clinic is near the site of the University of West Georgia Hospital Redevelopment Project, transforming the former Newnan Hospital facilities into a Newnan satellite campus for the Carrollton-based university.

Various proposals for the Caldwell Tanks site all contained commercial and residential development. One would turn the largest glass and steel building

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

“

This is the type of growth that is desirable, bringing a higher caliber of citizenry and job development.”

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY The expansion of Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southeastern Regional Medical Center’s facilities is at the forefront in making Coweta a premier destination for health care.

50 Coweta Living 2014-15

into apartments, and another included a parking deck.

Turning an L-shaped alley off Spring Street into an outdoor dining area might be a little “pie in the sky,” said city of Newnan Planning Director Tracy Dunnavant, but that’s OK. “You want things that are realistic, but it doesn’t hurt to reach and kind of push it,” Dunnavant said.

The idea of letting the older parts of a town center deteriorate as newer areas find themselves experiencing development is something Newnan officials hope to avoid.

“Here, we have an excellent Community Development Office in Newnan that is already planning for this future possibility and that’s a big reason Newnan’s downtown is successful,” Boothby said.

“Success begets success in economic and community development, which translates into other successes that our county has been fortunate to have experienced and continues to do so,” Boothby said.

“While it is natural to count the notches in announcements,” she said, “it might be more comprehensive to look at the entire iceberg, not just the tip.” CL

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

F

From barbecue to burgers to locally roasted coffee, you’ll find it in Coweta

Coweta County offers a wide

array of restaurants that people can choose from.

One of the oldest and best-known restaurants in Newnan is Sprayberry’s Barbecue, known as “The Barbecue Capital of the World.” It was started

by Houston Sprayberry in 1926 at Houston’s grocery on Jackson Street.

Houston’s wife, Mattie Lou, sold barbecue sandwiches inside the store for ten cents. As the popularity of the sandwiches grew, the store transitioned into a restaurant. In 1950, renovations

were made to the restaurant in order to accommodate more people and include modern facilities for cooking. As a quick bite for people going on and off the interstate, a second location was opened on Highway 34 East in 1995.

Running the restaurant is a family

WRITTEN BY LINDY OLLER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

Coweta Living 2014-15 51

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Sprayberry's has been serving food to Newnan residents since 1928.

affair. Donald Sr., Donald Jr., and Stephen oversee the restaurant. Second and third generations also work at the restaurant. Stephen Sprayberry said people have the option of ordering any of their menu items for take-out.

Along with the famous barbecue loved by late columnist Lewis Grizzard and spawning the “Lewis Grizzard” special, other menu items range from chicken fingers and steak to fried pies and ice cream.

“We have homemade desserts available every day,” Sprayberry said.

Meat ‘N’ Greet, a burger and barbecue restaurant on Jefferson Street, opened in early 2014, serving “comfort food with a twist.” Owner Amy Murphy also operates the Alamo and Fabiano’s

Street. The eatery is owned by Suzanne Pizzeria on West Court Square.

Samantha Sastre, manager of Meat ‘N’ Pengelly. Tony Rossi, general manager Greet, said they promote a burger of the of Senoia Coffee, said it opened in 1999 week. One of their most popular burgers and has been serving its customers is the “Cuban” with ham, swiss cheese and pickles.

“Burgers were a niche that was lacking,” Sastre said.

The restaurant is also known for its popular American spirits. Sastre said the owner wanted to run a restaurant that served burgers and beer.

“We were trying to fill a gap,” said Sastre.

Senoia Coffee is a popular hot spot for Other menu items include 100 percent Senoia residents and some cast members of "The Walking Dead."

Angus Beef hot dogs, sweet potatoes and chicken sandwiches. coffee, sandwiches and specialty items Senoia Coffee and Café is a popular ever since. hot spot on the east Coweta city’s Main Specialty items include shrimp and

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grits on Friday and Saturday nights and their homemade chicken salad that is served daily.

Colors: The restaurant is most known for Black their freshly brewed coffee. Beans are C=25 M=40 Y=65 K=0

roasted by the Pengellys locally from a

j e w e l e r s

place not far from the restaurant. Their most popular coffee is “zombie dark,” a name inspired by the hit cable TV show “The Walking Dead.” Cast members are known to stop by the restaurant and Colors: Black grab a cup.

40% Black “It is family-oriented and serves the

14 North Court Square • Historic Downtown j e w e l e r s Newnan • 770.253.2720 52 Coweta Living 2014-15

best coffee in town,” Rossi said. CL

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

B

Yamaha represenatives Phil Trickey and Michael Chrzanowski stand beside a Newnan-made Viking Side-by-Side.

Business-friendly environment helps Coweta industry grow and thrive

While Coweta County continues

to enjoy a steady pattern of economic growth, it’s certainly no secret why companies of all sizes have chosen this area as their home.

Long-time industries can attest to the business-friendly environment that has allowed their companies to grow and thrive.

“The expansion of existing companies in Coweta has been one of the most exciting aspects of development we’ve seen,” said Greg Wright, president of the Coweta County Development Authority.

“Anytime we talk about industry in

Coweta County, we always start with Yamaha,” said Wright. “The number of jobs and the impact they have on the community just can’t be understated.”

Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation (YMMC) has called Coweta County home for the last 26 years, manufacturing its golf carts, ATVs and personal water sport vehicles here.

According to Senior Vice President Michael Chrzanowski, Yamaha initially selected Coweta County because of the availability of talented workers, a superior quality of life and a government structure that was willing to support

business needs.

Chrzanowski views the community as a great place to both live and work – from local shopping, excellent schools and youth recreation activities (YMMC was honored to donate a portion of its property for local youth soccer fields) to state-of-the-art health care.

“Local government works closely with the development authority to meet the needs of both existing and new businesses,” he said. “The county secures the needed utilities, resources and infrastructure to support the growing community, without losing its southern charm.”

WRITTEN BY CLAY NEELY | PHOTOGRAPHED BY CLAY NEELY

Coweta Living 2014-15 53

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

It’s also worth nothing that, like many local industries, Yamaha has been impressed with the attention that the education system has paid to the needs of local business, and the efforts the schools have gone to developing programs that match the needs of students and local businesses.

Greg Wright, president of the Coweta County Development Authority, feels that one of the major factors in attracting and keeping industries in the community is readily available talent and opportunities for education.

“Between the educational opportunities that exist in our community and the excellent relationship that industry shares with local government, it’s a perfect environment in which to grow or establish a company,” Wright said.

A number of Coweta County’s industries collaborated with local educators as part of National Manufacturing Day, in an effort to explore ways to promote manufacturing in the classroom and how the two groups can work together in the future.

With the announcement of Niagara Bottling establishing a new facility in Coweta, Wright cited the direct relationship between the county and the Coweta School System’s Central Educational Center as a primary factor behind their decision.

“When Niagara started this process, they made it clear that they wanted to locate in an innovative and dynamic community,” Wright said. “When we talked about the partnership between the technical college (West Georgia Tech) and Central Educational Center, that was a turning point in showing what a dynamic community this is.”

The early March 2014 announcement from Niagara Bottling to build a $52 million, 450,000-square-foot facility in Shenandoah Industrial Park off Bullsboro Drive and I-85 and creating 40 jobs marked another landmark achievement for Coweta’s industrial sector. By May, the bottling company 54 Coweta Living 2014-15

Rich Westerfield displays a flange meter, one of the many products Yokogawa Corporation produces in its Newnan facility.

almost doubled its investment with expanded plans to accommodate two bottling lines, thus creating 70 jobs and making a capital investment of $79 million. The company remains on an aggressive time schedule, aiming to begin production by late 2014.

Another long-term name in Coweta manufacturing is Grenzebach Corporation, a producer of customized material handling equipment for the glass and building materials industry.

Company officials recently celebrated their 25 year anniversary here in Coweta County.

“For Grenzebach, Coweta was and is the best place for a well-educated workforce and great transportation nationally and internationally with its connections to interstates, airports and port,” said Martin Pleyer, vice president of operations. “These factors really drove and still drive our business in Coweta.”

“Coweta is special for us as about 70 percent of the employees are from Coweta. We have found a viable workforce over the last 25 years here and continue to do so. The partnership with the local school system especially the CEC (Central Educational Center) brought a great apprenticeship program with it, this adds nicely to our existing internship program with Georgia Tech.

Bonnell Aluminum, another longtime Coweta County industry, has revamped the company with a new extrusion line that recently began production.

The project included an addition

of a new 9-inch, 3,600-ton, stateof-the-art aluminum extrusion press fully dedicated to serving the growing demand for aluminum extruded components for automotive and light truck original equipment manufacturers.

“We are excited about our early entry to the automotive industry, at a time when fuel efficiency standards are driving growth in aluminum content in vehicles,” said Brook Hamilton, president of Bonnell Aluminum.

“With our state-of-the-art equipment, outstanding technical resources, and registered automotive quality management system, we believe we have positioned Bonnell as a premier supplier in this growing market,” he added.

Yokogawa Corporation of America broke ground in spring 2014 for a new 60,000-square-foot distribution center in Shenandoah Industrial Park.

Yokogawa is an international electrical engineering and software company, with businesses based on its technologies in measurement, controls and information.

The American division has its manufacturing and distribution headquarters in Newnan.

Chet Mroz, president and CEO of Yokogawa Corporation of America, discussed the needs and hopes for their new expansion that will employ 215 new workers.

“One of the drivers for this center is to meet our customers’ demands

a little over $17 per hour, but we’re looking to recruit those companies who are going to pay higher than that wage.

Making sure that Coweta County maintains viable facilities for potential companies to view is paramount, according to Wright.

“Eighty percent of potential projects begin with a company looking at an available building. So if we don’t have the building, then we’re not getting those looks,” Wright said. “A company will come in, work with the state to determine the building they want to consider. If we don’t have a building ready, we’re not being seen.”

“However, the recent decision to do away with impact fees is a positive for us,” Wright said of a vote taken by the Coweta County Board of Commissioners. “We are talking to several developers who are looking toward spec buildings in the county and that’s something we would

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

due to the fact that the shale gas, the unconventional oil and gas discoveries in America have created low-cost feedstocks for the chemical industry and the power industry and, as a result, there has been a surge in these new and loyal existing customers,” said Mroz.

On the horizon, Wright forecasts a growing emphasis on the recruitment of more manufacturing jobs.

“Our target is on the advanced manufacturing side – plastics manufacturing, equipment manufacturing. Warehouse distribution is always one that we’re in the mix for due to our proximity to the interstate.

We have interest in warehouse distribution projects and health care will continue to grow. They’re fitting into the targeted industries that we have,” Wright said.

“We’re looking at the jobs that pay higher than the average wage in Coweta County,” said Wright. “Right now, it’s

Martin Pleyer, vice president of operations at Grenzebach Corporation.

certainly welcome.”

“We’re in the perfect position and we have the right resources in place,” Wright said. “The next couple of years are going to be great.” CL

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V

Visitors center welcomes folks from around the world

They come from around the world – seeking antebellum houses and zombie film sites.

The Coweta County Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomes anyone who drops by the historic Coweta County Courthouse at the center of the downtown Newnan square. Brochures,

WRITTEN BY W. WINSTON SKINNER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

56 Coweta Living 2014-15

some people find the location online and drop by. LaRue said the sandwich board outside the east door of the courthouse – the one closest to the visitor center – brings in the most traffic.

The center opened downtown in September 2010 after being in a location east of the I-85/Bullsboro Drive interchange.

Creation of the new center followed the meticulous restoration of the 1904 courthouse.

About a third of the visitors are local folks who sometimes bring out-of-town relatives with them. They often want to see the upstairs courtroom where the John Wallace murder trial, which inspired the book and film “Murder in Coweta County,” took place.

Another third are people on day trips or folks who are traveling down the interstate or with a long airport layover who decide to see what is interesting in Coweta County.

The remaining third are “traditional” tourists, people visiting the area specifically to see museums, historic sites or other local places of interest. CL

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

maps and information on where to shop, eat and visit are readily available.

Coweta County souvenirs are also available.

“We’re getting international visitors,” said Mark Puckett, who works at the visitors center operated by the Coweta County Convention and Visitors Bureau. On a recent day, a visitor from Thailand and two from England stopped in. A few weeks earlier, there were two visitors from Norway and two from Russia on the same day.

Lorraine LaRue, coordinator of the center, said there are three main things visitors are looking for – historic homes, the Brown’s Mill Battlefield and filming sites. There is particular interest in sites related to “The Walking Dead,” the popular AMC television series that has been filmed in Senoia, Newnan, Grantville and other Coweta locales.

During 2013, the center saw 9,154 visitors.

Through May of this year, the total is 3,348.

There are signs posted around the Court Square noting the center’s presence, and

Visitors can find information about local sites and activities at the Coweta County Courthouse.

Welcome center staff member Mark Puckett, opposite, offers a handful of brochures.

ust 30 minutes south of Atlanta is a place so charming, so historic, so embracing of the past, yet so welcoming to the future...Coweta County!

Come see the treasures we have...Visit Newnan - the City of Homes and see where country music star Alan Jackson grew up...Shop or take driving tours in the county’s historic districts, visit Dunaway Gardens and plan to spend time at the 3,000 acre Chattahoochee Bend State Park.

But before you set out to Explore Coweta, stop by the Coweta County Convention & Visitors Bureau in the historic courthouse in downtown Newnan and let us help plan your adventures!

627 • www.explorecoweta.com 200 Court Square • Newnan, GA 30263 • 800-826-9382 • 770-254-2 Coweta Living 2014-15 57

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

H

Coweta County offers a number of antique shops — including this shop in Senoia — where treasures and everyday items from the past are offered to shoppers who want a bit of history in their homes.

Hitting Coweta’s antiquing trail

With the trend of antiquing in full flight, there is no wonder so many people are now frequenting secondhand stores and antique shops in order to get the vintage look in either their home or wardrobe.

In Coweta County, there are so many shops for antiques and secondhand stores that it could take days to go through them all with everything each one has to offer.

Here are just a few of the shops there are to choose from locally.

Grannie Fannie’s anchors a corner in downtown Newnan. The store offers interesting displays of jewelry, antiques, books and collectibles. While Grannie’s has a large selection of Hummel figurines, plates and bells, the store also offers lots of genuine local flavor.

Many items in the store come from local estate sales, and Grannie’s is the place to get Alan Jackson memorabilia. Local writers sometimes autograph their works at Grannie Fannie’s, which is named for the Newnan grandmother

WRITTEN BY BRITTNY BYROM | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

58 Coweta Living 2014-15

Treasures Old and New is just as the name sounds. It is located on Highway 34 East near Newnan and is owned by Becky Baynard. The shop has a varied selection of items that include furniture, collectibles, home decor, primitives, and a line of shabby chic paint.

Their inventory is generated by auctions and estate sales. They are well-known for their wide array of art and large collection of children’s books.

A Better Way Antiques and Home Decor has made a place for itself on Highway 154 at Highway 34 at Thomas Crossroads. It is owned by Denise Bryan. The store has displays of furniture and collectables that are antique,

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

of Banks Glover, whose wife, Carol, runs the store.

vintage, and mid-century styles at an affordable price. People can rent spaces for booths to display their items. Ten percent of the profits that come from renting out booths is donated to A Better Way ministries.

Beyond the Door is more than just the name of a horror movie from the ‘70s. On Main Street in downtown Senoia, there is a small shop that is filled with rustic, country-style gifts and home decor items that seem to have hopped out of a Home Living magazine.

Beyond the Door stands out against the competition because they offer “home design services.” Not only can they help pick items out, but they also help make the whole look cohesive with items you already have. It is among a

Treasures Old and New and A Better Way are two of the Coweta stores specializing in antiques and uniques.

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Carol Glover welcomes visitors to Grannie Fannie’s, her downtown Newnan antique shop, which is named in honor of her husband’s grandmother.

variety of antique and gift shops in the eastern Coweta city.

Collectors’ Corner looks more like a huge, yellow mansion surrounded by trees in a sunny, Georgian dale than an antique store on Georgia Highway 54 in Sharpsburg. With the store’s large sign, travelers and locals are hailed to come on in to enjoy the warm atmosphere and soft music. Collectors’ Corner mainly focuses in dealing with “vintage and French-inspired décor.” However, they have many different dealers who sell anything from a Shirley Temple doll related to the movie “Dimples,” to an 18th century French wardrobe signed by the chief curator to the Louvre,

Germain Bazin.

always bringing in new items. It is best

Full Circle: Toys, Antiques, Collectibles is a great place to go if

to come in here with an open mind,

you are a movie buff or have a thing for old, collectable toys. Full Circle has been at 17 Jefferson St. in Newnan since 2008, but has been family owned for 20 years. To keep up with the demanding toy market, Full Circle is able to find hard to locate items such as a G.I. Joe from the ‘60s. So if you have something in particular to find, they are the people to help you find it.

vintage clothing, antique furniture, and

Rockin’ B is the place to be if you don’t

visit them is to go on an adventure

know what you are looking for. There is so much here, and the dealers are

through our past and find things to

Grannie Fannie’s Antiques • ColleCtibles • Gifts And More

Combined Local Collectors Eclectic Mix of Periods and Styles Unique Handmade Gifts Works by Local Artists

Wood Furniture Repair and Restoration Custom Furniture Sign Painting • Lamp Repair 15 Greenville Street, Newnan, GA 770-683-5220

www.granniefannies.com

60 Coweta Living 2014-15

looking for anything fun. With the artist-made products, you may want to take a couple of hours to be able to go through everything. The search will be worth it since it appears that everyone leaves this store, located on Highway 154, with something to love.

The antique shopping in Coweta County is so expansive that it would take weeks to visit all of them, but to

bring home. CL

SANDERS, HAUGEN AND SEARS, P.C. Attorneys At Law

C. Bradford Sears, Jr. Walter S. Haugen Frances Clay Hudson

Carson B. Sears Mary K. Ware Willis G. Haugen, Retired

Phone: 770-253-3880 Fax: 770-254-0093 www.sandershaugen.com 11 Perry Street, P.O. Box 1177 • Newnan, Georgia 30264-1177 Walter D. Sanders (1909 - 1989)

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

C

Photo courtesy AMC

Coweta County has become a hotbed of film and television production the past several years, and nothing is hotter than "The Walking Dead." In this photo, a makeup artist gets a "walker" looking suitably zombie-like.

Coweta figures prominently in movies, television

Coweta County isn’t quite

Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” were

Presbyterian Church stood in for

Hollywood South, but it has become

filmed in Newnan, and scenes for

Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist

popular with both filmmakers and

“Dumb and Dumber To” were filmed

Church, and a set was built on Perry

television producers.

in Grantville. Scenes from the film

Street to represent the aftermath of the

For the past several years, the

“Solace,” starring Anthony Hopkins and

church bombing. Other scenes were

industry has been hopping. AMC

Colin Farrell, were filmed off McIntosh

filmed on downtown Newnan sidewalks,

cable network’s “The Walking Dead”

Trail near Sharpsburg in summer 2013,

and the original Sprayberry’s Barbecue

is phenomenally popular, and the fifth

and scenes from “Drop Dead Diva” were

restaurant on Jackson Street was

season of the zombie show is currently

filmed in Coweta.

transformed into a 1960s lunch counter.

filming in Coweta and in surrounding areas.

In late 2013, scenes for “The Hunger

Hallmark Television movie “The

In February 2014, a casting call

Watsons Go to Birmingham” was

was held in Grantville for “Term Life”

filmed in Coweta in 2013. Newnan

starring Vince Vaughn and Hailee

WRITTEN BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL

Coweta Living 2014-15 61

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Two walker extras enjoy a cool treat in downtown Senoia during a break in fliming of “The Walking Dead.”

Steinfield. Steinfield is best known for her role as Mattie Ross in 2010’s “True Grit.” The film’s director, Peter Billingsley, is best known for playing Ralphie in “A Christmas Story.”

Independent film “Sick People” completed three days of filming in Coweta in spring 2014.

Senoia, home of Raleigh Studios Atlanta (formerly Riverwood Studios), gets most of the glory, but the rest of Coweta has seen its share of filming.

Downtown Grantville and Sharpsburg have been featured prominently in “The Walking Dead,” and scenes were also filmed in Haralson, as well as on roads throughout the county.

The cavernous Caldwell Tanks buildings in downtown Newnan have been featured in “The Walking Dead,” “The Hunger Games” and “Sick People.”

Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva” was mostly filmed in Peachtree City, but there were scenes filmed in the 1904 Coweta courthouse and in other areas of the county.

Scott Tigchelaar of Raleigh said the studio has been booked solid with “The Walking Dead,” and “Drop Dead Diva” in spring 2014 completed its final season with Lifetime cable network.

“If the show is done after this, I’m sure somebody will end up going in 62 Coweta Living 2014-15

Photo courtesy AMC

those facilities,” he said of the “Diva” location. “There is no shortage of work going on right now.”

Though filming has taken off in the past few years – after the state of Georgia implemented some of the most attractive tax incentives in the country for the industry – Coweta County has a long history in both television and film.

In the 1990s, several movies were filmed in Coweta including, most famously, “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

It featured scenes in Senoia, at Newnan’s Starcrest Nursing Home (now Avalon), and in the parking lot of Winn Dixie (now Food Depot). Another major name feature film was “Pet Sematary II,” shot in downtown Senoia and at Dunaway Gardens long before Dunaway was restored.

The television series “I’ll Fly Away” was also filmed in and around Newnan.

There were several movies filmed in Coweta in the ‘90s, including “The War” with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood,” “Fluke,” “Mama Flora’s Family,” “The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn” starring Sidney Poitier and Dianne Wiest, and the epic 1996 TNT television miniseries “Andersonville.”

The film industry left Georgia in the late 1990s, as other states passed tax incentives and Riverwood was

essentially closed for several years.

Things began to pick up again – but just barely – when Georgia passed a sales tax exemption for movies in 2002.

“Sweet Home Alabama,” starring Reese Witherspoon, was filmed partly at Wynn’s Pond in Sharpsburg.

In 2003, “The Fighting Temptations,” starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé, was filmed partially in Senoia.

The state’s income tax incentives were first approved in 2005, and then-State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh of Sharpsburg was the impetus behind them.

“Broken Bridges” brought Toby Keith and Burt Reynolds to Senoia, Moreland and Grantville, and Newnan was the site of filming for the two seasons of television series “October Road.”

But it was the updating of the tax incentives in 2008 that led to the activity we enjoy today.

There have been so many movies filmed in Coweta in the past few years that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with them.

None have been as popular as “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

Probably the most well-known in recent memory is “Zombieland,” starring Woody Harrelson. In one scene, the characters played by Harrelson and Jesse Eisenburg are walking through downtown Newnan, which is strewn with trashed vehicles, tanks, trash and graffiti.

Bill Murray, who happened to be in Coweta at the time filming the movie “Get Low” with Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek, also had a cameo in “Zombieland.”

Other movies filmed in the past few years include “Lawless,” “Killers,” “Joyful Noise,” “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” and “Footloose II.” Filming will likely get even busier with the opening of the U.S. location of world-famous Pinewood Studios.

The studio is located on Hwy. 54 in

The original location of Sprayberry's Barbecue on Jackson Street was transformed into a lunch counter for the television movie “The Watsons go to Birmingham.”

Fayette County, between Peachtree City and Fayetteville. It’s open for business, but several phases of expansion are planned. It’s located across the street from a former elementary school.

While a massive new studio in Fayette County might be seen by many as competition for Raleigh Studios Atlanta in Senoia, that’s not the case.

“It’s huge news,” said Raleigh’s

Tigchelaar.

Atlanta’s south side is home to some of the state’s most vibrant studios. Tyler Perry’s studio is near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and EUE Screen Gems is located at the former Lakewood Fairgrounds. There’s the “Drop Dead Diva” production facility at Peachtree City’s Falcon Field Airport and, of course, Raleigh Studios Atlanta.

“The studio infrastructure cluster is on the south side,” Tigchelaar said. “And that helps the south side more than it hurts us as competition. Because now crew are moving into this area. They are nice and close for the production companies, and they love that.” And the production companies are also close, Tigchelaar added.

“That’s all good.” CL

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

There have been so many movies filmed in Coweta in the past few years that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with them.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

U

Patty Cunningham and Dorothy Gray with Georgia Power are among the many volunteers who help out at the Coweta Community Food Pantry each year.

Utility companies part of Coweta community

When most people think of utility companies, they probably don’t think of anything other than monthly bills – however, many would be surprised to discover the multitude of community service projects and programs supported by the three major utilities in Coweta County.

Newnan Utilities has been serving the city of Newnan for around 110 years and is a part of a number of local programs. One of the largest is the Taste of Home Cooking School that Newnan Utilities co-sponsors with The Newnan TimesHerald, said Newnan Utilities’ president, Dennis McEntire.

During the last 15 years, thousands of locals have attended the Taste of Home Cooking School at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. According to Newnan Utilities’ manager

WRITTEN BY WES MAYER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

64 Coweta Living 2014-15

of administrative services, Joni Scarbrough, the event usually draws at least 800 to 1,000 people.

The cooking school program involves a chef with “Taste of Home” magazine visiting and teaching the audience how to cook around 10 recipes on stage.

Tickets cost $10 each, and after the costs are covered for the magazine’s cooking school, the remaining funds – around $2,500 to $3,000 – go toward charities such as local food pantries.

Newnan Utilities is also responsible for one of the many parks in the city – Carl Miller Park off Sewell Road, next to the company’s headquarters.

Ever since Newnan Utilities began in the early 1900s, it has operated the city’s reservoirs and water system, according to Scarbrough, and in the 1930s the company began to operate parks. The old Harvey North Park was located near the waterworks and was a popular gathering spot for locals. After Harvey North Park was closed and the new Carl Miller Park constructed in 1989, Newnan Utilities expanded its headquarters next door.

Now Carl Miller Park spans 14 acres, is open year-round and receives thousands of visitors each year. The park includes five separate pavilions for groups of up to 150 people, and four of these may be reserved by Newnan

Utilities customers. The park also has a number of playgrounds, including Kids’ Castle, which was built in 1998 in a oneday volunteer effort by members of the community.

During summer 2014, Newnan Utilities is building shaded areas around the park and installing a new 2,400-square-foot splash pad, Scarbrough said. There are also water sprinklers around the park that will be activated Memorial Day weekend and deactivated Labor Day weekend. The park, which includes a walking trail through the woods, is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in winter.

Among other community programs Newnan Utilities assists in are the annual Coweta community Can-A-Thon and Coweta County Special Olympics.

For the annual Can-A-Thon, Newnan Utilities provides trucks and workers help transport all the food raised by the local schools and businesses to the Coweta Community Food Pantry. A number of employees – more than 10 in 2014 – help staff the annual Coweta County Special Olympic games that are held at Newnan High School’s Drake Stadium and draw hundreds of young athletes.

Newnan Utilities is also involved in a number of projects around downtown

Newnan and Newnan’s schools, McEntire said. This includes helping maintain the dozens of baskets – planted by the Driftwood Garden Club – hanging around the historic square, and replacing and upkeeping the Christmas lights outlining the downtown buildings.

With schools, Newnan Utilities assists with cookouts and snacks and drinks for end-of-the-school-year programs, and employees of the company also provide cookouts for the coaching staff of the Newnan High School/East Coweta High School football games every other year, when the game is played in Newnan.

McEntire said employees also help out with the concessions for Newnan High School home games.

“There are very few events around town that we don’t help with in some way,” he said.

Coweta-Fayette EMC is a consumerowned cooperative providing electricity and related services to 75,000 member accounts in Coweta, Fayette, Heard, South Fulton, Clayton, Spalding, Troup and Meriwether counties. It is also deeply involved in the community, and one of the largest ways the company contributes is actually through the bills its customers pay.

The program is called Operation Round Up, and it allows Coweta-Fayette EMC customers to round up their bills Coweta Living 2014-15 65

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Michelle Roberts, a culinarty expert with Taste of Home, has taught at the cooking school at the Newnan Centre for many years.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Coweta-Fayette EMC Public Relation Vice President Mary Ann Bell, far right, delivers a hanging plant to Janice Sibley, left, and Rebecca Wescott, center, at Savannah Court of Newnan assisted living home for Earth Day 2014.

to the nearest dollar, said Mary Ann Bell, the company’s public relations vice president. These additional pennies then go into a fund, and the money raised is donated to local groups and organizations.

According to Bell, since the program began, EMC customers have donated more than $200,000 each year to the fund. This money has gone toward providing medical or assisted living equipment to organizations like the American Red Cross, Prevent Child Abuse Coweta, and the Coweta Commission on Veterans Affairs.

More recently, EMC has donated to Coweta’s Family Patterns Matter Inc., the Newnan/Coweta Boys & Girls Club and the Lions Club in order to fund the organizations’ programs, and EMC has also helped fund scholarships and technical scholarships.

“Neighbors looking out for neighbors founded [Coweta-Fayette EMC],” Bell said. “Today, we operate on that same principle. By working together with our members, we truly can make 66 Coweta Living 2014-15

a difference.”

Coweta-Fayette EMC is also involved in the local school system, according to Bell, and Operation Round Up allows educators to apply for “Bright Idea” grants to fund special teaching programs – more than $30,000 were awarded to 26 educators last year. Every year, Coweta-Fayette EMC is one of 38 Georgian electric companies that participate in the Washington Youth Tour, which gives two local students the chance to travel to Washington, D.C., and learn about history, democracy, leadership and more.

Employees also often visit the numerous schools for career days and visit to discuss electrical safety.

Another large community program Coweta-Fayette EMC is a part of is the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

The company has had the largest team and has been the top fundraiser for the last two years, and in 2013, employees and members of the team raised $22,000.

Georgia Power is also involved with

a number of projects in Coweta County, and a lot of that is due to the many Georgia Power employees working in the county – especially with Plant Yates, said Carol Boatwright, spokesperson with Georgia Power. The company helps sponsor many programs and service projects.

One of the company’s largest days for volunteering statewide is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Boatwright said. During the 2014 MLK Day, around 1,000 employees took the day to volunteer in their home counties.

In Coweta County on MLK Day, 49 participants assisted with a NewnanCoweta Habitat for Humanity homebuilding project in Moreland, and volunteers have also spent their days helping the Coweta Samaritan Clinic and One Roof Ecumenical Alliance Outreach.

One of the largest charity organizations Georgia Power is involved in is Relay for Life, Boatwright said.

The company hosts a number of relays throughout the state every year, and

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Providing

Electricity Natural Gas Home & Business Security

Newnan Utilities repainted the Newnan water tower in May with an “N” to honor Newnan High School.

sponsors a statewide run that travels from Jekyll Island to the Alabama state line. This relay, however, did not make it into Coweta County and skirted both around through Spalding, Fayette, Fulton and Douglas counties.

There is also a group with Georgia Power called A Citizen Wherever We Serve, which involves employees becoming involved in all sorts of community service programs. And Georgia Power takes part in an on-going local charity, the St. Smyrna Mobile Food Pantry, where employees can donate food at each of the company’s sites. When these barrels fill up, Georgia Power brings the collected food to the pantry, Boatwright said.

The company plays a part in numerous other local events and programs, including the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office’s Bedrock Classic golf tournament, the Kiwanis Coweta County Fair, the Coweta County Sports Hall of Fame and more. Georgia Power employees have even participated in one of the county’s largest fundraising events, Coweta’s Dancing Stars benefit for Community Welcome House women’s shelter, in past years. CL

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770-253-7996 Hours: 9-6 M-F, 9-4 Sat. Coweta Living 2014-15 67

HEALTH & FITNESS

C

Coweta considered ‘medical mecca’

With recent investments by

that you had to drive inside I-285 for good

Piedmont Healthcare, Cancer Treatment

health care. But that’s just not the case

Centers of America, Ansley Park

anymore,” said Piedmont Newnan CEO

136 beds and 23 Emergency Department

Rehabilitation and HealthSouth,

Mike Robertson.

treatment rooms. The hospital, which

Coweta County continues to garner the

In May 2012, Piedmont Hospital opened

been planned.

The 364,000-square-foot facility features

replaced aging facilities across town,

reputation as a health care destination for

its new Poplar Road facility, heralding the

was built to the highest standards in

not just the south side of Atlanta, but for

newest technology, treatment offerings,

environmental and energy-efficiency

the southeast.

design and patient amenities. A Poplar

design and has achieved the LEED

Road interchange off I-85 has also

Leadership in Energy and Environmental

“For the longest time, it was always said

WRITTEN BY CLAY NEELY | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO AND CLAY NEELY

68 Coweta Living 2014-15

HEALTH & FITNESS

Since opening its new facility in 2012, Piedmont Newnan Hospital offers a wide variety of health services to residents of Coweta County and the surrounding areas.

Design certification.

“The beauty of Newnan is that you have a

Centers of America chose to locate its

currently operates a 226,000-square-

Southeastern Regional Medical Center in

foot, fully digital facility. The hospital

lot of nurses and doctors who have worked

Newnan, near Ashley Park retail center and

plans to add 25 beds to the inpatient

in the big hospitals in Atlanta who, frankly,

historic downtown.

unit, a four-story outpatient clinic and

have had enough. They want something

Upon its opening in August 2012, CTCA

a new radiation therapy suite. Two

where they can bond with a patient, which

at Southeastern was projected to generate

additional operating rooms will also

makes a facility like ours so appealing,”

500 new jobs over its first five years in

be built.

he said.

operation. The hospital vastly exceeded

Cancer Treatment Centers of America Citing not only the local economy but the quality of life as well, Cancer Treatment

those expectations in a single year, as it

of Georgia’s Top 10 Economic

currently employs more than 570.

Development Projects,” CTCA expects

CTCA at Southeastern, which specializes in treating complex cancer,

Recognized as one of the “State

additional growth, citing plans to bring on board an additional 200 employees Coweta Living 2014-15 69

HEALTH & FITNESS Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southeastern Regional Medical Center provides the latest technologies and advanced treatment options to its patients.

by the end of its expansion.

Since taking over as the CEO of CTCA at Southeastern in November 2012, Anne Meisner has overseen the growth of the hospital.

Meisner also credits the resources the area provides to its patients. She believes the Coweta area is a great environment for patients.

“We’re truly a destination care center.

So we were very deliberate about where we wanted to place our hospital.

Many of our patients live in smaller towns like Newnan. So I think to have a small, friendly and easily accessible community with amenities that are close really make it work,” said Meisner.

Ansley Park Health One of Coweta County’s newest health care facilities – Ansley Park Health and Rehabilitation – opened in March 2013 at 450 Newnan Lakes Blvd., off Newnan Crossing Bypass.

Ansley Park’s then administrator, David Galloway, said, “We are excited to add this great new facility to the health care services already available here. Our speciality rehab facility will be another great choice for the community.”

Company officials said the Ansley Park facility in Newnan provides a whole new experience for those seeking rehabilitation therapy. The facility offers only private rooms for live-in patients needing long- or short-term 70 Coweta Living 2014-15

therapy. Care will also be offered on an outpatient basis.

Private rooms and all other living, dining, relaxing and therapy areas were professionally designed to give Ansley Park a luxurious ambiance similar to that found in the finest hotels. Decor includes several framed photos of Newnan in years gone by.

The facility offers planned activities and events, a wide range of social activities and even pet therapy visits.

Meals are prepared by an executive chef using only the finest, freshest foods, officials said. The site is beautifully landscaped and all rooms have a nice exterior view. There is even an on site, professionally staffed beauty salon.

But the heart of Ansley Park is the rehabilitation wing, known as Town Square Rehab. Town Square mimics real-life environments to help the patients prepare to return to their home environment and community safely.

Facilities available at Town Square include a physical and occupational therapy gym that offers treatment for pain and muscle weakness as well as NuStep equipment for strengthening and physical exercise.

HealthSouth HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Newnan recently broke ground on a 55,000-square-foot facility set to open in December 2014. The site, at 2101

E. Newnan Crossing Blvd., will create about 120 new jobs in the community.

The HealthSouth rehab hospital is the latest in a series of rapid medical progress in Newnan. HealthSouth operates in 28 states and Puerto Rico, and, according to Linda Wilder, regional president of HealthSouth Southeast, they hope to expand upon their Newnan property in the coming years.

The proposed hospital will provide patients with access to specialized rehabilitation programs and innovative equipment and technology – including electronic medical records – and is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The development of HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Newnan represents a $22 million investment in the community and, once fully operational, is expected to generate more than 125 new, full-time jobs and approximately 300 construction jobs.

The facility will consist of 50 allprivate rooms, a therapy gym and a cutting edge rehabilitation technologies to those who have experienced anything from stroke to trauma to brain and orthopedic injuries.

“This is incredibly exciting for this community,” said Piedmont Newnan Chief Operating Officer Nathan Nipper.

Piedmont Newnan will partner with HealthSouth, which owns the largest operation of rehab hospitals in the country.

Š 2014 Piedmont Healthcare 03303-0614

piedmontnewnan.org

Coweta Living 2014-15 71

HEALTH & FITNESS The addition of the HealthSouth rehab hospital is another cog in the wheel that is making Coweta County a health care destination.

Nipper reinforced the partnership between Piedmont and HealthSouth.

When opened, patients will be able to transition from Piedmont Newnan into the nearby rehab facility.“Patients and families will seek out Coweta County … as a destination of healing, completely,” said Nipper.

Samaritan Clinic One of the most valuable assets of the

health community is Coweta Samaritan Clinic, which opened its doors in October 2011. Hundreds gathered at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts in May 2014 to honor Dr. Kay Crosby, whose efforts were recognized with an 11Alive Community Service Award for her work with the clinic.

Coweta Samaritan Clinic is housed in the former Coweta County Health

Department facilities on Jackson Street near downtown Newnan.

Since its inception, the free clinic has become a place for those uninsured to receive proper medical care. The clinic was the result of a tireless effort

by Crosby, who serves as the clinic’s chairman and medical director.

Crosby says before the clinic opened, the uninsured would go to the hospital

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Kay Crosby is the medical director and board chairman of Coweta Samaritan clinic.

emergency room for non-emergency care and, in many cases, receive temporary treatments for chronic illnesses. Crosby hopes now those in need can take the proper steps to achieve care they wouldn’t otherwise have had access to.

“Our hope is that the uninsured are coming here for their medical home, not using the ER,” she said.

Crosby said her eyes have been opened even more to the need Coweta has for proper medical care for the uninsured. In 2013 alone, the clinic documented 2,100 patient visits, with the patient base now exceeding 700.

“It’s revealed part of our community that people aren’t aware exists, people who struggle to meet the need of daily living,” Crosby said. “I think most people have comfortable lives, and many are not aware of the needs of so many in the community. This clinic has brought awareness to those with great need, not only for health care but also other community support.”

The free clinic, which has just three-and-a-half employees and relies on volunteers, donations, grants and foundations, has most of its patients 200 percent at the federal poverty level or below. Crosby knows the clinic, with the expensive nature of health care, couldn’t do the good work it’s been honored for without strong local backing.

“I am overwhelmed at how well the community has supported the clinic. We couldn’t have done it without them,” she said. CL

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HEALTH & FITNESS

O

Outside Newnan, Coweta home to horse country

Leave the developed areas of Newnan, and there is plenty of open space remaining in Coweta County.

Those fields and hills have drawn many locals to horseback riding, and there are numerous places where aspiring riders can take lessons and learn how to ride competitively, for fun or for fox hunting.

The Willow Dell Equestrian Center on Elders Mill Road in Senoia offers riders of all skill levels the opportunity to ride hunter/jumper style from some experienced riders. The center was founded by business partners Maureen Forman and Jamie Mann, who, according to Forman, is very humble about her background. Mann has represented the U.S. equestrian team in World Cup competition and has won numerous Grand Prixs.

WRITTEN BY WES MAYER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY WES MAYER

74 Coweta Living 2014-15

Maureen Forman, top, teaches Jordan Sharpe and her horse, Gracey, front, and Lauren Price and her horse, Owen, in back, both 12, how to ride and jump at the Willow Dell Equestrian Center. Renegade, above, one of Cynthia Metzger's horses, is an extrovert, meaning he loves exploring, running around and playing.

donated by Forman, but they are working on getting more sponsors.

Forman said they have been fortunate to attract a number of Olympic-level riders to the center, and famous equestrian instructor George Morris, whom Mann was once a student of, is also involved in the Willow Dell Equestrian Center.

There are eight horses of varying sizes boarded at the center for students to train with, according to Forman, but anyone who owns a horse is welcome to board it at the center. The instructors will usually arrange an assessment before doing group lessons, but they also teach private and semi-private lessons for those interested. For more information about the Willow Dell Equestrian Center, Forman said the best place to look is on their website.

Judi Conger in Sharpsburg also teaches horse riding lessons, but with a slight twist – she also teaches fox-hunting.

Located on her farm, Ramsey Farm on

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770-683-6833 wesleywoodsnewnan.org Follow us on Wesley Woods, affiliated with Emory Healthcare, has been serving the needs of seniors in Georgia since 1954.

Coweta Living 2014-15 75

HEALTH & FITNESS

Forman and Mann are both from Los Angeles, and when Forman moved to Coweta County, she knew she wanted Mann as her partner. With the help of their two full-time employees, Sarah Griffin and Brandi Limrani, they now teach dozens of students six days a week.

One of the most prominent features of the Willow Dell Equestrian Center is its competition-size covered arena equipped with no-shadow overhead lighting. This allows them to not worry about poor weather for lessons, and the students’ experiences are more enjoyable on the hotter or colder days. The arena also has a wireless microphone system for the instructors. It also allows music to be played for the riders.

The main goal of the center is to teach students how to ride, learn the hunter/jumper form of riding, and to ultimately compete. In the past summers, the center has put on a few minigrand prixs with the winners being awarded cash prizes. These prizes have been mostly

HEALTH & FITNESS Judi Conger, top, instructs Lauren Black riding Mosby and Eden Ricciardi riding Chip as they practice jumping side by side. Black has more experience and Mosby is a larger horse, so they are able to practice higher jumps.

76 Coweta Living 2014-15

Fischer Road, Conger teaches lessons to beginners who are just learning basic horsemanship to advanced riders who may need a tuneup. She also teaches how to groom, saddle and bridle a horse, but her main focus is the Hunt seat English style of riding, an all-purpose style used for cross-country, fox hunting and fence jumping riders.

Conger is involved with two different fox hunting groups, Bear Creek Hounds and Midland Fox Hounds. Unlike most groups that do mostly showing and competition riding, and maybe a little bit of hunting, Conger said these groups do mostly hunting and only a little bit of showing. She actually takes fox hound puppies from Midland Fox Hounds and raises them on her farm until they’re adults so that they are accustomed to being around horses and the style of riding.

When fox hunting season rolls around, according to Conger, it is more

about chasing the foxes than killing them – last year, they only had four kills, and most of those were coyotes.

Coyotes don’t have a hunting season because they are considered vermin, Conger said. Coyotes often carry diseases like rabies and mange and prey on small pets. They also kill foxes simply because they compete for the same food. They aren’t as much fun to chase either, she said, because they are extremely fast and travel in a straight line. Foxes, on the other hand, travel in a smaller, confined, circular area, and hunting them involves cornering and trapping.

She teaches Monday through Thursday every week. She has training horses in her stables for students and allows students to trailer in their own horses. Conger said she allows any type of breed of horse, as long as it is sane and sound. Contact her at jconger@ mindspring.com.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Susan Prescott, NP

Dr. Thelma Lucas

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Cynthia Metzger hops on another one of her horses, Bobo, after they play the "Seven Games."

For a new experience that will bring the rider closer to his or her horse, Cynthia Metzger in Sharpsburg teaches unique lessons on natural horsemanship and on how rider and horse can play the “Seven Games.”

“Natural horsemanship is more about thinking and being like a horse,” Metzger said. “It’s about building a relationship and trying to relate to them.”

The “Seven Games” program was created by Pat and Linda Parelli in 1981. Metzger said she discovered it around three years ago after she found she was unhappy with riding, and the program made her like her horses more. Through learning natural horsemanship, she was able to understand her horse better, and her horse subsequently grew to trust her as a leader.

The “Seven Games” is a set of exercises that are very similar to how horses act around each other in the wild, according to Metzger.

Horses, like many other animals, have a dominance hierarchy, and they

naturally want to determine their leader. Through the “Seven Games” it is the rider’s job to become that leader.

The games all seem simple, but it takes a few months to master them, especially because the riders are just learning the games themselves. The seven games include “the friendly game” – allowing the horse to be comfortable with the rider being in its space and touching it; “the porcupine game” – applying gentle pressure to the horse, such as a hand on its nose, to make it back up or move; “the driving game” – using a gentle tapping motion with something like a carrot stick to have the horse back up or turn; “the yo-yo game” – having the horse back up then return to the rider; “the circle game” – having the horse circle around the rider freely; “the sideways game” – having the horse move sideways; and “the squeeze game” – having the horse squeeze between two objects.

Depending on the horse, it could take a rider a month or two to be able

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Dr. Lucas is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana and University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. She completed her residency and fellowship at University of Illinois Hospitals and Clinics. Prior to joining West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates in 2007, Dr. Lucas served as Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and at Rush University Medical Center. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. She specializes in diseases of the liver.

Dr. Arledge is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.S. degree in Biology. He completed medical school at the Medical College of Virginia. He completed his residency at the Medical College of Virginia and his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of South Florida. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He is also a Flight Surgeon rank of Major in the Georgia Air National Guard Savannah. Dr. Arledge joined West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates in September 2008.

Susan R. Prescott, FNP-C is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing with Family Nurse Practitioner from Georgia State University. She is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Prior to joining West Georgia Gastroenterology, she was a Nurse Practitioner at Piedmont Physicians in Newnan, Georgia.

www.westgagastro.com Coweta Living 2014-15 77

HEALTH & FITNESS

“

If everyone knew more about their horses, they would like them more. Then they really become just like big dogs.”

— Cynthia Metzger

to play all seven games, Metzger said.

Games like the porcupine game may require applying a good deal of pressure before the horse moves at first, but whenever they react correctly, they get a treat. Soon, they start to associate correct responses with rewards.

Metzger plays all the games with a pocketful of carrots.

Metzger teaches her students all these games, and she said it is all about love, language and leadership. By playing the games, the rider gains a partnership with the horse, but not at 50/50 – more like 51/49. The rider still needs a little bit of an edge.

Metzger has been riding horses since before she was born – her mother rode horses while she was pregnant.

Metzger was raised riding horses in 78 Coweta Living 2014-15

Oregon, where her parents owned a facility. In 2012, she and her husband, Brian, moved to their home on Marion Beavers Road where she now teaches lessons in the arena they built in front of their home.

She teaches all riders of any skill level ages 7 and up, and in addition to natural horsemanship, she also teaches how to groom, saddle and ride horses. The Metzgers own three horses, but they can also board horses at their stables, and anyone taking lessons is welcome to trailer in their horse. Metzger said her lessons typically last around 90 minutes and cost $45. The best way to reach her for lessons is at 404-643-0540.

“My goal is for you to be a really awesome and balanced horseman,” she said. “If everyone knew more about

their horses, they would like them more. Then they really become just like big dogs.”

Of course, these are only a few people who offer horse riding lessons in the county. Another instructor is Terri Hofmann with Double Bar H Stables on Payton Road in west Coweta. Hofmann teaches Western style riding and plans to offer trail rides.

Many of her clients are patients of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southeastern hospital in Newnan.

There are also trails and many other activities riders can check out nearby at Chattahoochee Hills Eventing in Fairburn and Flat Creek Ranch in Hogansville. CL

S

Senior Friends group meets monthly, sponsors seasonal trips

The Coweta County Senior Friends group

offers fellowship, education and entertainment that will help you live a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Sponsored by Piedmont Newnan Hospital, Senior Friends hosts meetings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Coweta County Fairgrounds on Pine Road.

Each meeting concludes with a catered hot meal – the cost is $7.

“You never know who may show up for the programs… entertainers, local experts or guest speakers on life and medical issues,” said Louise Swint, group president.

Senior Friends also sponsors community awareness and service projects, such as food and clothing drives, gift programs for local nursing homes and a stress-free bridge club that meets weekly at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

In addition, they offer various one-day and multiday trips throughout the year, such as a four-day 2014 Christmas Show trip to the Smoky Mountains Dec. 1-5 and a fall picnic in September.

Everyone is welcome, but because the meal is catered, you must call 770-400-2374 to make a reservation. For those wishing to join the group, annual membership fees are $15 for single, or $25 per couple.

Anyone with questions or who would like further information, or who would like to make reservations, may call the Senior Friends office at 770-400-2374 or Swint at 678-423-9289.

The office is staffed by volunteers and is not always open, but all messages left on the telephone will be returned, according to Swint. CL

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Coweta Living 2014-15 79

HEALTH & FITNESS

Sporting clays provide a shot at friendly competition

O Outdoorsmen of all ages have

Big Red Oak Plantation played host to the 2013 Georgia Sporting Clays Championship.

steadily gravitated to the growing popularity of sporting clays – a challenging clay target sport said to be the closest thing to actual field shooting of all the shotgun sports.

Designed to simulate hunting flying game birds and rabbits, sporting clays are shot in squads of two to six people.

The origin of sporting clays goes back to the 1860s, when English shooters devised the sport of shooting at glass spheres filled with feathers and thrown in the air. By the early 1900s, something like the modern clay disc target was flying, and breaking, on the British Isles.

While these clay targets prompted the rise of highly structured shooting games like trap and skeet, shooters still longed for the simulation of hunting wild birds.

In the 1960s, the rise of sporting clays in Britain seemed to satisfy the hunting

lure. The courses ran through woods and over uncultivated uplands, where thrown “birds” mimicked flushing grouse and settling ducks.

Sporting Clays eventually found their way to America in the 1980s and subsequently attracted a loyal following.

Today, according to the National Sporting Clays Association, Sporting Clays is the fastest-growing shooting sport in the United States, available at thousands of clubs, private courses and resorts nationwide.

A typical sporting clay course consists of 10 to 15 stations, with each station presenting targets from trap machines.

Usually 5 to 10 targets are shot at each station by a squad of up to six shooters for a total outing of 50 to 100 targets per person.

Targets can be thrown as singles and as pairs. A pair of targets may be thrown

WRITTEN BY CLAY NEELY

80 80 Coweta CowetaLiving Living2014-15 2014-15

Photo by Penny Bowie

HEALTH & FITNESS

“

It’s like golf with a shotgun.”

— Jeff Quinn

at the same time, thrown sequentially, or on report (the second clay launched on the report of the shooter’s gun).

Numerous hunting conditions can be simulated by combining various speeds

the course.

No matter your age or experience, the sporting clay experience isn’t out of range for residents of the Coweta area.

Big Red Oak Plantation, located in

and angles with different types of clay

Gay, offers a large variety of clay target

targets, and each station is unique.

shooting and also offers world-class

Throughout a course, a shooter might

Rob Estes, Arthur Estes, and "Big Mike" Bashaw of Big Red Oak Plantation.

coaches to conduct clinics.

see targets crossing from either side,

“Sporting Clays is one of the fastest-

coming inward, going outward, flying

growing sports in America, and we have

straight up, rolling on the ground, arcing

an excellent assortment of portable,

high in the air, or thrown from towers.

housed, clay trap machines by La Porte,”

The possible target presentations are limited only by safety considerations, the terrain, and the imagination of the

said Rob Estes, president and CEO of Big Red Oak Plantation.

“Our full range of clay targets is

course designer. The configuration

innovative and versatile. We are known

of the stations is often changed to

to throw a wide variety of presentations,

maintain interest for the shooters and for

from a downhill to vertical teal to

environmental preservation of

chandelles and rabbits,” Estes said.

“We pride ourselves on changing the course every week so that each visit is a shooting challenge.”

Big Red Oak Plantation has three 100-round sporting clay courses. There is a 5-stand course and a FITASC (Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse) that are open year-round.

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HEALTH & FITNESS Blalock Lakes offers a unique 12-station course, utilizing motion-controlled clay releases.

sporting clays and enjoys a worldwide following. Many enthusiasts, including Estes, would argue that it is the ultimate challenge in clay target shooting.

“FITASC is indeed the ultimate challenge and not for the beginner,” Estes said. “But if you are looking to up your game, we have the only FITASC practice course around these parts.”

In 2015, Big Red Oak Plantation will play host to the GSCA (Georgia Sporting Clays Association) Championship along with the NSCA’s (National Sporting Clays Association) annual Southeast Regional Championship.

“After a wildly successful GSCA event in 2013, Big Red Oak’s popularity has become well-known across the country by the NSCA and PSCA,” Estes said.

“The best shooters in the country make Big Red Oak a frequent stop as they travel across their professional circuit – giving lessons and shooting in registered tournaments.”

as it gets – the quality, the materials,”

Blalock Lakes, located on Corinth

experience is the point of difference

Road, also offers the opportunity for those wishing to test their skills with sporting clays. The course at Blalock Lakes was designed by nationally acclaimed outdoorsman Marty Fischer.

The 12-station course presents a variety of challenges, including simulated birds and rabbits.

Jeff Quinn, project manager at Blalock Lakes, explains what makes their course so unique.

“I’m biased, but this is about as good 82 Coweta Living 2014-15

he said. “On a scale of 1-10, it’s a solid 11 and it’s highly regarded by those who have shot here.”

The traps at Blalock Lakes are frequently adjusted to keep their course fresh for members. While the 12-station course provides the experience of a hunt by utilizing motion-controlled clay releases, the five-stand range offers the opportunity for friendly competition.

“The five-stand shooting course is totally different than the sporting clays,” Quinn said.

In this station, five shooters line up side by side in a station and are surrounded by multiple traps. Once the round is complete, the shooters will then exchange positions.

“Every shooter gets to shoot at each station and it’s a competition against each other,” Quinn said. “It’s real cool.”

Quinn feels that the overall with Blalock Lakes. With the flexibility to add up to 18 stations that are modifiable, the facility is available to offer larger, benefit-oriented events.

Like golf, there is a handicap system in place so that shooters of all experience levels can enjoy competing against each other.

“It’s not trap or skeet shooting – sporting clays are a sport unto itself,” Quinn said. “It’s like golf with a shotgun.” CL

C Coweta offers recreation for all seasons WRITTEN BY CLAY NEELY PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

to grow, the options for recreational activities have kept up with the demands of its residents.

Regardless of the season, there is always something for all ages in Coweta.

“No matter where you live in Coweta County, there is a recreational facility close to you,” said Carl McKnight, director of the Coweta County Parks and Recreation Department. “We ask what people want, then try to provide it. We have thousands of people taking part in programs sponsored by the county recreation department every year.”

The county’s main facility is the Temple Avenue complex off Hospital Road and Temple Avenue in Newnan.

There is a gym, and the complex’s Johnny Brown Center offers a large space for meetings and classes, including dog obedience, square dancing and baton instruction.

Coweta Recreation Department’s Hunter Complex on east Highway 16 near Poplar Road offers three football fields, a gymnasium, two adult softball fields, a special needs field, four youth baseball/softball fields, a walking trail and two tennis courts.

The recreation department operates the Willie Lynch Park Pool in cooperation with Newnan.

Since its opening in 2010, Newnan’s Lynch Park Pool has been a popular destination for parents and children alike. The public pool located at Richard Allen Drive and Wesley Street near downtown Newnan features not only a water slide but a mushroom water fountain.

The 4,200-square-foot pool includes a 42-foot-wide zero entry, a mushroom water feature, four lanes for recreational lap swimming, a dedicated catch pool for the water slide, a splash fountain for the kids, and several tables and shade umbrellas.

Lynch Park Pool is open for 14 weeks, from Memorial Day weekend

through Labor Day. Hours of operation are: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 1-7 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-6 p.m. Admission is $3 per person or $30 for a season pass.

Lifeguards are on duty.

Swimming lessons are also available for children ages 4 to 12 at the cost of $40 per session. Lessons are held twice a week and span approximately two weeks. You can inquire about dates and times at the pool.

The pool also hosts water aerobics every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 9 a.m. The pool may be rented for private parties.

Clay-Wood Community Center, located at 135 Heery Road on Newnan’s west side, includes two buildings and outdoor amenities. The community center built by Coweta County includes a learning lab, a conference room, a kitchen and a large meeting room. All are available for rental. The separate gymnasium offers a weight room, locker rooms and a basketball court. Outdoor amenities include a playground, two tennis courts, a basketball court and a pavillion with picnic tables.

Team sports are offered both through the Coweta County Recreation Department and volunteer, non-profit associations that utilize county fields and facilities. For details on seasons and registration, contact the Recreation Department at 770-254-3750 or 770-254-3740.

“We know how important offering good recreational facilities is and we make an effort to give people what they want,” McKnight said. “And we don’t just settle for what’s in place.

We are always ready to provide new activities and courses when we see the need. I think we’ve done a good job of that. When it comes to recreation, we really feel like we can offer something for everyone.” CL Coweta Living 2014-15 83

HEALTH & FITNESS

As Coweta County continues

HEALTH & FITNESS

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Registration starts in early May. Limited to first 125 applicants. Open to children ages 5-12. Runs from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Monday-Friday for seven weeks. Sports, arts and crafts, and field trips twice a week. Fee is $75 per week.

Coweta Recreation Department Flag Football Open to girls and boys ages 5 to 8.

770-254-3750

The Lynch Park Pool Opens Saturday of Memorial Day weekend for the summer season.

Admission $3 per person or $30 per person season pass.

Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. – 1 - 7 p.m.; Wednesday – 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday – 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday – 1 - 6 p.m.

Swimming lessons:

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Business & ent Entertainm to 2014-15 Guide A CouNty Wet NeWNAN-Co

Coweta Living is distributed at • The Newnan Times-Herald • Coweta County Welcome Center • Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce • and various locations across the county

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84 Coweta Living 2014-15

Available for children ages 4-12 at $40 per session. Inquire about dates and times at the pool. Private parties available Saturday and Sunday nights after closing.

Baseball

Coweta Recreation Department Cheering Flag Football Open to girls and boys ages 5 to 8.

770-254-3750 Coweta Recreation Department Tackle Football Open to girls and boys ages 7 to 12.

770-254-3750 Coweta Recreation Department Cheering/Flag Football Open to girls and boys ages 9 to 12.

770-254-3750

Soccer Southern Soccer Academy Soccer Association Open to girls and boys ages 4 to 19.

470-314-4899

Coweta Recreation Department T-Ball Open to girls and boys ages 3 to 5.

770-254-3750

Coweta County Recreation Department Soccer Open to girls and boys ages 3 to 7.

770-254-3750

Newnan Youth Athletic Association (NYAA) Open to girls and boys ages 4 to 14.

770-683-4264

Softball

Senoia Area Athletic Association Open to girls and boys ages 4 to 16.

404-947-5262 Sharpsburg Youth Baseball Open to girls and boys ages 3 to 14.

770-304-8509 Grantville Baseball president@grantvillelittleleague.com West Coweta Little League Open to girls and boys ages 4 to 12.

770-253-6827

Basketball Coweta Recreation Department Youth Basketball Open to girls and boys ages 7 to 14.

Volleyball Coweta County Recreation Department Volleyball Open to girls and boys ages 11 to 16.

770-254-3750

Senoia Area Athletic Association Softball open to girls ages 8 to 16.

404-947-5262 Sharpsburg Regional Softball Association Girls Fastpitch (S.R.S.A) Open to girls ages 4 to 18.

678-332-8995 Coweta Recreation Department Adult Softball League Open to men and women ages 18 and over.

770-254-3750

Tennis Youth Tennis Lessons Open to girls and boys ages 5 to 17.

Temple Avenue Complex 39 Hospital Road, Newnan 770-254-3750 Hunter Complex 2970 E. Hwy 16, Sharpsburg 770-254-3740

ARNCO / SARGENT Arnco Park 50 Ball St., Sargent Sargent Park 146 Kennan St., Sargent

GRANTVILLE Grantville Park 23 Colley St., Grantville

MORELAND Moreland Park 11 School Road & Ball St., Moreland

NEWNAN Brown’s Mill Battlefield 155 Millard Farmer Road, Newnan The battlefield features two walking trails, an outdoor pavilion and historical markers.

C.J. Smith Park 5 Glenn St., Newnan

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Central Rec Fields 172 Robinson Lake Road, Newnan Lynch Park Pool 23 Richard Allen Drive, Newnan Pickett Field 77 Wesley St. & Richard Allen Drive, Newnan Riverside Park 4013 Hwy 16 W., Newnan At the Chattahoochee River (includes boat ramp, paved parking and picnic tables) Temple Avenue Complex 39 Hospital Road, Newnan Wesley Street Gym 77 Wesley St. & Richard Allen Drive, Newnan

SENOIA Senoia Park 310 Hwy 16 E., Howard Rd & Andrew Pkwy., Senoia

SHARPSBURG Andrew Bailey Park 1011 Andrew Bailey Road, Sharpsburg Hunter Complex 2970 E. Hwy 16, Sharpsburg

Community Centers Clay-Wood Community Center 135 Heery Road, Newnan Welcome Community Center 1792 Welcome Road, Newnan

Western Park 672 Dixon Road, Newnan

Panther Creek Community Center 2285 W Highway 16, Sargent

Whitlock Park 170 Walt Sanders Mem. Pkwy., Newnan

Senoia Community Center 300 Howard Rd, Senoia

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Coweta Living 2014-15 85

HEALTH & FITNESS

Coweta County Recreation Facilities

HEALTH & FITNESS

C

Coweta area parks offer plenty of opportunity to get out, enjoy nature WRITTEN BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

Chattahoochee Bend State Park 86 Coweta Living 2014-15

There are plenty of opportunities to get into nature in Coweta County and in nearby areas.

Chattahoochee Bend State Park is a nearly 3,000-acre park located on the Chattahoochee River in west Coweta.

It opened in the summer of 2011 and has several campgrounds, including RV camping, platform camping along the river, and an Adirondack group camp; playgrounds; picnic areas along the river; two pavilions available for rental; a boat ramp; and 11 miles of hiking trails.

Work began in late spring 2014 on what will eventually be 12 to 13 miles of interconnected mountain bike trails, and preliminary work has been done to add equestrian trails.

Hiking trails include Riverside Trail, the overland trails, and Flat Rock Trail, which provides visitors a taste of the park’s iconic and expansive areas of flat granite.

All trails have been built by the Friends of Chattahoochee Bend. The group has regular volunteer days, with opportunities to volunteer on your own time.

The park offers canoe rentals. Georgia Trail Outfitters in Whitesburg offers kayak and canoe trips along the river.

For park information, visit www. gastateparks.org/chattahoocheebend or call the park office at 770-254-7271.

For more information on the Friends of Chattahoochee Bend, visit www. bendfriend.com or call the park office.

Hikers and nature lovers will also enjoy the Line Creek Nature Center, located off Hwy. 54 just inside Fayette County in nearby Peachtree City, McIntosh Reserve on the Chattahoochee River south of Whitesburg, and Cochran Mill Park in Chattahoochee Hills. McIntosh Reserve has a $3 admission fee per vehicle, and Cochran Mill has a $5 parking fee.

There is no charge at Line Creek.

While Chattahoochee Bend is the biggest park in Coweta, it’s not the only one. Among park offerings:

• Marimac Lakes in Senoia features three peaceful lakes and a rentable stone lodge facility. Fishing is limited to Senoia residents and their guests. The park is on Pylant Street, just off Hwy. 16 East.

Senoia’s Seavy Street Park has playgrounds, tennis courts (scheduled for eventual removal) and the rentable Freeman Sasser building.

• Riverside Park is located on the Chattahoochee River at the Hwy. 16 bridge and features a boat ramp and picnic areas.

• Jim McGuffey Nature Center at the Coweta County Fairgrounds features a small network of easy walking trails and a small pond. There is a short, handicapped-accessible trail and pavilion seating overlooking the pond. Fishing is not allowed. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:30 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The fairgrounds complex on Pine Road also includes the Walker Horne Outdoor Theater, which comfortably seats 200, and the W.C. Adamson Horse Arena, which is available for rentals.

• The 300-acre B.T. Brown Reservoir on South Alexander Creek Road in north Coweta offers boating and fishing. Boaters must purchase an annual permit for $40, and no fishing is allowed from the bank.

No gasoline engines or rubber or vinyl boats are allowed. All batteries must be strapped down. No swimming or wading allowed. The adjacent park features a playground and rentable pavilion. For more information, visit www.cowetawater.com.

• Most of Coweta County’s recreation facilities also feature playgrounds and picnic facilities. The Hunter Complex on Hwy. 16 East also has a walking trail.

• Carl Miller Park in Newnan is owned and operated by Newnan Utilities. It features a paved walking trail, three playgrounds, multiple covered pavilions that can be reserved by Newnan Utilities customers, and an array of covered picnic tables and swings. The park has a play fountain during the summer, and an expanded splash and play area is set to open soon. It’s located on Sewell Road, just off Greenville Street.

Visit www.newnanutilities.org for more information.

• Willie Lynch Park Pool is a zero-entry pool with a water mushroom, kids spray

throughout the summer until Labor Day, Grantville recreation director Michelle Huffstickler says the splash park will remain open until it is no longer seasonally permissible.

“The Grantville splash park will provide a safe, fun and creative atmosphere for

Willie Lynch Park Pool fountains and a water slide. The pool is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Admission is $3 for ages 2 and up.

In addition to open swimming, the pool also holds swimming lessons and water aerobics classes on weekday mornings, and hosts a Wednesday night adult volleyball league. The pool closes for inclement weather. For more information call 770-683-0467, email mgramling@ coweta.ga.us or visit their Facebook page.

The pool is adjacent to Lynch Park, which features a playground, a picnic

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Street Gym. • Grantville Splash Park, a recent addition that opened Memorial Day 2014, features several spraying water features. The park is located at 92 Post St. Admission is $1 for ages 1 and up. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

The splash park features a water tree, water rings, water buckets and a special area just for toddlers. While the

children and their families to enjoy for many years to come,” said Huffstickler.

“The Grantville splash park is the hottest new place to cool down.”

• Downtown Newnan features three

parks. The First Avenue park features a children’s playground, picnic pavilions, an open lawn for playing and a walking trail.

The Greenville Street park features an open air stage, winding pathways, a fountain and several picnic tables and benches. At the park on Temple Avenue are Veterans Memorial Plaza, a fountain, pathways, benches, and a gazebo. CL

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splash park is currently set to be open

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WRITTEN BY ELLEN CORKER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO AND SARAH FAY CAMPBELL

88 Coweta Living 2014-15

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Cowetans enjoy vibrant arts scene

From world-class musical and stage performances

2014 marked the first year for the "Friends of Wadsworth" concert series, led by soprano Courtenay Budd, pictured above.

Budd was hand-picked

by Charles Wadsworth to continue the musical legacy started by Wadsworth more than two decades ago.

Wadsworth, pictured at left, receiving a rose from Newnan Mayor Keith Brady, is in his 80s and has retired from touring.

to exhibits of fine art to quality community and student theater, Cowetans enjoy a vibrant arts scene year-round.

Internationally known artists and friends of famed pianist Charles Wadsworth have visited and returned to Newnan again and again – for more than two decades – in the chamber music series he started in his namesake performance hall in downtown Newnan. Funds raised through the series helped restore the 1930s-era art deco facility, originally the Newnan Municipal Auditorium, on Jefferson Street.

Wadsworth grew up in a home next door to the city auditorium and went on to a career that has taken him around the world. In New York, he founded the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 1969, leading it as artistic director and pianist for 20 years. In the 1960s, he was behind creation of concerts at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

Beginning in 1977, Wadsworth served for decades as one of the artistic directors of the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, where he served as pianist and host to the daily chamber music concerts.

Wadsworth’s innovative programming and the varied repertoire he unearthed inspired a new generation of virtuoso musicians – and over the last two decades he brought many of those young musicians to perform in his hometown for the “Charles Wadsworth and Friends” series.

Now in his 80s and bidding farewell to touring, Wadsworth this year handed the reins to the popular spring Newnan music series – now produced by the Newnan Cultural Arts Alliance – to fellow hometown favorite soprano Courtenay Budd.

Coweta CowetaLiving Living2014-15 2014-15 89 89

COMMUNITY Above, Soprano Courtenay Budd provides voice instruction for local students during a workshop held in conjunction with the 2014 "Friends of Wadsworth" concert. At right, visitors enjoy a Newnan-Coweta Art Association reception held at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. Hanging above are works by Francoise Gilot.

From world-class musical and stage performances to exhibits of fine art to quality community and student theater, Cowetans enjoy a vibrant arts scene year-round.

90 Coweta Living 2014-15

questions. In June 2014, Mike Funt presented his “The Day They Hung the Elephant,” along with a clown workshop.

“It is our mission to educate audiences, to show the process of what we do onstage,” Centre Director Don Nixon said. Support group Patrons of the Centre helps make many of the presentations available to the community at little or no cost.

The Centre is located at 1523 Lower Fayetteville Road, Newnan, Georgia 30265. For more on performances go to www.thecentreonline.net or call the Centre at 770-254-ARTS (2787).

Fine art exhibits are featured in the Centre’s display spaces, including the Françoise Gilot Gallery, named for one of the most enduring artists of the post World War II School of Paris. Gilot has made personal visits to the art facility in Newnan and has been exhibited there often.

In 1946, Gilot and famed artist Pablo Picasso began a decade-long relationship and she was both a witness and a participant in one of the last great periods of the modern art movement in Europe. Their circle included poets, philosophers, writers, and many of the legends of the art world, such as Braque, Chagall, Cocteau and Matisse. Later, Gilot was married to Dr. Jonas Salk, who in the 1950s developed the polio vaccine.

Among Coweta’s most active fine arts groups is the Newnan-Coweta Art Association, which meets at 7 p.m. the third Thursday each month, September through May, at Harriet Alexander Art Center adjacent to the Coweta County Recreation Department complex off Hospital Road. An art demonstration is presented each month. Visitors and new members are welcome.

Youth and adult art are offered at the Alexander center, and the art association arranges local exhibits in spots, including Newnan City Hall and Newnan Carnegie Library, and

sponsors several annual public shows, including an outdoor spring art show on the Court Square in downtown Newnan and a June member juried show at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. There is also a Christmas season holiday show and sale each November.

Community theater in the Coweta area offers opportunities for all ages, including at Newnan Theatre Company on First Avenue in downtown Newnan. NTC presents both gripping drama and musical comedy and offers the occasional mystery dinner show.

Southside Theatre Guild in nearby Fairburn, the Serenbe Playhouse in Chattahoochee Hills, A Company of Friends based in Fayetteville and Legacy Theatre in Tyrone also offer opportunities for the area’s aspiring actors. CL

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Coweta Living 2014-15 91

COMMUNITY

The Newnan Cultural Arts Commission coordinated an exchange trip for a group of student singers.

Making the trip to Ayr, Scotland, was the Centre Masterworks Ensemble Choir. The group performed its “Bon Voyage Concert” in May 2014 at Wadsworth Auditorium. The trip is part of the sister city relationship between Newnan and Ayr. The Ensemble Choir not only showcased its program but previewed its performing attire – each member wearing an official Georgia tartan, hand-crafted by Coweta artist Ann Lynn Whiteside.

The Coweta School System’s Centre for Performing and Visual Arts in 2014 has been celebrating its 10th season of quality shows and programming.

Over the years the Centre has been host to a long list of traveling performances, ranging from such varied groups as the Vienna Boys Choir to the Atlanta Pops Orchestra and the world-renowned Ailey II dance company. Educational touring shows present national stage talent, presenting everything from Shakespeare to holiday and fun children’s shows.

A modern, 48,000-square-foot structure nestled in a wooded valley off Lower Fayetteville Road east of downtown Newnan, this “pearl of the community” contains an elegant lobby, diverse art gallery, lecture halls, and star quality dressing rooms, all anchored by a 1000-seat, state-of-theart theater.

The Centre’s stage shares high school theater, ballet productions by area dance companies, patriotic performances by military bands and local school choral programs – think of a genre and it has probably been featured.

“One-man” presentations have included such well-known names as Sue Monk Kidd, author of “The Secret Life of Bees.” Many visits include lectures or time for audience

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E

Entertainment options growing in Coweta

There are a number of options when it comes to night life in Coweta County, including dining at bars, restaurants and taverns. There are also music venues like the Alamo in Newnan and Southern Ground Social Club in Senoia.

92 Coweta Living 2014-15

trivia and Texas Hold ‘Em poker nights are held there as well. The Alamo is paired with Fabiano’s Pizza next door, and they serve a wide variety of beer and drinks.

In Senoia, Southern Ground Social Club is wellknown for its music and food. The venue is owned and was founded by country music star Zac Brown with Zac Brown Band, and it regularly has live music for audiences of all ages. The venue also hosts an open mic night once a week and a special brunch meal every Sunday. Southern Ground Social Club is located on Main Street in Senoia.

WRITTEN BY WES MAYER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO AND BRADLEY HARTSELL

Coweta Living 2014-15 93

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Coweta County has a nice variety of leisure entertainment, including music venues and movie theaters.

For the music scene, the two main venues most people think about are the Alamo in Newnan and Southern Ground Social Club in Senoia.

The Alamo is an old converted movie theater situated at the corner of the West Court Square and West Washington Street in historic downtown Newnan. The venue regularly hosts musicians and bands during the week and on weekends. Karaoke,

COMMUNITY There are many other entertainment options in Coweta, including movie theaters and a bowling center.

Newnan also hosts monthly Market Days and Pickin' on the Square, top, every first and third Saturday of the month in the downtown area.

94 Coweta Living 2014-15

Though not regular venues, there are a few restaurants and taverns around Coweta County that also host live music and other events occasionally, and they also serve food.

Some of these are Jekyll and Hyde’s Sports Bar on 10 The Boulevard off U.S. Highway 29 North in Newnan, the Brickhouse Grille and Tavern at Thomas Crossroads, the Corner Tavern on Newnan Crossing Bypass and Twilight Bar and Grill on Raymond Hill Road in north Coweta.

Ten East Washington in downtown Newnan also hosts live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

For those interested in sitting back and watching a movie on the big screen, there are three movie theaters in the county.

The Regal Georgian Stadium 14 theater is located in one of Newnan’s largest shopping areas, Ashley Park on Newnan Crossing Bypass.

Carmike 10 on Newnan Station Drive typically offers a diverse selection of movies and is located next

to a bowling center, Junction Lanes, which offers activities like glow golf and arcade games.

The county’s newest movie theater is NCG Cinemas at Fischer Crossing.

Convenient to Sharpsburg and Peachtree City, the location is one of the four NCG theaters that has Xtreme showings – movies in 3D on a giant screen with advanced sound – but less extreme showings are offered as well.

Downtown Newnan has a number of regular events during the weekends.

Every first Saturday of the month, from April to December, MainStreet Newnan hosts Market Days around the square. For the day, local farmers, bakers, artists and craftsmen will set up tents and booths in order to sell their products.

MainStreet Newnan also organizes Pickin’ on the Square, where musicians are invited to play acoustic instruments on the square every first and third Saturday of the month starting around 11 a.m. CL

WRITTEN BY LINDY OLLER PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO AND CLAY NEELY

County community.

Perhaps the most visible effort is the annual Coweta County Fair, put on each fall by Newnan Kiwanis Club at the fairgrounds on Pine Road south of Newnan.

The Coweta County Fair with its midway, community exhibits, animal shows and nightly entertainment is a long-running tradition that has been sponsored

by Newnan Kiwanis for decades.

Proceeds from the fair support Kiwanis projects and grants are distributed to more than 30 area non-profit organizations such as Coweta 4-H Clubs, Coweta Community Foundation, Toys for Tots, Alzheimer’s Association, Coweta Samaritan Clinic, Newnan/ Coweta Boys and Girls Club, and Newnan/Coweta Habitat for Humanity. The club’s donations help the organizations run

smoothly and continue to make a difference in the community.

For 2014 the fair will be open 10 days – opening Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. and ending Sept. 27 at midnight.

Gate admission will be $5, and children under 6 can get in for free with a paid adult admission.

Popular “Mega passes” can be purchased in the weeks leading up to the fair for $25 at several locations in the county. The cost includes gate admission and unlimited rides at the carnival. The last day to buy a mega pass for 2014 will be Sept. 17.

For more information on the fair, visit www.cowetacountyfair.org.

Newnan Kiwanis meets Tuesdays at noon at the Newnan Country Club off U.S. Highway 29 North. It is one of several local Kiwanis clubs in the Coweta area.

Coweta County Kiwanis Club meets the second and fourth Thursdays at 10 a.m. at Newnan

The Coweta County Fair is an annual event that is hosted by the Newnan Kiwanis Club.

Coweta Living 2014-15 95

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Clubs contribute to Coweta community

Community clubs play a big part in the fabric of the Coweta

COMMUNITY The Newnan Rotary Club hosts an annual fireworks display for July 4 at Drake Stadium.

96 Coweta Living 2014-15

Country Club. President Caroline Abbey said that among club projects it conducts an annual county-wide art contest and show.

Grantville Kiwanis Club meets first Thursdays at 6 p.m. at 329 Griffin St. A major project is selling spaghetti plates to benefit the club’s K-Kids program.

White Oak Golden K Kiwanis Club meets Thursdays at 9 a.m. at the Sprayberry’s Barbecue location on Hwy. 34 East for breakfast and for an educational program. Mel Hayden, WOGK secretary, said the club was started in 1989. The group helps with parking at the Coweta County Fair, and also assisted with parking at the 2014 RACE for the Orphans held at fairgrounds.

Alex McRae, columnist and former staff writer for The Newnan Times-Herald, traveled to Ravenoville, France, in spring 2014, where he presented a check from the White Oak Golden K Kiwanis Club to David Ashe of the Eternal Heroes Park. The park is dedicated to the memory of the 101st Airborne Division that landed there on D-Day behind enemy lines to help secure the amphibious landing area planned for the troops the following day on Utah Beach, June 6, 1944.

White Oak Golden K donated the funds in memory of Gene Cook, one of the club’s members who recently passed away. The money was being used to help with the 2014 installation of a life-size bronze statue at the park.

As a group, the Kiwanis clubs sponsor the Coweta Citizen of the Year program. The 2014 honoree was Newnan businessman Frank Barron. Nominations are being taken for the 2015 Citizen of the Year award.

Newnan Rotary Club meets Fridays at noon at the Newnan Country Club. President Walter Thompson said its largest event is the annual Fourth of July community celebration and fireworks display held at Newnan High School’s Drake Stadium. The club partners with the city of Newnan and Coweta County to provide the annual fireworks extravaganza.

The Coweta-Fayette Rotary Club meets Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Senoia Coffee at 1 Main St. in downtown Senoia.

President Ginger Queener said their largest event is the Chassis For Charity Car Show that is held in August.

The event raises more than $7,000 for the club. The 2013 show was held at Junction Lanes in Newnan. There were extra activities for families last year, including a “touch a truck” event; a display of the Batmobile, the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine, and “Kit” from Knight Rider, all created

by Newnan resident Jerry Patrick; and Dusty the Clown painting faces and making balloon animals. DJ Jamie Eubanks also helped involve the kids and families.

As a whole, the club raised more than $30,000 last year to assist with club projects and community efforts.

For almost three decades the Newnan chapter 483 Order of the Eastern Star has organized the Newnan and Coweta

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community’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration with a memorial program and a parade in Newnan.

The MLK celebrations are a great opportunity “for our community as a whole to reflect on where we have been and how far we have come,” said 2014 parade grand marshal Newnan City Council Member Cynthia Jenkins. She would like to see more community participation in the celebration.

“Not just African-Americans, but everybody,” Jenkins said. “I wish more of the community at large would participate.”

“I congratulate the ladies of the OES for continuing to do this” through 27 years, Jenkins said.

The Coweta area has several garden clubs. Crossroads Garden Club meets last Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at 3072 Highway 154. President Wilma Smith said it hosted a yard and plant sale in May. “Our goal is to establish youth programs in the near future,” Smith said.

Old Town Garden Club meets first Mondays at 10 a.m. at the Sharpsburg town community room. President Paula Wercoloni said the club members maintain “Grandmother’s Garden” and “Olympic Garden of Gold” in Sharpsburg.

Driftwood Garden Club in Newnan hosts plant sales throughout the year and plants the hanging baskets that adorn downtown Newnan spring through fall.

Offered through the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service the Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program consists of 60 hours of classes and 50 hours of volunteer service. The MGEVs help answer phones and share knowledge at the Extension office. Lana Jones, agricultural and natural resources program assistant with the Coweta Extension office, said the MGEV’s host spring and fall plant sales to fund educational programs for citizens and youth of the community. The sales are held at the greenhouse, located next to the horse arena just inside the Coweta County Fairgrounds. Plants for sale are propagated or grown by MGEVs. The MGEV group hosts monthly Backyard Association meetings at the Extension Office, featuring educational speakers. It also hosted a 2014 spring garden tour of

The MLK parade is an annual event that includes music from all three area high school marching bands.

unique gardens in north Coweta County. For more information contact Master Gardeners at the Coweta County Extension Service office, 255 Pine Road south of Newnan, cowetamgev@gmail.com or 770-254-2620.

The Lake Redwine Garden Club is open to residents within the Lake Redwine community of north Coweta. President Maggie Coxe said the club hosts an annual bake sale to help with the costs of some of the events Lake Redwine does for its residents. CL

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COMMUNITY 98 Coweta Living 2014-15

W

WRITTEN BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

We take our history seriously here in Coweta County.

Coweta County was named in honor of William McIntosh, a Creek Indian chief of the Coweta Towns. The half Scottish McIntosh was a signer of the second Treaty of Indian Springs, which ceded away the remaining Creek lands in Georgia in exchange for land west of the Mississippi and $400,000 for the tribe. The treaty was condemned by the Creek National Council, which ordered McIntosh’s execution.

From Princess Senoia to the Battle of Brown’s Mill, from personal histories of homes and families to historic markers and museums, the county is steeped in history.

The city of Senoia was named for Senoya He-ne-ha, mother of Chief William McIntosh, a Creek Indian chief of the Coweta Towns.

McIntosh, who had a white father of Scottish descent and a Creek mother, moved easily between the two cultures and became wealthy.

He used his wealth and influence to improve the McIntosh Trail, which led from his hotel at Indian Springs to Talladega, Ala. He and several other chiefs, including two of his sons-in-law, ceded all Creek land in Georgia to the United States in the 1825 Treaty of Indian Springs.

Two months later, McIntosh was executed by a group of Creek “law menders” at his home along the Chattahoochee River near present day Whitesburg.

The image of Princess Senoia is the emblem of the Senoia Area Historical Society, and an East Coweta High School student plays Princess Senoia at ECHS football games.

Civil War history buffs will find plenty to whet their appetites.

Just north of the downtown business district, in Oak Hill Cemetery, there is a large Confederate section of fallen soldiers from the Civil War. Battle of Brown’s Mill took place

south of Newnan July 30, 1864. In observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War battle, the Brown’s Mill Battlefield Association, in conjunction with the NewnanCoweta Historical Society, has planned a variety of events for 2014.

A commemoration was planned for the actual anniversary, and July was dubbed Coweta History Month, with several events planned. But the major anniversary observances will be held in October 2014 – in the fall, when it won’t be so hot.

Carolyn Turner, founding member and president of the Battle of Brown’s Mill Association, is in charge of events, including a reenactment of the battle that will take place at the Coweta County Fairgrounds, located near the battleground site, Oct. 10-12. There will be an educational day at the fairgrounds on Oct. 10.

Jan Bowyer, chair of the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society Sesquicentennial Committee working on events to commemorate what took place in Coweta during the Civil War, is heading up details for programs and displays downtown on the weekend of the October reenactment. There will be activities at the historic train depot on East Broad Street, as well as a medical triage display on South Court Square.

In the courthouse, there will be educational and hands-on sessions with the Army of Tennessee Field Hospital reenactors. Because of limited seating in the courtroom, there will be a sign-up process for Coweta Living 2014-15 99

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In Coweta, history taken seriously

COMMUNITY This monument to Newnan’s own Gov. Ellis Arnall is one of many on the grounds of the 1904 Courthouse. The restored ceremonial courtroom is often used for historical programs.

100 Coweta Living 2014-15

people to attend.

The battle started with a skirmish at the Atlanta and West Point Railroad Depot in downtown Newnan, and ended at the Brown’s Mill battlefield south of Newnan.

And that’s how the events will begin Oct. 11-12 – with a skirmish at the depot on East Broad Street.

A medical triage unit will be set up at the depot, and there will be a large number of Civil War-era artifacts on display at the depot.

After the skirmish, some of the wounded will be taken – by stretcher – to South Court Square to a replica camp of the wooden medical sheds that were placed around the Court Square while Newnan served as a hospital town. The 1904 Courthouse replaced an earlier courthouse that was standing on the square during the time of the Civil War battle.

Students from the Coweta School System’s Central Educational Center have been building the medical shed and cots.

Students from Newnan High School’s History Club will be playing wounded soldiers.

Also on the Court Square, the medical triage reenactors will explain

how doctors of the day performed surgeries, amputations and bullet removal.

Upstairs in the courtroom, local physicians will portray doctors from the Civil War. Dr. Rich Jaddick will play Dr. Jonathan Letterman, a Union physician who revolutionized battlefield medical care. Letterman developed and organized a team of medics and a triage system, explained Bowyer.

Dr. Frank Powell will portray one of the physicians who came to Newnan to care for soldiers.

Others will portray Civil Warera nurses Fannie Beers and Kate Cumming, and people will talk about businesses that were active in Newnan during that period.

The battle itself will be reenacted at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday of the October weekend at the Coweta County Fairgrounds on Pine Road, not far from the battlefield site.

Living history demonstrations, in conjunction with the reenactment at the fairgrounds, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They will include: life as a soldier, leaving home, engineering and map making, children as soldiers, campaign food, baseball, camp followers, the

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For more information, visit:

www.battleofbrownsmill-hospitalreenactment-2014.org www.newnancowetahistoricalsociety.com www.senoiahistory.org and www.ccgsinc.org.

trooper and his horse, uniform colors and their meanings, the signal corps, techniques, the bugler, the fife and drum corps, the traveling trunk, homespun clothing and the blacksmith.

The battlefield site, located on Millard Farmer Road off Corinth Road, opened to the public in the summer of 2013. Coweta County purchased the property several years ago, but getting the area developed and opened took several years.

The site features a walking trail along the old Ricketyback Road, informational signage, and a parade ground. There are QR codes scannable by smart phones on the informational signs, and work began in spring of 2014 on a series of videos that can also be viewed by scanning the codes, or on the county’s website at www.coweta.ga.us.

You can explore history year-round at the many museums in Coweta. There are

museums in Newnan, Moreland and Senoia.

You can research your family history at the Coweta County Genealogical Society in Grantville, the African-American Alliance Museum and Research Center in Newnan, and the Church of Latter Day Saints in Newnan.

The Newnan-Coweta Historical Society and the Senoia Area Historical Society are both active and offer programs and activities throughout the year.

There are historic homes tours held each year in Senoia and Newnan, and there are several historic “driving tours” that you can take any day. Brochures are available at the

This marker commemorating the Battle of Brown’s Mill was placed by the Newnan Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1908.

Coweta County Convention and Visitors Bureau, located in the 1904 Courthouse in downtown Newnan, and at the Senoia Welcome Center, located on Senoia’s Main Street. CL

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Churches reach out – and offer a haven – to Cowetans

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WRITTEN BY W. WINSTON SKINNER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

“The final destination of every person in every community is eternity. Churches are our connection with, and to, that destination. Therefore, there is nothing more important in any community than our churches.”

Linda Jennings’ reflections sum up how many

First Baptist Church of Newnan – one of Coweta’s oldest congregations – continues to be a vital spiritual force.

102 Coweta Living 2014-15

people feel about their church and the churches near their homes. Jennings is a minister and writer who has had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of ministry settings. In Coweta, her desire to serve has taken her to churches of different denominations – and across the color line.

Jennings, who is white, has done a great deal of ministry in churches that are predominantly AfricanAmerican and in multi-racial settings.

Churches have been part of Coweta County from the very beginnings of the county’s history. Several congregations still active today have histories that date back to the 1820s. These include some large churches in downtown Newnan and Macedonia Baptist, which has grown tremendously in recent years. Smaller congregations – such as White Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church on Gordon Road and Mt. Gilead United Methodist Church at Raymond – also have long histories.

Soon after the Civil War was over, African-Americans began forming their own congregations. Rodney Dexter Grier, pastor of Mt. Gilead United Methodist Church near Grantville, noted his congregation began 143 years ago at a brush arbor gathering “in a field of trees.”

Grier reflected on what his church’s role is as it nears its 150th birthday. “Mt. Gilead UMC is a band of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the

COMMUNITY

Lord. ... Our vision is to enrich the lives of our members, family, friends and community by meeting our members at their points of needs with unconditional love. We are led by Christ Jesus through his eternal grace and mercy.”

On a practical level, the church’s goals and aspirations lead to regular worship and outreach. Mt. Gilead “is a place where all people are welcome – and we are determined to ‘love ye one another,’” Grier said.

The goal of reaching beyond the doors of the sanctuary is an important factor in all churches. Dr. Harry Barrow, pastor of Newnan Presbyterian Church, noted his church’s mission statement has references to building up the congregation, but also to doing more. “Newnan Presbyterian Church is a community of believers committed to being open and caring as we worship in our historic location. And our mission

is to glorify God as we seek inspiration through worship, study and fellowship and to extend Christ’s love in our community and beyond.”

Extending Christ’s love in the community may be most visible in personal interactions between people – neighbors, co-workers, shoppers and merchants. “Our churches are where we are reminded that we have a Creator to whom we will stand accountable,” Jennings said. “They’re where we learn foundational principles such as truth, integrity and placing others before ourselves. In our community, we are blessed to have many local businesses which have been founded upon these principles.”

For congregations of all sizes, but particularly for small churches, special projects and events are a significant part of ministry. Mt. Gilead near Grantville is planning its first Dry

ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH WELCOMES YOU! Please join us for worship: Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Christian Formation for all ages at 9:30 a.m., September through May.

15 W. Washington St. located 1 block west of the court square

770-253-0797 Visit our website: www.fbcnewnan.org

Whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

The Rev. Allan Sandlin, Rector William Fred Scott, Organist and Choirmaster 576 Roscoe Road ∙ Newnan, GA 30263 (770) 253-4264 • www.stpaulsnewnan.org

Worship Services

8:30am and 10:50am Sunday School 9:40am

Coweta Living 2014-15 103

COMMUNITY Senoia is home to several historic church buildings. The Queen Anne style Methodist church, top, remains active.

The Presbyterian church, below, disbanded some years ago and is now a residence.

Bones Cruising Open Car Festival, to be held Aug. 23 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. “There will be fun, food and trophies,” Grier promised. A time to say “thank you” to first responders, veterans and people serving in the military is planned.

“It is our hope that this event serves to bring the Grantville community together,” Grier said.

While many established churches have been around more than a century, other churches have been started as Coweta has grown. Crossroads, Cornerstone United Methodist, Grace Baptist, the Cathedral of Christ the King, Grace Lutheran and Resurrection Lutheran have all organized in recent years as Highway 34 has been transformed from a sleepy connector road into a conduit for residential and commercial growth. Trinity Fellowship Assembly of God began in Fayette County and moved to Coweta several years ago.

Coweta’s church buildings vary greatly. Some are contemporary halls with moveable seating, and others offer the traditional “church ambience” with sunlight streaming through stained glass.

In downtown Newnan, in walking distance of long established churches are several new congregations that resonate with young adults. Four Corners Church began meeting at the Alamo, a downtown bar, bringing the gospel to a contemporary setting much like the highways, byways and marketplaces of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The church about a year ago moved to its own building on Savannah Street.

Eccelsia and Brown’s Mill Church also meet downtown and take a contemporary approach to sharing the Christian message. Brown’s Mill has offices above the Alamo.

Churches propel their members outward into serving others, but they also offer spots for contemplation – and peace. “For many of us, it appears as though the entire world has gone mad and our churches are – in the truest sense – sanctuaries,” Jennings said. “It is in them, surrounded by our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we feel safe, sane and whole.” CL

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770-253-7400 • www.newnanfumc.org 104 Coweta Living 2014-15

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From ‘Walking Dead’ to train depots, museums welcoming tourists WRITTEN BY W. WINSTON SKINNER PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

The Woodbury Shoppe in Senoia has a store on the upper floor and a museum – devoted to “Walking Dead” memorabilia – on the lower level.

On a sunny June Saturday,

Woodbury, the town in the zombiecentered show. The museum Coweta County’s newest museum includes such “The Walking Dead” had a signing event – with several artifacts at two prison cells from the zombies participating. show’s third and fourth The Woodbury seasons, the infamous Shoppe Museum opened dental chair and a replica in February “in the of the motorcycle. basement of our store,” Some examples of said Carrie Cottrill, master makeup artist Greg who operates the store Nicotero’s work are also and the museum. The on display. “We have lots museum draws fans of memorabilia and signed of the hit AMC cable material down there,” television network series Cottrill said. Several cast “The Walking Dead.” members from the show “We’re open seven have visited the museum days a week whenever and written messages the shop is open,” that are displayed on the Cottrill said. museum.

The series has been Actor Andrew Lincoln Other museums in is depicted in art filmed at several sites at the museum in the county showcase in Coweta County, and Senoia. various facets of Coweta’s downtown Senoia has history and the literary been the backdrop for Coweta Living 2014-15 105

COMMUNITY

Started as the Male Seminary, a school for boys in Newnan, this structure was built from lumber originally used for a Methodist church building. The school building was moved, used as a residence for decades and then moved back to the city park tract and restored as the Male Academy Museum.

legacy of writers Erskine Caldwell and Lewis Grizzard, who both are from the Moreland area.

Palmetto straddles the CowetaFulton line, and a city museum there is actually in Fulton County. The museum is located in the town’s historic Atlanta and West Point Railroad depot. The A&WP line ran from Atlanta through Coweta County to the Alabama line and played a significant role in the development of the entire area.

Historic photographs cover the walls of the Palmetto museum, which opened late in 2012 after a $1.2 million restoration.

Built in 1917, the Palmetto depot has seen a lot of occupants. After the railroad era, the brick building housed the police department, public works and other city government offices.

In addition to the museum, the building has a conference room and a banquet facility. The museum collection showcases the town’s history and includes old style bicycles, the longtime city manager’s and a police record book.

There have been lots of changes in Coweta’s museums in the past few years, and more are slated in the year to come. The Male Academy Museum – one of three museums operated by the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society – reopened in May 2014 after being 106 Coweta Living 2014-15

refurbished.

As the 19th century school building re-opened, the exhibit was one curated by students – members of the Newnan High School History Club.

The exhibit was designed to tell the story of Newnan High School. NHS memorabilia from as far back as 1893 was displayed – including diplomas, photographs, letter jackets and posters.

A memorable part of the display was a stuffed tiger named Willy. The tiger was Newnan’s mascot prior to desegregation.

Students “took off and ran with it,” said Jeff Bishop, coordinator for the historical society. “I’m proud of what they’ve done.”

The Newnan-Coweta Historical Society also operates the McRitchieHollis museum in a historic home at Jackson and Clark streets and the Depot History Center – with a collection of murals telling the story of Civil War events in Coweta County – located at the railroad crossing on East Broad Street.

In Moreland, the Moreland Cultural Arts Alliance oversees the Erskine Caldwell Birthplace and Museum and the Moreland Hometown Heritage Museum. The group also has God’s Little Acre, a community demonstration garden where a planned grouping of

historic buildings – a small antebellum farmhouse, a log cabin and barns – is planned.

The town of Moreland is finishing a major restoration of the two-story section of the historic Moreland Mill.

The Hometown Heritage Museum will be moving back into that space – telling the story of Moreland’s history including railroads, textiles and the life of the community centered around church, school and such businesses as the general store, post office and bank.

An exhibit relating to Grizzard, who grew up in the south Coweta town, is one of MCAA’s first priorities as the museum is reconstituted.

Caldwell’s 1880-era birthplace is on the town square, moved from its original location on Haynie Road outside town. It contains furnishings typical of the time when Caldwell was born in 1903. The desk used by Caldwell’s minister father, a painting by his mother and numerous items that belong to the author of “Tobacco Road” and his family are on display.

Plans ultimately call for the Caldwell museum to be moved to God’s Little Acre. Students from the Georgia Institute of Technology did a Blueprints study that, in part, included recommendations for better use of the town square. CL

BUGGYSHOP MUSEUM 74 Main St., Senoia Open the third Saturday of each month and during Senoia events.

This unique museum, housed inside the former Baggerly Brothers buggy building, is operated by descendants of Rev. Francis Warren Baggerly, one of Senoia’s earliest settlers. Inside you’ll find six generations of antiques, circa 1890-1930, including a model T Ford, buggies and wagons from the late 1800s, an extensive arrowhead collection and other curiosities.

ERSKINE CALDWELL MUSEUM Moreland Town Square, Moreland 770-897-1888 morelandadventure.com Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The former Presbyterian manse attracts visitors from all over the world as well as Caldwell scholars and family members.

Erskine Caldwell remains one of the most widely read authors of the 20th century, with more than 80 million copies of his books sold to readers in 43 different languages. Caldwell, who died in 1987, wrote more than 50 books, including “God’s Little Acre” and “Georgia Boy.” “The Little Manse” contains Caldwell’s books, art and items that belonged to Caldwell or his parents. The Moreland Hometown Heritage Museum will be reopening this year. That museum, which tells the story of Moreland’s history, is located in the Moreland Mill, which faces the town square. An exhibit on writer Lewis Grizzard will also be part of the Hometown Heritage Museum.

COWETA COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER 92 Farmer St., Newnan • 770-304-9111 thecowetacountymuseum.blogspot.com thecowetacomuseum@yahoo.com

This museum tells the story of AfricanAmerican Cowetans in a circa-1900 renovated, shotgun-style house, moved from a nearby neighborhood and restored by the City of Newnan. In addition to showcasing an architectural style typical for Southern black families in decades past, the building is a repository for African-American artifacts and records.

Adjacent to the museum on the site is the Farmer Street Cemetery, which may be the largest slave cemetery in the South. In addition, the museum serves as a genealogy workroom for AfricanAmerican research. The museum is operated by the African-American Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the documentation and preservation of the African-American history of Coweta County.

MALE ACADEMY MUSEUM 30 Temple Ave., Newnan 770-251-0207 newnancowetahistoricalsociety.com Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.- noon and 1-3 p.m., Sun. 2-5 p.m.

A charming museum housed in a former boys’ private school dating back to the 1880s and built using timbers from a church four decades older. A peek inside reveals such exhibits as period clothing, Indian artifacts, treasured furniture, a Male Seminary “classroom,” Civil War artifacts, including guns, swords, bayonets as well as early medical instruments. Also included are maps, photos and memorabilia from Coweta’s own country music legend, Alan Jackson, and other local notables. In spring 2014, the museum opened a new studentorganized exhibit on the history of Newnan High School.

McRITCHIE-HOLLIS MUSEUM Corner Jackson/Clark streets, Newnan 770-251-0207 newnancowetahistoricalsociety.com

Located in the classical Peniston­Thomasson House, which was built in the 1930s, this museum tells the story of an upper class Southern family and their servants in the World War II era. The museum was restored through a bequest from Edgar Baldwin Hollis, a Newnan native who spent most of his professional career in Washington, D.C., working for the National Security Agency. When Hollis died in 2006, he left his collection of period furnishings to the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society to be used as the basis for the establishment of a “high-quality, well­staffed” museum, according to the terms of his will. The Hollis collection

makes up about 75 percent of what is on display in the museum.

NEWNAN-COWETA DEPOT HISTORY CENTER 60 E. Broad St., Newnan For private rental information, call 770-251-0207

Located in the old Atlanta & West Point Railroad depot, this site preserves and interprets the history of Newnan and Coweta County through collections, educational programs, exhibits and research. The center contains a permanent exhibit on the history of Coweta County as well as a series of paintings with Civil War themes by local artist Martin Pate. Civil War fighting began near the depot that ended in the Battle of Brown’s Mill south of Newnan.

The center is operated by the NewnanCoweta Historical Society and is available for special event rental and private tours.

SENOIA AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY 6 Couch St., Senoia senoiahistory.org/museum Fri.-Sat. 1-4 p.m. and by appointment

The Senoia Area Historical Society owns a historic house at the corner of Pylant and Couch streets in Senoia. Under the leadership of Jack Humphreys, a group of Senoia residents purchased this home in the 1980s as a museum to house and preserve photos, film, furniture, clothing and memories of Senoia. The society has as its mission “Linking and Protecting Senoia Area History between past and future generations.” The group also enjoys many fundraising events each year, including historic home tours, progressive dinners and other events.

THE WOODBURY SHOPPE MUSEUM 48 Main St., Senoia • 770-727-9394 info@woodburyshoppe.com Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Located in the basement of The Woodbury Shoppe, the museum has replicas, set pieces and other memorabilia relating to the AMC cable television network series “The Walking Dead.”

Coweta Living 2014-15 107

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Coweta’s museums offer variety, history

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Private and homeschool options available in Coweta

Rounding out its educational offerings, Coweta County has several highly rated private schools as well as some homeschool groups for those looking for other educational options besides public and charter schools.

The Heritage School was founded in 1970 “to create an outstanding educational opportunity for the families of Coweta, Fayette, and surrounding counties.” Its mission is to develop the mind in preparation for college and later life, to develop the body through competition and teamwork, to develop the spirit through self-awareness and growth, and to develop camaraderie through shared experience.

Carolyn Barron Montessori School is the only Montessori school in Newnan and Coweta County. It is located on Jackson Street, just north of Newnan’s historic downtown. Founded in 1992, it works to “foster a love of learning and to educate children to be caring, socially responsible, citizens of their community and the world.” It serves students from toddler age through middle school.

Heritage Christian School is in Sharpsburg, just outside Newnan, and was founded in 1965. Its philosophy of education is “distinctively Christian, distinctively different,” meaning all truth must be seen as God’s truth. It serves students kindergarten through 12th grade.

Children of all ages enjoy the different educational opportunities in Coweta County.

WRITTEN BY CELIA SHORTT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

108 Coweta Living 2014-15

Trinity Christian School is another Christian school in eastern Coweta, in the Sharpsburg area. It is a nondenominational ministry of Trinity Fellowship Church, an Assemblies of God congregation, and is dedicated to train children in Godly principles and academic competence. It serves kindergarten through 12th grade and has more than 1,000 students.

For homeschooling options, parents can join hundreds of local families who are members of Eagles Nest Christian Home Educators Association

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(Not What to Think.)

Schedule a Private Tour today.

(www.enchea.org/). This association offers parenttaught co-op classes, field trips, support, clubs and activities, retreats, proms, and graduation.

Other options include virtual learning through Georgia Cyber Academy (www.k12.com/gca) and Connections Academy (www.connectionsacademy.com/ georgia-school). Through both of these online schools, tuition-free programs allow students to learn in a variety of settings using a combination of computer-based and textbook curriculum. CL

Maximizing Potential Maximizes Success • Grades 1-9 • Sports • Small classes • Ability Grouping • Challenge Course • 45 Acre Campus in Fairburn

• Ages 6-15 • 4 Week Summer Day Program • Academic Tutoring • Camp Recreational Activities • Held at the Bedford School

5665 Milam Road, Fairburn, GA 30213 office: 770-774-8001 fax: 770-774-8005 website: www.thebedfordschool.org

Serving students from ages 4 through 12th grade 2093 Highway 29 North | Newnan, GA 30263 | 770.253.9898 www.heritageschool.com

The Bedford School is accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission and the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools, and has been approved by the Georgia Department of Education to receive the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10.)

For more information contact Dr. Betsy Box. The Bedford School maintains a non-discriminatory policy concerning admissions, employment, use of facilities or scholarships on the basis of sex, race, color, religion or national origin.

Coweta Living 2014-15 109

EDUCATION

Students enjoy many different drama and performance opportunities including partcipation in Joyful Praise Homeschool Choir.

EDUCATION

F

A rendering of what the new UWG campus will look like when it is completed.

Four-year college coming to Newnan through hospital redevelopment project

Newnan’s higher educational offerings continue to grow, with the new University of West Georgia Newnan Center campus set to open in January 2015.

This new campus will be located at the site of the old Newnan Hospital on Jackson Street.

“This is something we have waited for for a long time,” said Newnan Mayor Keith Brady. “A lot of people have put a lot of hard work into this project.”

“This is so exciting to me,” said Cathy Wright, director of UWG Newnan. “I was born in that hospital. All my siblings were born there. I actually worked there as a young person, and I can’t be more thrilled.”

The $15 million hospital redevelopment project will make four-year, higher-education programs available in Newnan and expand the UWG-Newnan campus currently located in Shenandoah Industrial Park. It is a partnership among the city of Newnan, the Newnan Hospital board, Coweta County,

UWG and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.

In the 2013-2014 school year, the Carrollton-based UWG had a record enrollment of almost 12,000 students.

According to UWG President Dr. Kyle Marrero, the university is on target to have 1,200 students enrolled at the new Newnan satellite campus when classes start in January 2015. By January of 2018, his goal is to have 3,000 students enrolled at the campus.

Another element of the new campus is expanded course offerings.

Dr. J. Michael Crafton, provost and vice president of academic affairs at UWG, said the university wants to expand the course programs from what they are already offering in Newnan – core classes, nursing, and other undergraduate courses. They also plan to expand their dual enrollment capacity to give more high school students a full college experience. CL

Possible future programs at the new Newnan campus include:

Tours of the facility in progess were given to community members.

• Undergraduate degree in business or health care management • Undergraduate degree in criminology, sociology, psychology, biology or chemistry • Undergraduate degree in exercise and health science • MPA with an emphasis in

health care administration.

• Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Professional Community Counseling • Continuing Education programs in other health care support areas and Microsoft certification

WRITTEN BY CELIA SHORTT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY CELIA SHORTT

110 Coweta Living 2014-15

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N

West Georgia Technical College's Coweta Campus has been open for a year.

New WGTC Coweta

West Georgia Technical College’s

Coweta campus has one year under its belt and is continuing to impact higher education and dual enrollment opportunities.

In its first semester, the fall of 2013, the new campus off Turkey Creek Road south of Newnan had more than 900 students enrolled, followed by more than a thousand in the spring semester.

WGTC programs continue to provide more dual enrollment options for high school students, as well as job certifications, technical certificates and adult education. In addition to the stand-alone Coweta campus, WGTC also continues to offer classes at the Central Educational Center, Coweta School System’s charter college and career academy.

In addition to its year-old campus, WGTC welcomed a new president in spring 2014, Dr. Stephen G. “Steve”

Daniel. Dr. Skip Sullivan, the former president, was appointed president of Alfred State College in New York in late 2013.

“Our new Coweta Campus is such a great resource for Coweta County,” said Daniel. “I want to make sure that we continue to build our reputation as the college of choice for the people of Coweta County. We’ll do that by showing them the very best of what WGTC can offer through relevant, indemand programs of study, state-of-theart facilities and passionate, professional instructors and staff who will inspire as they educate. We’ll continue to enhance our partnerships with community stakeholders as we work to make Coweta County even more competitive in a global economy.”

“Our mission to support and foster workforce development is something that I am truly passionate about,

and I am committed to bring the full resources of West Georgia Technical College to the table to serve in this capacity,” he added.

The issue of a skilled workforce is front and center with companies looking to locate in Coweta, Greg Wright, president of the Coweta County Development Authority, noted recently.

“While many communities are trying to get a handle on technical education, Coweta County continues to be a shining star in Georgia and across the nation,” Wright said. “Companies today – in all industry sectors – are looking to locate or expand in communities that have the ability to meet their workforce needs in terms of quantity and in terms of quality.”

Representatives with an international company looking for the right location for a new manufacturing facility recently visited Coweta, with one of the

WRITTEN BY CELIA SHORTT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY CELIA SHORTT

Coweta Living 2014-15 111

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key drivers for the project being the ability to find qualified welders.

“Thanks to the strong partnership between West Georgia Technical College and Central Educational Center, we were able to talk about our community’s focus on providing training that is in demand by today’s companies,” Wright said.

“Specifically, we were able to tell this company that 51 local high school students earned welding certifications through West Georgia Technical College in basic shielded arc welding, advanced shielded metal arc welding and gas metal arc welding. These are local residents who are ready to enter the workforce.

“We are very fortunate that our community came together almost 15 years ago to set up Central Educational Center, which has become the model for Georgia’s college and career academy model,” Wright said. “Companies today need qualified workers, and our community is doing what it can to help supply the President Daniel employees they will need now and in the future.” CL

Programs offered at WGTC’s Coweta campus: Degrees: • Business Administrative Technology • Business Management • CIS: Computer Support Specialist • CIS: Networking Specialist • A.S. in Criminal Justice • Criminal Justice Technology • Early Childhood Care and Education • Electronics Technology • A.S. in General Business • Nursing (RN) Diplomas: • Business Administrative Technology • Business Management • CIS: Computer Support Specialist • CIS: Networking Specialist • Criminal Justice Technology • Early Childhood Care and Education • Electronics Technology • Practical Nursing (LPN) Certificates: • Computerized Accounting Specialist 112 Coweta Living 2014-15

• Office Accounting Specialist • Payroll Accounting Specialist • Administrative Support Assistant • Medical Billing Clerk • Microsoft Word Application Professional • Technical Specialist • Human Resource Management Specialist • Service Sector Management Specialist • Game Development Specialist • Help Desk Specialist • PC Repair and Network Technician • Advanced Emergency Medical Technician • Emergency Medical Responder • Emergency Medical Technician • Health care Assistant • Health care Science • Geriatric Care Assistant • Nurse Aide • Crime Scene Fundamentals • Criminal Justice Fundamentals • Child Development Specialist • Early Childhood Care and

Education Basics • Energy Industry Fundamentals

C Charter school options available in Coweta

In addition to its traditional public

school options and high school/college dual enrollment opportunities, Coweta County has two stand-alone public charter schools as well as the Coweta School System’s Central Educational Center.

Charter schools are tuition-free “schools of choice” with student admission determined by a lottery system. Each charter school is independently governed and must show student success or risk losing its charter from the state.

The CEC is the Coweta County School System’s charter college and career academy. It serves eighth-grade students through the eighth grade college and career academy, as well as upper level high school students. It offers many non-traditional learning opportunities, in addition to partnering with West Georgia Technical College to WRITTEN BY CELIA SHORTT

EDUCATION Lilly Wagner and Francesca Petrino enjoy Odyssey Charter School's "Touch A Truck" event.

provide dual enrollment opportunities. WGTC and Mercer University also hold adult education classes at the CEC. Odyssey Charter School, located in facilities in Shenandoah Industrial Park, was the first state established charter school in Georgia when it received its charter in 2001. In 2004, the school opened with 100 students and served grades kindergarten through five. Currently, it has more than 400 students and serves grades kindergarten through eight. Odyssey was recently recommended for accreditation pending further review and final action by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission.

Coweta Charter Academy in the Senoia area is Coweta’s newest charter school. It was established by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission in 2010. Four years ago, when the school started, it had students in kindergarten through second grade and added third grade later that school year.

Since then, it has grown to kindergarten through junior high and will be adding ninth grade for the 2014-2015 school year. Its campus facilities have also grown with the addition of a new building last year, bringing its classroom capacity to 29. The new building also brought a science lab, an art room, an expanded cafeteria, a Spanish classroom, and designated areas for Title 1, gifted students and the speech/ language pathologist. CL Coweta Living 2014-15 113

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Coweta libraries offer electronic info, programs, partnership – books, too

Coweta County’s libraries are

increasingly offering electronic information to patrons.

Programs on a wide range of topics – often done in partnership with a local organization – are also a big part of the library world today. And, yes, there are books, too.

The Coweta Public Library System has four libraries – Central on Literary Lane in East Coweta, A. Mitchell Powell Jr. Library on Hospital Road in Newnan, and branches in Senoia and Grantville.

CPLS is affiliated with regional and state library systems.

The city of Newnan also has its own library, the Carnegie, which is located in the only Carnegie library ever to reclose and then open again as a library.

While the Carnegie does not have library cards and does not offer the traditional “check out a book” service, the Carnegie does have an honor book system as well as space often used by locals for reading and studying. It is at 1 LaGrange St. at the Court Square.

In 2013, circulation in the CPLS broke 480,000. There were 309,567 visits to the libraries and “141,499 wireless hits from library users with electronic devices,” according to Jimmy Bass, director of the Coweta system.

Public computer sign-in at the libraries reached an “all-time high of 887,355” last year, Bass said. Bass said the 2013 Summer Reading Program had

the most registration and recorded the most hours read ever, and programs at CPLS reached more than 16,000 people.

After several years of building new libraries, the system is now using the facilities it has. Funding has been received for continued upgrading at the Powell Library, located on Hospital Road in Newnan. It is the oldest building in the system.

“CPLS began offering E-books” last year, Bass said. “We now have over 850 titles which have circulated nearly 5,000 times.” The system also has a new website, a monthly E-newsletter and a Facebook page.

In addition, CPLS staff began online training through GLEAN, a learning management system. Staff members “can take courses in wide range of subjects beneficial to customer service,” Bass said.

The Grantville Library, directed by Marie Vielot, has undertaken several projects – including a storytelling festival and writing and cartooning contests – in conjunction with the Moreland Cultural Arts Alliance. Other groups partnering with CPLS include the YMCA, local senior citizen centers, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks, Certified Literate Is Coweta’s Key, Ringling Brothers Circus, the Center for Puppetry Arts, AARP and the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta County.

Coweta County has four libraries for its residents to enjoy.

Goals for 2014 include increasing Internet bandwidth speed from 6MB to 50MB at all branches. A new technology grant of $20,000 will be used “to ensure speed and security” on the CPSL computer network, Bass said.

Bass also said he hoped for 2014 to break the previous summer’s registration number for summer reading, to add new E-book titles, and to exceed 500,000 check-outs for the year. Growing the Friends of Coweta Libraries, a friends group for all of Coweta County, is also planned.

The Carnegie in Newnan had 29,416 visits from May through April 2014.

There were 357 programs with an attendance of 10,147. The Carnegie’s computers were used 5,965 times.

The honor book program allows visitors to the Carnegie to select a book, take it home, keep it as long as they’d like, and then return it. There were

WRITTEN BY W. WINSTON SKINNER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

114 Coweta Living 2014-15

EDUCATION

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2014-2015

DYSSEY Public Charter School • No Tuition • Grades K-8 Excellent Academic and Co-Curricular Programs Athletic, Band and Choral Programs

Caring, Teaching, Reaching children age 6 weeks - 12 years

Afterschool Services for: • Newnan Crossing Elem.

• Welch Elementary • Poplar Road Elementary • Odyssey School

www.stonebridge-elc.com

Recommended for accreditation pending further review and final action by AdvancED

14 St. John Circle, Newnan, GA 30265

770-251-6111

www.odysseycharterschool.net admission@odysseycharterschool.net Coweta Living 2014-15 115

EDUCATION

10,373 honor book borrows during the year.

“This June and July, we will have

extremely popular.

There were programs with schools and the Georgia Museum

almost 100 programs, our biggest

of Art. Newnan High School

summer ever,” said Amy Mapel,

Literacy Night and a YMCA

director of the Carnegie, of the

Healthy Kids Day, and the

summer 2014 programming. “Most

Carnegie participated in Georgia

of the special performers have

Pre-K week by reading stories to

been funded again by the Newnan

three classes at Jefferson Parkway

Kiwanis through the Newnan

Elementary.

Carnegie Library Foundation.”

Mapel said goals include expanding teen programs. She

The Carnegie has also launched an E-book program.

A unique facet of the Carnegie is

hopes to see some new programs

the city of Newnan store – offering

“including a poetry slam, crochet

souvenir items such as T-shirts,

workshop, creative writing

cups, baseball caps, coaster sets,

seminars and a book club.” Two

pens and pencils. “Patrons who

new shelving units are planned for

attend a program can save 10

the honor book collection.

percent on their purchase,” Mapel

The second-floor meeting room, which was used 413 times from

said.

“Our mission is to be a

C Coweta County School System offers a myriad of opportunities

May-April 2014, “has been updated

central dynamic gathering place

with new carpet and will soon

for residents of all ages and

have acoustical panels installed to

backgrounds,” Mapel said. “As a

The Coweta County School System

improve the sound quality of our

library-type facility we seek to be

programs,” Mapel said.

an integral part of the community

continues to grow, adapt, and offer a myriad of opportunities at all educational levels.

The 2013-2014 school year was an important one for the system, as the Coweta County Board of Education passed a new five-year strategic plan, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts, and saw significant financial improvements.

Since the recession began, the school system has not raised its millage rate or cut any instructional days for students.

It did, however, cut three instructional calendar days for teachers. The system has been able to restore those days for the 2014-2015 school year, as well as provide a step increase for all classified school system employees.

The 2014-2015 school year will also see several large projects as the school system moves forward with significant renovations and technological upgrades.

In summer 2014, the school system was scheduled to start demolition of the old central building at Evans Middle School and begin constructing a new two-story

“Our meeting space is used

by offering programs for adults

heavily, often three to four

and children to enrich their daily

times per day. In addition to our

lives as well as access to print and

children’s and adult programs,

electronic materials.”

we have other city of Newnan

“Coweta libraries provide

departments use the space as

uniquely discernible value to all

well as rentals to individuals and

citizens of Coweta County,” Bass

companies,” Mapel said. “We have

suggested.

had everything from business

“A search for the perfect book

meetings to bible studies to baby

can take place at the library or from

showers to weddings.”

the comfort of your home via our

The biggest programs are the

electronic catalog. There is never

weekly Story Time, adult exercise

a vacation break from learning as

programs, crochet and knitting,

our network of career, education

history programs and programs

and research databases are up and

related to the arts.

available 24/7,” Bass said.

Piedmont Wellness Center

Bass described libraries as

and Coca-Cola partnered with

“the community’s living room.”

the Carnegie for an “Exercise is

The local libraries “offer many

Medicine” program, and a “Murder

opportunities for citizens to meet,

in Coweta County” program done

discuss, learn and laugh through

with the library and the Coweta

the multitude of programs we

County Visitors Center proved

offer,” he said. CL

116 116 Coweta CowetaLiving Living2014-15 2014-15

celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2014.

“The initial vision was to broaden the educational experience through the active presence of arts in daily living,” said Don Nixon, director of the Centre since its opening. “It’s very important that arts have a strong presence in the education structure of students.”

Nixon’s vision was to allow the Centre to enhance, not replace, the existing arts foundation in the community.

“We started with important foundational work in place,” he said.

“Our goal was to enrich, enhance, and expand their structures. We worked sensitively to not take away from existing programming but to build upon it and resource what they were already providing. Not to replace but to enrich

the opportunities.”

In the last 10 years, the Centre, in conjunction with the Coweta community and school system, was able to achieve Nixon’s goal – bringing many different art and cultural activities to the area and enhancing those existing. The Centre’s activities range from art exhibits and local entertainment to national and international talent, including Centre Strings, a community strings group – led by Dr. Lyn Schenbeck – which has members from ages 8 to 85.

“What Nixon has done is remarkable,” said Coweta County Schools Superintendent Dr. Steve Barker. “He has brought people in from all over the world.” CL

WRITTEN BY CELIA SHORTT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY CELIA SHORTT

The Deroko family works on their rockets at Moreland Elementary School's STEM Night.

Coweta Living 2014-15 117

EDUCATION

building. The school will remain open throughout construction and utilize mobile classrooms to ensure students will not lose any instruction or class time.

Renovations to other existing buildings at Evans Middle Schools will also continue through summer 2014.

A three-year renovation project at East Coweta High School will also be completed in the 2014-2015 school year.

By the summer of 2015, ECHS will have had 294,000 square feet of renovations, including new classrooms, a new cafeteria, and a new field house. Some of these will be ready for the start of the school year.

The school system’s Centre for Performing and Visual Arts on Lower Fayetteville Road in Newnan is

EDUCATION

C

Cowetan Willie Boyd is interviewed by fourth-grader Tobias Parks.

Coweta County School System adds STEM initiatives

Coweta County School System

has begun increasing STEM initiatives throughout its schools.

“STEM is an acronym for Science Technology Engineering and Math,” explains Dr. Donald White, science content specialist for the Coweta system.

“However, in Coweta, STEM is more of an approach or mindset than a set of subjects,” he said. STEM is “applied problem solving.” It’s hands-on and 118 Coweta Living 2014-15

authentic emphasizing creativity, inventiveness and teamwork.

During the 2013-14 school year, Coweta schools began implementing a STEM recognition program to recognize teachers who had finished a certain number of STEM lessons and shared their work. The program also recognizes schools with a certain number of STEM teachers.

“Our teachers and students have partnered with local businesses and

industry to help make the STEM lessons even more authentic,” White said. “Our business community has been enthusiastic in helping us develop our STEM programs because they have recognized that the approach we’ve been using helps to develop the workforce that they need.”

During the 2014-15 school year, Coweta’s school system also hopes to increase the community’s involvement with STEM. CL

Coweta School System

A community is only as good as its schools. And great public schools are a big reason why Coweta County is a vibrant and enriching place to live. Coweta County Schools combine a small-town, community-based feel with big-city advantages and opportunities for our students.

contact list

Coweta County School System P.O. Box 280, Newnan, GA 30264 Main Directory 770-254-2800 www.cowetaschools.org

Coweta County Board of Education Winston Dowdell (5th District) board chairman winston.dowdell@cowetaschools.org Harry Mullins (3rd District) vice chairman harrymullins@cowetaschools.org Sue L. Brown (2nd District) sue.brown@cowetaschools.org Amy Dees (1st District) amy.dees @cowetaschools.org Graylin Ward (4th District) board treasurer graylinward @cowetaschools.org Frank Farmer (At-Large) frank.farmer@cowetaschools.org Larry Robertson (At-Large) larry.robertson@cowetaschools.org

School System Administration Superintendent Steve Barker 770-254-2801 Assistant Superintendent Marc Guy 770-254-2802 Assistant Superintendent (Finance) Keith Chapman 770-254-2817 Public Information Officer Dean Jackson 770-254-2736 After-School Program Director Alan Wood 770-252-3016 School System Head Nurse Sally Millians 770-254-2799 Transportation 105 Cofield Drive Newnan Transportation Manager Judy Gresham 770-254-2820 Assistant Manager Sandra Lewis 770-254-2820 Shop Foreman Keith McCullough 770-254-2820

continued on pg. 120

The Coweta County School System is a community of 3,000 professionals and over 30 schools and facilities dedicated to the education of Coweta’s children. Located in one of Georgia’s fastest-growing and most historic communities, our school system’s elementary, middle and high schools provide education and enrichment for 22,300 students.

Our tradition of top-quality education is reflected in our performance: • Schools among the top-performing in the state of Georgia and the nation.

• High SAT scores, and high rates of Advanced Placement participation.

• Recent honors that include a Georgia Family-Friendly school winner, a US News and World Report Silver-Ranking among the nation’s Best High Schools, a national Elementary School Principal of the year and National Middle School Principal of the Year, Georgia STAR student and Teacher of the Year finalists, and a Southern Growth Policy Board Innovator Awardwinning school.

From academics to the arts to athletics – from preKindergarten to college and career readiness – Coweta County Schools are committed to Ensuring the Success of All Students.

In addition to exceptional academic, enrichment and athletic programs offered at each of our schools, our system provides unique opportunities to students and our whole community at institutions like The Center for Performing and Visual Arts, which features artists from around the nation in all mediums to the whole community and showcases our student artists, and our Central Educational Center — the model for Georgia’s Career Academy Charter Schools — which provides unique college, industry and work-based instruction in a variety of career paths. With strong community support, and in service to parents and citizens who hold high academic expectations, we are Committed to Student Success. We invite you to visit any of our schools, and see for yourself why Great Schools are at the Heart of our Coweta Community.

EDUCATION

School System Central Office

167 Werz Industrial Drive, Newnan Assistant Superintendent Vince Bass 770-254-2803 Central Registration Center 770-254-5551 Curriculum Department Director Karen Barker 770-254-2810 Testing and School Improvement Coordinator Peggy Guebert 770-254-2810 Instructional Services Director Therese Reddekopp 770-254-2810 Special Education Director Melissa Casablanca 770-254-2810 Title I Coordinator Sherry Warren 770-254-2810 Title I Monitor Lisa Copeland 770-254-2810 Math Curriculum Specialist Lynn Skinner 770-254-2810 Science Curriculum Specialist Donald White 770-254-2810 Language Arts and Social Studies Curriculum Specialist Paula Baker 770-254-2810 Pre-Kindergarten Programs Lisa Copeland 770-254-2810 Federal Programs Diane Williamson 770-254-2810 Human Resources Manager Susan Riggs 770-254-2803 Substitute Procurement Specialist Kelly Smith 770-254-5540 Information Technology Director Jason Olvey 770-304-7950 120 Coweta Living 2014-15

Comptroller Mike Jones 770-254-2732 Payroll Manager Glenda McDuffie 770-254-2805 Benefits/Workers Comp. Specialist Vanessa Warner 770-254-2731 Records Retention Tanya Grieb 770-254-2800 School System Operations Office 170 Werz Industrial Drive, Newnan Operations and School Safety Director Doug Moore 770-254-2750 Facilities Director Ronnie Cheek 770-254-2750 Centre for Performing and Visual Arts 1523 Lower Fayetteville Road Director Don Nixon 770-254-2787

Coweta County Elementary Schools Arbor Springs Elementary 4840 N. Highway 29 Newnan, GA 30265 770-463-5903 Arnco-Sargent Elementary 2449 W. Highway 16 Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2830 Atkinson Elementary 4 Nimmons Street Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2835 Brooks Elementary 35 Genesee Point Newnan, GA 30263 770-683-0013 Canongate Elementary 200 Petes Road Sharpsburg, GA 30277 770-463-8010 Eastside Elementary 1225 Eastside School Road Senoia, GA 30276 770-599-6621 Elm Street Elementary 46 Elm Street Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2865

Glanton Elementary 5725 Highway 29 Grantville, GA 30220 770-583-2873 Jefferson Parkway Elementary 154 Farmer Industrial Blvd Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2771 Moreland Elementary 145 Railroad Street Moreland, GA 30259 770-254-2875 Newnan Crossing Elementary 1267 Lower Fayetteville Road, Newnan, GA 30265 770-254-2872 Northside Elementary 720 Country Club Road Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2890 Poplar Road Elementary 2925 Poplar Road Sharpsburg, GA 30277 770-254-2740 Ruth Hill Elementary Sunset Lane 57 Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2895 Thomas Crossroads Elem.

3530 E. Highway 34 Sharpsburg, GA 30277 770-254-2751 Welch Elementary 240 Mary Freeman Road Newnan, GA 30265 770-254-2597 Western Elementary 1730 Welcome Road Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2790 White Oak Elementary 770 Lora Smith Road Newnan, GA 30265 770-254-2860 Willis Road Elementary 430 Willis Road Sharpsburg, GA 30277 770-304-7995

Student Support Services

1 Dowdell Street, Newnan Directors John Boren and Eddie Lovett 770-254-2870

Coweta County Middle Schools

Arnall Middle 700 Lora Smith Road Newnan, GA 30265 770-254-2765 East Coweta Middle 6291 E. Highway 16 Senoia, GA 30276 770-599-6607 Evans Middle 41 Evans Drive Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2780 Lee Middle 370 Willis Road Sharpsburg, GA 30277 770-251-1547 Madras Middle 240 Edgeworth Road Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2744 Smokey Road Middle 965 Smokey Road Newnan 30263 770-254-2840 Alternative Middle Maggie Brown School 32 Clark Street Newnan, GA 30263 770-304-5930

Coweta County High Schools

Central Ed. Center 160 Martin Luther King Dr. Newnan, GA 30263 678-423-2000 East Coweta High 400 SharpsburgMcCollum Rd. Sharpsburg, GA 30277 770-254-2850 Newnan High 190 LaGrange Street Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2880 Northgate High 3220 Fischer Road Newnan, GA 30265 770-463-5585 Alternative High School Winston Dowdell Academy 1 Dowdell Street Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2870 Westside/Burwell 106 Westside School Road Newnan, GA 30263 770-254-2877

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N

Newnan offers a vibrant atmosphere and stunning business facilities for all. The Newnan Centre is frequently used for receptions.

Newnan offers a vibrant atmosphere for everyone

Newnan’s downtown business

district and the surrounding area continue to thrive and offer many opportunities for both residents and visitors.

The Newnan Centre, located on Lower Fayetteville Road, continues to grow and is becoming a leading conference center and resource for all Coweta County. Executive Director Carol Moore has led the Centre through its first year and continues to implement resources to make it a preferred

facility for weddings, conferences, and banquets. The city meeting facility operated by the Newnan Convention Center Authority is adjacent to the Coweta School System’s Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. To schedule an event or to find out more, call 770-253-2682, ext. 233.

Another facility on Newnan’s horizon is the new public safety complex being built on Jefferson Street, just outside of downtown Newnan.

The almost $9 million facility will

house the Newnan Police Department and include space to expand as needed.

It will also include a 150-seat municipal courtroom and will have entrances on Jefferson Street and Augusta Drive.

Helping draw people downtown is Newnan Carnegie Library, Georgia’s oldest Carnegie library. Located at 1 LaGrange St. on the Court Square, it is a non-circulating reading room, including book collections and separate reading rooms for children and adults.

It also features a collection of work by

WRITTEN BY CELIA SHORTT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

Coweta Living 2014-15 121

COUNTY / CITIES The Newnan Centre opened last year and has quickly become a dynamic facility for those in Coweta County and surrounding areas to use.

local authors.

On its second floor, the Carnegie features an art gallery and two meeting rooms used for educational programs.

In addition to books and art, the Carnegie offers numerous programs and services for all ages.

MainStreet Newnan, part of the city’s business development department, works to provide events and festivals throughout the year that draw people to the historic downtown area of the city. Among MainStreet organized events are First Friday activities, A Taste of Newnan spring and fall food festivals, monthly Market Days, holiday parades, the Oktoberfest beer sampling, spring and fall Art Walks, and a wine tasting called Summer Wined Up. This year, Main Street also began hosting “Screen on the Green” during its First Friday events. “Screen on the Green” is a free movie event held in the First Avenue Park.

Within historic downtown Newnan are several parks for people to enjoy.

One of the largest is Greenville Street Park, bordered by Greenville Street, LaGrange Street and Salbide Avenue and within walking distance of the downtown area. It features a 25-column colonnaded entrance, a terraced lawn area and a stage that allows the park 122 Coweta Living 2014-15

to serve as a small amphitheater for events. There are brick plazas, a covered pavilion, a water fountain, and plenty of tables and bench seating.

Nearby is First Avenue Park, located on First Avenue just outside of the Greenville/LaGrange historic district.

The park is designed for play and exercise. It includes covered picnic pavilions, a fenced playground area, grassed multipurpose fields, elaborate stonework, heavy landscaping, and a paved walkway trail system perfect for walkers.

Among other parks in Newnan are: the city park at Temple Avenue and Jackson Street that features the Veterans Memorial Plaza; Cranford Park on Jackson Street, which includes walking trails; C.J. Smith Park, which includes athletic field space and play area; and Willie Lynch Park, which includes the city’s public swimming pool, a playground and nearby Wesley Street Gym. Ray Park, located on Spring Street and Ray Circle, is an active neighborhood park and is undergoing extensive renovations. It will be getting a pavilion, a playground, pedestrian crosswalks, and an 8-foot-wide walking trail. CL

Greenville Street Park, Newnan.

numbers to know

If you have a question regarding a matter in the city of Newnan, here are some helpful phone numbers to have: Beautification 770-254-2354 Building 770-254-2362 Carnegie Library 770-683-1347 Cemetery 770-253-3744 City Clerk 770-254-2358 City Manager 770-254-2358 Community Development 770-254-2354 Engineering 770-253-0327 Finance 770-254-2351 Fire 770-253-1851 Garage 770-253-0327 Human Resources 770-254-2358 Information Technology 770-254-2358 Keep Newnan Beautiful 770-253-8283 Main Street Newnan 770-253-8283 Mayor 770-254-2358 Planning and Zoning 770-254-2354 Police 770-254-2355 Public Information 770-254-2358 Public Works 770-253-0327 Sanitation 770-253-0327 Street 770-253-0327

DEPARTMENT HEADS Beautification

Keep Newnan Beautiful

Mike Furbush

Carol Duffey

Building

Business Development Director / Main Street Newnan

Bill Stephenson

Cemetery Jimmy Hemmings

Hasco Craver IV

City Clerk Della Hill

Mayor

Keith Brady

City Manager

Planning and Zoning

Cleatus Phillips

Engineering

Tracy Dunnavant

Michael Klahr

Police

Finance

D. L. “Buster” Meadows

Katrina Cline

Public Information

Fire

Gina L. Snider

David Whitley

Human Resources Meg Blubaugh

Information Technology Jim Chambers

Public Works

Michael Klahr

Streets/ Garage/ Sanitation

Deputy Public Works Ray Norton

Coweta Living 2014-15 123

COUNTY / CITIES

City of Newnan

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Cutline goes here for both pics on this page.

S

Downtown Senoia offers small-town charm yet provides plenty of shopping and eating opportunities for visitors.

Small towns offer Mayberry ambience to residents

Newnan and Coweta seem to go

together a lot.

Many organizations connect the two in their name, and Newnan is certainly a central part of marketing the county to industrial prospects.

Housing and shopping miles from the Court Square are often sold as part of a

“Newnan” experience.

Beyond Newnan’s borders, there is more. Coweta offers several smaller towns and rural communities with a slower pace. In some of them – Haralson, Sharpsburg, Turin and Moreland – there are people who know virtually everyone in town.

Eric Spencer is one of those folks in Haralson. Spencer clearly loves the town. “The thing about living in Haralson is it is like Mayberry,” he said.

“Everyone knows everyone and it is a close-knit community.”

Haralson has a year-round park – with its picnic area and shade trees

WRITTEN BY W. WINSTON SKINNER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO AND W. WINSTON SKINNER

124 Coweta Living 2014-15

In the smaller towns, there are festivals. Turin offers a Tractor Parade and Pull each August, showing off antique farm power, and a mammoth Fourth of July celebration is mounted annually in Moreland that includes a barbecue that has been put on by local churches for more than 60 years and the accompanying Puckett Station Arts and Crafts Festival.

Moreland – with a population of about 500 – is a center for museum and tourism activity. The Erskine Caldwell Birthplace and Museum is on the town square near the Moreland Hometown Heritage Museum, which is set to be reassembled when restoration is done on the two-story section of the historic Moreland Mill building, which also houses the town offices. At the edge of town is God’s Little Acre, a demonstration garden that is slated to get an array of historic structures that will recreate the agrarian world that inspired late novelist Caldwell and humorist Lewis Grizzard. Grizzard, who grew up in Moreland and went on to a career as a syndicated newspaper columnist and later published a series of books, is to be the focus of one of the first exhibits when the Moreland Hometown Heritage Museum reopens.

Palmetto is mostly in Fulton County but includes a sliver in north Coweta.

Many Cowetans buy groceries or go to church there, and Palmetto Baptist Church is actually making plans to relocate to a tract in Coweta just outside the city.

Small town living is about relationships and feeling comfortable.

“I love living Celebrating in my hometown, the Fourth of July is Turin,” Angela a Coweta Banks Tinsley favorite in the quaint reflected. “It’s town of small, but the Moreland. perfect size, with a lot of heart.”

Working as a flight attendant, Tinsley lived in some big cities and even some other countries. “I couldn’t wait to get back home,” she said.

“I love that I can go to the post office, church or the store and know pretty much everyone who may walk in. …

The connections we all share can go back many generations. The traditions run deep, and you can always count on someone if you need help,” Tinsley said.

Colby Doler and Dwayne Cook expressed similar thoughts about Grantville. Doler, a filmmaker who now lives in Newnan, grew up in Grantville.

Cook is one of many residents to move there in recent years. He has an accounting office in Grantville and bases his ministry, Walk A Mile, in the south Coweta town.

“Growing up in a small town like Grantville is something for which I am very thankful. Being able to walk around basically the entire town, meeting and conversing with people – that is something that only small town life can offer,” Doler said.

Cook had a short answer for what he likes about Grantville – “the friendly folks.”

Interstate 85 runs through the edge of Grantville. “You can be just about anywhere in no time at all and back home just as fast,” Cook said.

Doler said growing up in Grantville gave him “a greater sense of community” than he would otherwise have had. “Everyone was close and we were all friends – regardless of race, color or religion. Being a kid in a small town like that felt like a real adventure.”

There is an authenticity to small town living – a connection with people and with the place itself. Reflecting on what is unique about Grantville, Cook summarized, “There is no traffic, no red lights – and a train that passes through from time to time to keep it real. That’s what I like about my city.” CL Coweta Living 2014-15 125

COUNTY / CITIES

– and gatherings around July 4 and at Christmas typify what makes life in small-town Coweta great.

Senoia and Grantville are the largest of the “small towns.” Both have their own police departments and parks. Each has a county library branch and special events planned during the year.

Senoia’s downtown has had a major retail renaissance in recent years. It has become a popular filming spot for the movie and television industry with Raleigh Studios nearby. It hosts celebrations from an annual Memorial Day festival with parade and fireworks to its annual Light Up Senoia holiday parade and tree lighting. The town’s entertainment scene has grown with the addition of country music star Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Social Club eating and music venue.

Several new businesses have opened – or have announced plans to do so – in Grantville, the only municipality in the county to sell its residents electricity, water and natural gas. The old grantville passenger train depot houses the Coweta Genealogical Society research library, and the old freight depot across the street along with other areas of town have served as sets for movie and television film crews over the years.

The popular AMC television show “The Walking Dead” transformed the freight depot for one of its episodes – the show has done extensive filming in Senoia as well as in Newnan and other spots around Coweta.

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C

The Coweta County Administration building at 22 East Broad Street is the headquarters of Coweta County's government offices, though not all offices are located there. Navigating the somewhat mazelike building has become much easier thanks to new navigational signage at various entrances.

Coweta County services run gamut, from auto tags to voter registration

Coweta County’s government

act in all areas of Coweta. The Coweta

handles automobile tags, county

911 Center provides 911 services to the

property taxes, voter registration and

entire county.

elections for all residents of Coweta

Other county services are provided

County. It also provides recreational

by the Coweta County Health

services for all residents of the county.

Department, Coweta Environmental

The Coweta County Sheriff's Office

Health, the Coweta County Department

includes the jail for all parts of Coweta,

of Family and Children’s Services and

and CCSO deputies are authorized to

the Coweta County Extension Office.

These four are operated in partnership with the state of Georgia.

The county additionally provides services for unincorporated areas of the county, including planning and zoning, building permits and inspections.

Among some of the county’s services: Your vehicle tag and property taxes, including homestead

WRITTEN BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY LEO

126 Coweta Living 2014-15

$15 boarding charge for each day the animal is at the shelter.

Animal control officers also respond to complaints about animals running loose or violent animals.

Coweta County Voter Registration is around the corner at the 22 East Broad St. entrance. You can register to vote or change your address and get information on what district you live in and where your polling place is located. That’s also where early voting takes place.

You can also register to vote online at www.sos.ga.gov, or with paper forms that are found at local libraries.

You can also register to vote while getting your driver’s license or changing your address at the Department of Driver Services office, located at 128 Bullsboro Drive in the Food Depot-anchored Eastgate Shopping Center.

Coweta County Probate Court, located in the 1904 Courthouse on the Court Square, is the place to go for copies of birth certificates, death certificates and marriage licenses, and to get licenses for firearms, fireworks and dynamite.

The court also deals with wills, estates, guardianship of children and incapacitated adults, orders for involuntary mental evaluations, and appointment of conservators to oversee money given to minors through insurance, inheritance or court settlement.

Coweta County Animal Control is located at 91 Selt Road, off Hospital Road next to the Coweta County Prison.

Animals picked up by animal control officers are housed at the animal shelter, awaiting adoption or to be reunited with their owners. When you adopt a dog or cat, the pet is spayed or neutered at the shelter before you take it home. Adopted animals also have their first round of vaccines and a microchip that can identify them if they are lost. The shelter often runs specials to encourage adoptions, and animals that have been at the shelter a long time often can be adopted free of charge.

You can view the animals available for adoption at the shelter, or look for your missing pet, at www.petharbor.com.

Animal control officials urge those whose pets have gone missing to contact the shelter. Just because you don’t see your animal on the petharbor website doesn’t mean it is not at the shelter. Note: Animals can go up for adoption after they have been at the shelter for three days. Plus, there is a

Coweta Department of Family and Children Services handles food stamps, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and child welfare issues, including investigation, foster care and adoptions. The office is located at 533 Highway 29 North.

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, Coweta County, provides information on plants and farm animals, hosts the Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, provides plant and disease identification, houses the Coweta County 4-H, and provides water and soil testing. It is located at the entrance to the Coweta County Fairgrounds, 255 Pine Road.

The Environmental Health Department, located on Perry Street, is where you go for septic tank permits and information about drinking water wells. The department also completes restaurant inspections and inspects public pools.

The Coweta County Building Department, at 4 Madison St., is where you go to get building permits, including permits for home

COUNTY / CITIES

exemptions, are processed at the Coweta County Tax Commissioners office in downtown Newnan. It’s located in the Coweta Administration Building at the corner of East Broad and Perry streets. Use the Perry Street entrance.

The majestic 1904 Courthouse is the place to go for copies of birth certificates, death certificates and marriage licenses.

construction, outbuildings, barns, swimming pools, home renovations and repairs.

The Coweta County Planning and Zoning Department, located in the administration building at 22 East Broad St., is where you go for zoning questions, from rezoning your property to determining where you can build your barn or shed. The department also includes the business license office.

The Coweta County Justice Center at 72 Greenville St. houses State, Superior and Magistrate courts, and the juvenile court is located nearby.

Magistrate Court is the place to go for small claims, landlord/tenant issues, and the like. Superior Court also houses real estate records. State Court is the place to go in order to pay tickets issued by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.

The Coweta County Tax Assessors Office, located in the administration building on the Perry Street side, is responsible for determining the value of all “real property” in the county. The tax assessors office handles appeals of property values.

Coweta Living 2014-15 127

COUNTY / CITIES The Coweta County Justice Center on Greenville Street, which opened in 2006, houses Coweta's Superior, State, and Magistrate Courts.

The Juvenile Court facility shares the same parking lot. The justice center is also the "courthouse" for legal purposes.

The Coweta County Airport – Whitlock Field is located on Airport Road, off U.S. 29 just south of Interstate 85 near Moreland. The airport provides aircraft services, from corporate jets and helicopter ambulances to singleengine planes, and it also offers hangar rental.

The Coweta County Library System operates four libraries: Central Library on Literary Lane off Ebenezer Church Road and Lower Fayetteville Road in east Coweta, A. Mitch Powell Branch (formerly Newnan-Coweta Public Library) on Hospital Road in Newnan, Senoia Branch Library on Pylant Street and Grantville Branch Library at 100 Park Drive.

Coweta Code Enforcement enforces county codes, including building and zoning regulations, regulations on accumulation of trash and tall grass, sign ordinances, and garbage providers. In most cases, code enforcement works on complaints only.

The Coweta County Board of Commissioners is the governing body for Coweta County. The five commissioners serve staggered, four128 Coweta Living 2014-15

year terms and are elected by districts.

The commissioners typically meet twice a month. Meetings are normally held the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. in the county commission chambers, located above the tax assessors office on Perry Street.

The Coweta County Water and Sewerage Authority provides water service throughout the county, and sewer service for commercial and industrial development, as well as limited residential service. The authority is a separate entity from Coweta County and is governed by the three-member authority board, with members appointed by the Coweta County Board of Commissioners.

The Coweta Convention and Visitors Bureau operates the Coweta Visitors Center in the 1904 Courthouse in downtown Newnan and promotes Coweta tourism.

Coweta County Event Services deals with facility rental at the Coweta County Fairgrounds on Pine Road, including the Adamson Horse arena, the 1904 Courthouse in downtown Newnan, and the Powell Expo Center on

Temple Avenue. Event Services offices are located in the exhibition hall at the fairgrounds.

The Coweta County Recreation Department operates recreation facilities throughout the county and offers multiple programs year-round.

The recreation department also handles rental of community centers, including the Tommy Thompson Senior Center on Hospital Road in Newnan, the Senoia Community Center on Howard Road in Senoia, the Welcome Community Center at 1792 Welcome Road near Newnan, the Panther Creek Community Center at 2285 Hwy. 16 in Sargent, the Clay-Wood Community Center on Heery Road in Newnan, and the community room at Coweta Fire Station 16 on Hwy. 34 West in the Dresden Community.

Senior citizen programs are organized by the Tommy Thompson Senior Center, 29 Hospital Road, Newnan – 770-683-8600, and by the Senoia, Panther Creek, and Welcome community centers. The Tommy Thompson center offers programs most weekdays while the other programs are offered once a week. CL

numbers to know

Here are Coweta County government departments and contact numbers for various county buildings and facilities:

Administration Building

Justice Center

22 East Broad Street, Newnan

72 Greenville Street, Newnan

Administration / Commission Office:

Clerk of State Court:

770-254-2601

Board of Elections:

770-254-2699

Clerk of Superior Court:

678-854-0015

770-254-2690

Business License Department:

Coweta Circuit District Attorney’s Office:

770-254-2626

Road Department:

101 Selt Road 770-253-0794

Animal Control / Shelter:

91 Selt Road, 770-254-3735 or 770-254-3728 after hours Monday through Saturday, all day Sunday and holidays.

Environmental Management:

Code Enforcement:

770-254-7300

101 Selt Road, 770-254-3785

Communications Manager:

District Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program:

Fairgrounds Complex

770-254-2669

770-254-2608

770-254-7350

Community and Human Resources Director:

State Court Indigent Defense:

770-254-2603

Coroner:

770-683-0444

Finance Department: 770-254-2607

Geographic Information Systems: 678-854-0029

Human Resources Office:

770-254-2658

Magistrate:

770-254-2610

Solicitor’s Office: 770-254-2646

Juvenile Center

78 Greenville Street, Newnan

Pine Road, Newnan Fairgrounds & Conference Center:

275 Pine Road, 770-254-2685

Cooperative Extension Service / 4-H (state):

255 Pine Road, 770-254-2620

Other Departments/ Offices Airport:

770-254-3716

1904 Courthouse

Newnan-Coweta County Airport Whitlock Field, 115 Airport Road, 770-254-8102

Planning and Zoning:

200 Court Square, Newnan

Building Inspections Dept.:

770-254-2604

Information Technology - IT:

770-254-2635

Tax Commissioner (Property Tax): 770-254-2670

Juvenile Court:

770-254-3730

Probate Court: 770-254-2640

Visitors Center:

4 Madison Street, 770-254-2660

State Court Probation:

10 Olive Street, 770-252-6440

Tag Office:

770-254-2627 / 1-800-826-9382

Transportation & Engineering

21 E. Washington St., 770-254-3775

770-254-2631

Veterans Services (state):

51 Perry Street Building

770-254-7260

Perry and Madison Streets, Newnan

Voter Registrar:

Adult Drug Court Office:

Administrative Addition

770-254-7204

770-254-2615

37 Perry Street, Newnan Tax Assessors Office: 770-254-2680

770-683-0205

Adult Probation Office: Environmental Health (state):

770-254-7422

Selt Road Complex Selt Road, Newnan

County Prison & Work Release Center:

101 Selt Road, 770-254-3723 / 770-254-3728

(Includes Stormwater & Floodplain Mgt.):

Development Authority: 100 International Park, 770-304-1777

Emergency Management:

195 International Park, 770-254-2650

E-911:

195 International Park 770-254-3911 (non-emergency) 770-254-5809 (office)

Library System: Central Library:

85 Literary Lane, Newnan, 770-683-2052

continued on pg. 130

COUNTY / CITIES

Coweta County

COUNTY / CITIES

Powell Branch:

25 Hospital Road, Newnan, 770-253-3625

Grantville Branch:

100 Park Drive, Grantville, 770-683-0535

Senoia Branch:

148 Pylant Street, Senoia, 770-599-3537

inde x of Advertisers

Physical Health Department (state): 70 Hospital Road, 770-254-7400

Powell Expo Center:

197 Temple Avenue, 770-252-6429

Public Buildings Department: 28 East Washington Street, 770-254-2666

A Better Way Antiques & Home Decor............................... 59

Newnan Utilities.................................. 2 Newnan-Coweta

Allstate............................................... 42

Art Association, Inc....................... 91

Amazon Stone....................................11

Odyssey Charter School.................115

Arbor Springs Plantation.................. 35

Opportunity Staffing & Resources, Inc............................ 37

Superior Court Public Defender Office:

Atlanta Market Furniture.................. 43

8-B Madison Street, 770-254-2704

Atlanta Range & Ordinance.......... 81

Pain Care............................................. 6

Sheriff’s Office

Berkshire Hathaway......................... 40

Peachtree Pediatric

Main Office and Jail:

560 Greison Trail, 770-253-1502

East Precinct:

55 Literary Lane, 770-254-8922

Recreation Department: Main Office:

39 Hospital Road, 770-254-3750

Hunter Complex:

2970 East Hwy. 16, 770-254-3740

Clay-Wood Community Center: 135 Heery Road, 770-254-3745

Water and Sewerage Authority:

545 Corinth Road, Newnan, 770-254-3710

Boatwright CPA................................ 39 Center for Allergy & Asthma of Georgia...................................... 73

Dentistry, LLC.................................. 87 Piedmont Newnan Hospital............ 71 Powers Heating and Air................... 25

Charter Bank..................................... 49

Primecare Pediatrics........................ 85

Coweta Cities & County Employees

Progressive Heating and

Federal Credit Union..................... 23 Coweta County

Air Conditioning.............................. 5 Salvation Army................................ 101

Development Authority................ 55

Sanders, Haugen and Sears, P.C... 60

Coweta County School System.....119

Service Master.................................. 27

Coweta County Convention

Sewell Marine, Inc............................ 67

& Visitors Bureau............................ 57

Snap Fitness 24-7............................... 84

Coweta-Fayette EMC...................... 67

Somerby of Peachtree City............ 79

Fabritique.......................................... 39

SouthCrest Bank................................ 63

First Baptist Church of Newnan.... 103

SouthTowne....................................... 37

Georgia Bone and Joint, LLC........... 3

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church........... 103

483 Turkey Creek Road, 770-254-3900

Five Star Renovations, Inc.................. 7

Stemburger & Cummins, P.C........... 31

GateKeeper Properties................... 47

StoneBridge

Other government offices:

Georgia Military College.................. 9

Early Learning Center..................115

Dept. of Family and Children Services (DFACS):

Grannie Fannie’s.............................. 60

Ten East Washington........................ 42

Fire Department Headquarters:

Hemrick’s......................................... 104

The Bear 92.5..................................... 33

533 Highway 29 North, 770-254-7234

Heritage of Peachtree..................... 87

The Bedford School........................ 109

Drivers Services:

Hut No. 8............................................ 97

The Heritage School....................... 109

Jack Peek’s Sales.............................131

The Newnan Times-Herald.............. 12

Jeffries Eye Care............................... 72

Treasures Old & New........................ 59

Lee-King Pharmacy......................... 72

Vinewood Plantation..................... 132

Let Them Eat Toffee.......................... 97

Vining Stone...................................... 19

Lichty Brothers Homes...................... 23

Ward Law Office............................... 42

MainStreet Newnan......................... 43

Wesley Woods of Newnan.............. 75

Matrix Insurance Agency, Inc......... 55

West Georgia Gastroenterology

128 Bullsboro Drive, 770-254-7203 (recorded info) 678-413-8400

Georgia State Patrol:

517 Turkey Creek Road, 770-254-7201

Social Security:

246 Bullsboro Drive, Suite B, 678-423-8972; 1-800-772-12132

130 Coweta Living 2014-15

McGuire’s Buildings............................ 4

Associates, PC............................... 77

Morgan Jewelers.............................. 52

West Georgia Health......................... 8

Newnan First United

West Georgia Technical College... 13

Methodist Church....................... 104

Wholesale Expo................................ 47

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